No sympathy for the rich ...

This article from a self-proclaimed CEO wife bemoaning her financial predicament disgusts me:

“We traditionally celebrate with about 30 friends … [N]ot hosting a birthday dinner would have spurred rumors that we were broke…”

Those are some good friends you have there. Anything less than 30 people at a party thrown in a multistar restaurant would be a disgrace? When did spending an intimate evening at home with your wife and kids become gauche?

“We still live in relative luxury, we can afford almost everything we need, and we aren’t facing the prospect of losing our home or having to turn to our families to support us.”

You can afford almost everything you *need*? I think you mean you can afford nearly everything you *want*. There’s a big difference. Choosing between food and your heart medication is vastly different from choosing between Bergdorf Goodman’s and the Gap.

“Meanwhile, retirement is like a rainbow, a beautiful mirage that we’ll probably never reach. To some people, these may seem like luxury problems, but to us they are painful.”

Boo fricking hoo. Virtually all of the older folks I know are still working because they HAVE to. Because retirement can be unaffordable even to the most frugal of hard workers. If your idea of retirement didn’t include the Bahamas and biweekly spa treatments, you could have retired a long time ago.

“The good news is that Americans have short attention spans.”

Not this one.

FYI BTW

Dear Neo-con Republicans,

I have some news for you. Something I just think you ought to know.

You lost. You lost in a big way. Your policies failed. You failed.

Now stop whining about needing to cut taxes in this new stimulus bill. You already cut taxes. And you know what? It didn't help. The economy is tanking, thanks you to, and now you're trying to say that the same old bull is going to magically work this time. No. It's not. Get over it.

Now get moving. There's precious little time before we officially hit a depression. And if we do? I'm personally blaming you. Really, I am.

Work with the Democrats. The American public spoke. They want change. So, help give it to them. I'm not saying you need to become Democrats, I just want you to actually do what's right for the country. Be the patriots you claim to be. Move quickly.

If you keep dragging your feet, then blame Democrats for being do-nothings, so help me...

XOXO,

Cat

I need some sleep

Seriously, I'm exhausted. I just noticed that I am taking 17 credits. That's four classes and a senior capstone project. I'm also working full-time, have a long commute, and things have been draining-ly melodramatic. I'm not a big fan of drama. When it hits me, it's usually the result of someone else's problems.

Speaking of other people's problems, the economy coverage on the news is driving me nuts. It's so up and down that it is even freaking out my boyfriend. He's become a CNN news ticker in my Gmail chat window: "The Dow is up, down, credit freeze, Campbell's soup up, bailout bill pass...fail, McCain erratic, etc." Later he turned to me to start talking about how his family is losing a ton of money in the stock market. He was depressed and ranting. I said, "honey, I know you're worried, but I'd love to have money to lose. So would my parents." I felt like a dick, but he told me it helped put it all into perspective.

I hope I thank everyone in my life who has lent a sympathetic ear often enough. After spending my life playing the therapist, it's nice to know that there are a few individuals who are actually willing to listen.