I've Been Rejected Again - Thankfully.

A question today for those of you who are currently or who have previously been unemployed against your will.

Have you ever found yourself pushed by a well-meaning friend or colleague to apply for a job that you knew in your heart you did not want? You still apply for it because you really DO need a job, but you're worried to death you might actually get it? Well, I was in that position recently. I was encouraged by someone whose opinion I respect to apply for a job that I am well-qualified for... but it was in a city that I had never considered living in. I went ahead and applied for the position, and had a lovely phone conversation with the hiring manager - who quickly informed me that I would be a finalist for the job.

I spent a couple of weeks wondering what the hell I would do if I received a job offer. In another town, this might be a job I would actually groove on doing. I had nothing against this city, but given where our extended families and friends live, it's unlikely we would ever receive any visitors from home if we moved to this place.

Then, this morning, I received this e-mail:

John -- Wanted you to know after a long process we have decided to promote from within. Part of this honestly is budgetary. I have little doubt that you would have been an excellent person for this job. I know you realize the economic reality of our business these days. I can only wish you the very very best.

Whew. I was relieved, and so was the missus, because if I had been offered the job, I honestly would have been hard put to turn it down. The media business is in such a state of flux right now that the best strategy may very well be to latch on to ANY job offer that comes along and hang on until calmer waters come along, but who the hell knows when THAT will be?

This manager and the company he works for are both rock solid, and I greatly appreciate that he took the time to write such a nice note. Perhaps I will even have the chance to work with him some other time.

But hopefully someplace else!

I Love The Smell Of Desperation In The Morning!

When we were traveling on vacation in California two years ago, Robin and I chuckled over a bumper sticker we saw. It read "God Bless Our Stupid President". That's really how I'm feeling about our Presidential candidates right about now. Hillary wants to give Americans a gas tax holiday, and allow the average driver to save about 70 bucks this summer - enough to take the family to Outback once. Meanwhile, Barack wants to issue another stimulus check.


Look - Lord knows I could really use some extra cash right now, but how much longer can we really go on looking the other way? Our probable future President, whoever he or she may be, wants us to pleasure ourselves, and not worry about the fact that we're shooting ourselves as a nation in the foot with every extra dollar the nation borrows in the name of economic stimulus. Any extra money rebated back to Americans isn't coming from some secret bank account - it's yet more national debt.

Meanwhile, to make matters ever worse, we must worry about what this kind of political thinking says about us as a nation. Clinton and Obama are now just openly pandering - there's not even really a shred of dignity left between the two of them... And yet, we're supposed to go into a voting booth in November, hold our noses and make a choice? God help us. And don't for a minute think all of this is some sort of oblique endorsement of John McCain. He's out of the spotlight for the moment because he can enjoy watching the other two beat each other's brains out, but I'm sure McCain will have ample time to shame and embarrass himself down the road!

I think perhaps the real villain in all of this is the election process itself. I used to make a joke in the newsroom that, because of the length of the presidential campaign, no one stands a chance of still being liked by the time election day rolls around... Joe Gibbs and Jesus Christ could be the candidates, and we'd still be holding our noses in the voting booth!

The good news at the end of the day is that Hillary and Barack's plans to give away more cash will likely be vetoed by President Bush if either bill lands on his desk. God Bless Our Stupid President, indeed!