More Framdom Framblings

I wrote the following days ago, but didn't have a chance to publish it. Today, I had one of those WOW days at work where I was reminded exactly how special my job really is.  It is a complete honor to sit at my desk and serve PCCS.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate what was done for me today.  I was also reminded what an honor it is to teach at our school.  It is a constant reminder to me of how much loving work goes into helping students grow and learn.  That work can be frustrating at times, but I know it is all worth it because these kids are growing up and learning so much (not just about academics).  Being a part time volunteer teacher is such a joy.  I am have been so blessed to see how amazing teachers teach and they have allowed me to be part of it all!  I hope Mr DiDomenico knows that here at PCCS, students get to hear some of his wisdom every once in a while!  I could go on and on, but I already have so much in this blog post.   I hope you enjoy these framblings.... they are quite random:

I have been blessed this year to work at a job with wonderful boss, wonderful co-workers and wonderful families.  I am truly blessed for being able to do this and I hope and pray I can continue to grow and get better at my job.I know we will see some students leave us at the end of the year, but despite being somewhere else, they and their families will still be part of our family.  Each person who steps into the doors of our school on a regular basis helps shape our school.  I thank you all for making me feel welcome.  I took the place of a very wonderful and talented individual and it was daunting trying to fill those shoes.  I probably came up short of her lofty mark in many areas, but I am thankful for the opportunity to try and reach for it again every day.

Got a tweet the other day from a fellow Christian that discussed political correctness.  It got me to thinking about the idea behind political correct use of vocabulary.  When I was younger, there was a "PC" movement to try and "encourage" people to use words that were less "offensive".  Some people decided that "black people" was more offensive than "African-Americans".  Thus this movement tried to force people to use the less offensive terms.  As a reaction, many people were upset and angry at the thought that they would be told what words to use and thus became angry.  While I don't condone people telling other people what to say or do in this kind of case, I wonder "what would Jesus have thought about this?"  And my answer was simple.  He would have wanted to respect the feelings of others and use the language as best He could.  Jesus met people at their level.  If calling Robert "Bob" made Robert happier, Jesus would have called him "Bob" and not thought twice about it.  Sometimes, showing someone the love of Jesus might be as simple as using a word that makes them more comfortable.

I still can't get over how American businesses and employees do their jobs.  I had 2 experiences in which I called businesses this week and it was shocking how different the experiences were.  They were both local businesses and I will not mention the name of the less flattering one.  In both cases I wanted to obtain some information over the phone.  In the first call, I got an automated operator who gave me some options and when I didn't know what to push, I waited for an operator.  The next voice I heard was the automated operator saying "Please hang up your phone now" and then the click.  1 time through the less than extensive menu and I was hung up upon.  REALLY???  It got worse when I then drove to the place only to be ignored by the receptionist.  When I finally got his/her attention, I asked for information that was right in front of  said person and was told "not yet".  I then stood there trying to sign language my request in hopes that this person could give me 3 more seconds of attention and I must have done a good job since I was then handed the "not yet available" information.  Then to top it off, I was at another local business that same day when this information was given to someone with me watching.  Now, the second business I called answered the phone a few minutes before they were even open.  The lady told me what I was inquiring about was not on the menu yet but offered to call me when it was put on.  This person did a few little things that were not expected but showed a tremendous focus on excellent customer service.  Thank you "Mister Wings" for making me feel like there is still quality customer service out there!

This video clip is not really recommended for kids (although it isn't awful and should be safe for work).  This was a clip from the show "Yes, Dear" that happened years ago but became a TON more funny with the understanding that this happened BEFORE Tiger's downfall.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48_CkFdTPTM  That line also reminded me of one of the most ironic TV moments of all time which was John Belushi on Saturday Night Live going through a cemetery talking about all his deceased colleagues.  He then says talks about how Gilda was the latest one to go.  The irony?  John died first (not last) and Gilda was 2nd to die (not 2nd to last),  a very eerie moment.

The NFL continues to find a way to go from my most favorite sports league to just below WTC (World Tiddlywinks Cooperative).  Folks, get it done NOW.  I don't know if they realize how much die hard fans love the offseason and free agent speculation but as of now, they are just wasting the time of our courts so that each side can greed as much as possible.  AWFUL!

Today's personal growth concept is:  Balance   If you dont think you are worth much, realize that to God you were worth dying for (and he KNOWS all of you!). 

Random meaningless quote:  "Sometimes "an eye for an eye" will only make everyone blind. - Unknown

Finally, I wanted to congratulate my wife.  She gave up soda as part of a focus on health for herself and I am very impressed.  I don't think she tried to prescribe herself the DrPepper Patch, which if you know her, is almost shocking.  KUDOS to a wonderful wife and mother.  She then went down with an awful case of strep throat and I am happy to say is coming out of it and hopefully will return to normalcy soon!

NBA Predictions

2nd round:  SA over POR    OKC over LAL

3rd round:  BOS over MIA  CHI over ORL

Finals:  CHI over OKC

Dont ask me why.  I still think Lakers and Celtics are best overall teams in each conference but injuries have forced me to go this direction.  While I am not a Bulls fan, I would say this final matchup would be an NBA dream with 2 young very good teams.  I wouldnt care who won because I like the OKC players and like the Chicago Head Coach.

NHL Playoff Predictions (just for champ)

Here are my selections for the NHL playoffs: 


Round 2:  SJ vs Chicago, Anaheim vs Phoenix      Washington vs TB, Philly vs Boston
Round 3:  SJ vs Anaheim, TB vs Boston
Stanley Cup: SJ over TB

I am guessing I will be wrong about every pick.  These just feel right to me (except picking Phoe which I did to avoid being flamed by my very large Arizona following!)

Random Rumblings

The Masters was awesome this year.  We got to see a disgraced super star make a run at the win, a young front runner drop like anvil onto Road Runner, and finally an unknown golfer whose name sounds like a German apple dessert win it all.  The Masters had everything.  It was drama, sport, and entertainment all wrapped into one.  I know many people don't think golf is very entertaining as a sport by itself, but the drama and stories made it The Event of the year so far in sports.

Danny Woodhead made a nice run at the cover of Madden '12 only to lose to Aaron Rodgers.  Congrats to Danny W.  A great story and a person I hope to be rooting for in the coming years.


Kathleen Passidomo had better not ever get elected again.  ( http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/03/16/republican-lawmaker-blames-11-year-old-victim-of-alleged-gang-rape/ )  I mean seriously.  Could there be a simply dumber statement made?  I do agree that it is always important for women to dress in a manner consistent with how they wish to be perceived.  If they wish to be looked at as purely a sexually being, then go ahead and dress in a manner consistent with that.  If they wish to be taken seriously in a business world, they need to dress the part.  This goes for all people, not just women.  HOWEVER, no matter what that message is, it is NEVER a message to rape someone.  This isn't even up for discussion.  You can dress any way you want, but be prepared to be treated like you represent yourself..... HOWEVER, sexually provocative dress is not an open invitation for rape.  With that said, what makes this statement so much more ridiculously sickening is 2 major points.  1.  The girl was 11   2.  It was 18 men/boys.    

I try not to jump into politics often but let's face it, articles like the one linked above force even a non-political person to have an opinion.

Today I want to focus on communication.  It is so important to try hard to communicate honestly, effectively, and with the understanding that it is YOUR responsibility to communicate your thoughts correctly.  Remember that tone, body language, and context can skew the message.  If you care about the person and/or the message, take the time to correct the perception of the message.  Sometimes, when you don't have an answer or you need some time, pick up the phone and let the person know you are working on it.  Sometimes long waits can inspire beliefs of apathy.  A simple honest correspondence often can avoid the need for a repaired relationship!

Just felt like sayin' I love my wife and kids.  Can't say it enough!

Conflicts

These days it seems that everyone has decided to play the game when it comes to resolving conflicts.  In most cases, the victim ends up being someone who is not even involved in the conflict itself.  What doesn't (sadly) surprise me is that the principle parties just flat out don't care.  Here are 3 examples:

Our wonderful federal government is example number one.  They were happy to go to the literal last moment to keep themselves open.  This over playing political games over hot button issues that should not have anything to do with the budget.  In the end I am sure they are high fiving one another over their "courageous" last minute solution.  However, I, for one am almost more upset than if they had a shut down.  Don't get me wrong, i am happy they wont be shutting down but this last minute solution could have been reached a while earlier and saved a lot of people the grief of being worried about being out of a paycheck.  As I have said before, if there is a solution out there, why not get to it BEFORE the last second.  Our soldiers and their families (to name one party) deserve a TON better than that!

NFL and NFLPA both asked to day for mediation.  They have no real intention on finding an impartial mediator to solve this, but they are beginning to realize they are getting close to losing a ton of money and it is almost the 11th hour on their $$.  Meanwhile, employees have taken cuts and jobs have be lost to save money .  FOLKS, it again are the everyday workers who pay for this.  I for one am sick of it.  A deal will be made and there will be NFL in 2011 or 2012.  Why not get the deal done in February this year and save the working people?  Absolute joke!

Federal prosecutors spent 8 years on the purgery trial of Barry Bonds.  This is a case where all the people he was testifying about already plead guilty and yet they think spending 9 years on a prosecution is a good waste, uh cause to spend our money.  Other athletes said the same thing he did, but they were not prosecuted!   At trial, the government called 3 (or more) witnesses that were found to have lied (or at least had convenient inconsistencies) during the trial.  How sadly ironic that they are depending on witnesses who lied to prove Bonds lied.  Why didn't they offer him a plea bargain?  He pleads no lo contendere (sp?) to 2 counts of lying to grand jury (make neither one about using steroids but about minor points) with no jail time,  He pays a small fine (lower than lawyer fees for trial would have been) and no jail time.  They make a point.  Bonds pays a very minor price.  We don't spend money hoping we can get people to lie on the stand to prove he lied.

In all cases we are going to have people who aren't getting hurt claiming to have saved the day while the hard workers are the pawns whose lives and livelihood aren't important enough to take care of these issues earlier!

Notes for fun:

I think it would be awesome if Tiger Woods won the Masters, spit on the trophy, and then turned WWE-style heel.  I don't now why, but I think it would be good for golf.

I'm a Red Sox fan.  Been one all my life.  Being at Game 4 of the 2004 World Series changed my sports life.  The Sox start out 0-6 and I am still convinced they will win it all.  Go figure!

Bye bye Manny.  Thanks for the memories.  I will never demonize you like others do, but it is time to take your $$ and memories and hit the road.  Good luck to you.

I just read the Commodore 64 is making a return.  Old look, new technology.  Man, how sweet!!!  I loved my C64.