I guess that's why they call it the blues ...

[TimberWolf]

Do you read books?

A bit off-topic, but as I browsed in a bookshop over the weekend I pondered on the question that if books had been invented only recently, would elderly folk be banging on about the tragic waste of time the youth of the day spend with their faces pressed into them, mostly reading garbage like novels (while the oldies surf for information on the interweb).

[MPwannadecentincome]

Hey folks,

What are your strategies for coping with this downturn?

No ... I'm not looking for tips on how to hunt even longer for more jobs, speak to more pimps or get interviews for contracts that are at rates that I was on as a permie 10 years ago ... I'm talking about the humdrum boredom of just hanging around the house all day, trawling the jobsites, checking for new emails/voicemail every hour, eating junk food, watching junk TV, snapping at the missus, etc?

I've done all of my minor DIY jobs now ... there isn't a squeaky hinge in the whole house ... and no, I am NOT going to order and label all of the nails and screws in my garage (that's called obsessive-compulsive) ... I'm trying to decide whether to just job hunt maybe twice a week, check my email once a day and leave my mobile on ... and just throw myself into a big DIY project and be prepared to write off the year.

What are you guys/gals thinking? I'm sooo bored seeing the same old jobs being re-posted on the jobsites ... asking for everything plus the kitchen sink but wanting to pay pocket money ... aaahhh ... it's an employers/pimps market at the moment ... but it's hard enough putting up with all of the daily cr*p that you normally have to put up with when pay is good and work is plentiful ... but doing it for a pittance? ... or even worse ... as a permie!

Ziggy

You could try some voluntary work to get a change of scenery and to foster some community spirit?

[MPwannadecentincome]

Learn to play poker better than anyone else in the world and earn s*** loads.. Thats my plan B

Or whilst benched up my skills. In this climate the more skills you have the better the chance of getting off the bench.

Write a poker playing BOT run it a hundred times and earn 100 times s*** loads!

[xoggoth]

I spend all day staring at the wall.

[Foxy Moron]

it's not going anywhere, nor is it intimidated

[ziggy]

Tee hee ... some good ideas ... sorry for the delayed reply, but after posting I decided to clear out the loft which took me all day yesterday!

I have done some reading ... but it was work/training related!

Like rootsnall ... I think I will throw myself into a big project 100% and do minimal job hunting ... and probably fit in a weeks training.

This is my sixth week on the bench ... I feel like the long-term unemployed!

Everything goes sooo slow ... a day feels like a week.

I'm still resisting going to jobcentre in the hope that I will get something soon as I do not think there is anything more they can do ... but I'm starting to wonder whether I should just do it and start getting my 60 squid a week. Any advice?

ziggy