Happy Holidays!

Before the holiday season gets too busy and distracting, I wanted to wish all my blog readers a Happy Holidays!

Looks like there are some really great online shopping deals right now.

Be safe, have fun, and enjoy the season with family and friends.

Thanks for reading!

Not Shedding a Tear

So, the state of Virginia executed the DC Sniper, John A. Muhammad, earlier tonight. I am generally not a supporter of the death penalty, but in this case, I did not shed a tear.

As I previously wrote regarding capital punishment, I am willing to be pragmatic in extreme cases. I think the random shooting of numerous innocent people out in public across multiple states for the purposes of creating a diversion and inciting chaos is quite extreme.

Giving Up On Kombucha

So, after trying it around 10 times, I am giving up on kombucha (also spelled komboucha).

The fermented tea, made from a polyculture of bacteria and yeast growing in a jar of black tea and sugar, first caught my attention when I noticed the rather large refrigerated display of a few brands at Whole Foods Market. With a wide variety of flavored options and a long list of health claims, I figured it was worth a try. I previously wrote about my experience with the GT's Raw Organic Komboucha Multi-Green flavor.

Apple Announces Exciting New iPod Nano Model

WOW!!

Steve Jobs just announced the new iPod Nano model includes a video camera (to compete with the Flip Mino), a voice recorder, onboard speakers, Nike pedometer, FM radio receiver, bigger screen, CoverFlow navigation, all aluminum case available in multiple colors, and free of arsenic, BFR, mercury, and PVC.

Only $179 for 16GB, $149 for 8GB. Available today!

Whoa.

There's going to be lots more video cameras in people's hands soon.

The Case Against Video Resumes: A Staffing Director's Perspective

In 2007, there was mainstream (TIME, USA Today, MSNBC) and recruiting industry (Cheezhead, ERE) media attention on the growing trend of video resumes. YouTube was exploding onto the scene and the job market was still hot. Some of the coverage was optimistic, while many expressed doubts about video resumes (Brazen Careerist, FastCompany, Freakonomics).

It's now two years later. The proliferation of built-in webcams, pocket camcorders (Apple, Flip, Sony), and the ubiquity of YouTube, as well as some specialty websites (HireVue, FaceHire, InterviewStudio, HitechResumes, eVesume, MYNE, RecruitTube, RezBuzz, VideoResumes, VideoResumeToolKit) makes it easier and cheaper than ever to create a video resume. More employers have PCs and networks that can handle video downloads and streaming than ever before. All the leading smartphone models have video playback capability. While we're gradually emerging from the bottom of an awful global recession, we are still deep inside a jobless recovery, with unemployment rates still climbing, motivating some people to find a way to stand out in the ultra-competitive job market.

Despite all these factors, I feel it's time to make the case against video resumes.

Healthcare Reform Facebook Meme

So, starting late yesterday, and all through today, a whole bunch of people on Facebook posted on their status a message that seemed pretty popular:

No one should die because they cannot afford healthcare, and no one should go broke because they get sick. If you agree, please post this as your status.

After I saw it for the first few times, I thought it was an ok sentiment, but not one I would be echoing on my own Facebook status. Then, there seemed to be an onslaught of status updates with the same, or very similar messages. There were comments of support, and some other status messages serving a bit of a backlash sentiment.

Wishing for Extended Episodes of Anthony Bourdain

The online marketing arm of the production team for the Travel Channel television show, Anthony Bourdain No Reservations, has been actively reaching out to fans for feedback and questions. On August 27, I responded on Twitter:

@NoReservations How about selling longer, 2+ hr versions of previous destinations, on DVD, pay per view, or iTunes, for hardcore food fans?

Product Review: Clamato Tomato Cocktail

Earlier today, I was planning to cook cioppino for my family's Sunday dinner. I skimmed through various recipes online, to remind me what ingredients to buy and the basic cooking methods involved. I noticed some recipes called for clam broth and at least one mentions using Clamato tomato cocktail as an alternative. While I was at the supermarket, I was a bit pressed for time, so I wasn't able to find bottled clam juice, but I was able to buy fresh clams, and I also quickly grabbed some Clamato.

Auditions Are Not Exactly Interviews

So, my sister asked me to comment on this New York Times article about a casting director who tweeted during auditions, sometimes with rude comments.

My response:

Leave Mason a Voicemail for Free via Google Voice