A Couple of Things I’m Tired Of

Intolerance.  Especially intolerance among Christians.  On my I-Google homepage, I have links to local news articles from a Knoxville area TV station.  I often cringe when reading the public comments in response to certain articles.  It’s like area Christians are using the comments forum as their own hell-fire-brimstone platforms, and it’s sickening.

I’m not thrilled to have gone through some things I’ve gone through in my life.  But some of my experiences have taught me that people are truly flawed.  All people.  ALL people.  Some hide it better than others.  Some resist better than others.  Some just don’t give a damn.  But, ultimately, we are all damaged goods who need the love of a Savior more than we could ever imagine.  And we need it every second of every day, because for some of us, that’s about how often we sin.  Instead, many in our world mistake intolerance for tough love, taking pride in the fact that they might sin just a little less than the next guy.

We’ve got to walk through life with a perspective – a world view if you prefer – that allows us to see ourselves for who/where/what we truly are.  A miniscule fish in an infinitely large ocean, who somehow is still known and loved and pursued by the God who created both the fish and the ocean.  Our lives are important, but no more important or meaningful than the lives of our neighbors.  All sin.  All do wrong.  All will continue to do wrong.  Jesus helped make our goal in life so easy for us – Love God, and love others.  Can it be that simple, yet be so difficult?  Apparently so.

Greedy Monsters.  I’m reading John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” for the first time since high school.  (I miss the half pint milk cartons)  Early in the book, there’s an amazing dialogue between the owner’s of the land, and the tenants (squatters) who work the land.  Basically, the owner’s need the squatters to move, because they’re not profitable and are behind on their loans.  The owner’s, in order to deflect their guilt and ignore their sympathies, place all the blame on these actions on the monster…the bank.

“You see, a bank or a company can’t do that (just eat off the land), because those creatures don’t breathe air, don’t eat side-meat.  They breathe profits; they eat the interest on money.  If they don’t get it, they die the way you die without air, without side-meat.  It is a sad thing, but it is so.  It is just so……….The bank, the monster, has to have profits all the time.  It can’t wait.  It’ll die.  No, taxes go on.  When the monster stops growing, it dies.  It can’t stay one size.”

Later, the owner says, “We’re sorry.  It’s not us.  It’s the monster.  The bank isn’t like a man.”

The squatter/tenant replies, “Yes, but the bank is only made of men”

“No, you’re wrong there – quite wrong there.  The bank is something else than men.  It happens that every man in a bank hates what the bank does, and yet the bank does it.  The bank is something more than men, I tell you.  It’s the monster.  Men made it, but they can’t control it.”

This was written over 65 years ago, but is still so true.  Men made the monster, but they can’t control it.  I’m tired of the monster of government, of big business, of if-you’re-not-growing-you’re-dying economics.  It’s crap.  I’m tired of paying the monster, depending on the monster, and even (to some extent) working for the monster.  This business attitude has destroyed much of our national camaraderie, the notion that we’re all striving for a better life.  Too many people now feel like there are simply the rich people, and the poor people, and that’s just the way it’s gonna be, brother.  And the gap continues to broaden, to divide.  What’s so bad about a business taking care of the needs of its community, making a reasonable profit so that those who own it and work it can make a good living, and that being the extent of it?  Does it always have to grow, make more money, and conquer the competition?  Can’t it just provide a service to people and take pride in doing so?

observations

There were somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,000,000 people at the Obama inauguration.  That’s a lot of people.  Astute observation, I know.

Are the San Antonio Spurs EVER going to get to old to compete?  I’m beginning to wonder.  Seems like they’ve been the “older, veteran” team on the block for about 5 years now, yet they continue to win.

Michael C. Hall could possibly be the greatest actor whose name you just don’t recognize.

I’m having a really hard time finding any optimistic reserves regarding the economy.  At my place of employment, we were on 32 hour work weeks in November and December, had a mandatory shutdown from Christmas through New Years, changed to a company-wide 10% pay cut for January, and are now going back to 32 hour work weeks indefinitely.  And I feel like I have to consider myself lucky, because I actually still have a job.  It’s hard to imagine how the 15,000,000 jobless feel.

I’m about halfway through the 4th book in the Twilight series…which, for now, is the last book.  The only other vampire book I’ve ever read – Stephen King’s “Salem’s Lot” – kept me awake at night, scared, watching my windows for floating shadow’s.  Not so much with this one.  Even though I’ve enjoyed it, it’s been less of a scary feeling and more of a Notebook-Return to Me-While You Were Sleeping-Sweet Home Alabama-One Fine Day sort of feeling. 

For the most part, when an athlete says, “It’s not about the money.  Even if I wasn’ t making anything, this is what I would be doing”, it’s crap. 

I have a weird thing for jackets.  At home, in the closet, I have a minimum of  12 different jackets….rain jackets, winter sledding coats, plain zip up hoodies, mid-weight jackets, pullover windshirts.  This is partly because of where I work, but a few of these are over 5 years old and still in good shape.  I can’t explain it, really.  I just like jackets.

Wanna watch some videos of guys having their arms broken while they arm wrestle?  Here’s your chance.

Just recently made hamburger steak at home for the first time ever.  I love hamburger steak.  I cannot understand why I’ve never made this before.  It’s sort of like making miniature versions of meatloaf.  And I love meatloaf. 

Good bye Goody’s.  I’ll miss you.  That one and only time I purchased a couple of sweaters from your store about 10 years ago was a great experience for me.  I loved those sweaters.  Got them for about $6.00 each and wore them for at least 7 years, before they finally wore out. 

Declarative Statement:  If you’re not a fan and active viewer of The Office, I pity you.

The American Way

I’m having trouble understanding economics, bailouts, and the American way of life.  Actually, struggling might be a better way of putting.  I’m struggling with these concepts.  I’ve already written my thoughts on the auto bailout (against).  And I enjoyed getting our extra tax refund last year as much as anybody.  But I’m still struggling.

It seems as though Washington is hell bent on keeping The American Way of Life in tact.  I get this feeling that, unless Americans are relatively wealthy, able to freely spend money, and can all afford to buy homes that are bigger than they need, then somehow, as a nation, we are not fulfilling our historical destiny.  This ideal is starting to make me sick. 

Just 30-40 years ago, people HAD to live within their means.  Credit was an almost foreign concept.  20% down payments on cars or homes were the norm.  Buying only what you needed at the grocery to eat for that week was typical.  A 2000 square foot home was huge. 

Part of my struggle is that I’m envious of those who have money, and have little to worry about financially.  I have a nauseous desire sometimes to drive a bigger vehicle, to take great vacations twice a year, to eat out more frequently at places classier than Cracker Barrel, to see a $150.00 pair of sunglasses in the mall that would frame my mug perfectly, and just be able to get them.  These desires are also making me sick.  When I look at them in the right frame of mind, they even bring me to appreciate what I have and don’t have.  It helps to understand that there’s a reason I drive the cheapeast car Hyundai makes, a reason we still rent a small townhouse, a reason we’ve taken 1 real vacation in the last 5 years.  The main reason is because that’s what we can afford.  I made mistakes.  We made mistakes.  I struggled financially for a few years and built up a mound of credit card debt that we’re still chipping away at.  And as much as I’d like someone to come along and bail me out, I appreciate the lesson I’m learning in the struggle.

I just wish our country could appreciate the struggle a little more.  To understand that a capitalist market should not allow for bailouts.  To know that the sense of entitlement is becoming a curse.  To see The American Way of Life through lenses other than wealth and power.  And to realize the need for a change in the curve of our culture.

Additional Thoughts On…

The Dollar Menu / Value Menu.  In the midst of inflation, deflation, bailouts, foreclosures, and unpredictable gas prices, thank God for the Dollar/Value Menu.  Did you know that Wendy’s started the value menu roughly 20 YEARS ago?  Sort of makes you wonder if the 99 cent chili was actually a value 20 years ago.  Honestly, if it weren’t for the dollar/menu, I might be bankrupt right about now.  To keep up with rising costs, McDonald’s recently changed the $1.00 double cheeseburger to a McDouble…which is a double cheeseburger but with only ONE slice of cheese.  Lucky for me, I always order my double cheeseburgers with NO cheese (not a big fan of cheese on my burgers), so it makes no difference to me.  I’ve never really understood the cost benefit value of paying an additional 30 to 50 cents to have a slice of cheese on a burger.  I wonder what the over/under will be on when all dollar/value menu items will no longer be $1.00, but more like $1.25 or $1.50.  June 2011?  August 2013?  What do you think?

Guilt Ridden Offering Collections.  Man, I’m shaking in anger just typing this sentence.  I absolutely despise offering collections, love offerings, or special offerings that are laced with guilt and shame.  About 10 years ago I went to a mid week revival at a local church (to be unnamed, except to say it’s one of the larger churches in the area, likely well known to most people in Knoxville).  The worship and message were okay, not quite my style, but that’s cool.  When it came time for offering, the basic gist of the offering message went like this:  “Friends, last year at our church, 500 people came to know the Lord for the first time, or redidicated their life to Him.  When you divide that into our yearly giving, that means that for every $3000.00 given, a life was saved.  So let me ask you, how many lives do YOU want to save this year?  Open your pocketbooks, get your pens ready, and decide today how many lives YOU want to save.”  Both I and a few people there with me immediately got up and left.  If I’m ever in a church or service and hear something like that again, I may actually stand up and begin an angry debate right there on the spot.

Cooking at Home.  I like it, it’s fun.  I actually do more of it than Erin does, just because I enjoy getting new recipes and seeing if I can make them come out okay.  Just recently made a batch of corn pudding that was out of this world good.  It’s generally cheaper than eating out (unless you stick to the dollar menu), it’s healthier, and we normally have plenty leftover for another day or two worth of lunches to take to work.  However, there are definitely a few drawbacks.  Ingredients.  I’m just not into buying ingredients for one meal that I know I may never use again.  I hate seeing that 3/4 full container of dill weed in the cabinet that hasn’t been used in 8 months.  Dishes.  Let’s just say that neither Erin nor I are ever very aggressive at tackling the dishes that pile up in the sink.  It’s a point of contention really.  We mentally keep up with who’s put away the dishes and reloaded the dishwasher the most recently, so we can make the other person feel bad enough to do the next load of dishes.  And of course, The Flop.  This is when you spend about $10.00 on stuff to make a new meal, try a new recipe, and it flops.  Either you didn’t make it right, overcooked it, wrongly anticipated it’s flavor, whatever.  The Flop really stinks.  It’s a terrible feeling to spend an hour or more excitedly making a new concoction, only to force feed it down, or to simply throw it away and fall back to the old faithful…a bowl of cereal.

Auto Industry Bailout

No introduction here.  Just a statement.  THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT BAIL OUT THE AUTO INDUSTRY.  When you look at the facts and figures, it’s simply obvious. 

Ever wonder what an average auto worker in an American made car factory makes?  And I’m not talking about the suit and tie guys…I’m talking about the ones standing on the line, bolting on the door or putting on a wheel?  The average base pay STARTS at about $25 – $28 per hour, and ranges up to around $40 – $50 per hour based on your job and tenure.  This is a STARTING salary of $52,000 to $58,000 per year.  Now, when you include health care benefits, pension benefits, retirement benefits, etc…those pay rates actually increase to around $65.00 – $75.00 an hour per worker.  But, let’s just focus now on the actual paycheck.  This means that someone with no college education (not a given, but likely), performing a job in an automated production line, earns more per year than most teachers, social workers, many nurses, and a slew of other professional workers who earned college educations in their field of work. 

And this is to pay people to build the cars that are consistently the lowest rated and most overvalued cars in our market.  The average pay per worker for Toyota and Honda in their American factories is closer to $45-$50 per worker (vs $65 – $75 for the Big 3), yet they produce a higher quality vehicle with a greater overall value and lower cost to own.  And this is not based just on perception.  The perception over time has been conceived and grown based on facts.  Look at any April edition of Consumer Reports over the last decade.  Read Motor Trend, Car and Driver, Automobile.  Look at their Top 10 lists, their best used car value lists, the winners of most of their vehicle comparison tests.  It’s not exclusively foreign, but it’s certainly mostly foreign cars that dominate these ratings and lists. 

Therefore, why would we simply “bail out” the Big 3?  If a middle-class school system consistently got low national scores, had a terrible graduation rate, and was always way over budget, would the state simply give them more money to make it all better?  No, they’d be expected to restructure, make new hires, reorganize their curriculum, have better oversight, and so forth.  If a hospital had terrible ethics complaints, lost millions of dollars each year, had the highest death rate in it’s region, and was not up to sanity codes….bail out?  Nope.  If a restaurant chain made poor food, overpaid it’s workers, provided slow service, and was generally unclean…bail out?  Absolutely not. 

Then, of course, these businesses (and most businesses) are not governed and choke-holded by decades old, out of date, money grubbing Unions who care nothing for the health of the business, but only for the bottom line pay of it’s members.  I don’t understand it.  If GM came out right now and completely broke it’s Union contract and told them to go to hell….do they really think they’d simply lose all their workers and not be able to produce vehicles anymore?  Would there not be a mile-long line of people ready to come in and get paid $20.00 an hour for a job that a union guy made $35.00 an hour doing?  Come on!!  I thought we lived in a free-market society?  If GM went under, and 4,000,000 GM cars per year were all of a sudden not being sent to dealers across the country….people would buy other brands instead, and those brands sales would increase, which would demand an increase in productions from their factories, which would require more workers, and possibly more facilities.  I know that oversimplified and I’m no economics expert, but there’s gotta be a better answer than a bail out. 

Because personally, if part of my tax dollar is being given to help secure jobs for $60,000 a year auto line workers, I’m going to be pretty ticked off.