"Who moved my Cheese?"
 

Have you read this book?

It's being handed out at many major employers, and is available for individual purchase. If you haven't, is encourage you to obtain a copy, and read it. It's inexpensive and a short read.

Here's my take;

The basic premise is good. When your cheese runs out, it does no good to sit around whining, complaining and starving while you wait for "New Cheese" to reappear, so get off your ass and go find "New Cheese". Any of us who have been laid-off or had to move to find work, as I certainly have, know this to be true.

However the book leaves out some important points.

A). There doesn't appear to be any "ownership" of the cheese. When the mice find it, they just eat until it's gone. There is no giant rat standing in front of the door to the "Cheese Station" demanding that you either pay, or work for the cheese. And ceratinly no negotiaition over price, or what you must do to earn your cheese is allowed. (Sound familiar?)

B). There is no mention of why the cheese is moved from one "Cheese Station" to the next. No political or "business strategy" motivation behind it. The mice are expected to just keep their fu**ing mouths shut and follow "The Cheese" wherever the invisible forces decide to put it.
If you question why "they" keep moving the cheese around, you are a whiner, and a bad mouse. (Again, Sound familiar?)

C). The "New Cheese" is always delicious. You should always be glad the "Old Cheese" was taken away, and you were presented with the challenge of finding "New Cheese".------It keeps life fun and exciting. (I wonder if Rick Wagoner found it fun and exciting to be publicly canned from his job at GM?
Or is that "different" somehow? I hope he's enjoying his tasty "New Cheese".)

D). Bear in mind that this book is loved by the private sector. It was not a government agency that handed me this reading material, it was my employer.


P.s., I put this under "Economy" because I think it does relate to the tough economy and jobs.

Regards,
Dave

Anyone else find it ironic that rodents were used in this analogy ?

Well, actually the main charaters are two mice and two "Little People", I shit you not.
Of course, the "Little People" are the slow learners, because they "overanalyze"----or, "Think too much.", basically. The mice are the good guys, because they don't question anything.

And what would you surmise from that?

Dave

Well it is a rat race.

As I keep telling y'all if you want something FUBAR'ed give it to private industry.

Bizarro World "Animal Farm".

John

I think you missed my point which was, the cheese is gooberment and we are the rodents.

To me thats not only irony its rubbing our faces in it.. :mad:

No, the cheese is our wages, given to us by the industrialists who benefit from our labor. The government isn't a player in this Randian world. They just stay out of the way and let the "enlightened self interest" of our betters shape the world they permit us to live in.

Yes, we are the mice. Or at least the good ones among us are. The "little people" are the whiners and trouble makers.

John

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you on that, Dave. This book is being bought up by private corporate executives and passed out to their employees. The "Cheese" is our jobs, our "livelyhood", and the conditions under which we work. Sure, the government influences business, there is no denying that. But this is preparing us for "change" coming not from government, but from industry. If the government is involved it is as a catalyst. Mark my words.

Congress passes laws, but who lobbies Congress? When a dog attacks, is it the dog whose to blame or the man who trained and feeds him?

I know, I'm a weirdo. But think about it.

Dave

Yes, it's all about pigs, dogs and sheep.

So, I see you've picked up on my Avatar, John.
Do you like it?

Dave

Thats cool. I am one dense SOB :)

No you're not.

Double plus good!

John

It's a pretty good book that basically says don't become complacent, my take.

The 'One Minute Manager' is pretty good too.

Dave, I thought that guy looked familiar.

Pete

True, the basic premise is good. But, the details and the inferences......:rolleyes:

Dave

Usual right wing trick, take a basically good idea then surround it with innuendo.

Funny thing is, despite the fact that we were told by upper management that the book was distributed to help certain people cope with internal changes to process and proceedure, the plant is now rife with rumors of layoffs.....And the bozos, (management) can't understand where it's coming from. Uh..."When you're cheese is moved, go find New Cheese", maybe?

Dave

Sticking with the animal theme, I quote below an interesting column.

Regards,

D-Ray


A fox, a hound and other market tales

By Daniel Greenberg
Monday, February 15, 2010; A17

These traditional Tales from The Market have been handed down and treasured for generations. Each story has outstanding analytics and has been rated AAA ("a super-good read") by Shotzy's Tale Rating Service.

One of the wise elders from the town of Greenwich tells this first tale, introducing us to the magic of The Market.

A fox and a hound waited in a copse outside of a farmer's henhouse.

"Ooh, I can hear those chickens clucking from here," said the hound. "Let's go in there and snatch them all!"

"Not so fast," said the fox. "If we take them all at once we can't ever return. But if we take just one, then perhaps the farmer won't notice and we can keep coming back night after night to get more."

"That's a good idea," said the hound.

The two entered and went to work quickly. The fox grabbed as many chickens as he could, emptying the henhouse.

"Hey," said the hound. "I thought you said we were going to take only one chicken."

"That is what I did," said the fox. "I limited myself to one chicken."

"Forgive me, my friend," said the hound, "but that is not accurate. I saw you take at least seven chickens."

"The one chicken was my limit," said the fox.

"And the other six?"

"Ah," said the fox with a smile. "The other six were the bonus I gave myself for staying within my limit. And a very nice bonus it was indeed."

The moral of this story? In The Market, a bonus doesn't count. That's why they call it a bonus.

* * *

The mouse king needed a ride to the other side of the river, so he called on a large alligator for help.

"Can you take me to the other side of the river?" the king asked. "I will pay you $20 billion from my coffers."

"That's a lot of money, even if it is in mouse dollars," said the alligator. "I'll take your offer."

So they set out on the river, which was very shallow, allowing the alligator to crawl more than halfway across. Then they hit a deep spot and started to sink.

"Help!" cried the king. "I can't swim."

"Neither can I," said the alligator.

"But you're an alligator," said the king. "Surely all alligators can swim."

The alligator explained that he had once been able to swim. But the river was so shallow and so rich with fish to eat that he had grown plump and lost the skill.

"What do we do now?" cried the king.

At this point the subjects of the king who were watching from the river bank recognized what was happening. Many began paddling furiously to the sinking alligator. They used their little mouse legs to prop him up and propel him to the other side. Most did not survive the task.

When he was safe on the other side, the mouse king asked, "Why did you accept my offer if you couldn't swim?"

The alligator said, "I will be honest. I did it for the money. I figured we would somehow make it to the other side. And sure enough, we did make it. You see, I was right."

"But what about all of my subjects who drowned in the river?" asked the mouse king.

The alligator shrugged. "Hey, risk is a part of every transaction," he said.

With that, they went to dinner at the restaurant on the other side of the river and shared a very nice bottle of wine. And forgot about the whole thing.

Interesting. I'll analyze it later.

Dave

Interesting.
 

We use exactly the same word here slanted against government sponsered initiatives.

And let's not forget SNAFU or TARFU.

John

Rotflmao!!!!

And all good!

Pete

I was referring mainly to the dumb idea here that electric power generation should be in the hands of private industry. Hell the local Flicker and Flash even sells emergency generators, they don't even trust their own capabilities.

Well shit happens, Rob. Unless, of course, the government is involved. Then it's part of a Communist plot...........................

Dave

I wonder how many of the area people bitching about not getting their roads ploughed are the same gang who bitch about taxes?

Probably. They probably complain about freeloaders at the public teat too.

Oh, and the guy driving the snow plow? He damn well better speak English!

John

And his middle name better not be Hussein.

http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...nowcartoon.gif

Regards,

D-Ray

The government doesn't "build" anything. The allocate our tax dollars to private industry to "build" things.

Chas

Right. Like building highways to facilitate the movement of goods and commerce. Military contractors that build the ships, aircraft and weaponry we use to defend our shores. Airports that millions of travellers use every day to conduct their business, or visit their loved ones domestically or abroad. And the ATC system that does a remarkably good job getting them there, day after day, year after year. Maybe even a highspeed rail system that could carry passengers from city to city quickly, safely and efficiently someday.

You know ----infrastructure.

Or....We could slash funding to all of that useless shit, give everyone a fat tax cut, that they would then use to buy Chinese made goods. Then, as our infrastructure continues to crumble and our economy inexorably declines because of it, the Chinese will build highways, airports, nuclear powerplants and highspeed rail systems, moving prosperously into the twenty first century. Here in America we will be so glad we preserved our second amendment rights, because hunting by then will no longer be a hobby, it will be a necessity.

And I will be moving to China.

Screw you idiots,
Dave

Have a safe trip.

Chas

Not because I want to......................

Greener pasture syndrome.

Positive Mental Attitude. If you think it sucks where you're at, you're gonna think it sucks wherever you go. Look at it like this, you can buy an orange anytime you want. Wasn't that long ago a King couldn't even buy an orange when he wanted one.

Myself, I have a Positive Menial Attitude. I'm positive that I'll be doing menial chores until the day I die.

I suppose it's as good a way to pass the time as any.

Chas

They're both better than optical rectitis.

Regards,

D-Ray

No, not really Charles. I like it where I am. But I see it going to shit.
So, it would be more like a "Somewhat Less Shitty Pasture Syndrome".

Or, maybe it's the "Elevator Principle".

You have two elevators.
One has stalled the cable is frayed and about to snap.
The people inside are insane, screaming at each other,
and throwing money down the shaft.

The other is on it's way up.
The people on board are currently poor, but full of hope
and dreams of a better future.

Which one do you want to be on?

Dave

Neither one, I prefer the Maritime Provinces, where the word hospitality was coined.

I'm beginning to think that you may be the king of the one liners.

Color me impressed.

Chas

Don't be. It's stol - er borrowed.

Regards,

D-Ray