I guess the polling data is true; we care more about the economy than the war. I don't think care is the right word but we do discuss and are concerned about the economy more than we are about a terrorist attack.

I had someone the other day say he didn't feel the economy was that bad. He said since he was doing well and since there were no soup lines or homeless on the streets the dire dread of the economy was only affecting a few people. I listened to this as I realized he was changing jobs because he needed to make more money to make ends meet. I listened to this while someone else from our company, who had a legitimate reason for being absent a few days ago, was let go because he was over his limit on attendance.

In a better economy, people might have been willing to give him and others that were recently let go, another chance. Not any more. There's another person I know who might be on the brink of attendance removal. I know it has to do with policy, but just a year ago, there were two people I knew whom the company said, for whatever policy loopholes, they couldn't get rid of. It's a reversal of what is happening now. A year ago, they could work, maneuver and try to keep people on the job. Now, with the bad forecast in the economy, anything that can bump the person out is being done.

I'm kind of making it sound like the jobs is cruel, and it's not, but the economy is changing our thinking and is messing with all Americans emotionally. We can't and won't think long term anymore, because we're not sure what the long term forecast might be. I'm planning for the Comicon in July, I have the hotel already booked, but unlike last year when I knew what to save and worked for it, I'm not sure if I'll have the time to get the money together I want. While I'm sure I'll get it, I've been trying to save for a car and when I think I'm coming close to getting some real money set aside, some minor emergency comes up and takes a chunk out of it. I was hoping to get the car by the end of April but I've moved back my goal a month until May.

I'm just seeing things that remind me of the 80s, with respect to the person I talked with, I do see the homeless shelters ranks getting larger, the plasma centers are more crowded and yes, those that have money are taking advantage of those who will work to earn anything.

I just don't like the way I see things going.