Unemployment............Sucks.

Well, today I applied for Unemployment benefits. The last time I did that was 25 years ago and it was a humiliating, tedious experience.

Now, it's not so bad. You go online, answer about 30 minutes worth of questions, post your resume on Michigan Talent Bank and then go to the Michigan Works office. Once there, you show them that you already did the hard part and they give you a form to fill out with the exact same information and then they put you on the computer and you enter the exact same information again. Then you print off your resume, so they have a hard copy, and they give you a little key chain card with a bar code on it. The office was clean, bright, quiet. No lines, no waiting and everyone was very pleasant. Now I have to call into "MARVIN" at an appointed time and answer questions and I'll have to go into the Works office every 2 weeks and probably answer the same questions.

So, all in all, not too bad. But I'd rather be working. I really would rather be working. I know that I'm 'entitled' to benefits - it's not my fault that there's no work right now. But I feel like a leech. I know that there are people out there that live off the state - via welfare, disability, and other such governmental handouts. Some are deserved, but I've seen many who are not. I know perfectly healthy people who collect disability benefits and I know people who truly are disabled but can't get benefits. I see women having more babies to get a bigger check. I know people who can work, and don't - even in a good economy.

I'd rather be working. Entitled or not, I don't like taking a check and not doing a damn thing to earn it.

So if anyone needs a nurse....