Do I Have A Case?

Okay, so many of you know from recent posts that I have put in my 2-week notice and we are getting everything ready for the move coming this Sunday.

A scary leap, to be sure, but one that we decided was for the best overall.  Keeping the current economy and, by extension, the utter lack of viable jobs available, we really had to pick between the lesser of two evils…

1. Continue working for a man who refuses to pay me on time – sometimes up to a week or more past scheduled pay days.  Who also screams at the top of his lungs in rage fits about things that have absolutely nothing to do with work.  Who also both calls me, other employees and all the tenants horrible names (fag, the n-word, pigs, etc.).
2. Get out of this stress-filled hostile environment and trade it for the stress of finding and gaining employment anywhere else, hopefully soon.

It’s a pretty icky choice no matter which way we turn.  And I’ve had a lot of people tell me I’m insane to leave even a late-paying hostile job in these hard times.  Ordinarily I would wholeheartedly agree with that, however there is also the fact that I want to get Seth and I out of both this hostility as well as this horrid neighborhood where we aren’t even safe walking down the street to the store or taking a walk anywhere.  Seriously, there is rarely a night we don’t hear gunshots and see helicopters circling around overhead.

Besides, I think I might have a pretty strong case of discrimination and/or harassment against this man for the whole “fag” incident.  I hear that California law really frowns on that sort of stuff.  Not to mention the labor laws here that say that for every day your employer is late in paying you beyond your scheduled pay date, it’s an extra $100 per day they have to pay you.  This last pay period I was supposed to be paid on the 1st (I am salary and my pay dates are the 1st & 15th of each month, according to my contract) and he held on to my check until the 6th.  He does this every time.

Ever since he found out that I became aware of the “fag” comment and subsequently submitted my 2-week notice, he was doing everything he could to make me change my mind.  Even going so far as to have his accountant (who actually used the f-word about me to him and he didn’t even so much as reprimand her for it) try to convince me not to quit.

I think he knows how serious this situation really is and how potentially damaging to him it could be.  So he thinks if I change my mind (which will never happen) and stay, then the heat is off of him.

Whatever the outcome, I just want to get us the hell out of here and on a fresh track.  We had a very hard time getting on our feet when we moved here last year, so at least we know what to expect this time.  And we are ready for that.  Like I told Seth, I will get a job picking up dog poop in the park if I have to.  I have never shied away from work and refuse to pass up any occupational opportunity.

But what do you think?

Do I have a case?

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Gone Too Soon

We loved him…We Believed him…We will miss him…

Thank you, Usher…

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Celebrate Our Independence

In keeping with the current posting theme of late, and considering we will soon be free of the tyrant (my boss), we are looking forward to celebrating our independence tomorrow.

Everyone have a safe and happy 4th of July.

P.S.  I LOVE this picture.  Kinda tells you how UN-concerned parents were with their childrens’ safety back then, huh?

“Here ya go, hun…you hold these together and Daddykins will light them for you.  Don’t wanna burn yourself on those hot matches.  Now hold them tight and don’t move your head or your picture will come out all blurry.”

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2-Week Notice

This morning, my employer will walk into the office and find a letter from me informing him that I am putting in my two-week notice.

Yeah, that’s a pretty heavy thing to do, I know.  Not to mention scary and risky in these uncertain economic times.

Trust me when I say that Seth and I have talked long and hard about this and have weighed out all the options from all angles.  We have debated the pro’s & con’s over and over until we were blue in the face.

And we’ve decided it’s time to get away from this place.  You can read the straw that broke the camel’s back below, then tell me how stupid we are:

07/01/2009

To: NAME REDACTED
Re: 2-Week Notice

Dear Sir:

This letter is to serve as my 2-week notice of intent to terminate my employment here at Villa Hermosa.  My last day will be Wednesday, July 15, 2009.

While I loved working here and feel that I learned quite a lot in a relatively short time, I feel for the past month or so that there has been too much dishonesty and tension from you and your accountant in this office.  Another reason is the fact that you refuse to ever pay me on time, sometimes making me wait weeks after every payday to be paid.  Today I found out (from your accountant Renae) that your accountant, Renae, was talking to you about me and referred to me as a “Fag”.  Her words were, “I can’t work with this fag!!”.  This by her own admission.  By her still being employed here and not even reprimanded by you for this, I cannot help but feel that this form of discrimination and harassment is also acceptable to you.  None of this is conducive to a healthy work environment and continues to take our focus off of the bigger picture…that being the care and maintenance of the property as well as the concerns of you and the tenants.

I wish you all the best in your future endeavors, as well as the best of luck with your current staff.

Many thanks for the opportunity to work beside you and to learn all that I have learned, and I hope that I was able to contribute some good to the properties as a whole.

Sincerely,

SIGNATURE

Daniel L. Anderson
Agent/Property Manager
Villa Hermosa Apts.
(559) ***-9609
(559) ***-8918 – fax

Okay, it was a bit on the “wordy” side, I know, but I felt given the circumstances, he should know just what kind of a pickle he and his new sleep partner (oops, did I forget to mention that???) have now put themselves in.

Funny thing about California…they take this kind of treatment very seriously.

So although I will be soon looking for employment and that possibly lenghthy process scares the shit out of me, we are both still very glad to be soon leaving this place and this man.

Thoughts?

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World Keeps On Spinnin’

First off I wanted to address the following comment left on a previous post.

Ricardo writes:

A new comment on the post #1551 “Lessons To Learn”…

Comment:
WTF was that “Gay House” video about?  Do you really burst into flames?  Or is the point that you’re both going to die?
PS: Where has Seth been lately?  I haven’t seen any posts from him since his “Oh, I’m not funny… but I’m going to try it” several weeks ago…

PS: Why no comments upon Michael Jackson passing? Or are you too broken up over it to write?

Ricardo, the “Gay House” video was just something I found online because I was searching for humorous videos about gays.  Not so much to stereotype us, but because I like funny videos and inject them into any relevant post.  No, we don’t burst into flames, though there are times we’ve been accused of being a tad on the “flamey” side when we are acting up.

As for Seth and his posting frequency, he’s been pretty busy lately with the odd hours he works, not to mention taking care of upcoming events – which I will go into in more detail in a sec.  I’m sure Seth has a lot to say and post about and he wanted me to let everyone know that he will be back to posting as soon as everything settles down.

On your third point regarding the passing of Micheal Jackson, we felt that there was nothing we could say that hasn’t been better said on thousands of other sites as well as splached all over the news.  While we are, as a point of fact, saddened by his passing, we thought it best to leave the eulogies to the experts.

Moving onward…

And speaking of moving, there will be a slight lull in my writing towards the middle of July as well.  Just wanted to give everyone a heads-up about that.

I am about to make what many of you would view (at first glance) as a rash decision.  I am about to leave my current job and move into a new apartment more centrally located in town (in a FAR better/safer area).  And I know that many would say that this is a very risky thing to do considering the current job market.  And I am the first to agree with you, however there are some extinuating details that you should know before passing judgement on my decision.

First off, let me give you a little background…my employer is the most dishonest person I or Seth or the tenants or anyone (outside the Bernie Madoff victims) have ever met.  He cheats on his wife daily, evicts tenants who refuse to sleep with him, refuses to pay all of his employees or vendors on time ever, lies to everyone habitually just to get make sure none of his employees, etc.  That last one he actually said he does because if employees get along, they will conspire against him.  Paranoid much?  Seriously, he doesn’t allow tenants’ kids to play with any kind of ball (even a blow-up beach ball) and will storm outside and take the balls from the kids.  THEN he will give it to his little eight year old brat and let HIM play with the pilferred balls in front of the kids!!!

Secondly, it’s about his newest bookkeeper, whom he’s now sleeping with.  She has repeatedly stolen cash rent payments from the office to finance her trips to Florida, and the owner knows of her guilt.  Next thing any of us knows, they are sleeping together.  The bile continually bubbles up.

Now there are two things in life that I just can’t stand in other people and also I am completely incapable of…

Stealing and Cheating On Someone!!!!

Now it seems I am working in an office where the two posterchildren seem to thrive.  And this is why I want to leave.

I know I can’t do anything about the cheating boss…that’s something that he can deal with when his wife finds out.  But I have, as a point of fact, expressed my dislike of working with someone who has been proven to steal from the office.  Because I told the owner that I was concerned about working with someone proven to be untrustworthy, both he AND she have suddenly decided that I have rocked their boat (the Titanic) beyond their liking.  And because of this, I have become the pariah.

It really sucks.  I mean I fully understand that there is always going to be a little of the office politics/drama no matter where you work.  Life – especially work life – is its own ball of stresses.  This, however, is another animal entirely.  The fact that I am now being treated horridly (no exaggeration) every single day since I voiced my original concerns has manifested itself in what feels like an ulcer and my nerves are completely shot.

I would rather be unemployed (temporarily) than to continue watching my health fade for the sake of two very horrible people.

So here is where we are currently…I’ve managed to save some money thanks to the fact that my job came with an apartment.  So in addition to not having to pay rent, we also didn’t have to pay for PG&E (gas & electric) because it was included in the contract, and also our cable was greatly reduced since there are over 100 units here and managers get that deal.  Not to mention the vehicle insurance went down over $120 per month…finally.  So, out of my monthly salary, I was able to save a few grand.

The problem now is do I risk blowing through our savings and THEN having the owner decide to axe me because of my reaction to his falandering with the current office thief (which he has eluded to several times last week AND this morning)?  Or do I chuck this horrible situation, move Seth and I out of this shitty ghetto and then try like hell to get a job picking up dog poop in the parks (which I am not above doing if needs be)?

It’s a sticky choice no matter which one we make, to be sure.  But Seth has already started packing up our apartment just in case.

Oh, and we did find the cutest two-bedroom closer to his job that is the same (normal) price as our current one, but is 300 s.f. larger, has both a front patio AND a sizable back yard, AND a washer/dryer included AND accepts small pets with no deposit.

Okay, so what do you think?  You know how I value your opinions.

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Lessons To Learn

You know, I’ve heard so much about how gay people just want to make everyone else gay.

Well, first off, I would hope the hell NOT!!!  Because, and forgive the brutal honesty, most of you hetero’s out there just don’t have the looks or style to carry off such a trait.  And your taste in fashion and furniture… peeeeeeeeeuuuuuuuuuuwwwwwwwww!!!

Besides, I would hate for you to have to go through the schooling WE had to contend with.  I mean really…I had to re-take “LUBE-101″ twice before I could move on to the next course…which was NO elective…”Moisturizing and Products”.

Just take a gay-ander at this:

This ain’t no Romper Room, bitches!!!

Oh, and then there were the required toys that we had to play with:

Then, before we graduate, we have to go through the finals:

And then we have to try being Jocks:

Then we get all gussied up and have a parade:

And lets not forget when we finally pair up and start nesting:

(Just a note…we don’t usually keep a German soundtrack playing in our house, nor do we break into interpretive dance when there is a grease fire in the kitchen.  And who the fuck designed “Christopher”???)

Wanna argue against gay Marriage?…:

So watch out, America…we’re out to turn you around.

And you’d better hope that’s the ONLY way we turn you!!!

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Permanently Positively Pouting Palin

Sarah Palin is, once again, responding forcefully and dramatically to a perceived attack on one of her children, this time attacking an Alaska blogger who edited a picture of her and her baby son, Trig, to replace Trig’s face with the image of a conservative Alaska talk show host, Eddie Burke.

The emailed response from Palin’s spokesman, Meghan Stapleton, seemed as staged and melodramatic as everything else that comes out of the Governor:

Recently we learned of a malicious desecration of a photo of the Governor and baby Trig that has become an iconic representation of a mother’s love for a special needs child.

The mere idea of someone doctoring the photo of a special needs baby is appalling. To learn that two Alaskans did it is absolutely sickening. Linda Kellen Biegel, the official Democrat Party blogger for Alaska, should be ashamed of herself and the Democratic National Committee should be ashamed for promoting this website and encouraging this atrocious behavior.

Babies and children are off limits. It is past time to restore decency in politics and real tolerance for all Americans. The Obama Administration sets the moral compass for its party. We ask that special needs children be loved, respected and accepted and that this type of degeneracy be condemned.

Let’s break this down, shall we?

1. “Malicious Desecration”?  Who the hell does Palin think this photo was OF, anyway…The Virgin Mother Palin holding the Child Trig???  What self-flattery and gaul!!!
2. “Iconic Representation of a Mother’s Love”?  Excuse me, but aren’t you the one who keeps hauling these kids out onto the stage and shoving them in front of every camera you see coming at you?
3. You’re sickened that it was two Alaskans that doctored the photo?  So what..you would be fine with it if some sick twisted faggot like me here in California had done it?  Believe me, Sarah, I truly wish I HAD thought of it before, because I thought it was fucking hilarious…oh, and I knew who the picture was aimed at…just like you did…contrary to your fake anger.
4. “The Democratic National Committee should be ashamed…”  Where the hell has your outrage for all of the doctored photos depicting Obama AND family as watermelon-planting carpetbaggers??? Why didn’t I hear you demanding the republican National Committee be ashamed of the picture they emailed out showing all the presidents portraits, but the one of Obama as a black box with two white eyes peering out?  Or of his face on a food stamp?  Fuck you and your fake anger and overweening ego.
5. “Time to restore decency in politics and real tolerance for all Americans”? You fake bible-thumping gay-bashing white-trash tea bagging biggots have got some nerve calling for tolerance for ALL Americans, so long as they are the kind YOU like.
6. “Degeneracy”?  Well, you would know all about that, being the Poster Child of degeneracy.

The blogger, Linda Kellen Biegel, responded in no uncertain terms that she was making fun of Eddie Burke, a talk-radio host on KBYR who is a fervent Palin backer, not of Trig.

“It’s called ‘Baby Burke’ because it’s Eddie Burke…basically his probable second-biggest fantasy about the Governor,” Biegel wrote. “So, connecting the dots for you…WE’RE MAKING FUN OF EDDIE BURKE!!!!!!”

Stapelton also suggested President Obama should speak out against such behavior from liberal activists.

Earlier this month Biegel filed an ethics complaint against Palin for wearing a jacket made by a company that sponsored her husband — a snow mobile racer — to a public event. An investigator ruled Palin had not acted wrongly and the Alaska governor accused Biegel “asinine political grandstanding.”

Seriously, Sarah, who do you think trig should be more angry with? Some writer who used part of his image to make a point about how crooked and fake and utterly useless a politician you are?

Or…

YOU!!!

A Little Charity goes A Long Way

Just a little sidestep here to rant about a review I read online this morning.

While reading up on my daily dose of news and politics (yes, I can seperate the two), I happened across a movie review that, in my opinion, sounded less like a professional review, and more like the rantings of a jilted lover.

I speak of so-called movie critic Tom Charity.  His review of the upcoming movie “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” seemed a little on the emotional side to me.  I won’t quote everything he said (you can read his tripe at the link above), but I will give you the ending…

The truth is, (Michael) Bay is a rotten fit for this assignment; he’s much too self-important to recalibrate his approach for the younger audience this material demands.

Memo to Michael: It’s a toy movie. Your audience is predominantly teen and pre-teen. My kids don’t need to see your salivating soft-porn fantasies or your reactionary militaristic politics.

Most of all, none of us needs to sit through 2½ hours of this inane and mind-numbing movie. Better it should be melted down for scrap.

Now I’m not going to slam every word Charity wrote.  I’m sure he probably was let down by what he saw…especially given the fact that he is neither a “teen or pre-teen”.  Perhaps they might actually enjoy the movie for what it was made to be…juvanile and all for fun.

Honestly, Mr. Charity, most of us who actually go and see movies like this aren’t looking for the Oscar-worthy acting.  Don’t you remember the line from the first installment?  “You’re a soldier now…“.  My friends and I still laugh at how corny that was, but we also know what kind of movie we were watching.

If you’re going to these kinds of movies thinking you’re going to glean some “Mildred Pierce” acting/dialog out of it, you will forever be disappointed.

As for your utter disgust and bitter disappointment in this movie – by the way, I haven’t seen it yet but already know I will like it because I don’t go to them for the acting – maybe you should stick to Disney cartoons.  They are short and no one runs in slow motion.

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Democratic Drive By…

So, what are we supposed to do now, Mr. President?  Just roll with it because that’s how you roll?

President Obama’s decision to grant some benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees is seen by some as his attempt to extend an olive branch to the gay and lesbian community, but critics say it’s “too little, too late.”

“It seems to me at least to be a nice gesture, but a disappointment,” said Richard Kim, a senior editor at The Nation magazine.

The memorandum Obama signed Wednesday is not expected to grant health and retirement benefits to same-sex partners, as that is prohibited under the Defense of Marriage Act.

“It will absolutely be seen as something good — but I think, for example, it not including full health insurance — that is going to put a real microscope on that question. You know, why not?” Kim said, adding that the memo applies only to federal employees, so most people will not be affected by it.

Charles Moran, the spokesman for the Log Cabin Republicans, said the lack of full benefits in Thursday’s memorandum shows a lack of commitment to the gay community.

“That’s the part that just shows that the Obama administration really isn’t serious about their promises to the gay and lesbian community. Things like the health benefits, things like retirement benefits and coverage for spouses. These are the core issues,” Moran said.

“Why start the marathon if you’re not serious about ending the race?” he added.

White House officials involved in discussions with gay-rights advocates say that Obama favors extending full health care benefits to same-sex couples but that will take legislation to accomplish.

Moran said Obama has had multiple opportunities to fulfill his promises to the gay and lesbian community — including by repealing the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and standing against the Justice Department motion filed last week in support of the Defense of Marriage Act.

“Here we are, several months after he’s been inaugurated, and we’ve gotten basically nothing. So it is too little, too late,” Moran said.

White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama will keep his word.

“[Extending benefits to same-sex couples] is a matter of fairness. The president is committed to ensuring that fairness as well as working on and fulfilling other promises that he has made in the campaign around things like ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ ” Gibbs said.

The president has faced sharp criticism over the Justice Department’s filing in support of the Defense of Marriage Act, which opposes same-sex marriage. The act used the government’s interest in opposing incestuous marriages to support its position against same-sex marriage.

Openly gay Rep. Barney Frank said the Obama administration made a “big mistake” and is calling on the president to clearly explain his views on the matter.

“The wording they used was inappropriate,” the Massachusetts Democrat told the Boston Herald in an interview published in the paper’s Wednesday edition.

Many gay activists have called on Frank and other gay members of Congress to speak out against the recent Department of Justice brief.

The rancor threatens to disrupt a big Democratic National Committee gay fundraiser in Washington next week.

Vice President Biden is the guest at next Thursday’s DNC’s LBGT Leadership Council 10th Annual Dinner in Washington. Critics are calling for Frank and other gay congressional leaders to boycott the dinner, for which tickets go for $1,000 to $30,000 a plate.

Activist David Mixner and blogger Andy Towle, two well-known gay rights advocates, announced that they were pulling out, citing disappointment with the Defense of Marriage Act brief.

If you’ll remember, the president also rankled gay advocates before his inauguration when he named megachurch pastor the Rev. Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his swearing-in. Warren, in an interview with Belief.net, likened homosexuality to bestiality and incest. He also supported California’s Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in that state.

During the Warren controversy, Obama — who frequently spoke in favor of gay and lesbian rights during the campaign but has said he opposes same-sex marriage — declared himself “a fierce advocate for gay and lesbian Americans.”

Given the support Obama received from the gay community during the campaign season,  so far the Obama administration has let gay and lesbian rights activists down.

On election day Obama got 70 percent of the vote from those who identified themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual.

“I think there is an overwhelming feeling that he has not lived up to expectations on these matters,” he said.

But, he added, “there’s some sympathy for him — there’s the worst recession since the Great Depression, troops are in two different countries in the Middle East — so there’s a lot on his plate.”

Kim said Obama’s full agenda, however, shouldn’t be used as an excuse to delay action on gay rights issues. If the administration waits until there is a news hole, then the issues will be subject to a lot of debate, he said.

“In the middle of the health care debate, saying we’re going to do health care, we’re going to fix the economy and then this other [gay rights] stuff — of course it’s right. It doesn’t require a national debate,” he said. “This is stuff that’s been debated forever. America does not need a huge national debate on some of these issues,” Kim said.

Kim said while Obama has disappointed the gay community, he still has some time to make good on his campaign promises.

“I think people will wait through the first two legislative sessions, but then after that some of this stuff does need to move to the front,” he said.

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GOPredjudice

And now, from the state of Tennessee, we bring you the Obama “Spook” photo e-mailed from a GOP Senator’s office — on an official state e-mail account, no less:

Sherri Goforth, a legislative staffer working for Sen. Diane Black, a Gallatin Republican, confirmed to Nashville Is Talking that she sent around an email depicting portraits of all the U.S. presidents — but on the last slot, where Barack Obama should be, there is just an empty black spot with two eyes (see below).

When asked whether she understood the controversial nature of sending the email on her state account, Goforth replied, “I went on the wrong email and I inadvertently hit the wrong button … I’m very sick about it, and it’s one of those things I can’t change or take back.” Goforth told the press that she received a letter of reprimand from Sen. Black.

Get it? Huh? Not really…

She’s sick about it alright — sick that she got caught and exposed as a racist — not because she sent out a highly offensive, racist image of our president. Not to worry dear readers, Goforth is keeping her job, for the moment:

Update 1: Black confirmed that she had reprimanded Goforth verbally and in writing. She said no further action was anticipated.

“I think this was a bad decision on her part,” Black said. “She fully understood. … It really doesn’t matter to me why it was sent — whether it was a mistake or a decision — it won’t be tolerated.”

Update 2: Goforth went home for the day, and a spokeswoman for the Senate Republican Caucus declined to comment on the ground that it is a personnel matter. The spokeswoman referred questions to Black, who is currently in a Senate Finance Committee meeting.

Rep. John DeBerry, the chairman of the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators, said the incident reflects poorly on Tennessee and lawmakers.

“It’s unfortunate, and it’s another in a series of unfortunate incidents that have happened across this country with this president,” he said. “It sends the wrong message from the state of Tennessee, and it sends the wrong message from the House and Senate. I wish it hadn’t happened.”

Rep. Mike Turner, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, linked the message to other controversial statements attributed to Tennessee Republicans.

“This is blackbird revisited,” he said, referring to a flyer distributed last fall regarding former state Rep. Nathan Vaughn.

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