Duffels For Kids

by John on May 12, 2013

Readers of this blog know that I don’t pimp a great number of other bloggers or causes. I think it’s because I’d like to remain somewhat impartial. I do want to take a moment today to share with you something that really struck a chord.

Call it serendipity, or chalk it up to random chance, but this weekend I read a story in my local paper, and then saw a post on a blog that I follow and wanted to chime in and help (albeit in a small way).

The backstory is pretty benign, I was reading the local section of the paper and then jumped on the iPad to catch up on some of my reading when I read this story about foster children who use garbage bags to move their stuff.

Yes, you read that correctly, garbage bags.

I found myself thinking back to when I had to make a move pretty quickly once in my past and while I didn’t use a garbage bag, I did have to pile up all my crap in my small car and get the hell out of a bad situation. Come to think of it, I’d venture to guess that we’ve all been in a situations where we’ve had to move pretty quickly to save our skin at some point in our lives…

The blog that moved me to want to write about this situation is a very popular Miami blog, written anonymously by a defense attorney here in town. It’s pretty much inside baseball for the audience, but the author (whom I’ve never met by the way) has a great style. Here’s the link to the post

The line that hit me square in the gut was this “Children aren’t garbage. They shouldn’t have to move their belongings in garbage bags”. Simple, elegant, and I wish I wrote it.

We all have so many demands, people and organizations vying for our attention to a vast number of causes that at times it’s hard to discern what to pay attention to, or to donate our hard earned dollars. But this one is so simple that I’m asking you to to take a moment, and if you want to do so, donate. Here’s the link to the site to donate

Thank you Rumpole for bringing it to the forefront of my busy day, and while I doubt we’ll ever meet and I have a feeling that I’m not your target audience, I’m still a huge fan of the blog

-John

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Hanging with the HR Bartender

by John on April 29, 2013

Why hello there.

I’m not gonna lie, it’s been a crazy semester here in Miami. People, places, things, students, employers, jobs….I’ve been teaching, counseling, and just generally hustling. In fact, I feel like my hot dog wielding, slinging dude/logo.

So what’s a boy to do when it gets a bit crazy? Well if you responded “take a load off and have a few relaxing beverages” then you’re correct. I was extremely lucky to have a chance to share some stuff with the HR Bartender this week.

I’ve had her in my blogroll since the inception of this bloggy blog, and she’s always at the top of my google/feedly/reeder app.

So if you’re interested in my take on how to ask your friends to help you get a J-O-B, check it out here.

More to come as the crazy has finally reached a manageable level in my life.

Who am I kidding, you and I both know that’s not gonna happen….

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For a Friend…

April 8, 2013

I was aimlessly reading an article in the Sunday paper and trying to eat something when my phone rang. Looking at the number, I frowned and gave a heavy sigh. I hadn’t spoken to this person in a long time and I was prepping for a very long mea culpa. “Hey, you’re alive” my friend [...]

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Habemus Papam!

March 13, 2013

I’m a big fan of ancient rituals and really got a kick out of following this papal conclave. I’m also happy that there is a new Pope. The fact that he’s from our part of the world is revolutionary. A Jesuit who’s got a background in science and chemistry, should make for some interesting papers [...]

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Daddy Job Descriptions

March 3, 2013

Fatherhood is a part of my job description that at times plays a very prominent role in my day to day work or sometimes falls into the “other duties as assigned category”. Nothing really prepares you for some of the curve balls that a child can toss at you in the innocent form of a [...]

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We interrupt this blog post….

February 1, 2013

Did you hear that? That my friends was the final bell that rings when one is in the home stretch of a long race/journey. Time to remember my pacing, my skills, and keep my gut in check. More deets soon and possibly some disclosure, I promise. -JP

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What I taught/what I learned this week.

January 25, 2013

It’s has been another busy week here in Miami. The weather has been really mild, which usually pisses off people up north who are digging out the snow or bracing for the upcoming freezing temps. That will change soon enough here in Florida and we’ll start to complain about humidity, tourists, mosquitoes, or a combination [...]

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Honoring An Influencer: Paul Hebert

January 23, 2013

Around this time last year, we honored Tim Sackett as in influncer in the HR Blogosphere. Well, the tradition has lived on and his year’s “Tim Sackett Day” honoree is none other than Mr. Paul Hebert. Paul, like Tim, is many things, an influence, a prolific blogger, and an expert in Pavlovian/Skinner based psychology to [...]

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New Series: What I Taught/What I Learned

January 11, 2013

Since the inception of this blog, I was always toying with the idea of having a weekly serial type post. I’ve seen my peers do great jobs with this, and others rip off the idea with mixed results. I’ve decided to finally commit to a weekly series that will a bit rough in the beginning, [...]

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Here’s to the New Year!

December 30, 2012

Well it’s that time again. Time to stop thinking about the past and gear up for the new year. 2012 was truly a year where I learned, loved, lost, laughed, regretted, met new peeps, lost old friends, gained new ones, cried, suffered, shared in joy, and shook my head in amazement and disbelief. 2013? Well [...]

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