Do you think the US economic meltdown is making people cranky?

[Amelia G]

Do you think the US economic meltdown is making people cranky? I mean, moreso than usual. Even people who are not worried about dough (which is probably not that many given the impact the American economy has on the world economic situation) have to hear about financial woes and foreclosures and evictions and depressing stuff all the time now.

Not just here, but, in general, it seems like the general mood of people at the moment is cantankerous. What do you think? What do you think might make it better . . . economic recovery, religious fervor, a new band that doesn't suck, etc.?

[Morning Glory]

yeah, I think it does. hearing all that negativity all the time puts people in a foul mood.

and I think that people just aren't doing as much fun things, and that is what really causes it.

combined with people reacting hostilely to other peoples hostility- you got a big can of angst.

[Raza]

I think the larger part of it is people having an issue on their mind and projecting it as an explanation of everything they see happening that halfway fits the theme.

Y'know around here we've got a major ongoing MDMA shortage. Narcs figured out the precursor we were using, cut it off, and now national production's ground to a halt - we used to be the biggest in on our side of the globe. Worst narcotic recession in living memory, I tell you.
And I've got friends that'll swear that large groups of people who were never taking it to begin with are grouchier because the general 'spirit' at parties has changed; that'll name it as the source whenever something vaguely unpleasant happens.

So, y'know; whichever crisis you've got on your mind is probably responsible for everything.

[mystoo]

Speaking for myself, this shit is def. making me cranky.
I went from working 6 days a week to working 2 days a week.
$1400 pay cheques to barely $500. My overdraft is spent, VISA is maxed, and I although I can still pay my rent and my bills, sort of, I'm having to rely on someone else for food and entertainment money. I hate relying on other people for money. Especially the gov't! I applied for E.I. 3 months ago and they still haven't made a decision! I'm also supposed to be getting worshshare money but my H.R. rep. fucked that all up as well. I'm on the phone with the gov't everyday, can't get a straight answer, can't get any money, so tell me, would that shit make you cranky?
Sorry for the rant btw.

[malcolm]

yes. i think it is.

this whole city and mesa too have practically become ghost towns for business, they've even started making a "shanty town" down the road from here at the food city.

I havent worked since november of last year and frankly i am goin out of my mind with boredom.

that's one of the reasons i shaved my head again cus eveyrtime i would go into a business and ask for an application form they'd stare at my hair and then give me a weird look. i honestly miss having long hair i really do. and it's not like shaving my head eveyr week or so is economically cheaper than getting a haricut regularly nowadays either being as replacement blades for my razor are almost eight bucks a pack.

and miss brewer in all her infinite "wisdom" has decided it's in our best interest to raise taxes yet again to try to dig us out of the economic crisis we have going on out here.

sigh.......i miss pre-dubya/cheney america, i really do.

[Morning Glory]

I know. those motherfuckers. Fuckin brilliant. And just watch the economy tank some more as people stop buying the new more expensive shit.

I got a great solution to balance the budget- cut the salaries of all high level government workers.

and ya know what? even if it was pro bono, there's enough bastards that would do it just for the power trip. Oh you guys say that you can't manage the budget? well then why the hell should you be taking from it for yourself? Get the kids hand out of the cookie jar.

[Rockwulf]

I think it's all DJ Bat's fault.

What economic crisis? I'm making more now than I ever have...

[Morning Glory]

Unfortunately the economy doesn't revolve around you rockwulf.

Reminds me of people that think global warming isn't happening because it still gets cold in the winter in Alaska.

[Raza]

T'here's some sense to that attitude though. People need to approach their situations as individuals and look at their ability to salvage or even reach new heights of whatever they value from them - off and by itself a global 'crisis' is only as relevant as the sum of its effect on individuals, but humans are such irredeemable herd animals that many of us will cheerfully start to suffer proactively when told that it's the thing to do this time of century.

[Morning Glory]

that sense is what got us into this problem in the first place because people thought that things were fine when they weren't and they kept spending money that they wouldn't be able to pay back and banks kept lending money to them because they thought the same way.

Just because you're not in trouble doesn't mean that it's not on the way and ignoring it instead of setting up precautions to deal with it when it arrives is stupidity.

also some people actually care about other people besides just themselves so they are concerned about what they do and how it effects other people. I know that idea is beyond your sociopathic grasp, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

[Morning Glory]

PS. I know that rockwulf was being facetious and he probably is wisely managing his money.

That was just a point about people suffering from the ostrich syndrome, which is a lot of people. Somehow they seem to both think only of themselves and believe everything that they are told by authority figures, you are right about that Raza.

[Raza]

also some people actually care about other people besides just themselves so they are concerned about what they do and how it effects other people. I know that idea is beyond your sociopathic grasp, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

Charming. When I say that people should try to achieve whatever they value as individuals I'm hardly discounting those who value others' well being though; that's up to them. But nobody really personally empathises with the nameless 'everybody' they hear on the news is suffering from our various ongoing global crisises; their response to that kind of suffering is more fear and stress than compassion.

Anyway, I've long said that anybody who buys on credit is insane, not so much for fear of their potential inability to pay it back (that sounds like the easy way out to me) as for the tied-down future they have ahead of them when they do. It's more big business that suffers from ostrich syndrome; competition does not allow for anything but mindless optimism. On that level, everybody's pressuring everybody to do more than they can - and what cannot be actually done gets done by 'favorable administration'. Things start out small, then you get used to those numbers and for the next step up need to improve by contrast, and suddenly you're spending 10 million for every hundred bucks you have.

I see this happening currently wherever modern corporate business practises are applied. Banks were the biggest collapse so far, but I doubt they'll be the last. Our system is satiated with that kind of illusionism.

[malcolm]

I know. those motherfuckers. Fuckin brilliant. And just watch the economy tank some more as people stop buying the new more expensive shit.

I got a great solution to balance the budget- cut the salaries of all high level government workers.

and ya know what? even if it was pro bono, there's enough bastards that would do it just for the power trip. Oh you guys say that you can't manage the budget? well then why the hell should you be taking from it for yourself? Get the kids hand out of the cookie jar.

I know. that would solve alot of problems locally out here. I have another solution too for out here: let's vote some of these people out of office. this state is a beautiful state it's just the morons who ar ein office and the morons who keep them there that make it so annoying to be an arizonan. as for trying to dig myelf up out of it, i've been working on my artwork but i ran out fo supplies and have no money to buy more. i'm gonna ahve to switch to watercolors or something cus it's ridiculous how much canvas panels run nowadays. (and they're cheaper than stretched canvas)

[Morning Glory]

you should go to thrift stores and buy paintings, and then paint over them. it's a lot cheaper than buying a new blank canvas. I got one that was.. I dunno, it was bigger than 16 x 20, for like 3 or 4 bucks.

[Vix]

Of bloody course it is!
The US economy affects a multitude of countries.
There are more 3rd world countries that are debted to america , yet they drive up their prices for exports, that more than 90% of farmers are living below the poverty line.

[Raza]

Huh?

[Rockwulf]

PS. I know that rockwulf was being facetious and he probably is wisely managing his money.

That was just a point about people suffering from the ostrich syndrome, which is a lot of people. Somehow they seem to both think only of themselves and believe everything that they are told by authority figures, you are right about that Raza.

Just bought a laptop, cash!

[Buster Friendly]

Just bought a laptop, cash!

that shit was so cash.

[Rockwulf]

No, I paid cash. It was a big deal so I went to the bank and got 600 dollars in ones and put it in a briefcase. I had to do little bundles of like 15 dollars to make them all fit in evenly but luckily it seems like all briefcases are built to the dimensions of dollar-bills. Only problem was that since the stacks weren't high enough I had to buy velcro-tape to keep them from tumbling around when I picked up the briefcase. But to get the tape I had to take a few bucks from one of the stacks so they were all uneven and then I forgot that there'd be sales tax.

Let's just say things didn't go well.

[OliX]

Laptop for 600 bucks should be a good one considering prices in states. What did you buy?

Why did you took 600 bills in ones? Isn't that a unnecessary hustle?

[Ajax Knucklebones]

No, I paid cash. It was a big deal so I went to the bank and got 600 dollars in ones and put it in a briefcase. I had to do little bundles of like 15 dollars to make them all fit in evenly but luckily it seems like all briefcases are built to the dimensions of dollar-bills. Only problem was that since the stacks weren't high enough I had to buy velcro-tape to keep them from tumbling around when I picked up the briefcase. But to get the tape I had to take a few bucks from one of the stacks so they were all uneven and then I forgot that there'd be sales tax.

Let's just say things didn't go well.

Wow! The store people must have thought you were a real asshole when you paid them all in singles.

[Mr Karl]

Then again, because of this economic shit my mortgage rate is so low I really can't believe it

[Nos]

Working as a hairdresser I can tell you it's making people cheap. Several guests haven't even bothered to tip, telling me they just don't have the money to spare. Yet they have money for a full foil and a hair cut ... and they're taking up 3 hours of my day in doing so.
I know times are hard but I hate people using as an excuse for doing things they know aren't right.

[Scott]

It's making me cranky.
I have had a lot of long-time members lose their jobs and thus cancel their subscriptions. I know they will be back when times are better.. But in the meantime.. It sucks.

[Ajax Knucklebones]

Working as a hairdresser I can tell you it's making people cheap. Several guests haven't even bothered to tip, telling me they just don't have the money to spare. Yet they have money for a full foil and a hair cut ... and they're taking up 3 hours of my day in doing so.
I know times are hard but I hate people using as an excuse for doing things they know aren't right.

That's fuckin lousy. Tips are part of the bill. That's the way I see it. If you don't have tip money, then you haven't paid in full. If you don't have the full payment, then you shouldn't be allowed the service. People will use any excuse to be fuckin' deadbeats.

[OliX]

Is that how your bank works?

[Anna Evans]

you should go to thrift stores and buy paintings, and then paint over them. it's a lot cheaper than buying a new blank canvas. I got one that was.. I dunno, it was bigger than 16 x 20, for like 3 or 4 bucks.

oh! that is a really good idea. I'm so stupidly excited to have space to paint again, and this idea means I can afford to paint even more. yay!

[LeilaHazlett]

Working as a hairdresser I can tell you it's making people cheap. Several guests haven't even bothered to tip, telling me they just don't have the money to spare. Yet they have money for a full foil and a hair cut ... and they're taking up 3 hours of my day in doing so.
I know times are hard but I hate people using as an excuse for doing things they know aren't right.

That sucks. I've just stopped going to salon and eating out because I hate not tipping people but I guess losing business is just as bad or worse than people not tipping.

I know I've been really stressed since I haven't been able to find a new job. I try not to take it out on anyone around be but it's hard not to be depressed when you're in danger of being homeless.

[mystoo]

it's hard not to be depressed when you're in danger of being homeless.

So true. If my b/f didn't have a good job right now I'd def. be living in a cardboard box somewhere. And I wouldn't be able to deal with being homeless again. And, I hate relying on other people for money but, such is life at the moment.

[Ajax Knucklebones]

Is that how your bank works?

Paying for a one time service is alot different then paying on a loan. Right about now, banks will take any kind of payment that can be made not to default a loan. Well....Most banks are doing that. The real big banks just charge off the loan and then cry to the government that they need more bailout money.

[soma_stardust]

i sure the fuck am cranky.
and hungry.

[malcolm]

you should go to thrift stores and buy paintings, and then paint over them. it's a lot cheaper than buying a new blank canvas. I got one that was.. I dunno, it was bigger than 16 x 20, for like 3 or 4 bucks.

that's actually what i normally do with my panels to be honest. it's an old trick to conserve materials etc and what not so i've heard. my problem is i'm pretty layer heavy when i paint and after a few paint overs here and there it really screws up the flow of the piece.and leaves what i can only describe as "noticable scar tissue" to the piece. and it'll drive me nuts trying to fix cus im really anal about stuff I do especially when it takes more than a day to do it. also, canvas tends to wear after a while if not treated.

[FedorasBox]

I do think people are more cranky, less friendly, and my neighborhood has certainly been getting more robberies than ever.