Friday, August 31, 2012

Sample Sales & Thrift Store Shopping: A How-To Guide

Okay, I freely admit that this might be a post that bores the hell out of you straight men & lesbians. However, since it's my blog & I do write it for my enjoyment and amusement first and foremost here we go. Plus there will definitely be some ranting along w/this little "how to."

Today, I was going to do this chocolate tour that took me ages to book but I ended up being late & missing it. Since the meeting place for the tour was at the same area as a sample sale store I knew of, I decided I'd stop in to browse there. My husband also ordered me to take some money out & "have fun."

*No worries, I'm getting a make-up day for the tour.*

One fact about me: I'm not very good at having spontaneous "fun" all by myself. I don't like spending my own money (and I especially hate wasting my own money), I'm not going to cheat on my husband (eliminating one sort of "fun" you might think of) & if I don't know where things are, I don't like to just wander aimlessly since I'll eventually get bored, exhausted, have sore feet or who knows what else (sunburn? bug bites? busted eardrums or a headache from noisy children?).

I also tend to prefer shopping online since I can find my size (a rarity in NYC unless I go to specific stores where I know they carry it), some sites have free shipping as well as returns & oftentimes, I find things online that I can't find in any store remotely near me. Seriously.

A perfect example is a long skirt slip for this long white skirt I have that's ridiculously sheer. Searched online, found a website that had the length I needed & I was good to go. No lines to fitting rooms, no spending a ton of money on transit travel to get to other areas of the city & no waiting in sweaty subway stations.

But I happened to have time on my hands so I thought "Okay, you know about these sample sales. Why not go check them out?"

For those who aren't familiar with them, here's a vocabulary lesson: a sample sale is a store or building you can go to in order to get discounted clothing. It's typically designer stuff that retails for a shit ton of money (we're talking hundreds & thousands of dollars). These are typically items from the last fashion season or so.

Here are more definitions in case you need them:

A thrift store is a place that sells clothing someone else didn't want anymore. If you're smart, you only go to the ones where they wash all donations before they hit the sales floor. Some places don't do this & especially in NYC, you do NOT want to buy something that could have bedbugs, roach eggs, etc. It will cost you dearly if you end up with some infestation b/c of clothing you bought.

Oh, and a vintage store sometimes claims to be a thrift store but it's really an overpriced place where you can buy things from the past. Unless you have a trillion dollars, are lazy or a particular store is the only place ever that has some unique, one of a kind item you'd just die if you didn't get, don't waste your time here. I typically don't.

Now that we've got that out of the way, here's some more general info on shopping outside the major chain stores or outlets for the chains.

1. If you're tiny, you probably won't find anything in your size. Why can't there be a sample sale just for women who wear my size?!?!? It feels like every sample sale I go to is overflowing with clothes that are way too big on me. Every time I see something I like at one, it's usually way too big on me. It's worse when I see something I like & there's no tag telling me what size the garment is. If I can't see a size, I'm not going to waste my time. Got that? You shouldn't either, whether it's for your or someone else.

2. Why was everything I saw at the first sale I went to (which happens regularly) so sheer? Seriously, they had $30-50 tops there & you could see my hand when I put them inside the garment to test the sheerness. In some cases, you could see the color of my hand!!

I know I can find prostitute clothing for much cheaper than at a sample sale. If you're a woman that gives a damn about not showing her bra or the color of it for the entire world, that hand trick is a good way to determine if something is too sheer. Think of it this way: if you can see your hand contours & certainly if you see your hand's color, that's what your bra will look like under that shirt.

I'm not even speaking of things that looked like club wear. This was stuff that if it had less sheerness, you could wear to work. But God forbid we women get options that don't make us look like whores.

Is this training for the new Romney led world order? Are some fashion designers taking payoffs we aren't aware of? Maybe clothing makers should hire some super frumpy women to make sure things aren't too damn sheer; then they could have something constructive to do instead of annoying the rest of us by calling for censorship of movies, television shows & shoving their mores down our throats.

3. If you are not fashionable, do not waste your time at a sample sale. You probably should also avoid thrift stores that carry lots of different types of merchandise. For those with no fashion sense, this is where that gay friend who knows how to dress comes in handy. Things usually aren't in order, there's lots of bright colors & it's easy to get overwhelmed. I realized today that I leaf through clothes on the racks like my husband leafs through comics in a cheap box. I can go through quickly & assess what would or wouldn't work for me. If you're not that good, you really shouldn't attempt it without help from someone with a fashion sense. These places do not have an abundance of sales people & chances are, there isn't going to be a sales person who can give you personal attention in your clothing selection like you'll find in a more expensive, fancy store.

Granted places like Target don't have those people either but it's much harder to mess up there. You don't need great fashion sense for any retailers that mostly sell the basics. There are tons of stuff at sample sales that are (at least in my view) so not my style & way too flashy or just doesn't look like something you should be wearing in public.

Remember, things that look good on fashion runways are not necessarily things you should wear to visit family or flirt with the UPS guy (sounds cliche, I know but I have heard of women actually doing this; I'm not one of them, though). Listen to that fashionable friend, family member, whoever you bring if you haven't got a sense of style; ideally, that person is honest & won't let you buy a fashion disaster (and I have seen a few, trust me).

4. Try things on before you buy them. If the place doesn't have a fitting room or even a curtain that fully covers a platform, you shouldn't waste your time. I realize Joyce Leslie (at least one location I know of in NYC) has a wide open dressing area for women & if you had a gym teacher you didn't like changing in front of for fear she was checking everyone out, you may be the expert on changing clothes without having to show private parts but I personally have a real problem with a place that can't be bothered to have a changing area. No self-respecting woman would buy ANYTHING she couldn't try on first, especially if she had to then take a train ride back to the store to return that item if it didn't fit her.

When I ask for a fitting room & you say you don't have one, you've officially lost my business unless I'm getting a vest, sweater, coat or something I can try on that doesn't require me to perform a strip show for you & everyone else in the store.

5. Finding things at sample sales & thrift stores is an art. It takes a lot of time, patience, knowing what looks good on you & what doesn't, knowing what you need (since I have so many clothes, I try to buy things that are different from what I already own or that will look great with at least one thing I have already), etc. You don't do it when you're in a hurry & I wouldn't recommend buying gifts for people in this manner unless the person you're buying for pointed out a specific item & said "I want that" or you know the person well enough to assess his/her taste in clothing. This is not something just anyone can do.

The second & third sample sales were better but some of this stuff did come up (things I wanted not being in my size, sheerness or something new in a piece I liked spoiled my interest). I had great luck at one sample sale but I don't think it's around anymore. Sadly, I saw yet another piece there I would have gotten but felt like it was bringing the total too high. I also once saw a white skirt at a sample sale that I still kick myself for not getting since I have yet to see another one in the same style.

The last piece of guidance I can give on thrift store & sample sale shopping is that if you see something that you absolutely MUST have, get it since you might not see it again. I seriously still kick myself for not buying one of these really cute 80s style prom dresses I saw at my local Urban Outfitters in Atlanta before I moved. I didn't want to spend $50 on one (I was trying to save money since I had to quit my job to go to law school) but then I never saw them at any other one & didn't find an 80s style prom dress until years later at a thrift store in NYC. If you think there's any chance you'll be kicking yourself if you don't get something, that means you need to get it.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Pets Aren't Children or Dolls & God's Bitch Slap

After watching the new episode of My Cat From Hell (I've warned my cat not to get any ideas from it) on Saturday, I saw Jackson Galaxy get mad over something that is also a peeve of mine. I don't think I've covered it so for those of you who haven't seen that episode, I'm going to share it.

He was annoyed because he was dealing with a case of a woman dressing her dogs in clothing. These assholes even tried putting something on the cat later on to calm him down (though the real problem was the mother who refused to treat her dogs as dogs; she was treating them like babies).

What is with dressing dogs in clothing? I can understand a sweater if you're going outside in a blizzard or something but to make that a uniform? Uncool! When I was little, we tried putting our T-shirts on our cats & they hated it. I had only one cat that actually purred when she was in one. Know how many I had growing up? Well over 20 in the course of my childhood. At one time, we had 13 because of the birth of kittens.

Generally speaking, I'm not for dressing animals up but that's especially true if you're forcing them into clothing. Stop doing that, you asshat!!! They are NOT babies!

Maybe we should force YOU to wear something & see how YOU like it. Plus, if you want a baby so much maybe you should go have one or adopt. There are certainly enough unwanted kids in this country for you to pick from.

Though if you think only adoption agencies for humans are strict, you'd be wrong. Consider this piece about rescue shelters. After reading it, I concluded that I'd rather just get a cat from the local animal shelter or through acquaintances. My family generally got cats because we had quite a few that lived outdoors & people dropped them off at our house, figuring they'd get fed. We also had cats just show up at our house & start eating food alongside the outdoor cats.

My mom even named one Heath Barkley after a character on Bonanza because, according to her (I've not seen Bonanza myself so can't verify this one), the Heath character just showed up one day, was embraced by the family and got a share of the family's money.

I would have to bitch slap someone if they dared to tell me I wasn't qualified to care for a cat, considering I've probably had more experience in my life with cats than most people. Most cats also like me & bond with me pretty quickly; I have a temperamental kitty at home as proof. He hated or had indifference toward my husband's exes but loved me right away. He even slept on the bed with me when I stayed over the very first night he met me (I was sleeping in hubby's bed since we were dating at the time & he slept elsewhere). Cats know the difference b/t people's scents so I figured it was his way of telling my husband "You'd better be nice to HER. That's my human. Don't mess it up!" I also get along better with cats than humans since cats don't pretend to like you then trash you behind your back; with them, what you see is what you get.

Basically, I believe in treating cats as cats. Not to say you can't call them your furry children or put their names on the Christmas cards but don't dress them up in clothes, worry about them being exposed to germs (as I told my father when he insisted on giving our cats bottled water, "They eat dead mice in the woods.") or put diapers on them unless they've having age related issues leading to accidents (meaning you got the okay from a licensed vet & you're not doing some home remedy you found online). I don't force schooling on my cat, take him to psychologists or force him to socialize with other animals. I love him but we realize he is a cat. A very smart cat, but a cat.

Now, if you believe people can bitch slap others, I think God is also capable of it. For instance, I think the whole Issac situation is God's bitch slap to Republicans trying to take free will from women. Hey, if these idiots claim tornadoes & hurricanes are God's punishment for society's moral decay I can certainly say Issac is God bitch slapping these Republicans for using His name to promote their shitty, fascist, non-religious agendas that completely violate His word. No God I believe in would ever put his marching orders into the mouths of people like Paul Ryan, Todd Akin or Michelle Bachmann. I think they have some unpleasant surprises waiting for them in the after life along with their religious sponsors but that's a whole other story.

Apparently, that black hole I no longer associate with also (in my view at least) got a bitch slap from God by way of a miscarriage. Guess who the daddy was? Yep, same deadbeat guy. This man must have a magical penis or something since sane women would never sleep with a guy who's unemployed, has zero ambition & a baby mama who has so little regard for her child that she's letting the other woman watch it (and he apparently is sleeping with other women). Thank God I got out of NC and that old neighborhood! It seems that place has turned into some sexual candy store for young, mostly illegal Mexican men.

So if you're into classless white women who like being bossed around (not natural redheads, though), it seems you'd be very happy in my hometown if you're under 35, hail from Mexico and have zero ambition. Maybe you could even get a green card marriage & not have to worry about an anchor baby. Apparently, white women with no self-esteem believe you've literally got a magic penis. I don't get it myself but I feel like I at least dodged a bullet. I couldn't in good conscience pray for this black hole after hearing about that miscarriage. I can only hope that maybe God's bitch slap will get through & this person will straighten out her life, be a proper parent, right the wrongs she caused and accept some responsibility for her actions. That, however may be way too much to hope for or expect. I still assert that you can be a decent person without being religious; she just needs to take care of her responsibilities, decide what she wants to do in life & regain some self-respect, integrity, etc.

Yes, sometimes things that happen to you in life are God's way of bitch slapping you for being stupid. When words don't work, a bitch slap will sometimes get the job done.

Friday, August 24, 2012

The GOP is Harboring Rapists & Why Roseanne Bar Would be the Best President EVER

So, as a woman with a fully functioning reproductive system (who thankfully got a tubal before all this crap started) who was in an attempted rape situation, knows actual rape victims, spent time on family law cases where social services was involved & who knows other women who haven't been fixed but can still reproduce, the words of Todd Akin disgusted me on a personal level. The further defense of his words by a number of Republican leaders, including the Vice Presidential nominee & the GOP party platform's revised language piss me off on a fundamental level that you're not going to get unless you are a rational thinking person.

I find it sad that society has so many stupid, clueless or maybe just outright sadistic people in it; honestly, it's enough to trigger someone to go on a random shooting spree in some conservative hellhole section of the country. I wouldn't blame such a shooter one bit. Right now, I warn every single person who votes Romney/Ryan in this next election (especially women) not to come crying to me if THEY or ANY female relative they care about ends up raped & pregnant then is forced to carry that rapist's baby or get his permission (as one Alaska Republican proposes) to get an abortion. You will have elected those shitheads & allowed it to happen.

You'd also better not cry to me if there's no viable entertainment industry, 1st Amendment or any rights in general to do anything fun because the leaders YOU elected & endorsed took away all your rights and turned the United States of America (Land of the Free, Home of the Brave?) into a fiefdom governed by the Christian Taliban & big business.

Having grown up in a Baptist practicing home in the South, I'd like to ask who these old, white motherfuckers think they are to take away MY fucking free will?

GOD gave EVERYONE free will, did He not? So, GOP what are you telling us with your little scheme to control women? Do you think you are above God & get to subvert His will? Clearly, you do. But I've got news for you shits. Try taking control over my body away & you'd damn well better be re-writing laws so we go full on to being back to property. No being arrested for crimes, no civil offenses, no pursuing us on debt collections.

In fact, you'd better be cancelling the student loan obligations of every single female in this country since women are too stupid to be able to commit themselves to contracts. Women will now be allowed to get away with murder, literally. It all comes down to their fathers & husbands if we go the Republican way. We'd better also take away rights from minorities to & all people of color will not get to be on television or make any living at a high level job. You'll also have to cancel their student loan debt obligations since minorities are also too stupid to enter into contracts.

So, shithead men who want to espouse all this controlling women crap? You'd better hope the women in your lives actually like you b/c if they hate your guts & you'll be held liable for any wrongdoing they commit, the smart ones will kill, lie, cheat, anything to get your ass locked up in jail where you can be some big man named Bubba's prison bitch. She could also bankrupt your sorry ass so you won't have any money to get guns, hire hitmen, anything fancy like that. Oh, and you'd better never fall asleep in her presence since she'll just kill you & never be responsible. Remember, women are too stupid to be held accountable for ANYTHING!!!

I also find it incredible that Jesse Lee Peterson, a black man, had the gall to try & shut down women's rights, as you can read here if you have a Facebook account. If you want to contact this bigot and remind him that he should be the last person saying women are too stupid to be business owners & exist in his world, just go here.

That goes for any minority who suffered discrimination on any level in this country. You sure aren't going to get sympathy for your cause or anyone to help you when you go around bashing other groups. In marriage & all, who do you think is really in charge? As the old saying goes, it's women.

I certainly hope these women withhold sex from these bigots; if they're already doing that, they need to expose them to a sex explosion (if not from their privates, maybe they can outsource it to some poor unemployed law grad; you know, someone who can have an intellectual conversation who they might see again & who'd be much harder to belittle than the average hooker). Personally, I'm in favor of going even farther & castrating them since we sure don't need more sexist bigots ruining life in this country.

Those who've been super loyal Republicans need to wake up & realize we're not dealing with the Alex Keaton type Republican or a Ronald Regan. We're dealing with something much more sinister: totalitarian wannabes who don't want to live & let live but would rather shove their way of life down your throat. I'd say you're dealing with aspiring Hitlers or Stalins. These people have no business having any power; I wouldn't trust them with a child's lemonade stand or even a pile of garbage. I don't recall Bush (either one) telling raped women they MUST have their rapist's kid or get his permission to abort it.

I'm sure we all know about Akin's words so I won't repeat them but anyone using the term "legitimate rape" sounds like a rapist to me. Anyone defending such a thing is just a rapist who wouldn't dare admit it, if you ask me. That phrase & his remarks are rapist talk if I've ever heard it. It sounds an awful lot like an alcoholic telling you about "justified binge drinking." No such thing, retard! We don't need cutesy little qualifiers to excuse deplorable behavior & to use them is just absurd.

I can tell Todd Akin has NEVER been to a rape crisis center, spoken to any rape victims or children born from rape, spoken to anyone who grew up in the foster care system or ever visited a social service agency. Uninformed people have ZERO business making laws for everyone else. Why don't we just have cats making our laws? How about dogs?

Maybe I should start making laws about sports since I'm such a fucking expert on them. Except I'm really terrible at them, was never on a sports team & haven't spend much time with athletes. Perhaps I should also make laws governing the construction industry & manual labor since I know so much about those areas as well.

It's time for a requirement that you don't get to make laws on things without doing some damn research. You should be forced to go to rape crisis centers, visit small business owners from ALL areas of the country, whatever is needed for you to actually MAKE determinations to base a law on & assess how that law will help vs. harm anyone (and not talking just to your friends or doing PR moments; there must be honest communication involved).

If you don't agree to that, you have no business being allowed to live in modern society. You need to be locked up somewhere. Jail, a mental hospital, debtor's prison, a Hollywood exec's basement, I don't care. Just be locked up & unable to escape to cause more problems for me and anyone else with common sense.

If people in this country had any brains in their head, they'd vote 3rd party. Ron Paul, Jill Stein, Roseanne Barr, someone who isn't a total moron with their head so far up big business' collective ass that they can't see cars coming when they try crossing the street. Even ALF would be better.

We need to start branding politicians with the companies that own them. You know: "Property of:" then list the company names. The more you saw & the types you saw would determine whether you should bother voting for them. I'd also like to see fist fights in the Senate & House like they have in other government meetings in other countries. I've said it before but it would make things more interesting & some reality TV company could make money from it. It's practically Jerry Springer anyway; we may as well be honest about it.

So, why would Roseanne Barr be the best president ever:

1. She wasn't born to money. She came from lower income so she knows what that's like. Her entire TV show concept was based off that experience. That's better than the mainstream politicians you see who generally came from money or are part of some political dynasty. I feel she's more "of the people" than most folk in politics.

2. She conquered Hollywood. When she started out, she actually took command on her show. Most people in her shoes would be all docile & meek. She wasn't. People probably call me a bitch; I feel if people are calling a woman a "bitch" and saying she's "difficult," she's probably doing something right.

If she did this in Hollywood, do you honestly think she'd let some shithead career politician push her around? Or some high power lobbyist? I can't see that happening. I'd hope she'd tell the prick just where to go; we need more people willing to do that sort of thing. If she told Hollywood execs where to go early in her career, I could see her doing the same thing to some Washington insider.

3. She's unpredictable. Someone (a man supporting the Republicans, by the way) told me "she's bipolar" & she has all those personalities. Is that any worse than the hypocrites & morons inhabiting our government now? You honestly think Sarah Palin would be more effective as a leader or any of the other Tea Party scholars spouting out various inaccuracies about our Constitution, geography & plenty of other things your average middle schooler wouldn't screw up on? If we're that nervous on TV, maybe we shouldn't be on TV? Leads to another good point.

4. She's scandal proof. She's been on TV & suffered highs and lows in the press. How would you blackmail Roseanne? How would you ruin her reputation? She's always said controversial things & has never been predictable. I think you'd have to lie & even then, I'm sure people would find facts to defuse that lie. She'd have to screw herself up like violating #5.

5. She'd never allow women's rights to be mangled; they'd be sacred to her. She's not some brainwashed dope like many of these Republican & conservative Democratic women. I think she lives in real life & wouldn't be trying to foist religion onto everyone else. In fact, I don't recall her being religious & that's a wonderful thing if you ask me.

6. She would NEVER apologize or say she "misspoke." Based on things she's done, I'll bet Roseanne Barr would stand by what she said regardless of how controversial Middle America finds it. We also need more of that.

I hate this fake religiosity that always comes out in an election. If you're not a sincere believer & practitioner of a faith, shut the hell up. Or maybe we just need to kill voters in Middle America or the vote fixers. Not sure who the morons are who voted for these mental midgets we're dealing with now but they could use some heavy smacks upside the head for being too stupid to live. The cause, regardless, needs to be taken care of ASAP.

I'll take an atheist over a lying, hypocritical Christian any day of the week. A TRUE Christian would never be pulling this shit of applying their standards as law to be imposed on the entire country, many of whom don't follow their belief system (you know, violating God's gift of free will by taking it away from others). I don't know of any atheists, Wiccans, or people from the non-mainstream religions trying to impose their ways of life onto everyone else or telling Christians what to do in their homes, on their time. Yet Christians sure as hell do this.

Oh, and this is the same Republican party forcing women to breed & bring MORE unwanted kids in the world. Nice work, assholes.

These people are really too stupid to live, besides not living in real life with the rest of us. I'm glad the comics are getting great fodder but I don't want these morons being leaders in my country.

Speaking of more people who don't live in real life & how religion has done more to ruin things, consider this story. If you contacted me about something like this, I'd defend that student in a minute. I know a thing or two about asshole school administrators on a little Hitler power trip. I hope she & her family stood their ground & told the principal just where to go. I sure would have. Furthermore, if you're so damn worried about your little children hearing things or the "sanctity" of the ceremony I suggest you move to a religious commune since your children are too fragile to exist in modern society. Let's talk a little about "sanctity" as well: many high schools employ sexual predators, sexists, lying teachers, many adults who deserve contempt, not respect. Even my mother once said there were teachers at my school who didn't deserve respect.

I suppose I never lived by "respect your elders" because I saw many elders who didn't deserve it growing up. For instance, we had this white trash neighbor who let her 2 small children run wild (we're talking 2-3 year old range & seeing them in our yard quite a distance away from their house w/no adult in sight), stayed at home & later was cheating on her husband with a guy who looked different but had the same first name. My sister once told this woman to "Go suck an egg!" Then, we also had our father, male child molesters who molested 2 of our neighborhood playmates (one of them was one girl's stepfather; I learned about this much later) & plenty of adults who were just assholes to us for no reason. We had a coach in my high school who made sexually inappropriate remarks to women (including a friend of mine). Just some examples but you can see why I don't buy that whole "oh, it's so sacred" argument.

Perhaps adults in life (especially parents) should be better examples to kids if they want kids to be better. You know, maybe instead about bitching at length on adult content being played on television or blaming Marilyn Manson when their child goes on a shooting spree? None of this "do as I say, not as I do" shit; everyone sees through it & I sure did as a kid.

Finally, real life isn't Luke & Laura motherfuckers. This isn't General Hospital so stop trying to make the world that way. Get a brain, stop being spoon-fed by mainstream media, think for your damn self & ask yourself how you'd like it if your sister, mother, some female you give a shit about (if you aren't one yourself) was raped. What would you do to the rapist? Would you shake his hand & welcome him to the family? Hand him a cigar if he got the victim pregnant?

Supporting the Republican platform on this issue tells me you would do precisely this. It also makes me suspect you of having raped someone at some point in life. No woman should sleep with any of these men unless they A) want to have children against their will, B) have no self-esteem at all & hate themselves or C) are secretly robbing the men blind.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

It's "Illegal," NOT "Undocumented"

I read this story recently & I'm absolutely pissed off. In fact, this makes me super livid. How come?

Well...

1. These illegals came here of their own free will. They weren't kidnapped & sold as slaves like the ancestors of many black people who are here today. They weren't even fleeing Hitler or Fidel Castro.

If a particular person was fleeing something like this, that's one thing. I recently signed a petition in support of this woman who was trying to get amnesty in the US because of her 7 rapists in her native country being free & not getting any punishment in the legal system there. If I remember, I think there was also an active & present threat to this woman's safety if she was returned to that country. This is what's known as a special circumstance.

Most of these people don't have that going for them.

You assholes caused your own persecution. You are not the black people of the 1960s fighting for civil rights. You're not even gay people fighting for civil rights or marriage equality.

2. Who do these fuckers think they are to cut the line & think they can legally be allowed to remain here? Tons of people have been doing things the right way: applied for citizenship, paid the fees, all that good stuff. Why should YOU get to sneak in & have exemptions made for you & your family? What about all the other families separated b/c those people weren't a bunch of punks wiping our legislative system & immigration laws with their asses?

These loudmouths should be arrested on sight & forced to account to all the people who legally became citizens & permanent residents. They are an embarrassment & an insult to immigrants of the past.

I can have some sympathy to kids who didn't choose to come here who are fluent English speakers, made good grades, didn't break the law, etc. In fact, my husband & I have no issue with letting illegals become citizens if they serve in our military. However, they should not be getting residency & tuition discounts ahead of citizens. I also despise the whole anchor baby system but that's another story.

3. Speaking of causing your own persecution & being an embarrassment, how many of these people speak fluent English? If you don't even know English & you're here illegally, don't waste my time demanding civil rights from me. How about working on earning respect from people?

How do you earn it? For one thing, learn fluent English & don't force your kids to translate. Second, adapt to American society & culture. Stop demanding others to cater to you. Watch your damn kids, don't take from aid programs, stop stealing jobs from citizens & deflating wages for everyone, etc. Why can't you set up your own businesses like many an Asian immigrant has done for centuries? Then you won't be stealing from rank & file workers with limited education (or even a lot of education) trying to get a living wage.

If you want to live in Mexico or some other land of squalor, stop wasting time here & trying to turn the US into Mexico. Our leaders are doing enough of that without any illegals getting involved in devaluing quality of life.

4. The cops aren't arresting these people on sight but have no problem arresting Occupy protestors & spraying them with pepper spray. They have zero qualms with using stop & frisk on black people & Latinos who are legal. No problems with other forms of racial profiling & harassment to black people (most of whom ARE US citizens). No issue with passing legislation like NDAA & arresting citizens even suspected of terrorism. No issue with being J.P. Morgan Chase rent-a-cops & acting like the rich's private security force. They also have no problem letting politicians go for things your average citizen would be sitting in a jail cell for like drunk driving & the like.

I've said for years "What about the illegals?" Do these dolts in government think that everyone from Mexico is a saint? That no terrorists exist there or that everyone there loves this country? That they have no corruption there? They must be stupid & I have a very good idea where the next terrorist strike will be coming from. That is, if the current rulers don't shape up & stop acting like the French government pre-French Revolution (newsflash: protests happened LONG before the Internet & modern technology existed + not everyone is stupid).

If the police wants "to protect & serve" then they need to be arresting these illegals who think so little of our laws that they shit on them publicly and flaunt their status.

What next? Are pedophiles & rapists going to start a bus tour & come out of the shadows with zero recourse? Will murders or members of organized crime families start addressing crowds about their crimes? Maybe drug dealers & pimps should start their own bus tour & demand civil rights as well. The prostitute bus tour would probably be most interesting. At least the women getting applause from being "out of the shadows" would show us that society is more pro-woman than we (and certainly I) thought.

All of these groups are lawbreakers under most of society. If we're not arresting the illegals, why shouldn't these other people get to do the same thing? No one's "protecting or serving" MY interest by allowing illegals to run free to commit identity theft, not carry automobile insurance & cause accidents, harass women (if not worse), be deadbeat parents, etc.

Nor is anyone "protecting or serving" MY interest by facilitating government corruption (I find it more than coincidence that my friend was harassed after he spoke out publicly against racism in the police investigation process & if you don't, you underestimate the level of government corruption that exists; I also refuse to believe that little old Walnut Cove is a bastion of tolerance when they apparently impose a curfew on adults if commenters to that story can be believed), practicing racism in police procedure & keeping (or worse, promoting) racists on the force.

There's also no protection or service of MY interests when women are being harassed & treated like second class citizens or when the police is playing J.P. Morgan Chase rent-a-cops because some people dare to express their constitutionally protected 1st Amendment rights.

I also don't view the police as saints or above reproach considering my father was subjected to harassment & exploitation by an asshole cop in my hometown. He was accused of being intoxicated b/c he "had red eyes." Well, shithead we buried my brother in law the day before. Everyone was crying. The man was probably grieving, you scumbag. My mother also told me he wasn't drinking & she may have covered up many things but she'd never covered up when he was drunk. She would be the first to tell me if he had been driving under the influence & would have turned him in herself if he had been doing it (she's said this publicly many times over the years & started doing so after he'd gotten his license taken away & gone to rehab when I was 14).

His car was impounded & there was damage to it in an area where there should not have been damage afterward (the bumper at the bottom of the car, which they claimed was there b/c they were trying to get in & the car was locked; do we look stupid?).

Ultimately, the evidence was in favor of my father so he had to be let go but I've not forgotten this little travesty & if I didn't have things going well for me, I would probably have to do something to right that situation. I wasn't there since I had a job in Atlanta at the time & I can't live in that town.

Shit like this does not endear citizens to the police. It does NOT inspire them to give tips or help them catch real criminals. In fact, it creates mistrust, hatred & backlash against law enforcement.

With me if you are doing actual, legitimate police work & trying to HELP me vs. live out some political agenda or be a corporate lapdog, I'll be more than happy to help you. Not furthering problems is a good thing & something I like to encourage in people. I've encountered respectful law enforcement members who weren't jerks & were actually helpful. Those people should get more recognition with the scum being tossed out. The scum ruins it for the good cops just as they ruin it for the good lawyers, doctors, filmmakers, cashiers, business owners, whatever.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

My Predictions Are Coming True & People Reading Craig's List Ads are Fighting Back

Yes, some of them are.

The first is that for now, things are working out on my husband's job front. Maybe someone did their homework on me or realized that maybe it wasn't a good idea to start triggering angry natural redhead lawyer wrath so they'd better not transfer him to some hellhole area & invite trouble. So that whole being spared from falling trees on Amtrak turned out to indeed be a sign that the situation would be resolved.

The second is that people are fighting back against shitty job ads on Craig's List. I swear I didn't write any of these but I kind of wish I had, especially the last one.

Here's the first ad that begged to be shared on free writing services:

WHAT? Looking for Free Editing (deadbeat city-POST IN VOLUNTEER)

Date: 2012-07-17, 10:17AM EDT
Reply to: 4m7xg-3144786649@gigs.craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]


listen, who ever you are, this is a JOB BOARD where people are seeking to EARN MONEY to live on.............

You seek a volunteer not a professional writer...get it....PROFESSIONALS=GETS $$$$. The avg cost of a good freelance
writer is at least $25 an hour. Can't afford it? Well guess what, you can't have a website based business unless you write
it yourself...can't write? OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, then you can't have a website related business.

THAT'S LIFE

I wish you people who are looking for jobs would flag people like this and most of the intern
bull dinkie as well...no where on CraigsList are there more moochers than in the writing
section....

IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD A WRITER, YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO BE IN A WRITING RELATED BUSINESS.

Do not, young writers, write for free unless it serves you own personal writing goals as writing
for some of these Bozos ( most of them) can ruin your reputation for good. THEN WHAT?
I didn't make this information up-it comes the Idiots Guide to Professional Blogging...what
ever you write today may bite you tomorrow.

Do these people go to the supermarket and ask for free food?
Do their landlords give them free rent?

But they want writers to edit, write, etc for ZERO

Get lost, okay....FLAG EM

Location: deadbeat city-POST IN VOLUNTEER
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Compensation: no pay

PostingID: 3144786649


The only free writing I do is for myself. Whether to increase my public persona, vent or expose people to something new that begs to be in their radar, I make those decisions on my own.

I also get to work on my schedule, not anyone else's & retain some creative control. If I didn't get that, what on Earth would be the point? I did a book review for NYCLA that's going to be published soon. It was through my choice & at my husband's suggestion. Plus, it's on a book that I felt the legal community should be exposed to since how many people do we have who hate their law firm jobs, other lawyers or any variation of those? Lots.

I also like to see things that aren't your typical bland, boring or stuffy content that gets characterized as being "for lawyers." I sure don't fit those things myself so if no one else is going to step up, I guess it's up to me to inject the controversy.

Considering I've gotten paid to write (and done lots of different styles of writing) plus was told I'm talented by people who actually know what they're talking about, I won't work for free. I also get offended by resume/cover letter ads asking people to write them for $25. Please! I'm a business professional & a licensed advocate. Getting a letter from me is at least $100 for an hour considering the high praise my letters have generated & my knowing what it's like to be an interviewer. Give your $25 to your best buddy, not some stranger on Craig's List.

Here's another choice ad:

STOP Asking for Free Graphic Work (Your Black Soul)

Date: 2012-07-24, 1:04PM EDT
Reply to: msjdm-3159986449@gigs.craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]


Unless you are a BONA FIDE non-profit who is looking for someone that believes in your cause, just STOP asking for free graphic design/motion work. And you, designers, just STOP enabling these fuckers by DOING THEIR WORK for alleged "film credit!" It's bogus and you all know it. And spare me the "Hey, Man, we're all about community and creativity and spreading the love and getting experience and there's gonna be TONS more work down the road and blah fucking blah." Please. The only one being helped is yourself. For fucking free. Just. Stop.

Oh yeah, Ryan Gossling is a prick.

Location: Your Black Soul
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Compensation: no pay

PostingID: 3159986449


I agree with this sentiment. The art director at my company is highly talented & highly respected. We don't waste her time with bullshit since that's just disrespectful.

Now if you have no $ to pay anyone & you offer deferred pay plus expenses or equity, that's one thing. At least don't make it a loss for people working with you. Deferred pay or equity tells me that even if you don't have the money today, you're not going to dick me if you do make something from the project. Outright freebies, however? Totally a dick move.

If you want to be a legitimate company & get respect from people, don't do it. You will be known as those cheapskate assholes who exploit creatives. People talk & you could easily get blacklisted if you mess with folk.

Plus, I just don't trust anyone offering future work unless they're going to put that in writing. No writing = go fuck yourself. Professionals aren't stupid & anyone with a brain respects people for protecting themselves. Anyone getting nasty about the presence of lawyers, agents, managers, contracts, etc. is an obvious scam artist & you will get screwed over. Don't say you weren't warned. Even friends & family who are professionals take care of formalities when it comes to their business.

As for Ryan Gosling being a prick, I have no personal knowledge on that one. However, if he were a prick to me he'd not get to work with my company & I would be spreading the word. My husband would also kill him or make him wish he was dead if he tried to bother me in a sexual manner.

This last ad, though is the fulfillment of what I've warned employers about for posting ads for illegal internships. Read here:

PAID INTERNSHIP? (Midtown)

Date: 2012-08-09, 10:56PM EDT
Reply to: qdxvh-3195676900@job.craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]


We are currently seeking past or current interns for a possible lawsuit against employers. Increasingly, greedy companies are using "interns" to avoid hiring entry-level employees. According to the US Department of Labor, this is illegal.

Several lawsuits are now challenging the legality of unpaid internships.
These include suits against prominent media companies such as Fox Searchlight and PBS.

If you feel that your place of work has abused your status as an intern or student, you may be entitled to compensation. If, as an "intern," you were required to work full-time, or for long periods, without pay, contact us immediately. You may have a claim, even if you received school credit. You may be entitled to compensation even for work that you have performed 4-6 years ago.

If you do the work, you should get paid. With our help, you can fight back for lost pay and overtime.

For a confidential consultation with an attorney, please email us.

Compensation: To Be Determined

Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

PostingID: 3195676900


I'm proud to see someone doing this. I hope it's legit since that would make this one of the most awesome law firms ever. If you've previous entries on ads I responded to that offered illegal internships & how shitty the circumstances were, you know I've said stuff about knowing they didn't have an attorney around & that they were going to eventually be sued.

Looks like there's an attorney working on that. I love it! I'm tempted to contact this firm & tell them of their awesomeness; I hope this ad is still up on Craig's List. Maybe they should read some of the ads I've seen & the dressing down I've done of people doing that shit.

I wonder if they're exclusively going after entertainment/creative companies or if they're also going to go after the law firms offering this bullshit. I hope they smack down the law firms I've seen doing it; that would tickle me & make me laugh at some folks' misfortune (and some people truly deserve it).

So, fuckers with an entitlement complex: perhaps this firm will sue your sorry ass for expecting people to be your slaves. I hope other firms will follow suit since this is a prime example of "serving the public" and all those high lawyer ideals we're supposed to (in theory at least) be living up to. Bravo to these folks! Glad to see I'm not the only one who finds that stuff offensive & has high standards. This also makes me feel vindicated when I've been strict on how the internships are structured in my company & how folks are treated.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Faux Unions, the Straightjacket and Close Calls

So, my life may be facing yet more upheaval. My husband's employer has decided to arbitrarily force the librarians to transfer to other places for no rational reason other than to apparently make them quit, piss off the public (who'll have to deal with angry workers who don't want to be there) and be assholes. They were also given zero notice of this & a little sheep who will now be known as "Little Bitch" had the nerve to try & censor me when I made a general remark about my personal availability for an unrelated event. She had zero authority to do it & I responded as I always have and always will to that kind of shit.

This union, who I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before, is completely useless & may as well not even be there with the submitting they do. Not to mention the management at this place is so grossly incompetent, I wouldn't trust them to care for a cactus or watch a pile of dog crap turn white.

Someone who has worked there for 15 years even got one of these notices. As usual, they're doing it all by seniority & forcing people to work with XYZ person regardless of what a bitch/bastard XYZ is, how many problems XYZ has caused in the past & how incompetent XYZ is. I think people working there could keep their jobs even if they rape a lower ranking co-worker considering they allow racists & incompetents to continue there.

I don't think these idiots are aware of my being a lawyer or the fact that I have quite a few friends who have been absolutely disgusted by the situation. I have encouraged people to go & contact this library director personally and dial direct on his sorry ass. Listen, fucker if you're going to make decisions affecting the general public (which includes ME) you need to be held accountable and action needs to be taken against you. Furthermore, try putting my husband in some ghetto hellhole & see what happens to you.

I know these fuckers don't value the lives of their employees or their kids (they're also changing the shifts to 11-7 p.m. every weekday for most of these branches, regardless of the fact that no daycare center in Queens is open later than 6:30 at night). Being totally brazen against a lawyer like me, however, is a new level of stupid that's just going to lead to death. Little Bitch has already caused problems for herself & is clearly not capable of any real responsibility since she can't actually face anyone directly, slacks off during working hours (as evidenced by her actions on a non-work related social media platform) & is apparently wasting our taxpayer dollars playing Administrative Tattletale/PR Queen/Censorship Police. Oh, and neither Little Bitch nor anyone else at that place has any right to censor the free speech rights of people who don't work there or punish their family/friends for the exercise of those free speech rights. I found this out for certain.

I dare Little Bitch to try shit with me. She can become a casualty as well & I will have zero qualms about it. After all, she rolled out the red carpet for trouble to come charging in. If anyone transfers my husband to some hellhole, they'll also be inviting trouble on themselves & perhaps their families as well. Have no regard for mine & I won't give a damn about yours. Why should I?

In case you're new to reading this blog, let me pass on some free advice. There are certain types of people you don't fuck with. Some examples:

1. Lawyers
2. Natural redheads
3. Anyone who works behind the scenes in the entertainment industry whether a producer, agent, director, executive, anyone who deals with a lot of BS & won't stand for it
4. People who have nothing left to work for or aspire to that will help society
5. People who have been kicked around forever; eventually, those people snap
6. Quiet types
7. Loners

How many murderers and serial killers fit at least one of these categories? How many violent crimes could be explained by one of these categories? When someone fits more of those categories, that means you don't fuck w/the person times a trillion. Add up those trillions for each category the person falls into & that's how much you should be avoiding problems with that person.

I know forcing involuntary servitude on folk will backfire & in a powerful way. Whether I'm in the thick of it or not depends on if I get to have the luxury of having something to aspire to & reasons to care about concepts like law and order.

Clearly, I'm not the sort of person who should ever have a union job. At least not one with this union. Actually, you should call it a faux union since they have a no strike clause. Do you need any more reasons to call it that?

For that matter, any union that has a no strike clause shouldn't even exist. My mother, herself an employee of UPS where the drivers have a union that actually works for THEM, even said that if you have a no strike clause, you have zero protection against management abuses. Imagine where SAG/AFTRA, the Teamsters or any other entertainment union would be if they had no strike clauses in their contracts. Who would join those? My husband didn't voluntarily join his; he was forced in. Nor did he ever vote for this "no strike" shit. Only a moron or someone taking kickbacks would support that. Funny but if I were taking kickbacks or anyone else I knew in the legal field were doing it, we'd be disbarred, suspended or at least publicly censured for it.

So as I left town I had to deal with that bullshit. Not Little Bitch but the whole news aspect; I vowed not to let Galante ruin my trip or send off (he's the prick responsible for this who performed his one humane act for me personally many years ago by passing on my husband's information to the proper person). I was going to see family members I care about. Decided it was better to call it a trip not a vacation. A "vacation" implies that your journey will be relaxing & free of stress. That's definitely not the case when I go to NC.

When I go to NC, I feel like I'm in a straightjacket. Not a literal one but at least a metaphorical one. Though this time, maybe it was closer to literal since my sister & mother were trying to play fashion cop with me. Apparently, their hometown should be renamed to "Frumptown" or "Frumpville." Something with the word "frump" in it.

Being in that town makes me want to listen to Prince constantly as well as any sexually explicit song that's not okay for kids to listen to. Is it my relatives or is it the whole social climate down there? I'm not quite sure.

First off, when it's hot outside I'm not killing myself with layers or wearing a burka. I'm not Muslim or even a practicing Christian. I'm not practicing any religion.

Second, I also have horribly sensitive skin & hate getting sweat zits. They hurt.

Third, I'm an adult well over the age of 21. I have my own money & should be entitled to wear what I damn well please.

Fourth, I have the figure for shorter things, have never been mistaken for a prostitute & even if I want to dress like one, is it not my choice? Do I not get a right to be sexy once in a while? I won't have a figure forever so why shouldn't I get to enjoy it while I have it?

Fifth, I'm childfree. Here's another perk of being childfree: you don't have to dress like an old person when you aren't one & don't even look like one.

Finally, I live in New York Fucking City! Nothing I own is nearly as bad as countless things I've seen people wear. Even going naked or topless might not shock many New Yorkers though I wouldn't do full nudity. I've considered going topless on excruciating days (since it's not illegal to do it in NYC unless you're advertising) but I hate getting sunburn & know I would in a second if I did do that. Not to mention all the hassle I get anyway.

With it being in the 90s, I was wearing some new short shorts I got last year & a top I wore before my sister's wedding in a different color. This prompted a bunch of hand wringing, utter sexism and being told I should dress all boring because of my 8 year old nephew. I think them initiating this conversation in front of him was probably worse than anything I could have worn. Not to mention that my nephew will likely learn more bad things from his own parents & television than he'll ever get from being around me, a relative he rarely sees. I even pointed this out to my mother, who did give me that point.

I asked if my sister plays fashion police with everyone who comes to her house & everyone who appears in public around her kids. Can you imagine walking up to strangers & telling them their top shows too much cleavage for your precious little babies? How about actually being a decent parent? My mom was like "Oh, no one dresses like that." I said that the majority of my sister's friends are parents; I'm childfree & that's one of the perks.

My sister even had the nerve to say she couldn't believe my husband "lets [me] go out like that." Pissed me off. I pointed out that my husband doesn't "let" me do anything since I'm an adult & we treat each other as such. Plus, I've gotten hit on & harassed while wearing pajamas, grubbies and my working clothes at Godiva. No cleavage or excessive leg showing necessary. Therefore, no sense in demanding me to dress like a frump. I'll get hit on anyway. My husband also knows this & accepts that reality just as I do. If that's the case, why not let me dress to my comfort & taste?

Plus, I was supposed to be relaxing and on a pleasure trip not going to work or a business function. Why should I have to wear anything different in my "off" time? I'm also at the point in my life where I insist on being myself around people who claim to care about me, including relatives considering I'm an adult & feel it's artificial of me to be something I'm not. How can you have a real connection with someone if you can't even be yourself around them? I feel you can't. What's the point in preserving such a relationship?

My mom said that apparently I scare the country boys in her area since they're not used to women dressing like me.

If we could apply that to my hometown, maybe that explains why I couldn't buy a date there while I had to practically get a stick to beat guys off from college onward. I also said when my family visits me, I should demand that they dress like they're in NYC if they're going to insist that I dress like someone in their area. Adapt to MY culture, damn it! I'd at least get a laugh from it. At least they will take public transit & aren't assholes to gay people. Nor do they go lecture strangers but apparently, they find it okay to lecture to me.

I'm still hardcore childfree, by the way. Oh, yes!! I love my niece & nephews (especially the eldest since I can talk to him and he actually cared about my presence) but no way could I do what my sister's doing. I've not got the patience for little kids and both my mother & sister seemed to get all offended because I yelled at my over 2 year old nephew for screaming at random. First off, I don't hang around small kids on a regular basis. Second, I do have eardrums & if you're screaming a short distance from them human nature is to react. Third, being around small kids is emotionally exhausting for me & if I had to parent them it would be worse. Not something that interests me (never an interest of mine, in fact) & I feel that's a task for people who actually want to do it, not someone who'd resent it like I would.

Oh, and you may like this if you're childfree.

If you want to kill someone's libido though, small kids work pretty well. Maybe that's another reason I'm not interested; I'm not about to give up my sex life. Remember, my marriage isn't typical & I'm rebellious by nature. Sex was a huge forbidden zone topic in my upbringing; compared to the women in my immediate family, I may as well be a former prostitute even though my experience is closer to that of the average person.

Speaking of people who might as well be prostitutes, seems it's a good thing I got rid of last year's black hole. The attempted wedding wrecker apparently learned nothing & is still doing the same shit. Only now she's pregnant, this guy is unemployed & somehow, women are dropping their panties for him like he's Hugh Heffner instead of an unemployed illegal with a baby mama.

Tell me something: if you're going to debase yourself for some guy, why would you ever do it for an unemployed guy with zero ambition? I think debasing yourself for anyone is a shitty idea but if you're going to do it, why would you not at least pick a guy with money, fame or something scarce? Some people seriously need to expand their social circles & raise their standards a little; you can find good sex & you can certainly find a guy with enough, if you get my meaning. I do know of some single male attorneys; I'm sure some of them will happily treat you like shit & at least not be around enough to get on your nerves. Perhaps they'd even pay for dates & might buy you presents; not all of them are unemployed or making poverty wages after paying student loan debts. It just occurs to me that I bet this guy doesn't even pay for dates with my former friend.

Shallow things to concern yourself with but it just piles onto the whole "Why debase yourself for someone?" issue. Felt like I had a close call there but I can't be friends with someone who changes into a person I not only don't recognize but can't even respect.

Getting to NC was also a close call experience. My train was about 3 hours late (I won't fly b/c they also have delays & I won't subject myself to a strip search/grope fest/invasive bullshit that violates basic civil liberties & brands me as a criminal with no proof to get on a plane). One of those delays was due to some trees that fell on the tracks. We were literally 7 minutes away from the station I had to get off at & we had to wait for what felt like ages. It's worse when your cell phone has died, you left your charger at home & you don't have internet access to send e-mail. At least I was in business class (if you can afford it, I highly recommend it to save yourself time & heartaches) so they did give us updates.

Apparently, if we'd been there 20 minutes earlier one of these trees could have fallen on our heads. After hearing that, I thought "This has to be a sign that things will work out in my life. Otherwise, God, what was the point of sparing my life today if it's all going to fall apart in two weeks?" If God sees everything, then God knows how you're going to react to things already.

More points on religion that I never got: no one ever believes a gay relationship/marriage or an abortion were part of God's plans for anyone. Either God is the ultimate mastermind & everything you do is part of the plan (including all this "sinful" stuff) or God's an observer who casts people off to Hell for violating things that don't make sense and were probably distorted by sexist white guys who had some power in biblical times. Make up your mind; I don't have a stake here. This is part of my late night contemplating. Whether things actually work out remain to be seen. You'll either get to see the rise or the fall.