Money Grows On Trees (The Unemployment Nightmare)

They say money does not grow on trees? Well I gotta tell you....A while ago I was laid off from my full time job and no....money does not grow on trees....However now after 1 month and 26 days I'm back in full time employment. The thing about that is at least now there is more money "on my tree".....

For the last 8 weeks or whatever it was I ate a lot of my savings and got very little unemployment. I've only been at this a short time and I have to say that my heart goes out to people who have been looking for over 6 months. Every day you wake up and don't know if your keeping your house? Where is your next set of cash flow is coming from and or do you have to move?

A few weeks ago I was randomly selected for a training program for unemployment. About 35 of us showed up and had to watch a presentation on how to get a job....Even though I had a job coming in I did not have the offer yet so had to go to full fill my unemployment. What a joke..... The presentation was on how to get a job and what to do and not to do...I gotta tell ya I've been a professional all my life and here were some of their mistakes.

First the presentation went 40 minutes over the time allotted. Now people then had to scramble to the computers and do their work sessions with the time that was left (but eaten up by the lady who went over on the presentation). What was even more pathetic is when they said "because we went over by 40 minutes on the presentation" now everyone had to finish their computer work by 4:30 or they could not claim that time for unemployment for that week. What? excuse me? Your holding the people who want to show up and find out how to get a job that they are now punished because you and your fat ass went over on their time?

Now you would think for about 35 people they would have more than one person trying to help the people who were trying to get stuff done by 4:30? but now 2 of the instructors were in questioning people and the 3rd was left to the 35 people.

Luckily for me I could run a computer and had my homework done before I showed up and could just print it off. But there was some people there who could not even run a computer nor could they or have they ever typed up a resume. I think the point I'm after is they should not have had this a pre requisite for this class. They should have trained these people how to do a resume and made a whole class out of it.

What got me going is I had already found a job (because I worked my ass off at it) but had to attend this class to get one more week of unemployment. So now statistically they can say I went through their program and their numbers are going to look that much better. Which to me is a farce....No wonder all of these people out there who have been unemployed for so long are so frustrated.

The moral of this story is don't depend on some agency to get you a job....Depend on "YOU".... Just because the State is giving you a training session don't think "They" know it all...Because they Don't'....

The Black Widow

GE Pays No Taxes on 1.5 Billion

First off when hearing about this story I was pissed at GE....In 2010 they made a 14.2 BILLION (yes with a "B") Dollar Profit. Not sure my numbers are totally correct but about 5.1 Billion of that 14.2 was from profits made in the United States.

I ran the numbers several ways vrs my salary of ($53,000) and I got to tell ya thats a shit load of cash. But first let me say I'm torn between two lovers on this issue.

Issue #1 .......What the fuck!!!!....How can they make that much money and not be taxed? I can't make 53K and the government is after me for like 28% of my cash. Not only that but I'm also hearing GE got rid of about 1/5 of their employees. See that was the reason I got laid off from my last company .... because they wanted more profit. Hey lets get rid of the Black Widow and keep another $53K in our pocket. Many corporations out there are just down sizing and keeping more profit (and hoping like hell they can survive on more profit without quality issues).

Issue #2..........BUT WAIT.......Now after shutting off my radio in the truck and thinking about this issue a second time I thought (WHERE IS MY GOVERNMENT)???? Who is out there making sure that companies like GE can get some tax breaks in THIS FRICKEN COUNTRY.....create some jobs....but then also be held accountable that they are not just keeping profits? And are actually creating and keeping jobs over a proposed time frame. And this number will be accountable to the U.S. Government and the tax payers.

Summation...... Good Job GE.......(This power move make Donald Trump look like a shoe salesman).....If this was my company and I could figure it out I would have done the same thing. It's a shame that that corporations get taxed so much that they have to snake their way to another country. But on the other hand.......What is our Government doing for us (the people under 100K?) on this issue? Right now I don't see much at all.

Politicians better wake up in the U.S. and in Wisconsin because April is coming and its time to Vote. This year I'm very intersted in how the Independant votes come across on all the issues. Especially on ones like this.

The Black Widow

SPOON RINGS

Ok.....For 5 years I had a ring that was like hollow on the inside and always cut the top of my finger (needless to say I think I spent $180.00 on that ring and for what? a cut up finger). In the last two years /every week I would wake up and think "I need to buy a new fricken ring"....I don't know why but it's just the way I am (I like a ring on my right hand). So very recently I thought the hell with it I'm going to purchase the ring that I want for like $280.00. Then the weekend before my new ring purchase I saw this spoon ring in a thrift store.

The girl took out the spoon ring and I was like "Cool"... Now I'm a very cheap bastard and I think about things a long time before I buy them. Sometimes I cannot get things out of my head until I make my purchase and it's done......But the ring I found is smooth/ it does not cut my finger and I love the design......And I'ts ficken made out of a spoon? Who the hell are these people who come up with this creative stuff....I don't care that it's cheap....It's Cool......

...If your a cheap guy like I am (ok that does not sound good....).....Check out spoon rings....They are totally cool and very imaginitive. The guy above has some awesome designs.......To think I've been thinking about a ring and finally found one after 2 years for $4.99 is great and bad....I'ts great that I found one I finally like....but it's really bad it took me so long....

Being cheap is not all it's cracked up to be....

Regards,

The Black Widow

American Debt

You know I will be the first to admit that I do not love what is going on in Libya. However I have to say I'm more concerned about our Nations DEBT. We are fighting two wars and we are spending Billions per day (whatever that amount is)......I may be off some but the point is this. If I go out and keep using my credit card and go over my limit I will keep getting higher interest rates until at some point I cannot make my payment.

Why is it that we the "USA" have to bail people out? OK how about this. If know one else wants to send in our troops (I would love to help Libya if we could afford it".....)....How about some other Countries kick in some cash? It simply amazes me how much debt we have to China and we keep taking on more.....

Don't' worry I know many of you will disagree with me but remember this is my view point. And yes I know many others will say "its a global economy stupid"....Well that is a fact but the bottom line is someone should be kicking some cash our way for our people in the military who don't' have homes or health insurance.

It's a sad day and I'm only taking a guess here but we will get involved in 3 wars and our DEBT will sky rocket even more...

God Help us.

The Black Widow

Madison WI Governor Walker and (The Jedi Move)

While Im unemployed in WI (full time) I still work part time. Now I have been watching the news and I must tell you about Gov. Walkers Jedi Move. The first night I saw the tv he came out and said to the world how workers in Mfg. have to pay more than teachers and yada yada yada...The thing is I agreed with him. He was very good at waving his hands in front of my face on the tv and saying "you will agree with me".... SHIT what's that? I was Jedi Moved......

Ah but then people started protesting and some more things came out and even more on the Governers personality. The totally cool thing is now people are really seeing it for what its worth and that is another hit on the middle class...

Politicians are very good at spitting out numbers and leaning your thoughts in another way. Be not so quick to think my grasshopper.....wait a few days and go back on a subject and rethink it....

What I got to thinking about is wow...more money out of the Average Joe's pocket. Right now I'm unemployed and I have to put my kids on Bader Care. The Governor may want to cut that and you know what? Even if I was working I would want other kids the opportunity to have some health coverage if their parents were out of work.

How about we go to the people right (who make 200K+) and say I need back taxes on a bill that we want to pass where you have to 20K by next month....They would fricken flip and maybe move out of state to avoid this.

My point is just because some idiots spent the money (for WI in the last budgets) does not mean you have to come back on the middle class (especially about 1500 workers by April) and try and get money from them? Like what the far fen ugen?....is 1500 teachers salaries going to fix the billion dollar deficit? I THINK NOT>>>>>>>.........

Buck up Governor your losing your grip. Your turning Independents like me into Democrats and that is powerful stuff for the next election.......Had the Democrats not held out I would have known nothing about this....And I'm sure you would have passed this bill very easily using the Jedi Mind Trick....

Best of Luck....

The Black Widow

Still Unemployed In WI

Ok with everything going on in WI I find myself still unemployed. Now the good news for me is I have interviewed for the 3rd time with a company but who knows. I find myself looking at the Calendar a lot and thinking how bad off will I be by that month? Or the month after? In the mean time I find myself working a lot of odd jobs and trying to stay busy.

Have you ever interviewed for a job and think "yes" I know a ton of more stuff than this guy? or that girl?

The problem I'm facing now is I'm like 43. I'm sure I will have to take a job for less pay so as to get my kids on some health insurance. But this is now the way of the world and it also seems to me that the working class is now taking it on the chin once again because of short falls in the budget. We should be taxing the rich more but now if States try and do that the rich folk just move to another State.

Help us OB1 Kinobe......You are the worlds only hope. And finally one more thing as I vent to my viewers? I get the fact that Libya is messed up right now? But does the U.S. have to fix every other World problem? We as it seems cannot fix our own problems....Maybe we should concentrate on those issues first....Yes I hear all the people that say well that does effect us... However if we get involved in one more War that we cannot afford I'm simply going to puke.


The Black Widow

Foreclosed Property

Today I finally finished a foreclosed property clean up I have been working on. To date I took out a 2000# dumpster of garbage (yes like carrots/food garbage/ and clothes). Along with 2 20' trailers of garbage and two truck loads as well. So in other words I have the whole building cleaned up and now painted. And the majority of the time was spent taking garbage out of the building....Who lives like this? I lost my house once and had to get an investor to buy it back..I never treated my house like a dump even though I lost it and had to buy it back.

Most of you know I have a Shitzu who is lazy and will never work a day in his life. "I" would not even let him live in the house that I just cleaned up.....It was crazy...it took me 5 days to wipe the scum off walls in the kitchen and all other rooms had so much hair on the wall I had to remove that before I could paint.

I talked to some neighbors and the place I'm working on had dogs....but according to the neighbors the tenants never let the dogs out....hence all the dog hair in the air....

After being laid off last week Thursday you would think I would be more stressed out about it. But actually i was more stressed out about finishing this house so i could get paid.....

Buyer "Beware" on any foreclosed property you buy......

The Black Widow

I Joined The Unemployed

Have any of you seen the Princess Bride? In one scene "the little guy above" is telling Andre the Giant....."When I found you you were Unemployed in Greenland"...or something like that. Then he says "you were so poor you could'nt buy Brandy"....that movie was comical....

Well I must say I was let go from my job last Thursday. Many of you who read my blog know there was no love lost between my employers and I. But to say the least I'm a bit nervous about finding a new job. The thing is I was treated like crap for the last 5 years so really what am I losing out on besides a paycheck? Hey I was kind of excited to think about what I will do next and the people I will meet going forward...Maybe I should just take a year off and blog.....Hey that sounds cool "A Blog About Nothing???".....Sound familiar? can I find an investor for that? Someone who will send me all over the world and blog on anything and everything and pay my way? pay my cars, pay my groceries and for socks etc?....God Dam that's it....I need to find a fellar that will pay my way for the year and get me in tune with the world.

At any rate I wanted to let my readers know I have been working on this foreclosed property and I have been gone a lot from my blog......keep the faith I will return next week. You can take my job from me and my weekly check....but you cannot take my since of humor and or my spunk......

In the mean time I shall toss a coin this week and see if I will come back and blog about Aliens and or Bigfoot......or if my investor comes through he can tell me what to blog about.

Regards,

The Black Widow

Family Farms/ Treasures Of The Past

How many of my readers have a cousin that grew up on a farm? How many of my readers have visited a farm? As I write today my hands are freezing (went outside at lunch in WI)......so bear with me. As you know I grew up on a farm and for the last 16 years I've worked in Mfg....In my world everything is "cash flow"...Meaning I get paid every week and the worst thing that could happen is I run short and cant buy something until next weeks check.

The thing about many farmers is they dont have the luxury of working outside the home or maybe working a second job. So lets say they get a milk check and the milk company only pays once a month. It was a fact that when I was growing up my parents were paid once a month. Now they have to budget like a mad man and hope they make it through the month without a bailer breaking down and or a tractor. In the summer months they have to plan for all of their fuel as they make hay and plant crops.

My parents farmed about 50 cows and they spent all day working. We never went without but now as I get older Im simply amazed at what they accomplished. My belief unfortuntely is there really is no Family Farm left anymore. Its hard to get started and what you get paid is not equal or above your cost to run a business like this.

Its a shame too because the Country is so beautiful and quiet. The farms now are nothing more than a way to milk 5000 cows at a time. I guess I dont have anything against large farms like this (we all need beef) but on the other hand "the little guy" cannot compete with them.

Im a strong believer that "little" farmers made this Country what it is today. There is nothing like growing up on the farm and I truly miss the farm. Take a day this week and go out and visit that family member with a farm. Turn off the dam phones and just listen to nature for a bit.

The Black Widow

Mean and Nasty Work Trucks

Last year I spent a considerable time buying a used truck and then dumping a lot of cash into it. Why? well I started a thing with foreclosed properties where I go in and clean them out and fix them up on the side. The thing is I have wanted a truck for over 5 years and I bought a Chevy which has 240K miles on it. I did not want a sissy truck I wanted a truck that was for work. When I get in it there can be dirt on the floor and the bed should have some dents in it.

To say the least I fricken love my truck (the red one above). And if this one was ever to die I would go out and buy another high mileage truck. The reason is I can pay for them right away and I think I can get a couple of years out of each one without having a payment. And if I want to haul something no problem. Where as with a car your always looking for someone with a truck to help you move shit. Not for me anymore thank you... My truck is a long box but I also love the short box trucks as well (green truck photo)....Problem is with the short box your always looking for more room. They look mean and nasty but I think short boxes fall short when you really want to work.

The next truck I want will be the Chevy 3500 HD....I'm only getting 8-12 miles to the gallon now so anything I buy will be an upgrade. However I have no payment on my truck and expect to keep it for some time. My thought for today is having a truck is like a lifestyle change. Its my motor boat or my jet ski....but the difference is I can make money with my truck....

To all of you out there who want a truck???......don't wait...go out and make yourself happy and get it now...Just don't spend $55,000.00.....You can have a lot of fun for $2000.00 and you dont have to worry if it gets scratched or dented.

The Black Widow