Last Night I stayed home because I was sick. Sick with the autumn flu that’s making its rounds through Toronto.
Like a good sick person, I tucked myself into bed, and flexed my remote control muscles.
I soon realized someone else is pretty darn sick too.
The economy…..oh not just the US economy, nope all it’s many relatives too.
All day the TV was flooded with dire diagnosis about its health. Sometime later a big halla balloo was made over the non passage of the rescue bill by the US Congress.
One republican (who I cannot remember, bear in mind my head was foggy with Nyquil) interestingly said on CNN, that the rescue plan was an attack on the very tenants of capitalism. Turns out capitalism isn’t to blame, it’s the inherent greed of people.
Excuseee? Isn’t that one in the same?
Doesn’t dear ole Capitalism take its cue from greedy people, who always want more, bigger, better, and more? Isn’t that what forces otherwise sane people to buy a new car every two years, take on lavish mortgages to live in houses with at least one room they never visit?, buy labeled clothes every month and happily put it on their credit cards?
The funny or rather scary part is, when I looked around my life as I walked into work today, I still saw people shopping, buying their $10 latte and biscotti, coming in with their new coats, with not a care in the world.
It seems to me, that my generation doesn’t really know how to be fiscally responsible. They don’t know how to panic about what’s happening. So they keep doing what they do best, spending money.
Which makes all these crack pot schemes like the one Bush carved up last summer, which gave all Americans $600 to spend, sound credible.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Resume Straight Talk
I’ve taken on a new role at work that sees me do a lot of recruiting.
Here’s a few tips for you folks out there who may be thinking of getting a job, or are currently actively looking.
Your resume speaks volumes about you. Fudged truth is easily discovered in a pre-screen. The biggest red flag is when someone puts year ranges, without months. Spelling, grammatical errors all indicate either English is not the first language or sloppiness on the part of the candidate. Never ever lie about your degree; there are easy ways to authenticate a degree.
Format your resume. A recruiter receives about a hundred resumes each day. As corny as it sounds, yours should stand out. That being said a nice looking resume without any substance will not get you very far either. Here’s a great site on giving your resume a facelift. If your a marketing/advertising or creative person, make sure your resume reflects that attribute.
Recruiters Skim, so keywords are important. But don’t pick them out of the job posting. That’s too obvious. Think of what the job would entail and what you’ve done in the past and find a way to highlight those attributes and skills.
By far the best advice I can give you is to get someone to refer you. Referrals are given special attention. Someone’s vouched for them, which means I will screen them. This moves your application to the forefront of the recruitment process.
Hope you guys find this useful. And if you guys ever want any advice, leave me an email address.
Here’s a few tips for you folks out there who may be thinking of getting a job, or are currently actively looking.
Your resume speaks volumes about you. Fudged truth is easily discovered in a pre-screen. The biggest red flag is when someone puts year ranges, without months. Spelling, grammatical errors all indicate either English is not the first language or sloppiness on the part of the candidate. Never ever lie about your degree; there are easy ways to authenticate a degree.
Format your resume. A recruiter receives about a hundred resumes each day. As corny as it sounds, yours should stand out. That being said a nice looking resume without any substance will not get you very far either. Here’s a great site on giving your resume a facelift. If your a marketing/advertising or creative person, make sure your resume reflects that attribute.
Recruiters Skim, so keywords are important. But don’t pick them out of the job posting. That’s too obvious. Think of what the job would entail and what you’ve done in the past and find a way to highlight those attributes and skills.
By far the best advice I can give you is to get someone to refer you. Referrals are given special attention. Someone’s vouched for them, which means I will screen them. This moves your application to the forefront of the recruitment process.
Hope you guys find this useful. And if you guys ever want any advice, leave me an email address.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Da Hooch
Four girls traveling together usually means that each girl takes a particular role.
In this trip we had a hooch.
The hooch is the friend of a friend who tags along for the trip.
She seems like a nice girl, and on the plan ride over, she tells you her life story, she has an 8 year old daughter (you do some quick math in your head,) she’s dating this guy whose wonderful, except when they broke up, he got another girl pregnant, (warning bells begin to murmur in your head,) she’s on the trip to let loose and have some fun.
When you take the hooch shopping, you notice a particular trend in her habits. One size too small, ill fitting clothes that scream ghetto, are the first things she reach for. The Hooch loves to try on clothes, and whilst the three others wait around, store after store, silently cussing her in their head, she remains happily oblivious, squeezing her ladies into another ill fitting top.
Soon the hooch is insisting on stopping off to get a temporary ‘pay as you go phone.’ She reminds everyone that she is a responsible mother, and needs to be in constant touch with her daughter. Reasonable enough, we all haul ourselves over to the store, and wait the hour and half it takes her to pick out the phone.
Fast forward to later in the evening, her new phone is ringing off the hook. You ask the hooch is everything is okay at home. The Hooch, beaming, informs you the guy she’s dating from TO is in New York for the weekend, and wants to meet up with her. The girls weigh in; happy that’s she about to get some weekend love.
The Guy fails to show up for dinner. The Guy fails to show up for lunch the next day.
Eventually the Guy shows up at 2 am. Within an hour Hooch and Guy have disappeared.
There is no news, no call, not a peep from the Hooch for two days.
Eventually the Hooch appears. The Guy walks her into the house, whilst a BBQ is in full swing. The Hooch says not a word. After Guy has left, Hooch freshens up and makes her debut. Within a half hour the Hooch finds a mark, and attacks. Within two hours Hooch and the mark have disappeared to Juvet (an all night fete.) In the morning Hooch is no where to be seen.
On the eve of our departure the Hooch returns, haughty. She tells anyone who will listen that she’s had a great time. Her enthusiasm is met with palatable irritation and annoyance from the rest of us, who had to listen to various lectures over the weekend about our slutty friend.
The Hooch then realizes that she has no way to get home. She forogot to book her return ticket. The Hooch is informed that she is to depart the house the next morning, and is wished well on her way home.
In this trip we had a hooch.
The hooch is the friend of a friend who tags along for the trip.
She seems like a nice girl, and on the plan ride over, she tells you her life story, she has an 8 year old daughter (you do some quick math in your head,) she’s dating this guy whose wonderful, except when they broke up, he got another girl pregnant, (warning bells begin to murmur in your head,) she’s on the trip to let loose and have some fun.
When you take the hooch shopping, you notice a particular trend in her habits. One size too small, ill fitting clothes that scream ghetto, are the first things she reach for. The Hooch loves to try on clothes, and whilst the three others wait around, store after store, silently cussing her in their head, she remains happily oblivious, squeezing her ladies into another ill fitting top.
Soon the hooch is insisting on stopping off to get a temporary ‘pay as you go phone.’ She reminds everyone that she is a responsible mother, and needs to be in constant touch with her daughter. Reasonable enough, we all haul ourselves over to the store, and wait the hour and half it takes her to pick out the phone.
Fast forward to later in the evening, her new phone is ringing off the hook. You ask the hooch is everything is okay at home. The Hooch, beaming, informs you the guy she’s dating from TO is in New York for the weekend, and wants to meet up with her. The girls weigh in; happy that’s she about to get some weekend love.
The Guy fails to show up for dinner. The Guy fails to show up for lunch the next day.
Eventually the Guy shows up at 2 am. Within an hour Hooch and Guy have disappeared.
There is no news, no call, not a peep from the Hooch for two days.
Eventually the Hooch appears. The Guy walks her into the house, whilst a BBQ is in full swing. The Hooch says not a word. After Guy has left, Hooch freshens up and makes her debut. Within a half hour the Hooch finds a mark, and attacks. Within two hours Hooch and the mark have disappeared to Juvet (an all night fete.) In the morning Hooch is no where to be seen.
On the eve of our departure the Hooch returns, haughty. She tells anyone who will listen that she’s had a great time. Her enthusiasm is met with palatable irritation and annoyance from the rest of us, who had to listen to various lectures over the weekend about our slutty friend.
The Hooch then realizes that she has no way to get home. She forogot to book her return ticket. The Hooch is informed that she is to depart the house the next morning, and is wished well on her way home.
Monday, September 08, 2008
Trini Hospitality
Friends: When your girlfriends pitches you the following be wary:
Wanna go to New York?
I have a friend whose boyfriend has a huge (much emphasis was made on huge) house we can crash it!
It’s huge and he’s really nice.
His friends loved us at Caribanna and want to take us around and show us the sights.
Thus unsuspectingly I boarded the chic plane at Porter Airport (highly recommended method of travel) with high expectations.
On the plane I was informed by the girlfriend of two things:
~The Boyfriend lived with him parents
~She did not like or get along with his mum
Why oh why would you invite four of your not so nearest and dearest friends to go stay with people who don’t like you for the weekend?
On arrival, we are led into the house. The Green carpets stand out immediately, so do the plethora of fake plants, strewn in every nook and cranny.
We are led into a middle room. Most of the chairs are covered in plastic and there is a glass case containing an odd collection of dolls. Once again the green carpet is the focus.
There is no where for us to put our bags, there appears to be no plan for us to set up shop anywhere, instead we sit uncomfortably on the sofas, making little plastic sounds every time we shift bum cheeks. The boyfriend repeatedly tells us to relax, we are home, enjoy!
Then Medusa aka the mum arrives. She is a big, big woman. She grunts at us in welcome and takes a breath.
The she says:
‘Girls, I Ave sumthing to say ‘fore you get too cosy, yes. This is my house, neva mind what my son my say, Aye pay the bills, so yuh know Aye’m in charge. Aye expect you to behave yourselves, do not put yuh feet up on my couch (at which point CP discretely lowers her folded leg into the green carpet,) if at the end of this weekend I see feet prints on my couch, I will blame yuh. Don’t make any noise, Aye have to go to work,
And she goes on for about ten minutes.
And she ends with, “So please feel like this is your home”
Sure.
Ps. I have to put a disclaimer here, that in the past all other Trini's I have ever been exposed to, have been the most giving folks ever.....
Wanna go to New York?
I have a friend whose boyfriend has a huge (much emphasis was made on huge) house we can crash it!
It’s huge and he’s really nice.
His friends loved us at Caribanna and want to take us around and show us the sights.
Thus unsuspectingly I boarded the chic plane at Porter Airport (highly recommended method of travel) with high expectations.
On the plane I was informed by the girlfriend of two things:
~The Boyfriend lived with him parents
~She did not like or get along with his mum
Why oh why would you invite four of your not so nearest and dearest friends to go stay with people who don’t like you for the weekend?
On arrival, we are led into the house. The Green carpets stand out immediately, so do the plethora of fake plants, strewn in every nook and cranny.
We are led into a middle room. Most of the chairs are covered in plastic and there is a glass case containing an odd collection of dolls. Once again the green carpet is the focus.
There is no where for us to put our bags, there appears to be no plan for us to set up shop anywhere, instead we sit uncomfortably on the sofas, making little plastic sounds every time we shift bum cheeks. The boyfriend repeatedly tells us to relax, we are home, enjoy!
Then Medusa aka the mum arrives. She is a big, big woman. She grunts at us in welcome and takes a breath.
The she says:
‘Girls, I Ave sumthing to say ‘fore you get too cosy, yes. This is my house, neva mind what my son my say, Aye pay the bills, so yuh know Aye’m in charge. Aye expect you to behave yourselves, do not put yuh feet up on my couch (at which point CP discretely lowers her folded leg into the green carpet,) if at the end of this weekend I see feet prints on my couch, I will blame yuh. Don’t make any noise, Aye have to go to work,
And she goes on for about ten minutes.
And she ends with, “So please feel like this is your home”
Sure.
Ps. I have to put a disclaimer here, that in the past all other Trini's I have ever been exposed to, have been the most giving folks ever.....
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Wine, Go Down & Sit
I had a life experience this weekend.
I went to New York for Labour Day.
I didn’t go to the New York of Sex in the city, an Affair to Remember or any other such picture-esque places.
I went to the New York of Jay-z, Flatbush, Jamaica Ave and Boyz in the Hood. (Ok so Boyz was shot in LA, but you get the drift!)
We stayed in the Brooklyn for the most part. All weekend long I was referred to as the light skinned, skinny ‘ting.’ This was because for the entire weekend I was literally the white person in the group. And I’m not even white.
I have a lot of stories for you guys.
I leave you with this saying that I heard over the weekend which sums up the trip:
‘Wah she nah learn, she mus feel’
I went to New York for Labour Day.
I didn’t go to the New York of Sex in the city, an Affair to Remember or any other such picture-esque places.
I went to the New York of Jay-z, Flatbush, Jamaica Ave and Boyz in the Hood. (Ok so Boyz was shot in LA, but you get the drift!)
We stayed in the Brooklyn for the most part. All weekend long I was referred to as the light skinned, skinny ‘ting.’ This was because for the entire weekend I was literally the white person in the group. And I’m not even white.
I have a lot of stories for you guys.
I leave you with this saying that I heard over the weekend which sums up the trip:
‘Wah she nah learn, she mus feel’
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