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It concerns me that we, as Americans, are consistently being encouraged not to think. We are bring trained just to fear, keep our heads down, stay in the race, keep moving and never stop and think. It shows up in our magazine ads, our TV commercialsand out of the mouths of our political leaders. Your first reaction might be, "What in the heck are you talking about now, blogger?!" This time, I'm talking specifically about a new ad I recently saw for Touch Generations, a series of games made for the handheld Nintendo DS video game system. The ad depicts a doctor's office waiting room with two very bored and unhappy looking people wearing drab clothes. A third, giddy looking woman, in a bright red blouse is sitting in another chair playing a handheld video game system. She looks like she's having a good time. The main text of the ad says: "The average wait in a doctor's office is 23.4 minutes. Do something with your nothing." The smaller text of the ad says: You have time. That nothing time. The time between everything else you have to do. TouchGenerations is a series of games that easily get you in, out, and on with the rest of your day. In just a few short minutes, you could make a dent in a Sudoku puzzle or play three holes of golf. It's your nothing time. Do something with it.In other words, don't just sit there and think, block out the world around you and throw yourself into an electronic device in the name of "doing something". Many people would think, "But it's just an ad for video games! Big deal!". But hey, pay attention! It's all part of the zombie society we're living in. These ads creep in everywhere. I saw the ad in O magazine—a magazine geared towards women who want to improve their world and think.  So why does this bother me so much? Because I feel like I willingly and mindlessly stepped into this lifestyle. I enlisted indefinitely in the Zombie National Army, so to speak. I bought into it all without stopping to think about it and what it was doing to me. These days I'm working on getting better, but I still have a very hard time not picking up my Sidekick to check e-mail at every free moment. When there's even a minute of down time, I have a lot of trouble handling it. I immediately look for something to which I can fork over my attention. I need to occupy myself. I am overstimulated and I can't just sit there anymore, I need to do something. And that something inevitably involves an electronic device, a Sidekick, an Ipod, a PC, a television, etc... And now there I was taking a break and reading O magazine—a publication that is supposed to encourage me to become a better human being—and this ad slips in, reinforcing my "zombieism".I'm not saying or implying that there is some underground calculated movement to turn us all into zombies (though there could be I suppose!). These ads are just addressing and perpetuating a market that's already established. But I amimplying that we're letting it happen. How? Buy buying these devices, by overusing them, by allowing these ads to manipulate us, by not making a concerted effort to take time, to think and to look—really look— at the world around us and become conscious of what is happening to us as a society. And why is this bad? Because when we don't stop and think for ourselves, we become slaves. Slaves to devices, slaves to the media, slaves to the Internet and slaves to workaholism. There are no two ways about it. So think about this today. Pay close attention to whether or not you are able to wait in a line, sit in traffic, sit on the toilet or even eat a meal alone without feeling a strong need to be distracted by something to read, listen to, watch or play. Even a single day of paying attention will bring about a more conscious tomorrow. comments ( 7 ) |  post to digg |  post to del.icio.us |  e-mail it
Oct 19, 2006
The Internet? I Can Stop Anytime I Want!Tags: Internet Usage, Web Surfing, Addiction, Research Studies,Hiding your internet habits? You're not alone! A recent study that appears in the October issue of CNS Spectrums: The International Journal of Neuropsychiatric Medicine reports findings that resulted from a telephone survey given to 2,581 people. More specific and interesting results are reported int he article linked below but here's a quote. More than one in eight U.S. adults finds it hard to stay away from the Internet for several days at a time and about one in 11 tries to hide his or her online habit, according to a study released on Tuesday.  This isn't surprising given the popularity of online pornography, gaming sites and other sites like MySpace.com. And perhaps it also doesn't surprise me because I myself flirt with the possibility of an accidental internet overdose. It's addicting. Many times, I've gone online to check my e-mail. Then I check Job Schmob. Once I read everything there was to read, I start looking at blogs or news sites. After I grow bored of that, I say to myself, "Hmmm, OK where else can I go?" and then I end up roaming or doing some searches about things I've seen on TV, etc. After that I look at the clock and I say, "Hey, Blogger! You better get to bed!" And then comes, "OK, well, alright, just five more minutes!" And then I ended up spending an hour more than I intended.Doing what exactly? Nothing constructive, just putzing around the internet or playing my favorite VH1 game, "I Love Toys". I hate that I just admitted that weakness to you. So, no pensive commentary from me on this today. I wouldn't have a clue where to start on this subject. Just digesting it myself and seeing what you JobSchmobbers have to say on the subject. Visit Link » ( http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2033323,00.asp) comments ( 3 ) | post to digg | post to del.icio.us | e-mail it
Oct 16, 2006
Tis the Season For Retail JobsTags: Part-Time Job, Holiday Jobs, Job Hunting Tips, Whether you're looking to pick up some extra cash for the holidays or you're looking to get into a new part-time job, now is the time when retailers are hiring. If you live anywhere near a mall or a commercialized area, this is the perfect time to land that part-time job because you'll have many businesses to choose from.Since so many retailers are hiring for the holidays and need to fill the positions in the immediate future, it's easy for a potential candidate to slip into the attitude of "they need me more than I need them". To help be the best candidate you can be, I've linked to a CareerBuilder article with some good tips for approaching a seasonal retail job. Most are common sense, but always good reminders. ...with all of the retail opportunities out there, it's a walk in the park to nail down a position, right?Best of luck! Visit Link » ( http://careerbuilder.typepad.com/job_blog_jobs/2006/09/retail_jobs_are.html) comments ( 1 ) | post to digg | post to del.icio.us | e-mail it
Oct 10, 2006
Part 2: The Business of Change Management and Corporate PropagandaTags: Who Moved My Cheese, Corporate Propanda, Change Management, Executives, Thinking For Yourself,Change Management: The Money to Be Made In Part 1, I discussed corporate propaganda as it relates to the business of change management. In Part 2, I take a look at the big money-making change management industry. So I was going to be fair and take a wide look at a range of companies and individuals profiting in the change management industry but hell, I didn't need to. I found exhibits A - Z all in one place! That place, my friends, is called the Who Moved My Cheese e-Store.  Oh yes, kids, it's change management propaganda paradise! A quick browse of the store and you'll find a plethora of goodies to spend your dough on. For just $11.95, you can purchase the book that started it all, Who Moved My Cheese. Or, if you already have it and have more cash burning a hole in your pocket, you can buy the "Handwriting on the Wall" poster for $19.95 or a mouse pad for $9.95. You can also buy mugs, pens and stress buster slices of foam cheese. My personal favorite is the plush (think: beanie babies) Who Moved My Cheese character dolls $12.95 each.But it didn't take me long to see that the nickel and dime overpriced paraphernalia ain't where the big money is. No, sir. The big money comes from the sixteen-minute Who Moved My Cheese animated movie. Wanna know how much they want for the VHS version? $1,045.00!! And that's for one copy. One. Of a Sixteen-minute movie.  Want more? Wanna become a "Gaining Change Skills Training Program Facilitator"? Sure you do! But the kit that'll help you do it is gonna cost you a whopping $2,495.00. But don't worry, it says it comes with a "convenient, sturdy carrying case". I'm thinking it better damn well come with a bell hop to carry it too for that price.Anyway, I think you get the point here. Change management is an actual industry. It is a place where people are profiting by manipulating you to change using crap like beanie dolls and cheese posters. It's up to you whether or not you buy into it. One of the phrases on the poster says: The Quicker You Let Go Of Old Cheese, The Sooner You Can Enjoy New Cheese. Please. What are we in a state of perpetual change? Is there no such thing as stability? And must we be treated like children? The attitude they take is the same one that parents use on children to get them to stop crying when something bad happens. "Look! Look over there, it's an airplane! Oh wowwy, you like airplanes, don't you Johnny?" or "Don't cry, Janie, oooh looky here's a piece of candy!".  And in our case, we're still being treated like babies. This sentiment is clearly conveyed by the use of animated colorful cartoony characters, cartoon poster, beanie babies and toy foam cheese. They think we're stupid. Or at the very least, they think they're smarter than us and that we're easily manipulated with child-like characters and concepts.So the next time your boss, your company or that annoying brainwashed corporate cheerleader that sits down the hall from you uses workshops, books, toys, videos or posters to encourage you to change (especially when you suspect there's a deeper motive like downsizing or outsourcing) just remember who's profiting from that change. And of course, the "change managers" will say, "But you're profiting too because you get to keep your job!". Uh-huh. Visit Link » ( http://estore.whomovedmycheese.com/Cheese-Reminders) comments ( 8 ) | post to digg | post to del.icio.us | e-mail it
Oct 02, 2006
The Business of Change Management and Corporate Propaganda: Part 1Tags: Change Management, Corporate Propaganda, Executives, Thinking For Yourself,I want to talk about something I've been thinking about lately. And that is, the "business" of change management. I've touched briefly on this before, but I'd like to start a series of posts that look a little more closely at this "industry". Let's start with the quote that set me off on this topic. A friend of mine works at a company where a quote of the day is sent via e-mail to the employees. Recently, she forwarded me one of the quotes. It's by Seth Godin, the self described "bestselling author, entrepreneur and agent of change". Competent people resist change. Why? Because change threatens to make them less competent. And competent people like being competent. That's who they are, and sometimes that's all they've got. No wonder they're not in a hurry to rock the boat.My friend stared at this quote on her screen for a few minutes, unsure of how to take it. She felt insulted at some level and felt like this was an attempt to subtly manipulate her. And I agree. My friend considers herself (and in fact is) a very competent person at work. She also knows that she despises the way the managers and executives at her workplace will change things that are working perfectly fine just for the sake of change or because they read some article in a magazine that discussed a new trend. She appropriately refers to this practice as "mucking it up". When she and her coworkers inevitably resist the unnecessary change, management comes full force with change management courses, recommended books and mandatory workshops. This is very consistent with my corporate experience as well. So is it any surprise then, that propaganda like this pops up in corporate inboxes?  Sending supposedly wise quotes like this straight to the employee's daily e-mail serves as a preemptive strike against said competent people who resist change—management's thorn in the side. And why is a propaganda campaign a necessary part of battle for management? Because management knows that competent people are smart enough to know that the change they are resisting is ridiculous and unnecessary. And in order to make those people comply, they take the best (and most classic) approach to ensure compliance: Make them think that something is innately wrong with their personality. They must make their employees believe that they know what's best for them. They must make them believe that their competency is not enough. And lastly, they must make them believe that in order for employees to succeed, they need to follow along and not question any changes.The thinking is, then, that if you send quotes like this (written by someone who profits off of getting people to adapt to change) to employees ahead of time, when change comes again, they will most likely say to themselves "If I am smart, I will adapt well to this change". Utterly covert manipulation! I'll end the first post in this series with a quote to Mr. Godin from me: Competent people do not resist competent change. Next: Change Management: The Money to Be Made Visit Link » ( http://estore.whomovedmycheese.com/Cheese-Reminders) comments ( 5 ) | post to digg | post to del.icio.us | e-mail it
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