Archive for April, 2007
« Previous EntriesJob Hunting Debacle
Monday, April 30th, 2007I’m currently in the market for a *good* job, and my resume on Monster has gotten me tons of replies. Some good, some bad. I have something on Thursday that I’m particularly excited about.
But with all the good responses, I’ve experienced a lot of what I’d call “trickery” in job postings. Why aren’t companies more upfront about what the job you’re interviewing for entails? More ofthen than not, I’ve spoken to recruiters on the phone discussing a position, and when I go for the interview it’s a different scenario altogether.
Seriously, if you’re looking for door to door salespeople, then say it up front. Don’t waste my time by coercing me to waste my time interviewing by presenting the position as something altogether different.
Double Standard?
Thursday, April 19th, 2007I want to start this out by saying that I don’t condone what Don Imus said about that women’s basketball team. To call them “Nappy-haired ho’s” is inexcusable and deplorable. Don Imus is right there with Rush Limbaugh in Douchebag-land.
But, Bill Maher raised a good point on his show. Was Imus excercising free speech? Did he have a right to say that? By removing his program, are we denying him his constitutional right to say what he wants?
At the same time, much rap music refers to women as “bitches and ho’s.” Why is that allowed if what Imus says isn’t? Where’s Al Sharpton in these situations? Is it because a white man said it? Is the black community allowed to say what it wants about women, but when a white man does it the shit hits the fan?
In my opinion, none of it is right. But where do we draw the line? I know I’m asking a lot of questions here, and not answering them - but I want some feedback. I want to know what people think about these issues.
Bill Maher, in his recent conversation with Reverend Al Sharpton brought up the word “nigger.” Michael Richards said it. It was said on South Park. It’s said in rap music all the time. If this is a word that offends the black community so much, why is it such a big part of rapculture? To an outsider to that culture like mysaelf, it seems the word is complimentary when said from one black man to another, but as soon as a white man says it - everyone is gunning for his head.
I need some answers on this.
What?
Monday, April 16th, 2007Why didn’t anyone tell me that Dinosaur Jr. was back?
Watch this five or six times and realize that good music is still out there:
Been There All The Time
Kurt Vonnegut Dies at 84
Wednesday, April 11th, 2007Just thought this was worth mentioning here. I discovered Vonnegut in 9th grade, and have continued to enjoy his writing ever since. If you’ve never read anything by him, I highly recommend his work.
Read it here:
Psychologist/Pedophile: What Can Be Done?
Sunday, April 8th, 2007Taken from CNN.comChild Psychiatrist Accused of Molesting Patients
REDWOOD CITY, California (AP) — A child psychiatrist who once headed the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry was arrested amid allegations he molested male patients dating back to the 1960s.
Dr. William Ayres, 75, appeared in court Friday on charges that he molested three patients. No plea was entered because his lawyer was not at the hearing.
Ayres was taken into custody Thursday at his San Mateo home and charged with 14 felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14. Prosecutors said they plan to present evidence that he molested young boys in his care for decades.
He is accused of fondling three boys repeatedly between 1991 and 1996 while they were his patients, according to the complaint. The boys were 9, 11 and 12 at the time and are now in their 20s. The statute of limitations for such crimes is 10 years or until the victim turns 28.
You know, I bet this happens more than we think it does. In New York State, anyone who wants to go into child psychology has to undergo a background check, and I’m sure the rules are the same in other states.
Children are pretty vulnerable. It would be easy for someone in the position of a child psychologist to take advantage of this. Which brings me to question the whole subject of doctor/patient confidentiality. Should this apply to children? Should a child’s sessions with a psychologist be taped and made available to the parents? This is something I don’t have an answer to.
W hen I was a kid, I went to a number of different psychologists for what was believed to be Attention Deficit Disorder. I told these doctors a lot of personal things, some of which I wouldn’t readily admit in front of my parents. Looking back now, it was all pretty stupid and none of what was going on in my life was anything that needed to be hidden, or to be ashamed of. I was a normal kid with normal kid issues. I had crushes on girls I didn’t know what to do about (and still don’t sometimes), I had problems with homework and grades. Nothing spectacular. But then again, I was a pretty normal kid.
Which is why I almost think that parents should be let in on what goes on in these sessions. Parents can be the best friends a child can have, and the first line of defense against predators. It’s a sad fact that some professionals are dangerous - and at the same time, most probably aren’t. But, can we really afford to take chances?
It seems like pedophilia has become a huge problem in the US. Maybe that’s because the internet has opened so many doors for pedophiles, and given them opportunities to access children that they didn’t have in the 80’s and most of the 90’s. Maybe it’s because shows like “Dateline” are giving it more publicity than in the past. It just seems like this is a growing issu, and growing at a rate that’s pretty damn frightening. It doesn’t seem like any child is safe anymore.
Going back to an earlier point, parents are the first line of defense against predators, and if a child has to sacrifice a bit of privacy in order to be safe, it may be for his or her own good.
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