Troops pay baggage fees on way to war zones

I had to do a double-take when I read this article on CNN. My first gut reaction was: "WTF?"

Not only do these soldiers have to contend with back to back tours of duty or risk being discharged (sometimes losing their retirement) but now this?

I understand that rising fuel costs means having to pay more at the ticket counter for air fare and luggage but where do you draw the line when soldiers, who are being thrown into harm's way, are expected to comply?

Some of them are not coming back. I mean come on here!:

Some airlines are charging U.S. soldiers extra baggage fees to take their military kits with them as they set off for war.

Some U.S. airlines give military personnel a break (a break??? Just freaking do it)....no need to pat you on the back....on baggage fees, but others levy surcharges.

Military personnel carry large, heavy kit bags containing boots, clothing and gear. In the past few months, airlines have instituted fees for all travelers ranging from $15 for one bag to $250 for a third bag. (Hmmm and how much are these soldiers' salaries as it is for going over there)..surely not in the same league as say uhhhhh certain civillian contractors who are profiteering off the backs of these men and women, the Americans and the Iraqis.

"What we want to do is nip this in the bud by exempting the military personnel who are traveling under orders from having to pay a fee on their third bag," said Veterans of Foreign Wars spokesman Joe Davis.

(some airlines have these soldiers pay upfront and then they are reimbursed later). ROLLING my eyes here................

Amen to Davis:

"These young troops are going to war," he said. "There's a lot more on their mind than to have to worry or try to remember to get a hundred dollars reimbursed to them when they get into a war zone."

Sorely Tempted

On my way to work at oh too early in the morning I saw my local ga$ station (Shell) had slashed their prices down to $3.58 a gallon. Man, when was the last time prices were below $3.70? I was sorely tempted to pull in and top off my tank, which was almost full anyway. (How bad is that?) I am hoping the prices will drop even more. I budget my gas as it is and consider myself very lucky to live within three miles of everything I need: grocery store, doctor, phramcy etc....Sadly when I pray (or other fellow Americans) for gas to drop to $3.00 a gallon something is surely amiss.

The Debate

Right now mulling over should I drag myself out of bed early mornings or wait until after work....(when this place can mentally drain you). I am not a morning person, as the previous posting described, yet I hate going to the gym after a full day's work. So I decided to conduct some research (the ever-lovin' nerd in me), to see which is most beneficial:

Why is Morning Exercise Better?

Researchers believe that morning exercise may help to set a person’s circadian rhythms (body clock) to be awake during the day and asleep at night. Exercising at night may create the pattern that the body is too awake in the evening.

"If you are an evening person and someone tells you to exercise in the morning, you will never enjoy it (and not stay with it). So the best message is to exercise when you feel most comfortable," said William J. Evans, a physiologist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. (I am an afternoon person...but have not stuck with the previous workout plan due to fatigue AFTER work...so maybe I need to reevaluate my schedule).

Because I suffer insomia on occasion I think my choice has already been made. But that lawn chair looks quite inviting don'cha think?

Mornings

Never was a morning person (my co-workers can vouch for this) however once the insipid alarm goes off I cannot help but leap out of bed. Been this way since well...forever. Mom never had to tell me twice to get up for school. Now my brother and sister...different story. Usually she had to threaten to get dad to wake them and that pretty much did it.

Waking up at 3:45am like I did today is no fun because I wasn't planning to get up until 5. Today is gym day so I like to be off and ready to work by 6am...

I don't know about most mothers, (working and stay at home)....but usually I don't get allot of alone time unless I demand it.

I get up, get dressed and ready for work (alone time) and then off to work for 8 and a half hours, come home and usually am not alone...except when the kid is off to school....and after that well....I allot myself some "me" time because I need it to unwind and simply think.

I could bemoan getting up way before the alarm but then I think...I am also getting some "me" time and though I have a Himmie passed out blissfully on his back near my feet, I do feel a sense of peace now at approx. 4:16am.

Then it's off for another "fun" pack day. ;^)

Work etiquette

For the life of me I will never understand why some people act the way they do here. Case in point....I left my locker unlocked yesterday by accident. Come in this morning and someone had gone in there..TORE the box open and stole 5 of my 11 granola bars I keep for breakfast. I eat light in the morning for various reasons. But this really ticked me off because the person did it once before...why I bought the lock. Other employees choose to either keep a lock or not. I chose to after I had a thief take my things.

One other time an idiot, not on my floor, stole the lunch of a pregnant lady...and yet another time someone's drink, later...all the cheese from this person's lunch...we even have a sign in the breakroom stating that whoever is stealing from the breakroom needs to stop.

What in the world possesses a person to behave in such a trashy manner??????????

Sicko

Watched an interesting documentary today from Michael Moore. Sometimes it made me angry other times completely shocked. And it brought me to tears.

Forty-seven million Americans, including more than 9 million children, are living without health care coverage.

Each year, more and more hard-working families are joining the ranks of the uninsured.

I think about my father who chooses to turn down Medicare at 65 years of age because it is cheaper for him to receive health care benefits from the VA...not like they are the best but at least it's something.

Dad is on several medications and it truly saddens me that he struggles at times to budget his medication to make it last while in other countries the same meds cost much much less--and at times free.

And it's not getting any easier.

My heart was in turmoil watching this documentary unfold. I listened and watched the various stories unfold of 9/11 workers not receiving proper healthcare....patients unabled to pay their hospital bill being dumped off in hospital gowns in Skid Row.

I wonder and my heart cries out for Americans who struggle each and every day to make ends meet and with the economy spiraling ever downward as it has this past couple of years....trying to remain healthy and pay for one's health care seems to become an ever present battle among US citizens.

What is going on?

Who benefits?

Certainly not the average American struggling to meet their basic necessities.

Warped.

Where is our sense of priority for our elderly?

Our sick?

For the millions of uninsured--and these include people with one or more jobs. Treating the sick is a business not a divine calling.

Tell me please....for I beg to try and understand...................for health care is not a privilege but a right.

Getting a haircut

Now it really shouldn't be an ordeal but sometimes it is when you cannot locate a beautician who will actually listen to what you have to say.

I don't like short hair...never have...tried it--simply didn't suit me. But sissors can be a deadly weapon.

I went to a salon a few months ago and informed the man who was about to cut my precious locks what I wanted and didn't want....now did he listen?

No........

So flash forward several months later and here I am agonizing over what to do...a woman's hair is her crowning glory and I will not trust it to just anyone.

My heart pounds just thinking about getting this mop cut. I have very thick hair which needs tender loving care...no one knows it quite like I do.

God help the next person who touches it.

The Middle Class Squeeze

According to Tami Luhby, in CNN's Money article, Middle Class On The Edge, the average family is spending $4,655 more on basic expenses, such as gas, housing, food and health insurance.

In Saint Louis I am seeing the reprocussions of the failing economy.....almost every day my co-workers discuss the rising costs of goods and service, of how they are cutting corners just to put more of their hard earned dollar$ in the tank...and to buy basic necessities like food.

Thankfully my daughter is grown and I don't have to worry about child care expenses (which is soaring also).

Americans are turning more and more to their credit cards to pay on simple services. (When I think about the interests they pay for these services it breaks my heart).

According to Elizabeth Warren, professor at Harvard Law School, nearly 10% of total disposable income in the United States goes to paying off such debt.

America's middle class is feeling the pinch.

I fail to see how a moderate inflation (it's the economy stupid) promotes employment, (think about the total jobs lost this year alone)....8.5 million Americans are unemployed.

???

Obama: "Our economy has now shed 438,000 jobs over the past six months, while workers’ wages fail to keep pace with the skyrocketing cost of gas, groceries and healthcare. The American people are paying the price for the failed economic policies of the past eight years, and we can’t afford four more years of more of the same. That is the essential issue of this campaign because Senator McCain has fully embraced the Bush economic agenda. I believe it has to change."

In the end a long term solution needs to be developed and initiatives created to re-established our wonderful nation back to its original glory.

Election year 2008 has many concerns on the table and not just the war in Iraq (which is a very dire and important issue) but to also pump some life back into the anemic American economy.

Paying more at the pump

And I'm not talking about ga$ either but the transaction fees if you use your credit card. I always use my debit to pay for gas (more convenient) and makes me wonder after reading this CNN article what other hidden costs are generated when we try to make our lives easier at the pump:

Gas stations across the country are increasingly offering discounts for fuel purchases made with cash as high oil prices eat into their profits.

The difference of 10 cents a gallon or more has some customers used to paying with a credit card irate, but station owners say they have to do something to turn a profit.
"If we pay 3 percent or even a little less than that at $4 a gallon in a credit card fee and I'm making 12 cents a gallon, that's my entire profit," said Paul Kelly, who owns a Sunoco station in New Jersey.

Customer Jim Coogan hadn't read the signs and didn't realize he would be paying 10 cents a gallon more at Kelly's Sunoco when he swiped his credit card.
"I don't think that's fair," he said when a reporter pointed out the difference.

Charles Langley, who has tracked Southern California gas prices for the Utility Consumers' Action Network for 10 years, says drivers who charge their gas can actually end up paying substantially more than the 32 cents in the Carlsbad comparison "....More people are financing gas," he said, incurring interest payments along with the cost of the fuel. And he said credit card users need to be more aware and just check posted prices to save money.

"Credit card buyers are notorious for not looking at the price of gas," he said, staying loyal to either their brand of gasoline or credit card they've used for a long time.

Langley says he personally stopped paying for gas with plastic, and now drives by the motto, "More gas for less cash."

_______________________________________________________________

I don't know about you but I have an issue of already paying close to $4.00 a gallon and to have additional costs piled on is really aggravating me. Cutting corners is something Americans have become a pro at...but how much more of this price gouging do we have to put up with before we have total anarchy? BTW one really shouldn't pay for ga$ with their credit card. If you only make the minimum payment on your bill that ga$ is going to end up costing you more than what it's really worth.

Ok--ok...not total anarchy but let's face it we cannot continue on this same course of action without our economy taking a worse hit than it already has.

Death of a Dino

Well, my home computer (a Compaq Presario) finally died on me in glorious fashion late yesterday evening....after almost 10 years of loyal service it said its sad goodbyes last night and now I have to buy a new computer.

Having to be a savvy consumer am now looking for a reasonably priced PC. May just buy my next one at Best Buy or Circuit City.

I would love a laptop however I don't like some of the issues which comes with them such as overheating and making sure you protect your ac/dc adaptor connection with the fierce protection of a mother bear. (My Toshiba connection broke off one fine evening when someone who shall remain nameless was a little careless and it wasn't me.)

Debating whether or not to get a Mac or stick with Microsoft products though for me at least Vista leaves a LOT to be desired. WHY did they have to mess with perfection???

I loved XP.

Sigh.........time for a change.

Now I have really seen everthing!

A friend of mine told me about online divorce....and am thinking:

????????????

WTH?

Where has society come to that now you can get a quickie divorce online?

Wow man I mean what a bargain....of course being saracastic here!!!

Divorce doesn't have to be difficult (yeah right)

CompleteCase.com™ is North America's premier affordable divorce service center. Our simple and inexpensive process will enable you to complete your divorce documents from the comfort of your home, without incurring the cost of an attorney, or dealing with lengthy completion and delivery periods. The total cost is $249.00.

CompleteCase.com™ does not provide blank forms or divorce kits. You will receive completed documents, explanations and instructions. The documents are customized to the state or province you live in, your children, your income, your assets and other factors in your case.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seems like the coward's way out. WHAT in the WORLD has marriage and relationships come to?

Website:
http://www.completecase.com/
http://www.3stepdivorce.com/states/missouri.shtml?gclid=CLS87-bkyZQCFQKcFQodw2H-kw

Mumblings

Today is yet another long one at work with the overtime. By the end of the day I will have clocked in over 42 hours & it's only Thursday with Friday and Saturday still to finish.

I think I need a vacation.....and yeah some heavy duty pampering. :^)

OMG overtime is kicking my a$$

Today I will have worked over 36 hours. Will be a total of 58 hours for the week and an additional 61 for next week (includes regular hours and overtime).....in the military 80 hours a week was not uncommon but I was also in my 20's. AYYY!

Job Interview Phobia (Performance Anxiety)?????

I don't have too many phobias except being afraid of heights and the dark...yes at my age I still get the jeebies being alone in the dark...and this is where Simba becomes my proverbial little white knight in shining armor.

Just knowing that my resume and KSA's (knowledge, skills and abilities) made it through the initial process gives me a small ray of hope. I was informed someone else in the Core who applied received a rejection letter and that has to be difficult to digest. But I always feel in persevering and always go for your dreams...sometimes takes a little longer than you would like but still never give up.

Well, if I am selected for the Archivist interview I am going to have to manage somehow NOT to flub my "lines" as I try to market myself for this totally awesome position.

I look great on paper per se but get me in a room full of people analyzing everything that pops out of my mouth and that is where my anxiety is exposed.

So, how does a woman in her late 30's approach such a dilemma? :^(

I know I am well qualified for the position, my education and military experience scream Archivist material!

It is like this job was made just for someone like myself. I love history, military history....I have worked for NARA going on 6 years now and I worked the "front lines" so to speak as a tech.

Just hire me! Forget the interview!

Some tips to ace an interview:

During interview

Once the interview process starts, you should try to relax, listen thoughtfully and get them to like you.
Relax

Before going into the interview, take a deep breath to center yourself and get relaxed. Take your time. If you act anxious and ready to start the process, you will get anxious and nervous.

Listen

You need to be very aware of the people interviewing you and their moods. You need to listen carefully and act is if he or she is the most important person.

Some people being interviewed talk too much, trying to make a big impression. But often the person doing the interview is the one who wants to talk and control the dialog. You need to listen carefully to what the person says and not be overly anxious to impress. Listening will allow you to answer the questions better.

Get them to like you

It is important to get the people involved in the interview to like you. You want to present yourself as a friendly person that they would like to have on their team.
Arrogance or some other negative personality trait may not be appreciated. Certainly, never point out personal opinions or weaknesses you may think you have.
Note that a common question asked in an interview is: "Tell me your weaknesses." You need to prepare to answer that question with a positive remark. An example may be: "One weakness is that I try to do a perfect job. I may even do extra work to make sure the job is excellent."

Summary

You want to be natural in your job interview and not fearful or arrogant. You need to thoroughly prepare for the interview. Then you should present yourself in a positive manner, avoiding the impression of being nervous. Relax, listen thoughtfully and get them to like you. Following these steps will help you do a good job in your interview and will help to overcome any fears you may have.

(just breathe....breathe)

Websites:
http://www.casource.com/memberGlobal/initViewArticleAction.do?id=100073
http://www.socialphobia.org/whatis.html
http://www.school-for-champions.com/career/fear_job_interview.htm

Job Security

One good thing I can say about my job is that I am forever busy though I do make time to surf the 'net...yes Uncle Sam's dollar$ at work but in my defense I always do above average quota wise for cases I have to churn out.

I went to pick up more records for my caseload in the little gray box for the team, and it was full. Sigh..........I sometimes dream of teaching or maybe doing something more creative with my life. Thank GOD for my writing....however a part of me would love to work for Catholic Charities or as I mentioned in a previous blog, the Ford Foundation.

I know what I do here makes a difference to families and veterans along with the general public but still I would love to be working in something that captures my heart.

Whatever happened to Customer Service

This company via Amazon has given me a dire headache this morning.

I ordered a CD for my daughter some weeks ago and received the wrong one...ok...so I contacted the company to obtain a new envelope and postage to return the old one since the other envelope was ripped. (You would think that a company who does this for a living would send the correct merchandise).

Anyway, time goes by and nothing....they did not send me anything.

Of course I rated them on Amazon as terrible since they sent me the wrong product and did not send me proper mailing.

Well, I return the CD and paid for a new envelope and postage asking for a full refund.

Nothing..........

So I contacted this company again and they flat out told me they sent the right CD.

I am like WTF??????????????????

I reminded them of the CD I ordered and which shows up on my account. Can those people even read??????????????

I had it.

So now I contacted Amazon directly. Those dumb asses had their chance.

Something like this should not bother me but it does because it seems lately with anything these day receiving respect as a customer and your money's worth is the last thing on anyone's mind.

Coffee and energy

I am about ready to keel over......the usual mid afternoon zombie like state I always get into....debating whether or not to just start relying on coffee to get me through the days. I am not a heavy coffee drinker at most I will take in about a cup a day. Might move to three.....don't want to be so wired that I end up as an insomiac....then it defeats the purpose of what I am trying to do.

I tried Vitamin B-12, St. John's Wort, 5 hour energy drink and still....the zombies.

ARGH!

Cable Companies

Yes, by the very nature of my title you can already see I am going to vent and vent good.........

My three tier package combo expired on the 11th. Now.........to KEEP that same package (basic cable, phone and Internet) I would have to pay $20.00 more.

I was like WTF?????????

So, the gracious customer that I am I asked what else was out there (to rip off consumers like myself).

My provider currently has a promo going on where I would pay $13.00 more to have HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, etc etc...so I had to choose between paying more for what I HAVE or fork out additional $$$$ (but receive less) for a well-rounded package.

Guess which one I took.

Thankfully I get a pay raise in July. I will also be changing health insurances whereupon that alone will save me $100/month read $1,000 a year.

Looks like it will go towards cable. (Man...am I addicted or what????????)

SIGH!

Weddings

I don't know why people freak out when a wedding approaches. I hear about frantic brides and grooms mentally trying to scrape it together so that they have the "perfect" wedding of their dreams...and with a 51% US divorce rate I think....hmmmm....is all that hoopla really necessary.

'Course is an individual thing and who knows maybe that 49% leftover will make it. We should always pray for the best in anything, especially a marriage. This day in age it seems more difficult for couples to walk down that blessed path.

My views on the American marriage though tend to be very grim. Only because I see so much drama going on. People divorce at a drop of a hat these days.

They don't want to work things out.

Why????

I would surmise an educated guess and think the lovely couple just don't have "the time" to work things out.

Sad.

I sometimes find it a blessing how I never married.

Came close.

But that is another story altogether.

I found out some stats regarding my high school graduating class and you guessed it..........

Over 50% of my classmates are divorced.

Sad.

Whatever happened to sticking together through the tough times.

Whoever said marriage was easy?

Does everything these days have to be resolved in a sitcom minute?

Apparently in this society it does!!!!!!!!!

MAMA MIA!!!

Well, the road back into the Army is going to be a long haul but I am up for it. If God determines the military is in my future I leave it in His hands.

I come back to work after ONE day and see this two foot high pile of cases on my desk (I kid you not) and pending cases in my computer that have to be processed.

Talk about job security....mama mia!

The road towards my goals is a rough one. But due to my pit bull perseverance I am not one to give up easily on anything I set my mind to.

WHY would I?

If I feel that strongly about something I go for it full speed ahead.

Some people think because of my age (like 39 is old) I am crazy to be even thinking of going back in.

Maybe when you reach 39 you will feel old but not me.

I hate stereotypes given to women who are reaching middle age.

Why should I fit into all that hype?

Women in their 40's are just as vibrant as the men...even more so because we have gained so much throughout our lives, built our self-confidence, are ready to take life by the horns.

And when I reach 50 I still will feel the same. ;^)