Minimum Wage Increase Is Widely Criticised

Minimum Wage Increase Becoming A Political Minefield For Obama

The minimal pay rise is good news for Wal-Mart employees.  The extra three dollars could mean another hot dog on the weekend. Bad news for the Republicans who are in uproar about this audacious move on Obama’s part.

Republicans may not be able to scupper Barack Obama’s minimum wage increase to $10.10 a hour, but they’re not happy about it.

House speaker John Boehner said he will take legal action if Obama cuts into their territory. (As Boehner sees it).

“House Republicans will keep on looking to see if the president is loyally executing the oaths he took a vow to do,” he told correspondents on Capitol Hill.

““I think [in the case of] the federal contracts and the minimum wage he probably has the authority to do that, but we are going to watch very closely because there is a constitution that we all take an oath to, including him, and following that constitution is the basis of our republic.”

Pushed on what steps he may take, Boehner simply said, “there are choices accessible to us.”

Obama started 2013 with promises on firearm control, migration and environmental change.  These issues remain untouched, but then President Obama was hampered by events. Edward Snowden’s leaks created havoc, and added fuel to the flames created by the ongoing debate about ‘Obamacare’.

Nevertheless, this has been the worst year for Obama since coming to office.

Could this be the reason for the minimum wage increase?

Well, the president’s annus horribilis was due to public resistance to Obamacare, the highlighting of which Republicans have made their mission. Also, Democrats have more to lose throughout the midterms than Republicans, and could see share of the Senate drastically reduced.

Hence, Obama will use his powers to gain popularity.

Cynics might say, ‘two or three extra dollars is peanuts no matter which end you go; God bless you sir.’

But with this minimum wage increase,  is Obama really trying to do something for the little guy?

Well, yes and no.

The wage increase will hurt small business people, and job layoffs are inevitable. This is balanced by the relief for hundreds of thousands of American families living on the breadline.  The extra money may increase spending, (and lead to jobs) but eventually this will level out with the rise in inflation.

Nevertheless, the wage increase addresses financial pain in the lower strata of society.  Therefore, the cloudy lens of US politics is now squarely focused on the uncomfortable issue of inequality in America.

Rosa DeLauro who gave a speech about inequality got the ball rolling with her urgent warnings about the “crisis of inequality”. She stood and spoke to the house about the “existential threat to our nation,” posed by the “crisis” of national inequality, (that’s the 1% versus 90% of haves and have-nots).

Perhaps what DeLauro means is “listen guys, hadn’t we better spread it around, a bit? Better have a minimum wage increase, keep ’em quiet or they’ll come for us and our money too.”

Ergo, a few extra peanuts to the workers.

God Bless America!

 

What Time Of Day Are You Most Creative?

Our circadian rhythm dictates the time of day we’re most likely to be most creative.

Unfortunately, many creatives find that their best ideas come to them in the evenings or late at night, and that trying to force creativity during the work day is more likely to produce stress than a valuable design or article idea.

We all know that stress and frustration are creativity-killers, and that’s why it’s important to stop forcing creativity when it’s not happening. For many people, peak cognitive time and peak creative time don’t coincide — but that doesn’t have to be a problem. Here’s how to work out your most creative time of day, and how to put it to good use:

Get enough sleep

If your sleep schedule is out of whack, it’s easy to assume you’re a night owl, and that you work best after midnight. For some people, this may be the case, but others will find that getting to bed earlier on a regular basis will actually bring that creative peak forward a few hours, so you’re at your best late evening instead of late at night. You can then go to bed earlier, and will find that the first half of the work day doesn’t seem to drag quite so much.

Listen to your body

If coming up with new ideas is near impossible in the afternoon, then don’t worry about it. Focus on what you can do — you’ll save time, because you won’t be searching hopelessly for an idea that isn’t there. As long as you’re aware of when you think best creatively, and set this time aside, you’ll be fine.

Don’t think during creative time

Say you’re most creative in the early evening. Rather than sitting down at your desk and repeating ‘I need an idea’ over and over in your head until you panic, stop, and engage in another activity that allows your brain to relax. Household chores, like folding washing or rearranging a bookshelf, are great for this. If you’ve ever had a good idea in the shower, you’ll understand the importance of working on autopilot — you’re not really thinking of anything, but your brain is working to solve creative problems without you even realising it.

Break up your day

Your brain needs time to switch gears, so don’t expect to finish one project and go straight onto the next. Likewise, emailing clients all morning and then sitting down to think up an idea is not going to do you much good. Have a nap, or go for a walk — and if you can’t do either, just put on some relaxing music and sit in the dark with your eyes closed for five minutes. Don’t think about what you have to do next, just let your mind relax and refresh itself before you go onto your next task.

Make use of useless days

Didn’t sleep well last night? Under the weather? Had one drink at lunchtime, and now feeling ready to crash? Instead of writing the day off, give yourself permission to skip all cognitive tasks and just let yourself be creative. Being sleepy, groggy, or even a little drunk can actually help you make connections that you wouldn’t normally make, and although you might not be up to writing a brochure or designing a website, you’re probably still capable of coming up with ideas you can use later. And if not? Just rest. Relaxing is good for creativity, too.

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• License: Creative Commons image source

By Sam Wright

Sam Wright works for Brand Republic. As a freelance writer, he understands the importance of making good use of your creative time.