I'm eagerly/nervously awaiting the phone call that will let me know that PeaceBuilder: Homewood has gone live on Facebook. I was going to say something like, "I expect it to change everything," but it has already changed a lot. Last night I became known among Greens, Grahams and affiliates as the uncle (primarily) who has a game coming out on Facebook. That's a big ol' change.
I began reading a new book last week: "The Coming Jobs War," by Jim Clifton, chairman of Gallup, the polling company. Clifton describes how in 2005, Gallup took their work global, polling people from around the world on a series of issues, and says that all of their results pointed overwhelmingly to one surprising conclusion. He puts it this way:
Defining a good job as "a job with a paycheck from an employer and steady work that averages 30+ hours per week," he goes on to say:
The assertion that people all over the world want a good job more than they want peace or freedom is startling, especially in light of the Arab Spring and the Occupy movement (if "movement" is the right word). But Clifton says that's what the research shows.
Unfortunately, while there are 3 billion people on the planet who work or want to work, there are only 1.2 billion full-time, formal jobs in the world. That shortfall of 1.8 billion jobs may be the world's biggest problem.
As I continued reading, it suddenly occurred to me that with PeaceBuilder: Homewood, I created work for guys that they didn't have before. I don't know how much time specific people spent on it at specific points, so I don't know if it ever became anyone's full time job, even if only for a week. But creating work has moved me in the direction of creating jobs. I am becoming a jobs creator.
That is hugely satisfying to my ego. For decades, I have wanted to help other people to put food on their tables. Now I've begun doing that. Yay, me!
As the game makes money, I do want to create one full-time job for sure: the position of editor at Homewood Nation. Creating that job and filling it would take Homewood Nation to an entirely new level.
And it would take me to an entirely new level personally.
Reading "The Coming Jobs War" reminds me that, for all of my community involvement, perhaps the best thing I can do for Homewood is to build a company that creates good jobs.
I think I'm on my way toward that. And that feels mighty good.
I began reading a new book last week: "The Coming Jobs War," by Jim Clifton, chairman of Gallup, the polling company. Clifton describes how in 2005, Gallup took their work global, polling people from around the world on a series of issues, and says that all of their results pointed overwhelmingly to one surprising conclusion. He puts it this way:
Six years into our global data collection effort, we may have already found the single most searing, clarifying, helpful, world-altering fact.
What the whole world wants is a good job.
Defining a good job as "a job with a paycheck from an employer and steady work that averages 30+ hours per week," he goes on to say:
Humans used to desire love, money, food, shelter, safety, peace, and freedom more than anything else. The last 30 years have changed us. Now people want to have a good job, and they want their children to have a good job.
The assertion that people all over the world want a good job more than they want peace or freedom is startling, especially in light of the Arab Spring and the Occupy movement (if "movement" is the right word). But Clifton says that's what the research shows.
Unfortunately, while there are 3 billion people on the planet who work or want to work, there are only 1.2 billion full-time, formal jobs in the world. That shortfall of 1.8 billion jobs may be the world's biggest problem.
As I continued reading, it suddenly occurred to me that with PeaceBuilder: Homewood, I created work for guys that they didn't have before. I don't know how much time specific people spent on it at specific points, so I don't know if it ever became anyone's full time job, even if only for a week. But creating work has moved me in the direction of creating jobs. I am becoming a jobs creator.
That is hugely satisfying to my ego. For decades, I have wanted to help other people to put food on their tables. Now I've begun doing that. Yay, me!
As the game makes money, I do want to create one full-time job for sure: the position of editor at Homewood Nation. Creating that job and filling it would take Homewood Nation to an entirely new level.
And it would take me to an entirely new level personally.
Reading "The Coming Jobs War" reminds me that, for all of my community involvement, perhaps the best thing I can do for Homewood is to build a company that creates good jobs.
I think I'm on my way toward that. And that feels mighty good.
