Bad news is the bad news is potentially so bad that it makes October layoffs seem like child’s play in comparison.
Example No. 1: Got a call from my boss’ boss today saying, in effect, if the contract extension between CWI and DOE isn’t signed in the next week and a half, there’s no authorization for work for any CWI contractors, of which I am one of, to quote MASH’s Radar O’Reilley.
That in of itself is bad news. No authorization to work means, technically, I still have a job but I can’t go to it and I can’t get paid because the authorization to pay me is in limbo. That’s bad. That’s like getting frogurt that’s cursed.
Example No. 2: This is where it gets really bad. Rumors are that there’s no money. Nooooo money for either the research or cleanup side of INL, because DOE’s shoving all the money it has at Hanford over in Washington state and since Congress can’t find their butts with both hands and approve a budget, there’s trouble with any new money forthcoming. This is like finding that not only is your free frogurt topping cursed, but that it also contains potassium benzoate.
I know that I, Jeffe, do not have the superior intellect and education of those folks in Washington who pay the bills, but at the same time while they’re wrangling over who to pay and how much to pay them and where the money is coming from and who they can take it from to give it to, well, me, there are lots of people like me who are starting to feel like Lucky Day these days.
Maybe it seems silly to use these movie clips to explain my frustrations. But given how much attention is being riveted on other movie clips as of late – that thing about the Muslims that we’re not really sure is the movie they’re all upset about, but hey, let’s tar and feather the guy anyway just so we can say we did something; and that thing with Mitt Romney washing his hands of the 47% or whatever (of which I happen to be one of too, thank you, Radar) – I feel like it’s the only way to get attention these days. Answer useless street theater with useless YouTube clips, and maybe – just maybe, mind you – someone will pay attention. And feel repentant. Like Professor Hinckle:
But it’s easy to pay attention to things like the Innocense of Muslims or Mitt’s 47%, because, in general, it costs the chattering class – the media – and the ruling class of politicians virtually nothing. It lets them escape from actually having to report on a government that’s kicking problems down the road – and I’m not just saying Obama’s government does this, every government does to some extent – and actually looking at the can and seeing what’s inside it, being kicked around.
Of course, anyone who criticizes mainstream media or the current (or past) administration, ends up looking like Ralphie’s Old Man in the view of those accused, so they can just go on leaving the aroma of turkey hanging in the air, not worrying that they’re going to get worms.
Of course I’m just substituting street theater for street theater. The signal to noise ratio is so high it’s impossible to get anything but pop culture through to anyone.
So Aldous Huxley was right after all.
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