We Want to Live Not Just Survive

Is there a working (or not working) person out there today who doesn't in their heart already know this. The chart illustrates worker's share of income since 1940, however  it's the last 10 years  that really scare the shit out of me.  As jobs continue to disappear overseas, American workers are being squeezed like never before.  The politicians in Washington are so out of touch with what Joe and Jane Sixpack need to survive it's not funny.  Meanwhile the middle class continues to shrink and the disparity in income between the top 1% and the other 99% grows.  It's obscene.

Will we ever wake up in large enough numbers to put a stop to the rape of the American people by the corporate-political elite?  The change promised by Obama is no change at all.  It's business as usual in Washington with deep pocketed lobbyists (thank you spell check) buying politicos by the bushel and Republicans telling us that more tax cuts for the rich will create more jobs.  How's that been working out for the last 30 years? Instead of re-electing the same bums who cozy up to Big Business I think it's time for a discussion about term limits.  2 terms and out, go get a real job.  The time has come to elect citizens and not lifetime politicians who have no concept of what it takes to live in 2011 America.  It isn't a two party system; it's more like corporate ownership of our government with the elites all in the same bed, irregardless of which side of the aisle they are from.  Instead we are heading for a two tier society where the Lords and Ladies (them) rule over the serfs (us) just like the good old days.

 

It's Like Everything You Buy

This ad says it all about the junk we spend good money on and what we really get.

 

    Everything you buy these days is junk.  Nothing delivers on its promise.  Cheesy materials, unfathomable instructions,planned obsolescence and idiotic design are not what we paid for but  that's what we get.  Well, you tell yourself, I'll spend a little extra to get more quality,but do you? No. You just end up with more expensive junk. 

    I bought a gas can at Home Depot a couple of weeks ago.  I could not for the life of me figure out how this thing works; a friggin' GAS CAN. It has a green twisty device on the neck that is on lock or unlock but what it locks I have no idea.  But the best part is, the lower end of the neck has a pinhole for the gas to go through, locked or unlocked. I showed it to two salty old dudes who have been around and they were clueless also. I got a funnel and pour the gas out the large hole and forget about the neck piece.

    What is really grinding my stones is this: I totally renovated the house I live in to bring it into the 21st century.  In the process I decided to go with a Corian countertop in the kitchen with the sink all moulded into the counter.  Very sharp looking.  Corian is supposed to be the Cadillac of counter materials and as such carries a hefty pricetag.  Well yesterday as I was wiping down the sink I noticed what I thought to be a hair in the corner of the sink.  It wasn't; it was a crack.  A CRACK in this miracle material after two years of light usage.  It carries a ten year warranty but still how does something like this happen?  If I had opted for a plain old stainless steel sink it wouldn't have happened.  Now we will see if duPont honors their warranty or jerks me around.  Stay tuned and caveat emptor.