It's a cruel world out there

[Judy G. Russell]

From today's NY Times: On Wednesday, [Circuit City] dismissed 3,400 people, or about 8 percent of its work force, not because they were doing a bad job and not because the company was eliminating their positions. Instead, executives said the workers were being paid too much and that the company would replace them with new employees who would earn less.It's hard to argue with the corporate mentality that thinks this way -- it's certainly legal (unless the hirings and firings are done purely based on age -- replacing one 40-year-old making $20 an hour with another who'll make $10 an hour is perfectly legal).

But it's a nasty thing for the country as a whole. As the article (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/04/business/04leonhardt.html?hp) points out, having people hit their peak earnings in late middle age allows them to pay for their kids' tuition and their parents' care, as well as put money by for their own retirement. Losing any kind of security at that age... it's not a pretty thing.

[Lindsey]

Losing any kind of security at that age... it's not a pretty thing.
And the pollsters and pundits wonder why more people aren't feeling very confident about the economy! Crappy policy on the part of Circuit City, but also not entirely their fault: they are competing with Wal-Mart and Best Buy, and that's a tough market.

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

And the pollsters and pundits wonder why more people aren't feeling very confident about the economy! Crappy policy on the part of Circuit City, but also not entirely their fault: they are competing with Wal-Mart and Best Buy, and that's a tough market.I don't blame them for doing what they're doing, but it's awfully tough on a group of people at the point where their expenses are the greatest... and now all of a sudden they don't have jobs. Or pensions. Or health insurance. Or, for that matter, much chance of getting new jobs at anything approaching their former wages.

[Lindsey]

I don't blame them for doing what they're doing, but it's awfully tough on a group of people at the point where their expenses are the greatest... and now all of a sudden they don't have jobs. Or pensions. Or health insurance. Or, for that matter, much chance of getting new jobs at anything approaching their former wages.
Oh, absolutely. I learned just this afternoon that someone I knew from my former choral group, someone about my age, has lost his job in a similar bloodbath to that at Circuit City. And he has recently sunk a good bit of his money into fixing up a house he bought. You know that phrase "two house payments away from homelessness"? Well, that's about where he is at this point.

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

Oh, absolutely. I learned just this afternoon that someone I knew from my former choral group, someone about my age, has lost his job in a similar bloodbath to that at Circuit City. And he has recently sunk a good bit of his money into fixing up a house he bought. You know that phrase "two house payments away from homelessness"? Well, that's about where he is at this point.Ouch ouch ouch... And people sometimes wonder why it was so important to me to pay off the house early. Because at least then I'll have a roof over my head...

[ndebord]

From today's NY Times: It's hard to argue with the corporate mentality that thinks this way -- it's certainly legal (unless the hirings and firings are done purely based on age -- replacing one 40-year-old making $20 an hour with another who'll make $10 an hour is perfectly legal).

But it's a nasty thing for the country as a whole. As the article (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/04/business/04leonhardt.html?hp) points out, having people hit their peak earnings in late middle age allows them to pay for their kids' tuition and their parents' care, as well as put money by for their own retirement. Losing any kind of security at that age... it's not a pretty thing.

Judy,

It's old news to me. I was downsized due to age more than a few times in the 90s. My mistake that I had not the ambition to fight for top editor jobs and so had to look over my shoulder. Part of the reason why I went 100% freelance around that time.

[Lindsey]

Ouch ouch ouch... And people sometimes wonder why it was so important to me to pay off the house early. Because at least then I'll have a roof over my head...
This may even be this poor guy's first house -- I think he was always a renter before.

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

It's old news to me. I was downsized due to age more than a few times in the 90s. My mistake that I had not the ambition to fight for top editor jobs and so had to look over my shoulder. Part of the reason why I went 100% freelance around that time.You're a stronger man than I am, Gunga Din. That sort of thing would have absolutely left me flat on my back.

[Judy G. Russell]

This may even be this poor guy's first house -- I think he was always a renter before.That is just appalling. Simply appalling. Dobbs is sooooooo right about the poor middle class.

[Lindsey]

That is just appalling. Simply appalling. Dobbs is sooooooo right about the poor middle class.
He's right about the middle class; I don't think he is right that beating up on immigrants is the answer to the problem.

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

He's right about the middle class; I don't think he is right that beating up on immigrants is the answer to the problem.Particularly since the latest evidence is that the only population growth in American cities is among immigrants...

[lensue]

>bloodbath to that at Circuit City<

Judy, we were just at a Circuit City in Sommerville tonight picking up a new receiver--I hadn't heard about the bloodbath--btw talk about bloodbath we passed right by that bank those three guys were going to rob where the FBI agent was shot--we go from our house to Sommerville with rte 22 and went right through that part of Readington.

[Lindsey]

we passed right by that bank those three guys were going to rob where the FBI agent was shot
And, sadly, it appears he was shot by the accidental discharge of another agent's gun. The news said the prospective robbers never fired a shot.

--Lindsey

[lensue]

>The news said the prospective robbers never fired a shot.<

Lindsey, when we were riding through the area we hadn't heard whether they had caught the third guy--one could get a little nervous [g]--turns out they had nabbed him though!

[Judy G. Russell]

Judy, we were just at a Circuit City in Sommerville tonight picking up a new receiver--I hadn't heard about the bloodbath--btw talk about bloodbath we passed right by that bank those three guys were going to rob where the FBI agent was shot--we go from our house to Sommerville with rte 22 and went right through that part of Readington.Different kind of bloodbath, and a sad one in every respect. Very young perps -- what a waste of their lives -- and two LEO casualties: the guy who was shot and the guy who shot him.

[Judy G. Russell]

And, sadly, it appears he was shot by the accidental discharge of another agent's gun. The news said the prospective robbers never fired a shot.Very sad... But the perps were armed, and had fired shots inside other banks they had robbed, so it makes sense that the tracking team was armed and nervous.

[lensue]

>Different kind of bloodbath<

Judy, yes, the competition--like between Circuit City and Best Boys--have no guns but it still can be sort of bloody! [g] And if they can't help you you can always go to Amazon.Com for a product. For example our CD player was on the blink--a small one with bays for 3 CD's and 2 cassettes--when we went looking very few were available at the stores with none at Sam's or Costco--the few they had had gone from prices like $65 to $140. There goes the planned obsolence again--well anyway instead of buying right away I went on/line and just got a desired CD player for $50 including the shipping from Amazon!

[Judy G. Russell]

instead of buying right away I went on/line and just got a desired CD player for $50 including the shipping from Amazon!Everything these days is price. Forget service (service? what's that??), forget supporting local business, forget even supporting American business. It's all price. I can't disagree in one sense, but...

[lensue]

>It's all price. I can't disagree in one sense, but<

Judy, no buts for me on this one--$50 vs. $140! [g]

[Judy G. Russell]

$50 vs. $140! [g]That's not just a price difference, that's either somebody giving something away for nothing or somebody else gouging!

[Lindsey]

Very sad... But the perps were armed, and had fired shots inside other banks they had robbed, so it makes sense that the tracking team was armed and nervous.
Oh, sure -- the ultimate onus is on the robbers themselves for the fact that the situation existed in the first place. Still -- it's amazing to me that the FBI opened fire on those guys (perhaps thinking that accidental shot had been one fired at them?), and the perps never fired a shot in return.

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

Oh, sure -- the ultimate onus is on the robbers themselves for the fact that the situation existed in the first place. Still -- it's amazing to me that the FBI opened fire on those guys (perhaps thinking that accidental shot had been one fired at them?), and the perps never fired a shot in return.My guess is that the perps, being young punks, never really contemplated that they would ever be faced with equal or superior force and hit the deck the minute they heard the "pop" (except, of course, for the rabbit -- who was picked up minus shoes, socks and shirt and begging for the cops to just kill him and put him out of his misery).

[Lindsey]

(except, of course, for the rabbit -- who was picked up minus shoes, socks and shirt and begging for the cops to just kill him and put him out of his misery).
Oh, my word -- I hadn't heard that aspect of his capture. What a doofus. Almost as pathetic as the perp who was caught by the cops when his baggy pants tripped him up while he was running away.

(The Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill to outlaw those show-your-boxers pants a couple of years ago, but it died in the state senate. At the time, the word was that the trend was on the way out. But just within the last week, I saw a group of kids walking down the road, one of them with the waistband of his pants, as God is my witness, only about 6 inches above his knees. God help him if somebody's dog ever decided to give chase...)

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

Oh, my word -- I hadn't heard that aspect of his capture. What a doofus. Almost as pathetic as the perp who was caught by the cops when his baggy pants tripped him up while he was running away. The list of stupid-perp-tricks is a verrrrrrry long one...

just within the last week, I saw a group of kids walking down the road, one of them with the waistband of his pants, as God is my witness, only about 6 inches above his knees. God help him if somebody's dog ever decided to give chase...I have never understood what could possibly be "cool" about that sort of thing.

[Lindsey]

I have never understood what could possibly be "cool" about that sort of thing.
Well, given the weather in recent days, that sort of getup would leave your backside a bit cool...

--Lindsey

[Mike]

I have never understood what could possibly be "cool" about that sort of thing.
Any of the various body parts that are used to being covered with more than a single thin layer of cloth.

[ndebord]

The list of stupid-perp-tricks is a verrrrrrry long one...

I have never understood what could possibly be "cool" about that sort of thing.

Judy,

It brings new understanding to the nurture or nature debate. As this "sty'e" is an export of the "jailhouse walk."

<shrug>

[Judy G. Russell]

Well, given the weather in recent days, that sort of getup would leave your backside a bit cool...Downright COLD around here! (I am sooooo tired of this... are we ever going to get a real spring???)

[Judy G. Russell]

Any of the various body parts that are used to being covered with more than a single thin layer of cloth.Literalist.

[Judy G. Russell]

It brings new understanding to the nurture or nature debate. As this "sty'e" is an export of the "jailhouse walk." <shrug>I've never understood what was "cool" about looking like a convict, either.

[Mike]

Literalist.
When it suits me.