Monday, February 28, 2011

BOYCOTT THE EXCLUDERS

Boycott any business which excludes unemployed candidates from applying for open positions. This is clear discrimination! If you know of any companies who do this, please send a copy of their posting as proof and we'll start a list on my Facebook page. Boycott the excluders!

Read an interesting article posted at http://www.ere.net/2011/02/28/refusing-applications-from-the-unemployed-best-practice-or-madness/
All the negatives are relative, they apply to some people but not all unemployed people.

I've been unemployed for almost eight months. I am not rusty, if anything I am charged up to perform at 1,000%.
(c) 2011

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

WINTER OF MY DISCONTENT

No, I shan’t be murdering my nephews. Our family has neither title nor property (land, valuables or cash). I’m just frustrated with the job search. It has been over seven months and I am anxious to work full time. I have sent out nearly 150 resumes and only garnered two in-person interviews. Ugh!

I am glad to have a computer at home, which was given to me by my best friend, Annie. Dial-up is slow but at least I have access to job search sites. I get to visit lots of interesting websites since postings seem to be listed on 100+ sites instead of 99% of them being in the Sunday newspaper. Too many hours sitting at the keyboard to do the same research an hour with the newspaper would have accomplished – grrrr. What a waste of time and energy.

I am grateful for time to devote to projects. The yard sleeps under a couple feet of snow so I can focus on inside chores when I am not shoveling. I want to organize stuff and do more air seepage insulation to keep out the cold. I have the supplies but it always takes a lot of time to figure out exactly what needs to be done, prepare, do it, and clean up. Inevitably, the task always takes myriad times as long as the original estimate. There is always something to clean or sort. If I get enough chores completed, I can get back to doing artwork. It’s been a long time since I’ve worked on a creative project. I also want to read more books.

I have time to support Mitch. He finished alcoholism treatment in December and continued to attend weekly AA meetings. Besides gatherings of our group of friends, we have gotten together a couple times. He surprised me the other day by calling and initiating a meeting for coffee/tea. In the 20 some years that I have known Mitch, this is a rare occurrence. I look forward to our meeting! His partner, Peter, seems to be okay but I check in with him too. I am still a bit stunned that Mitch is an alcoholic and I that totally clueless. Friends are my family of choice since my biological family is not supportive. I am blessed to have some good friends, even though several reside out of the area.

Anticipating spring and a job.
© 2011

Thursday, February 17, 2011

BOOKWORM REVIEW TWO

Four worms is top rating. Five is perfection but that is rarely attained.

“Oyster: History on the Half Shell” four worms, written by Mark Kurlansky; gets a bit histrionic in the middle (aka bland) otherwise quite interesting
“Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” three and a half worms, authored by Lisa See; a few logic issues but well written
“The Eight” three worms, authored by Katherine Neville; the last third of the book should have been expanded into a second novel. Understanding the game of chess helps the reader.
“Shutter Island” three worms, by Dennis Lehane; not quite accurate regarding mental illness. Learn the facts at www.nami.org
“Nemesis” three worms, by Philip Roth; Cantor character starts well and then stalls
“Absent a Miracle” two and a half worms, by Christine Lehrer; too many tangents that did not intersect
“Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show” two and a half worms; by Frank Delaney; too many digressions and the main character would have hired a private detective regardless of cost
“Hero of Our Time” two worms, by Mikhail Lermontov; the scenery descriptions are excellent. Maybe something was lost in translation to English
NOTE: Four Worms is the highest rating for this group.

One of my peeves is when an author hurries an ending of the book. I am sure it is at the request of the editor but it ruins the tempo of the novel. The descriptions are cut short and the character development ends. I’d rather have a book divided into two or three volumes rather than rush the end. “The Eight” which was published in 1988 is a perfect example; either edit out the extraneous stuff in the first part of the book or else expand the final chapters.

Read another review of books from the posting Bookworm Review on September 14, 2010. Please leave suggestions of books that I should reveiw, plus, join as an official "follower" of this blog.

Happy Reading!
© 2011

Thursday, February 3, 2011

CONGRESS: BUILD A HOME ACTION PLAN

This is the second posting regarding a method to improve communication within the US Congress. Please read the first blog "Congress: Build A Home" for background information. Thanks!

#1 CONTACT CONGRESS
Urge your members of Congress to dedicate several shifts at the Habitat for Humanity House in Washington DC during the current session.

To learn the name of your Representative and both Senators, visit
http://hq-salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5950/getLocal.jsp (sponsored by League of Women Voters). Call, write a letter, send an email, send a fax, or visit them in person. It is good to use at least two forms of communication to send your message. Be polite, brief, and let them why you care that they participate in the Congress Build A Home project

#2 SHARE THIS PETITION
Let other folks know about this effort to increase communication amongst member of Congress in a positive effort. The future of the United States depends upon the relationships of our public servants. I want my Representative and Senators to find common ground with others.

#3 SET AN EXAMPLE
Actively engage in your community. You can assist at a Habitat for Humanity home or another charity of your choice. Lots of great opportunities are located at the www.handson.org; www.volunteermatch.com; and www.idealist.org websites. Not all nonprofits are listed on the Internet so just call a nonprofit and ask for the person who works with volunteers. Then, inform your Congress-members that you are building the community through volunteering. Some people refer to it as civic engagement or in school they may call it service learning.

#4 DONATE FUNDS (after the project is finalized)
Visit the website www.dchabitat.org/individual.html for a variety of options.
Or, donate directly through the Network for Good website. Make certain that you use the “Program Designation” box for “Congress Home” to ensure the funds go directly toward this effort. You can call the DC Habitat office at 202-882-4600 ext 232 for specific information.

If for some reason members of Congress do not follow through on this effort, all funds raised will be added to the general fund of DC Habitat to build homes for deserving families. Make certain that you note this second option when donating; this project has not been finalized, yet.
NOTE: If you are unable to donate, that is fine, it is more important to personally contact members of Congress.

#5 THANK CONGRESS
When they actually start working on the home, make certain that you let them know that you are proud of their efforts. We will applaud all members of Congress who fulfill their shift requirement. Praise is good!

Thank you for your participation in this effort.
© 2011