George W. Bush moments...

Desperate faith or futile loyalty...

Interesting picture. Is it optimism? Is it strength of character or fortitude? Is it delusion? Is it practical? Facing rays of hope, will they find solace in their destination? Who is more fearless? Who is dependent? The blind leading the blind. An endless charade with non-satisfying outcomes. Close your eyes. The answers are found in the comfort of the dark.

What a dope...

Michael Phelps has admitted to smoking cannabis and apologized after a picture of the record-breaking Olympian with a bong pipe was published in a British tabloid.

The swimmer, who won eight gold medals at the Beijing Games, conceded the authenticity of the picture published by the News of the World.

“I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment. I’m 23 years old and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again,” Phelps said in a statement.

Phelps’s career may now be tarnished beyond repair. Athletes caught using cannabis, a banned substance under rules set out by the World Anti-Doping Agency, face a ban of up to two years.

Phelps has never failed a drugs test and even offered to take extra tests before the Olympic Games in August to promote an anti-doping campaign.

So far, the authorities have no grounds for taking action and, even if ordered to take a new test, Phelps could still be shown to be drug-free because the alleged offense was said to have taken place in November.

The picture of Phelps, his baseball cap worn back to front, using a lighter to send smoke along his glass bong, emerged after a student party where the 6ft 4in swimmer was also claimed to have been drinking heavily, in stark contrast to his Olympic mantra, which was to swim, eat, sleep and swim again.

Well, what can I say, it happens to the best of them!

Q12

Five years ago, The Gallup Organization (a leader in management consulting, human resources, and statistical research services) began creating a feedback system for employers that would identify and measure elements of worker or employee engagement most tied to the bottom line--things such as sales growth, productivity and customer loyalty.

After hundreds of focus groups and thousands of interviews with employees in a variety of industries, Gallup came up with the Q12, a 12-question survey that identifies strong feelings of employee engagement. Results from the survey show a strong correlation between high scores and superior job performance. Here are those 12 questions:

• Do you know what is expected of you at work?

• Do you have the materials and equipment you need to do your work right?

• At work, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?

• In the last seven days, have you received recognition or praise for doing good work?

• Does your supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about you as a person?

• Is there someone at work who encourages your development?

• At work, do your opinions seem to count?

• Does the mission/purpose of your company make you feel your job is important?

• Are your associates (fellow employees) committed to doing quality work?

• Do you have a best friend at work?

• In the last six months, has someone at work talked to you about your progress?

• In the last year, have you had opportunities at work to learn and grow?

So how does your company fare? Think.