Unemployment

This is it. A first for everything, I guess, but this is the first official time I'm claiming unemployment in my life.

New York State makes it super-easy now—you can file for it online. Get it direct-deposited into your checking account.

All well and good. It's just the longer-term uncertainty that's corrosive.

There's this great documentary series on the National Geographic Channel called "Locked Up Abroad" that features the stories of people in dire financial straits who agree to smuggle something across borders (drugs, money, something illegal) for the promise of a big payoff... and, of course, end up getting "locked up abroad". Well made show, that. Like a real life "Midnight Express" story every week. And it's fucking terrifying because I can completely understand where those people are coming from.