Boomers in Business:
Ever have one of those truly blah days -- it's overcast outside and foggy in your brain? Let's say you finally sit down to blog anyway, just to see what might come up.
My rationalization for just going with the blah mood today is that there's really more time than I think, and sometimes these fallow days are when my imagination gets some exercise.
Give creativity a chance
These little breaks give new information and ideas the opportunity to combine in new ways and bubble up from the cortex where they've been collecting them all week.
For freelancers, bloggers, art/music/medical professionals and solopreneurs -- this is creative, from-the-heart time, and it usually holds a payoff for clients, customers and students.
Friday, October 30
Wednesday, October 28
Reading the Yogi Tea Leaves
Boomers in Business:
This morning my Yogi Tea Ginseng Royal Vitality Daily Energy Tonic tea bag tag offered far better economic advice than Alan Greenspan ever did or Ben Bernanke is likely to: "Gratitude is the open door to abundance."
Where's that door?
We have been told that the economy has bottomed out and is recovering, but there's precious little evidence of that for freelancers, solopreneurs, alternative medicine practitioners and arts professionals: The Dow Jones goes up, the price of our gasoline follows.
Why is gratitude the door?
I'll answer that with more questions: Ever try to get a great business or marketing idea while you're in the midst of anxiety, worry and fear? When do the best ideas come -- in the shower, in your sleep, while you're thinking of something else entirely?
Tuesday, October 27
Health Care Reform for Small Biz...for All
Boomers in Business:
My circle of friends includes other freelancers, medical professionals, musicians and music teachers, entrepreneurs, graphic artists, writers, camp directors and substance abuse counselors. Only a few have health care supplied by an employer.
I am particularly fortunate -- I attained the freedom to do what I love for a living by first putting in my time as an employee of the State University of New York and the Counties of Westchester and Rockland. As a result, I have a retiree health plan that will carry me till I become Medicare eligible, and back me up -- by paying whatever Medicare doesn't.
What it's like to be without heath care coverage
In the 1980s, when I divorced, I had no health insurance for myself or my daughter. We got by, eating healthfully, paying for doctors out of pocket and keeping our fingers crossed until I finally found a job with benefits. I remember my enormous sense of relief when that happened.
Around that time my daughter needed a great deal of testing and treatment for severe allergies, and I was able to see to it that she got everything she needed without missing much school.
Medical care's more costly than ever before
At today's prices, we would not have made it. Allergies, athsma, anxiety, rhinitis and sinusitis, bronchitis and hypothyroid are all conditions that seem to pass from one generation to the next in my family. As such, they could all have been counted against me as "preexisting conditions." Again, I was lucky.
What it's like to have good health care coverage
Being covered by a plan that allows me to choose my own doctors and has never balked at paying for a lab test has meant incredible peace of mind. I've been hospitalized five times over the last 12 years -- about 25 days in all.
My husband, covered by my plan, has been hospitalized three times in the last five years, twice for kidney cancer. The cancer part was not easy, and took a lot of phone calls, but in the end, it was my PPO plan provider that assigned us a case worker who helped us find the information, doctors and hospitals that would be best for Stuart's condition...almost all of which was covered.
What it's like to fend for yourself
The flip side, however, is that we were also people with medical insurance who were jerked around by hospital anesthesiology providers -- on several occasions. Everything would be covered except the anesthesiology -- because the hospital had agreements with private anesthesiology practices rather than its own staff anesthesiologists.
Those private practices were free to reject our insurance payments and demand enormous cash payments from us, and there was no recourse. Our experiences ran the gamut from the anesthesiology groups refusing to speak to us or negotiate, to hounding us with collection agency calls and quietly threatening lawsuits. I don't know that there's anything in the reform plans that will fix this -- I hope so.
Do we need health care for everyone?
Of course, we do. Costs are now so prohibitive, no one can make it without health insurance. We're way beyond the place where the neighbors bring in casseroles for a week, and the church takes up a modest collection. Those communities, for the most part, no longer exist. We must forge a national community. With everyone on health care insurance, the risks are spread out and the cost goes down.
Most of my friends purposefully keep their small businesses small -- it's hard enough providing health care for your own family, let alone for employees. Because the reforms support lower costs, they are good for small business, whether you have employees or not. Let your congressional representatives know you support HC reform and a public option.
My circle of friends includes other freelancers, medical professionals, musicians and music teachers, entrepreneurs, graphic artists, writers, camp directors and substance abuse counselors. Only a few have health care supplied by an employer.
I am particularly fortunate -- I attained the freedom to do what I love for a living by first putting in my time as an employee of the State University of New York and the Counties of Westchester and Rockland. As a result, I have a retiree health plan that will carry me till I become Medicare eligible, and back me up -- by paying whatever Medicare doesn't.
What it's like to be without heath care coverage
In the 1980s, when I divorced, I had no health insurance for myself or my daughter. We got by, eating healthfully, paying for doctors out of pocket and keeping our fingers crossed until I finally found a job with benefits. I remember my enormous sense of relief when that happened.
Around that time my daughter needed a great deal of testing and treatment for severe allergies, and I was able to see to it that she got everything she needed without missing much school.
Medical care's more costly than ever before
At today's prices, we would not have made it. Allergies, athsma, anxiety, rhinitis and sinusitis, bronchitis and hypothyroid are all conditions that seem to pass from one generation to the next in my family. As such, they could all have been counted against me as "preexisting conditions." Again, I was lucky.
What it's like to have good health care coverage
Being covered by a plan that allows me to choose my own doctors and has never balked at paying for a lab test has meant incredible peace of mind. I've been hospitalized five times over the last 12 years -- about 25 days in all.
My husband, covered by my plan, has been hospitalized three times in the last five years, twice for kidney cancer. The cancer part was not easy, and took a lot of phone calls, but in the end, it was my PPO plan provider that assigned us a case worker who helped us find the information, doctors and hospitals that would be best for Stuart's condition...almost all of which was covered.
What it's like to fend for yourself
The flip side, however, is that we were also people with medical insurance who were jerked around by hospital anesthesiology providers -- on several occasions. Everything would be covered except the anesthesiology -- because the hospital had agreements with private anesthesiology practices rather than its own staff anesthesiologists.
Those private practices were free to reject our insurance payments and demand enormous cash payments from us, and there was no recourse. Our experiences ran the gamut from the anesthesiology groups refusing to speak to us or negotiate, to hounding us with collection agency calls and quietly threatening lawsuits. I don't know that there's anything in the reform plans that will fix this -- I hope so.
Do we need health care for everyone?
Of course, we do. Costs are now so prohibitive, no one can make it without health insurance. We're way beyond the place where the neighbors bring in casseroles for a week, and the church takes up a modest collection. Those communities, for the most part, no longer exist. We must forge a national community. With everyone on health care insurance, the risks are spread out and the cost goes down.
Most of my friends purposefully keep their small businesses small -- it's hard enough providing health care for your own family, let alone for employees. Because the reforms support lower costs, they are good for small business, whether you have employees or not. Let your congressional representatives know you support HC reform and a public option.
Friday, October 23
Think Psychology: Get Out in Front
Boomers in Business:
If you're in the business of selling something, you can't learn too much about human psychology. I find today's news from Sweden intriguing. Here's a progressive, prosperous country with universal health care. It is moving forward on global warming issues, the latest of which is monitoring the carbon dioxide emissions from food production. Food products in Sweden now carry labeling that divulges the number of kilograms of carbon dioxide released into the earth's atmosphere during its production.
This means that raising beef for human consumption, for example, shows up as very inefficient and actually bad for the planet. Cattle are raised on huge agrifarms that create a methane mess. They are often given imported feeds that arrive via carbon-based, fuel-combusting transportation. Then they are shipped hundreds of miles to feed lots near slaughterhouses, and shipped again to distributors, etc. etc. All this produces a lot of nasty, and some unnecessary, emissions.
But wait a minute...
On the other hand, chickens have much less of a negative impact, and beans grown locally in organic soil have almost no detrimental effect on the environmnent. At the fast-food restaurant, these facts translate into 1.7 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions for a hamburger compared to 0.4 kg for a chicken sandwich.
You'd think that rational, easy-going Swedes would just give up beef and choose chicken -- or edamame (soybean) salad. But they're just as resistant as the rest of us to changes in diet and giving up fatty foods -- despite the rational fact that paying attention to the food issue could cut "greenhouse" emissions by 20% to 50%.
Cater to the highest or the lowest impulse?
People consume emotionally, not rationally, just like children. In this country, many people with diabetes so advanced they are in danger of losing their toes to gangrene continue to consume vast quantities of sugar, salt and fat to their heart's discontent.
But people can change
I was lucky. When told mine was a high-risk pregnancy and that I could lose the baby, I started eating real, fresh foods, cooked at home without added salt or sugar. I gained only 12 lbs. over nine months, the baby arrived only slightly early, and her Apgar score was 9+. Best of all, over that space of time, I found out that real food tastes better. I've never craved hamburgers since, and that was 30 years ago.
Instead of catering to the lowest common denominator -- selfish indulgence of the same-old, same-old patterns -- smart businesses leap ahead of the trend, develop a product that's naturally and healthfully delicious, and don't brand it as a sacrifice. It works for food, clothing, energy, services and practically everything else.
Get out in front -- ethically
People may complain briefly about yellowish light bulbs that take a couple of minutes to reach full brightness -- but eventually they respond to the "warmer," more flattering color and get used to lighting that "dims up." The "warm glow" compact fluorescents save money -- and they're actually kind of cool.
Why should The Next Best Thing have to be unhealthy for planet or people? Why not use your age and experience to just be cool!
If you're in the business of selling something, you can't learn too much about human psychology. I find today's news from Sweden intriguing. Here's a progressive, prosperous country with universal health care. It is moving forward on global warming issues, the latest of which is monitoring the carbon dioxide emissions from food production. Food products in Sweden now carry labeling that divulges the number of kilograms of carbon dioxide released into the earth's atmosphere during its production.
This means that raising beef for human consumption, for example, shows up as very inefficient and actually bad for the planet. Cattle are raised on huge agrifarms that create a methane mess. They are often given imported feeds that arrive via carbon-based, fuel-combusting transportation. Then they are shipped hundreds of miles to feed lots near slaughterhouses, and shipped again to distributors, etc. etc. All this produces a lot of nasty, and some unnecessary, emissions.
But wait a minute...
On the other hand, chickens have much less of a negative impact, and beans grown locally in organic soil have almost no detrimental effect on the environmnent. At the fast-food restaurant, these facts translate into 1.7 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions for a hamburger compared to 0.4 kg for a chicken sandwich.
You'd think that rational, easy-going Swedes would just give up beef and choose chicken -- or edamame (soybean) salad. But they're just as resistant as the rest of us to changes in diet and giving up fatty foods -- despite the rational fact that paying attention to the food issue could cut "greenhouse" emissions by 20% to 50%.
Cater to the highest or the lowest impulse?
People consume emotionally, not rationally, just like children. In this country, many people with diabetes so advanced they are in danger of losing their toes to gangrene continue to consume vast quantities of sugar, salt and fat to their heart's discontent.
But people can change
I was lucky. When told mine was a high-risk pregnancy and that I could lose the baby, I started eating real, fresh foods, cooked at home without added salt or sugar. I gained only 12 lbs. over nine months, the baby arrived only slightly early, and her Apgar score was 9+. Best of all, over that space of time, I found out that real food tastes better. I've never craved hamburgers since, and that was 30 years ago.
Instead of catering to the lowest common denominator -- selfish indulgence of the same-old, same-old patterns -- smart businesses leap ahead of the trend, develop a product that's naturally and healthfully delicious, and don't brand it as a sacrifice. It works for food, clothing, energy, services and practically everything else.
Get out in front -- ethically
People may complain briefly about yellowish light bulbs that take a couple of minutes to reach full brightness -- but eventually they respond to the "warmer," more flattering color and get used to lighting that "dims up." The "warm glow" compact fluorescents save money -- and they're actually kind of cool.
Why should The Next Best Thing have to be unhealthy for planet or people? Why not use your age and experience to just be cool!
Thursday, October 22
When Fear Rules Reason
Boomers in Business:
Has America gotten into the business of prosecuting thought crimes? Here we are arresting another disgruntled American, Tarek Mehanna, and charging him with "conspiring to support terrorism" even though he was unable to become a terrorist, take any terrorist action, or support terrorism in any material way.
Tarek had seven long years -- 2001 to 2008 -- in which to plot. And two co-conspiring buddies. But this "terrifying trio" never even came close to pulling off an attack: They were repeatedly rejected for terrorist-camp training, in multiple countries. They abandoned their mall attack plans when their one weapons contact told them he could find no automatic weapons. And their so-called political targets have not even been identified because, say the authorities, they were never in any danger.
Plot or pipe-dream?
Tarek's thoughts were pretty scary, yeah. The way he construed events, his own country was using the land of Mohammad as a base to attack Muslims. That's a fairly edgy outlook. And Tarek also thought he could justify killing civilians because they pay taxes to a government that "kills Muslims," and besides, most of them would be "non-believers" anyway. A thorough wack job, but apparently, not very threatening: more like inept, inexperienced, and ill-informed.
So at what point do irrational thoughts become an actual plot? Tarek the Pharmacist sort-of tried, ineffectually, to carry them out. Along with his two "friends" who are now telling the F.B.I. whatever it wants to hear in order to avoid jail time themselves. How trustworthy are they? We can't know: Only one has even been identified -- the other is tucked away somewhere growing beans to spill.
Beware the Source
Even the evil "contact," Daniel Maldonado, now serving 10 years for getting himself into a terrorist training camp and plotting to overthrow the Somali "government" -- which hasn't even existed since the '90s -- couldn't lay his hands on three automatic weapons. Or maybe he just didn't take Mehanna and his pals too seriously.
Listen, I'm very glad the F.B.I. is aware of these killer wannabes. I'm just wary of frightening the populace into locking up American citizens and throwing away the key when crazy, homicidal ideas were, seemingly, all they had to throw at us.
Has America gotten into the business of prosecuting thought crimes? Here we are arresting another disgruntled American, Tarek Mehanna, and charging him with "conspiring to support terrorism" even though he was unable to become a terrorist, take any terrorist action, or support terrorism in any material way.
Tarek had seven long years -- 2001 to 2008 -- in which to plot. And two co-conspiring buddies. But this "terrifying trio" never even came close to pulling off an attack: They were repeatedly rejected for terrorist-camp training, in multiple countries. They abandoned their mall attack plans when their one weapons contact told them he could find no automatic weapons. And their so-called political targets have not even been identified because, say the authorities, they were never in any danger.
Plot or pipe-dream?
Tarek's thoughts were pretty scary, yeah. The way he construed events, his own country was using the land of Mohammad as a base to attack Muslims. That's a fairly edgy outlook. And Tarek also thought he could justify killing civilians because they pay taxes to a government that "kills Muslims," and besides, most of them would be "non-believers" anyway. A thorough wack job, but apparently, not very threatening: more like inept, inexperienced, and ill-informed.
So at what point do irrational thoughts become an actual plot? Tarek the Pharmacist sort-of tried, ineffectually, to carry them out. Along with his two "friends" who are now telling the F.B.I. whatever it wants to hear in order to avoid jail time themselves. How trustworthy are they? We can't know: Only one has even been identified -- the other is tucked away somewhere growing beans to spill.
Beware the Source
Even the evil "contact," Daniel Maldonado, now serving 10 years for getting himself into a terrorist training camp and plotting to overthrow the Somali "government" -- which hasn't even existed since the '90s -- couldn't lay his hands on three automatic weapons. Or maybe he just didn't take Mehanna and his pals too seriously.
Listen, I'm very glad the F.B.I. is aware of these killer wannabes. I'm just wary of frightening the populace into locking up American citizens and throwing away the key when crazy, homicidal ideas were, seemingly, all they had to throw at us.
Monday, October 12
A 180-Degree Call to Action
Boomers in Business:
One thing I actually have learned over time is to occasionally turn something over and look at the other side. I call these excursions into another dimension my "180s" because, surprisingly, things don't look wrong upside down, just more interesting, and more complex.
This time, what I found more surprising and interesting was not Barack Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize, but the absolute lack of pleasure taken by Americans in that honor. From the fundamentalist Right to the comics of the Left, all anyone can talk about is Mr. Obama's singular lack of action and the absurdity of receiving recognition for it.
Action:
Is there a more American word? We get things done. We take military action. We are an active people who exercise rigorously. We prefer action movies. The action of our NRA rifles is well-oiled. A highly litigious society, we take legal actions against our doctors, hospitals, neighborhood restaurants, and neighbors. We carry through and put into effect, carry out tasks, execute decisions, and action the operations. Most of all, we go "where the action is," because that is the singular value we hold as a nation.
Intention:
We have always cared less about intentions than actions--we forged a nation, demanded independence, and opened up the West. Intentions mean nothing to us without accompanying actions, follow-through, and resultant wins. That's why we don't get the same feelings of amazement and admiration a lot of the rest of the world has experienced since roughly a year ago when America renounced its Cowboy "action-figure" and voted in the man of values that include family, openness, honesty and diplomacy.
We don't even understand how Mr. Obama's could have won, but now that the fellow who renounced torture and secrecy and embraced openness and talk has taken charge, we can do nothing but carp about his "lack of achievement."
What Is Achievement?
No one, from the Nobel committee to Obama himself, has claimed this prize in the name of achievement. Though the citation itself is short, apparently few of the pundits have bothered to read its text. For it is a recognition of "values and attitudes," as well as a call to further action rather than a prize for actions already taken.
The Prize is in recognition of extraordinary efforts made, a vision of peace shared, a new climate created, multilateral diplomacy emphasized, dialogue and negotiation preferred (all actions as well as achievements). From this side, it looks as if Mr. Obama has accomplished quite a lot and intends to do even more.
Why Was the Prize Awarded?
Not, actually, for the reason(s) most Americans assume (without checking the facts). The Nobel Citation literally encourages the pre-eminent global spokesman, Obama, to continue to work--in full view of the world--for arms control, toward constructive steps to slow climate change, and to further strengthening human rights.
The last line of the citation holds the key that Americans have largely ignored in their jaded and hot pursuit of snarky ingratitude. It is the one thing Americans most need to hear that has been most ignored. Aren't we willing to bend our necks a little and look at the bottom of this thing? What's there is a surprise, all right; it's a hopeful call to action, not to but from our "singularly under-achieving" President:
"Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."
Actual Text of the Nobel Citation:
One thing I actually have learned over time is to occasionally turn something over and look at the other side. I call these excursions into another dimension my "180s" because, surprisingly, things don't look wrong upside down, just more interesting, and more complex.
This time, what I found more surprising and interesting was not Barack Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize, but the absolute lack of pleasure taken by Americans in that honor. From the fundamentalist Right to the comics of the Left, all anyone can talk about is Mr. Obama's singular lack of action and the absurdity of receiving recognition for it.
Action:
Is there a more American word? We get things done. We take military action. We are an active people who exercise rigorously. We prefer action movies. The action of our NRA rifles is well-oiled. A highly litigious society, we take legal actions against our doctors, hospitals, neighborhood restaurants, and neighbors. We carry through and put into effect, carry out tasks, execute decisions, and action the operations. Most of all, we go "where the action is," because that is the singular value we hold as a nation.
Intention:
We have always cared less about intentions than actions--we forged a nation, demanded independence, and opened up the West. Intentions mean nothing to us without accompanying actions, follow-through, and resultant wins. That's why we don't get the same feelings of amazement and admiration a lot of the rest of the world has experienced since roughly a year ago when America renounced its Cowboy "action-figure" and voted in the man of values that include family, openness, honesty and diplomacy.
We don't even understand how Mr. Obama's could have won, but now that the fellow who renounced torture and secrecy and embraced openness and talk has taken charge, we can do nothing but carp about his "lack of achievement."
What Is Achievement?
No one, from the Nobel committee to Obama himself, has claimed this prize in the name of achievement. Though the citation itself is short, apparently few of the pundits have bothered to read its text. For it is a recognition of "values and attitudes," as well as a call to further action rather than a prize for actions already taken.
The Prize is in recognition of extraordinary efforts made, a vision of peace shared, a new climate created, multilateral diplomacy emphasized, dialogue and negotiation preferred (all actions as well as achievements). From this side, it looks as if Mr. Obama has accomplished quite a lot and intends to do even more.
Why Was the Prize Awarded?
Not, actually, for the reason(s) most Americans assume (without checking the facts). The Nobel Citation literally encourages the pre-eminent global spokesman, Obama, to continue to work--in full view of the world--for arms control, toward constructive steps to slow climate change, and to further strengthening human rights.
The last line of the citation holds the key that Americans have largely ignored in their jaded and hot pursuit of snarky ingratitude. It is the one thing Americans most need to hear that has been most ignored. Aren't we willing to bend our necks a little and look at the bottom of this thing? What's there is a surprise, all right; it's a hopeful call to action, not to but from our "singularly under-achieving" President:
"Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."
Actual Text of the Nobel Citation:
- The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples.
- The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.
- Obama has as president created a new climate in international politics.
- Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play.
- Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts.
- The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations.
- Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting.
- Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.
- Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future.
- His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population.
- For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman.
- The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."
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