Conversation with a Republican

MONEY OBTAINED!!!!!!!!!

And HOPEFULLY that's all I say about that for like... the next month at LEAST!

In other news, when I was at work, I had to go to the other SED building for some books. Since I was there, I decided to stop by and visit my old boss. She was lovely of course. Asked how I was doing. I mentioned that I'm taking a heath care sociology class and that I've gotten so nervous about health care that I had a nightmare about it. I also told her that right after the nightmare, I wrote my congressmen to say I wanted health reform (I got a response from Sestak today. That probably inspired this conversation).

WEEEELL... right as it was coming out of my mouth... seriously... the MOMENT I finished saying it, I remembered something unfortunate.

My old boss is a republican.

Shit.

Now, I'm a huge wimp, ESPECIALLY with authority figures, and I'm DEFINITELY not confrontational. What I'm saying is that I didn't tell her a single other opinion. So while she talked to me about the "hoodlums" in the senate for LITERALLY 45 minutes, I listened and nodded until she apparently ACTUALLY forgot why were discussing this in the first place. She attributed the beginning of our conversation to the fact that I was going to graduate this year. I'm THAT good at wimpiness.

Now, I hardly ever encounter republicans. And when I do, it's really a beautiful and enlightening thing because it reminds me about other opinions that can be or are equally valid. It reminds me that to stubbornly defend my opinions is hypocritical and useless. I can learn just as much, if not more, from people with opposite views.

That being said, I must say I was RELIEVED when she stated some clear fallacies (this taking into consideration that you never REALLY know anything...). I WANT to be open-minded... but I REALLY want health care reform and... it would hurt to have everything I know come crashing down (I know that I'm basically saying that I DON'T want to be open-minded... but... well it's a conflict of self interest--that's what I'm trying to admit). Anyway, these were my red flags:

1. She said that they were going to fund universal health care with the money from medicare. Well... Obama SPECIFICALLY said that they would NOT use that money. I mean... medicare doesn't even HAVE money. Plus... if we went into a single payer system or a public option, wouldn't that essentially mean that all health care was the same as medicare? It would mean everyone is covered, not just old people.

2. She said that she didn't want to give up her current doctor and coverage.

Obama, again, SPECIFICALLY stated that if you like your current plan, you will absolutely not have to change it. Although, I can see how there could be some contention. I imagine that the insurance companies will have trouble competing with a public option... assuming the public option will be able to really get young people to join. That being said, a doctor isn't going to stop being a doctor. If you see a general practitioner, a public option would just mean that a different sort of insurance would be paying the doctor.

3. She said that we already cover everyone with the use of hospitals.

Two things are ... narrow-minded about this, according to what I've learned.

A) People with insurance pay for those people. What happens is that when someone comes in to the hospital with a big emergency like a heart attack or they are in labor, the hospital has to take them. However, the hospital can't pay for them and they end up "cost shifting" (sounds illegal to me, but it's true) to everyone else. So everyone with insurance essentially pays part of the poor person's bill. But... it doesn't matter to them because the insurance is paying. But the insurance companies lose more money on that (obvs) and it eventually leads to higher premiums for everyone else.

B) A lot of emergencies can be prevented with regular check ups and that is much less expensive... not to mention much better physically and emotionally for the person. Basically, doctors, I THINK, aren't just there for when you're about to die. That's why we have check ups... catch that cancer.

4. She also said that she's a firm Catholic and she doesn't want abortions to be funded with her money. She said that the senators don't read the 1000 page bill and who knows what's going to be in it. I agree that the senators don't seem to have really read the bill. But I DO know that Obama SPECIFICALLY said that the money will not fund abortions.

5. This part is the part that I can't argue really. She's from Italy and she says that the people from Italy don't think their socialized health care is good. She said that most of their hospitals aren't open at night, so if they have an emergency, they have to travel really far. She also said that the Canadians don't like their system. I can't say anything about that as I am neither Italian nor Canadian. She finished off this thought by saying that our health care is the best there is, even if it has some problems.

I asked her if she watched Obama's joint congress address and she said yes. Although, not to be an ass, don't think she watched it that carefully because a LOT of her contentions were things that Obama addressed specifically as not being true.

So like I said, I really feel like I SHOULD be open-minded. I am 21-years-old and have little to no life experience. I am in a pool of liberals with EXTREME liberal information thrown at me all the time... which I know is propaganda in itself. In fact, even when I'm in my health care class, I look at all the statistics and I think of how easily statistics can be either false or incredibly manipulative. It seems like a lot of the reason that I believe my professor is because I WANT to believe her. That said, after this conversation with a 60-ish year old "independent" (with obvious republican leanings) while at least being AWARE that I should have an open mind and TRYING to see her side of the matter(which seems like the best that I can do), I still fully believe that health reform is absolutely necessary.

Money Issues That I Can Complain About

I'm seriously going to stop talking about money the SECOND it stops being my main cause of anxiety. Seriously SERIOUSLY! And I'm super pissed about it because I don't really believe this to be my fault anymore.

I started working for Hillel on Sept. 3 and since then I've literally worked 29 hours for Hillel alone (and 43 hours if you add SED). Why don't I have any money on Sept 21?! And some of these problems should be solved. For instance, it took him (my boss) about 100 years to put my name into the computer. Obviously I don't know what that process involves, and maybe I should give him the benefit of the doubt, but I only filled out one side of a sheet of paper... so how much more could he have to do?

Also, I've just been handing him my hours on a sheet of paper. I asked him on the first day if I should punch in and he said no because I wasn't in the computer yet. Fine. Three shifts (a week) later I asked him if it was time yet. No, still not in the computer. Even though at this point I believe it is HIS job to tell me when I'm in the computer, I ask again last Thursday. Yes, he says. I should have been swiping in.

!!!! I'm going to die of fury! (that is an exaggeration)!

So fine. I accept that my Hillel boss is inept (yes. I WILL be that harsh!). BUUUT SED (my other job) is not. I started SED in the middle of the week about 2 weeks ago. I worked 4 hours, which would be about $30, which isn't much... but it'll get me through a week. On Friday, I went to SED to pick up this check. It wasn't there! The lady looked for it on the computer for me. If you work in two places at the University, they only give you one check for both jobs. My check has been sent to the Hillel!

NOOOO!!

I asked her if she could have my check directed to SED for next time, which she did. That doesn't really help now though. It only gives me comfort that next Friday I should have the 10 hours of money I earned from SED last week... which is actually quite a comfort.

The EASILY most annoying part about that was that I asked my Hillel manager about it. At the time that I filled out my employment paper, I said I wanted my to pick up my check at Hillel because I wasn't sure I was still working for SED. The day after I found out I'd be working for SED again, I asked him specifically if I could have my checks sent there. "They probably will already go there," he said.

MOTHER OF CRAP!

On Saturday, I tentatively told him that my SED check had been sent to the Hillel. He told me he would look for it in the office on Monday. I am never getting that check.

Now it WOULD seem that I'm being dramatic. I GUESS I am. But actually... I'm not really. I had $500 worth of points that I could spend at whatever location on campus, essentially. I spent $300 on books and I've spent the other $200 on various things already... since I've only had $50 for the past... however long. So now I have exactly $.97 in points. And I have exactly $3.76 in my checking account and $.48 in my savings. I have a half a bag of spaghetti and a half a jar of sauce. I have several cans of tuna and I get sandwiches on Tuesday and Thursday from the Hillel. Today I went to the dining hall and stole as much food as I could.

Fine. I'll make it through a week. But the issue I have right now is that I have to print out 3 scripts and a semi-paper thing for Wednesday. The scripts are about 50 pages each and I no longer have a quota (the University lowered the quota from 500 pages (with the option to request more) to 100 pages, which I went through with one homework assignment). Two scripts cost me $7.30 last week. I also have to print out a piece of music for Tuesday.

I don't know what I'm going to do, although I have some ideas.

I am angry about money, and for the first time in months, I'm not angry at myself.

Four Parts and the Longest One is About TV...

I guess fortunately (?) my life has reached such a momentum that I can no longer write everything I do, despite what seemed to be my insatiable need to record all of my own dull doings. So, I will break it (my life) into parts and see what happens:

Part 1: Blythe-specific Selective Media Coverage (if you loosely define "media coverage")

The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are back. Thank god! Even the few things that I actually saw on my own (without their coaxing) were infinitely funnier and more illuminating when they showed it to me.

The Office is also back!!! (YEEESS!!!!!) I thought the first episode was great, which is a good sign because I had awfully high expectations.

Right afterwards was the new show Community, which seemed a little offensive about community colleges... but it seemed funny enough. I only watched until the first commercial because ... I guess it didn't capture me enough. BUT John Oliver, one of my favorite Daily Show correspondents, was a main character. The real question is where is this Community going to go when 30 Rock comes after it's time-slot on October 15th? Also, I do NOT have faith in Parks and Recreations.

On the radio front, I HIGHLY recommend subscribing to the free podcast of This American Life... although I wouldn't hold anyone against not doing it because... I don't know anyone who really has the time to listen to an hour of radio. But if you DO have the time... or a long drive or something... pretty much every episode inspires me or illuminates something for me or makes me rethink or recognize the complexity of things I thought I knew. It's just pure gold. Plus David Sedaris sometimes contributes!

Also, I STILL haven't used my free movie pass. The one that I had back when I decided I was going to use it on 500 Days of Summer. And then I was going to see Inglourious Basterds. And then Extract. Bah!

Lastly, if you know me at all, you know that I watch like... a billion interviews per day. Well I PARTICULARLY enjoyed Matt Damon on Letterman the other day. The entire interview was gold, but as I couldn't find the entire thing as an isolated clip, I would at least recommend watching the best part. If you want to watch the whole thing, you can find it on cbs.com. Just find the interview and then move the marker right on top of the commercial line that looks closest to the middle (I don't know why I'm explaining when I know that no one will do it).

Part 2: Work

I LOVE working at SED! I've caught up on my Real Time with Bill Maher and I'm going through my This American Life. Hillel is fine and easy too. Today I decided to not shower right away so that I could shower AFTER I have to wear the visor. What I'd like most from these places, though, is to get paid. I'm getting to be QUITE poor again (thank god for my god money).

Part 3: Anecdote

Today when I got to work, Sandy, the woman who sets up the station and who I now know is from Hong Kong (she also has an accent) was there. I'm OBSESSED with her! Well today when she was leaving to go upstairs, she stopped to tell me what the muffin flavors were today:

Sandy: We have banana nut and cheepo

Blythe: Cheepo?

Sandy: Yes cheepo. They have cranberries, blueberries, and one other kind.

Blythe: Okay thanks.

About 15 minutes later, Ben, a regular customer (and friend of Rachael's) comes over.

Ben: Can I have a muffin?

Blythe: Sure. We have banana nut and what Sandy told me was a "cheepo" muffin. It has cranberries, blueberries, and one other kind of berry.

:::pause:::

Ben: I think she meant "triple."

How embarrassing!! I'm so glad he pointed that out to me before I spent the whole day calling them "cheepo" muffins (/I'm definitely always going to call berry muffins "cheepo" in my head.)

Part 4: Let's Wrap it Up

This girl that I thought was the funniest girl in my old TV writing class transferred into my new one. I tried to downplay my excitement but she wrote a GREAT episode of Seinfeld last year and I am PUMPED to see what she comes up with this year!! She's also reeeaaally nice. So... awesome (/I'm a creep).

We post our final list of girls for Chords tomorrow at 8am. I hope they choose us!!!!

Job Security and Class

Glorious glorious glorious!

First of all, the Hillel job is pie. Plus, I make sandwiches during the job (but only 2 kinds of sandwiches-- lox and tuna) but MAYBE this will be able to count as some kind of food services job in the future if I need to be a waitress. Mostly it's nice because it isn't terribly busy. I got through a LOT of my Colbert book re-read, which will hopefully be replaced with a book of more academic use in the future (I didn't realize I would be able to read and thus wasn't prepared).

Also, while I'm speaking of work, I DID get my SED job back (it was questionable before because I thought I was too busy for them to take me). Soooo I'm working either 21 or 22 hours a week this year (questionable because I know I'm starting at 10am at Hillel on Saturday but I DON'T know when I'm ending... I didn't think to ask. I imagine 1 or 2pm)!! WHOOO! I haven't had money in so long (my fault, my fault, I know, I know, I know, I know!). Elena informs me that she thinks this is going to be stressful... but I don't think so. Or maybe I'm just greedy about the moneys.

ANYWAY, my classes seem kick ass!

TV writing: My professor has an INTENSE career! If you look up Michael Loman on imbd.com, you'll see what I mean. He's very kind and not scary at all, though. Also, he's my professor for my television comedy (sans writing), which I haven't had yet, but... I assume they'll be similarly awesome. PLUS I get to write a script on my own as a final project and it can be whatever running sitcom I want. YES!!

Health care sociology: When I signed up for the course, I thought I would enjoy it because it's so timely. NOW I see that I'm so fortunate to take the class while we have a strong hope for change. When I left the class, I a LITTLE wanted to kill myself over our current health care situation. I'll probably (hopefully) write out the stuff I think is important. Crazy stuff here.

Art and literature of film: AWESOME!! Basically we watch a movie on Tuesdays. Then right after we discuss it. Then on Thursday we have a lecture about it. Then Friday is an optional re-screening of the movie from Tuesday. Two things are great about that:

1. It's GREAT that they accommodate for wanting to watch a movie twice. On a big screen!

2. That's 2.5 hours on a Friday that I don't have to go to... which makes it easier for me to decide to take a trip... to Penn State, perhaps? Yes!

Also, we're not really starting the novels yet, but they're going to quiz us on the novels, which is nice because it'll make me actually read them. They aren't that long, so I don't think it'll get to be too much.

Some other semi-interesting things:

1. My friend Nora and I were walking home from Julia's (west) at 1am and we saw this guy screaming at a girl in a really scary way for a long time. We thought, maybe it'll be fine, but on the off chance that something happens, it would never escape our conscience's. So I called the police and we watched as two police cars came and took them both away. It couldn't have taken more than a minute from the time I placed the call. I hadn't even hung up before the first police car got there. Awesome. After wards we basically kissed each other's ass, telling each other what good samaritans we are. We were pretty pleased with ourselves.

2. I watched Pumpkin. When I started it I was like "oh god, this is the worst movie ever!" And then as it progressed I was like "wait... this really IS the worst movie... in a good way." I think it was intentional.. in which case, it's pretty funny. I guess it's kind of in the realm of But I'm a Cheerleader... which I do like.

3. New season of The Office starts Sept. 17 at 9pm. PUUUUMPED!! It starts in real time with Pam four months pregnant!