He Had It Coming...

In my opinion this local Iraqi reporter is a hero. It takes balls to stand up and dissent to tyranny in a public forum. He may be facing serious jail time but he put into action what has been on alot of peoples' minds. Both Iraqi and American.

Revolution Day November 4th, 2008!

Today I took part in a historic event that was worth waiting an hour and a half in line for. This is an exciting time for us here in the United States as well as for everyone in the rest of the world. We are in process of taking back our nation and in transforming the face of our nation. Finally I am closer to saying with the ease and confidence that 'we are one'. Congratulations President brother Barack Obama, you inspire many an African-American and all those who fight in the face of adversity to step above and become noticed for our character and the hope for change.

Thank you for being a friend... now get lost!

The other day I decided to call my sometime girl friend, Crystal, for support after two days of silence from my pouting BF. I explained my intentions to her. So after explaining my plans to Crystal she started saying "that's illegal" to the idea of working a job off the books. " Well, tell that to the millions of undocumented workers here in this country, " I retorted. I was applying for a job to supplement my meager income and I was hoping it would be off the books so my earnings wouldn't be going to Uncle Sam. The same Uncle Sam who has no problem bailing out big ass corporations with 700 billion of our hard-earned tax dollars. That's the problem with this government, no respect for the people who it governs. Yeah, I realize that the state of the economy affects everyone but for once I feel like those well-off people who drive around in their mercedes-benz and walk around in their $800 suits downtown now know what us working class people go through. The fact that daily execs and yupsters fear losing their shirts if their investments tank fills me with a sense of schadenfruende. After hanging up with Crystal I finally realized she was just a spoiled southern middle-class hick who is used to her daddy taking care of her even if that means paying her rent for her well into her 20's. I immediately deleted her name and number from my phone.

The Pot Calling the Kettle Negroid?

I've been experiencing some difficulty with my current BF Darryl this week. Even though we've had our ups and downs this is the final straw -he's now labeled me a sex addict. Not that I've been seeking sex outside of our relationship of late. It's because I like to go online to websites for hours at a time that he's concerned. What red-blooded man wouldn't enjoy looking at stimulating material? there were times when we've been in bed and I've made my advances but he would brush me off. The worst part was when he told me because I was too gay for him because I sometimes read HX and NEXT magazine and like to go to events in the gay community. I was heartbroken. I've been with Darryl for almost 3 years now. Fine time for him to realize I'm too gay. Sure, I like some broadway tunes, even shows but why all the homophobia now? At least I don't listen to bitch tracks and watch the children walk at balls on Youtube.

After All This Shit The Exploitative Assholes Fire Me!!!

The Last Straw

I was on my out of work Thursday afternoon and off to a wonderful three day weekend at Comiccon when Howard asked me if I had a minute. I told him I have an appointment. He said it would only take a minute. So I went into the office with him and was confronted with Joe Ubriaco. It was like that scene in Empire Strikes back on Cloud City when Darth Vader is revealed to be standing behind the door waiting for our rebel heroes. Only Vader had manners to stand up to greet his soon-to-be doomed guests. Joseph Ubriaco didn't. Holding a photocopy of a despicable customer's photo which I doctored to share with my co-workers as a joke. He asked me did I know who did it and I answered "yes, I did." I added, "that she's a very rude customer that has come in and has abused and defamed myself and my staff." He went on ad nauseum about how if the customer saw it the store would be liable. After I explained that the place in which was the picture was found was only in the break room and out of view so that only people who work there would find it Joe Ubriaco insisted that it was a public place. A public place which unlike the rest of the store has no cameras and in which I almost walked in on a few female associates changing their clothes. After explaining about the episode with this same troublesome customer and her requesting to use the restroom from Khadeidra resulted in the exact statement that was found in the caption "That's Bullshit!" Joe insisted that the restroom was a public place. "Actually, according to Howard no customers can use our bathroom because if anything goes wrong there's a liablity." I also added. "and trust me, you don't want to know what some people do in bathrooms." Joe agreed but continued to scrutinize my judgement regarding the picture. He added, "but you drew a bullet hole in her forehead." He was acting as if I'd drawn it on her actual head. He continued that some of the bigger bosses were there but had not seen the doctored picture. He continued saying if the customer was so bold as to reach into a drawer and take $10.00 coupons then what would keep her from goin into the breakroom and seeing the picture. he told me I would have to fill out a statement about the reason behind why I was provoked into defacing the picture. I admit it wasn't my best work as a former Pratt student but I didn't have time to draw a photo realistic representation of the difficult customer. I was very incensed and told him the photo was a "farce, farcial in nature -that's all!?" It's a good thing I wasn't going to be back until Monday because it would give me time to calm down and consult a legal professional. Why would Staples paint this women who has given my co-workers and I so much grief as a victim and make me out to be a threat of some kind? Especailly after all I have done for them as an employer? These people have worked with me for over seven months and Joseph Ubriaco interviewed me personally two times before I was offered a the position. So, why the concern I may not be sound in my judgements? They gave me keys to open the store, a passcode and acccess to the safe but I draw a few illustrations on a fucking picture and I'm looked as someone who could go postal? I remember Joseph Ubriaco telling me "not the take my job so seriously" no more than two months ago. Well, I did draw on the picture in the spirit of satire for the levity of my co-workers who have grown frustrated dealing with a demanding customer base. It was a shoddy parody that avoided any and all constitutionally protected characteristics such as age, gender, race, and marital status just as Staples' outlines in its Handbook on Harrassment. If I'd meant any maliciousness I would have taken the time to illustrate an altered facsimile with my skilled hands. Also the difficult woman who was in the picture is not one of our customers according to what Howard told me last week. She and others like her (students included) are not customers because they require extra added attention and proofs while not spending upwards of $20.00 or more to cover the cost of wasted prints. Well, if the person in question within the picture isn't one of our customers then she would have no case because she hasn't spent enough according to Howard's stupid judgement. I'd like to believe she would even be charged with trespassing if she'd ever walked into the break room and saw said doctored photo. So their point is null and void. I'm so diasppointed in all of them. Of the numerous things that I've done to keep us in business they always point out negative things. I'm quitting this job very soon because Staples' is a cult, not a corporation! And to make it even better that spineless turd Howard has no idea that he borrowed my keys and I have no way of opening on Monday morning. Oh well...

So Much for Easy

My co-worker in production, Sam and I confronted the GM Howard Coopersmith about our concerns Johanny Hernandez was making commission off of the business that came into our store rather than going out there to attact more. Howard with Jenny Salles in attendance denied it up and down. We weren't convinced. We then recommended those who work in production get a commission on larger print jobs. Howard shot that down. Later, when I was alone with Howard in the cash office I asked about a possible raise of $1.50 which would be helpful in Darryl and our financial situation. I cited the fact that I have helped the corporation open up two of these new business concepts they call a copy and print shop. Canvassed for businesses in the neighborhood, even referred friends. That I wanted to attend school soon and with the economy in such bad shape I needed some incentive to stay on. I even cited my willingness to break policy to get the store open to start making money when no one shows up. Simply put" the stress of being the sole production person somedays (like last Sunday and the one before that) along with managing the front of the store is not comisserate with the salary. After all of this he said "no". In his words I do no more than "put a key in the door and tills in the drawers". According to him I need to immerse myself in all the trenchant paperwork that goes along with being a manager. Paperwork I abhor and loathe because it is a complicated waste of time. I hate to count their money. l feel like a tool of some sort. Another adding machine for socialist corporation. These binders full of proceedures are only the way to track Staples' money and makes sure the employees aren't stealing it. That's all! Even if I were to bring more money personally into the store I wouldn't receive any increase in pay. Howard told me there's a choice to make: either stay a production person with little to no advancement or remain a keyholder and continue to be exploited by flawed management.

...And It Just Keeps On Going!

Unfortunately, I showed up to the Staples' Copy and Print Shop this Sunday and much to my dismay I saw no associates. So I decided to wait. Thirty minutes and no one showed up! After so many weeks of watching so many employees skate by without so much as a write up for their lateness maybe today would be the day. Strangely enough I looked forward to yelling at these young people just to try and correct this problem. It was quite obvious my fellow managers along with the GM were pretty lax about everyone but the opening staff showing up on time. Take for instance Sam Agobage who has shown up consistantly late since he and I were at store# 5305 and has taken more days off than any other person on staff. I've only had one sick day since I've been with this shitty company! Then there's Johanny our CDR. He disappeared for 3 days! I remember it plain as yesterday -Jessica DeStephano was visiting our store to meet him here now that she had proven to Joe Ubriaco that she was qualified to become a CDR. Now all that remained was the training she would receive from Johhanny who was not there and never call in to say so much as "boo". I watched in glee as I got the opportunity to show that smug son of a bitch Joe U. grow impatient waiting for this guy to show up. The same guy who I got in trouble for complaining about not returning his phone calls not too long ago. As a business-to-business person you would think he would make himself available, even to his own boss. I don't know what Howard and Joe U. said to Johanny after disappearing without so much as a word but I know three or more days does count as job abandonment. So I called Howard to let him know there was one to go into the building with me and did you know he started getting sharp with me, "Why didn't youcall sooner?!" "The only reason I didn't call you until forty after eleven in morning was because you have conditioned these employees to arrive late!" I barked back logically. So you know what the fool did? He ordered me to open the store even though I had no one to open with. Stupid move. He knows it's against policy as a keyholder to go into the building without another associate yet he ordered me to go in there anyway. Once I got in there I got a call back from Howard saying one of the associates, Ginger was on her way to the store and would be in fifteen minutes. Pretty soon Michael called on one of the store phones stating he had spoken to Joe Woodard, the assistant manager who gave him Howard's phone number to remind him. I asked him,"did you call him to tell you couldn't make it today?" Michael responded "no." Well, you'd better call him now." I said. Another call came through. It was Gabrielle, another associate called saying she had a sore ankle and couldn't come to work. She had been calling the store for the duration of the time I was outside waiting for someone to show up. Clearly, I have to be in the store in order to answer the phone but how is that possible when I can't even go in without an associate? To sum it up, Ginger didn't show up until an hour and a half later. They say the employees reflect the management and this business is soon to be a disaster.

The Reason to Hate Staples

It's nice to have a Saturday off even though I have to go into work tomorrow. Of course, I didn't find out that I had to work Sunday until yesterday when Howard told me. You'd think he'd know better to make the schedule so late especially after last weekend when employees didn't show up or were the least helpful. Then again he didn't work both days that weekend, I did. After a week where I had to open up late both this past Wednesday and Thursday because no one showed up at 6:30am in order for me to open the store. Especially this Thursday when Howard gave me the okay to open up the store claiming he was only "ten blocks away". Anything could have happened to me in the time he was traveling those ten blocks. Staples' policy states that no one is to enter the building alone unless with another associate and I have broken this policy with my employer's permission five times already! I was ordered to open up by myself two weeks before on March 27th of this year when one of the new employees, Vanessa didn't show up. The funny thing is I have been breaking this policy time and time again with little to no assurance that it will not affect my employment with this corporation. Shit, if corporate caught wind of this they'd probably fire Howard and reprimand Joseph Ubriaco for not taking actions to prevent this from happening this far. This and other incidents have shown that this workplace is not a sound environment for anyone to work in, let alone myself. What drove this point home for me was Howard's revelation that the students from the New School and Pratt are "not our customers". His explanation: because they come in and occupy (the specialist's) time with printing out their documents while spending only $12.00 as opposed to the business customers that spend upwards of $200.00 or more. I was shocked and deeply disturbed. Is this typical of every jew I meet in businesses? Earlier when we started this store he was the one who told me that sending us out canvassing businesses was a form of "seeding" ,planting seeds that would later bloom into business opportunities. Who is to say that the next customer coming in to make copies doesn't work for a Fortune 500 company and will pass word to his co-workers or bosses how great the store is? Or that the same student who comes in regularly to print out digital copies of her work to complete her portfolio is not going to start up her own business in the next two years and will think of Staples' when she wants to open up an account. I think my employer's fail to see the bigger picture I paint for them and always will. Which is why I'm looking to start up my own business. No more having to count other peoples' money. No more having to explain how my actions are beneficial for business. I would finally be able to have something I could truly call my own.

"I work with fucktards!"

I often scream this out after a week of work in which I went from being the "problem " in my assistant manager's words to their savior -and all I did was show up for work. Just last week on Wednesday I tried my very best to illustrate to my employers how ineffiecent some people are who work with me by confronting them with a job that could have been done sooner had the business-to-business rep returned the customer's calls and emails. When I failed to get their attention to the detail I so painfully demonstrated I gave up and clocked out to take my break. Still simmering over this bullshit job and the fucked up demands they place upon me. If I'm obligated to pick up the phones and reply to emails then why not the CDR? I spent 90 mins. on break ranting to Darryl about how badly I need to quit this job. I was so furious at my GM Howard Coopersmith's blaise response to this shit that I didn't even want to go back into the building. Shit, I was afraid I'd do something or say something that would get me fired. Hard to believe the same bitch that talks so much about how we need to bring in my money and more business shot me down when I was trying show them that we were in jeopardy of losing business at that time. My calm assistant manager called me on my cell phone interrupting my "session" with Darryl to ask if I was coming back inside. Once inside I spoke to my assistant manager. He referred to me as the "problem" and that I'd better choose between whether I want to work there or not. Personally, I would have thrown on my coat and left but I kept thinking about what Darryl would have said seeing as we're behind on bills and rent. My spineless GM came up to me telling me the DM was here and wanted to see me. As soon as heard that I knew there was going to be trouble. Joseph Ubriaco was visiting that day and wanted everyone to be there and pretend we're the big happy family we clearly are not. When I went missing that's when they got "worried". After explaining my position Joseph Ubriaco claimed I had abandoned my position even though all the managers and keyholders were there and even though I looked like I could take off someone's head. They excused their selves while they made a call to HR to find out if they could fire me for taking a little me time and calm down. In a matter of minutes they called me back in and told me they couldn't (truthfully how could they?) but that doesn't forgive the fact that I was wrong to leave without notifying anyone. Mind you, one of our newest hires, an assistant manager herself was standing near the door when I left in a huff. They basically stated that they own me and that I cannot leave with out telling anyone because that would be in their words "irresponsible". I stood my ground but I realized I have to make nice with everyone while that uppity shithead Joseph Ubriaco was there. "You can't take your job so seriously," they said. They're management and have no clue how hard it is to work there somethimes. They haven't been abused and cursed at by customers who don't get what they want when they want it. New York customers are the worst sons-of-assholes to deal with in retail environments. This week one of our specialist left a $680.00 copy job without a copy hold or any idea of how many copies were made and never came back the following day or the day after that(job abandonment, anyone?). Well, said co-worker was to open up the plantation, er., store early on Thursday but he never showed. So I called my spineless, bigheaded jew of a GM and told him it was against company policy for me to open up (even though the same thing happened three weeks ago but I opened up per my GM's orders) and that I didn't think it was in good judgment to do so. So I sat down in the diner across the street and ate breakfast while I watched as potential customers walk up to the door and walked away. I could actually see the money walking away. No matter. Sherley, the other associate was to come in at 8 or 8:30 or whenever she decided to drag her ass in. When she didn't show up I let my GM know again but mysteriously he wasn't answering his cell phone. Either he's driving and can't answer or gasp, he could be in a meeting. He finally sent me a text giving me permission to enter the building and start the opening proceedures. I felt vindicated from that point on the entire day. I made it clear if they succeeded in firing me the week before they would have no one to open up that shithole. Let's be honest, the real reason I open is because they can't find anyone reliable enough and because the GM doesn't want to get up that early. Friday his doucheyness Joeseph Ubriaco stopped by to see how business was running and to jack-off in the office with his splooge partner, Howard. But before he could get slither pass into their secret chamber Joseph Ubriaco wanted to shake hands and say hello as if the events of last week never happened. "I wanted to say you did the right thing by not going into the building without an associate." I told the smug, self-righteous asshole," It's not the first time it's happened so I did what I was supposed to do." I added, "I always try to do the right thing." He smiled his usual fake smile and continued to walk to the back. What a douchebag. For someone who wanted to throw me under the bus he was certainly using that tongue of his to clean my boots properly. Asshole even interrupted my work to run skills drills even though I was the only person in production. He even made me feel like a slob when told me to tuck in my shirt in front of my GM and an associate. Funny, that's from me moving around and doing work not standing around and talking with people like this turd. Why is it when Joseph Ubriaco comes around we're under such a microscope but God forbid if I bring up and discrepancies? What makes him think he disrupt our workflow with stupid shit. Joseph Ubriaco is just a fucking douchebag from Westchester, NY where they have cleaner air, higher property values and they can have healthy disagreements and not walk off mad. He's obviously never been married or the chip in his stepford wife is well-programmed. In my humble opinion he's better off staying up there and out of the way. Darryl keeps telling me we aren't paid to do our jobs, we're paid to deal with the bullshit that comes with the position. Only 20% is the actual duties of the job. It's bad enough I have managers trying to fire me at the drop of a hat but it's even worst that they themselves don't know how to use the applications on the desktop of their own computers. The time has come for my employers to realize I don't need Staples -they need me and I'm never going to let them forget that.

A Day at the Theater

I just got back from seeing Debbie Allen's revival of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" with Darryl and his mother and mine.