anon22ae

Not exactly... I was laid off a month ago (as I had mentioned or complained, but that was a few posts back). In any case, I guess the real problems will come once I'm out of funds and ideas. I recall a Mad Magazine cartoon from decades ago about the plight of workers over the hill ("Don't worry... there are plenty of opportunities for suddenly unemployed men in their 50's!") Back then it was funny... now, not so much (never could have imagined I'd be on the receiving end one day).

I was kidding... my car was more of a Corolla or some Hyundai than a Lambo or Ferrari, though I've known (of) people higher up who did have those. Like the majority, I never climbed the corporate ladder very high up, especially since this usually meant kissing the bottoms of those above you on that ladder (and it's hard to pucker up when you're trying to negotiate the rungs😂).

5 cars, all brand new? Just goes to show you what that "other" class thinks. I'm perfectly fine to lave my Lambo and Ferrari only once every 2 weeks! 😂 /s Anyhow, it's been a couple months of unemployment for me, give or take, and it would appear that employers aren't exactly rushing to pick off the spoils of all the layoffs of late. Quite a different story when you're just out of college or grad school vs. having gone through a few decades of a career and being now essentially unemployable 😥

Tech layoffs are continuing, so condolences to anyone else getting the axe. I know the industry doesn't owe me or anyone anything, but what if you devoted half your life to the job? In a divorce trial, there's often the argument about getting enough to maintain the same lifestyle as before -- but what law says your lifestyle must be preserved just because you're so used to it? Seems the same should apply everywhere.

Thanks, it's very unfamiliar territory, but I'll see about qualifying. I suppose at some point, the only alternative to qualifying is lying down in the gutter to die. The slippery slope is leading up to this, despite my best efforts. If someone is largely alone and can't expect help like parents sending him money (as with my "friends"), what is one to do? There's the phenomenon of kodokushi in Japan, as in "orphan" "alone" "death" from the kanji combination (hey, I remember something from my high school Japanese class eons ago). This means the people dying alone and discovered months, years, or even decades after they pass on.

That's possible, but it's unfamiliar territory... never thought I'd be in this situation. I'll have to learn more about exactly what's involved. I've known some people on long-term disability, which seems tougher to get. Anyhow, we'll see -- thanks.

Should be "interesting" from here on after the layoff. I find I can't even anticipate how things will feel, given half my life on the job. Strange and unhinged feeling not to go in (even despite that COVID made staying at home glamorous). Wondering what's next, but wishing I could do something useful to help someone, as opposed to participating in growing corporate profits from billions to more billions.

Sorry to hear, but nightmares can be cured easily. I used to have them, but now I welcome them. You only need to realize you're dreaming, and then you're all-powerful. It was fascinating to discover that there's a term for this, namely lucid dreaming, and that others practice this as a sort of hobby. Even beforehand, I thought that if I'm dreaming, I'm inside my own mind, which I rule with illimitable dominion over all, to quote Edgar Allan Poe. It's important not just to think this, but to know it (as in the Matrix, I suppose, but they must've lifted that one from elsewhere).

Yes! I give the entire shower a once-over with a sponge. The reason is that in my old apartment complex (where I no longer reside, thank goodness), black mold would invade the tiles routinely unless you took extreme measures. The management would send notices about black mold, but wouldn't offer any real means of dealing with it. I found that wiping up the shower area every time deprives the black mold of sustenance and generally staves it off. It's sort of obvious, but I doubt anyone wants to bother with such a hassle every day (or more often).

Yes, that'd come in handy right about now, a few days after getting axed from the job I've had half my life. I wonder how much would be enough. I got way too used to work benefits like healthcare and bills being paid while having something left over... it's sort of a shock to realize that every benefit and bill will now drain my bottom line.

That's probably part of it, but age discrimination is prevalent in the industry. It's pretty much accepted as the norm. Everyone knows it and doesn't really care. Since this is "at will" employment, you can be fired for any reason or no reason, except illegal ones like race or gender discrimination, etc. (I'm not even sure age is covered under those laws.) Anyhow, it's been just a few days and I'm sure it'll sink in in ways I can't foretell yet. It's hard to be optimistic, but maybe it could lead to better things down the line (tough to imagine how).

Thanks... yes, maybe what's coming will be better. Nonetheless, it's rather life-changing, since I've had this job nearly half my life and got too used to it. I was hired "young" and fired "old." It's a completely different situation now... but who knows what the near future will bring.

It's been "interesting" in the Chinese proverb sense of the word, as in experiencing the joy of being laid off for the first time... I wonder how it'll feel once it sinks in a bit more. In any case, it's just part of life, much like death. I'm pretty far from the first and the last.

I think your posts have helped many, including me... You'll be missed. I may have to join the DF exodus myself, unfortunately. Just got laid off and now need to focus on other things for the time being... 😞

I've had a few myself, but COVID got me anyway in the end (just a couple weeks ago). In terms of the shots, the government doesn't seem to offer clear guidance as to what to do if you caught COVID. I have absolutely no idea whether or not to get whichever booster happens to be recommended at this juncture 😂

That's actually not a bad idea, though I tend to have a "freezing" problem at the beginning if I don't practice at least the opening. If I can get that on autopilot, the rest follows naturally. I'm apparently not alone with the freezing... there are videos of presenters going up on stage, getting ready to speak, but then simply walking off. The same goes for piano players and other performers. Better just to walk off than to try winging it in such cases...

I'm sure there are more than a few such people here... I've had to do presentations for work, not to mention the ones in school, which were similar in terms of the anxiety. I've never really been able to prevent anxiety before the talk, but this applies only during the beginning. Once I'm "warmed up," it's mostly gone -- you just focus on the presentation. Thus, I've usually practiced mainly the start of talks, just to get off to a good start before the anxiety departs. The other helpful aspect is to treat the presentation as though you're conveying something worthwhile and valuable to the audience. That is, be "proud" of what you're presenting. Hopefully, that'd usually be the case, unless you're trying to fool people or talk about something you don't really believe in...

Not to encourage anything harmful, but my philosophy on this is starting to change as I'm getting older. I'm reminded of the Vikings about to die who reminisced fondly over their days of feasting and drinking. Their only regret was that they hadn't drunk even more and more often. I wonder who on their deathbed wishes they had drunk less... at least assuming they accepted their fate. If I'm aware of my final hours or minutes, I'll probably be like those Vikings.

The "cool" video games will run you $59.95 or so. I know people who do nothing but play video games all day. I can only wish for this type of freedom (even if I'd be choosing to do other things). Aside from the gap between the billionaires and those with nothing, that's also a sort of unfairness, particularly in a country like the US. Some people work three jobs and still can't make ends meet, while others inherit their money and can do whatever they want. On the other hand, no one said the universe was fair (and most of us here can probably attest to that).

I think the spammers will get tired and leave eventually, especially if they get no return from their spamming campaigns. Nonetheless, it takes a real piece of work of a spammer to abuse a site like this, where many go to find some support and relief from the daily pain.

Indeed, back when I (or rather my family) had cats, it seemed the cats somehow were a better class of friend even while totally ignoring me (which is a cat prerogative). On occasion, it hit home just how much the cats were NOT ignoring me but rather completely trusting in me... one example is when my cat dropped down the tree and immediately sprinted towards me while being chased by a rival enemy cat. The rival was feral and immediately reversed course when s/he noticed me. It was sort of an amusing experience 😂

Yes, I would also care only about stopping the threat. I don't have emotions at that point. What's annoying is that a place seems perfectly safe and hasn't been hit in recorded memory, if ever, only to be targeted out of randomness. I'm wondering when the day will come when the randomness is not in my favor.

Yes, though burglars have been known to sue their victims for things like tripping hazards and broken stairs. The "progressive" government in my area tends to look askance at any violence resulting from home invasions and the like... I'm not sure we have anything like a Castle Doctrine or whatever the term is. One can only hope I never get to find out.

Thanks, makes sense... now that I think of it, even Amazon sometimes sends purchases via USPS. Every day I wonder whether this is the day I'll be coming home to the door slightly ajar and everything trashed inside... or maybe something more subtle, like all my stuff gone. 😂

The nextdoor.com neighbors site has people posting pictures of the mail thief currently making the rounds in a stolen car... and it's a bit too close for comfort, especially since my locked mailbox was open somehow when I checked it today. There was one other box I saw rigged open in the shed. I don't get it... what do people receive in the mail that could possibly be all that valuable? The only thing I can think of is credit cards, but these require activation nowadays and are useless otherwise. Is it my Mad Magazine (but I let that subscription run out a while back)? Or are they casing places to see what people might have (e.g., if you receive a magazine about valuable coins, guns, or whatever, they might assume you have those things on the premises... which I don't!)