The crazy year-end blog

Hold on, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

Busy-ness just sucks the life out of people. I don't know what has happened to the American mind in that we've been programmed into thinking that we have to be doing something productive every minute of every day. My totally un-scientific conjecture is that half of all psychiatric counseling problems could be solved by more rest and relaxation for the patient. There's nothing wrong with sitting around for a three, four, or five hour stretch doing - well - not a damn thing. Naps are a lifesaver for me. I am so much more amenable when I've had a nap. The Spanish got that right! I don't have kids, so I can't really say, but my opinion is that kids are going to suffer as adults if they don't know how to rest as kids. They need down time. Then again, many would consider me a lazy ass!

I could write a 10-page blog on Navy performance evaluation. Wow, it would make your head spin. As a tiny taste, let me just say that the member input (that's what we call it) from an E-6 is normally due to his/her supervisor around June 1st, when his/her actual performance evaluation is dated November 15th. That's how long and ridiculously painful is the Navy evaluation process. We also do what is called a midterm counseling (six months into the annual performance evaluation period) so that same E-6 will have had their midterm counseling only one month before they have to turn in their "this is what I did" input in preparation for their evaluation. At any rate, I don't like doing performance evaluation anymore than the next guy. The Navy forces us to rank people within the same paygrade and job field. The system is full of unwritten rules and tricks that have developed as people learn to manipulate the system over the years. I've always been a proponent of changing the evaluation system completely about every five years, because that's about how long it takes for people to learn how to manipulate a new system. But I digress. Here's the problem: in the Navy, we don't write a performance evaluation for the individual - we write it specifically for the people who will make promotion determinations. In other words, it's not really about the employee, but about the people who will decide who gets promoted. In my opinion, your starting premise is a bad one.

The evaluation training that I provide can be summarized with this statement: If you blow smoke up their ass during the midterm counseling, you are setting yourself up for an extremely painful performance evaluation with that employee. I use midterm counseling as a brutally honest assessment of where the individual is failing or needs to improve. Yes, I touch on the positives, but to be honest, I want them to walk out of the midterm counseling saying, "Wow, I need to get my ass in gear." In the Navy the midterm counseling is not part of your permanent record. it's a local document, so there is not negative long-term effect based on its content. When performance evaluation time comes around and they've done nothing in the previous six months to improve any deficiencies, all I have to do is pull out the mid-term counseling and say, "We talked about your need to improve in this area and some specific ways you could do it, and you didn't do any of it." If they made the necessary improvements, I'm happy as the supervisor and they will probably be pleasantly surprised with their performance evaluation.

Brad, unfortunately in the Navy performance evaluation is a documentation of PAST performance. We do talk about the way ahead, but the document itself is an evaluation of past performance. If you care to peruse the 213-page Navy "Performance Evaluation" instruction, you can see it here.

If you're really really really super bored, I made a post on Facebook that, at current count, has 92 comments. The post is about the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) which is currently being debated in congress. Most of the free world is opposed to it because it will give the government authority to shut down websites that are facilitating internet piracy. In my limited knowledge it seems that people are getting nervous because the internet would no longer be the "Wild Wild West" with absolutely no regulation and no consequences. Anyway, it led to a long and winding discussion about stealing music, movies, and books (intellectual property). There are many arguments to support the pirating of music and movies. None of them seem to make any sense to me. The usual argument is that, "They're rich anyway, so it doesn't matter."

Classic Adrock performance in the fantasy football league this year: best regular season record in the league and then I got blown out in the semifinals. I won the consolation game so managed to come away with the third place trophy, but for the love! Two years ago the exact same thing happened. My NFL guys never seem to fire during the fantasy playoffs!

I haven't weighed myself in a long time, but I think I can say with complete confidence that I've been packing on the pounds over the past few weeks. My appetite knows no end! I'm getting in a little bit of exercise, but am already looking forward to warmer weather on the other end of this move. I'm very curious about where we'll end up living and whether or not I'll be able to ride easily from wherever that is. I'm also curious about the condition of my bikes when they make it to the other end. Brad mentioned a sprint triathlon in Cedar Falls in August. Sounds like it could be a lot of fun.

I'm watching my first NBA game of the season tonight, Dallas and OKC. Seems like some sloppy basketball from the defending champs and Western Conference finalists, but I have to remember that we are only five days into the season and barely 30 days post lockout. I missed NBA basketball. As much as I like Charles Barkley, I think the addition of Shaq pushed the TNT studio team off the edge. It's too forced. I don't think Shaq is going to be around too long.

When I did a search on it, it was clear that I'm not the first person to have this thought, but Rick Carlisle looks an awful lot like Jim Carrey! And why do I have Jason Terry on my fantasy team? I can't stand him. Too much of a show boat.

You guys have any experience installing car stereos? I'm going to make an attempt at it in the next few days. I'm replacing the radio in the Escape (that's the truck, Ed) with one that has a built-in bluetooth so it's easier for Jennifer to talk on the phone. I'll let you know how it goes.

Just watched Kevin Durant hit a game-winning 3-pointer... life is good!