Yes Dad

On the phone with Dad yesterday:

Dad: Well hello baby.
Me: Hi Daddy.
Dad: What it is?
Me: Just driving home.
Dad: Did you check your oil?
Me: Yes Dad.
Dad: Lie?
Me: Yes Dad.
Dad: Check your oil.

Turns out I am going to have that exact conversation once a week until eternity.

The silver lining? My brother also has the same conversation at least once a week.

The funny part? He never checks his or mom's.

Writer's guild, writer's guild, wherefore art thou writer's guild?

I miss TV. I am not embarrassed by my love of sitting around at night and watching sitcoms , dramas and even Lifetime movies. It is my unwind time. I laugh, I cry, I allow myself to become vested in a world that is not my own. I love it. This strike is slowly stealing my sanity by not allowing me to escape from time to time.

I have been blessed with a curse recently. The Colbert Report has returned to me, but without writers. This show is of such importance that I receive Google alerts on it right along with alerts for my clients. I fancy myself pro-union, so does this make me a scab viewer?

I know there is new research showing things like forcing kids to apologize when they are not really sorry causes them more harm than good, but I, the third party am suffering irreparable damage. So, networks, writers, lets play nice. I pay too much for cable with no writers.

Monkey see Monkey do

People have always wondered if they in fact worked with a bunch of monkeys. That may not be far from the truth. When reading The Paper yesterday I came across an interesting article outlining the political systems of different animal cultures. The rhesus monkey stood out as the winner of the mock election "Most like some douche I know".

Rhesus monkeys are strategic when vying for the top spots in their political system. They challenge one another for power, they get everything else after. Like people, it is not about the strongest individual, or who is right, it is about which individual has more people on their side. The rhesus waits patiently, watching for signs, and when the risk is minimal they assist the side of the clear winner. They will only put on this show of loyalty when the party in “need” is already higher than they are in the pecking order. No need to help someone who can’t help you right?

Here lies the benefit of playing the game, if you always rally behind the clear winner; you will always get to take a step up with a social promotion or perhaps a real one. If you choose not to play, expect life to stay the same. I would generally suggest leaving a situation that doesn’t place many monkeys on your side however, Dario Maestripieri has reminded me that no matter where we are, the problem will always lie with interactions among other monkeys, err… people.

Dario Maestripieri, a primatologist at the University
of Chicago, has observed a similar dilemma in humans and the rhesus
monkeys he studies. “The paradox of a highly social species like rhesus monkeys
and humans is that our complex sociality is the reason for our success, but it’s
also the source of our greatest troubles,” he said. “Throughout human history,
you see that the worst problems for people almost always come from other people,
and it’s the same for the monkeys. You can put them anywhere, but their main
problem is always going to be other rhesus monkeys.”

Dive right in

Working hard, being appreciated for it, and going home. Seems easy enough. Employers are always "seeking hard working, dedicated, motivated"...fill in the almost infinite amount of terms available. In return for being what they're looking for, they make some promises to the new employee about who they are. This is where it can go sour.

Now, I am aware that am included in what is disgracefully being called the "entitlement generation", but when I ask around, it seems we are only asking for what was promised to us. Reviews, training, time off, seminars, travel; the list grows as I think of friends and the stories they tell. Perhaps there is a "broken promises generation" out there.

A recent article in Advertising Age lets me realize there is hope as someone is out there championing the idea of fostering growth in an employee while increasing their loyalty to the employer.

Little things like acknowledging a good job and following up on questions should be easy enough. "Don't sweat the small stuff", it's a cute phrase but let's face it, little things matter. When I talk to my friends, no matter what career path they have taken, the number one complaint is not feeling appreciated. Maybe it is because our parents were told not to hit us, to reinforce the positive and talk through the negative, but whatever the case we are all here now, and the next crop will be even more interested in instant gratification.