The Song Remains the Same

In the Raised By Wolves series, I have attempted to tackle topical issues concerning gay rights and the problems GBLT men and women have had to contend with for most of human history. (Some of my readers have apparently not gotten that - or simply don't give a shit... but that's another post)

In doing my morning news reading, I was amused to note that GBLT issues are not the only thing that hasn't changed in over 300 years.

Piracy is still political and lucrative - though it is now complicated by media involvement... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26901780/

The sheep are still stupid and the wolves are still wolves. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26948627/

Someone - a person I cannot remember the name of right now - once said that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Black Sabbath once accurately captured a thing well known by the Roman Senate with the lyric, "If you listen to fools, the mob rules."

Now, I streamlined our FHA ARM into an FHA fixed two years ago, and took advantage of the last drop in mortage rates to streamline it to an even lower fixed rate again last year. All my home equity is tied up in a fixed second - but so is all our old debt that might have become volatile in the current situation. And I don't think my equity situation will change unless I pay my second off, because I do not believe my 25-year-old house will be worth more than I bought it for 6 years ago within the next ten years - barring a miracle. And I'm ok with that, because we picked a big solid house that we can repair and upgrade as needed. I don't want to spend the rest of my life here - I have more grandiose plans (or at least more rural and less suburban ones) - but if I do get stuck here, I can live with that.

I do not drive an SUV. I feel extravagant driving a 4-cylinder turbo that requires premium. But that car is large enough to haul 4 people and luggage around - or two people and two large dogs and luggage. And, it's paid off... and so is my husband's 4-cylinder sports model. And yeah, it costs $60 to fill my tank now, but I drive less and unless the roads are really bad in the winter, the car that gets 35 mpg and only costs $35 per tank is the one that does any commuting in this house. Oh yeah, and we used our "stimulus" money to do long-term maintenance on both vehicles.

We have excellent credit - and nothing coming up in our life in the next few years - barring a medical disaster - should cause us to need to obtain more. We do almost everything cash - and have since I left my corporate job. This means we don't buy big new expensive things, or eat out much, or go to movies... But this living within one's means thing - it frees you to follow your dreams. I don't have to kiss corporate ass anymore...

We have medical insurance, and life insurance, and appropriate car insurance, and disability insurance, and home owner's insurance, and we have out asses pretty-well covered. Of course those companies could go under or default on their responsibilities.

We don't have a lot of money invested - nowhere what we should have for people our age - but right now, well, that's not exactly the liability it could be, and it's saved me the problem of having to do emergency re-positioning, and thus add in a miniscule way to the market chaos. (But anyone acting adds to the butterfly effect going on right now.)

And we have a plan in case everything goes to shit - because despite all the planning, it still might.

So... Due to finally learning fiscal responsibility and making making wise choices late in life - due to my deciding to step out of the mainstream and follow my dream.... yeah, I'm able to sit here and watch this economic disaster unfold without having heart palpitations. It's not going to hit me like it will many many people in this country. But... It is akin to living up on the side of mountain and watching a flash flood take out the valley below. I'm going to be fine, but eventually I might need that road that got wiped out, or the phone, or... You get the idea. And there is always the possibility that the company my husband works for will fold - though that too is unlikely since it's an alternative energy developer... But... on that front... people are pretty fucking stupid - so it could happen.

And as for my income stream... Well, right now I can afford to keep publishing my books. I had planned to pursue actually being published by a big corporate house with the next book I write after I finish Wolves and the Reilly series. But who knows how the landscape of American publishing will change in the next two years? I have not studied the financials of the companies I do business with now - and quite frankly, I would have a hard time understanding them, because reading corporate financials is not my thing. So for all I know, the 800 pound gorillas I deal with now are all leveraged to the hilt and this credit crunch is going to kill them - or at least allow young new rivals to depose the silver backs.

My biggest concern will be if people can no longer afford books - of course if that happens, I'll just find less expensive ways to deliver the stories - say e-books. I don't think people will stop wanting to read, though; because if we learned anything from the Great Depression, it's that people need and want art and entertainment when their lives are going to hell in a handbasket.