“At this, job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.’”Job 1:20-21
Dear GOD, I will praise You no matter what is happening in my life-in good times and in bad times. Even in the midst of loss, disappointment, sickness, or failure, I lift up praise to You and Your Name on High.
Lately life has been difficult in many ways. I probably don’t need to expound any further since it should be clear from my last few posts what I mean. However one part of my life that has been great is my job. Not only does it provide a distraction of the mind and hands from the hard parts of home life, but it is an amazing job. I get to work at the cusp of new technology. Olive Tree has some great things in store. I can’t say too much, because we can’t let competitors steal our ideas, but suffice it to say that I think Olive Tree is going to raise the bar for Bible software.
One of my jobs is to be a sort of project manager for the conversion and formatting department. That is why, if you look at my Twitter feed, you often see new product announcements. On top of being excited about the direction our software design is going, I am enthusiastic about some of the new products we have in store.
All this is to say that Olive Tree has been a real high point in my year. I enjoy what I’m doing there. I love being a company that puts out Bible software at the leading edge of technology. And I feel very blessed to be a part of such a great team of people. God has blessed me greatly in this regard.
1/29/2010
I have ultimately made a decision… a final decision. An extreme rarity among my brainwaves. I called Cypher, the director of the NY Circus Arts Academy in New York City and placed myself in a 4 day trial training class to see if I would be a good candidate for the 2 year professional training program majoring in aerial circus arts.
I have been working for great employers at a beautiful hotel in a beautiful location. I just fell into the job about 6 years ago. It was originally supposed to be temporary, just a way to relieve that ‘live a normal life’ itch I had since high school… I’ve been living a normal life since 2001.
I am now 26, and still making $400 a week. Quite comfortable in the little life I’ve created with my great husband. We rent an offbeat little cottage, pay our bills on time and have plans to have an actual wedding sometime soon, once we can scrounge the money together. He’s in construction and almost chopped his thumb off a couple days ago. Ugh! I really wish he didn’t have to work at all; all I want to do is stay home all day, snuggle on our 2nd hand, blue wingback couch and watch Laurel & Hardy until we fall asleep. This is pretty much what we do now when I get home from work at 11pm. During the day I open the craft shop that some of the creative hotel employees and I have put together. The shop doesn’t make much money but at least it’s a creative outlet. To get back to my creative roots, I have dabbled in community theatre and won first place for voice in the local talent shows for both 2008 & 2009 that I have participated. I’m pretty proud to have made front page of the local papers quite often for my vocal happenings.
I have had many different aspirations and good intentions for my career, but I haven’t been able to get to the point of moving. Something always got in the way of the first step. Either money or time or surgery (I had my gallbladder out in May ‘09) or another branch idea off of the first idea, etc, etc, etc…. This time I am going to actually commit to changing my life….you may be thinking: “Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s what everyone says and then months pass without anything happening.” I say the same thing all the time to my mother when she says she’s going to lose 20 pounds starting next week. Then 2 & 5 & 8 months roll by.
I have committed myself so that if I veer off it, I will completely embarrass myself if I don’t go through with it. I have told everyone I know what I’m going to do. Building it up so much that now I have to at least try my very best.
And so I will…I will.
Tomorrow I have to work from 8am-noon, with a break from noon-3pm, then back to work from 3-11pm. In that break time and all my break times I will be training myself to be as prepared for this week trial as possible. I have not worked out in quite a while so there will be hurting, and tears…I think more frustration than anything.
Wish me luck and check back tomorrow for aching bones & shin splints.
I was a month late being born because there was just SO MUCH TO DO IN THERE! But once I was ready to be born it took less than an hour…
A wise man once said the circumstances of your birth dictate how you run your life. For me that means I don’t do ANYTHING until I’M ready but once I’m ready it’s balls to the wind!
I’ve been contemplating doing some public writing and an advice column for a while and now I am ready. I chose the name “Deviled Angel” because it represents the fact that we are all human and make mistakes but are essentially good people.
I’ve started this blog as a service to continue to share my talent but also to offer advice.
Each blog will start with a little story about me or someone else, an anecdote, a quote, question etc. and I invite you to write in with your questions/comments.
My answers will include a comment from my little DEVIL and a comment from my little ANGEL. The “Devil Voice” is provided to diffuse stress from your problem. The “Angel Voice” is just my opinion..
BOTH PIECES OF ADVICE ARE PURELY FOR ENTERTAINMENT! I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR OR DOCTOR OF ANY SORT!
The ultimate decision on what to do about your problem is yours and you are responsible for the choices you make. But I always have “two cents” to offer and a chuckle to boot. :0)
Let’s help each other laugh and make life FABULOUS again!
If you’re on the hunt for a new job that fits the bill- this article will help you get your ‘job magnet’ turned on high and get the power of spiritual energy behind you in your journey!
To work is to be an active part of the whole cycle of abundance. You deserve to have a job that receives your unique style of creativity, energy, problem-solving and strength, and a job that compensates you equally for the work you do! Finding a job that suits you is as important as finding a life partner who you’re compatible with… many of us spend 8-12 hours per day at work- and if this isn’t a joyful, progressive, and ‘right feeling’ place to be, the consequences of depression, lethargy, illness, lack, and frustration are not far from manifesting.
In this article, I’d like to present some spiritual and metaphysical pieces of wisdom and practice that will help you call forth the job that will serve you as you serve it. Set your expectation meter on HIGH- and get ready to connect with a position of abundance!
Clarify The Goal
Pretend your new job is going to be like a new relationship. What exactly are you looking for? Start making a list of specifics… how far is the commute? what does your average day look like? What tasks will you be performing? How closely will you work with others? What new skills will you learn? Be as specific and realistic as possible given the type of work you choose to do. Once you’ve completed your list, come back to it every day and re-read it. If anything needs to be adjusted, removed, or added- do it! Allow the list to be dynamic.
Energy Is The Best Employee!
Take Intentional Action!
In spiritual practices, energy always flows where the attention goes. This means that in order to get the energy of your new job, you need to make sure you’re being attentive and putting energy into finding it. Spend time every single day looking at classified ads, sending out resumes, talking to people about your search, and thinking good thoughts about the future. Even if you’ve hired a headhunter to find a position for you, still be active in the process by requesting daily updates from them and investigating companies online that your representative has selected for you. Be intentional about finding work- don’t treat it as a process that should find you- we call it ‘job hunting‘ for a reason! If you choose to use prayer as a method for calling forth work, I am right behind you on that one.. but consider praying for guidance, empowerment, and wisdom in actively finding the right job- not for having it delivered to your doorstep.
Every Action Has An Equal Reaction… What’s Your Reaction Going To Be?
Check Your Paradigm
The truth about why many people have a hard time finding work is that in their core they don’t believe they deserve anything great. It’s imperative that you spend time each day checking your thoughts and beliefs. If you aren’t confident that you deserve the very best job for YOU as an individual- replete with great pay, awesome benefits, amazing co-workers, and sky-high potential for promotion… then we need to talk! Remind yourself consistently that for every person on the planet, a new need is created- and due to that new need, a new job is out there somewhere with your name on it. There is more than enough for all of us, and ‘lack mentality’ is only going to help you attract a seriously lack-luster job!
In a reality filled with infinite possibility- you truly can have whatever you desire!
Interview On The Astral Plane
In meditation, call forth the perfect situation in to your mind once you have what that is clear. Place yourself in the fullness of work and notice all the small details. Have conversations with you boss and ask questions- allowing responses to come through without judgment as truth. If anything funky happens in your visualization that doesn’t feel right for you… take note and take accountability. Go back to your list of qualities and start re-writing. Anything that manifests in this meditative state is either something you’ve consciously asked for- or a fear that’s manifesting. The sections above should help rid yourself of fear and get positive, while clarifying the things you do want to attract!
Spiritual meditation is the wise person’s true magic!
Someone’s Cooking…Beacon?
Select a stone or other object to serve as a sort of ’still point energy beacon’ for your goal. Let this item remind you whenever you interact with it about your goals- and give it the power to be a lucky talisman… drawing the right guidance and connections to you like a magnet. Once you land your amazing job- hand it over to someone you love who needs some help finding theirs!
Your order’s up!
Watch Out… It’s Contagious!
Have a friend who’s got a sweet job? Take them out to dinner or invite them over for tea. The old axiom ‘you are who you associate with’ is very true- and by spending time with people who have the money, connections, lifestyle, attitude, health, spiritual connection, etc. that YOU want you’ll start emulating them and learning subtle secrets to big success!
Can I rub your lucky attitude?
Live The Dream
If you find yourself sleeping in and lazing about because you aren’t working right now, you’re slowly and silently digging your paradigm into a dark hole. Keep waking up on time for work, making a good breakfast, catching up with the news, and getting yourself ready for a productive and abundant day. If you live in the energy of a positive job- you’ll manifest that job… there’s no way to avoid it!
I hit the snooze button too many times this morning and slept through living a higher state of abundant being!
Hand Me That Box Cutter, Will Ya?
If you’re living in a box about your career- now is the time to break free! Source very well may be telling you that your old belief about the work ‘you must do’ is a lie! Are you sure you’re doing what you want? Is fear and low self-esteem preventing you from approaching the job/career you truly want? Right now, give yourself permission to dream as wildly as possible about what you’d spend your days doing to earn money and participate in society in any way you’d truly love to. Got it? Now go get it!
If humans were meant to live in boxes, we would probably be more square!
Keep On Keepin’ On…
The process leading to your perfect job may have some history… and there may be some more time ahead before it manifests. In the meantime, you are in control of the health of your body, mind, emotions, and spirit in the matter. Continue to do the things you love (even if you have to scale them back due to financial concern). Be creative, try new things, love yourself- and most of all, love healing yourself! Try to enjoy the process of finding work- because it just means a change is needed and you’ve entered a higher state of being! If you find yourself in a depressive or anxiety-ridden state, talk to friends for support or connect with a top-notch mental health provider. Sometimes just venting and getting some feedback makes all the difference in the world. Remember that in you deserving to be abundant in the limitless- you also deserve joy!
Putting a brick on the gas pedal does NOT count as having cruise control!
With blessings of abundance, progress, and joyful participation in the cycle of propserity…
Josh Williams
Connect with me for a live, private, empowering intuitive coaching session… right from your own sacred space!
转载自：http://www.qiaobutang.com/blogs/145
题记：申请麦肯锡的大学毕业生中可能有超过99%的人相信自己不会被选中，但他们依然不死心地想要了解更多。这就是麦肯锡的魅力。
现在静下心来，用15分钟的时间读完本文–它会告诉你，作为大学毕业生，应聘麦肯锡需要从哪几个方面做准备。同时你最好能够意识到应聘其他公司的时候，也可以使用类似的方法。
一、麦肯锡招聘哪些人？
（1）从招聘行为和简历指导解读
麦肯锡的公司使命中就提到他们的目标之一是“建立一个能够吸引、培养、激发、激励和保持杰出人才的企业”—在绝大多数公司，人才是达成目标的手段，而在麦肯锡，他们自称人才本身就是公司的目标。哪些人是麦肯锡心目中的人才呢？
2008年宣讲会在以下几个学校举行：香港科技大学、复旦大学、上海交通大学、中国科技大学、北京大学、清华大学、浙江大学。而这几个学校显然囊括了历年高考状元的选择。我们可以这么说，麦肯锡只去那些有高考状元在的大学招聘。这给我们透露出一个强烈的信息：麦肯锡特别看重那些成绩优秀的人。再看一看《麦肯锡简历指导》 的”Education”部分你就知道了。麦肯锡要的人是从高中到大学都非常“热爱”学习，成绩优秀的人。
你知道麦肯锡是那种“生产、聚集、加工和出售知识”的公司，他们需要特别擅长处理复杂信息，并且从大量信息中理出头绪的毕业生。而学习正是去处理信息，理清头绪。麦肯锡的顾问们也发现了他们的工作与学习的相似之处，所以他们彼此之间不称“同事”，而是喊“校友”。
有人说麦肯锡青睐那些特别特别聪明的人，你同意吗？我更愿意承认，他们青睐那些在处理数据、信息、知识方面特别聪明的人。聪明有很多种，这种事是不能抬杠的。
（2）从笔试/面试问题解读
作为一家帮助大学生找工作的咨询公司，乔布堂统计了《麦肯锡笔试/面试中用过的29个Case》。从这些案例分析中，让我们看一看麦肯锡希望他们的应聘者具备什么样的能力。这些稀奇古怪的问题涉及到各种不同的主题，包括烟草、信用卡、游艇、矿泉水、交通工具、家具、无线电、物流、航空、制药、并购、连锁餐厅、定价、员工流失率、电脑配件、汇率、非盈利组织、消费电子、液晶屏、出租车、石油、市场进入、竞争分析。但是我们可以发现一个规律，那就是大部分问题可能你之前连想到没有想过，大部分人可能搞不懂题目到底是什么意思—你看一下麦肯锡的面经，会发现大多数问题都阐述得不明不白，就是因为不容易理解，也很难记住。没有任何一个人可以在短短十几分中给出什么像样的答案。
因此很多网友介绍说，关键不在于答案是什么，而是你分析问题，得出答案的方式。真的是一语中的！麦肯锡在”what we look for“中，第一条就提到“Problem solving”，那么它的重要性也就不言而喻了。雅虎知识堂上讲：“麦肯锡公司在招聘员工时最注重分析能力。麦肯锡总是在寻找具有分析思考能力的人，他们可以把问题分解成几部分。麦肯锡想要的是他们知道如何把问题组织起来的证据。同时还要看商业判断能力，以及这个人明白他自己的解决方案的含义的感受。这也是麦肯锡为什么总喜欢用案例的原因。”
麦肯锡在日常工作中分析问题常使用的方法是什么呢？《麦肯锡方法》中曾经提到的“MECE ”和《麦肯锡意识》中提到的“金字塔原则”给出了部分答案。
我们可以从理论上认为，如果你熟练掌握了这些方法，即使你对案例中的情景知之甚少，也可以在很大程度上应付那些难缠的问题。同时不要忘记，要能够给出漂亮的答案，你还必须具备一种特质。这种特质说起来有点微妙，就是，你必须具备某种程度上的自信：当面对那些从来没有听说过的行业或者商业行为时，可以沉着冷静地侃侃而谈—即使你对自己所说的没什么概念。在这里我必须提醒一下想应聘咨询公司的同学：“看起来像那么回事”往往要比“真的是那么回事”更重要。可能是人性使然，也可能是别的我们不知道的原因，但事实就是这样。纳西姆·塔勒布在《黑天鹅》中说：商务人士很早就意识到，怎么说比说什么更重要。人们在大部分时候–尤其是关键时刻–都是被情感驱动，而不是理性。
二、哪些人不要去麦肯锡？
这是紧随第一个问题而来的问题。
1、一想复杂问题，脑子就疼。
你已经看到麦肯锡的分析员或者顾问们每天都在考虑什么了。“一个出租车司机，早上八点载人到了机场，这时候是回城里呢，还是继续在机场等待？”如果你不想被这样的问题折磨，而是想怎么样就怎么样，那就不要去麦肯锡了，他们会把你搞疯的。
2、考多少分无所谓
考多少分是非常有所谓的！如果你没有考第一，Partner可能会问你：“为什么没有考第一名？” 实际上麦肯锡在选拔人才的过程中存在众所周之的“GPA歧视”现象。你可以认为分数不能反映能力，但最好你有让人羡慕的GPA，然后随便你怎么认为。
3、不喜欢英语，尤其讨厌中英夹杂
看一下那些面试问题吧，别的什么都不说了。
4、扮相寒碜，上不了台面
5、缺少上文提到的那种自信的特质。这一特质的重要性常常被低估。
三、怎么进入麦肯锡？
这是你最关心的一部分，也是我最无能为力的一部分。我只能像所有的咨询顾问那样说：我只能建议你怎么做，能不能做到就是你的问题了。
1、提升气质
（1）提升什么样的气质？
气质说的是“你看起来要像一个咨询顾问”。你看起来要成熟、理性、头脑冷静，并且有种“由内而外”的自信—即使在表示对某个话题一无所知的时候。这种自信可能来自于对自己头脑、知识储备或者分析方法的认可。即使紧张的时候，也应该是从容的，充满自信的紧张。你应该表现得像职场里的贵族，你可以被挑战，被怀疑，被否定，但是你必须相信你是作为一个充满正确性的职场贵族被挑战、怀疑和否定。如果你不理解这是什么意思，参考一下《在关于“实达项目”的对话中，麦肯锡是怎么捍卫自身形象的？》。 这个话题说得我很纠结。但是为了提供一些改善气质的建议，我还是要继续写下去。不过，我并不是说麦肯锡的员工是高傲的，希望你能体会到这两者之间的区别。
（2）如何提升气质？
提升气质最好的方法，就是常常跟拥有某种气质的人混在一起。我的一个男同学，选择了幼师专业，他们班里30几个人，只有一个男生。结果4年以后，他成功地具备了极高的女性气质—眼神、动作、讲话的声音，甚至是吵架的方式。因此，到成熟的咨询公司里实习，是提升你咨询气质的最好方法。实际上，去一些500强的跨国公司实习，也可以期待同样的收获。
不要说你找不到大公司的实习。如果你连大公司的实习都找不到，就不要考虑麦肯锡了。
除了实习，多找些机会跟学长学姐（最好是大2岁以上的）多交流也是非常有帮助的。如果你有幸能够经常性的参加一些学长的民间沙龙，或者同行俱乐部，那么能够得到的就不仅仅是气质的提升了，很可能得到推荐的机会。
如果这一些你统统都没有办法实现。那就多关注一下第1财经或者CCTV2的节目吧。跟那些主持人、嘉宾、专家学一学也是有帮助的。
2、改变形象
（1）为什么形象被提到这么高的位置？
只要想一想咨询公司是怎么做生意的你就明白了。接到客户的电话后，他们快速组织一个项目团队，然后带着笔记本冲到客户那边去—你看明白了吗？他们什么都没有，除了他们自己，还有随身携带的笔记本，也许还会有一摞打印出来的纸。而他们的办公室里呢？只是有另外一些人，另外一些笔记本，还有另外一些打印出来的纸。他们要向客户证明他们（他们自己）是有价值的。那么你认为，这些值得支付几百万甚至上千万咨询费的团队成员，应该看起来光鲜照人呢？还是踏实朴素？
（2）应该具备什么样的形象？
很难用文字描述应该具备怎么样穿衣打扮。你可以看一下接下来这些照片，点过去之前，你要保证看一眼马上回来。GO GO GO>>>
(3) 怎么样改变形象？
作为大学生，你当然没有必要去买昂贵的衣服和化妆品。但你可以从很多方面来完善自己。比如“买对衣服”、“合适的发型”、“良好的个人卫生”。男士可以参考一下这篇文章：《男士着装全攻略》 。女士的形象问题因为太过复杂，这里就不去提及了。如果这些文字能够引起你对个人形象的注意，那也足够了。
3、训练头脑
训练你的头脑，除了前面提到的MECE和金字塔原则，也可以参考一下这篇文章《所有咨询公司面试都可以用到的分析结构》。
4、储备知识
我们可以看到麦肯锡问的很多问题都是跟时事结合在一起的，当年“麦肯锡兵败实达”，后来这件事情就被作为一个问题提出来要求应聘者阐述一下怎么解释这件事情。如果你没有足够的商业知识，或者没有对时事保持敏感，可能很难回答这样的问题。
实际上知识储备很难在短时间内完成。不过我可以推荐给你一个网站，你可以再那里学习到著名而常用的管理模型。
5、长久打算
即使上面的4条你都可以在大三大四的时候速成，但是GPA是有点难度的—如果你在大一大二把心玩野了，怎么可能快速地收回来呢？因此如果打定主意想进麦肯锡，也许从大一开始，你就要想高中那样认真对待一个个考试了。
6、看看别人是怎么做的
我上面所写的内容都不如这3篇访谈录更有参考价值。其中一位访谈嘉宾就来自麦肯锡，另外几位来自同等级别的咨询公司。乔布堂会继续为师弟师妹们献上更精彩的访谈录。
Top 1战略咨询面试全过程+内部人士详解
咨询JJ解析“如何让实习为找工作服务”
顶级咨询 独家攻略
IT巨头的HR姐姐 细说求职小品4则
四、如果你被拒了，怎么办？
被麦肯锡拒是最不应该痛苦的，因为天底下有成千上万的人被她拒。
五、麦肯锡不懂战略？
麦肯锡一直被认为是世界上最成功的战略咨询公司，但是特劳特咨询公司的几个合伙人却认为麦肯锡根本就不懂战略。
他们从麦肯锡公司的咨询模式展开，认为麦肯锡只能把先进公司的管理经验介绍给那些较为落后的公司，最后的结果就是同行业之间的竞争越来越激烈。而麦肯锡的咨询实际上应该是“运营管理咨询”而不是“战略管理咨询”。因为中国企业的运营效率普遍位于运营效率边际曲线下方，所以麦肯锡在过去的时间里的确帮助不少企业获得了发展。但是随着竞争程度的加剧，麦肯锡的咨询方法将没有办法帮助企业摆脱竞争白热化的困局。
详细的文章可以在这里阅读，《中国企业如何定战略–兼论麦肯锡战略之误》
最后祝愿所有的大学毕业生，都能够找到理想的工作！
在这狗娘养的的金融危机下，乔布堂会尽全力伴你同行！
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作者简介：RicK.Ma 乔布堂高级培训师，潜心研究国内外职业生涯规划和求职技巧，设计多门实战式职业规划课程； 3 年知名跨国医药公司销售经验，就职期间因业绩突出被破格提升； 5 年资深体验培训师，曾担任飞利浦、长江巴黎百富勤、复旦大学管理学院、上海财大 MBA 学院、西门子、强生制药、易初莲花、德州仪器、 SAP 、西安杨森、爱芬食品、华润雪花、柯尼卡美能达等知名公司外训培训师。 欢迎新老朋友来信交流 Rick@qiaobutang.com ，或试一下 免费修改简历服务（http://www.qiaobutang.com/groups/3 ） 。
Okay. I had a bit of a difficulty acknowledging the fact that I was offered a job. Before that, Memph (as my friends would call me) was a gentleman who assisted the 70-year old lady next door. He was an entirely different person; smiling at every chance just to keep the hard feelings away. Although some believed that he was cynical, he was quite a man.
I may sound depressed and it is ironic that this job is contributing more to it. THE JOB apparently will entail being far from my loved ones for a very long time. Don’t get me wrong, the pay is nerve-racking but to think and realize that I will be far from those who know me despite my secretive attitude, makes it so difficult to decide. Decisions weren’t an issue then because I was always on top of my game—that is probably why they hired me.
This company I’m working for will be outsourcing most of their products and services with a one of the most distinguished BPOin Asia. I knew that from the moment the vice president spoke with me, the table was turning already and I had to digest it as fast as I can because the world I live in revolves around a crazily fast-paced lifestyle. I gave it a week to decide and I spent some time reminiscing with friends and family. Although people in that place will practically know me as a “big red neck” who can fire them, I just want to keep how people know me in my memories.
It’s clear that an opportunity has unfolded in the most unexpected day of my life but nobody would ever turn his back from something that may provide the future that everyone would die for. As of today, meetings and more meetings are scheduled before the final countdown flashes into my senses.
Recently I have been working on the implementation of an agreed upon service level agreement. It contained several different quality levels (I will refer to them as high, medium and low in this post), each having different service window, different time to fix and availability service level objectives.
I distilled an example out of the original values to avoid recognition:
Service LevelService WindowTime to FixAvailabilityHigh24 x 71 h99,9 %MediumMo-Sa 06:00-22:004 h99,0 %LowMo-Fr 08:00-18:0020 h95,0 %Sounds reasonable doesn’t it?
So let us have a more detailed look at what these figures really mean. The high version states 99,9% availability out of 24 x 7. Per month this gets down to 99,9% of 720 hours. So how long can we permit to be down in total? The answer is
0,72 hours or 43 minutes and 12 seconds
So why did we state that the time to fix is one hour? If we adhere to the time to fix SLO, we may still miss the availability SLO even with a single outage!
For the medium SLA we have a 99% availability out of Mo-Sa 06:00 – 22:00, which is approx. 432 hours per month, leading to a maximum down of 4 hours and 32 minutes. This is closer to the mark.
But the greatest danger is in the low SLA. It states 95% out of Mo-Fr 08:00 – 18:00, which reduces the service time per month to 225 hours and results in a maximum down time of 11 hours and 15 minutes. This is little more than half of the SLO for time to fix!
What is my conclusion out of this? If you combine service level objectives you have to be very careful about what you do, since you may produce useless SLO targets and misguide people reading your service levels. It is much easier to understand what targets like time to fix mean for my job than a value of 95% availability, which may mean all or nothing. If you create SLAs, please make them consistent and logical without such traps. If you consume SLAs, verify everything and do not take logic for granted.
Jakarta, BNP2TKI (22/1) – Anda perawat? Mungkin peruntungan bekerja ke Taiwan bisa Anda coba sekarang. Pasalnya, negeri perakit semi konduktor ini membutuhkan sedikitnya 2.400 peluang kerja untuk merawat orang tua (lansia) 2 tahun ke depan.
Menurut Direktur Utama PT Fiokin Kencana Mandiri, Jonas Purwanto perusahaan yang akan mengurus penempatan TKI ke Taiwan, pendidikan minimum yang dibutuhkan adalah lulusan Sekolah Menengah Umum (SMU) atau yang sederajat.
“Namun demikian, demi standarisasi mutu Calon TKI caregiver lulusan sekolah perawat tetap harus melalui proses pelatihan di Sragen Technopark,” ungkap Jonas Purwanto saat dihubungi melalui telepon selularnya, Jum’at (22/1).
Jonas menuturkan selain pendidikan, umur minimum calon perawat adalah 20 tahun, tinggi badan 155 cm, dan diutamakan bisa berbahasa Mandarin. Soal biaya, calon TKI tidak perlu khawatir karena semua biaya akan ditanggung Taishin Internasional Bank.
Namun demikian, agar bisa memperoleh dana pinjaman calon TKI tetap harus melampirkan ijasah sebagai jaminan. Total pinjaman yang bisa didapat calon TKI dalam kurs Taiwan sekitar NTS 110 ribu ditambah bunga tambah administrasi dan biaya asuransi. Bila di rupiahkan, jumlah pinjaman itu sekitar Rp 33 juta.
“Skema pengembalian cicilan anara 12-15 bulan dari potongan gaji,” tutur Jonas seraya mengatakan calonTKI yang dibutuhkan adalah kaum wanita.(zul)
Right. So, tomorrow I’m going to another city for the interview. I’m making the whole thing look like a vacation. In fact I’ve actually turned it into a vacation. I love staying in hotels and watching lots and lots of tv. I’ve asked OV(old version) to go along with me. OV lives in another city, so it’ll be nice meeting him too. Though I’m not sure about that. I’m more of a loner. But me and OV get along really well, as we suffer from similar madness.
I’m a little worried about not being worried about the interview. The interview looks part of the vacation too. I don’t know if that’s a good thing.
I’m unreasonably confident about getting the job, I’m going to be horribly disappointed if I make a mess of it. I should work on being a little less confident and more prepared.
How easy it is for one to just fall into these comfort zones?! We do crib about them – oh the pain of getting up early, battling that terrible traffic, those deadlines at work so on and so forth. Though it all hits you that it is better to be complaining about something like that, be in that comfort zone rather than be out there looking for something to do.
I am now in that mode. Back to being out of the job I have held for the past 10 months where in I complained about all the politics there – but heck I had a job! My comfort zone is gone, I have no safety net either. Now it is back to sending out resumes. Feels so much like déjà vu. People who have been following this space would be quite familiar with a similar post earlier. Anyways, am here, am looking for a job yet again. Same problems as before – oh I am a bit older than before (not necessarily wiser 
). Out of the comfort zone of just getting up, getting things ready, heading out to work to posting my resumé, waiting for that elusive job! I guess in a while I will be back to being at home, sleeping the entire day just so that I don’t feel depressed only to be up with A.
It is so easy to say – start afresh. Don’t bother about the past. Is it all in just my mind? When I go face an interview(if called for that is…) will it be acceptable to say “oh am starting afresh!” ?! I realise that it is not just about me stepping out of my zone; it involves the others doing so too. I cannot expect that to happen – that is not realistic nor practical.
Being jobless, just put me back to where I was about a year back. Count my blessings?! well -A for one (?! sometimes I do see him as a more a responsibility alone!), friends who are still there to endure me & my mood swings …
I now should stop hoping for better things but start to hope to get the mindset of accepting that this is all there is to life. I was wrong in saying A is only a part of my life. Everyone out there wins!!! Yes, he is all there is to my life!
Please do not tell me that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. There are better things to come. God has something good in store. Great things are to come for those who endure all this! God has his own plans. There cannot be only downs, time for you to go up…. and all that. Heard all these way too many times. I know all that is said to make me feel better, hopeful. NO!!! it does not! It makes me feel angry, then depressed! I do smile/laugh/ be stupid but… this intense void is still there.
Funny thing is: Astrologers who read my horoscope (each and every one) have said I will have a great career life!! – wonder where that is?! I don’t even have a job!!!
I am an expert at bad planning or piss poor luck. Either way, no California, no computer, no
So being uber-responsible didn’t work but I feel even more frustrated with the “fuck it attitude” so I guess I go back to doing things the right way…or at least the way I know it’s supposed to be done….
My mini-vacay aka hours were cut so I’ve been getting a lot of days off: I began sorting some papers that were just lying around my room. Gotta finish that still. I applied for a number of job things. A handful of which I was probably qualified for. Of the ones I was qualified for, maybe one or two in my field. But I got some job stuff done and that’s all that counts. That’s more than what has been getting done the rest of this month.
Oh Christ, my neck hurts.
Anywho….
As we get closer to V-Day, I get closer to missing not only the physical aspect (really really miss) of being in a relationship but also the parts I don’t think I ever really experienced. The random hugs and kisses in public and private. The gentle subconscious caresses when discussing random subjects. I’ve always been jealous of those couples I see doing those things but I don’t think I’ve ever done them. I think I’ve had one partner that did it but at the time I just saw it as clingy. Now I’d give anything to be the type of woman who doesn’t.
The one specific example I can remember is I was shopping with someone I had just started dating. He had gone one way to get something and I had gone another. He came up behind me and kissed my neck and the first thing that ran through my head was “I could do this forever.” Uh…whaaaa? Yeah exactly. My immediate next thought was “what the hell?” lol We had only been dating a couple months but at the same time, it was my first relationship so I assume that’s where that came from. That’s really the only example I can think of where I’ve experienced or performed those little random acts of intimacy. So maybe I’m idealizing myself. Tricking myself into thinking I can be that person. It hasn’t happened yet so why would I think it would in the future? But I want it to so much. Those little acts of connection I may want even more than sex. Afterall sex I can get. A genuine connection? A little harder. Especially given the….whatever it is…I’m still currently wrapped up in.
I was reading something today where a teacher was talking about how much influence a parents’ relationship had on children growing up and I have to kind of think that not seeing my parents openly expressing their love (like no kisses, no hugs, barely a “hello”) definitely influenced my definition of intimacy and love. Since I can’t change anything else about myself, I assume I won’t be able to change that so dysfunctionally in love I shall forever be right? Could be worse. I’ll just get a BOB and like 10 cats. Spinsterdom here I come.
Jesus Christo, my neck hurts!
You know what, I just need to stick to the plan on working on the things I moved here for and not worrying about the rest but I am the Queen of Worry. That’s what makes it so funny that I have a disease that flares up with stress. Vicious cycle it is. I stress, it flares up, I stress about it flaring up, it flares up more. I guess when I get insured, I’ll go see a doctor.
*sigh*
When I do this, when I do that, when I do whatever……always a “when”…..
No job stuff today…….still don’t have my car back ($500 worth of repairs insuring I’ll never get the things I want), currently sleepy so probably not finishing my room…..so all & all a quite unproductive day considering I was up at like 7 this morning.
And now my mom is home and probably wants to get on her game soon…..
I need/want a computer……or the skills to speed up my brother’s old one….but I’d prefer my own……
I did see an ad on Craigslist (CL) from someone seeking a younger lady to “support”….kinda whorey but aren’t we all whores for some reason or another…..nah I have to remain morally superior to other people’s…..openness to the….resourcefulness of CL. With the advent of CL, is adultfriendfinder.com even necessary?
Random word associations stress me out. I look forward to the day when Craigslist, MILF, cybering, Boston and whatever else I come in contact with that makes me stress were no longer words or topics that do so. I assume that won’t happen for a while given current circumstances.
I am grateful that my aunt was an interior designer and therefore do not lose my interest in it because Michele is one. I do not know what I would do if I could no longer be interested in interior design. HGTV and Food Network are my go-to channels. I know it would be weird to give up an interest because of who shares it but had my aunt not been in the field, I’m sure that’s what would have happened. And nerts to that, cuz I want a fabulous place.
What else has been bouncing around in my head?
The usual doubts, confusion, worries, insecurities, you know. Just another day.
Hopefully my car repairs won’t up my Firestone credit card minimum payment too much cuz lord knows I can’t afford it.
Thank god I live with my parents. It’s so nice having that safety net even though I feel like a bum sometimes. I really wanted to be able to help financially when I initially planned to move in with them. But like most of my plans, that isn’t exactly working out so well.
Anywho, I’m sure my mom wants to get on her cpu so I’m gonna wrap this up, add some tags, and maybe play a little Wii.
Bonne nuit.
Andrea Meislin Gallery is looking for interns to assist with general administrative tasks and archiving. The ideal candidate will have had some experience in an office and/or gallery environment, but anyone is who responsible, professional and interested in art will be considered.
Who We Are
Andrea Meislin Gallery opened in March 2004 in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City, with a concentration on contemporary photography from Israel. The gallery has been instrumental in establishing the careers of Barry Frydlender, Lili Almog, and Ofri Cnaani, among others. While remaining dedicated to promoting Israeli artists, we have spent the past several years expanding our program to include higher caliber artists working in all parts of the world. Continuing to specialize in photo-based art, the gallery has evolved, now featuring artists working in video, painting, works on paper, and installation art.
Availability
The Gallery’s hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm. Interns must be willing to commit two days weekly for a three to six month period. Gallery Internship is open to any undergraduate or graduate students who are interested in art, reliable and professional.
Responsibilities
Candidates should be currently pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in art, art history or a related field. Candidates should reliable and professional. Responsibilities will include welcoming visitors to the Gallery, answering questions in person and on the phone, updating the Gallery blog and facebook page, as well as other administrative duties. We are seeking someone who is able to start immediately and able to make a commitment of three to six months.
Please submit resume and cover letter to info@andreameislin.com for consideration. This is an unpaid position, for college credit.
Welcome to the Chestnut! It’s a 3 bedroom first and second floor flat in the same area of town I grew up in. There are a few overpriced local shops just up the road, Rock Park is just down the road and we’re a bit closer to town, supermarkets and the church.
Here is our sitting room with doors leading out onto the south-facing balcony. I’m planning to grow some herbs, plant some hanging baskets in the summer and maybe even grow tomatoes out there!
The new kitchen is much smaller than our old one, but it has far more storage space and is lovely to work in.
The third downstairs bedroom is currently being used as a study / music room / playroom.
Oh and did I mention that we have two bathrooms? One with a shower downstairs and one with a bath upstairs!
The attic bedrooms are very cute but it was hard to fit the wardrobes into them! They both have large storage areas at the sides under the rafters, which means no more clutter under the beds or ontop of the wardrobes.
We spent last week packing and moving our smaller belongings across town in Dad’s car, then we hired a van on Satuday to move our furniture with much help from my parents, James and DJ. By Saturday lunchtime I was so exhausted that I could only climb half a flight of stairs before having to crawl the rest of the way! Thankfully unpacking seems to be a lot easier and quicker than packing up, and we are now completely sorted in our new home. Aaron has settled in well considering what a hectic couple of weeks he’s had.
Tomorrow Colin has a trial day working in a factory, which may result in him being offered a job there. He’s been desperate to get back to work for ages and is finally feeling well enough to give it a go. Hopefully his memory will be able to cope with this kind of work, so we’re praying that if he does get the job his health will be good enough to allow him to keep it.
An obscure portrait of Edgar Allan Poe has come to light and is scheduled to be auctioned off. Reports indicate that the watercolor painting reveals a young man without the world-weariness of the more familiar images of Poe. He may even be smiling.
Poe has long been one of my personal muses. His writing captivated my imagination as a young man, and his sense of tragedy encased a golden nobility. Although many consider his works to be juvenile, like the slightly later stories of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, Poe grew to a mature sensibility concerning life that rivals that of Job. Intrigued, years ago I wrote a high school term paper about the writer and discovered a spiritual compatriot who couldn’t outstrip the “unmerciful Disaster [that] Followed fast and followed faster.” Now on the side of years beyond the lifespan of my muse, I begin to understand how a happy young man becomes a Qohelet in his time. In his personal difficulties, Poe was able to speak for many of us.
To me this young portrait is cast in the tint of Dorian Gray. The real image of Poe is that of a man given few breaks in life. A man of keen sight and keener insight. There have been thinkers like Poe from ancient times, but they are generally resigned to the depths rather than to be found basking in sublime sunlight. When Ludlul bel Nemeqi or Khun-Anup pour out their souls to an unhearing sky, they create a fellowship for latter day Poes and Melvilles and Lovecrafts. I hope the portrait of a young Poe finds a good home and the message of its subject rings as loudly as the bells.
Poe-ever Young
I moved to the East Coast after my husband was accepted to Medical School and have lived here for the past 3 years. Moving from the Midwest was very hard for me. When you think of Wisconsin, you most likely think of cheese, cows, and farmers. When I think of Wisconsin, I think of friends, family, and polite people – all of which I felt I had given up when I left. I told myself, it was only four years and I would make the best of it while I was here. So I packed my things and moved to Pennsylvania.
Before this point, my husband and I were doing long distance for a year and half. And yes, it can be done! I stayed back in Wisconsin, working and planning our wedding, while he completed his first year as a Medical student. Looking back, it was a great idea; he could fully study and I was busy planning the wedding. I wanted us to be fully committed before I moved and it really did make the heart grow fonder.
The first job I had here was not a great experience. I went home and cried every night. Not only was I homesick, but I hated the job I was at. Four months into it, I couldn’t take it anymore. I am not one to give up and I really tried hard to make it work, but I hit a breaking point. I sent an email to the other racquet club I interviewed at earlier and hoped for the best. To my surprise, they still wanted me and two weeks later I had a new job.
So the New Year came and so did my new attitude. Not only was I happy, but I loved my new job. I am still there to this day. It was amazing how I started opening my eyes and enjoying the city more. I was finally able to accept my new surroundings. For me, it is so important to love what you do and be passionate about it, no matter what it is. I still miss home every once in awhile, but this place is really starting to grow on me.
Job:
I had an interview last week that I totally thought I did awesome at. She said they would be making a decision for 2nd interviews on Friday and that I would hear from her. She never called. Bummer. I’ll call her tomorrow though to find out where I went wrong. That’s the first time I’ve walked out of an interview wanting a job 110%. Bummer. I’m hoping that she hadn’t made a decision on Friday, but today is a holiday for some people, so I have to suffer until tomorrow.
Workouts and My Ankle:
I went to my first SacFit workout on Saturday. I spent all week wobble-boarding in preparation for the workout. I wasn’t going to run at all, but I did want to show up and introduce myself to my coaches. I planned on walking and that’s what I did. I walked for 2 miles at a good pace and my ankle felt OK. It was tired, but that was it.
But I didn’t plan on the extra walking I did — from the car, to the car, taking down Christmas decorations, etc. So by the end of Saturday, my ankle was not feeling at all good. I took it easy on Sunday, but it was still iffy. Today it is much better, but I want to take it easy. My plan to take my first run in on Saturday – I might have to put that off for some more time.
I need to start getting creative with my workouts. I’ve been lax for far too long. I can ride my bike. I can do my yoga. I know I can do an upper body workout. Not sure how I’ll do with a lower body workout, but I should at least give it a try.
I could also try to figure out how to use my new KB and / or my new medicine ball. Both of with I got for Christmas from my awesome sister and both of which are still in their packaging.
Also for Christmas, I bought myself one of those Iron Gym Workout Bars that you hang in a doorway and do pull-ups with. It might be a good idea to unwrap that little bit of goodness too.
Food:
I wrote on Friday that I would do better at my food over the weekend. While I wasn’t perfect, I certainly didn’t go crazy. I’m sure my calories for both days were under 2000. Today is much better – it will definitely be under 1500. And for the rest of the week too.
My House:
Ugh. It’s in a shambles right now. I just now got my Christmas decorations put away – I blame the ankle. LOL. The tree though is still in the giant bag sitting in the living room. Hopefully hubby takes care of hanging it up in the garage today. I didn’t ask him to though. Hoping he takes that upon himself. Although I won’t be surprised if it’s still sitting where I left it. He has a bad habit of only doing his stuff — cleaning his office, doing his laundry.
I need to put about 3 loads of dishes in the dishwasher in order to get caught up. I need to fold all my laundry. It’s just sitting in a pile right now.
We all need to clean the family room and living room — and run a broom though it. Damn fake tree spread needles all over the place. I thought that was the bonus part of having a fake tree?
Blog:
I’ve been thinking of making the change to WordPress. I like the idea of make certain posts private (password protected) but keeping the whole of the blog public. Input from those who made the change?
It is just turning 9a.m. As I make my way up the steps. Gently, I push the front door of the building. Locked. I sigh, and turn around to head back down the stairs. I walk around the side of the building to the yard gate. I lift the latch and give the gate a shove, mentally hoping that whoever went in last remembered to leave the door ajar.
Entering the yard, I immediately glance at the staff entrance as I kick the gate closed. I breathe a sigh of relief. The door has been propped open with the handle of the broom that is used to sweep the yard – the handiwork of one of the chefs, no doubt.
I duck inside the half-open door and head down the corridor to the break room. Passing the manager’s office, I see that it is locked up. That would explain why the front door is not open yet – the manager’s obviously haven’t managed to drag themselves out of bed yet. I carry on to the break room – a tiny, claustrophobic cupboard, with three chairs and a tiny coffee table. This serves as the room where the staff – up to ten at a time – have to eat their meals. If someone is smoking in there, it becomes intolerable. Tossing my jacket and bag into my locker, I drag my uniform out and change into it as fast as I can.
I hate my uniform. It is a hideous, clashing mix of colours and patterns. The shirt is scratchy and the trousers never sit right. The only good thing about it is that I get to wear trainers – paid for by me, of course. The company would never think to provide footwear for its staff. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror behind the closed door and shudder. I look like a clown. I hate clowns. Shoving my clothes into the locker, I turn the key and quickly head back out into the corridor. I take hold of the handle of the door that leads into the main building. Taking a deep breath, I steel myself for the day ahead, and open the door.
The restaurant is in darkness still. It looks like none of the front-of-house staff are in yet. Good. I like it like this. Quiet, still, peaceful. No chattering staff. No bickering parents. No fractious, noisy and rowdy children running around all over the place. Opening the door to the play area, I am hit by a blast of icy air. I shiver involuntarily and quickly turn on the heat. The fans whirr into action as I busy myself turning on lights and putting a CD into one of the games machines at the far end of the enormous room.
I find myself humming as I set up for the day. I start with the toddler area – video on, ball pit tidy, various toys in their boxes ready to be picked up and quickly demolished by the first children who enter this space. I make sure the gate is pulled closed – hopefully it will encourage parents to do the same. Most of my days are spent fishing tots out of the older children’s area while the parents sit and have a chat, oblivious to what their offspring are doing.
Moving on to the rest of the room I set up face paints, circus activities and colouring stations. I enjoy the face painting – it is an oasis of calm among the frenzied activity going on all around. The child in front of you has to stay still and calm, and it is a wonderful opportunity to unwind for a few minutes, before the reality of the play area inevitable invades once more.
I grab the box of modelling balloons out of the small cupboard underneath the internal telephone. It is at this point that management usually call down to make sure everything is all right. I think that they are actually making sure the play staff are at work on time, although they would never admit that. Eyeing the telephone warily, I carry on with my task. I do not mind the balloon modelling. It can get hectic though. Once you start, you end up surrounded by a sea of children clamouring for flowers, dogs, bears. There is no escape until they have to leave for dinner, or it is time for them to go home. They always compare me with those clowns at birthday parties who make the balloon animals. I hate clowns.
I check that the play equipment is in order – as far as I can behind the netting. Some of my colleagues take this opportunity to enter the area and climb the ladders, slide down the slides and play in the ball pits. I do not do this. I can see perfectly well from this side of the barrier. Everything looks fine. I can always tell who worked the night before by the state of the room in the morning. Today, thankfully, all is well. I retreat to the store cupboard at the back of the room and begin to inflate the first lot of helium balloons. These will be taken to the front of the restaurant for the children as they arrive.
Finally, I am done. I check the diary to see whether I need to set up for any parties today. There are none. I cannot help but be relieved. Although I have run a two-hour party for twenty children on my own before, it is not an experience I would willingly repeat. We rarely have enough staff to cover all areas – the management seem to forget about us stuck at the back of the building – but today, at least, we should be ok. Now all I have to do is sit and wait for the arrival of the screaming hordes. The children all seem to think I am a clown. I hate clowns.
Written for the {W}rite of Passage Writing Well Challenge #5: The Job
Are you there God? It’s me….Pat.
Dear God, I praise your heavenly name on high! First off, I want you to know that I’m not angry with you. I’m angry and frustrated at this evil, despicable, sinful, horrible, horrible world. I’m just wondering why you allow people to be so hateful and judgmental? Why can’t they see that I am the chosen one, that I have a place reserved on the right side of Jesus himself upon the holy throne? Why do you allow people to mock me so? You know that when they are mocking me, they are mocking you. So I humbly ask you not to tarry or dither but to smite them and strike them down. Please?
I’m not angry with you lord, I just can’t yet see the bigger picture. Why do you bestow me with so much wisdom, rationality and love, and then compel me with your guiding light to speak my mind about what you have shown me, only to have people become incensed and hurtful when they hear the One Truth? Why do you allow them to disrespect me (you) your humble, chosen, holy servant? Why do you not allow the masses to see the truth as I present it to them about Haiti….that it was their own fault, that it was good for them in the long run? Why do the people not believe the truth that the Haitians made a deal with Satan to overcome the French occupation, and that the story is NOT some urban legend akin to pop rocks and Coke? Damn that Jon Stewart, damn him to the fiery pit of hell!
I’m not angry with you lord, but when I asked that seats open up on the Supreme Court, we both know darn well what I meant. All it would have taken is a heart attack here, an aneurism there, and maybe an automobile accident or two. You could have even gotten some of those brown followers of the false prophet to prove to the world that I was (through you) a true visionary by blowing some stuff up. Some stuff being liberal Supreme Court justices.
When I told my people (your people) that a hurricane, tornado, bomb (why can’t they just do what I tell them to DO?), or meteor was going to destroy Orlando because of the homosexuals and their Satanic agenda…..nothing happened. Why did you tell me that and then not do it? A meteor would have been just a splendid show of your awesome power.
On the same tack, why has nothing happened yet to Dover Delaware? You promised! We need to teach the sodomites and those who would harbor their wicked ways a lesson that they’ll never forget!
I’m not angry with you Lord, I’m really not, but when I rationally suggested that we (America) just ‘take out’ Hugo Chavez, why did that not happen? Dick Cheney was the most powerful man in the country at the time for Pete’s sake. You could’ve just made him listen, but nooooooo, nobody listens to meeee. Which means that nobody is listening to you. Please make them all pay dearly, oh Lord! Please?
That's not to you, Lord. I'm not angry with you.
Why couldn’t you just allow a small nuke to be dropped on Foggy Bottom, like I asked? Or destroyed the state department in some other Godly way?
Why, when it was clearly ‘your will,’ did you allow me to fail in even getting the nomination of my (our) republican party in the 1988 election. You let that brain dead dolt Bush win, and made me look like a gosh darned fool yet again. I guess I’m just a fool for you Lord. But I’m not in any way angry with you.
I praise your holy name for blessing me with a submissive wife and four children. But unfortunately, the only one interested in following in my hallowed footsteps (of serving you) seems to be Gordon. I don’t know if the boy’s dim or just dull, but frankly, I wouldn’t trust him to manage a 7/11 much less a multi-billion dollar God-machine. Also, don’t you think he may be a bit effeminate? Lord, if he’s hiding something, I pray that you tell me now so I can ‘take him out’ with my own two hands. If I find out after I’m beside you in heaven, I swear to you that I’ll move mountains and raise seas to destroy the boy. And I don’t care how many I take with him!
You better tell me if he's a homosexual! Tell me!
Sorry Lord, I’m not angry with you, I just got a little rambunctious there for a minute. I’m also just a little peeved that my protein shake didn’t take off like we thought it would. I’m hurt that my cast and crew of the 700 club snicker behind my very back and I pray that you please allow some great tragedy to befall every one of them…please? I’m frustrated that my donations have gone way down over the past few years (please punish the greedy) that I was allowed to make some bad investments, and that even Fox News won’t take me seriously anymore. FOX NEWS! They even interview that crazy Birther lady! But not me!
I should be the crazy interviewee!
Aghghhhh Aaahhgghhgga. SHrrrrruuuaaghhhhaagghhhhh.
Is this some kind of Job situation Lord? Are you testing my faith? I’ll gladly pay you cash to make it stop. I still have all my faith, trust and love in only you Lord so please; I beg that you just STOP IT NOW!!!!!!!!!!
I’m not angry with you lord, I never could be. It’s just that nobody wants to look like a demented, bigoted, racist, sexist, delusional hypocrite year after year, decade after decade. This humiliation has been spread across two centuries. And I, who have been your ever humble, loyal and favorite servant don’t feel that I deserve this abuse.
So now I pray dear Lord that you faithfully bring justice upon this evil, sodomizing, feminist, idolatrizing world and destroy it completely. If you’re not ready for that yet, maybe you could just take out a continent (Asia or Europe would be great) or even just a region (Middle East but sparing Israel….please?) and finally prove how much you love me Lord!
ps: I’m seriously not angry with you.
pps: Could you also get all these PC Nazis off my back?
ppps: It’s not too late to drop a meteor on Disney. If you really want to make an old man happy?…..??……Please???
Things as of late have been very hot and cold. Seems pretty typical these days, really.
Last night I had an amazing evening with friends. We hit up a local theater to see a comedian I found on the Bonnie Hunt show. See, these are the things I get to do because I have no job. Sit at home my mother’s crowded 2BR apartment and watch daytime television while surfing the web for a jobby job. (oh, I watch the kid, too, but this is usually nap time when she actually TAKES one. Ugh.) Just so happened that the comedian, Kathleen Madigan, had a show in Chicago this weekend, tickets were cheap and available so I rounded up some fun ladies and took advantage of the ability to get some laughs. SO happy we went. It was a great show. And I’d highly recommend checking her out live, online or any other chance you can get. You will not be disappointed.
Today, I was supposed to have my therapy session…which was much needed. But it needed to be moved to Monday. Disappointing, but it provided me the rare opportunity to actually go to soccer with my daughter. And by soccer, I mean 3 footers running around haphazardly trying to kick the ball and falling on their butt instead. Quite amusing. My DH met us up there, so he did the running around with her, I did the photo-taking like every obnoxious parent should.
After soccer, we hit up the nearby McDonald’s playland. She played. DH and I talked. I could tell when he showed up at practice that he was agitated. Jaw clenching. Short and snippy with me. Inability to make pleasant small-talk. So when our daughter went to play and we sat down together without her, he dove right into custody/visitation discussions that I would have preferred to avoid. They never go anywhere good. Anywhere we can agree upon. Especially when he is clearly agitated. The initial tone is one that puts me on the defensive and makes me feel like I’m talking to an attorney with me being interrogated. This escalated to him telling me that because we have no legal agreement in place he has as much right to her as I do. And so what’s to prevent him from taking her home with him if she wants to go. Which is in direct opposition to what we’d agreed to the last time we’d talk. Which was basically: stick with the status quo (supervised visits) until we get a legal temporary custody/visitation agreement in place. Fun times. This discussion ended in me telling him I would prefer not to talk about it anymore as we weren’t being productive and things were getting shitty with us. He pushed more. I said I was leaving. Grabbed our daughter, had her say goodbye, give him a kiss, tell him she loved him. And we left.
He followed up with some calls. (I ignored) His mom called to ask if I would allow DD to stay over there if she were to fly into town for the weekend. I of course told her I absolutely would. I hate that it warrants this. But right now, it does. Then I got calls and texts apologizing and being very sweet and calm from DH. Up & down. Hot & cold. Even though I’ve come to expect this. It never makes it any easier.
At the end of the day, he let me know that even though he disagrees with me and feels he’s capable of watching DD unsupervised he will do what I want until we get something legal in place. Which is what I asked for in the first place. I don’t WANT to be the one who makes this call.
Nap time didn’t happen (again)…I think naps are phasing out, which makes me (and DD) miserable. I’m just tired of the arguing. Especially after a morning like today.
BUT this evening was nice. And it ended with an email from one of the places I interviewed at last week. They offered me the JOB.
This is the one that I really think I’d like what I’d be doing. It would be working with my old boss again as she now works there. I know I like the other people I’ve worked with in the past there (we used to be a client). It offers flexibility. It’s in the loop area (a short train or car ride away). It allows me the opportunity to work in interactive design/advertising (something my resume is lacking in). And it has some really fun clients.
BUT it’s a $5K pay cut.
Which, of course, begins the process of rationalizing and weighing everything. I could try to negotiate on vacation, phone and other “benefit/perk” type things. And let’s be honest, even a $5K paycut is more than my unemployment checks. AND I don’t have rent/mortgage, utilities to pay right now…but I will have the divorce and the joy of rebuilding my life as a single mom to think about.
Ahhhhh…decisions.
But I could think of worse scenarios, too. So I feel blessed to have the opportunity and will see what I can come up with to make my decision and move forward from here.
And tomorrow, I think, I’m going to do something I haven’t done in a while—
—go to church.
Friends have told me to write. And write I cannot. I have started 10 different posts, unable to articulate, concentrate, or make sense of the world. I’ve even made jokes that love causes you to become stupid and that my writer’s block was due to such an impediment. I meant for the first post of the new year to explain my new title and theme, but couldn’t find the time or motivation to make it happen. And then, lying in bed this afternoon, I became attuned to all the sounds around me and became still. My wind chimes blowing in the wind, reminding me of simple pleasures; the faint sounds of the youth drumline blocks away at the African-American church, reminding me of home; and the irritating although intermittent sounds of the yuppie neighbor’s saw. As I soaked all of this in, a fire began to rise inside me, a need to pour my soul and all of its contents on paper. The need to purge the toxic thoughts rose to a crescendo, and here I am-finally writing for the first time in months.
I was told an African proverb earlier this week about lions. When lions are hungry the work as a pride to attack their prey. One lion will let out a mighty roar, while the other are waiting in the opposite direction to receive and attack the prey. Pretty smart, eh? So elders tell children when they hear the roar of a lion, not to be scared and run away, but to run towards their fear, towards the roar for safety. I want to believe I am running towards the roar, facing my fears, and being bold and courageous in my everyday life. But I know; often times I am not.
I had a special coworker pass away this week. There is no eloquent description I can share that would do this woman and her life any justice, but I can’t help but smile when I picture her in my mind’s eye and the words I think of are “ray of sunshine”. She was too young to leave this world, although she had already made an indelible mark on the world. And I am left thinking, what mark have I left? I am angry with myself for not living the life I dream of, and always thinking there will be more time to make this or that (grad school, babies, finding a committed loving equal partner, travel, a job that taps all of my talents, challenges me, and works towards social justice-the list could go on and on) happen. And why are many of these dreams back burnered or ignored? There is always an excuse, but the root of every answer connects in some way back to fear. Fear of failing, fear of change, fear of judgement, fear of loneliness, fear of putting myself and my emotions out there. I’m not feeling very courageous and bold today.
I’m going to cut myself a little slack, just for today. I’ve been sick, I haven’t smoked in days, I haven’t had my normal dose of caffeine, I’m dieting, and overwhelmed at work. No need to add to this slow cooking mess feelings of self-hatred that will only serve to make me self implode, instead of making forward motion. The longest journey begins with a single step, and that is where I will start for today…
I had planned to make this great list about 33 things I’m going to do before I turn 33. Then it occurred to me, that one of my biggest faults is not staying present in the moment. A list is easy for a goal-achieving gal like me, so neat and simple to check each box off as it is completed. Instead, I think I will live my list. As things happen that inspire and wake my soul, I will note those moments and add them to the list. This list is in honor of Linda’s graceful spirit and all that shared with me and never knew. So far in 2010, here is what I have to add:
Thanks to Jon, Susan, and Maureen for being a part of making this living list a reality. Let this be the year that I face my roars…
This is my first entry; they say the first time is always the worst. Anyway, I guess I’ll blog about my day better yet yesterday. I work in retail, nuf said? huh?
Nah, all seriousness aside I like my job but apparently my customer service is questionable. I just don’t get how people can go on so long in life and be sooo dumb. Really.
Look, I live in Texas we kinda get winter but not really, technically it’ll only last for a few weeks. Generally, Texas is considered a warm weather region really, most of Texas is desert, hot desert, dry desert.
I work in the shoe dept. of a major retail chain that begins with the letter “M”, ahem, yuppers!
So here’s how the story goes just because we have an extra week of winter doesn’t mean you have to break out the snow boots or uggs or whatever the hell you want to call them. Seriously, it goes from 30 degrees to 65 in as little as four hours, so why waste money on some boots that aren’t even weatherproof? Well, thats just my opinion but wherever these crazy ladies come from (total drama island) its Antartica, whatever!
Due to the fact that Texas is not having a blizzard or a snowstorm the “buyers” for the company will not send us an adequate amount of inventory for these devastated fashionistas eager to embrace the trend of wearing “boots with the fur” and daisy dukes. Go figure.
Where do I come in? I’m the sales lady who keeps telling them “no ma’am, we’re all sold out of eskimo style this season.”
To which they reply, “are you serious, you mean to tell that this store doesn’t have my size the most common size known to womankind?”
To which I reply, “Yes, ma’am but I do have a fancy gladiator sandal gathering dust, over here. How about being a season ahead of the game and get’em now?”
Of course, the gladiators won’t be on sale for awhile and all mayhem ensues.
So after being accused of not wanting to sell a shoe (even if selling is my bread and butter, hello commissioned employees) or not wanting to help or even trying to help; I feel a little drained at the end of the day.
Therefore, the winter season which seems more like rainy season has taken its toll on me and my emotional well being. Sigh
How do you answer when you are asked “So… what do you do?”
The question, of course, assumes a conflation between who we are and what we do. Not an unreasonable assumption for many of us, and it’s a little less awkward for both parties than asking “So… who are you really? Tell me about your interests, your abilities, your values.”
Perhaps the question is also used to help us sort people out: “Do I file you under Banker or Gardener?” And that’s where we start running into problems, because that Banker may feel most alive, most true to herself, when she is working in her garden (although I do find it hard to conceive of a Gardener who dabbles in banking when he comes home… but maybe that’s just a lack of imagination on my part). We are, each of us, too complex to describe ourselves by simply giving our job title.
We have created all these terms. On the one side we have: Job, Career, Vocation, Calling, Profession. On the other side there are: Hobby, Avocation, Pastime, Diversion. For my part, I have used many names to describe what I do over the years, but I’ve rarely been able to give anyone that simple one-word, file-me-under-this title. Part of the problem is that I have never really felt much of a distinction between what I do professionally and what I do for fun… they are intertwined.
A story:
As a teenager I was an avid cyclist. All me free time seemed to be spent either riding my bike, reading Bicycling magazine, or working on my bike or my friends bikes. When I was sixteen a friend put in word for me at a bike shop and I started working part-time as a bike mechanic. At nineteen a friend and I took an extended bike trip. We heading south from Michigan without any real plans, we had reached New Orleans when we ran out of money. Three years later I was working at a bike shop in New Orleans, and spending my free time learning to build bicycle frames. I found that the metal-working skills which I had learned making jewelry at my alternative high school, applied directly to brazing together the joints of a bike frame. I eventually opened my own bicycle shop in Biloxi Mississippi, and one of the services I offered was bicycle frame repair and repainting.
A parallel story:
As a seventeen-year-old in high school, I met a young couple who built mountain dulcimers and sold them at craft fairs. We hit it off, and they agreed to teach me how to build dulcimers, I was even able to get school credit for it. So, for the next several months I went to their shop two afternoons a week and gained my first experience at fine woodworking. I fell in love with the process, the workshop, the exotic woods, the tools. I worked for a few years in my late teens and early twenties doing anything-for-a-buck carpentry based on the experience I gained there. And when I found myself working as a bike mechanic at that shop in New Orleans, and my my boss needed a bookcase unit to go by his desk in the back room, I was able build it for him. Many years later, as professional woodworker, a friend paid me to make a dulcimer for his daughter.
Where in these stories can we draw the line between Vocation and Avocation, between Job and Hobby. It’s all twisted together, and I don’t think I’m unique here. Side projects become part of a career. Skills learned for pleasure influence a job choice. And sometimes, things that that we will never get paid for are the most important part of who we are.
So, what do I do? I’m glad you asked… I’m a Designer/Furnituremaker/Woodworker/Metalworker/Student/Mentor/Artist/Luthier/Bike Mechanic/Baker/Brewer/Sausage-maker (and I know you didn’t ask, but I am also a Husband/Father/Grandfather/Friend).
In this sexy thriller, four seductive strippers scheme to rob a Las Vegas Casino–and they think they’ve pulled the perfect heist. But it’s hard to fade into the woodwork when you’re this gorgeous, and someone wants revenge for the money they stole.
Download: Part1 Part2
Over this break I read a book called, “Suffering” By Dorthee Soelle, on the recommendation of one of my professors. The book details the various ways people respond to suffering-their own and others. She described two extremes that are extremely hurtful-apathy and over glorification. An example of over glorification is telling someone, “God never gives you more than you can handle.” Though hopefully most people mean that as a way to try and comfort others, sometimes they use it as a way to rationalize not helping others. But in one section Soelle talks about the God of Job and she does not take a kind view towards this tale of the deity. (To tell you the truth neither do I. For some reason I find the idea of a God that would allow satan to harass and hurt one of His/Her Children in order to “test” him to be abhorrent.) She also admires Job for standing up against such a God and she expresses disappointment when he ultimately submits to him.
“…He (Job) refuses to allow himself to be made the object of testing. Job is stronger than God. Job does what the fairy tale hero does only after he passes the test. He disposes of the tester in the course of the testing itself.” (pg 112)
“A testing of this kind can come only from an arbitrary tyrant. The senselessness of the testing is clear right from the start…Job won’t have anything to do with the tyrannical type of testing in which the powerful one dictates the conditions to the powerless.” (113)
“Against God the murder, who violates justice, Job appears to another God…This helper, this true friend, goes beyond all the roles for God offered in the book of Job…” (118)
She later goes on to speak about Christ and his suffering and how God sides with those who are suffering.
As she details what exactly Christ’ suffering means-especially to those who experience senseless suffering, a thought struck me that I hope to one day explore more fully. What if one views Jesus’ death not as a payment for humanity’s sin but as the crucifixion of the God of wrath- a god who is angry, and tyrannically, a god who oppresses and is basically a deified taskmaster? What if because Christians view Jesus as divine, what if by suffering, by getting involved in the plight and pains of humanity-Christ is trying to put an end to the view of a distant, angry, wrathful God? Christ’s death signifies God’s solidarity with those who are hurting. Christ felt physical pain and spiritual pain as his friends and God deserts him. How many people who are experiencing pain feel abandoned by God and his/her friends? How many people beg to be allowed to avoid drinking from the cup of suffering? How many cry out, “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?”
And what if one could argue that Christianity has continued to resurrect the God of wrath? Instead of completing embracing a God of love, they quantify that love saying that all those who do not accept Christ (their version of Christ) is going to hell? There are Biblical passages that suggest that. (Though I do not view the Bible to be the infallible word of God and would argue that such passages, since many appear in John, written between 90-11o C.E. reflects the thoughts from the Christian community rather than of Jesus.)
These are just some thoughts-I hope to do more research and perhaps during my senior year do an honors project or next summer perhaps do a research project with a faculty member on it.
I know my thoughts are unorthodox and some may even consider them heretical, but I just find it fascinating all the different ways one can view God, the Bible, and Jesus’ suffering.
Have you seem the “The Secret“? I recommend the movie to everyone. It really is more of a documentary, but not boring. A few years back when the movie came out Oprah actually did a whole show on “The Secret”. If you have not seen the movie, it covers the Law of Attraction. The philosophy of attracting into your life what you think about most of the time, much like a success mindset. They did a good job of conveying the message without coming off as being hokey. It’s a great stating point if you want to achieve success.
One of my mentors Bob Proctor was in the movie. I have followed Bob Proctor’s teachings for years, and have attributed much of my success thinking and success to the teachings of Bob Proctor. Bob Proctor currently has a program called Six Minutes To Success for success thinking and a mindset of success that is currently running a trial promotion. Joe Vitale was also in the movie and I have read many of Joe’s books including “The Millionaire Mind“.
A comment from a viewer of The Secret:
I’m learning to quickly replace my negative thoughts (what I don’t want) with what I do want. And it just WORKS, for everything- I swear it’s like the holy grail of life.
Click here to see the original post.
Saturday the 16th we are going back to Genesis. The reason we left was because the Book of Job occurred at the same time in Genesis, so we put it in between the two Genesis themes. We only read Genesis for 3 days (an AWESOME 3 days). Genesis moves really fast!
So what I was thinking was: if you have had someone in your mind these past 2 weeks, kind of wishing maybe you had invited them to read with you, now is a PERFECT TIME. Invite them and have them read the first 11 Chapters of Genesis over the next 3 days and then when we pick up in Chapter 12 they will be right on track with you. Obviously they will have to skip Job but they can read that on their own or you can talk them through it 
So here is the schedule for them (or you if you never started this and wish you had)
[2. Surah Al-Baqarah : Ayah 195]
And spend in the way of Allah and cast not yourselves to perdition with your own hands, and do good (to others); surely Allah loves the doers of good.
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[4.Surah An-Nisaa : Ayah 103]
“Then when you have finished the prayer, remember Allah standing and sitting and reclining; but when you are secure (from danger) keep up prayer.”
[7.Surah Al-Araf : Ayah 205]
“And remember your Lord within yourself humbly and fearing and in a voice not loud in the morning and the evening and be not of the heedless ones.”
[ 8.Surah Al-Anfal : Ayah 45]
“O you who believe! when you meet a party, then be firm, and remember Allah much, that you may be successful.”
[13.Surah Ar-Ra'd : Ayah 27-28]
“Surely Allah makes him who will go astray, and guides to Himself those who turn (to Him). Those who believe and whose hearts are set at rest by the remembrance of Allah; now surely by Allah’s remembrance are the hearts set at rest.”
[20. Surah Taha : Ayah 14]
“Surely I am Allah, there is no god but 1, therefore serve Me and keep up prayer for My remembrance.”
[29. Surah Al-Ankabut : Ayah 45]
“Certainly the remembrance of Allah is the greatest, and Allah knows what you do.”
[33. Surah Al-Ahzab : Ayah 35,41-42]
“And the men who remember Allah much and the women who remember– Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a mighty reward.”
“O you who believe! remember Allah, remembering frequently, And glorify Him morning and evening.”
[62. Surah Al-Juma : Ayah 10]
“Remember Allah much, that you may be successful.”
[63. Surah Al-Munafiqun : Ayah 9]
“O you who believe! let not your wealth, or your children, divert you from the remembrance of Allah; and whoever does that, these are the losers.”
[73. Surah Al-Muzzammil : Ayah 8]
“And remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with (exclusive) devotion.”
[74. Surah Al-Muddathhir : Ayah 3]
“And your Lord do magnify.”
[76. Surah Al-Insan : Ayah 25-26]
“And glorify the name of your Lord morning and evening. And during part of the night adore Him, and give glory to Him (a) long (part of the) night.”
[94. Surah Al-Sharh : Ayah 7-8]
“So when you are free, nominate. And make your Lord your exclusive object.”
[110. Surah Al-Nasr : Ayah 3]
“Then celebrate the praise of your Lord, and ask His forgiveness; surely He is oft-returning (to mercy).”
[Sahih Hadith: Volume 8, Book 75, Number 416]
Narrated ‘Abu Musa (Radi Allah Anhu) : The Prophet Muhammad (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) said, “The example of the one who remembers (glorifies the Praises of his Lord) Allah in comparison to the one who does not remember (glorifies the Praises of his Lord) Allah, is that of a Living creature to a Dead one.”
For those of you who have not seen, Charles Halton over at Awilum.com has 
developed a reading schedule for those interested in working their way through the three volumes of The Context of Scripture in a year. Thus far, the readings have proved to be very manageable. If you haven’t started yet, it would be very easy to catch up!
I am aiming each week to blog something regarding the content of the week’s reading. This week, there are a couple of things I would like to point out. First are some quotes from William Hallo’s introductory article, “Ancient Near Eastern Texts and their Relevance for Biblical Exegesis.” The article begins with an incredibly succinct summary of the history of the study of the “context” of Scripture.
Classical and Near Eastern parallels have been used to illuminate the biblical text for as long as there have been biblical studies. Already according to Philo Judaeus, writing in Greek and living in the shadow of the great Greek library of Alexandria in the first half century of the Common Era, Abraham “becomes a speculative philosopher,” a role-model for the sect of Jewish ascetics that he described as Therapeutae. Nine centuries later, Saadiah Gaon, likewise born in Egypt but living in the equally stimulating atmosphere of Abbasid Baghdad, freely employed his knowledge of Arabic to solve cruces of Biblical Hebrew. But it again took almost another millennium before biblical names, words, and themes, were to be juxtaposed, not just to those of the contemorary world, bot to those long lost to sight and mind in the buried cities of the past.
The nineteenth century of our era opened Egypt and the Asiatic Near East to large-scale excavations, and witnessed the decipherments of the hieroglyphic and cuneiform scripts. The results revolutionized what can best be described as “the first half of history” — that 2500-year stretch between the invention of these earliest forms of writing and their replacement by the simpler “alphabetic” scripts of the Hebrew and Greek Traditions, and their derivations. The period 3000-500 BCE (more or less), ostensibly the context of the biblical record, was thrown into wholly new relief. The inevitable transformation of biblical studies was not long in ensuing. (1:xxiii)
Hallo’s article sets the stage for how the content of The Context of Scripture functions within the field of biblical studies. One gem occurs at the very end of the article. Hallo remarks, “The assessment of a biblical text, so far from ending with the identification of an extra-biblical parallel, begins there” (1:xxvii). Though it is an utterly simple statement, it has truly profound significance. Many people, when I introduce them to extra-biblical parallels, tend to think I am presenting data that is in some way in conflict with a view of Scripture as divine revelation. (No wonder Peter Enns wrote his book Incarnation and Inspiration, particularly the second chapter.) Such people fail to see the true function this data should have for our investigation of the meaning and the significance of the biblical text.
Readings from volume 1, Canonical Compositions from the Biblical World, consisted of Egyptian cosmologies. In one text (1.3) heaven and earth (Shu and Tefnut) are products of divine masturbation.
Readings from volume 3, Archival Documents from the Biblical World, consisted of Egyptian letters. The one that I was particularly intrigued by was “The Craft of the Scribe” (3.2). The introduction of the letter describes it in this way “The letter takes the form of one scribe’s patronizing reply to his addressee’s unwarranted claims of scribal learning and experience” (3:9). I was struck by the similarity between this text and God’s speech to Job. Compare Job 38:1ff with this excerpt:
Your letter is rife with cuts and loaded with bigs words. Look, I will reward you with what they deserve; a load is loaded on you greater than you wished. “I am a scribe and mahir,” you said again. If there is truth in what you said, come out that you may be examined. A horse has been harnessed for you, swift as a leopard, with red ear, like a gust of wind when he goes forth. You should let loose of the reins and take the bow, so that we can see what your hand can do. I will explain to you the manner of a mahir, and let you see what he has done. (3:12)
If there is any connection to be made beyond the one my own mind made in reading this text, I am as yet uncertain.
Next Week’s Reading Schedule:
9. 1.8; 3.6
10. 2.1; 3.7A
11. 2.2A; 3.7B
12. 2.2B; 3.7C
13. 2.2C; 3.8
14. 2.3; 3.9
15. 3.10
Nothing major, just an update.
All set up here in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. New full-time job starts Monday in Nashville, doing technical support and help desk for the military. I truly think that this job is what I was meant to do. I really hope that it works out. Over an hour drive one way to work, but we plan to move in March to a bigger and better place in Clarksville, Tennessee, about half an hour closer to my work in Nashville, closer to one of Holly’s jobs, and closer to the college that she wants to go to this fall. So I am looking forward to that.
Holly and I are getting along better than I have gotten along with anyone before. Kinda scary. Kinda makes me wonder, “what’s the catch?” – but really, she’s just a very sweet girl, that has a great heart… and that’s what I really need around me these days, is good friends and loved ones.
I have always told myself that I need to get all of my ducks in a row before I can get the ball rolling in the correct direction, and finally, after 30 long years, it’s all starting to happen. I’m pretty excited, to say the least. We’ll see what happens.
Next trip back to Kansas, for now, I am planning on it being April 1st or so. I will be back to visit friends, family, get my other vehicle, and move the rest of the stuff that I left behind, since I did have to get out here in kind of a hurry the first time for the job. I also will have to have appointments set up to see the surgeons about my post-surgery progress.
Also, I have gotten a new iPhone, to replace the one that was stolen from me, so I will be much more organized than I have been recently. I was a mess while I was without it. If there are any outstanding projects that I missed between the iPhones, please email me and I’ll get them completed for you.
Needless to say, lots going on right now, lots on my mind, and lots of things to keep track of. Saving up to get a house, a truck, for visits back to Wichita and Denver, for storm chasing equipment on the truck, for getting my computer and photography businesses started out here once I move to Clarksville, and just generally getting a foundation started out here. There’s a lot of opportunity out here to help out people and make some money, just need to get it all ramped up.
Also have been in contact with the local emergency management officials out here, as well as the local Skywarn group, and the local Ham Radio organizations out here, and have all of that lining up as well. The Skywarn group I am working with out here, new link to them on the right hand menu, feel free to have a visit. Great people to work with. Should be a VERY interesting storm season this year.
I have contacts in the Wichita area that will be picking up my recurring clients from all of my businesses out there. With the computer business, I will be doing remote assistance for software issues out here, and a friend of mine, Rick, will be handling my hardware issues. A guy by the name of Brandon will be handling all website work out there. Brandon will also be picking up all of my emergency management work that I left behind. Wichita photo shoots will be scheduled for when I am in town, and for photo shoots that need to be done while I am not in town, a good photographer in town by the name of Eric, will be handling all of my work there.
My online radio station is once again back up and running. See the link on the right. I am in the middle of redoing my Michael Brian Photography business website, as well as my Hypertech Computers site. I am going to try and have those both done by March, at the latest. They, amongst many other things, are on my massive “To-Do” list. Wish, by the way, if you don’t know this already, no matter how hard you work, the list gets longer, not shorter, especially the older that you get.
So, I am back into the groove of things. Pretty soon I’ll be doing 10,000 things at once out here, like I was in Wichita. I plan to make some friends out here, but I insist on keeping in touch with my old friends as well. It’s pretty important to me. So, please add me to Facebook, if you haven’t already (see links to the right), add me to ’skywarn69′ on Yahoo Messenger, or email me at mike.mathia@gmail.com to get a hold of me. I love hearing from everyone, and I promise to keep up better with email, than I have been in the past.
This blogsite will always have the most up to date and accurate information on how to get a hold of me or my businesses.
The next chapter of my life starts on Monday.
Picture this; it won’t be difficult. Town on a Saturday night. About 1am. A girl leaves a club with a guy she met half an hour ago. She can’t remember his name but she never does. She thinks he’s quite a catch – but then, maybe that’s the alcohol affecting her judgement. Either way he seems fit now and he’ll be gone by the morning. She breaks a heel on the cobble pavement and falls into his arms. He pushes her to the floor and begins to kiss her ferociously. She asks him to fuck her now, and so he does. He doesn’t use a condom but they never do. In the morning she sort of remembers the feeling of someone inside her and smiles through her thumping headache, thinking, ‘that was a good night out!’.
Now look at my job. Girl lets a man into her house that she heard from only 24 hours ago. She doesn’t know him, but she’s stone cold sober so she can pick up anything unusual about his actions immediately. She phones a friend and makes sure he can hear her – ‘I’ll call you in an hour, promise.’ She hangs up and moves to the bed. He pushes her down and begins to kiss her ferociously. She asks if he wants to fuck her now, and he does. He uses a condom because they always must. In the morning she remembers all about it and smiles as she turns off the vibrator, thinking, ‘that was a good night’s work!”
You’ve suspected it for years. You wonder if its true. Yes folks, its true. Email is the property of your company, and as such, your manager gets to read it by request. Some companies have policies about who can read your email and under what circumstances. However, you should know that at least one of your IT folks can and probably does surf around in your email from time to time. Most IT employees are ethical and frankly don’t have the time or inclination to do this. But you should know that some aren’t very ethical and/or perhaps have a personal interest in what you’re writing. Or, a manager authorized this behavior for a number of reasons. Here are some tips:
If your IT guy (I’m not sexist…I haven’t actually seen this behavior in a female IT staff member) is one of those information-hording, tech-speaking, insecure asses, I can pretty much confirm that he’s reading your stuff. Particularly if you are in HR or leadership.
Well, what can I say. A LOT has changed since I last posted. I now live in Novi, Michigan and begin my new career on Monday working for Hormel Foods in Detroit. Yes my friends, this means that I’ve graduated college, moved to another state, changed time zones, and have to begin a full time job on Monday. Talk about a lot changing huh? But yes, I did get the job and I couldn’t be more excited. 2010 will definitely be a new, different, and great one!
This week my mom drove out with me to get me settled here. I could haven’t made this move without her helping me this week, my sister helping me with everything this week and calming me down from stressing, and my dad for helping with all of the moving and budget truck problems, and who could forget my brother who continued to remind me of the one thing that I don’t want to hear about. Ha. I couldn’t have done it without any of them.
My internet is now set up at my new apartment and I’m so happy. Now I can update everyone on my life. I will post pics of my new apartment this weekend. I hope everyone is ready for a wonderful new year!
http://www.theskinny.co.uk/jobs
The Skinny is growing and we are looking for the right people to help take the magazine forward in 2010. If you want to be part of Scotland’s leading arts and culture publication, we currently have these posts open for application:
We are also looking for enthusiastic people to fill the following posts to help us co-ordinate The CineSkinny – our daily guide to Glasgow Film Festival (taking place 18-28 Feb 2010).
First days ant anything can be pretty awkward but I hate first days at new jobs almost as much as I hate first days of school which was also today… But I’m only taking 2 online classes so it hardly counts.
Anyways. new job first days are even more awkward when you can’t get ahold of your boss to find out what time your supposed to come in and when you do come in the employee in charge of training you pretty much gives you a run down of all the things about your boss that are hard to deal with. But really what I hate most about first days is just being the new kid and everyone else is all already freinds and stuff so you’re jus tlike the awkward one. And there are two engaged girls working there which can get real annoying if they never stop talking baout being in love..
However I did learn this. Carlos Boozer… you know Utah Jazz star? Brings his family to my place of employment… and apparently his kids are the brattiest ones there and will lie to them if you ask them if their dad plays basketball they will lie to you. That my friends is hilarious.
Also… my boss is a hugger. She hugged me on my first day there!!! WHO DOES THAT?
