There has been a lot of talk lately about the decline of mainstream media. Newspapers are receiving the brunt of the criticism and, in my opinion, for good reason. There are two simple reasons why I read my local paper, ads/coupons and local news. Yet, my local newspaper seems hell bent on delivering me a paper full of world and national news that in all likelihood I have already read on the Internet or seen on TV. Newspapers, especially local ones, fill the only niche that new-media have been unable to tackle, yet. My local newspaper provides me with a local perspective. The writers and editors are supposed to dive deep into the issues that affect my local government, schools, and businesses. Instead, the majority of the paper is filled with AP reports that are at least a day old.
The lack of local reporting in my newspaper coupled with the ever increase subscription fee has caused me to cancel my subscription. I wonder if the newspaper companies will ever realize that their only means to stay in business will be to cut costs by not paying the AP to run day old stories. They need to provide more investigative reporting on local issues and lower subscription fees. I fear, however, that they will never figure this out and in the near future the new-media system will figure out a way to provide the local news and finally end the torturous death of the Newspaper industry.
Recently many questions are arising over the prospect of companies maintaining their viability if they fail to incorporate ”Green” policies into their business model. Stiffer government policies and public pressure to reform pollution control have caused companies to spend money that in the long run, may not save them money or create a better product, but only appear more responsible in the eyes of the public. Turning a company green means increasing the price of their products or decreasing their profit margins, at least in the short-term (Why is “Going Green” So Expensive?). Couple this with the expectation that your company will lose market share if you fail to incorporate green practices and we place corporate america in quite the quandary. Nonetheless, time and innovation will correct this mismatch as long as American, and world, citizens remained engaged in protecting the planet and remain vigilant in reducing their carbon footprints.
My question is then; is it time for me to seek out employment with companies that are already taking strides to incorporate ”Green” policies?
There are companies across America that are leading the charge to create consumer goods and build infrastructure that are economically and ecologically sound. If the current administration continues to increase regulation that punishes companies for not making ecologically sound decisions, then perhaps both my family and I would be better served by working for a company that already embraces these ideas. Smart Grids, hybrid cars, and clean coal only touch on all the initiatives that are changing the way Americans look at technology and innovation. If I can be apart of a company that can generate electricity for a house via solar energy cheaper than burning coal, then shouldn’t I take the leap? Wouldn’t this create a cleaner, more stable future for my child?
I guess in the end, it is a question of concern and adaptability. Humans tend to graze too long in the same spot. Sometimes with good reason. Why move to a place of uncertainty when there is still perfectly good grass to chew on right here? Our concerns for the future need to rise above our inability to adapt and evolve. The external stimulus that we need in order to adapt is already upon us. We need only to realize this fact and change. As for me, I think it is time to move onto greener pastures.
So what is better than a big ole bottle of fresh German Beer…oh, ya…nothing.
At the Olde Mecklenbury Brewery you can relax and enjoy a fresh beer beer in the new Tap Room and when your ready roll grab a few 37 ounce or 74 ounce German Growlers to take with you. They even refill them for a quarter of the original price.
Now, I am not trying to be a salesman here. And I have no affiliation with the Brewery, it is just nice to see entrepreneurship alive and well, even in this tough economy. The brewery has been open for all of 7 weeks yet their name and product is spreading around the region like a wildfire. Why? Because the owners embrace social networking. OMB already has its own Facebook page and email newsletter. They also have a new blog setup on blogger. I can only assume that a Twitter account is coming soon.
In the past a small business such as this would have needed vast amounts of money and resources to mass market their product and achieve success. Today, companies like OMB are able to do this in short time and with few resources. One thing is for sure, I will be supporting this product in the hopes that through their success, more small companies can achieve widespread success and push for change in the macro markets.
Do you enjoy connecting with people on Facebook with real names? knowing that those old high school buddies are the real thing and not some lame imposter? Well, those times are coming to a swift end. Facebook is introducing user names and the obscurity and confusion that comes with it, all in the name of mainstreaming. But, what may I ask, could be more mainstream than using your real name? Apparently, Facebook disagrees and we must all endure, what I think, will be another bad decision in a long line of bad decisions.
What do you think?
How long is Christmas? Black Friday used to signal the beginning of the Holiday shopping season, and Celebrating the New Year brought the holidays to a close. Those ideas seem to be antiquated now. The commercialization of the holiday season is transforming a month long season of enjoyment into a year long dash for the cheapest gift.
Now it’s never a wrong time to blare Christmas music over the loud speaker while shoppers push and bump there way over to the last pair of cheap Chinese made gloves.
What happened to the season of family, friends, giving, and caring?
Well, at least we still have football on Thanksgiving and day long reruns of A Christmas Story on Christmas.
We are at a dark crossroads in relation to our economy. We need fundamental changes to the business structure of the market, but we also must prevent alienating the people within our workforce who are unable/unwilling to develop new skill-sets.
The problem is, the government is erasing a decade worth of legislation that promoted learning new skill-sets as a way to return to the work force. Instead the dole is on a comeback. During the economic boon, legislatures passed a multitude of bills that limited the growth of the dole and helped people get back to work. The generational welfare families were finding ways to stop this cycle of madness. Now the dire condition of the economy, coupled with short-sighted thinking is threatening to wipe out these improvements.
People shouldn’t suffer, but our government should help promote a return to the work-force, not a never ending ration of free money. We need jobs and the skills to perform them, not free hand-outs.
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