@joshgingold

It’s interesting to witness the increasing number of people who are opting out of Facebook, Twitter, and other social media.  What is it, exactly, that provokes someone to abandon what is arguably the most comprehensive list of past and present friends, family, classmates, co-workers, and just plain old people they’ve friended online for one reason or another?

Perhaps the most visible of these social media dropouts is singer Lily Allen, who’s final Tweet -- “I am a neo-luddite, goodbye.” – signaled her rejection of technology, which she viewed as an addiction, and a return to healthier inter-personal relationships and more privacy.  Interestingly, Allen is also quoted as saying that she cut back on alcohol at about the same time so it stands to reason that the talented young singer was probably doing a lot of soul searching when she gave up everything in 2009.  Who knows?  Personally, I suspect she just got sick of it, especially considering that all of her social networking pages are still up and running… just without any of her own comments, insights and updates… which means they’re strictly commercial now and most likely run by her management, record company, etc.  Maybe I don’t have it quite right, and pardon me for saying so, but wouldn’t a neo-luddite give it up altogether?

Less visible to the entire world but equally vexing to me is the number of my own friends who have recently rejected social media, albeit by proclaiming their rejection, where else, but through social media.  One friend even changed his profile picture to the Facebook logo with a red “X” in the middle.  His final message, “Later Facebook – I can be reached at…” It also included his personal email, so at least his “real” friends won’t lose touch altogether.  I’ve gotta wonder, though, what happened?  I certainly hope it wasn’t anything that I ever did or said online (hey, it’s all about me!) but obviously somebody did or said something to really upset, disgust, aggravate, frustrate, or whatever, an otherwise really nice guy who knows a lot of people, most of whom are probably genuinely interested in his life, even if it is only on a casual and superficial level such as that provided by sites such as Facebook.  Ironically, there is at least one post following his last final pronouncement.  Hopefully, he’s still checking his page from time to time so at least the late poster won’t feel completely offended and give up on the friendship for real.

Of course, there are those who finally give up on social media completely by cancelling their accounts and just kind of disappearing from the scene without any sort of announcement whatsoever.  Last year, I reconnected with a childhood neighbor who I’d tried to find many times over the years and it was great catching up on everything we had both been through and become since the last time we saw each other as young teenagers.  One day, I realized his posts had stopped and found out from another old friend that he had given it up, cancelled his account, and really didn’t want anything to do with it.  Too bad, it was a lot of fun while it lasted.  Rest assured, however, that I will find a way to track him down again and will be sure to ask what happened.  Either way, I miss our occasional Sunday morning chats and finding that we’re really not all that different than we were at 13 years old when we were still under our parents’ wings and our priorities were a little different.  I hope he’s okay.

It’s all been said before but this whole social media thing is really just as much a social laboratory.  I suppose there must be some sort of social media lifecycle out there that makes this sort of behavior kind of inevitable.  Based on my own anecdotal observations, it seems like there’s that initial swarm when you first join a network and you’re reconnecting with everyone.  Lots of online smiles, hugs, and kisses.  After a while, I suppose, you settle into the sort of comfort and ease of assumed familiarity with old friends and acquaintances.  What happens next is also completely human.  Some people embrace the opportunity to be more social, adding and dropping friends depending on their feelings about those people, while others kind of keep to themselves and really only pay attention to the few people who really matter to them and still others simply reject it altogether, choosing instead to go their own way or whatever.  I know it’s over simplification but I really think there’s something to it.

Anyway, I’m sure that I’m somewhere in the middle, just like my personality in general.  However, please be assured that if you’re my friend on Facebook, follow or are followed by me on Twitter, or have joined my network on LinkedIn, then you are somebody that I like, trust, respect, and/or admire.  I am not a neo-luddite (what’s the opposite of that, by the way?) and I have no desire to abandon this important social phenomenon.  Basically, I’ll always be here and sincerely hope that all of you will be too.

15 million people are looking for work right now and, by all accounts, there are hundreds (probably actually thousands) of candidates for every job opportunity.  A lot of these people who are looking for work are likely using some sort of job search service with people giving them all sorts of advice about how to brand and market themselves with functional resumes and online social networking but I wonder if it isn't really just a bunch of baloney.  In an era of increased resume scrutiny, to say nothing of computerized resume filters and other such technologies, are hiring managers really willing to take a chance on anybody who even appears to be fudging their experience and/or connections?

For example, my wife and I have an ongoing argument about the proper format for her resume.  She has many years of experience and documented accomplishments with the same company.  Her chronological resume, a simple summary of her work history and highlights, is amazing.  In my opinion, it accurately reflects who she is professionally and everything is verifiable.  No need to fudge or position anything because it's all right there on paper.  Of course, as is so often the case, she feels differently, mainly based on advice from the so-called experts at a reputable career consultant firm.  She/they feel that a functional resume is more appropriate as an opportunity to emphasis her qualifications rather than her experience.  As such, they say, it's an opportunity for her to better explain why someone should give her the job instead of one of the other 500 or so candidates she might be up against.

I don't know, call me crazy, but I think a functional resume isn't necessary -- and may actually be detrimental -- for more experienced workers whose track records speak for themselves.  I can see it for someone with less experience who needs to position certain aspects of their work record as relevant to whatever job they're seeking, but not someone whose experience is their greatest asset.  In fact, I fear that the functional resume is risky since many savvy managers and recruiters may actually view it as an attempt to cover up or gloss over unfavorable aspects of their employment history (i.e. lack of experience, gaps in work history, etc.).

For me, the bottom line is this, if you've got it, flaunt it.  A simple chronological resume that includes a list of highlights for each position is easy to digest and probably does a much better job of telling your story than you ever could with a sentence or two full of catch words and phrases.  A good chronological resume says unequivocally, "I'm qualified" and will almost certainly lead to an interview where you'll still get your money's worth from all those catch words and phrases. 

Perhaps I'm wrong, maybe a functional resume that's full of superfluous and unverifiable information really is the best way to differentiate you from all the other countless candidates but, in my opinion, it really comes back to those immortal words first spoken by Sgt. Joe Friday all those many years ago, "Just the facts, ma'am."  And nothing but the facts... unless your changing careers or really do have something to cover.

Of course, social networking is a another matter and probably better saved for another day and a slightly less aggravated writer (and husband) but suffice to say that there is no substitute for picking up the phone, talking to everyone you know, and getting your resume into the hands of an actual person.  It may be more difficult than linking into as many people as possible or searching job sites all day and submitting for out of date opportunities, but it sure beats the hell out of the maddening drill of online applications, computerized responses, and people asking how they know you.

Which do you think are better, chronological or functional resumes?  Also, do you think social networking sites like LinkedIn and others are effective for finding work?

An impressive chorus of high profile celebrities has raised its voice for the relief of debt in many Third World countries.  Not a bad idea... seems like a noble cause... could actually be good for all of us.  If we help less developed countries get out of debt then they'll finally be able to fully participate in the global economy.  New markets will be opened and there will be worldwide economic progress. 

Unfortunately, it's never going to happen and now American consumers seem headed down the same path as all those underdeveloped countries.

In his book "Confessions of an Economic Hitman," author John Perkins asserts that the global "corporatocracy" has intentionally lured Third World countries into borrowing massive sums of money that they can never repay in order to improve their national infrastructures.  By doing so, Perkins claims, large privately held companies are able to profit from foreign projects like the construction of dams, bridges, and skyscrapers with money borrowed from the World Bank and similar types of organizations, mostly based on inflated economic forecasts.  Once those countries default on those inflated loans that they could never repay in the first place, they're essentially forced to make up for it with things like rights to their natural resources (i.e. oil, minerals, timber, etc.), military alliances, and/or any number of other deals that can be leveraged as a result of their indebtedness.

Isn't this a little bit like the conditions in America leading up to the so-called economic wipeout of 2009?  After all, many Americans were lured into inflated mortgages and consumer debt that they really had no way to repay and then -- big surprise -- they defaulted and thereby created another trillion dollars of new debt for the rest of us.  I'm still trying to come up with my .000000005% share of that bill in terms of taxes, which is really a struggle (taxes are the single biggest expense in my household) and especially hard to stomach since no matter how I look at it, that money is going into someone else's pocket.  Even worse, now we're all beholden to a system and people who allowed, actually encouraged, this situation to happen in the first place.  What might we expect our pound of flesh to be?  Higher taxes?  Compulsory military service?  Indentured servitude?  What has recently been referred to as Casino Economics (high risks equal high rewards) is now evolving into something more akin to Mafia Economics (exploit the losses and weaknesses of others). 

I recently read an article in Psychology Today about conspiracy theorists and how their fears are basically founded on a feeling of helplessness in the face of much larger forces.  Well, I never really considered myself a conspiracy theorist but that pretty much describes how I've been feeling the past 12 months or so.  In fact, I now wonder more and more about things like the crash of technology stocks in 2000, the S&L crisis of the 1980s and 90s, and the energy crisis of the 1970s.  I know, I know, it isn't rational to think of such things but it's a fine line between prudence and paranoia.  For me, I guess, it really comes down to following the money and I'm starting to feel a bit like chum in the frenzy.

So, what's the answer?  I have no idea; I've never really been that good with money.  Otherwise, I'd own a big house and drive a Mercedes.  I can tell you one thing, there's a lot to be learned from what has happened to the Third World in the name of progress and we should all beware of those who would exploit our dreams with anything other than what we already have.  In other words, if it sounds too good to be true than it probably is and there really isn't any substitute for common sense and discipline.  But then again, what do I know?  Go ahead and borrow like there's no tomorrow.

In all the seven years that we have lived in our current home, Halloween has been a complete disappointment.  Even to the point where we usually take our kids to a neighboring community where they really go all out in terms of decorations, candy, and just good old fashioned Halloween spirit.  Frankly, I hate it and have always resented doing it because it makes me feel like such a carpetbagger.  Last year though, we stayed close to home and guess what?  Nothing happened.  That's right.  We paraded our kids up and down every walkway with a light on the porch and hardly anybody even knew it was Halloween.  

And I'm not completely exaggerating.  In fact, I don't even think anybody came to our door for candy.  Literally nobody.  The defeat was complete and utterly demoralizing, mainly because I had convinced my wife that we didn't need to go to that other neighborhood and what we really needed to do was get something going in our own neighborhood.  Well, you can just imagine.  Every time I bring it up she just rolls here eyes and pats me on the shoulder.

Never one to go down without a fight, I decided to stand up for my neighborhood and once again insisted that the family should stay close to home on Halloween again this year.  "It's a chance to get to know our neighbors," I said.  "Fat chance," chuckled my wife, Robin, "I'm not even sure people live in all these houses."  She may be right, it is awfully quiet all the time, but I am nothing if not determined.  Even if I myself was now beginning to doubt whether this particular neighborhood could ever really support the kind of Halloween like the one I remember from my own childhood.

And then something wonderful happened.  About a week before the big day, one of the neighbors who we know and like a lot invited our three kids to go trick or treating with their four kids and some of their other friends on Halloween.  "It's finally happening!" I said to Robin, who even smiled just a little, as if maybe she believed it too.  Or maybe she was just amused, I really don't know, but I was definitely happy.

Halloween finally arrived and my kids were ready.  They knew that this was going to be the year because I had told them so every chance I got.  "We're going out with the Loves this year," I would say, "and those people know how to have fun!"  They knew I was right too because there're just so many of them. 

So Robin, myself, our three kids, and a couple of their friends, even our dog Max, paraded up our street toward the Love's house at about 6:30 on Halloween and they were all there and ready to go exactly as we expected.  There were probably 15 kids in all, each in a different costume.  A burglar, Batman, Harry Potter, a 50's bobbysoxer, a secret agent, a lady bug, a bumble bee, and on and on and on.  It was great and they were all rearing to go so off we went into the great unknown of Halloween night in our otherwise wonderful neighborhood.

Surely by now you've already guessed what happened next and you're right.  Nothing.  Same old, same old.  There were some bright spots but they were mostly just the usual suspects.  You know, other friends and the great older couple here and there who always treat the kids great whether walking the dog or down the grocery aisle.  Otherwise though, it just kind of... well... sucked.  There was even one couple who acted upset because we had apparently interrupted their dinner.

Well, my dear friends, I had had enough and decided to do the only thing I could think of to finally get this neighborhood into the Halloween spirit -- I taught my children the art of tricking when no one is treating.  We started out by simply knocking over some garbage cans, which is actually pretty satisfying but really just a gateway into the full spectrum of Halloween vandalism.  By the end of the night we had upended political signs, unscrewed light bulbs, turned over welcome mats, and even toilet papered our favorite neighbor, who really didn't deserve it but, hey, we were on a roll and I felt like my kids were finally learning something about the true spirit of Halloween and trick or treating. 

Needless to say, the night was a huge success.  My kids had the time of their lives, even Robin had a bit of that old twinkle in her eye, and I could not be more proud of my totally horrible behavior.  I offer no apologies, it was simply the right thing to do.  And lest you think of my behavior as totally irreprehensible, please let me assure you that I also taught these fine upstanding children the only two rules of proper fright night shenanigans: no harm to any living thing and no property damage.  Judge me if you must... or just be glad I'm not your neighbor.

Happy Halloween.

My dad has a black and white photo of my grandparents in their 30s or 40s at Bimbo’s or Slim’s or some other club in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve in what had to be the late 1940’s. They’re with their best friends around a table taking in a show and they all seem so happy.  Handsome Sam with his pencil-thin moustache in a dapper suit and fedora with his arm around lovely Alyce in a dress buttoned up to her chin and her hair in a bun up to the heavens.  The perfect picture of post-war prosperity.  It always makes me wish I were alive in those times that I'm sure were so difficult and yet seem so appealing.

Now flash forward almost 70 years to 2009 where my wife and I are spending Saturday night, side-by-side... each of us in front of Facebook.  It actually isn't quite as bad as it sounds.  At least we're having a lot of laughs and keeping up with our friends as far away as London and Tokyo.  We're also talking to our parents, siblings, cousins, co-workers and more often today, former co-workers.  Even our kids are in on the act, posting on behalf of the family dog and playing pranks on mom and dad with some mischievous postings from another corner of the house.  Pretty fun stuff, actually, but it still doesn't seem quite the same as that photo of Sam and Alyce at Bimbo's or Slim's or wherever back in the 1940’s.

There are, however, a number of interesting discussions that often arise from mine and Robin's (Buffy, to those who know her well) Saturday night Facebook dates.  Other than the kids opening an account in the name of our dog and posting pictures of him drinking out of the toilet, we also had a laugh about the fact that I had about 35 friends online and she only had 13.  Quite funny when you consider that I really don't like people that much and she is actually quite social.  I guess that's why I work at home and she's in sales.  Whatever.  Quite a few people just like us it would seem. Anyway, the point is that we were actually entertained by something so silly.

Another great topic has been the issue of de-friending.  I recently played witness to an ugly de-friending by an old friend of mine who properly took offense to another old friend – or perhaps it was a new acquaintance, I really don’t know -- who actually told him to "get over himself" on his own Facebook page.  Well, he certainly got over her and I’m sure she got the message when his posts no longer arrived on her wall like a cheery note in the mailbox.  It certainly gave me some cause for pause because I'm no stranger to controversy and tend to mix it up a bit when the opportunity arises.  I'm still outspoken but I'm also a lot more careful.  Tonight, however, my wife suspected that she was de-friended by her personal trainer.  She thought it was funny, assuming he was "separating work and his personal life" but I really took offense and told her to tell him to go to hell and that she better wise up and not give him any more of our hard-earned money.

Of course, as usual, she's probably right.  But I'm still pissed off.  I guess, in my mind, it's just like real life.  You really shouldn't let anybody in unless you think enough of them to stick with it through thick and thin.  It's kind of like keeping a dog you've adopted even after they chew up every thing you own and crap all over your house.  You took it on.  It's a commitment.  Call me crazy but it's just the way I see things.  Robin (aka Buffy) still sees it differently and laughs at how serious I seem to take it all.  I really wish I didn’t.  I think she sees Facebook as nothing more than a tool that simplifies her ability to network and keep up with other people.  Who knows who's right but I'm glad it's there on Saturday night.  Don’t do me any favors though and please just go ahead and de-friend me now if you’re so inclined.  I probably won’t understand because I’m sensitive, but who cares, right?  It really doesn’t matter.

Oh, yes indeed, I really wish that I was Grandpa Sam sometimes, with my beautiful girl on my arm at Bimbo's or Slim's or some other swinging supper club in the San Francisco of the 1940’s.  It seems like it was so much easier then, despite the lack of Facebook and so many other modern conveniences.  Oh, well.  As my good friend Greg Freeman so often says these days (and for good reason), carpe diem, seize the day.  I think that Grandpa Sam would agree.

What a thrill to learn of all the new discoveries inside the Mount Bosavi crater in Papua New Guinea.  For those of you who missed it, scientists are finding all kinds of previously unrecorded creatures living in a remote part of the world where nobody really ever travels.  Do yourself a favor and read all about it here¹.  Even better, make sure you check out the pictures here².  Pretty neat stuff.

Every once in a while a story like this comes along and reminds us that there's still much more to be discovered about our world and hopefully for many generations to come.  Remote rain forests and previously undiscovered creatures, past civilizations buried deep beneath our deserts, secrets frozen deep within the unexplored centers of our greatest glaciers.  Plus the oceans.  And space!  Things we never knew existed... and certainly some some more that are simply beyond our comprehension.  This is the stuff of dreams, imagination and endeavor.  The quest for information about our world and where we stand in the universe.

Maybe the world is getting smaller but I hope my children -- who generally measure adventure by hours in the air and hotel ratings -- will somehow find the desire within themselves to go out and discover something new and never seen before because that is the essence of extraordinary.  Beyond remote locations and exotic creatures, there're also extraordinary things yet to be discovered in everything from business, the arts and medicine to history, the environment and human nature.  Big things that will certainly change our lives (or not) in ways we never even imagined.

But what strikes me most is this, despite the explosion of access to people, places and information, the discoveries at Mount Bosavi provide a very powerful reminder that maybe it's not really such a small world afterall.

¹Thanks to Yahoo!, where I first discovered this story from The Guardian on 09/08/2009; http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2009/sep/06/wildlife-endangeredspecies?picture=352597639

²The Guardian; http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2009/sep/06/wildlife-endangeredspecies?picture=352597639

This health care debate is ridiculous on every level.   First of all, the timing is awful.  We're already fighting two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that will certainly cost our children's children for many years to come.  Plus, our economy is a mess and it's hard to trust any of the instutions we normally count on for reassurance.  Not to mention the environment.  It truly boggles the mind.

Nevertheless, I personally remain committed to the ideal of Universal Health Care and so I choose to support it.  And, regardless of his timing, I generally think Barak Obama has it right.  In his words, we need to: 1) Reform the health care system; 2) Promote scientific and technological advancements, and; 3) Improve preventative care.¹

Makes perfect sense to me (again, regardless of the timing) but there are so many people who are totally against it, which I really don't understand considering that "the United States is the only industrialized nation that does not have a universal health care system."²  That's a pretty sobering statistic and really just a miniscule sample of the evidence in favor of some type of reform.

But here's the problem, those opposed to health care reform have an equal number of damning statistics to confirm their own points of view, which are just as deeply held by them as mine are by me.  I know there's nothing they can say to convince me of their points of view and there's nothing I can say to convince them of mine.  It's a classic stand-off and everyone's guns are blazing.

But maybe that's a good thing.  Maybe in our type of democracy, the role of those on either side of an issue is to present their opposing points of view so some sort of healthy comprimise will ultimately arise from it.  For me, it doesn't seem so bad when I look at it that way and maybe I'm naive but that's what I hope will happen.  Oh, and I'm more than happy to pay my fair share when and if it ever comes to it.  It just seems like the right thing to do.

In the meantime, I guess we all have to endure this seemingly endless stream of highly emotional spin and rhetoric from both sides so we can eventually come up with some sort of fair resolution.  Whatever that is, I hope it does more good than harm for future generations.

¹http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/

²http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_health_care; Insuring America's Health: Principles and Recommendations, Institute of Medicine at the National Academies of Science, 2004-01-14

I'm finding it just a little hard to believe that all the new hands-free laws are really reducing the number of traffic accidents due to people talking on their cell phones.  In fact, I'd really like to see some traffic accident statistics since many of the law were enacted.

Previous studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration apparently indicated that people talking on their headsets were just as likely to get into accidents as people on their handsets, which kind of makes all the recent hands-free laws seem sort of silly.  Not that I'm any kind of expert.

What really concerns me though is whether all the new hands-free laws may actually be putting all of us at even greater risk than if we just let people use their handsets while driving.  I know, I know, but before you label me as crazy, think about all the times that you yourself have fumbled for your headset while driving.  Come on, admit it.  I'm sure you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Actually, if we are going to have hands-free laws for cell phones than why not hands-free laws for eating and smoking as well?  What about all the knuckleheads I've actually seen reading while driving or putting on their makeup?  Of course, you can be held accountable if any of those things (or a myriad of other distractions) should happen to cause an accident and that's probably the way it should be for cell phones as well.

I know it's heresy but maybe we should just ban driving while talking on the phone altogether.  But would it really make a difference?  I'm guessing it would just make people even more sneaky about it and possibly increase the danger even further.

No, I think the real answer is education about all driver distractions including cell phones, smoking, eating, putting on make-up, listening to loud music, whatever.  Then if there's an accident with proof that any of the drivers were distracted then they should be punished for reckless driving.  In other words, treat cell phones in cars like guns:  go ahead and use them but if you use them incorrectly then you're going to be in trouble.

But what do I know?  Anyway, the conspiracy theorist in me kind of suspects it's all a big ruse to simply sell more headsets and related accessories.  But that's another story.

Of course, it had to come to this.  Obviously under pressure to cut costs and increase their bottom lines (totally understandable, by the way), it seems that some of the ice cream manufacturers are reducing the size of their ice cream cartons while still charging the same amount of money.  At least as far as I can see.  Hey, it's easier than raising prices and who is really going to notice anyway.  Brilliant.

Apparently, the same sort of thing is also happening with canned beverages like soda and juices.  I guess we really have ourselves to blame as consumers.  We're basically "penny-wise and pound foolish" when it comes to many consumer products which means we'd rather pay less money than get more value from every dollar.  

Afterall, we're still buying the ice cream and sodas and I really doubt that too many people are actually paying any attention to the size of the containers.  We just don't care too much about it.  And that's the problem.

So what's the answer?  Who knows.  But perhaps it's a good idea for all of us to be a little less apathetic and a little more pound-wise with our precious pennies.  Except when it comes to ice cream, then I'll probably just go with whatever's on-sale and cover it with chocolate.