Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Reading While Sick



Not necessarily a good idea. I surfed the net inbetween coughing fits only to come up with stuff like this:

SHE may have the most talked-about forearms in US political history, but Michelle Obama revealed yesterday that she has a weakness for hamburgers and chips and is more concerned about her hips.

After a national discussion about her taste for sleeveless dresses - and the consequent exposure of her toned biceps – the wife of President Barack Obama appears to be having a little more trouble keeping other parts of her anatomy in trim.

Mmmm. And sigh. A big sigh.

Then I came across yet another article about Weird Stuff Women Do. They hump poles in front of men and this humping has increased with the lack of non-humping jobs. But that's really great news for the women because they make humongous amounts of money:

As a bartender and trainer at a national restaurant chain, Rebecca Brown earned a couple thousand dollars in a really good week. Now, as a dancer at Chicago's Pink Monkey gentleman's club, she makes almost that much in one good night.

The tough job market is prompting a growing number of women across the country to dance in strip clubs, appear in adult movies or pose for magazines like Hustler.

Employers across the adult entertainment industry say they're seeing an influx of applications from women who, like Brown, are attracted by the promise of flexible schedules and fast cash. Many have college degrees and held white-collar jobs until the economy soured.

...

Brown, meanwhile, has a ready answer for those critical of her career choice.

"I have job security," she said.

But does she have job security? Health insurance? I wonder, given this explanation of how the women are paid:

Dancers are independent contractors, paying clubs a nightly flat fee depending on how long they work. At the Pink Monkey, for example, dancers who arrive at 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday pay a $40 "house fee," while women who don't arrive until midnight pay $90. And they keep their tips.

That's not a description of an employee. So why are the clubs called employers in the earlier quote?

I should have stuck with Terry Pratchett.