My computer likes to remind me of the state of economy. How does my computer do this? Does it read the news reports? No, it just threatens to implode before I can get a job and save the money to buy a new one.

It's always just when I'm cruising along with my book, jetting out a stream of not-so-coherent-seeming-brilliance-for-the-moment, and thinking, "what do I need a job for?" when it suddenly shuts down. Black screen. Not even a warning, "battery is low" sign! Why? Because the batter is dead. It's five years old, which is like a hundred in human years. I can't even watch Netflix on demand because it's "pre-intel" (whatever that means)! And then I'm reminded "Oh yes, I don't have three grand in the bank to drop on a new apple!"

I'm not saying that this unemployment run is going to last forever (although, apparently, I am embarking on this experiment), but it's when the fabric of your life starts to wear thin, that I wonder if this recession will test my theory that all it takes is five years for a person to move from "chic" to "geek."

Just for today, I can send my computer warm waves of love and ask it to please not die.