This is just anecdotal but I've had good luck with Trico brand blades and replacements. Buy the unit for each side once then you can buy just blades for like $10 for a pair of the nice Teflon coated. I experience the same situations you do down here in Oregon, wipers simply don't last as long with tons of rain and road crud being forced on them all winter/spring/summer/fall.
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I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.