The Purge:Anarchy Movie Review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzFCDqKE4yA

When Leftovers Look So Good

When Letovers Look So Good

by Benita Blocker

So my leftovers looked so good

that you the fiancee felt the need to call me the wife to harass and degrade me based on the misinformation that my husband gave you?

So my leftovers looked so good

that you would call the Human Resources department at my job and hack my company email in an attempt to sabotage and destroy me?

So my leftovers looked so good

in the muscle car with convertible top that I financed for my husband with the customized car tag that I designed for him as well?

So my leftovers looked so good

in the luxury apartment that I secured for my husband during our marriage that he eventually furnished with furniture that he acquired because I rebuilt his bad to no credit?

So my leftovers looked so good

in the career that I assisted my husband in training for?

So my leftovers looked so good

that you did not believe me when I told you that the best thing about my marriage to my husband was 

our DIVORCE.

The Obama Administration Timeline 2012 and Beyond

Photo credit: James Hickman Presents "Keep the Dream" 2013 Calendar

In September 2012, the historical milestone within the Obama Administration was "Osama Bin Laden killed."

What are the milestones now?

Tone Correcting Powder Palette

 After searching at Walmart, Marshall's, Sally's Beauty Supply, and finally Target (store), I found this "Color Correction" Palette by (eyes lips face) brand that I was looking diligently for.  The palette includes mint green, yellow, pink and pale blue powders.  I almost left out of Target without it, then Viola- I found the "elf" brand over to the side.

 And at an awesome price too, it was $3.00 USD!!!  As a makeup artist, you need these colors as a way to correct undertones for those with redness in their skin, dark circles, blemishes, etc.  Makeup artists teaching at the hair shows often sell these type of palettes, but it is very hard to find them in the stores.

I was so excited with my find and its price.  I have been getting an urge to do more makeup artistry.

TIP for home:  If you have redness, use the green to tone the redness down.  Just like a hairdresser would use an "ash" haircolor to cancel out brassiness.  You get the picture!  It has NEW on the packaging.  I hope it stays around!!!!!

The Realization of False Pretense

The Realization of False Pretense
by Benita Blocker

You said that 

I would make you the happiest man in the world 

realizing that 

you were self-centered

realizing that 

you were willing to deny your own children

realizing that 

you were willing to deny your own felonious past

realizing that 

you were caught up in your own inflated world

realizing that 

you were willing to fortifty your fate of despair

realizing that 

all fingers were crossed

realizing there was no value in 

Your Marriage License.

Movie Review: Belle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTz5VjBscGk

Shout out to Starbucks! They care!

 Carolinas Healthcare System 

is definitely

 "WITHOUT COMPROMISE"

However, 

if you want Good

 "CARE."

Stick with 

"Starbucks!"

CHS Employment Termination Date Ambiguity

The judge admitted that her expertise was not employment law.  Then when she suggested to me that I should look into unemployment compensation as a full-time self-employed individual, I knew that my case was over.  She and I generated more questions, and no answers were available nor sought from the CHS Attorney because the burden of presenting an enforceable claim was mine.

In fact, the Carolinas Healthcare System Attorney did the "George Zimmerman" on me.  He was quiet as a mouse the whole time, and the judge did not ask him any questions.  CHS got lucky on this one!   If we had a different judge, then the whole case would have flowed differently.

Another interesting fact is that my case along with other cases were moved to a different courtroom; yet most of the cases listed above did not show.  Only the Ferguson Enterprises case and my CHS case seemed to have held.  There was a separate roster for the Courtroom 2330 which had these cases appended.

Now for the bigger question:   

When was I terminated from Carolinas Healthcare System?

August 1, 2012?

The judge from my July 14, 2014 hearing seemed to think that when CHS took my badge on August 1, 2012 that their actions signified termination because I was no longer to able to clock in.

August 6, 2012?

My unsigned separation agreement stated August 6, 2012 as my termination date in order to coincide with the end of a pay period, but CHS and I never reached a mutual agreement.

August 7, 2012?

My personnel files reflect August 7, 2012 as a termination date, and this seems to be the date that my COBRA benefits continuation coverage was calculated from.

September 5, 2012?

My personnel files reflect that September 5, 2012 was when action was taken on my termination.  However, typically, the action dates and termination dates are the same date unless there is some valid reason for an employee to sit idle on the payroll for an extended period a time in a form of an unpaid absence.

December 1, 2012?

According to CHS PRN status description pictured below, I could have sat on payroll without generating a check for up to 90 days before termination was recommended.

So when was I terminated by staff reduction from Carolinas Healthcare System?  

According to the judge at my July 14, 2014 hearing, she said that it does not even matter. In conclusion, it appears that I can only get paid for actual hours clocked in for work.

What an interesting journey?  I only wonder if I had filed my discrimination cases for failure to promote and retaliation within the "90 day" window, what would have been the results?

Mediation with Carolinas Healthcare System Cancelled

In August 2011, Carolinas Healthcare System agreed to mediation, and it took about ten days to settle on a mediation date.  Yet, that date was cancelled by either the U.S. EEOC ADR Mediator or CHS.  I am uncertain of which entity made the final call, but below is the dialogue that I had with the Alternative Dispute Resolution Mediator from the EEOC office via phone call.

***Beginnning of notes***

When asked who I was bringing, I said "my Mom and Dad."  The ADR Mediator immediately asked me "Ms. Blocker, How old are you?"  I was speechless and offended. I told her age 40, almost 41 and that I did not know how to take that question.  She stated that most people unless they are younger bring someone with a more objective opinion.  I told her that I was told that I could not bring other Carolinas Healthcare System employees.  I also did not want to ask anyone to take off from their job considering that based on the legal advice received that I would not be able to reach a settlement offer that was satisfactory to me.

She then asked me what (amount) that I was looking for.  I told her six figures based on the fact that  each of my open EEOC charges had a 300K cap on them.  She stated that because I did not have a six figure salary that my settlement would not be six figures.  I told her that if Carolinas Healthcare System wanted to settle this case without further investigation, it would cost them six figures or a position with full benefits plus one year backpay.  If I don't get either of those things, then "no deal."

She states that the attorneys have told you and I have told you that your case is not worth six figures, but you feel that you know more than we do despite the fact that we have more experience with these types of cases.

I told her that I will have the charges investigated before I settle for less. She states that she may cancel the mediation. She has to call the other party (CHS Attorney).  She says that it would look good on her befhalf if she was to win a six figure settlement.  She also stated that they (Carolinas Healthcare System) must have really upset you.  She will call the other party (CHS) and let me know if the mediation is going to hold.

She emailed me later that the mediation was cancelled and my EEOC charges were sent to the EEOC Enforcement/Investigations department.

***End of notes***

It has been suggested recently to me that the mediation should have been held to begin dialogue between the two parties.   (CHS and I)

What do you think?

Clarion Inn Cornelius Business Center Review

 As I was walking around in Cornelius, NC looking for a print shop, I noticed a Clarion Inn.  I walked into the lobby and looked around for directions to their business center.  Then I saw that they had some computers and printers in the lobby area near the front desk that no one was stationed at.  They had a multi-functional Brothers machine in which I placed my original one page letter inside and pressed the "copy" button.

Then emerged a voice from behind the previously vacant front desk:  "Excuse me, which room are you in?"  My reply was "I am not staying here sir but I would be more than happy to pay to make one copy."

His reply:  "Have you printed the copy already?" Then as the one copy feed out of the machine, I replied "Well, yes, it looks like the copy has now printed."  It wasn't the fastest little machine, but the copy looked good.  The guy says to me that it will cost "$1.10" for that one copy.  I then replied "certainly sir, as long as you can provide me with a receipt."

He spent another five or more minutes typing up my receipt along with my name because the computer system required a name in order to print out the receipt.  The $1.10 receipt for my one page copy is pictured above.

So this guy had to waste one sheet of paper plus the labor to type up the receipt for a one page copy that I took 30 seconds to print and would have only cost me $.11 to copy at FedEx Kinkos.

I did not like his tone of voice.  I did not like his facial expressions nor his body language.  

Maybe others have tried to get free copies because their business center is so exposed to the public without any security settings, but it was my first visit.  I was not pleased with my encounter at this hotel.  I do not know if there was a problem with my race being African American or what, but it is worth making a note of my experience.

Medical Misconduct Memories

Medical Misconduct Memories

by Benita Blocker

Without warning, one firm massaging stroke of her thumb over my clitoris resulted in the swelling of my labia, the parting of my inner lips and the opening of my vagina as the speculum glided in for my pap smear.

The female nurse practitioner mentions my cervix is small as I am still trying to normalize my body's involuntary response to the deliberate intent of arousal that was initiated.

I kept my legs wide open for an extended period of time because I was uncertain if the speculum was still inserted inside of me. Upon her confirmation that the exam was complete, after my having to ask, I knew that such a deep and prolonged arousal did not sit well with me.

Nor did the casual conversation during my breast examination with a different male doctor during a different well woman visit.

Nor the discovery that the birth control pills prescribed for me by yet another male doctor who was later found guilty of a record number of sterilization cases involving Black women had purposely included me in his cause to eliminate as many Black births as possible.

All mental scars reminding me that medical misconduct does exist.

Confessions? This Joke Isn't Funny Anymore

Photo credit:  http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/

In honor of  Independence Day, I wanted to share some thoughts . . .

To my Date Rapist:

You raped me on more than one occasion. You got comfortable taking advantage of me at your leisure until one day that one final encounter ripped me to my soul.  You were an expert in the hand position to inflict enough pain into the shoulder joint to make me and your obvious past victims cooperate without any signs of bruising.  You knew to keep an eye on me in case I made an attempt to call the police.  Then you knew when you were arrested at the hospital wearing your fraternity letters that:

This Joke wasn't funny anymore.

To my Townhouse Neighbor:

You wanted to have your fence built over my property line to avoid the extra charge of anchoring the fence to your concrete patio.  My "no" was not enough that you had to call over another neighbor to add to the confusion resulting in the police being called and the police finding "no signs of injuries."  Yet, out of anger,  you and  the other neighbor let your imaginations go wild allowing massive lies to be fabricated, and the story grew bigger and bigger.  After a newsletter to the entire subdivision stating the truth of the matter caused massive embarrassment for all the neighbors involved, and the fact that the encounter was dismissed.  You all had to realize that:

This Joke wasn't funny anymore.

To my Hair practitioner that overcharged and under delivered:

Upon collecting and organizing all of my supporting documentation that the final delivery was out of specifications, I repeatedly asked for a partial refund.  My cordial refund requests were repeatedly ignored.  The producers from the Judge Mathis show were repeatedly turned down.  Your attorney was slow to return my phone calls.  Finally, when the sheriff served you with a small claims complaint showing our local court date and then you realized:

This Joke wasn't funny anymore.

To the multi-billion dollar non-profit, public healthcare System Human Resource department:

I asked why the hairdresser position had to be posted when I had already been working there for five years as a hairdresser.  Your answer was that you preferred that managers post all positions. Then the position was filled solely based on preferential treatment which ripped me to the core of my soul.  Then the position came available for a second time within a year later, I asked when would the position be posted again, and your response was that you are not required to post all positions.  Well, after several EEOC complaints, several articles, several correspondence exchanges over a four year period and counting, your department has to have realized:  

This Joke wasn't funny anymore.

All About My Pole Dancing Class

Nope, this is not me!  I am at least a year away from being able to do this move!  However, I have had an amazing response from other women interested in knowing how I enjoyed my FIRST pole dancing class.

It is funny because some people were scared of the "pole fitness" class because

1) They thought only lesbians would be in the class
2) Husbands do not like the thought of their wives dancing on a pole.
3) They thought the classes were for stripper training.

So who was in my class?
Well in my first class, you will be happy to know that most of the women were MARRIED to men or straight women like myself.  No Lesbians were present that I noticed.  Plus, I was so focussed on not hurting myself that I was not trying to watch anyone except the instructor and my body position in reference to the pole.

This fact proves that some husbands are completely okay with their wives learning how to dance sensually.

And yes, if you want to advance into an exotic dancer career, then it is your prerogative.  If you just want to be flexible and physically fit, then that is a great fitness goal too!

Gym Smell
First of all, "working the pole" will make you sweat so expect to smell a little sweat as if you were going to a gym to workout.  The pole fitness facility has sprays to keep your pole clean and dry.  Your inner skin is what holds you on the pole.  So, skip the lotions and purchase "custom pole dancing shorts" or  wear your "daisy dukes."

Review the picture at the beginning of this article, can you count all the areas of the woman's body that is supporting her pole position?  Her shorts are also deliberately short to allow her to work the pole.  You should have counted four points of contact for her position.  Did you find them?

Pole Size
There are two different diameters of poles.  Standard and small.  If you have big hands and big feet, then the standard pole should work for gripping.  If you have small hands and small feet like me, then I was assigned to a smaller diameter pole.  You dance barefooted or with stiletto heels.

If you bruise easy, you may get "black and blue" from your weight and the pressure on your body and knees. At least one classmate had some bruising to occur, but I did not.  My knees were a little sore for a half day, but not enough to keep me from going back again!

Fitness Level
The instructor was very supportive. If you are overweight, then she can modify your pole dancing routine to your fitness level.  I was very good at walking sexy around the pole, but any move that required me to slide down to the floor and back up again was done at my own pace. Everyone was focussed on their own pole. I was not worried about keeping up too much.  We did take a few water breaks.  The class is fun if you make it fun.  The class is about fitness.  Some people were focussed on looking sexy. I was focussed on not breaking anything on my body.  You are required to sign a waiver because you could kill yourself if you try advanced pole movement without being properly trained or even ready.

I really enjoyed the instructor, the sisterhood, and the fitness level that the advanced students demonstrated to us.  It was really a cool and artistic experience for me.