Banned From Democracy

You know, it’s funny when I think about democracy these days. It’s like watching an ’80s hair band reunion – everything seems out of place, the harmony’s all off, and you’re left wondering if anyone even knows the original lyrics anymore. The great neoliberal establishments, once the cool kids on the global block, are now…

How to Make $500,000 a year

Hey folks, let’s have a chat about being a social media manager. Now, you’re in your office, maybe a cubicle, making a cool $100,000 a year, managing posts, tweets, hashtags, and the whole social media parade. One day you start scratching your head when you realize something interesting – your work, your efforts, are actually…

Take an Extended Break

You can take a break for a while and rediscover yourself again. A short pause might be enough, or a few years if you need. Shift your costs to the public while getting free food, housing, and medical care. Small crimes will get you 60 or 90 days away from jobs. More significant crimes might…

Flaking In Public

I’ve seen others do this, and now it’s happening to me. A wise man once said “Flake it until you make it.” With two job offers on their way, I know I’ll be moving on soon. There’s minimal pressure to complete any of the expected tasks on my project, yet daily meetings about progress still…

Installing Regimes

Regime change by force is a hard job. You have to send troops and weapons halfway across the world to clear out military leaders. Neighbors don’t understand the opportunity others envision from regime change. It’s understandable that regime change by color revolution operation is preferable. Fund a few people to instigate chaos, make accusations, synchronize…

Resignation Matters

Some employees fantasize about writing a dramatic resignation letter in which they imagine will destroy their boss. Realistically, all a nasty interaction accomplishes at work is burning a bridge by displaying how crazy and spiteful you really are. Better to hold it in and simply write the minimal to communicate your intentions. Give your 2…

Escape From Misery

One of my duties is interviewing prospects for open positions. Rather then ask detailed technical questions, I assess their skills and personalities by getting them to talk and tell me their understanding of things as well as their responsibilities. In this conversational interview format I also try to sense their daily work environment, and why…

Thinning Away Low Morale

Amazon is offering employees $2000 to $5000 if they want to quit. Those who will accept the offer obviously don’t want to be there. Amazon’s offer is a way out for workers who think the job is hell and need a cushion to help them leave for a new job. Without such payments to quit,…

Risk Management

Many choices are unconcerned with risk. There’s not enough information to assess it properly, so its consideration only paralyses — like vociferous warnings about unspecific threats. In other cases, there’s nothing worth conserving, so high risk is acceptable. Sometimes it’s better to have nothing than being stuck with something you don’t want. This latter situation…

Quitting Feels Like Death

When you first hear news of a co-worker resigning, it feels like a small death. Everything you’ve come to appreciate about them for so long will no longer be yours to enjoy, and they will be gone forever. Even though they gave two weeks notice, each day you are staring at a ghost. Their impending…