umm.... what?

On my way home tonight, my trusty radio tuned into WBUR, Boston's NPR station, I heard snippets of the upcoming segments. I don't know what the segment was because I was only half paying attention, but the sound bite was "Now I have to make sure my bills are paid.... before I go to Vegas". Um, what? NOW you need to pay your bills before you go on a vacation to gamble? You didn't need to pay your bills before vacation BEFORE? I'm assuming we are talking BEFORE and AFTER the economy self destructed into oblivion. Maybe going on vacation without being able to afford said vacation is one of the reasons why the country is in financial crisis. That kind of attitude is why people bought houses they couldn't afford, why mortgage companies gave huge mortgages to people they KNEW couldn't afford them, why the almighty dollar was put ahead of everything including sound judgement and individual financial security.

People piss me off. People who whine because they now have to PAY THEIR BILLS before going on vacation are right up there with the people who are defaulting on mortgages they couldn't afford in the first place, and insisting they should get government handouts. I do feel terribly for the thousands upon thousands of people who have lost their jobs in this mess. I could be the next one queueing up for unemployement benefits. I've lost a large amount of money in the past few months. I know there are innocent people who are struggling with the economy, just like there is during every recession. Recessions won't end - this one particular will end, but the cycle will continue for perpetuity. And every time it happens, people will suffer - people who don't deserve it.

So when people whine about having to pay bills before going on vacation, it really pisses me off. Honestly, I don't know the next time I will be able to go on a vacation - because my bills always come first. I live my life keeping my expenses in check, and I don't live outside my means. I'm in no way perfect, nor am I the picture of financial health. I just make halfway decent decisions when I can.

Plus, Vegas is literally one of the worst cities in the country when it comes to the environment. You shouldn't give it one red cent. We should allow it to crumble back into the desert from whence it came.