Publish and Republish; 21 Dog Years

I find it really interesting that as the admin on a blog you have the opportunity to change everything about the blog as you see fit, including your past comments. It makes everything "fair game" for change, which is the only constant thing in the universe anyway. Usually, when statements are published, they become "fixed" in the medium, but with a blog post, you can revise everything and repost it as if your first words never existed. Talk about being master of your own domain!

P.S. Is there any difference between the fonts Georgia and Lucida Grande on Blogger? Just curious...

In the meantime, I've been thinking about 21 Dog Years: Doing Time @ Amazon.com and the idea of authority. What right does Mike Daisey have to talk about Amazon? I guess a dummy's answer is that he was the one smart enough to write the book and get it published. You don't hear about anyone else's experiences at Amazon, but maybe they were too busy working to write books. Of course, we know now who he is, but they remain nameless. But really, I think it is really interesting and a little sad that working 3 years was more than enough time to have his obsessions, steal enough office supplies, and maybe do a little work so that he would have enough "material" and credibility for a book. So far, 21 Dog Years appears to be a commentary on the lack of job security coupled with the gen-x-y-z tendency not to stay at a job longer than needed (hence the reasoning behind stretching 3 years to 21. Word on the street is that Amazon is an environment that causes 3 years to feel like 21). Add to that the quick changing world of IT, and you get a book written by a self-proclaimed professional slacker who gathered enough energy to write about his own job. I still find it ironic that Amazon sells it. Very clever.

I haven't read the book yet, but after the presentation, I'm really looking forward to the read. I would like to recommend Iain Levison's A Working Stiff's Manifesto which is simultaneously really funny and a sad commentary on work. It was also a comfort to me last year while I worked at my sweatshop of a job. I would also like to point out the irony that he was an English major (cripes!) who works at jobs that don't really involve English, only for him to sit down and write his autobiography! Maybe his degree helped him make money after all. I've wondered if his book would be as interesting if he didn't have a degree and in english, of all respectable majors. Would we even be hearing his story? If Maisey hadn't worked for Amazon, would his book be noteworthy?