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different kinds of nosebleed country

I've been having nosebleeds. They're always from the right nostril. They first started in the weeks following my surgery and have been increasing in frequency. I had a small one at work today. My manager recommended seeing a doctor, because he has sinus issues and a nosebleed means infection to him. Mrs. Geek also recommends a doctor based on her experience; she got them because of weakness in a blood vessel in her nose. I tried calling my doctor three times this afternoon and got put on hold each time. Since the office is only about a quarter mile away, I went over there. There was some debate about whether or not I should see the nurse on duty... but it was eventually decided that I could see my doctor on Monday afternoon.

I learned of a more metaphorical type of nosebleed a few weeks back. I haven't explicitly mentioned any of the companies I've interviewed before, but one of them was G00gle. There were a number of reasons for this. They are a technically innovative company, and they do the kind of software work that interests me. There are the other perks (free, near-gourmet cafeteria food is the one that gets mentioned a lot), but I figured that well-subsidized day care would be one of them. According to article in the New York Times, this is no longer true (and never was true to the extend I'd hoped it would be.)

G00gle used to have a decent on-site day care center at their HQ in California. They opted to convert their "Kinderplex" center to the Reggio Emelia educational approach ("the" day care philosophy of the moment, the article says) and raise the employee contribution by 75% (to nearly $2500 a month for infant care.) This was evidently done, in part, to empty the waiting list for day care at HQ that had grown to over a year wait.

G00gle is growing like crazy. They are richer than God. Their HQ is located in one of the most expensive areas of the United States to live in. Their motto is "Don't be evil." This strikes me as pretty damn malevolent, thank you. They've taken a system that provided a vital service for their employees, and turned it into "the Harvard of day care" for all the G00gle Gazillionaires who can afford to send their kids anywhere. That isn't a vital service; that's simply a convenience for those few who want to minimize the time needed to drop off and pick up their kids and can afford it.

I'm now glad that I wasn't offered a job there. Day care costs are something that worry me as Mrs. Geek get closer to having children of our own. It might not have been an option where I interviewed, but I'd hate to go through what those parents at the Kinderplex went through. G00gle is better off without me.

said drgeek on 2008-07-25 at 4:27 p.m.

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The Wayback Machine - To Infinity And Beyond

those first two estates - 2009-02-04 12:58 p.m.
nativity - 2009-02-03 9:28 p.m.
I am with Brahman - 2009-01-28 9:43 p.m.
angry - 2009-01-25 2:58 p.m.
i am - 2009-01-23 8:33 p.m.