Comments on: The holiday season job I didn’t want and didn’t get, part 1

By: Where can you get a job as a teen if you have a tremedous keyboarding skills? | Feels Like Me

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 08:38:03 +0000

[...] The holiday season job I didn't want and didn't get, part 1 … [...]

By: Hat, meet gift box... a holiday temp job to get me out of the apartment | Jobless and Less

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:22:22 +0000

[...] visiting the mall this weekend, I’m extra happy that temporary holiday season job at the big department store fell through. What a horrible nightmare of crowds and slush and noise. [...]

By: The holiday season job I didn't want and didn't get, part 3 | Jobless and Less

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:22:53 +0000

[...] the holiday season job post, part 1 and part 2 so this post makes [...]

By: Kelby2012

Kelby2012 — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:55:57 +0000

The picture of the rock em sock em robots was cool, I was fortunate because Santa did drop them off for me on year.

Norm I like your style, please don’t change a thing. For those who feel the need to complain that you are attacking Real Americans, the hell with them. It’s easy for them to be critics, not having walked in your shoes.

Any shoeless monkey knows that working in retail is a dead end job for losers, unless you own the company or are in upper management. It was the reason I worked hard in college to get a degree so I could have a leg up in the job market.

I don’t understand those who get so pissy about what you are blogging about.In their eyes you should gleefully work for retail, and maybe if you work hard, dodge another recession, climb the retail ladder, you will be able to make 75% of what you last made in 8 yrs. It is this pollyana bullsh*t thinking from the likes of people with Joe mindset that pisses me off. Keep up the good work.

By: Joe

Joe — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:55:06 +0000

Amanda as Norm’s wife you are a biased party. The fact of the matter is I found this blog via cnn.com a year ago. Jobless and Less was great for me while I was unemployed but recently Norm has started taking shots at regular americans and acting superior to people. I’ll have you know that I myself am an MBA as well and my new jobs pays nearly 75% less than my previous NYC job paid. Norm is a smart guy no doubt but he’s arrogant as anything in his writing, maybe not so in person, but he comes off rude in his writings. It seems as if his lingering unemployment is causing him to go from every other unemployed american to an unemployed american with the goal of putting down every job that doesn’t suit his personal agenda. I have nothing against Norm and as matter of fact, I feel for him because I dealt with 8 months of anguish as well, but never once did I act like Norm, as a matter of fact, my father owns a small sandwich shop outside of chicago and I went home after 4 months and worked out of a family owned shop with an MIT MBA until my recent opportunity came about in Dallas. So I sucked up my pride and did what I had to do, meanwhile Norm moans and groans about how unemployment insurance “pays about the same”….that’s great most americans need not work since unemployment pays the same as work, that sounds real american of you….real democrat if anything. Bottom line, Norm is smart, but he isn’t a better person than anyone else, and no job is beneath him, even retail.

By: Tina

Tina — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:04:09 +0000

Cheers Amanda! “Unpricklike” is now my word for the day, though I imagine I won’t easily find the opportunity to use it as well as you did.

By: Catherine

Catherine — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:18:46 +0000

Wow, lots of angry and mean spirited people out there! Lots of Mr. Potters
( from Its a Wonderful Life).
I go to a group for unemployed people, and what you are running into is all too common!
I would suggest one day a week as a regular volunteer somewhere. I go to my local hospital, and it is nice to feel welcome and needed ( though unpaid).
Just keep on keeping on, Norm!
Also, since you have a Bachelors degree, have you thought about substitute teaching? Worth looking into, and they really want and need males in the schools.

By: Jordan

Jordan — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:59:53 +0000

Norm! Stop stabbing regular americans with your witty comments! For the love of god, man. If you stab all the regular americans, who will wash my car and shine my shoes? Other super-americans such as ourselves? I shudder at the thought…

By: The holiday season job I didn't want and didn't get, part 2 | Jobless and Less

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:55:42 +0000

[...] [Read the holiday season job post, part 1] [...]

By: Amanda

Amanda — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:11:37 +0000

Joe, I don’t understand why you even read this blog since it clearly upsets you so much. I generally don’t comment at length here as I prefer to discuss Norm’s blog with him in person, but I can’t keep from responding to you even though I suspect you’ll find a way to disparage me. Norm’s “witty commentary” is an attempt—and I would say a successful one at that—to deal with an extremely stressful and difficult situation with a little humor. Everyone deals with the difficulties of life in different ways. Some people withdraw into themselves and despair, others get angry. It’s my opinion that through this blog, Norm is embracing levity as a way to keep other destructive emotions at bay. The thought that Norm of all people feels superior to retail workers is laughable. Of course, I have the advantage of knowing him and his personal history, which you do not. I am also married to him, which admittedly makes me less than an objective observer. That said, Norm is one of the most humble, inclusive, generous, and unpricklike people I have ever known. Don’t even get me started on the utter absurdity of your “regular Americans” remark. Our situation is not karma for anything. Maybe you believe that each of the 15 million + people currently unemployed in this country have done something to cause and deserve this economic crisis. Or perhaps you think it’s just Norm who deserves it, which I suppose would make us irregular Americans after all. Norm will keep posting your comments, Joe, but I believe he’s through responding to you as he’s already said what he had to say to you elsewhere. He adds to his long list of positive character traits the ability to not be unnecessarily bothered by people and situations that are not worth his valuable time. Unfortunately I do not share these qualities, and I remain pissed off, frustrated and, frankly, offended by your ignorant and childish need to lash out at someone who is so undeserving of your ire. I sincerely hope you do not reply since I do not care what else you might have to say. Just please stop reading the blog as Norm is going to continue to be “witty” and you, it seems, are going to continue to be pissy.