I’m in a bit of a blog slump; questioning the why’s and wherefore’s and weighing the cost/benefit of the time required to maintain a solid, insightful and engaging website, while working full time, raising a family, etc.

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I just saw this photo over at Ukelilli’s site on myspace.

Yes, kind readers, that is the soon-to-be leader of the free world with a Ukulele in his hands; thus proving once again that not only is playing the ukulele cool, but that in the right hands, it can possibly get you elected to our nations highest office.

Strum-on my Uku-friends!
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The catch phrase in the business/financial world seems to be “hunker down” lately. Consumers are spending less, real estate transactions are fewer and farther between, and with fewer companies in hiring mode, many employees are thinking twice before voluntarily leaving their current jobs.

The phrase “hunker down” has it’s linguistic roots in old Germany “Old Norse huka, to squat; … old Dutch huiken and modern German hocken” (worldwidewords.org). It’s mostly used these days in reference to hiding, waiting-out something bad as in to take shelter.

To me, “hunker down” has always had pleasant connotations. It reminds me lazy days spent reading Louis Lamour westerns, curled up in a comfy blanket by the fireplace and sipping hot cocoa.

So when I hear of a “slowdown” in the economy and about businesses and consumers “hunkering down” to wait-out the current recession, I see the glass half-full.

Just like taking personal time at the end of the year to reevaluate ones life and set new goals and resolutions, a hunkered economy is the perfect time for business and government officials to take a deep breath and refocus on what’s important.

My family and I spent Christmas hunkered down, playing with our new toys, watching movies and when we got a little stir crazy, hunkering down in the car for a drive to look at pretty Christmas lights in the area.

If weather and/or the economy has got you hunkered down for a day, or for a longer hiatus, my advice is to savor the moment. A few months from now when you’re running from before sun-up till long after sun-down, you’ll be glad you took the time to think, plan, ponder and enjoy the quiet moments.

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My daughter (Ciela) just turned four a couple of weeks ago.

This afternoon, as she was coloring, she saw some Christmas cards that some friends had sent us. One of them had some fancy writing in it and after reading the card, she brought it over to me and said, “Daddy, look at what I wrote”.
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Part of my job is to update a weather information line where employees can call in to see if work is canceled or will have a late start due to snow. As we’ve been having lot’s of snow and ice lately, we’ve canceled work for those who work outdoors in our production areas and made it “optional” for those in the office, inasmuch as they feel they can come to work safely.

A curious thing about winter and “optional work” is that everything seems to slow down. People seem to move at a different speed, often appearing to just go through the motions as if they are in a state of semi-hibernation waiting for Spring hunger to wake them from a plodding slumber.

I guess this winter drudgery could also be blamed on seasonal affective disorder, something that seems to affect a lot of people in the Northwest this time of year; or it could be that the slowing economy and uncertainty about the future just has people in a funk. Whatever the reason, ’tis the season to be lethargic’ is apparently the motto people are living by these days.

I don’t think making work “optional” has worked well. People need targets and deadlines to stay motivated and moving forward. Employees seem to feel much better about themselves and their jobs if they have clear requirements and are required to show-up and work. Making work “optional” works about as well as when a teacher makes homework, or test-taking “optional”. If work is canceled, then call it canceled. If it’s open, then call it open.

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One day after falling down and scraping her knee, my daughter screamed in fake-agony trying to garner some sympathy. My wife, an ER nurse, could see that there was no blood and that the screams were louder than the pretend injury; so she told our daughter in a matter-of-fact voice that when she falls and gets an ‘owie‘ she doesn’t have to scream, but instead can just say, “ouch”, then stand-up, brush herself off and keep going.


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Ever wanted something so badly you would risk your life to get it? Ever been willing to walk 100 miles in the desert, risk jail and starvation and spend your life savings for just one shot at a better life?

These people have … and they would do it again in a heartbeat. (Dying To Get In – The Documentary)
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Today is the 10th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, dedicated to all those transgender folks who died as a result of anti-transgender violence. Thankfully, I have never lost a loved one to such an act of violence; but, I would never forgive myself if I had not spoken up and taken a stand on what I see as a growing battle between tolerance and hate.

Background
I have a sibling who was born with all the female chromosomes and body parts. Ever since she was a child (3 to 4 years old) she preferred boy haircuts and clothes. We all thought it was a phase she would grow out of, but she never did. She came out to us, her family, as a lesbian in her late teens, then about a year ago she informed us that she has realized and accepted her transgender FtM identity.

I’m still relatively new to all this and should preface my remarks by saying that the news of my sister becoming my FtM brother completely rocked my world and challenged many (if not all) of my preconceived notions about gender, sex and identity. I still get tripped up all the time on the he’s and she’s and her’s versus his. Nevertheless, it’s important to me that I take the necessary steps to overcome my own ignorance and to let my brother know how much I truly love him.

What is Gender?
For those new to transgender terminology (like me), I think Sharon Vaughn defines the basics fairly well:

(begin quote)

• Gender is innate. It consists of a person’s internal awareness based on neuro-biological conditions in the brain and central nervous system.

• Sex is anatomical. It involves the determination of female or male on the basis of genitalia. Intersex people can have the physical attributes of both sexes. Typically, the characteristics of one sex can be more pronounced than the other, but there can be a great deal of ambiguity.
• Presentation is window dressing. It is the outward expression of one’s inner sensibilities, given one’s anatomical features and social practices.

(end quote)

My brother is taking testosterone, has facial hair and these days could probably kick my ass in a real fight. His gender (“internal awareness based on neuro-biological conditions in the brain and central nervous system”) is definitely male.

Growing up he was often referred to as a boy by those who didn’t know him. These days, I think that happens even more frequently as his ‘presentation‘ is definitely male. If you were to see him, you would not hesitate in identifying him as a man.

To Hell and Back
Coming to terms with being a transman wasn’t a “decision” my brother made willy-nilly. It was a realization that took time and much soul-searching. He’s seen a myriad of doctors and counselors, psychologists and therapists. He’s spent years filled with tearful, sleepless nights agonizing over the cruel twist of fate of being born a man with female anatomy. I can’t even begin to imagine the hell he’s suffered in trying to come to terms with his own body and his own soul.

He’s come a long way in his journey of self-discovery and like most of us, is still on the path. For me, he always has been and remains one of the most intelligent, witty and down-to-earth people I know. I named my daughter after him and hope that in many ways she (my daughter) strives to emulate his goodness, compassion and courage.

Taking a Stand
I shudder to think that my daughters will grow up in a world filled with the kind of prejudice that kills so many transgender individuals each year, so I am compelled to publicly stand and advocate for tolerance and respect. Regardless of your political or religious views, surely we can all agree that bigotry and hate are values we don’t want in our homes or our communities, can’t we?
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*Dedicated to all those who have lost their lives to anti-transgender hatred.

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When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A fireman? A policeman? Any HR folks out there remember saying, “I want to be an HR Generalist when I grow up”? Anyone?

I wanted to be a neurosurgeon when I was a kid. I’d heard somewhere that neurosurgeons helped people and were also smart; and I REALLY wanted people to think I was smart. By the time I was a freshman in college I had gone through phases of wanting to be a Pastor, a Lawyer, a Social Worker, a Teacher, an Economist, a College Professor and a Theologian … but I never remember wanting to work in Human Resources.
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My weekly collection of interesting sites, posts, ideas and pics snagged this week from the interweb.
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1) This ain’t your fathers Klan:

2) Dallas area Pastor asks his parishioners to have sex every day of the week, even Sunday!

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When I first heard superman say he fought “The never ending battle for truth, justice and the American way”, I was inspired. Of course, I was only five years old at the time, but hearing Superman say those words made my chest puff up with pride as I imagined myself standing next to him, my cape flying in the wind, my fisted hands on my hips.

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The November 12th Carnival of HR is up and running at Ask a Manager. This month’s Carnival is another great collection of the best HR advice from some of the world’s greatest HR bloggers, including my own article, “Do your employees trust HR?“.

Chris Young over at Maximize Possibility also picked that same post as one of his Fab Five Blog Picks of the week. Not bad, eh?
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You can tell I’m a big HR geek by this video.

While other parents play games like Candyland, at my house we do mock interviews for fun!

I should apologize now for all the future counseling my children will have to endure as a result of my weirdness.

Anybody out there need an employee with the ability to fly in the rain?
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Do your employees trust the HR Department? When employees hear that someone in HR wants to talk to them, do they get scared and suspicious? Or are employees eager to talk and open up with the HR folks at your company?

There are three key steps to establishing an HR Department worthy of trust.

1) Be professionals: Hire people with, or help current HR staff attain, relevant degrees and certifications (such as the SPHR).

2) Act professionally: Maintain confidentiality and a strict level of professional objectivity. Be consistent, reliable, timely and always follow-through. Give employees and management frank assessments, honest feedback and respectful attention. Demonstrate a high level of cordial compassion and authentic empathy.

3) Build a professional HR Team: It is difficult to earn the trust and confidence of employees or management when there is conflict and discord within the HR team itself. Internal cohesiveness is key to the credibility of any HR Department. Do some teambuilding activities and spend the time necessary to create a high level of cohesiveness. Support each other, quickly resolve and work through distracting differences. When any member of the HR team talks about the team, they should use words like “we” and “us”.

Trust can take time to establish and be lost very quickly. HR will not always be liked, but if we are true professionals, we act professionally and we work as a team, we will be able to earn and keep the trust and credibility of those in our organization, through both good times and bad times.

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Background: This past summer, my friend, Anon-i-mouse, spent several weeks on the U.S./Mexico border, working with people from the “Centro de Recursos para Migrantes” and “Frontera de Cristo“. He went with the desire to learn more about the immigrant experience and see how communities of faith were responding to what he sees as a true humanitarian crises. He came back with some insights that I found noteworthy. Below is my summary of his observations.

(begin quote/summary)
One day, while on the Mexican side, I had a conversation with a lady who was about to attempt to cross. I explained to her the dangers of the crossing she about to attempt.

I told her, “do you you realize how dangerous it is? There is a good chance that you may die.”

Her response was telling: “I will die from starvation if I don’t cross. There is no food and no work in my country”

It was then that I realized we can never stop illegal immigration with a fence. As long as there exists significant economic disparity between the U.S. and our friends south of the border, there will always be illegal immigration. You cannot stop the famished from seeking food.

The will to survive is stronger and more powerful than any fence, border agent, or man-made law. When immigrants make the decision to come to the United States, for them it often is literally a choice between life and death.

The end to illegal immigration will only come when the U.S. and our southern neighbors can find a way to achieve relative economic parity. Ultimately, the only way to achieve such parity may be to completely open our borders.

I know it’s a hugely unpopular idea; but I predict that the pressures to open the border will increase. People will continue to die trying to cross the border, financial problems will compound and the humanitarian crises in that area will worsen, until the border is opened.”
(end quote/summary)

These days, with all the xenophobes out there, any politician heard to mutter the words “open borders” can surely kiss his/her political career adios. Nevertheless, Anon-i-mouse brings up a very good point. How do you stop the hungry and desperate?
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