What’s going on? Monday, June 23, 2008

I’ve been taken aback, as I’m sure many people have, by the numerous limelight people who have died this year. The reason for my head cocking movement is that most of them were only in their 70’s or younger. Tim Russert, George Carlin, Bo Diddley, Yves Saint Laurent. With all the hype about living longer, it is disconcerting that these beloved icons didn’t make it past the national average mortality rate set by the CDC.

In 1900, the CDC research produced a 47.3 age average for mortality from birth in all races and both genders. Of course by 2005, the age was 77.8—almost 80 years old. Even at age 75, the CDC research states that the average mortality age is still 12 years off.

I’ve always assumed that I would live to AT LEAST 80, but never truly thought of the chance of dying before reaching that glorious year that I can become as senile as I choose without actually having any degeneration. My goal is to let it all out at that point—you know, all the inhibited ability to give people a piece of my mind and to wear the most ridiculously high fashion outfits I can find while pretending I’m much more dramatic than I really am. Lofty, I know.

Last year, Alica Coltrane at 69; Denny Doherty at 66; Dennis Johnson at 52; David Halberstam at 73; Joel Siegel at 63; Doug Marlette, Tammy Faye Bakker, Tom Snyder, Michael Deaver, Luciano Pavarotti, etc—all of which were in their 70’s or younger.

Seems a little strange that these guys are really and already gone. Not to mention some of the super young deaths like Anna Nicole Smith and Heath Ledger.

I don’t have the answer. Hard lives, crazy schedules, the stress of being who they were. All of those ideas could have been factors, but who knows what is the real explanation. The majority are from the so-called Silent Generation from years 1925-1945 according to About.com and getting to an age where they can be considered within the oldest bracket of the population.

Still doesn’t make me feel better to see age 50 which was considered the new over-the-hill status opportunity to come only 20 years before death. It doesn’t seem right. My parents are still going strong in their early 50’s and I would expect them to keep truckin’ until 80 or so. Even longer, if they’d like. So what will really extend our life expectancy if being rich and having the money to pay for the “special potions” doesn’t seem to be giving back?

Hmmm, just a thought to ponder.

 

 

Witty Banter: Me vs. The Job Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Nine to five,

I just can’t take it,

Nine to five,

I can’t embrace it,

This poem is not,

A true piece of art,

It’s a bitter diatribe,

From the depths of my heart.

Cold and cramped,

In a small office space,

Shoulders are hurting,

Carple tunnel, drooping face.

These are but a few,

Of my qualms, you see,

With the typical job,

In the nine to five sea.

The scent of the day Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Everyday on the way to my internship at Renegade, I drive past a McCormick condiment factory. Usually one can detect the certain condiment that the factory is grinding or packaging that day and throughout the day. The scent is a reminder of not only the dill Havarti cheese in your favorite sandwich, but also of the many people working within that factory.

In a nation where most factory’s have been outsourced to other countries, it is nice to see that some are hanging onto their native soil and refusing to be uprooted. In fact, The Washington Post reported that McCormick & Co. had planned on shutting the condiment plant down by the end of last year and sending it to a location in Indiana instead. (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/post200/2007/MCCRK/)

Whether or not the plan is still in place and the move is still in the works, I don’t know. However when I smell peppercorn or a hint of cinnamon in the air while driving by, I wonder how the effects of outsourced factories and plants have and will affect our country as the years continue to go by. I also think of the EU and the issues countries like Spain are having now that the borders are open to less advanced countries. While studying there, I read that Spain is already talking about outsourcing factories in the Valencia area to countries in Eastern Europe now members of the EU. It will remove the opportunity for jobs that the factories create in Valencia, but cost less to produce materials in the other countries. How will it affect Spain in the long run? How is our outsourcing affecting us?

Check out the article linked to this post about outsourcing from an article in a BusinessWeek 2006 issue and an article from Sourcingmag.com from 2008. They are both chock full of information about the topic’s pros and cons.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_05/b3969401.htm

http://www.sourcingmag.com/content/c080114a.asp