Sigh

I never knew much about Scott Adams. I found 'Dilbert' mildly amusing, but it wasn't my favourite strip or anything. I could relate to some of it, but there were others, such as 'Cathy' or 'Calvin and Hobbes' that I related to more.

After reading some of the comments he made and about his history of controversy, I believe he's basically an irrelevant whackado, and can therefore be dismissed.  I'm sure some will say, 'but he has the right to free speech'. Well, of course, he does--this is America. But...freedom of speech really only applies when you are threatened with government action to suppress your beliefs.  It doesn't mean you have the right to escape all consequences of your words. The newspapers and other consumers are in no way obligated to buy his products. A lot of people simply do not understand that and try to justify hate speech, conspiracy theories, and all sorts of messed-up stuff in the name of freedom of speech.

Newspapers have dropped the 'Dilbert' comic strip after a racist rant by its creator

So

Our local newspaper has a new way to try to make money by publishing an 'early Sunday' edition for $2 on Saturdays. There is no 'regular Saturday edition' for $1. It's Saturday's paper with all the inserts from Sunday, so if you get the paper on the weekends, you wind up getting the blasted ads, Parade, comics, and everything twice. So I really wanted to share a couple of comics ('Dilbert' and 'Get Fuzzy'), but they're not online yet to share because, well, they're tomorrow's comics. Drat you, Lexington Herald-Leader!

A mixed day

On the good side:

1. Heroes!--enough said.
   
2. The nice folks at the Kentucky Revenue Department set up a payment plan with me rather than coming and taking what little stuff I own (okay, I have lots of stuff, but nothing valuable, really--my car is in my mom's name and my computer is a build-your-own-without-a-brand style, and of course there are lots of books, not great for resale). But they could have garnished my wages or just seized money from my bank account and had me out on the street when I couldn't pay my rent. So I'm happy that it worked out. I received the certified letter of notice the day I was off after Cerys' death and it became clear that I wasn't going to make the deadline since I hadn't been working due to my foot. Apparently the Commonwealth prefers less extreme tactics first. Yay for calling to straighten things up. Yay, responsibility!
   
3. I found out a co-worker is alive and well. She disappeared Thursday and her family and friends didn't know where she was, and it wasn't like her to not call in to work. I don't know the details (and don't really need to, although of course I'm curious.) But she disappeared on her mother's birthday and her mom had died a few months ago--I was a little worried that she was more depressed than we'd realised and had done something to harm herself. I fretted about her all weekend. Funny how people touch you in little ways. My favourite moment with her was the child-like wonder she had at making a fluff ball move forward by walking near it. (Don't get me wrong, she takes things seriously, and she's not totally out in left field...but she's quirky and comes off as pretty innocent, and I was afraid someone might have harmed her.)
   
4. I talked to D. Her surgery went fine and she's back at work. She's got some really serious implications to deal with, though, and I hope she continues to do okay.
   

On the bad side, they're building the cubicles in the library today and so far I don't like the fact that they're:

1. A particularly yucky shade of beige-taupe (hey, not my fault, I didn't get a vote). Maybe they'll grow on me. Nah.
   
2. Sticking out further than I, my boss, and my boss' boss thought they would, so now I'm looking at moving one or two journal shelving units (each about 3 x 12 feet and full of loose journals) over to allow for clearance. Right now there's about 24". There needs to be at least 36".
   
3. Wrapped around my area to a degree that I'm going to have to move the copier and computer a few inches to get inside my cubicle.
   
4. Tall (except for mine), leading you to see a wall with a door directly opposite when you come in. My desk is behind said journals shelves and although there is a short divider, I don't think I'll be that visible, certainly not as much as I was in the past.
   
5. Probably going to be put up into tomorrow, since by the time I left at 2:30 they'd gotten the walls (yes, there's a wall, even with a door) and overhead bins in.
   
   

Also, I can't see the clock (it's just as well my 10th anniversary gift for service is a clock) and I'm not sure I'll be able to see the door. Argh. Maybe it will get better. I miss my nice oak desks, but this might work. Still, I'm being somewhat resistant to change, but then although I wasn't the last to know this was going on, I was down pretty far, and I still resent that. Oh, well, maybe I'll be able to appreciate 'Dilbert' even more. But today wasn't fun, especially as I was crowded at one of the computer carrels with stuff around me, including my desk's computer monitor, which wound up in a chair inexplicably.

Oh, well. I don't try to understand it anymore. I just stand up when I think I need to and try to let the rest pass like water under the bridge...yeah, and I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd love to sell you, too. :)

PS October 23rd is Brenda's 50th Birthday! Woo-whee! (It's scary that I'm just 10 years away from that number.) I need to find something special to bring for her at next game.

Hahahaha

Google as health plan. Check out a Dilbert from last month. The sad thing is, I can well imagine it. By the way, the Dilbert Blog is pretty funny, too. And yes, Scott Adams has googled his own health condition, spasmodic dysphonia, which isn't fun at all.

Can you tell I'm catching up on stuff that I haven't had time to blog about?