Anyone looking for a job knows the value of a supportive friend or former co-worker. They can really make a difference -in helping you find a new gig and in keeping your spirits high while unemployed.

I still remember the big box of treats that arrived for me about a week after I left my big business editor job a few years ago. My friends from Newsday sent it to me, with a cheer-me-up note.  It helped so much to remind me of a circle of support – and that some talented journalists believed in my talents.

With nearly one in ten Americans still unemployed, it’s time to consider what we could do to send a little kindness to one or two of them.

MORE TO COME ON THIS SOON.

Greetings readers.

I’m back to this blog after being hijacked by someone or something. It may have been Malware or some unscrupulous marketer. And I may have contributed to

this with my tiny tech abilities. I didn’t expect anyone to want to take over my small little site or redirect my readers to other locales. This time around I’ll take more safeguards and approve fewer comments that come from commercial interests.

Bottom line:  I’ve lost or misplaced dozens of blog posts on kindness and careers. And I don’t know whether I’ll be able to restore them. If you have copies of any or ideas on how to get them back, please drop me a line – Vickie@WorkingKind.com is the best address, or post something here.

Next step:  Write and post a few pieces that will be useful or inspiring, or otherwise worthwhile. You’ll see a couple of those over the next several days.

Also: Learn some things about blogging, and protecting my blog and posts. And discover the good that could come from this brush with the evil underbelly of the Internet.

I want to send a huge thank you to Steven, for helping me figure things out. GoDaddy doesn’t make it easy to take down and reinstall WordPress and everything, so I am incredibly grateful to my friend Steven for his assistance.

I also need to acknowledge those who were sympathetic and supportive while I stressed and obsessed about my blog’s problems. Mark, thanks for your patience and love. Lori, thanks for listening. Steven, thanks again for the help.