I apologize for the tardiness of my columns recently; I’ve reached the point at work where I have so much to do, I don’t actually know what to do, where to start. I sit down in the morning and have a dozen things to do all of which needed to be done yesterday. It’s like being in one of those swirling tubes of money, only I have to catch every last bill, and instead of bills the tube is full of wasps. And I still have to catch them.
This, of course, leads to long and arduous hours at work, which in turn leads to my wanting to do nothing when I get home but slump into a chair and watch my son run around. I recall some bitter Internet commentary by people without children about how they are angry at having to shoulder the load at work because the parents, well, they have other responsibilities and need to actually go home in the evening. This struck me as a bit sad because I recall clearly being younger and single, and working late, and at no point was I resentful of the people who had other responsibilities in their lives that led them to leave at five or six regardless of deadlines. But I guess some people are just the bitter sort.
Speaking of, I’m reading a one volume history of the American Economy that would be really good were it not for the repeated slurs, distortions, and outright lies the author feels free to make whenever he brings up any point of view not belonging to modern conservative orthodoxy. E.g. claiming that public schools are [evil] monopolies, that the idea of a business monopoly raising prices is a “myth”, or that “socialism believes that [social] classes are fixed”. Using the phrase “limousine liberal” when one is referring to events in the 1830s kind of gives away one’s own kooky right-wing beliefs, and is unnecessary to boot. I guess an always-been-wealthy opinion is simply a requirement to write for Forbes.
But the data is interesting, and bullshit opinions aside it’s a well-stitched together yarn.
We’re moving offices this Friday, which will be nice, as it will mean that I am finally out of the fishbowl. I don’t mind working in a cube but I hate almost to the point of irrationality sitting in such a way that anyone who comes to speak with me effectively sneaks up behind me. And some of them do sneak; I make it a point, when I enter an area where someone is facing away, to announce my presence, usually with “knock, knock” or some such statement. But we’ve got a new guy on my team who prefers to simply sidle up immediately behind me as I am working and in a loud whisper say my name.
I freaking hate that.
The new office, being a window cube, will allow me to be facing the path of approach, and thus give visitors my attention and prevent them from silently sidling the fuck up behind me. Ironically, I don’t like heights, and so the window location (on the fourteenth floor) is certainly not something I put a premium on, but if it means that no one can touch my back without me seeing them coming, it’s worth it.
Anyhow, I have to get back to work. Hopefully next week will be less impacted; in any case, have a good one.
- Sun Ra