The annoyance of being idle

[Daniel Cadwallader]

Unemployment, a state of atrophy that rots the mind and depresses the soul. OK so I may be being a tad melodramatic but anyone who has been unemployed for a long stretch during this current financial F**k up knows that living off government benefits is no where near as much fun as an episode of Shameless may suggest. The constant searching for any scrap of the paid work, the feeling of uselessness and lethargy and, if like me you finished your degree last year, an overpowering sense of disappointment.
The only I can think to get over this feeling is to indulge in the simple feel good things in Life, heres my top four (couldn't think of five) ways to cheer yourself up, if only for a second:

4: Listen to 'Don't Stop Believin' by Journey

arguably one of the cheesiest rock anthems of the eighties (even more so than Whitesnake's output) this overwrought anthem to working class romance has all the drama of Springsteen, a fist pumping chorus and a big fuck off guitar solo, guaranteed to leave you feeling a little more positive.

3: Watch YOUR feel good movie

everyones got a movie that they can watch over and over and never get tired of, something you can recite all the words to, know all the jokes and remember when all the scary bits are, yet somehow it's still compelling. For me its The Lost Boys, a film I've seen so often as to actually feel I know Keefer Sutherland on a personal level.

2: Junk food

I'm not endorsing obesity here, but every now and again you just have to eat something detrimental to your health, taste over health. The problem with this is it may also result in feelings of guilt and self loathing, the up shot if your on the dole you probably won't be able to afford to eat fro a couple of days anyway.

1: Piss up with your mates

Conventional wisdom dictates that when you've got no steady income you should keep hold of any extra cash that comes your way, however if you've been a veritable recluse for weeks, with little to break up the days and no joy on the employment front then you simply have to say bollocks to it and spank your last twenty or thirty quid on a night out with your mates. sure, the next morning your hate yourself, your friends and capitalism in general, but you'll have had a laugh and a dance and probably done something embarrassing. like the master card advert says 'Priceless'.

[Filka]

This blog entry is HI-larious!
Read it to my mates a couple of weeks back
We can offer up as inspirational backtrack - Foreigners' - 'Urgent' -
Movie - Hot Rod - altho a more recent movie - has long lasting potential -
Instead of junk food - getting a free meal with your mates who are working and can cook or else bum a free meal or two from your mum. - this works really well for me, as a student, i would visit my mate who is from PNG and it's all about tribal welfare with them, so i end up leaving with a belly full of food, two bags full of leftovers, toilet rolls, coffee, bread and some clothes, which is sweet!

I don't drink so i can't really offer any alternative for that

otherwise i hope the situation has since changed for the better and you are thusly employed

Good luck
Filka