If You're Going to Perform, Bring Your A-Game & Clean Yourself!

One issue a NYC resident you'd actually want something to do with (no offense to those of you 1-25%ers who aren't assholes) consistently encounters is people using the subway as their personal platform. Some are selling candy, some are devout worshipers of their relevant faith, some are singing/acting/dancing & others are simply begging for money. I may have shared a few stories on these but in case I haven't, here are some of my most memorable ones:

* The guy on the horse. I was having a bad day at the time & he was on this horse costume. Not sure if he was on some person's back that was covered by this horse but he was so hilarious I was considering giving him some money. This is the only actual performer I've seen who made me laugh.

* The acting troupe doing Shakespeare. They were actually pretty good & as you know, I work in the business. Good enough for me to bring in for meetings, though? No one really fits my standards for such things since there's enough competition & I don't want a flood of people harassing me for revealing my identity in public.

* The off key singer annoying the hell out of us with his R&B performance. Another passenger starting mimicking this guy singing "I suck" & other such things. I felt like I was on Subway Idol & was thanking God this guy didn't know I worked in the industry. However, you'd have wanted to say "I work in this industry & you STINK! Don't give up your day job." I could also add being a semi-pro singer & knowing professional singers to that.

* The failed beggar. Occasionally, you'll find people coming into the car, telling you this poor pitiful tale of woe so others will give them money. Sometimes these people have kids on them (women only, I've noticed) but most of the time, it's men. I've seen quite a few of these but the most memorable was when I was on the train with a group of young black women who had apparently just gotten off work as well as a group of young black men sitting not far from them. They had to be late teens or early 20s.

As this older white guy come onto our car to share his sob story, one of these black youth says to his friend loudly "That guy is scamming people." He didn't directly confront the beggar but he totally shut that guy down. I thought "Intelligent Black Youth: 1, Scam Artist Beggar: 0." Not sure if those women being around had anything to do with it but that moment rocked. I'd love to see more of it.

If we didn't cover it, here's my basic policies on these categories:

1. Candy sellers: I have no problem with them. I think the MTA ought to hire them for this at a fair wage. I view it as a public service but only wish the sellers who get on my main train would have more selection. It's usually Welch's fruit snacks or peanut M&Ms. If you get some regular M&Ms or Twix bars like the one guy I bought from the one time at Union Square, I might be interested when I'm hungry & have a spare buck on me (yeah, they charge $1 for candy bars & 2 for $1 for the fruit snacks).

If you want to sell World's Finest, even better! Just make sure you have some nut free chocolate if you do. Heck, I think you'd make a killing selling World's Finest on the subway since I know I'm not the only person who loves their chocolate. The Boondocks even did an episode about this; go see it if you haven't.

2. Performers: Be fucking good at whatever you do, all right? It seems the good performers are never on my train. The most famous thing happening on ours was apparently some random woman taking her clothes off while some photographer with her quickly shot her picture & moved on. By the way, not something I support since you should at least give someone some warning so they can take their kids out or cover their eyes if they want. What next, are you going to fuck right on the subway floor in front of us?

I'd also think the hygiene issues would concern you (they DO concern me when I'm just wearing shorter shorts or a short skirt). While a live sex show might be interesting, I'm pretty sure it's illegal even if you film it. Not to mention invoking the wrath of angry parents & the God bothering graffiti artist I hope the cops have shut down (they have been more present in our area lately; I hope they're also cracking down on the assholes who don't clean their dogs' poop off the sidewalk, leaving it for unsuspecting pedestrians to step in).

Aside from all this, treat your performance as though you were on a stage in front of paying customers & as though casting directors were in the audience. Have some showmanship. Have some stage presence, charisma, charm, things that don't make people pissed off at you. Treat it seriously. If you suck, we DON'T want to hear or see it. This also isn't the time to put strangers on the spot & try putting them into your act. Unless the person's a plant, don't do it. We DON'T appreciate it & it WILL bother us.

Know your skills & be honest about them. This sort of thing isn't going to get you discovered. There, I said it. Pop music lore aside, I'm pretty sure those people were networking & hustling as well. They didn't just bug commuters on subway trains; they made sure they met the right people & took their work seriously.

3. Using babies/kids to elicit sympathy: This really pisses me off. I mean, super raging pisses me off. First off, I have a Psych degree so I know what you're up to with this (if someone knows you're using a psychological tactic, the tactic doesn't work on him/her). Second, I have a sister with a young child who's expecting her 3rd right now. She doesn't have a ton of money & her family is in financial struggle from time to time. Still, I can't imagine her standing on the side of the road panhandling while showing off her pregnant belly. I also know she'd not have begged for things with her kids with her. My own parents also had & still have financial struggle but you won't see them going to beg on street corners (in fact, my mom has commented on seeing beggars wearing nicer shoes than my father's & how that made her mad). So you get zero sympathy from me. Third, I'm childfree. You want to elicit my sympathy? Get a cat or dog. Then again, I'll accuse you of being a neglectful asshole & want the Humane Society to get that animal far away from you.

This sort of thing also really bothers me because I feel like it says you have zero pride & zero scruples to use someone that way. You aren't James Belushi in Curly Sue. You might have a heart of gold but we're never going to see it if you're just trying to take the easy way out & especially if you're going around with an iPhone. Plus, I hear James Belushi is a total scumbag in real life (my husband shared a tale with me about this that you can read in a previous entry).

I feel the same way about this as I do about parents using their kids to help steal from stores.

4. Telling a sob story: Okay, come up with something original. At least be funny & charming. THIS will motivate someone to care. Above all, don't have an iPhone or anything that looks "nice" (especially if it's nicer than what the average commuter on the line where you're doing this has). If you are doing that, you're going to make people angry & prove that you're just another scamming jerk. At least the "tell me off" guy was interesting. Learn, do something interesting. Hell, be honest. If you tell us you're going to use the money for booze & drugs, people may just give b/c they're impressed with your honesty.

Personally, I'm not inclined to support this sort of thing. For one thing, I've got negative net worth. If you don't have that, you're not worse off than I or millions of other people who have oppressive student loan debt that will follow us to the grave. I have even said that to folk when personally accosted on the street (which is against the law, by the way & I did tell someone that one evening; he pretended not to hear me, then backed off). Second, no one likes being personally accosted by strangers. Ever. Okay? Young women certainly don't since it conjures up all sorts of "stranger danger" issues. Psychological studies have shown that people are more inclined to help those that are more like them & if you aren't like them, they're not going to bother. They also don't help if they're rushed, in a bad mood or there's a lot of people around the situation.

For those thinking I'm a heartless bitch, well perhaps but I'm not a sucker. I don't mind giving food. If I have some, I don't mind sharing that. If it's my own cooking, I'll want feedback. Asking for food is okay: it makes me feel you really ARE in dire straits & aren't a lying scammer.

Doing it with kids though, doesn't make me feel anything. I'll just think you're teaching some horrible values & about my sister who isn't doing that kind of thing. I have more respect for women who become strippers or prostitutes to feed their kids as I don't know of any using their kids to get clients or bringing that work home to their kids by letting them watch or participate in some fashion. If they're doing drugs or drinking around them, then you're talking about the parent exposing the kids to drugs or alcohol, which can happen without the mother taking on those kinds of jobs. Totally separate issue.

Plus, there's other options besides pissing off commuters & issuing fake apologies for disturbing them. If you really were sorry for the inconvenience, you wouldn't be offering your spiel in the first place. How many signs do you see for organizations that help homeless people & outreach groups? At least try that first & LET them help you.

Lastly, DON'T STINK!!! Try washing off in a public bathroom, take care of the smelly areas. If we can smell you, we don't want to be near it. Also not a good idea to be stinky if you want to sell candy. That's not accomplishing that aim. I was once in a car with one of those accordion player groups & one of them had a baby that stank to high heaven. No joke. When that kid was away from me, it was fine but when that kid was sitting with his mom (seated right next to me) I had to turn my head away & STILL could smell the stank.

I ended up having to switch cars b/c the smell was that bad. Now I may not have kids but I have been around little kids before, both on the subway & in my personal life. I have never encountered a child that smelled & reeked like this one, even when one of my nephews or some other little kid needed a diaper change. More reasons for me to be mad at you & want you out of my presence quickly. Most of the typical NYC subway smells weren't even as bad as this so that's got to tell you something. Damn it, if you plan to use children as pawns CLEAN THEM!!!!!!!! That is all.

Getting To Know the iPhone 4, Too Much Politics and More

It's no secret that I have a very cynical view of politics & politicians. Any smart political candidate would want to have me around since I know how one becomes cynical & how to get people to give a crap about some issue. I like to think of myself as the crash that will lull you out of your complacent sleep. I sort of view it as my goal in life to shake things up, not be a "yes" woman & tell unpleasant truths to people who never hear them but actually should + would benefit from hearing them.

I have a friend (I won't say who) who lately, has been posting political diatribes. Now you'd think this person would just create a rant blog like yours truly. If you come here, you know you're going to get rants. Since I agree with people's rights to have their own opinions & have plenty of people in my life who don't follow lockstep behind every cause I support or reject, I didn't de-friend this person like some other people apparently did because of it.

However, after seeing more of it today, I'm wondering whether some conservative leaning political pundit has hacked that social media account. It's been EVERY SINGLE status update. That gets old for me.

A) If you want to rant about politics, create a political rant blog. That way, people know what to expect & what they're getting. People friending you on a social media network aren't necessarily expecting that. While I take great care in who I friend on certain sites, I don't post about the same thing ad nauseaum. I try not to overwhelm folks with Occupy Wall Street stuff or anything else (though I pass on important links).

B) I do believe it takes all types in the world but I'd rather debate folk in person. That way, you can catch tone, subtleties & things you miss in the written word. It's too easy to think you're being patronized, insulted, etc. when the other person didn't actually mean it that way.

C) I wonder if this person has considered backlash to career. The person works in the entertainment business & has a similar path to mine (though I've been an attorney longer & this person has done more than me). However, this individual doesn't strike me as someone who is so hard core set on their views that they are willing to risk alienating people. This is not someone who did humorous rants or came up with hyperbolic suggestions on how to reform things (in other words, if you were the average person who saw these, I'm not sure you'd find humor there). I as a colleague would certainly be influenced as to who I'd refer or not refer. I'd certainly not refer anyone who loudly favors the ethic of the Occupy protests. If you think I'm being a hypocrite, I disagree.

You might disagree with me but at least I try to entertain & not speak with judgment. This person, not so much with these updates. You felt like you were dealing with that fundie cousin at Thanksgiving or something.

As for my Thanksgiving, it was actually decent. Went to the in-laws again but next year, we have to go to NC. For one thing, my husband's finally got a work schedule where he can get the time off (in over 5 years of marriage, we've never spent a holiday at my parents' home as a married couple--yeah, I'm still pissed about that). Second, my sister recently learned that she was pregnant. If things go well, we'll have another niece or nephew to corrupt & spoil (by corrupt, I mean teaching that kid to think for himself/herself, believe in doing anything (s)he puts his/her mind to and that if I could do what I'm doing, so can (s)he). If it doesn't, everyone will be bummed out & depressed. Either way, I'll have to go. We're hoping for a girl this time to balance out the male/female ratio. This will add up to 6 nieces & nephews for hubby & me. No way do I need to be having kids.

Yesterday, I managed to avoid Black Friday shopping hell & am thankful that I did. I know people who did in smaller places who said they couldn't see going out in it in a major city. Since I don't have small kids & still remember the ethic of What Would Jesus Buy? (you can also become a fan of the Rev. Billy on Facebook), I'm just not into shopping for things I don't really need. Even coming up with a Christmas list means me thinking of things I will use, stores that sell things I will actually buy & of course, considering asking for things we think are too expensive for us to buy. However, people in my family plan this way in advance. We've even finished all retail shopping at this point so we don't have to go out in that shopping hell. I'd be interested to see how much the Internet has displaced brick & mortar shopping over the years, especially during the holidays.

Wouldn't you know the dumb asses at the MTA decided to shut down my local subway line this weekend? Last year, they shut it down during the weekend of Comic Con. Do these idiots think no one in my area goes shopping? Are they trying to harm the city's tourism & commercial dollars? My area's never going to be some great alternative to Manhattan until they stop with that BS. The only good thing is I live in walking distance of another subway line that is running so I'm not at the mercy of a shuttle bus.

Yesterday, I finally discovered how to create & put custom ringtones on my iPhone. I'd been able to get the ringtones on there as music but not get them added as actual ringtones in the ringtones section of the phone. Figuring this out has been significant for me, along with the discovery that you can use apps to create ringtones from your own songs. I hate being at the mercy of big business or having to get something everyone else likes but not songs that are more obscure & that I'd rather have. I generally also like my ringtones instrumental & made some great ones, including some from the opening song in Office Space. No store will cater to my tastes & preferences so it's best that people like me get to create their own stuff.

Today, I've continued working on the ringtone project. One thing I really hate about iTunes is that it seems to be all or nothing with files. For instance, I created test ringtones. Why can't I just delete them with a right click or a button, though?! I don't like how they came out so I don't want them. iTunes seems to make it more complicated than it should be to get music on your iPod or iPhone or get rid of songs. That's something I really don't like about it. Once you get the hang of it, though, you're good. I feel like I'm going to have to keep a written tutorial for myself, though since it's not one of those programs where the obvious solution works.

Oh, and I continue doing video blogs periodically on Mobli. If you want to find them, I'm under "angryredheadlaw". Don't think I got that hosting job but when I saw an ad later stating that it would be unpaid, I think it's for the best. The saga that is my life continues.

The Vlogging Channel I Mentioned

Did my first installment on my vlog channel at Mobli.com today. Go here to see it.

I'll be maintaining both of these but stay tuned for more. Keep in mind I'm still trying to get the hang of my iPhone.

My Vlog Channel & The Great Phone Debacle

So, I finally have my new iPhone 4. I wasn't originally going to get one. The iPhone 3 was free for me in an upgrade but in order to take advantage of a vlogging opportunity I was given, I needed an iPhone 4 (or I could have gotten an Android or Blackberry phone but hubby was getting an iPhone, I've heard mixed reviews about everything including people telling me about the massive problems they had w/other smartphones & we were at the point of total information overload).

Seriously, one of the hardest things to deal with is getting a cell phone whether it's a smartphone or not. I also was shocked at the full technological leap of the smartphone vs. my basic phone that served me well since 2009. To give you an idea of how behind on tech I tend to be, the phone I upgraded from in 2009 was the one I got in 2003 before starting law school. Before that, I had 2 pay-as-you-go phones (the result of being poor in college & before that, the result of my parents' credit rating since I was a minor when I got my first cell phone in high school; I would have had to pay a $500 deposit to get one, which made me mad since it wasn't based on MY freaking credit). I needed a cell in high school since I was in after school events, didn't have a car & the office tended to close so I had the choice of hoping I had change for 1 of 2 pay phones to call my mom or having a cell phone so I could call for free + not have to wait for others to finish so I could use one of the phones.

So, I'm not kidding when I say having an iPhone of any type is a technological leap. I'm still learning how to do things on it. If anyone knows how to upload your own ringtones & pictures onto the phone from a computer, would you let me know? I want to figure that one out & no store is going to have songs I like in the format I want as a ringtone. I also have some sweet pics I'd like to have in the phone, particularly to ID people who call me or just b/c they're so darn unique & fascinating. I also adamantly refuse to pay for music I already own. I may be a lawyer but I do agree with the principal of not obeying laws that serve no rational purpose or basis.

Laws against murder/rape/child pornography = good.

Laws charging people $750,000 for downloading ONE song off a file sharing service, even if they own it on another medium like a CD = bad & likely funded by lobbyists. Screw them! It's called "create a better mousetrap & stop relying on an outdated & obsolete business model." There's a well-known truism in business: adapt or die.

As I continue to write this blog, you'll also get to see some video rants & maybe an adventure or two if you go to Mobli. Mobli is a website where users can create their own video channels & create their own series of vlogs. You can find me under "angryredheadlaw". They have some good reviews as well as some celebs there. Check it out!

By the way, that pic is darker on purpose. I had that taken when I was on a VIP tour of the Empire State Building recently. We got to go on the 103rd floor, which is closed to the public. That pic is from me being there. Warning: if you're scared of heights (which I'm definitely not), you don't want to be there. They also aren't kidding when they tell you it's windy & you could get hurt if you aren't careful.

Now, some words about AT&T. I'm not big on giving endorsements but they really went above & beyond so I have to give them a special shout out for this whole thing.

Originally, I'd considered going with Credo Mobile. Do you know that company? Their big platform is that they give money to progressive causes while Verizon, AT&T & the other major carriers are giving their money to whackjob Republican candidates + causes that really shouldn't be funded like legislation to outlaw abortion and turn anyone who isn't a white, rich male into a second class citizen.

While I'm not a supporter of this type of legislation & definitely don't support any Republican candidate (or really anyone for that matter, but especially Republican whackjobs), I do understand why a major corporation would contribute to Republican campaigns. They are, after all, more business friendly than Democrats as history will show. People also tend to identify with those who are like them so I'm sure major corporate heads see the Republicans as more like them.

Personally, I think these companies would be better served giving money to moderate Republicans who aren't obsessed with evoking God in every public appearance or show themselves to be national jokes on TV (Sarah Palin, anyone?). I can respect moderates since they at least seem to have some common sense unlike the whackjobs. It does seem like someone lives up there & they have their faculties in order.

However, that decision is between these corporations & their lobbying committees. These people would either hate to see me coming or would love me insisting on carefully researching candidates, their platforms on significant issues, public perception, etc. so the giving was useful instead of money wasted + we weren't considered whackjobs/kooks/bigots by association. Give me a nice common sense person who stands by what they say, isn't a closeted or open bigot & actually cares about moving the nation into modern times! Someone who uses LOGIC, not religion or political correctness/popularity concerns, to make decisions. I'm not obsessed with the party, as you may recall. I think the person would need to be a political outsider & would definitely have to be someone who's actually had hard times & still remembers what that experience is like. You'd need to murder the religion & party obsessed morons in society to get that person elected but I can dream, can't I?

That being said, let me tell you about an incredible irony with Credo Mobile. They claim to be "progressive," right? Do they realize that potential customers may not have sterling credit? That stupid loan crap is apparently enough reason for me to get "extra screening" on my application to get a cell phone, despite that being a debt that's at least $800 more per month a typical monthly cell phone payment. I was also told they didn't do deposits if you wanted to be their customer: it is either they approve your credit or reject you. Does anyone else find that a bit fucked up? How many people have student loan debts? How many lawyers have PRIVATE student loan debt (remember those "fuck you, pay me" plans?)? You're not motivating me to sign with you if you're going to give me static over a "fuck you, pay me" loan & base a decision to have a contract with me based on being too destitute to pay that ginormous payment every month!

Why not base decisions on how I've handled other LIKE accounts like cell phone companies? If my record was bad with another cell phone provider, a rejection or extra screening would be fair.

Since I have been with AT&T for years, was currently due for an upgrade, have never had a customer service issue with them (they've also corrected problems promptly when I had them) & wouldn't have to speculate on if I'd be able to get my phone or not, I chose to stay there since I figured "if it's not broken, don't fix it." Plus, AT&T had a better selection of phones. My husband wasn't particularly happy with Credo's phone selection & I didn't like the negative reviews I read about their service.

Credo's "extra screening" that they couldn't give me an instant decision on made the choice to upgrade with AT&T very easy. AT&T also made that choice easier when I found out I'd have to exchange the iPhone 3 I ordered for myself for an iPhone 4. The reps I spoke to were helpful, seemed to give a damn about my problem and gave viable solutions. I also reordered accessories that I'd ordered in my initial shipment that I was instructed to reject so I could effect the exchange (since I thought you couldn't take items you ordered online to a store to get them exchanged & didn't want to have to pay full price for all the accessories).

My initial order arrived on Thursday morning. My post office didn't bother making it available to me until Friday morning. The hatred for my local post office is legendary & well deserved: more on that in a future post.

To make a long story short, my post office's incompetence actually helped me for once. On Saturday morning, I had to go see if my package had been on the path to being returned & I learned that I could still use it + do the exchange in a store. No one had marked my package, even though they were supposed to the day before.

I was able to go to the AT&T store yesterday & get my items exchanged + both phones set up. Despite it being crowded when I went in, I was actually helped pretty quickly, got above & beyond service + really appreciated the people who helped me out. I definitely felt like AT&T cared about having my business & valued me as a customer. If you can do that, I'm a very happy customer, will recommend you to friends & will make damn sure that the people who helped me are publicly recognized since that sort of thing seems to be a rarity these days.

So now I'm an archetype: the iPhone owner. As you know, I have mixed feelings on it though aspects of having a smartphone have helped make things easier. For one thing, I have an app that tells you when the subway is supposed to arrive at your stop. It's proven to be accurate as well. Second, texting is actually helpful if you're in a subway station & need to meet up with someone or you can't hear anyone on your phone because of noise or bad reception. I'll still shudder at the huge bill increase but if the service keeps up & people continue to solve problems we have effectively, I'll be a happy camper. Beats the battle we're having with Verizon!

Everyone Always Says "Give Me Money!"

So, if you've read this blog & know my stances on things you know that I'm not someone who came from privilege. You know that I actually had to (gasp) WORK to get where I am. I didn't have parents, friends or most importantly, money to get me places. Much of what I've been able to do was based on my own abilities, good fortune and some smart people who saw a spark in me.

For instance, I'm still working on that vlogging opportunity but I found out I'll have to get an iPhone 4 instead of an iPhone 3 for it. Now, I'll have to pay about $100 for the iPhone 4 & while I'm able to afford it I've been having a moral conflict on getting one. How come, you might ask?

Well, I feel a bit decadent about spending $100 on it. I also feel like I'll become a cliche of an elitist since the newest model just came out this week. I'm also not an early adapter or even a present time adapter: I'm a late adapter, God damn it! This ruins my concept of myself as a late adapter & is a cruel irony in my book.

However, to reconcile this I've told myself that maybe I should treat myself once in a while & stop living like a miser. I tend to be very much in that "live like a student" mindset though I'm certainly not the cheapest or most frugal person ever.

I do have my limits: no reused sandwich bags or compost piles. There will also be flush toilets anyplace I live. I'd also consider hiring someone to pick up my husband's comics if we had $ for it. No living somewhere unsafe & no Dollar Store underwear.

I think this is foreshadowing for if I make real $ & everyone having to yell at me about spending some of it vs. living as though going out to dinner one evening fucks up my entire budget for the month (this was true when I was a student). If people don't do it, I could easily see myself becoming one of those old people who lives in abject poverty only to die with an estate worth hundreds of thousands of dollars & up. I do veer more to that direction that spendthrift territory.

Today, I was listening to a telephone seminar on a topic I found interesting. However, I'm to the point of not wanting to go to free programs on anything pertaining to the entertainment industry or creative things in general. Let me explain.

Every single damn time I go to a free program on just about anything, you always without fail hear a presenter telling you you MUST have money to do things. You have to pay for publicity, rent a theater, get an agent, etc.

Now, while I do agree that you get what you pay for and quality does have a price the whole process of that just bothers me. Then, when someone makes a money grab afterwards, it really hits the point home for me: If you don't come from money, you shouldn't even bother improving yourself or your life.

"Don't bother writing a book, creating a 1 person show, writing a film, going to a good college, anything. You don't come from money so who cares if you have any natural talent or skill!"

That's what I feel like telling someone to pay for stuff is implicitly saying. This is also an ethic you'll find all through law school. If you ask me, a chimp with a million dollars could be on law review b/c that chimp could afford study aids & anyone without a million dollars can't, regardless of any natural intelligence or ability. Coincidentally, this is the primary reason I think the class ranking system in law school is utter bullshit & that people hiring for jobs seem to ignore this reality in hiring.

If you're going to tell someone they need to have wads of cash to do something, why not tell people HOW to make money? Saying "go beg to family" isn't an option for everyone. If I had that, I wouldn't have anymore student loan debt.

How about a seminar telling someone how to get a benefactor? Or how to make money without demeaning yourself (no telling someone to work as a stripper or turn tricks)? While we're at it, how about telling someone how to make money without breaking the law or demeaning themselves?

Any chucklehead can say "Oh, you need money to do that." How about suggestions on ways to get benefactors or who to network with so we can get around those hurdles? How about suggestions on networking events where we might meet these people?

I find "Get $10,000 [or some other high ass crazy amount you'll never get in this lifetime unless you live with your parents or start breaking the law]!" or "Ask Mommy & Daddy for $," to be as useful as the average law school career services center (and you know how useful they are if you've been to law school; if you haven't, their helpfulness is nil at best).

This whole attitude that you must have money to do anything doesn't inspire someone who came from nothing to dream or bother working on those dreams. Nor does it encourage one to do anything pro-social (i.e. work an honest job, get an education, do something that helps society vs. harms it). Hell, I think it encourages people to become teen parents, sell drugs, never do anything beyond whatever sector of the economic ladder they were born into.

Is the US a fiefdom or can one actually get anywhere? What do you think? I'll say this: if I believed I was never going to do better than where I came from, I'd have killed myself long ago after taking out my oppressors.