Monday, April 14, 2014

Wait... What?

So, I was browsing through some forums, and I happened to see a topic titled:  "[Idea] No clothes for people who work at minimum wage"

The original post states:

Are you okay with this change? Do you appreciate the fact that clothes should be for those who actually work real jobs? If clothes are no longer available to those who work at minimum wage, will this change your decision to work?

There has been much talk about clothes and how they should not be given to minimum wage employees anymore, and I would actually agree that they should not even be a possibility for those who work minimum wage. Nor should shoes for that matter.


Now let's break it down sentence by sentence.

Are you okay with this change?
The change of forcing people to walk around in the nude (the extreme version I jumped to at first) or in old clothes (I do this anyway, so... it isn't really a change?).  I assume the poster meant the "in the buff" option, since they specifically said "No clothes."  Okay, whatever, moving on.

Do you appreciate the fact that clothes should be for those who actually work real jobs?
Um... excuse me, bitch?  What do you mean "real" jobs.  A job is a job is a job.  Some are shittier than others, yes.  But does that not make it a "real" job?  Employees get paid as if they work a job.  They perform their duties like they're at a job.  I'm not comprehending what makes a difference between a "real" job and a minimum wage position.  Sure, a good job may require a college degree of some sort, years of working experience in that industry, etc.  But why should people working these "real" jobs be the only one deemed worthy to wear any clothing?  How would one get one of these "real" jobs if they were not allowed to have any?  Ugh, lets move on I guess...

If clothes are no longer available to those who work at minimum wage, will this change your decision to work?
So... now they're NOT working... Right.  Okay.  So, I work at a quick-lube (read:  I change oil in vehicles, all day every day, preferably in under 8 minutes).  I get paid slightly more than minimum wage ($0.75 over to be exact) so at the end of the week, I get paid somewhere around $30 more than a person on minimum wage would (assuming a 40 hour work week, before taxes).  But now I'm (or they're, since I technically don't qualify) not working.  I get some people have a holier-than-thou mindset for people in service jobs.  I didn't think it would be so easy to find, but I run into at least one person a week with this type of attitude.  But I assure you, it is work.  In my case, I have to get dirty, burnt, risk being run over, and risk slipping and breaking something on just about every vehicle that comes in for an oil change.  In the fast food industry, they must pump out food pretty quickly, risk being robbed / attacked by customers, and there are probably some injuries they could sustain in a high customer volume situation that I just can't think of at the moment.  Even at Wal-Mart, the employees have to worry about being robbed/attacked, having items fall on them, being run over in the parking lot, possibly even the store.  I think you see where I'm trying to go with this by now.

As far as changing my decision to work (I think I talked about the work thing already, right?)  My decision has never changed.  I'm still looking for a job somewhere that I can use my degree.  But either I don't have the required work experience in the industry (none), or I don't have what the employers are looking for skill-wise.  Of course, I'm working on this.  Trying to teach myself new programming languages, building on what I already know, working on some projects to show what I can do.  Moving on.


There has been much talk about clothes and how they should not be given to minimum wage employees anymore, and I would actually agree that they should not even be a possibility for those who work minimum wage. Nor should shoes for that matter.

Who has been talking about this?  When?  For how long?  Maybe I've just missed it, but this is the first I'm hearing of this.  I've even looked this up to see if I can find something somewhere about it.  But I've found nothing.  And as for taking away the shoes as well... really?  Now you're just being a sadist.

Oh well, I guess there wasn't much of a point to this, and maybe I took it too personally, but I just saw it and wanted to say something about it.  Are there other people who feel this way?  Anyway, until I have something else that I just have to rant about, see ya!

Thursday, January 9, 2014

2014 And Me

I don't normally do resolutions, in fact, this is the first time I'm really setting any.  Mostly because I'm young, and don't really plan things out that far ahead.  Don't get me wrong; I like to plan things out, and if something unexpected happens during those plans, it throws me off for the rest of my day (not in a crazy way, I just feel off balance, like the world is upside down... I'm not helping my case...)

Anyway, my list is looking something like:

1 - Get in better shape.

I'm not a complete uggo or anything, but I'm not completely happy with my body.  A bit of a gut, small moobs, a little bit of jiggle in my arms and ... you figure it out.

2 - Actually put my degree to use.

I work in the auto service industry (read:  change oil).  Which, don't get me wrong, is an okay job.  The people are great (mostly), and I'm pretty sure unless I screw up in a major, major way, I'm sure to stay there.  But I would like more.  I have a Bachelor's that says I learned how to code programs and web sites, but haven't put it to use because I had been waiting for a company to hire me.  But I'm realizing, I don't need to wait for some company to give me the opportunity, I can do it on my own, build a portfolio, and then let the companies fight over me (I can still dream).  Luckily, this one is already sort-of happening.

3 - Write

In 2012, I participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and actually finished the book.  Kind of.  The plot is there, the ending is there or in the works, and I have room to expand the story if I want.  But there are some things I'm not happy with.  My writing style, for one, seems choppy in some places, winded in others, and nonsensical everywhere else.  I also feel it's not descriptive enough.  I can see it in my mind, but I'm the writer, can other people view what I'm viewing?  Do other people even see landscapes and characters in their head like they're watching a movie when they read?  Plus, I would like to add some side-story there.  What fun is it if you see the objective, and run straight for it?  On top of finishing that (and possibly publishing?) I would like to do it again, most likely in a different universe.

4 - Learn another instrument

I played the clarinet from 6th grade up until the beginning of my 11th grade year.  And I was pretty good.  The best one in my class by a fair margin I believe, and some upperclassmen to boot.  I do still play it occasionally (Phantom of the Opera Theme is a favorite, we did a marching band show using that music my 10th grade year), I also have a violin I ordered with the intentions of  learning to play it... and then never did.  So I'm going to get around to that, roommate's hearing be damned.  (Unless someone wants to buy me a cheap electric one... no?)

5 - Be more assertive

I'm kind of a doormat.  I back down from confrontation all the time, telling myself they don't mean it, or they just need space, or they're having a bad day; but I would like to put and end to that.  I don't mean I plan on hulking out on anyone (one, that's uncalled for, and two, I don't have the muscle mass for that).  I mean, I have bad days.  Why should I be questioned or chided for my attitude when I have them when I say nothing to anyone else about theirs?  So, yeah, that.

6 - Read

I love to read.  Mostly fantasy series, but the occasional murder-mystery or retelling of an event.  But since I've started working, its hard to just sit down and read.  I try to do some reading before work, when I'm waiting for a manager to get there to open, but that's not a lot of time, and it can be hard to focus trying to watch for the manager's car, deal with people coming to ask when we open, why I don't open, etc. But I think there will be some exciting developments this year.  Maybe "Winds of Winter" will be released.  The last of the Mortal Instruments series is slated for release, although I'm not sure I'll pick it up... I've just finished Susan Ee's debut novel "Angelfall" and am in suspense to find out of my library can borrow the sequel from the only library in its system that has it.  And I'm assuming it's possible for her to release a third in the series by the end of the year...

So, there's my hopes for the new year (so far!).  Maybe putting them down on record somewhere will inspire me to do some, if not all of these things.

Here's to a brand new year, Random People of the Internet; may all your hopes, wishes, and dreams at the very least become attainable this year.