Head Fake

Did you happen to see the segment on Randy Pausch last Sunday? I recommend watching it, it's about an hour, but it's well worth it. In the lecture he refers to a 'head fake' where you tell someone they are doing something, when, in fact, they are accomplishing something else. (Watch the lecture, you'll get it!)

My silence in posting yesterday was a head fake. You thought I just wasn't interested in posting (or had too much to do), but I was teaching you a new method of 'communication' that I call Recruiter-speak. They will call you to tell you that you will get an offer, then won't speak to you again. Here's the methodology:

They will call a new applicant:
1) to distinguish their ethnicity (race, sex, national origin) or possibly to get more indepth information.
2) if the client wants to set up an interview.
3) oif there is an offer to be made.

To be fair to the recruiter, it's all about commissions, if you can't make them any money, what good are you? They will present you to a client hoping for a happy ending and they get money. If the client isn't interested, they will move on to another money making situation. They have no obligation to keep their candidates informed of the process at all. Besides, who likes to communicate bad news (or not favorable news)?

I really don't take this too personally, but I do believe in a little compassion. I realize they have no time or inclination to contact all applicants, but when I call to find the status, please don't keep putting me off. Don't keep saying you expect a decision soon. If the decision has been made, and I call you to find out, TELL ME.

So I guess the lesson here is 'No News Is No News'. If you don't hear from the recruiter, they aren't interested. The networking folks say to keep calling, but if the recruiters want to dodge your calls, they can so easily do that. It's a waste of time to keep annoying them if the client doesn't want you.

Next Topic
We had the runoff primary elections yesterday, and Vernon Jones lost. He is the former CEO of Dekalb county. I can't fault him too much in his dealings with Dekalb county, but his personality is fairly devisive and his personal choices leave something to be desired. He was acused of rape a few times, but the charges were withdrawn. He cost taxpayers $600,000 to support his bodyguard detail, and he was said to have commented at one point that he wanted make the Dekalb county government employees 'darker'. Just what we need in the Senate.

Profits, Taxes and BullSh*t
An article in the Wall Street Journal on windfall profits makes for interesting reading. This is an example of what a lot of us feel is wrong in Washington. The Democrats want to prevent the oil companies from making a profit, or taking that profit and returning it to the 'people'. This is socialist, attempting a government take over of a company. Now before the GOP gets their panties in a wade over me, a liberal, spouting GOP propaganda, I just have one question: What is the government doing with the $64.7 billion that Exxon paid in taxes? I don't seem to remember any 'reform' being pushed by the GOP. Where does this tax money go? The Federal government could have directed that money towards alternate energy source research, or some type of relief, but they didn't. The taxpayers get taxed a few cents a gallon on gasoline to pay for roads, why shouldn't the money from the oil companies go towards the same thing, to give us some relief?

Yes, I know, income tax is not a good thing, but we do need some form of taxes to support an infastructure. We all know human generosity isn't going to happen. Bill O'Reilly says that the oil companies should donate a percentage of that profit to fund alternate energy research, but we all know that ain't happening unless they are forced to. Why would they invent something that would put them out of business???

Next Topic
I've made the decision (sort of) and I've got a real estate agent coming over this afternoon. The house next door is under contract and it's only been on the market for about 1 month. There is another house down the street that has been on the market for many months and it's a foreclosure. (It's also over priced, IMHO. It took a long time to sell to the forclosed tennets.) So I'm thinking if I'm not too greedy, this place could be sold shortly, so I can cut my losses.

So then what? I could live in my car or find a nice place to pitch my tent. With all the urban hashing I've done I've discovered several lovely places under railroad tracks that would be nice...

More to come...
As things happen, I'll be posting. Thanks for taking the time to read. You're opinions are welcome but if you have to start calling me names, don't bother, I won't read them. As my Dad says 'Opinions are like a**holes, everyone has one.'