Got laid off on Monday.

"Purely financial" they said. Been there only 4 months. Same day they took out 8 out of 43 employees. Apparently Corporate over in Cleveland told the branch I used to work for "Lose less money NOW. Reduce overhead NOW." 15 approx. year old medical products startup, with a good, steady product line and lots of contract work pouring in. Company has reduced losses by a factor of 10 over the past year, and were on track to being in the black by next year some time. Apparently some dumbass thought that laying off a few engineers and whatnot (we only had 5...) would save money. Short term, sure, but I don't think they'll stay on their projected track to "in the black" after this!

Ick.

What do they do?

Take out your aggression and spread your misery to thousands of innocent others!!! It's the human way!!!

Unemployment in MN is amazingly painless, you can register for it online and request your check each bi-weekly period by automated phone system and have it direct-deposited into your bank account with taxes withheld. Slick. I'm happy to say I used mostly savings to fund my little extended vacation these past few months and only actually collected three weeks worth of unemployment. Don't feel bad though, you're not costing the taxpayers much, the state will pass along the expense to your former employer via their unemployment insurance payments so it's a good way to spite them. I think unemployment is still being processed during this strike but it may take longer to get set up.

Am I the only one who just can't feel sorry for these poor, underprivelaged state workers??? Do they really expect ANYONE to care about their wages, bennies and whatnot in the wake of Sept. 11 and the ongoing economy problems?? Our country's been attacked by terrorists, over 6000 citizens including about 300 firefighters and 60 police officers in New York are dead, we're at war and these people expect me to feel sorry for them?!?!?! As Tim would say, whimper, whimper, meow, meow. I haven't had a stable job since May and no strong prospects for anything similar, I'm a f'n contractor and have no health insurance currently and I certainly don't have a union to "look out for my best interests". I don't expect anyone to feel bad for me and I definitely don't want to hear employed people bitch. Since when do you go on strike during a RECESSION? They should be happy they're employed at all and even more happy that they're alive. Sorry folks, all my sympathy for the time being has been used up on the people that really deserve it. People like oh, I don't know, those who lost loved ones in a terrorist attack or those that will lose loved ones in the ensuing war. Oh no, wait, there's public employees in MN who need a better pension!!! Holy Shit! Drop everything. Shut up and get your asses back to work.

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Originally posted by bich:
what the hell is Deloitte & Touche? Sounds like a bathroom supply company.

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FIRE EVERY FUCKING LAST ONE OF THERE LAZY,
WORTHLESS, PIECE-OF-SHIT ASSES!!!!

oh, im going to have to pay a co-pay at the
fucking doctors... oh, my job doesnt pay
what the " real world " pays... FUCK YOU!!!!!
ALL YOU LAZY FUCK-HEADS!!!!! FUCK OFF!!!

The only thing i know so far about life is that the toys seem to get exponentially more expensive.

how goes the unemployment scene????

As for unemployment, I probably won't qualify. See, my last job prior to this one I just got laid off from was in Illinois, and there wasn't anywhere on the "online application form" to put it down, nor what I made there. The "base period" they use to determine eligibility and benefits is the "first 4 out of the last 5 *completed* quarters". (A quarter is a 3-month period, quarter year, think "fiscal quarter" or somesuch. It's rigid sections of a year, not just a certain amount of time...) Since I got laid off on Oct. 1st, that means my "base period" is from July 1st 2000 to June 30th 2001. That includes one full quarter of work in Illinois, one partial quarter of work in Illinois, and one partial quarter of work in Minnesota. If they disregard my Illinois employment, then I don't qualify 'cause you have to have made over $1000 in your highest-earnings quarter and at least $250 in some other quarter. I only worked 4 months for BIOMEC, and the way the "base period" is figured, it cuts out the only full quarter I worked in Minnesota!!! Argh!

Now, I'm not much for welfare, but this is a fund paid for by companies through some sort of insurance or tax thing to cover people they lay off. That's probably why my Illinois stuff won't be included, since Illinois employers don't pay into the Minnesota fund. If they DO consider my Illinois employment, the aid will cover my rent and some of my bills for 26 weeks...

Sent out a bunch of resumes already, but have only gotten "Yah, we got your resume" replies so far, and they say I'll be contacted if they are interested, not otherwise...

Blech.

BTW, the "real world" so far seems to be a place in which, despite how hard you work and how much you make you can't get what you want unless you go deeply into debt...

F@#K that. I just sold my Dodge a month ago, and I'm going to have to use the proceeds to pay my bills for the next 6 months or so, relying on a car borrowed from my parents to do any errands or go to any interviews I get...

Cramer, still want to sell you that '71, might be able to convince myself that I can use THAT money to fix my '79 with a used welder and some used parts, but I dunno... Only have the "loaner" car until February at most, 'cause that's when the leaser my Mom's driving goes back and she needs her bought car back from me... If I can get the "basics" done by then, I can drive it instead. Needs quarter panels, rear channel, some floor bits, some wheelwell bits, some cowl bits, a windshield/frame, set of doors and some top bits, brake lines, brake bits, full electrical, some fuel system bits, tuneup bits, etc... I'd really like to knock of the bulk of the rust and at least "chemically" slow it down with some of that "paint over rust" type paint or something. If I take it apart enough to go sandblast it might not go back together right...

Cramer, I'll probably try calling you this evening. I don't know your hours, but last I knew it was 2nd shift.

At least the garage thing is solved. My brother bought a house with some help from my Dad and they're offering me the free use of the 2-car detached oversize garage if I help insulate it, add or set it up for a heater and maybe upgrade the electrics. (if it has or I can put in 220, I can use a REAL welder!)

Not sure I like being on "welfare", but it certainly reduces some of the economic pressure on me and lets me concentrate better on finding a new job. That and they'll be asking regularly about how my job search goes. Have to file resumes every week or so to keep getting the benefits, so it's not like I can just lay there and live off it or anything.

Hmm. Maybe I'll take some classes or something... "Investing in yourself" is always a good idea. Not sure if I want to take ASE classes or art classes or thermodynamics and fluid mechanics and other suchlike engineering classes, though... Always been a tossup there. Mechanic, Mechanical Sculptor or Mechanical Engineer. All three I guess. Rebuilding a Land Cruiser qualifies as 'Welded Metal Self-Powered Kinetic Sculpture'

quote:

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...Or learn how to weave baskets.[/B]

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A video game where you create and simulate a family. You send them to their jobs, buy stuff for your house, make them eat, sleep, piss, shit, have social interactions and have fun, or your Sim gets sad and does poor at work, cries, pisses/shits themselves, sleeps on the floor and/or DIES. Now I'm all one for video games, and the reason I know about it is because up in Moose Lake that was one of the games my Hotel roommate had so I played it...could be very addicting, but what happened to good old fashioned entertainment? Literally you'll have you're little Sim guy sit in front of the TV for hours...while you sit in front of you're PC for minutes/HOURS at a time. Yeah, and this is one of the most popular games right now, selling literally MILLIONS of copies, and the 3 expansion packs have sold millions as well. Pretty sad that kids don't need to talk to anyone to have fun anymore.

We were an Atari/Nintendo generation, now there will be kids that do nothing but play computer and live long depressing lives of solitude. But their little Sims family will be huge! The Real World/Road Rules marathon 34 will be running on their TV in their Mom's basement while their masturbating profusely to video game chicks.

Poor little buggers.

-Boondock

Try it. You'll like it.

I just put a GeForce 3 card in my 1.4ghz Athlon and I'm now running 70 fps on 1024 SMOOTHLY...the only catch is I don't have DSL where my CPU is, so I'm playing ME against 5-10 bots, and I'm crushing them. But they're still pretty damn smart...

THANKSGIVING IS CLOSING IN FAST!!!!!
COLORADO HERE WE COME!!!!!

-Boondock

The scary thing is this: Where's the fuckin snow in MN? Colorado will be the first time out for ALL of us this season. I don't think I'm gonna be the only one on the bunny hill.

So is Vikki coming for sure? Any bets on who gets in her pants first, me or Litt?

-Boondock