Unemployment has hit a nationwide average of just under 10% and it looks like a lot of places aren’t hiring, have implemented a hiring freeze, or are laying off a majority of its labor force. However, there are places all across the country where you can find work (usually) and you actually have a good chance of finding work in one of these cities.

1) Anchorage, Alaska. Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska, so much so that the population of the city is almost half of the total personal income for Alaska. The median age in the city is 33 and while the recession has hit the rest of the country pretty hard, in Anchorage the city marked it’s 20th year of job growth.

Twenty percent of the city’s jobs are in education, health services and government, all of which have increased the number of jobs for the past year. Big box retail stores are also starting to move into the city. Stores like Kohl’s and Best Buy have continued to open new stores in the city.

2) Arlington, Virginia. Arlington neighbors Washington D.C. and is home to the Pentagon as well as Arlington National Cemetery. The biggest employers in this city include the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, and the State Department. When there is a lot of government jobs in an area, the national unemployment rate has a much smaller effect on what is going on in the local employment rate.

Arlington also has several large private employers such as US Airways, Lockheed Martin, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Marriott.

3) Columbus, Ohio. Columbus has a strong distribution industry as well as a strong transportation industry and this can likely be attributed to the city’s central location in not only the state, but as well as the country.

Columbus has a diverse economy for such a Mid-America kind of town. It boasts healthcare, manufacturing, technology, as well as hospitality services. The largest employers in the city include the biggest university in the state Ohio State, Nationwide Insurance, Bob Evans, JP Morgan Chase, and OhioHealth.

4) Houston, Texas. This Texas city, like much of the rest of the state, has come out fairly unscathed in this recession. Houston is one of the only cities in the country where people are actually finding work. Houses in Texas are affordable and jobs are plentiful. Thanks to the city’s large stake in the oil industry, this city has continued to fare well.

It can be amusing when a corporation goes through an identity crisis. Usually a corporate name change stems from the board or owner’s desire to move the company in a new direction or to pretend that they know what the consumer wants. I suppose sometimes they actually do know what the consumer wants, but more often a name change on an established company makes customers go, “huh?” more than anything else.

I think that more often though, companies decide to change their corporate name to get out from under a dark cloud that they imposed only on themselves.

Here are some of the worst of the worst corporate name changes:

The Shack::Radio Shack. This was so bad that I had to write about it in a previous post. While I now know that the company isn’t completely changing its name to the Shack, I still am not quite sure what the company was thinking when they decided it would be a good idea to align their company with a rickety old building. When I think Hi Tech, I’m not thinking about shacks.

Xe :: Blackwater. Earlier this year Blackwater decided that it would change its name to Xe because the Blackwater name was tarnished thanks to a 2007 incident that led to the death of 17 unarmed Iraqi civilians. Thankfully, even after the name change the government did not renew the company’s contract.

Altria :: Philip Morris Co. When the company changed its name on the same exact day that the company was cleared of responsibility for a woman’s smoking related death in late January 2003, it obviously wanted to escape the bad PR it had been getting. However, all that ended up happening was a magnifying glass on the company. Every time customers are reminded about the name change, they are reminded that this is the same Philip Morris they knew and they only tried to change their name to escape responsibility.

SyFy :: SciFi. This one I can’t quite figure out. All the cable station did was change the spelling of the already abbreviated name.

You can read more about bad name changes as well as the worst offender, I’ll give you a hint, it has something to do about the company who changed the name of the Sears Tower, all at the SOURCE.

Washington D.C. and the surrounding areas in Maryland and Virginia saw something in September that not many places across the country have seen; an increase in home prices. Unfortunately, while the prices increased, the median sale price did fall a bit.

Sales were up almost 19% in September in the area from just a year ago; with the median sale price declining almost 5% to $371,568.

Houses in D.C. are also selling for most of what the owner is asking. The average sale price in the area was 92% of the asking price.

Seeing any area, particularly a large metro area gaining in sales of homes is a pretty good (and not outrageous) sign that the economy is doing a bit better than it was a year ago. Then again, a year ago, credit had completely frozen as the subprime crisis really took off.

As banks have begun to lend again, more homes have started to sell. As the homes start to sell, prices will gradually begin to rise again. The rise will be in areas where there are jobs and every list that I’ve read says the jobs are in Washington D.C. due to the amount of government jobs as well as all of the large companies that are headquartered there.

When I was in Maryland over the summer, it didn’t seem like the recession had hit there as bad as it looked in other parts of the country I have seen in the last year. For example, while Chris and I were in St. Louis in August, restaurants were basically empty at dinner time. It’s not like we were going to obscure places either. The only restaurant I noticed was busy the entire time we were there was a Cheesecake Factory in one of the larger malls in the area. In Maryland, everything was always busy it seemed. Shopping centers were full of cars usually and there weren’t a lot of empty businesses making it look like a ghost town.

Source

There are millions out of work right now and there are fewer and fewer jobs available for those who are looking or work. Data that was released by the government on Friday showed that the recession is worse than it has been since the beginning of the recession right now.

It’s only expected to get worse because companies are still not hiring and most have no plans on creating jobs to start hiring.

It is so difficult to be unemployed right now because there are about 6.3 people applying for every one job opening. In comparison, when the recession officially began in 2007, there were only 1.7 workers competing for every one job opening in the united States.

Since the beginning of the decade, the largest amount of people who were competing for one job opening was in July 2003, when 2.8 people were looking for every one job opening.

From the beginning of the recession, employers have cut over 7 million jobs. Even though there are fewer and fewer job cuts with each job and unemployment report, there aren’t any jobs being created. Job creation is essential for the health of the economy.

So, people with jobs are feeling a bit more safe when it comes to their jobs. Job security can be priceless, but for those that were laid off or have found themselves unemployed, it is still quite difficult to find work.

It is, of course, more difficult to find work in some areas than others. Jobs are being created in some areas of the country, but there are other parts of the country that barely have any jobs available and are losing them much faster than they’re making them. The more industrial a town is, particularly in this recession, the more that town or county hurts it seems.

Hopefully, the job market will get a bit better sometime soon.

Source

Quinnipiac University, in Hamden, Connecticut, recently released a survey that says 64% of voters disapprove of Republicans in Congress and the job that they are doing and only 25% actually approve. The same poll said that 53% have an “unfavorable opinion” of the Republican party in general.

The poll was conducted to see how potential votes feel about the very crucial health care debate. It found that 61% of those polled are in favor of a government-run option that would directly compete with private insurance. Right now, this is the exact thing that those very vocal Republicans and their followers are up in arms about.

One thing that continues to irk me about watching the national news and watching (very obvious) Republican voters go to these town hall meetings to protest and yell is that they don’t listen. They will only listen to the side of the story they want to hear and will NOT have it any other way. A lot of times, the most extreme conservative followers only listen to those who are on the fringes of the party anyway…and they’re the ones who seem to be the loudest and, in most cases, they are wrong (this is where the whole “death panel” thing came from).

I continue not to be able to understand exactly why people do not support a government run option for health care. Is it because it will cause health costs to increase? That’s unlikely because, if anything, it will cause premiums on private insurance to decrease. It could mean that hospitals won’t be able to charge thousands of dollars for band-aids anymore. Hospitals RIGHT NOW have to charge that much because of all the people who go in without health insurance. They have to make up the money they are going to lose on people who will not pay their bill. That is what causes your health care costs to rise.

There are some that disagree with the way the way that illegal immigrants are being handled in the bill. Well, in order to sign up for the health care plan that is run by the government, it would be easy for them to make a person produce documents to prove they they were not only born in the United States (or a citizen) but also actually check social security numbers. Many illegal immigrants get away with faking documents because no one ever actually runs the social security numbers.

I think that if people would calm down and listen, there is a lot of good stuff in there for everyone. Then again, there are some people (and I know people like this personally) who, no matter what, will always oppose ANYTHING the democrats support. With these people, if the democrats supported “go pet a puppy day” they would protest and complain and be as vocal as possible. These are the kinds of people that I un-friend on Facebook (haha).

Source (for the poll numbers)

Later in the month of August, car dealers and manufacturers participated in Cash for Clunkers and the program was a success because it got a lot of gas guzzling cars off the highways and it helped some citizens be able to get a new car that they may have not otherwise been able to afford.

However, now U.S. auto sales have fallen by 23% for the month of September. The two automakers that were hit the hardest was GM and Chrysler. GM’s sales dropped by 45% and Chrysler’s plunged by 42% for the month.

Ford even saw sales decline. However, while Ford’s United States counterparts dropped by staggering amounts, Ford managed to hold its decline to 5% from the previous year.

Automakers knew that the cash for clunkers success wasn’t meant to last and they had actually prepared for the steep decline in sales. There were plenty of analysts who were predicting that sales would take a tumble for the month of September.

It wasn’t only US automakers that faced a fall in sales, Japanese automakers also faced declining sales for September. Honda’s sales fell 20% for September and Toyota and Nissan fell 13% and 7% respectively.

There was a bright light in all the sales declines; Hyundai Motor Company’s, the Korean brand that offers pretty reliable cars at a low price, sales increased by 27% for September. Hyundai (when combined with Kia, its affiliate) is now the sixth largest automaker in the United States auto market. It has overtaken Nissan this year for the first time. This can likely be attributed to Hyundai’s cars having appealing price tags.

Along with the analysts, I knew this was going to happen. Cash for clunkers was a good program if you were looking in the short run, but the people who were out buying the cars weren’t exactly the kind of people that you can expect to come back and buy another new car in 5 or fewer years. Most of the people who took advantage of the cash for clunkers program are the kinds of people who hold on to a car (even if it is being held together by duct tape) for years and years longer than the more frequent car buyers do. I can see how it was good to have the, even as temporary as it was, jump in sales, but in the long run those won’t be sustained sales and the company will have to do something to get more people in the doors.

There is not a huge chance that automakers will be able to offer similar deals to the cash for clunkers program on their own to get people in the door to buy a new car. Chris even brought home a flyer that offers an incentive for a Ford automobile due to a partnership through work and the incentives were just not as good as the now-ended government run program.

Source

The chairman of Wells Fargo agreed last year to help the company through the financial crisis, now Dick Kovacevich will be stepping down from the job as he sees that the financial crisis is over, I suppose. After 23 years of being with the company, he was chosen to lead it through the worst crisis that had happened to the financial markets since he had been there.

The position was only meant to be temporary and he knew that he wanted to retire eventually. He wanted to help the company get back on its feet as well as lead it through the acquisition of Wachovia.

On January 1, 2010 John Stumpf, current CEO of the company, will replace him as the chairman. Stumpf has been with Wells Fargo for 27 years and has been the CEO since June 27, 2007. His career started when he joined Norwest Corporation in 1982. Since that time Wells Fargo has swallowed many smaller banks including Stumpf’s Norwest bank. He is also currently on the board of directors for Visa international and is the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Visa in the United States. Like our eBay CEO friend Meg Whitman, he is also an outspoken supporter of the Republican party.

Wells Fargo is one of the banks that accepted TARP money from the government. It got $25 billion. It is also one of the banks that, when put under the government stress tests against bailed out banks, it was told that it would have to raise more capital before it could begin to pay back the loans. It sold stock to raise nearly $9 billion but the additional $5 billion will come from earnings according to the company.

Alright, I am a supporter of a public option for government sponsored health insurance. This may make me a “bad guy” to the conservatives of the country but I truly don’t understand what is wrong with wanting an option to have government sponsored health insurance that I PAY for.

Currently, I can’t afford car insurance, my mortgage payment, my student loan payments, AND health insurance so something has to go. Sure, I had a bout of bad luck when I had to have my gallbladder removed a few months ago, but other than that I have not had any troubles with my health.

I would really like to have some form of health insurance and I honestly don’t think that those who have insurance through their employer really understand how much it can cost for the rest of us. Even without a preexisting condition, the cost per month can be $150 with a $5,000 – $10,000 deductible. That is outrageous considering car insurance costs me $80 per month for FULL coverage with a $500 deductible AND I’ve had a car accident that was deemed my fault in the last 3 years.

I wish I did not have to pay that much for health insurance. Over the course of a year, if I did not have to pay over $1,200 for health related costs then I would be ahead over paying for health insurance (if I were paying $100 per month for insurance). Then again, if something disastrous were to happen, then I would be up “that” creek without a paddle (if you know what I mean). I hate the fact that I rely on hospital charity for serious conditions, but paying for health insurance simply is not worth it in my opinion. And in the opinion of the charity workers of the hospital, I do not make enough money to have to pay for health care.

I just do not understand why people argue so much about something as simple as a universal health care OPTION (this is not even something that is forced on you, it’s just an option). I wish, more than anything, that I could afford health care for not only myself, but my husband also. I feel as though we pay too much for health care we never use. I get dirty looks when I visit the doctor and tell them I don’t have health insurance, and even though I can pay for my visit, they still give me the look of someone who has stolen something.

This has gotten absolutely ridiculous. I have nurse friends who agree with me. I wish that I could encourage everyone to support some kind of health care for everyone, but I don’t think that will happen because some will “stick to their guns”. I just wish that those people could see the problem from my point of view or have the same issues I have. Then, perhaps, they would be willing to change their minds.

SmartMoney recently posted an article about ways to cut costs moving. The article titled “Moving on the Cheap: 6 Tips for Cutting Costs” is really helpful to anyone moving or looking to move in the future.

You can pay anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000 to have your stuff moved from one place to another, so it is important to try to cut costs anywhere you can.

So first off, do some comparison shopping. Moving costs can vary greatly depending on what moving company your talking to. For that reason, it is important to get estimates from at least three companies before you decide on one. Websites like CityMove.com lets potential customers ask for bids that moving companies can respond to.

Of course, if you go back to a post on this site a few days ago, hiring a company based on price alone is a really bad idea. The moving companies are full of fraud and you really need to do your research before you hire a company to entrust all your things to. So doing a check on the background of the company you’re thinking about hiring is tip number 2.

Tip number three is to get rid of things you don’t want anymore. You will always have stuff around your house you won’t use once you’ve moved, so have a garage sale or something to get rid of it! The less stuff you have, the less it will likely cost you to move it.

Tip number four goes along with tip number three and that’s to make sure that your reduce the amount of times a mover has to go in and out of your house. I know that sounds kind of weird, but if you think about it, it really does make a lot of sense. If you reduce the amount of times a mover has to enter and exit your house, you will likely end up reducing you overall bill for the move.

Tip number five is to know what is covered by the insurance. If you’re moving and the insurance doesn’t cover something that is priceless to you, then it will be worthless in the long run. You need to make sure a dollar amount is placed on everything and that it is covered under all circumstances. In the case of moving, I don’t think that you can ever have too much insurance.

Finally, tip number six is to take advantage of a tax break being offered by the government! Right now, the IRS is allowing people who are moving to deduct the costs for a job-related move. All you have to do is move within a year of starting a new job and keeping that job for at least 39 weeks after you move. Also, the job must be at least 50 miles away from where your current job is.

Flash orders give some traders an edge in the purchase or sale of their stocks. The advantage is only a split second advantage, but it is enough to get the attention of the SEC.

For the next 60 days, the change will be up for public comment and could be adopted by the SEC after that time.

Flash orders are one of those things that sometimes occurs in the trading world. They really have started to become quite a hot issue on Wall Street though due to people asking questions about fairness on the Street.

From MSNBC:
A flash order refers to certain members of exchanges — often big companies — buying and selling reports about continuing stock deals milliseconds prior to that information being made public. A number of big banks and financial companies, using high-speed PC programs, can get a speedy, sneak peep at how additional investors are trading, giving them a brief peek into the direction of the market.

The other rule on the table includes more transparency from credit rating companies. For its role in the subprime mortgage mess, the industry that performs credit ratings has been shamed. The practices of these companies (which includes Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s Investors Service, as well as Fitch Ratings) will be able to be seen by the public and will also be subject to restraints.

It is not fair when some companies have the ability to trade before the general public is allowed to do so. When there are ultra high speed computers and company information and reports available, then of course they will have an small advantage. I do not believe that the flash ordering has been exactly beneficial to a lot of companies on Wall Street because if you look at how many companies have performed over the past few months and especially when you look at the last year, you can tell that they are not exactly doing great. Many of the banks and financial institutions have only remained open only by the grace of our taxpayer dollars.

I am glad that they will no longer be helped out by any of the money that I pay the government. I know that the general public of the United States is ready to go after the boards of many of these companies because of all the bonuses that they seem to be raking in every couple of months; and I have to agree with the general public on this one.

These rules can be seen at the MSNBC article I’ve linked below. I would like to see what the SEC does with the public comments over the next two months. In 60 days, we will see how the market is doing and I am sure that will have some impact on the SEC’s decision as to what it is going to do with the new rules.

Source

There is a history in our country of corporations complaining about new government regulations and somehow the big corporations continue to survive even with the new regulations. I like this cartoon because it shows just how ridiculous some companies can be. While the cartoon may be a bit exaggerated, like most political cartoons are, this one is generally correct.

I think this one missed out on minimum wage though. That argument comes up every few years or so because it can always be heard by some business owners, “If you raise minimum wage, I can’t afford to stay open.” It always happens.

What you can learn from this ebook

In an effort to describe, understand, and quantify the growth of greenwashing, TerraChoice Environmental Marketing Inc. conducted a survey of six category-leading big box stores. Through these surveys, we identified 1,018 consumer products bearing 1,753 environmental claims. Of the 1,018 products examined, all but one made claims that are demonstrably false or that risk misleading intended audiences.

Based on the survey results, we identified six patterns in the greenwashing, which we now recognize as the “Six Sins of GreenwashingTM”.

Of the 1,018 products reviewed, all but one committed at least one of the Six Sins of Greenwashing.

These findings suggest that greenwashing is pervasive, the consequences of which are significant:

• Well-intentioned consumers may be misled into purchases that do not deliver on their environmental promise. This means both that the individual consumer has been misled and that the potential environmental benefit of his or her purchase has been squandered.

• Competitive pressure from illegitimate environmental claims takes market share away from products that offer more legitimate benefits, thus slowing the penetration of real environmental innovation in the marketplace.

• Greenwashing may create cynicism and doubt about all environmental claims. Consumers – particularly those who care most about real environmental progress – may give up on marketers and manufacturers, and give up on the hope that their spending might be put to good use. This would eliminate a significant market-based, financial incentive for green product innovation and leave committed environmental advocates with government regulations as the most likely alternative.

Will you boycott GM?

Question:

Some right wing conservative talk show hosts and commentators have been criticizing GM for accepting (and asking) for funds from the government. Now they are calling for a boycott of the company saying that any money you spend at GM is money against the free enterprise system.

Will you boycott along with these commentators?

Answer:

I, personally, will not boycott GM for this reason. I have my own issues with the company and I think right now if the right wing commentators want a free enterprise system then they should spend their money at GM so the company can pay back the government…it’s likely that won’t happen though.

New GM CEO Fritz Henderson has said that he will not accept a pay cut to a base salary of just $1.

In 2008, Henderson received compensation valued at about $8.7 million. That included a base salary of about $1.7 million, stock options and restricted stock that the company valued at $6.6 million when it was granted. He also received $349,000 in other compensation, including $105,000 in security services.

So, while GM is asking the government for $16 billion in a “loan,” the CEO will still be getting his almost $2 million salary? I say “loan” because does anyone really expect the auto companies to actually be able to pay back the billions they have borrowed? Maybe if they were the only auto maker allowed to sell cars in the U.S., but otherwise I honestly think, no.

Rick Wagoner is gone and GM’s fate is unknown. So here’ s the question was it the right move for GM this late in the game?

Question:

Many have said that every since Rick Wagoner became GM’s CEO & Chairman, GM’s quality has lacked and GM has stayed behind the pack on fuel economy. This has caused GM to lose market share to foreign auto makers like Toyota and Honda. Now that GM needs the government bailout, was the government asking GM to ask Wagoner to step down the right decision to helping GM’s path to profitability?

Answer:

The decision for Rick Wagoner to step down was the right decision. He has led the company into a hole that it may not be able to dig out of. GM has already proven that it can’t dig itself out of the hole and needs the government’s help just to stay in business.

Furthermore, he oversaw the new business plan that the company sent to Washington outlining GM’s new business model. The new model was rejected.

GM is left with a new CEO and 60 days to “get it right” or face failure. The new CEO has already said that bankruptcy protection is a very real possibility for the company and that may be the path GM needs to go down to becoming a profitable company again.

Have an idea or want us to use your pitch in the next issue? Then, make a submission on The Pitch Page.

He will get over $23 million in installments for the remainder of his life. According to GM’s annual report he also is entitled to $366,602 in unvested stock awards and $534,627 in deferred compensation as of December 31, 2008.

Wagoner was told to step down by the government yesterday. He did so to ensure the longevity of GM…it’s actually kind of nice that he did that. In a way he sacrificed his job so thousands of others could keep theirs. However, $23 million is kind of like winning the lottery and he should be just fine.

It is likely that this is not the only management change that is necessary before GM and Chrysler can collect the loan money they so desperately need.

I think that GM needs to do more than just fire their CEO. It took more than one man to mess the company up so badly. No one person can ruin a brand so throughly. Although, Wagoner was named COO in 1998, falling right into the middle of the demise of the brand. At the time, consumers began to purchase foreign cars due to lack of quality in American made brands. I can still remember my first run in with a GM car…a 1998 Chevy Lumina. It is still on the road, but I believe it is being held together with duct tape and bubble gum at this point. Then in 2000, he was named CEO, the year my parents bought a Cavalier. The Cavalier was a historical failure in the generation they purchased the car. The seats were broken out of the gate and it was all down hill from there, ending with the car’s demise in 2007.

Some of the domestic banks had even received their own share of government bailout money.

Eighty percent of AIG is owned by the U.S. government and the taxpayers. It has received over $170 billion inn bailout money and was one of the firms that was “too large to fail.”

Some of the biggest recipients of the AIG money were Goldman Sachs at $12.9 billion, and three European banks — France’s Societe Generale at $11.9 billion, Germany’s Deutsche Bank at $11.8 billion, and Britain’s Barclays PLC at $8.5 billion. Merrill Lynch, which also is undergoing federal scrutiny of its bonus plans, received $6.8 billion as of Dec. 31.

The money went to banks to cover their losses on complex mortgage investments, as well as for collateral needed for other transactions.

Other banks receiving between $1 billion and $3 billion from AIG’s securities lending unit include Citigroup Inc., Switzerland’s UBS AG and Morgan Stanley.

Source

So, will the government step in to regulate these bonuses? Some of the offending financial companies like Merrill Lynch are under investigation as to why bonuses were paid. Merrill Lynch paid bonuses last year days before it was taken over by Bank of America.

The most disturbing trend, in my opinion, relating to bonuses, are the bonuses paid to executives of banks that are being helped by the government. The government right now has no way to stop executives from getting bonuses from TARP funds.

Ford said today that even with the loss, it will not seek government bailout money. Instead, it will be borrowing the remaining $10 billion of its secured credit line, not to be used for operating expenses.

It looks as though Ford is looking to the future pessimistically, which could be the key to survival in the long run. Ford, along with other car makers, thought this year would have a slow start and perhaps a recovery in the second half of the year. However, using the credit for something other than operating expenses makes it appear as though Ford isn’t as optimistic as it was when the 2009 outlook was posted.

If Ford can’t do something to turn the company around, it will be down to its minimum amount to operate the company of $10 billion by August…

Cutting back on delivery days doesn’t exactly mean that it will be cutting Saturday delivery, but instead a lighter day.

“If current trends continue, we could experience a net loss of $6 billion or more this fiscal year,” Potter said in testimony for a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee.

Cutting out a Tuesday or Wednesday wouldn’t be too bad. I think Mondays would work ok too since most government holidays fall on Mondays.

Source

Citi execs obviously got the message about their “unacceptable” purchase and released a statement saying they would not accept delivery of any jet.

Now if we could get full disclosure on all the money being dealt out by the government…I’m not asking for full press releases every time a dollar is spent, but what about a little website that says where my money is going? That’s all….

Here is the text of the speech:

“My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. Those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers … our found fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

“Let it be told to the future world … that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive…that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it).”

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.”

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U.S. government and a growing number of experts say [Mexico] is becoming one of the world’s biggest security risks.

The prospect that America’s southern neighbor could melt into lawlessness provides an unexpected challenge to Barack Obama’s new government. In its latest report anticipating possible global security risks, the U.S. Joint Forces Command lumps Mexico and Pakistan together as being at risk of a “rapid and sudden collapse.” – AP

The idea that the things in this story are going on just south of our border, not thousands and thousands of miles away is scary. I’m sure this will become a large issue for the next president’s foreign affairs.

Read the full Associated Press story here: (It’s really interesting)
Source

From the AP:

Gov. Rod Blagojevich was impeached Friday by Illinois lawmakers furious that he turned state government into a “freak show,” setting the stage for an unprecedented trial in the state Senate that could get him thrown out of office. The 114-1 vote in the Illinois House came exactly a month after Blagojevich’s arrest on charges that included trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat. The debate took less than 90 minutes, and not a single legislator rose in defense of the governor, who was jogging in the snow in Chicago. -AP

Perhaps this guy has nothing else to lose, but I think that this is just ridiculous. What is he thinking, that he’ll get re-elected after a debacle like this?

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Larry Flynt and Joe Francis sent out a press release saying that the porn industry is losing money and that jobs are going to be lost unless they are bailed out. So, how much are they asking for? $5 billion.

I can’t honestly think of one good reason why the government should bail out the adult entertainment industry. You don’t see Harrah’s going and asking for money…I just think this is an obvious an ridiculous publicity stunt.

I think that is an awful idea.

The conversion has already been postponed. This was supposed to happen over 2 years ago.

And what will happen if it is postponed again? Of course the government will throw another billion dollars at it. Why? Because people don’t know if they do or don’t need a converter box. At one point in the last 2 years, you’ve heard an ad about it, or a news anchor talking about it, so you’ve probably looked around your house at the TV’s and thought…wow, I’m going to need a converter box for all of these. Now, they’re actually trying to tell people they don’t if they have cable or satellite.

The bad thing about that is, some people already have gotten coupons and bought boxes and didn’t need them.

Perhaps the government should just back off the entire subject and let the tv stations do what they want. All these stations are already set up to switch to digital too.

The way it is supposed to work is you apply for a coupon (only IF you need the converter box) and then you buy the box and hook it up. The problem is that I believe a lot of consumers are aware of the transition, but unaware if their tvs are connected to cable or satellite, they don’t need the converter box.

Now the program is running out of money. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration was given a $1.34 billion limit for the program and are now quickly approaching it. Anyone who asks for a coupon after the money is gone will be put on a waiting list until unused coupons are expired (90 days from the issue date).

Read more from the Washington Post

Here’s how:

And I escaped that with a bruised knee.

I believe if Chevy or GM could market the safety of even the bottom of the line cars (see the wrecked Cavalier above) then perhaps people would be more willing to buy them.

They talk a lot about fuel efficiency or how some of the cars compare against Honda or Toyota…I just don’t think that’s the way to go. I couldn’t compare a Chevy to a Toyota (other than they are both cars). However, if they told stories (with pictures and testimonials) about how people escaped bad accidents (I was hit by an 18 wheeler) then maybe people would be more inclined to purchase the cars.

It wasn’t enough to entice me to purchase another Chevy, because I had too many problems pre-accident with the car to have to deal with it again.

In the 1920′s and 30′s depression, the government didn’t intervene before it was too late. Now, our government has taken many steps to stave off a depression. The FDIC is already in place, so there hasn’t been a run on the banks. There are federal work programs in place as well as unemployment insurance, so I don’t see unemployment reaching the 25% it was back then. Also, we aren’t facing a natural disaster like we did then (the Dust Bowl).

The government now, though, needs to put in regulations on the market. The SEC was created in the Great Depression, now there needs to be some other regulations put in place to help cut the losses and keep the credit crisis from happening again.