Law And More

Amazon & Recruiting Aging RVers: Exploitation or Valued Opportunity to Earn Income?

The "Camperforce" documentary - which you can view here - features RVer Barb Stout and her husband Chuck Stout. After the couple lost their nest egg in the 2008 global economic crash, they pivoted into the RV lifestyle.

Increasingly that includes finding and doing seasonable or temporary jobs while on the road. Some RVers have down cold who will be hiring, where and when. For example, some show up every spring to do jobs in national parks. 

No slouch when it comes to trends, Amazon looped into that. It created a whole recruitment program called "CamperForce." Primarily it's geared to older workers such as the Stout couple. Amazon posts information about the program it on its website.

The Stout couple applied at the CamperForce program and were hired for the $11-an-hour gigs. They were "pickers" in an Amazon warehouse. That is, they scouted up the goods for fulfilling orders.

Yes, the jobs are demanding. At night, after using a scanner all day, Barb's hand can go numb. Chuck got hit in the head with a falling box. 

Liberals may balk at what seems to be exploitation of the vulnerable aging who deal with sustained financial challenges. There is a lot to be said about that.

However, what Amazon provides is work. It pays. And Barb is pragmatic. She presents her take on why Amazon recruits the aging. She hammers that Amazon knows older workers are there not to learn, not to get ahead. It's about the money. End of story. They do the job and that's that.

In coaching, that's exactly the mindset I recommend to those who are post-career. The new game for them is to earn income. And as much as possible. They are no longer pursuing macro goals such as upward mobility, personal branding or building wealth. 

That perspective allows those in their 60s, 70s and 80s to shake off all the "oughts" of the careerist. They only have to go to work, do the job and be alert for opportunities that offer more, including increased income.

All generations, not only the aging, have to continually search for work. The iconic job guide "What Color Is Your Parachute?" documents that trend. The most important skill in the current economy is the know-how to be hired. Both jobs and project assignments have shorter and shorter shelf lives. 

Here, free to download, is my guide on landing, holding and moving on to better work, no matter your age Download Outwitting ageism.

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

Next Career Collapse: Scott Rudin

The emerging ethos - even in the highly competitive entertainment world - is: No one should have to take "this" to earn a living. The "this" is putting up with allegedly abusive behavior by the higher-ups or the powerful who loop in.

The latest career to collapse beccause of contentions about unacceptable conduct is that of Broadway and film producer Scott Rudin. 

As The Washington Post reports, Rudin is stepping down from his roles in the entertainment business. He has been accused of bullying and rages. Those have been said to include throwing objects at subordinates. 

Unlike others sidelined by the new demands for respectful treatment of employees, Rudin has done a mea culpa. Yes, he indicates he is going to work on himself.

On Broadway he produced the hit "To Kill a Mockingbird." In film, he gave us the provocative "No Country for Old Men."

The tipping point in the unraveling of Rudin's career probably had been Karen Olivio's refusing to continue with the musical "Moulin Rouge!" because of Rudin's behavior. 

In the UK, both at Deloitte and KPMG, executives have stepped down because of accusations of creating a "toxic" workplace. 

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Amazon: Documentary "CamperForce" Throws More Shade on the Culture of Its Workplace

The RVing craze is not just a result of wanderlust. At least not for a growing number of elderly. 

It's become, the documentary "Camperforce" captures, both their only affordable habitat and their transportation to seasonal gigs.

One such  assignment is at Amazon. The tasks Barb and Chuck Stout do can actually cause them pain. The couple lost their nest egg during the 2008 global recession. And they have evolved into the RV generation of migrant workers. 

The Amazon website provides details about its Camperforce work program. It is positioned and packaged as a great deal. However, as with many jobs at Amazon, it's controversial in what it actually demands. 

Those Amazon jobs are also featured in the hit film "Nomadland." 

For the aging, the world of RVing seems to be binary. There are those retirees who are enjoying the good life on the road on their terms in a full-service vehicle. And there are those who have embraced that lifestyle as the only way they can afford to make ends meet. 

This article in Moviemaker provides a link to that documentary "Camperforce."

Here is the free guide for how to land, hold and move on to better work, no matter your age Download Outwitting ageism.

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

William Shatner aka Denny Crane Turns 90 Today

Today actor William Shatner is 90 years old. His mantra: Never Stop Working. 

His career shot off with his role in "Star Trek."

But along the way there were other breakthrough characters he created.

Among the most popular had been the lawyer Denny Crane in "Boston Legal." With great humor he captured the suffering of a highly successful professional who was drifting into dementia - and aware of it. 

May Shatner have many more years of work ahead. And, let's thank you for bringing us Denny Crane.

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

Woody Allen, Jeffrey Epstein and The Curse of Mirror Neurons

During the past several weeks, the Woody Allen brand has been taken severe body blows.

The HBO series "Allen v. Farrow" strengthens, in the court of public opinion, the Farrow family's accusation that he was sexually inappropriate with adopted daughter Dylan. 

Now, more shade is being thrown on Allen.

Timing is everything.

Given the bad shape his reputation is in currently, the timing is just right for the Daily Beast to detail his long-time friendship with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. That began when they were neighbors on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Photos document Allen's entering and leaving Epstein's mansion. Yes, there were dinner parties, just as those social rituals are key props in Allen's films.

This is so damning because of what might be called The Curse of the Mirror Neurons. That research confirmed what parents, clergy and healers of mental distress have been contending forever. And that's this: Human beings affect each other cell by cell. The old saying goes: Birds of a feather flock together.

So, children are warned against hanging around with X or Y companions.

Psychiatrists inform patients that they will gain unique insight about their future spouse by observing the company that person keeps.

So much of the expert opinion on transition recommends the need to ditch the old crowd. Among those is the book Necessary Endings" by executive coach Henry Cloud. 

Given the conviction that we are our networks, it is assumed that having Epstein on his confirms that Allen was a bad man. That's tends to be how people think. Therefore, after the Daily Beast article is absorbed, more will think that Allen did what the Farrow clan accuses him of. 

Clearly, the takeaway is: Choose those on your networks wisely and exit relationships which can undermine your branding. About the latter: Note the distancing phenomenon playing out around the beleagured Andrew Cuomo.

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Will There Be "Skyhorse v. HBO?" - Woody Allen, et al. Push Back

"Skyhorse Publishing, which released Allen’s latest book, 'Apropos of Nothing,' is threatening to sue the makers of ['Allen v. Farrow'] ... for sampling bits from the famous director’s audiobook." - Suzy Weiss, New York Post, February 24, 2021.

President of Skyhorse Tony Lyons indicated that the producers of that HBO 4-part documentary did not contact the publishing house to request permission to use the excerpts from Allen's audiobook. This, in the point of view of Skyhouse, constitutes willful infringement.

In response, HBO argues the doctrine of fair use allows it to have used that material.

No way, retorts Skyhorse. It contends that the court has to decide the issue, based on why it was used and the impacts on the market. 

The feud between Allen and his former lover Mia Farrow has gone on and on for decades. Rather than Shakespearean, it is farce. 

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

"Allen v. Farrow" - Question Not Asked: Did Momma Bear Coach Dylan Before Video?

Some contend the cult celebrity has peaked. And is on the way out. 

But, probably to the surprise of many who have that point of view, HBO series "Allen v. Farrow" is attracting plenty of attention.  That four-part series, which kicked off last night, revisits the age-old allegations that Woody Allen sexually abused his adopted daughter Dylan.

Another surprise is that, as the New York Post reports, Allen has responded, after the airing of the first part. He condemns it as a biased. Also he notes there could be a conflict of interest. HBO had put together in 2018 a production deal with Allen's estranged son Ronan Farrow.

Most damning in the documentary is the video Mia, whom Allen eventually dumped, made interviewing Dylan about the alleged inappropriate (or worse) experience with Allen.

Why aren't more people asking: Did Mama Bear coach the child? Anyone who is a fan of the TV crime shows, real-life and fictional, knows how often well-meaning as well as malicious adults nudge children to describe what really never happened. In the process, careers and even lives have been destroyed.

It is unfortunate for journalism that there are three more episodes to go. For discerning viewers, this could be the tipping point in assuming that objectivity is important to the media. It could return. But currently the push is for ratings. Journalism has shifted from a mission for truth to a brutal business.

The Future is already underway. Ghostwriting/Marketing Communications and coaching on those issues. Sliding scale fees. Complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

A Woman Scorned or Dad The Pedophile or Both - HBO's "Allen v. Farrow" Brings All That Back to Court of Public Opinion

Judge Elliott Wilk put it this way: We will never know what happened on August 4, 1992.

But, Mia Farrow, the woman scorned, wants us to believe that she captured what did transpire between the lover Woody Allen who ditched her and their adopted daughter Dylan. He migrated to courting and marrying Mia's and Andre Previn's adopted daughter Soon-Yi.

That video is shown during the HBO documentary "Allen v. Farrow," a four-part documentary kicking off  Sunday, February 21st at 9:00 P.M. Here is a trailer.

On Yahoo, Marlow Stern weighs in that, overall, the series, which showcases myriad documents and testimony, doesn't position and package Allen in a positive light. Other reviewers agree: The documentary is damning for Allen.

If the audience is not skeptical - such as wondering if Mia coached Dylan for the video - Allen could be declared a downright pedophile in the court of public opinion. No more questions posed. That could finish off his career in the U.S. Over in Europe, which tends to be more sophisticated about these kinds of ambiguous sagas, his brand has held up.

However, despite all the publicity, especially in the form of articles, there are also the simple questions: Who cares enough to sit for the four-part series and who isn't wary of Saint Mia?

That the supposed presentation of fact takes place in the form of a documentary no longer is accepted as useful data. Recently, CBS presented a documentary about the disappearance of Connecticut mother Jennifer Dulos. Instead of interviewing myriad experts in law, psychology, real estate and FBI-type profiling, the focus was on family and friends of those in the loop. Of course, they would be very supportive of the late Fotis Dulos, Michelle Troconis and Jennifer Dulos. Yeah, a head-scratcher: What the hell was that all about?

Those who understand how media operates might also scratch their heads when viewing "Allen v. Farrow," if they actually tune in. What the hell is that all about, after all these years? If Allen is some kind of bad guy, he has already been punished and where it hurts - in his career in the U.S. If Mia was right about her hunches about Allen's inappropriate behavior with Dylan why didn't she kick him, right then, out of their lives? Instead she took the goodies attached to their relationship and let him stay. 

The Future is already underway. Ghostwriting/Marketing Communications and coaching on those issues. Sliding scale fees. Complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

 

Woody Allen and Mia Farrow - Had There Been a Murder, Programming Would Have Been "Dateline," Not HBO

With a pile-on of investigative reporting, HBO is taking a fresh look at the infamous legal and media battles between one-time lovers and professional colleagues Woody Allen and Mia Farrow. The documentary is "Allen v Farrow."

Some may be still interested in finding out new information about a family feud. Others may just roll their eyes.

What is surprising in that legal and media clash of the titans is that there hadn't been a murder. Or a murder suicide. We are well-schooled by pop culture television true-crime presentations to anticipate that strong passions in a souring romantic relationship frequently trigger those high-profile homicides or worse. 

Had things gotten to that kind of actual physical violence in the Allen and Farrow saga, this story could have been featured on "Dateline." It is there generations of fans for that series learned the spouse usually did it. And despite everything appearing rosy, there had been signs of the eventual unraveling.

Currently, HBO is promoting the documentary. But only time will tell if there remains interest in that melodrama. We all have so many of our own troubles during COVID times.

The Future is already underway. Ghostwriting/Marketing Communications and coaching on those issues. Sliding scale fees. Complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

Anna Sorokin aka Anna Devey, Prison Blogger, Has Promising Future - Deep Understanding of America's Success Ethos

Some people just got an instinct for success. 

Obviously, make-believe heiress Anna Sorokin aka Anna Devey is among them.

Sure, she wound up in prison for her attempted con of securing a multi-million-dollar loan and actually living the good life without paying the bill.

But in October she obtained parole and could be released next month. That will dovetail with the release of a Netflix film about her amazing life. For that she had been paid about one-hundred-thousand bucks. However, the law mandates the funds circle back to the victims she hoodwinked.

In the process of the Netflix undertaking, of course, she has strengthened her brandname. America, founded by a bunch of misfits who couldn't cut it in the old country, loves its outliers.

Her touch, this time on the legal side, will remain magic. The American Way is supposedly boyscoutish/girlscoutish. But the reality is that most who who made it big knew their way around the official rules. Those who stayed big did that within the parameters of the U.S. legal system - sometimes with the help of prominent lawyers.

Likely Sorokin has learned much about all that in a short time. Also, she has acquired the resources to operate within the system. Although born outside the United States, Sorokin had a deep understanding of its complex success ethos.

Of course, in prison she was no slouch when it came to creating a platform for her future. She launched a personal blog, reports Daily Mail. It's called "Anna Devey Diaries." That name, in itself, has become a powerful kind of trademark.  In it, she complains about the lack of luxury items such as gourmet salad dressing. Likely, when on the outside, she will start a podcast. Here is my article, published in Odwyerpr.com, on how that medium is doing in 2021 and how to make yours noticed.

It's not unthinkable that Sorokin could be invited to deliver a Ted Talk on making it big in America. 

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