A column in the Post today says that the GOP is "unraveling" and while normally such a determination would make me dance a jig, this one makes me pause.
The Democrats were as similarly situated in 1992 as the Republicans in 2000. They had a better (i.e. worse) economic situation on which to capitalize, but otherwise Americans seemed to have had it with the people in charge. Clinton came along, promised change and was pretty successful in following through (I won't get into the particulars there because I'm sure everybody has their own standard). Bush did the same, and was "fortunate" to have 9/11 come along and really give him the political capital he was struggling to find immediately after the election (note again: not blaming Bush for 9/11, it's just how it worked out).
Maybe all the problems that hit the current administration are problems that end up plaguing any party that gets to be in charge of the executive branch for more than 5 years. That is, perhaps both (or all) parties are so corrupt and have lost focus on the purpose of political service that it only takes about 4 or 5 years for their true colors to show. With the Democrats, it was using power to enrich your personal life; with Republicans, it seems to be using power to unconstitutionally achieve your political aspirations.
Either way, it all comes tumbling down eventually, because government is too big and there are too many people looking to take it down for such things to stay hidden. Incidentally, this is also why I don't really believe in massive government conspiracies like Area 51 or JFK being killed by the CIA or faking the moon landing. People aren't secret keepers, by their very nature. Eventually it will come out, if there were enough people involved.
I'm still happy that the GOP is taking such a beating right now, though I don't believe in the American people enough anymore to think that it will actually change who they vote for. We need new blood on both sides of the aisle.
April 22, 2006
April 20, 2006
A Tale of Temping
I haven't updated with any significant information in awhile, and there's really nobody to blame besides myself. And Satan. There's always Satan to blame.
In that time, I've become an actual lawyer. You can look me up at the state bar website and everything. I'm 100% now, no "still waiting for X" or "haven't received my Y" anymore. Though I haven't paid dues yet, they give you quite awhile to do that. This is fortunate because right now, dues cost more than I make in a week.
Speaking of crappy pay, temping is just about up. At least, at the place and salary that has semi-sustained me lo these past 5 or 6 weeks. The good news? I get a raise (25%) and a reprieve from my copy/scan duties for two weeks. The bad news: after that, I have no job again.
Still, I'm ready to move on. It's a nice office, and I've met some great people (there's a story there, too, but focus!) but asbestos and pharmaceutical litigation aren't really my bag, and neither is being the most underpaid lawyer practicing in the state of California.
The way people treat temps is a good indicator as to their worth as a human being. I am particularly lucky because I get to watch the sometimes dramatic shift in attitude between when I first meet someone ("Hey. Copy this for me. Thanks.") and when they eventually hear that I'm a JD-holding almost (at the time) lawyer. Sometimes the transformation is hideous to behold. I know that my schooling and the ambition that people usually associate with a law degree can draw out an unwarranted respect, and I've gotten used to that. Not to be trite, but it still seems wretchedly shallow to behave with more civility simply because it turns out I've got more education than previously assumed.
But I digress. Or, not really, since this was supposed to be about temping. It has been so long since a real post that I'm worried about needlessly opening the floodgates, so I'll just leave you with the best "condescending temp" line ever: "This job is not what I really do, OK? I play keyboards."
* Yes that's from the Simpsons. Like you have to ask?
In that time, I've become an actual lawyer. You can look me up at the state bar website and everything. I'm 100% now, no "still waiting for X" or "haven't received my Y" anymore. Though I haven't paid dues yet, they give you quite awhile to do that. This is fortunate because right now, dues cost more than I make in a week.
Speaking of crappy pay, temping is just about up. At least, at the place and salary that has semi-sustained me lo these past 5 or 6 weeks. The good news? I get a raise (25%) and a reprieve from my copy/scan duties for two weeks. The bad news: after that, I have no job again.
Still, I'm ready to move on. It's a nice office, and I've met some great people (there's a story there, too, but focus!) but asbestos and pharmaceutical litigation aren't really my bag, and neither is being the most underpaid lawyer practicing in the state of California.
The way people treat temps is a good indicator as to their worth as a human being. I am particularly lucky because I get to watch the sometimes dramatic shift in attitude between when I first meet someone ("Hey. Copy this for me. Thanks.") and when they eventually hear that I'm a JD-holding almost (at the time) lawyer. Sometimes the transformation is hideous to behold. I know that my schooling and the ambition that people usually associate with a law degree can draw out an unwarranted respect, and I've gotten used to that. Not to be trite, but it still seems wretchedly shallow to behave with more civility simply because it turns out I've got more education than previously assumed.
But I digress. Or, not really, since this was supposed to be about temping. It has been so long since a real post that I'm worried about needlessly opening the floodgates, so I'll just leave you with the best "condescending temp" line ever: "This job is not what I really do, OK? I play keyboards."
* Yes that's from the Simpsons. Like you have to ask?
April 12, 2006
Technical Difficulties
Blogger has eaten two posts this week, and normally it doesn't eat them so... permanently. But lo and behold this week it's feeling moody and thus, I find myself apologizing for the lack of posts. Sorry.
They's a-comin' though! And maybe even a picture of me in a funny mustache! Hang on to your hats.
They's a-comin' though! And maybe even a picture of me in a funny mustache! Hang on to your hats.
April 4, 2006
01:02:03 04/05/06
In a little over an hour (Pacific Time) it will be 1:02 a.m., and 3 seconds after that it will be 1:02:03 on 04/05/06.
I'm not usually into stuff like that, other than to say "huh, that's cool" but this one got me thinking. It only happens once every hundred years, so chances are highly unlikely any of us will see the next one (or saw the last one).
Except, it sort of happens again if you follow the European date style, because 04/05/06 is May 4th (or so I've been told by my Eurotrash acquaintances) and thus just as accurate.
Anyway, just thought I'd share what me mum shared with me earlier tonight. If you're superstitious, you might not want to be buying a house or conceiving a child at around 1 a.m. tonight. On the other hand, maybe you totally should because that house could be magic or the child could be... well, probably the Antichrist. So don't do that one.
(Which reminds me, 06/06/06 is this year; if I hadn't read that 666 isn't really the number of the beast--mathematical error, I think it's actually like 669--I might be worried. Still, I bet people freak out.)
I'm not usually into stuff like that, other than to say "huh, that's cool" but this one got me thinking. It only happens once every hundred years, so chances are highly unlikely any of us will see the next one (or saw the last one).
Except, it sort of happens again if you follow the European date style, because 04/05/06 is May 4th (or so I've been told by my Eurotrash acquaintances) and thus just as accurate.
Anyway, just thought I'd share what me mum shared with me earlier tonight. If you're superstitious, you might not want to be buying a house or conceiving a child at around 1 a.m. tonight. On the other hand, maybe you totally should because that house could be magic or the child could be... well, probably the Antichrist. So don't do that one.
(Which reminds me, 06/06/06 is this year; if I hadn't read that 666 isn't really the number of the beast--mathematical error, I think it's actually like 669--I might be worried. Still, I bet people freak out.)
April 2, 2006
Sunday Ramblings
I'm as big a fan of time travel as the next guy (even though safety is not guaranteed) but this Spring Forward crap is for the birds, daddy-o. I have now updated my list of least desirable time travel destinations:
- The Early 80's ("Morning in America")
- Y2K (Again? It was lame the first time)
- 848 A.D. (Rome annexes the west bank of the Tiber. Who cares!)
- 3 a.m. last night
Hopefully by next year I will have mastered traveling to that holy grail of temporal do-over opportunities, The High School Years.
I find this headline to be mildly amusing, but can't really think of anything funny to add. Maybe "Wheat to Urge Separation of Desirable, Non-Desirable Elements."
Completing the rambling trifecta, an article in the Post made me once again weep for the significantly low standards we Americans have. I've ranted previously about what's funny and what's not (okay, I think it was on the last blog, but most of you saw it) and damn it, most of the President's stuff isn't even that funny. He gets 95% of the laughs from the fact that he's President. I'm pretty sure that secretly (or not so secretly), his reason for seeking election to the highest office in the land was to dramatically improve the play of his extremely lame jokes. Mr. President, we get it; you're a "plainspoken, average joe" (read: uneducated and dim). Please stop hammering it into our heads by emphasizing your childlike fascination of foreign languages and your comical mispronunciations.
- The Early 80's ("Morning in America")
- Y2K (Again? It was lame the first time)
- 848 A.D. (Rome annexes the west bank of the Tiber. Who cares!)
- 3 a.m. last night
Hopefully by next year I will have mastered traveling to that holy grail of temporal do-over opportunities, The High School Years.
I find this headline to be mildly amusing, but can't really think of anything funny to add. Maybe "Wheat to Urge Separation of Desirable, Non-Desirable Elements."
Completing the rambling trifecta, an article in the Post made me once again weep for the significantly low standards we Americans have. I've ranted previously about what's funny and what's not (okay, I think it was on the last blog, but most of you saw it) and damn it, most of the President's stuff isn't even that funny. He gets 95% of the laughs from the fact that he's President. I'm pretty sure that secretly (or not so secretly), his reason for seeking election to the highest office in the land was to dramatically improve the play of his extremely lame jokes. Mr. President, we get it; you're a "plainspoken, average joe" (read: uneducated and dim). Please stop hammering it into our heads by emphasizing your childlike fascination of foreign languages and your comical mispronunciations.
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