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My husband and I are expecting our first child this June. I’m in the home stretch – only 3-4 weeks to go! Once we started telling family and friends the news, invariably the first question after the congratulatory wishes was “Are you finding out the gender?” When I got to the point where strangers could recognize that I was pregnant, it was always the same question, “Do you know what you’re having?”

The answer to these inquiries is no, we’re waiting for the surprise. Most people respond by saying, “That’s great” or “That’s cool” or “Good for you for waiting!” I’m not sure if that’s really what they’re thinking, but it’s what they say. Except for my mother, of course, who tells me straight up that she would have preferred for us to find out the sex so that she (and others) could buy gender-appropriate clothing and accessories for the baby shower.

It doesn’t bother me when people ask the gender question. I generally do it myself when I find out someone is pregnant. If it was just up to me, I may have actually found out the baby’s sex, but my husband is more of a traditionalist and was all about the surprise. Now that I’ve made it this far along without knowing, I’m happy we waited. It gives me something to look forward to after the hard work of labor and delivery.

Many people have commented that waiting until a baby is born to find out the gender is the “last great surprise!” or like “being a kid on Christmas morning.” But perhaps it’s even more than that. We live in a world where information is king. Anything we could possibly want to know is seemingly at our fingertips, just a Google or Wikipedia away. When email became too slow for communicating with friends and family, we moved to instant messages, then Facebook and now Twitters. Even if we don’t use these so-called new media, it’s almost impossible to escape the information blitz of multiple cable news channels or talk radio. It’s hard to keep anything a surprise in this age of information and instant gratification.

Baby “R,” however, will be a surprise to us and the many friends and family who are anxiously awaiting his/her arrival. Sure, it’s only a 50/50 shot one way or the other, but it’s still pretty exciting. We’ll send out the emails and IMs once the baby is born, and maybe even start a family Blog. But until then, we’ll enjoy these last few weeks of not knowing … a precious commodity in today’s world.

I admit it – I’m a fan of American Idol. The popular talent competition is now in its 8th season on Fox, and I’ve watched almost every year (I missed 2004 when Fantasia won … perhaps not a coincidence that I started my PhD program that year). I actually don’t start watching the show until they select the Final 12 performers, because I believe that’s when it gets most interesting. Each week the contestants perform, the audience votes via phone or texting, and the person with the lowest number of votes has to leave. Although the judges critique each performance, it’s the viewing audience that holds the power to keep their favorite contestants in the running.

Whether or not you’re a fan of the show, you have to give American Idol credit for continuing to be one of the highest rated shows on television. Some people attribute this to the fact that the show is a true “family program,” and in essence people of all ages and across all demographic groups can watch it. But I believe its popularity has a lot to do with the interactivity of the show. The audience has power over the outcome – “America votes!” Whether America agrees with Simon Cowell’s sneers or Paula Abdul’s cheers is somewhat irrelevant. Sure, this year they implemented the “Judge’s save,” but ultimately it’s the audience who selects the next American Idol. Of course, not everyone who watches the show bothers to vote (I draw the line there myself). But millions of audience members do vote, and that’s pretty amazing. The audience is not merely spectators, but jurors as well.

On a somewhat related note, I often feel like an American Idol judge when I help students rehearse their class presentations. It’s our job as fellows to critique their “dress rehearsal” and provide feedback on how to improve their skills before the final presentation in class. Just like the American Idol judges, however, we don’t grade the students (i.e., vote them off) … the professor does that. So should I tell it to them straight like Simon Cowell? I know I should, but it’s important to be encouraging as well, so I also emphasize the positive things I see (a la Paula Abdul). Has anyone else had these thoughts while conducting rehearsals, or do I just watch too much TV?

I often discuss the importance of non-verbal communication with my students. Body language and simple gestures convey information to your audience, whether intended or not. Such non-verbal communication may lead to misunderstandings, particularly in cross-cultural settings. That’s why most organizations (or at least the smart ones) invest a lot of dollars in training managers and executives on the nuances of particular cultures before attempting to do business abroad. For example, there is a whole protocol to follow when exchanging business cards in Japan, and you better know the drill ahead of time.

Every now and again, however, protocols are broken. But fortunately breaking the rules doesn’t always result in an international gaffe. When First Lady Michelle Obama met Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace on Wed, she placed her arm around the Queen. Now, we Americans may not think of this as a big deal – aren’t people always reaching out to shake hands and hug our politicians and their spouses? This is particularly true on the campaign trail. But our politicians are mere elected officials, not monarchy. In England, one apparently does not reach out and touch the Queen. According to AP writer Jennifer Quinn, “When the former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating put his arm around the queen in 1992, the tabloids dubbed him the ‘Lizard of Oz.’ When his successor, John Howard, was accused of doing the same, a spokesman insisted: ‘We firmly deny that there was any contact whatsoever.’”

Fortunately for the Obamas, the Queen appeared to be quite taken by Michelle, who stands about a foot taller. Perhaps even more shocking, according to British press, was that the Queen wrapped her arm around the First Lady as well, in a “rare public show of affection.” According to Rebecca English of the Daily Mail online, “In 57 years, the Queen has never been seen to make that kind of gesture and it is certainly against all protocol to touch her.” I guess she liked her.

Bravo to the Queen for breaking with tradition!

As a business PhD student, I come from a PC world. Even in an academic setting, it is somewhat unusual to see a Mac computer in the offices of Management, Finance, Accounting, Information Systems, or even Marketing professors. Working here at the BLSCI, however, has re-introduced me to Macs. I say re-introduce, because Apple’s “Macintosh Classic” was my computer of choice during my undergraduate college career in the early 1990s. Although I didn’t personally own one, I was lucky enough to have a roommate whose parents bought her the cute little gray box, which was somewhat portable (you could transport it to a downstairs study room if you had to pull an all-nighter writing a paper!) Sure, I still had to go to the computer lab and use a PC for the projects in my accounting and finance classes, but I so enjoyed that little box for writing papers.

Macintosh Classic Computer (c. early 1990s)

Last fall, my PC laptop crashed (again!) and this time for good. After many blue screens and calls to a help desk in another time zone, I asked my husband if he could take the machine into his office and see if the tech folks would be kind enough to take a look at it. Although I had safely backed up the majority of my truly important files before the crash (re: dissertation), there were a few key personal items that had not been backed-up (photos, music, and our Christmas card address label list). Getting an external hard drive had been on my to-do list for months, but I had never gotten around to it. Fortunately, a tech whiz at my husband’s office was able to revive my machine one last time and retrieve the files.

Now we’re in the market for another home computer or laptop, and I must admit I have become enamored with the user-friendliness, sleek design and just plain coolness associated with Macs. My husband, who still uses a PC at work, is not entirely convinced. But he was willing to go to the Apple Store with me and have a “personal shopping” session with a hip Mac Expert who showed us all the benefits of a Mac. We are certainly creatures of habit, and the most difficult issue to overcome is not having the right click button on a Mac. Those Apple folks have a solution for everything, though, and the new Macbook Pros have this cool “Multi-Touch track pad” which “offers even more Multi-Touch gestures and functionality” … okay you really need to experience it for yourself. In addition, the ability to go to an Apple store and talk with a real, live person if you have trouble with your machine is certainly appealing.

We haven’t made our decision yet, so any comments or suggestions are welcomed. And if we do go with a Mac, should we get a desktop or laptop? Decisions, decisions!

President Obama caused a bit of a stir when he persuaded his security staff to let him continue using his BlackBerry device after he took office. Even though he’ll only be able to connect with a select group of staff and friends, the 44^th President is now the first sitting President to use a wireless email device. This does not seem like a big deal to me. I would have been more surprised (and perhaps alarmed?) if they did not welcome this technology into the Oval Office. One of the main concerns had been security and legal issues, but surely we now have the expertise to work around those. I think in 20 years, or even less, we will look back and think, “How did other Presidents communicate without BlackBerries or smart phones?”

With this thought in mind, and in honor of Presidents’ Day, I decided to do some research to find out when other “high-tech” communication devices were first introduced to the White House. I found these snippets on www.whitehousehistory.org, which credits the book The President’s House, by William Seale:

• 1860s: A new “spring-bell system” was installed that enabled President Lincoln to signal the reception room and his secretaries without leaving his desk.
• 1866: Andrew Johnson installed the first telegraph room.
• 1879: The first White House telephone was installed for Rutherford B. Hayes. His telephone number was “1,” but it was used rarely as there were so few telephones in Washington.
• 1880: The first typewriter arrives at the White House. From that time on, presidential letters were type-written, as opposed to hand written in fancy penmanship by a clerk.
• 1915: Woodrow Wilson placed a ceremonial phone call from the Oval Office to inaugurate the first transcontinental telephone line, from New York to San Francisco.
• 1922: Warren G. Harding had the first radio set installed in his study on the second floor.
• 1929: Herbert Hoover installed 13 radios when he took office and also ordered an expansion of the telephone system.
• 1930s: Broadcasting equipment was moved into the Diplomatic Reception Room, the setting for President Roosevelt’s fireside chats.
• 1955: Eisenhower held the first presidential press conference covered by both television and motion picture newsreels.
• 1969: President Nixon spoke from the White House by radiotelephone with Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin as they walked on the surface of the moon.
• 1977-1981: The Carter administration began automating the White House with computers. By the end of Carter’s term, the White House had purchased its first laser printer, a water-cooled IBM model that measured 8′ x 10′ x 3′ (yes, that’s feet!)
• 1980s: President Reagan’s staff expanded the uses of computer office technology and adopted the word processor and personal computers.
• 1992: E-mail is introduced to the White House and President George Bush becomes the first president to use the new technology.
• 1994: The White House’s first web site makes its debut during the Clinton administration.
• 2009: President Obama becomes first sitting President to use a wireless email device.
• 2010 and beyond: ????

A lot of people are talking about how President Elect Obama and his team ran a virtually flawless campaign from start to finish. I’d like to briefly reflect on one aspect of the campaign – music. Music has always been a powerful form of communication. The right song can define a movement, a generation, and even a campaign. Howard Wolfson (Communications Director for Hillary Clinton’s campaign) noted in a NY Times Opinion piece published on Monday November 3:

“Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Don’t Stop’ set the modern standard for campaign songs when Bill Clinton adopted it as his own in 1992. Its admonition, ‘Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow,’ dovetailed perfectly with the premise of Mr. Clinton’s run. Sixteen years later, Hillary Clinton’s campaign spent a considerable amount of time deciding on its song.”

Hillary’s team eventually selected Celine Dion’s “You and I,” which Wolfson admitted he “jokingly predicted would signal the end of the campaign.” Well … the Obama team obviously fared better, and they used a variety of songs.

First there was Ben Harper’s “Better Way,” a song with a positive message of change that likely appealed to younger voters. The campaign also used Stevie Wonder’s fun and upbeat Motown hit “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours,” which is more well-known and likely appealed to voters of all ages. This was played before Obama took the stage late on Tuesday night, but it’s the song they played immediately after he gave his speech that I found most intriguing – Bruce Springsteen’s, “The Rising.” “The Rising” was originally released in July 2002, the title track on Springsteen’s album that he wrote in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The lyrics of the song allude to the struggles of the firefighters who responded on that morning, climbing higher and higher into the Towers in attempt to rescue people. 343 of these men never returned home.

Can’t see nothin in front of me
Can’t see nothin coming up behind
I make my way through this darkness
I can’t feel nothing but this chain that binds me
Lost track of how far I’ve gone
How far I’ve gone, how high I’ve climbed
On my backs a sixty pound stone
On my shoulder a half mile of line
Left the house this morning
Bells ringing filled the air
Wearin’ the cross of my calling
On wheels of fire I come rollin’ down here

Luke commented in his last post about how “somber” Obama looked when he took the stage, and I agree. He struck a tone that was less celebratory and more reflective of the struggles this country has to face in the years ahead. That’s why “The Rising” proved to be the perfect song to play after his speech to communicate this message. With one choice of song, he offered a subtle and respectful homage to the victims of 9/11, showed that he recognizes we’re in a dark period right now (Can’t see nothin in front of me, Can’t see nothin coming up behind), but if we stick together there is hope for redemption:

Come on up for the rising
Come on up, lay your hands in mine
Come on up for the rising
Come on up for the rising tonight

The annual Alfred E. Smith dinner took place on Thursday night at the Waldorf in NYC. This is a big fund raising dinner for Catholic Charities, named after 4-term NY Governor Al Smith (and one-time presidential nominee). It’s a tradition for presidential candidates to attend the event and roast each other, and Senators McCain and Obama did not disappoint. This made for some great sound bites for the media. If you didn’t get a chance to hear each candidate’s entire speech, take some time to view them.

While I don’t advise voting on the basis of these clips, I must admit I enjoyed watching them a lot more than the last debate. It’s a great example of how humor can really bring people together and be a very effective communication tool (if you have good writers!)

Obama Roasts McCain

McCain Roasts Obama

If you’re reading this blog, you are presumably connected to a computer of some sort – desktop, laptop, BlackBerry Pearl, iPhone 3G (I’m jealous!) But where are you – work, home, in class, in the park, on a train, on the bus, at a restaurant? In today’s world, portable wireless technologies allow us to communicate and connect with each other at any time of day, from virtually anywhere. This sounds wonderful, but is there a potential downside? One of the topics I’m researching is how mobile technologies (e.g., wireless email devices and laptops) are changing the way employees connect and communicate with the workplace, and as a result the distinction between work and non-work time is rapidly becoming blurred. We now have the ability to receive and respond to emails at all times of the day, but do we really want to get an email from our boss at 10pm?

As part of my dissertation, I asked employed workers how often they used laptops and wireless email devices to communicate with work-related colleagues during non-work time. In other words, above and beyond “normal” working hours. I found that, on average, respondents logged on for about 30 minutes before work, 1 – 1.5 hours after work, and 1.5 – 2 hours on their days off. Maybe that doesn’t sound so bad at first … but if you consider a standard five-day workweek, this translates into an additional 10 – 14 hours of additional labor that is being conducted outside of the office. It adds up quickly! Evidence that the 40-hour workweek is a thing of the past.