Because You Have Fallen Victim To Corporate Greed

Who is John Galt?

I read Atlas Shrugged when I was just 20 and only now do I feel it's real power. To have a society where the truly talented people have had to vanish in order to expunge society of the corporate greed and brutal incompetence that has taken over has never seemed more prominent. I like to think that I am now a part of that secret club, on strike, waiting for the time to come back and retake the world.

On Monday, my two year anniversary at my company and the day before I was to embark to Europe on vacation (which naturally had to be canceled), I was laid off. This is the first time since I was legally able to work that I have not had a job. It's scary. It's embarassing and it's downright infuriating. A man will be sending his child to one of the top private schools in the country with ease now, as his stash of Israeli gold continues to build under his mattress as I wait online at pawn shops and look for bottles to deposit.

I was offered no severance, no thank you, no explanation; just an email to make sure I return my keys. We wouldn't want my skinny arms stealing the copier, now would we?

As previously blogged about, NYC unemployment only offers $400/week--barely enough to cover the rent on my studio apartment and food for my beloved puppy. I filed the claim for it yesterday, though I am sure there will be some problem and I will loose precious funds due to more incompetence.

People say I should be excited about my freedom, but it wasn't on my terms (and I don't have a trust fund). I don't get a kareoke party or the satisfaction of saying how much of an asshole my boss was, because then he could contest my unemployment. Being broke leaves us no time to find ourselves or go back to our true passions of writing and art, because student loans don't take that as an excuse for non-payment.

Blog posts will return to being funny soon, though I want to give warning that they will reflect much smaller amounts...maybe Erin and I will even catch a break through pity and secure that book deal we so absolutely deserve. Hint...wink...slap