For Your Consideration

Dear Fine and Clean Individuals Offering Employment to Writers,

Hello there!  My name is Rebecca and I am responding to your Craigslist advertisement looking for “a naturally funny copywriter to infuse humor and personality into our up-and-coming gadget website.”

In order to demonstrate my love for technology and gadgets, I would like to start this letter of inquiry by pointing out that I am dictating this text using Siri, series model “C.” Not many are aware that the series model “C” was the earliest form of cell phone voice recognition, originally packaged with the 1980s Nokia-Mobira Cellular Phone (it’s strange how smart phones still sell for around $600. Conspiracy? - Maybe).  

Regardless, you may not have heard of the series model C version of Siri, the prune before the apple, which enjoyed a short livelihood before it was realized that the inclusion of this technology prevented the consumer from carrying the phone in his or her back pocket or bra.  Such a shame really. But there were other drawbacks as well, for example, I have had to correct every word I have dictated to this point, making Siri, series model C a lot like my marriage, awesome but exhausting. 

I do have a deep love and appreciation for technology and gadgets, writing, comedy, chocolate, and Starbucks coffee.  Professor Gadget-wise, I own a staggering array of cutting edge and, “oh my God did we really think that would work” technology, technology which even Goodwill refuses to accept as a donation. Indeed, I’d rather spend my time and money on technology and gadgets than therapy. But that might be a topic for another time.

Professionally, I am an actress, academic, and professional writer (Freelance Writing Resume).  You will notice while viewing my academic CV that I have spent much of my life institutionalized, composing academic writings, which pretty much counteracts any major potential for comic composition. However, I have been lucky enough to have found a secret antidote to this comedic killer: a deep love for Marx Brothers humor and pratfalls. Of course, what this really means is that I am extremely efficient at being able to laugh at my own pain. But there certainly are worse things in life. For example, writing a lengthy dissertation on the fantasy life of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel.

Oh big wallet ones, let’s face it; philosophically and theoretically saving the world from itself, or even exposing a world of evildoers does not pay as well today as it did in Socrates' time. So, I have ventured into the magical realm of web content creation and freelance writing, freeing myself from the corset of academic life. It is here that I have been lucky enough to blog about Celtic holidays and spirituality, and to compose compelling web content on such engaging topics as cell phone contracts, checking accounts, or starting an exciting career as some sort of an accountant.  As tantalizing as the upcoming article on gout will be, I look forward to expanding my portfolio, gaining a byline, and writing about topics I can thoroughly enjoy: technology and gadgets.


Thank you for your consideration,
Rebecca Lea McCarthy
Rebeccamccarthy at gmail.com
Death and Taxes Blog

B is for Boobs and Birth Control

Today I am working on Chapter 6, writing about two nicknames I have been given by my peers at different times in my life - nicknames around the topic of sexuality.

The first and most frustrating nickname I was given was One-Boob-Becky when I was a child. I think the name speaks for itself. I got this name when I was at Kino and in 6th grade. The name followed me through to JR High and High School, when I finally left for WA state with my family.  To celebrate this memory, I thought I would do two things.  First, I invite you to look at this interesting Twitter feed/search on two terms: "lopsided Boobs," as well as "Boobs."I love searching Social Media for key words and topics because it lets me see a slice of spontaneous opinion about the ideas and topics.  If you linger on the Boob link for long, you will see that the updates are continuous on that topic! People like to speak about boobs.

For the heck of it, I also decided to Songify part of the chapter, a monologue I wrote on the topic of growing up with one boob.

Listen here: One-Boob-Becky

Finally, I want to direct your attention to this interesting article from NPR that talks about the possibility of birth control being deemed mandatory for Insurance coverage: Birth Control Without Copays Could Become Mandatory. 

For years, many insurance companies would willingly cover the entire price of an abortion but NOT for birth control.  I have written and studied about this situation before and the logic continues to boggle the mind.  It is about time that birth control is seen as normal part of health care need for women.  The battle over this issue is tomorrow, when "when the independent Institute of Medicine is expected to make recommendations about preventive health care services for women." I'll be waiting and watching myself.
R