Nada, Zippo, Zilch

Since we've gotten back from Florida, I've had nada, zippo, zilch to do. Especially this week. Work is slow, slow, slow, the house is clean, and it's not exactly warm enough to do real yard work yet. I wish I had actual, paying work to do, but, alas, no. Which, quite frankly, I do not understand.

Almost two weeks ago, I had this big phone call with the head partner, in which he proceeded to tell me how busy they are, and they have "125 hours a month of research and writing work for me to do, if I want it." Then, he proceeds to state, "We don't really care about your personal situation nor do we need to know what it is, we just need to know if you want to work, and if so how much." (They don't even know what my personal situation is, for pity's sake. All they know is that I had to have some time off. Way to be a jerk.) He told me to take some time and think about it, and get back to them. The very next day, I emailed him and the other attorney I deal with a lot and told them specifically that I was ready and able to work, and exactly how much work I was wanting. Since they were so busy, I was thinking I'd get work last week.

Nope. As I said earlier, nada, zippo, zilch. Earlier today, I sent them a very nice email, checking status. I have not heard back yet. It's really frustrating. If they've decided they don't want to "deal with me" anymore because of my "personal situation," fine, whatever. If that's the case, just let me know so I can move on. If not, give a girl some damn work! I'm starting to wish I had just gotten a job in retail when we moved out here a year and a half ago, but oh well. And the sucky thing is that those jobs are all filled right now because retail is so bad! So I'm a bit stuck!

I'll keep you up on what's going on. But until then, I guess I'll go continue reading "Atlas Shrugged."

Our Country's Financial Woes

Even though the election is over, there is so much going on right now with this country from a financial standpoint. I had to comment on the latest development--this Big 3 Bailout.

Okay, first of all, what GM, Ford, and Chrysler are asking for is not a "bailout." They are asking for a loan from the federal government. A loan implies repayment, unlike the financial system bailout. There are actual terms of repayment being discussed and the auto companies are very open to speaking about.

Next, I have to get this off my chest. On principle, I am totally against this sort of government assistance for any business. In general, I think if businesses are badly run, they should fail. And I'll be the first to say, the Big 3 have been some of the worst run businesses in this country for a very long time. And they have themselves to blame for that--for a long time, they put out crappy product that didn't appeal to buyers, yet still had the arrogance to think that they deserved to continue to have total market domination. Sorry, that's not how it works. Also, the UAW bears a HUGE portion of the blame for this. For many years as well, they've refused to give wage and benefits concessions, even as market conditions demanded it. They've continued to think that people who put bolts in holes all day deserve to make $30 an hour. Well, I'm sorry, I have a law degree, and I don't make $30 an hour. The auto industry created a false standard of living for a great many people in this country who have no education (i.e. line workers) for a long time. Now, the shit is hitting the fan. And I say this as the step-daughter, granddaughter, and daughter-in-law of UAW member GM workers. But something has to give.

Okay, in light of what I just said, it pains me to say that the government MUST give these bridge loans to the Big 3. Some are advocating that they go into bankruptcy. That would be an absolute disaster. Who the hell would buy a vehicle from a company in bankruptcy? I predict that if the Big 3 went into bankruptcy, any one of them, their sales would fall to at least half of what it is now, which are already in the toilet due to the economy.

Many Republican Senators are refusing to give the Big 3 the money. What they don't understand are the steps the Big 3 have actually taken recently to return to profitability. I know from speaking with my step father and others all the changes that have made in these plants. These new plants are efficient. What 3,000 people used to do, 300 now do. And I have personal experience with the fact that GM (I can't personally speak to Ford or Chrysler) is putting out some damn good product now. I LOVE my Saturn Aura. It's a fantastic car. Also, the Chevy Malibu is THE BEST mid-size sedan right now, beating all that Japanese crap that people think is so great.

Another thing these Senators, and people in other parts of the country, don't understand is that if the Big 3 go away, 3 MILLION jobs would be immediately lost, many right here in Michigan. Our unemployment rate is already 9.3%, 3 points higher than national average. If those 3 million jobs are lost, that unemployment rate could be double that. Those are depression level numbers. Also, 1 in 10 jobs in the entire nation are linked to the auto industry. Bye bye millions more jobs. Plus all the small businesses that would die in the area of these plants because the auto workers are gone, and all the tax revenue gone from cities that have plants in them. Holy crap, the idea is frightening.

As I said, saying these things go against my strongly held beliefs that the government should stay the hell out of these matters. But I do not want literally two-thirds of the people I know to lose their jobs, and I want my family members pensions to be secure. So these bridge loans MUST happen for the good of the Mid-West and the country as a whole.

Not Looking Forward to Winter

So, Monday morning was an absolute traffic debacle. And no one saw it coming. This leaves me absolutely dreading the winter driving months.

I had to work on Monday morning, so I got up at my usual time of 7 and I leave the house at 8:45 to get to my 10 o'clock dep in plenty of time (I like to have plenty of time in the morning, plus feel guilty about sleeping much later than that during the week). I get up, look out the window, and say, "Oh crap." There was about an inch or two of snow on the ground. This did not bode well. Brian hears me (having for once gotten up and going before me, as he was getting ready to be a big bad hunter) and says, "Oh the roads are fine." The subdivision roads looked okay, so I was hoping he was right. I turn on the news and immediately am hit with the news that the road crews were NOT out with salt, because the snow fall was unexpected, so the roads were NOT fine, in fact, they were absolutely terrible. The Channel 4 traffic girl tells me to leave 2 to 3 times my normal travel time to make it to my destination. So, I eat breakfast as fast as I can, barely shower and leave at 8 am.

As I'm driving down Hacker Road, things seems fine, so, I again am hoping the weather people are totally overreacting. I get on the highway and within 2 miles am at a dead stop. Not because the roads are bad, mind you. The road conditions were FINE. I turned on my XM Detroit traffic and listen to the reports. Apparently, the problem was that the bridges, overpasses and highway ramps were totally frozen, causing all sorts of accidents and closures and back ups. So, I proceed to drive all the way to Southfield at an average speed of about 25 miles an hour. It totally sucked, but at least I didn't feel like my life was in danger. It was just sloooooow. I finally made it to my destination after an hour and 40 minutes. That is an hour longer than usual.

That nightmare has made me very fearful of this winter driving season, especially in light of the fact that the road crews are cutting way back this year on manpower and salt usage for budgetary reasons. It was all over the news tonight. So, this winter, I will be prepared to make my hour and 40 minute trek to Southfield on a regular basis. Thanks Old Man Winter.

Socialism...Beginning in January

So, I need not post very long, but suffice it to say that I am extremely disappointed, but not surprised, over last night's election. Basically, my feelings are that President Obama will take this country in the WRONG direction--higher taxes, more government dependence, and sitting down and appeasing terrorists and crazies. Here is a short rundown of my basic fears.

1) Obama wants to sit down with the president of Iran and talk with him. That crazy bastard wants to blow us up. He is so nuts, he denies the Holocaust and thinks we are Zionist sympathizers. Sitting down with him is like the Allies appeasing Hitler before World War II. That turned out well.

2) Raising taxes. People think, oh a social safety net is great--it's like Europe, nobody is poor. Well, I've been to Europe, and it's a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. EVERYONE is mildly poor, because everyone pays 50% taxes to subsidize people who choose jobs that make next to nothing. There is no spirit that if you work hard you can get ahead, so people don't bother. Well, no thanks. Brian and I worked hard to get where we are, had $80,000 of student loans between the two of us. We chose to do that. To hell with everybody else who didn't make that choice, and then whines about it. I am ready to start stuffing our mattresses with money to keep it out of the government's hands.

3) Obama wants to make it nearly impossible for law abiding people to buy a weapon, and wants to put a 500% tax on ammunition. Goodbye 2nd Amendment. What those crazy anti-gun people don't realize that if you outlaw guns, the only people who will have guns are outlaws. Screw that. Brian is going to stockpile some weapons, and ammo. Watch out coming to our house.

So, there is the short version of my thoughts. I am scared. Very scared that my way of life is going to get flushed down the toilet.

Short Political Statements

I am extremely glad to be able to report that Kwame Kilpatrick is finally GONE! This news makes me sooooo happy. That man has been damaging the city, region, and state for a long time now (not just the months this current scandal has been going on). He needed to go years ago, but unfortunately, the people of the City re-elected him two years ago. That goes to show that some people don't know what's good for them.

In case you don't know the details, this morning Kwame plead guilty to two felony counts of obstruction of justice in regards to the perjury case against him. In return for pleading guilty, he's resigning as Mayor (effective September 18th), surrendering his law license, serving 4 months in jail (beginning October 28th), with 5 years of probation after that. During his probation, he cannot run for or hold public office. Also, he has to make A MILLION dollars of restitution by the end of that 5 year period. He also plead no-contest in the assault case against him, which is basically a plea of guilty without saying you're guilty. Funny, huh?

Further, Chief of Police Ella Bully-Cummings resigned today, as she was one of his cronies and knew she would be losing a job anyway. As of this writing, Chief Counsel Sharon McPhail (also a Kwame-crony) had also tendered her resignation. I expect in the coming weeks, many high level city officials will be out of a job, either voluntarily or involuntarily when the head of City Council, Ken Cockrel, Jr., takes over the job (as is the chain of command under the city charter). Cockrel has never cared for Kwame, which makes me automatically like him. Honestly, I do like what I've seen of Cockrel, and hope that for whatever time he is in charge, some good things can happen. (He's in charge until there's a special election, but since the regular election is only in November 2009, they might just let him do the job for a year to settle things down.)

The second thing I'd like to discuss is Sarah Palin. None of the things I've heard in the media since she was selected as McCain's running mate have swayed me in the least. So she's a big conservative and her daughter's pregnant? So? It happens in all sorts of families. At least she and her boyfriend seem to want to do the right thing. If Sarah was a pro-choice, an abortion may have been procured and it would have been hushed under the rug. Now, I'm not saying either option is right or wrong. Do I think 17 is too young to have a baby and get married? In 99% of cases, YES. But it's not for me to decide or judge. It's a family matter. Quit criticizing and picking on poor Bristol, she's got enough to worry about!

Also, Sarah cannot seem to catch a break on the whole mommy-work thing. Now, everyone is saying she couldn't do the job of VP effectively because "her family is falling apart," "she has a special needs child she should be paying more attention to," etc. Boy, it's funny, but if she had put her career on hold to be with her family, these crazy liberals (and I do say the crazy ones, because I myself am pretty liberal on social issues) would tell her she was wasting her life and could do more than JUST raise children. Listen, as a country, if we want equality for women, then we have to accept and support the life choices that ALL WOMEN make, not just the ones we agree with politically. I honestly don't know if I will ever find a job or career that is where I fit in. Does that mean my life is wasted and unproductive? According to these same people, yes (only they twist their argument when it comes to Sarah). The whole point of feminism SHOULD BE that women now have the choice whether to work, not work, have kids, not to have kids, or any combination thereof. However, that doesn't seem to be what most people who call themselves feminists believe anymore. Tragic.

Two People I am Sick Of

Michael Phelps and Kwame Kilpatrick. I know, probably not the names you were expecting to read. And, granted, they are very different people, but I am sick of them for the same reason....they are EVERYWHERE.

Kwame-gate has been going on awhile now. The whole things makes me both laugh at the stupidity of the people of Detroit for re-electing him, and cringe, because he had such promise and he's thrown it all away. He's let his political power go to his head; he thinks he's untouchable. I don't give a crap about his affair with Christine Beatty--what some REALLY STUPID people fail to realize is that the perjury case is not about sex for Christ's sake. It's about LYING UNDER OATH. Rule one of our legal system--when you are sworn in to testify--you don't lie. Apparently only Kwame, Bill Clinton, and a few other people in the world don't realize this. Also, who the hell does he think he is, assaulting two sheriff's deputies, one with physical deeds, the other with horrible racial slurs? As I said, he thinks he's untouchable, that's who he thinks he is. Well, he is not, and he needs to go NOW.

As for Michael Phelps, I am probably in the minority of people who have this feeling that I'm TOTALLY and UTTERLY sick of him. He is not the only freaking person competing for our country at the Olympics! The media, especially the media around here, sure treats him like he is. The local media is always saying, "Michigan's own Michael Phelps," but honestly, he's not a Michigander! He swims here, yeah, but he was born and lived in Maryland his whole life, except the last four years. And, as soon as these games are over, he has stated he's going back to Maryland. I understand and agree that he is a tremendous athlete (even in my mind, perhaps the best ever, not just for his sport), but he is not God. Quit kissing his ass so much! I bet he's got a huge ego from everyone sucking up to him ever since he started swimming because he's so good. Quit giving him so much attention! Tell me about some of the other athletes in other events!

So sayeth my rant and rave.

I am PO'ed

Okay, this is why. As I discussed previously, I have started a new job, covering deps in asbestos litigation. The work itself is fine. I have to attend depositions in Bingham Farms and Saginaw. The problem is that I feel as though the firm that hired me through Kelly Services misled me. Also, they are not paying me fairly I feel for this work.

Here's the deal. First of all, I can only charge for my exact time sitting in the dep itself and my time afterwards to do the reports I have to complete. I cannot charge at all for my travel time, which is crap. All the other attorneys in the room get to, I've been told that repeatedly. I get money for my mileage, but not my actual time in the car. Again, the other attorneys get to charge this. Also, this firm will not let me charge for my prep time, so I have to eat that. I was told that it takes no prep, but I prepare for everything, even if just for a few minutes. This is also bullshit because many of the other attorneys get to charge a standard hour for prep time. Basically, the other attorneys are telling me I'm getting ripped off.

The worst thing, however, is that I am not adequately compensated for times when depositions cancel. For example, today I got up and drove to Saginaw. I left my house at about 8:15. I had deps at 10 and 2. So, I get there at 9:30 just to be told a half hour later that the plaintiff didn't show up and the dep was canceled. So, I get to hang around Saginaw all day until 2 and do nothing until my next dep. My entire morning was wasted, and I get to charge a whopping half and hour it (the time I spent waiting). And the afternoon dep went, but it lasted 2 hours (pretty average) and it took me a half an hour to do my reports. So, for being gone from my house all day, I get paid for 3 hours of work (I made $66 bucks). I also will get my mileage, but in my mind, that doesn't count. That's for wear and tear on your car and for gas money. I was told that this could happen, but I was led to believe it was "occasionally." This is the third time this has happened in a month. Huge stinking waste of my time.

I feel that this is BS. So does my rep at Kelly Services. She is working on this firm, but they are not budging. They keep saying, "Our client won't pay." But the fact is that this firm is charging 5 or 6 times what they are paying me to the client. Basically, they are making a HUGE profit off me. If this cancellation crap happens much more and they don't compensate me, I think I may quit this assignment. It gets to the point where what little I'm making isn't worth the aggravation. I'm basically truly making about $10 an hour. That is ridiculous. I'd be better off working retail.

I Can't Believe We Missed the Tater!

So, I have to tell you the crazy, frustrating thing that happened to Brian and I on Saturday.

We bought the tickets 2 months ago. We were going to see Ron White, the comedian from the Blue Collar Comedy Tour (I think he's the funniest because he's the least redneck-y). For those who don't know, he's the rotund middle aged one that smokes a cigar and drinks scotch during his routine. Part of his bit is making a joke about having the alias of "Tater Salad." We were so excited. The show was at Wharton Center at Michigan State, at 10:30 pm, which only meant that Ron would be more liquored up and even dirtier. We even made reservations at Hershey's in East Lansing, which was a restaurant that Brian had always wanted to go to while he was in school, but couldn't afford it.

We left the house at about 7:15 on Saturday, with plenty of time to get where we were going. We had a great dinner, and proceeded over to Wharton. We parked the truck and went inside. All of a sudden we realize that the place was suspiciously empty. Brian tells me to pull out the tickets, which I do. I then realize, with horror, that we are there on the WRONG DAY. The show was the NIGHT BEFORE and we missed it. There are not enough expletives in the English language to express how PO'ed I was. We both had the show on our respective calendars for Saturday the 9th, when it was Friday the 8th, and we have no idea how we made the mistake. And neither of us caught it. Then, to top it all off, we had to drive home from East Lansing in absolute crap weather, all mad at each other, and we missed our Valentine's Day present to each other. Furthermore, we lost out on $90 worth of tickets!

I hope you all have a better Valentine's celebration than we did (although our dinner that night was superb).