From the monthly archives:

September 2009

You’re hired! — Hear Robyn’s tips and strategies (podcast)

September 30, 2009

Bay Area industrial engineer and IT professional Robyn Pierce has been laid off twice, the first time from Hewlett-Packard and the second, from a Napa Valley winery. Hear her, in this interview, talk about the impact of the layoffs, what pitfalls she has learned to avoid, and what she has learned by ways of tips [...]

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You’re Fired! — Hello and Goodbye (Part 1)

September 28, 2009

I arrived on Day One, in Item One of my totally new executive wardrobe. Anyone want to buy a very groovy flowing jacket, perfect for summer days in the subtropics? I have two that I purchased specially for that job (from my friend, Jill, an importer — into South Africa — of glam things from [...]

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You’re Fired! — 100 people = 100 stories

September 26, 2009

Ask 100 people to tell you about their lay-off and depending on who you ask and the broad circumstances, each story will be different.
I became a labor statistic for the first time in Durban, South Africa, at lunchtime one muggy Friday, just a few weeks after beginning what had been “sold” to me as [...]

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You’re fired! — and another thing

September 23, 2009

Another thing about getting the boot is that you have to actually be laid off to understand what it is to be laid off.
Before it happens, you can think about it and imagine what it would be like, same as you can think about getting gout, and imagine what it would be like. I don’t [...]

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The Portuguese wine potluck, Berkeley (video)

September 9, 2009

Portuguese peri-peri prawns, chicken, and chicken livers, are three delicious reasons to visit Durban, South Africa.
Given that Durbs is my home town and favorite African city, my contribution to the Portuguese wine bottling and potluck at Subterranean Cellars (click here to see and hear Tim Patterson and Roger Campbell talking about the wines we [...]

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Portuguese wine-bottling potluck, Berkeley (video)

September 6, 2009

A sunny day. A home winemaker. Rather, make that two home winemakers. An assortment of guests who have in common that they like to prepare food; eat it — and eat well.
The party was at Subterranean Cellars, which comprises the garage, basement, yard and sometimes also the living room of winemaker and wine writer [...]

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