What's Wrong With The World Today? - Discrimination in the Workplace

     It's kind of sad to be writing about this topic now, while I am in the mist of applying for jobs ... Especially because I thought that women would have been able to break right on through that glass ceiling and climb the ladder of success without any problems ... But apparently I am dead wrong. Discrimination in the workplace against women is still a giant problem, and this past week, women (and people with qualms against their employers, in general) have been set back decades. AWESOME!

     Last week, the Supreme Court agreed with Walmart, stating that some 1.6 million women who were taking part in a discrimination lawsuit - who work at different stores, in different states, in different positions - could not sue under one class action. Each woman would need to file their own complaint against the company.

     I see the sense in that. The Supreme Court was really thinking hard. 

     "Go ahead and get yourself (and only yourself because you can't team up with any other women being discriminated against) the best lawyer your 7.50 an hour salary can buy! Oh, don't worry, you just have to face off against the best lawyers that the entire corporation of Walmart can buy. We don't see the problem there. It makes total sense."
     Despite the ruling, let's just hope that Walmart takes a hint and begins treating the women they hire (which make up more than half of their workforce) equal to the men they hire. Although, let's face it, with this roll-back that the Supreme Court laid out, it's unlikely.

      This is not the only case of discrimination against women in the workplace that we've seen this past week ... The other comes out of that lovely white-washed company of Abercrombie and Fitch.

     Hani Khan, a 20-year-old Muslim woman, in California is suing the A&F Co. for discrimination. She was hired at a San Mateo, CA Hollister store while wearing a hijab, a Muslim headscarf. When hired, the manager said it was okay for her to wear her hijab as long as it was in company colors but four months later, a district manager asked her to remove it while at work (in the stockroom, no less), and when she refused, she was suspended and then fired.
     According to the A&F Company site, the Hollister brand prides itself on the following:

Photo c/o http://www.abercrombie.com/anf/careers/brands.html

     I can almost smell the musky stench of their white lawyers trying to explain how their decision to let Khan go is absolutely in line with their “look policy.”
     Seriously, Abercrombie, you pride yourself on being an All-American brand? Well, there's nothing American about discriminating against someone because of their religion (or race), so get it together. How many times do you need to be sued to realize your "look policy" is a load of bull and a way for you to try and get around your shitty hiring policies?

     ... And that's what wrong with the world today ...

It's a sacrifice working day to day for a little money, just tips for pay, but it's worth it all to hear them say that they care. She works hard for the money. So hard for it, honey. She works hard for the money, so you better treat her right. (She Works Hard For The Money, Donna Summer)

Sidenote: If you believe you or someone you know has been discriminated against in the workplace, information is available at the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's site at http://www.eeoc.gov/.

And On The Next Day, He Tweeted

     Pope Benedict XVI tweeted his first twit (?) today saying "Dear Friends, I just launched news.va. Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ! With my prayers and blessings, Benedictus XVI" proving that time can be wasted in even the godliest of ways.

Photo c/o the Associated Press

     As an avid user and follower of all things social media ... I still can't wrap my head around Twitter. A consistent run-down of what the Pope is up to? No fun.
     Now if it was Moses or Noah or Mary*, that would be a different story. Can you imagine those updates?

     "Who wants to see a neat trick?!? Come on down to the waterfront tonight!"

     "Ark's coming along great but I misplaced my hammer. I don't feel like walking 5 miles to trade a cow for another. This may put this endeavor on hold for a bit."

     "Don't know how I'm going to explain this one. ::Insert appropriate emo lyrics here::"

     Seriously, having a Facebook and a YouTube account are enough for the Pope (or any religious figure) to inform all his followers on everything that is going on over at the Vatican and around the world ... condensing it into 130 characters isn't going to make it anymore helpful to anyone.

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops, what if your healing comes through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know you're near? What if trials of this life are your mercies in disguise? (Blessings, Laura Story)

* Peace Be Upon Them

Cancer Is No Laughing Matter ... This Billboard Is.

     What PR team was sitting around thinking "Hmmmm, colon cancer? Butt jokes? ... Totally a good idea. Don't think it will offend anyone."

     My favorite thing about these billboards are the pained and shocked expressions on the faces of the people featured. It's like they are being completely surprised by their colon cancer examinations ... No warning whatsoever.

     Basically, this campaign was being run in Washington State last month and was running fine until one district refused to allow to have their name attached to the campaign after citizens complained that it was in bad taste. 

     Personally, I think the people of Washington were being a little anal retentive about the butt jokes. I mean it is a campaign for colon cancer awareness. Can't they just turn their backs to it? 

     Oh, am I going overboard with them too? ... Damn, I can see how it's easy to take it and run with it (you think Pepto works for bad analogies?)

The way you shake it, I can't believe it, I ain't never seen an ass like that. The way you move it, you make my pee-pee go da-doing doing doing. (Ass Like That, Eminem)

You Know What They Say About Little Pants ...

They're for Little Men.

     But I guess poor Dominic didn't the message. 

     This girl is seriously my new hero. She had the guts to pick up the phone (sober or not) and call up Soooo Cute RYAN and tell him just how she felt about him, despite his obvious excuses used during their interaction to get away from her (indigestion? really? ... Come on, Ryan. You can do better than that!). I should take a page from Dominic's book and grow a pair. I can barely compile enough courage half the time to talk to my-world's Soooo Cute Ryan's ... Who cares if he posted her drunk ramblings on Youtube for over a million people to view? ... Better than wondering what would have been ten years from now, right? Maybe Ryan would be her one that got away (clearly he's not ... but still at least she knows). YOU GO, GIRL.

    I thoroughly enjoy her run-down of each of her jobs, along with the spellings of them. "J as in SHOOOOOT!" "I as in I." "U as in Eunice (or Unice)." Hahahaha. This girl is a hoot.

Take all of your wasted honor, every little past frustration. Take all your so-called problems, better put them in quotations. Say what you need to say, say what you need to say, say what you need to say, say what you need to say, say what you need to say, say what you need to say, say what you need to say, say what you need to say. (Say, John Mayer) 

This song is obnoxious. 

Samuel L. Jackson Tells One Bad Ass Bed Time Story

     I am 8 years older than my younger brother and I watched my parents try to put him to bed multiple times throughout his infancy and his terrible two's and feisty fours and his son-of-bleep sixes ... and my brother never enjoyed bedtime. By the time he was a year and a half old, he had learned how to un-latch his crib and climb out of it! My parents always thought I was taking him out every day and letting him crawl about the house unattended. NOPE. That little devil was escaping himself. Frickin' Tommy Pickles up in there.

     At some point during my brother's younger years, I also was enlisted in the nightly bedtime rituals ... and let me tell you, putting a child to bed is one of the worst things ever. It seriously makes you want to never have kids ever. When I substitute for the little ones, I see it also ... Nap times is the worst times!
     It's always something.
     "Can I get a drink?" ... "I need a different blanket." ... "I'm not comfortable." ... "There's something under the bed!"
     It's enough to make you want to throw a child out a window and scream, "GO THE F**K TO SLEEP."
     Well, parents and educators alike can rest assured that they can now do it under the guise of realistic parenting ... and bedtime stories.
     I commend writer Adam Mansbach for writing an absolute true book because how many people would just love to curse off their kids and tell them to get the F in their beds, but yet, they know they are not actually mad at their kids? This book lets them do just that.
     And, Samuel L. Jackson? Love his reading of it. So manly. So wonderful. So full of pent-up passion and rage ... that he didn't actually let out at his kids when they wouldn't sleep.

     This book is available on Amazon for $8.22 ... I am seriously considering buying it, just to make sure I have it for when my hypothetical children are born.

I'm having trouble sleeping. You're jumping in my bed. Twisting in my head. Leave me. (Trouble Sleeping, The Perishers)

What's Wrong With The World Today? - Baby Salons

**** I have decided since I come across so many insane stories each week, I am going to highlight one especially disturbing, upsetting, creepy (you get the idea) one each Thursday for your reading pleasure. Be sure to check back every Thursday for your dose of "What's Wrong With The World Today?" ***

     I actually came across this story TWO WHOLE WEEKS AGO but I'll admit it, I was a lazy blogger while I was overseas so I failed to report about it and I'm ashamed because it's something so upsetting to me that I should have done it immediately.

     There is a beauty salon in Essex, England called Trendy Monkeys that is offering makeovers, spray tans, facials, and other beauty treatments to girls (dare I say BABIES?) as young as ONE year old.

     The owner of the salon, Michelle Devine, a 28-year-old former lingerie model and mother of two, defends her business saying it will help girls "exude confidence, glamor, and the desire to look her best at all times, regardless of age."

     With young girls being consistently fed the media's images of "perfect" women, do we really need to have them being robbed of their childhood at the tender age of one? I mean they cannot walk out of their house (heck, some can't walk at one!) without seeing thousands of advertisements telling them how to be beautiful.

     Yes, I know kids play with that fake plastic make-up and stick-on jewelry when they are kids ... and, actually, my mom had my ears pierced when I was an infant (and, honestly, I think I'll do the same thing if I have baby girls) but SPRAY TANS! I've gotten one spray tan in my life ... and it was because I was told I was a little too white to be in a wedding party (scratch that, I'd look better if I was a little darker ... see what I mean about these image issues!) And I don't think I was allowed to wear make-up regularly until I was maybe 13.

     Seriously, WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE WORLD TODAY? What is wrong with these parents? I think these mothers have some hidden image issues of their own that they are trying to deal with through their children ... Just like those crazies on "Toddlers and Tiaras." I mean just look at those outfits those children wear! My mother would slap the hoochie out of me if I tried to walk out the house in half those pageant outfits and I am six-times most of their ages. It's just so sad. Plus these children are just rude, rude, RUDE. Their parents should spend some more time teaching them some manners, and less time teaching them to catwalk.

     Someone needs to give Ms. Devine a slap of reality and let her know that her Trendy Monkey salon is not helping any of these girls. It's not helping them gain confidence in themselves. It's setting them up for a lifetime of body image issues, and problems with self-worth. We need to let these kids be kids because it's only a matter of time before they are forced into an adult world where they HAVE to deal with the media's portrayal of women and deal with the feelings that come along with that.

She loves her mama's lemonade and hates the sounds that goodbyes make. She prays one day she'll find someone to need her. She swears that there's no difference between the lies and compliments; it's all the same if everybody leaves her. And every magazine tells her she's not good enough, the pictures that she sees make her cry. She would change everything, everything, just ask her - caught in the in-between of beautiful disaster. (Beautiful Disaster, Jon McLaughlin)

PS. See this Documentary: "America The Beautiful" ... It is basically a look at the media and why we are so obsessed with beauty in this country. Best quote of the whole thing ... One model says, "If you're going to worry about your health [in this business], go to college." Oh, and you'll definitely love the one dude who opens the trailer ... He's a winner! Thanks to the Roomie for introducing me to it.

Bronies? Like Women Don't Have Enough To Worry About.

     This is something that I heard about this morning over breakfast with the old Roomie ... and was seriously thrown aback. I warn you, what you read may disturb even the strongest of readers ...
     There is a exponentially growing number of men who call themselves "Bronies" ... Bro fanatics of, wait for it, "My Little Pony." Yep, the flamboyantly colored Ponies who ran about Dream Valley with Megan causing trouble and, of course, learning lessons!

    

     Now, seriously, like I don't have enough to worry about here with dudes looking better than me with their manicured hands and their pedicured feet, and don't even get me started on their perfectly shaped eyebrows, now I need to worry about them schooling me on old-school "girl" cartoons?! Seriously?! Come on, guys! Stick to "G.I. Joe."

     And if you want a guilty pleasure (and, I hate to say it, but probably be consistently single), stick to the old-school ways of doing it ... And play your role-playing games of D&D and LOTR. That's at least a little more manly (and a whole lot less creepy than middle-aged men who watch hours of MLP and re-draw them and have message boards about them) ... Okay, yes, I am being totally judge-y here ... But seriously.

    I really have nothing else to say.

Walk like man, talk like a man. Walk like a man, son. No woman's worth crawlin' on the Earth, so walk like a man, my son. (Walk Like A Man, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons)

BTR Goes BSB, I Go WTF.

     Some people have their guilty pleasure music that they only listen to in the privacy of their own room, or through their ear buds on very low volumes ... and would never admit to anyone that they rock out hard-core to ... You know, "musicians/bands" like Justin Bieber, REO Speedwagon, Lindsay LOHANNNNN, etc. but I have no problem admitting that I rock out to all of the above and many more ... including, but not limited to, Avril Lavigne, Aqua, Air Supply, and David Hasselhoff.

     I am also an extremely big fan of anyone who sings before/during/after a career on the Disney Channel or on Nickelodeon such as Hilary Duff, Selena Gomez, Ashley Tisdale, Drake Bell, Demi Lovato, and the Jonas Brothers. My newest obsession has been Big Time Rush. A boy band with four cute 20-something year-old, funny dudes who wreak mayhem wherever they go (on their show) ... I think YES.
     Their first official single "Boyfriend" with Snoop Dogg (yeah, I don't know) was awesome ... But then this video for "Worldwide" was released and I was appalled and slightly offended.

     Anyone following my blog knows I am on a crazed BSB high right now because I met Howie and Brian exactly a week ago today, but even if it that didn't happen, even if Backstreet wasn't proverbially back, anyone born pre-1990 should recognize a slight (and by slight, I mean EXTREME) similarity between that video and a video from BSB. Anyone remember a little ditty called "I Want It That Way?"

     Four attractive men (and one man-boy ... sorry Nick, you were still pre-20-s --- Can you believe that was 1999?!?!) in a band dressed in white dancing in an airport terminal singing a song about a chick? As opposed to four attractive boys in a band dressed in white dancing in an airport terminal singing a song about a chick? The difference??? ... Oh yeah, in the end BSB has their own plane and a shit-load of screaming fans ... and BTR doesn't have the girl. 

     Oh well, BSB wins in the end, even if BTR stole half the premise for the video. Props to BSB, once again.

Invitation only, grand farewells. Crash the best one of the best ones. Clear liquor and cloudy-eyed, too early to say good-night. You have stolen my heart. You have stolen my heart. (Stolen, Dashboard Confessional)

15 Years ... And A Bra ... Later (Dreams Really Do Come True)

     If my 24-year-old self went back and told my 9-year-old self that she would meet Howie D. and Brian Littrell (after seeing an awesome Yankees win) on Sunday night, she probably would have broke down and cried like a child and told you not to lie to her about such important/life-or-death matters.

     And if you showed her photographic proof, such as this ... She'd probably piss herself and cry.

Howie D. and ME!, 6/12/11, Izod Center

     Well, 9-year-old self, it's true ... here's the proof, so go ahead and piss yourself.

Brian Littrell, 6/12/11, Izod Center

     So, Sunday night I was getting ready to get dropped off at the NKOTBSB concert when L looked out the window and said "Is that Howie?" and I looked out the window and proceeded to lose all control of my motor skills ... and turn to my purse and search for a pen or pencil or any writing utensil while yelling "I NEED SOMETHING TO SIGN! OH MY GOD. THAT'S HOWIE. I NEED SOMETHING TO SIGN." ... Well, the only thing I found was my Yankees ticket, so I pulled that out of my purse and then tried to get out of the car, but apparently seeing one of your pre-pubescent loves means losing the ability to open a car door. I was incapable of getting out of the car. My hands were shaking, my heart was beating, and my brain was screaming, "I WILL CUT A BITCH IF I NEED TO IN ORDER TO GET AN AUTOGRAPH." I was climbing the walls with excitement.

     So, I get out the car and get in line, and by get in line I mean I cut off a whole bunch of other women who are clearly there to see New Kids because they are like 35 years old, and hold my ground because this is soooooo happening. I have waited more than half my life for this moment. And then it happens ... That one in a million moment ... Howie asks if he can take pics with anyone in groups and I say, "HOWIE! Me and her. ME AND HER!" and he was all "Okay, cool." and I was all, "OMG!" in my head ... because I am wayyyyy to old to you know scream and faint and cry over touching him ... which is sooooo what I wanted to do. He was the sweetest guy ever. I was absolutely helpless when he smiled. and now I think I see him every time I close my eyes.

      And, on top of this sheer bit of luck with Howie, some crazy lady next to L and I had a broken ankle and Brian, who wasn't even planning on really coming over to anyone, saw her and yelled over "HEY! What happened to your ankle?!" Then he came over and saw her smoking and said, "Were you smoking and you just fell over and were all ..."

He seriously was the nicest, most down to Earth guy ever and so much fun. He was jumping around and fooling around but boys will be boys and he seriously is just one grown-up boy.

     I wish Nick and AJ came over to us but I mean I was 20 feet from them and I can't really complain considering this all really happened by accident. I wouldn't have it any other way. (OK, if I really had it my way, Nick would fall madly in love with me and say he was incomplete without me in his life and then sweep me away on his tour bus for the rest of eternity ... But that's just celebrity crush fantasy world ... Plus he went all manorexic on us and he looks all skeletor ... Like AJ is bigger than him ... What's up with that!?)

Nick Carter and AJ McLean, 6/12/11, Izod Center

     Anyway, the concert was amazing, in general ... More on that in the next blog entry because I am too tired to even think about the awesomeness of the overall concert, especially with the addition of New Kids ("Cover Girl," anyone!)

     

    PS. Mad props to anyone who comments with all the BSB references used throughout this entry (hint:  there are nine.)

If you really want it good girl, get yourself a bad boy. Get it like it could be, would be, yeah like it should be. If you want it to be good girl, get yourself a bad boy. [If You Want It To Be Good Girl (Get Yourself A Bad Boy) - Backstreet Boys]

Racists At Walmart

     So I decided to head to Walmart today to do a little shopping ... Normal enough, right? Didn't think anything of it ... Until I sent a nice little "F-U" one woman's way, which is not something I would normally do ... Yes, I would totally think about it or say it under my breath, but never look directly at someone and say it. Nope, not me at all.

     Rewind: Right beforehand I was at Walmart, I needed to go to a family friend's house for a small get together and I was in traditional clothing ... and looking pretty damn good if I say so myself, and I was in no mood to change out of them. Why should I? I wear them all them time ... To Walmart, to the grocery store, walking around the city or whatever ... the point is I wear them all over the place so I was not going to change my clothes to run into Walmart for a minute and a half.

     Fast Forward: I get out of my car and am heading to the store, when I start approaching this car, and I see this 40-some-odd woman looking at me. She turns to her mother, or whoever, and has her look at me. The moment I pass by, I hear "We don't have enough white people in this country already, and then the one's we do have, have to go and dress like that." Excuse me. I wanted to be like, "BITCH, YOU DON'T KNOW MY LIFE!" ... Instead, I calmly turned around, looked her dead in the eye, and said a nice little "F**k you," barely audible, but she knew what I said, then I turned around and walked away.

     I am appalled that people like that exist in this world. I mean, one, she's so stupid that she couldn't even come up with an insult that made sense. I can think of 100 better ones to have thrown my way. And, two, haven't we grown enough as a society to accept those around us? And even if we can't accept people, can't people simply tolerate others and not spew garbage from their  mouths? All I wanted to do was go to Walmart, buy my Yankees t-shirt (yep, Baseball ... it's America's game!), and leave ... Nothing else ... But, no, I had to lower myself and curse someone out. Sad times.

... And although there's pain in my chest, I still wish you the best with a "Fuck you!" ... (Fuck You, Cee Lo Green)

Opposite Oppression

     So, the Iranian women's soccer team's aspiration to compete in the 2012 Olympics have been shattered because they have been told that their uniforms, which include a full tracksuit and a head covering, break Fifa's rules.

Photo c/o the Guardian

     Hmmmm ... I have a question.
     Why are Muslim women who cover themselves often told by the media, and bloggers, and Youtubers that they are oppressed and that they need to integrate themselves into "normal" society, and then when they want to go and represent their country and simply play a game of soccer, a very social sport, that they can't because their uniform goes against a rule that says "players and officials shall not display political, religious, commercial or personal messages or slogans in any language or form in their playing or team kits" (read the whole story here).
    Sounds like a form of backwards oppression to me.
    All right ... personally, I can somewhat understand the rule ... The point of the the Olympics is for the athletes to represent their countries and nothing more. But I do not think that the women covering their heads is them displaying a religious message. It is them practicing their religion. And, yes, that said, it can sound like a slippery slope, but there is a difference there. They are not telling people to convert or that Islam is the religion they should be following ... It is simply them following their religion (or, let's be honest, the laws of their country).
     Can't Fifa just give these women the right to play a game they have been practicing their whole lives to participate in? Aren't people always going on about Muslim women's rights, anyway?
     And if those are the rules for the soccer players, are similar ones going to spill over into the other sports too? For example, what are they going to do about the women's swimming teams from Muslim countries? I have a faint recollection of a few countries who competed in the swimming competitions in full head-to-toe gear in the past. Burkini's, anyone?

I just wanna be myself and I want you to love me for who I am. I just wanna be myself and I want you to know, I am my hair. I've had enough. This is my prayer, that I'll die livin' just as free as my hair. I've had enough. This is my prayer, that I'll die livin' just as free as my hair. I've had enough, I'm not a freak. I just keep fightin' to stay cool on these streets. I've had enough, enough, enough. And this is my prayer, I swear, I'm as free as my hair! (Hair, Lady Gaga)

RIP FastPass.

     Attention All FastPassTV Users ... In case you have not used FPTV in the past few days, FastPass is no more. Yep, you read that right. It is dunzo, because one of the site's "alleged" operator's had to go and get himself arrested in Ireland a few days back (although he wasn't technically doing anything illegal).

     Read the story here.    

     UGHHHHHH ... What am I going to do without FastPassTV to pass the time?! ... Actually watch TV!? Like on the set!? That's just crazy talk. That means I actually need to set aside the time to watch my shows. This sucks.
     I have been using that site to stream everything from "Glee" to "Supernatural" to "White Collar" ... Heck, what am I saying. I stream every single show I watch on that site. I don't watch a single show on the television. The only time I watch the television is when I sit down and randomly flip through the channels ... It's never to watch my actual shows.
     UGHHHHHH ... And, you know what else! I stream my movies on there too. Now I need to find somewhere else to stream my movies. Or, even worse, GO TO THE THEATRE! That's just horrible. I feel like someone has just slapped me across the face or pulled my hair out strand by strand.
     If anyone has any clues, where I can start streaming my shows and movies for free, feel free to comment. I'd appreciate it because I am dying here. I need my "Dexter" fix. I am soooo behind.

If I could hear your voice just one more time, maybe I'd be fine, but I guess I won't because it's too late now and I guess you're gone because it's too late now and the pain I feel is all I can take. (How To Survive A Broken Heart, Ben Lee)

An Apple A Day Brings The Doctor To Play

What would you do for an iPad 2?

Hmmmmmm ... 

Let's see, I might sell ....

My clothes, my shoes, my old electronics ...

Hey, if it came down to it, some people might sell their bodies ...

But, not in a million years would I sell my body PARTS.

But that's just what one kid in China did.

******

     Now, I understand that in order to survive you only need one kidney but how on Earth did this kid make the decision, or even originally get the idea, to sell his kidney for the money? Was he just sitting around one day, googling "how to make quick cash" and this broker just popped up in some random Chinese chat room and offered him around 3 grand for his kidney and he thought it was a good idea? 

     And then, after that initial offer, when the dim light bulb above this kid's head lit up and he travelled to the hospital, what idiot surgeon in the hospital that apparently is "not authorised to perform organ transplants" actually removed his kidney, anyway? Are they just knife happy in China? I'm sure that Doc was getting something out of that sweet kidney-deal.

     Maybe he regrets his decision to sell his organ on the black market now but he's got a few things out of this craziness besides a criminal investigation (it's ongoing at the moment because the broker's cell has been off) ... 

1) He's got a sweet scar to show off ... 

2) He's got the iPad 2 so he can surf the web on the go and find out the going rate for his other organs in case he's ever in a bind and needs some quick cash.

3) He's got an iPhone (yep, he bought one of those too with the money he got for his kidney) in order to call any brokers, if he decides to sell any other organs.

You can't always get what you want. You can't always get what you want. You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you might find you get what you need. (You Can't Always Get What You Want, The Rolling Stones)