A Monday Mashup of Unemployment Hilarity

Published:  Mar 16, 2009

Enough of all this uppity optimism, being unemployed sucks.

That's right, I said it. Eat that, "10 Ways to Keep Smiling During a Layoff" lists.

Look, we know that going through a layoff is rough. I've certainly been there, and I can recall the initial rush of, "I'm going to make the most of this and view it as an opportunity since I always wanted to pursue my true passion anyway" optimism quickly giving way to anger, bitterness and apathy. It's not easy to stay motivated, and some days, you just can't be bothered.

In that spirit, here's your opportunity to say, "Screw 'em. Not today!" We've scoured the legions of the unemployed who have taken to the blogosphere to share their experiences with others, and we've found some of the more hilarious "I've been laid off and you're gonna watch me blog about it" sites on these here internets. We're not suggesting that you sleep until noon and spend your precious few waking hours on the web scouring "Stuff Unemployed People Like" every day. But if today is the day to wallow in your bitterness and just laugh it up as the world comes crumbling down one layoff at a time, then these sites will certainly help.

    • Unemployment Haiku Weekly -- Matthew Bottkol and Todd Eisner bring you a new unemployment musing in the form of an ancient Japanese poem accompanied by a hilarious illustration once a week, 5, 7 and then 5 syllables at a time.
    • Stuff Unemployed People Like -- Is exactly what it sounds like: A riff on the popular blog "Stuff White People Like," with a new entry published just about every day. So far, it's 34 entries long and includes such items as "#32 Failing at Plans to Succeed at Leaving the House," "#6 Having Octuplets," and the always popular "#28 Drinking Alone."
    • Unemploymentality -- This blog embraces the resourcefulness of the unemployed and attempts to channel the "unemploymentality" as something empowering. The end result is often a lampooning post about a layoff-related news peg, or just a funny day in the life story. Our favorite post so far: "Sesame Street lays off 20% of workforce. Oscar the Grouch goes on spree."
    • Jobless and Less -- We've mentioned Norm's blog more than once in this space, but it bears repeating. Not as overtly geared towards humor as some of the others on this list, Jobless and Less is a blog you can read and empathize with, without resenting the author by the end. Norm's an engaging writer who has been through it all when it comes to layoffs. You'll always find something fresh and chuckle-worthy here.

Did we miss anything? Leave a comment or hit us up by email at PinkSlipped@Vault.com.

--Posted by Steven Schiff, Vault News & Commentary

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