Not your average twentysomething

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 04:24:00 +0000

My blog has moved to

web.mac.com/jessbahr

Take a lesson from you elders.

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 03:27:00 +0000

Many people refer to our generation as generation me or the entitled generation; and I see why.

My company has a high turnover rate of young professionals whom have recently graduated. A coworker and I were recently discussing this because it is a frustrating situation to be involved in. Evolving from the goldstar controlled environment to a work environment that we are unprepared for, and that is mostly unprepared for us, is difficult. We go from a world where there are clear concise rules, and those who do not follow them are punished, and those who do are rewarded, no matter what. Instead of using fear of punishment as a motivation for doing good work the hopes for praise and glorification are the main motivator. No longer does the intrinsic value of having done a good job mean enough.

What I don't understand is that as the business world is becoming increasingly flat and the work pool is growing exponentially people look to develop skills that will give them an edge over their competition (per se) such as learning foreign languages, participating in internships, being involved with extra curricular activities, and developing their leadership sills, many overlook the most basic skill of how to be a good worker.

If becoming an adult is about growing through facing adversity and new situations, then why do we expect to enter the workforce and have employers bend over backwards to accommodate our different way of having been raised? If you're a good worker and seen as a value to your company they will bend over backwards for you; and give a 5 month sabbatical.

How can we be stronger workers if we can't function happily without the constant need for glorification of our work.

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 03:01:00 +0000

Today I drove about 300 miles into a white abyss, only being able to see one quarter mile ahead of me at a time. Though it was unsavory driving conditions, it provided a revelation of sorts for me. It is like entering the real world, you may have an idea of where you end destination is, but getting there hasn't been planned out perfectly; it is foggy. There are two paths you can take, the highway or the gravel road. The highway is safer, the roads are wider and there is less cross traffic. It has road indicators that aren't present on gravel roads. The stripes on the inside of the road can be a major indicator of the road orientation. There are also more stops (gas stations, fast food, rest stops) but it isn't as elite. Anyone can the highway; it takes a certain type of person to master the gravel road. The gravel road has no center strip, it has no guaranteed security of a gas station at every exit, or visible and safe cross roads. People who take the gravel road can be seen as mavericks, leaders who pave their own way. Unskilled folks who chose to pursue the gravel road don't just risk getting lost, they might hit a low point and flip their vehicle, they might breakdown and not see another vehicle for another hour, and when there is bad weather, well if you aren't use to the conditions, well you're just plane old screwed.

So why, when you're just out of college and the path is foggy, is it really worth taking the gravel road, so that someday down the road you may receive praise because you overcame that adversity of taking the gravel road, or is it wiser to take the highway until the weather clears up, and then jump on the gravel road, safer, with more assets, and pass the hoosier who started off on the gravel.

Hunting for great deals

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 01:32:00 +0000

In past years I would have woken at 4 am, showered in just water, gear up and headed out to my stand, but not this year. Today I woke at 4 am, showered, geared up and headed out to the mall to perform what I refer to as my economic-patriotic duty. Black Friday.

When I lived in Italy there use to be commercials on TV which would show a person walking out a store with a bag, which as the camera panned down, would read 'the economy revolves around you'. The camera then panned up to the person walking with their head held hide, implying that they were full of pride at the thought of them being personally responsible for the success of their countries economy.

As I was standing in line at Best Buy, behind about 120+ people, I couldn't help but wonder if it was worth splurging on this single day of doorbusters and great deals, due to the impending credit card debt which ensues any large purchase charged; or many smaller purchases. I noticed that a majority of the people whom were in line around me charged their purchases, presumably because they lack the discretionary income to actually purchase the product out right. Does increasing an individual personal debt hurt the economy more, then actually help it? After all, the economy does revolve around us.

mmm....decaying moral fiber

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 02:25:00 +0000

I am not intending to 'toot my own horn' but I have always attempted to maintain high morals. I learned early that I was not raised in the same world that my peers were; with time I learned that to be a blessing. I always try and take the extra step, go the extra distance, to get the job done. When I view my fellow co-workers doing things the unethical lazy way I do not change mine to complete the job faster, I uphold the quality that is important, because I have faith that it will pay off someday. When my coworkers show up two hours late, and take long lunches without paying the consequences I don't follow the same thinking that I will get off scotch free, because I will not be able to, my morals simply will not let me.

My moral fibers have been being tested as of late. When I first started my job an older co-worker advised me to not worry about what other people do, to worry about myself. He has more or less, appointed himself as the enforcing moral compass of our office. The enforcing part is really more of a passive action; he just complains and makes snide comments behind the offenders back's. The acting manager over these lax employees does nothing about these problems. In his opinion the end result is that they get their job done, and they do, in the end, get their job done. But how can they be working efficiently if they cut out four hours of their work day because they are late, or at lunch? One of the aforementioned came in two and half hours late this week, and then left three hours early to go to a dentist appointment that he openly admitted didn't exist, after openly admitting that he intended to come in late.

This happens daily, people come in late, the moral advocate takes time out of his day to complain about the 'offenders' and then work continues, until they leave early, and then the complaining is reborn. My manager is like the gravity that keeps me in orbit around my morals, but he is gone this week.

Yesterday I was talking to the lead offender, who is just four years older then me, and he justified his lax work ethics by pointing out others flaws. As I was contemplating taking the day off to drive home for Thanksgiving I thought about my impending sabbatical less then a month away, and how much work I can still complete in that time, and I decided to take half a day off, instead of the entire day. Those external pressures haven't inhibited my ethics, yet.

How long can one hold out in the corporate world before their morals face genocide?

My pocket protector doesn’t make me nerdy, it increases my productivity.

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 22:16:00 +0000

I can’t be considered a nerd anyway; I don’t have a pencil in my pocket protector. This was the justification I gave to my HR person today. She just laughed and walked away. I actual have a ruler (with a sliding clip), a small flat head screwdriver, three pens (two black one blue), and a green highlighter.

Leaving my beer-pong championship days behind I have leaped head first into the idea of being as productive as I possibly can. It is as though I’m attempting to now make up for how undedicated, unorganized, unproductive, inefficient and unmotivated I have been since, well, since I can remember. Taking courses at one of the Big Ten universities before I could drive didn’t really instill the necessity for good study habits in me.

Two weeks into my employment here I was overwhelmed with all the work, projects, and meetings that I needed to keep track of, so I bought a planner.

Three weeks into my employment I purchased a PDA. I chose a Palm Tungsten E2. I chose a PDA over a Black Berry for personal reasons; mainly peer pressure (from those friends still at school) to not be seen as nerdy. Just two weeks after my PDA had arrived my cell phone lost its ability to hold a charge, and therefore function, so I should have just sucked it up and purchased the black berry. Either way, it was a huge upgrade from my overstuffed planner.

I have now developed a game plan for this forthcoming mega-revamp of my entire life. New place, new people, new situation, I might as well add new habits to that list.

Organize. I took all my stuff and created a home for it, maybe not the cleanest more well placed home, but it was a home none the less.
Purge. When there was a home for everything, and everything was in its home I began to go through it and purge what I didn’t need. Articles and notes from courses I have previously taken were scanned into my computer and organized using the Campus Productivity kit in filemaker. I was able to reduce about 80 magazines to two CD’s containing back up files.
Reorganize. I utilized various storage methods, mostly small, open top, plastic boxes. By keeping everything put away I was able to free up a lot of space, which would have otherwise been consumed my pils of unorganized papers. If I needed an article I would have to spend 45 + minutes searching through magazines, whereas now I pull up my database, and select the .pdf I need.
Maintain. So I don't have to do it again.

For those of you who are familiar with Industrial business I am 5s-ing my life.

Yes, that’s a tin next to my pocket protector.

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 22:02:00 +0000

While I was up north this weekend I made a life changing revelation; you can’t hide who you are, even from yourself.

My best friend I were at a party playing beer pong. She came back from getting the house pitcher filled and I could tell she was irate; we don’t actually need to talk to each other anymore to know something is up. She points to this scrawny guy in the corner wearing flip flops and camo pants, and informs me that he offended her. She used other words then offended. He had apparently told her to shut up when she was at the keg trying to fill the house pitcher up. After dominating another two games of pong this jerk makes his way over by us. The other team makes a cup, and my friend pours it down his sweatshirt while he isn’t looking. He blames me and starts calling me extremely rude names, and I snap. I’m ready to give him a well deserved black eye but he starts running for the stairs to get out and my friend holds me back, I calm down and realize that you can’t hide redneck.

Two hours before that I was trying to convince people that I wasn’t suppose to be a nerd for Halloween; that I wasn’t actually dressed up at all.

Walking, or stumbling more of, home I thought about how I got to this point, where some people think I am a nerd and others find me intimidating. I use to be nerdy my freshman/sophomore year of high school. That all ended when I met my first real serious boyfriend. I came to enjoy this lifestyle; I have always been interested in mechanics and working with my hands (I’m a farmer’s daughter) so I adopted his back woods ways. I headed off to college to study Agriculture Engineering. According to most of my friends the only thing girly about me was my long, curly brown hair. I got the nickname Bubba, and soon after met my best friend Nutt. We are not like most girls. We have achieved ‘awesome’ status in the guy’s world; something many girls strive for and never get near, so most of them hate us. We have ourselves, and we’re not complaining. We met sophomore year of college, fresh out of long term relationships with ass holes, and discovered that we are pert near the same. We became each others momentum to live life to the fullest, and have a good time. We don’t deal with drama, or stupid girls who immediately get intimidated and don’t like us because we can hold a conversation with their boyfriend longer then they can. While we both date and have had our respective boyfriends we aren’t the kind of girls who can’t live without a boyfriend. We aren’t friends with the guys because we want them; we are friends with them because they share the same interests as us. We are generally considered redneck girls. We are ourselves, and we don’t apologize for that, and we don’t back down if there is trouble. We cowboy up and face it head on.

Then I got a job and entered the 'real world', where I dress professional, wear makeup, and do my hair everyday. My polo’s and dress shirts are all accompanied by my pocket protector (I’m not a nerd, I don’t have a pencil in it). I have adopted the idea that how you dress reflects on your competency. But it is not me, at least the me I use to be. I have been in sort of inner conflict, the nerdy me versus the redneck. I have noticed that when I dress nice I’m more approachable, have more self confidence, have a sense of belonging to the group, and feel more intelligent. Even at the party this previous weekend, besides when defending my outfit as not being a nerd costume, I talked to more new people then I ever have at a party. Generally when I have a dip in a few creepy guys will tell me that it is hot, but it tends to be off putting. This past weekend I had a dip in, and no one thought twice of it. I am more approachable, more confident, and more influential, because I have finally found myself, a nerdy redneck. I know who I am. Goodbye quarter-life crisis.

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 21:50:00 +0000

I will be on a temporary hiatus for about a week due to (a) not having Internet access up north (b) attempting to devote time after work to finishing portfolio (c) cousin in hospital (d) mentor in hospital (e) possibly changing direction in my life (f) 1/4 life crisis due to (c), (d), and (e).

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The 'good' old days.

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 21:24:00 +0000

I was out to lunch at Pizza di Roma the other day with a friend from high school who was home for the weekend. We were walking down State Street (where we use to hang out 'back in the day') talking about who has gotten knocked up since graduation when we saw a former classmate of ours. We all stopped and hugged each other and caught up on what's been going on, and then it dawned on me, she was a bitch in high school. She never talked to us, we even had class together one year.

You see, I use to a be a bit nerdy. I broke out of that nerdiness a couple times a year, for our DECA (highschool marketing) competitions. I would show up at school in business clothes, heels, hair up with makeup on, and everyone would be in total shock that I could indeed look girly. My marketing teacher would always tell the teachers from other school that I was his student who could 'sell a freezer to an eskimo, overhaul your engine, build you a barn, and still wear heels and makeup.'

I have seen a few people since graduation that I never talked to prior to it. It seems as though when you are in highschool you fall into a certain click, a nich if you will, and when you change yourself to not conform to that nich, like when I dress business professional, people seem worried and are fearfull of that change. When you graduate that nich you belonged to, with all its strict social laws, seems to desolve, and it is suddenly okay to do whatever you want. Maybe that is why its now deemed 'okay' to talk to people who were considered lame in highschool.

Well, that and the fact that most of the 'popular' kids have (a) failed at life or (b) gotten knocked up (only applies to girls) and us nerdy kids who spent our saturday night at the bowling ally calculation the force the ball exercted upon the pins, are the ones who are in control. In the end though, we'll all end up in the same place.

The upcoming 5 year class reunion.

The importance of acting your age, or older.

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:12:00 +0000

I am writing this entry overwhelmed with nausea.

I have a coworker who I absolutely love to work with, when he isn't on the phone with his wife. During the span of our work day (7 am to 5 pm) he honestly talks to his wife at least four times. They have been married for some time now, they live together and have children together, so it isn't like they don't see each other, he goes home on his hour lunch break to see her and the kids.

Today the boys, all of whom are under the age of 7, came in to see their dad at work. The second youngest is either at that stage in his life where he is incapable of producing a coherent sentence, or his parents just don't pay any mind to his dictation.

Back to the matter at hand, the never ending phone conversations. One cannot help but overhear these phone conversations, being that we are all in one small office room, and being that the language he uses is not too common to our workplace. Hearing someone say the word 'babe' is a bit off putting on its own, but to hear it every fourth word while you are attempting to concentrate on the task in front of you is down right annoying. It wouldn't be as irritating if they, or he at least, would speak to like adults, and choose another pet name then babe, and maybe not need to talk to her every hour of the day. After all, the longest he does without seeing her during the day is 4 1/2 hours between the beginning of work and lunch. It is just so nauseating because they are similar to needy teenagers in love who can't live without being by each others side every moment of the day. Like two annoying teenagers in puppy love arguing over who hangs up first, no you first, no you, no you, no you first.....

Where has office etiquette gone to?

Please turn down the porn.

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 19:04:00 +0000

There was a contractor fired today, he was listening to porn on his laptop while working, and somehow his headphone jack became loose and the noise flooded out from his speakers, shocking everyone in the office. He was listening to porn, at work.

I realize that 'corporate culture' is slowly fading out, with the workplace becoming more lax in order to accommodate everyone's individuality, but what on earth would possess this man to believe that it is acceptable to listen to porn while at work. Does his productivity somehow skyrocket?

As I write this entry I am still in shock, but it reminds me of a conversation I had a while back. I have, in the past, judged for DECA at the high school level. This is a marketing and business competition, in which the students are required to dress professionally. There was a student last year who excelled beyond belief. I was personally shocked at his proficiency, but he was dressed as if he had just woken up. Some of the other judges and I were discussing the lack of understanding many people have when it comes to how to properly dress for a job or interview. We, as judges, felt as through it were extremely important to instill in these students the importance of dressing professional when necessary; but many of the students showed the level of discontent you would expect from telling a 6 year old boy playing in the mud to clean up for church.

Many students, at both the high school and college level, seem to be opposed to dressing business appropriate because it 'hinders' the way in which they express their individuality. It makes them feel confined and as if they are being forced to become a diferent person. But how you dress at work, when meeting potential clients, coworkers, and future bosses, is a representation of your capabilities and competence.

There should be a class all freshman in college take where they learn this.

The next chapter

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 17:21:00 +0000

I came to the conclusion some time ago that if I am going to put the effort into building a solid portoflio I need to atleast update it each quarter, if not sooner. But in this modern age is the hard copy portfolio outdate?

Last year when I built my portoflio I decided to make it a hard copy one becuase, in my mind, I would always have it accessable and looking nice. The notion of creating an electronic portfolio remained in the back of my mind, but I never paid it much attention untill now.

As I entered hour two of talking to student's at Iowa State University's engineering career fair, I found myself blind to the differences in skills each student possessed. I was simply looking for the bare minumum we required for the internship open, and ranking students who could easily take on a full time position, with those who are barely qualified for an internship. Then I really became aware of the fact that with today's competitive job market, especially for those seeking employment straight out of college, any little way to help employeers remember you is important. Therefore, I have decided to develop an electronic portfolio, in the form of a .pda, and possibly have an online portfolio.

But I am not sure if I can altogether abandon my hard copy.

Who needs balls when you have caffine?

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 11:53:00 +0000

In an attempt to wake myself from the mundane work I've been assigned to do I started talk to my manager. I told him, Wednesday, that I was staying here in Iowa this weekend, "I'm not venturing back to Wisconsin this weekend" were my exact words.

So now I sit here in my cubicle, Friday morning, writing out my list of stuff to take up north with me. Jake and I need to finalize our frame design this weekend, so I can FEA it on Monday, and then Jake can take the .dxf to get made next weekend.

The fact that I have been gone almost every weekend, either up to River Falls to work on the tractor design, or to Madison, forces me to raise the question when have I sacrificed enough?

One of my first day's here at work one of my coworkers gave me some of the best advice I have ever received; don't worry about what other people do.

I find this to be good advice because it has helped me to keep my ethics in place. Other interns may show up an hour late wearing last nights t-shirt and jeans, take extended lunches, and leave early, but not me. I am here ten minutes early, respect the lunch hour, and dress professionally. We have a lax dress code, so I could easily wear jeans and a t-shirt everyday, but I take pride in the fact that most people do not realize that I am an intern, and no one ever believes I am as young as I am.

I do find though, those words are easier said then swallowed. With every group project this mantra of not worrying about others, and getting your own stuff done the best you can, seems to be outweighed by the feeling of inequality when you spend all your free time doing research and working while your 'teammates' are out drinking or spending time with their significant other.

And then you remember that your peers and you are not on the same page, and it is after all your professors who will be aiding you in really reaching your full potential, and it is their praise that is really being sought after, not that of some drunk frat boy. But that joy is sometimes even outweighs when you drive 6 hours every weekend because you have a teammate who lacks the ability to view the bigger picture, and you know you have to go because if not it will not get complete and then, even though it is not your responsibility entirely, you will look bad.

So you give up your free time and social life to drive.

On a douch bag scale, from one to ten, my coworker is the new ten.

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 17:28:00 +0000

Never could I have imagined someone like him existed. Our first few days of working together I simply brushed him off as a ‘one upper’, but as our time together grew painfully longer, I realized he is so much more then that.

The guys here at work joke with me about my ‘thick’ northern accent (I still say I don’t have an accent) and the various stereotypes of Wisconsin, which I happen to fill perfectly. Well this here db will go on for ever on how Iowa State University is so much superior then any education that anyone could possibly receive in Wisconsin. The day that he tied to lecture me on how I cannot compare ISU’s ¼ ASABE tractor design team with ours at UWRF because ISU is so much superior (even though we beat them in almost all of the design catagories, just not overall because we never pulled). This is the moment when he became more then just a one upper, he’s also a pompous asshole.

So how he is now maxing out the douch bag scale? He is sick, and he came to work sick, he has yet to take a day off. So now he has made his cubical mate sick, and therefore his cube mate's wife and kids sick. And me, he has made me sick. And what did he say when I told him everyone was gettign sick including me, he said that he is having alergies. One other guy at work has a weak immune system becuase he had Malaria at one point in time, so he has allergy problems year round. But Mr. Douch Bag is coughing, not sneezing at all, and has a cold

A meeting on meetings.

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 14:07:00 +0000

Yesterday I attended a very exciting workshop on how to facilitate effective meetings. The only thing I didn't like about the meeting was the fact that there were little trinkits on the table, which lead to dicking around when we should have been listening.

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:27:00 +0000

View from the stands at the Fall Challenge (Southern Iowa Speedway) Friday night.

View from the other side of the tracks, before all the people started pouring in. It rained Saturday night so the race was postponed untill Sunday. It stopped raining just after they called it.

View from the 'pits'. The guy who won the modified class is retiring this year, so his last year of racing he goes out in style atleast.

Where we were pitted.

The modified.

Skinny, Ed, and Dave by watching by turn 4 and the pits.

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:01:00 +0000

So I'm at Walmart today, purchasing crackers for work, and all of a sudden I see the most lazy invenetion ever. Prepainted pumpkins. Why? The fun of decorating for Halloween is in the pumpkin activities.

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 21:53:00 +0000

I am out of the office all week, I will get back to you next week.

The LONG trip back

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 21:44:00 +0000

On the way back to southern Iowa it started to rain, so suprise, and it rained for over half the state, which sucked. And of course, there were a bunch of yahoo's who don't know how to drive on the shoulder of the road, and not so much on the shoulder, more of half in the right hand lane, half on the shoulder, which isn't the best situation when you can barely see three car lengths in front of you. And these yahoo's travel in packs, so when one pulls off the road, they all do. It was pathetic.

But I snapped this picture when I was coming out of the storm. I thought it was pretty nifty, since you can literally see where the rain ends, and the sunny drive pavement part of Iowa begins.

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 11:55:00 +0000

Saturday I headed over to Debuqe to meet up with the grandfolks. They have been taking me to the dog races there since I can remember, I pick the dogs, grandpa bets on my behalf. Well for the first time IN MY LIFE I lost almost every bet I placed. No, wait, I did loose every bet I placed. I would have won one but the gotard at the ticket counter bet on the wrong dog. Can't win everytime I guess.

Sunday I did the usual, head over to Leighton. My manager Ed built an RC car race track. I don't mean little radio controlled cars, I mean ones that run on Nitros. Since I dont' have a car, or a life, I am the track official. I get paid every once in a while too, when there is a tournament.

In new news I am heading up to RF on September 4th, for our 1/4 scale meeting Sept. 5th.

My camera fix.

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 16:20:00 +0000

I am trying to get pictures of down here taken to put up. Some might recall my camera broke when we were taking pictures for our design log, when Slash was using it. Well here's the fix. There is a small white button which must be held down in order for the camera is stay turned on, so the soda tab does that. I bent the original slider bracket so it keeps pressure on the tab.

It doesn't look too perty, but it works.