The Recession ended--where are the jobs?

"More than 90 percent of U.S. metropolitan areas have failed to recoup the jobs lost during the recession that ended in 2009, a report found, underscoring the slow pace of recovery by urban economies.

Only 26 of 363 U.S. metropolitan areas have seen employment rebound to pre-recession peaks, according to the report, prepared by forecaster IHS Global Insight and released by the U.S. Conference of Mayors today. Nearly 80 areas aren’t expected to see such a recovery for more than five years."

Bloomberg

Public Pension ‘Air Time’ Is an Absurdly Generous Perk

Before I retired in 2000 I purchased some time I had worked at the University of Illinois in the 1960s. I have no idea if I bought "air time."

Please read this and see if you understand--I certainly don't!!

Public Pension ‘Air Time’ Is an Absurdly Generous Perk — The American Magazine

Stop SOPA and PIPA

The legislation now moving in Congress has all the nuance of taking target practice with a shotgun; sure, you may hit the target, but everything in the general vicinity is left in shreds too. If these bills pass, there will be major collateral damage to Internet innovation, online free expression, the inner workings of Internet security, and user privacy.

The bills in question are the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House. They are backed by extensive lobbying muscle and have bipartisan support. In short, this is legislation that could actually pass. ABC News, Dec. 8, 2011

Think of all the mischief the "commerce clause" has caused. And it was never intended. We have enough laws on the books to stop piracy. Some entertainment giants originally supported this--maybe still do--but perhaps they want us to get off the internet and watch some of that excellent reality TV.

In Ohio, contact Sherrod Brown (D) and Robert Portman (R). Check the internet for your Representative, Mine is Steve Stivers.

Steve Jobs--why technology can't help education

Interview with Wired Magazine 1996

I used to think that technology could help education. I’ve probably spearheaded giving away more computer equipment to schools than anybody else on the planet. But I’ve had to come to the inevitable conclusion that the problem is not one that technology can hope to solve. What’s wrong with education cannot be fixed with technology. No amount of technology will make a dent. The problems are sociopolitical. The problems are unions. You plot the growth of the NEA [National Education Association] and the dropping of SAT scores, and they’re inversely proportional. The problems are unions in the schools. The problem is bureaucracy.

I have a 17-year-old daughter who went to a private school for a few years before high school. This private school is the best school I’ve seen in my life. It was judged one of the 100 best schools in America. It was phenomenal. The tuition was $5,500 a year, which is a lot of money for most parents. But the teachers were paid less than public school teachers – so it’s not about money at the teacher level. I asked the state treasurer that year what California pays on average to send kids to school, and I believe it was $4,400. While there are not many parents who could come up with $5,500 a year, there are many who could come up with $1,000 a year.

If we gave vouchers to parents for $4,400 a year, schools would be starting right and left. People would get out of college and say, ’Let’s start a school.’ You could have a track at Stanford within the MBA program on how to be the businessperson of a school. And that MBA would get together with somebody else, and they’d start schools. And you’d have these young, idealistic people starting schools, working for pennies.

They’d do it because they’d be able to set the curriculum… God, how exciting that could be! But you can’t do it today. You’d be crazy to work in a school today. You don’t get to do what you want. You don’t get to pick your books, your curriculum. You get to teach one narrow specialisation. Who would ever want to do that?

These are the solutions to our problems in education. Unfortunately, technology isn’t it. You’re not going to solve the problems by putting all knowledge onto CD-ROMs. We can put a website in every school – none of this is bad. It’s bad only if it lulls us into thinking we’re doing something to solve the problem with education.

Lincoln did not have a website at the log cabin where his parents home-schooled him, and he turned out pretty interesting. Historical precedent shows that we can turn out amazing human beings without technology. Precedent also shows that we can turn out very uninteresting human beings with technology. It’s not as simple as you think when you’re in your 20s – that technology’s going to change the world. In some ways it will, in some ways it won’t.

Where are the Occupiers to protest this businessman?

According to today's Lantern (student newspaper OSU), Laurence and Isabel Barnett have donated six million to the College of Arts and Sciences to establish a new arts center and to support renovations. Good for them. He's been in the business end of the arts and made a fortune. Why aren't the Occupy Crowd of Columbus protesting his wealth? Why are all the liberals in academe who were so squishy a few months ago in their support of capitalism, now bowing and scraping--Shanda, dean of arts and humanities, Gee president of the university, and Murray, OSU spokesperson. This also isn't the first gift the Barnetts have given OSU.

"Born in Orville, Ohio, Larry Barnett attended The Ohio State University as a business major in the 1930s and found that his talent as a violinist would fund college expenses. His band played at many Columbus venues, but work and school took their toll; he became ill and left school one quarter short of graduation. Following his recovery, Barnett took a job in the talent department of Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). When Music Corporation of America (MCA) bought CBS's talent division, Barnett went with MCA. In 1963, he became board chairman and president of General Artists Corporation, and when it was acquired by Chris-Craft Industries, Barnett we appointed vice president of Chris-Craft as well as vice chairman and director of United Television, Inc. When he retired in 1988, Barnett contacted Ohio State about his unfinished business here, and after completing an independent studies project with Professor Donald Sexton in the College of Business, he received his bachelor's degree. In 1996 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Ohio State."

Adam Corolla on Glenn Beck

Adam Corolla who came to my attention when his rant against OWS was played on Glenn Beck's radio show was interviewed on Glenn's TV show tonight. Corolla says when he was a kid his mom was on welfare, and when he asked her why she didn't get a job she told him she would lose her benefits. He decided then he didn't want that. But he was a poor student and an average-to-good athlete, so he did manual labor and didn't go to college. I'm not sure how he got into comedy and talking, but when he lost his radio job, he started a podcast and website, and says now he's proud to employ people and pay taxes. He and Glenn have that in common. Seven years ago Glenn employed three people, and now he employs 120. His recent back problems (3 minutes before show time last Monday) must cause him concern knowing he's the support of 120 families.

Corolla has a new book, Rich man Poor man, released today digitally. So if you have a Kindle, you can buy it. (I don't.)

In Rich Man Poor Man, comedian and bestselling author Adam Carolla exposes the phenomena that are embraced by the really rich and the really poor–but never the middle class–like having an outdoor shower, wearing your pajamas all day, or always having your dog with you. Combining Adam’s inimitable comedic voice and four-color illustrations by his friend Michael Narren, Rich Man Poor Man is a hilariously accurate look at what the people born with silver spoons in their mouths have in common with the people whose only utensils are plastic sporks stolen from a Shakey’s.

Saying good-bye

To help save the economy, the Government will announce next
month that the Immigration Department will start deporting
seniors (instead of illegals) in order to lower Social Security
and Medicare costs.

Older people are easier to catch and will not remember how
to get back home. I started to cry when I thought of you.
Then it dawned on me ... oh, darn,... I'll see you on the bus!

Grandma's American history book--Monday Memories

One of the books in my collection belonged to my mother's mother--and I think it is her Ashton high school American history textbook, "The leading facts of American history" by D. H. Montgomery, (Boston: Ginn & Co., 1891) On the title page: "America is another word for Opportunity." -- Emerson. The reason I'm not positive it was high school is because she did attend college in Mt. Morris, Illinois and it is written more like an expanded outline. There are a number of interesting tables, charts, graphs and appendices. The Table of States and Territories provides meaning of the name, date of admission, first settlement, sq. miles, population in 1790 and in 1890. Interestingly, Ohio admitted in 1803, is the first state listed as settled by Americans, with the first settlement in Marietta. The second state settled by Americans was Iowa. The 3rd and 4th were Minnesota and Oregon.

Image and complete book

Healthy sex discussion?

This afternoon Hallmark has a Valerie Bertanelli movie, "Personally Yours," where an Alaskan divorced mother of three children realizes she still loves her husband. The children nominate him for bachelor or something, and he gets a ton of e-mail including some from her.

But what I walked in on (a 2000 movie now 12 years old) was her discussion with her very young teen daughter about sex. "I'm just old fashioned enough," says mom, "to think love comes before sex." Wow. Now isn't that helpful advice. What teen-ager from a broken family doesn't know about LOVE! Even a reviewer at the Christian Cinema site got warm and fuzzy over that one.

"The film does contain good relationships between the siblings; a positive message about being fortunate if you realize what you have; and a thoughtful discussion about sex as mom and daughter discuss the subject, with the girl realizing love should come first."

I wonder, can you trust these reviews?

Keystone Pipeline--while Obama fiddles

The Obama administration has delayed its decision on the pipeline until after the election. According to Bloomberg, this means that the pipeline will not be completed until at least 2015. Had the pipeline been given the green light this November, thousands of valuable construction jobs would have been immediately created and in 2013 the pipeline would have come on stream. But instead this administration prefers to export jobs and US dollars overseas, squandering $70,000,000 per day.

When Hawaii became a territory

Or something. My grandmother used to clip crochet and quilt patterns from newspapers and magazines. One yellowed 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" newspaper clipping from The Inter Ocean for a "Pretty Edging" fell out of a child's book today. On the back is a dispatch from Honolulu about the "territorial bill is finally passed with the amendments."

Within a few hours of its passing on April 14 protests broke out. There was a deportation plan and a no liquor sold in saloons provision. To deport all contract laborers who have come here within the last year would mean sending back to Japan 30,000 people and would leave the sugar plantations helpless, for the whites will not do the work. All agree it would ruin the main industry of the islands.

Nothing ever changes when it comes to immigrant labor, does it? But I don't have a year for this, so I looked through a number of sites, most sort of nasty condemnations of "American Imperialism" and finally settled on a small section from Hawaii State History Guide.

Hawaii was a native kingdom throughout most of the 19th century, when the expansion of the vital sugar industry (pineapple came after 1898) meant increasing U.S. business and political involvement. In 1893, Queen Liliuokalani was deposed and a year later the Republic of Hawaii was established with Sanford B. Dole as president. Then, following its annexation in 1898, Hawaii became a U.S. territory in 1900.

In 1900 the islands were made a territory, with Dole as governor. In this period, Hawaii's pineapple industry expanded as pineapples were first grown for canning purposes. In 1937 statehood for Hawaii was proposed and refused by the U.S. Congress the territory's mixed population and distance from the U.S. mainland were among the obstacles.

I still don't know what deporting Japanese contract labor had to do with it. It could have been they feared the Japanese immigrants would then go to the mainland for better wages. But, on the other hand (or other side) the edging was supposed to be nice for children's underwear or aprons.

The Inter Ocean was a Chicago newspaper printed weekly that was very popular, and my great-grandfather, David George, of Ashton, Illinois, subscribed. Grandma Mary, the youngest of his 4 children, had many clippings from this paper in her childhood scrap books.

A painful twang at least to my ears

So many singers have this sound: someone is sitting on his chest to place a clothes pin on his nose.
It seems to be both secular and religious genre. Latest one I heard was on Catholic radio, but that painful twang can be heard just about universally, with either acoustic or electric guitar, whether singing to God or the girlfriend.

The food pantry

We were talking about the "Souper Bowl" where we collect cans of soup for the food pantry to coincide with the Super Bowl. She said she buys the cheapest off brands because she can get more and so it goes further. But does it? Look at the first and second ingredients. Look at the fillers and thickeners. Not all "unbrands" or house brands are poor quality, but many are. Try them first. If you wouldn't feed it to your family, perhaps other families don't need it either. Someone in poor health or looking for work or mentally ill needs the best nutrition, not the poorest.

Looking at the Republican candidates

Choosing a candidate.
Your mileage will vary. The economy won't be my first consideration--our debt is so bad, the country may never be able to recover no matter who is president. Obama has secured his place in history. In my lifetime I've been in 4 of the 5 quintiles, higher is a better living standard, but not always the best for friendships and family. We're at the bottom again (pensioners), and life is good.
1) Respect for Life; if the candidate isn't pro-life, won't protect a human life with the strength and power of the office, he doesn't get my consideration--scratch Ron Paul.

2) Restoration of the values and morals that led my ancestors to flee their country, roots and family and come here even before it was a recognized country early in the 18th century--again scratch Ron Paul--libertarians have many wonderful ideas they share with conservatives, but not enough for me. I don't care how he salutes the flag or if he wears a flag pin, but he needs to respect the Christian faith and how it established the freedoms we enjoy and the protections it affords other faiths.

3) A person of character I can point to with pride--scratch Newt Gingrich, who is a fabulous lecturer and debator, but seems vague about recent history (especially his own) although he claims to be a historian and wants to make his most recent mistress the first lady.

4) So that leaves (although I haven't had the news on today) Romney, Santorum and Huntsman. I will do more research on those left standing on my list.

And no, I'm not afraid of Mormons (and Gingrich's ads know many conservative Christians are because he used to be a Baptist), but I am afraid of 9/11 truthers and Paul supporters certainly fall into that hole--along with many wild eyed leftists like Rosie and Van Jones. I'm also afraid of those who don't appreciate that in many cases, our government has done a wonderful job--it's just that when the job is over, those "civil servants" never think enough is enough. We voters are the ones who turned over so much power to the Executive branch. Republicans included. And if a man's wife can't trust him, neither can I. I don't care how many annulments the Pope gives Gingrich, he was baptized a Lutheran and I think that is nonsense.

Is Ron Paul a tool of the left?

From Breitbart TV, Trevor Loudon.

"Ron Paul’s libertarian suspicion of big government defense spending, has been deliberately fostered and encouraged by the most anti libertarian elements in the land – the US hard left.

Ron Paul, and many libertarians think they can work with the left to achieve libertarian ends.

The hard bitten Leninists and disciplined Marxists of the left know they can use naive libertarians to achieve their ends – particularly to gut America’s defenses to the benefit of their foreign masters.

In short, the US left is using Ron Paul and other libertarians, to do what their armies and intelligence services have long dreamed of – destroying America’s military superiority, and with it, US national sovereignty.

By promoting the left’s defense policies, Ron Paul, a man of patriotism beyond question, could be unknowingly betraying his own country to its enemies."

Will it be Romney?

James Taranto (Wall St. Journal) writes, Gingrich has helped to define Romney as the defender of free enterprise:

[Gingrich] presence in the race has been helpful to likely nominee Romney. The former speaker's wretched and unprincipled attacks on the front-runner's business record--which "made no sense," as Gingrich himself acknowledged before he made them (hat tip: Rich Lowry)--previewed the inevitable Obama attacks coming this fall, with both inoculative and preparatory benefits for Romney.

To judge by Romney's victory speech last night, the latter effect has been impressive.

President Obama wants to put free enterprise on trial. In the last few days, we have seen some desperate Republicans join forces with him. This is such a mistake for our Party and for our nation. This country already has a leader who divides us with the bitter politics of envy. We must offer an alternative vision. I stand ready to lead us down a different path, where we are lifted up by our desire to succeed, not dragged down by a resentment of success. In these difficult times, we cannot abandon the core values that define us as unique--We are One Nation, Under God.

Make no mistake, in this campaign, I will offer the American ideals of economic freedom a clear and unapologetic defense. Our campaign is about more than replacing a President; it is about saving the soul of America. This election is a choice between two very different destinies.

Moving Art™ - Gratitude

Open your eyes and really look. Flip a switch. Open a tap. Let everyone you meet this day, be blessed by your presence.



Moving Art™ - Gratitude - YouTube

National Operations Center Media Monitoring Initiative

Facebook friends you make
TV news they fake,
Every half you bake,
Every claim you stake,
They'll be watching you.

Every link you make,
Every tweet you take,
Every blog you fake
When you do update,
They'll be watching you!

Every single day,
Every word you say,
Every game you play,
Every night you stay,
They'll be watching you.

Oh can't you see?
You belong to NOC!
How your poor head aches,
With every tweet you make.

News source

Obamacare and mandatory coverage of contraception

On July 19, 2011 the Institute of Medicine issued "Clinical preventive services for women: closing the gaps.

Please note a key provision of Obamacare requiring insurers to cover all contraception services, and pay attention to the squishy words--

a fuller range of contraceptive education, counseling, methods, and services so that women can better avoid unwanted pregnancies and space their pregnancies to promote optimal birth outcomes

These services will be included in the MINIMUM package of essential health benefits by August 2012. If you're an employer with 50 women, only 2 of child bearing age, too bad. This package will be available to all.

How long has contraception been pushed as the answer to 1) better health for women, 2) healthier "wanted" babies, and a 3) solution for poverty? But according the statistics half of U.S. pregnancies are unintended. This is a boon for pharmaceutical companies and various contraceptive technologies like IUDs and implants, but will the Catholic church's teachings on natural family planning be included in that "all contraceptive methods, as well as education and counseling?" I doubt it. But Catholic hospitals, doctors, nurses will be required to violate their beliefs and church teaching. If we still had a first amendment that protected religious beliefs from the government instead of the upside down 1962 decision by the Supreme Court based on no precedents and contrary to the what the Founders intended, religious groups would have a better case.

There are already law suits making their way through the courts.

“(It’s) whether or not people, or in our case universities, who have seriously held moral convictions against abortion, should nonetheless be required to pay for it and support it, and endorse it, in effect,” Armstrong said.

The departments of Health and Human Services and Labor and Treasury have been named in the lawsuit charging, “A deliberate attack by the government on the religious beliefs of the Colorado Christian and millions of other Americans.”

What Romney would do differently

And remember these are the promises of a candidate, and we all recall how that worked in 2008.
Below are some of Romney’s more piquant criticisms of Obama, juxtaposed with what he would do differently if elected president:

This President puts his faith in government. We put our faith in the American people.

He is making the federal government bigger, burdensome, and bloated. I will make it simpler, smaller, and smarter.

He raised the national debt. I will cut, cap, and balance the budget.

He enacted job-killing regulations; I’ll eliminate them.

He lost our AAA credit rating; I’ll restore it.

He passed Obamacare; I’ll repeal it.

When it comes to the economy, my highest priority as President will be worrying about your job, not saving my own.

Internationally, President Obama has adopted an appeasement strategy. He believes America’s role as leader in the world is a thing of the past. I believe a strong America must – and will – lead the future.

He doesn’t see the need for overwhelming American military superiority. I will insist on a military so powerful no one would think of challenging it.

He chastises friends like Israel; I’ll stand with our friends.

He apologizes for America; I will never apologize for the greatest nation in the history of the Earth.

Our plans are protect freedom and opportunity, and our blueprint is the Constitution of the United States.

Source