The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) Channel Failing?

There has been a lot of talk lately about whether the Oprah Winfrey Network Channel is going to survive. According to the latest article that I read online, Oprah is restructuring and eliminating 30 positions in the process.

I personally have never watched the OWN channel because I refuse to pay extra money to get premium channels. So I do not watch Housewives of Atlanta, Mob Wives, nor any other "wives" reality shows.

With this said, I am thinking that Oprah's target market to help teach, enlighten, and raise awareness probably does not have access to her precious OWN channel.

I was willing to pay on demand to watch that interview with the Whitney Houston family, but I could not find anyone that could get the channel and wanted to see the interview. Some could get the channel but did not want to watch the interview. Others just did not have access to the channel.

What's even more interesting is that the interview re-aired over and over again. So if you did not catch the first airing, then there were many more opportunities to come. With so many opportunities to watch it seems to give people less urgency to watch the first airing.

So there is something to be said to be broadcast on one of the major networks; more people have free access to watch ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, the CW, etc. There is also something to be said about "full programming" networks. There are less repeats of the same episode.

CNN is an exception because many public venues will show CNN in their establishments. I can watch CNN at my local McDonald's fast food restaurant. There are probably a few other premium channels that hotels and venues make available such as the Weather Channel.

On a separate note, I caught an episode of Dr. Phil which is an Oprah Winfrey production, and I thought that I was watching the "Maury" show. Dr. Phil had paternity test results and a love triangle including the parents of the teenagers involved. I was in shock.

As far as the Dr. Oz show, I think people are getting tired of buying all of the dietary supplements to speed up the metabolism and lose weight. Again, Dr. Oz is an Oprah Winfrey production.

So the question is did Oprah Winfrey reach her peak and is now spiraling down? I think so. Her peak looks to be her original prime time talk show.

Dr. Oz may need to step aside and give Oprah Winfrey her time slot back sooner than later.

Absinthe: The Green Fairy

Brand: Absente Absinthe Refined

No, I did not purchase this, but I did receive it as a gift from one of my clients. The directions stated that I needed a sugar cube. I did not have one. So I had been holding onto this bottle for months. Then finally while visiting Kai's Kookies and More bakery, the owner, a college classmate from Clemson University, had some sugar cubes to give to me along with my bakery purchases! Yay!!!

I have to tell you that this drink has 55% alcohol content. Hello! I am good with 5.5% alcohol, but move the decimal point over . . . yes, 55% alcohol.

Well, I followed directions using the Absinthe spoon and the sugar cube, but it taste like cough medicine to me. After a few sips, I decided not to drink the rest. However, I still have the bottle, the absinthe spoon and some sugar cubes left. Smile.

Anyway, my curiosity was aroused about the "green fairy." I found out that the drink is said to have the ability to give you a double intoxication. You may start hallucinating as well.

There is even an independent film in post-production right now called "Absinthe Murders" or something like that. You can check out the trailer for it on the Internet. As for me, I will be passing this one along with some sugar cubes. LOL!

Reality Check: 2012 Job Search Tips

So you are looking for a job or even a career in 2012? Here's seven fresh tips!

1) Look for careers at manufacturing companies or healthcare organizations that are doing well as far as their annual reports.

2) Check their online vacancy lists at least every two weeks. The best jobs are flooded and closed within two weeks or less. Checking vacancies daily for three of your top places to work is actually a great idea! Within a month's timeframe, you can miss out on a lot of jobs. The companies may not hire quickly, but if they get 40,000 applications in one week, then they are going to remove the posting from the vacancy list before interviewing anyone. They figure that at least one of the 40,000 applicants should be a good fit.

3)If you can get "wind" of a job BEFORE it is posted, then you will be ahead of the curve. The beauty and barber shops sometimes can be a good source for job leads. If you overhear a conversation where someone got promoted or fired, then that means an opening or an organizational shift is slated to happen. Research it.

4)A paper resume or just your name specifically passed on directly to a hiring manager on top of your applying for the position online is a sure way to land the job.

5) Internal applicants and external applicants are fighting for the same positions. Just because you already work for the company does not give you any real advantage unless you have someone talking to the hiring manager for you.

6) If you take a position with a company, I suggest that you really, really like that position as a permanent career choice. Moving up from the "mailroom" to the "President" of a company is a thing of the past. If you do not have a career track on day one, then it may be a dead end job. The job search will start all over again when you are ready for a change. Seniority does not seem to be as impressive anymore. Progressive movement within your career seems to be the desired trend to look for amongst employers.

7) Human Resources recruiters are being told to look for recent, relevant, industry-specific experiences. Meaning: if the job is a courier for a healthcare organization, then a courier applicant from a "non-healthcare" organization is not industry specific enough. You can apply for the job, but if other couriers from other healthcare organizations are also applying, then you are not going to stand a chance unless someone walks your name into the hiring manager's office.

Well, Best Wishes on casually networking and listening out for leads. You can not get leads by staying home and job searching all day online! Go into a Panera Bread or a Starbucks and apply for jobs. Listen to the conversations that are going on around you.

Sushi Set

The chopsticks are obvious . . . but I was so confused as to what the little short sticks were for . . . Awww . . . They are "rests" to lay the chopsticks on!