8/15/05 Job Security and Social Violence

Heather and I went camping at the Del Water Gap on the Appalachian Trail. It’s been oppressively hot. The humidity sucks the life right out of you. I am hoping to begin writing a TV show proposal this weekend if I can get motivated.

On Thursday night I got some work done on the recording of Lewistown Calling. I added handclaps and backing vocals to the chorus. In order to do the handclaps I had to do four tracks, each with one handclap, and then mix them together to make it sound like a group of people. I also did three tacks of vocal “Aaahs,” and two tracks of falsetto “ooohs,’ with a Four Seasons whine to them.
Although the individual tracks don’t sound great, when put together they are pretty effective. It gave the song a real surf rock feel.

I saw the movie Four Brothers. Trying to find a motif in a movie like this is not easy. The film’s flimsy plot mainly served as an excuse for lots of vigilante violence. I guess the message is ‘the world is unjust and the system is corrupt, so the only way to get justice is from a hero who uses violence as an answer to every problem. The film certainly was violent. Machine gun battles would take place in urban neighborhoods and no one would seem to notice.

This morning when I read the news it was also filled with random violence. An x-marine began shooting at people on the streets because he was annoyed by the noise outside his window. A rancher in Texas began shooting because he didn’t like the protesters outside his neighbor’s (President Bush) property. I guess the message that guns are the answer to every problem is really coming home.

I’ve been very stressed out about business and financial matters. As thoughts of financial security cross my mind I recall a friend whose boyfriend was in the coast guard. He looked down on others who struggled financially. People in the military service have a great degree of financial security. Unless they really fuck-up they always know where their next paycheck is coming from and how much it will be. The trade off is that they also know the limits of their potential success in life. Even under the best circumstances there’s only so far they can go. It’s the price they pay for that security. So when I would hear of this guy looking down on others who struggle I always thought of him as something of a coward. As someone who doesn’t believe in himself enough to live by his wits and instead clings to a safe and secure path in life.

For people in the private sector, say in an office or factory, there is much less job security. These days a person can dedicate their whole life to a company and be a model employee, only to be sacked because they earn too much. If you read management handbooks you’ll find this practice is recommended.

Still, on a week-to -eek basis, as long as you have your job you know you have a paycheck coming each week and how much it will be. You still have some measure of security. Again this security comes with limitations on future success. In theory an office worker could become the CEO of the company and make millions, but in reality, for the average office admin or cubicle dweller there’s not much chance of that happening.

When you own your own business you have no security. Every day is a gamble and a struggle for survival. If you don’t produce, you don’t eat. The trick is to survive the lean times. The trade off is, you are what you can make of yourself. The sky is the limit. The odds are against success, but with brains, hard work, and a good deal of luck, you can make your own way.