Archive - December, 2010

When you have nothing….

December 30, 2010 in Personal Development with 11 Comments

Joanne and I were in Chicago last week for our annual pre-Christmas excursion.  The weather was bitter cold and the streets were bustling with the usual shoppers.  And as usual, the sidewalks had all too many people with quickly constructed cardboard signs who were hoping to capture the sympathy of passing shoppers.

I saw one sign that said:

Lost my Job

Lost my Home

Lost my Hope

Please Help

What’s the next step?  Is this really an inevitable sequence?  I was reading this morning about the inventions that are coming out of the slums of Nairobi, Kenya.  The tagline on the story said, “When you have nothing, anything is possible.” (AfriGadget)  Read more »

“Make no little plans”

December 30, 2010 in No More Mondays with 24 Comments

Joanne and I just returned from several days in Chicago – our annual pre-Christmas jaunt to relax, enjoy the lights, and celebrate Joanne’s birthday.  We ate at our favorite restaurants, strolled through the decorated stores, browsed in art galleries, enjoyed the Donny and Marie Osmond Christmas Show at the beautiful Oriental Theatre and talked with friendly people everywhere.  Having done this for many years now, we are quite familiar with the Magnificent Mile, the Water Tower and other notable landmarks.  The primary architect behind the beautiful layout that preserved the Chicago lakefront was Daniel H. Burnham.  Burnham presented his most ambitious work, thePlan of Chicago, in 1909.  Read more »

Gimme A Raise!

December 30, 2010 in Negotiating Salary with 6 Comments

It’s the beginning of another year and many of you are hoping for a raise this year.  Ask yourself this:  “How much profit did I make my employer this year?”  If the answer is “a lot” you have a shot at getting a raise for this next year.  If the answer is “none,” it’s time to get your resume updated.

An employee cannot be just an expense to the company.  The rule of thumb is that the efforts of any employee must generate 3-5 times what the company pays that person.  Don’t expect a raise just because you’ve been with the company one more year – especially as most companies are looking for ways to eliminate employees.  If your efforts are not adding profits to the company every day, you are extra baggage that they will look to discard.  Read more »

I’m a 42 year-old failure

December 29, 2010 in 48 Days Podcast with 0 Comments

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1. What are your thoughts on a judgment recovery business?

2. How can I be more business-minded and less caregiving?

3. Should I be pragmatic or follow my heart?

4. Long story short, I am a 42 year-old failure.

5. My husband has been looking for a job for at least three years.

No Raises for you lowly Slaves

December 28, 2010 in Just a Job with 11 Comments

The Tennessee Valley Authority is freezing the salaries of 3,500 workers for the next two years, a symbolic gesture meant to show solidarity with the federal government’s two-year freeze on employee pay.

Interestingly enough, TVA president Tom Kilgore announced this freeze on the last work day before Christmas.  We might also note that in November, approximately one month ago, it was announced that Kilgore’s pay had been tripled to $3.6 million for the fiscal year that ended September 30th.  And the top 90 executives received bonuses averaging more than $120,000 for this year as well.  But now, to control costs, the salary of the average working guy will be frozen for the next two years.  Of course TVA is a non-profit business so they pay no taxes on profits.  I guess they just give it out to the top dogs.  Read more »

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