Compassion?

Is there such a thing as "the curse of compassion?" According to Milan Kundera in The Unbearable Lightness of Being, compassion is a disease that overtakes the spirit, leading people to do things they don't want to do. I've never been a particularly emotional person; I feel things, but I also hate things. Lately, I've been finding that the "hate" part arises within my body less and less.

I seem to cry a lot lately, but not because of anything in my own life. My grandmother told me some stories about the Great Depression earlier today on the phone, and I cried. I listened to the song "The Walk," which is about international dissonance, and I became somber. I watched the movie The Elephant Man, and I silently wept through most of it.

At the same time, I'm very happy about many things as well. I smile whenever a child hugs me, and I laugh when my dog gets excited about a rubber ball. I feel like my excess of emotion has to do with some sort of transition I'm going through, from girl to woman, or whatever they call people with vaginas these days. The world is incredibly delightful and depressing all at the same time, and I suddenly understand that both are always present at every moment, and they are both worthy of my tears.

Yay!

'Sex and The City: 2' Confirmed

According to the LA Times,

"The word from Marc Malkin at Eonline is that the new movie will be more fun and less pining for Mr. Big. Thank heavens."

The United States of Slavery

Today I was researching Iowa employment laws for hourly employees. You see, I was lucky enough to find a job with benefits about a week ago. I work at a child care center in Cedar Rapids and feel like I really belong there, but alas, the only positions open right now are hourly entry-level jobs. I'm actually taking a step down from the job that I had in college, but I figure if I stick it out long enough then it has the potential to be a good career.

Since this is the first time I've actually been employed full-time (because of my freelancing career), I'm not really acquainted with employee rights. So I went to the Iowa Workforce Development website to do some reading. Want to know some of the interesting things that I learned?

1) Iowa has no laws mandating breaks for adults. An employer does not have to pay you for a break during which you are completely relieved of your job duties. Your employer can require you to stay on the business premises during your break.

2) An employer is allowed to require you to work 24 hours in one day.

3) Iowa employers are not required to give employees pay raises.

4) If you are an “employee at will,” an employer may change your days and hours of work whenever they want. They may also change your place of work or job description. No advance notice is required.

5) Iowa wage law and the federal Fair Labor Standards Act do not require that an employer pay hourly non-exempt employees for jury service.

Wow. I'm assuming this is why we have unions, that shit is harsh.