updates

not much progress on the job front. not many callbacks, and most of the calls i'm getting on my posted resume are for jobs it's obvious i'm not qualified for, or would be if the recruiters had bothered to read my resume. (i don't mean tech writing positions, either. lots of programming and web development stuff -- i find it difficult to believe that programmers and web developers are in such short supply that they have to resort to tech writers these days.)

i did get an almost-promising call today on a position in Redwood City, but it's through a recruiter i know to be dodgy (or at least, they were dodgy ten years ago when i was just starting out, and they don't sound any less dodgy now[1]). it's allso a lead writer position, and i'd really, really prefer not to be a lead anything. (still, i'll merrily bullshit my way through the interview, should it happen to actually materialize, which i doubt.)

they did send me an "interview agreement" (the usual don't screw us over thingy) to sign and fax back -- in an unreadable format. (it has a .dat file extension. i opened it in TextPad to be safe, and it claims to be a Word document, but it's full of control characters in Word, same as in TextPad. what the fuck? i can't afford to go use a fax machine until that insurance check comes anyway -- i'm literally down to the pennies in my change purse, and last i checked Kinko's didn't take barter.)

[1] has a reputable recruiter ever told you, "our head recruiter is going to be in a Starbucks at 92 and 101 this afternoon, if you'd like to drop by and talk to her," and suddenly decided they didn't need to meet you in person after all when you said you weren't available? yeah, me either.

last time around, the same 'head recruiter' (who was then working solo out of her living room) had scheduled two interviews at once and insisted upon interviewing us together. she illegally asked if i was a lesbian, assured me i'd never get a tech writing position without some sort of writing credential (even though i'd already had one), tried to sell both of us her $2000 tech writing course, and offered us jobs telemarketing for her. i'm quite certain she didn't have any actual jobs available. for all i know, she still doesn't.

(no subject)

Jurors Award $2M in Boy's Lawnmower Death

"I find it incredulous that a jury no longer cares about common sense and personal responsibility," company attorney John Fitzpatrick said.

me, i'm incredulous that a corporate attorney doesn't know how to use the word 'incredulous'. although i'm pretty much with him on the verdict. apparently people aren't too clear on the word 'accident' either. it's tragic and all, but at least from the facts as presented in the article, i don't see how the lawnmower manufacturer can reasonably be blamed for it.

but we just love a scapegoat here in the US, don't we? especially a corporate scapegoat. i'm no great fan of corporate america, but i don't see how this kind of thing does any long-term good, and (while i'm in no way implying this is the case here) it attracts scam artists like flies. surely we can come up with something more productive.

you can't make this shit up

Whole Foods has banned the sale of live crabs and lobsters in its stores on the grounds that they can't ensure they're treated humanely on the way to the store. hilariously ironic punchline tastefully elided.

(no, i don't actually have an opinion on whether lobsters are sufficiently sentient to suffer in any meaningful way, nor have i the slightest interest in debating it with you; i buy my seafood pre-killed. however, there is a generally accepted humane way to kill a lobster, which i recommend to those of you who can afford lobster.)

in totally unrelated news

OJ says it's not him on that sex tape.

i can't wait to see him trying on the used condom in court.