Monday, December 20, 2010

Whatever the age "Oh So The Drama!"

Yes, it does not matter what age you are there will always be drama in
the workplace. When the mix is all guys for instance, we tend to give
each other hard times and insult each other... that is the way it is.
Granted it can go to far and past professionalism, but the drama is on
a baser instinct level. Women on the other hand, are more
intellectual than men... no let's be honest, women ARE more
intellectual than men when it comes to social dynamics in the
workplace. Now here is where it gets interesting, when the workplace
has a mix of men & women, the drama seems to rise exponentially. So I
fall back on Shakespeare...

Love all, trust a few. Do wrong to none.
       William Shakespeare, "All's Well That Ends Well", Act 1 Scene 1


And if that is not enough... use your problems like clay pigeons...
"Pull!" and shoot the bastards

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Global Economy Swirling Down the Drain...

Going Global was supposed to be the way for companies to make money...
and it worked the "Companies" made money, but no one else seemed to.
It has been my direct experience that having a group of people (a
significant portion of the population) that were paid well drove the
economy. Once the companies went global, the largest cost for a
company moved to the lowest cost of employment. Sounds familiar
right? Now that these well paid people are out of work, there is less
to none in money flow in the LOCAL economy. So smaller companies who
are paying as little as they can to their employees in order to
compete... no longer have the business to support that little. So
they close. Sounds familiar, right? All that are left seems to be
the bigger chains and box stores; but they are paying as little as
possible for the best people they can find.

So let's look at it in perspective, every company is in business to
make money (I know a stupid statement, but let's be honest most people
lack common sense) and prosper. Let's break down every business: 1.
One third goes to labour 2. One third goes to facilities and
maintenance 3. One third goes to products that make the business
money. So profit comes from lessening any or all of the three
sections of costs. Debts incur when all three add up to more than
100% This is as simple as it gets when it comes to business
practices, obviously I have to point out that each business is
different, but sometimes a simple framework is all you need to see the
larger patterns. So what does this have to do with the Global Economy
Swirling Down the Drain? Simply put, the drive to ever higher profits
are pushing companies into areas of the world that will a) reduce the
cost of labour, b) lower the cost of facilities and maintenance, and
c) lower the cost of their products. Where all three of these
conditions meet, is where you will find all of the jobs.

My point is that the local economy suffers as the global economy
shifts. And with the global economy becoming more and more fluid to
get at the dwindling profits there is an increase in buyer
uncertainty, and less spending. Do you see it yet? This vicious
cycle of cause and effect: buyers have money when they have good jobs,
if that job can be moved at a moments notice, they spend less. If
they are buying less companies are making less, if they are making
less they move again to make more. It is not a chain by any means yet
it still locks the buyer and the "companies" together. Can you see
it? It is not necessary for the companies to move to make more money,
they need to invest in the local economies so that more people around
the world can BUY more from them. The cycle can stop, we just need to
work TOGETHER!!!

Friday, December 17, 2010

More Paper for the "Computer Age"

Paper... we needed it for our Memos, our invoices, our communications,
our bills, you get the idea. The computer age was supposed to reduce
our dependency on paper; but what actually happened is an ever need
for MORE paper. This is why I like eBooks, I read what I hope to
like, and if I really like it... THEN I buy it.

Let me give you a real world example: You order product it arrives
with a paper invoice, you check to make sure you have everything then
verify it online. Once verified online you print off the verification
for your records in case the computer crashes.

We worry so much about the "computer crashing" that we print
everything off. And we still make a backup on either disk, dvd, or
jumpdrive. We almost have a trust/distrust relationship with
computers. We love them to do most of the work but hate to trust them
to keep our data safe. Below is a sample of my email signature:


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Love all, trust a few. Do wrong to none.
       William Shakespeare, "All's Well That Ends Well", Act 1 Scene 1

Have a Great Day,

                           Travis Ostash
                           E-Mail: travis@ostash.ca
                           IM: travis@ostash.ca (all services)

--> Please be Green and save paper, don't print this email <--

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I follow through with what I say by pointing out, in a subtle way,
that we don't need to print everything off. Why do we NEED to print
everything off, well I don't unless I have to. The only situation
where it is required is if I have to sign something. So even *I*
can't escape the need for paper.

Until next time...

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Procrastination

Why is it that we can always find something; other than what are
"supposed to do," to do instead? Yes this seems strange but really,
think about it... you are sitting there reading this when you should
be doing: work, housework, surgery, playing outside... etc. And even
me, here I am writing this when I should be working. Well on that
note, off I go.