Viral Vicissitudes

An I'm-Prompt-You: Pre-employment pre-empts: In so many words. In Terms of Employ-meant: As to what you might have meant, words you might want to take back, from your very first "job interview" or, the earlier, universally experienced, assuming you spent any time in a classroom, getting asked a question or being provided with a "prompts' -- after which you are given just a few moments to "contemplate, reflect..." after which you are then expected, within the allotted space and time, a coherent, even what is occasionally rated a "cogent" response, such as trying to pose as "presidential" in a debate which, even after a lot of grilling, grueling redebate sessions by your so-called "handlers", you can still get caught off guard...kinda' like what I tried to simulate here a few days ago, after so prosaically walking you through some necessary steps, "pre-reqs"...prevocational behaviors and attitudes one has to hav...

Terms of Employ-meant: A Primer. Pre-Requisite: As in before you even consider signing on, you need to know the so-called "terms", right? Obvious to anyone just "launching!" a career path, to one considering either a lateral (which many times is in name only, more horizontal) or vertical move, change in "position" (which, of course, comes with yet another set of terms, conditions, expectations)...there are always some "terms and conditions" for employment, that need to be a-dressed*, well before even picking up an app, answering an add... Pre-Vocational: The so-called basics that involve such things as proper dress* (you thought I had mis-spelled it, right?), addressing the most basic standards of hygiene...and "be on time!" as another such pre-requisite for a career search. Yes, the skills or knowledge or, in the case of collegiates, the courses you had to take before-hand, which we cynically grew to call "in-tuition"😉😂😠, ...

WOW! Meta-Versally speaking. The larger picture: As in the whole worldwide World of Work. Prompted by my-Self, upon realizing that there's a bit of unfinished business, a little more work to be done, in order to completely cover this whole return-to-work or, more specifically the growing trend of having to tend to biz in person at least part time, to present your-self. I'll pick up right where I left you off, which was at the "Employee Orientation" (how many of you actually showed up?). An "Orientation" that might, as you cynically anticipate, will be chock full of "blah, blah, blah..." as in new, updated R & R (read: Rules and Regs, not what you hoped for). But here, in a much larger context, the one I may have once again been culpable of glossing over, is how employees, past and present, view their jobs, responsibilities, assigned tasks..."Work!". That is, to say, how they and you are oriented. As in their most basic attitudes, beli...

Life within the ER: A hole other ad-venture, re-Orientation... Can U Relate? As in the one remaining are of re-engagement of your/my senses, that could use a bit of fine tuning after so much time a-part...whether it be due to a "lock-out", "walk out" or some other "twist of fate" that left us doing either/or work, learning (school and other-wise) from a distance, adding to the already growing trend of those among us who actually elected to do so...In any case, what we are now, as if going 'counter' clockwise, re-experiencing, as in sensing, in yet another sens-ational department I may have un-intentionally, as in ad-vertentently, "glossed over"...I mean, who hasn't, from time-to-time, whether it was an attempt to be a bit superficial, so as to not cause another un-due concern...or, even more cryptically, an attempt to re-direct, conceal, dis-guise something so you might not even notice...and then, it's only well after, you might t...

Eye Spy, All Senses on Alert.  "I sense something; a presence I've not felt since..." Not since Dart Vader's unmistakable voice, presence, in Star Wars, 1977. But hear again, as well as what we are now seeing...Sensurround... "Take a good look around" Which when I first heard it, upon (re)arrival, re-entry, sounded like a gracious host-friendly "well-come back!" - - this coming from a semi-familiar face at the front door, then by the ones responsible for the not-so-subtle changes all around me (see 7/15 here re: VND!) that culminated in a semi-rhetorical question "Like what I've done to the place?" Well, give me a minute to take it all in...the very first thing that caught my attention... "Eye spy, with my little eye" (take you back a bit, to the most simplest games needing no props or electronics your parents taught you, that you could pass the time with, like during a long car ride) -- a lesson not only in visual acuity bu...

Special, Delivery: Coming to Our Senses; MOM!  "And then  some!" Another way, choice of idioms, to express "My Oh My!" which, in turn, is an expression of surprise, incredulity...which itself can go either way...as in an anticipated pleasure or something met as ,less well-coming...In either case, if reinterpreted, re-worded through the lens of my friends - well, at least I can call them "colleagues" in the division of study of human behavior known as the "Psychology of Perception" refers, once again, as an individual's "JND" - the amount it takes, in any sense, to sense a difference (so "Just Noticeable Difference" starts to make sense now, eh?) at least half of the time which, as a percentage, for those mathematically inclined, figures out to equal to, or greater than, 50 times out of 100 -- nice, round figures. Followed in kind, as in rounding up...finds us... Crossing the Threshold: "And how!" -- even a shorte...

Crossing the Threshold, Upon Re-entry: Sense-ational! SIS.   The long road back - part 1 of 2 (there's still time, to turn back...) "Upon reflection" Even as elementary, concrete as looking in the mirror, perhaps to shave, or at least "clean up a bit" prior to, after being called back to the office, space, you are anticipating, as in "sensing" a new level of scrutiny, wondering if anyone will notice, after being distanced and able to shroud yourself with various backgrounds during all the so-called platforms for video calls...And, in a more meta-physical sense, it's frequently only after, upon some contemplation of what you just saw, overheard... "Oh, Hello there!" Only one of many, phrases you've practiced while prepping, mouthed, in the mirror, so as to at least look and sound sincere, in anticipation of, based on, what you have experienced upon entering or even returning a place you've been before, perhaps even frequented, whic...

"What's the Matter?" At hand. "You're in the dark...go to the light" Familiar terror-tory for each, and every one of US. In both literal and "Meta" phorical  terms, these days. That is, whether we are searching for the "bleeping!" beep, a rude awakening from the most pleasant of sleep, or seeking, consciously, with a bit of assistance, perhaps, some self-enlightenment...And, whether, we our-selves ask for a "wake up call" -- what used to be issued from a living, breathing hotel desk clerk, but now in any voice, language, tone, volume...any which way you prefer...never-the-less unwelcome ("You called for a wake-up call late last evening, Mr. Smith, do you not re-call...I'm just extending a hotel courtesy...") Remember, even Alexa has feelings -- well, at least the en-visioners, engineers of the AI of tomorrow, are finding ways to build this human quality in...scary (for me, as in "job security"). The fore-...

Wake up, call: B4 the Co-mute...   Just a bit... or "I'll be there in..." A piece of unfinished business, I realized, B4 I almost wrote the entire instructions, what's now referred to as a "tutorial" if you have the lux of watching on You-tube, whereas it probably takes the form of an I-pod, cast as you begin, restart the co-mute...back to the office. Which you may also require directions, depending on all the road projects, that take the form of "infrastructure investment" when you view your tax state-meant. Many of which, in our particular, "precedent setting" state budget are a bit difficult to discern take apart, piece by piece, as "add-ons" -- especially since our particular group of "in-house" (within our state) who vowed to stay transparent, refused to vote in a bill that would reflect the signatures of those wishing to always add, never subtract, despite the fact we here have a balanced budget requirement -- wh...

We, the People: It's now on US... Time to go: As in "back to work"...to the office...which, for me, means to return you here to the "back to the office" mini-series. Whereas for U.S. as a nation, it means something quite larger in scope, as in getting back to the business of building a better nation, all the activities herein. This, after taking a breather, which will make this particular day, for many feel more like a Monday (or a Tuesday around here, as the "rubbish pick-up" which is covered as part of my summer property taxes I put in the mail yesterday, was delayed a day...). So a shortened work week for most, which is like a "breath of fresh air"... "You got a minute...?" 😔😕😟😌  The sequence of emoji's representing what We, the aspiring ones experienced whenever our mentor took Us aside, for what was to be a correction action, other-wise experienced as a "teachable moment"...one we initially trembled about but ...

A Pre-Cautionary, Pre-Cedent setting message...in a bottle. "Don't be pre-Mature" A note to my-self, actually, a reminder not to return to the "return to work" mini-series, but also a reminder to U.S. all...about what we might want to take care of around our House prior to the simple, almost brainless, putting ourselves, at least our emerging 'Autonomous Vehicles' on the optional feature, "Auto Pilot"😔😕😟! One we can easily find our-selves, as "creatures of habit". While those returning to the "daily commute" may find a few new wrinkles, cracks, and potholes this spring/summer, it is just short of inevitable that we will easily forget the time spent away...it will become, once again an "all-too-familiar" path to and through the door of our respective workplaces...Which I still intend, through a few dedicated posts, which I hope will only serve to sustain you, whether "back at the office" or simply in th...

Back (and Fourth), to Our Future: "Well, come to Our world!"  Back and Forth: Yet another (un)welcoming, beckoning...prior to a fuller (re)consideration of our respective experiences associated with first being called back, then greeted ("let me show you where your office, desk, is now (re)located"...said the so-called HR personnel) -- upon returning to our offices and other places of industriousness...even if it amounts to just crossing the threshold, after returning to the 'portico' of your own abode, to the adjacent room, which you still, at least at tax time, refer to as your "home...office space" -- the place where your red stapler resides, an ever present symbol of what you will, won't stand for -- if you don't appreciate the symbolic significance of this simple machine, than you haven't had the pleasure of viewing "Office Space" (1999). Go ahead, you deserve it, if only to fully prep you for your return visit... A Rude ...