Leelanau Whippersnapper

Another video from Ms. Betty Bowers….it’s satire folks.  Get over it.

Bookmark to:

Just released today, the winning deisgn for the new US Embassy in London.

The 12-story building, designed by Philadelphia-based architecture firm Kieran Timberlake, will use its surrounding natural setting to protect it from potential terrorist threats — a meadow, woodland and a moat will buffer the embassy the main road.”

Just takes you back to the middle ages dosn’t it?  I’m hoping that the meadow will be populated with sheep, the woodland inhabited by dragons, and the moat filled with sharks.  That should keep just about everyone out, except the gays who will be naturally attracted to the massive disco ball in the middle of London.

Bookmark to:

Like it or not, being single with a decent, stable job has it’s advantages.  Those of you who visit here often, know that I usually start my blog posts this way when I’ve made a purchase of some sort.  This year, there are 3 bigger purchases that have intended to make.  The first one is my car.  My folks were generous enough to allow me enough time to obtain my 2010 bonus at work before paying them for the car.  That’s my first big one and it will consume most of my bonus checks.  Very much justified since this new car will easily last me another 8-10 years and that means another 8-10 years without car payments (fingers crossed).  Awesome.  My second purchase this year is going to be a keyboard.  Some time ago, I decided that after having spent all but the last 10 years of my life pursuing music in one way or another, I had really better do myself a favor and not forget any of it.  One way to ensure that I won’t soon forget how to sight-read, how to compose, or how to sing is to purchase an instrument that will help me do maintenance.  I have decided this year to allow myself a $300-$1000 budget to purchase the necessary equipment to keep myself musically in shape for the foreseeable future.  Again, a long term investment that is well worth the money.  Many of you all knew about those planned purchases.

Finally, after spending the last 2 years developing my amateur photography skills and capturing over 20 Gigabytes of photos (that’s over 5000 pictures) in just those 2 years alone, and after countless people informing me that I’m wasting my time selling paint and that I should be selling my photography, I decided to upgrade my camera to the real deal.  Tonight I purchased my first DSLR camera via a package deal from Best Buy (the only place left in town that stocks anything).  For those of you who considered my previous photography to be pretty good, the photos you will see coming out of this new thing will blow your mind.  That’s just my impression based on a few pictures I’ve taken tonight with it.  The difference in quality, resolution, contrast, and just about everything else is very noticeable.  This camera uses actual mechanical optics rather than digital technology to reproduce the image which gives it a huge advantage over any digital camera out there.  This camera, along with the additional zoom lens I purchased with it will allow me to capture in much more detail the things I enjoy taking pictures of, mainly the lake, the woods and Gavin the Wonder Dog!  For you family out there, it is very similar to Andy’s camera that he had with him this past summer.

For those of you who want to know, I purchased the Canon EOS Rebel T1i that came with the EFS18-55mm standard lens and I also purchased the EFS55-250mm zoom lens.  Of course I got the extra battery and a new SD card as well. Big features on this camera include an integrated flash with the option for the external flash, auto-focus, image stabilization, Canon’s newest image processor, a 3″ LCD screen as well as a TON of features to set up pictures manually or automatically.  It also allows for the addition of an entire family of lens’s as I develop my skills.  While it’s not considered a “PRO” camera, it is an intermediate level camera and it’s likely to far exceed my own ability to use it which means I can easily grow into it and expand it’s features as I learn more how to use them.  So, tomorrow or Sunday, assuming I get a little good weather up here, I’ll be heading out to take some pictures with my new camera and I’ll post them to leelanauaphotography.com for you all to see.  As an added bonus for me, I’ll be selling my old camera which will recoup some of the  cost for this new one, anyone interested should send me an email.

So, there you have it, 3 big purchases and guess what…this year, (Mom and Dad because I know you want to know) I’ll even be able to save a considerable amount of money and put it in the bank where it belongs right?  I’ll be putting the first payment for the car in the mail to Iowa very soon (we’ll talk first).

Bookmark to:

If there is one thing that I can tell you first hand it’s that in retail when it comes to employees, you tend to get what you pay for.  Generally speaking, if you have made it into management (either through schooling, or through several years of climbing the ladder and kissing ass), you are typically paid pretty well for the job that you perform.  98% of my co-workers either have degrees, or they have 2-4 years of a collage education, all are high school graduates.

In some areas of the country, well I won’t even continue.  Just read the article.

I’d rather make myself rich working for myself but for now at least I’m content making a living working for someone else.  It happens to be a big box, but in all, I am currently making more money than I would be had I actually finished school and received that education degree.  I have a LOT less stress and do a LOT less work too (that is of course a matter of opinion to some).  I’m happy having made a decision to work for a company that has provided me with advancement opportunities that do not depend on education but rather on performance.  Many people won’t ever be as lucky as me and sadly, because of the job market that exists, many people are having to lower their expectations of what they can accomplish at least in the short term.  It saddens me that Walmart is trying to capitalize on a huge problem however if those without work are able to put their ego aside and accept a job with an income (any income), Walmart (and many other Big Box stores) can offer a steady income and the potential for growth.  Never in my life did I ever think I would be a person to promote a career in sales, especially retail sales, but just as an example, when I moved up to TC  with Jirar 5 years ago, I had quit my job, I had no savings, and no prospect of a job.   Jirar had a job but it was no way, no how, going to support both of us for any length of time.  My economy sucked in much the same way everyone else’s did with a poor job market and slim opportunities.  It’s a matter of motivation and perspective.  Within a month of moving up here I had a part time job for minimum wage, within another 3 weeks I found a second job.  Within 2 months I was part time at Menards, within 6 months I was full time.  Within 1 year I was an assistant manager, within 1 1/2 years I was the department manager.  I went from an income of less than $100 a week  to a $45K+ a year carer because I was willing to put my ego aside and take a job I didn’t think I would like because I needed an income, ANY income.  I’d do it again too if I had to, and yes, I would work at McDonald’s flipping burgers if that was the difference between having a job and sitting around doing nothing but feeling sorry for myself all day.  Yes, the job market is bad right now but it would not be so bad if people would give up the “i’ll never do that” attitude and actually took a step to better themselves.  ANY income is better than none at all.

On a sad related note, we currently have a “begger’ loitering in our parking lot.  He sits out by the curb all day, every day with a sign asking for money to help pay for a surgery for his daughter.  A sad story indeed but worse, he’s been asked why he’s not yet come into the store and asked for a job application (he’s been out there nearly 2 months now).  We are in fact hiring people.  He needs the money and clearly he can commit himself to something since he’s been sitting on a bucket with a sign now for 2 months.  His response?  He won’t work retail because he’s got an education (spoken with a snotty condescending tone of voice).  Clearly that education is doing him a world of good sitting out there on the corner, in the snow, in the cold.  His problem?  He has too much of an ego, he’s too good to work for a company that takes in billions of dollars a year in profits and is the #1 Home Improvement center choice by consumers in the Midwest.  He won’t “lower” himself by doing work he think’s is beneath him.  Sadly, he’d be making more money with a job than he’ll ever get begging in our parking lot.  A good entrepreneur knows 1 thing.  Location, Location, Location.  Sorry buddy, our parking lot is never going to do it do you.  He ought to know better than to beg from the locals.  It’s the fudgies who have the money up here and they are all vacationing in sunny warm places right now.

So now, after that rather depressing post, I’ve got the weekend off from work and I think I may take a drive up to Northport this weekend with the dog and take some pictures.  I’ll have to see how the weather is.  Hope you are all doing well, sorry I’ve not written much.  I’ve been just too busy and too tired and it’s only going to get more crazy as we head towards spring.

Bookmark to:

What the fuck is the deal with health care in this country.  There is a reason that I’ve avoided seeing a doctor for the past 10+ years and today I remembered why.  I had my initial visit with my new Primary Care doc today as a result of my recent leg injury.  This was a follow up for that, as well as a new patient consultation.  First, good choice on the doctor.  He’s younger, likely my age or perhaps a little younger, he’s knowledgeable, and if my gaydar is still working, he’s likely gay which makes me more comfortable since he can understand that aspect of my life.  When it comes to health care, I have never found it helpful to hide that part of my identity from my doctors.  It does me a great dis-service to ignore discussions which might pertain only to gay men (in effect those discussions dealing with sexuality, STD’s, and the like).  Granted, I am not in need of having those types of discussions at this point but it helps knowing right from the get go that there is no need for me to concoct elaborate stories about my life and my life choices in order to get at the health care that I need.  This sort of thing is a big issue in the gay community.  Due to fear of discrimination or just blatant ”I won’t treat you because your gay”, I’m not going to waste my time or my money with a doctor that is unwilling to provide unbiased or unhelpful treatments for whatever comes my way.

So now on to my issue with health care.  Those of you who know me, also know that I was the lucky kid in my family that got to inherit my Grandmother’s Psoriasis.  It’s not nearly as bad as her’s was but it’s a pain in the ass all the same.  One of the goals of actually getting to a doctor this year is to look at long term treatment options to control this chronic disease for which currently there is no cure.  I’ve been lucky that most of my problem areas are the most common (knees and elbows) and there are a range of treatment options available.  The problem is that treatments are going to cost me a fucking fortune.  I started today with a prescription for Dovonex.  This is a topical cream that behaves like a steroid cream but is not a steroid.  It’s a synthetic Vitamin D3 product.  I went to Walgreens down the road from my house to have this prescription filled and I ended up having a co-pay of $75.00 because there is no generic and it is a “non-preferred” drug according to Atena’s formulary.  The Retail cost of this cream is $240.00 a tube, one tube can last between 30 and 60 days depending on how much is needed to cover affected areas on the body.  So essentially, I can now count on a prescription cost of $75.00 every month or so in order to treat an incurable problem, using a cream that may or may not work at all.  And this is the low end of the treatment options for Psoriasis.  Typical treatment of Psoriasis always begins with creams and steroid creams which are the least invasive and least damaging to the body.  Every person’s case is different and it can often take multiple tries to find something that works.  If creams are ineffective, the next option are light treatments or UV treatments.  These treatments are often 1-2 times a week and I’ve been told co-pay’s on those can be near $100 a trip when done at a dermatologists office (the alternative to this is a tanning booth however those are not monitored by doctors, so I’m not considering it).  Beyond UV treatments, the next level would be biologicals.  These are injectable drugs, many with unknown side effects because they are so new and for the most part untested… Largely in part due to the cost of treatment.  So, you can see that by beginning treatment for this issue which in reality causes me very few problems in general other than mild discomfort and itching, I’ve opened a can of worms now for a lifetime of medical treatment with costs that will run into the thousands of dollars and no expectation that my Psoriasis will ever fully go away, I can hope, but I can’t count on it.  I’m not saying that it’s not worth doing (because I’d love to have clear skin again), what I’m saying is that it should not cost me my life savings to get treated.

So, after that excitement, thank God tomorrow is payday.  I had to dip into the savings account to pay for the prescription (I was not anticipating a co-pay that high) and lucky for me, my bonus arrives next week on Tuesday. Without exception this year, I will be opening an additional bank account to use for medical expenses.  One of my money managing techniques is to have separate accounts for major things (general bills, leisure, and now medical).  Let’s all hope that the topical creams take care of my issue or you all will be hearing me bitch a lot more about money on this blog.  Now, since I have no money left to spend, I’ll be staying home the rest of the day playing video games and watching TV…at least thats free.

Bookmark to:

From GIZMODO.

Nielsen stats put the average teen’s texting rate at about ten per hour during the day. This, and basic math, leads to some terrifying conclusions!

The math works out to about 40,000 words a month.  I hate texting via mobile devices.  It takes me 30 minutes just to figure out where the letters are on the dam phone.  I’ve seen kids in the store with thumbs moving faster than the speed of light, and to think that I could not even type on a typewriter with any proficiency until I was 17!  I’m getting old.

Bookmark to:

Finally, I’ve had a reasonably relaxing weekend.  Of course tomorrow I head back in to hell for what will likely turn into a 6 day work week.  We begin a major re-set in my department tomorrow morning, there is a ton of work to be done and only 1 week to do it.  I’m going to have to be a cheerleader most of the week and that is indeed exhausting work.

Today I packed up the dog and headed out to the lake.  The sun has been out for the past few days, something exceedingly rare this time of year and I figured I would take advantage of it today by bringing my camera along.  I ended up going down to a beach I had not been to in quite some time.  It was further south than I usually go but still on Good Harbor Bay, just down the road further.  It was quite nice.  There were a few people out today but because of the Super Bowl and my complete lack of interest in sports, it was pretty quiet overall.  Gavin was able to run around off the leash for a while and I spent some time trying to capture a few good pictures.  I’ve uploaded a new gallery at leelanauphotography.com, just click the picture below to check it out.

The folks are off to Iowa for about 6 weeks tomorrow morning.  They’ve decided to spend some time away from here this winter since it’s easy to get really stir crazy this time of year.  We still have a good 3 months of shitty weather before spring starts to hit, I really hate this time of year up here.  Luckily, my job keeps me quite busy so it’s hard for me to care much.  Mom and Dad will be staying with Sarah, Brian and Christopher and I’ll be interested to hear how that all works out.  I love my folks to death but given the choice, I would not choose to have them live with me for any extended amount of time.  I’m pretty sure my folks would say the same about me. Our family dynamics are a bit much to tolerate day in and day out.  And, at my age, and their age, that’s the way it should be.  Christopher will be spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa for 6 weeks, and, that’s the way THAT should be too!  He’s a lucky kid, even if the only words he can say are “doggie” and “LOOK”.  We’ll see if Grandpa can teach him a few words during his stay.

I have made a new purchase since my last entry in this blog.  Last week, I broke down and bought a Wii so that I too could join the ranks of 30 something’s who are sick of being out of shape but who don’t want to join a gym.  I have always enjoyed video games even though I suck at them and I like the concept of being more involved in them rather than just sitting on a couch with a controller.  The Wii promises to at least get me off my ass for a little bit each day.  Eventually I’ll buy the Wii balance board and Wii Fit Plus game so that I can actually start getting in shape.  Sadly, they are sold out nearly all over the country and it’s going to be several weeks before they get back in stock.  Oh well, I’ll be busy enough at work.

Bonus time at work is fast approaching.  Profit Sharing checks are handed out Feb. 16th and my Managers bonus is due in mid March.  Crazy thing about my job is that I make more in the first 3 months of the year than I do the next 8 months of regular work just because of bonuses.  It’s nice to get big fat checks but it’s also dangerous because it’s easy to just go out and spend it.  If I had this job at any other time in my life, I’d be broke all the time but fortunately I’ve learned how to manage my money in much healthier ways so I’ll be able to save what is necessary but I’ll also be able to go out and get a few toys to play with.  This year I am buying a keyboard and I’ll write more about that when the time comes.  So for now, enjoy the new gallery.

Bookmark to:

Four Christians on Tuesday filed a federal lawsuit challenging the recently enacted Hate Crimes Prevention Act, arguing that it seeks to criminalize deeply held religious beliefs that are in opposition to homosexuality.

Read Box Turtle Bulletin’s take on this story here.  Find out exactly the only thing these Christians must want.

This shit get’s old, luckily so are the people espousing this bile.

Bookmark to:

Today out of Washington DC:

“No matter how I look at the issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens,” Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee. He said it was his personal belief that “allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do.”

Now, I’m no army boy.  I have about as much interest in fighting a war as I do eating glass.  That said, with all my pacifist tendencies, I still will typically go out of my way to support those who are willing to risk their lives to defend the ideals of this country.  Granted, there are “just” wars and “unjust” wars but that is a political distinction not a practical one.  Regardless of the justification for wars in general, millions of individuals are called on by our government and by a deep sense of personal commitment to the ideals of this country to serve and protect that which we all cherish.  Freedom.  One of the great travesties of Bill Clinton’s time in office was the passage of “Don’t ask Don’t Tell”.  This, in effect, allowed openly gay men and women to serve in the armed forces as long as they were not “out” and did nothing to suggest that they were gay.  If it was discovered they were gay or if they were forced out of the closet by a third party, no matter the reason, they could be discharged…. dishonorably.  Since it’s implementation nearly 17 years ago, between 12,000 and 20,000 GLBT soldiers have been discharged at a cost to tax payers well into the 10’s of millions, many of those kicked out were critical players in the wars this country is fighting, NONE of whom did anything wrong…except be gay.

The implementation of this policy was a big deal.  I was a senior in high school and it was a campaign issue for Bill Clinton.  He would be the first president I actually got to vote for and this “compromise” was, in retrospect, forced on him by bigoted homophobes within the ranks of the military.  It has always been a bad policy, even other major military countries have proven over and over again that allowing gays to serve openly is not an issue.

Finally we are seeing some progress towards repealing this law with hearings that started today.  The big thing out of this is that Joint Chief’s are on board with a repeal.  The question is not IF the policy will be repealed, it is simply a question of HOW it will be repealed.  That’s huge because it means that a repeal is a fact, not a pipe dream.  That they are debating only HOW to repeal the law and not WHY is important.  Stay tuned over the next several months for updates.

Bookmark to:

The only state in the country to have this.  How is it that Sarah and Brian ended up in the middle of a corn field full of liberals?

Bookmark to: