Trend I'm noticing

Anyone else noticing the lack of recognition between cause and effect among politicians?

I'm not talking about Michelle Bachmann's odd belief that everything she says is right, even when science, logic and even a kindergartner proves that's she wrong. More along the lines of simple every day decisions.

Case in point: the governor of Iowa is facing what a lot of governors are facing. High unemployment rates, tough job outlooks for folks, brutal economy. But this genius (or "the moustache" as he is referred to around here), decided to save money by closing the workforce development offices and replacing them with automated kiosks in libraries that folks who need jobs can go and visit.

Let's break this down.

He is going to TERIMINATE the employees that currently work in the offices, thus adding to the ranks of unemployment. Given, these are folks with education and job experience, which should help them find new work. But it's counterintuitive to completely shut down state offices without plans to help the staff relocate during a time of economic hardship.

The big one. IT'S THE OFFICE OF WORKPLACE DEVELOPMENT. These are the folks who help the unemployed find work. And it's not just giving them job descriptions. It's interview coaching, it's resource sharing, it's an extra set of eyes for a resume. We have a governor who is concerned about the unemployment rates in his state and is therefor shuttering the offices charged with helping people find jobs. Uggh.

Kiosks. Kiosks call for a certain amount of technological savvy. I'm not talking about coding or creating a web page but there is certain expected skill set that one must have if they are going to successful in navigating a computerized system. Where are these kiosks going to be, you might ask? Libraries. Malls. Public spaces. No staffing if there are issues, no one to help walk through the process. Libraries, in fact, weren't consulted in this decision. Just told, "Hey..we're going to put up this kiosk where folks are going to go. They may have questions but it's not your job to help them so just tell them to follow the commands on the screen." What crap.

I know I'm a liberal democratic. I don't hide that. But show me how this solution fixes anything? Sure...the state save $ on the bottom line because they don't have to pay for offices or staffing. But what's the human cost? How will this help the bigger issues of unemployment or unequal distribution of resources?

This annoys me.

School thoughts

Well, school has started again 'round this college town. The cyclical nature of the year suits me well. I'm excited when the students come back and I'm excited when they leave. I'm not excited about things like increased traffic and lines at Target but these are manageable. As a wise woman pointed out, in our small college town, traffic goes from a 10 minute commute to a 13 minute commute. Time to take a big breath and relax.

Theoretically, this will also be my last fall semester. I start my research in the spring and if all things go well, I should be able to finish my writing over the summer and graduate in August with my PhD. I've given myself permission to extend into August if necessary. But I'm aiming for August. So this might be my last fall of this town's heavy traffic and grocery lines. Next year, it will be some other college town. Pretty exciting to think about it that way.

My weeks look something like this. Except without "must see TV". Just Sons of Anarchy and True Blood.

Happy Friday!

I hope your weekend is filled with smiles like this.

Music thoughts

I've been thinking a lot about music in the last few days. It's always been a bit part of my life. From performing through middle school and high school to my current love of live music and frequent adventures tied to concert attendance, there's no question that music affects me in a way that not many things do.

I spent last Saturday night with my folks and Robyn at the Minnesota Zoo seeing Brandi Carlile. By my best estimation, I've seen Brandi at least 12 times. This last show was by far my favorite, even beating out Red Rocks and an intimate coffee house show.

So I go home, finally download her newest live CD (Which you should totally do if you haven't) and really feel the show. Rather than just listening, I let my guard down a bit and started back down the path of feeling music rather than just appreciating it. Which led to the creation of a playlist I'm calling "gentle".

Gentle is a playlist of songs that elicit an emotional response from me. Not a response like breaking down in sobs or dancing around a room but rather than feeling you get when you close your eyes, take a deep breath and feel connected to yourself and something greater. One particular song brings me back to a time and feeling I have yet to replicate. When I hear k.d. lang's version of Hallelujah, I distinctly remember driving back from my grandparents house while living in Stevens Point. It was a beautiful summer night, finally cool, and I had spent the day with people who loved me and connected me to a greater sense of family. As a women in my late 20's, I was just coming into my own and as I took the backroad twists and turns, I cranked the stereo in my car and sang aloud with ms. lang. The towering pine trees blanketed each turn, the windows down let in the cool summer air. It was one of the most "alive" moments I have ever felt.

For a long time, I couldn't hear that song without feeling a tinge of sadness. Much life has been lived since those nights and I'm don't think I have the same confidence that I had then. I don't have the proximity to family or the joy of late night drives through northern woods. As I listened to the song this morning while working on a curriculum that will ultimately impact my future career, I was able to take a step back, close my eyes and feel just the spark of that woman who felt unstoppable. I need to find ways to fuel that spark so she grows back. It was very nice to see her again today.