I predict that within 5-10 years, internet addiction will become a recognized disability and employers will be coerced into "accomodating" sufferers.
5:00 AM
By paying otherwise unemployable people money in exchange for performing tasks a machine or trained monkey could easily accomplish, Wal-Mart is costing the taxpayers money. How so? Because by paying employees for what they actually do at work and not taking into account each employee's situation and then paying them according to their life's choices, Wal-Mart is forcing some employees to line up at the public trough.
I make no secret of my dislike of the Wal-Mart experience, but the Wal-Mart bashing is growing more insane with each passing day. Is Wal-Mart supposed to look at two employees that do exactly the same thing and pay the one with 5 kids more than the one with no kids that goes to college part-time? (ie, from each according to his ability, to each according to his need). Apparently, the answer is yes. From this moment on, I no longer consider myself any type of Wal-Mart opponent. In the past my opposition only meant that I shopped elsewhere when possible and tried to keep my vehicle out of reach of the flying shopping carts and Kool-Aid encrustulated seemingly parentless urchins that invariably populate Wal-Mart parking lots. But other than the fact that Wal-Mart often gets some tax breaks/incentives and whatnot of questionable value (which can be said of most companies and is the fault of corrupt politicians), my real gripe has always been with the kind of customers Wal-Mart attracts. Why does being a dirtbag have to mean being an inconsiderate slob with no regard for the safety of anyone or the property of others? It doesn't cost anything to slap your punk kid when (or before, ideally) he launches a shopping cart into the side of someone's Lexus. Nor does it cost anything to look both ways before crossing the street or drive on the proper side of the road. But I digress. These Marxist anti-Wal-Mart crusaders are truly dispicable. If people don't get paid enough to work at Wal-Mart, then they shouldn't work there. If they have no other options, then that means that working at Wal-Mart is an improvement over their next best alternative and therefore does not harm them. If you think Wal-Mart should pay their employees more, stop shopping there until they do. And by all means, vote for people who don't abuse tax incentives to subsidize Wal-Marts (or any other business)where they wouldn't be profitable otherwise. The fact that Wal-Mart has a lot of employees that receive public assistance tells a lunatic that Wal-Mart is sending them to the welfare office at gunpoint. It tells a person who is capable of basic rational thought that Wal-Mart is employing people that would otherwise be completely dependent on welfare. And it may just be a way off of welfare for a lot of them. What anti-Wal-Mart Marxists want to do is take away that opportunity. If Wal-Mart turns into the Saks Fifth Avenue of general merchandise, then it follows that (in addition to making common household items too expensive for poor people) they will sell less stuff and will have to let go of some employees. Sure, the ones that still work there might make $20/hour, but does that really improve the lot of those that are priced out of the labor market? Then again that doesn't really matter to a Marxist.
10:06 AM
Another Day, Another Horoscope
Quickie:
First you tread water, then you learn to swim. It's okay if you aren't moving forward.
Overview:
One more day of fireworks? Yep. But then you'll be able to relax -- although you probably won't want to. Excess may be the order of the day ... and you'll love every hedonistic minute of it.
Extended Forecast:
Sometimes anything worth having is worth fighting for, but you must also know when to accept defeat. You or somebody you know may go to extremes in the name of a relationship today, and it may or may not be worth the time and effort that is going into it. When anyone adopts an all-or-nothing attitude, the results are sure to be dramatic. There's no guarantee that this approach will get the desired results. It might be a good idea to step back and look at it from an outsider's point of view. You may be doing more harm than good.
Once again the quickie and the overview require no substantial analysis. But as usual, the extended forecast requires some thought. I get the first sentence. It just says I should know how to prioritize and be able to recognize futility. But the next sentence: "you or someone you know"? But the ambiguity continues: "the results are sure to be dramatic." Dramatic can be either really good or really bad. I think there's a fair amount of difference between these two things. "There's no guarantee that this approach will get the desired results." Fair enough--I think it would be ill-advised to expect absolute certainty or guarantees from one's horoscope. But moving on, it is always a good idea to step back and view things objectively and of course it's important to recognize when one's efforts result in more harm than good. I think this is a good horoscope. It seems to have a common theme as opposed to the random hodgepodge from Friday. Not that it necessarily prescribes a course of action, but I think it gives enough information to provide a general sense of direction that could prove helpful in recognizing situations as they come up and perhaps even in time to act. Good work today, yahoo.
6:41 AM
Monday, August 02, 2004
A Common Thread
Already my diversion has yielded fruit! For I've found this little gem which ties in neatly with the news from across the pond:
"Drunk, if you like; so much the worse for those who fear
wine, for it is because they have bad thoughts which they
are afraid the liquor will extract from their hearts;" and
Caderousse began to sing the two last lines of a song very
popular at the time, --
`Tous les mechants sont beuveurs d'eau;
C'est bien prouve par le deluge.'*
* "The wicked are great drinkers of water
As the flood proved once for all."
Indeed!
For those who are either curious types, or suspicious types that think I may have made up the passage above, see Chapter 4. 3:03 PM
Merci Beaucoup, Taxpayer!
My latest ploy to stop myself from dropping dead of sheer boredom at work is more of a long-term undertaking. Unlike my previous reading, studying, and designing projects, this one doesn't require me to bring suspicious materials (ie, books)into the workplace. It does, as so many things do, require the use of the Internet. I've started reading the Count of Monte Cristo to pass the time. It may be that I'm forced to end this project before completing it, or it may be that I spend the remainder of my time here reading classic literary works. Either way, I've read the first two chapters and it seems promising, for fiction, anyway. So hopefully this will prove to be a more consistent distraction from the utter despair of my office than previous pursuits. It seems to be working better than watching the plants grow. Not to say I won't still monitor the plants or occasionally speak to them.
12:49 PM
Saturday:
It's a flawless jewel of a day. From your personal to your professional life, things seem to fall into place. What you may not realize is that your success is a direct result of all your hard work -- enjoy it! If a new cutie presents him- or herself, take a chance and go for it. You have been focusing so hard on your goals that you may have forgotten to enjoy the process as well. Stop and take a look at all you have -- you should be very proud of what you have accomplished.
Sunday:
You surprise yourself with how much delight you find in pleasing others. Make it a priority to prioritize, and you'll feel a whole lot more efficient. Right now, you have a much greater universal perspective than usual. You also find yourself feeling far more sympathetic to another person's problems, and they will appreciate this empathy more than you know. Should things be starting to feel chaotic in the workplace, explore some new methods of organization. If a complete overhaul is needed, you may be wise to call in the experts for advice. Remember that questions are rarely pointless.
Today:
Remember that your friends and family are only trying to help -- even if what they say is silly, just tell them 'thanks' and quietly follow your own instincts. Your physical state has a big influence on how you act toward others, so you may want to take some time to center yourself in your body for a few moments. It might be best to spend some time alone until you can get a handle on what's bothering you.
I've found a new feature! For those who do not want to read the full horoscope for whatever reason, yahoo offers the following:
Quickie:
If the door sticks, you may need to oil the hinge. Look for a creative solution.
Overview:
After days of tension, your mood will be much more on the mellow side -- as will your companion's. There may also be an unexpected encounter on the agenda.
The quickie and overview are for today. So not only am I tasked with figuring out what today's means, I'm also going to have to pull my hair out trying to find the connection between oiling a door hinge and today's full horoscope. Fun, fun, fun. But today's is much easier than Fridays, and therefore far less insightful.
Let's look at it:
Remember that your friends and family are only trying to help -- even if what they say is silly, just tell them 'thanks' and quietly follow your own instincts.
That's what we call stating the obvious.
Moving on:
Your physical state has a big influence on how you act toward others, so you may want to take some time to center yourself in your body for a few moments.
I think this means that I am fat, and that my body has become so large that I myself have become lost in it and thus found myself not centered. Also, drifting out of my center refers to how I've strayed from the path of righteousness, where the path of righteousness means daily grueling workouts and a more thoughtful diet. Easy enough.
It might be best to spend some time alone until you can get a handle on what's bothering you.
This is just a polite way of saying "hide your hideous self you fat bitch." Don't come out of hiding until you are 20 pounds lighter.
Today's horoscope is very mean. Perhaps today's horoscope is unusually cruel because of my failure to comprehend Friday's? We'll see what tomorrow's holds.
It is news guaranteed to raise a cheer among those who enjoy a glass or two: drinking half a bottle of wine a day can make your brain work better, especially if you are a woman.
This is GREAT news! So much better than the typical suggestion of one glass of wine per day. I typically take news from British sources with a grain of salt and a healthy dose of skepticism. But not this news. This news will be washed down with half a bottle of wine and possibly accompanied by a bit of garlic bread or perhaps some cheese.
7:28 PM
