File This Under "You Should Know Better"

Link

Enough said I think.

Low Speed Doesn't Mean Low Excitement

I saw an article about this incident in Wednesday's paper. Someone from work found the videos on YouTube and showed them to me on her phone (it's blocked on our computers at work). I didn't link them from here because they are full of shall we say lots of words I don't want my niece ever using. The article noted that charges are also being considered against the filmer. He's already had nearly 50,000 views on YouTube. He actually predicts as he's taping it that it will be a YouTube hit.

Jerry Springer Would Be Proud

Last week I went to get our company's mail from the letter carrier. I asked her how she was doing, and she said "I've got drama". I said "We've all got drama". She then told me this story, and yes, she has drama.

"Baby momma and baby daddy are in jail, and the other grandma's got the baby and she won't let me have him. I'm going to have to call my lawyer".  She also stated that the other grandma's nuts, the parents don't take the kid there much, but they were there with the baby when whatever caused the arrests went down.

Yes, can't you see this as an episode of Jerry Springer? Because that's what immediately came to my mind.

I saw her a couple of days later, and I asked how things were. She said they were better as Baby Momma was out of jail and had the baby. Baby Daddy (aka her son) was going to be in jail for awhile as he resisted arrested and ended up getting Tased. She of course said it was stupid of him to resist.

Appreciate your own life right about now?

Interesting Article on Covert Recording

My friend sent me this article about smartphones making it much easier to surreptitiously record conversations in the workplace. It was very interesting. Let's face it, I'm sure we've all had times where we'd have loved to record a conversation and play it back. It's much easier to prove that you've been lied to for example.

I told my friend that I enjoyed the article. She then asked if it was legal in our state. I didn't know, but my friend Google helped me find the answer right away.

I found that our state is a "one party state" as defined below, as are a majority of states:

One Party States

• One party to the conversation must have knowledge and give their consent to the recording of the conversation. In the most simple terms, this means that if you were having a conversation with another person and you "secretly" recorded that conversation, since "one party," (you) were aware that the recording was being done, no law was being violated. In the event the party you had the conversation with later changes what they told you, the tape could be used as rebuttal. This does not mean, nor does it imply that it is "legal" to tape conversations that you are not a party to and without question, that would be an invasion of privacy and a state and federal crime.

So yes, absent a company policy to the contrary, you are good to go. This has made me tempted to see how much a small recording device would run as I am too cheap to have a smart phone. It would also behoove people to remember not to say anything they wouldn't want quoted on the front page of the newpaper, the headline page of CNN, or a billboard on the busiest highway in town.

Great Legal Term

The current (August 2011) issue of Money magazine spotlights the author of a book entitled "Willful Blindness: Why We Ignore the Obvious at Our Peril". I loved the term "willful blindness", and I liked it even more when I read the definition. Here it is as quoted:

Willful blindness is a legal term; it means that there were things that you could and should have known about a situation, but you chose to remain ignorant.

How many times have you seen examples of this in your personal or professional life? It reminds me a lot of the "ostrich sticking its head in the sand" analogy. You are purposely trying not to know.

Since I work in HR, I've seen many instances of willful blindness at work. Let me share one with you- people working off the clock. First, a brief summary of pay rules for nonexempt employees. Your employer is REQUIRED to pay you for ALL hours that you work. Of course, your company can reserve the right to preapprove any hours that you work. However, if you work without gaining this approval, they still HAVE to pay you. They can of course discipline or even terminate you for not getting preapproval, but they still owe you the wages.

We (HR) have had complaints from time to time about people working more hours that they are turning in for payment. One supervisor said "I know Jane comes into work early, but she does personal things like her online banking". Well, let me tell  you, her online banking screen sure looks an awful lot like the enterprise software that we use to run our company. Another clue: Work e-mails are sent outside the hours for which the person is being paid-DUH. Even if you claim you didn't notice, "you could and should have known".

Next time you hear someone trying to use a dubious ignorance excuse for something, remember this phrase. I bet it won't be too long before you find a situation to which it applies.

It's a Sign

Today I went to a minor league baseball game. It was an absolutely perfect day for it. During the game, it was posted on the scoreboard that school was cancelled tomorrow for that locality due to power outages from yesterday's storm (a person at the game told me 30 schools were without electricity). I was struck that you should not see school closing notices during baseball season. Dear school system- this is YOUR SIGN that you are starting school far too early.

P.S. The team came from behind at the bottom of the 9th to win. It was great.

Divine Timing

Last night I was on my way to get gas after having dinner with my family. The road I was going to take was blocked by a police car. I assume this was due to damage from the severe thunderstorm that came through while we were eating. I took the detour which added at least 5 minutes to my trip (Topic of the sermon we had just heard at church before dinner? Patience. Yes, God has a sense of humor if you didn't already know that). I filled up my car and headed home. Just a couple miles before I got here, I had one of those driving experiences that you rarely get- it was sunny out the driver's side window, and I was driving through rain. I thought to myself- this is rainbow weather. Sure enough, shortly before my turn off of the highway, I saw one. Once I got off the highway, I pulled into a parking lot, grabbed my camera, and took these shots.

Not only did I get some great shots, if you look closely at pictures 1-3, it was a DOUBLE rainbow.

I was struck by the divine timing involved in getting these shots. The rainbow was only there for a couple of minutes. Had I not had to take the detour, I wouldn't have been able to take these pictures. I normally don't carry a camera with me either, but I'd had lunch with a friend yesterday, so I had one. Divine timing all around. I'm very appreciative.

Deal of the Week

Tide is my detergent of choice. It's not always cheap, but it is great stuff. My target price is to pay not more than $5 after coupons for the 32 ounce bottle. This week Kroger has it on sale for $5.99 a bottle. If you buy 2 bottles, they give you $2 off. Already the price is $4.99, so time to buy. But wait, there's more. Recently there was a $2 coupon PER BOX good on powdered only. I have 2 of these coupons. Final price- $2.99/box. Kroger, here I come! Once I was in the store, I learned something interesting. The sale was good for a 32 load bottle or 40 load powder. Yes, the powder is WAY cheaper per load. I have no idea why. The liquid is my preferred, primarily since I use it to pretreat stains in lieu of other special products because it works so well. But for this deal, powder is my friend. I also have a couple of bottles on the shelf as there have recently been some decent sales on Tide, though none as good as this one.

If you use Tide and can find some coupons, get to Kroger this week. I saw today that JayC will have the same sale starting tomorrow. It's quite a deal.

Great Quote About 401(k) Matches

I was reading a book this weekend and came across a fantastic quote about 401(k) matches:

What makes them so good is that many employers add 25 cents to 50 cents or even more to each dollar you choose to save this way. This is free money. If your employer offers a deal like this and you're not taking full advantage of it, you're an idiot (Well, I'm sorry, but c'mon: if your local bank decided to give out free money to attract deposits- say, $500 for each new $1,000- there would be riots in the streets, so eager would people be to get in on it.)

Andrew Tobias, The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need (2005 edition)

I loved this for 2 reasons. First, it's totally true. Second, I love the way he says these things. It's like reading something I would have written! Interestingly enough, my team recently had a conversation about how many people at our company are not putting ANY money in their 401(k)s. (Being in HR sometimes give you access to interesting data).

Our base match is 50% on the 1st 6%, and 75% after 7 years. The match money is yours after you've been with the company for 3 years. My coworker has told people before "this is money with YOUR name on it".  I know times are tough, but nearly everyone can save something. Please, please, please, sign up if you are eligible, even if it's just 1%. You must then make a deal with yourself to raise it when you can. For example, when you get a raise (I know that's a big if for many companies), raise your contribution by at least 1%, more if you can swing it. If your income is low enough, the government will even subsidize your saving with the Saver's Credit. Investing in your future is a great thing to do, and a company match really helps multiply your money.

A New Record

Today my boss received this e-mail (identifying information has been removed):

From: XXXXXXXX
Sent: Tuesday, August 02, 2011 9:47 AM
To:  XXXXXXX
Subject: Resignation

XXXX,
I'm sorry but I cannot work for XXXXXXXX, it is not a good fit for me. I apologize for the time and effort I have made you waste but the XXXXX office felt like a prison cell that no one spoke in. Please alert the XXXXXX office.

XXXXX X. XXXXX

This guy started YESTERDAY! It seems he came to work this morning, then left the office around 9:10. People assumed he went to the restroom. I don't think anyone even noticed he was still gone until my boss forwarded this to them (they are in another state). 

My favorite part is of course the "felt like a prison cell that no one spoke in". For some time some of us have said that the office in question has some issues.

My coworker asked how you could know enough in 1 day to quit. I told her that I once quit a job after one day. It was that obvious that it was not a good fit for me. Another coworker said she had done that too. When it's that bad, it's that bad.

Bye Bye Battery

Today after work I got in my car and drove to the mailbox at the end of our company's drive. After I deposited the mail in the box, I got back in my car and turned the key. Nothing but clicking. I tried again, the same result. I was almost positive it was the battery as it's over 9 years old. I could have called AAA, but I knew that would probably entail a long wait. I got someone from work to jump my car (with my battery cables of course. I am my father's daughter) and headed straight to AutoZone. After having it  tested (for free, it's part of their service), it was indeed determined that the battery was dead. I left about half an hour and $114.24 later with a fresh installed (also part of the service) battery.

It was crazy that I had no warning. It started just fine after work, then 3 minutes later wouldn't start at all. I am very thankful it died there and not late at night in the pouring rain in some area without people around. I hope this battery lasts as long as the old one. Good job Ford on OEM batteries!