I have been nearly completely unable to write, even though I have no lack of ideas to write about (I am sitting on a pile of interesting scientific papers at this moment, but find myself too worried and upset to be able to focus on them long enough to write a coherent story). So I am going to ask you, what's on your mind? I'd really like to know what's happening in your lives and how you are all faring in these wild and insecure times.
It can always get worse. We'll rebound.
Well, despite all that is sucking right now, I am getting ready for a wonderful, happy day tomorrow. I am getting married. This makes it the third time for me and this time, she truly is the right one - I know it in my bones and my heart. We are off to three weeks of road trip up and down the west coast with a week in a wonderful mountain condo near Mt. Baker.
It is true that we are seeing the culmination of eight years of Bush/Republican freewheeling, unfettered, unregulated, "anything goes" style of free market economics. It is also true that, no matter how bad it gets, things will not stay bad forever. Just hang in there.
I will take a lot of pictures on the trip. I will try to get some good bird shots for you.
Take care and hang in there.
The rise of a religious cultural war in the USA is om my mind. Not the big one that will be decided in November but a local one. A large plaque with the Ten Commandments is wall mounted in the county court house. I am involved with questioning its constitutionality.
A group has formed to defend, the Ten Commandment Warriors. (Warriors?)
We await the county commissioners meeting. Any politician that wavers in support is dead meat in the next election. But the county commissioners turned down a school board budget request because they did not want to raise taxes. There is no money for a legal battle.
I would invite reading the thread "Ten Commandments in Court House" by Googling "Mountain City Forum".
After reading that my feeling is that they needed to increase the school funding!
Oh let's see bad things:
my personal pension fund (stocks and shares) have fallen in value by over 25%, pirates are raiding ships in the Red Sea and goverments do nothing, politicians are throwing good money after bad to bail out thieves and racketers rather than jailing them, my ailments are still not cured, rent is crazy high.
But on the good side; the weather is fine, I'm still employed in a job I like and I just got an increased offer to continue in the job, I'm in a very pleasant safe and secure country with little overt state interference or surveillance, job market in my area is still fairly buoyant.
All in all, could be worse.
Congratulations, Jeff! I hope you have a wonderful holiday, and that that's only the start.
What's on my mind at the moment is that I really should go and do some shopping, but it's stormy outside, and I've got a cat sleeping in my lap. Ho hum. I guess I'll be following the India-Aus test for a couple of hours, then.
The financial situation is the biggest thing on my mind these days. Like everyone else, my investments - pension fund and the like - have lost a lot of value. Fortunately I don't expect to need them for quite a while yet, so there's time for them to recover. I suspect that I'll look at rather more secure investments in the future - whatever that means! My mortgage provider went bust and I still don't quite know what that means. And I anticipate losing my job in the near future. Fortunately, being in the Socialist Paradise that is the EU I'll get a reasonable pay-out and won't have to worry about health care.
On a positive note, it's a lovely day today and the Heineken Cup has started, so I'll be off in a bit to watch Gloucester beat Biaritz, (hopefully).
I'm doing OK as long as I'm employed, but I've been putting all my spare money into my mortgage and my retirement fund, both of which could become worthless if we have a total global meltdown. I guess I should have stuffed more of it into my mattress.
On a different note, suppose Obama gets elected, and serves one or two full terms. By age 55 or less, he would be an ex-president. What would he do with the rest of his life?
"What would he do with the rest of his life?"
Maybe he could win a noble prize like Al Gore or Jimmy Carter ;)
Congratulations, Jeff! I'm glad you found the perfect person for yourself. Best wishes for a happy, fulfilling marriage!