Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Top 10 Sci-Fi Hotties

10.
Milla Jovovich
Milla Jovovich
This beautiful, Ukrainian-born actress has a habit of taking roles that put her exquisitely athletic body to the test. So is it any wonder then that she was chosen to play a perfectly engineered woman in Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element? As Leeloo, Milla runs around in a wet T-shirt, kicks alien ass and creates one of the most memorable sci-fi characters of the past decade.

9.
Rachel Luttrell
Rachel Luttrell
There’s just something about a warrior woman that’s undeniably sexy, and this Stargate Atlantis beauty is no exception. In this scene, she’s possessed by an evil alien entity, which causes her to lay a savage beat-down on a friend who is three times her size—and she looks damn good doing it.

8.
Billie Piper
Billie Piper
Since 1963, Doctor Who has been a staple of British popular culture, and with babes like this it’s easy to see why. On the BBC series, Piper plays the gorgeous Rose Tyler, a young shop assistant in a London department store. By a strange twist of fate, she finds herself caught up in cosmic time travel with the oddball Doctor Who. In this clip, the good doctor rescues the British beauty from organ-harvesting robots.

7.
Morena Baccarin
Morena Baccarin
Joss Whedon’s space-western Firefly was a tragically short-lived TV series that debuted in 2002. Fortunately, the story idea was resurrected in the 2005 film Serenity—thus giving us another opportunity to watch this Brazilian beauty play an ultra high-class prostitute who is trained in the art of sexual pleasure

6.
Michelle Rodriguez
Michelle Rodriguez
After appearing in Lost and Resident Evil and lending her voice to the wildly popular Halo 2, this sexy Texan will return to the sci-fi genre yet again in James Cameron’s much-anticipated 3D flick Avatar. In this Lost clip, the brunette beauty shows her love/hate relationship with the island’s token bad boy.

5.
Claudia Black
Claudia Black
This Sci-Fi Channel veteran first turned heads in Farscape as the sexy space marine Aeryn Sun. Afterwards, she landed a role on Stargate SG-1 as Vala Mal Doran, a seductive space traveler who enjoys the good things in life like sex, jewelry, sex, stealing, sex, junk food and sex. Watch as she uses her extraterrestrial charm on one of her über-dork spacemates. Unfortunately for him, his nerd powers prevail.

4.
Jolene Blalock
Jolene Blalock
The latest Star Trek, incarnation, Enterprise, explores the beginnings of Starfleet and human relations with the always-logical Vulcans. In this clip, Sub-Commander T’Pol asks a human crewmate to help her relieve some pressure—proving that even the most rational beings in the galaxy need a little lovin’ from time to time.

3.
Ali Larter
Ali Larter
On the hit TV show Heroes, Larter plays Niki Sanders, a former Internet stripper from Vegas with superhuman strength and a dual personality. While we appreciate a chick who can hold her own in a barroom fight, we’ll take stripper Niki over the Hulk-like Niki any day. Take one look at this clip and we think you’ll agree.

2.
Tricia Helfer
Tricia Helfer
On the Sci-Fi Channel’s Battlestar Galactica, Helfer plays Number Six, a sexy robot babe with the ability to download pleasurable thoughts into people’s minds. In this scene, she helps the scientist Gaius Baltar overcome a brutal torture session with a little bow chica bow wow action.

1.
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher
When intergalactic gangster Jabba the Hutt captures Princess Leia the first thing he does is put her in a gold bikini, and who can blame him? She even looks good while sitting on the lap of a giant space slug. These images from 1983’s Return of the Jedi remain the standard by which all sci-fi hotties are measured.

Jedi Religion Official

Jedi Church Planned In The UK

Posted By Mike on January 22, 2008

Click here to check out an article from the BBC about Barney and Daniel Jones who are planning their Jedi Chruch in the UK. Sermons will include meditation techniques, discussion of The Force and, of course, lightsaber training. See below for an excerpt:


'They plan to go to the official opening of a Surrey-based branch or "chapter" of the UK Church of the Jedi in April, and hope to hire an Anglesey venue for their own services.

Already six followers regularly meet in north Wales to discuss setting up the "church".

It is hoped Jedi church members will resist Darth Vader's dark side

"My brother and I would hold sermons, do talks and get guest speakers," explained Barney.

"We would read out essays members of the congregation have submitted on their feelings about the Jedi and the Force: do meditation, relaxation and visualisation techniques and a bit of light-sabre training."

Watching the films as children gave the brothers a good understanding of the "faith," said Barney.

"We had a knowledge of the Force from that and the teachings of Yoda. We've read the teachings on the internet.

"Our father is a karate black belt, we used to train with him, which is where we got the martial arts."

Barney, who has watched the Star Wars films "multiple dozens of times," does not wear film-themed clothing in public, but he and his brother would do so at Jedi church meetings.'


Thanks to James E. for the heads up!

Best Course Ever

University quenches thirst for knowledge with 'Beer 101'
Janice Tibbetts, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Friday, January 18, 2008

Students at a small Halifax university are toasting a unique course on campus that has been dubbed Beer 101.

The popular "brewing science" course at University of King's College, which will trace the history of beer and include field trips to area breweries, is the brainchild of Professor Gordon McOuat, a self-described beer connoisseur with a passion for stout.

The course, which began last week and is offered for three hours every Thursday night, is believed to be the first of its kind in Canada.

Called Brewing Science: The History, Culture and Science of Beer, the course is offered under the auspices of the History of Science and Technology program at the liberal arts university of only 1,100 students.

The university's website bills the course as "Beer 101" and it is by far the most popular upper-year course in the entire program.


© The Ottawa Citizen 2008

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Heath Ledger Dead



Actor Heath Ledger Dead At 28
Sources: Death May Be Drug-Related; Pills Found Scattered In NYC Residence

NEW YORK (CBS) ― Heath Ledger, who was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in the critically-acclaimed movie Brokeback Mountain, has died, sources tell CBS 2.

The Australian-born actor was just 28.

He was pronounced dead at 3:26 p.m. in his downtown Manhattan residence by his housekeeper, who discovered him in cardiac arrest and called 911, an NYPD spokesperson says. He was apparently scheduled to have a massage in his apartment this afternoon.

Sources tell CBS 2's Scott Weinberger the death may be drug-related and that there were pills scattered around the room.

Ledger had recently separated from his wife, actress Michelle Williams. The couple have one daughter, Matilda, who was born in 2005.

Before marrying Williams, Ledger had also dated actress Naomi Watts and Heather Graham.

Most currently, Ledger was featured in the Bob Dylan biography film "I'm Not There."


He is also appearing in the next installment of the "Batman" movie opposite Christian Bale as the infamous "Joker" and was in the midst of filming "The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus."

Of the most well-known 15 films Ledger appeared in: "The Patriot," "A Knight's Tale," and "Monster's Ball." He was also nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in "Brokeback Mountain."

Ledger grew up in Perth, and began doing amateur theater at age 10. At 16, he moved to Sydney to pursue an acting career, quickly landing TV movie roles and guest spots on Australian television.

After several independent films and a starring role in the short-lived Fox TV series "Roar," Ledger moved to Los Angeles and costarred in "10 Things I Hate About You," a teen comedy reworking of "The Taming of the Shrew."

Offers for other teen flicks came his way, but Ledger turned them down, preferring to remain idle than sign on for projects he didn't like.

"It wasn't a hard decision for me," Ledger told the Associated Press in 2001. "It was hard for everyone else around me to understand. Agents were like, `You're crazy,' my parents were like, `Come on, you have to eat."'

He would have turned 29 on April 4.

Stay with wcbstv.com and CBS 2 for the latest in his developing story.

(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Miss America

Miss America Lauren Nelson Passes The Torch

By Miss America, aka Lauren Nelson , USA
Date Posted: 01/18/08
Reader Rating: rating

I am handing over my crown at the Miss America pageant on Saturday, January 26, 2008. I’m pretty sad about it ending actually. I dedicated four or five years to this organization. It’s the end of an era in my life, and definitely a bitter sweet moment.

I don’t actually remember watching Miss America every year when I was a little girl in Oklahoma, but I do remember looking up to the girls that were competing. I was in awe of them, so to be able to represent that later on was just amazing.

I started competing when I was about 16 years old. Four years later, I was crowned Miss America 2007. (It’s interesting to note that there’s only ever been a couple Miss Americas that have done “kiddie pageants.”)

In those moments when we were waiting to hear who was to be crowned, I knew it could go only one of two ways; my life was either going to completely change, or I was going to go back to the life I knew.

When I was named Miss America, it was definitely surreal. The first thing I remember was looking into the crowd and seeing the Oklahoma crowd cheering for me. That moment flies by so fast that you really don’t even realize what’s happening.

I was definitely a bit apprehensive about my new job. I really have to tell you that the first week that I was Miss America was probably the hardest week of my life, because I was newly 20, traveling across the country and not knowing when I was going to get to go home and see familiar people.

I was definitely nervous about the responsibility. Everything you do and say is representing the Miss America organization. It is a lot of weight to carry because you’re reflecting all the other contestants and people involved. The judges definitely crown Miss America because she’s ready to take on that responsibility from the start.

After the first week, I settled into my job and started loving it.


Lauren Nelson, Miss America, Miss Oklahoma, Mario Lopez, Miss Puerto Rico, Miss Universe,

The crowning moment is totally surreal.

The new Miss America will go through that same adjustment period too.

One piece of advice that I would love to give Miss America is to realize that every day that you’re Miss America is really a gift, and you need to appreciate that. You’re only Miss America once! Even on those days when you’re exhausted because you’ve been traveling and haven’t had a day off in three months, just stop and smell the roses because it’s never going to come around again.

One of the highlights this year for me was that I was Miss America during Oklahoma's centennial year, so I got to be a big part of all the celebrations with all the other Miss Americas from Oklahoma. That was a really neat experience for me.

The best thing was definitely working with Children’s Miracle Network. These kids are going through medical difficulties, recovering from car crashes and other traumas. Seeing these little kids with smiles on their faces really puts things into perspective for all of us and has really motivated me this year.

Reality Check

The great thing about the new reality show, Miss America Reality Check, is that America gets to see the girls before they compete and get to know them a little bit more. It’s obviously an attempt to modernize the pageant, but I have to say I love Miss America just the way it is and the way it’s always been.

Of course there’s always some negative publicity about pageants, like the pepper spray allegations made by Miss Puerto Rico, but the reality is really different. The competition is really friendly. We all show up ready to win and compete, but it’s never catty or hateful.


Lauren Nelson, Miss America, Miss Oklahoma, Mario Lopez, Miss Puerto Rico, Miss Universe,

The bathing suit competition promotes health and fitness.

Of course when I won, some of the girls may have been disappointed that they didn’t win, because I know I would have been too. It takes years of hard work to get to that point, and it’s the last time that all of us can compete in that pageant, so of course it’s difficult to walk away. I know the girls were happy for me, just as I would have been happy for her had someone else won.

We’re all very close and we’re poised, mature and responsible, so that’s why you don’t see any cat fights. We have good heads on our shoulders.

The Skinny On The Swimsuit Competition

I don’t think the swimsuit competition is controversial at all. This competition is designed to show whether you’re in shape or not, and the swimsuit competition does that. To be Miss America you have to have more going on too. You have to be well-rounded - you don't have to be the best in every category, but you have to be good in every category. It’s all about having a healthy lifestyle. When you’re traveling all over the country, you need to be healthy!

Steering Clear Of Scandal

People have asked me if I think women who’ve been found to have posed in suggestive photographs before the competition should have to give up their crowns. I’m not going to comment on any specific situation, but I will say it goes back to the fact that you’re representing the organization. Every move that you make and every picture you take reflects back on Miss America as a whole, and it’s so important to keep that in mind.

Passing The Torch

This whole experience has allowed me to grow so much and I’ll carry that with me for the rest of my life.


Lauren Nelson, Miss America, Miss Oklahoma, Mario Lopez, Miss Puerto Rico, Miss Universe,

I plan to continue my studies and become a high school music teacher.

I’ve never given much thought to how I feel about getting older, but I do think it’s important to age gracefully. It doesn’t scare me or anything to think that my body’s not always going to look this way.

As for plans for the future, I’m moving back to Tulsa, Oklahoma and will keep traveling and speaking as the former Miss America. I’ve still got a lot of schooling to do, so I’m going to study to be a high school music teacher.

I can’t make any predictions about who will be crowned this week. I haven’t had much time to get to know the girls yet. Tonight is the first night I’ll actually be meeting them. They’re all prepared, that’s for sure. It will be very exciting.

*****

Visit MissAmerica.org



Girl Scout Cookies Overseas

Girl Scout hopes to get cookies to troops serving overseas

Staff report
Tuesday January 22, 2008


Martinsville

Cookies and Kool-aid.

That's what one Morgan County Girl Scout thinks troops overseas need, as the cookie season sales get underway for the year.

Tulip Trace Troop 391 member Molly Dirrim is selling Girl Scout cookies and hopes people will buy 300 boxes to send to Indiana National Guard Troops overseas in April. They might even include some Kool-aid to go with the tasty treats.

"We thought it would just be nice to send them," Molly Dirrim said. "Kool-aid and cookies are a good combination."

The Martinsville Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1257 has offered to pay for the postage to send the cookies to Iraq, which is where members of B Co., 1-151, headquartered in Martinsville, are expected to deploy to later this year.

This is not the first time soldiers overseas have received care packages from the Dirrim family, according to Molly's mother, Bobbie. Bobbie said they have been sending care packages that include food and cards and letters of support to troops with family ties through their church. Most recently they sent a package to a solider who grew up in the Center Grove area.

"We just kept asking for people, and his name came up," Bobbie Dirrim said. "We always ask for soldiers that don't have much family to send our packages to. They like the food too, but they really love the letters and the pictures in the package."

Cookie sales for the Girl Scouts will continue until March 10, and are available through any Girl Scout, or they will be available at several locations around Martinsville.

"A person can buy a box for themselves and one for a solider," Molly Dirrim said.

Swedish Short Persons

Mini-Thief Packed in Luggage Robbing Swedish Buses

A gang of thieves is employing Trojan Horse tactics by smuggling a 'short person' -- a dwarf or child -- on Swedish buses inside a large bag in order to ransack other bags in the luggage compartment.

Perhaps Swedish authorities should hire this expert bag sniffer.
Zoom
REUTERS

Perhaps Swedish authorities should hire this expert bag sniffer.

Thieves are believed to have been robbing Swedish coaches by smuggling a "short person" into luggage compartments inside a large bag, the coach operator said on Tuesday.

Swebus, which operates coach services across Sweden, said cash and a number of items went missing from bags on two separate occasions this month.

"We think it is a short, young person," Ingvar Ryggasjo, sales manager for Swebus, told SPIEGEL ONLINE. "We are taking extra security measures and are thinking of installing video surveillance cameras."

He said the person is believed to have been smuggled onto the coach in a hockey equipment bag.

One woman travelling from the town of Vasteras to Stockholm reported seeing two men squeezing a large, heavy bag into the luggage space under the bus. After arriving she found a camera, purse and other items missing.

"We have got reports about several thefts on the stretch between Vasteras and Stockholm," Swebus customer services manager Pia Kravall said in a police statement. "It is very possible that a very small adult or a child is being placed in a bag in order to search through the other bags."

Star Treck Such a Tease

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809752801/video/6027003

Okay, so who didn't know this was going on?! Chris was apparently in the dark about this whole new mission to enlighten a new generation, while I was around updating everyone through my blogs for the past year! I'm very very excited, and this new teaser is just the iceberg to the climax to be reached by all sci-fi and elite treckies alike.

No Goths Allowed

Goth who walks fiancée on a leash is banned by bus driver who told him: 'No dogs allowed'

Last updated at 17:34pm on 22nd January 2008

Comments Comments (50)

A goth, who likes to take his fiancée out for a stroll on a leash, claims that a bus driver told them "no dogs allowed" and banned them from boarding.

Dani Graves, 25, and his girlfriend dress all in black and like to take unusual walks, but the pair have been branded "freaks" and pushed off buses.

He and Tasha Maltby, 19, were told they could not travel on the bus service and believe they have been targeted by the same driver three times.

Gothic Dani claims the driver said: "We don't let freaks and dogs like you on."

Scroll down for more...

Goths

Dani Graves and girlfriend Tasha Maltby claim they were branded 'freaks' by an off-duty driver and pushed off a bus in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire

He said the incident, which was alleged to have happened in early December, took place when he and Tasha went to Dewsbury bus station in West Yorkshire.

An off-duty bus driver, who was also on the service, was still in uniform and allegedly pushed Dani off the bus and refused service to the couple.

He said: "He shoved me off the bus. He called us freaks and he called Tasha a dog. He said, 'we don't let freaks and dogs like you on'.

"He basically grabbed my T-shirt and slammed me backwards. I got a bit angry and called him a fascist pig."

Dani, from Dewsbury, reported him to the manager at the bus depot, who said his complaint would be dealt with but added that despite his complaints, the same driver shook his head at the couple as they approached his bus a few weeks later.

He said that after showing their bus passes and sitting down, the driver refused to let any other passengers on until they got off.

They refused to get off the bus but were eventually forced off after being threatened with police action.

A third incident occurred last week, when Dani was waiting for a bus, this time alone. He said he held out his arm to flag it down, but the same driver smiled and drove past.

Dani relies on the bus service as he does not drive and suffers from a circulation problem that means he cannot walk long distances in cold weather.

He said he always got on with other bus drivers and although he took his fiancée round on a lead, they always took it off before getting on a bus as it could be dangerous.

Dani said he believed this driver's treatment of them was purely down to the way they dress.

He said: "He doesn't like the fact we wear black clothing. We expect the odd comment, but we don't expect it off a bus driver.

"I have been a goth most of my life and it's the first time I've come across anything like this. It's crazy."

Paul Adcock, operations director for Arriva Yorkshire, said: "We take any allegations of discrimination very seriously and we will be investigating all of Mr Graves' claims.

"Mr Graves has already contacted us directly and, as soon as our investigation has concluded, we will inform him of the outcome."

When the Old and Young Collide At Work

When The Old And Young Collide At Work

By KNOWLEDGE@WHARTON


If it is hard to get people from various generations to reach any agreement, it is even harder to do so within a corporation. Cristina Simón, professor at the Instituto de Empresa in Madrid, Spain, has identified and analyzed the four generations that currently make up the corporate workforce.

Her study is called "Generation Y and the Labor Market: Models for HR Management." Gayle Allard, another member of the Instituto de Empresa staff, collaborated on the project along with Adecco, a company that supplies temporary workforce services.

In an interview with Universia-Knowledge@Wharton, Simón explains the differences between groups of workers, which she identifies as "traditional workers," "baby boomers," "Generation X" and "Generation Y." She also suggests key steps for enabling a 21st-century corporation to successfully overcome the generational duel that takes place between traditional workers and more recent arrivals.

Universia-Knowledge@Wharton: How many generations are currently employed by corporations, and what are their special characteristics?

Simón: Although there are differences from country to country, we can generally identify four generational groups that are currently active professionally:

--Traditional workers (born before 1946): They value loyalty and discipline, and they respect authority and hierarchy. These workers played the key role in their companies when economic development was strong.

--Baby boomers (1946-1960): Their critical years for joining the workforce--between the mid-1960s and the end of the 1970s -- were a period when most European countries enjoyed significant progress. This led to great expectations of success. Currently, this group occupies positions of higher corporate responsibility and has the largest proportion of workaholics in history. This is also the generation that gave birth to the yuppie phenomenon.

--Generation X (1961-1979): This generation has the best academic training and international experience in history. They have begun to make a break with traditional patterns of behavior, demanding a more informal environment and abandoning hierarchical authority in favor of a more horizontal and flexible structure. They have pioneered policies that involve flexibility and conciliation. This generation is rich in entrepreneurs because personal initiative predominates within a context of skepticism toward large enterprises.

--Generation Y (starting from 1980): Generation Y is the first in history to have lived their entire lives with information technology. It is not easy for them to understand the world without it. Like members of Generation X, their childhood was comfortable and prosperous. They are more individualistic than earlier generations and demand autonomy in their opinions and behavior. They emphasize personal activities above social and labor considerations.

What social factors define the character of each of these groups?

Common life experiences more clearly define each generational group. For example, traditional workers were born during the war [World War II] and the postwar period. As a result, they were raised in an environment of scarcity, which led to the fact that they value austerity. They defend such social goals as peace and national prosperity.

Baby boomers, on the other hand, spawned a series of social phenomena based on their strong reaction to their parents, such as the hippie movement, feminism and [freedom to] divorce. Both X and Y groups have had less social impact, I believe, because they emerged more recently and have not been analyzed sufficiently.

What are their main differences when it comes to focusing on work in the corporation? What is each generation trying to find in the company?

To put it as simply as possible, we can say that traditional workers are pragmatic and disciplined, and are motivated by loyalty. In contrast, baby boomers are more optimistic and more self-motivated. Generation X is the most skeptical when it comes to organizations, and it is trying to find balance and flexibility, above all. Finally, in Generation Y there is a shortage of loyalty to the generation. Nevertheless, Generation Y puts a great deal of importance on intense relationships with co-workers and supervisors.

How does each generation understand the concept of "corporate loyalty?"

With the arrival of each new generation, the concept of loyalty has been steadily losing ground. Beyond change in the hierarchy of values, this steady decline in loyalty is due to the fact that it is impossible for companies to continue to offer job security. The corporation then replaces stability with "employability." That changes the motivational focus of professionals away from the corporation and toward themselves. All these changes mean that the appeal of loyalty has continued to weaken, although inertia is still strong among traditional workers and baby boomers.

In which generation are the differences between men and women greatest?

When it comes to social values, women in every generation are more oriented toward other people, and they have a greater sense of dedication and service. Men are generally more individualistic. When it comes to professional preferences, although women put more emphasis on flexibility, the newest generations, especially Y, care more about traditionally "masculine" work values, such as income levels and opportunities for promotion.

What are the main values that characterize Generations X and Y?

As I noted earlier, both X and Y grew up in a comfortable environment in their years of childhood and adolescence. When these people enter the labor market, they have a harder time than their predecessors did. It was much easier for earlier generations to find work, become independent from their families and so forth.

As a result, there is a sense of frustration and skepticism that logically extends to the way they view the working environment. Don't forget that the working environment in our society has a lot of impact on social activity, starting with the period when marital couples and families are formed [and] on to the growth of social networks.

Is there a conflict between the working environments of the four generations?

Often when these topics are discussed with HR managers and other professionals, people make comments that reflect those differences. I don't know if they can be characterized as "conflicts," but they have an impact on the dynamics of working relationships. Organizations also have these sorts of experiences.

The current generation of managers is dominated by baby boomers and the older members of Generation X. Those are the levels at which corporate cultures are defined, along with corporate modes of behavior. From this perspective, we could say that some of the failures of young people in their working environment stem from the fact that they sometimes have very different hierarchies of value.

Are HR departments prepared for understanding the generational differences? And do they know how to deal with them?

Given the nature of change in the labor market, HR departments are concerned about everything that can affect their retention of employees. As a result, they are looking into whether these differences are a possible cause [for their failure to retain workers]. In any case, where this analysis makes the most sense is in those companies that demand younger workers, whether or not those employees are sufficiently qualified.

In those kinds of cases, the function of HR must be to study basic processes in order to make them more attractive to workers from Generation Y. Above all, they must draw up a psychological contract with their employees and with those candidates who have the kinds of background they are looking for.

What strategies and policies do you recommend that companies apply?

Those companies that consider it critical to adapt to new generations [of workers] must take another look at their HR practices so they can refine their supply [of jobs], as I said earlier. It is important to understand the relationships that exist between young people and technology, which often have an impact on social standards and dynamics. For example, best recruitment practices should include having a Web site that is attractive and easy to use, and which makes it easier and faster for long-term job candidates to interact with the company.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the natural tendency of young people is not to focus on commitment or loyalty to a [corporate] brand but to a combination of factors that make them feel good, on the one hand, and have personal value, on the other hand. From the viewpoint of selection, there is a double advantage to an approach that involves realistic interviews and tests.

This approach can diagnose the competencies [of job candidates] and let candidates know that the corporation is both creative and dynamic. These can be some of the keys to strengthening the selection process and minimizing the turnover of new employees who leave within months. That [kind of turnover] is both undesirable and costly.

Some studies show that young people prefer strong performance-based cultures where results count more than job seniority or personal appearance. This means that a company needs to create systems for performance-based compensation in which short-term variables count more than long-term results.

Especially in Spain, the concept of job turnover must be overhauled. Traditionally, when professionals leave a company, it has been very traumatic both for the company and the employee. There is a sense of betrayal because of the high value placed on loyalty, but that is currently on the decline.

Young people, on the other hand, leave a company because they find another opportunity elsewhere. They understand that these are the rules of the game, and they don't discount the possibility of returning [to the same company] in the future if conditions are favorable. An intelligent strategy for leveraging young talent should rethink the issue of job turnover and consider maintaining this relationship [with workers who depart], as a result.

What are the main challenges facing Generations X and Y? Are conditions easier for them than they were for their predecessors, or are things more difficult?

Each generation has had to confront its own challenges through the course of various changes they have undergone. Undoubtedly, the world of today's young people is much more complex than that of their elders. But it is also clear that they are much better prepared and they have better tools for dealing with these challenges. Certainly, the supply of jobs is much more precarious in today's labor market.

On the other hand, declining birth rates in recent years mean that fewer people will be applying for jobs compared with what happened during the baby boom. Many young people say that their elders have made it harder for them by providing them with a comfortable childhood. At the same time, social systems do not make it easier to become economically independent and achieve the same standards. This difficult transition will leave a sense of frustration that will certainly be hard [for young workers] to deal with in coming years.