Unless otherwise explicitly stated, "sleeping with someone for five months naked" does not make it a relationship; romantic kind, filler kind, any kind.

If you are not sure, ask. If your still not sure after that, then that should be your answer. There are messages in what isn't said as well as what is said out loud. And if you are still not sure and find it necessary to track them down in a community blog (or worse, find a friend to do it) then that should make you start asking a whole new set of questions, ones about yourself.

I am not sure why this annoyed me today, but the uncalled-for-drama that I noticed in the chat this morning had me thinking about this on and off all day. I suppose for various reasons..

Ofcourse I don't know the details, I only know that an issue (if there even is one) was brought up publicly and in a stalkeresque manner. Join the site- have plenty to say in the chat, but no blog? hmmmm.. Shameful.

And even if everything about the situation is 'valid'- why the fuck find that person here and harass them???? This is not the place and what purpose does it really serve? Find an AOL chat room for that.

Whatever case you may have had- I think you lost it.

"he told her awhile ago that he was confused about wanting to be with her"
Damn, I think that is admirably honest of him. I know I have behaved in less than stellar manner in the past.

"and now he is trying to meet new people on the same night"

so?? Although I don't jump into the chat much, most of the peeps are quite friendly, (e:vycious) included--and not just last night. Why not meet new people? Maybe that will help the 'confusion'. Maybe it isn't anyones business who he, we, any of us meet.

Yes, abnd here I am ranting about someone elses business- about stuff I don't really know about..

but atleast it is in a blog.

I am dealing with a stalker or two of my own. Fortunately they havent found me online or sent a friend to harass me. I am not sure what I would do at that point- especially if they found me here, in my community. Maybe my stalkers are a bit more mature, heh.

ok, flame away..

What is with the seizure inducing flashing ads on various web sites?

The ones that can't be eliminated from your line of vision; the ones that continue to flash in your mind even after closing the window...

• Proceeds to vomit*

HATES irrelevant site ads. *kicks* stupid ads.

That is all.

Going to make a big pot of soup now -consisting of spinach, parsnips, portebello mushrooms, kale, okra, turnips, carrots, celery, peppers, and any other vegtable matter I find; and either Lentils or Barley- not sure which one. OooOoooh the suspense..

Cost of.. living?

No, Cost of Whining.

A person seeking information will be discerning regarding the context they read. It is imperative to peruse the source of information with skepticism, an open mind and, if you are indeed serious, time.

If you are gathering information to write an article to support your thoughts, then I suggest read them and follow the same previously mentioned protocol. This allows the reader the opportunity to see that the writer is, in the very least, serious about his or her work; even if they wholly disagree. Disagreement is good, but let it be as well informed as possible. If you really want to have some fun, go ahead and challenge your own thoughts by reading information that contradicts your beliefs. But don't go too crazy, now ;)

Of course, we can scrutinize even the best compiled writing. Regardless of facts and what seems obvious, everything can be interpreted according to the reader. Factors such as generation, culture, gender, education, race, temperament and experience influence our mental models and therefore how we perceive and interpret information. With all that taken into consideration, this pursuit is not errorless. We are humans; we all have varying degrees of weakness and stubbornness.

However, if you do not spend the time reading the information, then you can't very well interpret it. If you are spewing a few words for the sake of a paycheck, well then, apparently no rules apply. I am talking to you, Media. Tsk tsk.

(e:Joshua) [inlink]joshua,93[/inlink] wrote aptly about the bullshit nature of those who provide news sources; oh those poor starving journalists! Joshua included a link to an article in which the writer, Daniel Gross, going on a real stretch here, compares the field of journalism to the creative class and the subsequent effect of high prices on their craft and lifestyle. As promised, it is my turn to rant.

"The journalists who write these stories about people who can't afford to live in New York can't afford to live in New York, either. And that's a trend that may prove just as corrosive to establishment media as any disruptive technology."

Gross goes on to say that wages have been stagnating for years at the big three companies and that he himself writes for the Times. The big three companies are Dow Jones (who owns The Wall Street Journal), Times, Inc and The New York Times Company, all who own multiple domestic and international subsidiaries in electronic and paper format and are NOT hurting for revenue.

Take a look at the SEC filings for each company (10-Qs and 8-Ks), the amount paid out in liabilities (read: employee wages) is a miniscule percentage compared to the revenue they generate or are expected to generate.

Links to 10Qs and 8Ks which provide a significantly accurate financial picture as opposed to the story telling nature of the Annual Report are as follows:

Dow Jones:

New York Times:

Time,Inc:

If journalists' wages are stagnating, it is not due entirely to market, real estate inflation or any other extraneous factor. Quiet possibly the company is paying competitive wages (and you are just a seeping whine bag) or the company is holding out on pumping up your income. Which one is it?

And sure they have the funds to pay, but are you worth it?

You see, I took a look at what a journalist is being paid by any one of the "Big Three" companies. I could not find a specific dollar amount, but I did find job postings, the requisite education and experience, then I plugged that into a national database to find the range of pay for the job, not just in general, but also specific to New York City. Furthermore, to determine what degree of pathetic 'poor me' syndrome we are talking about here, I data mined statistics on US and NYS poverty levels (since you journalists are crying about not being able to afford a comfortable lifestyle like your Lawyer 'peers', HAHA-I giggle at your delusions!) and the cost of living index relative to living in Buffalo (so I could see what "lifestyle" I would have if I made what you made, here..Not too shabby.)
Check it out the cost of living index-> .


And the Journalist's salary:
The median base pay (not including bonus's or benefits) for a level three reporter (bachelor's degree and three years experience, writing, reporting, media print) is $55,000. The range for the 25th to 75th percentile warrants an annual base pay of $48,000 to $61,000, respectively. Now add benefits, standard stuff such as time off, 401k, social security, etc, now you have a salary that could easily bump up another $20,000, conservatively. Some companies pay bonuses and tuition among other perks, which would really pad a suffering journalist's income. Hmm, I do believe The Big Three companies have a nice package for their dedicated workers. Let's see:


Current job posting: "Editor/Multimedia position-Bachelors and 3-5 years experience. To manage a writing team and will decide the direction of storytelling."

I must digress. Their job description uses the term, "story telling" Well, thank you for being honest, I guess.
"Storytelling, both positive and negative, is one of the most powerful of all human capabilities...Ever since mankind became imaginative; storytellers have been
explaining everything people encountered, whether or not it was true.
These storytellers are modern humans most influential people."
Ok, back to the benefits of being a journalist:

"NYTimes.com offers a highly competitive salary and benefits program including: comprehensive health coverage, 401(k) plan, employee stock purchase plan, tuition assistance, and a bonus program."

The Dow Jones states, "We also are proud of the fact that we offer a competitive benefits package when compared to any Fortune 500 corporation. Our full-time benefits include health and dental programs, work/family programs, and a very competitive 401K plan."

Ok, so right there, I can interpret from company specific information and that provided from other previously mentioned resources, that you are not suffering from lack of pay. I didn't think so, anyways, but I thought it my duty as a discerning reader and purveyor of all things authentic, that I would take to the task of excavating relative information.

On the chance, that journalists were indeed suffering, maybe those that work independently or work for a company that does not provide them the luxury that The Big Three can (which if in NYC, who would you work for?), then perhaps you are living at poverty level. In that case, ok, poverty level is no fun. But if you are single and have no major responsibilities or issues, then you have the choice to move on to something that will provide the lifestyle that you so desire.

BTW, poverty level for an individual, is approximately $10,000.


Now that we covered the basics and validated that journalists are not poor, please stop your whining.

One of the first things I mentioned in this entry is that one must do their research in order to site a reference. If you use something to back up your thought, please have the decency to have at least read the damn resource. Again, everything is subject to interpretation and mistake; that I don't have a problem with. What concerns me and makes me want to "go postal on media stupidity", (figuratively), is when it is obvious that the writer did not read the article in which he cites and hence uses falsely as a catalyst for his article.

Daniel Gross writes, "Keying off a new report issued by the Center for an Urban Future, Jennifer Steinhauer noted that, thanks to high housing prices, many of the creative types who work in Manhattan-centered fields like advertising, publishing, and the arts are being priced out of the city."

That in itself is true enough to the report he is citing from. However, it does not have anything to do with they way in which he is trying to use it; as a pathetic means to gain some sort of pity and ascertain that journalists are elite in their own right and should be compensated for it. Bah.

Here is an excerpt from the 32 page report: (report in full)

"..an unusually large percentage of workers
who identify themselves as part of the creative core
report that they are not consistently engaged in creative
work. Musicians are one example: according to a
2000 report by the National Endowment for the Arts,
"More Than Once In A Blue Moon: Multiple
Jobholdings By American Artists," more than 39 percent
of musicians nationally hold a second job in another
profession to make ends meet. The same holds true for
creative workers in general."


"..a key factor why these individuals are able to
remain in the city despite the high cost of live and work
space. Creative workers-whether employed within
firms or self-employed-rely on skills training and
upgrading, funding, networking opportunities, mentorships,
work and rehearsal space, business skills training,
and work supports like insurance and health benefits
in order to thrive in their career. In fact, the fluid
and unpredictable nature of these industries and workers
-the project-oriented nature of the work, and the
large numbers of freelancers, individual artists, sole
proprietors and small companies that populate the sector
-makes having a strong infrastructure of services
And supports, all the more important."


This report does not significantly discuss wages or lifestyle. It is more about appropriate space and resources, then price of real estate, although that is a factor for consideration. Its about the changes in the market, globalization and how to adapt to these changes.



So yes, go ahead and write, but do your research and be authentic.


Respectfully,
TheeCarey BA, MA and FA Q

(full name omitted due to appearance on internet search results)