Who is Nick?

Asking all my life.

Author: Nick Kempinski

  • Remember the simple things

    When I feel the pressure building up I get tunnel vision. I kick into gear and focus on one task at a time. But the longer I have that kind of focus, the more I loose the grand picture. “Why am I doing … ?”, “What’s the point in … ?” You get the idea.

    But last week, while scrounging for pennies and food money, a friend reminded me that eggs and potatoes are cheap. Yes they are!

    I brought home the groceries and then made some hash browns and poached eggs. I love hash browns and poached eggs!

    The minute I sat down with my plate and cut into the eggs, the yellow yokes all runny tasty good. I smiled and for a moment the blinders lifted. The tunnel vision went away and I had a reprieve. I took a big breath. Who knew something so simple could be so powerful for stress relief?

    So, do you need a good poached egg? Is there something you might be over looking? A simple pleasure, a simple act, a simple thing that you might be overlooking that could make all the difference?

  • An ode to matter-of-fact

    This is an ode to matter of fact, in fact,
    a poem like evidentiary stone and stat.

    For one plus one is two, not three,
    nor four or five, not twelve, indeed.
    Yet, far from mathematic postulations
    a soft and chewy sap awaits you.

    A fact — In core of belly it sits and stays
    your course along a rocky plain or
    maybe through clear, already trodden path
    your feet, no matter, will eat their grass.

    And if along the way that path does stray,
    your course, with force of will,
    shall tumble trees and shatter shale.
    What makes this “matter of fact” is inner still

    “It is what is”, a need, a must,
    a “way it goes.” It thrusts
    from nock to tip, the target knows.
    Your life in sight, to loose, is right.

    Some may ask “what is”, “what might”
    You disregard their shallow sight.
    Can light escape universal grip?
    Do elk or emu fret and flick?

    I am what I am, no ands ifs or buts.
    I do what I do, no quips or bumps.
    Like one and one is two not fifteen
    I do what I do, matter of fact, I’m me.

  • Citizenship

    If countries put as much effort into Citizenship as Companies put into performance reviews, maybe there would be 100% citizen participation.

    Canada needs an HR department.

    I’ve been talking with classmates who don’t get the point of Goals setting and value statements. All the stuff that every corporate machine goes through: Annual review, quarterly updates with your manager, progress reports. Everything that connects the employee’s to the business.

    Then the tough occurred, that all these tools are to connect each employee and “try” to make them “care” and participate in the company. What if tax time was more then “taxes”. What if it was also a performance review of citizenship?

    What are your goals as a citizen?
    Have you succeeded in meeting those goals?

    Maybe based on our goals and the success of helping the countries goals, each citizen could get a bonus?

    Maybe some sort of success multiplier?

  • You have the power

    You have the power to climax meandering dramas that have been resistant to closure; you can find resolution where everyone said there could only be messy ambiguity.

    Sagittarius Horoscope

  • What to say?

    My internet presence has been quiet, but don’t let that fool you to believe I’ve been doing nothing. Quite the opposite.

    This duality has me thinking about the increase in concern about web pressence. People are watching, and I think because of Facebook, it’s becoming obvious.

    The Link, BCIT’s campus magazine released an interesting article about Facebook’s involvement as a catalyst to and investigation by Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day into the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA). Several CBSA recruits posted “compromising images and questionable statements”.

    However, I wonder if they posted comments on myspace, if it would be as big of a deal.

    Dannah Boyd, a leader in internet sociology, posted a postulation about class systems online. In specific divisions through Facebook and MySpace.

    Myspace is the fringe, where Facebooks Harvard history, garners a more affluent demographic. Her article makes some interesting theories and statements. I recommend the read.

    What that means is a CEO that might otherwise not be involved in Myspace, might be more apt to be on Facebook. And as a result, you’re profile could be visible. So, a bender between friends, could be embarrassing pictures your bosses boss would see. An offhand comment between friends, could be grounds for dismissal.

    This isn’t to make paranoia. Not all corporations as looking over your shoulder, however the more “affluent” or “main-steam” these social sites become, the more like the real world it is. The same rules apply.

    If you wouldn’t yell it in a crowd of people … don’t say it on the internet.