INTERESTING: for almost a century we’ve watched stranded towns and houses fall one by one

Saturday, January 5, 2008

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/2008-01/emptied-north-dakota/bowden-text.html

 

The Emptied Prairie
North Dakota Ghost Towns Speak Of An Irreversible Decline
by Charles Bowden

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This is the place where American assumptions about the land proved to be wrong. The homesteaders believed rain followed the plow. In the grasslands of western Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas, they learned better. And so for almost a century we’ve watched stranded towns and houses fall one by one like autumn leaves in the chill of October. In most of the United States, abandoned buildings are a sign of change and shifting economic opportunities. On the High Plains, they always mean that something in the earth and the sky mutinied against the settlers.

***End Quote***

How can we say that we have no room for immigration?

I bet some entrepreneurial ethnic group (i.e., Hutus; the Montenyards; the Kurds, the Irish; the Chinese), who are persecuted in their home land, could shoot thru the Golden Door and turn these places into “gold mines”. Liberty does wonders.

But, we’ll never know because we are busy building fences to keep “outsiders” out. (And, “insiders” in?)

Sigh!

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Posted by reinkefj

JOBSEARCH: resume falsification

Saturday, January 5, 2008

>Re: resume falsification
>Posted by: “Liz Ryan”
>Thu Jan 3, 2008 7:13 pm (PST)
>Did you know department: many universities treat false reporting of degrees
>or earned credits as a criminal matter, as fraud. One time, I contacted a

While your example did expose a cheat, I’d tread VERY lightly in verification processes. Personally, I have had my undergraduate degree IDKed by my alma mater once. I had to fax them a copy on my diploma and my official transcript. And, got a “oops, we’re sorry” in return. Also, I have had a previous employer do th old IDK as well. In that case I had my last paystub in my tax folder for that year that I whipped out as proof. Yup, all I got was another “oops. it was a subsidary payroll account — XYZ-ABC; not XYZ itself”. Yeah, right. So in self-defense, I tell new diplomates to get an oficial transcript and a copy of their diploma for their “brag book”. As well as their first and last paycheck from ANY job. Fore warned is Four Armed? fjohn

p.s., What’s a “brag book”? I firmly believe that seekers should have a binder book that has proof of EVERY assertion that they make on their resume. I like to use it as a prop during interviews. So for example, I claim that I ran a group of over 300 people in 31 states in my AT&T days; in my “brag book”, I have an old org chart. So for example, I claim that I managed several large databases; in my “brag book”, I have screen shots of several splash pages that identify and size the db. So for example, I claim that I managed a big project at CSFB; in my “brag book”, I have the first and last “waterfall” charts. It’s all about building credibility. I joke that my Mom probably has my First Grade report card, if they need it. You don’t want to appear anal. But you do want to establish the image that you don’t make wild claims. Then, people believe you when you are on the margins. So, when I say I managed a large Oracle db later in t he interview, they believe it. They don’t have to know it was Oracle v1, rather than the v26.39 that they are running. Maybe that’s “cheating”, but I don’t think so. I’m not responsible for their assumptions.

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Posted by reinkefj

LIBERTY: Anything but actually defend the country

Saturday, January 5, 2008

http://www.lewrockwell.com/vance/vance130.html

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Defense Secretary Robert Gates envisioned a new role for the U.S. Army:

Army soldiers can expect to be tasked with reviving public services, rebuilding infrastructure and promoting good governance. All these so-called nontraditional capabilities have moved into the mainstream of military thinking, planning, and strategy – where they must stay.

In his speech Secretary Gates also acknowledged that “U.S. forces will play some role in Iraq for years to come.”

Anything but actually defend the country.

***End Quote***

That’s why the Founders were against having a standing army.

That’s why we have DOD and Homeland Security.

That’s why we are broke, and disgusted.

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Posted by reinkefj