Holiday Parties for the Unemployed

For once you get to lord it over the Goldman Sachs suckers, my unemployed friends. Sure, they’re getting record bonuses this year, but do they get a holiday bash? Uh-uh.

Meanwhile, around the country, people are organizing company parties for the company-less. (In case you missed seeing your co-workers get drunk in totally inappropriate clothing choices and then clumsily grope each other.)…

Want to Live Longer? Have a Recession.

In good times we live longer, in bad times we die younger. Makes sense—but it’s not true.

The Depression, for instance, increased life expectancy by more than 6 years, according to a study by researchers at the University of Michigan. Meanwhile, during the boom years of the early 20th century, life expectancy actually went down…

Get Back to $100,000 in 140 Seconds

For many of us, one of the upsides of the recession is having the time to indulge in creative pursuits—like using the video camera you got last Christmas to film the dog sleeping. (I love it when they do that dream-chasing thing.)

Well, time to make all that time wasting creative experimentation pay off. Nikon is holding a contest for the best super-short video…

Downturnaround Deals: Nordstrom, Barnes and Noble, Timberland, Macy’s, Drugstore.com, Target

Every week, we post online coupons for food, clothes, books, gadgets and more, hand-picked for Recessionwire readers by the nice people over at Savings.com.

Receive free shipping on orders of $100 or more at Nordstrom. (See more Nordstrom Coupons.)…

Life Lessons from a Laid-Off Lawyer

Earlier this year, just out of knee surgery, with a wife in school and just a few thousand dollars in the bank, David Koller got booted out of his job.

That night, the Philadelphia lawyer asked himself the kinds of questions that (we’ve learned) bubble up after you’ve been forced out of a job: Was he happy? Did he really see himself choosing the traditional company for the long term? Was what seemed so impressive to other people — a good salary, a respectable company — actually satisfying?

On Law.com, Koller explains how he turned around and started his own law firm. Sound snoozy? I can’t remember the last time I read every single word a lawyer wrote. I’ve been asked several times how someone who has just been get kicked out of a job can have the confidence and pluck to start a business. Well, here are a few lessons from his account…

The US and China–Who’s Screwing Who? (Video)

Aren’t treasury bills hilarious? And what about that national debt? Bwahahaha..

Well, Saturday Night Live hasn’t been this funny in years, as it sends up Washington’s attempt to ignore the fact that China kind of owns us…

Social Lives Giveaway Winners

Thanks to everyone who entered our book contest. This morning we randomly selected two winners, and they are Rita M. and Jason P. We’ll be contacting them directly so we can ship Wendy Walker’s totally fun book out.

We’re Big in France. Seriously.

Finally, we can say we have something in common with supermodels — and all it took was losing our jobs.

Recessionwire was on a tear in the French press this fall, making it into French Elle (click for the whole shebang), business magazine Capital (download the PDF here), and onto Radio France Internationale (listen here). Along the way, we learned a few things:

1. The dot-com suffix hasn’t caught on in France. They use the word for “period” instead — point. So when you wear your French accent, we are Recessionwire-pwah-com.…

Downturnaround Deals: Gap, Aeropostale, Bebe, Wine.com, Children’s Place, Kodak

Every week, we post online coupons for food, clothes, books, gadgets and more, hand-picked for Recessionwire readers by the nice people over at Savings.com. This week, check out their Black Friday deals, too.

Get 50% off the entire site at Aeropostale. (See more Aeropostale coupons.)…

Recessionwire Book Giveaway: Social Lives

If you’re expecting “recession lit,” a book about triumphing in difficult times, look elsewhere.

If you’re looking for a light, fun read about how rich people’s lives aren’t perfect, Wendy Walker’s new book, Social Lives, hits it….