Winning a Pulitzer won’t give you job security :(

As reported by NY Mag, Paul Giblin, a Pulitzer Prize winning author, was laid off in January.  Now THAT is depressing.  Wonder if he’ll get the “Overqualified” quip when he’s interviewing.

One of This Year’s Pulitzer Winners Was Laid Off Back in January — Daily Intel — New York News Blog — New York Magazine.

Free Treatment if you’re Jobless and Uninsured!

Walgreens is offering free clinical care for people who are unemployed and have no health insurance.  It ain’t a lot but it’s something!  They treat allergies and that alone is huge as pollen counts are creeping up.

Health Care: Walgreen Health Clinics Now Free For Unemployed.

The Unemployed Olympics…I could have been a contender

But I didn’t find out about it in time.  Looks like a good time was had by all.-the turn out was great and the prizes were fabulous!  It was a perfect day for it-the weather was sunny and cool-an excellent day to be unemployed and meet up with the other similarly situated folks.  I’m sorry I missed it but perhaps they will host another sometime soon as the number of unemployed continues to climb!

JOBLESS GATHER FOR ‘UNEMPLOYMENT OLYMPICS’ IN NYC – New York Post.

I’m so confused…I thought people couldn’t afford to go to strip clubs anymore…

According to the ever reliable and not at all sensational New York Post, all sorts of laid-off gals are taking to the pole to make ends meat…or get back to their six figure life-style.  But seriously, a few months ago the newspapers were littered with stories about how strippers, escorts, and mistresses were suffering from the bad economy because men could no longer afford them.  What’s changed?  We’ve hit the bottom so men don’t care if they can afford it anymore?  I guess just former analysts are making tons of money with the career switch?  I have heard that the ‘new girls’ are always more popular.  Also, I’m now really interested to find out what a ‘massage’ girl does at Ricky’s and how it’s legal.  I actually feel pretty sorry for the pastry chef girl who’s now the massage girl…that can’t be good…I mean, I’m sure she’s good at it since she’s used to working with doughy sugar-puffs but it just seems like she’s fallen further than the analyst.  I mean, the analyst lady clearly had no soul to begin with and is just following the dollar…but the pastry chef lady…it sounds like she once had dreams, hopes and ambition at one point.  Le sigh.  Everyone should go buy a cupcake or scone today.  Do your part to keep these chefs from becoming tarts.

AXED GALS TAKE POLE POSITIONS – New York Post.

Case In Point: The man who saved too much and the family that saved too little

Here are two examples that are entirely too typical of the current economy.  Rick Rose is a Washingtonian who saved and saved, bought a conservative apartment but is still struggling after nearly a year of unemployment.  The Wilsons are a family that spent and didn’t save for the the financial situation they currently find themselves in.  The Post will be following both Rose and the Wilsons for the next few months to see how they cope with their joblessness and the financial fiasco it’s created.

What is so crazy about the current job market is that entire fields and labor sectors seem to have evaporated almost overnight.  In my personal opinion, this all feels like a HUGE market correction.  It feels like our over consumption and spending as a country created employment and jobs based on credit.  Now that the bill has come due on both a personal and national (even global) level, it seems like employment is shrinking back down to it’s natural levels.  I think the big question now is where do people like Rick Rose, the Wilsons and I go for new jobs?  Do we become janitors or UPS delivery people as other articles have detailed?  Or are there other markets and fields that will develope out of this economic tragedy?  Hard to say but I’m still looking.

Michelle Singletary – Down but Not Out: Overcoming Job Loss – washingtonpost.com.

Two takes on Biglaw to ProBono

ATL and CNN both featured articles on BigLaw lawyers transitioning to ProBono and volunteer work…but the messages could not be more different.  Read it and weep…as with so many articles about the legal field these days:

Public Interest Jobs Won’t Fall Into Your Lap – Above the Law – A Legal Tabloid – News, Gossip, and Colorful Commentary on Law Firms and the Legal Profession.

and CNN:

Plan B…how does it pay the bills again?

Even Jesus Got Laid Off :(

Poor Jesus…maybe this is will help American’s relate to him again?

More Americans Say They Have No Religion

YouTube – Jesus Shaves by Paranoid Larry and his Imaginary Band.

I didn’t realize people still worked at AOL (“I can check EMAIL!”)

 

 

 

 

 

Sure…according to a casual poll I’ve been taking for the past 10 years, it’s mostly Moms that have been keeping AOL afloat but even my mom now has a gmail account…that she checks through her AOL browser.  I can’t imagine how depressing it must be to work at AOL.  They have been laying people off since the LAST time I was laid off in 2001!  That’s 8+ years on a sinking ship!  That has GOT to take a toll.  The last time I was out near their offices in Dulles it was like a ghost town.  How do you muster up the energy to go to work in the morning?  I mean seriously, you’re watching your numbers dwindle for almost a DECADE?  And they can’t seriously think that the product they are supporting is going anywhere…are they getting new subscribers?  Are they just staying afloat to support the Moms?  What new projects could they possibly be working on?  

AOL Layoffs In Progress (TWX).

No Surprises Here…Unemployment is now at 8.1%

I was canned in February so this is where I finally get added into the mix.  Not much new or interesting news but if you’d like to start your weekend off on a down note, read on friends…read on.  

651,000 Jobs Lost in February; Rate Rises to 8.1% – NYTimes.com.

Under New Management – Smoothing the Way to Self-Employment – NYTimes.com

 

 

Is starting your own business really the best thing to do right now?  According to Suze Orman, heck no!  But let’s be honest, Suze isn’t always right!  Someone took a gamble on her 20 years ago and now she’s bossing Oprah around.  Here’s an interesting article certainly worth a peep if you’re thinking about starting your own business in these tough times.  Barack has promised us small business loans and the like but is this really what and when you want to be starting down that path?  It’s important to know what you’re getting into and what all of the costs are going to be.  Also, be sure to check out the lifehacker post about taxes…working for yourself may seem grand when you’re setting your own hours but where most people make HUGE mistakes is not setting the business up properly to deal with taxes.  Don’t let that happen to you.  

Under New Management – Smoothing the Way to Self-Employment – NYTimes.com.