Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Random Stuff and Head Hunting

I was head-hunted for a job yesterday.

Okay, it is kind-of a job. One of my professors had his TA quit on him and when the personnel person asked him to submit a list of students he would chose to replace this person, he put my name at the top of the list! I am sure it is because I use terms like "personnel person." I have had him for a couple of classes, and his research is all in middle school science.  The class is all on-line, and my work will be too. It is a very good resume builder for my field--now I will have experience both taking and teaching on-line courses. This professor isn't very old; I probably have more teaching experience than he does, actually.

This situation arose like so many have in the past. You know that I quit my newspaper job in June, and that some weird, unexpected expenses have come up since then. I have been very worried, truthfully, and also wondering how we could afford to fly to Utah for Christmas. (Padawan wants to be baptized there; his birthday is in December.) And, like so many answers in to money questions we've had in the last decade, work opportunities have arisen.

It is the first time in a lot of years that I'll be working at a regular job that I really love. (I love tutoring too, but the work is spotty.) And it is the first time ever that somebody came looking for me. The excitement I felt at the offer tells me that I'm really in the right place.

The next random thing is that I just got an e-mail from Michaels that says they can give me "low-stress holiday help." Yeah, right. Going to Michaels for more Christmas decorations when there are already five boxes in my attic that don't fit in my house, is really the ticket for de-stressing. Oh, and thinking about Christmas three months ahead of time is going to help me simplify my life too.

The last thing is two shout-outs to famous Mormons.

The first is to Joanna Brooks, who reposted my last post on her Facebook page and garnered over three hundred hits! I sent her a friend-message after I saw her on the Jon Stewart show because I appreciated with how much aplomb she handled herself. (I also appreciate spell check for helping me spell aplomb--it only took four tries.) She graciously answered. On the Daily Show she was lovely and together and progressive without being disrespectful. I'm not a Mormon feminist. I just can't lump myself there, but I do appreciate in a lot of ways what she is trying to do. Besides that she was wearing turquoise jewelry with a red dress and her hair is fabulous. Go Mormon women!

The second shout-out is to Mitt Romney. I voted for Barack Obama in the last election, and am part of that 47% in his pocket for this election. I don't believe I am entitled to government handouts. Health care, food, or handouts. I work hard and help my neighbor and live within my budget. If the tax code changes I will do my part; I think more Americans need some skin in the game. If you are elected, you will be my president, and I sincerely hope that you don't write me off because it is not your job to worry about Americans who didn't vote for you. That's all.

5 comments:

Rainie said...

Hooray for an awesome job opportunity. You should feel flattered to have been head hunted.

About Mittens......I only ask because I like reading input on the matter and respect the things you have to say.

2 questions: Does the "47%" that I assume will rise if Obama is re-elected threaten to take our democracy. It seems once that number is +50 it would be impossible to defeat. I can understand those receiving govt assistance would not want govt programs cut, the majority of which would vote for Obama. Do you know the percentage of that 47 who are on the Romney train? My guess is it would be very low, that would make sense with his comments. Enlighten me. Different strokes for different folks - my politics definitely side with a smaller government system. It seems another Obama administration would jeopardize ever getting that back.
3. Okay it might sound like I'm joking and but are you better off then you were 4 years ago? It felt cheesy to even write. Sorry. I know Obama has loyal followers, some who I feel like are more intrigued with his personality then his policy's. Do you agree? I don't like that:-( It seems like if you were going off of resume's and experience to hire someone for a job, Romney/Ryan would be the clear choice. Especially regarding the economy. I'm confused why people continue to say the economy is the #1 issue but Obama is polling higher. Something doesn't add up.
Okay that was a really, really long comment. It probably would have been a better phone call.

Sherry said...

Way to go on a new job! What good timing, and what a great opportunity.

Rainey didn't ask me, but yes, I am better off than I was four years ago. I was one of those laid off in the economic downturn of 2008. Both my husband and I have jobs now. Mine is really flexible and perfect for doing the wife/mother and employee thing at the same time. In the past four years we've been able to significantly improve our economic situation and buy a house, and have a child (a few weeks away from having two!). We might be in the minority, but yes, we are definitely better off.

Kimberly Bluestocking said...

Huzzah for timely and fulfilling employment!

And I love that Rainie called Romney "Mittens." My vote isn't decided yet, but I got a good snicker out of the nickname.

Cathy said...

Rainie,

As has been pointed out in numerous news articles, the 47% is a very deceptive number and doesn't really reflect people who are solidly in Obama's camp. Of that number, many are retirees who do not pay taxes, and a great many of those are solidly Republican. Others are families who federal income tax liability has been reduced to zero through the child tax credit, earned income credit, etc. Others are students with relatively low incomes (that group does tend to be more Democratic, balancing out the retirees). Others are soldiers and their families. The real number of those on what is traditionally considered welfare is much less substantial, and a much less considerable voting block, even if they all voted the same.

Cynically, I think Romney was just trying to milk his donors in his comments. Have a bunch of rich folks at a $50,000 per plate fund raiser? What better way to make them give more money than by a) making the race seem really close and b) making them fearful of the power of the underclass? Frankly, the part that offends me the most is his statement about not representing the voters who do vote for Obama. The president represents the whole country, whether they voted for him or not.

And setting Romney's personal financial expertise to the side, I do not think his financial plans and those of the Republicans in general are beneficial to the country. We still have two wars to pay for. This isn't a time for tax breaks, and most of the studies of his economic plan that I've seen suggest that indeed the only way it is feasible to decrease the various tax brackets while maintaining revenue at its current rate is by eliminating credits and deductions that mainly benefit the middle class. Therefore the overall tax rate might go down for both the rich and the middle class, but the effective rate of the middle class would go up to pay for those reductions for the rich. The only "studies" Romney produced to substantiate his claim that it would all balance out without negatively effecting the middle class were from very partisan sources, some directly linked to his campaign.

My biggest issue with Romney is that he has bent so far to please the more extreme elements in the Republican party (Tea party people, etc.) that I don't think I can hope for a repeat of his Massachusetts governorship, where he worked together with a Democratic-dominated state government and achieved a lot via compromise. With the House of Reps dominated by Republicans for the near future, I think Romney would be a puppet president for the Republicans--that he has bent so far to please them pre-election that he will not have strength to lead them post-election. And I hated the debt ceiling crisis, I'm fed up with Congressional obstructionism, and I really don't want a war with Iran, particularly since Congress would probably expect my kids to pay for that one too. I might be able to support Romney with a Democratic-dominated Congress; I cannot support him with Congress as it now stands.

Shiree said...

I totally agree with your views on Romney, Cathy!