Happier Abroad Forum Community

This is what I've strongly suspected all along, and it's glad to hear someone else who's had the same kind of experience, verify this for me. Thank you.

You are not alone by far. Lots of people do it. Many rich people do even better- they have several passports with several different names. All legal as they change them in the country they are citizens of. They would have a German one with a German name and a British one with a British name, etc. Names are like clothes- there to fit the local fashions.

Yes, yes! Thank you for confirming this, also. I have been spending about a year at various surname websites like http://www.houseofnames.com looking for surnames that I could reasonably pull off, given my physical appearance and personality, but which would also offer me the greatest mobility in terms of culture-hopping and blending in. It turns out that certain surnames like "Martin" and "Anthony" are amongst the most multicultural, while a number of surnames pigeonhole you into one ethnic culture only.

Names are for other people to use to call and identify you. Martin sounds fine - can be anything- Russian, French, Spanish, English, etc; and you will blend in. But one year? Just do it sooner. It takes about a month, I think. The hardest part is actually changing all your documents, Social Security card and all your records to the new name. That takes longer. But find out more.

Anthony does not sound too multicultural to me. It is basically British sounding. Few cultures would have a "y" and a "th" except the British.

There was no way I could have had a career that I had had I kept my other name. I would not have been able to get a job period.

ladislav wrote: But one year? Just do it sooner. It takes about a month, I think. The hardest part is actually changing all your documents, Social Security card and all your records to the new name. That takes longer. But find out more.

That's not what I meant. I meant it's taken me a year to search through different names to find something I like and don't feel too phoney using.

ladislav wrote:Anthony does not sound too multicultural to me. It is basically British sounding. Few cultures would have a "y" and a "th" except the British.

Well, if you search through http://www.houseofnames.com you'll see Anthony there, cross-listed under different countries and ethnicities, and Martin has probably the most of all. I am also considering "Oliver" as a last name.

ladislav wrote:There was no way I could have had a career that I had had I kept my other name. I would not have been able to get a job period.

At least you admit that it's actually this horrible. Thanks for that.

Winston wrote:LogicJunkie,
I love this video you did about the Egocaust in America. It's so true and your spiel was eloquent and melodramatic. You are a great critical thinker and true skeptic.

There is a new book out I really recommend - "The Fall" by Steve Taylor. The book is written as a history of the human ego, and he backs up his thesis with anthropological and historical evidence. He call civilization the "fallen" state and spends time describing primitive "unfallen" people who live in a natural state of happiness without human ego or fear of death. He presents his theory backed up by evidence of how we got from "unfallen" to "fallen".

Winston wrote:LogicJunkie,
I love this video you did about the Egocaust in America. It's so true and your spiel was eloquent and melodramatic. You are a great critical thinker and true skeptic.

I think this video is off target. The issue isn't ego, it's status. Americans have remarkably fragile egos because they are obsessed with status. And the reason that they are obsessed with status is because American men are the most undersexed in the world. So men crave status in order to appeal to women. And of course women are naturally all about status. So status dominates everything in America.

fschmidt wrote:

Winston wrote:LogicJunkie,
I love this video you did about the Egocaust in America. It's so true and your spiel was eloquent and melodramatic. You are a great critical thinker and true skeptic.

I think this video is off target. The issue isn't ego, it's status. Americans have remarkably fragile egos because they are obsessed with status. And the reason that they are obsessed with status is because American men are the most undersexed in the world. So men crave status in order to appeal to women. And of course women are naturally all about status. So status dominates everything in America.

He may be using a more expanded definition than yours. I see status seeking as very much a part of the ego because "status" is just another thing external to our consciousness which we use to compensate for our lost natural state of happiness.

MrPeabody wrote:He may be using a more expanded definition than yours. I see status seeking as very much a part of the ego because "status" is just another thing external to our consciousness which we use to compensate for our lost natural state of happiness.

You might be right, these terms are mushy. In that case, I would just add my point that the cause is undersexed men and that no solution is possible until that problem is solved.

Well, if you search through http://www.houseofnames.com you'll see Anthony there, cross-listed under different countries and ethnicities,

But it changes spelling to the point of it almost becoming a new name. Anthony, Antal, Antonio.

Greek: Antonius; French: Antoine, Antoni; Russian And Slavonic: Anton; Italian: Antonio, Tonio, Tonetto; Spanish And Portuguese: Antonio; Hungarian: Antal; Polish: Antoni; German: Anton. The one with the "th" and a "y" is unmistakeably British.

Martin would not change spelling. It could be British, Russian, French, Irish, etc just the way it is.

I am also considering "Oliver" as a last name.

In my humble opinion, it would sound too "first nameish". And it could not easily transfer into Hispanic or Slavic cultures.

At least you admit that it's actually this horrible.

With a name like Vladislen Emmanuilovich Smoktunovskiy, I would rather be Martinez. At least I would apply for some government programs as an oppressed minority.

I am not of German descent. However, I did live in Germany for some time. I can say that LogicJunkie, unfortunately you have bought into some pretty sick propaganda against Germans. They certainly may not be the most polite people on earth, but I guarantee that they are much nicer than typical Americans - both the men and the women.

Always remember that history is written by the victors. The Soviet Union and the Allied Powers wanted to destroy the image of Germany and wanted to associate them with evil.

Also, I would say that this culture is definitely not German. If anything, it is British, not German.

As much as this culture may be anti-hispanic sounding names, there is the fact that this culture is highly feminist and doesnt believe in helping men. If you are a woman, you can apply for many lower level office jobs without any qualifications. If you are a man, you will be turned away. Studies show that female HR officers prefer to hire women four times more than they prefer to hire men, and probably the majority of HR reps are women.

Anyhow, you want a different last name, just change the Z to a C and add an O at the end. Everyone will assume you are Italian.

However, I went to school with many Portuguese and Spaniards fresh off the boat, and most of them are doing well. From Chiropractors, to System Engineers, Mechanics, etc. You need a specialized degree and/or a real skillset.

Here is LogicJunkie expressing why he's through with America. I'm sure we can all relate to how he feels.



LogicJunkie, you look a little Greek. Maybe you can choose a Greek sounding surname?

Based on your appearance, you are not a bad looking guy. Your nose is prominent and your hair and face is decently proportioned. But I can't see the lower half of your body. Are you overweight by any chance? If so, that might explain the discrimination you experience perhaps? I can't tell in your videos if you are slim or heavy or in between. What about your height? Judging from your arm length, you probably aren't very tall right? Could that be the reason you get discriminated against rather than your last name?

Your facial expressions portray you as an intelligent sensitive guy. And the way you talk is very articulate, brutally honest and blunt. It is obvious though that you are not a mainstream person who follows the herd and lives to make money and conform only, like most people are. Maybe the fact that you are aware, love truth, and not a conformist makes you not fit into society, and when people pick up on that, they discriminate against you?

What do you think?

Winston wrote: LogicJunkie, you look a little Greek. Maybe you can choose a Greek sounding surname?

Based on your appearance, you are not a bad looking guy. Your nose is prominent and your hair and face is decently proportioned. But I can't see the lower half of your body. Are you overweight by any chance? If so, that might explain the discrimination you experience perhaps? I can't tell in your videos if you are slim or heavy or in between. What about your height? Judging from your arm length, you probably aren't very tall right? Could that be the reason you get discriminated against rather than your last name?

Your facial expressions portray you as an intelligent sensitive guy. And the way you talk is very articulate, brutally honest and blunt. It is obvious though that you are not a mainstream person who follows the herd and lives to make money and conform only, like most people are. Maybe the fact that you are aware, love truth, and not a conformist makes you not fit into society, and when people pick up on that, they discriminate against you?

What do you think?

Yes, LJ has a nice face. I believe in one of his vids, he mentioned that he's 5'8" or 5'9".

Its really hard for me to imagine that he gets discriminated against for being too Hispanic just because of his name. Face to face, he does not seem at all Hispanic. I've been around plenty of Hispanic people in uni from various backgrounds and with varying degrees of assimilation into the US culture. Even 3rd or 4th generation ones could often be easily identified by something in their look or speaking style. Not so for LJ IMO.

Consider Caucasians with the surname 'Lee'. Do they have to deal with being discriminated for having an Asian last name in the US? I once had a Taiwanese co-worker with the English surname 'King' from the Chinese character 金 (gold). Now since King is also a surname of English origin, are we to assume that he would get discriminated against less than in the States than someone with the surname 'Chen'?

My point is, how important is a person's surname vs. how important is the actual in-person image he conveys. I've always believed the latter was much more important.

Also, re-read Adama's post. It makes sense, to me at least.

But I'm Asian, so how come I have had a relatively easy time getting jobs in the US? Look at my resume here: (it only includes the jobs that I'm proud of, not the many other jobs I've had which I don't feel are worth mentioning)

http://www.happierabroad.com/Resume_Business.htm

But then again, most of the time, I didn't even want a job so I didn't feel like I was missing anything when I went through long periods of unemployment. lol. Most of the time, I just stayed home with my parents and did my own thing and thought, "To hell with work. Why should I feel empty if I'm not enslaved and treated like a machine? It doesn't make sense. It should be the opposite."

When people interview me for jobs, they are usually impressed. I sound sincere, educated, intelligent, and articulate, especially compared to the many other flakes and bums out there who were applying.

LogicJunkie is also very articulate as well, so I'm surprised that he doesn't impress interviewers.

Any thoughts?

Winston wrote:......When people interview me for jobs, they are usually impressed. I sound sincere, educated, intelligent, and articulate, especially compared to the many other flakes and bums out there who were applying.

LogicJunkie is also very articulate as well, so I'm surprised that he doesn't impress interviewers.

Any thoughts?

Winston, the interviewers become scared/intimidated by him. In the AMerican recession of the new millennium, Americans want mnemonic drones that are faithful to their regal authorities and don't want to find any elements of potential insubordination down the line as if they were to hire him. In this American recession, these Americans, a lot of them in a position of power but not in a guaranteed position in the corp[-se] food chain game, want to retain jobs because a lot them themselves know that they are expendable hence can become replaced in pretty much an instant if not then pretty soon thereafter.

Furthermore in order to explain what I mean by insubordination is that they don't want somebody like The Logic Junkie to actually do better than they in regards to work in due time after hiring him. Again it's because they don't want to be replaced because it's so hard to obtain another job in this trying era of American economy.

Yet they don't want anybody whom is a total inept reject that cannot perform....oh yeah...EOE hiring = hiring inadequate mannish strong in-duh-pendent Black American women to fulfill the prophecy and the position mind you.

So yeah, Logic Junkie might have to act like a pompous yet a lovable fag whom the interviewers would go gaga over so he isn't a threat to the matriarchal waning-of-productive-quality of a company in which he might be applying to seek work for/with. Feminist-corp[-se] America are enamored by gay men that pose no threat to their in-duh-structure.

On top of that, these people are employing people whom they see can be their buddy. it's not about having the GDP in the world anymore; it's about nepatalism and how you make your American co-worker's dysfunction a lot more "functional" to cope with, too. (if that's the correct word).

E_Irizarry wrote:

Winston wrote:......When people interview me for jobs, they are usually impressed. I sound sincere, educated, intelligent, and articulate, especially compared to the many other flakes and bums out there who were applying.

LogicJunkie is also very articulate as well, so I'm surprised that he doesn't impress interviewers.

Any thoughts?

Winston, the interviewers become scared/intimidated by him. In the AMerican recession of the new millennium, Americans want mnemonic drones that are faithful to their regal authorities and don't want to find any elements of potential insubordination down the line as if they were to hire him. In this American recession, these Americans, a lot of them in a position of power but not in a guaranteed position in the corp[-se] food chain game, want to retain jobs because a lot them themselves know that they are expendable hence can become replaced in pretty much an instant if not then pretty soon thereafter.

Furthermore in order to explain what I mean by insubordination is that they don't want somebody like The Logic Junkie to actually do better than they in regards to work in due time after hiring him. Again it's because they don't want to be replaced because it's so hard to obtain another job in this trying era of American economy.

Yet they don't want anybody whom is a total inept reject that cannot perform....oh yeah...EOE hiring = hiring inadequate mannish strong in-duh-pendent Black American women to fulfill the prophecy and the position mind you.

So yeah, Logic Junkie might have to act like a pompous yet a lovable fag whom the interviewers would go gaga over so he isn't a threat to the matriarchal waning-of-productive-quality of a company in which he might be applying to seek work for/with. Feminist-corp[-se] America are enamored by gay men that pose no threat to their in-duh-structure.

On top of that, these people are employing people whom they see can be their buddy. it's not about having the GDP in the world anymore; it's about nepatalism and how you make your American co-worker's dysfunction a lot more "functional" to cope with, too. (if that's the correct word).

That's probably the most brilliant and well-written post you've ever made. I am glad I took the time to read it. Agree 100%

E_Irizarry wrote:

Winston wrote:......When people interview me for jobs, they are usually impressed. I sound sincere, educated, intelligent, and articulate, especially compared to the many other flakes and bums out there who were applying.

LogicJunkie is also very articulate as well, so I'm surprised that he doesn't impress interviewers.

Any thoughts?

Winston, the interviewers become scared/intimidated by him. In the AMerican recession of the new millennium, Americans want mnemonic drones that are faithful to their regal authorities and don't want to find any elements of potential insubordination down the line as if they were to hire him. In this American recession, these Americans, a lot of them in a position of power but not in a guaranteed position in the corp[-se] food chain game, want to retain jobs because a lot them themselves know that they are expendable hence can become replaced in pretty much an instant if not then pretty soon thereafter.

Furthermore in order to explain what I mean by insubordination is that they don't want somebody like The Logic Junkie to actually do better than they in regards to work in due time after hiring him. Again it's because they don't want to be replaced because it's so hard to obtain another job in this trying era of American economy.

Yet they don't want anybody whom is a total inept reject that cannot perform....oh yeah...EOE hiring = hiring inadequate mannish strong in-duh-pendent Black American women to fulfill the prophecy and the position mind you.

So yeah, Logic Junkie might have to act like a pompous yet a lovable fag whom the interviewers would go gaga over so he isn't a threat to the matriarchal waning-of-productive-quality of a company in which he might be applying to seek work for/with. Feminist-corp[-se] America are enamored by gay men that pose no threat to their in-duh-structure.

On top of that, these people are employing people whom they see can be their buddy. it's not about having the GDP in the world anymore; it's about nepatalism and how you make your American co-worker's dysfunction a lot more "functional" to cope with, too. (if that's the correct word).

Those are definitely all factors. However, I'm sure we all put on our best and most agreeable polite face at job interviews, so I doubt that LogicJunkie would talk in job interviews the same way he does in his videos. It'd be interesting to see him put on an agreeable polite enthusiastic non-controversial mask toward an interviewer. lol

But then again, I'm not sure how many interviews he does get, since he says that they weed him out cause of his last name. So maybe he doesn't get called for interviews often? We'll have to let him speak about that.

Also, it's possible that he might have some other quirks, vibes or personality traits that we don't know about, or that he's not aware of, that might turn people off too. Unless you meet him and hang out for a while, you don't know. It's just a possibility.

Maybe because I'm Asian, job interviewers automatically think I'm a studious workaholic, which counts in my favor? lol It's what they call a "positive stereotype" in this situation.

But yeah, they probably want someone who is a drone yet smart enough to do the job at least, and of course, someone likable to be around as well.

One time I interviewed for an insurance company that I found in an ad, and in their office, the woman interviewer (who looked like Janet Reno), said that they wanted someone who was a good fit AND would give it 110 percent in this job EVERYDAY and NEVER become complacent, like she does. LOL Yeah ok. So the ideal person to them is someone who gives a 110 percent effort everyday and never slacks off even for a minute! So realistic. LOL That's so insane! After the interview, I muttered to myself, "Ohhhhhhhhkkkaaayyyyyy" sarcastically... Needless to say, I never followed up with them.

E_Irizarry wrote:So yeah, Logic Junkie might have to act like a pompous yet a lovable fag whom the interviewers would go gaga over so he isn't a threat to the matriarchal waning-of-productive-quality of a company in which he might be applying to seek work for/with. Feminist-corp[-se] America are enamored by gay men that pose no threat to their in-duh-structure.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA...

Yeah, I'd pretty much come to that conclusion myself. This country has become such a convoluted goddamn nightmare, hasn't it?