Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Saturday, February 10, 2018
Aging
Let's face it, who wants to get old? We may not mind being older, but we don't want to be old. In this youth obsessed society we live in, it's hard to age. The constant pressure being applied to us to stay young is ridiculous. We are constantly bombarded with advertising that screams and equates sexiness with youth. This is especially true for women. It is hard to age, have careers, have aging parents who may be declining, be responsible for a household, accountable to a boss, mothering your children, being a daughter, sister, aunt, best friend and confidant and be a size 4 and sexy all the time. Why we hold this unrealistic standard to mirror ourselves is beyond me.
Many people who are moving through middle age to senior years are afraid whether they will admit it or not. Many are afraid they will not have enough to live on when they are retired. Many are afraid of losing their jobs and pensions before they are ready to retire. We hear horror story after horror story of how people are just a year or two away from retirement and they are terminated or downsized leaving them with very few options of maintaining the level of income they are used to. I know that age discrimination is against the law, but it happens all the time. I was told by a someone that age discrimination is the most practiced discrimination in this country. I'm not sure whether it's true or not, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were so. Trying to get another comparable job to what you're used to after a certain age is very difficult. Youth is preferred over experience most of the time. It doesn't matter how horrible a young person is at doing their job, they will always be preferred. The most common thing I hear is that they are more energetic and are more flexible because they don't yet have families. I think this is a lot of bull and the most likely the reason is you can pay them less and make them do more. They don't yet have a true understanding of their worth. In this day and age, people are living longer, taking better care of themselves and looking younger, so why do companies assumed an older person lacks energy and stamina. Besides, if you do your job right and not have to repeatedly correct things, you don't need as much energy and stamina. From where I'm standing, they don't seem to have all that much energy and stamina anyway as slow as some of them move. Companies would rather continue to apologize for their young staff, than hire older, more mature, more experienced workers. I'm not against hiring young people, some jobs do require youth and stamina to be done, but stop dismissing people over 40 and especially 50 as useless!!! Another misconception is that people over 50 are preparing to leave the workplace. Have you been paying attention to what's going on in this country the last 20 years? Housing markets crashed, pension funds were raided, financial fraud was rampant. Many people over 50 will have no choice but to work and stay in the work force long after they thought. They just simply do not have the means to retire let alone retire comfortably.
One of the most surprising things about this issue is that the people in the 40's - 50's age range are part of the problem. I've heard to many of them say so many times, I want someone young and energetic. It's so unfair and so presumptive. In essence, aren't we supposed to hire the best qualified person for the job? Unless the job requires a person to move non stop, why would you assume someone older can't do it. Let's get real a minute, most of these are corporate jobs, aka desk jobs. The amount of running around on a typical day at these jobs can usually be handled by someone over 50. Please stop acting like everyone over 50 is using a cane or a walker. Again let me point out how slow some of the younger folks move because they really don't want to be there!!! So what's the problem? Everyone wants to appear young and virile even if it's by default by who you surround yourself with. I know there are exceptions to this. I've heard of several companies who actively solicit older workers because they feel they have a better work ethic. On behalf of all the older people out there seeking work whether part-time or full-time, please don't be so dismissive of this set of workers as they have experience, commitment, dedication, skills, intelligence and most importantly the desire to be a part of the collective success of hard work. One thing I know for sure, when I retire, I will be done with the work force. I do not plan to be one of those people who retire, then find another career or job. I plan to expand my travels and fun times to the max!!!! No more work for me but for those who continue to want or need to work, they should be fairly considered like everyone else!!! It seems to me that retiring between 62-65 is becoming more a wish than a reality for many!!! I wouldn't be surprised if the average retirement age became 70-72. It seems like that's becoming more the reality!!!
Many people who are moving through middle age to senior years are afraid whether they will admit it or not. Many are afraid they will not have enough to live on when they are retired. Many are afraid of losing their jobs and pensions before they are ready to retire. We hear horror story after horror story of how people are just a year or two away from retirement and they are terminated or downsized leaving them with very few options of maintaining the level of income they are used to. I know that age discrimination is against the law, but it happens all the time. I was told by a someone that age discrimination is the most practiced discrimination in this country. I'm not sure whether it's true or not, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were so. Trying to get another comparable job to what you're used to after a certain age is very difficult. Youth is preferred over experience most of the time. It doesn't matter how horrible a young person is at doing their job, they will always be preferred. The most common thing I hear is that they are more energetic and are more flexible because they don't yet have families. I think this is a lot of bull and the most likely the reason is you can pay them less and make them do more. They don't yet have a true understanding of their worth. In this day and age, people are living longer, taking better care of themselves and looking younger, so why do companies assumed an older person lacks energy and stamina. Besides, if you do your job right and not have to repeatedly correct things, you don't need as much energy and stamina. From where I'm standing, they don't seem to have all that much energy and stamina anyway as slow as some of them move. Companies would rather continue to apologize for their young staff, than hire older, more mature, more experienced workers. I'm not against hiring young people, some jobs do require youth and stamina to be done, but stop dismissing people over 40 and especially 50 as useless!!! Another misconception is that people over 50 are preparing to leave the workplace. Have you been paying attention to what's going on in this country the last 20 years? Housing markets crashed, pension funds were raided, financial fraud was rampant. Many people over 50 will have no choice but to work and stay in the work force long after they thought. They just simply do not have the means to retire let alone retire comfortably.
One of the most surprising things about this issue is that the people in the 40's - 50's age range are part of the problem. I've heard to many of them say so many times, I want someone young and energetic. It's so unfair and so presumptive. In essence, aren't we supposed to hire the best qualified person for the job? Unless the job requires a person to move non stop, why would you assume someone older can't do it. Let's get real a minute, most of these are corporate jobs, aka desk jobs. The amount of running around on a typical day at these jobs can usually be handled by someone over 50. Please stop acting like everyone over 50 is using a cane or a walker. Again let me point out how slow some of the younger folks move because they really don't want to be there!!! So what's the problem? Everyone wants to appear young and virile even if it's by default by who you surround yourself with. I know there are exceptions to this. I've heard of several companies who actively solicit older workers because they feel they have a better work ethic. On behalf of all the older people out there seeking work whether part-time or full-time, please don't be so dismissive of this set of workers as they have experience, commitment, dedication, skills, intelligence and most importantly the desire to be a part of the collective success of hard work. One thing I know for sure, when I retire, I will be done with the work force. I do not plan to be one of those people who retire, then find another career or job. I plan to expand my travels and fun times to the max!!!! No more work for me but for those who continue to want or need to work, they should be fairly considered like everyone else!!! It seems to me that retiring between 62-65 is becoming more a wish than a reality for many!!! I wouldn't be surprised if the average retirement age became 70-72. It seems like that's becoming more the reality!!!
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Words
Don't use bad language. Say only what is good and helpful to those you
are talking to, and what will give them a blessing. Ephesians 4:29
Words are so important. They describe all in life. When people speak, they give us a glimpse of who they are, a look into their soul. We currently have a leader who can't speak the truth if even if he tried. His words are lies, they mean to inflict harm and poison the mind. His entire administration lies. We must diligently guard our hearts and minds to harmful words spoken to us as they will tear us down and burn out spirits if we let them.
Hateful and mean words are being used to beat others up with. So many seem to feel that it's okay to verbally assault their fellow man. We are warned that by our words we will be judged. Words give life and words destroy lives. In this era where we hide behind our computer screens and use false identities, the kid gloves have come off and folks are just saying what's in their hearts and have been on their minds. The delusion of entitlement had by some is just breathtaking. All men were created equal in the eyes of God. No man was created to serve another man. We were all created to serve God.
If you keep up with current events, then you know there is a #MeToo campaign underway where women are telling their stories of sexual assault by the men they have worked with or currently work with. I think that it's great that women are speaking out and standing up for themselves. My problem with this campaign is that it was hijacked by Hollywood stars who remained silent until their careers were well established. I'm sorry but you don't get to play shero when you remained silent when you could have been warning other women. These women chose to remain silent to cement their careers. Now they want to be looked upon as brave and heroic for finally speaking out. The women in this instance I respect are the ones who spoke out initially to the detriment of their careers. As far as I'm concerned they paid the price and sacrificed their careers to speak up. It didn't matter to them, the roles they lost, they spoke up. When you are not willing to sacrifice something important to you and tolerate loss, then you are not a trailblazer or hero. You're a silent participant. These women could have used their voices and spoke the words that would have warned others of the perils of the industry. WORDS MATTER!!!
NO THE REAL VICTIMS are the countless women like Ms. Recy Taylor, Oprah referenced in her speech, who was abducted walking down the street on September 3, 1944 and raped by six white men who as much as admitted their crime and still were never charged. Countless women of color particularly black women who were slaves, domestics, poor and did not possess the means to protect themselves have suffered horrendous sexual assaults with little to no hope of justice. There are children around the world being sold into slavery and the sex trade. Justice alludes them, many forever. There will be no reckoning. The "MeToo" movement was started by a black woman to help others stand up and tell their stories, in the process hopefully taking back some control of their lives. She started the movement because she saw the need to help women of color who were sexually assaulted and everyone else was ignoring. Society in general does not concern itself with the well being and mistreatment of black women. It is why I rarely participate in any of the current movements aimed at women empowerment or equality. Until black women are a real part of the conversation and agenda, I have no interest in participating!!!
I am not saying that what happened to these actresses is okay, but when you perform a sex act in exchange for career advancement, it is not the same as being forcefully abducted and raped. You have the power and the option of saying "NO" and walking away. Those who said no and walked away to have their careers affected, are victims. Society is labeling what really amounts to bullshit as heroic. White society at large has a really insensitive habit of wanting to interject and include themselves in the suffering of people of color, comparing the hideous things that were done to black people to the inconveniences they might of endured because their privilege was ruffled. This movement was supposed to be about empowering women who (not just felt) but were actually powerless in the past to respond or speak out. The actresses who have hijacked this movement have had more than 20 years to speak out and tell their stories, so why now? Their careers are no longer at risk, so let's tell the world what we have endured and what it's been like. I suppose anyone is entitled to tell their story and make known the path they encountered on the way to success. I am appalled that they took a movement meant to empower and help powerless women regain their self respect and turned it into a weapon to fight the real cause that most of these women are fighting in Hollywood, which is GENDER EQUALITY PAY!!!! As far as I'm concerned that is what this is really about, because it is ALWAYS ABOUT MONEY!!!
If you don't think it's all about the money, look at how heads are rolling all over the place. When you practically immediately terminate the star of your show when an accusation is leveled without any proof required, it tells me several things. One of which is you've known all along there was a problem, you are now afraid the problem will taint your brand, you allowed the problem to go unchecked, now you're trying to get out front and avoid consequences and you're afraid your core audience will turn on you, so you are trying to distance yourself.
Within a few days of the Golden Globes, Mark Wahlberg came under attack because it came out he was paid substantially more than Michelle Williams for re-shoots for a film they made together. It was used as another example of women making less than men for the same work. Hey I'm all for equal pay for equal work. The thing that no one is addressing is that Mark was paid substantially more because he had a better agent who worked out the figures he was paid. He did not have a clause in his contract that required him to be available for re-shoots for any wage. Once it became clear re-shoots would be needed and he was asked to do them, his agent did what any agent should do and that was to negotiate payment for his time. Michelle either had a clause in her contract or agreed that if re-shoots were needed she would do them for scale. My understanding is that they are represented by the same agency, so why did the agency allow such differences for each of it's stars? Please understand something, I am not a Mark Wahlberg fan. I have my own feelings about him and his early career as a rapper. Meanwhile Mark is being attacked because it took him 5 days to announce he will donate the money. Mark didn't do anything wrong and if I were him, I wouldn't have donated anything. He had better representation and he was entitled to be paid for his time. Michelle was also entitled to be paid sufficiently for her time. Unfortunately, she settled for scale wages when she was worth a lot more than that. Is Hollywood and the public in general really blaming Mark for that!!!
I know it's tempting to minimize the brutality of one's past because no one wants to admit the capabilities needed to inflict such brutality on another human being. However if America and particularly White America is ever going to move past these issues, then the admission of guilt, acceptance of responsibility and the determination moving forward to never see it happen again, must be a movement that is unstoppable. Anything less will only result in what we have today, a society that pretends it's civilized and cultured but is really anything but. Moving forward must include everyone, not just the privileged and must also understand the sorrow and pain inflicted on those who are not white and privileged as much as it sympathizes with it's privileged!!!
Words are so important. They describe all in life. When people speak, they give us a glimpse of who they are, a look into their soul. We currently have a leader who can't speak the truth if even if he tried. His words are lies, they mean to inflict harm and poison the mind. His entire administration lies. We must diligently guard our hearts and minds to harmful words spoken to us as they will tear us down and burn out spirits if we let them.
Hateful and mean words are being used to beat others up with. So many seem to feel that it's okay to verbally assault their fellow man. We are warned that by our words we will be judged. Words give life and words destroy lives. In this era where we hide behind our computer screens and use false identities, the kid gloves have come off and folks are just saying what's in their hearts and have been on their minds. The delusion of entitlement had by some is just breathtaking. All men were created equal in the eyes of God. No man was created to serve another man. We were all created to serve God.
If you keep up with current events, then you know there is a #MeToo campaign underway where women are telling their stories of sexual assault by the men they have worked with or currently work with. I think that it's great that women are speaking out and standing up for themselves. My problem with this campaign is that it was hijacked by Hollywood stars who remained silent until their careers were well established. I'm sorry but you don't get to play shero when you remained silent when you could have been warning other women. These women chose to remain silent to cement their careers. Now they want to be looked upon as brave and heroic for finally speaking out. The women in this instance I respect are the ones who spoke out initially to the detriment of their careers. As far as I'm concerned they paid the price and sacrificed their careers to speak up. It didn't matter to them, the roles they lost, they spoke up. When you are not willing to sacrifice something important to you and tolerate loss, then you are not a trailblazer or hero. You're a silent participant. These women could have used their voices and spoke the words that would have warned others of the perils of the industry. WORDS MATTER!!!
NO THE REAL VICTIMS are the countless women like Ms. Recy Taylor, Oprah referenced in her speech, who was abducted walking down the street on September 3, 1944 and raped by six white men who as much as admitted their crime and still were never charged. Countless women of color particularly black women who were slaves, domestics, poor and did not possess the means to protect themselves have suffered horrendous sexual assaults with little to no hope of justice. There are children around the world being sold into slavery and the sex trade. Justice alludes them, many forever. There will be no reckoning. The "MeToo" movement was started by a black woman to help others stand up and tell their stories, in the process hopefully taking back some control of their lives. She started the movement because she saw the need to help women of color who were sexually assaulted and everyone else was ignoring. Society in general does not concern itself with the well being and mistreatment of black women. It is why I rarely participate in any of the current movements aimed at women empowerment or equality. Until black women are a real part of the conversation and agenda, I have no interest in participating!!!
I am not saying that what happened to these actresses is okay, but when you perform a sex act in exchange for career advancement, it is not the same as being forcefully abducted and raped. You have the power and the option of saying "NO" and walking away. Those who said no and walked away to have their careers affected, are victims. Society is labeling what really amounts to bullshit as heroic. White society at large has a really insensitive habit of wanting to interject and include themselves in the suffering of people of color, comparing the hideous things that were done to black people to the inconveniences they might of endured because their privilege was ruffled. This movement was supposed to be about empowering women who (not just felt) but were actually powerless in the past to respond or speak out. The actresses who have hijacked this movement have had more than 20 years to speak out and tell their stories, so why now? Their careers are no longer at risk, so let's tell the world what we have endured and what it's been like. I suppose anyone is entitled to tell their story and make known the path they encountered on the way to success. I am appalled that they took a movement meant to empower and help powerless women regain their self respect and turned it into a weapon to fight the real cause that most of these women are fighting in Hollywood, which is GENDER EQUALITY PAY!!!! As far as I'm concerned that is what this is really about, because it is ALWAYS ABOUT MONEY!!!
If you don't think it's all about the money, look at how heads are rolling all over the place. When you practically immediately terminate the star of your show when an accusation is leveled without any proof required, it tells me several things. One of which is you've known all along there was a problem, you are now afraid the problem will taint your brand, you allowed the problem to go unchecked, now you're trying to get out front and avoid consequences and you're afraid your core audience will turn on you, so you are trying to distance yourself.
Within a few days of the Golden Globes, Mark Wahlberg came under attack because it came out he was paid substantially more than Michelle Williams for re-shoots for a film they made together. It was used as another example of women making less than men for the same work. Hey I'm all for equal pay for equal work. The thing that no one is addressing is that Mark was paid substantially more because he had a better agent who worked out the figures he was paid. He did not have a clause in his contract that required him to be available for re-shoots for any wage. Once it became clear re-shoots would be needed and he was asked to do them, his agent did what any agent should do and that was to negotiate payment for his time. Michelle either had a clause in her contract or agreed that if re-shoots were needed she would do them for scale. My understanding is that they are represented by the same agency, so why did the agency allow such differences for each of it's stars? Please understand something, I am not a Mark Wahlberg fan. I have my own feelings about him and his early career as a rapper. Meanwhile Mark is being attacked because it took him 5 days to announce he will donate the money. Mark didn't do anything wrong and if I were him, I wouldn't have donated anything. He had better representation and he was entitled to be paid for his time. Michelle was also entitled to be paid sufficiently for her time. Unfortunately, she settled for scale wages when she was worth a lot more than that. Is Hollywood and the public in general really blaming Mark for that!!!
I know it's tempting to minimize the brutality of one's past because no one wants to admit the capabilities needed to inflict such brutality on another human being. However if America and particularly White America is ever going to move past these issues, then the admission of guilt, acceptance of responsibility and the determination moving forward to never see it happen again, must be a movement that is unstoppable. Anything less will only result in what we have today, a society that pretends it's civilized and cultured but is really anything but. Moving forward must include everyone, not just the privileged and must also understand the sorrow and pain inflicted on those who are not white and privileged as much as it sympathizes with it's privileged!!!
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