Forget your watch or any other time piece when dealing with gov't Offices

I actually drafted this blog before I found my job but I still feel it holds true. So, I'll complete my thoughts post Hiring!

WRITTEN PRIOR TO JAN 12
Recession finally hits region my arse.

http://www.buffalonews.com/businesstoday/businessfinance/story/515912.html.

It's fascinating to me that one author can take a bunch of statistics, skew the perception of those numbers and say ...finally, the effects of the recessions are being felt in Buffalo. Buffalo never left the doldrums that quickly followed the boom town days of industry and manufacturing. A quick review of census statistics shows me that Erie country population numbers have decreased from in 1970 (pop. 1,113,491), to 1980 (pop. 1,015,472) to 1990 (pop. 965,532) to 2000 (pop. 950,265). I'm not one to lean on statistics because they can be manipulated in so many ways. But, one thing is clear. It's stands to reason that we should be losing jobs continuously. If we continue to lose people, we don't need as many people working to support our education, infrastructure, retail and manufacturing businesses.

As I'm faced with the prospect of looking for a job, I'm now facing a larger pool of competition. It's daunting enough to consider that I may be faced with lining up the department of economic security (yes I said it-the welfare line, it's a real possibility!) with 5.7% of the rest of the city. I continue to look for a job and will likely take something that I'm either overqualified for, or will be paid barely a living wage. I need to save money for school, since it's likely loans and grant will be come more scarce.

WRITTEN POST HIRING:
SO I've now got a job with an appellate publishing company. (that's just code for we make fancy copies with specific parameters...for attorneys - we do some other stuff too but not really glamorous-though it's familiarizing me with legal processes, so I consider it a useful job for me, and I actually really like the person I work for. We both know we're not curing cancer but providing competent service for people who need it.)

One of the daily exercises established for my job requires me to go to the County Clerk's office to look up complaints. Prior to being able to get copies, I needed set up an escrow account, so that I may copy paperwork when necessary with that account as our bank.

Upon discussing my needs with a manager in the records area, I was directed to the customer service department across the hallway. It was approximately 3:45 (late in the day by state employee standards) when I approached the customer service desk. I then waited...for seven minutes...while the woman at the window gabbed away on a personal call while I stood approximately 7 feet from here, where the clearly designated area existed. She made no effort to end her phone call in a timely manner, even though she was fully aware of my presence. I waited politely. Have you ever waited around for seven minutes? Go ahead, stand in the same spot, watching your watch for that amount of time. You tired or climbing out of your skin yet?

Oh, BUT I did learn what she was having for dinner, where to purchase it at the best price and who was joining her for the dinner, who the family was prepared to gossip about and criticize for their unskilled parenting skills and various other clucking one may hear from the busy body auntie of each family! You'd think homegirl would have given me an invitation to her colonoscopy after learning all that in seven minutes. Although from the looks of it, her colon hasn't seen much pass through it, given the three hundred pound ASS attached to the rest of her body. Did I mention they were having Pizza and wings for dinner? SHOCKER, right?

After seven minutes of waiting, my business with her lasted all of 15 seconds...if that! She redirected me for now a third time, to the Clerk's windows. By now, it was 3:54pm. I made the 10 yard trek from said Customer Service (that term is used loosely) Window, to the Clerk's Cashier's Window. I waited another three minutes. No one on line here either. Oh, and six people sitting at windows doing what? Not a damn thing. Well, two of the ladies (cause they certainly didn't look like girls, however the subject of the next part of this sentence would seem to indicate they should have been) were talking about where their seats were for the upcoming New Kids On the Block Show. (I admit it, I did go seen Danny, Donnie, Joe, John and Jordan once upon a time...in the eighth grade!) Ladies your on the downside of your thirties...if not on the questionably evident upside of your forties! Shouldn't you be going to a Clay Aiken show?

After my three minute wait, my business with this third window took all of 15 seconds...again! I was asked to wait yet again, for what would be my fourth encounter with a human to accomplish the original task.

FINALLY! I can feel the crescendo of relief, as I'm feeling I'm almost done. I meet Tom* He sets up my account! It probably took about 15 more minutes, but by now, I've resigned myself to throw out any time telling piece when entering a government office in the future (I'm considering checking my brain out the next time I come to this building as well, since I can feel the grey matter being sucked into its abyss). I pull out the check to set up the account balance. Oh NO, at ease in the harness there Jumper!! Wait, he does nothing other than set up the account! I need to go back to the cashier's window.

I'm now ready to go postal on some dumb ass NKOTB ticket-toting fat-ass union-protected bitch who refuses to use a computer because "it's not part of her job description and union re-negotiation would be required" to FORCE these minions to use modern day technology. And that just isn't cost efficient so the city decides to keep these knuckle draggin' excuses for homo sapiens on staff rather than fight a potential labor law case or the union. Bitch, how long have you had this job! And what century are you living in that you can't use a computer? So, I now have to wait for someone to HELP her process my transaction.

So there you have it. Six stops to accomplish one task. Union protected fucktards, unqualified by modern day standards in the REAL WORLD! I gave you the declining numbers on our city's population. I gave you anecdotal evidence as to the little need there is for all of the people who "assisted" me. And this is my welcome back to the employment world in Buffalo! Aww, it's so good to be home :D Oh...I think I got out of the building by about 4:45pm.

Where parental instinct to protect and the law collide - mental health reform vs ineffective legistlation

I’ve read and seen and heard law is reason without passion. While I believe that, it is often that very passion that incites people to practice law. (Well, that and the modicum of security a law degree and a card carrying bar holder have, along with a fairly decent pay check.- Sorry, tangent!) I am the mother of a BEE-YOU-Tee-FUL 4 year old. No, I mean, he's really beautiful. But it's not just that he's beautiful on the outside. More importantly, he's truly a kind little soul, who is sensitive and friendly and open.

Now, the first parts of these statements make me proud, in a narcissistic way. And I'd like to think that we're a pretty attractive lot. It's the second part that scares the hell out of me. It’s the intangible beauty in him. He's open and kind and approachable. This is where, in the worst of predatorial situations, he could become a victim. I know, you are all saying I'm being paranoid and thinking the worst. But the worst is out there:

http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/520709.html

I’m torn between the rights of the criminal individual and the rights of sociatally normal people, who are should be able to live in a seemingly safe environment. Currently legislation exists in New York State allowing the state to impose additional confinement on sexual predators beyond the time they serve in a traditional prison environment. Essentially, as it stands, the state is authorized to hold a person on a permanent 5150 hold (I’m sure there’s a more appropriate term for this confinement but it’s simplest and most relatable term I could muster this morning) since these offenders are considered to be an on-going danger to their communities.

IF we’ve determined sex offenders to be a danger to themselves or others, as with any other person with a profound mental illness, institutionalization is expected. That’s the mom in me talking. However, if a person has “paid his debt to society”, it would stand to reason that a person should be released into our communities.

I support rehabilitation, however I question our methods. And can a person, whose brain isn’t chemically wired the way most of us are, be “rehabilitated”? It’s not a matter of law that we should examine but rather an issue of mental health. Sure the law is intended to protect us individually and as a whole. But issues of mental health problems are so prevalent amongst our nation’s criminals that I question whether putting humans into 6x9 cells is truly any kind of rehabilitation.

The Protective maternal instinct in me says hog tie these people and inject them with histamines as punishment for the damage they do, often to our children. (Yeah, yeah, I know, cruel and unusual). The advocate in me says a great deal of reform and approach to mental health care is required for rehab to even be possible, if it is at all. And for now, all we have is the law to help guide us into integrating this people back into whatever we deem societally appropriate for this subset of people.

I look forward to these discussions in the coming few years. And at some point, I may be asked to argue the opposite of the way my heart and gut tell me as a matter of exercise. Just some intense thought born of an article appearing on good ole buffalo.com and the sex offenders in NY.

What, like it's hard?

SO, I've joined the "blogoshpere". Yeah I know, I'm later than Michelle Duggar's last period. Wait, did the blogosphere even exist 17 children ago? Hmmm...I'll have to look that up. I suppose, as to enitce or incite any further curiosity here is a perview of what to possibly expect from me in the not so near or distant future:



The prospect of moving back to Buffalo is a tough and touchy situation. Looking for a job is becoming comical. I'm thinking of the humiliation and hilarity of the prospect of a college educated white (OK and Hispanic, though I don't look it), formerly gainfully employed person that I am, joining the nearly 50-plus % of Black men of the city of Buffalo, in line at the public assistance offices. Yes, this is a real possibility.



My cross country drive with my gal pal Cari will provide some interesting comedy about the toothless and shoeless of the middle earth area of the country. Stay tuned for that thread.



Here's the big one...at least for now: the differences and likenesses (there are for more htan you realize) of living in big ole LA versus going back to Buffalo. I'm sure Buffalo has the $100+ denim, Ed Hardy donning, Captian Douche Bags (copyright given to Mr Louis Bustamante on this title!) trolling around looking for easy to target college girls to slip some roofies. Maybe just not in as much abundance as LA.



I suppose the Sabres and Bills, and Bulls will become a more active part of my exisitence, though with potential welfare support looming, I'm likely to only encounter the silly boys of winter on Television or if I'm scamming a free drink at Mother's or any drinking establishment deemed cool enough for them to hang out at. Crap, and I used to babysit for some of the old ranks!





My Personal Favorite: I have an penchant for coming up with reidiculous band names, particularly when I've been out to dinner and drinks with my friends, mid sentence, a phrase will likely evolve and be plucked from obscurity to form the next great imaginary Grammy nominated rock band. Shit the Foos and the Goos really exist. Who's to say "Runaway Lipstick" won't be opening for "HandGun Cozies" and "Residual Pussy" anytime soon?



More seriously: I experienced a great deal of legal trouble in the last four years. Courtesy of a Captain Douche Bag-like ex husband (who for the purposes of slander, shall remain nameless for the entirety of this blog). Look for posts on why parental alienation should be considered a criminal act. How the laws of bankruptcy and spousal resposibility should be re-examined for extraordinary circumstances. How sociopathy is one of the most difficult mental defects to idenitify. and a host of other interesting, sometimes intense but at times really laughable things you may find funny/intriguing/disturbing/entertianing/boring or otherwise illicit some kind of internal chemical reaction. Mostly I'm shooting fo rhumour. but iwht humour, a little of the opposite must be expereinced to truly enjoy the humourous.