Random Rant

This is a random rant. Do not read further unless you are bored...


So yesterday the construction downtown started. I work downtown, such as it is in a town this small. In fact, the newspaper office is exactly a block south of the main intersection that is widely considered the "center" of town. The downtown revitalization project covers a block or two around that main intersection... which includes the intersection right next to our building.

Fortunately, I'm in an office far enough south of the intersection that I'm not right next to it (unlike the poor production crew). Unfortunately, I'm still on the same side of the building as the work. So jackhammers, jackhammers all through deadline yesterday morning.

I'm not entirely sure what they were doing yesterday, just making holes in the street, it appeared. But the construction will be going on for the next few months. I'm really not looking forward to it, although I will no doubt enjoy the better streets once the whole thing is finished.

I have another subject I want to complain about, after attending last night's city council meeting. There is a councilman who... how can I put this delicately... likes the sound of his own voice. He is not stupid, at least not all the time (all of us are stupid on occasion). But he will bring up a point, often a good point, then he will flog that point until it no longer makes any sense. He is like a pitbull that has a hold on a chew toy. He won't let it go unless everyone agrees with him. Even when a compromise is suggested, he'll hold onto his original idea with a death grip. It happened twice last night. He had excellent points, but then refused to accept any compromise or further explanations. I wanted to pound my head against the wall.

I've seen this man work efficiently. I've seen him get to a point, make a point then allow discussion to move on. The only place he seems to be unwilling to stop talking about his point until it drives everyone insane is within the council chamber. And it's sad. Because a full 45 minutes of that hour and a half meeting last night was him refusing to stop arguing when he'd already made his point, had his point accepted, then had his point altered just a bit. It's a complete waste of everybody's time.