It is cold....
Well, we are finally having cold, winter weather. It's 18 degrees (Fahrenheit) and brrrr. Had a bit of snow, less than an inch and it's muy cold. We did a number of activities today as we had to keep moving or freeze. Just kidding...just felt good for once. I think the snow has dampened the dust or something so I've been less congested with allergies. Of course, I have a few handfuls of golden rod in the back of the car (my eldest kindly picked them for me)...and there they have stayed. I'll probably get them out and see if I can use them for some craft. We shall see.
Looks like the Senate passed the minimum wage raise! It's a start but just the beginning...esp. when one considers if minimum wage kept with the times, it should have been somewhere around $9. I wonder where businesses get the idea that if they pay their employees pennies, they'll somehow have good workers, good service or employees that care about their work? I've heard A LOT of people complain about customer service and usually these are at establishments that treat their workers like servants. Hmmm, I wonder if the servants will rebel? I think there really needs to be more of this, actually. Protests, walk-outs, etc.
One interesting fact about California...did you know that in California, most groceries are unionized? For some reason, in PA, this is unheard of. Certainly, there are a few manufacturing jobs with union but not very many. Why is it important to have unions? Well, unless you want to work for $5 or less, have no health benefits or any regulations about how many hours you can work or have your children at the ripe age of 8 start working, you want to have unions and laws.
It's funny, I've heard of people saying oh, how complicated our lives have become. How awful, how stressful...but really, I don't think it has been that stressful. I'm glad I don't have to scrub clothes all day with my hands, that I have access to the internet, that I can go to a doctors and get treated for an ear infection and I can drive there instead of walk in bitterly cold weather. These things are definitely good things. And yes, there is stresses everywhere but it's so much better to be informed and know what to do to create positive change and balance.
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Ha, the furnace just kicked on. I'm wearing a sweater, socks/shoes and I'm still cold. The furnace is set at 59...and yes, it's dern cold. I guess I like the Jimmy Carter mentality when it comes to using the furnace...though I do worry about Odie (our cockatiel). He's placed directly in front of a heating vent so, he should be all right, poor guy. Maybe I should get him a little heating pad or something...hmmm.
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On the painting front, I've added some cute Valentine's to my cafepress shop. Just a few bits...and otherwise, trying to organize the beast in the studio. Good God is that place hard to whip into shape. But it's progressing...as well as a mountain of work I'm doing. But it's all good, as my brothers would say.
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I've been enjoying a bunch of animation on youtube. I admit I've become a bit of a animation junky of late. Everything from early Betty Boop to Flight of the Dragons (excellent) and Bakshi stuff (slightly crude, ahem).
What I would love to see is the "Last Unicorn". This seems like a nice relaxing and pretty way to spend an evening. I hope it's family related...it certainly looks magical. But I'll have to wait until I find a copy somewhere.
Oh, and one last mention...if you haven't seen it, Pom Poko is fantastic. For me, it's a metaphor for how we must see Earth as our only home and band together to protect it. Oddly, we're protecting it from ourselves...
I did see the Fantastic Planet on youtube and this was esp. moving in light of the Iraq war. The attitude of the aliens is so errie...how we invaded Iraq and treated the people there like ignorant children. If you haven't seen Fantastic Planet, take a look at youtube.
Looks like the Senate passed the minimum wage raise! It's a start but just the beginning...esp. when one considers if minimum wage kept with the times, it should have been somewhere around $9. I wonder where businesses get the idea that if they pay their employees pennies, they'll somehow have good workers, good service or employees that care about their work? I've heard A LOT of people complain about customer service and usually these are at establishments that treat their workers like servants. Hmmm, I wonder if the servants will rebel? I think there really needs to be more of this, actually. Protests, walk-outs, etc.
One interesting fact about California...did you know that in California, most groceries are unionized? For some reason, in PA, this is unheard of. Certainly, there are a few manufacturing jobs with union but not very many. Why is it important to have unions? Well, unless you want to work for $5 or less, have no health benefits or any regulations about how many hours you can work or have your children at the ripe age of 8 start working, you want to have unions and laws.
It's funny, I've heard of people saying oh, how complicated our lives have become. How awful, how stressful...but really, I don't think it has been that stressful. I'm glad I don't have to scrub clothes all day with my hands, that I have access to the internet, that I can go to a doctors and get treated for an ear infection and I can drive there instead of walk in bitterly cold weather. These things are definitely good things. And yes, there is stresses everywhere but it's so much better to be informed and know what to do to create positive change and balance.
***********
Ha, the furnace just kicked on. I'm wearing a sweater, socks/shoes and I'm still cold. The furnace is set at 59...and yes, it's dern cold. I guess I like the Jimmy Carter mentality when it comes to using the furnace...though I do worry about Odie (our cockatiel). He's placed directly in front of a heating vent so, he should be all right, poor guy. Maybe I should get him a little heating pad or something...hmmm.
***********
On the painting front, I've added some cute Valentine's to my cafepress shop. Just a few bits...and otherwise, trying to organize the beast in the studio. Good God is that place hard to whip into shape. But it's progressing...as well as a mountain of work I'm doing. But it's all good, as my brothers would say.
***************
I've been enjoying a bunch of animation on youtube. I admit I've become a bit of a animation junky of late. Everything from early Betty Boop to Flight of the Dragons (excellent) and Bakshi stuff (slightly crude, ahem).
What I would love to see is the "Last Unicorn". This seems like a nice relaxing and pretty way to spend an evening. I hope it's family related...it certainly looks magical. But I'll have to wait until I find a copy somewhere.
Oh, and one last mention...if you haven't seen it, Pom Poko is fantastic. For me, it's a metaphor for how we must see Earth as our only home and band together to protect it. Oddly, we're protecting it from ourselves...
I did see the Fantastic Planet on youtube and this was esp. moving in light of the Iraq war. The attitude of the aliens is so errie...how we invaded Iraq and treated the people there like ignorant children. If you haven't seen Fantastic Planet, take a look at youtube.
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