The Good, the Bad and the Ridiculous

They're going to pass this $700,000,000,000.00 bill. Did you see all those zeroes? How about we construct a REAL bailout plan where the money goes to the American people? If you split all that money between the approximately 200 million 18+ year old adults, we would all receive, after taxes of course, over $250,000. Now, what could you do with a quarter million dollars? Pay off your mortgage = bailout the mortgage companies. Pay off credit card debt = bail out the banks. Pay off student loans = help all those who have graduated from school. Buy a new car = more jobs (and help out the top three US automakers who are also about to go under and who the government is considering bailing out). Save money = prevent this from happening again. There are so many better things that could be done with that kind of money than bailing out businesses whose own fault it is that they're failing in the first place. We need to allow the economy to correct itself, not allow the government to OWN part of the US economy. Sounds a bit socialist to me. Personally, I am tired of my tax dollars going to fund things I don't want them to go to (the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, anyone?), and I certainly don't want any more of them going to bail out large companies that have made a mess of themselves and whose CEOs will probably end up with several million dollar bonuses. This must sound crazy to someone else!

Okay, so that was the ridiculous. The bad is this: I'm tired and my heel still hurts. Can't complain about much else. I think I'm going to start taking Lance Armstrong's quote to heart a little bit more: "I don't have bad days. I have good days and I have great days." I like his thinking. It's like I told my mom the other day: There is very little that we really have control over in this world. The one thing we always have control over? How we react to what happens to us. I think a future post of mine might be quotes that I wish to live by. The Golden Rule is great, but I just don't think it's enough in this crazy world.

So, the good. I have been changed to a different position at DHA. No pay raise :( but I'll actually be doing something and I'll be working more with the youth, which is what I really enjoy. I've also found a part-time job writing curriculum for a group that organizes classes for seniors to keep them interacting and learning -- and I finally get to write about international relations and politics again. Woo hoo!

I think that's all for today. I'm excited about one of my few TV indulgences coming back tonight: Grey's Anatomy! I think I'll go home and crap out on the couch. Thank goodness it's my Friday!