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["Alan MacHett" <machett AT ibiblio.org>]

"I have a million things that I could rant about."
 --Anonymous

I briefly considered replying to the request, but it's just going to be a
glossed-over, pointless article.  But that's not really what my rant is
about.  It has to do with every such article, every public complaint. 
They're all pointless.

Similar to the proposed article, I keep hearing how we Americans work too
much.  Only the Japanese work more, it is said.  Europeans get so much
more time off, it is said.  The French recently lowered the work week to
35 hours.  A working couple today still struggles to meet the same ends
that a single wage earner accomplished a generation or two ago.  Vacation
time still isn't a legal requirement; it's a privilege, not a right
("they" say that about everything).  Blah blah blah, etcetera such and so
forth.

I've been hearing these complaints for years, but has anything changed? 
Nope.  If anything, we continue to work more and more.  Nothing changes. 
So why the hell do we bother to rant and rave about such things?  Does it
make us feel better, just enough that we can continue to tolerate the
injustices that make up our lives?

Women still earn 75% of their male counterparts.  Non-whites are still
second-class citizens.  The haves still have and the have-nots still buy
into the system, convinced by Hollywood and legends that they too can make
it someday.  And nothing ever changes.

I'm tired of hearing people complain.  I'm tired of complaining myself. 
We need to get up off our complacent asses and do something, anything.  If
it's voting you believe in, go vote.  Go write a letter to your
representative.  Go protest.  Hell, go blow up Time-Warner or Fox News or
Bill Gates' house.  Just *do* something.  Stop believing in all this crap.

eh, enough already.  I'm going to go blow something up...

-peace,
-Alan

krives said:
> Hello everybody. Hope I'm not bothering you with this request. Yes, it's
> once again an N&O reporter seeking comment.
> I'm working on a story for tomorrow about the tendency we have here in
> the U.S. to go to work even though we're sick. Many of us think we can't
> afford to stay home because work would pile up in our absence. Or we
> feel guilty  when our co-workers have to pick up the slack. Perhaps we
> can't stay home because we have run out of sick time, or feel too
> "dedicated" to work to stay out.
> I was wondering if any of you have gone to work on days when you should
> probably have stayed home in bed, and if I could talk to you for a few
> minutes on the phone about that? My number is below.
> Thank you very much for your time and consideration!
>
> --
> Karin Rives
> Workplace Reporter
> The News & Observer
> (919)829-4521 or (800)365-6115
> 215 S. McDowell St.
> Raleigh, N.C. 27601
> krives AT newsobserver.com
> ---