Vacation Revives The Spirit

It has been almost two years since I took a real vacation and this past 10 days; I finally took a vacation with my family to Hawaii. We went to visit my wife’s family and celebrate our twins 1st birthday with giant party. Hawaiian tradition is to hold a large party for a child’s 1st birthday due to the high mortality rate that used to occur with children in the past. If a child reached 1 year, they figured the child would live a full life. I was excited to get away from Vegas, spend some nice long days with my favorite girls, and throw a beautiful party for our girls.
It’s amazing once you board that plane and the door shuts, how all of life’s stresses just melt away. We took the girls as lap children, and holding a walking one year old on a 6-hour flight may not sound fun, but it was peaceful and heart-warming to be able to hold my baby girl close to my chest and watch her sleep. Watching the little things they do when they sleep, like play with their eyelashes while they suck their thumb. How they hold your hand, subconsciously, and bury their head in the nook of your arm and chest. Sometimes they want to be held really close and be held tight, while at other times they just want to sprawl out. It was truly amazing, to be able to spend 6 hours, just my baby and I… bonding. It took over a year for me to experience that. That made me both happy and sad.
We arrived in Hawaii and family and love surrounded the girls, actually all of us. Those two things can show you just how important family is and how insignificant petty stresses in your day-to-day life, actually are. Love trumps sadness and stress, every time. It was also amazing to see how the girls reacted to the all of the love pouring out from their aunts, uncles, grandma, grandpas, cousins, and great-grandparents. They were a bit shy, but over the 10 days, they blossomed into their own and found their confidence with people. It was amazing to se them with 150 strangers and not once get scared or cry when being picked up by a stranger.
Vacation is supposed to be a time for you to relax, but for me, it was a time to be a family. My greatest reward was being able to see my girls start to master walking, see their curiosities, and see how fast they grow and mature in such a short period of time. Literally, everyday is a new day, a new development. When you are home and working, doing the daily grind, you overlook these little daily milestones, but on vacation, they are, not only noticed, but also ingrained in your memory. I have been replaying them over and over the past two days.
Today was my first day back to work, I got only two hours sleep (still on Hawaii time), but woke up and felt like a million dollars. I worked hard, time flew, and I made a lot of money. It seems like vacation was exactly what I needed to light the spark to restart my fire (or work in the fire, it was a nice 108 degrees today).
Other countries get weeks of vacation, while we live to work, but I think we would all be a hell of a lot better off if we took six weeks off (minimum) a year. We would be in better moods, be more productive, and most importantly, establish memories with family and friends, stuff that lasts, not just a few weeks, but a lifetime…

How Much Love Do You Have Inside Of You?

I was thinking about the things I fear the most, and I started lining up the most horrible things I could think of, but there was one thing they had in common…they all dealt with death of someone I love and care for. Is that strange? Is this common? I am interested in what your fears are.
Some people fear spiders, snakes, planes, boats, or any other number of objects, but my greatest fear was something happening to my wife during her delivery of our twins. That has been my worst fear for as long as I could remember. I always feared if I lost the person I loved the most, during the delivery of the second (and third) things I love most in this world, that I would resent the child. I know that I would love my child but I would hate to even think of how I would react if that were to happen.
Second, of course, is the death of a child. I am a new parent, but I know that I love them more than life itself. It is definitely true that a parent should not bury their child; it is not the way of nature. I can only imagine the pain of those parents who have had to lay their children to rest because of accidents, disease, violence, or war. It has to simply crush the human spirit. You lose a part of yourself; some people never recover and take their own lives because the pain is so great. I, truly, understand that.
Third, and finally, is the death of my immediate family. The death of my parents, grandparents, brother, or sister would be very hard on me. I have never had someone close to me die, not yet, but I know one day it will come and I dread the thought. I have a tough time not thinking about things over and over and I know I would relive my life with these people if something were to happen to them.
Death is an unbiased and relentless piece of life (no pun intended), and it comes in so many forms. Sometimes it is instant, sometimes it is prolonged, sometimes it is illness, and sometimes it is old age (if we are lucky), but it comes at sometime or another. I do not think I will ever be ready for this part of life. When it comes, it will hit me like a ton of bricks. I am a visual person and visual thinker. I will replay all of the possibilities, in my head, of how death could have been avoided and I will, most likely, blame myself. Is this a common feeling? Have any of you had a death in your immediate circle and felt like you could have possibly changed the outcome?
In a nutshell, I would take a pit of snakes, spiders, or any other viscous animal or reptile versus facing the death of the people I love the most, any day. I would feel guilty, I would live in agony, and I may never let it go. It would eat me alive. If my wife or children died, I would definitely be one of those people who die of a broken heart shortly after, because I would never be able to let it go. I would live and feel such pain and heartache that I would either kill myself with stress or take it with the business end of a gun. Love is greater than death and for me, I feel like the luckiest man alive to have been blessed with a beautiful and loving wife and to be the parent of two wonderful twin girls. If any of these wonderful girls left my world before me, I truly believe I would leave soon after. Am I the only one who feels like this, or have any of you experienced this in life? Do any of you feel the same way or feel the polar opposite? I hope to hear your thoughts on my feelings, I would like to hear your feelings, and also, what are some of your worst fears? Till next time…

Ever Just Stop And Watch The World Go By?

Have you ever just stopped, sat down, and watched the world go by you? The world is a funny thing; it keeps on going, even when you aren’t joining the rat race. I never thought about it until I did it. I was at the airport and I sat down to take a breather and instead of checking my phone, texting someone, or looking for movies to order on Netflix, I just sat back, took a deep breath and watched the people. I was amazed at what I saw and, most of all, what I felt.
Looking at people drag their luggage, wrangle their kids, search aimlessly for the right ticket counter, or try to figure out a kiosk machine; I realized that life is constantly going, constantly evolving and moving. I realized something that I never stop. I only stop to sleep. That made me sad.
We all are so caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life, that we forget to take a minute to enjoy the little things in life. I am the worst. As I described, I often take my breaks and check my phone or make a call. I never just sit and enjoy not moving. I rarely enjoy people watching, and if I do, I am usually moving and not sitting and enjoying it.  Are our lives so important that we cannot take time to enjoy quiet, peace, and no distractions?
When was the last time you sat at home without the television on, a movie, working on the computer, or surfing the Internet? I am the worst, I can admit it, but that one experience today, made me understand how important it is to take time out of your day to enjoy the little things. Like when I got home, I grabbed my little girls and turned the television off and sat with them in my rocking chair. They cannot talk yet (not hold a conversation), so I tried teaching them a little sign language. I wanted to see if they could learn, I love you. I slowly gazed into their eyes and slowly showed them each sign. I sat with them for 30 minutes and I got them to mimic the “I” sign, and I felt like the king of the world, not because of the signing, but because I had their complete attention for 30 minutes and they didn’t care about anything else in the room except sitting with their daddy. If that doesn’t make you feel amazing, you are dead inside.
It is a weird world out there; we all have trials and tribulations. We all have our quirks, we all have our vices, and we all have our ups and downs, but we are all living. You are living even when you are not moving and not doing a single thing, or doing something as trivial as showing a one year old hand signs that they have no idea what they are, but love it just because they have your total attention. Being a father has taught me something, something I never embraced in my nearly 30 years, and that is the spirit of unconditional love and how remarkable it is. It is not something that comes along everyday. Yes, you can get a dog and they will love you whole-heartedly until their last dying day, but another human, that is not something that comes around everyday. It only comes when you bring another human into this world. That miracle, births the miracle of a child’s unconditional love, and wasting a day of that is wasting one of the greatest gifts the world has to offer.
I have many friends who are either already parents or are going to be soon, and I never heard any of my friends who are already parents describe this feeling of love, but maybe it is something you just can’t put into words well enough to make other people understand, they have to experience it to understand it. I may have did a horrible job trying to describe this feeling that I felt, but I had to try, because it is the most amazing thing I have ever felt, and I hope you all feel it too, even if it is just with a dog.
Please take the time to stop. That sounds weird, but if you do it, you will see things you never noticed before, and maybe you will appreciate your life a little bit more or maybe you will understand that everyone else has the same ups and downs, problems hauling a ton of luggage, and wonders why machines have replaced humans, but at least you will know you are alive and the world is in the same boat as you. You will know you are not alone; you are one with the world, because we are the same, we are all alike, and we just need to take the time to appreciate that…

Supernatural or Crazy People?

I recently watched the movie, “Knowing,” starring Nicolas Cage, and, not to spoil anything, but Cage’s son gets a list of numbers that list all of the world’s disasters in order. The numbers are dates, number of people whom die, and GPS location of these disasters. I, obviously, know this is a work of fiction, but what if you knew this type of information? How could you convince people to stay out of harms way, even if you didn’t know exactly how the disaster would occur?
I know if someone told me that doom was imminent, I would have a tough time swallowing that pill. This movie is cinema magic, but what about the people that seek out the supernatural, psychics, people who communicate with the dead, and palm/tarot card readers. What if in this batch of fakes, there was a genuine article? How could you get the words out to those who need it?
I have watched ghost chasers and saw what they recorded, and heard the noises. Is it all for TV or is it real? Can people really communicate with the souls/spirits of the dead? Do they really have tools to detect the supernatural? Also, would you want to speak to your decease loved ones? Are they angry, sad, happy, or indifferent?
If there was a person who could predict the disasters of the future, would you want to know? Would you be at peace or would you worry yourself to death? If you had the choice of knowing when you were going to die or not, what would you choose?
What is you were the person with the gift (or curse), how ever you look at it, would you do all you could to save all of the lives you could, or would you just sit back and save yourself and your family? I think it is a tough call, trying to convince people of imminent danger. So it’s a catch 22, do the right thing or do you fend for yourself and dodge the frustration of your predictions?
The supernatural fascinates me, there are too many things that are unexplainable and being able to communicate with the dead may seem logical at the time. What do you think, and if you do not believe how do you explain so many of these “hauntings?” (I am a huge skeptic, so please speak freely, but I do have an open mind, as well).
Movies are great, they take your mind in directions you never thought possible and make you sit in wonder. No wonder when the economy is in the tank, movie ticket sales are through the roof. We, as a wounded nation, need an escape from reality…but what if that fiction had some truth in it?

Loss of Family Traditions

Over the Fourth of July weekend, I was watching the television show, “The Deadliest Catch,” because it was a marathon showing of all the shows over the past few years, and I started thinking about family traditions. Most people know that Alaskan crab fisherman is the most dangerous job in the world, but it is also a tradition passed down from generation to generation. Most of the captains the show follows are guys whose fathers, and father’s father were also fisherman. That thought made me think about how the passing down of a family business or tradition is a dying breed. There aren’t many skill sets that are passed down anymore.
I think there is still a niche for people to pass down a family business, like stores, restaurants, and inheritances, but it is a skill, that most of us don’t think twice about like crab fisherman, that are no longer continuing their lineage down the family trees anymore. Referring back to the “Deadliest Catch,” out of the main players, less than half of the captains have family on their boats who are being groomed to one day take over in the wheel house as captain of a crab boat.
Captain Phil, of the Cornelia Marie, has two boys who are learning the ropes but they have a few years before they will even be able to do all the jobs on the deck, let alone understand crab migration ad ship safety. Sig Hansen and his brother Edgar, of the Northwestern, run a tight ship, but their families are young and how many years can they tempt fate and chain smoke before retirement is forced on them? Can they last long enough for their sons to join the deckhands, and will they even want to join the family business? The Colburns, Keith and Monte of the Wizard, are brothers, but there are no kids on deck and they are no spring chickens. My guess is there is no one waiting to fill Daddy’s shoes and the boat will be sold when they call it quits. Lastly, the Hilstrands, owners of the Time Bandit, are the only ones, other than Captain Phil, who have a youngster on deck already and they are fairly young still, so I think they will be able to add another generation to the family tree of crab fisherman.
Leaving the area of the deadliest career, I was trying to think of other family businesses that require years of grooming and understanding of a skill set to be successful. One that comes to mind is farming. I don’t know how many farms are left in the United States. Farmland seems to be getting bought up and turned into resorts and housing tracks, but wineries seem to be surviving while many others are heading South to Mexico, as evidence by the disease (E. Coli) breakouts the past few years. The other skill is ranching. Ranching maybe ok, I think we have quite a few cow, chicken, pig, and horse ranches. There is still money in food and horse racing, but I am not sure. I would be interested to hear from readers who have insight on this matter (I know that many ranches are falling victim to imminent domain in Texas, due to the toll highway going up).
Can anyone out there give examples of family traditions that get passed down or is there anyone who is part of a family tradition? I would love to hear what it takes to keep tradition alive and is there interest in the coming generations to continue that tradition, or do the heir apparent want to forge their own path in life? I hope to hear from you soon…

My Thoughts On The Great, Michael Jackson

Most people have an opinion of Michael Jackson, and even after his untimely death, people still feel the need to make jokes about him, which I think is a bit tasteless, but say what you will about him, but the greatest recording artist of all-time, should be in that description. Think he is un-deserving of such a statement? Let’s find out what you know about M.J., and just how great an entertainer he was (and will be in the after life).
M.J. is a world icon, and for good reason. Jackson was so great; he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, twice. He is also in the Guinness Book of World Records for many things, but these are some of my favorite records:
- Most Successful Entertainer of All-Time (Yes, of all time!)
- 13 Grammy Awards
- 13 #1 Singles
- 750 Million Records Sold (Let me say that again, 750 Million Records Sold!)
- 1st Entertainer to Earn $100 Million in One Year
Those are just a few of his records, but then again he was an entertainer for 4 decades. Many seem to forget they watched M.J. grow up in the limelight. M.J. obviously had many successes in his career, but none as successful as “Thriller.”  “Thriller” sold over 109 million copies, and was in top 10 for 80 weeks (over a year and a half). “Thriller” showed that an album can have multiple #1 singles, and people will buy an album even if the economy is bad, as long as it is great.
Unfairly, people only seem to focus on Jackson’s impact on the world through his court issues over the past few years, but how soon people forget he was one of the foremost leaders on shining a huge light on the world’s injustices, such as, hunger, genocide, and HIV/AIDS. His hit single  “Heal the World,” morphed into the “Heal the World Foundation.” Millions of dollars to charity is an understatement when you consider Jackson sold video rights to HBO for a record, still today, $20 million. Bono does great work, but this tour is just the tip of the iceberg in the realm of Jackson’s charity work, but the only thing most people think of when you say his name is plastic surgery, white skin, and court proceedings. That is a damn shame, because Jackson did some great work away from Neverland Ranch and touched millions of lives.
Here are some interesting facts about that “Dangerous Tour:”
-    Jackson performed in a 123 concerts for over 4.4 million people (tickets weren’t a dollar by the way) and that is a Guinness Book World Record
-    Jackson performed 7 shows at Wimbley Stadium for 504,000 people (also a Guinness Book World Record)
June 25, 2009 was Michael Jackson’s last day in the flesh, but June 26th is the day that the world spoke and expressed how much M.J. music means to them:
-    “Thriller” is the #1 album on the U.S. iTunes chart, and 9 others are in the top 10
-    In Europe, 14 of his albums take up the top 20, and “Off the Wall” is number 1
-    8 of the top 10 video downloads are Jackson videos (top 5 are his alone)
Michael Jackson has had a spotlight on him for 4 decades, and with that comes immense responsibility, and due to the fact that he has had this spotlight on him for so long, and from such a young age, Michael became a bit of a recluse. He went out in public, but would hide behind a mask. He, no matter what he tried to do, was always followed and harassed, but he always tried to be nice to his dedicated fans, he took pictures and signed autographs. He lived a rollercoaster life and left a giant mark on American pop culture, but the past decade (or so) has been dedicated to raising his three children. Jackson was a loving father who never lost sight of the fact that he needed to make sure his kids were going to be set for life if something were to happen, so, according to Ian Halperin (biographer), Michael has 100 unreleased songs set aside to be released to generate money to secure his children’s future. This archive of music, along with his music rights (Beatles, Eminem, Etc), which are estimated to be worth upwards of $600 million dollars, he has done a wonderful job of planning ahead for his children’s future. Combine that with Neverland Ranch, which is destined to be the new Graceland, I can only M.J. taking over the #1 spot amongst dead stars that make the most money.
M.J. has made mistakes, and even tarnished his legacy, but there is no doubt he is the world’s most popular entertainer and he was a dedicated father and businessman. I hope and pray he rests in peace and his legacy as a musician regains its shine and luster, because no matter what he did off stage, he was the world’s greatest entertainer for the past 4 decades. The world lost a legend and I hope he once again sits in his throne as the “King of Pop,” because he earned it and he has helped millions of people through his charity work. Michael Jackson was an amazing artist and generous philanthropist, I hope that is his legacy, not the man who spent the past decade in and out of court, because he was never found guilty of any crime, don’t forget that…

How Does the iPhone Still Create Such a Buzz?

In a country that gets bored with gadgets and new trends about as often as they change their underwear, how can iPhone still generate 2 and 3 hour long lines with each upgrade of their original product? People wait in line to get the latest iPhone, just like die hard fans of rock bands who are waiting for concert tickets to go on sale or Star Wars fanatics waiting to see what George Lucas has thought up next. Yet, bands and movie genres take years to build their loyal following, iPhone is a relative rookie to the cell phone world., yet sells millions with each new release, and sells out nation wide the first day…every time. How? Why? What do they know that no one else, in the cellular phone market, knows?
Granted, iPods are as common now as cell phones, but if you already own an iPod, why buy a cell phone that has one built in? You don’t need 2 iPods do you? Is this the reason people are buying the phone, because it is an iPod Touch with a cell phone integrated? I highly doubt it…
Is it the touch screen? There are at least a dozen or two cell phones with touch screen technology. Even the business person’s mobile assistant, the Blackberry (or “Crackberry” as they are affectionately known), has a touch screen phone, and most everyone, who knows smart phones, would tell you Blackberry’s software is far superior for email, text, and messaging (they get picture messages too). So, why are business people switching, if the programs are inferior? Heck, on June 17th, 2 years after the original iPhone was released, did they alter the software to allow the iPhone users to “cut and paste” and provided the ability to send and receive MMS messages (even though AT&T has not provided a plan for it, so you cannot use it yet). So, to recap, it isn’t the best business phone, you cant send video or picture messages, and the unique touch screen, is no longer unique, because of so many other touch screen phones on the market. So why do people keep lining up for hours for this phone?
Apple’s latest phone, the iPhone 3G S is faster (2x’s), has an “ok” 3 megapixel camera, it finally has video capability (with an awesome editing feature), a compass (I don’t think I have ever wished I had a compass), voice dialing (That is common in the free phones offered by moist carriers, and, probably the best feature, they are now offering a 32 gigabyte iPod built in. The “outstanding” new features are common features on 90% of the phones (excluding the iPod feature). So why are they selling out each June when they release a new phone?
I will tell you my opinion (I have owned all 3 versions- my 3G S is in route I ordered it from Apple instead of waiting in line), on why people have to have the newest Apple iPhone, plainly, it is awesome! The touch screen is by far superior to all other touch screens. The iPod is an included 300 to 400 dollar feature (if you were to buy just the iPod Touch).  It has Wi-Fi and 3G, unlike the Blackberry. It has a nearly 700 megahertz processor built in, so it is faster than any other smart phone. Apples App Store is amazing. You have the full internet, and the operating system, like their computers, is flawlessly amazing.
Apple isn’t focusing on what’s already commonplace, they are changing the entire phone industry. They, as they are with each software update, adding the common features, but they are perfectly flawless and have been given their own Apple flare, like taking a video with the phone and sending it directly to YouTube with the touch of the screen. Apple is out front, they may not have sold as many phones as Motorola or Nokia, but no one is lining up to buy any of their phones either. AT&T may have gotten a raw deal on many of the royalties with the iPhone, but they are enjoying the over 5 million new contracts that have been generated because of the purchase of the iPhone, and the mandatory data plan that goes with each phone ($30 each phone), over the past 3 years, and Verizon Wireless is kicking themselves everyday until they get their chance to get the iPhone, for the second time.
If you don’t have an iPhone, you want one, if you don’t, it is most likely because you are a “hater” or can’t afford it (which is understandable), but you have to admire Apple’s style and innovation, along with the splash they have made in the world of wireless technology. I will tell you this; I can’t wait for mine to arrive, because I am a LOVER NOT A HATER!!
I do not know if I am right or wrong, but that is my theory, what do you think? Are there any people who had an iPhone and switched to another phone, or have wanted an iPhone but have been waiting to get one? Maybe, you have an iPod Touch and wonder what an iPhone would be like? Please share your thoughts on why Apple has made such a splash and how they have maintained such a buzz around their product? Remember, they only share one style, with different features, think about all the different styles and shapes of Nokia, Motorola, Palm, Blackberry, etc. I think it is pretty impressive, don’t you?

Rebirth of a Spirit

Have you ever been stuck in a rut? Have you ever felt your dreams dying? Have you ever been scared of change for fear of failure? Have you ever just needed to be reborn? A rebirth, if you will?
In the coming month, or so, rapper, Lil’ Wayne will be releasing an entitled, ‘Rebirth.” On this album, he will take a step in a whole new direction. A direction that, honestly, doesn’t make a ton of sense, considering he sold a million records in 4 days with “The Carter 3,” but I admire him greatly for this change of direction. Wayne will be skipping the sound machine and beat makers, for a whole new rock sound. Wayne will be playing guitar and using the auto-tune to neutralize his lack of singing voice.
This change of direction, some say, is a make or break deal for the rap superstar, but I say, he has made millions with his albums and his record number of side jobs, by appearing in over 20 released singles with other artists. I think Wayne is in perfect position to do a project he has wanted to do. I mean isn’t that the greatest freedom of being an artist, to be able to experiment?
Musicians have to be able to preserve, but so do all of us. Wayne is an example to all of us. We need to continue to grow as people in order to fulfill our lives. We can’t be pessimistic. We have to be optimistic. We need to follow our visions and dreams. Consistency is nice, but it is the thing that leads us into a comfort area we don’t want to leave, for fear of failure.
This is the funny thing though, if you know something works, and you change a bit, and it doesn’t work, you can always go back, right? You have found your niche, but it doesn’t have to be a rut. You need to talk with friends and family and they need to provide encouragement and support. When you have people on your side, it is easier to take risks, that and a little confidence.
As we grow older, we lose sight of our dreams. Those dreams need a resurrection. We cannot fear change, failure, or odds. We can all over come obstacles.
Wayne is a workaholic and I feel his work ethic will insure victory and success. “Rebirth” may not be great for die-hard rap fans, but there is always room for new fans. I wish Wayne all the luck, and I hope, maybe, you can be inspired. Even the most unlikely of candidates, I hope you can step outside of your comfort zone. Chase those dreams and do not let anyone tell you that you can’t do something.
What are your dreams? Have you overcome or succumb to your pessimisms? What do you think of Lil’ Wayne’s new idea? I leave you with this…Apple Computers and Steve Jobs. That company was considered dead a decade ago. Then, vision and determination (and a charitable contribution from Mr. Bill Gates) produced iPhone, iMac, iPod, and MacBook/MacBook Pro/MacBook Air. You have seen the commercials, you have seen the Consumer Reports, and where would they be if they listened to everyone around them? They surely would not be the most reliable and virus-free computer around, don’t you agree?

Please go to the right hand column and click on the VodPod video to see Lil’ Wayne expressing his artistic talent and stepping outside of his comfort zone. Thank you for checking it out, I would love to hear feedback.

Ever Have One Of Those Bosses?

Have you ever had one of those bosses that no matter how hard you tried, how nice you were, or how much you tried to please them, there was no pleasing them? Have you ever wondered why there is no pleasing them? What makes these guys, or girls, live to torment their employees? Why doesn’t your boss’ boss see just how much their employees despise their leader? It just so happens, I have, not one, but two of these bosses.
Let me break this down into two parts, one part for each boss, because we loathe them in different ways. Boss #1 has always been a jerk. He was a jerk when he was a line employee, and he is an even bigger jerk now. Him being an asshole is not unexpected, to say the least.  He is an ex-military, father of two, and “claims” to be a devout Christian. I don’t know any Christian who treats his fellow man like they are something he just stepped in. He acts like people owe him something, but what I have no idea. The other interesting fact is he is black. Could it be that he has some agenda based on all the racial injustices that were placed on African-Americans throughout history? I would understand, really, that would make a little sense, but he seems to love getting other African-Americans fired. He has had two fired in the past 30 days. Maybe he wants to be the only African-American employed there (He might succeed, there are only four left). Why do you think this guy is the way he is? Help me understand his mental issues. (Note: He treats everyone else like garbage, he is just especially harsh on his fellow African-Americans)
I have tried everything with boss #1. I spoke to him man to man, and he said there was nothing wrong and that I was a great worker, then turns around and tries to get me in trouble. Why? I went to his supervisor and they despise him, but our station manager thinks he walks on water. Why won’t she listen to her staff of supervisors or any of the employees (who have written many letters expressing their distaste of him and his lack of professionalism). I just don’t understand why he can get away with being the biggest prick alive and no one cares? He doesn’t even do a good job at managing, because people constantly break the rules. So why keep him in this position of power, when no one cares for him and he cannot control his staff?
Let’s move on to supervisor #2. This guy, I have known for over a decade. He was a great guy. Family man. Socially, he got along with everyone, but then he became an interim lead, and would fill in when supervisors went on vacation. This was the start of the switch. He started turning into supervisor #1. It seems like he bought his video on “How To Be An Asshole Supervisor.” This supervisor is also African-American, is this coincidence? Is being a lead a license to be a dick? Is this the beginning of the transformation?
Supervisor #2 now acts like he is above the law, almost, super human. The fact is, neither of these supervisors are God’s gift to supervisors or employees, because both of these “working” supervisors, break the rules just like the people they supervise. Aren’t leads supposed to lead by example? Being a lead is a privilege, not a license to be a fucking prick. The only thing they do well is creating a horrible work environment. People can’t wait until they have their day off, that’s how bad these guys are. The weird thing with supervisor #2 is he has transformed, why? Does he think he is super human now? He is far from it. Is it the control? Are these two just sadistic? Did becoming a lead just bring it out of supervisor #2?
I have been a supervisor for a number of years, and I never had the power trip. I always led by example, never asked an employee to do anything I wouldn’t, and always stuck up for my employees. That is how I earned and maintained respect. Isn’t that the mission of a supervisor? Respect? Earn their respect, hold everyone accountable for their actions, maintain an even playing field, stick up for your employees when they are right, and maintain a professional work environment, where everyone knows the rules?
It’s like sports, if you want to be the best, you have to work the hardest, and push your teammates to do the same. That worked for me, and we always had fun doing it. These guys never played sports or just love tormenting people.
What do you readers think is the reason for having an outright backstabbing leader, a leader who transformed into a backstabbing leader, and under management who turns a blind eye and doesn’t stand up for their beliefs? I need your help. How can I fix this? Will I ever have a healthy work environment? Can this be fixed?
I want to hear your testimonials, thoughts, and/or thoughts on fixing this? Please help the IN4MER because I will be forever grateful. Work is work, It doesn’t have to be hell on top of it, does it? Thank you in adance…

What Does It Take To Be The “Greatest?”

It seems to be commonplace for men to stand around and debate who the greatest player, in some sport, is, or for hip-hop artists to proclaim themselves the greatest of all-time, but how do you become the greatest at anything?
Sports and music are not the only relevant occupations to be great at, or be the greatest of. What about the greatest leader, speaker, inventor, designer, etc? There are no stats to separate the greats from the mortals in these fields of work or study. How do you even narrow it down to the top 10? I mean think about all the great things you use each and every day, which one is the greatest? Could it be your iPhone? Your car? The internet? Maybe something as simple as the USB slot on your PC? How about firewire? Do you see where I am going with this? Why are athletes and musicians the ones trying to be the greatest and need recognition for it? You don’t see Steve Jobs speaking at the MacWorld Conference and declaring himself the greatest electronics designer of all-time, do you? You never hear Warren Buffett saying, “I’m the greatest investor of all-time?” So why do Lil’ Wayne, Jay-Z, Kanye West, and 50 Cent all proclaim to be the greatest, when in actuality, Eminem is the highest selling hip-hop artist, alive, and Tupac is the highest selling hip-hop artist of all time. Does that make sense? When you think about a great rap song, the first thing you remember is not the lyrics but the beat! Shouldn’t the beat creators be declaring that without them, none of these rappers would be shit? Just a thought…
Back to the question, how do you become the best of anything? Is it all practice? Is it self-determination? Maybe it is constant self-promotion? Pure talent? Or just a vision? Do the greats of the world all have one thing in common or is each person different?
Athletes? I can say practice plays a large role, along with dedication and athletic ability (coordination for a particular sport). Most athletes do not pick up a ball or racket in their early 20’s and instantly become world class. They, in most cases, have been playing since they were old enough to hold the ball, club, or racket. Years and years of practice, combined with a supreme ability to adjust and learn, or just plain old God given talent for the game, would be my guess on how you become the greatest athlete, in a particular sport, but who knows?
Musicians? Most start young or in school. They may have started playing in the school band and a passion was born, or they had a family member who played and they wanted to be like them. Music is a mystery to me, I have very little musical talent, but a great ear for it. I love discovering the next top 40 star, long before you ever heard of them. Take Maroon 5, for example, I had their album played out a year before their first single started into heavy rotation on the radio. Anyways, what makes a great musician the greatest?
Inventors? How do you even approach this? Break it down by decades? Create a top 10 inventions by the decade in which they were invented? The question that gets me, who do they not shamelessly self-promote themselves, like rappers or the president of the UFC, when their inventions add to millions of lives daily (some for over a century)? You just do not see shameless self-promotion in engineering. What a shame, I would love to see Bill Gates and Steve Jobs talking smack to one another, wouldn’t you?
How do you become the greatest? How do you motivate millions to unify? How do you prepare to be the leader of the free world, for heaven’s sake? There is no class in college on how to be a great president. Are greats just born? Are they developed? Bred? It’s a mystery to me, perhaps you have some thoughts on how you become great (actually, more like legendary) or who is the greatest in any field of your choice (and some background on how they became the greatest if you know)?
Hell, maybe I will be the G.O.A.T. of blogging! The new self-proclaimed “greatest of all-time!” I cannot wait to hear your thoughts…