So, one of the things one must do in Oregon to qualify for unemployment benefits of any kind is to sign up for the “iMatchSkills” system.

Pardon me a moment while I stick another pin in the “please make the ubiquitous ‘i’ prefix go the hell away” voodoo doll. (Yes, I know that I own an iRiver music player. I don’t like the name, but I do like the device. So there.)

Anyway, the iMatchSkills thing. It’s tedious, but if it’s a necessary evil, then so be it.

I experienced two moderately bewildering problems. The first involved the disconnect between the instructions I was mailed and what I was supposed to do. The letter says “choose a username, password, hint question, and hint question answer.” But no, I found out when I called (and navigated a typically labrynthine prompt system), I already had a username to login as. Er, what? And this information was communicated to me when, exactly? It’s sure as hell not anywhere in that letter on my desk. The kind, helpful lady on the phone told me what my actual username is, and how to get into the system so I could set my own password.

The other problem is more… interesting. You see, my information was pre-populated in their system from (I presume) data made available by looking up my Social Security number in some government system. The odd thing is, they have you fill out a couple of fields anyway, just (I presume) to ensure that you are who you say you are. But when I went to click the “submit” button on the page with my basic info, it popped up an error message to the effect that something I’d entered was just plain wrong.

Let’s see. Name, check. (Or Czech even, har de har har.) Social Security #, check. Address, check. Date of birth, check. Click again, same error. On a whim I tried adjusting the date of my birth back one day… and tada!

Er, what?

One of two things must be the case, here. Either the Social Security database lists my birthdate incorrectly, or at some point in the previous application process (the initial filing for benefits) I, myself entered my birthdate incorrectly. The latter seems damned unlikely, mind you, but I won’t rule it out entirely.

And that’s my Monday so far. I envy those of you who woke up this morning and just, for instance, went to work for the day. Le sigh.