manuscript reviewers - random or legit?

Once in a while I get an invitation to review a manuscript. Not sure how I got on the list, or if they are even legit (and I haven't paid attention to if it's always the same journal, this one is an env. mon. journal). Why would someone want me to review a paper about critters on a coast? Am I in their database now and they randomly choose a name, or do they truly try to match papers with expertise? I once received an invite to review a paper pertinent to my work, but I knew someone even ore knowledgeable so I recommended him. Insights anyone?

difficulties supervising an older employee

Do other people have struggles supervising their elders? I realize that this is tied into my personality, but I am having trouble with confidence in supervising an employee older than me. Last August we (boss and I) asked said person - I'll dub Jack - to write a project report - a simple report with small dataset I thought would be a good to start for this PhD to get more involved in helping us crank out reports. Nothing happened - Jack has low self confidence in analyzing and writing. In Sept. I cranked out the stats so Jack only had to write. Nothing. Boss and I should have acted last year. I just sent an email to boss and Jack suggesting that Jack doesn't work on anything else for the rest of the month - just work on the report. And now Jack is scrambling around looking for literature asking me and boss questions.

Jack frustrates me. but more frustrating is my lack of confidence in saying get this done! As of last year it should have been done and I should have cracked the whip. 10 yrs ago I had trouble transitioning to being the supervisor of students I had been a fellow student with. So I suppose this is another round of growing pains.

Wise Woman in Frontiers

Highlight* of an otherwise exhausting day was flipping open my new Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment to see a piece "containing much wisdom" (or something of the like) written by one of our very own gorgeous biologist knitters. Way to go, Erin!

The other highlight was when one of the "cap guys" in Ecology (mostly mustached foresters who chew, don't know why they have to be there, and don't say anything) asked about climate change and salt pumps in the Atlantic. Not that it was all that relevant to the main topic, but it was an ecology question from someone who doesn't normally respond. Hoo-ray!