Greetings Shippers! And ahoy to you all! How are ya on this fine, fine Prudie Day? It’s Anniversary Day here at the Lagoon, Shippers! Woo-hoo! Exactly one year ago this week, I started publishing this column (it was in The Fray at the time). And it’s been a great ride! I sincerely appreciate you all for reading each week, and for commenting (in the comment section, below). I think we’ve made a wonderful and fun community together and I sincerely appreciate and enjoy it. As promised, I have written a separate, anniversary-only column made up entirely of reader questions. It’s here: http://submarinersperspective.blogspot.com/2010/05/anniversary-edition-reader-mail.html. But that’s not the purpose of this post. This post is for today’s Prudie letters! And so, to that end, let’s get crackin’!
LW#1: Dear Prudie, I’m a wildly confused little girl who hasn’t yet figured out that I’m in charge of my own life and responsible for the lives of my children. But I’m trying to get there. Honest I am! Well, pretty much, anyway. See, my current husband, who I sort of like, I guess, maybe, isn’t my son’s biological father. My son’s bio father is a convicted sex offender, just getting out of jail. The bio father wants to see our son, but I’m a little nervous about that. Too, my husband wants to adopt our son, but I’m nervous about that, too, as our son may grow to resent me for “making that choice” for him, because, you know, adoption would somehow magically mean that the bio father is no longer in our son’s life. Can you help me figure out what to do, because, frankly, I just don’t know? Signed, Confused in Seattle
Dear Confused, you are a twit. First of all, your husband’s adoption of your son has nothing to do with the bio father seeing the boy. Those are two separate issues. If you don’t want the bio father to see the boy, you can obviously affect that (or attempt to affect it) without adoption, just as adoption won’t preclude bio dad from being allowed to see the boy if the courts allow for it. So that whole discussion is irrelevant. The part about allowing the bio dad to see the son is what’s at issue here and your mommy gene is broken if you can’t figure it out. Either the man is/might be a legitimate danger to your son (e.g. he was convicted of actual child molestation/rape), or, he’s not (which could be the case, regardless of his “sex offender” conviction, because plenty of convicted sex offenders on the registry are guilty of nothing more than being 19 and having sex with 17 year old, or downloading adult material that may or may not have included models below the age of 18--no, I’m not talking pre-pubescent child porn here, obviously. Yet they’re all bundled into the same category of “convicted sex offender”.). So, it’s simple. If this man is/might be a danger, you have to do fucking everything in your power to prevent the boy from seeing him. If he’s not a danger and you just don’t like him, well, sorry, Sister, you have to allow the courts decide the “how” and the “if”. How the fuck hard is that? It has nothing to do with your current husband, who, I know, is just oh-so-fucking-great. It has to do with your job as a mother and this man’s rights as a father. The sooner you recognize those facts, the better.
LW#2: Dear Prudie, I’ve been unemployed for the last two years. In that time, I’ve sent out several thousand résumés, attended several hundred interviews and even bought ad space on the city’s taxi cabs proclaiming my availability. Yet, no job offer. I’ve never been unemployed before and it’s starting to piss me off. Especially when people ask me why I’ve been unemployed for so long! A recruiter recently asked me that exact question and I know good-and-well that I didn’t answer very professionally. What should I do? Signed, Jobless in Seattle
Dear Jobless, So, um, why have you been unemployed these past two years? And before you get all huffity with me, just answer the fucking question! Because, fact is, I know for an absolute fact that you could have found a job, just not one that you wanted or one that would work for you. So, actually try to answer this: why have you been unemployed? Is it because you were looking for a job in your field? That’s a reasonable explanation (and a hell of a lot better than getting all twisted up). Is it that you were looking for a job in a certain pay range? That’s a reasonable explanation, as well. But, “I couldn’t find any jobs at all”? That’s bull shit. The Army is hiring. Right now. And they’re giving tons of waivers for age. Today. Right this minute even! Same with several fast food chains. Hell, my seventeen-year-old daughter has been working for the last nine months at a fast food restaurant and has made shift manager in that time. So, don’t act like you couldn’t get a fucking job. There are shitty jobs galore out there. Quit getting your back up and recognize that you’ve placed certain very reasonable limitations on the jobs you’re looking for, and report that fact to those who asked. There’s no shame in saying that the (insert your area of expertise here) industry has lost 20% of its jobs in the last two years and it’s been tough to even get someone to return a call. Listen, I’m sorry to be so tough on you, but you need it. I know the job market sucks right now, but your anger is misplaced, and it’s going to cost you. Figure out the honest answer to the question and use it!
LW#3: Dear Prudie, my sister-in-law is graduating from a very lah-dee-dah private K-12 school. It’s the same one that my husband and I attended, and the same one that our parents attended. We also have several family members on faculty there. My problem is that my mother-in-law is angry with the school because my sister-in-law is sharing salutatorian honors with another student. Plus, there are co-valedictorians. The MIL sees this as a slight to the SIL, believing that the co-valedictorian and co-salutatorian are unworthy of their respective honors. One for not taking advanced classes like SIL did, and the other for attending an out-of-school internship for a semester. The MIL is filing an official complaint with the school and my husband and I are mortified. We want to send our daughter to the school soon and are afraid our MIL’s rudeness might reflect badly on us and our daughter’s application. What should we do? Can we confront my MIL (my husband’s mom)? Signed, Worried in Seattle
Dear Worried, Oh my fucking god, you didn’t just write in with this fucking question, did you? Seriously? Listen up, and hear me good, you vacuous, entitled bitch. Break the cycle of lunacy! Get the fuck out! Take your husband and child and run far, far away! Get a job across the country (the Army is hiring, did I mention that?). Jesus Christ, you seriously just asked that question? Look, dipshit, you have no control over your MIL and her “official” complaints (what’s that, like, on paper with a watermark or something? Wax seal with family crest?). At all. Got that? If that school punished you for your MIL’s actions, is it really the type of fucked up, petty, entitled, talking-down-its-nose, uppity, backwards, fuctarded school you want for your precious little bundle of priceless princess joy? Seriously? If so, I fear for the future of the world. I really do (well, the future of your daughter’s world, anyway). I even puked in my mouth a little as I read your letter. Listen, I know that you won’t take my advice because, a) you don’t want to lose that inheritance, and, b) you’re too addicted to the status of that school to dare fucking rock the boat now, but I pray that your daughter will heed my advice. Maybe there’s some saving her.
LW#4: Dear Prudie, my boyfriend is going out of town for a conference. While there, he’s going to meet up with a female college buddy. He reports that she’ll sleep on a cot or the couch, but that due to her financial situation, there’s no way she can get her own room. He’s really looking forward to the visit, having not seen his old friend in years, but I won’t have it, Prudie! I’m not running a fucking charity up in here and there’s no way in hell that my man is going to be sleeping in the same room as that whore. What can I do? Signed, Not Yet Boyfriend-less in Seattle
Dear Boyfriend-less, you are a stupid idiot. Do you trust him? Yes? Then what’s the problem. No? Then break the fuck up with him already. It’s really that simple, you horrific bitch. Oh my god! Further, do you really want a boyfriend who’d let his friend sleep on a fucking couch while he was all in the comfy bed? Is chivalry that fucking dead? Just so you know, you’ve already lost your boyfriend. I’m only giving you this advice for next time in case you want to actually keep one instead of causing them to go running like you’ve already done here. Or, you can keep acting like a lunatic and maybe you’ll attract someone who’ll put up with that shit. That’ll be very fulfilling for you, I’m sure. Your choice, though.
****
Well, shippers, that’s about it! So, as we embark on this next year, I’d like to wish each of you fair winds and following seas. Please continue to call me out, keep me sharp and kick my ass when needed (right there in the comments section, below). And, don’t forget to check out the special Anniversary Actual Mail from Actual Readers Edition right here: http://submarinersperspective.blogspot.com/2010/05/anniversary-edition-reader-mail.html. Good cheer, all!
Lyrical. =-D Loved the answers. =-D
ReplyDeleteI have SO got to disagree with your answer to letter writer 2. It's all very well and good to say "there's plenty of shitty jobs out there" - but what if the salary you would make at one of those shitty jobs - or even two of them - won't allow you to pay your bills? What if no one will hire you for those jobs because you're overqualified and they're afraid that you'll bolt as soon as a decent job comes along? What if they'd rather hire someone much younger than you because they could get away with paying that person less? I'm currently unemployed, and I've faced all of those situations. So until you've been in the LW's shoes, don't be quite so holier-than-thou, okay?
ReplyDeleteHey, Anonymous, you need to read my answer again. I am not being holier than thou at all. What I very clearly expressed was that there are plenty of good reasons to be unemployed. But the LW needs to actually list them out instead of being pissed as if generalized unemployment is just a foregone conclusion. Just saying, "I can't get a job" is not true because there ARE jobs out there. Saying what you said, "I can't get a job that pays even half my bills" is a much better answer, and it's true!
ReplyDeletePlease read my post again, especially the part where I say that the LW has "placed certain very reasonable limitations on the jobs [he/she's] looking for..." and see if you can't understand that, in fact, I understand the LW's circumstances quite well.
Then how about you come back to me when you're not taking it so personally, okay? I'm sorry that you're out of work right now, but I *have* been in the LW's shoes. With a family to feed. So please let's dispense with the assumptions and actually read what I wrote, kay?
Ahoy, Libby! Thank you very much! I love the three-syllable words to describe the post! :-)
ReplyDeleteGood cheer! :-)
Smag-a-dee-smag, I agree completely with your response to letter two. After two years he can't still be on unemployment can he? What is he (or she) living on? Any income would be good income. In my opinion, which may or may not count. The rest kind of made me sigh and roll me eyes. But great responses to what you had to work with. Smiles!
ReplyDelete1. Anonymous: There's a difference between being on unemployment and looking for a new job vs not being employed at all for TWO YEARS. Unemployment runs out well before the two year mark. So, the letter writer is either living off of savings, or has some kind of deal that's keeping them going. Sometimes you have to take a job that's well below what you're worth. If it comes to be a choice between having no money and working a job you don't feel you should have to do, well, some money's better than no money. I'm assuming that you're on unemployment, things are tight, and that you're looking for a way out. My sympathies, and hopes you find something fantastic out there. (My roommate went through a hellish year wrought with self-doubt, stress and panic because she couldn't find a job for over six months and had a fairly serious injury she couldn't fix without health insurance. She made it with only a couple of months left on her unemployment. She had been applying frantically to retail stores before her break came.) Ditch the anger though. YOU know you're not a bum, and going off on people simply being practical about working isn't going to get you out of your situation. It'll just make you more crazy. I know it sounds cliche, but try to be as positive as possible. It makes the disappointment sting less, and the elation so much sweeter when it comes.
ReplyDelete2. Smag, why all the Seattle taglines? I don't want to think these people are living in my city! (Though it would explain some driving habits I've observed lately. I almost was killed by an empty car hauler changing lanes today, and it makes me feel a little sad imagining it was because the person was stupid in addition to being careless with human life.)
The thing that boiled me about LW 4 was that she FORBADE her boyfriend from rooming with the girl. FORBADE. Like he was her dog trying to hump a random lady's leg. Shoot, if I were him, I'd make up this girl just to fuck with her.
LW3 I had a different take on. I thought the sister in law was more horrified that the MIL was going to ruin the event for two other students just so her little princess could shine all on her lonesome. She also seemed concerned that the little sister would either be ashamed of her mother, or feel like she wasn't truly accomplished by having to share the spotlight. I'd be sickened too, being related to an ambitious harpy like the MIL. (Spot on with the snooty school and how it may not be the best for their kid though.)
Greetings mommylady! And ahoy to you! Yes, LW#2 should be doing something, anything to bring in money, but that wasn't even my point! :-) My point was that the answer to the question isn't "there aren't any jobs to be had out there." Because we all know that's not true. The answer to the question, and it's reasonable enough, I suppose, is that "there aren't any jobs that I wanted/met my needs out there". And then list what those wants/needs are. That might seem like a subtle difference, but it's not! To say, "I couldn't find any work" is bullshit. But, to say, "I couldn't find any work that would pay even half of my bills, so, instead of working two jobs, I've kept hard at trying to find something in my pay range" is a heck of a lot better. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteNow, if you've seen the anniversary edition, all that's missing is a follow-up letter from one of previous writers. You name the letter and I'll "do the interview" and provide the follow-up. ;-)
Good cheer, mommylady!
Greetings Corey! Ah, you caught the Seattle tag lines! It's jut a riff on the movie, "Sleepless in Seattle". Please don't take it personally! :-) I'm a big fan of the city, having been stationed just across the sound at Bangor Submarine Base and living in Silverdale for years. It's a beautiful, wonderful city and area.
ReplyDeleteYes! Yes! I don't have a problem with discussing discomfort about a significant other in the same room with someone. That's fine, and respectful. But, to FORBID it?! Well, my reaction to that is, "You want to forbid something, wench, forbid THIS!" But, too, she said something like, "I'm not running a charity..." That put it over the top for me. Yucky! And I love your idea of inventing the woman just piss off the LW! :-)
I would agree with you on the school LW, except that she only mentioned the other two students in passing, compared to the overwhelming evidence of her whole family having gone to school there, working there, attending sporting events there, knowing people there, wanting their daughter to go there... I'm not disagreeing with you, just saying that the main concern seemed to be the fall from the school's good graces.
Good cheer, Corey! :-)
*grins* I didn't know you'd been stationed at Bangor! I hope the time spent in Silverdale was quite excellent.
ReplyDeleteI got that the taglines were riffs on Sleepless in Seattle, but I couldn't help but make a comment. I'm impulsive, ya know? :)
I've noticed that when someone says, "He's a convicted sex offender" or "He's an ex-con" instead of something like, "He was convicted of rape" or "He went to jail for armed robbery", that the offenses not named tend to be something much more minor. Like, "He was caught make obscene phone calls in high school" or "He was busted with 3 ounces of pot."
ReplyDeleteHi, SB1. I got off to a late start today.
ReplyDeleteI seem to recall seeing television documentaries about 25-30 years ago about how a lot of people seemed to think divorce ought to lead almost immediately into stepfather adoption even when there wasn't any particular fault in the case. On the other side, it was about the same time that husbands started suing housewife exes-to-be for custody just to hurt them badly or get divorce concessions in exchange for dropping the custody suit.
You may be about the only Safely Employed person I know who does not yet see the Jobless as A Little Less Human Than Ourselves. The Great Divide that some fear might be coming is already here, and it's bigger than people think.
If anything can cheer me up, it might be being the only one to point out that when there is a tie for first place between two people, a tie for the next place is a tie for third, not second. Therefore, there is no tie for salutatorian and I shall lose all respect for either girl who accepts that artificially created honour - unless, of course, the mother-in-law succeeds only in getting the boy she's gunning for disqualified, which will create a legitimate tie for second. But I am too depressed to whack LW3 for caring only about not creating an uncomfortable atmosphere for her own daughter at that school. Frankly, I'm almost surprised the school doesn't just do what my school did. My best friend in my class and I had perhaps exactly equivalent grades. I had the better SAT scores, and he gave the class speech at graduation. It all worked out quite nicely, except that I went through a bit of unrequited love for his younger brother.
As for L4, what sort of guest inveigles an invitation and then takes the best bed, chivalry or otherwise? You seem to be verging on sexist. It may just be the orientation thing speaking, but I'd say give the good bed to whoever has the worse back. I wish I'd remembered to cross-examine on what sort of hotel only provides bedding for one. Although I have not traveled for nearly nine years, I cannot recall ever being in a hotel that did not provide either two beds or one bed about as big as Siberia that could comfortably sleep three or four.
Sorry to go into trivialities. The world is making me very sad lately. But I'll try to keep it from spreading.
"Hell, my seventeen-year-old daughter has been working for the last nine months at a fast food restaurant and has made shift manager in that time."
ReplyDeleteCongrats. I expect her to be a CEO at McD's before she's 35.
Greetings Corey! Yes, the time in Bangor was outstanding! I wish I'd had more time to spend around the area instead of inside a submarine, but, such is life. ;-) It's a lovely area. :-)
ReplyDeleteAhoy CoolOne! I think you nailed it. The doubt very seriously the LW would have said "he's a convicted sex offender" if, in fact, he'd been convicted of child molestation and had just gotten finished serving time for it. I think our LW was definitely practicing some PR there. Good cheer, CoolOne! ;-)
ReplyDeleteGreetings hrumpole, and ahoy! How are you this week? I hope well?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how safe my employment is (and, considering that, to keep it, I've had to move half a country away from my family and can only visit every couple of months, makes the subject of employment something I'm quite aware of), and, certainly I understand the struggles and emotional pain of not being employed. But, too, I've faith that things will turn around. I don't pray, as such, but it's certainly something that I hope for.
As for the tie for first eliminating a second place finish, you are absolutely correct. That knowledge, though, as you rightly point out, would likely only serve to motivate our evil MIL. In fact, though, congressional pageship shouldn't eliminate one from contention and so, if anything, one would hope the SIL would be relegated to third place.
Regarding LW#4, by no means do I mean to imply that the female guest should take the bed! Only that the BF should offer, and yes, I'll admit it was a sexist thing to say and that the bad back caveat, should either have a bad back, should win out. That said, I only meant to imply that the chivalrous (if sexist) thing to do would be to offer, but, in truth, regardless of the gender of the guest. I'm just built like that.
Good cheer, hrumpole, and many happy returns! :-)
You would offer the female guest the bed? You are so chivalrous! I love it.
ReplyDelete-Iphigenia
Ahoy Smag! Great advice, except to the jobless person. These days even McD's jobs are not easy to get and they require a lot of physical stamina. Even working a retail job requires a lot of stamina --I can vouch for this as there were a couple of years in my early twenties when I practically had to crawl home after a shift during the Xmas rush because my feet had gone on strike! McD's would be worse because you have to work nonstop and can't move around. The observation that "the lower the pay the harder the work" is unfortunately very often true.
ReplyDeleteThe present situation reminds me of the early eighties when we had another recession (not as bad as this one) where I saw a line of applicants for a couple of waitressing jobs stretching around a block.... I don't know what the situation is in your area, but here just about all the grocery and retail stores have been laying off people and there are no help wanted signs at any fast food places....
Yes, the army is hiring, but remember it's supposed to be an "all volunteer" one so its recruits are not supposed to be forced into it by economic circumstances (such as: "should I enlist or should I starve?"), otherwise how could it be a choice, how could they be genuine volunteers?
(myself I'm for the return of the draft. It would be more honest and fair to share the burden and also hopefully keep us from engaging in wars that are not in our national interest and that we can't win)
Don't be slamming working at McDonald's. In some people's lives McDonald's was the first, the very first fast food joint to open in their small cities! Amazing, yes, but it meant that this was THE place hiring cream of the crop people in those early years, it was THE place to be seen and to work with great wages in comparison to many. This may be an entirely new perspective, that some people live in very rural area's where being a McDonald's employee is something to be proud of, where they are one of the few TOP employer's in the area.
ReplyDeleteI bought my house, paid my mortgage, and lived well while working as a single woman for McDonald's in my small city. It's not where you work, but what you do with your earnings over time, any income beats zero income when you come down to what is important. It does not matter where you work (unless you are a Porn Star and have children), it only matter's what you choose to do with that money, .
And working for McDonald's requires daily that you have an All American I can do that with a smile in 10 seconds or less attitude that will serve a person well over time. There is value in learning how to greet every stranger that comes through the door with a smile, and eye contact, you have 10 seconds to back up all that advertising. I can be put into any situation and be comfortable, I can run any multimillion dollar business. And when I was a bank teller let's say, the drive through was never faster and that was a very easy job, 20, 40,60, 80, 100 done, not one perishable in sight, not one guy flipping out over onions on his burger. And it does not take 18 years as someone suggested to go to Hamburger University and go for your CEO position...just sayin'. ;o)
Oh Kati, I fear you've got a firestorm coming your way regarding your thoughts on the draft. Be prepared.
ReplyDeleteI was in my teens when the draft was going strong, our guys were going to Viet Nam and dying for what we knew in the end was only to save each other. Not to cause any humanitarian shift in the hearts of the North Vietnamese, fighting a war that could not be won. Few in Washington sent their own sons to fight, sadly they knew, and the men that were drafted fought their war.
I'm sure there will be many with thoughts on how unfair the draft is to fight someone's war, someone's idea of how war is viable regardless of the outcome. When you have to send your own son due to the draft it takes on an entirely different perspective.
Some politician is in the hot seat this week for stating he was IN Viet Nam, when he truly only served DURING Viet Nam, seems his daddy kept him safe and sound at home while my friends were being drafted and dying.
***PLEASE READ***
ReplyDeleteHello Everyone,
My name is Keith and I would like to offer a sincere and heartfelt apology for what I wrote as "The Submariner" in response to LW#2. I normally knock out this column in about an hour and a half on Thursdays as "The Submariner", your friendly, but snarky seafarin' buddy. And normally I think that I hit the mark pretty well while being sensitive enough to never truly hurt anyone's feelings. Unfortunately, it's become painfully obvious that I WILDLY missed the mark on LW#2 this week. I sincerely apologize.
Mermaid, a good friend whose opinions on people and their perspectives I trust more than I trust Neil Armstrong's opinion on what it's like to land on the moon, told me that though she understood what I was trying to say, I'd really mixed up the message. I'd like to share her observations with you in the hopes that they'll help explain my post, and I want to again profusely apologize if I hurt your feelings. Please know that that was not my intention.
I wrote these next few sentences as a way to demonstrate how a person (a recruiter, potential hiring official, etc.) might view extended joblessness, using, as I always do, my own perspective...
"Dear Jobless, So, um, why have you been unemployed these past two years? And before you get all huffity with me, just answer the fucking question! Because, fact is, I know for an absolute fact that you could have found a job, just not one that you wanted or one that would work for you....But, “I couldn’t find any jobs at all”? That’s bull shit. The Army is hiring. Right now. And they’re giving tons of waivers for age. Today. Right this minute even! Same with several fast food chains. Hell, my seventeen-year-old daughter has been working for the last nine months at a fast food restaurant and has made shift manager in that time. So, don’t act like you couldn’t get a fucking job. There are shitty jobs galore out there."
Pretty sucky looking all scrunched together like that, but that's what I wrote, word-for-word.
Mermaid then points out that because of what I wrote above, the whole point of my response, the real meat and juice and intent of my advice, the actual words that were coming from me and my heart as advice were obscured. They are as follows...
"So, actually try to answer this: why have you been unemployed? Is it because you were looking for a job in your field? That’s a reasonable explanation (and a hell of a lot better than getting all twisted up). Is it that you were looking for a job in a certain pay range? That’s a reasonable explanation, as well. Quit getting your back up and recognize that you’ve placed certain very reasonable limitations on the jobs you’re looking for, and report that fact to those who asked. There’s no shame in saying that the (insert your area of expertise here) industry has lost 20% of its jobs in the last two years and it’s been tough to even get someone to return a call. Listen, I’m sorry to be so tough on you, but you need it. I know the job market sucks right now, but your anger is misplaced, and it’s going to cost you. Figure out the honest answer to the question and use it!"
I would like to just erase the first set of words from my post and just keep the second set. But, I'm not going to do that because that would make the comments from everyone seem quite strange. Fact is, none of the quotes here have been altered in any way other than that Mermaid has separated out for me the offensive stuff and the actual advice.
Again, I sincerely and heartachingly apologize for the offensive stuff. I'd hoped that my message was clear from the beginning, but, considering the fact that so many long-time readers have been questioning me or just plain misunderstanding my intent, I knew that I must have really fucked up. I really do apologize. :-(
Signed,
Keith (Your loyal and genuinely contrite Submariner)
Oh, Captain ~
ReplyDeleteI'm sure everyone will agree with me that it takes a mighty big man to admit when he's misspoken, and to take responsibility for offending other people, however unintentionally.
For this and other reasons ~ surely you must Know that you are a giant among men in your Mermaid's eyes.
Fair winds and gentle tides, Diving Buddy. xoxoxo
Greetings Iphigenia! Well, fact is, I would offer the bed to a guest of either gender, but, sexist or not, I would probably mean it more if the guest was female. I apologize for that in that I know it's sexist, but, there are certain things in one's upbringing that are just beyond getting past. :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's a wonderful and rare treat to see you here! Thank you for stopping by!
Good cheer! :-)
Kati, for what it's worth, I agree with you 100% on the draft, *if* we could make it to where there were no "waivers" and where the computer drew numbers entirely randomly. That way, no rich child or poor child would be any less or more likely to be drafted, AND, once drafted, each draftee would have to fulfill standard duties for a given amount of time. That would prevent preferential treatment once drafted. I bet our politicians would think long and hard about sending us to war were those the conditions. Which, of course, is exactly what I think that you were getting at. :-)
ReplyDeleteGood cheer, Kati. And from a veteran's heart straight to you, thank you!
Ahoy Debbie! No slamming McDonald's from me! In my small town, there were two employers like that. McDonald's and Kash n' Karry (a grocer). I worked at Kash n' Karry in high school and a bit after and they were very good to me. I have several friends who worked at McDonald's and learned quite a bit (just as you pointed out). Plus, I LOVE me some double quarter pounder with cheese! ;-)
ReplyDeleteAs for the draft, I also understand what you mean. I think, like I said above, that Kati was actually trying to prevent or severely limit war with her proposal. As you noted, when the price paid is right there in front of your face, you think about it in a different way. I've lost several acquaintances, and one former shipmate who I loved like a brother over there in this mess (damned squid, over there in the fucking sand). :-( Oh well.
Good cheer, Debbie! And a wonderfully happy weekend to you! :-)
Thank you, MM. For the kind words here, and for helping me see how badly I'd messed up. I sincerely appreciate how gentle and kind you are with everyone and even though I didn't deserve it, I really appreciate you taking the time to show me my words in a way that I could understand where I'd gone astray.
ReplyDeleteGood cheer to you, Diving Buddy, and thank you! :-)
Hi again Smaggy! while I'm at it (pet peeve) I might also add (which will no doubt endear me to you even more!) that career army people should be paid as much as what those working for private contractors are getting. It would actually cost less to the tax payers because there will no longer the need to pay at least 30% of the ocntract in profits for the contractor --or perhaps I'm naive, it might be a lot more? I'm going by the fact that private health insurance companies claim on average 30% for "administrative" costs on what they take in while Medicare does the job (and much better I can vouch since I experienced both!) for 5%. I assume the same sort of ratio would hold for the armed forces?
ReplyDeleteMy own live-in navy vet bemoans the end of mess hall sergeants (in spite of your submariner's anti-gastronomical experience!). Those guys, he says, were concerned to feed the troops properly and if they ran out of supplies they borrowed from each other. (I guess Rich did a lot of potato peeling duty!). These days I'm told private contractors hire workers from third world countries and pay them peanuts (literally?)....
And, though it's true that everyone can make a mistake, I can't imagine the Army Corp of Engineer making showers that would electrocute soldiers. (why arent the CEO of these contractros --KBR and in this instance a cheap subcontractor that upped profits by hiring non qualified electricians-- brought to justice? If you ran someone over because you were a lousy driver you would be charged with at least manslaughter --so why not those goons?)
As for the draft, you would eliminate a lot of exemptions if you had to serve after high school or equivalent age and before you went to college. However there should be opportunities to select some other sort of other public service as was done partly in the past (depending on the whims of draft boards, unfortunately)... This not only for conscientious objectors but also for people with physical disabilities --for instance you might be paralized from the waist down but still able to tutor kids in need of it. This would actually make disbled people feel good about contributing to society as much as anyone elese (actually they do now, but this isn't often recognized)...
Oh dear, I'm thinking utopia! Well it's early in the morning and I'm still in a dream state. I used to scoff at oldsters who kept on saying "the world is going to hell in a handbasket" and now I seem to have joined the club!
Debbie, I wrote you a long response but it disappeared when I tried to post it! I'll rewrite it later on my word processor and then copy it. I should have learned this by now!
ReplyDeleteAw fer the love-a Mike...(where's Herdthinner)
ReplyDeleteI get so confused before my coffee really does it's best work...thanks for clearing up the thinking about the draft.
If were going for Utopia, I could possibly see value should a fair and equitable solution be found to all walks of life participating, maybe. See I have this trust issue, that there would be many politician's working all those angles I have no clue about, to save themselves any sorrow over losing a loved one to fight a war that gets so skewed over time that we have no clue what we are trying to accomplish. Interesting thoughts from Kati on the administrative costs to provide that profit margin for contractor's. She is working the entire system over. Someone needs to don't they?
I think for the first time the thinking that "the World is going to hell in a handbasket" may be more true that ever before with this BP oil spill. This could be the tipping point for more than I can imagine, and it's not going to be good from my viewpoint. And it is as much about the detergent used to break up the oil spill as it is about the oil. These kinds of things don't usually cause me to feel fear, but I fear that this may be something I should fear as the effects may change all our lives for years to come. It makes me wonder if human's will actually be aware of that one instance where we screw up our environment to our own demise or will be be busy pondering questions about the draft or when we should share our hotel room or not. I wonder if we should be looking the other way right now or if we each should be rushing some beach, any beach on the East Coast with rags and bucket's? And how preposterous does that sound? Very?
Maybe reshaping our thoughts as Keith did has more meaning now than before? This oil spill is a reminder for me to live a life daily that I can be proud of. To not only please other's but please myself and who I am. Keith you are a gem, and if you are sexist, sign me up, I like that. You're even more Smagalicious than before Smagman!
Cheese on a stick for everyone! Live well today and tomorrow....
Hi Kati...I hate it when that happen's! All those good thoughts go down the drain in an instant leaving one feeling slighted...how rude of your computer.
ReplyDeleteDebbie, you're so right about that oil gusher. It's the "gift" that keeps on giving, unfortunately. I suspect everyone, including the administration, wasn't aware that BP had no idea how to fix it.... again a major failure of investigative journalism because I understand that some people had warned about just such a probability.
ReplyDeleteYour philosphy of life is heartening. I'll try to follow it though I have to admit I'm a bit of a tortured soul --- too much empathy!
Thanks for the cheese sticks. I'm trying to give up chocolate, so they might make a good subsitute (not!) :-)
Hi Debbie, I’m trying again (and again! this post should actually precede the one that seems to precede it... hm, I'm getting knots inside my head!). And this time I did drink my two cups of coffee. Even though it’s decaf if still works! Oh the power of self hypnosis!
ReplyDeleteI too marched against the Vietnam war in the sixties. The motive for the war was ridiculous (“domino theory!”) and so many people --military and civilians-- died in vain and are still suffering to this day (the area I live in, western Washington state has proportionally the greatest number of Vietnam vets still suffering from PTSD and still seeking some sort of solace in the wilderness.)
And now Vietnam is a tourist destination and people are given tours of Vietcong’s tunnels. I read some US vets have gone back and taken the tours --so it makes you wonder why they couldn’t come to an agreement before the blood bath --you know, have pretend former battle fields etc. (well there was Kissinger who we now know refused to accept reasonable terms for a peace agreement early on --and we now also know from his own tape recordings that LBJ had realized we couldn’t win the war but he didn’t see how he could politically extricate ourselves from it..... it would be funny if it weren’t so sad and tragic. The war also eclipsed all of LBJ’s domestic achievements. I still have that chant running now and then through my head: “Hey hey LBJ! How many kids did you kill today!”
Already at the time of the war I was beginning to realize that some of the protesters wouldn’t be protesting if it weren’t for the draft. Yet, the protests were a wake-up call for politicians who realized the power of public opinion as well as for ordinary people who realized their own potential power.
So they eliminated the draft. (and the Bushies also made wars invisible by forbidding the filming of dead US soldiers and their funerals, and real battle scenes, etc --and now I guess the press has lost the habit of feeling duty bound to "tell it like it is" ---if I may use a good ole sixties expression).
There was a lot of polemics at the time the draft was eliminated as it was argued that a citizens’ army was essential to democracy. I was already conscious of this issue because I came of age in Belgium during the Algerian war of independence, right after the French were kicked out of Vietnam. The war caused so much discord in France that the govt. eventually fell, I mean completely, as the Fourth Republic was disbanded. De Gaule was asked by referendum to come back into power (it’s like the Brits asking Churchill to come back!) and , again by referendum, the present Fifth Republic was set up. So the leaders of the French army in Algeria rebelled in what was known as the “revolt of the colonels”. They planned to invade Paris and overthrow the govt. De Gaule managed to stop them in their tracks (I no longer remember how he did it, but he was pretty smart for a pompous ass) and the colonels ended up in prison. The question that got a lot of anguished debate afterwards was: “would the draftees have actually fired on their fellow citizens?”
I don’t think Bush would have gotten us to invade Iraq if we still had the draft though I’m pretty sure he would have had most people’s backing to invade Afghanistan after 9/11. Perhaps he might even have focused on rebuilding this unfortunate country and help end the civil war that is still raging, and perhaps even had let US soldiers actually capture Bin Laden? (Well I don’t think Cheney would have let him capture and thus lose that politically handy scarecrow, but that’s another story). I also suspect journalists would have done a much better job at reporting the facts that were so readily available if their sons and daughters were at risk of dying for a pack of lies.
So ultimately the injustice of an absurd war is not the draft, it’s people dying and being maimed in vain, whether they be draftees or enlistees.
"So ultimately the injustice of an absurd war is not the draft, it’s people dying and being maimed in vain, whether they be draftees or enlistees."
ReplyDeleteI hear you Kati, but it still pisses me off to fully understand that depending on your status in Washington, DC that you can begin an absurd war AND keep your own children safe at home while they wear the uniform to get that service record to ensure some future career goal while the rest of us are expendable. The draftees become nothing more than a percentage of expendable lives in a war, acceptable loss static's or whatever the going term is now. I understand that enlistees fall under this same percentage, but when Washington runs out of marching men do the enlistees saved from fighting due to their connections then step in do do the marching or do they simply draft someone to do their dirty war while they stay safe and sound? That is my issue with the draft among all those other issues you touched on.
And Bushies deal of stopping photo's of the war and his skewing of information regarding our men & women dying, pisses me off even more. Just adds to my thinking negative on drafting.
If I want to chance being a static I want to have signed up for it not drug from my existing life.
Kati, I also live in an area where Viet Nam vets try to make sense of the horrors of Viet Nam in Southern Oregon. Sadly none of it makes any sense, it is what it is, one bad choice after another, our men did what they could to save each other regardless of what LBJ was up to. I must be a few years younger than you as I was not of an age to go protesting. The nightly news footage of the war was memorable, I can still see LBJ trying to make sense of it at the end when he could not. My point is that due to my age my awareness was not as encompassing as yours, my world was still rather small. When my peer group were getting their draft numbers it was very apparent that this war was futile and that winning was out of the picture. The feeling was that you were drafted to die.
Sad. So sad those days were and here we are today in another war.
If I had been older I would have had an understanding of the history of how American's welcome home their soldier's but I did not. I would have had banner's and flag's and welcomed them home so they would know they were valued. All the damage that was caused by not recognizing our soldier's coming home, if only I knew.
Debbie, I think during WWII everybody went, either drafted or enlisted. I've seen a photo of Eleanor Roosevelt kissing her sons as they left for the front. She was crying but there was no question of them not going...
ReplyDeleteWhen they all came back, of course they received heroes' welcome. They were victorious while the Vietnam vets had lost the war through of course no fault of their own. In spite of the extravagant welcome the WWII vets still suffered in silence from their physical and mental wounds, and the difficulties of trying to get back their old lives (lots of books and films about that generation).
(PTSD used to be called shell shock and earlier in time it was called "a soldier's heart" --and really any trauma can cause the same effect, so battered women here seek the help of the psychologist specialized in treating vets with PTSD).
And the sorrow lasts. Not too long ago there was a documentary where a couple of survivors of the allied assault on the beaches of Normandy traveled back to the site. The men were in their eighties but they still cried when they saw the battle field were so many of their comrades had died....
I don't know about the Korean war but things sure changed during the Vietnam war. But even now, with a professional army the stats remain the same as during Vietnam. There is a disproportionate number of enlistees from poorer areas of the country and from poorer strata of society. Since the recession, my understanding is that the various branches of the armed forces no longer have trouble meeting their recruitment quotas.....
herd"T"hinner disgorges:
ReplyDeleteDebbie, here I is!
The explanation for my absence will be brief (for me, anyway): I moved back to California a month-ish ago, and have been living it up! Reconnecting with my oldest friend, movies, both Disneyland parks over and over (and over and over...), and so on. The downside is that I'm connected to the 'net using my Mom's wireless network, and the bedroom I'm in has the WORST connection. Every page loads so painfully slow, if at all, that I can't multi-task online. By the time I've taken care of my essentials, it's past bedtime. But I promise to be good from on.
And here's my segue to LW1: I found a job not even 3 weeks after arrival. And after not looking very hard! So please keep LW1 away from this blogspot, or s/he will hunt me down and KILL me. (To be fair, it's a consulting position, but it's 3-6 months with possible full-time, and it's a paycheck!)
LW1: Smagacalifragilistiexpialadocious, I may be the only one who had no problem with your reply (?) I guess I saw paragraph 1 as Smagalicious entertainment, and paragraph 2 as the advice on how to answer the damned question! I've been out of work for long stretches before, too, and in retrospect, I realize why: my interview skills were TERRIBLE. I still consider them to be my weakest point. My saving grace is the years of experience at what I do, so in most cases I can be "seen it all, done it all" for their questions and answer relevantly.
But I still hate this question: "Why should I hire you?" When asked at the END of the interview. I've only been asked that once, many years ago, and I suspect it would STILL throw me a curve.
Anyway, temp agencies and recruiters can be your friend. Not always, but they should always be a part of a jobhunter's arsenal. A recruiter is how I got my contract job, and that's the first time a recruiter has ever succeeded. I've gotten some interesting work through temp agencies. One was security detail for a printing equipment auction. Another was data entry from 4:30pm - 1am. Perfect hours for me! And not boring, like I thought it would be.
I never worked at McD's, but did work at Orange Julius when 14 and was treated by the teen-boy "coworkers" there like shit that gets stuck under shit's shoes. That pretty much shut down any other fast food joints for me, employment-wise.
I'll babble about the other LWs in a new post!
herd"T"hinner corrects:
ReplyDeleteOkay, it was LW2 I was going on about.
LW1 was... oh, yeah, the "I fear my ex" chick. Have fun, you crazy gal, you! ((sigh))
LW3: I attended a public K-6, then a 7-8, then a 9-12 (aka high school), and there were something like 4 valedictorians and 1 whatever-the-hell a salutatorian is. During college, I learned at what point in your life that those honors mean anything. It is while in high school. And I learned later that they (Vals and Sals) have to make speeches and attend functions and cut ribbons to new supermarkets and stuff like that, so in retrospect, I'm glad I wasn't so honored!
But during college I was named Phi Beta Kappa, which I put on my resume (hey, whatever helps), and an interviewer once asked why I'd listed my sorority.
I also learned in college to appreciate my family life a lot more! Cuz then you learn about many, many more people's family lives.
Anyway, I'm too lazy to go back and read the original letter, but I got the impression that the LW was just embarassed in general about MiL being a fucking bitch all the time and maybe getting the other kids' honors pulled-- in addition to the "will her shenanigans leave echoes forevermore for our child???" shit-- but I could be wrong.
An epiphany! When people are too rich to have real problems, they make them up!
LW4: I'm with hrumpole in my confusion. How many US hotels even have one bed, anyway? I had one for the Hawthorne in Salem because I specifically asked for it, and it was still a king-sized that took up the whole room! No extra sofas for guests.
I certainly wasn't dissing a job at McD's. They have one of the highest rates for promotion from within the ranks, and a high number of the board members have, through the years, started off at the fryers. Multi-store managers (I forget what they're called) spend a very long career working very hard and earning good cash. If Smagboy's daughter is already a shift manager, she's off to a good start. If she's got his attitude, I expect she could eventually kick corporate butt and take names.
ReplyDeleteok, so- what the hey does LW4 mean by "I'm not runnning a charity"?? Is SHE paying for her b/f's room while he is at the hotel?...when she's not going with him?? And he's going to a conference? Don't think so. Hello, Miss Entitled, congratulations, you suck.
ReplyDeleteCiao,
J
Jenny, Smaggy, et al, I'm so confused! Are you talking about the McD that pays minimum wages or are you perhaps referring to some other extravagant not for porfit fast food chain?
ReplyDeleteIt's only "cash" if you don't have rent to pay, family to feed, and transportation to get to and fro work. And of course provided you don't get sick (no sick days and no health insurance, at least last time I checked)and if you're in good enough physical shape to do the job...
There was a survey some years ago (it's probably on the web by now but I didn't put enough time to find it) where a "statistically significant sample" (sorry about the jargon!) of former McD's employees were asked if the experience helped them in their later work experience. The overwhelming majority said no.
Now of course the rest felt it helped them, and there's no doubt that individual experiences vary greatly.
Also, since most McDs are franchises, and even if they were not, there would be major differences in individual restaurants' work environment. For instance there has been years since I was greeted with a smile at a fast food joint --except at our two Dairy Queens, where, at least in my town, workers don't seem to be as harried as at our McDs. Though I've observed that workers seem the most harried and frantic and unhappy at our Taco Times --yes, I tend to be pay attention to that sort of thing, someone has to....
"Jenny, Smaggy, et al, I'm so confused!" No, you're not; you're sarcastic, or you're disagreeing, which is nothing like being confused - or maybe you're confused about the definition of 'confusion'?
ReplyDeleteYou didn't read what I said, and I won't rebutt as if you did. I wasn't participating in an internet debate about the general merits of the fast food industry; I was explaining how somebody who's already found herself on an upwards trajectory at her place of employment might be doing well for herself, and I was complimenting her fortune - you know, like civilized people do when they get off the internet and have to talk to each other's faces. Good day.
Hi T aka Herdthinner...
ReplyDeleteSo nice of you to drop by with some good old wisdom.
I should have known you'd be busy having all that California fun dashing to and fro in the sunshine catching up with old friends.
Sorry to hear your PC is a bit lackluster in it's ability to scream at loading pages. Hate that. I want to be nosy now and come right out and ask you what type of work did you find in three weeks? WTG.
I've missed being able to steal away with your best...smag'ism's of old...when I feel the need to increase my vocabulary.
Hi Smaggie! Buh-bye for now Miss T...happy California trails to you!
Debbie
Dear Captain~
ReplyDeleteI want to add my thoughts in with HerdThinner's. To quote: "I may be the only one who had no problem with your reply (?) I guess I saw paragraph 1 as Smagalicious entertainment, and paragraph 2 as the advice on how to answer the damned question!"
That's exactly how I read/took it. I get that unemployment is not funny. I'm in metro Detroit, trust me, we know of the situation (long before the rest of the country joined in on it) out there and the lack of jobs.
But don't beat yourself up. Your answer to the actual question was dead on. It wasn't snarky or malicious. LW2 needs to have a better answer than "there are no jobs" - because there are jobs, just not the kind that will help LW.
I have to say I felt a little annoyed that you felt you had to apologize.
So, just wanted you and "T" to know I 'got' it on the first read thru!!
herd"T"hinner comes back:
ReplyDeleteDebbie, it's SQA, aka Software Quality Assurance, aka I test software, new and fixed/enhanced. It's a tough field if you don't have mad coding and developmnent Skillzz - and I DON'T - but there are still lots of places that need contractors to come in for projects and/or staff supplimentation. I don't like being a contractor because I need stability and health/dental, but like I said, it's a paycheck!
My dream company is Disney. Not as a "castmember" at the parks, but at corporate.
Herd"T"hinner spit-takes:
ReplyDeleteWTF happened to my earlier post of today??? Kids these days and their interweb and their code and their pasting. If I were testing blogspot, I'd write up defects.
Debbie, I'm SQA, aka Software Quality Assurance, aka somebody who tests software new and old to see if it works, or sucks. It's a tough field if you don't have mad coding/development Skillzzz - and I DON'T - so I lucked out. But not all companies are looking for people to automate all testing, and appreciate the "human touch." I don't really like being a contractor because I need stability and health/dental, but like I said, it's a paycheck! They seem to like me here, but if it ends up being permanent - some contracts end up like that - it's way too early to say.
Besides, Disney is my dream company. Not as a park "castmember," but at corporate.
herd"T"hinner sighs:
ReplyDeleteOK, I give up
Greetings Kati and Debbie! My apologies for being out of the loop for the last few days! Your back and forth about the merits/demerits of the draft, war, service to country, etc., are wonderful. Equity, I think (and as I believe you were both advocating), is key. No special assignments for the children of the rich. Equality. I think that any time we decide to send troops into harm's way in a war scenario, a draft should be implemented using a double blind method. In other words, a code should be randomly assigned to all eligible persons by computer A, with no special consideration or concern given to any factor other than eligibility. Computer B should randomly come up with the draft order /a ssignments of each code, with no knowlege of or connection to Computer A. The two systems should be completely independent, run by an entity without government ties for no pay with complete transparency. I'll bet that plenty of organizations (mostly technical/engineering institutes like MIT, Georgia Tech, etc.) would vie for control of one of the two systems and would strive to design the best, most fair, most random, most blind system ever. And I can just about guarantee that if that was implemented, things would change drastically in how we execute "war".
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts! Both of you! And good cheer! :-)
Greetings Herd'T'hinner! And ahoy! How are you? :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind words regarding my reply to LW#2. I've received many and I'm sincerely grateful. It's just a very sore subject to many people (for obvious reasons), and one that I'll endeavor to be a bit more ginger about in the future (but, too, due to your encouragement, as well as from others, I'll try to keep some snark in there, too). ;-) But, ona last note, congratulations on your temp work! As you say, it's paying the bills for now and I'm sure that something more permanent is just around the corner--hopefully at the Happiest Place on Earth! :-)
As for LW#1, yepper, she's hiding something, manipulating the situation in the letter, etc. There's more to this story for sure.
LW#3, yepper, the MIL is the worst offender of all, and I've taken some lumps for my treatment of the LW, so I will openly admit that the MIL is the worst offender, but, fact is, the LW is who wrote in, so, I gave her some crap. And I'm okay with that. :-)
LW#4 is so heading for the boyfriend-less zone. Now, whether or not that fact bothers her is something I can't say, but she's on a one way road there, going 190 mph!
And as for Phi Beta Kappa, was it a nice sorority? HA! :-)
Good cheer, "T"! And happy days!
Greetings Jenny. This is obviously a super-touchy subject all 'round, unfortunately. I hate that, because normally we can all keep the snark meter pegged 'round here and we all love it (not saying you were being snarky!), but I'll be damned if this subject hasn't sort of peeled us all and squeezed lemon juice and spread salt on us! ACK!
ReplyDeleteAs for my kiddo, I *am* proud of her (she's in high school full time, too). Unfortunately, her fast food restaurant is not McDonald's, but Barburrito's. A burrito place sort of built on the model of Subway, where you slide down the station saying what you want on your burrito. They're quite yummy! :-)
But, anyhoo... I do want to make good peace here and have us all look forward to Thursday's new and improved snarkery. Hopefully no letters about employment! :-)
Much good cheer and many smiles your way, Jenny! :-)
Ahoy JayJay! And greetings! I think you've NAILED it! That little line of LW#4's in which she showed her truest colors, "I'm not running a charity here" was ass kick-worthy. Regardless of who's paying for the room, it's clear the BF is going to the conference. In other words, the room is going to be paid for. Someone extra in it does not raise or lower the cost of the room one iota. What that nasty-assed statement says to me, in 6 foot tall neon letters, is that the LW if a flaming fucking pscyho bitch from hell. And you can bet that if she was *my* girlfriend, she wouldn't be. ;-)
ReplyDeleteGood cheer, JayJay! :-)
Ahoy, Criker! Thank you so much! :-) As I said to "T", I'm thrilled with the support and I sincerely appreciate it. I've always strived to be snarky and on the edge here in the Lagoon. I like to rile up the waters a bit. :-) But, at the same time, it's never been my intention to hurt anyone's feelings. In this case, some longtime readers were insulted by my words. So, even though I still believe that I was clear, I have also come to realize that I some subjects are probably best treated a bit more gingerly. So, here's hoping that, in the future, I can keep the snark, but avoid the hurt (as that's never something that I want my column to deliver--unless, of course, LW#4 reads it, in which case, she needs to read it as intended as she's being pretty damned nasty!). ;-)
ReplyDeleteThank you again, Criker. I really do appreciate it. :-) Good cheer to you! :-)
No worries on the multi-posts, "T". It happens. :-) Good cheer, all!
ReplyDeleteSmagy, your ideas on how to have a fair draft are excellent...
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you, Kati! I'm all about the fairness! :-)
ReplyDeleteFolks, I just published a non-Prudie column over at The Submariner's Dock--the place where I occasionally put some of my non-fiction. This piece is a bit political, but hopefully funny, even if you don't care for the politics? Anyway, for those interested, it's here: http://smagboy1.blogspot.com/2010/05/language-as-toy-language-as-weapon.html (or, just click on the "SmagBoy's Dock" link in the upper right-hand part of the blog).
Good Cheer! :-)
Greetings T, SmagMajor....heavy on the snark please, with a dash of corpulent wiener tossing thrown in for good measure in case some asshatter comes along pondering the ins and outs of being a *ucktard. Aw fer the love-a Mike, I've lost complete control, and I had it earlier!
ReplyDeleteMiss T, I do believe that if you want to work Corporate Disney then it will happen, you need to say aloud each morning...I work at Disney Corporate in a perfect job and love it...say it every day, go forth and submit resume, then each week or every other drop in on HR and see what has become available. They have to hire someone in the next year, and it may as well be you right? Let them get sick of seeing your face. I hired a person once for this reason, to get rid of her, and she turned out great, I at the least knew she'd show up daily on time every time. Good luck! And can I be the second person you tell when you land that perfect job at Corporate Disney in the coming year?
Call me odd but I do believe in the power of positive thinking, it's worked miracles in my life, and the more the merrier, so thanks for sharing, you've now got at least three of us putting out good thoughts for your new job.
Happy trails...
ok, I know I'm a few days behind on commenting, but I can't keep my mouth shut about McD's. A lot of fast food places (including the golden arches i believe) actually hire inmates on work release and they get huge tax breaks for doing so. so, when you are competing against other poss hires that the co is going to wind up paying serval thou less a yr for, competition may be pretty tough...
ReplyDeletecheers:)
J