Strycher - Gen X in 2K

I saw a very funny sign today while shopping on vacation. It read:

To err is human, to forgive is against company policy.

It’s funny in the sense that we all get a kick out of it. However, if you step back far enough, you realize that it is all too true in the business world. We do not forgive or forget in the business world — at least, not easily, nor readily. We hold people accountable for things long past their forgivable due date and treat them like second-class citizens long past a reasonable period.

I’m not sure that this is the right thing to do, though I know I too am guilty of doing it (at least teasingly). I get very irritated when others do it to me, and even joke about my past transgressions myself, yet I am just as bad about not letting someone off the hook for some recoverable error, even years after its occurrence.

To err is certainly human. To forgive is divine, even if it is not in accordance with company policy. Maybe we should change company policy where and when we can so that we can all lead a happier existence during our adult careers.

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It’s been a while since I last posted. About two months. And then a bit before that. It’s been a little quiet in terms of my writing since January. Mark it up as busy, or life changes, or poor time management. Tonight as I sit here, I find that there are some lessons I’ve learned about myself along the way. Tonight, I give you my next episode of Thursday Thirteen with thirteen things I have learned this year that have helped me find myself.

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No clue whether anyone is still reading this or not, given my low posting rate. That aside, life has been very busy tghis year. It is only this week that I have managed to slow down a bit and take some time for myself. So, a camping we will go!

I am sitting at my campsite in the Top of the Caves campground in the Hocking Hills area of Ohio, the whole place to myself. Okay, well, there are animal visitors and my co- camper, but you get what I mean. It is incredibly devoid of normal human sounds - just crickets, cats, and racoons. There are only a couple of lights other than my lantern and the campfire. You can actually even see the stars.

The air is crisp and clear, the temperature moderate, and the air mattress comfortable. The hiking was invigorating, even if it did take a toll on my knees and ankles. I managed to snap a few pictures, mostly keepers, including a few of the masked bandit that stole the Hershey’s bars (the racoon). Tomorrow should be fun too, with a little hiking before heading home.

The biggest revelation was that it is getting harder and harder to escape the office, no matter where you go. My Blackberrys had more signal in the bottom of the Old Man’s Cave trail than in my own house. How do I know this? My work Blackberry kept going off with URGENT messages from the office. Maybe the beach will have less signal.

At any rate, a good trip, some peace and quiet, and some much needed rest. Well worth the effort.
–
Benjamin D. Wiechel
bwiechel@genx2k.com
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

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Continuation of a Thursday Thirteen series brought to you by Strycher.

Thirteen goals I have for 2008 in my photography hobby are:

1. Obtain a flash for my hot shoe (currently investigating the Canon Speedlight 430EX)
2. Establish a portrait studio in my garage
3. Obtain a Hoya R72 IR filter and try infrared photography
4. Take a panoramic shot of the Cincinnati skyline
5. Learn proper lighting techniques
6. Learn Photoshop basics
7. Learn and apply layers
8. Learn and apply masks
9. Take a quality set of portrait photos
10. Take a quality photo in a new location
11. Create a quality HDR photo
12. Enter into a photography contest
13. Become recognized by my friends and family as more than just a dabbler at photography

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Here’s an interesting thought to consider.  What is love?  It has been postulated that love intrinsically involves sex, others claim that love can exist without sex, and others require passion before love can exist.  My own experiences say that passion and love may sometimes seem like the same thing, but often enough are not the same thing.  Passion is very emotional and consuming, it overcomes our whole being sometimes.  We confuse it, and misunderstand it to be a strong loving emotional response instead of the carnal craving that it truly is.  It is the all-consuming nature that causes this confusion, because it is so strong that it blinds us.

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“Liquid Cocaine”

The rush slowly begins
Warmth spreading throughout
Liquid fire
Coursing through your veins
Like a drug it consumes
An addictive desire grows

Initiated by the touch of another
The passion of carnal craving
Breathless
The electricity of your lover
Drives you wild with desire
Trembling, fully of excitement

Much like an addiction
You are drawn into the tumult
Inescapable
A vortex, inexplicable
Beyond language and reason
It sucks you down in

A warm, comfortable blanket
Glowing warmth overcomes you
Pleasantly pulsing
You succumb and give in
Mind, soul, emotion and body
The addiction complete

Passion consumes us
Humans that we are
Seeking, pursuing
Craving the chase and climax
We beg for it with each breath
A trial of wanting and fire

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Continuation of a Thursday Thirteen series brought to you by Strycher.

Thirteen Items Commonly Forgotten on Trips

1. Camera
2. Toiletries
3. Medicine
4. Phone charger
5. Mobile Phone
6. Laptop power supply
7. Power converters (international travel)
8. Hotel confirmation
9. Maps or directions
10. Corporate card
11. Condoms/birth control
12. Photo ID/Passport
13. Little Black Book

So, a funny story.  When I went on a trip recently, as I waited at the other end of security for some co-workers to catch up, I noticed that one of them got stopped by security.  He was asked to empty his pockets, his bag was searched in detail, he was scanned, re-scanned, and scanned some more, before they finally released him through.  When he walked up, he explained that he had forgotten his driver’s license and thus had to go through extra security scanning.  His warning was, do not forget your license unless you really like airport security.  At least he did not have to submit to a body cavity search.

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This past week turned out to be photography week.  I made a couple of runs out, and came back with oodles of pictures.  I have uploaded a selection of the best from each shoot onto my Picasa albums for others to see.

Stairs at the Capital/Government Center

Panoramic of a bridge at White River State Park

Panoramic at Eagle Creek State Park

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Alright folks, last night was a night of so many firsts, I do not know where to begin.  It is not the first time I have partied out of town, but it is probably the first time I have partied like this.  It was an outrageously fun evening that almost did not happen, and I am glad that the tide changed for the better for me.

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I am not sure how it is for other people, but I have come to realize that the majority of my dreams (at least the ones I remember) occur as I am waking up, not during the night.  When I am out, I am out, there is not much activity going on.  So, in the half-awake state of waking up, this is when my dreams haunt me and become a release of whatever is going on in my head.

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