Susan B. Anthony on so-called believers - Imgur

I loved this one and just had to share. Happy Friday to all you wage slaves.
Susan B. Anthony on so-called believers - Imgur

Just Because I Love it: Comedy Of Chicago: Tony Hawk interviews Louis C.K.

I don't usually re-blog other people's stuff. It feels a little lazy, but I am hung over and I really like this blog, Tony Hawk, and Louis CK. So if you haven't found it on your own, go! Go and listen and be amused. 

Comedy Of Chicago: Tony Hawk interviews Louis C.K.: Ha! Tony Hawk (Skating Legend) interviews Louis C.K. (Comedy Legend) Why? Who cares it's funny and informative. If your a comic/...

We're Not Young: A Shoutout to the Under and Unemployed

St. Melinda of the Minimum Wage Meditating on the Pointlessness 

 

of Her 

Degree

It's a cold world out there, ladies and gentlemen. As one of the estimated 12.1 million underemployed Americans, I can say that with a fair amount of confidence. 12.1 million is an unseemly number of adults to be scraping by with temp jobs, contract work, and minimum wage, and it seems like altogether too many of we the underemployed are in possession of one if not more college degrees.

 A recent article in the Atlantic claims that 53% of recent graduates are either unemployed or underemployed. That is only the tip of the iceberg. A lot of my friends and acquaintances have been out of school for years without ever scoring a real, career-type job. We don't have the experience, or suddenly we're finding a Master's degree is the new minimum when a few years ago a BA and some internships were the real requirement And it ain't just the Liberal Arts weenies (myself among them) who are feeling the pinch. It's the business majors, the computer science geeks, and the OMIS people too. It's getting bad enough that the mainstream press is beginning to ask whether College is worth the investment.

So this begs the question: are things ever going to get better for us? Will all of the degrees and internships and work experience ever result in gainful employment that pays the bills? I hope so, but I am interested in what y'all have to say. I am also interested in hearing some of your stories. But while I'm waiting, enjoy this clip from SketchY Parody. It seems to sum up things rather nicely. And please don't shoot yourself. It would be messy.

Holy Crap, My Cat's a Wino and Other Events of the Day.

Pets can be...odd at times. Over the years, I've caught his nibs doing some downright peculiar things--licking my dog's butt, using his body as a fur coated bowling ball to knock over beer bottles, systematically opening all of the doors and drawers in the kitchen like some sort of deranged specter from the 6th sense, whatnot--but  there used to be a clear limit on what he would meddle with. And that limit was people food and beverages---until tonight, that is. I was reading an interesting article on the rise of secularism in American Protestants over a nice little glass of  CardBordeaux, looked up, and found my fluffy little attitude engine face first in the glass of wine and sucking it up like there's no tomorrow. And now he won't leave the hooch alone. So I ask you, gentle readers, what the hell? Why on earth after three years would my kitty just decide to take a shine to the ol' thunderbird? Is he just trying to piss me off, or do I need to find a kitteh AA meeting?

So many questions. Ah well, I have to get some sleep. A full day of grading awaits.

I don't own a jet ski either....

For all of you who are good and sick of political season, here's a contribution from Bad Lip Reading that treats our candidates with the level of respect I feel that they deserve....

Sweet dreams, my bitches.

It's beginning to look a lot like NaNo...

24 days and counting. 24 days until a non-stop roller coaster ride of fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants plots, clumsy characterizations, and papier mache scene descriptions all fueled by pancreas punishing levels of caffeine and pixie stick consumption  leading to what will hopefully be a (flaming turd of a) 50,000 word novel. Yes, folks, it's almost time for NaNoWriMo, and, sicko that I am, I am psyched. As you can clearly deduce from this pre-NaNo pic.

I have been participating in NaNoWriMo for three years now. One year I flew entirely without benefit of a safety net and produced a novel of almost splendid horribleness, which I am finally (hopefully) ready to rework. Two of those years were utter duds due to forces beyond my control, but this year promises to be different. Because, ladies and gentlemen, I have a plan. Or at least most of a plan.

Holy. Shneikies.

About three months ago, Sunne, one of the members of the DeKalb chapter of NaNo, let me on to something called the snowflake method, which basically helps you grow your novel from the ground up and relatively painlessly. And it's been working surprisingly well so far. For the first time ever, I am feeling pretty well set up to tackle the marathon that is NaNo.

Yeah, I'm sure that feeling will be going away, too. But for right now I am feeling a refreshing, albeit guarded, optimism. Many thanks to Sunne. Now I'm off to walk the pooch.