Is it still called a Vacation, if you aren't working?

Dear Opinionated One!
A colleague and I have been arguing over whether you can call a 10 day trip away from home with your girlfriend a vacation, if you aren't working. I am of the opinion that vacation is specific to a period of time that you are paid not to work... where as my friend maintains it is any time that is set aside to do someting out of the ordinary..
- We await your learned and scholarly opinion -

Angry Mike:
Get a job

Ms. Knowitall:
I went to Webster.com
Main Entry:
1. va·ca·tion
Pronunciation: \vā-ˈkā-shən, və-\ Function: noun
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English vacacioun, from Anglo-French vacacion, from Latin vacation-, vacatio freedom, exemption, from vacare
Date: 14th century
1: a respite or a time of respite from something : intermission
2 a: a scheduled period during which activity (as of a court or school) is suspended b: a period of exemption from work granted to an employee
3: a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation
4: an act or an instance of vacating

Prior to check with webster (who as we all know is just some guy making up definitions for words) I would have said, that a vacation is specifically a period of time away from work or ... something. (in my case, I could have used a couple more vacations from my X if you know what I mean) Anyway, the more I thought about it, the more I thought that although vacations are usually the luxury of the employed, I suppose a non-earner may be able to enjoy a vacation on the coat tails of another. OK OK before I get a lot of emails from pissed off house wives... I know I know, you guys work very hard. Cut it out now, I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about your 32 year old son, that's living in your basement! HA HA HA HA HA HA HAHA

Lucille the Hair Dresser: Oh No Darlin, you have ta work to get a vacation. Some times you have to be employed for over a yearah before you get paid for that vacation. Otherwise, ... it's called sick days.

Irwin Google Geek: Well, I googled keywords Job and Vacation and I actually came up with a website that promotes a 2 - 3 day vacation doing your dream job. So, it's actually the opposite of everything everyone else said. .. hee hee.. I always find the opposite stuff, because it's out there. So, ah, if you go to http://www.vocationvacations.com/ you will actually see exactly what it says, vocation vacations.. hee hee I think I might do the acting one.. you know, maybe I will get one of the greats, like... ummm... Alex Baldwin or something. Oh Oh, what if I get Arnold Schwartenager, then it would be like a twofer... right! HA HA

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Thank you for your question, I hope these opinions helped.
To submit questions go to http://www.getmyopiniononline.com/ or http://www.getmyo.com/ and click the "ask" link.
Thanks!
And I apologize for Irwin the Google Geek... he was really excited.

THE LATEST THING TO IRK ME.....

Good Morning my loyal readers (and disloyal readers that I force to read my blog by signing you up for a subscription)

This morning I am in quite a tizzy.

Yesterday morning I posted my upcoming book sale (aka garage sale of only books) on Craigslist and since it's more or less a garage sale, I placed my address in the listing.

BECAUSE.... how can I expect anyone to come to the garage sale if they don't know where it is...

well, don't you know... this pecker, called me on the phone (my phone number was NOT listed in the listing... not because I was remiss... but by design) and said, "I saw you are having a book sale this weekend can I ask you a couple of questions?"

I looked at the phone.

I wondered. Had early Alzheimer's finally taken hold? Had I placed my number in the ad even though I had clearly listed all of the details needed by an prospective attendees?.... did I put in my number?

I looked at the phone.

I said, "H-how did you get my number?"

He replied, "Oh, I just did a reverse lookup"

I looked at the phone.

Now, contrary to popular belief, I am quite an accommodating person and rather than give him a piece of my mind (which according to all of the psycho murder suspense movies I have seen, may just make matters worse), I answered his questions... which ranged from:

Questions that were clearly answered by reading the ad
to
Questions that were clearly answered by reading the ad

I got off the phone, and went to my Craigslist ad and promptly added: "Please do not reverse lookup my phone number, if you have any questions you may ask when you come to the book sale. "

I actually typed... and then removed "besides it's pretty creepy" I removed this primarily because I was afraid of pissing off any potential psycho murder freaks out there...

And so, I am irked.

Isn't that a shame. Simply terrible... that I can't have a garage sale and advertise it in a local free classified... because... THE FREAKS CAN FIND ME, AND CALL ME... USING REVERSE LOOKUP.

Anyway, I have thought and thought and thought... (you know when I woke up this morning at 3:00am worried that I heard something and that it might be a psycho freak trying to get to the books before the sale).... thankfully I have a vicious dog. A vicious dog who will be tethered to the fence snapping and snarling at all book sale comers. Hopefully any would-be psycho-path will not accept the challenge of the vicious gnawing jaws and will simply purchase his books and go reverse look-up someone else.

AND that... is the latest thing to irk me.

Ms. Knowitall

What is your opinions? I'd like to know. You can email me at opine@getmyo.com or visit my website www.getmyopiniononline.com

Top 5 Signs You're in a Dead End Job

Question:
Oh Opinious One: I feel like I'm in a dead end job. What are the top 5 signs it's time to look for another job?
Signed: Stuck in the Muck

Opinion:
Ms Knowitall: I'll check around but here's my opinion
#1) You feel like you are in a dead end job
#2) You look around and realize that most of the people who have worked for the company as long as you..... are losers in a dead end job.
#3) The new hires are temporary and are mostly either college or high school students AND your boss immediately implements several ideas from one or more of the "students" and they are similar to ideas you have been trying to get implemented for months
#4) Your boss had some excuse for not promoting or issuing you a raise at least twice in the last 2 years.
#5) They have hired you an "assistant" that is pretty and perky and knows 1/2 as much as you about the job but you suspect is getting paid almost as much as you. (P.S. The Assistant is your only explanation for the unexplainable leaks of information that you boss seems to find out, but you can't prove it. )

Angry Mike:
Why Work?

Sigmund Fraud

Number 1. You vill not feel challenged or fullfilled but vill decide it is better den rocking da boat.

Number 2. You vill rationalize your misery and may possibly come to tink you deserve no better
Number 3. You vill daydream about vhat you'd really like to do with your life and it is da complete opposite of your current situation.

Lucille The Hair Stylist
Well, I used to work in a dead end job. Working in an office 9-5, pushing papers, answering phones, dealing with the office politics, who's dating who, who's chatting on the phone instead of working, oh and dealing with the customers. Oh, those customers.... I'm so glad I changed careers.
Rita the customer in Lucille's chair: Lucille, when was you an office worka?
Lucille: Oh you know Rita, before I came ta the beauty parla
Rita: Lucille, that must have been atleast 15 years ago
Lucille: Well, yeah, right after highschool, about 25 years ago
Rita: oh, how long did youse work in a office?
Lucille: 1 week, and dat was long enough for me!


Lady walking big German Shepard:
I read somewhere that if there is a change in management or something and all of a sudden you are no longer invited into the meetings about your clients, or something like that, then you should start looking for a new job.

Two Ladies Walking around the Lake:
Lady #1) Oh, If you hate your job. You know, dread getting out of bed and the weekend isn't long enough because you waste Sunday worrying about going to work on Monday, that's terrible. I had a job like that, thank goodness I met Mike.
Lady #2) I had a job where people kept quiting and the company never replaced them. So everyone had to pick up the slack, that was terrible. (pause) Hey, who is Mike? I thought your husbands name was Joe?

Young Couple with Infant:
That's easy, you can't stand going to work. You don't feel like you are appreciated and you can't stand getting up in the morning to go to work.

Random Answers:
You hate your job
You hate your co-workers
You can't stand talking to clients or customers
You haven't had a raise in several years
Someone else keeps getting the praise that you think you deserve
You wake up one morning and find that you are one of the oldest people in the office
Everyone got a generous holiday bonus and you got a walmart gift card
You walk into the break room and everyone stops talking
You notice new people visiting with the boss behind closed doors, almost as if they are candidates on interview... which they probably are
You happen to check the classifieds and see your company has a job opportunity whose description closely matches your job responsibilities
You keep getting assigned as secondary contact for clients, however you do all the work, but the primary contact gets all the credit.

One More Opinion:
Work is like High School. There are clicks (or social circles) and "teachers" pets. Each level of employment has it's own social circles and favoritism. Some industries are more competitive then others and have caps to the levels of achievement allowed. Each person has to decide their own path to happiness. It is never too late to dream. It is never too late to figure out if there is a better path to the destination you have mapped out for yourself. I'm not saying it will be easy, I'm just saying it's never to late to dream, plan............ try

Heading Down the Opine Highway

Just read the Headline: Bush signs new rules on government wiretapping
(First I checked to make sure it wasn't written by an AP staff member based on something they gleaned from the latest ET episode) with my interest peeked, I continued past the headline (which is unusual for me) and read into the first paragraph.

I didn't really make it past the first 2 paragraphs. That's right, I read 43 words and couldn't take it.

In a nutshell... The BIG NEWS is that BUSH signed new rules on government wiretapping... that "grants immunity to telecommunications companies that helped the U.S. spy on Americans in suspected terrorism cases" Wowie Kazowie Mr. President, that sure is nice of you.

OK, spurred on by my reevaluation of ... myself, I forced myself to continue reading. Here are the facts that I gleaned from this article

#1) The democrats have been pondering the "warrantless wiretapping" since 9/11 and it only got passed because they didn't want to see "weak" against terrorists.

#2) President Bush is a Lame Duck, that is able to get most anything he wants from the democratic congress.

There's more... oh there's more, but I just can' t take it.

SO..... a hem..... I'd like to ask you a question.

If you could "create" a candidate. If you could put together the perfect candidate.. seriously, what would he/she be? What would he/she look like, what would he/she do differently when campaigning and what would he/she do differently when running the country... got that?

Well, it's your turn to write.

Phone Taping and you... Perfect Together

Good Morning Friends.... In the wake of a couple of questionless days and the dawn of the vote by the senate to allow warrantless wire tapping.... Let's take a look at what the top google searches provide about this topic.

Here are some interesting articles I happened across on this topic.

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/7/7/att_t_whistleblower_urges_against_immunity

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/05/federal_source_.html

http://www.spy-equipment-buying-guide.com/cell-phone-tap.html





http://famguardian.org/Subjects/PropertyPrivacy/Privacy/PhoneTapCheck.htm

and finally... How Bush is using Phone Tapping to trap Obama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgS3Y9TCjZM

All really good stuff.... Now my opinion.

I have no problem with phone tapping... per se. Probably because I haven't done anything wrong... or perhaps because I trust the fact that the things that I do wrong of no national, regional or local consequence. By the same token... I think the problem with phone tapping is NOT that someone is listening... it's WHO is listening.

My experience with government employees is... they are small minded stupid people with a little power that they like to wield like a samurai sword ready to chop off your head. So, I can't imagine that the people with the real power are much different. Probably a little more educated, perhaps a little more worldly... still drunk with the power over other people. (not unlike our King Bush.... sigh.... oh my dear republicans, what have you become)

Anyway, here's what I think. If we are going to be instituting wire taps, cell phone taps, aerial surveillance... and no one is left "unwatched", then what the heck... Put it on the reality network. I would LOVE to see what the guys on top are doing, and what they discuss on the phone. I'd LOVE to just go to a website and listen in on Bush's conversations today.

I'd love LOVE LOVE to be privy to what the leaders of my country are doing with my tax dollars. I would have paid good money for a listen in on McGreevy's conversations... or Spitzer... oh that would be great!

Like I said, I have nothing to hide. Nothing... and they... as our leaders... should be even MORE over board with NOTHING TO HIDE, right?

Whatta ya say? If they can listen to us... why can't we listen to them? Matters of national security? PPAAAALLLEEEEAAAASSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEE I think it's a matter of the PR guy oh, I'm sorry, it's not considered PR, it's the Press Agent... right? The Spin Jockey. I think it would be a PR nightmare for Bush.. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA He might have to just stop talking all together.

I would be interested in hearing and .. oh yeah... reading the emails from ALL of the whitehouse staff.

Let's set some parameters. OK. I have no problem not having access to the information about agents in the field. But honestly... SHAME ON YOU CIA, if I can even tell what you are talking about. I MEAN REALLY... If I an listen in to a CIA operative conversation and actually glean any details... you need to go back to Spy School!

Well... I am pretty confident that after this blog entry I there may be a slight delay in future entries and my emails as they are rerouted and placed in the "orange" folder! HA HA yeah, it's all laughs and giggles today... and tomorrow when we all receive our government issue clothes and a nice Abercrombie pull-over becomes a sight of the past....

SOYLENT GREEN.... IT'S MADE OUT OF PEOPLE!

The Parking Spot Caper

Question:
There is a paid summer intern working in my office building who continually parks in my parking spot. Although the spots are not designated, I've been parking in that spot for four years. I've casually mentioned to the intern, 4 or 5 times, that they are parking in my spot, but to no avail. Do you have an opinion on what my next course of action should be? I look forward to your opinion !!! - Signed Peeved Parker


Random Opinions of People off the Street:

Dude with short hair and skater/shredder type clothes: "So, like its not really your spot right. And there aren't any assigned spots right? So, look for a better spot and snag it. Leave a little early, and get a better spot. Survival of the fittest."

Woman in office attire, high heels, big hair getting into her car with a handbag the size of the empire state building: "What? I don't see no sign with you name on it. What are you tawking about, this is your spot.... huh?.... what the F... is a blog? Are you taping me? ARE YOU TAPING ME? Gimme that tape. gimme... you mutha f....er... get back here"

Woman walking her dog. "Well, technically since there isn't assigned parking, you are limited to what you can do, I would try to get to work before the intern."

Executive looking gentleman entering a limo. "Get a movable Handicap standing sign. Keep it in your trunk. Put it in the parking spot when you have to leave and in your trunk when you want to park. "

Angry Mike: I had that problem once, here's what I did.... Park as far as you can from the front door. Turn it inta a new trend... you know, a health nut thing. Pretty soon, the intern 'al be the only one parking nice and close to the building. And people'll be wodering whats wrong with him. Den.... Den... when everyone is parkin' a mile away, you pretend ta wrench your back, see. Youse gotta park close now. Every one'al be bringin stuff to ya... like you an invalid or someting.

Lucille the Hair Stylist: Wasn't that a Seinfeld Episode
Woman in Lucille's chair: No Lu, that was an episode on that English show... what's it called...
Lucille the Hair Stylist: No, Rose, I'm sure-wa it is Seinfeld, and it had Kramma in it
Woman in lucille's chair: what eva, I still think it was someting else