Well, stocks are down. It concerns me a little bit because, as irrational as the people on Wall Street are, they tend to infect everyone else with their panic. Not that I want to cast any shadows of impending economic doom, but here's my take on the last few months. First of all, there was a big car worker strike. And now there's a big phone worker strike. And soon there will be another airline strike. Why? Because these companies had been enjoying profits and they failed to share them with the people who actually do work for the company (as opposed to the people who talk to other people on the phone about what the workers should be doing).
So the workers are pissed. They want cash because they don't want to have to work their crappy jobs until they're 80. Management thinks they're being unreasonable. But here's a little question the management should ask themselves. If our economy is booming (which, except for the last month of late summer doldrums, it is) shouldn't the workers get a little bit of the gravy? Of course management doesn't ask these kinds of questions because they're management. Separation of power or something like that.
So the phone company needs to pony up. GM needs to quit their whining and get back in gear. And Northwest--does anyone really fly on Northwest anymore? As for the NBA owners--fuck them. And fuck the players. It's a game guys, it's not the electric company.
And for those moaners and hacks on Wall Street. Don't worry so much. Christmas is coming up in a few months. Have you ever thought to ask why stocks go down in late summer and early fall? Because everyone is saving up for Christmas. It's like you've never been through this before. Buy an i-Mac, get happy.
Russia and all of Asia...
One reason the Wall Street guys are not in the happiest of moods could be the state of the economy in Russia. And it's not doing so well. They're devaluing the ruble so much, it'll be more worthless than the penny soon. Which is fine. I think they ought to just get rid of all that old money and get new money. Get a new attitude! Everyone remembers the ruble from the old days, and they don't feel so good about the old days anymore. Of course, they aren't feeling so good now, so a good boost to the ego is in order. It's working for Europe.
The problems in Asia are a little more complicated because it involves many countries, currencies and states of mind. I think a good infusion of early 90s grunge music should do the trick. Music crosses all of these boundaries and penetrates the heart. We, in America, were in a state of repression, depression or whatever they called it after the 80s boom. Casting aside our pompous glam chic in favor of flannel and dour expressions, the country got a chance to heal itself. Keep it real for a while.
Now, of course, we're full bore into fantasy again. Every rapper seems to have forgotten those days of welfare, slums and gunshots and now portrays the world in terms of disco, cash and easy women. All the rockers are harking back to Bowie and Guns N' Roses. Courtney Love is suddenly a New Wave Betty. And, most frightening of all, Marilyn Manson is looking a lot like Neve Campbell.
We feel good in America, and it's because we felt so bad in the early 90s. A lot of self degradation and heroin, I guess. So the Far East has got to go down that road for a while to. You must be healed before you can be healthy, people! Besides, it's not like it's the end of the millennium over there. No reason to get all crazy and suicidal.
Summing Up...
I was at a party last weekend. An artist party. Which meant a lot of us who haven't decided to grow up and face the real world decided to get together (at the urging of several mutual friends) and show off our goods. There was art hanging on every wall, fence and vine in the place. TV's raged with random images of...something. A ghost band stood in front of instruments while a DJ spun records. Blue trees grew out of concrete. Message walls were cluttered with jokes and party poetry. A half empty keg stood neglected because the tap broke and artists really suck with mechanical things like keg taps.
But the entire night--nay, the entire column--was summed up on a little tag stuck to a small piece of art near one of the enclosed gardens. Many of the pieces of art had prices on them, just in case any of us party people had a few hundred to part with (yeah right, most people didn't even bring beer). And this artist seemed to understand the joke. The price of this art?
$666,666,666.66.
How's that for a little bit of gumption?
Matt Worley is ready to sell his soul. Serious inquiries only, please.