Let's talk about ergonomics for a few minutes here.

Have you ever really, I mean really, considered the ergonomics of your workstation? Because I'm concerned for you if you haven't. It has been impressed upon me in the past three days how very important to productivity and overall worker happiness ergonomics is. Did you know there's a whole team, a Work Group, focused soley on ergonomics?

Sure, I laughed at first, too (especially when I was forced to watch a 15 minute videotape on the topic, produced in 1987). But the more days I've spent in my desk and in unequally comfortable chairs at home and in meeting rooms, the more I've become a believer. Ergonomics is completely, totally important.

I love my mesh chair (it looks like the ones from the Management Building); I love my foot rest (I know! A foot rest! Who knew how important foot position was for comfortable ergonomics?). I never really liked the squishy things you put in front of the mouse and keyboard, but they've won me over, too. They help keep my hands in a comfortable, "natural neutral" position, after all.

As much as I ridiculed the video, I make an attempt to stand up when I'm reaching for things above my desk, and to squat to relieve back pressure when I pick up low things. And I feel comforted in knowing how much my company cares about me.

Or, at least about preventing me from suing for worker's comp.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Speaking of school vouchers, I'd like to make it clear that shopping for groceries DOES NOT equate to the value of voucher programs as some quackpot tried to claim in an opinion piece on my local NPR station today during a local "commercial" break from All Things Considered this afternoon. She tried to make an analogy between school vouchers and the idea that poor people would make a huge ruckus with the government if they disallowed the poor to use food stamps at a grocery store that was selling deeply discounted, and better, food than the poors' local grocery store because that grocery store was run by a religious organization that puts scripture in every grocery bag. She describes a parent's instinctual love for their children, a love that makes parents willing to do most anything to better their children's lives, including wanting to send them to a better school. And this is why parents should be up in arms, according to her, about Louisiana politicians taking away a school voucher program because the majority of schools that receive the state's money from the voucher program (because that's where the students switch to) are parochial.

Granted you get some preaching with your peaches at the religious grocery store, and the congregation gets a little government money, but there's a choice there whether to read the religious pamphlet or not, and the congregation could be considered just like the private company that owns the other grocery store that used to get the government's food stamps money -- either way, the government is not endorsing, promoting, or financially supporting the belief system of the beneficiary. More importantly than that, I don't think issue about school vouchers should be about whether religious schools are getting government money -- religious organizations already get TONS of government money for doing "social services," the religious schools are a CHOICE (just like reading the pamphlet), and the schools are providing a service (just like the store). Instead, this conversation should be about the problems of directing government money AWAY from finding solutions to fix the problems (put the money that goes towards vouchers into increasing teacher salaries or buying more textbooks or technology for students) and burying it simply avoiding the problem but ignoring it, pretending it doesn't matter since the students have "options." Not to mention the fact that parental involvement in the student's life and school has more influence on individual success than the school does.

I have full confidence in the power, benefit, and grave IMPORTANCE of public school systems. They need to be reconsidered, reworked, standardized testing de-emphasized, exploratory and discovery-based learning focused on, and their employees given more real respect by the rest of the working world. The American People need to put their efforts (and tax dollars) where their flowery, empty speech is -- "yay for schools and learning and teachers molding our future leaders" -- and demand our government support real, worthwhile change.

I'll admit I'm a hypocrit; it's true -- I haven't written to my congresspeople yet, either. And, aaahh, we return to that oft-frequented topic of how do you care and make a difference?