Saturday, July 10, 2010

Three Things

Three subjects today. The first subject has three descriptions, the weird, the funny, and just plain wrong:

http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2010/07/06/when-quit/?icid=main|htmlws-sb-n|dl4|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fjobs.aol.com%2Farticles%2F2010%2F07%2F06%2Fwhen-quit%2F

Why do I think what they did was wrong? I just think you never burn bridges. A bad reputation is easy to acquire and terribly hard to change. A good reputation is hard work and even harder work to maintain but it is probably one of the most valuable things you can have. When I applied for the seasonal job that I have worked the last two years they asked for references during the initial interview. I have this thing with phone numbers. I will be damned if I can remember names or faces but I could sit down right now and write five hundred phone numbers and know who they belong to. When they asked for references I gave them ten phone numbers and names. They called and checked each one. One of the highest compliments I've ever received in my life was the first year that I worked there the female partner in the firm told me the only reason they were hesitant to hire me was that they didn't think they could live up to my reputation. I plan on working hard to keep that reputation and if I quit any job I'm doing in a way I don't burn bridges.

Next subject is inspiring women. I've never met this woman but I love her!

http://www.asylum.com/2010/07/07/77-year-old-crossing-guard-makes-ju-jitsu-history/?icid=main|htmlws-main-n|dl7|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asylum.com%2F2010%2F07%2F07%2F77-year-old-crossing-guard-makes-ju-jitsu-history%2F

What a great role model for all of us. I think the most exciting thing I do is either give a guest the remote control or try to navigate life without a to do list. I plan on changing that.

The third and final subject falls under the category of good health news.

http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/07/08/u-s-cancer-death-rates-drop/?icid=main|htmlws-sb-n|dl5|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolhealth.com%2F2010%2F07%2F08%2Fu-s-cancer-death-rates-drop%2F

I'm getting more positive each year that we will find a cure for cancer in my lifetime.

Questions for the day. Have you ever quit a job in such a way that you burned a bridge? Or is your reputation more important than that? Are you going to follow the ju-jitsu history making lady and try something that would surprise all of us? Is a cure for cancer forthcoming?

Who Am I?

Yesterday's answer was Ernestine Rose.

Since some of the women in my life were a royal pain last week today's Who Am I celebrates royalty.

I was born in 1838 and before I died in 1917 I became the last monarch of a Kingdom and the only queen regnant that the Kingdom ever had. I was born to a High Chiefess and a High Chief. In accordance with tradition I was adopted by another family. I was one of fifteen children. I spent my childhood studying and playing with my foster sister. I received my education at a Royal School and became fluent in English. I married at age twenty-four to a future governor. We had three children. My brother won a majority vote of the Legislature and was anointed king. After my younger brother's death the cannons sounded and I was named heir apparent of the throne being referred to from then on as Crown Princess. One of my first acts as Crown Princess was to tour the kingdom. I inherited the throne from my brother when I was fifty-three give or take a few years. I moved to get rid of the Bayonet Constitution that was signed under the threat of death before I took power. I drafted a new constitution that would restore the veto power to the monarchy and voting rights to the economically disenfranchised. The effort to draft a new constitution never came to fruition and it was the proximate cause of the overthrow of the Kingdom. Threatened my proposed new constitution, American and European businessmen and residents organized to depose of me. I was deposed and temporarily relinquished my throne to "the superior military forces of the United States". I had hoped the United States, like Great Britain earlier in the Kingdom's history, would restore sovereignty to the rightful holder. A provisional government, composed of European and American businessmen, was then instituted until annexation with the United States could be achieved. Grover Cleveland commissioned a study and based on its findings concluded that the overthrow of the Kingdomi was illegal and that U.S. Minister and American military troops had acted inappropriately in support of those who carried out the overthrow. Cleveland proposed to return the throne back to me if I granted amnesty to everyone responsible. I initially refused and it was reported that I said I would have them beheaded. With this development, then-President Grover Cleveland sent the issue to the United States Congress. I later changed my position on the issue of punishment for the conspirators and demanded my reinstatement by the Provisional Government. The Provisional Government refused. Congress responded to Cleveland's referral with a U.S. Senate investigation that resulted in a report that found all parties with the exception of the me "not guilty" from any responsibility for the overthrow. I was arrested several days after the failed revolution. I denied any knowledge at my trial, defended by a former attorney general. I was sentenced to five years of hard labor in prison by a military tribunal and fined $5,000 but the sentence was commuted to imprisonment in an upstairs bedroom. During my imprisonment I abdicated my throne in return for the release of my jailed supporters. Following my release I was placed under house arrest for a year and later received a full pardon. I then made several trips to the United States to protest against the annexation of the Kingdom by the United States. For two years I entered claims against the U.S. totaling $450,000 for property and other losses, claiming personal ownership of the crown lands, but was unsuccessful. I died from complications from a stroke. Who Am I?

4 comments:

Pat said...

I rather enjoyed the first story, but the other two were just mean. And not conducive to having a good career. I agree with you, Bill, that burning bridges is a Very Bad Idea. I don't think I've ever burned a bridge, at least not where work was concerned.

I doubt very much that I'll ever emulate the ju-jitsu woman, but she is certainly admirable.

A cure for cancer is a very big ambition. Treatments have improved greatly, and some cancers can apparently be cured these days. A total cure for all cancers? Not anytime soon, but I think that gene therapy and stem cells are the most promising things at the moment.

William J. said...

Hi Pat

I can't imagine you ever burning a bridge, I can see you standing up for yourself but in a way that wouldn't burn a bridge. I kind of thought all the stories were funny but the last two were dark humor. I dad my mean jeans on when I read the article.

That ju-jitsu woman is absolutely admirable!

As to cancer I think of where we were ten or fifteen years ago and where we are now and that makes me optimistic.

Bill

Lady DR said...

Okay, posted my comments and they've not shown up, so here's a (very) brief recap.

The "quit" bits were, IMHO, lacking common sense, professionalism and good judgment.

I agree with your comments about reputations - a good one takes time and work to build and maintain and is worth its weight it gold. Trying to rebuild it is difficult, if not close to impossible. My reputations is worth more than an ill-advised vent or action.

The jijutsu lady is incredible and an example to behold.

Cure for cancer in my lifetime? Some, I sincerely hope. There are so many variaties/causes/genes/etc involved, I don't hold a lot of hope for complete coverage,but am so encouraged by the progress being made.

William J. said...

Hi DR

Lack of professionalist pretty much hits the quit stories on the head but I will admit I did laugh at a couple of them.

We obviously agree on reputations. Any reputation is more important then getting even.

Like I said to Pat I think back to ten and twenty years ago and where were with cancer and where we are now and that gives me hope.

Bill