The High Cost Of Wire

By W. R. Jones

I had no idea wire was so damn expensive.  I got some new glasses a few weeks ago so I could see to finish this painting.  I selected a pair of frames that were on sale at 50% off regular.   That  made them only $150.   These “frames” are the rimless variety that us old people wear when our necks get too weak to hold up an entire set of rims.  Our heads would be pointed down so all we could see would be our feet.  Still, I have pretty feet so all would not be lost.

The rimless glasses consist of lenses (a separate expense item) and the frames.  The frames are two pieces of wire that attach to the plastic lenses and hang over your ears, and a small piece of wire that connects the plastic lenses together.  Got it so far, you twit?  By my count that makes three pieces of wire.  These are not gold or platinum or titanium, just regular alloy wire.  These wires are not hand forged or shaped.  They are MASS produced.  Eventually EVERYBODY needs glasses.

So what I’m wondering is how these three small pieces of wire cost me three times what I paid for a new color printer/scanner/copier that is much larger, hugely more complex, hugely more expensive to make, and package and ship?  I simply don’t follow the economics of it.   The incongruity of it has me flummoxed.  I don’t know whether to shit or go blind.

This is a painting of my daughter, Erika, and her dog Mango.  That miserable little beast bit me again last night drawing blood for the second time.    They have their game day colors on.   Mango mostly naps during the high action but perks right up when there is the slightest chance of a snack.

Blue Shutter – Nuts!

By WR Jones

That red shutter got to me.  I can’t handle bright colors I guess.  When I looked at the painting from across the room the shutter was all I could see.  And it looked strange seeing that bright red off to one side.   So I painted it blue.  Told the wife I couldn’t do any work around the house as I had shutters to paint.   Took the painting down to the beach.   Do you have any idea how hard it is to stretch painting 0.93 square inch of shutter into 8 hours of work?   I had to come home looking drained.   I practiced the look in my rear view mirror for a hour before returning home.  Practice is the key to success.

Those damn people with big dogs!   Just came back from a walk.   As her bull mastiff was lunging at me, this woman gave me one of those proud smiles like she was showing off a newborn babe.   I suppose she was confident the ox sized dog was not going to bite.  I did not share her confidence.   As a dog whisperer (picked up from watching the show of that name on TV), I could read that dog’s mind like a coffee table book with mostly pictures.   Dog:  ”Whoa, looky here, this rickety old man just peed his pants.  I’ve got him on the run.  Why don’t I just give him a little nip on one of those chicken legs and see if I can get him into full  submission?”