There's an "information" union meeting today. Mostly, they're going to tell us that this next contract, our current one is up in June, will be really hard to get since the state is predicting a $15 billion shortfall. Odds are, I think, that we won't get a cost of living increase this year if we get a new contract at all.
Will we strike or even get a strike vote this year? I doubt it. The state isn't going to be pulling in enough cash to cover its ass in June because of all the fucked-up loans that were given to people when they bought houses in the last year. I think our union will quickly come to a compromise that keeps the status quo and promise that in two years they'll come back strong and the majority of the members will vote that that's a good idea.
At least they're serving lunch. Sure, the party platters of cold cuts and the rolls won't be worth the $45 I put into the union each month, but it's something.
Showing posts with label union. Show all posts
Showing posts with label union. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Monday, July 30, 2007
Crunch Time
There is a woman who receives a paycheck each month that's around $3000 dollars. To be fair, though, she probably only takes home about $2000.
She has a 14-year old daughter and they rent in a decent house that has two bedrooms and one bathroom.
She drives a crappy car that constantly surprises her when it makes it across town each morning and afternoon.
She gives herself a fixed amount she can spend on each of her credit cards each month. She has four regular credit cards. She also has a SEARS card, a Mervyn's card, and many other store specific credit-type cards. She figures that the existing limit on those are so low that she doesn't set a fixed limit.
Earlier this month, she went to a family reunion in the Midwest. To fly herself and her daughter, she took out a loan. It was a small loan, only around $1500.
And so I do the math.
$2000 a month.
Minus $100 a month for TV. (Comcast Digital)
Minus $80 a month for phone and internet. (AT&T)
Minus $130 a month for electricity and gas. (I tripled an approximate average of what I pay each month based on the whole year.)
Minus $500 a month for food. (I hope that's over kill.)
Minus $200 a month for gas. (Probably too little.)
Minus $0 for rent. (Somewhere along the line, probably before she started working for the state, she applied to the county for help paying her rent and they still help. They'll pay up to $1200 a month. So, she doesn't actually pay any rent where she currently lives. Nor will she be paying rent at the place she's moving to next month.)
That leaves $990 to send in payments to credit cards, any loans, and any other needs that she or her daughter may have (like new shoes or new tires or a new potted plant or save some of it).
And by the end of the month, she had no money left. (Or, as she usually says at the end of each month, "$6 in my account.")
Why am bringing this up?
Because we, as in my bargaining unit in the union, are not getting our raise this month like we are supposed to because this state has once again not approved a budget on time.
The good news is that we're getting paid. In years past, people have just been told to go home and they'd be called when they could come back.
Now, I can live without the pay increase. Any extra on my paycheck was going to be a little more going toward paying my student loans off. I'd rather have it now, though, so it would be doing some good now rather than getting retroactive payment whenever the budget is actually approved. (I hope it is approved before they start sending us home or asking us to work without pay.)
I check almost every day to see if there's any news about and today, I came across a column from the Sacramento Bee website that talks about how California's late budget, since it's only four weeks late now, hasn't really affected anyone, yet. It also suggests that the state work on the problems underlying the lateness of the budget. One of which is welfare.
Which, sort of, brings us back to the beginning.
I don't pretend to understand welfare and how it works. I know that it's not perfect, and I don't know what would be better. But it sort of disturbs me that the woman at the beginning is on it/needs to be on it.
One more thing, there was this comment on the site:
She has a 14-year old daughter and they rent in a decent house that has two bedrooms and one bathroom.
She drives a crappy car that constantly surprises her when it makes it across town each morning and afternoon.
She gives herself a fixed amount she can spend on each of her credit cards each month. She has four regular credit cards. She also has a SEARS card, a Mervyn's card, and many other store specific credit-type cards. She figures that the existing limit on those are so low that she doesn't set a fixed limit.
Earlier this month, she went to a family reunion in the Midwest. To fly herself and her daughter, she took out a loan. It was a small loan, only around $1500.
And so I do the math.
$2000 a month.
Minus $100 a month for TV. (Comcast Digital)
Minus $80 a month for phone and internet. (AT&T)
Minus $130 a month for electricity and gas. (I tripled an approximate average of what I pay each month based on the whole year.)
Minus $500 a month for food. (I hope that's over kill.)
Minus $200 a month for gas. (Probably too little.)
Minus $0 for rent. (Somewhere along the line, probably before she started working for the state, she applied to the county for help paying her rent and they still help. They'll pay up to $1200 a month. So, she doesn't actually pay any rent where she currently lives. Nor will she be paying rent at the place she's moving to next month.)
That leaves $990 to send in payments to credit cards, any loans, and any other needs that she or her daughter may have (like new shoes or new tires or a new potted plant or save some of it).
And by the end of the month, she had no money left. (Or, as she usually says at the end of each month, "$6 in my account.")
Why am bringing this up?
Because we, as in my bargaining unit in the union, are not getting our raise this month like we are supposed to because this state has once again not approved a budget on time.
The good news is that we're getting paid. In years past, people have just been told to go home and they'd be called when they could come back.
Now, I can live without the pay increase. Any extra on my paycheck was going to be a little more going toward paying my student loans off. I'd rather have it now, though, so it would be doing some good now rather than getting retroactive payment whenever the budget is actually approved. (I hope it is approved before they start sending us home or asking us to work without pay.)
I check almost every day to see if there's any news about and today, I came across a column from the Sacramento Bee website that talks about how California's late budget, since it's only four weeks late now, hasn't really affected anyone, yet. It also suggests that the state work on the problems underlying the lateness of the budget. One of which is welfare.
Which, sort of, brings us back to the beginning.
I don't pretend to understand welfare and how it works. I know that it's not perfect, and I don't know what would be better. But it sort of disturbs me that the woman at the beginning is on it/needs to be on it.
One more thing, there was this comment on the site:
[...]I've been in the private sector all of my life.. and if you are a vendor that works with the state, you should plan for this kind of thing... and the folks that work for the state should be paying for their own child care.. my wife and I paid for our own child care..Sweet fuzz of the Peach God, this really makes me want to quit.
Where is it written that you are entitled to a raise or guaranteed an income... and why should a Republican Senator return your call.. you didn't vote for him anyway...
Go talk with some private sector folks and ask them how they feel about your situation...
Since you both suck from the "teet of the public trough" maybe it's time you learn to ween your self away from it because we "the teet" are tired of getting sucked dry with ever increasing taxes..
Monday, June 19, 2006
No Strike
That's the way it looks, at least. The union members still have to ratify the new contract and then the state has to pass the budget. Fortunately, since it is an election year, the budget should be passed by the end of the month, which is close enough to on time for most politicians (especially since their constituents don't have a clue when the budget is actually supposed to be passed). It's only fifteen days late, who cares? Right?
Basically, the new contract give all the workers a pay increase (The increase isn't retroactive; instead they're paying the workers off with a one time lump sum. If I get the lump, I'll be getting more money than I would have gotten in the past nine months. For most workers it's probably a few hundred dollars less. Of course, for the most part, they don't realize that, they're just happy to suddenly have extra money in time for summer.), health care costs will stay the same (My employer pays a percentage of any health care premium, they wanted to make it a flat rate, which would have screwed us as health costs went up.), retirement contributions stay the same (They would have been cut in half if the contract presented to us had gone through.), the unpaid "furlough" days are gone, and a raise in pay, based on the consumer price, index but not lower than 2%, next year at the same time. The contract expires on June 30, 2008, which is three years from the date the last contract expired.
I'm relieved that there's not going to be a strike. I would have been out there holding up a stupid sign, but not chanting the stupid slogans, to support getting a real contract, but I'm glad I don't have to.
In other news, my allergies decided to go psycho yesterday. (They probably would have on Saturday as well, but I was else where.) I asked around the office this morning if maybe there was something sprayed on the fields this weekend, but was told no.
Here's what I was told and my internal response to each:
I was told that it was due to the heat.
Two weeks ago it was just as hot, maybe even hotter, and my allergies didn't go nuts. And on Thursday it was about 95 out there and my nose was fine.
I was told it was the wind.
It's been crazy windy for the past month (with the exception of the hot day), why was it only on Sunday when I couldn't stop sneezing?
I was told that we didn't have a spring, so everything is coming in now.
No. Spring started a while ago. The massive amount of rain stopped at least six weeks ago, probably more, and plenty of things were blooming before and during the rain and in the last six weeks.
I was told that it's just because this is the worst place in the world for allergies.
I can believe that, but it's not a reasonable answer for why Sunday was total an utter misery when before that I was doing okay.
Today, I am leaky, but not as leaky as I was yesterday.
Basically, the new contract give all the workers a pay increase (The increase isn't retroactive; instead they're paying the workers off with a one time lump sum. If I get the lump, I'll be getting more money than I would have gotten in the past nine months. For most workers it's probably a few hundred dollars less. Of course, for the most part, they don't realize that, they're just happy to suddenly have extra money in time for summer.), health care costs will stay the same (My employer pays a percentage of any health care premium, they wanted to make it a flat rate, which would have screwed us as health costs went up.), retirement contributions stay the same (They would have been cut in half if the contract presented to us had gone through.), the unpaid "furlough" days are gone, and a raise in pay, based on the consumer price, index but not lower than 2%, next year at the same time. The contract expires on June 30, 2008, which is three years from the date the last contract expired.
I'm relieved that there's not going to be a strike. I would have been out there holding up a stupid sign, but not chanting the stupid slogans, to support getting a real contract, but I'm glad I don't have to.
In other news, my allergies decided to go psycho yesterday. (They probably would have on Saturday as well, but I was else where.) I asked around the office this morning if maybe there was something sprayed on the fields this weekend, but was told no.
Here's what I was told and my internal response to each:
I was told that it was due to the heat.
Two weeks ago it was just as hot, maybe even hotter, and my allergies didn't go nuts. And on Thursday it was about 95 out there and my nose was fine.
I was told it was the wind.
It's been crazy windy for the past month (with the exception of the hot day), why was it only on Sunday when I couldn't stop sneezing?
I was told that we didn't have a spring, so everything is coming in now.
No. Spring started a while ago. The massive amount of rain stopped at least six weeks ago, probably more, and plenty of things were blooming before and during the rain and in the last six weeks.
I was told that it's just because this is the worst place in the world for allergies.
I can believe that, but it's not a reasonable answer for why Sunday was total an utter misery when before that I was doing okay.
Today, I am leaky, but not as leaky as I was yesterday.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Strike?
On either Monday morning or Monday night the strike votes were counted. 85% of the people, who voted, voted in favor of the strike. The rest of this week has, according to the union's website, been full of "around the clock negotiations continue under news black out." Apparently negotiations have also been "intense."
What does this mean to me? I have no fucking clue.
What will I be doing this weekend? Worrying about how the negotiating team is doing whether or not a rolling strike will begin next week.
If I knew one way or another this weekend, I think I'd feel a lot better.
What does this mean to me? I have no fucking clue.
What will I be doing this weekend? Worrying about how the negotiating team is doing whether or not a rolling strike will begin next week.
If I knew one way or another this weekend, I think I'd feel a lot better.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Wednesday, Purpleday
On Wednesdays, to show solidarity, our union suggests that all members wear purple.
There are two colors I hate wearing, yellow and purple. (I suppose that sort of makes sense since they are complimentary colors.) Having them covering a large portion of my body makes me uncomfortable, for some reason.
Out in the regular world, I like yellow and purple. I lived in a house that was painted yellow. I lived in a room that was painted a light purple. (I was in fifth grade. I wanted my room painted a color other than white. My parents didn't have any money and neither did I. There was a can of free purple paint my mom could get from school. We added semi-gloss white that was left-over from when my parents painted the inside of the house three years before. My mom and I painted my room. C'est la vie.) Those two things never bothered me. I just don't like wearing them.
I wore the damn purple shirt when I went to Cowcity for the rally. I did it to try to be a part of the experience. As soon as the rally was over, I pulled the shirt off and changed back into what I was wearing before.
Which brings us back to the beginning. It's Wednesday and the ladies in the office who support the union are wearing purple. (Some wear purple regular clothes and some wear the free purple t-shirts the union hands out.)
I am not.
Each Wednesday I'm asked where my purple is.
Each Wednesday I say I don't like wearing purple.
This has been going on since last November.
There are two colors I hate wearing, yellow and purple. (I suppose that sort of makes sense since they are complimentary colors.) Having them covering a large portion of my body makes me uncomfortable, for some reason.
Out in the regular world, I like yellow and purple. I lived in a house that was painted yellow. I lived in a room that was painted a light purple. (I was in fifth grade. I wanted my room painted a color other than white. My parents didn't have any money and neither did I. There was a can of free purple paint my mom could get from school. We added semi-gloss white that was left-over from when my parents painted the inside of the house three years before. My mom and I painted my room. C'est la vie.) Those two things never bothered me. I just don't like wearing them.
I wore the damn purple shirt when I went to Cowcity for the rally. I did it to try to be a part of the experience. As soon as the rally was over, I pulled the shirt off and changed back into what I was wearing before.
Which brings us back to the beginning. It's Wednesday and the ladies in the office who support the union are wearing purple. (Some wear purple regular clothes and some wear the free purple t-shirts the union hands out.)
I am not.
Each Wednesday I'm asked where my purple is.
Each Wednesday I say I don't like wearing purple.
This has been going on since last November.
Useless Labels:
annoying people,
idiots,
union,
work
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Norma Rae, I Am Not
As I crouched over to change the paper in the (dot matrix) printer, my supervisor asked, "So, ahhh, have you guys voted yet? You know, to strike? The union strike thing?"
"No," I said. "I don't think the ballots go out until the end of the month."
"Oh," she said. "Well, ahhh, I just wanted you to, ahhh, know that I... don't strike. Ever. My, ahhh, husband and I are... strike breakers."
I was about to say that she had nothing to worry about because she's part of a different union when she said, "It happened, ahhh, when my husband was working for a car... dealership. There were these... horrible letters. They, ahhh, threatened my husband. My house, they... came to my house and, ahhh, threatened my kids."
I stood up to adjust the paper in the printer.
"Unions are... just evil, ahhh, things."
I rolled my eyes and asked her how to reset the printer, even though I know how, but it stopped her talking. Thank goodness for that.
I don't know much about the strike or how the vote works.
I do know that on Saturday, there's a meeting somewhere in town to "discuss" the ballot and the potential strike.
Supposedly, if the union does decide to strike, it'll be a rolling strike. That means that only certain groups of employees in certain cities will be out on the line, not everyone in the union.
Supposedly, my office won't be affected since it's very small, compared to almost all the others (I can only think of two that are smaller.) and, adding together all the people who are in this union in the building, the number isn't very large.
Sill, I'm worried that if the strike is approved that my office will eventually be called upon to strike. I think this because the governor wants to be a hardliner, especially during his election year, and wants to look responsible by cutting pay to state employees.
If the strike does come here, I'm worried about how long it may last. I have the money saved right now to pay one month's rent and maybe my electric bill. Not my student loans. Not my car insurance. (Of course, I could pay the full amount of my insurance this month, but that'd leave me without enough to have that cushion of one months rent.) I'd be completely drained of cash.
Is it possible a strike could last that long? Yes. Is it probable? No. Isn't it better, though, to hope for the best and prepare for the worst?
Like all the other employees in this union, old and new, I'd like to see a contract that doesn't eliminate two holidays, force five furlough days, and make it so the employer pays a fixed amount for doctor visits rather than the percentage it pays now. Personally, I'd be happy with a contract that keeps me at the level I'm at, but I'm a newbie just trying to get away from working pay check to pay check. I'm not the single mother whose husband died last year. I'm not a newly wed trying to start a family.
I'm just a guy, you know?
So, I have no idea how I'll vote.
"No," I said. "I don't think the ballots go out until the end of the month."
"Oh," she said. "Well, ahhh, I just wanted you to, ahhh, know that I... don't strike. Ever. My, ahhh, husband and I are... strike breakers."
I was about to say that she had nothing to worry about because she's part of a different union when she said, "It happened, ahhh, when my husband was working for a car... dealership. There were these... horrible letters. They, ahhh, threatened my husband. My house, they... came to my house and, ahhh, threatened my kids."
I stood up to adjust the paper in the printer.
"Unions are... just evil, ahhh, things."
I rolled my eyes and asked her how to reset the printer, even though I know how, but it stopped her talking. Thank goodness for that.
I don't know much about the strike or how the vote works.
I do know that on Saturday, there's a meeting somewhere in town to "discuss" the ballot and the potential strike.
Supposedly, if the union does decide to strike, it'll be a rolling strike. That means that only certain groups of employees in certain cities will be out on the line, not everyone in the union.
Supposedly, my office won't be affected since it's very small, compared to almost all the others (I can only think of two that are smaller.) and, adding together all the people who are in this union in the building, the number isn't very large.
Sill, I'm worried that if the strike is approved that my office will eventually be called upon to strike. I think this because the governor wants to be a hardliner, especially during his election year, and wants to look responsible by cutting pay to state employees.
If the strike does come here, I'm worried about how long it may last. I have the money saved right now to pay one month's rent and maybe my electric bill. Not my student loans. Not my car insurance. (Of course, I could pay the full amount of my insurance this month, but that'd leave me without enough to have that cushion of one months rent.) I'd be completely drained of cash.
Is it possible a strike could last that long? Yes. Is it probable? No. Isn't it better, though, to hope for the best and prepare for the worst?
Like all the other employees in this union, old and new, I'd like to see a contract that doesn't eliminate two holidays, force five furlough days, and make it so the employer pays a fixed amount for doctor visits rather than the percentage it pays now. Personally, I'd be happy with a contract that keeps me at the level I'm at, but I'm a newbie just trying to get away from working pay check to pay check. I'm not the single mother whose husband died last year. I'm not a newly wed trying to start a family.
I'm just a guy, you know?
So, I have no idea how I'll vote.
Useless Labels:
annoying people,
idiots,
union,
work
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Monday, Monday, Monday. Been There.
First, I forgot to mention that I watched the entire debate between the Democratic candidates for governor here in California on Sunday. It made me happy that I'm not longer a Democrat.
* * *
Monday, I got in my car and drove to the shopping center with Rite Aid and Kragens to meet the bus to take us to Sacramento. Yes, the union supplied us with a bus. It's only fair since everyone who went had to take the day off from work.
There were probably about thirty people who got on the bus, here. We were all warned that we'd be making stops along the way to get workers from other towns.
We were supposed to stop and pick people up four times after leaving here. We only stopped twice. The second stop, at a place that I got a call to interview at the same day I was offered this job I now sit at, had seven people. The third had enough to fill all but two seats on the bus (minus the four that held the coolers with fruit and snacks and water). A wise man decided that our bus shouldn't make anymore stops and should just head on to Cowcity.
We arrived at our destination an hour and a half early. Joy.
I signed in, got a shirt and a cowbell, and did some wandering. Nothing extensive. I've been there before. If I knew where Jess worked, I might have tried to visit her, but I have no idea if she even works near the capital anymore. (The last I heard, though, she worked in the treasury department. One of the idiots at the debate is the treasurer of the state, for those who didn't know.)
After an hour of wandering, I made my way back to the grassy area and stood in the crowd. A lady stepped up to the mic and announced a bad made up of state workers and they started to sing folk and protest songs. The crowd started to get energized.
The energy grew quickly when it actually hit noon and the speakers started.
To me, being there was a lot like being at a sporting event. The energy of the crowd builds in cheers and other noised every once in a while releasing pressure with a united holler in glory or boo in agony.
I could feel the energy all around me and watched as it flowed through the other people, pumping newcomers into the same bizarre frenzy the others were in.
It didn't infect me, though. Sure, I waved my bell at the appropriate time and booed when the governor's name was mentioned, but I didn't feel it like the others did.
I knew going into the rally that it was all a PR stunt, but I was hoping for something real. All I heard were sound bites carefully crafted to be played on the news and written into newspaper stories. There was nothing of substance presented. And there was very little news coverage.
The union estimates 5000 people showed up. The Sac Bee estimates 2000. Whatever the number was, the question on my mind is: Was it enough that the governor and his bargaining group take threats of a strike seriously enough to not cut pay, force furlough days, and increase our co-pay rate?
I don't think it was.
PS Governor Arnie was in SF raising money that day. Is anyone surprised he wasn't actually doing the job he was elected to do?
* * *
Monday, I got in my car and drove to the shopping center with Rite Aid and Kragens to meet the bus to take us to Sacramento. Yes, the union supplied us with a bus. It's only fair since everyone who went had to take the day off from work.
There were probably about thirty people who got on the bus, here. We were all warned that we'd be making stops along the way to get workers from other towns.
We were supposed to stop and pick people up four times after leaving here. We only stopped twice. The second stop, at a place that I got a call to interview at the same day I was offered this job I now sit at, had seven people. The third had enough to fill all but two seats on the bus (minus the four that held the coolers with fruit and snacks and water). A wise man decided that our bus shouldn't make anymore stops and should just head on to Cowcity.
We arrived at our destination an hour and a half early. Joy.
I signed in, got a shirt and a cowbell, and did some wandering. Nothing extensive. I've been there before. If I knew where Jess worked, I might have tried to visit her, but I have no idea if she even works near the capital anymore. (The last I heard, though, she worked in the treasury department. One of the idiots at the debate is the treasurer of the state, for those who didn't know.)
After an hour of wandering, I made my way back to the grassy area and stood in the crowd. A lady stepped up to the mic and announced a bad made up of state workers and they started to sing folk and protest songs. The crowd started to get energized.
The energy grew quickly when it actually hit noon and the speakers started.
To me, being there was a lot like being at a sporting event. The energy of the crowd builds in cheers and other noised every once in a while releasing pressure with a united holler in glory or boo in agony.
I could feel the energy all around me and watched as it flowed through the other people, pumping newcomers into the same bizarre frenzy the others were in.
It didn't infect me, though. Sure, I waved my bell at the appropriate time and booed when the governor's name was mentioned, but I didn't feel it like the others did.
I knew going into the rally that it was all a PR stunt, but I was hoping for something real. All I heard were sound bites carefully crafted to be played on the news and written into newspaper stories. There was nothing of substance presented. And there was very little news coverage.
The union estimates 5000 people showed up. The Sac Bee estimates 2000. Whatever the number was, the question on my mind is: Was it enough that the governor and his bargaining group take threats of a strike seriously enough to not cut pay, force furlough days, and increase our co-pay rate?
I don't think it was.
PS Governor Arnie was in SF raising money that day. Is anyone surprised he wasn't actually doing the job he was elected to do?
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Weekend
Friday, after work, I went to see the final show in the Josh Kornbluth's Red Diaper Trilogy, three one man shows. Here's a quick rundown:
Red Diaper Baby: Both of Josh's parents are communists. His dad wants him to lead the American communist revolution.
The Mathematics of Change: Josh goes to college as a math major and gets run over by calculus.
And Ben Franklin: Unplugged: Josh discovers he looks like Ben Franklin and is told he can make money at it.
My thoughts:
Red Diaper Baby: Really, really funny. Too bad it ends on a tone that's nothing like the tone of the rest of the piece; the theme is totally different, too. That sort of ruined it for me.
The Mathematics of Change: My favorite. It's funny. I suppose anything that has a human get mouse cancer is funny though. It ends on a different tone than it started with, but the theme is still there.
And Ben Franklin: Unplugged: Not as funny as the first. Not as meaningful, to me, as the second. I enjoyed it.
* * *
When I got back from the show, I pulled my mail from its cubby thing and found a check in it for me from my car insurance company. It seems that Proposition 103 has actually been put into effect. (Well, not into effect, exactly, but a lawsuit has been filed against some companies.) Now, I'm richer than I was a week ago. (You may applaud, if you wish.) Before Friday, I had never considered that a law passed in 1988 would earn me some extra cash today. I was only nine when the law passed. I didn't have my license for another ten years.
Thank you, weird universe, for punishing my insurance company.
* * *
Saturday, I did something, but I can't remember what.
* * *
Sunday, I made some kick ass ribs, drove around this city here, got some new comics, and watched the last disc of the first season of Bewitched.
* * *
Yesterday, I went to Cowcity to a union rally. It was interesting, but I don't think anything was accomplished. I've got to get going, so I may write more about this tomorrow.
Red Diaper Baby: Both of Josh's parents are communists. His dad wants him to lead the American communist revolution.
The Mathematics of Change: Josh goes to college as a math major and gets run over by calculus.
And Ben Franklin: Unplugged: Josh discovers he looks like Ben Franklin and is told he can make money at it.
My thoughts:
Red Diaper Baby: Really, really funny. Too bad it ends on a tone that's nothing like the tone of the rest of the piece; the theme is totally different, too. That sort of ruined it for me.
The Mathematics of Change: My favorite. It's funny. I suppose anything that has a human get mouse cancer is funny though. It ends on a different tone than it started with, but the theme is still there.
And Ben Franklin: Unplugged: Not as funny as the first. Not as meaningful, to me, as the second. I enjoyed it.
* * *
When I got back from the show, I pulled my mail from its cubby thing and found a check in it for me from my car insurance company. It seems that Proposition 103 has actually been put into effect. (Well, not into effect, exactly, but a lawsuit has been filed against some companies.) Now, I'm richer than I was a week ago. (You may applaud, if you wish.) Before Friday, I had never considered that a law passed in 1988 would earn me some extra cash today. I was only nine when the law passed. I didn't have my license for another ten years.
Thank you, weird universe, for punishing my insurance company.
* * *
Saturday, I did something, but I can't remember what.
* * *
Sunday, I made some kick ass ribs, drove around this city here, got some new comics, and watched the last disc of the first season of Bewitched.
* * *
Yesterday, I went to Cowcity to a union rally. It was interesting, but I don't think anything was accomplished. I've got to get going, so I may write more about this tomorrow.
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