3/13/2008

Stunning Numbers

Chew on this number: $912 Million Dollars!
That's how much the Louisiana Recovery Authority is paying contractor ICF International to manage the Road Home Program. The new $912 million dollar figure just became publicized this week when news leaked that state officials, under former Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, approved an "INCREASE" in the amount of the contract with ICF of $156 million (from $756m to $912m). ICF's main task: processing the 100,000+ Road Home applications. Apparently the estimates for how many apps might be processed when all is said and done has increased from about 100,000 to somewhere between 128,000 and 143,000, hence the increase in payment.

Almost a BILLION DOLLARS going to a company to essentially process applications, appraise home values, check the backgrounds of residents and award said resident "x" amount of dollars. I'm not saying that that's necessarily an easy task. But take it from someone who used to work on the consulting and services side of a software company, and knows how estimates are derived and figures manipulated: that number is laughable. Take it from that same someone who has been living amongst the victims of Hurricane Katrina, many of whom have waited months upon months to even hear back from Road Home reps let alone to receive their payment: it's an absolute crime.

On a more positive note....
I know, different strokes for different folks. I like to read non-fiction, in particular biographies, historical books, books about successful people. Non-fiction isn't everyone's favorite. A lot of people like to get away from reality. But for me, it works. So when I was reading through a chapter in my favorite Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup For The Soul fame) book, "The Success Principles", some of the suggestions really resonated. The chapter is titled "Learn More to Earn More", and in it, Canfield stresses the importance of spending time productively. He points out that his mentor, W. Clement Stone, once told him that by cutting out just 1 hour of TV a day you create an extra 365 hours per year of time to accomplish whatever you need. He made a lot of suggestions for what to do with that kind of extra time, but the one that's stuck the most, according to Canfield, is to read.

He suggests reading biographies and autobiographies of great people. Said one of Canfield's friends, Dr. John Demartini, "You can't put your hand in a pot of glue without some of that glue sticking. So, too, you can't put your mind and heart into some of the works of these masters without some of it sticking".

Another great point made in this chapter is the value of listening. Canfield stresses, 'To learn and grow in life, you need to be teachable, too. You need to let go of already knowing it all and needing to be right and look good, and open yourself to being a listener. Listen to those who have earned the right to speak, who have already done what you want to do'.

Canfield goes on to share a story about a Dr. Billy Sharp, who he used to work for and who he says was one of the smartest men he ever knew. He said whenever he attended meetings or seminars with Dr. Sharp, he was always strangely quiet. Canfield asked him one day why he was so quiet in those meetings, and Sharp said, "I already know what I know. If I'm talking to impress someone else, I don't learn anything new. I want to learn what they know".

All pretty good advise, if you ask me.

Things that make me shake my head......
--I love when stores price something so that, with tax, it totals out to just over an even dollar amount. I bought a Gatorade the other day, and the clerk says, "that'll be $2.02". Why don't you just price it so that with tax it costs $2.00 even!!! Of course, I had no change in my pocket so I get .98 cents back. Ridiculous.

--People kill me when they stand right outside or in front of an entrance way to a bar, restaurant, store, or whatever, to smoke. They can't smoke inside anymore, only out, but when they go out to smoke, they stand RIGHT OUTSIDE the door, so that when you're going in or out, you're walking right through a thick cloud of their smoke. It's idiotic, not to mention inconsiderate. Then again, why should I be surprised, if they're stupid enough to suck smoke into their lungs, then I guess they're...... anyway.

--Not quite as annoying, but it's up there, is when I'm in the checkout line at a grocery store, and I've just put my stuff up onto the conveyor, and the person behind me is so impatient that they're edging up two inches behind me, totally encroaching on my space, and starting to put their stuff up the second there's an inch of black space showing. What is the deal with that?! Can people just wait one minute for me and all my stuff to move up just a bit? Do they really need to start unloading their carriage at the earliest possible chance they get? It's like the world is going to end if they don't get all their items on the counter as quickly as possible! More than one person has gotten "the look" from me when they're all up in my space unloading like that.