I know, I know. Anyone could pull up a chart of the plunging Dow Jones, or point to contractions in the GDP. Moreover, almost all of us have felt the impacts of the recession to varying degrees: decreased income, lost shifts, layoffs and the like. You can’t put on the television without hearing about it, or peruse the paper without reading about it. The recession certainly seems and feels very real.
But like so many things, the recession isn’t real. And yet, we let the illusion that is the recession guide our lives.
My father, for example, retired a year and a half ago. He’s still quite young, and would like to seek a smaller career in some reduced capacity. But he hasn’t done so much as put together his resume. Why? “Because we’re in a recession,” he says, and he feels that it would be impossible to get a job. So far, he’s proven himself right by sitting on his ass and doing nothing. For my dad (and so many of us), the recession has become an excuse.
The universe in which all of us live, work and play is a universe of abundance. The universe doesn’t understand scarcity. When we think about what we want (i.e., a new job, increased pay, an expanded product line, etc.) and then think about why we can’t get it (i.e., it’s a recession), we send a confused and contradictory message that goes against the grain of our Source.
I’ve said enough to ruffle more than a few feathers. However, saying that the recession is an illusion doesn’t further victimize those that have felt its pain. On the contrary, realizing that the recession is an illusion is an empowering reality.
There is no reason that you can’t work towards the fulfillment of your desires right now. The recession is an excuse, and it is only as much of an obstacle as you create it to be. Instead, align yourself and your thoughts with the abundance that is this universe.
And don’t worry about the rest of us, there is enough to go around for everyone.
February 26, 2010 at 4:25 pm
Davey:
This is so right! I have been looking for work and getting discouraged because call backs on resumes do not happen that fast now.
If you get proactive, and actually call companies, politely, you will be amazed at what you find. Just do not send out a resume and expect to be called back.
Remeber Woody Allens famous saying – 90% of being successful is just showing up. Remember to show up in life and don’t give up.
Eddi Haskell, avatar, Second Life
February 28, 2010 at 4:34 pm
I deliberately do not include a phone number on my resume. When they feret it out on the Internet I say what is the area code you are calling from (I don’t believe?) If it is a local area code I say good then you are nearby for an in person interview. When they futz and want to do a phone interview I say” If you are long distance I would see your point but if you really are interested in me then you can fly me out and back. The fact that you are local and want to do a phone interview “does not lend itself to warm and fuzzy. I’m a very successful sales man but when some one calls me for a product or service I revert to that clown who’d say “May I take your order please?” My last employer customers had to make an appointment, if they wanted to reorder I would take it. When they wanted toask about new products and services I would give them a date and a time I was available. They got it, and if you don’t this interview is over before it begins. I usually get hired on the fast track after that.
February 26, 2010 at 4:27 pm
What about those of us who were laid off thanks to the recession, struggled for months applying for every job we found, got discouraged but kept on trying, struggled to live on our unemployment checks, and still came up with nothing? To say the recession isn’t real, it’s just an excuse is really hard to hear and devalues and disempowers all the work that some of us have been doing to try and follow our desires.
February 26, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Justin, Based upon your positive actions I think you actually agree with Davey. I think he’s speaking to the fear in people’s minds that they’re calling “the Recession”. Fear (creating something that is not real right now) can stop people from taking active steps toward what they want. You have plowed right through this, from what you’re saying, and have kept walking toward what you want by taking the necessary actions to get there. Keep taking one step at a time (resume, cold call, walking in companies and filling out applications, opening your mind to new types of employment, etc.) and you’ll have a job.
February 27, 2010 at 9:49 am
Amen Justin. I have suffered too, despite being positive, continuing to look, hussling and doing all that I could. There are just NO JOBS in some areas and thanking th euniverse for all of its bounty is nice, but doesn’t put food on my table. (and if Davey really believes hat he says, why are their food kitchens where he goes to help out???)
February 27, 2010 at 12:15 pm
I wonder if the answer is in your question. Perhaps the universe is telling you to think about other geographic areas where you might like to live. You could try searching there and applying for jobs or try sending out some résumés in those locations. I have friends who were flown to other locations for follow up interviews after a series of telephone interviews. I don’t know that anyone really knows “the truth”, but I do think it’s important to attend to the feedback you’re getting from your job search (aka The Universe).
February 27, 2010 at 4:56 pm
The sad reality is that not everyone has the “freedom” to just up and move for a new job. My mother was laid off in June 2008. She looked and looked for work, but as was mentioned earlier, there are just no jobs in certain areas. She lives in Georgia which has been hit particularly hard.
She was able to finish her associates degree during that time with help from the government, but it hasn’t done her any good since there are not jobs available. She has looked high and low and is currently cleaning the offices, bathrooms, and other areas of a service shop that someone at her church owns. For cash under the table. Hell, even McDonald’s couldn’t hire her to flip burgers, clean bathrooms, or run a register.
She has looked at jobs in three other states. She is a single mother. She has limitations on what she can do. She can’t up and move with no job security just to look for jobs in other areas. She really has exhausted her resources.
Has she let the fear of recession stop her? No. But, don’t tell her or the thousands of other Americans in similar situations that the recession isn’t real because it is.
February 27, 2010 at 11:12 am
Dear wavey Davey,
I think you were on cannabis when you wrote this?
Looks like you have stepped into a pile of do-do with this one.
February 26, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Dave,
I fall a little bit more in love with you each time I read one of your posts. You know…the kind of “in love” that happens between really good friends. I think you’re fantastic and refreshing. It doesn’t hurt that I have a sincere and deep appreciation for gay men. You remind me so much of myself and my crew – who most of which are gay men. Keep saying it, thinking it, believing it. YOU, my dear, are correct on a ridiculous basis.
If we lived in the same city, we would hang out.
Love,
Erica
February 26, 2010 at 6:38 pm
Uh, Why not “fulfillment of desires” is an illusion?
February 27, 2010 at 1:04 am
The paradox here is that the recession is real if you believe it to be. Whatever you accept becomes reality for you. Davey’s declaration that the recession is not real is not the truth. It is merely what he holds to be true. It’s what he accepts. And it works for him. He’s doing well despite whatever is happening around him. Trying on a different perspective can be a powerful tool in breaking through the obstacles in our lives. You never know when something that seems ridiculous might just fit really well when you try it on. Likewise, we all get to declare what our desires are and whether or not they are fulfilled. Again, none of it is truth. Only what we accept.
February 27, 2010 at 5:17 pm
the recession operates wholly on Double-Think.
February 28, 2010 at 2:53 pm
If you yell “fire” in a crowded theatre when there isn’t one you’ll go to jail.When you say something is an illusion because you say so when its not ,albeit a crime, it’s not prosecutable. You get to hide behind the amendment of free speech, and taken to task you can always plead the fifth. Davey’s defence is the insanity plea.
February 26, 2010 at 7:49 pm
Dave, I have a computer to which my resume is stored. And with which I use to find jobs that match my skill-set.
I have electricity that powers my computer that allows me to do all that fun stuff, and the electricity flows into the house that keeps my computer from getting wet when it rains -because I can afford to pay the electric company.
I am lucky because I’ve yet to be hit by the recession. And that’s not to say I won’t.
With that, I will say that I am impacted the recession, because my $40.00hr job writing software was reduced to $9.00hr slinging 40lb bags of pet food over my shoulder.
And I do it with confidence, and pride. AND when the occassional software programmer who finds themselve’s forced into the same position, does so with a lot of arrogance -in the spirit of keeping their computer -with those jobs -in the house -with the electricity -so they can return to the status quo that doesn’t exist anymore.
So, there is a recession. Not a depression -as these I.T. guys who find themselves reduced to something completely different from their core experience offers -but a completely different work-force dynamic.
For me, it’s been a God-Send! You should have seen me before I started schlepping 44lbs of dog food! I’m looking, and feeling good. (I have too!)
Just to show, you got to turn every event around into a positive event. Let any sentinal event pass -and use it as an opportunity to kick ass -and take names!
There. I’ve said it. And don’t judge me on my spelling.
February 26, 2010 at 8:17 pm
Dear Wavey Davey,
OMG I’s so glad you cleared that up for me, an illusion? I sure though it was real.
I’m sure glad you broke the illusion.
February 28, 2010 at 2:59 pm
Alice’s looking glass is so cracked it becomes useless.
February 27, 2010 at 12:32 am
very true indeed. Thanks for the post!
February 27, 2010 at 5:35 am
You know those pictures where its an old woman and you squint hard enough and suddenly its a young woman. We call that an illusion too.
The picture is very real, both of them. But the way in which you experience and react to the picture is based on an illusion.
Very few of us see the whole of reality as it is. It would only stop being an illusion if you could see both pictures at once.
February 27, 2010 at 7:56 am
My high-tech job of the 90′s is long-lost history and I have been forced to keep going for the past 10 years by doing every $8 per hour job that I could find. Unlike others that I know that would not work for such a low pay, I am now in a much better position and find myself turning jobs down. I haven’t applied for a job in 3 years and yet I turn them down almost weekly. People see how I am willing to work and do almost anything and that is what they want to hire.
Like young Davey, I have chosen to live more simply and thus eliminated a lot of expenses. Yet, the more I give up, the more I seem to have. Two years ago, I cut a day off my schedule at my $8 an hour job and now I find myself with income coming in everyday.
So, go ahead, take what you can. Open that door. You never know what’s on the other side.
February 27, 2010 at 8:35 am
good gawd, you make your living off of platitudes, pop psychology and cuteness. why would the recession bother you, pretty boy? there is nothing smart about what you say. the reason you subsist is because some people love your Pollyanna attitude. you are a light weight with no skills. please, do not comment on anything serious. mini-celebrity does not require vetting. just keep regurgitating deepak chopra-like homilies. that is your forte.
February 27, 2010 at 10:44 am
Well written nic.
February 28, 2010 at 3:02 pm
It will when all the cool places he’s used to going have soap on the windows or butcher paper his little world will not quite be the same. Poor Davey.
February 27, 2010 at 8:56 am
Davey, here in NYC we have an organization called ReServe, which helps match retired individuals who are interested in using their job skills with non-profits who need those skills but haven’t the budget to fully fund that position. It’s essentially a paid volunteer situation, as ReServe offers a small stipend to the retiree. Check it out here: http://www.reserveinc.org/. Perhaps there is a branch or similar organization where your father lives that he can join. Of if not, perhaps he will want to start one. Nice thought, huh?
February 27, 2010 at 9:53 am
My dream is to move to France and run a chambre d’hote (the French version of a B&B) in the Gascogne region. The recession is very real to me because of the effects it has had on my life. In the turmoil of the market, I turned over my investments to a financial advisor not knowing what to do. He promptly lost 70% of my holdings. About the same time I was laid off from a high-paying job. All attempts to find a job in the past year have been futile. I am at an age (59) where I should be able to retire and do what I want. However, my hands are tied. I am doing what I can, but am waiting for a signal from the Universe about what to do next. Hopefully things will improve but the projections are that it will take 4-6 years for the economy to recover and stabilize.
February 27, 2010 at 5:29 pm
It may take 4 years for the media to admit. You can recover now. Remember everything is as it should be.
February 27, 2010 at 10:43 am
Well written DocTgo5
February 27, 2010 at 11:11 am
Oh Oh. the saying should be, “What people believe to be true, is true in its consequences”
February 27, 2010 at 11:53 am
Davey Wavey isn’t real. He’s just digits rendered on my computer and projected onto a monitor. An illusion.
February 27, 2010 at 12:06 pm
im another in dissagreement with DW.i lost my job as truck driver/labourer-14 months ago.now i work for cash-i made 40 dollars this past week.working in an office at my brothers employ.i just recently left unemployment and am now on social-security-disability.im getting maybe 400 dollars more than unemployment.i eat at home-i dont go out-maybe once per week-going out to my local gay bar-drinking a diet coke-instead of a cocktail-im a lucky one in that i have social security disability.my condo is partly subsidised by my parents-as they own the property.jobs?i can work limited hours.i suffer from depression.ive looked and looked for jobs.cant even find a pizza delivery driver job.in the states-which is primary responsible for this economic dilemma-where is the outrage?we should be in the streets.im going to Washington D.C.in March.no more wars-Iraq/Afghanistan-how bout jobs.high speed rail construction is the economic engine to propel us out of these troubles-when will the politicos get the ball moving.not only the states-other places as well.people in Greece should thank Germany and France propelling European Union to bail out Greece with conditions.Portugal-Ireland-Greece-Spain-could be the next with some bailout.this has worldwide implications.so-we are all affected.again-where is the anger in the streets?———–yes-if you look down the streets-and see a Hummer going down the street you can pretend-for a moment we have no recession-that the recession is all an illusion.dont forget to pretend we live in fairytale land-the recession is so vey real-and will probably get worse-recovery-possibly 10 years duration-and counting.People in nations with a better social safety net-those people are coping better.Canada has the stictest banking rules has been lauded by IMF-and World Bank for putting the brakes on Banks.thats a start.——–So the recession is an Illusion?its time for Foodstamps.Healthcare reform is imperative in the States.For a recovery.in Toronto-at CBC.CA-go to a programme-As it Happens-go to some podcasts-where programmes highlight healthcare debate in the States-and youll know what i mean.this recession-is long and hard.
February 28, 2010 at 3:26 pm
The White House has had an account with Dominoes so long it may have been at the inception of the company. It would be so ironic if you delivered pizzas there. At my company I made them switch to Subway finding out that pizza is the worst food possible when you pulling an all night er, it makes you sleepy. Maybe it would behoove the White House to choose sandwiches over pizza as lots of overtime is hardly productive itself let alone the pizza sleepy effect.
February 27, 2010 at 12:18 pm
I find it interesting that we cycle through things in our collective human history. My grandmother used to tell me about living through the great depression. She was all of about 11 or 12 years old in 1929 when the market crashed. Her family was not well off by any means. Her father was a farmer and, like most women back then, her mother took care of the home. Her mother would give her a nickel every day to have a hot lunch at school. With 4 children in the family, that $0.20 was a big sacrifice. The other kids at their school actually accused my grandmother of being wealthy because she could afford lunch. They hated her, assiduously, because she had lunch and they didn’t. In reality her mother went without new clothes for years so she could give her children a hot lunch every day. When my grandmother asked her mother why she sacrificed that, her mother told her that new clothes didn’t mean anything. She could work around the house just as easily in something that was 10 years old as something brand new. She said that whatever they needed they would make it through somehow – they would do whatever it took. She finished by telling my grandmother there’s no situation that can’t be turned around or worked into your favour; it’s all in how you approach it. My great grandmother was a wise woman and realized that she could take on a different perspective from the people around her who were jumping from high buildings and walking the soup lines. She had no more than they did – she just made due with what she had. That made all the difference. Whether you believe something to be real or not (and let’s face it, saying something is real or not is merely a neurolinguistic device to affect one’s motivations) you can still rise above and make the best of the situation if you don’t let yourself get mired in the ‘poor me’ mentality that so many people choose. Sure, it’s comfortable and most people will give you sympathy for a while. But it gets old quickly and when there are other people out there with no more or less who are living well and who have a good outlook you just start to sound pathetic.
February 27, 2010 at 12:47 pm
And, of course, as soon as I click the computer off and start reading a book by Debbie Ford, I find a bit of ancient wisdom to add to my comments:
It is only when we have the courage
to face things exactly as they are,
without any self-deception or illusion,
that a light will develop out of events,
by which the path to success
may be recognized.
I Ching
Hexagram 5, Hsü
Waiting (Nourishment)
If anyone wants to read a great book on the concept of the shadow, I suggest The Dark Side of the Light Chasers by Debbie Ford. Very insightful. It helps the reader to grapple with the question posed by Jung when he coined the concept of the shadow: Would you rather be a whole person or a good person?
Cheers!!
February 27, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Consumer morale is a huge part of any economy. Right now our consumer morale is very low! This has a cumulative effect on the markets and creates the low level of esteem you are talking about. Retail stores are freaking out because people won’t spend money unless what they are buying is on sale. But nevertheless, there are very real elements that created this recession beyond mere spending.
Though one thing is for sure, you are absolutely right that our attitude about the economy is crucial. We will never get out of this “slump” until individuals restore faith in the markets and in each other. Perseverance is the key. Survival of the fittest. “I can’t” is NEVER a solution to a problem.
February 28, 2010 at 1:31 pm
Consumer morale was the culprit on the last recession in the early 90′s, dragging it out longer than need be. This time nobody trusts the banks or wall street. The housing bubble had to burst, but when we learned of derivatives that was a virtual numbers racket that benefited a tiny few making no productive vehicle plunging the whole economy into world wide chaos, we decided we had to bail out AIG, the worst offender. Then came the reports of banking industry executives making millions while they lost billions for their respective companies. What did these companies (others not just banking)do? Purge the very workforce that was doing the actual work, the backbone of the company and economy at large. Now we have people who are aspiring to $9 an hour jobs that are just going to be purged because the money section of the wallet is empty and while their credit cards weren’t maxed out before they are now due to eliminating or reducing credit lines. Banks decided to pay each other instead of lend money which was the purpose of the bank bail outs anyway. I know several people with good steady jobs and good credit (there are still some of those out there) that cannot take advantage of low prices, huge inventories, low interest rates, and government incentives, because banks aren’t lending, they are just sitting on their hands while government money is in the vault not moving.The only good thing is that prices are in a good position towards inflation. What I’m seeing now as my usual frequented business’s’ have had to raise prices in order to survive because of lack of customers. The whole thing is a house of cards now waiting for a not so stiff wind. No we are not suffering from recessionitis ( there is a made up word that will probably be on this year’s new word list) we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel dimming, something quite unprecedented.
February 27, 2010 at 1:24 pm
To many people Santa Claus is very real. To many people God is very real. To many people aliens are very real. It’s all a matter of faith, belief and acceptance. What you accept as real in your life is – to you. You are mired in the effects of the recession. Society tells you it’s real, it’s scary, it’s whatever. You get to choose if that’s real for you or not. You get to choose if you’re going to live at the effect of a collective belief or if you are going to be at cause in your life and make a difference for yourself. I guarantee it will be a challenge to overcome it all but you can – of that I have no doubt. It’s just a matter of do you want to?
February 28, 2010 at 2:46 pm
You are not alone. I see many like you. I would suggest starting a support group if there are those in your area too apathetic to have one.
February 28, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Keep telling yourself it’s real and it will continue to be. That’s all I’m really saying. I’m an actor and a life coach. I moved here from a comfy corporate job in the middle of this recession. I’ve put myself thousands in debt doing it because it’s what I want to do and in the end I’ll be happier doing it. And by doing what I want to do I’m doing pretty well. It may seem counter-intuitive but it works. It works, however, only for people who are willing to accept it. You say your trying is just as real as the recession. I say if you were really trying – if you really wanted it – you’d have what you want. In the immortal words of Yoda “Do or do not; there is no try.”
BTW, I do empathize with you. In the best of economic times I was actually in a very bad place in my life. Until I really wanted to pull myself out of the abyss I couldn’t even see the horizon. I challenge you to do something that seems counter-intuitive and intrepid. Aim higher than you’ve ever aimed before.
February 27, 2010 at 3:57 pm
Recession is an economic term that describes a cycle in which the GDP (gross domestic product) or value of goods and services produced by the population is decreasing. In that context, the recession is quite real – it is measurable, quantifiable, and most certainly not a matter of perception.
Those who have lost jobs, benefits, homes, savings, and taken reductions in pay have not imagined it – their cumulative losses are reflected in the decreasing GDP.
There ARE fewer jobs out there, pay and benefits have been significantly reduced. That IS reality not an illusion.
Do some people allow the difficulty of the current economic environment to discourage them from finding employment ? Yes. Does that mean that the recession isn’t real ? No.
Are some people (notably those who are 50+) at a severe disadvantage because they need benefits and have a shorter work life expectancy ? Yes they are. Age discrimination is real, not imagined.
The recession is not an illusion or matter of perception. Recession means one must work harder to get a job, that one will sometimes have to settle for a lot less than one would like, and sometimes it means that those making the employment decisions have a lot more latitude in deciding who gets the nod for a job and who doesn’t.
A recession does not mean that the universe is not abundant. It means there are fewer opportunities with a lot more people competing for them.
February 28, 2010 at 1:46 pm
I’ve heard the following in a restaurant fairly recently, “We hire workers that are 50+ so we won’t be accused of age discrimination. We let them go just before the 90 day mark when the State says they are permanent employees and you have to contribute a lot more in payroll taxes particularly for disability and unemployment funding. Those few we retain because they are too productive for us, we’re told by accounting to let them go because at six months employment the benefit package kicks in for older workers, the costs involved are prohibitive.” Straight from the horse’s mouth, I’d always suspected it, now it’s confirmed for me. To fight back there are a lot of seniors who work under the table, but that does nothing for those to old to get a REAL job and to young for medicare. How do you like them apples?
February 27, 2010 at 4:12 pm
the recession isnt rea? are you stoned? crazy? insane? tell that to the thousands who have lost their jobs, and continue to suffer under the policies of the current administration.
Think its bad now. You wait and see with this new healthcare reform how many more american’s will lose their jobs and die to the lack of adequate health care.
I was born and raised till I was 14 in Italy. Italian healthcare sucks and is failing. All countries where socialised medicine is the norm it is failing. With the exception of Switzerland. Somehow the Swiss is doing something right.
People love to talk about how wonderful socialised medicine is. They leave out that the tax in some of these countries is 65%, and tens of thousands suffer and die because of this.
America had a great American President and he was Ronald Reagan, and he was right when he said “the government is not the solution to the problem, government is the problem”
As a moderate Liberatarian I find it hard to believe anyone would vote for the Liberals and some conservatives.
Opionions are like assholes, everyone has one, including me and most of the time I am wrong. But what if I am right? what then?
February 28, 2010 at 6:52 am
You say “…the tax in some of these countries is 65%, and tens of thousands suffer and die because of this.” The statistics contradict you. In the UN’s Human Development Index (HDI), all of the top ten countries have some form of universal health care. Out of the top 25 most developed nations, the USA – number 12 – is the only one without some form of socialized health care. I think your assessment of tens of thousands of people suffering and dying is a bit of a stretch, all things considered. I’m a moderate Libertarian, as well, but that doesn’t mean I can ignore the statistics. Although I don’t enjoy paying high taxes to fund other people’s abortions and sex changes, etc., I know I will be well taken care of when needed. Our Canadian medical system is not the be-all-and-end-all of health care systems but it works well even with its kinks.
February 28, 2010 at 8:55 am
My goodness you really except things that come out of the UN? They are a cracker jack box. With their own political agenda. The Canadian health care system and take no offense is one of the worse on the planet. Tens of thousands of Canadians come to the United States for treatment. The United States by far has the best health care system in the world. Ofcourse there is room for improvement, socialized medicine is not the answer. Socialized medicine is a joke and is failing. Many countries it is at its last stages.
Both of my parents are physicians. They have seen first hand the death and destruction socialized medicine has cause. Its a joke and my friend tens of thousands do die from it.
Canada itself hundreds die each year. The horror stories are in the hundreds. Mexicans are not the highest illegal immigration population in the United States, Canadians are. I am sure most is because they are not provide adequate health care. I personally knew I woman who had breast cancer and was denied treatment until her other breat had cancer. She was from Canada and is now dead.
February 28, 2010 at 11:50 am
Davide, my friend,
I know you are a very good Catholic. In light of that I suggest you read up on Catholic social teaching beginning with Pope Leo XIII and continuing through to Benedict. Following that teaching, the American bishops have publicly supported a very “liberal” position on health care except for abortion. Perhaps you and I can discuss this more through the other venues we share rather than here.
BTW, my understanding of “socialized medicine” is the case where the government collects taxes and, itself, operates a health service and medical personnel are salaried professional employed. Almost no one in the U.S. supports that idea, either because they think it’s a bad idea or because they like the idea but think it will never, ever be accepted. The most “radical” system that has any chance of passage (but not at the present) is the single-payer system in which the payment for health service is made by the government, but the service itself is provided through the private practice of medicine.
BTW, check your statistics and look at more of them. Canada has a noticeably lower infant mortality rate than the U’S. It is also true that many Canadians come to the US, but especially for elective surgery. It’s interesting that more U.S physicians move to Canada than the reverse. Seb
February 28, 2010 at 7:31 pm
I have little doubt there’s a lot more to the story of this woman you know than you are revealing or that you even know. Nobody here would be outright denied care for cancer. My own mother died of breast cancer due to a Dr’s error but she was never denied care because it was only in one breast.
February 28, 2010 at 1:54 pm
Canadians like their health care, and are aggresively going after those who want to promote better and more comprehensive for a price via private firms. The government and the people have spoken. Throw those bums out as they will dilute and ruin a system that everyone basicly tolerates and have no interest in privatising health care like that mess across the border. Having some pencil pusher decide on your life saving operation at the behest of the bottom line is ridiculous.
February 28, 2010 at 5:03 pm
Canadians like their health care because most don’t know any better. Never having good and adequate health care, they settle for what they have. I am well aware on the American Bishops view on Universal health care, I agree that America needs to improve, but I believe complete over-haul will cause hundreds of deaths, and cause our country to go into a depression. We haven’t figured out how to pay for it, maybe we should stop our wars and this would pay for it.
The view that American physicians are going to Canada, I never heard this. Also Canadians don’t just come to America for elective surgeries, the bring their children here so they can live. They bring themselves here to have a greater chance at survival.
The infant mortality rate? Its prolly from all the crack addicted mothers, but just a guess, I have no clue.
February 28, 2010 at 6:59 pm
I hear you bro. I doubt either of us can convince the other. Is this an issue we can agree to disagree on. I don’t think or difference here is not one of facts, it’s more one of interpretation. Still luv ya.
February 28, 2010 at 7:36 pm
And also, our government health system pays for us to have these procedures down there. I could not receive a gastric bypass here in Canada within a reasonable time so our socialized medical plan paid $40,000 for me to have it done in Ohio. Sadly the procedure would have cost less than $10,000 here for the same thing. Another problem of privte health care – The prices are set by the practitioners and are out of reach for most people.
February 28, 2010 at 9:28 pm
thats the american way….we are not a socialist country, yet. Remember socialist is one step away from communist. But I do agree American healthcare is way to expensive.
February 27, 2010 at 6:38 pm
Error $30,000 morgages supported by same in yearly salary. George Harrison bough t a castle for $60,000 back then.
February 27, 2010 at 8:11 pm
I couldn’t agree more! I have a perfect example too! The company I work for, which I will not name for privacy concerns, has taken a different approach to the “recession”. While everyone in the industry cut back on marketing, cut salaries, and layed off employees, the company I work for did the opposite. We took the opportunity to hire in masses, increased marketing spending, gave raises to employees who worked hard and even gave bonuses!
The result? Our company has insanely high morale! Our industry is just starting to recover, but we’ve never faltered! We have record sales, increased loyalty amount employees and a vastly increased customer base! All because we thought outside of the box and shaped our own reality
-Dave
(Montreal, QC)
February 28, 2010 at 2:05 am
All those things cost money for a company to do. If the company didnt have money to do that, then they couldnt do that. The idea that that is “thinking outside the box” is ridiculous, considering that is what every company wants to do, grow and make more money.
February 28, 2010 at 2:28 pm
If you want to be boxed in by a box, then sell the whole kitten caboodle and put your money in a box. The stories of nimrods with short sightedness could fill a book. A lot of business’s literally haven’t defined what they intend to do going blindly forth using other people’s money and sending people all over the country first, not knowing what they’re going to do when they get there. “We’ll just wing it.” Knowing he has a golden parachute coming when the company goes en do might have really been his plan in the first place.
February 28, 2010 at 2:38 pm
There are a few and they went public here in the U.S, and they are thriving and have no “privacy concerns”. I suggest you google the subject, you’ll be delightfully surprised.
March 1, 2010 at 10:18 am
I also know of a company (McGrath’s Seafood) that took that same approach. They opened up new restaurants. hired lots of staff, and now they are closing more restaurants than they opened, letting more staff go than they hired, and filing for bankruptcy. Tell them that the recession is just an excuse to file for bankruptcy or that it is just an illusion.
February 28, 2010 at 12:31 am
I agree 100% Davey, while many people like Justin have had a tough time, the recession is an excuse, it’s unfortunate that many businesses have used that excuse to let staff go and cause hardship
February 28, 2010 at 2:07 am
Used that excuse to let staff go?? If youre company isnt making enough money to pay your employees you HAVE to let them go. You cant ask them to work and not get paid, and if you arent making enough money to pay them, then they cant work. How does that not make sense?
February 28, 2010 at 2:03 am
I think some people live in this great reality (which might be true for their lives) and dont have to live in the real situations that other people face. After just randomly taking a few weeks vacation to Australia, and now just popping up and moving back to Toronto, Davey obviously isnt in touch with the reality that most of us face. So someone who just took a couple week long vacation while others are looking for the government for food really has no business telling other people what is real and what isnt. Everything the earth has to offer isnt in abundance (oil hello!!) Now I know Davey is just trying to be inspirational and i am sure it came from a good place, but it doesnt meant that he is right, and it doesnt mean that he wont offend others. Davey, go to Africa and talk to people who are starving and see what they think about what you say. Ot better yet, after seeing hardship, see if that is still the way you feel.
And if you are talking about yes the recession is real but have a mindset that it isnt….why live it denial and an unrealistic view of life? You can still stay positive and keep looking for a job while still being cognizant that we are, in fact, in a recession.
Thats like saying if your room is painted blue, and you dont like blue, lets pretend its green and everything will be fine.
February 28, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Go to Africa? Yeah. Right. When a slightly chubby old man looks at him he’s in a tizzy. So just how is he going to react to children with distended bellies do to lack of nutrition?
February 28, 2010 at 6:56 am
So why do you continue to frequent this place if you find the subject matter so vapid?
February 28, 2010 at 1:55 pm
My last post is here. Well uh, dugh.
February 28, 2010 at 2:18 pm
Oh. by the way I almost forgot but you can’t assume this you actually have to do it. Davey, I have no use for your “services” at the present time and as such it is safe for you to assume you have been laid off. That thought is mistaken as it infers that you will be rehired at some future date. That is not so as I’m here to fire you for gross incompetence and you can expect me at your hearing for my denial of unemployment benefits, although in such hearings they usually go to the worker. But by doing this it is put into the record and they may yet again define gross incompetence and rule differently at a latter date. Bottom line I’m doing you a favor , future Davey’s and the public at large by firing you. Donald Trump does not own the phrase your fired by arrogantly assuming he can copyright it. I’ve been doing it for many years before his tacky shows along with many others. You are free to flit around the world seeking honey-pots. The other, well, I just won’t go there.
February 28, 2010 at 2:32 pm
I wish you well as you leave this site. You may have much to offer with your opinions, but on another site. You have used a lot of bandwidth here. We have heard you whether or not we agree with you. So, the best to you as you move on to other places.
February 28, 2010 at 4:41 pm
We don’t need a novel every time you have an opinion gary bing. I don’t think anyone but you cares about what celebrities you know, if indeed your stories are true. state your point and move on.
February 28, 2010 at 9:31 pm
YIKES!!!!!
February 28, 2010 at 11:18 am
Earlier I sent a post trying to explain what moderate social constructionism is all about. I tend to think Davey took it too far leaving the impression that the world(s) in which we live are entirely individualistic mental creations. I doubt he meant (means) to go that far.
GenX has often been characterized as a bunch of “slackers,” Personally, that label has been overplayed. Some claim that Millennials only want a job that is “fun” and they won’t take jobs they “don’t like.” However there is some truth to such labels, especially among middle and upper middle class white males.
I think, whether consciously or not, Davey was really aiming this post to slackers of any generation who are not taking any action to “define the situation” as one of challenge were they can have at least some success, rather than use the recession as an excuse.
February 28, 2010 at 3:17 pm
I’m hearing that people in that industry are so disposable they work for free to pad their resumes. That’s fine for those who can afford to work for free. The outrageous employer doesn’t even refer to them as unpaid interns, just “freebie people.” Since I don’t partake in this shenanigans (Dreging up ancient English, sorry.) I implore those in this situation to out them. You’ll probably be sued but rest assured if you indeed have the truth their case falls apart. You can ask for sanctions, but I’d rather give it to a lawyer on contingency, that way you at least won’t be out of pocket and may have some in it to boot.
February 28, 2010 at 5:31 pm
P.S Nordstrom was famous for scheduling people’s time they did off the clock for intercepting customers on their day off to complete a sale and not be “snaked” by someone else, when the customer returned on one of their days off. When they discovered that management set it up so that the employee couldn’t return to complete the sale management took to ringing it up under the house so no one got the commission, to alleviate any “Employee commission issues.”After an employee discovered this long after, a class action was filed. The court ruled Nordstrom’s claim that they did it to alleviate employee issues due to commissions they literally called out Nordstrom’s claim greedy and ridiculous, having to hemorrhage out millions in “War reparations.” The same thing is being done in the IT example above where employers are scheduling employees “free” time. Nordstrom may just be the tip of the iceburg.
February 28, 2010 at 4:54 pm
Frankly Scarlet I don’t give a damn. It is the people who make things happen that count, not the one’s in front of a camera that fake a life. If you don’t get that I pity you. You have issues, for that , my friend I give you tissues.
February 28, 2010 at 9:36 pm
maybe Davey posted this to stir more controversy like his anti-Christian/Catholic post. He knows fully well thousands of American’s suffer greatly to feed their families, he knows the recession is real and we are at a cross road. Either we will recover or we are heading to a depression. Davey is a smart guy, has no one else notice how good he is at manipulation? Saying this I do have respect for him.