Pointless Entry

Just a post mostly for posting sake. I don’t want to get out of the habit of blogging stuff here.

Let’s see: I think I’ve finally got my crap striaght with regards to my unemployment claim. (Someone was using my SSN to commit fraud against the system.) I might have to re-file my “did you look for a job” form from last week – I’ll know for sure in a couple of days.

I’m at that frustrating point in my portfolio web site where the design is done and I just need to plug in the content. I’m about 50% done with that. I guess I’m just used to most of the content being handed to me by someone else. I’d do a little bit of copy editing and image processing and then cut-n-paste the content into the shell I’d built for a particualr site. Writing the descriptions of the projects I’m including in the portfolio (goals, design hiighlights, etc.) is what’s got me jammed up. I suck. I was supposed to have this done last week.

Jeny and I went out for sushi with chutta last night. We’re having him over (well, down – he lives upstairs) for matzo-ball soup and lamb. It’s a really simple recipie I’ve been wanting to try out for a while. I hope it turns out.

Next weekend is the big camping/rafting trip. 15 people, 2 boats, class II and III rapids. It should be a blast. I’m hoping to do this again next year, but on a different part of the American river. One with class III and IV rapids.

Okay – ‘nough rambling for now, time to get back to writing copy for my portfolio.

Update:
I forgot one thing – I spent an hour or so yesterday walking around in the park over by lake merrit in oakland. I had my new-to-me camera and telephoto lens (purchased from my stepfather – payments delayed until I’m working again) and was taking pictures (mostly of the birds that were about) in color and black and white. I’m not expecting many good shots to come out. It was just a chance for me to get used to the camera.

It’s a Nikon N65 and I need to find some documentation on it, as there are a bunch of features on it I don’t know how to use – but I will learn.

Edited on Jun 10th 2003, 20:16 by Hooloovoo

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Robert

Robert Belknap has been writing online sporadically since 2001. See the colophon for more details.

6 thoughts on “Pointless Entry”

  1. How did you know someone was using your social security number for fraud? Bad fraud? Its not going to be blamed on you right?

  2. Not a big deal, I’m not going to be blamed for it. Just a bit of a hassle to get cleared up. I’m actually still waiting for my first check.

    Short version of the story follows:

    I got furlouged by my company on the 28th of May.
    On the 29th, I called EDD to file a claim over the phone. (Glad I did too – can’t imagine the mess this would have been online or by mail.)
    When I gave the guy I was speaking to my SSN, he tried to verify my name as “Mr. X” (name changed to protect the guilty.)
    To which I replied, “No, I’m ‘Mr. B'” (name changed to save some typing)
    At which point he asked me for my SSN again.
    It still came up in the system as “Mr. X”
    So, I said “Sounds like someone else is using my SSN”
    “Okay” he replied, “We’ll have to investigate this. In the mean time I’ve assigned you a temprary ID in the system and made a note of the problem with your SSN. You may receive some forms from us related to the fraud investigation in a few days. Once this is cleaned up, we’ll make sure your claim balance is not affected.” ( blah blah blah. – I’m paraphrasing here)

    I never recieved the fraud forms, but I did get the normal “did you look for work this week” form and claim summary with my temprary ID on them. The summary form had a suspicious number of goos-eggs on it, (as in every dollar anount listed was $0.00.)

    This concerned me, so I called EDD back on June 10th. I again gave them both my temp ID and my SSN. I was informed that the SSN had been checked and did belong to me, (verified that morning) so I would be recieving updated paperwork under the correct number. I did receive a new “did you look for work this week?” form (3 actually) and a new claim summary – this time with actual dollar amounts.

    I got my first “check” last week, or the week before (they all blend together when your not working). Actually, it was a slip of paper saying that I would not be getting a check for the week of the 25th since I made more than my benefit maximum for that week. (That would have been the three days I worked prior to being furloughed, for which my old company still owes me amoung other things.)

    Okay so that was longer than I thiught it would be. Short version, there was someone commiting unemployment fraud using my SSN, but can’t anymore. Everything is supposedly cleared up, but I’ll beleive that when I catually get a check.

    What I really want to know is why the EDD doesn’t make a habit of verifying the SSN a person gives prior to granting a claim. The only reason the guy got caught is because I filed a claim, and they had to check the SSN to figure out which of us it belonged to.

    Edited on Jun 22nd 2003, 02:09 by Hooloovoo

  3. The reason the EDD can’t or won’t check is because that would take time. They’re overburdened and underpaid, just like every other low-level gov’t agency. Why else was the INS still granting visas to terrorists? Eric and I have run into similar problems with Eli and getting help for him. There are so many people abusing the system that the honest ones get shafted.

  4. Yeah, I know that’s why they don’t check the SSN’s unless someone reports a problem – I just wish they weren’t overburdend and underpaid. In a perfect world…

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