Sunday mornings I file my unemployment claim. The state has it set up so that I can only file on a certain day, and at certain times in that day. Yes, I file online, but they run it like an office, as if the computer needs time off. Typical Connecticut.
My original 26 weeks ran out last month. An 'emergency' 20 weeks, which I am now collecting, was available. It will run out around Thanksgiving. Technically there is more money available after that, but the reporting procedures become so extreme as to make it impossible for most people to get. This, of course, is the idea.
The state computer is so overloaded that I have only been able to use it at six in the morning. Any other time resulted in ten minute page loads followed by disconnects and error messages. Lately it has been overloaded even first thing in the morning. The number of people filing seems to be increasing.
In 1980, the 'official vehicle' of the US Ski Team was the the AMC Eagle. In 1981, it was the Subaru. Here, looking back, you could see the beginning of our national decrepitude. The Subaru makes me laugh. In the early 70s, when I lived on Gaylord street in Denver, there was a car lot just around the corner on Colfax. It had 50 Subarus. The car had two doors, and seating for two. The rear wheels were closer together than the front wheels, as I recall. Each car was white, there were no other colors. They cost $1500. They sat there for about six months. Nobody bought one. One day I walked by and the lot was empty. They were all gone. I was soon to find out where they went. On Saturday I saw them all on television. They were in a demolition derby.
In 1985, I watched Reagan sign off on the sale of the US semiconductor industry to Asia. He had to sign off on this because there was some thinking that this industry might be key to defense. There was still the memory of WWII, when shipping was risky, and we couldn't get rubber from India. By 1995, 35% of defense-related components were supplied by off-shore manufacturers. I watched the signoff on television with great interest, as I was working in the semiconductor industry at the time. Reagan signed with glee.
In 1990, the Perkin Elmer Corp. folded up its tent. They had been responsible for the development of the projection mask aligner, the machine that made possible the mass production of integrated circuits. They built the Hubbell space telescope. They had been the industry leader in labratory analytical instruments. Their tech accomplishments were substantial. The incredulous employees watched what they called the 'hostile giveaway.' It was at this time that I lost my job there. But the board were no fools. It was time to take the money and run.
The main building on Rt.7 in Norwalk still stood ten years ago, deserted. The parking lot was cracked, and plants grew up through the cracks. It looked like "Life After People," on the History Channel. It saddened me to see it. When this company went, the first half of my working life went with it. I never worked as a design engineer again. Like the board, I saw the future.
My heart was never in tech writing. I could take no pride in it. It is very un-challenging, and far too formulaic. Yes, I did hone my skill with the written word during this time, but although I acknowledge it, I cannot bring myself to feel gratitude for it. Two years worth of honing is not worth 20 years of bullshit. I have watched as the enterprise acquired the morals of a crack junkie, and the filching of the common man around the world was called 'creating wealth.' What we actually created was trickle-down poverty.
This morning's headline says, "President Urges Public Patience on Economy." I have patience. I am patiently waiting for our leaders, and our country, to realize that the horses are dead. We beat them too hard, for too long, and now they are dead. No economic mumbo-jumbo is going to bring them back to life. The thing is, we still have this wagon load of shit to get into town. Like alcoholism, unless there is recognition of the reality of the matter, and a willingness to make a change, the condition will persist. I hope I live long enough to see the resolution. I feel like I've already paid for the ticket.
"All for sale, all for sale..." Smooth Walker in Dr.Detroit, 1983
"What we actually created was trickle-down poverty." Brilliant line, absolutely brilliant.
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