Swift....ahhhh the world of HR.....
I am not an HR Generalist, but a third party recruiter. My whole job is interviewing, haha...I love it, but I can totally relate to what you are saying.
In this country, work is considered a right. In my opinion, that may be true, but having a decent job is a privilage that you have to work for. People that cannot get to an interview on time usually won't get to work on time. They already show they don't value your time. (I realize there are a few exceptions to this, car accident, getting lost, real emergencies etc).
If you are interested, PM me and I will send you a link to a professional online group that may give you some good insights, a great place to network. Its free, and I have learned a lot from the site and made some friends at the same time.
by the way, Tres, congrats...sounds like your search is progressing. I still think your employer was a fool to let you go.
=)