this is what it feels like...

...trying to get a job in this economy.

just like those kitties, however, i will never give up.

new york times layoffs

gawker and nymag are getting tips left and right about the layoffs going down at the new york times today. its fun to watch!

doomsday, again.

well, yesterday was another MTA doomsday, and they voted on some really great stuff. for examps...

- do you like the W and Z subway lines? well, don't. because they're over, ok?
- and the G and M lines are getting shorter. fingers crossed, long island city!!
- used to be, kids got free metrocards to go to school. let's hope they get to keep them. david paterson promised.
- 700 workers will be unemployed now. don't worry though, they'll still have COBRA.
- 10% paycut for those state-run-service-management fat cats (aka MTA administration)

Elected officials and outraged straphangers lambasted the MTA for choosing that combinatiom of cuts, and asked transit officials to find the cost savings elsewhere.

"You respond to people's needs slower than the C train and G train on the weekends," said Councilman Charles Barron. (via)

zzzzzzzzzZZZING! but as nymag says, it could be worse. they could've raised fares!!!

side note: i had the pleasure of riding on a new future-bus the other day. it was like a robot took me home.

george clooney movie

its about being laid off...

Up in the Air Teaser Trailer from /Film on Vimeo.

inside the movie, real people who have been laid off were interviewed and appear telling their stories as people who have been laid off.

sign of hope?

dont be too discouraged... the nytimes has another graphic to keep our spirits up.

jic you thought things were getting better...

they're not.
The pace of job losses quickened last month with the American economy shedding 467,000 jobs, as unemployment rose to its highest level in 26 years. (nytimes)

question

can architects be bankers?

funemployment

check out these unemployment-themed buttons. thx nanners.

not myspace!

The latest step in Rupert Murdoch’s effort to turn around the fortunes of his digital businesses came Tuesday in the form of hefty layoffs at MySpace.

MySpace, the social networking site owned by News Corporation, the media conglomerate controlled by Mr. Murdoch, said it was laying off roughly 400 employees, or nearly 30 percent of its staff. After the layoffs, MySpace will have about 1,000 workers.

The company said the layoffs were an attempt to return to a “start-up culture.” (nytimes)

FUNemployment!

Funemployment: when you're unemployed, but it's fun! This is in contrast to "Unemployment," which is when you're unemployed and forced into prostitution in order to buy flour. No such worries for the funemployed! (gawker)

thx g.

sweeeeet!

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Thursday that it expects to hire more than 22,000 people to staff its new or expanded domestic stores this year. "During this difficult economic time, we're proud to be able to create quality jobs for thousands of Americans this year," Eduardo Castro-Wright, vice chairman of Wal-Mart U.S., said in a statement. (cnn)

chrysler lays off some dealers.

DETROIT — About a quarter of Chrysler’s dealers are receiving letters Thursday telling them that the company plans to eliminate them by June 9.

Chrysler, which filed for bankruptcy protection two weeks ago, sent letters to 789 of its 3,200 dealers revoking their franchises with the carmaker. It also filed a list of the dealers it is cutting in bankruptcy court Thursday.

Other dealers received letters welcoming them to the new Chrysler. (nytimes)

gulp.

Were you under the impression that only poor people are being evicted, because they can't pay their meager rents on their even more meager salaries/ bottle collection earnings? Not the case. In fact, lots of people who got laid off from good jobs are getting evicted, too. It's a lot easier to not be able to pay your rent when it's high! (gawker)

thx g.

dutch royal assassination attempt

yesterday, the dutch were celebrating queen's day when a guy who lost his job plowed through people and police barricades in an attempt to run down the open air bus that carried the royal family. many onlookers were injured, 5 were killed, and the royals could only look on in horror.

very weird story with very compelling video.

2Pz loves all things dutch and our hearts go out to the families of those who were injured or lost in this mishap.

how are you feeling?

check out this real-time graphic depiciting input from readers (employed and unemployed) based on their current feelings about the economy.

on the job front...

looks like UT architecture is hiring!

green news of the day

1) martha stewart just twittered about this little car, the Peapod!. no gas no emissions, all electric, lots of love. and it is smiling at us all too. this little car is intended to replace our favorite gas guzzlers on those short trips around the neighborhood that make up the majority of our driving.

2) new york city (the best city in the world) officials have proposed a group of laws and intiatives that would result in about $2.9 billion in investments in existing buildings to raise their standard of energy efficiency. they project that this would create about 2,000 jobs not including temporary construction jobs and would save the city about $750 million a year in energy costs. unfortunately for those of us without jobs, the program isnt expected to begin until 2013. just enough time for me to learn how to become an energy auditor

a helpful reminder

it's payday again! all you u-people out there, get those claims in!

oyr.

look what i just found on my goocal. oh yeah right.

i need to make a phone call and get that thing cancelled...

(and shannon, as you can see, i wasnt lying about having our dinner on my goocal. i hope your tummy's feeling better...)

this american life : scenes from the recession

listen here.

its a good one.