>_< This Week in Bullshit

Recent current affairs have led me to call out some bullshit happening in the world this week. I always preface my blind rants with the usual "I wasn't thinking, so please take my opinion with a grain of salt," and this time is no different. Certain stories made the headlines this week and I just have a few things to say so I can get them off my chest. Shall we?

Some Dude Got Wrongfully Shot By Police... Again

The fact that this keeps happening is ABSOLUTE bullshit. Without doing some actual research (because do I look like a journalist to you?), a black guy was shot to death (6 I believe) by an officer in Missouri? Yea let's go with that. Either way the point is there are two sides obviously. Witnesses say he didn't show any aggression and went peacefully. Cops say they shot because he appeared to be getting a weapon from his car? Either way the guy is dead and right or wrong - it's the government to decide. So probably wrong. What's worse is that people have become someone protest-y over this and though some decided to protest peacefully, many others decided to loot and riot. Perhaps maybe you can tell by my tone of writing who's side I'm on here. Whether you like it or not, there is no justice to be served by rioting or looting. Especially looting. If you want to show your disdain for this officers actions, I guess you can riot - but there is no point in looting. You're gonna steal from FAMILY DOLLAR and WALMART because someone you may or may not know was wrongfully taken down by the law? If you're gonna loot and go crazy, aim it at the police station or municipal building. Looting stores just shines a light on how SELFISH you are that you've lost sight of what you believe was right (because I'm sure you heart was in the right place) and you turned it into a good opportunity to stock up on food and supplies? You're disgusting. What's even worse is that the officer was suspended WITH PAY.

"Ah, time for a few weeks off, take care of that body would ya, Jim?"

This kind of thing needs to stop. Trigger happy cops who are jaded by power that they forget the very right of the people they swore to protect. I recall another story of the officer who put a choke hold on an asthmatic which aided if not caused the victims death. There's a little section in your tiny little rulebook that BASICALLY says not to use a choke hold... ever. How about just... don't be a dick, officer? That's a pretty good rule. Of course you probably don't know how to do that either.

Support ALS by Doing Nothing

An ice bucket challenge has hit the mainstream. Pour a bucket of ice water on yourself OR ELSE donate $100 dollars to support treatment/cure for ALS. The sentiment is nice, but I'm calling bullshit. Why? A good 95% who accept this challenge actually pour the water on themselves. This isn't helping ALS at all. "OH BUT IT'S SPREADING AWARENESS. MILLIONS KNOW WHAT ALS IS NOW." Hey, you know what? After the challenge finally hit the mainstream - EVERYONE STILL KNOWS (or at least those who cared to know) about ALS. They see some their favorite celebrities do it, they saw the news talking about it, they heard their friends are doing it. Heck, they probably saw something on their pop page on Instagram or Vine or some shit. If any of those outlets required someone to go, "Hey, what's ALS *google search*... oh," then BOOM the job is done. Awareness is spread, congratulations. You know what you DON'T have? Money for research and treatment.

I'm now AWARE, we don't have any money.

I believe one of the worst things is that as mentioned earlier, celebrities are doing this. Really? Donate the goddamn $100. Don't try to relate with those on the lower pay scale by convincing yourself you're doing a good thing because all that comes out of is is more publicity for you. Your PR rep must doing cartwheels. And to end my small little rant on this topic... IT'S FUCKING SUMMER TIME (in north america). OF COURSE YOU'RE GOING TO DUMP A BUCKET OF ICE WATER ON YOURSELF. IT'S HOT OUT. DONATE THE GODDAMN MONEY.

R.I.P Genie

I feel kinda bad including my thoughts on your passing at the end of some angry ranting. But if I don't do it now then I'll never get the words on... digital paper. Thanks for everything Robin Williams. Being a 90's kid, I grew up watching you as Genie from Aladdin. Most of my favorites include Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, Hook, Jack, Flubber, Patch Adams, Good Will Hunting, even Bicentennial Man and Birdcage I'm sure the list goes on. It was a rare mix of happiness and relaxation when one of your movies would play on TV on a free weekend. I would just sit there and watch you all the way through. no matter how many times I've seen it. But what sealed the deal for me, what tied everything together, was when you revealed your open fandom about the Legend of Zelda. Whether or not it is true, I'm left to believe that you even named your beautiful daughter after the princess herself. You will always be a wonderful individual that wasn't afraid to be a little over dramatic when it came to expressing yourself and telling jokes. You taught me to care a little less of what people think of me, if it means the joke will be funny. It's saddening to know how you chose to leave this world, because the media will just bank on whatever headline thy can get - but here at least I treat your passing with respect and hope that wherever your sole may be, it rests in peace - and a whole lotta humor in the afterlife.

ta ta kids

Death of a Coworker

Death is an uncomfortable situation for most of us, When a coworker dies, the situation feels undefined and confusing. We spend a tremendous amount of time together with our coworkers. We are a part of the same daily world, yet we may not be close friends. We feel the loss daily as thoughts return to past or present projects and files or memos resurface. Walking past the "empty desk" becomes uncomfortable. It's confusing and sometimes frightening for coworkers to experience the depth of these feelings. People often try to talk themselves and others out of them. It is realistic and appropriate that coworkers are affected. To different degrees, we too, are the mourners, the ones left behind. IT TAKES TIME before we feel like ourselves and things return to normal.

Let's drop the professional act right there. It's time for real talk.

My coworker passed away recently. Being my pseudo-second boss, he was the last person I had talked to before I left work on Tuesday, June 17, 2014. His passing, has affected me a lot more than one would expect. My grandfather passed in February. He lived in the Philippines so my contact with him was limited. When he passed, I was largely unaffected. It really more or less hit home after I saw how it affected everyone else. I wasn't sad about his passing - I was sad about how others felt about his passing. Broke me to hear family members grieve, but I didn't grieve much. Is that odd? I'm not sure but I'm getting off topic.

My point is that my coworker's passing affected me. Someone I didn't know for too long, but the fact that I was in contact with him, and also the last person I spoke to before leaving made me feel something more than the passing of my own family member. I'm sure this is normal. The only reason why I'm typing anything about this (and I haven't published anything so far this year) is that theres something to say about the way his passing is treated in the workplace.

SIDE NOTE: Apparently there are 5 stages of coping - shock/denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. I guess this is anger. - - - end side note

I got the call at 7AM. I would never get a call from work that early unless it was important, so I answered and received the news - shock/denial. I spent the rest of the day spreading the news the people in my group at work then slowly went into a quiet depression. I'd been doing just fine until just today when our group leader called a mandatory counseling session. So let's get angry.

First and foremost: counseling on a death of a coworker should NEVER be mandatory. I get that you're trying to help others (like me) who keep to themselves after experiencing something like this, but abusing your power and forcing others and myself to a group counseling session is absurd, and a waste of time. I spent the whole session looking down and distracting myself from making eye contact with this "professional griever" because at that point I wasn't having any bullshit. I guess he's just been doing this counseling this for so long that everything he says and all the advice he gives sounds scripted and not geniune at all. Fake ass mofo says he understands but I believe he has become jaded due to over exposure to the situation.

Anyway, what got to me the most is when our group leader started talking about how his passing was a "great loss" and how much she appreciates everything he did for our group. Now this may be all well and good if it didn't come out so... professional. It was like hearing back from a college rejection letter. Same old scripted, vague, not geniune response. The same words would come out if I or anyone else passed away and that just isn't fair. I just wanted for once see these people be unprofessional. Drop the uniform, the ID card, and let me see how you really are. Stop with the "he was a great asset to the company and his contributions will be remembered blah blah blah blah"

I didn't know him as well as others did. Maybe I'm not qualified to say anything about it. I believe - and if you're somehow out there reading this feel free to agree - that you wouldn't want it like that. One of the many qualities that I remember about you that isn't the generic "great guy" or "family man" is that you know how to call out bullshit. In this project we were working on, you were the only one to call out if an idea was stupid. To hear others talk about your passing so generically is insulting and I apologize for the way it is... becasue that's business.

My group leader also said the business group is also greatly affected. This is true, but they aren't grieving, they're sweating their balls off trying to find a way to get their money back. I don't believe anyone higher than your position cares all that much about your loss. They're more worried about how to bounce back and continue making money. I can't blame them though, that's the nature of their job and I almost feel sorry for them.

My main point inf all this unorganized rambling is that I'm sick and tired of trying to maintain a professional environment. I hate that I have to talk differently when I'm at work and that I have to supress what I want to say, and even more differently to more important people. I want to give you a hive five, not shake your hand. I want to tell that counselor that he's a fake ass mother fucker. I want to tell the group leader that her scripted bull shit nonsense treats my coworkers passing like a college rejection letter. I'm so tired of not seeing people for who they really are behind their button down shirt.

I'm sad that you're gone, man. I'm sad that this blog doesn't do you justice and that I'm using it to portray my hatred towards big business and professionalism in general. What I'm most sad about is that before you left this world you told me to "have a good night" and when I said "you too," I didn't really mean it - I just said it becasue it was the professional thing to do.