Sleepers' Dreams

While the mortgage meltdown has forced many families to abandon their homes and their dreams, I find this particular story particularly heartbreaking. The Sleepers of Festus, Missouri took the concept of a "dream house" to quite a different level. After buying a cave on ebay, the Sleepers, huh, what's that? Oh, yes, they bought a cave. On ebay. They bought a cave on ebay, and lived in a tent in the cave for five years while they designed and built a house to go in the cave. This photo collection shows just how much blood (beware the surprise picture of a nail gun injury), sweat, and tears they personally put into building the house.

The Sleepers built the house mostly with their own labor, including a lot of help from their kids. I don't think anyone in 21st century America, besides the Amish, is this involved in the design and building of their own home. And I applaud their anti-coddling of their offspring. How many parents today would let their kids within ten feet of a floor sander or a scissor lift?

Sadly, the balloon in their mortgage came at the same time as the bust of the economy, leaving them unable to afford living in their labor of love. Completing the circle of life, they have put the house up on ebay. They are trying to find a buyer, or a financier, or some sort of happy ending. Hopefully someone will come to their rescue and let them keep living the dream.

The Maligned Secrets of the DABA Sisterhood

The last couple of days have found the NYC news and blog worlds abuzz about these girls, girlfriends of men in finance who are dealing with the fallout of a tumbling Wall Street. Their blog is meant to provide support to the women whose significant others are stressed about the security of their finance-industry jobs.

Oh yeah, it sounds all warm and fuzzy and "let's stand together and comfort each other in this hard time." Yet it quickly becomes apparent when reading their posts that these women are not feeling the economic pinch in the same way as other Americans. While millions are trying to figure out how to pay their rent or feed their kids, these soulless wenches are bemoaning the decreased frequency of spa facials and $400 dinners. They complain about being stuck with men who they think are pathetic shells of what they once were. I swear, as you read the blog, your stomach turning further with every line, you can actually hear their high-pitched whining clawing its way out of the computer. I believe the highlight of the site is when multiple women, some married, exclaim, "this is not what I signed on for!" Um, no, you signed on "for better or for worse." Did you ask your husband if he signed on for a gold digger who would find him repulsive without his billion-dollar bonus?

I would suggest that someone should take these girls to Darfur or a Mumbai slum for a weekend getaway to give them a little perspective, but that would imply that they actually had a conscience or a shred of self-awareness, and would be able to comprehend why they should perhaps keep their sob stories to themselves. That being said, blog on ladies, and stay strong in these trying times!