Is This Union Reasoning, Or What?

The place where I do 99.9% of my work is a gated, resort community. It even says, Blablaba Resort and Spa.

There are rooms and villas for rent, privately owned residences, tennis courts all over the place, and I don't know what else. I've never cruised the whole complex. The worker situation in the place is a soap opera, as I'm sure it also is with the lords and ladies of the various manors contained therein.

A snarky bunch, with a few exceptions.

Well, it turns out the people who used to own the place sold all except for a few residences they own there. Their son, and maybe they, too, owns the construction company which built most of the places in the resort. they do the lion's share of remodel work and rebuild work. A lot of stuff is the result of not the best planning and construction work to begin with, but they get paid and swear it is not their fault, ever.

Be that as it may, I get along OK with one of their project managers--think that is what he is.

He was telling me that his subs are pissed because they think I am "taking their work". I'm taking jobs away from them. Geez, I hardly have any work. I know I have been recommended several times by the British oil man and his porno book writing girlfriend, yet no one called.

Reading between the lines of what construction dude said, I figured out one of his subs caught on that there is a teak market and they have told people they have better methods and stuff to treat it with. That may or may not be true. I suspect not. But it would explain why I have received no calls when Brit and his house manager were positive the people who'd asked who did his table would call. Seems more than just a couple of their friends liked my work enough to ask who did it.

Since the matriarch of the resort (and of the construction family) still lives there and is in everyone's business, work may get steered away from me and toward the regular gang.

I don't know. I'm shocked anyone would worry over such small potatoes, except now I know one of his subs got a teak job from someone in the area. Very likely one of the people who was supposed to call me.

Complaining about someone taking your work when they never heard of you and were requested to do the work by a customer, well that is just whiny, wimpy and stupid. That ain't American thinking. Is that union thinking? I'm entitled to this little fiefdom. Wah

Unbelievable. It makes me want to find ways to get more work out there that I may not even want. Of course I can't solicit or post flyers or anything, but there are ways, I'm sure.

I'm impressed with some of the CA customer service people--mostly in Poway. But the trades under companies of any size are almost as sorry as memphis workers. Not quite, but close. memphis has the worst work force I've ever seen. First I thought it was only where I worked but soon found it a matter of city pride in memphis to be the worst.

Anyway. They have more to do than I do, and I am not in a position to obtain whatever licenses and bonding for whatever it is I want to title myself. I suspect one can slide in under the label of artist for a lot of projects, like those crazy santeria garage doors.

Taking my work. I have to admit, those guys have given me work. I have to go in and paint or fix up what they destroy while doing whatever other project it is. Fine with me. I could just follow them around and have work fixing pavers and tile they break, gates they break, paint they screw up, etc.

To Prove How Boring I Am

What kind of terrible, boring person doesn't like Halloween or New Year's Eve? My kind.

I think it is because both nights are what anyone whose ever been an experienced drinker would call amateur night. People get ripped and set out to do the stupidest most selfish things they can imagine. Hey, I'll get drunk, fight with the wife, then put the move on the boss's daughter!! Yippee.

In the world of yoots, Halloween is often a vandalism festival. Even in my youth the tricks crossed the line into random acts of vandalism. Maybe I feel guilty. To my credit, though, I recall the last time I went off with the neighborhood kids way back when, I parted ways when one of them sliced up the screen on an orchid house for no reason. One slice, actually. I did get him to stop at that, then used aq big word which brought ridicule from my pals. I told them they could be idiots without, adios.

Soon enough, I went on to be an idiot without them, so there you have that.

Maybe I just haven't been in the right circumstance to enjoy Halloween. And maybe I just find it peculiar and think most of the time it sucks. I played along when little K was in my care. We went around the houses and everyone always said, "oh, how cute, she's beautiful" OK. Swell. If I had my way, kids that age wouldn't have time for Halloween. They'd be putting in their 10 hours per day, after school, at the local factory!

So, I won't be dressing up but I think I got roped into a Halloween birthday party. I'll be attending because it is one of those you can't decline. I'm going to go as a hypocrite this year. (since Bobby offspring already came up with very clever gold digger idea--brilliant). I'll also be the designated driver, I hope. I will for myself, anyway.

Getting Out The Vote; because I care

At long last, I've seen the light. I am finally accepting my civic duty to give back to the community. After all, I've been ripping them off for years, charging for my labor, exhaling harmful CO2, not to mention occasional methane emissions. For so long I did not get the whole "give back" thing. But then I realized how much all the give back talkers must have taken from the community. Honor among thieves and polluters, I guess.

So, to do my part I am canvasing cemeteries for unregistered voters. I hope to have them all registered in time to vote. It is too late for absentee ballot, but I think I can work something out.

I know it must be a good thing, but someone needs to explain to me again why it is so important to badger disinterested people into voting. They even pretend they don't care who you vote for, just want you to vote. If you aren't voting how I would like, I think you should stay home and do something else. If you have to be badgered and have no clue what is going on, I see no point in you weighing in on these matters. But, I know that is probably because I haven't yet given enough back to the community. Maybe soon I will understand.

To me it is like when the priest tells some couple to be fruitful and multiply. If he doesn't know them, he could be wishing some bad stuff on the world, and never know it. I think you should be cautious when encouraging people to vote or multiply. Maybe if I became Catholic, then went to priest college I would know better.

Until I am fully enlightened and evolved, I will ask that you don't vote unless you are going to vote like me, or unless you live in a cemetery, mausoleum, or other dead end neighborhood. In that case, just give me your tacit approval, and I'll do your voting for you.

just Because, and for other purposes

Until recently, I never actually read any famous bills being advertised by one party or another. One exception was when NAFTA came around, I sampled and skimmed. That totally reversed my stance on that item. Had absolutely nothing to do with free trade. When they mention all these companies by name and make arrangements specific to them, that is not a trade agreement based on some set of rules, it is market manipulation to benefit specific interests at tax payer expense.

So, over the past few years, since the sales jobs have become so aggressive, pro and con, I have taken the time on a few "pieces or legislation" (I'm sure, by new definitions, the fact that I hate that phrase means I am mentally ill) to investigate and read what is written to some extent. True content varies a great deal from all the information offered which tells you what it will do but not what it says.

The most striking thing about almost every bill brought before Congress is that last phrase in the title summary, "and for other purposes".

A Bill to Ensure Everlasting Life, and for other purposes.
That allows them to tack anything they want on it. So the bill for everlasting life might also include a clause which outlaws grandfathers. Then when someone votes against it his opponent in the next election will run ads saying, "John 0 voted against everlasting life. He wants you all to die real soon. Can we afford to re-elect a monster like that? It's time for a change, vote for Wilford, he wants you to live."

There should be no way that phrase is allowed on a bill, and anything off the subject should not be legal. I wonder why it has been allowed. I guess because people have better things to do than hold their masters accountable. Especially when they are so easily bought off with little crumbs here and there. And easily swayed according to what seems cool and makes it easy to look smart with the equally ignorant peer group, without actually having to think it through or read anything. Especially not anything beyond what someone else tells you a thing will do.

"Sure, it will be fine, and you'll never have to worry again." Hell, if people aren't going to investigate for themselves you run little risk of being caught in a lie. And for good measure make things thousands of pages long, refer to other obscure laws, and make the language as obtuse as possible. It seems wrong that one would have to spend much time trying to decipher what we're being fed. Way too complicated and boring. That's why I like the idea of severely limited power. That way they have a narrower scope for presenting complicated lies and regulations.

Believe me, I do not read too many bills. The majority of them fall outside of what I think is the role of any government of free people, so right off the bat I'm not for it, even if it seems to some like a good idea. Brushing teeth is a good idea but I'd hate to see laws made in that regard. So, what's the point of dealing with all the little fine points and studies and all that? Those things are beside the point.

They say if you believe in limiting these people, and you find such things annoying, you are probably antisocial and have some sort of oppositional disorder. Maybe they are right. Then again, maybe they have a selfish incentive to label non conformists as somehow dangerous or ill.

No way I'm voting for the guy who opposed eternal life.

They're Related to Bears

The sceintific name for this animal family is obnoxiousus pushius bastardium. Just like bears, raccoons have absolutely no respect for boundaries.

I've been hearing noises outside. Clumsy rummaging sounds. Then I discover, this morning, that my garbage can had been overturned and gone through. At first, I suspected government agents.

Yikes. Having trouble with browsers and the whole story got zapped. Switched from safari to firefox. Maybe it will work better. Been having connection trouble too so who knows.

I'll recreate it: All I saw was the tail. It seems a large raccoon tipped over my trash can. I found it that way this morning and heard it tonight. I ran out in time to just glimpse the tail as it escaped. Pushy bastard.

I sprayed upholstery cleaner all in and around the can, dumped liquid dishsoap in, on, and around the can as well and tried to get the lid snapped as tight as it goes. It is old and doesn't snap all that tight.

Hopefully it can be deterred or otherwise made to cease the raids. I'd say execute the thing but I fear that could bring trouble in this state. That guy who posted 'possum abuse on youtube did time I think. PETA saw to it. Raccoons and 'possums are people too, after all.

I'm usually nice to animals, and like many of them. But I have no use for demanding disrespectful creatures. You don't see me going through their stuff, making a mess of things. Maybe some nasty bug spray in there will help.

It's the juicer refuse and all the year old leftovers I finally threw out. It ignored the vegetable pulp and stole the old pie and things that could no longer be identified. Most was in those little grocery bags which were tied off. Not good enough.

It would be really cool to have some electronic thing that waited until the critter had its nose in the can, then an image suddenly lit up and screamed, like those creepy email videos that show a scene and tell you to watch closely, then while you are concentrating this crazy face jumps out and scares you. I doubt the raccoon is online or I'd get its email and send one of those.

Keith

I saw a short interview with Keith Richards. What a shock to discover that he may be this week's most admired person, in my book.

Keith has no regrets. And I could understand what he was saying. This is the first time I ever heard him speak when I could catch any familiar words or language.

The idea of no regrets made me jealous. But it also made me think. From the very start he has done what he does best. And he was smart enough to see Jagger's potential immediately. They showed an excerpt of a letter he sent to an aunt. Shockingly good penmanship. He said Jagger would be the best R&B singer on that side of the ocean or words to that effect. And he was emphatic--no question about it, he stressed.

I have regrets.
And things I was right about, I allowed myself to doubt because of what others thought, conventional wisdom or simply not trusting my own reason and instinct. Maybe, drug addict that he was, he has been more true to himself than one might think. A beautiful place in Connecticut with a good looking wife, kids. More to show for it than most.

If he'd never been famous I bet he'd not be a lot different except he may have been more moderate with the drugs. I think you are either the type who never intends to regret things so you don't, or else you are convinced They know something you don't and continually live to regret it.

I've rarely regretted making effort toward something. I don't know. I've regretted quitting some things and not quitting others. Just a state of mind.

3 more pages

That last post, reminiscing about homeless people I have known, and befriended, helped me further my story a bit. It is only laziness that I don't do even more tonight.

I will though. One big motive is that I can't wait to get to the point where I do the final edits and rearranging. Then I'll be open to someone else's suggestions, but not until I have done that.
I'll be open to whether people find it engaging or not, as I go, and I've let a couple of friends sample some and think it may be engaging enough.....
..... for someone who has a long plane ride, no dope or booze, no tv or ipod, and nothing else to read,
and can't fall asleep on airplanes, and is stuck with no one to talk to, except a psychotic tax collector and a jihadist. That's good enough for me.

Life in the Ozone Lane

All day I have been thinking of changes to make in the story. I catch myself wanting to go hunt the characters down so they can just give me the straight info. This was while doing other things. On and off the items come to mind.

I caught some NPR radio which struck me as rather peculiar. One guest after the other must have been a sales person for enlarging the size and scope of government agencies and the areas of life and civilization they oversee.

I credit myself with coining the phrase,(which never caught on) "Newspeople are the government's salesmen", back in the late 70's. If I may say so, I believe I've been proven right. They did the same in the 60's and maybe forever, but people did not notice it as much. Just like they did not see how encroachments they thought were good ideas eventually could result in the tangled mess of today.

What strikes me is that a civilization should evolve to be safer and more secure in their wealth and personal freedom. In our case we have some serious crime issues, large neighborhoods the size of small cities where everyone knows it is Enter at Your Own Risk. And the wealth situation is quite screwed up. I'm not one who thinks the term "distribution of wealth" even makes sense in the free world, but I understand the concept.
============
How simple fees and BS hurt the homeless

Here's an example of a situation, one which I've witnessed. Let's say a guy is homeless. For whatever reason, he had drinking issues and hit the skids hard. He lives in abandoned cars, meter rooms, the park, wherever. He hits the dumpster behind the grocery store at night because they have a salad bar and have to trash the leftovers every day.

Then he happens upon a free place where people try to recover from alcoholism. He hits AA regularly, still living in the weeds, but people sometimes let him come over and catch a shower. He finds day labor with small time independent carpenters and contractors. A nearby shop makes a deal with him so that he can sleep there and deter thieves. He's really set on living again, not being drunk, and working hard. Everyone likes his work so he gets more.

Soon he has little projects on his own, or could have. He has a few basic tools now, but no car. he has a couple hundred bucks and someone is willing to part with an old but reliable ride for $100.00. If only he could afford to buy a plate and insurance he could go do that $1000.00 job. The state decides his car is worth $2200.00, so in order to get a plate he has to pay 176.00 plus the first time plate fee. No bucks now for insurance. He can't get the registration and all that going. Plus his driver's license expired and that costs money.

Being lucky, and in a place close to lots of sympathetic people, he still gets work. Doesn't usually pay much but it pays. After some time he gets the car worked out and slowly makes it up to having a roof over his head, and even has girlfriend drama. He's a real citizen.

If not for the fortuitous circumstances of being able to sleep in that shop, and the AA room next door where these independent rag tag employers get morning coffee, it would be ten times harder to overcome fees and taxes on even a gift car. That he actually made it, even with the luck he had, is really amazing, and a tribute to his inner strength of character.

When he was staying in the shop next door, he spent his nights reading all kinds of books. It was remarkable. I can tell you also, he was not the kind of person you would want to anger. Just had that thing about him, nice guy, but not one to take unnecessary abuse. Hell of a good carpenter as it turned out.

He seemed to enjoy my old car. Bill. I wonder how he's doing.

Think how many are just on the edge but the officialdom, fees and taxes of government serve to help keep them down. It may seem trivial, but in that situation self esteem is not at an all time high, and it is a struggle not to give up once you are back on the road, trying to become independent and useful. The myriad of official crap and its expense serves as an untimely smack down.

I don't know all the answers. Soup kitchens and all that are good, and I know they have agencies that do all this job stuff. Not everyone wants to deal with an agency, and should not have to if willing to work. The fact that it is becoming more difficult for such a person to climb off the streets without it is a sad state of affairs. Much of it from laws and taxes which claim to protect and serve us. I am not inclined to think they do.

I've seen people try to deal with the city or county only to be snafu'd by catch 22s. My feeling is that these matters are better handled other ways. But like I said, I do not have the entire model formulated. Loosen the stranglehold of officialdom and maybe realistic paths will become evident. And there are those who just aren't psychologically sound.

Bill was a rare individual. Very rare. I knew a few others back then who finally got off the street, but none were as clear a case of going from total zilch to reasonable survival as Bill. The others generally got straightened out enough to catch the eye of some girl with a rescue complex which led to a roof and food.

A female in such circumstances is a real nightmare. They often get taken in by organizations, shelters, good Samaritans. If they are lucky.

Anyway, I think something is missing in the whole scheme of things. Also, don't be fooled that there aren't a lot of seriously dangerous people on the street. there are. Some get popped in the psych ward or jail for a few days and right back on the street.

The way things are, their less than wealthy relatives can't afford to keep them, and general expense like what I described in Bill's case makes it harder for them to do what they need to do.

I blame too much government for most of this because that is what causes higher costs of necessities and stupid costs related to just trying to get mobile. Most people think that is nuts. I don't. Excessive governmental power is the root of most evil, including that often cited in the case of corporations and multi-nationals. Without the government connection and acquiescence they would find abeerent behavior more difficult for sure.

It seems that the more we have tried to put every problem and facet of life under regulation and taxation and control, the more trouble we have. It's the old diminishing returns thing. Something may be quite useful up to a point, then more of it actually becomes incrementally destructive.

It's your fault if I quit

I put my story into a regular word processing program. I'd been using text/edit, Mac's version of notepad. Their word is called pages. I have 23 pages so far.

The thing is, I started skimming from the beginning and Holy Smoke!! This thing is B O R I N G. I edited some as I went through, mostly fixing ugly sentences and nonsense. I can see I have to pull certain parts and place them elsewhere.

So far I am not going to give up because if I lived the life in the story for a few weeks, I'd be exhausted but not bored. There are not any continuity errors or things of that nature. Just a ton of sharpening things up and putting it all into a better flow.

Your job is to absolutely not let me give up. If you do, then you are a crumby friend and can never read my story or borrow my espresso maker, and I'll be living a life of noisy desperation instead of quiet.

Ridicule Politics, Half Truth and LOL

One of the most annoying inventions when applied in certain contexts is that of the LOL tag. I was reading a comment on some news site and the guy said,"He wants to go back to how things were set up in 1830. LOL". The first part is paraphrase, the LOL is verbatim.

I was thinking that other than universal suffrage and the abolition of slavery, I'm not all that keen on most of the structural changes since 1830 myself. Should I now add LOL?

It has become the internet way of winning a point, even if the point is not clear or stated. Just say LOL in disputing an argument or describing someone who did bother to state a point, and you win, they are discredited. Throw in half truths, out of context phrases, and the argument becomes absurd while some celebrate their fake win.

No one actually laughs while seeking the truth or hoping to sway others by respectful and honest means. This is the year of ridicule and outlandish half truths in politics. I see it on both sides, and I hate to say that because I am more opposed to one side than the other--however my "side" is not truly represented.

One thing I know, calling the other an idiot or moron is not only inaccurate, but it does nothing to make a valid point. That is another thing this past couple of years has introduced: unsubstantiated claims of low and high IQ. As if IQ has a thing to do with right, wrong, honest, dishonest or respect. I bet Ted Bundy's IQ was way up there, should we have elected him to office instead of fried him? Total bunk.

I know it is very difficult to place principle before personality when it is most prudent to do so. In electing those who control those with the big guns, it is essential if people value their own rights and safety. It can be extremely difficult to concede a point made by someone you see as typical conservative or typical liberal---depending upon your prejudice. Sometimes this happens if the person is not the proper ethnicity for the point at hand--in the viewpoint of the listener.

The fact that one might see a point here and there from either of these artificially labelled camps does not make him a moderate, or middle of the road. That I judge true in looking at my own conclusions. I would not have to wander far to find a self proclaimed conservative and a self proclaimed liberal who would adamantly label me "radical!"

In listening to some things though, I realize that the tendency for some to attach personal hate to strangers because they are either misguided, misinformed, better informed or for some other reason hold different views, seems to be encouraged in some circles.

The thing I see as the basic philosophical question in politics gets diluted with discussions of abortion, exceptionalism--which I'm not sure I understand, and other wacko subjects like marriage. I see all issues flowing from the question of how much power should any government have--state or federal. That covers most things; like do they have a right to take your money to fund my study of teak wood finishes and aphrodesiacs, or not?

This is why I often disagree with the liberal and the conservative among us. Both camps tend to be willing to allow control in ways I'd nix, given the chance. If we would be exceptionally free, then that context of exceptionalism (i think I may be spelling it wrong) I am all for. Bringing stability to people and cultures far away, I don't think so. That's exceptionally suicidal.

Some think that as long as smart people who really care are in charge then the limits ought only involve confining their power to whatever are deemed "good ideas" or for the public good. I see inherent danger in that approach, and the ones who disagree and actually think things through see danger in my approach. No reason for a bunch of LOL, you idiot, MORON! Heretic, etc.

Good satire actually makes a point. LOL and out of the blue name calling are not the stuff of good satire, lampoon or anything else of much use.

LOL in other contexts is another animal. It lets people know you are being light hearted, in case they might not realize it from whatever you wrote. and other purpose (as they say when making laws)