How To Kill An Already Sluggish Economy ...

Well we can thank the banking industry for this one ... Led by Chase Manhattan and Bank of America, we can expect the industry which pushed for "electronic cash" to kill the monster of their own creation.

Beginning tomorrow (October 1st) it will now cost you if you use a DEBIT card ... Not a credit card.

Remember that a DEBIT card draws money straight from your acct - it's basically YOUR MONEY which you are getting without needing to stop off at a tellers window ... If you use the machine at the mall which uses several different banks cards - there is usually a fee for them to do the transactions with all those other banks ....

THIS IS DIFFERENT AND ON TOP OF THOSE FEES

BoA will be charging you $5 ... This is to make up from the revenue loss they anticipate when the Durban Transaction law takes effect.

This law is meant to protect small businesses from paying exorbinate amounts to the banks for letting people use their debit cards instead of a regular credit card.

Most people do not realize that not only do businesses which use credit cards have to pay a rental fee on that little scanning machine, but they had to pay a portion of what they sold to the card company as well ... according to my father Discover card would take/charge he most so he tried to stay away from accepting them at his business for the longest time.

Under the Durban Law, the cost that businesses have to pay banks is limited to a maximum charge of 21¢ per transaction - no longer a percentage of the total goods sold, which AVERAGED to 44¢/purchase.

In a society where quicker-is-better I think the banking industry is slitting their own throat here... they will be forcing those of middle & lower income to stop using not only their credit cards, but also their debit cards.

Many stores & restaurants have switched over to a "no checks" policy ... or banks have made sending checks back to people an extra charge if they do it at all ... or charge for each check written ... or even charge if they have to send you a paper statement in the mail (the real reason behind the postal crisis, but that's a different story)

Even worse is the fact that many
People don't have the option of getting to their money any other way ... most companies force their employees to use direct deposit because it saves the company money on their transaction fees ... it saves them the cost of have to buy the machines to print up pay checks ... it saves them from having to have separate paycheck paperwork on hand, a pay-stub can be drained and ran off on plain paper if need be where a check has to follow very strict guidelines.

Wells Fargo & Chase banks say they already are "testing" a $3/month fee but only in certain locations ... You can expect that to go across the nation now.

Also beware of BoA's online acct ... It will charge you an extra fee if you use or go through a branch bank ... Even if it's THEIR bank ... Yes, BoA will charge you for using another BoA bank.

FAST FACTS
BoA issues about 15% of the debit cards on he market (largest share)

BoA customers spend $260Billion/yr using JUST debit cards

BoA Q2:Fee income DOWN 23% in 2010 ($1.9 Billion)

ATM Fees: record highs for 7 straight years

$$$$$$
I heard one tip on the radio finance program this morning ... but it is very risky.

They suggested using your credit card to make your purchase - but then as soon as you got home from your shopping trip, before the debt even hit your credit card account -- go online and pay of what you just put on (get out that calculator).

It sort of makes sense - that way you are not incurring monthly fees for running a balance ... and most fees charged by banks for any online fee is going to cost you less than the monthly interest fees you would pay on the credit card ...

Expect the banks to soon close this loophole as well of it seems to be the practice people adopt.

The View: Palins biography

Ok - this really bugged me so I have to post about it ...

Let's first cover the statement from Barbara Walters that has gotten everyone in an up roar ... AND RIGHTLY SO ....

" ... The worst thing to me that you said was that the down-syndrome child, Trig, may not be hers ..."

Oh Barbara - couldn't you identify the child and then caveat with "the down-syndrome child" if you needed to mention it at all? surely you knew there was going to be a photo of her holding Trig, why would you even bring his condition up?

Now to "mr wonderful" ... How did this guy ever get credibility? Here's what I mean ....

Barbara asked him about his claim that Trig isn't really Sarah Palin's biological child.
His response(s):

" Barbara you've been pregnant haven't you?"

WTF? What does that have to do with anything? My pregnancies were totally different from my mothers, hers were different from her sisters' and mine were different from my friends ...
Barbara answered no but that she had several miscarriages (which Joy made a tasteless joke of Babs being in management not labor)- I did love how Whoopi looked around like "WTF? What kind of answer is that?"

"Sarah says she woke up at 4 o'clock in the morning, she was awaken by contractions and found that her water had broken - this is 4 o'clock in the morning in Dallas TX - first of all as a mother in the late stages of pregnancy over the age of 40 with a high- risk baby I don't know why she would even go to TX, that's a very risky thing to do ..."

why are Texans hard on women over 40 who are pregnant? Do they not like high-risk babies? Are women forbidden to travel in late-stage pregnancy? I dont get his response here ...

" ... But she's down there to make a speech, she awaken, her waters breaking, and she's having contractions - please - she calls her obstetrician, who's not really an obstetrician he's the family physician ..."

so what? I was birthed by our family physician! As were hundreds of people in America before it became the fashion to go to specialists in the 70s ... There is NOTHING WRONG with having a single doctor multitask, as a matter of fact I prefer a GP to specialists because they don't seem to get hooked on the latest thing down the pike - worst doctors I've dealt with were "specialists"

" ... In Alaska, and reports this and says 'i'll stay in touch with you'. Eight hours go by before she goes to lunch to make a speech, actually Rick Perry was there too, during all that time she does not go to a hospital to get checked, she completely ignores the possibility that she could be going into early labor, that she could be giving birth to this high-risk situation. After the speech, she gets on a plane, she flies to Seattle, the airline attendants on that flight said she showed no signs of being pregnant. There's a 2 hour lay-over in Seattle where she sits in the airport club there and chats with a fellow from Alaska who's on his way back to Juno ..."

here even Barbara gets bored with this string of non-answer, nonsense and tries to rush him to his point and asks point blank - who's baby is it if it isn't hers?...

" ... I have no idea, I have no idea, (joy jokingly asks if it's his) ... I plead not guilty to that one Joy, no way!"

is that "no way" because it's sarah palins baby? Or because the baby has Downs Syndrome?
What a jerk! There were much better responses ... How about, not mine I couldn't find the business end of a woman with a gps system ... How about, only kids I have are with my wife? ... Jerk

I did love that Joy pointed out that even after the water breaks that you have many hours to go before birth! It pains me - but props to Joy!

" ... All that m saying is that the story she tells gives rise to questions that are still out there that haven't been answered. And the main-stream media has ignored this story - Andrew Sullivan has been about the only responsible journalist to express any interest in this for the past 18 months. If this story were not true it would be the most outrageous hoax ever played on the American people"

the story I think he is referring to is the story of Trig's birth, not the sack of crap he is trying to sell.
But it gets better - after all this venom ... And after printing the story IN HIS BOOK ... He says

" ...i'm not saying that, there are thousands of people out there who believe that's not her baby, I'm not one of them"

Really? If you don't believe it - then why did you make it such a big part of your book @$$hole! I wish I could post a clip as he is telling this story, he looked like some high school girl with a juicy bit of gossip.

This guy is little better than the paparazzi! He is a tabloid journalist and he belongs writing for the "Star", the "Globe", or the "National Enquirer" ... He does NOT belong on a national tv show getting a free plug for his garbage.

Everyone in the audience got a copy of his book - let's hope they have a giant book-burning ceremony. Not to support Palin but to protest the publication of such gossip-mongering as news.

Another disappointing moment for Barbara ... When Joy asked him what he thinks the motivation for pretending to have the child would have been ... Barbara jumped in with "to look good politically" ... Made you wonder if she doesn't believe the story.

Todd Palin's response about the book (read by Barbara and given by Todd in the past, not for this particular interview)

" this is a man who relentlessly stalked my family to the point of moving in right next-door to us, to harass us and spy, his book is full of disgusting lies, inuedos and smears."

I know barbara was rushed for time and all at the end of the segment - but she read thru it so fast that it hardly gave justice to the words

I will say it ...

DON'T BUY THIS BOOK!!!

He is only trying to profit on the politics and gossip of the day.
Someday Trig is going to find this book and read it ... The poor kid ... I hope he sees it for the pack of filth that it is.

Even if Trig were adopted - it's no ones business!

Warren Buffet Bill

Ok - a few things about this bill that people may not know ...

A)It taxes people twice on the same income ... thats as stupid as paying income tax on the refund you got. (oh don't get me started on that one)

B)The reason Warren Buffet doesn't pay as much as his secetary is because
(a)he uses an accountant to find every tax loophole there is for him
(b)he is not paid a salary - he gets a share of profits.(if he drew a straight salary he would pay more taxes out of the chute)

C)He still has not paid taxes to the IRS that he has owed since 2002!!!

So when people sit back and point the finger and using him as an example - lets take a REAL look at it all.

You know .... nothing prevents him from NOT cashing that refund check that he gets.  The money would then circulate into the "general fund" to be redoled out.

He can NOT simply write out a check like everyone says ... that would smack as a bribe.

He could simply pay himself a salary, fill out a 1040EZ by himself, not take any itemized deductions, and then actually PAY the IRS what they are owed IF his concious was really bothering him.

I'm wondering how long before we find him running for either office or getting a cabinet seat.

this whole thing smells of yesterday's diapers.

baby herman, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"

Solemn Ceremony —or— Political Show?

NOTE: this was meant to post on 9SEP2011 ... due to an error it was posted late ... very late

I had not meant to post today - but I have to make a public complaint on several things about today's ceremony of the laying of the wreath at the pentagon ...


1)People were giving "cat calls" when the President walked to the place where he was to "lay" the wreath .... FMON PEOPLE! This is a solemn ceremony not a rock concert


2)the President did NOT carry the wreath, it was given to him by a marine and he never really had a hold of it since e marine never let go of it - the marine had it by one hand so I can't see it having been that heavy, but then marines are pretty strong guys and the President is just a skinny toothpick next to them,


3) the President didn't put the wreath on the frame, the marine guided from behind ... Cmon, he couldn't do that much?


4)the camera man was swinging the camera all over the place, so it was an obvious mobile unit - he should have been staying on the president and the news stations should have had a second camera there to catch any fly-overs (which there wasn't one by the looks of it)

Ok - I guess its fairly normal for the President to just 'ceremonially' carry the wreath ... but I think the part that really burned my britches was when the camera man swung back to look at the President and he -- WAS SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS!!!

Ah C'MON!

He couldn't politely tell these people that this wasn't the occasion for that sort of thing -- or even better, just not do it?

I don't get it myself ...

I know that those running for President really need to have that 'self-center' gene in their system that runs full-tilt fast foward ... but I think this is taking it way too far!

It felt less like a solemn ceremony for those who lost their lives and more like the red carpet/velvet rope at the Oscars.

In Their Own Words

Nothing quite gets a politician in trouble quite like their own mouth ...

Social Security is not a Ponzi scheme, um, social security has worked for 75 years pretty darn well. You guys have not taken advantage of social security, you contributed to it, it a savings plan, a pension plan - there are no bad guys in social security. So I don't call it a Ponzi scheme. Is it financially in trouble down the road? Absolutely. And are we gonna need to change the structure some how to make it work for the next generations? Yeah.

these words were spoken by Sen. Romney to a group of seniors ...

It is NOT a "savings program" nor is it a "pension plan" as he said ...

It was never set up that way ...

It is a "redistribution of wealth" program basically ... The money that comes out of people's paychecks goes to (a)run the program and (b)senior collecting now (and sometimes their caregivers) and (c)those determined to be handicapped enough not to be able to work

What we need to do is cut down on the fraudulent claims through class (c) there ...

It may not 'save' SocSec but it will help a bit

Numerology Class

Ok new poll numbers out ... It ain't getting any better

President Obama Aprroval Ratings
(Virginia)

54% Disapprove
40% Approve
Quinnipiac University Poll
1368 registered Voters
MOE +/- 2.7%

2008 Presidential Election
Virginia results

53% (1,958,370) Barack Obama
46% (1,726,053) John McCain
(first Dem to win since Lyndon Johnson)

Numerology Class

More stats from this week ...

Jobless claims
UP
428,000
(increase of 11,000 more than Jul)
(highest in 3 months)
(only partially explains by hurricane Irene)

Total Public Debt
UP
$14.7 Trillion

job Gains/Losses
STEADY
0

New Home Sales
DOWN
0.7%

GDP
UP
1%

Mortars Rates
DOWN
4.12% 30-yr fixed

Foreclosures
DOWN
2%

US Gov Budget
UP
$-132 Billion
(spending more than taking in for week)

Gas Prices
DOWN
$3.83/Gal

Inflation
UP
0.4% for Aug

Hourly Wages
DOWN
$0.03

Heating Oil
UP
$2.945/gal

Oil Prices
DOWN
$88.91/barrel

Existing Home Sales
DOWN
3.5%

New York Stock Exchange
DJI
11,246.73

•••••
$38 Billiob program to help the "Green" industry make jobs
3545 jobs "created"
After 2 hrs (only $19 billion spent so far)
Was SUPPOSED to make 60,000 permanent jobs
That's $640,000 per job

Current nemployment rate is at 9.1% but according to the CBO (congressional budget office) it needs to be at 6% in order for the economy to be considered "healthy"

beep Beep

CA is trying to pass a law which gives greater legal PROTECTIONS to those driving WITHOUT a drivers liscence INCLUDING ILlegal immigrants

In some counties in CA police set up drunk driving checkpoints (which is pretty unconstitutional because it assumes thT you are guilty and need o be checked) as it stands now if they find someone who is sober but unliscenced they are now allowed to seize their car.

The bill would put a stop to that ... And allow the unliscenced driver to continue on the road ...

Oh and unliscenced drivers will NOT have insurance in most cases because they need a liscence in order to qualify.

UNDER THE BILL (CA Bill AB 353)

Police must locate legal owner or authorized Los en Ed driver to get car at check point

if the police make a reasonable effort and fail to find a driver, THEN they impound the car

unliscenced driver would only be cited/ticketed but not arrested

Impoundments at CA checkpoints generated $40million for towing fees & fens

Only 13% of inpounded (from the checkpoints) cars were connected to charges of DUI

Between 2007 - 2009, number of cars seized went up 53% at the checkpoints

ILlegals are PROBITED from having a liscence in CA

Unliscenced drivers are 5 times more likely to be in an accident
Unliscenced drivers are 4 times more likely to be in a DUI accident

Numerology class

Waiting more remarks from president - I'm late, was dealing with device guy- and why he's sending the bill (insert chuckle here) to congress now

But some facts they've been throwing on tv while waiting:

14 million unemployed

2.43 million jobs lost since Obama took office

7.2 million people on unemployment

1 in 3 unemployed have been so for more than 1 year!

40 weeks is average unemployment time

Unemployment has been above 9% for 26 months

51.8% of population working, lowest since 1983

Bret Hume, fox commentary/reporter guy had this to say

"you have to understand that it is not in the DNA of the President and his party to reduce spending or reduce the deficit by any other way than by raising taxes on those they don't consider their own, real constituency - this is just not what they believe in, partly it's political but partly it's a real policy difference, it's a matter of political conviction. And as far as they are concerned the spending that the government does is good and the need to reduce it is unfortunate, and something they'd rather not have to do."

(LOTS of empty seats waiting for President to speak)

Numerology Class

31.5 MILLION Americans expected to drive this Labor Day weekend

Avg gas=$3.63
that's up 35%in one year (almost a dollar)

Airfare up9% from 1 yr ago

Hotel rooms up 7% from last yr

Gas $3.99reg in CHicago, $4.13spec, $4.25super, $3.95deisel

ABC news explained about "rockets and feathers" and how it effects gas at the pump:
Rockets=when oil & gas prices soar up together
Feathers=when oil comes down but gas prices lower at much slower rate

Price reductions in oil can take up to 1month to hit the pumps

States where prices fall the quickest

ND

SD

NE

KS

OK

TX

MN

IA

MI

AR

LA

WI

IL

MI

IN

OH

KT

TN

MS

AL

Everyone else lowers much slower

On Sept 16th winter-blends can be sold which ABC reports is cheaper ... It's not

Health care ... Coming soon

Just to give you a heads up as to what you can expect. If Obama-Care ever goes through...
%%%%%
84% of running program
UK Govt spending
-----
48% of running health care
US Govt costs
%%%%%
10% UK GDP
17% US GDP
Healthcare expenditures
%%%%%
2.7 UK
2.4 US
Physicians per 1,000 people
%%%%%
UK whas provided:
Free primary care (@ point of use)
Preventative
Mental
Hospital care
%%%%%
8.5 weeks UK
Avg wait-time for general SURGERY
(although in the UK this may mean a doctors appt and not getting an operation - their terminology doesn't always translate well)
@@@@@

So why is this information coming out? Because they are talking about a pre-"Logans Run" situation over there.

While facing an increasingly elderly population, they are proposing to SHUT DOWN HOSPITALS which serve mostly the elderly.

They also purpose that NURSES take over patient care and not doctors ... Not nurse practioners (who should be allowed to treache)

They also purpose making more of the elderly Receive caring at home by family members instead of at care-facilities With trained personnale!

The main call for these cut backs are from the dr who was in charge of their system when the hospital boom took place ... Now the government is finding that they simply can NOT support the system they think was so good.

If you want a good idea of what the health care system is like over there - watch a few of the British sitcoms & dramas ... They may not be totally accurate but they are a big glimpse ....

High mortality rates for diseases we have lowered greatly (like breast cancer & diabetes - while we haven't cured them, your chances are better that you will live a long and happy life afterwards)

Less likely to have a private room unless you have private insurance anyways ... Awe aren't talking just one or two room mates here, while we aren't tLking about 20 to a room like pre-70s they still have 4-6 people in a room and they don't group them according to ailment either ... So you could be in for a broken leg and you neighbor could be in for typhoid ... Okay maybe not typhoid (they'd have to isolate for that) but you get the idea

But the thing that gets me is 8 1/2 WEEKS to see a doctor! This doesn't make sense ... They have more doctors for their population but they take longer? It has to be all the damned paperwork - that's the only thing I can think of.

An operation can be turned down if the GOVERNMENT paper-pusher thinks your chances of survival aren't worth the cost. Like a prostate operation if you are over 50 years of age.

I expect to see the UK go back to a private heLth system within the next 20 years

Police State Over Stepping ... Yet AGAIN!

South Carolina ... I remember as a freshman in high school going on a trip to visit my aunt & uncle who lived in NC ... During this visit we took a trip to SC to go to the beach (sorry don't remember which one) ... But along the way my aunt pointed out to us the tobacco farmers and it struck me as to how much the economy down there DEPENDED on the tobacco industry.

Not just the farmers but the people who handled the warehouses, the drivers who took the crops to market, etc.

So it is shocking to me to hear that SC is now going to make it illegal for you to smoke in your own car if you have children.

Yeah

The way I've heard the law stated (from an interview by the congress man who helped draft the stupid thing) is that it will be illegal to snake in your "enclosed car" if you have children with you under the age of 6 years old.

I am not completely without sympathises here - I do think that if you have SOMEONE ELSE'S children in your car then you shouldn't be smoking ... You don't get to dcide the health issues of another persons child ...

My issues are

A)it allows the police to enforce/apply a TRAFFIC LAW which has absolutely nothing to do with traffic issues

B)the law equates smoking with TXTING while driving ... No it's equivalent to eating while driving, it is the same motion as getting a piece of fruit or a fry to your lips, it is the same motion as drinking from a cup of soda or coffee while driving.

C)it interferes with that pesky "Right to Privacy" thing they've got going on

D)(as my daughter who is going into Law Enforcement said) The police have more important things to do than pull someone's ass over for smoking in their car!

look - people smoked for GENERATIONS around children ... Even in enclosed vehicles ... And they didn't have the issues they are equating to this.

I think it's time the government stop the BULLYING of smokers now

Police State Over-Steppng ... again

I just received an email from babies-R-Us, which is supposed to be doing some big trade-in program ... in the email it stated two new guidelines they are going to enforce regarding car seats --- totally asinine if you ask me ....

1. Children should remain in rear-facing car seats until the age of 2 years old!!!!

2. Children should remain in Booster car seats until they are 12 years old

While I understand that the American academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has children's safety in mind (as well as all that study money they get from the car-seat manufacturers) in mind ... Have you ever tried to get a toddler to want to sit backwards in the car? Can you imagine the number of kids who are going to suffer from motion-sickness as they try to look out the side windows while the car is going? I'm sorry but as a mother and having a degree in Child Psychology from one of the leading colleges in the field ... I have to say ... BULLOCKS!

Now about those boosters - when my kids turned four (before the law changed) they couldn't WAIT to get out of those damned things ... My youngest missed the new "boosters until 8yrs" by one month, you try to tell an 8 yr old that they have to sit in a booster like some baby after having nearly 4 hrs of freedom! Now you are going to have to plug them in until they are 12? BULLOCKS!!!

What will happen when these kids start school? Will the school districts require parents to send Booster seats with their kids in order to ride the school bus? Oh wait that can't happen because they somehow have convinced the government that it is safer NOT to belt kids in on the buses ... when I talked to the transportation dept at our old school district, and probably got the most honest answer I've ever heard:

they won't do it because the belts could be used as a weapon against the driver but more probably against another student, and since the district cut funding for bus aides to watch the kids they felt that the driver could not control an over-crowded bus of children

I'm surprised that they haven't recommended that anyone with a child under the age of 15 ness to drive a vehicle with third-row seating so that children will be better protected from front impacts.

Actually I'm really shocked that the Feds aren't dictating that no vehicles that hold more than 4 passengers can be sold because they have too big of a carbon-footprint (gag gag gag wretch) ... This will force people to have fewer children because they wont have room for them in their cars ... Else it will force people to use public transportation - which already have sky-rocketing pricing to cover operating costs because NOBODY WANTS TO RIDE IT as it is now ... then they can dictate that cars be made thinner so that people won't be able to fit in them unless they are as skinny as one of those 14 year old models who have been starving themselves since age 5 and don't even register in a size of the ladies department ...

Sorry ... Government over stepping their boundaries just gets my dander up!

Here's an idea ... LOWER THE SPEED LIMITS ... As speed limits go up, the number of & degree of injuries have increased ... limits were increased as people became overly confident of their cars equipment - air bags & anti-lock brakes led to speed limits on roads of 70 mph and above! Car seat or not, of you get in an accident at that speed someone is going to get hurt ... and the majority of hospital visits after an accident are going to be children who can not adequately describe any injuries they might have.

Economic Education

It's time for some more job/economic numbers

August Job Growth (private sector)
91,000
¥¥¥¥¥
July Job Growth
117,000
(includes public jobs as well as private sector)
¥¥¥¥¥¥
this number does not reflect public sector lay-off/furlough/firings ....
(estimated 10,000 of these throughout the nation)
Nor do I suspect does it reflect losses of part-time workers which generally do not get counted until they look at the "under-employed"
€€€€€
number of lay-offs
UP
47%
in August
(if only this would mean that there were so few the months before that just a few jobs meant a big percentage jump - but unfortunately it means that there were HUGE numbers of people out of work)
%%%%%
July unemployment rate
9.1%
over all
#####
Unemployment Rates YTD
JAN 9.0%
FEB 8.9%
MAR 8.8%
APR 9.0%
MAY 9.1%
JUN 9.2%
JUL 9.1%
@@@@@
So let me ask ...

How's that CHANGE going?

Numerology Class

This weeks New Jobless rates are out .... They ain't pretty!
@@@@@@
UP
417,000
NEW Jobless claims
(yes this includes those who went back to work for the 3 or 6 months that it took to requalify)
@@@@@
12,000 higher than hoped for
@@@@@
Above 400,000
154 out of 162 weeks
@@@@@
7.3 million Americans are collecting unemployment now
(the stat is very "American" specific, so I'm thinking there may be non-citizens collecting unemployment as well .... That would interesting to see)
@@@@@
The CBO expects unemployment to stay at over 8% for another 3 years ... Or about midway thru the next term ...
Under-Bush the unemployment rate was around 5%
@@@@@
13.9 million
Unemployed in July 2011
@@@@@
6.2 million
Unemployed for 6 months or more
UP
130%
from Jan 2009
@@@@@
They expect this number to rise considerably if hurricane Irene makes landfall
@@@@@
Labor Department says that the newest rise was because of claims made by striking Verizon workers
@@@@@
Continuing benefits
DOWN 80,000
3.64 million
For week ending aug 13
@@@@@
Economists saying economy stopped in mid-July (no growth/no fall)
{###}{###}{###}{###}{###}
I'm wondering how these new rates/numbers are split across the nation ... I mean is NY and CA skewing these numbers? Does there seem to be one or two particular events that caused it to rise so drastically (as hurricane Katrina did)?

Or is it the horrid economy of CA that seems to be effecting it ... Well ok, not all of CAbut certainly L.A. County which seems to skew the CA numbers - I know they take most of the benefit/entitlement money for the state even though they are one of the lowest earning regions of the state (and not just because so many people are getting federal monies)

The head of the Labor dept. says the worst is still ahead ... So at what point are they going to stop blaming Bush for this? A what point are they going to look at this situation and wonder how anything can get fixed if the president refuses to stay in DC to fix it?

I know that Obama is saying he would like to see some sort of national jobs program ... does this man have any original ideas? I can see this going one of two ways:
1. A CCC or WMP program where the government pays an inordinate number of people to do "make work" ... Hopefully necessary work ... Work that won't give priority to union workers - as so many government jobs do these days.
2. Assigned workers ... Where like the soviet union of old, they will tell people where the jobs are, how many are needed, and where they belong. That lack of freedom of choice,

I can also see a trend where if you are a stay-at-home mom ... A single income family .... You will be SCREWED over when it comes to benefits and old-age ... As the Tea-Party candidates go to the other extreme and pull everything away.

Oops ... I have strayed off point again haven't I?

I think that's the clue to stop now

What's Old is New Again

Does anyone else remember when during the campaign Bush called for a meeting on how to save the economy and Senator/ Candidate McCain went and Senator/Candidate Obama refused to give up his campaigning?

Oh look --- he's doing it AGAIN only this time he's PRESIDENT!

Nice way to "lean across the aisle" there, dude, isn't that what you accused the Republicans of not doing?

So what am I talking about?

It's the Economy, stupid ... Sorry couldn't resist the quote, just wish I could remember who said it.

The Republican leaders of the House and Senate each have invited President Obama to meetings to go over the budget and what they are really firm on and what they are more flexible on ... Basically they are asking the President to step in as a type of mediator between the two parties so that something can be done before there are serious irreparable damage to the economy and the US heads for another depression.

Obama has said NO ... Twice

Of course while he's out doing his campaigning he is saying that it is the Republicans fault that things aren't being fixed or even worked on because they won't "cross party lines" or "shake hands across the aisle" as he said during his campaign ...

But the truth is ... HE IS THE ONE NOT DOING IT!!!

no wonder his approval rating is the lowest it's been since the killing of Bin Laden ...

My Guess Is The Answer Is NO

I was away on vacation so I'm a bit late remarking on this ...

Let's face it the question everyone will remember from the Rep. wiener resignation speech will be:

ARE YOU LONGER THAN 7 INCHES?

It won't be the remarks of:

Bye-bye pervert
Sen wiener you ate full of crap
Will you maintain your hot physique?

Not even the blazing absence of his wife ... Who had came back from an overseas trip the day before ...

By resigning he will not have to go through an ethics investigation ... But really they should still do it since the question still remains as to whether he misused phones, facilities, or monies to pay for his strange activity ... Misappropriation chargeable things.

Some of the speculation I heard was that since he resigned the democrats will let it slide - like they did when Wm. Clinton was impeached for perjury but they let him stay in office - they will let him slide into the background for a few years, let the issue die down, and then roll him back out as a possible candidate for NY mayor ... Not this election but probably the next one ...

After all, they had even talked about running Billy-boy for Hilary's old seat when she got moved into the White House ...

Home of the Brave

Because you know it ain't free anymore ... But they find that some states are "free-er" than others (based on taxes and gov involvement in everyday life):

LEAST FREE STATES
New York
New jersey
California
Hawaii
Massachusettes

MOST FREE STATES
New Hampshire (tied)
South Dakota (tied)
(only two mentioned but will hunt up some more)

New Digs for the Prez

The President (not just Obama, but the office of President) just got a new plane that is supposed to keep him safe in case of terrorist attack or meteor shower or massive solar flare ... Serious.

It's 231 ft long .... 63ft high ( wonder if that's with or without heels) ... 195 ft wingspan (she's a hippy chick)... Can go 602mph ... And has to have a crew of 112 people .... It can fly for days without needing to refuel ... And it only takes minutes to get launched (bigger rubber band, I guess) ...

To modify this 747 cost ... $223 MILLION ...

Ok - so why can't they do this to every plane? Then there wouldn't be any plane fatalities ... You could move more people ... And it's obvious that you'd have to hire more ground crews too and get America back to work!

Oh wait ....

They're all union jobs ... Damn.

Numerology Class

New unemployment numbers for the month of May are out .... its not good at all.

(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)

May Unemployment Rate

UP

9.1%

(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)

May Jobs Report

UP

54,000

Jobs Added to the market place

(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)

they were expecting 150,000 new jobs so that's really kind of pathetic, especially considering that we are entering the summer months.

(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)

in April there were 244,000 new jobs created
Unemployment rate was 9.0%

I just hope that people are remembering what was PROMISED when Obama ran ... and that for the FIRST TWO YEARS of his administration the dems had control of all branches.  So there really isn't any excuse for this ...

I'm betting that during the 2012 election season that they (the democrats) are going to figure out a way to blame this all on the Republicans or 'big business'.

although .... i have to say ... the more I learn about the way big business works their 'profit' numbers to cheat the majority of their share holders the lower my opinion gets (check out UnderCover Boss if you can, it will open your eyes from the BOSSES point of views).

STILL -

You know that if this had been John McCain's administration - he would have been totally roasted in the news ... it wouldn't be called a 'recession' it would have been a 'depression' right away ... it would have been his fault.

All you hear of it on Obama is 'there may be signs of a double dip recession' and that it is still part of the fall out from Bush ...

its so crappy.