Hi Group 5!
We are now in the final hours of the Violette Live Project and have managed to produce 12 postcards of the people of Nottingham. Not only that, but we have selected the elderly to focus on as we felt that they had the essence of Nottingham that they were what we were ultimatly, trying to capture.
These 12 people have been given individual captions which we felt that they could have been thinking or saying to someone. These were gathered after completing some research in the form of a survey directed at the over 60's in various hot spots in Nottingham city centre yesterday.
We will present the presentation and we will explain the process that we have been through during the past few days.
Thank you for your contribution to the task in which ever form you have contributed, however, as all of our team have not been present during the 3 day live project, we will only be crediting those who were here for it.
These were: Lim, Eva, Roshni, Sally and myself.
Thanks again and i hope the rest of the project continues to be a success.
Adele Parsons
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
Monday, 19 January 2009
Change of plan
Hey all,
Yet again we have changed our mind as we realised that the other idea would be too hard to do in a day!
Idea:
So, the latest idea is to create a series of photographs of the people of Nottingham and put them into postcards. The idea is that they are taken in Nottingham and that they represent Nottingham life so that poeple would be able to tell where they are from.
Action Plan:
Take photographs of people on the streets of Nottingham tonight and tomorrow between 9am-11am and bring the pictures in. We will be meeting in the MA studio at 11am to see what people have managed to take pictures of.
Hope to see you all there, if not can you let us know if your coming?
Thanks
Adele
Yet again we have changed our mind as we realised that the other idea would be too hard to do in a day!
Idea:
So, the latest idea is to create a series of photographs of the people of Nottingham and put them into postcards. The idea is that they are taken in Nottingham and that they represent Nottingham life so that poeple would be able to tell where they are from.
Action Plan:
Take photographs of people on the streets of Nottingham tonight and tomorrow between 9am-11am and bring the pictures in. We will be meeting in the MA studio at 11am to see what people have managed to take pictures of.
Hope to see you all there, if not can you let us know if your coming?
Thanks
Adele
Thursday, 15 January 2009
Latest update
Hello all,
Following from our recent meeting, we have now changed the topic (again!) We are now looking at NTU Merchandise. This means that we are looking into rebranding the merchandise that is for sale in art and design at NTU.
Please can everyone bring in some ideas / designs / drawings / sketches on monday morning ready for the pitch. We need to look at re-designing the current range merchandise that is on sale. Have a look at the link below.
http://alumni.ntu.ac.uk/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=342&srcid=313
We have gone with this idea as we decided that is was something that there was a need for as the current range is dated to say the least.
We want to update it, make it fun, funky and student friendly.
Have a think about what students like - music / socialising / shopping / going out
Research - what other places do for their branding ie Design musuem / Harrods / The Tate Musuem. get ideas and bring them in.
Dont forget to try and make it exciting!
See you monday at 9am.
Adele
Following from our recent meeting, we have now changed the topic (again!) We are now looking at NTU Merchandise. This means that we are looking into rebranding the merchandise that is for sale in art and design at NTU.
Please can everyone bring in some ideas / designs / drawings / sketches on monday morning ready for the pitch. We need to look at re-designing the current range merchandise that is on sale. Have a look at the link below.
http://alumni.ntu.ac.uk/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=342&srcid=313
We have gone with this idea as we decided that is was something that there was a need for as the current range is dated to say the least.
We want to update it, make it fun, funky and student friendly.
Have a think about what students like - music / socialising / shopping / going out
Research - what other places do for their branding ie Design musuem / Harrods / The Tate Musuem. get ideas and bring them in.
Dont forget to try and make it exciting!
See you monday at 9am.
Adele
Monday, 12 January 2009
sally
Saturday interview: Skills secretary John Denham
Whistlestop it may have been. But the Prime Minister's tour of recession Britain could not keep pace with the velocity of economic decline. On Monday, John Denham, the innovation, universities and skills secretary, unveiled – as a curtain-raiser to Gordon Brown's regional journey – plans to retrain Nissan workers while they were still employed by the Sunderland plant.
By Mary Riddell Last Updated: 10:11AM GMT 10 Jan 2009
John Denham, the innovation, universities and skills secretary, unveiled plans to retrain Nissan workers while they were still employed Photo: JEFF GILBERT
Nissan is to cut 1,200 jobs at its plant in Sunderland
We meet late on Thursday. Mr Denham has just stepped off a train from Liverpool to discover that notions of a gentle transition appear to be in tatters. The car firm has just announced that it is firing 1200 people; a quarter of its Sunderland workforce. Did he know that devastating news was coming?
"No. The deal with Nissan was done before Christmas. I can't tell you what will happen now," he says, unsure how the bombshell will affect his agreement. "But our commitment to that sort of deal will remain." With job losses accelerating by the day, does he accept that the downturn may be worse than in 1929? "The impact has has turned out to be very, very difficult indeed."
As opportunities shrink, Denham faces many problems. These include is the fate facing students who will graduate this summer; one of the largest cohorts ever to leave higher education. "These are the children of the baby-boomers. They will be a very big group; around 300,000. What do we do with them?..We can't just leave people to fend for themselves."
Despite many big employers promising not to freeze graduate employment altogether, students approaching their finals are facing unemployment unparalleled in recent times. Denham's response is a "national internship scheme", which he is putting together with leading employers in the private and public sectors.
So far Microsoft and Barclays, along with other major firms, have pledged to take graduates who cannot find jobs and train them for short periods of up to three months. Mr Denham is urgently canvassing other businesses. "At the end, they [graduates] will be more employable, and some of them will get jobs. Employers won't want to let good people go. The graduate situation is not as bad as some people say, but it is challenging."
Will his interns be paid? "I'm not at this stage talking about unpaid internships. I'd hope we'd develop something that won't look worse than a student's income and may look considerably better." While he promisies government "branding", no extra money appears to be on offer. Can he persuade bosses to provide enough places to make a difference? "Aspirationally, you would like it to be available to everyone, but you always fall short of the univsersal."
Mr Denham denies that this scheme will be unattractive to poorer students, who have paid dearly for their education and now face, at best, a short-term, low-wage job. Still less does he accept this year's grim prospects as evidence that too many young people are being channelled into higher education. "That's wrong," he says. His aspiration to get 50 per cent of young people to university (as opposed to the current 40 per cent) still holds. "It feels about right," he says.
Surely he will not now be taking the advice offered in a recent report by Sir John Chisholm and removing the cap of £3145 on tuition fees, so allowing universities to move towards the £17,000 demanded by top American colleges? Mr Denham, who must make a decision this year, refuses to talk about tuition fees until his review is complete. But Chisholm's contribution is, he says, "a fascinating paper in lots and lots of ways."
Before any decision is made he will be talking urgently to major graduate recruiters, urging them to sign up to his internship deal. "It's my job in the next few weeks to push those discussions through," he says.
Next Tuesday, he will publish the New Opportunities white paper, which will include a pilot scheme for carers who have been out of work for more than five years. That group, chiefly women and including mothers who left jobs to raise their children, will be offered a £500 retraining grant to help them back into employment.
"Training is a universal right. It's not just targeted at those with the worst skill levels. Society wants people to look after elderly parents or children; such carers make a huge contribution. I didn't think there ought to be a division on grounds of income. Anyone who has been a carer for five years deserves that help."
Although Mr Denham says he would have brought in his plan with or without a recession, he concedes that it will benefit the victims of the middle class jobs bloodbath. With professional men being thrown out of work, their wives may become breadwinners. "The aim is to give people more choices. Caring is good; it shouldn't be a penalty that sets you back when you return to work."
Though mindful of middle class pain, he devotes much of his thought to apprenticeships. 35,000 more were announced this week, in addition to the 224,000 already planned for this year. £1billion is being spent in 2009: the aim for 2020 is 400,000 places.
Such schemes are vital now that young people must, by law, stay on in school until they are 18 after 2015. There have been rumours that the higher leaving age may be brought forward as the recession bites, and Mr Denham, intriguingly, does not deny it. "There is nothing on that I can help you with," he says cryptically. "I'm not going to give you any indication. Any steer would be unhelpful."
He does not deny that there is also a fear in government – as Britain's Neets (those not in not in employment, eduation or training) face a bleak future- of the sort of civic meltdown seen recently in Greece and France. "But I wouldn't say that I was driven by the fear of social breakdown as much as the great sense of loss when young people end up in trouble or wasting their lives."
Mr Denham is a difficult man to pigeonhole. Though he did not, unlike many colleagues, lose faith in Gordon Brown, he is, he maintains, neither Blairite not Brownite. "I am not any sort of Ite," he says. Will there be an election this year? "It's not something I'm thinking about?" Can Labour win? "We can, but we've got to earn it."
Labour's fate may depend, as he knows, on whether people can find jobs and secure their futures in a world with no guarantees or signposts. While he remains upbeat, it will not be easy to convince sceptical voters that he can build the skilled and supple workforce of tomorrow on the frail and shifting foundations of today.
Whistlestop it may have been. But the Prime Minister's tour of recession Britain could not keep pace with the velocity of economic decline. On Monday, John Denham, the innovation, universities and skills secretary, unveiled – as a curtain-raiser to Gordon Brown's regional journey – plans to retrain Nissan workers while they were still employed by the Sunderland plant.
By Mary Riddell Last Updated: 10:11AM GMT 10 Jan 2009
John Denham, the innovation, universities and skills secretary, unveiled plans to retrain Nissan workers while they were still employed Photo: JEFF GILBERT
Nissan is to cut 1,200 jobs at its plant in Sunderland
We meet late on Thursday. Mr Denham has just stepped off a train from Liverpool to discover that notions of a gentle transition appear to be in tatters. The car firm has just announced that it is firing 1200 people; a quarter of its Sunderland workforce. Did he know that devastating news was coming?
"No. The deal with Nissan was done before Christmas. I can't tell you what will happen now," he says, unsure how the bombshell will affect his agreement. "But our commitment to that sort of deal will remain." With job losses accelerating by the day, does he accept that the downturn may be worse than in 1929? "The impact has has turned out to be very, very difficult indeed."
As opportunities shrink, Denham faces many problems. These include is the fate facing students who will graduate this summer; one of the largest cohorts ever to leave higher education. "These are the children of the baby-boomers. They will be a very big group; around 300,000. What do we do with them?..We can't just leave people to fend for themselves."
Despite many big employers promising not to freeze graduate employment altogether, students approaching their finals are facing unemployment unparalleled in recent times. Denham's response is a "national internship scheme", which he is putting together with leading employers in the private and public sectors.
So far Microsoft and Barclays, along with other major firms, have pledged to take graduates who cannot find jobs and train them for short periods of up to three months. Mr Denham is urgently canvassing other businesses. "At the end, they [graduates] will be more employable, and some of them will get jobs. Employers won't want to let good people go. The graduate situation is not as bad as some people say, but it is challenging."
Will his interns be paid? "I'm not at this stage talking about unpaid internships. I'd hope we'd develop something that won't look worse than a student's income and may look considerably better." While he promisies government "branding", no extra money appears to be on offer. Can he persuade bosses to provide enough places to make a difference? "Aspirationally, you would like it to be available to everyone, but you always fall short of the univsersal."
Mr Denham denies that this scheme will be unattractive to poorer students, who have paid dearly for their education and now face, at best, a short-term, low-wage job. Still less does he accept this year's grim prospects as evidence that too many young people are being channelled into higher education. "That's wrong," he says. His aspiration to get 50 per cent of young people to university (as opposed to the current 40 per cent) still holds. "It feels about right," he says.
Surely he will not now be taking the advice offered in a recent report by Sir John Chisholm and removing the cap of £3145 on tuition fees, so allowing universities to move towards the £17,000 demanded by top American colleges? Mr Denham, who must make a decision this year, refuses to talk about tuition fees until his review is complete. But Chisholm's contribution is, he says, "a fascinating paper in lots and lots of ways."
Before any decision is made he will be talking urgently to major graduate recruiters, urging them to sign up to his internship deal. "It's my job in the next few weeks to push those discussions through," he says.
Next Tuesday, he will publish the New Opportunities white paper, which will include a pilot scheme for carers who have been out of work for more than five years. That group, chiefly women and including mothers who left jobs to raise their children, will be offered a £500 retraining grant to help them back into employment.
"Training is a universal right. It's not just targeted at those with the worst skill levels. Society wants people to look after elderly parents or children; such carers make a huge contribution. I didn't think there ought to be a division on grounds of income. Anyone who has been a carer for five years deserves that help."
Although Mr Denham says he would have brought in his plan with or without a recession, he concedes that it will benefit the victims of the middle class jobs bloodbath. With professional men being thrown out of work, their wives may become breadwinners. "The aim is to give people more choices. Caring is good; it shouldn't be a penalty that sets you back when you return to work."
Though mindful of middle class pain, he devotes much of his thought to apprenticeships. 35,000 more were announced this week, in addition to the 224,000 already planned for this year. £1billion is being spent in 2009: the aim for 2020 is 400,000 places.
Such schemes are vital now that young people must, by law, stay on in school until they are 18 after 2015. There have been rumours that the higher leaving age may be brought forward as the recession bites, and Mr Denham, intriguingly, does not deny it. "There is nothing on that I can help you with," he says cryptically. "I'm not going to give you any indication. Any steer would be unhelpful."
He does not deny that there is also a fear in government – as Britain's Neets (those not in not in employment, eduation or training) face a bleak future- of the sort of civic meltdown seen recently in Greece and France. "But I wouldn't say that I was driven by the fear of social breakdown as much as the great sense of loss when young people end up in trouble or wasting their lives."
Mr Denham is a difficult man to pigeonhole. Though he did not, unlike many colleagues, lose faith in Gordon Brown, he is, he maintains, neither Blairite not Brownite. "I am not any sort of Ite," he says. Will there be an election this year? "It's not something I'm thinking about?" Can Labour win? "We can, but we've got to earn it."
Labour's fate may depend, as he knows, on whether people can find jobs and secure their futures in a world with no guarantees or signposts. While he remains upbeat, it will not be easy to convince sceptical voters that he can build the skilled and supple workforce of tomorrow on the frail and shifting foundations of today.
manas
http://www.financial-spread-betting.com/Unemployed-fired-laid-off-lost-work.html
Hard Times - Soft Couch; Yes, I'm Unemployed!
Yes, I am unemployed at the moment, but by no means unoccupied. Hmm, that just looks so bad in writing! I fired myself at my last job. I was unhappy for a long time but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Late last month I finally pulled the trigger. Now, I read a lot, write a bit and of course focus my time on trading online. Don't worry, I will survive this period... My favourite saying is that if the system has failed you, don't fail yourself!
You may lose money and experience some stress, but termination will rocket you out of a situation where you were stagnant, unappreciated, and unfulfilled.
Be bold. If you really have no meaning and the job drains you of who you are - leave! yes, it is scary. There are bills to be paid, and expectations to be met. but, what I have come to realize, is that it will work itself out. Somehow, someway. But your happiness and general sense of being are not worth sacrificing. You are strong and you are worth it. Don't let it defeat you any more.
Now, I'm back with a twinkle in my eye again. Back to the dangerous landscape of life! Who needs Survivor?
Not Working for a Living - For all my peoples, keep ya head up. And read.
I actually thought - and this is really silly when you consider that I've been working for years now and so should know better - that companies feel the same sense of obligation and duty toward their employees that they insist their employees should feel toward them. If you contribute to your company's success and help it to advance its interests and financial health, often making big sacrifices of your own time to do so, then your company will reciprocate by recognizing your efforts and giving you a fair share of the amount you have contributed towards the company. That's the way I thought it worked.
Where in the world did I get that idea? Now I finally understand - and I'm so much the better man and citizen for the understanding - that the true, indeed the only, obligation any company's top management has is to its Board of Directors and major shareholders. Not only have I been alienated, underpaid, and abused but now I am now forced to gaze upon the capitalist system from a cold and comfortless place outside the warmth and safety of its shelter.
******************************************************************
Dark Reality - So, You Think You're Smart? Riddle!!
******************************************************************
It could be a pot of gold or an empty promise. It's better than any carrot, it's better than any stick, it's better than any environment that we might find. And it has people really caring about the results of a company. It gets you there early, keeps you there late and it's something exciting to talk about. It's the lure which has made me stick to the company and waste 3 years of my life. But what is it!!??????
Answer is found at bottom of the article. But give it a try first!! Its easy!!!
What Do You Do?
Being unemployed, I'm really starting to hate it when the first thing people ask me is what I do for a living. For me, it is the worst question in the world. So I haven't got a "full-time" regular job, so what. I'm still me, and I love life despite its often cruel blows.Going back to the 'what do you do' asking -:
I've started telling people I'm an "entrepreneur, trying to get some money for a start-up." That start-up being my own career. Or I'm self-employed. Or honesty served with a little more creativity -:"So what do you do?""I'm developing my career in market research.""As an analyst?""No, participant."
The Benefits of Being Unemployed!!
Not Having to Wake up to the Alarm Clock
That's an obvious one. You can finally get the good 12 or 13 hours of sleep you've been craving since high school.
Read, Read and Read
One of the side benefits of being unemployed is that you really get to burn through your reading list... Yesterday I sat down and read Robert Vaughan's Hard Times in something like 12 hours, 2pm to 2am.
Lose Weight!
Another is losing weight because I "don't really need that extra slice of..." or dessert, for that matter. I learned that store-brand food, and other things, are just as good as the name-brand, and quite a bit less expensive. I'm feeding myself on less than $10 a day.
My beard - it's still growing!
I also don't have to worry about how well my face matches the cast of the West Wing--my friends and family, as I am reminded, "Love me the way I am."
Getting Rid of Telemarketers and Door-to-Door Salesmen!!
Another is telling telemarketers that you're not working right now, seems to have the almost instantaneous effect of making them go away. :)
$$ Please help me support myself. Clicking on one or more of the 'google adverts' above helps me support myself and pay rent and hosting. It does not cost you anything to click but it allows me to struggle on a few extra months. $$
Performance Reviews - Quotes Taken from actual performance evaluations:
"Since my last report, this employee has reached rock bottom and has started to dig.""His men would follow him anywhere, but only out of morbid curiosity.""I would not allow this employee to breed.""This associate is really not so much of a has-been, but more of a definitely won't be.""Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap."
The Benefits of Being Unemployed!!
Here's some cheery advice for all you unemployed out there!:
1.) before the lay-off
Take as much stuff from your company as possible because you're going to need it. If you can take your laptop, great but at the very least, take all your files. You should be doing this just at the rumor that there might be a lay-off. Be really nice to the mailroom guys because they'll let you mail all sorts of thing to your home.
2.) get new friends
If your old friends are still working it is going to be a bit hard trying to keep hanging out with them. It's going to really annoy them that you have no money to do things. Chances are they are going to pay for you out of pity. That's eventually going to cause some friction. If you aren't really fond of these friends to begin with, this could be the perfect time to sever the relationship and get some new, wealthy friends.
3.) fix up your place
Put that shelf up, change the shower head, grout the bathroom, build the Ikea table that's been sitting in the box for 8 months. Or just clean up the damn place. It's a mess.
4.) sell something
Everyone has crap that they want to get rid of. This is a great time to do it. You can start by selling your business attire. No, don't sell yourself - not unless you can avoid it at least!!
5.) go back to school
Trying to find a job these days is quite difficult. You might even laugh when you wonder why the hell you went to college in the first place. Think of how hard you will laugh when you have an MBA or a PhD and still can't find a job.
6.) learn something new
Did you always fantasize about being a Rock Star or a Paleontologist? Well now's your chance to have some fun. Sign up for guitar lessons or go out and dig a hole in someone's yard. This is a great time to finally explore and pursue your true passion. If you're the very rare person whose passion was doing the job you were just laid-off from, then do something you hate so you can see why the rest of us were so miserable when we were working.
6.) beat the blues
Not working can be depressing, and cheering yourself up can cost money. Maybe knowing about people who are worse off than you will actually make you count your blessings. Join an AA meeting or watch Dateline.
7.) a novel idea
I'll bet you have always thought about writing a best selling novel or an academy award winning screenplay. Chances are, you'll never write either, but the thought that you are going to be a writer can be so uplifting. Buy a couple of notepads and a few new pens. (Even if you still have the supplies you stole from your company.) Write the name of your book/movie on the cover. Every now and then, jot down a few ideas. Start telling people you're a writer.
8.) read a little
It may be too late for the self-help kind. Read the classics, something from Charles Dickens or Danielle Steele. Go to the library and get it for free.
9.) lose some weight
This could be the perfect way to lose weight. Since you are unemployed, you have no money for food. Secondly, you have all the time in the world to exercise. Can't use the old, "I'm too busy to work out" excuse now sucker!
10.) family ties
This is a once and a lifetime opportunity to spend some great quality time with your family.
11.) family byes
Try to get a way from your family. After a few weeks together, you will want to kill yourself.
12.) ask your parents for cash
Since they are older, they are probably from that 'Save your money' generation. Also, visit them more often to soften them up. Plus, get a free meal too.
13.) don't steal but...
If the bank accidentally deposits some money in your account or you are given the wrong amount of change in your favor, shut up. Take the money and run.
14.) here's your tip
Tipping is out of control in the first place. Use this opportunity to reexamine your tips. Does Veritas really prepare quality food all the time? No. Then stop tipping. Taxi drivers, bellhops, waiters, should still get tips, but let's be realistic and extra critical of their service.
15.) unpass the buck
You probably have some services that you are still paying for like; housecleaning, yard work, laundry, garbage pick up. Eliminate these luxuries and start doing things yourself. You probably always complained about their work and thought you could do a better job.
16.) no thrills no frills
There are a lot of products in plain white packages that are cheaper and just as good as the brand name products. Some of which are even made by the same companies that produced the brand name products. That said, stop drinking bottled water.
17.) taps
Stop drinking bottled water and turn to tap water instead. It might not be good (here its quite chloriney) but it will at least quench your thirst and let you live a few more weeks
18.) lower your standards
Admit it! You've been spoiled. Get back in to the human race and accept your place. You can make something of yourself later. For now, just be. You may find that's what you are really good at.
19.) plan a trip
But don't go. This is very similar to the, 'I'm going to write a novel' thing. Sometimes planning a trip and fantasizing about an exotic adventure is all you need to put a smile on your face. You will be kept so busy trying to decide which Island in the Caribbean you should go to. Getting other unemployed friends involved increases the excitement exponentially.
20.) paid volunteers
People who volunteer are the most unselfish people on earth. But paid volunteers are the smart ones. Let's face it, rich people become volunteers out of guilt. I'm not sure why there are so many old volunteers, but bless them too. Maybe they get discounts. This will certainly help your self esteem. Until you realize you can't buy chicken with self esteem. If you are going to volunteer, do it where people really need you; hospitals, big brother, etc.
21.) doggy style
Whenever you have the pleasure of eating out, make sure to take ask for all the leftovers. If there are leftovers from your dining partners, ask for those to be wrapped as well. You can stretch this buy asking the surrounding tables too.
22.) go fish
Whether you live inland or near the shore (I live on an island so this is on my daily schedule), you have a great opportunity to catch your own meal. If you don't have your own rod and reel, borrow one from a friend. Dig up a few worms and off you go. Fresh water will provide you with some fine trout and bass, while the oceans offer up some delicious sole.
23.) go farm
I don't think you should get into the meet and dairy aspects of farming, but you will be amazed how easy it is to grow vegetables. I think you have to start in May. Beefsteak Tomatoes are easy. Avoid eggplant and Zucchini.
24.) join the army
If you have been unemployed for a long time and have no other career option consider joining the army. The pay isn't so good but you can live on it. If for any reason you are rejected by any of the armed forces, other than the Air Force, you must have some serious problems.
25.) go directly to jail
If things get really bad, do something illegal and get caught. This tactic was used during the depression. Do something bad enough that will land you a few weeks in prison. Don't do anything that will land you in Oz.
Hard Times - Soft Couch; Yes, I'm Unemployed!
Yes, I am unemployed at the moment, but by no means unoccupied. Hmm, that just looks so bad in writing! I fired myself at my last job. I was unhappy for a long time but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Late last month I finally pulled the trigger. Now, I read a lot, write a bit and of course focus my time on trading online. Don't worry, I will survive this period... My favourite saying is that if the system has failed you, don't fail yourself!
You may lose money and experience some stress, but termination will rocket you out of a situation where you were stagnant, unappreciated, and unfulfilled.
Be bold. If you really have no meaning and the job drains you of who you are - leave! yes, it is scary. There are bills to be paid, and expectations to be met. but, what I have come to realize, is that it will work itself out. Somehow, someway. But your happiness and general sense of being are not worth sacrificing. You are strong and you are worth it. Don't let it defeat you any more.
Now, I'm back with a twinkle in my eye again. Back to the dangerous landscape of life! Who needs Survivor?
Not Working for a Living - For all my peoples, keep ya head up. And read.
I actually thought - and this is really silly when you consider that I've been working for years now and so should know better - that companies feel the same sense of obligation and duty toward their employees that they insist their employees should feel toward them. If you contribute to your company's success and help it to advance its interests and financial health, often making big sacrifices of your own time to do so, then your company will reciprocate by recognizing your efforts and giving you a fair share of the amount you have contributed towards the company. That's the way I thought it worked.
Where in the world did I get that idea? Now I finally understand - and I'm so much the better man and citizen for the understanding - that the true, indeed the only, obligation any company's top management has is to its Board of Directors and major shareholders. Not only have I been alienated, underpaid, and abused but now I am now forced to gaze upon the capitalist system from a cold and comfortless place outside the warmth and safety of its shelter.
******************************************************************
Dark Reality - So, You Think You're Smart? Riddle!!
******************************************************************
It could be a pot of gold or an empty promise. It's better than any carrot, it's better than any stick, it's better than any environment that we might find. And it has people really caring about the results of a company. It gets you there early, keeps you there late and it's something exciting to talk about. It's the lure which has made me stick to the company and waste 3 years of my life. But what is it!!??????
Answer is found at bottom of the article. But give it a try first!! Its easy!!!
What Do You Do?
Being unemployed, I'm really starting to hate it when the first thing people ask me is what I do for a living. For me, it is the worst question in the world. So I haven't got a "full-time" regular job, so what. I'm still me, and I love life despite its often cruel blows.Going back to the 'what do you do' asking -:
I've started telling people I'm an "entrepreneur, trying to get some money for a start-up." That start-up being my own career. Or I'm self-employed. Or honesty served with a little more creativity -:"So what do you do?""I'm developing my career in market research.""As an analyst?""No, participant."
The Benefits of Being Unemployed!!
Not Having to Wake up to the Alarm Clock
That's an obvious one. You can finally get the good 12 or 13 hours of sleep you've been craving since high school.
Read, Read and Read
One of the side benefits of being unemployed is that you really get to burn through your reading list... Yesterday I sat down and read Robert Vaughan's Hard Times in something like 12 hours, 2pm to 2am.
Lose Weight!
Another is losing weight because I "don't really need that extra slice of..." or dessert, for that matter. I learned that store-brand food, and other things, are just as good as the name-brand, and quite a bit less expensive. I'm feeding myself on less than $10 a day.
My beard - it's still growing!
I also don't have to worry about how well my face matches the cast of the West Wing--my friends and family, as I am reminded, "Love me the way I am."
Getting Rid of Telemarketers and Door-to-Door Salesmen!!
Another is telling telemarketers that you're not working right now, seems to have the almost instantaneous effect of making them go away. :)
$$ Please help me support myself. Clicking on one or more of the 'google adverts' above helps me support myself and pay rent and hosting. It does not cost you anything to click but it allows me to struggle on a few extra months. $$
Performance Reviews - Quotes Taken from actual performance evaluations:
"Since my last report, this employee has reached rock bottom and has started to dig.""His men would follow him anywhere, but only out of morbid curiosity.""I would not allow this employee to breed.""This associate is really not so much of a has-been, but more of a definitely won't be.""Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap."
The Benefits of Being Unemployed!!
Here's some cheery advice for all you unemployed out there!:
1.) before the lay-off
Take as much stuff from your company as possible because you're going to need it. If you can take your laptop, great but at the very least, take all your files. You should be doing this just at the rumor that there might be a lay-off. Be really nice to the mailroom guys because they'll let you mail all sorts of thing to your home.
2.) get new friends
If your old friends are still working it is going to be a bit hard trying to keep hanging out with them. It's going to really annoy them that you have no money to do things. Chances are they are going to pay for you out of pity. That's eventually going to cause some friction. If you aren't really fond of these friends to begin with, this could be the perfect time to sever the relationship and get some new, wealthy friends.
3.) fix up your place
Put that shelf up, change the shower head, grout the bathroom, build the Ikea table that's been sitting in the box for 8 months. Or just clean up the damn place. It's a mess.
4.) sell something
Everyone has crap that they want to get rid of. This is a great time to do it. You can start by selling your business attire. No, don't sell yourself - not unless you can avoid it at least!!
5.) go back to school
Trying to find a job these days is quite difficult. You might even laugh when you wonder why the hell you went to college in the first place. Think of how hard you will laugh when you have an MBA or a PhD and still can't find a job.
6.) learn something new
Did you always fantasize about being a Rock Star or a Paleontologist? Well now's your chance to have some fun. Sign up for guitar lessons or go out and dig a hole in someone's yard. This is a great time to finally explore and pursue your true passion. If you're the very rare person whose passion was doing the job you were just laid-off from, then do something you hate so you can see why the rest of us were so miserable when we were working.
6.) beat the blues
Not working can be depressing, and cheering yourself up can cost money. Maybe knowing about people who are worse off than you will actually make you count your blessings. Join an AA meeting or watch Dateline.
7.) a novel idea
I'll bet you have always thought about writing a best selling novel or an academy award winning screenplay. Chances are, you'll never write either, but the thought that you are going to be a writer can be so uplifting. Buy a couple of notepads and a few new pens. (Even if you still have the supplies you stole from your company.) Write the name of your book/movie on the cover. Every now and then, jot down a few ideas. Start telling people you're a writer.
8.) read a little
It may be too late for the self-help kind. Read the classics, something from Charles Dickens or Danielle Steele. Go to the library and get it for free.
9.) lose some weight
This could be the perfect way to lose weight. Since you are unemployed, you have no money for food. Secondly, you have all the time in the world to exercise. Can't use the old, "I'm too busy to work out" excuse now sucker!
10.) family ties
This is a once and a lifetime opportunity to spend some great quality time with your family.
11.) family byes
Try to get a way from your family. After a few weeks together, you will want to kill yourself.
12.) ask your parents for cash
Since they are older, they are probably from that 'Save your money' generation. Also, visit them more often to soften them up. Plus, get a free meal too.
13.) don't steal but...
If the bank accidentally deposits some money in your account or you are given the wrong amount of change in your favor, shut up. Take the money and run.
14.) here's your tip
Tipping is out of control in the first place. Use this opportunity to reexamine your tips. Does Veritas really prepare quality food all the time? No. Then stop tipping. Taxi drivers, bellhops, waiters, should still get tips, but let's be realistic and extra critical of their service.
15.) unpass the buck
You probably have some services that you are still paying for like; housecleaning, yard work, laundry, garbage pick up. Eliminate these luxuries and start doing things yourself. You probably always complained about their work and thought you could do a better job.
16.) no thrills no frills
There are a lot of products in plain white packages that are cheaper and just as good as the brand name products. Some of which are even made by the same companies that produced the brand name products. That said, stop drinking bottled water.
17.) taps
Stop drinking bottled water and turn to tap water instead. It might not be good (here its quite chloriney) but it will at least quench your thirst and let you live a few more weeks
18.) lower your standards
Admit it! You've been spoiled. Get back in to the human race and accept your place. You can make something of yourself later. For now, just be. You may find that's what you are really good at.
19.) plan a trip
But don't go. This is very similar to the, 'I'm going to write a novel' thing. Sometimes planning a trip and fantasizing about an exotic adventure is all you need to put a smile on your face. You will be kept so busy trying to decide which Island in the Caribbean you should go to. Getting other unemployed friends involved increases the excitement exponentially.
20.) paid volunteers
People who volunteer are the most unselfish people on earth. But paid volunteers are the smart ones. Let's face it, rich people become volunteers out of guilt. I'm not sure why there are so many old volunteers, but bless them too. Maybe they get discounts. This will certainly help your self esteem. Until you realize you can't buy chicken with self esteem. If you are going to volunteer, do it where people really need you; hospitals, big brother, etc.
21.) doggy style
Whenever you have the pleasure of eating out, make sure to take ask for all the leftovers. If there are leftovers from your dining partners, ask for those to be wrapped as well. You can stretch this buy asking the surrounding tables too.
22.) go fish
Whether you live inland or near the shore (I live on an island so this is on my daily schedule), you have a great opportunity to catch your own meal. If you don't have your own rod and reel, borrow one from a friend. Dig up a few worms and off you go. Fresh water will provide you with some fine trout and bass, while the oceans offer up some delicious sole.
23.) go farm
I don't think you should get into the meet and dairy aspects of farming, but you will be amazed how easy it is to grow vegetables. I think you have to start in May. Beefsteak Tomatoes are easy. Avoid eggplant and Zucchini.
24.) join the army
If you have been unemployed for a long time and have no other career option consider joining the army. The pay isn't so good but you can live on it. If for any reason you are rejected by any of the armed forces, other than the Air Force, you must have some serious problems.
25.) go directly to jail
If things get really bad, do something illegal and get caught. This tactic was used during the depression. Do something bad enough that will land you a few weeks in prison. Don't do anything that will land you in Oz.
Sunday, 11 January 2009
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