“Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's largest publicly traded oil company, said Thursday that first-quarter earnings soared 44 percent from last year, due mainly to strong crude and natural gas prices.” Source ABCNews

So I did a little Googling… So I find the United States Government Energy Information Site. They just happen to have a page that tells the story of the price of gas. The site says the average price of gas for the USA is 2.23.6 with a 42.4% increase over last year.

This tells me that the geniuses at Exxon Mobil didn’t really do much only a 1.6% rise in profitability. The other 42.4% was just sticking it to the consumer. Is any one in our government going to get some guts and do something? Sure the President asked for the Saudis to produce more oil. Is that so that we can lower prices or so we can create more profit for our Oil Companies? Don’t misunderstand me I am all for a free market to determined the price but come on… if we don’t do something about this I see more problems for the economic health of the USA. Recently released data says that the economy is faltering.

I recently had a brick hit me in the face… ok not physically but it was still just as surprising and painful. It’s not secret that I am looking to add to my bottom-line with a job upgrade. The wife is pressuring me to grow up and have kids.

First let me give my disclaimer… I love my current job. I would never ever leave if they were to offer a semi-competitive salary… and maybe paid holidays, and maybe more vacation. I love what I do; I have the greatest boss in the world. I have a significant impact on the company I work for however they just don’t have the desire or possible the resources to give me a pay raise. I don’t really believe that I can be promoted above my position because well to be frank there are two of us. My boss holds a director level position which is never ever filled internally; translating from Sundance speak: if he leaves I wouldn’t be even considered a candidate for his position.

Anyway I have been applying and interviewing at different companies. I was recently told by two different HR people that I am over qualified for the positions even though the jobs both paid 40-60% more. Ouch!!! I thought the process is the best possible candidate wins. It is not as if I am applying for entry level deep fryer operator. I gots skilz. I is almost a college gadiate. I have a good 8 years of experience. So my questions are simple. How do you know when to give it your best resume or just the watered down damn it I want this job resume? How do I know it’s the battle royal or just a simple sit down you got the job type of thing? So now not only do I have to deal with technology preventing (things like resume spiders who glean the appropriate key words) me from getting jobs I have to worry about my “over-qualification”

On to the next topic…
Tom Delay and his “problems”
I was reading the USA Today in the Sundance Deli while waiting for my lunch. And here is this article that caught my attention, Travel by Congress often paid privately By Jim Drinkard, USA TODAY. Corruption in our government I don’t believe it they are all honest Abes. Everyone knows that power corrupts and blah blah blah blah.. The portion of the article that made me laugh is this:
“The leading travel sponsor was the educational Aspen Institute, which spent nearly $2.9 million on seminars for lawmakers. Institute spokesman Jim Spiegelman said the money comes from foundations, and the trips educate lawmakers without pushing a point of view.”
The reason this is funny is because we hired a new general manager a while back and he was the head of the Aspen Institute. Not only did we get Eric we got his sidekick Fred as assistant General Manager another Aspen Institute employee. So the Sundance Saga continues hiring those who may or may not be a good candidate for the company.

Next...
Dr. Marilyn “Flamingly Incompetent” Welles Update:

Here is an email I got recently.
First let me apologize for Marilyn Welles. She is a bitter, nasty women and I am sorry that she spreads. This women is my aunt, so I all to well know of her ways. I have been up in down with her in the past but eventually it became all to clear that we should pity such a lost soul. I can't even begin to tell you how malicious this women is to her own family. I had it out with her a few years ago and she went and had my email account shut off . Which is easy to do without a justifiable cause with hotmail. She can't handle the truth. She lives in her self created world where she is queen. Please don't give her the time of day. She loves to fight and seems to do so with everyone who doesn't fall into her disciple realm. As I have stated already here, please don't take her personally. Always consider the source and let me assure you, I could give you many reason to laugh her off.

Thank You,

Name Removed to Protect the Innocent.

Ouch it must suck when you relatives think you are nuts too.

I wrote them back saying that I had no hard feelings I just think this whole thing is very funny.

Sometimes you just have to make fun of Stuff.
Todays Mock Photo.

<vent on> So there I am sitting quietly in my office trying to gather my
thoughts for the day. The day was brand new and I had quietly been prioritizing
my day’s tasks…No this is not some Franklin Day planner moment. I
just had some things to get done. My phone shatters the silence and my thought
process. On the other end of the phone is one of my most feared users. This user challenges my patience and makes me wonder if maybe I should take her computer
away since she doesn’t know how to do the most basic of tasks on it. As
usual she is in panic mode because my boss isn’t answering his cell phone
on the first ring. It’s time for her weekly use of a laptop with several
PowerPoint Presentations on it. She can’t find the laptop. I look around
my office and notice its not here. Realizing the handicap of this poor user I
call her assistant knowing that the laptop is probably sitting in her office.
My hunch was correct and it was sitting right there next to her door. I go and
get the computer and set it up in the usual spot. She arrives and cannot figure
out how to launch her PowerPoint presentations. “Um double click the desktop
icon labeled your PowerPoint.” I mutter. She just doesn’t get it.
Next she couldn’t figure out how to minimize one PowerPoint to see the other.
I really want to take away her computer. I am not cold and callous. I do understand
that there are various levels of computer knowledge. This person just never gets
it and to add insult to injury she makes 3 times what I do and add to the fact
that no other employee is less loved and respected by employees. <vent off>
<justice on>Later I am in the office of a high ranking official and his co workers inform me that he is in a meeting with a company that out sources the department of the illiterate computer users. <justice off>

The Sundance Human Resources Department is very entertaining. First they are the most under worked department at Sundance. There are three full time hr staff members and now they are hiring a 4th full time. The laziness in this department angers the entire Sundance staff but that’s a blog for another day. Today’s focus is on the entertaining job descriptions they make me post on the website.
Here is an example new HR Receptionist position. From http://www.sundanceresort.com/employment_hrreceptionist.htm

Listed Under PHYSICAL DEMANDS
"the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to walk; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl."

I would have applied for this job but I just can’t sit nor can I reach with hands and arms. I take this to mean we don’t hire anyone with disabilities and certainly no thalidomide babies here. Or you have to walk at work? What the… I am sure Bob would love to be sued for discrimination or just get press about not hiring people with disabilities. The reason these are so funny is that they don’t write the descriptions themselves no they use a job descriptions program that rarely is customized to the positions here at Sundance. It’s a prime example of non-technical people trying to use technology improperly to do their jobs for them. So if you get bored and want some entertaining reading try http://www.sundanceresort.com/job_list.htm. I guarantee there are some quality gaffs in our job descriptions. Side note: Job Descriptions Now is a piece of doooookie don’t purchase it. Supposedly this product produces job descriptions that are ADA Compliant. I think these create discriminative descriptions.

Guess who's back Dr. Flamingly Incompetent... Thats right folks Dr. Marilyn Welles. Read About Dr. Flamingly Incompetent

So this morning I had a couple of emails from HR and from our Sales Department. It was emails from Marilyn. Here they are...

I have decided to sell t-shirts in honor of the good Dr.
Get your certified flamingly incompetent t-shirts

Click Here for Image of T-shirt Logo

Here is her message...

Version #1
Subject: Attn: Eric L. Sather, Gen Mgr [Fwd: Someone in authority at SUNDANCE should know about this blog]

Message:

Dear Mr. Sather:

The email forwarded below contains information about a blog by a
Sundance Employee that does not present an attractive picture of
Sundance, and I thought you should know about it.

As I mention in the forwarded email, personal blogging that reflects
poorly on an identifiable employer has been grounds for instant
dismissal in many organizations recently. Some staff members in
Washington, D.C. have been fired even if their personal blogs did NOT
mention their employers if they are easily identified and linked to an employer.

Very truly yours,

Dr. Marilyn T. Welles


Version #2
Subject: Someone in authority at SUNDANCE should know about this blog

Message:
To Whom It May Concern:

This is probably not a human resources problem, but yours was the only
address on the web site that looked at all administrative.

Your organization should be aware of a blog addressed at

http://www.eransworld.com/blogger.htm

that represents SUNDANCE in a very poor light. I see from the web site
that this ERAN person is your web master.

At any rate, his or her blog is probably NOT the face that SUNDANCE
wants to present to the world.

In Washington, D.C., staffers have been fired on the spot for blogs that
were less damaging to the parent organizations than this one is!

Dr. M. Welles

--

**************************
* Marilyn T. Welles, D. Sc.
*
* VACATION ADDRESS
* 680 Doyle Avenue Apt. 304
* Kelowna B.C. V1Y9S2
* Canada
* 250-869-0850
*
*
* m.t.welles@ieee.org
**************************

Democracy begins at home

I replied with this

Marilyn

Thanks for the laugh...

Yours Truely
Flamingly Incompetent

PS My boss and Sundance Managment are very aware of my personal website and blog.


Marilyn since you like to stalk me... and are probably reading this. Here is your personalized message from me.

My boss and his boss know about my blog. They also know about you and your efforts to cause Sundance trouble. These emails you sent were very entertaining for Sundance employees to read.
Get your certified flamingly incompetent t-shirts

Google Maps is the poop...

I have always loved online interactive maps. I have been a fan of mapquest until recently. I started using google's maps a few months back. It has been really cool and feature rich.

I also like using a GPS and Satalite maps from Microsoft's TeraServer. With a few cool GPS Utilites like USAPhotoMaps.

Today I notice that satelite maps are now available. Here is the map to my boyhood home.


Here it is in the Satelite map


I sure hope that Google adds a gps feature soon as I am addicted to my gps.