Dirkmonster

Big stink at the office causes evacuation

You gotta love this announcement on a Friday afternoon:

"Attention associates: There is a sulfer smell throughout the 800 building.  I have called the fire department.  Everyone must evacuate.  Please leave slowly."

No one was injured and there was a singular act of bravery when one of my colleagues re-entered the building to retrieve a football.

Officially, the Nashville Fire Department says the cause is "still under investigation".  But in this video report from the scene, I got to the "bottom" of it pretty quickly.

The Dominating Digital Donkey Dodgers

What do you do with empty warehouse space behind your offices?  Put on a dodgeball tournament, naturally.

The Dominating Digital Donkey Dodgers were able to defeat the I (heart) Chris' Mom team and the Dirty Martinis before unsuccessfully dodging The Nailers and I (heart) Chris' Mom.

Two things about Dodgeball I had forgotten since Jr. High School or never knew to begin with: It's a workout and a game in which mental errors can cost you.  The Nailers had a secret weapon with a curious resemblance to a right handed David Wells who carried them to the championship.

Hmmm...David and David. Coincidence?

Check out all the pictures from the dodgeball action.

Positive Acxiom buzz

After working for private companies most of my life, the last 3 years have been an education in the ups and downs of a publically traded company.

Since Acxiom bought Nashville's SmartDM in 2005, there has been a hostile takeover attempt thwarted, an agreed to buyout plan by the same suitors...which ultimately fell through.  The stock has gone up and mostly down.  The CEO who took Acxiom public retired and a new CEO has taken over.

Anyway, there's some positive buzz this week.  Check it out.  BTW, Acxiom Digital rocks!

NewsChannel 5 may sell

This morning brings big news that Landmark Communications, parent company of Nashville's CBS affiliate WTVF-TV NewsChannel 5, is looking into selling the station as well as its other assets.

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080103/BUSINESS/80103001

I worked at NewsChannel 5 for 7 years and Lyn has been there nearly 20.  So it's quite a big announcement for us.  I can just write personally that working at Channel 5 and by extension Landmark was an incredible professional and personal experience.  Professionally, it offered me a job when I really needed one and offered opportunities for growth along the way that ultimately lead me to what I'm doing now.  Of course personally Channel 5 means more because that's where I met Lyn.  As I've often said, she interviewed me for the job and I ended up getting the job and a wife out of the deal!  And that's one thing about Channel 5 - when you're there it seems like you're part of a big family. And sometimes it really turns out to be reality.

Workplace pranksters!

So I took a Friday off to move from Bellevue to Brentwood.  Little did I know another move was going on inside my office.

I don't have to tell you the first thing that went through my mind when I unlocked my door and saw my office had been cleaned out.  But then I saw signs directing me...everywhere...but eventually I found where I'd been re-located.

While I was moving ALL my stuff from the can down the hall, I told myself that they must really like me if they took the time to move my office to the toilet.

Passionate about your job?

I thought this was a great post about being "passionate" about your work.

So stop right now and take a good hard look at what you. Ask yourself this question. What about your business, your industry, your product, your customers would provide you with a passionate desire to throw yourself into your work? Ask youself an even harder question? What are you willing to give up in order to have a business that serves your life? Then, decide to change what you are doing right now or to change your mind set about what your are doing right now to include, accept, develop a love for your business.

Life is to short to choose an attitude that you're simply in a "J-O-B" a.k.a "Joyless Obligation Box".  That was told to me by my pastor, David Foster.