Archive for December, 2009
Humpday Sarcasm III
Here’s the third installment of my Humpday Sarcasm series. You can read the first two by following these links:
Humpday Sarcasm: Ten Things that I Wish I’d Said First
The following quotes were taken from Robert Byrne’s book, The 2,548 Best Things Anybody Ever Said:
I’m thirty years old, but I read at the thirty-four-year-old level. - Dana Carvey
If you shoot at mimes, should you use a silencer? - Steven Wright
The guy who invented the first wheel was an idiot. The guy who invented the other three, he was a genius. - Sid Caesar
Death is nature’s way of saying, “You’re table is ready.” - Robin Williams
My karma ran over your dogma. - Unknown
They want me on all the television shows now because I did so well on “Celebrity Assholes.” - Steve Martin
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. - Lisa Grossman
I was walking down the street wearing glasses when the prescription ran out. - Steven Wright
Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the national debt. - Herbert Hoover
Some guy hit my fender, and I said to him, “Be fruitful and multiply,” but not in those words. - Woody Allen
Have a great Wednesday!
Print This Post
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Related Posts -
The Awful Truth I'd like to talk about a character that everyone claims they want to hear more from: The Truth. Not a day goes by without someone demanding, "I want the Truth!" In the Gospel of John, we're reminded that, "The truth shall set you free." Superman fought for truth , justice,...... -
Guess I Was Wrong About Brett Favre Time to eat humble pie. Or take my foot out of my big, fat mouth. Brett Favre had another fine game, and the Vikings are 11 and 2. So much for my August prediction, which you can read right here and laugh at my deficient clairvoyent powers. Looks like...... -
I Hate the Olympics I know. BLASPHEMY! UNPATRIOTIC! I love most sports, at least the ones that fit George Carlin's definition of a sport. I'm a die-hard Yankees fan. I love the football Giants. I never missed a Knicks game when Patrick Ewing was in the pivot. I was ecstatic to hear the "1940"......
Related Websites - Deep in the Heart of Texas I'm back from the great state of Texas; my visit with family was long overdo and enjoyable. One of my goals during the vacation was to maintain an exercise schedule, and honestly that was a challenge! I focused more on isometric/strength training exercises in the privacy of the guest bedroom (with the......
- Orvis Fly Fishing Guide Whether you are a lifelong fly fisherman, or someone that has been intrigued by this sport, the Orvis Fly Fishing Guide is one of the single best resources we have ever come across on fly fishing. This new edition contains more than 400 photos and illustrations and offers some of......
-
Truckee Waters The Truckee River, Martis, Donner Lake, Boca, Prosser and Stampede Reservoirs offer plenty of fishing variety meaning that experts and beginners alike will find something to suit them. Truckee happens to be a convenient supply center offering decent restaurants, good lodging and unique shopping. There is also excellent camping nearby,......
Pay Cash or Put it on the Plastic?
Photo by Andres Rueda
Whew! Now that Christmas is over, so is Christmas spending. Unlike most personal finance bloggers, we don’t stick to a strict budget. We try to estimate our gift expenses based on the prior year, and factor it up by the amount of people we have to buy for. Our relatives and close friends receive the lion’s share of our gifts, and then there’s coworkers, the mailman, the garbage men, etc.
Do you take Diners Club?
Obviously, we don’t tip the garbage men with a credit card. But almost anywhere else that we’re able to, we use the plastic. I know, this is borderline heresy. What about my pro forma budget spreadsheet, and my careful projections of future expenses? Well, I’ve found that when the holidays roll around, emotion takes over, and all logic goes out the window. So, I’ve stopped trying to fight it. And that’s where the plastic comes in.
Extra points
Like many of you, I use a rewards credit card. I pay for groceries, gas, and even my cellphone bill with my rewards card. I’m very diligent about paying off the balance each month, so that I don’t incur any interest charges. The extra activity allows me to earn more rewards points, which I can trade in for merchandise or gift cards. It’s a win-win for me, because I don’t carry a balance.
Heresy!
I’m sure Dave Ramsey would throw up if he read this. I’ve been in debt in the past, and have abused credit cards, so this might seem like giving the keys to the methadone clinic to a drug addict. But I’m more disciplined now, and don’t see credit cards as instruments of evil. So, as long as I pay off my balance in January, if I go a little over my Christmas gift budget estimate, I’m not going to obsess about it and ruin my holiday. Consider it my slush fund.
How about you guys? Anybody else out there that throws the budget out the window at Christmastime? I know that I can’t be alone. The crowded stores are a dead giveaway.
Print This Post
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Related Posts - 8 Ways You Overspend This recent article on Yahoo! Finance listed the 8 instances where we inadvertently pay more than we intended. I've fallen victim to at least a couple of them, and I'm sure everyone has. Which ones have taken you in? Let's take a look at the list, compiled by Jodi Helmer:......
-
Credit Card Interest: The Terminator Photo by southtyrolean "Listen, and understand. That terminator is out there. It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead." - Kyle Reese, from The Terminator Just replace "terminator"...... -
Barbaric Book Review: Die Broke by Stephen M. Pollan, Part 4 This is Part 4 of my review of Die Broke. You can read the first three parts of this series by clicking on the following links: Die Broke, Part 1 - Quit Today Die Broke, Part 2 - Pay Cash Die Broke, Part 3 - Don't Retire Step 4: Die......
Related Websites -
The Dos and Donts of Credit Scores Pt 2 In an earlier post we talked about the Do's for good credit, so now it's time to consider the Don'ts! A credit score is a really important indicator on how likely you will be to default on a credit card or a loan. Your credit score is determined by a...... -
3 Tricks to Succeed When Making a Budget Tired of getting squeezed at the end of each month? Tired of counting your pennies and looking at the balance of your bank account on a daily basis? One of the very first steps to control your personal finance is to establish your budget. What is the coolest thing...... - Enough with the Credit and Debit Card Confusion Frank Curmudgeon - clearly knowledgeable in the world of finance - is wondering out loud why folks use debit cards instead of credit cards. He appears proud of a history of never having used his own debit card to purchase anything. This is a very intelligent man who is......
The After-Christmas Hangover
Photo by littledan77
Yay! Christmas is over! Time to get my act back together. You see, I’ve really slacked off since Thanksgiving, and I’m ashamed of myself. I started eating on Turkey Day, and I haven’t stopped. I have this week off from work, so it’s time to start adding some good habits.
I could blame my binging on the stresses of the holiday season. Year-end is crazy for us finance types. Good thing there were trays of cookies at work to calm my nerves. And my outdoor icicle lights kept blowing fuses. Stress is a killer, I tell ya. Yeah, right.
See, I’m not a big believer in New Year’s Resolutions. Most of my resolutions are broken before the first week of January has passed. If you follow the logic that it takes three weeks to make or break a habit, you can see that I usually fall short. But this year, I’m doing it differently, and I’ll try to add one good habit each month to my routine. Baby steps.
Why am I setting the bar so low? Think back to your own resolutions. If you’re like me, you probably vowed to eat healthy, exercise regularly, read a new book each week, yadda yadda yadda. How many of you stayed the course? I thought so. Me neither. The one exception was when I gave up alcohol. That one lasted about two and a half months. A modern miracle, as I was in college at the time.
So, in light of my past record, I’m starting slowly. And I’m not waiting for New Year’s Eve to begin, since I’ll have a whole week off to devote to my new habit. I’ll also keep a positive spin on it, so that it doesn’t feel like I’m denying myself. So this month’s new habit is to eat healthier. I’m not swearing off junk food; I’ll just eat less of it, and fill the void with fruits and veggies. Baby steps. I’ll report back with my progress when the month is up.
How about you? Feel like changing your life this year? Try baby steps. You’ll give yourself more of a chance to succeed. Let me know how you make out.
Humor an obese man. Follow my progress as I try to eat healthier: Subscribe
Print This Post
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Related Posts -
Corporate Barbarian Links: Corporate Re-Org Edition tcp909 My company is going through yet another reorganization in order to "rightsize" and position itself better in the marketplace. Can layoffs be far behind? Well, I don't worry about layoffs, as I 've alluded to in the past. On a cheerier note, here are some good posts that...... -
Things to Do in a Boring Meeting Photo by riddle_ I was in a weekly program status meeting today. Call me the token beancounter. I attended just to give the impression that the finance department was keeping an eye on the exploits of these engineers, and that they didn't go to far off on a tangent,...... -
The Unthinkable: Giving Up Coffee Ahmed Rabea I've cut down my coffee drinking. I used to drink ten cups a day - well, ten mugs, really. I used to associate my coffee drinking with working. Anytime that I had a task that I was procrastinating about, I would get a cup of coffee. It......
Related Websites - How To Be Successful [Note: Last year I published this article and was fairly popular. I think it's as relevant this year as it was last year, so I figured it's worth a reminder.] The Most Important Key to Success Do What You Love - You aren't going to be successful at something you......
-
Earth Day, What's The Big Deal? Photo Courtesy of Waffle Whiffer Today, April 22nd, is Earth Day. So I guess I should be saying happy earth day, right? Earth Day is supposed to inspire awareness and appreciation of Earth. Wow, an entire day just for the environment. What's The Big Deal? One day out of the...... -
Save Time, Money and Space in Over 80 Ways If you're looking for handy gadgets, tools and various items that can save you time, money or space (or all three!) this list of more than 80 top products is just what you need. Everyone's got saving money on their minds these days. Some of us are always looking to......
Holiday Traditions
Photo by *Sally M*
We all have our favorite holiday traditions. I’ll be celebrating one of them tonight, as my family will gather for the traditional Italian-American fish-themed Christmas Eve dinner. But, I’ve got several hours to kill before I gorge myself on bacalla and lunguine with clam sauce, so I thought I’d write this post.
At work
Before the Christmas break can begin, you have to survive through the weeks leading up to the big day. For me and my fellow finance-types, this is our busy season. There are salients to meet, objectives to achieve, and action items to close out, during the time when everyone else starts to slack off. Oh, well. We’ll just have to work harder. You may also have holiday get-togethers, whether it’s the official company-sanctioned luncheon, or an ad-hoc trip to the local watering hole for some off-track betting from Tampa Downs (not that I ever did that. Honest). Then there’s the dreaded Secret Santa, where employees get to exchange Chia Pets and other crappy gifts. For many of us in the defense industry, we get to use the floating holidays that we couldn’t take off during the year. That equates to a week off between Christmas and New Year’s Day. I like that tradition.
At home
When I’m home for the holidays, I don’t do anything work-related. I feel it’s a time of year for family, and whatever I haven’t cleared from my plate can wait until after the holidays are over. This was of particular importance when my kids were little, and I needed time to get into my Santa Claus costume. Of course, sometimes a phone call from my boss has interrupted my family time, but I try to let everyone else know that I’ll be unavailable. So, before any other Christmas tradition can start, I try to disconnect from my work life. It’s a well-appreciated break, and it helps me to recharge and get ready for the onslaught of another year. I probably should try to get to midnight mass. I try to stay out of my wife’s way as she bakes her Italian pastries and whips up her world-class eggplant parmigiana. We might squeeze in a trip to Manhattan to see the tree. So after we finish the Feast of the Seven Fishes, and before my traditional New Year’s Day hangover, I get my act together, and start focusing on what I want to accomplish in the coming year.
Your traditions
What traditions do you follow? Are you lucky enough to get some extended time off for the holidays? Are you in retail, and stuck working to midnight? If so, I feel your pain. I’ve worked late on Christmas Eve. And New Year’s Eve. One year, I even missed the Super Bowl due to a store inventory. Right now, I’ll take the risk of a layoff with the promise of having a week off for Christmas. Of course, my attitude could change if this were last April.
So, Merry Christmas to all of you, and I hope you get to spend some quality time with your families!
Enrique (The Corporate Barbarian)
Print This Post
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Related Posts -
Shark Tank Photo by Kecko I started watching the TV show Shark Tank a few weeks ago. It consists of an entrepreneur pitching his or her business model to five "sharks", rich investors that can buy a piece of the entrepreneur's company. While there are some viable ideas, most of the...... -
Getting Rich in America Book Review and Summary, Part 3 This is Part 3 of my review and chapter summary of Getting Rich in America: 8 Simple Rules for Building a Fortune and a Satisfying Life by Dwight R. Lee and Richard B. McKenzie. You can read the first two parts of this review by clicking the following links: Getting...... -
Paid to Stay Home from Work? �eagan How would you like to get paid to stay home from work? If that sounds appealing, perhaps you should look into law school. Many law firms are asking their new hires to stay home - with pay! That's what's detailed in this CNNMoney article on Yahoo Finance. Sounds......
Related Websites -
Making And Sending Christmas Cards For Less Money. In an attempt to reduce both our cash outlay (on cards, at least) and our environmental footprint, my wife and I decided that we would make Christmas (or holiday, depending on the recipient) postcards this year - from scratch. Most years we would do what everyone else does - buy...... -
Wacky Wednesday: Minimum Wage Sucks in the Future, Too Previously, when Wednesday last got Wacky: You found yourself stranded two hundred years in the future, after a time travel money making scheme went awry. The good: your investment grew into a multi-billion dollar fortune. The bad: thanks to higher than expected inflation, that's less than the typical fast-food worker...... - Weakonomics Weekend Edition: Holidays Edition It's hear my friends, holiday season. With just a few days before Thanksgiving we begin the 40 day madhouse that culminates with the end of a dreadful year (economically speaking). I've always loved the holidays, not because of presents or food (both I love), but because of the happiness. Christmas......
Son of Humpday Sarcasm
As I mentioned in last week’s post entitled Humpday Sarcasm: Ten Things That I Wished I’d Said First, I received Robert Byrne’s book, The 2,548 Best Things Anybody Ever Said, for my birthday. I shared ten selections with you last week, and figured I’d keep up the tradition until someone says “Uncle”. So, here’s this week’s top ten quotes from the book:
Washington Irving. (Answer to the question “Who was the first president, Max?”) - Steve Allen’s Question Man
A tragedy is a busload of lawyers going over a cliff with an empty seat. - Unknown
Your request for no MSG was ignored. - Fortune cookie opened by Merla Zellerbach
I feel sorry for people who don’t drink, because when they get up in the morning, they’re not going to feel any better all day. - Frank Sinatra
When they asked George Washington for his ID, he just took out a quarter. - Steven Wright
If you are caught on a golf course during a storm and are afraid of lightning, hold up a 1-iron. Not even God can hit a 1-iron. - Lee Trevino
It took me an hour to bury the cat, because it wouldn’t stop moving. - From The Monty Python Show
On New Year’s Eve, people in New Jersey stay up till midnight and watch their hopes drop. - Richard Lewis
Flying is hours and hours of boredom sprinkled with a few seconds of sheer terror. - Gregory “Pappy” Boyington
and my favorite of the bunch:
We had a quicksand box in our back yard. I was an only child, eventually. - Steven Wright
Just a little snarkiness for a Wednesday. Now get back to work!
Print This Post
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Related Posts -
Humpday Sarcasm: Ten Things that I Wish I'd Said First I received a book for my birthday entitled, "The 2,548 Best Things Anybody Ever Said", by Robert Byrne. It's loaded with quotes from famous people, and being the smartass that I am, I thought that I'd share some of the more sarcastic entries with you. So without further ado,...... -
For the Love of God, Don't Just Read the PowerPoint Charts! danorth1 An Invitation to a Meeting I received an email at work that invited me to attend an overview on a new procedure. Attached to the email was a copy of the PowerPoint file that would accompany the presentation. Nice touch, thought I. I can skim through it beforehand,...... -
My Goals for 2010 The odds of hitting your target go up dramatically when you aim at it. - advice from a fortune cookie A Disclaimer I don't believe in luck, curses, the Evil Eye, four-leaf clovers, rubbing a rabbit's foot, crossing my fingers, knocking on wood, or the power of wishing wells. ......
Related Websites - MonaVie is the Next Napster? MonaVie and Napster seem to have a lot in common Here's the Napster case description directly from Wikipedia: The music industry made the following claims against Napster: (1) That its users were directly infringing the plaintiff's copyright; (2) That Napster was liable for contributory infringement of the plaintiff's copyright; and......
- How Not Having Money Reduced My Carbon Footprint. The following is a guest post from reader Jaimie Scott, who was kind enough to write an article for The Good Human while we are in the middle of moving. Thanks Jaimie! I suspect that other factors played a part in this process as well. But the way I see......
-
Daylight saving time [/caption] Daylight saving time (DST; also summer time in British English—see Terminology) is the practice of advancing clocks so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less. Typically clocks are adjusted forward one hour near the start of spring and are adjusted backward in autumn. Modern DST was first......
A Backup of a Backup
Posted by enrique s in Organizing, Self-Reliance on December 22nd, 2009
Photo by Mocodragon
Backup my hard drive? How do I put it in reverse? - unknown
One of my coworkers had a near-meltdown last week when her computer wouldn’t recognize her thumbdrive. The thumbdrive contained all of her important files, and was her only copy. Now, I could have been a smartass and said, “What’s the problem? Just use your backup”, but my coworker is a nice person who’s helped me in the past, and I was in a good mood. We were eventually able to copy the files from the thumbdrive to a network drive, so the disaster was averted.
Learning the hard way
I was in a similar situation several years ago, but my files were not recoverable. I did have some backups of the files that were lost, but they weren’t the latest versions, so I had to partially reinvent the wheel, so to speak. The one thing that you can count on about electronic devices is that they will all eventually fail (Isn’t there a Murphy’s Law about this?). I’ve talked about my penchant for being prepared in previous posts (here, here, and here), and I learned my lesson the hard way for not covering all the bases when it came to my computer files.
Redundancy is key
If backing up your electronic files can be considered Plan A, then Plan B is to always have a second backup copy. Think of it as the belt-and-suspenders theory in practice. I always carry two thumbdrives, and I even copy the contents of these portable drives to my computer’s hard drive. On top of that, every week I make two backup copies of the files in the “My Documents” folder of my computer, so I’m pretty much covered in case both of my thumbdrives and my computer’s hard drive crash. You can’t be too careful.
Tools of the redundant
My two thumbdrives are both PQI Intelligent Sticks:
They both hold 4 gigs of data, and I barely use a quarter of the available storage space. There very tiny, about one inch long when closed, a half inch wide and 3/16 of an inch thick. I barely notice them in my pocket. These are my daily portable backups. They are very reliable, but I take no chances. The wear and tear from pocket carry compels me to replace them with newer versions each year. Fool me once…
For my weekly backups, I use two Western Digital My Passport external hard drives:
These are powered by the USB connection on my computer, and don’t require a separate power supply. This makes them a good option for laptops, too. I have a both 60GB and 80GB versions, which are both a couple of years old. I don’t replace these as often as the thumbdrives, since they don’t take the same daily beating. When it is time to replace them, I won’t buy the latest version. I’ll opt for something less than cutting edge, and save a few bucks. The cheapest that I could find was $64.99 for a 250GB version.
Automating the backup
I don’t have an automated backup, but instead do it manually each week. I’ll leave it to an expert to explain automation. Gina Trapani of the website Lifehacker put together this excellent guide to automatically backing up your hard drive.
Other backup options
Of course, my setup is “old school”, and there are many alternatives if you would rather opt for online storage. One is Carbonite, which is a set-it-and-forget-it offsite backup over the internet. Carbonite finds your files, and copies them to their secure servers. Other options include Amazon S3, Mozy, and Dropbox. I can’t vouch for any of them, since I’ve never used online backup. But the website Lifehacker also has a post which details the best online backup tools. Check it out here.
Whatever option that you choose for data backup, make sure you have another backup somewhere. Remember, belt AND suspenders.
For a humorous look at the subject, check out The Tao of Backup.
Share your disaster stories in the comments, so that we can all learn from them. What option have you chosen for data backups?
Print This Post
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Related Posts -
Self-Reliance Series #3: An Automobile Survival Kit Photo by uberzombie This is Part 3 in my self-reliance series. You can read the first two parts by following these links: Self-Reliance Series #1:A Personal Survival Kit (PSK) Self-Reliance Series #2: An Office Survival Kit In order to get to my office, I need to drive my car...... -
My First Year in Review Photo by Theresa Thompson I can't believe that the Corporate Barbarian Blog is a year old today! Boy, I've sure learned a lot in the past year. Last February, I was a blogging noob, and now, while I can't say that I'm a seasoned veteran, at least I'm less...... -
Self-Reliance Series #5C: Prepping Your Home for an Emergency: Communications, Lighting, and Tools Photo by Kecko This is Part 5C of my self-reliance series. I hope that you've enjoyed the other parts. If you haven't read them, you can do so by clicking on the following links: Self-Reliance Series #1: A Personal Survival Kit (PSK) Self-Reliance Series #2: An Office Survival Kit......
Related Websites -
Why You Need And Should Already Have An Emergency Kit. Although this post is not directly related to personal finance issues, it does have something to do with it in terms of your financial security. For a long time now, I have had emergency kits in my car and in my home in case I suddenly had to vacate the...... -
Bushnell Neo Golf GPS User Reviews Send this to a friend Bushnell Neo Golf GPS Manufacturer: Customer Rating: List Price: Varies based on product options Sale Price: View Sale Price Availibility: View Product Availability Buy Now Product Description Product Details No details are available for this product Video Reviews No video reviews found...... - Backup Your Computer In Several Places...Or Else. A friend of mine just had both his computer AND his external backup hard drive die on the same day. Rare? Yes...but not impossible. While I have never had anything so catastrophic happen to my computer setup, I have always backed everything up both here in my house and online......
Keep it Simple, Stupid
Posted by enrique s in Career, Organizing, Productivity, Rants on December 21st, 2009
Photo by ThrasherDave
Simplicity is an acquired taste. Mankind, left free, instinctively complicates life. - Katharine Fullerton Gerould
One of my coworkers was seeking authorization to spend funds in advance of the receipt of a contract. In other words, he wanted the company to foot the bill for some long-lead-time material so that he could make his deliveries to his customer on time. The contract award was bogged down on the negotiation of terms and conditions, and the customer had instituted a faster-than-normal delivery schedule. Not wanting to disappoint the customer, my coworker took the proactive step of securing the funds. But that’s not the point I’m writing about.
Photo by Matt Ryall
The art of simplicity is a puzzle of complexity. - Douglas Horton
See, he had to fill out an authorization form. It included cost projections, an estimated date of when we would receive the contract from our customer, and a termination liability profile. It also included a box that needed to be filled in called “Maximum Potential for Future Income”. There were convoluted instructions for filling in the box that would have made Rube Goldberg’s head spin, including a confusing formula. We stood around staring at it like a bunch of chimpanzees contemplating a shiny object. After running the numbers, and making a few phone calls, it became apparent that what they were looking for was a projection of net income. Why they didn’t just label the box “Net Income” is beyond me.
Photo by miss_rogue
Progress is man’s ability to complicate simplicity. - Thor Heyerdahl
Unfortunately, this is but one example of over-complication that I’ve run into at work. I’ve had to read and re-read procedures to get to the basic points that they contain. On more than one occasion, we’ve found situations that were not addressed in these wordy procedures. The writer of the procedure would have been better served by explaining the standards in plain language, rather than talking like a Philadelphia lawyer. My car lease has less words in the fine print!
Photo by caesararum
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. - Edsger Dijkstra
So, I beseech you. Keep it simple. What you gain by forgoing the flowery dialogue will help speed things up significantly. In the example that I used, no less than 6 people were involved in figuring out what “”Maximum Potential for Future Income” meant. Everyone at work already knows how smart you are. Save your fellow chimps some time by cutting to the chase and keeping it simple.
Print This Post
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Related Posts -
Corporate Barbarian Links: Another Day Closer to Death Edition Photo by h.koppdelaney I received some sad news this past week - one of my former coworkers died suddenly on his long commute home from work. Thank God he pulled over to the side of the road, or he probably would have taken some other poor slobs with him...... - Recession Pricing: Take Me Out to the Ballgame on the Cheap The Law of Supply and Demand is alive and well, at least when it comes to baseball tickets. Demand for tickets is down, so prices have fallen as much as 60%. Even ticket resellers at StubHub.com and TicketsNow.com have seen decreases of 15% - 20% on ticket prices. Ticket holders......
-
The Corporate Barbarian: Soggy U.S. Open Edition SubZeroConsciousness The U.S. Open is being played in my neck of the woods, and unfortunately the weather hasn't been cooperating. Those greens must be in terrible shape! I don't know if Tiger can perform another miracle under these conditions. At least my fellow New Yorkers have been providing lots......
Related Websites - Save Time, Money and Space in Over 80 Ways If you're looking for handy gadgets, tools and various items that can save you time, money or space (or all three!) this list of more than 80 top products is just what you need. Everyone's got saving money on their minds these days. Some of us are always looking to......
- How to Negotiate with Wireless Carriers A few months ago, my brother went over his text message allotment (200) as part of our family plan, and I thought this was an abberation, so I increased his text messages to 1,500 for the month. I didn't want this to continue. With overage charges being 20 cents......
- Sunday Money Roundup - Balmy And 60 Edition. OK, it is the middle of November, we already had our first snowfall of the season, and now it has been 60 degrees for a week straight. The weather guy even said it will probably be this way until Thanksgiving - I don't remember it ever being 60 degrees in......
Deming’s Seven Deadly Diseases
Posted by enrique s in Career, Leadership, Motivation on December 17th, 2009
I’ve wrote about W. Edwards Deming and his 14 Points in a previous post. You can read it here. Today, I’d like to talk about his Seven Deadly Diseases. These were the ailments that Deming saw as reason for the decline of Western Management:
Lack of constancy of purpose to plan product and service that will have a market and keep the company in business and provide jobs.
General Motors, anyone? Remember the Hummer? As people were clamoring for hybrid vehicles, dealerships couldn’t give these beasts away.
Emphasis on short-term profits: short term thinking, fed by fear of unfriendly takeover, and by plush from bankers and owners, for dividends.
My company focuses on “key salients”, i.e. measurable targets such as new orders, sales, profit, etc. Bonuses for the directors are tied to achieving their numbers for the year. It gets real interesting at year-end, as contracts are accepted with less-than-optimal profit margins just to achieve the new orders target. If this isn’t short-term thinking, I don’t know what is.
Personal review system, or evaluation of performance, merit rating, annual review, or annual appraisal, by whatever name, for people in management, the effects of which are devastating. Management by fear would be better, than management by objective without a method for accomplishment.
Oh boy, a pet peeve of mine. Every year, we have to compile a list of our objectives. The achievement of many of these is out of my control, but they count towards my performance anyway. What everyone does is sandbag their objectives, making most of them easy to attain, so that there’s only good news at review time. Nobody wants to miss accomplishing an objective. The system as it exists is basically useless as a management tool.
Mobility of management: job hopping.
One of my former employers encouraged this practice. They felt that you were ready for a new assignment every 18 months, and encouraged job-hopping. The only problem with this, besides lack of continuity with your customers, is that someone could do a lousy job and get promoted out of it - the Peter Principle in practice. You wouldn’t even know what damage was done until the dust settled. These screw-ups were using company policy to run away from their own messes. People were changing jobs more often than Larry Brown.
Use of visible figures only for management, with little or no consideration of figures that are unknown or unknowable.
Our division has been tasked with an 8% annual CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate). Our division is in the defense industry. We’re in a recession. Guess what’s getting cut to help pay for all of last year’s bailouts? That’s right, new defense contracts. Rather than look at a dollar value, we should measure our success against market share. Market share might be harder to measure than new orders, but it is more accurate in determining effectiveness in a declining market.
Excessive medical costs.
My company has a health club on the premises. You pay a small amount as a “copayment”, and you can use the equipment on your own time. We also have free blood pressure screenings. If more companies would offer these preventative measures, maybe we could cut health care costs.
Excessive costs of warranty, fueled by lawyers that work contingency fees.
The product line that I support has a built-in level of expected failures. This leads to the purchase of excess material, which ties up working capital. For every dollar that could be saved, we could invest it back into the company. Think about that when your foreman wants a few extra pieces “just in case”. Improve the quality, and improve the profits.
I’ve pointed out where my company has “sinned”. How about yours? Do you see your own company in any of these examples? If so, have the problems been identified, and any corrective action taken? Let’s hear it in the comments!
Print This Post
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Related Posts -
Demotivation Photo by Thorne Enterprises I love those demotivational posters that people create. These are generally witty, in contrast to those lame, tired, corporate-approved motivational posters from Successories that espouse Teamwork or Attitude; the kind that hang in every director's office in Corporate America, filled with rainbows, rock climbers, or...... - Shark Tank Photo by Kecko I started watching the TV show Shark Tank a few weeks ago. It consists of an entrepreneur pitching his or her business model to five "sharks", rich investors that can buy a piece of the entrepreneur's company. While there are some viable ideas, most of the......
-
Unpaid Overtime: Not Just for Brown Nosers Anymore country_boy_shane I worked with a guy many years ago who lived for overtime. Actually, I think he relied on it to live. Even though he had a college degree, and worked in the finance department, he would work overtime in the kitting department (the stockroom for you non-defense contractor......
Related Websites - Good Debt, Bad Debt and Flawed Investment Return Data I can't tell you how often I hear or read someone argue that they have "good debt." This "good debt" argument is made to rationalize having a car loan, a HELOC or second mortgage balance, and even credit card debt. The argument goes something like this: "The money I have borrowed......
-
Is it Safe to Borrow from a 401(k)? When done carefully, taking a loan from your 401K can be quite helpful, but there are limits. Early withdrawal from your 401K will have penalties, and your contributions will have to be repaid to replenish your plan. Overview The 401k plan is a retirement option that is offered by many...... - Management vs Marketing: This is How to Run a Small Business I caught a very impressive interview on CNBC today with small business owner Bill Dieruf of Dieruf Hardware. His message was fairly simple, but highly effective: Know the difference between management, and marketing. You might have noticed over the last year that many major brand names are advertising for the......
Humpday Sarcasm: Ten Things that I Wish I’d Said First
I received a book for my birthday entitled, “The 2,548 Best Things Anybody Ever Said“, by Robert Byrne. It’s loaded with quotes from famous people, and being the smartass that I am, I thought that I’d share some of the more sarcastic entries with you. So without further ado, here goes:
There is no sweeter sound than the crumbling of one’s fellow man. - Groucho Marx
Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich. - Napoleon
Because I’m Jewish, a lot of people ask why I killed Christ. What can I say? It was an accident. It was one of those parties that got out of hand. I killed him because he wouldn’t become a doctor. - Lenny Bruce
You may already be a loser. - Form letter received by Rodney Dangerfield
When you go into court you are putting your fate into the hands of twelve people who weren’t smart enough to get out of jury duty. - Norm Crosby
I’m glad we don’t have to play in the shade. - Golfer Bobby Jones on being told that it was 105 degrees in the shade
Bad spellers of the world, untie! - Graffito
At my lemonade stand I used to give the first glass away free and charge five dollars for the second glass. The refill contained the antidote. - Emo Philips
What the hell are you looking at? - License plate slogan for New York suggested by Steven Pearl
and my favorite:
What died? - Motto for New Jersey suggested by Steven Pearl
This could also be the motto for Staten Island. Ever drive on the West Shore Expressway? You can feel the minutes ticking off your life as you inhale the methane gas.
Bonus sarcasm not from the book:
Every time some sonofabitch gets a hardon, it costs me money. - My father, on learning that he was invited to yet another christening
Have a great Wednesday!
Print This Post
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Related Posts -
Incognito I don't look like your typical beancounter. I don't wear glasses, have skinny arms, or wear a green eyeshade, either. I look more like a construction worker. One former boss once said that I look like I should be wearing a hardhat and sitting on an I-beam on a...... - Humpday Sarcasm III Here's the third installment of my Humpday Sarcasm series. You can read the first two by following these links: Humpday Sarcasm: Ten Things that I Wish I'd Said First Son of Humpday Sarcasm The following quotes were taken from Robert Byrne's book, The 2,548 Best Things Anybody Ever Said:......
-
A Tale of Two Meetings Photo by Svadilfari I had two meetings yesterday. One was a status meeting with a group of engineers, and the other was a meeting with a proposal manager. What struck me was the difference in how people behaved during each of the meetings. ...it was the spring of hope.........
Related Websites -
Saving Money with Discount Home Improvement When you are purchasing materials for your various home improvement projects, where do you actually go? If you are like most people, chances are that you pay a visit to your local home improvement retailer and purchase the materials from them. If you need a particular tool for that project,...... -
People are mad, Not Cyclists In the news currently is the case of a loony aggressive bloke who knocked a girl down on the road who subsequently died from a head injury sustained as she hit the kerb. The death of everyone is inevitable but an early death is especially hard for those closest to...... -
M Brace Raised Bed Gardening If youâve ever wanted try raised beds, either to extend your gardening season or because you have limited garden space, now you can do so without having to spend hours building a bed. The M Brace makes it easy for anyone to create a stunning raised bed for gardening.......
Guess I Was Wrong About Brett Favre
Time to eat humble pie. Or take my foot out of my big, fat mouth. Brett Favre had another fine game, and the Vikings are 11 and 2. So much for my August prediction, which you can read right here and laugh at my deficient clairvoyent powers. Looks like I wrote the old guy off too soon.
See, I said back in August that Favre just didn’t have it anymore. I said that his mere presence prevented the Vikings from moving forward, much like the old-timers at work who refused to stay retired when they were clearly past their prime.
Well, Brett Favre is not past his prime. He’s thrown for over 3,300 yards, with 27 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions. With those numbers, he can probably play for as long as he wants. So maybe he’s the exception to the rule, and can continue to perform at a high level.
Mr. Favre, I stand corrected.
Print This Post
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Related Posts -
Don't Be a Weasel! 5 Rules for Accepting Blame Photo by law_keven Yesterday, we had our monthly program review with our director. One program manager had bad news about one of their projects. Let's call him Larry. He did a good job explaining, in great detail, about where they went wrong, and the steps that his team needed...... -
Humpday Sarcasm IV - George Carlin Edition This is the fourth installment in the Humpday Sarcasm series. You can read the first three parts by clicking on the links: Humpday Sarcasm: Ten Things That I Wish I'd Said First Son of Humpday Sarcasm Humpday Sarcasm III I thought that I'd do something different this week, and...... -
What Would Keep You from Leaving the House? There are many reasons for playing hooky from work. Super Bowl Monday. Your birthday. The first 80 degree day of the Spring. Also, a legitimate illness. But what if you didn't want to go into work strictly because of your appearance? What would keep you from showing your mug in......
Related Websites -
Bvlgari Aqua By Bvlgari For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces User Reviews Send this to a friend Bvlgari Aqua By Bvlgari For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces Manufacturer: Bvlgari Customer Rating: List Price: $68.00 Sale Price: $31.50 Availibility: Usually ships in 1 to 2 days Free Shipping Available Buy Now Product Description Vibrant, pure, and masculine, this...... -
Review: Tally’s Gift by Elle Amery Tally’s Gift is the third novel in Quartzton Trilogy. The last of the unhitched friends are thrown together when calamity strikes and the others are out of town. Playboy Brett Huntsman has broken nearly every limb in his body. The poor guy is strung up and unable to move....... -
Tiger Takes Win in PGA Memorial Tiger Woods has managed to win a fourth PGA Memorial tournament title after firing a final round seven below par 65 which sent a message to other players that he is absolutely going to be the man to beat when it comes to the US Open in two weeks. This......
-
You are currently browsing the archives for December, 2009
