This restaurant bathroom encourages drowning dead composers.

I have no idea what my phone number is and have no intention of learning it. That could be bad.

The day has hardly begun and i am ready to go home...sounds about right.

Almost time to go home, yay!

I do not like this month at work. I will be glad for september.

Ha! I have a group now and i can text both twitter and blogger by adding one contact!

I thought the clock said 11:45 but it said 11:15. Bugger.

The 'simply' juice line has single serve bottles now

I can send blog stuff from my phone now...neat.

Moving (a much-delayed post)

Well, it's that time again - we're moving in July. The first load of pre-packed items get moved June 13th when we empty our storage unit and swing by the house to top off with house boxes. We (surprisingly enough) never managed to unpack all our boxes in the 2 years we lived here and I guess all the clutter has worked in our favor.

Once we get the easiest junk out of the house we will have space to pack boxes. At this point I think this will go in 2 major waves - wave 1 will be the pre-packed boxes and wave 2 will include the furniture. If we can afford it, we'll be hiring movers to help with the furniture. Wave 2 will probably wait until mid-July just so we can keep appliances as long as possible.

In between these waves we'll be working a few hours each weekend to get a carload to the other house. While that will suck, at least it won't be an entire weekend of grueling physical labor.

With any luck, this is our last move for a very long time.

I've tried to remember when I last spent more than 2 years in a residence, and I can't really remember a time when I've been that stable. Needless to say (but I'm saying it anyway), moving is getting very old. In fact, I have boxes I packed in 2005. I know, many people would say "if you haven't missed it in 4 years, throw it away!" but I know there are things I want and just didn't have space to unpack.

For example, we have a food processor we received as a wedding gift...in 2006. We've never had the counter space to unpack it! I am so looking forward to having space. :) We actually have quite a few appliances I haven't used in a while because our kitchen is too cramped.

So, while I detest moving, I am getting excited about being moved.

Exhaustion

I've been working on Columbinus this last week for Tech Week and between that and work, I'm exhausted. There have been too many 16+ hour days and I don't know how anyone does this for extended periods of time. Oh right, I had 2 jobs a while ago and it sucked, now I remember. :P

I don't know if everyone feels exhaustion the way I do...it's like I have an anvil that is anchored to my chest and it's pulling me down to the ground, and I have to fight to stand upright when all I want to do is let it pull me down. That, and I daydream of curling up and going to sleep.

The shitty part of this is when I have the opportunity, I can't sleep!

I just got ready and I have to leave in 5 minutes, but I could totally go back to bed and sleep soundly.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Work still sucks

For the second month in a row, month end has fallen on the same day as payroll. Payroll already takes about 4 hours to complete. By the time we get started on month end it's already getting late in the afternoon, which means it'll be finished tomorrow.

I also have several invoices that I need to process, so I get to put off doing my big journal entry. Granted, that only takes about an hour, but I'd rather get it entered and do my reconciliation and be done. I'd feel a lot better. Instead, however, I get to let that wait so I can pay invoices that are almost past due and probably will be by the time the check mails. I hate this.

I'm finishing up on Vagina Monologues this week - I'm running lights and sound and it's a 3 week run Thursday-Sunday. It's really starting to wear on me and yes, there is such a thing as "too much of a good thing." I like theatre but it's getting a little old. I have one more show after this and I'm ready to call it the last for a while. I want free time again!

If the vag doesn't go an extra week, I'll have about a week of free time and then some friends are visiting. TC & J will be here the 17th-20th and that's the part where I get to say again that work sucks. That's Board week and since I handle contracts, I get lots of them that week. I want to work abbreviated hours and take off on Friday but I don't know how exactly that will work out.

To make things even peachier, we have to clear out our desks and files by the 23rd because the furniture is getting moved out to the new space. OH FUCKING BOY!!!! Like we even have time to deal with that!!

And there have been a lot of closed-door meetings regarding the Accounting Clerk I position, so I hope there's not some issue. Of course the economy is also in the shitter so we're worried about jobs...*sigh* With work being so damn busy I'd like to say we're pretty safe but no one's safe.

At least TV was good tonight :)

Physics game for the win!

Play Ice Breaker

Some people completely miss the point.

This letter is from a person who is so consumed with his spiritual arrogance that he completely misses the point of FSMism.

I might have this completely wrong, but I am pretty sure FSMism was begun as a demonstration of how utterly stupid modern religion has become. If memory serves, FSMism started as satire regarding Creationism retitled as Intelligent Design, encompassing religion as a whole.

If one sits down and thinks about religion logically, without allowing emotional attachment to bias them, it is quite obvious that the Big 3 have so many things in common that they must be related. The moral rules in each are very similar if not identical, and their teachings basically revolve around the Golden Rule - "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." It puts actions into perspective and makes them personal.

"Do you want someone to piss in your food and burn down your house? No, you would think that person an asshole? Well, then you probably shouldn't piss in that guy's food and burn down his house."

It's an elementary empathy lesson, one that is used to teach children how to be kind rather than the numb little self-absorbed monsters they start out.

My basic gripe about modern religion is that so many people are so sure they are right that no one else can possibly be right...because the Holy Book they believe in says there can only be one Religion (to rule them all, one Religion to find them, one Religion to bring them all and in the darkness bind them) and that would disprove their own if they believed!

To me, FSMism has become a symbol of how I feel about the ridiculous need to put one religion above another. It's like proclaiming that the orange is better than the banana. They're both fruit, they're both sweet; some people like them both, some people don't like either of them. To say one is better than the other is ridiculous, though, because it's a matter of opinion.

Work sucks and so does winter

We lost one of our co-workers (she's moving) and while she will be replaced, we've got a transition period of about 3 months before it happens.

Even when we have the replacement, it will still take a bit to get them trained enough that they are helpful. The position doesn't pay very well and there's zero room to advance unless one of us leaves, and the benefits are dwindling. If the economy wasn't in the shitter I'd say we'd be damn lucky to get anybody worth keeping.

So, this week the weather is bad and it's difficult to drive in to work. I was late getting there today, skipped lunch, and left 30 mins early. All told, I worked 5 hours. I spent around 2.5 hours in the car round trip, which wasn't too bad considering it's usually 1.5 anyway.

Starting last night we were getting sleet. It continued through the night and if the accumulation on my porch is any indication, we got about 2". I left work at 4:00 and didn't get home until 5:45, and it was hellacious. The ice was terrible - there were lots of accidents - it was a mess. This morning when we got up the first time (6:30) it didn't look like our street had been plowed. The MoDOT map said all state roads were "covered" (rather than the preferable "partially covered"). And my driveway was buried. So, we went back to bed. We finally left around 10:40 and I got to work around 11:40. It then proceeded to sleet most of the day. Luckily, I discovered on the way to work that 44 was a much better route so I took that home and this time our trip only took about an hour.

When we got home the snow started and counting everything, I think we've got at least 5 inches of "winter precipitation" on our driveway.

I got sidetracked a bit - back to how this relates to work. OK, so I missed that time today. Last week was a holiday and we're starting to get really behind. I know my supervisor didn't have freetime in her schedule and mine is very little, so it's impossible to add an 8 hour job to our plates and not notice it's there. So, we're busy and missing time for weather, and we're not allowed to make it up on Saturday.

Did I mention that the month is over this week and when we normally process month end, Monday, we have payroll? With 3 people it usually takes around 4 hours, and we're down to 2.

Is it just me or does it sound like something's gotta give here?! All I know is we absolutely MUST make it known that we're affected or management will say..."We don't need to replace her, you're doing great!" Or as I've had said to me before "You're doing so well, I can lay off the other people."

Fuck. That.

Merry Christmas to all...

Hi everyone, Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday and receive much of what you wish for; I'd say all, but where's the fun in that?

Things here are pretty good. K and I bought ourselves a new 50" Plasma TV for Christmas with a profit sharing check he received recently. We weren't supposed to exchange gifts, but I sort of bought him a lot of stuff. Oops. :)

I should probably go to bed since I have to get up early for stockings.

...and to all a good night!

Belated "Yay Obama!" Post

I am so thrilled that Obama was elected. I am happier still that it was a landslide, because I was afraid we might see another 2000-esque controversy. As "fundamentally sound" as our economy might be, the stock market is still an emotional beast and she did not like the indecision in 2000.

I have so much hope for what he can do; I am impressed by his positive messages and his overall positive campaign. Looking back, several others concentrated on slinging mud and scare tactics rather than offering solutions. I prefer the positive.

I sincerely hope that he is allowed to follow through with his vision for us; he might make some colossally huge mistakes, but he can't do too much worse than the last 8 years.

And I hope he *does* fill his cabinet with his opponents - they are smart people who have different points of view, and I think that's important for any president. Yes-men in the Cabinet do not a strong presidency make. I want to hear about intelligent, spirited debate regarding the issues that we face as a nation. The problems are complex and no one person can be expected to know all the answers immediately and flawlessly. I bounce ideas around and ask for criticism; I expect no less of our President.

Here's to hope...Yes we can!

"Obama has more threats than other Presidents-Elect"

Read this article, or do what I did and just look at the headline.

OK, so real fast here - I didn't read the article but I don't think I need to - I know what it's going to say. And you know my response? YOU DON'T FUCKING SAY. Did I really need to know this? It's not new information.

This has been one of the most controversial elections in our recent (last 100 years or so) history. The people were polarized and incredibly passionate about "their" candidate(s); the issues have led to explosive debates among the general public; voter turnout was supposed to be the highest in many years; and the black man won, instantly disappointing the 46.2% (roughly) of people who voted for McCain (even if not at the same time inspiring hatred).

And, considering this article, it should be no surprise that our first black President(-elect) is receiving more threats than any other. As late as two thousand (mother-fucking) six the KKK is *still* beating people for being the wrong "color" (or nationality in this instance).

So I say again...ya don't fucking say!

Here's that post about people abusing the system

OK, so writing the post about health care which shifted into social programs reminded me of my Wal-mart days. When I worked at Wal-mart, I saw all types, but I think the ones who burned me the most were the people using government assistance because they can't afford 5+ kids.

I don't know if they did it because they love kids or if they wanted more of them to leech off "the system" and get more assistance or if birth control pills are just a religious no-no. I think in one instance it was the birth control thing...which got me to thinking.

I firmly believe that government should not in any way, shape, or form, endorse, support, or otherwise favor, any religion (boy, that sure was a lot of commas).

I also believe in social programs and that, while sometimes abused, they are more often helpful than not and are integral to an advanced and wealthy society such as ours.

However - I think that we should potentially start encouraging smaller families so we don't end up with the China problem.

This is, in my unresearched opinion, quite easy to do. The number of private farms is falling (historically farmers had lots of children to help on the farm), people are living longer, and on the whole we don't need the birth rate to be as high. Most people do this on their own and only have as many children as they can afford, or only as many as replaces them (1 per person). So, where there is more education and better job opportunity, there are fewer children - mostly the middle and upper class.

In the lower class, those with less education and lower income (as illogical as that seems) tend to have more children. I don't know why exactly, but it has to do with birth control - affording it and knowing how to use it - religion, and sometimes welfare.

I will skip the education portion. I will also skip religion for now and address the welfare issue. I have not personally looked up how much more a person receives per child in food stamps but I know it does increase. That's only logical - it costs more to add extra food to the table. However, I think it is morally wrong to have another child simply to increase the amount of help one receives. It's just a bad reason to make a baby!

As for religion, there are still some stricter ones that frown on birth control. If this is indeed true, then I think it is the duty of the church to provide for the parishioners. Why should the government support a large family that has not chosen to use birth control because they are not allowed by their religious views? This is where I begin to draw the line for government assistance.

Unless you're Fertile Myrtle who gets pregnant every time she has sex despite using birth control, you have a duty to uphold. Every time you have sex, there is a possibility of creating a life. It is your duty as a future parent to make sure that you have made a conscious choice to have a child and can then also provide for that child. Yes, accidents happen, and those are not the people to who I am speaking. I am instead speaking to those who choose to create a life knowing that there is absolutely no way they can afford to support.

That's where I start thinking about my life and how we have chosen to wait for a baby so we are better able to afford one.

That's also when I began to resent those who came through my line with a food stamp card and 8 kids.

That's when I began to think that maybe federal assistance should have a cap, and if it already has one, perhaps it should be lower.

Studies would have to be done to make sure this is more fair than not, but let's put a cap of 4 people on that food stamp card. OK, you can have as many kids as you want and we won't restrict it, but we will only support 4 of you. That can be 1 parent and 3 kids, or it can be 2 parents and 2 kids, but 4 is the limit. This would encourage those who would otherwise abuse the system to stop popping out paychecks and churches to support (monetarily as well as morally) their own doctrine.

I am willing to share what I make in taxes so that people who are less fortunate can enjoy such benefits as food...but there is a limit to my kindness, dammit!





Discussion for next time: Is our society rife with the "You-owe-me" attitude, and if so, why and how can we fix it?

Health care, as a right

OK, so my SIL sent me a link to this blog , and I am writing about the post 10/10/08 which also references this article.

According to both, Obama stated that health care is a right (I didn't see that part so I am trusting they are telling the truth).

As Mistress Matisse and Bill Whittle pointed out, it's difficult to qualify health care as a right without including other basics in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs which include food, water, shelter, and clothing. While it's not included anywhere on the pyramid, I would probably place it on the bottom tier with food, etc. If you're not in good health, it's pretty difficult to focus on the higher tiers.

So, is health care a right when the other things are not? Well, I suppose not. However, health care as I perceive it - I will qualify my argument in that because I am not going to go do a master's thesis load of research - is something that has been allowed to spiral out of control where cost is concerned, unlike some of our other vital tier 1 needs like food and shelter. I am not going to point fingers because I don't think it's just greedy doctors - they have to cover cost like any other business owner, which includes schooling, malpractice insurance, and overhead for all the expensive machines they use. I won't even try to evaluate if the cost of the machine is fair.

However, with insurance companies around to take some of the burden off the individual it makes it such that fees rise higher than they might have normally. If the doctor visit is $100 and the patient pays a 20% fee of $20, most people can afford that which allows them to go to the doctor regularly. If the visit increases a year later to $150, the insured patient only sees an increase of $10 which, while annoying, is still quite affordable. We are not yet at the point where people begin to vote with their pocketbook, which in a normal situation helps to keep a lid on the prices we pay.

On the other hand, we have the uninsured patient. I can't name all the reasons a person would be uninsured, but I know in a lot of cases it is simply too expensive. So, from that perspective, we look at the uninsured patient who has to pay $100 for a doctor visit (which is probably quite a sum). For me, I know I have to be pretty damned sick to go to the doctor for that kind of money - and I have insurance (laughable, that, but I digress) and flexible spending! In the same scenario we see a cost increase of $50 per visit the next year. Instead of a minor $10 increase like the insured patient, the uninsured patient has seen an increase of $50 on top of an already expensive fee for what can be as short a visit as 15 minutes.

Uninsured patient is almost guaranteed to visit a doctor less often, which potentially means they do not treat illnesses such as contagious bacterial infections with prescribed, effective antibiotics***. While there are some who would say "Survival of the fittest, bitches," I would like to point out that a) people have an instinct to survive, however necessary b) those sick people make other people sick and c) medical bills are either the top reason or one of the top reasons for bankruptcy.

So, back to what I was saying before - health care cost, through many factors, has been allowed to rise exponentially compared to other needs. As I stated, I blame that partly on insurance because we as consumers don't really care what it costs period, we care what it costs us - period. If we had a subsidized housing market or food program, I am sure we would see something similar.

If none of this really stands out for you, consider then company expense vs. personal expense. At work, I would probably be willing to spend $250 for a cell phone. Compared to the budget we have and the cost of that phone, $250 is very small. Personally, however, I don't like to pay more than about $100. That cell phone manufacturer knows this and knows they can charge more and still sell phones - it will not greatly impact their revenue to raise the cost from $100 to $250, provided that businesses will buy the phone. Health care is not much different.

So, is health care a right? Well.......no, probably not. But it's something that will improve the quality of life and potentially save money nationwide because we won't just be doing damage control on illnesses, catching them after they are a problem. If people are able to go to the doctor more often, they will have a broader history to offer to the doctor. The doctor will be better able to recognize problems and maybe something like cancer can be treated early instead of late, which will save a lot of money. If the treatment costs less, the patient is less likely to file bankruptcy...and wow, that might solve some of our banking problems too...



*** Uninsured people, in my very limited experience, do still tend to self-diagnose and take antibiotics. While this might help, if they are not taken responsibly i.e. as a doctor has deemed necessary to eradicate infection, the bacteria can mutate and eventually become an immune "super bug" which, in turn, fucks everyone.






Moving back to the blog entry, Mistress Matisse says the following:

"I can see that there’s some disconnect between my ideas that “It’s okay that taxes fund some food/shelter/medical care for people who need it” and “But it’s not a right”. If it’s not a right, then why is it acceptable for the government to pay for it? I don’t know." - Mistress Matisse's blog entry 10/10/08

I think in that instance it (the section in bold) is a right because the right to "life", in my opinion, somewhat also implies that bottom tier of Maslow's Hierarchy. As I said before, I don't think the bottom tier items are necessarily rights, per se, but they do in part pertain to some of our basic human rights (like life). People need food, in some capacity, to live as they do shelter (again, in some capacity).

"Right" or no - without these programs, we may not have ever risen from the Depression. I know there are those who probably abuse the programs and that's incredibly unfortunate. I have, in fact, met people who appear to be doing that now (see here). On the whole, though, I do believe in our social programs and believe that they are necessary to account for the shortcomings of our modern, corporate, capitalist society. My mother, for example, is single and works 30-40 hours a week - more than that if she can get the hours. She makes $9.50 an hour and she can barely afford to live alone. She doesn't qualify for any assistance but even if she did - she is a productive member of society. Would it truly be fair to deny her assistance when she is trying in vain to survive on her salary? Through no fault of her own she is paid less than she needs to live because the corporation has to make or increase their profit margin... and it's not as though she could actually use resources from the land to become a self-made millionaire. While those days are not over, it is harder and harder to do that as a "Joe Sixpack" who has little liquid assets (if any assets at all).

Anyway...if social programs are not rights and should therefore not be provided, let's do something drastic. How about we eradicate corporate tax, guarantee a living wage, and install a fair tax? Oh, I guess that sounds too much like non-capitalism.


I think I've written long enough and lost my point more than once...eventually I might do a part 2 that's a little more focused. :)