Prisons...

This country is f***ed, and our prison population proves it. One in 100 adults is behind bars, which is a full 1% of the population in case you're bad at math or too lazy to do it. It's closer to 10% for African Americans, varying by subsets of that population. What does this say about us, as a country? And for the love of god, how much money are we throwing away incarcerating people who could be treated? It's horrid.

"You missed the bus."

Every Tuesday and Thursday, and sometimes other days, there is a girl at my bus stop at the same time I am. She is mentally handicapped, and very small. Every day when I walk up, she's already there, and I say cheerfully, "Good morning!" or something of the sort. Every time, she responds the same way: "You missed the bus." And I usually say something along the lines of, darn, I'll have to wait for the next one. But this morning, I knew she was wrong. The bus came almost immediately following our exchange. It's just a ruse, she just wants me to think I missed the bus. She's not referring to a different bus, because only one stops at our stop. So, this morning, I suppose to make up for lost trickery, she says, "I was here first." And I replied, "Then you get on the bus first, of course." But she always gets on first. What kind of a person would I be if I bum rushed a very small handicapped girl getting on the bus? And what's with her attitude? She's always sweet as pie to the bus drivers, but I swear, when she talks to me, there are thorns in her voice. She's like a devil child, but only I can see her horns.

Hillary quote

UT Austin endorsed Hillary. This is after Obama said that every major newspaper in Texas had endorsed him. The Daily Texan, the UT Austin student paper, representing 50,000 students, was not too pleased about this, because while it's a student paper, UT is HUGE and the paper has as many or more readers than many papers do. Anywho, they put this gem of a quote in their endorsement:
"Clinton's abrasiveness, while somewhat off-putting, is essential in scrubbing our country clean of the grime the current administration has let build up."
I just like it, because it's not too glowing, but it makes an excellent, and truthful, point. In fact, the whole endorsement is good for the same reasons, and you can read it here if you like.

I am a grammar nerd

Two grammar stories are circulating out there, and since I am a serious grammar enthusiast, I feel obligated to share them.

The first one, from the New York Times, is outstanding. It's about the decline of the semicolon in American usage. I happen to love the semicolon, and use it liberally [as liberally as proper grammar will allow, perhaps even more so].

The second one is not as good, probably because it's from CNN, but it still has some grammatical relevance. It's about computers and grammar, particularly apostrophes and how they make computers go bonkers because of poor programming. I post it because it points to declining use of proper grammar in the technological age, shown here in how programmers failed to take account of grammatical constructions in last names when creating online forms in which one enters a last name.

Colorado's Ban on Gay Marriage

Here's a lawsuit I support: one brought by a lesbian couple here in my home state to overturn our ban on gay marriage. This amendment to the CO constitution was one of the first causes that Rex and I championed together, but alas, Coloradoans did not agree with us that we shouldn't put a ban IN THE STATE CONSTITUTION. It was a ridiculous amendment, evidence of the mass hysteria felt by some people when they think of marriage applying to gays. Colorado is only one of many states that have such constitutional bans, and I am glad to see that we are challenging it [or that this couple is, anyway]. Their challenge is under the equal protection clause, so the real question is whether a judge will find sexual orientation to be a protected class. I hope so. The right to marry is sketchy because the Supreme Court has found such a right to exist, but not as to what that entails in terms of the couple's gender makeup.

Hillary Clinton, February 14

As I have made abundantly clear [I think], I am a Hillary supporter. There are lots of reasons, but in case you need one or two: she is the only candidate [ONLY] who indicates precisely how she will pay for every policy or program that she intends to implement, and she has acknowledged the import of a number of issues that are important to me, personally, including abatement of greenhouse gas emissions in this country and an attempt to re-enter Kyoto [I know it's not perfect or even the best attempt, but let's talk for a moment about the Asia-Pacific Partnership-oh wait, nevermind], affordability of higher education which includes aid to those of us who will have finished, so I'll still benefit as I enter the public interest domain and make a pittance with giant loans hanging over my head, I could go on but this is one hell of a run-on, dragged-out sentence. My problem[s] with Obama stems from the fact that I'm not sure exactly what he stands for, other than hope and change. While I think that this country could use a bunch of both, I'd like to know exactly what I'm hoping for and what change I can expect to see [and how it will be funded, let's remember there's no such thing as a free lunch]. The whole point is that I want her to be nominated as the Democratic candidate, and it's scary how close the race is and even scarier how Obama is pulling ahead. What all of this has lead to is that the gremlin is back. The gremlin is a nasty stomach thing that means mine eats itself because it doesn't know when to stop digesting, and this hurts. A lot. So now, I can't drink margaritas or red wine [and if it gets any worse, any alcohol]. So lets just select Clinton as our nominee, and the gremlin can go away. Also, I don't think it would be so bad [read: I think it'd be GREAT!] to have Bill back in the White House. C'mon, those were the days...

Clinton v. Obama: Health Insurance

Paul Krugman of the NYT writes about the differences between Obama's and Clinton's health insurance plans, reiterating why Clinton's is better. The fact that it's mandatory, and highlighting the flaw with saying that if it becomes cheap, people will buy it voluntarily [Obama]. They won't, because even those currently eligible for FREE insurance often don't sign up. If you are uninsured or underinsured, you should make sure you know these distinctions, because without our health it doesn't matter who's president--we won't be around for it. Personally, I am very underinsured, and have huge medical bills for small problems that I can't pay as a student. You may not need your insurance today, but what about tomorrow? Your kids? Your parents? Besides, Clinton can tell us how she's going to pay for it [see HillaryClinton.com, she outlines how she will pay for EVERYTHING and is the only candidate to do so], and Obama fails to enunciate how he will pay for his plans/policies if he gets elected.

HeeHeeHeeee

So I was going to publish this hilarious comic, but the HTML doesn't work and cuts most of it off. But here's what it says:

After refusing to sign the Kyoto Protocol for almost a decade, on Monday George Bush announced an initiative to "get rid of 100% of U.S. greenhouses."

It's funnier as a comic, but I had to post it somehow.

My Ethics Class is Bulls***, Part I

I say Part I because I am sure that I will have MANY more gems to share with you over the semester, if I bother to take the time. I know this is long, but you should read it because it is total, utter trash. I had to read it for class. But then we talked about substance abuse during class.
1. Question: How much money does it take to be happy?

Answer: It takes about $40,000. It does not matter how many kids you have or what city you live in—that’s splitting hairs because peoples’ happiness levels are largely based on their level of optimism and the quality of their relationships. So as long as you have enough money for food and shelter, your optimism level kicks in to dictate how happy you are.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This point is ok, and I agree with it to the extent that a family could be supported with $40k/year.

2. Question: Is it more important to be competent or likable?

Answer: People would actually rather work with someone who is incompetent and likeable than competent and unlikable. Most people nod in agreement when they read this. It’s the unlikable people who form arguments in their head.

But there’s more. At work, if you are unlikable, people start thinking you are less competent. So stop thinking you can skate by on your genius IQ because you can’t. You need emotional intelligence as well. This situation is so pronounced that there are special-education classrooms rife with kids who could read when they were three. Social skills matter as much as intelligence when it comes to long-term success, even for the geniuses.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I have had to work with incompetent people, and it is one of THE most frustrating thing. How about we don't reward incompetence?

3. Question: Should I sue a boss who is sexually harassing me?

Answer: In most cases, you will destroy your career if you report sexual harassment. So unless you are in physical danger, you should not report harassment. The laws governing sexual harassment don’t protect women who report. The law protects companies from being sued by the women who report. Human resource professionals are trained to protect the company, not the woman who reports.

When you report harassment it is usually the case that you lose your job through retaliation. Retaliation is illegal but nearly impossible to prove in court. And, even if you could prove it in court, you would go through emotional hell, with no salary, and high-profile drama that makes you unable to get another job. All this for a settlement that will almost certainly not enable you to retire.

This is simply how the legal system works. I am not saying this is okay. But I’m saying that if you care about your career, you’ll do everything possible to not report. Most women are not in the position to sacrifice their career—and their earning power—in the name of trying to bring down one harasser. The legal system needs to step in and take care of this.

EDITOR'S NOTE: My ETHICS professor is telling us that we shouldn't sue somebody for doing something ILLEGAL. Turn a blind eye? Isn't that UNETHICAL? I know it's at least amoral.

4. Question: When should I ask for a promotion?

Answer: Maybe never. The average salary increase is four percent. Is that going to change your life in any meaningful way? On top of that, someone is promoting you up their ladder, but their ladder is not necessarily your best path. So stay focused on where you want to go instead of the paths other people have created for you.

Getting a promotion is so last century. Instead of letting last century’s carrots dictate your workplace rewards, figure out what will be really meaningful to you: training, mentoring, flex time, whatever it is that means more than four percent more money. These are all things that can really improve your life and your career.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I just got a 25% raise, and let me tell you, it means more to me than, say, mentoring. Or training. I can train myself at my new, higher, hourly wage.

5. Question: Is being a generalist or a specialist the path to the executive suite?

Answer: In Hollywood, the best way to get your pick of any role in the industry is to become a specialist—funny guy, tough girl, action hero—get known for being the best at something, and then use that star-power to branch out. The same is true in business.

Jobs that don’t require a specialty are low level. To move up you need to be great at something, and you have to let people know what you don’t do. No one is great at everything. Even if your goal is not to get to the executive suite, you should specialize. When you want to take five months off to hike in Tibet, if you are easily replaced, you will be. If you have a skill that is hard to duplicate, your job will be there for you when you get back.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I have no comment.

6. Question: What do I do about the gaps in my resume when I traveled or couldn’t find a job?

Answer: Talk about them well. A gap is really bad if you spent your days on your sofa watching cartoons. But if you watched cartoons to prepare for your next career move into children’s programming, then you sound focused and driven. Same TV, same sofa, two different stories.

People don’t want to hear your life story. This is good news for people with sofa stints. In almost all cases, you learn something during a gap. Tell a great story about what you’ve learned and where you’re going, and your gap won’t get center stage. Leaving out details is not about lying; it’s about telling good stories.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This, again, seems amoral at best. It's at least not the kind of thing I think my ethics teachers should be forcing on me.

7. Question: Will getting an MBA or any other type of advanced degree be a good use of time and money since I can’t find a job?

Answer: No. If you can’t find a job, then you should invest in something like better grooming, or a better resume, or a coach for poor social skills. These are the things that keep people from getting jobs. Instead of running back to school, figure out why you can’t get a job, because maybe it’s something that a degree can’t overcome.

Grad school generally makes you less employable, not more employable. For example, people who get a graduate degree in the humanities would have had a better chance of surviving the Titanic than getting a tenured teaching job.

Unless you are going to a top business school at the beginning of your career, you should not stop working in order to get the degree. Go to night school because you will not make up for the loss of income with the extra credential.

Law school is one of the only graduate degrees that makes you more employable. Unfortunately it makes you more employable in the profession where people are more unhappy. Law school rewards perfectionism, and perfectionism is a risk factor for depression. Lawyers have little control over their work and hours, because they are at the beck-and-call of their clients, and many are constantly working with clients who have problems lawyers cannot solve. These two traits in a job—lack of control over workload and compromised ability to reach stated goals—are the two biggest causes for burnout in jobs.

[May I interject here? I went to law school for two weeks and quit when I was young! Guy]

EDITOR'S NOTE: So the only advanced degree that is worth anything is a law degree but that will make you utterly miserable. Well, that's just swell. I might add that I think many people with advanced degrees in, say, engineering, are better off with that degree than they would be without. Also, for anyone who has read Barbara Ehrenreich's Bait and Switch knows that she threw tons of money at the grooming etc. techniques mentioned in this point and it got her NOWHERE. It seems that my professor is telling all of us to quit. OH, the professor just said that a Coach is coming in on Thursday to tell us about that. How excellent.

8. Question: What’s the ideal length of a resume in a world where every resume is electronic and not viewed printed out on paper?

Answer: A page. Still. Your resume is a marketing document, not a summary of your life, so every line should be about an accomplishment. The more amazing your accomplishments, the fewer you need to list. For example, if you can write “Evangelized Macintosh and made it one of the most beloved brands in the world,” then you don’t need any other sales and marketing bullets on your resume.

If you have totally lost perspective, and you think you have two page’s worth of incredible and relevant achievements, consider that hiring managers spend ten seconds evaluating a resume, and a scanner looks for ten keywords, which certainly fit on one page.

So unless you have a great connection with the hiring manager, and you know he’ll look at both pages, don’t bother sending them. And if you do have that great connection then you are probably going to get an interview even if your resume sucks.

EDITOR: No comment.

9. Question: How should I prepare for an interview?

Answer: An interview is a test you can study for. So memorize answers to the fifty most common questions. Most interviewers ask standard variations on standard questions, and there are right answers to these questions.

Whether you are a stripper or a CIA agent, the answer to the question, “What is your weakness?” is a story about how your weakness interfered at work—in a specific situation—and you overcame it. Most of your other answers should be stories, too. This means you need to make them up before you get to the interview. Stories of your life are memorable. Lists of your life are not. Be memorable if you want to be hired.

Another way to prepare is to go to the gym right before the interview. It doesn’t matter if you never go to the gym—although you should, because people who workout regularly are more successful in their careers. You should go right before an interview because people judge you first on your appearance, and if do heavy lifting with your back and stomach muscles you will stand up much straighter in the interview. This will make you look more confident, which is half the battle in being judged by appearance.

EDITOR'S NOTE: WHAT?!?! I'm supposed to go to the gym and try to throw out my back (remember how they always tell you to lift with your legs, not with your back?) before an interview? Perfect, I'm sure the way to get a job is to call just before the interview and say, "sorry I can't make it, I threw out my back trying to have good posture during the interview I can't make it to."

10. Question: What’s the right strategy for the search for a first job out of college?

Answer: Don’t place too much importance on your first job. You’ll have a lot more. Most people have eight jobs before they turn thirty, and that’s fine. It is nearly impossible to know what career will be a good fit for you until you start trying things. So give yourself the latitude to try a lot. And don’t get hung up on a big soul search. To land a great job, you don’t need to know the meaning of life, just the meaning of hard work.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I agree with this one.

11. Question: Do only losers live at home after college?

Answer: On some level it would be insane not to move back home, which is why more than fifty percent of graduating seniors do it. Moving back to your parent’s house is a smart step toward finding a career that’s right for you.

Entry level jobs typically cannot cover the cost of rent, college loan payments, and insurance premiums—all of which are rising faster than wages. If you don’t have to worry about paying rent, you have more flexibility to wait for the right job and to take a job that feels very right but pays very poorly. The rise of the prestigious but unpaid internship intersects perfectly with trend to move back home.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I also agree with this one, but doesn't anyone else see the problem here? The elimination of the middle class? We need some big changes, and this little answer just reinforces the problem, rather than addressing it.

12. Question: What should I do if I work for a jerk?

Answer: Leave. I know there are classic Bob Sutton examples of revered jerks like Steve Jobs, but I wonder about the people who put up with him. Can they not find another visionary to work for who is not such a jerk?

Staying in a job like this makes you look bad. People wonder why you put up with it. And, frankly, you should too. It’s like being an abused wife. The wife who stays always defends the relationship by how much she gets out of it, but to everyone else it is obvious that she should leave. The problem is a loss of personal perspective.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Again, no comment except to say that the "visionary who is not a jerk" may not exist. But do you have to work for a visionary?