Making it Legal...

Oral contracts are binding, it's just that often it is hard to enforce them.

However, everyone knows that a written agreement is more enforceable in court. So, here is a very condensed agreement (without proper verbage and clauses, no penalty for breach, etc.), in writing, of the oral agreement Jes and I made this morning.

In the Fall Semester Jesica agrees to get straight A's in her classes.

Upon completion of the Fall Semester and her completion of the terms of the agreement a trip to Europe and her choice of Italy, Spain, or France will be provided during Spring Break 2008!

Terms are subject to change...

Customer Service 101

I used to be a trainer in customer service for ClientLogic (a major call center outsource center). It was tough because I had to train people how to talk with common sense to people who were irate or just didn't know what they were talking about...usually because of some employee who neglected the customer's wishes in the first place. So, I think that I could probably teach some of the employees that try to help me in businesses.

Take, for example, Cameo. It was a simple purchase - I was just getting a USB extension cable. She took forever to ring up the woman in front of me in line and finally I placed the cable in front of her. She rang it up while speaking with her coworker and then the phone rang.

I'm sure you can guess that she answered it, but it seemed that she had just left another job: She answered, "Thank you for calling Wal-Mart...I mean OfficeMax. How can I help you?"

Though it was everything I could do not to laugh, I kind of felt bad for her. I felt bad, until I realized that she didn't excuse herself to answer the phone and then didn't apologize for the four minute phone conversation about her favorite store to shop at: Sears. What's worse? Not only did she not apologize, she didn't say anything the rest of the transaction...which lasted another 5 minutes. I almost went into training mode, but my wise better-half held my arm to notify me to shut-up!

So, next time you're at OfficeMax I hope that Cameo doesn't make an appearance to "help!"

He's Back

To protect his identity, I took a picture of the man arrested last Thursday, from behind. Yes, he rides a motorcycle. Yes, he loves Hooters. Yes, he actually is quite knowledgeable in most things business related. And yes, he is back in school...but probably without a knife.

Oh, and do you see that water bottle in the foreground? It will bring me 4 cents closer to a rockin' digital camera!

Is Honesty Unjust?

"Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy."

-Albus Dumbledore to Harry Potter after the return of He Who Must Not Be Named.

Thursday night 2 1/2 hours into my four hour nap time (otherwise known as Strategic Management or Management - Senior Assessment or Mgmt 490) four police officers stuck their heads in the door and two of them strolled almost to the end of the table farthest from me where there was an empty chair that, before break, was home to a young woman who sits with her friend every class. There was much commotion as the Prof. tried to continue to have class until the male officer took him into the hallway.

This left the female officer speaking with the absent girl's friend and those around the empty chair. Finally, trying to figure out what they were saying, I saw what all the commotion was about: the female officer picked up a knife with the blade already unfolded that had been sitting on the table hidden from my view by our course book.

We were stunned. We knew that the blade was over 2 1/2 inches and knew that the girl that it belonged to was out of school for good - her last class? And she gets kicked out of school for violating the weapon policy! Bummer!

Then, as the friend described how the girl found the knife in a chair she chose to swap with her own during the break, and as the officer was leaving the room carrying the weapon with blue rubber gloves in front of her like a dead squirrel, the business savvy motorcyle rider in class piped up:

"I think that that may be mine..."

Doh! All he had to do was keep his mouth shut and buy a new knife! But he was honest and probably saved some girl from misery and toil through the night. Unfortunately, all that stuff up there about the last class before graduation now pertains to him. I know that he violated the weapon policy. I also know that I'll forever remember his moment of honesty. It is too bad that the cops didn't see it that way:

08-16-2007 2000-0800
Case #07-0756 / Possession of Weapon on Campus (626.10 PC)
Description: At approximately 8:55 pm, officers responded to Jack Brown Hall regarding a found knife in a classroom. Upon further investigation the knife was found to belong to a male student, who was subsequently arrested for possessing a knife with a blade more than 2 1/2 inches.
Disposition: Arrest

Forty-Something

Happy Birthday, Moprah! Saturday was Jesica's mother's birthday. And unlike some Mother-In-Laws, mine is actually (yes, I'm going to say it) the bomb-diggity!

Does your Mother-In-Law fight with other swimmers in a game of grab the Toypedo before anyone else does?

Does your Mother-In-Law tell you crazy stories about the incredibly large body parts (parts that you hope don't enlarge on your body) she encounters in her work as a nurse?

Does your Mother-In-Law read Cosmo?

Does your Mother-In-Law really understand your spouse enough to pat you on the back with reassurance?

Does your Mother-In-Law call herself Moprah?

No? Too, bad for you...

Happy Birthday and thank you kindly for being a great influence in my life and for raising an incredibly wonderful woman! I'm glad to be in your family!

Also, for any of you who actually read this Blog, the answer to my last posting, a.k.a. my Hero, is Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.

Can You Guess My Hero?

Can you guess who this person is?



Professor of Rhetoric and seminary teacher and president of a college.



Wounded six times in six different battles and had six horses killed while riding them.



Shot through the hips from Right to Left.



Lt. Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier General, Brevet Major General, Govenor.



Recieved a Congressional Medal of Honor through the mail.



Knew the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin.



Are you close? At least there is a time frame and a location... Any guesses?




Here is a picture to help:

Core Competencies

This evening during my four hour class I woke up for 2 important concepts: Core Competencies and Distinctive Competencies.

Core Competency - something you are good at.

Distinctive Competency - something only you can do.

So, Mr. Donohoo stated that we are to defend Core Competencies as they may develop into Distinctive Competencies...like something that you've been doing and then patent. Anyway, he stated that his daughter has this great Core Competency that he thinks is so neat! It went like this:

"My daughter has this thing she does with a maraschino cherry. She puts the whole thing in her mouth, stem and all, and then spits out the stem after she has tied it in a knot with her tongue."

We all know people who can do this...everyone in the class knows what it means. I sure do because I can tie a stem with my tongue.

Foolishly, though, I was the only one that was brave enough to blurt out and shame the Profs daughter:

"That means she's a good kisser!"

Apparently, now that he knows my name and will never forget me, he is going home to have a conversation with his daughter.

At least I got a laugh from the class...