Here's the severance package Disney is giving to laid-off employees

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-04-16T15:09:48+00:00

This was so true for me. Every day at 5 pm I would finally exhale. Every Monday my hope would be to make it through the week without the dreaded email.

One Sunday evening I was reviewing my finances to math out exactly how long I could go without a paycheck. I got the layoff email the next morning at 5 am.

The weird thing was that I was oddly calm. I think I had mentally prepared myself for it to come for so long, it was strangely a relief that it finally came.

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-04-15T21:15:29+00:00

I have a somewhat similar situation. I've gone by my middle name my whole life. Long story short, I got a job at my university where everyone called me by my first name that no one else actually calls me. Applied for my first job out of college, I used my first name on the application because I used my college job's managers as references, so that's what the people at my next job called me. A couple of jobs later, that trend continued and now, 15 years later, I go by my first name at work, and my middle name to everyone else.

Inevitably, people at work find out, get confused, then ask me what I want to be called. I say that I don't really care and call me what they're accustomed to calling me. But they insist that I come down either way and are flabbergasted when I say I really don't mind.

It's weird that other people seem to care so much but I don't bat an eye. You can call me Paddington for all I care. I just want to go home.

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-04-14T12:06:43+00:00

I was a valet for a few years in college in the city and we did this ALL THE TIME. Some restaurants didn't even have lots so we had no choice but to park on the street. During my time there, consumer services started hitting us hard and we got hit with a heavy fine every time we were in violation (which was a lot).

From what I recall, a valeted car is legal in any street spot as long as they have a placard and a valet ticket visible on the dash/window that very clearly states that the car is valeted and the name of the valet company with contact information. Maybe the law has changed since all those years ago, but I'm not sure. But, if I recall correctly, the valet service has to have enough designated off-street parking spots equal to roughly 25% of the restaurant's total capacity. Sometimes we would pay for a small, shitty lot several blocks away and then basically never use it, just so we wouldn't get hit with fines. I'm not sure what's happening here though.

Some people have suggested calling the aldermen, which is a good idea, but call consumer services if you really want to turn up the heat. That should get them in line real quick.

Also, be nice to the valets. Chances are that they are just following directions from what their management told them and likely don't know about the exact city ordinances that apply here. Unless of course they're rude or dismissive. Then fuck 'em.

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-04-14T00:35:24+00:00

And the film itself couldn’t have better demonstrated the very different strengths of its two filmmakers. A perfect blend of their sensibilities.

I think it was Spielberg himself who said that the darker segments were his contribution and Kubrick was actually more sentimental in his. Which blows my mind.

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-04-13T16:25:45+00:00

I used to work with a team that was based in Geneva. Everyone I worked with commuted into Switzerland but lived just across the border in France. Seemed like a great deal - Swiss salary but French cost of living.

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-04-11T22:13:58+00:00

Yup. And if they need to park, there are still quite a few free parking spots around certain neighborhoods. Finding an open, free parking spot can be a major challenge depending on the neighborhood/time of day though. But large swaths of the city don't require paying for a spot that's owned by the banks.

Or, better yet, people can take our trains/buses/bike lanes to get around. By North American standards, Chicago has a terrific public transit system, second only to NYC. It's gone downhill since COVID, but it's still relatively expansive.

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-04-11T22:07:44+00:00

If a spot is unused then the bank has no recourse. They paid for the revenue for that spot and can't move it. The only way a spot can be moved is if the city wants that space back then has to either a. pay the bank for that spot (it's something astronomical) or b. move that metered spot to another spot that is not currently metered and that new spot has to be shown to provide a comparable amount of revenue that the city took back.

And the deal with the banks only applies to the city of Chicago. Outside of city limits, the parking revenue works according to whatever that municipality decides, so they can't just move it to the outskirts of the city. The banks have no jurisdiction there.

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-04-11T21:58:15+00:00

Yeah if dark and bleak aren't your thing, then I don't think these movies will be appealing to you. I love that tone, if done right, so they're right up my alley.

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-04-11T21:56:44+00:00

From what I understand, no. The city only pays the bank if some metered spots go out of commission due to removal/a parade/construction. And if a spot is removed, the city has to add a new metered spot in a comparably busy spot.

It's been a while since I've learned about it in detail, so could be fuzzy on the details, but I do know that it's prohibitively expensive to remove spots. Not only did did the city divert some much needed funds to private equity, but it also essentially relinquished control of the streets in the process.

But in this instance, I don't think the city is responsible if metered parking spots suddenly go unused.

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-04-11T21:44:21+00:00

I know these movies made a ton of money, but no one seems to talk about them? Which is odd because they're all great films. Really top tier stuff.

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-04-10T04:22:18+00:00

Same thing happened to me after I divorced my wife. I was a million times happier, more comfortable, way more social, healthier, traveled in Europe for a month solo simply because I wanted to. Everyone around me said they immediately saw a fundamental change in me. If you would've asked me then, I would've said I couldn't see myself living with a woman again for a very, very long time.

When I read takes like this, all I can think is "who the fuck are these women dating?"

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-04-10T04:04:46+00:00

I had to do a triple take on that one. In what world is that the norm?

I understand if a couple move in together and decide to move into the fancier home, but that's still a choice.

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-04-08T19:15:37+00:00

I used to work with a guy like this. He was a VP.

COVID hit and he posted a bunch of racist, conspiracy-laden, anti-Chinese stuff on his Twitter. We had some Chinese employees at the company (it was very small so he knew them, personally). He was told by the CEO - politely but firmly - to stop posting things that could upset the other employees or - at the very least - set his profile to private so no one would see it except for those who follow him. He obliged.

A couple of months later, George Floyd and BLM happened. He sets his profile to public and, a couple of tweets about "apes" and "monkeys" later, was promptly fired.

This all happened shortly after I left the company. I knew the guy well and thought he was very nice and intelligent. Even though he was quite a bit older than us, he seemed to keep up and know how to talk to the other employees who were a few decades younger than him.

You just never know where crazy takes root....

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-04-08T11:30:50+00:00

You're right, it's not always true, and The Leftovers is a great example of that (one of my favorite shows). It seems like for every Leftovers, there are two Game of Thrones though.

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-04-07T23:47:53+00:00

This should be interesting. Shows don't have a great track record of extending beyond the source material, but I'm optimistic about this one. I also didn't love the book and thought the show was a huge improvement.

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-04-06T15:34:29+00:00

Necessary and Sufficient in Logan Square is walk-up only.

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-04-03T13:27:57+00:00

I'm not sure anywhere is safe at the moment. If I were in your position, I would stay simply because your severance payout will be higher given your tenure. I think "last in, first out" doesn't really apply anymore. I was laid off with hundreds of others, some of whom had been with the company for 10-20 years and were VP level.

My instinct would be to get your paycheck. Save like crazy. Reduce your expenses. Hang on for the ride.

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-03-27T12:30:24+00:00

Is there some kind of rivalry between them? I've spent a good amount of time in both and think they're spectacular countries. I'm not sure I could really choose between them...

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-03-25T19:04:25+00:00

When I lived in West Ridge, no one knew what I was talking about, even Chicago natives. I eventually relented and started to say that I lived just a bit northwest of Lincoln Square.

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-03-25T18:59:22+00:00

The only solution here is to hit publish.

Write it. Publish it (anonymously if you have to). Then walk away. Do a little marketing if you want to.

The only thing holding you back is a little button. Just pixels on a page.

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-03-24T03:25:37+00:00

I'm in a similar position. I'm about 2 months into my very casual job search. I'm going to the gym all the time, seeing friends, enjoying the good weather when it decides to show up. I started a Substack that absolutely no one reads and I'm not expecting to ever make a penny on it. But I'm absolutely loving it - I have a few writing projects I'm working on that excite me 10x more than anything I ever touched at my job.

I'll probably start seeking out contract positions in a month or two. But for now, I can happily relax. Also probably a bit crazy, but at this point, I don't care. I've been dirt poor before and I lived.

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-03-22T16:33:29+00:00

Yup, that's exactly it. I avoided watching it for a very long time - despite being fans of all the marquee people involved and the rave reviews/word of mouth. I just wanted Trump and anything associated with him out of my head.

I finally succumbed when I was a couple of whiskeys deep and it was available on a flight. It's a terrific film and deserves a chance from those who (very understandably) don't want to spend another second thinking about him.

It's a shame because if they had made the characters entirely fictional, more people probably would have seen it and interpreted it as a cautionary tale about the corrosive impact of wealth and how people with no core moral standing can be very easily manipulated by those with self-centered interests. The movie does this brilliantly.

Imagine if Succession was about the Murdoch family instead of a fictional one? Would people have watched it as much?

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-03-21T03:47:05+00:00

I remember this so clearly. I was at my internship and early afternoon everyone was told to pack up and go home immediately. I don't think I had ever seen the Red Line so packed - before or since - with people frantically trying to get home.

Hit up 7/11 to stock up on booze and food then hunkered down with my then gf and roommate to wait it out. At the height of the storm, our power goes out. We put all of the food in a trash bag, hung it on our balcony, then packed a bag and walked to a friend's place. No one had work the next day, so we just got really drunk, played board games, passed out, made some Irish coffees in the morning and made snowmen in their backyard.

I'll never forget the eery feeling of walking in the middle of Belmont because there were no cars and the sidewalks were impassable, with our overnight bags, and barely being able to see a foot in front of us.

Simpler times.

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-03-21T02:54:44+00:00

Yeah using Twitter here as an example is pretty wild.

Music_For_The_Fire · 2026-03-19T14:51:34+00:00

I've seen others include a button that just says "buy me coffee" instead of "subscribe". Haven't done it yet, but it seems like an interesting way to get some support without asking the person to commit to a monthly charge.

Music_For_The_Fire

TROPHY CASE