Employee Screening Questions Too Intrusive

I just filled out an online application for a major retail chain and, after the main application where I submitted my legitimate information, came across the "personality screening" section that included the following:

• You have big regrets about your past.
  
• You were absent very few days from high school.
  
• Your stuff is often kind of messy.
  
• You have always had good behavior in school or work.
  
• Your friends and family approve of the things you do.
  
• You have to give up on some things that you start.
  
• You look back and feel bad about things you've done.
  
• You sometimes thought seriously about quitting high school.

The answer choices were "Strongly Agree," "Agree," "Disagree," and "Strongly Disagree." You couldn't weasel your way out with a choice like "Neutral" or "Neither."

Personally, I wish there had been one labeled, "None of your damn business!"

After that one about quitting high school, I stopped worrying about whether they'd like my answers or not. I'm not sure I want to work for a company that weeds people out based on how they click radio buttons on a web form before they actually get to meet me in person or talk to people who actually know me.

Nostradamus? More like Nostradangerous

"When ancient prophecies and current events begin to intertwine, that's what we call the Nostradamus Effect." That is The History Channel's advertisement for its series The Nostradamus Effect. In it, the writings of Nostradamus as well as creative interpretations of the Mayan calendar hint that the end of the world will be December 21, 2012.

I say, when Christians forget Christ's warning about false prophets (Mt 7:15-20), that "you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet (Mt 24:6)," and "but of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only (Mt 24:36)," and instead turn to "prophets" whose ambiguous writings can be molded to have "predicted" numerous calamities, and ignoring artifacts that don't fit the doom-and-gloom (some Mayan artifacts indicate the world will still be around in 4772), that is what I call the Nostradangerous Effect.

Following Nostradamus may indeed be dangerous: How many people have committed suicide, ignored health problems, let their houses fall apart, pour money into smart phones, self-navigating cars and other here-and-now luxuries they can't afford instead of saving for the future, because they believe there is no future? Could this be adding fuel to the fire of the consumer credit problem? How many marriages and other relationships between believers and nonbelievers have broken up? I shudder to think.

Liberal Christians, take heart

Michael Moore recently identified himself as Catholic. Some people might be amazed. I am not.

I am an alumnus of Regis University and Creighton University—Jesuit institutions. As a student, I was exposed to organizations like Pax Christi and others providing outreach to American Indian nations, the poor and oppressed both in the U.S. and abroad. Whether one participates in these or not, the message was clear, at least to me: Catholicism (and Christianity in general) is about reaching out to others, to social and economic justice for everyone.

My significant other often laments, “Lord save me from ‘good Christians.’ ” The term “good Christians” has to be in quotes because she means those who wear the mask of religious righteousness and push their values on others. Quick to pass judgment on everyone, they conveniently forget Jesus’s admonition that “as you judge others, you too will be judged…” And of course, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”

I can appreciate those who feel alienated by organized religion because of the churchgoing hypocrites who infest our society. A lawyer working for credit-card companies slapped a lien on my house is a fellow Creighton alum. Despite that, he decided that it’d be better for me to be homeless now than find a way for me to meet my debt obligation in a way that benefited both me and the creditor. I’m sure he rationalized that I deserved it.

The Christian quote that has run through my mind a lot lately is, “The love of money is the root of all evils.” Lots of people seem to have forgotten that one. Not just the aforementioned lawyer. Vise Grip tools now made in China while DeWitt, Neb., the former factory site, languishes in unemployment. Corporate executives like to blame liberal politicians and “big government” for “forcing” them to make these decisions. Rubbish. Without regulations, they’d still fatten their own wallets at the expense of the masses—and the environment.

This has been going on a long time. The Lakota Sioux got screwed out of the Black Hills after gold was discovered in their homeland. I assume that the perpetrators, being white guys, considered themselves Christian. But their spiritual leader’s admonition about the love of money was a little too inconvenient to remember.

Some people might think Mr. Moore should be excommunicated if for nothing else but for speaking up for reproductive rights and gay rights. No. I’m probably not the only one to see these as issues of personal, religious and medical ethics, out of the scope of law enforcement.

I say to Michael, “You go! Rock on!”

Ruling could undo thousands of foreclosures

Ruling could undo thousands of foreclosures

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Cheers to Massachusetts! Victims of Wells Fartgo have a chance to get their houses back! I hope this spreads nationwide! Maybe the new word of the coming months/year/decade will be forereopening!

Spray Bill O'Reilly: Watch Sean Penn Movies

FUX News announcer Bill O'Reilly has decided to boycott Sean Penn movies because the actor's political activities offend him.

As a moderate liberal, I'm routinely offended by this anchor whom MSNBC commentator Keith Olbermann refers to as "Billo the Clown." I was a captive audience to Billo's radio broadcast while riding in the back seat of an SUV with a pair of relatives. I can imagine an Enterprise Rent-a-Car commercial showing the guy in this kind of situation bailing out at a stop light, ringing Enterprise on his cell phone, and getting into his rented, made-in-USA Chevy as the voiceover says, "We'll pick you up!"

I'm not a Sean Penn fan but generally don't support boycotts. They don't work. But I'm inclined to hunt down a Penn movie that wouldn't constitute cutting off my nose to spite my face, just to give Billo some skunk spray.

In Defense of Anonymity

My friend, SW Iowa Guy, frequently takes U.S. Congressman Steve King (R-Iowa) to task for various offensive stances. The right-wing, homophobic, racist King provides plenty of source material and SW Iowa Guy pulls no punches. On this post, some readers posted comments lambasting Iowa Guy for his King-bashing anonymously.
Iowa Guy's posts are often biting and contain quite a few swear words (As if I never do that...yeah right). True, some people speak strongly, even brashly, under their real names - Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter are examples. Keith Olbermann on MSNBC is a left-wing counterpart. Gloria Steinem or Molly Yard, anyone?
Critics often slap the coward label on those who speak strongly while hiding behind anonymity. But in many cases it's necessary: Putting out your name on truthful but highly controversial material can be dangerous. The last thing SW Iowa Guy needs to do is help his enemies find him. (He can't afford bodyguards or a high-tech security system - I assume that Fux News takes care of O'Reilly.)
SW and his partner have always been gay, long before his blog and when the word "website" evoked only images of spiders. I've been in their home; they've been in mine. (Yes, I have been alone with them. They're safe.) Their home is...dare I say, ordinary? Inside, nothing unusual about the furnishings or decor; nothing creepy goes on there. They have the same needs, fears and dreams as we who prefer the opposite sex. Despite all that, some anti-gay extremists would kill them if given a chance. Among gay bashers are devoutly religious folks who conveniently forget that "Thou shall not kill" makes no exception for gents who prefer gents or ladies who prefer ladies, and that Jesus said, "all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them (Matthew 7:12)." Non-homicidal homophobes might vandalize their home, vehicles—or do something to their beloved animal companions.
Bloodthirsty bigots aren't the only reason to use a nom de plume. How many sites and newspaper columnists warn about how indiscreet blogging can jeopardize your preset or future job? Can those steamy musings about your now-ex-girlfriend/boyfriend come back to haunt you? Your Web-savvy auto mechanic hates ferrets or your company’s computer tech supports Steve King—and suddenly a wheel falls off your car or your office PC never works right again? You get the idea. But why refrain from your First Amendment rights because of that?
Iowa's insult to Stephen King the novelist needs to have his sins aired—especially before Election Day. (Crap, I'm on the wrong side of the Missouri River.) SW Iowa Guy, more power to you!

Skunk Totem joins ACLU

I have just joined the American Civil Liberties Union. Like why didn't I do this long ago. Some of the ACLU's key points are some that I take personally: especially privacy and rights of the poor. This thing called the Patriot Act scares the crap out of me (would you believe 1 million people on the terrorism watch list? (Source: ACLU website). And you don't have to be an explicit threat to get on it. Meanwhile, an employer denied me a job because they labeled me a potential thief because of my credit record! Never mind that the 100% legal and moral income would have squelched my money problems; and the employer's high security would mean trying to steal would most likely make me a jailbird who'd get lampooned on Star 104.5's "Crooks are Stupid" feature.

Prohibition of gay marriage also hits a nerve. While I am heterosexual, two of my best friends, one of whom writes as SW Iowa Guy are a gay couple that of course don't have their marriage officially recognized. These are good people and the bigotry against them hurts. At the same time, I know some opposite-sex couples who are married by law only and I'm not even sure that God endorses their pairing.

OK, enough said.