The bad and the good...

So the bad news is I'm all stuffy again and sneezing and feeling run down. I don't know why I'm so run down, but there you have it. Tim (the boss) told me under no circumstances am I to get sick again. My sinuses have decided not to listen to him.

But on a good note, I'm sitting wrapped up in an afghan listening to tunes on my laptop. I so enjoy listening to Beethoven. His music is timeless. I can just close my eyes and imagine it is summer, the sun warm on my face, wind in my hair... It is so relaxing, and sometimes just what I need after a long day at the office during the full moon.

6:15 a.m.

He wakes up talking. I mean, LITERALLY. He opens his eyes at 6:15 a.m. and starts talking. I don't know how he does it. I have to get coffee in me before I wake him up. Why isn't here a parent manual that warns you about this stuff? I can't think like this so early!

Ian! It's time to get up!

Mommy, if we lived in Russia, would we be able to buy a house there?

Huh?

Can we buy a house in Russia?

Now?

No. I just wanna know.

Um, I don't know. I think it works different in Russia. Why?

I want to go to England. Where do you want to go?

Paris. What does that have to do with Russia?

It doesn't. Can we go to London?

Not today. Did you brush your teeth?

Nope. I can't find my toothbrush. I mean on vacation. Is Paris in England too?

No, it's in France. And why is your toothbrush on vacation?

No, not my toothbrush. We could go on vacation. We could go to France and London and Paris. How old would I have to be?

I'm not sure. You're not going to get any older if you don't brush your teeth.

Okaaaay. I'm just sayin', though. I really really want to go to England. Can I have a new toothbrush?

I'll keep it in mind, and yes. And then get dressed.

Maybe we could go to England next year. And then Russia next year. Do I have to wear sleeves?

To Russia?

No! To school!

Yes!

6:30 a.m. I need a nap.

Homework Help Needed!

I have to write a paper. Here is the scenario:

The CEO of your company has asked you to research the claim that being more ethical and socially responsible in business increases efficiency in the workplace. The CEO has asked you to prepare a report that describes how business ethics and social responsibility can be used to increase efficiency, the effect that it can have on the reputation of the company, and the effect it can have on the company’s relationships with employees, investors, and customers.

I am having a hard time finding sources. Any ideas, anyone? I am trying to stick with electronic sources because I don't have a whole lot of time to track down (and read entire) books.

Michael said...

I don't know of any resources. But I wonder if it would help to be reminded that Buddhism recommends ethics and social responsibility as efficient... I wonder if there are any "Zen and the Art of" type books that have what you are looking for.

Otherwise, most references seem to center on specific types of "efficiency" - usually energy, sometimes financial.

Serena said...

Exactly! I am having a difficult time tying ethics and social responsibility to efficiency. Perhaps I am having a problem with my search terms?

Michael said...

A few possible sources that I did not have enough time to vet. Hope you know how to speed-read:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_ethics
Scan references and further reading at the bottom of the entry.

Scan the abstract - "Free registration required:"
http://jobfunctions.bnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=81303

http://ethicalcorp.blogspot.com/

http://www.squidoo.com/CSR-ethicalbiz

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/303793/Ethics-And-Social-Responsibility--PPT

"It has been said that it makes good business sense for managers to be ethical ... ethics within an organization is perceived as an effective and efficient"
http://www.enotes.com/business-finance-encyclopedia/social-responsibility-organizational-ethics

http://www.enterweb.org/ethics.htm
Business ethics and corporate social responsibility ... to make corporate social responsibility an integral part of business operations and strategies. ...

http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/business/corporate-social-responsibility.html

http://www.thomas.org.nz/web/files/ethics.pdf

http://ezinearticles.com/?Business-Ethics-and-Social-Responsibility&id=753524

Can economic efficiency models be used to make smart business ethics decisions? Well, probably not. But let's try anyway.
http://www.joshklein.net/business-ethics-and-economic-efficiency

Dorinda said...

I searched “news about Google's ethics and social responsibility”.

Serena said...

Excellent! I'm going to try that for Wegman's, too. They are one of the top companies to work for, they must be both ethical and socially responsible. (Hopefully they are also efficient!)

An interesting side note... how come you never see a law firm in the top 100 companies to work for?

A giggle...

A facebook post from a friend of mine:

OMG. Some days it's so not worth chewing through the restraints.........

The smallest size they had...

Ian's first rock concert. And it was LEGENDARY.

My poor baby.

He lost his student council election today, then was goofing off at the after-school program at day care and got smacked in the mouth by another child, which gave him a fat lip and a bloody nose.

I told him life is like this. Some days are good, and some days are bad. It's just his turn in the barrel, and it won't last forever.

It's a hard lesson to learn... Poor baby.

Sooooo Hungry...

Don't open that box of Girl Scout cookies if you're really, really hungry.

Yeah.

I HAD a box of Trefoils...

Michael said...

I HAD a five pound box of Godiva...

LOL!!!

It Finally Happened.

The Boy Child came downstairs at 6:30 this morning. - and he was Dressed! Well ... sort of.

You're dressed!

Yup.

Honey, why do your clothes looked like you slept in them?

Cuz I did!

Errr...why would you do that?

So now I'm ready for school.

OH, NO, YOU'RE NOT!

Methinks he's been reading my Calvin and Hobbes books.

Michael said... Spoilsport.

He was just running a "male efficiency experiment." A lot like the ones where you use the same underwear for a second week by turning them inside out. Remember?

:D

EEEUUUUUU!!!!

Campaign Central

Ian is running for Student Council.

My Little Maestro

From my brother:

"Now that I know that there's water on the moon, your natural spring water from the Swiss Alps bores me."

Round Two.

Ian had no school today in honor of Veterans Day, so I brought him to work with me. He didn't want to get up this morning, but truthfully, neither did I, so I didn't think anything of it.

When we got to work, he played with his Nintendo game for about half an hour, then curled up on a blanket and went to sleep.

For two solid hours.

He woke up, ate some cereal with milk, played a little more, and then went back to sleep. At about noon, he woke up and played some, very quietly, and then at 1:30, he says, "Mommy, I think I'm gonna barf." I told him to go into the kitchen to use the garbage in there, and I followed him in.

And toss his groceries he did. Very well, I might add. I think his meals for the past three days came up.

So we left work early, and here I am at home, watching over my sleeping child. Or, should I say, the child who is sleeping beside a bucket.

What a way to spend an afternoon.

Michael said...

At least he hit the target.

There are sooooo many ways this story could have been worse! ;-)

Serena said...
Oh, yeah. He could have tossed his groceries all over my computer. The boss would have been REAL happy with me!

Chinese for Lunch

I ordered Chicken Chow Mein for lunch today at Chinese Kitchen. My fortune left me a wee bit confused.

"A nice cake is waiting for you."

Cake?

Where?

And most importantly, is it chocolate?

Michael said...

I'm still waiting for the one that says, "There's a wheelbarrow full of money waiting for you."

Serena said...

You and me both!

Catching Up!

Check out blog updates back to October 26! I'm finally feeling good enough to catch up. Health-wise, I'm over the bronchitis, and I'm just stuck with that annoying cough that will hang on most of the winter. I can live with it. School-wise, I'm on target to finish my course on time. Research is the order of the day for the weekend. My latest paper is going to be on ethics and social responsibility in the workplace.

Life is good!

The Mammogram

Went for my annual mammogram today. Honestly, with medical technology being what it is, you would think there would be an easier way to accomplish this by now! Anyway...

I had a miserable experience at Windsong Radiology last time I went there, and swore I would never return. So this year, I asked my ob/gyn if I had a choice where to go. She said, "Sure! Go wherever you want!" So I called Kenmore Mercy Hospital.

They were wonderful! Friendly, kind, efficient, and as gentle as possible. It was over with quickly, hardly any wait time, and for the first time in a long time, I came away with no bruising!

After, I treated myself to a Venti Non-Fat Chai at Starbucks. (It's a spiced tea that tastes like Christmas. Great stuff!) After all, even a good mammogram is still a mammogram.

Ladies, it's important. If you're over 40, get it done. Yes, it's uncomfortable. But if it saves your life, what's a little discomfort?

The Loose Tooth

The tooth came out in Chorus! FINALLY! Keep singing, Kid. There are three more loose ones in there. :D

There is No Tooth Fairy.

We are at the Dentist's Office for our semi-annual teeth cleanings. After His Highness had his teeth cleaned, he came in to where I was, planted himself on the bottom of my chair at my feet, and started thinking. I hate it when he does that in public. :D

"Mom. I got four loose teeth all together that are gonna come out soon. One is hanging on by a thread. The lady (nodding his head toward the hygienist who cleaned his teeth) says the tooth fairy is gonna come." (said with a smirk)

(pause for thought)

"Mister Dentist? How many teeth do babies have?"

"Well, babies aren't born with teeth."

"Oh. Well, how many teeth do kids have?"

"Well, after they all come in, kids have 20 teeth. Then, as they get to be adults, they have 32 teeth."

"Humpf. Mom. Why don't you just give me the 20 bucks now?"

The dentist busted out laughing, and all I could think was, here I am with a mouthful of tools and can't say a word!

"I like how this kid thinks!" He removed all the paraphernalia from my mouth, patted me on the shoulder and said,

"He's going to go far, Mom, he's going to go far."

Yeah. In the meantime, I've got to keep a step ahead of him!

Fond Memories of a Baseball Fan

The year was 1967. It must have been, because my Mom was sitting in the rocking chair in the living room, and she was pregnant with my sister. I'll never forget it.

Dad always had the baseball game on TV on Saturday afternoon. I would line up my dolls on the couch (I had three bears and a pink dog), and we would all watch the Game of the Week with Daddy.

I, of course, in the excitement of the game, would root for anyone who scored.

I remember it as if it was yesterday. I cheered to a player scoring a run, and my Dad looked at me and said, very sternly, "NEVER root for the Yankees!" It startled me, and I took him seriously.

Over the years, he repeated this to me, never less passionately, "NEVER root for the Yankees! If the Witch of Endor is playing against the Yankees, we will root for the Witch of Endor!" I had no idea who the Witch of Endor was, but it doesn't matter.

I still can't root for the Yankees.

Michael said...

That's fascinating! I had no idea that he had an opinion that strong about _any_ baseball team!!!

In all of our exchanges, his fondness for the game was the primary take-away...

Serena said...

I asked him once why he felt so strong about the Yanks. He said it was because he always felt cheated. The team spent a ton of money for stars so they always won, and you never got to see 9 complete innings because if they were home, the games only went 8 1/2. He feels they don't play fair in their business dealings. You should see him grin ear-to-ear when Andy Pettitte (one of the Yank pitchers) gets pasted. Well, come to think of it, I do, too. :D

Sabres v Islanders

I took Ian to a Sabres game. My friend was unable to use two of his season tickets, so he sold them to me for the price he paid, $30 each. We were in the second row from the top of the Arena.

The giveaway for the evening was a white towel, which Ian waved pretty much through the entire time we were there, except when he was grabbing another piece of soft pretzel. He was absolutely glued to the game.

We couldn't stay for the entire game; it was a school night and I had to work the next day. We did stay through two periods, though, and when we left, the Sabres were up 2 to zip. They did hang on to win, against the Islanders, 3 to 0.

One More Day Wasn't Enough.

I've now got bronchitis. I've decided that I need to get more rest while Ian isn't around "mommy"-ing, so while he's at school today, I am getting some sleep.