Notice Anyway

That sound?
Is it head through the windchill
Or is it broken glass?

Who'd notice anyway?

Fall down
Like feathers molting from a windmill
Even gravity don't last

Who would notice anyway?
Can't pay a price
Can't stay and fight
Can barely stay alive
Who would notice anyway?

Good Help Is Hard To Find, But Irony Isn't

Today I read about how Toyota scrapped plans to build a giant-ass plant in Alabama, despite very generous financial incentives (at taxpayer expense).
Where did they move it? Ontario.
Professed deciding factor: the low-quality of the local work force. Apparently, some are functionally illiterate and require "pictorial" training. Partly true, I'm sure. The South has it's share of hillbilly shack-dwellers and possum-ranchers, but there's more than enough smart folks to staff a car factory or two. Or dozen.

Paul Krugman points out that Toyota stands to save huge amounts of money by opening a plant in a country with national healh-care, which is every developed nation except the USA. Maybe if we had better education and health-care, we'd have better workers. Fuck it. Let's just hand-out some tax-cuts and subsidies to the already wealthy instead. The poor are poor by choice. Ask any rich bastard.

This evening I've seen two commercials for Toyota, claiming they are "growing the American landscape" or some such rot. Canada is America, in a geographical sense, I suppose...

Meanwhile, over in Iraq, the Iraqi army and police have proven to be less than useless. You don't want to anywhere near these guys. They get blown up at an alarming rate. It's very difficult to find competent recruits . Why?
Iraq had it's army destroyed during the first Gulf War- the scraps and remnants left over weren't worth a damn; a moot point since we disbanded them anyway (oops)
So now we're recruiting from the dregs and the desperate. At best, they are desperate men, who , after two years of chaos , blood-shed and deprivation will do anything for a dinar or two.
At worst , they are thugs and infiltrators.

If you can't find good help in Alabama, how can you expect to find it in the ruins of Iraq?

Unsolicited Advice, Unrequited Longings and Threats

My blog-pal Susanne touched a nerve in a recent comment. She's right: well-meaning folks will often advise you to "find a job doing something that you love", as if the thought had never occurred to you. These are the same people who say, "drink lots of fluids and get some rest" if you have a cold. Never mention car problems to these folks.

The problem with getting paid a living wage doing something you love is that it's nearly impossible to do. For instance, I love working at the station, but it's a volunteer thing. I checked around the local commercial stations, and they are only hiring for advertising sales. Yech. NPR/PBS have no openings at all.
Every blue moon or so, I get paid to record a band-but the work is very sporadic, as most bands are below poverty.
I love writing, but lack the funds to self-publish. I did just get a book called The Writer's Handbook, which has tips on submitting manuscripts and proposals. I should give that a shot.

I wish I had a deep passion for paperwork and data entry.

Sigh. I wish this. I want that.

Something is missing. I used to think that romantic love would ease this feeling, and I may still be correct in this belief, but I'm beginning to suspect I'll never know. The only women I seem to attract are either married/engaged etc. and don't have time to waste on quaint and charming things like courtship, romance and honesty ; or they're crazier than me. Often both.
Did I mention I asked Church Girl from the last job if she'd like to go out? Well, I did, and it was a mistake. Turns out she is Born Again, which is my least favorite type of Christian. How can someone follow Jesus' teachings and be intolerant of almost everything? Jesus would shit flaming halos if He saw what people were doing in His name. Really. I mean, the uber-zealots consider Eric Rudolph a hero/saint/martyr . I'm not a biblical scholar, but I am a sinful gambler, and I'd wager $5,000 that Jesus never advocated the assassination of doctors. (or anyone else)

So now China is threatening us with nuclear war? That makes less sense than a solar-powered flashlight. All the Chinese have to do is call in their U.S.A. I.O.Us and our economy will sink like Atlantis. They know it and we know it.
We also have GOP idiots threatening to nuke Mecca in retaliation for any catastrophic WMD attack on U.S soil. Our good buddies the Saudis most love that comment.
What if there is an attack and we nuke Mecca, only to learn that it was a Tim McVeigh/David Koresh type responsible?
World War 3 for no reason. Our armed forces are in no condition to fight that war.

Our world is run by evil lunatics.

The New Job

How's the new job going, you ask.
Don't ask me. Ask the person they gave it to.

I don't understand- I've always been able to tell immediately after the interview if I've got the job or not. Almost always, that is. Guess I'll keep looking. I hate modern job -hunting. Sending an email resume reminds me of the old message -in-bottle communication technology.

Here's an idea I'm considering: Taking out an ad on some Adult sites that simply reads:
Tiny Feet/Small Dolls-Direct From Asia
2hr. video $29.95
6 hour DVD $39.95
100+ picture CD $19.95
SHIPPED IN PLAIN PACKAGE
--
The actual product would consist of vids/pics of the tiny feet clipped off of various toy soldiers, small dolls, action figures etc . Just the feet, resting on a tabletop doing nothing. For hours.

What are the pervs gonna do? Sue me? What'll they tell the Judge? That they got burned because they were expecting kiddie-porn and got pictures of tiny toy feet instead? Doubt it.
I could probably even sell the names and info on the suckered scumbags to the FBI. I dislike the FBI, but I hate child-molesters a lot more.

Ok, that's a bit far-fetched and dangerous.
Speaking of the Feebs:

Wedensday we had Kent Willis, executive director of the VA. ACLU in for an interview, and he informed us that the FBI is expending considerable time and resources monitoring groups like the ACLU, GreenPeace, Planned Parenthood and Community Radio stations. How this scrutiny is protecting our freedom and making our ports and railways safer is unclear.

More stupid shit: There's a new bill in Congress that toughens the penalties for mass transit terror attacks, making the death penalty an option in such cases. The threat of execution seems a bit weak when used against suicide bombers. So NYC has started random searches of citizens carrying bags, purses, knapsacks and such . Citizens are advised to scan for such suspicious behavior as clenched fists ( may be holding a detonator) and shifty , nervous eye movement and inspection of carry-on items.
This describes an awful lot of subway travellers, mostly novices and tourists getting hit up for "charity" bracelets or keeping a fearful eye out for purse-snatchers.
Next , they'll start singling out those who seem detached and aloof, which is nearly every experienced subway traveller.
---
Then there's Rove . The Supremes. The downward spiral of Iraq and Afghanistan into chaos, the blatant attempts of the Chinese to increase their stranglehold on our economy while they build up to war with Taiwan and the steadfast refusal of the Party -in-Power to do anything in America's best interest.
Anything at all.

Good-Bye To All That

Today was my last day at the Bank. I didn't really have any work to do, so I was able to kick back and observe the human dynamic of this money-hive. I wound up talking to some of the workers I'd not really met and having good conversations with my work-pals.
I had some minor revelations while doing so.

1) By consensus, all the Bank temps feel dehumanized and alienated, though they didn't phrase it like that. For example: Red-Head Office Babe tells me that she was waiting to ask Boss a question and noticed he was on phone with the Temp Agency Witch . They were talking about R.H.O.B.! Boss pulled up an attendance sheet and told TAW that Babe was always on time and was satisfactory. Gee, thanks.
Babe was pissed. Boss didn't even know her name or who she was-she was standing right there.

2) The permanent employees are consumed by their drudgery to the point that it's all they really know about. That doesn't make them bad people, in fact I see some of them as victims- they've had their natural creativity drained by over-exposure to Corporate Propaganda and Pressure, always urging them to ACHIEVE! - EFFECENCY! (sic) or double-speak BS : A Great Yesterday, A Better Tomorrow. The latter slogan is my personal fave , as it allows for the very real possibility that today sucks. Tomorrow will probably be worse than today, making yesterday seem great by comparison and leaving one longing for tomorrow , which surely must be better. I mean , how could it possibly get worse?

Find out tomorrow.

Perhaps I acted rashly by quitting without having an official new job, but I'm very optimistic about the VCU job. I've saved enough to coast for a while if it falls through. I'm resourceful enough to get by. My Twin once remarked that I had an uncanny ability "pull money out of [my] ass." ( He might be moving to NYC soon, which would be great-I'd miss Chicago visits, but NY would be a lot closer)

The important thing was for me to get away from the damncube world before it's too late. I feel better already.

Sweatshop

It's hot as hell at work. The air-conditioning and ventilation system conked. It's a stuffy and humid 89 Fahrenheit on the 3rd floor . It's even hotter by the window cube that I just got kicked out of.
The ice machine in the break room also died.
The water fountains are room temp.

The bosses go to Wal-Mart and buy bottled water and ice. We line up like refugees, all sweaty and disheveled, broken in spirit by our work, broken in body by the heat.

Then the Bank network crashes. It's a national issue.

Tomorrow is my last day.

Goon From Automation

I had this great job interview today. I aced my PC test- 100%! I really liked the people that I met. Progressive , educated creative types and really cool offices -(rugs, tapestries and Star Wars toys as opposed to damncubes, corporate propaganda posters and Star Wars toys)

I got back to my soon-to-be former job at the bank and started finishing up on my last few contracts. I had sent one email when the Goon From Automation showed up.

"Log off and shut down."

" I'm in the middle of something. Can I have ten minutes?"

"NO"

They moved me to a new damncube. It wasn't just me-they re-arranged the entire floor. I twiddled for two hours while they did this . I ate crackers for a while, but that got boring. I went outside, but it was 99 degrees. So I went home and stayed there. Without a phone or computer there is nothing I can do.Two more days.

Factoid: I get to clean out my desk twice within three days- different desks at the same job.

Tomorrow, I'll bring a book.

Looking Up!

I gave my weeks notice at work today. Then I took an hour and a half for lunch. When I got back Boss told me not to take on any new loans, since I'd never get them closed before Friday. Whoo! No New Loans!
My mood is elevated.

Time to find a real job.
Actually, I already did.
It's admin asst. at VCU's Theatre Dept. Liz from the station gave me the hook-up. She said the woman I'd be working for is very cool. I sent my resume Sunday and got a call back the next day.

The woman I talk to is funny as hell- she says," I see here in your cover letter that you are deeply unhappy at your current job at Bank of Generica."

" I shouldn't have written that. I should have said I was miserable. "

She laughs and tells me ," I hate that goddamn bank!"

"So do I."

Then she tells me a long tale of Banking Horror, with BoG as the villian. She's right. That Bank fucks up everything. You'd be better off putting your money in a jar and burying it in the backyard.

This is a really cool pre-interview. She wants to do a quick hire, so my interview/skills test is tomorrow. They need to fill it by the 23rd. She's heard nothing but good things from my fellow volunteers at the radio station. These things all work in my favor. Who says volunteering doesn't pay?
Not me.

Possum Envy

If you like ugly possums, move to Virginia.
I had to work yesterday and saw that the groundskeepers had set out the 'live-capture' possum traps-I guess they only do this on weekends so that the 'regular' employees don't have to see desperate possums in wire cages.
There's one right next to the main door. It's a rather inelegant creature, all scrappy fur , nasty teeth and hideous pinkish-grey tail. Ugh.
But I decide to free it anyway. I hope that it doesn't attack. Do possums attack? Let's find out.
Hmmm...
They don't attack. Not this one, anyway. It's dead. I wonder if Bank of Generica poisoned it. It wouldn't suprise me if they did.

I'm incensed. I'm outraged and envious. I live in Possum Hell. Everyone else has cute possums.

This Aussie possum has that whole 'eyes and ears bigger than the skull' cute thing going. It's a marsupial prototype for Manga-Critters.
 

And the UK?

Chicks dig British possums. It must be the accent. Really though, isn't that a cute little bugger?









Even Mississipi possums fare better than their Virginian kin.





Perhaps not as cute as the UK possum, but they play some mean Blues guitar.


How 'bout Holland?

Dutch possums are so cuddly that most people call them "bunnie-wunnies".

Lovable animals, no? No. Not in my neighborhood. 'Round these parts we get this:

Nice try with the garlands, pal, but you are still a Virginia possum drinking human blood from a cheesy skull mug. And what's the deal with the fur? Are you in a state of constant electrocution or what?

Local possum babies? Surely they must be adorable. All baby critters are precious.
Not so, apparently.

This pitiful bastard took one look in a mirror and died of ugly.

Not only is the Virginia possum visually disturbing, but it also has disgusting habits.

Put out a possum-bowl of food that's half Cheetos and half cigarette butts. They'll eat it all.

They breed in dumpsters.

During possum mating season I will not allow my cats to leave the house.

I'm not asking for much, but could Santa please send Virginia some pleasant possums?

Save the Butterfly

Not Save the Butteflies
just save this one from itself
as it attacks a window that cannot open
remind it that empty air
is the barrier that remains
after the glass is gone.