Hello, my intended...

    Well, as I consider the passage of events to this point, I can say with reasonable surety that these isolated incidents of angry, frustrated people turning on each other is really no surprise to anyone. If anything, I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often. We live in very stressful times, and they grow more demanding of us by the second. This report was due last week, hurry! This project was bumped ahead, hurry! We're falling behind! We're losing money! It's the end of the world as we know it unless YOU get your ASS in GEAR and RIGHT NOW.

    Normally, one would have the end of the day to blow off this steam in something constructive such as photography or building model boats; or something harmless, such as on a local team or in the theater, but such is not the case anymore. Nope, as a people we've pretty much abandoned the concept of good old fashioned leisure time as we use what we were intended to have as 'rest' to 'get ahead of the competition'. As a result, we're on the highway of success with the gearbox wedged into fifth for as long as we can take it.

    Now I'm no expert on automobiles, but I was always under the impression that running flat-out constantly caused an immense amount of wear and tear, and would lead eventually (if not quickly) to total engine failure. How different are we, then? How can we have the NERVE to act SURPRISED when it happens to our fellow man? Not to defend the likes of a McVeigh or a Kasczinski, mind you, as these are the results of an unchecked hate and loathing for others. Rather, it gives one some perspective towards these 'monsters' that fire a gun in City Hall or the Post Office. How does this come about? How can people get so wound up that they pop? We let it, of course.... even DEMAND it. The question is: Why?

    I've already cautioned you lot on such things as materialism and fabricated crises, but in case you DIDN'T read the manifesto I'll touch on it again. We have but a limited time on this big blue marble, and the DEAL is that you're supposed to leave it in better shape than you found it. Not many people follow this simple tenet, as anyone can see from the propensity of crap we put ourselves through. Bottom line is that most of us have NO CLUE just how GOOD we really have it, and if they do they see to it that they INVENT some trouble for themselves to balance it out (so they don't feel all guilty, I guess). Take addiction for example... Some schlub hammers it out on the 9 to 5 all day and come homes to a mob of screaming kids. Every day. EVERY day. EVERY DAY! Apparently, this grates on 'em after a while, so they look into 'escapes' from their 'misery'. Booze. Pills. Whatever....

    But the sad truth is that they have NO IDEA what misery REALLY IS, people. NONE. Misery is not knowing where your next meal is coming from. Misery is not knowing where you can sleep tonight. Misery is dying a little more each day, and no one CARES. Misery is, bluntly, a HELL of a lot WORSE than most people that claim to be in NOW could EVER deal with, should it come their way. PERIOD. Awww.... You gotta put in overtime and you'll miss your favorite TV show. Awww.... They ran out of Furbies. Awwww.... You lost a couple grand on the dot-coms. Awwww.... You gotta get ANOTHER car, cuz Junior don't think the minivan is cool enough. AWWWWW, FUCK YOU, you spineless little QUISLING. If you feel that you have it SO good that you need to CREATE your own problems, fine; but don't you DARE ask ME for PITY. I don't feel your pain. I''ve felt REAL pain. I could take YOUR 'trouble' without even BLINKING.

    The big thing that I see is everyone wants to be a victim. They form these support groups and go have fucking picnics to cry on each other's shoulder about how they're so SPECIAL for surviving whatever fuck-you life doled out. Personally, I'm getting a little tired of it. People in general in these times are of significantly weaker stock than their forebears. Think about it... Grandpa never bitched about how rough he had it back then, because he was too busy doing what he had to do to get PAST it. Of course, he might bitch about it NOW, but that's what Grandpa's are supposed to do - remind you that there were harder times than you think you're in, and that 'you should quit yer bitchin' and get to doin' what needs to be done'. Not that you pay any attention, mind, but that's the scenario. Of course, Grandpa remembers when people had the stones to take responsibility for their actions... If you did something wrong, you had to make it right - PERIOD. There wasn't any of this 'supressed memory', 'mitigating circumstances', 'road rage', 'deprived childhood' or any of the laundry list of - let's be honest - EXCUSES for WHY you fucked up. It didn't matter WHY you fucked up back then, kids, it only mattered how you were going to UNFUCK it - and how QUICK.

    Which brings us back to the original point... How are we to unfuck the situation we've put ourselves in with all this 'stress'? For starters, people, I suggest cutting back on the 'escapes' from your present station... You need a level head to get clear of stuff, or as I like to say, 'Life's a lot easier when you can see it coming'. After that, it seems logical to scale back the things that work you into a frenzy. Credit cards getting to be a bitch? Cut back. My mom used to say, 'If I can't afford to pay for it now, I don't need it.' How's that for a smart shopper? Heh. Snazzy SUV beating your ass at the pumps? Cut back. Get a car with some fuel efficiency, and save some bucks on insurance and the note to boot. Might as well, since most of you drive those SUVs like they'll break in half if you go over trolley tracks faster than 10 MPH anyway. Bottom line, if you've surrounded yourself with stress so people will think you're a 'success', then you need to know something really important. Ready?

    It don't mean SHIT what people THINK.

    Everyone talking about you driving a piece of shit? So what? It's YOUR piece of shit. If it bothers THEM so much, let THEM spring for an SUV. Everyone saying you should move into a better neighborhood? So what? It's YOUR neighborhood. If it bothers THEM so much, let THEM buy you a house someplace more appropos to their genteel tastes. Starting to see the pattern? GOOD. Living your life according to someone ELSE's design is a sure-fire way to the funny farm. Don't buy into it - especially not on CREDIT. Heh.

    You're welcome. See you SOON.