Questioning the field of Accounting

Six months ago, things were pretty bad
When my review came knocking, I surely wasn’t mad
As weeks transpired, nothing came to rest
After all, I was far from reaching crest

My mind to the grindstone things were looking up
Funds rolling in, yet it was I holding the empty cup
Perhaps it was my attire that I would soon need to oppose
With one door closed, an opportunity arose

Don’t you worry, things happen for a reason
Soon enough, I’ll be entering another stress tax season
For the time being, stress free, able to count some sheep
Question I have, as an accountant, am I in way too deep?

Confidence

STAND UP STRAIGHT

MAKE EYE CONTACT

LEAN SLIGHTLY FORWARD

FIRM HANDSHAKE

SMILE

CHEESE!

Good Enough

Employees are provided a competitive compensation and benefits package which generally includes:

Medical & Dental insurance
Flexible spending accounts
Vision plan
Life / AD&D insurance
Supplemental Life insurance option
Short-term and Long-term Disability insurance
Employee Assistance Program (provides confidential counseling and referral services)
Vacation
Maternity/Paternity leave of absence
Childcare/Eldercare Services
Paid Holidays
Tuition Reimbursement/Educational Assistance Program
401(k)/Profit sharing plan
Parking/Commuting Reimbursement
Employee stock purchase plan

As you were

Compensation/benefits drives individual behavior. Francona is looking at incentives for leading the Redsox into the World Series, twice in a four year span. When the game is on the line, the coach is ulimately responsible for winning or losing. Take Tom Brady. A second string quarterback, who continues to get better as years go by. Is part of it the experience of Bill Belichick, or perhaps the time Brady endures to study his opposition and improve on his weakenesses. In reaching a 16-0 season, Brady mentioned, "Every game, one step at a time...Playing Philadelphia, we weren't focused on the Colts...When we played the Colts, we did not look back on what we did against Philadelphia. Wait, we won that game?" Records broken, memories relived. More importantly, rewards are compensated on performance. Beckett, a 20 game winner, will definitely be reviewed prior to next years salary allocation. Others, well, things just didn't work out.

In today’s world, there is no such thing as job security. Five months or two years. Everyone is dispensable. As long as you are physically and mentally able to complete a task or perform a function, you may still have a job. If you are in a job that you are not challenged, everyday on the edge of your seat, you aren’t in the right position. It’s like the saying, “live everyday as if it were your last”. Tomorrow, you may be unemployed. What about..., that was yesterday, what did you do today, and more importantly, tomorrow?

Attitude reflects leadership. There is no "I in team", but there is a "U in us". Roger Clemens to Pedro Martinez to Josh Beckett. Each at a different point in their career, some at prime, others past their mark. However, they too were in the rotation as a relief pitcher or fourth in the rotation. With experience, they have earned the recognition of being viewed as an "ace". It just doesn't happen overnight. Then again sports are sports.

Toppers

In Boston "Best of Boston 2007",

"A quick ferry ride from Straight Wharf drops Sunday gourmands at the Wauwinet, where the garden at the inn's restaurant, Topper's, isn't just for show".

"In the hours before the brunch rush, chef David Daniels...can be seen plucking herbs for his refined recipes...".

"Elegant yet comfortable banquettes and sweeping views of Nantucket Sound have encouraged many a brunch...sometimes all the way until dinner."

Guide to Nantucket

Nantucket

Architecture

"Architecturally speaking, most historic homes on Nantucket are built in a lean-to style"

Astrology

"The Nantucket sky provides astronomers with one of the best views of space on earth"

Calendar/Events

"The Nantucket Arts Festival takes place in October"

"March on Nantucket is affectionately called 'Hate Month' after enduring winter on the island"

Clothing

"Whale pants are a common, but unfortunate sight on Nantucket"

Food/Wine

http://www.nantucketfoodandwine.com/

"Nantucket's best burgers are at the Brotherhood, but watch your head on the way in"

Geography

"There are two adjoining islands to Nantucket: Tuckermuck and Musketget"

Information

"When looking for a place to live, or anything else on Nantucket, the bulletin board at the Hub might be your best bet"

"Pacific National Bank at the top of Main Street always has water and treats for visiting dogs"

Interesting Facts

"At one time, Nantucket had seven streets named Atlantic Avenue"

"The oldest living Nantucket resident is given the Boston Post Cane, an award they hold until their passing"

"Nantucket was the 3rd town in America to have an Historical District Commission"

"Nantucketeters moving to the mainland in the 18th century often disassembled their island homes and took them along off island"

"Cranberries were first cultivated on Nantucket in 1857"

Mascots/Animals

"The Cormorant bird is said to be Nantucket's official greeter"

"The piping plover, a small sandy-colored bird, is endangered and can be seen on Nantucket"

"For outstanding bird watching, go to Long Pond on Nantucket"

Tourism

"The oldest home on Nantucket is the Jethro Coffin House, built in 1686"

"Nantucket's Whaling Museum first opened in the summer of 1930"



Courtesy of Nantucket Nectars

Feel them Out

As a colleague of mine and I discussed the latest chapter in my book, he described the difference between a permanent and temporary position. With the understanding, I immediately compared it to a relationship.

" A date is simply a date" You aren't signing into a one-year agreement, nor do you have to spend the rest of your life with this person. It's more like a tenant at will but instead of having to give a months notice, you can simply walk away at any given time.

Out of college, a candidate is often looking for a job to jump start their career. Consider this a "first love". What is the probability that they will stay with that job long term? Well, factoring the individual, the job, the location, the chances are as slim to none. They will always remember their "first love".

What worked? What didn't? Certaintly the individual becomes a little bit more selective in the job search. Instead of jumping into a relationship, they may want to "feel" a company out as "temporary" and after a period of time, discuss the future and growth between the individual and the company, as well as the company and its market. Would a company be more interested in hiring a 50 yr old or a 26 year old. Productivity would lean towards youth, but with principles and knowledge, age would be the likely candidate.

See Rules of Corporate

Corporate Lessons

"Give a man a fish, he can eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he can eat for a lifetime"
Play well with others
Obey and respect chain of command
When uncertain, ask for clarification
Expect the unexpected
Remain un-biased, leaving personal emotions at home

So, what does that all mean?

On third and ten, you’re the Quarterback. Your team is down by 5 and the directive is given from the coach for a pass play down the side to one of your top receivers. You know it’s the wrong call, so you call a timeout.

“Coach, there’s 20 seconds left, I know if I pass the ball to the rookie down the middle, he’ll catch it in the end zone”.

There’s no room for error, protect the ball, look for your open man, and make a spiral throw to the receiver along the side, hopefully they catch it, and make it out of bounds to save time on the clock.

You run back onto the field, you call a different play, and the ball is snapped. You look right, you look left; wide receivers are open. You turn back to the middle, throw your arm back and launch the “Hail Mary” to your rookie. You’re rookie breaks, is at the 10, at the 5, touchdown! The fans go wild, you congratulate your teammate; the coach keeps his composure. The extra point doesn’t matter. Team wins!

After the game, you are benched for insubordination.

"Remember when we were like that"

A relationship is successful because of the individuals that comprise it.

At the center core, each one must want to be a part of the inner circle. Outside those perimeters, it's mostly about verbal communication, openness to be willing to communicate and talk about things, keep up a conservation, keep each other interested, throw in a few curve balls here and there, laugh at each others jokes, get to know the "whole" person and not just the looks or first impression, that at the end of the day still be able to make a rational decision.

I believe that chemistry develops over time, and that social interaction, family values, work ethic, family upbringing, and individual characteristics play an important role in the relationship also.

29 years ago seems like an eternity, when you put it into context. In less than a minute, that's all it would take for these newly weds to lock into a union for the rest of their lives. In almost every circumstance, it takes even longer to get out of it. "I do"

Surviving through the reception party and off to England, they were arguably at each others throat, contemplating on how such a union would last more than a day, a week, even a month. A year later they would be giving birth to a daughter. As every day went by, the two would focus on the big picture, putting the "foolishness" behind them. I understand now why they did what they did when they did. It's a day that the son/daughter become the parent, and the parent of the parent looks back upon the upbringing with smiles and tears. After all, that is their creation.

In defining success, its important to know the difference between growth and sustainability. Growth is simply a measurement between a starting point, where you were, and an ending point, where you are. Some people can see their future or goals and ambitions in life, and set a path to take them there. Others reach the top of the mountain, say they did it, and that's all they wanted to do in life. If you can look back upon your life, where you were and where you are, certainly there are things you would have done differently, maybe in a different order, but nonetheless, you have learned from your weaknesses, which has only made you that much stronger.

Life Stops

For the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and every other low paying, less talented team out there, it's hard to bear that their season is over even before it begins. They can never say this is going to be the year, because as long as there are the Rockefeller's and the billion dollar executive committees at the helm, players are bought and traded like stocks in the NYSE. One minute you are a AAA prospect just making a major league debut, and the next day your locker has a note on it with a one way ticket from a team guaranteed in making a trip to the post-season.

However, winning a championship attributed with a mixture of talent and heart on and off the field can not be measured financially. Redsox of 2004 were simply the underdogs of the post-season, settling for the wild card, almost down and out against the Yankees, then meeting the heavy favorite Cards in the Championship. If MLB instituted a salary cap similar to the NFL, every team would have an equal opportunity to win it all. You may even see the Devil Rays as division champions.

In the spirit of the "hunt for October", eliminated MLB teams seek the "underdog upset", the "delay in the champagne celebration", and at the end of the day, it makes you wonder, what do they have to play for? The fun, the heart, the ambition, the way that America's favorite past-time was once orchestrated. Men put on the uniform and were "honored" to have a job. Now you have over paid athletes complaining about not making "five extra million dollars".

You never know when it's going to happen, but it does. You win the lottery, you lose your house, you pull your hamstring/groin, your pet passes on, for the better or for worse, your daily routine changes.

As I was driving home today, I could hear my mother's voice "when your father and I were your age, we were working until two in the morning"; they had gotten married, and were raising a kid, with another (me) shortly on the way.

24 hours in a day (today's standards)
* 1/3 is sleeping
* 1/3 is working
* 1/3 second job, hang out with friends, college/higher education,
family, vacation, relax

I look at some of my friends, and leaving the parents for the real world is something they just aren't ready to face head on. In a time to reflect, this was an email that was just recently sent to me:

" With age comes wisdom"

" Anyone can help you climb the ladder, however, only you will be able to pull yourself up"

" It is ok to fail, just as long as you learn from your mistakes"

" If you never try, to what degree can you truly measure yourself?"

" A failure to plan, is a plan set up for failure"

" Without goals, there would be nothing to look forward to"

" Quit now, you will never make it. If you disregard this advice, you'll be halfway there!"

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails
and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back
of the fence.

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next
few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily
gradually dwindled down.

He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails
were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You
have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be
the same.

When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You
can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm
sorry, the wound is still there. " A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

Friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed.
They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us.

Boy meets Girl!

A perfectionist, an over-achiever, and self-driven...what is wrong with this picture?

A boy meets a girl for the very first time. They each grab a pizza at Croma on Newbury Street, and they split the bill 50-50. After the date, there is definitely a second in place. It's a redsox game. The boy even springs for two extra tickets, so the girl and her friends can go. Isn't that sweet! At the end of the night, the girl tells the boy, they just simply are not compatible. So what could she have been thinking. The game was a little intimidating, the shoes were too much to fill, and perhaps she felt that she was accompanying him, instead of two individuals simply getting to know one another.

A boy meets a girl for the very first time. They grab a coffee and walk around Cambridge, having lots to talk about. She leaves it at she is heading over seas, and when she returns, she'll get in touch. She never does and he moves on.

A boy meets a girl for the very first time. This time they talked on the phone for hours, midnight into morning. They had talked for a span of eight hours over two days and they were planning on meeting for coffee. The boy mentioned he wanted to see "Departed", and she was open to the idea of making it a date. It was cold out, he was to wait outside for her. He waited inside, and she simply shrugged her shoulders. They greet each other and walk inside the thearter. He springs for the tickets, and she returns a thank-you. When the movie starts he gets intrigued, he puts his arm around her, and she throws it back at him, whispering, slow it down cowboy. At the end of the night, he walks her back to the T station, and they get talking. She mentioned that he was constantly doubting himself, that she liked a man with confidence, one who listened, and respected her, looked her in the eye. He was confused by the phone conversations.

A boy meets a girl for the very first time. They meet up for coffee and they have a meaningful conversation. A second date is definitely in the works. He realizes she is having a bad couple of days and sends her flowers to her office. The girl was surprised and acknowledged the kind gesture. The boy foolishly mistakes this gesture, and calling her not once, not twice, but three times in one day. She emails back to him saying thanks but no thanks, I'm looking for someone less needy. He was hoping that she might overlook his stupidty and consider it a warning. Not the case at all!

A boy meets a girl for the very first time. They meet up for drinks and split a pizza. He reaches for the wallet, and she says thank you. Like the show "Next", she says now the date can end here or if you want, we can do something else. He naturally agrees and they decide to go to another bar. One drink would have been plenty enough for this cowboy, however, he was having a great time. They get back to her place after a couple of drinks, he's invited upstairs, and this is where the story turns ugly. The difference between the girl judging the boy's tolerance not being able to handle his liquor, and the boy's misconception of the girl's intent to hit on him, the unanimous decision was to kick the other to the curb. Lies, headaches were much more than these two could handle.

A boy never met the girl for the first time. Although they spoke on the phone for hours, nearly every minute of every day, one would have thought these two would have actually been compatible. She called him wondering what he was doing or just wanting to talk, and he'd do the same. She called him when she was feeling down or sick, and he was there to help brighten up the day. He felt as if there was a relationship starting, because he would talk about her with his family when he wasn't on the phone with her, and when she called, he quickly excused himself to take the call. He is still lost, what happened? It's one that definitely got away from him.

What's wrong with this picture?

LEXINGTON

I’m originally from Lexington, so I am aloud to say this.

You know your old, when you come back to Lexington to visit, and you remember yourself as a young kid that used to be able to ride down the street on a bicycle, grab a couple of tools at the local hardware store for dear old dad, take a peak into the pharmacy, and hit up the old pizza joint for a cold refreshing soda. Five dollars, are you kidding me? That’s all it took back than for some screws, nuts, bolts and a beverage that would make you go “ahhhhh”. Growing up your friends were on local sports teams, others were involved in the same youth group as you that sold candy bars around the neighborhood. Then came the days of the lemonade stand on the bike path, and being an entrepreneur seemed to be as easy as snapping the fingers. Paperboys were kids that were already looking to save money towards college. Teen era ended when all your friends attended high school, got involved with relationships and drugs, and those four years flew by in a blink of an eye. What a life! Throughout all these changes, in the spirit of big business, Ma and Pa stores were eaten up by market giants.

For better or for worse, Lexington has definitely changed. Yeah, there are certain stores in Lexington that will remain forever due to political pull i.e. jewelry and shoes, yet, now the town I once loved has been gobbled up by coffee giants, reputable food restaurants, and of course where would we be without brick & mortar banks. The only clothing store in town is for woman. We have a Peet’s Coffee, two Starbucks, and two Dunkin Donuts within a mile from the center. You even have the Sovereign, TD Banknorth, and Bank of America competing for market share.

Yeah, heading back to Lexington to visit the old routes were both enjoyable yet sad at the same time. Sad driving by the house your mother grew up in, remembering the many years of thanksgiving dinners with the grandparents, driving by houses that used to be occupied by friends and/or fellow classmates, and finally passing by the house you grew up in. It felt like yesterday I was packing up my room and saying goodbye to Lexington forever, but sometimes a road trip away from Boston revitalizes my senses.

Then we come to Marion, a little town that not too many people know except when referenced with Tabor Academy. The nearest Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks are miles away from town. Political parties refuse to give in to changing the “overall image” of the town, theory that it has and always will be run by Ma and Pa family businesses. Perhaps it’s the cape winds, beach scents, and the soothing crisp ocean water.

Training

Exercise Schedule - Competition

http://www.expressofitness.com/

Total Distance: 31.91 miles
Total Calories Lost: 1042
Total Time: 2 hr 20 min
Total Laps: 8

The Death of A Mouse

Revisiting this post, and approaching the summer of 2007. When I first wrote this on February 19, 2007,

2007 has been a year to remember, and interestingly enough, it's not even a quarter of the way over. In a series of strange, eventful, and un-expected circumstances, I still find myself asking the burning question “What the heck just happened”.

In a recent ad in “Fortune” magazine, there was a study that illustrated that 20% is a measure of proving yourself while the other 80% is room for improvement. I believe that is a fair assessment. However, my father reinforced compulsive, honesty, and discipline. Without an understanding of those three, you can never get anywhere in life.

Compulsive – living beyond your means, over-extending yourself to be someone that you aren’t.

Honesty – a measure of credibility

Discipline – means to be honest with your own self and enforce not being compulsive. Also doing what you said you were going to do.

At the time I originally wrote this, I believed my only logical explanation in life has been a balance of ups and downs, or otherwise negative mixed with positive interactions. As an inspiring accountant, I never thought I’d be referencing back to the basic lessons of accountancy 101, in comparing it with life’s troubling dilemmas.
1. Women are always right
2. Women are never wrong
3. Pre-Marriage: Men are on the one strike system
4. Post-Marriage: Men begin the life of suffering

Sounds like the psychological test of the mouse and the maze. But, what I am about to get into is the story of how the mouse did not reach the end of the maze but decided to gnaw his way through the walls and make his own destiny. Most interactions between two partners, often called “one-night stands” don’t even make it past the first stage nevertheless friendship status. There is often the anxiety to want to jump directly into a relationship without getting to know the other person first. Then there is the excitement factor. You want to tell them so much about yourself that you end up scaring them away. Grab a cup of coffee and keep it low key. Establish a neutral zone, and remember the first date is all about her. If she likes you, she’ll make conversation, and conversely if she doesn’t, well game over. You may call it breaking away from your normal behavior, what I call it is “adaptation”. It goes back to the theory of the “director and the actor”. If you create your own script, you are simply replaced.

If the mouse had done what the master had wanted, and struggle through the maze eventually reaching the end, the only thing the mouse would have accomplished was escaping the wrath of failure. As long as it did what it was asked and succeeded in every task, there was nothing to worry about. Twenty years and counting you have gone on living not knowing this person even existed. What is three months, or even a couple of years more? She’s not a flashlight, stick in a battery, and she’s good to go. She is more like the recipe that you won’t find in any cookbook. A little bit of this, a little bit of that, and presto, there she is; in other words time. Yet getting to know them might seem tedious but then again may prevent a failed relationship in the long run.

What do you think happens to the mouse that broke his way through the maze, and made his own destiny? Each person needs to feel that they are always in control, that sometimes they need their own “personal space”. The mouse saw its future and panicked. It could very well be that the mouse is living life as a bachelor. Then again women might say that there is a cat waiting on the other side, and in due time, he will pay the ultimate price-his life. In a fairy tale world, he may just meet miss mouse, and live happily ever after.

In the world in which we live, you can never have too many friends. “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer”. Now, just as a little exercise I did a little research about Virgo, and not all Virgo’s will be characterized as … fussy, narrow-minded, and taken advantage of, but some concerns I had were answered in reading the characteristics of a Virgo. For instance, they have a passion for the “service to others” profession i.e. doctors, teachers, etc. Ok, not so much a concern but now I know why the interest.

More importantly, Virgo’s are the types of individuals to have been hurt in a relationship, and instead of creating a barrier to getting close to anyone else, they remain positive and not let the little things get in the way. I originally guessed a Libra because of being very “sociable”, but it’s definitely not to say that Virgo’s can’t be sociable. Nor is it to say they aren’t Pisces, as being overly “romantic”. As another characteristic Virgo friends are there to listen to whatever you have to say. Not at all would I consider them to be “fussy and narrow-minded”, the stereotype that is often associated with Virgos.

The difference between a friend, and a distinguished colleague, is a friend is someone who is willing to talk things out, abstract or on a personal level, offer advice, or more importantly is there when you need a shoulder to lean on; yeah there is family, but sometimes you need someone other than family to vent. A distinguished colleague is simply someone who has been recognized or acknowledged by someone else.

However, what boggles my mind into the quenching galaxy that it yearns to travel to once in a clear blue day, is how an individual such as myself can go from being an extreme romanticist to being disliked and dismembered from the female population. Then it dawned on me, that I may have created an irrational, un-womanly set of beliefs.
1. Women are partially right
2. Women are partially wrong
3. Pre-Marriage: Men should be considered for “overall performance” and not just a single act of misfortune.
4. Post-Marriage: Men should be scared of proposing into a life of torture

In comparing apples to oranges, Match.com to Eharmony, there are clearly differences between the two. Clearly stated, you get what you pay for. It has been six months since I joined match.com, and to be honest I have been reminded of a few great principles. Great looks and personality, only takes you so far in life; for though it’s one thing to talk a great game, another to actually live it. Match compares you on a scale that isn’t rocket science, what is your age, what is the age you are looking for in the opposite partner, do you smoke? Do you drink? These are simply considered one dimensional questions. For every one question, there is only one true answer. If you really want something, you have to go out and earn it; merely getting it served on a silver platter is nothing to be proud of. So I figured, why not Eharmony, the 26 dimensions of dating. As you progressed through your own individual personality profile, what the site was ultimately doing all things considered was creating your compatibility to another individual based on how you would respond to certain situations or behavior.

Eharmony and Match.com have served their respective purpose. However, at the end of the day, the answer was right underneath my nose the entire time. Any great manager can bring you to the game, have you dress up, and you wait patiently for your time to come, stepping up to the plate in the spotlight. That’s when the lessons you’ve learned will be put to the test.

A Warm Day in Florida Beats A Cold Day in New England