13 Ekim 2012 Cumartesi

CNN Poll: Paul Ryan Won Debate Over Biden 48% – 44%

To contact us Click HERE
Wowza:
(CNN) – A CNN poll of debate watchers released following Thursday’s matchup between Rep. Paul Ryan and Vice President Joe Biden showed 48% of respondents named Ryan the winner and 44% said Biden won.
The margin between the two candidates was within the poll’s five point sampling error. 
A poll taken immediately after last week’s first presidential debate showed a much more decisive victory for Mitt Romney. Sixty seven percent of debate watchers questioned said that the Republican nominee won the faceoff, with one in four saying that President Barack Obama was victorious.
Ace has this: 

Ryan Wins CNN's Poll of Undecided Likely Voters, 48-44%
Also Wins on Likability, Ryan 53% Biden 43%
AP Poll: Ryan 51%, Biden 43%

CNBC Poll: Paul Ryan Smokes Biden At Debate, 56% – 36%




When DEBATES ATTACK!!

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I’ve had bullshit session with less interruptions. I’ve fought with my wife with less interruptions. And if in some bar discussion your opponent did what Biden did, what, I wonder would have been the result? I have no idea what this debate will do because certainly there are 2 components
  1. Who won, and why?
  2. Did this affect any voting?
But the mocking, and clearly put on smile, and contemptuous interruptions were disgusting and to put it mildly, off putting. Biden’s behavior and demeanor detracted from the information exchange, and had me waiting for Ryan to smack Biden, and praying it would happen. On this basis, Biden lost himself the debate. Never the less Ryan missed a few absolute knockout punches. Benghazi was a no brainer, and Ryan did not press the VP’s lie back into his face. The people on the ground in Libya asked for help, we have the email, and the public testimony. Ryan should have simply looked into the camera and told the public they have just heard an untruth, then tell them why. But when Biden interrupted to tell Ryan that the stimulus was not only a success, but also that contrary to Ryan’s claim, the govt had found no crimes in the use of stimulus moneys, Ryan could have asked him if that was true, then why ONLY TODAY, did the IRS find that the ENTIRE Solyndra fiasco was in fact an IRS dodge to establish a huge tax write off. Further that if the govt has a role in giving moneys to private industry it should be in fostering pure research, not paying for factories of political supporters. Ryan also might have asked Biden where this kind of behavior was when the administration was negotiating with the Russians over missile defense? Instead, he could have remonstrated, we have the president over an unknown hot mike in a truly candid moment - namby-pambying the Russian PM, begging him for time until he has more room to give up more after the election. On the defense, Biden’s biggest score, that Ryan wrote to him for stimulus funds, was easily deflected by asking why the funds were not pushed down to local levels, where businessmen, and local efforts are known. Why was the system designed to have all moneys be requested from the VP? Perhaps THIS is why Solyndra and so many other failures and clear waste occurred. I believe this is evidence of being over prepared. The debate is an SAT, not a chem final. Never the less, Biden lost the debate by showing how much a liar needs to bluster his way across the facts. But IMHO, as I posted yesterday, Ryan should have come back as ‘I tried to be polite but I am a son of a bitch’. The nation is in trouble and we need sons of bitches, not blustering smirkers. The New Republic, an old school liberal -turned more progressive to survive weekly, like the Weekly Std, declared Biden the clear winner, and never mentions his behavior, so I think we are going to see the president attempt this behavior. Romney needs to be the firm unflappable businessman who indicates clearly he can be a son of of bitch, if his opponent is an interrupting, smirking actor whose faux efforts are an act designed to prevent truth from reaching the public.

The Million Muppet March?

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From Reuters:
Plans to save Big Bird, the fuzzy yellow character on U.S. public television's "Sesame Street," from possible extinction are taking shape in the form of a puppet-based protest next month dubbed the "Million Muppet March."

The demonstration is planned for November 3 at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., three days before the general election....
You can't make this shit up!

Our nation is in serious trouble on both the domestic and foreign fronts, and people are worried about saving PBS?  

LOW-INFORMATION VOTERS TURNING TO ROMNEY

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And, by "Low-Information Voters", we mean, people who voted for Obama last time.

From Business Insider:

Lindsay Lohan Endorses Romney, And It's Actually A Really Big Deal


The coveted Skank Vote

Lindsay Lohan came out in support of Mitt Romney yesterday.
While most would, at first glance, write this off as gossip, it's the latest instance of an evolving trend that jeopardizes President Obama's chance at winning the White House.  Lohan, by all accounts, is a typical low-information voter. And low information voters, like it or not, will decide this election.  The first person to pick out this trend was Dave Weigel at Slate after sportswriter Buzz Bissinger endorsed Romney after his positive debate performance. Bissinger, Weigel notes, was a low information voter. He ignored the election, watched the debate, took everyone's word for it on the facts, and backed Romney. As Weigel notes, it's not like either side was falling over themselves to score the lusted-after and enviable Bissinger endorsement. But Bissinger is emblematic of millions of Americans. These people don't follow politics, don't understand the issues with depth, and plan to vote based on what little information they've gleaned.  Adult film actress Jenna Jameson has backed Romney because "when you're rich, you want a Republican in office." Wrestler Hulk Hogan has backed Romney because he wants someone to "just take the lead and run."

Dearborn, Michigan Begins It's Inevitable Crackdown on Jews

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Wherever the Muslim population swells above 20%, there will be persecution of religious minorities, Jews being chief among them.

From Blazing Cat Fur:

Dearborn Fordson High School principal called the police on me for driving with 2 Israeli flags on my truck.
Update: I (that would be Blazing Cat Fur) have spoken with the reader who sent this in to me, it is legit. I expect to receive the film footage itself within a few days. It appears the police consider it "provocation" to drive with Israeli flags in Dearborn. A VP at Fordson declined comment but did provide a contact with the district school board, who I have been unable to reach...
***
"On 9-14-2012, Dearborn Fordson High School principal called the police on me for driving with 2 Israeli flags on my truck.

"The Dearborn police were one car behind me when this student threw a bottle on my windshield. The police did not stop the student, but instead stopped me for 30 minutes asking me why I would display Israeli flags on my truck." 

"The Fordson High principal filed an incident report and so did I. However, Dearborn police refuse to release either report. Incident #: 12-49143, Incident #: 12-49503."
In addition, I am a 1988 Fordson High School graduate.
Peace," 
XXXXXXX
 I have the phone no. of the reader  and will verify this incident.






The reader involved in this incident alerted  Niraj Warikoo, religion reporter for the Detroit Free Press, he dismissed the incident and accused the reader of "taunting" the students and explained that a student had merely "spilled" some pop on an Israeli flag.  






There's more over at Blazing Cat Fur.


From Edward Cline: 
Below two percent Muslims are well-behaved citizens and cause little apparent trouble for the host society.


At two percent and three percent Muslims begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs.

From five percent on Muslims exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. They push for the introduction of halal (“clean” by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims. They increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature it on their shelves—along with threats for failure to comply (United States, Switzerland, Sweden). At this point, Muslims work to get the ruling government to allow them to rule themselves under Sharia, or Islamic law. (England, Netherlands, Philippines).

When Muslims reach 10 percent of the population, they increase lawlessness as a means of complaint about their conditions (Paris—car burning). Any non-Muslim action that offends Islam will result in uprisings and threats (Amsterdam, Denmark—Mohammed cartoons, murder of Theo van Gogh).
After reaching 20 percent of a population expect hair-trigger rioting, Jihad militia formations, sporadic killings and church and synagogue burning (Indonesia, Ethiopia).

After 40 percent you find widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks and ongoing militia warfare (Bosnia, Chad).

From 60 percent you may expect unfettered persecution of non-believers and other religions, sporadic ethnic cleansing (genocide), use of Sharia Law as a weapon and jizya, the tax placed on [conquered] infidels (Sudan, Albania).
After 80 percent, expect to find state-run ethnic cleansing and genocide (Syria, Egypt, UAE).


Muslims are more than 35% of the population of Dearborn. However, this is mitigated by the fact that Muslims are less than 2% of the population of America in total.
Therefore, at this point, our Constitution rules, not Sharia.
Of course, we have seen some Sharia incursions already. Certainly we have seen proselytizing in prisons.
In Dearborn, specifically, we have seen the lawlessness. In addition to this story, we have also witnessed a group of Christians stoned by marauding savages last year in Dearborn:



We've got a real problem on our hands.

12 Ekim 2012 Cuma

Who is (or isn't) Counted as Unemployed?

To contact us Click HERE


This little 2 minute video does a good job in explaining how the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures who is Unemployed, who is not in labor market, who is marginally in the labor market and who is working part time for economic reasons.

Only people who are "Unemployed" are counted in the (10%) unemployment rate. The other 3 categories may or may not be included in the U-6 Broader measurement of unemployment (~17%). The video pokes fun that the government would rather have the public and media focus on the smaller number in order to keep optimism high.

What's the Maximum Weekly Unemployment Benefit?

To contact us Click HERE
If you're recently unemployed, you may be wondering what the maximum weekly amount of money that you may be getting from the government. Fortunately, MSN Money published a comparison of how much your UI benefits could be... Note: The amount you get depends on the state in which you worked, not the state that you may move to during your jobless time.

Maximum Weekly Unemployment Benefit By State
  1. Alabama - $255
  2. Alaska - $370
  3. Arizona - $240
  4. Arkansas - $409
  5. California - $450
  6. Colorado - $475
  7. Connecticut - $519
  8. Delaware - $330
  9. District of Columbia (Washington DC) - $359
  10. Florida - $275
  11. Georgia - $330
  12. Hawaii - $545
  13. Idaho - $362
  14. Illinois - $385
  15. Indiana - $390
  16. Iowa - $443
  17. Kansas - $423
  18. Kentucky - $415
  19. Louisiana - $284
  20. Maine - $496
  21. Maryland - $380
  22. Massachusetts - $628
  23. Michigan - $365
  24. Minnesota - $566
  25. Mississippi - $230
  26. Missouri - $320
  27. Montana - $407
  28. Nebraska - $308
  29. Nevada - $362
  30. New Hampshire - $427
  31. New Jersey $584
  32. New Mexico - $455
  33. New York - $405
  34. North Carolina - $494
  35. North Dakota - $385
  36. Ohio - $372
  37. Oklahoma - $392
  38. Oregon - $482
  39. Pennsylvania - $539
  40. Rhode Island - $528
  41. South Carolina - $326
  42. South Dakota - $285
  43. Tennessee - $275
  44. Texas - $378
  45. Utah - $444
  46. Vermont - $409
  47. Virgina - $378
  48. Washington - $541
  49. West Virginia - $424
  50. Wisconsin - $363
  51. Wyoming - $387
The amount of money received during Tier 2 and Tier 3 payouts are the same as what is received during the first phase of unemployment. The numbers above do not include the extra $25/week that Obama approved, so your checks may actually be slightly higher, as long as the stimulus plan is still in affect.

California's UI Fund To Run Huge Deficits

To contact us Click HERE
Click on Chart for a Larger Image

How bad are things in the state of California?

Well according to an Unemployment Insurance (UI) Fund forecast issued by California's Employment Development Department (EDD), the fund which is currently about $8 billion underfunded will be over $27 billion in the red by 2011!

That's almost $1,000 for every man, woman and child in the state of California---Or almost $2,000 for every worker in the state---It will likely be many many years before CA is able to dig out of this hole.

Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi's US Economist on the Unemployment Picture

To contact us Click HERE


On February 5th, Bloomberg interviewed Ellen Zentner, Senior US economist at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. to discuss the January unemployment rate and the outlook for the US Labor Market.

Ellen's views include:
  • "the labor market is definitely improving, we got a bigger downward revision to payroll data, leading up to today... No we lost 8.4 million jobs vs over 7 million... And this contraction in jobs correlates more to the decline in consumer spending."
  • In january's report the comments are suspicious because jobs aren't being created, yet the unemployment rate drops. Looking at labor force participation, you see that household employment has increased. But you also need to know how many people dropped out of the labor market all together.
  • We have record numbers of discouraged workers and many of them are permanently lost---but thousands will come back into the labor market.
  • The data is showing some job gains in some areas---but it isn't happening in all sectors of the economy. January saw the first increase in manufacturing jobs in over 3 years.
  • Forward looking indicators show that part-time and contract jobs should improve in the next few months---This isn't as good as landing higher paying full time jobs.
  • The labor market will wadddle along for a little bit, because you have create jobs for the previously displaced and the teenagers that are becoming working aged adults---this isn't going to happen for some time.

What's the employment situation?

To contact us Click HERE
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION – SEPTEMBER 2010
Nonfarm payroll employment edged down (-95,000) in September, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 9.6 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Government employment declined (-159,000), reflecting both a drop in the number of temporary jobs for Census 2010 and job losses in local government.

Household Survey Data
The number of unemployed persons, at 14.8 million, was essentially unchanged in September, and the unemployment rate held at 9.6 percent. (See table A-1.)
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for adult men (9.8 percent), adult women (8.0 percent), teenagers (26.0 percent), whites (8.7 percent), blacks (16.1 percent), and Hispanics (12.4 percent) showed little or no change in September. The jobless rate for Asians was 6.4 percent, not seasonally
adjusted. (See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)

The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over), at 6.1 million, was little changed over the month but was down by 640,000 since a series high of 6.8 million in May. In September, 1.7 percent of unemployed persons had been jobless for 27 weeks or more. (See table A-12.) In September, both the civilian labor force participation rate, at 64.7 percent, and the employmentpopulation
ratio, at 58.5 percent, were unchanged. (See table A-1.) The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary
part-time workers) rose by 612,000 over the month to 9.5 million.

Over the past 2 months, the number of such workers has increased by 943,000. These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job. (See table A-8.) About 2.5 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force in September, up from 2.2 million a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.) These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months.

They were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. (See table A-16.)

Among the marginally attached, there were 1.2 million discouraged workers in September, an increase of 503,000 from a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.) Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them. The remaining 1.3
million persons marginally attached to the labor force had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey for reasons such as school attendance or family responsibilities.

11 Ekim 2012 Perşembe

Who is (or isn't) Counted as Unemployed?

To contact us Click HERE


This little 2 minute video does a good job in explaining how the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures who is Unemployed, who is not in labor market, who is marginally in the labor market and who is working part time for economic reasons.

Only people who are "Unemployed" are counted in the (10%) unemployment rate. The other 3 categories may or may not be included in the U-6 Broader measurement of unemployment (~17%). The video pokes fun that the government would rather have the public and media focus on the smaller number in order to keep optimism high.

What's the Maximum Weekly Unemployment Benefit?

To contact us Click HERE
If you're recently unemployed, you may be wondering what the maximum weekly amount of money that you may be getting from the government. Fortunately, MSN Money published a comparison of how much your UI benefits could be... Note: The amount you get depends on the state in which you worked, not the state that you may move to during your jobless time.

Maximum Weekly Unemployment Benefit By State
  1. Alabama - $255
  2. Alaska - $370
  3. Arizona - $240
  4. Arkansas - $409
  5. California - $450
  6. Colorado - $475
  7. Connecticut - $519
  8. Delaware - $330
  9. District of Columbia (Washington DC) - $359
  10. Florida - $275
  11. Georgia - $330
  12. Hawaii - $545
  13. Idaho - $362
  14. Illinois - $385
  15. Indiana - $390
  16. Iowa - $443
  17. Kansas - $423
  18. Kentucky - $415
  19. Louisiana - $284
  20. Maine - $496
  21. Maryland - $380
  22. Massachusetts - $628
  23. Michigan - $365
  24. Minnesota - $566
  25. Mississippi - $230
  26. Missouri - $320
  27. Montana - $407
  28. Nebraska - $308
  29. Nevada - $362
  30. New Hampshire - $427
  31. New Jersey $584
  32. New Mexico - $455
  33. New York - $405
  34. North Carolina - $494
  35. North Dakota - $385
  36. Ohio - $372
  37. Oklahoma - $392
  38. Oregon - $482
  39. Pennsylvania - $539
  40. Rhode Island - $528
  41. South Carolina - $326
  42. South Dakota - $285
  43. Tennessee - $275
  44. Texas - $378
  45. Utah - $444
  46. Vermont - $409
  47. Virgina - $378
  48. Washington - $541
  49. West Virginia - $424
  50. Wisconsin - $363
  51. Wyoming - $387
The amount of money received during Tier 2 and Tier 3 payouts are the same as what is received during the first phase of unemployment. The numbers above do not include the extra $25/week that Obama approved, so your checks may actually be slightly higher, as long as the stimulus plan is still in affect.

California's UI Fund To Run Huge Deficits

To contact us Click HERE
Click on Chart for a Larger Image

How bad are things in the state of California?

Well according to an Unemployment Insurance (UI) Fund forecast issued by California's Employment Development Department (EDD), the fund which is currently about $8 billion underfunded will be over $27 billion in the red by 2011!

That's almost $1,000 for every man, woman and child in the state of California---Or almost $2,000 for every worker in the state---It will likely be many many years before CA is able to dig out of this hole.

Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi's US Economist on the Unemployment Picture

To contact us Click HERE


On February 5th, Bloomberg interviewed Ellen Zentner, Senior US economist at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. to discuss the January unemployment rate and the outlook for the US Labor Market.

Ellen's views include:
  • "the labor market is definitely improving, we got a bigger downward revision to payroll data, leading up to today... No we lost 8.4 million jobs vs over 7 million... And this contraction in jobs correlates more to the decline in consumer spending."
  • In january's report the comments are suspicious because jobs aren't being created, yet the unemployment rate drops. Looking at labor force participation, you see that household employment has increased. But you also need to know how many people dropped out of the labor market all together.
  • We have record numbers of discouraged workers and many of them are permanently lost---but thousands will come back into the labor market.
  • The data is showing some job gains in some areas---but it isn't happening in all sectors of the economy. January saw the first increase in manufacturing jobs in over 3 years.
  • Forward looking indicators show that part-time and contract jobs should improve in the next few months---This isn't as good as landing higher paying full time jobs.
  • The labor market will wadddle along for a little bit, because you have create jobs for the previously displaced and the teenagers that are becoming working aged adults---this isn't going to happen for some time.

What's the employment situation?

To contact us Click HERE
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION – SEPTEMBER 2010
Nonfarm payroll employment edged down (-95,000) in September, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 9.6 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Government employment declined (-159,000), reflecting both a drop in the number of temporary jobs for Census 2010 and job losses in local government.

Household Survey Data
The number of unemployed persons, at 14.8 million, was essentially unchanged in September, and the unemployment rate held at 9.6 percent. (See table A-1.)
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for adult men (9.8 percent), adult women (8.0 percent), teenagers (26.0 percent), whites (8.7 percent), blacks (16.1 percent), and Hispanics (12.4 percent) showed little or no change in September. The jobless rate for Asians was 6.4 percent, not seasonally
adjusted. (See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)

The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over), at 6.1 million, was little changed over the month but was down by 640,000 since a series high of 6.8 million in May. In September, 1.7 percent of unemployed persons had been jobless for 27 weeks or more. (See table A-12.) In September, both the civilian labor force participation rate, at 64.7 percent, and the employmentpopulation
ratio, at 58.5 percent, were unchanged. (See table A-1.) The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary
part-time workers) rose by 612,000 over the month to 9.5 million.

Over the past 2 months, the number of such workers has increased by 943,000. These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job. (See table A-8.) About 2.5 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force in September, up from 2.2 million a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.) These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months.

They were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. (See table A-16.)

Among the marginally attached, there were 1.2 million discouraged workers in September, an increase of 503,000 from a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.) Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them. The remaining 1.3
million persons marginally attached to the labor force had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey for reasons such as school attendance or family responsibilities.

10 Ekim 2012 Çarşamba

Who is (or isn't) Counted as Unemployed?

To contact us Click HERE


This little 2 minute video does a good job in explaining how the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures who is Unemployed, who is not in labor market, who is marginally in the labor market and who is working part time for economic reasons.

Only people who are "Unemployed" are counted in the (10%) unemployment rate. The other 3 categories may or may not be included in the U-6 Broader measurement of unemployment (~17%). The video pokes fun that the government would rather have the public and media focus on the smaller number in order to keep optimism high.

What's the Maximum Weekly Unemployment Benefit?

To contact us Click HERE
If you're recently unemployed, you may be wondering what the maximum weekly amount of money that you may be getting from the government. Fortunately, MSN Money published a comparison of how much your UI benefits could be... Note: The amount you get depends on the state in which you worked, not the state that you may move to during your jobless time.

Maximum Weekly Unemployment Benefit By State
  1. Alabama - $255
  2. Alaska - $370
  3. Arizona - $240
  4. Arkansas - $409
  5. California - $450
  6. Colorado - $475
  7. Connecticut - $519
  8. Delaware - $330
  9. District of Columbia (Washington DC) - $359
  10. Florida - $275
  11. Georgia - $330
  12. Hawaii - $545
  13. Idaho - $362
  14. Illinois - $385
  15. Indiana - $390
  16. Iowa - $443
  17. Kansas - $423
  18. Kentucky - $415
  19. Louisiana - $284
  20. Maine - $496
  21. Maryland - $380
  22. Massachusetts - $628
  23. Michigan - $365
  24. Minnesota - $566
  25. Mississippi - $230
  26. Missouri - $320
  27. Montana - $407
  28. Nebraska - $308
  29. Nevada - $362
  30. New Hampshire - $427
  31. New Jersey $584
  32. New Mexico - $455
  33. New York - $405
  34. North Carolina - $494
  35. North Dakota - $385
  36. Ohio - $372
  37. Oklahoma - $392
  38. Oregon - $482
  39. Pennsylvania - $539
  40. Rhode Island - $528
  41. South Carolina - $326
  42. South Dakota - $285
  43. Tennessee - $275
  44. Texas - $378
  45. Utah - $444
  46. Vermont - $409
  47. Virgina - $378
  48. Washington - $541
  49. West Virginia - $424
  50. Wisconsin - $363
  51. Wyoming - $387
The amount of money received during Tier 2 and Tier 3 payouts are the same as what is received during the first phase of unemployment. The numbers above do not include the extra $25/week that Obama approved, so your checks may actually be slightly higher, as long as the stimulus plan is still in affect.

California's UI Fund To Run Huge Deficits

To contact us Click HERE
Click on Chart for a Larger Image

How bad are things in the state of California?

Well according to an Unemployment Insurance (UI) Fund forecast issued by California's Employment Development Department (EDD), the fund which is currently about $8 billion underfunded will be over $27 billion in the red by 2011!

That's almost $1,000 for every man, woman and child in the state of California---Or almost $2,000 for every worker in the state---It will likely be many many years before CA is able to dig out of this hole.

Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi's US Economist on the Unemployment Picture

To contact us Click HERE


On February 5th, Bloomberg interviewed Ellen Zentner, Senior US economist at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. to discuss the January unemployment rate and the outlook for the US Labor Market.

Ellen's views include:
  • "the labor market is definitely improving, we got a bigger downward revision to payroll data, leading up to today... No we lost 8.4 million jobs vs over 7 million... And this contraction in jobs correlates more to the decline in consumer spending."
  • In january's report the comments are suspicious because jobs aren't being created, yet the unemployment rate drops. Looking at labor force participation, you see that household employment has increased. But you also need to know how many people dropped out of the labor market all together.
  • We have record numbers of discouraged workers and many of them are permanently lost---but thousands will come back into the labor market.
  • The data is showing some job gains in some areas---but it isn't happening in all sectors of the economy. January saw the first increase in manufacturing jobs in over 3 years.
  • Forward looking indicators show that part-time and contract jobs should improve in the next few months---This isn't as good as landing higher paying full time jobs.
  • The labor market will wadddle along for a little bit, because you have create jobs for the previously displaced and the teenagers that are becoming working aged adults---this isn't going to happen for some time.

What's the employment situation?

To contact us Click HERE
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION – SEPTEMBER 2010
Nonfarm payroll employment edged down (-95,000) in September, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 9.6 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Government employment declined (-159,000), reflecting both a drop in the number of temporary jobs for Census 2010 and job losses in local government.

Household Survey Data
The number of unemployed persons, at 14.8 million, was essentially unchanged in September, and the unemployment rate held at 9.6 percent. (See table A-1.)
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for adult men (9.8 percent), adult women (8.0 percent), teenagers (26.0 percent), whites (8.7 percent), blacks (16.1 percent), and Hispanics (12.4 percent) showed little or no change in September. The jobless rate for Asians was 6.4 percent, not seasonally
adjusted. (See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)

The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over), at 6.1 million, was little changed over the month but was down by 640,000 since a series high of 6.8 million in May. In September, 1.7 percent of unemployed persons had been jobless for 27 weeks or more. (See table A-12.) In September, both the civilian labor force participation rate, at 64.7 percent, and the employmentpopulation
ratio, at 58.5 percent, were unchanged. (See table A-1.) The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary
part-time workers) rose by 612,000 over the month to 9.5 million.

Over the past 2 months, the number of such workers has increased by 943,000. These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job. (See table A-8.) About 2.5 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force in September, up from 2.2 million a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.) These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months.

They were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. (See table A-16.)

Among the marginally attached, there were 1.2 million discouraged workers in September, an increase of 503,000 from a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.) Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them. The remaining 1.3
million persons marginally attached to the labor force had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey for reasons such as school attendance or family responsibilities.

9 Ekim 2012 Salı

Personal & Professional Service Robotics Market – Global Forecast & Assessment by Applications & Geography (2012 – 2017)

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During early 2010s, service robotics evolved with advanced interaction capabilities, in addition to mobility. Entertainment products for exhibitions and products were introduced in Japan to amuse residents- which followed next. Robots were able to respond to vocal commands or gestures and move independently around a living space, watering plants, letting the cat out, operating kitchen appliances, even making toast (as well as serving it), and feeding pets. As the elderly will represent the largest market segment in the years to come, the industry anticipates a huge demand for servant robots.
In the coming ten years, service robotics evolution is expected to continue with its application in Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) or self-driving cars, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or self-piloting airplanes, and autonomous wheelchairs, as well as C3PO-like anthropomorphic robots and less complex simple cleaning robots. The more sophisticated service robots applications include robot snipers, minding children, caring for the elderly, acting as tour guides, and giving people baths or doses of medicine. As with all the digital technologies, the prices of robots are expected to fall, while, at the same time, their capabilities are expected to grow rapidly.The service robotics market report forecasts and assesses the professional and personal service robotics by applications, and geography from 2012 to 2017. The report analyses the service robotics application market, both qualitatively and quantitatively, giving in-depth insights about each sub segment of all application as well. Industrial service robots can be used to carry out simple tasks, such as examining welding, as well as more complex, harsh-environment tasks, such as aiding in the dismantling of nuclear powers stations. Autonomous scientific robots perform tasks which humans would find difficult or impossible, from the deep sea to outer space. The Woods Hole Sentry can descend to 4,500 meters and allows a higher payload as it does not need a support ship or the oxygen and other facilities demanded by human piloted vessels.The service robotics market research report aims to capture the market roadmap with market sizes, revenue forecasts, value chain, competitive landscape, leading players and their key developments, strategies, and profiles. Market is split into five regions; namely Americas, Europe, Japan, APAC, and ROW for the geographic analysis of the market.The global service robotics market in 2011 was worth $18.39 billion. This market is valued at $20.73 billion in 2012 and expected to reach $46.18 billion by 2017 at an estimated CAGR of 17.4% from 2012 to 2017. The market is driven by factors like ageing population, value enhancement by robots, increasing grants and funds by governments, increasing venture capital investments in service robotics companies, enhancements in complementary technologies and integration of robotics with mobile technologies, other smart products, and appliances.The key market players in service robotics industry are Honda Motors (Japan), iRobot (U.S.), AB Electrolux (Sweden), Sony (Japan), Fujitsu (Japan), Toyota (Japan), GeckoSystems (U.S.), and Yujin Robot (South Korea).Scope of the reportThe service robotics market research report categorizes the global market on the basis of them being used in various applications, and geographical analysis; forecasting revenue, and analyzing trends in the market.The global service robotics market is segmented into:
  • This report highlights the basic structure of the service robotics market; i.e. professional and personal service robotics by applications and geography. The report covers the major applications such as defense, rescue & security; agriculture & forestry; aerospace; infrastructure; medical; underwater; others for the professional service robotics. Domestic, entertainment, security, education are covered under personal service robotics.
  • The report sizes all the sub markets by geography by giving detailed geographic split into Americas, Europe, Japan, APAC, and Rest of the World (ROW).


The Manhattan Project

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The 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Manhattan Project on August 13, 1942, is celebrated this year.  The Manhattan Project played an essential role in bringing World War II to an end through the building of the atomic bomb.  This major achievement was possible because the U.S. government conducted a massive, secret, nationwide enterprise that took science from the laboratory and into combat with an entirely new type of weapon.
Three primary sites were chosen to be the locations for this effort, with other sites playing key roles.  Many renowned scientists from both the United States and abroad combined their extensive knowledge and expertise to meet the challenges of doing great work in a very short period of time.  After the end of the war, the United States directed efforts towards peaceful uses of atomic energy.
The Manhattan Project is a predecessor of the U.S. Department of Energy.

U.S. Global Change Research Program publishes ten-year strategy

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The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is pleased to release the new National Global Change Research Plan 2012-2021: A Strategic Plan for the U. S. Global Change Research Program. The creation of this plan is mandated by the Global Change Research Act of 1990 (GCRA, P.L. 101-606); it will serve as the guiding document for USGCRP for the next decade. The Plan is built around four strategic goals: Advance Science, Inform Decisions, Conduct Sustained Assessments, and Communicate and Educate. In addition to these four goals, the Plan emphasizes the importance of national and international partnerships that leverage Federal investments and provide for the widest use of Program results. The Plan builds on the Program’s strengths in integrated observations, modeling, and information services for science that serves societal needs.altAs mandated by Congress, the USGCRP develops a new Strategic Plan every ten years that must “provide for [the] development and coordination of a comprehensive and integrated United States Research Program which will assist the Nation and the world to understand, assess, predict, and respond to human-induced and natural processes of global change.”  The Plan will be implemented through the next decade by the collective efforts of 13 U.S. government agencies that collaboratively help the Nation better understand global change and its impacts.This 2012-2021 Strategic Plan builds on past USGCRP Strategic Plans and the accomplishments of the USGCRP, and recognizes that effective response to global change requires a strong scientific foundation. The Plan continues to encompass both the fundamental research that improves understanding, as well as the research necessary to inform responses to climate and global change.Even more strongly than in the past, the 2012 -2021 Strategic Plan Goals and Objectives require coordination across the diverse capabilities and missions of its Federal agency members, as well as the inclusion of other parts of the Federal government, traditionally outside of the core of USGCRP. This need reflects the more interdisciplinary focus of this Strategic Plan and its emphasis on integration across: The various components of the Earth system, including the human component
Observations and modeling
Space and time
Scientific disciplines, including physical, biological, social and behavioral sciences
Domestic and international partnerships
The intersection of stakeholder needs with research capabilitiesClick here to view/print our 2pg NCA Fact SheetIn accordance with the GCRA, the Plan was developed by a team of over 100 Federal scientists in collaboration with the USGCRP leadership. The team drew on the advice of the National Academies and feedback from public sessions with stakeholder groups. It was revised in light of public comments, and in response to reviews by the USGCRP, CENRS member agencies, and the National Research Council. To view the Federal Register Notice on public comments regarding the Strategic Plan, click here.Going forward, this Strategic Plan will be the foundation for the USGCRP as it continues in its role of coordinating research necessary for science and decision support while developing partnerships, and providing information and tools to facilitate the relevancy and utilization of global change science.Click here to view/print a two-page fact sheet about the USGCRP Strategic Plan.

The Tallinn Manual: Manual on International Law Applicable to Cyber Warfare

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Cyber incidents of the past years as well as the continuous speculation around potential future cyber catastrophes and cyber wars have repeatedly emphasized the need for a revised interpretation of existing law, be it national security law, criminal law, or as in this case, international law. Jus ad bellum (international law governing the use of force) and jus in bello(international humanitarian law) were not developed, having regard to contemporary security threats, including advanced cyber capabilities. Therefore, it is evident that a great need exists for a professional interpretation of the conventions and treaties of the previous centuries in order to demonstrate if and how they can be applied to the modern cyber conflict.

The objective 
of this Manual is to develop authoritative reference on the international law applicable to cyber conflict. The Manual is meant to address all legal issues deriving from thejus ad bellum and the jus in bello. In addition, it examines related issues such as sovereignty, state responsibility and neutrality.NATO CCD COE is the sponsor of the Manual on International Law Applicable to Cyber Warfare, written by a group of world-class international law and law of armed conflict experts.


Manual Tallinn

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Learning from China's rise to escape the middle-income trap : a new structural economics approach to Latin America

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This paper discusses the causes of the middle-income trap in Latin America and the Caribbean, identifies the challenges and opportunities for Latin America that come from China's rise, and draws lessons from New Structural Economics and the Growth Identification and Facilitation Framework to help Latin America escape the middle-income trap. Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are caught in a middle-income trap due to their inability to structurally upgrade from low value-added to high value-added products. 
Governments in Latin America and the Caribbean should intervene in industries in which they have a comparative advantage, calibrating supporting policies in close collaboration with the private sector through public-private sector alliances. Through continuous structural upgrading in sectors intensive in factors such as natural resources, scientific knowledge, and unskilled labor, the region could achieve dynamic growth. This would require investments in education, research and development, and physical infrastructure. 
Therefore, industrial upgrading and diversification would be essential to avoid further de-industrialization arising from the competitive pressures of the rise of China, broaden the base for economic growth, and create the basis for further sustained reduction in unemployment, poverty and income inequality. Failure to do so would lead to a loss of competitiveness and risks of further de-industrialization.
Learning from China's rise to escape the middle-income trap : a new structural economics approach to Latin America

8 Ekim 2012 Pazartesi

Who is (or isn't) Counted as Unemployed?

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This little 2 minute video does a good job in explaining how the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures who is Unemployed, who is not in labor market, who is marginally in the labor market and who is working part time for economic reasons.

Only people who are "Unemployed" are counted in the (10%) unemployment rate. The other 3 categories may or may not be included in the U-6 Broader measurement of unemployment (~17%). The video pokes fun that the government would rather have the public and media focus on the smaller number in order to keep optimism high.

What's the Maximum Weekly Unemployment Benefit?

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If you're recently unemployed, you may be wondering what the maximum weekly amount of money that you may be getting from the government. Fortunately, MSN Money published a comparison of how much your UI benefits could be... Note: The amount you get depends on the state in which you worked, not the state that you may move to during your jobless time.

Maximum Weekly Unemployment Benefit By State
  1. Alabama - $255
  2. Alaska - $370
  3. Arizona - $240
  4. Arkansas - $409
  5. California - $450
  6. Colorado - $475
  7. Connecticut - $519
  8. Delaware - $330
  9. District of Columbia (Washington DC) - $359
  10. Florida - $275
  11. Georgia - $330
  12. Hawaii - $545
  13. Idaho - $362
  14. Illinois - $385
  15. Indiana - $390
  16. Iowa - $443
  17. Kansas - $423
  18. Kentucky - $415
  19. Louisiana - $284
  20. Maine - $496
  21. Maryland - $380
  22. Massachusetts - $628
  23. Michigan - $365
  24. Minnesota - $566
  25. Mississippi - $230
  26. Missouri - $320
  27. Montana - $407
  28. Nebraska - $308
  29. Nevada - $362
  30. New Hampshire - $427
  31. New Jersey $584
  32. New Mexico - $455
  33. New York - $405
  34. North Carolina - $494
  35. North Dakota - $385
  36. Ohio - $372
  37. Oklahoma - $392
  38. Oregon - $482
  39. Pennsylvania - $539
  40. Rhode Island - $528
  41. South Carolina - $326
  42. South Dakota - $285
  43. Tennessee - $275
  44. Texas - $378
  45. Utah - $444
  46. Vermont - $409
  47. Virgina - $378
  48. Washington - $541
  49. West Virginia - $424
  50. Wisconsin - $363
  51. Wyoming - $387
The amount of money received during Tier 2 and Tier 3 payouts are the same as what is received during the first phase of unemployment. The numbers above do not include the extra $25/week that Obama approved, so your checks may actually be slightly higher, as long as the stimulus plan is still in affect.

California's UI Fund To Run Huge Deficits

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Click on Chart for a Larger Image

How bad are things in the state of California?

Well according to an Unemployment Insurance (UI) Fund forecast issued by California's Employment Development Department (EDD), the fund which is currently about $8 billion underfunded will be over $27 billion in the red by 2011!

That's almost $1,000 for every man, woman and child in the state of California---Or almost $2,000 for every worker in the state---It will likely be many many years before CA is able to dig out of this hole.

Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi's US Economist on the Unemployment Picture

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On February 5th, Bloomberg interviewed Ellen Zentner, Senior US economist at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. to discuss the January unemployment rate and the outlook for the US Labor Market.

Ellen's views include:
  • "the labor market is definitely improving, we got a bigger downward revision to payroll data, leading up to today... No we lost 8.4 million jobs vs over 7 million... And this contraction in jobs correlates more to the decline in consumer spending."
  • In january's report the comments are suspicious because jobs aren't being created, yet the unemployment rate drops. Looking at labor force participation, you see that household employment has increased. But you also need to know how many people dropped out of the labor market all together.
  • We have record numbers of discouraged workers and many of them are permanently lost---but thousands will come back into the labor market.
  • The data is showing some job gains in some areas---but it isn't happening in all sectors of the economy. January saw the first increase in manufacturing jobs in over 3 years.
  • Forward looking indicators show that part-time and contract jobs should improve in the next few months---This isn't as good as landing higher paying full time jobs.
  • The labor market will wadddle along for a little bit, because you have create jobs for the previously displaced and the teenagers that are becoming working aged adults---this isn't going to happen for some time.

What's the employment situation?

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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION – SEPTEMBER 2010
Nonfarm payroll employment edged down (-95,000) in September, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 9.6 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Government employment declined (-159,000), reflecting both a drop in the number of temporary jobs for Census 2010 and job losses in local government.

Household Survey Data
The number of unemployed persons, at 14.8 million, was essentially unchanged in September, and the unemployment rate held at 9.6 percent. (See table A-1.)
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for adult men (9.8 percent), adult women (8.0 percent), teenagers (26.0 percent), whites (8.7 percent), blacks (16.1 percent), and Hispanics (12.4 percent) showed little or no change in September. The jobless rate for Asians was 6.4 percent, not seasonally
adjusted. (See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)

The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over), at 6.1 million, was little changed over the month but was down by 640,000 since a series high of 6.8 million in May. In September, 1.7 percent of unemployed persons had been jobless for 27 weeks or more. (See table A-12.) In September, both the civilian labor force participation rate, at 64.7 percent, and the employmentpopulation
ratio, at 58.5 percent, were unchanged. (See table A-1.) The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary
part-time workers) rose by 612,000 over the month to 9.5 million.

Over the past 2 months, the number of such workers has increased by 943,000. These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job. (See table A-8.) About 2.5 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force in September, up from 2.2 million a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.) These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months.

They were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. (See table A-16.)

Among the marginally attached, there were 1.2 million discouraged workers in September, an increase of 503,000 from a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.) Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them. The remaining 1.3
million persons marginally attached to the labor force had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey for reasons such as school attendance or family responsibilities.

7 Ekim 2012 Pazar

Who is (or isn't) Counted as Unemployed?

To contact us Click HERE


This little 2 minute video does a good job in explaining how the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures who is Unemployed, who is not in labor market, who is marginally in the labor market and who is working part time for economic reasons.

Only people who are "Unemployed" are counted in the (10%) unemployment rate. The other 3 categories may or may not be included in the U-6 Broader measurement of unemployment (~17%). The video pokes fun that the government would rather have the public and media focus on the smaller number in order to keep optimism high.

What's the Maximum Weekly Unemployment Benefit?

To contact us Click HERE
If you're recently unemployed, you may be wondering what the maximum weekly amount of money that you may be getting from the government. Fortunately, MSN Money published a comparison of how much your UI benefits could be... Note: The amount you get depends on the state in which you worked, not the state that you may move to during your jobless time.

Maximum Weekly Unemployment Benefit By State
  1. Alabama - $255
  2. Alaska - $370
  3. Arizona - $240
  4. Arkansas - $409
  5. California - $450
  6. Colorado - $475
  7. Connecticut - $519
  8. Delaware - $330
  9. District of Columbia (Washington DC) - $359
  10. Florida - $275
  11. Georgia - $330
  12. Hawaii - $545
  13. Idaho - $362
  14. Illinois - $385
  15. Indiana - $390
  16. Iowa - $443
  17. Kansas - $423
  18. Kentucky - $415
  19. Louisiana - $284
  20. Maine - $496
  21. Maryland - $380
  22. Massachusetts - $628
  23. Michigan - $365
  24. Minnesota - $566
  25. Mississippi - $230
  26. Missouri - $320
  27. Montana - $407
  28. Nebraska - $308
  29. Nevada - $362
  30. New Hampshire - $427
  31. New Jersey $584
  32. New Mexico - $455
  33. New York - $405
  34. North Carolina - $494
  35. North Dakota - $385
  36. Ohio - $372
  37. Oklahoma - $392
  38. Oregon - $482
  39. Pennsylvania - $539
  40. Rhode Island - $528
  41. South Carolina - $326
  42. South Dakota - $285
  43. Tennessee - $275
  44. Texas - $378
  45. Utah - $444
  46. Vermont - $409
  47. Virgina - $378
  48. Washington - $541
  49. West Virginia - $424
  50. Wisconsin - $363
  51. Wyoming - $387
The amount of money received during Tier 2 and Tier 3 payouts are the same as what is received during the first phase of unemployment. The numbers above do not include the extra $25/week that Obama approved, so your checks may actually be slightly higher, as long as the stimulus plan is still in affect.