...where the fireworks are less illegal than here, and there is anticipated to be much fun to be had. Some friends of ours went to one of the Indian reservations and bought the really fun stuff; party tonight, back tomorrow, and back up there for the 4th.
I'll try to bring all of you pictures. :)
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Overheard
"Mommy, I'm hungry."
"Okay, get yourself a snack if you'd like."
"Can I have a potato?"
"Raw? Or did you mean a tomato?"
"Yeah."
"Sure, just don't get it everywhere."
"Okay, get yourself a snack if you'd like."
"Can I have a potato?"
"Raw? Or did you mean a tomato?"
"Yeah."
"Sure, just don't get it everywhere."
Friday, June 29, 2007
Hearty Guffaw Warning
I love Sinfest.
Fair warning, you start reading that comic, you'll be there for hours & lose track of time, I kid you not. But it's sooooooooooooo worth it.
Fair warning, you start reading that comic, you'll be there for hours & lose track of time, I kid you not. But it's sooooooooooooo worth it.
Pain and Suffering
I'd give just about anything to spend at least one month out of a summer without one of my kids bleeding from somewhere. *sigh*
At least this one didn't require a trip to the hospital, but hopefully we've learned out lesson about doing as we're told & wearing shoes while riding our bicycle.
At least this one didn't require a trip to the hospital, but hopefully we've learned out lesson about doing as we're told & wearing shoes while riding our bicycle.
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.
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.
Meh
6:30 AM. Work soon.
At least it's sort of a grey Pacific NW morning out there. On some level that makes it better.
What are you doing this morning?
At least it's sort of a grey Pacific NW morning out there. On some level that makes it better.
What are you doing this morning?
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Pubic Service Announcement
I'm only going to post once about this spoiled brat - this blog is officially a Paris-Free Zone.
The "travesty of justice" and the "raw deal" that Paris mentioned on Larry King...? Yeah, that'd be on our part. She should have gotten more time; 20-something days in a jail cell isn't enough to have Found Jesus and become a Reformed Member Of Society. Anybody wanting to debate that needs a serious read of county jail recidivism rates. She's contrite because her business deals depend on a public show of remorse, not because she's changed her ways.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled whatever.
Random Cute Kitten Picture
This is Snuggles (named by my 7-yr-old) from about a year ago. I am occasionally designated as his Person, but most of the time he's inseparable from my 10 yr old.
There will be further random cat-blogging as time goes by, just thought I'd kick it off right.
Post The First, In Which Our Author Explains Himself
As the title says, the first post. I'll explain the title later to anybody that doesn't get the reference (which is probably most people).
In anticipation of the hordes of wellwishers I expect to meet this way, I'd like to thank several blog parents who may or may not be aware of their impact on me.
1) Glenn Reynolds was my introduction to weblogs. I started reading shortly after 9/11, mostly because what he had to say at the time was considerably more interesting, informative, and had less of an obvious agenda than any traditional MSM outlet I could find.
2) Jeff also had a big influence on me, partially due to his magnificent prose, partially because the guy can't seem to admit how completely fucking brilliant he actually is, and partially because he had the gumption to put it all out there and bare his soul when Nelson died. I cried. Nuff said.
3) Last, certainly not least, and probably the biggest reason for my actually taking the jump and publishing a public, online diary, is Kate, because she's generally awesome and as my wife puts it, Takes No Shit From Anyone. I admire that.
More to come. Watch this space.
In anticipation of the hordes of wellwishers I expect to meet this way, I'd like to thank several blog parents who may or may not be aware of their impact on me.
1) Glenn Reynolds was my introduction to weblogs. I started reading shortly after 9/11, mostly because what he had to say at the time was considerably more interesting, informative, and had less of an obvious agenda than any traditional MSM outlet I could find.
2) Jeff also had a big influence on me, partially due to his magnificent prose, partially because the guy can't seem to admit how completely fucking brilliant he actually is, and partially because he had the gumption to put it all out there and bare his soul when Nelson died. I cried. Nuff said.
3) Last, certainly not least, and probably the biggest reason for my actually taking the jump and publishing a public, online diary, is Kate, because she's generally awesome and as my wife puts it, Takes No Shit From Anyone. I admire that.
More to come. Watch this space.
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