A word or two before I go.

Democratic Underground is my web home. I do not post anything anywhere else. I do not have the time to comb though the internet for those tidbits of info that the MSM ignore or bury. Thank god for the hard working people here who do it for me.

These are the people who have endured years of open ridicule to try opening a few eyes to the terrible things done behind our backs and in plain sight that are slowly killing everything our country is supposed to stand for.

I have only been around here for about a year and it has been an education that will last me a lifetime. I have read great books that I would have never heard of otherwise. "The Shock Doctrine" will be on my shelf forever.

I came to know for certain what I had always suspected, That our leaders are not true Americans but corporate whores for hire.

I gained new resolve in my beliefs in what America should be.

I learned that our election system is an incredibly unfunny joke.

I became a much better typist, and writer.

I learned more about the process of our government at work than I had from 12 years of public school.

The main lesson that I have gained from my year on DU is that participating in the political life of our country in even this small and insignificant way is an enriching experience that has made me a better citizen and a better man.

I am at a bad time in my life right now, I have been laid off two weeks now and the construction trade is almost non-existent at the moment. There is a very real possibility that I may not be able to afford an internet connection for much longer.

I will continue to read all of your wonderful posts and even put in my two cents every now and then but there may soon come a day when economic necessity with force me to go back to getting my news from the TV. But I will never, ever again take anything they say as the unvarnished truth.

I am not gone yet but if anything I have ever said made anyone think or just laugh it will have been time well spent. God knows you have made me think and laugh and cry out in anger at the world as it is. And I have hope that as long as there are people such as you in the world that maybe things might turn out for the better.

:hi: :hug:

I am ashamed of my wallowing in self pity. There are people who have bombs falling on their houses right now. What is a short term lay-off compared to that?

I will survive this and the next one and the next one after that.

Again forgive my feeling sorry for myself, People are probably dying in mudslides in Puerto Rico as we speak. I am sitting here dry and safe for now, and self pity is no longer an option.

DU is my net home. You aren't going to be rid of me that easy.

problems, doesn't negate the fear and uncertainty you're experiencing now. You have every right to be concerned and to worry about yourself - it's not self-pity.

Not too long ago I cancelled my internet connection (I've been unemployed for over a year). I thought I'd be slick and just use the local coffee-shop's free WiFi. It turned out I was spending more money there sucking down coffee and eating coffee cake than I spent for my internet connection. Just a word to the wise :7

I understand your fear. I pray that all of us who are facing these scary times may somehow get relief from that fear, and again feel a sense of security. I just don't know when that will happen. :hug:

What a beautiful response, gateley!

I've become convinced that at the core of our national problems is our determination to stick to Calvinist beliefs against emotions..... it's literally sucking the life out of us.

I appreciate your wise and kind words more than you know. If only the majority of USians would heed them!

:hug: :yourock: :hug:

somehow lessen our own. Tragedies, even distant ones, make us sad, don't they? How could knowing there are terrible things in the world make you feel better?

You know things will get better; you have skills that people want. Above all, take it easy on yourself. You're obviously a good guy and you're among friends. :)

Helps you put the sadness and anger behind so you can get on with life, so don't feel bad about feeling bad. Just put a time limit on it, and after that, go out and exercise or go to a concert or something to make yourself enjoy life again. :)

I have nothing but the UTMOST confidence that the American people will NOT sign their own death warrant by electing McCain.

If they do, I'm heading for Rotterdam!:smoke:

you can still post and follow us at the .library. I was on the internet for 5 years at the library before I got a computer at home. You can reserve an hour or two a day, and lots of people post from there..you will not be alone. Don't give up..

..Recently, I was at the library and posted there. Sometimes it is almost better than at home. I get put off, and can't stay on too long.

Social Security check runs out long before the month does, so I had to prioritize as prices started going up. Bye bye to newspapers and magazines; much as I miss the reading, I don't miss the trek to the recycle center clear across town. Other things have had to go by the wayside in order to keep my net access; it's my main communication with family as well as my prime source of 'current events,' especially since television is laughable in that regard.

You posts I look forward to, and I hope your economic situation improves, because I for one would hate to lose you. You know where we are though. And you have perfectly expressed my sentiments as well. I will never again trust the m$m to tell me what I should be hearing. There's so much out there they never touch on, and I really didn't have an inkling of that prior to finding DU.
:hug:

...during this difficult time. I can relate to a lot of what you say...especially about the typing. :7 I have, luckily, been able to weather this economy (so far)...but I know a lot of people going through what you are going through. Know that it will not last forever. (Yes, I'm a hope-monger. :) ) And know that we need your informed citizenship, so participate however you are able.

Positive thoughts headed your way...:grouphug:

I wish for you,health,wealth a great job and peace of mind.Please make it til we bet the repukes out and things slowly will get better.
There are dial up services that are slow but very cheap til you can get back on your feet.
Judy

Your account and screen name will be waiting for you when you return. :hug:

Take care of yourself.

kt

:kick:

Keep in mind you have a good trade that will always be needed.

Stay healthy, and you have my best wishes for the future... :grouphug:

Sometimes people here can really piss me off. But it's a good kind of pissed-off.

Let's hope life looks up for you (and the rest of America) soon. :hug:

My husband's family is in the construction business and they're feeling the crunch these days, too. I hope you can still afford dial-up, because I would miss you and we can't afford to lose good people here.

I always read and enjoy your posts.
I hope you don't have to leave us.
Good luck to you.

you're going to need your computer for more than the news. even for more than DU. i can't speak for anyone else, but i'm on my 4th job in 4 years (that sounds worse than it is actually), and i got them all through Craigslist.

at any rate best of luck to you.

Propaganda and Control of the Public Mind --- Noam Chomsky

http://www.amazon.com/Propaganda-Control-Public-Mind-Chomsky/dp/1873176686/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1218833282&sr=8-1

are wishing you the best. Don't get discouraged, get angry.

I'm in eastern Oregon. It's nonstop construction in my town, seems like, although the real estate business itself has stalled. There's got to be places in a similar situation like that closer to you.

Maybe Habitat for Humanity has a place for you ...?

I'm sorry for what's happening. Carpenters should never be out of work, ever.

The thought that I may have to go elsewhere for work. My local references are excellent and it means at least a couple of dollars more an hour.

Carpentry is a young mans game. A 44 year-old man starting out in a new town is going to have a hard time.

Their HQ is in Atlanta (not too far of a move for you, relatively speaking), but all local chapters need professional people to supervise construction sites, coordinate construction services and materials, etc. A 44-year-old carpenter with years of experience under their built is exactly the kind of people they look for.

Alternatively, you could look at recovery agencies for the same kind of opportunities. It would mean you'd have to live in a disaster zone, which sucks. But I know many church and volunteer organizations had a hellova time on the Mississippi Coast after Katrina finding competent (read: non-alcoholic) people to manage construction warehouses, supervise and train volunteer builders, and stuff like that. If you're interested in a list of such agencies, PM me. :hi:

There will be plenty of work. It looks like it will be coming right here. Damn! If I have to evacuate that will take every last dime I have left.

The only trades I Know are carpentry and auto repair and both have dried up . I went for a few carpentry jobs at 58 and was almost laughted at and it's not the same as it was when my father who was a carpenter taught my how to build a house many many years ago.

I do hope you find something soon.

44 years old is young in my town for construction workers. Most of them are in their forties, up to their late fifties and early sixties. If you've got the creds, I don't see why age would bother anybody. Most carpenters are fairly fit, all those that I've ever seen, anyway.

It may not be a permanent move, and who knows, once you get somewhere new, you might like it better. And even if you're making less pay, maybe the cost of living will be less.

One more thought, that a lot of people are choosing to remodel rather than sell because the housing market is so poor. People here in eastern Oregon -- and, believe me, this is not a well-to-do area! -- are paying at least $35/hour for remodeling work. Speaking of age, older homeowners who remodel tend to trust older workers, too. We just figure they have more experience and learned from their mistakes. :)

My brother, at 63, is a master carpenter. His wife suffers with MS, and he has to spend much of his time taking care of her. He gets freelance remodel work whenever he can and has tried to find other work to fill in during slow periods, applying at 7-11 and Safeway, etc. He says it's difficult because they'd rather hire the younger guys, the ones around 50! Strange world, yes?

I asked a handyman who was working down the street what his fee was and he said $70 minimum charge, which included two hours work. That's not bad money.

Good luck.

I wish you all of the luck in the world.

Take care of you and thanks for being here.

I don't know if they have free computer service at the library where you are, many places have it now. Try to stay connected to DU since it's something positive for you. If I were you, I would do temporary work, whatever was hiring,
I was laid off for 6 months in 94 and it drove me batty. At least, the temporary work brought in some chump change
and help pay some bills while I looked for a real job. Keeping a positive spin is the hardest thing of all, see if there's a church group that has free workshops for unemployed, it really helped me, they had counselors there to help with resumes and going for interviews and general advice.

and if you have to forego the internet bill, remember that your public library has internet access!

:grouphug:

know you are not alone..wb

I hope things turn around soon for you.

Better days are on the way (I try to tell myself this once a day so I won't go crazy)!

it makes people wonder what you did.

I can completely sympathize. Eight years past the jobs in my line of work just dried up. Ever since I've been working a job for which I am eminently overqualified. It's been eight years of austerity, paying down loans, sometimes selling my precious gewgaws and gimcracks just to be able to eat. Just in the past year, I've gotten on top of my debt. I can afford my mortgage and chow, so I really don't want for much. Still, I can't help but blame the fuckwits in Washington for putting me through this.

I hope you'll be able to stick around, Angry. A well-composed post that brought a lump to my throat. Hang in there!

the internet connection at home. It won't bet he same without you around.

Have not had to use the library to access the internet so far because of not having a telephone, knock on wood, but have used it twice during the "transition" period in which DSL wasn't connected during a move and I couldn't access dialup either and both times it was a godsend.

The economy really is affecting more and more Americans and more and more are going through what you are going through. Myself included.

Things will get better after November when the purge begins at the polls of both Republicans and Democrats who forgot they represent our interests rather than the interests of corporate America.

Sending you a money angel!

I hope you are able to keep making it here. I know many, including myself, can relate to your trying times right now.

I don't know where you're located, and I hope this isn't irritating, as sometimes well intentioned ideas can be (:-)), but one field I have noticed growing a lot lately is project management -- and it doesn't have to be in construction. the same skills are used in any application. There's a lot of audio video project management work, for example, which involves installs off of plans, much like carpentry. The specific skills you would pick up easily. It could also be a good transition into management instead of doing so much physical work every day.

Best of luck to you:-)

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He should have read this post before panhandling.

social context of the situation correctly.

It doesn't know the topic of a thread. Once 30 posts are posted, he comes in.

Well that makes me feel better because I thought you all were serious. LOL. Carry on. :)

You're killin me:rofl:

just damn it:grouphug:

I spent my life banging nails, doing layout, settin trusses and laying plywood. Then I saw the crunch coming(thanx to DU), so I took a job as a maintenance person. It doesn't pay as much as construction did, but it works and after 6 months, I think I'm happier than I'd been in a long time. Maybe you should look into doing the same. One aside though, I never thought I'd do so much painting, but hey, 40 hours a week is better than 32 or 24 or 16 or 0. Peace.

:toast:

The cheap ISPs aren't always convenient or fast, and you won't have meaningful access to materials like youtube, but with webpage graphics disabled, the speed of loading may still be adequate for reading and writing

We have the telephone company and the cable company. Any other ISP involves a long distance charge. The thought of going to dial-up makes me want to cringe.

I've never had dial-up. Although according to an internet speed test my broadband is about the same speed as they have in Vietnam.

and DU works just fine on dialup, for text. I'll admit I have to wait for pics and videos over a minute or so are impossible, but I get along. I'm even able to do the Election Reform news on Mondays, by waiting for all the news stories to load (takes an hour or so) before I start posting.

Are there no dialup ISPs in your area with a local number? If so, ignore my comments.

Best hopes and wishes!

I generally don't bother with the videos because they load way too slow, but if I shut off automatic image loading in Firefox, I generally get acceptable loading speeds for reading and writing

keep the internet. Much more entertaining.

:hug:

I don't think there is anywhere in this country where more and more people are finding the paycheck, if they still have one, covers it all. More and more are depending on several paychecks here and there and grateful they at least have that. Things are getting bad in New York and Los Angeles despite the unbelievable wealth that still exists. The very rich are getting even richer. Everyone else is getting even poorer.

This president at one point joked at a dinner in New York that he represented the haves and have-mores. Even some of the haves are becoming the have-nots thanks to him although of course he didn't manage all of this on his own and Congress bears as much responsibility as he does although Congress will never admit it preferring to play politics as usual with the Republicans and Democrats blaming each other as if the rest of us can't access Thomas and find out who voted for what.

Can you do anything else?

that things will work out for the best for you as quickly as possible. :hug:

While we were talking things changed.

I had no idea.

You said what so many of us feel. There are some really great people here on DU. Sometimes, after going out into the world all day, I log on to DU and I know there is hope... hope that there is still some sanity left in this Neocon world. It's a very small community of people who truly "get it" and know what is going on. Thanks to everyone here at DU that keep the posts going. I have been laid off from work for over a year, so I can't donate money right now, but once I get back to work, I will make up for it. Fasten your seat belts and hang on because we are going to have a bumpy ride come this October. BTW... see that white line on the Hurricane chart that says Tues--PM? That line goes right dead-center over the top of my house. I just went to the store and bought drinking water, batteries, candles and gas for the portable generator. We have enough canned goods for 14 days. I'm putting all the bottles of drinking water up into the freezer, so that when the electric goes out, the frozen water will keep the freezer cold for a few more days and supply fresh water. I went thru Hurricane Charlie in 2004... I was hoping we wouldn't have to do it again. But.. as they say.. hang in there Florida DU'ers. Thanks for the upbeat posts. Here we go again.. wheeee.. lol

:hug:

Sending angels your way.

I wish you life's best and hope circumstances take a positive turn for you.

Best,
October

:hug: My thoughts are with you.

and most jobs are just drying up. The only jobs in my area that are consistently available are medically related.

Very thoughtful post. I was expecting some negative signoff because of the rather adverse atmosphere lately. What a pleasant surprise.

Oh and I agree with the poster who said, get rid of the TV first if something has to go!

:hi:

DUers who are able to still post by using the computers at their local public library for free. I do hope that you don't get down to that and that things pick up for you. Best of luck.

I have appreciated every thread you've ever posted and I feel awful that someone like you who is highly skilled at your trade and has a talent for communication is adrift in this stupid economy. I went from DLS to dial up when we moved out into rural NC a few years ago. The dial up number was local, so it was about $10/month if that helps. We have since returned to NY where there is opportunity for artists, but I have to believe that a smart, capable worker like you won't be down and out for long. Stay safe, check in hook-or-crook every time you get the chance and remember that there is always a place at the table for you here at DU. Good luck! :hug: We'll celebrate like Democrats when you get back on your feet! :dem: :party: :party: :hug:

I've been laid off 5 times in my career, it generally works out for the best. I have been "freelancing" as a consultant for about a year now--I get nervous not being an "employee" but I have managed so far (have to carry my own insurance for myself and two boys which sucks)....I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

only short thing that helped me keep going was "not how far you fall but how high you bounce" how to see you bounce back soon and high.

Hoping you fall no lower and bounce back higher.

and if you're in a populated area, you probably can pick up someone else's wifi signal, or you can go to a library to keep up with everything we post on here.

hang in there!!!

There are alternatives for internet access. Libraries are a good start. So are Internet Cafés.

I was once without DU access for about 3 months. It was almost Hell.

Even if you check in with us once a week, I think you could get a good idea of what's REALLY going on in the world.

Let's just say Au Revoir - IF you decide you have to go.

But today I was feeling pretty low. Then right after I wrote this post I found out that a tropical storm may hit us. If it does I will have plenty of work. A classic case of being careful what you wish for.

Which is why I vote "Democratic"!:thumbsup:

There are people who would trade with me in a minute.

I was just feeling low and the uncertainty was getting to me. I have never been unemployed long. the longest time between jobs in the last 8 years has been three days. It was making me less than optimistic about my future income.

Please don't think of those who may be "worse off"
than you-- you have to look at your life and what
it means to it.

Having said that, it doesn't mean you'll "never"
work again. Your skills are invaluable. You'll
find a way. Trust me-- things have a way of
working out. Usually at the most unexpected times.

Also, I've had things happen to me in my life that
made me wonder, "Why?" Down the line, it came to
me that there was a reason. Had I not been laid off
my first job, I never would have gone to college,
etc. That sort of thing.

Hang in there, OK?

:hug:

Most libraries have internet connections for free.

Best of luck. Very sorry for your tough times. It is a depression in my book.

The only ones who can help you get your chin up are RIGHT HERE--your DU family. Don't
give up the computer, go dial up and we will be right here day or night and we make more
sense most of the time than a pound of Prozac! I am 58 and I have changed vocations so many times it makes my head spin to think about it. If you can't find a job doing what you want, then consider your other skills cause you surely have a few. I am at the moment in school AGAIN because even thought I am a licensed nurse I broke my damn elbow and have had 5 surgeries on it and it still sucks as far as usefulness to me. I can't be a nurse anymore but that doesn't mean I can't do SOMETHING and there are places out there who will help as long as you will ADMIT that you are stuck and need some help to get your brain in gear and THINK. What else can you do? What are you WILLING to do? What about something you never even considered? I am a woman and even I was so silly desperate once that I rented a tow truck and paid a guy to show me how to use the damn thing and I started towing cars out of ditches and snow drifts for about 1 1/2 years. I just broke even but then a real job showed up and bye bye tow truck. THINK, THINK, THINK and something will come to you. Do what you have to do! Get WILLING to think your way out
of this mess because unlike repukes we are able to do something they can't do which is use our heads for something besides a hat rack. Go to your state unemployment agency and start looking through their job files and see what they have that you can do if you have to and right now you HAVE TO.

by the way, your post really was awesome and your writing skills are great. You are very encouraging to all of us and we will all help you in whatever way we can if you give us a chance. I don't post anywhere else either and DU is my homepage. Nothing else is worth my time and my intelligence. I don't post very often unless I feel I have something to offer and I hope I can offer you hope. If you PM me I will do whatever I can to advise, support, pray, whatever for you. I have owned my own business that I started on an old kitchen table, and I know that if you just let me know a few specifics I can advise you on SOMETHING. Let me know and here's to you and yours!!!:toast: :think: :think: :think: :think: :think: :hi: :grouphug: :yourock: :woohoo:

and the unfair competition for carpentry jobs, I sympathize greatly. Hang in there, and don't give up.

You must not fail to post when you can.

so I'm sending Good Energy back your way. After what me and mine have been through in the last 10 years, one thing I've learned is that some way, some how at the 11th hour, 59 minutes and 59 seconds (and never any less, once every last vestige of living shit has been scared slap out of you) the money somehow gets there. In the meantime, you get tough, you think smart and you find a way to deal.

I do hope you'll PM me. Snail mail is still 41 cents. I owe you at least a note now and again. If you can get to a library and gmail, I'd appreciate knowing that you and yours are alright. Post when you can, as you can, if you can. You've got a lot to say in your journals and yours are one of the few in my regular list of "have to reads".

Hang in buddy, best you can. I know exactly and I mean exactly how it feels. And it feels like shit. I've had too many companies go bust out from under me or too many times my job went overseas. Either I had to move or scratch up something out of nothing. The up-side is that I've gotten to see most of the US, something most folks don't ever get to do. It's been real and at times it has been fun. But often it hasn't been real fun uprooting and starting over. I'm too old at this point to contemplate doing it again, so right now I'm working 3 jobs to try to prevent having to do it again.

Like a lot of folks I know. G'd help us all. There are a lot of folks like you hoping for just the one. "Transfer of wealth" my fruit-flavored ass. The rich folks have carried off with it all, leaving the vast majority with a wish in one hand and shit in the other.

Wish I knew better what to say. Sometimes there isn't much TO say, other than I've got some cold beer and a quiet back yard. If y'all were closer, I'd say come on over and we'd at least sit for a while, sip and stare at the woods, maybe say nothing much at all. But it would be peaceful for a bit and you could hear yourself think to form a plan.

And that's always the first step.

I was feeling very low earlier and have recovered somewhat. Despair can be a powerful resource when writing something but I would rather draw upon optimism. I am not going to let these trying times beat me and I feel kind of ashamed for even thinking that I may give up at some future point.

Thank-you for your posts I always read anything you write.

Are you by any chance eligible for unemployment? It's retroactive. I heartily agree with all the peeps who recommended your public library - we get 2 free hours of internet here in Altadena, CA. And you always seem to meet other people, too.

But IF you get inundated with that storm coming your way, I hope not one single person is injured and that you get plenty of work. But you have a real talent for writing, too.

Best of everything to you.

But due to a tremendous backlog things are slow getting started.

I do not look forward to a storm. Never mind that my home is in danger but after a short period of plenty of work there is along period where the difficulty of insuring a house puts the brakes on things for a while.

I'm not beaten yet.

my way to the top several times and I really do have a lot of good advice that could help. When I started that business on my kitchen table I also did something else at the
SAME TIME while I was working and taking a break from my butt going to sleep in the chair, I got a lot of phone calls from people (as a result of my ad in the Yellow Pages) from others wanting to know how I got started. I got sick of the phone calls and turned it into ANOTHER opportunity on the side by writing a self help book aimed at all those phone calls about how to start a home based business! I bought a used book about self publishing and put together a book on my living room floor and even bound, copied and did EVERYTHING involved in publishing on my own. I sold 2,500 copies at $14.95 each and for awhile I was "in tall cotton". I got tired of all the hard work and just quit selling it one day but for awhile things were awesome.

You really CAN think your way out of this mess! Just start creating your own success and a good way to start is do what you already know. If you have a buddy with some unused space, start a carpentry class. I am going to a vocational school right now and the people who are teaching it are not certified teachers, they are simply people with real world experience who are teaching what they know. You have some awesome writing skills so get to work on a book about what you are going through and how you are going to come out of it with MEANING at the end of this mess. Start SOMEWHERE AND get going. THINK, THINK, THINK, THINK, THINK......

on D.U. Fantastic book and I highly recommend it.

Good luck. I hope your employment problems will end soon. Perhaps if we elect the right people to represent us, our economic problems may not be so severe.

My daughter often tells me that everything happens for a reason. The difficult time you are going through will end and you may find a better life waiting for you in the future.

I had to start over in my early 40's - lost everything job, marriage and home due to my son's ten year battle with Dermatomyositis. I didn't lose my son so it was worth it.
I'm now married to a great guy (lame54) I don't earn as much as I used to but am much happier.
My dad is a 80 year young carpenter. He is retired but is always remodeling his home drives my mom crazy.
He put a new roof on by himself two years ago...so 44 is young.

Everyone's problems are relevant, you don't have to apologize for voicing them.


:hug:

As an almost 50-year-old CNC set-up/operator in the manufacturing trade, this economic down-turn has a lot of us wondering about job security. Sales are noticeably lower than before, and a lot of machines are sitting idle on the production floor. But I take it day-by-day and trust we will elect leaders who will work for us working-class Americans instead of being lapdogs for the corporate elite.

On a side note, one thing I don't understand is how many of my fellow workers have been sucked in by the rethuglican mantra that voting democrat is bad for their jobs and will only increase their tax burden. I've quit discussing politics with them because, while they are my friends, they are so incredibly pig-headed from conservative kool-aid they can't see, or just refuse to acknowledge, the screw job rethuglican leadership has done to blue-collar Americans

Anyway, I hope better times are in your near future, and DU will have to endure your presence for a long, long time!

get on the Net there. usually libraries limit your time (to an hour in most places), but that's still better than nothing.

Also, universities usually have open access computers in their libraries, and most cities and towns have a college or junior college nearby now.

Libraries are a wonderful resource for everything, including computer access, and of course they are free.

:hug:

Hekate

I am sorry you are having a hard time. Things are really bad here in Michigan too. Businesses are closing left and right and our house values are dropping every day. Good time to buy a house because there are so many foreclosures, but no one has any money so they just sit there. My daughter just bought a house that was $140,000. and she got it for $68,000. Now we pray she does not lose her job like so many others here in Michigan. I hope things improve for you very soon.

on, waiting to see some sign in time that you are safely out of the woods.

You really don't want your DU friends struggling along without you, you know! Don't leave now, don't leave at all. Will be hoping things look a lot harsher now than they will soon.

I'll bet you'd be surprised how many DU'ers feel exactly as you do about the special quality created when civilized, intelligent, caring people spend time sharing thoughts, information. This is most surely a special place.

Will be watching for your name ahead.

As far as the internet connection: If you have a laptop, you can find places with free access, from your library to Starbucks. If you have a desktop, I don't know of anything, unless your neighbor has access and will share a password with you, maybe in return for some service you can perform. Maybe a school, church or other organization will give you access to its computers/internet in return for some volunteering.

As far as carpentry: the very wealthy always seem to have money. Can you market yourself as an upscale carpenter of some kind? Historic restoration specialist or something like that? Or, what about designing and making one of a kind pieces of wooden furniture?

Baby furniture may be a good place to start. (Make sure you know the laws and regulations, especially for how close together crib bars have to be.) Hand made cradles, cribs with canopies, changing tables, etc. Heirlooms for someone to hand down from generation to generation.

Maybe you can even partner with a baby furniture store in your area so that they can offer custom furniture as well as ready made. They refer you customers in return for a percentage. And you can still try to hustle up your own customers.

Hand made kitchen cabinets?

Anyway, my point is, don't give up. Think about ways to put your skills to different uses that may have better markets.

Needless to say, I wish you all the best and hope you find a way to keep posting and reading. Good luck.

it might be dial-up, but it could still provide you access to things like DU.

Here's a link: http://www.thefreesite.com/Free_Internet_Access/

my house. He tells me that there are very few new homes being built in our area because it has been over-built. If you are able to do something like remodeling, put out the word through family and friends, because a lot of people are remodeling their homes instead of buying new ones. But you probably already know this...

Your post was wonderful and I hope you'll keep it up.

And I myself worked a feast/famine career for decades. Have courage. I know it is a trial.

Construction is booming in the Houston-Austin-San Antonio areas. I hope you're a union carpenter. There's plenty of work in Texas for travelers.

Where do you live? How much housing inventory is out there?

The tough times that are here have altered my life as well, like so many other people. You must be a fighter or you would not visit DU. We will all make it through this horrible time in American history together. One way or the other, we must fight together, to keep it together. Hang in there and keep your chin up.

Tallahassee has work at both FAMU and FSU. It's a close, tight network though but once you're in you're in that area of Fla. Only a handful of commercial contractors seem to get all the work, unfortunately that area is still Dempsey Barron's Florida.

I'm in the same industry and facing a choice between relocation or a change of career. Of course I have a laundry list of contractors that I won't work for, that list is getting shorter though, it's been 6 months.

We are both children of the universe though and the universe is infinitely rich. Gotta get past that, "this is what I am and this is what I do" thing, that's tough in middle-age but not impossible, I'm 57.

There's always the little old lady network that always needs things done. Estimate your time at 30 dollars an hour and work like hell. They buy the materials up front, always, but if they can get a minor to you, major to them, repair done for 100 bucks you're the second coming of Jimmy Stewart. Be fair and trustworthy and they'll pass you around like Cheetos at a canasta tournament. I know, I've done this. Flyers at senior centers, churches, ceramic clubs, hair salons, supermarkets.....anywhere little old ladies hang seem to work. Little old ladies run in herds and you'll soon find yourself with more work than you can handle but beware the IRS. Little old ladies like to write checks and deduct home repairs, tell them upfront that you want cash because you want to put it to the "Man". They like that too which is why they deduct home repairs, it makes you co-conspirators. Best of luck Mr. Carpenter.

I fear that many, many more will have to personally experience tough times before any significant change is made. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see much compassion in our society.

Good luck AC. Drop in when you can & let us know how you are doing.

:toast:

...despite what Bush and McCain say. And the construction trades are being hit as hard as any. (I know, my business depends on construction for customers and it sucks right now). I have often read your posts, and hope you can find a way to hang on. If not though, I hope you can find some other way to access DU, a public library or friend perhaps. I hope things start looking up for you (and all the other people who are suffering through these horrible economic times). Be well, and hang in there, hopefully change is coming soon.

I had been out of the work force for over ten years. Really tough being old and rebuilding a career.

Don't be afraid or too proud of a mega-hardware store. They generally love having someone knowledgeable. Add articulate and it can be a winner.

Wish I could be more help.

Take care of yourself.

You really add to this site, and you'd add well to any site. Best of all you make a good citizen, and it's good to be in a democracy with you.

You don't get this from an education. You get it by being a caring, thinking, selfless person. The universe works in strange ways and we all hope angrycarpenter get some well deserved good.

that most libraries have computers where you can keep track of the internet ---