The Law of Unintended Consequences - Exhibit A: ObamaCare & Part-Time Jobs

Hello everyone - 

One thing that has always fascinated me has been the Law of Unintended Consequences - as when a government initiates a given policy intending to do good things but unexpectedly finds a negative outcome from the same act. 

Regardless how you feel about Obamacare, it may just be unintentionally driving a very bad thing in the economy - and unfortunately, this seems to be under-reported (I follow the news closely and I was stunned to see the numbers that follow). 

Here's the issue with Obamacare - employers are only forced to offer health insurance to their FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES defined as those who work more than 30 hours/week. So, if you're an employer that doesn't want to offer health care to your employees - (and pay a fine because of it) - you simply can cut their hours to less than 30/week to avoid footing the bill for their health insurance. 

The Obamacare rules don't take effect yet (they were delayed by one year to start in 2015) - but here's some data that should be very concerning….

1. The # of hourly employees working 30-34 hours/week DROPPED by 146,500/month over the past year
2. The # of hourly employees working 25-29 hours/week INCREASED by 119,000/month over the past year... and the kicker….
3. Of ALL NEW JOBS CREATED in the US in the Jan-July 2013 time frame (955,000), an incredible 77% (731,000) were part-time and only 23% (222,000) full-time.
4. To compare to 2012, when there were 1.4 M jobs created, 53% were part-time and 47% full-time - so the trend to offer mostly part-time jobs really started back in '12 and has really picked up steam!

SO - you'll hear the 'good news" reported in the news media, that unemployment rate is down to 7.4% and the economy is improving - but is it really? The reality is so different …..

Here's the bottom line….

The US full-time job growth situation is in FREE-FALL.

The part-time job growth is in great shape! 

Is the US becoming a nation of part-time employees? 

We'll have more blogs on the impact of Obamacare in future issues….

Enjoy your day all,

Kevin

The "Blurred Lines" of Copyright Law These Days

Hello everyone,

Hope you're enjoying the new home and enhanced format of these blogs - you can now join in the conversation!  (anonymously if you prefer).

A few weeks ago, I commented on what I termed the "song of the summer 2013" which virtually everyone in the music biz has anointed Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" - fast forward to today (8/21/13) and the song is STILL doing strong at #1 - for an amazing 10th week in a row. 

What's worth noting now is some interesting and newfangled legal action being taken that is related to the song.  

Some say the song sounds very similar to Marvin Gaye's 1977 hit "Got to Give It Up" - I commented exactly that a few weeks back in the blog as a matter of fact - and truth be told, 10 seconds into "Blurred Lines" ….I said to myself - Is this the Marvin Gaye song? 

Robin Thicke has publicly commented that his song is "inspired" by the Marvin Gaye song - this might have been a mistake. 

The family of Marvin Gaye is said to be gearing up to sue Robin Thicke for stealing the "genre, feel, and style" of "Got" - but apparently a lawsuit hasn't been filed yet.  

Okay fine - now for the twist.  The twist in this case is that Robin Thicke - who might very well have stolen Marvin Gaye's song - is now PROACTIVELY suing Marvin Gaye to protect himself from a counter-lawsuit from Gaye's family!!!  The claim by Robin Thicke is that "you can't patent a style" - so my song is fair game".  I don't think we've ever seen anything like this before! 

Such is the bizarre world of patent laws these days - "blurred lines" indeed. 

And if you're interested in listening to both songs yourself - and judge whether or not you think Robin Thicke stole Marvin Gaye's song - here you go - see the links below.   

Listen to Blurred Lines

Listen to Got to Give It Up

Til next time,

Kevin

Kevin's Blog Has a New Home

Kevin's Blog Has a New Home!

You can now read, share, and comment on Kevin's Blogs at http://KevInsights.blogspot.com

Moving forward, Kevin's Blog will only be available on this site (instead of Kevin emailing it out), so if you'd like to continue receiving Kevin's Blog, make sure you subscribe on the site - you'll be notified via email whenever there's a new post!

How Do I Subscribe to Kevin's Blog?

On the upper right-hand side of the blog page, you should see "Subscribe to Kevin's Blog" - just type in your email address (personal or work - whichever you prefer!) and click Submit!

How Do I Comment on a Blog Post?

Within the blog post (make sure you click on the title of that blog), scroll to the bottom of the page, and type your thoughts in the "Post a Comment" box.

You'll have to select an option in the "Comment as" dropdown before you click "Publish"

• If you're already logged in to your Google account, the "Comment as" will default to your Google account profile name.  
• Don't have a Google account?  No problem!  Just click that dropdown and select "Anonymous" - you can always include your name in the comment box if you don't feel the need for anonymity.

Then click "Publish"

Can I Be Notified When Someone Else Comments on a Particular Blog Post?

Yes!  Below the comment box, you'll see a link for "Subscribe by email" - click that!  This will allow you to receive others' comments via email whenever they comment on that particular blog post.  (Note that this will not subscribe you to the entire blog.)

We're excited to officially have Kevin's Blog on this site, encouraging more interaction and engagement among all Blog recipients!  We look forward to hearing from you!

The Entertainment Blog - With Special Guest Blogger Andrew Degand - One Hit Wonders of the 90s

Hello everyone, 

Happy Friday and Hello Weekend!

I'm pleased to announce that for the 2nd Friday in a row, we have a special guest blogger on the Entertainment Blog!

This week, our former summer intern Andrew Degand, comments on his favorite 10 one-hit wonders of the 90s. 

I must say that it's a great list - I actually (surprisingly!) knew all of these songs - and can't believe that it's been about 20 years (give or take a few) since these tunes first came out. 

Take it away, Andrew………

---------------------------------------

I figured it was time to give Kevin a bit of a break from his infamous blogs and hopefully takeover this week. For those of you who don’t know me, I am Andrew. I am 20 years old and will be a junior at Boston College. (Go Eagles!) Although I’m not currently a Vanguard Pharma employee, I did have the privilege of interning here for two great summers. Anyway, as much as I loved working for Vanguard, I love music that much more. So, when I saw Kevin was writing entertainment and music-oriented blogs, I couldn’t resist but write one of my own. Let’s begin; shall we?

Because I am a child of the 90’s, (born in ’93) I figured I would focus on the songs from that decade that had a lot of success… Unfortunately, the artists of these songs never amounted to much after these hits. That’s right, this week I will be counting down my top 10 favorite One Hit Wonders of the 90’s.

10) Steal My Sunshine – Len (1999)
Peaking at number 9, ‘Steal My Sunshine’ was inspired by The Human League’s ‘Don’t You Want Me’ and sampled Andrea True Connection’s ‘More, More, More.’ I selected this song because whenever I hear it, I cannot help but sing along. Plus, it’s the perfect song to blast on a nice, summer day while you’re driving.

9) Walking in Memphis – Marc Cohn (1991)
Peaking at number 13, this song isn’t all that special. However, I do love it and it is the only reason Cohn won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1992. It may seem like the song is all about Elvis, but in reality, it is so minimally about him that Cohn has said that he regrets even mentioning him.

8) Mambo No. 5 – Lou Bega (1999)
I really don’t know much about this song in terms of charts. But, I do know that this is an incredibly fun song. Plus, it mentions the names Rita and Jessica, which of course are very special names to Kevin.

7) Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Deep Blue Something (1996)
Peaking at number 5, ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ is the catchiest, twisted love song I’ve ever heard. Sung from the point of view of a man who is on the verge of breaking up with his girlfriend on the basis that they have nothing in common, the couple discovers that they both love the classic Audrey Hepburn flick, which he believes should be enough motivation for them to make things work.

6) Show Me Love – Robin S (1992)
Peaking at number 5, ‘Show Me Love’ has been an inspiration to many massive electronic hits and continues to be sampled and remixed by some of the biggest DJs in the world to this day. Today, electronic music reigns throughout the pop charts.

5) Jump Around – House of Pain (1992)
Although it wasn’t much of a success when it was originally released in the UK, ‘Jump Around’ peaked at number 3 in the U.S. and is currently regarded as one of the greatest songs of hip hop. To be honest, I chose this song because I cannot help but remember the scene from Mrs. Doubtfire where Robin Williams is celebrating his son’s birthday and things get a little out of hand.

4) You Get What You Give – New Radicals (1998)
Although this song didn’t have much success on the charts, it has been regarded as one of the greatest songs ever written. U2 went as far as claiming it was the song the band was most jealous of. (Please, ignore the fact that I ended my sentence in a preposition…) Of course, no great song is complete without a bit of controversy. This song received its fair share, specifically for its closing lines “health insurance, rip-off lying…”

3) Closing Time – Semisonic (1998)
Peaking at number 11, ‘Closing Time’ is one of my all-time favorite songs. It has been featured countless times in movies and television. On the surface, it seems like the band is singing about something superficial. In reality, the band is singing about the anticipation of fatherhood.

2) Tubthumping – Chumbawamba (1997)
Although it only peaked at number 6 in the U.S., I made it number 2 on my list of top 10 One Hit Wonders of the 90’s because I guarantee that everyone knows the words to it.

1) Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice (1990)
Peaking at number 1, it was the first hip hop song to reach the top of the billboards. Although I really can’t stand this song, I do realize that many people consider it a 90’s staple. I guess it’s cool that it has been credited for diversifying hip hop music by introducing it to mainstream audiences…

-Andrew 

-----------------------------

Have a great weekend all.

Watch for an exciting announcement regarding Kevin's blog come Monday!

Til then,

Kevin  

What's Going On WIth Oprah? OR "Don't Let The Little Annoyances of Life Get You Down"

Hello all, 

I'll begin by stating that I am a person who stands neutral on Oprah - I admire her business acumen, applaud her humanitarian efforts and her attempts to bring real meaning to people's lives - I'm less crazy about the materialism that follows her and is seemingly incongruent with the "self-improvement, living your best life theme" 

By now you've all probably read about "purse-gate", the incident in Switzerland where Oprah claims she was dissed by not being shown a vey expensive purse because the clerk said that "she couldn't afford that" (presumably based on her casual appearance that day and Oprah implies, based on her race too). 

Today there's been a different twist  - the sales clerk and the shop owner have come forward to say Oprah's version of events is completely false - and the whole incident was just a simple misunderstanding - likely based on a language barrier.  They actually are fighting back hard,  and Oprah seems to now be back-pedalling saying that she is "sorry that this have blown up to this level". 

Over the course of the year, there must be thousands of little incidents that we endure in which we ALL get dissed - just this morning, a guy cut in front of me at my local coffee shop in an obvious way, then proceeds to order for about 6 people!! - me?  I just wanted ONE coffee, a 20 second transaction and I'm outta there - instead, of course, I then needed to wait for 5 minutes behind this clod. 

The best way to handle?  Let it slide, forget about it, move on, don't let it bug you. 

I'm not going to report this donut shop incident to anyone, talk about it again (except here!) - my thinking is the better plan is to move on and get back to enjoying your life!

Back to Oprah, she knows anything she says will cause a "media stir"…. so why say anything? 

…..then again, the skeptical side of me says - someone's got a new movie coming out ("The Butler")….and gosh darn it, those celebs just love extra publicity, don't they??

Thanks for reading, and thanks for keeping Vanguard on the move

And, don't let the little "disses" in life that we all endure, get you down! 

Til tomorrow,

Kevin 

Trains, Planes, Automobiles, Boats, and HYPERLOOPS?

Hello all,

Have you heard the hype behind the HYPERLOOP? 

What is the hyper loop, you ask? 

I think of the hyperloop as like a 5th mode of transportation - (see the other 4 in the subject line)….and Elon Musk (the brains behind PayPal and Tesla cars) recently released his ideas about the best way to travel for distances under 900 miles - this came about because he is highly critical of the plans in California to build a high speak rail link between San Francisco and Los Angeles - saying that it would cost $60 billion and have no riders - he says that he has come up with something better - and its called the hyperloop. 

This thing is like a blend of the Concorde, a rail gun, and air hockey - google it if you're interested in how its supposed to work - that's over my head! 

Mr Musk says for a mere $6 billion, we can build the tubes along existing highways - keep infrastructure costs low, and the hyper loop will be able to whisk people 400 miles in 30 minutes!

This is the approx. distance between San Fran and LA - sadly, while noticing this story yesterday morning on CNN's New Day - no one on the panel featuring Chris Cuomo seemed to know how fast the train would travel after the 400 miles in 30 minutes statement was made (yikes!  simple math - 400 miles covered in half hour is 800 mph).

There are serious skeptics - but there always are!

Imagine a high speed accident in one of these pods - people would be like "bugs on the windshields"!!

Time will tell if this future becomes a reality - here are a few artists' sketches of what it will look like!

Have a great day - and until we have the Hyperloop, enjoy your plane, train, and automobile!!

Til tomorrow,

Kevin 

The Song of the Summer of 2013

Hello everyone 

….and a special "welcome back" to our employees who enjoyed a long summer weekend in Canada!!  ….yes, most parts of Canada celebrate a long weekend on the first Monday of August - a great idea that the US should consider one day!

Every summer it seems one pop song rises above to become the "song of the summer" - in 1983 - I happen to remember how "Every Breath You Take" by The Police was so dominant for example - and last year, for better or worse, you couldn't get away from "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen.   This year the anointed song of the summer of 2013 seems to be unquestionably…… drumroll please…..."Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke. 

Blurred Lines has been the #1 song on Billboard's Hot 100 for the past 6 weeks (tying with "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore as the longest running  #1 song of the year so far) ...and it's the first big hit by Robin Thicke.

(For those who remember the 1980s TV sitcom "Growing Pains:" with Alan Thicke playing the father - this is his son). 

Much has been written about this song and its racy video, degrading lyrics etc….Robin says it was all in fun and not meant to taken seriously.  (Though this sounds a little disingenuous - do something in the arts that creates a lot of controversy - then say it was all a joke)

The song itself is a very catchy piece of pop/dance fluff  - to me it sounds like a blend of "Funkytown" by Lipps Inc (1980), and "Got to Give It Up" by Marvin Gaye (1977), with a few Michael Jackson "woooos" thrown in by rappers T.I. and Pharrell - and despite its likability as a song - to me it also sounds like its missing something - but I'm not sure what….there's an element in play that makes it sound like a long commercial jingle and not so much a pop song. 

Have a great week all!

Kevin