juliana, here's what I got:

Thank you for taking the time to interview for the Administrative Assistant 4 position (Requisition # 3132121 ) with XXXXX.

We appreciated the opportunity to review your background and experience with you. The selection process was a difficult one. After careful consideration, we have selected a candidate whose qualifications more closely match the requirements of this position.

We encourage you to continue to explore opportunities with XXXXX by visiting our employment site at XXXXXX. We appreciate your interest in XXXXX and wish you success with your career pursuits.

Sincerely,

XXXXX Recruiting

Blurgh.

Immediate next task: Rewrite my current boss's recommendation letter (he told me "Just put in whatever you want me to say and I'll sign it" -- if he weren't retiring, I'd stay forever).

Next next task: Martini, applied internally.

Man.

I know he's busy and all, but you'd think he'd have someone call you instead of just using the form email. I'm sorry, sweetie.

Did you mean to say that you can want it even if it isn't currently available? 'Cause, you have an inalienable right to get what you want. Sometimes it just talks...um...time.

I'm not going to parse it too carefully, but I mean I'm not always going to get what I want. I'm cool with that. 'Cause if I try sometimes, I just might find... sorry, earwormed myself.

(((JZ))) for job hunting and because I should have in Natter and failed to.

{{JZ}} I'm sorry. Job hunting sucks in a huge way.

What ChiKat said. And some ~ma sent on your job interviews.

Sad because I had to bail on getting together with Matt while he is visiting South Beach. I was already backed up from the trip to Atlanta, and DH has been gone the last couple days leaving me with his work on top of mine. It was just going to bury me that much further under my work burden to take time off to play. The price to pay for taking time off for the F2F.

Ack, JZ, that sucketh mightily.

I don't completely blame those women, because there's the myth out there of the civilizing influence of the womenfolk.

Perpetuated by pop culture, too. I can think of no clearer example of this than the movie City of Angels (Nicolas Cage version). Think about it -- he changed literally his entire existence for a woman.

And as women, that's what we're taught to dream about -- covertly, of course, but also overtly -- that a man will change (sometimes, change his entire life) for our redeeming love.

And that's a dangerous, dangerous myth.

And there's the fact that a lot of men will play into it for a while too.

I've known more than one man that was convinced his woman would change too. Nope, not gonna happen.

And there's the fact that a lot of men will play into it for a while too.

Yup.

t still bitter

What's that old chestnut? Men marry women hoping they won't change--women marry men hoping they will.

Creeps me right out, but I don't do relationships, so I don't think I get a vote.

I can't demand that you don't knowingly hurt me, but I have the right to want someone who won't.

I think, for me, the difference is between demand and ask. Might seem slight and semantic--sure I can ask. Demanding's too far.

I like the statement, even though it can be hard to live by. I've recently come round to making actual changes in friendships. It feels weird, putting in a rule with someone you've spoken to just about every week for the past...oh, 20 years, but I had to. Topic's been made verboten, and if she presses me on it, I just won't talk to her anymore.

you have an inalienable right to get what you want

Uh, doesn't it depend on what you want? Could be the extermination of the Serbs or something.

I don't think that there's really the cultural expectation that men will change us though. We tame the beast! Reader I married him!