wow;
i don't think i can summarize this weekend;
but it was full of the most delightful things-
childdoll 's surprise shower was epic in it's awesomeness
and on Sunday my family surprised me with a visit from my younger sister
down from Boston.
i guess they met traffic and ran later than they hoped to get here
so we had a quick dinner and
then she was off again
still,
it was a wonderful surprise and i am so glad that
we were all able to
chaotically
have dinner together.

while my parents dozed on my couches
i feebly attempted to show them my paris pictures
:-(
man, i stayed awake thru dozens of slide shows-
i guess they've seen everything tho
so
whatever.

i fell asleep twice after they left
before i finally went to bed
and today i have my review
and
most likely my department birthday party
(chocolate cheese cake from Jrs?)
and i will be happy to have my cake.
my review;
well,
i have made several mistakes this year
and i am not anticipating a raise
i am sure as it was they had cuts
and
i will simply be happy to agree to try harder
and not let my anticipation of something
overcome my sense of priority.

Origins is close now;
i have some shopping to do on my lunch and after work
i need batteries-
i realized that i am going to have to leave a bag with PST
because i can't take certain things on the plane back with me
like the livewire suit dress/jacket
haha, pictures to follow once it has been completed.
i think the tricky part is if i can embroider a DASI logo
with the wire onto the front of it.

O_o
o-O
^_^

i think i am going to make a 'DASI <3 HAL!' graffiti sign;
and see if i can knock a few of those out onto some paper at the event.

i am so excited.
;-)

i have to remember what other costumes to bring-
and i have to pack my bag on sunday.

schlepping all this stuff down to way south jersey is going to = suck
but
don't care;
terrorwerks will be terrific.

right-o; back to work...

So i have been writing something this morning and it falls very much in alignment with the Op-Ed column in the times today;
Too Poor to Make the News
by a woman named Barbara Ehrenreich;
who wrote the social study "Nickel and Dimed"
an amazing story about how she left her family and home for a period of time to work as a minimum wage empolyee
and see if it really was a livable wage
a book which is humbling,
to realize just how bad the 'working poor' have it.


Here is what i was writing just before i read the article:

The distinction between Socialism and Destitution; aligning ourselves to be more functionally human than to fall further into the Moral Depravity that the vacuum of great revelations has left.

First there were the great arguments of Science, breaking mankind away from the tangled tendrils of the control of religion; Science killed God long before Nietzsche recruited anyone to wear black. God in a sense, for some people; some people chose to reinvent God, to cling to old beliefs, to follow new gods or goddesses; to follow the god of self, to follow no god or man; basically, to figure out what best worked for them. But in the gape of the changes, as the world was slammed with industry and war; with democracy and fascism; with communications and technologies that moved faster than it could; life exploded beyond the fathomable control of the future; or, the present, as we now know it.

Here we are; having arrived in an age where technology, science and the focus of the public are so sharply honed by tools such as the internet and engineering that it now stands to be that the possibility of feeding, clothing, housing and insuring every single person in the world is possible. And don’t say that it is not, because you would be lying to yourself. The truth is, the technology exists; the only reason it hasn’t been done is as varied and sundry as all of the different people in the whole world.

Let me speak on example. Americans consume, massively. Doctors recommend that Americans wisen up about the portion sizes and the way to keep an active metabolism. If we reduced our demand to levels that were to where the recommended serving sizes are; if we take all the resources dedicate to over producing meat and pumped it into producing grain and vegetables, we could farm enough produce to end world hunger. That’s been true since the 80s. That’s not even advocating Vegetarianism; that’s just common sense.

Other reasons and examples range from the selfishly tight control of wealth from the lesser, wealthy population. In other cultures entire revolutions have risen up to strip these people down and decapitate them when the circumstances of the poor became so impoverished that to see others live in such luxury amidst it was unbearable and intolerable any longer. Such a small populace controling such a large portion of the wealth of nations; failing to compensate those on the lower scales of their industry in a manner such that it ever allows them to rise above such meager means. If a CEO is making four to five hundred times what an entry level person is making; where does it balance out? How can they afford to live in the same cities, and as such, why aren’t the rich more inclined to philanthropy? Why aren’t they giving more away to help make the world a better place to live in while they are still alive? Bill Gates could end world hunger and supply the world with healthcare. He could send millions to college, he could house innumerable people and he could create millions of jobs to build said houses; all around the world. He’s even said “just give it away” to his fellow minorities. If I had millions of dollars, I would open hundreds of soup kitchens, creating jobs, plumping the economy and feeding the hungry. If I had his wealth, I would end world hunger and nakedness; like some kind of cosmic linchpin in the verses taught to me as a child; the sentiment to ‘feed those that are hungry, and clothe those who are naked’ being the essential guideline as to how to treat another human being.
These principles might seem socialist, but I feel it is the obligation of those who have to help provide for those who have not. It is their duty as the ones who have been able to be successful; not to say that they personally have to make the hard work and effort of it themselves, but that they should be setting the examples to the decree. As such, the people know it, and elect into government someone whom they believe will also help extol that kind of open handed generosity. But I am sad to report that the fonts have not quite yet been turned on. A wealthy man or woman may expect every luxury in life, while millions of children die for the cost of what might be a coffee or snack to these people; they could fore-go one jet trip to feed whole nations; one marketing campaign to educate and cloth entire populaces.

Where do we start to demand the trickle down? When do we get to establish the kind of world that the majority of people desire? We don’t spend time thinking about the atrocities of our moral negligence because it is uncomfortable, or because we say we cannot do anything about it or change anything about it but it is clear that it is something we all would wish to see happen. Instead, companies that could win our loyalty simply by acts of great generosity pollute the world with ads, videos, lights and exposure; we are suffocated by the junk surrounding us, glutted on products and convenience while there are still developing third world countries that are desperate for our compassion and help.

-------------------------------------
i am glad that i am not the only person whose thoughts turn towards this topic; and this authoress has long garnered my admiration for her reporting. i had hoped to touch upon healthcare as well as food and clothing; and housing; unspoken rants of that building houses creates jobs and houses people at the same time; how healthcare should be a right and not a benefit; and how teachers, humanitarian workers (Firefighters, EMS workers, first responders, 'volunteer' type jobs), public works and police officers should be paid more for the risk and taxation their jobs provide. Someone who saves children and grandmothers from fires should totally be making more than that snubnosed prick who just depleted your portfolio so that he could afford a yacht he never uses. Seriously, you would think you wouldn't have to explain such reasonings to people, but the elite rich have a sway over the media and the republicans try to cry socialism when anyone who isn't 'out for number one' tries to implement a system where truly no one is left behind.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

an hour and fifteen until my review. Ugh, i just want it to be over....

speaking of the poor;
i realize that i will be utterly broke for origins;
between all of my bills and the materials i need to buy tonight.
i will have a little bit of money on friday of origins, but it means that tuesday, wednesday and thursday
i will either be hungry and too proud to beg
or reduced to accepting food on the generosity of friends.
i hope that neither of these things comes to pass;
that perhaps i will have some grace in the overlap of my Cable bill vs my pay date.

i have to be careful not to get ahead of myself with these projects
and i am lucky i have most of what i will need already.

one hour to go.

My review;
despite some serious mistakes
was still one of departments top reviews, a 3.5 of 4.
Once the raise percentages are approved;
i will get the specs on what i can expect;
we are guessing that with the times it might be about 3%;
which is i guess like 60 cents an hour.
((this same score last year would have netted me 6.5%))
it will bump me up tho
i won't say no to more money
however slight it is.

what a relief;
how silly of me to ever have doubted myself.

^_^