...but first more news you might have missed...

Did you know that over the last 2 - 3 years you have been receiving a huge pay cut courtesy of the US economy (c'mon republicans...fight me on this one...I dare you).  We went to London last February (2006) and 1 Pound Sterling was worth $1.75.  This week, 1 Pound Sterling became worth $2.  When I first came to Bosnia in July of 2004, 1 Euro was worth $1.18.  As of the close of trading, 1 Euro is now worth $1.36...ouch.  I was holding off on taking money out of the ATM, but after nearly starving myself to death I finally gave in and bought groceries this weekend.  This is the reason things like gasoline that are traded moment by moment on the world market seem to continue to go up in price.  Your dollar is able to buy less.

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But it's going to get better right?  Doubtful and here is a good reason why: US workers suck at being workers.  This isn't the old "we are paid too much for too little work" - the French have that honor locked up as they battle to elect someone who can simultaneously grow the French economy while preserving the sanctity of the 35-hour work week.  No, I am talking about the ridiculous sense of entitlement that young people have.  I have been complaining for years about how college students expect an "A" for just handing work in ("A-" means you didn't do part of the assignment), but now the WSJ is talking about how these people fare as employees.  Here are some choice quotes:

"Employers are dishing out kudos to workers for little more than showing up. "

"But some researchers suggest that inappropriate kudos are turning too many adults into narcissistic praise-junkies. The upshot: A lot of today's young adults feel insecure if they're not regularly complimented."

"The Scooter Store Inc., ...has a staff "celebrations assistant" whose job it is to throw confetti -- 25 pounds a week -- at employees. She also passes out 100 to 500 celebratory helium balloons a week. "

Certainly, this attitude will turn us into an economic powerhouse...NOT.  I suspect that we will become a poor nation that just feels really good about ourselves.

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Maybe there is hope though, for the next generation:  Eden's generation.  I thought that the fact that I could say that Eden has visited so many countries was a fairly unique thing, but apparently, everyone is doing it these days.  The article paints traveling with the kids as kind of a "keep up with the Jones's" thing.  Even if it is, I think the ultimate result will be really positive.  

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On a personal note, I got all dolled up to go to a wedding reception of Friday night.  The bride is embassy and the groom is US Army.  

  

     
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Also I have been expanding my culinary horizons.  During the week, when I was running out of food, I was starving and didn't want to go out.  I looked through my cabinet and invented the following dish:

It's Fritos topped with Velveeta Shells and Cheese, a can of Hormel Vegetarian Chili, and sour cream.  It was good and more than 1000 calories in a single meal.

Today I had guests for brunch.  The new group at the base is from our area (the mid-Atlantic).  They were complaining about missing Cracker Barrel.  So I did the best I could to recreate it for them for Sunday Brunch: biscuits and gravy, eggs, pancakes, fried apples, and real Cracker Barrel syrup which I pocketed the last time I was in the States.  The most difficult thing to get was the bacon; 6 pieces of bacon were 17 KM - that's about $11.

P.S. - Big thanks to allysther and zanla for regularly shipping provisions from Germany (I hope the frito thing doesn't scare you into never sending me food again).