Enough Already.....

It's been very hot the last two days, triple digits. The forecast highs keeps changing, but more of the same is predicted this week. As of this morning the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) workers are out on strike. 

I don't know why I'm so pissed off?

I slept well and woke on the right side of the bed. Although the house was closed up most of the week end with the AC on, it's open now. A nice breeze is wafting through the family room. I have lots of reasons to feel good but still, I'm angry.

As I said, triple digit heat the last two days and more of the same today. We had a spare the air week end. I'm walking around here trying to think of ways to cut down on our power consumption. Not necessarily to save money, our bill is never very high. I'm trying to conserve energy so our power grid doesn't blow out.

Every one's a fucking critic and they all have opinions. Old joke: Why are opinions like hemorrhoids? Sooner or later every assholes going to have one. OK, so maybe that's not exactly true but the story fit well here.

Temperatures in the southwest were in the high 110's and low 120's yesterday. Arizona, Nevada, and parts of California hit record highs. Into the 90's in parts of Washington and Oregon, Utah, had some temps near 100. 

So, I'm reading a few weather related stories on line. Have you noticed how many comment pages are linked into Facebook? News and sports sites to fashion and photography. From apples to zebras, comments are posted through Facebook. Now I'm thinking about how bad this weather is and I see this comment; "This hot weather is nothing but media hyperbole. It's dictated out of the White House so Obama can get his alternate fuel bills through."

My GOD.....I would hate myself and my life if I read about record heat and people losing their lives and extrapolated it was a democratic end run. I try to expend very little energy on politics. I don't care what a persons views are. But I am sick and tired of the current administration taking heat (no pun intended) for everything. No matter your political persuasions we're all humans and we live on this planet, together.

And here it is, another day of temperatures in triple digits and the BART workers go out on strike. It's taking about an hour to get through the toll plaza on the Bay Bridge. It's hot, the air is shitty, and people by the thousands are sitting alone in their cars waiting an hour to travel a few miles. 

I don't write this blog to editorialize on issues. I don't know or care enough about the reasons behind these problems. Maybe I should, but I don't. If you want that information you can do the research. All I know is the workers want more than management is offering. I see the problem impacting so may lives. How much is enough? Maybe management could take a little of their salary and spread it around? Truly, what difference does any of this make? If the settlement is the 8% management offers, the 32.2% the workers want or somewhere in between, the people who ride BART will pay it when fares go up, again.

And, so you should know (as my Grandma Sophie used to say) here are some statistics from 2012:

The top 100 workers in the BART DISTRICT had salary with benefits between $419,661 and $211,732. The top security staff worker, a police Sargent made $136,746 in salary, $111,902 in overtime, $33,921 in unused comp time payouts, $18,200 in employer payouts for health care, and $66,300 in employer paid retirement.....OH, OH, OH....not to forget, he paid into his own retirement as well in 2011, $156.00 (one hundred and fifty six dollars). Add the miscellaneous income of $1,107 to the mix and his yearly earrings were worth $362,662.

I was going to go through the BART salary listings until I found someone, anyone at all, making under $100,000. I stopped looking at employee number one thousand, his package was worth $136,264.

I'll soon be 65 years-old. I've made a considerable amount of scratch in my time. From my first job to my last R.N. position, I always did OK. I lived within my means, never spending more than I had. I lived well, always had a roof.....just thought of a great line from "Duck Soup"....Groucho, as Rufus T. Firefly the newly appointed President of Freedonia is wooing a lady and says, "I can't promise you much but you'll always have a Rufus over your head."

I digress: I always had a roof over my head, clothes to wear, and food in my stomach. My first job at Baskin Robbins paid .65 cents an hour. I was delighted with my first 10 cent raise. I bought my first car with ice-cream money. Ya, I know it's all relative. My last nursing gig paid over a thousand bucks a week. Now, I'm retired, nothing has changed much. I still have what I have and am satisfied with it.

So why am I angry? I'm tired of all the negativity. I would love to see decisions based more on what's best for everyone. Even though I rely on it I'm over exposed to social media. Wanda and I have talked about this issue often. People who LIKE a FB page and do nothing but complain on it. If you hate Starbucks so much go bitch about it elsewhere. Don't like Safeway? Shop at Big Mart.

Yesterday I was reading a message thread on Princess Cruise Lines. The theme was the brand new, Royal Princess. I think it's a gorgeous ship with terrific amenities. People that have yet to sail her are already complaining about balcony size, "Too small" and the private (for fee) cabanas "Too expensive" and a host of other nit picky things. HEY.....SHUT THE HELL UP.

There are several excellent quality cruise lines with lots of beautiful ships. Surly a person can find one that is a great fit. 

I'm know I'm dreaming. Perhaps it'll never happen. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone considered what was best for the majority rather than what was best for them. And, wouldn't it be nice, if once and for all, everyone lived by that golden rule. No, not that one....this one: If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

Look, it's hot, I'm grouchy.