Bill Cosby was right

"There's always worse."
I'd love to be optimistic in today's economy but somehow I just can't find any light at the end of the tunnel. It's as if someone turned it off and we're just feeling our way in the dark wondering what we'll trip over next. In the back of one's mind is that nagging feeling that unlike the trapped miners in Chile there's no rescue crew with large drilling machine. And for some reason, maybe fate, like your shoe laces that break at the most inopportune time, things wear out. The crown you had just finished paying off falls out. The sink decides to start leaking and you find an electrical problem that requires an expensive part to fix. Maybe we could find a name for Mr. Worse. Can't think of a good one off hand at the moment.
Anecdotally I look around the neighborhood and see nine cars parked. Nine people that aren't going to work. A convenience store near me put up a sign the other week saying close out sale. They're gone now, empty in just 10 days. Then there's the oil change place that moved in about a month ago. I haven't seen more than one or two customers in there in any given day. The grease monkeys walk around talking to each other and smoking. Like a street musician with a tip jar one of the guys moved his car into the bay to make it look like they had customers. Maybe the owner was due to visit.
I don't know how it could get much worse but I know it will. I've called all the potential leads that I can think of with no luck. Always the same answer, thought we'd have work but it dried up. A neighbor wants me to help her move. I'll take cash for that job. She thinks she can rent her place for enough to get by. I hate to be the one to tell her that Mr. Worse is about to pay her a visit. Rents are going down here because there's so many empty places. People like her are doubling up to make ends meet only Mr. Worse has moved the ends.
Looking through the job ads I find yet more scams (Mr worse at his best). Slipped in to the RN and IT positions are work at home scams that have been out there for years although not in the want ads. It surprises me that the get rich quick real estate scams haven't gotten more attention but then again with home values still falling even the scammers can't fool anyone.

I've got news burnout so...

And it's caturday anyway.

It's Friday, already?

Computer running very slow bank failures later maybe.

That's wierd. There's no bank fails this week or maybe their computers are down.

Leave it to MIT for a better answer

Oil cleaning robot army
This strange looking contraption is what the oil industry should have been working on for the last twenty years or so. It's a robotic oil skimmer that can work for months by itself cleaning up oil spills. Seems we can spend billions of dollars on drones and robots to kill people why not something for the benefit of man. But silly me I know once the military gets it's hands on this they'll try to figure out how to turn it into a weapon.

I think I mention this once before, that I wouldn't be too sad if my profession was turned over to robots.


Keep your drums upright or let a robot right it for you.

U.S. Navy and G4, open mouth insert foot

G4 ANNOUNCES GROUNDBREAKING NEW SERIES "BOMB PATROL: AFGHANISTAN" FOLLOWING REAL-LIFE MILITARY PERSONNEL IN COMBAT OVERSEAS

Cameras to Follow Explosive Ordnance Disposal Combat Platoon From San Diego Training Through Actual Missions in Afghanistan Via Exclusive United States Navy Access Agreement

Los Angeles, CA, August 24, 2010 - Last year, the Academy Award-winning film "The Hurt Locker" introduced audiences around the globe to the high-pressure world of the brave men and women who diffuse and dismantle explosives in some of the most high-pressure terrorist hotbeds. However, when it comes to this specialized and incredibly dangerous military job, make believe is nothing compared to the real thing. Now for the first time, G4 will take viewers to Afghanistan with real members of the United States Navy who have trained extensively to face the specialized challenges that come with this high-risk military position and are honored to wear the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) badge. This is action, suspense and drama unlike anything captured on film before and failure is never an option. Produced by Big Fish Entertainment, under a special agreement with the United States Navy, "Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan" is slated to premiere spring 2011.
(via Futon Critic)


Let me interject: This is not some latest version of "lost" or "survivor". This is real life folks. The "loser" here can lose his/her life. There was no mention of just how they'd deal with an actual explosion during the course of the program. This is a very bad attempt at a 21st century version of the Colosseum. The troops have their hands full with missions at hand. They don't need to be made a spectacle for some network's ratings.
I encourage all to drop a line to G4 and let them know what you think. I could expect as much from a profit seeking network exec. The Navy should have know better.

The scoop

I've been following the job boards for a couple of years now with no success. One of the first things I noticed were a couple of jobs on the state run boards that had been there for over a year. I know for a fact that they were dead ends because I ran into a guy who got the job. The next thing I noticed was jobs being listed more than once. Having had a small business some years back I know how that works. The paper lists a duplicate listing and charges the business an extra listing fee. But I'm seeing this even more now. If a pizza joint is looking for a delivery guy the online paper lists all of the companies' locations and possible positions making it look like they need a mass of people and that there are a bunch of jobs to be had. Not true. I'm sure when even the slightest word goes out that there may be a position, the company gets flooded with applicants. I know this from when I was a photographer on the road and needed a receptionist. An add was placed in the local paper the day before I got to the town. When I arrived 50 resumes were sitting there waiting.

What are companies doing? They're cutting their staffs to the bare minimum until extra help is needed. Then they'll hire somebody for maybe a week or less to get caught up then lay them off. It's happened to me twice now. They won't keep me because they'd have to pay more for me than a entry level person but they know I'll get the job done without the long training process. So as you can see millions of us can't get ahead. Even working one day a week makes you employed (has to be reported) but isn't enough to survive.

Busy

Busy shoveling out the rat hole here before fall and winter weather hits. We should have a few more nice days before the rain comes.

So Glen Beck thinks 99ers are a bunch of foreigners does he? Don't get me started. That weasel would tell you his grandmother was an axe murderer if he thought he could make a nickle off of it. I truely wish progressive radio and TV would stop focusing on these guys because you know what happens when you ignore somebody? They go away. I'm beginning to think that a good chunk of Fox viewers are just progressives looking for the topic d jour. As if we don't have enough problems without having to listen to a bunch of undereducated monkeys spout lies.

Jobs
I'll go into that topic later as I've found out what's really going on. Really need to get going as somehow my posessions have magically cloned themselves since the last time I cleaned out the storage.