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"Validation" is a fable about the magic of free parking. Starring TJ Thyne & Vicki Davis. Writer/Director/Composer - Kurt Kuenne. Winner - Best Narrative Short, Cleveland Int'l Film Festival, Winner - Jury Award, Gen Art Chicago Film Festival, Winner - Audience Award, Hawaii Int'l Film Festival, Winner - Best Short Comedy, Breckenridge Festival of Film, Winner - Crystal Heart Award, Best Short Film & Audience Award, Heartland Film Festival, Winner - Christopher & Dana Reeve Audience Award, Williamstown Film Festival, Winner - Best Comedy, Dam Short Film Festival, Winner - Best Short Film, Sedona Int'l Film Festival.

I am so inspired by this project, and I hope you will be too. If you'd like to help the Lemonade project, you can contribute here. Your donation will go to legal fees, distribution costs, and screening expenses. Again, nothing is expected. But every bit matters. Thank you. About Lemonade, the Movie: More than 130,000 advertising professionals have lost their jobs in this Great Recession. Lemonade is about what happens when people who were once paid to be creative in advertising are forced to be creative with their own lives. DETROIT UPDATE: 11/13/09 News from Eric Proulx: In case you're in the advertising industry and haven't heard yet, BBDO in Detroit is closing its doors after losing the Chrysler account, laying off nearly 500 people. It's the latest in a long string of bad news for the Detroit ad community. As Todd Gilleland of Cola Creative describes it, no one in Detroit leaves their homes anymore. No one socializes or attends Red Wings or Pistons games. It's an entire population trying to figure out how to survive. Eric is working closely with Todd to bring an event and screening of Lemonade to Detroit. Tentatively planned for December 17, we want people to come out of seclusion, even if for a night, to watch a movie and enjoy each others' company. And maybe, collectively, we can start to think about what's next. Ideally, we'd love to find a sponsor or two to fund it, including the costs of getting my partner and I out there, food & beverages. (The venue is graciously being donated by Ringside Creative.) So if you know anyone in Detroit who might want to be associated with this event, please do no hesitate to give them my name. As for distribution of the film, there's still no official news to report. But if you happen to be in Miami next week, there is a pre-screening at Books and Books next Tuesday, November 17. You can register at www.adfedmiami.com. Stay tuned. And thank you for all your support! Sincerely, Erik Proulx PS

ALERT JOB SEARCHERS: Research just got a whole lot easier for free! I've told you never to approach a company without a firm understanding of why you're approaching them, based upon extensive research you conduct on your target companies. Toward that aim, we've used a variety of free and proprietary databases, but the best ones are very expensive. Not anymore. Meet Tracked.com Tracked.com launched today, and I am impressed. In the past, I was a buyer of information services, and I have reviewed hundreds of companies who offer less than this at premium prices. From company breaking news, extensive bios, and customized watchlists, Tracked goes one step further than "old school" databases, and makes it social; profiles, 140 character messages, connections, groups and more. Image from Tracked.com Insights Go get an account - understand they are in Beta, and will be improving and adding features as they go forward, and at times the server may slow a bit, but jump in now. Visit the "Tour" link for great walk-throughs, and their youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/RakedInsights is chock-full of good demos. Next, Connect to me @ http://www.tracked.com/user/OPCGal to start your connection list. Then research your target list! Using Tracked.com in combination with other search tools will absolutely prove valuable to you in your job search and interviews. A note to users regarding record accuracy: ALL research databases are only as good as the information that is confirmed by principals in the company, and data is generally updated on a rotating basis. Ideally, data should not be modified based upon anything other than a company authorized principal confirming the modification. All databases - Hoovers, OneSource, D&B, etc. will have inaccuracies even in their premium pay subscriptions - it's the nature of the beast as people move on to new roles & companies and it may take a bit for the updates to be confirmed, so double-check, and expect occas

Related to the below data, if you are in transition, you have to think like an independent contractor. The way you secure work today is by establishing yourself as an expert and developing opportunities to solve problems in your area of expertise with other folks in the same situation. Crowdsolve. That is the bottom-line. Make sure you understand Social Media tools as well; build your brand via your Google Profile, a blog, Twitter, LinkedIn and tools like VisualCV. If you say none of these things are for you or don't relate to you, you will struggle in the current highly competitive climate. MASS LAYOFFS -- AUGUST 2009 Employers took 2,690 mass layoff actions in August that resulted in the separation of 259,307 workers, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single employer. The number of mass layoff events in August increased by 533 from the prior month, and the number of associated initial claims increased by 52,516. Over the year, the number of mass layoff events increased by 803, and associated initial claims increased by 70,356. Year-to-date mass layoff events (21,184) and initial claims (2,162,202) both recorded program highs through August. In August, 900 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 93,892 initial claims. Over the month, the number of manufacturing events increased by 279, and associated initial claims increased by 21,626. (See table 1.) During the 21 months from December 2007 through August 2009, the total number of mass layoff events (seasonally adjusted) was 44,669, and the number of initial claims filed (seasonally adjusted) in those events was 4,556,636. (December 2007 was the start of a recession as designated by the National Bureau of Economic Research.) The national unemployment rate was 9.7 percent in August 2009,

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Recently, my friend Paul Zaio and I were discussing the financial impact of job loss and career transition, and I asked Paul what the number one piece of advice he would give to a professional in transition. Well, Paul has ten points of advice that we'll cover in this two-part series, and I hope Paul will contribute more often. A little about Paul: Paul J. Zaio, CFS is a 17-year professional in the financial industry. He specializes in working with those who want to protect their principal and ensure that their money lasts a lifetime. He resides in Mount Pleasant, S.C., is a member of the LPL Directors Club, and teaches financial education at universities and corporations, and is a genuinely nice guy. 10 Financial Questions & Answers for Job Changers - Part 1 - One through Six Getting you started on the next chapter of your life. What’s the purpose of this blog posting? Changing careers is a decision that deserves almost as much attention as starting a family, buying a home or retirement. Career changes can have a profound effect on both your finances and your lifestyle. That’s why it’s so important to approach a job change with three things: knowledge, goals, and a plan. • Knowledge. In an era of forms and paperwork, changing jobs has become increasingly complex. There are many available options in regards to compensation and benefits, but many pitfalls as well. Knowledge of these is crucial to ensure getting the most out of both your job and future retirement. • Goals. Changing jobs is not just about a new place of employment. It’s about living comfortably and well, about fulfilling your dreams and building a legacy. The successful job hunter sets goals that are designed to fulfill these objectives. • Plan. Application of knowledge and reaching goals means having a plan. This report is designed to be the first step in creating that plan. Below are ten of the most common and important questions you can ask re

Recently, my friend Paul Zaio and I were discussing the financial impact of job loss and career transition, and I asked Paul what the number one piece of advice he would give to a professional in transition. Well, Paul has ten points of advice that we'll cover in this two-part series, and I hope Paul will contribute more often. A little about Paul: Paul J. Zaio, CFS is a 17-year professional in the financial industry. He specializes in working with those who want to protect their principal and ensure that their money lasts a lifetime. He resides in Mount Pleasant, S.C., is a member of the LPL Directors Club, and teaches financial education at universities and corporations, and is a genuinely nice guy. 10 Financial Questions & Answers for Job Changers - Part 1 - One through Six Getting you started on the next chapter of your life. What’s the purpose of this blog posting? Changing careers is a decision that deserves almost as much attention as starting a family, buying a home or retirement. Career changes can have a profound effect on both your finances and your lifestyle. That’s why it’s so important to approach a job change with three things: knowledge, goals, and a plan. • Knowledge. In an era of forms and paperwork, changing jobs has become increasingly complex. There are many available options in regards to compensation and benefits, but many pitfalls as well. Knowledge of these is crucial to ensure getting the most out of both your job and future retirement. • Goals. Changing jobs is not just about a new place of employment. It’s about living comfortably and well, about fulfilling your dreams and building a legacy. The successful job hunter sets goals that are designed to fulfill these objectives. • Plan. Application of knowledge and reaching goals means having a plan. This report is designed to be the first step in creating that plan. Below are ten of the most common and important questions you can ask re