What is Digg?301 Comments
- catalysis, on 10/11/2007, -25/+312I think you can still be a little angry about able-bodied people who live off of your taxes.
- Ransomowris, on 10/11/2007, -20/+298"Sit here, get high, hit on the ladies" "And how do you make money?" "If I ask 100 ladies for $10, that's rent."
Genius. Give this guy a medal. - Lixie, on 10/11/2007, -91/+273"Alan sat 20 yards away, but his nose was in a short-story manuscript. Once he was a writer in the multimedia industry, but then he was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. That was 14 years ago and he's been on disability ever since. There are days when typing is exhausting and walking across the room impossible. Today, however, he was out in the sun."
What? He gets government handouts for being lazy? Hey, Uncle Sam! I'm tired too. Give me free money so I can quit my job and walk around the park all day. - Darkhacker, on 10/11/2007, -20/+198As someone who is currently on medication for depression and chronic fatigue syndrome, I can understand temporary disability claims. But for someone who is out and about... HELL NO! I slept 14 hours on school days and 16-18 on weekends and still managed to maintain a 3.0 GPA. To be fair, I did drop out of school two months ago though because I had a period that lasted about two weeks or so where I could barely move. It was so bad I only showered and brushed my teeth every other day and I lost weight from not having the energy to eat. I'm on medication and although a little drowsy at times, I'm going to college this fall.
- AntBing, on 10/11/2007, -71/+238Then please don't be offended when I Digg you down and tell you to drink a ***** Red Bull and get a job.
- dclowd9901, on 10/11/2007, -54/+184You can do anything you want to do. Don't get angry at those who find a way to do what they want. Personally, I'd rather do graphic design than sit in a room all day playing video games. I love video games, but I also prize a sense of accomplishment and praise for my works. Life's a trade-off, dude.
- jkleinfeld, on 10/11/2007, -4/+130a little chain email i got...
So just who's working anyway?
The population of this country is 300 million.
160 million are retired.
That leaves 140 million to do the work.
There are 85 million in school.
Which leaves 55 million to do the work.
Of this there are 35 million employed by the federal government.
Leaving 15 million to do the work.
2.8 million are in the armed forces preoccupied with killing Osama Bin-Laden.
Which leaves 12.2 million to do the work.
Take from that total the 10.8 million people who work for state and city governments.
And that leaves 1.4 million to do the work.
At any given time there are 188,000 people in hospitals.
Leaving 1,212,000 to do the work.
Now, there are 1,211,998 people in prisons.
That leaves just two people to do the work.
You and me.
And there you are, sitting on your ass, at your computer, reading jokes.
Nice. Real nice. - DigitalOmnivore, on 10/11/2007, -7/+117chronic fatigue syndrome has a poor reputation amongst most people, but to give everyone a better understanding, it's usually picked up by someone who has had mono and never fully recovers.
- audiowizard, on 10/11/2007, -3/+111Not everyone's weekend is Sat/Sun.......
I work 8 days, then take 4 off. My week is different than yours. - theblueprint, on 10/11/2007, -6/+105I live in a poor part of town, it's mostly Section 8 housing.
I work 50+ hours a week, and last year my apartment was robbed twice. I was robbed since the people in my neighborhood know I actually have things; I'm the only one who's gainfully employed. Not only am I losing a substantial portion of my check to support these people, but I'm a target BECAUSE I get up early and go to work every day.
I understand that bad things happen to good people, and I'm willing to pay my share to help the less fortunate. I'm known for feeding people when they claim poverty. Still, it makes me sick to come home, and see people at 5 working on a four-hour drunk. I hate that "boyfriends" are spending their baby mama's checks on 360s, playing games all day while I'm working to support them. I hate that my neighbors have all day to figure out how to rob me, while I'm working for what little I have.
I'm moving as soon as my lease is up, and that will solve my problems. However, it needs to be much, much harder to survive without any gainful employment. I see far too many people getting by on the hard work of those who do have jobs. - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -11/+105Lawyer? they are the biggest freeloaders of all.
- thatjoekid, on 10/11/2007, -14/+102Chronic Fatigue Syndrome != lazy.
There may be people out there who use the name/flimsy diagnosis (it's diagnosed by elimination... if you present a certain number of a set of symptoms and they can't find anything else wrong with you, you have CFS. As you can imagine, not having anything could be a pretty easy thing to fake) to get by without working, but that doesn't stop it being a real and highly debilitating medical condition. I've suffered from it for about two years, although I'm not on disability - I'm not a bad case, and am lucky enough to be able to hold down a full-time job with only occasional periods when I simply don't have the energy to do anything. My employer is more enlightened and understanding than most of you.
Still, there have been enough times when I haven't even had the energy to raise my head, brush my teeth, or even eat for me to get very, very angry when I read blanket statements telling me to "drink a red bull". Caffeine aggravates the most prevalent symptoms, you know.
And no, it's not psychosomatic - I hadn't heard of or encountered the condition when I got it following on from glandular fever. And no, it's not entirely psychological - I've woken up almost every morning for the last two years in fairly noticably physical pain. It's a very real physical condition.
Maybe the guy is using it as an excuse because he's lazy or can't cope with the world or whatever you want, but that doesn't mean everybody who claims to have CFS is out to pinch your pennies. Most of us are just ill, want to get better and are doing what we can until we are.
And no, I'm not defending this guy in particular. - Boshow, on 10/11/2007, -59/+130Hippies and freeloaders, what a surprise.
- thaglove10, on 10/11/2007, -2/+68I'm really sorry that everybody seems to think that the only people who aren't freeloaders are the people who work 9-5. Those are the best hours of the day to NOT be working. If you work nights and weekends you can go outside when it's sunny five days a week, go golfing, pick your kids up from school, actually get to the bank during business hours, and still make a lot of money. Imagine that.
- Machismo, on 10/11/2007, -61/+124No joke. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is BS. I am exhausted at the end of my day. Hell, often at the start. Sitting upright can make me tired. I still work my ass off and find enjoyment where I can.
I don't mind it except for one thing. We, the tax payers are paying for it. When our government's budget is so in the red and we have all these problems of REAL suffering, we help out a lazy bum like that. He's not even a good bum, put their by cruel chances. - mlvassallo, on 10/11/2007, -0/+55I deal with CFS and EBV and it can be a real problem at times. But I work and I get the rest I need.
If I don't I get strep throat like symptoms and a fever and I am down for the count.
It is a real disease and to make light of it just because you don't understand it is pretty retarded. - Sp0rAdiC, on 10/11/2007, -1/+53Eh, I work 30-40 hours a week between Friday afternoon and Sunday night, during the week I'm one of those people out on the street, doing nothing while most other people are working. It's a shame there aren't more people with that kinda schedule, I get pretty bored. Digg is only so entertaining.
- SpaceMonkeyZero, on 10/11/2007, -0/+37Peter Gibbons: What would you do if you had a million dollars?
Lawrence: I'll tell you what I'd do, man: two chicks at the same time, man.
Peter Gibbons: That's it? If you had a million dollars, you'd do two chicks at the same time?
Lawrence: Damn straight. I always wanted to do that, man. And I think if I were a millionaire I could hook that up, too; 'cause chicks dig dudes with money.
Peter Gibbons: Well, not all chicks.
Lawrence: Well, the type of chicks that'd double up on a dude like me do.
Peter Gibbons: Good point.
Lawrence: Well, what about you now? what would you do?
Peter Gibbons: Besides two chicks at the same time?
Lawrence: Well, yeah.
Peter Gibbons: Nothing.
Lawrence: Nothing, huh?
Peter Gibbons: I would relax... I would sit on my ass all day... I would do nothing.
Lawrence: Well, you don't need a million dollars to do nothing, man. Take a look at my cousin: he's broke, don't do *****. - BillOReilly08, on 10/11/2007, -4/+41@Bamont:
I don't understand what it's like to have bipolar disorder, but I respect that you do. You don't understand what it's like to have CFS. Please respect that I do. - Teku, on 10/11/2007, -1/+32To tell you the truth I am a bit jealous... I am at work right now though and surfing digg.
For every one of the people in the article there are probably a million people on the Internet not really working just sort of messing around. - xcbxcb, on 10/11/2007, -3/+33My wife and I split expenses. Our mortgage is $850/mo. I drive a 12 year old motorcycle that I paid for in cash, that gets 45mpg and that costs $110/year to insure. I have a library card and high speed - which takes care of entertainment expenses. I don't drink or smoke. My hobbies are cheap - circuit bending and fixing old bikes.
I'd never extrapolate and say that my choices are the best choices for all, but I can't imagine working a 40 hour week at a job that I even mildly disliked. It's weird. - graystar, on 10/11/2007, -4/+32When they get city wide WIFI in San Fran they will be here and start digging up stories on poetry.
- Teku, on 10/11/2007, -3/+30I very much agree with you.
- thcobbs, on 10/11/2007, -21/+48Welcome to the wonders of entitlements.
- ahhell, on 10/11/2007, -1/+26Hey tragic.
Linking to searchjerk is pretty much an Insta-ban on Digg. - PirateFSM, on 10/11/2007, -2/+27Because you're a spamming douchebag
- FriedTurkey, on 10/11/2007, -10/+35OK he was looking at people in San Fransisco. I think the results would be significantly different in any other city.
- calvmari, on 10/11/2007, -1/+26All the lonely people, where do they all come from,
all the lonely people, where do they all belong - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -4/+28You would probably get pretty bored without a job. Ever hear the old saying that "retirement is the #1 killer of old people"? People need jobs, or at least have a need to feel like they are accomplishing something or making a difference. Ever wonder why wives of millionaires and billionaires run charities in their spare time? Hell, even wives of guys who are just doing "well" end up working in retail at a make up counter, furniture store, or boutique somewhere. They get bored sitting around at home all day.
Street artists, beggers, etc. though they may not be contributing to the corporate money grinders of america, are still doing some kind of "job". It may not be the hardest work, but hey..neither is sitting in a room listening to middle class americans whine about their problems all day (therapist).
I'm not saying it wouldn't be nice to only work 20-30 hours/week instead of 40-50, but me personally, I get bored when I have more than a week off of work (unfortunately when I get bored, I somehow end up buying useless ***** that I don't need). There's only so much TV you can watch before you get tired of literally seeing the same shows with different characters or feel like you've seen practically everything there is to see on the internet. Sure I could travel in my spare time, but that requires money. I could spend all day at the park, but that ***** gets old too. I definitely wouldn't be able to hang out with friends because all of mine have jobs as well.
Nah, I'd rather be working, even if it's as a Best Buy delivery guy or something. It beats sitting on my ass all day..and it's exercise! - FishPoisonCon, on 10/11/2007, -0/+23"Imagine how many times your apartment will be robbed when half your neighborhood is starving"
yes, but imagine the peace and tranquility once they're "done" starving. j/k ;^)
/lives amongst the projects... sees this ***** everyday (they're not really all that different from the white trash upstate - trash is trash is trash) - sonaboy, on 10/11/2007, -4/+27the 40 hour work week is over-rated.
if you don't have to work all the time to get by, and don't need a truckload of stuff to live, why bother?
there's other people out there who need work to pay for kids, school, medical care, etc - let them work the hours.
work less, save smart, be happier. - CBCooper, on 10/11/2007, -1/+24I used to work in with setting up TV commercial times and I learned that in most areas almost 60% of people work non-traditional schedules which means they may be watching TV or shopping during the 9-5 period.
I myself have worked in business management for 15 years and have never worked a 9 -5 Monday -Friday schedule. Do you really think all those people who you buys stuff from on the weekend or who shovel your snow or who sew you up in the emergency room or who answer your tech support questions are working 9 -5 M-F?
It's nice to feel like we are surrounded by free loaders but most Americans work 40+ hours a week. Be glad if you are one of the lucky ones with a cushy 9-5 job! - BillOReilly08, on 10/11/2007, -3/+26@khyberkitsune:
I am a sufferer. I'm aware of pretty much everything there is to know about CFS. There is no currently approved medicine for CFS. All that you mentioned is not for CFS, but may help in different subsets of those with the disease. Antifungals for candida, antivirals for possible chronically active viruses, antidepressant for depression caused by having a chronic illness...
There is also new research pointing to a biological connection between CFS and autism. http://phoenix-cfs.org/GSH%20Methylation%20Van%20Konynenburg.htm
So yeah, I know what I'm talkin about.
The closest medicine to being approved for CFS is Ampligen, an immunomodulator, still in clinical trials. - dylan420, on 10/11/2007, -7/+29Are you jealous of being broke? or not getting laid?
- biggyfred, on 10/11/2007, -3/+24I work 12am to 830am. I sleep from around 2pm to 10pm. I'm one of these people.
- TrainingName, on 10/11/2007, -0/+19On a side note...
DOES soaping yourself underwater work? - serpentor, on 10/11/2007, -1/+20Seriously, many highways are packed from 10am-3pm. I always wonder what the hell all those people are doing..
- Wonkanobi, on 10/11/2007, -0/+18...and why aren't they on digg?
- khyberkitsune, on 10/11/2007, -7/+22@billoreilly08
"there is no currently approved medication for chronic fatigue syndrome."
http://www.immunesupport.com/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-treatment.htm
"There are currently no FDA-approved prescription medications for use in treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. There are, however, a number of medications that are used to treat the various symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Many are recommended for effects that may be unrelated to their primary use. These may include antidepressants, antifungals, antihistamines, antivirals, CNS depressants (or stimulants), immunoglobulins, cardiac medications, anti-inflammatories, anticonvulsants, corticoids, and expectorants.
Source: American Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, c/o Harborview Medical Center, 325 Ninth Avenue, Box 359780, Seattle, WA 98104"
How about you get some medical experience. Even EMT's are aware of possible treatment for sudden cases of CFS that involve a person collapsing to the ground for no apparent reason.
Buried for not doing your research and only relying upon one source that doesn't state much at all. - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -1/+16Chronic fatigue syndrome is not just "being lazy."
I have two friends with this and it's a leget disability.
http://www.cdc.gov/cfs/ - spyrochaete, on 10/11/2007, -0/+15If you have a specific article related to the topic, then go ahead and link it. Any idiot can do a search engine query, and nobody uses circlejerk or whatever your engine is called.
- sgglynn, on 10/11/2007, -1/+16"how do you afford rent and food and basic things like that?"
Kickbacks from textbook companies that send him fat checks for making his students buy a $180 book he'll never make them use - thats not directed at you really... just any prof or adjunct that makes book mandatory and doesn't use them - notcarsondaly, on 10/11/2007, -3/+18As a home owner (or even a responsible renter), "Section 8" is the worst phrase you can hear as your new neighbor moves in. Most of the people on that program have no respect for other people or their property. This is probably why they are on Section 8 assistance to begin with. I know we deal with it in my neighborhood everyday. It is a nice townhouse community. The houses are older but most of them are well maintained and most of them are owned by the people who actually live there. However, the Section 8 renters have no respect for anyone else who works and lives in the community. They know their rent is basically paid for, so why should they care? Every evening after dinner, I have to ask the kids from these few houses, to "please stop climbing all over cars", "please don't trample my wife's garden", "please stop ramming your bikes and skateborads into the cars", "please stop loitering around and having loud conversations at 1:00am", etc. It only gets wrose in the Summer when school is out. Of course, being a white male, who actually has worked and still works to pay for his house and cars, I'm wrong for asking someone to have a little more respect for others.
- VeganBob, on 10/11/2007, -0/+14"Which leaves 55 million to do the work.
Of this there are 35 million employed by the federal government.
Leaving 15 million to do the work."
I realize you didn't write it, but doesn't 55 - 35 = 20? - TheTankengine, on 10/11/2007, -3/+16@lacero
Whoa! You got a Mac?! That's totally relevant! - FallenWings, on 10/11/2007, -0/+13My best friend here at Davidson has CFS. He too was diagnosed by elimination... they tried everything else. He used to be a runner, but his health has deteriorated so rapidly since his matriculation in college that at this pace, he'll be bedridden by the time he graduates. The heart rate at which his body begins to produce waste is that of a 92 year old man. He lives in Florida, but can't go home to his family this summer because he needs to be close to his specialist in Charlotte.
So, Bamont, keep in mind that while sufferers of CFS may be mentally sound, how can they fully enjoy their own lives as they watch their bodies waste away into nothing more than broken vessels?
It may sound crazy, but not so long ago, people were saying the same thing about bipolar disorder. - k1down, on 10/11/2007, -0/+13Yeah, where I live you'd be hard pressed to find an artist in a park from 9-5. They are at work too.
- sgglynn, on 10/11/2007, -0/+13Plus we have to wait until later to open all the NSFW articles. Those lazy folks can open them up whenever they please
- dn11, on 10/11/2007, -3/+15this guy should do a survey of people in cubicals and find out just exactly what kind of "work" they are getting done. i'll tell you from personal experience - both in the corporate world and in government offices there is a whole lot of time wasting going on a majority of the time - tell me diggers am I right or am i right? (any remember THAT scene from Brazil)
- jiggawoot, on 10/11/2007, -0/+12I was thinking about this a few months back. Not so much people walking about on the streets, but similar.
It was a particularly nice Wednesday, definitely not the sort of day you'd want to be at work (unless you worked on the beach). I was sitting at my desk eating lunch, just gazing out the window. In that 45 minutes period, I counted no less that 112 yachts sailing about in Sydney harbour. What do these people do for a living that they can afford to sail around all afternoon, and yet are not at work after 12pm on a Wednesday?
Furthermore, how do I get a job like this? -
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