Thank you so much for the letter informing us that we have to repay the unemployment that you already sent us. This makes complete sense, because we already went through a dispute and won, because the employer didn’t have any evidence. But since the employer was able to MANUFACTURE evidence after the fact, I can see how you would take his word for everything. That makes total sense.

Of course, employers never lie… only employees do that. Employers are truthful by their very nature. Just because the person who trained my wife in the job was the one who showed (by her example) her what was acceptable and what wasn’t. But that isn’t the employers problem, even if he IS sleeping with the person who trained my wife. I’m sure that had nothing to do with the double standard.

I’m sure your decision to only talk to the employer and not the employee was based on a completely fair set of criteria. Our legal system is based on an accuser being able to say whatever they want, and the accused not being allowed to be present. Right? Sure, you can lean on your thin argument of technical difficulties, but that hardly makes a one-sided legal decision fair, don’t you think?

Yes, Kansas, your decision to reverse the unemployment will definitely help the economy. The scumbag employer will save a few hundred bucks. Your unemployment fund will save a few thousand. And you don’t have to worry about what happens to the citizen you’re taking the money away from, because that’s not your problem.

I blame the employer for being a lying scumbag who has one set of standards for normal employees and another set for employees he sleeps with. But it’s you, Kansas, that I blame for having a ridiculous, arbitrary, and moronic system in place that allows decent people to be screwed by lying scumbags.

Keep up the good work!

Your loyal taxpaying citizen,

Pete

Click here to donate to the Pete & Jenna Unemployment Replacement Fund. Sorry, donations are not tax deductible. But they are appreciated.

My tendency was always to obsess about every possible scenario that might possibly happen, assume the worst, and then try to plan for it. To some extent, it’s a smart way to plan. But not if it makes me have a stroke.

As you know from my past musings, we are having to pay back the unemployment that we’ve been paid the past few months. If you didn’t know that, go back a couple of posts. But that’s a big chunk of change, and of course, we already spent it on bills.

That introduces a cash flow problem. I still have all of the same bills to pay, but now Kansas wants several thousand dollars. And they want it now, they want it all at once, and they want it in large, non-sequential bills. Seriously, they want it all now.

Add to that April is coming up and IHS had a better year than expected, so i will also owe several thousand dollars to the IRS and frickin Kansas then, too.

That’s a LOT of cash to come up with between now and April 15th. And I have to do it without the unemployment Jenna still should have been getting through this October.

So basically, cash in has gone to zero, and cash out has gone to about ten thousand dollars.

I’m not imagining the circumstances. That is reality. But I am probably not helping the situation by making myself stroke out. It is what it is, and at the end of the day, the government can’t squeeze blood out of a turnip. They can’t have what I don’t have.

If that’s the case, then the worst thing that can happen is I get nasty threatening letters from the IRS.

How bad can that be?

This is really not smart on his part, since I could post anything I felt like on his website. However, the businessman in me says “Pete, you are running a business, you can’t be unprofessional, even to a turbotool like this guy.” So rather than potentially give my business a black eye, it gave me great pleasure to write the following letter, terminating his hosting with my company (click to enlarge):

Against the advice of my dad, I decided to write him a refund check for the unused portion of his hosting. I probably don’t have to legally, and I definitely don’t have to morally, but I still want to keep my business totally on the up-and-up. Unlike him. The main benefit of writing a refund check to this bozo is that I got to write the letter you just read. It just wouldn’t have the same flair if I wasn’t sending him money.

I think of it as a payment on continuing education… I learned never to work with Chiropractors. Legitimate medicine has been proving over and over that Chiropractic Subluxation is total BS for the past 110 years. Why would I think that someone who charged people money to do something that doesn’t fix what he claims it fixes while also risking serious injury or death (strokes, etc.) is a good person? Don’t take my word for it:

Don’t Let Chiropractic Fool You

He terminated her for violating a policy which he did not have, had never mentioned, and made up only AFTER she pushed him to explain his reason for terminating her. He lost the initial dispute for unemployment because he didn’t have any documentation.

Then, as if by magic, he produced a photocopied page from “a” policy manual, which Jenna had never seen, and another page from somewhere else (that didn’t even have the same font or font size) that he ALSO claimed was part of his policy manual. Jenna was never given a copy of this document (probably because it didn’t exist), and EVEN IF THE DOCUMENT DID EXIST, HE DIDN’T FOLLOW THE DISCIPLINE STEPS IN THE FRIGGIN DOCUMENTS! It said two written warnings would be given, then possible termination. Well, he didn’t give written warnings.

His other point in his appeal was that Jenna had a job and was, in essence, scamming the unemployment system. He was referring to Jenna being on the radio… which she is. However, what he didn’t know (since it was none of his damn business) was that she is a volunteer. She’s killing time while she looks for work. She’s never been paid a cent.

He sent a page from her blog on the radio station’s website claiming it proved that she was working.

The fact that he won this appeal only proves that he must have lied through his teeth to the judge. There’s no other way he could have won. The facts were not on his side. He couldn’t produce one solid piece of evidence that she violated a policy, and he didn’t even follow the policy that he submitted (which was apparently downloaded from the Internet) to the judge as evidence. And his second claim of her being employed was just bunk. He assumed.

If you just go by the “facts” that were presented in the documentation, he can’t win. He must have just lied and lied and lied.

We could fight it, but frankly it wouldn’t help. The next appeal step doesn’t allow any new information to be added, a panel just reviews the current file to make sure the JUDGE didn’t break any rules with the judgment. Which I’m sure she didn’t.

We could hire an attorney and sue the idiot. But Jenna and I have already had 4 months of this guy trying to cause us sleepless nights, stress, and just general anger. I think 4 months of him upsetting us is enough, and so my decision is to let it go.

It’s not fair, in fact it may be criminal. It’s DEFINITELY jerky, for someone who acted like he was friends with Jenna up till the day he fired her then fought tooth and nail to stop her unemployment. And the thing is, it might have cost him a few hundred bucks on his unemployment rates, but the money was coming from the state, not from him. If he had any understanding of the system he’d know that it was only a few bucks to him but ten THOUSAND bucks to us.

Either he’s evil and trying to ruin us, or he’s a complete moron who doesn’t understand how the system works. Before the appeal hearing, I might have guessed moron, but after all the lies, it has to be evil.

Anyhow, we will be accepting donations, because we have to pay back the unemployment money they paid us for the last 4 months. Talk about adding insult to injury!

But truthfully, we will be fine. We will even be fine financially. It’s a temporary (and brief) setback. And in the end, I can still say that I never got a DIME from the government, ever. When I was laid off back in the 90’s, they wouldn’t let me have unemployment because I signed up for classes. Now, we’re paying back what we got for Jenna, with interest I’m sure.

I can preserve my pristine record of never getting a handout. I hope he’s happy with his 3.2% UE rate instead of it going to 3.3%.

And yes, I did tag this post in the category “Gay Stuff.” LOL

Today I was scheduled to shoot a calendar (6 women today, 6 next week). We were to start at 10 AM.

Nobody showed up at 10. At 11, I was still sitting there alone.

At 11:15, the agency called me and said they needed to reschedule.

Ummm.

I drove 40 miles to the studio and sat there for over an hour for no reason. Couldn’t you have called at 9:30? Would that have killed you?

Anyhow, if I was rich, I would tell them to eff off and find another photographer. Instead, I have to be nice and reschedule the shoot and act like it was no big deal.

People are inconsiderate twits.

Fred Phelps and his gay-bashing homies come to mind immediately. Those people are despicable morons who are undoubtedly all closeted gays themselves. Whenever I see him I just want him to shut up and go away. Society doesn’t like his message, and doesn’t like being subjected to it.

But the ACLU defends him. What the…?

Fred may be a hopeless moron, but it would be completely un-American to silence him. This country was founded on freedom (I thought) and that freedom includes LOUDLY stating your opinion, no matter how obnoxious, poorly thought-out, socially unacceptable, etc. their opinion happens to be.

The first group in modern times to have their freedom of speech infringed upon was anti-abortion protesters. Apparently it made people uncomfortable to see pictures of aborted babies before walking into a clinic to abort their babies. Politicians with the help of Planned Parenthood got legislation passed to prevent abortion protesters from standing within 500 miles of a clinic (I’m rounding there…).

But is that what WE, as Americans REALLY WANT?

Do we want one group of people to be able to shut up another group of people just because they’re the majority and they can?

That’s why for the past 8 years I stood by and listened as people bashed Bush, calling him a terrorist, traitor, baby-killer, racist, etc. I have listened to kooks like Fred Phelps rant and gay-bash. I have watched every major news outlet blatantly side with one candidate over another in political elections.

And you know what, I didn’t like it. But the last thing I would EVER want is for those people to shut up.

Yes, I’d like to change their minds about things, but that’s really not likely. I’d like them to choose to shut up and/or die, but that’s also not likely. So my alternatives are to villainize people for having an unpopular opinion and try to silence them, or I can point out the flaws in their argument and hope the general public is smart enough to separate the theatrics from the real content of the argument.

This health care bill that congress and Obama are trying to shove down our throats through raw partisan power and a massive PR campaign is, plainly put, the worst piece of legislation to ever have a serious shot at passing. I have about 100 reasons why, but if you don’t know by now that I’m a Libertarian then you haven’t been paying attention.

People are genuinely upset about this bill. Even if “big pharm” IS stirring people up about this issue, that doesn’t de-legitimize what the people are doing and saying. Remember, the “health care industry” as the politicians like to call it employs zillions of REGULAR Americans… not just doctors and nurses. I help manage a company that manufactures medical devices. I have a REAL LIFE stake in the implications of a government takeover of this sector. So do the hundreds of thousands of other people who work in insurance, medical offices, medical suppliers, medical manufacturers, medical research, etc. Not just doctors and nurses… secretaries, support staff, analysts, accountants, machinists, etc. etc. etc.

That doesn’t even begin to take into account the millions of small businesses that will be subject to higher taxes, which will inevitably result in LOW LEVEL workers being laid off. Duh.

“Big Pharm” and “Big Insurance” aren’t just these big monolithic corporations… they are collections of millions of US!

Kids, it’s time to grow up. This is America. In America, you work hard, you pay your own way, and you don’t rely on other people or the government to bail you out. Seriously. Grow up. There’s NO SUCH THING as a FREE LUNCH.

Didn’t your momma ever teach you that?

These protesters at the health care town halls are not minions of some evil conspiracy. They are regular citizens who are ticked about the concept of government-run health care.

Agree or disagree with their politics, but to say they don’t have a right to vocalize their beliefs is un-American. The Democrats have been planting questions for town halls, sending their own angry constituents, etc. for years. During the campaign that was their main tool.

It’s such a despicable double standard they’re applying.

If people don’t get loud and voice their objections, this health care ship is going to sail and we’ll NEVER be able to undo it. That’s why people are bent out of shape over it.

The Democrats did the same kind of demonization when the fair tax people held their tea parties. These were not fringe lunatics or anti-American protesters. They weren’t even anti-Obama protesters. They were anti-tax protesters. They were simply people who didn’t want to be taxed in order to bail out corporations… something the Democrats decided to do IN SPITE of the objections of the majority of Americans.

Private corporate takeovers were not something devised by the Bush people… that was ALL Obama.

That’s why it’s not acceptable to question. You can protest anything so long as it wasn’t Obama’s idea or important agenda point.

Obama’s health care reform is a giant cluster@#$@ that needs to be killed before it becomes law. We do not need the Borg running our lives.

Everyone is selfish sometimes. Sometimes I simply decide I’m going to do what I want to do even if other people get upset. Last year I skipped the family reunion in St. Louis. The weather was questionable, I didn’t want to drive across Missouri, and I was tired. It was selfish of me to skip it, but I did anyhow.

I’m not talking about people who occasionally look out for numero uno. I think most people who know me would describe me as generous. A giver.

Real selfish people are selfish MOST of the time… if not all. They always put themselves first. They NEVER think to do something for someone else. They take and take and take and take. I’ve had friends who were selfish. I’ve been in relationships with selfish people. I’ve worked with selfish people.

They all suck.

The problem with being a generous person is that selfish people are drawn to you like moths to a flame. They suck the life out of you as long as you can, and about the time you start resenting their existence, they leave. Now, it’s partly my fault for allowing them to take advantage of my generosity. But it’s mostly their fault for being a selfish jerk.

The older I get, the more I loathe selfishness. When I see a kid acting narcissistic and selfish, I wanna slap them across the face. Parents who allow their kids to act that way are breeding the next generation of selfish adults.

Adults who only think of themselves or always put themselves first should be ashamed. If you’re past the age of 16 and you still act like an entitled brat, you’re not only a jerk, you’re lame. Other people are important, too. Other people deserve some kindness, too.

As my grandma always said…. “the world doesn’t revolve around you.”

Selfish people insist on having things their way. They don’t allow us generous people to just be generous. I naturally do things for people I care about. They don’t need to ask, or insist. The problem with selfish people is that whatever you do for them… it’s never enough. The higher you raise the bar, the more entitled they feel.

I hate selfishness more than I hate any other negative trait. An angry person can have good moments. A perv… well, they can be lots of fun. A moron… they can be sweet.

So here is my advice to all the selfish people out there: Grow the F up! What are you, 12? Stop taking all the time and start thinking about other people. Do you really want everyone you encounter to end up resenting you?! They will.

Sure as the Earth turns.

Even on the local sports radio show that I listen to every morning – he was talking about the evils of handguns and how there is NO NEED for them whatsoever.

Oh contraire’. The 2nd amendment doesn’t specify what types of arms are allowed and which aren’t. And as we all know from our history class, the 2nd amendment exists to make sure the government doesn’t run amok.

But if you want to read more about the 2nd amendment, go back and read my old posts.

This post is to point out the idiocy of singling out guns for bannination.

People are killed with knives every day. Where is the anti-knife lobby? If it’s all about saving lives, shouldn’t we get knives off the streets? Frankly I’d rather be shot than stabbed any day. But regardless, you’re just as dead. Why just ban guns?

How about cars? People are killed by cars at an astonishing rate. Shouldn’t we ban them?

I sent the radio talk show host a text this morning that said “Guns kill people the same way your microphone does your radio show.”

He read the text on the air and responded by saying “yes, but if I cuss on the air all the time, they’ll take my mic away.”

I disagree with the analogy he was trying to make, though… He’s calling for handguns to be banned because of what a few people are doing. In his analogy, if a few radio hosts started cussing, we’d have to ban ALL microphones.

It’s just a silly argument to make.

So next time someone is killed by something other than a gun, I’d better hear some hubbub.