things have just gone from bad to worse. le sigh.

Mar 9, 2008

recession decession.

Oil prices are at a new all time high. Friday they were $106/barrel. People are losing jobs left and right. There is a direct connection. It's pretty fucking obvious. If you spend all your money on gas to get where you need to be, then after food, rent, and utilities... what's left over? Is there money for entertainment? Is there money to support the arts... to see movies and go to concerts? Is there money for an oil change or new tires? Is there money for Christmas and other holidays? Is there money for your kids jacked up teeth's braces? Poor lil' guy/gal will get made fun of if he goes through life looking like his teeth are having a big party all up in that shit. Will there be money to take your family on a much needed vacation?

NO. There will not. Hell... who knows if there will even be money enough to put food on the table and clothes on your kids' backs. That, my friend, is what we call a depression. Need I remind you this is a capitalistic society? The livelihood of our country revolves around spending money... if people aren't spending the stock markets crash, people lose jobs, people lose hope, and chaos ensues. Need we repeat the 1920's? Need we sleep on the streets covering ourselves with newspapers [i.e. Hoover Blankets]? "A chicken in pot and a car in every garage," was Hoover's campaign slogan. It was a bad time.... a very bad time and history often just repeats itself if lessons aren't learned. Cannot we not just refer back to our history courses from high school? I had the best history teacher... Mr. Beckom taught AP US History and he was one of the expemplary teachers at Bastrop High School that really inspired me.

I really feel that Obama is the man that will induce the changes necessary to move this country forward into a new positive direction and by default change the rest of the world. As Dane Cook says, the US is just like a bully that goes around bossing anyone else around that pisses us off. It's true. Or that Elbow song, The Leaders of the Freeworld are Just Little Boys Throwing Stones. I mean, really... we went to Iraq for no other reason than oil. It was so flagrant, I can't even call it an ulterior motive. It was obvious. Saddam's dead in the ground so why the fuck are they sending my young, amazing cousin over there? Why is my best friend Jess still there having to see kids die every day???? WHY???!!! Please fucking tell me. Is there any logic to any of this? If we cared so much about people and the imminent threat of "WMD"s.... then why the hell aren't we in Darfur aiding in the cessation of genocide? Tell me that, please. Why have we done nothing to aid the people suffering under a military regime in Myanmar?

B/C AMERICANS DON'T GIVE A SHIT. They are too busy driving their SUVs to McDonalds even though it's probably a block away, but their fat ass is too lazy to walk. Americans are fat, lazy, and stupid. They fill their days w/ television and mindless celebrity gossip. They fill their bodies w/ garbage and wonder why the end up w/ obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol, alzheimers, and cancer. All that shit is directly related to the way you take care of your body. Your body is a temple. When you eat healthy and excerise and drink in moderation... you're innately a happier, more motivated person... like Lance Armstrong. Those people are insprirational and successful b/c they are about something and they take good care of themselves. If people took some initiative in their life to take better care of themselves, they'd  be happier and live longer. People need to stop being so fucking Wal-Mart. They'd care about something bigger than themselves... say, like the environment. Make small changes in their lives to improve the environment. It's not too late. If everyone did it, we could make this world a better place.

We need to end obsolescence, as Annie Leonard says. Cease superfluous consumption. Things are changing... why can't we? Regular ol' people. Change. Change can be good. We've got a black man and a woman running for president. I thought I'd never see the day. It's fucking refreshing and inspiring as hell.