I think I cut my hands grasping that sharp commentary...

[roo_ster]

http://www.michaelzwilliamson.com/blog/item/you-keep-using-that-word--i-do-not-think-it-means-what-you-think-it-means

I was inconvenienced for a few years, but am doing better, these days.  I know how good I have it.  I suspect many who have it good or are currently inconvenienced do not realized just how good we have it.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

lots of painful truth there

[RoadKingLarry]

Yup.

Michael Z. Williamson As an immigrant, I get REALLY ticked off at Americans whining about "poverty" that involves cell phones, microwaves, AC and cars.

I've pointed that out to my "poor" sister. It usually nets me a blissful month or so of "I'm never going to talk to you again"

[Tallpine]

Yeah, back when we were living in an 8x28 trailer, hauling water from a spring, using an out-hole, and eating beans from a 50# sack* along with potatoes from the dump** - I recognized that we were living better than at least half the world. 



* something like ten bucks back then direct from the farm - best pinto beans I ever tasted because they were actually fresh instead of stored in a warehouse for god knows how many years

** not as bad as it sounds: it seems the stores can't sell too large or misshapen taters, so the farmers haul dumptruck loads of them to the edges of the landfill where all the tree limbs, etc get dumped.

[mtnbkr]

** not as bad as it sounds: it seems the stores can't sell too large or misshapen taters, so the farmers haul dumptruck loads of them to the edges of the landfill where all the tree limbs, etc get dumped.

What a freaking waste. :(

The guy behind my uncle has a large sweet tater field.  I was horrified to see how many taters get left behind by the mechanized harvesters.  Several of us walked around the first 20' or so of field bordering my uncle's property and pick up 50-60lbs of sweet taters (with landowner's permission, uncle was already raiding the leftovers).

Chris

[Perd Hapley]

They harvest sweet taters? Whatever for?

[Jocassee]

Having lived near, but not in, some of the nastier places in the world, I concur with all of the above.

[KD5NRH]

I've pointed that out to my "poor" sister. It usually nets me a blissful month or so of "I'm never going to talk to you again"

Did she delete you from her iPhone's contact list while driving her H3 or while watching her HDTV?

I remember fighting the temptation to buy pork and beans with my last $2 because I could get a week's worth of ramen noodles with that instead of two days' worth of beans.

[gunsmith]

that's a sweet looking pistol there, anyone know what kind? a Ruger maybe?

[roo_ster]

that's a sweet looking pistol there, anyone know what kind? a Ruger maybe?

Colt, back when they made sweet revos.  Likely a blued Python.  Colt had some spectacular blue & stainless jobs.

I wish Colt would get back into that game, because Taurus, Charter, and Ruger just can't compete with S&W for making sweet revos.  Oh, Ruger makes a reliable enough wheel-gun, hella strong too, but they sure are butt ugly. 

[dogmush]

Remember that young Filipino women knowingly prostitute themselves to wealthy Arabs for $50/week, and clean house, cook and wash as well, because it will help their families.  THAT is poor.

Having watched that Arab beat the girl bloody in the street while I fingered an M9 and contemplated the term "international incident" let me just say.......I agree completely with that blog.  Not to look down on anyone's struggles, but I've traveled a lot, and hadn't seen poverty until I left America.