On tap: Federal workers, Oscar shows and Spring training
Getting if off my chest before closing time
By Jack
A few words of common sense and advice from Jack, a guy who has been around a while:
I know you didn’t ask, but one thing that pisses me off is hypocrisy. Here’s an example: Marjorie Taylor Greene, the U.S. representative from Georgia who is {playful wink} as intelligent as she is virtuous, was actually quoted recently as saying: “Federal employees do not deserve their jobs. Federal employees do not deserve their paychecks…” This is a woman who, because she is paid $174,000 as a United States representative and draws a check from the U.S. Treasury, is a federal employee. When I saw that quote, all I could think was “Damn, woman, do you even think about what you are going to say before opening your mouth?” The average park ranger, a federal employee, makes about $43,000 a year, which ain’t much these days, the majority of employees working for the Department of Veteran Affairs make between $17.55 to $23.08 an hour. So, Marjorie, it seems to me the ones who you declared “don’t deserve their jobs” are just everyday folk trying to earn a living while performing a public service. You, Marjorie, don’t deserve your job.
Since we're talking about federal employees, our elected senators and representatives stay in their jobs too damn long. These positions weren’t meant to be for lifelong employment. We need term limits. We also need to make it easier for someone to get elected without being completely at the mercy of those who funded their campaigns. Congress needs to be representative of the people, not just monied interests. If you don’t drive yourself, pump your own gas, go into a grocery store, clean your own house, know working class people, how the hell can you represent us?
That meeting between our two highest elected officials and Ukraine’s Zelensky reminded me of some guys I knew in high school. We all knew these guys. You know, the guys who would talk tough when they knew it was safe to do so, posturing like they were the roughest guys you would ever meet, never actually getting into a fight, just threatening to, usually aggressive toward the smallest guys in class. Get these guys alone, though, or around guys much tougher then them, and they would be pissing their pants, finding reasons to not want to fight. Something tells me if those same three guys met completely alone in an isolated part of the world, that meeting would have ended completely differently. There would have been a couple of guys with wet pants, the ones who went to Ivy league schools, not the guy in the middle of a war.
I hate the Oscars show. You have a bunch of celebrities congratulating themselves. I’m old school: you do your job, go home, grab something to eat, maybe have a beer, be thankful you have loved ones around, call it a night and do it all again the next day. No need for all pomp and circumstance and self-congratulation. Just get the job done. Imagine if the local plumbers union had an annual award? “And the award for best replacement of a cleanout plug is….”
Spring training is going on. That makes me happy. A bunch of young guys trying to make the team, fading veterans trying to remain in the big leagues, older AAA guys desperately trying to make it for the first time, stars not worrying about a thing knowing they are making the team. At the end, some guys make it, some guys don’t, some just barely cling to a job. It’s a lot like life, only played out on a baseball diamond.
Every night the wife and I watch the local newscast. The anchors and reporters are always transitioning from one report to another with small talk, usually happy. I worked at a lot of jobs in my day. Some people you liked, some you didn’t. That has to be the case in a newsroom. Imagine if their real feelings about each other were displayed: “now back to you, Ted, you miserable lush,” “Thanks, Kate, I know it was you who stole my lunch out of the cafeteria, you shrew.” Now that would I would like.
If you have 14 kids from four different mothers you are not a good father or a good man. Keep it in your pants, buy some condoms, get snipped. Just stop.
Some guys have a face you would just love to punch. See the above paragraph if you want one example. I’m older than dirt but would gladly volunteer for the job.
If these tariffs increase the cost of beer I am going to be very pissed. Fortunately, I am only drinking American brands. But, just saying…..
I could go on, but I have to go home to the missus. See you next time. You got my tab, right?
About the author: “Who wants to know?”
Good one Jim! I know you are not alone in those thoughts!