Honesty

Is honesty really the best policy? I submit that it is not. Ever since companies have made the move to computer-controlled hiring programs and surveys, honesty in applicants has become a liability. Gone are the days of an employer “feeling out” a prospective employee through interviews. These days, the interview is a formality. An attempt to rate a person on a human level by another human, but it is the soulless, intuitionless machine that we trust to make decisions.

Am I being too melodramatic? I doubt it. For example, I just completed my “interview” with a major security company. I arrived in a suit and tie a few minutes early as we’re told and taught to. I had previously filled out an application online and completed the questionnaire that goes with it, that list of statements with response choices ranging from “Strongly Agree” to “Strongly Disagree”. The computer passed me through. When I arrived at the designated place, I was greeted by a secretary who sat me in a conference room and handed me yet another “assessment”. I answered every question truthfully and honestly. As this was a security company, the questions were about honesty, integrity, criminal history, drug use, and the like. I have never used any illegal drugs, nor do I have a criminal history. My personal integrity is very important to me. Confident in myself and my answers, I turned in the assessment. I then waited about 15 minutes while a computer scored my assessment. The manager came to collect me for the human part of the interview.

It lasted all of five minutes.

He asked about a couple of my responses, and a general “How much should an employee be allowed to steal before he’s fired” question. Then he sighed, and told me the computer had scored my responses as “not recommended for employment.” When I asked why, he told me that he didn’t know, the computer won’t divulge the reasons behind its decisions. I got the impression that had the decision been up to him, I would have had at least a shot at a real interview. He looked apologetic and told me that his hands were tied. Company policy states that if the computer returns “not recommended”, then that person is right out.

One of the first clichés that we learn is “Honesty is the best policy.” I believe that many of the world’s problems would be solved if people would just be honest. Personal integrity and honor should be important to everyone. Sadly, this is not the case.

We live in a world where greed and dishonesty are the norm. But it goes beyond that. Greed and dishonesty are accepted, expected, and even encouraged. Anything to get ahead, to gain an advantage.

Honest people are at a huge disadvantage in such a world. People work and sweat for years, and invest that hard-earned money to provide for themselves in retirement, and Bernie Madoff takes it for himself. Athletes work and train to give the best performance they can, to excel in the field of human physical achievement, and Barry Bond’s steroids set records.

A truly honest, honorable man tries to feed his family, and the computer rejects him for his honest answers.
What has happened to us?

Worlds best husband right here!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter! Our very first easter sucked. I worked the 7 to 3 shift, got off at 4 which pissed me off, then I came home, packed a weeks worth of everything and me and dave went to his parents house where we will pretend to live in a big clean house for the next week since his whole family is in the Bahamas. Then we ate frozen burritos and brats. At least that leaves a lot of improvemennt for next year, right? oh, and boo to work for not letting me watch any conference. Thbth. thank goodness there is a Ensign!
I dont know how to bring this on, so ill just say it. My husband is the most wonderful man alive! In a conversation we had, I told him that I didnt agree on the video games he has been playing and I felt like it took away from our "home spirit" and since Ive had the spirit with me so strong at school, which they call a "temple of learning" and the rest of the day, then coming home and it be gone, I also stressed a few other things, then we agreed on no more Halo and thost type of shooting games, but uplifting games like sports, etc. Ever since we have changed those ways the spirit dwells even more in our home and there is a more love feeling in our home. That was a big change for him, and Im so very proud of him for making that choice!

Blog spot is lame... that is all.

I think blog spots are stupid. Nobody ever reads it, (at least mine). If they do, I cant tell because nobody leaves comments. Because of that, its hard to write knowing that. Really the only fun thing to do is to pick a new style for the damn thing, and what drives me even more crazy is that some people live for there stupid blog spots. It's there whole life and everyone knows how great they are because of there stupid blog. Plus it makes everyone else hopeless because it makes other peoples life feels like theres is more suckish. lol, is that even a word? Well anyways, just thought I'd get that off my chest. Thank you, that is all. :)

Two more weeks!

This semester has flown by at school. I only have 2 more weeks left. This semester was so much fun at th BC. It wa full of making new friends and brain cakes and LOVING all my teachers and always feeling the spirit and having it guide your life and teach you everything you need to learn and more. My last and latest project for school this semester is these cute little nest easter treats I made today. So cute!

Spring is here!

I thought this would never happen through that long, miserable winter season. I am super excited! I love seeing the baby animals and the flowers starting to bud then bloom and the new spring air! You can smell the excitement all around, and people smiling more. I believe this is the season to celebrate life!
Easter this year will be quite interesting this year. Daves family will be on a cruise again, down in the bahamas this time. My family will be in Arizona. We will be house sitting at Daves parents house that whole week, starting general conference weekend. Im thinking we will decorate eggs and have ourselves a little easter egg hunt and celebrate Christs resurection and watch general conference of course! Well, if you have any other fun ideas we can do let me know! Happy Spring!

HCG Diet

I have been looking for some change in my life, and i finally found it! My wonderful cousin Megan inpired me to try this diet. So I decided to try it. 3 days after I orderred it it came in the mail. That was impressive! then I started that day. the first two days it says to binge. so thats what i did. oddly enough i didnt get sick or feel gross.. thanks to the drops, i suppose. The first day i ate... 2 cinnamon rolls, a double quarter pounder with cheese, fries, drink and ice cream, taco soup, nachos, and 2 more cinnamon rolls. Day 2 of the gorging i ate, 2 more cinnamon rolls,yakiniku, mac n cheese, caramel corn, and jello. This morning i weighed myself and if i had normally eaten all that, which never in my mind i would i probably would have gained like 6 pounds. But instead I LOST 5 POUNDS. in 3 DAYS!! I couldnt believe it! what a wonderful feeling that was. I hope i will be seeing this good of results until April 23rd. This portion of the diet im on a 500 calorie intake a day. So far, i feel full suprisingly. which is good. i hope the rest of the time is as easy as today!

The Brain

Well, if you know me I’m a procrastinator.. so all day today after school I spent eight and a half hours building this brain cake that’s due tomorrow. it was fun and challenging, I’m sure if I made it again, it wouldn’t even take half the time. I’m glad I don’t have kids yet, because I know I wouldn’t have been able to get that whole thing plus a paper done tonight. whew!
The cold bug has officially hit the Cooks home. I haven’t been sick for over a year because I work at a hospital, so I’m immune to almost everything. Lately it seems that everyone is sick.. must just be that time of the year again ... Joy!
Looks like the end of summer/beginning of fall we will be getting ourselves into a real house!! im so excited. Dave will be graduated by then and out of the police academy, or close to it, but he will be paid during.
Well, hope everything is going well with you all!