JOBSEARCH: Your resume is NOT your UVP

Monday, May 14, 2007

FROM AN EMAIL EXCHANGE WITH A NEW TURKEY

***Begin Quote***

Your resume is NOT your UVP.

The resume is an expression of your Unique Sales Proposition.

I believe that your UVP is a distillation of your elevator speech. It’s what you can uniquely do that is of value to you, and someone who will pay you.

For example, my UVP is that “I solve complex technical and business problems in large scale IT infrastructures.” That’s not on any resume, but that’s the message.

See the diff? (welcome to the big turkey’s vision of the world).

I like seekers to have one simple declarative sentence.

In marketing they teach product should “own a word”. Volvo safety. Cheerios Ohhs. Goodyear tires. Goodrich not-Goodyear. You get the idea. In jobsearch, I teach seekers to have at least one sentence that expresses their value to anyone.

In TurkeyLand, the process goes:

  • First you discover all / most / some of your Value Propositions. (I have pages of them; blogging ain’t one of them!)
  • Then, you refine them to UNIQUE VPs (i.e., Anyone can flip burgers).
  • Then, you sort them by how marketable they are, how saleable they are (note there is a BIG difference), and/or how interesting they are to you.
  • You, then, develop how you “market” / “sell” it (i.e., find the target audience & the sales proposition).
  • Finally, you develop the collateral material like resumes and cover letters and other stuff that support the USP.

OK, that’s how it is done in “turkey land”. In the real world, how do you do it?

***End Quote***

I cleaned it up for general consumption, but that was the thrust.

Leave a Comment » | JOBSEARCH | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

TECHNOLOGY: My 5 reasons to start a Blog

Sunday, May 13, 2007

http://www.lytebyte.com/2007/05/12/link-o-byte-4/

Link O! Byte cited

***Begin Quote***

http://www.whoismadhur.com/2007/05/10/top-5-reasons-to-start-a-blog/

Top 5 reasons to start a Blog

For all the people who are still reading blogs and still wondering whether to start a blog or not, Madhur has listed Top 5 reasons why you should be starting a blog.

***End Quote***

People bandy the word “top” around a lot. If one had “research”, “evidence”, or “facts”, then I wouldn’t be writing this. What the blooger had was really “His Top 5 reasons”. No research, evidence, or facts to substantiate that title.

So, I’ll just give my opinion which is just as valid. Maybe less so, since no one reads me, except 3 relatives and 3 friends. (Yes, I have three friends — OLDEST, OLDER, and just OLD!) Oh, and yeah, that nice spammer who keeps placing all those excellent comments wanting to enlarge a body part that polite people don’t discuss. (Think he will get the idea since ZERO of his comments have slipped thru moderation. Has to be a bot; no one is that persistently annoying. Not even me! Even so, running a bot has to cost something.)

My Top Five Reasons To Start A Blog

(5) You have nothing else to do. Just as “a boat is a hole in the water into which you throw money”, so to “a blog is just a hole in the internet into which you throw time”. (Made that up all by myself!)

(4) You think that you can earn a buck drawing readers and selling advertising.

(3) You can sell your version of the “great american invention” for 19.99 if people would just listen.

(2) You can have that next great job served to you on a silver platter when an employer read your witty insightful drek.

(1) If the Universe is truly one song, then you want to sing yours in such a way that it is never lost. Each of us has unique insights that we have a moral obligation to pass along. Sort of like the frozen mountain climber’s body on Everest warning the next climber of danger. The internet is the closest thing to immortality that we’ll ever have. The pharos had their pyramids. The Eskimos had their totem poles. We have blogs. Your words will live forever,

# # # # #

Leave a Comment » | Technology | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

MONEY: Panama Has Thrived Without A Central Bank

Sunday, May 13, 2007

http://www.masternewmedia.org/information_access/
central-bank-federal-reserve/panama-has-no-central-bank-20070512.htm

http://tinyurl.com/25db5o

May 12, 2007
The Federal Reserve – Who Needs It? How Panama Has Thrived Without A Central Bank
David Saied is head of National Public Policy for the Government of Panama
and also directs the National Competitiveness Program.

***Begin Quote***

The Federal Reserve is America’s Central Bank, owned by an unnamed corporate cartel, given a license to print money, and holding significant sway over the national government and economy. If it were dissolved tomorrow, the average tax-payer would doubtless be a lot better off. But we couldn’t do that, could we?

The Republic of Panama has managed just fine without a Central Bank for over a hundred years, and in actual fact, if you compare the rate of inflation between Panama and the USA over the last twenty years, Panama comes out a lot better off every step of the way.

***End Quote***

I’m just an injineer; not one of them there highly educated highly compensated ekkynonnymists. BUT, it seems to me, that you are tying yourself to the USA Federal Reserve Bank Note and the rate that they choose for inflation. That “tying” can become a hangman’s noose when “helicopter ben” starts dropping FRBNies from the sky. ALSO, it would seem that shifting from the “US Dollar”, which is really the FRBN not a real Constitutional Dollar, to a gold / silver standard for a Panamanian currency could make you the darling of all the gold bugs in the world. A national currency redeemable in gold might well be a great growth industry. But then, I’m just an injineer.

# # # # #

Leave a Comment » | MONEY | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

LINKEDIN: My “granfalloon” won a prize in the recent “group hug” about LinkedIn

Sunday, May 13, 2007

http://www.linkedintelligence.com/smart-ways-to-use-linkedin-prize-winners/

May 13th, 2007
Smart Ways to Use LinkedIn – Prize Winners

*** begin quote ***

I’d like to thank everyone who participated in the Smart Ways to Use LinkedIn Group Blogging Project, and especially the people who stepped up and donated over $4,000 in prizes. I was overwhelmed by your generosity. It enabled the start of what I hope will become a valuable resource for all LinkedIn users

*** end quote ***

# # # # # # # # # #
And I commented
# # # # # # # # # #

reinkefj
May 13, 2007 at 5:27 am

Thanks. It’s always nice to “win”, BUT I think the real winners are:

(1) all the people got new ideas;

(2) all the people who showed themselves to be the generous experts they are; AND

(3) YOU for creating a new paradigm. (I call it “rally a group hug” with prizes.)

Even a grizzled big fat old turkey, like me, learned some “new tricks”, as well as some interesting new ideas.

Only time will tell if those ideas “were actioned”, but they are out there forever for the taking.

And, in some sense, there are future readers who have “won” by having a “blazed path” to follow in exploiting LinkedIn.

Thanks for pulling this together. Do it again next month? :-)
fjohn

p.s., Is there a “wining” logo? (Yeah, I know. What an ego!)

# # # # #

But I was really hoping my “dog” would be awarded “best in show”! I thought it was one of my best posts. And I was hoping for a kool logo. But, I’m a “winner”. ;-) And I can make my own medal.

medal-purple-150

Leave a Comment » | LINKEDIN | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

LIBERTY: 6 More casualities in the phony “war on drugs”

Saturday, May 12, 2007

# # # # # # # # # #
I WROTE AND SENT THIS
# # # # # # # # # #

From: Reinke’s Jasper (mc68alum) Persona
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2007 8:16 PM
To: ManhattanCollegeAlumni
Subject: [ManhattanCollegeAlumni] MNEWS:6 MC students busted for drugs

MNEWS:6 MC students busted for drugs

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime_file/2007/05/09/
2007-05-09_6_college_students_busted_for_drugs.html

http://tinyurl.com/2erpuq

6 college students busted for drugs
Wednesday, May 9th 2007, 4:00 AM

***Begin Quote***

Six students were hauled off Manhattan College’s Bronx campus in handcuffs
early yesterday to face drug charges, officials said. A month-long NYPD
investigation culminated in several search warrants being executed at the
Catholic school in Riverdale between 6 and 7 a.m., cops said. The students
“were placed on involuntary leave,” a school spokesman said.

***End Quote***

Even before this, I was against the pseudo “war on drugs”. Sad that these
people’s lives are now ruined. For what. For the gooferment’s ability to
tell people what they can put in their body?

# # # # # # # # # #
I RECEIVED THIS
# # # # # # # # # #

From: An Alum
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2007 4:02 PM
To: ‘Reinke’s Jasper (mc68alum) Persona’
Subject: RE: [ManhattanCollegeAlumni] MNEWS:6 MC students busted for drugs

John,

What if they are dealing and contributing to a society of addiction?

Which leads to broken hearts, families, lives —

I’d like to see anybody argue, that “gooferment” and society has no vested
interest in preventing.

# # # # # # # # # #
AND I RESPONDED THUSLY
# # # # # # # # # #

From: Reinke’s Jasper (mc68alum) Persona
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2007 10:06 PM
To: An Alum
Subject: RE: [ManhattanCollegeAlumni] MNEWS:6 MC students busted for drugs

Well, let me take a stab at my argument and see if you buy it.

:-)

Let me try to make three arguments: from principles, from effectiveness, and from efficiency. (Just like I was taught in Theology class!)

The individual is sovereign. No one — not Prince, not Priest, nor Politician — has the right to tell any one what to do with their own body.
You, as does anyone, have the Intelligent Designer endowed right to make mistakes. Your mistakes. Further, no one has the right to force you to do anything. For any reason. In any manner. So drug use, and all the issues around it are none of our business. Bad things happen to people from their bad choices. The sooner people learn to not make bad mistakes, the better off they are. By babying them we prevent learning.

The prohibition on drugs is ineffective. Look around, drug use isn’t going down The laws of economics still work. Supply must meet demand at the clearing price. So, as long as addicts desire drug, the market will supply it. As an example, look at the gooferment’s prisons or schools! They can’t keep drugs out of there. What chance do we have in “regular society”.

The prohibition is inefficient. To get the full impact of drug prohibition is a staggering calculation. I think there are two calculations (a) the drug war AND (b) the drug regulations.

Just considering the drug war, you have to add all costs associated with it.
The cost of police, prisons, and the lost productivity of all those people jailed, and all the people around them. And, all the innocent collateral damage. I can’t add that high.

Just considering the gooferment’s regulation of drugs, the incestuous relation with the drug companies, the grand tacit conspiracy of docs, drug stores, drug company executives, regulators, and politicians is a fantastic cost. You have to get a permission slip on government stationary from a government agent (doctor), to take to the government approved store (drugstore), where a government approved agent (druggist) will dispense it, is paid for by a government agent (insurance company), and made by government approve makers. Subtract out all that gooferment and drugs would be cheap! Lest you say people will die and get sick from moonshine. “barbara streisand” Think Underwriter’s Laboratory for drugs. Nobody gets electrocuted but there’s no gooferment “protecting” you. And speaking of “gooferment protection”, don’t forget that the FDA approved Vioxx.

So, the gooferment’s force is wrong, the war on drugs is bogus, and the costs are absurd.

Does drug addiction cost society something? Sure! But, just put a tenth of the money spent on “prohibition” into research, treatment, and education.
Leave people to freely do “their thing” and the “drug problem” will be minuscule. Let the drug dealers compete with WalMart! Envision all the overdoses and poisonings are eliminated. What will all the Colombian drug lords do when WalMart moves in?

To me, the essence of liberty is giving people the free will and choices that I want for myself.

My wife’s a diabetic with severe medical problems and the drug nonsense really is insulting. She can’t buy syringes without government permission.
It’s insulting to be treated like a stupid little child.

That’s why gooferment, and “society”, has NO role in my, or anyone’s, drug use. Bad things happen; force makes it worse.

Convinced?

:-)

imho,
fjohn

# # # # # # # # # #
DID I CONVINCE YOU?
# # # # # # # # # #

Leave a Comment » | LIBERTY | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

RANT: LGENVY has a “feature”

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Just got a new phone. LGENVY. Found my first flaw. (That’s me flaw finder par excellence!)

I have my morning, lunch, and quitting time alarms set on it. This morning while recharging it, the morning alarm goes off. No big deal. I go to “dismiss” it and I can’t unlock the keyboard while it is charging. Disconnect the charger, and you can unlock and dismiss.

Does any one test this stuff? Or, is it just me that tries to use it.

Leave a Comment » | Ranting | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

GUNS: Yet Another NJ Gun Law

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Dear Assemblyman Bill, Assemblywoman Linda, and Senator Peter:

Please impress on your colleagues that this anti-gun bills are: (a) un Constitutional; (b) immoral; (c) ineffective; and (d) inefficient. And, vote that way.

Clearly, the Second Amendment precludes Government from regulating guns. Slice it and dice it any way you want the Dead Old White Guys were right on. When you take guns away from the People, or at least try to, that sets the stage for tyranny. Just remember Nazi Germany. Disarm the citizens; death camps in the 30’s and 40’s. Governments kill people in massive quantities. I can repeat all the bumper stickers, because they are all true. But let’s stick to the one most on point. When you outlaw, guns, only outlaws will have guns. Look to England with home invasions on the rise and they still have gun killings. Criminal don’t obey laws.

It is immoral to remove the People’s Right to Self-defense. I know you’d all love to live in a world where nothing bad ever happens. But, that’s not real life. The murders on the VT campus were a DIRECT result of creating a “gun free zone”. Guess it wasn’t do “gun free”? While we can’t ever know that there would have been an armed person there if that diktat was not in effect, we KNOW positively that there wasn’t even a possibility of one with it in effect. Even a young girl or an old teacher might have been able to stop the slaughter when the nut had to reload. But the politicians and bureaucrats ensured that the shooter would have no worries about armed resistance. John Lott’s studies show the power of guns in the hands of law abiding people. It’s immoral to deny the People the protection of “sprinkling a few sheepdogs among the sheep”. Recognize that good law abiding people will defend themselves, their families, their neighbors, and even complete strangers if give a fighting chance. Only the very bravest, or the foolish, will attempt to take on a shooter unarmed. But, given a weapon, how many of those VT dead an injured would have be able to defend themselves.

Gun Laws are ineffective. The NJ Legislature has passed how many gun laws. And, taxes on guns. And, restrictions. And, and, and. Still criminals shoot people. Do you think that all the laws in the world aren’t going to help? So for example, see any 50’s being used in crimes? Oh but let’s pass a law. What’s next, “if it saves one child”? You can’t legislate a solution. Go ahead and continue to try, but it’s futile. Good people will still be good; bad bad. When you pass a gun law, you shift the balance. Less good people with guns; more bad people with guns. When the law is exceptionally stupid, you might even turn “good people” into “criminals”. Stop the insanity. Every time you pass “gun laws”, you make the People less safe. Let’s take a Rutgers co-ed. Bright young girl. You have effectively made it impossible for her to defend herself. She get raped. Who’s fault? YOURS! You didn’t trust her to know when and how to defend herself. I do. Do I think that she will suddenly lose her mind and begin blowing people away. Not likely. Might some amorous young man get threatened. Could be. One thing is for sure that young girl will be in control. And, it’s a self-nominating thing. No one says she has to carry; she can choose to. With out you legislators playing God with her life. I trust women to know when they need to use deadly force. Don’t you? I trust all my fellow citizens to know when to use deadly force. Don’t you?

The gun laws are inefficient. The costs of ownership are artificially increased by legislation. Economics teaches us that when you raise the cost, the supply demand curve shifts. Raise the taxes and fees and you deprive the poor of the good. They can’t afford it. Now I know the political elite, the rich, and the celebrities all have all the armed security they need. I’m sure that the politicians and bureaucrats get all the gun permits that they could want. How about the poor minority woman who has to walk from the bus stop to her home at night? She doesn’t deserve to be able to protect herself. She doesn’t even show up on anyone’s radar. When you eliminate cheap guns or raise their cost, exactly whose hands are you taking them out of? Not the criminal’s. Not the elite’s. Yup, that poor person is at risk.

So in summary, I urge you to vote against ALL gun regulations everywhere anytime. The criminals won’t obey. And, the law abiding, who would, aren’t the problem.

Now, would you like to talk about the “drug war”? Would you believe it too is (a) un Constitutional; (b) immoral; (c) ineffective; and (d) inefficient.

If you have to make laws, make them limiting government. You guys don’t even fasten your own seat belts, but make us.

*** begin quote ***

New Jersey Update On Gun Ban Legislation!

On Thursday, May 10, the New Jersey Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee decided to take no action on Assembly Bill 3494, sponsored by Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt (D-6) and Assemblyman Peter Barnes (D-18). A3494 would drastically raises all firearm license and permit fees and would allow the Superintendent of State Police the discretion to annually reconsider fees for a manufacturer or dealer license, a carry permit, the firearms purchase I.D. (FID), and the pistol purchase permits.The committee also voted 4 to 2 to amend Assembly Bill 3998, sponsored by Assemblymen Reed Gusciora (D-15), Michael Panter (D-12), and Robert Gordon (D-38), which would ban the possession of all .50 BMG rifles by declaring such items to be a destructive device.

*** end quote ***

# # # # #

1 Comment | GUNS | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

TECH SERVICE: THINKFREE for Office (Word) compatibility

Saturday, May 12, 2007

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/kimkomando/
2007-05-03-free-websites_N.htm

Free websites offer real solutions
CyberSpeak
Kim Komando
USA Today

***Begin Quote***

Work on Office files

Microsoft Office is the gold standard in office suites. Businesses everywhere use it for documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Given the demand, the program carries a hefty price tag.

What if you don’t have Office? This makes it inconvenient to work on files from home. You may not be able to edit personal files others send.

ThinkFree Online (www.thinkfree.com/common/main.tfo) has you covered. You can use it on any computer to edit Office documents or create new Word, Excel and PowerPoint compatible documents.

***End Quote***

In a fluffy little story, just right for the McDonalds of newspapers, she does give one great tip.

When I was having outrageous problems with WinRot that was killing Office, I used several free web services. ThinkFree, Google Docs, and Zoho Writer were all admirable substitutes for Office.

You have to wonder though.

DO I really trust my critical docs to the internet on a free site?

Leave a Comment » | SERVICE | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

TECH SERVICE: FEEDBLITZ allows anonymous users.

Friday, May 11, 2007

Imagine my surprise when I opened this email!?!

***Begin Quote***

From: FeedBlitz
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2007 3:28 PM
To: reinkefj
Subject: [FeedBlitz] An anonymous user has confirmed their subscription to “Reinke Faces Life”

An anonymous user has confirmed their subscription to “Reinke Faces Life”

***End Quote***

I didn’t know it could do that. The logic is impeccable. The user can get a fake free id and accomplish the same thing, so why make extra work. I was just surprised!

Leave a Comment » | SERVICE | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

LINKEDIN: Who viewed my profile?

Friday, May 11, 2007

http://www.linkedin.com/static?key=wvmp_results

LinkedIn’s new feature.

Useless imho.

Leave a Comment » | LINKEDIN | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »