In the (Depressing) Spotlight

Well, it's been a while since I've had anything to say to you guys, but I figure the New York Times doesn't bother to write articles about your hometown everyday. It includes a fairly decent video to accompany the article, with plenty of shots that make Newark look a lot nicer than it actually is.

The thing about Newark is, it really is in a bad way. It's right at the forefront of the collapse of the manufacturing economy and the rise of the service industry. Right now, it's running around an 11% unemployment rate. I think one of the things that gets lost in discussions of rural and suburban unemployment is the inability of people to go elsewhere. A lot of people say, "Well, why can't they just move to where there are jobs?" Moving costs money. You need a car to have a job in a place like Newark, and of course you need a job to have a car. There's only a hilarious parody of public transportation. And once you're wrapped up in debt, what else is there for you to do? It's a crushing feeling, and you can feel it hovering over the city. In the same way success builds on success, failure is a hard thing to escape.

The Sounds of Silence

I apologize to my faithful readers for my lack of posts the last day or two. The job acquisition front has taken up the vast majority of my time these last two days. Fear not, as I'll be back in the saddle tonight or tomorrow, filling your e-eyes with the commentary and analysis you've grown accustomed, nay addicted to.

In the meantime, I'll hand the floor over to CNN's Jack Cafferty, who summarizes my feelings quite well.