The Plural of "Anecdote" is Not "Data", But ...

I just had a post-work drink with Culture of Truth at a bar/restaurant combo in midtown. It's not an old-guy bar, but it's not a fancy place, either. It's the kind of place commuters dash in and out of before catching the 7:05 to Larchmont, office workers congregate for a quickie before heading off to meet their civilian friends, or where tourists stop in between checking out Grand Central and the Chrysler Building. It's reasonably priced for midtown -- you can get a couple of healthy-sized Tanqueray and tonics and a decent snack to share and not break $20 each.

Tonight was one of the first warm-ish Fridays in a long, long while. It was probably the first Friday in weeks where my first impulse was not to run home, order in Chinese, get under the covers, and watch whatever had arrived from Netflix that week.

That place should have been jammed tonight and it wasn't. Not even close. It was near-desolate. That is weird, disturbing, and unfortunately, not surprising.

Last night I worked late and when I got into the elevator, a colleague I know by sight, but not by name, was on board. We said, "Hello" and when the elevator stopped a third colleague with whom she was acquainted got on.

HER: "How are you?"
HIM: "Not good. I'm done here."
HER: "What?"
HIM: "I just got laid off."
HER: "Oh my God, me, too."

The elevator arrived at the lobby. I told them both that I was very sorry about the layoff and to hang in there.

Things are beyond "not good". Things are officially bad, and not just because restaurants are empty and coworkers are getting laid off, but also because of this, which is going to start making people mad as hell at some point (I'm already furious about it.) and a bunch of other things. I hope Brad isn't right about the House in 2010 or the presidency in 2012, but I think that he is. The economy does have to be Obama's number one priority. And if that involves kicking Tim Geithner to the curb, so be it.

Time to lead, Mister President.