I don't think it does children any favors to let them think that life is fair.

My tum is still iffy, but I'm finally hungry. Now I have to figure out what's safe to eat.

"not a D student."

Well, I wouldn't know that, since I've only seen D-level work from you. Better work, better grade. See how that works?

And you know what? It doesn't work that way outside these ivied halls, babe. You work hard? You get pay cuts, layoffs, and heavier workloads, and you're glad to get it because hey, at least you still have a job. Now. Will there be anything else?

I love Beverly so so much.

I had a conversation with a college student yesterday that just about killed me because of his stubborn, self-righteous cluelessness. The topic of welfare and food stamps came up and he said that he hated the whole system and it should be gone. I agreed that it needed some restructuring, but that I still thought they were needed.

Him: I don't. I don't feel like I should have to take care of other people.

Me: I do. I feel it's a moral obligation to care for human beings in need.

Him: I don't expect others to care for me and I don't have to care for others.

Me: Okay. Well, I hope you're never in a position that you need welfare.

Him: I won't be. I will work. And earn my own money.

Me: Okay. I hope you're never in a position where that doesn't work out for you.

Him: I won't be. I'll always be able to take care of myself.

Me: Okay. I really hope that ends up true for you.

Honestly, he cannot conceive that sometimes, shit beyond our control happens and sometimes, we all need some help. Totally clueless.

In another discussion about something else, I said that his point was only valid because he was a privileged citizen coming from a privileged home (upper middle class, white, educated, parents still together, never lacked food/clothing/shelter/family). He had the gall to say he was only privileged compared to some. When I told him he was privileged compared to most, he disagreed with me.

Again, I repeat, totally clueless.

Boy, sorry about that. I didn't realize that needed to be spewed forth.

Don't be sorry. Lots of perfectly nice people still feel entitled. I know DH and I did, starting out. We were quickly disabused of the notion, however, and were able to gain some perspective. Lots of nice people don't, and go bleating about what they deserve.

If I were Queen of the Universe (my edict would be Play Nice, Dammit!) for about a week, EVerybody would get what they deserve. No, really.

ChiKat, your young gentleman is the very reason why I'm a huge proponent of Personal Freedom requires Personal Responsibility. My ideas are somewhat draconian, but I do believe every able citizen should spend two years between high school graduation and college entry performing service, either to their community or some other, away from home and everything familiar. And at the end of the two years, everybody gets a college education. If you qualify/want/can afford a name school, fine. If not, you get a good basic college education.

To me this makes sense. But alas, I am not QotU.

Him: I won't be. I will work. And earn my own money.

Oh, god, yes, and I overhear these 20-something business students talking about the investment plans they're going to put together that will let them retire at 35 . . .

I refrain from pointing out "What if the market crashes? What if you or a member of your family gets hurt? What if your newborn child has a dreadful time coming into the world and everything is going to have to go to health costs?"

I had a variant of that conversation with Uncertain Supervisor. He asked how Hubby was, I told him Hubby was doing relatively well, then told a few stories of why Hubby was in the state he was (degenerative joint disease, was told at 15 he wouldn't live to see 30 so he spent the next ten years trying to go out in glory, but now he's 52 and paying for everything). Uncertain Supervisor kind of sat there with his jaw sagging, and he finally said, "He must feel horrible, not being able to do anything like that anymore." "Well, yeah, but as he says, the other option is being dead." "Oh, yeah."

The light of Life the Oncoming Train does sometimes dawn in their skulls.

could you shoot him for me? lucky little shit.

could you shoot him for me? lucky little shit.

I really really wanted to slap him hard. He is truly is a lucky little shit who is so insular into his tiny little lucky world that he cannot fathom people in situations unlike his own.

If he ends up with a karmic kick in the pants, it would do him a world of good. Not that I wish ill on anyone, but for some people, that's the only way they pull their heads out of their own asses.

Oh, and I totally want Bev as QotU.

A good friend of mine and I were hanging out last night talking to our couple friends one of whom has a son who is fucking. up.

B said, "I grew up very priveleged [and he did, dad was a pretty rich guy, mom stayed home] and two of my brother's fucked up. I'm the youngest so when I hit high school and started pulling the 'oh my life is so rough, being a teenager sucks' my dad made me spend every Saturday volunteering-at the homeless shelter, the cancer ward, abused women's shelters. It's pretty hard to feel like an entitled shit when you're talking to a kid your age whose jaw is wired shut because his dad beat him."

is that why my Mom made me volunteer?

Speaking of jaws wired shut- I'm feeling so bad for my roommate who still has a week to go. Does anybody have a favorite recipe that is (or can be) pureed enough to suck through your teeth?

ION I brought my ipod to work today and a black kid told me I had a lot of soul. I was like, "right on!" but now that I think about it I wonder if he just meant he was surprised how much soul music I have on my ipod.

Tomato soup? I don't know, Laga. Poor roomie.

I've never tried to make tomato soup from scratch. Maybe gazpacho...

Poor roomie.

so very much this. He was having a sneezing fit this morning that must have beef awful. On the other hand he has an excuse for going to Cold Stone Creamery every day for a peanut butter shake.