smart people, stupid wages

Back in 1977, I was 18 years old. I worked for 3 dollars per hour. That could buy me a 6 pack of beer, a pack of smokes, a McDonalds cheeseburger, and a phone call. For one hours work.
Now, with a B.A., 38 years work experience in a variety of fields, including hiring, training, firing, budgeting, cash management, customer retention, etc. etc, I work for 17.25 plus bonus.
That buys me either a 6 pack and a McD, or a pack of smokes and a McD. Not all the above.
At 18, I could rent a house for 300 bucks including utilities= one week's work. If you pay rent, you know what it is now. If you dont pay rent, keep doing whatever you do in exchange.
One would think that after earning a degree (B.A., geog and poli sci, admittedly not like engineering) and spending almost 4 decades in the work force , one would be earning more in real wages than one did when living out of cardboard boxes in a rental and beer came before groceries or rent.
The Reagan/Thatcher revolution happened, a calculated assault on working people that created a huge gulf. Yes, its nice for those who got into the well-paid streams, electronic toys are cheaper, air fare to slave regimes are cheaper, but it has left the vast bunch (used to be called masses, but nobody liked that) making less year to year.
The one-dollar raise on a 17 dollar rate doesnt mean much when your expenses (groceries, rent, utilities) go up 10-15%.
If you are making good money now, I am happy for you. If you want the same conditions that enabled your folks to buy a house to be around for your kids, think about it.
Its not lower taxes for the rich, its higher wages for the workin cats.
Good workers will earn more, but lets raise the bottom.

two sides of the same intersection

Lovely day, soft evenin, I have some bevvies at home, then I go up to the Ave. to restock about 11pm.  I walk the first few familiar blocks then I am waiting for the 'walk' signal, taking my time cuz lots of Albertans think red means go. I am crossing from the south, a party is crossing from the north: 4 guys with mean ass looks on their face and new Walmart fashions, one chick in a dress, but also sporting a "I have a nasty bug up my ass" look. They are all muttering and casting evil looks about, halfway across the Ave., the chick starts going 'fagGet, fagGet, fagGet' like from a bad Tobe Hooper movie, and the guys are all flexing their cocked arms and darting their eyes around like rats in an empty granary. Not to profile, but they sounded like New Brunswickers, and maybe the priests there are a little too free with the Sunday school class. I have noticed some hate comin out of that province. Lots of nice people too, I am sure, but maybe those arent the ones that come to the Big City out West.
Allright, I tinks to meself.  I didnt change expression or look at them, doin my New Yorker thing. I go to Brown Guys Liquor, get a few beers and a shortie of Jameson's, exchanged some pleasant words with the regular Saturday guy, then reverse course to go home. On the return trip, I was following some guy with bags of bottles who looked kinda gay-ish, and sure enough he was met halfway up the first block by 2 Asian guys who definitely seemed gay-ish, and they hugged him, in a friendly way. Then told him he was 'expected at the Hive cuz hundreds of thirsty worker bees were waiting', and they all laughed and went on.

Now, who would any sane person want to be friends with? The first group, or the second?
Hate or hugs?

Hugs for me, thanks.

poopin in a backhouse

Had a great 24 hour stay in the country. Such a burgeoning time in this 2 season land. Winter and summer.
Went out to the far pasture with my buddy, ex-sis-in-law technically, but the mom of my niece n nephew and longest female friend. We planted willows along the fenceline, gabbed about a million things, including the multiverse.
My awesome niece is back from the east coast, she is a solid steady human being. Workin 7 days, finished her Bach at NSAC,  the two of them were just in NYC and New England 2 weeks ago. Now back in Alberta, diggin the sudden explosive spring.
Yes, I pooped in a backhouse this morning, door open, many species of birds creating an audioscape, reading about the Santa Claus parade in a magazine. My buddy Chief the dog was laying on the path in front, wagging, as if to say : 'Poopin eh? I get that'. He stayed in the city with us for a few weeks but he is happy to be back on 70 acres, he is born n raised for coyote control.
Enjoyed about 4 hours of not hearing any human noise this morning. 3 kinds of blackbirds in the marsh, 80 kinds of tree dwellers, saw a downy and a pileated woodpecker ( I love those, they are like jet fighters with cool paint, the way they fly through the trees), sometimes orioles n cardinals show up in June. Goldfinches, mountain bluebirds, all good.

Culture thoughts on a lucky sunny day

I like Edmonotone for a number of reasons. One is that it is multicultural in a more friendly way; most  Canadian cities are quite multi-culti but Edmo is more friendly about it than , say, Vangroover, where you have huge Asian and E. Indian communities, but they are somewhat unto themselves, and many whities dont really dig it. Not to paint with too broad a brush, but I think Alberta is a better assimilator. We have a Jewish mayor in Edmo and a Muslim mayor in Calgary, so much for the redneck stereotype, at least in the big cities.
I have a well-assimilated E. Indian boss, and a totally assimilated Filipino sales manager. My coworkers are also diverse,  including an Icelandic Metis whose dad is  from my old home province of Manitoba. More native Indians than subcontinent back there, and Metis is practically the norm in  nortend Winterpeg. Plus the slavs, scots, jews, etc. etc. but all crossbreeding over the past 150 yrs. My g-f knows a gal who is Jewish/Cree (You vant some halvah wit yr bannock?)

I love having light rail transit, because it takes me where I need to go  more directly and no stopping for lights. Also, it seems a bit more civilized and euro. I indulge in a adult beverage at times standing on the LRT platform, the tallcan Bacardi n coke looks a lot like an energy drink.

Today was a lucky day in a few ways. I had a very successful week at work (we sell stuff) as did most of my co-workers, and we rocked the previous record for sales per week. Let out a bit early with pay, so we dont get the national boss in too much of a lather, wanting us to do that every week. We are blue-collar minded guys (also a feature of Edmo culture): if we go hard for the team  or just plain get lucky, we dont want the foreman to expect that every damn day. Then I just missed the bus, but it stopped for a long train, so I walked up and knocked on the door, and didnt have to wait 15 mins for the next one. Also , a few months ago I upgraded computers, and left a favorite old game in the drive of the old one. I had asked the guy at the store to put it aside for me and I would pick it up, and 3 months later, it was still there. Age of Empires 1a , Rise of Rome, from like 1999. I love slaying those villagers.

This big village I live in, I dont slay. With equanimity I work, walk and ride, and maybe enjoy a beverage or several.  Cheers!

Mission for Smokes/Ron Wood hair

Gather round ye children, and a story I will tell, about Pretty Boy Floyd the outlaw, by one who knew him well..
No, this is a story about a quest for smokes, nigh on midnight, when shit is closing.
We live on 75 Ave, there's a Mohawk/Husky station down on 70 Ave thats supposed to be open till midnight. I set off at 11:20, beer in hand, figgered that was plenty of time, its a 10 minute walk. Bastids closed early, so up to 82nd Ave and the Esso I go. Closed also, fookers.

I go kitty-corner to the Liquor depot, figger if I have to walk up to 87 n 112, might as well have provisions, i.e. a shorty of rum. Till dude, highly gay and a friendly sort, recommends the Sailor Jim (or somethin) but I was mainly focused on his wicked Ronnie Wood small faces 'do'. I have been all over the Now Look album by Ronnie lately (Ian McLagan on the kbords y'ken), and saluted him on his look. Now, I am off to 87 n 112 for the pack of smokes. Took the backstreets so I could have a wee nip on the Sailor Jim.

First 'airborne via ice' of the winter at 84 n 110. Sheer ice, polished by lots of retards running 'all season' tires (all seasons in Cali-fucking-fornia) spinning away. I step forth, whoop, 3 feet up, land on my right hip. Fortunately I had the Sailor Jim in my left jacket pocket.  Wham! (not so much the thank you ma'am) but regained my footing and made er to the Mac's for the DuMauriers.
Thence hamewards, with a wee nip of the Sailor for pain relief (I'll be feelin it tomorrow).

I love this neighborhood, despite erratic closing times of Tabac vendors.
Keeps me in shape.

Hamish and the Light Beer

I guess I started to write this, then decided I was too lickered to type properly.

Not there yet, so here goes with the tale.
My workplace is about a 2 mile walk from a shopping centre called Southgate (south side of Edmonton). I have got in the habit of walking there after work finishes at 9 pm, especially now that the weather is a bit cooler. Keeps me in shape, helps me decompress after work.
I stop by the Superstore liquor store on the way, buy one beer for 1.50, cross over to the north side of the street so the traffic is at my back, and sip a beer for the latter 1 1/2 miles of the trip. Room temp., but not disgustingly warm. The singles are from broken cases. Sometimes I get lucky and there's a Heineken, but usually Coors Light, Molson or Bud.

At Southgate there's another liquor store and the bus and LRT station. Its staffed mostly by gay guys, one cute chick, and a redheaded Scots lookin dude I think of as Hamish. His name card says Alexander, but he looks like a Hamish.  He is commendably non-phobic with his co-workers, and quietly flirting with the cute chick. Anyway, he seems like a skater who got a job, not all tattooed or anything, thats more the gay guys, but he also looks like a handy guy with a battle axe at Bannockburn, if ye get me, lad.
This week they had a sale on Brewhouse Light, usually 20 bucks for a 15 pack, but now reduced to 10.99, plus tax. I bought a box on Wednesday, needed to restock Fri night for the long wknd. I brought it up to Hamish's till, he slapped his hand down on it and gave me a level look. "Dude. This is Light. " as if I had let down the team. I replied "Yeah but its just the Light thats on sale , isnt it?" Apparently regular strength was on for the same fine price so I went and got a 15 pack of regular Brewhouse.

Nice guy, I think he's a good shit, and if I ever needed a good battle axe man, I would put him on the short list.

posting, bad teeth, the whole shebang

hey cats n kittens,

Got a nasty old cracked n rotten tooth yanked today, the dentist did a good freeze job, I followed up with numerous amber rum n lemon sippers, against fucko advice. Seems all good til the freezing comes out, but I think its still a 8-9.

Poker not going well, dog is old but happy, me g-f wishes she could get something remotely congruent with her capabilities and experience.  NOT stupid ass corporate retail for 40 cents above minimum wage.
I try to focus on the positive, with some help from fermentation.

I now have a tooth missing on the lower right, and lower left, so I can drool ambidextrously.

Fuckin premolars, they never trained those guys right..

good night, and good wrestling..