Optimism!

The economic news around here has been glum and getting glummer. BMW owners having to remain BMW owners instead of becoming Infiniti owners, incompetent bankers getting perhaps a slightly smaller bonus than they expected, intentionally unemployed housewives having to mop their own floors (but not mow their own lawns--we're not savages yet): is there any hope left in the world at all? In times like these, does ANYTHING make sense?

It does! It's time to take a walk on the sunny side of the street! I actually am going to note some positive stories; I don't know why this is starting off so sarcastically. Okay. Iiiii read that book sales are up in Europe, because people are reading more. They may be reading more because they're unemployed or because they can't afford TV anymore, but it doesn't really matter, they're reading! There is nothing not positive about people reading more. Unless those fruity Europeans are just doing it to make us look bad. Or maybe they just found out about the Twilight series. I hear the continentals are nutters for sparkly Mormon vampires.

Another good thing is that apparently volunteerism is way up. Instead of just going hoboing, or swanning about complaining to the New York Times, a lot of unemployed folks are showing up at food banks and Habitat for Humanity and whatnot to work. Of course, most of the non-profits don't have the infrastructure to actually make use of the surge of volunteers, but it's the thought that counts, right?

And the third good thing is that for the first time in my lifetime, poor people are really mad at rich people. Okay, I guess that's not new--what's new is now there's a little bit of media coverage on it. It gives me hope that some of the dummies who vote Republican are waking up and realizing their party has been shitting on them for years. Maybe making a living wage IS more important than worrying about whether Joe Gay Dude down the street is going to marry his boyfriend. Oh, now I'm just talking crazy.