Uncle Sam is on Steroids

With a freakishly huge federal budget looming, it seems that governmental expansion is a given. Like it or not, Uncle Sam is on steroids. If I must give a chunk of my paycheck to the country's most inefficient human services provider, I'd like to suggest ways to improve it. Ideally, we help people get off welfare, there is considerable dignity and self-esteem to be earned by earning one's way.

1. If we are providing welfare in order to care for minor children, we have a right to insist those children attend school. Their best chance to grow up and contribute to society is by becoming educated. If a child is truant (in the Minneapolis school district, eight absences in a quarter is automatic failure, that seems like reasonable number) to the point of failing the quarter ~ and we can allow exceptions for hospitalizations, obviously ~ Mom gets off the next quarter, and Junior goes to foster care. After four absences, the social worker can be notified to get on Mom's case ~ so it doesn't come as a surprise.
2. If you're getting welfare, you're getting educated. Welfare recipients who do not have a high-school diploma or GED must be attending classes with the goal of graduating. Those with a diploma need to be in a vo-tech or community college program. We can pay for it. Remember, we're trying to improve people's lives. No school = no money. Actually, I'd like to see free community college for everyone who wants it, just like high school.
3. If you get food stamps or WIC, you must attend (and pass) a cooking/nutrition class. It is both cheaper and healthier to make food from scratch than to buy ready-to-nuke meals. This week, a local grocery store is offering a frozen meal for two ~ 24 oz of linguine, chicken, sauce & vegetables ~ for $6.99. On the other hand, a 48 oz package of chicken breast is $3.87, a 12 oz box of linguine is $1.00, one pound of sweet yellow onions is 77¢ and a pound of asparagus is $2.48. In other words, the ready-made meal is $3.50 per serving, the same size homemade meal is $1.06 per serving!
4. No welfare for druggies! Members of the military ~ who actually provide a service in exchange for money from the government ~ get drug tested. It's only fair that welfare recipients are subject to the same standard.

I saw the best personalized license plate the other day: HRUDUDU. If you remember Watership Down that plate will bring a smile to your face. If you never read it, you should, it's excellent. It is funny, sad, scary and thoroughly entertaining.

Spring has sprung. In appreciation of warmth and sunshine, my son Pat and I went out with our cameras to take skyline shots of Minneapolis. This is my favorite. I had to stand on a deteriorating snowbank to get a view above the freeway fence, but I think it was worth it. I love this view, with all the modern skyscrapers in the back (the big one on the left, with the black cap, is Philip Johnson's IDS Tower) and in the front, right by the IDS, is the Foshay Tower (it's the one that looks like a tribute to the Washington Monument). The Foshay was the first skyscraper west of the Mississippi. I remember when the Foshay dominated the skyline. We used to go up to the observation deck and be awed by the view.

Today's Genealogical Tip: Read the hometown obituaries. If you have a small town in your family's recent past (and many of us do) check the local paper's website. Even many small town papers are now online and they have great obituaries. It's not uncommon to find birthplaces, mother's maiden names, military and job history, all siblings' names and church memberships listed. Those small-town papers can be a genealogical dream come true. Even big city obits seem to be getting more in-depth. Bookmark the websites of papers for towns where your family settled en masse and check them often.

The Daily Muddle

I work in home infusion pharmacy. We make IV (intravenous) drugs for people to take at home, thereby enabling them to get out of the hospital and on with their lives. It's a very cool concept. You get your medicine, connect it to your IV catheter, throw the drug container in a special (but normal-looking) backpack and head out. Our patients go to school, work, on vacation, all while taking their very complicated meds. I complain about it, but truth be told, if I ever need this stuff, I'd absolutely trust my co-workers. They can be pains in the ass, but they are really good at their jobs.

It's commonly agreed at my workplace that we have communication issues. The problem is always, of course, the other guys' fault. Someone-in-management read an article (always a bad idea ~ never teach managers to read) and decided that a daily huddle was the solution. Twice each day, every department sends one or more representatives to the huddle. We're told how many patients are pending for the day and what type of therapies they'll need. Each department reports as to their status. Sometimes it's useful, such as today when we were informed not to make chronological promises because delivery couldn't meet them. It was snowing quite prettily and visibility was non-existent. Often though, it's just confusing, hence its nickname: the Daily Muddle.

In order to improve interpersonal relations at work, someone-in-management (I don't know if this is the same someone or not) decided we needed to get to know each other better. Now the Daily Muddle includes a trivia question. Today's question: What's your favorite book? Now, there's a question. How can anyone limit themselves to one? There are so many awesome books available. I could fill a bookshelf with favorites. Since a bookshelf won't fit in the computer, I'll just reveal one from time to time. Today's book: Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. I'd recommend this to everyone. It is one of the best books I've ever read. It's the first one that ever made me cry - I bawled so hard (if you've read it, you know exactly where I was) I couldn't finish it for another hour. This was the first book that truly transported me and the first book with a real, genuine hero (and thinking about him has me tearing up again). I know it's a "children's book" but if you've never read it: go, now, find a copy and start reading. I'll be here when you get back.

If you're wondering why "Cathy the Spherical," its because I like history & genealogy (which is just micro-history). Before there were surnames, there were descriptors. I've always liked the ones that weren't so flattering, yet probably quite accurate, like Lulach the Fool, Edward the Outlaw, Henry the Quarrelsome or Cathy the Spherical.

Today's Genealogy Tip: Label your source documents. Whenever I get new documents, I enter them in my Reunion (great genealogy software) file as unique sources. That way, I can list all the info I want to transcribe right into the source. (Uncertified copies of Minnesota death certificates are available at the Minnesota Historical Society library for 30 cents, so I have a lot.) I then link all the pertinent info to that source. Don't forget to link Mom, Dad & Spouse using the death certificate as a source, and the informant is often a family member, too. On each document I write a code number - you can use the source number from your software or number the documents consecutively. By numbering the document, you can easily find it later if you want to recheck something. In your software, record the document # and keep the documents in order. When your files outgrow the first folder (or drawer), having them coded will be a sanity saver. Of course, if it's an original source, you'll want to write on the acid-free envelope, not the actual document.