Back when November started, I was entertaining the idea of participating in National Novel Writing Month, as my first post of the month outlined. I quickly scuttled that idea, since -- for the most part -- one needs a story idea to write a novel. And, National Blog Posting Month became the focus of my efforts.
And, at times, it was hard. Even ideas for a blog can be tough -- especially when you don't have a directed focus (I'm not such an expert that I can devote a whole blog to one subject). But, there is a sense of accomplishment that I wrote every post, each day.\
I'd originally intended to make my last post a "Looking Forward" post -- especially with Christmas on the horizon. I usually decorate quite heavily for the holidays: lights, a big tree ... in years past, I set up a really large Christmas village (probably close to 100 buildings). However, after my "I want to pretend I'm still a kid" weekend, my decorations still aren't completed -- I will finish them and get pictures up this week.
In completely unrelated news, I had a good meeting today (with my DMG - Depressed Marketing Group, as one friend refers to it). I met what I hope will be a good contact: someone who understands social media with a lot of good contacts. Who knows where this may lead.
I'm still staying optimistic - there are no fewer than nine positions I'm waiting to hear back about, and some are very good fits. I've resigned myself to not landing before next year (with hopes that I'm wrong, which would be pretty awesome). I also know it only takes ONE offer to totally turn things around.
I won't say I enjoyed writing every day for a month -- I'm in a spot now where I feel like there's 150 things to do and only time enough for 50; so nearly every thing I do - be it personal or professional - is bumping something else out. But, I *did* enjoy hearing from people who said they were reading (some read it EVERY day, which is incredibly flattering).
One friend asked once if he could "share" something on Facebook (I think it was my weekly list of jobs I'd applied to that week). I said, absolutely! The key is to get your name out there and known. Nothing pleases me more than seeing people sharing my blogs and notes on Facebook with others -- that's the viral effect of social media. So, consider this to be "permission" -- for anything I post on Facebook or on this blog, you can feel free to share it with others. It's through those kinds of efforts that my own group of readers will expand, thus increasing my own 'brand'.
I'll almost certainly be cutting back (from every day), but not quite to the levels of my friend Lily (who, apparently, believes blogging is a quarterly activity!). Once again, thanks for reading!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The Importance of Being on the Same Page
This is gonna be one of those blog posts with multiple points.
It started as I was reading a book last week, Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi. I got it because I don't consider myself to be an outstanding networker; and it's fairly important to be a good networker, especially when you're looking for work.
So, I read through his book, and found it to be ... lacking. It's a fairly self-lauding affair, where he namedrops repeatedly (saying things like, "Martha Stewart once said (did I mention she's a friend?)..." )
And, ultimately, I didn't learn a whole lot in the first read-through (I typically read business-related books twice; once to get a feel; and once to take notes). He's a fairly ballsy guy, who made a few bold moves; but, ultimately, he was fortunate enough to have his schooling (two prep schools, Yale and Harvard for an MBA) *paid* for, by benefactors. Sorry, your credibility of being a hardworking schlep like the rest of us just took a nosedive.
There were some good points -- don't keep score, for example. If you're going to do nice things for others, don't do it with the expectation that it will be returned *by* that person. I've been doing that quite a bit, more recently.
But, what I found fascinating was his discussion on "pinging" - which he uses to describe the way he reaches out to members of his network (and how he does that).
For example, he has his level 1 contacts - they are "pinged" at least once a month, alternating email and phone. He has level 2 contacts - more casual acquaintances or people he already knows well; they get quarterly calls or emails, and they always get a holiday or birthday card. And he has level 3 contacts - those he doesn't know well; but he still speaks with them once a year. And, to make things more confusing, he doesn't differentiate between his "personal friends" and "professional contacts" - and he recommends others don't either.
He further discusses his mechanics, including - at times - when he calls, purposely, to NOT get through Iwhen you want to drop a line, but don't have time for an indepth conversation).
This (along with some recent conversations) got me thinking to the way I/we categorize friendships - even if it's we're not always cognizant that we're doing it. And, why even more importantly than in business, it's important both parties have to be on the same page.
For example, in my own life, I have several 'tiers' of people. There are dyed-in-the-wool friends; people I genuinely enjoy spending time with, and seek out. I have friends who are predominantly gaming friends -- I like them just as much; but our lives are such that gaming is what we do. I have friends that exist almost solely online - Facebook. And, through status updates, comments and chatting, I'm able to 'ping' them quite often. I have friends who exist online, and I have less interaction with them (for whatever reason). I have professional relationships with people who only, truly, know the professional side of me.
This isn't intended to be insulting; obviously -- we, as humans, only have limited time. It's impossible to develop BFF relationships with every person you come into contact with. And, although the practice sounds borderline sociopathic; it's really not. We all do this, subconsciously; I'm merely enunciating it.
I was thinking how important it is, even more so in your personal life, that people share the same perception. For example, if I think JimBob is a nice enough guy on Facebook, but I choose to typically post to his page when he's at work; and I don't open up my chat to him when he's on; and I basically reach out every so often to touch base, that's fine. It's also fine if JimBob feels the same way about me -- that 'works.'
But, what if JimBob wants more -- what if he thinks we should hang out and go to sports bars and watch Monday Night Football together. If the perception of the relationship is that skewed by the two participants, it can only end badly. And, if this relationship began (or still, exclusively is) one with professional origins; that's a whole new matter.
For the most part, I keep my professional life and personal life separate. Not always; but for the most part. And, I think I have the same perceptions of my relationships, thankfully.
Even still, those who know me know I love to categorize/list/evaluate; so, to circle back to the original point of the post (I did warn you!), I will almost certainly go through my ever-expanding list of contacts and set up something that is more structured than my current process (which is nothing more than 'when I think of it.") . And, I guess that's another thing I learned from the book -- that networking needs to KEEP happening; not just when you're job-seeking; but always, always, always. That will be a sea-change from my previous philosophy.
It started as I was reading a book last week, Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi. I got it because I don't consider myself to be an outstanding networker; and it's fairly important to be a good networker, especially when you're looking for work.
So, I read through his book, and found it to be ... lacking. It's a fairly self-lauding affair, where he namedrops repeatedly (saying things like, "Martha Stewart once said (did I mention she's a friend?)..." )
And, ultimately, I didn't learn a whole lot in the first read-through (I typically read business-related books twice; once to get a feel; and once to take notes). He's a fairly ballsy guy, who made a few bold moves; but, ultimately, he was fortunate enough to have his schooling (two prep schools, Yale and Harvard for an MBA) *paid* for, by benefactors. Sorry, your credibility of being a hardworking schlep like the rest of us just took a nosedive.
There were some good points -- don't keep score, for example. If you're going to do nice things for others, don't do it with the expectation that it will be returned *by* that person. I've been doing that quite a bit, more recently.
But, what I found fascinating was his discussion on "pinging" - which he uses to describe the way he reaches out to members of his network (and how he does that).
For example, he has his level 1 contacts - they are "pinged" at least once a month, alternating email and phone. He has level 2 contacts - more casual acquaintances or people he already knows well; they get quarterly calls or emails, and they always get a holiday or birthday card. And he has level 3 contacts - those he doesn't know well; but he still speaks with them once a year. And, to make things more confusing, he doesn't differentiate between his "personal friends" and "professional contacts" - and he recommends others don't either.
He further discusses his mechanics, including - at times - when he calls, purposely, to NOT get through Iwhen you want to drop a line, but don't have time for an indepth conversation).
This (along with some recent conversations) got me thinking to the way I/we categorize friendships - even if it's we're not always cognizant that we're doing it. And, why even more importantly than in business, it's important both parties have to be on the same page.
For example, in my own life, I have several 'tiers' of people. There are dyed-in-the-wool friends; people I genuinely enjoy spending time with, and seek out. I have friends who are predominantly gaming friends -- I like them just as much; but our lives are such that gaming is what we do. I have friends that exist almost solely online - Facebook. And, through status updates, comments and chatting, I'm able to 'ping' them quite often. I have friends who exist online, and I have less interaction with them (for whatever reason). I have professional relationships with people who only, truly, know the professional side of me.
This isn't intended to be insulting; obviously -- we, as humans, only have limited time. It's impossible to develop BFF relationships with every person you come into contact with. And, although the practice sounds borderline sociopathic; it's really not. We all do this, subconsciously; I'm merely enunciating it.
I was thinking how important it is, even more so in your personal life, that people share the same perception. For example, if I think JimBob is a nice enough guy on Facebook, but I choose to typically post to his page when he's at work; and I don't open up my chat to him when he's on; and I basically reach out every so often to touch base, that's fine. It's also fine if JimBob feels the same way about me -- that 'works.'
But, what if JimBob wants more -- what if he thinks we should hang out and go to sports bars and watch Monday Night Football together. If the perception of the relationship is that skewed by the two participants, it can only end badly. And, if this relationship began (or still, exclusively is) one with professional origins; that's a whole new matter.
For the most part, I keep my professional life and personal life separate. Not always; but for the most part. And, I think I have the same perceptions of my relationships, thankfully.
Even still, those who know me know I love to categorize/list/evaluate; so, to circle back to the original point of the post (I did warn you!), I will almost certainly go through my ever-expanding list of contacts and set up something that is more structured than my current process (which is nothing more than 'when I think of it.") . And, I guess that's another thing I learned from the book -- that networking needs to KEEP happening; not just when you're job-seeking; but always, always, always. That will be a sea-change from my previous philosophy.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
I'm Not Young Anymore (How I Spent my Thanksgiving Weekend)
For the long-term unemployed, there is no such thing as a "weekend" or a holiday -- usually. Sure, we try to make time for our loved ones on those days; but, for the most part, even weekends are still spent looking up jobs (and, maybe sending resumes out -- that's my plan this evening, at least).
However, with the four-day Thanksgiving weekend, like another friend of mine, I decided to take a break from the job hunt to 'enjoy' the weekend, the way those who ARE employed do....
I did have one interview last week, and then, was asked to present a class on Tuesday, which brought me to Wednesday. Obviously, there was no need to send out resumes on Wednesday (who was going to look at them the day before Thanksgiving, really)? So, it was much easier to hold off and send them after the weekend.
Effectively, my "long" weekend, began Wednesday evening then. I did a few errands, and a friend came over that night. We watched two episodes from the TV show LOST (which, I think I've posted about earlier -- we've been watching the show from the beginning; basically two episodes a week, which definitely helps keep the interest (as LOST, certainly, is a demanding show to watch). We then decided to keep expanding our minds by playing approximately four hours of videogames after that. I stumbled into bed around 1:45am.
Got up the next morning in time to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade, and headed to my sister's for Thanksgiving dinner. Returned home by around 10pm, and ended up going to sleep, again, by around 1am.
Friday was an all-day gaming fest -- first, I still had to go food shopping (tangential note - grocery stores are WAY empty on Black Friday!). Then, off to my friend Allan's house for monster games -- 1830 (6 hours), Through the Ages (about 4.5 hours), Tichu (about 2 hours). Home by 4am, into bed by 4:45am.
Up by 9:45 on Saturday -- did some errands and cleaning around the house, and then some friends came over for MORE gaming -- Hanging Gardens (1 hour), Dominant Species (about 4.5 hours) and Tichu (about 30 minutes). People left by 12:30-ish, and I was into bed by 2am.
I had planned to hang all my outdoor Christmas decorations today, but the absolute killer headache ruled that out, completely. The Excedrin took hold later than I'd hoped; so my afternoon was a combination of trying to be quasi-productive, and keep my eyes from falling out of my head, due to the pressure. Eventually, that cleared up, and now, I have an evening of resume submissions (so they're on people's desks first thing tomorrow morning). Then, for the first time in nearly a week; hopefully, in bed by a reasonable hour.
While this was an enjoyable way to spend my "days off," I think I did learn that the days of repeated 4-5 hours of sleep a night are well in the rear-view mirror. Now, hopefully, my system can right itself quickly enough (as I have at least one interview already scheduled for this coming week, and I have to imagine yawning and circles under the eyes are NOT high on the employer's list of "desired traits.")
How did you spend your Holiday weekend?
However, with the four-day Thanksgiving weekend, like another friend of mine, I decided to take a break from the job hunt to 'enjoy' the weekend, the way those who ARE employed do....
I did have one interview last week, and then, was asked to present a class on Tuesday, which brought me to Wednesday. Obviously, there was no need to send out resumes on Wednesday (who was going to look at them the day before Thanksgiving, really)? So, it was much easier to hold off and send them after the weekend.
Effectively, my "long" weekend, began Wednesday evening then. I did a few errands, and a friend came over that night. We watched two episodes from the TV show LOST (which, I think I've posted about earlier -- we've been watching the show from the beginning; basically two episodes a week, which definitely helps keep the interest (as LOST, certainly, is a demanding show to watch). We then decided to keep expanding our minds by playing approximately four hours of videogames after that. I stumbled into bed around 1:45am.
Got up the next morning in time to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade, and headed to my sister's for Thanksgiving dinner. Returned home by around 10pm, and ended up going to sleep, again, by around 1am.
Friday was an all-day gaming fest -- first, I still had to go food shopping (tangential note - grocery stores are WAY empty on Black Friday!). Then, off to my friend Allan's house for monster games -- 1830 (6 hours), Through the Ages (about 4.5 hours), Tichu (about 2 hours). Home by 4am, into bed by 4:45am.
Up by 9:45 on Saturday -- did some errands and cleaning around the house, and then some friends came over for MORE gaming -- Hanging Gardens (1 hour), Dominant Species (about 4.5 hours) and Tichu (about 30 minutes). People left by 12:30-ish, and I was into bed by 2am.
I had planned to hang all my outdoor Christmas decorations today, but the absolute killer headache ruled that out, completely. The Excedrin took hold later than I'd hoped; so my afternoon was a combination of trying to be quasi-productive, and keep my eyes from falling out of my head, due to the pressure. Eventually, that cleared up, and now, I have an evening of resume submissions (so they're on people's desks first thing tomorrow morning). Then, for the first time in nearly a week; hopefully, in bed by a reasonable hour.
While this was an enjoyable way to spend my "days off," I think I did learn that the days of repeated 4-5 hours of sleep a night are well in the rear-view mirror. Now, hopefully, my system can right itself quickly enough (as I have at least one interview already scheduled for this coming week, and I have to imagine yawning and circles under the eyes are NOT high on the employer's list of "desired traits.")
How did you spend your Holiday weekend?
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Justice! Delivered in a Passive-Aggressive Manner
This will be a slightly bizarre post, considering the pseudo lovefest I've been posting about recently (the idea of being more selfless, etc.)
While that's all definitely true, still; I do have my own sense of "justice" that I adhere to -- mind you, I don't go out of my way to hurt people; never have. But, when there are instances when I feel "wronged," I'm not above enacting my own passive-aggressive version of justice.
Today there were two such incidents.
I went to Taco Bell to get something to eat after food shopping (because, let's be honest, who *doesn't* get hungry while food shopping?). I went to the drive-thru and placed my order. Pulled to the window and gave the gentleman my money, and awaited my change ($1.03) back.
First, the gentleman disappeared. This is the first thing I disliked -- if I'm there, and you've taken my money; give me back my change so I have time to put it in my wallet. But, in fast food, there's precious little attention paid to customer service; it's all about efficiency. And, I'm okay with that, in principle; but not when the efficiency infringes upon me and makes my life less convenient.
So the guy returns with the bag of food and gives that to me. Now, as everyone knows, you need to check to make sure your order is correct. But, no -- not this time, because there he is with the change, semi-impatiently holding it out the window (strike two). So, I throw the food next to me (I'll look at it in a minute) and I reach up to grab the change.
If I ever find the person who decided it made more sense to hand change back to people with the bills on the bottom and the coins precariously balanced on top, I may pelt him to death with all the pennies I've lost over the years. The physics of the equation is ridiculous. I'm already below the window, I have to reach up, and now balance the entire pile without actually seeing the top.
So, the cashier poured my change into my hand; of course, one of the pennies dropped, and he said "oops," knowing he was wrong. I sat there and asked, "my change?" Now, he's in a pickle. He can tell me *I* dropped it (which means -- since I can't open my door, I have to pull forward, he has hold the other car behind me back, so I can walk up and get my coins that *he* dropped.
Instead, he went and got a register key from the manager, and gave me my penny. Petty? Absolutely - but I resent the implication that I'm at fault when all I've done is reach out my hand expecting coins; and instead I get a balancing act that becomes *my* problem to handle.
However, I can't help but wonder if this is due to my food shopping experience before. There are about 6-7 different grocery stores in the area, and I visit most of them. Some are higher-priced (Stop & Shop, King Kullen) but they try to make up for it with supreme service. Shop Rite is probably the cheapest overall; and it's where I do most of my shopping. Again, I don't expect Nordstrom-like service; but I don't expect to be inconvenienced either.
Normally, I bring my own canvas bags, and I bag my groceries rapidly while the cashier runs the items. I'm normally just about finished bagging when she finishes scanning coupons. It's a very efficient process; and one I don't mind doing.
A few weeks ago, Shop Rite instituted a policy where you can no longer stand near the register and bag groceries. You have to go down to the very end of the area, and let the groceries come TO you. Making matters worse, there's not even enough room there for you and your cart (and, if you put your bags in your cart, waiting to be filled, you basically have to pick up the item and walk around the corner of the conveyor belt back to your cart to put the item in there). Then, you need to move the cart past you and squeeze past it to get to the credit card machine.
So, now, I don't bag until the very end; and I bag one item at a time. I no longer bag at a feverish pace. I take my time, and I bag AFTER I've paid (and, of course, since Shop Rite reimburses for canvas bag use, the cashier can't even speed up the process by bagging). They have to sit there and wait.
Today, two things happened to further tick me off. First, they had a great sale on an item, but it required a $10 minimum purchase. No problem; I had that. But, they had run out -- which I'm also okay with; sometimes you budget less than you should have. They were offering rainchecks, so that was fine. I got onto the raincheck line (about 10 people long) and finally worked my way up to the desk. She asked to see my receipt.
(As an aside, this DOES make more sense -- a lot of times, the rainchecks mandate you spend the $10 on another visit; here, they were giving you credit for spending the $10 on THIS visit). But, of course, I hadn't checked out yet (after all, since the store is so freaked out now by people bagging items near the register, I couldn't imagine they'd want people walking through the store after checking out). And, as luck would have it, the woman says, "You need to check out first."
Why can't there be a sign there? Why couldn't someone make an announcement?
So, fine - on to a line. I have 4 cases of soda cans, 2 large packages of paper towels, 2 large packages of toilet tissue. I put one of each up on the conveyor belt and told the cashier "2 each of the paper goods; 4 of the soda."
"Can you put all the items on the belt?"
"Why? There's 4, 2 and 2?"
"But, I need to scan each item"
"Okay, so scan the soda 4 times and the paper goods twice..."
"No, I actually need to scan each item"
Wow - so, I have to now MOVE the person who's already started putting items on the belt behind me - I have to move his stuff backwards; unload the same &^%*&%* items from my cart that are already on the belt, and let her scan each of them separately. Then, they all got put on the belt to go to the end of the line (since, again, I'm not allowed to bag where the check-out actually takes place). I paid, and took my very sweet time repacking my cart (and, since nothing was "baggable," she had to sit there while I picked up each item (and for a few seconds, "agonized" over the receipt).
Of course, then I had to get BACK on the raincheck line (10 deep again) and kill another part of my day I'll never get back.
I've long said I don't *need* supreme service; and that's true; but I also don't need new "innovations" to make my life more inefficient and inconvenienced. I pride myself on my organization and efficiency; and I really do resent when something is introduced that serves no purpose other than to make your customers less likely to shop at your store. Great prices only gets you so far.
While that's all definitely true, still; I do have my own sense of "justice" that I adhere to -- mind you, I don't go out of my way to hurt people; never have. But, when there are instances when I feel "wronged," I'm not above enacting my own passive-aggressive version of justice.
Today there were two such incidents.
I went to Taco Bell to get something to eat after food shopping (because, let's be honest, who *doesn't* get hungry while food shopping?). I went to the drive-thru and placed my order. Pulled to the window and gave the gentleman my money, and awaited my change ($1.03) back.
First, the gentleman disappeared. This is the first thing I disliked -- if I'm there, and you've taken my money; give me back my change so I have time to put it in my wallet. But, in fast food, there's precious little attention paid to customer service; it's all about efficiency. And, I'm okay with that, in principle; but not when the efficiency infringes upon me and makes my life less convenient.
So the guy returns with the bag of food and gives that to me. Now, as everyone knows, you need to check to make sure your order is correct. But, no -- not this time, because there he is with the change, semi-impatiently holding it out the window (strike two). So, I throw the food next to me (I'll look at it in a minute) and I reach up to grab the change.
If I ever find the person who decided it made more sense to hand change back to people with the bills on the bottom and the coins precariously balanced on top, I may pelt him to death with all the pennies I've lost over the years. The physics of the equation is ridiculous. I'm already below the window, I have to reach up, and now balance the entire pile without actually seeing the top.
So, the cashier poured my change into my hand; of course, one of the pennies dropped, and he said "oops," knowing he was wrong. I sat there and asked, "my change?" Now, he's in a pickle. He can tell me *I* dropped it (which means -- since I can't open my door, I have to pull forward, he has hold the other car behind me back, so I can walk up and get my coins that *he* dropped.
Instead, he went and got a register key from the manager, and gave me my penny. Petty? Absolutely - but I resent the implication that I'm at fault when all I've done is reach out my hand expecting coins; and instead I get a balancing act that becomes *my* problem to handle.
However, I can't help but wonder if this is due to my food shopping experience before. There are about 6-7 different grocery stores in the area, and I visit most of them. Some are higher-priced (Stop & Shop, King Kullen) but they try to make up for it with supreme service. Shop Rite is probably the cheapest overall; and it's where I do most of my shopping. Again, I don't expect Nordstrom-like service; but I don't expect to be inconvenienced either.
Normally, I bring my own canvas bags, and I bag my groceries rapidly while the cashier runs the items. I'm normally just about finished bagging when she finishes scanning coupons. It's a very efficient process; and one I don't mind doing.
A few weeks ago, Shop Rite instituted a policy where you can no longer stand near the register and bag groceries. You have to go down to the very end of the area, and let the groceries come TO you. Making matters worse, there's not even enough room there for you and your cart (and, if you put your bags in your cart, waiting to be filled, you basically have to pick up the item and walk around the corner of the conveyor belt back to your cart to put the item in there). Then, you need to move the cart past you and squeeze past it to get to the credit card machine.
So, now, I don't bag until the very end; and I bag one item at a time. I no longer bag at a feverish pace. I take my time, and I bag AFTER I've paid (and, of course, since Shop Rite reimburses for canvas bag use, the cashier can't even speed up the process by bagging). They have to sit there and wait.
Today, two things happened to further tick me off. First, they had a great sale on an item, but it required a $10 minimum purchase. No problem; I had that. But, they had run out -- which I'm also okay with; sometimes you budget less than you should have. They were offering rainchecks, so that was fine. I got onto the raincheck line (about 10 people long) and finally worked my way up to the desk. She asked to see my receipt.
(As an aside, this DOES make more sense -- a lot of times, the rainchecks mandate you spend the $10 on another visit; here, they were giving you credit for spending the $10 on THIS visit). But, of course, I hadn't checked out yet (after all, since the store is so freaked out now by people bagging items near the register, I couldn't imagine they'd want people walking through the store after checking out). And, as luck would have it, the woman says, "You need to check out first."
Why can't there be a sign there? Why couldn't someone make an announcement?
So, fine - on to a line. I have 4 cases of soda cans, 2 large packages of paper towels, 2 large packages of toilet tissue. I put one of each up on the conveyor belt and told the cashier "2 each of the paper goods; 4 of the soda."
"Can you put all the items on the belt?"
"Why? There's 4, 2 and 2?"
"But, I need to scan each item"
"Okay, so scan the soda 4 times and the paper goods twice..."
"No, I actually need to scan each item"
Wow - so, I have to now MOVE the person who's already started putting items on the belt behind me - I have to move his stuff backwards; unload the same &^%*&%* items from my cart that are already on the belt, and let her scan each of them separately. Then, they all got put on the belt to go to the end of the line (since, again, I'm not allowed to bag where the check-out actually takes place). I paid, and took my very sweet time repacking my cart (and, since nothing was "baggable," she had to sit there while I picked up each item (and for a few seconds, "agonized" over the receipt).
Of course, then I had to get BACK on the raincheck line (10 deep again) and kill another part of my day I'll never get back.
I've long said I don't *need* supreme service; and that's true; but I also don't need new "innovations" to make my life more inefficient and inconvenienced. I pride myself on my organization and efficiency; and I really do resent when something is introduced that serves no purpose other than to make your customers less likely to shop at your store. Great prices only gets you so far.
Friday, November 26, 2010
How Good is the Deal?
Today is going to be a quick post ....
As all my US readers know (all 3 of you...), today is "Black Friday" - the unofficial kickoff to the Holiday Shopping Season (and a time when stores basically become like boys in a locker room, trying to one-up each other: "We'll open at 4am!" "Oh yeah? We're going to open at 2am!")
Driving home from Thanksgiving last evening, around 9:30, we passed a Toys R Us, with a sizeable line already in place -- despite the fact the store didn't open until midnight. My wife (the Canadian) said, "that's absolutely crazy"; I agreed, but said, "It's also kinda cool -- the camaraderie; especially if you're not by yourself -- I'm sure it can be semi-enjoyable."
Mind you, I don't shop, so I wasn't suggesting *I* be involved in the camaraderie; I was just making a point.
Anyway, how many of you head out for Black Friday in the wee hours of the morning? And, do you do it because the deals are really JUST THAT GOOD? Or, because - as I suspected - it's just kinda cool to do something like that (much like being in Times Square for New Years Eve)?
As all my US readers know (all 3 of you...), today is "Black Friday" - the unofficial kickoff to the Holiday Shopping Season (and a time when stores basically become like boys in a locker room, trying to one-up each other: "We'll open at 4am!" "Oh yeah? We're going to open at 2am!")
Driving home from Thanksgiving last evening, around 9:30, we passed a Toys R Us, with a sizeable line already in place -- despite the fact the store didn't open until midnight. My wife (the Canadian) said, "that's absolutely crazy"; I agreed, but said, "It's also kinda cool -- the camaraderie; especially if you're not by yourself -- I'm sure it can be semi-enjoyable."
Mind you, I don't shop, so I wasn't suggesting *I* be involved in the camaraderie; I was just making a point.
Anyway, how many of you head out for Black Friday in the wee hours of the morning? And, do you do it because the deals are really JUST THAT GOOD? Or, because - as I suspected - it's just kinda cool to do something like that (much like being in Times Square for New Years Eve)?
Thursday, November 25, 2010
What I'm Thankful For -- the Website Edition
The end of each year is a poignant time for me -- as December hits, my emotion moves first to enthusiasm (I'm a huge Christmas freak fan), and then, right after, it becomes more melancholy, as the end of the year really begs each person to re-evaluate their previous year (and, by extension, their life).
So, with that in mind, Thanksgiving is really the unofficial kickoff to the avalanche of emotions that the end of the year brings for me.
There's a lot to be thankful for -- my health, wife, friends, family, pets, etc. -- all that is a given. I'm not going to spend this post going through those items, necessarily. Instead, I'm going to give thanks to the websites that make up a large part of the way I spend my online time -- each of which scratches a different itch.
Facebook - Anyone who says real life is boring needs to spend more time on Facebook. In the span of a day, I can be sad, amused, angered, impressed and moved. The "chat" function is a great way to kill time (too great). I make a point of reading *everything* on the site (really, with rare exception, I will read everything people post, just so I'm consistently updated on what's going on in their lives (and, in response to those who say Facebook is too invasive...)
LinkedIn - I wasn't an early adapter of this site, but I've grown to really appreciate it. Like most social media, you really get what you put into it. And, as I posted last week, when it works, it really works (I was able to find a friend who connected me directly to the hiring manager ... okay, a week later, the hiring manager was terminated by the company, but still -- in theory, it worked). Again, if I'm not already connected to you on LinkedIn, feel free to reach out to me.
BoardGameGeek - I've been a member of this site for many years, and -- for boardgaming fans, there is no better resource. That being said, I've started to find the administration of the site far more oppressive (interestingly, BGG was probably one of the earliest "social media" sites; but, they are trying, desperately, to control the conversation, which means, ultimately, it will fail. It will.) Imagine that you posted something 'questionable' on Facebook -- and, one of you friends took offense. Here, that friend would simply unfriend you (or, possibly, engage in an online fight), on BGG, though, you could be banned or suspended. Sorry, you can't control the social web that way; so, I make a point of grabbing EVERYTHING I can. This is a direct result of the site becoming a "for profit" site, as compared to a hobby site. Ah well; onto more things I'm thankful for!
ESPN Fantasy Football - I have a love/hate relationship with this site. 'Nuff said.
Slydebslog - This is my friend Andrew's blog, and his purpose is quite different from mine. He does snarky/self deprecating as well as anyone (and, don't let his occasionally overly risque subjects freak you out -- it's just compensation). For a sample, read this post about an email exchange he had with a coworker where she argued that mentioning a reptile when making a request indicated urgency....
Video Game Walkthroughs - I enjoy playing video games sometimes (not nearly as much as boardgames). Most of the time, I end up playing co-operative games with a good friend. I am constantly amazed/scared by the amount of details that go into video games (and how many things I would easily miss if I didn't have someone else to point them out to me). I'd certainly rather find the stuff on my own, but sometimes, you have to have pure divine intervention (for example, here's a game we're currentlyplaying struggling through: Project Eden). Sorry, I don't have a brain that works this way...
TMZ - Because no site does a better job of reinforcing the point that all the money in the world can't buy common sense or class. My daily dose of "laugh at the upper class."
Hope your holiday is enjoyable! (and, for the record, 25 straight days of postings! More than 80% of the way through the month!)
So, with that in mind, Thanksgiving is really the unofficial kickoff to the avalanche of emotions that the end of the year brings for me.
There's a lot to be thankful for -- my health, wife, friends, family, pets, etc. -- all that is a given. I'm not going to spend this post going through those items, necessarily. Instead, I'm going to give thanks to the websites that make up a large part of the way I spend my online time -- each of which scratches a different itch.
Facebook - Anyone who says real life is boring needs to spend more time on Facebook. In the span of a day, I can be sad, amused, angered, impressed and moved. The "chat" function is a great way to kill time (too great). I make a point of reading *everything* on the site (really, with rare exception, I will read everything people post, just so I'm consistently updated on what's going on in their lives (and, in response to those who say Facebook is too invasive...)
LinkedIn - I wasn't an early adapter of this site, but I've grown to really appreciate it. Like most social media, you really get what you put into it. And, as I posted last week, when it works, it really works (I was able to find a friend who connected me directly to the hiring manager ... okay, a week later, the hiring manager was terminated by the company, but still -- in theory, it worked). Again, if I'm not already connected to you on LinkedIn, feel free to reach out to me.
BoardGameGeek - I've been a member of this site for many years, and -- for boardgaming fans, there is no better resource. That being said, I've started to find the administration of the site far more oppressive (interestingly, BGG was probably one of the earliest "social media" sites; but, they are trying, desperately, to control the conversation, which means, ultimately, it will fail. It will.) Imagine that you posted something 'questionable' on Facebook -- and, one of you friends took offense. Here, that friend would simply unfriend you (or, possibly, engage in an online fight), on BGG, though, you could be banned or suspended. Sorry, you can't control the social web that way; so, I make a point of grabbing EVERYTHING I can. This is a direct result of the site becoming a "for profit" site, as compared to a hobby site. Ah well; onto more things I'm thankful for!
ESPN Fantasy Football - I have a love/hate relationship with this site. 'Nuff said.
Slydebslog - This is my friend Andrew's blog, and his purpose is quite different from mine. He does snarky/self deprecating as well as anyone (and, don't let his occasionally overly risque subjects freak you out -- it's just compensation). For a sample, read this post about an email exchange he had with a coworker where she argued that mentioning a reptile when making a request indicated urgency....
Video Game Walkthroughs - I enjoy playing video games sometimes (not nearly as much as boardgames). Most of the time, I end up playing co-operative games with a good friend. I am constantly amazed/scared by the amount of details that go into video games (and how many things I would easily miss if I didn't have someone else to point them out to me). I'd certainly rather find the stuff on my own, but sometimes, you have to have pure divine intervention (for example, here's a game we're currently
TMZ - Because no site does a better job of reinforcing the point that all the money in the world can't buy common sense or class. My daily dose of "laugh at the upper class."
Hope your holiday is enjoyable! (and, for the record, 25 straight days of postings! More than 80% of the way through the month!)
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Why I'll No Longer Make a Right-on-Red
Recently, Suffolk County began installing "red light cameras" at certain intersections; primarily those where drivers were prone to speeding up and blowing past red lights. In many cases, there's a need for this sort of behavior -- these are busy intersections with plenty of cars, and one person blowing through the intersection could truly cause some damage.
But, make no mistake, these cameras are effectively just a way to raise revenue for the county. The cameras cost a pretty penny to install; but -- now -- you no longer need to man those intersections with police officers (so, apparently, they can do more important things -- like random stops for DWI infractors -- oh, wait, we don't do that either (which is probably why there were three major driver-going-the-wrong-way-on-a-major-highway accidents in the past week)... but I digress).
Anyway, I received a "citation" in the mail today. I was flabbergasted, because, although I am known to exceed the speed limit on major highways (effectively, keeping up with traffic), I have NEVER blown through a red light; and, even less likely to do so now.
There's a video of my infraction online, so I went to look at it. Effectively, what happened, was this:
The light was red, I pulled up to the light. There's a white line to "stop" and then, you are able to make a right on red. In the video, you can see me pulling up, and my brake lights are on. However, rather than stopping at the white line, I go past that line to begin my turn, and THEN stop (effectively, so I can see oncoming traffic). Evidently, that is my infraction.
Technically, they're right. The laws of the road say I should stop at the white line, then creep forward. In practice, no one does this. So, I'm now on the hook for a $50 citation -- my charitable contribution to the county.
However, this has now taught me that these cameras are non-discerning. Ultimately, I *did* stop at the light, yet, I'm still cited (and, there's absolutely no reason for me to fight it; as anyone who's done that knows, the courts basically operate in a manner LEAST welcoming to individuals -- court cases on a Wednesday afternoon before Thanksgiving, where your case could be called anywhere between 9am and 5pm - you would be hard-pressed to find another culture where normal, law-abiding citizens are treated like such dreck for minor infractions...).
So, effective immediately, I will treat EVERY red light as though it's a "No Turn on Red." I'm sure this will generate some honking at me. I welcome that :) -- the ability to turn on red was intended to continue the flow of traffic; but it's never been mandatory (see school buses, for example); it's always been a "you MAY turn on red." From now on, I simply will choose not to.
But, make no mistake, these cameras are effectively just a way to raise revenue for the county. The cameras cost a pretty penny to install; but -- now -- you no longer need to man those intersections with police officers (so, apparently, they can do more important things -- like random stops for DWI infractors -- oh, wait, we don't do that either (which is probably why there were three major driver-going-the-wrong-way-on-a-major-highway accidents in the past week)... but I digress).
Anyway, I received a "citation" in the mail today. I was flabbergasted, because, although I am known to exceed the speed limit on major highways (effectively, keeping up with traffic), I have NEVER blown through a red light; and, even less likely to do so now.
There's a video of my infraction online, so I went to look at it. Effectively, what happened, was this:
The light was red, I pulled up to the light. There's a white line to "stop" and then, you are able to make a right on red. In the video, you can see me pulling up, and my brake lights are on. However, rather than stopping at the white line, I go past that line to begin my turn, and THEN stop (effectively, so I can see oncoming traffic). Evidently, that is my infraction.
Technically, they're right. The laws of the road say I should stop at the white line, then creep forward. In practice, no one does this. So, I'm now on the hook for a $50 citation -- my charitable contribution to the county.
However, this has now taught me that these cameras are non-discerning. Ultimately, I *did* stop at the light, yet, I'm still cited (and, there's absolutely no reason for me to fight it; as anyone who's done that knows, the courts basically operate in a manner LEAST welcoming to individuals -- court cases on a Wednesday afternoon before Thanksgiving, where your case could be called anywhere between 9am and 5pm - you would be hard-pressed to find another culture where normal, law-abiding citizens are treated like such dreck for minor infractions...).
So, effective immediately, I will treat EVERY red light as though it's a "No Turn on Red." I'm sure this will generate some honking at me. I welcome that :) -- the ability to turn on red was intended to continue the flow of traffic; but it's never been mandatory (see school buses, for example); it's always been a "you MAY turn on red." From now on, I simply will choose not to.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Turkey, Potatoes and a Boardgame
Indulge me. Those that know me know boardgaming is a huge passion of mine; and I've shown great restraint in not posting about it all that much (where I could probably write about it each day).
With Thanksgiving weekend upon us, I began looking to see if people in my game group were interested in doing something over the weekend. Historically, there hasn't been a great deal of interest - mainly because people are shopping and hanging Christmas decorations and other family-related things. So, I set my expectations low, and said, rather than playing some boardgames, we could do some videogaming instead.
Interestingly, the response was even worse. I then changed it to being a boardgame event, and the interest grew again. And, this got me thinking.
All the people I half-expected to come to the videogaming event DO play videogames, but they still said it didn't carry that much interest. Why? Maybe it's because videogames (and, I'm including computer games in this category) are designed so well these days with a robust artificial intelligence; there's almost no need to get together with people to play those types of games.
Boardgames don't have that problem. Sure, there are games that eventually have computer versions designed; and there are online sites that allow players to play against other players; but, there's nearly no substitute for being able to play in a tactile environment; with real people.
In Germany, where many of the games my group plays originated from (not as much anymore -- game design is now more worldwide, but surely, Germany was the origin for quite a few of the classics), playing a boardgame tends to be the primary leisure activity for families. More than watching television, families will break out a boardgame after dinner
You can read my take on the origins of boardgames on another site I was writing for this past summer -- here are the first two parts:
Where it all began: Acquire
The Gap between Acquire and the Euro Invasion
There are very few activities that allow for the level of camaraderie that boardgames offer. I'm always envious of my friends in the hobby that play a ton of games during the holidays. I try to do the same thing, but my family tends to be a little resistant. Still, I don't know that there's a better activity for Thanksgiving (after the football games are over, of course.....)
Let me know if you decide to do this, and let me know what you play!
With Thanksgiving weekend upon us, I began looking to see if people in my game group were interested in doing something over the weekend. Historically, there hasn't been a great deal of interest - mainly because people are shopping and hanging Christmas decorations and other family-related things. So, I set my expectations low, and said, rather than playing some boardgames, we could do some videogaming instead.
Interestingly, the response was even worse. I then changed it to being a boardgame event, and the interest grew again. And, this got me thinking.
All the people I half-expected to come to the videogaming event DO play videogames, but they still said it didn't carry that much interest. Why? Maybe it's because videogames (and, I'm including computer games in this category) are designed so well these days with a robust artificial intelligence; there's almost no need to get together with people to play those types of games.
Boardgames don't have that problem. Sure, there are games that eventually have computer versions designed; and there are online sites that allow players to play against other players; but, there's nearly no substitute for being able to play in a tactile environment; with real people.
In Germany, where many of the games my group plays originated from (not as much anymore -- game design is now more worldwide, but surely, Germany was the origin for quite a few of the classics), playing a boardgame tends to be the primary leisure activity for families. More than watching television, families will break out a boardgame after dinner
You can read my take on the origins of boardgames on another site I was writing for this past summer -- here are the first two parts:
Where it all began: Acquire
The Gap between Acquire and the Euro Invasion
There are very few activities that allow for the level of camaraderie that boardgames offer. I'm always envious of my friends in the hobby that play a ton of games during the holidays. I try to do the same thing, but my family tends to be a little resistant. Still, I don't know that there's a better activity for Thanksgiving (after the football games are over, of course.....)
Let me know if you decide to do this, and let me know what you play!
Monday, November 22, 2010
They Like Me ... They Really Like Me
Apparently, my RSS Feed presentation is a big hit!
I first delivered the presentation to my marketing job-seekers group a few months ago, when I was still learning how the feeds could help improve the job search.
Then, I continued to refine the process (updating my blog with each improvement I made). And, last week, I gave the presentation to my job-seekers group again, in a far more organized, hands-on approach. I explain that this will not get you a job; it's not a magic wand ... what it does is it frees up your time to do things that CAN help you get a job.
Anyway, the presentation was very well received -- so much so that another group emailed me this afternoon and said they had heard the presentation was informative, and would I be interested in presenting it tomorrow. Normally, I prefer a little more notice, but I'm happy to do it (again, following up on my new "selfless" mentality).
Plus, it's a new group, new people, new contacts -- you never know whom you might meet; you never know what introduction can turn into a job.
In related news, I'm really starting to wonder if there *is* money to be made here. A friend is trying to convince me that this could be a business, but I definitely have my doubts.
I first delivered the presentation to my marketing job-seekers group a few months ago, when I was still learning how the feeds could help improve the job search.
Then, I continued to refine the process (updating my blog with each improvement I made). And, last week, I gave the presentation to my job-seekers group again, in a far more organized, hands-on approach. I explain that this will not get you a job; it's not a magic wand ... what it does is it frees up your time to do things that CAN help you get a job.
Anyway, the presentation was very well received -- so much so that another group emailed me this afternoon and said they had heard the presentation was informative, and would I be interested in presenting it tomorrow. Normally, I prefer a little more notice, but I'm happy to do it (again, following up on my new "selfless" mentality).
Plus, it's a new group, new people, new contacts -- you never know whom you might meet; you never know what introduction can turn into a job.
In related news, I'm really starting to wonder if there *is* money to be made here. A friend is trying to convince me that this could be a business, but I definitely have my doubts.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Why Yardwork Reminds me of the TV Show "Friends" and the Musical "Rent"
Yesterday, I put up a semi-serious plea on Facebook for individuals to come help me do my leaves. I have a fairly large piece of property (for middle-class Long Island). In past years, I've hired a company to come and do my fall cleanup, because the leaves are just completely overwhelming otherwise.
This year, due to my prolonged unemployment, that option wasn't quite as feasible (although, with my luck, I'll get a great offer this week ... AFTER the work is done!).
So, I started thinking, "I have a pretty big network on Facebook -- lemme throw it out there and see who might be able to help!"
Backtrack a little bit. As I posted last week, I recently started really trying to be more selfless. This is a new phenomenon for me. When I was in college, I was a big fan of people "owing" me favors (I'd do a lot of favors for others, taking my cues from The Godfather ("Someday, and that day may never come, I'll call upon you to do a service for me.")). But, after college, I definitely became more selfish -- believing I could take care of things myself (whether on my own, or hiring people).
So, more recently, I started being more giving -- helping people look for jobs, fix computers, etc. My intent, of course, wasn't to go back to those people; being giving shouldn't be a tit-for-tat exchange, obviously. And, this morning, my 'karma' paid off, as my sister & her boyfriend and my friend all managed to show up and together, we did yeoman's work and took care of a preposterous amount of leaves.
But, yesterday, when I wasn't sure if anyone would come (and, let me also say, I expected very few -- most of my friends have their own homes and leaves and families, etc.), I started thinking about a few random thoughts (which gets me back to the original point of this post!)
So - I was thinking about the TV show Friends, and how they were a collective group of, well, friends, that did everything together. It's entirely unrealistic, of course; which is why it was good TV, but one can't help but wonder at the camaraderie they showed in each episode. I think, deep down, all of us went through our 20s wishing for that kind of group.
And, right after I thought about that, I thought of a key scene in the play Rent, when Roger confesses to Mark that he's leaving NY. After Mark basically tries to goad Roger into staying (saying, "For someone who's always been let down, who's heading out of town?"), Roger retorts by saying to Mark, "For someone who longs for a community of his own, who's with his camera, alone?" (suggesting that Mark, effectively, isn't "living" but rather, lives vicariously through others). (the video of the 'song' is attached - the 'showdown' begins around 6min in).
It's a fairly powerful moment in the play, and especially for me. I always identified the most with Mark, as he almost certainly the central character (not the star, necessarily, but certainly the hub of the play, where each character is a spoke on "his" wheel) -- in Malcolm Gladwell-speak, he's a "Connector," which is certainly what I strive to be (not always successfully).
And that's the rather roundabout way I came to the title of this post -- it really was that kind of stream-of-consciousness thinking. No, I may not have a "community of my own;" and I'm past my 20s, and any opportunity for a group of friends, where we have no responsibilities and -- apparently -- make obscene amounts of money without working hard for it, so we can spend our days sitting in a coffee shop is long gone. But, I do have enough good in my life to be satisfied; and I do have a clean lawn. I think my new concept of selflessness is going to stick.
This year, due to my prolonged unemployment, that option wasn't quite as feasible (although, with my luck, I'll get a great offer this week ... AFTER the work is done!).
So, I started thinking, "I have a pretty big network on Facebook -- lemme throw it out there and see who might be able to help!"
Backtrack a little bit. As I posted last week, I recently started really trying to be more selfless. This is a new phenomenon for me. When I was in college, I was a big fan of people "owing" me favors (I'd do a lot of favors for others, taking my cues from The Godfather ("Someday, and that day may never come, I'll call upon you to do a service for me.")). But, after college, I definitely became more selfish -- believing I could take care of things myself (whether on my own, or hiring people).
So, more recently, I started being more giving -- helping people look for jobs, fix computers, etc. My intent, of course, wasn't to go back to those people; being giving shouldn't be a tit-for-tat exchange, obviously. And, this morning, my 'karma' paid off, as my sister & her boyfriend and my friend all managed to show up and together, we did yeoman's work and took care of a preposterous amount of leaves.
But, yesterday, when I wasn't sure if anyone would come (and, let me also say, I expected very few -- most of my friends have their own homes and leaves and families, etc.), I started thinking about a few random thoughts (which gets me back to the original point of this post!)
So - I was thinking about the TV show Friends, and how they were a collective group of, well, friends, that did everything together. It's entirely unrealistic, of course; which is why it was good TV, but one can't help but wonder at the camaraderie they showed in each episode. I think, deep down, all of us went through our 20s wishing for that kind of group.
And, right after I thought about that, I thought of a key scene in the play Rent, when Roger confesses to Mark that he's leaving NY. After Mark basically tries to goad Roger into staying (saying, "For someone who's always been let down, who's heading out of town?"), Roger retorts by saying to Mark, "For someone who longs for a community of his own, who's with his camera, alone?" (suggesting that Mark, effectively, isn't "living" but rather, lives vicariously through others). (the video of the 'song' is attached - the 'showdown' begins around 6min in).
It's a fairly powerful moment in the play, and especially for me. I always identified the most with Mark, as he almost certainly the central character (not the star, necessarily, but certainly the hub of the play, where each character is a spoke on "his" wheel) -- in Malcolm Gladwell-speak, he's a "Connector," which is certainly what I strive to be (not always successfully).
And that's the rather roundabout way I came to the title of this post -- it really was that kind of stream-of-consciousness thinking. No, I may not have a "community of my own;" and I'm past my 20s, and any opportunity for a group of friends, where we have no responsibilities and -- apparently -- make obscene amounts of money without working hard for it, so we can spend our days sitting in a coffee shop is long gone. But, I do have enough good in my life to be satisfied; and I do have a clean lawn. I think my new concept of selflessness is going to stick.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
But ... They All Look So Good!
I've had a pretty fortuitous last few weeks -- I've been lucky enough to have a number of interviews, and the majority of them are still pending (a few even look decent).
I know I've talked before about having a positive attitude, but I really can't stress that enough. While I send out resumes one or two days a week, I do my job search (using my efficient system) every day. I realized, while I was performing my search today, that -- even with all the rejections and comical obstacles I've encountered -- I'm still overly positive. I see jobs and I immediately think, "Oh, I could do that!" or "Oh, I'd like to do that!"
And, even though the logical part of my brain says I won't even be considered for the vast majority of the positions (I'm averaging about one interview (phone or face-to-face) for every 19 resumes I send out -- a little less than two per week); I'm still struck by the fact that I continue to be extremely positive. It's quite the unusual twist for me; I'm not normally known as being positive, in general; let alone when logic indicates that the odds of a positive outcome are quite remote.
I know this sound quite Pollyanna. I know not everyone in my position has the same outlook (and, in some cases, with reason) -- I've been blessed with a great number of interviews, and each week, there's a plethora of jobs I *can* look at and say, "Oh, I could do that!" It's definitely a little easier when one job rejects you and there's 20 more to apply to. But, with that in mind, the question becomes -- am I positive because there's jobs? Or, are there jobs, because I'm positive?
I know I've talked before about having a positive attitude, but I really can't stress that enough. While I send out resumes one or two days a week, I do my job search (using my efficient system) every day. I realized, while I was performing my search today, that -- even with all the rejections and comical obstacles I've encountered -- I'm still overly positive. I see jobs and I immediately think, "Oh, I could do that!" or "Oh, I'd like to do that!"
And, even though the logical part of my brain says I won't even be considered for the vast majority of the positions (I'm averaging about one interview (phone or face-to-face) for every 19 resumes I send out -- a little less than two per week); I'm still struck by the fact that I continue to be extremely positive. It's quite the unusual twist for me; I'm not normally known as being positive, in general; let alone when logic indicates that the odds of a positive outcome are quite remote.
I know this sound quite Pollyanna. I know not everyone in my position has the same outlook (and, in some cases, with reason) -- I've been blessed with a great number of interviews, and each week, there's a plethora of jobs I *can* look at and say, "Oh, I could do that!" It's definitely a little easier when one job rejects you and there's 20 more to apply to. But, with that in mind, the question becomes -- am I positive because there's jobs? Or, are there jobs, because I'm positive?
Feedback, Sorta.
I'm writing this post right before I head to bed (so, I'm going to count it as Friday's post, even though it's in the wee hours of Saturday morning). It's also going to be quite short.
I had an interview this past Monday -- I didn't feel particularly good about it. The interview asked me a total of four questions -- 1) What did I know of their company; 2) What did I think of their company; 3) Where I went to college (more of an aside, as in, "oh, you went to New Paltz, right?) and 4) What makes me "weird."
Then, she asked if I had any questions. The whole interview lasted, perhaps, 18 minutes, and she spent the time on her laptop, barely making eye contact.
So, I received the rejection letter on Thursday, not surprisingly. I elected to handle it well, and said all the right things -- if anything changes, please let me know; and of course, I'd love to learn from the experience, so if you could let me know where I could improve that would be great (something I've talked about before).
As I was food shopping today, I received a call -- it was from the recruiter, who wanted to get back to me and felt, "sometimes, phone calls are better for this." And, of course, there's no paper trail -- or maybe I'm jus too cynical these days.
She went on to say there was nothing I could have done differently; just that others had more of what they were looking for. I followed up and asked, "well, what were you looking for?"
"I don't really know," she answered. "I didn't get specifics on the candidates."
So, then, how can you honestly suggest there's NOTHING I could do differently? If you don't have any feedback on me (apparently, all the recruiter got was a list of names with "yes" and "no" next to each one), how can you offer feedback to me?
I can appreciate the call -- really, I can. I see what they're trying to do, in showing their 'customer service' angle; but, quite honestly, when the feedback is so meaningless and unfounded in truth, it's almost less insulting to simply be ignored.
I had an interview this past Monday -- I didn't feel particularly good about it. The interview asked me a total of four questions -- 1) What did I know of their company; 2) What did I think of their company; 3) Where I went to college (more of an aside, as in, "oh, you went to New Paltz, right?) and 4) What makes me "weird."
Then, she asked if I had any questions. The whole interview lasted, perhaps, 18 minutes, and she spent the time on her laptop, barely making eye contact.
So, I received the rejection letter on Thursday, not surprisingly. I elected to handle it well, and said all the right things -- if anything changes, please let me know; and of course, I'd love to learn from the experience, so if you could let me know where I could improve that would be great (something I've talked about before).
As I was food shopping today, I received a call -- it was from the recruiter, who wanted to get back to me and felt, "sometimes, phone calls are better for this." And, of course, there's no paper trail -- or maybe I'm jus too cynical these days.
She went on to say there was nothing I could have done differently; just that others had more of what they were looking for. I followed up and asked, "well, what were you looking for?"
"I don't really know," she answered. "I didn't get specifics on the candidates."
So, then, how can you honestly suggest there's NOTHING I could do differently? If you don't have any feedback on me (apparently, all the recruiter got was a list of names with "yes" and "no" next to each one), how can you offer feedback to me?
I can appreciate the call -- really, I can. I see what they're trying to do, in showing their 'customer service' angle; but, quite honestly, when the feedback is so meaningless and unfounded in truth, it's almost less insulting to simply be ignored.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Two Colliding Forces
I had an interview today, and I think it went well. I've been down this road before; and I've almost always been disappointed. So, I'm choosing not to get my hopes up, obviously. Still, this is probably in my "Top 5" interviews since I've been out of work ... so that's a positive thing (and, I'd enjoy the work, too).
However, I came out of my interview to read that the House of Representatives rejected the pending extensions for unemployment insurance. I don't *think* this impacts me, at this point (I've already moved into the next tier) and, obviously, I'm hopeful I won't need the benefits much longer; but it's still a staggering blow.
I'm not overly political -- at least, not here in the blogosphere. But, I have to wonder what could be the motivation to reject the extensions? At a time, when unemployment is still 9% (yes, below the 10.6 high this past January; but nowhere near the historic sub-5% rates of 2006) and when underemployment is still nearly 20%, it's hard to see how pulling the extensions away will "spark" any recovery.
The cynic in me fears we're looking at a whole new set of foreclosures and bad loans. I'm certainly not an economist; but I can't help being concerned about the future, obviously. A recovery does seem to be on; it would be nice if it could continue unimpeded.
So, quite quickly, my fairly optimistic feeling, from having a good interview, was instantly tempered by what I can only term "short-sightedness." It's a shame that we constantly feel the need to have things get worse, before we give the attention needed to improve them.
However, I came out of my interview to read that the House of Representatives rejected the pending extensions for unemployment insurance. I don't *think* this impacts me, at this point (I've already moved into the next tier) and, obviously, I'm hopeful I won't need the benefits much longer; but it's still a staggering blow.
I'm not overly political -- at least, not here in the blogosphere. But, I have to wonder what could be the motivation to reject the extensions? At a time, when unemployment is still 9% (yes, below the 10.6 high this past January; but nowhere near the historic sub-5% rates of 2006) and when underemployment is still nearly 20%, it's hard to see how pulling the extensions away will "spark" any recovery.
The cynic in me fears we're looking at a whole new set of foreclosures and bad loans. I'm certainly not an economist; but I can't help being concerned about the future, obviously. A recovery does seem to be on; it would be nice if it could continue unimpeded.
So, quite quickly, my fairly optimistic feeling, from having a good interview, was instantly tempered by what I can only term "short-sightedness." It's a shame that we constantly feel the need to have things get worse, before we give the attention needed to improve them.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Proof That Any Higher Power Definitely Has a Sense of Humor
My tale of woe regarding job searching hit another new low today.
A few weeks ago, I had a phone call from a company for an internal communications manager. Everything about the job matched up perfectly with my experience -- and the phone conversation I had with the recruiter went extremely well. It turns out, all the things the hiring manager wanted, I had; and -- apparently -- we shared the same outlook on a number of key communications issues.
At the conclusion, she told me the hiring manager's name. I went ahead and looked up the person on LinkedIn, and found we were connected by one person -- a second-degree connection. I dug deeper, and found the connection was a college friend. I reached out to him and he was kind enough to send an incredibly nice recommendation to the hiring manager. She responded right away with a positive response, and I was selected to come in for a face-to-face interview this week. At last, I thought, things were finally heading in the right direction ... all my preaching about social media and connections were finally bearing fruit.
So, today, I get a call from the recruiter. She says, "I have interesting news." Turns out, the company is re-evaluating the position. My interview tomorrow is canceled (not postponed...). And, the interesting thing is -- the hiring manager; the one my friend reached out to; is no longer with the company.
The recruiter wasn't convinced the position was dead (and, obviously, they now need someone for the higher position as well -- but, what are the odds it will either be me OR someone I have a connection to -- probably not very high). And, to rub salt in the wound, she told me I had been the number one choice heading into the interview.
As I said, it may not be over - it's certainly still an option (and, my background is still a great match for the role). But, it may be even more of a sign that I no longer am surprised when these things happen.
A few weeks ago, I had a phone call from a company for an internal communications manager. Everything about the job matched up perfectly with my experience -- and the phone conversation I had with the recruiter went extremely well. It turns out, all the things the hiring manager wanted, I had; and -- apparently -- we shared the same outlook on a number of key communications issues.
At the conclusion, she told me the hiring manager's name. I went ahead and looked up the person on LinkedIn, and found we were connected by one person -- a second-degree connection. I dug deeper, and found the connection was a college friend. I reached out to him and he was kind enough to send an incredibly nice recommendation to the hiring manager. She responded right away with a positive response, and I was selected to come in for a face-to-face interview this week. At last, I thought, things were finally heading in the right direction ... all my preaching about social media and connections were finally bearing fruit.
So, today, I get a call from the recruiter. She says, "I have interesting news." Turns out, the company is re-evaluating the position. My interview tomorrow is canceled (not postponed...). And, the interesting thing is -- the hiring manager; the one my friend reached out to; is no longer with the company.
The recruiter wasn't convinced the position was dead (and, obviously, they now need someone for the higher position as well -- but, what are the odds it will either be me OR someone I have a connection to -- probably not very high). And, to rub salt in the wound, she told me I had been the number one choice heading into the interview.
As I said, it may not be over - it's certainly still an option (and, my background is still a great match for the role). But, it may be even more of a sign that I no longer am surprised when these things happen.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Writing Prompts: The Tale of Gandhi as Erotic Fiction ... And Go!
Last week, my friend and I looked to 'get inspired' about writing. As I've mentioned, I do my best writing when I'm depressed; and I've done an extremely good job of staying upbeat. But, we still entertain our dreams of writing.
Realizing (as I'd said earlier) that good writing starts with good characters, we sought out some writing prompts sites, in an effort to 'spark' our thinking. Hopefully, we would come up with something that would lead us into a path that could snowball.
That didn't happen.
It would be great if there were databases online that combined things that made sense. A wily and courageous rogue-like character with questionable morals and commitment issues facing a stable and secure life with no adventure -- how does he deal with the change? I can work with that. Instead, what you get is the writing prompts version of MadLibs -- there's no consideration given to whether the items pulled from the databases make sense together; just that where a subject is called for, a subject is provided; and where an adjective is called for, an adective is provided.
And, as such, you end up with "prompts" like these -- these are "fusion" tales:
Finally, one particular prompt tries to get you to tie your story to a more familiar iconic series; for example:
So, we're where we started -- no real inspiration; no real ideas; a whole lot of laughing. For all my would-be writer friends -- how do you come up with ideas? Any good sites you know of to spark the creativity mojo?
Realizing (as I'd said earlier) that good writing starts with good characters, we sought out some writing prompts sites, in an effort to 'spark' our thinking. Hopefully, we would come up with something that would lead us into a path that could snowball.
That didn't happen.
It would be great if there were databases online that combined things that made sense. A wily and courageous rogue-like character with questionable morals and commitment issues facing a stable and secure life with no adventure -- how does he deal with the change? I can work with that. Instead, what you get is the writing prompts version of MadLibs -- there's no consideration given to whether the items pulled from the databases make sense together; just that where a subject is called for, a subject is provided; and where an adjective is called for, an adective is provided.
And, as such, you end up with "prompts" like these -- these are "fusion" tales:
- The story of Jack and the Beanstalk envisioned as a legal drama tale.
- The story of Noah envisioned as a high-school comedy tale.
- The story of the Odyssey envisioned as a cyberpunk tale.
- The story of Cinderella envisioned as a blaxploitation buddy tale.
- What if ... the fall of Mankind from the Garden of Eden involved zookeepers?
- What if ... Leonardo Da Vinci had access to antidepressants?
- What if ... Saint Peter was a football player?
- What if ... Lewis Carroll was indirectly responsible for the McCarthy Trials?
- What if ... Ronald Reagan was the descendant of Christ?
- The story must have a gazelle involved in the middle. The story must involve a robe in the beginning. A character becomes intoxicated, but the intention behind the action is not what it seems. A character is hateful throughout most of the story. During the story, a character gets a demotion.
- The story must have an elephant in it. The story must involve a hatchet in it. During the story, a character is forced to go shopping.
- The story starts on a battlefield. During the story, there is an attack. A character makes someone a meal. A character becomes calm during the story. During the story, a character eats something they haven't had in a while.
- A character gets a new hairstyle. A character becomes controlling during the story. The story must have a merchant involved in the middle. The story starts during a party. During the story, there is a sudden change in temperature.
- The story is about a psychologist and an unbalanced scuba diver. It starts in an arctic country. The issues of faster-than-light-travel and its effects on economics is a major element of the story.
- The story is about a rude gym teacher who hates a blacksmith. It starts in a mansion in a small city. A rebellion against technology plays a major role in this story.
- This is an odd-couple-teams-up tale with a focus on the war between the sexes. The story is about an antisocial beastmaster. It starts in a firehouse in an outpost. The story begins with someone discovering a report about themselves, climaxes with spying, and ends with a religious ceremony. The differences alien societies may have regarding romance is a major element of this story.
- This is a gross-out comedy. The story is about a grave robber. It takes place in a small city on a desert planet. The differences alien societies may have regarding business is a major element of this story.
Finally, one particular prompt tries to get you to tie your story to a more familiar iconic series; for example:
- The giant robot story where the robots map to the four color process of printing (CMYK).
- The screwball comedy story set on a space station where the different sections map to the twelve Olympians of Greecian Legend.
- The dramatic story about communications officers where the characters map to the trinity of father-mother-child.
- The dramatic story about fences where the characters map to the four seasons (spring-summer-autumn-winter).
- The story set in a world where the crimes recognized by the legal system map to the twenty-six letters of the Alphabet.
So, we're where we started -- no real inspiration; no real ideas; a whole lot of laughing. For all my would-be writer friends -- how do you come up with ideas? Any good sites you know of to spark the creativity mojo?
Monday, November 15, 2010
The Chain of Generosity
Just a quick post today...
I'm teaching a class tomorrow to my marketing jobseekers group. I've taught it once before (using RSS feeds to aid in the job search), but, since then, I've streamlined everything to be more effective. I've also led a class in setting up/starting a blog.
I'm in the process of reading a book about networking (and, I'll post about that in a few days, I think) but, one of the key elements the authors point out is that networking is primarily about generosity. The interesting part is that so much of what the book recommends, I've been doing already.
And, the book also points out a key difference -- one that I've long thought, but hadn't really put into words -- that there's a difference between 'networking' and 'connecting.'
I'm amused when I tell prospective companies that Ive been doing my freelance work, effectively, on a pro bono basis -- so many of them ask why I'm choosing to not be paid. I need only point to the concept of generosity as evidence that my actions have purpose.
I'll be posting more about networking and generosity this week; as it's a subject I'll be thinking about (as I finish the book).
I'm teaching a class tomorrow to my marketing jobseekers group. I've taught it once before (using RSS feeds to aid in the job search), but, since then, I've streamlined everything to be more effective. I've also led a class in setting up/starting a blog.
I'm in the process of reading a book about networking (and, I'll post about that in a few days, I think) but, one of the key elements the authors point out is that networking is primarily about generosity. The interesting part is that so much of what the book recommends, I've been doing already.
And, the book also points out a key difference -- one that I've long thought, but hadn't really put into words -- that there's a difference between 'networking' and 'connecting.'
I'm amused when I tell prospective companies that Ive been doing my freelance work, effectively, on a pro bono basis -- so many of them ask why I'm choosing to not be paid. I need only point to the concept of generosity as evidence that my actions have purpose.
I'll be posting more about networking and generosity this week; as it's a subject I'll be thinking about (as I finish the book).
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Wish Me Luck -- A Clearly Stupid Decision
In what's shaping up to be a nice day, somehow, my far-more-youthful-thinking mind has convinced my body that "it's a great day for football." I don't mean watching football, obviously -- I'm always ready for that (as last week's post attested to). I mean, actually heading out and playing some football today.
We did this last year. Once. That should give you an example of how successful it was.
We've been setting this up for weeks. I imagine, somewhere along the way, I expected some fairy godmother to bless me with either more youthful athleticism or tuberculosis -- I was really okay with either option. Neither panned out.
We're starting around 10:30am -- we were supposed to start at 11am, but one friend said he had to leave by 12:30pm, so we wanted to maximize our opportunity, and we moved the start time up. This was done for two reasons -- first, so we can actually play a more meaningful game; and second, so we can be more leisurely when it comes to helping our fallen comrades stand upright again.
The rules still haven't been completely worked out yet, either. We don't play flag football (too likely to "miss"); and we don't play two-hand-touch (too likely to be too forceful and knock people over ... plus it's damned hard to catch up to the fast members of our group). Last year we played one-hand-touch, and that was okay, I guess. We may be changing it this year to "breathe-near-the-guy", just to keep it within our realm of accomplishments.
So - as I said from the get-go, wish me luck. (On a related "luck" note, I do have three interviews this week; although, if I don't return from today's "festivities" I guess they really don't matter all that much, do they?)
We did this last year. Once. That should give you an example of how successful it was.
We've been setting this up for weeks. I imagine, somewhere along the way, I expected some fairy godmother to bless me with either more youthful athleticism or tuberculosis -- I was really okay with either option. Neither panned out.
We're starting around 10:30am -- we were supposed to start at 11am, but one friend said he had to leave by 12:30pm, so we wanted to maximize our opportunity, and we moved the start time up. This was done for two reasons -- first, so we can actually play a more meaningful game; and second, so we can be more leisurely when it comes to helping our fallen comrades stand upright again.
The rules still haven't been completely worked out yet, either. We don't play flag football (too likely to "miss"); and we don't play two-hand-touch (too likely to be too forceful and knock people over ... plus it's damned hard to catch up to the fast members of our group). Last year we played one-hand-touch, and that was okay, I guess. We may be changing it this year to "breathe-near-the-guy", just to keep it within our realm of accomplishments.
So - as I said from the get-go, wish me luck. (On a related "luck" note, I do have three interviews this week; although, if I don't return from today's "festivities" I guess they really don't matter all that much, do they?)
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Why Boardgames Matter to Me: An Introduction
Today is my boardgaming group's monthly GameDay -- interestingly, I formed the group way back in 2003, during my last unemployment stint (and, remarkably, a few months after the formation, I landed). Since then, the group has gone through some changes -- we published an online magazine for a few years, and, sadly, for the past couple of years, the database that drives a lot of the group's information has been in serious need of repair; something I haven't had a chance to fix.
At some point, I might consider doing a far longer piece on boardgames; but today is just an introductory post. The gaming group, effectively, keeps me sane because it's social interaction, obviously; and, because running/organizing it continues to keep certain skills of mine 'fresh', which can be useful when you're not working.
But, for me, boardgames encompass more than just my group -- a great deal of my free time is spent in that realm; whether researching or just communicating with others. In fact, the two websites I visit the most on a personal level are this one (Facebook) and Boardgamegeek.
Each site serves a different purpose for me, obviously. Facebook is great for keeping up with friends and contacts. But, Boardgamegeek is a collective of like-minded individuals, and -- I don't mind saying -- probably one of the more unique collections of people on the 'Net.
Boardgaming is certainly a niche hobby, and it appeals to a niche group of people. It's social; but there's a purpose to the social interaction, so even introverts can appear extroverted during a game. And, because a great many of the games are somewhat complex, the overall level of intelligence may be higher than other niche groups (which is not to say every participant is a Rhodes Scholar -- this is just a broad generalization).
For example, however, check out this thread on the growing economic crises (written in March 2008). If you want to make it easier on yourself, about halfway down the page, towards the right hand side, you'll see a link to "hide all comments" - that will make it easier to read. The first 7 items were part of the original posting and -- quite honestly -- it's one of the most succinct, educated reads you could ask for. When I convinced my last company to speak openly about their views on the crisis and their plans for overcoming it, this post played heavily in my approach.
Although boardgames are -- without a doubt -- my number one hobby; I doubt I'll write about them here too often. It just doesn't fit the mold of what I've envisioned for this blog. Still, it would seem almost dishonest to not have mentioned them at least once this month -- the hobby is that important to me.
At some point, I might consider doing a far longer piece on boardgames; but today is just an introductory post. The gaming group, effectively, keeps me sane because it's social interaction, obviously; and, because running/organizing it continues to keep certain skills of mine 'fresh', which can be useful when you're not working.
But, for me, boardgames encompass more than just my group -- a great deal of my free time is spent in that realm; whether researching or just communicating with others. In fact, the two websites I visit the most on a personal level are this one (Facebook) and Boardgamegeek.
Each site serves a different purpose for me, obviously. Facebook is great for keeping up with friends and contacts. But, Boardgamegeek is a collective of like-minded individuals, and -- I don't mind saying -- probably one of the more unique collections of people on the 'Net.
Boardgaming is certainly a niche hobby, and it appeals to a niche group of people. It's social; but there's a purpose to the social interaction, so even introverts can appear extroverted during a game. And, because a great many of the games are somewhat complex, the overall level of intelligence may be higher than other niche groups (which is not to say every participant is a Rhodes Scholar -- this is just a broad generalization).
For example, however, check out this thread on the growing economic crises (written in March 2008). If you want to make it easier on yourself, about halfway down the page, towards the right hand side, you'll see a link to "hide all comments" - that will make it easier to read. The first 7 items were part of the original posting and -- quite honestly -- it's one of the most succinct, educated reads you could ask for. When I convinced my last company to speak openly about their views on the crisis and their plans for overcoming it, this post played heavily in my approach.
Although boardgames are -- without a doubt -- my number one hobby; I doubt I'll write about them here too often. It just doesn't fit the mold of what I've envisioned for this blog. Still, it would seem almost dishonest to not have mentioned them at least once this month -- the hobby is that important to me.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Characters vs. Plot
Yesterday's post on writing struck a chord (as I actually received comments on a blog post, for a change!) so, I thought I'd continue.
My friend and I have talked about doing collaborative writing for a while -- we definitely complement each other. The issue has been finding an idea.
But, while we were talking yesterday, an interesting point was raised. Which is more important, characters or plot? Yes, they're both important; but, if you had to pick one -- one to start with; one to make more important; which would it be?
Going back to one of my earlier posts about creativity, I compared the TV show Lost with the movie Cloverfield - both were done by JJ Abrams; but, whereas Lost succeeded on two levels (appealing to both the diehard fans and those who want to just be entertained for an hour), Cloverfield wasn't nearly as successful. Take away the innovative filming structure (camcorder-like) and the copious marketing, and Cloverfield is basically just a retread of old monster movies.
And, I think, perhaps, that's due to the lack of character development done in the movie, whereas on Lost, characters were far more fleshed out.
When you think of popular TV shows, most of them have memorable characters. Perhaps the most famous one that bucks that trend is Law and Order (Dick Wolf, the creator, has long said that no actor is irreplaceable on his show -- the plot is the most important part). So, in that respect, Law and Order succeeds against the odds.
In terms of writing, I hold that a good character is the starting point; my friend is more convinced that plot is the glue (which is ironic, as I suspect, in our writings, I would be doing more to push the plot along; and he would be responsible for developing the characters).
So, which do you think is *more* important -- is Law and Order the exception, or should more shows follow its lead (for example)?
My friend and I have talked about doing collaborative writing for a while -- we definitely complement each other. The issue has been finding an idea.
But, while we were talking yesterday, an interesting point was raised. Which is more important, characters or plot? Yes, they're both important; but, if you had to pick one -- one to start with; one to make more important; which would it be?
Going back to one of my earlier posts about creativity, I compared the TV show Lost with the movie Cloverfield - both were done by JJ Abrams; but, whereas Lost succeeded on two levels (appealing to both the diehard fans and those who want to just be entertained for an hour), Cloverfield wasn't nearly as successful. Take away the innovative filming structure (camcorder-like) and the copious marketing, and Cloverfield is basically just a retread of old monster movies.
And, I think, perhaps, that's due to the lack of character development done in the movie, whereas on Lost, characters were far more fleshed out.
When you think of popular TV shows, most of them have memorable characters. Perhaps the most famous one that bucks that trend is Law and Order (Dick Wolf, the creator, has long said that no actor is irreplaceable on his show -- the plot is the most important part). So, in that respect, Law and Order succeeds against the odds.
In terms of writing, I hold that a good character is the starting point; my friend is more convinced that plot is the glue (which is ironic, as I suspect, in our writings, I would be doing more to push the plot along; and he would be responsible for developing the characters).
So, which do you think is *more* important -- is Law and Order the exception, or should more shows follow its lead (for example)?
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Maybe I Should've Written a Novel
When I first decided to write a blog post every day for a month, I figured it was no big deal. My biggest concern, initially, was ensuring I scheduled the time each day.
Now, a little more than a-third of the way through, I'm wondering what I was thinking. Again, it all comes back to creativity. But, in the case of a blog, there are many more factors to consider.
Example - if I were writing a novel or a short story, I could look in the day's paper; find an article (a school executive caught re-routing money; or Monday's lead story on CNN about child prostitution, or - maybe even better - yesterday's story on a new lizard species). All of those could provide excellent fodder for an excellent work of fiction (primarly because they're all true).
But, if I'm writing a blog, I'm not writing fiction. And, why would I write about any of those things -- and what would I write about them? Stealing money from schools is bad. Child prostitution is bad. Eating lizards is just plain ol' yucky. I don't know that anyone is tuning in here to learn my views on those types of subjects.
I also can't really just mail it in. First off, to stop now would be to admit failure. That's unacceptable. Secondly, I've learned there are a decent amount of you reading -- even if you're just lurking -- including, in some cases, some fairly high-level people in companies. I'm not going to devote a whole post to why eating lizards is yucky. There has to be a larger purpose to each post.
And, this still differs from creatively writing for work. If I'm asked to write a press release or an internal communications piece, I can be creative with that (maybe there should be a video on the intranet; maybe the press release needs a sidebar, graphical piece; maybe the point-of-view can be changed to make it read more first-person than third-person) - but there's always a leaping-off point. There's no such luxury here.
To be sure, I already have ideas for some future posts -- some funny, some far more meaningful; but I definitely don't have 19 more ideas for the month. And, to be sure, the parameters of this style of writing is far more limiting than I'd expected. I've helped others with writing their blogs; and I've subscribed to the theory of executives writing blogs on internal networks; but trying to come up with a new topic each day that is cathartic, meaningful and pithy -- all at once -- is certainly not easy.
Still, I recognize the benefits. Being out-of-work, even though you may still try and stay "up" on trends; and still continue to practice your skills; it's no comparison to actually doing it. Now, each day, I force myself to brainstorm and execute one post (that tends to be around 500 words -- about the size of an average press release). While the style is certainly more colloquial and casual, it's still a process, and that -- on its own -- makes this worth it.
Now, a little more than a-third of the way through, I'm wondering what I was thinking. Again, it all comes back to creativity. But, in the case of a blog, there are many more factors to consider.
Example - if I were writing a novel or a short story, I could look in the day's paper; find an article (a school executive caught re-routing money; or Monday's lead story on CNN about child prostitution, or - maybe even better - yesterday's story on a new lizard species). All of those could provide excellent fodder for an excellent work of fiction (primarly because they're all true).
But, if I'm writing a blog, I'm not writing fiction. And, why would I write about any of those things -- and what would I write about them? Stealing money from schools is bad. Child prostitution is bad. Eating lizards is just plain ol' yucky. I don't know that anyone is tuning in here to learn my views on those types of subjects.
I also can't really just mail it in. First off, to stop now would be to admit failure. That's unacceptable. Secondly, I've learned there are a decent amount of you reading -- even if you're just lurking -- including, in some cases, some fairly high-level people in companies. I'm not going to devote a whole post to why eating lizards is yucky. There has to be a larger purpose to each post.
And, this still differs from creatively writing for work. If I'm asked to write a press release or an internal communications piece, I can be creative with that (maybe there should be a video on the intranet; maybe the press release needs a sidebar, graphical piece; maybe the point-of-view can be changed to make it read more first-person than third-person) - but there's always a leaping-off point. There's no such luxury here.
To be sure, I already have ideas for some future posts -- some funny, some far more meaningful; but I definitely don't have 19 more ideas for the month. And, to be sure, the parameters of this style of writing is far more limiting than I'd expected. I've helped others with writing their blogs; and I've subscribed to the theory of executives writing blogs on internal networks; but trying to come up with a new topic each day that is cathartic, meaningful and pithy -- all at once -- is certainly not easy.
Still, I recognize the benefits. Being out-of-work, even though you may still try and stay "up" on trends; and still continue to practice your skills; it's no comparison to actually doing it. Now, each day, I force myself to brainstorm and execute one post (that tends to be around 500 words -- about the size of an average press release). While the style is certainly more colloquial and casual, it's still a process, and that -- on its own -- makes this worth it.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
How Starbucks Makes You Feel Human Again
A fellow unemployed friend invited me to join her at Starbucks today. Normally, I don't really like leaving my house -- I have everything I need to effectively jobsearch right at home. Nevertheless, she had touted how much more productive she had been the previous day at another Starbucks, so I thought I'd take her up on her offer.
Five hours later, I'm not convinced that it's a more productive setting; but, it defintitely served a purpose. True, I got much less done than I would've done at home; but - being out of the house; talking, laughing -- it makes you feel human again.
I'm a creature of routine. When I have structure, I can be singularly focused, and I can produce an amazing amount of work. Still, breaking routine can be quite useful, as I found today.
Yes, there were some speedbumps -- my friend, significantly smaller than I, found nothing wrong with choosing the 'comfy chairs' with no table; so, for the first hour, I sat there, with horrific glare on the laptop screen from the beating sun (which also made it nearly unbearably hot), while I precariously tried to balance the laptop ON my laptop. After an hour, I realized it made sense to turn the chairs around, which helped with the glare, but not the heat nor the uncomfortable seating arrangement.
Finally, the people behind us at the table got up and left (the same table we could've had when we first got there), and then, I felt productive. Sitting upright, at a table, actually DOING work; wow -- what a change! I haven't felt that way in months (even when I'm uber-productive at home, I'm still conscious of the fact that I'm on a couch; not in a quasi-business setting).
In the end, I had a good day.
As an aside, I will need to tech-protect my various devices. My friend, apparently, radiates anti-technology mojo. The first time she came to my house, my router mysteriously stopped working; and today, my cellphone became completely non-responsive while I was there (and, miraculously started working again, once I got home). If it happens a third time, I think I'm going to stop looking for a job, and the two of us will just market her mutant-like powers.
Five hours later, I'm not convinced that it's a more productive setting; but, it defintitely served a purpose. True, I got much less done than I would've done at home; but - being out of the house; talking, laughing -- it makes you feel human again.
I'm a creature of routine. When I have structure, I can be singularly focused, and I can produce an amazing amount of work. Still, breaking routine can be quite useful, as I found today.
Yes, there were some speedbumps -- my friend, significantly smaller than I, found nothing wrong with choosing the 'comfy chairs' with no table; so, for the first hour, I sat there, with horrific glare on the laptop screen from the beating sun (which also made it nearly unbearably hot), while I precariously tried to balance the laptop ON my laptop. After an hour, I realized it made sense to turn the chairs around, which helped with the glare, but not the heat nor the uncomfortable seating arrangement.
Finally, the people behind us at the table got up and left (the same table we could've had when we first got there), and then, I felt productive. Sitting upright, at a table, actually DOING work; wow -- what a change! I haven't felt that way in months (even when I'm uber-productive at home, I'm still conscious of the fact that I'm on a couch; not in a quasi-business setting).
In the end, I had a good day.
As an aside, I will need to tech-protect my various devices. My friend, apparently, radiates anti-technology mojo. The first time she came to my house, my router mysteriously stopped working; and today, my cellphone became completely non-responsive while I was there (and, miraculously started working again, once I got home). If it happens a third time, I think I'm going to stop looking for a job, and the two of us will just market her mutant-like powers.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
The Choices We Make
I had an interview this past Friday, and during the interview, we began talking about choices one makes in life (specifically, the interviewer and I both confessed to being introspective and looking back over choices we'd made, and wondering how our lives would have been different had we made a different choice).
From a professional standpoint, for me, I can look back to my 9th-10th grade years of school, as the 'turning point' for my career.
Up until high school, I had wanted to be a sports statistician. Even now, my love of and fascination with sports statistics is unparalleled. I was a huge fan of Bill James, who was, by popular consensus, the fore-father of "sabermetrics," which intended to break down baseball statistics into more sensible analysis.
In any event, in 9th grade I was writing a book, on sabermetrics, as part of an independent study project. My ambition was quite high -- I was going to design *the* authoritative player evaluation system ... as a 9th grader ... (and I still couldn't pass algebra; ah, youth!).
Part of my 'research' involved talking with professionals in the field -- I tried to reach Bill James, but was unsuccessful. I ended up speaking with Craig Wright, whom - at the time - was the only person employed by a major league team (the Texas Rangers). One day, as we were talking, I asked him, "so, what is the most important subject for me to pay attention to, as I go into high school and college?"
He replied, immediately, "English."
I was confused. I explained, "No, I want to do what you're doing." After all, wouldn't I need to excel in statistics? or accounting? or algebra?
And he replied, "If you can't effectively communicate your findings, it's as good as never having done them in the first place."
Fast forward to a year or two later. I was doing statistics for the high school basketball team, and my friend - the sports editor for the high school paper - came to me to get material for a piece he was writing. I provided him with all the data, and definitely portrayed the team in a good light. He wrote a story that was a bit more negative; and, consequently, I was blamed for the piece by the players (who thought I'd sold them out).
I marched in to the faculty adviser's office, and said, "This piece on the basketball team is completely inaccurate, and a retraction needs be printed; or - better still - a new story." And, she threw me a pad and pen and said, "That's an excellent idea; have it to me in two weeks." The rest is history.
It's amazing to see how a few choices we make, that seem innocuous at first glance, can be complete life-changers in retrospect. Obviously, personal choices (where we go to college; whom we date; whom we marry; jobs we leave and jobs we take) all help to create the person we end up being.
So, what is the *earliest* choice you can recall making, and how did it affect who you are today? Let's get some great stories!
From a professional standpoint, for me, I can look back to my 9th-10th grade years of school, as the 'turning point' for my career.
Up until high school, I had wanted to be a sports statistician. Even now, my love of and fascination with sports statistics is unparalleled. I was a huge fan of Bill James, who was, by popular consensus, the fore-father of "sabermetrics," which intended to break down baseball statistics into more sensible analysis.
In any event, in 9th grade I was writing a book, on sabermetrics, as part of an independent study project. My ambition was quite high -- I was going to design *the* authoritative player evaluation system ... as a 9th grader ... (and I still couldn't pass algebra; ah, youth!).
Part of my 'research' involved talking with professionals in the field -- I tried to reach Bill James, but was unsuccessful. I ended up speaking with Craig Wright, whom - at the time - was the only person employed by a major league team (the Texas Rangers). One day, as we were talking, I asked him, "so, what is the most important subject for me to pay attention to, as I go into high school and college?"
He replied, immediately, "English."
I was confused. I explained, "No, I want to do what you're doing." After all, wouldn't I need to excel in statistics? or accounting? or
And he replied, "If you can't effectively communicate your findings, it's as good as never having done them in the first place."
Fast forward to a year or two later. I was doing statistics for the high school basketball team, and my friend - the sports editor for the high school paper - came to me to get material for a piece he was writing. I provided him with all the data, and definitely portrayed the team in a good light. He wrote a story that was a bit more negative; and, consequently, I was blamed for the piece by the players (who thought I'd sold them out).
I marched in to the faculty adviser's office, and said, "This piece on the basketball team is completely inaccurate, and a retraction needs be printed; or - better still - a new story." And, she threw me a pad and pen and said, "That's an excellent idea; have it to me in two weeks." The rest is history.
It's amazing to see how a few choices we make, that seem innocuous at first glance, can be complete life-changers in retrospect. Obviously, personal choices (where we go to college; whom we date; whom we marry; jobs we leave and jobs we take) all help to create the person we end up being.
So, what is the *earliest* choice you can recall making, and how did it affect who you are today? Let's get some great stories!
Monday, November 8, 2010
The Hidden Curse of Unemployment
Besides the obvious negatives to unemployment (lack of income, shattered confidence, all that good stuff...), there are other, more hidden negatives that plague the jobless among us.
For me, the most important "hidden negative" is the loss of structure in my life. When I was working, I had specific times for everything and the 'routine' worked well for me.
It's one of the reasons that returning to work in New York City is so appealing. The concept of being on a train, with a specific amount of time where I can ONLY be on the train would provide with me a good amount of time each day to accomplish things (not that I'm opposed to working on Long Island - far from it, obviously; I just don't dread the commute to NYC like many others do).
Effectively, my life consists of about five motivations currently -- the first, and predominant one, is finding a job. This is, in-and-of-itself, a full-time job, even *with* the efficiencies I've put in place. Between searching, applying (which can be incredibly time-consuming), phone interviews, informational interviews and formal, face-to-face interviews, a good chunk of time is spent on this task -- as it rightfully should be.
Then, there are about four other motivations that vie for my time (mostly, unsuccessfully):
Because the day is spent on job-searching, and interviews pop up (thankfully), an awful lot of my 'tasks' get moved to later in the day, week, month, etc. And, that continued rescheduling is a constant reminder of the inability to create structure in my life.
Add to that equation the fact that I am notorious for planning (and thinking I can accomplish) significantly more than I'm able. I still get an awful lot done; but not as much as I plan (which is unrealistic, anyway).
So, when I say to people that I really DO want to get back to work (and, I can't imagine anyone out of work who doesn't want that; but, I'm told they exist), I not only mean I want to feel productive and get a paycheck (obviously); but I als cannot wait to get back to a more structured existence.
For me, the most important "hidden negative" is the loss of structure in my life. When I was working, I had specific times for everything and the 'routine' worked well for me.
It's one of the reasons that returning to work in New York City is so appealing. The concept of being on a train, with a specific amount of time where I can ONLY be on the train would provide with me a good amount of time each day to accomplish things (not that I'm opposed to working on Long Island - far from it, obviously; I just don't dread the commute to NYC like many others do).
Effectively, my life consists of about five motivations currently -- the first, and predominant one, is finding a job. This is, in-and-of-itself, a full-time job, even *with* the efficiencies I've put in place. Between searching, applying (which can be incredibly time-consuming), phone interviews, informational interviews and formal, face-to-face interviews, a good chunk of time is spent on this task -- as it rightfully should be.
Then, there are about four other motivations that vie for my time (mostly, unsuccessfully):
- Doing home-care stuff -- cleaning, organizing, etc. I do believe being home should allow you to get this kind of stuff done; but I haven't been all that diligent.
- Doing personal stuff I've wanted to do for a while -- I mentioned this on my blog many months ago, and, of course, I haven't gotten much done on this front either.
- Doing things with friends -- much like the last time, I find that doing things with friends, etc. helps keep your mind off the situation at hand. Maintaining a positive attitude, and celebrating that which you're thankful for, is -- in my mind -- the first step to landing.
- Spending time with my wife -- in the grand scheme of things, this is the one that gets left behind the most. It's always easiest, isn't it?
Because the day is spent on job-searching, and interviews pop up (thankfully), an awful lot of my 'tasks' get moved to later in the day, week, month, etc. And, that continued rescheduling is a constant reminder of the inability to create structure in my life.Add to that equation the fact that I am notorious for planning (and thinking I can accomplish) significantly more than I'm able. I still get an awful lot done; but not as much as I plan (which is unrealistic, anyway).
So, when I say to people that I really DO want to get back to work (and, I can't imagine anyone out of work who doesn't want that; but, I'm told they exist), I not only mean I want to feel productive and get a paycheck (obviously); but I als cannot wait to get back to a more structured existence.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Why Fantasy Football is No Fantasy
A little more light-hearted today...
Fall means Fantasy Football (not just for me; for many people around the U.S.). I'd never really gotten into fantasy sports (even though I'd read the first fantasy sports book -- Rotisserie League Baseball -- which was published in the early 1980s). I'd always been a bigger fan of simulation sports games (like Strat-O-Matic); but that's another blog post.
Anyways, I played in a fantasy baseball league on AOL a number of years ago; didn't care for it. And, a few years back a friend of mine asked me to play in his fantasy football league. I liked that more (it was only one game a week); but I still didn't care for the lack of control you have over the team.
As a side note, I'm also not a 'betting' man. I do love games (as anyone who knows me can attest to), but introducing money makes me significantly less interested.
A few years back, I started a league predominantly for my gaming group (which already does a decent amount of trash-talking). And, much like Daniel Okrent, who invented Rotisserie League Baseball, I've yet to win my league.
I've always been competitive, to be sure. Through the first three years, my overall record (including playoffs) was 32-15, but my play in the regular season has been stellar (29-12). By comparison, the second-best regular season record since the start of the league is 21-19-1 or 15-12, depending on which you consider better). Throughout the league, including my mediocre playoff record of 3-3, my "point differential" is 14.0, second-best is 9.1 (and of the 13 players in the league, only 6 have a positive differential).
My week typically progresses as follows. Tuesday morning, the extremely erroneous projections for the week's games come out on ESPN, which begins my week with false hope. Thursday morning, any waiver pickups are awarded to the teams that claimed players. Sunday, around 12-noon, I start checking every source of information I can find to ensure my players are healthy and playing.
By 2pm, I've normally used up every curse word I know. By 3pm, I've invented a few new ones. By 4pm-ish, when the first games are over, I'm reassessing my chances; trying to determine the feasibility of still puling out a win for the week. By 7:30pm, when the second games are over, I'm typically nauseous, as all my computations earlier are being shattered, and by Monday morning, with one game to go in the week, I've either sworn off the league, or I'm clinging to the smallest of hopes.
And yet, each week, I repeat the pattern; even as I've sworn to not care anymore.
Interestingly, I rarely actually WATCH the games; as that would be too stressful. Instead, I'll follow along on the live-scoreboard on my league's page. And, I've continued to resist any pleas from the group to bring a money aspect into the league -- I already see my blood pressure increase while playing for free; I'd probably just self-combust if money were involved.
And, as it nears 2pm, I realize I need to get myself primed for cursing mode. Luckily, I just checked, and I'm already trailing by 7 (and my opponent's running back has already rushed for 60 yards and 2 TDs in the first 20 minutes of the game, while my QB (playing in the same game) has thrown for an embarrassing 14 yards). The RB was projected for 17 points - he has 20 already; and my QB was projected for 19 and he has 0. Of course, the good folks at ESPN still have me projected to win by 22 points (primarily because, there's no way to re-configure the projections to account for their monumental mistakes in projections earlier (and, so, they continue to insist that their projections are legitimate -- and, *I'm* the one that can't find a job...)).
And, there's another point, and my deficit grows a little deeper. I can already tell it's gonna be one of those weeks. Sonofa****************
Fall means Fantasy Football (not just for me; for many people around the U.S.). I'd never really gotten into fantasy sports (even though I'd read the first fantasy sports book -- Rotisserie League Baseball -- which was published in the early 1980s). I'd always been a bigger fan of simulation sports games (like Strat-O-Matic); but that's another blog post.
Anyways, I played in a fantasy baseball league on AOL a number of years ago; didn't care for it. And, a few years back a friend of mine asked me to play in his fantasy football league. I liked that more (it was only one game a week); but I still didn't care for the lack of control you have over the team.
As a side note, I'm also not a 'betting' man. I do love games (as anyone who knows me can attest to), but introducing money makes me significantly less interested.
A few years back, I started a league predominantly for my gaming group (which already does a decent amount of trash-talking). And, much like Daniel Okrent, who invented Rotisserie League Baseball, I've yet to win my league.
I've always been competitive, to be sure. Through the first three years, my overall record (including playoffs) was 32-15, but my play in the regular season has been stellar (29-12). By comparison, the second-best regular season record since the start of the league is 21-19-1 or 15-12, depending on which you consider better). Throughout the league, including my mediocre playoff record of 3-3, my "point differential" is 14.0, second-best is 9.1 (and of the 13 players in the league, only 6 have a positive differential).
My week typically progresses as follows. Tuesday morning, the extremely erroneous projections for the week's games come out on ESPN, which begins my week with false hope. Thursday morning, any waiver pickups are awarded to the teams that claimed players. Sunday, around 12-noon, I start checking every source of information I can find to ensure my players are healthy and playing.
By 2pm, I've normally used up every curse word I know. By 3pm, I've invented a few new ones. By 4pm-ish, when the first games are over, I'm reassessing my chances; trying to determine the feasibility of still puling out a win for the week. By 7:30pm, when the second games are over, I'm typically nauseous, as all my computations earlier are being shattered, and by Monday morning, with one game to go in the week, I've either sworn off the league, or I'm clinging to the smallest of hopes.
And yet, each week, I repeat the pattern; even as I've sworn to not care anymore.
Interestingly, I rarely actually WATCH the games; as that would be too stressful. Instead, I'll follow along on the live-scoreboard on my league's page. And, I've continued to resist any pleas from the group to bring a money aspect into the league -- I already see my blood pressure increase while playing for free; I'd probably just self-combust if money were involved.And, as it nears 2pm, I realize I need to get myself primed for cursing mode. Luckily, I just checked, and I'm already trailing by 7 (and my opponent's running back has already rushed for 60 yards and 2 TDs in the first 20 minutes of the game, while my QB (playing in the same game) has thrown for an embarrassing 14 yards). The RB was projected for 17 points - he has 20 already; and my QB was projected for 19 and he has 0. Of course, the good folks at ESPN still have me projected to win by 22 points (primarily because, there's no way to re-configure the projections to account for their monumental mistakes in projections earlier (and, so, they continue to insist that their projections are legitimate -- and, *I'm* the one that can't find a job...)).
And, there's another point, and my deficit grows a little deeper. I can already tell it's gonna be one of those weeks. Sonofa****************
Saturday, November 6, 2010
How to Stay Upbeat (Positivity Breeds Positivity)
This is the second time in my adult life I've been unemployed (the first was after 9/11). In both cases, I've learned that it's imperative to get past the "misery" of being unemployed, and to celebrate the things to still be thankful for.
Mind you, this doesn't mean "accepting" or -- worse yet -- celebrating unemployment. It does mean that it's important to enjoy the rest of life; even if it means just taking your mind off the situation.
So - the first time I was unemployed, I hid. I hibernated and became reclusive, and spent nearly no time 'living' -- instead, I just looked for work; as many hours a day as I was able. Eventually, I was able to see past my own misery -- I started doing things with friends again; created my boardgaming group, and -- lo and behold -- two months later, I was gainfully employed.
This time around, I vowed to not fall into the same trap. I try hard to stay upbeat. Each time I send out a resume, I think to myself that *this* could be the job I'll eventually get. Sometimes I get the call; sometimes I don't. I try very hard to stay optimistic and positive, in hopes that my positivity will lead to something good.
And, I make it a point to do more things with friends -- including, shockingly (for those who know me) -- even reconnecting with friends from high school and fellow job-seekers; as I know that my conviction to 'continue living' only enhances my chance of landing a position.
However, this also puts an unfair amount of 'pressure' on those around me. For example, I look more forward to my interactions with friends than I normally would -- since that's a release for me. And, sometimes, those plans don't happen. And, in this case, being married is a double-edged sword. Yes, my wife is almost certainly the single-biggest support system I could ask for; yet, my very unemployment is clearly the source of an awful lot of unhappiness in her/our lives, and I'm aware that, it's something that *I* have caused.
For example, earlier today, she observed, not altogether whimsically; but not despondent either, that -- since we've been married -- her/our lives have been one piece of bad news after another -- I've been laid off twice; she's nearly died three times; we found we were unable to have children; we looked/are looking into adoption (but, advertising takes money -- money we don't have -- so, consequently, our window of opportunity is ever-so-slowly dwindling there, as well).
So, it can be difficult to stay upbeat -- several of my unmarried friends are envious of me, since I have such a fervent supporter; but, simultaneously, each day is a reminder of the impact my unemployment takes on our lives. We're (thankfully) not at the point where we're unable to pay bills, etc.; but we're certainly on more of an austerity budget - we don't just "go to the movies" or "go out to eat," etc...
But I try not to let it get me down -- and, I'm still confident (perhaps foolishly so) that I'll land something any day now... Positivity breeds positivity.
Mind you, this doesn't mean "accepting" or -- worse yet -- celebrating unemployment. It does mean that it's important to enjoy the rest of life; even if it means just taking your mind off the situation.
So - the first time I was unemployed, I hid. I hibernated and became reclusive, and spent nearly no time 'living' -- instead, I just looked for work; as many hours a day as I was able. Eventually, I was able to see past my own misery -- I started doing things with friends again; created my boardgaming group, and -- lo and behold -- two months later, I was gainfully employed.
This time around, I vowed to not fall into the same trap. I try hard to stay upbeat. Each time I send out a resume, I think to myself that *this* could be the job I'll eventually get. Sometimes I get the call; sometimes I don't. I try very hard to stay optimistic and positive, in hopes that my positivity will lead to something good.
And, I make it a point to do more things with friends -- including, shockingly (for those who know me) -- even reconnecting with friends from high school and fellow job-seekers; as I know that my conviction to 'continue living' only enhances my chance of landing a position.
However, this also puts an unfair amount of 'pressure' on those around me. For example, I look more forward to my interactions with friends than I normally would -- since that's a release for me. And, sometimes, those plans don't happen. And, in this case, being married is a double-edged sword. Yes, my wife is almost certainly the single-biggest support system I could ask for; yet, my very unemployment is clearly the source of an awful lot of unhappiness in her/our lives, and I'm aware that, it's something that *I* have caused.
For example, earlier today, she observed, not altogether whimsically; but not despondent either, that -- since we've been married -- her/our lives have been one piece of bad news after another -- I've been laid off twice; she's nearly died three times; we found we were unable to have children; we looked/are looking into adoption (but, advertising takes money -- money we don't have -- so, consequently, our window of opportunity is ever-so-slowly dwindling there, as well).
So, it can be difficult to stay upbeat -- several of my unmarried friends are envious of me, since I have such a fervent supporter; but, simultaneously, each day is a reminder of the impact my unemployment takes on our lives. We're (thankfully) not at the point where we're unable to pay bills, etc.; but we're certainly on more of an austerity budget - we don't just "go to the movies" or "go out to eat," etc...
But I try not to let it get me down -- and, I'm still confident (perhaps foolishly so) that I'll land something any day now... Positivity breeds positivity.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Is Facebook Killing the Blog?
While it's popular to think that Facebook started the whole "social media" movement, it's also incredibly untrue. In fact, it's far more likely that the blog was the first form of social media -- it signaled a change from static, one-way communication to a more fluid conversation that took place online.
However, with the rise in popularity of Facebook, are blogs now completely passe?
Like many, I use Facebook to broadcast details of my life -- including, obviously, when I make new posts here on my blog. Invariably, people choose to comment not here on the blog; but back on Facebook; even though they, clearly, have to visit the blog to view the post.
Why is that? Is it that the blog isn't nearly as graphically pleasing as Facebook (and thus, the thought of leaving a comment here is less satisfying that leaving one on Facebook)? Is it that the people don't think I'll see it here (I do, rest assured)? Is it a selfish thing -- I think it's significantly easier these days to start building up a Facebook network than it is to build a blog following -- perhaps those leaving comments want the maximum exposure to their contributions; and Facebook probably offers that.
Is this signaling the end of the blog? For a period of time, new blogs were being created at insane paces. Now, it's just as easy to write a Facebook "note" and share it with your network. And, if the content is good, perhaps that network shares the "note" with their networks, and you build up your following equally as fast. Are there really any drawbacks?
So, is Facebook killing the blog? And -- perhaps more importantly -- is it really a worthy successor?
However, with the rise in popularity of Facebook, are blogs now completely passe?
Like many, I use Facebook to broadcast details of my life -- including, obviously, when I make new posts here on my blog. Invariably, people choose to comment not here on the blog; but back on Facebook; even though they, clearly, have to visit the blog to view the post.
Why is that? Is it that the blog isn't nearly as graphically pleasing as Facebook (and thus, the thought of leaving a comment here is less satisfying that leaving one on Facebook)? Is it that the people don't think I'll see it here (I do, rest assured)? Is it a selfish thing -- I think it's significantly easier these days to start building up a Facebook network than it is to build a blog following -- perhaps those leaving comments want the maximum exposure to their contributions; and Facebook probably offers that.
Is this signaling the end of the blog? For a period of time, new blogs were being created at insane paces. Now, it's just as easy to write a Facebook "note" and share it with your network. And, if the content is good, perhaps that network shares the "note" with their networks, and you build up your following equally as fast. Are there really any drawbacks?
So, is Facebook killing the blog? And -- perhaps more importantly -- is it really a worthy successor?
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Why is it So Hard to Get Feedback?
Some of you may know that I've been out of work for a while now. I've been extremely lucky to have a number of interviews, thought; but still no offers. In some instances, I've made it pretty far in the interview process, only to come up short.
I try to learn from experiences, but it's not always easy. On those occasions where I've had face-to-face interviews that I thought went well, and didn't get the job, I'll typically ask the hiring manager what the differing factors were, so that I could better prepare the next time.
In nearly every case, my request is met with absolute silence.
I know the concern over lawsuits and discrimination; but - honestly, is it really that difficult to find a reason that is actually legitimate? Hell - even it it's just the "more experience" copout. Frankly, though, when silence is the only response, it leaves me with the impression that there WAS discrimination involved.
It's especially frustrating for me, as I'm putting forth a real effort to get a job (and, actually most people I *know* that are out of work are doing that, as well; but I know there are many out there who aren't looking nearly as hard as I am). If I'm asking for ways I can improve for future interviews, my interest is genuine.
Alas, I don't see the practice changing anytime soon. I think the fear of litigation is so prevalent that straightforward, honest responses aren't on the horizon. And, that's a shame for everyone.
I try to learn from experiences, but it's not always easy. On those occasions where I've had face-to-face interviews that I thought went well, and didn't get the job, I'll typically ask the hiring manager what the differing factors were, so that I could better prepare the next time.
In nearly every case, my request is met with absolute silence.
I know the concern over lawsuits and discrimination; but - honestly, is it really that difficult to find a reason that is actually legitimate? Hell - even it it's just the "more experience" copout. Frankly, though, when silence is the only response, it leaves me with the impression that there WAS discrimination involved.
It's especially frustrating for me, as I'm putting forth a real effort to get a job (and, actually most people I *know* that are out of work are doing that, as well; but I know there are many out there who aren't looking nearly as hard as I am). If I'm asking for ways I can improve for future interviews, my interest is genuine.
Alas, I don't see the practice changing anytime soon. I think the fear of litigation is so prevalent that straightforward, honest responses aren't on the horizon. And, that's a shame for everyone.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The Wave of Creativity in Books/TV/Movies
As I've mentioned before, I've been doing an awful lot of research on creativity and the way it's handled in various forms of entertainment (and, even more specifically, how it can be handled within written works/books).
There are two movies I've seen recently that really caused me to look at the way "twists" are handled within written works: Shutter Island and Cloverfield. I don't mean to give away spoilers, per se, here, but some may inadvertantly come out.
We'll start with Shutter Island, which definitely has a 'twist' (not necessarily a twist ending, but certainly enough of a twist to have kept the audience guessing for a good portion of the movie). Of course, after the movie was first released, there were a number of people that said, "oh, I saw the twist all along." Certainly, watching the movie a second time, while knowing the twist, creates a completely different perception of the movie.
The problem I have is while I can see how effective this works in a film (or TV) setting, it's very hard for me to see how this can be pulled off in a written piece (thankfully, this *can* be discovered -- the movie is based on a novel written by Dennis Lehane).
Cloverfield was an extremely hyped movie produced by JJ Abrams, who also produced the TV series Lost. Lost is almost certainly the single most analyzed television show of all time (and, I could easily spend a full month just recapping that. Cloverfield, on its own, is an average monster movie (in the vein of Godzilla, Mothra, etc.). I watched Cloverfield and it had its share of "jumps" and scares; but overall, it was (by my perception) just an interesting way to tell a story (through a camcorder).
As I've become quite fond of doing, though, I began looking up information about the film online -- it helps that I saw the film two years after its release -- and, I found a wealth of 'secrets': secret logos (that actually trace back to the show Lost) in the movie. Secret single frames of old monster movies spliced into the film; and, of course, the 'secret' that the ending supposedly showed.
And, when you start poking around, you can see how incredible the efforts to create a well-rounded experience were -- from setting up phantom websites and showing the 'history' of the companies involved; suddenly, what was a fairly average 80-minute thrillfest, becomes a fully fleshed out experience - and the movie is just a small blip on the entire timeline.
This, to me, is a sign of the times -- it's so much easier, these days, to set up websites and other multi-media experiences, which allow the most fervent fans to be quasi-detectives, finding their own pieces to the puzzle. And, more than anything, I find myself both drawn to that style of creativity; even if I can't fathom how to pull it off in the written format (same with Lost -- the numerous flashbacks and flashforwards -- how do you pull that off?).
And, for people that think "oh, in a TV series, you can make stuff up as you go along," I'll offer the following (which will only make sense for people who have seen the show): The season 3 finale shows a scene (Kate & Jack at the airport). The season 4 finale shows the same scene, but, continues the scene beyond what was included in season 3. Since, it looks as though it's all part of the same shoot, this meant the creators had to shoot the full shot, then, decide, "ok, let's cut it here, for season 3, and then, hold the full scene for the season finale A FULL YEAR FROM NOW." That takes a lot more planning than, for example, establishing a story arc for a full season of "Two and a Half Men."
Back to Cloverfield -- as a friend of mine said, "it's wag the dog -- when the marketing outweighs the movie, you've lost my attention."
On one Rotten Tomatoes forum, a great exchange took place that seemed to effectively illustrate the mindsets of the two camps.
"I remember when people went to movies to be entertained instead, and didn't have to study a viral marketing campaign to learn half of the plot. Those were good days."
"I remember a day when people didn't always expect everything to be fed to them on a silver platter, because people actually gave things their own thought rather than the mindless drivel we see in theatre's today that we'd all like to call "movies"."
"..So... outlining a story and giving information through storytelling is feeding your audience something on a silver platter? How silly of me! I thought that's what scripting was for. Man. Someone needs to go to those film schools and tell those guys they're going about it all wrong. Who needs scripts when we can spend a few hours on the internet piecing together a puzzle before a cryptic movie with about 10 minutes worth of palatable footage will come out?"
Which camp are you in? Is intricate planning the wave of the future? Or, are we destined to return to TV shows and movies that "are what they are" with no twists and no need to research anything before or after the event itself?
There are two movies I've seen recently that really caused me to look at the way "twists" are handled within written works: Shutter Island and Cloverfield. I don't mean to give away spoilers, per se, here, but some may inadvertantly come out.
We'll start with Shutter Island, which definitely has a 'twist' (not necessarily a twist ending, but certainly enough of a twist to have kept the audience guessing for a good portion of the movie). Of course, after the movie was first released, there were a number of people that said, "oh, I saw the twist all along." Certainly, watching the movie a second time, while knowing the twist, creates a completely different perception of the movie.
The problem I have is while I can see how effective this works in a film (or TV) setting, it's very hard for me to see how this can be pulled off in a written piece (thankfully, this *can* be discovered -- the movie is based on a novel written by Dennis Lehane).
Cloverfield was an extremely hyped movie produced by JJ Abrams, who also produced the TV series Lost. Lost is almost certainly the single most analyzed television show of all time (and, I could easily spend a full month just recapping that. Cloverfield, on its own, is an average monster movie (in the vein of Godzilla, Mothra, etc.). I watched Cloverfield and it had its share of "jumps" and scares; but overall, it was (by my perception) just an interesting way to tell a story (through a camcorder).
As I've become quite fond of doing, though, I began looking up information about the film online -- it helps that I saw the film two years after its release -- and, I found a wealth of 'secrets': secret logos (that actually trace back to the show Lost) in the movie. Secret single frames of old monster movies spliced into the film; and, of course, the 'secret' that the ending supposedly showed.
And, when you start poking around, you can see how incredible the efforts to create a well-rounded experience were -- from setting up phantom websites and showing the 'history' of the companies involved; suddenly, what was a fairly average 80-minute thrillfest, becomes a fully fleshed out experience - and the movie is just a small blip on the entire timeline.
This, to me, is a sign of the times -- it's so much easier, these days, to set up websites and other multi-media experiences, which allow the most fervent fans to be quasi-detectives, finding their own pieces to the puzzle. And, more than anything, I find myself both drawn to that style of creativity; even if I can't fathom how to pull it off in the written format (same with Lost -- the numerous flashbacks and flashforwards -- how do you pull that off?).
And, for people that think "oh, in a TV series, you can make stuff up as you go along," I'll offer the following (which will only make sense for people who have seen the show): The season 3 finale shows a scene (Kate & Jack at the airport). The season 4 finale shows the same scene, but, continues the scene beyond what was included in season 3. Since, it looks as though it's all part of the same shoot, this meant the creators had to shoot the full shot, then, decide, "ok, let's cut it here, for season 3, and then, hold the full scene for the season finale A FULL YEAR FROM NOW." That takes a lot more planning than, for example, establishing a story arc for a full season of "Two and a Half Men."
Back to Cloverfield -- as a friend of mine said, "it's wag the dog -- when the marketing outweighs the movie, you've lost my attention."
On one Rotten Tomatoes forum, a great exchange took place that seemed to effectively illustrate the mindsets of the two camps.
"I remember when people went to movies to be entertained instead, and didn't have to study a viral marketing campaign to learn half of the plot. Those were good days."
"I remember a day when people didn't always expect everything to be fed to them on a silver platter, because people actually gave things their own thought rather than the mindless drivel we see in theatre's today that we'd all like to call "movies"."
"..So... outlining a story and giving information through storytelling is feeding your audience something on a silver platter? How silly of me! I thought that's what scripting was for. Man. Someone needs to go to those film schools and tell those guys they're going about it all wrong. Who needs scripts when we can spend a few hours on the internet piecing together a puzzle before a cryptic movie with about 10 minutes worth of palatable footage will come out?"
Which camp are you in? Is intricate planning the wave of the future? Or, are we destined to return to TV shows and movies that "are what they are" with no twists and no need to research anything before or after the event itself?
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
How did "My Name Is Earl" get so prophetic?
More recently, I've found myself living the mantra of "My Name is Earl"; namely - do good things and good things will happen to you.
I can't say I've always lived this way - I've never been one to actively be mean-spirited to people; but I've also not gone out of my way for others, usually. I've really perfected the ostrich approach to life -- head in the sand, and it's not actually happening.
But, as I continue through my journey to finding a new place of employ, I've come to realize that, perhaps, Earl had it right.
So, I've already led two presentations for my jobseeking group (one on using RSS feeds to aid a job search; and one on blogging (how to set one up, etc.), and I'm repeating my RSS feeds presentation in two weeks). I've helped a few other people land jobs -- in some cases, by providing them with information to help them ace interviews; and in other cases, by helping them revamp their resume.
I've always tried to be helpful with computer issues; this week, I already have plans to overhaul one friend's computer; and I'll probably do some extensive work on another friend's next week. And, even more recently, I've become an even better friend, I guess -- talking with friends about all sorts of personal matters and issues befalling them.
Some of this, no doubt, is maturity. Some is genuine concern/care for my friends. And, some of it may be my subscribing to the "do good things" mantra I mentioned above. And, maybe, as one friend alluded to, today, I do it because it helps take my attention off my own issues. That's certainly a possibility, as well.
But, mostly, I'm gonna go with the concept that I'm building karma. As I help others to do more effective job searches with better resumes; and I gain a small sense of accomplishment of helping people through their issues, I can only help I'm building credit in the karma bank; and that -- someday -- I'll be able to collect.
I can't say I've always lived this way - I've never been one to actively be mean-spirited to people; but I've also not gone out of my way for others, usually. I've really perfected the ostrich approach to life -- head in the sand, and it's not actually happening.
But, as I continue through my journey to finding a new place of employ, I've come to realize that, perhaps, Earl had it right.
So, I've already led two presentations for my jobseeking group (one on using RSS feeds to aid a job search; and one on blogging (how to set one up, etc.), and I'm repeating my RSS feeds presentation in two weeks). I've helped a few other people land jobs -- in some cases, by providing them with information to help them ace interviews; and in other cases, by helping them revamp their resume.
I've always tried to be helpful with computer issues; this week, I already have plans to overhaul one friend's computer; and I'll probably do some extensive work on another friend's next week. And, even more recently, I've become an even better friend, I guess -- talking with friends about all sorts of personal matters and issues befalling them.
Some of this, no doubt, is maturity. Some is genuine concern/care for my friends. And, some of it may be my subscribing to the "do good things" mantra I mentioned above. And, maybe, as one friend alluded to, today, I do it because it helps take my attention off my own issues. That's certainly a possibility, as well.
But, mostly, I'm gonna go with the concept that I'm building karma. As I help others to do more effective job searches with better resumes; and I gain a small sense of accomplishment of helping people through their issues, I can only help I'm building credit in the karma bank; and that -- someday -- I'll be able to collect.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Why NaNoWriMo is a NoNo for me this year
Every November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and there's a full website dedicated to the 'contest' (where the only prize, of course, is completing your novel -- a pretty good prize!)
I seriously considered participating this year. After all, I'm not working. Conceivably, I should have more free time than any other period in my life. And, while that's true, I'm lacking structure (which I find refreshing, personally).
So, my commitment to NaNoWriMo lasted about 6 hours. More glaring than the lack of structure was, quite frankly, a lack of ideas. I didn't want to sit at a computer with ZERO ideas.
So, I also learned that November is National Blog Posting Month (and, again, there's a website. What *isn't* there a website for these days?). This, I can do (I think), and it will condition me to begin writing again, on an every-day basis.
But, I don't want to give up on NaNoWriMo entirely, so, I'm planning on doing some real idea-searching in the month of November (and probably December), and make writing something significant a real goal. I'll certainly be posting about that process this month, for sure (I already have a few ideas for the next few days' posts, coming up...)
Wish me luck! (and remember, you can get automatic updates each day, when I post -- which SHOULD be every day this month!)
I seriously considered participating this year. After all, I'm not working. Conceivably, I should have more free time than any other period in my life. And, while that's true, I'm lacking structure (which I find refreshing, personally).
So, my commitment to NaNoWriMo lasted about 6 hours. More glaring than the lack of structure was, quite frankly, a lack of ideas. I didn't want to sit at a computer with ZERO ideas.
So, I also learned that November is National Blog Posting Month (and, again, there's a website. What *isn't* there a website for these days?). This, I can do (I think), and it will condition me to begin writing again, on an every-day basis.
But, I don't want to give up on NaNoWriMo entirely, so, I'm planning on doing some real idea-searching in the month of November (and probably December), and make writing something significant a real goal. I'll certainly be posting about that process this month, for sure (I already have a few ideas for the next few days' posts, coming up...)
Wish me luck! (and remember, you can get automatic updates each day, when I post -- which SHOULD be every day this month!)
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