Grammys 2013: Crickets Chirp for Chris Brown

For anyone who watched the Grammys last night and still wonder if CBS actually added an applause track to cover the lack of applause for Chris Brown, I can assure you're not crazy. There's plenty of reason for the silence: Brown's obnoxious twitter boast from his last award win, not to mention his twitter fight with Jenny Johnson, his fight with Frank Ocean and the car crash he had not too long before even arriving to the show.

A photo has a South Asian woman in red sitting just behind Chris Brown's left shoulder giving one of the best evil glances I haven't seen since Sophia Loren had the misfortune to sit next to Jayne Mansfield and her cleavage.

Even Adele was caught on camera yelling at the befuddled-looking singer.















Of course, the few news sites that bother to mention it can only "speculate" the possibility of an audience-wide silence when Brown's name was mentioned.

But I have unsubstantiated proof:

One of my East-coast FB friends won Tickets to the award show as a guest, and was able to confirm the rumors.

The Grammy's will make a Domestic abuser look appreciated just to avoid an awkward moment.
Gotta love their devotion to deception.

The lucky ones sat in the nosebleeds this time.

American Idols among Us

Unbelievable Story Time

 Every night after the crowd empties out of an event at Time Warner Cable Arena, the curb of East 5th street would be lined with street performers sitting before their guitar cases full of spare change. One performer would always stand further away just near the media entrance. A tall black guy with dreads, a purple baseball cap, and a black trench coat singing gloriously above a cardboard box reading "American Idol Audition". If you find yourself walking up from Caldwell Street, his voice warns you of his presence before you can see him. I never paid too much attention too him after the first time, often tired and focused on getting home in the dead of a cold night. But this time I was Stayed home to watch with family. The AI auditions were in Charlotte this week, and guess who appears?    

Hope we never have to see you back on that corner, Rodney. ;-)

Kreator's Blokked Nite

                                         

It never occurred to me how easy it was to draw George Herriman's Krazy Kat until a very late -almost morning-night of creator's block. I need to have more moments like these.

When Babies Collide

 Not once but three times have I found videos with the same scenario: Two babies of different parents meet, one squeals and scares the living daylights out of the other one.

Is it their temperament? Are they not used to registering responses from their own? Each baby in the vid is too young to have self recognition, so they don't understand that other baby as something that acts and looks similar to themselves.

 I'm not a pediatrician, and only seen Discovery's "The Baby Human" series, but I wonder if this phenomenon has been explored. This mothers forum explains it's the unknown nature of the other infant and sudden loud noise that frightens them.

Come to think of it, this baby (on the right) tries to ease his fears by touching his baby cousin.....until Mom stops him:

 

Thankfully, someone in the forum is just as aware of the self-recognition issue as I was and had a pretty good advice:

Sometimes we are unaware that we reinforce their fears by looking a little anxious when faced with a situ[ation] we think they may not like. Smiley smiley and positive comments are needed.

Well said. Being a mom, like understanding a baby's brain, is an eternally developing process.

Charlotte Comicon 2012

Today, I headed out to the Marriott Executive Park to Charlotte Comicon to try and network a bit while I educate myself further on the Convention scene as well as get some good deals!

Joker and Kingpin. And no, they didn't have to tell me either.

It was pretty much a small affair, only filling up one ballroom in the Marriott, though it was still just as lively and crowded as you'd expect the San Diego Con to be. Every vendor from Southern Virginia to northern South Carolina showed up. Even the guys of Heroes Aren't Hard to Find from the annual Heroes Convention were there. See you in July, guys!

Jessica Rabbit. Maybe she'll be there. ^_^

This was predominantly a superhero/scifi (as the cosplayers suggest) but I knew there would be a few nuggets of my usual niche within.

And I did! Got the first 3 volumes of the Dark Horse publication of Astro Boy. Also met a fellow Charlotte resident John Hartness vending his own gun-toting-vampire-slayer novel, The Black Knight Chronicles.

Plus when I arrived, little did I know that the survey I filled qualified me a raffle for a prize!

So far I exchanged 3 business cards and three zines, so I think I did a pretty good job for my first time convention networking.

Trust me, You can get Job In a Very Racial Job Market

A True Monster of Corporate Sites

An experiment made by Monster.com user Yolanda Spivey exposed the career site's racial bias. Considering I've received the exact same results Yolanda mentions, I believe her and now I feel the need to share better options.

In my area, Goodwill's Joblink program,  the Community college, and the local library system provide career development services for unemployed, laid off or anyone looking for a career change.

Here's a few example links:
Community College:
http://www.gtcc.edu/continuing-education-(con-ed)/new-jobs-and-skills-training/job-preparedness-training/human-resources-development.aspx
County-Funded:
http://www.guilfordjoblink.com/
Goodwill:
http://www.goodwill.org/goodwill-for-you/jobs-and-careers/
Library:
http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/index.aspx?page=3274

Those are from my area, of course. But these programs are available in other states.

State and Local Teaches You To Fish

Joblink in Florida

It doesn't matter if you have a wrap-sheet, a Bachelor's, a former retiree, a GED recipient, or simply unhappy with your current job. The current market is cutthroat and people need to know how the game is played on a more grounded level by experienced, up-to-date folks who don't "bs".

You learn how to apply for jobs online, how to rework your resume, even get interview rehearsals. You can be amazed what basic tasks and errands you do for family and friends can be used as a resume skill set that will get you a job. If you use Facebook and twitter frequently those are also applicable as skills. Even former "lawbreakers" have skills that are applicable for "Lawful" work.

Even If you have apprehensions about your computer skills or networking abilities, don't feel embarrassed BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT ALONE. These programs are supposed to help, not ridicule people, and classes that help people cope with the emotional effects of losing a job exist in addition to keyboarding and software skills.

If you're worried about finances, some states will waive course fees if the applicant is unemployed. But check with your local career center first.

Right now, these places are providing free information sessions on skills training and workshops. Search for session dates and times online or call your local community college and simply ask someone in the career center. Community College booklets are available in most grocery stores.

Career Readiness Certification

If anything else doesn't convince you, work for the Career Readiness Certification: a Measurement of career skills that employers look to before they see anything else on your resume. I'm working on mine now.

An example Link:
http://www.crcconsortium.org/

What You Need to Know
The details for this certification vary from state to state and what kind of job you are seeking. This Certification is kinda new (created 2006) and there are separate State versions and National versions, so please go to your area's Career center and ask about the CRC's requirements in your state.



Here's a link from Goodwill for LGBT seeking employment:
http://www.goodwill.org/goodwill-for-you/career-and-financial-advice/finding-a-good-job-fit-when-you-identify-as-lgbt/

Good luck with your Job Hunt!

Rox

UPDATE:

I've since moved to Charlotte, NC, and lo and behold a Joblink is available right here in the Queen City!
http://www.goodwill.org/

This one is run by goodwill, of course, but still runs the same functions as the greensboro version mentioned above. as I've said before, it varies from area to area so check your local listings.
And don't forget to look at the local library bulletin board or ask a library staff about job workshops. Again Charlotte's library system covers everything Greensboro's library system covers, from basic computer skills to mock interviews.

http://jobhelpcenter.tumblr.com/



AND THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A STUPID QUESTION.The government will not help up catch up so we have to help each other!

UPDATE 1/8/2014:

A commenter going by the name "hope" had these interesting tidbits to share on the recent circulation of the story:

I have not tried to open a new account, but if any of you have and it worked, definitely let me or anyone else know! There's always loopholes.

General code

Less is More

This submission's theme is an application of "K.I.S.S.": Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Below I decided to redraw some older ideas with more focus on the punchline and less on the art detail.

Compare these originals (drawn in '05) to these re-drawings: