Filing paperwork, gearing up for the LAN and why everything is better with cheese.
Have you ever found yourself making a fuss over something so seemingly silly that you even find it petty yourself, but you're unable to let it go for reasons of principle? I find myself in that boat this morning. I mentioned this in my entry on the 5th, so I'll try and keep it brief this morning.
Two weeks ago, it was announced to us that DWD would be adopting a new dress code as of August 1st. The dress code, which you can read for yourself here if you really want to (.pdf), includes a section that prohibits the wearing of any "visible piercing." The original draft did not differentiate between men and women, but the final version announced on July 1st states that:
"No visible body piercing other than ears (for females only) is allowed. Earrings should be conservative and not detract from professinal appearance."
Now, aside from sentence structure that makes my head hurt, that policy is also in direct violation of several state personnel policies that prohibit discrimination based upon a person's gender. Say what you will about earrings appearing professional or not - that's not really the issue. The issue is that DWD, being a government agency, is held to a higher standard than a private organization when it comes to equal treatment of its employees. Some might say that this standard is too high, but it exists nonetheless. I know for a fact that DWD employs at least one trans-gender invidual. I do not believe that person has had a full sex-change operation, so they would still technically be classified as a male. Is this person to be forbidden from wearing earrings? I honestly don't believe that the agency's HR folks new the kind of slippery slope they were headed down with this dress code. Government employees are some of the most litigious folks you'll find. Sometimes it's a bit ridiculous, but it's an evolved response that has come from decades of being mistreated by our legislators ("No cost of living increase for five years? Yep, that's fair. Oh, and we'd better work up another congressional pay increase while we're here."). I'd be surprised if I'm the only person preparing to file a complaint with the State personnel department over this.
In happier news, Jess and I are both getting more and more excited about our upcoming LAN party. We're spending more and more time every evening playing Call of Duty in preparation. I'm sad to report that Jessi's much-feared "twitch reflex" has once again developed - so much so that I'm thrilled if I can take one map out of four. That being said, playing against her is only making me better. I pity the fools that step into our house next month. It should be pretty sick.
Jessi's still not feeling well, but it would appear that her doctors are getting closer to an accurate diagnosis that will at least allow her symptoms to be effectively treated. I'm not going to go into detail for privacy's sake (don't worry, she doesn't have a brain tumor or anything, thank God), but suffice it to say that I'm relieved that they finally seem to be getting somewhere with this. I can't wait until she's feeling better, if for no other reason than the fact that she'll be able to sit at her desk long enough to play more than two or three maps at the LAN.
We ate toquitos last night. I dipped them in cheese. Everything is better with cheese.