The Real Problem is not always the Breach

An aspect of data breaches that doesn't receive enough attention is timing.

When a company discovers personal information may have been exposed, the clock should start immediately! Unfortunately, many organizations focus on investigating, validating, assessing scope, consulting with attorneys, insurers and forensic firms, all while preparing public statements, yet before informing the very people whose information is at risk.

Identity thieves don't wait for investigations to conclude.

If there is any possibility that highly sensitive data were exposed, affected individuals should be notified as soon as practical.  This should be done even if all of the facts are not yet known. Additional updates can always follow as more information becomes available.

Organizations justify delays by citing the complexity of investigations. While important, people deserve the chance to immediately take action and protect themselves through actions such as freezing credit files, examining their accounts, changing passwords, and generally increasing their awareness of fraud attempts.

These steps are far more effective early rather than months, or even years, later.

There is also a broader issue of accountability.

When organizations collect and store personal information, they assume responsibility for protecting it. That responsibility should not end when a breach occurs. In many cases, the consequences of identity theft lasts for years, while the protections offered to affected individuals last only months.

Transparency builds trust. Delayed notification erodes it.

Perhaps it is time for legislators to strengthen breach notification requirements.

A few ideas worth considering:

• Mandatory disclosure within a defined timeframe once potential exposure of sensitive personal information is identified, rather than allowing indefinite delays while investigations continue.
• Multi-year identity monitoring requirements when Social Security numbers, dates of birth, financial information, or medical information are involved.
• Executive certification that affected individuals were notified promptly and completely.
• Personal liability for knowingly withholding information from affected individuals when there is evidence their information may have been compromised. 
• Meaningful financial penalties for unreasonable notification delays.

The standard should never be "What is the minimum we are legally required to do?"

The standard should be "What would we expect if it were our own information at risk?"

Until laws begin emphasizing transparency and accountability as much as data protection itself, organizations will continue to treat notification as a legal compliance exercise rather than an obligation to the people they serve and those they expect to serve them.

We are past due for equitable accountability measures, especially in this era of "AI."

Reach out to your representatives at all levels, if you agree with any part of this.

Give them your opinion.

Expect a response.

Google Finance UX/UI Fail

Google recently upgraded its Finance App to offer a better experience to users. The new desktop interface offers a more expansive layout than the previous look and now includes AI support. However, it fails miserably when considered from a UI/UX perspective. Let's take a look at a few of the problems in each of the three panels in the new format.

The Left Panel

In this left panel, a summary of portfolios displays along with every single item in a watchlist and a section entitled "Equity Sectors."

This panel cannot be resized, minimized, or otherwise closed. Why? Screen real estate is a valuable commodity.

Also, why only Equity Sectors?  Where are the equally important asset classes: Fixed Income, Commodities, Real Estate, Foreign Exchange, and Cash Equivalents? This one piece adds unnecessary noise to the view. It can be collapsed, but only temporarily.

The Center Panel

The default display shows announcements, major indices, the US Market Summary, latest news, dates for upcoming earnings reports, most active stocks, and daily gainers and losers.

Selecting items from a watchlist displays more detailed information about a particular stock in this panel.  Choosing a watchlist expands the left panel, overriding this center panel.  That works nicely.

Portfolio selection does not work the same.  Choosing a portfolio displays the contents of the portfolio and certain details in this center panel.  These detail columns can be customized to add more data to the view as well.  It should probably work the same as watchlist selection though.

When viewing a portfolio with more than 10 market items, it is impossible to view the associated data without continually scrolling back and forth and up and down, while struggling to remember the position of a specific item in a grid with no reference points. A side-to-side scroll bar is available at the bottom, but it is an empty and useless gesture for large portfolios.

The Right Panel

Welcome to the new "Research" Panel, or more accurately described as the introduction and intrusion of AI into your portfolio. 

This panel cannot be resized, minimized, or otherwise pushed out of sight.

The default view is a welcome message encouraging you to ask questions, of which a few random examples are provided. One can also ask it to perform analysis on what is visible in the middle panel or query markets in general. 

In Chrome, with Gemini already available, it is redundant at best.

Tasks can be executed from this panel too. In fact, Google now forces the user to use this panel for any updates to their portfolios. There is no other choice. If the intent is to use this platform to track an investment portfolio, one is stuck using AI.

It is a helpless and useless AI too.  

Most tasks associated with a watchlist are more easily performed from buttons already on screen.

Managing a portfolio using this Research Panel AI offers a new level of frustration. 

One can no longer simply add information to a portfolio as they did before. Google now forces the user to request that AI complete the task, taking the simplest process and pushing it down the path of unnecessary complexity.  What once only took a few keystrokes has been transformed into an argument over trade dates, pricing, and true transaction amounts. 

Who has time for this?

If I have to enter everything into a box, just give me all the fields required and segregated to do that.   At least give me a means of manually editing what Research Panel AI incorrectly positioned so I do not have spend an excessing amount of time arguing with it.

Beyond simple trades that it failed to execute properly, testing uncovered things the Research Panel refused to recognize that standard Gemini identified easily. In one instance, prior to Google pushing the major enhancement enabling users to sort by Ticker, the Research Panel was requested to take the columns from a portfolio presented in the center panel and redisplay the list with only the columns for Ticker and Total Gain/Loss, sorted in Ticker alphabetical order. The Research Panel insisted that the data did not exist. Gemini quickly displayed the requested information without argument.

Additionally, in the conversion to this new build, developers failed to ensure that data migrated correctly.  A lot of users report that daily tracking of their portfolio is lost forever.  Google simply dropped the transaction dates of many portfolio items.  As a consolation, the Research Panel AI recommends that you simply add those back for each and every stock.  It obviously is completely clueless as to the time that could take for large portfolios that have been in place for an extended period, with multiple transactions.

Thanks, Google.  Again, who has time for this?

Final Thoughts

I wish I could say I that I do not understand why Google refuses to enable manually entry as an option.

The answer is all too clear though.

They have spent a lot of money on this, and you will use it, you will like it, and you will work for free helping to train it up.

AI should be an additive tool for deep research or complex queries.  It should not be a mandatory gatekeeper for simple 2-second data entry forms.

Additionally, I will remain forever confused by those who continue to insist that Google is some sort of UI/UX expert.  They are anything but that, and this is one of many glaring examples.

Google did do one thing extremely valuable in this rebuild.  They helped me realize the usefulness of my personal brokerage platform.  Those guys spent serious time and money understanding UX.  The worst thing I encounter there is a login with two-factor authentication every time.

Google Scrapes the Barrel

Image borrowed from Quartz

Today, the notification below arrived, and immediately thought to myself, "Wow, Google.  You are really scraping the barrel."

---

We are reaching out to notify you of an upcoming update to our storage policies, along with new controls designed to give you more control over your Android backups.

The Policy Update: Effective in 45 days, all data included in your Android device backups will begin counting toward your Google Account storage limit. Photos and videos in Google Photos and MMS data already count toward your Google Account storage today. With this change all other backed-up data such as SMS messages, call history, device settings, and app settings will also count toward your Google Account storage. The storage used by your device backup may increase once this policy takes effect. If your Google Account exceeds its storage limit, your automatic backups will pause until you free up space or upgrade your plan.

New Controls for You: With this change, we are also introducing granular app backup toggles in your Android backup settings. If you are on Android 9 or higher, you can now select exactly which data types and individual apps you want to back up, ensuring you only use storage for what matters most to you.

Your current storage status:

Your estimated increase in Android device backup will be 0.05 GB after this change. 

---

Is all this really necessary? I guess they have to somehow recoup all those billions they are throwing at their AI somehow.

When they actually begin to charge a fair price for cloud storage, perhaps I will change my mind.. Local storage is cheaper and folks should turn away from this nonsense.

Google is just a like a drug dealer.  They give you services for free for years, then about-face and start charging you.  They were not always that way.  The internet was not always this way.

Extortion at Kansas City International Airport

Prices at the airport border have gone from ridiculous to utterly absurd.  The above photograph is very real, taken at Kansas City International Airport on June 8, 2026.

Once passengers pass through TSA security, traditional market competition completely vanishes.  Why  do these stores feel the need to gouge consumers at this level; more so, why does the City, who very much manages these establishments, and in some cases owns them, permit this sort of highway robbery and extortion!

The next time one considers buying something this basic from those thieves, consider the following, offered by Google Gemini, when asked about the cost of producing a single Snickers bar:

While Mars Inc. keeps its exact proprietary cost sheets closely guarded, food industry cost models and manufacturing breakdowns give a very clear picture.

For a mega-manufacturer utilizing massive economies of scale, the total cost to manufacture, package, and ship a standard, regular-sized (1.86 oz / 52.7 g) Snickers bar is roughly 20 to 30 cents.

When you buy a Snickers at a convenience store checkout for $2.00, you aren't paying for the physical candy; you are paying for the massive supply chain, marketing, and retail markup that got it there.

Where Does the Rest of Your $2.00 Go?

If Mars manufactures it for roughly a quarter, the rest of the price tag is eaten up by the "food value chain." Mars sells the bar to a distributor or wholesaler, who sells it to a retailer. By the time it hits a grocery or gas station shelf, the retailer applies a healthy markup (often 40% to 50%) to cover their own rent, labor, and profit margins.   

What is that Markup in this Instance? 

The airport is hitting consumers with a staggering markup of over 2,000% over base production cost.

Do we also need to discuss how the City is also charging vendors astronomical rents, as well as taking a percentage of their sales?  

Isn't that the way "The Mafia" used to do it?

This is nothing but a racket.

Perhaps it is time for Kansas City to follow the lead of other major airports across the country (like Portland International or Minneapolis-St. Paul), who have enacted strict "Street Pricing" regulations. These rules legally mandate that airport concessionaires cannot charge more than 10% to 15% above what the same item costs at a standard brick-and-mortar location outside the airport. 

Assuming the Drab Color of the World

I needed a little something in case I got stuck with nothing to do on a recent trip.  Most simply turn their attention to that little black box in their pocket.  I usually avoid that at all costs.  This book stuck out on my bookshelf as something that might be mildly entertaining, without too huge of commitment.   I do not recall from where it came at all.  It just appeared in my collection one day; perhaps, under its own power, it invited itself into my world.  

Regardless.  While standing in the line of eternity at the airport, I began reading and quickly found it fit the bill perfectly.  Short passages within specific topic chapters outlined a diversity of opinion and speculation on the cause of this or that in the turn-of-the-century Ozark world.

One of the most striking observations came in the forward.  It not only fits the time of the writing but could easily be applied to the impact of globalization that occurred throughout much of the time after.

"Wherever railroads and highway penetrate, wherever newspapers and moves and radios are introduced, the people gradually lose their distinctive local traits and assume the drab color which characterizes conventional Americans elsewhere. The Ozarkers are changing rather rapidly just now, and it may be that a few more years of progress will find them thinking and acting very much like country folk in other parts of the United States. This standardizing transformation is still far from complete, however. A great body of folk belief dies very slowly, and I suspect that some vestiges of backwoods superstition will be with us for al long time to come."

Indeed these vestiges of backwoods superstition persist in much of our daily lives, as demonstrated by a few other passages within the book.  The very first that I encountered took me back to a saying my great-grandmother espoused frequently that was always left me a little confused about what rain and sunshine had to do with the devil beating his wife.  I remain perplexed to this day too.

The next I encountered came straight from my parents mouths.  It is but another that leaves me wondering.  Why Bread and Butter?

Some may be more familiar with the "Salt and Pepper" variation.  While this one seems equally unfounded, the book does discuss beliefs surrounding various aspects of good and evil associated with having, keeping and freely giving salt away to another.

Then there are some that do not match perfectly to well known phrases, though it is easy to tell from where they may have had their beginnings, as with this related to finding a pin.

I could probably snapshot most of this book, and may yet include more of these phrases in the comments as I go along.  It is a fun read, to the say the least.  Some phrases have no specific origin and some are meant to keep children busy in the days before radio, television, or any sort of other technology. I neglected to snapshot this point but it amounted to sending children to go count the freckles on the face of another to find out how many days until summer or some such thing.

Randolph, V. (2012). Ozark Magic and Folklore. Dover Publications. (Original work published 1947).

SharePoint List Deprecation in favor of Rules

Microsoft continues to align with the Google way of doing business, abandoning processes that are user-friendly in favor of a more awkward way of doing things.  It is simply continuing technical stupidity.

Microsoft strives to deliver utmost value to our customers through modern, optimized, secure solutions in this newly evolved world focused on digital transformation. As part of this evolution of Microsoft 365 solutions, we will be retiring SharePoint Alerts and believe Microsoft 365 customers will be better served by modern notification solutions based upon the Power Automate platform or SharePoint Rules. - SharePoint Alerts retirement - Microsoft Support

Microsoft, you believe wrongly.  Alerts were simple and straightforward.  We now have to setup 3 rules to accomplish what one alert did perfectly.  Additionally, the Rule does not include information that the Alert included, which causes users to have to click-through to get to that information.  To get that information, you have to create an Automation.  I can get through it, but it is not exactly a simple process for nearly all of my user community.  This is not helpful.  Thanks for piling on more work for me, Microsoft.

I suppose that I should be thankful they are not ditching SharePoint completely.

Year One in the Crosstrek

One year in the Subaru and it has been a good car.  It is good to run down unpaved paths with a great deal more undercarriage confidence than the previous vehicle.  I remain unimpressed with the level of technology in the vehicle and since purchasing it have discovered that many others are also unimpressed with level of technology in any vehicle.  Some things are acceptable; other points are purely ridiculous.  

As an example in 2024 model year, Subaru moved the climate controls to the touch screen.  This was a terrible move and not user friendly at all.  One has to physically look at the screen to see where to touch to turn the fan up or switch the output. This is a terrible user experience. There is also the case of the frost bomb that awaits the unsuspecting solo driver in cold weather.  

There a few other things do not really live up to expectations, but are mostly tolerable.  Gas mileage is not what it should be or could be.  If Ford can get 40 mpg out of a 2015 Focus, surely we could do a little better ten years later. "Eyesight" could be a little less helpful.  There is no need for the car to drive itself.

The chief complaint is the relative cheapness of the vehicle, which is starting to stand out.

Some things are what you might expect out of cheap car.  Scratches under the door handle, from repeated use are awful.  The above image displays the issue.  It took 8 years for my previous vehicle to even come close to looking like this.   Why do other cars not have this issue?  Is it cheap paint?

Some things you do not expect to see in the upgraded version of the cheap car.  The Limited has a Leather arm rest in the center console.   The photo above displays it poorly but a noticeable impression on the corner of the side of the driver has started to appear.  The Premium version, owned by a friend just as long, does not have this problem.  It has a much durable center console arm rest.  Subaru should have used the same framework and covered that with leather.

Lastly, the backup camera, and Subaru is not alone on this front.  The only camera I have encountered that does not have a problem with dirt and grime all over the lens was the 2015 Focus.  Ford seems to be the only manufacturer that knows how to place a camera so it does not get dirt all over it; that is, at least on that year and model.  Subaru did ensure that you have some means of cleaning off the camera,  even if it is mostly ineffective, amounting to drool running over the lens.

Those are the only complains so far, for the past year.  I am sure there are some that I missed that are trivial in nature.  It is a good car though.

Artificial Intelligence Fail

This pretty much says it all.  I saw this little story last year, I think.  The only thing that came to mind was "No Joke!  That's it!"

We do not want AI to do the stuff we actually like doing.  We want AI to take over all the mundane nonsense.  Build us a useful robot.

Even then, I think I would rather just do it myself.

What happened to the Mall?

What exactly happened here?  The shopping mall has become a zombie artifact from the 1980s.  What was once a thriving shopping community is no longer.  A recent visit to the East Hills Mall in St. Joseph found a space mostly devoid of life.  There were three or four shops open.  Everything else stood shuttered.  Contrast that with the photo below, which is of another photo of the mall, taken at the mall, displaying thriving storefronts.

According to one source at the mall, "everyone wants to go to the strip mall down the street," with storefronts stretching across a mile of open air.  Shoppers buzz in and out of these stores, as they once did in the climate controlled mall.  The difference now is they can drive right to the store they want and ignore all the others.  They do have to trudge through the heat, snow, and whatever other elements accost them, should they decide to visit more than one store.   It is all very ironic, really.

The question remains though, what happened here?  Was it the mall rats or was it that stores no longer wanted to share space.  I have a hard time believing Midwesterners would rather shop outside.  There are only a handful of months in the year that are good for that.

What will become of East Hills, a mall that still proudly displays its 60+ year history in a diorama for all to see that the end began with acquisition by the Craig Realty Group in 2014.  Ten years later, their quest to dismantle the property is nearly complete.

. . .

further reading

East Hills Mall
St Joseph, MO

East Hills Mall
Craig Realty Group

Back to the Snow

Out and wandering about the woods again today with the old camera.  It seems to take much better photos than the phone, even though they are technically the very same megapixel.  It just not the same.  Photos on the phone always seem to lack a certain clarity.

That was not the goal today though.  The primary objective was to simply get out and crunch through the fresh snow, listen to it and the ice crunch underfoot.  Included in that, a little slogging through the mud.  Even that was ok.  Above is the only evidence of the adventure.

Getting a Little Personal

I wonder how many others feel that questions such as this are bordering on being just a little too personal.  Seriously.  This question essentially asks, "How do you like your sex?"

The Development Process

Have always found this interestingly true to reality.

Crosstrek Airflow Frost Bomb

The first few times I drove the Subaru Crosstrek in extremely cold weather, I noticed a peculiar side effect, though I had no idea what was causing it.

Rounding a corner, after having driven about a kilometer, I was immediately assaulted by a bomb of cold air inside the car.

Wondering about this for a few days, I started paying attention to the details surrounding this intrusion, discovering that it occurred under the same conditions nearly every time.

I had been working my way through the Quick Start Guide, one piece at a time, when I ran across the statement below.  It explains the cause perfectly and is easily reproduced.

7 - All Airflow On/Off Button: If only a driver is detected, airflow will come out of the driver vents only. Press this button to override this feature and direct airflow through all vents.

While I appreciate the effort, this feature makes very little sense in a car as small as this.  Indeed, it can cause things to be occasionally uncomfortable for the driver.  I wish there were a way to just turn it on "All" permanently.

It is a little amusing though, that it could be that identifiable.

Regional Car Buying

 

The road to discovering a solid replacement vehicle for the 2015 Ford Focus has been long, arduous, and included a few lessons. 

It started by considering simply replacing it with one of the same, moving to considering a newer used vehicle, to finally deciding to purchase new.  The plan was to wait until the first of the year though, and purchase what was left over from the previous model year.

It was time to have a vehicle that could offroad a little though.  For those that know, the aforementioned Focus was often subjected to conditions beyond its expertise.  It always performed well, or maybe it was the driver.  It made it through some sketchy dirt and gravel roads, straddling deep ruts without getting stuck, without a scratch, and with only front wheel drive and just under 6 inches of ground clearance.   Gunner Pool Road to Steele Falls Trailhead in Arkansas or north of Cotopaxi in Colorado or Evans Mountain Road down in Arkansas just to name a few.

After a thorough review of potential replacement vehicles, the list narrowed to what was perceived to be the best candidates; a Jeep Compass Trailhawk, Subaru Outback, or Subaru Crosstrek.   An afternoon of test driving revealed the best candidate to be the Crosstrek.  What trim level, though?

The Wilderness edition seemed a good fit, because of slightly higher ground clearance (about 7/10 inch) and a heavier frame that enabled a higher towing capacity (3500 lbs. versus 1500). The unfortunate part, gas mileage drops almost 5 mpg, and that is a selling point.

That narrowed it down to Base, Premium, Sport or Limited.  A test drive of the 2.0L versus the 2.5L narrowed things further to the Sport or Limited.  To get most of the options available on the Limited brought the Sport up to almost the same price, so the decision was made to just go with the Limited.  While the yellow highlights on the car are nice, the interior is not all that, and leather seemed a nice choice.  The only thing left to do was decide on color, map out availability, and wait for day one of the new year.

Working with Van Subaru in the test drives, in spite of everything heard in the past about them, it seemed prudent to give them a chance to prove themselves.  They were close and they had the stock.  Cash was king. They did not have much room to be a jerk.

Cory, the first salesman, was super nice, and laid back.  However, he left their employment to pursue other adventures.  In reality, they probably fired him for being too helpful or he left because they were too rude.  The salesman that took over for him was also kind and only pushed a little.  

There is nothing worse than a pushy salesman.  No means no.  No does not mean maybe, and it certainly does not mean hustle, badger, or insult.  

Further visits and encounters with other salesman in my investigations at Van Subaru began to witness exactly that sort of behavior.  Snotty little remarks about interests, choices, and timeline were definitely unwelcome.

Spending some time on the Subaru web site, building out a car, and finding every vehicle available within a 200-mile radius uncovered that the car could be purchased anywhere.  It did not need to be at Van Subaru, from a group of folks with no manners. Logging all of this into a spreadsheet, breaking things down by cost, options, available discounts, etc., the obvious path opened further.

The first of the year came and contacting the salesman Van Subaru by phone turned into a fiasco. He was not available, so his "Sales Director" hijacked the deal.  This probably would not have been so bad except he was a completely different character.

This guy was the stereotypical car salesman, pushy and annoying.  Making matters worse, he constantly interrupted and tried to gaslight over the phone, abruptly ending the call without so much as a good-bye.  

The conversation uncovered the car was not "in stock," but was in "inventory." Either way, because it was not in stock, it did not qualify for the $4000 off they were offering on all 2024 Subaru Crosstreks.  That made no sense.  Seemed like a little "bait and switch."  Either the car is in stock, or it is not. Semantics are little more than game really, especially for salesman.

Calling back a few minutes later, this Sales Director said that he thought there was nothing else to discuss.  Explaining there were a few more questions, stunned silence lingered for a few seconds.  He might have known that already had he not decided all by himself that the conversation was over.  

It turned out the car was in a shared inventory with Reliable Subaru in Springfield.  He could make a deal but would have to charge another $700 to have it delivered.  Suggesting the car could be picked up, he said they could not allow that.  Working with Reliable seemed the only option left, which he welcomed, and hung up abruptly again.  Through the entire conversation, his attitude seemed to be that somehow this purchase was a personal favor to the dealership. 

Calling Reliable Subaru, discovered quickly he got to them first. Their price for the same vehicle was miraculously $700 higher.

These are only a few highlights from the review left on Google Maps, which received a "Response from the owner," to give them a call to for "the opportunity to turn [the] experience around."   

Doing exactly that, the person was to have called me back.  They did not. Instead, the "Sales Director" emailed with no better response than to try to justify himself and his actions.  This only served as further evidence of shady dealings, when paired with the evidence in the spreadsheet.  They were the only dealership continually manipulating their prices up and down throughout the two months of research.

They were not the only game in town, or rather, the region.  Purchasing from them would never be an option, much less taking a car for service there.  

After talking with a few other dealers, a deal landed with Baxter Subaru in La Vista, Nebraska.  The salesman was super nice through all interactions online and the phone. He was conscientious, courteous, helpful and already had the car priced perfectly.  At no point was he pushy, and there was no feeling of being hustled.  These guys will never know how that is appreciated, or perhaps they already do.

A three-hour road trip retrieved the new car.  All of the folks at the dealership were friendly and accommodating, getting us back on the road quickly for a 530 appointment at birthday party that evening.  This is definitely how car buying should be; collaborative and cooperative.

The only problem now is ongoing maintenance.  That seems mostly resolved though, learning that Olathe Subaru is owned by the same folks.  With a little luck, they will turn out to be an equitable choice.

Gifts I Care About

It seems that a few folks got a little upset this holiday season, believe that I somehow cherished something given to me more than anything else.    That could not be farther from the truth.  There are very few material things that I value, so I went around the house and took a few photos of them.  None of them are expensive gifts, but they are the things I care most about.

Colleague Misses Me Already

A co-worker / client, also known as my birthday buddy, said the funniest thing at lunch today.  He said he would miss me the most if I left and is not quite sure what he would do if I were to go elsewhere.

This came out of the blue, and seemingly for no reason at all.  Sort of.  My boss is leaving and he will him and said as much.  He also said he would miss me more.

I was shocked and could only think to stammer, "Thank you."

It makes me a little sad that this would upset him so much, knowing that it would likely, deeply trouble this person.

At the same time, it is good to hear that at least one person cares that much.

To Teach or Not to Teach

That is the question ...

"Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles

And by opposing end them”

- William Shakespeare

I am continually confronted by my own thoughts, "I was happy teaching.   I enjoyed doing what I was doing.  I was proud of what I was doing.  I had no drama.  I was motivated to go to work every day.  I looked forward to going to work every day, even when expecting the worst day, or after the worst day.  When I was asked, "what do you do," I typically responded enthusiastically, "I am a teacher!"

Let's review where I am.

Am I happy doing what I do now?

It is a job.  There is a level of solitude and associated indifference.  I am a cog in a machine.

Do I enjoy doing what I am doing?

It passes the time and pays the bills.  It is not rewarding. I am a cog in a machine.

Am I proud of what I do?  

There is a level of personal pride in accomplishment, but no longer with my role in the organization, society, or what I am contributing to the bigger picture.  It is not something where I proudly state my role.   I am a cog in a machine.

Is there drama?  

There was not, until two new people from a former sweat shop (Cerner) joined the organization.  Now we have drama.  Now we have politics.  Now we have gaslighting.  Now we have finger-pointing.  Now we have blame.  Now we have people minimizing the efforts of others to make their own efforts look more appealing.

Am I motivated to go to work every day?  

Only because I feel personally responsible.  It is becoming increasingly difficult to wake up every day.  This is a sure sign, for me, that this is no longer a fit.

Do I look forward to going to work every day?  

Yes, in that I can complete tasks and enjoy the company of some of those that I work with.  No, in that I do not enjoy the recent drama, politics, etc.  I also do not enjoy communicating and teaching those that refuse to learn for themselves, or generating analysis that mostly only serves to find fault with others.   Expecting the worst day, I would rather sleep in.  After the worst day, I would rather sleep forever.

When asked, "what do you do," now I respond that I am simply a bean counter and nothing more.

Some of the decision comes down to money and retirement.  Teacher compensation is awful.  However, my current compensation is not a whole lot better.  It does afford a higher level of existence. Or does it?  Is it really worth trading personal happiness for a few tens of thousands of dollars?

Add to all of this, I noted this morning that they again posted a role that I had hoped to take on, which was nearly promised to me in the beginning.  It has become increasingly apparent that I am not needed or wanted in such a role.  It is the same as ever.  Stay where you are and do what you do.  That is sufficient to their needs.  It is not sufficient to my own.

Talent Card Results

Documentation for a career opportunity sent me down a path to complete an assessment that was only supposed to take about 20 minutes, and ended up taking about 45.  It really was no matter though, as it is a fantastic chance to return to the GIS world.

I usually abhor these things, as they are not particularly accurate in their evaluation or the results they produce.  This turned out to be one of the few times that something like this was on point.

Offered by Talent+