Tadd Mencer

Posts Tagged ‘Co Worker’

I’ve had a Zune for several months now – bought it off a co-worker. I love it. However, the software that it uses .. well, seems a bit bloated and limited. It’s not horrible – but just seems to add too much.

So I tried the ol’ faithful – Songbird. Took an addon to do it, but yes … it is true – you can sync them together!

It works really well – I have to admit. Fast, easy, quick .. I don’t know why I didn’t try it before!

So .. in order to do this you need:

1) To download Songbird – http://www.getsongbird.com

2) get the MTP Support addon – http://addons.songbirdnest.com/addon/172

3) Plug in your Zune.

That’s all I did! It was fast and easy!

If you need MORE proof it works (seems a lot of unbelievers ..) go http://wiki.songbirdnest.com/Docs/Device_Support/MTP_Device_Support

It says that yes … you can get Zune support.

Here is the image of my Zune (.muzak.) synced with my Songbird 1.2.0

Post your experiences! Did your Zune work? How about your iPod or iPod Nano? Anyone try a Zen or other manufacturers?

About a month ago I made the attempt to jump into the wild world of Linux. And while my heart was in the right place (“Screw you Bill Gates!”) I was lacking the skill. And honestly I didn’t sit around looking very long.

Since I’ve worked for Ionx Holding I realized a few things. Mostly that you can run a virtual machine in Linux.

See, my problem with Linux was it’s inability to run Adobe products well. Since I’m a professional designer I couldn’t go from the power and might of Photoshop to the limp and weak Gimp (aptly named, eh?).

However, I found a great article over at LifeHacker today that gave me great hope (and a co-worker pointed out VirtualBox will work wonders).

Run Windows Apps Seamlessly Inside Linux
You love working inside your Linux desktop, but at the most inconvenient times you’ve got to reboot into Windows—whether to open a tricky Office file, try out a Windows application, or even just play a quick game. However, with some free tools and a Windows installation disk, you can have Windows apps running right on your Linux desktop and sharing the same desktop files. It’s relatively painless, it takes only a little bit longer than a Windows XP install, and it works just like virtualizing Windows on a Mac with Parallels Coherence—except it’s free. Here’s how to set up Windows inside VirtualBox, and then get Windows apps running seamlessly inside your desktop.

Read the rest here >>
See, I’m trying this out on my desk top. My laptop will keep me happily floating along while I do this … and really I’m using Wubu right now to test my theory out. If it doesn’t work out, I delete Wubu and all is well.

So, fingers cross and away we go!

Update: After a rather painless procedure I successfully have Adobe Photoshop CS4 installed in a virtual machine on a Linux OS. So basically, I have Photoshop running in Linux .. and it was EASY! I’m quite excited about that!

I’ve been getting random instant messages from people … today I got one that was kind of .. funny. Via my Yahoo! IM account.

bizarresalmon: Do you realize that you’re living in the future?
me: Usually.
me: But only on the second Wednesday of every other month.
bizarresalmon: Ok then. ____ off.

While it was a rude way to end the conversation – I thought it was funny. A co-worker mentioned it sounded like something Dwight Schrute (See: The Office) would say.

People are random .. and crazy.

At least the random "I’m 21, single and have a web cam!" IMs have stopped thanks to a ‘bot-stopper’ plug-in for Pidgin. Those where annoying.

by Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor

(Tadd says: No, this doesn’t apply to me at my job, but I know many many people who would appreciate this article. So, have at it.)

For the original article: Click Here

Has one of your co-workers made your life a living heck[Edited]? Does your boss or employee make your blood boil or your stomach churn? Most people have experienced a negative, overbearing or downright hurtful co-worker, employee or boss at some point. Learning to work with all types, it seems, is a necessary requirement for success.

In their book, "Working with You is Killing Me — Freeing Yourself from Emotional Traps at Work," (Warner Business Books, 2006), Katherine Crowley and Kathi Elster offer advice on how to recognize a co-worker problem and provide tools for dealing with them professionally and effectively.

The first step, say Crowley and Elster, is acknowledging that there is a problem. Once you do, you can learn to manage your own reactions. When you are caught in an emotionally distressing situation at work, Crowley and Elster call it being "hooked." A person who is hooked will have a negative reaction to a co-worker either physically, mentally or emotionally.

For example, physical reactions are feeling queasy, pains in your shoulders and butterflies in your stomach when you hear your "doomsday" boss calling for you. Emotional signs are feeling overwhelmed, inadequate and exhausted when you work with a certain employee or customer. If you daydream of ways to get revenge on a deceitful co-worker, this is a mental sign.

The problem is that we often become desensitized to these warning signs — even accepting them as normal. Ignoring them will take a toll on your emotional and physical well-being, as well as your career success. If you can tune in to how you are feeling, you can learn to take control.
Crowley and Elster offer a process called "unhooking" to help you manage and deal with harmful colleagues:

Unhook physically. The first step is to calm down physically. Remove yourself from a situation by leaving the office for a few minutes. Blow off steam with a walk or relax by taking deep breaths. Think about something that makes you happy. The important thing is that you release any negative energy so you can look at the situation more clearly.

Unhook mentally. Crowley and Elster call this the "internal version of talking yourself down off the ledge." This involves looking at the situation rationally and finding a fresh perspective. Ask yourself these five questions:
1. What’s happening here?
2. What are the facts of the situation?
3. What’s their part?
4. What’s my part?
5. What are my options?

Once you’ve sorted out the facts, you’ll have a clearer view that will enable you to take the appropriate action.

Hellen, an inside sales manager, had an employee who incessantly asked questions and requested voluminous reports. Annoyed by the interruptions, Hellen often ignored the employee’s request. When the woman told Hellen’s boss that she wasn’t getting what she needed to do her job, Hellen realized her strategy and attitude had backfired. Hellen took a closer look at the situation and her reactions. She’s now more accommodating and the employee’s requests have subsided.

Unhook verbally. Crowley and Elster say that you need to "find the words (or sometimes the silence) to protect yourself and get out of a workplace trap." This might mean expressing your feelings to a co-worker who has been rude to you or speaking up for yourself at a meeting. Crowley and Elster warn that you must you take the "high road" approach to communicating. Avoid placing blame on another person or putting the person on the defensive. Communicate in a way that will be productive.

Lou, a first-time manager, felt her boss second-guessed her and asked others about her decisions. She arranged a meeting with her boss to review her past decisions and the positive outcomes. At the conclusion, she explained calmly that she needed his vote of confidence and that his support would help her gain respect from her employees and peers. He enthusiastically agreed and within a year she received a promotion.

Unhook with a business tool. It is important to protect yourself with the resources provided to you by your company. A business tool, say Crowley and Elster, "is any standard procedure or written document used in a business setting." For example, if you have had a confrontation with a co-worker, make sure the incident and the solution has been documented. From job descriptions and performance standards to company policies, look for tools that can be utilized to protect you in the future.

The bottom line, every workplace has its demons. But, say Crowley and Elster, taking control of your own response to these personalities will leave you empowered and better able to handle most any interpersonal situation.

Copyright 2007 CareerBuilder.com. All rights reserved. The information contained in this article may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without prior written authority.

I’ve said it before – I work for a very cool place. It’s extremely laid back and people here have lots of fun while they work. Honestly, I don’t know how I could ever work for another company.

However, I may have put this all somewhat in jeopardy.

Allow me to regale a tale of how a rubber ball nearly ended my career.

Here in our office we have "super ball wars". Well, not really wars, more like drive by balling. Yesterday (July 16th) I was innocently sitting in my desk when a bouncing rubber death was flung my way. Lucky for me it missed. My supervisor walks by with a mischievous grin on his face – it was on. However, a co-worker snatched that particular missile from the floor before I could get to it.

The next round hit me square in the chest. Oh, it was definitely on! And I had ammunition! My supervisor walked the long way back to his office in order to avoid a hail of rubber.

I scoured the floor and was overjoyed to find a second rubber ball. My arsenal grew!
ALL HAIL MY MIGHT!

It was nearly the end of the day, and I spied my supervisor walking toward the door. I took aim with projectile #1, and he dodged. Soon he was away from my direct vision but I slyly thought "I can see you in the reflection! You are mine!" and launched my next round, nearly blindly, over the cubical’s and shelving.

"THUNK!"

My first thought was ‘Bull’s Eye!’ until I realized that the sound it made wasn’t one of his arm, back or chest but more of a skull-like ‘thud’. I nailed my supervisor in the head with a rubber ball.

I quickly shouted out an apology as he continued out the door. Was he angry? I think a bit. Was I terrified to walk out the door in fear of a solid brick being brought down on my head? I think a bit.

The moral of the story is this: Tadd should never throw things. Period. Even a good natured lob can end in disaster.

I didn’t get fired. I sent an email to apologize again in which he replied "no prob". I still fear the repercussions. They will be swift, terrible and when I least expect it.

I may have one the battle, but the war is far, far from over.

I’m doomed.