Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Getting Out The Vote...



Doing Whatever It Takes...

That seems to be the idea that many politicians are following this time around with the 2006 major election one week away. And I for one am sick and tired of it. But let me just say I've never ever forgotten to vote. From the age that I became eligible, I've always tried to stay informed locally, statewide, nationally, and internationally with regard to issues that matter most to me such as healthcare, education, equality, financial responsibility, social responsibility, etc. I take my voting responsibility very seriously and in honor of my forefathers (and foremothers) who weren't allowed to vote in this country before the Civil Rights movement, although they had served in the m.ilitary and paid taxes.

Hello? Hello? Hello?...

But what has become such a pain are the new ways that the politicians are trying to get at registered voters. Just this year, they've discovered the telephone. Just a few years ago, I got on the Do Not Call List that doesn't allow marke.ters to call me so that I didn't have to be bugged with their longwinded sales scripts after a long commute and long day at work. Only certain people are allowed to bug us now. One of those groups are political organizations of course. So let's just say that I received as many as 10 freaking phone calls in one day near the last primary. I had to listen to their crap before I could get to my own messages. They don't pay my phone bill. Yeah, I was peeved to the highest level. Don't they know that I had already made up mind about my election decisions and that I had already received the other 100 pieces of mail that they sent me. I called my party's headquarters to have my name taken off the calling list. But it was too late. My name and number had already been distributed to the candidates and there's no way to have all of them to stop calling. So I did the next best thing. I gave the candidates' polling volunteers a good and civil talk about not bothering the heck out of their potential voters at the polling place on primary day. Just stop it!!!

Television Attack Ads...

Now that the political "Vote for Me...I'm better than my opponent..." phone calls have stopped, the television attack ads are in full swing. During the 6:00 p.m. news, the ads are played back to back to back to back. And by living in a metro area, we folks here have to stomach watching the ads of politicians from Maryland, DC and Virginia. If memory serves me correctly, I don't really remember the ads being this bad in a long time.

When I use to live in NC, I remember the old racist J.esse Helms' ad showing a white hand on a table while a voice was saying that the person loss a job to the other person (referring to a black one.) And by no surprise, he won. That says a whole lot about the majority of folks who voted for him. Things haven't changed. This year in Virginia, the race for a Senate's seat has gotten dirty, with the current Senator G.eorge Allen calling an East Indian Jim We.bb supporter a macaca (monkey) at a political rally, and with Senator Allen charging that Webb made sexist comments about women in the military. Briefly, an ad ran in Tennessee targeting Rep. Ha.rold Ford, Jr. by stating that he attended a P.layboy party last year and having a white woman to seductivey whisper into the camera requesting for Ford to call her. Trash. And in Maryland, we have an African American running for the Senate who doesn't let people know that he's belongs to the Re.publican party in an attempt to confuse voters on election day. There's nothing wrong with belonging to one party or the other. So why is there a need for him to state in interviews that he's a D.emocrat? Why the deception? Be who you really are and be clear about what you stand for so that voters will have accurate information. Candidates, do you support the war? Yes or No. Candidates, what are your views on federal spending? Candidates, what are your views on various types of medical research???...

Beyond all the back forth talk and all the finger pointing, I wish the political candidates would understand is that voters want to know what THEIR views are, how THEY plan to vote on key issues, and what plans THEY will put into place if they are elected. Evidently, they haven't taken the time to come up with any answers, so they thought they'd do the next best thing ==>> Attack the opponent and not the issues.... *BUZZ* Wrong answer!!!...

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Great Expectations: Having It All...



The SuperWomen Have Left The Building...

A couple of years ago on a Friday night, I didn't have anything planned. I was just going to spend a quiet night alone at home. So, of course I gave into my tv obsession. However, I'm not really one to watch primetime shows. So, I turned to the local PBS station to watch a women's political round table discussion in which they discuss various issues. On the weekends the DC area is full of roundtable discussion shows on top of the nationally televised ones. This area knows how to spin the heck out of any story large or small.

Can You Really Have It All???...

The round table show consisted of women from different backgrounds (Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, young, middle age, conservatives, and liberals). The topic of discussion dealt with "Having It All," which meant having a successful home life and work life. Right off the bat, the youngest woman on the panel, eagerly presented her point of view about the women's revolution that has allowed women to have it all. She was reminding me of that 1980's Enjoli perfume commercial of the woman bringing home the bacon and frying it up in the pan. There's nothing like a peppy, over-the-top, cheerleader type to speak of something she has no experience with. So, of course, her response was greeted with rolled eyes, sighs, and "why don't you just shut up" dismissive looks by the other panelists who were older women. At one point they looked like they could have collectively pimp slapped Miss Peppy. But they actually probably weren't mad at her. They were probably a little annoyed that after taping the show, they would have to go home to wash the dishes or go to a PTA meeting to discuss why little Timmy hasn't been doing his homework or have to complete a report for work by Monday morning. Reality sure knows how to bite that backside. One lady patiently told Miss Peppy that she use to believe that bullcrap back when she was a spring chicken in law school dreaming of future days when she could come home after work in court to cook a 10-course meal for her family. It's true that a woman can become an astronaut, but most likely she's still concerned that her kids are being well fed and that the house is clean. The other ladies further explained that the "Having It All" concept was nothing more than a pipedream until they redefined "Having It All."

"Having It All": Pipedream or Achieveable Goal???...

This show had me thinking about my own life. My single friends and I use to have conversations about getting married. But with all these long-winded telephone calls, I don't think we ever discussed how life could be after we got married. All the emphasis was on the wedding ceremony itself, with very little thought about the post-wedding life. This had me thinking that this could become a "going from the frying pan to the skillet" type of situation. Being single has its has own set of challenges at times. Many of us single ladies have had to purchase cars and homes alone without the help of a spouse. It's been a tough haul and I imagined that things would have been smoother and easier had I been married, but that's not necessarily so. Some of my married women friends have complained that after a full day's work, they are having to shuttle the kids to football, soccer or dance practice; pick up the groceries; pick up the dry cleaning; cook dinner; load the dishwasher; wash the clothes; help the kids with homework; give the babies a bath; and get the children ready for bed, plus look cute for the hubby.

So, What Is The Answer???...

The focus of the women's round table discussion wasn't so much on the men, but on the blurred responsibilities and expectations concerning the modern day woman. Men and women are a bit unclear about what their roles are. Some men may tend to take a passive role in the home when it comes to house chores, because they were brought up to think that some chores are considered to be feminine in nature. And some women may out of guilt tend to do more housework to make up for working outside of the home. But really. Come on. There are only 24 hours in the day. And am I courting disaster and misery by praying to the good Lord for a husband everyday? Is this what I'm asking to be brought upon me and am I ready? Am I capable of being a great wife and mother? And will my future hubby understand that he's very much needed to make the family work and become successful? I favor a team approach to tackling everything, but then again I've heard from others that sometimes you don't find out what kind of spouse you've got until way after you've said the "I do's." I just hope that we women and men can find some common ground for the good of the family.

Side Note: Why did I see Miss Peppy in the capacity of a political correspondent the other day on tv discussing the Page incident in the C.ongress? And of course, she was off the mark taking up for those who let this go on for years at a time. I need to take up a collection to buy her some flash cards.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

The Cubicle Chronicles: Part 3



Thrown Under The Bus...

That's what's about to happen to me. Let me jog everyone's memory (and mine too). Earlier this year, I blogged about not getting a major promotion for about 10 years and being passed over for people who are related to others at the job. We've got folks' daughters, sons, parents, and spouses working here. That was Part 1. Their success comes at my expense. I need to place a gigantic banner stating exactly that over my cubicle. I would not have known for sure that I was passed over if wasn't for others (including a couple of managers) who told me what happened. With all this said, I requested to perform a detail assignment in another component of my agency. Everything has been going well there, but the component that I actually belong to is holding onto me. They don't want to promote me and they don't want to let me go. And I'll tell you why. I'm the thankless grunt who responds to the reports. When a request comes in from another agency about my agency's functions, I'm the one who writes the response. The work itself isn't too bad if I'm given enough time to do what I need to do. But after the incoming request has been sitting in my supervisor's inbox for a couple months, the day before it's due or sometimes afterwards my boss assigns it to me. Some of the requests may consist of as many as 100 pages or more. But I'm still expected to read them and make recommendations and/or comments by the close of business. And just think this assignment is on top of my regular work. Also, those who were promoted are calling me to help them do their work.

Making Ticket Reservations...

I just know I'm about to be thrown under the bus, because my detail assignment has not been extended as it has been a few times earlier this year. I'm permanent, yet my detail status is in limbo to the extent that my detail supervisor is hestitant to give me work. My supervisor (where my job position actually belongs) is back from her maternity leave and ready to get back in power play mode. I tried to extend an olive branch earlier this year by still attending her baby shower and purchasing gifts out of the goodness of my heart. But it appears that she's back at trying to control my career. I bet she's trying to get me back in there to write those recommendations and comments. As the old folks say, "I ain't studyin them." *Hmph*

Bus Station Announcement: Island Oasis Bus Is Now Boarding...

When I first received word that there was a glitch in my detail extension and my detail area couldn't keep me without my home component's blessing, I started to feel a little down. How is it that I worked hard and treated everyone well to end up at a point where no one is willing to go to bat for me? How is it that people can say that I am an intelligent, hard worker and I still not be promoted? After all these years, you mean to tell me that I have nothing to show. It's been explained to me that one supervisor doesn't want to overstep the authority of another supervisor. What am I going to do about my career?

The Bus Tears Off From The Station With Me Under It...

Well, at times like this, I try to inject a bit of humor into the situation as a coping mechanism. Yeah, I felt down last Friday, but I wasn't in the mood for that. I just don't think it's good to be down for too long of a period over something like that. Besides I had planned on purchasing my i.Pod nan.o that day. I've been to the mountaintop with musical nirvana. Seriously, what else can I do? I have a mortgage and other responsibilities. I know that I've been MIA to friends by not emailing or calling them, but I'm not one to invite alot of people to my pity parties. I don't feel like explaining my woes to them or bringing them down with my disappointments. All I wanted to do is come home (after dropping by the bakery to purchase a couple of cupcakes first) and hang out on my couch while I watch tv shows back to back. Nope, it's not a vacation on an exotic island. But the solitude sometimes does me some good to help me focus on my problems. Last week's epiphany revealed to me that it's time for me to move on to another job in another organization and to pursue grad school like I always planned (that's a whole another blog). There's no need for me to request any meetings with my supervisors or to run to the union. The answer is just as clear as day, and I need to come to grips with it. Besides, why should I fight to be at a place where folks don't appreciate me or a place where the work is boring? There's a great big world out here, and I need to experience it (the good part).

Now that I'm feeling better, I'll email and call my friends so that they can attack me for going missing for a while. Let me take my beating like a woman. *lol* But I really hope that they understand that I needed some time to think things over. My job really had me hanging on a string.