by Lindsey “Shush” – PolitiPorn Religion Correspondent
My husband just called to let me know that his employer, a manufacturer, is moving from five eight hour days to four ten hour days a week so that their employees can conserve gas. Oh, yes, everything is fine. The economy will pick itself up and brush itself off at any moment. Gross national profit is up! People are going off of unemployment! Everything will get better! DON’T LOOK AT THE BLACK HOLE SUCKING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY INTO OBLIVION! It’s fine!
Only gross national profit goes up with every death and illness, every collections man at your door, every ordinary disaster. Statistics only truly speak to those trained to read them. For the average man it means nothing of value. And people are automatically booted off unemployment after six months. The statistics say nothing about the discouraged worker selling off his possessions to make rent and begging for friends and family to cover the losses.
Behind all of the rhetoric their is an ugly truth, and that is that someone crunched the numbers at my husband’s work and decided that losing two hours of work would save people money on gas.
God help us.
“his employer, a manufacturer, is moving from five eight hour days to four ten hour days a week so that their employees can conserve gas.”
I WISH.
I’m so confused by your comment persistentillusion– are you saying that you wish the reason my husband’s work was rescheduling work days was to conserve gas and energy? Or are you saying you wish that other places would do the same?
I already work 10 hours a day/ 5 days week. I would love to work only 4 days and no weekends. Sounds like a bargain.
M54 I am one of those small business owners you hear about all the time… very small. My company fits in the 1-6 category.
Well, honestly, I made a life style decision around four years ago and actually… I am the company. I got rid of the big fancy office (back then) and moved operations into my home office. Back then I was down to three other employees (I think). In the 80s I had a large facility with 6 or seven vans, an office manager, sales agent, etc. What a head ache! I tried treating everyone as sub-contractors (1099s) but the IRS frowned on that and after (literally) a year of audits, attorneys, the bad guys (IRS auditors of course) all parties agreed that if from that time forward I would treat the subs as employees all would be forgiven. Two guys left immediately and the third stayed around and made as much money as he wanted and had as much time off as he wanted.
I tell you all that to say that my success or failure is not based on what Washington, DC does. HOWEVERE, I do have to be flexable, alert and do the best I know how to improve things for my family.
Admitedly the gas prices has had the biggest impact on “profits”. But my overhead is extremely low (by design), if I need to I can work more (and if need be I will).
Like I said before, ultimately, it’s up to me to succeed or fail.
And when I see a politician speaking I look at them like most Christians. Christians speak what I refer to as “Christianese” and Politicians speak what I call “Lies”. But remember, that’s just my (correct) opinion).
I would like to look at the black hole…texas tea from Utah, Colorado, the dakotas, alaska and all the little black holes that are americas alone…think of the revenue, think of the price. But in the mean time let’s keep bitchin about the price of gas. that approach seems to be working. :)N
Frett not! Help is just over the horizon (literally)! Didn’t I read somewhere that China will start drilling off the coast of Cuba? That should help on the supply/demand. hahaha
Mean while, protect the caraboo, snail darter, polar bear but don’t worry about US. We are just human beings at the top of the food chain. We will adapt.
The problem isn’t high gas prices, it is historically low gas prices, when adjusted for inflation. Americans have grown used to having cheap oil, and have built their lives around being able to afford driving gas-guzzling automobiles everywhere.
We Americans have it so good, we bitch and moan whenever we lose something that most humans will never have in the first place. Try living in a country where the average person makes $7,000 a year…another ugly statistic that hides that fact that most people make far less than that amount.
“someone crunched the numbers at my husband’s work and decided that losing two hours of work would save people money on gas”
What? Where is your math on this? 5 eight-hour days = 40 hour work week; 4 ten-hour days = 40 hour week. Where are these mythical lost two hours that you speak of? Shouldn’t you be happy? You get an extra day with your husband. He now has a three day weekend, and still works the same amount of hours. I wish I could do that. What are you complaining about? An employer that takes its employees needs into consideration? What nerve!
M54 Oil suppliers such as the Saudis are adamant that it is not a supply/demand problem and they are more than equipped to meet demand.
Hm.
Lindsey, all we know is what we are ALLOWED to see from various news sources. I don’t for a second believe that all we see in the news is all that is going on with regards to any of the world events.
While I was in the US Navy I spent three years on an Admirals staff. I held a TOP SECRET clearance. Trust me, we have no idea what is going on and are only being fed what “they” want us to eat.
The best thing I can do is the best thing I can do for my family.
But I understand your point. However I also understand that caraboo steak if prepared properly is quite delicious.
Matthew I suppose your view is popular in some circles. We are the problem.
While it is true there are some who drive “gas guzzling automobiles everywhere”. There are others, such as my family who drive mini vans because of the size of our family. Poor famiy planning you say. I suppose we could do like the Chinese and adopt the one child stance. That would certainly cut down on the need for all those soccer moms and their ozone destroying SUV’s. But back on point. We didn’t plan poorly for our family. After raising three daughters (29, 24, 19) we were asked to care for a (then) 2&4 yr old brother sister under the State’s Emergency Safety Plan. So we have had them just over two years now. Then my middle daughter’s husband was KIA in Afghanistan and we help her out with their little 18 month old. We kinda need all that room. Being the selfish Americans we are and all.
Yeh, Matthew the Americans in my household have it real good. You must feel pretty pias sitting behind your high speed internet connection in your air conditioned room or maybe at Starbuck on your lap top!
And as for living in a country where the gross income is $7k a year. Give me a break. Americans are producers Matthew! We produce things for others to consume.
I have attended many business leader seminars Matthew. The one thing that most all of them have in common is this saying; “LEAD BY EXAMPLE”
So Matty, here’s what I suggest. You take the lead by moving to one of those countries where the gross annual income is a mere $7k a year and keep bloggn. I’m sure we would like to know how much more enlightened you become there! I know I would.
Of course we all know that will NEVER HAPPEN. You just want to tell everyone how bad America is. I tried for almost five seconds not to type this next comment……rrrrr I just can’t help myself. Matthew, people like you……
Lindsey, I am saying I wish my job did the same. Or I wish that my job would let me work from 11:45 to 7:45 pm. Either would be awesome.
M54, actually The Christian Science Monitor does a really incredible job of covering all news impartially. Here is their website if you are interested:
http://www.csmonitor.com/