Terror at just about sea level!
It seems like all I ever hear about anymore is people losing their jobs. I turn on the TV, people are getting laid off; I read my Friends' List, and it's either my Friends getting laid off or people they know getting laid off; newspapers talk about skyrocketing unemployment. I am a political guy, but usually things only effect me on the peripheral; like the way I feel about things, and I think they should be. But this...I think for the first time in my life, I am actually filled with dread and terror over a "public issue". Even September 11th, I was pretty much "meh" by September 12th. But this economy and people losing their homes and their jobs and greedy corporations taking money from the government and refusing to cut back on what the billionaires at the top of the company get, so they have to fire the paycheck-earners nearer to the bottom...it just effects me on a "Is this the end of America?" kind of way. I know it's a worldwide thing, and I almost never view things from an "I am an American" point of view over the "I am a citizen of the world" point of view, but in this country we have this whole expectation of "The Dream" and "Opportunity", and those are washing away with everything going on. We're just becoming a country of an elite ruling class and a serf working class, with a huge gap in-between.
My job is entirely not "secure", but I really think the worst that would happen to me is that my hours get a cut a bit, at which point, I may be able to find a second part-time job anyway. I'd still have my benefits and everything. I try to maintain a positive spin on this--now is the perfect time to start attending grad school part time with what little money B&N offers in the way of tuition reimbursement since it is hard to find work anyway--but it's hard to do that, because going back to school would just accrue me more debt, which, if the economy doesn't turn back around in a few years (or ever) would be devastating. [That was a really long sentence with a lot of nifty punctuation. I am suddenly quite proud of that. ADD has kicked in, and I can no longer even recall what I was on about. Just proud of that rambly mess I just made] I kind of hate working my plebeian job, and I wish that I'd have nailed an interview or went to grad school immediately after college, so I'd be better off right now for all this, but I am thrilled to just have a job. I try to appreciate that every single day. And, at work, I've been doing my best to work hard and offer to do as much as I can so I can seem, I don't know, irreplaceable. Or at least, irlosable. :)
But this whole economy thing and how it is affecting the world really terrifies me. I look at my home country and am so thankful we have a party in power now that will be better geared towards helping out those that aren't the top of corporate pyramids that are actually being effected by losing work and rising prices. I hate Barack's health care plan--it is terrible and would not solve a single problem--but with the Democrats in Congress, perhaps they can push forth universal health care. If we pull most of our troops home, and roll back tax cuts for the top 5% of so, we can easily afford it (so long as he quits spending a near-trillion dollars on stimulus packages which are just being wasted and mis-used).
I fail to see how we do not have universal health care in this country. It saves businesses money so they can hire more people and make more for themselves. It saves the people money, and, in a lot of cases, their health and lives. It is a life necessity. I'll never understand how we get away with not having it except for the HMO lobbies, but I am digressing.
Meanwhile, onto something so terribly more dire and serious than this: I've decided I probably do not want a new video game system. I had my brief period the last few weeks where I was set that I was either getting a Wii or a 360 in the near-ish future, but I think I have just decided against it. I was considering trading in my PS2 and all my games for it at Gamestop, but upon realizing I wouldn't get too much for it and I'd miss my Dragon Ball Z game so much, I just don't think it is worth it. Plus, if I traded in my PS2, I would not have anything to play DVDs if I got the Wii (does not play DVDs). And the 360...it just seems too expensive with expensive games, and it caters to the hardcore dedicated gamer, which I am not. I just want something I can play a few hours every week and have fun. I would never sign up for XBox Live--which, if you don't have that, there's no point in even owning a 360--because I don't want ANOTHER monthly bill to just play the expensive system and expensive games I'll have already bought. If the Wii played DVDs, this would be a homerun, but I'd only get the Wii if I could trade in my PS2 and my games for the PS2 towards the cost, and (as mentioned) I'd then lose my ability to watch DVDs.
I think my free time is better spent writing anyway. It IS February (soon), so this is the month I start setting a writing cap (x-number of pages per month). I still have my DS, too, and a queue of games to get through there (Have to finish Chrono Trigger, and then onto Legend of Zelda, Disgaea DS, and Advance Wars). So it's not like I need a new game system; I'm not even sure where this came from. I just had a weird urge to buy a new nice item for myself since I got the lappy I wanted for Christmas (love my lappy...I can't stress that enough. It is so fast and efficient and well-made, not to mention a bitchin' bright red).
Back on a health kick, not that I ever really got off of one, just more focalized on it (I'm making up words again). I really hate this weather for impacting my walking/jogging routine, but at least I stay fit at work. I've even taken to goose-stepping in place when I am standing still, just to get a bit more "exercise" in. Unfortunately, I can only do this when no one else is in receiving, or I'll look like a total moron. :) It' gravy, though. I get a fair amount of time to myself to goose-step to my heart's delight.
I'm back on my almost-no-sugar-and-eating-only-fruits-and-veggies-for-snacks kick (though I did buy a little bit of pocky last night just because I need a treat every now and then. On top of my blueberries, lemons, apples, grapes, and carrots kick, I've only been eating things like saltines, rice cakes, sugar-free Jell-o, and bread for snacks, and if I get chips, I only get baked chips or sourdough pretzels. I'm also working on drinking only water, unless I am at work, where I will drink diet root beer since it comes in a handy-dandy can form. :)
I am by no means a fatty--I'm just shy of five-foot-ten, and I weight 170 lbs, but I want to maintain where I am. I don't want to balloon up like this--
Wow, I had saved a few pictures of this fat kid, and I was going to post them after the "like this", but when I go to Photobucket.com today, I get this message:
Warning - visiting this web site may harm your computer!
Suggestions:
* Return to the previous page and pick another result.
* Try another search to find what you're looking for.
Really? Photobucket? I just saved the pictures last night and did not get that warning. Now I am curious.
I love my new candy-apple red Dell and refuse to go anywhere that might upset it. No Photobucket for any of you!
It tells me that Photobucket has MALWARE...I am picturing little harmful computer viruses that look like Nathan Fillion in Firefly. Hmmm. That can't be right...
Well, now I'm all sorts of off my original topic. Maybe I'll try playing this game later. Have a good weekend, chums!
Addendum: I have discovered that no matter WHAT I Google, every single result for every single topic brings up that Malware warning. It was not doing this last night. Is this a Google thing or have I accidentally changed the security settings on my computer somehow?
My job is entirely not "secure", but I really think the worst that would happen to me is that my hours get a cut a bit, at which point, I may be able to find a second part-time job anyway. I'd still have my benefits and everything. I try to maintain a positive spin on this--now is the perfect time to start attending grad school part time with what little money B&N offers in the way of tuition reimbursement since it is hard to find work anyway--but it's hard to do that, because going back to school would just accrue me more debt, which, if the economy doesn't turn back around in a few years (or ever) would be devastating. [That was a really long sentence with a lot of nifty punctuation. I am suddenly quite proud of that. ADD has kicked in, and I can no longer even recall what I was on about. Just proud of that rambly mess I just made] I kind of hate working my plebeian job, and I wish that I'd have nailed an interview or went to grad school immediately after college, so I'd be better off right now for all this, but I am thrilled to just have a job. I try to appreciate that every single day. And, at work, I've been doing my best to work hard and offer to do as much as I can so I can seem, I don't know, irreplaceable. Or at least, irlosable. :)
But this whole economy thing and how it is affecting the world really terrifies me. I look at my home country and am so thankful we have a party in power now that will be better geared towards helping out those that aren't the top of corporate pyramids that are actually being effected by losing work and rising prices. I hate Barack's health care plan--it is terrible and would not solve a single problem--but with the Democrats in Congress, perhaps they can push forth universal health care. If we pull most of our troops home, and roll back tax cuts for the top 5% of so, we can easily afford it (so long as he quits spending a near-trillion dollars on stimulus packages which are just being wasted and mis-used).
I fail to see how we do not have universal health care in this country. It saves businesses money so they can hire more people and make more for themselves. It saves the people money, and, in a lot of cases, their health and lives. It is a life necessity. I'll never understand how we get away with not having it except for the HMO lobbies, but I am digressing.
Meanwhile, onto something so terribly more dire and serious than this: I've decided I probably do not want a new video game system. I had my brief period the last few weeks where I was set that I was either getting a Wii or a 360 in the near-ish future, but I think I have just decided against it. I was considering trading in my PS2 and all my games for it at Gamestop, but upon realizing I wouldn't get too much for it and I'd miss my Dragon Ball Z game so much, I just don't think it is worth it. Plus, if I traded in my PS2, I would not have anything to play DVDs if I got the Wii (does not play DVDs). And the 360...it just seems too expensive with expensive games, and it caters to the hardcore dedicated gamer, which I am not. I just want something I can play a few hours every week and have fun. I would never sign up for XBox Live--which, if you don't have that, there's no point in even owning a 360--because I don't want ANOTHER monthly bill to just play the expensive system and expensive games I'll have already bought. If the Wii played DVDs, this would be a homerun, but I'd only get the Wii if I could trade in my PS2 and my games for the PS2 towards the cost, and (as mentioned) I'd then lose my ability to watch DVDs.
I think my free time is better spent writing anyway. It IS February (soon), so this is the month I start setting a writing cap (x-number of pages per month). I still have my DS, too, and a queue of games to get through there (Have to finish Chrono Trigger, and then onto Legend of Zelda, Disgaea DS, and Advance Wars). So it's not like I need a new game system; I'm not even sure where this came from. I just had a weird urge to buy a new nice item for myself since I got the lappy I wanted for Christmas (love my lappy...I can't stress that enough. It is so fast and efficient and well-made, not to mention a bitchin' bright red).
Back on a health kick, not that I ever really got off of one, just more focalized on it (I'm making up words again). I really hate this weather for impacting my walking/jogging routine, but at least I stay fit at work. I've even taken to goose-stepping in place when I am standing still, just to get a bit more "exercise" in. Unfortunately, I can only do this when no one else is in receiving, or I'll look like a total moron. :) It' gravy, though. I get a fair amount of time to myself to goose-step to my heart's delight.
I'm back on my almost-no-sugar-and-eating-only-fruits-and-veggies-for-snacks kick (though I did buy a little bit of pocky last night just because I need a treat every now and then. On top of my blueberries, lemons, apples, grapes, and carrots kick, I've only been eating things like saltines, rice cakes, sugar-free Jell-o, and bread for snacks, and if I get chips, I only get baked chips or sourdough pretzels. I'm also working on drinking only water, unless I am at work, where I will drink diet root beer since it comes in a handy-dandy can form. :)
I am by no means a fatty--I'm just shy of five-foot-ten, and I weight 170 lbs, but I want to maintain where I am. I don't want to balloon up like this--
Wow, I had saved a few pictures of this fat kid, and I was going to post them after the "like this", but when I go to Photobucket.com today, I get this message:
Warning - visiting this web site may harm your computer!
Suggestions:
* Return to the previous page and pick another result.
* Try another search to find what you're looking for.
Really? Photobucket? I just saved the pictures last night and did not get that warning. Now I am curious.
I love my new candy-apple red Dell and refuse to go anywhere that might upset it. No Photobucket for any of you!
It tells me that Photobucket has MALWARE...I am picturing little harmful computer viruses that look like Nathan Fillion in Firefly. Hmmm. That can't be right...
Well, now I'm all sorts of off my original topic. Maybe I'll try playing this game later. Have a good weekend, chums!
Addendum: I have discovered that no matter WHAT I Google, every single result for every single topic brings up that Malware warning. It was not doing this last night. Is this a Google thing or have I accidentally changed the security settings on my computer somehow?