The Way We Live Now: Getting kicked while we're down. The schools are crumbling. Even the military ones! The jobs are scarce. Even for smart people! The rents are rising. The babies are crying. We ain't got much.

Here in New York they're laying off thousands of teachers. (Military schools are doing even worse—totally broke). But they're not laying off any cops, because of the car bomb. In my day kids called in bomb threats to schools all the time, just to get out of class. And now we can't get one measly evacuation to save some teachers' jobs?

Extra credit? I don't think so.

They also closed down St. Vincents Hospital. Did they think about the fact that that would turn a bunch of midwives into outlaws, jeopardizing their livelihood and, by extension, your baby. No. They didn't even think of your baby. Your baby. Your baby!

Oh yea and the rent board met to "decide" whether your rent will go up, DO WE EVEN HAVE TO TELL YOU?

What we object to specifically is the dynamic of problem piling up upon problem piling up upon—that's right—problem. Shit, you're telling me I went to law school and I can't even get a cushy job any more? I mean, I didn't actually go to law school. But Elizabeth Wurtzel did. Do we deny her gainful employment? Just so you can give her job to a man? No, because 20% of men aged 25-54 are not working, so there.

At least it's a good time to buy stocks.