Wednesday, June 23, 2010

White Collar vs Blue Collar (Guess who's getting screwed.)

I offer you two pieces of information. 

Number one: In 2009, the number of millionaires in the U.S. grew by 15 percent to 4.7 million people. The total estimated population of the U.S. in 2009 was 305,529,237 people meaning that about 1.5 percent of the U.S. population were millionaires. 

Now are you ready for the kick in the balls?

That rich ass 1.5 percent of the U.S. population holds 55 percent of the wealth. That's right, half of U.S. wealth is in the possession of 1.5 percent of the people. And the rich got richer last year in the final year of an epic recession while the rest of us were putting off retirement and drinking off brand sodas.

I'm no Commie, but those numbers tell me one thing; we have forgotten what has made us great as an economic power, a vibrant and healthy middle class.

Now for information nugget number two: The suits at General Motors have forbidden their employees to use the term "Chevy" when referring to a Chevrolet.  They have gone so far as to have "swear jars" where worker violators are expected to place 25 cents every time they say the forbidden word.

The middle class is disappearing right before our eyes and auto workers are being told that they can't say Chevy. 

Honestly, I don't know what has happened to my America, but I don't like it.  The people who say Chevy are the people who built this country.  They did it as part of a deal.  Give me a good living wage, and I'll give you an honest day's work building a future for both my country and my family.

The cherry on this shit sundae?  While the number of millionaires rose 15 percent, U.S. wages in 2009 rose just 1.8 percent, the smallest increase since they started keeping track.

It isn't just an old adage to say "the rich get richer", it is the reality in America.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

The $5,000 Dollar Cat

I'm not really a cat person.  We have a cat, and it's a nice cat, but it's still a cat.  A friend of mine has a cat and I have to say, I think she's really a cat person because she just dropped 5 large on urinary track surgery and other treatments to keep her cat alive.

That's right, 5 grand. 

Hey, it's her money and if she wants to spend it keeping an aging cat around for a few more years, then bully for her.  But that ain't happening in my house.

I guess it's a good thing our cat can't read or she might be looking for a kitty divorce before it's too late.