The etiquette of losing your job

The TV folks asked me to do another segment, this one on how to deal with people when they've been laid off. With fire tongs and a welding helmet, I was tempted to say.
But really, being laid off is different for everyone. Though I'm not buying billboard space to announce it, it doesn't bother me to say that I'm not working right now. Thousands, nay millions, are in the same boat right now, including a couple of the people who told me about six weeks ago that I was laid off. I hope their new year's resolution was to embrace irony.
If I had to make a list of tips for people who know people who've been laid off, it might be something like this:
1) Let them talk. If they don't want to talk about it, don't pester. If they mutter about bomb-making materials being tough to buy outside of the Internet, pester local authorities.
2) Don't barrage with cliches. "One door closes, another opens" is only applicable if they actually have some prospects and just aren't in the middle of a figurative Three Stooges routine.
3) While career changes might be in the offing, consider the person's background. A plumber who's just become unemployed is probably not interested in high finance, and might not appreciate a lecture on the joys of an MBA program.
4) Don't cut off contact. Though no studies have been done, unemployment checks do not transmit leprosy.
5) Don't whistle through the graveyard. Your friend or family member was laid off. They really don't need to hear you say, "Wow, I'm glad my job is safe." This is practically inviting a lightning bolt from human resources.
Mostly, though, I think people who are laid off just have a lot going on mentally. Obviously, they're worried about money, and they're worried about finding a new job. So saying things that will feed into their worry ("Do you think you'll have to sell the boat? How much might you sell it for?") might not be too helpful.
Instead, take your cues from them. If they want to vent, let them vent. If they want to curl up in a fetal position on the couch for awhile, make sure they have pillows.
And if they want to do karaoke to take their mind off it, that's okay too. Just be sure you're not going to an American Idol audition.