David Cross - ContentCopywriter.net - A Candid Conversation About Getting People Back To Work - The Great Return

 

The working world has changed largely due to the pandemic. Recent events saw job losses and also what has been called the Great Resignation. The biggest losses have been in the service sector. Employers are becoming hard pressed to gain and retain good staffing levels. David Cross the man behind ContentCopywriter.net wants to change that with an idea to create the Great Return.

He is joining me here on Candid Conversations to talk about the plan and how companies can use it to get and retain staff.

D. Cross: Hello Cliff, thanks for having me on your blog.

Cliff T.: Mr. Cross thanks for doing a Candid Conversation. I want to start off by trying to get a sense of what you are seeing in the job market. In your press release you mention staffing and morale are at an all time low. Can you define that?

D. Cross: I would say that I’m seeing about the same thing that you’re seeing in the news. But I have spoken to several business owners over the last year or so who are struggling to hire and retain workers. Many in the restaurant industry are working them self to exhaustion, they’re doing most of the work by themselves. It’s not sustainable.

I’ve also spoken to accountants and CPAs who painted a depressing picture for me. They said that as soon as the government assistance started there was a rush of people trying to defraud the system. They asked the accounts to fudge the books and help them get more than they had coming. People are getting paid to stay home and not work, and they’re trying to milk it for all it’s worth. It has to stop, and soon. I don’t mean to imply that everyone is doing that, but it’s happening a lot.

Cliff T.: Besides the obvious, the pandemic. What else may be driving this downturn in staffing and moral?

D. Cross: I have heard in the news and from people that I’ve spoken with that it’s not just the money that’s keeping people from returning to work, it’s also respect, acknowledgement and work conditions. Which I can see and understand. Our country, and indeed the world, is going through a massive change, for better or worse, it’s changing, and perhaps employment arrangements and how we define work relationships are also going to change moving forward.

People see or have had an opportunity through the government financial assistance to voice their frustration, and they’re voicing it, loud and clear.

Cliff T.: I work in the service industry myself, yes I have a day job, LOL. I have seen some changes in my industry which in call centers. A lot of people are coming in and a lot of people are quickly leaving. Even tenured staff are saying I am done with this. Is that the sense your getting when you speak with people in general and within different industries?

D. Cross: Look, we all want self-respect and need, and if we’re not treated with basic human decency, like a human being should be treated, it’s hard to deal with, it’s hard to look at ourselves in the mirror, it’s hard to look your wife in the eyes and have her respect you when you’re treated like a subhuman, and you put up with it. I think it’s been weighing on people for a long time now.

Now people feel like they don’t ‘have to deal with it, so they’re walking out. Speak down to me again, and I’m out of here…and they actually leave.

What I’m hearing from individuals that I’ve spoken with and from what I’m reading like everyone else is inadequate compensation, poor work/life balance and burnout are top reasons why people are thinking of quitting, and are quitting.

Cliff T.: You mentioned in the press release that employees are in the drivers seat. In what way?

D. Cross: Meaning that it’s a united walk-out. In the old days – like two years ago – if you didn’t like the employment terms, you either sucked it up and took the job or you didn’t. And if you didn’t, there were a thousand other people waiting in line behind you who would take the job.

Today, there is no one else waiting in line behind you to take a job that they’ll hate. People are just saying no. And they have a cushion through the government payments that allows them to put their collective foot down and demand some respect and better conditions. So now employees can dictate the employment terms like never before.

Cliff T.: So, Mr. Cross, you are developing a plan to help businesses attract and retain staff given that employees are in the drivers seat. What approach are you taking to help companies staff and retain staff in their respective businesses?

D. Cross: First of all, we all need to get back to work. Perhaps change is needed, but this is not sustainable. If we wait much longer to return to work, there may not be businesses for us to return to. So we have to start to turn this around. And the companies that have taken positive steps to make workers happy need to be heard, they need to get the word out. People need to know about the changes.

And I have a whole strategy to go about doing that. It’s a multi-pronged approach.

Business need to start writing and communicating with our local elected officials, our congress representatives and senators to let them know that businesses are suffering and that it’s time to stop paying people to stay home. We’re a productive society, we need to work.

These payments were originally meant to help people who were forced to not work by government mandates. Now we’re passed that. We’re free to return to work.

I have a list of actions I can take with a company for outreach and to help them start the conversation with workers again. I’m not sure if there’s enough time to go into everything here, but if I can ask people to contact me, I would be more than happy to work with them to develop a plan.

So, as I said in the press release, will it work? I know it will work better than us doing nothing. We have to start somewhere, and if we don’t, the consequences may be bigger than we’re willing to accept.

Remember that there is a new balance that we all now have to strike. This is all new, so we’ll have to learn what that balance is as we go.

Cliff T.: Where are you in the development of this plan, or should I say have you begun to use the plan with businesses?

D. Cross: Yes, I have a written out a plan that I can share with businesses who contract with me. It’s going to be a lot of work and these are things that companies can do on their own of course, but as a copywriter, that’s my business, to develop written material, to develop plans for marketing and outreach, to convince people to take action, and I have started those conversations with two or three business so far.

Cliff T.: This sounds quite challenging and very interesting. What message do you think employers need to address when it comes to employees needs and how will you help businesses deliver that message?

D. Cross: Well, businesses need to convey the positive changes that they’ve made as a company, and how that translates to a better work life for employees. So I would have to start by asking the companies I work with, what changes have you made, and do you think that’s going to be enough? If not, there are no shortages of ideas that can easily and inexpensively be implemented that would have a positive impact on workers.

Next it would be a series of outreach actions, such as press releases, interviews on TV, radio, and blogs like yours with managers, CEOs and company owners so they can start communicating with people.

We can create a series of blog posts and articles, videos, op-ed pieces in national publications, conversations at city council meetings, public conversations with local activists.

As I mentioned before, send letters or place calls to your local congress people, senators, mayors and city councilmembers. And much more of course. This has to be a full-fledged - frontal assault. The information has to hit people on a personal level, it has to be compelling, and of course, it has to all be true.

Cliff T.: What prompted you to jump and see if you could help facilitate the Great Return, was there an a-ha moment?

D. Cross: Yes, I kept reading headline after headline, I kept hearing from activists and employees, I kept seeing businesses struggle. I kept seeing a crime wave take over our country like never before. I read several headlines such as, “the Great Resignation” and I kind of joked to myself, “what will the “Great Return” look like, when will that happen, and how will that happen?”

And that was my a-ha moment. I did have doubts at first, I thought, who am I to do this? Then I thought, why not? It has to start somewhere. Someone has to at least speak up and put these ideas out there. Hopefully they’ll catch on. So why not me? I just hope it has a positive impact. I think that’s what we’re all hoping for in our lives, to make a difference, a positive impact in our community.

Also, this is such a huge and far-reaching issue and everyone is paying attention to it at the moment. So I thought that if I had a voice that the whole world was listening to for a brief period of time, I would think of something important or meaningful to say, I would try to make a positive impact, not just complain that things are unfair, but put a plan of action out there; because what’s happening now isn’t working.

Cliff T.: Now I know that you are the head of ContentCopywriter.net. Are you deploying resources from your firm to help with the Great Return?

D. Cross: Well resources for me simply means my time, creativity and hard work and time spent to develop a specific plan for each company and put it into action. I’m going to continue my own outreach as well.

Cliff T: In what way is ContentCopywriter.net involved in the project?

D. Cross: We’re helping companies think through this whole thing and to come up with an actionable plan to get people to return to work.

Cliff T.: It sounds like you have really taken on a big challenge, then again as they say go big or go home. Mr. Cross thanks very much for taking time to explain how your helping employees and businesses connect and I hope the Great Return does succeed.

D. Cross: Cliff, thank you so much for the opportunity to talk about this and help promote the idea and effort. If there’s anything else I can do, I am always open to discussions and ideas.

Please reach out to me any time, and I encourage people and companies to reach out to me to discuss the Great Return and any other copywriting projects they may need help with. Please ask people to contact me at: david@contentcopywriter.net

Thanks again Cliff, you’ve been great. You’re really doing an amazing job with these Candid Conversations. We need to have more of them. If there’s any way I can help with your efforts, just let me know.

David Cross of ContentCopywriter.net is on a mission to help connect employees and businesses in an effort to rejuvenate the work force. You can find out more about ContentCopywriter.net by heading to their site at https://contentcopywriter.net/.

Mr. Cross wrote to us from Pasadena CA.

Candid Comment - The Sun Flips Off Elon Musk - 20 Million Lost 40 Satellites Fried

In one swoop 40 Starlink satellites were fried when the sun sent out a minor geomagnetic storm which knocked them out of orbit ad sent the SpaceX birds into the atmosphere where they were instantly vaporized.  

I guess Mr. Musk did not get the memo that if you put your satellites into a certain orbit there is going to be a greater chance that they will get cooked.  But, Musk is a determined individual, he sent up another 46 satellites on February 9th. There are 2,100 of these satellites in orbit, with 1,900 actually working, the other 200 well they croaked.  

It's not a cheap service.  In Canada your going to be charged 714 for the gear and the plan is 129 per month, this is the basic plan.  What is interesting is the fact that the team at SpaceX wants to send more satellites up. The idea is to have more satellites so that the speed increases for users.  The issue of course is the fact that the sun will produce storms and that will put all those satellites at risk. Along with the risk of failures that means a lot of cost going into making this idea work.  It's not a bad idea but, it's not a great one either.  I envision pricing increases as the losses mount from failed deployments and more satellites being cooked by the sun. 

Musk can afford the odd failure after all he's got 2.3 Billion to back him. But the average subscriber to his service can't afford or won't be able to afford the cost to recoup the loses that are sure to continue to mount as the Starlink service continues.  Think about this, 40 of 49 satellites at 20 Million in one shot gone.  That is not something to go oh well about.  Would I pay to take that risk, most likely no.  Unless there was no alternate way to get online.  Then again for many in remote rural locations satellites may be the only way to get online as well as do things like make calls and even watch a simple TV show.  So it comes down to who is the safest bet.  

There are not a lot of companies who do this work.  But you can find them and pricing points vary from low to very high.  It should be noted that with any satellite service besides a risk of the satellite going down there are also things like weather and cloud conditions to contend with.  I remember using a satellite service when I lived in Brampton Ontario.  Most of the time it was fine, but there were times when the service was down, mostly due to weather.  

To me it appears that Starlink is to risky.  Risk is normal in business and life in general but, one should never take stupid risks and it appears that is what SpaceX is doing by launching so many satellites at one time.  It's just a matter of time when another payload goes up and poof it gets ruined by a solar event or half the lot fails to go online due to a malfunction.  In the end the customer foots the bill for the fix via jacked up prices to recoup the loses making this a losing proposition for the consumer.

C. T. 

Resources linked to this post:

CNET compares prices of satellite providers

Starlink is a service from SpaceX that offers internet services via satellite, it's supposed to be quite efficient but it is expensive, especially in Canada.

Candid Comment - Jeff Bezos Yacht - And People Wonder Why The Rich Are Hated

  

People wonder why the rich are hated.  Well one reason is the use of their money to do things that are ridiculous.  Lets take the example of Jeff Bezos and his new yacht that for one thing stupidly expensive, for another oversized and finally will be a pain for some ports to handle.  

The Y721 as it is called these days is being built by a Dutch shipyard in Rotterdam and instead of floating the boat down stream and finishing it elsewhere the company intends to complete the project and sail it under a bridge it's to big for out to sea.  

Here is the deal.  The masts are so tall that a part of a bridge has to be taken out to allow it to pass.  Bezos will pay for the work to have the Koningshaven Bridge partially dismantled so the finished yacht which is 3 football fields long and boasts 130ft masts can pass through to the open sea.

OK credit him for being responsible enough to say umm I will pay for that.  But, here is the thing.  The shipbuilders could have done the smart thing floated the boat downstream and then completed the project.  Instead Oceanco stated it would be impractical as it would mean having to ferry tools and supplies to the location of the second site.  Sorry to say but, that is just being lazy.  They could have easily developed a plan to do it in a cost efficient manner in 2 stages. Here is the thing the city of Rotterdam promised not do dismantle the bridge.  It's breaking that promise to it's citizens so some fat cat can float his boat out to sea.  Not good optically speaking.

This kind of stuff breads hatred of the rich.  This appears to showcase the idea of one person being able to essentially tell a city I am doing this you have to do this and here is some dough so shut up and do it.  For the record I am sure Jeff Bezos did not say that, it just appears this way.  That kind of thing is not going to go over well with the common man.  Most people would be laughed out of city hall or any other government agency if they walked in and told them what they were going to do because of how important they felt they were.  

Actually there is one group that feels it is more important than everyone else, a group of protesters is trying to force governments in Canada to change a policy.  They are the so called freedom convoy protestors.  They are in Ottawa, they have laid siege to the city by parking their trucks and have not moved for almost 3 weeks.  As of posting time the Ontario Government led by Doug Ford has finally said enough is enough and they are putting out orders with teeth in them to make it clear just how serious they are about ending not just the protest in Ottawa but the one in Windsor Ontario. And here is the kicker the protesters do have money behind them.  That said the government is saying no dice here your not that important that you can dictate to anyone what will be done with respect to COVID 19 mandates.

So why is Bezos seeming to be able to do this.  Well he is paying for the work to be done re the partial dismantling of the bridge and it's reassembly.  And, while it will be a pain to deal with it's not a long term impact on an entire economy.  This said this is still somewhat of a bad idea.  Because there are workarounds as I mentioned earlier and it's this idea that a person with money can do things like this and everyone even for a short period is inconvenienced and they have no say in the matter.  That is what annoys the common man and causes an anti rich attitude.  

I do know rich people and with one or two exceptions they actually are pretty decent people.  I don't hate the rich and ya I would love to have big bucks and feel important.  But, I also know that being a jerk is not a good idea whether your a billionaire or an average working person.  So when a bunch of fat cats act like jerks it's not a wonder any longer that people associate wealth with being jerks and they disdain the rich.  It's not a far leap.  This said it's really not fair either because not all rich folks are like that.  So really I guess what I am saying or would like to say to Jeff Bezos is this.  Cool have your boat but, don't use it to be a jerk. You don't have to show how much cooler you are or be an ass showing off how rich you are.  Your a poster child for the super rich and what you do can either show how decent most rich people are or can make you and your fellow rich friends appear to be nothing more than spoiled jerks who nobody wants around.  And frankly speaking your not better than me nor am I better than you.  But our actions can show how decent or rude we are and I don't know about you Mr. Bezos but, you and the ship builders are being rude and disrespectful to the citizens of Rotterdam by asking the city leaders to do something they promised not to do.  I would also make it a point to say to the city officials money is not everything and your citizens should come first not a fat cat.

The real measure of a man is how they treat others part of that is being respectful that goes for the rich as well as the poor.

Candid Conversations is a production of Four Eyes Freelancing for more information about us visit our website at https://cjames5a.wixsite.com/my-site.

New Media Film Festival - Crystal Zen Tells Us More About It Here On Candid Conversations

  

Everyone knows about the big film festivals like the Cannes, TIFF and Sundance. These are world famous but, there are many others that are just as good as these and one of them has just won an award. Global Awards announced recently that it had selected the New Media Film Festival® as winner of it’s Film Festival of the Year Award. Nice! So I decided to reach out and I connected with Crystal Zen who is on the team at NMFF and she is joining us to tell us a bit more about this festival.

First congratulations Miss Zen on the award, you must be quite proud of that achievement. And, welcome to Candid Conversations.

C. Zen: Thanks so much! Everyone on the team, sponsors, speakers, judges, nominees, winners and talent all excited and humbled.

Cliff T.: I will admit I have not heard of the New Media Film Festival® but from the release I noticed that the festival has been running since 2009. What exactly does this festival offer that is unique, different from say the TIFF or Sundance?

C. Zen: So glad you know about us now. New Media Film Festival® is constantly creating opportunities outside the norm for creators.

Some examples,

We discovered that creators needed a way to broadcast their content within a certain window to be able to submit for an EMMY® so, we created a way to do that for appropriate content.

We created a DIY market to connect buyers and creators (sellers) with a short registration https://newmediafilmfestival.vuulr.com

This image shows of the other unconventional successes we have had/offered.

Cliff T.: I bet you get an interesting mix of people from professionals to amateurs submitting work to the festival.

C. Zen: Outside all of the amazing stories and technological creations that are submitted from all over the globe. What is the most fascinating is when a submission is being reviewed and those reviewing are all ages, from all different cultures and they collectively laugh, sigh, are in awe, etc. You know you have experienced a story that transcends everything. Very exciting.

Cliff T.: New Media, that suggests things like YouTube and tech like iPhones to shoot a film. I visited the site and you even have a drone category, cool. How many submissions do you get and what is the most popular category that people submit work in?

C. Zen: Thanks for checking out our submit page as our categories change as New Media is an infinite catalyst for story and technology. For example, we recently added a Metaverse category! Its funny, each year the category that is most popular changes.

Even our grand prize winners have been from all different categories, not one predominantly.

Cliff T.: Now I noticed that your not just showcasing works your also promoting the creators as well, from what I see there is a lot of networking opportunities for creators. What are some of the ways the festival encourages networking?

C. Zen: We constantly create new opportunities. People can find out about it by signing up on our monthly newsletter www.newmediafilmfestival.com in the footer of any page.

Recently we have Ask an Expert Series, pay what you can (zero was fine) – you had a chance to network online live. There is a VIP Soiree every year where you get to meet the nominees, speakers etc. When you go to the festival, we bring up the nominees on stage for Q & A so you have seen their work, get to see them and can talk to them in the lounge in between screenings. There are many more opportunities.

Cliff T.: Miss Zen, 2022 is here and you are planning for the festival which by the way is in June. What are you expecting to see this year and how are you going to work within the framework of continuing to deal with the pandemic?

C. Zen: We are going hybrid this year. June 1^st will be online, June 2 will be at the state of the art theater, The Landmark 10850 W Pico Blvd. Los Angeles CA 90064. We are working with the venue and following all CA and CDC guidelines as they change so rapidly. We are excited to bring back live (it was all online last year) the Red Carpet Press Junket, the VIP Soiree, The Screenings with Q &A, the International Art Exhibit, the Live Music Opener, the Award Ceremony. It will be exciting, tickets are on sale now, use code WOW and save. https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/events/

Cliff T.: As I mentioned earlier your festival has been around since 2009. How did it get started and how long have you been working with them for?

C. Zen: It all started due to the economic crisis in 2008. Our Founder/Director Susan Johnston (www.linkedin.com/in/susan-johnston-media-futurist) Saw colleagues leave in droves, especially studio level. So she pulled on her life’s experiences to create something that could empower creators wherever they lived and share those stories to the globe, henceforth our mandate “Honoring Stories Worth Telling”

I’ve been here about 5 years now and LOVE IT.

Cliff T.: What excites you the most about the festival? And do you get surprised by a particular submission or creator?

C. Zen: It’s the people and their stories.

Cliff T.: When the general public comes to the festival what do you want them to take away from it?

C. Zen: I’d like festival goers to experience joy and wonder. In meeting new people, seeing new stories, experiencing all the festival has to offer.

Cliff T.: Besides submitting work to the festival how else do you want people to engage with the organizers?

C. Zen: It would be so nice if people shared www.newmediafilmestival.com with their friends, family and colleagues as we really feel we have something for everyone. If they would like to help out during the festival, or have something they want to give out to the festival goers, or sponsor or be on the board or _____ we would love to hear form you. We are known to have a quick response time, this is the easiest way to get to us https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/contact/

Cliff T: Miss Zen Thank you very much for letting us know more about the New Media Film Festival. I hope the 13^th year is one of the best you have.

C. Zen: THANK YOU

Crystal Zen is one of the team members of the New Media Film Festival. The film festival will be held on Jun 1^st and 2^nd in Los Angeles CA. To learn more about it you can visit their site at https://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/.

If you are wanting to submit work should be aware that the latest you can submit is April 3^rd 2022. There are a lot of cool perks that come with being nominated and you could win an award not to mention hooking up with industry leaders who
can help get your work distributed.

Miss Zen wrote to us for L.A. CA.

Candid Conversations is a production of Four Eyes Freelancing For more information about us visit our site at https://cjames5a.wixsite.com/my-site

All rights reserved 2022

Candid Comment - What Strange Response To A Complaint - Rogan VS Young VS Spotify

When I saw this on the news feed I was to say the least surprised.  But, what can I say there is a lot going on out there.

What I am talking about is Spotify's decision to pull down Neil Young's music because Young has an issue with Joe Rogan.  The issue stems over concerns about COVID 19 information and how messaging around it has been presented.  

At first it seemed that the company was siding with Rogan but, as things kicked off and other artists jumped to Young's defense Spotify saw a bit of dip in it's market share they decided some clarity was needed and they released guidelines for what is and is not acceptable on it's platform.  

FYI Joe Rogan's podcast is exclusively published on Spotify.  

What all of this represents is the deep and sometimes devastating divide over handling the COVID virus and it's variants.  When all of this started there were some concerns but most people generally stood behind the health teams and other front line workers.  Now insults, racist language, yellow stars and swastikas are being displayed along with assaults against the very people trying to help. 

The people engaging in these debates are devolving into what amounts to adult versions of toddlers with temper tantrums.  This is coming from both sides of the arguments about how to handle COVID.  The fight primarily is between anti vax and anti COVID mandate movements vs pro vax and mandate movements.  

I will admit I am weary and quite fed up with dealing with COVID.  That said I also know that I have to do my part to ensure I don't risk my health and the health of others around me.  I also understand that everyone has a right to voice an opinion for and against mandates and vaccines.  What is needed is to respect the spaces that is there to express opinions in. Use of platforms like Facebook, Spotify, Twitter and even broadcast media and online chat rooms to pick fights, which seems to be what is going on here is unacceptable.  The debate has devolved into nothing more than shouting matches and that does not help anyone.  

This does not mean that the discussion is not happening, what I am saying here is that the angry toddler adults throwing tantrums have drowned out healthy dialogue and it's time to give them a time out.  In short enough is enough.  They have made their points done their protesting and now it's time to get on with the business of ending the pandemic.  

My concern is that because we value freedom, and we should value freedom, that we will continue to allow a bunch of men and women with the brains of 2 year old kids continue babbling nonsense.  I heard one individual state that God gives us freedom not the government and that we have to obey God's law.  Well here is a 411 for this person and others like him.  The Bible is crystal clear.  You have to obey the government, it's God's law.  Don't believe me then read Romans 13 verses 1 through 7.  

What this spat between artists and Spotify over Rogan's comments are is a reflective mirror of the struggle to gain power and uphold a narrative regarding the pandemic and how to the handling of it is managed and discussed.  None of this makes sense any longer because the sides in the debate are not debating they are looking for megaphones like Spotify to promote a singular view of the situation.  

Here is the kicker in all of this.  Each side is yelling at the other while more or less preaching to the choir.  All this shouting and posturing takes away from the good healthy debate that is out there and  ongoing.  That is why this is so strange to me to see the response that Spotify went with in the first place before clarifying things.  I guess they realized that oooops we goofed by siding with profit over common sense and good curation. 

I do believe in fair comment and I do think at times protests are appropriate.  The problem is that the line has been crossed between fair comment and protest into bullying and gross behavior.  I would dare to say that the current situation has essentially escalated into acts that are anything but displays of standing up for freedoms and rights, they are more like a power struggle between factions and the government and the healthcare professionals doing a difficult job.  Maybe instead of fighting about how everyone should manage the pandemic, everyone should be fighting to end it.  

Resources for this article.

Spotify's long-standing Platform Rules.

The Toronto Star: Joe Rogan apologizes following Spotify COVID misinformation controversy.

CBC News: Spotify to remove Neil Young's music after complaint over Joe Rogan

Joe Rogan's webpage: https://www.joerogan.com/

CTV News:

Explainer Neil Young Protest effect on Spotify.

Candid Conversation - Moon Over Sasova - Dr. Christopher Shaffer Discusses His Adventures In Slovakia In The 90's

  

In 2016 I had the pleasure of doing a Candid Conversation with Dr. Chris Shaffer. We talked about students exercising the mind and the body at Troy University. I will link to the article later in this one. He’s joining me again for an interview about his book Moon Over Sasova.

Moon Over Sasova One American’s Experience Teaching in Post-Cold War Slovakia is Dr. Christopher Shaffer’s account of his time in Sasova a suburb of Banska Bystrica just after Slovakia became an independent nation. The book describes his adventures while in country at that time. Dr. Shaffer thanks for coming back to do another Candid Conversation.

Dr. Shaffer: Thanks for having me Cliff. I am always happy to talk about my experiences in Slovakia.

Cliff T.: This is going to be an interesting conversation, tell me what made you decide to go to a nation that was on the brink of something big like becoming independent?

Dr. Shaffer: Really, when you think about it, the big thing occurred in late 1989 with the Velvet Revolution. The Soviets agreed—after massive peaceful demonstrations—to pull out of what was then Czechoslovakia. I went to Prague in the summer of 1991 while on a study abroad experience in Mannheim Germany, offered by Auburn University where I got my BA. I immediately fell in love with the city, and not only the gothic and baroque architecture, which is amazing, but with the kindness of the people and the optimism in the streets. Vaclav Havel, the playwright/dissident, who had been advocating for freedom from the USSR since the 1970s was on his way to becoming president. Everywhere there were signs saying Havel na Hrad, meaning Havel to the Castle, which is where the president was housed. I was only there for a weekend visit, and decided to return for a few more days after my studies ended. After that trip I was hooked and wanted to come back for a more immersive experience. While there, I saw a sign on a telephone pole advertising for Americans to come teach English. I called the number when I got back, and was shocked to discover that the group, Education for Democracy was connected to the University of South Alabama.

Cliff T.: I have to admit I probably would not ever do something like that given the risk of violence that may occur but, here you are you go to Slovakia just after the country goes independent and your going with the idea to teach. What were going to teach, did you actually do that or did the trip turn into something totally different?

Dr. Shaffer: If there had been anything scary, it would have probably been the 1989 Velvet Revolution. At the time, no one knew what would happen and were waiting to see what the Soviets would do. Remember, things didn’t turn out so well in the Prague Spring of 1968. However, 1989 ended without any significant bloodshed, and 1993 ended with none. And everything that was happening was being relayed quite effectively by the American news media. I have always been a news junkie and kept a close eye on things. Czechoslovakia had always been something of a forced marriage that was created after World War I, with Slovakia long being the weaker part of the couple. In the same way that it was bureaucratically created, it was bureaucratically divided. While there were certainly some hard feelings, I always felt it was more akin to sibling rivalry than anything else. And definitely not the Cain and Abel sort.

As far as what I did, the group that sent me was named Education for Democracy. It was started by Major John Hasek and began in Poland. The University of South Alabama in collaboration with the Slovak Education Department then opened a branch in that country. My basic job was to teach English as a second language, and I worked primarily with third year students or older teaching conversational English. Our hidden agenda though, was to be goodwill ambassadors, and introduce people to Americans and Canadians, and demonstrate that we were not boogeymen. Just like our government had inculcated in us a belief that the Soviets and their satellite states were evil, the Soviets had ardently strived to be sure that people under their sphere of influence believed the same things about us.

I don’t think anything turned out differently than I expected. Beyond teaching, I was able to travel a good bit, both in and around Slovakia, which was great. I went to Poland, Germany, The Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, and Slovenia while I was there, so those experiences were all exciting and also educational.

Cliff T.: Just reading through the note on Amazon about the book it sounds like the trip got off to a busy start right away. What was the first thing that caught your attention when you got to Slovakia?

Dr. Shaffer: The cold. I had never experienced anything like it. If we get cold weather like Slovakia had in the deep South, it is a fluke once in a decade event, and it is also short-lived. In Slovakia, extreme cold is a situation that lasts for several months. I also had to learn to walk on snow and ice, which was a challenge. I was completely unprepared for all of this, because while intellectually, I understood what I was getting into, it is impossible to truly understand what something is like until you have experienced it first-hand. If there was a bright side to the frigidity, temperatures were always expressed in Celsius, so I never truly had any idea what the real temperature was. If they had told me what it was in Fahrenheit, I might have never left the apartment!

Cliff T.: As you began your work in Slovakia you also began to engage with the people there and you were finding out that they had a keen interest in what the West was all about. What kinds of interests did people you came into contact with have?

Dr. Shaffer: Universally, the answer would be things that were cultural. On those initial trips to Prague in 1991, I discovered that there was a big interest in the Czech Republic in Dixieland Jazz. I include a picture of a Dixieland Jazz Quartet in the book. I later found out later that jazz had been considered subversive by the communist government. Going back to 1993, my students frequently wanted me to transcribe the lyrics to American songs. I remember one student named Martin, got me to write out the lyrics to REM’s Man on the Moon. I also met other people who were fascinated with the U.S. Civil War. There was also a strong interest in Native American culture.

Talking about history could get interesting. I was having a conversation with one of my classes about World War II and Hiroshima and Nagasaki came up. I had been educated to believe that the U.S. had been in the right to drop the atomic bombs, because of the number of American lives that had been saved. The Slovaks had been educated to believe that the Soviets were about to come to the aid of the Americans and that it was an immoral and unnecessary act that occurred because Truman wanted to send Stalin a message. And, as I got older and learned more, I can’t say that they were completely wrong. However, given their history, I still think it is odd that they thought the Soviets were going to something noble. However, we killed roughly 350,000 people with two bombs, and many of them were innocent. That is a stain on our history that we are stuck with, regardless of whether it was the right military decision or not. I went to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in 2017, and the only experience I have ever had that was emotionally on par with that was when I went to Auschwitz in 1993.

Cliff T.: The book, Moon Over Sasova, is it part memoir part retelling of history from your vantage point?

Dr. Shaffer: It is really a memoir and a travel journal. I am not trying to play the role of a historian. I am just letting the reader know what I experienced during that time in my life. For people interested in the history of these places at that time, I think it would be interesting. At the book’s end, I do reflect on the irony that I was in the former Eastern Bloc trying to spread American democratic values, and America seems to be a quart low on those same values today.

Cliff T.: How long did it take you to get this book together and how were you able to maintain accuracy after all this time as you wrote Moon Over Sasova?

Dr. Shaffer: That is an interesting question. I had a photo album that did a good job of documenting all of the places I had been. I also kept a sporadic journal while I was there that was very useful. I am still good friends with the person I shared an apartment with, Merrill, and we were able to recreate a lot of memories through telephone conversations. Finally, a good friend, Tom Nadar, who I regularly wrote while I was in Slovakia died a few years ago. Quite unexpectedly, when I was about halfway through writing Moon, his brother contacted me. It turned out that Tom had saved all of the letters and his brother wanted to know if I wanted them. Those letters helped me add a couple of stories that I had forgotten about, while also helping round out a few others.

Cliff T.: What kind of message Dr. Shaffer, do you want people who read Moon Over Sasova to get, what is the take away from this book?

Dr. Shaffer: The best way to learn about the world is to travel—at least once Covid ends or is under control. Getting out and meeting people and exploring the world will completely change your point of view and make you more open to other ideas. It can also make you realize that there are a lot more good people in the world than bad.

Cliff T.: So is it true that you drank everything put in front of you? Oh my there must have been some good and horrible libations LOL.

Dr. Shaffer: You may have heard the phrase “to drink like a European.” Europeans in the West have nothing on those in the East. There was a lot of beer and wine, but there were also local/regional types of boozes such as Becherovka, a liqueur made from 20 different herbs and was supposed to cure most if not all illness, and Slivovice, which was sort of like gin on steroids and tasted like shooting a pine tree, needles, bark and all. Whenever I would be out at a bar, people wanted to buy the American shots, and it was easy to get in trouble very quickly. There also weren’t any raised eyebrows about drinking at work. When I went to give the dictation for my students’ final exam, the school’s director first had me drink a shot of cognac and vodka. I’m sure the students were thrilled to have the “Slurring Southerner” read that dictation to them. I did make a point of reading it slowly and as many times as they wanted.

Cliff T: What was the big take away for you, besides seeing another country and culture. What was the a ha moment or thing you got by going to Slovaka?

Dr. Shaffer: Ultimately, I liked the culture, and much of the way the people there looked at life. I think that I am essentially stuck being American. It is the culture I was raised in. I like “stuff” and I tend to be work obsessed. However, I was fascinated with how little I needed to be incredibly happy. I had a spartan apartment, and our sub-zero balcony served as our refrigerator/freezer for the first three months I was there. Work was not the priority for the Slovaks. They worked and worked hard, but family and friends, experiencing life and nature, whether it was through hikes in the mountains, or making merry in bars and restaurants was more important to them. At the end of your life would you rather have experienced those things, or met deadlines for Corporate America. It’s an interesting question.

Cliff T.: It sounds like you had a lot of fun, learned a great deal about people and probably yourself and the world around you.

Dr. Shaffer: I did. It is an experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything. And, I liked it so much, I went back and did it again three years later.

Cliff T: Thank you so much for sharing the book and the back story to it. Where can people get the book and what forms does the book come in?

Dr. Shaffer: The easiest way to get a copy of Moon over Sasova is on Amazon. It is available in both print format as well as Kindle.

Cliff T.: Thanks again for doing a Candid Conversation Dr. Shaffer.

Dr. Shaffer: Thanks for having me. I like that I am now something of a regular on Candid Conversations. Now, I have to come up with something else interesting to do so that you can have me back!

Dr. Christopher Shaffer is the Dean of Library Services at Troy University. He is former history teacher and in the 90’s he went to Slovakia to teach. He wrote to us from Enterprise AL. Dr Shaffer was interviewed here on Candid Conversations in April 2016. The article: Excercise + Study = Healthy Mind Healthy Body: A Candid Conversation With Dr. Chris Shaffer, Troy University is still up for reading.

The book Moon over Sasova: One American’s Experience Teaching in Post-Cold War Slovakia was published on November 10, 2021 and can be found on Amazon.com.

Candid Comment - Disco Duck! - Do You Remember It

  

Back in 1976 I was 13, wow that is long ago hard to believe I am one year from 60!  Anyway during that year a disc jockey named Rick Dees released a song called Disco Duck.  It was quite the song and can still be on the air today.  It did reach number one here in Canada and in the U.S.  The rest of the planet highest 3.  The song's last known rank 175 on the hot 100 by Billboard.  

Disco appeared to have gone the way of the dinosaur in the 80's but, it is still around.  In fact you can hear disco played on radio.  Disco Duck was essentially a parody of disco and was inspired by a song in the 60's called The Duck and yes apparently there was a dance associated with that song.  

Disco actually got it's start back in the 60's boomed in the 70's and kind of took a back seat to other forms of music in the 80's but has come back into the mix since the 90's.  There are radio stations that a formatted to play disco and you can find it on platforms like Digitally Imported.  

I actually enjoy listening to disco and other dance music.  There are a wide variety of genres to dive into.  My ultimate go to in dance is Drum N Bass.  House,  progressive, Ambient and a few others are all in my music podcast list and yes I do listen to DI.FM.  

I grew up with top 40 and dance my brother was into rock, still is and I got a good dose of that genre but, ummm while I like some rock it's really not my thing.  Sure I know the bands Led Zepplin, ZZ Top, AC/DC and Supertramp they are great bands and the music stands the test of time.  However for me dance and top 40, mostly dance today are my choices.  Though I do not mind diving into my classics playlist on Spotify, most of that list is 80s.  

What I am saying here is while Rock has firmly etched it's place in history and is current and relevant so to is dance and disco.  Disco Duck was a silly song that really does not represent the genre, it was funny but the body of work that disco encompasses goes beyond a song with a quacking duck and a goofy DJ.  Songs like the Hustle, Le Freak, Knock on Wood and others are classics that also stand the test of time.  So I say turn on the beat and dance!  Disco still lives.     

The main sources for this article: Wikipedia and Billboard.