There are some up-sides to unemployment. For starters, you can sleep in a little bit and take as long as you want in the shower (at least until the hot water runs out). You can make your ramen noodles at any time of day, and you have a lot more time to psychically deal with the stresses of commenting on vicious message boards (or the Daily Weekly, which extends an official invite to now-homeless Sound Off commenters). You also don't have to fight traffic, and as the Times helpfully points out, all the laid-off people not fighting traffic makes the commutes of those still employed just that much easier. How nice for the still-employeds, you're thinking! It's especially kind of the article to highlight the venti cinnamon dolce latte one of the interviewed still-employed, still-commuting people purchases daily, an extra that costs just about as much as two week's worth of ramen. Ouch. more ›