You know its time to quit your job when...
In the the past I have written about being part of the solution, not part of the problem. ( See A High-Tech Manifesto, Oct 17, 2003 and In the end..., March 1, 2002) If you are working for a company that is doing something illegal or unethical, then you are definitely part of problem. Below is a perfect example. If you EVER find yourself writing or speaking words like this, do everyone a favor and find another job. The gall of someone explaining away a situation that was purposefully meant to deceive was just a misunderstanding is absolutely ludicrous. This is the height of disingenuous speech. Lying makes me angry. Lying on top of a lie makes me crazy. And yet, there is so much double-speak like this everywhere you go. (
from Merriam-Webster Online: dis-in-gen-u-ous: lacking in candor; also : giving a false appearance of simple frankness : CALCULATING) Somewhere, somehow, someone at Kraft decided that they would shade the truth in order to make a bit more profit. Now that they've been caught, they put the VP on the firing line to somehow explain that black is white and white is black, the sun rises in the west and pigs have wings. This is simply the end product of a corporate world where everything is fair game when in search of profits and if you, as an employee continue to support that world then I have no sympathy for you. At that point, you are participating in your own downfall. Get out now, before your ethics and sense of fair play get corrupted any farther. How do you teach your children not to lie or shade the truth when you spend your days making up excuses like this for your corporation? What say you? Give me your comments using the link below! I'm sure you've read or heard the news by now about the woman who's suing Kraft because it turns out the company's guacamole dip contains virtually no avocados:
The guacamole sold by Kraft Foods Inc., one of the bestselling avocado dips in the nation, includes modified food starch, hefty amounts of coconut and soybean oils, and a dose of food coloring. The dip contains precious little avocado, but many customers mistake it for wholly guacamole...
Kraft and other food companies said they weren't deceiving customers by skimping on the avocado. A Kraft spokeswoman said most people understood that guacamole was part of the company's line of flavored dips.
"We think customers understand that it isn't made from avocado," said Claire Regan, Kraft Foods' vice president of corporate affairs. "All of the ingredients are listed on the label for consumers to reference."
Nonetheless, Kraft is relabeling the product, which could not be found during a random check of six Southern California supermarkets this week.
Regan said the company was changing its label to make it clearer that it was selling guacamole-flavored dip. She said she was not familiar with the lawsuit.
(Via Franklin Avenue.) Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, ethics
Listen to Career Opportunities via Cell Phone
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Elsewhere Online: Scott H Young: Nine Steps Towards a More Interesting Life
I hit a few of these steps in my daily life, but as with anything, I could always be doing more. You don't need to kill yourself to try and do everything, but articles like this are a good reminder of what you should be looking for as you move through each day. Being open to your world and new opportunities is the best way to have the best day possible.
Scott H Young: Nine Steps Towards a More Interesting Life
(Via del.icio.us/merlinmann.)
Technorati Tags: howto, how-to, career, job, jobs, work, workplace
Holiday Gift Guide #7 - Targus PA241U Podium Coolpad
Elsewhere Online: 21 Ways to Lose Your Younger Employees
Oh my, I have dealt with some of these personally, and they are, indeed, pernicious. It is hard enough being a young employee without suffering under the preconceptions and stereotypes of your co-workers. I can particularly relate to "1. Constantly talk about how many days, months, or years you're away from retirement.", "2. Shoot down ideas with "we tried that years ago." and "15. Assert that the younger generation is lazy based upon the behaviour of your own children ignoring the actual behaviour of your employee who just happens to be the same age." Do you see yourself, or members of your staff in any of these? If so, work it out now, for the sake of all of your employees. 21 Ways to Lose Your Younger Employees
Let's face it, as the Baby Boom generation counts down the days until their retirement (if they haven't gone already) the workplace is radically changing and lately I'm feeling that some of these changes haven't been very positive to those of us born after Generation X. (Continues)
(Via LaurietheLibrarian.ca.) Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace
Holiday Gift Guide #6 - Manhunt
Manhunt: The 12-day chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. SwansonA detailed re-telling, from numerous viewpoints of John Wilkes Booth escape and capture after the assassination of President Lincoln. Even 141 years after the murder, this story still intrigues and resonates in the American psyche. Using original source material, including Booth's own hastily written diary entries, author James L. Swanson creates a vivid picture of those 12-days when Booth escaped Washington, D.C., eluded capture in Maryland and Virginia and his final moments on Garrett's farm. Don't know what to give? How about an Amazon Gift Certificate ! See also:
#5 Apple iPod Nano
#4 Podcast Solutions
#3 A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage
#2 The $64 Tomato by William Alexander
#1 Welch Family Christmas Cards
An interview with Victor Cajiao - November 29, 2006
 Today's show is a new interview with fellow Friends in Tech member, Victor Cajiao on career longevity. Victor is also the host of Typical Mac User, Typical PC User and Immigration Tales.
Support Career Opportunities:Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech
Holiday Gift Guide #5 - Apple iPod Nano
What can you say about the iPod that hasn't been said before? Take your music collection, or even better, podcast collection, wherever you go. Sync quickly and easily with Apple's free iTunes software. Buy music, TV shows and movies directly from the iTunes store. Enjoy!
Don't know what to give? How about an Amazon Gift Certificate!See also:
#4 Podcast Solutions
#3 A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage
#2 The $64 Tomato by William Alexander
#1 Welch Family Christmas Cards
Holiday Gift Guide #4 - Podcasting Solutions
Everything you need to know about podcasting, written by fellow LA Podcaster Dan Klass and podcast pioneer, Michael Geoghegan.
Don't know what to give? How about an Amazon Gift Certificate!See also:
#3 A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage
#2 The $64 Tomato by William Alexander
#1 Welch Family Christmas Cards
Holiday Gift Guide #3 - History of the World in 6 Glasses
A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage2005, Walker & Company, New York Listen to the Audio Podcast of this reviewWhen I saw this book, by the author of The Victorian Internet and The Turk, at the library I had to check it out. I enjoyed both of these earlier books so much that I regularly recommend them to others. Standage has a way of making history come alive by focusing on one particular aspect. A History of the World in 6 Glasses follows much the same design. This time Standage explores history using 6 different drinks that have effected civilization in dramatic ways. He begins with beer, discovered in ancient times, but improved repeatedly, becoming safer to drink than the polluted water supplies that surrounded ancient, and not so ancient cities. Once global shipping improved, Greek wines could begin traveling around the Mediterranean and the world, moving from an expensive drink for royalty to daily ration for everyone in society. Wine developed into a liquid currency that could be easily “spent” and divided, but unlike modern paper money, it could even be consumed when necessary. Distilled spirits started as a miracle cure, eau de vie or literally “water of life”. They were rediscovered by Europeans, from Arabic sources, as the Dark Ages ebbed. Spirits like Rum created entire economies, eventually acting as one trigger for American Independence. Then came coffee, “The Great Soberer” and the coffeehouse environment that fomented intellectual growth, great thinking and many of the revolutions that would shake the 18th Century. Tea, with Britain as its powerhouse and largest consumer forever altered the civilizations of China and other Eastern countries, leading to hundreds of years of foreign control continuing even until this century. Finally, Standage ends with the effects of Coca-Cola and how it forever changed the global economy. Throughout “6 Glasses”, I found new information, new incites, new documentation that I had never seen before. While I was familiar with the basic concepts behind these drinks and how they effected society, bringing it all together in one book makes for an engaging and enlightening read. Pick up “6 Glasses” or any other of Standage’s books and you are sure to enjoy yourself as well as learn something you might never have known. Other books by Tom Standage
Don't know what to give? How about an Amazon Gift Certificate!See also:#2 The $64 Tomato by William Alexander
#1 Welch Family Christmas Cards
Holiday Gift Guide #2 - The $64 Tomato
Listen to the ReviewIt is a story as old as America itself. When we dream, we dream big. Big houses, big cars and, in the case of The $64 Tomato, big gardens. In this book, author William Alexander details his love/hate relationship with his garden. I knew I was going to love this book within the first chapter, when I found myself laughing out loud time and time again. Alexander perfectly captures the idealism and absurdity that usually accompany any home improvement project. I must say that, after my childhood of helping my Grandmother and my Father in the garden and even, reluctantly, maintaining my own small garden plot as a child, I found it a bit ludicrous that anyone would actually set out to "design" a vegetable garden. In my experience, you usually just mark out an area, have the neighbor plow it up and disc it down, lay out some string lines and plant. Aesthetics were rarely, if ever, an issue. Now you bring in experts, test the soil, try exotic new varieties of plants and, so it seems, endure many failures. While the book is funny, it is also a trifle sad. There is an underlying current of hubris which seems to thrive in the heart of every American. We like to think we can conquer and control anything, even nature itself, when, in reality, we can only hold back nature for short periods of time and even then, only in relatively small areas. It is also a story of having eyes too large for our stomachs. Rows and rows of zucchini that must be given away, if not forced on the neighbors. Yes, we love having fresh food from our very own gardens, but it seems we have no self-control. If "some" is good than "more" must certainly be better. The $64 Tomato is entertaining and enlightening because it is so true. Anyone with any aspirations to gardening will recognize themselves in its pages. Gardening, like life itself, is about struggle and this book details many struggles with bugs, grass, weeds and neighbors. Even then, I can guess that these were only a small portion of the troubles that occurred in the real garden. Television writers, like my wife, constantly deal with this issue. Just because something happened in real life, often times the viewers will never believe it. I would guess there are more stories that this gardening author has yet to tell. The saddest part, but one that rings true, is the author's struggle in finding balance between gardening as a task and gardening as a joy. I know that I experience this every day in my own garden and I am sure you do, too. It is a rare gardener who can find joy in pulling weeds time and time again That said, don't let the dandelions get you down. Pour a nice, cool lemonade (preferably made from your own lemons), sit back in your favorite chair and enjoy, if just for a moment, the garden you have created. While I certainly hope you don't spend $64 for each tomato you harvest, this book can make you laugh and give you solace in the knowledge that most gardener's are happily suffering right along with you. Link: The $64 Tomato by William Alexander
Don't know what to give? How about an Amazon Gift Certificate!See also:Welch Family Christmas Cards
Does someone else own your work? - November 24, 2006
Do you really own the rights to your great new invention? How about the copyright of your latest novel? What about the first novel you wrote while you were in college? If you don't pay close attention to patent and copyright policies of your schools and your workplace, you could be in for a very ugly surprise.
Support Career Opportunities:Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech
Holiday Gift Guide #1 - Welch Family Christmas Cards
 These cards, with a photo taken in Ojai, several years ago, has served as our own personal Christmas Card in the past and also been purchased by several people all over the country. You can order your own set via CafePress.com. Link: Welch Family Christmas Cards
Don't know what to give? How about an Amazon Gift Certificate!
Happy Thanksgiving from WelchWrite.com
Happy Thanksgiving!Today is Thanksgiving Day here in the US, so from all of us to all of you, Happy Thanksgiving, wherever you are! Listen to our audio message
Abandonment Issues - from the archives
It happened again - this time to a close friend. After he worked with a computer consultant for several months, the person just disappeared. My friend's phone calls are not returned and it appears the person who set up his entire office, has fallen off the edge of the Earth - and taken my friend's passwords with him. As a computer consultant, and a conscientious one at that, it drives me crazy. Sure, I can pick up extra work from grateful computer orphans happy to have someone to help them out. Still, I often have to work long and hard to deal with their issues of abandonment and how it reflects on my work. If you take on the mantle of a computer support person, especially if you are working as a freelancer, you have certain responsibilities to your clients and those consultants that might travel in your wake. Don't hamper your high-tech career by abandoning your clients whenever the whim strikes you. [ Continue Reading]
Comments, Questions, Reviews?Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-techIf you find this podcast helpful, please consider a tip in our online tip jar.
Douglas interviewed on The Red Fence Project
Updated: (11/21/06) Included direct link to video file to include it in the podcast feed. -- Douglas  Back on My 20, 2006, myself and Dan Klass, fellow LA Podcaster and producer and star of The Bitterest Pill were interviewed by the Red Fence Project web site. It has taken a while, but it is great to see this 12 minute video that resulted. We talk about podcasting and the LA Podcasters, and have a little fun while we are at it. Click the photo to watch the video!From the Red Fence Project web site... "RedFence is the natural artistic outpouring of a Los Angeles-based community of artists, adventurers and thinkers. They have pooled their considerable talents and modest resources to create www.redfenceproject.com and its printed counterpart RedFence Magazine. Here you will find original works from some of the freshest voices in the creative world. Any medium, from paint to poetry, and film stock to the written word, may find a home among us. You will also discover critiques and reviews of the best creative works our roving minds can unearth, as well a glimpse into our thriving culture of creativity." Technorati Tags: california, podcast, podcasting, events, losangeles, technology, high-tech, video
The Stall - November 17, 2006
No matter who you are, or what you do, there will be times when your thoughts will feel scattered. Too many ideas, competing for too little time. Your thoughts simply go around and around and you can't seem to choose any one item on which to focus. I call this painful state -- "the stall." You are so overwhelmed with it all that you stop -- dead in your tracks. Your anxiety rises as your productivity falls until it seems you will never escape.
Support Career Opportunities:Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech
Interview with Tom Dean from Intermix Media/Fox Interactive Media
An interview with Tom Dean of Intermix Media, a division of Fox Interactive Media.
Recorded November 12, 2006 at BarCampLA
Comments, Questions, Reviews?Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-techIf you find this podcast helpful, please consider a tip in our online tip jar.
Elsewhere Online: Bodacious Success Mindset: Setting up your schedule for greater success
As the author of this article says, "Treat the first day of the month as if it were the New Year." That is only one small piece of the great advice offered within. Too many of us end up "... just working in your business instead of working on your business." We all need a reminder that if we don't manage our business it will, instead, manage us...and very badly, at that. Bodacious Success Mindset: Setting up your schedule for greater success setting up a daily schedule
(Via del.icio.us/merlinmann.) Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, business
On Podcasting: The Why, How and What of Podcasting - from BarCampLA 2006
 You can listen to my talk at BarCampLA on Sunday, November 12, 2006. I have just posted it as part of my "On Podcasting" series on my other blog, My Word with Douglas E. Welch. In this session I talk more about the "why" of podcasting and then a little about the how and what. Listen to the sessionTechnorati Tags: california, DIY, howto, how-to, tutorial, free, cheap
BarCampLA is here - Nov 11 & 12
BarCampLA is here, so et your tech together and join us for 2 days of geek fun and learning. What is BarCamp? Check out this link to find out. Every attendee to BarCamp is also a presenter. What tech knowledge do you have that you would love to share? Bring it along, sign up for a session on the big board and present away. I will be doing lots of Podcast Q&A and demonstrating how people can start podcasting today. Visit the BarCampLA wiki for more information and to add your name to the list of attendees/presenters! Technorati Tags: california, build, make, DIY, howto, how-to, podcast, podcasting, creativity, tutorial, events, losangeles, technology, barcamp, barcampla
A Critical Eye On Advice - November 10, 2006
There is a wealth of career advice and information available today via books, television and the Internet. Most is given in the sincere hope of improving the lives of others. It is important to draw on this advice to improve your life and career whenever possible. I am constantly reading reams of material every week, looking for ideas to keep my career on track. Despite all that, there can be a dark side to career advice if you don't think deeply and clearly about the advice you decide to implement. [ Continue Reading]
Comments, Questions, Reviews?Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-techIf you find this podcast helpful, please consider a tip in our online tip jar.
Frustration - from the archives
After 20 years of working in high-tech, there are a few common themes that run through my career. Certainly, one theme is frustration. You can become frustrated with yourself, your skills, your clients and your career. Despite the fact that everyone experiences a certain amount of frustration, most people can have a difficult time dealing with it, including myself. Frustration can distract us from those things that truly matter at the very time when we need to be the most focused. Thankfully, there are a few ways to help work through frustrations of all sorts and get on with your career and your life. [ Continue Reading]
Comments, Questions, Reviews?Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-techIf you find this podcast helpful, please consider a tip in our online tip jar.
Cool Tool: Scan, copy and fax with your camera phone or digital camera
Scan, copy and fax with your camera phone or digital camera
(Cross posted from My Word) This has got to be one of the neatest ideas I have seen in a while and my initial tests show that it works. I grabbed a couple of business cards off my desk and within minutes had 905% of the information into my address book. Business card scanners have been around for a while, but this service makes it really convenient. If you have a 2 megapixel camera in your cell phone, you can even do it on the road. Scan, copy and fax with your camera phone or digital camera
Whiteboards
Documents
Business Cards
Sign-up
scanR turns paper into useful digital information
Send digital copies or fax while traveling or at homeSave your information digitally and easily find it using desktop searchOrganize your business cards (without typing!) (Via LifeHacker.com.) Technorati Tags: technology, software, computers, email, high-tech, free, cheap
Getting Paid - November 3, 2006
Over my years as a freelance computer consultant, I've heard many stories of workers who have difficulty getting paid for their work. There can be disagreements about whether a project has been completed, claims of cash-flow problems or even, at the worst, simple fraud. Sometimes companies or individuals can be slow to pay invoices or, when they grudging pay, complain about the quality of your services. There are, it seems, a myriad ways to not get paid for your work. [ Continue Reading]
Comments, Questions, Reviews?Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-techIf you find this podcast helpful, please consider a tip in our online tip jar.
Working where you live - from the archives
While it may seem only natural to develop as many clients and as much business as possible, you have to be a bit circumspect when combining your professional life with your personal life. I recently observed a situation at my son’s school that points up the dangers of working where you live. While I wasn’t privy to the exact nature of the dispute, it points up some important guidelines to observe when making clients of your friends and neighbors. [ Continue Reading]
Comments, Questions, Reviews?Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-techIf you find this podcast helpful, please consider a tip in our online tip jar.
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