Absolutely. I'm still kind of traumatized by the picture of the baby elephant crying after his mother abandoned him (he got adopted by caretakers, but still).

Oh god, yes, that thing made me cry.

And I love the image of Jesus throwing tables at Congress. Sigh.

That makes sense. Since your benefits started pre-sequester, they didn't get cut at the time the sequester happened; they got cut when you needed to extend them.

S. is going back on unemployment because of the big fuckup at his new job (long story, not his fault), and as far as we can tell he'll be getting the same benefit he was receiving from the layoff with the paper before he got this job, because he didn't use all of it. Or something.

I'm not sure I trust this information. But for now anything will probably be better than the pittance he's been making without any chance to add commissions to it.

They'd think Occupy started up again.

Theo, isn't "the cut amount means that my benefits barely cover my mortgage and health insurance" exactly what you should say? That's not trivial.

They'd think Occupy started up again.

"Who's that hippie throwing tables? Call Security!"

god Amy, I really hope he can find something stable soon.

He actually might go back to this job -- like I said, it's a long story, but another guy who is now gone screwed up a long list of customer deals, leaving S. with nothing to work on. I don't know why they use separate sales people for the two functions, but the one guy was supposed to sign up the churches to do the directories, and then S. would sell ads in the directories. And because of other guy there's no churches currently signed up for him to work.

They have been paying him his salary for almost a month while he hangs out at home with me, trying to fix it, but for now this is a better deal for us. And if they line up more churches in this area, he'll go back.

as far as we can tell he'll be getting the same benefit he was receiving from the layoff with the paper before he got this job, because he didn't use all of it. Or something.

No, that sounds right. You apply for unemployment when you lose your job, they calculate your benefits based on your previous salary and (I think) how long you worked, and they tell you the total amount that you're eligible (initially) for, though the amount is doled out weekly/bi-weekly/monthly.

At least, that's how Ohio does it. So if a person goes back to work but then loses his job quickly, as long as he's not at-fault, then the remainder of that total amount of unemployment $$ should still be available. (Again, in Ohio.)

That's the way he understands it, Steph. So, fingers crossed.

I'm writing more for work, though, which is extra $$, so that's a good thing. I just don't have time to do anything else.

Hey, question for Canada-educated folks -- how do you pay for college there? Say, if you were going to University of Ottowa?

Snapshot of lower Manhattan - the line for cronuts vs the line for new iPhones.

I wouldn't wait in line for an iPhone OR a cronut.