Finally!

A place to get my whiskers styled for a fancy evening out.

So today sucked. My company laid off 30% of the Network staff (you're defined in my company as being Network or Traffic). I'm thankful--really--that I'm not part of that, but all remaining employees are being asked to take a salary cut. Granted, it's not a 100% cut in salary, but it still hurts.

Let me explain something: I'm about to celebrate my nine-year anniversary with The Company. Nine years. I've been employed with The Company longer than Seinfeld was on the air. Longer than All in the Family. Anyway, I went from 2002 until 2008 without any kind of pay increase. I moved into a safe (meaning not ghetto) house in a better (no hate crimes) neighborhood in a city with a higher cost of living with no adjustment to my income. Again, I reminded myself that at least they were letting me keep my job. Then last year I was given some good news: I got a 3% raise. My company recognized my increased job duties and supervisory skills in an area where I had absolutely no desire to become versed and awarded me a 3% increase in my worth.

Too bad this was right on the heels of daycare tuition increases making the whole thing a moot point.

Where was I? Oh yeah, 3% in six years. So, in exchange for my job, they're reducing my salary by 5%. Not only did my raise really get negated, but they took more than they gave me in the first place. I make less today in 2009 than I did in 2002; I'm worth less. I'm worthless.

Thanks Westwood One. Thanks Shane, Peter and Tom (page 5). You guys are the best. Enjoy the remaining 1-3 years left on your contracts that we still legally have to pay you millions of dollars for. Appreciate it.

Dickheads.