So, you were laid off. Let Go. Released. Downsized. Cut loose. Anyway you say it, it means the same thing. You are out of a job. And, you join the millions across America who are unemployed as well.

Maybe you were given some notice, a nice farewell party and a generous severance package. Maybe, you were surprised on a Friday with a pink slip and an empty box (or a paper bag) to pack up your things. Or, perhaps you just discovered that your key no longer worked in your office door lock.

Now what??!!

Well, of course, you look for another job. You get your resume together, you dust off your interview suit, you join all the Social Networking sites and you start surfing Monster, Careerbuilder and wheresmynextjob.com with the intention of finding a new job FAST!

But, what happens when you don’t get hired the week after you just got fired???

What do you do with all this new-found time?

Well, while you're searching for your next job, here's some ideas, reminders, random thoughts etc. from someone who's discovering there is life after her layoff.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

If Loving Them Is Wrong... I Don't Want To Be Right!

This week, my 2 favorite reality shows are back and, I must confess, I'm pretty excited about it!

I know what you're thinking...poor girl, she needs to get out more. You might say you don't watch them. And, some of you honestly might not. But, at the end of the day, no matter how bad some of these shows are (and some of them are really bad), some are quite addicting! When you combine one person's fascination with being famous and another person's tendencies towards voyeurism, you've got a recipe for success! You can't walk down the street here without tripping over someone who has either been in a reality show or is trying to get on one.

Everyone's got their favorites. It comes down to personal taste. Personally, I don't care about the "Bachelorette" and those "housewives of wherever". "Survivor" doesn't interest me and I never cared about "Big Brother". "The Amazing Race" stresses me out to much. There seems to be thousands of reality shows...and someone must be watching because they have an entire channel dedicated just to reality TV. My guilty pleasures are "Top Chef" and Project Runway".

"Top Chef", taking place in Las Vegas this season, shows chefs from all over the country compete against each other in various culinary challenges. They're judged by a panel of professional chefs and other notables from the food and wine industry with one or more chef-testants eliminated in each episode. A key element to all realty shows is casting; big personalities coupled with culinary talent make for a great show! It's so interesting to see what these chefs prepare each week, but I must admit, I get a little hungry after each episode!

"Project Runway", hosted by Heidi Klum, focuses on fashion design. The contestants compete with each other to see who can create the best clothes. They're usually restricted in time, materials and in theme, and it's great to see what they can come up with each week! I particularly like the challenge of designing an outfit solely out of products you would buy at the supermarket. Their designs are judged and one or more designers are eliminated each week.

This show is a great forum for designers to showcase their talent and creativity and expose themselves and their designs to a wider audience. And, who doesn't love to hear co-host Tim Gunn's catch phrase "make it work" and Heidi's German-accented kiss-off phrase: "your out", followed by a curt "aufedersein"!

I know I should probably be discussing something more important and timely like why the Republicans are purposely trying to sabotage Obama's Healthcare plan. Maybe, I should be giving some interviewing tips for the job seeker. Or, perhaps chat about the unemployment rates and the economy. But, not this week.

Sometimes, we all must embrace and give in to our guilty pleasures...whatever they are!

What's yours?
Labels: , , , , ,

2 comments:

  1. DUTAAugust 21, 2009 at 6:49 AM

    As uusual, your post is witty, well written, informative. I read you with great pleasure, and I agree with what you write. As a non american, I am of course not familiar with the shows that you've mentioned in your post, I am also not so fond of TV watching, but I liked your review on Julie and Julia , and I like your description of the two reality shows.

    ReplyDelete
  2. BionicDaveAugust 22, 2009 at 2:33 AM

    I don't do "Project Runway" or "Top Chef" - but I must admit, I am watching VH1's "My Antonio"! It's so cheesy it's good. And of course, I am ever-addicted to this summer's run of "Real World" (the latest being set in Cancun). And as far as the subject matter of your blog - I like that you stray from the main theme now and then. :)

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)