Occupy Wall Street: A vehicle to vent frustrations

Just over the last month, the frustration and anger felt by the "99 percent" has blossomed into a global experience, Occupy Wall Street.

Many have spent the last three or four years struggling financially and spiritually with effects of the Recession. Many think we never pulled out of it and the bipolar nature of the stock market is leading us the believe that prosperity is a very dim light at the end of a very long, trash-filled tunnel.

Double dipping and it's not ice cream

My last post goes back to November when I expressed some cautious optimism after the last election. I kept waiting for that glimmer of hope that Congress “got it.” That they understood the message that Americans were fed up with the status quo. That middle class Americans were fed up with Congressional cluelessness.

Election 2010 Post Mortem

On election night two years ago we were in the throes of the Great Recession. We were depressed, unemployed and scared. We knew we’d had enough of politics as usual and were feeling hopeful that a new, vibrant administration would be the answer.

Landing, sort of

Exactly a year after the newspapers were closed, I started a new job, at a small local publishing company. I had interviewed there back in July and the position was open again since the person originally hired left to deal with family issues.

Alternatives to the big game: A baker’s dozen

I’m not afraid to admit it. I hate football. I will never understand why viewers and players alike get some kind of thrill over bodily abuse. “Slam. Bam. Oh, that feels good. I think I’ll do it again.”

Long time, no post

Seven months of unemployment and the economic insanity continues.

The good news: I’ve had an abundant amount of free-lance work and I believe that my writing is good and solid.

The bad news: Finances are still abysmal.

Are the illiterates taking over?

At the risk of being called a total b*tch, I must comment on the quality of writing I have seen on comments associated with various publications, and on the web in general. You know the drill: A news story is reported, then comments are submitted. It all makes me think that we are becoming a nation of illiterates. There’s no use of capitals, horrendous spelling, no punctuation and more. No one knows the difference between it’s and its, your and you’re, they’re, there and their.

Legislator response

Four months after I wrote Sens. Chris Dodd, Joseph Lieberman and Congresswoman Rosa DeLaura, I received a response from DeLauro. Sort of the usual pablum but it does seem as if she read my letter. I did receive an acknowledgment from Dodd, but no more than "Yes, we received your letter..."

The process continues

Six weeks post lay-off and the reinvention process continues. I’ve been scouring the job boards daily, both for a “straight” job, which would make my husband happy, and freelance/contract work. Several of us have been discussing online ventures, which are requiring grant applications and little pay to start. I’ve sent out tons of resumes with just one interview, at a paper in Fairfield – nice pub, it seemed to go well. I would hate the commute and lack of comfort zone, plus it’s just a little more than I was making without factoring in the commute.

Time to reinvent myself

I am/was the editor of two weekly papers and contributor to the weekly lifestyle publication here in Connecticut. Rumors about “changes” had been circulating for ages and our staffs were bare bones. I put out my two papers with only a part-time reporter. That involved culling pertinent copy from e-mail, taking photos and editing submitted photos, writing, and designing, laying out and paginating the papers, pulling in ads, then send the pages to plate. (FYI: Editors no longer muse over copy with a red pen. We’re hands on from beginning to end.)