Meeting Persephone

Believe it or not I usually try to keep my posts in this blog to one topic at a time. I don't always succeed in that endeavor but I try. Today I'm making no promises. So with no further ADO away I go...

~~There was an arrest made in Turkey of a man plotting to take our president's life. No understanding yet as to why he was planning this but apparently there was no immediate danger to President Obama as the arrest was made 2 days before he'd even arrived in Turkey.

I wasn't alive for the big 3 assassinations of the 60s - Kennedy, King, and Kennedy. I have no wish to witness anything like those in my lifetime. While I'm sure I don't get a vote in this, that's just my position on the issue. The idea of killing a president who is just getting started in his first term is a bit baffling to me anyway. Of course I don't pretend to understand the minds of everyone around the world and my narrow western view might not be grasping every other perception but I haven't yet seen anything he's done specifically that would be so offensive to anyone as to warrant murder. Perhaps we should wait until at least his first year is up to determine whether he's failed as a leader? Just a thought....

~~We've snatched my cat from the jaws of death. I hope it was a good choice though presently I'm unsure. She has now re-gained enough health, weight, and energy to resume the seizures that she'd previously lost the strength for. On the up-side she has begun using her litterboxes again though this is a direct result of our placing them within feet of where she is spending the majority of her time instead of requiring her to walk to a different room to use them. She has not permitted further treatment of her wound though we were able to make some progress in the short time that she was too weak to fight us in those early treatments. But she is eating (her regular food) on her own without pleading from us and using the litterboxes - one must find silver linings in situations like these. Now all we can do is wait and see how she does in the coming weeks and months and hopefully resume the treatments that have obviously helped.

~~Hubby and I made a detailed "to-do" list for our upcoming projects last night and are feeling excited and only mildly overwhelmed. He has suggested cancelling the walk-in shower for the immediate future just so we can maintain some space to store the other materials we'll be needing. I'd objected initially because I felt that if we had all materials on hand we'd be able to keep moving with the projects but am now rethinking that position. It will be at least a couple of months before we're even ready to install the shower because we have to complete the attic work first so we can move out of the "cave" that will soon be the home of the shower and into the attic where our new bedroom will be. And so, for the sake of space and not feeling trapped in a construction zone, we may go ahead and at least re-schedule the pick up of the shower if not cancel it until we're ready for it.

We're also looking at putting carpeting upstairs. That sounds like nothing, but we have no carpeting anywhere else in our house. The flooring is all original hardwood in the main part of the house except in the kitchen (which will be cork when we get to remodeling in there) and we've been without carpet for this whole time. I've found a printed carpet that reminds me so much of my grandmother's home that I think this is the route we'll go for our new bedroom. It's a large cabbage rose looking pattern and lends me a feeling of comfort and connection. I'm actually very excited about this particular thing.

I've also designed a very simple sturdy entertainment center for our new bedroom as well as a window seat and bookcase. I'm great with the aesthetics - if only the work could be done as quickly as I imagine and design it! There is also a chimney running through the attic that serves no real purpose anymore and was since covered in a skim coat and so all of the original brick has been covered. I've decided that it will be covered with a Venetian plaster just to give a different color and texture to that one spot in the room.

~~Rumor has it that the economy might be turning around. Of course there are new reports that 40% of US companies are going to be freezing wages this year. The employees are going to be expected to be relieved that they still have jobs even if they don't have an increase in wages. My husband's wages have been frozen for the past 3 years now and we're hoping for a raise for the first time since he was hired on but frankly won't be surprised if it falls through once again. Again, feeling a sense of gratitude just for the privilege of having a reliable income.

What I think most Americans are probably unaware of is the broad gap between what the CEOs in the US are making vs. what their employees are making and comparing that to other countries' incomes. American CEO's wages increased 298.2% in 2005 alone while their employees' wages increased only 4.3%. Interestingly, corporate profits that year rose 106.7%. Granted, this report was 4 years ago but perhaps instead of blaming the average American for the failure of the economy due to lack of consumerism we should instead looking at the decidedly unbalanced world of income between CEOs and their employees - and most of the greatest and accelerated growth in the corporate world's CEO's income happened during the Clinton administration (just an FYI). A study of European countries in a similar comparision between CEOs and their employees revealed a much smaller gap. I cannot locate a link but recall seeing a difference of "only" about 25% between the average CEO in Europe vs. their employees. If my memory serves correctly (and I confess it probably doesn't in regard to exact figures) the gap between American CEOs and employee wages is approximately 1000% - note the extra zero in there, it's not 100 - it's 1000! I guess if that idea bothers you as much as it bothers me you will seek out more accurate information and I'd appreciate a link. It should bother you. This is capitalism run amok! It's the direct result of mass consumerism and profiting off of the labor of the proletariat (working class). Your blood, sweat, tears, aching bodies, and stress about losing puny incomes are all to the benefit of the CEOs whose own perfectly manicured nails never break during their labor and certainly never have grease nor blood under them!

And there I go again.... *ahem* sorry about that.

Economy - reportedly on its way back though the common thought is that it will take awhile.
The END!

I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming since I've gone so far off of any track with this post that there is no hope for return! lol

Have a great day.