Nine Shift

Marriott Move Huge Symbol for Society

Marriott is moving its corporate headquarters to be near light rail, and it's a huge symbol for societal change.

The move was designed to attract Gen Yers to work for them. But the implications go far beyond that. Now that C level leaders at Marriott understand Gen Yers want to work near light rail, they will be more conscious that Gen Y wants to stay in hotels near light rail.  And that adds even more momentum to the changes in the societal landscape, increasing the decline of suburbs and the rise of dense communities and mass transit. 

Spring comes to the national forest in Wisconsin, with water replacing ice and snow, and the first ferns and moss and grass greening up. 

What Do You Miss From the Last Century?

The pace of change is speeding up now as we move from the industrial age into the knowledge society of this century.

Aside from local radio stations, which I miss, here's two other items in my life that are now more past than present:

1.Change
It's now more of a nuisance.  Maybe the quarters are worth keeping. Dimes, nickels, pennies have no positive role.  Someone calculated it costs more in time and energy to pick up a penny than the penny is worth. And it costs more to mint it than it is worth.  I have a penny jar.  It probably will take me the rest of my life to fill it.

2.Receipts
More than half of customers don't want a paper receipt, say my local check out kids. I refuse them more and more. When I get one it's to check if the prices charged were accurate.  But really, being overcharged less than $5 isn't worth standing in line and getting the refund - - which usually includes change!  

Some things we don't miss. But some things we do. What do you miss from the last century?

The flowers just came out all in one day in Savannah, on March 3.

My Last Local Radio Station

I really miss the great announcers and unique formats of my local radio stations.

KNXR out of Rochester just signed off. The announcers' voices were special.  The music was my kind of music. Weekly they had park rangers talking about wildlife; old time radio show reruns; gardening guru.

The best radio show was Dale and Ed on Minnesota Public Radio, with skits, live music occasionally, a few interviews, the greatest variety in music (from classical to jazz). And lots of humor.

Now I am left with my small town's radio station, which has switched from big band to boomer sixties music.  It still has great voice-ins for sports and news, local news - - and, while I don't really like them, I appreciate them - - daily obituaries of local people. 

Last month I stopped buying batteries for my radio.  Next month I will buy an Internet radio. I miss local radio.  

Are local phone calls disappearing?

I am trying to call my office six blocks away.  While still in the same town, state, area code and garbage pick up route, It is nevertheless a long distance call.

Are local phone calls disappearing?  

Add it to the list of things from the last century.

Son Jason in Puerto Rico this month with Julie.  

 

 

Cancel Student Debt !

We predicted Gen Y would revolt against student debt. Today they started.

The "Corinthian 15" are students refusing to pay for college debt while attending Corinthian, a for-profit college that went bankrupt and closed their doors.  Here's the story.

The Debt Collective is supporting them. So are we!  Student debt is unjustified, legalized usury, and detrimental to our economic success. 

Should Trains Be Private or Publicly Owned?

The big battle over whether passenger trains should be privately run or publicly run (and owned) is just on the horizon.

Earlier this month, the UK sold its holdings in Eurostar, the high speed train line that runs underneath the channel between the UK and France.  Here's the BBC story on it.

And one union official charged that the UK was "selling the family silver for short term gain."  

The issue will come to the United States soon, by 2020.  And in the next decade we predict Americans will choose privately owned and run passenger trains.  What do you predict?

A tugboat pushes an ocean going ship into the dock in Savannah, the nation's fourth largest port. From there the freight is loaded onto trains.  Trains owned by the private sector. 

What I Don't Like About Gen Y

Generally, Gen Y is leading society in the 21st century. But here's the three things I don't like about Gen Y:

1.They don't vote in mid-term elections.
No previous young generation did either, but this generation is supposed to be smart enough to know that their absence in elections causes years of delay in moving society forward.

Last month during Julie's civil rights talks at least two young people asked what they could do. Neither of us thought of a specific answer until afterwards, but afterwards we both shouted to ourselves - - they could have voted!

2.They don't get gender differences in education.
No other generation gets it either, but again this generation is supposed to be smart enough to know that males and females learn differently and that gender bias against males in education is just as bad as gender bias against females in the work world.  Young women do not understand the anti-male bias hurts them too (for example, their marriage prospects).

3.They are suckered into corporate 'charity' advertising
Charity, voluntarism, and service to community are all hallmarks of Gen Y. Good for you/them.  But how come you fall for the fakey corporate advertising and pitiful donations to charity?  It's just a hokey way to get you to buy more.  

I remember after Hurricane Katrina when Walmart got all this press for donating money to the victims of Katrina, and my nonprofit organization gave more as a percentage of our income than Walmart did. 

Generational characteristics form early.  It might be too late.  And there's much else to praise about Gen Y.  Just not these 3 aspects.

Savannah, where we were last week. 

The World Changed Last Month - - Did You Notice?

The world changed again last month.  But curiously there was no dancing in the streets. There should have been.

The FCC voted to make the Internet a utility, changing the rules for this fundamental essential service for the 21st century.  

In the last century, electricity eventually (in the 1930s) became a utility. So did telephone service. What that did was to make electricity and phone service universal across the land, even in rural underserved areas. 

The same thing will happen to Internet service.

And just as importantly, it means Walmart and Amazon can't dominate the fast lanes, leaving you, me and every nonprofit to a slow lane. 

It's a big deal. It's as big as Obamacare for Americans.  And even bigger for the rest of the world, countries that might follow the American lead (or decision) on it.  There wasn't dancing in the streets. There should have been. 

Julie's photo last week of the seashore in Puerto Rico.

Why Boys Turn Homework in Late

Let's reword that to be why boys turn homework in on time when there is no penalty.

Two sources have now given us the same answer as to why boys turn work in on time when there is no penalty:

Because they know it's about them. And the work is helping them.

When there is a penalty, boys tend to believe that the penalty is not in their best interest. Which of course is correct.  And males more than females object to stuff in school that is stupid. Really, what penalty do you experience that you appreciate? 

The first citing came from the Denton, Texas, school system, which has recently stopped penalizing students for late work. The second citing came from Gail Kuhl (shown here), a school teacher in Amery Wisconsin who is a self appointed "school mom" working with low income at-risk boys. She attended one our talks on helping boys succeed in school.

Our latest prediction: Building boom in mid -twenties

Thanks to Downton Abbey for inspiring our latest prediction: there will be a building boom in the middle of the next decade.

We predicted this before, just not with a timeline.  The building boom has started in some cities, like St. Paul, Minnesota, already.  But with half of all buildings in fifty years still to be built  (and almost half being torn down), we are now predicting that huge boom will be underway in about ten years.

What do you think? 

Nine Shift photo of St. Croix River, a boundary between Minnesota and Wisconsin