The urge to perform and underplay hurts from the opposite direction, too. One time someone tried to brag about having been so mentally ill in college she'd been required to take therapy sessions to stay in school, and her bubble was burst so hard when I shrugged and said, "Who hasn't?"

For a moment, I thought you'd written "dismembered". It needs that, too.

I call on my inner Kuzco to channel my feelings about the economy. Destructive, disastrous and a world of pain? Fine. "Bring it on."

We need to bring back torches and pitchforks. And angry mobs.