VAAAACAAAATION!!!!!

thank god tomorrow evening marks the start of a much needed and oh so deserved vacation. ever have one of those days when you realize, before even leaving your house, "i should just stay in bed today!" yep--been one of those days for both myself and my sweet.

what was supposed to be my payday, yesterday, left me empty-handed. bank hadn't received any deposit (i'm on a direct deposit system). i called my employer's payroll office. what followed was a bureaucratic red tape nightmare. at first i was told the problem was with my bank. uh, nope. bank shows nothing coming in from your end, which was to have been done yesterday. i was finally able to get the person to do a little bit of digging, whereupon i was told my contract renewal paperwork was turned in late, thus my paycheck had not been processed, therefore no direct deposit. wait a minute, i said, i turned in my paperwork on time. gave it to my supervisor. oh, it was finally received--just late, i was told. so what about my check?? i asked. well that i cannot tell you, i was told. call e. she will be the one who will write you your check. and where can i reach her? i asked. call your department, i was told.

ok, so i call my department and i'm told "oh, e. works for another department." ok fine, i said. may i have her number? so i call e. heard a piercing ringing in my ear and realized 'ah, fax number.' so i call back my dept. and say hello dear, it's me again. you gave me a fax number.

so i was given a different number and finally got through to e, who told me she wasn't the one i wanted to speak with. i would have to speak with l.

by this time, i was ready to spit nails. instead, i asked, "how do you people get anything done around there?? none of you seem to know what the other one does. all i want is my paycheck, which i was supposed to receive yesterday. what i want to know is what can you do to make sure i have it by 5pm today?" to make a long story short, i am picking up my paycheck tomorrow morning. it's the soonest i can pick it up and it's the only way i can get it into my hands.

spouse had a similar day, although he's still having to swim through the muck where upon i was able to finish up by early afternoon.

vacation...............vacation.................vacation..............'tis my mantra for today....

other misc. interesting items.........book i'm reading.........here are some quotes:

"...in the united states, income and wealth inequality is greater than in any other industrialized country in the world." hear that all of you 'america is the land of opportunity for all' drum beaters??? income and wealth inequality is GREATER than in any other industrialized country. these stats come from a variety of sources, between the years 1999-2002.

"the richest 200 people in the world have wealth equivalant to 41% of the world's population." (united nations development program, 1999) forty-one percent. unfuckingreal.

"household net worth has declined dramatically since 1983."

"tax rates for the wealthiest americans also continue to decline as their wealth increases." (this little quote comes from the congressional budget office, 2001)

"great social costs arise from these inequities, including threats to economic development, democracy, quality of life, the exclusion of people from full participation in society, and the social well-being of the nation." (kawachi and kennedy, 2002)

"inequality limits people's freedom to develop their capacities and capabilities to the fullest." (sen, 1992)

AMEN! america does not provide equal opportunity for all. it never has and under the current system, never will. anyone who claims otherwise is a blind fool--or rich. capitalism creates wealth and profit for the few while dismantling the lives of the rest. a new system is needed NOW. N O W