Client Handbook
This will be our last publication for the year. There is no denying it, Christmas is upon us once again; a few short weeks away when we will again be stuffing stockings and ourselves with all manner of inappropriate largesse that only serves to polish our veneer of prosperity! The commercialisation of Christmas resonates in Santa's gifts of high stress, rampant consumerism and over-indulgence, which is why I always associate Christmas with New York.
I blame Macaulay Culkin, aka Kevin, of the 'Home Alone' movie franchise. Accidentally left at home in New York by his family, Kevin, a precocious child with entrepreneurial spirit and endeavor, deploys his ingenuity and industriousness to thwart the witless attempts of two would-be thieves hell bent on ransacking the family 'baubles' on Christmas Eve. Come to think of it, this 1990 comedy is a great metaphor for New York City; the city that never sleeps, the centre of the universe, of capitalism and evocative heart of Western Christmas celebration.
Of course there have been others, before and after Kevin, who have sought to use their entrepreneurial spirit, endeavor, ingenuity and industriousness to leave their mark on this symbolic place of democracy and free enterprise. Al-Qaeda displayed all of these traits in the destruction of the Twin Towers in 2001, as did the Wizards on Wall Street who brought about a near death experience to financial markets around the world in 2007. However, it doesn't so much matter what your politics are on these events, they were both the products of industry that requires investment of time and capital.
This is an alien concept to those supporting the Occupy Wall Street movement, and franchise 'occupations' around the world. Actually 'occupation' is a bit of an oxymoron when you consider those occupying are protesting against corporate greed and economic inequality instead of being gainfully employed in demonstrating their alternative paradigm of 'means of production'. Last week, James Muldoon, an arts-law graduate from the University of Melbourne, now undertaking a philosophy degree, explained that he had been part of the Occupy Melbourne movement from the start and, for him; Occupy Melbourne was about redressing inequality and a "deepening of our democratic institutions", which had been compromised by corporate influence and, extolled, "this is just the beginning of the occupation. For me, the point is the process!"
The point, the point dear James is that whilst using your iphone, when dining out on soy chai lattes and free range turkey and organic salad gluten free sandwiches in the air conditioned comfort of Cibo, to make face book and twitter updates bemoaning the evils of corporations, you fail to recognise that you have no perspective. Free range and gluten free do not come without cost James. Nor does the iphone or the electricity used to make your mutant coffee or conditioned air that keeps your body in a state of artificial homeostasis, come without cost. The turkeys aren't self beheading, nor do they shed their feathers or disembowel themselves. They don't clean, pack and transport themselves to your supermarket or neighborhood cafe to be dressed up into your sense of what a turkey could be!
We get your indignation that having completed a HECS funded degree you haven't been immediately rewarded with a 6 figure job, car and fringe benefits at a renewable energy collective. We understand the injustice of having being told your entire life how wonderful and unique you are that you now find the world is indifferent towards the notion of everyone coming first. Well, toughen up princess!
These people do not know what they are protesting about but we do. They are protesting the fact that they've never been hungry, never been cold, never been without TV or air conditioning in a car, they've always had a video game console, a lap top a smart phone and they never, ever, have had to do any long hard real work for any of it. They were born into a level of prosperity so pervasive that the idea of a difference in prosperity is abhorrent to them. Fundamentally, they fail to reconcile that the groups of people who provide these goods and services are called corporations who feed themselves and their own families by doing all these ugly, dirty and distasteful things, and then charge you a premium, so you don't have to.
Yes, Christmas is a time for reflection, a time of peace and goodwill to all human kind but this year we pay our respects to the visionaries, the entrepreneurs, the industrious and the corporations, who invest their time and capital to provide us with the lifestyle to which we have become accustomed, and wish all those Kevin's of industry, and their businesses, every success in the years ahead.
Oh, and for those who prefer an antiestablishment Christmas comedy on Christmas Eve – try "Bad Santa" with Billy Bob Thornton; it's passive anarchic. Here are a couple of quotes from the movie:
Gin, (Bad Santa's crime partners' girlfriend), to Willie (Bad Santa): You know what I see when I look at you? America's got a sad future ahead of it.
Willie to the Kid: Yeah? What about Mommy?
Kid: She lives in God's house; with Jesus and Mary and the ghost and the long eared donkey and the talking walnut.
On behalf of the management and staff of Status Employment Services I wish you all a safe and relaxing Christmas holiday in the company of family and friends. We will be back again in February or March in the New Year, unless protesting about something or other.
Gary Hatwell
Executive Chairman
From now on, it is impossible to forget that Christmas is coming. Shopping Centres become busier; most homes will be decorated with Christmas trees, coloured lights and decorations in celebration of this time of year.
But, for a business owner, Christmas and the opportunities that arise at this time of year should mean much, much more.
The complete version of this Status enews article is available here
ID: 6-03339
Natasha is seeking an apprenticeship in hairdressing or an opportunity to return to the Retail Industry. She has had experience in both of these areas, and enjoys working in the team environment they offer. Natasha has effective cash handling skills, is able to follow EFTPOS procedures, and can complete tasks whilst keeping a focus on attention to detail. Along with her valuable customer service skills, she is an effective communicator who carries out both written and verbal tasks easily, and can prioritise her workload at the same time. Natasha is ready to commence today, resides in Northfield and has her own transport.
ID: 6-03340
ID: 6-03342
ID: 6-00495