Warning: Rant Follows

I am more than a little disgusted by people lately. There is an extreme lack of professionalism and/or work eithic in a majority of the people I've encountered lately. Maybe I'm an old man. Maybe my standards are too high, but dammit I want some old fashioned pride in the work people do.

When I mix a show, I don't care if the band is a bullshit local band playing covers badly, a mime dancing to tracks, or my favorite metal band. Every show gets all of me. I put my name on everything I do so everything I do, I do to perfection... ...or as close as I can get to it.

Professionalism should not be limited to technical and higher end jobs. Everything is important and everything costs somebody money. If it is costing somebody money the product or service they have purchased should be of the highest quality. This means when I order food, I expect someone friendly and attentive with the ability to remember my order or a note pad to write it down. When the garbage people take my garbage, I expect not to see random trash strewn about the street and my driveway in their wake. When teachers teach my kids I expect my kids to come home with new knowledge and not bored knowing nothing more than they did yesterday.

There is room for error in my little utoipan world, however. Everyone screws up. The problem arises with a lack of accountability and ownership of mistakes. I don't expect perfection, but I expect at least more than a half ass attempt. If there is a screw up correct it, don't pass the buck around.

We are only as good as what we present and people view the fruits of our labor as a reflection of ourselves so it isn't any wonder why I think that people are all stupid. Just look around.