Like Deer Staring into the Headlights
While news reports still won't use the word depression to label the economic picture for America, we have the symptoms of a depression. 70% of American homeowners are at risk of foreclosure.
GM lost $15 billion in sales because people stopped buying trucks and SUVs in the first two quarters of 2008. The airline industry is laying off employees and
Starbucks will close 3,000 outlets. With optimism and a plan, we can swing this period to our advantage. It takes a good mind to be optimistic and formulate a plan. The question is how many of us have "good minds"....and if we don't have one, can we develop "good minds."
There was a job fair at the New York Hilton, July 31, that was an eye-opener into the psyche of some New Yorkers. It was billed TechExpo in certain circles but for the most part it was the Diversity Fair. Women and men of various ages, religions and ethnicities were there. The table under observation was
Web Grrls International. Unlike the other exhibitors,
Web Grrls is a membership organization for women involved in technology and the Internet for personal or professional reasons. Members can meet face-to-face or connect online. Due to the high volume of job-seekers to the table, the display card had the following handwritten message: "We Aren't An Employer And Have No Jobs." Obviously people didn't notice the sign because they came to the table and attempted to leave resumes on it. People were leaving resumes without a discussion.
Looking at the growing crowd, you saw job seekers in jeans, evening wear, heavy jewelry, tie-less, jacket-less and, unfortunately clue-less. Too many job seekers didn't know what they wanted to do. They couldn't explain what interest them. They were like deer staring into the headlights of a car. Hey, didn't anyone tell them how to dress for success, discover their passion or how to strike up a conversation? One recent journalism grad from
Hofstra University didn't want to learn to blog because she'd be in competition with newspapers. Didn't
Hofstra's journalism professors tell her about social media, RSS feeds, podcasting, blogging, Nexis Lexis, or search engines? Didn't this fresh-faced grad know that the
New York Times' Web site is one of the most popular in the world?
Another Indo-Asian gent came to the
Web Grrls table and wanted to know what it was all about. Once told it was a membership organization for women involved in technology and the Internet, however men may join, he wanted to know how the organization made money. Would you believe that a membership organization's revenue base would consist of event tickets and membership dues? This gent couldn't accept this; it had to be more complex.
In these economic times people have to study trends to uncover the jobs in demand, know what's their passion, and how to best present themselves. The number of people that didn't have a clue could have images of roadkill along a US interstate highway dance in a smarter person's head. Americans have too many online tools and resources to be clue-less and hope someone in human resources will find something for them to do. Human resource professionals have benefits, trainings, grievances and payroll to handle to make the time to tell someone what his passion is. Can you imagine what may have run through the minds of the recruiters at this Diversity Fair?
Labels: cashless society, job fairs, job search, New York City, technology, US economy, Web Grrls International
the Grave Yard
The Grave Yard is the first computer game that I downloaded. It's very reflective rather than action packed or goal-oriented. The setting is a cemetery within a busy city. Everything is so grey. Just shades of gray in the grave yard. The street sounds are clear and the moving clouds really evoke a real world experience.
Auriea Harvey and
Michael Samyn must have overdosed on
Stephen King's novels when they dreamed this game. The game, based on the trial version, seems appropriate for an adult audience. Maybe some Goths would have the head for it. It may serve as a great lesson for a humanities or gerontology class. The class can ponder questions like, "Is life worth living after 50?" "What do you do when you're the only one left?" "Must old age be a time only for wrinkles, creaks, pains and memories?"
The long and short of it is that a player walks the old lady to a seat within the cemetery. She walks with a cane and needs many resting spells before she gets to the stone seat.
Once you seat her, a song comes on which reveals the thoughts in her mind. In fact, her face is superimposed over her seated self to suggest an introspective moment. She thinks of all the folks who've passed. She mentions the cause of death for each one. Once complete with her musing, it's time to walk her out of the cemetery. Remember, it takes time because she needs her rest spots.
The trial version is the one that I downloaded; I wasn't willing to get the the full blown edition. There are options in that play wherein the old lady can die.
Unfortunately, "death be not proud for so many of us" and aging graciously is rarely granted in the post industrial society.
Granny's face is craggy. Her back is bent and her gait is slanted. Does old age really have to be so depressing? After "playing," the Grave Yard, I got up to do exercises until I got warm and slightly winded.
The last time Granny and I were together, she decided she didn't want to be so morbid. She took several steps forward and then reeled herself around. She liked that so much, she reeled herself around in the other direction. Soon Granny was dancing. Yes, my Granny was dancing in the grave yard. Before she got to the gates, she noticed a pathway and wanted to take a look but animation has boundaries. So Granny, did an about face and headed to the gate. All the dancing and peering got her little dizzy. She nearly walked into the gate but, I got her straghtened out before any collision.
No, that particular day Granny chose to listen to the chirping birds and meet the busy city life. Maybe a little psyllium husk and gotu kola would get her going.
Labels: auriea harvey, cashless society, computer games, death, media, michael samyn, old age, technology, The Grave Yard
GossipGirl, Revealed
Last night was the first time I saw
GossipGirl. I got pulled into the mix of blogging, mobile life and decadence. It was quite by accident. When I do watch TV on Mondays, it seems that it's "How I Met Your Mother" that I'll get comfortable with. CBS has this irrestible folksy-charm formula that still works on me. CBS has been using it for decades.
I actually don't know what day "How I Met Your Mom" comes on. Last night's channel surfing ruled out "Gladiators," "Antique Roadshow" and 'Your Mother.'
About GossipGirl, it slipped through the radar. September 2007 was its first season and last night was a special episode called GossipGirl Revealed. The title is meant to draw regulars in because the big thing about the show is noone knows who's GossipGirl. The characters check into her blog throughout the day but can't figure out is she one of them or is she a terrific spy. She shoots candid closeups and her entries sound so familiar.
The January 28 airing of GossipGirl Revealed introduced me to Serena van der Woodsen, Chuck Bass, Blair Waldorf, Dan Humpfrey, Rufus Humpfrey and Lily van der Woodsen. While it's the usual night time soap escapades, the parents--Rufus and Lily--look great. They're examples of what it is to be glorious 40--give or take emotional depth. Blair, the brunette, has the usual insecurity around blonde Serena. When will media ever get off these stereotypes? Blondes don't have more fun than other hair colors.
Being the techhead that I am, I did a search on GossipGirl to find out there are a series of nine teen novels written by
Cecily von Ziegesar. Folks can't seem to get enough of these rich brats. A visit to CW 11-TV's Web site brought me to some great high tech fun. You can watch full episodes online by Saturday. 'Live the Life' let's your avatar experience the cushy, decadent life of the upper eastside. There are so many ways that CW 11 and series sponsors sell product. You learn what makeup is used and how to apply it; Old Navy has branded this entertainment and the featured music is downloaded from this Web site.
Keeping it real and concerned, global warming reduction tips are sponsored by
Free 2 Be Green and to counter all the sex in the show,
Stay Teen.org, a teen pregnancy prevention cause has a button and short video on the site.
Tip: Anyone who fancies herself a sho 'nuff videographer ought to log onto CW 11's site and craft a video using
CW Lab, using mash ups. Video duration is 30 minutes. Hey you never know; that's how careers get started.
Labels: cashless society, GossipGirl, media, technology, XLXO
Organic, Auction or Guerrilla?
After reading a few articles by Dave Pasternak, Kevin Lee and Mark Simon--all executives with Did-It--it sounds as if search engine marketing is over the heads of the average business professional. After all it is advertising on search engines. If search engines have particular algorithms that guide them that must mean you need to know programming or statistics to make intelligent moves.
Kevin Lee writes in "It's 10 PM Do You Know Where Your Brand Is?", "...advertisers don't want to find their advertising on a site that's espousing a point of view that doesn't fit the mainstream..."
Dave Pasternak says, "The field is highly competitive and [there's] difficulty in succeeding with search," in his December 26, 2007 DMNews article.
Could it be that an advertiser has to follow the
Chinese Restaurant Model of Advertising? This model was used by America Online a 15 years ago and now is called guerilla and virile marketing. Chinese restaurants--without PC or Mac--know that their menus have to be distributed thickly within the territory they're willing to deliver. Shouldn't new and existing merchandisers do the same but cyber powered?
Of course, they should.
Pasternak recommends hiring a good agency and cautions that campaign automation tools to do it in-house are the diluted versions of what an agency uses in house (That's similar to the beef about hair care products used in salons vs. the same brand sold through retailers). Use them in good faith and know distributing postcards with your website prominently displayed by email, snail mail and P2P have to be in the mix.
Labels: cashless society, PR, search engine advertising, SEM, SEO, technology, virile marketing
Is Cramping That Bad?
There are TV ads for a new contraceptive pill that reduces menstruation to four periods a year. This pill is called Seasonique. Maybe the name indicates that a consumer only bleeds with the change of the seasons. The ad features one woman who pleases both her emotional side, dressed in jeans and a gorgeous empire waist blouse, and her logical side, dressed in office attire.
The sides of this lady are satisfied in knowing that they have an effective contraceptive and fewer bleeding episodes. This is 2007, not 1977. There's a HIV/AIDS pandemic going around and this lady is dealing with a product that doesn't protect her from HIV/AIDS, vaginal infections and STDs. Sometimes this ad runs with another ad about a pill that counters a virus--papilloma?--that's presently associated with cervical cancer. Just what are advertisers and the pharmaceutical industry saying to women? I say it's a confused and lethal message. On one hand, you have something that allows unprotected sex. On the other, there's something that deals with the lethal affect of unprotected sex. Of course, the ads must include side effect information. The side effects are worse than the bloating and cramping that can occur with menstruation. Do you really want to deal with high or low blood pressure, dizziness, nausea or headaches for the sake of some moments of pleasure? Aren't there alternatives out there?
If you're willing to give up dairy, you'll soon notice that the cramping and backaches that you had during menstruation go away. If you're willing to drastically reduce your sugar and corn syrup intake, you'll notice that headaches and irritability go away. This is not just for "that time of the month" but everyday. Things that had your emotions run amok, don't trigger strong emotional reactions anymore. Isn't that terrific? Instead of dreading your monthly friend's visit, you'll be laughing with her. You'll be a
woman in her flowers, a
sister with ase.
About preventing pregnancy, women just have to get with the program. Men have to put on the condom or you put the condom on them. Men who balk about not getting "that sweet feeling" have to grow up to the responsibility of fatherhood.
Sex = Pregnacy. There's no getting around it. In this era of "friends with benefits", "associates", "jump-offs" and "hook-ups", eat your fruits and vegetables to cultivate a level head, slim body and regularity. Keep the condoms and love gloves around because, right now,
it's nothing but a passin' thang.
Labels: cashless society, casual sex, contraceptives, jump off, media, menstruation, Seasonique
Life Takes Anything--It's Visa That's The Kicker
When I see the Visa Check Card commercials, my warning antennae go up and flutter furiously. They are masterfully staged and choreographed. The film and lighting brings out the most brilliant notes of color from the food, beverage, merchandise and retail outlet fixtures. The music calls to mind Looney Tune cartoons of the 40's and 50's. The music evokes industry and efficiency. There is one called "Garden Store." Life is so perfect that water hoses shoot the water up in the air, the water arcs and lands precisely in the awaiting flower pots. Potted plant buyers whisk pass the lady at the debit/credit processing box. Life is as it should be: the consumers make purchases and the retailer rakes it in.
Everything runs a-foul when a consumer tries to pay other than with the Visa Check Card. In the "Garden Store" ad when a lady begins to write a check, the flowers wilt in their pots. The ad entitled, "The One with The Cash" has something like a multi-car pile up, except its humans holding food-ladened trays. Once, the odd cash carrying customer receives his change, the scene returns to normalcy--food selected, card swiped and bank account charged. There's a pizza store in the Fulton Mall, off of Adam Street in downtown Brooklyn that operates similarly during lunch time but they still accept cash. There's one worker whose job it is to bang his hand on the counter and cry "Next!"
What concerns me is the emergence of the cashless society. Many science fiction shows of the 70's and 80's have treated the subject. The cashless society is on the cusp and society still doesn't have a grip on identity theft, computer hacking or system crashes. Heaven forbid a transnational corporation relied on Windows or Vista for its total network. The Visa Check Card advertisements states, "Life takes faster money. Life takes Visa." With computer glitches and compromises around, perhaps we should slow down.
Earlier this morning, a colleague experienced such a glitch. Mirielle Massac, PR Director for Child Development Support Corporation, thought she had reserved a U Haul truck the night before. She walks into the local U Haul center to pick up the truck. They had no record of the order. Massac had called just after they closed and so her call was bounced from the local retailer's phone number to the central call center. She gave her name and credit card number. U Haul gave her a confirmation number. It's good that she wrote the number down. She had to retrieve it to use it as proof for the U Haul center down the street.
Can you imagine how frequently such incidents would occur if, people actually fell into plastic dependency? Imagine a time where there are no greenbacks and checks--just electronic money and online account statements. Yes, I grew up on "Night Gallery", "The Outer Limits" and "Twilight Zone". I also see occasionally 48 Hours, 60 Minutes and Dateline. Me? I say, "Let the cashier do his work." Life is at your pace.
Labels: cashless society, computer, credit card, debit card, network failures, Visa, Visa Check Card
