Just found the niftiest quote from your blog. May I share?
Few fibers on the market are 100% eco-friendly, and we all must make choices -- well-informed choices. To help you make better choices, try out the green wardrobe calculator at Ecotextile News. You may be surprised to find that the answer is not so much what you buy, but how you launder it, how long you wear it, and where it goes when you're done with it.
I have not been asked an illegal question, but I've thought about what I would do if I were asked such a question.
I decided that if possible, I would assume the person didn't know the question is illegal and say something like, "Actually, that question is illegal. But you're probably trying to figure out [some work-related issue], and I can assure you that this would not be a problem.
Now for the person who interviewed Lucille and actually knew the question was illegal, that wouldn't work. I'd still try to get at their real fears somehow.
I like the ideas in this entry better. They're similar and definitely better for some situations.
The basic problem is that much bamboo material is not correctly labeled. Chemically speaking, there is no such thing as a bamboo fiber. It is either rayon made from bamboo or lyocel made form bamboo, and rayon (most of what's on the market) is made using the viscose process, which is harmful to the environment. Google "American Viscose" and "superfund" and you will see that what's left of the American rayon industry is still causing problems decades after the industry closed down. for more:
Obviously, I'm no perfectly green person. My intent in writing this piece was to show that bamboo is no perfect product. And with many of the bamboo-based products costing more than their hardwood counterparts, I felt that consumers should know what they were paying for.
I'm fine with people purchasing whatever products float their boat. I'm not OK with people being made to feel that they are somehow not as eco-conscious if they skip trends that haven't been proven as being "green." So with each new phase of green marketing that we will encounter, there should be questions asked of the industry and the retailers that embrace it.
As a job seeker it's important to keep your cool and try to take these questions in stride. Many people you speak too will not be "professional" interviewers - in many cases they are just as nervous about the interview process as you are. Sometimes people will ask "Do you have children at home?" when what they are really interested in is your available hours.
It's important to remember that you are talking to a human being - not the company they represent. Steer away from accepting illegal questions, but do be understanding of errors (within reason).
Asking any personal political leaning or affiliation is also illegal. I had an interviewer for a government job have the audacity to ask me point blank what my political affiliation was because the job was an appointment job. As soon as she asked the question she sort of back peddled and mentioned it was illegal for her to ask that and I didn't have to answer. Then she sat there waiting for a response. I responded with my ability to operate in a professional manner and used examples of working with a very diverse client base in the past to try to show my ability to work around areas of conflict. But honestly for me when she asked that question the interview was over. It was very clear they wanted someone with a specific political leaning in the job. If I was of that leaning or not I would not want to work somewhere that put politics before qualified staff.
I contacted the insurers lately to update my address details.
The salesman offered to "change my policy to a more modern version".
I don't know if he was naive or if this is company policy, because they simply don't sell whole of life (as far as I can find) in Australia anymore!
Thanks for this post - hopefully it will help explain things to my uninsured husband who is bemused by the monthly payment to something he doesn't quite understand!
I've been asked about my parental status in a roundabout way. Since I don't have kids and never wanted them, I used it to my advantage by stating point-blank that I would NEVER be a parent. This (implied question) only came up twice in many years and both times I got the job.
Illegal? Yes. But since I could use in it my favor, I did. I wonder if I could have gotten even more interviews if I put "FOREVER CHILD FREE" on the top of my resume?
When my job ended about 5 years ago I left my 403(b)(7) in place through the advice of the employers rep. even though I informed him I would not be contributing to it any longer for financial reasons. I know little about IRA's but figured I should roll it over into one. He encouraged me to stay put stating I would incur too many other charges to change. I am 50 years old, it was not a large amount of money, less than $20,000 (as I only contributed what my employer matched) it's now down to about $13,000. I know I need to do something with this account and have been searching online for info when I found your site. I know this is a service my bank offers and I was considering contacting them. Thanks for the info.
I won't win because I never play the lottery. But if some long lost relative suddenly left me millions, I would pay off all our debt, build our dream retirement home on the piece of farmland we already own, and then move there.
I guess I'm one of those who really would, figuratively, walk away from it all. But only because I have very little to walk away from, and a very concrete view of what I'd be walking towards. I have no career ambitions at all. Only a strong desire to live a more self-sufficient, and more ethical life.
I wouldn't need millions to make that happen, so I'd need to devote some thought as to how to best use the rest of the money for the greater good.
If I had millions of dollars, work would be the furthest thing from my mind. My wife and I would quit our jobs. We'd go to Disney World for about 10 days, or until we got sick of it. Plan some other vacations. Donate a large portion to our church. Pay off some of our families debts. And the only work we'd do would be within the church, which is what I really love.
first, i never buy lottery tickets until the 'pot' is >$80 million. it is a well known statistical fact that you have a better chance of winning when the pot is >$80 million than when it's only $1 million.
second, if i win, i will pay for my house, sock about $1 million in 10 different bank accts (for FDIC protection, natch...).
now. what to do with the rest?? i will buy the worlds fastest car -- around $750K before the current economy, probably on sale now.
but, i only live 3 miles from work... so, the remainder of the money will go for one of 2 things
either, build my own road to work, with no speed limit -- helping to put people back to work and stimulate the real estate market. or, finance several new dept of transportation oersonnel and police to ensure a clear road as i drive 2 or from work.
my accountant can decide which is the best alternative......
Hi there, that article it is very interesting. I was thinking about write a review about the social network since here in portugal the Media are looking for that also. It is very important to most of the people know how to deal with it.
I believe that the world wide web it is bigger than the real world, and spam, scumm and bla bla bla from them (u know what I mean). Maybe the social network came to help us to leave the especulation on the market, and people really can learn more and more and find the real truth in all sense!!
Social network It is cool because give the power to the people.
And a note: I live part of my life on the internet (also a work) and there is no Manual "how to use it". U just learn with the internet behavour, one day after another.
"Simple old lye" in industrial quantities is not quite as benign as a couple pounds that your neighbor uses to make goat soap. Does your soap guy wear gloves when he handles it? Does he let his kids play with it? I'm willing to bet the answers are yes and no, because being ubiquitous does not mean that it's not hazardous.
Also, in soap-making, all the NaOH is reacted, so that there is none left at the end--I can't say if that is the case for bamboo processing.
I get really annoyed when someone starts pushing me their hype. I can always sense if it's an inflated bunch of junk they're wanting me to get involved in...
my problem is telling the snakecharmers i've discovered their falsities. Do I tell them off and blast the facts in their face? or do I leave em on the hook by not responding to them again?
Kudos Torley! As one of many who can vouch for Torley's brand-character-humaness, listen to his words. Torley is a success in his field... lol... I just hope his article doesn't make companies start second guessing on valuable approaches. ... my opinion is, if someone looks good on paper AND then carries out what they said about themselves, obviously that's a quality person. Hire THAT person. ( I also say let a person prove their worth and value in the beginning so there's never a question about effectiveness. )
well.. a lot of lottery winners end up losing their fortune. I would say the first thing is to make sure that your win is anonymous. Otherwise the story may be quite tragic because everyone would want a piece of you. See: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3012631
"as well as not using another common chemical in the process (sodium hydroxide)"
Ah, yes. Horrible, horrible sodium hydroxide. You do realize that Sodium Hydroxide is simple old lye? Lye is best known for it's use in the manufacture of soap. Actually, the goat milk soap that I purchase from a small farm outside of my town (great stuff!) is made with Lye.
Careful, I've heard that some of the manufacturers use dihidrogyen monoxide. We definitely don't want that to get into the ecosystem!
I have quite a few friends, family, and neighbors who are teachers and their standard of living is great to compare to a lot of people. I work for a small environmental working to improve the environmental conditions for our community. Our firm won't even look at someone unless they have a master degree and even then, starting salary is mid-twenties and your lucky to 30k after 5 years. So many of our friends who are teachers are making at least in the mid-forties. Plus, they have great health insurance, retirement plans, programs for continuing education, loan reimbursement, and have the summers off. Sorry, Janel. Teachers having to work 40+ hours for 10 months, plus two weeks off for winter vacation, 1 week off for spring break, and how many national holidays off are not getting any sympathy from the rest of working class/middle class. Sorry to say this, but I think a majority of Teachers have gotten into a bad habit about complaining about salaries and work requirements and forget that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.
My plan is based on an E! True Hollywood Story called "The Curse of the Lottery".
1. Open a safe deposit box to hold the winning ticket. Take a few days to figure out what you want to do with the money.
2. Hire a lawyer, financial planner, and accountant.
3. With the help of these individuals: open an anonymous trust to keep your name from being publicized by the lottery (and to keep "family members" from appearing out of the blue), create a financial plan to meet your long-term financial goals and plan out you tax liabilities. If you're taking the lump sum, create a will (if you don't already have one).
My plan with the money would be to donate to my favorite charities, pay off debts, travel, and go back to school to get a college degree.
Just found the niftiest quote from your blog. May I share?
http://nicewhitelady.blogspot.com/2008/08/organic-clothing-bamboo-articl...
Linsey Knerl
I have not been asked an illegal question, but I've thought about what I would do if I were asked such a question.
I decided that if possible, I would assume the person didn't know the question is illegal and say something like, "Actually, that question is illegal. But you're probably trying to figure out [some work-related issue], and I can assure you that this would not be a problem.
Now for the person who interviewed Lucille and actually knew the question was illegal, that wouldn't work. I'd still try to get at their real fears somehow.
I like the ideas in this entry better. They're similar and definitely better for some situations.
The basic problem is that much bamboo material is not correctly labeled. Chemically speaking, there is no such thing as a bamboo fiber. It is either rayon made from bamboo or lyocel made form bamboo, and rayon (most of what's on the market) is made using the viscose process, which is harmful to the environment. Google "American Viscose" and "superfund" and you will see that what's left of the American rayon industry is still causing problems decades after the industry closed down. for more:
http://nicewhitelady.blogspot.com/search/label/bamboo
Obviously, I'm no perfectly green person. My intent in writing this piece was to show that bamboo is no perfect product. And with many of the bamboo-based products costing more than their hardwood counterparts, I felt that consumers should know what they were paying for.
I'm fine with people purchasing whatever products float their boat. I'm not OK with people being made to feel that they are somehow not as eco-conscious if they skip trends that haven't been proven as being "green." So with each new phase of green marketing that we will encounter, there should be questions asked of the industry and the retailers that embrace it.
Thanks for your comments. I love homemade soap.
Linsey Knerl
As a job seeker it's important to keep your cool and try to take these questions in stride. Many people you speak too will not be "professional" interviewers - in many cases they are just as nervous about the interview process as you are. Sometimes people will ask "Do you have children at home?" when what they are really interested in is your available hours.
It's important to remember that you are talking to a human being - not the company they represent. Steer away from accepting illegal questions, but do be understanding of errors (within reason).
Asking any personal political leaning or affiliation is also illegal. I had an interviewer for a government job have the audacity to ask me point blank what my political affiliation was because the job was an appointment job. As soon as she asked the question she sort of back peddled and mentioned it was illegal for her to ask that and I didn't have to answer. Then she sat there waiting for a response. I responded with my ability to operate in a professional manner and used examples of working with a very diverse client base in the past to try to show my ability to work around areas of conflict. But honestly for me when she asked that question the interview was over. It was very clear they wanted someone with a specific political leaning in the job. If I was of that leaning or not I would not want to work somewhere that put politics before qualified staff.
I contacted the insurers lately to update my address details.
The salesman offered to "change my policy to a more modern version".
I don't know if he was naive or if this is company policy, because they simply don't sell whole of life (as far as I can find) in Australia anymore!
Thanks for this post - hopefully it will help explain things to my uninsured husband who is bemused by the monthly payment to something he doesn't quite understand!
I would also buy apartments: Chicago, Paris, and maybe Argentina.
Then travel, travel, write, and travel.
It's funny because I expected more people to say "Quit my job and do X" and I was ready to say, "Why don't you do X anyway, without the money?"
But things don't always work out the way you want them to.
The Writer's Coin | Follow me on Twitter
I've been asked about my parental status in a roundabout way. Since I don't have kids and never wanted them, I used it to my advantage by stating point-blank that I would NEVER be a parent. This (implied question) only came up twice in many years and both times I got the job.
Illegal? Yes. But since I could use in it my favor, I did. I wonder if I could have gotten even more interviews if I put "FOREVER CHILD FREE" on the top of my resume?
When my job ended about 5 years ago I left my 403(b)(7) in place through the advice of the employers rep. even though I informed him I would not be contributing to it any longer for financial reasons. I know little about IRA's but figured I should roll it over into one. He encouraged me to stay put stating I would incur too many other charges to change. I am 50 years old, it was not a large amount of money, less than $20,000 (as I only contributed what my employer matched) it's now down to about $13,000. I know I need to do something with this account and have been searching online for info when I found your site. I know this is a service my bank offers and I was considering contacting them. Thanks for the info.
I won't win because I never play the lottery. But if some long lost relative suddenly left me millions, I would pay off all our debt, build our dream retirement home on the piece of farmland we already own, and then move there.
I guess I'm one of those who really would, figuratively, walk away from it all. But only because I have very little to walk away from, and a very concrete view of what I'd be walking towards. I have no career ambitions at all. Only a strong desire to live a more self-sufficient, and more ethical life.
I wouldn't need millions to make that happen, so I'd need to devote some thought as to how to best use the rest of the money for the greater good.
quit my job. Working sucks.
If I had millions of dollars, work would be the furthest thing from my mind. My wife and I would quit our jobs. We'd go to Disney World for about 10 days, or until we got sick of it. Plan some other vacations. Donate a large portion to our church. Pay off some of our families debts. And the only work we'd do would be within the church, which is what I really love.
first, i never buy lottery tickets until the 'pot' is >$80 million. it is a well known statistical fact that you have a better chance of winning when the pot is >$80 million than when it's only $1 million.
second, if i win, i will pay for my house, sock about $1 million in 10 different bank accts (for FDIC protection, natch...).
now. what to do with the rest?? i will buy the worlds fastest car -- around $750K before the current economy, probably on sale now.
but, i only live 3 miles from work... so, the remainder of the money will go for one of 2 things
either, build my own road to work, with no speed limit -- helping to put people back to work and stimulate the real estate market. or, finance several new dept of transportation oersonnel and police to ensure a clear road as i drive 2 or from work.
my accountant can decide which is the best alternative......
:)
Hi there, that article it is very interesting. I was thinking about write a review about the social network since here in portugal the Media are looking for that also. It is very important to most of the people know how to deal with it.
I believe that the world wide web it is bigger than the real world, and spam, scumm and bla bla bla from them (u know what I mean). Maybe the social network came to help us to leave the especulation on the market, and people really can learn more and more and find the real truth in all sense!!
Social network It is cool because give the power to the people.
And a note: I live part of my life on the internet (also a work) and there is no Manual "how to use it". U just learn with the internet behavour, one day after another.
"Simple old lye" in industrial quantities is not quite as benign as a couple pounds that your neighbor uses to make goat soap. Does your soap guy wear gloves when he handles it? Does he let his kids play with it? I'm willing to bet the answers are yes and no, because being ubiquitous does not mean that it's not hazardous.
Also, in soap-making, all the NaOH is reacted, so that there is none left at the end--I can't say if that is the case for bamboo processing.
I get really annoyed when someone starts pushing me their hype. I can always sense if it's an inflated bunch of junk they're wanting me to get involved in...
my problem is telling the snakecharmers i've discovered their falsities. Do I tell them off and blast the facts in their face? or do I leave em on the hook by not responding to them again?
Kudos Torley! As one of many who can vouch for Torley's brand-character-humaness, listen to his words. Torley is a success in his field... lol... I just hope his article doesn't make companies start second guessing on valuable approaches. ... my opinion is, if someone looks good on paper AND then carries out what they said about themselves, obviously that's a quality person. Hire THAT person. ( I also say let a person prove their worth and value in the beginning so there's never a question about effectiveness. )
Thanks for the mention!
NEVER EVER is always right. The strive for perfection is the enemy of a good start.
I would buy you a green dress. But not a real green dress, that's cruel.
well.. a lot of lottery winners end up losing their fortune. I would say the first thing is to make sure that your win is anonymous. Otherwise the story may be quite tragic because everyone would want a piece of you. See: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3012631
"as well as not using another common chemical in the process (sodium hydroxide)"
Ah, yes. Horrible, horrible sodium hydroxide. You do realize that Sodium Hydroxide is simple old lye? Lye is best known for it's use in the manufacture of soap. Actually, the goat milk soap that I purchase from a small farm outside of my town (great stuff!) is made with Lye.
Careful, I've heard that some of the manufacturers use dihidrogyen monoxide. We definitely don't want that to get into the ecosystem!
I have quite a few friends, family, and neighbors who are teachers and their standard of living is great to compare to a lot of people. I work for a small environmental working to improve the environmental conditions for our community. Our firm won't even look at someone unless they have a master degree and even then, starting salary is mid-twenties and your lucky to 30k after 5 years. So many of our friends who are teachers are making at least in the mid-forties. Plus, they have great health insurance, retirement plans, programs for continuing education, loan reimbursement, and have the summers off. Sorry, Janel. Teachers having to work 40+ hours for 10 months, plus two weeks off for winter vacation, 1 week off for spring break, and how many national holidays off are not getting any sympathy from the rest of working class/middle class. Sorry to say this, but I think a majority of Teachers have gotten into a bad habit about complaining about salaries and work requirements and forget that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.
My plan is based on an E! True Hollywood Story called "The Curse of the Lottery".
1. Open a safe deposit box to hold the winning ticket. Take a few days to figure out what you want to do with the money.
2. Hire a lawyer, financial planner, and accountant.
3. With the help of these individuals: open an anonymous trust to keep your name from being publicized by the lottery (and to keep "family members" from appearing out of the blue), create a financial plan to meet your long-term financial goals and plan out you tax liabilities. If you're taking the lump sum, create a will (if you don't already have one).
My plan with the money would be to donate to my favorite charities, pay off debts, travel, and go back to school to get a college degree.