Day 12 Month 1 Year 2016 in BookThree: Flight Log 2016

Oh… work. Got into the office today… Budget Bitch is freaking out again. HOW can our department keep spending money?! Uhm… labor. When you have employees… that is kind of a repeated expense. We spend money on a repeating basis to pay for labor. Nope… she still can’t grasp… HOW can our department keep spending money?! So… we might be looking at even more cut backs. Which is going to upset the wife. Because she doesn’t want me working less hours (as previously discussed). I don’t blame her, either. It would be nice to not live in poverty. But somethings cannot be avoided, it would appear.

Speaking of work, though.... I tend to do what I can. I won’t spend 4 hours on one case (I’m not the attorney); but I tend to help where I can. In the jail setting (I’m sure much like real life) that is handled in two distinct ways. Either the individual is grateful for whatever help I can provide; or the individual is upset that I cannot provide more assistance. This isn’t a matter of “I’ll give you all the laws because I like you. I’ll give you none of the laws because I hate you.” This is more, “I can’t give you that information but what I can tell you is the following.” It just makes me think… with some: if you give a mouse a cookie, he’s going to say thank you and enjoy the cookie. With others: if you give a mouse a cookie, he’s going to want a glass of milk.

RANDOM LEGAL GRIPE:
Stolen Valor 9th Circuit Court Case. Now… I am a big supporter of the First Amendment. I even support people I disagree with. If you want to protest a church or mosque or government office or whatever… yes. You have the Constitutional Right to do that. But this one gets sticky for me. Because while non-verbal speech can be protected speech… this just sounds like the Country disrespecting the meaning of the medals. If you want to wear the medals at home? Fine. You bought ‘em, enjoy ‘em. They are a costume piece. If you want to wear the medals TO COURT? No. No no no no. I do not agree with someone being able to hold themselves out as someone who earned those medals when they in fact did not. And I can’t believe our country would say that they can do that. Because it diminishes the meaning of the medal. And we have laws that deal with this in other aspects! I can’t hold myself out as a doctor if I am not one. I cannot hold myself out as an attorney if I am not one. I cannot hold myself out as a police officer if I am not one. Why do we treat this any differently?

I called back for the Blackhawk County interview. The interview will be on Friday. So there’s that. Still expecting it to be a bust and a Courtesy bullshit but… whatever.

Last night.... I really should write about it. After sinking into a massive depression, I started drinking (not helpful) and began sobbing a little.... RIGHT when Wife came home. Just… shitty timing. Her response? “How much have you been drinking?!” Because… that’s the only reason why I would be crying? I kind of opened up on her. Telling her that I am massively depressed, pointing out that I’ve told her those exact words earlier today, the whole job thing makes me feel worthless, and then not being wanted by any jobs and not being wanted by her makes me feel lower than I have the ability to describe. She starts crying. She starts talking about how broken she is and how she can’t help it. I don’t even let her continue… I say right there, “And again, again you make it about yourself. I’m hurting deeply. I am in massive need. But you want to make it about you.” And… that is kind of where we left it. She doesn’t know how to give me what I want or need. Maybe I’m cruel to expect differently. Maybe I’m an asshole to want my wife to help provide emotional support or to want my wife to make me feel like I’m loved or wanted. Maybe.

I like that image. Because for MANY (no matter what job) this is the truth. The vast majority of the money is funneled into “top tier salaries.” In some companies… the money is wisely invested in the business… new strategies, new product, new methods… but in far too many companies today… there is a lack of serious “re-investing” as the people in power gobble up the capitol.
I made the hideous mistake of reading the comments section on the original posting of this picture, though. :( Almost everyone that was critical of the sentiment said “Get an education, get a different job!” or “Minimum wage isn’t supposed to be a living wage; get an education and stop bitching!” I suppose I understand that there are people in the world who will never see from someone else’s perspective but.... the repeated drum of “Get an education”? Are you serious? Do we need to do the dance again? Going to college is getting more expensive every year… the job market still sucks… so people WITH a good education are winding up in jobs that don’t pay them enough to both survive and pay back their college loans… so no “get an education” is not an appropriate response. Besides… have we forgotten the old rule? The world needs ditch diggers, too. And if ditch diggers can’t afford food and housing… nobody will be a ditch digger (or the people that are will need to resort to drastic means to survive). EVERY job should pay their employees well enough to survive… and if we want an America that has a thriving economy? EVERY job should pay their employees enough to survive and shop… we are a consumer economy… if nobody has enough money to buy things, the economy crumbles. Simple.