As you may have heard, I have some issues with my timesheet at work. We have two systems that have to reflect the exact thing; even though one has dropdown menus that force you into certain categories that aren’t entirely accurate. So, last week I worked for a few hours on a project I was asked to do. The person asking told me how to report my time and to just squeeze it in when my primary job got a little slow.
I wrote it up and sent it in on the two timesheets. One of them was approved. The other rejected. This was done by the same person. In his rejection he told me that I can’t submit this because there was no one to bill it to, and that I owed the primary job 40 hours a week. That you need to work until the job is done and that has to be at least 40 hours, but we aren’t a 9-5 operation and that you can’t exceed the 40 hours regularly. I can’t tell you how much to do just that you aren’t doing enough. His diatribe went on for several paragraphs. Do you remember the discussion of “Flair” at the Chotchkie’s restaurant in the movie “Office Space?” Yeah, it was like that.
So here I am on a Saturday morning with 4 missing hours, and no way to get in to the office to make them up, and a company that wants us not to work on the weekends.
So I responded by saying that I was asked to do it this way and what do I need to do to make up the time and how is that going to mess up our billing? Six hours later (and yes I skipped the family outing because I needed to somehow figure this out), he-e-mails back saying “Oh, OK that’s fine. Please resubmit your time card.” ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
We have a new cell phone policy at work we were given two options. Option #1 was to assume the billing of our work issued cell phones and then submit re-imbursement. Or to get new phones on our own, return the company equipment and submit the bills for reimbursement. I don’t understand it either, but ok.
I decided to go with option 2, since I am due for a new phone anyway.
I e-mailed the lady in charge of the phones, who wrote the new policy, asking for the proper forms since I was (and I quote) “going with Option 2. And will be getting a new phone on my own. So I need to mail you the old equipment.”
She e-mails me back and says “Ok I will send the information “Which option are you going with.” You know I think I just told you that in my last e-mail. But I was polite and wrote back that it would be option 2. It is kind of like the person who after having an e-mail conversation with you finally requests your phone number even though it is in your signature line on every e-mail you send.
And don’t get me started on the credit card customer service call where I had to repeat everything at least three times. It seems his script and my telling of the story didn’t line-up.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
And Now For Your Listening And Dancing Pleasure
I have found some new music. But, when I say new it usually is not new chronologically but new to me.
I discovered an interesting group called the Vitamin String Quartet. They perform arrangements of modern music in a classical style. They have tribute albums to groups I have never heard of, but the one’s I’ve listened to are pretty entertaining.
If you like interesting fusions check out Nuttin’ But Stringz. These are two brothers who are Julliard trained violinists who mix Classical with Hip-Hop. This sounds like it wouldn’t work, but trust me on this.
There is another group called Rockabye Baby! That does instrumental lullaby versions of current songs. Ok this stuff is interesting. It is at times difficult to hear the melody; I suppose that can happen when you use a toy piano. They do some fun stuff like the Beach Boys and the Beatles. They also do stuff from Nine Inch Nails and Metallica. If anyone ever uses this darker stuff as actual lullaby music, please do not be surprised if your kid starts setting fire to things.
The Pickin’ On series is kind of cool in small doses. They do covers of popular tunes in a bluegrass style. My personal favorites are “Come on Aileen” and “Take On Me.”
In 2004 Paul Anka released an album of lounge covers of 80’s and 90’s songs called Rock Swings. This album is not to be studied as serious music, but if you can get into the spirit of it, it is quite entertaining.
I discovered an interesting group called the Vitamin String Quartet. They perform arrangements of modern music in a classical style. They have tribute albums to groups I have never heard of, but the one’s I’ve listened to are pretty entertaining.
If you like interesting fusions check out Nuttin’ But Stringz. These are two brothers who are Julliard trained violinists who mix Classical with Hip-Hop. This sounds like it wouldn’t work, but trust me on this.
There is another group called Rockabye Baby! That does instrumental lullaby versions of current songs. Ok this stuff is interesting. It is at times difficult to hear the melody; I suppose that can happen when you use a toy piano. They do some fun stuff like the Beach Boys and the Beatles. They also do stuff from Nine Inch Nails and Metallica. If anyone ever uses this darker stuff as actual lullaby music, please do not be surprised if your kid starts setting fire to things.
The Pickin’ On series is kind of cool in small doses. They do covers of popular tunes in a bluegrass style. My personal favorites are “Come on Aileen” and “Take On Me.”
In 2004 Paul Anka released an album of lounge covers of 80’s and 90’s songs called Rock Swings. This album is not to be studied as serious music, but if you can get into the spirit of it, it is quite entertaining.
Monday, October 19, 2009
It's on!
I have a question that I need help with. It involves e-mail etiquette, so there may not be a correct answer.
When is it appropriate to start the flame war by cc'ing the higher-ups?
I got a e-mail last week from someone in payroll or billing or something, I'd never heard of her. (for a company that has never had anyone leave, we sure have a lot of turn over) She immediately starts in with "You messed up your two time sheets. they don't match. You need to fix it. We ask everyone to assure they match, and you didn't. arrg arrg arrg." (or something to that effect.) Who cares right? Problem is she CC'ed my supervisors and some upper-ups in the company.
Now if some one CC's your boss after repeatedly attempting to get you to rectify a problem that makes sense, but this was straight out of the gate.
So I was at least smart enough to be professional in my response:
"It looks like the discrepancy is 1 hour.
The (first time sheet) section of the spreadsheet you sent does not reflect an entry in (Second time sheet) for 1 hour on Tuesday, between 1400 and 1500 for an all hands Conference call. This entry is listed as non-billable on the (second time sheet)entry that day and is categorized as: 'Administrative General Participant.'
That may be the missing hour."
I have already complained about the ridiculousness of having two time sheet systems. This error on her part was a direct result of having to compare data in the two systems. This is just a minor oversight on her part. But she came charging out of the gate with no build-up. I think that is inappropriate. I went ahead and CC'ed my response to that same people she did. This seem appropriate.
Interestingly she has not responded.
First of all, don't mess with me, my ship is tight.
Second, how about giving a brother a chance to look at something before jumping his train?
Third, I hope publicizing your error and forcing me to show your bosses that you screwed-up backfired.
When is it appropriate to start the flame war by cc'ing the higher-ups?
I got a e-mail last week from someone in payroll or billing or something, I'd never heard of her. (for a company that has never had anyone leave, we sure have a lot of turn over) She immediately starts in with "You messed up your two time sheets. they don't match. You need to fix it. We ask everyone to assure they match, and you didn't. arrg arrg arrg." (or something to that effect.) Who cares right? Problem is she CC'ed my supervisors and some upper-ups in the company.
Now if some one CC's your boss after repeatedly attempting to get you to rectify a problem that makes sense, but this was straight out of the gate.
So I was at least smart enough to be professional in my response:
"It looks like the discrepancy is 1 hour.
The (first time sheet) section of the spreadsheet you sent does not reflect an entry in (Second time sheet) for 1 hour on Tuesday, between 1400 and 1500 for an all hands Conference call. This entry is listed as non-billable on the (second time sheet)entry that day and is categorized as: 'Administrative General Participant.'
That may be the missing hour."
I have already complained about the ridiculousness of having two time sheet systems. This error on her part was a direct result of having to compare data in the two systems. This is just a minor oversight on her part. But she came charging out of the gate with no build-up. I think that is inappropriate. I went ahead and CC'ed my response to that same people she did. This seem appropriate.
Interestingly she has not responded.
First of all, don't mess with me, my ship is tight.
Second, how about giving a brother a chance to look at something before jumping his train?
Third, I hope publicizing your error and forcing me to show your bosses that you screwed-up backfired.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
12 Days
UPDATE: Andrew Klavan sums it up nicely: "But that a group of presumably serious individuals convinced themselves that they might give such an award to a man who has accomplished nothing but the winning of elections does indeed say something about Obama’s role in their lives and the lives of people like them. It shows that they regard him as an empty vessel that they have filled with their political hopes and dreams–that they know he’s such a vessel and that they’re comfortable with that. This means, if you follow the logic, that the committee has essentially presented the Peace Prize to themselves, to their own feelings and aspirations. Thus, this year’s Nobel Peace Prize is, in effect, the ultimate expression of leftism: it’s people giving themselves an enormous pat on the back for their own excellent intentions without regard to results."
Original Post: By February 1, 2009, our president had written two books, been a full-time Senator for about 1 year (3 years part-time), gotten elected, and danced at some fancy balls.
He had not bowed to the Saudi King, he had not given I-Pods as gifts to the Queen and Prime Minister of England. He had not yet started on his apology tour. He had not thrown Poland and the rest of Eastern Europe to the Bears, nor had he quadrupuled the national dept. He had not yet appointed seven tax cheats to his cabinet, not had he found any wise latina judges (actually that is wrong, they have been trying to appoint her since 1993). He hadn't known of any stupidly acting cops, nor had he ignored the hundreds of teaparties and hundreds of thousands of protestors. He had not yet urged us to report fishy behavior, nor had he then asked us not to. He had not yet ignored the Black Panthers voting intimmidation, nor ha he asked the NEA to bring artists together to support his agenda, nor had he ignored ACORN's. He had not yet given bankruptcy preventing money to us auto manufacturers, nor had they declared bankruptcy anyway.
He had not ended the two wars the US is in. He had not closed Guantanamo Bay. Nor had he disarmed the US of its nuclear weapons. He had not yet threatened CIA operatives with lawsuits. Nor had he left Israel to fend for itself. He had not yet met with Chavez, nor sided with Zelaya. He had not yet failed to support the Iranian uprising, nor had he renamed the war on terror. He had not yet reversed positions on Darfur or ignored human rights abuses by China. Nor had been put on the Security Council where he was in a better position to do so.
The ocean levels are about the same, we only have 50 states and it has snowed earlier than in recorded history in some parts of the nation.
So why did the Nobel Committee award him the Peace prize? He was not George W. Bush.
Original Post: By February 1, 2009, our president had written two books, been a full-time Senator for about 1 year (3 years part-time), gotten elected, and danced at some fancy balls.
He had not bowed to the Saudi King, he had not given I-Pods as gifts to the Queen and Prime Minister of England. He had not yet started on his apology tour. He had not thrown Poland and the rest of Eastern Europe to the Bears, nor had he quadrupuled the national dept. He had not yet appointed seven tax cheats to his cabinet, not had he found any wise latina judges (actually that is wrong, they have been trying to appoint her since 1993). He hadn't known of any stupidly acting cops, nor had he ignored the hundreds of teaparties and hundreds of thousands of protestors. He had not yet urged us to report fishy behavior, nor had he then asked us not to. He had not yet ignored the Black Panthers voting intimmidation, nor ha he asked the NEA to bring artists together to support his agenda, nor had he ignored ACORN's. He had not yet given bankruptcy preventing money to us auto manufacturers, nor had they declared bankruptcy anyway.
He had not ended the two wars the US is in. He had not closed Guantanamo Bay. Nor had he disarmed the US of its nuclear weapons. He had not yet threatened CIA operatives with lawsuits. Nor had he left Israel to fend for itself. He had not yet met with Chavez, nor sided with Zelaya. He had not yet failed to support the Iranian uprising, nor had he renamed the war on terror. He had not yet reversed positions on Darfur or ignored human rights abuses by China. Nor had been put on the Security Council where he was in a better position to do so.
The ocean levels are about the same, we only have 50 states and it has snowed earlier than in recorded history in some parts of the nation.
So why did the Nobel Committee award him the Peace prize? He was not George W. Bush.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Thoughts on the Olympics
1. I doubt the recent gang violence had anything to do with their decision.
2. I doubt Blago had any thing to do with their decision.
3. Does the international community have any knowledge of Oprah?
4. I doubt the current President had much to do with their decision. That is why the stupid speeches of "how much I want the Olympics in Chicago" were a dumb move. His trip is a high profile loss and he fairly or not will be saddled with it. (for about a week, until some new Jon and Kate news comes out.) But the problem is he and his people thought his very presence would make a difference. Look, if Juan Antonio Samaranch's empassioned speech didn't work, why would Obama's?
5. Why wasn't Michael Jordon there? Or if he was, why haven't we heard about it?
6. The final 4 cities were selected over a year ago, so to rush in and say it is Bush's fault is acknowledging only a small part of the decision making process.
8. I think the fact that about half of the citizens didn't want it there had some bearing.
7. Rio is the first South American city that has put up any kind of argument that suggests they could handle it.
8. The US's standing worldwide is down, but it is not just our Iraq involvement. Our dollar is down, our debt is up, we look weak. If you look like a wimp people will walk all over you, and not just in the location selection of sporting events.
2. I doubt Blago had any thing to do with their decision.
3. Does the international community have any knowledge of Oprah?
4. I doubt the current President had much to do with their decision. That is why the stupid speeches of "how much I want the Olympics in Chicago" were a dumb move. His trip is a high profile loss and he fairly or not will be saddled with it. (for about a week, until some new Jon and Kate news comes out.) But the problem is he and his people thought his very presence would make a difference. Look, if Juan Antonio Samaranch's empassioned speech didn't work, why would Obama's?
5. Why wasn't Michael Jordon there? Or if he was, why haven't we heard about it?
6. The final 4 cities were selected over a year ago, so to rush in and say it is Bush's fault is acknowledging only a small part of the decision making process.
8. I think the fact that about half of the citizens didn't want it there had some bearing.
7. Rio is the first South American city that has put up any kind of argument that suggests they could handle it.
8. The US's standing worldwide is down, but it is not just our Iraq involvement. Our dollar is down, our debt is up, we look weak. If you look like a wimp people will walk all over you, and not just in the location selection of sporting events.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Thoughts on Polanski...
a few years ago noted intellectual Cameron Diaz urged woman to vote to keep rape illegal (at the time I was unaware of any party supporting the legalization of rape issue).
now we hear the leading political thinkers like Whoopie Goldberg are supporting rape (so long as it isn't done twice as in "rape-rape")
Why did we not listen to Ms. Diaz?, we could have shut down this whole pro-rape movement.
See folks this is why we should stay away from the slipery slope.
now we hear the leading political thinkers like Whoopie Goldberg are supporting rape (so long as it isn't done twice as in "rape-rape")
Why did we not listen to Ms. Diaz?, we could have shut down this whole pro-rape movement.
See folks this is why we should stay away from the slipery slope.
Working is highly overrated
“Hey can you do this section of the project? I will work on the other part.”
“Sure. I’ll email it to you when I am done.”
“OK. I will be working on it over the weekend.”
So I work on my portion. Basically it consisted of doing some calculations to determine a value, that will be added into a software formula that will compute a benefit cost ratio for a project we are working on.
I then send it via e-mail.
I then get back a message, “Can you send me the data points I need?”
“Which ones?”
“The square footage, the discount ratio, the date of construction, the project costs” etc.
“Should I just run all the numbers in the software?”
“No, I’ll do that part.”
Yeah she will do the actual importation of the data into the software, but none of the background information. So, I ended up having to 95% of the work including putting it into the importable spreadsheet format, so that another person could hit run on the software.
Then we heard her say: “I got all the numbers to work.” Yeah, thanks for all your hard work.
I have a community I work with weekly on the development of a grant application. We have a standing Wednesday appointment. We have a deadline of Halloween. So the last two weeks on a row, he emails me and wants to move it to Thursday. No problem. Except that on both Thursdays he had to cut our work sessions short by about half. So we have a standing meeting for 3 months now, and he moves them to a busier day where we can’t actually accomplish all we need to. Of course he didn’t tell me we had to cut it short until I was there. Oh yeah, it is a 1 ½ hour one-way drive for me to get to his office.
For the past year I have been told that any time I work over 40 hours in a week, can be used for time off. I can only use it at 50% but still. So last march I took a comp time day off. I used 16 hours to take off an 8 hour day. So there is a state holiay comming up that is not company holiday. No problem I have over 100 hours of overtime. So I ask my supervisor how he wants me to record this on my time sheet. It turns out I am not authorized for comptime, and the company has no record of me earning any. Wow, thanks. The company gets to bill the client more hours (and they get on my case for not working additional overtime) and I get the saisfaction of kowing they are doing it.
“Sure. I’ll email it to you when I am done.”
“OK. I will be working on it over the weekend.”
So I work on my portion. Basically it consisted of doing some calculations to determine a value, that will be added into a software formula that will compute a benefit cost ratio for a project we are working on.
I then send it via e-mail.
I then get back a message, “Can you send me the data points I need?”
“Which ones?”
“The square footage, the discount ratio, the date of construction, the project costs” etc.
“Should I just run all the numbers in the software?”
“No, I’ll do that part.”
Yeah she will do the actual importation of the data into the software, but none of the background information. So, I ended up having to 95% of the work including putting it into the importable spreadsheet format, so that another person could hit run on the software.
Then we heard her say: “I got all the numbers to work.” Yeah, thanks for all your hard work.
I have a community I work with weekly on the development of a grant application. We have a standing Wednesday appointment. We have a deadline of Halloween. So the last two weeks on a row, he emails me and wants to move it to Thursday. No problem. Except that on both Thursdays he had to cut our work sessions short by about half. So we have a standing meeting for 3 months now, and he moves them to a busier day where we can’t actually accomplish all we need to. Of course he didn’t tell me we had to cut it short until I was there. Oh yeah, it is a 1 ½ hour one-way drive for me to get to his office.
For the past year I have been told that any time I work over 40 hours in a week, can be used for time off. I can only use it at 50% but still. So last march I took a comp time day off. I used 16 hours to take off an 8 hour day. So there is a state holiay comming up that is not company holiday. No problem I have over 100 hours of overtime. So I ask my supervisor how he wants me to record this on my time sheet. It turns out I am not authorized for comptime, and the company has no record of me earning any. Wow, thanks. The company gets to bill the client more hours (and they get on my case for not working additional overtime) and I get the saisfaction of kowing they are doing it.
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