Too much depressing news

By Staff
Scot Beard
There have been roughly six weeks of the new year and there is only one way to sum them up – 2009 has been a bummer.
The work force in the United States was reduced by almost 600,000 people in January.
After these people lost their jobs, they turned on the television to find the banks and Wall Street firms receiving money from the government stimulus/bailout plan paid their CEOs multimillion dollar bonuses.
I guess I am in the wrong business. I can run a bank into the ground too, and I will only do it for a discounted $500,000.
The sliding economy is being felt not only here, but also around the world.
The International Monetary Fund announced the economic outlook for the entire world is the worst it has been in 60 years.
That is not good because when times get hard in some countries bad things happen. Remember, Adolph Hitler was elected while Germany was in a deep depression.
Speaking of war, the year started with Israel and Hamas engaged in 22 days of violence ending Jan. 17. An estimated 1,200 people – mostly Palestinians – died during the conflict.
Hopes for peace in the Middle East have been dealt another blow with the miniature war.
When times are getting this bad people often turn to sports to take their minds off their problems, but even this is beginning to be disappointing.
This past weekend it was revealed New York Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriquez used steroids during part of his career.
With many fans turning away from the game because of the current steroid scandal, Rodriquez was supposed to be the player to save the game by breaking the records set by the steroid users. Oops.
Rodriquez, unlike many of his Major League Baseball brethren, admitted his use – sort of.
Yes 2009 has definitely gotten off to a bad start and, unfortunately, it will probably get worse before it gets better. Here's hoping things start to turn around before 2010.
Since there are 45 weeks remaining this year, surely fate will squeeze a few good ones in there somewhere.