I just locked up this Facebook account to Friends Only and I am going to pare my friend list down considerably in the next day or two. If you get unfriended and it bums you out, feel free to send me a Friend request and Ill deal with it on a per-case basis. I always prided myself on being open here. I enjoyed meeting new people, friends of friends who shared my taste in music, politics, sports, leisure activities or whatever. Well, thats over because someone - and I will probably never know who - decided to forward a post I made that contained Steve Albini lyrics - specifically the lyrics to Prayer To God, the lead track off 1000 Hurts by his band Shellac - to the Human Resources Department at Harrahs Philadelphia who promptly terminated me for threatening someone. Yeah, I know the song in question is about praying to God that He kill his cheating ex and her new boy-toy. Apparently Harrahs HR thinks I have the power to actually get God to handle executions for me. Which I have to say isnt true because the road would be littered with the bodies of every horrible driver I encounter whenever I get behind the wheel. I have limited recourse and I am pretty sure that what recourse I do have will be fruitless. Needless to say I think their decision is horrifically ridiculous and patently unfair. Because of posting the lyrics to a song I didnt write - with attribution to the band, even - on my own time and on my own personal Facebook page - I am now out of a job I love in a poker room I helped open up and a place that saw fit to promote me to be a supervisor. I lost my health insurance, my dental insurance, and insurance covering my wife. If a medical emergency happens, we are completely screwed. (COBRA will cost us $1075 a month, so yeah, thats not an option.) I lost my ability to pay my bills. I may be forced to cash in my 401(k) (not fully vested, thanks to Harrahs decision to terminate me.) And I probably will be on a list banning me from working at any Caesars Entertainment property forever. All because someone didnt like the lyrics I posted or had a personal vendetta with me or... Well, Ill probably never know. I was fortunate that I was dealing one day a week at Hollywood Casino in Perryville, MD who have been able to give me more shifts. Its a long commute but I love what I do, the people there are friendly and the staff seems to actually want me there and thinks I do a good job. That is allowing me to at avoid unemployment and the pay cut that would bring. The expense of gas sucks but you go where the jobs are. Assuming that I cannot get my job back at Harrahs, I will be thankful that I am able to work at something I love - and get to listen to a lot of great music during my hour-long commutes there (and I will post whatever lyrics I want in my now-secure Facebook page) - and keep my eyes open for closer opportunities to work in the poker business near the house I purchased in 2009 with the wife and child I love so much. I am looking at the bright side: I still have a job I love doing, making decent money for as long as they can use my services. When opportunities in Philly come up, I am licensed and ready to work. I still have my family and friends. Ill be fine. And Ill keep on doing the Facebook thing - just locked up where it can never hurt me again.
Posted on: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 00:41:49 +0000
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