Companies have outsourced U.S. economy (my title: Jobless recovery? What a surprise!)

Henry Ford, one of the world’s great capitalists, paid his workers so that they could afford the cars they built. Contrast that with the company I worked for that paid a few American workers but paid a lot of workers in Barbados. Or the company in Broomfield that sent good jobs to Mexico. Or the Denver software company that outsources its accounting, of all things, to India. Or the big chains that buy most of their products in China.

Don’t have a job? Tired of no money, video games and sports? Check the labels on products you buy and ask why.

(Published in the Denver Post, 11/16/2009)

Water pipes and passion

A water pipe in our basement started leaking. Right in the middle of the pipe, of all things.
I cut out a section, intending to replace the section with a new piece of pipe.

When I started to solder the new piece in, I heated it up and found, to my dismay, that the solder would not flow into the joint. I realized I had heated it up way too much. Backing off, I cleaned the joint, refluxed it and heated it to the point where the flux bubbled. I applied the solder and it flowed into the joint.

How like life itself. How many things have been ruined or don't work because of too much passion? Sometimes it is best to back off, use the right amount of passion and end up with a tight joint.

So, when will capitalism fix the economy?

Comments (16) 12/10/09 14:07

The economy is in a mess. No news there. But did government lay off all those people creating high unemployment? Did government send all those good jobs overseas? Did government build or finance all those houses that people can’t afford? Did government build the crappy cars that no one wanted? Did government run up the cost of energy? Did government create financial instruments that border on ludicrous? Did government run medical costs beyond belief?

Apparently socialism is bad, so when is capitalism going to solve the economic problems and create a vibrant economy?

William J. Wirth, Thornton

This letter was published in the Oct. 12 edition of the Denver Post. For information on how to send a letter to the editor, click here.

Lost

"Don't call the lost men back from where they are. Don't make them remember. Just let them go".

 from The Wild Horses by Kay Boyle.

Funny Noise Contests

One of the great treats of fading summer are starling "funny noise contests".

On my walks thru the park, I see growing congregations of starlings.
Perched in trees or fences, they squawk and squeak, whistle and grunt, trill and caw like crows. They are good imitators of other birds and they gather their repetoire all summer to amuse each other before the migrations begin.

Democracy in action plus a lot of fun. . .

Congressman Jared Polis was at the rec center in Thornton.

There is more to creme brulee than desert.

It was a curious feeling, very early this morning. Awake, not uncommonly, around 2 am, the 8/18 events, both in 1969 and 2009 filled my head.
I realized I was happy. The nagging dreads were gone and satisfaction with my life had settled in.
Like the creme brulee Bonnie and I had shared, sweet crust had broken to reveal a new life.