I'm a total slacker and skipped my week eight update for Derek's Typographical Terrors. We are now on to week nine!. The table is messed up and I don't know why. Here's where we currently stand:
Kyle found an error in week seven's update which is pretty amazing but not worth any bonus points. However this did tie him for first place with Mike. More excitingly, Dan found is first point ever!
I also earned myself some masculinity points today! Not only did David and I install a curtain rod and curtain for the basement window (curtains don't really equal masculinity, so it doesn't count), but I also input a new towel rod in the bathroom!
Steve > Me
05 02 10 - 20:14. Category:
I met Steve on the MAX today. Despite my little interaction w/ him I believe he is a fantastic individual, and here's why:
A woman about my age got on the MAX this evening on the phone, I couldn't hear her conversation because I was wearing my headphones. Just a minute later she got off her phone, and she looked visibly upset. That upset quickly turned into fighting back tears.
I had no idea what was going on in her life, but I felt so sad for her. I wanted to do something for her, but there was nothing I could do. I, unfortunately, do not have the magic to fix problems. She looked so distraught, like something had just upset her life in a very helpless way.
I thought about approaching her and simply saying "I'm sorry. For whatever it is, I'm sorry that you're having to go through it right now." But what is that? It's nothing really. A part of me feels that people just need to know someone cares, and often that someone is listening (when appropriate of course). But I think it mostly comes across as strange, especially were it to come from a stranger. I personally believe that being alone is part of the problem when people face tough times, and anything you can do to alleviate that might help.
I didn't approach her. I didn't want to risk making her uncomfortable. What would I have said? I most certainly couldn't have done anything. So I just watched and wished that I could do something for her.
As the MAX was stopping, this guy came up and talked to her. I couldn't see her reaction too well, and I couldn't hear them either. he talked to her for a minute, and then he and I both got off the MAX. I was walking next to him and asked him what he had said to her. He told me he'd overheard her phone conversation, and that her wallet had been stolen. All her ID and her methods of accessing money were gone. The bank wasn't being helpful. So what did he do? He told her he'd been through it too. He also gave her $20. On some levels just giving people money seems like a cop out, but then she just lost her wallet. It was more than I did. He also had her smiling as he got off the MAX.
I think it's hard to separate giving money to make a problem go away and giving money as an honest effort to help someone in the best way you can. When I was talking to him the best I could do was tell him that I appreciated his actions and to thank him for it. That was all I had. We got to walk and chat for a little bit, and I think he's a fantastic individual. I hope to run into him again.
This event made my day and it got me thinking what could I do? I don't have any readily applicable skill to give. I work in accounting. The ability to do journal entries and tax returns really doesn't apply on a great scale in the community service level. So far I've just done my best to get my coworkers to like the place they work.
At the least, I'm going to lobby my firm this spring to start approaching non-profits with offers to do their IRS filings at significantly reduced prices, if not for free. If we could get the partners to even agree to let each staff accountant in the office to do one organization's filing that's ten or so organizations we could be helping out. Hell, give me another five years of experience and I'll have the confidence to offer to do it myself without any review.
I think someday I'll end up working for a community organization. That day will have to wait until I no longer need the high income offered by public accounting, but I'll get there eventually.
"Jesus Christ!"
04 02 10 - 06:18. Category:
Here's how you scare the crap out of yourself at about 6:15 in the morning...
Step 1: Hear what sounds like a faint periodic "meow" outside, and later a dog bark.
Step 2: Hear a rumbling noise right outside your window.
Step 3: Peak through blinds to find out what's going on.
Step 4: See nothing.
Step 5: Have a black and white cat appear RIGHT in front of your face on the windowsill.
"Jesus Christ!" was my expletive of choice.
Star Wars
01 02 10 - 10:44. Category:
Continuing my dork theme for the week...
Pretty much made me giggle like a kid. And no, I cannot pick a side in the Star Trek vs. Star Wars debate.
Star Wars, Accountant Style
30 01 10 - 16:28. Category:
Saturday we get to wear whatever the hell we want. I wore my star wars shirt (see banner).
At one point one of my coworkers saw me and goes "You are part of the rebel alliance and a traitor! I have to take you away!" What follows is the email exchange we had several hours later. Pretty much the best email back and forth I've ever had at work. Ever.
Him: Where is the Rebel base!?
Me: No! My cubicle is peaceful! We have no weapons!
Him: Imagine the fixed asset listing for the death star. Ridiculous.
Me: Oh jeez… that’d be intense. Would stormtroopers be considered a fixed asset?
Him: I’d say inventory. They are definitely not a long term asset.
Me: Ah of course. That’d be a fun perpetual inventory system to maintain.
Him: You’d think that the Imperials would have just called the local IRS field office and asked for the mailing address for the Rebels. Seems like a whole lot easier than blowing up entire planets.
Me: Well it was probably Dantooine, which was just far too remote for an effective demonstration. I wouldn’t put it past the rebels to do some “creative accounting” in order to hide.
Him: I’m sure the intergalactic Arthur Anderson was involved.
Me: I wouldn’t go so far as to accuse them of fraud though. Can’t really blame them for gaming the system to beat the Empire can you?
Him: They probably just operated on a cash basis anyways. Don’t want The Man holding them down anyways.
Me: No real revenue to speak of anyway.
Him: Just a lot of related party transactions.
Perpetual Eating...
28 01 10 - 14:52. Category:
Apparently my tax season coping mechanism and/or work avoidance strategy is eating. My schedule today:
This has GOT to stop. I cannot eat my way through tax season. Maybe drink more water? Find something to occupy me at my desk? My coworkers suggestion when I mentioned this to her: "How about you try work?"
The beginnings of this habit are kind of frightening.
Derek's Typographical Terrors, Week 7
24 01 10 - 18:17. Category:
It is the seventh weekly Derek's Typographical Terrors update. Here's where we currently stand:
Mike found one error this week and David found to in a hastily made post of mine. My posting was up, with four whole posts this week! I don't think that's too bad!
This is Terrifying
22 01 10 - 10:27. Category:
Corporations can now dump all the money they want into politics. The Supreme Court overturned laws restricting corporations form modling politics to their interest with direct money infusion for something like a century.
It makes you feel so small, and in a system outside of your control or caring.
Per Barney Frank on the Rachel Maddow Show, the only hope is that Congress could enact corporate law restricting their contributions, since the political law is now trashed.
