Layoffs

I work in the tech industry, so layoffs are nothing new, but they are never welcome. At my previous employer in CA I had survived many layoffs, being the excellent worker that I am. :-) Then got a boss that basically just flat out didn't like me. That's what got me starting over here in Minnesota.

So when layoffs were announced at my new job we were all taken aback. There were only a couple of people hit, and fortunately, I wasn't one of them, but it still hits close to home. This comes only a couple of months after I was laid off, so I know how tough it's going to be for these people. But, it's even more shocking because our company had just been bought, and one of the things they explicitly said was that there were not going to be any layoffs because of the merger. I suppose these layoffs don't have to be related to the merger, but still, it reinforces the fact that companies have basically no loyalty to their workers. I wonder why so many people are so loyal to their employers when it's so obvious that employers aren't loyal to their workers. I wonder if unions do actually have a good idea.

On a lighter note, I watched Antwone Fisher last night, an autobiographical movie staring and directed by Denzel Washington about a young sailor having difficulty controlling his anger because of the hard life and abandonment he'd received all throughout his young life and the psychiatrist who helps him work through his issues. The happy ending was especially moving, though the rest of the movie wasn't too interesting, though when it was all over, I was left thinking it was a decent movie. Not amazing, but if you like movies that are all about acting, this might be worth renting.