Stop the hate?….you?

Have to say I’m getting tired of all the negative crap ‘shared’ on FB. Seems like most of the people that want to ‘stop the hate’ need to look in a mirror and start with themselves. Try some of that ‘be the change you want to see in the world’ you libs are always prattling on about. Or maybe just #stfu.  I mean, I see a lot of stupid memes saying things that no one would say to my face. Nastiness about ‘republicans,’  ‘conservatives,’ ‘white men’ and other categories stating things that I know people that know me would never say to my face for two reasons, 1. You know those things are wrong, and 2. I’d tell you to f yourself.  But apparently, you think it says something to post those types of memes? Honestly, it typically says more about you than the people you think it says something about.  Look, I don’t like the memes targeting dems and libs either. I don’t post them, because I know some people who are dems and libs, and while I may not understand why or agree with the things you believe the way you do, I’d rather not post stupid memes just to insult you. But some people seem to think its ok to post generalized insults about people who don’t think the way they do.

Look, it’s social media, you can do what you want. But to me, you’re part of the problem if you share those memes. Maybe try this. The next time you’re going to share some ignorant meme, ask yourself, do I really feel this way? I’m sure you know a conservative, right? So, the next time you’re going to post one of those memes about republicans being hateful, racist bastards, who want to destroy the environment,  ask yourself, “I know (fill in the blank), is he a hateful racist bastard who wants to destroy the environment?” If you don’t know a conservative, I’m one, so ask yourself that question about me. If you really think I’m a hateful, racist bastard who wants to destroy the environment, fy and shame on you for being my facebook friend, you should have a bigger backbone. You see what I’m saying?

Or look, the next time you see one of those stupid memes, try this. Ask yourself  this question, “what do I think, and am I willing to post my own thought on social media.” Act like your actually speaking to someone, and present a rational, coherent thought. How about that?

Because otherwise, you’re a part of the divisiveness. You’re a part of what’s making things worse.

UFUF 140: The Missing

UFUF 140 – The missing It could be intelligence, but I’m really talking about us. We’ve been gone for a while and we’re still gone. But the Bully Opinionist  takes the mantle to fill the spac…

Source: UFUF 140: The Missing

Turkey Bacon

Both of these are the real thing.

 

 

 

 

 

So, I’m at “The Kroger” the other day, checking out. The kid sees that I’m getting bacon, and says “I love bacon.” “Yea, who doesn’t?” I say. Then he says “I love that Turkey Bacon too.”

So then I tell the kid, “Ok, kid, now I’m done.” Conversation over. Look, there are rules in life. Rule number 33.5, you don’t follow up a “I love bacon” comment with a turkey bacon reference. It just doesn’t work, idealistically or conversationally.

If you’re going to bring up turkey bacon, you should be talking about your grandma, or how your doctor told you that you needed to lose some weight or reduce your cholesterol, or how you’re thinking about going vegetarian and want to work up to it. But you don’t bust out how you like bacon and then roll out that turkey bacon is just as good. Any bacon connoisseur knows that turkey bacon doesn’t stack up to the real McCoy.

It’s like mentioning a bb gun when someone is talking Smith and Wessons. It’s like bringing up your scooter when guys are standing around talking about their Harleys. It’s like when people are talking about Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct, and you bring up seeing your sister in her underwear. It’s poor form. Just don’t do it.

I mean, kid’s just don’t get it these days. Too much social media, most likely. What it tells me is this kid has never been in a locker room after gym class and got made fun of because he brought up turkey bacon.

Interview skills.

I honestly don’t understand it. In the last 4-5 years, I’ve been involved in interviewing maybe twenty people. It’s not a normal part of what I do until we need someone for a position. Normally, as part of a three-person panel, we’ve interviewed people for jobs that would provide comfortable livings. Good jobs by most any standards. They won’t make you rich, but they pay well, and have great benefits with a company that cares about work-life balance.

Out of those twenty people, there are only three of them that I could tell you with confidence spent more than five minutes doing any research on “how to interview for a job.” Out of those three, one was excellent, one was pretty good, and the other was enough to get the job.

I just googled “How to interview” and got 892,000,000 results. The third one was from Monster.com., titled “10 Tips to Boost Your Interview Skills.”  Here they are, just the list without the embellishment.

1. Practice Good Nonverbal Communication
2. Dress for the Job or Company
3. Listen
4. Don’t Talk Too Much
5. Don’t Be Too Familiar
6. Use Appropriate Language
7. Don’t Be Cocky
8. Take Care to Answer the Questions
9. Ask Questions
10. Don’t Appear Desperate

Seriously, just off the top of my head, I can think of examples where interviewees violated evry one of these. I don’t know what it is. Individuals have:

• Dressed like they got up, grabbed the first thing they had, as if they were going shopping, and came in for the interview.
• Leaned back in their chairs like they were at someone’s kitchen table.
• Talked over my boss when she was trying to ask a question.
• Were unable to key in on non-verbal cues they were being given.
• Were unable to answer the job-specific questions without mentioning industry terms that would have indicated they knew what they were talking about.
• Talked too much. Learn to shut up.
• Talked too much. Yes, I put this in twice for a reason. Answer the question, embellish a little, pay attention to cues, and learn to know when to shut up. If you can’t shut up when you should be trying to make a good impression, I can’t imagine what you’ll be like on a normal day.
• Tried to answer every question before it was done being asked.

I’ve had interviewees bad-mouth former employers, which is about rule#1 no-no in the interview process.  For me, it’s not even that you bad-mouthed former employers, but rather that you’re not even smart enough to know that you shouldn’t do that.

See, that’s what it is about everyone one of these rules. No one is entitled to a job.  I expect people to put the old “best foot forward” or at least act like you’ve done some preparation, and perhaps care about getting the job. Some of these people may have even made decent employees, but if I have to go with my instinct, you’re not getting the job.

The Pareto Principle in social media

In my time in the military as a manager, I found the Pareto principle to be true. The Pareto principle, as twisted by the great unwashed, basically goes like this: 20% of something is responsible for 80% of the results. It’s also called the 80/20 rule. As a manager in the Air Force, I interpreted it like this; 20% of the people are going to account for 80% of my time. In other words, if you are supervising 10 people, 2 of them will be a pain in your ass. It’s pretty much always been true when applied to the general population, which the military is.

So. when it comes to social media, I’m starting to believe this is true. Think of it this way. When you are driving to work, most people are like you. They are just trying to get to work, and don’t want any big conflict to start their day. But, there’s going to be a few who are going to blow their stack if they think you cut them off or somehow denied them of some self-perceived “right” that they have in traffic. You know it’s true, I know it’s true. Hell, you might be one of them.

So, when I was in the Air Force running a workcenter, and had 15-20 people to manage, 2 or 3 of them were going to be a pain in my ass and take up 80% of my time when it came to disciplinary type issues. It’s just a truth.

Anyway, when it comes to social media, I believe it’s the same. About 20% of the people just need to close their account. On both sides. Calling people names just doesn’t get us anywhere, whether it’s libtards of repulsicans, or whatever the latest nomenclature is. Seriously, you just hurt any type of real progress when you do that. And if it was restricted to that simple name-calling, it would be an improvement, but I’ve seen so much worse.

20% of people should shut off their twitter accounts.

Things that I’m sick of on Facebook

Pictures of cats and or kittens. Enough with the felines. My distaste for the feline world is turning into hatred. Getting tired of Dogs too.

People sharing pictures of celebrities, scientists or the like with some arcane quote and commenting “truth.” Try coming up with something of your own or just keep it to yourself.

People who share ignorant, politically motivated dumb-shit and think they’re clever. Like the share I read today about education in Nordic states titled “WTF is wrong with Americans.” There’s enough holes in it to drive a semi through, but I guess people need to think they’re clever.

Vague references to other people. Call your girlfriend. Or text.

Continually sharing your drama with everyone. (see above)

The Ice Bucket Challenge. Really. Stop it.

Quizzes that tell people what sit-com they are, how ‘80’s’ they are, which Gilligan character they are, what IQ they are, or any other number of idiotic quizzes. Do you really not have anything else to do?

That picture of Gene Wilder as Willie Wonka where people put their own judgmental quotes on it and think they’ve made a clever point. That last one I saw said

• “You want to see religious studies in school?
• All religions or just yours?”

This is America. Just mine.

I get it. “They’re” “There” and “Their” are different in their uses. I’m almost as tired of hearing people bitch about it as I am seeing that people don’t know that difference.

I fucking love science. I’m just sick of seeing it. Science isn’t the be-all end-all every knucklehead thinks it is, and I hate that word being distributed in public. Don’t get me wrong, I use the word all the time, I’m just old school and long for the day it wasn’t just thrown around in public. Fucking stop it.

People say they’re getting tired of Facebook. Me too. Except I don’t think it’s Facebook. I think its the people.

 

The IRS Has Fudge Leaking From Their Mouth

Unfiltered and Unfettered

Your IRS hard at work

When my sons were younger we used to go to my sisters for Thanksgiving. Now, my sister would make some ass-kicking fudge for Thanksgiving. We looked forward to it. Aunt Kimmie’s fudge. Oh yeah.

So, this particular year, Josh, my oldest, about 3-4, talking pretty well, and we go to Aunt Kimmies. Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, we’re sitting in the living room watching TV, and Josh is missing. His Mom calls out for him, “Joshua, where are you?” So Josh comes walking into the living room, little pretty toe-head, and his checks are bulging. BULGING. His Mom asks him “Josh, have you been into the fudge?” He shakes his head “no” and murmurs “nuh-uh” without parting his lips. Meanwhile, fudge is starting to leak from the corners of his mouth. As we start to cover our mouths from laughing, his Mom says “Are you sure?”…

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If the Poor Earn More Money, We’ll Reduce Income Inequality

If the Poor Earn More Money, We’ll Reduce Income Inequality.

Great Mex-pectations: an immigration perpsective

Unfiltered and Unfettered

The Great Wall, an ancient Chinese Invention. Kind of like a fence only bigger. It kept undocumented workers from crossing the border.

Immigration. One of those nasty political hot-bed issues that will frequently be in the news because this is an election year.

Here’s a few comparisons between the U.S. and some other countries.

By simple numbers, America has more illegal immigrants than any other country in the world. Latest figures put illegal immigrants in our country at over 11 million, give or take. It’s a hard number to nail down precisely, because, you know, they are illegal. They’re not really “reporting in” so to speak.

Legally, America has the most immigrants as well, at about a million a year. Again, by simple numbers, that’s the most. By a percentage basis, we come in about 23. According to Forbes, if you count outflows, we come in around 12 in the world. Personally…

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They don’t know Bo…or anything else, it seems

They don’t know Bo…or anything else, it seems.