I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Friday, February 5, 2010

A statistic on a government chart

Today the news was all over that unemployment dropped to 9.7% ("Celebrate good times" it's not), but still lost 20,000 jobs last month. Well, it's all about sadistic statistics. One, each number is produced by different agencies going by different collection techniques. Actually the really good news is that temp employment is up and so are hours worked. Those stats are more important than others as they're the leading indicators of employment trends (as employment is a trailing indicator of the economy as a whole). So I was more heartened to hear that temp work is up and hours worked are up.

I guess that means I should get registered with the creative temp agencies.

Today I did a lot of driving, playing chauffeur for Bette, and I needed to get out of the house. Put a different perspective on things. And I discovered, part of my neck problem was driving. I had been slowly getting better, but now I hurt again. Good thing one of the stops was to pick up a "cervical traction set." This is the play at home version of the traction unit my chiropractor had been using which actually helped relieve a lot of pain. Until I had to stand up. Gravity is a bitch.

So tonight I'll rig myself up, and do it each day. I really wish congress would just pass the damn Senate Health bill already. Why? Well, I have a diagnosis that basically says I have a pinched nerve because of disk compression and injury. That, as they say, is a "pre-existing condition." So is the metabolic syndrome (what I take the metformin for). Since the business closed, there's no COBRA. Yeah. I'm even more in favor of insurance reform.

However, I've been loosing weight this past week. I'm already past my goal for two months from now (using the Wii Fit Plus). Actually, I'm past my second goal (where I added another 3 lbs to the goal). Yeah, I'm trying to look on the bright side.

How have you all been doing? And yeah, I know, I need to post more and I need to frickin' get back to the writing part. I need to look at this as an opportunity. It's difficult for me to see it that way.

Oh yeah, that statistic, my job is .005% of those jobs lost last month.

3 comments:

David Klecha said...

Ugh that sucks, man.

On the upside for me, I got offered a new job today, which I'm jumping all over of course. Seems like a stable company and all that, so hopefully I'm good to go for a bit. But I feel for you. I was in a bad way, emotionally, when I first got laid off, and it was almost impossible to get creative.

Hang in there. Hopefully things are turning around just in time.

Steve Buchheit said...

Hey man, that's great news for you. I'm psyched. Almost as much as seeing an editor go you his card. You go, dude.

Yeah, I'm finally going through the "I'm seriously pissed" emotions right now. So hopefully I'll be past the 7 stages of grief and back to writing by the end of the super bowl.

Steve Buchheit said...

"editor give you his card"

and yet another example of why editors are so important to the process. :)