182 in Book Four: Ichi-no-Tani 2017

Written/Updated throughout the day.

10:00 a.m.
I woke up this morning in excruciating pain. Simply moving my arms or my legs was more than I could coax out of myself. So, I hit the “fuck this” button on my alarm and went back to sleep. I slept in and while the pain is still horrendous, I knew I had to get in to work. I got to my car and… it was iced over. I did the best I could to de-ice but when your body feels like it already went through the ringer… there isn’t much energy for de-icing. I decided I could not go through the day like this, so I headed to the area’s only Rx Drugstore so I could refill a Rx to help. Apparently, in small towns, drug stores don’t honor their posted hours if it is a little icy. Despite a big sign saying “Open Daily 9 am to 5 pm”; the building was dark and locked. So I came to work… in miserable pain… hoping that I had received a very important e-mail. Due to Deadlines (and the fact that I didn’t know it was my case until recently) I need to get a report from the police so I can file two items by tomorrow. No matter what happens today; that is a genuine, legitimate need. So, of course, that e-mail has not come through. What has come through is a new Criminal Complaint… so I figure, okay… at least I can see what is coming down the pipeline. Except.... when I click on it, I get sent to a Dead Page that says “Request Denied: Access to this document is denied. You may not have rights to this document or the information about this document may be incorrect. If you believe you should have access to this document, contact the court for assistance.” So… all ready today… just an awful day in Tiny Town.

10:20 a.m.
I have now heard from all of my co-workers (Ran, Jude, Cecilia). None of them are coming in to work today. Super.

11:00 a.m.
As someone whose Boss gave out my cell phone number to a “dangerous paranoid schizophrenic with no insight”… I envy the French

And for anyone who hasn’t figured out how insanely stupid the President-Elect is

I know you can’t judge a tempest in a teacup; but one of the “Political Successes” that is hitting airwaves is the “increased employment numbers.” Of course, those reporting are forced to admit… almost all of those jobs are going into service and food. No Construction Work or Manufacturing… No Office Jobs or Advanced Degree Work. The jobs are “Retail” and “McDonalds.” So… does that potentially set “Retail” up as the next “Manufacturing” Industry? The place where people go because there is work… only for it to be closed down surreptitiously?

And while this story is tragic… truly vile… it also provided another example in how Trump America is rabid for fake news. While these attacks did happen and are atrocious… the people around here were furious that it wasn’t being pursued as a Hate Crime because “if white kids did this to a black boy, it’d be a hate crime!” Never mind the fact that it is being charged as a hate crime… and that ethnicity need not be the motivation to qualify as a hate crime (the words used by the attackers and the fact that the victim was disabled also apply). But… nope. “I heard that they weren’t charging it as a hate crime.” mattered more than “No, they announced it quickly that they would be charging it as a hate crime.” Then you’ve got the same people who decry “over sensitivity” who lost their fucking minds when a black news anchor suggested that what happened wasn’t evil but a product of bad home training. Folks… I get that your bar for “evil” is lower than it should be… as you consider two men holding hands to be “evil” but FFS! I have a degree in Religion/Philosophy and a Law Degree. And I can tell you; there is reason to argue that what happened wasn’t EVIL and was, in fact, a product of SOCIAL ELEMENTS. But if we can’t even have these discussions… what does that mean? It’s… fucking ridiculous.

And finishing all of that up with Cracked.com’s 5 Problems With Movies About History (From A Few Years Ago).

11:30 a.m.
HAHA! So, I don’t have what I need from the Police. I never do. It pisses me off. A lot. I mean… we’re a slow, sleepy area. If you can’t be arsed to write your report and submit it within 72 hours of an arrest… then don’t make the arrest. One of the hard truths of the world is that Justice shouldn’t be regional. If Des Moines Officers need to submit reports, Tiny Town Officers need to submit reports. Cover your ass, cover the arrest, and move forward with intelligence and professionalism. But of course… that just doesn’t happen around here. Still have my fingers crossed that Ran might work to change that. But… haha… Defense Counsel on the case I needed to file has waived requirements for Deadline Observation. That buys me 14 more days. That coupled with how I feel… I know I’ve only been here for 2 hours but… I may call it a day and go home. Between my pain, feeling weak and the weather… might as well.