Tree-hugger? Me too.

When I was just a little thing, I used to climb high up in trees and sit for hours watching the world. And hiding in some cases! Nobody could see me up there, and if they suspected where I was, they weren't always willing to climb up after me to find out.

One of my favorite books - sorry I can't remember the author - was just called 'Walking'. It told about a year in the life of a scientist hiker and all the wonders he saw along the route. I always tried to observe nature that way. One day I was even blessed to see a tiny field mouse sitting at the entrance to its burrow in the early dawn light, which shone through its translucent ears and made them sparkle like diamonds.

And you're perfectly willing to sacrifice their elders to this cause of yours?

How young are you and how long have you been unemployed to take such a heartless tack on your fellow human beings? Remember, what goes around comes around. You'll sing a different tune when you're 60 and on the edge, if you aren't already safely retired and think you can kick others to the curb with impunity.

Hasn't someone

... recorded what resembles screams from plants? Can't remember where I saw/heard/read about it a number of years ago.

Don't put words in my mouth

People who knowingly displace equally or more qualified labor by undercutting wages are the scabs, no matter what their origin or station in life. Young people had better learn the lessons of the last 30-40 years or they're cutting their own throats as well. Did you happen to see the bit about a certain McDonald's announcing no one w/o a college degree AND 1-2 years cash register experience need apply? Is that what you think serves the country well? Massive student loans and due diligence just to get a minimum (slave labor) wage job?

People who cross picket lines are the lowest form of humanity. When you do so - even by engaging in the behavior described above - or enable others to do it, you're robbing someone else and killing your own future and that of coming generations. Don't ask me to condone that kind of rapacious, self-defeating cultural genocide.

Above all, don't try to excuse that behavior by describing the guilty as 'young person trying to get a job.' It would be as accurate to refer to a mass murderer as simply 'troubled'.

When my ancestors moved here, we pooled our money and BOUGHT farms. Even back then we didn't steal jobs. Theft is theft. Face it. Teach your kids which side their bread really is buttered on.

BTW, in addition to 'an injury to one is an injury to all', there's another union truism: The best business plan in the world is worthless when you've got a riot in the warehouse.'

Or you can go ahead and preach kissing the arse of plutocracy, but I wouldn't suggest doing so in a Teamster or ILWU hiring hall.

I've often said communists are not born, they're made - by the cold hard fist of capitalism. If you want to 'save' America from them or even us ultra socialists, then it's way past time for capitalism to clean up its act. Which it won't, of course, because leopards seldom change spots. That's when the conflagration will come, and it will be self-inflicted. I don't intend to stay awake nights worrying about what the plutocrats and their enablers stand to lose when it happens, either. Best of luck to you!
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PS: A lot of people suppose I named one of my two dogs Molly Maguire just because it's a pretty Irish name. There's a lot more to it. Mostly she's named after an early Irish coal miner's union. And don't try to tell me it was a mythical organization, because some of my ancestors were involved.

Regardless of where they're from,

Scabs are scabs. W/o strong unions, we're dead meat - and the ownership class knows it.

Contracts be damned

If they want to dump you, they'll manufacture an 'excuse'.

I worked for one company where the head of bookkeeping was about to retire on his pension, having served that bunch of goons all his working life. Two months before Freedom, they suddenly discovered that he'd been robbing the company blind all those years and they fired him - no pension. Employment contract null and void. His assistant set to work and proved that the books were legit, then she got fired too for her effort.

There's no real justice you can't enforce yourself.

Our friend

... probably would've said so if his case had been like your own. From MY observations, most people expected to train their own replacements were NOT being promoted, but rather kicked to the curb for cheaper labor. No one ever dared try to make me do that because they knew I'd spit in their face and quit first, and I always took care to make myself as irreplaceable as I could. If I ever had been in our friend's situation, I'd have shoveled as much horse manure down that trainee's throat as possible to be sure he/she came to no good end when left alone to prove worth.

BTW, I never would've accepted a trainee position if I knew the other guy was headed to the dump. No way. If I had, I'd have deserved every horrible thing that ever happened to me afterwards. Karma's a bitch. She's also my twin sister.

Even if

... you are dainbramaged, I'm glad you won out. Congratulations!

And you're certainly not too bramaged to know you can NEVER trust management. Period. Don't let me get started on what I saw myself.

EVERYONE! Stinky and Curmudgeoness solved it

Just copy/paste this link directly into your own browser and it will take you straight to the photo on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/94602418@N04/8614167202/

Sorry for all the trouble. But do tell me what you think; does Brigid resemble a Toy Fox Terrier to you as much as she does to me? A person could've sold her to me as that, and I'd have ponied up fast. But it may be wishful thinking on my part, so....

BTW, Patsy Carter's not my real name but rather a pen name I used back in the day. I still sometimes use the handle 'Meanolgrouch' though. Back when Sarah Palin's fans were keeping her kid on DWTS so long by creating sock puppet accounts for extra voting, I decided to fight fire with fire.

Success!?!