Well, after threatening to do it for some time now, I've finally taken the plunge and chopped off most of my hair. I decided against shaving it with fall and winter looming ominously on the horizon, but I must say I don't reall ymiss it much. Here's the do:
It's a bit hipster for my taste (I'm anticipating massive crap from BoxOfficePoison on that count) but it's a change for the better, I think.
Today was a nice day. I went into the lab for a bit but was again thwarted by the damned mouse availability. Stupid mice. Always fucking when you don't want them to, and never doing it when you do. Which turned out to be OK, as some friends were having a barbecue at riverside park just below the George Washington bridge - one of Manhattan's best kept secrets. It's a really pretty park (with loads of underused tennis courts) that's right on the water. It gets the afternoon sun and there's always a pleasant breeze blowing through. And now I'm back home early, and little with which to occupy my time. It's a nice change.
On this day off, I think we should all take a moment to celebrate the labor union movement. It is Labor day, after all. So for all of those people who consider labor unions obsolete, outdated and unecessary, here's a short list of just some of the things that we owe to the labor movement. The five day workweek, the eight hour workday, the end of child labor, the establishment of OSHA (you know, the people who make sure you don't die at your workplace), wrongful termination of employment laws, the entire concept of "benefits" (like health insurance, etc.), overtime pay, reasonable wages and what was, for a time, a shrinking of the distance between the working and the owning classes. Of course ever since Reagan and his anti-union bullshit that started with the air traffic controllers and the dock workers and has continued through this administration that gap has been widening again. Coincidence? Maybe. But doubtful.
Remember, unions are there to give a concerted, political voice to the people who are actually doing the work. The owners certainly have more than their fair share of political voice with the mountains of campaign contributions (generated by the workers, no less) that give them access to politicians. Without unions there is no balancing of interests in the government.
Something to keep in mind.
It's a bit hipster for my taste (I'm anticipating massive crap from BoxOfficePoison on that count) but it's a change for the better, I think.
Today was a nice day. I went into the lab for a bit but was again thwarted by the damned mouse availability. Stupid mice. Always fucking when you don't want them to, and never doing it when you do. Which turned out to be OK, as some friends were having a barbecue at riverside park just below the George Washington bridge - one of Manhattan's best kept secrets. It's a really pretty park (with loads of underused tennis courts) that's right on the water. It gets the afternoon sun and there's always a pleasant breeze blowing through. And now I'm back home early, and little with which to occupy my time. It's a nice change.
On this day off, I think we should all take a moment to celebrate the labor union movement. It is Labor day, after all. So for all of those people who consider labor unions obsolete, outdated and unecessary, here's a short list of just some of the things that we owe to the labor movement. The five day workweek, the eight hour workday, the end of child labor, the establishment of OSHA (you know, the people who make sure you don't die at your workplace), wrongful termination of employment laws, the entire concept of "benefits" (like health insurance, etc.), overtime pay, reasonable wages and what was, for a time, a shrinking of the distance between the working and the owning classes. Of course ever since Reagan and his anti-union bullshit that started with the air traffic controllers and the dock workers and has continued through this administration that gap has been widening again. Coincidence? Maybe. But doubtful.
Remember, unions are there to give a concerted, political voice to the people who are actually doing the work. The owners certainly have more than their fair share of political voice with the mountains of campaign contributions (generated by the workers, no less) that give them access to politicians. Without unions there is no balancing of interests in the government.
Something to keep in mind.
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ive just done some random wandering around, you know... the essentials. went to groundworks and walked around east village and soho and we went to SEA. it was fun. but, of course, im enchanged with ny now and i'll most certainly be there this weekend also.