I Thought I'd Take a Look Around...

I know, I haven't been here for quite a while. Sue me. As I was looking around, I noticed that there were new comments to some of the old posts, so I decided to read them. While I've always enjoyed feedback from my readers, some of them are, apparently, assholes.

For example, from my "The Bitch is Back" post back in June, this little nugget of love was left for me in September...

Anonymous said...
You know for someone that complains as much as you
do!You sure go back to suck the delphi tit every chance you get.If its so bad do
what the other 3,000 plus ex delphi workers are doing and shutup and move on if
its so bad.Or got to work shut your mouth and do your job with a smile on your
face.Because it seems to me your not qualified to do much else than to bitch and
moan about getting paid from the very people you complain about
9/20/2007
3:34 PM

Well, that's kind of blunt, eh? Could this be an old nemesis returning to get in just one more shot? How about a fellow buyout participant who is angry about the fact that I, and some others, have been asked to return? Don't know, don't care. Not to mention, the last time I checked, there was a whole bunch of ex-Delphi employees who were out sabre-rattling at Mosquito Lake. Didn't sound like they were shutting up and moving on themselves.

Perhaps, Mr. (or Ms.) Anonymous, you should do yourself a favor and brush up on your grammar; that way, the next time you decide to lash out at someone in one form of print or another, you don't look like an uneducated buffoon.

Peace...

Dawn

UAW Tentative Contract...

OK, peeps...here's some news you can use...

No, it's not may favorite website, but the folks over at Future of the Union have posted the entire text of the tentative agreement between Delphi-GM & the UAW.

You can find it here. Perhaps this is what those who stayed have to look forward to...

Peace...
Dawn

Play "Freebird", Man...

Well, if you didn't know (or care, for that matter) already, I've been called back to Delphi for another few months (woot?). I knew that things would be a bit FUBAR when I got back, but I think I ran in to my first honest-to-goodness omen this morning.

As I swiped my badge to gain entry this morning, I happened to glance off to the right of the turnstile, and there was a dead bird on the floor, just inside the plant. Now, if all of the empty floor space I'm greeted with every morning wasn't enough of a reminder that things have gone to hell in a handbasket, living creatures are dropping dead in Plant 15. Talk about a physical manifestation of the gloom and doom. Sheesh.

Now, for today's musical selection, we're going back to 1974 (hmm, I was a year old...), and back to Elton John...

The Bitch is Back

Music by Elton John
Lyrics by Bernie Taupin

I was justified when I was five
Raising cane, I spit in your eye
Times are changing, now the poor get fat
But the fevers gonna catch you when the bitch gets back

Eat meat on friday thats alright
Even like steak on a saturday night
I can bitch the best at your social dos
I get high in the evening sniffing pots of glue

Im a bitch, Im a bitch
Oh the bitch is back
Stone cold sober as a matter of fact
I can bitch, I can bitch
`cause Im better than you
Its the way that I move
The things that I do

I entertain by picking brains
Sell my soul by dropping names
I dont like those, my god, whats that
Oh its full of nasty habits when the bitch gets back

Later...
Dawn

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road...

Thanks to Sir Elton John...

When are you gonna come down

When are you going to land

I should have stayed on the farm

I should have listened to my old man

You know you can't hold me forever

I didn't sign up with you

I'm not a present for your friends to open

This boy's too young to be singing the blues

So goodbye yellow brick road

Where the dogs of society howl

You can't plant me in your penthouse

I'm going back to my plough

Back to the howling old owl in the woods

Hunting the horny back toad

Oh I've finally decided my future lies

Beyond the yellow brick road

What do you think you'll do then

I bet that'll shoot down your plane

It'll take you a couple of vodka and tonics

To set you on your feet again

Maybe you'll get a replacement

There's plenty like me to be found

Mongrels who ain't got a penny

Sniffing for tidbits like you on the ground

Add One More Vulture Overhead...

Yes, I am well-aware that I have not posted anything in two months. I've even had one person threaten to take this page out of their favorites (Mike!). Well, something to write about landed in my mailbox today, so I'm baaaaaaack!

I received the following letter today from what appears to be your average, run-of-the-mill Ambulance Chaser, Stephen P. Goske, attorney at law. And he writes (with my commentary, of course)...

Dear Union Member (well, not anymore...):

This letter is an advertisement. Local 717 is not recommending either this law firm or any other (that's good to know). The Local mailed this letter at my expense (great, now I'm getting junk mail from the hall). I have not been given access to the Local's membership or mailing lists (I would certainly hope the hell not!). You are probably aware that the Union is no longer providing assistance with your workers' compensation claims and no longer has a workers' compensation representative (First, do I have a claim that I'm not aware of? Secondly, no, I wasn't aware, but thanks for telling me before I went there to get the claim I didn't know I had handled). To my knowledge, I have had no prior contact with you (Uh, you didn't check before you had the hall send me junk mail?). If I am wrong, please let me know.

Now, the next paragraph really wants to emphasize how much money your old workers' compensation claim could be worth, even if you already got money, or didn't even miss work. Yay hoo.

Next, he tells us that he's only one of two attorneys in Mahoning County who passed the state's specialization test for workers' comp (a specially tested ambulance chaser?). Woot.

In the spirit of the infomercial...But wait, there's more! Local 717 members are going to get a discount on his fee! Instead of paying him a third of anything you get, he's only going to take 20% of your loot! Woo hoo! However, this fee does not cover expenses (costs, medical exams, reports, etc.). You don't have to pay the expenses if he doesn't get you any money. The letter doesn't say what you'll owe him, though.

Ugh. I've got to say that I'm really sick of all of the vultures that have been flying overhead since the buyout was announced. If it's not an ambulance chaser, it's the next, great investment, or perhaps someone has a business idea that will just knock your socks off.

Enough.

If, by chance, you still have any of your buyout money left, go put it away somewhere. Make it last...because you know you won't be seeing money like that (all in one lump, that is) ever again.

Anyone have a slingshot? I think it's time to take aim at some vultures...

Dawn

C'mon & Take a Free Ride...

First off, if you look up to the tippy top of the page, you'll see I've renamed the place. Well, I'm not a member of Local 717 anymore, so I didn't feel that it was appropriate to keep that name. Nuff said about that.

Now, about today's post, I was talking to another short-timer like myself, and was told an interesting tale about GTT: Plant 19. If you're not up to date with the latest video games, GTA is the Grand Theft Auto series. GTT is Grand Theft Tow Motor.

As the story was related to me, apparently someone on the off shift weighted the throttle of a tow motor with a brick and let 'er fly down in the empty floor space in BEC. I guess that it slammed into a column in the middle of the plant and the impact twisted the column. I haven't seen the carnage yet myself, but I may take a trip down there myself to check it out.

Word on the street is the injured vehicle is nowhere to be found. Now, where do you hide a wrecked tow motor? Hell, nowadays on NRR, could be anywhere. If you go looking for it, just be careful...there are packs of thieves roaming (at least in plant 15), scrounging for whatever they can get their filthy mitts on. Ugh.

Good luck...it's a jungle out there...
Dawn

Monty Python Said it Best...

In my last post as a Delphi employee, I could spew all sorts of venom at management, but I won't (I can't guarantee there's no voodoo doll, however). What's done is done. Now it's time to move on with our lives and take advantage of the new opportunities facing us (You want fries with that?). So, in the waning days of my membership in the ol' 717, I think I'll let my good buddies Monty Python carry us into the new year...

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Cheer up, Brian. You know what they say.
Some things in life are bad,
They can really make you mad.
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle,
Don't grumble, give a whistle!
And this'll help things turn out for the best...
And...

(the music fades into the song)

...always look on the bright side of life!
(whistle)

Always look on the bright side of life...
If life seems jolly rotten,
There's something you've forgotten!
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing,

When you're feeling in the dumps,
Don't be silly chumps,
Just purse your lips and whistle -- that's the thing!
And... always look on the bright side of life...

(whistle)
Come on!

(other start to join in)
Always look on the bright side of life...
(whistle)

For life is quite absurd,
And death's the final word.
You must always face the curtain with a bow!
Forget about your sin -- give the audience a grin,
Enjoy it -- it's the last chance anyhow!

So always look on the bright side of death!
Just before you draw your terminal breath.
Life's a piece of shit,
When you look at it.

Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true,
You'll see it's all a show,
Keep 'em laughing as you go.
Just remember that the last laugh is on you!

And always look on the bright side of life
(whistle)
Always look on the bright side of life
(whistle)

If you're not familiar with the joy that is Monty Python, you can go to my MySpace page to hear it.

Peace and prosperity in the coming years, y'all

Dawn