Here's your change and an empty cup.

There's something weird about a cashier handing an empty cup over the counter to a customer at a fast food restaurant. Somehow, it seems more satisfying to be handed a full cup.

It's become so common to be given an empty cup, consumers have grown accustomed to it. Didn't we realize they were training us to do some of their work for them? Yet, we willingly assist.

I'll admit there are some advantages to the empty-cup method. If you change your mind between the time you ordered and the time you reach the self-serve station, you can simply fill your cup with your newly selected beverage. Being able to control the beverage-to-ice ratio is an advantage too. And for the extra thirsty, going back for refills is easy. The store's additional cost of refills is minimal compared to the price of another pair of hands behind the counter. I'm assuming the cost savings was the reason behind the switch to the empty-cup method of service.

Saving money is probably the reason why retailers and grocery stores started allowing people to check out their own purchases. Instead of paying several employees to man a couple of registers, the store pays one person to float around four self-serve checkouts. The self-serve assistant steps in when a perplexed customer has a problem with a coupon or a runaway lemon.

Although I don't use the self-serve checkout very often, I have used it at times. I like to hear the machine say, "Move your (pause) bananas." Grocery shopping is boring. Find humor where you can.

Career Talk From the Piano Man

My favorite part in Billy Joel's classic song, "Piano Man," is when he talks about people who are doing one job while wishing they were in another. The bartender wants to be a movie star and the waitress is practicing politics. The guy in the Navy will probably be there for life.

Then he gets to the punchline: The piano man is just like the others he's singing about. He's staying in a job that's safe and familiar instead of challenging himself. The bar patrons ask what he's doing there because they know he could go on to a bigger and better venue.

It can be easy to stay in a job that's comfortable, but unemployment forces people to make a change. And while the tunnel of change can be scary on the ride through it, there's a sigh of relief at the end. Things worked out pretty well for Billy Joel when he went on to play larger venues.

Yes, I'm going to comment about Michael Jackson.

Although much has been said about Michael Jackson since his recent death, I'm going to comment on it anyway. He was too big of a star to ignore.

I don't envy the life Michael Jackson had, but I do admire the impact he had on the world. As a performer and songwriter, he must have been gratified to know that what he created affected millions of people. Any artist or writer could appreciate that, but his achievements went beyond music and dance. He will also be remembered for kicking down racial barriers with style and setting records as a philanthropist.

"Making a difference" has become such a cliche that I hate to use the phrase. However, I think it's safe to say that many people's lives -- from aspiring artists to charity recipients to everyday people -- were enriched by the King of Pop.

Are Coaching Changes Smart or Risky?

I've been trying to put myself in the shoes (or skates) of the high-level figure skaters that have recently changed coaches. Just seven months away from the 2010 Olympics, a fair number of top skaters have put their futures into the hands of new coaches.

In some cases, it seems like a newly acquired title may have caused the skater to believe he or she needed a coaching change. Jeremy Abbott, who won the U.S. men's title in Cleveland in January, walked away from the coach he's trained with since 1999. And while I have great admiration for his new coach, Yuka Sato, I can't help thinking, "Why change now?" The other guy did get you to the podium.

Maybe some of the skaters had been thinking about changing coaches for a while, and the upcoming Olympics provided a reason to do something about it. It's also possible that a long-coveted spot opened up on a coach's schedule, and it just happened to occur half a year away from the biggest competition in a figure skater's life.

When the skating season kicks off in a few months, we'll find out if these coaching changes were smart moves or risky ones.

Life in Zen Mode

I don't play computer games often, but "Bejeweled Twist" had been on the computer for months and I hadn't tried it yet. I decided to check it out.

The game offers a player several choices, such as "blitz mode" or "zen mode." Zen mode offers the chance to play without a timer ticking down and without the threat of nasty, ready-to-explode gems.

What a great thing that would be to have the choice each morning about living in blitz mode or zen mode.

Editing in history

While I was watching fireworks tonight, it occurred to me that today's holiday can be traced back to a document. Of course, that document was the Declaration of Independence and it had nothing to do with fireworks or picnics.

I was pleased to learn (courtesy of the Library of Congress' web site) that the Declaration of Independence's author, Thomas Jefferson, wrote at least one rough draft. He made many changes to his first attempt at writing what would become one of America's most important documents. Lines of text were crossed out and words were added here and there above existing text.

Writers, take heart. Even the author of this famous collection of words didn't get it right the first time.

I hope we talk on Monday.

Networking is key in today's job market. Because of that, networking groups are sprouting up everywhere. One of the fun things about networking is meeting people I wouldn't have met otherwise and learning about other jobs and industries.

People from very diverse backgrounds gather at these meetings, and friendships develop easily over time. It reminds me of one of my favorite movies, "The Breakfast Club." Instead of a group of five stereotyped teenagers spending a Saturday together in detention, we are a mix of adults whose career paths were interrupted by the recession. We were thrown together because of circumstance, but we get to know each other while waiting for detention to end.

At one point in the movie, the teens discuss whether they will talk to each other at school on Monday. Coming from such different places on the school's social ladder, it's unlikely they will. My hope is that the friendships developing now among job seekers will continue when the seeking is over. I hope we talk on Monday.