From the hotel (I stayed at the Hyatt Regency, downtown).
I love how Boston has these old & new buildings sitting right next to each other.
The State Street building, I think.
From Boston Common.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
A special note to the anonymous individual who keeps leaving comments...
...on my post about that rag known as the "Stars and Bars":
Dear Sir/Madame,
I very well might debate you as to the "real" causes of the Civil War. I just have one requirement though: please comment under your own name. Why? Well while I do allow* anonymous comments, I can't say that I actually respect people who write things anonymously on the Internet, with very few exceptions. How can I respect someone who says "I have this conviction" while at the same time also saying "but I don't want to be identified with this conviction"? It's a silly contradiction in terms, and I'm being kind by using the word "silly" as a descriptive.
So either continue to comment anonymously and not expect any kind of response from me OR comment under your own name and I might actually respond in kind. My $10/year, my rules.
Oh and remember...
Available for sale HERE in case you want one for your very own.
Have a Nice Day!
Steve Albert
Scranton, Pennsylvania
(*) This sounds so haughty, namely that I "allow" anonymous comments. In point of fact, when it comes to run-o-the-mill comments I could care less:
a) who comments
and/or
b) whether the comments are anonymous or not.
Remember, I don't do this to entertain anyone other than myself. Other than deleting comments that are just thinly disguised spam (for example, I've deleted countless comments from law firms every time I would blog about my own divorce) & blatantly offensive hate speech, I pretty much don't give a rat's posterior what anyone writes. Just don't expect me to react like Pavlov's dog just because your decided to grace me with your wisdom.
Dear Sir/Madame,
I very well might debate you as to the "real" causes of the Civil War. I just have one requirement though: please comment under your own name. Why? Well while I do allow* anonymous comments, I can't say that I actually respect people who write things anonymously on the Internet, with very few exceptions. How can I respect someone who says "I have this conviction" while at the same time also saying "but I don't want to be identified with this conviction"? It's a silly contradiction in terms, and I'm being kind by using the word "silly" as a descriptive.
So either continue to comment anonymously and not expect any kind of response from me OR comment under your own name and I might actually respond in kind. My $10/year, my rules.
Oh and remember...
Available for sale HERE in case you want one for your very own.
Have a Nice Day!
Steve Albert
Scranton, Pennsylvania
(*) This sounds so haughty, namely that I "allow" anonymous comments. In point of fact, when it comes to run-o-the-mill comments I could care less:
a) who comments
and/or
b) whether the comments are anonymous or not.
Remember, I don't do this to entertain anyone other than myself. Other than deleting comments that are just thinly disguised spam (for example, I've deleted countless comments from law firms every time I would blog about my own divorce) & blatantly offensive hate speech, I pretty much don't give a rat's posterior what anyone writes. Just don't expect me to react like Pavlov's dog just because your decided to grace me with your wisdom.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Business 101: Chewing your Pride
I've past the quarter century mark working in the private sector (in evil corporate America), and every once in a while I feel compelled to share some of what I've learned. So here goes.
Pride: The art of sucking it up.
Want to work in the private sector? Want to "climb the ladder" as they say? That's well and good, but be prepared to have:
a) A thick skin
b) The ability to chew your pride
Point (a) is pretty self-explanatory, although I could go on about that if I so desired. That, however, may be for another day. On to point (b).
Yes, I said "chew" your pride. This is as opposed to swallowing your pride. Swallowing, you see, is far too easy. What's more, there are times in the working world when you will feel...
...beaten down
...ill treated*
...unfairly singled out
and even...
...slightly humiliated*
...and that's just the way it goes. Is it fair? Well "fair" is a relative term, that's for sure. What is fair for you may not be fair for me. Regardless, you will have these feelings every once in a while. I've learn, as I've noted, not to just swallow your pride in these instances, but rather learn to chew your pride. Chew as to truly feel the emotions, not just dump them, a-la a swallow. Get accustomed to the taste of these feelings, because that's the best way to not be overcome by them. If you simply swallow your pride quickly, you do nothing to steel yourself to the inevitable times when you need to deal with these feelings again.
After you are done chewing your pride, well, dust yourself off and get back into the game. Fate favors the persistent.
(*) By "ill treated" and "humiliated" I do NOT mean subject to harassment, discrimination or retaliation of any sort. No one in today's workforce should EVER have to tolerate those kinds of behaviors. If you feel that you have been subject to harrassment (sexual or other), discrimination (because of your race, religion, etc.), or retaliation (because you pointed out issues in the past) you should always and immediately talk to someone with appropriate authority in your employer's organization. Examples of where you can go to give voice to these kinds of issues include Human Resources, an ethics hotline, or a more senior manager.
Pride: The art of sucking it up.
Want to work in the private sector? Want to "climb the ladder" as they say? That's well and good, but be prepared to have:
a) A thick skin
b) The ability to chew your pride
Point (a) is pretty self-explanatory, although I could go on about that if I so desired. That, however, may be for another day. On to point (b).
Yes, I said "chew" your pride. This is as opposed to swallowing your pride. Swallowing, you see, is far too easy. What's more, there are times in the working world when you will feel...
...beaten down
...ill treated*
...unfairly singled out
and even...
...slightly humiliated*
...and that's just the way it goes. Is it fair? Well "fair" is a relative term, that's for sure. What is fair for you may not be fair for me. Regardless, you will have these feelings every once in a while. I've learn, as I've noted, not to just swallow your pride in these instances, but rather learn to chew your pride. Chew as to truly feel the emotions, not just dump them, a-la a swallow. Get accustomed to the taste of these feelings, because that's the best way to not be overcome by them. If you simply swallow your pride quickly, you do nothing to steel yourself to the inevitable times when you need to deal with these feelings again.
After you are done chewing your pride, well, dust yourself off and get back into the game. Fate favors the persistent.
(*) By "ill treated" and "humiliated" I do NOT mean subject to harassment, discrimination or retaliation of any sort. No one in today's workforce should EVER have to tolerate those kinds of behaviors. If you feel that you have been subject to harrassment (sexual or other), discrimination (because of your race, religion, etc.), or retaliation (because you pointed out issues in the past) you should always and immediately talk to someone with appropriate authority in your employer's organization. Examples of where you can go to give voice to these kinds of issues include Human Resources, an ethics hotline, or a more senior manager.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Various "How's" and "Why's"
"How can I go forward when I don't know which way I'm facing?"
- John Lennon ("How")
I've been thinking about a few things lately...
How come some folks with good health habits get sick, but yet others who make absolutely no efforts in the health department seems to sail by with hardly any health issues?
Why do some folks think that a two-party state is so different than a one-party state? Do we honestly think that all the solutions exclusively belong to just Republicans or Democrats? Seriously, BOTH PARTIES have had multiple shots and neither has done all that much. Sorry worshipers of "Saint Ronny" and "Slick Willy".
Why do some men think that they should be able to tell women what they should do with their bodies?
How is it that some seemingly intelligent individuals succumb to poking fun at Mitt Romney's religion and Governor Christie's weight?
Why do I have to pay Comcast $130/month for Internet and the five cable television channels I actually watch? By my figuring I should owe them about $50/month.
Why is it that some folks think that what George Soros does is wrong but yet what the Koch Brothers do is somehow right? For the record you can reverse the names if you'd like, as it really doesn't matter.
How is it even American to believe that greater tenure always equals greater capability? Shouldn't people be judged for what they do at work, not for merely showing up to work?
Why is it that JeanLuc the cat only wants to sit on my lap in the mornings? You know, after I've gotten dressed for work? For the record he never wants to sit on my lap in the evening when I am wearing grubby shorts and a tee shirt.
Why do we still tolerate racism in 2012?
Why do some people act as if the Founding Fathers were born-again Christians? If they were, wouldn't "Jesus Christ" be mentioned at least once in either the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence?
How come is it that the older you get, the faster time seems to go by?
- John Lennon ("How")
I've been thinking about a few things lately...
How come some folks with good health habits get sick, but yet others who make absolutely no efforts in the health department seems to sail by with hardly any health issues?
Why do some folks think that a two-party state is so different than a one-party state? Do we honestly think that all the solutions exclusively belong to just Republicans or Democrats? Seriously, BOTH PARTIES have had multiple shots and neither has done all that much. Sorry worshipers of "Saint Ronny" and "Slick Willy".
Why do some men think that they should be able to tell women what they should do with their bodies?
How is it that some seemingly intelligent individuals succumb to poking fun at Mitt Romney's religion and Governor Christie's weight?
Why do I have to pay Comcast $130/month for Internet and the five cable television channels I actually watch? By my figuring I should owe them about $50/month.
Why is it that some folks think that what George Soros does is wrong but yet what the Koch Brothers do is somehow right? For the record you can reverse the names if you'd like, as it really doesn't matter.
How is it even American to believe that greater tenure always equals greater capability? Shouldn't people be judged for what they do at work, not for merely showing up to work?
Why is it that JeanLuc the cat only wants to sit on my lap in the mornings? You know, after I've gotten dressed for work? For the record he never wants to sit on my lap in the evening when I am wearing grubby shorts and a tee shirt.
Why do we still tolerate racism in 2012?
Why do some people act as if the Founding Fathers were born-again Christians? If they were, wouldn't "Jesus Christ" be mentioned at least once in either the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence?
How come is it that the older you get, the faster time seems to go by?
Thursday, August 23, 2012
The Junkie Gets Another Fix (Scranton gets another loan)
What do you give a strung-out junkie that is barely alive? Why more Smack of course!
Our esteemed leaders seem to have forgotten that Scranton's problems stem from spending too much. Yes, this loan will help over the short term, just like another "hit" will make the junkie feel better for the short term. But one more hit for the junkie...and one more bill for Scranton...both just forestall a day of reckoning.
Ms Evans, Mr Doherty: you can't borrow your way out of debt. It doesn't work for individuals, it doesn't work for companies and it doesn't work for cities. Oh, and a recovery plan that relies of taxes that will not be enacted (sales tax) and voluntary payments that will not be made (PILOT) isn't really a recovery plan: it's wishful thinking.
Scranton is already bankrupt...it's time to make it legal.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
The Traveling Introvert
It's said that introverts get their energy from within, so logically it might make sense that external surroundings don't matter all that much. Note the word "logically". As someone who does travel from time to time, and seeing as though I am in Boston this week on company business, it makes some sense to explore this thought in greater detail.
Credit to http://deptoflindsey.com/2012/04/10/an-introverted-retort/ for the above graphic.
A few basic parameters need to be set.
First, business travel is NOT glamorous, fun, exciting, a vacation, full of drunken debauchery, cool, etc. If you think it is, then you obviously don't travel on business very often. It is the equivalent of being at work 24/7.
Second, introversion does not equal shyness. If you think it does, then you are a moron. Sorry.
Got that?
The above noted, I find that being a traveling introvert is particularly difficult some times. Here are a few reasons why.
External Stimuli - There is a ton of external stimuli to process. While I like a change of scenery every once in a while, being in a new town means that I have to re-orient myself to my surroundings. That takes time away from other things. It also means that I need to have my guard up even more than usual. So much energy is expended on stuff like this.
Being "on" - When I travel,it is, sadly, not with the primary purpose of sitting all by myself somewhere working. Nope. Rather, I always end up having to extrovert to some extent. It might be because I am teaching a class, running a meeting (or series of meetings), participating in meetings, or attending a class. I have to interact with people I don't know. I am forced to engage in that which I hate the most: small talk. Regardless, it always requires me to act extroverted for extended periods of time. Another thing that sucks the life force out of me.
Many Choices - Traveling requires almost constant choices. Where do I turn? What do I eat? How will I manage my time back at the hotel? Making choices isn't an introverted trait, I know, but for me all these choices require thought and analysis. They require me to sometimes make spot decisions. My preference is to be able to think about what I want to do; while I can make spot choices, I'd prefer to have a routine in place whereby the choices can be made ahead of time. Travel = no routine. No routine = more stressful.
Away from people I care about - I don't have a ton of close friends. Guess what? This is okay. I'm not coming to Boston, for example, to make new friends...I have come here to work and learn new "stuff". While I am okay not necessarily making new friends, that doesn't mean that I treasure being absolutely alone in a hotel room either. In fact, it is rather disconcerting at times. I miss the regular routine that I enjoy with Ms Rivers. Sometimes being away get's egregiously bad, such as last night when my youngest daughter had to go to the ER for some pain she was experiencing. Yes, she ended up okay, but it was downright painful for me to be here, 300 miles away from her, feeling helpless. Now I'm not claiming that introverts love their children more than extroverts, but I am going to claim that when the circle of people in your life is smaller, those that are in the circle tend to mean a lot to you.
Bottom line? Yes, I am blessed in that I have a job whereby I get to travel, but business traveling isn't all sunshine, smiles and rainbows.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Rep. Akin "no pregnancy from rape" comment
Missouri Representative and U.S. Senate candidate Jim Akin is in scalding hot water for recently saying that...
“First of all, from what I understand from doctors, [pregnancy from rape] is really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."
Put another way, if a woman gets pregnant as a result of a rape, she wasn't really raped. As a father of three daughters, I find his comment to be disgusting.
To be fair for a moment, this kind of ignorant spew is not new; a decade or two back, Pennsylvania's own Rep. Stephen Friend made a similar comment. See citation HERE. Like Akin now, Friend eventually backed off of his statement (citation HERE), but the damage was done.
Let's set the record straight: Rep Akin and Stephen Friend are both categorically, 100% wrong. Just two of hundreds of available citations can be found HERE and HERE. Basic biology dictates that if a woman has an egg that can be fertilized...and it is fertilized...she will get pregnant. Period.
The quick-n-easy thing to do here is to make this a political issue. It isn't.
This issue isn't about abortion either.
This is an issue of common sense. It is an issue of basic science and biology. It is an issue of basic empathy and understanding. It is about treating the victims of a horrible crime like victims, not criminals.
The fact that we are even having this discussion in 2012 is shameful.
“First of all, from what I understand from doctors, [pregnancy from rape] is really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."
Put another way, if a woman gets pregnant as a result of a rape, she wasn't really raped. As a father of three daughters, I find his comment to be disgusting.
To be fair for a moment, this kind of ignorant spew is not new; a decade or two back, Pennsylvania's own Rep. Stephen Friend made a similar comment. See citation HERE. Like Akin now, Friend eventually backed off of his statement (citation HERE), but the damage was done.
Let's set the record straight: Rep Akin and Stephen Friend are both categorically, 100% wrong. Just two of hundreds of available citations can be found HERE and HERE. Basic biology dictates that if a woman has an egg that can be fertilized...and it is fertilized...she will get pregnant. Period.
The quick-n-easy thing to do here is to make this a political issue. It isn't.
This issue isn't about abortion either.
This is an issue of common sense. It is an issue of basic science and biology. It is an issue of basic empathy and understanding. It is about treating the victims of a horrible crime like victims, not criminals.
The fact that we are even having this discussion in 2012 is shameful.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Chris Kelly Column, Aug 19 2012 Scranton Times
Once again, The Scranton Times columnist Chris Kelly nails it, in a very big way.
"...but the recovery plan is still a fairy tale"
It must bug the hell out of Janet Evans and her rabid followers that Chris Kelly is telling the simple, unvarnished truth about the farce that is Scranton's "kick the can down the road" non-recovery plan.
Mark my words: this is going to get worse.
This reminds me of a song, so as something of a long distance dedication (I am in Boston as I write this), this one goes out to Scranton City Council President Janet Evans and Mayor Chris Doherty. Ms Evans, Mr Doherty, there really is no way to hide from the reality of Scranton's financial mess.
"...but the recovery plan is still a fairy tale"
It must bug the hell out of Janet Evans and her rabid followers that Chris Kelly is telling the simple, unvarnished truth about the farce that is Scranton's "kick the can down the road" non-recovery plan.
Mark my words: this is going to get worse.
This reminds me of a song, so as something of a long distance dedication (I am in Boston as I write this), this one goes out to Scranton City Council President Janet Evans and Mayor Chris Doherty. Ms Evans, Mr Doherty, there really is no way to hide from the reality of Scranton's financial mess.
Road Apples, #130
In the getting older department...My middle daughter just turned 20 on Friday (see HERE). It's amazing the perspective you get as a parent over the years. Anyway, when your children become adults you learn to treasure the time with them even more, for you have less of it.
Speaking of parenting...I know people who wrap their entire lives around their children, which on the surface may sound noble, but which in reality is exceedingly foolish. As parents we must love, nurture, protect and guide our children. But we also need to set good examples, including the importance of...
...of being independent & self-sufficient
...of having a variety of interests
...of being intellectually curious
...of constantly learning
...of cultivating healthy relationships
...of wanting to make a difference in the world around you
Most of these things aren't "teachable", but they are "learnable", chiefly (as noted above) through setting good examples that your children observe throughout their lifetime. Your children don't want you to tell them what to do...they want you to show them what to do...in big things and small. For example, telling your children that reading is important but not actually doing much reading yourself is an example of hypocrisy that children eventually see through...and end up emulating for the worse. No one ever said being a parent is an easy job.
Boston Bound....I am headed to downtown Boston for a class this week. I am really looking forward to four and a half days of being a student and learning. Hell, I bought a notebook and pens just for the occasion. I know that this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but for me I really do enjoy the occasional "pure learner mode" times I get. I am hoping that group exercises, presentation and the like are of the "limited to none" kind this week. I don't want to be a spokesperson, I don't want to work in a group, I don't want to socialize. I just want to immerse in knowledge.
Facebook...Well it seems that Facebook stock is now trading at less than half the IPO price. I'm not a stock analyst, nor do I play one on TV. I do, however, have some business smarts about me and I've always thought that businesses that rely almost entirely on advertising revenue have to be viewed with some caution. Google is the exception, for a single great reason: they, unlike Facebook, Yahoo or others provide an extremely valuable service and they have figured out ways to steer traffic effectively to advertisers. Facebook? I'm far more likely to delete an advertisement on the right-hand side of my page than I am to actually click on it in anticipation of a making a purchase. I'm even MORE likely to delete the advertisement if it is political in nature. Mark my words: this will not end well.
Car wars...I am still pondering cars. I did toy with the concept of actually buying a new car, but I think that pretty much has gone the way-side. Buying a new car is much more about emotion ("Hey, I got a new car!") than it is about sound financial decision making ("Hey, I got a new car, and the value of it dropped by 20% the moment I drove it off the dealer lot!"). I am still thinking about something chiefly with much in the way of room, unlike my Kia Rio. Something that wouldn't be blown off the road by strong crosswinds...unlike my Kia Rio...would be nice as well. Oh, and I have another month of this kind of pondering to do.
Speaking of parenting...I know people who wrap their entire lives around their children, which on the surface may sound noble, but which in reality is exceedingly foolish. As parents we must love, nurture, protect and guide our children. But we also need to set good examples, including the importance of...
...of being independent & self-sufficient
...of having a variety of interests
...of being intellectually curious
...of constantly learning
...of cultivating healthy relationships
...of wanting to make a difference in the world around you
Most of these things aren't "teachable", but they are "learnable", chiefly (as noted above) through setting good examples that your children observe throughout their lifetime. Your children don't want you to tell them what to do...they want you to show them what to do...in big things and small. For example, telling your children that reading is important but not actually doing much reading yourself is an example of hypocrisy that children eventually see through...and end up emulating for the worse. No one ever said being a parent is an easy job.
Boston Bound....I am headed to downtown Boston for a class this week. I am really looking forward to four and a half days of being a student and learning. Hell, I bought a notebook and pens just for the occasion. I know that this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but for me I really do enjoy the occasional "pure learner mode" times I get. I am hoping that group exercises, presentation and the like are of the "limited to none" kind this week. I don't want to be a spokesperson, I don't want to work in a group, I don't want to socialize. I just want to immerse in knowledge.
Facebook...Well it seems that Facebook stock is now trading at less than half the IPO price. I'm not a stock analyst, nor do I play one on TV. I do, however, have some business smarts about me and I've always thought that businesses that rely almost entirely on advertising revenue have to be viewed with some caution. Google is the exception, for a single great reason: they, unlike Facebook, Yahoo or others provide an extremely valuable service and they have figured out ways to steer traffic effectively to advertisers. Facebook? I'm far more likely to delete an advertisement on the right-hand side of my page than I am to actually click on it in anticipation of a making a purchase. I'm even MORE likely to delete the advertisement if it is political in nature. Mark my words: this will not end well.
Car wars...I am still pondering cars. I did toy with the concept of actually buying a new car, but I think that pretty much has gone the way-side. Buying a new car is much more about emotion ("Hey, I got a new car!") than it is about sound financial decision making ("Hey, I got a new car, and the value of it dropped by 20% the moment I drove it off the dealer lot!"). I am still thinking about something chiefly with much in the way of room, unlike my Kia Rio. Something that wouldn't be blown off the road by strong crosswinds...unlike my Kia Rio...would be nice as well. Oh, and I have another month of this kind of pondering to do.
Friday, August 17, 2012
My middle daughter is now 20!
Forget being the President of the United States: the best job in the world is being a Dad.
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