Featured Quote

In 1913, Henry Ford wrote the following as the directors had been reaping the rewards of profits - "The wages we pay are too small in comparison with our profits. I think we should raise our minimum pay rate".

Friday, June 28, 2013

Work History - long, varied and just weird

I was getting a drink at the little store on the bottom floor of my office and the lady behind the counter mentioned that she was off Friday, but today was inventory, so it balanced out.  I mentioned that I used to take inventory professionally.  That got me wondering what all HAVE I done?  Well, here it is :

First real job - besides having a watermelon stand - was working as a helper/stocker at a video rental place.  I think I was 'let go' from that job for refusing to sweep an aisle with a customer in it.  My granny always taught me to do unto others as you would have them do unto you - and I wouldn't want someone sweeping me out of the aisle when I was trying to decide on a movie to rent.

I've also :

Worked as a cashier/janitor at a gas station - midnight to early am shift.

Construction Gofer

Inventory taker - going around with those hip-calculators taking inventory at gas stations, grocery stores and retail outlets.

Telemarketer - offering tickets to a country music concert for donations to a fire department.

Setup worker - installing shelves, aisles and such for a retail store - K-Mart if I recall.

Coliseum worker - setting up chairs and tables, event cleanup, furniture and inventory moving on a college campus.

Warehouse worker - going from unloading freight to putting unloaded freight on pallets to taking pallets to stock, using a man-up forklift, to pulling freight for loading onto the trucks.

Security Guard - I don't want to talk about it.

Semi Tractor-Trailer driver, over-the-Road 48 states and Canada.

Wal-Mart stockman / garden center cashier

Furniture Upholstry line worker - furniture would roll by, I'd put my two tacking strips on and send it on past.  Got scars from that.

Telephone System (PBX) and Security Alarm installer - running wire, drilling holes, punching down wires, programming.  Three differnt companies at different times.  Set up Voice-Over-IP, set up a call center, Homes, Businesses.

Telephone System salesman

Pre-Planned Funeral salesman (basically Insurance salesman, had to get licensed)

Appliance salesman at Rex.

I went to classes to sell Rainbow Vaccuums and work at Radio Shack, but didn't follow through with either.

Home Builder General Assistant - I'd do whatever needed to be done, from leveling the lot, laying sod, meeting inspectors, power-washing existing homes, taking photos, doing a website, doing the accounting, mowing yards, taking a punch list, delivering papers, etc.

Corporate Computer Help Desk - taking computer related calls and fixing issues.

I've done a lot of stuff.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Obama's Free Cell Phones

Here is one annoying thing about Conservatives - their simple minded parroting of Fox News talking points like "Obama is giving out free cell phones!"

I'm not sure how the parrot phrase got started, but some people do get free cell phones from the government, some discounted or partially paid for.  The program is called LifeLine and it was started in 1985 - during the Reagan administration when the Republicans controlled the Senate, Democrats the House.  Of course, back then it was free or discounted land lines.

"Lifeline for the past 25 years has helped tens of millions of low-income Americans afford basic phone service.  Access to telephone service is essential for finding a job, connecting with family, or getting help in an emergency, and the percentage of low-income households with phone service has increased from 80% in 1985, when Lifeline began, to nearly 92% last year."
 "The Lifeline program is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC)."
"On January 31, 2012, the Commission adopted comprehensive reform and modernization of the Lifeline program."
GOPhers seem to think Obama is micromanaging every minute detail about government and government programs and that the congress they have mired in do-nothing gridlock has no control whatsoever over anything.  I don't recall anyone talking about "Reagan's handing out phone service!" back in 1985.

Trying to figure out their mental processes that come up with "Obama is giving out free cell phones," the only thing I can come up with is extreme hatred of anyone with less advantages or opportunity than themselves, whether that be by race, income or ability.

It is like they want to make sure that nobody else has any chance to get ahead - particularly ahead of them.  And then they wonder why the economy sucks.  ( Hint : They are taking money away from people and siphoning it up to the top 2% and 2% having all the money can't maintain a functioning economy. )

Then you have the ridiculous jokes about, "I forgot my password - I should call up the NSA and get them to tell me what it is."  Again, blaming it on Obama when they cheered the passing of the law that set all of it up - the Patriot Act, written by Republicans, passed by Republicans, signed by a Republican - but NOW it is a bad thing.  Right.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Politics - my view on the Two Party system and Voting

Republicans cry freedom and liberty, but they want to pass laws that tell you what you can, must and can't do with your body and your life.
"You can't marry that person because they are different"
"You can't marry that person because they are the same"
"You can't smoke that plant, you should be smoking tobacco"
"You can't use that to make clothing, you should be using cotton"
"You can't use that to make paper, you should be using wood"
"You can't practice that religion, you have to be Christian"
"You can't perform or get that voluntary medical procedure, we don't approve of it."
"You can do that - even in the privacy of your own home, our religion says it is wrong."

Democrats want to pass laws that tell you what you can't do to other people.
"You can't deny their rights based on their race"
"You can't pay them less based on their gender"
"You can't force your religious preferences on them just because you hire them"
"You can't fire them just because you don't like their religion"
"You can't poison them just because you produced a toxic by-product to manufacture your goods"
"You can't ignore your employee's safety while they are working for you"

So, in my view, the Democrats are more about protecting freedom and liberty and the ability to pursue happiness.  Everywhere I look, Republicans are trying to hurt people, deny people rights and impose their 'choices' on everyone else.  Seriously, if you are all about freedom and liberty, why the are you hell bent on denying anyone else the ability to get married or serve in the military or anything else?  I don't believe anyone wanting to keep anyone from doing anything that doesn't hurt anyone else should be using the terms "Freedom" and "Liberty" as a rallying call.

Examples of the screwed up right-wing nuttery :
Ohio Republicans sneak through religious zealotry in Budget Bill.
The Texas abortion bill that won't die.
The Supreme Court says you can't plant seeds from plants you grow - you must buy seeds from giant corporations.  Also, if the plants produced by seeds from a company's seeds have their pollen carried by the wind into your fields, you owe the company money because your plants have their genetics now - even if you didn't want it and it hurts your business!

I'm sure you can dig up tons more crazy, hateful, anti-science crap they are doing.

So, tell me, please, what "Rights" are the Democrats actually trying to take away?  Its not the "Right to Bear Arms."  Making it harder for criminals or troubled people to acquire high-capacity, rapid fire guns isn't the same as taking away Bubba's Shotgun or 30.06 or CZ75b.

The Democrats are the lesser of two evils.  Are they perfect? No.  Not by far.  Both parties voted for Seat belt laws and other freedom-infringing, corporate dictated laws.

Should I be Libertarian?  Well, no... they want to dismantle government altogether, which is insane.
Green Party?  Well...  they are a bit extreme too.

There is no party that is based on the Real Constitution, no party based in Reality in so far as what works for the best in our economy while maintaining the most freedom.  There is no party that is for a Functioning Government that is limited in it's powers, but not powerless to protect citizens from special interests and abusive individuals or corporations.

So what do I do?  I try to prevent the nutcases from doing too much damage - which means vote democrat or independent for people who really get it.  For example, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

Until the two-party system is challenged and dismantled, I'll vote Democrat and Independent.