Nate

The last job i had, the company had a contract with this company and they were in between deciding whether or not they were going to keep me and all my employees for 2 months OR extending it to become a permanent position. In the end, instead of ending the assignment after two months, they decided to end it just three weeks after i started working there. So my question is this: Should I list my previous employer on my resume even though i was only there for a short period of time? How short is too short of a length of time to list a job on your resume? Would other employers see this as a good or bad thing?

I recently applied for a position with a company. I had had TWO interviews with that particular company and i even sent a thank you e-mail a few days after my 2nd interview. It was a position that involved being a courier with a background in customer care. Since i had two positions and some background in doing both, it made sense for me to get the job right? Wrong! Needless to say, after TWO interviews and a thank-you e-mail, I STILL didn't get the job which kinda upset me. So what i want to know is this: Is there a way i can check to see if any previous employer(s) is/are blacklisting me or giving me a bad reference? There's no real reason why i shouldn't have gotten that position! I wanted to call the company who turned me down just to ask and gauge WHY i wasn't selected as the final candidate for this position. To me, a simple "we've hired a final candidate for this position" does not sit well with me, especially after all i did for a position i lobbied so hard for! I even broke one of my rules about sending a thank-you e-mail! I was gonna do that AFTER i got the job! I even thought about calling previous employers to gauge them (but they won't know that it's really me that's calling, just to see what they really think about my character and what they have to REALLY say about ME) Has anyone out there ever done this, or felt this way? What is the best thing to do?

I have a problem with my CD player. One day i put a CD in my player that had a paper label on top of it. At first, it was working fine with no problem. But then, about 5 or 6 months down the road, i put this same CD in to play and after 10 minutes, i started hearing some static noises. Two of my other CD's have paper labels on them and they go staticky too. But when i put in a CD that DOESN'T have a label on it, (like my 2Pac CD that i purchased from an outlet), i don't hear any static noises EVER! I looked on the back of my CDs with the labels and there were NO SCRATCHES OR DENTS on them at all! I take real good care of my music. (The ones with paper labels, i had those made for me) But if there are no scratches or dents on them, why would I hear static noises after just 10 minutes? It's not even hot to the touch when i take it out. So what could be the REAL PROBLEM? Would it make a difference if i put this same music on a CD that didn't have a paper label? I need an EXPERT who knows what i mean to answer this question.

I had an interview recently and the employer I was interviewing for had the nerve to ask me a question during the interview as it was winding down. The question that was asked "Have any other companies besides us or just like us contacted or interviewed you?" To me, a part of me felt a little bit insulted by that question. If I am talking to a company about a particular company about a position, why would this company be interested in who else i've been talking to? If I am putting my energy and focus on a company, why would they be concerned about who else has been talking to me? To me, that's almost like them saying to me "We think you should go talk to somebody else" or "Keep these others in mind just in case." Whatever it was, it left a sour taste in my mouth. Is this fair for employers to ask who else has talked or been talking to you about employment?

OK. Seven days ago, I got an S-Curl texturizer. Since that day, i've washed my hair two or three times.

1) Now that I have my S-Curl, how often do I have to wash my hair? I ask that because I don't want to wash it so much that it's gone.

2) If I use another type of shampoo other than S-Curl, will it take away or lessen the effect of my S-Curl? (I'm currently using Neutrogena T/Gel Shampoo)

3) To keep a fresh S-Curl, how often should a texturizer be applied? (I was told that one should be applied every six months)

4) After washing my hair, I apply some African Pride JP Authentic Leave-In Conditioner. Is this good for an S-Curl?

If there are any hair care experts on texturizers out there, PLEASE HELP ME OUT!!!!!

THANKS!!!!!

I drive a 2003 Chevy Monte Carlo. The engine light in my car keeps blinking on and off. What could be the problem? I took it to a one-stop shop and i was sure they'd fix it. But when i got the car back, the check engine light popped back up and started going off and on as usual. So now i'm stuck with a car that still has a check engine light blinking off and on and i don't know what the "real" problem is! Because I simply refuse to take my car to another mechanic and have him underperform on the repairs and leave me hanging! Are there any certified mechanics on here?

On January 16th, I walked in to Comcast to take an assessment test for a position as a CAE (Customer Account Executive). It pays well and the benefits are good. First, they told me to fill out an application packet. I got halfway through it when they told me and a bunch of others to come to a room where they were conducting an online personality test. The questions they asked were just "would you have a problem working these hours, days, and times?" and "do you have a problem with any of the practices and "do you understand the terms and conditions?" On ALL of the questions, i answered that i wouldn't have a problem with it and that i would do anything that was asked of me. Well, after all of the bullshit of taking that bullshit personality test, i didn't walk away with the job. I was then told by one of the hiring managers of HR that at the time, that they didn't think i was a good fit at this time and told me to re-apply again in six months! What kind of BS is that? I didn't need that job in six months! I needed that job N-O-W! NOW! How much of a personality do you REALLY need to work for a place like this? As cool as i answered the questions, i still didn't get the job! WTF? As tight as things are in this economy, i NEEDED this job more than ever and they shot me down! I need MY money! I need MY benefits! Even after i went to another hiring event two weeks ago for Comcast, the same lady i ran in to in January recognized me and told me to come back around June!

But I also remember that during the application process in January, I signed something that Comcast gave me that said that after you're rejected, we're not at liberty to discuss why. Even after I demanded she tell me why because I'd done everything necessary that they'd ask and still didn't get the job! So another question I want to ask is this: Is it necessary and fair for employers to give applicants confidentiality documents like that? And, if i decide to go to another hiring event at Comcast and re-apply, but I don't sign that confidentiality document that they gave me the last time I was there, are they going to hold that against me and decide not to hire me because of it? See, my thing is because of the poor state of the economy, there are not enough jobs to go around. So if I get turned away for a job, I WANT TO KNOW WHY! I SHOULD BE OWED THAT MUCH for putting myself through this mess! It's only fair, right?

What do you all think? Am I right or AM I RIGHT?

I'm sure it's no secret that everyone has been paying attention to the explosion of steroids in pro sports. But I want to know why do you all feel that some have to take steroids just to compete in sports, then lie about it and say they never took "performance-enhancing drugs?" It's happened to the best athletes in the world and it keeps getting worse and worse! Marion Jones, Carl Lewis, and now Alex Rodriguez has admitted HE took steroids! What is the sports world coming to? Why do these athletes feel they have to take these performance-enhancing drugs and give the kids of America the WRONG impression that taking these drugs are OK if you want to get ahead? Whatever happened to hard work and discipline? On top of that, they take these drugs and then LIE about it when questioned about it! Don't you think it would be safer that NOT taking them in the first place would be A LOT better than lying about it and getting in trouble with a GRAND JURY? It's gotten so bad that whenever you watch ESPN and find that an athlete has been cited for taking steroids, people are always going to scream GUILTY without even listening to both sides of the case because they know that in the end it's gonna be the same result: Athlete gets quizzed about steroids, athlete lies about it, and is then found guilty a year or two later! This is not a safe message to send to the kids and the rest of America! What do you all think?

We all know that times are hard and the economy is BAD, but I want to ask everyone out there this question: What is the worst part of a job interview for you? For some, it could be the waiting and the anticipating for the actual day of the interview. It could be during the actual interview itself, or it could be after where you have to follow up with employers to insure that you're still on their minds! So what's the worst when it comes to job interviews and what are they like to/for you? Have you ever put yourself through a lot of mess just for an interview and.....YOU DIDN'T WALK AWAY WITH THE JOB? Please answer!

For instance, mine is the actual interview itself where you're forced to sweat it out and give "politically correct" answers in hopes you'll get the job! A job interview to me is like going on a blind date: you have to go and meet with a total stranger and you have to sit there and listen to them ask YOU questions about your life and there's a 9 out of 10 chance you will never see this person again!

Have you ever wondered why, in sports, when it comes down to a team and performance that when the team wins, the players get ALL THE CREDIT. But when the team loses, the coach gets ALL THE BLAME! If losing happens too much, then the end result normally is the coach getting fired. Have you ever wondered why? Why is it when the players bust their butts every night and LOSE, the coach gets the heat and is canned? Do you think this is right or fair?

I want to know this: Has anybody ever been blacklisted from applying for a job? It happened to me a year ago when I applied to work at TeleTech. I applied, got the interview, didn't get the job, re-applied 90 days later, and they decided to blacklist me for no real apparent reason. A woman at that company decided to take it upon herself to try and berate me and make me feel like I was wasting my time applying there! So has anybody ever gone through this? What was the result and what did you learn from this?

I've been watching sports for a long time and i've always heard this term come up in a lot of discussions. What does it mean when sports teams put the "franchise tag" on a designated player? Does this only apply to players in the NFL or can any sport do it? What are the terms and conditions of it and is it a good or bad thing to do?

I've been off and on with my lady for 6 yrs. In Aug. '06, I proposed to her. She moved out to WA to get on her feet and found a job. I told her that I'd move out there soon from MI to start over brand new. I moved out there in April of '07. Had some trouble finding a job, but found one thru a temp. They let me and some other temps go after a while. After that, I had the craziest time trying to get back on my feet to provide while my lady had her job. Tensions started building because of bills & stress and it upset me. She suggested I go home for the holidays in Nov. and see my family. Reluctantly, I did. I planned on going back afterwards, but I got a call on Feb. 2nd and she told me she wasn't happy and wanted to break up with me. This was after she had a nervous breakdown two days prior to the call. I've been through so much with this woman and I love her so much! I planned on marrying her. Now that i'm back where I started, i'm trying to figure out what went wrong. What do I do?

I remember when my favorite show, Ugly Betty, kicked off a brand-new season in September. I was watching it faithfully up until January when I was told that there were going to be re-runs being shown because of some damn writers' strike. WTF is up with that? Anyway, the only thing that they're showing these Thursday nights on ABC is "Lost." Can anyone please tell me if and when they're going to put Ugly Betty back on TV so it doesn't get "lost?"

1) How do you make Manischewitz wine?

Kick him in the ballz!

2) How do you keep an elephant from stampeding?

Cut off his damn peter (stampeder)!

3) What is the difference between meat and fish?

Emily Post says "It's impolite to beat your fish!"

Anyone who watches NBA games knows that anytime a player/coach makes a negative comment about the way NBA officials call games, they get fined a ridiculous amount of money. I call it ridiculous because the last time I checked, this was America and free speech was allowed (1st Amendment)! David Stern has a lot of explaining to do! He wants to fine players and coaches for comments and even try to control the way they dress off the court, but when the betting scandal that involved an NBA official came up, HE had to take a good look at the officials' behavior! It's gotten so crazy that you don't really know how these games are going to turn out! Is the official making these kinds of calls because they're real or because he has a gambling debt that he's trying to pay off? Even though that's a disgrace to the game, it's an even bigger disgrace when your freedom of speech is taken away from you in regards to the things you can and cannot say! So what do the rest of you all think about this?!

We've all seen what happened to celebs like Michael Vick and Lil' Kim. These celebs have one thing in common--When faced with trial, they lied rather than told the truth and went to jail--FOR NOTHING! Since when did going to jail look cool? Last time I checked, jail was not the best place to be! You have all these celebs who brag about how they spent time in jail all because of a lie they told! The kids of America look at stuff like this and emulate it and think it's alright! I have a question for the rest of America: If you knew someone, say, a convicted killer/rapist stayed next door to you, would you do the right thing and take the necessary steps to put him away to make sure justice is served? Or would you turn a blind eye and let this person go free because you're "scared" of what could happen to YOU if you do? If you do this, you're only allowing it to happen again! Would you go to jail for someone else's stupidity? I damn sure WOULD NOT! What do the rest of you think about it?

In football, it's a great thing if a defensive lineman can get to a quarterback and bring him down for the sack. But when I watched a football game, I saw a statistic that said "So-and-so has 3 1/2 sacks." What is the "1/2 sack?" If you get to a QB and bring him down, it's a full sack. But how is a 1/2 sack determined?

6 mos. ago, I moved from Detroit 2 Washington State 2 be closer to my fiancee. I was able to meet both her dad and stepmom & they were good 2 me. 1 month later, I got a job through a temp. It wasn't much, but at least it paid the bills. The job ended after a month of being constantly put on call because of lack of work. When I tried 2 find work elsewhere through interviews & job agencies, I got nowhere. To make it worse, because my fiancee has a van with a bad transmission, her dad & the rest of her family refuse 2 help her unless I'm either working or I'm out of her life! Her dad told her he could help her get a car unless it was 1 of these 2 things! I was told that if I spend holidays with her fam, i'll get mistreated by them because of my situation. My lady has stuck by me and has PO'd her family in the process. She told me 2 take a break & go and see my fam 4 the holidays. Does it mean she's ending it? We've been 2gether 4 5 yrs.!