Eight Feet Deep

Many comparisons are being made between the current economic funk and the recession of the 1980s. That said, it is a connection that I really have difficulty remembering.

During the first four years of the 80s I was a full-time college student drawing the fruits of the GI Bill — where a veteran would get a flat amount each month that was not a match of funds — as well as working full-time as a municipal firefighter. Just prior to graduating I was making about $17,000 a year in 1983, adjusted for inflation, that would have the buying power of more than $36,000 today.*** If I recall correctly, the rent of my first real apartment in those days was about $75 per month. I paid bills for a landline phone, all one had back then, electricity and after a year of working for the FD and just prior to starting college I bought my second new Corolla which set me back a little on the car note and insurance.

***Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Inflation Calculator

If one was around back then and perhaps you were going to college you may have had it easier than me financially or perhaps more difficulty making ends meet. I never really worried about paying bills, or eating or where my next cold beer was coming from. No, working as a firefighter and attending college I had more serious things to worry about, such as whether that brunette wanted to go out and if not how easily could I score an alternative.

I didn’t keep up nearly extensively with the news then as I do today, one reason of course is that you are inundated with news choices these days. Plus, besides being active with work, school work, extra-curricular activities and fun extra-curricular activities, I didn’t pay much attention to what was happening with the economy.

With that long-winded preface I must say that I didn’t notice if there were as many workers taking pay cuts back then as it seems there are these days. Maybe there were and I just didn’t notice it.

I have heard of workers whose pay was cut through the years but it was usually in very dire circumstances such as when union members were forced to agree to pay cuts during bargaining with companies that would otherwise give up the ghost. But I don’t know whether it was this widespread in years past as now that people are having pay cuts forced on them. I don’t know how it is for most folks, but for a lot of people such as myself a sudden cut in pay could be or would be catastrophic. Just a very quick Google turned up these recent cuts in pay for workers:

–A group of Microsoft contract workers met on a street corner after work Monday night to organize a protest of a 10 percent cut in pay.
–Declining revenues are compelling employees of E.W. Scripps media company to cut employees’ salaries by 3-to-5 percent.
—This California police department with 126 officers is cutting salaries by 10 percent rather than lose 17 positions.
—Owners of small businesses themselves face pay cuts rather than cut or possibly lose workers.

These are real people with real families feeling real pain from this very real recession or mini-depression or whatever the hell one wants to call it. That’s why I have difficulty shedding tears for conservative leaders who predict the end of the world as we know it unless all taxes known to man are eliminated. The great GOP answer to all ills is “tax cuts.” Things have got to change and change for the better. But will they and will it happen soon enough to prevent perhaps hundreds of thousands of people ending up homeless and on the street? It is something to think about this weekend.

This whole hoo hah between the White House and Rush Limbaugh is just about the funniest political theater I have seen in years. It boils down to right-wing reactionary radio host Limbaugh being cast by the Obama administration as de facto leader of the Republican Party. Limbaugh with an ego the size of Texas, of course, is playing it for all its worth. If I were Rush, I’d be sending roses to the White House every day this little feud goes on.

Limbaugh’s latest laugh was that he challenged Obama to a debate. While I would love to see Limbaugh become so frustrated debating someone way out of his league that he might explode into slivers of Rush goo, I think that’s where the line should be drawn. The White House has had its fun and they can always bring this dust up to the surface for various political uses again someday, but I think the back-and-forth each day is getting a little old. Since the right wing noise machine all uses the same talking points every day, it results in hearing the same old lines over and over and over to where sometimes you can’t tell your Limbaugh from your Hannity. Not that I listen to either that much.

It all goes back to what I have said many time before which is all the static that comes from your AM dial (and Fox News on TV) is just beating the same drum over and over. Blame Obama. Blame the Pelosi-led House. Blame Harry Reid. Blame the dog, if he is Democrat, for farting. None of these guys ever emit one constructive thought. People like Limbaugh see themselves as intellectual powerhouses, Mensa personified. So it requires asking: If you guys are so freaking smart, why don’t you offer up some ideas to help fix the things that are broken in our world instead of continually dosing listeners with blame and empty rhetoric?

Answer that Mr. Limbaugh, the smartest man in the world, and you may find some actual worth in that hot air machine that is yourself.

This morning I watched British Prime Minister Gordon Brown address Congress where his remarks also included the news that Queen Elizabeth was bestowing honorary knighthood on Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. I am sure that this news about the old liberal “Lion” was met with no small amount of right-wing consternation as those of the conservative ilk view Ted Kennedy with almost as much disdain as the Clintons and Barack Obama. Not that any of this matters.

Some cable news analyst watching Brown speak of the closeness and the enormous debt of gratitude owed the U.S. by the U.K noted that the gesture towards Kennedy sort of brought the storied family to a full circle. The analyst — perhaps it was historian Douglas Brinkley — noted Robert Kennedy’s remark once that the only reason his family was in America is that they were run out of Ireland. He also mentioned patriarch Joe Kennedy Sr.’s controversial tenure as ambassador to the Court of St. James where the old bootlegger supported the British P.M. Neville Chamberlain’s policy of appeasing the Nazis.

I don’t begrudge any honors to Ted Kennedy because — despite all the things he has done both good and bad — he has done a tremendous amount of work for his country. I suppose though, that I am little awed by the act of honorary knighthood by the Queen of England. If some significance exists in a historical context by such actions between those of our country and the British crown then I could see the point of importance of this all being made on grounds that the foundation of our American nation came from the British Isles. However, even though I am of Scotch, Irish and British stock myself, I don’t particularly acknowledge Britain as being my mother country necessarily.

I was born, raised and have spent most of my years in Texas with the exception of the time I served the U.S. in the military. Texas, of course, has had six flags fly over it by countries with sovereignty of one way or another. Those flags, for the non-Texans, are Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America and the United States. I am sure knowing that pains some of the more conservative folks in my state who disdain all things French and Mexican (perhaps excepting the food style of the latter people.)

Nonetheless, it would neither be correct nor preferable for me to claim any of those nations as the mother country with the exception of the United States because I was, quoting that famous New Jersey fellow Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” If I had to pick one of those countries which flew their flag over my home state, however, my preference would be the Republic of Texas because of its history.

So congratulations to Sir Teddy. It is kind of ironic that with all the talk of his brother’s short presidency and “Camelot” that Ted Kennedy would be the Kennedy who is knighted, at least honorarily. Perhaps someone down here in Texas will drink a toast in Sir Ted’s honor of cold Lone Stars (or perhaps a Corona cerveza por favor?)

About an hour of my afternoon was pretty much shot today after locking my keys inside my truck. All had rolled along pretty good, or so I thought, until I got back to my office and had that sickening feeling just as I shut the door that my keys were inside.

Ah but no worry. I had a spare made after the last time I did this and stuck it inside my wallet. Inside my wallet. It was supposed to be inside my wallet. Where was the damn thing? There were two other keys in my wallet that I have no earthly idea what they opened, if anything. But a spare pickup door key, not to be confused with my pickup ignition key, was nowhere to be found.

Finally I decided to call the good ol’ locksmith. He said that he could be there in about 15 minutes and he was pretty close on the money. Speaking of money, it took him about a minute to open my door. He made me another spare key on the spot (ignition it turned out) in about another minute and within two minutes had earned himself $30. That’s not bad for him. It also isn’t that bad for me. My door was opened and now I have my keys. Thirty dollars is not a terrible amount of money either although when one is four days or so from payday, it’s more than I would have liked to shell out.

But I have my keys. I learned a valuable lesson — keep your head out of your ass. Live (frugally) and learn.

While reading about so-called “recession and depression proof jobs” I was not surprised to learn that mechanics fall in such categories. One would think when money is extremely tight that they would hang on to their jalopies rather than buy a new set of wheels.

It also occurred to me that probably some of the mechanics’ business may come from those who try to save some bucks by working on their own vehicles but just screw it up even worse. Screwing up a DIY car repair, of course, is much easier to accomplish these days than say 30-to-40 years ago when cars had less computers and wires as well as having engine compartments large enough for one to take a nap.

Even what were once the simplest tasks in automobile repair or maintenance such as changing spark plugs have been made difficult. It seems sometimes that the auto makers put in a bunch of wires and hoses under the hood that seem to have no function other than ensuring a mechanic — especially a dealership mechanic — works on the vehicle.

I mention this as I am looking for instructions on how to change out the driver’s side safety belt in my pickup. Just looking at the harness one would think the task would be relatively simple but as I noted nothing is simple anymore with respect to automobile repair. This is as well made worse by the fact that I have the mechanical aptitude of an inch worm. The replacement is necessary because the belt has become worn which is really nothing short of amazement since this will be the third safety belt I have had to replace on my Toyota Tacoma. The first was when the truck was still under drive train warranty. The second one was a year later and the same dealership installed it for free amazingly enough. The present belt managed to remain in good condition until recently.

No doubt I will do a careful cost-benefit and see who wins, the mechanic or me. I know who I would bet on at this point.