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Mediabistro Employee Learns to Live in Poverty
State Dept. Has Known (and Done Nothing) about its Afghan Animal House
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SeaBassTian
10/13/09

In reply to Mediabistro Employee Learns to Live in Poverty
I am surprised to see that nobody has taken scary old hag Kathee Lee to task for giving crocodile tears to the unfortunate journalist. Not to mention, the fact that she is almost completely unrecognizable since Regis days. I almost thought AE was speaking to Edie Brit.
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hungerfordj
10/12/09

In reply to Mediabistro Employee Learns to Live in Poverty
Oh, waaaaaaaaaah! Talented and tenacious, what a bunch of horseapples. Because you guys sit down in front of a computer and type for a living and know a few people, you're "incredibly talented"? Amanda should have to live in Flint, Michigan and deal with the kind of shiznit they are living through. It'd probably make some good journalism if Amanda had to go out and get a regular job in Flint and see how real people are dealing with this disaster. We wouldn't want to see her get her fingers dirty, though. :)
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johnnypotatoes
10/13/09

@hungerfordj: You know, this kind of bullshit doesn't make a lot of sense. Because if an unemployed auto worker were the subject, you could write this same thing in response, with substitutions: "Bob the autoworker should have to live in Juarez, Mexico making $4 a day on an assembly line. And then Bob would be the not-"real" person, see? And on down the chain. "Roberto the Juarez assembly line worker should have to live in Chad and deal with the wrenching poverty...." Etc.

It's true, Amanda probably has it better the autoworker, or will. But that doesn't mean what she's dealing with doesn't suck. What's your situation, hungerforddj? Are you, like, a dirt farmer or what? If you lost your job, would that be bad, or would you compare yourself to the people of Flint and then count your blessings?
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Lulupasternak
10/12/09

In reply to Mediabistro Employee Learns to Live in Poverty
But who thinks writing those Fishbowl blogs for $12-$15 a post is full time gig? She better get shaking that money maker.
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raincoaster
10/12/09

@Lulupasternak: If they keep the Dentonian pace of 10 posts a day, it's a living. Do they?
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Seeräuber Jenny
10/12/09

In reply to Mediabistro Employee Learns to Live in Poverty
It sucks to keep having to pay your dues, finding yourself further behind each time.
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lvmags
10/12/09

In reply to Mediabistro Employee Learns to Live in Poverty
I have known Amanda for quite some time and she has even written articles for me in the past. She is incredibly talented and tenacious and it is a sad state of affairs when someone so creative doesn't get paid their worth after working so hard in their career...there are so many people like Amanda in publishing and journalism today that are in the same boat, some of which are being forced to take jobs they took back in HS. I applaud Amanda for being so honest and looking the camera's in the eye and stating the obvious. Way to go!
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raincoaster
10/12/09

In reply to Mediabistro Employee Learns to Live in Poverty
If AvantGuild couldn't help her, guess it's time to not renew.
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mrbemis
10/12/09

In reply to Mediabistro Employee Learns to Live in Poverty
She oughta join Avant Guild -- then she could save a few bucks on her Freelance marketplace listing!
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diva_t
10/12/09

In reply to Mediabistro Employee Learns to Live in Poverty
gym membership? - don't you have to walk everywhere in NYC? can't you do yoga or pushups at your place?

newspaper subscriptions? - i thought you can read all that on the internet? who the hell subscribes to anything on paper anymore?
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Seeräuber Jenny
10/12/09

@diva_t: I'm not saying she has to belong to Equinox, but if she can afford it, a gym membership may be a healthy expense. Staying physically fit helps many people stay confident and provides some discipline. It also kills a couple of hours.

How many unemployed people have I known who became surgically attached to their couch?
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If_I_Had_a_Poodle
10/12/09

In reply to Mediabistro Employee Learns to Live in Poverty
complaining on tv about how your new job isn't as good as your old job, and how you are really better than your new job: priceless
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Cynical Media Bitch
10/12/09

@if_i_only_had_a_heart: I wonder how long it will take for her words to haunt her.
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If_I_Had_a_Poodle
10/12/09

@Cynical Media Bitch: 30 seconds after airtime is my guess
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coreyk
10/12/09

In reply to Mediabistro Employee Learns to Live in Poverty
What's with all these sob stories from young white chicks with journalism degrees that were surprised to find out there wasn't a $50k/year job waiting for them on graduation day? And isn't three jobs the standard for young writers in the city? And I'm sorry, but $1,666/month isn't so bad in the outer boroughs or Jersey.
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Nic Fit
10/12/09

@coreyk: Is 50K supposed to be good money in New York?
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coreyk
10/12/09

@Nic Fit: Well, it certainly isn't poverty.
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If_I_Had_a_Poodle
10/12/09

@coreyk: that's what happens when people without trust funds start trying to work in publishing
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miss_msry
10/12/09

@if_i_only_had_a_heart:

I thought having a trust fund was a prerequisite for entering any Journalism school in the country. Silly rabbits.
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Cheap Shot
10/12/09

In reply to Mediabistro Employee Learns to Live in Poverty
Whatever, she's hot so she could just hang out at Merchants and meet her future fratty husband.
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miss_msry
10/12/09

@Cheap Shot: If by hot, you mean she could start a sister act with Ashley DuPres, then I guess you're right.
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pmarble
10/12/09

In reply to Mediabistro Employee Learns to Live in Poverty
I keep pondering what the obligation of the comfortable business owners is to their employees. I know law firm partners are wildly cutting staff and lawyers to keep their per-partner profits up, which seems reprehensible. Why is it that the richest don't seem capable of sharing the pain?
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If_I_Had_a_Poodle
10/12/09

@pmarble: why? because they're rich! it makes everyone else invisible.
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GirlCat
10/12/09

@pmarble: It's how they get and stay rich. They didn't get where they are on talent and hard work alone. (Though that is a myth they support wholeheartedly because it keeps their talented minions working hard.)
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mommy_dearest
10/12/09

@pmarble: It makes me sad to imagine a rich person in pain.
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Uncle_Billy_Slumming
10/12/09

In reply to Mediabistro Employee Learns to Live in Poverty
You can actually live in Poverty (McLean County, KY) , according to placenames.com, but you do have your choice of living also in or around Poverty Creek, Poverty Flats, Poverty Spring, Poverty Draw, Poverty Mountain, Poverty Knoll, Poverty Point, Poverty Hills, Poverty Gulch (of course), Poverty Bar, Poverty Ridge, Poverty Canyon, Poverty Mesa, Poverty Island Beach, Poverty Island, Poverty Row (an actual subdivision in Cook County, IL), Poverty Hollow (great for Halloween!), Poverty Bay, Poverty, Poverty Coulee, Poverty Knob, Poverty Run, Poverty Meadows (retirement community?), & Poverty Bay.

My favorites are Poverty Hills, and Poverty Knob.

Many poverties here in these continental united states. Didn't see any in HI, but there just might be some there too.
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Nic Fit
10/12/09

@Uncle_Billy_Slumming: Let's not forget that Roosevelt Island used to be called Welfare Island.
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Uncle_Billy_Slumming
10/12/09

@Nic Fit:

Sounds like fun. Wackypedia sez Boss Tweed, Dutch Schultz, Mae West and Billie Holiday all spent time in prison there. Which is where Mae West got her famous "Come up and see me do some time, some time"?
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RheaPollstry
09/02/09

In reply to State Dept. Has Known (and Done Nothing) about its Afghan Animal House
I'm having trouble working up any outrage over this. In fact, I'll bet a lot of our soldiers act the same way when they're off-duty. It seems like that's what young straight guys do. You know, nailing their scrotums to boards, lighting their farts, typical Jackass-type behavior.
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homovegetarian
09/02/09

@RheaPollstry: while i find the behavior appalling, i agree that people have a right to act like jackasses when they aren't at work.

if nothing illegal then i'm a little confused as to why anyone's employment should be dependent on our not-at-work behavior.
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BBooms
09/02/09

In reply to State Dept. Has Known (and Done Nothing) about its Afghan Animal House
I have a problem with you simply stating "the government's known all along," because the Obama administration and Bush administration are so distinctly different in a myriad of ways. When you completely erase the line between the two (which you do when you write like that), you place blame and responsibility on the current administration (Hillary photo), when we all know that this kind of behavior was allowed to foster and grow long before the current administration even existed.
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