Popcorn and lint

We are a house divided. B and I are of two minds about Portland's new plan for coerced composting (i.e. you don't have to compost, but you don't get garbage pick up, so ... you know).

This isn't new.  We're both opinionated, strong-willed people who spent the last 20 years living independently.  Learning to incorporate each other into our decision-making has been interesting (see challenging), but worthwhile (see happily in love).  It's been almost two years and we've just come to an agreement on where the toothpaste should go.  So when the whole "we are the composting city" debacle reared its head, I knew we were in for a bumpy ride.  Neither one of us is happy about it, but for totally different reasons.

I'm anti-composting.  Period.  I have fears of the smell (I previously offered to try it if we used an airtight container.  B passed on this offer.  BTW, the container provided by the city is definitely not airtight).  I worry bugs, or worse, will be lured into the house by the lingering smell of rotting food.

B is pro composting.  He was a dedicated composter at his house in Oz and has been trying to convince me we should be composting since moving here.  He extolled the virtues of composting on many occasions.  Benefits like rich soil for the plants and garden, less waste, setting a good example for our son failed to sway me.  He explained in great detail his system of composting - it involved a rotating collection of containers, an intricate "carry and empty" process, contingency plans for smell or possible vermin issues, soil distribution and much, much more (just ask him, he'll be happy to reminisce on his days of carefree composting).  And yet, I remained unmoved and our food scraps continued to go in the waste bin.

So when he first heard of Portland's new composting push, he was eager to have the power of the "council" on his side.  However, when he learned the details of it, ummmm, not so much.

• Why are we paying more for less service?
• Why will the city get the benefit of selling the nutrient rich soil created by our composting efforts, but we don't?
• This container is useless (ie doesn't meet the standards of his previous composting protocol).
• What about M's diapers sitting around in a bin for two weeks?

What about the diapers?  B pointed out it won't be too bad as we're going into winter and the icy temperatures will help tamp down the smell.  But what happens come spring?  Is this program the City of Portland's passive-aggressive way to get parents off disposable diapers?  In the early baby days, we tried other more (in theory) eco-friendly options.  None of them contained "the wetness" and we figured the water needed to wash M's diaper, his clothes, my clothes, his blanket, his car seat, etc. was more wasteful than disposable diapers.  Maybe M is just a prolific pee-er, but they didn't work for us.

Here we are.  Almost a month into government forced composting, B is working to integrate his previously perfected system into the confines of the new one.  Until all the details are ironed out, I'm not allowed to put anything into the composting bin (for fear I will toss in contraband and sully his efforts ) with two exceptions.
1.  Dryer lint.  Much to B's chagrin, I habitually put lint from the dryer into the recycling bin despite regularly being told it can't go in the recycling.  I think he thinks allowing it in the composting will somehow get me to stop putting it in the recycling.  He can be such an optimist at times.
2.  Popcorn.  I'm not clear why I have been deemed popcorn-2-composting bin trustworthy, but I have.

It's okay.  I didn't want to use the fancy-schmancy new composting bin anyway.

From the complete lack of yard debris bins in our neighborhood put out on trash day, I'm not alone.  My neighbors aren't keen on coerced composting either.  What say you?

What matters more

What you know matters.  Who you know is interesting and helps you become a well-rounded person, but it doesn't make you a more capable and competent professional.

Unfortunately, the Portland professional community doesn't seem to share my perspective.

B immigrated to the US in January 2010 and secured his Green Card in July 2010.  He assumed his education and experience in health promotion (he worked more than 10 years as an RN, completed further studies in Health Promotion and worked in that field for six years) would readily transfer to a position similar to what he held in Australia.  I assumed the general lack of emphasis on wellness in the US health system would make it challenging and possibly result in him earning less than what he did in Oz, but he would still be able to find work he was passionate about.  We were wrong.

After more than 16 months of applying, interviewing, writing sample grant proposals and sample health promotion campaigns, and expanding his search field to include positions he was significantly overqualified for, he still hasn't found something.

At a Halloween party, we met an Australian in the process of moving back.  He worked for six years at Intel as an independent contractor.  His attempts to be hired as a permanent employee were unsuccessful.  He decided it was time to return to the meritocracy of home.

"I landed one day, turned in an application the next, was called back for an interview that afternoon and they offered me the job the following day.  When I told Intel, they asked me to stay on as a permanent full time employee, but why would I?  My work week will be 36 hours.  I'll get a month of paid vacation.  And, I don't have to deal with health insurance issues."

"And that's how it should be," B said, giving me the 'what is wrong with your crazy country' look.

B's spent a lot of time talking to people for advice.  However, it all comes back to "it's all who you know".  He's been advised by his fellow expats in his footy club to get active on LinkedIn and join every networking group and association he can find.  They point out to him that it's not what you know or professional successes you've had in the past.  In Portland, it seems that all that matters is who you know and, as a new resident, he doesn't know many people.

So here we are.  My brilliant, experienced husband can't find work in his chosen profession.  One that our population would hugely benefit from (health promotion and wellness), by the way.  He gave up a lot to immigrate and be with me.  At this point, he's looking at giving up his career, too.  I'm constantly wondering if we made the wrong choice and it's getting harder and harder to defend what is seen here as standard practice.

Lies, damn lies and lingerie

Victoria's Secret sells shoddy products.  Poor fit, limited sizing, inferior materials ... shoddy, shoddy, shoddy.

I know this and yet, once a month or so I'll sit down to go through one of their mini-catalogs (they mail about one a week and email me two or three times a week).  And, every six months or so, I'm tempted once again to make a purchase.  Occasionally, the allure is too great and I buy.  This, I soon regret.  (in the name of full disclosure, I did purchase my "maternity uniform" from VS - their cheap sweater dresses were comfy and forgiving of my expanding belly)

And the cycle starts again.

As a marketer, I want to analyze and nail down what it is the VS team does to keep me, someone who doesn't even like their product, coming back.

As a human being, I think the root problem actually can be found within me.  Body image issues.  No, I don't want to look like Heidi Klum.  Nor do I think wearing a swim suit Heidi Klum hawks will make me look like her.  But if it could somehow magically turn me into a shorter, slightly chubbier, older version of her, I wouldn't mind.

Why?  Why am I not happy with my body?  I'm fit and healthy with an average BMI.  However, I can't remember ever not thinking I was fat.

One of my sisters recently posted a picture of the four of us on Facebook.  I think I'm about 10 or 11 in it.  I know I thought I was grossly overweight, but, looking at my little stick arms and legs, I have no idea why I thought that.  Even younger, my parents have a picture of me in a swimsuit at 4 or 5.  I'm sitting with my arms and legs crossed over myself.  I remember vividly thinking I needed to try and hide all my fat rolls.

Blame the media; blame the diet industrial complex; blame the designers and department stores; blame the marketers and ad agencies; blame myself.

I don't have the answers, but I do have lots of questions.  If you possible answers I'd love to discuss them.

The con of busy-ness

Busy-ness is a lie.  Don't tell me how busy you are.  Tell me how engaged you are, how productive you are, what you're creating and what you're contributing.

My introduction to the "con of busy-ness" concept came about 10 years ago when I was working for Jameson Management.  The leadership team brought in consultants to work with their team of consultants.  I took away a great deal from this experience that still directs much of how I manage myself, my goals and my time.

Americans wear "busy" like a badge of honor.  Our culture teaches us that if we aren't busy, we're lazy or ignorant or bad (idle hands are the Devil's play thing, don't 'cha know).

We even try to out busy each other.

Our conversations go like this:
"How have you been?"
"Busy.  I've got so much going on, I can't keep up with it all."
"Yeah, me too.  Work is crazy; I'm doing about 70 hours a week.  And now, I've got all the kids' stuff to try and keep up with."

Our phone calls go like this:
Caller: "Hey, are you busy?"
Call recipient: "Oh my gosh, yes.  I am so crazy busy.  What do you need?"
Caller: "I know, I'm super busy too.  I'll make this quick."

The problem is, it doesn't matter how busy you are.  What matters is the outcomes of your time/energy investment (it always comes back to ROI).  Once busy work and the "not important/not urgent" stuff takes over, actual productivity either stops or is significantly reduced.

When we're so busy trying to be busy, we lose the opportunity brainstorm, engage in thought experiments and innovate.  We lose touch with our creative powers; we lose the opportunity to collaborate with the creativity of those around us.  If 20% of what we do yields 80% of our results, why aren't we dedicating more of ourselves to that really powerful 20%?

So here's my challenge: don't be busy for the next week.  Instead be productive and invest your general awesomeness in what will really deliver results for you.  Give your brain time to think, mull, marinate on a subject.  Take a walk; swing at the park; sip a cup of tea and people watch.  Spend 20 minutes jumping in piles of fallen leaves.

Be bold enough and brave enough to stop saying "I'm busy" and start saying "I'm producing results".

Where the girls aren't

I call "foul" on any company positioning themselves as "innovative", "leading", "exciting", "engaging", yada, yada, yada, but less than 5 percent of their employees (in any role, but zero in leadership roles) are women.

Recently, I was talking to a friend about a fairly new company in Portland doing some really exciting things in the digital/mobile arena.  I pulled up their website to show her a bit of their portfolio and as we perused it, we landed on the Company page.  Of 36 employees, two were women.  TWO!

Really?  Reeaa-llly?  You couldn't find any innovative, leading, engaging women to join your organization?

I was stunned and haven't stopped thinking about it since.  Are women not stepping up to join these organizations or are the organizations overlooking talented women?  Is there something in the Portland marketplace that encourages men to tackle innovation, but not women?  Is it a consequence of an "all who you know" job market (a whole other rant and one that has my husband ready to pull up stakes to move back to Australia claiming they're a meritocracy, but I'll save that for another day).  It put me in a snit.

Then, a couple days ago, the company that got my snit going was all over the news.  They acquired another, equally innovative and engaging company based in San Francisco.  Curious, I checked out the new acquisition's employees ... 17 employees ... one woman.

I have no doubt the men hired by these companies earned their positions ... that they are talented and very qualified.  I still wonder why no equally talented and qualified women didn't make the cut.

I know there are lots of reasons and factors and variables.  And it's complicated.  I just expected better.