More Making With The Funny

The latest excuse for lack of updates: Many of the little breathing spaces in my life are filled with ranting and throwing people around, my main duties as Angry Woman Marion Burke, a regular character on The New Level, which takes sketch comedy to... well, the San Fernando Valley, but also your computer. And also to a new level. But you probably guessed that already.

Of the stuff that's currently posted, I'm in the series promo and episode 3. The producers also post bite-sized bits on The New Level Facebook page. Look for the angry woman in my late great-aunt Gertrude's leopard-print coat.

Hey, I have to do something now that the Bush Twins aren't funny anymore.

2011 Magic 8-Ball Oscar Picks

Hello poor, neglected blog. What have you been up to? Yeah, not much here either - at least that makes for interesting blogging. If you're really bored, ask me what a taxonomist does. Hint: It's interesting to maybe 1% of the population (including me, fortunately), and does not involve stuffing or mounting anything.

Reassuringly, there will always be ,Magic 8-Ball Oscar picks. The 2011 list is up at Red Carpet Crash. Enjoy.

Magic 8-Ball Predictions 2010

...now available on Red Carpet Crash. For Tweeters, that's http://bit.ly/9JP1WL.

(Yeah, I'm too lazy to reformat everything. So sue me. Or don't sue me: all you'd get is a few books and some beads anyway.)

Latest Endeavor: More Blogging

Hi, I'm back. I doubt many people noticed I was gone, but for those of you who have: I'm fine. There just hasn't been a whole heck of a lot going on these past several months. I may be the only person that's ever stopped from blogging.

I'm popping in now to let you know that I'm blogging for Red Carpet Crash -- mostly about TV, but as the only Hollywood-based contributor to an entertainment site, my subject matter is likely to expand. Peruse the whole site (and you should; it's a wonderfully unique mix of stuff, with previews and giveaways and whatnot) or just check out my posts here.

(Oh, and NBC? Should you want to replace Jeff Zucker with someone who has a clue about how audiences and affiliates work, I'm available.)

Approaching The Halfway Point

We're just about halfway through 2009, and I can't help but notice that a lot of us are having truly craptastic years. Unemployment, deaths, illness, pestilence... just a whole lot of no fun.

So if you're reading this, 2009, please tell me what we did to you to make you so mad at us. I can't promise that we'll stop doing whatever it is, but it would be nice to have an explanation for all the suck.

Elsewhere

Yeah, I know. I've been slacking on posting to this blog lately. I've been pouring much of my blogging time into yet another one that I hope to launch soon, and the rest into Rose Knows. (I'm always fielding questions and taking requests; whether I answer them is less of a certainty.)

If you need more Rose pithiness in your life (I can't imagine why you would, but that's your business), I'm @roseknows over on Twitter. Look for the purple Devil Duckie.

A Note To Recruiters, Re: Taking You Seriously

Hi, recruiters. I know it's been a while since I've written to you, but I've been busy not working.

Now, I know it's not your fault that the job market's slow, even for eminently employable people like me. I know it's slow because lately, I've been getting pitches for the same position from two or three recruiters. I've found that I have more success by having one person push for me than by allowing my potential employer be spammed with my resume. (And by "success," I mean, "ever hearing from someone about this position again". Lowered expectations, I have them.)

So what might make me go with one recruiter over another? Here are some sure-fire ways to make sure you're not the one who could potentially get a commission off me:

Use of "LOL" in email. Just don't. Ever. Especially in a business email. If we've been working together for a while, I'll let a well-placed :) slide, but "LOL"? Save it for IMs to your friend from college.

Hotmail email address. Ideally, you should have an email account from whatever company you're representing. If you're freelancing, then you really should take the time to register a domain name. But if for some reason you really do need to use a free account, then use Gmail. You can do much more with it than you can with other free services, and it doesn't put ads on your messages. (Jury's still out on Yahoo addresses. My current thinking is that they're fine for the job seeker, but I'd rather see a recruiter that's researched which service will give them the most bang for their non-existent bucks.)

Unintelligible voice mails. No-brainer, right? You'd be surprised.

Unidentifiable area code. I debated whether to include this one. I'm big on telecommuting, because it's better for the environment and because I can wear shorts if I feel like it. But the fact is, I'm going to give more weight to someone with a local or easy-to-pinpoint area code. A local number is an indication that you know the market; an out-of-area, but well-established, area code means that you're more likely to be working with an experienced recruiting agency. It could also mean that you're in the middle of Iowa and are savvy enough to get yourself cell phone with a Los Angeles area code, but at least you've put some thought into it.

Obliviousness to geography. Used to be, I only had to contend with recruiters who didn't understand that from my residence, a ten-mile commute east can easily take three times as long as a commute north. Now I'm contending with recruiters who are trying to sell me on "local candidate only" jobs that are 600 miles away. When I get multiple pitches like this, they're usually from different people at the same company. That company goes to the bottom of my priority list. A group of people who don't talk to each other, and make the same stupid mistake? Next.

I want to work with you, dear recruiter. But let's not waste each others' time, 'kay? 'Kay.