Rant

Ladies, Gentlemen, and readers who don’t prescribe to either of those labels: it’s time for a rant week.

So what’s that mean? This week, instead of keeping my topic singular, I’m opening the floodgates, baby.

And since this is my blog where I can do whatever I want, ya’ll get to bear witness to it.

First up, I’ve been on a job search this week. With the status of my current position at the school I work for up in the air and no one able to tell me if it actually still exists or what would be expected of me, ya girl is in major need of a new job. Plus, I’m not terribly comfortable walking back into a school that may or may not have already given me Covid back in March (I thought I had a terrible chest cold the week before quarantine went into effect but in retrospect fully believe it was Miss Rona stopping by to say hey girl.) 

Now, I’m not unique in saying that job searches are easily in the top 5 worst things you’ll likely do as an adult. They’re tedious and repetitive. Every job wants tailored cover letters and 12 years of experience for entry level positions. It’s stupid. But this week, as I’ve combed Indeed, there is one thing that has sent me into a ragey spiral more than anything else. Un. Paid. Internships.

This isn’t a new complaint of mine. I’ve never understood how a company can ask someone to work for them upwards of 25 hours a week then not give them a paycheck or stipend and still think they’re doing this person a favor. It’s always struck me as predatory and manipulative and it needs to be illegal. But especially right now, as we are still deep within a pandemic that has made unemployment skyrocket, to see companies, I don’t care how small, still offering “experience” for free labor. It sets me off.

Trust me, I get it.

A lot of businesses are working with the barebones as far as employees go right now. They probably don’t want to be paying out more money than what they’re making just to hire on new staff. Makes sense, profit is generally what business is all about.

But.

I am truly one more unpaid internship “opportunity” post away from applying to every single one of them with a link to this blog, (telling people they’re despicable AND getting that readership up? Now that’s good business!) 

I don’t care if your business is suffering during this pandemic, it is reprehensible to ask people to work for you, to make your life easier, and not pay them when the unemployment rate is high af and people are struggling to pay their bills. If you can’t afford to pay someone, then buck up buckaroo cause it looks like you’ll be gaining all that fine business experience yourself when you write your own copy and set up your own social media marketing campaigns.

Moving on, while I’ve been twisting myself into a ball of anxiety and fury (a perfect name for my first book, don’t ya think?) over concerns for my employment status and making ends meet, the senate has gone ahead and adjourned until September 8th! Without a new relief package reached! How cool and awesome of them!!! Why exactly do they need the next three weeks off anyway? They don’t do anything.

Plus the most evil and idiotic president we have ever had fully and openly admitted to denying aid to the USPS in an attempt to block mail-in ballot voting for the upcoming election. And guess what? NOBODY IS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT! I mean the senate is fucking adjourned for the next three weeks! This fuck all but said he’s doing things to rig the election that he knows he’ll lose should it be done fairly, and yet he’s still in power. He’s still allowed to do and say these things. The republicans won’t stand up to him cause they’re a bunch of cowards who only care about their own money and making sure the little guy can’t get ahead. Forty-five still has supporters among the general public, even though he has made it abundantly clear that he will never look out for them. But he’s racist, hates women, and makes fun of anyone who is different than his ignorant, old white ass and that seems like enough for the people who still plan to vote in his favor. Because I don’t know what else they’re getting out of the deal.

It’s exhausting to be alive in the year 2020. 

As I read back through this, maybe the general theme of this post is that I can’t stand people with power taking advantage of others and not being held accountable for all the bad they cause. It feels like this week was the perfect storm of bullshit to get my blood boiling and I had to bust out a quick rant just to get it out of my system. Maybe now I can get back to my usual fun grump attitude instead of constantly simmering on the edge of outrage. At least for the rest of today.

So how’s your week been? Any good news come your way? Have a rant you just gotta get off your chest? Know of any decent work from home or freelance writing jobs?  Fill me in! Comment below and lets celebrate/rage out together!