A quick gum...

Since Kate is feeling an advanced state of teh g33zoorz, rather than biting, I'm just gummin.

Yes, that's three links to the same blog, but if you don't read em all, you won't get the joke....and if you don't want to get the joke, you may bite me, because it is teh funneee.

Making the unreadable impenetrable.

Rachel has a great screed from Steven Weber, possibly one of the most blatant examples of somebody being in love with their own vocabulary I've ever read. Just for fun, I thought I'd improve it a bit - original for comparison above at the link, and here's the "new & improved" Engrish version, after a few trips through Altavista's Babelfish. :)

The fact that has a similar integrity of America, the zelf gestileerde flag of the modern, developed and civilized liberty, offers even the person for with its nadir qualified (from note it the lyric poem to take involuntarily, which fulfills with passion me unselfishly within the public range) to carry out to help the absurdity of a similar effort to say, is tragic incontrovertibly, would be understatement on the carried out instruction "of the task", lost. Already rather the service at its country salts, by it with a safe distance of the large presidency bellcrank, which prefers to make more effectively in the place the time to change over and with much more reliability than private citizen restantrestant. And which it could show? A in such a way copied position became it that no genuine would think statesperson with a value of its salted replacement one day, which lives in the oval building. Now the fact that gremlins it will leave boogers below each Romanesque which has failure this hallways from the highest yard brings, and they stink with the each alteration worthlessly that the individual liberty the efforts remettantse, those and been the list flea of state in the conventional change of the guard, i.e., (choice) the potus rows shift only under a judge for "the received talent America guaranteed appearing!". However: What as, to reroute even in presence it this complicit into the American bush and still the sport it smug rictuses, still the vagabond below waanidee of one globusamericana still clasps itself it, which intimidate tactics, still smug the witnesses at the collapses in new Orleans carries Afghanistan and Iraq, and which cannot see their own inadequacy yet underneath the eyes... What as, despite the failure years under a republican controlled congress; despite the failure of the channel of programs enlaidis Orwellian, when a child does not leave behind and clear hemelen; despite the rope of the degradations, which implies boisterously, paragons republican of the virtue and the ethics, which becomes imprisoned with their portfolios and its trousers; despite and the monumental laehmt delocalisering the American jobs; despite the accumulation, which leaves cases crony doorzeefde debt under it from modern of this politics; despite the obvious oorlogswoekerhandel: despite the handling of our more expensive constitutional warranties; to earn despite the enemy jet from wereld withered to, how this is still explained to him for another poging? From side of the stage in the form, the income and the ground floor he ' D has its hand high point. He ' D must burn middernachtethylalcohol and with the lemonade of the bitterest lemon party this nation make, those for what is seen the time. He ' D occupied hopes world-wide on its shoulders. He ' D is 24 hours per day in crosshairs the section of Swiftboat of Blackwater, an attack, which would make the shocks and Awe, examines Mentos as morserij from Pepsi a concession. And it even sticks to know well none that the high point the policy of the bush and its treuen/goosesteppers apologistslegion up to them to prevent it it us completely approximately the firm high point dégringolé, and well knowing that strongly you Wanna As a beer with us slipped gi-normous Mickey Finnish and during our visieonduidelijke pictures our bags turns of, which are opening falltuer in the back to press ours, and to the point ours did not know the action at the center largely already only. And at this time the American myth can leave reinvigorated and is again to revive. And hope could again be ignited. And the nation, which is rejected by the Verteilersmirking, could together announced by uniter natures met. And America could do that, its, which it was once and must be so much again. If, over to heat global - it is the time goes. To know from Whattaya to?

Biting the Venomous One

Kate rightly castigates me and the rest of the universe for failing to bite when invited....so here's my nibble back, and an apology for my shameful neglect.

In defense of government office drones

I think pretty much anybody with a pulse has had an experience like this one. I read it today on my break at work, and it got me to thinking. I've been in Kate's shoes...but I've also been the lady on the other side of the counter, metaphorically speaking. Ever wonder what it's like?

Understand, first off, that I'm not condoning the completely mindless behavior of said drone - Kate is right that a pleasant attitude goes a long ways towards defusing the ire of even the most intractible curmudgeon (and yes, that's my $5 word allotment for today). Been there.

The thing is, what seems on the customer/consumer/voter side of the counter like a monolithic, unchanging bureaucracy is much closer to being somewhat like a member of an army of ants as they march. There's a certain inevitability to it, a pace that you just don't see in the private sector, a grind that keeps moving all the time. Toss into that a lengthy manual of Rules Thou Shalt Not Ever Under Any Circumstances Violate, and For Which You Could Immediately Be Terminated (or at least Harshly Scolded), and then make the manual completely dependent on the comparison of its more esoteric contents with similar manuals at all other levels of government, and the particulars of which are known only unto the Morlocks at Central Office.

Then make all of that Holy Writ completely dependent on both the tax revenue and legislators from various levels. Understand that any or all of the rules you spend literally weeks learning can and do change with little, and often without, notice. Nobody human can ever know all of it and actually work in the field with the public, so they settle for a working knowledge and occasional specialties.

Add to that the public whose default position is cautious, nervous GodIhopeIgetthesedamnpapersfilledoutright, which will instantly change to teeth grinding rage and "Hey, you work for me, I'm a taxpayer, dammit," if balked or made to stand in line 4a for an estimated hour to talk to the guy at window 8, 9, or 10 to learn what else they're going to have to do.

Finish off this repast with a management structure that is more likely than not composed of: a few well-meaning, genuinely sincere public servants that love their job and have earned a position of authority by being exceptional, and a majority of (for lack of a better term) venal, shallow, insecure, vicious adult third-graders intent only on climbing the agency ladder by stepping on the knives they've plunged into the backs of their peers and subordinates. Keep in mind that they'll smile at you when they talk and mean nothing that they say if it makes their life more difficult.

Now be in between all of that and dependent on supporting yourself & your family for the next 15-30 years depending on your age.

Welcome to your Government At Work.

Chomp...

Kate....tag, you're it. :)