Monday, January 05, 2009

Prisoner in my own country. . . by my own hand

Oh, so fucked, so seriously fucked, it’s not even funny

Just when I thought something good was happening for me professionally

I take a step back to explain

I got a great gig in Beijing for a month maybe two, one show a night and perhaps get a magic shop started. that was the talk, the contract was all but signed and plane tickets bought. Club owner already advertising an opening of Feb. 6 for Beijing's only comedy magic club.

On Dec. 23rd I overnighted my shit to renew my passport. Today I got the ugly letter informing me that my request had been denied due to child support owed.

A gig that might have helped me pay my child support, taken away from me because I owe $25,000 in back child support.

Don’t make much sense to me, but I’m not that bright. Hell, if I were, I probably wouldn’t be in this mess.

But I am, and got no one to blame but myself

Kids I can’t pay for, even though I really want to.

I like to think that my child support payment history clearly demonstrates, that if I have the money. . . she does. I want to make enough to pay my child support. . . REALLY!

So many things working against so many people
A planet full of problems
and a belly full of booze

shit who knows, maybe I’ll get another DUI on my way to score some pot I can’t afford.

I’ll lay it out for you

I’m not going away
you can’t kill me
or my spirit

I will survive

happy new year

9 comments:

salope62 said...

You. Will. Survive.

You're a good man, a good person. The system is fucked in regards to those that mean well versus those that don't. They don't differentiate between the two. So sorry that happened to you.

You're in my heart, as you always have been, old friend.

Anonymous said...

Possible to flip this gig to another magician and take a nice commission/unload the plane tickets?

Tom Frank said...

You ready to get on a plane Feb. 1st and go for a month? Got a valid Passport?

Call Greg Irwin NOW

513.403.9382

Anonymous said...

If you want to pay your child support get a job. Thats what responsible people do. That's what I did. Paid it for 17 years. Kids do suffer from lack of Child Support, don't with-hold it from the kids just out of spite. You can get a real job during the day to take care of your responsibilities, and work your Magic on Nights and Weekends. you'll come out ahead, everyone involved will.

Philemon Vanderbeck said...

If you're a reader of this blog, you would know that Tom does have a job... performing magic. He loves it and he's good at it.

Sure he could become a wage slave, but he would be miserable and in today's economy, he still would have a hard time raising the money necessary for the child support he owes.

His ex-wife screwed him over big time. As soon as she got her hands on her trust fund, she divorced Tom, then took him to the cleaners. Her treatment of Tom was responsible for him losing his business in Seattle. On top of that, she's used Tom's recreational drug use as a means to deny him his proper visitation rights to his kids.

Through all of this, Tom has done his best to keep his spirits up. He now has a wonderful partner, a decent job, and a much better outlook on life.

As Tom has pointed out, due to government bureaucracy, he's being denied an opportunity to make some serious bank, and give his ex-wife the child support that she doesn't really need.

You hide behind anonymity to make your disparaging remarks, when it's clear you have little clue to what kind of person Tom is and how his trusting nature allowed others to take advantage of him.

Tom is not perfect, but then again, none of us are. Save your judgmental condescension for... well... just keep it to yourself, because no one really needs it.

Least of all, not Tom.

Hobbiest said...

who ever Anonymous is, your an ass hole. Don't judge someone you have not met. Also in this post he said when he has money he gives it to his kid, who he loves and wants to support.

Anyway Tom, I am curious to know if you can challenge there decision and show them you are not going out of country for pleasure but for work. I cant see how they can deny you to leave to work so you can properly pay your child support, especially something that would pay you very well, compared to a minimum wage job that fuck face Anonymous is suggesting.

Anonymous said...

Sorry folks, but its nonsense. "When I have the money...???" Like - when you decide to blow off work again - and again - and again because you don't think the hats are big enough and then go smoke a doob and take a walk in the Hollywood Hills? Man, I am sorry I just cannot feel sorry for you. Those kids are your responsibility whether you like it or not, and their need for food, clothing and housing isn't part time like your so - called job. Hey, Phi and Worst Magician - if either of you has kids I hope you spend your money on supporting them instead of 'recreational drug use,' it is a better investment in the future. Who knows? You might need to renew a passport sometime. Oh, and by all means - call someone an asshole because he suggests being a father who supports his kids FULL time, and not when it is convenient! I won't sign this anonymous, I'll sign it A GUY WHO PAID HIS CHILD SUPPORT FOR FIFTEEN YEARS.

salope62 said...

Anony-nonyass,

You've seen the support for Tom, and while you sit there patting yourself on the back for paying your child support for 15 years, you know nothing about Tom or his situation. Yea for you, asshole. Tom does work -- he's a professional Magician, and a good one at that. Yeah, pal, that really is a job. You never know what kind of money you might make, or where it's going to come from sometimes, but it IS A REAL JOB.

I don't know what you do for a living, and bully for you for your self-righteousness, but obviously you hide behind your anonymity so you can pat yourself on the back without people giving you shit. If you were a fulltime working Magician, I'd be listening. But apparently you are not. Go find yourself another forum to give yourself anonymous kudo's. M'kay?

FYI, I raised my son without child support from his dad. I cut my losses and got on with it.

Anonymous said...

salope62, the purpose of this blog isn't for you and I to carry on a flame war. This is the area for comments. I left a comment. I've not only SEEN the support for Tom, I have PAID in support of Tom - so don't tell me I don't know anything about him. I know a lot more about Tom than you might think, including how many hours he has available to work versus how many he actually DOES work. "Those that mean well" doesn't get your kids fed and clothed, and I am not self righteous nor patting myself on the back - I am responsible and disciplined enough to do what needed to be done. How can you think that just because you like the guy it is okay for him not to pay child support? Ever heard a judge say, "Hey man, just pay it when you can, but the other times you can pretty much work out and work on your tan." Do you think I didn't feel any of his kind of pain? My ex wife driving a new car while I was on foot? Her second, third and fourth husbands laying on my couch and not caring for the kids I would LOVE to have had custody of? Well I did, but I worked and paid anyway. Not always at jobs I loved. Sometimes I took work TO pay the support. They were my kids and I was responsible for their support. Tom is too, and he pays when convenient. That's not cool, its not heroic and while he is indeed a good person and a great magician it isn't germane to this discussion. Do you ever wonder what any of the kids might think as they read about his wonderful life of concerts, hanging out with his friends, drug use and his life of play while they KNOW he isn't paying his support? Do you think they cannot figure out that pot and cigars don't come free while he neglects to pay his support? I do know him, I do admire his chops and all of the years he has helped people in the magic community become better magicians. I can't join the parade of "hey man, just stay true to your art - screw the law!" Kids aren't principles, they are living breathing wonderful responsibilities, and if we're going to father (or mother) them, we have to accept the whole package. There are no winners in this kind of thing. No one begins the process 25k in the hole - that is a whole lot of unpaid child support, but even a so - so job would get it paid off in no time at all. You just do it, and then KEEP it done. Do you understand that one can write this and STILL care about Tom? I do. I also care about his kids. Most of all, I care about Tom and his kids, someday together.