Now on Twitter
Just a quick post while I’m on my lunch break at work. I set up a new twitter account – follow me at http://twitter.com/mcory1. Back to the grind…
–Matt
Health Care and Cable
Before I get started, I want to throw a disclaimer out: Generally speaking, I despise talking about politics. It’s pointless, and all it does is get people riled up and pissed off, because — from my experience, at least — no one ever agrees on anything. I also have other things going on in my life that I’d rather devote my time to, like work, my family, relaxing, whatever. I don’t want to sit around and listen to someone get bitchy because things would be so much better if so-and-so were running things. And, for what it’s worth, if I absolutely had to label myself as one or the other, I’m probably more of a liberal than a conservative. I don’t think it’s right to pigeonhole one’s self into one category or the other, but everyone else seems to think you have to, so what the hell.
That said, I’ve been doing some thinking about the recent health care debate because of some comments that a friend of mine posted on Facebook. Actually, let me narrow that down: it’s a single aspect of it, and a single comment (one that I’ve heard thrown about in a few other corners of the internet as well).
My understanding — and I well could be wrong in this — is that the new health care legislation will mandate that companies provide health insurance for their employees, or they’ll be fined. If this is wrong, well, the rest of this post is probably invalid, so go ahead and skip it. I’m going to continue on the assumption that it’s correct though.
The argument I’ve heard against that is that the fine will be less than the cost of providing health insurance for the employees, so companies that currently provide insurance are going to just drop it like a bad habit.
At first glance, there’s some sense in that: why pay (for example) $300 a month per employee, when I can just shell out $150 (or whatever) a month to the government for each employee? As a business owner, you’d have to be stupid to want to pay more to provide health insurance, if you could get away with paying a smaller amount to the government as a penalty, right?
Or — how about this — what if you could get by with paying nothing at all, either to the government or to the insurance companies? Let the employees themselves foot the bill for their own health coverage. From a business perspective, wouldn’t that be best of all? Hell yeah, I say — that eliminates a hefty chunk of overhead right there. Guess what though: you can do that right now.
As far as I’m aware, there’s no federal requirement for a company to provide health care (and if I’m wrong on that, let me know, cause I’ve got a few companies I’ve worked for that would have a decent lawsuit coming). And yet, strangely enough, companies do pay X-amount-of-dollars to make sure their employees have health, dental, optical, even life insurance. It helps the employee out, makes them more loyal, and it’s definitely something that a lot of people consider when they’re looking for a job.
But, from what I hear, if this bill gets passed, companies are going to stop their benefits packages and through money at the government instead, simply because it’ll be less money. Never mind that the money no longer provides anything for their employees — and then to the company, in a way. Never mind that they’ll have to worry about whether their employees get sick and can’t get reasonable health care, so they end up taking more time off than they would have had they been able to get appropriate medical treatment. And never mind that their employees will be more willing to jump ship if there happens to be another company with an opening that just happens to provide some kind of benefits package.
It’s cheaper to pay the government than to pay for health insurance, so that’s what we’ll do, right?
Let’s look at it another way, in a more personal light, since I’m betting most anyone who reads this is more of a person than a company. For example’s sake, let’s say you pay $30 a month for basic cable. The next bill that gets passed mandates that everyone must have basic cable (at least), or else they pay a $10 fine. What would you do? Would you drop your cable — something you’re already paying for every month, and something that you use — just because you can pay $10 instead of $30, although you then wouldn’t have any cable? (If you would, why the hell are you even paying for cable in the first place?)
The way I see it, the companies affected by this bill — in this manner, at least — would break up into three categories:
- Those already providing health insurance for their employees. These companies would just say “Fuck it, I’m already paying it every month, it makes my employees happy. Doesn’t matter to me.”
- Those companies that are either too small to afford or too cheap to provide health insurance for their employees. These guys will just pay the fine.
- Those companies in the middle who aren’t providing health insurance but could. These guys could go either way, but I’d wager they’d be more apt to put their money into something that could give them returns (i.e. benefit packages for their employees) than just throw it away to the government.
This argument is a case-in-point as to why I hate politics. As soon as some of the facts come out, everyone just flies off the handle and makes assumptions without bothering to try and think about what could really happen. 9 times out of 10, things won’t change as drastically as everyone fears. And instead of trying to come up with a better compromise, people just get angry. Let’s say the original argument was really what would happen — why not lobby to raise the fine to a point where it would be better for the companies to provide benefits? No, because that would be giving in to those damned, bleeding-heart, socialist/commie/hippie liberals.
On the other hand…
Your Argument is Invalid
Exhausting Weekend Over in Time for the Work Week
Whew… Finally have a few minutes to breathe. Been a busy weekend, but we’re finally moved. Well, mostly moved, I should say — there’s still some odds and ends at the old house, but everything important is here. Which means my laptop, the internet connection, and the bed. Oh, yeah, and the wife and the cat and dog. I guess they count too 
The new house is definitely different. No garage, which means I don’t get my morning coffee/cigarette/laptop combination. And it also means that Chloe is going to be spending more time as an outside dog. I have mixed feelings about that. I mean, it’s great she gets to be outside and get some fresh air, but it’s El Paso. Even in the shade around this time of year, we’re talking 95+ degrees. Of course, the other option would be to make her a completely “inside” dog, but you know how dogs can get when they’re left to their own devices. The minute you walk out that door, they have all their friends over, drinking your booze, ordering dirty movies…
The place is smaller than where we were too, but that’s not that big of a deal — just took a little creative decorating (hey, who the hell else has their own dresser in their office?) and we got it all taken care of.
Other than that, just been worrying about work lately. There’s a project that needs to get done this week — and it’s a group effort, not just me — and if it doesn’t happen, then it appears I’ll have much more spare time to work on my next novel. Can’t say I’m terribly crazy about the idea, but at the same time I can’t really go into details about it. Suffice to say it’s one of those situations where it just ain’t fair, but there ain’t a damned thing you can really do but cross your fingers. (I’ve been trying that, but it makes it a bitch to type, which is a rather large job requirement for a software developer.)
Let’s see… Novel stuff… Ok, no recent news regarding Like Glass, but the publisher’s a little busy at the moment. The told me they’ll be able to focus on the book later this year, maybe start talking contracts next year. A little disappointing, but what can you do? Besides, I’ve got plenty else on my plate at the moment and not having to worry about the novel is a bit of a nice break. I’m also still throwing around ideas for book #3, minor sketches and a scene or two, but nothing that’s really catching my eye. Maybe the change of scenery will help with it.
Anyways, I’m exhausted and I need to shave and shower and all that happy crap. Catch you on the flip side…
–Matt
Another Day In Paradise
Okay, got up way too early this morning for a Monday, but it’s all good: one of the downsides of trying to work with someone in the UK is the ~7 hour time difference, but over the years I’ve become more of a morning person than I used to be. Coffee is my friend, and it’s a friend I cherish deeply.
Nothing really to report on the publishing deal yet, except for the fact I’ve discovered how different mailing addresses are in the US vs. those in the UK. The publisher wants a hard copy of Like Glass, and the other day I tried to start an order from Amazon to get an idea of how much it cost. Fifteen minutes later, I think I might have gotten it to accept their address, but I’m a little leary of sending it out. For roughly $50 total (w/ S&H), I’d really rather not take a chance on it coming back and having to send it again.
Also, I’m wanting to discuss the options we might have available for working on Shattered and Broken Peaces together — those are the other two books in the Like Glass series. We’ll see what happens with that. Not really getting my hopes up, but hey: stranger things have happened, right? At least Shattered is technically finished. It’s a mess at the moment, but mainly because I haven’t had any need to work on it (and I’ve had more pressing issues to deal with, like “real” life). If there were interest in it, I could probably have it polished up to a pleasant shine in a couple of months. Broken Peaces, now… that would take a little time. But hey, even if we signed the contract today, Like Glass wouldn’t come out for another couple of years, then Shattered would have to make it’s rounds, probably a year or so after Like Glass, and then we’d have to worry about where the final book in the trilogy is.
Aside from that though, things are trucking along. Work’s getting … interesting, to say the least, and quite hectic as project deadlines loom.
The missus and I are moving — did I mention that? Nothing major, just moving across town. Cheaper rent, and I’ll be a little closer to my old stomping grounds. Longer drive to and from work, but you can’t have everything, can you? Gonna get that taken care of this weekend — thankfully we’ve got some movers lined up, and that’ll make things a lot nicer.
Other than that, just another day in paradise. Need to start getting ready to get back into the grind, so I’ll catch you on the flip side.
–Matt
A Decent Day
Had some free time tonight, so I figured I’d try my hand at plotting again. A bit rough to start with, but it was great. Got that neat little tingle when ideas start flowing. Maybe I’ll be able to keep this one moving along. If only I could break my addiction to Mafia Wars… (That’s a Facebook game, for those that don’t know.)
Got assigned a new project today — a small one, thankfully, and relatively easy compared to some of the other stuff I’ve been doing. That brings my grand total of “active” projects up to three; including what I have going on that I’m waiting on someone else, that makes at least six projects — all of which have to be done yesterday, of course — that are currently up in the air or in the works. Fun stuff It’s great though — the company’s decent, the people are decent, and there’s rarely a dull moment.
Think I’m about ready to call it a night though. Been a long day — a good day, but a long one — and it’ll be nice to just chill and read for a little bit. I’m back in on the Idlewild series by Nick Sagan, on book #2 now (Edenborn). Good series — I highly recommend it if you’re into sci-fi or post-apocalyptic stuff .
Yet Another Blogger on Jon & Kate
It’s not very often I talk about the entertainment world, but I’ve been wanting to post something about the whole “Jon & Kate” fiasco since June, when they aired news of their divorce for the world to see. I actually woke up early enough to get my Facebook gaming out of the way, so I figured what the hell; I’ll throw my two cents into the mix as well.
First off, don’t get me wrong — I was never a huge fan of the show. The missus watched it pretty regularly, catching it whenever she could, and I’d watch along if I didn’t have anything better to do. I had a lot of respect for the Gosselins, as I doubt my wife and I would be able to easily handle one kid, let alone eight of them. But a fan? Not really.
And, as much as I hate to admit it, I have to: I was (and to a lesser degree, still am) wrapped up in all the drama that came out of their separation. I mean, here’s this couple who impressed me by being able to keep their marriage going in spite of having tv cameras hovering over them and their large number of children 24/7, and suddenly everything’s falling apart. Yeah, it’s the same side of me who likes to rubberneck at accidents and gawks when an ambulance is parked down the road. I’m not proud of that side, but I’m not going to deny it.
Anyways…
I have no problems with them getting a divorce, per se. I know as well as anyone that people change over time, and sometimes a marriage just doesn’t work out — even under “normal” circumstances. And I’m not a very firm believer in the whole “stay together for the kids” philosophy. If you can maintain a loving front, then it’s great, but the kids would be better off with single parents, or parents who find someone that they can love, rather than sitting around in their bedroom trying to drown out their parents’ arguing.
That said, I think they could have handled it much better than they did. I’m sure the public doesn’t know the whole story, but it sure’s to hell doesn’t seem like they tried very hard to work things out.
First off, kill the show, or at least put it on hiatus. Yeah, it’s the breadwinner and the key to their current lifestyle, but having production crews around all the time and constantly being in the public eye has to be hell on your life. Take a break from it, take some time together to reconnect in the marriage. Even if it means hiring a nanny and going on a vacation for a week or two without the kids. Get that up to specs, then think about getting back into the swing of things.
If that didn’t work, get some counseling. It’s not terribly expensive, and if you find a good counselor, then every dime you spend is well worth it in the long run. I’m not sure what the divorce laws are in Pennsylvania, but I believe there’s at least a handful of states out there where counseling is required before a divorce. And I’m pretty sure they didn’t try that; at least, I didn’t hear anything on the few gossip shows I catch and in the entertainment sections of the news sites I occasionally read, and I’m pretty sure that would have made some kind of headlines: “Reality Stars Jon & Kate Seek Counseling; is Their Marriage in Trouble? Film at 11.”
And if they made an honest effort to work it out — or even just fake it for the public eye — then hell, get the divorce. Life goes on. But they didn’t even take a break (unless you count the off-season) until after they publicly announced their divorce on television.
It’s a shame they didn’t handle their revenue from the show better, or else they could have just come out and said “Hey, things aren’t working out with the family life here, so we’re calling the show off for a while.” It’s not unprecedented — remember Ozzy Osbourne’s show? They killed it because it was stressing out their family too much. That’s a family that’s at least somewhat used to being in the limelight — Ozzy is, at least — and they couldn’t hack it. How much stress could it be on a “normal” couple raising eight children?
So, instead of putting the money away for a rainy day, or even just for the kids’ future, they’re out getting tummy tucks and hair plugs, and when things start to get rough in their marriage, they bail.
Anyways…
I need to start getting ready for work; just had to get that off my chest. Catch you on the flip side.
–Matt
Early Morning = Time to Post
Damn, I’m really not doing that great of a job of keeping up with this thing, am I? 
Been a month and a half since my last “post”, which was just a JavaScript tip, and my last “real” post was a week before that.
Well, I can honestly say that things have been really hectic around here for quite some time, and it doesn’t look like they’ll be calming down anytime soon. Hell, I’m only posting now because I woke up at about 5:30 this morning, and I was able to get all my Facebook games out of the way with time to spare before I go to work.
Things are, as I said, pretty damned hectic right now. The Mrs. and I are moving (once again), which is always fun. I’m running two projects at work that need to be done last month, and I’ve got two more on the back-burner, where we’re waiting for some consultations to finish up. Once that gets done, I’ll be working on four projects. Throw into the mix the desire to try and keep up some semblence of a home life going, as well as the Facebook games I mentioned above, and I’m surprised I get any sleep at all.
No time for writing with all of that, of course, but trust me: it’s always in the back of my mind. I’ve thrown around tons of different story/novel ideas in the past few months, but none of them really seem to stick. Of course, they may all have turned out to be great projects to work on had I just sat down and started them, but of course I didn’t and none of them would stick after the fact.
That’s been one of the things I’ve tried to keep in mind — if there’s something I really want to work on, some idea that really sounds fantastic, then the idea just won’t leave me. It may fade out now and then, but it’ll always come back. I haven’t had any plot ideas that do that for me yet.
I’m sure they’ll pop back around when the time is right; at the moment, I’ve just got too much else on my plate. Or, another way of looking at it: I’m not quite as motivated to work on anything just yet. Last year, when I decided to work on Shattered (the sequel to Like Glass that I may-or-may-not ever release), I hated my job and wasn’t doing terribly well, psychologically speaking. This year, I actually like my job, and I’m in a much better frame of mind to boot. At the moment, I’m fairly content with my lot in life, and I don’t see any reason to put the kind of pressure on that’s required to toss out a novel.
Of course, that’s subject to change without notice…
Oh, and by the way, there’s a slim chance that there might be some news regarding Like Glass over the next couple of weeks. I’m not counting any chickens yet, but I want to throw that out there for you. And I’ve learned my lesson from past experiences: you will hear absolutely nothing more until everything is completely confirmed on all sides (although I may explain what’s going on if things fall through). So, stay tuned for that.
Anyways, I need to start getting ready for work. Catch you on the flip side.
–Matt
Just Trying to Get Back Into Posting…
Well, so much for doing a better job of keeping up with this thing. What can I say? It’s been busy around here lately — mostly trying to keep up with the new job and whatnot, but also “normal” life stuff as well. Been getting new furniture, trying to keep up with housework, trying to relax as best as possible.
Still no writing, but I’ve been getting the urge a lot more lately. And, always one to look for signs where ever they may be found, last night I got a little more of a push in that direction. I was at Shooter’s (my dad’s bar) hanging out and watching the scotch doubles tournament, when one of the regulars came up to me and started asking me what she should do if she wanted to write a book. Of course, I blabbed on with my suggestions for quite some time — don’t know if I helped her out or not — but it was one of those things that just kinda got the ball rolling again. Especially since yesterday I’d been thinking a lot about maybe starting a new project.
Life’s kinda interesting that way, how “signs” seem to pop out of the woodwork like that. But, then again, if she’d approached me even if I hadn’t been thinking about it, would I have considered it a sign? Maybe, maybe not. It’s one of those things that doesn’t bear thinking about too deeply, less you drive yourself bonkers with it.
For what it’s worth, even though I haven’t been posting much lately, my blog(s) have been in the back of my mind a lot lately. I still want to start doing more here, just haven’t really figured out what it is I want to do. What I’d originally thought of doing was having a set of regular postings every week — one or two on programming, one or two on writing, throw in some “regular life” crap or commentary on news and stuff, mix well, chill and serve. Just can’t seem to bring myself to sit down and do it though — not even organize it or plan it.
Anyways…
I think I got up a bit too early this morning, so I’m going to rest my eyes a little bit before we get the day started. Sunday’s have somehow turned into household-chore-day recently, so I probably should be a bit better rested.
Catch you on the flip side.
–Matt
New Job
Quickie post to bring you up to speed.
Last Wednesday I started a new job, doing development work at a local insurance company. So far, it’s great — a bit of a pay cut, but it’s a great work environment and it’s pretty much a new department, so there isn’t really a lot of infrastructure set up yet. I know that, in a lot of ways, that can be quite annoying, but it’s also good in my book: it’s pretty much a blank slate, and we can get things rolling in a halfway decent manner.
The only thing that sucks about it is that the lead developer — my supervisor for these few days — is leaving on Thursday. So far, we’ve hit it off pretty good too, and I’ve only spent one day with his replacement (she’s just hanging around for a couple of days while he’s still working so she can get up to speed; she’ll start full time in May I believe), so I’m not quite sure what to make of her yet.
Once we get up to speed, there’s going to be a lot of pressure to start putting stuff out, but for now it’s a wonderful change of pace from my previous job.
As such, there’s no news on the writing front, and probably won’t be for a while as I adapt to the new environment. Hopefully, once I get better situated there, I’ll be able to focus a little more on my creative ventures. We’ll see though.
Need to get ready to go — only “down side” is I need to wear a tie and a dress shirt to work, so getting ready isn’t quite as quick and easy as it used to be. No biggie…
Catch you on the flip side.
–Matt
New Project in the Works
Working on some ideas for a new sci-fi story. The plot I’m working with is probably already a little over-done, but I’m having fun with it and that’s the main thing I’m looking for right now. I’m thinking about running it as a serial here on the blog — that’s the way I’m sketching it out right now, at least, as a series of “episodes” instead of chapters. Puts it in a different light, that’s for sure.
As I said, the plot’s probably a little over-done — colonizing a planet, basically — but I’m hoping to focus on the human elements more than the science in this story (i.e. emphasis on the “fi” in sci-fi), and hopefully that’ll bring a slightly different spin on it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure that’s been done more than a little bit as well. But think about it — how many times do you hear the same, basic plot line(s) retold with different settings and characters? Besides, I’ve never really strayed into sci-fi yet, and it may be fun.
Okay, enough trying to rationalize it to myself. I need to start getting ready for work. Catch you on the flip side.
–Matt
