Rules of engagement

Rules of engagement Cover Image

I hope you don’t mind if I take a few minutes tonight to explain the best approach to contacting other members of our now vast organization.The best approach to contacting just about anyone, including other members, is to first send a letter of introduction with a copy of your resume. I kn...


Dec 06, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Beware the open microphone

Beware the open microphone Cover Image

How often have we seen a speaker tap a microphone and say: Is this on?At least the person in question is preparing to speak. On the other hand, how often have we heard news reports about politicians saying things they shouldn’t have been saying (or thinking), not realizing that the microph...


Mar 01, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Don’t be lazy

Don’t be lazy Cover Image

In a sense, a sailboat isn’t a complicated machine. Compared with other means of transportation such as cars or planes, there really isn’t much to a sailboat. Sails are pretty simple, and if you are like me, you don’t use the motor if you can avoid it. (We only burned 50 gallons of diesel ...


Dec 14, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Don’t call me, I’ll call you

Don’t call me, I’ll call you Cover Image

A few weeks ago I was doing a pretty good job of keeping up with my email. This past week or so, not so good. I must admit that from time to time I have fallen very far behind. (My personal record is 600 or 800 unanswered after one of my vacations, but that was a long time ago.)Sure, I kno...


Apr 16, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Computers are here to stay

Computers are here to stay Cover Image

I sometimes get the feeling from the format of emails I get and the strange formatting of resumes I see that there are those who believe computers are just a passing phase in our society.I don’t know how to break this to those of you who have been reluctant to “get with the program,” one o...


Jul 27, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Saturday Night Live!

Saturday Night Live! Cover Image

I have been known to get seriously silly at times. (I know this will come as a great shock to all of you.)Back in the old days when I was able to stay up late, Saturday Night Live had an ongoing skit about an individual named Pat. Over the course of the seasons or season it was on (as I in...


Dec 13, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Please, give me a hint

Please, give me a hint Cover Image

Every once in a while I get an assignment for The FECG that draws more than its fair share of attention.I think our all time high several years ago was an assignment that drew 225 responses. However, even when you get an assignment that draws more than say 40 responses, it can get a little...


Nov 09, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Why bother saying thank you?

Why bother saying thank you? Cover Image

For those of you who are sailing fans and/or history buffs and saw the movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of The World, there was a scene where Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany were having a heated argument about the merits of flogging. The comment made by the captain was that the good...


Dec 19, 2017

By Matt Bud, The FENG

There’s honestly no excuse

There’s honestly no excuse Cover Image

There was a time, I suppose, when it was really hard to get back to people. Let’s say someone sent you a smoke signal. I guess you would first have to build a fire, and a smoky one at that. If they sent you a message towards the end of the day, would you really have enough time to respond?...


Jan 03, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

E I E I O

E I E I O Cover Image

I suppose I could be wrong about all of this, but I find the use of “, MBA” as part of your name to be a bad idea. Yes, I know that not everyone has an MBA, but in my opinion unless you are a CPA or a Ph.D., you need to exercise a little caution in the initials you place after your name. M...


Jan 21, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Save the Nauga

Save the Nauga Cover Image

I assume that most of you are unaware that in addition to being Chairman of The FENG, I am also president of the Save The Nauga Society. I have been actively involved in trying to save the nauga from extinction for many years. While naugas existed in most parts of the world in large number...


Jan 17, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The sploosh syndrome

The sploosh syndrome Cover Image

Here in Connecticut spring has arrived and with it the beginning of the boating season. We took our boat out for the first time 2 weeks ago! Great fun.Anyway, as I begin each season, I sit myself down and remind myself of the ease with which tools are lost over the side. As you settle into...


May 24, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Proper uses of boilerplate

Proper uses of boilerplate Cover Image

One from column A and one from column B. Sure makes it easy, doesn’t it? Much as our electronic world makes life simple, it also makes it more complicated in certain ways due to the opportunity to be lazy or inattentive to details. Just as there are only a few themes for good writing (man ...


May 13, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

When in doubt, throw it out

When in doubt, throw it out Cover Image

I don’t know if your incoming snail mail is anything like ours, but we sure get a ton of unsolicited mail. The procedure we follow in our house is to pile the mail up and pull over a large garbage pail. The rule is, “when in doubt, throw it out.” Hard to believe how much junk mail we get o...


Mar 15, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

All I know about you is in front of me

All I know about you is in front of me Cover Image

To quote George Bernard Shaw: “The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” With respect to our power to communicate, we live in a remarkable period of time. I normally respond to 50-100 unique emails every day. I have been doing this for many years and ye...


Jul 09, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

When the going gets tough, the tough get silly

When the going gets tough, the tough get silly Cover Image

Tomorrow I will begin processing a rather large batch of new members. It is actually a two week batch as I was on vacation the past two weeks. I realize that new members are not totally indicative of how everyone is doing their resume, but I have to tell you that their resumes aren’t all t...


Jul 12, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

A firm belief in the Tooth Fairy

A firm belief in the Tooth Fairy Cover Image

I hope I will not sound like I am in a bad mood or anything, but I have to tell you that the bulk of the messages I get from members need a lot of work to make them appear as proper business correspondence. I wish I could believe this is only how you write when you are corresponding with y...


Aug 27, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Making your emails look professional

Making your emails look professional Cover Image

I don’t know if you will agree, but I’m almost convinced that email is going to stick around for a while as a business tool. This being the case, I would like to make the bold suggestion to all of you who write emails (and hopefully that is everyone in The FENG) that you “get with the prog...


Aug 21, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Always do your best work

Always do your best work Cover Image

I have never quite understood why the emails I get are so sloppy. I fully realize and accept that most people don’t type 90 words a minute like I do. Still, even if you only hunt and peck, it is my honest advice to you that you make an effort to spell words correctly and to check your sent...


Sep 06, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

After all we have meant to each other

After all we have meant to each other Cover Image

A few times a week I get a note from one of our members asking me to stop the newsletter. Although sometimes I do get an explanation of sorts, most times I don’t. All I get is the subject: Unsubscribe.Perhaps I shouldn’t admit this, but I am a little offended that someone who has been rece...


Sep 19, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Abbreviations

Abbreviations Cover Image

I guess the desire to shorten just about everything is part of human nature. I once worked with a guy named Harry and the boss insisted on calling him Har. I suppose he could have called him H, but maybe that was TOO short.When I was in college, everyone was talking about the ATGSB. For th...


Nov 29, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG