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今天上班的时候收听广播节目，讨论的话题是美国的 "农民工"。
且慢，农民工是专门指从中国农村来城市打工的农民弟兄姐妹们，难道美国也有 "农民工"？
答案是：美国不但有，而且还很多呢。
听完这个节目我才知道，原来在美国的就业人口中，有三分之一左右并没有固定职业，他们做的工作多是以合同工 (Contractor)，临时工 (Temporary)，季节工 (Seasonal) 以及项目咨询 (Consultant) 等形式出现。工资收入不高不算，而且工作根本也没有保障，更没有医疗保险 (Health Insurance)，残障保险 (Disability Insurance)，退休金 (Retirement) 以及社保基金 (Social Security)。如果他们失去了工作，连失业金 (Unemployment Benefit) 都一分拿不到，当然也不会统计在失业人口中!
当然，在美国这部分就业人口也是有尊称的，但不叫 "农民工"，因为都是洋人嘛。他们被尊称为各式各样的 "Freelance (福利烂死) worker"。比如，freelance driver，freelance economist，freelance writer 等。在这部分工作人口中，有不少是家庭主妇，但也有很多专业人士，当然更多的还是西裔等少数族裔人口。
但可喜的是，当今美国经济衰退严重，在 "裁员滚滚" 的浪潮下，"Freelance" 们却没有受到严重打击，因为正式员工裁去后，老板再招回一些 "Freelance" 们，可以省下不少开支呢!
Long live FREE ----------- Lance!
在这艰难的时刻，介绍一首诙谐幽默充满乐观的歌曲
Times Is Hard
By Loudon Wainwright III
(请点击箭头播放)
Times is hard. Times is tough.
Nothin's easy. It's all rough.
There's not much right; so much gone wrong.
All I can do is play this song.
You're watchin' the news. It all looks bad.
The worst half-hour you ever had.
What in God's name is goin' on?
All I can do is play this song.
You're losin' your job, your house and your car.
Hittin' rock bottom don't feel that far.
Nothin' good is gonna come along.
All I can do is play this song.
Folks are scared watchin' that news.
Folks feel bad. They're gettin' the blues.
My poor stomach, it ain't that strong.
All I can do is play this song.
Times is rough. Times is hard.
Take a pair of scissors to your credit card.
Circuit City just said, 'So long.'
All I can do is play this song.
Who's at fault? Who gets the blame?
Let's string up Bernie what's-his-name.
And ask Alan Greenspan to come along.
All I can do is play this song.
They want your gold, and they'll pay cash.
The only silver lining is the price of gas.
Money's short and the odds are long.
All I can do is play this song.
The factory's closed. The bank is bust.
On the money it says, 'In God We Trust.'
So pray for all your stocks and bonds.
All I can do is play this song.
Outta luck. Outta hope.
I'm wonderin' why I even cast that vote.
I took that sign offa my front lawn.
All I can do is play this song.
There's a new man down there in D.C.
They say he's gonna help you and me.
They sure know how to bang the gong.
All I can do is play this song.
Last man in D.C., he had eight years.
Now the whole damn country is in arrears.
We got two, three, four wars goin' on.
All I can do is play this song.
Times is hard. Times is rough.
I guess you folks need some cheerin' up.
Well it ain't me babe. You got that wrong.
All I can do is play this song.
You heard it here. I sang it first.
Don't feel so bad; things are gonna get worse.
Consider yourselves all strung along.
All I can do is play this song.
All I can do is ...
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