Tuesday, August 29, 2006

What's on your iPod?

So, one of my recent projects has been to create a new playlist to listen to at work, so I've been going through our very large music library. I didn't know this, but it turns out that I like Stereophonics. Other music I've been listening to is The Pillows, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, and Flow (these I found from watching anime, as they did some of the opening/closing credit songs). Gotta love rock songs in Japanese!

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Sticker Shock

So we took Niles and Octavius to the vet today because Niles needed to get his nails trimmed (not an easy feat since he's bad experiences in the past) and Octavius seems to be still sick (he has a cold). Now, what we expected all this to cost was maybe $60 (you know, maybe $30 for the nail trim and then we got some medicines for Octavius). The cost was almost 3x as much though.

Which brings me to my question: Why isn't there medical insurance available for your pets. If I could pay a monthly premium and then have just a $15 co-pay, like when I go see the doctor, then I wouldn't feel so shocked and outraged at how much this very nice but obviously expensive vet office charged us. I mean, I would like our animals to be healthy, and I would like to take them in for yearly check-ups and have them on flea and heartworm medication, and all the rest. And this vet office is so nice, and the people who work there obviously care about animals, and the veterinarian took a lot of extra time with Niles so the nail trim wouldn't be so traumatic. But I can't dish out so much money with every visit! I need to pay monthly premiums and small co-pays.

After doing a quick google, it appears that there are some insurance options available, but the ones I looked at don't cover the run-of-the-mill medical care, just accidents and illnesses.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Stupid Point and Stupider Counterpoint

Read this article from Forbes entitled "Careers and Marriage." If you're at all a "modern" woman (or man) with feminist sensibilities, then chances are you would be as outraged by this article as I was. The point and counterpoint read:

Point: Don't Marry Career Women

Counterpoint: Don't Marry A Lazy Man

But if they wanted to have an equal point and counterpoint, then it should have read:

Point: Don't Marry Career Women

Counterpoint: Don't Marry A Career Man

That would have been an equal discussion. The argument seems to be that one person should remain at home and be the primary home and family caretaker. Tradition alone has designated that women should play this role. But I thought in the 90s we saw a push for men to take part in that role. Why shouldn't men be the primary home and family caretaker? Wouldn't that fulfill the argument, leading to a "balanced" and happy marriage?

And quite frankly, if both partners are not helping around the home, sharing household duties equally, and if both parents are not investing time and energy in their children's lives, then it seems to me that that unit is imbalanced and unhealthy. Partners work together and support each other, and if both people live in one home, and use that space, then both people should be held accountable for its upkeep. And parents should be involved in their children's lives PERIOD. No ifs and or buts.

I could probably go on for a lot longer, but I'll end the tirade with this: I can only imagine that the Point was written by someone who thinks fondly of the golden era of Leave it to Beaver and "good old fashioned family values." America of today is as diverse ethnically as it is in its family structures. If we don't recognize that our basic family units have changed, and therefore also the roles of the characters in these units, then we'll never be able to have a female president!

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Congratulations...It's a Cat


This black and white 14 week year old boy is Octavius. He is a friendly, playful, and good natured (though sometimes spastic) rescue kitty. He and Neko are good friends already, and Ceilidh is warming up to him. Please welcome the newest edition to our family! Posted by Picasa

Thought for the Evening

It's amazing all the public records the government posts online.