Defense: Lift seal on Blagojevich evidence
By Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard
Posted: 02/20/2011 01:30:18 AM PST
When I graduated from high school in 1968, I knew I had several options. One, I could easily find an unskilled production job that offered a living wage, go to college, or go into the military and risk a tour of duty in Vietnam.
The options for students today are narrower. When they graduate, the prospects of finding unskilled production work at a living wage is bleak at best. As for going to college, it usually means getting student loans and facing years of paying them back. To make matters worse, when students do graduate from college these days, there's no guarantee jobs will be offered to them.
They have to compete in the toughest job market in decades. Almost 2 million college graduates are unemployed. A recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers predicts companies will hire 22 percent fewer graduating seniors than last year. Joining the military is still an option, but it may mean multiple tours in Afghanistan. The same goes for the National Guard, who at least weren't sent to Vietnam back in the day.
Let's set aside the challenge of jobs for college graduates and those who choose the military, and take a closer look at what high school graduates face in today's job market.
The manufacturing sector has made productivity gains, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. That should be good news, right? Not so fast. Good news for whom? More manufacturing jobs for humans disappear every year. When we hear about levels of output per hour worked rising by 2.6 percent in the last three months of 2010, it sounds positive.
Upon closer examination, these gains in productivity are thanks to robots. Once upon a time, a human laborer turned out so many widgets an hour, and everyone made a profit. A worker could count on working the same job until retirement because American manufacturing led the entire world.
That's changed. There are fewer human workers and more robots. Humans are trained to watch over the robots and to repair them, but that is skilled work and requires training.
The experts talk about productivity rising in America and how specialization is the key to manufacturing success, but that has translated into a jobless future for unskilled production workers. In an interview last month, Tom Runiewicz, an economist at IHS Global Insight who keeps track of the manufacturing sector, warned that the unskilled production worker will soon be obsolete.
The sad truth is most economists expect the jobless rate to remain stubbornly high for a long time to come -- especially among lower-skilled workers. The prospects aren't pretty. Although the unemployment rate has improved in the past couple of months, it remains at 9 percent, well above historic norms, with 14 million Americans looking for work.
Those figures don't tell the whole story. In addition, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says more than 8 million people who are working part-time would rather work full-time.
Another 1 million people are classified as “discouraged workers,” which means they would like to work but don't think there's a job out there for them.
And there you have it folks. Capitalism marches on. So what will happen to those people? They are more than just unfortunate statistics. Those men and women whose lives were devalued when their skills were automated? Family dreams shattered? Where do they fit into this 21st Century reality? It's sad to think I once took it for granted that there would always be jobs for someone willing to work. To see the harsh reality of no work facing millions of hard-working Americans concerns me.
The mainstream media tells us things are looking up on Wall Street and Americans are becoming more productive. Yet I look around at the swelling ranks of the unemployed, the long lines at community Food Banks, and I wonder how long this can go on?
As It Stands, I think when people knew there was a job for them if they were willing to work hard was the real American Dream.
I’m glad to see that less was spent in last year’s political campaigning locally, than in 2008. I think it’s great there’s a $500 cap now (as of Jan.1). It’s a good thing to keep local campaigning on a level playing field where democracy has a chance against big money.
From the Times Standard this morning…
“The November election showed that big donations don't always guarantee a win in Eureka. Bill and Elizabeth Pierson filed a major donor expenditure statement, indicating they donated $44,000 to five candidates in 2010. Three of those were to Eureka candidates -- Larry Glass, Ron Kuhnel and LaVallee -- all of whom were not elected.” Story here.
Used to be, kids were made to take a timeout when they acted up, or maybe even a spanking. But now, parents have other options, like selling their treasured toys on eBay as punishment.
One mom, fed up with her boys' fancy spinning tops and how they wrecked her bathtub, decided to gather the offending tops — the popular Japanese manga Beyblade toy — and put them on eBay. She even posted a picture of her sons, one clearly in tears, while the younger one has a mug shot look, resigned to his fate, as he holds up the zip lock bag of Beyblades to present to the buying public. (See image above.) STORY HERE
Something to consider: Beyblades are supposed to be played with in a little arena provided for that purpose. The instructions clearly state this. Where was Mom when they were making a racket (they had to be) in the bathroom? How long did it take for the damage to show up? I suspect Mom should have watched her sons a little closer…
I’m not sure what kind of message a statue of RoboCop sends, but the idea of a police state (however fictional)top cop standing next to Boxer Joe Lewis seems…well weird!
From sci-fi cult film, to Twitter phenomenon to Detroit landmark-in-the-making.
Plans for a statue honoring RoboCop, the half-man, half-machine crimefighter of the 1987 movie, are moving ahead after a group of artists and entrepreneurs in Detroit, Michigan raised more than $50,000 via Facebook and an online fund-raising site.
The RoboCop statue could go somewhere downtown if the city approves, perhaps near the landmark fist statue honoring legendary boxer Joe Louis. Story here
A small town in the Australian Outback has decided to change its name in an attempt to persuade drivers to slow down. Story here. I can think of some Midwestern states where there are no speed limit laws, like Montana, that would benefit from naming a town or two SpeedKills.
$100. We'll start with a hundred dollar bill. Currently the largest U.S. denomina
tion in general circulation. Most everyone has seen them, slightly fewer have owned them. Guaranteed to make friends wherever they go
$10,000. A packet of one hundred hundred dollar bills is less than 1/2" thick and contains ten thousand dollars (Below). Fits in your pocket easily and is more than enough for a week or two of shamefully decadent fun.
$1,000,000. Believe it or not, this nex
t little pile is a million dollars (100 packets of $10,000 - right). You could stuff that into a grocery bag and walk around with it.
$100,000,000. While a measly 1 million dollars looked a little unimpressive, 100 million dollars is a little more respectable. It fits neatly on a standard pallet...below.
To See What a TRILLION DOLLARS LOOKS LIKE.
Pretty awesome, and still inconceivable despite the graphics.
DARK ART
to see more examples from the portfolio of this “darkly” talented artist.
Authorities said that the homemade submarine was ready to be loaded with drugs when found in Timbiqui
“The Colombian military says it has seized a submarine capable of transporting more than seven tons of cocaine from Colombia to Mexico.” Story Here.
We all know what would have happened if this delivery had made it to Mexico. This shit would have been on America streets ASAP!
Why? Because we have porous borders…but what’s to be done?
Unfortunately, there’s a lot of things that aren’t fair in this world. It’s no secret that all Americans aren’t treated equally.
Still, if we’re aware of what isn’t fair, sometimes we can do something about it.
From Homelessness, Health, to Intergenerational Income Mobility, here are 20 Facts about inequality in our society.
I wonder what people who read palms thing about this study? Maybe it’ll give them more credibility. After all, the fingers are attached to the palms right?
“For that storied window to the soul, we give you the eyes.
But for a snapshot of physical wellness, a glimmer of hidden health risks, and a peek at natural strengths, we give you the finger.
Now, don’t go away mad: We actually give you all 10 fingers.
According to a bevy of recent medical studies, your digits hold clues to disease dangers along with hints of sports prowess, financial acumen and, possibly, your softer side.”
There's a major fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago this weekend touting Trump's possible vice-presidential picks. This donor retreat will fea...
