Why do the majority of the Indian men in my office wear belts that are too long? Some wear belts that almost circle their body twice. Is this some type of fashion-forward trend coming out of India? Can anyone explain this odd phenomenon?
Archive for November, 2017
The Belts
Posted in work on November 30, 2017| 2 Comments »
Wasting Money
Posted in work on November 29, 2017| 1 Comment »
Today marks the third day this week I’ve had almost nothing to do. At best, only twenty percent of my day is spent actually working. The rest of the day I sit around waiting for deliverables. I’m not alone. I have a shared experience with consultants from other firms in the office. The general consensus is the department is horribly mismanaged. The salary expense for the consultants on my team is probably in excess of $10,000 a day. It’s no wonder the company made less than $4b of profit on revenues of $30b.
Marginally Better
Posted in work on November 28, 2017| 4 Comments »
Two new consultants arrived last week who will replace two departing team members. It appears the new consulting firm’s people are only marginally better than the two leaving. Their written communication skills have already proven to be lacking. One has taken over the task of creating a daily report which outlines the team’s project progress. The report migrated from a simple one-page email to a four-page PowerPoint presentation with charts and graphs. It was serious overkill. The team manager instructed the new consultant to return to the previous format since a PowerPoint presentation was a waste of time. WF and I had instructed the new consultant to stick the original format but she elected not the take our advice. No additional advice will be offered to her going forward.
A Few Scenes From Santa Fe
Posted in my life, Uncategorized on November 25, 2017| 6 Comments »
<img
Shopping For Skulls
Posted in friends, my life on November 22, 2017| 3 Comments »
Cindi and I had a late lunch today. Later, we hung out at her new studio and shopped for skulls.
Off To Santa Fe
Posted in friends, my life, Uncategorized on November 21, 2017| 2 Comments »
It’s been another day at work getting paid to do almost nothing. I’m dropping Ferdinand off at the pet hotel after work. I’ll be driving to Santa Fe in the morning as I’m spending the holiday at Donnie & Peter’s (the guys) house in the desert. Cindi is preparing most of the meal which the guys are hosting. I’m baking a pumpkin-persimmon pie. Madame, a wealth manager, and her girlfriend, the heiress (to a chemical fortune) will be joining us, along with the guy’s next-door neighbors. Cindi organized the menu which has been influenced by her recent adventure in Spain. I’m looking forward to getting away for a few days.
Professional Thieves
Posted in my life, neighborhood on November 20, 2017| 3 Comments »
The president of the homeowner’s board sent an email this morning alerting residents of a house break-in. The news comes just two before I leave for Santa Fe. The details lead one to believe this was a professional heist, as opposed to a smash and grab for easily fenced items to get money for drugs. The alarm system was disabled, the most valuable items in the house were taken, along with the removal of a wall safe. The thieves also stole a Range Rover from the garage leaving behind a Porsche Panamera and BMW 5 series. The thieves knew the location of the valuables and the wall safe, which leads one to believe the house was cased, or, it’s an inside job. The house is across the street from the rich guys’ mansion which is still being renovated. There’s a fleet of trucks on the street every day so pedestrians would not be suspicious if the thieves arrived in a work truck.
I really don’t have anything to worry about while I’m away. I have aging electronics. I don’t have a safe of any kind. My art isn’t valuable enough to steal. I don’t live on street filled with multi-million dollar mansions. Most of my assets are financial instruments. I guess I do need to worry about identity theft and financial cyber crimes. I’ll just bury those thoughts for now.
Shameful Behavior
Posted in my life, neighborhood on November 18, 2017| 7 Comments »
My neighbors next door decided to get a new dog since their aging Schnauzers were nearing end of life. They found the perfect dog, an all-black German Shepherd. The dog was flown to Denver from Hungary. A trainer accompanied the dog and stayed with the couple for two weeks to ensure the dog was settled in.
My neighbors walked the German Shepherd with an shock collar which did not comply with the leash laws. The German Shepherd attacked two other dogs on two separate occasions. My neighbors shelled out $800 to cover the vet bills for the dogs who were attacked. The neighbors continues to walk the dog off-leash with the shock collar but always walked the Schnauzers on-leash.
Last weekend, the husband flew to Boston with the dog to return it to the importers. It just didn’t work out for them. The dog will be rehomed in a rural setting. The importer did not refund $30,000 cost of the dog.
I think my neighbors have an out of control sense of entitlement given their wealth. Walking a dog off-leash even though it has attacked two other dogs is reprehensible behavior. No need to worry. They can afford to pay the vet bills for the injured dogs. Returning a $30,000 dog to the importer because it just didn’t work out. Simply, shameful behavior given they never tried walking the dog on-leash.
Wasting Time
Posted in work on November 17, 2017| 3 Comments »
My current project at work has a short execution window. The team lead provided the project documentation. WF and I have been partnered to bang this one out. Excellent progress was being made. A new project scope was sent out this morning. Most of the deliverables were cut from the project. WF and I essentially wasted three days working on tasks that are no longer part of the project. With only one small task left to complete which requires clarification from the product management, we’ve been sitting around with nothing to do. The other team members declined our offer of assistance on their projects. What the hell is wrong with this company? Miscommunication, confusion and inefficiency seen to be essential components of the company culture.
She’s Back
Posted in architecture, friends, my life, Uncategorized on November 16, 2017| 3 Comments »
Perry is back in town. She announced her return with a text that seemed longer than Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Perry spent the last few months selling art to tourists in Michigan. I’ll be meeting up with Perry on Friday night to attend the closing party for the art museum’s Geo Ponti building (the Italian architect’s only U.S. building), which is being closed for a $150 million renovation. I wonder if Perry has booked an appointment with Paddy. Let the drama resume.
The Corporate Slave 