• Gender-Bender Chemicals are Turning Boys Into Girls
    The government of Denmark has released a 326-page report affirming that endocrine disrupting chemicals are probably continuing to the birth of fewer males and the "feminization" of existing ones. The report centers on chemicals like PVC, flame retardants, phthalates, dioxins, PCBs and bisphenol-A, all of which mimic the action of estrogen in the b […]
  • Hacker Disables More Than 100 Cars Remotely
      More than 100 drivers in Austin, Texas found their cars disabled or the horns honking out of control, after an intruder ran amok in a web-based vehicle-immobilization system normally used to get the attention of consumers delinquent in their auto payments. Police with Austin’s High Tech Crime Unit on Wednesday arrested 20-year-old Omar Ramos-Lopez, a forme […]
  • US Vice President Joseph Biden: ‘”I also see myself as a Zionist"
    US Vice President Joseph Biden First Visiting Foreign Dignitary to Lay Wreath at Tomb of Theodor Herzl, the founder of the political movement we have come to know as Zionism. US Vice President Joe Biden, with wife Dr. Jill Biden, lay a wreath at the tomb of [...] […]
  • European Parliament Rips Global IP Accord
      The European Parliament delivered a political blow to Hollywood and the Obama administration, voting Wednesday 663 to 13 in opposition to a proposed and secret intellectual property agreement being negotiated by the European Union, United States and a handful of others. Wednesday’s developments concerning the Anti-Counterfeiting and Trade Agreement are sub […]
  • Violence Mars Greek Protest
    Flights were grounded and trains suspended amid a nationwide general strike Thursday, as Greek police fought running street battles with anarchist youths in fresh and violent signs of anger at the government’s austerity plans. Unions called a strike to protest wage and benefit cuts being put in place to trim Greece’s swollen budget deficit as the [...] […]
  • Thailand braces for massive political protests
    Thailand braced for anti-government demonstrations that began Friday and were expected to peak over the weekend with as many as 150,000 protesters on the streets. In anticipation, the government has mobilized 50,000 security forces, said acting spokesman Panitan Wattanayakorn. The mass rallies are expected to be peaceful but Army spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewk […]
  • Brain scan can read people’s thoughts
    A scan of brain activity can effectively read a person’s mind, researchers said Thursday. British scientists from University College London found they could differentiate brain activity linked to different memories and thereby identify thought patterns by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The evidence suggests researchers can tell which mem […]
  • Obama Supports DNA Sampling Upon Arrest
    Josh Gerstein over at Politico sent Threat Level his piece underscoring once again President Barack Obama is not the civil-liberties Knight In Shining Armor many were expecting. Gerstein posts a televised interview of Obama and John Walsh of America’s Most Wanted. The nation’s chief executive extols the virtues of mandatory DNA testing of Americans upon arre […]
  • Drudge Virus Warning Blasted as Latest Free Speech Incursion
    The unusual e-mail sent to Senate staffers this week warning them not to visit The Drudge Report for fear of a virus has some critics crying foul, suggesting the missive is the latest attempt by Democrats to stifle dissent in the media. The Drudge Report, a popular Web site which aggregates news links, often trumpets [...] […]
  • Chief exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth says Devil is in the Vatican
    Sex abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church are proof that that “the Devil is at work inside the Vatican”, according to the Holy See’s chief exorcist. Father Gabriele Amorth, 85, who has been the Vatican’s chief exorcist for 25 years and says he has dealt with 70,000 cases of demonic possession, said that the consequences [...] […]
  • “Rather than monitoring hate groups, the Southern Poverty Law Center has become one.”
    A funny thing happened on the way to this week’s column — I got “targeted,” “frozen,” “personalized” and “polarized.” In other words, I got lumped in with the majority of Americans as the “radical right” — you know, the scary people who believe in God, the Constitution, family values, and an honest day’s work for an [...] […]
  • UK: Crackdown on dangerous dogs to make microchips compulsory for all
    All dogs are to be compulsorily microchipped so that their owners can be more easily traced under a crackdown on dangerous dogs to be unveiled today. The package will include extending the dangerous dogs law to cover attacks by dogs on private property to protect postmen, and making third-party insurance compulsory so that victims can be [...] […]
  • 11 More U.S. Airports Get Body Scanners
    Transportation officials announced Friday 11 more United States airports will begin receiving full-body imaging machines “By accelerating the deployment of this technology, we are enhancing our capability to detect and disrupt threats of terrorism across the nation,” Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a statement. Despite concerns of privac […]
  • UK: Spy chips hidden in 2.5 MILLION dustbins: 60pc rise in electronic bugs as council snoopers plan pay-as-you-throw tax
    The growing threat of a stealth tax on the rubbish we throw away was exposed by startling figures yesterday. More than 2.5million homes now have wheelie bins fitted with microchips to weigh their contents. This is an increase of nearly two-thirds in just a year. The bins, which can be electronically identified and weighed, are designed for [...] […]
  • Narus develops a scary sleuth for social media
    Narus is developing a new technology that sleuths through billions of pieces of data on social networks and Internet services and connects the dots. The new program, code-named Hone, is designed to give intelligence and law enforcement agencies a leg up on criminals who are now operating anonymously on the Internet.…Hone works in tandem with NarusInsight. [. […]
  • Saving Seeds: Cantaloupe
    Cantaloupes DO cross pollinate with other “melons” like other cantaloupes, musk melons, snake melons and Armenian cucumbers.  Separate therefore from other “melons” by a quarter mile. Choose early ripening, disease free fruits to save seed from. Wash seeds from ripe melons in a strainer, dry on a paper plate or paper sheet. Seeds are ready to store [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds: Squash and Zucchini
    Squash within the same species DOES cross pollinate, therefore species should be isolated by a quarter mile.  This will also reduce the danger of squash bugs spreading over all the crops if they pester one patch. Seeds should be taken from fruits that have surpassed maturity by 3 weeks already. Remove seed, wash, let dry on paper [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds: Cucumbers
    Cucumbers DO cross pollinate, so if you want pure seed, separate cucumber varieties from each other by a quarter mile. Seeds should be taken from fruit that has ripened past edible stage and begun to turn yellow and soften.  To get to the seeds, cut the cucumber lengthwise, scoop the seeds out, wash them and dry [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds: Carrots
    Carrots are biennial, that means, you can harvest seeds only in the second year. Carrots Do cross pollinate, so separate them 1/4 mile from other carrots in the first year.   In the second year, when they are going to seed, separate them also from Queen Anne’s Lace (about 1/4 mile). Dig carrots up before the hard frost [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds: Peppers
    Peppers DO cross pollinate, so separate varieties by about 500 feet, unless you can plant them in insect proof cages that are covered with window screen. Pick ripe, fully colored fruits that show no sign of disease to save seeds from.  Remove the seed core and place on a paper plate or thick paper sheet to [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds: Tomatoes
    Tomatoes usually do not cross-pollinate, at least not the modern varieties.  Potato leaf varieties should be separated by the garden’s length though. Pick one ripe fruit of each plant (at least), squeeze the seeds and juice into a strainer.  Then wash the seeds, spread them on a paper plate or thick paper sheet, and dry them. DO [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds: Beans
    Bean flowers are self-pollinating, so the danger of cross pollination is comparatively small.  It’s is recommended to separate different kinds of beans by a garden length though to ensure absolute purity. Save seeds from plants that ripen first and are disease free.  Harvest seed pods reserved for seed saving when they are dried completely.  Crush the [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds
    I know this might come a little early for many of you out there, but I will start a new “series” here, giving information about saving seeds of different plants. I guess you all know that it is not much use to save seed from hybrid plants as you never know what you are getting, but [...] […]
  • Tomato Suckers
    I mentioned suckers in an earlier post, saying that you can pinch them if you wish, but don’t have to – well, some people do not know what a sucker actually is. What is a sucker ? Suckers grow our between a tomato leaf branch and its stem.  If you pinch them off and stick them in [...] […]
  • Planting Cucumbers
    It is a good idea to plant cucumbers in hills so they can vine in peace and do not get too crowded. A week or two after your last frost date, make hills that are 4-5 feet apart from each other on all sides, and approximately 12” in diameter.  Plant 6-8 seeds per hill. After 3 weeks, [...] […]
  • Growing Tomatoes
    As tomatoes are most gardener’s favorite plant, especially but not exclusively amongst beginners, here are a few things that might be worth knowing about growing tomatoes.  If those among you who have decades of tomato growing experiences are unhappy with my information or have things to add, please feel free to comment Basically, all [...] […]
  • Marie Claire: How to plant a window garden
    Via: seattlepi.com 1. At a nursery, pick up seeds, potting soil, and a few small pots or a window box (it must be shorter than the length of your windowsill-measure first!). Get a container at least four to five inches deep with a drainage hole at the bottom. 2. Fill container with soil and place [...] […]
  • Good buys for gardeners
    If you are new to the wonderfully healthy and economical past time of gardening, this list might be interesting to you.  For all those who have been gardening for ages already, maybe you enjoy checking what this lady thinks is essential, and add what’s missing, from your own experience Via: baltimoresun.com By Susan [...] […]
  • The globalisation of addiction
    So here is a study that tells you, basically, that living in the countryside, close to nature, as a producer, instead of a synthetic, stressful environment where people live as consumers only, will prevent addictions, will even cure addictions, will be the best you can do for your children and yourself.  The addictions of our [...] […]
  • Gardening is getting more and more popular
    We finally got our seeds, accompanied by a nice letter from FEDCOs, and what they are telling their customers there did not come as a big surprise to us:  Fedco has had record sales this year, an over 40% growth in seed sales, which adds to the 20% growth they saw last year…  At a [...] […]
  • Planning your vegetable and herb gardens – Tips to save your family money by gardening
    Via: Seattle Garden & Kitchen Examiner A prolific garden can save your family a lot of money Food prices are continuing to rise while more and more products get recalled. It only makes sense that all of us considering ways to raise some of the food we eat. The more we food we raise, [...] […]
  • Have you ordered your seeds yet ?
    You might think it’s weird to think about the gardening season now, but it isn’t.  Even though your garden patch might be buried in snow right now, depending on where you are, you still need to get off your hindquarters and start planning now. 2009 might very well be the year when, for the first time [...] […]
  • Cloth diapers, again
    Just a short note today: We recently talked to a pediatrician who told us that she is seeing a lot more cloth diapers these days than she used to.   Most people are probably using cloth diapers now because they cannot afford throwaway diapers anymore, but it is still difficult to get decent diaper covers in any [...] […]
  • Apple Pie
    I suppose most of you have made millions of apple pies in your time, but if you are looking for a nice online description of how to bake one, I recently found a well made page about how to make apple pie from scratch, with lots of pictures and ingredients for both a lattice and [...] […]
  • An Old-Time “Refridgerator”, Easily Built: The Trash Can Root Cellar
    If you need storage that keeps your food cool without using electricity, a root cellar comes in very handy. There are a tremendous amount of different designs for root cellars out there – check out this site, for example: Root Cellars Their link to the garbage can root cellar is broken though, so here are some basic [...] […]

The New Poor – Despite Signs of Recovery, Long-Term Unemployment Rises

 
Even as the American economy shows tentative signs of a rebound, the human toll of the recession continues to mount, with millions of Americans remaining out of work, out of savings and nearing the end of their unemployment benefits.

Economists fear that the nascent recovery will leave more people behind than in past recessions, failing to [...]

Walmart suffers first ever fall in US quarterly sales

Walmart has suffered its first fall in quarterly sales at its US discount stores, underlining the challenges facing future growth in its home market as the economy recovers.
During the important holiday quarter ending on January 31, net sales at Walmart’s 3,400 plus US stores fell 0.5 per cent year-on-year to $71bn, while comparable store sales [...]

Bomb blast hits J.P. Morgan building in Greece

A medium sized-bomb exploded Tuesday at a building housing offices of J.P. Morgan, the financial services firm, Greek police said.
A warning was phoned to a Greek newspaper 30 minutes before the explosion, and police evacuated the building, police spokesman Takis Papapetropoulos told CNN.
No one was hurt. The callers did not identify themselves, he said.
The warning [...]

Jobless Suffer With Corporate Cash Climbing to $1.19 Trillion

A majority of companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index increased cash to a combined $1.19 trillion while simultaneously reducing spending, keeping a jobs recovery on hold.
Caterpillar Inc., Eaton Corp., Walgreen Co. and General Electric Co. are among 260 companies that ended last quarter with $522 billion more than a year earlier after [...]

Employers Cut 20K Jobs in January, but Jobless Rate Drops to 9.7 Percent

The unemployment rate dropped unexpectedly in January to 9.7
percent, while employers shed 20,000 jobs, according to a report that
offered hope the economy will add jobs soon.
The unemployment rate dropped from 10 percent because a survey of
households found the number of employed Americans rose by 541,000, the
Labor Department said Friday. The job losses are calculated from [...]

Recession’s job losses likely to rise by nearly 1 million

As bad as the government’s jobs readings numbers have been during the Great Recession, we’ll soon find out the real situation likely was worse.
Much worse.
Job losses during the recession may have been underestimated by close to a million jobs. So instead of employers cutting just over 7 million jobs from their payrolls since the economic [...]

Obama Offers Budget With Deficits as Far as Number-Crunchers Can See With a Record $1.6 Trillion Deficit

As President Obama prepares to unveil his $3.8 trillion budget for fiscal year 2011, which begins Oct. 1, the White House is projecting the current fiscal year will end with a $1.6 trillion deficit, congressional sources confirmed to Fox News.
Next year’s budget will have a nearly $1.3 trillion debt, according to those sources, dropping to [...]

Foreclosure plague: It’s spreading

The new foreclosure plague is tied more to the economy than bad mortgages. Here are 10 cities where defaults grew the fastest in 2009.
Boise, Provo, Portland OR, Green Bay WI, Brimingham Ala., Myrtle Beach, Honolulu, Roanoke, Sioux Falls, S.D., Gulfport-Biloxi, Miss.

Source/Full Story: CNNMoney.com
Related Items

January 19, 2010 — One in 7 U.S. mortgages foreclosing or delinquentA [...]

2009 had the biggest yearly sales drop on record

Retail sales unexpectedly fell in December, leaving 2009 with the biggest yearly sales drop on record and highlighting the formidable hurdles facing the economy as it struggles to recover from the recession.
A second disappointing economic report yesterday showed that the number of newly laid-off workers requesting unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week.
While many [...]

Greek Finance Minister Says ‘Absolutely’ No Risk of Default

Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou said there is “absolutely” no risk that the country will default on its debt, seeking to ease the concerns of investors after Greece had its credit rating cut yesterday.
“We’re moving swiftly to reassure citizens and markets that we’re moving in the right direction,” Papaconstantinou said today in an interview with [...]

Media heads worry about U.S. future as superpower

At the moment, I am more concerned about this idea that media heads Propaganda Ministers are expressing concern about the future of the U.S. as a “force for good.”
They normally ponder ways to entertain Americans, but media chiefs this week entertained more somber thoughts about the future of the United States, as several saw a [...]

Geithner Rejects Goldman Sachs Assertion It Didn’t Need U.S. Help

Geithner, 48, took issue with that, saying that the entire financial system was at risk at the height of the crisis, including Wall Street’s big institutions.…“None of them would have survived” had the government stood aside and let the crisis run its course, he said. “The entire U.S. financial system and all the major firms [...]

U.S. housing market meltdown not over yet

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com in West Chester, Pennsylvania, said in an interview with Reuters home prices will resume their decline by early next year as foreclosure sales pick up again.
“The housing crash is not over,” he said.
The U.S. housing market has suffered the worst downturn since the Great Depression, and its impact [...]

1 in 4 mortgages ‘underwater’

In a sign that more foreclosures could be on the horizon, 23% of people with mortgages owe more than their home is worth, according to a report released Tuesday.
Almost 10.7 million U.S. mortgages were “underwater” as of September, said research firm First American CoreLogic.
Another 2.3 million homeowners are within 5% of negative territory, the report [...]

Links

… a growing number of new shoplifters are outwardly reputable, middle-class people who are walking off with French cheeses, quality meats, cosmetics, mobile phones, clothing and other goodies that they feel they need to maintain a quality of life they can no longer afford.

Source/Full Story: Recession Retail Theft: Middle-Class Shoplifters on Rise – [...]

US jobless rate surges above 10%

What economic challenges are still ahead? I thought the economy was recovering, and green shoots abound.
US unemployment surged above 10 per cent for the first time in more than a quarter of a century in October, increasing political pressure on the Obama administration.
According to figures revealed on Friday, the unemployment rate rose to 10.2 [...]

Dr. Paul Wise: “The current recession is likely to generate for children in the United States the greatest level of material deprivation that we will see in our professional lifetimes”

Nearly half of all U.S. children and 90 percent of black youngsters will be on food stamps at some point during childhood, and fallout from the current recession could push those numbers even higher, researchers say.
The estimate comes from an analysis of 30 years of national data, and it bolsters other recent evidence on the [...]

US: Gov’t may say recession over but not job losses

…The government will release figures this week expected to show that the economy has awakened from its deepest slump since the 1930s and is in the early stages of a recovery. But the following week, the government will issue another set of figures expected to show unemployment continuing to rise toward and possibly above a [...]

US: Gov’t may say recession over but not job losses

…The government will release figures this week expected to show that the economy has awakened from its deepest slump since the 1930s and is in the early stages of a recovery. But the following week, the government will issue another set of figures expected to show unemployment continuing to rise toward and possibly above a [...]

UK economy in its longest recession on record

The British economy is in its longest recession on record, as figures out this morning showed a shock 0.4% drop in gross domestic product (GDP) in the third quarter of the year.…TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said he hoped today’s figures would “head off the growing signs of complacency” on an economy which remains “extremely [...]

Survey: Slow recovery creating pessimism

The stock market’s moving up and some economists are declaring an end to the recession. So, why are people still so pessimistic?
A new national survey says the reality has sunk in that true financial recovery for most people won’t come soon. As a result, consumers aren’t very interested in spending money, they’ve concluded retirement is [...]

China’s Economy Grows 8.9%, Fastest Pace in a Year

China’s economy expanded at the fastest pace in a year as stimulus spending and record lending growth helped the nation lead the world out of recession.
Gross domestic product rose 8.9 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, the statistics bureau said in Beijing today. The median of 34 estimates in a Bloomberg News [...]

Higher jobless rates could be new normal

Even with an economic revival, many U.S. jobs lost during the recession may be gone forever and a weak employment market could linger for years.
That could add up to a “new normal” of higher joblessness and lower standards of living for many Americans, some economists are suggesting.
The words “it’s different this time” are always suspect. [...]

10,000 apply for 90 factory jobs

In the latest sign of weakness in Louisville-area employment, about 10,000 people applied over three days for 90 jobs building washing machines at General Electric for about $27,000 per year and hefty benefits.
The jobs dangle medical, eye care, prescription and dental benefit packages, as well as pension, disability, tuition assistance and more, said GE spokeswoman [...]

US budget deficit to hit $1.4 Trillion

The US budget deficit is expected to hit a record $1.4 trillion this year, some $950 billion greater than the shortfall recorded last year, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said.
Congress’s non-partisan financial watchdog said the forecast federal deficit for the fiscal year that ended last month was the highest shortfall – relative to the size [...]

Consumer bankruptcy filings top 1 million

Personal bankruptcies topped the 1 million mark in the first nine months of the year, the first time it has done so in four years, according to an industry research firm released Friday.
The personal bankruptcies were up 35% from the same period in 2008, according to the report from the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI).
“Bankruptcy filings [...]

Greenspan: United States unemployment will top 10 per cent

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan predicted on Sunday that the jobless rate will pass 10 per cent and stay there for a while, and a second stimulus plan is not needed now.
He spoke favourably of extending unemployment benefits and tax credits for health insurance, options the Obama administration is considering for helping people laid [...]

Greenspan: United States unemployment will top 10 per cent

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan predicted on Sunday that the jobless rate will pass 10 per cent and stay there for a while, and a second stimulus plan is not needed now.
He spoke favourably of extending unemployment benefits and tax credits for health insurance, options the Obama administration is considering for helping people laid [...]

Spain tips into depression

Spain is sliding into a full-blown economic depression with unemployment approaching levels not seen since the Second Republic of the 1930s and little chance of recovery until well into the next decade, according to a clutch of reports over recent days.
The Madrid research group RR de Acuña & Asociados [...]

Social Security strained by early retirements

Big job losses and a spike in early retirement claims from laid-off seniors will force Social Security to pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes the next two years, the first time that’s happened since the 1980s.
The deficits — $10 billion in 2010 and $9 billion in 2011 — won’t affect payments [...]

Bernanke: Recession is over

Oh really. Well I guess the party should be at Ben’s house, shouldn’t it?  Does consumer spending account for 2 thirds of the US GPD?  Businessweek doesn’t think so, but even so it seems only logical that the average citizen won’t start recovering until employment recovers.  In that regard Benny is a bit more [...]

US families turn to food stamps as wages drop

Source/Full Story: FT.com
Whoda thunk it…
The number of working Americans turning to free government food stamps has surged as their hours and wages erode, in a stark sign that the recession is inflicting pain on the employed as well as the newly jobless.
While the increase in take-up is often attributed to the sharp rise in [...]

Job losses slow, yet jobless rate at 26-year high

Full Story/Source: Reuters
U.S. job losses fell to their lowest level in a year last month, but the unemployment rate jumped to a 26-year high, painting a mixed picture of an economic recovery hindered by weakness in the labor market.
The Labor Department said on Friday the jobless rate climbed to 9.7 percent in August, the [...]

U.S. power bills down, but not for long

Many Americans have been getting a break on their electricity bills during the recession, but they should not expect the relief to last long as power demand recovers and climate regulations loom.

Utilities in major markets like New York, Chicago and Texas lowered rates as the recession cut industrial and residential consumption and wholesale power costs [...]

Rhode Island to shut down state government for 12 days

Rhode Island will shut down its state government for 12 days and hopes to trim millions of dollars in funding for local governments under a plan Gov. Don Carcieri outlined Monday to balance a budget hammered by surging unemployment and plummeting tax revenue.

The shutdown will force 81 percent of the roughly 13,550-member state work force, [...]

U.K. Has Record July Deficit as Recession Curbs Taxes

Britain had an 8 billion-pound ($13.2 billion) budget deficit in July, the largest for the month since records began in 1993, as the recession ravaged tax revenue and the cost of unemployment benefits surged.

The shortfall compared with a surplus of 5.2 billion pounds a year earlier, the Office for National Statistics said in London today. [...]

U.K. Has Record July Deficit as Recession Curbs Taxes

Britain had an 8 billion-pound ($13.2 billion) budget deficit in July, the largest for the month since records began in 1993, as the recession ravaged tax revenue and the cost of unemployment benefits surged.

The shortfall compared with a surplus of 5.2 billion pounds a year earlier, the Office for National Statistics said in London today. [...]

Toxic Loans Topping 5% May Push 150 Banks to Point of No Return

More than 150 publicly traded U.S. lenders own nonperforming loans that equal 5 percent or more of their holdings, a level that former regulators say can wipe out a bank’s equity and threaten its survival.

The number of banks exceeding the threshold more than doubled in the year through June, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, [...]

Four more failed banks brings year’s tally to 68

Four more banks failed according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Friday, bringing the year’s total to 68, and to 93 failed banks since the beginning of the recession. First BankAmericano of Elizabeth, N.J., will have its deposits transferred to Crown Bank, Brick, N.J.; Peoples Community Bank of West Chester, Ohio, will have deposits [...]

The Real Unemployment Rate Hits a 68-Year High

When those adjustments are taken into account for May 2009, the unemployment rate soars to 16.4%. That is the highest rate since the BLS began calculating the U-6 rate in 1994. While not exactly comparable, it is also higher than the BLS’s earlier and yet broader adjusted unemployment rate called the U-7. The BLS began [...]