Bertha

Guess Who Got Laid Off

Geek Wannabe, General Comments Off

Feb 022009

Those were the Alpha Geek’s first words when he came home early Friday.

He’s not the only one; half a dozen people were let go. He spent the rest of the afternoon searching the classifieds; I went to all the online job boards and expanded my searches to include full-time positions.

Today I need to call all the doctors we have upcoming appointments with and cancel them (no more health insurance).

We had been planning to refinance the mortgage, which would have saved us several hundred dollars a month. Ironically we can’t do this now.

Could be worse. I’ll keep telling myself that…

Equal Pay for Equal Work

Geek Wannabe, General Comments Off

Jan 292009

It’s not just a good idea, it’s the law!

Today President Obama signed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law.

From Obama’s speech:

“Equal pay is by no means just a women’s issue — it’s a family issue. It’s about parents who find themselves with less money for tuition and child care; couples who wind up with less to retire on; households where one breadwinner is paid less than she deserves; that’s the difference between affording the mortgage — or not; between keeping the heat on, or paying the doctor bills — or not. And in this economy, when so many folks are already working harder for less and struggling to get by, the last thing they can afford is losing part of each month’s paycheck to simple and plain discrimination.

So signing this bill today is to send a clear message: that making our economy work means making sure it works for everybody; that there are no second-class citizens in our workplaces; and that it’s not just unfair and illegal, it’s bad for business to pay somebody less because of their gender or their age or their race or their ethnicity, religion or disability; and that justice isn’t about some abstract legal theory, or footnote in a casebook. It’s about how our laws affect the daily lives and the daily realities of people: their ability to make a living and care for their families and achieve their goals.”

I heart this man.

Fit Shortage

Geek Wannabe, General, I Love My Car Comments Off

Jan 262009

Last week the Alpha Geek got a letter from a local Honda dealership.

“They want to buy one or both of our Fits.”

I laughed. “Why, is there a Fit shortage?”

Apparently there is. The little buggers are selling as fast as Honda can get them on the lots, and those of us who buy them are hanging on to them. Even though the Fit has been sold in the States since 2006 (the Alpha Geek got one of those), there aren’t a lot of used ones available.

“They’re offering top dollar,” added my husband. “And a deal on any other 2009 model they have.”

I sidled protectively up to my car. “They can’t have mine!”

He nodded. “I’m tempted to go there and challenge them to show me any other car on their lot that’s as useful as the Fit.”

Hands off, Fit poachers!

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