As we all say "vayos con dios" to everyone actually able to afford to pack up for better pastures, and take a jet outside of DC's beltway, we would be remiss if we didn't proactively gather the firewood for the next political 'pig roast.' The bill that was just signed was about as effective, and confidence inspiring as a life/country saving wound, inflicted by a disgruntled spree workplace shooter, that forced you to turn your neck tie into an improvised tourniquet when he showed up to work with his 12 gauge "counter-offer" to being fired due to corporate downsizing. We are not using hyperbole-we did a post-graduate study on workplace violence, and that was after the 2001 terrorist attack 'uncertain' times-this economy makes that look downright blissful. As with any tourniquet, it must be released at some time so that an entire limb doesn't fall off. This will be the role of your new "Super Committee." The only thing is-sometimes even tourniquets don't work.The five weeks that the political system will shut down to ease their migraines and such means that, technically, at least half of the demographic of this blog will have to fight against the wind to come up with TWO months of shelter/grocery budget/car payment/power bill/medication/gasoline/insurance/man-gotta-have-a-beer-or two-and a basic cable-Internet package expenses in advance to avoid our own personal, more rigidly enforced "debt ceilings." This does not include champagne, the Hummer, the bling or other personal hobbies/ 'vices.'
Many people need to go back to the brutal, predictable simplicity many of us faced as youth/teens when playing the board game of Monopoly. If you pass "Go" with only 'twos and fews' as your cash flow, and land on even, say, Baltic Avenue and the dude has built hotels-we see it as you have certain choices 1) As the other guy does a lame victory dance because you don't have sufficient cash/other property/get out of jail free cards to make the deal-you take every breath you have left upon leaving the table to try to screw his girlfriend who has been sitting on a nearby couch drinking wine coolers just waiting to get poked while her boyfriend acted like a tool playing a stupid game. This theorem also works for those Texas Hold Em poker games and the weekend long Risk wars. 2) You know, now that we think about it, we were either the guy that won the game and didn't get laid, or we were the guy knocked out of the game earlier that took the other guys girl atop the washing machine in the basement. Funny how things turn out. Anyway..we lost our track of thought...but either you have a lot of money and win, or you make lemonade when life gives you lemons. Either way, somebody is getting screwed!!
We also add as a former beach-dweller turned city person-DC is packing bags and getting out of town. The oil/tolls {we may have a significant update you likely already know about} businesses will win, baby, win. This is actually not a bad time to visit the mall/monuments of DC, and the air-conditioned museums and embassies. The Nationals are pretty bad, and all the diplomats and their entourages are bailing for other destinations. We will see if we can pull up some archive pictures of the WWII monument/Vietnam area. If you come to DC, traffic will be as light as you see, and parking as easy as you get. The air quality is supposed to get better, but still not easy, if you have walked the mall monument paths to see the various landmarks, you know that you have to take in more cold water than you think. We recommend taking a couple of gallons of bottled H2O in each persons backpack/stroller, and using the pretty new very concentrated ice tea/lemonade mixtures {individual concentrated beverage additives now about the size of a golf pencil} to proactively hydrate. As with New York, sometimes your best option is a local corner cart vendor-if you like mustard; wear a yellow shirt...Take a camera. Take the Metro. Appreciate what you see-it has come with great, proven sacrifice.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/60373.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_in_the_Air_(film {This is no Caddyshack type of flik; it came out after 2008 recession breakdowns/bail-outs, and really is not a very funny movie, but certain often overlooked simple truths frame the message of the movie.}