Back in the summer of 1916, during a heat wave and polio epidemic, a few people around New Jersey got eaten by sharks \u2026 and 60 years later the summer blockbuster was born. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jaws was awesome. The title alone brings shivers … nice one, Mr. Benchley<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Made people afraid to go in the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From a movie. About a man-eating shark. I don’t believe many moviegoers were aware a man had been bitten in half right off the Jersey Shore back in July 1916, so those earlier attacks could not have been the impetus for the fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s a pretty good\/sad movie \u2013 Maxed Out<\/em> (2006) \u2013 about the US debt epidemic, and how Americans are so enamored \/ unable to cope with debt\u2014OOPS<\/em> looks like money ain\u2019t math tol\u2019jah<\/em> moving on\u2014such that \u2026 for particular people \u2026 suicide somehow becomes a workable option. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That somehow … being dead is better than being in debt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Which is madness. Consider: if a movie can make people afraid to swim, why not a movie to make people afraid to spend? Spiral into Homelessness \u2026 from Swarthmore to Skid Row, one woman\u2019s journey into financial hell. Make her beautiful and make the fall really, really far, and the landing really, really hard. People love to see beautiful women suffer; ergo \/ to wit: porn according to a new friend moving on<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I suppose the point here \u2014 if there is one \u2014 is to note how \u2026 malleable<\/em> the American psyche is, how easily shifted and moved, such that, if those pesky mankind masters were inclined to fix our collective spending disease that would be a yes but since it is not then that I believe is a no \u2026 Too much money = mass, as in tumor, as in compounding interest \u2026 yehthat<\/p>\n\n\n\n How frustrating. Not that I needed anyone to hold my hand, exactly, but it would have been nice NOT to have been lead blindly off a cliff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Nope \u2013 didn\u2019t need college, but then there\u2019s the hard sell. Suuurrre<\/em> you don\u2019t have to go \u2026 see how that HS diploma works out for you in the competitive work space \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n More matriculation = more money, right? Right? More letters = more dollars? Right? Right? [crickets]<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fine. Great. So glad that happened<\/p>\n\n\n\n Auto mechanic is a job, and the initial investment is fairly low. Should have looked in to that \u2026 AND and that would not have solved the problem of the liestyle<\/em> \u2026 just redirected the overspent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Marriage? Kids? But that is not the message, and for good reason. {Ecc. 8:8<\/em>}<\/p>\n\n\n\n The truth in broad strokes would likely create a paradigm shift \u2026 no spending no debt no marrying no babies \u2026 not sure how the process (you know, life) would continue but maybe we should try it anyway, see what happens \u2026 because sick, fat, broke, and stupid\u2014dass \u2018Mur-KAH\/truckYEH\u2014seems not to be working for the most of us. Did I mention sugar? In everything? Yehthat more later \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n So! Again \u2026 until there are PSAs warning everyone of the dangers of debt like the dangers of drugs in the 90\u2019s, the 7Qs helpfully remind you\/me\/us not to spend like a dumbass, and strategically spend when we must spend on anything \u2026 the following rules still apply:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ugh. Like, everyday?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Back in the summer of 1916, during a heat wave and polio epidemic, a few people around New Jersey got eaten by sharks \u2026 and 60 years later the summer blockbuster was born. Jaws was awesome. The title alone brings shivers … nice one, Mr. Benchley Made people afraid to go in the water. From … <\/p>\n
… shoulda coulda woulda \/ didn\u2019t won\u2019t can\u2019t moving on<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ha! You like you, but that’s about it … why inflict you upon another moving on<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HaHA! What makes you think you\u2019re qualified to raise another human being?
Do you have you all worked out? No? Then maybe put a pause on that \u2026 not for you, for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n