Segment on that subject NOW, on Chris Hayes show.

but they are all overseas now

Not so very long ago, Woody could have found a decent job in manufacturing. It might have been hard work. It might have been repetitive work. But it would have paid him a true living wage. Not a subsistence wage...a living wage, one that would have allowed him to enjoy some frivolous things, to put something away for retirement in a paid-for home that was his.

Now? Those jobs are gone. And the responsible parties could give a shit...

What happened to this man makes me so damn mad.

Inc. is all about money, not about people. People count for less and less each day in USA, Inc. And those that still don't get it just haven't gotten their pink slip yet, be that through age, off shoring, illness and/or the fact that often shit happens. ... but in USA, Inc, none give a damn that have the ability to correct this mess, because $$$$$ to them is more important than "we the people."

in their Sixties.

I SO hate how so many have been sold out. My dad, a WW II Veteran and proud FDR Democrat all of his life would

be sick about it.

Just spoke at length to his sister this afternoon.


Woody was under treatment for depression, was taking Xanax and other drugs


Had $88 left in the bank


Left a long 8 page rambling, hate filled, and confused letter in his Jeep and had parked it in a handicapped zone so that it would be found along with the keys to his apartment. He had planed this all out.


Management told his sister as soon as the funeral is over she has to remove his possessions so they can refurbish the apartment and rent it out. Scumbags.


There is no good ending to this story, none.


I have nothing more to say.


Woody deserved better.

You take care of yourself by the way

The 1% is just culling the herd.

the soul less people want the unneeded ones out of the way. It's more than the 1% that want this.

currently and they were theorizing that anyone born b4 raygun had experienced a better place and what is happening now is too much of a change in the economy-and any aid /support they expected is lacking plus they are dreaded when hiring in many fields(too old)
But the post rayguns were told the govrnmnt is bad and so is any help from them -predictions that there will not be SS etc. for this demographic and not a good rising salary or job market for most of their lives so the younger do not take as traumatic all the downturns since they have had it gone straight down since birth

Imo I think it sucks for everyone.
all ages seem severly affected

But if you're older and you've been laid off, there's not much hope of every finding another halfway decent job.

been hit yet ... unless they are in the top few percent ... but for millions of Americans their future is going to be very very bleak. Yep, the market indices went up, for the millions of Americans this means nothing ... and the stock market going up does not create more jobs.

It said that middle aged white men had a higher suicide rate. Not so for black or Hispanic men or women. I think it also said suicide for middle aged white women was slightly up. Sorry, No link...

have it the worst if you are breakingit down racially
65% increase!!

Sadly, the highest rate among any group is Vietnam Veterans.


http://guardianlv.com/2013/05/suicide-rate-increase-on-white-men-between-ages-35-64/

unbelievably high. I also remember Vietnam Vets being mentioned as the highest group. Wait a few years and we will see how Veterans of more recent wars fare. I'm afraid to project what it may be.

Damn that Bush and his council of evil megalomaniacs. Sometimes I'd like to speak more directly but not me and not on the Internet.

It's happening all too often, but no one with the power to stop it or at least bring it to public awareness is doing a damn thing about it.

I am so sorry...

Woody sure did deserve better than this.

Safe passage to him...

for you, sweetie...

I remember when my upstairs neighbor died of health reasons and that was sad -what you witnessed in the building today is tragic

.

It is beautiful.

It is always very painful to me when I hear someone kills themselves.

Very apropos song. I have an issue with one line in the translation. It's not "Who will make my corn bread?", but "Who will make bread from my wheat?" Although that's a minor thing.

I saw the mistranslation after I posted and decided to let it stand for the same reason; it seemed minor.

I am sorry to hear this.

Just fuck them.

and some who have already fallen. And I am afraid if this "recovery" gets any worse, I'm not far behind.

BRILLIANT souls have written me after I shared a wee bit of my situation as far as my struggle publicly.

I would never have thought these people were struggling. Their resumes are extraordinary.

Yet they are in their 50s and cannot find work. Not work commensurate with their experience. ANY work.

They no longer have a safety net.

Each one mentioned suicide, as they feel they are literally worth more dead than alive.

I am so very sorry about your neighbor.

It's brutal out there for so many. And so much of it is unnecessary, as the rich get richer...

nightmare. It wasn't that long ago companies valued the experience of older workers. Today, they find reasons to boot them out the door - too young for social security, too "old' to be hired. My 62-year-old husband, who is hanging onto his job by a thread, was reading an ad for a job fair today. I told him if he showed up, they'd tell him the seniors' bingo game was being played down the hall in another room. It's cruel.

anybody who disagrees has their head so far up their ass they can't see the tears of us who care.

we all knew you Woody

...six or eight "studio apartments."

One of the units had a woman, well into her 80s, living in it with her 50-something year old son.

He's a nice enough guy, but not well educated, with no discernible skills, and not much enthusiasm for anything I know of.

He works at a local Home Depot, but only part time, and, of course, with no benefits.

Unfortunately, about two months ago, his mother passed away, and with her went her Social Security checks, so the son could no longer afford the rent, which was about as low as rent gets in a decent neighborhood in the Greater Los Angeles area.

He was forced to move out, don't know where he went, but I fear he's living on the streets now.

RIP Woody.

"The American Dream - You have to be asleep to believe it." -George Carlin

Welcome to Los Angeles style slums.

...a "slum."

It's actually in a very nice neighborhood, and the units are affordable for both the retired elderly, and lately, some 20-ish y.o. types who have been moving in as units become available.

The rents are in the $400-500 a month range, they are clean, and the plumbing and all actually works.

I've seen and been in slum-like neighborhoods, both here in the L.A. area, and around Chicago, many years ago.

I would not call this place a slum.

conversions in Santa Monica over the years before they were eventually torn down and expensive condos built. I don't know if they have shared bathrooms, but it would seem that would be the case. At least the Santa Monica apartments averaged $90 a month.

...suffice to say that the neighborhood - the Old Town area of Monrovia - is not anything near being a slum, on any level.

Every unit in the place I'm referring to has their own bathroom and kitchen. They are just very small, and mostly inhabited by single individuals.

The guy formerly living there with his mom was the exception.

In any case, time will tell...

around it like houses converted into "studio apts.", or in the case of my apartment building a reconverted and unreported to the building dept. laundry room with an old timer living in it. Down the block some landlords were renting garages as apartments, wholly unauthorized by the city. Most are gone now though with the building and real estate bubble of the nineties converting them into expensive condos. I guess the marginal people living in them at the time are now living on the streets.

...and I have been inside the place in front of me, and it is most definitely not a slum dwelling.

Most of the housing in this area consists of single family homes, with some condos (one right next door to me) and apartments spread sparingly between the homes.

The neighboring towns are Sierra Madre, Duarte, and Arcadia, also not generally known for their "slums."

However, your cynicism is duly noted...or perhaps you have a more realistic outlook than I.

Either way, I must nonetheless object to your characterization of my neighborhood as a "slum," as it simply is not, and that was not the point of my original reply to this thread.

like, shit holes in the middle of what seem like nice neighborhoods. You still have a back East idea of blighted neighborhoods with crumbling buildings. Our blight is nicely concealed behind the hydrangea, behind the car port area.

...original reply, is NOT a shithole, it's a clean, functional building with small, affordable units in a good neighborhood.

But thanks anyway for trashing my community by your insistence that I live in (or next to) a "slum."

End of conversation, goodnight.

to your sharing of a interesting anecdote re your neighbor.
Sometimes I don't understand what people are thinking when hurtful remarks are made.

I am as cynical as anybody, I think, but maybe not, in some cases.

Best Wishes!

often lead to the crabby disposition because of the pain and the drinking to kill the pain. Let me guess that he probably didn't have health insurance at his menial job, which probably led to the argument with the supervisor because he was feeling bad. I know I'm just speculating here, but I've seen too many similar situations. I wonder if something as easy as access to health care to take care of his problems before he went down the rabbit hole would have helped?

I remember how deeply soothing it was to know that if I ever got ill, I could get healthcare at a nominal cost, even as a resident alien. Medical and dental. The care wasn't fancy but it was efficient and effective. I remember that secure feeling versus the nervousness I felt, looking for free clinics, after I'd returned to the US and was working full time without insurance benefits.

The many other industrialized countries that have universal health care systems provided them because they knew that their countries' job markets would be rapidly evolving and might leave people without a basic human right like health care if they made that job-dependent.

They knew their people understood public health to be a part of national security.

They knew government provision of nonprofit medical care would take a large burden off of their businesses and make their products more competitive on a global market.

Our legislators try not to acknowledge that we the people would be glad to pay taxes to support free health care for all instead of spending ten times as much on the military as many other countries combined. They know we would be content spending five times as much as our competitors on the military in order to provide Medicare for All.

But somehow, our legislators were convinced that retaining the enormous private profits of our medical system was more important than their constituents' long term quality of life, or even their survival.

the high jump in suicides, esp among middle aged men.

were all middle class or upper middle class.

It's severe depression and some people cope with it better than others.

Alcohol certainly doesn't help.

Not a cut back program but full SSI just like you get now at 65. Give them a chance to get their life back in order with dignity and hope.

Most of this group can start turning their hobbies into a business. Or join local vol fire dept, or even run for city, town or village office.

There will be even more tragedies like this I'm afraid.

the mission of USA, Inc. People do not count, only $$$$$ is counted. The US is no longer about people ... and it's kept moving along by the American delusion, the American dream.

Sad.

difficulty during a personally trying time? Anyone gets depressed with loss.

I think it's a bit facil to start blaming a very specific condition for what is really a socio-economic reality, though for sure some personal tendencies come into play.

And then things just spiraled out of control.

Why did he really lose his job? One argument with a supervisor is seldom enough to get fired.

That is, unless he was the one being abusive. Nobody wants to lose a job; however, slavery is another reason for just giving the hell up. Too many hours being worked without a living wage, no insurance, no sick days and no paid vacation is just one of the reasons for hating a job so badly that one day you just split. Inconsiderate and plain hateful bosses abound. When you are stripped of human dignity, you just want out. Sometimes the only way out is a rope, gun or death by water, cop, or fire. Sometimes you take others with you.

In the forties and fifties our parents created the middle class. Unions were the reason the people flourished. My father was born in a farming family, and only had a sixth grade education; but, he worked for US Steel, with 100% medical coverage for him, his wife, and his seven children. He also got regular good raises and vacation, also because of unions. Because of his job, his seven children all had opportunities that you do not find here today, and all had college educations eventually, though some waited a while to continue their education.

But, the USA or "Corporations Are Us", decided they wanted more profit, and they got it. We are enslaved once again. The only thing that can change that is a renewal and rebirth of our once great country, with unions at its core. Our workers haven't changed. My sons both were working over 60 hours a week when they were laid off because of this little recession. Jobs have flown overseas, and those of us who actually supported Ross Perot are vindicated; not that this does the country any good now. If Clinton has a defense, it would be that safeguards he put in place have been ignored by subsequent administrations, and by ignorance of the electorate.

We hopefully turn down a new path with a new President, and though that might be a Clinton, I believe she is a horse of a different color, not a duplicate of her husband. Our choices are limited to people that can get elected, and to finally have a woman in office, gives us inherent female perspectives which I think are very valuable. The fact that she is graced with a very good brain, and compassion can only help. I remember her actually going into a trailer home to talk with the people inside about their cares and woes. I also remember when she tried with all her heart to get some needed healthcare for this country and we all know that her life has been spent standing up for women's rights and their offspring. It is my hope that the heart of a mother will help this country. Please don't trash this post with remarks that have more to do with other people's choices than hers. I also believe that Bill will be a very good First Gentleman.

Also, don't trash them because they lived the American Dream; as both of them were raised in homes that did not have money, and Bill was raised by a single mother, and loved her very much. This single mother lived to see her son President of the United States. I have heard a lot about their riches. They both have legitimate ways that they made money after leaving office, you know, writing books, speaking fees, and the ability by both of them to raise money for some good causes. They both were born with exceptional intellectual talent, which this country sorely needs right now. Some of you need to get off your high horses, and run with the winning filly, which we are all lucky to have in this hurtful and debilitating time.

R.I.P. Woody.

They come, one story after another, of people ground into the dirt by greed and selfishness.

R.I.P. Woody,

They were just coming out with pocket calculators when they were in High School and they consider computers to be for nerds.

Suddenly, they are out of work after 20 or more years and nobody wants them. It's like trying to find work for a blacksmith.

This is one of the main reasons we need to lower the retirement age to 55.

Farewell Woody.

Take care Dain.

peace

Such an awful thing, to lose all Hope.

All because of a clutch of Predators whose avarice knows no bounds.

My heart goes out to you, to Woody, and to all others who are damaged by this endless war against the 99%.

.
















.
Attention We The People: we can do better than this.

What has happened to humanity? He should have been able to have a life without worry for the every day necessities. The wealth is there. He would probably still have his family and his senses. There's no reason for humanity to be ripped by the wealthy at the expense of the joy of living for all people. The phrase, "pursuit of happiness" comes to mind.

it's awful. Things folks are going through these days... And, that they feel so little hope...and this happens and we knew them...thought we might have been able to prevent...but it isn't up to us...totally what happened to them...but yeah.. it's bad stuff.

Thank you for posting this.

dreams. What a shame.

...that the rate of suicide in men in their 50s has skyrocketed. Tough economic time was mentioned as a reason. These people get shitcanned when their jobs are outsourced - or for other reasons, and they ever find another. Over a decade from retirement, what's the alternative? Death, of course.

tell her how terrible we all feel. Poor man.

eom

of suicides in midage is rising? It's not to hard to figure out why.

So sad.

He/she needs to know how badly he/she screwed up somebody's life. Over an argument? Really? Fucking little despot.

RIP Woody.

I don't see a turn around very soon when reports of 5 year jobless economy ahead of us.

jobs.

RIP Woody, you did deserve better than this

This fucking country. It has become so mean.

but thanks for sharing. Sigh.

RIP, Woody. Yes, you deserved better.

Oh the poor man. And, bless his soul, he didn't take anyone with him. Hug to you.

You honored him, when no one else did.

Thank you.

and to you, dain.

I tried suicide two times on consecutive days ended up in a hospital and then a place for a month. You reach a time where you have tried everything and you finally give up. Sad he had to go that way.

I find this to be so sad: "He went out many mornings, I've seen him nicely dressed in a tie, but I guess he just didn't fit the profile for corporate America."

May he finally rest in peace.

he felt like he was alone.
but he wasn't.
he knows that now.

He lost his family and ended his life because he choose to believe that.

I am sorry and enraged that all of this happened.

Condolences to all who need them, and a challenge to the rest of us:

If we are to survive, we HAVE to find a way to remind everyone, when they most need it, that all of us are of value and all deserve to live. And we have to find a way to run life that respects the value and worth of all.

Too many, too DAMN many, have been thrown under the bus.

I wish it were possible to rec posts.

Corporatism is a cancer. It replaces human values with something horrific.

Every single one of us is precious. We have to get this bloodsucking value system out of our government and out of our nation. We have to take our country from corporatists and reclaim it for human beings.

I've lost a sister and brother to suicide for the same reasons people have talked about here in response to Woody's death, which is sad, but completely understandable, IMO, and my sister also hung herself.

Too many of us grew up in hard times, with little family support. Us baby boomers are vilified daily, we're the ones supposedly bankrupting the system. I'm 64, still working in a very physically challenging job as a self employed person. I can't do this forever, hope to hold off on retiring and claiming SS for a few more years. I do a fucking amazing job, but can't do this forever and lost half of my savings thanks to Dubyah. Pretty much own my house and have no debt, so can live on that for awhile. Have raised 2 incredible daughters that I have no wish to saddle with my problems, as they are both dealing with the baby boomer in-laws now being raped and pillaged by the care centers they are living in.

Tired of this game, as are so many of us this age who lived through the shit storm of VietNam and had our loved ones and dreams taken away by the lies and manipulations our Gov't. has put us through. I've been working and paying SS since I was 14 and I feel ashamed to even collect SS or use Medicare?? Is this depression?, or is it reality? Frankly, it doesn't matter, when my $ is gone, when my dignity is gone, I'll be gone too. Fuck it.

We must make humanity and dignity for all real, for the first time. That's going to be a massive task, but we have to take it up it we're to survive in any meaningful way.

Seriously.

Can't use a computer. Can't help but mock me for making a living doing so. I helped him apply for some jobs online at places like Home Despot and Lowe's. Lowe's psych test was exactly like a police interrogation: same 6 questions over and over, worded differently -- including this absolute gem:



I know a guy who works at Lowe's. Off the record... my neighbor failed the psych test.

He'll pick up maybe a day or so of construction work before they "give him a few days off" because he ain't that bright and he ain't that charming.

The man is doomed. I know it and everyone else does. I don't know how it's going to play out, but I have definitely imagined a scenario like the one you were unfortunate enough to be a part of this evening.

I have also imagined worse. We live 2 blocks from an elementary school.

I walked by his window the other day and I could hear his TV, tuned to a religious program which consisted of a man ranting at the top of his lungs non-stop. Holy fuck.

So many others, though, will never have their stories told.

Far too many people in that position. Sad, sad, sad.

I saw my dads pay check one time and for two weeks he made around $250.00 dollars. He was a civilian employee at an air force base. I had a brother and a sister we had a 3 bedroom house in a nice neighborhood and he bought a mid size car about every two or three years. The new cars then were around 3000.00 or less and the house we lived in was about 8000.00 with a low mortgage. Any we were all happy as clams and this was all under Eisenhower and Kennedy. It seems to me the shit started hitting the fan when Regan took office and has not stopped.......

plenty rich and the rest of us could live comfortably. Not only would that be a humane thing for them to do, it would be a smart thing to do. You let the 99% have some security, some comfort, and an occasional luxury and they'll likely leave you alone in your mansions. You make lots of people desperate and they're far more likely to turn on you.

Bottom line, fat cows give more milk. Mad cows eventually gore their tormentors to death.

forced this. Sad commentary. Us older people in a society such as this are castoffs. I'd like to know what the disagreement was about with his 'supervisor' and what type of person this 'supervisor' was/is. I know the last manager I had to deal with for 23 years was a real jerk. Only my cool rationale, (and not wanting to go prison) along with being a union steward kept me from doing something rash. Also I didn't want that manager to 'win', ever. He TRIED to fire a lot of people, but reams of paperwork tripped him up every time. Also, he was kind of stupid.

They get promoted by those above them who know they'll never be a threat to their own jobs. It almost drives me insane to hear people whine about the 'dearth' of talent and dedication. That's what drove me from the tender embrace of corporate america. I never made as much $ as I could've as an arse-kisser, but I kept my soul. On the other side of the river we'll see who really won or lost, the 98% or the oligarchs.

Til then, keep your finger poked in their eye.

I'm feeling this and this at the same time.

And it's being repeated across the nation, people killing themselves out of economic desperation, while our elected officials make sure the airlines are running smoothly for themselves & tell us over & over that austerity is what's needed. Fuck you assholes! We are feeling the austerity. When the fuck will you?

I am so sorry about your neighbor.

described as uneducated. Not all people are cut out to go to college. He still had a right to a job that would give him some quality of life.

Culling the herd is right, they want to rid this country of the average person but they forget someone has to do the grunt work.

Sorry it makes you sick.


It makes me sicker that you are offended by who he was.

Just another day for the Cock Brothers. We can take a little comfort that he didn't harm any innocents before throwing in the towel.

A sad day