11.16.09 Mon "Yes, I'll take a latte, a scone, and some BC Bud please..."

After seeing the movie “2012” there are two places I do not want to be during the end of the world: Hawaii or Yellowstone National Park. They are both essentially massive super-volcanoes. Not standing over a huge explosion of hot magma gives you at least a fighting chance. My only problem with the movie was that it didn’t destroy Seattle.

You know that California has those medical marijuana “clinics” all over the place. Well, get ready for something new. The United States' first “marijuana café” is now open in Oregon. The Cannabis Cafe in Portland, Oregon, is the first to give certified medical marijuana users a place to get hold of the drug and smoke it -- as long as they are out of public view -- despite a federal ban. The cafe is technically a private club, but is open to any Oregon residents who are members and hold an official medical marijuana card. Members pay $25 per month to use the 100-person capacity cafe. They don't buy marijuana, but get it free over the counter from "budtenders". You know somebody in Fremont is getting this news today and is really mad they got beat to the punch.
(On a side note, two guys from Mountlake Terrace are planning to sue the city because they were told they can’t open a Marijuana store there. Todd Madison and Aaron Panagos applied for a business license in September to open the “Botanical Urban Dispensary Service.” Mountlake Terrace said “uh… no.”)

Webster's New World College Dictionary has named 'distracted driving' as its word of the year. Runner up was 'wallet biopsy' (an examination, before medical service is provided of a patient's ability to pay enabling the health care provider to decide whether free or discounted medical care is appropriate). Other runner ups: 'stimulus' and 'Too Big To Fail'.

Men who hold traditional attitudes about the role of women in society have a distinct advantage at work: They make more money. A lot more money. That's the conclusion of a University of Florida study that showed men who believe the genders are equal make less money, while sexist men make more. The pay differences are substantial. The Washington Post reports that men who hold more traditional attitudes about women in society earned $11,930 more a year than men with more egalitarian views and $14,404 more than women with traditional attitudes. (That’s fine and all, but if it’s true, how come I’m not loaded?!)

Robert Lipson may well be one of the most loyal college football fans in the land. He has attended every home game of the Kansas State University Wildcats since 1972, and every road game in the team's conference since 1973. He has all 142 ticket stubs in exact order in a safe-deposit box, including the stub from Saturday's Kansas State-University of Missouri Tigers game. The record for perfect game attendance is held by Giles Pellerin. He went to 797 consecutive USC Trojan games from 1926 until he died in the parking lot of a game in 1998 at age 91.
Ran across this and thought it was pretty interesting especially since I read that most people don’t have their resume ready until AFTER they find themselves unemployed.

Five Ways to Say 'I'm Unprofessional'
By Peter Vogt, Monster Senior Contributing Writer

In most job-filling situations, the employer has the luxury of choosing from several well-qualified applicants, all of whom could probably do the job. That's when the little things, like the common but often unrecognized mistakes described here, almost always come into play. Make sure you avoid them, so they don't cost you a shot at the job.

1. Using a Cutesy Email Address for Correspondence
Example: cutiepie@domain.com, or -- far worse -- something like sexkitten@domain.com.
You Might Think: It's a clever, memorable email address everyone will get a kick out of.
The Employer Will Probably Think: I can't believe someone would actually list this email address on her resume, let alone use it to correspond with me. Will she do the same thing on the job if I hire her? Yikes!

2. Putting a Silly Message on Your Answering Machine
Example: A is for academics, B is for beer -- and one of those reasons is why we're not here. So leave a message, OK?
You Might Think: Mine is the funniest answering machine message this side of the Mississippi. My friends will love it.
The Employer Will Probably Think: Good lord, this person probably lives in Animal House. And I just can't risk interviewing, let alone hiring, someone like Bluto or Flounder. Sorry, Charlie. Click.

3. Sending Your Resume and Cover Letter Without Proofreading
You Might Think: Everybody makes mistakes, even employers. So if there's a mistake or two on my resume, no big deal. The employer probably won't even notice, much less care.
The Employer Will Probably Think: Everybody makes mistakes, even employers. But making more than one minor mistake on a resume or in a cover letter is unacceptable, and often, even one is too many. How do I know this person will proofread the letters he writes to shareholders? What if he someday leaves a zero or two off one of our financial statements? I better put this resume aside and look for someone who's more accurate and thorough.

4. Winging Your Interviews Instead of Preparing Thoroughly
You Might Think: I'm good at thinking on my feet, and if I get stuck, I'll just BS my way through. Besides, they can't expect me to know everything about the company.
The Employer Will Probably Think: This person clearly knows nothing about the company, nor has she made any effort to learn more about us and what we do. She must not really care whether or not she gets the job. I want someone who cares. Oh well, maybe the next person will be better.

5. Failing to Send Thank-You Notes After Interviews
You Might Think: A thank-you note? You're kidding, right? Do people even do that sort of thing anymore?
The Employer Will Probably Think: This person has no follow-up skills, not to mention common courtesy. He could have at least dropped me a quick email note, like this other person did. I think I'll invite this candidate for the second round of interviews instead. The other guy must not really want the position.