Have you ever been fired off a job and nobody told you about it?
Where you found out through the grapevine, backtracked the information, and it turned out to be not only true but already a done deal?
That happened to me this morning - a contract I was told to start work under a month ago, I was officially informed today, had not been signed and my services would not be required. I first heard this rumor 10 days ago, but it took me until now to get a straight answer from the guy who pulled the plug. I was supposed to be writing a public policy report on the subject of confidential informants (aka 'snitches'), which is a frequent topic on this blog.
Anyway, so I'm now, officially, a 40-year old unemployed blogger. It turns out I was an unemployed blogger for at least the last month, though no one in charge had the cojones to tell me until today.
Ain't that a bitch?
Anyway, if you know of any gigs that might be a good fit, email me at shenson[at]austin.rr.com. At this point I'm pretty much open to suggestions.
....as an immigrant from african nation of sudan, it happens to me all the time despite the fact fact I have been in the US since 1993. I have also seen it being done to minority groups in this country more than you can imagine. This phenomena is not unusual in the US, it is sometime called "discrimination."
ReplyDeleteWhen it happens to a white redneck, though, you don't get to complain about "discrimination." It's just getting screwed. ;)
ReplyDeleteYou should post the employer's ID.
ReplyDeleteCome to Bexar County and be a Probation Officer.
ReplyDeleteReally you need to be writing your own column in the newspaper! You need to get all your information to the mainstream public. You bring issues to light I think the private sector would be more involved in if they had the information you blog about.
ReplyDeleteThanks folks. But I don't think I'm qualified to be a probation officer, ironically. No college degree.
ReplyDeleteAs for the newspaper column, sure! I'd love to. But the dailies haven't exactly been beating down my door, though a few occasionally take time out to explain to their readers the difference between blogging and "real" journalism. ;)
Maybe I'll shift gears and do something completely different. Or I can always get back into political campaigns doing oppo research, I guess. Quien sabe?
SH-
ReplyDeleteYour blogging style and reporting on the topics that concern us all of Texans is a great service. Now if you added a PayPal Dontation Button on your site, you could retire and blog your life away.
Good luck!
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't hurt to try to contact some of the folks you just mentioned making the film
ReplyDeleteTulia, the Motion Picture.
Your writing is wonderful; you have been reporting on this and these types of issues for a while. If they want a blogger in the film, you could play you.
I don't think blogs existed when the Tulia drug stings happened! But like the columnist idea, whatever role they'd want to cast me in themotion picture would be fine. ;-)
ReplyDeleteBTW, someone emailed mistakenly thinking the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition was the referenced employer. It wasn't, and I'm sorry if anyone took that away from this post. TCJC has been nice enough to let me office there these last few months and I've been working with them on a volunteer basis, but I'm not an employee and that's not who reneged on the deal.
Thanks to all who've commented and emailed - I appreciate the good wishes. best,
I've been there. I sympathize. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteOn C-Span BookTV, Barbara Ehrenreich mentioned United Professionals, a network for the underemployed and unemployed. They may offer some networking and other possibilities. See what you think.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.unitedprofessionals.org/
http://www.unitedprofessionals.org/about/
About United Professionals
UP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for white collar workers, regardless of profession or employment status. We reach out to all unemployed, underemployed and anxiously employed workers -- people who bought the American dream that education and credentials could lead to a secure middle class life, but now find their lives disrupted by forces beyond their control.
Our mission is to protect and preserve the American middle class, now under attack from so many directions, from downsizing and outsourcing to the steady erosion of health and pension benefits. We believe that education, skills and experience should be rewarded with appropriate jobs, livable incomes, benefits and social supports.
UP fosters positive social change and delivers value to members through information, advocacy and service. UP also provides a wide range of unique benefits, including on-line support, employment and networking leads, community and regional networks, voluntary supplemental insurance, liaison with community groups and advocacy training.
UP celebrates the professional work we do, each of us singly, by creating a mutually protective support system, for all of us together.
http://www.unitedprofessionals.org/services/jobs.php