Income Gap Holding Back Economy

I heard an interesting story on NPR today about income inequality and its effect on the economy.  (Read it or listen to it here.)

It's the sort of story that makes my blood boil at the injustice and greed of the few, which is just accepted by the many.

...the current CEO of Dean Foods makes 10 times the amount the company's CEO did 30 years ago [he makes $10 million a year], the rest of the employees make on average 9 percent less than they would have in the 1970s, after you adjust for inflation.
So how do the employees feel about executive pay?
"They were resentful of it," says Whoriskey. "But for the most part, they were just trying to figure out how to get by. They honestly said they were just happy to have jobs."

People shouldn't have to be "just happy to have jobs," especially when CEOs are making more money than anyone could hope to spend in a lifetime.  People should have jobs that allow them to provide for their families and be happy.  It makes me even angrier when certain politicians are willing to risk our whole economy to protect the exorbitant earnings of such CEOs.  With that kind of money they can afford to pay a little more in taxes to avoid a government loan default.

When and how did we become so blinded that we started to believe that the greed of these ultra wealthy people is okay?  Here's a reality check for all those who say "This is America. One day I may be that wealthy, and when I am, I don't want to be taxed higher"... You are never going to be that wealthy, and even if you could be, the big question is should you be? My two cents says "no."

Happy Independence Day

It is impossible to skip Independence Day in Chicago.  Even if you avoid the crowds at the firework display on the Lakefront, you can't avoid the fireworks all around.  The sheer multitude makes you feel as if you've traveled back in time and are sitting with Francis Scott Key listening to a battle in 1814.  I know this is what the girls think is happening.  For years Yaya was terrified of this day.  She thought for sure we would die.  Her fear is still present, but she's gotten somewhat braver...

Indeed, the fireworks begin in the early afternoon.  By 3:00 you begin to hear them seemingly in the distance.  Pop! Boom! Pop!  You can't see them, of course, so it seems like a battle in the distance.  As the evening wears on, the frequency of the Pop! Boom! Boom! Whirrr! increases, but you still can't see anything.  The battle is nearing, but it's not here yet.  Then, the sun sets, the sky turns black, and you can feel the earth shake with fireworks.  The noise comes from every direction -- Pop! Boom! Boom! Whirrr! Boom! Pop!  And for minutes at a time it is continuous.  While a group on one corner sets up for the next round, another group a few blocks away is going full force.  Now you can see the displays, too.  They are indeed impressive and can be seen in every direction, but it is still quite frightening for my children.  They can look for a second, enjoying the color, but quickly fear of the noise takes over, and they seek refuge under the covers of their beds.

"...the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting through air..."  You can experience it all -- unharmed -- in Chicago on the 4th of July.

(Re)Learning Math

Yesterday I was looking for some online math practice, and I found a site that I really like. It's called Math is Fun.  I plan to use it next week to help Yaya master addition and subtraction facts.  DH and I have been testing the Math Trainer for multiplication.  It is rather frightening how much one forgets after so many years out of school.  However, it is quite a testament to the efficacy of this trainer how quickly one remembers/relearns.  The program times you as you answer multiplication problems, giving you the correct answer if yours is wrong.  It suggests you do three 5-minute sessions a day.  At first there were a few problems I just plain got wrong, but within no time, I was remembering the correct answer again.  The biggest problem now is making my fingers press the numbers my brain is thinking...

The site also offers games, puzzles, and various types of math work (geometry, algebra, etc).  Yaya loves playing on the computer.  I plan to guide her to this site in some of our summer downtime to help sharpen her skills and peak her interest for next school year.

A Tale of Two Roombas... Or Three

Back in 2006, DH gave me (or let me get) a Roomba robotic vacuum for our anniversary.  I brought it home and tested it out.  It worked great, but Yaya was afraid of it.  We decided to name it and call it our pet so that she'd feel more comfortable with it.  I suggested Rover because it's the perfect dog name.  Yaya, who was a huge Sesame Street fan at the time thought I said Grover, and so our first pet Roomba became Grover.  We loved Grover, and he kept our floors nice and clean... Until one day about 2 years later, he didn't.  He would start, move jerkily, and stop.  iRobot support told me he had a fatal wheel error and was irreparable.  They would let me trade him in to get a refurbished one for a mere $200.  I thought that was a bad deal, and just held onto Grover.  Despite the diagnosis, I was never able to "bury" him, so he's been sitting in our furnace closet like Snow White waiting for prince(ss) charming to revive him.

Grover and Elmo

Now, I had gotten used to having a pet roomba so although I didn't want to let go of Grover, I did want to get another one.  I searched craigslist and found a used Red Roomba for which I paid about $30.  This roomba needed a name, too.  Since he was red, we kept the Sesame Street theme and named him Elmo.  Elmo was a more basic model, but he got the job done, and we all loved him, too.  Bumble would even give him goodnight kisses when he finished cleaning and we put him down for his "nap."  Recently, Elmo started having problems.  I decided to try to fix him myself.  His initial problem was that he was bumping into phantom walls or thought he was approaching a cliff, so he would randomly halt and turn around.  I took his bumper off and thoroughly cleaned his cliff sensors. That helped some.  He was able to clean the entire kitchen, but he was still acting a little funny.  So, I gave him another check up and found that one of his wheels would not move.  Two Roombas, two broken wheels: the only thing to do was a wheel transplant.  DH wondered who I was and what I had done with his wife because I am not usually very handy.  In fact, I'm usually terrified of accidentally breaking something, so I just don't try.  This time, though, I felt I had nothing to lose...

Funny Guy

...Nothing to lose because I put an ad out on craigslist and freecycle looking for another Roomba, and someone had one she was willing to give me!  She hadn't used it in quite some time because the battery died completely and she didn't want to buy a replacement for $70 (the iRobot price).  I had a working battery so it was perfect.  When we picked him up, Bumble named him Funny Guy and wouldn't let us consider any other names.

Grover's Problem

Sadly, when we got him home, Funny Guy didn't work quite as hoped.  So, now I had to get busy on that wheel transplant for Grover.  I started by taking Grover apart.  I removed the bottom casing as far it possible, and then took off the right wheel hub.  With the hub removed, I instantly saw Grover's problem, and it was so simple I couldn't believe iRobot had claimed that it was irreparable.  His problem was merely a broken wheel drive belt.  I grabbed Elmo to begin removing his belt, but when I checked him again to verify which wheel I would be working on, both of his wheels were miraculously working again.  So, I set Elmo to run in the kitchen as a test, and I sacrificed Funny Guy to save Grover instead.  This may sound crazy, but I felt a little guilty about sacrificing Funny Guy.  I know he's only a machine, and we only just got him, but Bumble seemed to be attached already, and her fondness affected me.  Nonetheless, I began the operation and removed Funny Guy's wheel drive belt.  I transferred it to Grover and then closed up being careful not to pinch any delicate wires as I replaced the wheel hub.  Our one battery was charging from having been tested with Elmo.  When it was ready, I installed it in Grover and pressed start.  After years of supposedly being dead, Grover was alive and cleaning!

I'll remember not to believe iRobot when they tell me something is irreparably broken again.  I look forward now to the possibilities that await with two working Roombas to clean for me.