JOAVM has a new look!!

It seems I had a bit of a problem with the comment system I added to my weblog. The host of the comment system ended up hijacking my site by accident and I was forced to both post my blog at another address and remove the comment system. In the end I selected a new template and found out that Blogspot had it's own comment system. It was time for a change anyhow.

Still waiting to hear from the real estate agent. He's probably out golfing!!! The good news is that the wife and I got our grant checks today. It's shopping time!!!

Still on pins and needles this morning. Damn real estate agents!!! No call yet. I won't call, I will wait and have faith. I know we are at the end of our rope and God won't let us down.

I actually find myself dreading this weekend. Yes, I'm enjoying school that much! Today I'm supposed to go to the ski park and serve microbrew beers. That'll be fun because I like microbrews. However, unlike the friends I an going with I only like to sip beer as opposed to guzzling it. So, I'll probably be the designated driver this evening.

I'm currently going through this goofy phase with my daughter where she is trying to do the stereotypical rebellion against me. She has turned into the master of passive resistance. The other day she wrote me a note saying how sad she was that we don't communicate and that she thinks I am not proud of her. I didn't say anything about it but this week I've been making a point of asking her questions about her day and the like. Unfortunately, she's been giving me one word answers to everything and being generally closed to me. Hmmmm Who's being the poopie butt now?

I think the answer lies in our current field of study in Psychology class, critical thinking. I've always took the Bill Cosby approach and halfway jokingly said that teenagers are "brain damaged". But, the truth is they are not critical thinkers at all. She is not capable in seeing her own faults and biases. Nor can she hold out on judgement before she reviews all the facts. Ultimately, she cannot admit or see her own role in our relationship. It takes two to fight/tango/argue etc.

Unfortunately, I dunno what to do for her. As a cop I had to learn quickly how to be a critical thinker by not taking sides in a dispute before I heard the facts. However, I always found a bit of frustration with close minded people who wouldn't see someone elses side or exhibit any empathy at all.

Sounds like our current dispute with our landlady.

Well, I am on pins and needles today. We put in an offer on a house here in town. It is small a pretty run down but I like the place alot. It has character. In fact, I don't think I even told my wife how much I really like the place. I'd be up to my eyeballs with projects. Also, I'd have to learn alot of new skills like drywalling and plumbing. But, I am up to the task and I think the girls would love the place once we got settled.

Our relationship with our landlady here has took an absolute nosedive. She overreacts to everything I say to her. For instance I wrote her a pleasant email saying we need to stay in this house past the deadline for moving. Not good news I know. But, she responded the very same day by having papers delivered demanding that we move out. I guess she would rather have a family go homeless than be put out for a couple of weeks. Oh well, she is a different kind of person with different values and morality. I like to call them MONEY GRUBBERS.

Did I mention that I and really enjoying college this semester? Every single one of my classes are exciting and interesting. Maybe it's because I know I am getting my degree in December and I have short timers disease.

Just noticed that I am up to my 300th post. I've been writing in this journal for 3 1/2 years now!!

In other news...

"We are the little folk we. Too little to love or to hate. But leave us alone and you'll see how fast we can drag down the state. We are the worm in the wood. We are the rot at the root. We are the taint in the blood. We are the thorn in the foot."

The Little Folk unknown artist

For whatever reason the above song has been running through my head for the past several days. It's about the plebians and slaves of Rome who resent their masters and seek to destroy them in their own little ways.

I brought it up because I am a bit perturbed about the change in overtime rules that go into effect today. I recall an election statement made by our beloved Caesar George Bush Jr. In 2000. He said he wanted to reform the overtime rules to allow blue collar workers to "work as much as they want".

"Mistletoe killing an Oak. Rats gnawing cables in two. Moths making holes in a cloak. How they must love what they do. Yes, and we little folk do. We are as busy as bees working our works out of view. Watch and you'll see it someday."

If it was up to the industrialists and the black hearted Republicans they would have the little folk work constantly with no life on the side except for the spending of our money like good consumers.

"We shall be slaves just the same. But, when have we never been slaves? And you will die of the shame. And then we shall dance on your grave."

I know how I am voting in November.

I recall working for my previous employer who put me on a salary so they could work me all they want without worry of overtime. I speak to people who are still with GW and they continue to complain about the long hours they have to put in. It is frustrating because it seems that to be "successful" in this world you have to become a company man. In order to be a company man you have to give up freedom, family and sometimes even your God, as in the case with GW.

I knew no greater freedom and happiness as when I owned my own business and made my own way. No boss to answer to, and nothing but my own ambition to guide me. In business if I work hard I see the results. Not like GW where I worked my ass off to make our hugely inflated sales targets and got little or nothing for it.

"Rome never looks where she treads. Always her heavy hooves fall on our bellies, our hearts, and our heads."

Welcome to "Nova Roma" my plebian friends...