First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge the passing of a great American, Walter Cronkite. His death represents the end of an era in news broadcasting and, sadly, seems to have gone relatively unnoticed. It saddens me that the death of a man who dedicated decades of his life to covering the most important news stories of the last 50 years and was one of the most trusted and highly regarded public figures during the peak of his career has garnered only a fraction of the attention of the death of Michael Jackson. I wish, as I so often do, that the rest of the country and particularly the media, could get its priorities straight. Walter Cronkite is a great loss to America and he will be missed.
Now, as many of you know, the job market this summer has been difficult, to say the least. All over the country, thousands of college students have been struggling to find employment, yours truly included. Thanks to those of you who click the advertisements on this page, I manage a monthly income of about $20 dollars (alas, I must accumulate $100 of earnings to receive any of this money). But while this might have been a suitable monthly income for a 20 year old in the 1920s, it is hardly enough now. And during my job search this summer, I have looked for almost any job that I could do with my minimal qualifications. But however minimal my qualifications are, I like to think that I would be more employable than, say, a homeless person. Not so. And that brings us to our Daily Topic: HOMELESS CAPITOL HILL LOBBYISTS
Okay so they're not quite lobbyists but they are a mere degree away. Capitol Hill lobbyists have begun to hire Washington D.C.'s homeless for one of the most strenuous and demanding jobs in our nation's capital: standing in line. During Senate hearings on all types of bills, a certain amount of seats within the hearings are reserved for special interest lobbyist groups. However, the number of these seats is limited and lobbyists were forced to wait in line for hours and hours to secure a place within the chamber walls. But not any more. Lobbyist groups have begun to pay the homeless between $11 and $35 per hour to wait in line, sometimes up to 20 or 30 hours. The time in the Senate hearings is coveted because it is often the only opportunities the lobbyist groups have to interact with senators on a face-to-face basis.
Now, as much as I admire the work ethic of these homeless and the generosity of those who employ them, I have to ask myself what it is that makes me less employable than a homeless person? And sadly, with the exception of my enrollment in a 4-year institution, I have come to the conclusion that it is because I, in fact, am unemployed and (more or less) homeless. The man covered by the news story that I read had been living in a shelter. I am living in my parents' house. On his own, he could not support himself. Neither could I. Sadly, I have come to terms with the fact the vagrancy and vagabond-ness which my summer has embodied does not even qualify me to stand in line. So next time you visit Andover and need someone to stand in line for you, look for me on the sidewalk outside of CVS with a bottle in a paper bag and a sign which reads: Blog Isn't Funny, Will Stand For Cash.
-ROF
Daily Food: Sourdough Grilled Cheese
Daily Activity: Scrabble
Daily Song: Norwegian Wood - The Beatles
Daily Attire: Glasses
Daily News Everyone Should Care About: Walter Cronkite, 92, Dies; Trusted Voice of TV News
Daily Life Goal: Be Paid to Stand In Line
Daily Complaint: Boredom
Daily Drink: Root Beer
Daily Television: The Money ListDaily Movie: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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