DAY ONE HUNDRED AND THREE

tales from a way worse kind of trenches: warehouse duty. reminds me of working 3rd shift target back in the day, when they'd lock us inside for the 8+ hour shifts, a policy that was later rescinded after a few people died in a fire in a different target, or so the rumor went. when i quit that job to go to college - something i had repeatedly mentioned would happen - they threatened that i would never be hired to work at a target or subsidiary company again. bold threat, and one i hoped and predicted would be accurate (thus far, at least). they seemed hurt that i wasn't more upset about that. it really enforced the importance of education and gave personal context to ehrenreich's nickle and dimed. apparently, poverty voyeurism is still a popular sport amongst over-educated socially-minded investigative journalists and uppity college-bound overachievers! at least mac understands what's really at stake:

I probably look happier than I should because I have the extreme luxury of not giving a shit about keeping this job.

and i love this:

I feel genuinely sorry for any child I might have who ever asks me for anything for Christmas, only to be informed that every time a "Place Order" button rings, a poor person takes four Advil and gets told they suck at their job.

i do not understand how these people act as if their obvious and ingrained privilege somehow goes away just by pretending they have not gone to college. it's an incoherent social statement - yes, adam shepard, you made money and did okay after pretending not to have graduated from a school that costs $45,000 per year (basketball scholarship or no) - but its so disingenuine to, as an over-educated, middle to upper class white man or woman, play at poverty only to return to a cushy lifestyle and somehow attempt to speak for the poor in doing so. looks like other discussion boards discuss this further.

it has come to my attention that i am one of the sole users of the verb devegan, as in "after i deveganed", or "after deveganing". yay!