The World's Most Effective Diet Pill

If you get a queasy stomach, don't read the rest of this article – every single word is true....

Yesterday, I spent the day getting some reading out of the way, and I decided to go and get my very favorite drink on earth – a wild berry smoothie. I used to have to trek down to Caribou Coffee to get my drink of choice. These days, however, I can get it at McDonald's, which is much more convenient.

So, I'm taking a break and decide to get a small smoothie to end an otherwise perfect day and as I open up the car door it happens – a rat jumps out from under a van parked nearby, grabs a piece of a sandwich which was dropped on the ground near the front door and hops back under the van.

So much for the smoothie. It's true, you can't always get what you want....

So at this point I'm trapped in my car. An intelligent person would have put the car in reverse and driven to the next McDonald's but as you can imagine, eating anything under the Golden Arches wasn't about to happen after that encounter. I guess that was a sign that I didn't need to get a smoothie anyway. I wasn't even hungry anymore.

As I sat traumatized in the relative safety of my car, people are walking in and out of McDonald's and no one seems to be all that concerned about the fact that a rat is darting in and out of the path to the doorway and getting a free meal to boot. I finally pulled myself together and drove home, vowing never to set foot in that parking lot again!

I guess this sort of thing can happen anywhere, but that doesn't make me feel better about it. I understand that worse things can happen to you, and I'm not trying to tempt fate, but why did my night have to be ruined?? I guess civilization hasn't stretched as far as I had hoped. Last summer I had a client check out a terrific condo in that area and the only thing he noticed were the two guys smoking a joint in the vacant lot next door. I guess that will dampen your desire to drop $200k on a place when Tyrone and Pookie are hanging next door, with nothing better to do than watch your every move.

Anyway, it's not all bad. This evening after coming from my workout, I noticed that a brand spanking new McDonald's was built much closer to my home. It's as if they were reading my mind. I haven't stopped by there yet – it's probably going to be a while before I can get this image out of my mind, and I apologize for putting it in yours, However, the next time you're trying to avoid that fast food craving, read this article and your craving will cease!

Old School House Head

After a week of 100 degree days and having my hair in a snatch-back, I have to admit I was not sure I wanted to attend the Chosen Few Picnic that was held last Saturday. Luckily my sense of nostalgia overtook my desire to stay cool and above the fray – I dove in with both feet – and I was not disappointed.

My first piece of advice is don't drive. Parking locations in the area were charging up to $20 a car and parking spaces were harder to find than gold nuggets out there. Travelling down Stony Island was like a funeral march. I was lucky to find the last legal parking spot on the street. I took the bus the rest of the way, carrying my portable chair on my shoulder.

This picnic is a merchandiser's bonanza – games, dolls, lights, gadgets, tee shirts, bootleg movies, bootleg music mixes, inflatable toys – it was all there for the offering to anyone who wanted it. I didn't buy a single thing going or coming, I wanted to take the whole experience in.

Once you get to the gate have your money out. I bought a ticket on line because I refused to have the police tell me as they had last year that it was too crowded to let one extra person go in – I was turned away before I even crossed Stony Island, and that was after buying my portable seat! I showed my on-line ticket and was ushered in without any problem.

As soon as I crossed the threshold I ran into people I knew. My lipstick was on a thousand faces – people I hadn't seen since I went to college, some I hadn't seen since I went to Kenwood – it was crazy! It was like having all your Facebook friends parade in front of you. I saw a brother I haven't seen since I was in Ms. Twine's class. I still can't believe he knew who I was, cause he doesn't look the same – he was a blond in grammer school.

If someone just came by and took a picture of the picnic, they'd think it was a refugee camp – tents everywhere - with some very satisfied refugees – the music was on point all day. Some of those songs I hadn't heard since 8^th grade! Every DJ who took the mike rocked the house. Who's selling the re-mix, because I want a copy....

I got back to business when I finally made it to the Obama tent, which was smack in the middle of everything as it should be. Do you think the President appreciates house music? He's got to, right? The tent was rocking. I didn't expect to see them there, so I was really shocked. The place was a natural, though, what better location to register voters? We need all the help we can get. They also have the best food – fruit, salad, baked chicken, and lamb kabobs that were just what the doctor ordered.

I went alone but I didn't leave that way – I gained a boatload of new friends, heard some mixes that took me all the way back to the house I grew up in – listening to the music of my life, and rocking to some grooves that will make you nostalgic for the old stomping grounds – the Warehouse, Sauer's, the Playground, the Underground, LaRay's, AKA's, Coconuts, and every college party from back in the day – when you could go to a party, have a good time, and come home to talk about it the rest of the night with your girls – that's what that afternoon brought back. It's sad that we can't have that anymore.

Calling Off the July 3rd Fireworks

Of all the things that has most disappointed me - the lack of fireworks on July 3rd is among the worst.  For years - decades even, Chicago's Taste of Chicago was capped with an incredible fireworks display near Monroe Harbor while the Chicago Symphony played the 1812 Overture.  It was an annual event that I so looked forward to that it influenced my decision to move downtown in the first place.  I wanted those fireworks and I didn't want to have to drive downtown and wait in the interminable lines back on the Outer Drive to enjoy them - so off the a lakefront convertible I went.

This is the second year that we have lived without fireworks.  It takes away from the enjoyment of the holiday.  I'm sure it was a nightmare for the police, and it was a headache to see that the streets were all blocked going downtown.  But it was always a boon day as far as business was concerned because people came from all over to see the fireworks.  They came early in the morning and they ate and shopped all day - not to mention the crowds they created at the Taste of Chicago.  Let's face it, we need the income.

I hope that this draught will be over soon.  I think we should bring back the fireworks first thing.  And this abbreviated Taste of Chicago celebration isn't making me smile either.  People plan their vacations around the Taste of Chicago, we can't afford to give less than our best.  The Taste of Chicago is a culinary cornicopia of Chicago cuisine, and we need to keep it as special as it has always been.  Bring back the crowds, brimg back the money, bring back a real July 4th break!

When Opportunity Rings, Please Answer The Phone

Back in the day when I first went into recruiting, I saw hundreds, if not thousands of resumes that made my manager roll his eyes up to heaven and call on the Lord!

The resumes came in and we mtched the applicants to the jobs that they were applying for according to the prior work experience they had.  Most resumes were very good, but there were always a few that needed real work before we could send them to a client's office.  I always brought in some of the people whose resumes needed special attention so that I could help them create a resume that would help them make the right impression. 

At our office we played a game amongst ourselves called "Guess Who Called Them To Interview"  we would look at the applicants in the waiting room and try to figure out who they came to see.  Scores of job applicants came to see us everyday, but as I worked with my group who needed a little nudge, my officemates shook their heads more and more furiously in dismay - my applicants seemed to be the ones that stood out in a crowd because their resumes reflected their general state of preparedness - they had a long way to go before they could go on an interview.  I was discouraged, but I wasn't bowed.  After all, everyone has to start out somewhere, and if you never help anyone, who's going to be around to help you????

You can't imagine the change that was made with just a little coaching and a stiff nudge in the right direction.  I was able to turn some pumpkins into real princes.  They got placed, and my manager had to reassess what I was trying to accomplish. I know that most people can find the job of their dreams, they just need to stop thinking of the interview process in terms of judgement and think of it in terms of being prepared.  If you only have one chance to make a good impression, use the time to show everyone what you bring to the table.  You're fabulous!  Make it easy for them to see your cream rise to the top:

Please answer the phone yourself - don't let a relative answer, you need to be right by that phone when it rings - sound cheerful -even if you are down to your last quarter - in fact especially then

If you must use a cell phone, and it's pretty clear they are taking over - use a reliable service.  You need to clearly understand every single thing the recruiter is telling you so that your notes are accurate.  Before cell phones, I used to call people at phone booths (yes, that was quite a while ago) if they didn't have a home phone. Once I had an applicant who was so distracted that she went to an interview at Midway for a job at O'Hare.  It was a disaster - the client filled the job without ever meeting my person.  My applicant walked all over the place, and was so frsutrated she went home in tears. Clarify the location in all cases!

Make sure you know where the location is.  It's easy to take down an address and drive out to the place th next day, but it's smarter to make a dry run to make sure there isn't any construction and that you really know where you are going. we give applicants directions, but invariably they don't have them when they leave for the interview.   Don't  be afraid to ask for directions - Bus drivers have great info on the best way to get around, and State Police officers fill the bill nicely if you're going outside the city.  I've had people call the police on my applicants because they thought they were casing the area.  You don't have to be humiliated - just don't be too proud to ask for help.

In a tough job market we all need all the help we can get - hopefully this will help you on your journey.

Find Out What Houses Are Worth In Your Area

Now is the best time to find out what houses and apartments are really selling for in your area -

Notice the difference - you want to know what people are actually paying, not just what people are trying to list their home and apartments for

Give me a call if you want to see what's going on in your area -I'm happy to help

Don't make a move without me - call me at 312-498-1138!