Random Thoughts

A leaf followed me on my way to the gym today. Really. I was walking on Madison towards the cooking school, when the wind blew up. I could hear a magnolia leaf skittering up the sidewalk (and, yes, magnolia leaves do make a distinctive sound). It passed me, going in a dead straight line. When it reached the corner the wind died and the leaf stopped, like it was waiting for me.
   It was kind of spooky.

They have fingerprint scanners at the gym now. Instead of handing over your card you can type in an access code and scan your finger.
   I don't like that. It's too... 1984. Too anonymous. And spooky.

No matter who I talk to these days, it seems no one is satisfied working for a corporation. Big or small. It's just a paycheck to them, no longer a career. This is the unintended consequence of treating your employees like 'resources' instead of human beings. Loyalty down the chain means loyalty up the chain. If the people in charge are only in the job for the short term, to get as much money as they can steal and then get the hell out, they can't be surprised when their employees do exactly the same. It's time to get back to a real reciprocal employer-employee relationship. And American needs to make stuff again, for God's sake. No more financial 'industry.'

How fat was the guy who invented cheese-stuffed pizza? Just wondering.

Where are the college grads of this year going to be in ten years? There aren't any jobs for them now, how are they supposed to become productive tax-paying members of society with no employment? And, for that matter, how is Social Security supposed to provide for all the retiring Baby Boomers if their grandkids aren't paying into the system? Looks like a lot of former hippies are going to be working part-time at the Wal-Mart.