I just sat down to make a post out of some ideas that have been whirling around in my head. And, as usual, I ran out of writing time after finally settling upon a pretty decent opening paragraph...but nothing more. So I had an idea. Rather than saving this one paragraph and letting it sit and rot for a couple of months on my desktop before I lose interest and finally delete it, why not put it out there and see what it inspires the rest of the collective to write?
So here's the paragraph. Someone pick up the ball and write the next paragraph. And then someone else can go on from there. It should be an interesting exercise...
There may have been some time in the distant past when achieving great age was seen as a path to wisdom. But here in the 21st century, the wisdom of three days ago, let alone three decades ago, is discounted as outdated. Amassing the experience of several decades on the planet is looked upon not as a passage to wisdom, but as an express ticket to irrelevancy. It’s no wonder people of my generation—we ubiquitous Baby Boomers—nurse an irrational fear of growing old. We are shown daily that we must either match the frenetic pace of our children’s society, or be cast aside like yesterday’s iphone.
Have at it, ladies...
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
My New England Blizzard 1-12-2011 The Abridged Version
That's my girl, buried in snow. Brrrr
A Junco finds eating while it is snowing just a fine activity.
No, that's not the spray-one type.
Loved the peace and quiet of no cars.
A male Cardinal stops in for a visit.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Blessings For THIS World?
I have had the seeds of several rants running through my head the past couple of weeks. On everything from gun control to work ethics (or lack thereof.)
This past weekend in Arizona, a very public mass murder has left our nation with tears in our eyes, guilt in our hearts, and big question marks over our heads. What should we do or say now? How should we respond? Who gets the blame; or is it even appropriate to start pointing fingers?
A rant certainly seems inappropriate here…ranting and raving and violent, divisive language are very likely what have brought us to this place. Now is a time to be still and think before we act, or write, or speak.
Our friend marigolds2 posted on Facebook something that has given me pause, made me think. And made me very sad, really. Because the following words are some that I was taught from the time I was old enough to read. And though I no longer adhere to the religion from which they sprang, I know wise words when I see them:
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Do they teach this anymore, anywhere?
Friday, January 7, 2011
I'm here...
Hey everyone...
I'm here...I hope you all had a great holiday.
It was a strange holiday here for us. Hannukah was here so early, it was over long before my daughter was home from school for her semester break. We had a little celebration one evening once we had everyone home but it hardly felt like a holiday.
The New York blizzard was not as severe out on Long Island as it was in the city. Despite the snow, Aaron and I went in to Manhattan on the Tuesday after Christmas. Many of the streets were in terrible shape and the mountains of plowed snow (and slush) made walking less than ideal. But it was an absolutely beautiful day.
I took this photo quickly, with my iphone as we were hurrying across the street.
Post blizzard in NYC...
I'm here...I hope you all had a great holiday.
It was a strange holiday here for us. Hannukah was here so early, it was over long before my daughter was home from school for her semester break. We had a little celebration one evening once we had everyone home but it hardly felt like a holiday.
The New York blizzard was not as severe out on Long Island as it was in the city. Despite the snow, Aaron and I went in to Manhattan on the Tuesday after Christmas. Many of the streets were in terrible shape and the mountains of plowed snow (and slush) made walking less than ideal. But it was an absolutely beautiful day.
I took this photo quickly, with my iphone as we were hurrying across the street.
Post blizzard in NYC...
Hello Out There?
Our little ensemble blog, after a short re-birth early last year, seems to have dried up and blown away.
Well, anyway...it's Friday. Remember Photo Friday y'all? I'll try to jump-start things by posting a picture and issuing a challenge.
Here's the picture:
The LAST Christmas Tree at the Old Town Cafe...
Well, anyway...it's Friday. Remember Photo Friday y'all? I'll try to jump-start things by posting a picture and issuing a challenge.
Here's the picture:
The LAST Christmas Tree at the Old Town Cafe...
And here's the challenge:
The picture above best represents Christmas 2010 to me. Does anyone (if anyone is still out there...) have a picture that best represents their Christmas 2010?
If so....feel free to post it.
Or post anything. Anything at all.
I'll be back later with a real post...
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
They've Been Lame Since Election 2008
All the chest-beating and folderol coming out of Washington these days... I pointedly DO NOT listen because it makes me want to tear my hair out.
Like this BS:
Senate GOP pledges to block all bills until tax dispute resolved
Senate republicans--the same ones who spent eight years of the Bush Administration creating the frightening National Debt, and are now blaming Obama for it--getting up on their high horses about the Bush Era tax cuts (to the RICH!!!)
"Job-killing?" WHAT jobs? Your rich cronies have already sent all the jobs overseas. They're not coming back!
So now, we should just let the rich business moguls sit back and rake in the money from the manufacturing that's being done in other countries, and not have to pay taxes on it? Why? Do you think they're actually going to USE that money to benefit anyone but themselves? Is there a history--recent or otherwise--of that actually happening? Show me the numbers, please...
Our government is in complete gridlock, and it's only going to get worse in the next two years.
What a mess!
Like this BS:
Senate GOP pledges to block all bills until tax dispute resolved
Senate republicans--the same ones who spent eight years of the Bush Administration creating the frightening National Debt, and are now blaming Obama for it--getting up on their high horses about the Bush Era tax cuts (to the RICH!!!)
"Job-killing?" WHAT jobs? Your rich cronies have already sent all the jobs overseas. They're not coming back!
So now, we should just let the rich business moguls sit back and rake in the money from the manufacturing that's being done in other countries, and not have to pay taxes on it? Why? Do you think they're actually going to USE that money to benefit anyone but themselves? Is there a history--recent or otherwise--of that actually happening? Show me the numbers, please...
Our government is in complete gridlock, and it's only going to get worse in the next two years.
What a mess!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
AIRPORT INSECURITY
May I suggest an alternative to the airport security check ins that have so many knickers in a twist? I haven’t figured out which combo is best. But, when you arrive at the airport and check in you are issued either two bed sheets or a sheet and a hospital style gown. You are also given flip flops and a see through bag that can be sealed once it’s scanned. Perhaps they could use something like the anti shoplifting tags that use dye. That, or a very small stink bomb to deter folks from unsealing their bags.
You change, put your clothing, including the above mentioned knickers and other unmentionables in the bag and go through the security scanners. Your bag is sealed and you board your flight looking rather like an extra from Gandhi, the Animal House toga party or an old sword and sandals film. I would not want to be stranded on the tarmac in Chicago this time of year.
For extra spice all congressional representatives, bureaucrats etc. would be required to fly commercial airlines and have to do the same thing. Especially anyone remotely tied to the TSA or Homeland Security. Can you imagine all our over sixty representatives without their power suits (or skirts) as the case may be. ;-) It’d be worth the cost of a ticket just to see Mitch McConnel trying to figure out what to do with his tighty whities.
"Those who sacrifice liberty for a little security deserve neither security or safety." freely borrowed from Ben Franklin.
You change, put your clothing, including the above mentioned knickers and other unmentionables in the bag and go through the security scanners. Your bag is sealed and you board your flight looking rather like an extra from Gandhi, the Animal House toga party or an old sword and sandals film. I would not want to be stranded on the tarmac in Chicago this time of year.
For extra spice all congressional representatives, bureaucrats etc. would be required to fly commercial airlines and have to do the same thing. Especially anyone remotely tied to the TSA or Homeland Security. Can you imagine all our over sixty representatives without their power suits (or skirts) as the case may be. ;-) It’d be worth the cost of a ticket just to see Mitch McConnel trying to figure out what to do with his tighty whities.
"Those who sacrifice liberty for a little security deserve neither security or safety." freely borrowed from Ben Franklin.
Friday, November 12, 2010
SIDESTEPPING THE BRAND
I’ve been following the Alaska senate race with a lot of interest. The incumbent, Lisa Murkowski, was edged out in the primary by a Tea Party candidate endorsed by Sara Palin. She conceded the election, but decided to run as a write in candidate. As of today it looks like she just might win the election.
At this point they’re arguing over which votes count. Alaska requires that the write in candidates’ name be spelled correctly. Works for me, except that both major parties went to court to block any list of write in candidates being posted at the polls and to forbid poll workers to help voters with their write in ballots. My source for this is the on line version of the Anchorage Daily News. Both parties, not just disgruntled Republicans who view Murkowski as a spoiler. Some states (example; Texas) block candidates who lose in the primary from running as write ins. Alaska doesn’t.
Let’s shift our perspective a bit. Look at the Republicans and the Democrats as brands like say, GM or Ford. The brand provides a commodity; votes and access on the local, state and federal level instead of pickups and SUV’s. It is in the interest of the major parties to provide fairly reliable results in return for the money donated to their war chests. From the point of view of the donors the parties provide a source of votes and access with as few surprises as possible. Democracy is great in theory. Not so great in practice from the point of view of parties or their donors.
It is also in the interests of the parties and the donors to restrict the competition; in other words the fewer brands (parties) competing for donor money the better. I don’t know how other states handle party access to the ballot. In Oregon a new party has to gather enough signatures to get their candidates on the ballot and then maintain a certain percentage of the ballots cast to maintain that access. A few years ago the legislature passed a (short lived) measure that counted those petition signatures as votes. If you signed a petition to get Joe Blow on the ballot and he didn’t make it you couldn’t vote for another candidate from a different party who did make it on the ballot.
Uncontrolled, unbranded candidates? A successful write in campaign at the federal level could be a nightmare come true for both parties.
At this point they’re arguing over which votes count. Alaska requires that the write in candidates’ name be spelled correctly. Works for me, except that both major parties went to court to block any list of write in candidates being posted at the polls and to forbid poll workers to help voters with their write in ballots. My source for this is the on line version of the Anchorage Daily News. Both parties, not just disgruntled Republicans who view Murkowski as a spoiler. Some states (example; Texas) block candidates who lose in the primary from running as write ins. Alaska doesn’t.
Let’s shift our perspective a bit. Look at the Republicans and the Democrats as brands like say, GM or Ford. The brand provides a commodity; votes and access on the local, state and federal level instead of pickups and SUV’s. It is in the interest of the major parties to provide fairly reliable results in return for the money donated to their war chests. From the point of view of the donors the parties provide a source of votes and access with as few surprises as possible. Democracy is great in theory. Not so great in practice from the point of view of parties or their donors.
It is also in the interests of the parties and the donors to restrict the competition; in other words the fewer brands (parties) competing for donor money the better. I don’t know how other states handle party access to the ballot. In Oregon a new party has to gather enough signatures to get their candidates on the ballot and then maintain a certain percentage of the ballots cast to maintain that access. A few years ago the legislature passed a (short lived) measure that counted those petition signatures as votes. If you signed a petition to get Joe Blow on the ballot and he didn’t make it you couldn’t vote for another candidate from a different party who did make it on the ballot.
Uncontrolled, unbranded candidates? A successful write in campaign at the federal level could be a nightmare come true for both parties.
Friday, November 5, 2010
NOT the End of the World
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
PROPOSED AMENDMENT
I have a suggestion for an amendment to the constitution.
"For the purposes of funding political campaigns a person shall be defined as a living being of human descent possessing either two X chromosomes or an X and a Y chromosome or a variation of the combination usually found when genes are typed."
Think it’ll happen?
"For the purposes of funding political campaigns a person shall be defined as a living being of human descent possessing either two X chromosomes or an X and a Y chromosome or a variation of the combination usually found when genes are typed."
Think it’ll happen?
Sunday, October 31, 2010
End of Year Performance Review - raaaaggggghhhhttttt....
So it's time to submit my end-of-the-year Performance Review. Ugh. This time, to add insult to injury, there's a new question, no doubt thought up by some Harvard educated MBA: Where do you see yourself in 1-3 years? I have to make up some suitable BS to answer this inane question, and I will, but what I really want to say is this:
Listen, you dweeby bean counter, I've been a permanent employee now for almost 4 years. In that time, although my caseload has increased by almost 50%, I've never submitted a single late report (this is a big deal at the company where I work). Furthermore, I've taken on many additional responsibilities since I started, some of which have been assigned to me, others that I've initiated, e.g., I created a training manual, complete with screen shots, that's now used internationally to train new employees on our pharma database, and I'm expected to keep it current. Yet I haven't received a raise or a promotion, or even an overall EE (exceeds expectations - word is that management doesn't like anyone to receive that rating, because an employee receiving that rating might expect some sort of financial reward, e.g., a raise or promotion). And so I'm still working at the same grade at which I was hired, as are those employees hired at the same time as me whose idea of work is pretty much to show up for 8 hours a day, period. Furthermore, in spite of my putting time and effort, twice a year, into writing these performance reviews, I have yet to have a one-on-one or to receive any sort of feedback on the work I'm doing from anyone who's supervised me. I'd say writing these is sort of like pennies down a well, except that I know someone reads them, because we get them back to redo if what we've written falls short of the rah-rah spirit with which they're supposed to be filled...so once again, I'm writing and submitting mine, but oh, what a colossal waste of time.
Listen, you dweeby bean counter, I've been a permanent employee now for almost 4 years. In that time, although my caseload has increased by almost 50%, I've never submitted a single late report (this is a big deal at the company where I work). Furthermore, I've taken on many additional responsibilities since I started, some of which have been assigned to me, others that I've initiated, e.g., I created a training manual, complete with screen shots, that's now used internationally to train new employees on our pharma database, and I'm expected to keep it current. Yet I haven't received a raise or a promotion, or even an overall EE (exceeds expectations - word is that management doesn't like anyone to receive that rating, because an employee receiving that rating might expect some sort of financial reward, e.g., a raise or promotion). And so I'm still working at the same grade at which I was hired, as are those employees hired at the same time as me whose idea of work is pretty much to show up for 8 hours a day, period. Furthermore, in spite of my putting time and effort, twice a year, into writing these performance reviews, I have yet to have a one-on-one or to receive any sort of feedback on the work I'm doing from anyone who's supervised me. I'd say writing these is sort of like pennies down a well, except that I know someone reads them, because we get them back to redo if what we've written falls short of the rah-rah spirit with which they're supposed to be filled...so once again, I'm writing and submitting mine, but oh, what a colossal waste of time.
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