Unemployment expected to go to 8%. . . . . . JUST GREAT!

While watching the evening news one of the financial reporters closed her comments on the big day on Wall Street by saying that. . . . “we haven’t seen the worst yet. . . . . unemployment could rise to 8% over the next 2 years”

Now that’s just such good news for those of us ALREADY on unemployment. . . . . NOT!  Have you ever gotten the feeling that all the fear in the economy is being stoked by the so-called financial gurus we see on the TV?  I do!  However, as I’ve stated before I feared that things will need to get much worse before they begin to get better.  Now it seems I’ll have trouble getting “under employed” let alone employed!

DSK

SCD #6 – The Friday night lights dimmed. . . .

I went to my girlfriend’s son’s high school football game on Friday night. . . . . he’s junior RB/LB and has some skills.  His team is above average too.  This was an away game so we sat with parents we normally wouldn’t be around during a home game.  Whoaaaa!  What a group of jackasses!  Not all of them just a group of 3 or 4. . . . . including a MOM!

Hey I’m all for encouragement but this group of dads went well beyond that.  They were yelling at the kids, denigrating the coaches, very loudly pointing out players and their mistakes. . . . .well within earshot of the players parents.  And such ego. . . . .always pointing out a bad tackle or missed call and how they would do it different and BETTER.  And lord I haven’t mentioned how they got on the officials. . . . . .  What was so funny is these so called football experts showed no knowledge of the game or how it is coached.

Ya know its easy to sit in the stands and criticize kids. . . . .kids!  This was over the top.  They didn’t even seem to realize some of the parents of kids they were harassing were 10 feet from them.  Finally in the 3rd quarter a parent confronted the group. . . . . .BRAVO!  The loud mouths quieted down. . . . .well except for the gutter mouthed mom sitting next to me.

I know many of the kids on that team.  They’re good kids. . . . . they play hard. . . .and they play to win.  They’re playing their hearts out every Friday night. . . . . they got beat this night but they’re warriors!   Sometimes parents are ASSHOLES!!!

DSK

What a very slow week. . . . .

My job search is crawling this week.  I still haven’t heard anything good or bad about the 2 jobs my recruiter is working.  Its been 48 hours and nothing.   Thats never a positive sign.

I’ve only found 1 job to apply to this week. . . . . ONE job!  The crappy economy is impacting everything in the world of job search and unemployment!

DSK

Call it a bailout or whatever you want. . . . .but in-action is not an option

I keep listening on TV and reading on the Net how so many people are against the bailout plan.  Most say they don’t want to pay for it. . . . . . I tell you something neither do I.  HOWEVER, “in-action” is not an option here!

I find it a waste of time rehashing WHY were in this problem.  The reality of the situation “WE’RE IN THIS PROBLEM” and now we have to find a solution to get out.  I listen to all the pundits and politicians proclaim the bailout plan bad or good, but what truly frustrates me is those who say its bad tend to offer no better solution. . . . .or NO SOLUTION at all!  My god if you don’t like something you had then better offer a solution.  Oops my bad, we’re talking about politicians and talking heads. . . . . .oops!

1.  We need to protect the people. . . . . . ALL THE PEOPLE! The banks cannot be allowed to fail.  To my mind banks are failing because of HORRIBLE Loan policies which are creating FORECLOSURES.  The first step is to stop the foreclosures.  How do you do that?  You find a way to negotiate with the people closest to foreclosure to find what they can pay.  Paying something is better than nothing, and I realize there needs to be guidelines around this.  You need a timeframe for accomplishing this task, 60 to 120 days is a nice timeframe.  The mortgages are not forgiven.  The principal owed does not change.  The interest and timeframe are modified to keep some responsible level of cashflow.  Over time each affected mortgage client if reviewed and based on their current situation the plan is left as is or a modification to increase payment is made.  No. . . . .you don’t get to go down again. . . . fool me once ok. . . . fool me twice NO WAY!

2.  For those who have lived up to their responsibilities and continue to pay their bills on time we need a tax credit, or write off. If you handled yourself responsibly you should you get credit for that?  I believe that’s fair.  The term “bailout” evokes benefit for removal from a crisis, those who are responsible deserve a benefit for doing what was expected of them. . . . . in this case at the very least.  I hear so many rail against the banks/investment firms for there foolish behavior but I rarely hear anyone say. . . . . . HEY, the takers of those crazy mortgages bear some responsibility.  Ya know what “They do”!  We live in a society of allowing ignorance to be bliss.  That has to end.  And I know there are many who’ve had bad luck come around and cause their problems.  Unfortunately they’re affected.  As Spock said “The good of the many out weighs the good of the one”.

3.  ALL EXECUTIVES AT THESE “FAILED” BANKS/COMPANIES ARE FIRED WITH 2 WEEKS SEVERANCE. I don’t care what the republicans say these execs are criminal and deserve NOTHING.  I’m being nice and giving them 2 weeks.  I’m being even nicer in that I’m not saying file criminal charges against them.

4.  I like the idea of the government getting a stake in these companies. Many knowledgeable financialestas are saying its a good deal (Suzi Orman and Jim Cramer).  I agree.  Economies run in cycles and whether it looks like it now this economy will rebound at some point.  The profits from these investments (made in the name of the American people) will be used to payback the bailout.  No questions, no loopholes, nothing but paying back the bailout.  I’m serious NO Exceptions!  You pay down debt which benefits all Americans!

5.  De-regulation as we’ve known it has failed!  Its over! These high flying executives need to be watched because they cannot be trusted.  Is that Un-American. . . . . . I say HELL NO!  Its un-American to allow our economy to be driven into the ground because of a groups GREED!   Executive salaries, tax breaks, community responsibility have to be reviewed and in some cases reeled in . . . . . . country wide.  I believe this is simple too. . . . .get rid of Golden Parachutes, make executive salaries a function of company success not to exceed 250% of the lowest paid company associate (and I don’t me the janitor).  Don’t let tax breaks exceed some level of an index derived for the area (remember its tough to compare New York City to Topeka Kansas on an equal level) of the country.

Hey you may not agree with any of this, and I’m ok with that.  So you tell me your plan.  I believe sometimes our politicians over complicate things because they’re POLITICIANS!  Just look at the voting for the bailout plan.  Its a fact that most if not all who voted no are in tough re-election fights. . . . . Its political!  Yeah no what “IT’S NOT POLITICAL. . . . . . IT’S CRITICAL!”

DSK

SCD #5 – Well its football season now

I waited to make this post because I wanted to be clear headed.  The METS blew it again this year.  Now in NYC they’re is much talk about this second collapse. . . . . is it worse than in 2007. . . . . .should Omar Minaya be fired, should Jerry Manuel be fired.  With all this, some people talk of breaking up the team and they believe that either David Wright or Jose Reyes should be traded. . . . . ARE YOU KIDDING ME!

This season was lost because of a terrible bull pen. . . . . I realize Wright and Reyes didn’t hit in the clutch but they are way to talented. . . . and way to young to give up on.  Fire the bull pen pitchers. . . . . . Fire the coach . . . . . fire the GM.  No way do you get rid of the cornerstone young players on this team.  Wright tied a club record with 124 RBI.  Reyes led the National League with 204 hits.  That’s to much talent to give up on.

Thank god my NY Football Giants are around to bring balance to the force!

DSK

Doom and Gloom Monday…..but no one is talking about unemployment!

Boy listening or reading the news today can really bring a person down.  The economy is in some real trouble but what I find interesting is no one seems to be talking much about the unemployment issue.  With all these bank/investment firm failures thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of people are being sent to unemployment.  With the economy contracting (due to the credit squeeze) companies are being very careful about hiring or not hiring at all.  I say careful in the fact that I see jobs, but requirements for employment are very specific.  That means many folks don’t qualify for the jobs that are out there.  I’ll give you an example:

Below are specific job requirements for a current job posting that appeared in my Quality Assurance search  on a popular job search site.

Competent administrative skills working with Linux/Unix and Windows servers and Windows Terminal servers. (Must have Linux/UNIX admin experience – e.g. loading/configuring a server from scratch, networking, etc).

A good working knowledge of networking protocols such as UDP, TCP/IP, HTTP, Ethernet, SSL. Experience with tools such as Wireshark, TCPdump, etc.

Competent skills working with networking products such as routers and firewalls.

Knowledge of scripting and/or programming languages a plus

Knowledge of Apache web configuration and proxies desirable

Previous QA/System test experience – writing and performing the test cases

Experience with test traffic/load generators desirable.

Hands on experience with Cisco IOS CLI

Previous customer facing experience desired

Who is going to meet the requirements outlined above?  They want an Network admin, a QA specialist, an engineer, and a programmer. . . . . and, it’s seems, someone who’s worked at MACY’s. . . . . ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!   I don’t know anyone who could meet those requirements.  I would hope if there are folks out there who do. . . . . .they make alot of money!

Congress is going to pass the “so-called” bailout plan and go off to get re-elected.  While their away many of us will continue to stay in the whirlpool of unemployment. . . . . . . I pool that is taking on water and getting more and more difficult to stay afloat in!

DSK

SCD #4 – The Mets are driving me insane!!!!

My son and I went to the Mets game on Tuesday night.  Father and son bonding and it was fantastic.  Johan Santana pitched his heart out and the Mets won.  Last night the pitching reverted back to its “can’t hold a lead” ways.  What hurts is that the offense (which played well) had several opportunities in the last 3 innings to take the lead and didn’t come through.  Most painful was the fact that they had a man on 3rd with none out and failed to score.  FAILED TO SCORE with a man on third and ZERO outs!

Hey this game was a failure of the pitching, not a even a question.  However: FAILED TO SCORE with a man on third and ZERO outs!  And now they’re tied for the wild card!

DSK

SCD 3 – They don’t give style points in the NFL, wish they did in MLB

The Giants played like crap today. . . . . . but they pulled it out in the end, which is all that matters.  The Mets had another lead in the 8th inning. . . . . . . and the worst bullpen in the bigs BLEW another one!

How can two teams look so bad and come up with such different results?  Oh yeah I forgot the Giants are a very good team and good teams win games they play less then well in.  The Mets are a mediocre team that can’t hold a lead of any kind.  If I were a Mets starter I sue my bullpen for support. . . . just a little support!

The day is ok because the Giants did win.  They go to 3 – 0.  Good teams win games like the Giants did today.  Mediocre teams do what the Mets did.  My son is taking me to the Met game on Tuesday, I hope Johan Santana knows he’s gotta throw a complete game. . . . .

DSK

Something completely different 2. . . .

Its Friday and I’ve worn out all the applications available for QA positions! Things are not good with the economy and that can’t be helping the job market. . . . . Duh! I’m trying to stay positive. . . . . . so given my positive mood I have some other things to discuss!

The NY METS are killing me! Can the pitchers in the bullpen get an out? My son is taking me to a game next Tuesday it’ll be fun because I’ll be with my kid. However, it will be tough if the Mets are winning in the 8th inning because I have no faith in the bullpen.

The NY GIANTS continue to impress! Big Blue has a home game against the Bengals. . . .a team no one can figure out. The Giants can start a HOME winning streak on Sunday, I believe the defense will make it happen.

And finally, my son, all 6′ 4″ 200lbs. of him has is first official college baseball visit! Its not important where, whats cool is that he’s living his dream! He makes me proud and I’m so happy for him!

DSK

New Jersey does unemployment right. . . . .

I called in this morning to confirm my first “extended” unemployment check. It was so simple, in fact it was the exact same process I completed for my first 26 weeks. New Jersey really gets it right. A smooth and concise process with no hassles. For those of you who don’t live in NJ let me tell you this is remarkable. NJ is not known for running any government process well but the folks in Trenton really have getting unemployment comp set up like a well oiled machine.

Now if they could help me find a job! Can’t have everything I guess.

DSK