A Journey... Quest... Thing... to see The Hobbit!

It almost didn't happen. The one thing I'd been looking forward to for at least two years – going to see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey with my brother, John, over Christmas weekend – almost didn't happen. Because of the flu! :-(

My brother is nine years older than me. And some of my precious memories as a girl are of him reading to me - especially Tolkien's The Hobbit. Teenage boys shouldn't be interested in spending time with their younger sisters! But my brother has always marched to his own beat and he wasn't afraid that spending time with his kid sister would make him uncool. Winning!

So of course when I heard Peter Jackson was making a prequel to his masterpiece Lord of the Rings trilogy, I wanted to see the movie with him more than anyone else! He lives three hours away from me, so the trip would have to wait until Christmas weekend when we would be together. But three days before I'm to leave for home, tragedy strikes. My brother has the flu. Of course I was worried about his health first! But I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed at the thought of having to skip out on our showing because he felt bad. But amidst the celebration of the miracle of Christ, our family got out own Christmas miracle. John was feeling a little better. Well enough to go to the movies! Whew! That was a close one! So we went and we even got to take my two oldest nephews.

What a beautiful film. Peter Jackson should just make all of the movies! Well, he could share with a handful of others (I'm looking at you Spielberg, Howard and Nolan!)... I mean, this movie was gorgeous and had my nephews and I ready to pack and head off to New Zealand!

What a treat to head back to the Shire! And I hadn't been reading too much about the film, so I was happily surprised to see Elijah Wood reprise his role as Frodo! But I was concerned... This movie is all about ugly old trolls! What am I going to do without visual treats like Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean and even (a little) Viggo Mortenson? But then came a little dwarf named Kili. Hello Aidan Turner!

Aidan Turner as Kili

Now we've got some eye candy! And the Dwarf King, Thorin Oakenshield was pretty worthy of all of his screen time too!

Richard Armitage plays Thorin Oakenshield

Both of these men have had success on the BBC. Turner plays a vampire in the British show, Being Human. And Armitage was Guy of Gisborne on the BBC's Robin Hood. But once again, Jackson has opted to go for actors that fit the roles well, instead of casting big name stars to bring in the crowds. I admire him for this. 

The movie was two and half hours long, but I didn't feel the time drag. I was caught up in the beauty! Trolls! Goblins! Stone Giants! This movie is just gorgeous!

Stone giants wage war in The Hobbit.

Rivendell is beautiful as always.

Some critics have argued that the movie is trying to hard to be Lord of the Rings and it fails. I disagree. I think Jackson created a living breathing Middle Earth in his first three films and The Hobbit feels true to that style. I thought that Ian McKellan as Gandalf brought just the right amount of authority and, when required, humor. Andy Serkis entertains as Gollum and each dwarf embodies their character to perfection. And Martin Freeman as Bilbo...

I say "good job" to you sir! He is timid when he needs to be scared, he is brave when bravery is called for, and you believe every minute of it.

As for Peter Jackson, I think he's hit it out of the park again. I can't wait until next Christmas when, barring any illnesses or other calamities, my brother and I head off once again to see The Hobbit. This time, The Desolation of Smaug! Can we say dragons, people? I can't wait!

MHRM 6120 • Blog Data Management and Ethics

Ethics and data management are the topics of conversation this week in grad school. We’re asked to think about what we would do if someone with whom we worked asked us to manipulate data for the “benefit of the organization” and whether our response would differ if a superior asked us to do it.

Working in Marketing, the opportunity to present manipulated data is always available. We print annual reports for our health system as well as our cancer treatment center. It’s tempting to tweak the data to paint the organization in a better light, isn’t it? Fortunately, my manager doesn’t believe in doing anything unethical like this. We present the data – both good and bad – as it is.

Sure, we might try and powder the pig, Accentuate the positive and not draw attention to the negative. But at the end of the day, the information, she’s still a pig, and it’s a pig the public will see.

It’s so hard to say no when it’s a manager asking you, though. I had a co-worker call me a few years ago. She was upset because it was time to do the employee survey and her manager had taken her survey forms from her so that the staff could not write anything bad about the department. Talk about skewing the data! This manager would rather have no data for their department than have something bad out there.

The employee was too intimidated to do anything about it and I wanted to help her, so I called human resources and explained the problem. The next day the department had a visit from the Human Resources Director. She came over for a “friendly visit” to remind everyone that the employee survey had begun and she expected 100% participation! Now the manager had no choice but to pass the forms out.

But how dare she put my friend in such an awkward position? I wondered how I would’ve reacted in the same situation. I like to think I would’ve stood up to my manager and passed out the forms, but I can’t really say. I do know I believe that misrepresenting data doesn’t really help the organization, or anyone for that matter, at all. 

Lies, they always catch up with you and dealing with an ethics scandal is a lot harder than any other controversy. It’s like I said last week, trust is one of the hardest things to win back once you’ve lost it. That’s why it’s always better to be honest in the first place.

MHRM 6120

Building Trust

 …if developed and leveraged, the one thing has potential to create unparalleled success and prosperity in every dimension of life. 

Yet, it is the least understood, most neglected, and most underestimated possibility of our time. That one thing is trust. —Stephen Covey

In class this week, we're talking about trust. How HR can create trust, challenges to building trust and how to maintain stakeholder trust. 

Trust is a tricky thing... It can be so difficult to build, so easy to destroy and next to impossible to regain once lost. 

I think it is very important for staff members to trust their HR department. And equally important that HR earn that trust by always being honest with staff.

I feel that developing a relationship with staff is important. At the hospital where I work, nurse recruiters almost act as docents to new nurses. They tour them around the medical center, make introductions, I've even see them counsel new nurses months after they are hired. I think this kind of relationship is important in building trust among employees. 

Listening is another skill HR can use to build and maintain trust. Conduct employee surveys, not just to measure, but improve. After one of our employee surveys, departments met with management to discuss results and improvements that could be made to improve morale. Our representative looked us in the eye, told us all of our ideas were good and good be accomplished and then followed through with none of them. This is not a successful means to maintain trust with your employees. Do you think the next year we offered any ideas to improve things in our office? Why would we bother when we didn't believe anything would change?

Proper communication, I believe, is the key to both earning and maintaining stakeholder trust. People by nature resist change, but if HR properly communicate the reason behind the change, staff may be more likely to accept the change. As the relationship between staff members and HR continues, staff will learn to trust HR. But HR must also continue to earn it by communicating effectively and honestly at all times.



References:
Covey, S. R. (2006). The SPEED of trust: The one thing that changes everything (p. 1). New York, NY: Free Press.

Joy to the World! Joy to ME!

Or How the Junior League (and a few other things) Saved My Life

So, for the last two years, I've been a complete Scrooge over the holidays. I haven't put up a tree, I haven't really wanted to celebrate at all. 

Those that know me well – and have known me a while – can tell you that the last few years have been so difficult for me. I lost my dad and a close friend to cancer, fell hard for someone and lost him, then immediately lost a dear friend in a horrendous one-two punch. I've been sullen and depressed and I didn't even want to be around myself, let alone anyone else. I'd be lying if I said there weren't days I considered ending it all....

What a difference a year can make! 

In January, I took things into my own hands and decided I would make some friends. So, I joined the local chapter of the Junior League. I was worried it might be a group of stuffy, snobby well-to-do ladies (you know, like the girls in The Help), but I couldn't have been more wrong! The group is very diverse, with all ethnicities, income levels and ages. They are very active in the community, giving to agencies to improve child mental health, and I'm so proud to be a part of it. I've had the opportunity to make some new friendships for which I am so very grateful!

I've also gone back to school. The reasons for going back were numerous, but mostly it was to keep my brain stimulated and to keep me interested in something besides just sitting around watching TV (don't worry, TV fans, I'm still a couch potato, just not as bad as before!). It's sometimes stressful, but I am so glad to have the opportunity to continue my education and to keep learning and growing. 

Now I've gone from sitting home alone feeling sorry for myself to running around wishing I had time to sit down! It seems like there's always something going on.

BUT I'M HAPPY! :-)

I didn't even realize the change was occurring until this past month. And now with Christmas approaching? Forget about it! I can't stop smiling. I can't stop humming Christmas carols! I can't stop buying decorations! Last night, I ran into Hobby Lobby to get some magnets for a craft project, and I left with a mini-tree for my desk, yet another stocking and a little sprig of holly to place in the bud vase of my car! 

I'm in a completely different frame of mind this December than months before and I wish to thank everyone who helped me get here, but there just isn't enough time or web space! But I'm especially grateful to my mom, my brother, my sister-in-law and their beautiful family, the girls in the Junior League and my dear friend Rachael, who always manages to make me feel sane even when I feel everything around me is insane!

This holiday season, take time to appreciate those that are there for you when times are tough. For all those who have loved me, know you are appreciated and loved in return. Merry Christmas, everyone!

MHRM 6120 – HR Getting a "Seat at the Table"

Some HR professionals believe the profession has continued to be challenged at getting a "seat at the table." Do I agree with this statement? Most definitely.

I myself never really understood the importance in linking HR functions with strategic planning before beginning this degree program. But now, I agree that they should be offered that seat at the table.

Historically, Human Resources has been considered the department that handles benefits and makes sure employees get their paychecks, but today companies are getting farther and farther away from that.  However, studies show that most firms only offer HR input on strategic decisions, rather than making them full strategic partners (Lawler, E. & Boudrea, J., 209, p.15).

HR should definitely have input on strategic decisions. How are they supposed to hire the employees that will help achieve the organizations strategic goals if they are not completely aware of what those goals are?

I agree with Becker, Huselid and Ulrich when they say that an effective HR system should “maximize the overall quality of human capital” by: linking selection and promotion decisions with competency models, developing strategies that provide timely and effective support for the skills demanded by the firm’s strategic implementation and enacting compensation and performance management policies that attract, retain and motivate high performance employees (Becker, B., Huselid, M. & Ulrich, D., 2001, p. 13).

I can see the hospital I work for trying to move toward including HR at the table, and I think it’s great! We have a VP of Human Resources who is considered a member of the senior management team and we focus on hiring employees that will improve our patient experience. HR was involved in the creation of our new mission statement and vision. But even we have room for improvement.

References


Becker, B., Huselid, M., & Ulrich, D. (2001). The HR scorecard: Linking people, strategy, and performance. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.


Lawler, E., & Boudreau, J. (2009). What makes HR a strategic partner? People & Strategy, 32(1), 14-22.

The Times, They Are A'Changin'

Is it just me, or is TV not the same as it used to be?

I heard a song on the radio today that made me think of the show the Wonder Years. 

The Cast of the Wonder Years

Damn, I loved that show! Wonder Years was the story of Kevin Arnold, a boy growing up in the Vietnam War era. No matter how complicated life was around Kevin and his friends, they remained innocent and hopeful.

Maybe it's just that I've grown up, but doesn't it seem like TV has lost its innocence? Or it is my perspective that's changed?

I think back to some of my favorite shows growing up and they all had an air of innocence. Take The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. The entire premise of the show was about a kid sent to live with family in Beverly Hills because the town he grew up in (West Philadelphia born and raised) was too violent. You think if they remade that show today Will Smith's character wouldn't be so much more jaded? 

Speaking of Beverly Hills, another show I couldn't get enough of was Beverly Hills 90210. Sure the show tried to be cutting edge. I remember Brenda's pregnancy scare and Donna Martin's shocking speech about the importance of teaching kids about safe sex. But even the toughest subjects back then were handled differently than they are now. I checked out the 90210 remake for nostalgia's sake when it premiered. Within the first 15 minutes there was a shot of one of the character's receiving a blowjob in his car as his girlfriend walked through the parking lot. You'd never have caught Brandon or Kelly doing that!

I know, I know, I've talked a lot about the kind of television that I watch. A lot of it is gory and violent and exactly what I am complaining about. However, most of my favorite shows – like American Horror Story, Sons of Anarchy and The Walking Dead – all air on cable TV, a vehicle for sex violence that didn't exist in the time I am speaking of.

Violence abounds in the very awesome Sons of Anarchy.

There's a time and place for violence. And in my opinion it's after 10 p.m. on cable networks. My question is, where is the love? The innocence? The sense of wonderment? Where is Kevin Arnold and the Wonder Years???

MHRM 6110 - Group Work

We’ve been working in groups in my Talent Management class. Group work… Why do they call it group work? Invariably, there’s at least one (or in the case of this semester) two people who contribute absolutely nothing to the assignment. I do want to give a big thank you to my partner, Anica, for being so great about helping split the load with me. We two have been doing the work of four this semester – thanks, Anica!

So, while in my last class I blogged a little about Tuckman's model of team development and how it applies to group work.

The theory behind Tuckman’s model is that groups go through stages when they work together – Forming (coming together), Storming (disagreements begin to arise as power struggles begin), Norming (acceptable behavior is determined), Performing (finally working together to accomplish task) and Adjourning (completion of task and disengagement from the group). (Tuckman & Jensen, 1977, p. 419-420).

This week my assignment is to think about Tuckman’s model and how it applies to my group in the class. Did my group experience all five of the stages? Trust me, if the two guys had checked in there would have been some storming! LOL

But I don’t think Anica and I experienced that at all. I think we worked really well together. We had similar styles. So we really just got together (Forming), split up the workload, which I think we both agreed on and had a similar idea how to approach that (Norming) and then we went to work (Performing). I checked our group discussion board today and we both expressed how we enjoyed working together, so even though the final project still needs to be put together, we’ve pretty much already reached the Adjourning stage.

Of course I wish we had all group members participating. But if I could get stuck in another group with only one other person carrying their weight, I hope it would be with her again!

References

Tuckman, B. W., & Jensen, M. A. C. (1977). Stages of small-group development revisited. Group and Organization Studies (pre-1986), 2(4), 419-427.

MHRM 6110 - Outsourcing Talent Management

Outsourcing. It's a word that strikes fear into the hearts of call center employees, assembly line workers and yes, even HR employees all over the world.

Now it's not only telemarketers, automobile manufacturers and the like being replaced by automation and third party companies. Talent management programs and Human Resources work is being outsourced as well. 

The new trend is to have HR functions like payroll and benefits administration outsourced to third parties (Galagan, 2007, p.1). Did you know that companies with more than 10,000 employees can save as much as 20% by outsourcing human resources? (Oshima, Kao & Tower, 2005, p. 7). That is not chump change, my friends!

This does actually make a lot of sense to me. Currently, more than 60% of companies outsource at least some part of their HR administration (Oshima, Kao & Tower, 2005, p. 7). Giving these duties to outside parties can save money and free up company human resource staff for the important stuff, like employee engagement and training and development.

I do not feel it is wise to outsource these HR duties, however, as they are integral to corporate strategy. A third party is not available to engage employees and they may not be familiar enough with corporate strategy to take part in training and development. I feel like those are best kept in house.

Oshima et al feel that talent management can be outsourced as well. But agree that certain HR functions that are vital to business strategy should stay in house. Included in this list are HR strategy, executive coaching and organization, problem solving, budget management and HR program design – this would include the design of programs that would be run by a third party, such as benefits, talent management and staffing (Oshima, Kao & Tower, 2005, p. 8). I couldn't see outsourcing these functions either, as it is necessary to work closely with the C-suite to design these functions.

So, while I feel it is wise to outsource certain talent management functions, I feel like the meaty, strategy-driven portions of HR should be kept in-house where they can be developed to best suit the corporate strategy and thus, better benefit the business.

References:

Galagan, P. (2007). Trend watch. T+D. 61(2). 1.

Oshima, M., Kao, T., & Tower, J. (2005). Achieving post-outsourcing success. Human 

         Resources Planning. 28(2), 7-11.

How To Make A T-Shirt Scarf

Another craft I've picked up from Pinterest? The T-Shirt scarf! I've grown so enamored with these creations that I've even decided to make them to fulfill my quota for the upcoming Junior League Holly Day Fair.

So why, if I'm planning on selling these at the Holly Day Fair, am I sharing how to create these? Well, because I'm nice and they're fun and I'm hoping there will still be plenty of people to buy them at the fair. So if you'd like to learn how to make this fun and stylish craft project, read on folks! If not, you can get yours at the Crown Center the first weekend in November!

Without further ado:

The T-Shirt Scarf

Step 1. Start with a T-shirt. I find that a men's XL or XXL works best!

Step 2. Cut off the bottom hem and then make another cut below the arms, making sure to cut below any logos that may appear on the shirt. 

Step 3. Cut the rest of the shirt into one-inch strips, like so.

Step 4. Stretch and then stretch some more. 

Sssstttreeeetttccchhh!

You now have the most basic of T-Shirt scarfs. Yep. That's it folks. You can also cut and braid the pieces of the scarf or simply add a flower. In this version, we are going to add adorable matching rosettes!

Making Rosettes

Step 1. Cut several thicker strips of T-shirt material. I took mine from the back of the shirt, between the arms. Cut them about 2 inches wide.

Step 2. Cut squares of felt in the approximate size of your intended rosette. This will keep the flower together and give us something to attach a pin to so they can be removed from the scarf if needed.

Step 3. Tie a knot at the end of your strip of fabric. Place a generous amount of glue in the center of your felt and then place the knot tied side up in the middle. This will be the center of our rose!

Step 4. Now, begin twisting the fabric towards you, gluing it to the felt as you go. When you reach the edge of your felt piece, trim it to fit your rosette and then take one last turn around with the fabric, so the rosette is ever so slightly larger than the felt. Tuck the end of the fabric behind the rosette and then glue it down. Your finished product should look like this!

Step 5. I like to combine several rosettes together. To do so, just glue them to another piece of felt, placing a little glue between the rosettes so they attach to each other as well. Then, make a few slits in the felt and slip in a few pins or clips. Glue those down, like so...

Now you can clip your rosettes to your scarf and the result is totally adorable! Check it out!

Have fun crafting everyone!

Last Night I Took A Trip To Nashville...

Last night I took a peek at ABC's new drama, Nashville. 

What can I say? I'm not a country fan, but there was plenty for me to like, namely having the uber-awesome Connie Britton back on my TV! I have loved her since Friday Night Lights and, while I loved her in American Horror Story, I've missed her southern twang and her awesome "y'alls." Thank you Nashville, for giving those back to me.

The show revolves around Rayna James (Britton), an aging country star whose current album isn't selling as well as she likes. Or as well as the record label would like. Now she's being asked to co-headline on a tour with Juliette Barnes, played by Hayden Panettiere (co-headlining is code for being an opening act, btw). Juliette is a young crossover artist with mass appeal. Picture her as kind of a slutty Taylor Swift and you're there.

I've never really been a Panettiere fan and her turn as the conniving, spoiled Juliette is not helping matters at all.

I was worried the show would be a TV version of Gwyneth Paltrow's Country Strong, where she plays a used-up country star trying to rebuild her career while staying clean, but up-and-comer Leighton Meester is dangerously close to eclipsing her fame.

There is some of that storyline at work here, but Nashville is about a lot more too. There's Juliette's junky mom who calls begging for money, thus reducing her daughter to tears. And then there's Rayna's power-hungry, hard-as-nails father played perfectly by Powers Booth. I took an instant dislike to this man. I am looking forward to seeing him get his comeuppance. And then there's her husband, forced to live in her shadow until her father convinces him to run for mayor. And her band leader, who is apparently a former lover.

It's a tangled web Rayna is caught up in and I could easily find myself getting hooked in as well. Nashville is soapy, but in the best way possible. And with music supervised by renowned producer T Bone Burnett (he's worked with BB King, Elton John, Tony Bennett and John Mellencamp to name a few), the show is sure to launch more than a few radio hits.

If Nashville holds up to everything the pilot promises, we'll be visiting these ladies for quite a while, and I, for one, am ready for the trip!

She's Crafty

My mom and my sister have always been very artistic. And crafty! It used to drive me crazy how they were always making something beautiful out of nothing and I couldn't keep up. My talents lie more in the written word. Oh, and pulling obscure pop culture trivia bits out of thin air. Seriously. You don't want to play Scene It or Celebrity with me!

Recently, however, I've made good friends with a real creative lady – a photographer, very artsy. And before I knew what was happening, I was crafting! I've been spending crazy amounts of time on Pinterest and I even bought my very first glue gun! Imagine it! Me with a glue gun? I'll try not to burn down the neighborhood.

One of my first efforts was simple. An idea I took from Pinterest and spray painted an old spice rack and started storing my nail polish on it. Since my recent obsession with Ulta nail polish took root, the collection stored on said rack has grown considerably. I wouldn't be surprised if I have to make another, bigger one soon.

Next I saw a bit of art made from wine corks and thought, "I could so that!" I learned a lot about crafting from this project, namely: Don't use a sharp knife to cut wine corks while Sons of Anarchy is on. You could get distracted by sexy Mr. Jax Teller and almost lost a thumb. Here's the finished project:

Wine cork art.

Don't worry. My thumb is still attached. This one came out so well, my mom even asked me to make her one! Quite the compliment from such an artistic woman! Speaking of which, does anyone have any extra wine corks? I don't drink that often and momma needs some wine cork art!

Other projects have included a container for my makeup brushes and a shadow box to save ticket stubs in. But it is my most recent effort that I am most proud of – my beautful magnetic makeup board! I'd seen variations of the idea all over Pinterest, and I loved it. The shopping list for the project was small:

Magnetic Makeup Board

1. One sheet of 22-guage sheet metal (available at any hardware store for around $5).
2. An attractive piece of fabric or scrapbook paper
3. One picture frame, glass removed
4. Glue gun! (who hoo, I broke it out!)
5. Magnets, available at any craft store

A beautiful tutorial is available at one of my favorite blogs, kaneej.com, but it's really simple.

1. Cut the metal (carefully, people!) to fit the frame. 2. Cover it with the fabric. 3. Glue fabric in place. 4. Attach magnets to your favorite pieces of makeup. 5. Place makeup on board (duh)! And voila!

I don't know about you, but I kinda dig it! What do you think?

Anyway, crafter's of the world, beware. I've got a glue gun and a loyalty card to AC Moore. This is far from the last craft project I will make! Stay tuned for more!

Mark Pellegrino: Gifted Actor or Spawn of Satan?

You may not know his name, but I'm betting you've seen his face. This is actor Mark Pellegrino.

He looks innocent enough. Even kind of cute! But he's that guy, the guy who always plays the bad guy! After seeing him in his most recent role as Jeremy on NBC's Revolution, I am asking myself – why is this guy always so evil? Can he really be that good at playing bad or could he actually be the devil himself? Let's examine the evidence.

Jeremy reveals Miles' secret past to his fellow travelers. Bad, Jeremy! Bad!

Paul Bennett, druggie and wife beater. All around bad dude.

When I first saw Pellegrino he was playing Paul Bennett, Rita's abusive and drug-addicted ex-husband on Dexter. Just look at him. Doesn't he just look slimy?

True, Dexter is a show about a serial killer working for Miami Police Department, but Dex isn't the bad guy, no sir! Dexter never smacked sweet Rita around like good ol' Paul, so make no mistake, Paul Bennett was the bad guy in town. As soon as Dexter caught wind that Paul might be on to his little late night mutilation hobby he had to go and, frankly, I didn't miss him. 

Ex-convict and killer Dick Hickock. Baaaad dude.

Pellegrino has been around for a while - since 1987, according to IMDb. He's played all kinds of antagonists: a Fulcrum agent on Chuck, a criminal on The Closer, he even took a turn as some kind of nasty on Grimm. He's even taken his essence of evil onto the big screen, playing ex-con and murderer Dick Hickock in Capote.

Granted, Phillip Seymour Hoffman made Capote worth watching with his Oscar-winning performance, but Clifton Collins, Jr., and Pellegrino also shone in their takes on the cold-blooded murderers. 

Bishop. Cop. Vampire. Nasty, nasty dude.

When next I saw Pellegrino it was as Bishop, head of a Boston vampire clan on SyFy series Being Human. Bishop was a nasty mo-fo. He may look like a lieutenant on the Boston Police Force, but he'd rather eat you than serve or protect you. He spends more time covering up the crimes his vampire brethren commit than solving any real cases. When he kidnaps Sam, one of our heroes and the nicest werewolf you ever will meet, he signs his death warrant. Good riddance, because Bishop is just pure evil. I mean, could a man get any worse?

Well how about the devil himself? That's right. Next Pellegrino played Lucifer on one of my favorite shows, Supernatural! The actual devil. 

Ummmm, hello. This is Lucifer. Do I really have to explain how bad this dude is??? Bad, y'all!

Lucifer spent most of season 7 tormenting one of Supernatural's heroic Winchester brothers, Sam. Pellegrino was apparently in talks to play Castiel, the other Winchester, Dean's, fallen angel bestie, but casting agents saw the evil lurking in Pellegrino's eyes and decided to ask him to portray the Dark Lord himself.

The only time I've ever seen Mark Pellegrino play anything close to a good guy is when he played Jacob on Lost. And anyone who has watched Lost can tell you that, while Jacob was the protector of the island, it would be difficult to call him a "good guy." 

Jacob on Lost. Even though he's good, he's still kind of bad.

For five seasons on Lost, Jacob was just a faceless character with an agenda just as hidden. We had no idea why he did the things he did, but Ben – definitely a bad guy – kept doing all of these terrible things like kidnapping our Losties, threatening to kill Kate, Sawyer and numerous others, and just creating general mayhem all because "Jacob told him to."

When we did meet Jacob, it was still kinda hard to like him. He seemed cold. And he had a nasty habit of showing up at bad times, to nudge characters in certain directions, sometimes by doing bad things, like distracting Sayid so he was too late to save his wife from the car crash that killed her. 

The evidence is mounting up! Maybe we have been fooled for years and the actors we revere, the big names like Depp, Pacino, Nicholson and Hoffman are not the greatest actors the world has known, and instead Mark Pellegrino is the world's greatest actor, convincing us that he is not evil incarnate but just a regular guy. It could happen! Or is he maybe a dark force bent on destroying humanity like the characters he plays so well...

Could be. IMDb says he's a teacher and he's married with a kid. It's hard to imagine the devil being married with a kid. Even still, I won't be inviting this guy to dinner anytime soon. Frankly, he scares the shit outta me!