phew

i just finished a superbly busy, but nonetheless excellent week. i'm thrilled that it's over.... mostly because it was so taxing... but it was a really wonderful thing to have been a part of. i participated in an event at my job.. a workshop. i don't want to go into who exactly, some of you know where i work... some don't. it was great. about 16 people, from every level of the company (from a senior VP to me, a lowly processor, and everywhere inbetween) got together for a week of brainstorming and testing ideas to make the workplace better. everyone had different expertise, and those of us who don't normally get alot of credit got the same respect and voice as anyone else. it was so great to be asked what we thought about things, how we thought things could be better. and then when we had ideas of ways to fix them, no one said "no, that can't be done" or "no, that's too expensive, or labor intensive" they just said "ok, let's try it" and we did. it was brilliant. i hope every company utilizes this strategy. any members of the upper or middle management out there, remember to go out to your shop floor.. know what they know. remember that since they do it every day, they will be able to tell you more than you know about that thing, and ask them their ideas... they're the closest to what they're doing, and try their ideas rather than just assuming they won't work. or work together on solutions so they are invested in the outcome.. anyway. it was an eye-opener.. it was great. i'm tired beyond all expectations.. oh yeah.. and next week i start part-time.. sweet. now i can dedicate way more time to my other business.. going to be a busy year of the rooster..

Crimomedy

I've made another word. this one is perfect. it's a classification for all those crime-centered comedies. like trainspotting, lock stock and two smoking barrels, anything by quentin tarantino, you know.. if they're about crimes, and they're not just chalk full of real drama, then you can call them crimomedies. that's what i do. it's slightly more meaningful than the word uproarious, which can be found on independant movie boxes, which signify that you might laugh twice, at irony only, not a joke, and that it will be disturbing overall.. so yeah. possibly more useful than forsurance. and not yet the name of any companies. of course the second i post it here, it will be.

i like this quote

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." - Theodore Roosevelt


sounds like some people are morally treasonable to the american public.. at least if TR were still in charge. not that i'm advocating for that.. since i think the Philippine war was disgusting. dirty imperialists. and you KNOW i'm not talking about the Filipinos.

Chinese New Years Eve

so tonight we're doing the chinese new years eve thing. eating a big dinner (including chicken according to some) then at midnight we will be opening windows and stuff to let in the new year of the rooster. i guess it's a wood rooster, like last year was a wood monkey, and hteyear before that was a water sheep. and before that was water horse.. i like wood years i think.. so this is the one i get. i expect alot of growth this wood year.. and i dont' know any more about what to expect.. i'm gonna be 26 huh.. that's weird.. well... these next two weeks include a great deal of cool things we're gonna try to do. i dn't know them all, but i know i can't clean throw any garbage out till the 5th day.. woo.. ok. good times.

that's right, you heard me...

so check this out. i got this idea. so i did some research. i found the atmosphere in this country kind of strange... people just happily going along with nationalistic fervor, really strange sympathy for corporate interest, and a certain demonizing of non christian cultures... (um... 'axis of evil' anyone?) and it got me to reminiscing. does anyone remember the economic policies of pre WWII axis members? you might not guess it, but they're strikingly similar to our current economic policies. every time the spending bills come to congress they are more and more representative of corporate entities as opposed to helping programs for actual citizens. the government IS paying pseudo-journalists to publish their opinions (which are in line with the administration's opinion) without the consent of congress (that is what we consider propaganda) -- (though i have issues with the opportunity for congress to approve that kind of garbage to sell us) .. .... anyway. so i've covered propaganda, censorship (FCC debacles), using violence to suppress potential dissidents (guantanamo...torture... disgusting) ... exalting the nation (or race or religion) above the individuals-- (trade your rights for a slight increase of national security)... engaging in corporatism (that's what the economic conservatives are all about man, that's what it's all about.) what i don't have yet is the 'severe economic and social regimentation' i don't really see that. but i could just not know where to look.
let us never never be viewed by outsiders as fascists. because after ww2, the policy is to stop fascism before it takes hold. europe learned the dangers of severe nationalism, we have not. they can put aside their ethnic insecurities and work together, we cannot. we will not. and we are less because of it.

bush is bad

i'm just sick of him. his politics are bad. i hope he gets imprisoned at the hague for committing atrocities of war. because he is guilty of atrocities of war. and anyone who forgives it as necessary needs schoolin' in the religion they claim to follow. honestly, i've never seen people so blindly supportive of a dictator since watching historical footage of hitler inciting the nazis. and i dont' want to understate hitler, but bush is an inhuman monster. i want him to consent to a dna analysis because i'm sure he's actually some kind of mythological demon/creature sent to stir up discord. and i tell you, he's doing it. look at the discord all over the place. but his people are oddly unified behind his every bad idea. and let me end by saying privatizing social security is like stealing from old people. hell, it's stealing from every working person. not just figuratively stealing, actively taking the money out of the trust of treasury bonds and putting upwards of thirty percent of it in the hands of the moneyhandlers (i.e. investment administrators) who will be required in order to move the money around (if of course the people do what they are supposed to do, put their money in high risk (potentially high yeild) investments that they dont' know anything about) ... if they do privatize it.. please, for your own sake, just put the money back in treasury bonds. you might be saved. but this crap won't work. it's all a big scam. and who makes the money in the end? him and his friends. so please, come to your senses. if you were good at investing, you'd already be doing it. if you aren't doing it, you're too busy to, and it will be a disaster. in britain where they did this 25 years ago, any retired person who relies on their national pension also requires welfare. and wasn't that what you wanted to avoid anyway? please.. don't let him push you around. don't let him dupe you. please.