Rapacious or what?

One of my favourite websites has suffered an 'attack of the Americans', by which I mean that a site which posted little daily oil paintings, which were for sale, got coverage on the N.Y.Times and was promptly overwhelmed by demand for the paintings. And when I say demand, that is what I mean. The comments on the site, have been extraordinary to read: "How come I can't buy a painting", whines one of many - "are you selling them before you post them?" "I can't get up early enough to get one", "I'd like one of those boat ones", says one who wishes, no doubt, to appear as patron of the Arts. etc. etc. and worse still. It is still a pleasure to see the little paintings appear, but the comment box has become a 'no-go' area of the site.

Then I read that the cost of the burial plots at the cemetery where Rosa Parks is buried, are going through the roof, especially the nearby plots. Her family are understandably distressed: Will Rosa have to give up her plot? No, I made that up, but the acquisitiveness is ugly.

I also see that this last year, according to a Christian Science Monitor writer, Americans are not saving at all - in fact, savings are at -0.5%, the first time since the Depression that that has happened. What is it with you Americans? Some are living hand-to-mouth and the rest are spending like there's no tomorrow. Those bits of plastic you clutch in your hands have gotten into your brains. Pull back, people, time to sit back and be thankful for the intangible things that you have, and not just what you can buy.