Myself, I haven't worked a non-contract positon since February 2004 (well outside of what I will state below),

I haven't worked a full-time job since February 2007.

Last even part-time paid IT work I have done was around May 2009.  It was 20-30 hours over a 3 week period through Manpower, assisting a senior tech doing bank teller installs at a number of TD Bank locations.  Manpower guy spoke how the company they were contracting for, to get headcount likes to "poach" their employees, so it was a chance to get work.  Bunch of lies, but goes with the territory.  It was less than $20/hr.

Earlier this year, I landed a part-time janitor position, starting at 5pm and going to after 9pm at night, with benefits.  Well, back issue kicked in, so they sent me home (happened prior to getting hired and into the first week.  I lasted less than a week).  I haven't, metaphorically, and somewhat literally, gotten back on my feet.  This issue has made it not doable to even land retail over the holidays.  Will see how it goes.  I am currently on Medicaid, so trying to get things sorted out.  Kicker here, people with faith can sort this out.  Someone prayed prior to myself getting anything, that I would get work. So any heavy Jesus religious types want to find out if Satan or God is behind my back issues kicking up?

They didnt approve it - yet. Its in the works, but nothing's been officially approved/passed. I just claimed the last of my initial 26 weeks unemployment benefits today. Normally Id go into Federal unemployment tier 1. Right now, its limbo. Fortunately NJ has a 20 week emergency compensation, so i -should- still be covered until the bill passes. Right now, Democrats are bitter because of all the concessions made for the republican tax breaks, and the dems are threatening to filibuster the bill, which will put the entire unemployed population in danger till the end of January, when more republicans take over.

So... the Democrats, who tried to make it so only the middle tax cuts were debated first because they saw it as such a devestating issue for the republicans to hold it up as to screw them politically... are now holding those up AND unemployment?

What the hell is wrong with democratic leadership?

Samething that is wrong with the whole goverment. Self Interest and wanting to take credit for anything good  that happens even if they had nothing to do with it.

No, there aren't many jobs to be had right now and companies are much more interested in hiring people who still have jobs than the unemployed. It's especially nasty because retailers have done very little seasonal hiring this year, I just hope that also means they do very little seasonal firing come January.

I'm not saying that there aren't a decent number of people on unemployment who aren't actually looking for work, I've met a couple of people who would much rather collect $300 a week from the government and play xbox than do hard labor for $400 a week.

That's not even self interest though... they're literally doing something that days ago was their plan to beat republicans... and throwing in unemployment too...

I mean, if they block it, they've literally given the Republicans the tagline of "The Democrats raised taxes on all americans and stopped the extension for unemployment rights."

It'd be like for example... "Don't ask don't tell" was found unconstiutional and defeated by a Republican group... the log cabin republicans.  (Or GOProud... one of the two.)

It'd be like if the democrats in response to that, passed an ammendment that made gay's in the military unconsitutional.

What's the point?

Obama's desire to do politics differently, and not have a hostile partisan environment, right when the GOP is setting itself up to make Obama fail and become one-term, is what might of happened.  Obama isn't confronting anyone on anything here.   He could of just pushed the middle class tax cuts extension only and have the GOP voted it down, but he didn't.  He compromised, and the Democrats in congress felt left in the wind.  So, they may decide to play hardball here.  I think there is also something where the GOP will still try to stonewall anything else the Democrats want, even if the Democrats felt that dealing with the tax issue would hold things up.

One thing that may be of concern is Obama talking about you caving into people who hold people hostage, if they start killing the hostages.  That is not a good thing to have happen.

As for myself, pardon me for not caring about any unemployment extensions.  I am currently not getting any at this point, so I don't care what they do.  And yes, I am out of work.  I am looking to see if I can piece together some additional money somewhere and also food stamp benefits to get more food.

Shouldn't unemployment extensions get you back on unemployment?  I mean, I guess it doesn't work that way cause you'd be happier if you did, I dunno, despite being out of work i'm not on it either.  Didn't aquire citizenship in the state i'm living in now yet.  I swore I knew someone who was getting unemployment from oregon who had a breach in his coverage until a new extension came through.

I mean, I expect democrats and republicans to stonewall each other, what I don't get is democrats stonewalling something thats 85% what they want, 15% what republicans want and something they pretty much loudly proclaimed was something that was political death to stonewall. (Middle class tax cuts.)

You aren't going to be able to do a whole lot of Xbox playing on $300 a week budget unless you are living with your guardians or someone else whose giving you free housing. $400 a week is a miserly pittance of a living. Even if you managed to go from paycheque to paycheque with just $400, just wait until you get sodomized up the ass by a big unexpected expense. Shit happens man. Oh you are due for a checkup with your dentist? Take it up the ass or let your teeth go bad. Oh you have to get fillings? Get raped up the ass or lose your teeth. Oh you ran out of ink? Gotta go get more ink (even little expenses like that takes its toll when you are balancing a tight budget like $400 a week). Oh your car broke down? (and for a lot of people, you do need a car for work. I have to get a car soon because not having only limits my options as to where I can apply) Shit son. Oh you live in the US where health care is mostly paid out of pocket? Dayum I hope nothing bad happens to you. Shit happens man. Shit happens. When people are all like "minimum wage is good enough to make a living", those people need to shut the fuck up. I don't blame people on welfare taking the $300/week sitting at home over the $400/week having to pay public transit (at the very least) to go to work every day to and back, working their ass off 40 hours a week. Why live like shit and work hard when you can just simply live like shit?

From what I thought I read earlier, he's far gone over the provisions unemployment covers. Covers 99 weeks from the point you become unemployed, or just shy of 2 years. I think Richard was out for longer than that, from what I read?