Want to help? Stop talking and roll up your sleeves.

March 15th, 2011


Japan 2011 © JIJI PRESS

Even when disasters happen in far-away places, you can still help. Donating money is a great place to start, but don’t stop there. Hosting a fundraiser is as easy as inviting some friends over for lunch or making a page on crowdrise.org.

And Alanna Shaikh says that volunteering in your hometown is a lot more valuable than you might think:

“There is a lot of work at aid agency headquarters that can be done by committed volunteers, and that work often has a huge impact. Everything that a volunteer does pushes down overhead costs and frees up money for the organization to spend on international relief.

I was an Oxfam American volunteer back in the day, and I helped transcribe field interviews for qualitative surveys, edit and format documents, and prepare press releases. It was interesting work, and it was part of what led me to the work I do now. At International Medical Corps, our volunteers drafted situation reports, answered correspondence, and did literature reviews, among other things.”

Check out DoSomething.org, idealist.org, or the website of your favorite aid organization to get some ideas.

Today at TILE: Japan

March 14th, 2011

Today at TILE we talked about the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan last Friday. Appropriately, everyone is focusing their attention on saving lives, containing nuclear radiation from damaged reactors, and doing everything they can to help. But after the initial rubble is cleared, what are the potential aftershocks to the Japanese economy? Will more than just buildings and towns need to be rebuilt? How can we help from so far away?

Read the rest of this entry »

Gen Y Gets a Job: Pretty Young Professional Talks with TILE

March 14th, 2011

What do you do when your fancy degree gets you a job answering the phone and filing papers for someone else?

Amanda Pouchot and Kathryn Minshew from prettyyoungprofessional.com have some helpful advice.

Today in Tapping the Brakes… Spain Slows Down to Save on Gas

March 13th, 2011

traffic-lights.jpeg
(photo credit: masochismtango)

Sustainability is in again! While China tries to prevent its economy from growing out of control, Spain is slowing down for a totally different reason.

  • Uprisings in the Middle East – particularly Libya – have hit Spain in the gas tank, and transit authorities are already trying to adapt. Beginning March 7th, drivers will have to slow down from 120 to 110 kilometers per hour on most main roads.
  • Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister says the measure is extreme, and promises to change back as soon as possible. Supporters say that by saving at the pump, citizens will spend more of their money “going for tapas” and strengthening the economy.
  • According to one estimate, the new speed limit will reduce fuel costs by 15%. But Spaniards are skeptical, and some say this is just a sneaky way for the government to raise revenues by handing out more speeding tickets.

Facts & Figures

  • Spain usually imports 13% of its oil from Libya
  • Other measures in place are designed to cut total national fuel consumption by 5%
  • 110 kilometers per hour is equivalent to 68 miles per hour

Best Quote

“We are going to go a bit slower and in exchange we will consume less petrol and pay less money.” – Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, Deputy Prime Minister

>> What do you think?

Could a small change in the speed limit be a sustainable way of reducing dependence on oil?

Advertising to the Unconscious Mind

March 13th, 2011


(photo credit: e³°°°)

Humans are easy… right? Well, no.

  • It turns out that discovering whether a consumer actually likes a product has more to do with the unconscious mind than the one that tells market researchers what they want to hear.
  • Effective researchers have always tried to look “behind the scenes” for subtle changes in facial expression and tiny eye movements that reveal a subject’s true feelings about the product they’re viewing.
  • But today’s best market researchers are computers. Even something as simple as an Internet or iPhone app with a camera function can track and analyze your facial expressions – meaning the jig is up for product testers just trying to be nice.

Best Quote

“The trouble with market research is that people don’t think how they feel, they don’t say what they think and they don’t do what they say.” – David Ogilvy, late British advertising pioneer

>> What do you think?

Have you ever convinced yourself you liked a product even though you actually didn’t?


Airlines Busy Inventing New Perks for Spendy Travelers

March 13th, 2011


(photo credit: Richard Moross)

Don’t worry; you don’t have to pay to use the lavatory. Yet.

  • It seems like the airline industry has been struggling financially forever. But it’s never been as obvious as it is today, when most carriers are charging $30 for an extra carry-on bag and eliminating complimentary meals.
  • The main source of these fees is the steady increase in fuel prices airlines have seen in recent years. But with every new charge comes with a new disgruntled customer.
  • Now, instead of taking away amenities that used to be included in the price of a ticket, airlines are coming up with new services to sell to travelers. More of an “added value” approach than a cost-cutting spree.
  • Flyers willing to shell out can board the plane early, get a seat with extra legroom, or splurge on a champagne brunch – yes, even in coach.

Facts & Figures

  • Airlines increased their prices six times in the first two months of 2011
  • Fees for things like extra carry-on bags and snacks accounted for 5% of all industry revenue in 2010 – that’s $22 billion

>> What do you think?

The Invisible Economy

March 11th, 2011

woman-sweeping.jpeg
(photo credit: mi55er)

How much is an hour of bathroom cleaning worth? What about 24 hours of child care? How much would you be paid to do these things in another person’s home?

How about in your own home?

According to a new international study, the “unpaid economy” - jobs like food shopping, washing up, and getting the kids to bed – would represent about a third of a nation’s total economy if it were paid.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development looked for signs of gender equality in this unpaid work, which was traditionally done only by women.

They found that even though men have come a long way toward helping out with these tasks, they’re still not likely to spend as much time on them as women do… even if they’re unemployed.

Bring THAT to your next macroeconomics class.

The Invisible Economy

March 11th, 2011


(photo credit: mi55er)

How much is an hour of bathroom cleaning worth? What about 24 hours of child care? How much would you be paid to do these things in another person’s home?

How about in your own home?

According to a new international study, the “unpaid economy” - jobs like food shopping, washing up, and getting the kids to bed – would represent about a third of a nation’s total economy if it were paid.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development looked for signs of gender equality in this unpaid work, which was traditionally done only by women.

They found that even though men have come a long way toward helping out with these tasks, they’re still not likely to spend as much time on them as women do… even if they’re unemployed.

Bring THAT to your next macroeconomics class.

Whoa… we always knew TILE could make you prosper, but it might actually make you live longer, too!

March 9th, 2011


(photo credit: Andy Welsher)

A new study on longevity reveals that (shocker) slacking off and not caring about anything will probably make you die faster.

“What characterized the people who thrived is a combination of their own persistence and dependability and the help of other people,” Friedman says. The young adults who were thrifty, persistent, detail-oriented and responsible lived the longest.

Time to work on that financial plan you’ve been putting off, no?

Whoa… we always knew TILE could make you prosper, but it might actually make you live longer, too!

March 9th, 2011


(photo credit: Andy Welsher)

A new study on longevity reveals that (shocker) slacking off and not caring about anything will probably make you die faster.

“What characterized the people who thrived is a combination of their own persistence and dependability and the help of other people,” Friedman says. The young adults who were thrifty, persistent, detail-oriented and responsible lived the longest.

Time to work on that financial plan you’ve been putting off, no?

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