Year of Hell
Also the title of a particularly gripping fourth season Voyager episode, “Year of Hell” serves to perfectly describe what 2004 has been (and what it may yet continue to be). The latest reminder is the devastating earthquake -> tsunamis in southeast Asia, the death toll from which may very possibly reach 45,000 in the next few days. The southwestern provinces of Thailand, a beautiful part of the country where my wife and I just visited less than three months ago, are destroyed. Hearing the reports from eyewitnesses and people who experienced the tsunamis first-hand, you can barely believe your ears. I’d say this is the worst natural disaster to ever occur in modern times, certainly in my lifetime. Nothing I imagine can compare.
Yesterday I had a lot of people from the office ask me if my wife’s family in Thailand was okay, if they were affected by the disaster at all. Thankfully they were not, although my father-in-law just returned from Phang Nga (where nearly 1,000 people were killed) just last week. The tsunamis even wiped out a Navy base in that province, sweeping mortar shells and missiles out to sea. Having been in these places myself, I have a somewhat stronger connection to the events that are unfolding in that region, and I am perhaps more able to vividly envision the calamity. The result has kept me riveted to the ongoing news reports of the disaster for the last few days.
The latest word from the United Nations is that some of the richer member countries, such as the USA, are being stingy with their monetary donations in the wake of this tragedy. One UN representative complained that the US should raise taxes on its citizens to afford more assistance. Immediately a bunch of right-wingers on local talk radio got up and barked that we do plenty for the world already, and the UN should STFU. One guy this morning suggested that every employee of the UN should donate 20% of his or her paycheck for the next year to the relief effort.
Come on, guys, let’s be real. We’re the richest nation in the world, and we’ve pledged $15 million to the relief efforts. How much money have we spent in Iraq in the last year, 300-some billion? Anyway, it’s a much higher figure than $15 million, and if you ask me, I think the greatest natural disaster in decades—if not centuries—deserves a little more commitment. Japan has pledged the US equivalent of $30 million; surely we can do at least as well? 15, 30, even 50 million is a drop in the bucket considering our deficit right now. Considering we blow hundreds of thousands or even millions for stupidassed domestic pet projects like “potato warehousing” and studies of “shrimp mating habits,” I tend to agree that $15 million is a bit on the stingy side. Yes, we have people here in our own country who are living on the street (some still as a result of the hurricanes here in my own community), and they deserve our assistance as well. But using them as an excuse not to help the victims in southeast Asia is a bit retarded, if you don’t mind my saying so. Come on, we’re not helping our own people, either. We’re paying for POTATO WAREHOUSING!
Anyway, I’ll move away from that sobering topic for now. It still feels like Christmas hasn’t arrived yet, since we haven’t opened our gifts—but tonight’s the night. With my parents finally having arrived in town, we’re all going out for dinner at the Japanese restaurant where my wife works, then opening the presents at home. And speaking of Christmas, I also received a gift at work—one of the new 17” LCD monitors the company ordered was given to me by the head of the IT department. I don’t think it was originally intended for me; I get the feeling that they ordered one too many, or some other employee decided they wanted to stick with a CRT. I much prefer a CRT for gaming, but the sharpness and visual quality of an LCD is great for graphic design. Since I’m obviously not doing any gaming at the office, I decided to try the LCD. I think I’m going to enjoy it.
It was unbelievably busy here at work yesterday. Not the good kind of busy, though. Busy as in “getting extremely frustrated with the goddamn incompetent and incommunicative management of the directory department” again. I swear to God, I hate those fucking idiots. Every time anyone else in the company gets involved with that group, it turns into a wild goose chase. People pull hair, stuff gets marked up and redone a million times, expectations are hidden and never met…it’s such a phenomenal waste of time and energy, I can’t believe that the morons in charge of that department continue to draw a paycheck.
I also learned more about the discussion about my career path and education that the CEO started with me last Thursday. I gotta admit, I’m continually impressed—and grateful—for how highly the management thinks of me. Most bosses wouldn’t even consider this kind of stuff, but our CEO thinks that if I had the credentials and experience in marketing and business, I would be doubly valuable to the company. So, they have offered to pick up the cost of my acquiring, say, an MBA with an emphasis on marketing, after which I would be “groomed” for installation as the Director of Marketing (or, dare I say it, the Vice President of Marketing?). It’s clear that all parties involved want my job here to be long-term and I appreciate that. I’m certainly going to take them up on this opportunity, because those kinds of credentials can only be a benefit to me no matter where I am. However, I will make it clear (not now, but later) that if anyone would like to push me toward full membership in our directory department, I will kindly but firmly resist. I don’t intend to report to anyone who is such a full-blown, head-up-the-butt idiot, and I feel I’ve got the clout around here—at least with the people who count—to make a demand such as that. But not until the time comes. No need to threaten against what isn’t immediately apparent.
Okay, got some work to do, so I’ll be off. More updates later!
Categorized as Life