Gas Prices to Shoot $12-$15 by 2013

...according to The Union Tribune.
So aside from the happy-go-lucky life I've been living, there are other things to worry about.

"I have a great belief that the fundamentals of the economy are very strong. Very Strong." - Senator John McCain. Supposedly said after McCain learned that his tax filings net worth rose by $18 million since 1999.


Quick Facts:
-Some police departments have enlisted officers on foot
-Churches report lower attendance and donations
-A personal observance concludes that cereal boxes are smaller

Two weeks from now, my mom will be unemployed for two months. Life has been different.
I remember coming home from school one day after prom. I was washing dishes and my mom comes home at 3:00, when she usually comes home at 11:00.

"Hi Mom, how was work, or, why are you home so early?"
"I got laid-off, Son," she said happily.
"Oh... WAIT, YOU GOT LAID-OFF?!"
"Yeah. Oh well, my boss was an ass anyways," roughly translated from Tagalog.

So, after 11 years at that company, she had no immunity or seniority to save her from this dying economy. The family has expressed their mixed views.

My brother Mark has taken a neutral stance. Of course, he's saddened by it, but continues to do his daily routine.
My brother James is one of the biggest insults of the family. Despite the fact that he only lives here on the weekends due to his Marine lifestyle, he doesn't contribute anything to the household. My mom still does his laundry, including his uniforms. He carelessly eats the food she cooks. He doesn't perform a single chore, so cleaning is out of the question. He can't even put his clothes in the laundry. And like I've said before, he continues to kick me out of my room to bring his girl(s) overnight. The climax of this all is that he doesn't pay a dime of rent. Mark pays for the entire family's cell phone bill and, James? Even after being acknowledged that my mom lost her job, he thinks that possibly paying for the water or energy bill is some joke, assured by his laughter.
Now my dad. You know my dad. So I'm leaving for Texas this Tuesday, July 22nd. When the question of, "Who's paying for the tickets?" came up, my dad kept his hands in his pockets. My parents began fighting about the necessity of going to my cousin Robert's wedding.

"Well, I guess Andrew's not going anymore," my dad asserted.

My dad's selfish attitude continues to flourish despite the circumstances. Since he doesn't have the same dentist and my mom lost her dental insurance from her job, he hasn't shown any interest in trying to help out when my mom and I needed a check up.

I can feel my family's stability depending on this economy. My mom constantly nags my dad about the payments she can't make and he tends to keep his stance about her lack of penny-pinching. I notice the internal fight that's going on between them and I commend them for staying strong. I'm praying that it'll stay this way, if not better.

It hurt to see my mom cry in front of me that day, begging for help. Because of that, it's been more of a priority to find her a job than to get one myself. I have helped her with her résumé and have set up job profiles for her on Monster.com and CalJobs.ca.gov. I have taught her how to turn on the computer, manipulate the keyboard/mouse, and print. So far, she had done a good job.

Fortunately, my mom filed for unemployment benefits and surprisingly, she's been getting paid more than she had been at her old job. The only useless thing about this is that she's going out several times a week and spending it. She has been somewhat useless around the house and I don't want to put her on blast since I haven't been doing much either.

In the meantime, I want to utilize the time we have together and help her develop some lifestyle changes, like dieting, exercise, and computer literacy. While it makes me weak to talk about this, I've learned to be forever grateful for what I'm blessed with; materialistically, personally, and emotionally. It'll be a great summer for my mom and I.

With all that in mind, give yourself a laugh and watch this hilarious video by The Onion:

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency