Got this a couple of days ago, getting through my gmail spam filter:

How are you? I represent Dealmax LTD Personnel Dept. and I'm responsible for
headhunting among the candidates for the open positions with our
organization. We have read with interest your information disclosed at
Career Builder site detailing your relevant work experience and
qualifications and want to offer you a well-paid part-time job opportunity.
We believe you can be considered as a successful candidate for the vacancy.
If you are interested in our company and in more information on this
position, feel free to contact the HR.

Thank you for your consideration and have a nice day.

Aside from the standard "if it seems to be too good to be true, it is" and the standard caution against unsolicited recruitment offers from Hotmail accounts (this one came from Hermione Z. Jefferson - ven4456medema@hotmail.com), the biggest red flag is their return address.

The reply address was Recruitment@DealmaxLtd.com. The domain DealmaxLtd.com was registered on February 2, 2011. Yes, just 5 days ago. If you've got dirty laundry older than the company's domain, that's a HUGE red flag.

Be careful of these folks.

Making a recumbent bike "desk" with off-the-shelf parts for under $400. Is it possible? I'm finding out.

I've needed to get back in shape for a while, but I'm working full time, then add 3-4 hours a day for day-care pickups, dinner prep, baths, bed time stories, etc. Then add another 60-90 minutes after the kids are off to bed that I have to be at home because the wife's still at work. The only way to get to the gym is to go at 10 p.m. or 4:30 a.m. The rest of my day is mostly booked.

But I'm sitting at my home office's desk right now, writing a blog post. I'll be sitting at it tomorrow, working on my novel. And I'll be sitting at it next month, working on learning Flash and programming a game. So why not get in some exercise while I'm sitting at my desk?

I could do a treadmill desk but they run pretty expensive, in the neighborhood of 2-4k. Additionally, the point of an exercise desk is that you exercise slowly enough that you can still concentrate on work, but you end up putting in more time because you do it for a few hours.

So, because it was cheaper, lower impact, and it looked more comfortable for putting in hours per day, I picked a recumbent bike. But when I went looking for an office solution, there was nothing. There were some hobbyists and a cheap upright bike with a desk. There were some stand alone pedaling thingamajobbers that go under your desk, but there were no solutions with completely "off-the-shelf" products that guaranteed I would not be bumping my knees whenI pedaled or having to sit too far back from my desk to reach the keyboard.

I started looking for something that I could fit over or around a recumbent bike, adjust to accomodate the movement of my legs, and maybe tilt up a bit in back and down in front to make it more friendly.

Read the rest of this entry »

There's this short inspirational film that a friend recommended on Facebook:

Click here to view the movie

Now, the thing is that it does convey an important message about treating your customers in ways that show you value them and consider them special. It keeps them coming back, builds goodwill, and turns them into evangelists for your business. And those things can be as small as a little thought of the day from a loveable bagger.

But it also raised a very important question for me:

Why was the only one in the store who "got it" the one who was least equipped to "get" anything?

"Johnny the Bagger" has Down's Syndrome. Obviously, what Barbara Glanz was saying was simple enough that someone with below-average intelligence like Johnny could understand. So what was going on that stopped all of Johnny's smarter co-workers from taking these ideas to heart until after he proved they worked?

I'd say they were jaded. Part of that could be due to some Gen X/Y hipster cynicism, but part of it could also be poor management and a corporate culture that made them feel deeply disconnected from the "suits" who sent yet another motivational speaker to talk at them. Essentially, they were conditioned not to care.

Once Johnny succeeded and customers started coming in with brighter attitudes, it inspired the rest of the staff. Basically, service inspires customer happiness and loyalty, and customer happiness and loyalty inspire service. It's a positive feedback loop.

Your average business can't rely on having a Johnny to start the ball rolling. Managers have to lay down a foundation of happiness and pride that inspires their employees do the little things, or they're going to find themselves with a staff that's too smart to see the simple truths.

Okay, I can doodle a bit, but I can't draw. Still, I somehow managed to eke out a guest comic for Brock Heasley's The SuperFogeys by taking old panels from his strips and adapting them to a new narrative.

If you're not a fan of The Superfogeys, you should really check it out. It's the funniest comic strip about a superhero retirement home there is.

Click this banner to see my guest strip