Tuesday, November 30, 2004

The Miscreant’s Dictionary: “stock options”

stock options

miniscule quantities of company ownership given by management to employees in a cynical and often successful attempt to deflect attention from low salaries, small pay raises, increasing percentages of health insurance paid by the employees, and occasional corporate malfeasance.  Synonyms: wall paper, toilet paper, kindling

Monday, November 29, 2004

The Daily Mantra:  Pain

I will not turn away from pain.  Pain is how life forces you to learn, even when you don’t want to.

Sunday, November 28, 2004

The Miscreant’s Dictionary:  “Repugnican”

Repugnican

a member of the Republican Party of the United States whose opinion, rhetoric, and actions are disgusting, offensive, repulsive, to the majority of other Republican Party members and/or to the majority of United States citizens

The Micro-Pundit:  The American West

Jennifer and I spent about 14 hours in transit from San Diego to Denver yesterday, and we weren’t driving.  Instead, it was holiday travel day and we had a mechanical failure on the plane out of San Diego.  We’ve found that the America West employees we’ve dealt with have all been very nice, professional, and understanding people.  But the corporation’s connection policies (which had us running about a half-mile for our connection last week with a baby and all the gear that goes with her) and the mechanical issues we’ve had with America West’s planes (we’re 1-for-4 on good planes) has lead us to conclude that we’re highly unlikely to ever fly with them again.  I’m afraid that excellent personal service in the world just doesn’t compensate for the crappy flying experiences we’ve had. 

Friday, November 26, 2004

The Daily Mantra:  The Groove

When you’re so deep into the details of your work that you’re really into a groove, it’s probably time to come up for air � you’ll notice all sorts of stuff that will help you improve your work, and maybe your personal life too.

The Miscreant’s Dictionary:  “quasar”

quasar

a person who vents massive amounts of energy into one or two directions to the total negligence of all other factors {examples:  James Dobson of Focus on the Family or Marilyn Musgrave regarding gay marriage}

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

The Micro-Pundit: Tom DeLay and Rules Changes

I believe that everyone is a hypocrite to some greater or lesser extent.  We all say one thing and then do something else every once in a while, and that is the very definition of hypocrisy.  But just because everyone is a hypocrite doesn’t mean we should let hypocrisy ooze by without confronting it.  Well, the Repugnicans in the House of Representatives changed their own rules to let majority leader Tom DeLay stay in power even if he is indicted in Texas on campaign finance charges.  Supposedly, the charges are “politically motivated” and a “partisan witch hunt” by the Democratic Attorney General (who has, by the way, pursued Democratic politicians just as vehemently in the past), so naturally, we wouldn’t want a GOP leader to have to step down for the duration of a felony investigation.  But wait a second – didn’t Tom DeLay get admonished by the bipartisan House Ethics Committee right before the election?  Twice?

If the rule change isn’t rank hypocrisy, I don’t know what is.

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

The Daily Mantra:  Face Life

I will not turn away from life, I will look it full in the face, especially when it is uncomfortable.

Monday, November 22, 2004

The Miscreant’s Dictionary: “Pseudonym”

pseudonym

1. a false name behind which an individual may hide from identification, notoriety, responsibility, or liability

2. the easy way out when writing controversial content.

Sunday, November 21, 2004

The Micro-Pundit:  Mohamed Alanssi

Mohamed Alanssi, an FBI informant and star witness against an accused al-Qaeda fundraiser imam, lit himself on fire in front of the White House the other day.  He did so in order to protest his treatment, and the treatment of his family, by the FBI.  He claimed that the FBI offered him and his family protection in return for Alanssi’s assistance in a sting operation.  If this truly is the case, even if the offer was only a verbal agreement, the FBI absolutely must follow through on their offer.  Refusing to protect Alanssi’s family will drive away other potential informants and only make the FBI’s job harder in the future.  If the FBI’s part in this is true, then the FBI needs to be smacked up-side their collective heads with a clue-by-four.  Repeatedly.