Prejudice rears its ugly head.

I wasn't going to write about this stuff, as it's deeply personal, and I'm not sure that I should disseminate it over the 'tubes' as it were.

However, I'm also pretty cheesed about it, and I would like input from my fellow bloggers about it.

After that rather vague preamble, let me begin:

My Lady has been suffering, what I would consider BLATANT prejudice at her 'part-time' bar job. I'm fairly freaked out that this sort of thing is still happening. I mean... I realise that there's a tonne of prejudice based on race and religion in my country, and I find it appalling. However, the fact that the prejudice against My Lady is both racial and religious, and the fact that she's a sweet little Church of Scotland/British Bird is why I'm freaked about it.

I'm not going to mention the place. That's not what this post is about. But I'll say a few words about it. It's an 'Irish theme bar' sort of thing (That's fairly safe to say, as there's about 20 of the places in the Twin Cites of St.Paul and Minneapolis, and unless you know us really well, you probably don't know which one it is.

Anyhoo... She received The talking to early last week. She's been told that she's "not working out" and that "she's just not fast enough" for the team. Now, the issue is that she is a WONDERFUL waitress, and even during the "talking to" she was told that for customer service she was perhaps the best on staff. However, she's "still not fitting in" in the bar. Most of the issues that were brought up during the 'talking to' were based on a few different shifts, and this is where the prejudice sneaks in...

When she was hired at this place that is staffed by 'mainly' American folk, she was hired by an actual "Irish" manager (not Irish-American, actually born in Ireland, Irish). This manager thought My Lady was Scottish, and figured that a Scot was close enough to an Irish-bird that the Yankee custom wouldn't really notice. (By the way, it's not a prerequisite that one be Irish at an Irish bar, it's just a good way to make Yank-customers happy.) The issues began, when it was discovered that My Lady was born in Newcastle. England. She wasn't Scottish, she was English in Scots-clothing. All of a sudden... The actual "Irish" staff at the place started doing stuff. Scheduling her for shifts she would ask for off, and NOT scheduling her for any other days. The Irish bar-staff would "forget drinks" for her. The (get this) Ecuadorian cook (who was FRIENDS with My Lady) started not making her food orders (which was even worse than the Irish people, as the Irish treat HIM like crap, so I'm not sure where his 'turncoat' nature began).

Anyhoo... You get the idea. During her 'talking to' she was excoriated by the manager for being 'slow' by not getting the food out fast enough, or getting the drinks out fast enough.

Get the idea?

Yeah.

So... What it really LOOKS like to me, is that they've been doing their best to sabotage her. She was told during the 'talking to' that she'd get a week to improve, or she'd be let go.

My Lady turned in her two-weeks notice today.

I guess where I'm going with this, is... What the? I mean, really! What the hell is going on, that Irish folk would be so rude and awful and frankly EVIL to my wife? We have Irish friends, one of My Lady's attendants during the wedding was Irish, he's one of our best friends, and... Well... I just don't get it.

I'd love to do this post, and then tell everyone the name of this horrible place, but I'm not going to... You're all welcome to e-mail me at: expat.squared[at]gmail.com, and I'll tell you, if you want to know... But...

Anyhoo...

I'm glad she's getting out of that place... And...

She's already got another job lined up.

Okay... I'm sort of feeling better now. I just had to get this off my chest.

Anyone out there that are as sickened as I am?

-- Tuckmac

Sunday before Memorial Day

Greetings friends, it's the day before Memorial Day, in the States, and I suppose we should all reflect on the importance of our troops, and the sacrifices they've made for freedom and democracy...

...In a country whose government could give a RATS ARSE about them!

Sorry. I just get a little 'twitchy' when we approach one of those 'support the troops' days... You know... Memorial Day, V-day, Veteran's day... Fourth of July.

Like many 'bleeding-heart Liberals' I'm accused of NOT supporting the troops, and of being a 'loser' and a 'traitor to the nation' for asking (begging, praying and hoping) our troops to be brought out of the morass that is Iraq.

And what gets really upsetting, is that I actually do support the troops. The fact that I think the commander and chief of our troops is a big fucking arse-hole, doesn't mean that I don't support the men and women fighting in an unjust war, because of lies and proclamations of doom by liars and self-important fuck-budgies.

Our troops don't have a choice. They signed up for it. They're stuck there. Until we can get them the heck OUT of there... We have to support them.

It's NOT going to be another Vietnam folks. Yes... I'm old enough to remember the way the Vet's were treated. It was appalling, blaming the good men and women for something that our government did. I never, will never, and HAVE never thought that the troops were evil, or didn't deserve our respect and yes... Admiration, for their sacrifice and strength in the face of untold misery and pain and horror.

Don't forget our troops. Praise them. Fight for them.

Get them HOME.

Thanks veterans and current soldiers.

-- Tuckmac

You guessed it...

Linky Day Wednesday, episode four thousand, fifty seven and a half, is about to begin.

• It's about time! NEWS... Hugh Laurie gets an OBE. See... I love him. As a 'guy' sorta thing, but I truly do just adore this guy. The fact that a comedian/actor from England can pull off a drug-addicted, anti-social, ASS-hat on a drama on American telly??? He deserves a knighthood, not just an OBE. But... I'll let it go.
• There's nothing like ramdomly-captioned Victorian and Edwardian illustrations, is there? Daze of our Lives
• Okay... A rather bizarre website that allows you to "destroy" the web with various destructive methods, including, but not limited to: dog poop, nuclear bombs, flies, or dinosaurs. Netdisaster is fun to use with the Big House or other appropriate websites. Enjoy!
• Scott Pakin invented a wonderful Complaint Letter Generator that made me want to lie on my back like a small puppy, and let him scratch my belly. I don't think he'd be up for that, but I know I would be hee hee...
• I'm not sure if this is an actual office party, or if this person just has lots of friends that look vaguely 'hip-yuppy-emo' or something, but... I enjoyed this little video quite a bit.

As to my own life? It's too boring to blog about, hence all the 'linky day wednesday's' lately. I'm not 'bored' myself. It's just not necessarily interesting to the larger world that I get up, go to work, come home and go to bed every day. So... Once something else comes up, I'll jump right up on this.

Till then...

Ta!
-Tuckmacc

Guess what time it is...

Yeah, well, it's a Wednesday, and it's a 'linky' day, so, you guessed it: Linky Day Wednesday, ON Wednesday no less.

Wow.

• One of the more amazing Flash Videos I have ever seen is found HERE. I was very impressed with this guy's abilities. Obviously, stuff like this has been done before, but... Wow.
• Emily, this one in particular is ALL for you. Cowabduction.com. I mean, the name says it all, no?
• A great pisstake against my fellow country folk. Britain for Americans. I have a feeling my Brit readers will enjoy this type of humour more than my American friends, but... You will all hopefully embrace the funny.
• Another great Flash animation, this one created to the tune of Radiohead's "Creep" song. Creep
• 9 Things I learned from Stock Photos is a section in a rather bitter computer-guy's website. He's got a weird, yet vaguely humourous look at the world.
• I've seen similar 'maps' of American World View sorts of things, but here's another amusing one.
• Entire books online? Yes. And what's the first one I 'can't put down'? Thus Spake Zarathustra. Ah... Nietzsche. Actually, I was kidding about 'not being able to put it down.' I've never actually made it through this book. But it's still rather nifty that you can read it online.

Well, readers... That's it for today. Have a great one.

-- Tuckmac

Glorious Thursday!

Today I awoke to bright sunlight, birds chirping outside my window, semi-trucks barrelling down University Ave, and the marvellous news that Tony "poodle-boy" Blair has said he's stepping down.

What a GLORIOUS day!

In an emotional speech, Mr Blair said he had been prime minister for 10 years which was "long enough" for the country and himself. - BBC News

Yeah... No freaking kidding!

Well... One Warmonger down. Just one to go.

Impeachment anyone???

-- Tuckmac

Linky Day Wednesday, on a Sunday

As I'm feeling particularly uninspired lately with my blog, and exhausted from a long week... It's time for another "Linky Day Wednesday" to occur, albeit on a Sunday evening.

Och weel. Hope you enjoy.

• The Pop Culture Translator. Ozzy's bit, is probably the best, as he 'stumps' the translator.
• Mac vs. PC the SOUTHPARK version. I had to chuckle.
• I'm sure my more "tech savvy" readers like Ick, or N8 or Mesh have already seen this site, so... This is for the rest of you! The Bleeding Obvious from "computer stupidity". I laughed, I cried... It was better than Cats, I want to see it again, and again, and again...
• Okay, this one is more random, but I still smiled... Punctuation with Ze Frank I'm not sure if his 'joke' was funnier than his slight speech impediment. Oh... I'm going to get sh*t for saying that, aren't I? Darn.
• And strangely enough, I found an illustration that perfectly describes my last three weeks of existence. And from what I can tell, it's a student project from somewhere. Funny though. If not a bit sad. Just that it was so me you know? Or maybe you don't. Perhaps I'm only rambling...

Well... Hope you enjoyed at least a few of those. Have a good one, folks....

-- Tuckmac

The preponderance of "Social Networking" sites.

It's weird, but the past few weeks, I've been barraged with the "Social Network Site" thing. Here, Here, and now a friend has also brought up "Facebook" in a comment, strangley enough, located in my MySpace account.

It all started with MySpace for me. See... I've been blogging for a LONG time, but there's many people who weren't as into the "web" as myself in those days... And up and comes a site called MySpace, which started out as a musician's social-networking site, but opened itself up to mainly 13 year-olds with skin conditions. But I digress...

As many of my friends from Britain, and elsewhere, were not 'bloggers' but rather, MySpacers... I joined MySpace to 'keep in touch.'

Then something weird happened. I was sent a 'hi-5' by one of my Brit contacts... Gah... Okay... I'll join that one too.

Then another person Tagged Me and so... Again... I go off and "sign up" for that. I've never been Friendstered as if that is a word, but I'm sure it's not long before I am.

Anyhoo... What I'm getting at is this:

I don't WANT to join anymore damn "social sites!"

I mean, it's getting ridiculous! If I keep this up, signing into fifteen "social sites" a day to keep up with all the disparate people I know... I'll lose my actual social life, and it's pretty sorry as it is!

I realise that MySpace and Facebook are the big ones, now a days... But I'm also conflicted.

I work at a college/university. Do I sign up under THAT school (as many of my students wish for me to do) or do I sign up under my gradschool in England? Or do I go back in time to the three, (count them) THREE undergraduate universities I attended?

Why can't all you people PICK ONE, and let's ALL bloody well go THERE, and quit with all the bloody different LINKS?????????????

I love you all...

-- Tuckmac

"Act of Union"

The day one half of my ancestry took over the other half, 300 years ago.

Yep... The "Act of Union" of England and Scotland. Wow.

There was a test on the BBC, and I got:Yep... I challenge everyone to do better than I. Even my Brit friends. This was a very difficult test.

Take it Here

I'm off... Meeting up with My Lady to go buy a bicycle. Yay.

Edit: 10:29pm, Tuesday night, May 1st


We got one!

-- Tuckmac