Unemployed in Michigan

Folks in Illinois think they have it bad. When it comes to (un)employment, they should take a gander at Michigan. Yeah, it's a great place to vacation. It also leads the country in unemployment (current rate: 15.2 percent). Another dubious distinction, recently reported in The Wall Street Journal:

Only one state -- Michigan -- saw statistically significant increases in poverty two years in a row.

When looking for blogs (like mine) that detail life in a "jobless economy," where better to turn than Unemployed in Michigan?

"Unemployed in Michigan" offers "advice, activities, and discussions on how to survive the unemployment experience." In reading through a number of posts, I grew to appreciate the blogger's practical perspective and no-nonsense voice. As he relates in his first (April 23) post:

When I was first laid off I thought I could take advantage of my project manager certification and experience. But no one would hire me... The challenge was to stay busy at home. I became adept at this and suddenly knew that if I did retire I would not have any problems filling my time – something I had worried about. Becoming involved in my hobbies and working out each day became necessary to stay sane. I got good at planning and making dinners.

He compares getting laid off in 2003 versus 2009:

This time I have a much more ominous feeling about it. The economy has tanked now as everyone knows. The press seems to be changing in the way it is referring to the economy over the past few months. A few months ago I only read comparisons to the crash in the 80’s. This progressed to making comparisons to the economy after World War 2. Today they are saying it is the worst since the great Depression.

A sobering thought for all of us.

In the same vein, there's an uncomplicated, homespun look to the site... until you notice the variety of categories in the sidebar. How does a reader differentiate between General, Unemployment, and Job Search? Also, depending on the category, one is left questioning, "Is this thread still topical?" For example, while Health Care Debate has an entry as recent as September 13, the most recent post to Unemployment is dated June 25 (while the Job Search category only goes up to May).

A number of the posts begin with "Day XX" of the blogger's job search -- a nifty device to show how the search is, or isn't, progressing. However, in toggling between categories, we find that this continuity, this through-line, goes out the window. We get a confusing melange of posts pertinent to that category. Moreover, readers may be left to wonder how many posts overlap between categories ("Didn't I just read this in that other category?").

Another concern: some readers may be intimidated by the amount of text in some posts. Granted, there's an unfettered, stream-of-consciousness feel, but readers tend to favor a snappy, visually oriented approach -- short paragraphs plus photos, videos, and links that speak to the subject (links seem especially vital when the blogger's tackling complex/contentious issues such as health-care reform).

In short, I can relate to this blog. I'm dealing with many of the same struggles as this honest and helpful blogger. But I could relate better if the site were more reader friendly, more ably organized.

Stay-at-Home Dad

The decision to use a stay-at-home dad arrangement is most commonly due to economic reasons. There has been a disappearance of the types of white-collar jobs that men have traditionally filled. Many middle-aged men have become essentially unemployable, thereby causing a role reversal for economic reasons.

What's more:

[M]any men struggle to find acceptance within the role of stay-at-home dad despite the many gains that have been made. Many worry about losing business skills and their "professional place in line". There is a common misconception that stay-at-home dads cannot get a job and therefore must rewrite the typical family roles...

Comforting thoughts (from wikipedia). And, with the burgeoning number of stay-at-home dads, a reason why there are so many "stay-at-home dad" blogs out there. Everything from fathers chronicling each loose tooth, to sharing resources (anyone for The Daddy Shift: How Stay-at-Home Dads, Breadwinning Moms, and Shared Parenting Are Transforming the American Family?), to defending their status.

Because I'm unemployed, at home, and a dad, I sampled some of these Mr. Mom blogs:

• Being Michael's Daddy - A Spartan site, employing the same template I'm using for "The Reconstructed Man." I would say it's as unadorned ("sparing" or "focused" if you're being kind) as my PB, but this blogger (Michael's daddy) includes photos, videos, and audio files which help to vivify and personalize the site. The posts can get a little long but I liked the authentic, heartfelt approach (running the gamut from Michael's illness to the blogger's interest in "Scooby Doo" sound effects). Note: This blog recently moved to a new site. Although the design is significantly different/richer, I leave it to the reader to determine what was gained by the move.
• Memoirs of a Stay at Home Dad - A robust site with a host of sidebar features (including links to other "stay-at-home dad" blogs). Plenty to see and do here (photos from the Disney World trip, Cool Video!, Great Book!) but -- rolling out another Greek analogy -- the site came across as a Trojan horse. The content struck me as laborious: the blogger seems to recount every minute in his daughter's day (good for posterity but numbing for the reader). Ultimately, it seems like little more than filler when you notice the blogger's plugs for "Stay At Home Dads Moneymakers" and "Amazing New Opportunity!!!" With each shrill shill, the blogger's credibility goes out the door.
• At Home Father - Not the slickest site but certainly a functional and engaging one. This blogger, Brian Berliner, has a lively voice and a sense of humor (hey, he was even featured in a TV news story on, you guessed it, stay-at-home dads). Although there's a fair amount of "baby talk"/surviving the first 90 days (don't want to relive my daughter's infancy, thank you very much), I liked the tone. Unlike the preceding blogs, this is a blog I'd keep reading.

Which is not to disparage the other blogs. Every blogger has an agenda. A survey of these sites helped make that clear. (By the same token, every reader has his/her preferences.) The review process raised a slew of questions: "How much content is enough/too much? How many visuals and sidebar items are enough/too much? What's too boring? What's too busy?" No easy answers, but all options and ideas for me to consider in my own blogs.

Consumer Literacy

One of the books I'm reading is Social Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. To learn more about Goleman -- background, research, ideas -- I visited his blog. Not surprisingly, Goleman is promoting his new book Ecological Intelligence.

In addition to a captivating video (Goleman being interviewed by Bill Moyers), the blog includes a link to TIME, which showcased ecological intelligence as "One of 10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now." The TIME piece posits that

[A]s the global economy has grown, our ability to make complex products with complex supply chains has outpaced our ability to comprehend the consequences — for ourselves and the planet.... [N]othing in evolution has prepared us to understand the cumulative impact that imperceptible amounts of industrial chemicals may have on our children's health or the slow-moving, long-term danger of climate change. Scanning the supermarket aisles, we lack the data to understand the full impact of what we choose — and probably couldn't make sense of the information even if we had it.

Which started me thinking about consumer literacy. Everything we buy is so processed, so chemical laden, it's difficult to tell what's harmless (let alone beneficial) and what's toxic. Consumers are beset with messages, stumbling through a haze of hype and counter-hype. What's accurate? Fabricated? Proven? Dubious?

To help, Goleman recommends a number of resources including Good Guide (ratings of natural, green, and healthy products) and Skin Deep (cosmetic safety reviews). There are options. We have a choice: be a dupe or an informed consumer. Shop "without consequences." Or make wise, ecologically sound decisions.

The more you learn, the more you realize: you can be kind to the planet and to your pocketbook. In many ways, it's more costly to be ignorant.

Not "Or" but "And"

In his September 14 post in The Daily Dish, Andrew Sullivan announced he had a cover story -- an open letter to George W. Bush -- in the latest issue of The Atlantic. He also made "a simple request":

If you appreciate the magazine's decision to sail into the commercial winds on this subject, and to use the word "torture" to describe what was done on its cover, one way you can show that appreciation is by subscribing or picking up a copy at the newsstands. That helps remind editors in the fast-shrinking world of magazines that ballsy, public interested decisions need not be commercially disastrous.

The next week, The New York Times reported that:

Within two days after last Monday’s post, Mr. Sullivan’s appeal pulled in 75 percent of the subscriptions that the Web site draws in a typical month, the magazine’s publisher, Jay Lauf, said. The Atlantic expects this month’s subscription orders to be double an average month’s.

As a man of stature in both the Old and New Media worlds, Mr. Sullivan commands attention. His voice has resonance. No question but that print media -- battered and bloody -- could use more proponents like him.

We all need to be reminded that it isn't simply an "either/or" proposition, that print and digital media can coexist. New media doesn't supplant or supersede old media. The two can be complementary, symbiotic. Each is valid. Each is credible.

We need to get beyond a one-dimensional perspective, this conception of a Ragnarok between old and new media. Information (and art) isn't confined to a single mode or format. Literacy is expansive. Knowledge (and experience) is evolutionary, not exclusionary. The future is diverse.

People will (and should) keep buying books and magazines. Some things still belong in print.

The Once and Future King

Cultural literacy. Digital literacy. Media literacy. These days, there are lots of literacies to go around. One you don't hear so much about is comic book literacy.

With the surging popularity of comic books, movies based on comic book characters, and Japanese anime, it's incumbent upon parents to verse their children in, at the very least, the Marvel and DC universes. In every household, the curriculum should be "Know your presidents." "Know your math facts." "Know your superheroes." And you can't know your superheroes without knowing about Jack "King" Kirby.

Jack Kirby was the artist who gave us Captain America, Thor, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, the X-Men. For many of us, his work was a cornerstone of our childhood. His work defined the psyche of a generation, continues to leave a double splash-page imprint.

So why is Jack Kirby on my mind? His impact has been incalculable... and he never got his due. As you likely know, Disney is acquiring Marvel. As The New York Times recently reported:

Heirs to the comic book artist Jack Kirby... last week sent 45 notices of copyright termination to Marvel and Disney, as well as Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures, and other companies that have been using the characters. The notices expressed an intent to regain copyrights to some of Mr. Kirby's creations as early as 2014...

Sure, as Jack Kirby churned out book after book, he got paid (per page). But considering the effect his creations have had, the value he added, he's worth billions.

Literacy means understanding and appreciating the cultural canon. Every child builds a wall of knowledge. Every fact, every figure, every snippet of trivia is a brick in the wall (Pink Floyd forgive me). I have a daughter. In my daughter's wall -- look close, near the base -- one brick reads "In Memoriam: Jack Kirby."

What Newspapers Can Teach Us

If you're in a print-related business, you're likely lamenting "What went wrong?" Even if you've read your share of eulogies on the newspaper industry, you'd do well to look at "Five Key Reasons Why Newspapers Are Failing." Among the reasons Bill Wyman cites: "Timidity doesn't work on the web."

The web doesn’t reward blandness. It doesn’t really like the obvious, the inoffensive and the established. Today, if you published a web page with the headlines I just listed on it—you know, starting with “Wooden Memories” and going right on down to “Great Gifts for Teachers”—you wouldn’t get many readers. In this way, the web mercilessly exposes the flaccidness of the content of most papers.

Papers didn't innovate. They took the road "more traveled." They overlooked the new guy in town. The audience dissipated, then disappeared. However, in this whirlwind of change, one thing stayed the same: "good news." We're not talking "positive news" or even "well-written news." Whether print or digital, good news is relevant and engaging. It connects with the reader (or viewer or recipient).

In a nutshell, newspapers lost their audience. By the same token, and just as easily, a blogger can lose his or her audience. Like a newspaper, a blog withers without a steady flow of fresh, stimulating content. Experiences, anecdotes, observations that speak to the reader.

Even for the most precocious and verbose, writing a daily column or a regularly updated blog is a bear. No question: it can become a challenge and a chore. From the moment you take on the responsibility, you dread the day when the momentum falters, the energy lags, and you wonder "What more do I have to say?" Like that magnificent and oft-maligned relic, the newspaper, you not only have the ability but the obligation to startle, amuse, and provoke.

Journalist or blogger, the same lessons apply: you can't play it safe. And you have plenty of competition.

Public and Private

One of the most notable trends of the past 20 years has been the blurring of public and private. We see this with the 24/7 demands of many jobs. We see this with the unrelenting parade of political scandals, the celebrity revelation du jour, the newest crop of reality TV shows. We see this with blogs.

In "Blogging as Social Action: A Genre Analysis of the Weblog," Carolyn R. Miller and Dawn Shepherd note that:

This confusion of public and private permeated other media [in addition to television] in the late 1990s as well. Cell phone ownership increased rapidly from 5.2 million in 1990 to 55 million in 1997 (Eng, 2002). As people sacrifice privacy for the sake of convenience, one need but visit any public place to overhear the intensely personal conversations of total strangers on cell phones.

Do we really want to be privy to the secret lives of others? When are communications inappropriate and intrusive? For many of us, there is no greater horror than being stuck on a bus or train, listening to the "warts and all" banter of our fellow passengers (to misquote Sartre: "Hell is other people's conversations"). Stop after stop, shifting uncomfortably in the seat, subjected to all the intimate, disturbing, salacious details.

Why is a blog any better? Aren't we still peering into the dark recesses? The Internet, like the train car, is a public forum. A blog, like the discomforting conversation, is readily accessible. With a blog, though, we need to log on and opt in. We don't have to read it but we do. And, through our comments, we can participate in the discussion (granted, you could offer your two cents to the passenger recounting his drunken night out -- just be ready to dodge a punch).

Both the train conversation and the blog straddle public and private spheres. The difference? With the blog, one hopes, the discourse is informed, intelligent, and insightful. With the blog, we're a willing audience, not a captive one.

In Praise of Blogs

In "Why I Blog," Andrew Sullivan makes an important distinction:

Reading at a monitor, at a desk, or on an iPhone provokes a querulous, impatient, distracted attitude, a demand for instant, usable information, that is simply not conducive to opening a novel or a favorite magazine on the couch. Reading on paper evokes a more relaxed and meditative response. The message dictates the medium. And each medium has its place—as long as one is not mistaken for the other.

In the video that accompanies the story, Sullivan refers to blogs as drafts. It's easy to imagine a blog as a pencil sketch. Some would argue that a sketch is only a study, a stage leading to the completed work. From this perspective, a sketch is a lesser effort: embryonic, dashed off, a doodle. The sketch is merely preliminary and -- by extension -- better left unseen.

Others would scoff, claiming the sketch and a "completed work" (whatever that may be) are separate animals, not points on a continuum. One form is no more laudable than the other. A sketch has its own integrity. That the sketch is lithe, unvarnished, immediate is not a shortcoming but rather a defining characteristic. As in improv or cinema verite, spontaneity is an attribute and an asset. The dynamic, unconstrained nature of the sketch is the source of its vigor and value.

Put another way, would you say that a conversation is less valuable than an essay?

Laid Off and Looking

Discipline. The key to an effective job search. Every day, when I sit down at the computer and log on, one of my first stops is the Careers section of the Wall Street Journal. As a long-time Journalist, and as one of the countless unemployed, it was natural/inevitable for me to migrate to "Laid Off and Looking." This column features a stable of bloggers from varied backgrounds, joined in their common quest for work.

What keeps drawing me back? For one, the "in the trenches" perspective. In my constant scouring of publications, I trudge through enough gloomy statistics and protracted analysis. I need to know what's working among my fellow job seekers. "Laid Off and Looking" is a wellspring of strategies and tactics. And there's a crucial element of debate as readers spar over topics. Often, the comments -- even when boastful or barbed -- are just as informative as the blog.

Maintaining health coverage, staying occupied, relocating... the topics are far-ranging and top-of-mind. As important, it's a narrative replete with character, conflict, and (assuming the blogger gets a job) resolution. Each day offers a new chapter in a blogger's search -- the setbacks, the triumphs, the life-changing decisions.

There's drama... and camaraderie. And that's what many of us job seekers yearn for (besides a job) -- a sense of community. Having been dispossessed from the work world, we hunger for a sense of connection, understanding. A way to validate our worth. "Laid Off and Looking" is a place to catch up, to have that morning cup of coffee. It's a source of inspiration, solace, and chagrin. A lifeline for the rest of us who are laid off and looking.