Happy Labor Day, Siemens in North East!

****UPDATE: 

"The results of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election at Siemens in North East Maryland, USA: 15 workers voted Yes and 24 voted No. 2 workers did not vote."

Hello, Cecil Whig- where the heck are you?  You covered sucessful unionizing efforts at the IKEA warehouse recently here in Perryville.  WHASSUP?  That one was peaceful (thumbs up to Ikea) & this one is not.  Could that be the difference?  You got me!
The conflict at Siemens (a German electronics & engineeringineering company)  has made national & international news.  The problem is being discussed on Facebook- with photos no less!  It's in North East, Md. and has 42 production employees.

In a nutshell: "It [Siemens] even just signed an agreement with labour organizations committing to respect workers’ rights around the globe. So what does Siemens do within days after signing this agreement? It launches a vicious union busting campaign. In Maryland, USA, Siemens has hired a top-dollar anti-union consultant and waged a campaign that’s included intimidation, surveillance, threats involving termination, and prohibiting Siemens employees from even talking about the union." source
Exactly what do the union busting tactics involve?  Well... you'll get fired!
Final vote to join the United Steelworkers is Sept. 6.  The Union has filed unfair labor charges against Siemens with the NLRB.
Oh, BTW: HAPPY LABOR DAY!

 

Maryland Verizon Rant

***UPDATE:  Repair tech GORDON-BVJ came about 11:30.  Seems to have been THEIR problem; although unclear.  I was treated WELL because I took the time & trouble to follow their phone suggestion- DISCONNECT everything from phone lines & try testing items one at a time.  Didn't work but still it was worth a try. Thank you !  and You're Welcome!  HAPPY FEET!


I have some phones and Internet service from Verizon.  Phones go dead, but not Internet.  I may not be the brightest bulb around, but this is not good news.
Quick phone call- all automated, of course.  The best that they can do is check the line- seems okay, but there could still be problems.  Bottom line, I'm not covered for repair work.  Charges are $150/hr.  Could be their problem, could be mine, could be a combo- who knows? 
So I book 'em, Dano.  Really, what choice do I have even though I doubt it's my telephones?
Then I notify my landlord (I live in a condo) of the good news.  Great guy, but not happy lately.  In the current assessment he lost SUBSTANTIALLY- buying at the height of the market.  The building is not new- heading towards 20 yrs. Everything has outlived it's life (and beyo-o-o-ond).
While I've done a lot of maintenance here on my own- I ain't no electrician, plumber, or refrigerator, and my rent ain't cheap. So, he's balking.
Hey, been there, done that.  Every penny you get in rent after you pay mortgage and taxes and other fees, ain't all profit.  Ummm. that's why I RENT!
But I digress.
Verizon is coming- beween 8 AM and 6 PM.  Huh! And I have to pay for this???  ALL DAY WAITING? I could call pizza delivery & get better service than that! Not for !  So I'm pisssd!  And I haven't rec'd a bill- yet! Who takes care of the condo telephone boxes in the lobby?  Hey, it ain't my fault if any wiring has gone bad.  All I did was plug things in expecting that they would work.
The plumber is also coming- broken tub spout valve.  Sigh.  And my very wide glass door blinds don't operate and my new kitchen light turns itself off sometimes.  I haven't even mentioned the rugs.  Sigh.

So nice when the phone companies were deregulated to provide us with hoice & better pricing.  So... how'd that work out for you? Thanks. Pres. Reagan. I don't suppose you're available for condo sitting.... no; any archangels not busy?
Blah, blah, blah.  Update- later!

***UPDATE:  Repair tech GORDON-BVJ came about 11:30.  Seems to have been THEIR problem; although unclear.  I was treated WELL because I took the time & trouble to follow their phone suggestion- DISCONNECT everything from phone lines & try testing items one at a time. Thank you !  and You're Welcome!  HAPPY FEET!

Medicare Voucher Proposal

I may be lost sometimes, but I'm not stupid about Medicare. The year- 1963.  The location- The Girls' Catholic H.S. of Baltimore (TCHS). The time: after school.  The purpose: discussion of the National Forensics League topic for the year:
Resolved: That Social Security benefits should be extended to include complete medical care.

In other words- I was on the debate team with my good bud, Kathy & we debated Medicare- the current hot Congressional topic.  On a debate team- you practice BOTH sides- makes you more prepared. 

So the current voucher proposal caught my attention; esp. since I'm now 64 (gulp), need to sign up for it, & think about Medigap coverage, and costs for these & prescrition drug coverage.  It's a minefield out there & the cost is not  insignificant.  No, I can't obtain anything from R.I. pension except for a very high-cost limited policy from United Healthcare. Thanks, RI.

Yesterday I'm sitting in a Bel Air vision specialists' office.  As I'm wiling away the time, I can't help but have my attention drawn to the reception where trouble is obviously a-brewing.  An elderly gentlemen is there with his son ( my age).  The older man is being asked for his drivers' license (which he surprisingly has- many don't) & his Medicare card.  Now the trouble starts as he can't find it.  With two people trying to help him- it turns up.  He is amazed because he is quite sure this card is not it.  It's lack of importance to him is noticeable as it's in sad shape.

Look, we don't like to admit it, but as we get older, things like this often happen- mainly because we don't give a damn about all this paper stuff & we forget.  Surprise!  We also acquire an "attitude."

When the medigap, drug coverage stuff came out a number of years ago, I had to help my mother-in-law by doing the research & paperwork for coverage.  Her children were disinterested (!!!), so I foolishly took on the task- simple, I thought.  NOT SO!  Just getting her list of meds was challenging. The gov't site is helpful but it ain't quick or easy or clear.  Don't get me started on going down the Social Security road for disability.  I've got two advanced college degrees & both tasks took DAYS, not minutes.  And the former needs to be done every year.

"Choice" is usually a good thing.  Choice in foods, where we live, what we eat.  Choice in healthcare?  Please.  Yet another area in which I'm supposed to suddenly become an expert?  In life it's often not the questions you ask, it's the questions you don't ask- mainly because you don't have enough expertise or take things for granted.

What I want are benefits, not a Chinese menu.  I plan to stay healthy, but, you know, it won't last forever.  So which plans?  How much to spend?       

Henry Ford had it right when he said you could have his car in any color you wanted- as long as it's black.  Giving me a ? voucher is NOT the same as providing me with benefits.  The public insurance market, frankly, ain't famous for the super job it's done or being crystal clear in its benefits or non-coverages (that's why small print was invented). 

And don't feed me the line about Medicare going broke.  Changes?  Okay.  But don't pretend that there's only one way- YOUR WAY to do it.  I like Sen. Whitehouse's (D-RI) bill to raise the cap on Social Security payroll taxes to include income over $250,000.  This would extend the viability of the program for appx. 25 years.  It's a start.

Think vochers can't happen?  Elect a Republican President & Congress and it may well happen. Just like in schools, but that's a topic for another day.

Please, don't throw me to the wolves.  Give me few choices, but gimme health care. Ill take that Ford. While I still have my mind.

 

Raspberries

I LOVE raspberries!  My mom used to have a patch- easy pickins.  The only competition was the birds (and I won).  I rarely cook with them- just eat them out of hand.  Tried a pie once- too sweet & gooey.  Love jam but not fond of the little thingies (seeds?) that get caught in between your teeth.  They are also lousy keepers. I used to enjoy taking my kids to pick them after school- much quicker than strawberries & no bending or bees!  Cheaper, too!
Got some recipes?  Love to hear about them!
They get picked about twice a year & NOW is the time here in Maryland. So I saw in the local rag, "The Cecil Whig" that Sat. & Sun. there was to be a raspberry festival at Milburn Orchards- somewhere in Elkton.  Hey, remember when that city was the elopement capital of the east?
Now I may be lost, but I knew that was not too far, so GPS directions sent me on my merry way!
WHAT A GREAT PLACE!  Large store, huge playground, plenty of parking, pick-your-own orchards (or not).  It does not get much easier then raspberry pickin! 

Not much of a festival, really, just some free samples- pie, jam, salsa, raspberry butter (who knew?).  The pie was really quite good & I was tempted.  Local products & others galore. I'm trying the raspberry butter, curd, and frozen "Chicken Chesapeake." I'm Unfamiliar with the latter and I'll let you know what I think.  Farm products, mixes, bakery items, and ice cream from Kilby Cream made with- yup, fresh raspberries.  They even had an abelskiver pan.
There is a small charge for the wonderful farm playground.  This place reminds me of Kilby Cream- but MUCH larger!  What an asset to Cecil County and state!  I'll be back! Apples!!!!

Dear Kevin Spacey

Dear Kev,

You used to be my most favorite actor.  Note the operative "used to be."  I'm upset and I think that I have a right to be so.  Most of it is your own fault.  I still love you, just not as much.  And my "love" will now always be tempered with a caveat. 

So "poag mahone"- and I know that you know what that means.  But I say it kindly.

I became inordinately fond of you when we first met- in the t.v. series, "The Wise Guy."  You were the PERFECT villain.  Really detestable!!!  But with excellent writing AND acting, you were sometimes human- in other words- not all bad with some redeeming qualities.  What fun that role must have been!

You were a not so nice guy to loveable actor Jack Lemmon in "Glengarry Glen Ross." BTW, Nice tribute to him on my all-time fav channel- Turner Classics.  And what a magnificent piece of work in "The Usual Suspects."  The last minute of that film is quite remarkable in a rather confusing plot, to say the least.  The only comparable I can come up with is some of those exquisite actors in the old silents.  Not a word & we "get it." Such a piece of acting!  You were once again truly EVIL.  

While it's true we've never had a face-to-face, we almost have & that works for me.  A few years ago when I was a Newporter (RI., of course), you were honored & rec'd an award there. My exercise pal, Mrs. Nuala Pell was presenting it (spouse of the famous R.I. Senator Claiborne Pell, father of Pell Grants). I could have gone to the reception & met you, but I demurred because of the $- son beginning college & all that.

But I digress- when they started advertising a need for extras for the Balto. based production of Netflix's "House of Cards," I pondered, then thought, why the heck not?  My uncle was an extra in "Mystic Pizza" filmed in New London and kept telling us the set talk was about this new young actress- Julia Roberts (He could have been in more films if he'd owned a tuxedo). So I applied- one more item off the bucket list.  He had said it was a lot of sitting around.  Hey, I could do that. After all- I have northern European white girl flat ass syndrome- perfect for lounging.  Hah!!!

So I excitedly said YES when the casting call came.  I was to play a military wife in a party scene.  Dress appropriately (booooring). Be there by 7 pm.

By 9:30 after being fed & watered and shuffled about, I had spent a lot of time sitting.  And that's where the good news ends.  About ?120 of were shuffled up to the set for the party scene- standing only, of course.  So there I was with Robin Wright (co-star from "The Princess Bride" & "Forrest Bump") & two ? other major actors not 12 feet from me.  Of course, it was mostly your back I saw, but it's a FINE back.

Take 1, take 1, take 3, take 500.  I lost count.  A few lousy lines. We ALL had them memorized.  Maybe 60 sec. of usable film.  We were there until 6 a.m.  SIX AM!!!!  Hello!!!!  On our feet!  We had no stand-in's- unlike yourself.  I'm 60 (well, that's what I told casting & I'm sticking with it).  My body is not made for this!!

With a bunch of young kids (assistants, aides, interns, who knows?) hollering at us- look lively!  Stop talking!  Mime!  Don't drink what's in your glasses!  Freeze!  Places!  Blah, blah, blah, yacketty, smacketty.  I could easily have taken any one of them on.  Quiet!  Then there was the ass't who spent a lot of his time scratching his balls (really, why do guys do that?  Checking to see if they're still there? jock itch? twisted underwear?).

We women were in heels and sitting whenever, wherever we could.  We learned not to believe anyone when they said they were filming immediately if your stand-in was there.  Duh.  Why so many takes?  Only a few involved camera/lighting changes.  Are we not human?  Do we not bleed?  Yeah, our pay is lousy, but...

I finally figured out who the main director was- older dude (like unlike many of the PAID others- an ADULT).  I could have slapped him silly. Kill the director!  I did see you having a few words with him.  I know what I would have told him- what the fuck?  how many times do you have to film the SAME thing?  are you an idiot?  We're TIRED!  You were likely more... diplomatic.  After that talk the end was near. 

And where is my pay?  I still haven't gotten it.  Evidently there were a few Union members there, but not we lowly extras.  Your union wants no more members.  Mine- NEA is a LOT friendlier.  No special meals, seats, etc. for us.  And btw, I THINK  the pay for an extra and a substitue teacher in this state is about the same- LOUSY. You'd think they'd pay subs a tad more, but...No-o-o-o-.

Then a half hour waiting to fill out my pay voucher (Union first) which I still have NOT yet rec'd (did I mention that?).

Another hour to get home- rush hour & all- lucky me going the opposite way most of the time.  I dragged myself to bed leaving a trail behind me- a shoe, another shoe, watch, etc.- still wearing my dress & with hair & make-up done (that was fun- I looked extremely elegant, if I do say so myself- and I do!)  My curly hair was pulled back so tightly in a French twist that it was instant face lift (this is NOT a complaint). 

Then- three days- Advil and PAIN.  Chiropractor.

When the casting company called later to hire me to continue the scene- NO!!! I'm now a SIT DOWN extra only!!! Thank you for calling.

So, Kevin, baby.  Get me on that other list.  Better yet, I'll be your stand-in.  Or your go-fer.  Yes, you & Robin had one.  Sigh.  

You owe me big time!  I'm waitin'.  Call me, hon.

I'll still strongly dislike you, but I'll take out some of the stuff I said.  Like the part that I think you were wearing a rug.  Maybe.  I don't know.  It depends on my mood.  If you ever think of killing the director, though, I'll testify as to justifiable homicide. 

BTW, did I mention I have NOT yet been paid for work 3-4 weeks ago.  So, dahhh-ling, you know where to find me.  The phone book for Cecil County will do it.  Under pissed off, where's my beef, or cross that one off the bucket list.  Too bad you are no longer a shoe salesman- revenge could be very sweet.  
Good actor, though.  Heck, I don't even have Netflix.

Hugs & kisses,

Eileen

YES, I meant to close my eyes.  

I

The Bitch is Back!

So excuse the language.  Yeah, it's been awhile.  I've been busy- life got in the way.   Go figure.  Some modernizing to do here.  I've been quiet (re: written word only) for too long.  Just getting this post up took way too much work: e.g., out-of-practice.
Today- practice.  Tomorrow- ???  Maybe on the local rag: The Cecil Whig.  Yeah.  That's the name alright.  How many Whigs are still around?