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Uncategorized
Time for the Unscheduled
I know an increasing number of folks now who are either unemployed or self-employed, and I find that as envious as I am of their ability to make excellent use of their time, I have to actively work to avoid being burned by their lack of sense of time. Or self-burning: Me: Hey, So-and-So, did you hear back about that project proposal you submitted a while back? So-and-So: No. Maybe I should check on that. Me: Oh. It’s been, like, months. So-and-So: Yeah… It’d be nice to get that project. Me: Like… someday?
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Beautiful Friends
I was sitting last night, watching Andrea play with–then struggle with–Aundris, and I realized that they are beautiful. Everyone (myself included) has had so much to say about these two people and their lives and who’s in it and who’s not, but they are beautiful and they are people. Why haven’t we respected their sovereignty?
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Excuses for Not Learning My Car
There are times when I’m secretly tempted to argue that computer users should get off their asses and learn about computers, so as to spare specialists the need to explain the intricacies of first-tier Outlook 2007 settings and to be willing to break things to learn themselves. …And then I need work done on my car.
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Untenable Workplace Hotshots
“When Smart People are Bad Employees” offers up three types of hotshots in the workplace: The Heretic: “However, sometimes really smart employees develop agendas other than improving the company. Rather than identifying weaknesses, so that he can fix them, he looks for faults to build his case. Specifically, he builds his case that the company is hopeless and run by a bunch of morons.” The Flake: “Then Roger changed. He would miss days of work without calling in. Then he would miss weeks of work. When he finally showed up, he apologized profusely, but the behavior didn’t stop. His work product also degraded. He became sloppy and unfocused.” The Jerk:…
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A Letter to 2011
Hello, 2011, I’ve taken to writing to you in my personal journal, and in three days it’s already stopped being cutesy and creepy and started being fer skerious. We have words to exchange, 2011. More than words. 2010–bless her heart–was a year of fractured interests: I set a date for my wedding. I changed jobs. I branched out in role-playing. I attacked the hell out of my debt. I wrote in public. 2011, you’re the year of finishing: I’m going to finish my last sliver of debt. I’m going to finish not having a long-term financial plan. I’m going to get married. I’m going to finish my novel. I’m going…