there's a shooting range closer than you think....

This post may be a bit of a departure from the normal corporate noise, however it's an interesting "dip" into a totally fascinating sub-culture and business.  THE SHOOTING RANGE!  So, for about a hundred bucks, you and a friend can pick the gun of your choice, eat a cookie and drink some lemonade, acquire two boxes of ammunition, choose a target and fire away.  Aside from the thrill of shooting a gun, you get a window into a different world.  Tattooed skin heads, foreplay date shooters, hard core military types, hunters, angry socialites, corporate whores (that's me).....and....here's the best:  a chick named "Lady Chaos!"  She was a sight:  strappy  high heeled shoes, white - torn - skinny jeans and a t-shirt with her name printed on the back -- all with a giant rifle and a target that looked like a political figure.  And a great aim.  Now, for me, it was the absolute best in people watching and the surprising adrenaline rush from shooting a gun.  But the scary part is that in about 90 seconds anyone can sign in and pay their bill.....and then be released into a room with 20 strangers, all holding loaded, deadly weapons, none with background checks or formal weapon training, some certainly under the influence, others with mental illness, no indication of why they are there and absolutely nothing to keep you from open firing on one another.  WTF?  I wonder what would happen if we installed one in our company gym?  Go check out a range today!!

A New Word!

SLORE

noun \ 'sl-hor \ : the combining of a "slut" and a "whore."  Usually in terms of a real trick-ass bitch who can't keep...(truncated).

Example of SLORE:  "Yo that bitch ain't nuttin but a mudda'fuckin' Slore!"

I just love this word.  A good friend (and fellow blogger) used this word as a salutation, to me, in a recent email.  And it sent chills down my spine.  The possibilities for this word are endless -- especially as i think about my job, my blog and the creatures we all encounter on a daily basis.  Only one comment (today):  all of the on-line definitions refer to Sloars as women;  I disagree that we should be limited to one gender.  I know plenty of male Slores.  Until my next post, feel free to purchase Slore mugs and t-shirts at Urban Dictionary (link below).  Now, keep your eyes and ears open for our new word and let me know when he or she pops up!

http://www.urbandictionary.com/

Keep the Camel in the Desert

And not in the office.  I'm going to keep this short and sweet.  Today, on my way through the lobby of our office building, I passed a professional level, female employee headed to the parking garage for her commute home.  She was pulling a rolling briefcase behind her and she had on a pair of skin-tight, flesh colored leggings that ......well......brought out the camel in her.  This is WRONG.  Why does this happen?  How does this happen?  Aside from being unsightly, isn't this a health issue? I can't really say much more, but i had to share my startling experience.  And I don't think it's a form of workplace prostitution at work here.

a different kind of corporate culture....

So, every now and then a whore gets inspired:  I just completed a transatlantic crossing on board the Queen Mary 2.  Aside from enjoying classic ocean liner luxury, I became keenly aware of the unique "culture" that existed among the crew on the ship.  The staff could not have been more diverse (all 1,400 of them).  They could not have been more excited to be there and to deliver outstanding service to every passenger.  They appeared to have a camaraderie that I've never seen in a corporate or hospitality culture in the states.  And their personal stories were amazing.  Our nightly martini waiter told us stories of growing up in Serbia where diversity was not embraced -- he openly admitted that before his tour of duty on the QM2 he would never have had conversations with the likes of us -- he had wisdom, optimism and spirit that was refreshing.  And dreams that were likely inspired by his experiences at sea.  Another story:  a bartender from Hungary told us how he began working for Cunard because he had followed the love of his life onto the boat -- three years later, he admitted that his relationship had ended and he said, "I lost my partner, but at the same time, I fell in love with the ship."  We were so enchanted by the employees, their authenticity and their charm that we were ready to leave the fancy decks of the boat and join the employees at the "crew bar" on deck one.   We never made it down there....despite our fascination. Why can't we replicate this kind of spirit in corporate America?  Cunard is for profit.  Prostitution definitely exists inside the company and on board the ships.  And I'm sure politics flourish.  But, for some reason, they were different.