It occurs to me, that writers writing about writer's block don't really have it at all. Writer's block would be classified as not being able to write at all, which the writer obviously can. I would say, instead, that the writer has simply cashed themselves out on the subject matter at hand.
This could, perhaps, be the reason I feel the need to work on several projects at the same time. When my thought process has tapped out on one, I can simply just move on to the next. This would be excellent if I actually wrote for a living, but alas...I do not.
So instead of writing my lectures, I'm writing blogs. Blogs about blogging and other bloggie type things. Blog blog blog blog blog. For some reason I find this immensely entertaining when faced with the statistics slides just a simple window swap away.
I suppose it doesn't help that I'm currently watching a movie about a writer that has writer's block. I'm not sure it is really writer's block when you're writing lectures. Is it then teacher's block? Lecturer's block? I know exactly what I should be writing...but I just don't feel like writing it.
Sigh......
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Distractions that refuse to end...
The weeks of summer are quickly dissipating, and in a few minutes, it seems, my son will be in kindergarten, and I will be standing in front of classes full of terrified college freshmen, and arrogant college juniors. Hey-a great deal of life experience is gained in those three years!
At this point, with classes starting in 12 days, I have my online classes uploaded into the system, my parking permits, my ID's, syllabi completed and all of the needed tidbits for every day campus life. I even just recently realized that I have an overload for the semester, which pads my weekly income considerably! At this point, it seems that I am on track, and you are probably wondering what the issue is....
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FLIP I'M TEACHING!!
Granted, some of this is my own fault. With my stand up lecture for epi & stats, I have all of the material, and have been lacking in putting it all together. I have the first five weeks of lectures set, but I have yet to write any exams, or anything past the fifth week. When I sit down to work, it seems that the smallest little thing can grab my attention, like a shiny object from across the room. I find myself writing two or three slides an hour, watching a show, shifting my position on the couch, and checking Facebook a couple hundred times. My ass begins to hurt from inactivity, so in an attempt to retain functional use of my muscular structures, I begin a manic cleaning tantrum around the house. While I must say that my house has never been cleaner, I am reminded by my goal, that my anatomy lectures need a second glance....
Yet even with all of these self inflicted, last minute concerns, I can't help but feel mildly irritated. As stated before, I have 12 days before my semester begins, and I have yet to see the manual for one of the labs I'm teaching in the fall. The person in charge of this class says that the manual will be posted the Monday before class begins, which gives me exactly one week to look at the manual to figure out what I'm teaching for the semester. For many of you, this may seem like an ample amount of time, but I'm not one of them. Thinking about the amount of time that has passed between when I took this class as a college student, to the current time when I will begin teaching it, I am reminded of the fact that as I age, so does my brain. My attention span seems to be aging as well. With these factors in mind, an old woman needs some time to re-learn the material.
With that said, many of you may have guessed that I'm currently writing this while I should be writing lectures. I suppose....back to the grind...
At this point, with classes starting in 12 days, I have my online classes uploaded into the system, my parking permits, my ID's, syllabi completed and all of the needed tidbits for every day campus life. I even just recently realized that I have an overload for the semester, which pads my weekly income considerably! At this point, it seems that I am on track, and you are probably wondering what the issue is....
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FLIP I'M TEACHING!!
Granted, some of this is my own fault. With my stand up lecture for epi & stats, I have all of the material, and have been lacking in putting it all together. I have the first five weeks of lectures set, but I have yet to write any exams, or anything past the fifth week. When I sit down to work, it seems that the smallest little thing can grab my attention, like a shiny object from across the room. I find myself writing two or three slides an hour, watching a show, shifting my position on the couch, and checking Facebook a couple hundred times. My ass begins to hurt from inactivity, so in an attempt to retain functional use of my muscular structures, I begin a manic cleaning tantrum around the house. While I must say that my house has never been cleaner, I am reminded by my goal, that my anatomy lectures need a second glance....
Yet even with all of these self inflicted, last minute concerns, I can't help but feel mildly irritated. As stated before, I have 12 days before my semester begins, and I have yet to see the manual for one of the labs I'm teaching in the fall. The person in charge of this class says that the manual will be posted the Monday before class begins, which gives me exactly one week to look at the manual to figure out what I'm teaching for the semester. For many of you, this may seem like an ample amount of time, but I'm not one of them. Thinking about the amount of time that has passed between when I took this class as a college student, to the current time when I will begin teaching it, I am reminded of the fact that as I age, so does my brain. My attention span seems to be aging as well. With these factors in mind, an old woman needs some time to re-learn the material.
With that said, many of you may have guessed that I'm currently writing this while I should be writing lectures. I suppose....back to the grind...
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Immigration Reform and You!!!
With the recent issues with immigration regulation in Arizona, the topic has been on the tips of every wagging tongue in the nation. One side yells that the illegal immigrants are taking American jobs, while the other begs to please take these wonderful jobs, because American workers are lazy and spoiled. Well, you are both wrong. And you are both right. Ready for this one? I may just tick a few of you off with this....
Let me put this in a pure market kind of perspective. The United States has labor laws, and we are all well aware of them. We are regulated by federal minimum wage laws, child labor laws, OSHA laws and regulations and humanitarian laws, all designed to keep us from becoming a nation like China that feeds on the poor while the rich remain rich. It helps to prevent worker exploitation.
When an illegal immigrant takes a position, whether it is in a factory or a farm (and I stress the term ILLEGAL), these laws are no longer a factor. The "employer" no longer has to worry about maintaining safe work environments, paying fair wages or even exploiting children. Someone who is here illegally will not report them. This ensures that these employers won't have to hire the "expensive" American worker who has the audacity to expect to receive humane treatment. In this respect, potential American jobs are being replaced by sweat shop labor by those who refuse to object to unfair labor practices. In this respect, yes, American jobs are lost.
On the other side, Americans have become overly complacent, and yes, LAZY. I have been on the Unemployment payroll since mid December, and let me tell you, if I had so much as an interview, I would be jumping out the door to take the job. That's why it infuriates me to watch people I know (who shall remain nameless) sit on the unemployment roll not even trying because they feel that after all their years of work that they are entitled to a "break". Listen folks, we are damned lucky to have a system in place to take care of us when the economy takes a dip. That being said, this does not mean you have the "right" to sit around and run through your unemployment not even attempting to locate work, or being "selective" about your work. In many other countries, you would be starving now. This is the reason that people like myself, who are actually pounding the pavement looking for any work at all, have to go through the insane pressure of watching the senate play with our only income, deciding whether or not we are worthy of help. In this respect, we, the American workers, are making our own beds in which we must eventually lie.
So here is the simple reform in my opinion: Shut down the employers that hire illegal workers. No questions. No fines. You are no longer in business. Period. Enforce the labor laws-all of them. If they are enforced in every respect, the illegal worker loses their appeal. Reform the policies that have people trying to get into the country waiting for 5 to 10 years to do so. Make sure they are all legal so that they pay taxes and contribute to society. Make them citizens-with all the privileges AND responsibilities that go with it. RESPECT those who have gone through the crazy system to get here legally, and end the profiling. They are here, and they freaking earned it. That's more than I can say for many who were actually born here.
Let me put this in a pure market kind of perspective. The United States has labor laws, and we are all well aware of them. We are regulated by federal minimum wage laws, child labor laws, OSHA laws and regulations and humanitarian laws, all designed to keep us from becoming a nation like China that feeds on the poor while the rich remain rich. It helps to prevent worker exploitation.
When an illegal immigrant takes a position, whether it is in a factory or a farm (and I stress the term ILLEGAL), these laws are no longer a factor. The "employer" no longer has to worry about maintaining safe work environments, paying fair wages or even exploiting children. Someone who is here illegally will not report them. This ensures that these employers won't have to hire the "expensive" American worker who has the audacity to expect to receive humane treatment. In this respect, potential American jobs are being replaced by sweat shop labor by those who refuse to object to unfair labor practices. In this respect, yes, American jobs are lost.
On the other side, Americans have become overly complacent, and yes, LAZY. I have been on the Unemployment payroll since mid December, and let me tell you, if I had so much as an interview, I would be jumping out the door to take the job. That's why it infuriates me to watch people I know (who shall remain nameless) sit on the unemployment roll not even trying because they feel that after all their years of work that they are entitled to a "break". Listen folks, we are damned lucky to have a system in place to take care of us when the economy takes a dip. That being said, this does not mean you have the "right" to sit around and run through your unemployment not even attempting to locate work, or being "selective" about your work. In many other countries, you would be starving now. This is the reason that people like myself, who are actually pounding the pavement looking for any work at all, have to go through the insane pressure of watching the senate play with our only income, deciding whether or not we are worthy of help. In this respect, we, the American workers, are making our own beds in which we must eventually lie.
So here is the simple reform in my opinion: Shut down the employers that hire illegal workers. No questions. No fines. You are no longer in business. Period. Enforce the labor laws-all of them. If they are enforced in every respect, the illegal worker loses their appeal. Reform the policies that have people trying to get into the country waiting for 5 to 10 years to do so. Make sure they are all legal so that they pay taxes and contribute to society. Make them citizens-with all the privileges AND responsibilities that go with it. RESPECT those who have gone through the crazy system to get here legally, and end the profiling. They are here, and they freaking earned it. That's more than I can say for many who were actually born here.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Summer Break for the Senate!
Oh what a beautiful morning! Oh what a beautiful day! This morning I am watching the news with unusual interest to see if they begin to talk about the replacement for Senator Robert Byrd, the one vote needed to pass the unemployment extension that will allow myself and millions of others to feed their families in these tough times. The senate will convene at 2pm today, and while the unemployment extension is on the agenda, I think it may be a difficult reach today given all that needs to be tackled before the August recess.
Wait, did I say August recess? Didn't they just take an entire week for the 4th of July? What then, is there in August that constitutes another month long hiatus in times when we need decisions, and fast? Well folks, its summer break!!
According to the senate itself, the recess was intended to save the lives and health of the initial senate members. In the days before air conditioning, the break was intended to give the senate members a way to escape the deadly levels of heat reached in the senate building during the summer months. Enter the 1920's, and the advent of air conditioning (it didn't become mainstream until the '50's, however the senate always has the breaking technology) and what reason do we have to adjourn now?
Is this a much needed break for our over worked senators after their much needed week-long July break? If it weren't for the paychecks and benefits afforded to them, I would swear our congress in among the under-employed of the nation. But then, what kind of hurry are you going to be in, when you have no idea what it is like to work for a living, and to be stuck holding the bill when the legislative branch failed to control our banks, our lenders, and our regulations. We are getting closer to a Caste system every day, and the only ones who can't seem to see it are at the top of the pile.
Wait, did I say August recess? Didn't they just take an entire week for the 4th of July? What then, is there in August that constitutes another month long hiatus in times when we need decisions, and fast? Well folks, its summer break!!
According to the senate itself, the recess was intended to save the lives and health of the initial senate members. In the days before air conditioning, the break was intended to give the senate members a way to escape the deadly levels of heat reached in the senate building during the summer months. Enter the 1920's, and the advent of air conditioning (it didn't become mainstream until the '50's, however the senate always has the breaking technology) and what reason do we have to adjourn now?
Is this a much needed break for our over worked senators after their much needed week-long July break? If it weren't for the paychecks and benefits afforded to them, I would swear our congress in among the under-employed of the nation. But then, what kind of hurry are you going to be in, when you have no idea what it is like to work for a living, and to be stuck holding the bill when the legislative branch failed to control our banks, our lenders, and our regulations. We are getting closer to a Caste system every day, and the only ones who can't seem to see it are at the top of the pile.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
A Day In The Life
Walking into the Unemployment Insurance Agency office today, my heart and stomach sank. The smell of discontent, anger, confusion and hopelessness invaded my senses as I look around the room at my fellow victims of democracy. I looked at the number I had drawn, 361 as they called then next in line, 247. I took my seat.
I am in the process of applying for food assistance, and in order to do so I must provide proof that I have been released from the unemployment system. I find many flaws in this procedure. First of all, after contacting the Department of Human Services, I was informed that according to their records, I still had 18 weeks remaining of my unemployment benefit. With false hopes, I march into the office to be told that it was as I had feared, and that I had, in fact been released from the system.Why are these government agencies not speaking with one another? This comes after the massive confusion resulting from vague news reports and letters from UIA telling me that I had received 20 weeks of benefits, and in the same envelope a letter saying, well, no, not really.
Let me address this first issue, communication. As a country, when we are providing benefits for those in need, how are we expecting those in the programs to fully understand the process, when those in charge do not? I hold a total of 4 degrees, one of them being an MBA. If I can not understand how the rulings apply to me, how could I expect the average family to understand? How can you send two letters with conflicting information in the same envelope, and think that the message is clear and well received? The phone service for unemployment has been all but disconnected at this point due to the mass of incoming calls from the confusion. Now when calling, if you are lucky, you get a recording that hangs up on you. If you are not, it simply tells you your call can not be completed. Just to check, I asked the caseworker if UIA was hiring. I can answer phones...
Now, for a moment of clarification. For those of you convinced of the truth that unemployment encourages one to become complacent and turn down employment that is undesirable, let me catch you up on a few things. I have been unemployed for 6 months, and send roughly 20 resumes a day to any job I feel I am able to perform, whether I want it or not. In 6 months, I have received exactly 2 responses to my resume, and those were people I tracked down personally, rather than waiting for them to call. One did not have the funding to hire me after a 3 month interview process and the other has requested that I move my family to a location that is over an hour drive from my son's school, and that would result in my finace' losing his job. Every other email response I have solicited has given me the same response-you are over qualified for the position. This isn't a matter of being unwilling to take lower employment, this is a matter of being unemployable beyond a certain level. Employers don't want an MBA working in a gas station because they know that the second something better comes along, they will have to replace me. It makes good sense on their part, because it is true, but it significantly reduces one's ability to gain employment in tough economic times.
So I sit and wait to find out if the state deems me qualified enough to feed. Which raises the next important point-the money.
Republicans want to pay for this bill. Alright, let's pay for it. But wait...where was your resolve for funding of the banking incentive bill? Where was the resolve for funding in Military operations? Where was your resolve for funding disaster relief to other nations? Well, I suppose the American people are not quite as important. But let's crunch a few numbers here shall we? How much are we going to save? With all of the people recently dropped from the rolls, what is going to happen to the crime rate? What will the taxpayers hand out in fees to house people in jail that have been driven to desperate measures? What are we going to pay through the Department of Human Services to feed, house, heat and provide water for them? What are we going to pay in the reduction of funding in a consumer driven system that is lacking consumers? I would be willing to bet the cost is far greater than the cost of UIA.
And through all of this we celebrated our fourth of July holiday, which symbolizes our freedom from tyranny, as we watch our senate refuse to help us to leave for a week, so that they may celebrate their own good fortune. The good fortune that is paid for, not only by the wages I have earned since I was 13 years old, but also from the taxes taken out of my unemployment benefit. The best health care money can buy, a guaranteed income for the rest of their lives, and really no attendance policy that I can see. It's a great job. And while I am searching every news station and every web site I can think of for some hope that president Obama will call congress back from their break, or that there has been some development that will show me that my family will not starve as I continue to look for work, I am comforted to know that at least I have live coverage of the Lindsay Lohan trial on CNN, and that our tax dollars will be spent to house that crazy lump of mess for the next 90 days. America...Fuck ya!
I am in the process of applying for food assistance, and in order to do so I must provide proof that I have been released from the unemployment system. I find many flaws in this procedure. First of all, after contacting the Department of Human Services, I was informed that according to their records, I still had 18 weeks remaining of my unemployment benefit. With false hopes, I march into the office to be told that it was as I had feared, and that I had, in fact been released from the system.Why are these government agencies not speaking with one another? This comes after the massive confusion resulting from vague news reports and letters from UIA telling me that I had received 20 weeks of benefits, and in the same envelope a letter saying, well, no, not really.
Let me address this first issue, communication. As a country, when we are providing benefits for those in need, how are we expecting those in the programs to fully understand the process, when those in charge do not? I hold a total of 4 degrees, one of them being an MBA. If I can not understand how the rulings apply to me, how could I expect the average family to understand? How can you send two letters with conflicting information in the same envelope, and think that the message is clear and well received? The phone service for unemployment has been all but disconnected at this point due to the mass of incoming calls from the confusion. Now when calling, if you are lucky, you get a recording that hangs up on you. If you are not, it simply tells you your call can not be completed. Just to check, I asked the caseworker if UIA was hiring. I can answer phones...
Now, for a moment of clarification. For those of you convinced of the truth that unemployment encourages one to become complacent and turn down employment that is undesirable, let me catch you up on a few things. I have been unemployed for 6 months, and send roughly 20 resumes a day to any job I feel I am able to perform, whether I want it or not. In 6 months, I have received exactly 2 responses to my resume, and those were people I tracked down personally, rather than waiting for them to call. One did not have the funding to hire me after a 3 month interview process and the other has requested that I move my family to a location that is over an hour drive from my son's school, and that would result in my finace' losing his job. Every other email response I have solicited has given me the same response-you are over qualified for the position. This isn't a matter of being unwilling to take lower employment, this is a matter of being unemployable beyond a certain level. Employers don't want an MBA working in a gas station because they know that the second something better comes along, they will have to replace me. It makes good sense on their part, because it is true, but it significantly reduces one's ability to gain employment in tough economic times.
So I sit and wait to find out if the state deems me qualified enough to feed. Which raises the next important point-the money.
Republicans want to pay for this bill. Alright, let's pay for it. But wait...where was your resolve for funding of the banking incentive bill? Where was the resolve for funding in Military operations? Where was your resolve for funding disaster relief to other nations? Well, I suppose the American people are not quite as important. But let's crunch a few numbers here shall we? How much are we going to save? With all of the people recently dropped from the rolls, what is going to happen to the crime rate? What will the taxpayers hand out in fees to house people in jail that have been driven to desperate measures? What are we going to pay through the Department of Human Services to feed, house, heat and provide water for them? What are we going to pay in the reduction of funding in a consumer driven system that is lacking consumers? I would be willing to bet the cost is far greater than the cost of UIA.
And through all of this we celebrated our fourth of July holiday, which symbolizes our freedom from tyranny, as we watch our senate refuse to help us to leave for a week, so that they may celebrate their own good fortune. The good fortune that is paid for, not only by the wages I have earned since I was 13 years old, but also from the taxes taken out of my unemployment benefit. The best health care money can buy, a guaranteed income for the rest of their lives, and really no attendance policy that I can see. It's a great job. And while I am searching every news station and every web site I can think of for some hope that president Obama will call congress back from their break, or that there has been some development that will show me that my family will not starve as I continue to look for work, I am comforted to know that at least I have live coverage of the Lindsay Lohan trial on CNN, and that our tax dollars will be spent to house that crazy lump of mess for the next 90 days. America...Fuck ya!
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