WONDER WHY

In the not too distant past, a colleague was taken to the Emergency Room at a local hospital. It was all about a kidney stone. Painful indeed but not life threatening. While sitting in the waiting area after check in and initial triage, he observed an interesting phenomenon – one not unusual by any means – of people coming in to the ER with what seemed to be rather NOT ER conditions. Mostly they were young couples with a very young child who was being bothered by some malady or simple injury. Of course, one of the first questions asked in the process was about their insurance status and many of them had no insurance  coverage at all and, while an ER is obliged to accept patients who come to them for treatment, one had to wonder why come  there rather than an area Urgent Care or even a Family physician. The answer was simple. They could not afford medical insurance.

About that time, my colleague was called for treatment and was ushered back to another part of the ER and his treatment began. Now, to clarify here – he did have insurance – general coverage as well as emergency medical coverage so there was no concern here. At least, not at that point.Treatment completed, pain eased, follow up suggested. Hours later, time to exit and go home.

And then the proverbial you know what hit the fan. Sifting through the mail, my colleague found an invoice from a  specialty medical group of some sort. Not recognizing it, but noting that it was a medical invoice, he opened it and found an invoice for over nine thousand dollars – yes, that’s $9,000. It was for medical services rendered at the Emergency Room at the hospital where he was treated a while back. Must be  a mistake, he mused and then contacted his insurance carrier. What came out of that discussion was  concerning. The insurance carrier acknowledged the invoice but reported that, while they had  a contract with the hospital, they did not have a contract with the Emergency Room – a fact which revealed that Emergency Rooms are not necessarily part of the hospital in which they operate. Makes one wonder just how all this impacts on most people. Hospitals, Urgent Care and Emergency rooms are the site of usually serious medical situations.  Costs for treatments are most often covered by insurance policies, though, as we have seen, not always. There are issues around networks and contracts with providers  and geographical locations and the like. 

Accessing medical care here in the United States is not quite as readily available as one might think . Considering the United States is one of the wealthiest nations in the world, one would think access to medical care and coverage for its costs would be high on the national agenda. Unfortunately, this is simply not the case. While the passage of the Affordable Care Act did relieve some of this issue, it was incomplete from the start, thanks to the GOP blocking significant elements in the Act. It still functions to this day but it is a constant fight with the far right MAGA republicans as they chip away at the ACA provisions , their agenda for that being the topic for another time.

What is the more underlying question remains being why this, as one of the wealthiest nations in the world, does not have a more universal coverage mode of health care. In fact, the cost of health care to the consumer in the U S is one of the highest in the world, averaging over $13,000 per person. By comparison, the average cost in most other wealthy countries is less than half of that.

In the U S, the well off can afford medical coverage. Those below a certain income level also have opportunities through Medicaid. It is the millions of people in the middle that have to contend with those high costs. Many people do have coverage through their employer but it is not free and a chunk of their wage is deducted in order to participate in those plans. It is the part time wage earner that gets hit the hardest and , again, as the ACA does help many, there are still major costs associated with medical coverage.

Here is where it gets interesting. Most of the  industrialized countries around the globe have what we title Universal Medical Coverage provided “ free ”. OK, it is paid for in various modes, usually through taxes and government contributions, but consider the alternative.  Clear thinking people would much rather pay a higher tax level than have to pay high medical costs, especially costs for  catastrophic medical events which would certainly exceed their tax burden for coverage.

So, the question remains, why or better still, WHY, or better, WHY NOT. 

Sadly, while there are several factors working here, there are, we submit two stand out. One is the failure of congress and legislatures on the state level to take requisite action to make it happen. The overwhelming reason there is the highly successful lobbying efforts conducted by, for example, the pharmaceutical companies. The other  is the concept of profit margins being more of  a priority than the health of the nation’s people It is time to rein in corporate America and bring it around to adjusting their business  strategies.

It is time for  working partnerships between government and corporate interests. Now I know that to some this may sound like socialized medicine and a case may be made for that. However, while one can still be alright with capitalism and still move toward this goal. It is the unfettered capitalism  at the expense of the populace that is destructive and needs to be checked.

It is time to take aggressive legislative action and implement what every other industrialized nation has already done. In taking a serious look at tax code revisions, cost analysis and other factors and come to realize that the insane amount of the cost of health care in this country must be brought under control and in such a way that all benefit with access to quality health care across the board.

Somewhere back in the annals of early America, cotton growers in the Southeast decided that they needed to expand their growing capacity in a huge way. The problem was there were several tribes of Native Americans getting in their way. Now,as we all know, most politicians answer more to the influence of big money and big business than to the needs of those who elected them and under pressure from the growers and their money, Congress decided that, for the good of the country – read, the good of cotton growers – the tribal folk had to go. So, in the winter of 1838, the Trail of Tears began.

Fast forward to 2014 and we find much of the same situation, only the stakes are almost as high. The tactics have varied and though whole tribal nations are not being relocated, the outcomes are pretty much the same. The modern version finds senator John McCain, the senior senator from Arizona, ( you know, the guy who never met a war he didn’t like ) arranging for an amendment to the defense bill which will hand over land deemed sacred by the San Carlos Apache to an Australian Mining company to expand copper mining in he Superior, Arizona area. And by the way, this land is part of the Tonto National Forest but one has to figure that this doesn’t matter to Mr McCain either.

In the U S House of Representatives, a group led by Tea Party Caucus members Rob Bishop ( R-UT ) and Chris Stewart ( R-UT ) is pushing for legislation which would “Seize and Sell America’s public lands”. A similar push in the Senate is being spearheaded by the Tea Party senator from Texas, Ted Cruz (R-TX ).
Can you imagine what the people of Utah, Arizona and New Mexico will say if and when they wake the hell up and realize what congress has planned for their national treasures ?
Funny thing though – on a state level, matters are equally vigorous in the pursuit of this disastrous agenda. Far right wing lawmakers in several states – eleven of them – have introduced proposals to seize control of public lands, especially federally protected lands. In the Arizona legislature, Senator Kelli Ward along with numerous others in the legislature, is spearheading a move to in effect nullify all federal rule in the State of Arizona and cede all federally held lands to the State. While the fate of this from the earlier session is unknown, it plays well with U S Congressman Trent Franks who is pushing to open uranium mines on the eastern edge of theGrand Canyon.

As one can figure, the Koch brothers backed American Legislative Exchange Counsel ( ALEC ) is drafting the legislation proposals for this agenda in close league with a front group for the oil industry in the person of one Richard Berman.
The culmination of these efforts would, if successful, completely obliterate the legacy of President Theodore Roosevelt and destroy what are true havens for naturalists, photographers, scientists and all those who simply relish and enjoy the beauty of nature at its finest – at least on this continent.

Millions of people from all over the globe annually visit our National Parks, especially those is the West and Southwest – the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, the Painted Desert, Arches and Canyon Lands, Chaco Canyon. Can you imagine how absolutely horrifying it would be to be a visitor in these majestic places and be forced to negotiate around fracking wells and uranium strip mines ? The shattering of the quiet, the polluting of the air, the poisoning of the water table – all in the name of corporate greed. And yet, Reed Watson, the executive director of the Koch backed Property and Environment Research Center is calling for no more national parks, touting them as a waste of financial resources. Of course, PERC, with Koch money and strong ties to the fossil fuel industry, has long been advocating for the privatization of our national parks so, as Sarah Palin often said, fuel companies can drill and drill and drill,baby drill .
One should take a long hard look at how so many are connected to this conspiracy to destroy and who is behind it all. While you can criticize this post as being slanted left – a view that is accepted – it is indeed outlining a path toward the elimination of some of the worlds true wonders. And one can also find it interesting that there is a second agenda here not only corporate greed but a way that certain states are looking to in order to recover from deep debt. The states which seem to be pushing the anti – wilderness agenda appear to be deep red states, most of which have deep red ink in their ledgers. These states are now looking to use the possible sale of protected lands to bail them out of their folly created by eliminating key sources of revenue, especially business taxes. It’s the Grover Nordquist mentality taken to the ridiculous. Allow the principal source of revenue for all public services to dry up but then wonder why the ledger does not balance.
So, as all can see, the desert Southwest is being ruined by earlier wholesale disposal of public lands and with that over development comes the commensurate congestion, overcrowding and other environmental issues. Big business once again is the fair haired boy of states and all others must pay the piper. When the dollars run short, then the course of action is to sell off more land and when that runs out,we are left with the great American land grab. Shameful indeed how the continuing saga is told – quality of life be damned. Big business needs more revenue and quality of life is up for sale.

After watching a local high school let out after the school day, I began to wonder about the curious advancement of technology. Dozens of teens exited the school buildings and proceeded off campus to their respective destinations. What was interesting was that, while there were so many in such close proximity to each other, few if any seemed to be speaking to another person. One could not help but notice, though, that pretty much all of them were engaged on some electronic devise . It reminded one of that Tahoe taking kids to school. Mom is on the phone, the student in the front seat is focused on texting and all the kids in the back seats were either likewise texting, on the phone or wired in to some sort of MP3 player. None was actually speaking to another person.

It seems to be the everyday thing of late and, though some will not find this out of kilter, one has to be aware that quietly, the ramifications are presenting themselves in many of the facets of everyday living. The utility of technology has given way to an almost obsessive dependency on not only these devises but the whole mode of communication they foster. Therein lies the problem and, if one doesn’t see that, it must be concluded that the machines are winning in the war to preserve human interaction.
Take a close look, for instance, at the widespread deterioration of the English language. Accepting that school curriculum may hold a good part of the fault here, the apparent failure of so many to approximate good grammar has to be rooted to a good degree in the lack of language skills required to send and receive text messages, often riddled with shorthand and short cuts, completely abandoning what used to be prized as correct syntax. And this is not limited to everyday conversation. Simply listen to even the alleged high level news broadcasts. The constant misuse of words and the lack of correct sentence structure is appalling.
One can be driven to screaming with the abundance of plural subjects connected to singular verbs. The constant and continual misuse of certain words like “possibly” simply adds to the fire. Do they even teach grammar and syntax in schools any more ? Would the students of today have any clue as to how to diagram a sentence ?
Another facet of our world of modern technology that should be seriously reassessed as being self defeating is the world of the career search. Back then, one would address a well written – and grammatically correct – cover letter and a professionally composed resume and forward it to the CEO ( or the actual hiring manager – not to be confused with the Human Resources Office ) of the organization to which one was seeking employment. Then the process would continue with discussion, screening by the organization and its managers, first round interviews, second round interviews, and on to an offer being made. OK, maybe not quite as simple as that but that’s the general gist of the process. These days, one is at the mercy of not only so called HR specialists who, for the most part, have no clue about the demands of the position for which they are recruiting, but the short list for even their consideration is developed by a computer scan, searching for those critical buzz words which usually have no connection to the real world. And all this can be moot if the computerized system fails to recognize a certain web browser, never receives the application in the first place because the “ sending web site “ fails to operate or, as is all too often then case, the documents are received in such format disarray that they are not even reviewed.
Sadly, and we have discussed this at length earlier, many highly qualified candidates fail to achieve a seat at the table because companies and organizations are so fixated on computerized processing.

And speaking of being fixated, how about the newest obsession in the world of schooling – on line education. While one can accept the utility of some coursework being offered on line, particularly in the fashion of long distance learning, the question needs to be asked, at what cost are we offering education on a computer monitor rather than in a classroom where a student can intellectually and socially interact with other students ? A survey course in history, for instance, might well be offered on line if it is only purposed to present a chronological calendar of events, leaving out any discussion of the impact of those events, let alone the opinions of others about that impact. Take for instance this scenario. Picture yourself in a large university community with a huge international population. It is 1968, the height of the Viet Nam war and newspapers from all over the world are covering this mess, offering not only facts and figures but also opinions as to the what, how and why and wherefore of it all.
The discussions are constant, sometimes heated and always bringing various and highly varied opinions to the table. Can you get that on a computer monitor ? What about discussing a new discovery in the solar system ? Would a discussion discussion of this be more productive in a chat room or or in a classroom where one can actually see the persons who are offering opinions ? After all, seeing ones expressions are a significant part of communication unless, of course, one is completely robotic.
Another concern – one fails to see how any educational institution can offer a degree, especially a professional degree with a critically shortened timeline and conducted totally in a chat room. Sorry, it just doesn’t float for this writer and the lack of experience in a socratic setting plays out in the real world as inability to discuss, debate and negotiate a program, a project, a plan of action or anything else for that matter.

One is not completely anti – technology here, nor a technophobe. Technology and its modern applications have allowed us humans to make major strides in securtiy, medicine, travel, and yes, indeed, communication. In some ways it has advanced our way of living and in some ways, in the quality of living. However, it is sometimes quite scary that a whole wave of seeming dependency has crept in to our way of life.
Albert Einstein once mused “ I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots “ ! OK, that might be a bit extreme but there is truth to many of the grains of this thought. It is especially true when entering the realm of social interaction as well as, as noted earlier, our ability to discuss and debate. It is apparent to some of us that one root cause for all the hostility out there might just might be that widespread inability to engage in civil discourse unless and until some screen on a lap top or tablet or phone didn’t provide directions !

Of late, there is much discussion about whether or not to substantially raise the minimum wage from its current level of $7.25 dollars an hour. It’s not, by any means, a simple question and there are valid arguments to both sides of this discussion. While not posing a solution, perhaps raising some questions would lend to approaching one which is truly workable.

After decades of sweatshops and what was tantamount to slave labor in, among other places, the mills and factories of the larger cities, the Roosevelt administration passed the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938 and, as part of that was a clause which required a minimum wage. It was clearly designed to bring some level os dignity to the labor force and push back against worker exploitation. Over time, the minimum wage rose to its current level of $7.25 per hour. The current administration now wants Congress to change the federal minimum wage and raise it to $10.00 per hour. In fact, there are now several jurisdictions which have done that, some even higher. Many, especially in the fast food market and the big box retail market are calling for a raise to $15.00 per hour as the minimum wage. While this might be nice from an income level for some, there are several questions which must be raised, centering around fairness, economic growth and policy.
According to several sources, including the BLS and the Census Bureau, a raise to a $10.00 minimum wage could move over 900,000 workers to above the poverty level. This would mean about $20,000 annually, which for an individual would be about $4,000 above the federal poverty level. With the federal poverty level being at $24,250 for a family of our, this helps but does not lift that family out of poverty unless there are at least two breadwinners making at least $12.500.00 each. Also, in order to have this effect, that individual would have to be working a full time forty hour week for a full fifty weeks.The question is, then, will such corporations as the big box retailers and the fast food industry be willing to one, hire far more people at the full time forty hour week and then pay them that minimum wage of $10.00 per hour -PLUS BENEFITS, one might add – ? The first, maybe, the second, decidedly not.  Retailers much prefer manipulating the part time labor market to hiring full time employees The underlying argument here is that, contrary to the assertions of some managers in the business, profit margins are the ruling agenda here and hiring more workers at a full time forty hour week would seriously diminish the part time ( less than a thirty-two hour week ) job market which is still a much needed market. While this is an argument for another place and time, the premise does indeed have some merit.

Then there is the calling for a minimum wage of $15.00 per hour and this discussion brings up several very different elements for consideration. In addition to those raised above, there is one key element which bears a close look and that is the element of fairness and worth. Do the job requirements demand a wage in the area of $ 30,000 annually and do the prerequisites of the job likewise require that level of compensation. Now before the far far left get going on what the term “worth” connotes, it is not about the worth of a person nor of an individual worker. This is about skills sets and abilities based on schooling and education even before one secures that job. Ask anyone who has searched for a job or better, a career position and they will tell you of the array of requirements – yes, requirements one must have before they will even be considered .
How does the big box retail market stack up to , say, a school teacher or a social worker or a special education teacher. There are education requirements, training requirements, experience level requirements and sometimes language requirements. Never the less,the average salary for a Child Protective Services case worker – requiring a bachelor’s degree ( in Arizona ) – comes in at about $30,100 for entry level and, with two years experience, about $36,600. Nationally, it’s a bit higher at $42,000. The salaries for school teachers vary almost as widely as case workers. According the the NEA, the starting range is from $24,600 in Montana to a high of $48,800 in New Jersey – again with a college degree required. In Arizona, the beginning average is about $31,800.Special Education teachers have an average starting salary in the range of $33,000 to $40,000, depending on the area. This requires a Bachelors degree plus state certification.Remember, many of those jobs in question in this discussion are tagged as “unskilled” and, at least in earlier times, were pretty much held by high school and college kids paying for their expenses with part time and summer employment. Now things have changed and many are forced to take these heretofore second income type positions as their primary source of income. The point here is that starting at $15.00 per hour would mean a wage not much lower than what “skilled “ and in some cases “professional” position entry level salary levels are offering . One needs to ask, is it – meaning the job – worth it. In some cases, after years on the job, perhaps. In most, especially when the turnover is so high, there is serious doubt.

And this brings us to that third area – that of policy.
In earlier years, there were numerous job training opportunities, taking different forms depending on where one was located. They ranged from the famous OIC in Philadelphia to the Job Corp camps around the country. Over time, these opportunities have dwindled. Most recently, the President signed in to law the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which repealed or replaced many previous federally funded job training programs and updated it to more current skills set training. However, like so many laudable efforts inside the beltway, the full funding for this has been stalled, and along with the now probably defunct Jobs Bill of 2011 which focused on jobs rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure, we are left with little or no support for this agenda. Sadly, there are continuing statements by corporate HR staffs that for one hundred positions, there are barely sixty qualified applicants.
The country has not learned the lessons of the past nor has it heard the discussions of labor advocates who while decrying the constant outsourcing of jobs to the Far East,are screaming for new job training opportunities, or at the very least, for corporations to embark on serious investment in the domestic labor force with training programs of their own.
While many, if not most employers provide both entry level training that is task specific ( mostly !) and ongoing OJT, there does not seem to be an overall concerted effort to foster serious skills training that reflects not only the contemporary job market but also the job markets of the not too distant future. As for career positions, including professional positions, well, let’s say that’s a discussion for another time. Suffice it to say there are numerous training opportunities but most are out of reach financially for many, especially if one is out of work or underemployed.
It is time indeed for a complete overhaul of the training schema of things and until commerce and government understand that a real partnership on this issue is the only way to succeed, there will be little or no progress.
In the meantime, one has to ask those questions posed by this discussion and wonder if raising the minimum wage to a level to which many retailers cannot or will not support will do more harm than good and will cause more in the way of strain on the economy.

Recently there has been a flurry of rhetoric regarding the continuing mess in the Middle East and specifically in Afghanistan and Iraq.Without getting into all the nonsense surrounding these catastrophes and the fabrications and policies of war profiteering that got us engaged there in the first place, a key thread in the discussion is the constant theme of soldiers who are serving their country by being soldiers. Raising the question of from what are the combat forces protecting us is another question for another time entirely. There is a larger question here and it, in this writer’s opinion, goes to the heart of the discussion – is serving in the military and specifically in a combat theatre the only way one serves his or her country ? Are the rants of the likes of the senior senator from Arizona, John McCain representative of the people who for some odd reason continue to elect him back to the senate ? Mr McCain continues to spout the terrible ideology of many republican politicians that serving one’s country only means being in uniform in a war zone. Of course, it is their policies that get us into war zones on a frighteningly regular basis. Nonetheless, the question remains – is this what constitutes “…serving one’s country..”.The concept of serving one’s country is as old as nations. By definition, it means providing a service which benefits the nation or significant part of it. Unlike former senator Rick Santorum who declared that serving ones country meant displaying his bumper stickers, the whole ideology is, or should be based on what benefits the broader community, not simply a selected few or in his case, an individual. Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew stated that “..I think there is no higher calling in terms of a career than public service which is a chance to make a difference in people’s lives and improve the world..”. Secretary Lew holds what is, or rather ought to be the key element in the entire debate. It is about making a difference in the lives of people – the community of people, as it were.

Now , as someone once said, to every rule there is an exception and, if one may, the most glaring exception to Mr Lew’s philosophy is, of course, Congress. Members of Congress are elected to represent the people in their District as well as keeping a focus on the well being of the nation as a whole. Lately, however, it seems that the betterment of the fare of the country has become at best third place on the agenda , the primary being reelection at any cost or any price. Second on the agenda is the augmenting of their own portfolio and their own bank accounts. Sadly, the wishes of the masses have become even far from even secondary. But I digress a bit. Back to the discussion on serving ones country.

Recently, in an article in “Current Events”. Gideon MacLeish makes the case for the many avenues available through which to serve ones country.
He makes the point about civilian versus military service, saying that politicians are constantly pushing the reinstatement of the Draft, reinforcing the premise that it’s only the military who actually “ serve their country”.
He emphatically states that”… this premise is insulting, condescending and downright wrong..”. I could not agree more.
After reading his article, nurses come to mind, medical researchers, members of the law enforcement community, those Red Cross volunteers – all make a significant contribution to their communities each and every day.
And let us not forget teachers – those who every day try, often in the face of intolerable conditions and circumstances, to impart knowledge to generations following us. Knowledge is power and knowledge to work for ones community even more so.
Maybe the term “service to ones country” ought to be measured not by the number of lives lost but rather by the number of lives saved. Maybe it should be measured not by how much an individual gains from his or her efforts but rather how much the community gains. Maybe it should be measured not by the vested interests of a few but rather the broader interests of the many. This nation, as well as others, tends to play the power grab game on a huge scale. Profiteering is rampant in all of this and it is part and parcel to almost never ending military engagements.  It must be said, however, that while acknowledging this so called service to ones country on the part of the men and women in uniform – again policies notwithstanding – one cannot ignore the civilian service to one’s country in which millions participate . It is just wrong.
To quote Dorothy Height, “..Without community service we would not have a strong quality of life. It’s important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. It’s the way we ourselves grow and develop”.

 

Precipitated by the complete destruction of our economy by the reckless policies of the Bush Administration, thousands and thousands of jobs were lost. The figures go in the area of 650,000 jobs lost and, if correct, this represents only the private sector. It does not calculate the thousands of jobs lost in the public sector. Careers were ended for many and it was followed by a long fight to reenter the market, especially in certain fields of interest. For many, this fight continues even after years of trying. This was especially true In the world of executive and senior management professionals and as this writer hears from various sectors in various areas of the country, the struggle is exponentially complicated by that office which is always seeming in the way of productive career searches – HR. Now it is clear that any discussion around this topic will generate more questions than answers but, the consensus of broad based opinion is that the HR office and HR procedures represent a serious barrier to securing senior professional positions. In days gone by, one would find through various sources an organization which was seeking to fill a senior position. A carefully written letter of introduction along with a likewise carefully crafted resume would be submitted to either the CEO, the Executive Director or at the very least, the Senior Hiring Manager for the division of that organization. The customary review process would be conducted and one would either have an interview or not, secure a call back interview or not and secure the position or not. It was all relatively straight forward. Today that is just not the case. Nowadays, there are numerous opportunities for glitches – IT errors, misinterpretations of information, clashes in semantics, the complete absence of a uniform taxonomy of terms among functional arenas and the ever present HR specialist who, again being the consensus, may be the actual cause of many of these and often has little or no working knowledge regarding the functions of senior level positions. In spite of that, they represent the absolute gatekeeper in the process, which may account for why in so many instances, persons with few or no credentials set out as being required in the position description become the successful candidates. There have been many long lasting debates over time – chocolate or vanilla, Ford or Chevy, mustard or ketchup. Now there is a serious debate in the computer world – OS X ( Apple ) or Word ( Microsoft ). While I don’t pose to have the answer to this debate, I have found, having worked with Linux, Microsoft and Apple, that Apple’s OS X is easier to learn and navigate. Research shows that near to forty per cent of professionals are currently using Apple iMac systems and yet by far, IT systems at most companies will not recognize the Safari browser for access. Why have they and their HR process not caught up with that reality ? Could it be that, in spite of assertions to the contrary, a majority of companies and organizations are secretly still relying on electronic scanners to conduct preliminary screenings and scanners only recognize Word documents ? One needs to ask the question. What I don’t understand, as an adjunct to this question is why organizations, corporations and the like refuse to utilize a more universal document such as a PDF used as an email attachment when processing electronic applications. The is a clean document which preserves the integrity of format. Another key, and in most cases, determining factor has to do with the actual format of a resume. As far back as college graduation, one was taught that the purpose of a resume, or Profile as some prefer, was not to secure a job but to secure an interview. The document, or documents were supposed to be designed in such a way as to delineate in clear terms the skills one brought to a specific organization and a specific position within that organization. This, paired with a compelling letter of introduction, or cover letter, was to sell the candidate to the organization and highlight why the candidate warranted a personal interview conducted by the hiring manager or the agency executive. If this is actually the case, then what, one may ask, is the purpose of having dates on the elements of the resume. Why does one need dates of graduation not only from college and beyond but also from high school – yes many ask for high school graduation dates along with a GPA from that level. Why does a company need dates of each and every employment period along with addresses and phone numbers of the company. One would think that all this verification could and should be completed AFTER said first round interviews while the short list for the second round interview is being developed. Is this now the way HR staff are in reality conducting some sort of screening or is it a clear and open path to the rampant agism which pervades the career markets around the country or both ? In a recent conversation with a professional resume coach of some repute, he clearly and emphatically stated that , as a prospective employer, if he received a resume without showing dates, he would drop it from any consideration. There was no compelling reason given, just that this is what he would demand along with the usual demand for a Microsoft Word document. It was as if the skills set presented and accomplishments clearly delineated would not be valid without dates attached. In doing some research for this article, I took a look at several career site sources and several independent sources and asked the question which is preferable, a Chronological resume or a Functional resume. There does not, for the record, seem to be any consensus whatsoever on this one. In fact, at least two of the sites agree that a “Hybrid” style resume is by far the most useful. Again, one has to ask, if the purpose of a resume, or Profile is to demonstrate skills relevant to the position being sought, clear and concise descriptions of skills should be sufficient without dates. Time lines on experience are not pertinent as experience and skills development are not linear but cumulative. Another factor in this quagmire of procedures has to do with electronic applications. E-application processes are now the rule rather than the exception. While one can understand, particularly on a senior management level, that it makes for economy of time considering that having several hundred applicants for a single position is not uncommon, there is considerable evidence that this process often breaks down. Numerous reports have been made regarding at least one major career site which, by the time one’s resume and cover letter are submitted, the formatting has been destroyed and what the recipient sees is a linear text with no format, no highlighting, no bold headlines etc. In addition, often the cover letter is simply not transmitted. This has been the case despite having documents formatted in a specialized text format to accommodate e-application processing. Electronic applications are not going to go away but I hold that it is incumbent on the organization to regularly review the status of its processing and its reliability. And speaking of cover letters, there is much discussion about these. It is, by some reports, not an uncommon practice for HR staff to simply discard cover letters. Sad but true, the fact is that it is in this very document that one offers points specific to the company and the position. Why then are they summarily discarded ? Again, one needs to ask the question. As was mentioned above, unlike our usual articles ,this article was purposed to pose more questions than answers. It was not submitted as a position paper or a stand taken on a topic. It was designed to surface issues that need to be a part of a discussion in the work place and to raise again what continue to be matters which are the cause of significant angst for candidates for senior and executive career positions . We looked at several areas of concern. Perhaps some organization will take on a leadership role in the making what are critical systemic changes across the board so truly qualified candidates will actually have a real chance at being a successful candidate. Indeed, these are questions which demand answers and likewise demand solutions.   For this article, we consulted several career sites including Ladder, Monster, The Undercover Recruiter, Cornell University Careers and JobingSearch. We also had a chat with several resume writing consultants.

It was one of those raw, wet, rainy nights in November – no, really, it was – up on the Interstate and I was headed from Wheeling, West Virginia to Pennsylvania and, after hours of tense, bad weather driving, I decided I needed a break. I needed to get some food, some warmth and most of all, more coffee. So, as millions do, I pulled off the highway into one of those rest stops with the ever present multi purpose facility –  diner, general store, fuel station and , of course,a  rest room.  Usually the food at these places runs slightly below average. I have been in places where the food was actually rather good but then I have also experienced what they passed off for food wouldn’t pass muster in a kennel. This one, however, seemed to be one of the better options. The place smelled good and it was, in spite of the hour, crowded. Lots of OTR drivers and an assortment of general travelers such as I , and a few who seemed to be, well, shall we say, just not used to the road or its routines. So, after the necessary depositing of the last gallon or two of coffee in its rightful place, I pulled up on to a counter seat, ordered more coffee and scanned the menu for something hot and simple.       Now, there’s a certain “reading of the room” that one does, or should do, while traveling – sort of like a poker game. There are some that you can tell right off will like to chat, some, it’s a crap shoot and then there are others who you just know that even a non committal hello would be a bad idea.  This time, the gathering seemed to be a jovial pack of long haulers and and almost instantly we began what turned out to be a  spirited discussion about driving and drivers. Remember, it was a lousy night out and I guess we were all stalling the inevitable return to the road. One of the things that gets you ” in the room” so to speak is that introduction.  Back then it was not always about names but more about “handles” – CB radio names – and when asked, I said I was the Mad Hatter – a handle bestowed upon me long ago. One or two of the drivers noted that we had  jawed several times over the years and so the whole “ratchet jaw”  cranked up and the coffee flowed. One traveler piped up ” I’m Billy Goat and we’ve chatted a lot during the late night hours”. I recalled the Goat and my numerous late night chats and thanked him for keeping me awake during those long drives on an empty road as well as the warnings about the periodic 10-33s and 38s ( accidents, and the like ).  Nice to finally meet the face with the voice. The topic on the table before I arrived evidently was all about the lunatic drivers these long haulers encounter and especially their total lack of respect for the weather conditions. So, not one to sit idly by, I grabbed the coffee and joined the chatter. There were stories about the stupid, the confused, the disrespectful and the out and out crazy. There were so many stories from these guys and gals and, considering the collective millions of miles driven, there’s no surprise there.  Just for my part, in the near half century behind the wheel, I can attest to a bunch as well.  People coming down an off ramp, throwing a U-turn over a median strip or island, moving through a parking like it’s a Bondurant obstacle course , passing you on the right on a gravel shoulder – makes one wonder.  One driver whose claim to fame was having driven “..from Manchester to Mission Bay and most in between ..” talked about the all night idiots who drive at breakneck speed for seemingly no reason only to end up in a ditch down the road having forgotten all about what just a light rain shower will do to an oil slick roadway. Of course, there were also the tales, some very very tall, from the ol’ CB chatter. Everything from strange lights in the sky to weddings – yes, even weddings. I can relate to that one, recalling a certain K-Mart parking lot, a lonesome driver and one who was scared out of his gourd after receiving a proposal, or better maybe a  dare  at the cash register. Anyhow, it was fun but that “inevitable”  mentioned above came upon us all so we cashed  out and hit the parking lot. 73s to all and  ” keep the greasy side down ” as we set off on our separate ways –  Oak Tree, Billy Goat, Blue Star, Stanley Steamer, and the others.

As I continued down the road, all that chatter brought up an observation I have often made. Didn’t want to get clinical on the folks back there at the Rest Stop but one must admit you can tell a whole lot about people by the way they drive. For instance, it’s a general rule that one needs to be , shall we say, thoughtfully aware of certain drivers based on plates. Always be wary of teens with New Jersey plates, seniors with Arizona plates and, well, just about anyone with California plates. While generalities can get one in to a box now and then and accepting a certain level of stereotyping here, more than a million miles behind the wheel have provided compelling evidence to support this theory. More than once it has also proven valuable in avoiding the body and fender shops.  Then there are those others – the ones who do things that makes you ask that ever present question – what the hell are they thinking. You’re cruising down a freeway at around seventy miles per hour and there he is – that one guy sitting  so close that you can’t even see his headlights. Now I can see on a side street in heavy traffic crawling along sometimes but on a freeway with little or no traffic and at that speed !  Then he passes you, only to pull in front and  slow down to close to the speed limit. Someone with a quite weak ego who just can’t stand not being first in line !! Bet he was a real jerk in the school lunch line !  But riding  your bumper is not just a guy thing. There are the ladies as well. You know, those who proceed down the highway as if they’re the only ones on the road, chatting away on that smart phone or finishing up that make up job which should have been done before they left the house. Then they suddenly realize your tail lights are damn near in their lap. There’s the horn, the blinking lights, the central finger salute and all that as if it were your fault. This particular animal is really dangerous and when you add the whole texting motif, it often gets fatal. So, is it because they are absorbed in their conversation, thinking that they are so doggone important  or is it because they simply have no regard for the safety of anyone else ?

There’s the topic of road rage. Tragic and true but that, for sure, is a topic for another time. There simply isn’t enough space here or anywhere except to say that these total wack jobs are out there and sadly,  one must always  be thinking about that whenever and wherever one encounters other drivers.

The highways and byways have provided folks with good times. They allow us to visit great places. We are  able to visit people at greater distances and enjoy experiences we would not have had were it not for Henry Ford and the like. The car , the truck, the van  have all played a central role in everyday lives – recreation, work, business – they’ve been a part of it all. Every driver has his or her time and his or her moments but as a driver, one cannot afford to be an idiot. That car or truck or van is not a toy and I really don’t care if you spilled coffee on that new pair of Bandolino pumps or that last box of 9mm shells was just sold, taking your inability to cope out on the highway is not only stupid, it borders on criminal.

Due diligence is critical in driving but so are manners. And remember folks, you’re not the only one out there and just because you own a $75,000 SUV , you really don’t own the road.  Of all the places we frequent, this is where rules of etiquette  are most demanded. The right of way is given, not taken.  It doesn’t take much to let the other guy have the parking space. It’s not a big deal to just shut up and let it go if someone does a stupid maneuver to take the exit ramp they almost passed. Chalk it up and move on. Really. And every once in a while, stop and lend a hand. We all need it at one time or another and we all wish someone would do it for us.

Happy Motoring

 

 

Think About It !

Sometimes one just stops, takes a step back and asks a question or two, the answers to which rarely come readily and all one can do is go hmmmmm, figuring the answer may come later – or not !

So, for the hell of it, here are a few. I am certain more will come later on down the road.

Again, I pose the questions – certainly not the answers !

Why are women always late  ?

Is there some reason for wearing ones corporate ID badge out everywhere in public ? Does anyone really care where you work ?

Are there that many houses which are not equipped with at least one full length mirror ?

Why do people insist on papering the refrigerator door as if it were  a bulletin board  or a photo gallery  ?

Why do women wear coats and scarves in raw, wet weather but insist on wearing shorts and then wonder why they are cold ??

How did that stupid “high five” thing ever get started  ??

Explain why people in restaurants pass plates of food around, insisting everyone take  a taste ??  If one wanted the item on the menu, order it , yes ???

If I hear the phrases “Check it out” or “Awesome” any more, I think I will scream. How limited has vocabulary become ??

Which MBA Marketing genius decided that words were easier to dial on a phone than numbers, especially as many of them are more than seven letters ?

Did you ever wonder why cops should people who are threatening

suicide  ?

More to come later – honest !!

This is the initial post on our site, an introduction, if you will, to give a little background, some insight and maybe some rules of the game.

For a long time, folks have asked me what I would have been if I had not chosen the professional field that I did – that of being an advocate, a voice and an activist for those who need a voice and a hand up. I replied that I probably would have gone in to journalism and worked for a newspaper.

Well, as it turns out, much of my work has included speaking out. As some of you may know, I can be found in the “Comments” section of numerous news outlets on various topics. This, then, is my way of formalizing those efforts and perhaps grabbing on to that “other life” I spoke about.

This site is designed to be an Op Ed page. Yes, OPINION and my opinion at that.

I expect this will be highly political as that is what I do. I also expect, though, to offer observations on other facets of everyday living, some sad, some humorous but all purposed to raise awareness, start a discussion or get those thinking caps out of the closet and maybe bring a laugh to your world now and then.

Now and then I will have a guest author and I will set up a way for comments, though I reserve the privilege, as moderator, of prior review.

As to the name, well, it’s complicated. Try as I might to get creative in the title, I found there are lots of creative folk out there in blog land. I even tried to use the phrase Opinion Page in Latin but someone  already registered that one too ! Then I was thinking about the old days and  a thought came to me. Where do people congregate to chat, discuss, argue and the like. The water cooler is one, though that’s more for gossip. Of course the kitchen is a mainstay of all discourse.  Taverns and Pubs are likewise a popular venue. But there is one place which is particular to me and to many and if you, the reader, are a SJCS Alumni, you will recognize not only the place but the memories as well.

So, off we go and let’s see where it takes us and, to paraphrase, we’ll see you in the trunk room !!!