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Posts Tagged ‘Deer In Headlines’

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Going off the mobile grid.

In Dayton Ohio News, Education, Local News, Opinion, Technology, Uncategorized on January 16, 2014 at 5:48 pm

dih-logo-SEAlmost a century ago, American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) considered the prospect of a wireless telephone but quickly abandoned the idea. Today, that move certainly seems at the very least shortsighted. But with a total U.S. population at that time of 180 million, the idea of a future with more than 320 million wireless subscribers was unimaginable.

The information superhighway (Do people even use that phrase anymore?) is truly at our fingertips and it’s also in our pockets or purses and on our hips.  It’s everywhere and it’s with everyone! At the grocery, at the mall, at work, stuck in traffic, at a boring neighbor’s barbecue; and it is only getting better and faster.

GERY_GRIDBut, like the song says, every rose has its thorn and there is an ugly downside of the mobile frenzy – constant connectivity. In the blink of an eye, we were unable to escape the beep, buzz, and ringtone of our smartphones and iPads. It was hard enough to get away from the daily grind when we weren’t carrying the office around in a hip pocket, but now it’s nearly impossible.

The constant mobile distraction is certainly not limited to business professionals, or even adults. School districts have now begun to ban smartphones from classrooms and even entire school grounds just to keep the students’ attention. We are so connected that we’re even missing out on some of life’s most amazing events.

A friend recently shared an anecdote about a man who was in the delivery room for the birth of his first child. Amidst all the breathing and pushing, he was preoccupied with his cell phone, texting with someone about work. Before he realized it, the baby had been born and he totally missed it. I don’t know how true that story is, but it’s not impossible to imagine.

Watch the Living Dayton tie-in segment with Gery Deer and Shaun Kraisman. Click the photo to watch.

Watch the Living Dayton tie-in segment with Gery Deer and Shaun Kraisman. Click the photo to watch.

And then there’s me. Since my first Commodore VIC-20 computer appeared under the Christmas tree in 1981, I’ve been immersed in technology. I’ve been a programmer, a database developer and a systems administrator. I’ve designed websites and developed social media marketing campaigns. Suffice to say, I know my stuff. But nothing prepared me for how mobile technology was going to grab my life and shake it like a rag in a dog’s mouth!

As a self-employed freelance writer, my day is spent connected to some kind of technology from the time I wake up until I pass out from exhaustion 20 hours later. From my iPhone to my Kindle Fire, I’m constantly surrounded by WiFi gadgets and mobile broadband receivers of all kinds.

For some people, the ability to disconnect from that level of techno-submersion is a serious challenge. But, with a little trial and error, I found easy ways to disconnect without being totally out of touch.

One of the biggest problems with all of this mobility is a lack of personal boundaries, with yourself and others. Back when there were only a couple of phone extensions in the house, many families would not allow calls to be made or received past a certain time of day. A level of courtesy long since gone prevented people from calling during the dinner hour or on a holiday. With a little self discipline, the restrictions can be set regarding cell phone, email and social media time.

When you work for yourself, you don’t have the luxury of watching the clock and a home office keeps the job on your mind almost continually. Fortunately, my office is not in my home, but I’m still connected, even after I lock up for the day. Over time, it was necessary for me to impose what I call “black out” hours; when I don’t answer the phone, I don’t return emails and I don’t post on social media.

I had a particularly hard time sticking to the black outs because, at first, I was always worried about missing that one all-important call that could make or break my career. Trust me, nothing is that important. And, if it is, modern caller ID technology helps you to screen calls so you get to decide whether or not to answer.

Other people need to understand and respect your boundaries as well. Unfortunately, however, it’s up to you to educate them about your availability. Remember if you train people that you answer email, texts and phone calls at all hours, they’re likely to take advantage of that.

Here are some other suggestions that might help you keep your real and cyber lives in better harmony.

  • Time your activity. Keep track of your computing time. You might be surprised how much time you actually spend with your mobile devices.
  • Out of sight, out of mind. Remove your phone and other gadgets from convenient access so you won’t be continuously tempted to check texts or Facebook.
  • No tech at the table. Parents who want better communication with kids should restrict technology use at the dinner table. Of course, that means you have to rule by example. Relationships are better when people talk while sharing a meal.
  • Put down the phone and drive. Besides being safer, listening to music or just some quiet time on your commute might help ease a stressful day.
  • Resurrect an old hobby. For some people, mobile computing has overtaken time once spent on more relaxing pursuits.

Finally, my best piece of advice is to just hit the off button. Shut down the laptop, eReader, and smartphone and do something with family or friends. Go for a walk, visit a museum, read a newspaper or a book – yes, they still make paper ones – just disconnect. Going off the grid a few hours a day can really help you – psychologically, emotionally and professionally.

Click to watch the television interview tie-in that goes with this supplement.

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Are you happy, or just think so?

In Education, Opinion, psychology, sociology on January 15, 2014 at 9:22 am

DIH LOGOThey say … and I admit I’m not totally certain who “they” are in this context. But they say, happiness is just a state of mind. In fact, the same, “they” also believe all reality is just in your head; that your own thoughts create the authenticity of the world around you. Yes, I know, that’s too much heavy thought for such a short column, but it offers an interesting concept.

If everything we know as reality is determined, not by the people and things around us, but, instead, from our own thoughts then how real is it, really? OK, that’s a bit much to take in, even for me. But suffice to say emotions are created and altered by thoughts. So, are you happy? Or, do you just think you are? In the end, if “they” are correct, it doesn’t even matter.

Most people can change how they feel simply by altering their thoughts or, at least, their perception of a situation. That is, unless you suffer from some type of chemical issue in the brain that causes your feelings to spin out of control no matter what you’re thinking. And we’re not going to get into any of that because I am simply not qualified to talk about the subject.

But for most, it is entirely possible to alter your state of emotion and change how you react to outside influences just by shifting your thoughts. For example, many people get upset when a child breaks or spills something. Unless someone is done physical harm, what is there to get upset about? Have you ever heard the saying, “don’t cry over spilt milk?” It’s a bit of good advice telling you not to whine about the accident, just clean it up and move on.

GDEER-BLUE_SHIRT_FROM_ABOVEIn my opinion, sometimes it’s really hard to get that one, nagging negative thought out of your head. So, I think that altering your way of thinking is more about prioritizing than anything else. In other words, pick your battles.

If you drop a dish or your child dumps Kool-Aid all over that new white rug, does it, in the grand scheme, really matter? Assuming, of course, there is no malicious intent involved. After all, regardless of the political incorrectness of the idea, kids really are just bad sometimes. Either way, getting angry and blowing your top at yourself or the child isn’t going to put the dish back together or “unspill” the drink.

Now what if your husband decided to fire up the new grill he got for Christmas inside the garage? No, I don’t know why someone would even … never mind, just go with me here. In this situation, there is a potential danger to your family so it’s worth getting a bit more upset, but you have to control your thoughts to keep from becoming hysterical.

It will serve you better and help you remain calm if you focus on preventing a potentially devastating situation than to immediately punish your idiot husband. Take the proper steps, ensure everyone’s safety and solve the problem. That’s what I mean by changing the way you think.

Needless to say, altering lifelong behavior, good or bad, doesn’t happen overnight and it’s certainly not easy. It takes practice and diligence. Whenever something happens that throws your day into an uproar, try not to get upset. Try hard to focus on a solution to whatever’s gone wrong and look forward to the positive outcome.

I’ve often argued that people make some of the most important decisions in life based solely on emotion rather than rational thought. Even the faithful are guided almost entirely by pure emotion. Making decisions actually becomes easier, and more productive when done from a logical perspective.

Gery L. Deer is an independent columnist and business writer based in Jamestown, Ohio. More at www.gerydeer.com.

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Aging in place: Helping seniors remain home longer

In Economy, Home Improvement, Local News, Opinion, Senior Lifestyle, Uncategorized on January 8, 2014 at 11:26 am

DIH LOGOCurrent statistics show approximately 1.3 million American seniors now reside in nursing homes at an annual cost of more than $83,000 per room. As more of the population comes to retirement age in the next decade, those numbers are expected to triple. Some seniors, however, are choosing to invest money to modify their current homes to meet specific accessibility needs so they can remain there as long as possible.

The professional building trade refers to it as, “aging in place,” adapting an existing home to serve as a long-term residence including the retrofit of service equipment such as grab bars, ramps, side-entry bathtubs and so on. Other alterations include the widening of hallways, lowering of cabinets and sinks, or the addition of an elevator.

Some builders now offer certified contracting services for the express purpose of refitting a home for longer occupancy, regardless of disability. For the last several years, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has provided a specialized certification called, “Certified Aging in Place Specialist, or CAPS. The program is designed to educate contractors on the latest methods and products for creating a safe, supportive environment in a senior’s existing residence.

The number of seniors living in retirement communities and nursing facilities is expected to triple in the next decade.

The number of seniors living in retirement communities and nursing facilities is expected to triple in the next decade.

Keep in mind that when you hire a Certified Aging in Place Specialist you are buying a service rather than a product. Each CAPS professional draws from a different knowledge base and will approach your project from a unique perspective, focusing on your needs.

Marty Walling, owner of Marty Walling Construction, LLC, in Riverside, Ohio, has been an NAHB Certified Aging in Place Specialist for more than two years. According to Walling, the process should be all about the individual experience and meeting the needs of the resident.

“A CAPS professional is trained to identify and recommend attractive design solutions that create a safe and comfortable environment for individuals who want to age in place,” Walling said. “Aging in place is more than the simple addition of grab bars and bathtub seating. These modifications offer seniors the ability to live in their own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably regardless of age, income, or ability level.”

But not every contractor is right for these kinds of jobs and consumers should do their homework before hiring. The first step is to contact the NAHB to find a CAPS designated builder in your area. This is a niche market and few remodelers have the proper certifications.

Next, have a meeting with the builder in the home to be remodeled and discuss the needs and expectations of the project. Attendees should include the caregiver and, if possible, the individual who will most benefit from the alterations. He or she can demonstrate any accessibility problems in their existing environment so the builder can properly adapt solutions to the need.

Expense and time are also of importance and should be discussed as soon as needs are assessed and products are selected. Walling noted, “Project costs will vary with need but the average bathroom upgrade, for example, takes about two weeks to complete and the resident can remain in the home while the work is done.”

Décor should also be considered when making changes to existing furnishings. “Savvy CAPS builders will work with designers to incorporate color and style to match the home’s décor and do their best to avoid the sterile, hospital look,” Walling said. “There are safety products available that blend right in with the current design of the space which can sometimes make the modifications less obvious.”

It’s also important to stress that this kind of remodel is helpful to all types of people, not just the elderly or disabled. Alterations can be made for any need and it is all about making the homeowner more comfortable and providing them with a feeling of safety, security and ease of access.

If you or a loved one are considering nursing care because of accessibility and you own your home, an Aging in Place upgrade might be the right solution. A CAPS specialist can help you determine what works for you or whether the changes are practical, mechanically and financially. In either case, the safety and security of the resident should be the primary concern.

 

Deer In Headlines author and Living Dayton business contributor, Gery L. Deer in the "Stafford Jewelers Diamond Room" at WDTN.

Gery L. Deer is an independent business contributor to WDTN-TV2’s LIVING DAYTON program. More at http://www.gerydeer.com.

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Language skills lacking in American education

In Children and Family, Economy, Education, National News, Opinion, Technology, Uncategorized on December 18, 2013 at 12:45 pm

DIH LOGOIn June of 2013 the Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences released a report stating the United States is losing its long-time advantage in language and social sciences. Honestly, I didn’t need a federally mandated report to know that Americans are suffering from a chronic lack of language skills.

Every day I read business letters, websites, reports, technical documentation and a mountain of other material supposedly created by professionals but which exhibit the communication skills of a seventh-grader. Even basic sentence structure and punctuation seem to elude people today. Of course, it wasn’t always so.

Once upon a time, American education stressed the importance of what was somewhat inaccurately referred to as, the “three R’s” – reading, writing, and arithmetic. In those days, being able to read and write was considered paramount to a bright future and that’s never been truer than it is today. As information technology advances via the Internet and its collective user devices, one would expect people to actually become better communicators rather than the opposite.

Despite the low-tech, no-budget educational systems of the old days, it’s entirely possible Americans living a century ago may have been far better educated and communicative. Back then students of different grades spent the early school years together in a one-room schoolhouse having the basics repeatedly drilled into them. It might have been redundant by today’s standards, but people seemed to be better able to communicate.

WRITING R USRemote educational technologies coupled with strings of poorly strategized legislation have led to what I consider to be the isolation of the American student. Individualized study, Internet-based classrooms, severe budget reductions in schools and a constant decrease in human interaction have all contributed to the decline of language proficiency. Many states have even removed the teaching of cursive handwriting from the curriculum, a skill, in my opinion, that helps promote a more thoughtful, creative approach to the written language.

Today, however, humanities programs have continued to lose favor, not to mention funding, to high-tech and STEM schools. If you’re unfamiliar, STEM is an acronym for Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics, and refers to a school that specializes in those fields.

All well and good, particularly in today’s high-tech job market. But if these kids never learn to properly write a letter or give a verbal presentation, what’s the point? Having an engineering background myself I can personally attest to the fact that effective writing is vitally important in high-tech fields, yet communications courses are still not a priority for many schools.

Writers used to be highly respected, experienced professionals no matter what their area of expertise. Not anymore. Just ask anyone and you can bet he or she is a “writer,” making it harder for those more qualified who are trying to make a living. I don’t work cheaply, because I have two decades of experience writing for publishers and commercial clients and I am good at what I do.

Still, that seems to count for nothing when publishers are cash poor and I’m competing for work against the latest blogger cranking out poor quality content for free. Unfortunately, the ability for anyone and everyone to publish online has diminished the public’s intellectual expectations of quality content.

Qualified editors are likewise disappearing from the professional landscape. An increasing number of publishers are selling newspapers, magazines and books with scathing grammatical and technical errors making even the professionals appear amateur and sloppy.

It’s no wonder these skills are dying off even more rapidly than we might have anticipated even just five or six years ago. Increasingly, people are communicating not in words, but in a cyber-shorthand, through texting and instant messages. Words are abridged to their most needed letters making our written language read like a vanity license plate.

In order to remain competitive and relevant on the global stage, American education must enhance language and social science programs. If we put as much effort into reading and writing as we do into having the best football team, just imagine what our students could achieve.

 

Gery L. Deer is an independent columnist and co-founder of the Western Ohio Writers Association. More at http://www.gerydeer.com

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So many topics, so little substance

In history, Local News, National News, News Media, Opinion, Politics, World News on December 11, 2013 at 8:30 pm

DIH LOGOAs the year draws to a close, I’ve been planning the final few topics for Deer In Headlines in 2013. So far, I’ve got ten political topics, six personal, nine general and two holiday-related; none of which jump out at me as interesting to you, my readers. It could be I’ve decided that the absence of a subject is a topic in and of itself. Let me explain.

How much time each day do you spend thinking or worrying (not always the same activity) about things you can’t control? Are you readily preoccupied with global issues that have little or nothing to do with your daily life? What is it that really motivates you to get out of bed each day? I think we are just spending far too much time worried about nonsense.

I think maybe we are overly concerned with problems and situations that 1) have nothing to do with us directly, or 2) about which we can do absolutely nothing. Focusing on these things only wastes time and energy and takes our attention from far more pressing matters.

For example, a great leader was lost last week when Nelson Mandela passed away. Strangely, to me at least, it wasn’t really that much of a shock; the guy was 95, after all. What was shocking, however, was how little time the media and bloggers (no, they’re not interchangeable) spent discussing the Obama selfie photo and the fake sign language translator instead of focusing of the former South African president and his achievements.

It’s truly maddening that our attention was overtaken not on the legacy of a true hero but on how to politicize whether the president should have been smiling during the memorial. Think about it, that’s kind of a big deal. He was taking a cell phone picture with the prime ministers of Great Britain and Denmark. He had good reason to smile, even if Mrs. Obama seemed indifferent. But I think even that was out of context. We have no clue what she was thinking or what happened just before and after the picture.

President Obama speaks at Nelson Mandela memorial with reported "fake" sign language interpreter. Photo Courtesy AFP, Pedro Ugarte.

President Obama speaks at Nelson Mandela memorial with reported “fake” sign language interpreter. Photo Courtesy AFP, Pedro Ugarte.

Given the state of the world today, instead of criticizing them, we should be grateful that there are two world leaders willing to be in the same picture with the American president in the first place. I believe Mr. Mandela would have been gratified that people were getting along and smiling as they celebrated his life, including Obama’s handshake with Cuban leader Raul Castro. At least we’re not shooting at each other.

Every day we’re confronted with bad news. I work in the media but try to ignore much of the negative. I have enough of my own problems and I needn’t concern myself with the ridiculousness of the latest Washington scandal or whether the president should have shaken hands with a dictator. Who cares? No one but the pundits, that’s who.

Pundits are supposed “experts” in a particular field called upon for comment by the news media. Sadly, most of these so-called experts are nothing of the kind. They’re often just celebrities who tend to be publicity hounds and find a way to know something about everything at precisely the right moment. Once again, there we go worrying about things that have nothing to do with us. Why do we care what these people think about anything?

Most pundits are so far removed from average people there is no way they could relate to the trials and tribulations of holding a job, paying a mortgage or trying to determine the source of your next meal. They just don’t get it – and they don’t care.

Taking this back around to the idea of the non-topic, as we slide headlong down that snowy slope into the Christmas holidays, remember to stay focused on what matters to you and yours. Ignore the sensationalized news and the nonsense spewed out of Hollywood. Your life and the lives of your family and friends are what make the most difference in your world so center on those things and you’ll be much happier.

 

Gery L. Deer is an independent  contributor to WDTN-TV2’s “Living Dayton” program. More at gerydeer.com.

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U.S. Stalking economy is likely here to stay.

In Business, Dayton Ohio News, Economy, Media, Opinion, Technology on December 5, 2013 at 12:00 am

DIH LOGOIf you shop online or use social media on a regular basis, you’ve probably wondered how the ads you see seem so perfectly suited to your own interests. That’s because you told them. Really, you did, but it’s unlikely you were even aware of having done so.

Some experts refer to this practice as just another component of today’s ever advancing “stalker economy,” referring to constant surveillance for what you buy, talk about and “LIKE” online. It’s all being monitored by websites and social media pages on which the transaction occurs. The data is collected, analyzed, and regurgitated into useful information and sold to future advertisers.

No longer do advertisers need to track ‘cookies,’ those tiny bread crumbs of data left behind when you visit a website that lay a clean, detailed trail of your online pathways. Instead, they just get the information directly from you – in many different ways.

While there is so-called, “do not track” legislation designed to regulate companies which monitor and customize ads based on a user’s experiences, the laws are mostly toothless. Much of the existing legislation makes compliance voluntary. Plus, if a user does not want to be tracked, the information is still collected but no personalized advertising will be generated. Why even bother having the laws in the first place?

Today’s “stalking economy” is unlikely to change but rather get progressively more invasive and nosey because of the explosion of mobile devices and enhanced cellular communication options. According to the CTIA-The Wireless Association, 89-percent of people living in the United States have mobile broadband subscriptions.

The CTIA’s research shows that, “The U.S. wireless industry is valued at $195.5 billion, which is larger than publishing, agriculture, hotels and lodging, air transportation, motion picture and recording and motor vehicle manufacturing industry segments.”

It might sound like just a lot of meaningless industry trivia until you consider how much goes into its infrastructure and operation. From website and app development to marketing and advertising strategies, hundreds of thousands are employed in the business of keeping you connected to your favorite things. And the advertisers sell to millions that way.

Many experts still believe the mobile and web-based media industries are still just in their infancy! Think of it, just five years ago most cell phones were barely capable of sending a text message, today people can do their banking, video chat with their children away at college and watch the TV show they missed the night before.

Learning to capitalize on America’s obsession with the web has made tracking essential, but still relatively unwanted. Of course there are those who simply don’t care if their online activity is being monitored. If anything, these individuals believe they’ll be of the first to know about a new product or service and be in on version 1-point-0, trend-setting from the ground floor.

Most websites allow a user to opt-out from receiving advertising material, but that won’t stop them from keeping an eye on them. So what’s the good side of the “stalker economy” to the consumer? Over the long haul, consumers are more frequently introduced to products and services they wouldn’t have otherwise known about and in a much shorter time period than would have been possible otherwise.

The consumer also wins because advertising to a highly focused target market will cost less to execute. Since marketing is one of the most expensive parts of selling a product, this will help the merchant maintain affordability.

It’s doubtful that people will ever be completely free from electronic snooping, at least the kind that keeps a running list of our Amazon purchases. But you can do some things to limit what they see. First, read everything; every single line presented to you on a website regarding your account or how your information is used. The rest is due diligence. Keep a running record of websites you use for social media, shopping, whatever. Make sure they have what you want them to have and no more. In any case, it’s up to you to decide how much to put out there. Keep it as little as possible.

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Obamacare: Politicians lie to cover bad legislation

In Economy, Health, National News, Opinion, Politics, sociology, Uncategorized on November 19, 2013 at 5:03 pm

DIH LOGOHow ever the White House and the Democrats want to spin it, President Obama lied about the Affordable Care Act – and he wasn’t the only one. But it’s “his” plan and legacy that are on trial now.

Denying that he ever said the line is ridiculous and just makes liberals look worse. It has been fact-checked repeatedly even by liberal news media. The first appearance of the empty promises came at a town hall on August 15, 2009 when the President said, “I just want to be completely clear about this; I keep on saying this but somehow folks aren’t listening — if you like your health care plan, you keep your health care plan. Nobody is going to force you to leave your health care plan.”

Less than a year later, he said essentially the same thing at a speech on March 25, 2010 in Iowa City, Iowa. Speaking of those who were skeptical and cynical of his health reform President Obama said, “They’ll have to finally acknowledge this isn’t a government takeover of our health care system. They’ll see that if Americans like their doctor, they’ll be keeping their doctor. You like your plan? You’ll be keeping your plan. No one is taking that away from you.” If you’re curious, none of this is out of context and full texts for these speeches are available at the White House website.

Without beating a dead horse, this is thoroughly inaccurate or, as the Democrats would say about a Republican president, he lied. There is no caveat stated in any of these remarks related to grandfather provisions or referring to existing medical plans that must meet some set standard required by the new law. It says, very clearly, no one would lose their existing coverage.

In a live address July 25th, President Obama urged Americans to pressure congressional leaders to move toward a compromise. (AP Photo)

So how can anyone say he did not lie about it? Making excuses for lying politicians – on either side of the aisle – does not an honest man make. It’s no secret I’ve never really been a fan of this president, nor the last one either for that matter. But regardless of your loyalties, to deny that he misled the public is just feigning ignorance. He didn’t misspeak or stumble on his phrasing, and leaving out a vital piece of information is a lie by omission, so Dems need to stop trying to defend it.

The Affordable Care Act is a badly written piece of legislation that was pushed through to meet a political agenda rather than to benefit the population as a whole. Overall, I agree with the concept that we need some way to cover those people who cannot afford health care. But at the same time, those already paying their own way shouldn’t be punished by having their current policies systematically cancelled just to meet a set of arbitrary requirements established to force enrollment in the government’s new insurance monopoly.

Speaking of monopolies, wouldn’t it have made sense to have something in the law requiring premium caps and policy cost regulations? What about some kind of legislation that would control the pricing of health care services and keep the cost lower in the first place? One would think our government is more concerned with the expensive cost of a pack of bubble gum than the outrageous price of a critical medical test.

Lobbyists from the medical and insurance industries are extremely powerful, far more so than the average small business owner or individual health insurance consumer. Since most legislators are in the pocket of some major lobbying group, it would be financial suicide for them go against anything as massive as the insurance industry.

The only practical solution to this issue is to correct the problems within the content of the Affordable Care Act; not by presidential mandate, but through the legislative system. Congress needs to re-open the letter of the law and grab an eraser. Force the insurance companies and hospitals to lower costs and let people keep their insurance. Bad legislation only gets worse and wastes taxpayer dollars instead of more efficiently allocating that money to more productive purposes.

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Long holiday season diminishes purpose

In Entertainment, Holiday, Media, Opinion, Uncategorized on November 13, 2013 at 7:13 pm

DIH LOGOMaybe it’s because I’m getting older, but I really don’t understand the concept of having the Christmas holiday season start before the last kid has knocked on the door and yelled, “Trick or treat.” Yet, every year, its arrival seems to advance a few more days.

From artificial Christmas trees to holiday-themed tableware, it all hits the shelves even as parents are still helping the kids carve a Jack-O-Lantern. Then, as if signaled by the dousing of porch lights after Beggars’ Night, municipal workers swiftly hang garland and lamp post banners cheerfully lettered with the bland and ever faith-neutral greeting, “Happy Holidays,” so as to avoid offending anyone.

To cash in on early shoppers this year, Walmart announced it would open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, no doubt in response to the flood of competitors who started opening early last season.  Over the last couple of years, many department stores were criticized for allegedly forcing employees to work on national holidays, supposedly threatening them with dismissal if they failed to show up.

It’s hard to criticize the merchant companies, however, because if people weren’t lining up around the block to get in, they wouldn’t bother opening early. Clearly, shoppers want to get in on the best deals as early as possible and store management simply met their demands. Of course, it’d be easy enough to argue that people wouldn’t do that if merchants weren’t enticing them with exceptional savings. So who is really to blame? I’d say it looks like the fault lies equally with both parties.

Even so, last year some employees went on strike, for lack of a better description, and refused to work on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Many lost their jobs when they didn’t show up for the new holiday shifts, despite intervention by civil liberties supporters.

No one wants to have to work on a holiday unnecessarily. But, and not to be too blunt about it, if you’re going to work a retail job, there are certain responsibilities that come with that – like it or not. An ever-changing, irregular work schedule is probably one of the most common aspects of a retail sales job and if that’s a deal-breaker, you may need to find some other line of work.

So why are more and more retailers backing up the shopping season? Mostly retailers are trying to cash in on a higher volume of sales and make some kind of effort to steer consumers away from online competitors.

Over the last five or six years, holiday purchases have become increasingly Internet based. Many web-savvy shoppers find it far more rewarding and easier to just point and click, even taking advantage of free shipping, gift wrap and last-minute delivery offered by online retailers like Amazon and eBay.

Perhaps you’ve also noticed that TV networks and radio stations are in on the backward rush to ring in the merry season. Networks like Hallmark Channel and Lifetime began showing Christmas-themed movies and television show episodes during the first week of November. Locally, one of the best multi-genre radio stations for in the Dayton, Ohio market, Mix 107.7, has already started playing 24-hour Christmas music.

It’s not that there’s anything wrong with celebrating, or even getting into the spirit of the season a bit early, but doesn’t all this commercialism and dragging out the festivities diminish the purpose of having a holiday? After all it is a – “Holy Day” – holiday; not a holi-month, or holi-quarter. Even Hanukkah has been lumped in with Thanksgiving this year; the whole thing is just becoming a blur of shopping and pointless present-buying.

Maybe it’s time we slow down a bit and think about the point of all of this. This season shouldn’t be about endless shopping or nonstop Christmas media. Whatever your plans may be, remember to reflect on the meaning of the holidays, especially Thanksgiving. Religious or not, be thankful for whatever prosperity you have and share it with those less fortunate however possible. That’s what Christmas is all about.

 

Deer In Headlines author, Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines author, Gery L. Deer

Gery L. Deer is an independent columnist and business contributor to WDTN-TV2’s “Living Dayton” program. More at http://www.deerinheadlines.com

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Evolve or die: More occupations are becoming extinct.

In Economy, history, Jobs, National News, Opinion, Technology, Uncategorized on November 6, 2013 at 5:45 pm

Deer In Headlines

By Gery L. Deer

What would you do if, not just your particular job, but your entire occupation was no longer needed – ever again? There are on dozens of job categories that are either slowly becoming unnecessary or have already suffered the fate of mechanized extinction.

operatorsAlready gone are the ice and milk delivery man (they were just men back in the day), the telephone operator, record player repairman, elevator operators, professional typists, and a host of others. Those occupational positions feeling the Grim Reaper nipping at their heels may include the gas station attendant, the postal delivery worker, video store clerk, department store sales person, newspaper delivery workers (the paper boy), travel agents and the old-fashioned barber.

Oddly enough even newspaper columnists, like yours truly, are fading away. Modern publishers can use syndicated filler columns or hire “bloggers” who often possess little or no journalistic experience – and pay pennies for the material if anything. Most of my freelancing colleagues have adapted to commercial writing or do as I have, by taking on a wider variety of work to earn a living.

Printing press operator jobs, once abundant in the Dayton, Ohio region are now all but gone. The more publications move toward fully electronic versions, the fewer press jobs there will be and the skill will be in higher demand with those companies still rolling out ink and paper.

As time passes, some of these occupations will have to either evolve into other forms or go the way of the door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman. Librarians, for example, may have been headed towards obscurity but now manage a variety of media, both on the shelf and online. But others may not be able to adapt to serve alternative functions and will simply die out, like the salaeratus maker (that’s someone from the 1800s who made baking soda). See what you can learn from Deer In Headlines?

So what is to be learned from all of this professional progression? Clearly, more education is going to be necessary and the market will adapt to the need. New types of jobs will be created as others fade away.

But are there any jobs unlikely to be replaced by technological breakthrough? Oddly, anyone who is required to create, build and repair that technology has a goldmine ahead of them. Let’s face it, the nerds rule the world and they’re not going anywhere! There are whole television shows about them now.

Incidentally, it isn’t merely technology that causes occupational evolution, but the economy and changes across a business sector, particularly where several types of industries overlap. Consolidation of responsibilities combined with changes in technology can result in the need for more highly-trained workers, but requiring fewer to do the same jobs.

Doctors and nurses will probably always be required, even though patients will pay more to see them less. Hospitals are in a constant state of change as well. Budget cuts and lack of necessity have long-since done away with the helpful but redundant “orderly” position. Today, nursing and medical assistants have taken the place of orderlies, having more education and medical training that can serve a larger need than merely as a gurney driver.

On-air radio professionals, once called “disc jockeys,” have had to evolve as well. Digital media and station automation have made these jobs scarce, but those who are surviving are evolving through other types of media like Internet-based entertainment and even creating their own online listenership.

Whatever the job, workers should make an effort to stay ahead of the game through personal enrichment, continued education and, above all, keep an open mind. Those people who are very resistant, even defiant, toward technology will have a much harder time adapting.

The bottom line here is that occupational evolution is a necessity of any economy. As technology changes and America continues its slow but steady recovery from recession, more workers will be needed while some jobs disappear because they’re just obsolete. *

Gery L. Deer is an independent columnist and business contributor to WDTN-TV2’s “Living Dayton” program. Learn more at http://www.deerinheadlines.com