Student loans

 "I was a money-dumb trailer baby." Gawd, I love Trae Crowder.

Don't worry, I'm a Gen-Xer and none of these student loan forgiveness funds can touch the made-up, bullshit about SallieMae claims I owe.

Go away and die

 

Me on my first day in Australia. I was about
20 years younger and 70 pounds lighter.

 

It's been almost 20 years since I spent four months in Australia having the time of my life. I loved that country and I wanted to stay. But a couple years post-9/11 Australia's version of Immigration, the IMMI, was cracking down on all backpackers overstaying their welcome.

Six weeks after this picture was taken, when I was on the other side of the county in Perth, I passed a group of retirees with some tables and signs set up. They were very nice aging Hippie types and they told me they were protesting then Prime Minister Howard's cuts to their version of Medicare.

In 2003, the entire welfare system in Australia, the "dole" seemed pretty robust. They had work programs, universal healthcare, some equivalent to food stamps, etc. Nobody was hungry and the rule was 'only those lay abouts who don't want to take yaka don't work.'

Discarded: Australian Women Over 50

The global Recession in 2009 changed everything and it changed it everywhere. As usual, women over 50 are getting the shit end of the stick.