IT'S ALL CHANGED!!


yeah well.. I decided to go ahead and try and upgrade this place. This is the new stuff. The board has been upgraded, as has the Gallery. Now I have to work on the other stuff.

Take a look about and see what you think. And then take some bloody time and comment on it why don't you! I bet this change has screwed up those search engine spiders...

Beyond all that, here it is.. again.. get used to it!

HEY YOU!!

One of the things I loathe, other than an itchy arse, is having people come on by a BB or Forums, and not at least leave a reply somewhere. Even if it is just to bitch about the colour of the front page, or the price of fish.

The fact that someone would blow right by someone elses effort to connect, is just plain bloody rude, IMHO. And I think YOU should do something about it. Know what I mean?


Nuff said..

Okay, so today I decide to go out and do some shopping.. we needed some veggie's and some snackes etc. So I saunter off to Farmer Jacks, get my cart, and of I go.

Not a big deal, one would think. So you walk up and down the isles, and put stuff in the cart, take it to the check-out, and go! Oh no! Not for the Syke Man. I have to contend with all sorts of obstacles and hurdles..

Let's take the "Little Old Lady" shopper. First, they are totally in a world of their own. If you happen to be walking to close - like within 15 feet - then you have to contend with the unusual thinking these oldsters have. Will they just stand still all of a suden, or take a sharp turn to the right? How long will they stand there and look at the shelf in front of them, effectively blocking it, oblivious to you standing there waiting for them to move on? You just never can tell.

Then you have the "I can't drive my car either" shopper. These are the ones with the carts that they seemingly are totally incapaple of controlling. Either that, or they have their 4/5 year old do it, mindless of the anxiety this causes the other shoppers. I'm sure we've all met these types before.. they bump into your cart, blush, apologise, and then immediately go on to do it again. Lord help us!

And then the "I'm not really shopping" people. These are just there to annoy you and get in your way in general. They don't buy anything, or have empty carts, and appear to be alone. The bastards even go as far as to smile at you as tey pass, knowing they will "get you" later, and when you least expect it.


Well, I met all of those kinds today. Several of them in fact. I know I've got a link to grocery shopping online.. somewhere..

If you have ever had a call from a bill collector, you will probably have an idea of what I'm speaking about. It's a strange thing that goes on Bill Collectors forms after they have spoken to you on the phone...

Refusal To Pay (but not really..)

It seems that there is very little distinction between "unable to pay" and "refusal to pay".. none at all in fact! And this refusal isn't based upon an ammount you can pay, only what they ask for.

Now, I know.. if you have gotten yourself into debt, you should pay it. And that's totally fair. Except life isn't always fair.. BUT, do we have to make it harder for others?? When someone owes you money, and has agreed to pay you back 'on a monthly basis', and does so for a good while, and then runs into financial trouble and tells you they can't pay ALL of their payment, but are willing to pay something until they get back on their feet, don't you think it's better than trying to tear them down?

Isn't that what stamping "Refusal To pay" would be, when someone is trying to do the right thing? Taking them to court, causing more financial strain etc. Or is it really all about the dollar?

If so, it makes me wonder where it all stops.. what kind of sick world will we be living in in a few hundred years when everything has a price-tag.. even murder and rape!

There shold at least be an option for something like "Unable to pay FULL amount, but made offer of $$$ much"... and quit with all the threatening crappy phone calls too...

Being unemployed nowdays, is nothing like it was about 10-15 years ago. So much has changed in the work force and business structures, that some of the 'traditions' that made business 'great', are no longer followed. Now days, it's more like a turn-style operation, with a price tag involved, and not people. Welcome to:

Apply Online Now! (just don't expect a response)

It's probably one of the rudest things that has come out of the changes in the job market industry. People are no longer people, they are just commodities to be valued and exchanged according to some ranking system that has absolutely no personality whatsoever, and has no ability to explore that of others. Basically, people have been reduced to an evaluation number, based upon premises msot of the people looking at tham don't understand.

For instance, Joe Blow may have been in his particular field for over 10 years. He has years of hands on experience in the real world, and a personality that many people would just love to have for themselves. However, Joe finds himself in a position that requires him to seek employment in todays market.

Looking about, he discovers that most jobs appear to be advertised via a 'recruiter'. And so he applies for any positions he may feel he is a fit for.

Now, it really matters little about Joes personality, nor does it matter that his years of experience has taught him many ways around certain problems and situations, that 'tests' never seem to cover.

As an example of this, I can use a test I recently took. The test was for Windows XP Administration; something I do a LOT of at home, and over the last few years. However, the test covered an area that *I* have not had to look at in over 2 years, and even then didn't really need.. this was the "help" section of the OS. I've never really used Win2000 or XP "help" features. I've been a tech so long, and worked on those types of systems so much, that there is little the "help" section can do for me. Because of this, I got a much lower score on my test than I should have. Because of this, I was evaluated at a 7.5-8.0, instead of the 9.5-10.0 that I kow I am actually capable of. NOW, what's bad about that is, someone who has recently come out of school, and taken the MCSE fo XP, will probably have fresh in their mind exactly what the Help Features do.. that's great, and if it helps them, all the better.. but they will probably get a few more points on the test because of this, and therefore have a better chance at the position. The fact that *I* might also have many otehr areas of expertise that would fit with the position the test was being taken for, is basically irrelevent when someone who is not a long time person in the field is looking at test scores.

So, Joe Blow, like myself, will find that years of experience no longer mean what they used to, and that a little certificate (even if only good for a couple of years) that you pay a couple of thousand dollars for gives you more credibility than all of the personal references and previous knowledge and vision one might have according to your past.


And so, you can apply for position after position, but unless your little 'numbers' are better than everyone elses, don''t even expect the politeness of a reply to your e-mail or phone call.. aftetr all, you are only a number, and the number you bear doesn't bring in as much $$ as this other persons number possibly will, so you aren't worth the time and effort.

Surprisingly, these people don''t even have the know how or the curtesy to set up an auto-responder to reply for them.. and at least make the applicant aware of time contraints, being busy, or that they won't be gottan back to unless they are chosen for the job!


Welcome to the new world.

Same Sex "Marriages"

Here's something that is beginning to bug me a little bit. This whole same sex marriage stuff just seems to have gotten completely out of hand. It seems that finding a compromise on either side, is a monumental task. But, just what ARE the two sides anyway?

The Nay Sayers

Well, on one hand, you have those people that believe in the "Traditional Marriage", that allows for the sacred joining of a man and woman in 'Holy Matrimony'. These are not only religious people.. there happens to be quite a collection of people who believe in the sanctity of marriage. However, I will admit that most of them have religious convictions that oppose homosexuality in general.

America, being the great melting pot that it is, has a surprisingly large Christian population, and it is these people that are against homosexuality in general, and therefore against same sex marriages.

Now, rather than re-print the religious reasons for this conviction - for which they have "Biblical Support" - I would rather take a look at what they propose should be the solution.

As far as these people are concerned, go ahead and give the small homosexual population of America the same rights as hetrosexual married couples, under what is called a "Civil Union". Basically redifine 'mariage' for them, without changing the traditional roles of the Sacred Matrimony, and without God.


The Yay Sayers

These people claim that it is only right and 'moral' to allow two loving people the chance at 'marriage' and the same rights as any hetrosexual married couple. There should be no distinction legally.

They also claim that Civil Unions don't work because they don't give everything that Marriage does, and this then falls under the "Seperate but Equal" rhetoric of by-gone years. They say there should be no differences, live and let live, as long as it is with two consenting adults, why should the law, or anyone else care?

Their solution is to have the traditional understanding of "marriage" changed to suit 'todays society', and give everyone who marries the same rights.


MY CONCLUSION:

Both these groups of people need beating about the head a little, IMHO. B)

First, the secular arrangements for marriage are not governed by the Church, they are made by the Government, which, by all rights, has Gods backing to do as it must. In other words, just because religious convictions tell these people that it is not moral to allow such things, the Government has full power to do so if it desires.

Of course, this doesn't stop these 'Nay Sayers' from lobbying the Government to make sure this type of thing doesn't happen, but this seems to spark a big argument about the 'seperation of Church and State'. One that, quite frankly, is as clever as some of the religious arguments I have seen.

Basically though, most of these people should learn to shut up, and understand that "loving your neighhbor" doesn't always require 'tough love' (agape). Telling one honestly why one feels that what they believe is correct, will garner much more respect that trying to ram it down peoples throats - and unfortunately, many of the religious fanatics seem to want to do this.

Now, the second group of people also need to shut their traps for a little while. All this screaming and hollering about 'equal rights' should be thought out a lot better. My first question would be to ask "Why should the vastly large majority of the country change the traditional marriage stance - one man, one woman - to please roughly 2% of the people?".

Answering "Because it's only fair", is bad. That is not a thought out reply, and indeed creates what is called "The Slippery Slope". Now, these 'Yay Sayers' claim that the Slippery Slope is just a fallacy.. and yet, when shown evidence that even the small gains made by such pushes to achieve homosexual marriage, have set a precedent that will now be used by other selct groups, to ligitimize their own agandas, they bury their heads in the sand.

Claiming that it is only fair for two consenting adults to do with each other as they please, opens the door to much abuse. For instance, once made law, what actuall stops a father and a daughter from legally seeking the right to 'wedlock'? If they are both of age, what right would anyone have to deny them under the "consenting adult" theory? What about Polygamy (which has already been brought to court under the same argument as homosexual unions), would this be okay?

At what point will it stop?


It seems to me that both sides need to sit back down and rethink their overall strategies. The cultural and social divisions that these types of legal battles make, are not good. Neither side will "win", if indeed that is what they seek.

It seems to me that this country really needs to sit down and redo its census, asking the pertinent questions this time, so that everyone can get a good handle on the amount of people we are all talking about. Just as they have selections for "Race" (which is another topic entirely), they should also enhance the 'Marriage' questions section.

Why not also ask for "marriage orientation"? What would be wrong with listing Hetrosexual Marriage, Homosexual Marriage, Polygamous Marriage etc.. in the census options for married people? The only thing I can think of would be people then screaming about privacy etc.. Seems everyone wants to take take take, but no one wants to give a little.

Anyway.. it's annoying that it never seems to end. and I don't see a bright future ahead.. except maybe in the far distance..