Jimmy Jimmy

I'm in the process of downloading Britney's interview with Jimmy Kimmel just before the release of "In The Zone" back in 2003. Time flies doesn't it? I still remember rushing down to HMV on Monday to pick up the CD. Pity it didn't sell better. =(

The past few weeks of work have just worn me out so I'm very grateful for that precious day off tomorrow. I don't really care if it feels better to take a Monday off (you know...long weekend and all)...I just need a break PRONTO. And yeah some of you may be wondering, "How tiring can army life as a clerk be?". Well, I'm the type of person who gets very tired when asked to do mundane/useless/boring tasks which I have no interest in and could not care less about.

Aye aye. Isn't the situation in Germany just so frustrating? Here in a country in need of some serious economic reform, an economy that is FINALLY showing some signs of life after being moribund for years. I'm quite certain that with that extra push, Deutschland could serve as a model for other European countries (France, Italy etc) with bloated welfare systems that are in dire need of reform. Yet, the German public has basically shown that it is still adverse to the concept of 'no pain no gain' by not giving Dr. Angela Merkel the full support she needed to form a coalition government of her own CDU and the FP. Of course, Ms Merkel strikes me as having the charisma and personality of a pile of rocks, but what could possibly be worse than yet ANOTHER term for Gerhard Schroder? In my humble opinion he has steered Germany in the wrong direction by siding with the French and acting as a counterweight to US power instead of an ally and friend. Let's not forget that without the Marshall Plan, Germany would probably not be the world's third largest economy today. Putting the issue of loyalty aside, Schroder's limp wristed reforms have certainly done little to help Germany's economy. Sure there are signs of recovery, but I think that this can be attributed more to Corporate Germany than any of la Schroder's policies. Besides, I doubt the momentum can be sustained without some serious reform.

It would be appropriate to compare Germany with their world war ally Japan. Both countries suffered humiliating defeats, both then miraculously grew to become the third and second largest economies in the world respectively, and both then experienced stagnation. Yet, the prospects for Japan certainly appear more bright than they do for Germany. This was reinforced by the re-election of Koizumi who basically made reform the top issue in his campaign. Perhaps the Japanese have finally realised that the only way to get out of the rut they are in is to brace themselves for painful reform. Unfortunately this is a lesson the Germans have apparently yet to learn.

Now now...if you read this and think 'This fool doesn't know what the hell he is talking about, things aren't so simple', just remember that I am only 19...losing brain cells for a good part of the day (ie from the moment I enter camp to the moment I book out), and just wish to keep those intellectual juices flowing a little. I don't claim to know everything (altho' I would love to).

I'm going to have a nice slow day tomorrow. Just going to relax and unwind. I hope the sun's gonna be shining brightly. And I think I've overreacted to that situation too many times to actually have any negative feelings right now.