4 Lakewood, Washington Police Officers Killed

Police officers Mark Renninger, Ronald Owens, Tina Griswald, and Greg Richards were killed Sunday morning in a senseless shooting in Lakewood, WA. The four officers were all veterans, with kids, families. Just horrific. Our entire state is traumatized. Please keep their families and friends in your thoughts.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34194122/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope you have a great Thanksgiving!

Veterans Day

Fort Hood, Texas, 1974

Bill HR3962

Bill HR3962, Affordable Health Care for America Act passes in the House! 220-215 It goes to the Senate to be reconciled with their version and final passage.

Go O

"I won't let up until the Americans who want to find work can find work," President Barack Obama said about the 10.2 percent unemployment rate.

Signs of the Great Recession of 2009

The entrance to the condos where I live. I see this every day. They've been there for at least 5 months. By a vote of 403-12 the House just passed the Unemployment Extension Bill which contains the Home Buyer Tax Credit.

Thank you

Thank you Senate for voting 98-0 to extend unemployment benefits. I hope I don't have to rely on it but it buys time for the economy to recover enough for employers to start hiring again. Congratulations to the New York Yankees on winning their 27th World Series title.

Hunting wabbits

Out in the forest on a cool, crisp autumn day I ran across a trail that disappeared into a hedge. My curiosity got the better of me and I stooped to see where it went. In the dirt I noticed a trail of candy corn. Not one to let a mystery go unsolved, I started to follow this unusual confectionery into the thick undergrowth. After a few meters the candy disappeared and were replaced by potato chips. After ten minutes the trail burst into a clearing covered in brilliant sunlight. I was unable to pick up the trail of chips as the trail itself had disappeared as well as the chips. In the middle of the clearing was a small lake (or pond) covered with lily pads. On the shore giant cattails swayed in a light breeze. Overhead, clouds billowed cottony white pillows that cast shadows on the ground. I was shocked to see one cloud slowly form itself into a large wabbit. Another cloud became dark and ominous as it formed into the shape of a wifle. All of a sudden I heard a crack and saw a huge bolt of lightning shoot out from the wifle and hit the wabbit. This, needless to say, woke me up with a start and I hit my alarm immediately determined to write all this down before I forgot it. No more banana peach mint chip ice cream smoothies before bedtime.

An adventure in job hunting

After 19 years with my last company, I took job security for granted. I have my three jobs in for this week. The state requires this or three approved job-search activities (workshops) each week in order to collect unemployment. Today's effort yielded five jobs I feel I might be able to do.

Over the course of eight months I have become adept at spotting trends in the employment market for the Puget Sound area. When all of this started for me in February, 2009, the state listed up to 1200 jobs on their job source website for the Tacoma area. Today that has dropped to about 700. A majority of jobs are in healthcare. My early experiences at St. Mary Hospital as an orderly and at St. Elizabeth trauma informed my decision that I didn't want a career in the health field.

I maintain three different versions of my resume on the state's unemployment website. One for my extensive 36 year mapping career, one for computer technician and the other for risk management (security services). The one for security services I rarely give out because most of those jobs (rent-a-cops) are union and pay minimum wage.

I have nothing against unions (I was a union member for 10 years) but they are hurting right now due to the economy. And I feel they don't have the clout they used to have. Boeing (Seattle) is opening another factory in South Carolina because it is a non-union shop. I didn't understand the union's reasoning for striking last year when the economy was going to hell. They cut off their nose to spite their face.

My unemployment runs out in January unless Congress extends it for a third time. I can survive being on unemployment (no debt) but this isn't a way to live. My only consolation is I'm one of fifteen million others, including cousins and nephews in the same leaking, sinking boat.

Is anyone hiring?

As of today I have applied for 108 jobs. I was laid off for economic reasons in February. I read at least 4.6 other people on average have applied for the same jobs. At least I know I have the .6 person beat. Haven't had any problems looking for work. Thankfully all online. Washington State is very supportive of the unemployed. Just have to get employers to hire again. The weather is starting to change and the leaves are falling. I keep busy, mostly keeping my Facebook up to date and following a bunch of people on Twitter. I play guitar and read alot (just finished Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol"). I just started a book that explains Einstein's Theory of Relativity. Deep.

Putting the unemployment situation into perspective (hit the "play" button on the chart)
My Twitter feed