Random Ponderings on a Friday
Went out for breakfast this past week. When I saw more than half-a-dozen motorcycle police officers come into the restaurant where I was eating, I wondered just who was watching the streets of the local area for traffic violators. Then I remembered that President Obama was in the area and these guys were probably getting ready to be his escort from Westwood to LAX. Guess the streets were covered after all.
* * *
Sometimes breaking a rule can come back to bite you in the ass even though you did it with good intentions. Where I work we don't quote prices over the phone. But when someone called and said that one of my best clients had referred him, I attempted to give him a price range. I knew at the time it was a bad idea but he was insistent. Now the work is done, the price was above the discussed range and the new client isn't happy. I'm not happy either. With myself for not simply refusing to quote a price. Won't make that error again. I hope. But I need to release this and not stress over it. Easier said than done.
* * *
Was discussing performance evaluations with a friend the other day. When I was in the Air Force, enlisted personnel were given an Annual Performance Report at least once a year, and anytime they changed to a new direct supervisor. The various categories and overall ratings were on a scale from 0 through 9. So why was is that 92% of all APRs had an overall rating of 9 and 98% had an overall rating of 8 or better? Because most performance evaluation systems get skewed.
Where I work now we get rated on five categories and every client is afforded the opportunity to do the survey. Not all do. I've done over 300 returns this year and only 121 clients have done the surveys. Even though my ratings in four of the five categories after that amount of surveys is above 90% and the fifth category is over 85%, all I see are the negative surveys. I feel like I've failed those people that gave me negative ratings.
Why I focus so much on the few negatives and gloss over the few positives is hard to pin down.
* * *
Bruce Springsteen took a stand against the action by North Carolina to pass a law to discriminate against the LGBT community. Some are critical of his choice to cancel a concert that was scheduled for April 10th. I applaud the decision.
Lawmakers who want to appease their constituencies that are made up of religious zealots cannot be reached by any other way that through the coffers of government. When businesses make choices that tell these lawmakers that they will take their business to locations that will not support such discrimination, lawmakers may well listen.
* * *
Sam Rockwell, best known for his role as Security Officer Guy Fleegman in the 1999 film "Galaxy Quest" now says that the death of Alan Rickman ended the chance of a sequel to that film. That's sad news. I'd have loved to see a sequel to Galaxy Quest, whose brilliant satirical take on the sci-fi genre was just awesome.
* * *
Steven Bren is the son of the richest man in Orange County. He's also #5 of the most recent list published by California's Franchise Tax Board of the top tax delinquent taxpayers, with a balance due of $4.6 million.
The list says a lien was recorded against Bren in 2009. So how is it that he was able to sell a home last year for $5.4 million without that lien being paid off?
* * *
The fact that the billionaires and political operatives behind the "secret movement" to draft a retired Marine Corps general named James Mattis to run for President are people that we cannot trust tells me it is an idea that is not good for America.
* * *
Someone needs to tell Steve Wynn that poor people don't like being around him.
* * *
* * *
Sometimes breaking a rule can come back to bite you in the ass even though you did it with good intentions. Where I work we don't quote prices over the phone. But when someone called and said that one of my best clients had referred him, I attempted to give him a price range. I knew at the time it was a bad idea but he was insistent. Now the work is done, the price was above the discussed range and the new client isn't happy. I'm not happy either. With myself for not simply refusing to quote a price. Won't make that error again. I hope. But I need to release this and not stress over it. Easier said than done.
* * *
Was discussing performance evaluations with a friend the other day. When I was in the Air Force, enlisted personnel were given an Annual Performance Report at least once a year, and anytime they changed to a new direct supervisor. The various categories and overall ratings were on a scale from 0 through 9. So why was is that 92% of all APRs had an overall rating of 9 and 98% had an overall rating of 8 or better? Because most performance evaluation systems get skewed.
Where I work now we get rated on five categories and every client is afforded the opportunity to do the survey. Not all do. I've done over 300 returns this year and only 121 clients have done the surveys. Even though my ratings in four of the five categories after that amount of surveys is above 90% and the fifth category is over 85%, all I see are the negative surveys. I feel like I've failed those people that gave me negative ratings.
Why I focus so much on the few negatives and gloss over the few positives is hard to pin down.
* * *
Bruce Springsteen took a stand against the action by North Carolina to pass a law to discriminate against the LGBT community. Some are critical of his choice to cancel a concert that was scheduled for April 10th. I applaud the decision.
Lawmakers who want to appease their constituencies that are made up of religious zealots cannot be reached by any other way that through the coffers of government. When businesses make choices that tell these lawmakers that they will take their business to locations that will not support such discrimination, lawmakers may well listen.
* * *
Sam Rockwell, best known for his role as Security Officer Guy Fleegman in the 1999 film "Galaxy Quest" now says that the death of Alan Rickman ended the chance of a sequel to that film. That's sad news. I'd have loved to see a sequel to Galaxy Quest, whose brilliant satirical take on the sci-fi genre was just awesome.
* * *
Steven Bren is the son of the richest man in Orange County. He's also #5 of the most recent list published by California's Franchise Tax Board of the top tax delinquent taxpayers, with a balance due of $4.6 million.
The list says a lien was recorded against Bren in 2009. So how is it that he was able to sell a home last year for $5.4 million without that lien being paid off?
* * *
The fact that the billionaires and political operatives behind the "secret movement" to draft a retired Marine Corps general named James Mattis to run for President are people that we cannot trust tells me it is an idea that is not good for America.
* * *
Someone needs to tell Steve Wynn that poor people don't like being around him.
* * *
posted by me at 6:49 AM
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