Ummm....I was just thinking...maybe I should write a normal post about what's going on in my life instead of the usual "look at this" or "did you know about that" kinds of posts that I usually write.

So....what's new in my life. Well....not much. I am still unemployed, mostly because I haven't been looking for a job...AT ALL! (I applied for one, which ended up being filled by the person they interviewed before I applied, FYI...Paul, Alex and Tony). With as much time and energy that I put into my last job, I figure a few months off for myself is well deserved and I don't feel a tinge of guilt about it.

I did decide that I'm going to take some classes this semester, so I will not be looking for a job until that is over, in May. I'll live off of student loans. (what's another 10K when you're drowning in school debt already?). Maybe we'll get a bail out somewhere down the road in 15 years or maybe I'll disappear to Europe and never return. Can they track me abroad if I am not using my American passport and hold a foreign citizenship?

I did get an email from the pharmaceutical staffing firm that I've been working with in London, about a job in Switzerland that they thought I'd be a good candidate for. So I went ahead and applied for that. They said that the company is willing to pay for relocation, which is rare, but it is only a 6 month contract so that kind of sucks. They do, however, say that if you end up doing a good job, the company often offers such employees permanent positions. You can't imagine how different shit is in the European workplace. The perks you get for a mid level management position (like the kind I would hold as a Project Manager) are things like a company car, relocation pay (which seems kind of crazy considering this is only a 6 month term) and many others that I don't remember now.

But imagine what kind of position you have to hold here in order to be issued a company car. You have to be pretty high on the power list to be able to get perks like that. There, it's a standard benefit for a lot of management positions. So, anyway, the Switzerland job is a long shot, but I'd be retarded to not apply. But I'm sure there must be a shit load of people applying as well.

Other than that, I pretty much don't have a whole lot going on. I am buying and reading books like crazy and am still on the whole Soviet Union, Stalin, WWII, Nazi, kick. One of the books I'm currently reading (theres about 4) is the biography of Joseph Stalin (based on new documents discovered in the previously forbidden archives of the Russian government). He was pretty much a criminal his entire life, starting from the point after he left seminary school. (Yes, Stalin was going to be a priest!) He was arrested and exiled 7 times, before Lenin came to power and gave Stalin an official position in government. Prior to that, he murdered opponents of the revolution that Lenin and their party members, the Bolsheviks, were trying to incite. He robbed caravans for money and gold, organized violent and deadly demonstrations denouncing the leaders in power, printed and distributed prohibited propaganda, fathered bastard children that he refused to acknowledge, and double crossed everyone he came into contact with (including Lenin, who he originally worshiped and who was the reason he joined the party in the first place). He worked for the police as an informant but was actually a double agent with the approval and encouragement of Lenin. He blew in party members that Lenin though were disposable and not vital to the party's success, so that they could reap the benefits that being an informant receives when working for the police. Prime example would be the kind of punishments Stalin got each time he was arrested. Instead of receiving a long prison sentence or a death sentence, he was always given exile (and at times they even gave him the choice of where he wanted to be exiled to!), even though out of the 7 times he was exiled, he escaped 6 times. You'd think they would have learned a lesson the second or third time, but archival records of correspondence within the police department clearly showed that they were well aware of his planned escapes, but decided to look the other way, hoping he could lead them to other, bigger, fish they could fry.

I also finished a book on Auschwitz; how it came into existance, why, and how it morphed into a death camp from a labor camp. Initially, Auschwitz was to be a labor camp that would use Jews to produce materials needed for the war. A little known fact is that the Nazi's had two different kinds of camps they built during the war; labor camps and death camps. Auschwitz was an oddity because it was used as both. There were other camps built, that were much smaller, yet much deadlier, but they were created to be nothing but extermination centers. They had no barracks, no buildings, no cafeteria or offices, just gas chambers and incinirators for buringing the bodies.

One of the most disturbing facts I learned was how skilled they became at using psychology as a means to control the prisoners and how convincing and effective they were at it. Because sending screaming, fighting, crying men, women and children to their death was proving to cause quite a few psychological issues for the guards, they developed ways in which the killing process became easy and impersonal (meaning guards had very little contact with the prisoners before killing them and did not have to force them into the chambers). They developed gas chambers as a means to solve the issues they were having with shooting prisoners each night. It took too long, there were way too many people that had to be killed and not enough guards to do it, and they were running out of room for disposing bodies. Having to shoot 100 people a night and constantly hearing them plead and beg for their life was much more difficult for the guards than having 1000, calmly walk into a building that they thought housed showers; shower's that they most likely wanted and needed after a grueling trip to the camp.

After arriving to the camp and exiting the train, the guards, depending on which year of the war it was, would either take all of them to be killed or would select the one's that were ill, old or too young to work. They had a senior guard that was calm and cordial and who talked to the prisoners in a warm, reassuring tone upon their arrival, to put them at ease and prevent mass panic and hysteria. He would explain to them, calmly and warmly, that they just needed to be cleaned and disinfected prior to entering the camp; nothing to worry about. He kindly asked people to take off their clothes and to fold them up neatly, so that when they got out there would be no trouble in finding their belongings. He explained that after showering, they would be assigned their barracks and soon afterwards, their future jobs, which would be based on the skills they each possessed from previous employment. Thus, upon entering the death chambers (which were actually built to look like showers inside), no one panicked or cried or pleaded or resisted. This saved the guards a lot of unnecessary energy expenditure and prevented the psychological problems they so often developed as a result of a, (however small) conscience and feelings of guilt. The only problem that remained, was that once people were inside, the doors were locked and they realized that no water was coming out of the shower heads but instead it was gas from the cyanide pellets that were dropped from above, the screaming, crying and pleading began and could be heard through the walls and throughout the camp. This was not only a problem for the guards, but also for the other prisoners that were still laborers, who refused to buy the shower story when their turn came around to be gassed.


Ok, it looks like I got side tracked once again and made the kind of post I was intending on not doing.

Now I'm too lazy and tired to talk about other stuff that has been going on, so I'll have to leave it for next time.

this chick is brilliant

who else could sing a song like poker face with only a piano?

Wegmans offering free antibiotics
-Sharon Linstedt


Just in time for "cough and cold" season, Wegmans Food Markets will offer free antibiotics throughout its 72-store chain.

The Rochester-based supermarket chain announced today it will give away free 14-day supplies of nine categories of oral antibiotics starting tomorrow through March 31.

Wegmans CEO Danny Wegman said the free antibiotics program will help customers with health and economic issues.

"We understand the economic pressure families are facing, including the rising cost of health care, which is something I'm especially concerned about," Wegman said in a statement.

The drug program is expected to save consumers approximately $1 million in out-of-pocket medicine expenses.

Participants in the Wegmans program must have a new or existing prescription for the antibiotic and a Shopper's Club card. There is no limit to the number of prescriptions that can be filled.

The list of free drugs includes Amoxicillin, Cephalexin, Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim, Ciprofloxacin, Penicillin VK, Ampicillin, Tetracycline, Erythromycin Sterate/Ethysuccinate and Doxycycline.

Late last month Ahold-owned supermarket chains Stop & Shop and Giant Foods announced similar goodwill programs that began Jan. 2 and run through March 31.

apparently the secret santa gift that provided so much entertainment at the party can be quite expensive. maybe i can upgrade next year.


EURYTHMICS star DAVE STEWART is creating a buzz again - by launching a diamond-studded sex toy costing £1,000.
The 56-year-old music legend worked with a specialist adults-only firm to devise and market the Little Steel Tonight vibrator.

It is made of solid steel with a "satin finish" and a band of 28 diamonds - but bizarrely has a guitar pick attached and the lyrics from Stewart's latest solo song, Let's Do It Again, scrawled on it.

Owners also get a code that allows them to download the tune.

Married dad-of-four Stewart had a string of hits, including Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This), with Eurythmics singer ANNIE LENNOX.

His Rock Fabulous range with firm Jimmyjane also includes the £100 vibrator Little Chroma Tonight.

Jimmyjane describes the Little Steel as "the ultimate backstage pass" and boasts: "Our vibrators are the world's quietest - all the better to enjoy the music."

clinton finally wrote back to my email. here is her response.


Dear Ms. *********:



Thank you for sharing your views on the state of the auto industry. I appreciate your concern and I welcome the opportunity to respond.



The auto manufacturing sector has been devastated by the recent economic crisis. Frozen consumer and commercial credit and sharply declining sales have pushed U.S. automakers to the edge of bankruptcy. According to one estimate, almost three million American jobs are tied to the Big Three automakers. The collapse of the domestic auto industry would have a ripple effect that would be immediately felt by New York's nearly 98,000 auto manufacturing-related workers and the many suppliers and dealers throughout the state and the entire nation. Moreover, a collapse would have a destructive impact on our economy.



It is profoundly disappointing that the measure on the floor of the Senate last week was blocked. It would have provided critical assistance for American automakers and the millions of workers whose jobs are directly and indirectly in jeopardy. Millions of Americans, whose livelihoods are in jeopardy, are left to wait over the holidays to see whether their jobs will be saved.



This is a difficult time for America and for American families. Our economy has been buffeted by turmoil in the financial markets and the growing mortgage crisis, resulting in - and compounded by - severe job losses and a deepening sense of anxiety across this country. Inaction is not an acceptable option. I have called for the current administration to use the tools at its disposal to keep our automakers afloat, including using the authority given to the Treasury Secretary to stabilize our markets and troubled companies. In the long term, we must pursue economic policies that will not only create jobs but create the incentives for these companies and many others to lead our nation and the world in developing innovative technologies that will shape our future and ensure our prosperity.



Again, thank you for your letter regarding the auto industry and our economic challenges ahead. For updates, please check my website at .


Sincerely,

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

OMG they finally found the body of a small child about half a block from the anthony home that they believe is of little caylee marie anthony, the child of the florida mom who didn't report her gone until the grandmother forced her to call the cops when she found out the child has been allegedly missing for over a month!

i'm sure you guys have heard about this case in the news and i've written about is a few times. i didn't think they were ever going to find the body so this development is fantastic. i though this bitch had a chance to get away with this murder because there was no body to strengthen the prosecution's case, but now, there is no way that she's getting with it.

the prosecution this week announced that they were not going to ask for the death penalty because there was no body and their case would have been too weak, but now they have all they need.

here is the news report



i have been obsessed with this case for so long. it's been so crazy because of all the evidence that has been made public. there are about 2000 pages of evidence, transcripts, text messages, phone records, IM's, forensic reports, etc. as well as taped phone conversations, video's of interviews, jail visits, surveillance tapes, etc.

i guess florida has these sunshine laws that allows for the public to request to see information regarding trials. i don't know how it's possible but just about everything the state has against casey anthony is public, and i mean, EVERYTHING....thousands and thousands of documents.

did you know that most times when a child is murdered they are disposed of within 3 blocks of the child's home? in her taped jail visits with her parents and brother, casey kept saying, "i know she's near by, i can feel her, she's close...it's my gut feeling.....it still feels like she's close to home". just go and listen to her phone calls....the bitch is a cold hearted murderer.

here is a news station that has a lot of the documents stored on one page. but if anyone wants to really see the real documents, let me know, i have all of them downloaded and stored on my computer.

WFTV

for you music lovers, this is the best kept secret in town.
it is a mp3 search engine thingy.
the reason no one knows about this is because it is a russian site that scours russian servers, so it stays clear of the american music corporations.

it's great because it ONLY returns actual songs, nothing but mp3, and it lets you listen to the file before downloading it.

try it out and let me know what you think. I was even able to find an mp3 version of my previous journal's primavera piece. faben tried to find it earlier to download onto her ipod and all she could find was wmv files. this thing got it in a second.

It's Oscar season and the movies are coming out of the woodwork. One of my must see is "The Reader". When I saw this trailer in the theater, I was struck by the music. It's amazing what music can do for a movie. Remember Requiem for a Dream?

Watch with your sound turned up loud.



It gives me chills every time I hear that or watch that trailer. The composer is Ludovico Einaudi. The piece is Primavera. Here is the whole thing: (ignore the cheesy youtube visuals)



I like Kate Winslet more and more as she get's older. I didn't care for her much when Titanic came out, but the more mature she gets the more beutiful she becomes and the more interesting her choice of roles become. She actually has another movie coming out that is an Oscar contender; Revolutionary Road with her Titanic co-star, DiCaprio.

awww...i just got the sweetest message from someone from my past. with the kind of month i've been having, it's nice see something like this in my mail box, out of the blue.


"i just wanted to say i love you and i miss you and i am very thankful for you having been such a wonderful and very important part of my life. you are beautiful on the inside and out.

i hope you have a great holiday season.

you are welcome, of course, to write me back. i would love to hear from you but if you don't that's ok too."

it's kind of crazy, but when i was in that relationship, it really brought out the best in me. unlike any other relationship i've ever been in, before and after this one. i didn't act crazy, or jealous, or bossy, or dominating, or demeaning (which is a real problem for me with men). i think it's because for once i didn't feel as if i had this person wrapped around my finger and didn't feel superior to him, as i do with most men, which in turn causes me to lose respect and eventually lose interest.

i think i will write him back. i still think of him often and maybe it's time to re-connect. i mean reconnect with an email or a drink, not get back together or jump in the sack.

I got a response from Congresswoman Slughter to the email I sent her the other day about wanting a bailout for myself, which I totally stole from (e:pmrk)
(i still totally don't know how to link to a journal)

November 26, 2008

Ms. IMK2 (changed so that people can't google my name and find my blog

Tonawanda, NY 14150

Dear Ms. IMK2,

Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about a rescue of the financial services industry. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

Like you, I am deeply concerned about years of mismanagement in government, which has led to deregulation of the financial services industry, a lack of oversight, and a complete loss of transparency, putting us into the current situation.

I am concerned about what could result if we do not take action to address this industry's failure. After the House failed to pass a similar bill on Monday, October 6, we all watched the stock market tumble nearly 800 points. That market holds onto the retirement savings of people who have worked hard for many years, and it contains the college savings of a family struggling to ensure their children a college education. We cannot afford more market failures, and the failure of financial institutions helps no one. Simply put, the savings of every family is at risk. Without help, Main Street will feel as much pain as Wall Street. With nearly all of the country's major financial institutions declaring bankruptcy or on the verge of declaring bankruptcy, we no longer have a choice on whether to offer a rescue package; the alternative, as we already saw, is a disaster. This Democratic-led Congress is taking steps to ensure that we are honoring our promise to keep your future safe, regardless of the financial services industry and its fluctuations.

I want to take this opportunity to reassure you that the rescue package I supported contains specific provisions to ensure that it benefits consumers and homeowners more than it does the people who caused this crisis. Please know that our bill will:

- Ensure that this rescue package is not a blank check.
- Expand oversight of the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office to ensure that any money spent is done so responsibly.
- Ensure that the government receives shares of companies it aids so that taxpayers will benefit once the industry recovers.
- Stand up for homeowners by taking action to prevent foreclosures.
- Get rid of golden parachutes for CEOs and trim executive pay.
- Require that if after five years taxpayers have not recouped every cent, the Federal Government will put forth a plan to recover the funds from financial institutions.

You may also be certain that the $700 billion proposed is a cap on what may be provided, but the full amount will not be provided from the start. Instead, $250 billion will be released immediately, with more money available subject to Congressional veto and only with proof of need. I am committed to using as little taxpayer money as is absolutely necessary to do this properly.

We also fought to include provisions to help Americans hold onto their homes during this difficult time. Specifically, the bill allows the Secretary of the Treasury to back mortgages so that lenders are able to restructure loans for homeowners, making it easier for families to repay their loans. The bill requires the government to work with loan providers to modify loans and stem foreclosures. It extends tax cancellation on any debt that is forgiven by a lender. This was previously counted as income by the IRS, and by not counting it, we will ensure that homeowners will no longer be subjected to taxes on money they never had to begin with.

I would also like to address charges that this bill includes "pork." The tax provisions which were included in the latest version of the this bill are simply extensions of current tax and trade policies. These are not earmarks, and money is not being appropriated. One of these provisions, which I proudly championed, extends an existing duty reduction that is vital to the continued competitiveness and survival of domestic suit-makers and textile manufacturers. These important American companies, including Hickey Freeman here in Rochester, are put at a competitive disadvantage by Canadian and Mexican manufacturers, largely because of an unintended consequence of NAFTA. This duty reduction levels the playing field for American companies such as Hickey Freeman, so that they can continue to make their products, and keep 600 jobs in Western New York rather than ship them overseas. Combined, these provisions have been non-controversial and promote the health of the wool, textile, and clothing manufacturing in the United States. At a time when American businesses may struggle to find credit, and Americans may struggle to find work, it would be imprudent to allow a provision such as this, which promotes American business and helps keep American jobs in America, to expire.

Our swift action will ensure a more sound economic future for all Americans. Please know that I supported this rescue package, which will be enacted into law shortly, because it includes these and other safeguards for our families and our economy. We saw what happens when an Administration deregulates industry to a point where insecure companies are expected to police themselves. This Democratic-led Congress is doing everything possible to ensure America keeps working, and that government is working for America.


Sincerely,

Louise Slaughter
Member of Congress

• She totally missed the point. I didn't want to hear her plans on recovering the economy. I just wanted a bailout for myself. WTF?