According to usually reliable government numbers, the last time the economy shrank for an entire year was 1982. I remember that recession...the job losses were due to automation and inefficient manufacturing and work rules than anything else. Service and McJobs were plentiful unlike now.
It looks like 2008's economic contraction is the greatest since the early 30's.
An NPR article detailed a breath-taking 75,000 job cuts announced on just ONE DAY...Friday the 23rd.
Caterpillar is slashing another 20,000 jobs. Even Microsoft will cut 5000, AT&T 12,000, Home Depot 7000, etc etc etc.
All the government stimulus in the world isn't going to dampen the fear. In the 1930's there was the Works Progress Administration which put people directly to work. As much as I detest new bureaucracy, this might just make sense.
Kinda gives new meaning to loving your job, huh?
Monday, January 26, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Peace, lies, and free speech
Broward county, Florida is abuzz this week as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has placed ads on city buses.
The ads say "Islam-the way of life of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Mohammad".
Some are upset that the ads are religious in nature but Christian churches have also advertised there and Florida courts have decreed the buses are "public forums" hence free speech rights apply. Fine, but...
One tiny problem-Islam was most definitely not the religion of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Don't all monotheistic religions look upon lying as sinful? Oops.
Coral Springs FL resident and right-wing Jewish activist Joe Kaufman condemned the ads as offensive. Mr. Kaufman...bite me. You write for the webzine Front Page which has called for nuclear attacks on Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq. You're also probably tied up (says the South Florida Sun-Sentinel) with the miltant Kahanist Jewish sect which wants to physically toss Muslims out of Israel.
And you dare call your umbrella group "Americans Against Hate". What you hate is truth, common sense and live and let live.
CAIR and AAH, according to media reports hate each other (see the irony?) and each has accused the other of advocating terrorism. Way to advocate peace guys!
Both groups, despite their public statements, are steeped in racism and intolerance. Neither of them, in my opinion, would know the truth if it flew down and bit them in the ass.
Why don't you both turn the other cheek and shut the fuck up? If there is a God, I doubt he'd look favorably on either group for fostering misinformation and divisiveness on already divided mistrusting public.
CAIR's ad has no more credibility than various products hawked on TV via 800 numbers and should be looked at as such.
Let me be clear hence the PC Nazis get peeved...CAIR has a perfect right to place those ads. I and hopefully millions of others have the right to call them on the carpet for speaking with forked tongue.
The ads say "Islam-the way of life of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Mohammad".
Some are upset that the ads are religious in nature but Christian churches have also advertised there and Florida courts have decreed the buses are "public forums" hence free speech rights apply. Fine, but...
One tiny problem-Islam was most definitely not the religion of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Don't all monotheistic religions look upon lying as sinful? Oops.
Coral Springs FL resident and right-wing Jewish activist Joe Kaufman condemned the ads as offensive. Mr. Kaufman...bite me. You write for the webzine Front Page which has called for nuclear attacks on Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq. You're also probably tied up (says the South Florida Sun-Sentinel) with the miltant Kahanist Jewish sect which wants to physically toss Muslims out of Israel.
And you dare call your umbrella group "Americans Against Hate". What you hate is truth, common sense and live and let live.
CAIR and AAH, according to media reports hate each other (see the irony?) and each has accused the other of advocating terrorism. Way to advocate peace guys!
Both groups, despite their public statements, are steeped in racism and intolerance. Neither of them, in my opinion, would know the truth if it flew down and bit them in the ass.
Why don't you both turn the other cheek and shut the fuck up? If there is a God, I doubt he'd look favorably on either group for fostering misinformation and divisiveness on already divided mistrusting public.
CAIR's ad has no more credibility than various products hawked on TV via 800 numbers and should be looked at as such.
Let me be clear hence the PC Nazis get peeved...CAIR has a perfect right to place those ads. I and hopefully millions of others have the right to call them on the carpet for speaking with forked tongue.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Needle in a haystack.
Eureka!
I've managed to find what literally millions of people have been unable to get their hands on for quite awhile: a job. A real full-time job. A job with a privately owned broadcasting company that offers health insurance and has never laid anyone off.
Many of you are asking "so what? Lots of jobs with privately owned companies provide health insurance, right?" If you're one of them you're not a broadcaster. A medium sized corporate-owned Radio/TV broadcast group has just eliminated health insurance for all employees. Clear Channel (the country's largest radio group) is poised to RIF as much as 20% of its' workforce after another huge layoff last year. Even powerhouse WBZ has eliminated its live overnight host and now closes the newsroom at 8pm after two rounds of layoffs in '08.
Thankful? You can't imagine. Thrilled? Damn tootin'.
And now for something completely different: Is it just me, or does anyone else think that pluralizing things with a Z is just stupid?
Example: Oreo Stackerz.
I've managed to find what literally millions of people have been unable to get their hands on for quite awhile: a job. A real full-time job. A job with a privately owned broadcasting company that offers health insurance and has never laid anyone off.
Many of you are asking "so what? Lots of jobs with privately owned companies provide health insurance, right?" If you're one of them you're not a broadcaster. A medium sized corporate-owned Radio/TV broadcast group has just eliminated health insurance for all employees. Clear Channel (the country's largest radio group) is poised to RIF as much as 20% of its' workforce after another huge layoff last year. Even powerhouse WBZ has eliminated its live overnight host and now closes the newsroom at 8pm after two rounds of layoffs in '08.
Thankful? You can't imagine. Thrilled? Damn tootin'.
And now for something completely different: Is it just me, or does anyone else think that pluralizing things with a Z is just stupid?
Example: Oreo Stackerz.
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