Dumb Peerage Question.

.....So, this does not have the depth of dissection as the peerage question on the major e-lists has, but it has me thinking all the same.

.....Here is the situation. In Pelican Council, we sometimes discuss very controversial candidates. In those instances there are lots of things on which to think. History, bearing, what they've done, how they treat others, general PLQ's, yada, yada, yada. It takes me a while to process all this information before I come to any kind of conclusion. Furthermore, for me, I like to bounce ideas off of another, sometimes playing the proverbial 'Devil's Advocate'. In this way I get a better understanding of my own perspective.

.....My favorite person upon whom to discuss deep and controversial subjects is The Beloved Tamm. She is smart, creative, and has lots of good ideas. The problem? She's not a Pelican. So, in discussions with her I try my best to not talk names or particular details. I try to talk in generalities. (let me further add that I don't even discuss 99% of the candidates who reside on our 'lists'). But there has been a time or two where I have actually come out and discussed a particular name with her in order to gain her insight from the perspective of her time on the throne and her perspective of a Royal Peer.

.....Now, is that wrong? The initial take is that yes, it would be. Some would say that any talk outside of Council is a betrayal of trust. But, if the conversation you have with the non-Pelican gives you an understanding of the person in question that you did not have before? If it helps in the understanding of a 'problem' candidate? So, I'm rather torn.

.....Anyone have their own thoughts on the matter? Of course, it isn't the solution to world hunger, but at least it is a distraction from how cold it is outside. :-)

.....Stay warm, Aaron / Arontius.

Promotion - Government Style.

.....So, today I receive my electronic copy of the SF-50 form, the standard government form that details my promotion at work. Wow! I think to myself, it is finally happening, after waiting over a year. So I click on the file to open it up and look at the details.

.....The file opens and the first thing that pops up to me is the salary. I look, and then I look again. The number on the yearly salary is $97,180.00. I take a third look, and then a fourth. Then I freak out!!!! Holy Crap!!! My jaw drops to the floor, then every other possible appendage does the same. Oh! My! God!

.....I jump up and do the proverbial Happy Dance! I scream like a little girl. Then I think about what I can do with all the extra money. THEN, the rational part of my lizard brain finally starts thinking reality. Wait a second, that doesn't sound right for some reason. So I start looking through the details.

.....Then I notice that instead of a promotion to a GS-13 position, the government somehow bypassed the 13 and went straight to a GS-14. A GS-14 is definitely considered upper management. Oh, crap, they screwed up. So I start with the phone calls and found out that yes, they had indeed keyed in the wrong code. Damn! And now I'm scrambling, because if this is not taken care of IMMEDIATELY, I'm going to start OWEING the government a lot of money out of the starter gate on my next paycheck.

.....After a lot of phone calls and a lot of running around we finally came up with a solution. To avoid having to owe the government some moeny, I am allowing them to actually demote me for a paycheck and then allow the for-real promotion to take affect.

.....Sigh! You know, after many years of working for the Federal Government, it really isn't very difficult to figure out why they were so lost after Hurricane Katrina. Reality just isn't their specialty. :-)

.....Aaron / Arontius.