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Welcome to the "Hard Times Saloon!"
8/6/2003
| Luke Skyfreeper
Posted on 08/06/2003 6:33:21 PM PDT by Luke Skyfreeper
Over the last few months, I've run into quite a few other Freepers who are either unemployed or underemployed, and generally going through majorly tough times in this economy.
So I'm starting this thread as a "watering hole" for all of us here who, like me, are currently living on the edge financially and job-wise.
Of course, you don't have to be in dire straights to join in the discussion. You can simply be interested in those of us who are.
In fact, since one useful function of this thread can be to pass on job-hunting tips or maybe even letting a job-needing fellow Freeper know about a suitable possibility in your town, any Freeper who drops in might just find him/herself able to actually help a fellow Freeper or two.
Now one of the main things I expect to happen in this thread is a bit of mutual encouragement. We who are job-hunting need to keep our spirits high, sometimes in the face of months, even years (gulp!) of discouraging news -- and we can help each other do that.
The goal is to make it out of joblessness/ underemployment, and into Prosperityland. Our joblessness /low income is hurting not ourselves, our families, and even our ability to make a positive difference in this country. So let's get encourage each other, cheer each other's progress, and celebrate when one of us gets a good job.
One ground rule: If what you have to say to someone else here isn't uplifting and/ or helpful to that person, then please don't say it. (And of course, no advertisment-type stuff, either). OK?
If you know other Freepers who'd like to drop by, give 'em a ping, and let's get going.
By the way, anything you'd like is on tap here at the Hard Times Saloon: cold milk, fresh-squeezed lemonade, frozen milk shakes, even [shudder] Bud Light... but you have to pour it yourself. 8-)
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: clintonlegacy; economy; grouptherapy; helpwanted; jobmarket; offshoring; outsourcing; unemployment
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To: moneyrunner
opening a restaurant... Bad advice. Restaurants are one of the toughest businesses to get into. Sometimes you work hard all day...just to break even.
21
posted on
08/06/2003 7:08:01 PM PDT
by
PJ-Comix
(He Who Laughs Last Was Too Dumb To Figure Out The Joke First)
To: 11B3
I used to go to police auctions to find fancy electric guitars. Maybe I will do so again.
22
posted on
08/06/2003 7:10:21 PM PDT
by
PJ-Comix
(He Who Laughs Last Was Too Dumb To Figure Out The Joke First)
To: Luke Skyfreeper
One little suggestion - for those who haven't done it yet, make sure your current state is reflected in your member profile, and give just a hint of what you do there. That way when somebody does come up with something it won't be hard to find you.
I've been there too and it blows chunks. My advice is to consciously remind yourself that unemployment is not a character judgment, and that a really miserable job will kill you quicker than poverty will. Cold comfort when you're pinching pennies, I know, but it's a fact.
To: Luke Skyfreeper
I tried this well over a year agoMan, has it been that long? I left New York shortly after this and have been to Texas and now back to New Jersey again, all in about a year. Things aren't great yet, but at least the wife and I are working, and making the bills now. 2001 and 2002 were a couple of sucky years for me, but I wasn't alone.
Good luck to all.
To: Luke Skyfreeper
If anyone is thinking of moving, this is the lastest and greatest list of the best places to live and work.
1. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC |
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2. Madison,WI |
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3. Austin, TX |
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4. Huntsville, AL |
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5. Atlanta, GA |
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6. Nashville, TN |
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7. Fargo, ND-Moorhead, MN |
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8. Minneapolis, MN |
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9. San Diego, CA |
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10. Salt Lake City, UT |
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11. Columbus, OH |
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12. Tampa, FL |
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13. Cambridge, MA |
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14. Louisville, KY |
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15. Overland Park, KS |
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16. Tucson, AZ |
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17. Bellevue, WA |
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18. Omaha, NE |
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19. Charlottesville, VA |
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20. Boulder, CO |
|
25
posted on
08/06/2003 7:16:51 PM PDT
by
BushCountry
(To the last, I will grapple with Democrats. For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at Liberals.)
To: PJ-Comix
I remember those sites. I write a weekly column. It is published and paid for in one market......I need 99 more. Look at that old weekly of yours..... does it need a socially conservative and cute voice in the wilderness???
26
posted on
08/06/2003 7:17:23 PM PDT
by
mlmr
(Am I having fun yet???)
To: Luke Skyfreeper
Be encouraged. This might be the time to actually find what you really like to do and go after it.
I decided to quit my job in 9/2002 to care for my children. My husband's art commissions have grown steadily, something that he loves to do.
27
posted on
08/06/2003 7:18:40 PM PDT
by
swheats
To: OldCorps
Just got told to notify the local supermarket when I get the sling off, there is a 3rd shift opening and they are saving it for me to stock shelves.
It should pay most bills, but I may still have to declare chapter 7 to do that
Also, need to see the Harriett savings and loan for the new rent money, due to the lawsuit from my shoulder incident, they are throwing me out when the lease is up
However, the battle is not over yet, just entering the final interesting stage...God is in charge!
To: PJ-Comix
Fortunately for me, a rural area where households are distributed one per 5, 10 or 20 acre parcel is a virtual guarantee that they'll never see cable tv, much less broad internet access of any kind. The choice is either 21.6 kbps on a good day or StarBand at 500-600 kbps down and 60 kbps up. Once they get past the $700 buy-in, it's $50 a month including the ISP fee and 10 email boxes. Not too shabby.
I just landed a group of 11 people who were rudely rebuffed when they petitioned Verizon to extend DSL to the area. I'll hit critical mass at the 100 installation mark, and I'm halfway there.
29
posted on
08/06/2003 7:23:41 PM PDT
by
Noumenon
(Crush the Left, see them driven before you, hear the lamentations of the metrosexuals.)
To: mlmr
Cool - keep the faith.
30
posted on
08/06/2003 7:25:11 PM PDT
by
Noumenon
(Crush the Left, see them driven before you, hear the lamentations of the metrosexuals.)
To: Noumenon
You have FReepmail.
To: Noumenon
Do you install them or sell them? I used to just sell the dishes and a team from the company would install the dishes.
p.s. My all-time record was THREE sales in one day. Actually it's impossible to beat that since you can only call on about three customers in one day.
32
posted on
08/06/2003 7:28:36 PM PDT
by
PJ-Comix
(He Who Laughs Last Was Too Dumb To Figure Out The Joke First)
To: RaceBannon; snopercod
*ping* Hardtimes/unemployment thread.
33
posted on
08/06/2003 7:29:45 PM PDT
by
TaxRelief
(Welcome to the #1 discussion board dedicated to the sustenance of a free republic.)
To: mlmr
Try entering writing contests. I'm going to try that. I won the two that I entered a few years ago when I gave it a try and recently decided that money can be made from those contests. Of course if the entry fee is $20 for a lousy $50 prize then it's not worth it. But many writing contests have good payouts such as $10 entry fee for a $1000 prize.
34
posted on
08/06/2003 7:32:06 PM PDT
by
PJ-Comix
(He Who Laughs Last Was Too Dumb To Figure Out The Joke First)
To: PJ-Comix
Both. I make no money on the gear. There's a residual on the monthly fee that's not much more than chump change, but it adds up as your installtion accumulate. Other than that, I make $200 bux on the install fee, and what ever else that comes up in the way of general network and security consulting.
One of the reasons I got into this is that the local installers do the crappiest work I've ever seen. Squirrels would do a better job. So I use premium cable, premium connectors, and I use the right tools to do the job. So my stuff works, and it keeps working.
To certain extent, installation is non-trivial. Since the outbound and inbound signals are co-polarized, you MUST get the antenna properly tuned and skewed and gegt it right the first time. Failure to do so hoses up the satellite for everyone else. People in the StarBand Network Ops Center become deeply saddened when that happens. It ain't Dish Network.
35
posted on
08/06/2003 7:44:22 PM PDT
by
Noumenon
(Crush the Left, see them driven before you, hear the lamentations of the metrosexuals.)
To: Luke Skyfreeper
This may have been done or may not be practical, but...
'spose you guys swapped job leads cross country.
Freeper A in zip code N needs a job doing Y but only knows of job doing X in his zipcode N.
Freeper B in zipcode M can do job X, and knows of job Y in his zipcode M
If each freeper exchanged leads and inside info, they might apply for these jobs without having to go thru agencies or HR drop boxes. Obviously moves would be necessary if accepted, but if a freeper has exhausted his local leads...
36
posted on
08/06/2003 7:46:09 PM PDT
by
Starwind
To: Luke Skyfreeper
I am not facing hard times now, but in '98 I moved from Boston to Columbia, Missouri because my wife was accepted to graduate school. I left a job in Boston (not a great job, but it was something good to put on my resume) and moved to Missouri with no job prospects and only a couple thousand $$ which I had to get an apartment and all the things that go with setting up a new living space...
After a couple months of discouragment and shrinking funds, I decided to go to the Temp. Service place and I signed up...... for what ever I could get. I took odd jobs, and it kept a little $$ rolling in. I also made sure to scour the papers and fine tune my resume (my wife helped a lot with this - this is very important.) I hand dropped off my applications and resume every chance I could.
I went to any interview that wanted to talk with me - some of these interviews sucked - some were not so bad...
When I least expected it, I was offered a position - far below what I thought I was worth, but I took it anyways. I new I could work my way to a better paycheck.
*****My suggestion = go to a temp service if you have to. It lets you begin to network with people and it keeps you from moping around. Get you resume in fine shape and target it specifically to each job that you apply to.
I you belong to a church, let the people there know that you are looking for a job. Talk to the Pastor or Priest - he knows the congregation.
Don't be afraid to look outside your immediate geographic area *****
Sometimes its hard to stay positive - but you have to.
((thanks for the "ping"))
37
posted on
08/06/2003 7:48:43 PM PDT
by
rface
(Ashland, Missouri - FReeping polls since 1998 - A Christian in search of a congregation)
To: Starwind
Should have mentioned, as it's a public forum, you may want to use freepmail to swap the leads, just use the thread to describe skills/job req's/zipcodes, but not contact info.
38
posted on
08/06/2003 7:48:51 PM PDT
by
Starwind
To: PeterPrinciple
.......led me to quit and remodel the house for past two years. How about buying up houses that need lots of attention, fixing them up, and selling them for a good profit? The nice thing about this is that your labor earns not Wages, but pays off as Capital Gains, taxed at a lower rate.
39
posted on
08/06/2003 7:53:12 PM PDT
by
expatpat
To: Starwind
Do you know of a job for a Sun Certified Daddy in the 483XX zip code?
We haven't seen extra money in three years and our property taxes have jumped 150%
40
posted on
08/06/2003 7:54:10 PM PDT
by
netmilsmom
(God Bless our President, those with him & our troops)
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