DigitalPenny

Change Management according to Wikipedia "is the process of developing a planned approach to change [within] an organization." THAT is a common definition relative to organizational change. It's about implementing the "NEW" way of doing something and focusing on measurable goals and the results there of. People are often resistant to change of any kind. And what we have to keep in mind is the fact that change involves "learned behavior modification". When implementing a NEW process, technology, or idea we have to first change the way a person thinks about it, next change how s/he approaches it, and then introduce that "NEW" process, technology, or idea. Modifying a learned behavior is not something that happens overnight. When entering the doors of a company as a new hire, you tend to run into people who will say something to the affect that they've been strategizing one way for years or the product has been written in this manner for years, so why change a good thing or why reinvent the wheel.

Well, I say to "Hell" with those people. Why should we always have to do something the way it's always been done. This is one of the reasons someone came up with the change management theory. Organizations need this to sustain their bottom-line..."cash flow", "revenue", "income". Whatever you want to call it.

Posted by Digitalpenny at 05:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Another recipe I want to try.

Best Rolls Ever

2 cups water
1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon white sugar
3 (.25 ounce) packages active
dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
7 1/2 cups self-rising flour

In a large bowl place 2 cups water and butter or margarine. Microwave about 2 minutes.
In another bowl, mix 1 cup sugar and eggs.
In a separate cup, microwave 1/2 cup water for 30 seconds. Add 1 teaspoon sugar and dissolve yeast in this.

Mix butter water and sugar and eggs mixture together; add salt. Mix in yeast water. Stir in 7 to 7 1/2 cups flour. Mix well and let rise in the refrigerator overnight, covered.

When ready to use, dump onto floured surface (DO NOT PUNCH DOWN!) and let warm to room temperature. LIGHTLY KNEAD! Only work in enough extra flour to handle.

Shape into rolls and place on greased sheet(s). Let rest 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree F (205 degrees C) oven until tops are golden. Brush with oil or butter immediately out of the oven.

Posted by Digitalpenny at 09:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Someone sent me anothe question/answer email, asking me to reveal more information about myself. Here are the questions and my answers to them. This was done back on 11/6/06.

1. FIRST NAME? Aleshia
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No. My Aunt was taking Spanish at GSU, when she passed it on to my mom.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Saturday (11/4) watching the movie I AM SAM.
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes.
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Maple turkey
6. KIDS? 1 boy, 2 girls (and they aren't fast. just the youngest)
7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Sure I would. I'm one in a million.
8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Yes, but I don't always write to it.
9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? A little.
10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? yes, and I hope to have them removed. SOON!
11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Hell no.
12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Oatmeal.
13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No.
14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? No, not at all.
15. YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Vanilla
16. SHOE SIZE? 8
17. RED OR PINK? Red
18. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? Weight.
19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My husband and kids when they aren't around. Sometimes I miss other people, and wish I could see them more often, but such is life. When we do get together, we have a good time.
20. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Not if busy
21. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Black shirt with blue jeans and green tennis
22. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? It's extremely quiet. There's a faint humming sound outside my window.
23. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Fuchsia
24. FAVORITE SMELL? The aroma of fresh baked bread.
25. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Mom
26. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Their Spirit (some call it personality)
27. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yea. "She real cool."
28. FAVORITE DRINK? Whisky Sour
29. FAVORITE MALE ACTOR? So many....
30. FAVORITE SPORT? none. If I were just watching, it would be gymnastics.
31. EYE COLOR? dark brown
32. HAT SIZE? donno
33. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No
34. FAVORITE FOOD? There are so many....
35. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Scary movies
36. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED AT THE MOVIES? Catch a fire... Derek Luke...!
37. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? black
38. SUMMER OR WINTER? winter
39. HUGS OR KISSES? Both.
40. FAVORITE DESSERT? There are so many... (Now, you know I like to eat!)
41. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Not sure
42. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Not sure
43. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Installation manuals
44. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Right now, my mouse pad is the kitchen table.
45. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? Part of the news.
46. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Babies laughing.
47. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Neither. I just listen to whatever sounds good.
48. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Bahamas
49. Favorite Female Actor? Loretta Devine
50. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Michelle

Posted by Digitalpenny at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Happy b-day to you.
Happy b-day to you.
You are a little man now.
Happy b-day to you.

Now, straighten up that room!

Posted by Digitalpenny at 03:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Found this on the internet. I shall cook it as one of the items on the menu for the holiday dinner.

INGREDIENTS:
5 cups fresh broccoli florets
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon
1/4 cup of red onion, chopped
1 cup of frozen peas, thawed (If they ain't green giant, I ain't buying 'em.)

Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

PREPARATION:
Combine broccoli florets, raisins, sunflower seeds, crumbled bacon, chopped onion, and peas in a large serving bowl. In a separate bowl or large cup, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar. Add dressing to the salad and toss to mix well; chill thoroughly before serving.
Broccoli salad serves 4 to 6.

Posted by Digitalpenny at 02:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I was reading an entry by Doug Davis, an STC member. He's been doing some research, attempting to tell us where are all of the Technical Communication jobs. This is certaintly what I've been seeing over the years.
Doug states, "These are the fifteen cities (including metropolitan areas) in the United States where over 50 percent of all technical communication jobs are found:"

San Jose, California ( Silicon Valley)
Boston, Massachusetts
Seattle, Washington
Washington, D.C.
Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
Chicago, Illinois
Atlanta, Georgia
Denver, Colorado
New York, New York
Houston, Texas
Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Portland, Oregon
Los Angeles/Anaheim, California
Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Research Triangle)

Doug also gives friendly tips on job hunting like, "Ask your out-of-work colleagues where they were last employed and, if the same names keep being mentioned, avoid those companies like the plague." (LOL) I thought that was funny. My advice would be to avoid the company, if you know more than two people who were laid off.

Next month, he'll be writing an article discussing which industries are best to specialize in. I'm looking forward to reading that one.

Posted by Digitalpenny at 08:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (56)

"Take Lunch and Get a Life" is an article written by a New Zeland journalist, Diana Clement. It's an interesting read.

I've posted her tips for avoiding overtime.

Tips for avoiding overtime

* Become more efficient and get your job done within the allocated hours.
* Try to ditch unnecessary tasks from your work day.
* Don't do other people's jobs. Learn to delegate.
* Ask for a reprieve from your boss.
* Document your work accomplishments and demonstrate them to your boss.
* Get help with learning to say "no" and valuing your time more.
* Look for ways your department could become more efficient as a whole and present these to your employer.
* Try to limit your overtime to blocks dedicated to specific projects and schedule time off in lieu to compensate.
* Don't let overtime creep up on you by accident. When it's time to go home, pack up and go. Save the task for tomorrow.
* If you regularly start early, let people know and don't feel guilty about going home equally early.
* When asked to take on an extra task you can't fit in, say something like: "I'm working on XYZ project. I'll let you know as soon as I am available to take on new work."
* Say what you can do: "I'm sorry I can't give you a written report by Monday. But I'd be happy to give you a verbal summary."
* Say 'no'. Try: 'Thanks for asking me, but I'm afraid I can't.' Or: 'I'm going to have to pass. Thank you for asking'.

Posted by Digitalpenny at 01:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (4397)

One of my favorite websites to visit is "Kiwi Jobs". This is a website based in New Zeland. I started reviewing this site back in 1999 and have watched it evolve into something wonderful. It's been renamed, "Career Services" and its written in two languages (English and Maori, New Zeland's official language).

The Career Services website provides extensive information about different types of jobs. What makes this site so enjoyable for me is that you can search on a career title, look up a title alphabetically, or you can look up a job by industry. It offers advice, training, and further reading material about a particular job. What's really interesting? In the job description are testimonials from real people, who talk about their job. This site also offers career growth decisions and activities for developing children's (K-12) potential for the future.

How cool is that?

Posted by Digitalpenny at 08:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1686)

When you read, so called professional writing and you come across this: "&" and "@" within a sentence or paragraph, what does this mean? According to the writer, the reader is supposed to understand/assume what is meant by these two symbols. I've encountered these symbols more than once in source documentation (information given to technical writers by engineers, developers, sales people or anyone, usually considered a subject matter expert [SME]). Now I'm starting to see it in course design for web/media development.

I've been assigned to edit a media production (eLearning) that's being developed in India. When I use the word "developed" I mean to say, it's being programmed in Flash by graphical designers, and it's being designed (layout/wording) by an Instructional Designer. Our American trainers wrote the original material, but some of the text has somehow changed. My question about this writing is, "Who added these short-cut words (&, @) into the text?" This is frustrating for me. I guess I didn't realize that our language is becoming so globally characterized by symbols arising from telecommunications and the web genra called blogging. These two entities are changing the way we learn, read, and communicate with each other. What's going to happen to traditional English as we (ages 30+) know it? What kind of identities are we forming? Are any social groups really being left out?

For those of you who teach composition or any other writing courses, have you begun to see such symbols in your students writing? If so, how would you characterize these writers? What type of students are using this new terminology: freshmen, upper-class students, non-traditional students, or all students?

Posted by Digitalpenny at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2632)

One of the best R&B singers of my generation is gone.

Lavert, I'll miss your charm, smile, and voice. May God welcome you into His loving arms!
This makes me feel sad.
Today is sad! ~AND it's raining!

Posted by Digitalpenny at 05:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (96)

Take Time for Self:

So far today, I've managed to spend one hour alone. In that hour, I've surfed the internet, paid a few bills, and read my Intercom Magazine. Now, I've managed to crawl into bed and am watching the news. That's something I haven't done in a while, that is, watch the news.

AND I still don't know what's going on in the world, aside from the fact that Ed Bradley expired, having lukemia. Wow, age 65! Right at the age for retirement. I thought that he looked sick the last time I saw him on 60 minutes.

"A man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9 (NKJV)

Posted by Digitalpenny at 09:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In Detox Mode:

2 tablespoons lemon juice or lime juice (1/2 lemon)
2 tablespoons of pure grade b maple syrup or a maple syrup
1-2 pinch cayenne pepper, to taste (red)
12 ounces of purified water (very warm)

Directions:
1. Cut up some (preferably organic) lemons or limes.
2. Heat up your water (microwave for 90 seconds).
3. Squeeze lemon/lime juice into the warm water (avoid getting seeds in your water; use a tea filter).
4. Sprinkle a little cayenne powder in and stir in your maple syrup.

Drink this several times a day when you get hungry or thirsty (you may alternate this with pure water but not much else). Use this as an exclusive food for 2-30 days, as you deem appropriate.

Pray that this works.

Posted by Digitalpenny at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)