Nichevo: Prevaricators, Provocatours & Heroes

Monday, December 04, 2006

Prevaricators, Provocatours & Heroes

Don't you just hate it when people lie to you? With some people, prevarication rises to an art form. Take for example the "Family Research Council" who has filed a friend of the court brief in the Maryland Court of Appeals Case same sex marriage case, Conaway v Deane. In their brief the FRC quotes outdated, unsupported and outlandish "studies", one of which is over 30 years old, to support the false presumption that LGBT people do not and can not live monogamously with only one partner. therefore they reason we should not be allowed to the person of our choice. A fully detailed article appears in the Box Turtle Bulletin. I just love the way these right wingnuts take falsehoods and spew hatred and bile about those whom they fear in the name of Christian Family Values. Why are they afraid of people who want only to love whom they want and want to seal that love with a lifetime commitment to each other?

But I digress, bigotry always gets my rant on. My reason for asking the question was to tell you about the company that I have been doing some contract work for. You work, you get paid, you work some more. Well so far it has been I work, I don't get paid, I work some more, I still don't get paid. The boss always has some "reason" to avoid paying me what he owes me. Lies about the potential income and claims he is the quickest pay in the business. Excuse me but I don't believe it and it certainly has not been proven true in my case. The promises I have received are about 100 times greater than any delivery upon them. This is the same company that I worked for just prior to my last job. I should have learned my lesson then. I worked my ass off and lost it along with everything else I owned at the time and ended up sleeping on Gal Pal's couch for six months before I could afford to move into a place of my own. Even after failing to pay me for the work I have already done, I was told that unless the world was ending, he expected me to be out there working making him money. JFCAD!!!!!!!!!

There, nothing like a pretty chest to relieve the tension of the moment. The bottom line is I did all that work for nothing, wasting time chasing a false promise when I could have spent the time looking for a job that would actually pay me. Sometimes I wonder how I can still believe in the inherent honesty and goodness of people. Fortunately, I do, but some days it is just so hard to do so.

As has been documented in earlier posts, Uncle Gerry is having difficulty making his ends meet. W dear sweet reader donated some money through my Pay Pal button (thank you!) and when I checked on line to see if it had arrived in my bank account. Indeed it had. So had a recurring membership charge (and resultant overdraft fee) that I had cancelled in October when I became unemployed. I canceled everything that would recur on a monthly basis as I knew that until such time as I once again had income, these "luxury" items would be unaffordable. I got confirmations of my cancellations from every one of them. I did not get charged for any of them in October, or November except for this one which magically appeared on the 30th. I went to the website and requested a refund as I had canceled my membership, but got no acknowledgement. Being duly provoked, I went to the bank to dispute the charge, and was told the investigation would take 7-10 days and then the money that had been taken would be returned to me. More provocation, Arrrrrgggggghhhhh!!!!!!!! So even with the generous donation, I am still $34 dollars overdrawn at the bank, which I could cover if I could get paid for the work I have already done. (need more eye candy, now!!)

Sorry (yeah, right) I needed a double shot right then. So I get a phone call from the guy with whom I have been contracting asking me to meet him at the office at 5. So I hop on the bus with my last $1.25 and ride out there, expecting perhaps a paycheck? Think again. He gives me $20 and says call me on Friday and I will be able to tell you if you have anything else coming. Are you going out to work tomorrow? JFCAD!!!!!!!! squared and cubed!!!!!!! Stick a fork in me, I am done. I said no, I need to go a different route, walked a mile to the little store to get change for the bus and come on home.

Luckily I had secured a telephone interview for a marketing position for this evening, which when it occurred went very well and I am scheduled for a second interview and possible hire on Friday. I feel pretty good about it as they told me to bring my hiring documents with me to the interview. While waiting for the phone call I open my email and find a really beautiful email from a reader that reaffirmed that what I provide to you guys here is well received and looked forward to. So even when the ship is sailing in the shoals, there are those out there with life lines ready to rescue you from suicidal depression and or homicidal mania (or both). Thank you dear readers for keeping me on a even keel even when I run aground. Sail on Sailor, you are my hero!

Bottom line and moral to the story, I;m still broke, rent is due, but there is still hope and love in the world. I still gotta believe that it is going to turn out all right in the end. This is just a test! I sure hope I pass! I sure want to get past the testing phase into the reward phase (and soon!)

Now it, as Kendall says, 'tis the season and as music has always played a major role in soothing my inner beast I present to you a video performance of The Carol of the Bells from Christmas 2002 by Brian Brink.