This is a weird weather week. Feeling similar to Florida, the day dawns but no cool early morning relief and the day ascends in both temperature and humdity from there. Where walking out to the mailbox feels like opening the door to a blast furnace. Birds are still a-winging and a-singing though one would think they would be hiding in a dark space somewhere. Then, if one's lucky the sky darkens around 4 or 5 and hope rises of a good soaking. Instead we get barely enough to wet a rose's tongue and we leave the flowers gasping and reduced to tapping on the window asking please, please water us. I know it just rained, but really we need more moisture than that little pouf of rain. And the weeds just go merrily on regardless of the rain or lack therof-apparently they thrive by stealing moisture from the plants we want to grow. Or perhaps the ground moles, another pest, are trucking it in for their friends.
Our daughter stopped over to borrow our internet connection to be sure an important interview took place uninterrupted. She was seeking less interruptions of both technology and people as this was a promotional opportunity. Athough the interview did not last long, she was very positive. Helps when you are personally recruited by those interviewing and a recent reorganization removed a possible detractor. She said as there were not second interviews planned and they were going to make a decision this week, she thought it must be time to tell her current boss she had interviewed. She was not anticipating a happy outcome to that discussion.
It reminded me of how hard it was to leave one of my employers. As a "boomer" leaving a job took a larger leap of faith than the generations following. Loyalty is no more in most situations by the employer. Thus moving on and up is the appropriate action for employees. I was totally frustrated in a nicely titled and well-paid position but my direct boss was a nightmare. Respect or even appreciation for my ability to pull the proverbial rabbit from the rear quarters at any moment was vastly under-rated. It became expected. Even my last day, just before my going-away party, I was directed to lower the boom on an employee as the boss did not want to do it. The glares I received from that emp kind of dampened the celebration.
DIGRESS: One thing I am proud of is whenever I left a job my direct reports (except one-see above) were always sorry and appreciative of my leadership. Upper management be damned - like my Dad we were about getting the job done and taking care of our people.
It took a bit to leave that position as the boss would use flattery, begging and undermining remarks to keep me in line. I actually went to an employment agency and after a battery of tests the director of the agency who was moving out of State offered me her job- true story! But I stayed where I was and had another miserable year of rabbit-pulling until I finally took the plunge into MIOSHA.
That was a great move and better suited to my interests anyway. But in updated news my daughter has moved onward and upward after acing the interview. Like there was any doubt. She said one of the questions (a proverbial chestnut) was "how well do you handle stress" . She began her answer with "I have spent the last ten months living with my Mother-in-law since we sold our house". Didn't hear the rest of the answer, just laughter. I also did not hear how her discussion went with her current boss however who just lost her second direct report in a month. Ah well.
Media certainly has its problems. Although it's our main bulwark against total dictatorship and accountability their shiney faces are becoming more muddy with the forced 24/7 news cycle. Which gives us entertainment, opinions, half-baked stories, innuendo and even lies at times. Most of us don't take the time to determine the difference unfortunately. "If it bleeds it leads" they say though I think they often inflict the wounds themselves in the interest of ratings.
Case in point. In an interview with Putin the jounalist (I use the term loosely) after stating that Mr. P has been called a killer and Trump didn't believe it but Biden does, he actually asks "are you a killer?" What an ass. When the former KGB boss and lifetime dictator adroitly handles such a silly question you have to wonder how stupid are people? "Of course. I am a dictator and I squash all negativity and competition through poison and prison". Duhh.
On the bright and largely overlooked side by "the media" a $250 billion bi-partisan agreement was reached in the Senate this past week. The money is earmarked for scientific research (read technology innovations and improvemnts). Finally dawned on the majority including McConnell that China is the greatest threat to our, and the world's, economy. The bill also allows little or no tarriffs for poorer countries (read not beholden to China) and the ability to sanction countries for human rights violations (read not buy from China). China has been flexing her muscles by shutting down questions on covid from its trading partners (read Australia) and holding back desperately needed shipments of medical supplies to the US during the pandemic to name a couple of examples. Surprise - global economy only works if everyone is on a level playing field.
Meanwhile coping with the messed-up parking lot at Meijers during their blacktop extravaganza on what turned out to be the hottest days of summer thus far triggered a memory. In my ongoing quest to experience every job assignment so I could understand and give proper safety guidance I had the pleasure of working with a blacktop crew in the middle of summer. The only way I can describe the experience of 400 degrees of hot asphalt under your butt is it must be like riding a fire-belching dragon after a hearty meal of burritos. All the water in the world ain't gonna quench that fire...
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