Amazon Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
The major technological innovation of my lifetime has been the Internet. It’s changed everything; how I get my news, how I find information, make decisions, even get show times at the movies.
But, like many innovations – I never saw it coming. I don’t remember sitting at my computer twenty years ago thinking “I wish there was a way to connect this thing to every computer on earth.” What would be the point?
Now, of course, I get the picture. The world changed. I now have this information pipeline of unimaginable power just sitting on my desk. I am connected to everything.
But what if I didn’t control the pipeline, the pipeline controlled me? That’s what the issue of net neutrality is all about. The pipeline, the AT&T’s, Comcast’s and all the other ISP’s of the world want a larger cut of the action.
Theoretically, they could charge Amazon for every “connect” that flows through the pipeline or (very unlikely) cut Amazon out altogether for a preferred book seller. The debate’s in congress right now. There’s big money at stake, so it’s difficult to predict the final outcome.
It’s also difficult to visualize the Internet taking a giant step backwards, fewer choices, perhaps more costly to access. I never saw the Internet coming, but, now, am I watching it shrinking? Perhaps the pipelines of the Internet will be the next new thing. I hope not.
Need a Slogan?
C'mon, we all could use a little pick-up. Maybe your own personal slogan would help. There's a neat, new free, um, service at http://www.sloganizer.net/. Type in your name or your company's name, and it will automatically generate a slogan. You can keep on submitting and get a endless suggestions for personal or profressional slogans. It's addictive - I bet you can't try just one.
Steven - The man for the moment
Steven - The man for the moment
Social Security is Secure
What will happen to Social Security?
It is estimated that only one-third of the baby boomers have saved enough for retirement. That gloomy figure, combined with projections of shortfalls in Social Security funding, don’t paint a particularly rosy picture for the future wave of retirees. The worst of the forecasts predict that retirees will be eating dog food to survive and going without the basic necessities of life.
Fat chance.
This scenario only works if Baby Boomers lose the right to vote. Politicians have always followed the easiest path to electibility; telling millions of voters that Alpo is the way to go is simply not in the cards. For the foreseeable future – the lifetime of the remaining Baby Boomers – Social Security will be funded.
Additionally, I don’t see the children of the elderly voting to put Mom and Dad on the street or electing to take financial responsibility for their parents unless there was no other option. There is an option; it’s called voting. It comes down to this: who is going to vote to end Social Security? The answer: not enough to change election night results.
But how will we fund Social Security? Where will we get the billions of dollars necessary to keep the old girl afloat? Well, there’s an answer to that question, too. We’ll see a reduced space program, reduced highways, reduced farm subsidies, etc., etc. America will look very different in the next decades, but one thing will remain the same - Social Security.
It is estimated that only one-third of the baby boomers have saved enough for retirement. That gloomy figure, combined with projections of shortfalls in Social Security funding, don’t paint a particularly rosy picture for the future wave of retirees. The worst of the forecasts predict that retirees will be eating dog food to survive and going without the basic necessities of life.
Fat chance.
This scenario only works if Baby Boomers lose the right to vote. Politicians have always followed the easiest path to electibility; telling millions of voters that Alpo is the way to go is simply not in the cards. For the foreseeable future – the lifetime of the remaining Baby Boomers – Social Security will be funded.
Additionally, I don’t see the children of the elderly voting to put Mom and Dad on the street or electing to take financial responsibility for their parents unless there was no other option. There is an option; it’s called voting. It comes down to this: who is going to vote to end Social Security? The answer: not enough to change election night results.
But how will we fund Social Security? Where will we get the billions of dollars necessary to keep the old girl afloat? Well, there’s an answer to that question, too. We’ll see a reduced space program, reduced highways, reduced farm subsidies, etc., etc. America will look very different in the next decades, but one thing will remain the same - Social Security.
Ken Lay - Work and Death
Ken Lay Shares Fate of Enron
Understanably, a lot has been written about the fall of Enron and Ken Lay. Many will think it is the final scene in the play; the resolution, the judgement of the gods. But, unfortunately, this won't play out like drama. This is real life.
The story of Enron continues in the financial ruin of hundreds of employees who lost their retirement savings. The pain continues for Lay's survivors who will be in courts for years to come trying to settle a multitude of lawsuits. There is also a personal and financial cost in lost opportunities from ill-fated business partnerships that Enron formed around the world.
This is not a tragedy in the style of the ancient greeks. This sad tale still has tears to shed before the curtain falls. The only thing that has changed is that Ken Lay is dead. His death, however, gives this dark saga a life of its' own.
Understanably, a lot has been written about the fall of Enron and Ken Lay. Many will think it is the final scene in the play; the resolution, the judgement of the gods. But, unfortunately, this won't play out like drama. This is real life.
The story of Enron continues in the financial ruin of hundreds of employees who lost their retirement savings. The pain continues for Lay's survivors who will be in courts for years to come trying to settle a multitude of lawsuits. There is also a personal and financial cost in lost opportunities from ill-fated business partnerships that Enron formed around the world.
This is not a tragedy in the style of the ancient greeks. This sad tale still has tears to shed before the curtain falls. The only thing that has changed is that Ken Lay is dead. His death, however, gives this dark saga a life of its' own.
Death of a Salesman in the Far East
Comedy or Tragedy - Depends on Where You Stand
In a previous post, I wrote about how comedy can evolve into tragedy depending on the age of the protagonist. There's also the realtors' maxim - location, location, location - that can influence how we react to comedy or drama. I remember reading an article about the first production of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman in China. As you may remember, Willy Loman, an aging traveling salesman, comes to the realization that his wife would be better off financially if he were dead.
This great American drama was translated into Chinese and Arthur Miller personally supervised the production. Opening night was considered a very special event; up until this time American plays were not permitted in the tightly closed society. But relations between the two countries were beginning to thaw, and this drama was seen by Chinese leadership as more of an indictment of capitalism than anything they could create.
After many weeks of rehearsal by the Chinese actors, the play opened to a packed house. As the play progressed, it was clear the audience was confused. The play was incomprehensible to the sensibilities of Chinese. Looking at Willy Loman's life, they couldn't understand why he was unhappy. He had a big house - by Chinese standards. A dozen relatives were not forced to live with him for them all to survive, as was common throughout China. And, the Lomans had just made the final payment of their refrigerator. This is tragedy? Why wasn't Willy Loman grateful?
In China, a man would be very successful if he had all that Willy Loman had acquired. It would be interesting to see, after years of economic growth in China, if the play is now a bit more understandable. Did angst come to China with their larger paychecks?
In a previous post, I wrote about how comedy can evolve into tragedy depending on the age of the protagonist. There's also the realtors' maxim - location, location, location - that can influence how we react to comedy or drama. I remember reading an article about the first production of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman in China. As you may remember, Willy Loman, an aging traveling salesman, comes to the realization that his wife would be better off financially if he were dead.
This great American drama was translated into Chinese and Arthur Miller personally supervised the production. Opening night was considered a very special event; up until this time American plays were not permitted in the tightly closed society. But relations between the two countries were beginning to thaw, and this drama was seen by Chinese leadership as more of an indictment of capitalism than anything they could create.
After many weeks of rehearsal by the Chinese actors, the play opened to a packed house. As the play progressed, it was clear the audience was confused. The play was incomprehensible to the sensibilities of Chinese. Looking at Willy Loman's life, they couldn't understand why he was unhappy. He had a big house - by Chinese standards. A dozen relatives were not forced to live with him for them all to survive, as was common throughout China. And, the Lomans had just made the final payment of their refrigerator. This is tragedy? Why wasn't Willy Loman grateful?
In China, a man would be very successful if he had all that Willy Loman had acquired. It would be interesting to see, after years of economic growth in China, if the play is now a bit more understandable. Did angst come to China with their larger paychecks?
The Petrie - Stevens - Loman Continuum
The Thin Grey Line Between Comedy and Tragedy
Darrin Stevens' job is on the line. If he can't land that big, new account, well, his goose is cooked. That's the plot line of almost every Bewitched episode in the long-running series. Invariably, his young wife Smantha would find some magic solution that would make everything all right. We never were too worried about Darrin, we knew he wouldn't lose his job, but if he did we knew he'd find another one.
Robert Petrie, on the other hand, may have only been as secure as the ratings of the Alan Brady show. The fictional show featured on the old Dick Van Dyke Show. Petrie's problem was a tyrantical boss, show deadlines, and incessant need to find humourous situation in his life that he could adapt for that's week's show. Somehow he was always successful, even without a magical wife.
I guess my point is one of age. The two classic shows were comedies. No matter how the boss yelled, no matter how bleak the potential outcome, things never got too dark. It's my position that this was more to due to the lead actors age, than to the actual circumstances surrounding them.
Let's take a look at the american classic, Death of a Salesman. Willy Loman is basically in the same boat as Darrin and Rob, but he has thirty years on them. His career is on the line, and he can't seem to land any new clients. The same basic plot line, but now we have tragedy. The audience realizes as well as Willy does, that the options are few past a certain age.
You want drama? Take Robert Petrie, make him 62 years old, and let him find funny jokes for the young Alan Brady. You can almost see the sweat begin to bead on Petrie's forehead.
There's a thin line between comedy and tragedy, and sometimes that line is colored grey.
Darrin Stevens' job is on the line. If he can't land that big, new account, well, his goose is cooked. That's the plot line of almost every Bewitched episode in the long-running series. Invariably, his young wife Smantha would find some magic solution that would make everything all right. We never were too worried about Darrin, we knew he wouldn't lose his job, but if he did we knew he'd find another one.
Robert Petrie, on the other hand, may have only been as secure as the ratings of the Alan Brady show. The fictional show featured on the old Dick Van Dyke Show. Petrie's problem was a tyrantical boss, show deadlines, and incessant need to find humourous situation in his life that he could adapt for that's week's show. Somehow he was always successful, even without a magical wife.
I guess my point is one of age. The two classic shows were comedies. No matter how the boss yelled, no matter how bleak the potential outcome, things never got too dark. It's my position that this was more to due to the lead actors age, than to the actual circumstances surrounding them.
Let's take a look at the american classic, Death of a Salesman. Willy Loman is basically in the same boat as Darrin and Rob, but he has thirty years on them. His career is on the line, and he can't seem to land any new clients. The same basic plot line, but now we have tragedy. The audience realizes as well as Willy does, that the options are few past a certain age.
You want drama? Take Robert Petrie, make him 62 years old, and let him find funny jokes for the young Alan Brady. You can almost see the sweat begin to bead on Petrie's forehead.
There's a thin line between comedy and tragedy, and sometimes that line is colored grey.
Breaking News...
My blog, "Work and Life Today" is now being featured on the Harvard Law School web site as part of their own work and life initiative. Go to the "blogs" tab, and it is identified as a corporate marketing blog in the advertising category. Or try the link below. As you might expect, they have lots of info on work/life issues.
Thank you Harvard.
http://www.worklifewizard.org/main/Worklife%20Blogs/advertising
Thank you Harvard.
http://www.worklifewizard.org/main/Worklife%20Blogs/advertising
Business Networking: Three Degrees of Linkedin
It's All Who You Know...
Or so the saying goes. LinkedIn is an Internet service which serves as an on-line business networking service. Once you sign on, you convince other friends to sign up, and they sign up their friends and so on. In theory, this pyramid system allows you to gain access (introductions) to friends of friends at companies across the world. To date, LinkedIn claims a membership roster of 6 million professionals.
I've signed up as part of a job search, and several friends have signed up as well. There are also places for your co-workers to write testimonials to your professionalism, skills, or lack of criminal history.
LinkedIn seems to have great appeal for corporate recruiters, hundreds are listed as members, and they all seem to have remarkable networks of "connections", the LinkedIn term for people who are connected to you through friends and co-workers.
In theory, the whole system seems pretty neat - in theory. There isn't a lot of substantiation of LinkedIn's effectiveness in career development. The web site does a great job in describing what it can do, but it's an item of faith that LinkedIn actually fulfills its promise.
You certainly can find a lot of people on the site, but does it really help you develop your career?
Or so the saying goes. LinkedIn is an Internet service which serves as an on-line business networking service. Once you sign on, you convince other friends to sign up, and they sign up their friends and so on. In theory, this pyramid system allows you to gain access (introductions) to friends of friends at companies across the world. To date, LinkedIn claims a membership roster of 6 million professionals.
I've signed up as part of a job search, and several friends have signed up as well. There are also places for your co-workers to write testimonials to your professionalism, skills, or lack of criminal history.
LinkedIn seems to have great appeal for corporate recruiters, hundreds are listed as members, and they all seem to have remarkable networks of "connections", the LinkedIn term for people who are connected to you through friends and co-workers.
In theory, the whole system seems pretty neat - in theory. There isn't a lot of substantiation of LinkedIn's effectiveness in career development. The web site does a great job in describing what it can do, but it's an item of faith that LinkedIn actually fulfills its promise.
You certainly can find a lot of people on the site, but does it really help you develop your career?
The answer will only become clear with time as members continue to log on and update their personal career information. If it doesn't provide value it will eventually whither away like other "great" ideas that didn't quite make it. You see, in the business world, who you know is not the most important thing - it's all about customer retention.
Update: It's about two years later than this original post and I've developed a much stronger (and improved) opinion of LinkedIn. The Questions feature has allowed me to post questions relating to my field and get answers from people in the same field from around the world. The answers were well thought out and insightful and most were in my mailbox by the next day. That feature along has proven to be very valuable for me. It's starting to draw competitors such as Ziggs, but it still holds its dominant position as a business networking site.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Your Source for Marketing Ideas
