Christine the Curmudgeon

Christine the Curmudgeon has just read this article: Fired For Being Too Old: Unfair or Good Business? And I have to admit that I have mixed feelings about it. At first glance, it pissed me off. Mr. Curmudgeon is 56 years old, and I don’t know what would happen if he lost his current job. But that’s probably not something to worry about, since he got a raise and a promotion a while back. He was old then, too, but they obviously didn’t care.

But then again, I can sort of see how what some people call “employment discrimination” can be good for business. Like the Hooters thing in the article, for example. Guys go to Hooters to look at big-boobed waitresses in low-cut tops, that’s the whole gimmick of the place. They’d lose customers if guys came in and had to be waited on by other guys.

And I have to say that I get annoyed as all hell when I try to shop in a fat girls’ store like Lane Bryant, only to be waited on by skinny chicks who have disdain for the larger sized customers. I think it would be perfectly reasonable for LB to only hire heavier women as salesclerks, that added benefit being that these women can wear the clothes that are being sold. Many clothing stores want the sales staff to wear only their clothes on the job, and offer employee discounts to make it more affordable for them.

How about disabilities? Obviously, if a legally blind person applied for a job as a bus driver, they’d get turned down for not being able to see and do the job properly. The bus company requires that applicants hold a valid drivers’ license, and if you can’t pass the vision test at the RMV, no license for you!

Too bad that this blindness policy does not seem to extend to baseball umpires…I heard that they have umpire job fairs at Perkins School For The Blind…LOL!

But back to the age thing…I have to say that it depends on the situation. There are certain businesses that cater more to young people, and therefore should have young people working there. An example is the local chain, Newbury Comics, which also sells music CDs and movies. Every time I have been in one of these stores, the staff was all young, and tattoos, piercings, and weird hair colors were the norm. But that is their customer base, these kids don’t want to be waited on by some old curmudgeon like me who is old enough to be their mother (or maybe even grandma). Even if I kept up with all of the new music that kids listen to these days, I still don’t have the physical appearance to fit their image. And that is fine with me.

On the other hand, employers should be able to refuse to hire people for being too young. There are some obvious things, such as not being able to get hired at Kappy’s liquor store at age 16, it’s illegal for minors to even handle alcohol. But retail businesses that cater mostly to older folks should be able to turn down applications from teens/20-somethings, as many of the customers might prefer dealing with people their own age, or close to it.

But at other jobs, such as Mr. Curmudgeon’s, age should not matter. He’s not in the best of shape physically, but he can handle sitting at a computer all day and designing transistors. If his job required physical exertion that he can no longer handle, I can see letting him go in favor of a younger, more fit, worker. But as long as he can still do his job, and do it well, they will keep him. They have no good excuse to can him, he shows up for work every day, he stays later than most people, and he gets things done.

The only beef I have with this age thing is when they fire someone who is older, in order to replace them with someone younger who will work for less money. If this is the only reason, it is WRONG. This all should be based on the ability of the person to do the job, and nothing else. Not even money-saving measures. If a company is having money problems, it would be better to offer the older employee a pay cut in order to be able to stay, rather than just cruelly firing them and replacing them with someone younger and cheaper. The employee might just accept it, in order to stay employed and make any money at all. But put the ball in the employee’s court, and let them make the choice.

Also, by firing an older worker for no apparent reason, it may cost the company MORE money should said worker choose to sue. And this is where Christine the Curmudgeon feels that these employees have a case.

…because Christine the Curmudgeon is about to say bad things about patriotic songs. But it’s my blog, not yours, don’t like it, go back from where you came from!

Most people who know me also know that I am a huge baseball fan, I go to at least one minor league game a week during the summer. And, as you may know, they play the National Anthem before just about all sporting events.

If Christine the Curmudgeon ruled the world, the only versions of the Anthem that should be performed in public should be sung by men, or done as instrumentals. Sorry, but most women CANNOT sing this song in such a way that it doesn’t sound all “American Idol-ish”, or that it sounds like a cat in heat. Or both.

The “American Idol-ish” thing is where they have to go

oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaave
O’er the land of the freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee and the home of the braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaave?

It takes forever to get through it, and it’s always a relief when it’s over and they say “Play Ball!”. I always ask Mr. Curmudgeon after one of these performances, “where is Simon Cowell when you need him?”

Some women CAN sing the song well…there was a young lady performing it at the New Hampshire Fisher Cats game yesterday, who did surprisingly well. But she is the rare exception to the rule. The Anthem is much better when sung by a man.

Even more annoying to me, though, is this crap about singing “God Bless America” during the seventh inning stretch. This is something that started after the 9/11 attacks, and it has annoyed me almost from Day One. Fortunately, a lot of the ballparks we go to have dropped this trend completely, some do it just on Sundays, some just do it once in a while.

It annoys me for two reasons. First of all, what is up with this crap about having to stand and remove hats when this song is played? It is NOT the National Anthem, you only have to stand and remove hats for that, and not for any other song (except for the Canadian National Anthem, “O Canada”, which is played when a Canadian team is in town). So why should we have to show that song the same respect as the Anthem?

Second, the whole “God” thing is offensive. Not everybody in the world believes in a God, you know. If you want to pray and worship God, do it at home or at church. They should not pressure people into standing up and singing a song about God, if they do not believe in God. It’s bad enough that we have to have “In God We Trust” on the money, do we really need God at the ballpark? Well, maybe the Red Sox think they do, given the way they’ve been playing lately. But I see religion as a personal and private thing, not something to be crammed down people’s throats at ball games, or anyplace else.

So, no, I do NOT stand when this song is played. As I said, we don’t hear it much anymore where we go, we’re back to good old “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” for the most part. Maybe one day, at some ballpark, after the zillionth playing of Kate Smith’s version of the song, Kate’s ghost rose from the grave, and yelled “SHUT UP ALREADY!”

Finally, on a lighter note. I still seek the answer to the eternal question: why do we sing “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” when we’re already there?

Wow!  FOUR in one place!

Jerk #1 was driving a ginormous SUV, which he had parked in a position in which it was blocking TWO pumps.   We needed to be on that side of the pumps, because of the location of the Curmudgeon-mobile’s gas cap.  We ended up having to turn around in a VERY tight space, and back into the pumps on the other side.

Jerks #2 and 3 were both a couple of macho assholes driving gimormous puckup trucks.  They were both filling up their tanks, and bitching and moaning to each other about how it costs them $100 to fill the tanks.  Now, these did NOT look like *work trucks*, these were shiny new trucks, with all sorts of chrome and lights and extraneous crap that most pickup trucks do not need.  Flashy asshole trucks, I call them.

No sympathy from Christine the Curmudgeon for these fools.  No one twisted their arms and forced them to buy Hugh Jass macho trucks, just for show.

Jerk #4 was the most obnoxious of all.  He was driving a pickup truck, too, but it was not as big and flashy as those of Jerks #2 and 3.  But he was parked like an asshole.

Off to the side, they have parking for people who are not buying gas, and just want to go into the Mobil Mart to buy cigarettes or whatever.  This jerk was parked PERPENDICULAR to the space, and took up:  a handicapped space, the striped area next to the handicapped space, and a regular space.  The jerk was sitting in the truck, smoking a cigarette and yapping on his cell phone.

I took out my own phone and was about to snap a picture of this jerk, when he decided to leave.  Damn!  I wish I could have gotten the shot, I would have posted it online if I did.

I need to try to get pictures of assholes like this, and start a new “Hall of Shame” category here.

~ Hotels/motels near the beach, with outdoor swimming pools – I wonder…why on earth would someone take a vacation to the beach, only to prefer to swim in a pool?  But people obviously do, as I’ve seen many of such places, all along Long and Short Sands beaches, up in York Beach, Maine.  The ocean is RIGHT THERE, steps away.  I don’t get it.

~ The large number of nail salons – Especially in my crappy town….I swear, there are literally DOZENS of them.  How the hell do they all stay in business?  I mean, I don’t see tons of women around here with fancily done nails.  Who goes to these places?  Who keeps them in business?  There must be women around here who I never see, who patronize these places.  I don’t get it.

~ Hanging out at the mall – And I don’t mean just teenagers here.  I know of many ADULTS who think it’s fun to spend an afternoon or evening at the mall, even when they don’t need to shop for anything.

I personally hate malls and avoid them whenever possible.  I only visit one when I need something that I might be unable to find elsewhere.  I find what I need, pay, and get out of there ASAP.  I can’t stand to be there even one second longer than necessary.  Yet some people enjoy malls.  I don’t get it.

~ How so many people can afford to go to Red Sox games – Ticket prices are through the roof, yet the Sox have sold out every single game for years now.  Although Mr. Curmudgeon makes decent money, we still have not been to a game at Fenway in a few years now.  Not only are the tickets too damned expensive, but so is everything else at the ballpark, too.  I hear that it’s now something like eight bucks for a GOOD beer.

We get more bang for the buck by going to many minor league games, for what it would cost us to attend ONE Red Sox game.  How do these other people afford to go to so many Sox games?  I don’t get it.

~ What’s so great about Starbucks coffee, anyway? – Dunkin Donuts coffee is far superior, and I don’t have to take out a bank loan to treat myself to a Vanilla Bean Coolatta.  Why is Starbucks so popular around here, when you can barely swing a dead rat without hitting a DD location?  I don’t get it.

~ Why some single people complain about “family packs” of meat being cheaper per pound than smaller sized packages – There is a special compartment in your fridge, sometimes it’s on the top, sometimes it’s on the bottom.  It is called a “freezer”.  You buy the cheaper-per-pound packages of meat, open them up when you get home, divide them into meal-sized portions, wrap, and freeze what you can’t use right now.  It is NOT “discrimination” against singles or some sort of special benefit for families.  It’s simply a bulk discount.  Yet I hear people make those exact complaints.  I don’t get it.

~ And finally…HOW do companies know that I like something, and then stop making it? – Anyone remember those Laughing Cow cheesebits…the little cube-shaped ones?  I loved those things, and now you can’t get them anywhere anymore.  You can still get the round package of wedge-shaped cheese; it’s the same cheese, yet it’s still not quite the same.

It seems this happens a lot…I find something I like, and they do away with it.  I’m still pissed at the North Shore Spirit baseball team, which no longer even exists, for doing away with the yummie Italian subs they used to sell at the Home Plate concession.

I don’t get it.

So says a letter-writer in yesterday’s Ask Amy column.  It’s the second letter on the page.

The gist of the letter is that this gay couple has been together for 23 years, and even adopted a child together.  Now that same sex marriage is legal where they live, they want to tie the knot.  The letter writer want to know if it’s okay to ask guests to contribute to the cost of a huge shindig.  His partner thinks it’s tacky, and, it turns out, so does Amy.  Amy suggests that they try to find creative ways to scale back, rather than expecting other people to pony up for a fancy party.  Christine the Curmudgeon agrees with this advice.

And there’s another wedding-related letter in today’s Annie’s Mailbox.  Once again, second letter on the page.  This one is from a person who is annoyed over the big “shakedown” for wedding and shower gifts, expensive registry items, and being expected to somehow reimburse the bride and groom for the cost of the wedding.  Annie says that no one should feel obligated to buy gifts from any registry, or anything at all that they can’t afford.  And no one should be made to feel that they have to pay for the cost of their meal at the reception.  Once again, Christine the Curmudgeon agrees.

Christine the Curmudgeon has a rather low opinion of the wedding industry.  Seriously…it is ridiculous to spend as much as tens of thousands of dollars for a party that lasts only one day.  There is no law that says you have to do and have everything you see in those wedding magazines.  Those magazines exist for one purpose…advertising.  They are not books of rules that are written in stone.

If a couple and/or their families can afford a big blow-out, then let them have at it.  It’s their money to piss away.  But I get annoyed when people who barely have two nickels to rub together insist on going deep into the hole for a Hugh Jass bash.  Then, after the wedding, we have to listen to them bitching and moaning about how broke they are.

Why is it so damned important?  I swear, some of these *bridezillas* think that the day is more important than the marriage.  Geez, if the tablecloths don’t match the color of the bridesmaids’ dresses EXACTLY, the world is going to hell, the wedding is ruined.  I wonder if some of these women just want the dream, fairy-tale wedding, and they don’t care much who the guy is, as long as there is one.  These people will spare no expense to have that perfect fairy-tale.

And, for what?  Do they ever even think about what happens afterwards, about the day-to-day responsibilities of being married, paying bills, and all of that?  I suspect that a lot of them don’t.

And now, I read more and more letters to advice columnists about these wedding “shakedowns”, where the couple knows they can’t afford the wedding they want, and feel that it’s acceptable to demand cash gifts, or pricey registry items (which they will no doubt return for a cash refund).  It’s gotten beyond ridiculous.

Mr. Curmudgeon and I got married eight years ago this month, out anniversary is July 22.  Both of us had been married before, both of those weddings were crappy little courthouse ceremonies.  We wanted something nicer than that, but didn’t want to go the whole nine yards that the wedding magazines like to try to sell us.

For a brief time, we considered a small wedding with guests.  But frankly, the whole idea seemed like too much trouble, especially since it would involve people who would come from out of town, and then we’d have to find someplace to put them up and all.  And we also didn’t really want to spend the money feeding these people and all.  But most of all, we didn’t want anyone (Mike’s mother, cough, cough…) trying to take control of things.  I have seen parents of engaged couples take over with wedding planning, and it ends up being a huge circus, when the couple originally just wanted less than 100 guests.

Then one evening, I was looking at some wedding message boards on AOL, which I had back in the day…didn’t everyone?  They had a section for vendors, and I saw a post from a Justice of the Peace up in York Beach, Maine, who also owned a B&B.  He had a link to his website, and I checked it out.  Then I showed it to Mike, who agreed that it might be more fun to take a trip, than to deal with a pesky traditional wedding.

So we called the guy and set it all up.  We did what they now call a *destination wedding*, which in a combo wedding/honeymoon.  And we did it for less than what many brides spend on a dress, or flowers, or whatever.

Now, eight years later, I have no regrets.  About the wedding or the groom!  And the JP/innkeeper, Dan, and his wife Danielle have become friends, and we go up to stay with them a few times each season.

We didn’t want anything from anyone…we didn’t have a registry, since we didn’t have wedding guests.  If people wanted to send us a gift, that was up to them, and a few people did give us stuff.  The only person who was pissed about us eloping was Mike’s mother, but we didn’t care.  We wanted the wedding to be about US, not HER, and that is exactly what we got.

These people who go crazy spending money and inviting half the world to a wedding need to stop and think about WHY they want to do this.  They should think more about the marriage, and not the wedding, if you know what I mean.  And for those who still want to have guests and all, there are plenty of books about planning a nice wedding on a budget.  Amazon search pages here.

I honestly believe that if you’re getting married for the right reason, no one will care that the tablecloths don’t match the bridesmaids’ dresses, and that the flowers are still in the ground…wildflowers in the garden (which is what we had), or perhaps in a park or botanic garden.  No one will mind if it’s just a dessert reception, or even a backyard BBQ.  It really IS possible to have a nice party without going broke.

If you’re getting married just to impress people, and have a gift grab, I wonder how long the actual marriage will last…