Mega Millions

OK.  We'll do it your way!  We'll do it your way!

Are your prepared to give up what you believe, if I can replace it with something worth believing in?

Gathering: January 9, 2014.  My house. 

Now, if you can get your head around that number (2014) and realize what year it is, then we need to talk.

What are we going to do in 2014?

Well, I am glad you asked!

Come to the meeting.

Robby

The Hunger Games

Edward Deming was instrumental in the Japanese industrial rebirth after WWII. His main directive was: "the first step is transformation of the individual .... they will perceive new meaning in events, numbers, and interactions between people." 

Why is this significant? It serves to emphasize how long it has been since Deming lead a revolution in the work place, by understanding the importance of the evolution of the individual. Unfortunately, too many huge companies have not gotten on board.

This fact came flying at me last night from Elley, when son Casey told us about his promotion and raise at work. Aspire created a new position for Casey. In less than a year, his Director has quickly realized Casey's value, skills, perspective and instincts, and how is inter-disciplinary insight will help build and maintain a stronger company core, with a better, healthier work environment.  

How does Deming's legacy tie into my world in 2013?  During my years in the Bay area and the Seattle suburbs, 1977-2004, my community of friends included many who embraced the transformation of SELF as the key to a more "successful" quality of life. Some of these friends were even hired by Boeing to introduce this philosophy to change their corporate culture. 

My peeps understand that personal transformation is the key step to being a better parent, worker, and friend. I was un-initiated about working for a large corporation until 2004, and unaware of Deming's detailed works and success until now. 

My experience at work and in community, has vastly changed and expanded in this millenium. This week, I have been reading Deming's instructions to companies about how to avoid the "Seven Deadly Diseases" of business. I am realizing for the first time how critical his work has been in the manifestation of the new, healthy, successful corporate environments at Google, Wegmens, and Edward Jones.

Unfortunately, many companies who employee a significant number of Americans still don't grasp how to build a healthy future for everyone involved with their brand. They are committing many of the "Seven Deadly Sins" because their absolute focus is the almighty dollar. They make daily decisions, and change directions quarterly, in response to the value of their stock price instead of the long term health of their corporate culture.

Here are some of Deming's "Seven Deadly Sins" being made by the greedy upper managers in these companies:

1. Lack of constancy of purpose
2. Emphasis on short-term profit
3. Evaluation by annual review of performance
4. Running a company on visible figures alone
5. Seeking examples to follow rather than developing solutions
6. Excuses, such as "our problems are different"
7. Placing blame on work forces who are only responsible for 15% of mistakes, where the system designed by management is responsible for 85% of the unintended consequences.

So why, you might ask, is this tied to "The Hunger Games." If you saw the movie or read the book, it's obvious. The crazy thing is that this fictional portrayal is playing out in reality as employees in the companies committing these sins are literally going hungry. Sure they can eat cheap fast food at the wages they are earning, and yes they can even shop for almost anything at the dollar store. But the quality of products they are bringing home to their families is the major cause of the physical and psychology dis-ease impacting our society, our economy, and the health of the citizens. 

I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse

During the third week of October, I drove 1/4 of a mile west from work during lunch to see if there were any houses for rent in Costa Serena, the 55 and over subdivision I drove by everyday on my way to work on Vista Way.  Surprisingly, there were 3 houses for rent, and in a blink of an eye, we now live in the best of the 3.

Yup!  On a whim in mid October, we manifested our new little home on North Way, hired a moving company to help us get our stuff over here, and now we have a garage, 1 and 1/2 baths, 2 bedrooms and a bonus room; and a nice backyard. Lola is so happy!

That first day, we called about this house, but then the next day, my tenants in Borrego gave us notice that they were moving. After tossing and turning overnight, I told Elley we should skip the viewing.

Then I rented my Borrego condo for one year and the next day, I went back to Costa Serena during my lunch break and found Anna's house in the cul-de-sac. We attempted to negotiate with her about the rent, and at first it went well. But we realized at the day of signing the lease that there were too many people advising her about the lease and terms, and we needed to back away.

So we called Dorene who still had not rented her house on the corner and made her an offer she couldn't refuse. (Who wouldn't want to rent to 2 of the superstar HD seniors!)  Then the ball started rolling down hill really fast, and the next thing we knew we were in our new home.

As soon as we finish unpacking, get the backyard set up and hang the art work, we will have a home warming.  I can't wait to see all my SoCal friends in one place!

The San Diego Zoo

During lunch at "Albert's" in the heart of the San Diego Zoo, Dana, Jud, and I conversed about a shared experience on the west coast. It is difficult to make new, meaningful connections with people when you take a new job and/or move to a new city out here. 

East Coast Folks (ECF) are more passionate about what they do. At work, ECF make a commitment and invest in their career and strive to advance in their company or industry. At play, or when pursuing a hobby, or cultivating an interest in wine, art, or books, ECF take a more intense approach to most things.

Its been my experience that West Coast Natives (WCN) have a single mindedness that is all about themselves. They won't miss their routines at the gym, because for many in the land of sunshine, it's all about the way you look. They'll spend hours in an aesthetician's studio getting waxed, hair colored, nails and toes beautified, and teeth whitened. But will they organize a company's after work happy hour to rub elbows with and get to know the people in the other cubicles? Not so much.


In the past couple of years, I have shared with you my journey to overcome this obstacle in my life in Oceanside. I have bonded with at least 7 people, making several new, "real" friends, since I first complained about this truth. It is interesting to note that 5 are also East Coast transplants, or have a significant east coast influence in their lives. (The other 2 will one day be part of a different Blog Post.)

Jud has traveled extensively, but has lived in NY throughout. He was very surprised to hear this about WCN. He had the impression that the laid back folks living near the Pacific were inclusive and easy to get a long with. 

No doubt, but those qualities are not the stuff of connecting and making new friendships. WCN generally live on the surf-ace of life (surf-ace is my own new creation for this piece; placing an emphasis on how riding waves, skimming the surface of life's experiences, is part of the "west coast condition.")

Hocus Pocus

On my final day before returning to work, I am thinking about the past 3 months. I had envisioned my 8 weeks at home going very slowly and thought I would get bored. But I found a good rhythm after awhile and it has turned out to be a very refreshing time of my life. 

I am here to report that I found lots of mental stimulation. The folks that dropped by were my intelligent, worldly, interesting friends: Cathy, Christian, Richard, Darlyn, Russell, Marvin, Dave, Jonathan and Carol. 

Elley and I discovered well written dramas and comedy entertainment in the evenings. We were able to watch the HBO series Bored to Death, Deadwood, and Carnivale, thanks to Tina's generosity. I also read six fun "vacation" books by the likes of McMurtry, Patterson, and Jance.

The absolute highlight of the summer is the ongoing lecture series I am watching, recommended to me by my friend David T. from New England, called "A Brief History of Humankind" available at Coursera.org.  

I could really go off about the truth I find in the content of this expose´ For now I will tell you that Professor Harari delivers the same sledge hammer that I have long believed to be the truth about homo sapiens. We are an intolerant and genocidal creature that has, and continues to destroy all living things, and we will ultimately destroy ourselves.

Why does Robby find this so refreshing?  

For 55 years, starting in the 2nd grade when I ran away from school, I have believed that what is being taught at school, at church/temple, and by our parents, is bullshit. Humans manipulate everything so that they do not have to look in the mirror at their true reflection. We have created economies, foods, drugs, religions, laws, and commit unspeakable atrocities, all the while being blind to the very nature of our evilness. 

Maybe there is an outside chance that humans will wake up in the face of the kind of new information in this free online lecture series. Somehow there might be an explosion of awareness and a shift in our course of destruction. 

If enough people hear my Professor'a lecture, weaving the current science, DNA research, and anthropological findings into the new truths about our origins and our nature, could things change? Will 10% of us become informed enough to stop the other 90% from falling over the cliff we have been marching toward since leaving East Africa a million years ago? 

I end my summer at least knowing that I am not alone in my observation about what has really been happening on Earth the past 70,000 years. I go back to work tomorrow being reassured that I have great friends with whom I share the ongoing ride into the unknown. 

You are invited to join us; there is lots of room on the awareness bus.

Summer Pops

With less than one week to go before returning to work, I dedicate these summer images to my wonderful girlfriend Elley. She reminded me daily that I should follow Dr.'s orders. But more importantly, she continued to share her love, smile, and The Dawgy Lama with me. 

Here is my summer in pictures:

The Girls

Scribbs Memorial 

Macaroni Grill

Backyard Fountain

Old Towne by Train

The Answers

Funny

Southwest Air

Austin

PeeDee

Casey and Zoe 

Dave and Toys

Now on Christmas Circle

5 Palms

The Tabacks in OB

15 Minutes of Fame

The image of this toilet is from a video I uploaded to YouTube. Click on the play button in the middle of the image to watch this short out-take from one of our recording sessions.

Who/What/Why Flapper©™?*

I have been working in a home improvement store for 10 years. I have answered thousands of questions ranging from "where is the bathroom?" to "how do I build a deck?" Every now and again, I get a question that stimulates my brain beyond the immediate answer. One day, about 8 months ago a woman walked by me using hand gestures, wondering where to find the replacement for the leaking "thing-y" in the back of her toilet. As I walked her to our plumbing department, I immediately imagined this "flapper" talking about his experiences living in a toilet tank.

This idea would not leave my brain. I shared a description of this image with friends at work and with family. I thought about things my character Flapper might say and asked others to brainstorm with me quips that might come from Flapper.

I imagined how Flapper and friends could share his adventures with the world if the front of the toilet tank was cutaway and he could talk. So I bought a toilet and cut out the front of the tank and set it up in my backyard.

Elley and I have played around with some video, voices and jokes with Flapper, his mute pal Wilson the float ball, and we even have put faces on the toilet seat "Seat" and the toilet paper "TP." We have discovered me are not comedy writers. We can handle the video and the technology around making Flapper and his friends' mouths move, but although we have some funny ideas about what they would say, we struggle with the dialogue.

If you, or anybody you know is a comedian or comedy writer, please have him/her get in touch with me. We all need more laughter and you have to agree that Flapper has an opportunity to be very funny because of his unique view of humans and the human condition.

*Flapper©™, with a capital F, is a character created by Robert "Robby" Hoffman in 2012.  Extensive research on Google and YouTube cannot uncover any previous use of a toilet flapper as a character. I have let it be known that I have a Trademark on Flapper as my character's name and have an exclusive Copyright to use Flapper in video or animated clips, in or outside his natural environment the toilet tank.