Brandy's back!

[jockosmom]

jockosmom,

I know what you mean. My grandparents were the hardest working people you could ever meet, and of my dad's siblings, he is the only one with their work ethic. The rest of them are lazy and entitled. They didn't learn that from their parents.

I've decided that work ethic or lack of it is something that's ingrained into your personality, not a learned behavior. It's hard-wired into you whether you are the type to get up in the morning and make something happen for yourself or sit on your ass waiting for somebody to come along and hand you something. My youngest son is the second type and I'll never be able to understand it until the day I die. I've tried various approaches with him over the years and nothing changes his basic worldview. My only saving grace is that he hasn't procreated and I don't have any grandchildren living his hand-to-mouth existence. When that happens I may have to intervene.

[precious_one]

I know the economy in the US isn't the best at the moment but there are jobs out there if someone really wants to work. My husband worked 3 jobs one time. He worked his regular day job from 8 to 4:30 then worked another from about 5 to 10 and then he had a paper route in the early morning. He did that for a year or more. Yes, we could have moved in with relatives but we decided it was only a temporary situation and we made the best of it.

There is no reason they cannot put the kids in school and they both get jobs through a temp or daily work agency. At least make attempt to make the situation better. To me they are just waiting around for something to fall out of the sky for them.

[Spider Burps]

Your first few jobs are almost guaranteed to be jobs you don't love. Even if you have well off parents and are one of those geniuses who gets tons of scholarships, and you therefore never have to work until you have a degree...even then you'll probably have to try different things before you find something you love.

Mr. Burps was one of those people that didn't have to work in university or while getting his masters. He graduated and his first job was one in his field that he loves, but he had to agree to a lower than average salary in order to work for the nonprofit start-up. It seems like a job you love often requires more sacrifices than an "I need a job" job. There's that level of dedication and passion for the job you love, while the latter is something with which you don't feel any connection.

In light of that, Brandy and Jason, I suggest you learn to make sacrifices and difficult choices now while the farthest you have to fall is back onto Jason's mom's sofa. Just sayin'.

[J'ean Skirt]

I'm reminded of another blogger I've been reading for 5 or 6 years now. In that time they've started a business, lost the business, lost their home to a fire, rebuilt their home, gotten jobs, left jobs, started a small farm, tried to make it as farmers, gotten second jobs when they couldn't, gone back to the farm, lived apart for months at a time to make things work financially.

All of that takes time and money and has been hard. The blogger has been honest that sometimes it's been total suckitude. But, y'know what? They keep going because that's just what adults do. They're back to one of them has a job, one of them is running the farm. And it is hard and you can hear the stress and strain in the blog. But, they work to make the life they want. And they don't live off their family.

[Guest Anonymous]

I'll admit that America is different, but the job hunt isn't always peachy. Back in the day, I worked full-time in a completely unpaid volunteer job, just to have something to put on my CV (resume?). I had good grades, and I had all the career skills I needed for the jobs that I was applying for. I applied for everything, it didn't matter what or where. I sent an application for every relevant job vacancy that I saw (making at least 10 or 20 applications a day, if not more). I didn't get a single interview for the jobs I applied for (despite being qualified), and the house cleaning vacancies all required at least one year's experience.

Work ethic had nothing to do with it. I was already working a full-time job (for no pay) while looking for another job at the same time. I have always been mystified by people who fall into employment.

[Dysfundamental]

I am very comfortable saying that the kids need food and shelter, and that Brandy and Jason do not provide those reliably. That isn't materialism, that's sense.

[Talitha Cumi]

My first job was telemarketing. My second job was as a visitation clerk in a prison. For death row.

Yeah, not exactly the kind of stuff you love.

Not the stuff anyone loves, but the stuff that's *necessary.* (Except for maybe telemarketing. :twisted: )

[Witsec7]

Brandy Cormier â€@BrandyCormier

It's an overall shitty kind of day. All this lack of sunshine isn't very good either. Sigh.

Co

I suffer without light so I need to do a lot to ensure I don't slow down.

[Minerva]

I'll admit that America is different, but the job hunt isn't always peachy. Back in the day, I worked full-time in a completely unpaid volunteer job, just to have something to put on my CV (resume?). I had good grades, and I had all the career skills I needed for the jobs that I was applying for. I applied for everything, it didn't matter what or where. I sent an application for every relevant job vacancy that I saw (making at least 10 or 20 applications a day, if not more). I didn't get a single interview for the jobs I applied for (despite being qualified), and the house cleaning vacancies all required at least one year's experience.

Work ethic had nothing to do with it. I was already working a full-time job (for no pay) while looking for another job at the same time. I have always been mystified by people who fall into employment.

My parents, having been young when the economy was better, always fell into employment. You just applied somewhere and they took you on when they were my age. They therefore got pretty ragey watching my brother and I spend months at a time unemployed and assumed we were doing it on purpose, not trying hard enough. They called us entitled and all kinds of things, they didn't believe us when we said it's just harder to get jobs these days. Eventually one of their friends explained to them that it's a lot harder to get entry-level jobs these days because so many people are unemployed and they believed her. Moving out of my small town made a huge difference on the job front. It's still hard to find work in the city, but not nearly as hard.

[dpndetfarm]

Well Wolfeboro, NH is on Lake Winnipesaukee. That is the lake that Mittens has a home on. There are jobs there. My son and his fiance live in Laconia, just around the lake a bit. The day my son bounced his tuition check because he spent it on who knows what without knowing he was out of his own money he was told he had three days to get a job. It took him one. His fiance took a while longer, but she got one. When she graduated hair dressing school three weeks ago she had a job at a very nice salon within a week. Now she has two jobs and says she won't quit Dunkin Donuts until she is established at the salon. So when my kids didn't feel like getting a job they couldn't find one. When the money tree died jobs were everywhere.

Summer work is even more plentiful because it is a summer vacation spot. In addition if Brandy is willing to go another 15 minutes to Tilton she can work at any of about 100 outlet stores. The same goes for Jason. So maybe they won't have their dream job, but there are enough choices that they could each get a job they like.

I will admit though that NH public transportation is almost nonexistent so they need to get their van on the road. People here drive all kinds of vehicles and many, many of us put weight in the backs of our pickups for winter, but it's very difficult to live here without a vehicle so scrape up the cash, hoard an unemployment check, and get the damn thing roadworthy!

[fundiefan]

Speaking as someone who has been in therapy, a bad background is horrible, but she still needs to take responsibility for the choices she has made as an adult that has gotten her to this point, and to work to move past them and create a better future.

There's no future in being a victim.

Agreed. My life was shit when I was growing up. It has left some major scars and I will have issues my entire life because of much of it. But, I also know that my life is mine; it doesn't belong to the shit of the past or the people of the past. Using my past as an excuse is just that - an excuse. Therapists are trained at helping people move on from lives that sucked. I still return to mine once in a while for a brain check up and when I am particularly emotional; I saw her weekly then bi-weekly for the whole three years of my divorce process; I know better than to deal with all that anger and other bullshit by myself. I know I can't do it by myself.

Being a victim for life is a choice. Getting over having once been a victim is also a choice.

[starfish]

Oh, I agree. I just think maybe she's stuck, and a qualified therapist could help her, get her some medication if needed,

[Witsec7]

I've kinda been pondering Brandy the hippy. What makes her a hippy? Who were her hippy role models? I mean most of the Hippies I know bit the bullet and worked. Some farm, raise xmas trees, clean house, work retail, some are civil servants. Around here folks who are aimless hippies, without livelihoods are called 'weeds' by the locals. It's really got nothing to do with crass consumerism, but if you want 40 acres out in the country you best have the money to pay for it, and the money to buy the tractor, weedwackers, get the pumps fixed etc.

Who were the hippies that influenced this new personality? Did Brandy and Jason just eat a bit of the food from the gods?

[fundiefan]

I've kinda been pondering Brandy the hippy. What makes her a hippy? Who were her hippy role models? I mean most of the Hippies I know bit the bullet and worked. Some farm, raise xmas trees, clean house, work retail, some are civil servants. Around here folks who are aimless hippies, without livelihoods are called 'weeds' by the locals. It's really got nothing to do with crass consumerism, but if you want 40 acres out in the country you best have the money to pay for it, and the money to buy the tractor, weedwackers, get the pumps fixed etc.

Who were the hippies that influenced this new personality? Did Brandy and Jason just eat a bit of the food from the gods?

Sparkling Lauren is her role model. She's (Brandy) even hoping to get to a Rainbow gathering.

Her latest blogger crush is usually transparent.

[fundiefan]

Dammit. I wish I hadn't looked at her Twitter because I followed it to her Twitter partner and...he now has a kickstarter site.

Um, hello? You want to beg for money online to write your 'poetry' but you are living on unemployment and food stamps.

Priorities are completely misunderstood and ignored with those people.

[Witsec7]

Sparkling Lauren is her role model. She's (Brandy) even hoping to get to a Rainbow gathering.

Her latest blogger crush is usually transparent.

Considering what an isolated existence she and Jason live I highly doubt she's ever even met a hippy. But yea I could see where Lauren could be a role model for child neglect.

[bea]

Excellent news, everyone. Jason's Kickstarter has been approved!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/poe ... lderness-0

"A dark poetic autobiographical journey of one man's struggles to find himself . A manifesto about faith and life on the fringes. A dark poetic autobiographical journey of one man's struggles to find himself . A manifesto about faith and life on the fringes. "

Because we totally don't have enough books on the market about youngish or middleaged white guys trying to find themselves, nosiree. We need JASON to tell us about his journey. In Vorgon poetry.

But how, you may ask, does Jason intend to sell this highly autobiographical book of dark poetry? He has this terrific idea - INDIE PUBLISHING! Which will shoot him straight up to the best-seller lists. Delusional? Surely not.

"I plan to use a self-publishing site and a grass roots campaign to attempt to get my poetry book on best seller lists to prove poetry can still sell. That poetry is still relevant in the publishing marketplace conversation.

So what will this grass roots campaign look like? I plan to do this on two fronts. I plan to use Sponsored Tweets, Facebook Ads, Google Search Ads, and blog giveaways for the cyber front. On the other front I will be striving to get my book in as many local owned bookstores as possible. I say local owned because I strongly believe in local owned business."

Am beginning to believe Jason may be just as nuts - or possibly more so - than Brandy. $1,000 Kickstarter for a self-published book of poetry written by a man living with his wife and two kids in his parents' house because he can't find a job he loves.

I am out of words. :roll:

[Witsec7]

Hmmmm I think if Jason actually did raise money he would have to report it as income and those funds would further lower their SNAP benefits. This two aren't exactly forward thinkers.

[Dysfundamental]

They are two peas in a delusional pod.

And of course when nobody funds his ridiculous Kickstarter to self-publish his terrible book ("Vogon poetry" is so right on) it'll be because people don't understand his geeeeeeeeeeeeeenyus, not because his work is garbage.

[Witsec7]

They are two peas in a delusional pod.

And of course when nobody funds his ridiculous Kickstarter to self-publish his terrible book ("Vogon poetry" is so right on) it'll be because people don't understand his geeeeeeeeeeeeeenyus, not because his work is garbage.

I have a friend who is a published poet and I do purchase poetry. My pal worked in civil service as a carpenter so he could write. His poetry is lovely all hand letter press chapbooks and he's received national and local recognition for his writing. Few become Gary Snyders.

[Dysfundamental]

I don't think anyone makes a living as a poet (without teaching) in the US, nor have they since at least World War II. Snyder taught, Billy Collins taught, Adrienne Rich taught, Jorie Graham, Rita Dove, Sharon Olds, Nikki Giovanni, Philip Levine, etc., etc.

It is so hubristic of Jason to think he can support himself by poetry when all these folks rely or relied on teaching gigs to pay their bills. And then there are all the people like your friend who work hard at other jobs entirely to pay the bills, and still write great stuff.

Yay, poetry!

[lilith]

Sparkling Lauren is her role model. She's (Brandy) even hoping to get to a Rainbow gathering.

Her latest blogger crush is usually transparent.

Good god, I can just imagine Brandy and Jason at a rainbow festival, sitting on opposite sides of a tepee and tweeting to each other about what an amazing, enlightening experience it all is, too lacking in social skills to join in with the gathering, kids hiding behind them cause they've never seen anyone outside their immediate family before......

I suggest that Jason takes Lauren as his plural wife, and they can all sparkle off into the sunset, playing on their laptops and grooming each others dreads, reassuring each other about how profound and special they are, while their tribe of unschooled girls run wild, foraging food for them and practicing on their iPads for the day that they too can be socially maladjusted online over sharers.

[acheronbeach]

Oh, look. Another "writer" who can't even be arsed to figure out the basics of grammar and punctuation.

[Kaylee]

I don't think anyone makes a living as a poet (without teaching) in the US, nor have they since at least World War II. Snyder taught, Billy Collins taught, Adrienne Rich taught, Jorie Graham, Rita Dove, Sharon Olds, Nikki Giovanni, Philip Levine, etc., etc.

It is so hubristic of Jason to think he can support himself by poetry when all these folks rely or relied on teaching gigs to pay their bills. And then there are all the people like your friend who work hard at other jobs entirely to pay the bills, and still write great stuff.

Yay, poetry!

This, exactly. I have an aunt who is a pretty well-known poet. She's published many chapbooks, gives workshops, readings, etc and has since the 80s. She's in her 60s and still works full-time as well as doing some freelancing, and has been struggling to make ends meet since her husband left her for a younger woman and weaseled his way out of any kind of spousal support.

I know several other writers and poets. They all have jobs outside their craft. Even the few who write exclusively for a living do a lot of writing for trade magazines, grant writing, and stuff like that outside their chosen genres to pay the bills.

[prairiemuffin]

I am just.....

So, in Jason's view, they're living at home with his parents and some mysterious "other people". He and his wife are both unemployed, with minimal skills and even less education. So, what to do with his time? Create a kickstarter to self-publish his poetry! That's the ticket!!!

I am sorely tempted to start an online campaign to make sure he doesn't make one damn cent on this kickstarter.

BUT-the beauty of kickstarter is, if he doesn't make his goal in the time frame he set, he won't get anything.