Lately the early mornings have been crisp and cool, with the dew glistening on the lawns. The dawn sky is quiet, sunny and deep blue. Before the workaday stirrings of those cursed creatures called "the employed," the air is still. Saturated with the perfume of pine and pungent herbs. And the whispered promise of an abundant harvest.
You can almost hear Autumn coming down the tracks in the near distance like a rumbling westbound freight train.
Wait!
That really is the sound of a train! A tandem team of six big diesel engines pulling a long train of container cars, from the sound of it, probably loaded with Chinese imports headed inexorably for the heartland, or up to Montreal.
My house is just two streets over from the main rail line that handles all the Conrail and Amtrak traffic from Boston's South Station to Worcester and points beyond. When you live near the tracks, you get used to the noise. In fact, most of the time you are not conscious of the passing rail traffic. Like the other sounds in the distance, like birds chirping, dogs barking, lawn mowers, trucks in the street, the trains add to an ambient sound level that you do not notice until they use that high decibel horn. Last year, the Woodlawn Ave bridge was being repaired and every train that went by in either direction sounded the horn to warn workers who might be near the tracks. It made me notice how many trains went past. We are probably talking fifty trips a day, not counting the ones that go by at night.
The trains are the least of my noise problems. Since Spring there has been a crew working on the house next door. Each day brings another big noisy diesel vehicle to dig or deliver or pour concrete or pick up a dumpster or whatever. No one ever turns off a diesel engine, so most of the day there is an idling engine running. The nail guns are driven by a compressor that rattles like a chain saw. So all day you hear this pfft, pfft, phfft, groink, buzz, ghmmmm, phfft,phfft, Outch! Hey I'm bleedin here! (The last sound was the fat carpenter shooting a nail through his boot. Ha ha)
Then across the street, they have been replacing the back deck. It takes a lot of banging to properly replace a deck, apparently. And, not to be outdone, they also need a big idling diesel truck to haul away and bring fresh dumpsters.
In the white house on the other side, the widow lady likes to have here carpets and ducts cleaned. She prefers the work to be done by a crew who come in a huge noisy truck which not only idles noisily, but also runs a high-pressure compressor that is so loud you can no doubt hear it from the engine compartment of a westbound train.
Some times the UPS and Fedex drivers have trouble driving down the street because there are so many vehicles parked on both sides allowing only a narrow passage. Delivery trucks, Landscape vehicles, pickup trucks driven by construction workers and sloppily parked. This is not an urban setting, readers, this is a "quiet" suburban road.
Some days, I think to myself, "Wouldn't it be nice to go to a nice quiet office where you can sit at a nice quiet desk and spend the day getting paid for surfing the web like most employed people?"
Nah. Someday, the construction work will be finished, the workers and their trucks will go somewhere else, all ducts and rugs will be clean, the lawns will be mowed, and I will again be able to sit in the peaceful solitude of my back yard, with a frosty Sierra Nevada, listening for the sound of Autumn.
8/28/2004
8/23/2004
They Said, He Said
The recent flap over the swiftboat vets casting a shadow over John Kerry's heroism leads us to the state of confusion about whose facts are the real facts. Truth is elusive even when we are eyewitnesses to events. But we are forced to realize that we cannot rely on anyone's testimony, especially about events that happened opver 30 years ago.
The discrepancy over what happened on the swiftboats can only be explained by the willingness of one group or another to lie about what happened - to advance their political agenda. We know that some vets were so outraged by what Kerry said after returning from Nam that they would do and say anything to keep him from becoming President. Even to the point of disparaging his wounds and actions. On the other side, there are apparently a lot of medals at stake that depended upon the report that the swiftboats were under enemy fire. The crew members (and recently another eyewitness) have maintained that Kerry's actions were honorable.
We probably will never know the truth. But we know this: If Kerry's military service and subsequent political career do not make him fit for command, how in the world can honest men consider George W's preparation for the office to have qualified him for the job?
I don't question the results of the 2000 election; I lament the system that fails to promote our best and brightest leaders into the ranks of viable presidential candidates.
Job Search Update
No change in status. I lament an economy that fails to seek and hire the best and brightest systems analysts into the ranks of the high paid employed.
The discrepancy over what happened on the swiftboats can only be explained by the willingness of one group or another to lie about what happened - to advance their political agenda. We know that some vets were so outraged by what Kerry said after returning from Nam that they would do and say anything to keep him from becoming President. Even to the point of disparaging his wounds and actions. On the other side, there are apparently a lot of medals at stake that depended upon the report that the swiftboats were under enemy fire. The crew members (and recently another eyewitness) have maintained that Kerry's actions were honorable.
We probably will never know the truth. But we know this: If Kerry's military service and subsequent political career do not make him fit for command, how in the world can honest men consider George W's preparation for the office to have qualified him for the job?
I don't question the results of the 2000 election; I lament the system that fails to promote our best and brightest leaders into the ranks of viable presidential candidates.
Job Search Update
No change in status. I lament an economy that fails to seek and hire the best and brightest systems analysts into the ranks of the high paid employed.
8/15/2004
Stepford Guys
Type Four Hurricane Charley had dwindled down to "A-tropical-depression-formerly-known- as-Hurrican Charlie" by the time it tiptoed through Massachusetts. We got some fairly heavy rain, but my harbor bouy wind chimes hardly acknowledged the gentle breezes that posed no threat to beast or bloom. It was a girlie-storm for the Northeast. It should have been named Charleen.
Speaking of girlie things, I am worried about the next generation of men in this country. There is a baby shower planned for my daughter in a few weeks. Traditionally, this would not have been a matter of manly concern. The wimmens would be invited, go to the shower, sit around watching the soon-to-be-mother open presents, have some chicken salad finger sandwitches and tea and that would be the end of it. Menfolk would tend to their affairs, whatever they might be.
But these days, men think of pregnancy as a shared thing. "We're pregnant," they say. Really, I ask? both of you? Hmmn. One of the young husbands of a female invitee wants to actually attend the shower as a protest to the exclusion of men from the outmoded traditions of the past. He feels that fathers should be just as involved as mothers with childraising, and watching wimmens opening gifts. It worries me. Number one, the lad was not invited. This traditional detail of civility apparently is also outmoded - you feel like going somewhere you just go. Number two, it is unthinkable that a man would CHOOSE to go to a girlie event rather than to simply stay home watch the game, or to sit quietly in the yard with a book and a frosty beer marveling at the gift of manly solitude.
I'm sure these guys seem like sensitive, caring fellows to their wives. I think they might be pod people.
Speaking of girlie things, I am worried about the next generation of men in this country. There is a baby shower planned for my daughter in a few weeks. Traditionally, this would not have been a matter of manly concern. The wimmens would be invited, go to the shower, sit around watching the soon-to-be-mother open presents, have some chicken salad finger sandwitches and tea and that would be the end of it. Menfolk would tend to their affairs, whatever they might be.
But these days, men think of pregnancy as a shared thing. "We're pregnant," they say. Really, I ask? both of you? Hmmn. One of the young husbands of a female invitee wants to actually attend the shower as a protest to the exclusion of men from the outmoded traditions of the past. He feels that fathers should be just as involved as mothers with childraising, and watching wimmens opening gifts. It worries me. Number one, the lad was not invited. This traditional detail of civility apparently is also outmoded - you feel like going somewhere you just go. Number two, it is unthinkable that a man would CHOOSE to go to a girlie event rather than to simply stay home watch the game, or to sit quietly in the yard with a book and a frosty beer marveling at the gift of manly solitude.
I'm sure these guys seem like sensitive, caring fellows to their wives. I think they might be pod people.
8/12/2004
This Page Cannot be Displayed
Just to prove that I haven't totally given up looking for work, I decided to check out some of the local job boards this am before my morning walk down to the nearby Donuts R Us. I don't believe in depleting my energy reserves by aimless exercise. I believe it is good to have a goal in mind. Boston Kremes. Yumm.
So anyhow, I am checking out the jobs listed on this one well known job board, and I find a listing for Usability Analyst, an internal position working for the job board. Now I have always wanted to work as a Usability Analyst. In my many jobs as a systems analyst, my chief interest has been making the interface "friendly" to the users. I wish I had a nickel for every screen or web page I've seen that makes the user say "Huh?" because the data being presented wasn't what they expected or the user has come to a dead link. If I have gained any expertise in my working life, it is in the presentation of data in a usable format. Not too much, not too little.
So, I said to myself, "Self, you should apply to this job. It is the first Usability job description that doesn't require a PHD in heuristics (the science of obfuscation). Your past experience in business and web based applications are quite relevant. If these guys are smart they will at least want to talk to you. Do it."
But an inner voice replied,"But, they probably aren't interested in an experienced BSA with umpteen years of experience. They'll look at the resume, think too old, and toss it in the trashcan. How could they understand that the web is merely another way to present information? You think HTML and Java are great tools, but without a well designed process and superior content management, web pages are empty eye candy. No one wants to hear that sort of stone age thinking. Forget it. Go get your donut!"
"What the hell," I said, "it can't hurt to send them an e-resume. " So I hit the apply button. That took me to a screen that insisted that I login. Which I did. Then I got to a screen that allowed me to select the resume. Funny, no place for a cover letter to explain how uniquely qualified I am for the job. Then I clicked on continue. And got this message:
There is a problem with the page you are trying to reach and it cannot be displayed.
HTTP 500 - Internal server error Internet Explorer
Huh? (These guys really need someone like me. I wonder what happened to my resume).
Donuts, here I come.
So anyhow, I am checking out the jobs listed on this one well known job board, and I find a listing for Usability Analyst, an internal position working for the job board. Now I have always wanted to work as a Usability Analyst. In my many jobs as a systems analyst, my chief interest has been making the interface "friendly" to the users. I wish I had a nickel for every screen or web page I've seen that makes the user say "Huh?" because the data being presented wasn't what they expected or the user has come to a dead link. If I have gained any expertise in my working life, it is in the presentation of data in a usable format. Not too much, not too little.
So, I said to myself, "Self, you should apply to this job. It is the first Usability job description that doesn't require a PHD in heuristics (the science of obfuscation). Your past experience in business and web based applications are quite relevant. If these guys are smart they will at least want to talk to you. Do it."
But an inner voice replied,"But, they probably aren't interested in an experienced BSA with umpteen years of experience. They'll look at the resume, think too old, and toss it in the trashcan. How could they understand that the web is merely another way to present information? You think HTML and Java are great tools, but without a well designed process and superior content management, web pages are empty eye candy. No one wants to hear that sort of stone age thinking. Forget it. Go get your donut!"
"What the hell," I said, "it can't hurt to send them an e-resume. " So I hit the apply button. That took me to a screen that insisted that I login. Which I did. Then I got to a screen that allowed me to select the resume. Funny, no place for a cover letter to explain how uniquely qualified I am for the job. Then I clicked on continue. And got this message:
The page cannot be displayed
There is a problem with the page you are trying to reach and it cannot be displayed.
HTTP 500 - Internal server error Internet Explorer
Huh? (These guys really need someone like me. I wonder what happened to my resume).
Donuts, here I come.
8/06/2004
Hardly Working
In the news today:
"The U.S. economy added many fewer jobs than expected in July, raising big concerns about the recovery in the labor market."
Well, welcome to the club. I've been concerned about job growth for more than a year.
I guess this headline helps explain why my phone has not been ringing lately. It's the stupid economy.
That's a relief. I was afraid that somehow the word about me had gotten out.
===============
The other day I finally closed my Fleet bank accounts. Without a steady income, my balance had long since fallen under the no-fee limit, so I was getting slammed with a $12 monthly fee.
Since I have a free account at another bank, I decided to consolidate my remaining funds.
I guess I expected to get at least a mild pitch to get me to stay with the bank. I have had the account since it was South Shore Bank, bought out by Bank of Boston and then Fleet. Now, as Bank of America, I guess they don't want to be bothered by people like me with low balances.
Even if the situation is temporary.
The kid who handled my paperwork never asked me why I was closing the account, or whether I had considered their free checking with automatic deposit. Apparently, he did not care why. He never even said a word, like Hi how are you today? or Gee, hope you will do business here again. Not the type of person I would put in a customer service job. But I suppose I would be a miserable little pissant too, if I had to spend my day closing accounts for geezers who came into my office complaining about usurious bank fees.
"The U.S. economy added many fewer jobs than expected in July, raising big concerns about the recovery in the labor market."
Well, welcome to the club. I've been concerned about job growth for more than a year.
I guess this headline helps explain why my phone has not been ringing lately. It's the stupid economy.
That's a relief. I was afraid that somehow the word about me had gotten out.
===============
The other day I finally closed my Fleet bank accounts. Without a steady income, my balance had long since fallen under the no-fee limit, so I was getting slammed with a $12 monthly fee.
Since I have a free account at another bank, I decided to consolidate my remaining funds.
I guess I expected to get at least a mild pitch to get me to stay with the bank. I have had the account since it was South Shore Bank, bought out by Bank of Boston and then Fleet. Now, as Bank of America, I guess they don't want to be bothered by people like me with low balances.
Even if the situation is temporary.
The kid who handled my paperwork never asked me why I was closing the account, or whether I had considered their free checking with automatic deposit. Apparently, he did not care why. He never even said a word, like Hi how are you today? or Gee, hope you will do business here again. Not the type of person I would put in a customer service job. But I suppose I would be a miserable little pissant too, if I had to spend my day closing accounts for geezers who came into my office complaining about usurious bank fees.
8/04/2004
Forward This to Everyone You Know
I received one of those partisan political propaganda e-mails today from my reborn conservative sister in Uxbridge. In case you didn't get it, it was the one that cites all the bad things Democrats have done to destroy Social Security. (I know you are probably thinking, "Huh?" It just shows how you can distort any piece of information to get what you want out of it. It was in the form of questions and cooked-up answers. At the end it pleads with the recipient to "Send this to everyone you know!" as if that would awaken some manchurian brain cell and make otherwise sensible people suddenly want to vote for Bush.
I could not resist answering her:
" Thanks. I was wondering who was responsible for all the horrors. This type of screed is a lot like Michael Moore's methodology: leave out the facts that are inconvenient to the message.
Anyway, I thought of a few Q's and A's that came to mind.
Q: Was it the evil Democrats who ran up the deficit while giving Tax Cuts to the wealthiest 1%??
A: Well, not exactly.
Q: Was it the lying and cheating Democrats who pay lip service to the war on terror and then fail to fund our border security forces while handing billions to cronies at Halliburton??
A: No, that would be co-president Cheny's idea.
Q: Who hates America most?
A: A) Michael Moore B). Drudge C). People who support the war, but want someone else's kid to do the fighting, D) Ralph Nader
Q: If you knew then what you know now, would you have supported the invasion of Iraq, the alienation of our allies and the expense of men and material?
A: No. And everyone involved with that decision should be fired.
Q: Why doesn't God make the world a nice place.
A: Because he likes to watch us fight.
Q: Who has killed more people Laura Bush or Ted Kennedy?
A: It's a tie
Q: Does sending partisan e-mail around the internet actually change anyone's position?
A: No. Most recipients are members of the choir already, so they nod their heads in agreement. The others, the ones who think for themselves, just delete the propaganda and go back to downloading porn.
I voted against Al Gore in the last election. After listening to the speakers at the DNC, I hate to admit it, but I would vote for Bill Clinton if he was running again. He is clearly the smartest leader we have in America today.
I remain pretty much Opposed to the Republican/conservative agenda
- In favor of same sex marriage (they can have family values too)
- in favor of a woman's right to choose (it's none of your business)
- in favor of spreading the wealth around (middle class tax cuts, against Corporate Welfare)
- In favor of gun control
- in favor of bombing the hell out of the poppy fields in Afghanistan (we know where they are!)
- in favor of using our resources to clean up our own cities so that elderly people and children do not have to live in constant fear of gangs and thieves.
- in favor of an equal opportunity military draft to serve in defense of this country on the Border Patrol and Neighborhood patrols.
I am certainly not in favor of giving taxpayer money to immigrants who come here to go on welfare.
Nor do I agree with mortgaging our grandchildren's future in a vain attempt to transplant Democracy upon a group of people who do not believe in equality or individual liberty.
It is dangerous to give the power of the vote to people who cannot think for themselves (people who need preachers and mullahs to tell them how to think). The founding fathers recognized this when they provided for the Electoral College."
Hope is on the way. I hope.
I could not resist answering her:
" Thanks. I was wondering who was responsible for all the horrors. This type of screed is a lot like Michael Moore's methodology: leave out the facts that are inconvenient to the message.
Anyway, I thought of a few Q's and A's that came to mind.
Q: Was it the evil Democrats who ran up the deficit while giving Tax Cuts to the wealthiest 1%??
A: Well, not exactly.
Q: Was it the lying and cheating Democrats who pay lip service to the war on terror and then fail to fund our border security forces while handing billions to cronies at Halliburton??
A: No, that would be co-president Cheny's idea.
Q: Who hates America most?
A: A) Michael Moore B). Drudge C). People who support the war, but want someone else's kid to do the fighting, D) Ralph Nader
Q: If you knew then what you know now, would you have supported the invasion of Iraq, the alienation of our allies and the expense of men and material?
A: No. And everyone involved with that decision should be fired.
Q: Why doesn't God make the world a nice place.
A: Because he likes to watch us fight.
Q: Who has killed more people Laura Bush or Ted Kennedy?
A: It's a tie
Q: Does sending partisan e-mail around the internet actually change anyone's position?
A: No. Most recipients are members of the choir already, so they nod their heads in agreement. The others, the ones who think for themselves, just delete the propaganda and go back to downloading porn.
I voted against Al Gore in the last election. After listening to the speakers at the DNC, I hate to admit it, but I would vote for Bill Clinton if he was running again. He is clearly the smartest leader we have in America today.
I remain pretty much Opposed to the Republican/conservative agenda
- In favor of same sex marriage (they can have family values too)
- in favor of a woman's right to choose (it's none of your business)
- in favor of spreading the wealth around (middle class tax cuts, against Corporate Welfare)
- In favor of gun control
- in favor of bombing the hell out of the poppy fields in Afghanistan (we know where they are!)
- in favor of using our resources to clean up our own cities so that elderly people and children do not have to live in constant fear of gangs and thieves.
- in favor of an equal opportunity military draft to serve in defense of this country on the Border Patrol and Neighborhood patrols.
I am certainly not in favor of giving taxpayer money to immigrants who come here to go on welfare.
Nor do I agree with mortgaging our grandchildren's future in a vain attempt to transplant Democracy upon a group of people who do not believe in equality or individual liberty.
It is dangerous to give the power of the vote to people who cannot think for themselves (people who need preachers and mullahs to tell them how to think). The founding fathers recognized this when they provided for the Electoral College."
Hope is on the way. I hope.
8/01/2004
Playing Games
I couldn't believe it when I read the headline on the sportspage of today's Globe. Garciaparra traded, the words blared. Nomar is gone. To the Cubs. Cripes.
I am not a real Red Sox fan. In fact, I have not been a baseball fan since the strike of 1981. Loyal readers of this humble Blog know how I feel about Unions and strikes. My disdain for the job action antics of overpaid athletic workers is even more than my antipathy for civil servants who refuse to do their jobs and don't want others to work either.
If I was a fan, I would not buy the bullshit being spouted by the Sox Management and their shills in the media. They claim that Nomar was not going to sign anyway. Columnist Dan Shaughnessy says Nomar hates Boston and the Red Sox and was a toxic non team player. If this is true, I believe the situation was caused by stupid management tricks in the first place.
That punk Theo Epstein reminds me of a typical corporate manager. He claims that we need to make hard choices to get a championship team. We need a golden glove defense. Yada-yada.
Hey, when was the last time defense scored a home run? Besides, no one who has grown up in the Boston area, actually expects the Red Sox to Win.
A lot of business guys like to use sports analogies to motivate their workers. Maybe the baseball guys think they should run the team more like a business. This "trade" sounds a lot like a layoff to me. Managers always think that they are the real key to success. (Why else do they give themselves all the good perqs?) Team members are just interchangable parts, they think. The truth is, it is the manager of any organization who is ultimately and seamlessly replaceable. Good all star shortstops are hard to find. The history of the Red Sox is pissing off the star players, then trading them, then having them come back to kick their Fenway asses. Roger Clemens is a prime example of which I speak
If I was a baseball manager, I think I would get Pitchers who can throw lots of strikes instead of praying that my multi-million dollar infielders will quell a Yankee rally with deft fielding. Baseball has always been about hits and runs. Get enough and the errors are not important.
Just like in business. But what am I talking about? I don't know anything. That kid Epstein is getting paid to run the team - this year. Hey how much can we get for Pedro?
Heck, I don't even watch baseball on TV anymore. TV sports coverage is boring and distracting. Besides, these players like to think of themselves as employees, so if I want to spend my valuable time watching people work, I can go next door and watch the craftsmen building the neighbor's stone wall. Not playing games.
I am not a real Red Sox fan. In fact, I have not been a baseball fan since the strike of 1981. Loyal readers of this humble Blog know how I feel about Unions and strikes. My disdain for the job action antics of overpaid athletic workers is even more than my antipathy for civil servants who refuse to do their jobs and don't want others to work either.
If I was a fan, I would not buy the bullshit being spouted by the Sox Management and their shills in the media. They claim that Nomar was not going to sign anyway. Columnist Dan Shaughnessy says Nomar hates Boston and the Red Sox and was a toxic non team player. If this is true, I believe the situation was caused by stupid management tricks in the first place.
That punk Theo Epstein reminds me of a typical corporate manager. He claims that we need to make hard choices to get a championship team. We need a golden glove defense. Yada-yada.
Hey, when was the last time defense scored a home run? Besides, no one who has grown up in the Boston area, actually expects the Red Sox to Win.
A lot of business guys like to use sports analogies to motivate their workers. Maybe the baseball guys think they should run the team more like a business. This "trade" sounds a lot like a layoff to me. Managers always think that they are the real key to success. (Why else do they give themselves all the good perqs?) Team members are just interchangable parts, they think. The truth is, it is the manager of any organization who is ultimately and seamlessly replaceable. Good all star shortstops are hard to find. The history of the Red Sox is pissing off the star players, then trading them, then having them come back to kick their Fenway asses. Roger Clemens is a prime example of which I speak
If I was a baseball manager, I think I would get Pitchers who can throw lots of strikes instead of praying that my multi-million dollar infielders will quell a Yankee rally with deft fielding. Baseball has always been about hits and runs. Get enough and the errors are not important.
Just like in business. But what am I talking about? I don't know anything. That kid Epstein is getting paid to run the team - this year. Hey how much can we get for Pedro?
Heck, I don't even watch baseball on TV anymore. TV sports coverage is boring and distracting. Besides, these players like to think of themselves as employees, so if I want to spend my valuable time watching people work, I can go next door and watch the craftsmen building the neighbor's stone wall. Not playing games.
7/27/2004
The Big Question
Inevitably, during all the bloviation and rhetoric, someone asks "Are you better off today than you were four years ago?"
Answer: Hmmn
Four years ago I had a good job at good wages. My mutual funds were at an all time high. My daughter had just given birth to my first grandchild. When I went to the airport, my biggest fear was losing my suitcase. There was no such thing as "Threat Level." Life was pretty good.
Today, my family income is less than half what it was in 2000. For the past year, I have been fruitlessly looking for a job in an economic environment that stubbornly favors cost-control over growth. We are afraid to fly - heck we are even afraid drive to the airport. The cost of a gallon of gas has skyrocketed. The stock market goes apeshit everytime there is a suicide bombing in the news. Most of the robber CEO's walk free as crows, but Martha Stewart has been convicted of crimes against humanity and is headed for jail. My grandchildren moved to California.
Democrats are still talking about "stolen" elections and "coo-day-tat", as if they did not understand the Electoral College. Republicans - with no evil empire to oppose - bark about moral principles, and the evils of those who would deny tax cuts to the richest Americans.
Neither party can produce a leader that the majority of voters can rally around enthusiastically. Most voters support their guy mainly because they are afraid of the other guy.
Read: Afraid of the other guy's Supreme Court appointees.
Republicans - in the ultimate cynical strategy - contribute to Ralph Nader's impotent and vain attempts to become a real candidate, in hopes of spoiling Kerry's draw on independent voters. Nader, once seen as a principled struggler against special interests is now seen as a sad buffoon.
Our confidence in the System is shaken. We now know that the past two Presidents have been making military decisions based on flawed intelligence data about terrorists. Political debate has devolved to mere shouting matches and mudslinging. We seek for the truth in vain. (Maybe Cheney is right - we can't handle the truth).
Are we better off than we were four years ago? Perhaps the key question is, will we be better off or worse following the election in November?
Hmmmn.
Answer: Hmmn
Four years ago I had a good job at good wages. My mutual funds were at an all time high. My daughter had just given birth to my first grandchild. When I went to the airport, my biggest fear was losing my suitcase. There was no such thing as "Threat Level." Life was pretty good.
Today, my family income is less than half what it was in 2000. For the past year, I have been fruitlessly looking for a job in an economic environment that stubbornly favors cost-control over growth. We are afraid to fly - heck we are even afraid drive to the airport. The cost of a gallon of gas has skyrocketed. The stock market goes apeshit everytime there is a suicide bombing in the news. Most of the robber CEO's walk free as crows, but Martha Stewart has been convicted of crimes against humanity and is headed for jail. My grandchildren moved to California.
Democrats are still talking about "stolen" elections and "coo-day-tat", as if they did not understand the Electoral College. Republicans - with no evil empire to oppose - bark about moral principles, and the evils of those who would deny tax cuts to the richest Americans.
Neither party can produce a leader that the majority of voters can rally around enthusiastically. Most voters support their guy mainly because they are afraid of the other guy.
Read: Afraid of the other guy's Supreme Court appointees.
Republicans - in the ultimate cynical strategy - contribute to Ralph Nader's impotent and vain attempts to become a real candidate, in hopes of spoiling Kerry's draw on independent voters. Nader, once seen as a principled struggler against special interests is now seen as a sad buffoon.
Our confidence in the System is shaken. We now know that the past two Presidents have been making military decisions based on flawed intelligence data about terrorists. Political debate has devolved to mere shouting matches and mudslinging. We seek for the truth in vain. (Maybe Cheney is right - we can't handle the truth).
Are we better off than we were four years ago? Perhaps the key question is, will we be better off or worse following the election in November?
Hmmmn.
7/26/2004
Railing Against The Man
The DNC is at last underway. At the very last minute, the Fire and Patrolmen's Union backed-off on their threats to picket the welcome parties in a petulant attempt to spoil things for just about everyone - especially Menino. It will take a 9/11 event to restore their vaunted status as Protectors of the public. The glint of heroism has been etched dull by the acid of greed and extortion.
I'm thinking of going in town today to protest against wanton joblessness. I think the discrimination against aging, well-fed people - who don't want to take orders from assholes - is a blight on our nation. I'm bagging-up some cat poop to throw at any one I see wearing a fur coat. Attention must be paid!
I see Bill Clinton is in town signing copies of "My Lies. " Has he no shame? Is every event just an excuse to engorge the Clintonian coffers? And, did you see the clip of Kerry "throwing" out the first pitch at the Sox Yankees game last night. Maybe he thought it was bocci instead of baseball. You call that a Pitch? The ball dropped like a stone 10 feet in front of the plate and dribbled between the legs of the hapless catcher (was his name Buckner by any chance?). My Grandmother could throw a better pitch than that, lefty. And the next first lady, in Pennsylvania deploring the un-American tone of public discourse. When a reporter pressed her for examples of the un-American speech, she denied having said what she had just said on tape. Further efforts at clarification were rebuffed and the reporter was invited to "Shove it!" Hmmn. I think it should be an interesting 4 years with Theresa in the white house.
I'm thinking of going in town today to protest against wanton joblessness. I think the discrimination against aging, well-fed people - who don't want to take orders from assholes - is a blight on our nation. I'm bagging-up some cat poop to throw at any one I see wearing a fur coat. Attention must be paid!
I see Bill Clinton is in town signing copies of "My Lies. " Has he no shame? Is every event just an excuse to engorge the Clintonian coffers? And, did you see the clip of Kerry "throwing" out the first pitch at the Sox Yankees game last night. Maybe he thought it was bocci instead of baseball. You call that a Pitch? The ball dropped like a stone 10 feet in front of the plate and dribbled between the legs of the hapless catcher (was his name Buckner by any chance?). My Grandmother could throw a better pitch than that, lefty. And the next first lady, in Pennsylvania deploring the un-American tone of public discourse. When a reporter pressed her for examples of the un-American speech, she denied having said what she had just said on tape. Further efforts at clarification were rebuffed and the reporter was invited to "Shove it!" Hmmn. I think it should be an interesting 4 years with Theresa in the white house.
7/22/2004
But Not For Me
There was a help wanted ad in the Globe last sunday for the CIA. Clandestine Services. The job that demanded "superior intellect, ingenuity and courage, facing complex, unstructured circumstances..." That sounded a lot like my kind of work. It was interesting until I ran into the qualifications which included, "Maximum age for entry into the service is 35."
Then paradoxically, "We are an equal opportunity employer..."
Hel-lo Government! "Equal Opportunity" means no discrimination on issues, such as age!
Besides, what is wrong with geezer spies? Do they talk too much? Do they forget their secret codes? Do they nodd-off on stake-outs if the last later than 9:30pm?
So, I had two responses to the ad. One, they don't even understand the definition of EO. Two, the reason we are in such a mess today is that they are a closed shop. They get young people into the organization and brainwash them to do things "our way." By the time they get to be 45 or 50 any creativity, sense of persepctive and autonomy has been breeded out.
According to my research, this is precisely the age group when most anarchists, white collar criminals and terrorists are in their prime. Thus CIA operatives are pitifully outmatched by their non-bureacratic, high risk peers in the enemy camps.
In the mouldy old days, big companies like IBM, NCR, Proctor and Gambel did not hire people from outside the culture. They got people right out of college, fed them the party line and molded them to the culture. When anyone got promoted to a senior staff position, they already had a lifetime career with the company and fully understood the culture, ie,
Good old boys get promoted and renegades get the boot.
But around 15 years ago, things started to change in corporate America. Renegades from IBM and NCR spun off their own companies or joined start-ups. Big corporations and their awkward command and control structures were like huge tankers on the ocean - very hard to turn quickly. The companies with non-bureacratic structures proved to be very adaptable. These new adaptable cultures began to eat the lunch of the big unwieldy firms. For example consider how upstart Microsoft stole the PC operating business from IBM. And how Apple took Xerox discoveries and made many people rich by productizing those ideas.
Pretty soon the old line companies started to open up and let in some new blood. People started jumping from place to place. Companies stopped placing the value on longevity and started spotlighting contribution. Nowadays, nobody talks about "corporate culture," except as a lip service "values" blurb in the annual report. Companies have adopted the EO mantra seriously, to their (and society's) benefit.
In a nutshell, the point is: A truly diverse organization is made up of talented people from all origins and of all ages. Old ones, young ones, Skinny ones, fat ones, short ...you get the idea.
We all know from movies and TV that the FBI and CIA still work under the old bureacratic, command and control style of management. Perhaps the problem with our clandestine operations is that there aren't any old spies with new blood and fresh eyes.
I hear the terrorists are recruiting people of all ages.
Of course, I wouldn't mind having a job where I carried a gun legally, and could intimidate (or even shoot) law-abiding citizens with impunity. But, I still would not apply for a job that required obedience, discipline, ability to keep a secret, or all night stake-outs.
Note: This blog is an equal opportunity rant, no one is safe, regardless of race, creed, breast size, hair color, age, gender preference, or other physical attribute.
Then paradoxically, "We are an equal opportunity employer..."
Hel-lo Government! "Equal Opportunity" means no discrimination on issues, such as age!
Besides, what is wrong with geezer spies? Do they talk too much? Do they forget their secret codes? Do they nodd-off on stake-outs if the last later than 9:30pm?
So, I had two responses to the ad. One, they don't even understand the definition of EO. Two, the reason we are in such a mess today is that they are a closed shop. They get young people into the organization and brainwash them to do things "our way." By the time they get to be 45 or 50 any creativity, sense of persepctive and autonomy has been breeded out.
According to my research, this is precisely the age group when most anarchists, white collar criminals and terrorists are in their prime. Thus CIA operatives are pitifully outmatched by their non-bureacratic, high risk peers in the enemy camps.
In the mouldy old days, big companies like IBM, NCR, Proctor and Gambel did not hire people from outside the culture. They got people right out of college, fed them the party line and molded them to the culture. When anyone got promoted to a senior staff position, they already had a lifetime career with the company and fully understood the culture, ie,
Good old boys get promoted and renegades get the boot.
But around 15 years ago, things started to change in corporate America. Renegades from IBM and NCR spun off their own companies or joined start-ups. Big corporations and their awkward command and control structures were like huge tankers on the ocean - very hard to turn quickly. The companies with non-bureacratic structures proved to be very adaptable. These new adaptable cultures began to eat the lunch of the big unwieldy firms. For example consider how upstart Microsoft stole the PC operating business from IBM. And how Apple took Xerox discoveries and made many people rich by productizing those ideas.
Pretty soon the old line companies started to open up and let in some new blood. People started jumping from place to place. Companies stopped placing the value on longevity and started spotlighting contribution. Nowadays, nobody talks about "corporate culture," except as a lip service "values" blurb in the annual report. Companies have adopted the EO mantra seriously, to their (and society's) benefit.
In a nutshell, the point is: A truly diverse organization is made up of talented people from all origins and of all ages. Old ones, young ones, Skinny ones, fat ones, short ...you get the idea.
We all know from movies and TV that the FBI and CIA still work under the old bureacratic, command and control style of management. Perhaps the problem with our clandestine operations is that there aren't any old spies with new blood and fresh eyes.
I hear the terrorists are recruiting people of all ages.
Of course, I wouldn't mind having a job where I carried a gun legally, and could intimidate (or even shoot) law-abiding citizens with impunity. But, I still would not apply for a job that required obedience, discipline, ability to keep a secret, or all night stake-outs.
Note: This blog is an equal opportunity rant, no one is safe, regardless of race, creed, breast size, hair color, age, gender preference, or other physical attribute.
7/16/2004
Crossing Lines
As someone who has not had a pay raise since the year 2000, and who has been unemployed for over a year, I am not sympathetic to greedy union members who aren't happy with a 13% pay increase offered by the city of Boston. I cannot be expected to rally to the cause of the Boston police and firemen unionists who are holding the DNC festivities and public safety hostage in their contract dispute with Mayor Menino. I think the term is extortion.
Like the terrorists, the union leaders have adopted the policy of punishing innocent bystanders in order to make their case with the party they disagree with. They hope that the sensible population will exert pressure on the city to settle the contract dispute in their favor rather than risking the decision of the arbitration process.
On one sense this is not much different than the strategy of those cowardly and deadly attacks on civilians by insurgent militants in Iraq. I am not saying that the union leaders are killing innocent people, but their approach is markedly similar to that of bomb throwers everywhere. They feel that their cause trumps everyone else's rights and interests.
In the WSJ today, a cogent piece entitled "Courage Against Evil", written by the foreign minister of Australia, reminds us that "if we give in to terrorists once, what will be demanded in the future?"
History provides ample evidence that giving-in to unreasonable demands creates more demands. (Anyone who has parented a teenager knows this fact of human nature.)
A line must be drawn. Menino should be applauded for taking a stand. When the spotlight is turned on next week, it is the Police and Firemen who will suffer the blame for disgracing Boston if the DNC becomes a fiasco.
Like the terrorists, the union leaders have adopted the policy of punishing innocent bystanders in order to make their case with the party they disagree with. They hope that the sensible population will exert pressure on the city to settle the contract dispute in their favor rather than risking the decision of the arbitration process.
On one sense this is not much different than the strategy of those cowardly and deadly attacks on civilians by insurgent militants in Iraq. I am not saying that the union leaders are killing innocent people, but their approach is markedly similar to that of bomb throwers everywhere. They feel that their cause trumps everyone else's rights and interests.
In the WSJ today, a cogent piece entitled "Courage Against Evil", written by the foreign minister of Australia, reminds us that "if we give in to terrorists once, what will be demanded in the future?"
History provides ample evidence that giving-in to unreasonable demands creates more demands. (Anyone who has parented a teenager knows this fact of human nature.)
A line must be drawn. Menino should be applauded for taking a stand. When the spotlight is turned on next week, it is the Police and Firemen who will suffer the blame for disgracing Boston if the DNC becomes a fiasco.
7/13/2004
The Big Lie
Last week I took a roll of film in for developing at The One Hour Photo store.
The young girl at the counter asked "When Do you need these?"
I was thinking that she should have said These will be ready in an hour. But, not being in a rush, I told her that tomorrow would be ok.
"Tomorrow, after one o'clock?"
"How about tomorrow morning." I was being reasonable, friendly, agreeable. After all, the sign in the window said One Hour Film Developing. In big letters.
"What time?" she persisted.
"I don't know." I was getting annoyed with the harrassment.
"After eleven?"
"You know, you should really take down the 1 Hour sign. You obviously do not want to even try to develop film in one hour."
Overhearing this exchange, the older gal in charge came over, gave the first girl a let-me-handle-this look. "We can have them done today by 5pm."
"Ok," I said, "Have them ready at 5pm and I'll come in sometime tomorrow."
As I left, the one who had been overriden called after me, "Have a nice day," cooly, not meaning it. Giving me the Look - like I was some kind of unreasonable geezer and she was not a muddle headed, gum-snapping teeny bopper with acne.
I gave her the bite me look, but said "See you tomorrow."
When I came to pick up my film, the photos of my grand kids had somehow gotten mixed-up with the pictures that belonged to a dog breeder. Instead of my cute grandkids at the beach, the photos were these ugly newborn puppies and other offal-eating hounds. It took another day before they could locate my pictures. Funny.
Is it just me? Or is 1 hour photo developing a big Lie??
The young girl at the counter asked "When Do you need these?"
I was thinking that she should have said These will be ready in an hour. But, not being in a rush, I told her that tomorrow would be ok.
"Tomorrow, after one o'clock?"
"How about tomorrow morning." I was being reasonable, friendly, agreeable. After all, the sign in the window said One Hour Film Developing. In big letters.
"What time?" she persisted.
"I don't know." I was getting annoyed with the harrassment.
"After eleven?"
"You know, you should really take down the 1 Hour sign. You obviously do not want to even try to develop film in one hour."
Overhearing this exchange, the older gal in charge came over, gave the first girl a let-me-handle-this look. "We can have them done today by 5pm."
"Ok," I said, "Have them ready at 5pm and I'll come in sometime tomorrow."
As I left, the one who had been overriden called after me, "Have a nice day," cooly, not meaning it. Giving me the Look - like I was some kind of unreasonable geezer and she was not a muddle headed, gum-snapping teeny bopper with acne.
I gave her the bite me look, but said "See you tomorrow."
When I came to pick up my film, the photos of my grand kids had somehow gotten mixed-up with the pictures that belonged to a dog breeder. Instead of my cute grandkids at the beach, the photos were these ugly newborn puppies and other offal-eating hounds. It took another day before they could locate my pictures. Funny.
Is it just me? Or is 1 hour photo developing a big Lie??
7/11/2004
Not My Fault
Accused of conspiring to loot his own company and other serious acts of malfeasance, former CEO, Ken Lay was vigorous in his own defense before the microphones yesterday. He admitted that he accepted responsibility for the disastrous collapse of the company but only in the sense that it happened "on his watch."
He, personally, was not guilty of any crimes nor responsible for the instant ruin of many thousands of employees whose life savings and pensions evaporated as Enron's stock values plummeted.
Lay said that he was responsible only in the sense that he had participated in the selection of Mr. Fastow, who Lay points to as the villain in this affair. Mr. Lay admits that he is definitely not to blame because he didn't know what was going on. He did not indicate any plans to return the $10 million bonus he got just before the implosion. It does not seem to occur to him that if he doesn't deserve jail, then he certainly did not earn the bonus.
Now, today, there is a similar item in the news. The Senate Intelligence Committee reports that the CIA unwittingly deceived the President and his staff about the situation in Iraq. At all levels, the presumption of Saddam's WMD's was simply accepted without critical inquiry. Supporters of Co-Presidents Cheney-Bush have been quick to vindicate the actions of the Presidents, because, "It clearly wasn't their fault." The faulty intelligence is the culprit, not the ill-advised decision to act upon the faulty intelligence.
So, you might ask, "Who's fault is it?" The answer is blowin' in the wind, my friend. It's that big sucking sound that CEO's and Politicians make when they are distancing themselves from accountability. It's the sound of finger-pointing - always to some hapless minion who didn't completely cover his own ass.
He, personally, was not guilty of any crimes nor responsible for the instant ruin of many thousands of employees whose life savings and pensions evaporated as Enron's stock values plummeted.
Lay said that he was responsible only in the sense that he had participated in the selection of Mr. Fastow, who Lay points to as the villain in this affair. Mr. Lay admits that he is definitely not to blame because he didn't know what was going on. He did not indicate any plans to return the $10 million bonus he got just before the implosion. It does not seem to occur to him that if he doesn't deserve jail, then he certainly did not earn the bonus.
Now, today, there is a similar item in the news. The Senate Intelligence Committee reports that the CIA unwittingly deceived the President and his staff about the situation in Iraq. At all levels, the presumption of Saddam's WMD's was simply accepted without critical inquiry. Supporters of Co-Presidents Cheney-Bush have been quick to vindicate the actions of the Presidents, because, "It clearly wasn't their fault." The faulty intelligence is the culprit, not the ill-advised decision to act upon the faulty intelligence.
So, you might ask, "Who's fault is it?" The answer is blowin' in the wind, my friend. It's that big sucking sound that CEO's and Politicians make when they are distancing themselves from accountability. It's the sound of finger-pointing - always to some hapless minion who didn't completely cover his own ass.
7/10/2004
Back from the Sub-continent
We are back from the fetid swamps of Florida. Every day the weather was monotonously predictable. Sunny and 95 degrees from 8am to 4pm, followed by 3 hours of thunderstorms, followed by cool humid evening breezes. If we lived in Florida during the summer, we would have to stay inside all day, like vampires.
We spent most of the time we were in Orlando seeing the kids and grandkids. Orlando is nothing more than a huge tourist trap. The "Attractions" are a rip-off (eg, tickets to SeaWorld for a family of four = $169). Not one but two toll booths are located in the 5 mile stretch between the airport and the city as a testament to the municipal participation in the shameless gouging of visitors. Taxes, fees, car rental packed charges are all part of the game. The hotel charges you a daily rental fee for the in-room safe - whether you use it or not. They also warn you that they will charge an "early check-out fee" of $50 if you don't like the place and decide to move. Unheard of in other places.
I do not plan to go back again, and will instead pay for the kids to visit us here.
We drove down to Vero Beach to re-unite with as old college classmate who has retired there. VB is a nice quiet affluent community on a barrier island off the East coast. We enjoyed our visit there but probably cannot afford to retire to a place where the houses we want to live in cost about two million more than we are able to pay.
As we drove down I-95 south, we passed several communities where where there were large mobile home parks. You know, the type of place you see on the TV show COPS - where they go out to the trailer homes to check on a domestic disturbance report. Invariably, the cops end-up dragging some shirtless (and usually dentally challenged) drunken lout out of his rental trailer in handcuffs and putting him into the back seat of the cruiser.
Yesterday's Boston Globe featured a full color photo of a handcuffed Ken Lay (the former CEO of Enron) as he was forced to make the "perp walk" for the news media in Houston. The only thing lacking was letting him wear a tie and jacket rather than dressing him up in an orange standard issue jumpsuit. Lay is charged with conspiracy, fraud and (shades of Martha Stewart) making false statements. Scary stuff!
The guy turns himself in on non violent offenses, but the numbnuts authorities feel obligated by policy to humiliate him by cuffing him for the cameras. I know a lot of you enjoy seeing crooked CEO's brought low, but I see it as pictoral evidence that our justice system is f*cked up.
If this is the way we treat non-violent rich guys, I shudder to think what they are doing to the poor, toothless, cursing, shmucks who get dragged out of their trailers nightly in Brevard County.
When I am Emperor, people who clearly do not pose a risk will not be cuffed just to embarrass them during indictment. They will be treated with dignity, tried fairly, and then, beheaded.
We spent most of the time we were in Orlando seeing the kids and grandkids. Orlando is nothing more than a huge tourist trap. The "Attractions" are a rip-off (eg, tickets to SeaWorld for a family of four = $169). Not one but two toll booths are located in the 5 mile stretch between the airport and the city as a testament to the municipal participation in the shameless gouging of visitors. Taxes, fees, car rental packed charges are all part of the game. The hotel charges you a daily rental fee for the in-room safe - whether you use it or not. They also warn you that they will charge an "early check-out fee" of $50 if you don't like the place and decide to move. Unheard of in other places.
I do not plan to go back again, and will instead pay for the kids to visit us here.
We drove down to Vero Beach to re-unite with as old college classmate who has retired there. VB is a nice quiet affluent community on a barrier island off the East coast. We enjoyed our visit there but probably cannot afford to retire to a place where the houses we want to live in cost about two million more than we are able to pay.
As we drove down I-95 south, we passed several communities where where there were large mobile home parks. You know, the type of place you see on the TV show COPS - where they go out to the trailer homes to check on a domestic disturbance report. Invariably, the cops end-up dragging some shirtless (and usually dentally challenged) drunken lout out of his rental trailer in handcuffs and putting him into the back seat of the cruiser.
Yesterday's Boston Globe featured a full color photo of a handcuffed Ken Lay (the former CEO of Enron) as he was forced to make the "perp walk" for the news media in Houston. The only thing lacking was letting him wear a tie and jacket rather than dressing him up in an orange standard issue jumpsuit. Lay is charged with conspiracy, fraud and (shades of Martha Stewart) making false statements. Scary stuff!
The guy turns himself in on non violent offenses, but the numbnuts authorities feel obligated by policy to humiliate him by cuffing him for the cameras. I know a lot of you enjoy seeing crooked CEO's brought low, but I see it as pictoral evidence that our justice system is f*cked up.
If this is the way we treat non-violent rich guys, I shudder to think what they are doing to the poor, toothless, cursing, shmucks who get dragged out of their trailers nightly in Brevard County.
When I am Emperor, people who clearly do not pose a risk will not be cuffed just to embarrass them during indictment. They will be treated with dignity, tried fairly, and then, beheaded.
7/02/2004
Photophobia
We are back from a week in Mattaposett where the weather was perfect. Sunny days and cool nights. We rented a place on the beach, well across the street from the beach. We could keep an eye on it from where we sat on the deck, under the shade of a wide blue umbrella, sipping our mojitoes and dipping steamers into bowls of butter. We read. We swam. We sat on the beach for no more than ten minutes at a stretch. We returned as pale as when we left. We like it that way. We are photophobes. EPA's (Exceptionally Pale Americans)
This avoidance of the sun's damaging rays keeps our skin young and beautiful, while our sun-worshiping peer group is starting to wrinkle like the prunes that they eat for breakfast - you know, to stay "regular".
People look us over and challenge us. "You don't look like you've been to the beach!" "Where is your Tan?" "Did it rain the whole time?" "You look different."
Like, maybe they suspect us of going off for cosmetic surgery instead of a relaxing week across the street from the beach. I usuallly lose a few tons of fat by swimming every day, so maybe it looks like I've been to the Lyposuctionist. So, I take these jibes as complimentary even though they're intended to convey disapproval.
Anyhow, we are re-packing and doing laundry in preparation for next week in Florida. For those who would ask incredulously "Why the (bleep) are you EPA types going to Florida of all places? In July of all times!" I have only one answer: Grandkids.
We survive in Florida because of ubuquitous and efficient Air Conditioning. When forced to venture outside, we run to the nearest cool place. We dash across the sand to the ocean, then back to the shade of the poolside bar. We listen in on other people's conversations and then write humorous satires of them when we return home. Some people come home with a tan. I return with my notes and my stories.
===========
Job Search Update.
Activity has dwindled from spotty to zero. There may be a recovery going on out there, but it seems to be passing me by. This may force me to invoke Plan B (Retirement).
I'm old enough. I'm eligible. And Doggonit, they owe me.
I'm thinking of retiring this blog and re-tasking it to focus upon exploits of a retired freelance writer instead of working themes. Any thoughts?
This avoidance of the sun's damaging rays keeps our skin young and beautiful, while our sun-worshiping peer group is starting to wrinkle like the prunes that they eat for breakfast - you know, to stay "regular".
People look us over and challenge us. "You don't look like you've been to the beach!" "Where is your Tan?" "Did it rain the whole time?" "You look different."
Like, maybe they suspect us of going off for cosmetic surgery instead of a relaxing week across the street from the beach. I usuallly lose a few tons of fat by swimming every day, so maybe it looks like I've been to the Lyposuctionist. So, I take these jibes as complimentary even though they're intended to convey disapproval.
Anyhow, we are re-packing and doing laundry in preparation for next week in Florida. For those who would ask incredulously "Why the (bleep) are you EPA types going to Florida of all places? In July of all times!" I have only one answer: Grandkids.
We survive in Florida because of ubuquitous and efficient Air Conditioning. When forced to venture outside, we run to the nearest cool place. We dash across the sand to the ocean, then back to the shade of the poolside bar. We listen in on other people's conversations and then write humorous satires of them when we return home. Some people come home with a tan. I return with my notes and my stories.
===========
Job Search Update.
Activity has dwindled from spotty to zero. There may be a recovery going on out there, but it seems to be passing me by. This may force me to invoke Plan B (Retirement).
I'm old enough. I'm eligible. And Doggonit, they owe me.
I'm thinking of retiring this blog and re-tasking it to focus upon exploits of a retired freelance writer instead of working themes. Any thoughts?
6/22/2004
Staying Tuned
Maybe you will think that I have too much time on my hands when I declare that I am sick of the so-called News media.
I generally read two newspapers in the morning: The Boston Globe and WSJ. The intent of course was to acheive a balanced viewpoint after digesting the editorial predilections of these two highly respected organs of information.
On the "news" pages you might expect to see the same factual items about local and world events. After all "news" should be "facts," right? Then in the analysis and opinion sections, you might expect to read more colored interpretations of what the news means to the reader.
But it does not work that way. The news is virtually indistinguishable from the editorial pages except in the structure of the presentation. Editors filter what we should know about, and slant headlines to ideolgogical ends (i.e., Globe: Kerry=good; Bush=evil. WSJ: Bush=staying the course; Kerry=flip-flopper).
Even on page one, reporters are allowed to speculate on how "underwhelming" the response was to one candidate's speech. And unpopular news - such as the UN oil-for-food scandal, where UN officials are implicated in a corrupt plot to make Saddam rich at the expense of the Iraqi children - is supressed.
And it isn't just the papers. It seems like every time you switch on the TV these days, you are blitzed by the same pictures of some live or dead celebrity. Last week it was Reagan in his prime, smiling and waving. This week it is Clinton, biting his lip, looking chastened, as if that would make you want to read about his life. (No thanks, I already know more about Clinton's checkered past than I can stomach.)
It doesn't matter what channel you watch. They are all alike. You can switch from network to cable and get roughly the same thing. Talking heads spinning their version of what is going on. As if we need to know "What would Laci Peterson think?" Or, those tired out clips of Osama Bin Laden firing his weapon, Saddam having his mouth inspected, and the terrorist training camp clips. It's just tedious. Not news.
For example, I have to chuckle at the 10 O'clock news on Fox. They have an hour to present about 10 minutes of footage on current events. So they fluff up the broadcast with 30 minutes of teasers. The Weather guy grins for the camera, "Will the tornado hit your neighborhood? Stay tuned for details!" An attractive reporter stands alone in front of a building. "You won't believe what happend here to innocent puppies. Details coming up." And so it goes. The ardent news consumer is assailed by non news, commercials and "live", "exclusive" reports. It is a big waste of time. I pick on Fox but it is the same on the other channels as well.
And the cable "talk" shows are nothing but people shouting at each another.
Thankfully we are going on vacation soon, so I can take some time off to lay on the beach and think about Eternity rather than wasting my time trying to understand current events.
Vacation? I know what you are thinking "Don't you have to have a job to get a vacation?" Tune in at 11 for my response.
I generally read two newspapers in the morning: The Boston Globe and WSJ. The intent of course was to acheive a balanced viewpoint after digesting the editorial predilections of these two highly respected organs of information.
On the "news" pages you might expect to see the same factual items about local and world events. After all "news" should be "facts," right? Then in the analysis and opinion sections, you might expect to read more colored interpretations of what the news means to the reader.
But it does not work that way. The news is virtually indistinguishable from the editorial pages except in the structure of the presentation. Editors filter what we should know about, and slant headlines to ideolgogical ends (i.e., Globe: Kerry=good; Bush=evil. WSJ: Bush=staying the course; Kerry=flip-flopper).
Even on page one, reporters are allowed to speculate on how "underwhelming" the response was to one candidate's speech. And unpopular news - such as the UN oil-for-food scandal, where UN officials are implicated in a corrupt plot to make Saddam rich at the expense of the Iraqi children - is supressed.
And it isn't just the papers. It seems like every time you switch on the TV these days, you are blitzed by the same pictures of some live or dead celebrity. Last week it was Reagan in his prime, smiling and waving. This week it is Clinton, biting his lip, looking chastened, as if that would make you want to read about his life. (No thanks, I already know more about Clinton's checkered past than I can stomach.)
It doesn't matter what channel you watch. They are all alike. You can switch from network to cable and get roughly the same thing. Talking heads spinning their version of what is going on. As if we need to know "What would Laci Peterson think?" Or, those tired out clips of Osama Bin Laden firing his weapon, Saddam having his mouth inspected, and the terrorist training camp clips. It's just tedious. Not news.
For example, I have to chuckle at the 10 O'clock news on Fox. They have an hour to present about 10 minutes of footage on current events. So they fluff up the broadcast with 30 minutes of teasers. The Weather guy grins for the camera, "Will the tornado hit your neighborhood? Stay tuned for details!" An attractive reporter stands alone in front of a building. "You won't believe what happend here to innocent puppies. Details coming up." And so it goes. The ardent news consumer is assailed by non news, commercials and "live", "exclusive" reports. It is a big waste of time. I pick on Fox but it is the same on the other channels as well.
And the cable "talk" shows are nothing but people shouting at each another.
Thankfully we are going on vacation soon, so I can take some time off to lay on the beach and think about Eternity rather than wasting my time trying to understand current events.
Vacation? I know what you are thinking "Don't you have to have a job to get a vacation?" Tune in at 11 for my response.
6/19/2004
Fishing
They say a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work. I decided to take a day off from not-doing-anything and went fishing yesterday with a group of former workmates from the Urban Diploma Factory. It's been an annual event for them for about twenty years. I have gone along a few times - I think this was my fourth.
The boat leaves the dock in Gloucester at 6:45am, so it is a serious comitment to sign up for the trip. Approximately 25-30 people were on board when I got there. Some of them were looking worried about the fog and drizzle. And the cold. It gets pretty breezy on the water when the sun is not out.
Unlike my historical attendance record at work meetings, I was on-time at the docks. I had stopped at Dunkin Donut for two Boston Kreme donuts, which I refer to as "seasick pills." I have learned that I don't get seasick on a full stomach. Some of the stalwart fishermen were already popping the tops of their cans of bud as we cleared the harbor. Too early for me.
We steamed (steamed sounds more appealing than "dieseled" don't you think) eastward for about an hour. At a depth of about 200 ft under misty skies, we dropped our lines over the side, and to my shock and surprise we started catching fish.
After reeling in what felt like a truck tire I finally landed a big codfish (9-10 lbs easy. For a while it was the biggest catch, but someone on the other side brought in a 12 pounder and my moment of supremacy passed.
I caught 4 more keepers and a few small fry. By the end of the day my arms were so tired that only the vigorous hydration of malt beverages could relieve the discomfort.
It was a good day fishing. Which is second only to winning the lottery.
The boat leaves the dock in Gloucester at 6:45am, so it is a serious comitment to sign up for the trip. Approximately 25-30 people were on board when I got there. Some of them were looking worried about the fog and drizzle. And the cold. It gets pretty breezy on the water when the sun is not out.
Unlike my historical attendance record at work meetings, I was on-time at the docks. I had stopped at Dunkin Donut for two Boston Kreme donuts, which I refer to as "seasick pills." I have learned that I don't get seasick on a full stomach. Some of the stalwart fishermen were already popping the tops of their cans of bud as we cleared the harbor. Too early for me.
We steamed (steamed sounds more appealing than "dieseled" don't you think) eastward for about an hour. At a depth of about 200 ft under misty skies, we dropped our lines over the side, and to my shock and surprise we started catching fish.
After reeling in what felt like a truck tire I finally landed a big codfish (9-10 lbs easy. For a while it was the biggest catch, but someone on the other side brought in a 12 pounder and my moment of supremacy passed.
I caught 4 more keepers and a few small fry. By the end of the day my arms were so tired that only the vigorous hydration of malt beverages could relieve the discomfort.
It was a good day fishing. Which is second only to winning the lottery.
6/11/2004
Another Excuse Not to Work
Thankfully today, is the last day of the Reagan Memorial extravaganza. At first I was appropriately saddened by the memory and passing of the last great Leader this country has had. Now, I am ready to move on.
Our Republican Governor, Mitt Romney has declared this an official day of mourning. He gave all "nonessential" state workers a day off with pay. I think he should just fire all the non-essential workers and cut taxes. But, as usual, he did not consult with me on this decision.
Predictably, the idealogues on both sides cannot stop their partisan yapping long enough to consider the tremendous popularity of Reagan. Look at all the people who cared so much that they would wait hours, and travel hundreds of miles, just to spend a minute in front of a flag draped coffin. (I think it was empty; can anyone prove me wrong?)
For the most part, I remember the Reagan years fondly. We were raising our family, doing well enough to build a vacation house in New Hampshire. Life seemed pretty good.
A life long Democrat, I thought Reagan was wrong about a lot of things (eg, Iran-Contra, bailing-out of Beruit, running up the deficit while giving tax cuts). But I did support the mass firing of the striking Air Traffic Controllers. (Did I mention that I don't like strikers, especially the ones with all those cushy government benefits.) And, his "tear Down this Wall," speech was as powerful oratory as I've ever heard.
He was not perfect, but he had a great sense of humor. He created a semi scandal when he was doing a voice test for the weekly radio broadcast and jokingly announced, "My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you I just signed legislation which outlaws Russia forever. The bombing begins in five minutes."
Also he was a courageous Leader. Remember how quickly he recovered from the Hinkley assassination attempt? He was back in the saddle faster than Hopalong Cassidy after a shouldner nick. Certainly the greatest achievement of his administration was hastening the collapse of the Soviet Union. Political opponents cannot take that away from him. I think it trumps any failures of his presidency.
While we are in mourning, let's note the passing of another great celebrity of our times. Ray Charles died of liver problems, but the way I understand it he just did not want to live in a world where Snoop Dog was making more money than him.
Our Republican Governor, Mitt Romney has declared this an official day of mourning. He gave all "nonessential" state workers a day off with pay. I think he should just fire all the non-essential workers and cut taxes. But, as usual, he did not consult with me on this decision.
Predictably, the idealogues on both sides cannot stop their partisan yapping long enough to consider the tremendous popularity of Reagan. Look at all the people who cared so much that they would wait hours, and travel hundreds of miles, just to spend a minute in front of a flag draped coffin. (I think it was empty; can anyone prove me wrong?)
For the most part, I remember the Reagan years fondly. We were raising our family, doing well enough to build a vacation house in New Hampshire. Life seemed pretty good.
A life long Democrat, I thought Reagan was wrong about a lot of things (eg, Iran-Contra, bailing-out of Beruit, running up the deficit while giving tax cuts). But I did support the mass firing of the striking Air Traffic Controllers. (Did I mention that I don't like strikers, especially the ones with all those cushy government benefits.) And, his "tear Down this Wall," speech was as powerful oratory as I've ever heard.
He was not perfect, but he had a great sense of humor. He created a semi scandal when he was doing a voice test for the weekly radio broadcast and jokingly announced, "My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you I just signed legislation which outlaws Russia forever. The bombing begins in five minutes."
Also he was a courageous Leader. Remember how quickly he recovered from the Hinkley assassination attempt? He was back in the saddle faster than Hopalong Cassidy after a shouldner nick. Certainly the greatest achievement of his administration was hastening the collapse of the Soviet Union. Political opponents cannot take that away from him. I think it trumps any failures of his presidency.
While we are in mourning, let's note the passing of another great celebrity of our times. Ray Charles died of liver problems, but the way I understand it he just did not want to live in a world where Snoop Dog was making more money than him.
6/09/2004
People Who Don't Want To Work
Nothing annoys me more than people who are willing to disrupt traffic to make their own political statement. On the TV news we see shots of Boston cops and firemen mugging inanely for the cameras, while they carry signs declaiming the lack of a contract. They are threatening to prevent work on the Fleet Center to get ready for the DNC in July if they don't get satisfaction.
Mayor Menino says he has offered over 11% in pay raises. This is apparently not enough for the municipal Patrolmen's Association extortionators. They are picketing even though they are too cowardly to actually go on strike themselves. (Ronald Regan set the very effective precedent as to how you deal with municipal employees who strike.) So instead of laying their jobs on the line, they intimidate electricians and truck drivers to risk their jobs. They call it solidarity, but it is really blackmail.
Don't get me wrong, I am not anti-union. I just think that the union should only exist to protect the workers from being exploited by rapacious management - not to blackmail the citizenry for unreasonable pay raises and benefits.
If I was emperor the rule would be: People who are unhappy with the working conditions do not have the right to block traffic or to harrass others. Shut up and get back to work, or quit and make room for someone who wants to work.
Funny how quickly the Hero status of Cops and Firemen fades when you see them, just like the rest of us, greedy and selfish.
Mayor Menino says he has offered over 11% in pay raises. This is apparently not enough for the municipal Patrolmen's Association extortionators. They are picketing even though they are too cowardly to actually go on strike themselves. (Ronald Regan set the very effective precedent as to how you deal with municipal employees who strike.) So instead of laying their jobs on the line, they intimidate electricians and truck drivers to risk their jobs. They call it solidarity, but it is really blackmail.
Don't get me wrong, I am not anti-union. I just think that the union should only exist to protect the workers from being exploited by rapacious management - not to blackmail the citizenry for unreasonable pay raises and benefits.
If I was emperor the rule would be: People who are unhappy with the working conditions do not have the right to block traffic or to harrass others. Shut up and get back to work, or quit and make room for someone who wants to work.
Funny how quickly the Hero status of Cops and Firemen fades when you see them, just like the rest of us, greedy and selfish.
6/07/2004
The Project Next Door
Ok that fries it. The neighbor’s are having an addition put on. Last week the tree guys came to take down three enormous pine trees that have been over shadowing both of our houses. I was pretty happy about that, since one of the trees was constantly dropping pine sap and dead limbs onto any cars parked in our driveway.
It was pretty entertaining, watching a 70 year-old coniferous work of nature reduced to a pile of wood chips in just a few minutes by three men (two of whom did not speak English) and some big noisy machinery.
Yesterday, the backhoe and the dump trucks arrived.
There goes my nice quiet summer. Reflecting on the nature of work does not take long when you see guys who really are doing physical labor. But the heavy equipment guys make ten times more than office guys and the tree guy says he make more in one day than he made in a whole week as a high wire electrician. He did confirm that the site boss was an asshole, just like working in an office.
But, somehow, going into a nice air conditioned office with indoor plumbing seemed somehow more doable to me than working with big heavy objects and machinery. Even if the wages are chump change compared to a crane operator. I know what you are thinking, comparisons are invidious.
I really need to get a job or join the Peace Corps – anything to get out of here until the construction work is done next door. Anyone need a professional drinking companion?
It was pretty entertaining, watching a 70 year-old coniferous work of nature reduced to a pile of wood chips in just a few minutes by three men (two of whom did not speak English) and some big noisy machinery.
Yesterday, the backhoe and the dump trucks arrived.
There goes my nice quiet summer. Reflecting on the nature of work does not take long when you see guys who really are doing physical labor. But the heavy equipment guys make ten times more than office guys and the tree guy says he make more in one day than he made in a whole week as a high wire electrician. He did confirm that the site boss was an asshole, just like working in an office.
But, somehow, going into a nice air conditioned office with indoor plumbing seemed somehow more doable to me than working with big heavy objects and machinery. Even if the wages are chump change compared to a crane operator. I know what you are thinking, comparisons are invidious.
I really need to get a job or join the Peace Corps – anything to get out of here until the construction work is done next door. Anyone need a professional drinking companion?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)