Facebook response to our last post on unemployment haikus, from a mother of three small children. i work my ass off but my only salary is dirty laundry

For about a year starting in July, 2008, laid off copywriter Matthew Bottkol and his artist pal Todd Eisner created an illlustrated unemployment haiku each week and posted it on Unemployment Haiku Weekly. Here’s just a sampling. Check out our post Haikus for the times for more haikus.

In our last post, we turned you on to the rap economics song “Demand Supply.” Now, thrill to eight more dope phat economics tracks, from the album “Flat World Economics” by Rhythm Rhyme Results.

Our recommendations include the R&B-flavored “Elasticity,” which should have you jutting your chin, swaying, and assimilating the concept of the supply/demand curve’s sensitivity to price in no time flat. And definitely get your freak on to “Maximum Utility’s” funky downbeat and economics-positive lyrics:

“Demand, Supply“ At first blush, you might think that Principles of Economics, written by Harvard professor and former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors Greg Mankiw, doesn’t necessarily seem like ripe material for a rap adaptation. But if you did think that, you’d be wrong. Listen to “Demand, Supply”, by Rhythm, Rhyme, Results. The [...]

You may have caught the news item yesterday about a stunt that the satirical group The Yes Men pulled at the National Press Club. Yes Man Andy Bichlbaum posed as a spokesman for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, announcing that the business group had reversed its position opposing climate change legislation and would cease campaigning [...]

Here’s a little something to brighten your Monday. The employed will enjoy a “there but for the Grace of God” moment, and the jobless will get a little boost because they’re doing better, at least, than a Web cartoon. So watch this laid-off dude stare at the wall, eat fudge dried cookies and Pringles, and [...]

Michael Moore’s latest, Capitalism: A Love Story, is perhaps his most radical. Aside from recounting Big Business’ recent Greatest Hits in terms of corruption and mercenary behavior, it also classifies our entire economic system as “evil,” antithetical to democracy, and in need of not just an overhaul, but eradication.

So how have audiences responded? Well, on Rotten Tomatoes, a movie review site, users have given it a score of 68% out of 100%, while on Yahoo! Movies, the film recieves an average grade of B.

Here are some audience comments that have been voted “most helpful” by the Yahoo! Movies community.

Got ‘em? You’re not alone. Culled from YouTube: A bunch o’ people all singin’ their own version of songs titled “Recession Blues.” Best of set (if you’re David Lynch)

State arts funding is down for the second year in a row, and the severe recession has turned many struggling artists into full-time job seekers with little or no time to pursue their passion. So what’s an aspiring or emerging painter, novelist, filmmaker to do?

Well, for one, they can become fans of the Wealthy Patrons for the Arts group on Facebook. The group’s description:
This group is to inspire those with means to collect art from galleries and artists. Example: Instead of spending $ 3 million for 2 paintings at an auction house, just think of the trickle down if you do this. Go to an art town, like Taos. Go on a shopping spree and spend that million. Buy hundreds of artists. The artists, galleries, framers, shippers, local business’ etc will all benefit ( and love you for it ), not just the auction house and the seller….

Sounds like a great idea. But if your project remains stuck in the, uh, conceptual phase, languishing for lack of resources, then you’re in need of another funding mechanism. That’s where Kickstarter comes in. This site describes itself as a funding platform where artists can post proposals and ask for donations in return for “products, services or other benefits.”

The web site Jobacle is holding a contest calling for haikus about work. Turns out there are a lot of work and job-related haikus on the Web. Some faves germane to the current economy, gleaned from here, here, here, here, and here: Poverty Is So In Bad economy means no big bonus for me. Must [...]