Stuck in Mexico

My former "assistant" ran off with her boyfriend.  Her boyfriend is from the UK, but he can't come to the US because of something on his record. 

I severed her employment just in time.  Despite being paid handsomely to do nothing for the last 10 years she slapped an unemployment claim on me within seconds of walking out the door.  That was January 31.  A couple of weeks later, she left for Mexico to meet up with Boyfriend.  I have no idea as to how she is going to search for a job, which is a requirement to receive unemployment, from the beaches of Mexico but that is for the EDD to figure out. 

Now the virus hits.  Both the UK and USA have travel restrictions.  They are pretty much stuck there in Mexico until this blows over.  All they have is each other. 

Be careful what you wish for. 

Waiting for your check?

.....stand in line.  Everybody is waiting for their check as well.  Here's something I want to point out.  Congress passes legislation, but then pawns it off on the assorted agencies to administer.  You're out of your mind if you think all the assorted agencies can make rhyme or reason out of this hastily passed legislation that still has many pending questions. 

This cluster muck is about to get really complicated.  From what I've read, this is no gimme.  The checks coming in the mail are a tax credit and not money falling out of the sky.  Sure, it looks great today.  Come filing season next year you won't get a refund because you got it now. 

The government gives, and the government takes.  Do you really think they are going to pass legislation where it does not get repaid, somehow, on the backs of taxpayers? 

You're welcome, corporate CEO's. 

It's about to get UGLY

....and I'm not even referring to my lack of nail and hair care.

My advice to business owners:  Shut down your operations completely or mandate that everybody work from home with no contact with anybody work-related whatsoever, and put that in writing and get the employee's signature (via DocuSign of course).

I can hear the business owners whining now, "But we are an essential business, we HAVE to stay open."

Really?  If business owners want to play with fire by thinking they are "essential" I have something for them to consider.

If business owners close their doors and shut down completely, there is financial help available for loss of income and the delay of paying expenses due to the pandemic.  Sure, it's not going to appear immediately but it's there.  Also, LAY OFF YOUR EMPLOYEES VIA WRITTEN NOTICE AND ADHERE TO FINAL PAYCHECK REQUIREMENTS OF CA LAW.  I know that hurts, but you want to line your legal ducks up in a row.   Written notice of a layoff is not required by CA law, but do it. 

If an ice cream shop owner decides he's running an "essential business" just know that you're subjecting your employees to exposure.  Are you providing protective equipment?  Are you adhering to all the sanitary requirements?  Are you retaliating against employees who don't feel comfortable working?  Are you posting all the new federal requirements that came out just a couple days ago?  My guess is no.  When the inevitable happens, meaning one of your employees comes down with COVID-19 or has direct exposure to it, you are opening up yourself to a lawyer's paradise who will represent your disgruntled employee(s).  Your business insurance, workers' compensation, whatever, will not cover you.  You made the business decision to remain open - despite direct government warnings to close your doors.

Business owners have two choices:  Close your doors and take your financial hit up front; or two, remain open and tie yourself in lawsuits that will exhaust you mentally, physically, financially, and THEN bleed you dry.  Take your pick. 

One Week

It's been one week of 'shelter-in-place' and everybody has lost their minds.  An acquaintance who is a real estate agent reports of being extremely busy as people want to put their houses up for sale.  Let's think about this.  One week?  One week of economic volatility and everybody wants to throw in the towel?   That tells me that nobody has any cash and our economy is more fragile than we think.  Like Warren Buffet says, "It's only when the tide goes out do you discover who is swimming naked."

Looks like lots of people are swimming naked.  Close your eyes. 

The other thing that I find irritating is that so-called Trump enthusiasts, who love capitalism to the core, are now complaining they need a bailout of sorts.  Especially the CEO's of large companies who have received millions in bonuses.  They only like capitalism when times are good.  Now they want the social net of the collective tax payers.  Can't have it both ways, boys.  If you like capitalism when times are good, you have to suck it up when times are bad and plan for the bad times as they are inevitable.  Irresponsible hypocrites. 

What else can I complain about today? 

Nothing has changed since 2008.  Nothing has changed since the beginning of time.  Sure, the root of the crisis has morphed a bit but it's all the same old story.   The greedy will always be greedy.  The power hungry will always crave power.  The little revolution happens and then there's a change of policy and laws for a while, amid fervent statements about fairness and equality going forward, but it always ends up exactly where it started. 

Prove me wrong. 

Be STILL

The selfish part of me is really liking this social distancing.  For the first time in many, many moons I'm able to enjoy being at home without guilt nor social obligations and the stress that goes along with it (i.e., Christmas).  I've stated many times as well that I'll never be bored.  So many books to read.  So many flowers to tend to.  So many weeds to pull.  So many dog poopies to clean up.  However, I do miss my dance class.

Why people are so afraid of being still and looking within is beyond me.  Now I'm being bombarded with invitations to online social events.  Sorry, I like not having to adhere to a schedule.  I like not having somebody shove a cell phone in my face stating "Oh, you HAVE to see THIS."  [Insert dumb video or joke you've already been subject to 1,000 times already]

Side rant:  I *hate* it when people shove their cell phones in my face.  They think their pictures or videos or whatever should be the epitome of my existence.  I especially hate it when I'm in the kitchen trying to cook.  It's like looking at somebody else's vacation photos.  They think it's great.  I'm irritated.

Side Rant Part 2:  Stop clogging up beaches and parks that are not in your neighborhood.  If you have to drive there, you don't need to go there.  Shelter in YOUR place, not somebody else's.   Don't be selfish.  This is not an extended weekend for you to play nature tourist. 

Getting back on track now.

Be OK with being still, people.  Look within.  Meditate.  Read.  Cook.  Learn an instrument.  Sit on your front porch and talk to people as they walk by with their kids or dogs.  I bet you never realized John Doe, with whom you share a love of German Shepherds, lived three blocks behind you until you greeted him from the safe social distance of your front deck as he walked by.

All this social distancing can bring us together.  Ironic.  

April Fool's Day

[Landlord to Tenant]  Hey, it's April first.  I need you to pay your rent.

[Tenant to Landlord]  Sorry, but I have not worked in three weeks.  I don't have the money.

[Landlord] Well, I need your rent money to pay the mortgage on this place.  I can't afford not to have the rental income stream.

[Tenant]  Again, I just don't have it.  My employer has put me on furlough and I've filed for unemployment, but unemployment benefits cover only about 1/2 my income.  I've got other obligations like my medical insurance premium, too.

[Landlord]  How is that *my* problem?  You signed a contract stating you would pay me rent.  There's no contingency in the rental agreement stating that you paying me is dependent on your employment status.  Borrow money from the Bank of Parents if you need to. 

[Tenant]  Calm down.  We are not the only people in this situation.  Besides, you can't kick me out because I can't pay my rent.

[Landlord]  I can make your life a living hell.  If you don't cough up (no pun intended) the rent money I'll shut off your PG&E and water. 

[Tenant] And I can make your life a living hell by trashing the place. 

.....and so it goes.  Landlord needs the rental income from Tenant.  Tenant needs a place to live.  Let the economic meltdown begin. 

The Virus Blame Game

Stop it.  Each political side is blaming the other for down playing the virus.  Here's the truth:  The democrats were too hell bent on impeaching Trump to act on the warnings.  Trump down-played the warnings (can't blame him for his mistrust of the media).  Restrict travel?  Noooooo that's RACIST. 

If the government cared they would have put all their power grabs aside and dealt with this.  But then again, what is there to deal with?  The genie (virus) is out of the bottle, folks.  It's all damage control at this point.  We love our personal freedoms too much to have dealt with this by employing martial law.  The media cries 'wolf' constantly.  How were we to discern this was even a real threat? 

We did this to ourselves.  There's nobody to blame. 

It's all a HOAX

The media has cried 'wolf' too many times.  All the hysteria the media has stirred up in the past (i.e., the year 2000) over events that never manifested has caused us all to become numb to their constant shock and fear mongering vying for two seconds of our attention. 

Another end-of-the-world apocalypse?  Again?  (yawn).  Change the channel to the Flintstone's. 

That, my dear friends, is why this is playing out the way it is.  You mean the media over-hype is real this time?  How can the public be blamed for the nonplussed reaction?   

Nevertheless, my hope is that this really does go down in history as a hoax.  That means we all did our jobs by not spreading it.

On another note, it would not break my heart one bit if all the plastic, useless doo-dads China exports ceased production.   We really don't need plastic trinkets of any kind.  Think of how that will help the planet.  Working from home?  Think of all the cars that are NOT on the road.  Restaurants closed?  Think of how people will make healthier food choices.  Yes, I'm being over-simplistic but see where all this is forcing to look? 

We Are All Un-Necessary

....well, most of us are unnecessary.  I put myself in the unnecessary camp in case any of you are wondering.  My calendar has been cleared of meetings and travel.  I've never been happier.  Whatever we need to accomplish is going to be via teleconferencing (which I have been vying for).  I never really understood why my industry likes to travel so much.  Sure, it's great if you don't have any commitments at home nor a social life that does not involve people you work with.  Granted, I've stayed at some pretty nice places that I would never have been able to visit otherwise. 

While I'm bashing travel, I'm going to call myself out on my own hypocrisy.  I'm kind of bummed that the trip to Europe that has been planned will more than likely be called off.  My work had this great trip planned to: Switzerland, Prague, Bavaria, and Budapest.  The highlight of the trip was the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the Passion Play in Oberammergau. To top it off, we have first-class airline tickets that makes international travel bearable. It's kind of ironic that illness will be the barrier to seeing the Passion Play.  I've been brushing up on my German and Czech. Thankfully, my mother is a native speaker of Czech and is a great resource. 

Staycation

I'm excited about not having to be around people.  I have the perfect excuse to stay home - and for once it's encouraged.  I have plans to do some deep spring cleaning and de-cluttering.  I have plans to dig into the yard (pun intended).  I have plans to put together photo albums (finally).  I have plans to read some books.  I have plans to redecorate some sections of the house.  I have plans to get caught up on movies that have been on my "I want to watch this someday" list for 33 years. 

This is great. 

In a weird way it's nice just to stay put for a while.  We as a society run around like chickens with their heads cut off.  Just think of all the pollution that is not happening because everybody is home. 

I'm sorry for the people who have contracted the virus and are gravely ill.  I get this glorious staycation at their expense. 

Corona Virus: Have you HEARD????

Enough already.  We all know it's all around us.  Now every a*s*l* on the planet feels the need to post some sort of public service announcement. 

"Wash your hands, and don't pick your nose."

Thanks, Einstein.

Is this what it takes for people to stop wiping their nose with their hands and touching communal doorknobs? 

....and to think humans are supposed to be so intellectually superior. 

Russian Meddling: Super Tuesday

Are the democrats going to now complain that their shoe-in, Biden, was the center of a plot by the Russians in obtaining votes?  Of course not.  Sleepy Joe gave dismal performances at the debates.  Nobody, except those trying desperately to regain their lost power (cough, cough, establishment democrats) gave Sleepy Joe Biden a snow ball's chance in H-E-double hockey sticks.

How did Biden come from so far behind?  There MUST be an evil meddling by the Russians.

Sorry, I don't believe for one second that Biden obtained the popularity he did.  As I said before, our only hope for any real change comes from Sanders or Trump.  It's ironic that they are on opposite sides of the political spectrum.  Together they are against the entrenched politicians.  Here's a thought.  What a powerful force they would be if they teamed up.  They would be the Yin and Yang.  Perfect balance.  If it's good enough for the universe, it's good enough for us. 

Corona Virus: An Introvert's Dream

I'm an introvert.  All this hype about the Corona virus and the cancellation of conventions, air travel, meetings, and avoiding group settings in general is an introvert's dream come true.  Yipeeeeeeeeee!!!!  We don't have to make excuses just for wanting to be left alone in our little bubble undisturbed. We will happily self-quarantine. 

No, I don't have to stand next to you and make small talk.  I don't have to shake your hand.  I don't have to have you invade my space with "hugs" and all that other bs.  I get to keep my distance for once and not be made out to be some sort of freak or being labeled as 'not a team player' or aloof. 

Let's hope this lasts for a long time.  I love having an excuse that the rest of society finally understands for me just wanting to be left alone.  

Biden????? Nooooooooooooooo

Yes, the establishment is still trying to shove Biden down our throats.  Despite dismal performances at the debates, somehow he is magically a contender. 

This whole scenario smells to high heaven. 

The establishment is desperate to have one of their own back in the oval office.  At what price?  Your price, my friend.  You can continue to count on messed up health care, and employers trampling all over their employees.  Wait.  We are not even employees anymore.  We are "independent contractors" who have NO rights at all. 

At least Trump is shaking things up.  Biden will only settle back in to selling us out despite telling us he's in our corner.  He's not. 

Keep running scared, democrats.  You are not for us at all.  Trump and Sanders are the only ones calling you out on it. 

Super Tuesday

It's almost Super Tuesday.  I know I come across as a crusty crab apple, but I really am a softie when push comes to shove. 

I'm voting for Bernie Sanders.  We need B.S. to stop B.S.  Why am I voting for Bernie?  Because he is the ONLY candidate who is not beholden to billionaires.  He is the only genuine hope for the working stiff.  I believe he is the purest of hearts of all the candidates.  All the other candidates are nothing more than ka-billionaires vying for more of the status quo at the working stiff's expense. 

Biden is Hillary with a penis.  Wait.  Strike that.  Reverse it.  She has a penis as well.  The point is that NOBODY LIKES BIDEN.  Nothing will guarantee a Trump victory faster than a democratic endorsement of Biden.  I know this goes against the democratic royalty nominations, but this is not a royalty coronation.  It's supposed to be about what the PEOPLE want. 

Warning to democrats:  DO NOT *&^%$ OVER BERNIE AGAIN