Holy Shit (sorry for the profanity on the front page) in Book Five: Working Through the Maze 2018

So, there is a holy shit for political and a holy shit for professional here.

(1) Holy Shit for Political. I know that Sean Hannity isn’t news. Other people don’t… and that makes me sad. But he isn’t news. He is a talking head discussing ideas/opinions/perspectives. NEWS (by the way) is reporting on FACT. “Three men shot dead today outside of a mall on Cedar” that is news. “Three men shot dead today outside of a mall on Cedar. Proof that we need to regulate guns.” is not news. That is leading with news to support an opinion. It is done in good arguments because you should have FACT to support OPINION. But people far too often and far too easily conflate the fact that leads with the opinion given. Especially with Sean Hannity and Fox News. But never, ever have I seen a more offensive and bullshit attempt to insert opinion and fantasy into a news article than what Fox News just sent me. (Yes, sent me. I told you, as I want to see/hear many sides of an issue, I will continue to expose myself to what is considered by too many to be their only source of news.)

FACT: An individual within the Democratic National Convention was shot at 4:15 in the morning in Washington D.C.
FACT: Washington DC is consistently one of the top Murder Towns in the United States.
FACT: The police investigating the murder deemed it to be a “robbery gone bad.”

Now… I’m not averse to conspiracy theories. Especially in Washington DC! If a political figure is murdered in DC any time between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. I get suspicious. I get conspiratorial. BUT (and this is a big deal) I don’t treat the conspiracy theory as news! Because a conspiracy theory is a “What if” scenario created by interpreting the facts in a way intentionally opposed to other facts that you wish to reject. For instance, in order to create a really good conspiracy theory… I have to build in an assumed fact that the police are part of the cover up. An assumed fact that could never be proved or disproved.

Fox News’ Sean Hannity, however, took this and ran with it.
FACT: An individual within the Democratic National Convention was shot at 4:15 in the morning in Washington DC.
FACT: Hillary Clinton was running for office when it happened.
HANNITY WHAT IF: Hillary Clinton had the young man murdered!

That is how he started. Irresponsible, but I approve as far as a Right Wing Pundit goes. Throw a little shade, make an ideological opponent look worse than they really are… par for the course really. But here’s where things get coo-coo bananas! If you are already working in the field of “what if” don’t add additional what ifs to that scenario. Because then the logic train goes right off the tracks.

Hannity Conspiracy Theory: “Hillary Clinton had a man murdered.” (He covered this story for a week!)
Hannity on his show at mid week: “What if he had a laptop? If he did, where is it? That’s suspicious right there!”

LOGIC CENTER MELTING DANGER DANGER

You are already in the land of make-believe and what if. IF there is a Conspiracy. Now you’ve entered into literally creating your own evidence for the conspiracy as an additional what if. The kid was killed. But what if he was killed because of Hillary Clinton? If he was killed by Hillary Clinton, what was the motive? The motive would be found on a laptop. What if he had a laptop? No laptop was found at the scene. AHA! That is proof of the conspiracy!

That kind of thinking… in a mainstream media market… being pushed to the people as in any way logical, rational, or intelligent… makes me want to vomit. We might as well reach the place in our news cycle where we say:

FACT: In 2017, Des Moines, Iowa had its largest Murder Rate in recorded history.
FACT: Donald Trump was the President in 2017.
WHAT IF: What if Donald Trump caused the murder rate to spike in Des Moines?

Conspiracy Theory: “Donald Trump caused the rise in Murder Rates in Des Moines, IA”
Bullshit Evidence: “Donald Trump said he would crack down on Crime in Chicago, which sent all the criminals to Des Moines where more people were murdered.”

Y’know what… even that is more logical than Hannity’s bullshit. Apparently, I can’t sink myself to be… shall we say… Hannity Level Creative?

(2) Holy Shit for Professional. I know, my life is full of Holy Shit for professional and I’m sure some of you are tired of it (while, hopefully, many of you are excited that it might be over soon). However, the little things still get to me a great deal. Especially because… well… the reason I wanted to become a Prosecutor and a Lawyer is because double standards INFURIATE me. If the law says “No firing of a pistol or rifle within city limits unless the individual is a peace officer or the pistol is a starter’s pistol” that goes for everyone. It isn’t fair or just to arrest and fine Joe Citizen for using his .22 hand gun as a starter’s pistol if you aren’t going to arrest and fine Mayor Bill for using his .35 hand gun as a starter’s pistol. So… different expectations due to station or wealth… irks me.

Y’know how my bosses so often stroll in to work sometimes hours after I do? And leave sometimes hours before I do? And still aren’t happy with my billables? And you know how I was ripped to fucking shreds on my 6 month evaluation for being 5 minutes late to a Saturday unpaid event? And you know how I was ripped to fucking shreds for being late to a meeting that was scheduled 5 minutes before the meeting time, and I was supposed to be at the Boss’ house instead of the office (which is where I was)? So… being late in bullshit circumstances… still got ripped for it. Keep these things in mind.

I always give my boss’ the benefit of the doubt when they aren’t in the office. I figure they are busy or have other appointments. I check the Work Calendar. Even if there is nothing written, I just assume it must be an impromptu client call keeping them. After all, Chinese time is between 12 and 14 hours different. Makes sense. Today, I saw that they had a Business Breakfast Meeting, immediately followed by Government Interviews, immediately followed by two client meetings in Ames. I informed my bosses verbally, in e-mail, and via the calendar that I had Juvenile Matters in Des Moines all morning but would be going to the Ames Office in the afternoon to meet with a client. I explicitly and directly told Chinese Boss (and I quote) “I have to be at the DHS office until 1 tomorrow, so the earliest I’ll get to Ames is 2:00”. That is a direct quote that I said directly to her less than 23 hours ago.

The Government Interview went long and Chinese Boss (being driven by White Boss) was going to be late for a client appointment. So she texted me to see if I was in the Ames Office this morning.

I know it is small. I know it is a little thing. I understand. I get it. I really do. I’m being petty.

BUT this makes me explode. Considering the amount of SHIT I had to take for being late to bullshit, while NEVER being late to court or to a client meeting.... and both bosses couldn’t make it on time to a Client Meeting. What is more… they have to text me to discover things I’ve been in communication with them about all week. Even giving exact, specific details verbally. Sincerely, seriously, truly… if Chinese Boss had said literally anything to me about work and I didn’t remember it? She’d be pissed.

This kind of thing… likely… is why I care so very little right now that I’m not actively working on a case and building billable hours. I’m going to take care of my clients. I’m going to try to help this firm transition to being without me. Then I am going to be glad I am free. Because I could be a good attorney. This law firm could be a great law firm. But I need a little less “lack of professionalism and structure.” I would rather work for “a firm that has stood for 5 generations” than work for one “that is still trying to figure itself out.”