Tell us what's happened to you recently (that's interesting)

JonRowe · 2009-08-31T14:01:41.000Z

Marged:

Ugh. It probably doesn’t qualify as interesting, but I think I just bombed a conference call phone interview. I am sobbing so hard now I am going to be sick. I have never, ever done well on a phone interview.

:(

I HATE phone interviews…

and I have one thursday, I just bombed the crap out of my last one. Hopefully this one isn’t the same.

krise_madsen · 2009-08-31T14:24:37.000Z

Recap: OK, so after I got fired (last workday May 1st), I got a temporary (full time) assignment at the same job, first until August 15th, then extended until today - August 31st - with the possibility of staying on part time for the rest of the year.

Today, I got a call from my department manager: “So, umm, about work, umm, could you, umm maybe stay on full time for the rest of the year? And, umm, like not go looking too hard for another job?”

“Sure”, I said. Jobs aren’t hanging on trees these days.

I was going to say that it’s damn nice to be appreciated, but right now it’s more like being indispensible (at least in the short term) rather than appreciated. I sure as hell don’t notice much appreciation on my paycheck.

Major_Icehole · 2009-08-31T14:34:50.000Z

Angie Gallant:

Far less interesting than Lorini’s but

Rose has decided that she wants to feed herself with the spoon, like a big girl.

And that’s how well it’s working out for her.

I can’t believe how big she’s getting. And that’s pretty much how I look after using a spoon.

Lorini:

I came home last night. The smoke is horrific. It smells like I have an active charcoal BBQ in every room. 10,000 homes are now threatened (not on the evacuation list but they could be). Right now, they are saving JPL and our neighborhood along with it. I do hope Tom is ok as the fire is advancing into Tujunga.

Dude, I hope your house is ok. good luck

LionelThompson:

My wife and I, along with another couple, stayed in a cabin in the mountains this weekend. We were visited by two feral pigs (or boars) trying to break their way in. While we were out looking at them, one managed to sneak into the house, and one got his head lodged in the railings of the deck. Video tape of the incident is here, I’m the guy who carries the one pig out of the house:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF6iwP3jP0w

Oh, and while tubing yesterday, a Copperhead crossing the stream passed about a foot away from me. I did not notice it until about three feet away, and I handled it poorly (splashing and kicking it away from me). Fortunately it passed on by as though it didn’t see me.

That’s pretty awesome video there man. I keep oscilating between “hey that thing is really cute” and “I’ll bet that thing is mighty tasty”. It’s about the perfect size to stick an apple in it’s mouth and smoke it for 15 hours.

Lorini · 2009-08-31T14:57:22.000Z

The air quality around here is up to 398 (with 100 being ‘unhealthful’) but the fire seems to have moved on. It’s still not under control, so there is a small chance of my house burning down, but not nearly the chance that it was over the weekend. If you would like to see corsair’s pics of the fire, look here.. The ‘Mount Doom’ one is really spectacular.

Athryn · 2009-08-31T15:10:35.000Z

That Mount Doom one is pretty intense!

TimJames · 2009-08-31T16:00:31.000Z

Athryn:

That Mount Doom one is pretty intense!

But Frodo, we have to journey there for pilates class! We must!

Demon_G_Sides · 2009-08-31T17:49:27.000Z

Griddle:

Good on ya! After I got separated I had much the same thing happen, just wait till you have to go do the wash. :)

Thanks man. I’ve been doing laundry for a while, but I have yet to do it here. Might need to soon though…

Lorini · 2009-09-01T16:57:35.000Z

After 27 years of employment with JPL, I was terminated today because my doctor sent me back to work and they had eliminated my previous position. No severance pay as they have eliminated severance pay. I am looking at my options…

Omniscia · 2009-09-01T17:08:08.000Z

Well, damn. That’s an unwelcome surprise!

Did they give you any advance warning?

Lorini · 2009-09-01T17:17:21.000Z

Omniscia:

Well, damn. That’s an unwelcome surprise!

Did they give you any advance warning?

I knew my diagnosis had changed which is what led to the doctor’s note. I also knew that they had eliminated my position. But I didn’t know they would not give me severance and so that was a nasty surprise.

Major_Icehole · 2009-09-01T17:57:34.000Z

Lorini:

After 27 years of employment with JPL, I was terminated today because my doctor sent me back to work and they had eliminated my previous position. No severance pay as they have eliminated severance pay. I am looking at my options…

Sorry to hear this man. Good luck.

Robert_Sharp · 2009-09-01T18:05:30.000Z

Lorini is not a man.

That stinks, Lorini. So you were expecting to at least get some severance while you looked for something else? Also, that’s a long career with one company. Will you be able to translate your skills to something else?

Major_Icehole · 2009-09-01T18:12:19.000Z

Robert Sharp:

Lorini is not a man.

My bad, force of habit.

I’m sorry.

Lorini · 2009-09-01T18:17:30.000Z

Thanks Robert and Major Icehole.

I know that there are no other jobs in the marketplace like the one I had because there were only 8 other people at NASA who had the title I had. It’s completely a federally mandated position that probably doesn’t have much value outside of the federal government, and I’m not even sure that the technology transfer initiative will survive the Obama administration in its current form, as they look to cut budget.

Right now I’m still on SSI, so I have some income. I’m looking to do some ‘gigs’ instead of trying to fit in corporate America. My long term goal is to have a thriving successful small business in some sort of technology.

Scrax · 2009-09-01T18:17:50.000Z

Wouldn’t “man” be used in a neutral form there?

extarbags · 2009-09-01T18:28:26.000Z

Jesus, Lorini, I’m really sorry to hear that. Obviously you have the chops, though, so I’m sure you’ll land on your feet even though that exact job doesn’t exist anywhere else.

notatiger · 2009-09-01T19:33:13.000Z

Lorini:

After 27 years of employment with JPL, I was terminated today because my doctor sent me back to work and they had eliminated my previous position. No severance pay as they have eliminated severance pay. I am looking at my options…

That is terrible news, sorry to hear it. What did you do for while you were there?

Lorini · 2009-09-01T19:40:20.000Z

notatiger:

That is terrible news, sorry to hear it. What did you do for while you were there?

Software Technology Transfer Specialist. Unbeknown to most of you, the federal government has a long standing initiative to transfer federally funded technology to US businesses. I started the focus from within NASA on transferring software because previously NASA was only interested in transferring patents. The most well known federally funded technology transferred to industry is Gatorade, a patent whose development was funded by US taxpayer dollars and then licensed by Florida university.

You can find me on linkedin.com under Jennifer Schlickbernd.

Leah_C · 2009-09-01T23:26:16.000Z

I got a job! Yay! Perfect hours, high end of the pay range I gave them, all the benefits I asked for, really clicked with the new employers!

…and then this morning they rescinded the offer, after ignoring all emails for a week and a half. Back to the drawing board. Hopefully it won’t take another two months to find something.

Coca_Cola_Zero · 2009-09-02T01:53:53.000Z

You probably got google-stalked by your new employers with the chain of links ending in tears and choggle pants pics.