Dick Durbin loves him some forgiveness!
Here's some backstory on the whole situation. George Ryan worked decades for the state of Illinois, holding the post of secretary of state for a number of years and eventually getting elected governor in 1998.
Amidst swirling accusations surrounding a drivers license for bribes scandal, Ryan did not seek reelection. Eventually he was tried and convicted of 18 federal counts relating to corruption.
Ryan has only served one year of an already too-short 6.5 year sentence.
Ryan is a Republican.
Durbin is a Democrat.
That alliteration was unintentional, as is this assonance.
Durbin has publicly stated he's considering asking President Bush for clemency for Ryan. Why does Dick want George free? Is it because he wasn't really guilty? Is it because of George's good works? Nope. George is all sad he's in jail. He's depressed. And, being old, he doesn't have much life left, so he should be free, right? Right?
Right.
Conveniently, Durbin said this just a few short weeks after he was elected to yet another six-year term as senator.
It's heartwarming to see such love across the aisle in Illinois. It makes me truly believe in all Barack Obama's talk of change. See, even now, how a new era of cooperation has started, with politicians on one side testifying for those on the other. All in the name of feeding from the same public trough.
Can we get away with robbery? YES WE CAN!!! Can we fool the voters enough to continue taking more of their money at the risk of their very safety? YES WE CAN!!!
29 November 2008
25 November 2008
Subtlety isn't my strong point....
My manager had a discussion with me today about a dustup last week.
There was a work meeting at 7 a.m. last Wednesday, which is when I'm normally pulling a 23 skidoo. Mostly night shift folks attended, but there were a few day shift people there. One of those people is perhaps the most useless sack of skin I've ever had the misfortune of dealing with in my entire life.
Backstory!
Those who know me even remotely know I have little tolerance for incompetence, stupidity and laziness at work. I empathize with taking a while to get the hang of a job. It takes time. But there has to be some effort made by people to get it.
I used to work with this person in my old job, network montioring at AT&T. She only got that job because she complained to the union that her seniority demanded she get hired. Nevermind she had no idea what the job involved or that she had zero desire to learn it. That's right. Her 20 years with the company meant she deserved the job.
After we got collectively canned last year, she decided, several months after I did, that taking Cisco classes was the route for her to go.
There's $3,000 vouchers available to unemployed folks to assist with job retraining to get back into the workforce. That's how I was able to take the classes.
To get this voucher, you had to take a basic test. And by basic, I mean staggeringly easy. I mean, middle school math at the hardest, and perhaps some simple reading comprehension. You have to pass this test to get the voucher.
She failed. Twice.
Yet she was still given the voucher.
And she used it to take Cisco classes.
Because, you know, how hard can configuring a router be when you can't even do basic math?
So, as it turns out, she also applied for the same job I have currently. I interviewed well after she did, but was offered the position very shortly after I interviewed. When she discovered I was about to be hired, she wasn't pleased. More accurately, she kept pestering one of my colleagues via text message and cell phone call wanting to know why I had been hired when she hadn't yet received a response.
She's nuts.
She's the sort of person where you become dumber just by being in a 10-foot radius of her.
So, you can imagine my reaction when this....thing....sat down next to me at last week's meeting. I stood up and tried to just stay by the door, but this thing decided to do a guilt trip. "Oh, he doesn't want to sit next to me."
"Not particularly," I answered.
Apparently, management is using this occasion to make a mountain out of a molehill. This is a big deal if I want to stand away from stupid, psychotic people instead of being a team player.
So, when my manager brought this to my attention, I basically said the company made a mistake in hiring this person. That she's judged by a much lower standard than folks who actually want to do their jobs. That that's management's problem for hiring her.
But I have to be more diplomatic. I shouldn't display such open contempt for somebody, no matter how worthy they are of that contempt.
I know, everyone has to do stuff at work that they don't want to do. That's why it's work.
But the title of this blog involves rants, so I'm ranting. So freaking there.
Anyhoo, my manager asked me how I'd handle myself with this in the future.
"I'll be more subtle in my insults," I answered, to her wonderful smiling face.
There was a work meeting at 7 a.m. last Wednesday, which is when I'm normally pulling a 23 skidoo. Mostly night shift folks attended, but there were a few day shift people there. One of those people is perhaps the most useless sack of skin I've ever had the misfortune of dealing with in my entire life.
Backstory!
Those who know me even remotely know I have little tolerance for incompetence, stupidity and laziness at work. I empathize with taking a while to get the hang of a job. It takes time. But there has to be some effort made by people to get it.
I used to work with this person in my old job, network montioring at AT&T. She only got that job because she complained to the union that her seniority demanded she get hired. Nevermind she had no idea what the job involved or that she had zero desire to learn it. That's right. Her 20 years with the company meant she deserved the job.
After we got collectively canned last year, she decided, several months after I did, that taking Cisco classes was the route for her to go.
There's $3,000 vouchers available to unemployed folks to assist with job retraining to get back into the workforce. That's how I was able to take the classes.
To get this voucher, you had to take a basic test. And by basic, I mean staggeringly easy. I mean, middle school math at the hardest, and perhaps some simple reading comprehension. You have to pass this test to get the voucher.
She failed. Twice.
Yet she was still given the voucher.
And she used it to take Cisco classes.
Because, you know, how hard can configuring a router be when you can't even do basic math?
So, as it turns out, she also applied for the same job I have currently. I interviewed well after she did, but was offered the position very shortly after I interviewed. When she discovered I was about to be hired, she wasn't pleased. More accurately, she kept pestering one of my colleagues via text message and cell phone call wanting to know why I had been hired when she hadn't yet received a response.
She's nuts.
She's the sort of person where you become dumber just by being in a 10-foot radius of her.
So, you can imagine my reaction when this....thing....sat down next to me at last week's meeting. I stood up and tried to just stay by the door, but this thing decided to do a guilt trip. "Oh, he doesn't want to sit next to me."
"Not particularly," I answered.
Apparently, management is using this occasion to make a mountain out of a molehill. This is a big deal if I want to stand away from stupid, psychotic people instead of being a team player.
So, when my manager brought this to my attention, I basically said the company made a mistake in hiring this person. That she's judged by a much lower standard than folks who actually want to do their jobs. That that's management's problem for hiring her.
But I have to be more diplomatic. I shouldn't display such open contempt for somebody, no matter how worthy they are of that contempt.
I know, everyone has to do stuff at work that they don't want to do. That's why it's work.
But the title of this blog involves rants, so I'm ranting. So freaking there.
Anyhoo, my manager asked me how I'd handle myself with this in the future.
"I'll be more subtle in my insults," I answered, to her wonderful smiling face.
24 November 2008
HMO gripes
Since rejoining the ranks of the employeed about 6 months ago, I've rediscovered the joy of health insurance. This also means rediscovering the wonders of insurance company incompetence.
Earlier this morning, I looked online to make sure vision insurance is part of my health coverage. I also looked online to see if there's any way I could find an eye doctor covered in network. No such luck.
This meant I had to make the dreaded call to customer service.
I've worked in customer service. In a way, some of the stuff I do now qualifies as customer service. I suppose there's some element of customer service in lots of jobs. It's not easy.
Yet still, I marvel at the level of roadblocks involved in dealing with health insurance.
My first call to Humana involved lots of hold time and dealing with some poor woman who sounded like she had a cold. Before even talking to someone, I had to navigate through a series of options just to get to a live person. After spending entirely too much time on the phone, I was given the name and phone number for an optometrist in Oak Park, a short jaunt from my home.
Upon calling the phone number, I found out it had been disconnected.
Great. Time for a second call to customer service.
Upon navigating through the phone maze a second time, I again got through to a live person, who provided me a list of four working phone numbers for eye doctors less than half a mile from my home.
Why couldn't I get this during the first call?
My theory? Health insurance companies deliberately frustrate patients. They figure by sending folks in an endless path of paperwork, they can reduce claims. Therefore, less claims equals more profit.
At any rate, I at least have an eye exam scheduled next week. Yay for dealing with health insurance stupidity.
Earlier this morning, I looked online to make sure vision insurance is part of my health coverage. I also looked online to see if there's any way I could find an eye doctor covered in network. No such luck.
This meant I had to make the dreaded call to customer service.
I've worked in customer service. In a way, some of the stuff I do now qualifies as customer service. I suppose there's some element of customer service in lots of jobs. It's not easy.
Yet still, I marvel at the level of roadblocks involved in dealing with health insurance.
My first call to Humana involved lots of hold time and dealing with some poor woman who sounded like she had a cold. Before even talking to someone, I had to navigate through a series of options just to get to a live person. After spending entirely too much time on the phone, I was given the name and phone number for an optometrist in Oak Park, a short jaunt from my home.
Upon calling the phone number, I found out it had been disconnected.
Great. Time for a second call to customer service.
Upon navigating through the phone maze a second time, I again got through to a live person, who provided me a list of four working phone numbers for eye doctors less than half a mile from my home.
Why couldn't I get this during the first call?
My theory? Health insurance companies deliberately frustrate patients. They figure by sending folks in an endless path of paperwork, they can reduce claims. Therefore, less claims equals more profit.
At any rate, I at least have an eye exam scheduled next week. Yay for dealing with health insurance stupidity.
23 November 2008
You Can Never Go Home Again
I'm back. And I'm pissed.
Subject I will be touching on in future posts will include:
The incompetance of AT&T
The subtle trade of family guilt
The mechanics of government employment
Moving
Stock Markets
Politics
But for now, I am back.
I didn't get to vote this year. I didn't get to vote, not that my vote would have mattered because I would have been voting in California, so it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that Obama (my future boss) was going to get all of those electoral votes sewed up. The only reason I have to vote is to vote judges out of office and on ballot initiatives. The rest of the system is gerrymandered in California, regardless of what they tell you. But the narrow passage of Prop 11 may change that. It will be interesting to watch. From far, far away.
I moved back to my other set of roots, back to the DC area. It's not changed much beyond the usual urban sprawl. I found it funny when someone said "do you know that over a million people live in your county?" No, but why should that matter? Oh well, there is a different perspective on everything, I guess.
It's good to be back online, even if I will have to get back in the groove.
Subject I will be touching on in future posts will include:
The incompetance of AT&T
The subtle trade of family guilt
The mechanics of government employment
Moving
Stock Markets
Politics
But for now, I am back.
I didn't get to vote this year. I didn't get to vote, not that my vote would have mattered because I would have been voting in California, so it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that Obama (my future boss) was going to get all of those electoral votes sewed up. The only reason I have to vote is to vote judges out of office and on ballot initiatives. The rest of the system is gerrymandered in California, regardless of what they tell you. But the narrow passage of Prop 11 may change that. It will be interesting to watch. From far, far away.
I moved back to my other set of roots, back to the DC area. It's not changed much beyond the usual urban sprawl. I found it funny when someone said "do you know that over a million people live in your county?" No, but why should that matter? Oh well, there is a different perspective on everything, I guess.
It's good to be back online, even if I will have to get back in the groove.
19 November 2008
Buildup: I'm PO'd
Hi everybody!
I don't have internet yet! I've been in my new place for a month, and still don't have internet!
I want major businesses to fail! Incompetance of this scale should not be rewarded with paychecks!
Soon. Maybe next Monday, maybe earlier...
Toodles
I don't have internet yet! I've been in my new place for a month, and still don't have internet!
I want major businesses to fail! Incompetance of this scale should not be rewarded with paychecks!
Soon. Maybe next Monday, maybe earlier...
Toodles
05 November 2008
Help me, Obi-Wan Wolf Blitzer. You're my only hope.
The force is weak in this one.
Click on the pretty preceding letters for hilarity.
This has to be one of the most ridiculous, shark-jumping, fridge-nuking moments I've ever seen. Seriously? Reporting via hologram? Holy crap.
The only thing missing from this amazing technological advance was a holographic Anderson Cooper kneeling before Larry King, asking, "What is thy bidding, my master?"
Really. What does this technological advance add to the newscast? Anything? Something? A desire to see younglings slain via lightsaber?
Mind you, I've watched rasslin'. I've seen some ridiculous angles. Hell, I watched Heroes up until recently, and that show stinks.
This....this just beats it all.
I'm convinced now the world is about to end.
Click on the pretty preceding letters for hilarity.
This has to be one of the most ridiculous, shark-jumping, fridge-nuking moments I've ever seen. Seriously? Reporting via hologram? Holy crap.
The only thing missing from this amazing technological advance was a holographic Anderson Cooper kneeling before Larry King, asking, "What is thy bidding, my master?"
Really. What does this technological advance add to the newscast? Anything? Something? A desire to see younglings slain via lightsaber?
Mind you, I've watched rasslin'. I've seen some ridiculous angles. Hell, I watched Heroes up until recently, and that show stinks.
This....this just beats it all.
I'm convinced now the world is about to end.
03 November 2008
How I voted and why
For president, I voted for Obama. The clincher for me was Colin Powell's endorsement. I've had strong reservations about both Obama and McCain, but I think Obama is enough of his own man to be the right guy for the job right now. Yeah, he has ties to the Chicago political establishment, but when he ran for senate 4 years ago, he wasn't the establishment's handpicked candidate.
Almost everyone else, I voted Republican. Thing is, I live in Cook County, so those votes won't do me any good.
On judge retentions, I voted no for every last one of them. I'm sure there's some decent judges in the bunch, and again, I'm sure my vote won't make much difference. Still, I think the lot of 'em are bastards. If I can help get new judges in there, that's just fine.
I also voted in favor of an Illinois constitutional convention. I think there's a lot of crap wrong now with Illinois politics, and redoing the constitution might just be the way to right some wrongs. Also voted in favor of amending the existing constitution to allow voters to recall state officials. Illinois is on the verge of sending its second consecutive governor to jail. Rod Blagojevich hasn't yet been indicted, but the dominos are falling. It's only a matter of time.
In any case, regardless of what you believe, get out and vote if you haven't already. Yay, America. And stuff.
Almost everyone else, I voted Republican. Thing is, I live in Cook County, so those votes won't do me any good.
On judge retentions, I voted no for every last one of them. I'm sure there's some decent judges in the bunch, and again, I'm sure my vote won't make much difference. Still, I think the lot of 'em are bastards. If I can help get new judges in there, that's just fine.
I also voted in favor of an Illinois constitutional convention. I think there's a lot of crap wrong now with Illinois politics, and redoing the constitution might just be the way to right some wrongs. Also voted in favor of amending the existing constitution to allow voters to recall state officials. Illinois is on the verge of sending its second consecutive governor to jail. Rod Blagojevich hasn't yet been indicted, but the dominos are falling. It's only a matter of time.
In any case, regardless of what you believe, get out and vote if you haven't already. Yay, America. And stuff.
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