My Friend's Life's Work Is Being Slashed Into Oblivion. It Hurts to Watch.

[justaprogressive]

One of my dearest friends was recently squeezed into an unwanted early retirement by DOGE. The work she was doing at the government agency where she’s spent most of her career is on the verge of being eliminated or slashed into oblivion, and it kills me to know that her life’s work is about to be reversed. I want to support her through this. She can’t just go get a private sector job because she’s a scientist in a field where most funding comes from government agencies. Mostly, I’ve just been listening. What else can I do? Do you have any good suggestions for “I’m so sorry you lost your job, those mother-effers!” gifts? Because I have a bunch of other friends who are also out of work with poor prospects due to the gutting of our federal agencies, and I’m seeking a good gift for this unfortunate occasion.

—Friend of Science, Not Elon

Dear Friend,

Thank you for supporting your friend as she loses her government job to this administration of mass destruction. Listening can be a huge comfort to anyone in a crisis, but it’s especially important for the scientists who dedicated their careers to advancing health, serving the public, and understanding the nature of reality, and whose work is now being called waste. Listen to them vent, affirm that their work mattered, that they’re right, and the DOGE goons are utterly wrong.

Goofy gifts can help! If your friend swears a lot (and these days, who doesn’t), consider a care package labeled for a “bad ass bitch.” Effin Birds products might appeal to her “eff those mother-effers” spirit. Flowers are nice, or send her a fancy bottle of booze, funny books, or some of her favorite foods. Perhaps she’d like to work out some frustrations by axe throwing? A friend of mine created a retirement bingo card for another friend, with entries like “smash alarm clock,” “read books all day,” and “see a matinee.”

When someone loses a job that mattered to them, they can also suffer a loss of identity. Who are they now, and will people still like them if they don’t have an impressive title? So remind people who are “consulting” (a euphemism for “unemployed”) that they are people first, and are more than their former jobs. Your question, Friend, is about your close friend, but I encourage you and anyone reading this to contact even distant friends and acquaintances when they lose a job. Tell them you appreciate them and hope to stay in touch as they figure out their next plans. (This kind of support sure helped me when I lost a job.)

https://slate.com/advice/2025/05/work-job-doge-cuts-advice-friend.html

[2naSalit]

1. My close friend...

Got DOGED this week, works for govt contractor. Never been without a job, in their mid 40s, trying to process what to do.

This really sucks. Reminds me of when ronnie raygun was trashing everything.

[k_buddy762]

2. Happened to a neighbor of mine

and he was told by others in his office to "learn to code."

Hadn't heard that one in a while.

[blubunyip]

3. Ronnie Raygun era slash and burn

--yes, on steroids.