In today's world, there are plenty of ways to get yourself a pink slip. Some of them legitimate, like, say, refusing to commit treason at your company's behest, while others are not so legitimate, like, say, using your dog's urine to pass a company drug test and then bragging about it to the person you forgot was your boss...because you were high.

In fact, today you don't even have to WANT to get fired to get fired. That's how bad it is. Today, I was clocking in my daily three hours of pants-less Internet trolling (no, I didn't get fired) when I came across a story that wasn't so much shocking as it was hilarious. Well, that and sad. The Star-Telegram reported that four Fidelity employees were fired this week for... yes, that's right...playing fantasy football. I was immediately reminded of the scene in Knocked Up when it's discovered that Paul Rudd is not cheating on his wife, but playing fantasy baseball -- you may know which one I'm talking about...

First of all, it's hilarious that these guys were fired for playing a fantasy game. I hope they got their money's worth before leaving. But I sympathize with their feeling screwed. If playing fantasy sports constitutes gambling, then my younger brothers should probably go to rehab.

In the spirit of empathy and holiday cheer, I will admit that I may or may not have almost been fired because I told my red-headed boss that it was only a matter of time before her pants were set on fire.

So, I'd love to hear from the brave souls out there willing to share the absurd reasons for their own unemployment -- or examples of employees getting laid off for unsettling and/or inadequate reasons.

For unemployed and freelancers alike, I think we could all use some stories that give us some relief.