Sharing photos, videos, vintage images I've discovered, and -- occasionally -- commentary and thoughts from retired life and travels.

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Applying for Unemployment

January 25, 2009


Posted on flickr by royal_broil

On my last job, one of my coworkers asked me if I was going to put in for unemployment when my contract was finished.

“I hadn’t really thought about it,” I told him.

“You really should, ” he said.  “After all, you’ve been paying for it all these years. It’s your right. I’m going to when I do contract work after I retire.”

He went on about it a while longer, but I didn’t have much to say on the subject.

I thought about it for a while, though, and concluded that, no, I was not going to apply for unemployment.

While the extra income would be helpful, I didn’t need it and, after all, it’s supposed to be used to help those who need it bridge the gap between jobs.  I wasn’t going to be looking for another job.

For that matter, I didn’t actually need the contract job that I was working.  It was helping to pay off some debt and, while I was working, we weren’t having to use any of our investment funds.

So, since I went to work when I didn’t need to, it just didn’t seem right to me to apply for unemployment.  It felt like taking advantage of the system.  (I’ll have more on this in a later post.)

What do you think?  Should I have applied for unemployment?

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Doofus state park dude at it again!

December 8, 2008


Inspired Parking
 Posted on Flickr by richardmasoner

I was at the building supply store the other day and that young, healthy, and spry doofus state park dude was parking his official state park vehicle in the loading zone again.

Fortunately, though, I didn’t need to pick up anything outside so he didn’t inconvenience me and he wasn’t directly in front of any of the building materials that are stored outside for easy loading for customers.

Still, he seems to regard the loading zone as a parking spot for official vehicles.

I wonder if he does the same when he uses his private vehicle.

Probably not.

He probably parks his private vehicle in handicap parking, even though he’s young, healthy and spry.

For background on this rant, read Why do people park where they’re not supposed to?

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Opportunity in Unsettled Times

November 25, 2008


One of my favorite places in the world is 20 miles from the nearest town and seven miles from the nearest road.  Nearly treeless except for those few planted to provide breaks from the harsh winds of winter, it is a broad expanse of lush grass covering the dunes of an ancient desert — land unforgiving of those who tired to break it to the plow — land perfect for ranching.

I never knew the whole story of how the ranch came to be.  All I can remember of it is that a farmer in the days of the Great Depression, with no market for his crops and beef, was able to save his land and his herd by being able to buy a large supply of grain at extremely low prices.  As a result of taking advantage of an opportunity in an unsettled time, the family was able to make it through the hard times and, a little later, buy 21 square miles of range land where the farmer’s son and his bride settled in 1941.

The ranch hold significant positive memories for me. Experiences associated with the ranch, its owners and their family helped shape who I am.   The ranch — a result of a farmer taking advantage of an opportunity in an unsettled time.

The world again faces unsettled times — and opportunities.

What kind of new opportunities might be on your horizon?

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Why do people park where they’re not supposed to?

November 13, 2008


Inspired Parking
 Posted on Flickr by richardmasoner

Quick answer:  because they are lazy, don’t want to walk any further than they have to and basically don’t care if it inconveniences others.

The ones that really bother me are those who park in handicap spots when they don’t have a disability license plate or mirror hang tag.

I also get irritated when someone with a disabled tag zooms into one of these spots, gets out and goes into whatever establishment it is with no indication of a disability whatsoever.  Those spots are for people with medical conditions that make it difficult for them to get around!  If ya can get around okay, park somewhere else!

Of course there are a lot of other examples of people parking in places that they shouldn’t.

What set me off on this was the way a doofus state park dude parked his truck at the building supply store yesterday.

I had gone to Lowes to pick up twenty 80 pound bags of concrete mix.  They keep a large supply outside that customers can back right up to for loading — in a loading zone.

Guess where doofus state park dude parked.

That’s it.  Right in front of the place I was going to need to back up to — in the loading zone!

I figured it was probably be a while before he got done, that he probably had a load of something that need to be loaded onto the truck, so I took a little bit of time to walk around the store — and there he was, by the paint counter, doofus state park dude in his uniform.  Doofus state park dude was a park ranger!

By the time that I got back to the checkout area, doofus state park ranger dude was at one of the counters.  Another register was open, with no customers in line there, so I went to there.  Turned out the two ladies at that counter were doing some register magic that took both of them and took a couple of minutes, but I was still out of the building before doofus state park ranger dude.

On the way out, a skinny young fellow asked me if I was the one getting 20 bags of concrete.  I guess that he was going to be loading it for me.  As I went to get my truck, he went over and started cutting the plastic off of one of the pallets of concrete mix.  Unfortunately, it was the one furthest from where I backed the truck up to, which was the closest place I could back up to without blocking access to doofus state park ranger dude’s truck bed.  So I backed up in front of doofus state park ranger dude’s truck — and I hoped he would be done and out before my truck was loaded, not that I would have said anything.

I mentioned to the skinny young fellow that was going to be loading that I really hated it when people parked like that.  He agreed and said that sometimes they had to go into the store to get people to move because they were blocking others.

As I was pulling away from the loading zone after we had loaded all 1600 pounds of concrete mix, I looked in the mirror and saw that the skinny young fellow was talking to doofus state park ranger dude, who was looking in my direction.

Wonder if the kid said anything.

How about you?  Do you have any parking peeves or stories?

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“That Obama scares me.”

November 8, 2008

obama posterI overheard it the day before the election.

“That Obama scares me.”

I tried to believe that his fear was of the changes that are going to occur as a result of this election.

I really would like to believe that.

But I know better.

It was fear of something different, of someone different.

“HE isn’t like us.” “HE looks different.” “HE sounds different.” “HE can’t be a real American.” “HE pals around with Bill Ayers, a domestic terrorist.” “HIS preacher teaches hate.” “HE’s a Muslim.” “I can’t vote for him, HE’s…, HE’s…, not white.”

“THAT Obama scares me.”

“THAT one.”

Despite the misinformation campaigns, the hate ads, the robocalls, and racial bias, the American electorate overwhelming elected THAT one — the SENSIBLE one — the RIGHT one.

Yes, WE can!

Yes, WE did!

The change is started.  It’s going to take some time.

Some people aren’t going to like it.

It’s not going to benefit everyone.

I’m not going to like everything about it.

But the nation was off course.

The nation needed a new heading and there will be a new hand on the tiller.

Yes, we can!

I’m not afraid of Barack Obama — Never was.

Note: This commentary is not intended to imply that all who voted for McCain and against Obama were racist.  In my view, race was not an issue for the majority of those who voted for the Republican candidate, but there were many voters who were influenced by race and/or the campaign ads and speeches that were designed to foster fear — and that is what this post is addressing.

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“I’m not _______, but…”

October 14, 2008

I voted, did you

“I’m not prejudiced, but…” or “I’m not racist, but…”

The “but” says it all to me…, regardless of what comes after the “but.”

Everyone has prejudice to some degree.  When I was a teen in the 60s and very early 70s, I often said, “The only thing I’m prejudiced against is prejudice.”  Older now, I acknowledge that I’ve had my share of prejudices, some of which I still struggle with.

When someone says, “I’m not prejudiced,” I’m skeptical.

I was watching a video online the other day when a guy actually said, “I’m not prejudiced or a racist, but there ain’t any way that I’m going to vote for a black man.”

The best I can say about that is that it’s partially honest. Because of his prejudice, he is unable to vote for a black person.  It’s too bad that he can’t get past that and vote on the issues rather than the color of a man’s skin.

On an individual basis, I do not care who anyone else is voting for. That’s their personal choice — and, unless they tell me otherwise, I choose to believe that their choices are for reasons other than race or ethnicity.

Hopefully, more people than normal will be able to answer, “Yes,” if someone says, “I voted! Did You?” — and , hopefully, the result will not be significantly influenced by prejudice.

What comes to your mind when you hear someone say, “I’m not prejudiced, but…?”

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