A group of civil servants in Ontario is switching over to being federal civil servants. One day they’re sitting at a desk administering the provincial tax system. The next, they’re sitting at the same desk administering the federal tax system. The difference is that they will receive “severance” from their provincial jobs in a lump sum payment up to $45,000. Then they wonder why we have no respect for government workers. You can have respect or a government job.
The excuse of the politician who runs things, the premier, is that “a contract is a contract”. This sidesteps the question of why the “contract” was allowed in the first place. It’s not their money, so they don’t care how it’s spent.
from the book: Shadow Dancing on the Grave of Hope:
Ask for data which demonstrate success. Those who won’t show it to you usually don’t have any. Stories and sincere gratitude are not data. Those who speak confidently and know the TRUTH without specific supporting data are to be avoided.
Watch for formalism. If there are many and\or expensive tests, flee. Effective programs are not built on formal testing because formal testing provides no effective program guidance. Be especially wary of tests which purport to uncover “deep psychological structures”. Tests of skill sets are another matter. They are designed to give a program useful starting points.
Stay away from programs with complicated theoretical underpinnings and excessive jargon. Those who can, do, and those who can’t, talk about it in great detail and complexity. These people are fun to watch, but no good for anything else.
If anything is discussed with reverence and hushed terms, flee immediately. Stay only if you can be shown concrete and immediate steps.
The advice on how to choose an individual entrepreneur will work perfectly in auto mechanics, plumbing, computer building and snowplowing, as I know from personal experience. The initial choice should be made on recommendations from satisfied customers and always look for data when you can get it.
A word about parental responsibility
In the early part of the twentieth century, the theory gained credence that parents were responsible for how their children turned out. This led to parents, mainly mothers, being charged with the production of autism, ulcers, schizophrenia and asthma, among others. None of this turned out to be true, but the theory, like all bad theories, has not been killed. If you’re a parent who did not beat your child or teach him to be a criminal, relax, it’s probably not your fault if he turned out bad.
Cheerio and ttfn,
Grant Coulson
Cui Bono–Cherchez les Contingencies
