Did you hear the one about.....

What do you call a bank that you can no longer 'bank on'?  Bunk??

Or, how about a security that is no longer secure?  Capitalism without capital?

Closer to the bone, is a media management consultant still a consultant if there are no clients?  Hmm, will let you know about that one if and when the time comes (could be soon.....).

The Catastrophe is forcing all kinds of changes on us, including the meaning of words and phrases we had come to take for granted.  Work, for example, used to mean something that involved an office or factory and required 40+ hours of weekly toil and commitment.  No more.  Now, when I hear about someone 'getting work' or being hired, my first instinct, after happiness for him or her, is to wonder how much of a real job it is. 

Reading the NYT on my BBerry this morning at the gym, I began to feel a deep sense of worry that the Catastrophe is getting out of hand.  And I know I'm not alone---recent national survey indicates that 50% of us fear unemployment is imminent.  For the last 10 days or so, I was uplifted by the Obamites who seemed to be getting ahead of the disaster, but now we are seemingly back to square 1 with the Citibanks and AIG's and auto companies.  There's a new "N word" out there that appears to be the third rail of the political leadership.  Oy.

Yet, I remain optimistic.  We will get through this, and the more our leaders remind us that we are all in this one together, the better our prospects for quicker recovery.  The people are ahead of the government on this, witness the performance of the equity markets, and are ready to hear some plain truths.  Barack will have our undivided attention this evening.