December 22, 2006
FOUR FOR FRIDAY
Q1 - Wealth: In 1982, the year Forbes started publishing its annual list of the 400 wealthiest Americas, the magazine could find only a dozen or so billionaires. This year, The Forbes 400 list includes billionaires only. What is your definition of wealthy?
Q2 - Advertising and Religion: Bahrainian athlete Ruqaya Al Ghasara runs her track & field races wearing a hijab (a full Muslim headscarf). Nike, which sponsors Al Ghasara and is notorious for splashing its logo on everything in sight, somehow managed to get the Nike swoosh emblazoned onto the sides of Al Ghasara hijab. In your opinion, should Nike have stopped short of swooshifying a religious garment, or is Al Ghasara hijab fair game for branding?
Q3 - Asking for Advice: According to a recent survey, most employees are unwilling to turn to their boss for advice on problems at work. In fact, a supervisor was cited by only 11 percent of employees surveyed as a source for workplace advice. More employees rely on a peer, another senior person, or a friend outside the company when searching for advice on work-related issues. How about you? When you are experiencing problems at work, who do you turn to for help or advice?
Q4 - Sleep: While everyone pretty much knows that sleep is vital to our health and well being, millions of us are not getting enough of it, or are suffering from sleep-related problems. For example, surveys conducted by the National Sleep Foundation reveal that 60 percent of adults report having sleep problems a few nights a week or more. In addition, more than 40 percent of adults experience daytime sleepiness severe enough to interfere with their daily activities at least a few days each month. What time did you go to bed last night, and do you think you got enough sleep?
Posted by Mikal at December 22, 2006 12:28 AM
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1) Wealthy is having a roof over your head, enough to eat every day, and friends and family who love and care about you.
2) I find Nike obscene to begin with (with their continued refusal to have any domestic manufacturing). I find the runner obscene to have her religiosity so blatantly consumerized.
3) I turn to peers and friends in similar positions. It seems natural that people would fear their boss, as their boss directly has power over them. Why would you make yourself even more vulnerable to someone your are already vulnerable to?
4) I have had chronic sleep issues for more than a decade. I attribute it to my profession. I went to bed last night at 8:30pm, and was still tired today. I attribute it to being up for 2 days straight and flying all day to Tejas.
My answers are at my blog...or rather they will be when I post them. ;-)
Have a wonderful weekend!
1. Being a self made man.
2. Fair game. Muslims are motivated by the green carrot just like the rest of us.
3. It would depend on the circumstance, but probably talk to my lovely wife.
4. 10 pm - 5 am.
1. Well, wealth is generally measured in the worth of one's possessions, so it's fairly easy to figure out who the most wealthy is. But ask 10 people who have the same amount of possessions what wealthy is, and you're sure to get 10 different answers. I would say that wealthy is the point at which you are satisfied with your possessions, or have more possessions than those around you (in which case you are comparitively wealthy).
2. OK, hijab as I understand it is simply instruction to dress modestly. The head scarf is one part of hijab. Depending on who you talk to, the head scarf is an important part of Muslim dress, while others think otherwise. Aside from some ultra-conservative clerics, I don't believe there is any Muslim teaching that the head scarf is sacred. Therefore, it wouldn't be any different than having the swoosh on your pants (or shoes). But the fact is I'm not Muslim, nor do I believe in their teachings. So even if the head scarf was considered sacred by Muslims, I still couldn't care less what Nike does with Muslim head scarves. At most, I would shrug and say to myself, "Well, that wasn't very smart of them."
3. When it comes to work, I generally ask those around me that are in similar or same positions, because they are most likely to empathize with my situation. However, in all of my jobs I have never felt uncomfortable going to my boss for work-related advice, and have actually sought him/her out if I thought their experience and position would provide me with some good advice.
4. I generally get plenty of sleep. I went to bed at about 10:30pm and got up at about 7:00am.
1. I'd define it as having what I need and being satisfied with it rather than eternally coveting the stuff other's have got.
2. Well, it's definitely tacky and in poor taste, but I can't say that it surprises me. I guess the issue should be decided by the people who practice the religion itself. It does remind me of that Simpsons episode where Monty Burns built Reverend Lovejoy a new church complete with billboards, advertisements and sponsorships though.
3. I probably wouldn't approach my boss because when several people have approached her before about problems with a certain co-worker, nothing was ever done, forcing us to defend ourselves. I generally go to co-workers instead.
4. I work third shift so I break up my sleep, but I generally egt around 8-9 hours per day.
1. Having enough money to live comfortably and easily. Health, love, family and friends.
2. I guess if they have their logo on every other article of clothing, why not the hijab?
3. I usually talk about it with a friend or family member. I wouldn't discuss it with someone at work because people tend to gossip.
4. I wish I could get more sleep, but I find myself going to bed after 10pm most week nights and waking up at 6:30 am. Weekends I tend to stay up as late as I want and sleep as late as I want.
1. Having my needs met and a little extra to use to help others.
2. Tacky and sad.
3. In my last 3 jobs I could talk to my boss about anything. Before that I would talk to those peers I trusted.
4. Since I have Chronic Fatigue among other things, I never seem to get enough sleep even when I sleep 8 hours. Went to bed at 11 and got up at 6:45.
1. Having my needs met and a little extra to use to help others.
2. Tacky and sad.
3. In my last 3 jobs I could talk to my boss about anything. Before that I would talk to those peers I trusted.
4. Since I have Chronic Fatigue among other things, I never seem to get enough sleep even when I sleep 8 hours. Went to bed at 11 and got up at 6:45.
1. To be wealthy is to be financially secure to enjoy and continue to enjoy the freedom and trappings that money and currency give. In other words, if you worry about money, (even if you are a millionaire), you are not wealthy, in my mind. If you have enough money that it makes enough money for you to continue to be considered "rich," or in the upper 10% of the income bracket, then I think of you as wealthy. I went to college with a lot of upperclass and wealthy kids/friends.
2. The swoosh on any religious - other - garment is a marketing goal, and, sometimes, the result is a coup. Good for Nike. Good for her.
3. I AM the boss at my company, so I usually confer with subordinates or others in the larger marketplace. When I worked for 2 banks & 2 mortgage companies, I always asked colleagues and senior people before asking management. That seems to be the working and prevalent model these days - don't ask me (the supervisor, i.e. waste my time) if you can get the answer elsewhere.
4. I went to bed about 10:15, which is customary for me, but didn't fall asleep until after midnight, which is out of the ordinary. I get up between 5:15 and 6 everyday, so I don't think I really get enough sleep, anyway.
Disclaimer: I own shares of Nike stock.
Judging from the time posted, unless you sleep late it will be tough to get in eight hours tonight. That is, unless you schedule your posts ;)
Janet
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