A salute to one INCREDIBLE week of weather!

This will be really fast and very simple, but I wanted to write it down so that I can look back with fond memories... Over the past week, we have had an incredibly beautiful stretch of fall weather here in the Rochester, NY area. From about September 22 to today (September 30) have been just wonderfully idyllic days- and it is indeed a rarity to get more than a WEEK of just perfect weather in Upstate NY. ;) Ahhhhh, I will look back at this wonderful entrance to Fall 2014 with great fondness! Cheers!

It's been awhile!

I must confess, I forgot all about this blog until an email notification about an anonymous comment showed up in my email inbox this morning. The anonymous comment author grossly misinterpreted a post that I had made (and actually deleted) ages ago that was a re post of some goofy content that I had found during some random internet search. I was accused of being hateful, and a few other things which I am not. It was mildly funny, because it was so off base, but also sad. It was sad because it made me realize that so many people today (like the anonymous commenter) launch witch hunts based upon their interpretation of reality, which is nothing more than a STORY if they do not care to ask, and determine the FACTS of a matter. Leading by story and not by fact is a dangerous orientation! Leading by story does no good for anyone, and no good for a collective society. It breeds baseless contempt, creates anger, hostility, division, and in an extreme form violence. I encourage you to always lead by seeking FACT. Do not lead with story. If we orient our lives and our interaction with those around us by seeking fact and truth, we will make the world a better place and a more peaceful place. Cheers!

Re-use, Recycle, and jam up your neighbor?!

Hey "Free Market" creepers, here's your free market:

May, 2010

After knowing about a line of jewelry that contained toxic metal Cadmium, WalMart stores finally withdrew the product from shelves only after an uproar flushed this transgression into the harsh spotlight of consumer revolt.

It was the "Miley Cyrus" line of jewelry, nice. Cadmium of often found in consumer electronics-- computer parts primarily. It is safe to assume that this crap jewelry was made in China. I speculate that some scumbag factory was PAID to take junk computer parts which they melted down, turned into shit jewelry, slapped on the "Miley Cyrus" badge that dumb-ass American consumers would be sucker for, and then sell this crap to American consumers. Nice work! Make a double profit off of poison.

If there were no consumer advocacy protection agencies (which free market supporters often loathe-- you know "Big Brother" they call watchdog groups that PROTECT) then the "Free Market" would have potentially passed this poison to consumers- primarily children- indefinitely.

Don't let anyone try to shovel you a load of shit about the "Free Market" takes care of iteself best without any intervention. If the Free Market had NO Intervention like these jackasses would prefer, the stores in this country would be loaded with toxic, malformed products that continually harm the average American consumer.

The Dive

He never found a fit in this world. His insight- external AND internal outpaced his ability to find a "productive fit" in this American Way. Years wore on, despair grew deeper until it was inescapable.

He was numb for many years now, rarely smiled, always wrapped in a smothering shroud of depression and sadness. He saw no way out of this depair, no positive future.

He climbed aboard the small Cessna, it flew 4500 feet, he jumped out. For many seconds he flew through the air, weightless, unencumbered by the earthly burdens that shackled him throughout his life. He smiled, hell it was really a Cheshire Cat grin, for one thousand, two thousand, three thousand feet. He screamed a primal scream, felt an energy pulse through him. He was free.

No parachute was opened, and it wasn't a mistake. At 800 feet he took one last look upward and closed his eyes and screamed. He was free.

The lost art of customer service

This isn't a cliche, good customer service is a lost art. I'm going to go even further and say that simply treating each other RIGHT is lost in this country.

When did this happen? Well, I have memories of prevalence of good customer service and treatment of folks in general during the 70's. The 80's were when things seemed to get a little weird. I think that the era of materialism that was the 80's encouraged a selfish atmosphere in which awareness of kind and fair treatment of mankind got flushed down the crapper. That cultural shift pushed into the 90's and now pervades what I call "America- The Lost Culture" as we now sit squarely ten years into the 21st century.

So, what can we do to RECLAIM what has been pushed aside? Well, it won't be easy. Even if we return to the core principles that I'll discuss in a moment, a lot of what has been lost is found in the the talents and attributes of the person- such that if people don't return to an awareness and level of critical thinking, even the most sound principles will be lost before the race begins.

What are the core principles of good customer service? I think there are a few fundamental components in the delivery of consistent, good-quality, engaged customer service:

1. Setting clear expecations regarding your product and/or service. If we don't communicate WHAT/HOW/WHEN to a customer, the customer will surely create their own concept of WHAT/HOW/WHEN. And, to a most deleterious effect, the customers conceptions will generally be far outside of the scope of what will be realized. The result- pissed off customers! So, we must be clear and honest in setting expectations upfront.

2. Creat positive perceptions: Through the application of the organization's core principles, quality, and POSITIVE engagement of the customer, positive perceptions will be forged. The key component is to align the actions with the core principles (e.g. if company XYZ promotes it's "Superior Service," well, service better not be perceived as totally pitiful!). Another essential element in this component is to ENGAGE the customer-- explain what's going on, why, and for what purpose. And make sure you are engaging the customer in a positive way. Indifference and detachment will cause you to lose points here even if you are "communicating what's going on." BE ENGAGED!

3. Acknowledge Inconvenience: If a customer is inconvenienced, don't ignore it! Customers don't appreciate that you've not set expectations, trampled on theirs, and then didn't provide any support! Be supportive, provide options, be empathetic.

Since I began this...

Since I began this blog almost 6 years ago some things haven't changed at all in my life-- where I work-- and some things have changes a lot-- e.g. the cars, and some boats that I bought and sold along the way! Before I forgot it all, I figured I would record some notes!

What hasn't (really) changed much- I still work at the same place. When I started this blog almost 6 years ago I was working in IT doing tech support work. For the past three years I've worked as an internal consultant on employee and patient satisfaction efforts. I'm coming up on 12 years with the same organization. Wow, when I say that out loud a few times it sounds really scary. The longest I was ever at an organization prior to this was 2 years. I'd like to say that a by the time I'm 40 (a few weeks over one year from now) I will be at a different place. Why? Just because I feel the need to change. 12 years at the same place. Although it has been secure and stable, I feel the effects of stagnation and a dimming of perspective due to such an extended "constant."

I look back at all the "things" that have come and gone in my life over the past 6 years-- probably about 6 cars, 2 boats, a bunch of laptop computers, and other misc. things. Lots of things have passed in and out of my life since I started this blog back in 2004.

I think about "things" a lot. I thing over the past few years, especially, I've used things to compensate for my angst and frustration with work or in my personal life. Things are a distraction, and I've aggressively sought out distractions to take my focus off personal angst. This realization is at once enlightening, yet depressing. I think it makes me feel depressed because I feel that maybe I was distorting the reality of life and that makes me feel bad.

Some of the worst "things" decisions include the purchase of a 26 foot motor boat this past summer. Shortly after I acquired this thing I realized that it wasn't fit to FLOAT! It required work to the inboard/outboard drive system to make is seaworthy. Unfortunately this work was also (like all boat stuff!) quite expensive. In addition to purchasing this boat for about $6000 initially, I dumped another $4500 or so in repairs. I was able to extract some compensatory money from the sonnuvabitch who I bought it from. Now, I call this guy a sonnuvabitch because I believe he outright lied to sell the boat. He claimed that he had this work and that work done. But, when it boils down to it the fault is with me-- the guy claimed a lot but could produce no receipts. So, MY BAD! Again, going back to the fascination with THINGS, I was so transfixed on the concept of a boat that I let fantasy occlude sanity and I paid the price!

I bought that damn boat in May and it was finally ready to use at the end of July! hahaa I spent another chunk of money on dockage fees, fuel, misc. boat crap, etc. only to use the boat twice then have it strand my ass a few miles out on Lake Ontario! Fortunately the Monroe County Sheriff boat towed me back in, but it was a stressfull pain-in-the-ass ordeal that shook me to my senses and left me with the resounding awareness that I should NOT have purchased a damn boat! It was after that incident that I decided to sell it. Unfortunately, due to the extended economic strain of 2009, it was not the best of times to sell a boat (unless you found a sucker like me, which I did not!). I wound up taking a massive loss just to unload the boat so I didn't have to pay MORE MONEY to store it for the winter. By that point I was so ready to wipe my hands of this latest "things' folly that I almost didn't care if I sold it for a bag of peanuts and a few candy bars. One nice closing point to the boat folly was that the guy who purchased it was about my age and a real nice guy. He was going to restore the boat, so I was happy that it went to a good home and that I was washing my hands of my biggest things purchasing fiasco!

Some POSITIVE manifestations of my things distraction was the purchase of my two canoes. I love canoeing :-) I find no remorse in the acquisition of my canoes and canoe gear. The simple pleasure of being on the water in a craft that I know will NOT break down, NOT cost me thousands in repair costs, and NOT pollute the environment, is all very rewarding. I've taken many a peaceful canoe excursion to waterways around Upstate NY, and as we're recovering from the throes of or biggest winter storm, I anxiously await the return of canoeing weather so I can glide across the water yet again :-)

The cars that I've purchased over the past 6 years were largely driven by the desire to have a random distraction-- Mazda Miata, Dodge Neon, Pontiac Bonneville, Toyota Camry's, Toyota Previa Van, and now the car that has ridded my carousel of old junker purchases--- a 2008 Toyota Yaris. My inexpensive, yet reliable little Yaris has taken me out of the cycle of purchasing a new car every year (or 6 months!) that would require constant tinkering (and again, MONEY investment!). That purchase, like my canoes, I am completely satisfied with. It has brought me piece of mind and sanity.

So, maybe, hopefully, I am making progress in respect to my historical compulsion to acquire things- most often things that I sure as heck did not need. I know that I need to shake the "things" to acquire some semblance of sanity, so I am hoping my restorative trend continues. In another 6 years what will I write about this? Hopefully that I STOPPED the cycle of distraction. That would be nice.

So, here's to 2010 and another 6 years. Wow, 2016. When I stop and say that a few times out loud, it sure sounds strange :)

Cheers,
Ben

A fourth of July to remember

I wanted to write down my memories of this past 4th of July before I forget as the months and years roll on :)

It was probably the 'aesthetically' nicest 4th of July I can remember. We struck up a nice campfire at about 8:45 or so. The park just a few blocks away had a big band playing tunes leading up to the 10:15pm fireworks show. The music was so nice! It was wonderful to hear the music drifting through the air as various other fireworks shows filled the sky on the horizon around us.

The fireworks show kicked off at abut 10:15p as we enjoyed some beverages and the last of the music from our campfire seats. Above, a starry sky was a kind backdrop to the campfire and the fireworks.

Sometimes the aesthetics of life just come together to create those moments you want to remember forever, they're just 'right.' The July 4th of 2009 was one of those moments. So, I wanted to write down my thoughts on that special night before the memory washed from my mind eventually.

So, for as long as this blog lasts I can look back and rememeber that greatest fourth of July I've had :)