What you did today

[Humodour]

I have some assignment on spanning trees and Euler paths to do but I'm going to drink a couple of Crown Lagers and try and calculate the price of milk in Iceland in current Australian dollars instead.

[Walsingham]

Euler paths?

[Humodour]

Yes. It's graph theory.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eulerian_path

[Calax]

but you can't liken EVERYTHING in philosophy to U2 in SOME fashion. that's like trying to liken everything in the physics to a mans genitals.

 

That's the last time I buy a textbook from a man operating out of a suitcase.

well, she tried to explain the concept that people have an inherent knowledge of certain things (like a circle) that is the basis for everything else we know by showing U2 tribute bands and asking us what we could extrapolate from the tribute bands about the actual band.

[Walsingham]

but you can't liken EVERYTHING in philosophy to U2 in SOME fashion. that's like trying to liken everything in the physics to a mans genitals.

 

That's the last time I buy a textbook from a man operating out of a suitcase.

well, she tried to explain the concept that people have an inherent knowledge of certain things (like a circle) that is the basis for everything else we know by showing U2 tribute bands and asking us what we could extrapolate from the tribute bands about the actual band.

 

Bpeebpeebpee?

[Deraldin]

This class is two exams, 35% each, and a project. And the final is cumulative. I also have an exam on Thursday which I will spend all of Wednesday studying for. Then I will have a 7 day reprieve and then another exam with another the following week. This semester is aweeeeeesome.

 

Well that test could have gone better. I'm guessing I picked up around 66% or so on that test. I lost at 5 points for not getting one of the questions, 3 more for not completing a second question and I knocked off 4 more marks as a basic "I'm pretty sure I didn't give perfect answers on the rest" loss. We'll see what I actually managed to get in two weeks when I have my next class, assuming it's all marked by then. Now I need to study for Microeconomics for Friday.

[Walsingham]

Good luck for Friday, Deraldin.

[Enoch]

Ugh. This afternoon, I have to complete my annual "self assessment" for my performance review at work. This essentially means that I have to summarize what/how I've done over the past year in 8 different categories of performance. The problem, of course, is that tasks like this make me feel like I'm doing nothing but writing "Wow, look at how awesome I am!" which is uncomfortably out of character. (Indeed, although I do trust my immediate bosses to try their hardest to assess their employees fairly, including any hedging, negative language, etc., just gives them an excuse to rate you lower than someone who is less bashful about being boastful.) I usually tend to rate myself in the top categories in most of the competencies, but keep my narrative to straight factual reporting about the jobs I've worked on and the results achieved. That has worked in the past, but it's still a rather painful bit of bureaucratic nonsense to go through.

 

And, really, it's got to be harder on the supervisors than it is on the shmoes like me.

[LadyCrimson]

First major rainstorm = War of the Ants.

 

I hate ants.

[vault_overseer]

Today I coughed up black phlegm. It wasn't nice, but it's probably because I'm quitting smoking, but last night I slipped and smoked one. I also smoked some weed, which is a natural expectorant, so I guess it helped bring up some loose phlegm and the tar from that cigarette made it black.

 

 

At least I hope that's the explanation.

[Calax]

First major rainstorm = War of the Ants.

 

I hate ants.

how windy did it get near you? In sac we had the interstate literally flood, and power outages all over as trees got knocked down.

[Guard Dog]

Ugh. This afternoon, I have to complete my annual "self assessment" for my performance review at work. This essentially means that I have to summarize what/how I've done over the past year in 8 different categories of performance. The problem, of course, is that tasks like this make me feel like I'm doing nothing but writing "Wow, look at how awesome I am!" which is uncomfortably out of character. (Indeed, although I do trust my immediate bosses to try their hardest to assess their employees fairly, including any hedging, negative language, etc., just gives them an excuse to rate you lower than someone who is less bashful about being boastful.) I usually tend to rate myself in the top categories in most of the competencies, but keep my narrative to straight factual reporting about the jobs I've worked on and the results achieved. That has worked in the past, but it's still a rather painful bit of bureaucratic nonsense to go through.

 

And, really, it's got to be harder on the supervisors than it is on the shmoes like me.

Modesty and humility are praiseworthy traits in anyone and they certianly contruibute to someone'e "nice guy/girl" rating. However, they have no place in self assesments. We had those in my last job and I always hated it because it was like management saying "I have no idea who you are or what you do". However, you need to look at your self assesment in the same light as your resume. Only instead of getting a job you are trying to keep one, or advance in one. Sometimes doing either means outshining those people working right next to you. In my line of work my co-workers are not just people I work with but competitors for jobs and promotions and especially surviving the inevitable downsizing. You have worked hard to get where you are. Don't hesitate a moment to show it off. Don't embellish obviously but don't hold back either.

[Walsingham]

Something I'm quite proud of is that when a friend's father (who is a very senior consultant physician) got asked to do one of those things I immediately pointed out he should just staple a copy of the hippocratic oath to his 'mission statement' and damn them to challenge him.

 

They didn't.

[LadyCrimson]

First major rainstorm = War of the Ants.

 

I hate ants.

how windy did it get near you? In sac we had the interstate literally flood, and power outages all over as trees got knocked down.

None of the many trees fell down or dropped any huge branches, so I guess it wasn't too bad. Just lots of leaves.

 

I haven't read up on the storm stuff today, but most of the big problems down here were probably in the Santa Cruz mts/hills, per usual. They always bear the brunt of the storms from the coast, getting multiple inches overnight while it weakens by the time it pushes over the hills to the peninsula. Think there were some minor power outages etc. nearby but nothing affected us this time.

[Hurlshort]

My garage flooded, but we are used to that so most stuff is up off the ground. Except I forgot about my hockey bag, so now I'm drying out a lot of smelly gear. We also had a weeping willow fall behind the house, but it was already leaning over so no biggie. I'm pretty amazed how many small trees I've seen split in half by the winds.

 

We are lucky it was just a one day storm, that's for sure.

[taks]

what Guard Dog said... always blow smoke up everyone's ass if necessary, including your own. intentionally fail to see your own deficiencies and even if you do, find something else in a related area that is actually a strength and highlight that instead. in the end, nobody gets hurt if you get a big raise, so you might as well go for the gusto. if you haven't earned one, they already know that and their response will be something irrespective of what you put on your self-assessment.

 

there's probably some silly lawsuit behind the implementation of these wretched self assessments. maybe TQM or something is responsible, which is political correctness run amok in the business world, and probably also the result of some silly lawsuit. should i own my own business (i'm guessing in under 5 years), there will be no self-assessments of these sorts. might as well just have 'em do a song and dance number with a top hat and cane.

 

taks

[Humodour]

I went into the music store today to buy a CD I'd previously downloaded.

 

I went up to the counter to ask one of the staff if they had The Cardigans and their response was: "Did I just hear you right? Did you just say The Cardigans?"

Me: *stares blankly and deliberately before answering* "Yes."

The guy: "Oh what is this, 1993?" the girls nods and laughs sarcastically.

Me: *continuing to stare, beginning to form a large frown*

Them: "Uh, anyway, no we don't have that. Would you like us to order it?"

Me: "No thanks, I'll go somewhere else."

 

****. It's not even like The Cardigans is a preppy pop band or anything. They're a reasonably alternative Swedish rock band. And 1993? Their latest album came out 2005 you elitist ****.

[Humodour]

I also went to a travel agent and he rolled his eyes when I asked questions and went out of his way to do as little work as possible. The girl next to him kept cihming in with helpful ideas and advice for me that kept him having to do things for me. It was gold.

 

I dropped that place quick though and went to another one. They were 10 times more helpful. I'm not sure why that original travel agent hasn't fired that guy yet because he drives customers away.

[Walsingham]

I went into the music store today to buy a CD I'd previously downloaded.

 

I went up to the counter to ask one of the staff if they had The Cardigans and their response was: "Did I just hear you right? Did you just say The Cardigans?"

Me: *stares blankly and deliberately before answering* "Yes."

The guy: "Oh what is this, 1993?" the girls nods and laughs sarcastically.

Me: *continuing to stare, beginning to form a large frown*

Them: "Uh, anyway, no we don't have that. Would you like us to order it?"

Me: "No thanks, I'll go somewhere else."

 

****. It's not even like The Cardigans is a preppy pop band or anything. They're a reasonably alternative Swedish rock band. And 1993? Their latest album came out 2005 you elitist ****.

 

The correct response to that is "It's not 1993? Oh my dear god! *glance at your watch* 2009?????" Then fall to your knees weeping and muttering softly "Too late! Too goddamn late"

[Trenitay]

I walked out the door today and could barely see across the street because of the fog.

[Enoch]

My situation is a little different, in that I work at a government agency, so there's no great threat of termination. Raises and promotions are somewhat competitive, but the portion that is based on performance is pretty limited. There is a union at the agency that fights over this stuff rather a lot. I'm not a bargaining-unit employee, but the policies are pretty similar to the ones worked out with the union.

 

In a general sense, I recognize that standard-form performance evaluations are a necessary evil in large organizations to ensure that people are being treated reasonably fairly across the organization. You simply can't have a supervisor making decisions on people's pay, promotions, etc., without some uniform, objective criteria, applied across-the-board. The reviews create a record that can be used to justify any number of actions (from termination to selection for promotion over another candidate) that could be the subject of future disputes. (Of course, due to the general creep of 'grade inflation' with divisional supervisors trying to get their people a larger share of the promotion resources, the effectiveness of any system has a pretty short half-life, beyond which everybody seems to get top marks for any performance short of lighting their office on fire.) The self assessment portion feels silly, but it probably does help the supervisors come up with their ratings quite a bit (at least in reminding them what you've been doing for the past year), and also probably helps in assuring that the employees are aware of the company/agency's expectations with regard to their performance.

 

In my particular situation, though, I have enough trust in my immediate supervisor that if I wrote up a quick list of the major projects I've done as a reminder, he'd rate me fairly. (As a counterpoint to GD's experience, based on large advantages in both experience and work ethic, this guy could do my job 5X better than I do and not break a sweat.) But I'm sure that my experience is far from universal.

[Gfted1]

...beyond which everybody seems to get top marks for any performance short of lighting their office on fire...

 

 

Lol, that reminds me of the Navy. Paygrades of E4 and above had to do these same self evaluations and pass them forward to our supervisor who would make the final grade. At the time, 4.0 was the highest score you could get and everyone I know had that score.

[Shryke]

another party tonight

 

i think in the past 2 weeks i've spent 3 nights at home

[Calax]

Not much, going out of my mind trying to figure out how to add more stuff to my history paper.

 

Also I appear to have been been banned from the WoW forums for "trolling or spamming" but I'm not sure what I said to do that...

[kirottu]

One week and one day without a smoke. I could kill for a smoke. Well, not really, it