Thursday, July 03, 2003
Here's some advice in case you ever need to cheat on your significant other. You know, I've seen advice on how to spot behavior like this, and thus put a stop to it, but this may be the first time I've seen advice focused on how to get away with it.
Fucking great. Yeah, I understand how the unemployment rate is higher since there are more people out there looking for jobs, and how that can be used to soften the blow of the high rate. But 100,000 jobs lost in the last two months? You can't really explain that away in a manner that makes 'ya feel better. No, wait, it's all good, because we're in a "jobless recovery," and those tax cuts should kick in any minute now.
Where the hell does Ari Fleischer, that shit eating little prick, get off saying that we're in a "slow recovery from a short shallow recession"? Yeah, it's a slow recovery alright, because the recession has been going on for fucking years. There's nothing short or shallow about it. Maybe I'm a little biased, since I was working in an industry where people said it was the worst downturn they'd seen in decades. I'm pretty sure, though, that things have been shitty elsewhere. We have been in a recession since Bush took office. Shit, this actually started just before Bush took office. I've heard people say that we're in danger of slipping into "another" recession, implying that we weren't already in one. Still, I'm pretty sure there hasn't been a point in the last several years where we were like "Phew, I'm glad that recession is over!" Sure, there have been signs of hope, but the signs have been small and short-lived. Also, I understand that the concept of "recession" isn't exacly one that can be described by purely objective terms, but still.
Oh, and I just realized something else. Ari Fleischer, Bush's spokesman, actually used the word "recession." Or at least, that's how CNN/Money made it look, since I don't see any quotes around that statement. But if he did use the R-word, I think that's an indicator that things must be pretty bad, because as far as I know, the word "recession" is avoided like the plague when it comes to the people who currently hold office.
While we're at it, why the hell is the economy so fucked up? As someone pointed out the other day, it's not like Americans have stopped spending. Even for people who are running low on cash, there's always credit and 45-year low interest rates to help out, but even things like that haven't helped. Still, people are tightening their belts, consumer confidence is down, retail sales are down. So what the fuck is going on? Well, a lot of this nonsense started when the dot com bubble burst, which was bound to happen and needed to happen. The sooner you get past hype and over-valuation the better. Then, there's the shitstorm of corporate scandals. Of course, we only heard about big ones like Enron and World Comm. Just imagine how much shit is getting fucked up becuase of the corporate greed that we'll never even hear about. All of it has resulted in a situation where companies are scared shitless about spending money. Instead of pushing the envelope, they're sealing the envelope. Nobody has the balls to push forward and try and get us out of this, and in most cases, rightly so. In the end, though, all this leads to is stagnation at best, and decline at worst.
Alright, I'm just babbling now, because as I said, I don't know shit about business or economics. And it's not like I'm stupid or anything, it's just that it's all so intricate and nonsensical. Maybe it has gotten so complex that the economy has turned into a beast that cannot be fed. Maybe Tyler Durden was right - we do just need to hit the reset button and start over. That's not going to happen, because that would take balls of steel. One good thing is that this makes me feel a little better about the fact that I'm probably not going to have kids, because if I did, they'd just have to put up with the mess we've created today.
Where the hell does Ari Fleischer, that shit eating little prick, get off saying that we're in a "slow recovery from a short shallow recession"? Yeah, it's a slow recovery alright, because the recession has been going on for fucking years. There's nothing short or shallow about it. Maybe I'm a little biased, since I was working in an industry where people said it was the worst downturn they'd seen in decades. I'm pretty sure, though, that things have been shitty elsewhere. We have been in a recession since Bush took office. Shit, this actually started just before Bush took office. I've heard people say that we're in danger of slipping into "another" recession, implying that we weren't already in one. Still, I'm pretty sure there hasn't been a point in the last several years where we were like "Phew, I'm glad that recession is over!" Sure, there have been signs of hope, but the signs have been small and short-lived. Also, I understand that the concept of "recession" isn't exacly one that can be described by purely objective terms, but still.
Oh, and I just realized something else. Ari Fleischer, Bush's spokesman, actually used the word "recession." Or at least, that's how CNN/Money made it look, since I don't see any quotes around that statement. But if he did use the R-word, I think that's an indicator that things must be pretty bad, because as far as I know, the word "recession" is avoided like the plague when it comes to the people who currently hold office.
While we're at it, why the hell is the economy so fucked up? As someone pointed out the other day, it's not like Americans have stopped spending. Even for people who are running low on cash, there's always credit and 45-year low interest rates to help out, but even things like that haven't helped. Still, people are tightening their belts, consumer confidence is down, retail sales are down. So what the fuck is going on? Well, a lot of this nonsense started when the dot com bubble burst, which was bound to happen and needed to happen. The sooner you get past hype and over-valuation the better. Then, there's the shitstorm of corporate scandals. Of course, we only heard about big ones like Enron and World Comm. Just imagine how much shit is getting fucked up becuase of the corporate greed that we'll never even hear about. All of it has resulted in a situation where companies are scared shitless about spending money. Instead of pushing the envelope, they're sealing the envelope. Nobody has the balls to push forward and try and get us out of this, and in most cases, rightly so. In the end, though, all this leads to is stagnation at best, and decline at worst.
Alright, I'm just babbling now, because as I said, I don't know shit about business or economics. And it's not like I'm stupid or anything, it's just that it's all so intricate and nonsensical. Maybe it has gotten so complex that the economy has turned into a beast that cannot be fed. Maybe Tyler Durden was right - we do just need to hit the reset button and start over. That's not going to happen, because that would take balls of steel. One good thing is that this makes me feel a little better about the fact that I'm probably not going to have kids, because if I did, they'd just have to put up with the mess we've created today.
Wednesday, July 02, 2003
Okay, I'll give the Standard credit for this one. It would be even funnier if people like this weren't actually trying to take over the world. Not literally take over the world, as in Napoleon, Hitler, or Khan from Star Trek "take over the world", but you know what I mean.
So check this shit out. I just heard that Comedy Central is going to air the South Park movie this weekend. Now, I know what you're saying - what the fuck's the point? But here's the kicker - they're actually going to air it uncensored.
On one hand, I'm impressed that they're actually going to air this. On the other hand, isn't it time that we get over this obsession with foul language on TV? Especially the bullshit notion that we're protecting kids from the evils of foul language? Yeah, sure, you want kids to be a little more eloquent than "fuck fuckitty fuck fuck fuck," but who cares if they hear some bad words every now and then? It's not like they aren't exposed to that at home, on the streets, at school, etc. Of course, I'm basically just reiterating one of the main points of the movie. "It's going to take us weeks to undo the damage you've done!"
On one hand, I'm impressed that they're actually going to air this. On the other hand, isn't it time that we get over this obsession with foul language on TV? Especially the bullshit notion that we're protecting kids from the evils of foul language? Yeah, sure, you want kids to be a little more eloquent than "fuck fuckitty fuck fuck fuck," but who cares if they hear some bad words every now and then? It's not like they aren't exposed to that at home, on the streets, at school, etc. Of course, I'm basically just reiterating one of the main points of the movie. "It's going to take us weeks to undo the damage you've done!"
Damn, dude, being a Japanese communist is tough. You can't eat out or sexually harass women? Sounds like they're taking all the fun out of being a Pinko.
The idea of an international peacekeeping force might seem like a good idea if it wasn't Rumsfeld who was proposing it. Also, doesn't the UN already have peacekeeping forces? You know, the guys in the white Landrovers who no one pays attention to? Clearly, Rumsfeld's plan puts the U.S. in charge. I think The Onion was right, we would like to try and form our own U.N. - a 'multilateral' body that does exactly what we tell it to.
Good to see North Korea hasn't been completely forgotten, since they may or may not be up to ill shit, and we may or may not have to "liberate" them.
Yeah, I know. I have a long road ahead of me.
I also like the slogan this guy has on his main page. "When the going gets tough, the tough kill people."
I also like the slogan this guy has on his main page. "When the going gets tough, the tough kill people."
Tuesday, July 01, 2003
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