Meeting Decorum

Peter: Hey Brian there's a message in my Alpha Bits cereal!!! It says "oooooooooooooooo."
Brian: Peter those are Cheerios.

'Family Guy'

Hi All,
We've had more meetings lately than we can stand. It seems every day, they pull us into a conference room, or an office, or, if we're really special, the auditorium, and some new manager who has not a clue about this company stands up and tells us how 'great' things are going to be around here. Hoo-boy, things are going to CHANGE! We took a survey in February, and they wanted to share the results and tell us about the great new direction we're going in. Blah, blah, blah. I'll tell you what direction my department is going in: the same one it's been in for the nearly six years that I've been here.
We groundlings say: "We get soooo many calls from customers who comment that they truly dislike calling India for customer service."
Corporate Manager says: "Outsourcing has worked well for us. Next, we're moving operations to Malaysia and Canada."
Groundlings: "People really feel these restocking fees are unfair; thank God we got rid of them."
Corporate Manager: "We're bringing the restocking fee back!"
Groundlings: "Customers don't really like that they have to call the Corporate Office to get issues resolved."
Corporate Manager: "And now, to better serve our customers-a direct line right to you-the Customer Support Team at Corporate!"

You get the idea. At the last meeting, one employee stood up during the Q&A and said that we need a clear mission statement and that someone who has been here less than a year can't possibly know how to promote the change we need. That guy probably got written up for saying what he did, because, you know, Open Door means 'Only if I agree with you.' But he was right on! But, profits are up, stock is up, and Management is happy. And, we got decent raises. So I guess we should take it as it comes. I just tire sometimes of the endless politics and BS you have to put up with in an office environment. There's more stressful places to work, though, for sure. Try being a public school teacher! I've never had to wade through such deep piles of crap in my life. And it was all supposed to be about 'the kids.' Yeah. Suuure. Whatever people need to tell themselves so that they can sleep at night. Maybe it was just my particular school system. Southern, set in the ways....I wanted the kids to actually be engaged and working with each other. But the Principal said he wanted every student in a neat row, working on ditto sheets, not interacting with a soul. THAT, was 'good teaching.' I call that 'boring and possibly the worst type of 'teaching' there is.' Hand the kids a ditto sheet and have them sit at their desk quiet and bored all day. Thanks, Dad, for influencing me to be a fun free-spirited type. Dad was way ahead of his time with his teaching methods. I liked discussions and group work. And kids getting a chance to really express themselves.
Why I got off on that topic I haven't the foggiest. Oh yeah! BS and politics. It's not something I notice, to be honest, on a daily basis. These phony meetings just tend to bring it to light. I usually just stay at task on my job and let whatever fall around me. When you have your own cube, you can really become an island and block out whatever's around you. At least, I can. It makes for a nice day. My friend always tells me the office gossip because I never hear any of it myself. Am I in my own world? Sure. I like it there.
I'm about halfway through Terre's book, 'Tell Me That You Like It.' It's really a page-turner. I watch too many modern action movies and TV shows though. I keep hoping the heroine will learn karate and kick the villain's a**! Am I wrong? haha I keep hoping her mother will learn Skills With A Baseball Bat and take one to the deadbeat, ***hole ex-husband. Sorry for the profanity, but that's what he is! Bean watched 'Saw 2' last night while I was reading. I made her watch that in her living room. I could not stand it, I didn't think. I read some of the plot and since what I read made me ill, I imagined that the movie itself would. I don't know if she liked it or not. I've gotten squeamish lately. Not sure why. Just don't want to see kids getting tortured and murdered in gruesome ways. Maybe I've just seen enough of those types of movies. Irony is, I liked 'Saw,' the first one. Didn't bother me a bit! Who knows how this mind works. haha

Fun Things To Yell At Boring Meetings
1) "Geronimo!!"
2) "Where's the beef?"
3) "Remember the Alamo!"
4) "They're heeeeere!"
5) "The truth is out there!"

;)

Have a great weekend!
I'll be off celebrating Sweet Pea's 3rd birthday. Sweet Pea being my neice. Should be fun!