Hopeless, Useless Rant

It’s the calm after the storm and before the deluge of paperwork. Right now all the inspectors are out in the field looking at flood damage. So far we’ve got 800+ property claims and only four inspectors-I doubt I’ll see anyone until tomorrow at the earliest, but when they return it’s gonna be hell. Boss already asked me to work Saturday, Sunday and Labor Day. Sure. Why not? Who needs vacations anyway?
I’m three weeks short of working this temp job for a year. No vacation, just a few travel weekends that left me spent and exhausted come Monday.

I’m terrified by the spectre of unemployment. After I regained use of my arm, it took me almost a year to find a job, and things are worse now than they were then. Reading the help wanted ads is an exercise in depression. Lots of jobs that pay $7-$9 an hour. That’s great if you live in your parent’s basement and don’t pay bills, but I don’t have parents and I sure got some bills. I blew my life-savings on surgery (it was worth it), but at present I could only go 4-5 months without a job before I’d be sleeping under stars and cardboard boxes. I doubt I could find a decent job in less than nine months, given the current state of our Reverse Robin Hood economy.

In 1999, we couldn’t find enough people to work for the Census, despite the very generous pay. By 2000, I was on track for a really nice career position with the Commerce Dept., but Bush replaced my boss, and trickle-down unemployment did the rest. Those millions of jobs we’ve lost over the last 3 ½ years? Mine was one of the very first to go. I imagine the second cousin of some GOP handjobber probably replaced me.
Bitter? Fuck yes, I’m bitter. Why wouldn’t I be?

I know, I know. Any day now we’re gonna turn the corner and it’ll be all roses and rainbows. Yeah right. Voting for Bush is like going back to the same street-corner pot dealer who’s been selling you parsley and lawn cuttings for three and a half years because he promises the next time will be better.

Why anyone believes he’s a courageous leader is beyond me. I wouldn't trust him to run a hot dog stand, but somehow he's in the White House. Doing what to make us safer?He’s completely forgotten about Osama bin Laden. Did you catch all the references to OBL at the RNC? You won’t, because there won’t be any. Better just stock up on platitudes and lies, since that’s all you can expect. Shit, it's what most of you want. It might be bullshit, but at least it's comfortable bullshit. Compassionate rhetoric from fanatics who not-so secretly long for Revelations and the Rapture.

What’s that? You’re voting for a third party? That’s very noble and very foolish. Save that for 2008. Personally, I’d like to see a dozen legitimate parties on the ballot, but if BushCorp ‘wins’ again, it’s unlikely that we’ll have any more elections. Fuck it. It’s hopeless. I’ll stop bothering you.