http://www.pandora.com/music/song/lily+allen/fear#lyrics
I have discovered a passion for the most recent British invasion of female folksy singers, like Lily Allen, Kate Nash, Adele, and Duffy. Not necessarily Amy Winehouse, but she's alright. This is my favorite song today.
http://www.pandora.com/music/song/kate+nash/birds#lyrics
This is my second favorite of the day.
And now for some of their American counterparts - I absolutely love Regina Spektor. Brilliant music, brilliant piano.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Items
1. For L's dinner - two whole sliced up carrots, three natural cheese curds (Beecher's Cheese), grapes, and two slices of baguette.
2. Visited the new place yesterday, things are getting cleaned out in short order. Looking forward to moving, actually. :) And sleeping the whole night though with no ambulance noise.
3. One week of misery and pain left, Friday night final. I WILL make it through. With chocolate.
Happy Sunday!
2. Visited the new place yesterday, things are getting cleaned out in short order. Looking forward to moving, actually. :) And sleeping the whole night though with no ambulance noise.
3. One week of misery and pain left, Friday night final. I WILL make it through. With chocolate.
Happy Sunday!
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Cheap Stuff
Last night, Colbert did a hilarious report on the Foxconn plant in China that is currently embroiled in a nasty public relations scandal with so many workers committing suicide, thereby drawing attention to the extremely unpleasant living conditions of the workers there. Colbert pointed out, quite rightly, that there would be no market for such cheap items were Americans not seduced by promises of cheap, cheap and cheaper.
For all of you made in America folks out there, how many of you actually buy American? How many of you bought American in the 90's when we were sending factories south of the border for cheaper wages? It's not corporate America that's at fault here - corporate America does what it does to increase value for the shareholders. What increases value? Sales. American CONSUMERS consumed the cheapest products, rather than the quality products, so American factories moved offshore.
When I lived in Austria, I knew people who would save up for months to buy high quality items because they didn't want to have to replace the blender they bought for at least a decade. When you buy a 100euro blender that you expect to last ten years or more (my mother's old Oster lasted fifteen years, the old Sharp microwave lasted 18 years), you're paying 10euro per year (not getting into the TVM issue here), while others who buy cheap blenders buy 20euro blenders every year or two, plus the frustration of using a lousy product. American consumers chose price over quality, and those folks who shop at Walmart should just be quiet about not having jobs, because we did this to ourselves.
For all of you made in America folks out there, how many of you actually buy American? How many of you bought American in the 90's when we were sending factories south of the border for cheaper wages? It's not corporate America that's at fault here - corporate America does what it does to increase value for the shareholders. What increases value? Sales. American CONSUMERS consumed the cheapest products, rather than the quality products, so American factories moved offshore.
When I lived in Austria, I knew people who would save up for months to buy high quality items because they didn't want to have to replace the blender they bought for at least a decade. When you buy a 100euro blender that you expect to last ten years or more (my mother's old Oster lasted fifteen years, the old Sharp microwave lasted 18 years), you're paying 10euro per year (not getting into the TVM issue here), while others who buy cheap blenders buy 20euro blenders every year or two, plus the frustration of using a lousy product. American consumers chose price over quality, and those folks who shop at Walmart should just be quiet about not having jobs, because we did this to ourselves.
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