Feedback

I’m at work, sitting at my desk with my headphones on. I wear my headphones to drown out the background noise in the office. “The office” is filled with cubicles. With so many people doing their everyday things and having their normal conversations, sometimes it can get loud and distracting. Then again, sometimes I just like to listen to the music.

At any rate, I am jamming (more like JAMMIN’) to contemporary Christian music and being quite productive. The day is flying by. I completely expect to complete everything I planned to accomplish today…and that’s really saying something. I’m working on a pretty big project right now…big for me anyway. And I find myself overwhelmed by what is still left to do. Our deadline is the end of March, which is still nine weeks away. So, I’m hopeful that by just being acutely aware of that looming target, we’ll stay on course and be able to present the completed project to the customer on time. But none of that is why I had to stop and type up this little rant.

While the music is playing in my ears, I hear nothing besides music and the tapping of my keystrokes. But between songs, I was hearing this strange squawking sound. At first, I thought it was just the CD that I was listening to. But eventually I realized that it was feedback between a couple of the electronic devices I have on my desk. I’m still not sure which two. But now my personal cell phone is in my jeans pocket. My work BlackBerry is on the left side of my PC, while my desk phone is on the right side of my PC. And the PDA/Scanner that I’m working with is stretched as far away from my PC as possible.

I’m not sure why I didn’t have this strange feedback issue before. And I’m not sure why these devices chose today to not play nicely with each other. But I’ve adequately separated them to various corners of my cubicle. I think I can get back to being productive again.

Provider

Today at work, we were asked to take the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator. I always find those things pretty interesting. I learned that my personality type is ESFJ.

Ten out of ten questions indicate that I'm an (E)xtrovert as opposed to an (I)ntrovert. No surprise there. I don't think I could even FAKE being introverted. Maybe while I'm sleeping.

Nineteen out of twenty questions indicate that I act and react more by (F)eeling than (T)hinking. Again, no surprise there. I used to refer to myself as the most emotional person I knew and probably the most emotional person you know. I've relaxed that some, but not completely. It's difficult to deny who you are and I'm an emotional person.

My scores were much closer on the other two indicators: (S)ensory vs. (I)ntuitive and (J)udging vs. (P)erceiving. At any rate, an ESFJ is referred to as the Provider or Caregiver.

(from http://www.personalitypage.com/ESFJ.html)
As an ESFJ, your primary mode of living is focused externally, where you deal with things according to how you feel about them, or how they fit in with your personal value system. Your secondary mode is internal, where you take things in via your five senses in a literal, concrete fashion.

ESFJs are people persons - they love people. They are warmly interested in others. They use their Sensing and Judging characteristics to gather specific, detailed information about others, and turn this information into supportive judgments. They want to like people, and have a special skill at bringing out the best in others. They are extremely good at reading others, and understanding their point of view. The ESFJ's strong desire to be liked and for everything to be pleasant makes them highly supportive of others. People like to be around ESFJs, because the ESFJ has a special gift of invariably making people feel good about themselves.

The ESFJ takes their responsibilities very seriously, and is very dependable. They value security and stability, and have a strong focus on the details of life. They see before others do what needs to be done, and do whatever it takes to make sure that it gets done. They enjoy these types of tasks, and are extremely good at them

ESFJs are warm and energetic. They need approval from others to feel good about themselves. They are hurt by indifference and don't understand unkindness. They are very giving people, who get a lot of their personal satisfaction from the happiness of others. They want to be appreciated for who they are, and what they give. They're very sensitive to others, and freely give practical care. ESFJs are such caring individuals, that they sometimes have a hard time seeing or accepting a difficult truth about someone they care about.

With Extraverted Feeling dominating their personality, ESFJs are focused on reading other people. They have a strong need to be liked, and to be in control. They are extremely good at reading others, and often change their own manner to be more pleasing to whomever they're with at the moment.

All ESFJs have a natural tendency to want to control their environment. Their dominant function demands structure and organization, and seeks closure. ESFJs are most comfortable with structured environments. They're not likely to enjoy having to do things which involve abstract, theoretical concepts, or impersonal analysis. They do enjoy creating order and structure, and are very good at tasks which require these kinds of skills. ESFJs should be careful about controlling people in their lives who do not wish to be controlled.

ESFJs at their best are warm, sympathetic, helpful, cooperative, tactful, down-to-earth, practical, thorough, consistent, organized, enthusiastic, and energetic. They enjoy tradition and security, and will seek stable lives that are rich in contact with friends and family.

Happy New Year!

Well, we're a week into '08. I figure it's about time that I ring it in. It's been a pretty good year thus far, I suppose. Not all that eventful. But mostly, that's a good thing. I've had eventful years. Boy, have I had eventful years! And I'll take uneventful any day of the week.

I'm supposed to be making a Sympathy card for one of the guys at work. His father passed away over the weekend. I don't know if he was sick or not; I think it was somewhat unexpected. But no matter, I always make these book type cards that we pass around the office and sign. Unfortunately, I can't find a couple of my tools. I'm wondering if I left them at work the last time I made cards there. I know I could try to make this card without the right tools. But that would be quite a challenge.

I guess I could try to come up with a different kind of card that doesn't require a sharp edge and an eyelet setter that can cut through framer's mat board. But it's already 11pm. I definitely should have done this earlier in the evening.

Overall, those are as bad as my challenges have been this year. So far, so good. I sure hope the rest of the year continues on this path.

It's So Easy to Give!

Every day, I hit two different websites that let me do something good. It's quick. It's easy. And it's worth it. Take the time to put these URLs in your Favorites and help make a difference.

The first site is Xerox's Let's Say Thanks website. The URL is http://www.letssaythanks.com/. The website gives us an opportunity to send a free printed postcard to US military personnel stationed overseas showing our support and appreciation for their service to our country.

Several homemade cards scroll by, made by students across the country. Once you select a card, enter your name, hometown, and state. Then you select one of the comments already typed up. Click Submit and you're done. That's all there is to it. You've just sent a card to a military member!

The second website is The Click to Give Site. You can 'click' daily and sponsors will cough up the money for various causes. In all, there are six tabs across the top of the screen that allow you to get sponsors to donate. You can get to all of the sites from any one of the following URLs. (I pulled the following verbiage from the site listed.)

The Hunger Site was founded to focus the power of the Internet on a specific humanitarian need: the eradication of word hunger. Since its launch in June 1999, the site has established itself as a leader in online activism, helping to feed the world's hungry. On average, over 220,000 individuals from around the world visit the site each day to click the yellow "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button. To date, more than 200 million visitors have given more than 300 million cups of staple food. The food funded by clicks at The Hunger Site is paid for by site sponsors and distributed to those in need by Mercy Corps and America's Second Harvest. 100% of sponsor advertising fees goes to our charitable partners. Funds are split between these organizations and go to the aid of hungry people in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and North America. The URL is http://www.thehungersite.com/tpc/THS_linktous.

Your click on the pink "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button helps fund free mammograms for women in need — low-income, inner-city and minority women whose awareness of breast cancer and opportunity for help is often limited. Your click is paid for by site sponsors, and mammogram funding is provided to clinics throughout the U.S. through the efforts of the National Breast Cancer Foundation. The URL is http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/tpc/BCS_linktous.

The Child Health Site is dedicated to funding simple and very effective preventatives and treatments with the goal of robust child health around the globe. Your daily click funds the administration of Vitamin A to prevent life-threatening childhood illness and disease as well as one preventable cause of childhood blindness; the manufacture and fitting of children's prostheses so that a child injured by a landmine or other accident can still walk, run and play and still has a fighting chance to be a productive contributor in his or her society as an adult; eye surgeries that can reverse one kind of childhood blindness; and HIV testing that will alert medical personnel that a mother may pass the infection onto her child at birth so that she can be treated and the newborn spared of this terrible disease. When you click, once per day, every day, you are helping to get these types of treatments and services to the children who need them most. On average, over 70,000 individuals from around the world visit the site each day to click the blue "Click Here to Give - It's FREE" button. To date, more than 100 million visitors have helped more than 2,161,000 children. The URL is http://www.thechildhealthsite.com/tpc/CHS_linktous.

The Literacy Site is dedicated to funding free books for children. On average, over 70,000 individuals from around the world visit the site each day to click the orange "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button. To date, more than 55 million visitors have helped provide more than a million books to children who need them most. Access to books is essential to reading development. Yet 61% of low-income families in the US have no books for children in their homes. Over 80% of childcare centers serving low-income children lack age-appropriate books and other print materials. By providing children from low-income families with books that they can take home and keep, together we target the only variable that correlates significantly with reading scores: the number of books in the home. Worldwide, there are more than 770 million illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds of whom are women and girls. In addition, there are over 100 million children not currently enrolled in primary school and millions of others not currently in secondary school. Education is a lifelong gift that empowers people to ultimately improve socioeconomic conditions for their families, communities, countries, and future generations. Through the opportunities that only an education can provide, we can break the cycle of poverty, one child at a time. The URL is http://www.theliteracysite.com/tpc/TLS_linktous.

The Rainforest Site is dedicated to the preservation of rainforests around the world. Your daily click funds the purchase of rainforest land by The Nature Conservancy, The Rainforest Conservation Fund, The World Parks Endowment, and Rainforest2Reef. These organizations work to preserve rainforest land in Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Paraguay, and other locations worldwide. On average, over 35,500 individuals from around the world visit the site each day to click the green "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button. To date, more than 150 million visitors have preserved more than 40,500 acres of land. The URL is http://www.therainforestsite.com/tpc/TRS_linktous.

The Animal Rescue Site focuses the power of the Internet on a specific need: providing food for some of the 27 million unwanted animals given to shelters in the US every year. Over 10 million animals are put to death every year in the US alone because they are abandoned and unwanted. Each click on the purple "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button at The Animal Rescue Site provides food and care for a rescued animal living in a shelter or sanctuary. Funding for food and care is paid by site sponsors and distributed to animals in need at the Fund for Animals' renowned animal sanctuaries, pet shelters supported by the Petfinder Foundation, North Shore Animal League, and other worthy animal care facilities supported by the GreaterGood.org foundation. The URL is http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/tpc/ARS_linktous.

How You Live

Last night I went to a candlelight memorial for Cheryl Biggs. It was on the square downtown. And it was beautiful. So many friends, both from our community and the Emmaus community. It was cold, but not cold enough to keep us away.

There were so many things about the evening that touched my heart, but as always my favorite was the music. Lauren sang a song by Mercy Me called 'Bring the Rain'. The premise of the song is that it doesn't matter what hardships and heartaches we go through in this life. What matters is that we have a God that is in control at all times. So why be afraid. Bring on the rain! I had never heard this song before and Lauren sang it beautifully.

The very last song that we heard was a tribute to the life that Cheryl led. I've decided I need to go out and buy this song. I loved it. The only thing it's missing is a beat that would make me get up and dance. But the words definitely make up for that.

How You Live
Point Of Grace

Wake up to the sunlight with your windows open
Don't hold in your anger or leave things unspoken
Wear your red dress
Use your good dishes
Make a big mess and make lots of wishes
Have what you want but want what you have
And don't spend your life looking back

CHORUS:
Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
You won't regret it
Looking back from where you have been
Because it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live

So go to the ballgames and go to the ballet
And go see your folks more than just on the holidays
Kiss all your children
Dance with your wife
Tell your husband you love him every night
Don't run from the truth because you can't get away
Just face it and you'll be okay

CHORUS

Oh wherever you are and wherever you've been
Now is the time to begin

So give to the needy and pray for the grieving
Even when you don't think that you can
Because all that you do is bound to come back to you
So think of your fellow man
Make peace with God and make peace with yourself
Because in the end there's nobody else

CHORUS

I Have a Cat

His name is Linus. I love his name.

I got him 'free to a good home'. But within a week or so, he had a cold in his eye, so I had to take him to the vet. It cost me like $85 or something ridiculous. I mean, he was this tiny, little thing. I couldn't believe he was already costing me money. So, he quickly inherited a middle name... PITA, which is short for Pain In The A$$.

All of my cats get my son's last name. So, this one was now Linus PITA-bread Underwoo. I added the 'bread' just because it rolled off the tongue better. As for the last name, the first D is silent and the second D is invisible. So, it's more like Unnerwoo. Linus PITA-bread Unnerwoo.

Before Linus, we had Peek-a-Boo and Lily. Again, I played with their names a bit. That's what I do. Peek-a-Boo became Peek-a-Durn-Boo Underwoo. And Lily... well, Lily had a really long name. It went with her really long tail. She was also a total tomboy, not afraid of anything. So, she became Lily Monster Moe With a Long Tail. Monster was pronounced more like Monser. Moe, just because it made the name roll better. And 'With a' was more like Wissuh. (She knew I was talking to her!) Peek-a-Durn-Boo Unnerwoo and Lily Monser Moe Wissuh Long Tail.

I actually have several nicknames for Linus...like he needed another nickname. I often call him Little Man Linus... pronounced L'il Man Linus. Of course, it made more sense when he was a kitten and well, little. Now, because he insists on living outdoors, he's fat and fuzzy. I assume he's fat because he's kind of in hibernation mode, what with winter coming on. He's fuzzy because his coat is coming in really thick. He'll thin down again as the weather warms up. But right now, he's fat and fuzzy...totally NOT a L'il Man Linus.

I also call him Linus-Felinus. It sounds very Latin and distinguished. I don't know if Linus can be described as either Latin OR distinguished. But it's cute. And Linus is cute. He's a cuddler and gives me a kiss before his dinner every night. He's definitely a cutie. So, I'm sure he'll hear that one again and again.

L'il Man Linus-Felinus PITA-bread Unnerwoo. My cat.

Merry Christmas!

I love Christmas. Then again, who doesn't? I went to midnight mass last night... which was actually at 10 PM. I guess that happens when you have one priest for four parishes. But it was beautiful. And it was a gorgeous night. Full moon. Clear skies. Not too cold. Just gorgeous. Perfect night to welcome Christmas.

Today, I spent time with family. Opened presents, watched a movie with my niece. Played with the cats. Had a wonderful meal prepared by my parents. Nice conversation. And then topped it all off by taking a nap.

Sure beats last week when I had no heat and no hot water. I thought I had a gas problem. I mean really, what are the chances that I was having problems with both my furnace AND my hot water heater on the same day? Well in this instance, 100%. But thankfully, my dad was able to repair the possible leak in the roof that caused the problem. My furnace was repairable... for a mere $269. And my hot water heater just needed a bit of tightening to stop the leak and a bit of drying out in order to relight the pilot light. Of course, it is a 1978 model, so I really need to replace it soon. Just not four days before Christmas. At any rate, it's all fixed now. My home is toasty as I type. Merry Christmas to me!