Just Another Herd Creature

Work is stressful.  The city's budget goes to council tomorrow and if they pass it, IT will lose 9 people - not positions - actual people.  There are about 100 plus positions cut city-wide, but many of them are vacant, only about 40 are filled.  And we have 9 of them.  Two reasons for this, IT had very few vacant positions and there are several safe departments, topping the list with Police and Fire.  Another is Community and Economic Development.  Also hard hit (as usual) is Parks and Rec and the Library.  They will lose the Bookmobile!  I have such fond memories of the Bookmobile growing up in the midwest.  Each week, I couldn't wait to wander the big bus full of books. 

Work stress started my day, but it gets better.  About 4 pm stonebender  came me the "wonderful" news that his attendant, S, was in the hospital again.  This time they think it's a blockage in her liver.  She went to a different (and I think a much, much better) hospital this time, so I hope she can get the help she needs.  I think the week she spent in the hospital last month in pain might have been the same thing; they might have misdiagnosed her.  Anyway, besides worrying about her too, it means a very early morning for me and stonebender  because I will have to get him up and ready for the day before I leave for work at 7:45 am. 

This is one of those days where I really want a do-over.  Of course, a do-over won't help if I don't have the super power to change things, so never mind.  I'd better get to bed, 5:30 am is only 5 hours away.  Crap, Crap, Crap.

P.S. Once the crap stops, I actually have other stuff to write about - really I do.

Headlines are full of the pending doom of the US and possibly the world economy.  McCain wants to suspend the campaigning so he and Obama can rush back to DC to forge an agreement across the isle.  This includes canceling the debate on Friday.  I'm asking, "what's the rush?"  Will the world really end as we know it if there isn't a plan in place by COB on Friday?  And we do have a sitting President (hard to type that without laughing) and Congress working on this issue.  I know many of the politicos are trying to get out of town to go campaign next week, but if this is such an emergency, they need to stay in DC and work on it.  Having two more Senators (2%) of the governing body, on site, will not make a big difference.  Having the debate on Friday, a debate that might tip the scales one way or another for determining the next Prez; this is important, this is critical.  Which way will the country go in the future - more regulations or less, more privatizing profits and socializing losses in these bailouts, more investment in oil or more investment in alternative, renewal, cleaner fuels. These are the issues I want to know about, these are the issues I want to hear the candidates talk about.  Sending up this smoke screen by the McCain camp makes me sick.

And just so you don't think that's the only thing hiding among the strum and drum of the crisis, see the link below about new reports on Cheney's role in starting the war.  I'm disgusted with this level of evilness.
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20080919.html

One hundred and fifty eight years ago today, California became the 31 state in the union.  It was a hotly debated issue because it was tied up with several other issues regarding all the land recently ceded to the US from Mexico.  There were border disputes and the question of slavery - would it be legal or illegal in these areas, as well as the status of slave markets in Washington DC and pending fugitive slave laws.  These issues divided by North and South, not along party lines (Whigs and Democrats.)  Further pressure was applied because of the California gold rush in 1848.  The population and wealth grew so quickly, without a stable government, California was a lawless land.  US military leaders told President Taylor California should be made a state as soon as possible, without the usual intermediate status of territory.  Taylor agreed, but it was all held up in Congress with the other issues.  The South pushing one direction, the North the other.  A compromise was crafted, but Taylor opposed it.  On July 9, 1850, President Taylor died of typhoid fever.  Elevated to president, Milliard Filmore supported the compromise and California became a free state a few months later.  Wow, politics moved much faster than today. 

So that is why I am off today.  I don't think it's a state holiday.  Until I started working for the city, I was only vaguely aware of statehood admission days.  The Union negotiates paid holidays, so in addition to the usual suspects, they added Admissions Day.  It's the only paid holiday besides turkey day, xmas and new years, that is not moved to a Monday for the 3-day holiday option.  It's kind of weird having a Tuesday off.  Next year (if it's not a leap year), Admissions Day will be on Wednesday, a non-hump day week.  Something to look forward to? 

me: I know your favorite foods are hamburger, pizza and steak.  If you had to give up one of these for the rest of your life, which would you pick?

stonebender : Can I have meatloaf?

me: I'm guessing you'd like it served on a bun with a slice of cheese.  A classic Kobayashi Maru maneuver.

stonebender: Yeah, is that a problem?

[Error: unknown template qotd] I would want "Angel" because I want to know if anyone survive; how would Josh write them out of a big battle corner.

We just submitted our 15% cut and now they want us to cut another 10%. I don't know how many more people that means, but it won't be pretty. Crap, Crap, Crap.