Network: Voice because Alex gotta Alex.

[11calls]

Who: Alex Reagan
Username: alexreagan
Warnings: None right now, will edit to include if things come up.


[Because Alex is most at home in the audio format, that's what she's set this up in, and will respond to everything in an audio format. Her voice is cool and radio ready, but with a Canadian accent that sometimes trips her up on center words.]

You know, it's so weird that this is like five years later than when I'm from. Like the tech and everything is so close but so different. Back home, my podcast was pretty well known, but now there's so many, it's shocking to me. I knew things would get bigger, but I never expected this!

[Alex has been poking around on the podcast apps, of course and trying to see if her show is there on it. It's not, which is both reassuring and not. But it's second nature for Alex to explain what a podcast is so she does:]

A podcast is like radio on demand on the internet, if you know what radio is. Back home, I worked for Pacific Northwest Stories, and I started my podcast with the idea of doing various stories on interesting people with interesting jobs.

[And all that ended up f i n e. Really. Totally fine. Which is one of the reason Alex gets to the heart of the matter:]

One thing I love is people's stories. I'd been working as a producer telling people's stories for three years before I ended up on my own show, and honestly I kind of miss it. More than kind of. Honestly, it's just something that would make me feel more normal. So if anyone's interested, I've got a meal on me if you're willing to talk at my record and answer questions. Oh! I'm Alex, by the way. Alex Reagan.

[A soft and self deprecating laugh follows before Alex adds:]

Which of course you already know from my username. Sorry.

Comments

[bossyboiler]

It's a little more complicated than that. There is some judging involved as there are a series of tests to determine what a person might be best suited for or if they have a general aptitude for somethings.

[11calls]

What kinds of tests are we talking?

[Alex just watches the other woman as she asks the question, because there seems to be more to it.]

[bossyboiler]

Physical fitness. Psychological and behavioral. Aptitude tests. You know, the usual.

[ Kate! Kate. ]

[11calls]

Huh.

[Yeah, Alex doesn't believe that's all it is. Sorry Kate.]

It doesn't sound all that usual to me, though. It sounds odd.

[bossyboiler]

Then how do you know what you'd be suited for? How do you do that here?

[11calls]

I mean we do have aptitude tests that we're given in high school but I don't know a single person in their field that they were told about then.

[bossyboiler]

I find that idea... I don't know, to be honest. It seems odd to me that your society wouldn't want to test for behaviors and personalities that wouldn't mesh well in certain fields. For example, how do you keep bullies out of law enforcement? Teaching?

[11calls]

That is actually a good point, and a problem that we massively struggle with at home.

[bossyboiler]

What do you do about it? I mean, not you specifically but your world, in general.

[11calls]

Unfortunately, there's not a lot that people are willing to do. The system protects cops and the like who abuse people inside of it. Cops protect cops and everything is just... Well, unjust in that way, I think.

[bossyboiler]

That sounds legitimately horrifying. How does that make you feel?

[11calls]

Mostly angry, honestly. Often times powerless. My Dad was a good cop, but even he acknowledged the flaws in the system. And I'm Canadian--it's way worse in America where I live now.

[bossyboiler]

I can imagine that it does.

[ Countries are weird on this Earth. She knows that Canada is too the north of the United States but really the concept of the United States is weird to her too. It should be the United Territories of North America but that's a longer topic. ]

It would frustrate me.

[11calls]

It does that sometimes too. I mean, I've definitely gotten arrested at protests and stuff before.

[bossyboiler]

That sounds rough but your world does seem to have more freedoms than mine. Maybe that's the tradeoff?

[11calls]

Maybe? I don't know if it wouldn't be better to have some kind of happy medium. What's different freedom wise?

[bossyboiler]

You can pick any career you like.

[11calls]

So you have to pick what you assign them too?

[bossyboiler]

It is a little more complicated than that. They are presented with paths that best suit them. It's my job to figure out those paths.

[11calls]

How many paths do you normally offer them? I'm not going to lie, if you ever offer that testing here, I'd like to do it.

[bossyboiler]

I try to offer at least three big paths with options beneath that.

I did not bring any of the testing material but it seems to me that you are doing what you should be doing right now.