The Never Ending Story

punk d

punk d

TNPer
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I’m titling this blog, The Never Ending Story, and for those of you old enough, you’ll remember the movie and/or the book. When I retired last fall, I felt relieved. My motivation was zero. It’s difficult for me to do anything without a purpose and I lost my purpose. I was still highly motivated to be a good admin, but actually participating wasn’t there for me. The first couple months I don’t think I read much of anything in the Assembly. No motivation, meant no interest. However, recently I have been reading and wanting to contribute. As a “member” I can read Assembly posts, but can’t post there so I don’t and won’t. The Narnia episode was truly the first time I was tempted to read something I didn’t have classification to read. I didn’t but I was very curious to understand people’s thoughts around the subject. That so many of you reversed DD’s decision still piques my interest.

So I’ve felt the tug to return as an RA member. Not a pull, a tug. But it’s not all the way there for me. Channeling my inner Brokeback, I wish I knew how to quit you, TNP. But I haven’t found a way yet.

And so the story continues.

From time to time, I’ll post here to talk myself into or out of making a return to active participation in the region beside admin duties.

P.S. Just for SillyString - "members" can post their own blogs. :)
 
And now I've created a "defender" organization called, Liberty Riders International. Liberty because I work for Liberty Mutual Insurance and it goes with the defender motif. Riders because I think subconsciously i was thinking of the black riders. International just to make the acronym 3 letters and this fit.

Tweedy created a cool image for us.

pic9A.png


I purchased about 30k in stamps and am sending out my first recruitment TG's to new nations. They say the conversion rate is about 1% so I sent out 500 so that means I should get 5 recruits from this. Manual recruiting seemed to be more effective than a 1% conversion rate but with so many people using stamps I understand.

We'll see how this goes. If I can get 5-10 committed people, I can use stamps to build the critical mass and then, maybe, we can do some damage. Hope it works, but if it doesnt it was worth a shot.
 
One of the key phrases of the last post was "if I can get 5-10" ....

Well three or so weeks in and we have 73 nations, 10 endorsing our delegate, and growing everyday. So, I should be happy right?

Wrong.

I'm actually quite disappointed that we haven't been able to build military or political leadership as yet. I think we have some recruits that have potential but getting things moving has been a beast. Perhaps I'm just impatient, but I was hoping we would have been able to get a few things done my now.

Over the next few weeks, I'll need to reevaluate the viability, but I'd give my right arm for a competent defender who wanted to lead.
 
I dont know anything about the military stuff of NS, just on how to do the frowned upon act of attempted Rules-Lawyering and how to fail at trying to be funny, but I hope your group succeeds
 
PaulWallLibertarian42:
I dont know anything about the military stuff of NS, just on how to do the frowned upon act of attempted Rules-Lawyering and how to fail at trying to be funny, but I hope your group succeeds
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Some comedians make a living at failing to be funny. Just look at Rosie O'Donnell.

:w00t:
 
97 nations in and the insults to my intelligence continue through pretty lame attempts to infiltrate the region.

We're not active from a military standpoint and that bites. Invested another stamp spree to keep us going another month but I want internal activity not forced external activity...that I pay for I might add...lol.

But, this is the largest region I've every founded and so I suppose I should be happy about that. But, right now I'd like to inspire some excitement in these guys to get their juices flowing. Hopefully our April Fool's joke will be something fun the region can get behind.

...back to the grind.

Unrelated note - my professor sent us a note with an updated syllabus and said the new syllabus would answer all of our questions. I wonder how long the answer to 'what's the meaning of life?' is? :P
 
You posted about this new fendas group but do not give much information on it. Do you have an external forums/NS region? I believe that if you can get a few committed members you would easily be able to retain more people from your... commercial-based membership gains.
 
I do. I'm not trying to recruit here, but if you look up the region, LRI, you can find more info in game.

This is more my aside from things going on as well as discussing other things related to the dude behind the Punk D mask.
 
Trying out the public bully pulpit in my state. Asking the public to support me with 5,000 signatures to get rid of a silly law on the books. We'll see what happens.
 
PaulWallLibertarian42:
What law are you trying to get rid of?
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It's called a "master lever" which allows a voter to vote a straight party ticket when they vote. So all their votes will be for Dems, or Republicans, or in our state Moderates.

Problem is, there are times when they "pull" the lever (there is no lever any longer just a box they fill) they also sometimes vote for other parties which creates an over-vote, some races are non-partisan which leads to an undervote, and in other races their party of choice may not even be running a candidate. In 2012 one party had 8,000 people "pull" the lever but of say 80+ races this party only ran candidates in 3 of them. That's a lot of people not voting for actual candidates and diluting their own voting power.

So, I've decided to test a theory that the people in the state care about the issue and are moved enough to sign a petition on change.org. I'm looking for 5k signatures. I hope it works, but i'm skeptical.

Thanks, McM.

EDIT
Alas, I have to give up LRI. I'm moving to a new position and it's an area where I have to build a foundation because I'm unfamiliar with some of the data. It's a lateral move, but will be a really good long term move. It's also going to cause me to delay some of my schooling as well as I really need to dive in and get up to speed as quickly as possible. It's all good stuff, just will take some work. But a casualty of the RL war shall be LRI. Sigh.
 
The change.org petition was a failure from my standards. The hope was to amass 5k signatures. I received 116.

Some of my readers have tried to console me a bit, but I'm not really disappointed so much as shaking my head. I'm going to continue to push the envelope and be a pest to the powers that be though. Things need to change in the state.

LRI will die a slow death. Sad. good news, start my new role Wednesday - meeting with my indirect reports this week. Hope to bring a lot of innovation, efficiency, and team spirit.
 
On the petition. Its only been a few weeks right? There is no set deadline to collect signatures? Also you are one person. 116 sigs in a Week from one person making one petition on a petition site is nothing to shake a stick at. Its actually impressive.

Some of the big campaigns and political pacs and non profits take them months to circulate petitions and go door to door. And they don't always make thiet threshold. If it is something you seriously want to change don't give up.
 
Well, in our state we have 2 houses. The one House just voted unanimously to get rid of this master lever. So, the bill will be going to the other house for them to vote on it.

I've written about the issue again today and I hope it continues to pick up steam.

In general, I need to get through these next 2 days - 2 finals, a production parallel test for a project I'm running, and my new role. I can juggle 2 pretty well, the finals are killing me. Just need a B, just need a B...that's all I'm telling myself.

No credible people to take LRI. Unfortunate, but it is what it is.
 
Working like I have no life. Came to the sober realization today that have little patience for the lack of trying. Also realized today that I may give folks a little too much freedom to learn on their own and they might want (need) a little more direction. Even though when I was in college I trained to be a teacher, I see I have a blind spot in my teaching methods of my team members when it comes to walking them through processes. I need to work on this.

Currently sitting in the train station at 10:20 PM needing to get back to work early in the AM. I wanted a job that would push me & challenge my limits and this is certainly doing it. I'm having fun but just wish I could know more of the responsibilities faster. Doing a task analysis of my team and they have 800 tasks and they did not include all of their tasks. About 500 of those are monthly tasks. Definitely the most challenging efficiency problem I've encountered from a volume standpoint. But I have a vision for change and just defining the tasks is part of that process. Good news is that my boss thinks I'm doing a good job and has recommended I work less. Not a chance.

I've given myself the summer to make radical efficiency changes to the group so that we're all able to leave by 5-6pm daily. We're a long way off from that. If I miss that deadline it puts my schooling on hold another semester and I wanted to finish this year in order to finish my CPA exams next year. We'll see what happens but I love challenges where I don't know if it's possible to complete.

Today, in my old role we've gone live with a project I've been working on for over a year that also seemed nearly impossible this time last year. Doing what people call impossible are the only things I like doing, everything else is a bit boring. Every time I say that I cringe when thinking of what other people think about that statement. I guess I fear people thinking I'm being pompous but in reality I only enjoy things that are difficult. I eat the not cream side of the Oreo first. When I was a little kid and our house was without heat in the winter, I stayed in my room b/c it was "my room" and I wasn't going to let a little bit of cold run me out, and I love pressure.

I say this not to pat myself on the back, but to say that's how i'm wired. I have a difficult time with the everyday but a pretty easy time with crises.

Alright enough rambling...glad I got this out...I feel better. :)
 
...alas, as I suspected my admin abilities have been sucked by participating in the game. I am unsure of the last admin function I have done, but i resigned from the game side knowing i'd be a good admin because i could focus. Now, back in the game my adminning has suffered considerably and i'm unsure how to rectify the situation.

I'm sad that folks don't believe a person can be an admin and only an admin here.

/whine over.
 
So it's been a while for this blog and for any writing honestly.

My position I began in April of 2014 has sucked the life out of me. Even today I'm working.

I almost failed a class last fall and am in another this spring that's not starting off well. I no longer write for the website where I actually get paid despite the editor offering to pay me double per article. It's a dicey thing this inability to accept defeat, wish I could.

Nonetheless, things will be changing at work soon and those changes will hopefully afford me more time to live life. We'll see.
 
Nearly two months later and not much has changed on the work front except I'm deciding to hit the pause button.

Last week,I was walking aimlessly in the streets at midnight because I was deliriously tired, had missed my train stop, and was trying to catch a bus that would never come.

I've got a great team who also work their butts off. I got home at 8pm last week and my youngest son said, "Daddy, you're home early" Today on the train is one of the first mornings on the train where I'm able to stay lucid and awake in nearly 6 months.

I no longer write. I don't do anything but work, sleep, repeat.

That cycle stops and I'm excited about it.
 
Oh man, April was a tough month. That midnight stroll was a killer. Since then things have dramatically improved.

I learned something about me as a leader, both positive and negative. Never am I the dude folks immediately follow. But I'm the dude who's consistency usually breeds pretty loyal folks. In other words, I'm better over time then at first glance.

Good to know for my future political pursuits!

11 days until Master's is complete!!

ONWARD HO!
 
Got my diploma!!! Woo hoo!! I no longer need to say, "I don't have an accounting degree." when people ask how I got to where I am. That's great!

I'm back at my political commentary as well, which so far has gone well. My latest post is about not forcing diversity on a police department here in Rhode Island.

http://golocalprov.com/politics/don-roach-dont-force-diversity-on-the-providence-police-department

I hope to get back on tv by December.

Gearing up for the CPA exam has proved more difficult than I thought, but my goal is to have all the exams (4) passed by this time next year!
 
punk d:
Got my diploma!!! Woo hoo!! I no longer need to say, "I don't have an accounting degree." when people ask how I got to where I am. That's great!

I'm back at my political commentary as well, which so far has gone well. My latest post is about not forcing diversity on a police department here in Rhode Island.

http://golocalprov.com/politics/don-roach-dont-force-diversity-on-the-providence-police-department

I hope to get back on tv by December.

Gearing up for the CPA exam has proved more difficult than I thought, but my goal is to have all the exams (4) passed by this time next year!
Click to expand...
This was a very interesting article. Made quite a few good points.
 
Thanks, Plem....(sorry it took 2 months)

Work continues and the start of my studying for the CPA exam has been delayed just from overall busy-ness.

My team is starting to click at work and we're going to be pretty excellent in about 6 months. It'll be a far cry from the group I took over a couple of years ago and I feel pretty proud to have led this group.

We're now neck deep in year end.

Getting over a really bad cold but other than that...it's all good. Turn 40 next year (2017) and I can't believe I just wrote that!!
 
Walked at the commencement ceremony on May 21st. It was fun, I felt old. My father-in-law passed away on May 25th.

At work things are a bit rough in terms of we've got numerous projects in the air.

Overall feeling pretty ok, just wish I had more time. I have been enjoying playing a game called Rocket League whenever I am able.
 
Geez this has not been updated in half a year.

Well....Turning the big 4-0 this year. I started playing this game in my 20s.

Yikes.

Hoping to make a return to the game sometime in 2017, bummed I missed Z-day, that's a lot of fun.

Other than that, working like a madman.
 
Well the return to the game hasn't gone well at all.

I've become an avid Rocket League player. Punkdaddy34 is in the top 20 in the world in wins. I love sports, i love team games, and I love to win. What's not to love about this game?!?!?

4-0 is less than a month away and I'm actually just realizing that as I write this post.

I wonder how many regular players of this game weren't even 10 when I joined this forum?

In life news, buying a house and looking to restart my political career (RL that is) in 2018.
 
So the last two months have been - in a word - difficult.

My father passed away on Aug. 21st, just a few days after this post. On Sep. 6th I also received from pretty bad job news.

My father was a man full of life, faced a number of health challenges, and was actually clinically dead for 22 minutes in 2004. He beat breast cancer in 2014.

My dad became a texter over the past few months and my last text to him was TGIF! and his last text to me was telling me how it was Friday and I could make it. A few days before he died I told him I wanted to live to see the day I bought the house mentioned above. He didn't respond. Not weird, but in light of things sad.

I'm still dealing with a lot and hopefully one day I can tell the whole story but for now, just know that my dad's death has not caused me to fear but has done quite the opposite and made me as less afraid as I can remember ever being.

Thanks, Pops.
 
And so, February 4th marked an interesting confluence of events.

By the way, aren’t the words “confluence of events” just lovely to say?

Anyhow, February 4th 2018 marked the 25th anniversary of my mother passing away. An incredibly tough time. I’m such a dates and time person thinking of my mother being gone 25 years of my life was really sad.

Also on this date, my beloved Philadelphia Eagles (PD was born in Philadelphia) were playing in the Super Bowl*. Couple this with my father passing away last year who was a fanatical Eagles fan.

I was in tears when they won. It felt stupid and electrifying all at once. It felt stupid because it’s just a da—game and I’m rooting for shirts but electrifying all the same because the game and shirts made me feel the opposite of what the day represents. February 4th will always be a difficult day and losing my father will always be challenging.

I remember kissing his forehead the day he died when he had already been transferred to the hospital. His body was cold and yet still it seemed like his spirit was inside of him. Yeah, it will always be a challenge.

But having the memory of my team winning the biggest game of the year will be something that I won’t ever be able to forget as well. And that makes the day bitter sweet. Still mostly bitter, but for the first time a little bit of sweetness.

------------------


*I should note that my father was clinically dead in 2004 for 20+ minutes. The following season the Eagles went to the Super Bowl. In 2017, he passed away and they won the Super Bowl.


P.S. I'll be studying for the CPA exam this year. Good times ahead. :)
 
So it's been awhile since I updated this so here goes.

In 2017 I noted the passing of my dad and shortly thereafter some tough work news (read: I was laid off). Not the first time I'd been laid off, but the first time in 15 years and it wasn't like it was the last round of layoffs and finally I was let go. No, it was the first slice.

Also going on at this time was this - my wife and I had put a deposit on a house just a couple weeks before my dad died. So at the beginning of September my father was gone, my job was gone, and our dream house was in a precarious position.

As some of you know, I'm a Christian and what many of you don't know is that my favorite Biblical verse is Lamentations 3:27 which says "It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth." Further verses talk about taking strikes and hits but remembering God showing compassion.

As a young man who lost my mother and as an even younger man who was bullied incessantly, this struck a cord with me. It made me a pretty emotionally tough hombre. I'm grateful for that because during that time in 2017 it wasn't easy at all.

And further, I blamed myself for being in those first round of cuts because I had done a poor job of managing up and a really poor job of leading the way I lead. Both things are typically strong for me, but in this instance I didn't do them well. I could blame others but the fact is I made choices to not lead the way I do and those choices fall on me.

I talked to an executive who is a mentor of mine and said, "If I have the chance to return, I'm going to lead." Didn't matter what role I had, I was going to lead in a particular space I hadn't previously. And so in Feb 2018 I was offered a role within the company and I took it.

Since then I have led in that space and it has opened up many doors. One such door opened today when I was offered a position that is at a level I've been trying to get at for about 4 years. I will be working on many interesting topics and be able flex my structural leadership skills.

And the house, we bought it. Truthfully, I couldn't live with myself if my father died and I gave up on the house too. It made me feel like the sacrifices he and my mother made would be for naught and fear was not going to be a factor for me.

Again, none of this was easy. But I decided to lead regardless of where I stood in line and now I'm heading towards the place I've been chasing for some time.

What I told myself then and continue to say is do not allow present circumstances to dictate your decisions. Stay true to yourself and let the chips fall as they may!

Tally ho!
 
First week on the new job was awesome. It's actually weird. It's the first time in 10 years where I feel I can be 100% my authentic self AND do some significant good for my organization.

I had to pinch myself a couple times this week because I get to do many fun things in the role and I'm expected to lead which is always the easiest situation for me to lead versus trying to figure out if it is expected or if I'm expected to sit in the back seat.

Definitely, tally freaking ho!
 
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