Ideeahs

More than ever I have come to the realization that the only employer that I should really be concerned about pleasing is myself.  A conversation I had yesterday evening and another today at lunch have reinforced this thought of Olivier Inc. Whether you are an employee in a small or large company.  Whether you are self-employed and run a business of one or of hundreds you need to look after yourself.  Not the company, not the government (especially), not a union, not anybody will do it as well as you can.  You owe it to yourself to network with people in and out of your place of work.  To keep up your connections with those people that you have crossed paths with and whose work and/or personal traits appeal to you.  You owe it to yourself to be knowledgeable of the latest trends in your field of work and in your hobbies.  You owe it to yourself to be curious about what others are doing and to show interest.  To reach out.  To prepare for the next thing.  To think about the next challeng

Globalization and free trade is needed and a great force to better the plight of people around the world.  It theoretically allows goods and services to be built and delivered anywhere in the world.  It also theoretically allows for the free movement of labour across borders.  Finally it theoretically drops the price of goods and services.  All great stuff that I support 110% - in theory. My wife is currently reading a book entitled The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss .  She has had it for two days or so and is already half-way through it.  This is a good sign that it is an interesting read.  Having said that she has put the book down at the end of the day and said that it is discouraging - that our world is discouraging.  I gather the book talks about how to make a quick buck.  How to use others to free up your time.  How to use other people's creativity to advance your wealth.  This all makes sense to me as this is what free trade and globalization permits.  It seems, though,

This week my daughter was administered the FSA test.  For those of you who are not aware of what this is here is a paste from the BC Ministry of Education website. The Foundation Skills Assessment is an annual province-wide assessment of British Columbia students' academic skills, and provides a snapshot of how well BC students are learning foundation skills in Reading Comprehension, Writing, and Numeracy. The main purpose of the assessment is to help the province, school districts, schools and school planning councils evaluate how well students are achieving basic skills, and make plans to improve student achievement. FSA is designed and developed by British Columbia educators. The skills tested are linked to the provincial curriculum and provincial performance standards. So my daughter was given her numeracy test.  This is a math test.  I was shocked to find out that she was handed a calculator.....CALCULATOR!  Holy crap.  How is this supposed to assess how well children are achi

I am a strong believer in the free market and the capitalist system.  Having said that we need to have measurements that ensure the economy is taking stock not only of financial capital put also our environmental and societal capital.  The wealth that is stored in the earth, its value, and the value of strong and vibrant societies. Rather than evaluate company performance strictly via a financial exchange we also need to look at company performance on an environmental exchange and a societal exchange.  Today we have financial analysts make calls on a company's performance.  Financial experts judging the finances.  This translates into a stock price and its relative movement compared to competitors.  Maybe company A's stock is appreciating faster than company B's because the experts believe that A's earnings will increase faster than B's. The environment and a corporation's social impact are starting to have more visibility and are now mentioned in some annual re

First it was sixty-five.  Then sixty.  Eventually fifty-five.  On to fifty.  And now (zoom!)...... Forty-five! This particular entry was seeded when I saw a magazine called Zoomer at my parents' house.  The magazine is published by the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP).  The magazine, according to the words printed within the circumference of the first "O", is targeted to Men and Women, 45 and up. So here we have the Canadian Association of RETIRED Persons including in their membership a magazine targeted to people 45 and up.  I found that interesting and, since I am nearing the age of entry, curious. You'll have a hard time finding the word retired anywhere on the CARP website .  It seems the acronym no longer stands for anything.  You'll see words and phrases such as aging and older Canadians though.  They are in place to ensure that old guys like me (soon anyway) have health and financial security and that we are treated fairly (ie. not discriminat

Coming back from that walk to Tower Beach (see 105 minutes ) the kids brought up the fact that the beach is a clothing optional beach....much like Wreck Beach, a little further to the south and east.  They had noticed the signs that warned beach strollers of the hazards ahead. A few minutes later they recalled hearing that people sometimes sunbathe topless. I have noticed that when they see a couple kissing on television they cower on the couch.  When they hear about how babies are made the reaction is similar.  I remember that feeling.  All that romantic stuff makes them uncomfortable. The conversation ended with laughs when my son said "People become gross when they grow up." Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!

On a neighbourhood walk today my thoughts drifted to my Japan trip last autumn.  One of the things I noticed in Japan was that it is a very clean country.  Many have heard this.  There are a couple of examples that sprang to mind this morning as I walked in this part of the University of British Columbia and noticed all the junk that was piled in corners, nooks and crannies of the paths we took.  The campus looked dirty.  Cups on the ground, bits of paper, cigarette buts.  The paved paths are covered with dirt, leaves, mud, etc. Contrast to Japan. Everyday I would see people cleaning.  One example was on my second to last day, in Koyasan.  I was leaving the town and was the sole person on the platform of the rail station.  The place was already spotless.  There was an employee of the train company, an older man, cleaning the station.  Picking up the odd leaf on the ground, wiping down the benches, checking the garbage cans. Another example.  On of the paths that lead to Meiji-jingu, a

An Important Message for Telus residential customers on my e.bill.  So I click on the link and see: Catch NHL® Hockey on TELUS TV® Pay Per View NHL Hockey is back on TELUS TV Pay Per View. To order from the comfort of your couch, go to channel 135. You’ve got questions? We’ve got answers. Call us toll free. For mobile / cellular phone assistance: 1-866-558-2273. For home phone repair & technical support: 1-888-611-9988. For Yellow Pages assistance: 1-877-987-8737. Thank you for choosing TELUS as your communications provider. Is this important Telus?  It is an advert. Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!

I have just finished reading the chapter entitled "The Fourth Night".  At the end of this chapter of The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, Balram is asked to confess to an act he did not commit.  Asked to admit responsibility for driving over a person or animal and killing it, leaving it on the street and not taking any action to help it.  The fact is that the wife of his master was driving the car - not him - and that she is responsible for the crime.  But, in this story, this kind of behaviour was common.  It was accepted by those in control. Do As I Say After finishing to read the chapter I got up from my green (some say brown) love seat, walked to the kitchen and emptied the dishwasher (thanks for cleaning the dishes my servant).  A moment in my past popped into my head. I was a newish manager and it was evaluation time.  At that point in time the management team was told how many people could receive a one, two or three rating.  This did not come from HR in the form of guida

Waiting for the school bus at the corner of Deguire and Laframboise. Red Buster Brown turtleneck. Beige corduroy pants, ironed-on patched peeling off at the knees. White North Star runners with blue suede stripes and the black logo at the heel. Montreal Canadiens tuque, logo on my forehead, sewn onto the red, white and blue wool. Consumers Distributing attache case, black nylon, slightly padded, with two lockable snaps and a chrome trim. Here come the STCUM bus. Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!