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I just started a job last week after a very long period of unemployment. I'm presently telemarketing doing fund raising for various foundations and charities, e.g. breast cancer, veterans, police, etx. 20 years experience in the field as a software developer with now legacy code, and over the last 4 years accomplishing three concurrent associates degrees in object oriented programming including data-base (SQL), and web-development (courtesy of taxpayer sponsored MichgainWorks! program), I garnered ONE interview over the last year and a half.

So now I'm working 20 hours weekly at $7.40 / hour. That'll cut into the food stamps, but $140 weekly will subsidize Federal Bank of Mom & Dad (retired) anti-homeless efforts on my behalf.

In any case, what I've heard over and over again over the last two weeks: "No. I can't donate. I just lost my job" And these people are tore up about that they CAN'T help.

The stories I'm hearing are hair raising. Undoubtedly there's a fair number of atypical sob story to get the telemarketer off their backs, but the number of people that are indicating that they're in the same boat as my folks are in providing for me is just phenomenal; its staggering to contemplate.

Based on what I can tell, a ball of crap began rolling down hill sometime about 8 months ago and is gathering mass as it careens down-slope. Its common to hear people say they're unemployed for over one year, but the number who are indicating they just lost their job is very alarming.