Living in the urban jungle

Los Angeles can be a magical place… make that magical realism a la Gabriel Garcia Marquez. An otherwise normal morning took a surreal turn with some unusual and extremely loud noises outside my house. Take a listen.

Hey boomers, thanks for nothing.

A little while ago, I got a letter from the Social Security Administration with a section on the front page that read:
“What Social Security means to you.”
I’d like to share the sentence that caught my eye in the subsection “About Social Security’s Future” :

Social Security is a compact between generations. For decades, America has kept the promise of security for its workers and their families. now, however, the Social Security system is facing serious financial problems, and action is needed soon to make sure the system will be sound when today’s younger workers are ready for retirement.
In 2017, we will begin paying more in benefits than we collect in taxes. Without changes, by 2041 the Social Security Trust Fund will be exhausted and there will be enough money to pay only about 78 cents for each dollar of scheduled benefits.

Wow, it’s so great to get some good news during this recession. Soooo…if I’m reading this correctly, this is the moral of the story:

I pay you, but you will not necessarily pay me back or you will pay me back so little it won’t really raise my level of “security.” Guess that won’t be a problem though since I will basically be working until I die.

Sorry if I sound a little bit bitter. Let me strike a deal with you guys – pass healthcare reform so at least I can avoid catastrophic bankruptcy if I ever get really sick and I’ll give you a break on bankrupting social security.

Now please retire so I can have your job.

Screenshot from youth advocacy Web site, summer 2009