Source: SFGate

Kathleen Pender

Thursday, March 4, 2010

The jobless got a temporary reprieve Tuesday night when President Obama signed a bill that extends federal funding for unemployment benefits and Cobra health care premium subsidies for one month.

Last week, the House passed a one-month extension, but the bill got held up in the Senate by Jim Bunning, R-Ky., who wanted Congress to find a way to pay for the $10 billion package. Bunning relented on Tuesday, the Senate passed the bill, and Obama quickly signed it.

As a result, workers who become involuntarily terminated through March 31 could be eligible for the Cobra subsidy, which pays 65 percent of the health care premium for up to 15 months. The previous eligibility deadline was Sunday.

The unemployed also will have roughly one additional month to qualify for certain federal unemployment benefits, which were due to expire at the end of February.

Under the new law, people who exhaust their regular state benefits – which last up to 26 weeks – by March 27 can begin receiving the first of four federal extensions:

Tier 1 lasts up to 20 weeks.

Tier 2 lasts up to 14 weeks.

Tier 3 lasts up to 13 weeks.

Tier 4 lasts up to 6 weeks.

People who are already receiving one of these four extensions and exhaust it by April 3 can move to the next tier.

The Senate is considering a bigger bill that would extend these federal unemployment benefits through the end of the year. If it (or a similar bill) does not pass, here’s what will happen:

– People who exhaust their regular state benefits after March 27 cannot receive any of the four extensions, although they could jump into a separate program known as Fed-Ed in California.

(The federal government calls this program Extended Benefits. It calls the four tiers Emergency Unemployment Compensation.)

– People who are already receiving one of the four tiers after April 3 could finish out that tier but could not move on to the next one. However, they, too, could jump into the Fed-Ed program if California’s unemployment rate remains high enough.

What is Fed-Ed?

Fed-Ed provides either 13 or 20 additional weeks of unemployment benefits, depending on the unemployment rate in each state and certain state laws.

In California, people can get up to 20 weeks today.

If Congress does not continue to fund 100 percent of Fed-Ed as it is now doing, unemployed Californians would receive a maximum of 13 weeks.

What’s it all mean? If Congress continues to spend liberally on unemployment, some people in California could receive up to 99 weeks of benefits.

If it shuts its wallet, the maximum could fall to just 39 weeks – 26 weeks of state benefits plus 13 weeks of Fed-Ed.

In the short term, Californians will not lose any unemployment benefits as a result of the two-day delay in passing federal extension legislation.

“They will still receive their biweekly claim forms in time to complete them and send them back by the due date,” says Loree Levy, a spokeswoman for the California Employment Development Department.

More information

For more information on unemployment benefits, go to www.edd.ca.gov.

For more on the Cobra subsidy, see my Tuesday column at sfgate.com/ZJIH or the Department of Labor’s Web site at dol.gov/ebsa/cobra.html.

To read the bill that would extend the Cobra subsidy and federal unemployment benefits through year-end, called the American Workers, State and Business Relief Act, see sfgate.com/ZJII.

Net Worth runs Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. E-mail Kathleen Pender at kpender@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page D – 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/04/BUPA1CA9DQ.DTL#ixzz0hK5Shdmp

Unemployment Extension Adds Up to 99 Weeks of Benefits

By Kelly Evans

The latest extension of unemployment benefits couldn’t come at a better time, it seems; President Barack Obama signed legislation into law Friday providing an additional 14 to 20 weeks of benefits for those who have already exhausted theirs or will do so by year-end.

Job seekers search for work at a jobs fair. (Getty Images)

The extension comes on the same day the Labor Department announced the U.S. unemployment rate hit 10.2% in October, crossing into double-digits for the first time in 26 years as the nation’s jobless swelled to 15.7 million.

The bill, passed earlier this week by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, extends federal jobless benefits by 14 weeks for Americans in all 50 states who face exhaustion before year-end, and by 20 weeks for those living in states where the unemployment rate is 8.5% or higher. (See a chart of state-by-state unemployment.)

The additional 20 weeks in hard-hit states means the maximum a person in one of those states could receive is now up to 99 weeks, or nearly two years — the most in history.

More than a third of the nation’s unemployed — 35.6% — have been out of work long-term, defined by the Labor Department as a period of 27 weeks or more — the highest proportion since World War II. As illustrated in the Wall Street Journal earlier this year, that is raising much concern among policymakers.

“The probability that a laid-off worker will find a job grows smaller the longer people have been out of work, according to studies in the 1980s by economists Lawrence Katz of Harvard University and Bruce Meyer of the University of Chicago. […] Mr. Katz, Mr. Meyer and other researchers also have found that wages the laid-off can expect when they do find a new job also tend to be lower the longer they were without work.”

To pay for the additional benefits, Congress will extend a payroll tax on employers that had been set to expire at the end of the year.

Source Wall Street Journal

Who doesn’t need additional support finding work during these difficult economic times? There are several organizations in the San Francisco East Bay Area that provide networking, job leads, workshops and support. Most of these organizations are free, a few services charge a nominal fee.

Job Connections – Job Connections is an outreach of Community Presbyterian Church in Danville, California. They meet from 9:00-11:30AM every Saturday at the Community Presbyterian Church, 222 W. El Pintado, Danville, CA. 94526.

Their mission is to support and encourage the unemployed in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area through a non-fee referral program. They establish professional relationships with hiring managers and top executives, with the intent of introducing a talented resource pool of qualified professionals for employment consideration.

Their members include people from a wide variety of business, financial, technical, and professional disciplines who are planning a career change or seeking a new position. Meetings include guest speakers, workshops, and unlimited opportunities to network.

You must attend an introductory session that starts promptly at 9:00AM before you can join the group. In the first hour the group discusses job searches and they have announcements. In the second hour, guest speakers share tips, techniques and advice that helps their members improve their job searches and successfully manage their career transitions.

The group also has an active Yahoo Group where you can post questions, job leads, etc.. You must attend the introductory session before you can join the group.

If you have never joined a Yahoo Group, here is some helpful information on how to join and participate in Yahoo Groups. You may want to explore the employment and work section of Yahoo Groups to find additional groups that may be useful during your job search.

Experience Unlimited – Experience Unlimited Contra Costa Chapter (EUCCC) is a volunteer network of business professionals who come together to offer individual skills, talents, support, and resources to its membership. EUCCC provides a platform for communication, connectivity, and community to its members as they seek their next career opportunity.

Experience Unlimited meets Tuesdays 9:00 – 9:30AM for Informal Networking and at 9:30 – 12:00 for the General Meeting /Orientation & Speaker or Activity Congregation at B’Nai Shalom 74 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek, CA 94596. Be aware that you must volunteer 16 hours per month in order to participate with Experience Unlimited.

East Bay Works – A unique joint venture of public entities, non-profit agencies, and private organizations in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties helping businesses and job seekers meet their employment needs.

Location: 4071 Port Chicago Highway, Suite 250 Concord, CA 94520
Contact: (925) 671-4500
Fax: (925) 646-5563
Hours: 8:30 a.m – 5:00 Mon, Wed, Thursday and Friday and 8:30 a.m – 7:00 p.m. Tuesdays

The EASTBAY Works One-Stop Career Center in Concord is your connection to employment and can provide you with the necessary tools to get you to your next job. You can get help with career planning, job training and transition solutions to re-enter the workforce.Our free services include:· Academic and career assessment tools· Job search resources: high speed internet access, fax machines, photocopiers, and more· Workshops essential for conducting a successful job search· Listings of current job openings and on-site employer hiring events· Links to training and educational funding sources· Referrals to community services and resources· Trained staff to assist you with your career goals and objectives.

There is a calendar of workshops available on the East Bay Works site. Orientation Tours are held daily at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00p.m.

John F. Kennedy University Pleasant Hill Counseling Center – While this is not a “networking” group, the Counseling Center does offer transitional workshops that may be beneficial to some students. Groups will be forming soon and I will get you more details ASAP. The Pleasant Hill Counseling Center also offers Adults, children, couples and families counseling on a sliding scale.

380 Civic Drive, Ste 200, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, 925.798.9240 Please call ahead for an appointment.

211database.org – Users can find extensive, up-to-date information about hundreds of health and social services that are available to residents of Contra Costa County, California. You may find the following resource guides (PDF) especially helpful: Help in Hard Times (English), Low-Cost Medical Resources (English), Central County Resources (English). Spanish versions of these resources are also available on their site, as well as, additional geographic areas.

We’ve already established that I love to research, read, learn, and share what I find on the Web. I’m getting some kind of cool nicknames on Twitter, my favorite being “resource monster”. I wish I could get the domain name!

Anyway…

This post has all of the links that I’ve read over the last two weeks (5/27-6/16)  that relate to freelancing, productivity, finance, or starting your own small business. I know many of you are contemplating starting your own small businesses rather than returning to “Corporate America” once you complete class.

I plan to categorize, give descriptions, and make these posts a little “prettier” over the next few weeks, but for now I just want to get all of these great articles posted for your reading pleasure and archived on the site for future reference.

Remember, these are articles I “tweet” on Twitter. Click the @username to see the posts of some of the people who I respect and love to “follow” on Twitter, the #hashtags to search the related topics, and of course the actual links to read the awesome articles.

Freelance Resources

1. 5 Ways to Instantly Become a Better Writer http://bit.ly/Q9U9I
2. Top 10 Success Tips – How Do You Become a Successful Freelancer! http://bit.ly/l6puK
3. Reading: 5 Freelancing mistakes I’ve made, hope you can learn from by @b1tzmast3r. http://bit.ly/k9i3g (via @mayhemstudios)
4. Onyaka, The Simple And Free Staff Scheduling And Planning Software http://bit.ly/7IgQJ
5. Prolonging the Inevitable – Tips on personal finance http://bit.ly/12TAZh
6. RT @problogger: Reading: The Real Secret to Becoming a Popular Blogger – http://bit.ly/8z5Uv
7. Entrepreneurial Workforce is Critical to America’s Future Success http://bit.ly/ysMEY
8. 10 Free Apps to Fuel your Productivity http://bit.ly/1eLBz
9. Blogroll: Technical Writing for Work and Fun http://bit.ly/cewMI
10. 100 Awesome Open Source Tools for Writers, Journalists, and Bloggers http://bit.ly/44xVKT
11. 12 No-Brainer Steps to Internet Success http://bit.ly/fqROi
12. RT @stejules @BridgetAyers A practical guide to getting more Re-Tweets on Twitter ! – Daily … http://tinyurl.com/mq97ke
13. 14 Ways A Web #Designer Can Make More Money http://bit.ly/4A5JV6
14. RT @bkmacdaddy: 14 Ways A Web Designer Can Make More Money – http://bit.ly/27zlhQ #webdesign #freelance (via @redheaddesign)
15. RT @DarklgWeb: Personal Finance 101: The Cost of Your Time http://minurl.fr/l6j
16. Weekly Web Roundup: #Freelance Edition #3 http://bit.ly/ixV0F
17. RT @copyblogger: Do You Know When to Shut Up? http://tinyurl.com/mn4gj8 (via @iBlend)
18. How to Be Interesting http://bit.ly/ALi0c
19. 20 Tips For A Winning #Freelance Portfolio http://bit.ly/earny
20. 10 Ways to Originally Impress Your Clients | @Minervity #design http://weblittlepieces.com/4633/ (via @weblittlepieces)
21. Everything I Need to Know About Twitter I Learned in J School http://bit.ly/AKD0g
22. RT @DannyOutlaw: Q&A; Video: Cold Calling Clients for Work – http://bit.ly/tAnru What do you think?
23. 226 Brilliant Freelance & Work Related Icons Available Now http://bit.ly/a7zTE
24. RT @Minervity @weblittlepieces: Building your freelance design business with only $25.00 http://bit.ly/j6Xcl
25. RT @MattLewisDesign 40 resources to become a successful freelance Graphic/Web Designer http://bit.ly/Nzm4Z (via @mistygirlph)
26. Good Discussion on: 6 More Tips for Affiliate Marketing on Blogs – http://is.gd/LRUn (via @problogger)
27. First Impressions Matter #careers #freelancing #resumes http://bit.ly/d44rG
28. How to Design for Your Worst Client: You. http://bit.ly/ky0q5
29. How to Become a More Frugal Web Worker http://bit.ly/s4vjf
30. RT @FreelanceSw: 7 Ways To Research Your Freelancing Target Markets http://bit.ly/h2fiU (via @spicydesign)
31. RT @playgroundpilot 9 Tips For Brand Building With Web Design http://tr.im/mPyn (via @mikakiviranta)
32. RT @dudeman718 @phaoloo: 10 Tips For Goal-Setting http://bit.ly/yGoL6
33. RT @CreativeOpera: A Guide to Making a Passive Income: http://bit.ly/10jXXJ #photos
34. RT @curtismchale @FreelanceSw Marketing Your Business Like a Pro http://bit.ly/13ucTM (via @blellow)
35. RT @andysowards: Project Scheduling – 14 Designers Share Their Advice http://bit.ly/GQdHK
36. Places to buy and sell photos online http://bit.ly/pTKQP via @rklarsson)

When you are looking at the resources below they may look rather strange, Twitter has it’s own “lingo” since all posts must be 140 characters or less. You may want to review some of the tutorials at 13 Twitter Tips and Tutorials for Beginners if you have never used Twitter.

A few quick tips:

You will see words with # (hash symbol) like #jobsearch and #careers – these are called hashtags. Clicking on a hastag below will search Twitter for job search or career related links. There are numerous hashtags, you may want to check out http://hashtags.org/ to see what’s happening on Twitter right now.

@robinmwood is a Twitter username, clicking on a username will bring up the user’s profile and their most recent posts. You can read what they have shared or “follow” them to see their future posts.

RT means Retweet, another user posted the article and I retweeted because I thought it would be of interest to people who follow me.

Job Search Articles

1. Time for a Career Change? http://bit.ly/2IGgze #jobsearch
2. How Your General Cover Letters Are Sabotaging Your Job Search http://bit.ly/JTsP2 #jobfsearch
3. RT @CreativeOpera: How to Rock an Interview: http://bit.ly/114W9h (via @designcoyote) #jobsearch
4. RT @GLHoffman @360JobInterview @FocusExperts: Top 25 Careers to Pursue in a Recession http://bit.ly/dMT5i #jobsearch
5. 10 Companies Hiring Now June 2009 #jobsearch http://bit.ly/FQbS8
6. RT @Twitter_Tips: Using Twitter and Facebook to Find a Job: http://cli.gs/dHYUWP #jobsearch
7. How to Have a Killer Resume Even When You’re Entry-Level, without Lying – all parts http://www.multiurl.com/g/8t Thanks @cheth
8. Top 8 Illegal or Inappropriate Interview Questions http://tinyurl.com/qtjpkl (via @onlineresume) #jobsearch
9. RT @urbancrafter: 7 Questions To Finding Your True Passion http://tinyurl.com/453vja (via @mayhemstudios)
10. RT @jtodonnell: 10 Things Recruiters Won’t Tell You (But I Will): http://bit.ly/Z0fY9 #jobsearch
11. Great advice for job searching in a tough market from @heatherhuhuman: http://bit.ly/1ZMmo #mcm #jobsearch (via @Keppie_Careers)
12. How can a blog help you get a job and enhance your career? – Examiner.com http://snipr.com/ja88t (via @ploked)
13. @jtodonnell @GregBarrette: 150+ Experts on Twitter ALL Job Seekers MUST Follow: http://bit.ly/1ayKy6 #careers
14. First Impressions Matter #careers #freelancing #resumes http://bit.ly/d44rG
15. Land a Government Job Now http://bit.ly/4uamV #jobs
16. RT @BillVick Top 5 resume mistakes http://tinyurl.com/nfktxl #careers
17. Web Worker Careers: Web Design http://bit.ly/13wZ8R
18. Cover Letters and Thank You Notes – Time Wasters Or Useful Tools? Why write these things? http://bit.ly/xLpxc #careers
19. 8 Steps to Get Into Graphic Arts http://bit.ly/pNfuN
20. RT @dl101: RT @ResumeBear Jump Start Your Job Search on Twitter http://tinyurl.com/r5nf86 #jobs
21. Ditching the Job Fair for a Venting Opportunity http://bit.ly/XB4Kn
22. RT @jlipschultz: @eExecutives: 10 MUST USE Websites for your Job Search: http://short.to/ay26 #jobs
23. Ten Reasons to Take Up Biking During a Job Search by @jlipschultz http://bit.ly/S0XnS #jobsearch Great for job search and networking!

1. RT @mayhemstudios @Jason_Pollock @cheth: 400+ Beautiful twtter Icons 4 yr Website | Blog Godown http://bit.ly/Ni7yC
2. RT @DesignerDepot: 33 Excellent Web Layout #Photoshop Tutorials: http://tinyurl.com/qoyp7h
3. RT @PSDTUTS: 40 Logo Design Tutorials http://bit.ly/OmuMg #photoshop #illustrator
4. Zixpk.com – Gorgeous #wallpapers and more http://www.zixpk.com/
5. RT @blellow @myreactiveone @DesignerDepot 10 Tips for #Photoshop beginners: http://tinyurl.com/o4bdwg
6. 15 Free Amazing Social Icons Sets For Your Blog http://bit.ly/16QR0
7. RT @eExecutives: What to do when you don’t know what to do in your #job search: http://bit.ly/crpRA (via @jlipschultz)
8. Reading: 14 MORE Tools of Highly Effective Twitter Users – http://is.gd/FHh1 (via @problogger)
9. Applications: One Day in the Life of a Web Designer http://bit.ly/dNnbb
10. Formatting Typography and the Use of Styles in Adobe #InDesign http://bit.ly/RMVsT
11. RT @10steps Sewing a Fabric Badge in #Photoshop http://bit.ly/NeqLL
12. 32 Free Vectors – Mega #Vector Mix Collection http://bit.ly/8aisf
13. 5 Page #Website Design in #Photoshop with Source | Tutorial Lounge http://tinyurl.com/o7xjyh (via @photoframd)
14. Aperture Explained http://bit.ly/lvhfr #photography
15. Career Advice – 5 Tips to Using the Informational Interview to Find Your Dream #Job http://bit.ly/Gx63u
16. RT @DesiznTech: Desizn Tech :How to Create a Stunning Grunge Portfolio http://bit.ly/T8WX3 #photoshop
17. CyberNotes: Firefox Extensions cause Memory Leaks and Crashes http://bit.ly/16xQVe
18. Minimem memory optimization solution http://bit.ly/iv52o #firefox #tweetdeck
19. 46 Sites To Get Inspired And Familiar With Hand Drawing Style http://bit.ly/jznyb (via @DesignNewz)
20. RT @photoframd 23 Best Fire Effects in #Photoshop http://bit.ly/SDZLb
21. Beginner #Illustrator Tutorial – Create a Vector RSS Icon http://bit.ly/s9Abk
22. 22 Neat Code Editors for Windows http://bit.ly/yJRic
23. RT @djR3Z: 33 best #photoshop tutorials of May 2009 http://bit.ly/coTv5 (via @BuzzEdition)
24. 22 Creative Uses of Robots in #Web Design http://bit.ly/32L4fT
25. RT @blellow @chadengle @kristofcreative: 10 #Twitter Hacks For #WordPress http://bit.ly/148NV7 (via @cameronolivier)
26. RT @blingafe @PSDTUTS: Graphic Design Week Wrap-up http://bit.ly/18CY1u #photoshop #illustrator #indesign
27. Suggestions for moms headed back to work http://bit.ly/LWclv (via @twitlinker) #jobs #career
28. Amazing post about twitter in the classroom: http://bit.ly/aTOJk (via @lgesin)
29. RT @bkmacdaddy: 30 Best #Photoshop Abstract Effect Tutorials - http://bit.ly/rBca4 #design (via @divyasharad)
30. Updated: How To Modify #WordPress Themes The Smart Way http://bit.ly/1afyY5 (via @iandstewart)
31. Checking out: 10 Online #Photography Magazines We Love http://bit.ly/E7IA4 (via @blingafe)
32. 9 Things You can do with Categories in #WordPress – http://bit.ly/1XaPD (RT @bkmacdaddy @ruhanirabin)
33. CrazyLeaf Design Blog : Surf #Photography… http://inblogs.org/go/nl3xc (via @inBlogs) Wow!
34. RT @abduzeedo: Awesome Milk Typography Effect in #Photoshop http://tinyurl.com/ovelqg (via @iBlend)
35. RT @pranavrastogi Download “Colors” – A free Colorful #WordPress Theme http://bit.ly/WcSL8 (via @naldzgraphics)
36. RT @iblend @sharebrain How to Draw A Cute Clownfish in #Photoshop http://tinyurl.com/p7ts74
37. 35 Amazing Things You Didn’t Know Your PC Could Do! http://bit.ly/O9Ke6 *Yup, you read that right, a PC! (via @FlashDenNet)
38. RT @DianaKhalil @Minervity How To Create a Realistic Water Text Effect – http://bit.ly/jSEdX #photoshop
39. RT @DianaKhalil @mayhemstudios @Minervity 52 Professional Website User Interface #Photoshop Tutorials http://bit.ly/CqHah
40. RT @DianaKhalil @Minervity @rockstaronline +60 Fantastic #Creative #Photo #Inspiration http://bit.ly/WBUe2
41. RT @BuzzEdition @mayhemstudios @Minervity 5 Different Ways To Create Stylish Contact Form Layouts – http://bit.ly/vyBFf
42. RT @ahdesign @VideoHive @redheaddesign 30 Excellent #WordPress Video Tutorials http://bit.ly/OktkQ
43. 150 valuable #Photoshop Action sets + Tutorials http://bit.ly/UEjW8 (via @Tutostube)
44. RT @mayhemstudios @santoscreative @mlane @Minervity What the future of web fonts is looking like http://bit.ly/yrWIg
45. How to #Photograph Baseball http://bit.ly/14vaHR #photography
46. 12 Awesome links shared on Twitter http://bit.ly/TxZDo
47. Top 20 Colour Application #Photoshop Tutorials http://bit.ly/137cbX
48. Ultimate Cheat Sheet Collection http://bit.ly/19Qmmo #html #css #php #jquery #photoshop #illustrator
49. Design a Ready to Print Brochure in #Photoshop http://bit.ly/zDgxB
50. RT @GabeSEO @blellow @pimpmywordpress A collection of 30 free stock photo sites http://budurl.com/3qz2
51. RT @saurabhshah @iamkhayyam @mparent77772: Essential #WordPress Plugins For Small Business http://bit.ly/EZ8oM
52. RT @gaksdesigns: 50 Best Tutorials To Design Wallpapers-http://bit.ly/BzKCa #photoshop #illustrator
53. How to End Suffering http://bit.ly/75r45
54. RT @FlashDenNet: The Art of Building Self-Esteem http://bit.ly/yXAtX
55. RT @FlashDenNet: It’s Like Firebug, but for Flex Apps: FlexSpy http://bit.ly/wlyUz
56. RT @webaddict @BuzzEdition @mayhemstudios Properly Set Up Your Twitter Background For ALL Resolutions http://bit.ly/Lkurw
57. The Everyday Web Expert : Customer Service is a MUST!… http://inblogs.org/go/ep8yj (via @inBlogs)
58. 43 Really Useful #Photoshop Tutorials For Excellent 3d Effects http://bit.ly/GtdV (via @dustyedwards)
59. JOB SEARCH: Social Media to Get a #Job? http://bit.ly/11MKPZ (via @danschawbel)
60. 10 #Powerpoint Tips for Preparing a Professional Presentation http://tinyurl.com/ptb35f (via @deliciouspop)
61. Design an awesome web layout based on typography http://tinyurl.com/q56jxc (via @pulseblogger) #photoshop
62. 30 Beautiful Web Designs Inspired by Nature http://bit.ly/bCH0n (via @phaoloo)
63. How to Create a Realistic 3D “Stone” Text Effect – http://bit.ly/12mPit (via @mayhemstudios @minervity) #photoshop
64. Jan, @mj12982, updated her layout tutorial http://is.gd/BHvR to include instructions on diagonal lines (via @jggube) #photoshop
65. Tweeting Your Way to a Job – http://is.gd/C4A2 (via @copyblogger)
66. 6 (More) Free File Hosting Websites That Would Be Useful – http://bit.ly/HSCWF (via @mlane)
67. Art of Choosing Right Keywords http://bit.ly/vTRTz (via @rob_dale)
68. Huge (Inspirational) Resource: 500 Free Premium #WordPress Themes Gallery – http://bit.ly/zi12g (via @mlane)
69. How to Use a Blog to Post Your #Resume http://bit.ly/19g33g
70. Create a Dark Abyss with an Emerging Blue Light #photoshop http://bit.ly/E1JLG
71. RT @briancray: The Future of Open Source CMS – by 23 Web Designers & Developers | Dezinerfolio http://tr.im/m8OW
72. Create and Print a Brochure with #Photoshop, #Indesign and UPrinting.com – Part 1 http://bit.ly/j6rLd
73. 9 Things to Understand About a Client When Starting a Design Project http://bit.ly/AoJOz
74. RT @David_North @techandlife 15 Common WordPress Blunders http://bit.ly/179OvZ (via @hashwordpress)
75. How to Create Screencasts – Nettuts+ http://bit.ly/3O1OUV (via @deliciouspop)
76. RT @ruhanirabin: 11 ways to increase your RSS feed count http://twurl.nl/m0nzcj (RT @giographix @DianaKhalil) #wordpress
77. RT @DesiznTech: 20 Useful Websites for Graphic Design Textures and Patterns http://bit.ly/kseJx Please Some digg guys
78. RT @inBlogs: Layers Mag: Why does #HDR bring out the best/worst in you as a #Photographer? http://inblogs.org/go/ewqiv
79. RT @3drockz: 30 Artistic and Creative Resumes  http://tr.im/m7Tq
80. RT @photoshoptips: 23 Most Incredible #Photoshop Tutorials http://snurl.com/ikd9l
81. RT @spicydesign: 150+ Beautiful #Twitter #Icons And Buttons http://bit.ly/LeRez
82. An Open Source And Free Invoicing Web Application http://tinyurl.com/qb5tgy (via @SmashingApps)
83. RT @hashphotoshop Design a realistic website layout in #photoshop http://inblogs.org/go/zhdrd (via @inBlogs @webbtech)
84. Digg Design: Web Design Industry Jargon: Glossary and Resources http://bit.ly/SjQIv (via @justdesign)
85. Take The Plunge Into #Freelance Work http://bit.ly/O1fIx (via @DesignNewz)
86. CSS3 Exciting Functions and Features: 30+ Useful Tutorials | Noupe http://bit.ly/2IiDeC (via @GRAPHACTORY) #css
87. Quick Picks: Two Must-Have Resources for Designers http://bit.ly/pjxim (via @ViralGFX)
88. RT @abduzeedo: Tutorial: Making a Planet in #Photoshop http://tinyurl.com/rchdns (via @iBlend)
89. RT @smashingmag @stevensnell How to Set Up a Killer #WordPress Testing Environment Locally – http://is.gd/C2YD
90. RT @DianaKhalil @designfeed How To Be The Freelancer That Everyone Wants To Work With http://bit.ly/YYdCx
91. New blog post: Northern California Career and Leadership Summit http://bit.ly/wBC5S
92. RT @abduzeedo: Tutorial: Making a Planet in #Photoshop http://tinyurl.com/rchdns (via @iBlend)
93. RT @CreativeOpera @andysowards New blog post: #WDNDL For 5/20/2009 – CSS, WordPress, and Type Edition! http://bit.ly/pxEze
94. 30+ Amazing Tutorials for Creating Icons in #Photoshop http://bit.ly/ZBSqf
95. 3 Beautiful #CSS Effects With Tutorials And Source Files By Dragon Labs http://bit.ly/aaAJ6
96. How to Create an Abstract Vector Design in #Illustrator http://bit.ly/vDCVA
97. RT @MRHYPERPCS @adellecharles RT Darren Rowse Reading: 30 Untypical #WordPress Sites – http://bit.ly/xlor9.
98. 25 of the Best Websites for Educational Institutions http://bit.ly/gut6z
99. 8 Layout Solutions To Improve Your Designs http://bit.ly/GouyT
100. RT @graphicidentity @fragments77 @DeliciousHot 70+ High-Quality Free #Fonts for Designers http://tinyurl.com/ofzt7b
101. RT @JamesRivers: Reading: Twitter Tips: How to Catch Up After a Few Days Away http://cli.gs/Typ31p
102. RT @iBlend @noupe: Going Freelance: The Pros and Cons With Top Web Designers http://tinyurl.com/o4756q
103. RT @JorgeMudry 44 Must Learn Web Design Layout Tutorials in #Photoshop http://tinyurl.com/okwrwh (via @dustyedwards)
104. RT @liammckay: Graphic Design Week. Today: Icons Icons Icons! http://bit.ly/uCpL6 Great stuff! (via @cameronolivier)
105. Your Online Footprint and Your #Job Search! Nice post from http://twurl.nl/1xg5q7 (via @Fishdogs @careerrocketeer)
106. Sharpening – Unsharp Mask #photoshop http://bit.ly/vGyrK
107. RT @Go_Media: Create A Vector Art Twitter Bird Character Icon In #Illustrator http://tinyurl.com/ot9pb6 (via @iBlend)
108. 100 Amazing Free #WordPress Themes for 2009 http://bit.ly/188HCP
109. New blog post: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-05-17 http://bit.ly/H2Cnl

Source: KSBY 6 Action News

Reported by: Bethany Tucker

The state is working to make things a bit easier for the unemployed. Twenty-five employment offices will open on Saturdays to help thousands of Californians file for unemployment benefits.

The state’s unemployment rate hit 10.5 percent last month, and more than a half million claims were filed in January alone.

To further help those without jobs, Governor Schwarzenegger signed a bill Friday that will extend unemployment benefits by twenty weeks.

This Friday we’ll get a look at the state of the U.S. job market when the Labor Department releases unemployment numbers for March.

Unemployment services available on Saturdays

Please pass this along within your Network and encourage everyone to register online. This is a FREE event, unmatched to any that will be attended this year, and we anticipate 1,000 people in attendance, possibly more given the timing of the topics!

Northern California Career and Leadership Summit PDF Flyer

For the next several months (or maybe years), we are going to have to endure a new and stark reality – a tanking economy and swelling unemployment. The U.S. economy lost an eye-popping 540,000 jobs in January alone, making it likely you or someone you know has become a victim of the crisis.

But the worst time to panic is when you are laid off and lose your main source of income. We live in a new and powerful era of communication, one where we can find support, gather news, and network without ever leaving our computers. The following collection of websites has been put together as a comprehensive resource for anybody who has lost their job and is looking to get back on their feet again. Our hope is that this post will be a hub for finding support and financial resources.

Continue reading 30+ Websites to Visit When You’re Laid Off

In addition to LinkUp and SimplyHired that aggregate search results from major job websites and other sources, I also like to use Indeed.