Monday, May 30, 2011

The Wedding Saga Part 1

So, you may have noticed I didn't get to update this week. How come?

Well, I was out of town to be a matron of honor in my sister's wedding. Yes, you read right. A Matron of Honor. The second one is a now former childhood friend I've written about in the past. I don't believe in being friends with someone who is no longer the person you knew just because you've been friends for 20 years. To me, if a friendship is no longer enhancing you or making you better as a person it's time to cut ties and move on. Any family that respects you will also do its part by not forcing you to interact with the person or taking their side over yours in conflicts.

More on that in another installment, though. This is part one of the wedding saga. I call it a "saga" since that's what a formal wedding is. This one was no exception.

We drove 12 hours from NYC to NC. I love road trips since you get to know people very well on them.

I now realize that there's no way in Hell I'd ever be able to do a formal wedding unless I hired models to be my attendants. Here's why:

1. Models look great in everything. You don't have to worry about dress styles or colors if you select your models carefully. See last year's post on the great dress dispute for this. No one has to lose weight, wear lifts, etc. Your pics will also look fabulous.

2. You're paying for their time. No worries about resentful friends and family or people flaking out & being forced to tolerate their shit until the big day! Pay anyone enough money & they'll do right by you. Also helps if you aren't a total prick but generally, money will make one far more cooperative.

If there were a business of this, I think actors & actresses might like the side income. I'm not aware of one so enlighten me if there is such a thing in NYC.

3. You can hire as many people you want and keep the number of bridesmaids and groomsmen even. Therefore, those with few friends or whose friends are flakes can even out the ranks if one side has a ton of people and refuses to cut the numbers.

4. The groomsmen will be happy with the eye candy. Those hired women might also find more work as wingwomen or "dates" to get obnoxious family members off some poor guy's back. Consider the film She's Out of My League or in the case of men, Babycakes. Maybe gay people could use those services as well.

5. If you deal with an agency, you can get a replacement if someone gives you lip, refuses to do their share or otherwise is a problem. My sister put up with a lot of shit I would never have stood for. I'd have said "Fuck it, we're eloping!" by the time all was said & done since people generally annoy or piss me off enough to permit it.

Honestly, though I think decent money would motivate people to behave themselves and not get replaced.

So, that being said we go to the first event of this saga: the bachelorette party. This one was actually fun but only myself, the bride & a bridesmaid who was doing the bulk of matron of honor duties along with her mother were present. Grievances concerning the local matron of honor were plentiful & you'll get to read about them soon, I promise.

Anyhow, we went to a venue I'd not been to and it was playing a style of music that is definitely not my thing (country). Yes, I'm from NC but never cared for country. Nor did I ever have a Southern accent. This should provide some clues as to why I don't still live in the South. I wanted so badly to go to this 80's club in Charlotte and am still upset that I didn't get to go. My husband agreed to sign a contract that the next time we are in that area, we're going to that club come Hell or high water. But, I digress.

Despite the music not being my thing, I had a decent time. Even got on the mechanical bull since I'm a theatrical person by nature. A lot of firsts on this trip. The lead singer of the band even came up later & hugged my sister (who was decked out in her bride to be attire). Didn't have to fend off guys either. I usually have to, especially if I'm alone. You won't see me smile much if I'm out alone since I don't like guys even thinking I'm interested when I'm not. Going out where I don't have to be pestered about that is a great thing for me. If I can be seen as a fun person to talk to without the element of sex while I can still dress as great as I want, I'm a happy camper.

Another thing I think would be truly interesting: a wedding soundtrack of Prince songs (up to mid-90s or so). A lot of songs from Purple Rain would be the least appropriate wedding songs on Earth but you could put in "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" for the bride coming down the aisle.

I'm not enough of a Prince fan to do it myself but I'd want to go to that wedding since I love a couple that doesn't take itself too seriously + shares my appreciation for the non-traditional. Bonus points if they use "Darling Nikki" or "Sex Shooter" by Apollonia 6, two totally unchaste songs. I'd be all for it, especially if I had to wear high heels. In case you can't tell, I did see Purple Rain not long before leaving for this wedding.

My dress had a very long hem so I had 4 inch silver heels. Really nice, though along with my super cute updo. I walked with confidence and awesomeness despite all the bullshit I had to deal with beforehand, including attempted copying of my hair by the other matron of honor.

I'm going to wear that style for future events when I have $ and know of a good hair place that will earn their rate for doing it. Me not having my hair down is truly unusual. I even took pics of it as a souvenir since who knows when it will happen again & I certainly can't do it myself.

Pics on some of this will be forthcoming, though none of the wedding since that's a personal thing. Fight totals will be posted in the second installment since it was shockingly shorter than I thought it would be.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Social Responsibility: Buy the Damn Condoms!

I was watching an episode of "What Would You Do" on ABC this past Friday evening and one of the scenarios caught my eye.

In it, they had teenagers walk up to people in a drug store to see if they would buy condoms for a teenaged boy who's mother's friend was at the pharmacy counter or Plan B for a girl who was in the same situation.

It seems that people would buy Plan B for the girl but wouldn't get condoms for the boy. You want to know what my stance is? What would I do in that situation? I'll tell you.

I would get you those things in a second. Here's why.

Social responsibility! Yes, social responsibility. For all you holier than thou religious types & those who say "I want my children to come to ME when they want to have sex," consider this.

My sister & I grew up in a household where premarital sex was not just discouraged but downright frowned upon. My mother had this old doll that belonged to my grandmother & said that it would be given to the first one of us who had a child. However, she said it would not count if the child was born out of wedlock.

Now, in an atmosphere like that how comfortable would you be coming to your parents on matters of sex? Remember my father was far too busy with his own alcohol addiction to be much of a parent to us at the time.

When my sister got pregnant at 20 (unmarried but engaged to her first husband), my mother was the last person she told about it. She was terrified of our mother's reaction; hell, the way she went on about children out of wedlock, you'd figure she'd disown you if you did that as her kid, right?

I actually was the last person to know since my mother told me one evening while my then boyfriend (the one who was 14 years older than me) & I were out eating dinner. She asked me why my sister didn't tell her sooner & why she'd been the last to know.

I said #1) I was the last to know since she was the one telling me this & #2) she wasn't exactly the most supportive parent on this kind of thing considering the doll & everything.

So, moralists how do you know that the kid asking you these questions doesn't come from a similar household? How do you know if their parents are rational, sane human beings who wouldn't just toss the kid out in the street, beat him/her up or completely disown the child? You don't!! Some would & some have. Look at how parents treat their kids who come out as gay! I'm sure some of those people could tell stories that would piss you off or prove you're an inhuman piece of garbage.

Unless you've become a psychic and can magically determine all these things about people just by looking at them, you don't know shit. Because you don't know shit about anyone's upbringing or their parents, who are you to play God?

Furthermore, you have a social responsibility to us taxpayers to prevent more unwanted pregnancies, dumpster babies and more unwanted kids who are going to need a ton of therapy, all financed on OUR dime. Even the staunchest pro-lifer has to agree that unwanted pregnancies should be prevented at all costs or the person should be shot since (s)he isn't using his/her brain. If you don't prevent them, then you're helping contribute to more abortions.

Teen sex is the same as abortions: you're never going to completely eliminate it & if someone wants to do it badly enough, they will do it. I'd rather just make sure some teen is encouraged to be responsible and not go have unprotected sex, leading to diseases, pregnancy and who knows what else.

I think there was more sympathy for the Plan B situation because maybe women wondered if this girl could have been raped. Another thing you can't predict & you have no right to judge on: how do you know the person seeking it wasn't the victim of a rape? Do you honestly think a rape victim is going to tell that fact to a total stranger? If you do, you have obviously never been raped. I personally have not but was once in an attempted rape situation that I did manage to get out of. I also have some sense of empathy since I know people who have lived their fair share of bad experiences.

Oh, and newsflash: condoms should NOT be locked behind a pharmacy counter or stored there in a store. They are NOT restricted by age nor a prescription product. Making access impossible at any time of day will not stop sex & it just says to me as a consumer that you do not support safe sex. For those giving disapproving looks to those buying condoms, a question: how many diseases have you spread around to others? I'm sure you caused one of those HIV epidemics with that attitude.

Finally, don't take your lack of a sex life or ability to find anyone to fuck you out on young people (or me, for that matter). If you do this, shame on you! It's time you got laid so perhaps that stick would fall out from your ass. God didn't put you on this Earth to be a patronizing, whiny asshole who pisses everybody off.

This is also where you can tell some people have become stuffy, boring adults whose sense of fun and youthful exuberance has withered and died some horrible death. I vow never to become one of those people. If I do, family & friends have been instructed to shoot me, commit me, do whatever it takes to get me to snap out of it.

Friday, May 13, 2011

General Musings Part 21

Once again, a bunch of links & a moment to comment on them. Also having some personal stuff going on but let's just say that Friday the 13th continues to be a day of good omens for me. Not sure why, but it is. Most people wouldn't have gotten married on Friday the 13th or worn a black wedding dress but I've been married over 4 & 1/2 years and am still happy w/my man. Obviously, the non-traditional approach works for me.

Aside from that, it's on to the comments/rants.

* First off, if you don't see the announcement of Osama Bin Laden's death as some political tactic you need to get your head out of your ass & stop watching reality TV. Apparently, Michael Moore also thought something was up. Now, personally however Bin Laden died, I think he got exactly what he deserved. If you want people to sympathize with you and not cheer when you're dead, you don't go murdering innocent people & bragging about it with zero remorse. I didn't cheer when he died but I also didn't feel sad. I just felt nothing. My instant though was "Obama's guaranteed his re-election." Just before that news, his poll ratings were at a significant low, gas prices were rising and the economy was down the tubes.

Now, most of that is still happening but I feel like it was strategically placed news to take wind from the sails of the Republicans & the Tea Party. Even my mother says political games are at work here.

If you disagree, you're part of the problem & a total sheep. You should be deported to some country where illegals are from & we should get to exchange citizenship to a hardworking illegal who does ask questions instead of you, who may as well be a slave somewhere. If Mexico & some other places go for it, how about it?

That leads to another point: if the Republicans want to win an election, why can they not run a moderate candidate? Someone that has a brain and makes points that aren't just rubber stamped by the idiots among us. I know there are some & they could do better than people like Sarah Palin who are national jokes.

Personally, if Donald Trump ran that "I admit I'm a bastard" campaign & didn't start attending some Baptist church or apologizing for his past deeds while running for President that would earn my respect; that would be showing honesty. I can at least get behind his views on foreign aid since we've got our own house to clean. Being altruistic isn't admirable when you do it at the expense of YOUR citizens, family, whoever you're responsible for taking care of.

Would you like a father who fed food to a random homeless man while letting his kids starve? I'm sure people would want that man to be lynched. Giving foreign aid out while letting US citizens suffer may as well be the same thing.

* I say "hell yes" to women owning guns. So does this woman. Get proper training & punish people for not acting in self-defense, but damn skippy women should be able to protect themselves!

I'm also for self-defense training and until government starts providing funding for all women to get it regardless of their financial means, we should really consider these points. When the MTA has no liability to me if I get raped in one of their stations, I assert that my right to protect myself trumps any city interest in banning types of weapons. The bad guys will get them anyway & we know it's just a cheap attempt to prevent the violent overthrow of the corrupt government that exists. Every thinking person knows government on all levels has some form of corruption; just a fact.

Free tip: anyone who's determined enough to do something wrong will do it. Plain and simple. All the laws, regulations & security cameras on Earth won't stop it.

* So if more people were like this guy, we'd have far fewer problems. Makes one want to offer to represent him in court pro bono or mentor him.

People bashing this guy, again are examples of sheep who should be exchanged for some of the hard working illegals who do embody the spirit of this country.

Oh, and if you have a lifetime ban on doing business w/some company if they screwed you, why the hell would you care? If you've screwed me over, I'll never do business with you again. Why would I need a formal ban for this? Makes no sense. Plus, if you were wrong how about admitting it and not being a dick? Did we ever think of that?

* Speaking of corporate stupidity, I like this comment that a poster named Jon made on this story. Here it is:

Twitter gaffs happen because people are too fricking sensitive, think their feelings matter when they *opted in* to follow another person's thoughts, and because the Twitter user can't police the people who follow them.

I put corporations that fire a spokesperson over something said on Twitter in the same category as managers who don't hire a young person because the manager snooped on that person's Facebook page and found out that they OMG got drunk at a party in college #shameonthem. I.E., shooting themselves in the foot. Giving up a qualified job candidate for something they did in their personal life is absurd.

Take Godfried as an example: Eventually, if you fire enough people for making Twitter gaffs, no one will want to work for you. Or you'll offend more people who supported the spokesperson (a number no doubt larger than the number who were offended), who now aren't interested in your products because they think your company overreacted.


I think he's got a point. I hope it comes to be that a company known for this sort of thing loses potential workers b/c they feel they'll have no room to be themselves or customers who think their policies are just draconian. Remember, customers watch you & scrutinize your behavior just as much as you scrutinize an applicant. I certainly do so watch out. I can take my dollars elsewhere & have.

* Finally, this is why I'm not flying unless it's on a private plane. I should almost thank the person who never contacted me about that job where I'd have had to travel & deal with this crap. Just one more in the series of employers who ultimately wasted my time & contributed to my distrust of people as a whole. What's new?

On the bright side, I did have a conversation with that estranged friend today and maybe that friend can be someone I trust in that next life phase. At least I don't have to worry about being pestered for favors or used for things by this person; nor am I required to hold my tongue on matters of the gigolo or do him any favors b/c I don't help scumbags who hurt my friends.

The thing that got me mad in the first place was at least resolved. Guess what? If you don't want me to reference you or you have a problem w/my right to have feelings & freedom of speech, you don't get to be in my circle or read my status updates. I'm a creative person & a writer; daring to intervene in that process is telling me to give up my identity. If you want that, then you have no business around me.

Monday, May 9, 2011

"I'm Looking for a Ho"

That's what the heading of this ad should be. Instead, it's "PT Attractive Personal Assistant w Open Mind Needed ASAP." Here's the rest:

Quite simply, I need a great looking, female assistant to help with domestic chores laundry, dishes, general housekeeping, personal errands and some business related tasks. You must also be open minded sexually, be ok with providing me with massage and possibly some sensual play. I am not some gross 60 year old fat guy that can't get a girl, I am simply focused on other priorities in my life right now, need some domestic and business support and felt that I would try to also include a way to satisfy my own sensual needs as I do not want a deep intimate relationship right now.

I am 37, white, clean, respectful, intelligent, creative and professional. I am tattooed, have a beard am 5'10, 190 lbs, in pretty good shape (I play hockey and box) and am pretty fun to be around in general.

I would probably only require your help 3 times a week for 4-5 hours a day and would pay you a flat rate of $500 even if it is less time than that each week.

Please reply telling me a little about you and include a picture in your first reply.

Finally, I have alot to offer from a business standpoint and am willing to help mentor and guide someone with their own professional goals. I say this as I would expect that some of you who may entertain this type of a role may be using it as a stepping stone or temporary method to make money while working to achieve something else, if that is the case I am more than willing to share with you 20 years of professional insight and experience in a broad range of business.

Please reply with a picture and brief bio.

Thanks.


Location: Wburg -$500 p/week
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Compensation: $500+ per week

PostingID: 2371658836


Seriously, what the holy hell is this? Has this moron never heard of a thing called prostitution? The EEOC? Labor laws? Why doesn't he just pay for a prostitute & stop wasting people's time posting ads like this?

Maybe I take it seriously because I know people who've been victims of sexual harassment in the workplace. I also don't like seeing shit like this in sections of Craig's List where legitimate entertainment employers post ads & that are for LEGAL, LEGITIMATE jobs.

This crap makes us all look like wannabe pornographers who give out jobs based on how well one can manipulate our private parts. Couldn't be further from the truth. I certainly never got a job based on sex, thank you. Same goes for many, many people I know who work in entertainment including a number of actors.

Don't you just want this guy's dick to fall off from disease contracted from the lucky applicant or perhaps for him to suffer severe permanent injury there after he pisses the lovely lady off in some way? And we wonder why some women hate men.

He should at least be posting this in the personals section since if this isn't a personal matter, then what on Earth is?

Saturday, May 7, 2011

The Bullshit Begins Once Again: 90 Days

So if my spouse didn't already hate his job, he's just gotten yet another layoff letter. The pussies who staff his job didn't even have the guts to do it before Friday afternoon or hang around; how textbook predictable! They deserve everything they get & boy will they suffer if I've got anything to say about it.

Yeah, there may be a funding reprieve again but he & I have had enough. When a place makes you work in a blizzard aftermath when roads aren't even cleared and sidewalks are dangerous to walk on + the director doesn't even show up (despite not having to personally drive on the roads), that's a sign that you are no more regarded than a piece of used chewing gum. These assholes don't give a damn about anyone's families or how they might feel if something happened to their loved one. On top of that, there is zero advancement opportunity or recognition from this top brass when my spouse does well. Those jobs aren't worth it for your soul, mental health or psyche.

Oh, and asshole? Some of your employees are married to people like The Angry Redheaded Lawyer. Note that very carefully. For the stupid or dense, let me break it down:

A) "Angry": meaning the person already has some rage issues & you aren't helping by screwing w/her household & her soulmate's peace of mind.
B) "Redheaded": meaning that if you know anything about natural redheads, you know that we all have tempers and have a persecution complex
C) "Lawyer": meaning the person knows what the laws are & can probably get legal representation for a loved one much quicker than the average person; not to mention just the technical advantage of having someone around who knows the law better than you

So mix all that together. Do you really think it's a good idea to go around pissing off people who are friends/loves of folk like The Angry Redheaded Lawyer? If you do, you're just asking for some type of creepy misfortune. Life will likely hand it to you.

As was the case before, my husband getting laid off means the past 24 years of my life were a total waste. It also means I have no reason to care about things like law & order or flying right. Why do they not lay off the HR people or other middle manager types who aren't doing anything except "support functions" that could be handled by the lazy pricks themselves? They've had a hiring freeze for nearly 2 years now so what is HR doing other than being leeches on the taxpayers' dime? They can't even perform their jobs competently!

Gee, decimate someone's life. How do you they're going to feel when they are in the same boat they'd have been in had they put in zero effort to do anything or move upward?

When you find your best efforts leave you stuck as a serf, there's no point. If I'd lived in a time where there was no way to escape whatever social class and lifestyle you were born into, I'd have killed myself very early on. I was quite a mature kid & knew BS when I saw it. It's not every 15 year old that institutes an EEOC complaint against a potential employer when the employer interviews her then tells her months later that she had to be 16 even though no such signs were posted, she never lied about her age + was given an interview regardless.

There is no therapist, medication or mental health facility that could encourage me to accept my entire life & everything I worked for crashing down around me because of some bureaucratic billionaire piece of shit who personally fucked me over + would never have the balls to admit it to my face even in the presence of a whole team of bodyguards. There's a lot of players involved but our beloved mayor Bloomberg has significant fault here.

If you were going to drug me to accept my new life where I have no privacy & never get to have marital relations w/my spouse, why not just give me acid, cocaine, heroin or some illegal hard drug? You'd simply be creating a drug addict, not solving my problems. Me going to my hometown or living with my parents would mean death and I'm not just saying that. I suffered significant depression when I was in NC after graduating from college; no medical diagnosis since you know true depression when you get it.

If I'd stayed, I'd have felt like my 4 years were a waste. You'll notice the love of my life did not live in the South.

Life is also far too short to spend it on things you hate. Maybe these "readjust your priorities" types should lose a family member at a young age like I did. Then they might get it. They should also have jobs where they're not getting paid or be solicited by scammers. Have some of my experiences and then talk to me. The more you have, the more likely I'll take you seriously.

I still maintain that if I go down, I'm going down swinging. I'll go down on my terms and in my way regardless of anyone else's views. They haven't lived my experiences, my existence or overcome the things I had to in order to be where I am today. Most of these same people probably had Mommy & Daddy hand them everything to never really experience hardship, pain, poverty or any real problems.

Is it no wonder people become criminals? Maybe if you gave smart people opportunities to do things & gave them some viable support, you might have good stuff out of the US. They support their academically inclined in other countries & don't saddle them with non-dischargeable student loans in the six figures in a job marketplace where the low five figure salaries rule the day.

That "suffering life" nonsense is for the birds. I'm not about to do it for anyone and it's not a positive model for any kid. All you're telling them is that you should gladly eat shit when the establishment serves it to you & do it with a smile. Maybe the corrupt forces & morons are all for it but I'm simply not that corrupt or stupid. I think people should be educated enough to make their own decisions.

Remember that when you have been robbed of everything dear to you, you should NEVER "go gentle into that good night." You have an obligation to everyone who's been trampled on to fight hard and stand up for yourself in whatever way you have to.

See, I form significant impressions of you based on your actions & how you treat me or my friends/loved ones. One bitchy entertainment law attorney in my locale will learn that the hard way. She'd better never meet me since I'll call her out on it.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

A Deluded Person & Thinking With Your Brain

So I saw this Craig's List ad today:

Calling all redheads or those desiring to be a red head (SoHo)
Date: 2011-05-04, 3:14PM EDT
Reply to: gigs-c8atu-2362468803@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

Model needed for Wella Trend Vision competition. Receive Free cut, color, style and pictures. I am looking for a model with beautiful hair. Red heads are preferred or someone desiring to be a red color tone.
All services will be performed at Arrojo Cosmetology.
All services will be free.
Services will be performed May 10, 17, 24 from 5:30 pm-9:30 pm at ARROJO Cosmetology. We will designate one day to the haircut, one to color, and one for styling and photographs.

ARROJO cosmetology is attached to the world-renowned ARROJO studio and is owned and operated by celebrity hair stylist Nick Arrojo.

it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Compensation: Gift Certificate

PostingID: 2362468803


At first, I thought "Hey, I'M a redhead. Maybe I should respond."

Then I re-read it & came to the conclusion that someone has never been a natural redhead.

For you see, rule #1 of being a natural redhead is: unless you have no regard for your life & well-being, you never, ever, EVER under any circumstances dye your hair, even a little bit.

Why? First off, if you dye it (as conventional wisdom goes), you may never get the same color again. Apparently, it may not regrow the same color as it once was. Red hair is a tricky thing, you know?

Second, people have literally said to me "I'll kill you if you ever dye your hair." I get compliments on it quite often & some of these people said it with complete seriousness & sincerity in their voices. Probably not a smart idea for me to go risking becoming a marked woman by letting anyone lay a finger on my hair.

Can't tell you how many times hairstylists have complimented my hair color when I've gone to get trims. It's sort of how I know they're legit. I'm sure even if I wanted to dye this mess, most hairstylists would flat out refuse or at least try really hard to talk me out of it.

Aside from the color issue, cutting it more than slightly is totally out for some good reasons:

1. Husband wrath - like most men, my husband prefers long hair. Getting a trim is like fighting World War III; I might get locked out of my house if I come home with super short hair.

Now I've considered getting it short in the past but the shortest I've ever had it was collar length & my husband claims long hair works better for me.

2. Entertainment work - if you change your hair dramatically, you have to get new headshots & update your pictures. The look could also hurt me in doing extra work or in my future projects. Aside from not wanting to spend money on all that, my hair's kind of become my trademark so there's no reason to tamper with it. It's not like I'll get it to my waist, you know? Believe me, I wished it would go that long as a child & it never happened.

3. It wouldn't make me look older or "more mature"; I'd just look like I was trying to be Molly Ringwald in her famous 80s movies. People already take me seriously as it is because of my personality, intelligence, what have you. Uglifying myself would do me no favors in my business.

On thinking with your brain: I'm pretty sure there's a political agenda going on with this most recent news of Osama Bin Laden's demise. I just don't trust government with all the shadiness that has happened, the timing of this little factoid and certain elements that any thinking person can spot in a second.

First off, you've just taken away from those who say the US government is ineffective. You've also guaranteed Obama a second term where he was becoming pretty hated in more recent times. Oh, and you've taken some fire away from the Tea Party & those seeking rebellion, "changes", etc.

Second, I don't believe everything the media tells me. I make my own decisions based on what I see, hear, observe, etc. Some tabloid celebs would probably love dealing with me since I'll at least base my treatment of them on their behavior toward me & my industry colleagues, not walk in with pre-conceived notions based on "Star," The National Enquirer," etc. I also remember things.

Speaking of remembering things, a good way to conduct your own social experiments and truly make people humble is to do jobs where some people have an elitism about it. One such job is calling attorneys without mentioning you happen to be one. I'm doing that for a short-term day job for non-legal matters.

Just like with extra work, it's a bit of an "Undercover Boss" opportunity. Only this time, I can note who was an asshole & make damn sure no one I know deals with them or their firm if they would get any piece of the action. I also don't work underneath in the hierarchy; I'm on a parallel track in relation to other attorneys. I don't have to care what anyone in the legal field thinks of me & generally speaking, I don't. Honestly, I'm shocked when an attorney is nice to me with all the venom you hear about them & some of the experiences I've had.

Today, I had a foolish law partner hang up on me in the course of my work. What did I do in response?

Unlike with individual people on a set, most law firms have websites. Oh, and attorneys are usually easy enough to find online.

So I found this jerk's attorney profile, saved it and noted it as someone I'd never deal with. If the name comes up, you bet I'll be telling others. A guy who's a prick to me in that context would truly be an ass to clients & clearly doesn't have respect for those he doesn't deem "good enough" for it.

I'd bet a million dollars this guy wouldn't have dared try that if he knew about my position in the world, especially if he knew all the facts. Being in entertainment makes me as much a suck-up target to attorneys as working in law makes me a suck-up target to people outside the legal field. I accept this & know it's reality from personal experience.

It also doesn't help that I already have some low opinions of attorneys. Sorry, but I don't get warm fuzzy feelings if I hear someone's an attorney. Unless someone I know likes you, you have some creative talent (meaning you appreciate creativity in others), or you work in a "fun" area like mine, part of me will wonder if you're going to be another jerkwad.

One of these days, I'm going to have opportunities to show some of these folks up. I can't wait!!

Sunday, May 1, 2011

General Musings Part 20

Can't believe I'm at part 20 already. Okay then, sit back because there are a LOT of articles today.

First off, this author of this piece is a total tool. I saw nothing in here about improved public transit or any effort to increase it in light of $5 gas. As long as you've got oil lobbyists controlling government and getting tax breaks, there's nothing good about gas prices squeezing out poor people from mainstream society and turning the middle class into indentured servants.

Oh, and no one will have any money to shop locally when they can not get employment since all the jobs are located in areas where you have to drive & pay for $5 a gallon gasoline. These so-called "benefits" do us no good when the average person can't survive without becoming a beggar on the street.

Not to mention that it wouldn't change the existence of pedophiles, PC hysteria, helicopter parents, crime, etc. In fact, most people will still have to drive fuel inefficient cars because they will be less likely to have the money to upgrade to a car with higher gas mileage even if they want to.

So until you get the oil companies & interests out of government, invest in new technologies and put funding into public transit akin to that in Europe and Japan (which make NYC's subway system & Amtrak look prehistoric by comparison), stop being a pro-oil company profiteering cheerleader. It's unflattering, elitist and could get you lynched in some neighborhoods.

The lack of guaranteed efficient public transit improvement to all the boroughs (not just Manhattan) is also why I did not support the congestion pricing plan in NYC.

Seeing this makes me feel a little optimistic but the fact remains that entrepreneurs and small businesses are not being helped by this current government's regime. So many things need to be done to fix things, it's not funny but I'm sure people more knowledgeable than me can come up with the bulk of it.

One suggestion is not subjecting college students & grad students to non-discharegable loan debt that's as large as most home mortgages. There needs to be serious reform instead of making people debt slaves for the next 20+ years. If any of these politicians really valued education, they'd be pushing for that change & telling the banks to suck it. Maybe they'd think twice about who they gave student loan money to if this happened. Again, lobbyists & interests ruining everything.

But at least there is one instance of a government doing something right. Yeah, yeah, employers getting around it...blah blah blah. Thanks for saying something, though. Maybe it will make others follow suit, though I think the fines ought to be a lot higher (say $10,000 then $50,000 for subsequent offenses). That would get a point across. I don't notice small businesses doing this nearly as much as large, multi-million dollar corporations.

We also have an EEOC, employers. Read it, embrace it, love it. Because otherwise, it's just a matter of time before you get in trouble for violating it & I'd likely have zero sympathy.

Oh, but the BS! It continues!

Not sure if I've ranted about this particular interview question but employers, just give it up already. The "biggest weakness" question is nothing more than an attempt to learn how manipulative the applicant is & how good they are at reciting societal bullshit.

Seriously, if you're asking this question & expecting honesty, you're naive at best. You know you're not getting an honest answer to this one. If you get pissed by the "I work too hard" or "I'm a perfectionist" response, then you're an even bigger douchebag than you were when you asked the question.

If you want a lesson on shortcomings & how one improved, why not just ask about that? Hmmm...that would be HONEST.

That would get the answer you're looking for.

That would save everyone the time of this little pretense & mind game.

Why the hell would you ask an interview applicant that one?!? Shouldn't you be asking their references or past employers about it? I think they'd be a tad more objective & have records in front of them to support the answer, don't you?

And what about people with delusions of grandeur or who are sociopaths? You're just discriminating against them by asking them about their weaknesses since they don't believe they have any.

They should form a class action & file a lawsuit against any employer asking this one. Being a sociopath is a mental condition, you know & people do seek treatment for that stuff. I'd like to see this one as an ADA discrimination claim; that would put this asinine question in the grave once & for all. Hey, if we can have some of the bullshit that has become lawsuits, there's nothing to stop this one from being a viable legal claim if you have the right plaintiffs!

I also saw this career article on what not to wear to an interview. Here's the simple answer, at least as I see it: anything reflecting that you have a personality. No, no don't show a personality. Be a robot!

Thank God I take steps to vet potential employers & avoid interviews for any job where I'm expected to be a robot. I simply ask what I should wear to the interview so I'm not overly dressy or intimidating since female lawyers have enough problems without me playing to stereotypes of being frumpy and fashion clueless.

Oh, and this is one more thing that irks me about the education system. I'm pretty sure the high school children have heard far worse at home or speak even more graphically in the hallways. For all you know, some of these children are already sexually active & you're going to fine this teacher for "using curse words in front of kids?"

Gee, I'd swear this happened in Mississippi or even NC instead of Manhattan. In some circles in the South, cursing is tantamount to treason. Using the "f-word" is as bad as murdering someone. I'm surprised no one's been incarcerated down there for saying it on the public streets; they probably would be if we didn't have 1st Amendment lawsuits on it.

More asinine censorship:

* A man in the UK was arrested for singing the song "Kung Fu Fighting" because some Chinese man & his mother were offended. If you'd have been "offended" in America (particularly NYC or more vocal places in the South), you'd have been told off by the audience & if the singer saw you, you'd be told to get over yourself (actually, it might be "Fuck you" in NYC or Jersey). Now if this singer were telling the crowd to murder Chinese people, that's a different story.

But singing a song you don't like? I just wonder when some whiny PC obsessed jerkwad is going to try that in America.

If we started going down that route, we'd have no classic cinema, music or anything else because racism has been alive and well since those long before those mediums were born. Oh, and everyone's offended by something. Live your life trying to find something to be offended by & you'll certainly find it. I'm offended by people who do nothing but bitch about everything & make zero effort to do something about it. I'm also offended by these busybodies daring to tell me what I can or can't hear, watch, read, listen to, whatever by filing lawsuits to suppress what THEY don't like.

If you want to live in a bubble away from mainstream society, I suggest you form your own religious community like the Amish or particular Mormon sects (or move to an island where you'll be the only one there, whatever).

Otherwise, get the hell over yourself and shut up unless someone attacks you or your loved ones personally (and I mean a real attack not "pulling the race card" bullshit). Get some earplugs, change the channel & go on your merry way.

* Fox is apparently not showing this hurricane themed animation block tonight because of the recent storms in the South. Thankfully, none of that hit my family members.

You know something, though? Maybe some of the people in the South who lost things might have appreciated some humor in their lives. It might have made them laugh and feel a little better. Did you ever think of that? I think this is just yet another instance of asinine censorship garbage that's catering far too much to the PC crowd.

Have the people who made this call ever watched these shows? PC they aren't. Why worry about offending anyone now considering some of the jokes on Family Guy? Can't speak for The Cleveland Show or American Dad so much since I don't really watch them anymore (stopped after 1 season) but yeah, this is just stupid.

If you'd be offended by that or think "oh, it's in poor taste" then you have never watched Family Guy in the first place & likely wouldn't start watching it anyway.

* But here is much worse overly PC garbage. Apparently, you shouldn't call your dog or cat a "pet." Seriously, read this.

Yeah, my cat has never complained about being called a "pet." If anything, I think this encourages people to assign human qualities to their animals which is just as bad. A classic example of why this is bad is the show Fatal Attractions on Animal Planet. Stupid humans want to go around assigning human qualities and motivations to their dogs, cats, snakes, bears, chimps, tigers, etc. while ignoring the fact that you are dealing with a dog, cat, snake, bear, chimp, tiger, etc. They have instincts, drives and other characters that make up their species & will never be humans.

They don't want to go vegan, need to be entertained every 5 seconds, want to wear clothes, socialize with other animals (my cat, at least), or go to school to learn the alphabet. Treat the animal like its species: I love my cat dearly & let's face it, cats own you but I know he's a cat. I don't have to cook his meat or put him on a vegan diet. Cats are carnivores: vegan diets would hurt them. I'm not going to dress him up or walk him on a leash. You can bond with animals and mourn their loss as companions but stop trying to make them into furry humans! They don't want or appreciate it. My cat would be offended if I treated him like a human; he expects better than that.

My cat wouldn't give a damn if I called him my pet, critter, fuzzy beast, etc. As long as I feed him, let him snuggle on me, scratch his head & tell him what a good cat he is, he could care less what I refer to him as if I'm not directly talking to him. Yes, I've talked to every cat I've ever had & if you don't like it, piss off you animal hating jerkoff!

And he IS a fuzzy beast since he does kill things (which is one reason we love him). He's usually "Mr. Cat" or given deferential titles. I just think this article goes too far & encourages some other bad human behavior. Just makes you wish for a flaming stick to beat the offenders with.

Finally, I saw this article on supervised teen drinking. Personally, I think the drinking age should be lowered to 18 and we should have a more European attitude about the whole thing. This coming from the child of an alcoholic. I realize not everyone who drinks is an alcoholic & not all people who drink become fight picking jerks who put their fists into walls or throw things at people (yes, my father did do this stuff).

The reason I think that should happen is the high rate of binge drinking and the idea that if you ban something so hard, you make it that much more of a curiosity and alluring to the person who can't get it. How many stories are there about pastor's kids who are total hellions either as teens or once they get out from under their parents' roofs? I certainly rebelled some when I left home. It's probably why I dated in college and why I have different attitudes about sex than most of my family. If there isn't some balance in the home and some room to deal with kids rebelling, you're just going to have an out of control hellion on your hands sooner or later. So many people I knew who went to the religious private school I went to had their rebellious moments & many ended up in major life situations. If my mother had continued being as strict when I was a teenager, I'd have probably gotten a police record, become a teen mom, skipped school or God knows what else.

If that's not proof moderation is better than outright authoritarianism, I don't know what else you need. I think the drinking age should be 18 since if you can be drafted, go to college, etc. you can get alcohol from older friends anyway. Plus, tons of kids over 18 have opportunities to drink and it's foolish to think that they don't, especially if they're in college and living far away from home.

Otherwise, let's move the age of adulthood to 21.