Jul 4 2009

The theory of socio-economic unfairness

The reason that the rich are so rich is because they manage to spend less money.

Take boots, for example. Say you earn thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which are sort of OK for a season or two and then leak like hell when the carboard gives out, cost about ten dollars.
The really good boots last for years and years. A man who can afford fifty dollars has a pair of boots that’d still be keeping his feet dry in ten years time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.

Sgt. Vimes, City Watch.


Jul 1 2009

The world belongs to

There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who, when presented with a glass that is exactly half full, say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What’s up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don’t think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!

– (Terry Pratchett, The Truth)