Communities, Chat, and News

I definitely believe that it is possible to form an online community. This class is perfect evidence to me of that! I have had a great time getting to know my classmates, and just like any scene, I know some fairly well and others not at all. The smaller class size definitely helps too. I find that the online communities are just like real life- it is real easy to be reclusive and not get to know anyone. On the other hand, with a little bit of work, you can get to know more people and really enjoy it!

I had a fun chat with Mary Pyefinch. We had been in a class before, but I didn't get the chance to know her very well, so this was a good experience. I felt bad because a) I have had very little experience in the chat rooms and b) my only experience with British Humor is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Oops, sorry Mary! It was a good experience though- in a discussion forum the focus is on the matter at hand. In a chat situation, however, it's easy to ask a couple of quick questions and get to know what you really want to know. Thanks for the experience Mary- sorry I had to leave so quick! We'll have to chat some more later.

News and media... I know that they are somewhat controlled, but I'm okay with that. Lately I've really been into talk radio. I am a definite Glenn Beck fan, although I can't always catch his program. Is his "news" biased? Yeah. But I as a listener want that. Don't we all want to hear the things that support our views, so we seek out the news and media to support it.

I really appreciate Romano's question he posed when we're reading or hearing news: "If my life depended on proving the claims I've just read, how could I or anyone else do it?" While I'm enjoying a news program or checking out MSNBC, I need to ask myself that a little more often. Are the arguments being made sound? Does it all check out? If not, why am I reading it?

Saturday Afternoon Fever

So, it's my first Saturday Afternoon at work, and let's just say there's not much to do! Time to update my blog...

It's been an interesting week. I usually get really sick once a year; well, it's happening now! I haven't felt right for about a week now. On Tuesday I left early because I was running a fever, which continued off and on through Thursday. A nasty cough developed too, which is no fun at all.

Michelle also went down this week- guess who has mono? I feel so bad for her; she's had something major going on health-wise for quite some time now. Shortly after we got married we found out she had a thyroid condition. Then she was pregnant with Rachel, then Brandon three months later. Just when she was starting to feel good again, she broke her foot, and now mono... All she wants to do is exercise every day, but it looks like it won't be that simple!

I guess with Michelle and I not feeling well, the kids felt they needed to join in on the fun. Rachel has been doing some major teething, with at least three coming in, probably four. Let's just say that while she is an absolute sweetheart, she has had some grumpy moments lately! She had a fever of 101 on Sunday, meaning she probably had something else that was making her life miserable.

Brandon has been great- except he had some shots on Thursday, and felt he had to join the fever party. He ran a really high fever which didn't break until yesterday evening, and now it comes and goes. He was pretty miserable, and Michelle had a long day yesterday taking care of him. He's a little touchy now, but overall is pretty happy and well.

It's been interesting to see how the kids have handled the sickness. Rachel just wants to be held all the time, which is very different from her active lifestyle of running all around our home. It has been difficult to calm Brandon down- he just screams and screams. He decided to scream for over 40 minutes last night, not just the baby cry, but a real, pitiful cry. It's very frustrating! We ran out of Motrin, and the Tylenol just doesn't touch it. Needless to say, we went and bought some Motrin this morning- this time the big bottle.

Through these times I have learned a little more what an amazing woman I have married. Although she feels downright awful a lot of the time, Michelle does such a great job taking care of the kids. She spent most of the night on the couch last night with Brandon, and just does anything to take care of these little ones. I'm trying to dote on her a little more today so that she has some time to herself. We'll see if it helps.

Back in action

I originally created this blog back in 2006 for a class. However, I forgot my username and password when I ended the class. I finally figured it out (after remembering I even have a blog..) and here I am again!

Except, I have homework to do, so I'm not going to post anything!

Finding Love and Forgiveness in the Workplace

From class Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007:

I really gained a lot from our discussions on Tuesday. Sometimes it seems that everything in the world is teaching the same subject; this week's subject seems to be teams. The neat thing is that I'm finding a lot of applications to the things I've been learning.

It was interesting to discuss "love" in an organization. I thought about the different forms of management that are around. From personal experience, the carrot dangling isn't always effective. I worked construction last semester, and we had a bonus system. We could have ended up with a few thousand dollars, but... Bonuses are sweet, but it's tough to stay constantly motivated.

Whipping into shape doesn't work well for me either. I remember working on my Eagle, and I was not allowed to get my drivers license until I got my badge. Oh, how I kicked and screamed and hated life. As a result of my miserable life, my parents' lives were also miserable to a certain extent as well. I remember another time that we had moved just before my senior year of high school. I was definately bitter about it, and resolved to get in my car and move back. My mom didn't like that, and told me flat out that the title was in her name, and that if I left she would call the cops on me for auto theft. I was trapped, and it was not pleasant. Once again, I made life unbearable for my parents. It took some time to change my attitude and come around. Force may work at times, but it does have its costs.

Putting a blinder on.... well, in theory it should work, right? I have a few issues with that, however. What would have happened if blinders had been placed on Adam and Eve? They would have been forced to be righteous, and as a result, they'd probably still be in the garden and we wouldn't be here! Ultimately, putting blinders on removes choice and accountability, and we know that without choices we are nothing. Clearly that's not the way to go either.

That leaves us with what? Love. Charity. Kindness. It's a fairly new idea to me to include those concepts in the workplace, but it makes perfect sense. What makes Stephen Covey so successfull? He's applying gospel principles without saying what they are. So why can't we be successful as well, and just apply our religion to our lives? When someone loves you and honestly wants to help you, barriers are broken down and people are much more willing to cooperate.

Also, where is forgiveness in the workplace? Love and forgiveness go hand in hand, do they not? We need to be more understanding of people's mistakes, and be more like our Savior when working with others. This includes seeing people as who they really are- God's children- and not just as some object or thing.

If we'll incorporate these principles- love, forgiveness, understanding and kindness- we'll see a change in our lives, as well in the lives of those around us. People will be more willing to help and work with us, and we'll be closer to our Savior in the end as well.