Category: Uncategorized

It is Wednesday… I have to find something to say, or the guys will give me hard time.

There… I guess that did it.

I stayed home from work today. I was up until 2am this morning working on some web projects. That is a bit of work for a guy who really doesn’t function much past 10. It was rewarding though. I was able to complete 2 big projects, and send them on for final review. I was also able to find out what is on TV past Letterman’s monologue. Not much really. Letterman, then over to NBC for Conan, than Carson Daily (with musical guest Robert Downy Jr.???).

It was kind of cool though, Downy was backed up by a cellist who I got to know when he used to play for Fernando Ortega. I would never have seen that had I not been up at 12:30.

The late night led me to take a few extra hours this morning, then I thought I may as well stay in town and work, than make the 30 minute commute to the office for what would have been a 90 minute work day.

I had to be back in the valley for a court appearance at 1:00 (nothing too big, just a probate court appearance for a family member). It was a little funny. Our hearing lasted all of about 3 minutes. Nothing too dramatic. My dad commented that, had the weather been better, he would have suspected a tee time for the judge.

OK, I took the weekend off, but I figured that, with my average number of posts per day I am still doing OK for hitting my 3 week goal.

A young man I know is currently struggling with a very serious health issue, and it has had me pondering the BIG things in life all week. The whole “Why bad things happen to good people”, or “Why would a loving God…”

The more I thought about the issues the harder the solutions became. Except that, I suppose the term “good people” is ill placed, since we are all a fallen race, in a fallen world.

I am, therefore, left with the thought that God doesn’t owe us health, prosperity, or even salvation. He blesses us with those things. The cynic asks “Why would a loving God send people to hell”. I am left to ask “Why would a just God offer me salvation”.

Grandma was 72 years old. Let the two digits be A and B. Then 10A+B-10B-A=45 so 9(A-B)=45. This gives A-B=5. Of the pairs 5,0; 6,1; 7,2; 8,3; 9,4 only 7,2 are both prime numbers.

The answer to yesterday’s riddle is that Mount Everest has always been the tallest. Even before it was discovered.

Whitey was the first to respond correctly.

Steven was the first to show that he is a product of the public school system.

Riddle #3

“I’ve always been 45 years older than your Dad”, said Grandma.”

But now the two digits in my age, both prime, are the reverse of the two in your Dad’s age”.

How old is Grandma?

Today, I am going to reveal the variety of my blog reading, by spotlighting out-of-context comments from a number of those that I frequent.

See if you can spot yours…

Thus I believe, overall, that this is a good attempt to bring the budget deficit under control, which will have some notably positive economic benefits, from easing up the pressure on interest rates, to making US securities of all kinds less risky.

(There are babies coming out our ears!)

We imply in this question that a person’s natural feelings are the “real” person, and the choices that conceal or manage those feelings are a façade, a put-on, and are not the “real” person.

I caught Jeremy. He was planning on coming down this weekend and surprising me and I found him out.

The main reason why I want to be greeted right away, other than getting the satisfaction of feeling like a human being- I could likely buy whatever I am looking at cheaper on the internet.

One English character in a flashback referred to her father being out of town, buying “some paper company up in Slough.”

Enjoy!

I am playing with a script to allow me to post my own blogs (on my own server).

I am not sure I would want to move this whole thing, but I will certainly give you plenty of warning should that day arise.

My PhD student brother-in-law figured that Cousin does not fit with the set in Riddle 2, because it does not denote gender.

Todays (more trivia than a riddle)

Before Mount Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain on earth?

By the way, since a number of my “fans” are using other blogging sites, I have reactivated anonymous commenting.

(just be nice to me)…

A buddy of mine recently posted a blog entry about customer service. I thought I would piggy back on his sentement and share my story from this afternoon.

One of our senior managers requested that we take the company card and purchase a digital camera. So, two of us headed out to Best Buy to make our purchase. As we approached the service counter for the cameras, the 3 or so employees huddled around the area, dispersed and went on about their business.

While I appreciated the extra room they gave me to look, they were nowhere around when I was ready to make my purchase (Tag price on the item I picked out was $549). We waited, played with the camera, messed around with the settings. I even went so far as to pick up the most expensive camera and play with it, all in an effort to attract some help.

Nope… Not a bit. I would understand if they were all helping customers, but as best as I can tell, they were all “shooting the breeze” when I walked in.

We walked out the door after 10 minutes of waiting, and went across the stree to “National Camera and Video”. Along the 2 counters they had easily 9-10 people taking requests and helping people. While we had to wait (there were more customers than sales staff), we were addressed right away and promised service as soon as possible.

Unlike my buddy, I did NOT call the store manager. The american work force has gotten to a point where one really cannot expect good customer service anymore. I was pleased to find it at my second store.

I go to fast food resturants with the expectation that my order will be wrong.
I go to an electronics store expecting to know more about the product than the staff member.
I go to the grocer, leaving it to myself to find the best cut of meat, or the best ingredients for my kitchen creation.

In this age of vast employment, many service jobs are left to those still in the process of receiving an education, or those who have never received one.

Additionally, for most of these emloyees, there is no stake in their service. A waiter receives compensation based on the quality of his service, but a drive thru attendant, grocery store stock boy or a Best-Buy camera staffer is paid a flat rate and can rest comfortably in the knowledge that he is the best employee his company can find.

I am appreciative of anyone in a customer service role who is able to look me in the eyes and speak well. Now that I think about it, all I really need from them is good communication.

Even if that communication is a simple “I Don’t Know”, I just want to be appreciated.