LIBERTY: Have we lost the republic?

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

Libertarians are always alert for “everything but the one thing”. It’s those “one things” that kill liberty. Cause everyone has their own one pet thing. Libertarians say “liberty for everyone, everytime, everywhere, no exceptions”. ;-) The big L libertarian political party has only one criteria. Everyone agrees “Never to initiate force to achieve political or social goals”. A pretty powerful principle.

The dead old white guys gave were Classical Liberals. Individual Freedom over the Conservative supporting King and Country. The DofI, Constitution, and BoR are all right out of the Classical Liberal playbook. We drift or “improve” at our peril.

We have lost the republic!

(A Republic is a representative system of government where there are strict limits on the government and everyone has their rights recognized.)

There have been failings. The DOWG themselves failed to “solve” slavery. The Civil War was a “tariff” war in disguise in which we lost the United STATES of America, and became the USA. The Socialists of the 20’s brought us “gubamint skools”, to import the German “cannon fodder and willing workers” philosophy to America, and made us stupid. FDR brought us socialism as a relief to the Great Depression which was cause by the Congress’ Smoot Hawley tariff. We lost the gold standard under FDR when he uncoupled government spending from taxes (i.e., unleashed the printing press fiat currency). We have an series of “presidents”, that have acted more like idiot kings: committing troops to stupid undeclared wars; meddled in the affairs of other sovereign countries, and pushed forth the democratic “advance auction of stolen goods” and “two wolves and a lamb” deciding what’s for dinner. Recently, the Military Commissions Act (The end of Habeas Corpus) and the Warner 2006 Defense Budget Act (President designates enemy combatants) have fundamentally changed the USA into AMRIKA. The next step is the North America Union of Canada, Mexico, and everything in between.

Remember Ben Franklin!

http://www.bartleby.com/73/1593.html

“Well, Doctor, what have we got—a Republic or a Monarchy?”

“A Republic, if you can keep it.”


JOBSEARCH: Unemployment “insurance” makes no sense.

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/archives/192#respond

Carnival Entry from Peter Clayton – TotalPictures.com
November 7th, 2006

Peter is the man with the microphone. Peter Clayton doesn’t have a “blog” – he has a podcast site.

***Begin Quote***

Sixth. File for unemployment benefits immediately!

***End Quote***

With all due respect, I list this as a waste of time. For other than the factory hands, it’s just not a good use of time.

For example, in one of my transitions, filing for the unemployment benefits in NY by a NJ resident required FOUR in-person visits and repeated under oath certifications that no activity was engaged in that MIGHT be considered “consulting, contracting, or collecting other economic benefit EVEN IF NO TAXABLE INCOME is earned or money is exchanged”. Sheesh! Who writes this stuff?

On another transition (I’ve been “out” seven times in XXXX years! Let’s call it several decades. I’m planning to be “earning” until I FINALLY land … in my grave. That’s the only time you can stop preparing, worrying, and networking!), I took thirteen hours to collect two checks for a total of $800! (I followed the outplacement counselor’s advice and did it. By the time, I collected my second check, I had a new and better job. I TOLD the counselor what I thought of his advice. He said I was “lucky”. I’d call it “focused”. Your Mileage May Vary!)

I think you just have to write this money off as “government theft”. To chase it, takes your eyes off the prize to begin again generating value, and retaining some of that value for yourself.

imho

/RANT ON/

I personally think that, like extended warranties, if someone came to you with the Government’s Unemployment Insurance, you’d laugh them out of town. First of all, ask any insurance underwriter, they will tell you that it is not an “insurable risk”. It’s unavoidable (i.e., happens to everyone) and avoidable (i.e., your personal conduct can influence the outcome). It’s not beyond your control. It’s not random. And, insurance spreads out risk across a pool and levels the cost, so why would someone be in that pool with you.

This is a government scam. It creates a tax that can masquerade as “insurance”. They get a pot of money to employ and reward themselves, their relatives, their friends, and most importantly their campaign contributors. All at the expense of the people who can afford it least. We don’t get a chance to look under the covers at income and out go, but if we use gut feeling then 75% of the “premiums” extracted are wasted. Also, it makes everyone a “welfare queen”.

It is especially despicable to force the working poor to pay such a tax. They’d be better off getting ALL their money. They can make their own decisions as to what is best for them.

If it was an insurable risk, needed, and demanded, why don’t we see insurance companies, banks, brokerages, and credit unions offer such insurance?

/RANT OFF/


TECHNOLOGY: IE doesn’t rend the blog correctly

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

I use the FOX as part of my get ready for LINUX. I was shown the blog to someone today and was stunned to find it didn’t rend correctly. Argh! FOX, OPERA, and NETSCAPE all work. But IE doesn’t!

I pinged WORDPRESS feedback and they came back lickty split. (See below)

I fixed that one. And several others. And, IE still doesn’t like it.

I’ll keep looking for the long links. Any idea what the right number of characters in a link is?

It displays correctly in FOX and OPERA! Darn MSFT.

—–Reply Message—–
From: M @ WordPress.com
Sent: Wednesday, November 08, 2006 1:12 PM
Subject: Re: WordPress.com Feedback – reinkefj.wordpress.com

reinkefj wrote:
> I was showing my blog … our blog … after all I appreciate that you
> host it for free … to someone and he uses ie6. There was nothing on
> the side column. No seach. No most active. No nothing. Help?

Hi,
It was this post:
https://reinkefj.wordpress.com/2006/10/22/
jobsearch-how-well-does-your-unique-value-equation-sell/

There is a link it it:
http://www.nichegeek.com/
why_youll_never_get_rich_studying
_african_feminism_in_the_19th_century

It sticks out the side in IE6

If you shorten that link the sidebar will zoom back up.
IE7 would behave normally ;)


JOBSEARCH: I DUGG the recent carnival

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

http://digg.com/business_finance/
Grab_You_s_some_Popped_Corn/who

http://tinyurl.com/trwss

If you liked it, you should “pile on”.


JOBSEARCH: JIBBERJOBBER may not have the right metaphor for all situations

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

I saw an ad on Dice the piqued my interest.

So I went to my Job Seeker’s PIM and said hmmm, let me plug in my ad.

But I really couldn’t do it.

So I said to self, “Self, perhaps the metaphor is wrong?” I was aghast. Such disloyalty. Oh wait, I’m just an unpaid volunteer, trying to help. I can’t be disloyal or wrong. I’m the USER!

Perhaps, the seeker’s model is that there is a think called “ADs”. It has a key of date first seen. And, the seeker may want to capture it for awhile. Maybe forever. And, can’t link it to anything. But yet when the call comes out of the blue from a hunter or HRer, then the seeker would really like to know what set of lies … errr, legends that were told to get some interest.

So, associated with an ad, might be a resume, a cover letter, a recruiter, a company. Or none.

My favorite Jobseeker’s PIM doesn’t accommodate that.

A lot of room for improvement here.


PRODUCTIVITY: A bloger triggers a rant about backing up

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

[This poor person just wants to copy some stuff from one blog to another and has no copies other than what is on he blog]

>Copy over some posts from one blog to another

My observation is that you have all your “eggs” in the WordPress basket. No insult intended to WordPress I use them to … BUT …

… being a belt and suspenders kindda guy …

… and having “lost” more data than I’d care to admit over my career …

… two instances of which occurred at WordPress …

I’d suggest you need a backup.

WordPress now facilitates an XML output from your blog to local file.

Anally, OCD-like, I have:

(1) BLOGDESK client that I write almost all of my stuff on. It has a copy. If I don’t write it on BLOGDESK, then I still cutnpaste it to BLOGDESK and let it do the heavy lifting to my blog. SO BLOGDESK has a copy of EVERYTHING.

(2) FEEDBLITZ sends a daily summary copy (one message of all posts) to a dedicated email account where it is retained forever on my local desktop in Outlook and in that dedicated GMAIL account. SQUEET sends each individual post to that same account.

(3) I use RSSBANDIT which also makes a copy locally for a week.

(4) Often I use EDITPADPRO fro complex articles, that I can’t dash off in one sitting, those are stored locally in a BLOG directory forever.

Since I have been doing this, I haven’t lost a thing.

If you did this, you’d have more choices how to move stuff.

AND, you’d have a recovery strategy.

IMHO you’re taking an unnecessary risk.

Back in my younger days, I had a data drive that the corporate IT types were backing up for me. (Yeah, you see it coming!) So fat dumb and happy, I created content. Emails, white papers, spreadsheets. One day my hard disk died. NBD! Call pc support, they come slide a new one and press the big red easy button to restore it. Oooops, no data found. Turns out that NO ONE in the enterprise was backed up. I was just the first fool to find it. I lost several years worth of data. I was able to pull bits and pieces for all over but no comprehensive store existed. Not only that, but I didn’t know all that I had lost. To this day, I can still remember from time to time, tuff I have to recreate. (Luckily, I violated company policy and certain CYA things I cced to my home email. Now I do it as a matter of course. Encrypted of course.) I will NEVER make that mistake again!

So, no one needs to pay tuition for that particular lesson. You can learn from my mistake. (Trusting others to back up for you!) You must have a backup strategy that INCLUDES testing. How do you know that the data can be recovered. In this example, I can go to gmail and SEE my blog posts.

imho fwiw ymmv.


JOBSEARCH: What are the things you took away from this carnival?

Tuesday, November 7, 2006

http://www.JibberJobber.com

Jason Alba

***Begin Quote***

So what are the main things that you learned/took away from this carnival?

***End Quote***

Remember I said that I read the entries “carefully”.

What I did was create that OPML of the participant’s blogs, pushed into a Google Reader, and read, not only their entry, but everything that the reader would show me from their blog.

So, what I learned from the carnival that there were 13 people that I never knew before that I could learn from. (I was already reading Slim’s Escape from Cubicle Nation!)

The long term benefit of the carnival is the new sources of DIKW that I have now “gathered”.

Here’s some detailed observations that I “collected” as well!

=== BEGIN OBSERVATIONS ===

Alba

So many great blog posts from a lot of folks I had not known of in the past.

FJR> Hmmm, people will give you their best thinking if you ask!

===

Blomgren

Someone once said that “nothing focuses one’s mind more than the sound of bullets whizzing past.” Anyone who has been laid off can tap into this energy, if they try to. The key is doing it methodically.

FJR> Methodically! I need more and better meth!

==

Chapman

Exploring the Candidate Bill of Rights

FJR> Unthinkable! Candidate’s rights?

===

Crane

Thinking back over the experience, I asked myself how Nate had created such a perfect buying experience for us. His questions were the key. Through his questions, he found our exact need, then provided a great solution for the need.

FJR> Steal this concept!

===

Driscoll

Entrepreneurship and generating passive income through blogs, products, speaking, consulting.

FJR> Either next, or the one after that. (Before WalMart greeter!)

===

Duncan

I can see now that he was right – because I never regained my interest or focus, and that potential is no longer a part of my life.

FJR> Decisions cut off other avenues. “Choose wisely”

===

Fluscher

Pick a strategy, tweak it here and there, and you’ll have better success than aimlessly bouncing the ball around.

FJR> Don’t have one? I need my next two strategies, Now!

===

Handlin

Before writing your essays draft a few thoughts on paper for each question.

FJR> If I’d have done that, maybe I’d have won Jason’s car. Or produced a better essay.

===

Herrick

Your best shot at fast employment is still your current employer.

FJR> Disagree. You’re damaged goods! But, suck everything dry before it happens!

===

Ingram

There’s almost always a reason why they haven’t been as visible. This is a great opportunity to find out why.

FJR> I try an age my contacts, but I could should, must do, better.

===

Johnson

My skills are not as current as I’d like them to be.

FJR> Me2; so what do I do!?!

===

LaRose

Play up how your skill sets and abilities are exactly what the company needs in order to maximize, optimize, advantagize (is that a word?).

FJR> Need 2 advantagize!

===

Neitham

Always insist on obtaining either verbally and/or in writing his/her response and commitment to the job offer.

FJR> Make them pay for it!

==

Reinke

The First Sunday of every month, I have a meeting with my mythical team of me, myself, and I. We discuss the implications of “the only paycheck you’re assured of is the one that is in the bank”.

FJR> My best idea!

==

Safani

Attend Events

FJR> But I’m a lazy ITSJ!

===

Singer

ALWAYS be thankful (very thankful!) to anyone

FJR> Even BEFORE they help!

===

Slim

Always know the 2 things you want to learn each quarter.

FJR> Great Idea!

===

Windley

Contextual Authority Tagging is the use of folksonomy to discover and define cognitive authority through reputation within communities of users.

FJR> Wow, how can I exploit that insight?

===

Yoest

Morgan Fairchild Marketing is composed of Reach, Frequency and Awareness.

FJR> And knock out beauty. How as a FOWG can I overcome that?

===

=== END OBSERVATIONS ===


TECHNOLOGY: open source Democracy Player

Tuesday, November 7, 2006

http://www.getdemocracy.com/

“Want to see the future of Net video? Download the open source Democracy Player”
Wired Magazine, May 2006

***Begin Quote***

Stop squinting at tiny web video. Instead, download and watch all the best internet TV shows in one powerful application: any video RSS feed, video podcast, video blog, or BitTorrent file. Fullscreen, high resolution, 100% free and open source. New channels arrive daily in the built-in Channel Guide

***End Quote***

Looks very VERY good to me.


LIBERTY: A chat about being like Patrick Henry

Tuesday, November 7, 2006

=== BEGIN CHAT ===

***Begin Quote***

Well, the media has me so mad, as they usually do!

That is the one area where I feel we need bugamint [Big Government] to get in. Believe it or not. My reasoning … they have too much power in their little hands … way too much power to influence people the way they want to free enterprise isn’t enough to take care of it

***End Quote***

Well of course I disagree.

“Congress shall make no law regarding … “.

We have to get the gubamint out of things. Not into them. The old media is “dead man walking”. They’re not making any money and the inet is eating the business model whole!

***Begin Quote***

You are missing the point my friend .. they are still are on TV today and will be tonight spreading their untruths and opinions that many people follow like lemmings … you can’t allow something like that to occur, in a free society or not.

ok, if not govt, then somebody, come type of control is needed

***End Quote***

You have the control. OFF button.

***Begin Quote***

Me yes, but I am not talking about me. That is the issue, other People don’t.

For Example, station runs a polit ad that contains lies against an opponent. The station doesn’t like the guy. So it runs the ad anyway. People see if and believe it, not all, but enough to swing an election.

Now should we allow that to take place?

Not in my USA

***End Quote***

Yup, because you and you neighbors can exercise market control on the politician, the station, and the ADVERTISERS of that station. Get everyone in your church to see it your way and watch how fast that changes.

***Begin Quote***

You should be made to run your ad by a neutral group that verifies the validity of the statements … no validity, no runnee ad.

Maybe not the govt, but some type of censor group

***End Quote***

So, get on the horn to all you local media and SPEAK Up. It does no good to pick on those who can’t do anything about it.

***Begin Quote***

I know … but there aren’t enough Patrick Henry’s out there … we need help unless someone does do that. I think the TV is the most powerful thing this country has ever faced … and it is winning.

***End Quote***

Nope, the internet is. It BYPASSES the established channels.

***Begin Quote***

But who will help? You are right in that sense, until someone does take them on it will continue.

OK so in the meantime I will just complain

***End Quote***

NO, no, no, what I want you to do is become a citizen journalist. It’s cheap and easy to blog! You can have your own local “channel”. It’s doable NOW!

=== END CHAT ===

We can ALL be citizen Patrick Henry’s.

That fellow goes to a church of at least a hundred families.

That’s voting bloc. And, an economic bloc. And a media bloc.

The church itself is a tax exempt corporate entity. Buy taken as individuals they can be a mighty force. The 60s civil rights movement began in the black churches. Gandhi wrote from prison.

If’n I was him, I’d start a Yahoo Group. I’d get every email of everyone in the church, without using the church. I’d have little business cards printed up. The Beverly Hills 90210 Value Coalition! (No, I’d use the name of their town and zip code.) I’d put the Yahoo Groups subscribe address and his name, phone, and email on it.

Then every time I spoke to a church member, I’d give him a card. After chatting, I make a note of the person, date, time, and topic. Keep some records and poof you have got a force to be reckoned with.

Dear Mister Politician, we didn’t like your lying ad. Come explain yourself.

Dear Mr. Newspaper, You stink and we ain’t buying. Come apologize.

Dear Mr. TV Station Owner, We don’t like you filth, bias, …

Dear Mr. Advertiser, You support lies, porn, nonsense, we ain’t buyin your product.

Then inet is the “queen of the chessboard” when it comes to politics, the media, and the grass roots.

There’s a reason we are seeing the formation of “astroturf” groups (entities pretending to be grassroots orgs). It’s POWER!


TECHNOLOGY: PRIVATEPHONE as a way to control inbound calls

Tuesday, November 7, 2006

http://www.privatephone.com

IT’S A FREE* PHONE NUMBER AND VOICEMAIL

***Begin Quote***

What is PrivatePhone?

* A NEW phone number, with BETTER privacy features, and a voicemail that gives you MORE CONTROL over your social and professional life.
* Access your voicemail messages any time, anywhere over the phone or on the web.

Is my PrivatePhone number really FREE?

* Yes, your PrivatePhone number is free. There is no obligation, no hidden charge. No Catch.
* PrivatePhone will be introducing future enhancements that will make your PrivatePhone experience even better; some enhancements will be available for a nominal fee, others for free.

How can I use my PrivatePhone number?

* Use PrivatePhone whenever you meet interesting people and want to get to know them better while maintaining control of your privacy.
* Use it on sites such as eBay, Craigslist and Rapleaf.
* When you want just your friends to hear your funny messages.
* These are just a few of the many uses for PrivatePhone; watch the videos for additional inspiration.

***End Quote***

Of course, I think it MIGHT be very useful for RESUMES, especially if you only have one line into your home, and confidential job search when you’re fully employed.


XPfails – luggable – BLOGDESK just beeps

Tuesday, November 7, 2006

For some unknown reason, I had to reinstall BLOGDESK. I don’t appear to have lost anything. Hmmm?


INTERESTING: Capitalist Manefesto

Tuesday, November 7, 2006

The Capitalist Manifesto: Managing the Rise of Citizen Investors
28.01
07-November-2006
Stephen Davis, Jon Lukomnik, David Pitt-Watson

http://changethis.com/pdf/28.01.CapitalistManifesto.pdf

***Begin Quote***

The citizen investor is you.

***End Quote***

I’m so not sure I believe this. The mutual fund managers have the big stick! I’d suggest that they are not immune to pressure. CEOs that tick of the general public and / or the investing public, like the Home Depot example, are doing so at their own peril. But, a underlying change in the corporate structure, nah! AND, certainly government regulation is probably the proverbial thumb on the butcher’s scale. Businesses disciplined by markets appeal to the government to save them from themselves, the stockholders, and consumers. With out of control government, businesses have little power. We need a different paradigm. True, but this isn’t it. imho


FUN: How long will Vista take to boot up?

Monday, November 6, 2006

I heard a wag say today:

***Begin Quote***

Well, it’ll be quick in comparison to a human that takes between 18 years and 25 years to move out on its own.

***End Quote***

That struck me funny. In a techie sort of way.


RANT: Does anyone ever fall for this stuff?

Monday, November 6, 2006

***Begin Quote***

From: Sears Card [mailto:accounts@searscard.com]
Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 9:47 AM
Subject: Sears Card Account Payment Notification

Sears Card Account Payment Notification

A payment posted to your Sears Card account on or before 30 October 2006.

IP address: 86.102.33.19

Because the Lookup Country for this IP address, we decided to restrict your Sears Card account features in order to protect our entire payment system form future fraudulent transactions. To report unauthorized use of your account, to change your password, to check available credit, or for more information about your account, go to:

<link is deliberately destroyed>

h t t p : / /

ns2.fastpace.com.hk

/usage/.www.sears.com/

us/cards/update.php?CARD=update

This message is for information purposes only.

Please understand that we cannot respond to individual messages through this email address. It is not secure and should not be used for credit card account related questions.

For questions about your credit card, please Contact Us:

<link is deliberately destroyed>

h t t p : / /

ns2.fastpace.com.hk

/usage/.www.sears.com/us/cards/update.php?CARD=update

After you have submitted your information, check for a response within 4-four business days. Just return to the Write to Customer Care section and select the View/Update Messages link.

***End Quote***

Why would you go to anything but http:// www. sears. com?

While I have a sears account, and they have my email address, it’s not one used for ANY other purpose. Also, that email account, is EXCLUSIVELY Sears! So if something, anything, comes purporting to be from Sears on ANY other email account, it is –prima facie (on its face) –res ipsa loquitur (it speaks for itself) — a FRAUD!

Even if you don’t want to go to the trouble of setting up different email accounts for different financial uses, you can do the same thing with gmail. Use the plus sign when you give out your gmail account to anyone. Regardless if you use or don’t rules or sort on it, it’s its own credential. After all how many spammers are going to guess that 6D4EAEBB87685D @ gmail.com will go thru with their spam fraud, but that the had to say 6D4EAEBB87685D + 57USHYW1 for me to really believe it was from the real Sears. (I know the address from writing them nasty letters.)

So maybe I create a code log. And, +58BD is Pennys, +BDFD is food town, +7BB3 is my bank, and +A6F1 is my credit union.

Go ahead try and fool me!

I can even carry a list in my wallet of the next forty strings. If I lose it NBD (no big deal). I can just make up another.

You don’t need to risk being fooled. You can take simple steps to protect yourself. I’ll help.

Here are some random plus codes for your to use:

5DC6E8 748A46 C9737A 4D5C6F
E5634C 3D4D42 222986 8C8F5A
CF9678 F349F3 776962 355D48
EEDD4D 53A768 C25D4F DA356E
698A7E 7768B3 C9F39B E244F8

Yell if you need more!


JOBSEARCH: The recent carnival participants in an OPML file

Monday, November 6, 2006

http://showfile.file.sc/23632/K4cR0vX7/20061106_carnival.htm

I put all the feeds in an OPML.

You can just vacuum that file into your reader and read all the wisdom.

Now maybe I’ll win Alba’s car?


JOBSEARCH: Jason’s “carnival” exposes some key ideas

Monday, November 6, 2006

http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/archives/191

Here’s a “carnival”. It has the thinking of some very smart people, and Jason even posted my entry in that elite company. (He probably felt sorry for my modest effort.)

Basically, we were all supposed to respond to the “You just lost your job; what do you do” question.

Oh, oh, OH! I know, I know, first I clear the airway, check to see if the patient is breathing, and then begin compressions. Oh, wrong test.

Seriously, 14 “contestants” submitted entries to the carnival. I’ve read all the entries, and mine isn’t the best. Which one do you think is?

Even I learned some things by reading each entry carefully.

Some after-deadline ones are coming in. I’m planning to read those as well.

One can’t always take “free advice”, but in this case, I suggest that everyone who is “in” take, make, and / or dedicate time to this wake up call.


LIBERTY: We see the pictures; we don’t see the silent harm!

Monday, November 6, 2006

http://www.alphecca.com/

October 31, 2006
Hubble to be Repaired

***Begin Quote***

Finally some good news for the “aging” space telescope. From the AP:

*** AND HE QUOUTES ***

NASA will send a space shuttle to repair the 16-year-old Hubble Space Telescope, agency Administrator Michael Griffin announced Tuesday, reversing his predecessor’s decision to nix the mission.

*** END HIS QUOTE ***

Something I can actually agree with Sen. Mikulski about. I am sure that there are plenty of folks who will gripe about the price tag but this country has wasted far more on far less.

***End Quote***

Now this is disappointing from a Libertarian. But, we all lose our heads from time to time. Heck, I’m sure I liked some benefit or another from the fascist Big Gubamint.

Why should I be forced at gunpoint to fix the Hubble?

It’s not “mine”. I certainly didn’t put it up there. No one came to my door — virtual or physical — and said “knock, knock! We’re collecting to put up a space telescope and would you like to kick in a few bucks?” A local boy scout did that for his Eagle project.

NO, using tax money, collected by violence on our fellow citizens, is immoral and wrong. No matter how neat the pictures are.

I always look at the margins. (Read the great Austrian economists to really grok it.) Somewhere, something was silently crowded out by this theft. Maybe a Mom could make a special cake. Maybe a Dad couldn’t buy his kid something they wanted. Maybe an investment was missed. Maybe a privatized Hubble was precluded. By stealing our money for this, they preclude us from doing that! It always happens because we live in a world of scarce resources.

We see the pictures; we don’t see the silent harm!

I hope that this Libertarian can convince that Libertarian.


JOBSEARCH: Contest entry to “Yikes! You just lost your job!”

Monday, November 6, 2006

http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/archives/142

Here’s the topic/theme/question:

> Yikes! You just lost your job!

Hey, no surprise! The First Sunday of every month, I have a meeting with my mythical team of me, myself, and I. We discuss the implications of “the only paycheck you’re assured on is the one that is in the bank”. I’ve been expecting this to happen ever since I took the job.

https://reinkefj.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/
jobsearch-youre-only-as-good-as-your-last-
paycheck-you-cashed/

http://tinyurl.com/y2ll2y

> You’ve been so busy at *work* that you don’t feel your
> network is as strong as you would like it to be!

Kick myself in the ass. I knew better than not to trust them bastards. Sneaky SOBs. Can’t trust them. OK, now it’s time to find my “last job”. (Given my age, I’m only planning one more job max before I go teach, consult, and write. Shift job search activities from “passive and fussy” to “active and discriminating”. (Yes, there are other gears, frenzied & panicked & desperate hamburger flipper & WalMart greeter.)

>What are you going to do with (and to) your network in the next 6 weeks
> as you begin an aggresive job search campaign?

Week 1: Immediately, draft a press release! Ring up my three friends, consume a suitable number of adult beverages, and commiserate how life sucks. Update my Plaxo mini bulletin board with my new status.

Week 2: Reopen consulting efforts; tell existing clients that their free ride is over; retainers anyone?; contracts? orders?

Week 3: Notify my graduated turkeys that their tuition bill is due and they are now on the hook to help me. Reactivated the resume and automatic job feed on the NINE boards that I watch regularly (weekly).

Week 4: Notify my 900 LinkedIn contacts that I need their help. Notify the three job search groups I belong to that I am now in play.

Week 5: Message my 1750 fellow alums, who read my ezine, that I’m available to make big bucks. Message the other 9k fellow alums that I can be hired for wakes and weddings. Message the 3k of non-alumni non-linkedin contacts that I’m in play.

Week 6: Now, grow up, get over it, pull up your big boy shorts, and get to serious work. What IS the UVP and USP that I am trying to exploit.

>And, outside of your network, what job search tactics will you employ?

Machine gun mass mailing of it (resumes) to public lists.

Shotgun it to some various subset of good companies.

Rifle shots it at key targets of known entities.

Pistol shots putting it up close at personal networking meetings.

Job search is WAR. Hence the metaphor!

>Or your best networking tips related to job searches.

Awareness, prior to being nuked, that it could happen. The first Sunday morning of every month should have an hour dedicated to the topic. Fore warned is fore armed! Or is that four armed.

https://reinkefj.wordpress.com/2006/07/05/
turkey-seekers-need-a-monthly-staff-meeting/

http://preview.tinyurl.com/yfebmh

Establish which of your value propositions that you are going to sell by market testing. Test, test, and test! It’s not your opinions that count, it’s evidence that leads to results.

Follow a sales funnel approach. Selling yourself is not different than selling any other product or service. No, no, no, … … YES! It just wading thru the NOs to get to the YES.

###


TECHNOLOGY: Sharewood Picnic 77 delivers a winner, three maybes, and six nahs. Same as last week!

Sunday, November 5, 2006

TECHNOLOGY: Sharewood Picnic 77 delivers a winner, three maybes, and six nahs. Same as last week!

http://www.masternewmedia.org/new_media/new_media_tools/
best_new_media_tools_of_the_week_20061105.htm

http://tinyurl.com/yxfnkl

November 5, 2006

New Media Tools Of The Week: Sharewood Picnic 77

Livia Iacolare and Robin Good

{Once again, they challenge us with new web services.}

*** Begin Their List ***

1. Windows Live Mobile http://mobile.live.com/GoLive/ is a service that brings e-mail, blogging, web search, maps, and driving directions directly to your mobile phone.

FJR> Nah, I want nothing to do with Microsoft!

2. PhotoShow http://beta.photoshow.com/home is a photo sharing service that allows you to upload pictures (even from URLs) and create slideshows.

FJR> Nah, why would I want another one?

3. Desktoptwo http://desktoptwo.com/ is a free web-based desktop that imitates the look, feel and functionality of a local computer, all contained within one browser window and fully accessible from any Internet-connected device.

FJR> Maybe, might be useful.

4. Instan-t Express http://express.instan-t.com/ is a web-based instant messaging service that allows you to sign onto public and IM networks with your existing usernames and passwords offering complete interoperability with MSN, AOL, ICQ and Yahoo! Messenger.

FJR> Nah, I already have MEEBO.

5. Compete http://www.compete.com/ is a search engine based on Yahoo! that records what its users are searching for to profile any websites they visit.

FJR> Nah, why would I want them to do that?

6. Zamzar http://www.zamzar.com/ is a service that allows conversion between a wide variety of different file formats.

FJR> Maybe, it could be useful in a pinch.

7. Wikiupload http://www.wikiupload.com/ is free file hosting service for all file formats including video, mp3 and images.

FJR> Nah, already have many such services.

8. Gickr http://gickr.com/ is a web tool that enables you to create animated gifs with whatever picture, even on Flickr.

FJR> Nah, I have no need for it.

9. Open Stock Photography http://www.openstockphotography.org/ is a site that helps designers find free stock photography.

FJR> Good, that’s a winner.

10. FundooWeb http://www.fundooweb.com/ is a mashup search tool that enables users to retrieve information from several sources in a single click.

FJR> Maybe, if it’s fast and easy.

*** End Their List ***

Always worth spending a little time with!


RANT: The ABCTV news sounds like DEMOCRAT cheerleaders

Sunday, November 5, 2006

I just listened to the supposedly unbiased ABCTV NEWS. It sounded like they were democrat cheerleaders.

Common guys, at least pretend objectivity.

Now I don’t like the fascist from either flavor of big government “party”. But, you have to laugh at the pretensions of the “reporters”.

WOW! What a joke!


TECHNOLOGY: Moving to a new computing paradigm

Sunday, November 5, 2006

http://www.myuninstalledlife.com

***Begin Quote***

So one day I decided to look for alternatives. We’re starting to see interesting services online. You can’t find a complete replacement for your desktop using your browser (yet) but it’s getting there. So I decided to start this website to share my story of trying to get it to work. But I want to take it to the extremes! I want to challenge the technology!

***End Quote***

An admirable objective.

It’s certainly one way to deal with win rot!

I think with a healthy shove from a stupid Microsoft with Vista, there are three interesting “prime directives” of the users — use the web for everything, Linux not Microsoft, and wireless uber alles.

MYUNINSTALLEDLIFE is on the crest of the first wave. (Although I’m not sure what one does when the web is offline).

The second one is all those who are not going to pay Microsoft, or Dell / Intel for new hardware to run Microsoft’s new pig (Old hardware on Ubuntu works nicely!)

The third is wireless connectivity everywhere (free?) to use zero or thin footprint clients. (Although I don’t know what one does when that wireless ain’t there or is expensive?)

It is certainly going to challenge my view of the world.

I have always used my framework (Users – Systems – Apps – Data – Wire) where Systems covered Platforms and Operating Systems.

http://yetanotherguru.com/Component%20Security%20Approach.htm

I may have to rethink this paradigm.

;-)


MONEY: Why don’t kids create their own wish lists

Sunday, November 5, 2006

The internet retailers all have wish lists, (i.e., nothing more than bridal registries without the sappy flowers). It surprises me that inet savy parents and children don’t use this to make relatives’ lives easier. Open up a registry for the child at WalMart, Amazon, or that ilk and email the relatives. Saves a lot of effort and duplicates. imho


PRODUCTIVITY: Divide big tasks into lots of little “next actions”

Sunday, November 5, 2006

My alumni ezine used to be a giant pia. Each week it was a mad rush to do the stuff needed to pull it together. “Getting Things Done” says to focus on next actions. So, what I did was over several months, divide this big glump of work into parts. Small. Discrete. Little lumps. So for example, one task is to create the framework for the next week’s issue. It takes AT MOST fifteen minutes. So, now on Saturday night, while I am waiting for the Yahoo Group to accept my submission and say “Our you sure?”, instead of playing a game of Solitair, or alternatively pounding on the refresh button, I create the next week’s framework. Obvious you say? I’ve been doing this for 8 years and it just never occurred to me to get that much of a head start on the next week’s work. So, I have carved this particular turkey into lots of parts. I use Google Calendar to chastise me when I fall behind. But, all in all, it’s been working well. An hour a night, has meant no crazy Friday / Saturday wee hours, making mistakes, trying to get it done.

Lesson Learned: Kissing small frogs is less disgusting than big ones.


TECHNOLOGY: Another wiki appears

Sunday, November 5, 2006

http://www.resourceshelf.com/

A Brief Intro to Congresspedia
By Shirl Kennedy, Senior Editor

***Begin Quote***

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Congresspedia

Congresspedia is part of SourceWatch, a wiki-based project of the Center for Media and Democracy, which defines itself as “a directory of the people, organizations and issues shaping the public agenda.” If you’re one of those people for whom the word “wiki” is synonymous with “chaos,” you need to know that there are real, live human editors behind Congresspedia — experienced investigative journalists, researchers who verify contributions and sources. A powerful concept. In true wiki style, anyone is welcome to register and contribute; you don’t have to use your real name.

***End Quote***

An interesting resource!

We need more ways to keep track of the criminals in Washington DC.


RANT: WalMart’s plan versus the Gubamint’s Medicare Durg Benefit?

Sunday, November 5, 2006

Referencing:

https://reinkefj.wordpress.com/2006/09/23/
money-wal-mart-to-offer-4-generic-prescription-drugs

I found one comment this morning which, of course, “spun up my ire”.

***Begin Quote***

From: Bill
Sent: Sunday, November 05, 2006 6:50 AM
To:
Subject: [Reinke Faces Life] Comment: “MONEY: Wal-Mart to offer $4 generic prescription drugs”
New comment on your post #780 “MONEY: Wal-Mart to offer $4 generic prescription drugs”
Author : Bill (IP: 24.48.51.63 , 24-48-51-63.ashbva.adelphia.net)

This is only for a thirty pill supply

***End Quote***

OK, that’s a fair enough comment.

So I shot back the following:

***Begin Quote***

Bill: You have to admit regardless if 30 pills or 30 days for some body’s four bucks, it’s a hell of a deal. Certainly better than for example the gubamint’s Medicare Drug Benefit with the crazy rules and the “doughnut hole”. Fjohn

***End Quote***

Nothing like starting off the morning with thinking about gubamint!

I have some other RANTs to pass out this morning in no particular order.

(1) I have some old folks that I poa for. Why do the docs insist on:

(a) prescribing expensive drugs in large batches that the old folks won’t take? Those old codgers are too polite to tell the good doc that. They yes the doc to death, go home, and do what they want. I know there are several hundred dollars in their various apartments sitting on the top of the counter that will never be taken. Wasting money, and these ain’t rich people.

(b) prescribing complicated dosing regimes to old folks, who while not doddering idiots, have a hard time remember stuff. Take this pill at 11am, that pill at 4pm, except on alternate Thursdays, unless the month begins with a vowel. Hey dummy doc do you realize that it has to be sesame street simple. Even for me, when I was taking lost of meds, it got confusing. And, I was a doddering idiot! DO they think that these people live in a nursing home with 24 hour nursing care? Heck, even hospitals make drug erros if it gets more than one a day!

(2) The Gubamint’s Medicare Benefit, with the stupid doughnut hole, is a joke. Despite having 4 old folks, on the gubamint plan, taking lots of stuff, I have yet to have one qualify for something. When I talk to the various druggists involved, they universally and uniformly describe it as a “scam to fool the old voters”! That’s their words, not mine. They also tell me that the BIG WINNERS in this were CORPORATIONS. Huh, yup, you got it, they were allowed to dump their retiree drug plans cause the government let them. Argh!

(3) Those corporations that drop their retirees either thru bankruptcy or shenanigans. A special curse on you! May your balance sheets get Cloroxed to the “holy land”, and may your bedsheets get starched! And, you better hope you don’t need me to buy something from you.

(Ahh that feels much better!)

(4) The Gubamint for getting the WW2 wage and price controls that allowed businesses to get into the “benefit business” in order to avoid those controls. This hid the true cost of stuff, got people used to getting free stuff, and tied people to their jobs to keep their benefits. Can we ever roll it back? From my consulting business I still carry my own benefits. It’s not that much, about 4k / year. But, I am not an indentured servant to any corporation, beholding to them for protection from outrageous medical expenses.

(5) How dumb are we, the American people, for allowing this to go on? Welcome to the new fascist Amerika, home of the stupid, land of the handout, and cesspool of corrupt politics.

How’s that for a morning rant?!

P.S.: Bill left a fake email address. I wonder why? A drive by commenting?


JOBSEARCH: Certain “job” email is spam

Sunday, November 5, 2006

METHODOLOGY: Plan to deal with the “noise” … …

… … take out the “trash”!

Here’s a classic example of non-traditional spam. I received three of these. So to me, that makes it spam. If I had only gotten one, I’d have been duped. SO here’s some points:

(1) It’s non-specific. It alludes to a “great job”, but doesn’t personalize what it is.

(2) It came in on the “right” email address. Addressed as “Ferdinand” *a sure tip off that the person has NEVER interacted with me.

(3) Taking the link brings you to a general jobsearch site with all the typical tools and advertisements and popups. So, the “jobs” are probably scraped off other sites.

Like with most spam, unsubscribe is a joke. Outlook’s spam filter is my choice.

That’s my take. YMMV FWIW
Fjohn
The Big Turkey

===
From: Andrea Tucker [mailto:Andrea@amazingcareer2006.com]
Sent: Friday, October 27, 2006 12:50 PM
To:
Subject: job of interest

Dear Ferdinand,

Based on your background and experience, we believe that you may be interested in one or more positions recently posted by our corporate clients. Please take a look at these recently posted opportunities. You can view the jobs in detail and submit your resume by clicking the links below. Our client is currently hiring for several positions across the country.

Job Match 1

More Jobs

Best Regards,

Andrea Tucker

 

To unsubscribe from further emails please select this link. 2981 Ford St Oburg, Ny 13669