The last two days at work would not only have tested Job’s patience, they would have forced him to take out his recently-legalized assault weapon and blow away a few dozen corporate weenies, a scurry of squirrels (yes, that’s really what a gathering of squirrels is called), and the odd campaign sign. Today was spent in meetings that stretched from morning til late afternoon with only scant moments to pee and none to think. Email and electronic calendar/scheduler systems have made it way too easy to plan meetings. Back in the dark ages, when you had to type a memo, copy it, hand deliver it to the recipients, find out that someone wasn’t available at the time you planned, and start all over, you carefully considered whether you *really* needed to have that meeting or if you couldn’t get away with just making the damn decision yourself and living with the consequences. Now it takes about 30 seconds to tie up half the company for way too long. You tend to invite anyone who might possibly be tangentially affected in some indirect way by the topic of the meeting. Consensus leads to paralysis. I say we go back to the benevolent dictator management style and stop futzing around in conference rooms.

Caitlin has been asked to serve as one of the teen representatives on the board of a youth group that she attends. She went to her first meeting tonight and was already given a task to complete (how to increase the membership of the group and attendance at the weekly meetings). She already has some excellent ideas for their membership campaign. I think she’ll make a very good board member. Also, she’s serving on the student affairs committee at her school, which is the group that reviews all non-drug related infractions of the school rules. This group is already dealing with a small tangle of boys whose behavior has been completely inappropriate over the past year. Some are arguing that they should be given more time to mend their ways. Caitlin’s reaction was that they had a whole damn year to straighten up and that they should be expelled. I wonder where she gets *that* attitude from?