IP: Drippings of the new Trickle-down Economy

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

> From: "Janos.Gereben" <janos451 () earthlink net>
> To: "jg" <janos451 () earthlink net>
> Subject: Drippings of the new Trickle-down Economy
> Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2001 23:30:19 -0800
> X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200
>
> At the Carl's Jr. branch I frequent infrequently (Memo to Self - must stop;
> Memo to Carl - shouldn't that be "Carl Jr.'s?), I didn't see the usual
> people behind the counter: the girl from El Salvador, the funny guy from
> Peru.
>
> Instead, there were three virtually identical young white guys, looking way
> out of place. I asked Bill/Shift Leader if they have all graduated from a
> recent Carl's Jr. leadership training class. Heck, no, said Bill, we are
> from Microsoft. A pregnant pause ensued.
>
> Redmond? I asked, quasi-jocularly, still waiting for a punch line. No, Bill
> said, Peninsula. Pause again. Feeling my journalistic epaulets at risk if I
> just let this go, I asked about the relationship between Microsoft and
> Carl's Jr.
>
> Oh, Bill said, we were working in QA, we are testers, laid off, along with a
> dozen other people from the department. The pause was mine this time, but
> Bill volunteered more information: I was making $70k last month, getting $20
> thousand now. (He used "k" with 70, "thousand" with 20, somehow making the
> smaller amount sound more real.) He didn't look angry or sad, he was taking
> it in stride. Somewhere between 25 and 28, he could afford to roll with the
> punch.
>
> I took my No. 9 to go, wished him good luck, and left wondering what
> happened to the people replaced by Bill and the other QA kids.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Janos Gereben/SF, CA
> janos451 () earthlink net



For archives see: http://www.interesting-people.org/