The End of Minimum Wage Jobs

I'm at one of my favorite McDonald's and have just used its new self-order kiosk. This service isn't new, I always use the self-checkout line at any retail store that has one and I've used self-order kiosks at other chain stores (e.g. Panera Bread). However, as McDonald's is most likely one of the best known and largest chains in the US (if not the world), this does not bode well for minimum wage jobs. With the constant calls for raising the minimum wage to over $15/hour (as some states have done), is it any wonder that companies and franchisees are looking for cost saving measures.

While there may be an initial rise in employment--e.g. consultants to train personnel and employees to help customers use the machines--eventually people will not need the help and fewer workers will be needed, thus the end of minimum wage jobs.

The Catch-22 of Humility

Humility is considered a virtue; and Christians are taught that this is something we should work at having. Yet, when you are humble and you don't brag or toot your own horn, people (including other Christians) don't know what you do. So when budget time rolls around, they figure you're position is superfluous and they let you go.

The catch-22 of humility is that if you boast, you're seen as immodest or a braggart; yet if you don't somehow let people know about your accomplishments, you're seen as useless or dead weight.

Copy, Red Leader

All GPS devices should have names. I mean, what sound better: "My Garmin Nüvi 1234 says to go this way" or "Jill says to go there"? And so, my first GPS was named "Gaby" for two reasons: at that time, my wife and I were fans of Desperate Housewives and Gabriella Solis was one of our favorite characters; and the GPS talked incessantly at us.

My next GPS was named "Mattie" because she was the first GPS that I owned which had lifetime free map updates and traffic reports. Get it, Map And Traffic...Mattie?

So, now I am pleased to introduce you to my newest GPS device..."Red Leader."

Thanks, Garmin, for letting pretend I'm flying down the trench of the Death Star.

Reblog: Positive Messaging in the 2015 Super Bowl Ads

Here's something I posted on another blog I write. I'd thought I'd reblog it here because you might be interested in some of the things I mention over there, especially since the ads I write about concern cars and beer.

Reblogged post:

I was busy travelling during the Super Bowl and didn't get to see most of the advertisements during the game. But I did catch some while waiting for my delayed flight in the airport and some while in the air because I judiciously selected an airline that provides free satellite television (thanks, JetBlue).

However, some of the ones I did catch got me thinking of the good, positive messages these ads portrayed. I went back and watched all of them this morning and here are some of the ones that I thought were worth mentioning.

I'll start with a trio of ads that talked about being a dad and showed how important he is in the life of a child. I think the first one from Toyota has a clear message showing how the dad stepped in and protected his daughter throughout her life.

The next video from Nissan is a little more open to interpretation. One writer didn't think it was such a good message, but I disagree (although I do agree that it was a bad song choice). The video shows the dad being a part of the son's life, but there are times when the dad had to leave home for his job in order to provide for his family (I can relate as I have to travel for my job, even on Super Bowl Sunday).

But even when he is away, he is always thinking about his wife and son (he calls often and tapes a picture of them onto his car). When he wins the big race, he doesn't go out and party or join the celebrity scene. Rather, he hangs it up (leaves helmet in the race trailer) and returns home to his son--who, in the scene immediately prior, was obviously getting into trouble (based on the mom's expression). Watch the video and decide for yourself.

Read the rest of the blog by clicking here.

Familiar Yet Strange

Flashback to the summer of 1988: I finished my four years of college but I hadn't amassed enough valid credits to graduate. I returned home to Brooklyn and started working at a temp agency in the City. Meanwhile, my sister was working at a traffic engineering consulting firm and she asked if I wanted to make some extra money interviewing passengers for a survey whilst waiting for their flights at Newark International Airport (now Newark Liberty International Airport). Who can't use an extra couple of bucks? So I said, "Sure."

My friend and I were assigned to Terminal A and most of the flights there were on Piedmont Airlines. We had a blast meeting new people and feeling like we were doing something special, and indeed we were. The survey answers were recorded on a Radio Shack TRS 80 Model 100, the first "laptop" I ever used. We thought it was so cool with its eight lines of LCD text.

Now it's 26 years later. I haven't flown through EWR in many years, and I don't think I've been back to Terminal A since my days as a survey taker but some things never change. Here I am and it's still hot, it's still noisy, and it's still full of travellers waiting for their (delayed) flights.

Something else that hasn't changed is that I'm still using a computer while I'm waiting, but it's not a laptop or even a tablet ... it's my smartphone and who knows how much more powerful it is than that early portable personal computer I used so many years ago.

All of this seems so familiar, yet strange at the same time. So here's to Val, Art, and Jerry, who helped make some great memories during that assignment.

How Times Have Changed

I'm sitting in one of my classes while pursuing an MA in Bioethics today and it suddenly struck me how things have changed so rapidly in the last 30 years. The main object of my wonder has to do with the technology we use and how incessantly connected we all are (and yes, I'm writing this while listening to the prof with one ear).

I was recently reminded by a high school classmate that we graduated 30 years ago. At that time, my high school was considered very progressive because we had classrooms full of Apple II+ and IBM PC computers. We were learning to write our own programs in BASIC and Pascal, but only a few classes had the privilege of using these machines as my sister--one year ahead of me in school--had to learn programming in FORTRAN using card readers.

Even when I entered into university and I started learning Ada, nothing had changed much as I still had to go to the computer lab, hope that there was a terminal available, make my adjustments to my code, and wait for the output to be printed.

My, how times have changed. In my current classroom, of the 18 students and the professor present, 17 of us have our laptops open and multitasking (some shopping, some on Facebook, one writing a blog, some taking notes). And considering most of us have smartphones (I know this to be true because most of us have them on the desks next to our laptops or plugged into an outlet being charged), we actually have two computers on each of us.

Surprisingly enough, the prof, because he's having a bad time with technology today, just mentioned how the university had only one computer when he was a student here 40 some odd years ago.

My, how times have changed.

Feeling Old Thanks to LinkedIn

Well, it's not really LinkedIn's fault, but I'll blame it anyway. I just connected via LinkedIn to a colleague who works at a subsidiary company of my employer. We've communicated often before this, but last night was the first time I found out any of her personal history because I read her bio and background.

Why does this make me feel old? Because both of us are alumni of Boston University, except she graduated 19 years after I did. Actually, going by the year I would have graduated if laziness and apathy hadn't got a hold of me so many years ago, the difference becomes 21 years.

I don't know why this fact surprises me. After all, BU graduates thousands of students every year and since I hope to live a long life, it's reasonable that I'd eventually cross paths with other alumni. I guess there's a part of me that doesn't want to let go of the past because memories of friends (only one or two that I actually have any contact with anymore), places, and events are still so vivid that it seems like it was just yesterday that I roamed the streets of Boston and surrounding environs as a student/roadie/copy machine operator extraordinaire.

This is the point where my wife usually reminds me that it's been so long ago, what's the big deal where I went to college? Don't get me wrong, I'm not fanatical about remembering my alma mater and even though I try to keep connected by catching an occasional BU ice hockey game on TV or keeping up-to-date with the Beanpot every year, I haven't gone back for homecoming, campus visits, or written to the alumni magazine.

But there is a part of me that is proud to have graduated from BU. There is a part of me that remembers what it was like to be on my own for the first time in my life. And there is a part of me that remembers the mistakes, arrogance, and regrets of a young teenager set loose in a new city. Those were my salad days, indeed.

So, thanks a lot LinkedIn, I feel young today.

Go Terriers!

Updated 15 January 2013 at 12:46 p.m.

Easy Driving on Snowy Days

Well, today is the second snow day of the 2013-14 winter season here in the Northern Virginia. Schools are closed today, as they were yesterday, and government offices (even the federal government) closed as well. Here in the private sector, we're at work and loving the easier commute because everyone else stayed home.

In fact, I find that the most ironic part of today's commute: it was easy driving even though the weather and road conditions were iffy. I wish the commute was this easy every day.

Black Friday All Week Long

The timing of things are getting all squashed up and there doesn't seem to be anything special about the holidays any more.

For example, I'm sure there's one station that changes to an all-holiday format on Thanksgiving in every major radio market. Here in Northern Virginia, our station switched to that format last week (one week before Thanksgiving). That's not so bad because I can just avoid the station until I'm ready for 24/7 Christmas music.

But one tradition (or badge of honor) that I enjoyed over the long Thanksgiving Day weekend was getting out early on Black Friday and doing my part to keep the economy going. Even a couple of years ago, when the stores started opening up late on Thursday night, it was still an adventure to see what could be bought and my badge of honor became staying up all night and hitting as many stores as I could.

Now that's changed because I've already done most of my Black Friday shopping. That's because of the ridiculous "Black Friday Week" or "Pre-Black Friday Sales" that some retailers has begun. Um, doesn't that take some of the steam out of Black Friday? Yes, there are still some good bargains out there, but it's no longer worth my time and energy to run out in the middle of the night (or even early Friday morning) to get anything.

So, to whoever thought of extended Black Friday to a whole week or (in some cases, a whole month), I hate you for taking away another tradition, but I thank you for letting me sleep in this week.

Air Travel is Still an Adventure

I don't get to travel internationally very often, so when I do, I try to make an adventure out of it. I take in all of the experiences related to air travel, cut out the annoying ones--like waiting in customs and immigration--and remember the enjoyable ones--like people watching or shopping.

Recently, I had the opportunity to fly aboard an Airbus A380 from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, to Los Angeles. I flew on the plane pictured below, Qantas Airways registry VH-OQD. I was so excited to be able to book a flight on this type of aircraft that my wife asked me if I had some sort of bucket list. I thought about for a little while and then said, "Yeah, I guess I do."

For me, even with the hassles of airport security and the long waits at immigration and customs, air travel is still and adventure. It's still a great way to see the country or the world, it's a great way to meet people you wouldn't normally meet, and it's a great way to experience a marvel of modern life--powered flight.

Next up: trying to fly aboard a Boeing 787.

Qantas Airways VH-OQK (FlightAware)