passion and intensity... and perversity. :)
??
Magic.
??
Disaster
??
Strength, integrity, compassion, flirtatiousness, confidence, humility, honesty, intellect, emotional intelligence, self awareness, creativeness, talent, skill, and a limitless sense of humor and open mindfulness.
??
Bath & beauty products on sale (especially if they're Lush) and bright glittery things.
??
big hairy legs
??
insanity, perfection, god. empty space. texture. trees and wind and blue sky. snowy slopes. the smell of indian food. intelligence. integrity and hard work. silliness. love. awareness. bright colors and good coffee. good art, music, writing. visions and dreams. those who have been through really difficult stuff. the truly innocent. various "genders". blond curly hair. etc.
??
vulnerability, someone's eyes, compassion, smile.....
??
I'm attracted by a need to know what happens next.
??
Light. The light in a soul, the light of an idea or creative spark, the light of nature. Bring it all to the light.
??
Shiny objects, quick movements and loud noises. Oh wait, maybe that's my daughter's attraction.
??
beauty, humor, intelligence
??
Happiness and health. Forward thinking.
??
Strength - of character, of mind, of body.
??
Shiny things, shiny people, open hearts, kind eyes, good rhythm guitar parts, books with simple covers, purple, the smell of coffee.
??
Spirituality, compassion, honesty, kindness, awareness, and silliness.
??
It used to be tall, dark and handsome men. Now: gentle rain, childrens laughter, fun with family & friends, singing classical music with my chorus, the list goes on.....
??
Sincerity ... honesty ... smile ... dark hair ... brown eyes ... nice butt ...
??
visually:colors that I like, red, blue, gold, lime green, hot pink, leopard print and sometimes just bright and shinny
tidiness but w/a lived in quality
physically: really nice skin, good hands, sense of humor, broad shoulders, and good smells
chocolate, the smell of food cooking or baking, the smell of grass
intellectually:good writing, good art, film making etc. people that can express themselves eloquently w/their hearts and minds connected
soul:peace and quiet, my family
My ego is attracted to compliments, complacency and other dangerous things
??
Honesty, Integrity, Compassion, Humility, Truthfulness.
??
Honor
Intelligence
Steadiness
Humor
Strength
Chemistry
??
Honesty, joy, energy, eyes wide open, big penises
??
Well, that's between me and all the guys I've kissed or slept with.
??
Honesty, piercing eyes, and a paralyzing wild side!
??
substance. gentleness. disclosure. discovery. muscles.
participation. swag. novelty. otherness. defiance. soft spots.
sadness. skill. curiosity. spoken words.
??
Colour. I am an artist and colour is like an addiction for me. Anything in jewel tones is - Mardi Gras beads, Chinese candy, embroidery thread, flowers. Especially flowers. I can't get enough of them.
??
My mind is in the gutter, so I won't answer this one.
??
rich texture, interesting form, vibrant color.
??
men pushing stollers and being tender with children; a man kneeling at the feet of his guru; a woman comfortable and at ease in her body.....like the many yoginis around this town; unexpected intelligence from someone I least expect.
??
A glimmer, a spark, a light, a star ...
Far away, maybe.
Or close by.
But there, somewhere.
??
I guess what attracts me at this stage of my life is a certain finesse for life. The ability to be sensitive to others but strong in one's own beliefs; being genuinely kind to others but not a sycophant. I still admire someone with true intelligence and talent and the knack for creating something beautiful or meaningful (on a variety of levels). I've also found that my attraction to women has grown broader as my need for companionship has grown. I can still appreciate a beautiful young women but the idea of a consort has passed generally out of that sphere. Although, a short skirt and fishnet hosiery still have a remarkable effect on my male psyche.
??
Why, you!
??
And mine...
Peace.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
What's your message? (1/19/09)
Live in the present, have hope for the future.
??
Experience, strength and hope...
??
I believe that children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside...
Oh wait, that's Whitney Houston's message! what was I thinking?
Lighten up. that's my message du jour.
and as they say, tomorrow's another jour.
??
No More Mister Nice Gay. I am officially fighting for work, money, and--oh yeah--equal rights.
??
smile. breathe. relax. compassion. acceptance. peace.
also, when you are in control of your emotions, you are in control of the situation
??
"you gain courage, strength and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, "I lived through this horror, I can take the next thing that comes along...." and you must do the thing you think you cannot do."
Eleanor Roosevelt
??
Whatever you're doing, have fun with it.
??
opportunity knocked on my door today I was laid off done with the interior design profession going back to school to become a registered nurse
??
service always, and always in the service of love.
??
Listen, validate, feel, experience, and respond with love.
??
Try and look at the world through God's eyes and try to remember that all I need to do in every situation is love...
??
Be grateful for what you have.
??
Its a fact ... no matter how good things are going ... or how bad ... things WILL change.
??
Change is the only constant. So continue to inhale and exhale. This too shall pass.
??
Be good
??
Stop being so uptight and enjoy things more!
??
It changes with my mood.
??
Offer everyone the benefit of the doubt, and accept everyone for who they are.
??
set your intentions
??
Life is a ball; So let's play ball and have some fun!
??
Just be yourself. Like they used to tell you in elementary school. Except I've found that it's the only solution. To be honest about who you are, and be yourself in every situation, despite how uncomfortable or weird it makes you feel. Because it's totally, totally worth it.
??
(chant to the tune of the military's "Left, Left, Left, Right, Left")
Praise, Praise, Praise & Blame
Have no fear you can make a mistake
Failure's an option you can take
Fame, Fame, Ignomy & Fame
You're all right the way you are
Even if you're not a star
Pain, Pain, Pleasure & Pain
Sukkha is sweet and dukkha ain't
Meditate when you think you cain't
Loss, Loss, Loss & Gain
You could lose this, or gain that
Either way you're still where you're at
??
None. The idea that I have anything to say to anybody, or that anybody has anything to say to me, is absurd. Not interested in what we say, but how we say: it ain't the message, it's the medium. Golly! How PoMo.
??
Chill out people! Don't be in such a hurry, relax a little when you are out in the public. We are all neighbors, so lets try to treat one another with a little more respect.
??
Oh, I've had a really bad week and I feel a rant coming on......I have two messages. The first is regards people who sit around complaining about the world, but never lift a finger to change anything. I am really tired of people coming to me with their problems, expecting me to fix them, because they are too lazy or too apathetic or too spoiled to make the effort, and they know me as someone who cares and who gets things done. People like me who are trying to make changes in the world are overburdened right now and could use all the help we can get. So...next time you think something should be changed - don't just tell your friend who you think will do all the work for you. Your friend is busy fixing all the other people's problems who have come to him/her, and he/she would really like you to take some responsibility and fix your own.
Yes, I know it's hard to change the world. So don't change the world. Just change your backyard. Literally. If you are concerned about the loss of habitat for native species, put in a backyard native plants garden. Or change your street. Or your town. If you really feel ambitious, you could change your state!! If everyone just did something small about the problems and issues that disturb them, not only would people like me be less burdened, but the world would be so much improved. It really is not as hard to make changes and improve things as people think, it's just that most people use the ideas that "It's too hard", "I don't know how", "you can't fight city hall" as excuses...because they just don't want to be bothered and it's easier to tell someone else and hope that they'll fix things.
No wonder America is such a mess.
My second message is this: Dostoevsky was right - beauty will change the world. There is so much hostility, anger, ugliness in this world, and especially our society, that I really feel anyone who puts anything of beauty, goodness or kindness into this world is a revolutionary. Whether it's creating street art, leaving poems on your restaurant table with your tip, or just smiling at people on the street once in awhile, the world needs these revolutionary acts. We need to find our beauty and kindness again.
And one more thing - don't be afraid of being seen as a pleasantly harmless wacko. There are worse things in life (like being seen as a lazy, spoiled apathetic whiner!!)
??
Don't sleep on a mattress you found on the street, don't order Chinese food in Oklahoma, and don't have sex with anyone crazier than yourself.
??
The darkness is all around us. It is hard to look without seeing evil or
greed distorting the world we live in. Finally the crush comes and we find
ourselves or our family or our loved ones or close friends caught in the
flood of events and drowning in a great pool of sorrow. And we ask
ourselves, "What is the purpose of life?," and we struggle to move on. But
the big question is not how much time do I have left, rather, the question
is what can I do with the time I am here.
Remember that in the darkest hour of night, at the center of the cataclysm
of crashing truths, at the end of all things there is one item left in the
box. One thing that remains when the fury of Pandora spreads to the four
corners of the earth, there is one sword that cuts all the bonds of
despair, has no foundation in logic no basis in reason, resides only within
a brief wave of universal grace.
There is always hope.
??
And mine....
I teach people how to treat me.
??
Experience, strength and hope...
??
I believe that children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside...
Oh wait, that's Whitney Houston's message! what was I thinking?
Lighten up. that's my message du jour.
and as they say, tomorrow's another jour.
??
No More Mister Nice Gay. I am officially fighting for work, money, and--oh yeah--equal rights.
??
smile. breathe. relax. compassion. acceptance. peace.
also, when you are in control of your emotions, you are in control of the situation
??
"you gain courage, strength and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, "I lived through this horror, I can take the next thing that comes along...." and you must do the thing you think you cannot do."
Eleanor Roosevelt
??
Whatever you're doing, have fun with it.
??
opportunity knocked on my door today I was laid off done with the interior design profession going back to school to become a registered nurse
??
service always, and always in the service of love.
??
Listen, validate, feel, experience, and respond with love.
??
Try and look at the world through God's eyes and try to remember that all I need to do in every situation is love...
??
Be grateful for what you have.
??
Its a fact ... no matter how good things are going ... or how bad ... things WILL change.
??
Change is the only constant. So continue to inhale and exhale. This too shall pass.
??
Be good
??
Stop being so uptight and enjoy things more!
??
It changes with my mood.
??
Offer everyone the benefit of the doubt, and accept everyone for who they are.
??
set your intentions
??
Life is a ball; So let's play ball and have some fun!
??
Just be yourself. Like they used to tell you in elementary school. Except I've found that it's the only solution. To be honest about who you are, and be yourself in every situation, despite how uncomfortable or weird it makes you feel. Because it's totally, totally worth it.
??
(chant to the tune of the military's "Left, Left, Left, Right, Left")
Praise, Praise, Praise & Blame
Have no fear you can make a mistake
Failure's an option you can take
Fame, Fame, Ignomy & Fame
You're all right the way you are
Even if you're not a star
Pain, Pain, Pleasure & Pain
Sukkha is sweet and dukkha ain't
Meditate when you think you cain't
Loss, Loss, Loss & Gain
You could lose this, or gain that
Either way you're still where you're at
??
None. The idea that I have anything to say to anybody, or that anybody has anything to say to me, is absurd. Not interested in what we say, but how we say: it ain't the message, it's the medium. Golly! How PoMo.
??
Chill out people! Don't be in such a hurry, relax a little when you are out in the public. We are all neighbors, so lets try to treat one another with a little more respect.
??
Oh, I've had a really bad week and I feel a rant coming on......I have two messages. The first is regards people who sit around complaining about the world, but never lift a finger to change anything. I am really tired of people coming to me with their problems, expecting me to fix them, because they are too lazy or too apathetic or too spoiled to make the effort, and they know me as someone who cares and who gets things done. People like me who are trying to make changes in the world are overburdened right now and could use all the help we can get. So...next time you think something should be changed - don't just tell your friend who you think will do all the work for you. Your friend is busy fixing all the other people's problems who have come to him/her, and he/she would really like you to take some responsibility and fix your own.
Yes, I know it's hard to change the world. So don't change the world. Just change your backyard. Literally. If you are concerned about the loss of habitat for native species, put in a backyard native plants garden. Or change your street. Or your town. If you really feel ambitious, you could change your state!! If everyone just did something small about the problems and issues that disturb them, not only would people like me be less burdened, but the world would be so much improved. It really is not as hard to make changes and improve things as people think, it's just that most people use the ideas that "It's too hard", "I don't know how", "you can't fight city hall" as excuses...because they just don't want to be bothered and it's easier to tell someone else and hope that they'll fix things.
No wonder America is such a mess.
My second message is this: Dostoevsky was right - beauty will change the world. There is so much hostility, anger, ugliness in this world, and especially our society, that I really feel anyone who puts anything of beauty, goodness or kindness into this world is a revolutionary. Whether it's creating street art, leaving poems on your restaurant table with your tip, or just smiling at people on the street once in awhile, the world needs these revolutionary acts. We need to find our beauty and kindness again.
And one more thing - don't be afraid of being seen as a pleasantly harmless wacko. There are worse things in life (like being seen as a lazy, spoiled apathetic whiner!!)
??
Don't sleep on a mattress you found on the street, don't order Chinese food in Oklahoma, and don't have sex with anyone crazier than yourself.
??
The darkness is all around us. It is hard to look without seeing evil or
greed distorting the world we live in. Finally the crush comes and we find
ourselves or our family or our loved ones or close friends caught in the
flood of events and drowning in a great pool of sorrow. And we ask
ourselves, "What is the purpose of life?," and we struggle to move on. But
the big question is not how much time do I have left, rather, the question
is what can I do with the time I am here.
Remember that in the darkest hour of night, at the center of the cataclysm
of crashing truths, at the end of all things there is one item left in the
box. One thing that remains when the fury of Pandora spreads to the four
corners of the earth, there is one sword that cuts all the bonds of
despair, has no foundation in logic no basis in reason, resides only within
a brief wave of universal grace.
There is always hope.
??
And mine....
I teach people how to treat me.
How's the economy affecting you? (1/12/09)
More than anything is is causing an air of panic and depression in most
people. Negative energy spreads just as infectiously as positive energy and
so I find myself isolating more rather than being around all the bad energy.
??
I'm lucky to still have my job, so my day-to-day finances haven't been affected much. But I'm in my fifties, and my 401K has been hit hard (like everyone's), so I wonder if I'll be able to retire as early as I had once hoped.
??
It is giving me the opportunity to trust my HP...
??
My savings were cut by 65-70% of their original value.
way less taxis, eating out. let go for now the idea of moving from apt. to a house. cut netflix down to lowest subscription rate. let all magazine subscriptions lapse. this month will probably take toddler out of private pre-k and quit gym.
??
Like anything that the media gets hold of, I tend to ignore most of it. They are too good at blowing things up into something we should be VERY AFRAID of, instead of just another of many problems that need solving. I pretty much just stay put and keep that melodramatic crap out of my aura.
??
Minimally at the moment. Although, I am having to contribute more money for family support.
??
FINANCIAL INSECURITY. I've been unable to find new work...either contracts for my consulting business or regular employment. My youngest son, who works in retail, has had his hours slashed and can't make his rent. My oldest son (married with 2 children) had to move out of his "country estate" in MariettaGA and relocated his family to a much more modest home in Connecticut. His business (brokering venture capital deals) has all but dried up. My husband's company has already had one round of layoffs and his major client just filed for bankruptcy (the world's 3rd largest chemical company). I know that "this too shall pass" but it's gonna pass like a kidney stone. I think we'll come out of this with our values more realistic and our egregious consumption habits curtailed. So, on one hand I feel like this may be good for us (like really bad tasting medicine), on the other I have moments of fear and trepidition and I worry for those less well off then we. I am making a conscious effort to share more and waste less.
??
so far (fingers crossed) not too much has changed for me, but I feel the anxiety leaking through. I feel like I "should" be more spendthrift and make better financial choices "just in case"
??
I am staying afloat, as a bar tender, I use to make about 80. per day shift. Not a bad deal, living off of 80. a day is doable, collecting an hourly check at the end of the month, rent and small bills paid, it's not much but it's enough. Now, I am making any where from 10. to 30. per day...and I am starting to feel the effect. No new clothes, no nice dinners, no big spending. I find that, one day at a time, I can still afford my yoga class, I can still find myself to work, I can still eat descent...rolling with the punches. The worse part about the economy is not being able to save money for liberating activities...such as enrolling in to a full semester, or traveling to India...
??
I work in sales, and just finished my 1st year. It's already tough
enough without people having no money for extra stuff. I see stores
closing down overnight. But I am gonna survive, thanks to rent
control. I am also distracting myself with work and school.
??
My 401K has plummetted, I don't even check it anymore. One of the places where I teach dance has had to limit the amount of days that they are open, so I couldn't accomodate them in my schedule. My boyfriends 401K which would have allowed us a better downpayment on a home has been reduced by almost half, so we have to save like maniacs. At least my job is pretty secure. As far as being a first time home buyer, I'm hoping the real estate market plummets further, good for me!
??
Worry
Stress
Extra careful with spending
Have cut back drastically
Doing more myself which is OK to ne honest, just a bit tiring
??
Not at all, in the ways that really matter. I'm grateful that my job is secure and that my pay is predictable. I'm well aware that I'm probably in the minority because quite a few around me are not so fortunate.
Some of the things that I do by choice, fundraising in particular, are affected by the economy but that seems like a luxury problem to me.
??
Still poor.
??
I have been reduced to 20 hours a week and my pay has been cut in 1/2 at my current job thank god they did not cut my medical benefits - due to my reduced income I need to move out of my apartment in san francisco sad sad and move in with my mom in Alameda. I suppose I can take this as an opportunity for growth.
??
I am going into foreclosure, might not be able to finance the last 6 months of school, have to borrow money from people who don't have it.
Does that answer the question.......
??
I haven't worked since the end of October. I'm going to school, so it's nice to just focus on that, but I could use the money...Also, I'm buying a LOT less "stuff."
??
Bad bad bad bad bad bad bad...it has decimated my 401k.....i'm hemorrhaging cash, with a sib who is unemployed and in need, and a loved one who also finds herself unemployed just when she needs it most (within sight of the finish of her phd.).....an outrage and an at times uncontrollable anger at the mythic levels of the lies and theft of America by the Oligarchy (when account is finally taken, how much, how many hundreds of billions do you think they'll find Dubya and Cheney and their posse took with them?)....despair
??
It should be... but I'm still spending like there's no tomorrow. Maybe there won't be?
??
it's forcing me to think of alternatives to prepare myeelf for the worse
??
I so resonated when I heard someone say his 401K had become a 201K. However, I don't have to start dipping into mine just yet. I'm still employed and the prognosis is good as far as I can tell. I'm out of credit card debt (which is a very good thing). As long as I keep both my feet and my head in today, I'm OK.
??
Not at all thankfully still in tact with both jobs keeping fingers crossed
??
Are you kiding me!? Meds, bills, or food on the table. That, is the question!
??
more than ever I'm grateful to have a job -- even though it's corporate!
??
Not sure, but I just got back from a three week tour of Brazil and the dollar is better down there. I have work for about 5 weeks, and then I don't know!!
??
It hasn't quite hit us personally yet. My husband is a biology professor and in times of financial stress, many people go back to school to learn new skills....so enrollment is up and his job seems to be ok. I'm an artist and things are as precarious as ever, so I haven't noticed a change. It's always a struggle for us creative types...We have always lived very close to the bone so honestly nothing has really changed.
One thing I have noticed is that the number of animals dumped at our local shelter is way up. In times of financial stress, many people decide they can no longer afford the family pet. It's very sad.
??
To steal a line ... "where my money at?" Or rather... I need to get a job.
But there's a lot of emptiness as well - empty storefronts, empty wallets, dreams ... money only goes so far. It is necessary though, a necessity that too many people do not have.
??
I work freelance at the same type of work for 16 years now. I've always made 15 - 20% of my annual income in December. This December my work was down about 60%. I have been concerned.
On the other hand I wasn't burned or stressed out, messed or F'd up, bitter or hateful from overworking. A little fearful, yes, but so far I'm okay.
I think God as We Misunderstand Her is doing for us what we can't do for ourselves and tearing down the whole decrepit structure. I don't claim to know reasons or solutions and I comprehend people suffer. But something has to give.
??
well, so far not that badly. The most noticible difference is that I do ad sales for a non-profit film festival and I'm at about half of what I sold by this time last year and I think I will probably do a lot of barter.
I live in a small community so while my financial status is for the moment ok, I notice and am affected by other peoples economic misfortune much more than when I lived in a city. If a store closes it leaves and a hole and a need that is not filled. If someone who provided a service for the community has to leave for financial reasons that service goes undone.
??
Although I can pretty much deal with most of the rising prices and my job is pretty secure (I'm not big enough to save anybody money by firing me yet my job is still important), it affects me on a basic emotional level to see so much financial destruction going on to my friends and others who have been hit really hard. It is particularly distressing to witness the unrepentant greed which drives those who already have a great deal of money as they take for themselves, rip off their friends, damage their local communities and literally take bread out of the mouths of those who are at the mercy of society with no sense of remorse or conscience at all. A recent poll indicated that those on hard times are much more likely to reach out to the poor and struggling than those who have everything they need. I guess you have to have a heart to feel it in others.
??
And mine...
I've applied for a city job and it looks like I'll get it, after months of test taking and hoop jumping. It was supposed to start in February. Now, I'm told, it likely won't start till June. Every time I hear on the radio about the California budget deadlock, I get really pissed off. I don't know that it's directly affecting my position, but it's having an effect.
In the mean time, i am working for a non-profit, and that's fine. But I really need to get work that is going to pay my basic expenses, which this job does not. They are trying to cut corners everywhere they can, and so will not hire me on a permanent basis at a wage I can live on.
I've been sick for the last 4 days. Luckily, this has fallen on a long weekend. The idea that I'll have to miss any work tomorrow (which I'm sure I will) is stressful. And stress makes it harder to heal. and healing is what I need to do so I can go back to earning money.
Urgh.
people. Negative energy spreads just as infectiously as positive energy and
so I find myself isolating more rather than being around all the bad energy.
??
I'm lucky to still have my job, so my day-to-day finances haven't been affected much. But I'm in my fifties, and my 401K has been hit hard (like everyone's), so I wonder if I'll be able to retire as early as I had once hoped.
??
It is giving me the opportunity to trust my HP...
??
My savings were cut by 65-70% of their original value.
way less taxis, eating out. let go for now the idea of moving from apt. to a house. cut netflix down to lowest subscription rate. let all magazine subscriptions lapse. this month will probably take toddler out of private pre-k and quit gym.
??
Like anything that the media gets hold of, I tend to ignore most of it. They are too good at blowing things up into something we should be VERY AFRAID of, instead of just another of many problems that need solving. I pretty much just stay put and keep that melodramatic crap out of my aura.
??
Minimally at the moment. Although, I am having to contribute more money for family support.
??
FINANCIAL INSECURITY. I've been unable to find new work...either contracts for my consulting business or regular employment. My youngest son, who works in retail, has had his hours slashed and can't make his rent. My oldest son (married with 2 children) had to move out of his "country estate" in MariettaGA and relocated his family to a much more modest home in Connecticut. His business (brokering venture capital deals) has all but dried up. My husband's company has already had one round of layoffs and his major client just filed for bankruptcy (the world's 3rd largest chemical company). I know that "this too shall pass" but it's gonna pass like a kidney stone. I think we'll come out of this with our values more realistic and our egregious consumption habits curtailed. So, on one hand I feel like this may be good for us (like really bad tasting medicine), on the other I have moments of fear and trepidition and I worry for those less well off then we. I am making a conscious effort to share more and waste less.
??
so far (fingers crossed) not too much has changed for me, but I feel the anxiety leaking through. I feel like I "should" be more spendthrift and make better financial choices "just in case"
??
I am staying afloat, as a bar tender, I use to make about 80. per day shift. Not a bad deal, living off of 80. a day is doable, collecting an hourly check at the end of the month, rent and small bills paid, it's not much but it's enough. Now, I am making any where from 10. to 30. per day...and I am starting to feel the effect. No new clothes, no nice dinners, no big spending. I find that, one day at a time, I can still afford my yoga class, I can still find myself to work, I can still eat descent...rolling with the punches. The worse part about the economy is not being able to save money for liberating activities...such as enrolling in to a full semester, or traveling to India...
??
I work in sales, and just finished my 1st year. It's already tough
enough without people having no money for extra stuff. I see stores
closing down overnight. But I am gonna survive, thanks to rent
control. I am also distracting myself with work and school.
??
My 401K has plummetted, I don't even check it anymore. One of the places where I teach dance has had to limit the amount of days that they are open, so I couldn't accomodate them in my schedule. My boyfriends 401K which would have allowed us a better downpayment on a home has been reduced by almost half, so we have to save like maniacs. At least my job is pretty secure. As far as being a first time home buyer, I'm hoping the real estate market plummets further, good for me!
??
Worry
Stress
Extra careful with spending
Have cut back drastically
Doing more myself which is OK to ne honest, just a bit tiring
??
Not at all, in the ways that really matter. I'm grateful that my job is secure and that my pay is predictable. I'm well aware that I'm probably in the minority because quite a few around me are not so fortunate.
Some of the things that I do by choice, fundraising in particular, are affected by the economy but that seems like a luxury problem to me.
??
Still poor.
??
I have been reduced to 20 hours a week and my pay has been cut in 1/2 at my current job thank god they did not cut my medical benefits - due to my reduced income I need to move out of my apartment in san francisco sad sad and move in with my mom in Alameda. I suppose I can take this as an opportunity for growth.
??
I am going into foreclosure, might not be able to finance the last 6 months of school, have to borrow money from people who don't have it.
Does that answer the question.......
??
I haven't worked since the end of October. I'm going to school, so it's nice to just focus on that, but I could use the money...Also, I'm buying a LOT less "stuff."
??
Bad bad bad bad bad bad bad...it has decimated my 401k.....i'm hemorrhaging cash, with a sib who is unemployed and in need, and a loved one who also finds herself unemployed just when she needs it most (within sight of the finish of her phd.).....an outrage and an at times uncontrollable anger at the mythic levels of the lies and theft of America by the Oligarchy (when account is finally taken, how much, how many hundreds of billions do you think they'll find Dubya and Cheney and their posse took with them?)....despair
??
It should be... but I'm still spending like there's no tomorrow. Maybe there won't be?
??
it's forcing me to think of alternatives to prepare myeelf for the worse
??
I so resonated when I heard someone say his 401K had become a 201K. However, I don't have to start dipping into mine just yet. I'm still employed and the prognosis is good as far as I can tell. I'm out of credit card debt (which is a very good thing). As long as I keep both my feet and my head in today, I'm OK.
??
Not at all thankfully still in tact with both jobs keeping fingers crossed
??
Are you kiding me!? Meds, bills, or food on the table. That, is the question!
??
more than ever I'm grateful to have a job -- even though it's corporate!
??
Not sure, but I just got back from a three week tour of Brazil and the dollar is better down there. I have work for about 5 weeks, and then I don't know!!
??
It hasn't quite hit us personally yet. My husband is a biology professor and in times of financial stress, many people go back to school to learn new skills....so enrollment is up and his job seems to be ok. I'm an artist and things are as precarious as ever, so I haven't noticed a change. It's always a struggle for us creative types...We have always lived very close to the bone so honestly nothing has really changed.
One thing I have noticed is that the number of animals dumped at our local shelter is way up. In times of financial stress, many people decide they can no longer afford the family pet. It's very sad.
??
To steal a line ... "where my money at?" Or rather... I need to get a job.
But there's a lot of emptiness as well - empty storefronts, empty wallets, dreams ... money only goes so far. It is necessary though, a necessity that too many people do not have.
??
I work freelance at the same type of work for 16 years now. I've always made 15 - 20% of my annual income in December. This December my work was down about 60%. I have been concerned.
On the other hand I wasn't burned or stressed out, messed or F'd up, bitter or hateful from overworking. A little fearful, yes, but so far I'm okay.
I think God as We Misunderstand Her is doing for us what we can't do for ourselves and tearing down the whole decrepit structure. I don't claim to know reasons or solutions and I comprehend people suffer. But something has to give.
??
well, so far not that badly. The most noticible difference is that I do ad sales for a non-profit film festival and I'm at about half of what I sold by this time last year and I think I will probably do a lot of barter.
I live in a small community so while my financial status is for the moment ok, I notice and am affected by other peoples economic misfortune much more than when I lived in a city. If a store closes it leaves and a hole and a need that is not filled. If someone who provided a service for the community has to leave for financial reasons that service goes undone.
??
Although I can pretty much deal with most of the rising prices and my job is pretty secure (I'm not big enough to save anybody money by firing me yet my job is still important), it affects me on a basic emotional level to see so much financial destruction going on to my friends and others who have been hit really hard. It is particularly distressing to witness the unrepentant greed which drives those who already have a great deal of money as they take for themselves, rip off their friends, damage their local communities and literally take bread out of the mouths of those who are at the mercy of society with no sense of remorse or conscience at all. A recent poll indicated that those on hard times are much more likely to reach out to the poor and struggling than those who have everything they need. I guess you have to have a heart to feel it in others.
??
And mine...
I've applied for a city job and it looks like I'll get it, after months of test taking and hoop jumping. It was supposed to start in February. Now, I'm told, it likely won't start till June. Every time I hear on the radio about the California budget deadlock, I get really pissed off. I don't know that it's directly affecting my position, but it's having an effect.
In the mean time, i am working for a non-profit, and that's fine. But I really need to get work that is going to pay my basic expenses, which this job does not. They are trying to cut corners everywhere they can, and so will not hire me on a permanent basis at a wage I can live on.
I've been sick for the last 4 days. Luckily, this has fallen on a long weekend. The idea that I'll have to miss any work tomorrow (which I'm sure I will) is stressful. And stress makes it harder to heal. and healing is what I need to do so I can go back to earning money.
Urgh.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
What do you assume? (12/28/08)
Nothing when I'm honest
??
I assume that I am unassuming.
??
I assume that most people are incapable of being honest with themselves.
??
That she will always take me back
??
far too much.
??
i try not to, but if i think about it, i guess all that we may correctly assume is that we are all going to die.
??
you don't ever assume. bc to assume would only make an "ass out of u & me"
??
Usually the worst, and that everybody is thinking of me. Its a real pain in the ass, gets old quick.
??
That it would be okay to take about a thousand years to answer a qotw with no repercussions for not answering before.
??
the love and support of my family.
if i don't drink i won't get drunk.
if i write it, it will be good.
??
That I am sane.
??
I have recently learned.....yet again, to assume nothing, have no expectations and I won't suffer.......sort of sucks feeling like you can't have expectations, huh
??
absolutely nothing.
I also take nothing for granted.
??
That I won't be hit by a bus before my plans come to fruition
??
way too much
??
Good intention
??
too often i mistakenly assume that the rest of the world understands things the way i do. that can be very frustrating. but generally i'm lucky enough to have a friend close by that will kindly observe this and remind me of what i'm doing so that i can snap out of it.
i also assume that things will continue changing for the better. a source of both frustration and hope, depending on the day.
??
that the sun will rise tomorrow
??
Well, I assumed that prop 8 would be defeated and that people everywhere would cast a no vote to ensure marriage equality for all legal adult tax paying citizens. Afterall, this is 2008 and society has advanced, so I thought. Hindsight shows me that I was extremely naive. Also, I assumed that since we live in a "free market capitalistic society" that corporate bailouts were unfathomable. Gee was I ever wrong, on both accounts.
??
Way too much and I always get in trouble when I assume something and don't check in w/the other people involved.
??
Hmmmm. Pretty much the same as last week's answer. Sunrise, sunset will happen. Gravity is pretty regular, too. I assume that I know less and more than I think I do. I assume that I will get "it" wrong sometimes...and sometimes I will get it right. Nothing but the laws of nature as I understand them are "guaranteed" ... then there's the whole Big Bang or an asteroid that could fuck all that up, too. So...I assume change is inevitable.
??
Very little, for as the saying goes, to assume is to make an "ass" out of "u" and "me."
However, when someone holds a glass toward me and I have a bottle of wine in my hand, I do assume they would like some more. And I assume when I hold out my glass to someone who is holding a bottle that they will in kind do the honors.
Oh, and I assume I will never get a seat on the underground during rush hour. Even if one is available, I do not enjoy fighting through the crowd when my stop comes up, so I stand near the door. Luckily I get off the train at the first stop the doors open on the opposite side as when I boarded, so I am never blocking anyone's entrance or exit. That being said, YOU may assume I have impeccable MUNI manners.
Happy New Year!!!
??
I assume nothing for nothing is guaranteed.
??
Ok, I know this sounds Pollyanna-ish, but I assume that on some level every single person is deserving of love. Every human being has some part of them that is lovable, even if it is a very small and deformed and messed up part that is very difficult to see. I confess that I feel like I have to make this assumption in part just to keep my sanity. Otherwise most of the people I deal with on a daily basis would drive me to become an ax murderer!
I also assume that the injured and battered animals I rescue and rehabilitate are destined to have a long, healthy life, a wonderful home and a happy ending. I'm glad to say that about 95% of the time, this is actually what happens.
??
The position.
??
The worst
??
that, though hard to relate to, that people here in san francisco actually elected obama and want for him to go to washington, to turn the country to a scary place, and that, again, though the men here in san francisco all seem to be concerned with how 'gay' will effect or be affected, that they aren't actually expecting to have gay sex as a law in Creation. and that, finally, that sun in the sky, brighter than any indirect eyes have ever beheld, won't dupe us all and send something more exact.
that i'm funny, talented, and not dead.
that my soulmate and i are with Jesus.
and that he still has all the water in the grand canyon wiaiting for me.
to do something with.
that 'us' has to be some joke.
and that the nigger is not the greatest way to look at the menu.
??
After I die will be nothing like I thought.
??
And mine...
This too shall pass.
??
I assume that I am unassuming.
??
I assume that most people are incapable of being honest with themselves.
??
That she will always take me back
??
far too much.
??
i try not to, but if i think about it, i guess all that we may correctly assume is that we are all going to die.
??
you don't ever assume. bc to assume would only make an "ass out of u & me"
??
Usually the worst, and that everybody is thinking of me. Its a real pain in the ass, gets old quick.
??
That it would be okay to take about a thousand years to answer a qotw with no repercussions for not answering before.
??
the love and support of my family.
if i don't drink i won't get drunk.
if i write it, it will be good.
??
That I am sane.
??
I have recently learned.....yet again, to assume nothing, have no expectations and I won't suffer.......sort of sucks feeling like you can't have expectations, huh
??
absolutely nothing.
I also take nothing for granted.
??
That I won't be hit by a bus before my plans come to fruition
??
way too much
??
Good intention
??
too often i mistakenly assume that the rest of the world understands things the way i do. that can be very frustrating. but generally i'm lucky enough to have a friend close by that will kindly observe this and remind me of what i'm doing so that i can snap out of it.
i also assume that things will continue changing for the better. a source of both frustration and hope, depending on the day.
??
that the sun will rise tomorrow
??
Well, I assumed that prop 8 would be defeated and that people everywhere would cast a no vote to ensure marriage equality for all legal adult tax paying citizens. Afterall, this is 2008 and society has advanced, so I thought. Hindsight shows me that I was extremely naive. Also, I assumed that since we live in a "free market capitalistic society" that corporate bailouts were unfathomable. Gee was I ever wrong, on both accounts.
??
Way too much and I always get in trouble when I assume something and don't check in w/the other people involved.
??
Hmmmm. Pretty much the same as last week's answer. Sunrise, sunset will happen. Gravity is pretty regular, too. I assume that I know less and more than I think I do. I assume that I will get "it" wrong sometimes...and sometimes I will get it right. Nothing but the laws of nature as I understand them are "guaranteed" ... then there's the whole Big Bang or an asteroid that could fuck all that up, too. So...I assume change is inevitable.
??
Very little, for as the saying goes, to assume is to make an "ass" out of "u" and "me."
However, when someone holds a glass toward me and I have a bottle of wine in my hand, I do assume they would like some more. And I assume when I hold out my glass to someone who is holding a bottle that they will in kind do the honors.
Oh, and I assume I will never get a seat on the underground during rush hour. Even if one is available, I do not enjoy fighting through the crowd when my stop comes up, so I stand near the door. Luckily I get off the train at the first stop the doors open on the opposite side as when I boarded, so I am never blocking anyone's entrance or exit. That being said, YOU may assume I have impeccable MUNI manners.
Happy New Year!!!
??
I assume nothing for nothing is guaranteed.
??
Ok, I know this sounds Pollyanna-ish, but I assume that on some level every single person is deserving of love. Every human being has some part of them that is lovable, even if it is a very small and deformed and messed up part that is very difficult to see. I confess that I feel like I have to make this assumption in part just to keep my sanity. Otherwise most of the people I deal with on a daily basis would drive me to become an ax murderer!
I also assume that the injured and battered animals I rescue and rehabilitate are destined to have a long, healthy life, a wonderful home and a happy ending. I'm glad to say that about 95% of the time, this is actually what happens.
??
The position.
??
The worst
??
that, though hard to relate to, that people here in san francisco actually elected obama and want for him to go to washington, to turn the country to a scary place, and that, again, though the men here in san francisco all seem to be concerned with how 'gay' will effect or be affected, that they aren't actually expecting to have gay sex as a law in Creation. and that, finally, that sun in the sky, brighter than any indirect eyes have ever beheld, won't dupe us all and send something more exact.
that i'm funny, talented, and not dead.
that my soulmate and i are with Jesus.
and that he still has all the water in the grand canyon wiaiting for me.
to do something with.
that 'us' has to be some joke.
and that the nigger is not the greatest way to look at the menu.
??
After I die will be nothing like I thought.
??
And mine...
This too shall pass.
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