The Great American Work Ethic

Two tales showing good-old American ingenuity for getting the job done. Even if you aren't exactly, you know, willing to go to work.

First stop: Harrisburg, PA -- Further proof that legislation is like sausage. You don't want to see how they make either one. A story of "ghost voting" in the Pennsylvania legislature. I wonder if this kind of thing is more common than we know... From the article:

On the day Gov. Rendell unveiled his budget to a packed House chamber, Rep. William Rieger voted in favor of all six bills that came up.

But Rieger wasn't there. The Democrat was home on Feb. 3, 100 miles away in Philadelphia.

A wad of paper shoved into his electronic "yea" button atop his desk did the work for him.

He even had the nerve to collect his $126 per diem for "food and lodging". Anybody else reminded of Homer Simpson "working" from home by having his drinking bird do all the typing for him? (via As Above)

Next up: From the heart of the Rust Belt -- Selections from Ben Hamper's hilarious "Rivethead". Hampers was a shoprat on the line at General Motors back in the 70s and 80s. During his stint there, he wrote the widely-read column "Impressions of a Rivethead" for the Flint Voice, edited at the time by the infamous Michael Moore. He would regularly set it up with his assembly line partner so that one guy would do both jobs, leaving the other one free to sleep, read, or more likely, go out and get really, really drunk. Did you know that GM, in an effort to raise morale and improve their product, had a guy wander through the plant in a "Howie Makem, The Quality Cat" costume? The selections are great, but the whole book is a real treat, tracking his drug- and alcohol-fueled days on the line ultimately leading to his meltdown at the end of the book. "Rivethead" is one of my favorite reads. Highly recommended.