# Corporate Time Theft: When Three Minutes Isn't Really Three Minutes
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Chapter 1: The Great Scrabble Revelation
It’s freezing in Michigan—surprise, right? As we age, we find ourselves less inclined to engage in winter outdoor activities. On a day like today, board games become our go-to entertainment. However, what was once a delightful pastime has morphed into a glaring reminder of how corporate America is shortchanging us.
Recently, while playing Scrabble, I decided to use my phone’s stopwatch to check how long the hourglass timer actually lasted.
Drumroll, please… 02:56:21!!
This means Scrabble is cheating us out of roughly three seconds with each turn. While it may seem trivial, over time, those seconds accumulate.
According to the rules penned by the creators, the timer is “about three minutes.” In today’s world, three minutes should equate to three minutes. With clocks so precise that they won’t lose a second for billions of years, it’s clear that time is money, and money is power.
The term “about” is misleading. In competitive sports or games, every millisecond counts. The outcome can hinge on a split-second decision. If timekeepers don’t uphold accuracy, they risk never officiating again. I demand what I paid for: a full three minutes, not just 2 minutes and 56 seconds and 21 hundredths.
This practice is now termed “scamflation.” It’s not the inflation we all recognize but rather a more insidious form of deception. Corporations expect us to overlook their inferior products, promising happiness while the truth has become an accepted falsehood.
Have we really become so disillusioned that we keep accepting this treatment without protest?
I can’t say whether this time-stealing tactic was intentional or if Hasbro even produces these inadequate hourglasses. It could simply be another subpar product outsourced to China. Did they think adding a few more grains of sand was too much to handle? Regardless, someone has misled us, and once again, the American consumer is left to absorb the consequences.
As a newly published writer through platforms like Medium, I’ve developed a deeper appreciation for language and words. Rediscovering Scrabble has enriched this newfound passion, especially while playing with my fiancée. Yet to learn that I’ve been deprived of precious moments adds another layer of frustration to what’s wrong in our society.
Section 1.1: The Value of Time
Time is the ultimate equalizer. No matter one’s financial status, every individual experiences time in the same manner. It remains our most valuable asset, something no one can acquire more of than anyone else. Whether it’s Elon Musk discussing rockets or a person in a tinfoil hat on Wall Street, everyone has exactly 24 hours in a day.
Three seconds might appear inconsequential, but it can be the dividing line between enlightenment and obscurity. Living in a rural area, where we encounter a new deer carcass on the road every couple of weeks, underscores how vital those three seconds can be. It can mean life or death—not just for the deer, but for us as well.
Subsection 1.1.1: The Reality of Speed
Section 1.2: The Corporate Accountability
Three seconds is all it takes to alter a life’s trajectory—either saving it or ending it.
To be clear, we don’t even use the hourglass timer when playing Scrabble; my curiosity sparked this investigation into its duration. Now that we know we’re being shortchanged, I demand accountability from the corporate world.
I want every ounce of joy you promised us, not just from Scrabble but in all aspects of our lives—my car, my food, my toilet paper, my mailbox, my eco-friendly laundry detergent—everything!
Hasbro and corporate America, you have been warned.
Live up to your promises of delivering joy when we invest our irreplaceable time in your products. Stop stealing our moments, or else we'll be taking ours back through critiques like this one.
Cancel culture? Absolutely not. This is about calling out dishonesty so that we can all return to being decent, trustworthy individuals. Actions have consequences. Those with wealth and power aren’t victims; they’re often the ones perpetrating the deceit. If you’re okay with being deceived, if your warped view of the world makes you believe that the powerful have earned their theft, think again.
In America, you have the “freedom and liberty” to believe what you want, even if it leads to your downfall.
If I’ve squandered your time with this discussion, I apologize. If you find yourself thinking, “that’s three minutes I’ll never get back,” let me know, and I’ll strive to improve. However, if I’ve managed to provide even a moment of joy or inspiration to resist the status quo, please share this message widely.
Thank you for your time.