Featured Post
Posted by Lizzie on Sep-5-2008
There’s a lot of talk about women’s issues this election cycle. Thanks to Hillary Clinton, and now Sarah Palin, we’re back in the spotlight. In that vein, Congress is pressing for a revote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which failed to pass previously. McCain has come out again it:
“I am all in favor of pay equity for women, but this kind of legislation, as is typical of what’s being proposed by my friends on the other side of the aisle, opens us up to lawsuits for all kinds of problems,” the expected GOP presidential nominee told reporters. “This is government playing a much, much greater role in the business of a private enterprise system.”
I’ve recently engaged in a half-hearted IT job search - in anticipation of my eventual graduation from the Tech program. There seems to be a little available, but I’ve heard that women are not treated favorably in the IT industry. It would please me, and thousands of other women, tremendously if this actually became law. Would I know that my male counterparts were making more than me? Probably not. But this act would give me recourse should I find out about a pay discrepancy after the fact. As a woman hoping to work in a male-dominated field, I would feel just a little better knowing I had a safety net.
There was some talk that this law isn’t necessary. I beg to differ. I worked with a company (unrelated to the tech field) that cut me a mystery check. When I inquired to what the purpose of the check was, I was told that it was to make up for a pay difference between me and my male counterparts. I had no idea that the men were making that much more per hour than I was, but there was a lawsuit and the settlement agreement was that this company would pay the hourly difference to each female for whatever period of time they agreed to (I think it was 3 months, even though I’d been there for over a year at that point). I left that company not long afterward, but my eyes had been opened. The reasoning for the lower pay was that women are mothers and so are prone to miss work because of their sick children. Men, on the other hand, are more reliable and should be rewarded. Really?
At a time when a major political party has nominated a self-proclaimed “hockey mom” to be vice president, there should be no more “she should get less because she’s a mom”. This woman is seeking a job while parenting 5 children (and potentially helping parent a grandchild) so the reason listed above would apply to her and her pay should be cut significantly. Right? No. Wrong. Her husband will be able to tend to the children while she runs for office and he can tend to the children while she continues to govern Alaska (except that he’s got a full-time job plus an extra job on the side in the summer, but that’s not this issue). It’s only fair that the rest of American women enjoy the same equality in pay as the women who govern them.
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Archive for the ‘Online Play’ Category
May
02
Posted by Lizzie
I have been so sick this past week. It seems like the sun comes out and sucks away all of my energy. Throughout the winter I was sure I’d found a way to deal with this evil illness, then spring came. Just in time for me to happily putt around in my yard. In the sun. Which sucked my energy dry. I can’t even blame it on the stress. I’ve been more stressed out in previous- cold and sunless months - than I’ve been this whole past week. I’d still like to go on one of those luxury vacations- as long as it’s as fun indoors as it is outdoors.
Can I just say that I’m really upset that going outside makes me so damned sick? Can I just say that it would be nice if I didn’t feel the need to sleep three whole hours in the middle of the day? Can I just say… Nevermind.
In other more jolly news:
Have you seen Wendy Piersall’s Ultimate List of Moms on Twitter? I’m proud to be included. Anyway, she put it up the first part of April and it’s officially gone crazy. As of this writing there are 318 comments- most of which are twittering moms listing their twitter IDs. The list in incredibly useful. If you haven’t done so, and you’re a twittering mom, go put your name on the list. And if you want to follow me (though I’m mostly pretty quiet) my ID is Lizzief. I’ll follow anyone that isn’t a spammer. 
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Apr
28
Posted by Lizzie
I think I’ve come up with a pretty good solution to my issue regarding interruptions when I’m working. I’ve been browsing MP3 players and think one of these might be perfect for me.
I realize that work-from-home parents are supposed to be available at the beck and call of their children and significant others, but there are other times when you just have to get things done. Many parents are lucky in that they have an office with walls and a door that locks (should that need arise). I’m not. My office is in a main area of the house and the family has no qualms about coming to me for everything. When I’ve got to get an article out this week as well as finish a school project I may need uninterrupted work time. That means, sadly, I have to block them out.
My problem is that when I’m writing and get in my groove my work flows and is practically readable. When I’m working and have been interrupted 5 times my work is negatively affected. It’s obvious. You can go through either of my blogs and read through them to be able to tell when I’ve been interrupted.
Steve just interrupted me, for example. Right in the middle of that last sentence. The flow got jammed. He’s home from work for the day and really doesn’t think that anything I could be doing online is profitable. It’s getting to be old hat telling him to leave me alone, feeling guilty, and letting my work suffer. Pee Wee likes to have mother/daughter chats when I’m in the middle of an article. This, of course, makes me grouchy. Her feelings get hurt. I feel guilty. I’m off the computer. She gets to check her MySpace. Today should be tons of fun because they’re both home. *chuckle*
Can’t have a physical wall, but the music would make for a perfect invisible one. I’ll try it out and let you know how I fare. Or, rather, how they fare without me for a few minutes.
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Apr
18
Posted by Lizzie
I have been having some real issues at home and at school lately. Most of those issues are time-related and it’s pretty much all my fault. I was spending way too much time on Twitter, reading forums, watching videos… It’s pretty easy to be unproductive while working online, that’s for sure.
Of course, I’ve been doing a lot of work outside. I probably shouldn’t, but I can’t help it. It’s gorgeous out there right now. Winter is finally over, the flowers are finally up and things have got to get done. Steve and I are working on some motion-activated lighting because the other night someone came through to our back yard and left our gate open. The neighbor’s car was broken into, so we think they were probably checking our house too. Warm weather brings more than beautiful flowers, I’m afraid. At any rate, my flower beds are shamefully neglected. Last summer I was sick and when I had energy it was spent tending to Steve’s vegetable patch. Not this year. This year is all about my posies. He’ll have to tend to his own tomatoes.
Speaking of tending things, my husband has decided it is his dream to be a cattle hand. He wants to work at a local dairy farm instead of where he’s currently employed. He wants me to apply for the medical card for Mags so he can get rid of the insurance. Of course, while Mags and Pee Wee will be covered by the medical card, he’ll get VA benefits and I’ll get…zilch. Because we work I can’t get the medical card and the VA doesn’t offer benefits for spouses. Isn’t that lovely? He says we’ll put back money for my medical expenses. Except that his pay will be cut directly in half, he won’t get overtime (farmers are exempt from paying it) and we won’t have enough to pay our regular bills. He’ll be living his “Farmer Brown” dream, though. Yippee!! He also closed out our IRA fund. Isn’t that lovely? Who needs a retirement fund when there are (someone else’s) cows to be milked? Feh.
Someone in the BellaOnline forums mentioned to me that I look young (in a conversation on why I probably convinced my daughter to go out and get pregnant because I was a young mother and…). I’m thinking I won’t look so young much longer. I’ll be turning 35 pretty soon and I’ll start looking 66 soon after. There’s no doubt in my mind.
So, what am I doing to insure our family doesn’t go belly up? Sadly, not a whole lot right now. Hopefully things will pick up for me and I’ll be able to report something other than just family news. I have something in the fire right now, but it’s taking a while to pan out. It’s got something to do with pre-screening and getting the ok from publicists. That’s all I’m saying. I keep trudging along, taking the good opportunities as they come. I think if I keep taking risks, putting my neck out, and facing rejection head on I may just find that golden egg.
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