Soundbites

Work – no longer a four-letter word

In the Industrial Age, work became a four-letter word, saddled with the baggage of soulless tasks and exploitive industrialists. In the Modern Age, where the majority of us trade intellectual, relational, and experiential capital toward a paycheck, the very definition of work is going through a revival. We are squarely in a renaissance period in the evolution of what work means to our lives. In many ways we find ourselves in our work. We discover who we are and who we are not. We discover our strengths and weaknesses, but also at a deeper level we find affirmation of our purpose on this planet and of our potential to positively impact others. — Mitch Anthony in The New Retirementality: Planning Your Life and Living Your Dreams ... at Any Age You Want

Islands of decency

What America and the West can do — and have not done nearly enough of — is to invest in and amplify the islands of decency and the engines of capacity-building in countries in, or bordering on, the World of Disorder. When we invest in the tools that enable young people to realize their full potential, we are countering the spread of humiliation, which is the single biggest motivator for people to go out and break things. — Thomas L. Friedman in Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations

In praise of wood

[W]ood was second only to soil in its importance to the farm economy. Without it, houses, barns, and corncribs — not to mention churches and schools — were almost impossible to construct. Most of the tools and machinery with which farmers worked their land were made with it in whole or in part. It supplied the wagons that allowed crops to move to market, and the fences that kept livestock from straying where they were not wanted. It heated homes, cooked meals, and supplied the energy that ran steam engines. No raft, boat, or railroad could be built without it. Lacking a ready supply of wood, no town could come into being or aspire to become a metropolis. — William Cronon in Nature’s Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West

Stock tip

October. This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August, and February. — Mark Twain

Well, yeah

No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he’d only had good intentions. He had money as well. — Late British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in a 1986 TV interview

Techno-lag

Every technology is used before it is completely understood. There is always a lag between an innovation and the apprehension of its consequences. We are living in that lag, and it is the right time to keep our heads and reflect. — Leon Wieseltier in the New York Times Review of Books

JMX Brands

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO CEO: JMX Brands is looking for a highly organized individual who is willing to assist in a variety of clerical and administrative tasks. We’re seeking an individual who enjoys and excels in administrative support and has 3-5 years of relevant experience. It is essential that the candidate is comfortable in a fast-paced environment and good at managing many details. This position will require someone who is highly organized, efficient, detail-oriented, comfortable with ambiguity, technologically savvy, personable and highly trustworthy. Must have a positive attitude and strong work ethic. Must enjoy working with people and the challenges that come in working for a small company. Good communication skills and average quantitative abilities are required. Must have strong skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and moderate skills in QuickBooks and general technical troubleshooting. Must have equivalent of associate degree. BUSINESS MANAGER: JMX Brands is looking for a business manager who will be broadly responsible for business processes, accounting, financial management, budgeting, property management and human resource management at JMX Brands. The business manager will be a part of our management team and will proactively lead in financial performance, human resource development and business decisions, supervising a small team and reporting directly to the CEO. Qualifications include direct experience in managerial accounting and business management, strong analytical skills, and demonstration of leadership abilities. Demonstrated ability to think strategically and proven track record of savvy financial management is needed. We’re looking for someone with demonstrated ability to think outside the box, to carefully manage priorities for self and others in the context of a heavy workload and continuous change, and a desire to grow and drive change. Baccalaureate degree is required, graduate degree preferred. Contact: ceo@jmxbrands.com