A Ramble Here...A Ramble There...

As I pull myself out of this snot-induced mental haze, here are some of the rambling thoughts seen and heard running through my brain...

Measure 50. Here in Oregon, we have on the ballot a measure that will increase the tax on cigarettes something like $.65. Not sure of the exact amount at this moment--just know it's slightly under a dollar. The dollars are to go towards paying for children's health insurance for approximately 100,000 uninsured little ones. In theory, of course, I am all for this idea. However, it's bad policy if you ask me. Number one, the revenue is not sustainable. How can the government hope to use this money to insure children and also use some of the revenue to reduce the number of smokers? Doesn't this mean a decline in tobacco revenue? I have yet to see this question answered. Number two, it's a regressive tax. The average smoker is middle to lower income. No need to go into further detail about how ridiculously unfair this is. Number three, it's simply unfair to tax a small percentage of the population to pay for universal health care. This needs to be something we as a whole help to ensure with a progressive tax, regulating the hell out of the insurance industry and/or making big business pair their fair share of taxes. I'm voting No.

Bush and Co's recent sanctions against Tehran. Insane. Inept. Psychotic. And yet, exactly what I've come to expect.

My employer. Sigh. Or shall I say my co-workers. I'm on temporary lay-off status, which is one part relief and one part discomfort. The discomfort is obvious. The relief, well, this means a reprieve from having to rely on any sort of normal communication with these folks. Talk about a frustrating experience. Things change there (for example: policies, location, department name, staff) and I am not informed until well after-the-fact. I've spoken up about this numerous times to no avail. E-mails go unanswered. Phone calls, not returned. I have grown tired of the crap. I asked the head of the department some tough questions a few days ago. For example, I wanted to know why if there was indeed no additional work, why does the staff website show there is abundant material available. The answer? The student worker has not updated the website due to being away for a summer internship. Sounds good in theory except for the fact that much of it has yet to be updated since March of this year. And student has been back for almost 2 months. What has the student been doing? Certainly not responding to my e-mails when I ask questions about work (and this is the person in which I am to be communicating). I also was able to check on the amount of work being done by some of the other workers (who are mostly students) and compared them to my own work. Turns out, overall, I am doing about twice the amount of work in the same amount of time. Upsetting to say the least, especially since I was told what was expected for this particular kind of work and I've been meeting and exceeding their expectations. Apparently if you're a student worker, you get cut some major slack?? While I have absolutely zero desire to look for work again in this town (considering I've applied to just about every employer who, when hiring, advertises), I have about the same amount of desire to continue working for this employer. It's time for a change.

There's supposed to be something going on today called a football game. All I know is that thousands of loud, obnoxious, inconsiderate, drunken fools permeate this fine little city on days like today. I think we should charge them a fee.

Speaking of fees, I have an idea that Mr. Nina thinks is great in theory but may get me in trouble. Whatever. Like I've always been one to follow the trail as already laid out? Hell no. I'm a trail blazer at heart. This goes along with my ever-growing desire to give the finger to the federal and perhaps even the state governments and focus on creating a local community that meets the needs of the people--where the most vulnerable are taken care of first and foremost. Yes, that means housing the homeless and feeding the hungry take precedence over lining the streets with flower baskets and putting sculptures all over downtown. Any sort of government is strictly run and monitored by the citizens. Nothing and I mean NOTHING is created or passed without voter approval. That being said, if I were on such a governmental committee, I would impose the idea that any business wishing to do business here in the city or county would be required to follow the values as laid out by the people. For starters, every employee would be paid a living wage (as defined by the cost of living in our city). I would also look into the antics of one Mr. Kip Schoning and if he is found guilty of, in short, being a slumlord, he would be given the option of cleaning up his ways or leaving town. I have had so many hits on this website by viewers who have googled "kip schoning". As the local housing authority gentleman told me during a phone call a few months ago, in discussing Mr. S, "the stories I could tell you..." and he left it at that. There's a reason Mr. S. is allowed to do business in this town and it's about money. And that, in fact, drives the system, even down to our little community, where corruption still resides. But it doesn't have to be that way. Change the world by changing your community. That's my motto of the day.

Tissue sure does come in handy, even if it does mean trees are destroyed. I cannot imagine having to rely on cloth rags to do the job when faced with the revenge of the snot kingdom. Sometimes, when sick and nasally incapacitated, it's easiest to use something disposable and toss it away before the germs have the chance to multiply in the laundry basket into something even more disgusting.

Achoo to you and yours...