At the End of April

April 30th, 2011 Thomasso

Another month gone by, and hopefully the next one, May, the weather will start warming up outside. It has been so cold so far for spring, and I am getting sick of it. I will not miss April. I will not miss the days full of rain, and those days when the nights dipped below the freezing mark. I just want April to be a distant memory by tomorrow morning.

I know, this year is the La Niña winter and spring effect, according to the US weather observation web site. You do not have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that so far, as this season, it has been bitter cool one so far. Along with the rain and super cloudy days, I am just hating it. I am sort of hoping that it will at least start to warm up enough so that the days are sunny, and not overcast all of the time really soon. I really do not mind if the summer is cool, as the super hot summer suck too, but this has to start quickly, or I am going to go back into hibernation!

On Monday, Election day, I have an interview with a very sought after employer. I will be doing the interview first thing in the morning, so Tomorrow I will be going to bed unusually early so that I can start Monday around 5:00am. I want to be fully awake for that interview.

Not only am I to have the interview, but there is going to be some testing too right after. Apparently, a lot of Canadian businesses are following the American’s lead into this. I guess they figure it works – weeding out the undesirables and looking for that perfect fit. Sure? And there is of course a drug test, and criminal background check also.

I wonder if they have a political aptitude test too? You know, weed out Communists and Liberals?

So fingers crossed, and I am putting on all of my lucky charms. I really want to work there!

I am liking the new/latest Ubuntu look and feel. I like the new Desktop that Ubuntu 11.04 has come out with, it looks really sharp and well organized. It is taking some time to get used to, but so far everything is looking great. My PC seems to be running a little bit smoother with the new setup.

Of course, no new upgrade can come without the calls and emails from my friends who are finding some of the new changes a little hard to cope with. I was prepared this time. I am now sending out links for the all How-To website that I can find. Most of the changes on the Desktop are cosmetic, so it is just a matter of finding what you are looking because the icons have changed. This is a major change to the Desktop so I have already received about ten emails asking where everything is.

I think Ubuntu has gone with the Unity Desktop theme because is looks more like the Smart Phone face than anything else. I think more and more people are loading Ubuntu onto their touch pads and phones. Yes, apparently you can do that. Plus, I know most people now have really wide monitors, so having the icons along the side now makes sense. Navigation is a little hard to get used to, but once you get the feel, it works just as well as the carrot-stick menu bar did.

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Frustration: Cold Cuts and Mysteryville

March 8th, 2011 Thomasso

I have been going like mad, jumping through hoops, and bending myself, to fit the needs of others in the world of my new career path. At 1:00pm today that little world suddenly closed up, and within the time it took to press the Enter key, that door shut. I had been working on some contract work within the scope of setting up a project in the form of rehabilitation programs for inmates who would seek special permission to enter this project, and we would offer counselling.

Just a note here: I have to be vague about this contract becuase of the nature of its content. I know it sounds like I am talking in riddles and circles, but I have to. The goals are still the same and direction is still moving forward, but competition is huge, and I will not let the team down. Plus, I need to start making some serious money here!

Like all efforts through government and private venture, the money holder want guarantees, fitting their ideology and needs, and yet the flexibility to meet the market demands. Cost seems to be the sticking point. And oddly enough, it was not the high or low end of the money scale that was the issue, it was the “happy” scale that seemed to matter. Let me clarify some more here. You have to spend the prescribe amount of money to make the world of the bureaucratic agency happy. Due to some weird rule in the accounting department, there is a scale that is posted, and everything must fit nicely into that. The only problem is that they do not share that information.

So, if we were to volunteer our services, then the bureaucratic agency would not have the effective control that they desire, as part of that check and balance issue that gets tossed around many times over. So spending the money means having some sort of leverage over the third party, or group in lieu of services. If you ask for too much money in your budget, then you are simply over priced and no longer fit the mandate of that agency. So where is the middle, happy, ground?

Well, I have not found it—yet.

So, I am frustrated at this point in time. Myself, and the rest of my team have decided not to wait out the  April 15th deadline and have already started onto other projects. We have also put the word to our other colleagues as to our dismal performance with this project, and have posted numerous warnings and questions on the forum website that we use.  I read the forum too, and have seen other patterns, with other groups, who have gone through similar problems that we have experienced.

I may have to consider relocating to another province if I am to continue with on my career path. British Columbia seems to be over saturated, and lowering its standards based on the facts and figures that I have right now. If too many practitioners are released into the workforce, then their value drops, but if they all relocate, then the talent drains away from the source into other markets, and market place stagnates.

Sustainability on my part is my immediate concern, as somewhere in there I need to make a living too.

Posted in Bitching about work, Criminal Law, Criminology, Diatribe, General, Law, Social economics, Social Justice | Comments Off

Contact or Contract

February 20th, 2011 Thomasso

The end of the weekend is here, and I still have so much to do today that I could be doing a all nighter, but I have to stop and give my brain a rest. Yes, I am doing the contract signing deal thing, still working with this contract that just will not go away. On top of this, I think I am being cursed with grumpy people all around me. However, the hight point was meeting people of importance, that added that extra special element to the last couple of days.

OK, three weeks ago I started looking at government contracts, and looking at taking on some of these for myself, one could say “kind of that job security thing” that we need during these tough times. Well, I have come to the conclusion that our government is just as messed up as the corporations that should have gone into bankruptcy during the last market meltdown. I am talking cheap!

I had hired a lawyer to review the negotiated contract that I poured over for the last few weeks, and was advised of over fifty potential issues that could bite me on the butt if I proceeded with it. I went over each item and found even more that the lawyer missed, so naturally, the alarms went off. When I sent several memos to the referring office, I found myself waiting for most of the day before I got word back with only some of my questions answered. I was not surprised.

The contract is starting to be like a waste of time as I am starting to see the patterns developing from this. I may pass on this venture and rejoin my original team as far as employment goes. I am not discouraged from this, as there are always contracts popping up on a regular bases, but you really need to watch out for those “greasy” sections where you could loose everything if you forget to cross a “t,” or dot an “i.” Yeah, no thank you.

My weekend of dealing with grumpy people is starting to make me seriously grumpy. I never heard so much complaining in such a short time, as this weekend, and this is just from my friends and neighbours alone – not just the guy in the Laundromat. Most of all the complaining can be traced back to money, or lack there of. I know statically, February and March are high point for depression, and not surprisingly it is weather related, but when you have a young woman crying that she cannot make ends meet, while puffing away on a cigarette, I am sorry, you will get very little sympathy from me on your money matters. If you can not pay your rent, yet still afford a pack of cigarettes, then you are ass backwards to the wind my dear. Yes, you know who I am talking about!

I know, tough talk, but hey, someone once gave that same talk and set me on a better path.

Dealing with the above mentioned contract, I was able to meet with some very influential people, some at the Federal government level, and some at the community level. Although at the time I did not know who they were, once the meetings were over, I sort of got the clues as to who I was dealing with. I can say that I am networking, and network at a astonishing rate. I just wish these people would wear name tags, so I know.

Well, I must get back to my overgrowing pile of paperwork. I must get this stuff out by tomorrow. What a week–what a weekend. Hey, the sun did not slow it down either. Two great sun filed days of perfect sunny weather, I thought it was summer for a small time! Until next time.

Posted in Bitching about weather, Bitching about work, Diatribe, General | 2 Comments »

The Eight Key Calculator

December 29th, 2010 Thomasso

As the last of my hours trickle by at my work, the cleanup seems to be the hardest thing to do before I give the last heave-ho into the sunset and leave this Grey work life behind. Cleaning up my desk, getting all of my paperwork prepared and ready for the move to the new smaller location has been the a daunting challenge because the people who I am passing this on too have no idea what it is they are getting themselves into. From eight employees, down to just three, they are in for a very rough term until the contracts finally run their course. Downsizing until the final crunch must be painful for all those involved.

I have worked with some very amazing people. Some I suspect I will keep in contact for the months and years to come, and others will just fade away into obscurity from my memory. For the last three years there have been some good times along the way, especially over the last twelve months.

Eight Keys

At the back of my desk there is a broken calculator that barely displays numbers, and has the number 9 and 7 buttons missing from its face. This calculator has a bit of history for me because it spells out the dark side that I have endured while working here. This is my personal property, a unit that I bought to aid in my job to help me become more productive. The office adding-machine finally ended up with the HR Manager, who ended up quitting just a few weeks ago over some mysterious disagreement, and the adding machine has not been seen since. Months earlier, my calculator was vandalized due to an fellow co-worker who felt that anytime anyone brings in tools into the work place, then that tool automatically becomes the property of the worker common-hood, and is designated as general use.  I, of course, disagreed with that nonsense and took my property back citing that no where does this rule apply in the company doctrine of work place conduct. The next morning I found the calculator sitting on my desk, in pieces. Later that month that employee was let go, albeit for other more serious reasons, but in my mind, my complaint did add to his final demise.

I kept the calculator as a reminder that some people can be truly filled with hate and deceit, and that commonsense is not that common. But today I will throw it out as its symbolism has served its purpose.

Disorganization

Pandemonium is the best word that I can think of to describe these last couple of days.  As I mentioned before, I am training a person who is already under so much pressure, wearing several hats to begin with, that she is showing signs of cracking. I do not think that she will absorb all the knowledge that she must have before I leave, so I fear that this might push her over the edge. My time has been served, but deep down inside my subconscious thoughts feels some sort of responsibly for her. I wish her so much luck in the days and weeks to come.

“Non communication,” is the other big issue around here right now. People making decisions to solve their immediate problems that effect other departments seems to be my personal gripe right now. The cascading effects rumble throughout the office causing so much stress and confusion that I heard one person saying that he is ready to walk off the job, right now, because his department had been overlooked when the move started on Boxing Day. It is difficult to verify any new bit of information as our lines of communications are down: no phone, internet and fax. We are all blind, reading only hearsay, and when we talk, our voices echo off the empty walls. It is a deafening feeling.

Did I say how much I want this to end? Oh, I think I did, several times. I will stop now. Sigh…

Posted in Bitching about work, Diatribe, General | 4 Comments »

I Got an A In My Soup

December 22nd, 2010 Thomasso

It appears that I’m one more step closer to my goal of graduating. My Political Science prof finally posted the grade for that class. I am very pleased to say that I got a A+ in that class. I was surprised, especially when I poured so much energy into my French class. It’s weird because I have to remember that my Political Science class was only a first year course, so it was graded at a first year level, not when I’m used to, grading at a fourth year level.

I did get some feed back from my French prof. I think I passed the course, but I can’t be sure because the grade has not been officially posted, only what was written on the course website. It is very cryptic the way the overall marks of the assignments are posted and categorized. So I’m only going to say that the probability of me completing everything to graduate with is good, but officially I’m not going to break out the booze (I don’t drink) yet.

The pressure from my peers, and the university, are still crushing my daily routines. Today I had to run off to the post office to send out my applications to see if I can do the honours degree, plus my graduation application, which was a re-submit because the first one needed additional forms attached. Nothing is easy in this world of academia as far as bureaucracy goes. It is a race against the clock to get this off so that I can have my paper work for my future employer all in order. On top of that, I had to send off two emails for my current employer whose now wants more of my time with the seasonal rush. These weren’t your little garden variety emails with one or two lines of text. No, these were the dreaded “how to” emails for the garden variety dummy out in the work place who probably doesn’t know how to read anyway. I don’t know who will get them, but I’m making them very detailed.

It also appears that I will be working through the holidays, as I said before, but that doesn’t bother me being that my time is up with them at the end of the year anyway. Hey, I’ll have plenty of time to rest once that is done.

Most of the my co-workers have said that they’ll miss me. They are all in limbo too as the economy is sitting at rock bottom and jobs are super slow right now. I’ll miss them too, but not as much. I barely got to know most of them because I only encounter them for very short periods of time during the week, maybe once or twice. I know there names, what they do, and some basic general information, but for the most part, they are strangers.

Well, I must go. Time to enjoy winter, in my shorts. This weather is crazy!

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Work pluss Home Equals No Fun at All

November 29th, 2010 Thomasso

Yes, I’m still cranking out this term paper for my Political Science class. It is 95 percent done now. Just need a pretty cover page and a good proof read, then it is off to the printers.

Work is going well, I guess. I can feel the stress in my “trainee’s” voice as I pass all of my knowledge onto her. Sadly, they thought that what I did at the old warehouse was just a walk in the park. They had no idea the width and breadth that is involved in such an operation, let alone the riggers of keeping on top of everything, including the manual labour.  Oh, did I say manual labour – yes I did. In fact, that seems to be the missing part of the whole equation for running a warehouse, the lifting, moving and operation of mobile equipment. It is one thing to work behind a desk, but quite another concept when the actual operations of the warehouse are carried out. Awh, the labourer. Fun stuff.

I can feel the end nearing now. The classes are really winding down. I have to pinch myself just thinking that this is it – soon no more classes. Oh Gods, I have done 40 courses – and it will be over soon – in 10 days, 4 hours and 24 minutes. Give or take a few seconds.

Posted in Bitching about work, Criminology, Diatribe, General, Homework and deadlines, University classes | Comments Off

Where is Tom?

November 18th, 2010 Thomasso

Well, the real question is, what have I been up to since my last blog entry?  The short answer: I have being working like a mad man, trying to keep up with all my commitments, keeping up with the changing world around me and exploring the new world of criminology, the new career path that I have chosen.

This week is my last major round of midterms for the rest of the semester until finals. Monday was work, then the second interview for one of the employers that I would like to work for. Tuesday was French class, then writing my exam with the Justice institute. Yesterday was work/training my replacement, then the Political Science exam/midterm. Today, Major French midterm and work, but need to do several trips while in Vancouver for my applications. Tomorrow, I have planned two more interviews, and the onsite evaluation with Corrections Canada.

Over the weekend I got to play advocate for a School yard bullying incident that took place several months ago with two grade eight students in the Lower Mainland. This was an opportunity of a lifetime for me as I got to coordinate the whole process from start to finish – solo. The members for each party were on hand, and I got to interview each of the youth who were involved before the hearing took place. A settlement was reached and the application was sent to the adjudicator on Monday and she signed it off. This is a major accomplishment for me as both the accused and victim were satisfied that the matter is now closed and the healing process can start.

My current state of employment is now in the final phases of winding down. The company is taking my departure as an opportunity to implement their austerity measures due to the poor economic climate that Canada is in right now.  The work is barely keeping them afloat, and letting go of bad accounts is causing all sorts of anxiety throughout the staff and office personnel.  Yes, there will be layoffs as we head into December. I found out that I will not be replaced. In fact, my last days of employment will be dismantling some of our infrastructure and relocating it to a smaller sized location. As I look back, my employment would have been in jeopardy anyways, so I do not feel that bad for choosing the time that I did.  I served my notice, tendering my resignation, over six months ago.

OK, must go. All my time is used up for the Blog. Until next time!

Posted in Bitching about work, Criminology, Diatribe, General, Social economics, Social Justice, University classes | Comments Off

Playing the Risk

November 9th, 2010 Thomasso

Well, a lot has happened in a very short period of time since I last blogged. From my lost USB stick being declared a lost/stolen item with my last four semesters of work on it, to the announcement of major downsizing at my work, the wheels are turning at an incredible speed. None of this is much of a surprise, I mean it only hit home when hearing from my employer telling me face to face, and admitting that my USB stick is gone forever became a surreal feeling when you view it all in black and white. But as for all the events taking place right now, everything is predictable and manageable, so i think.

Change is sometimes hard to follow. I like my life to be ordered and having all of my ducks in a row so that I (think ) I am in control, but life is never a smooth road as there are always pot-holes on it, and then you are eventually going to hit a fork on this road that will make you choose whether to go either left or right. Maybe that is why we all hate change so much, because we feel we have lost control, or it controls us and we hate it. But perhaps change is that reluctance that makes not want to go to work in the mornings, and wish we had never forgotten that USB stick in a computer in a classroom on the Langley Campus.  I seem to have regret mixed up in there too, but I am sure that I separated it from my concept of change, or at least I think so?

I have made some huge choices over the last couple of months. These range from my enviable graduation, to my new career that is still in the embryonic stage of sealing that deal to possibly moving and joining a new family. Either way, I have developed some levels of risk, and there are some variables that could make it go very smooth, or rock the boat enough to cause concern. Of course I am not going to reveal my hand, so stay tuned.

Yes, there are some who are not happy, or wish me ill will to my up coming change. One person who feels that I owe them unconditional services made it clear to me that once I leave, I am not welcomed back—as if a bridge just got burnt down. Why I ask? Of course I got no feedback. Silly people I say.

Perhaps change is reciprocal. When I change, people around me change too. I know some around me are worried that I will leave and they will loose a great friend or someone that they can count on, but there are others who are only worried about their business and all they are worried about is my stability and long term commitments. I know I have to be really mindful of them, but I felt that I have done that with so much advance notice. I alerted everyone around me months ago with what my intentions are so that I would avoid a lot of what I am seeing today. So, now I know that no matter how hard one prepares for it, change is still a tough pill to swallow.

So, I am moving on, as the old song goes. I will be in a place that very few people will ever be. I will be among that ranks of a small group of people who are part of the elites who have dedicated their lives to higher learning and have become masters in their chosen fields. Of course I like the sound of that, but now that I have made it, it just does not have that joyous ring that it once did when I first embark on my academic journey.  To the naysayers of my change, I say “screw you and all that jazz.” To my friends, I cherish you with all my heart because it was you all that made me push on wards to where I am today.

Yes, I am getting mushy. I am tired and I am in a state of disbelief from today’s events, but I think I will be better once I am home after my French class tonight. So sleepy… .

Posted in Bitching about work, Criminology, Diatribe, General, University classes | 2 Comments »

Armchair Academics of BS

November 7th, 2010 Thomasso

I love it when someone tells that you “don’t need four years of University to figure out how law works” or, “Yea, I got it figured out, I don’t need your help, we don’t need all that complicated stuff.” Even more so, are the people who base their entire state of reasoning on a belief or, what they heard from a political ad – these are my favourites.

The reason why I am writing this out today is because I was ask to fill in at one of the halfway houses in the lower mainland. (I am withholding the name of the facility for obvious reasons.)  I was given the opportunity only because of my qualifications and merits, e.g., education, experience and *gender. This did not sit well some of the other staff members who have worked at the facility for a number of years. They complained to their duty officer as I walked in and started working.

The issue is that the government as placed very high standards on who is responsible for inmates at correction facilities, and those standards are set very high. Entry level positions are almost impossible for someone who is walking in off of the street with no formal education, training and security clearance. Getting into the higher, more specialized positions requires years of formal education and training, as in my case, even before you can have face to face contact with inmates at this level.

The fill-in duties that I did were assisting with counselling, and providing support and evaluations, for a program that deals with high-risk offenders. Believe me, you cannot just walk in from off of the street and start this job. My six years in University just only begins to cover what I needed as far as knowledge, experience and my background when dealing with the array of situations that go on from one minute to the next in this facility. I was on my toes for the whole entire time. Fortunately it is mostly routine, well for me, as most of what needed to be done is highly formalized and laid out in regulation and policy.

To the armchair academic, I pointed out that is it a criminal offence to fake your credentials in  positions that are appointed under law that carry out legal and public functions under law for the public good and service. If a position says that you must have formal education to perform these duties, then a process of checks and balances are undertaken to make sure that you are qualified and meet the requirements for that position. The reasoning for having all of this formal education, as I mentioned previously, is to become qualified in accordance to standards set out by its administrators. It is they who set the benchmark for duties performed, not collective of the labourers who set out with their daily duties and functions. If a person wishes to embark into the upper echelon of employment, then that person must pay the price (both in time and money, and pass the exams) to advance them self up into it.

*it is difficult, but not impossible, for women to work in all male persons as there are some duties that prohibit women from performing.

Tom, very soon to be B.A. in Criminology.

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The Autumn Wonderland

October 23rd, 2010 Thomasso

For a brief few minutes, say for less than a half an hour, the sun came out in Fort Langley. It was like magic becuase I went and did the car wash with my garden hose and stick-brush in the driveway, I had  the sun shinning the whole time. When I was done I took the camera with me on a little walk along my street. It was nice.

Within minutes after I got back the crappy weather moved in overhead. We are to get windy and rainy stormy periods for the rest of the weekend. I guess I am lucky for getting out when the sun was shinning. One tree looks like deep autumn, while others are still green as a summer day.

Now it is back to the homework.

Posted in Bitching about weather, Bitching about work, General, Photographs | Comments Off