The Crooks in Mayberry

Jon Stewart, in one of his episodes this week, showed the Fox hounds criticizing Obama for appearing on The View instead of attending the Boy Scouts of America Jamboree. He remarked that Fox would have criticized Obama had he chosen to attend the latter instead of the former, by claiming that he did not want to take questions from tough talk show hosts.

Mr. Stewart is quite on target. The Republican Party never misses an opportunity to criticize Obama's health care plan because it "costs money and runs up the deficit," and fails to support extending unemployment benefits because it raises the deficit. It criticizes Obama for inaction on border security, but never talks about the money needed for it.

The unkindest cut of all is applied by Mitch McConnell to Andy Griffith. Mr. McConnell is now criticizing Obama for trying to make Medicare more efficient and save some money. Of course this would mean less money for the pharma companies and other health care firms, who are lining the pockets of the R. Party.

Andy Griffith's new role: pitching health care law - Yahoo! Finance: "Said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky: 'It's going to take more than slick taxpayer-funded ads to convince skeptical seniors that cutting a half-trillion dollars from Medicare is good for them.'"

Trashing China, Trashing Washington (State)

In addition to the formal "export" of trash including electronic trash and other hazardous garbage to Asia, the outsourcing of electronics manufacturing to Asia can also be considered as an "export" of pollution and exposure to hazardous materials. One expects garbage to go out of the contiguous U.S. The news that trash from Honolulu could be sent to Washington State muddies the waters. Let's hope there is no "Garbage Spill" over the ocean.

Judge halts plans to ship Honolulu trash to Wash. - Yahoo! Finance: "A temporary restraining order has been issued to halt the inaugural shipment of trash from Honolulu to Washington state.

The order was issued Thursday by U.S. District Judge Edward Shea of Spokane, Wash. He questioned whether the U.S. Department of Agriculture had adequately assessed the environmental impacts of the planned shipments.

Hawaiian Waste Systems LLC was to have begun shipping the trash last November. The latest start date was Friday.

The Yakama Nation and several environmental groups filed a lawsuit Wednesday in federal court in Spokane to stop the shipments to a landfill in the eastern Washington town of Roosevelt.

The lawsuit named the department, which approved plans for shipments of plastic-wrapped bales of waste."

Watching Out for What's Not Said...

The CEOs of all the major banks have strongly opposed the new financial regulations bill. Many have threatened to raise costs for customers. Some banks, including Wells Fargo and Chase, have already raised fees on some products. As Ms. Mellody Hobson (on NBC Today Show) and some Wall Street analysts have claimed, the banks "have to" charge more to make up the revenues lost from the regulation- giving one the impression that the banks have a "right" to more profits.

What none of the bank CEOs have said is that they will not take as big of a bonus, or will not award themselves fat salary increases. When the banks took the money from the public, it went straight into the CEOs' pockets. Now the public has to pay more to ensure bulging Banks' wallets that are overflowing.

Where is the competition that Capitalism is supposed to deliver? If one is looking at Credit Unions they have started raising fees for their services too.

A rising tide lifts all costs.

Wells Fargo’s Stumpf Sees New Costs for Customers - BusinessWeek: "Wells Fargo & Co. Chief Executive Officer John Stumpf said customers, not just the bank, will bear the financial burden for U.S. regulations that cover services ranging from home loans to credit cards.

“I can’t guarantee that we won’t pass on some of those costs,” Stumpf, 56, said in an interview at his San Francisco office. “We’ll try to tighten our belt and absorb some of the costs of compliance, but some costs may change and customers might pay for their financial services in new ways.”"

Expanding Profits, Shrinking Confidence...

Two revealing stories in the news...

Investors Punish Expansion Plans - WSJ.com: "Among the lessons from earnings season so far: Now is not the time for optimistic CEOs to tell skittish investors an expansion push is right around the corner.

In a sign that the shell shock from the financial crisis, recession and European sovereign-debt mess hasn't worn off, investors last week punished the stocks of companies that are talking openly about plans to expand..."

The Associated Press: Confidence falls even as corporate profits rise: "The Consumer Confidence Index came in at 50.4 in July, a steeper-than-expected decline from the revised 54.3 in June, according to a survey the Conference Board. The decline follows last month's decline of nearly 10 points, from 62.7 in May, and is the lowest point since February. It takes a reading of 90 to indicate a healthy economy — a level not seen since the recession began in December 2007.
'Consumers have a much different view of the economy than the stock market does, and their views matter more to the economy,' said Mark Vitner, an economist at Wells Fargo. The index 'tells me the economy is heading for slower growth in the second half. We have low expectations for back-to-school.'
Joel Naroff, president of Naroff Economic Advisors, agreed, noting that the fatter profits have shown that companies have been able to squeeze out higher productivity from workers, but that also means that 'households are not benefiting.'
The profit picture is 'good news for Wall Street, but not good for workers,' he added."

Selling Bush Tax Cuts the Journal Way

The expiration of George Bush's 2001 and 2003 tax cuts and how it plays out in this fall's election cycle is the crux of the WSJ article, Bush-Era Tax Cuts Likely Election Theme - WSJ.com.

The Journal claims that "Given the uncertainty of the Senate outcome, the strategy offers the GOP a chance to accuse Democrats of planning to raise taxes on most Americans, by allowing all the Bush tax cuts to lapse. The cuts, passed in 2001 and 2003, will expire on Jan. 1, 2011, unless Congress passes legislation to extend them..."

It does not go on to cite any facts or inconsistencies in the positions...

January 20, 2001: George W. Bush assumes office

June 7, 2001: President George W. Bush signed into law Thursday the first major piece of legislation of his presidency, a $1.35 trillion tax cut over 10 years. CNN.com - $1.35 trillion tax cut becomes law - June 7, 2001: "On Saturday, just hours after the measure passed both houses of Congress, Bush rushed back to the White House from his Camp David retreat to hail the measure as 'historic' and the 'responsible thing to do for the American people and the economy.'"

Total Federal Debt, as of 09/30/2001 (beginning of first Full FY under GWB) : $ 5,807,463,412,200.06

May 23, 2003: Bush Signs Tax Cuts Into Law - CBS News: "'We are helping workers who need more take-home pay,' he said. 'We are helping seniors who rely on dividends. We are helping small business owners looking to grow and create more jobs. We are helping families with children who will receive immediate relief.'...Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist countered that spending the money now will create a healthy economy that will help the nation eliminate shortfalls later on. 'I don't like the fact that we are having to borrow money today,' Frist, R-Tenn., said on PBS. 'But ... by giving individuals more money to spend and also creating more jobs in the economy, we will be able to grow that economy, which over time will make that deficit disappear.'"

Total Federal Debt, as of 09/30/2009 (end of final Full FY started under GWB): $ 11,909,829,003,511.75

Increase in Federal Debt from 2001 to 2009: $ 6,102,365,591,311.64 or 105%.

Now: With Bill Clinton:

Total Federal Debt, as of 09/30/1993: $4,411,488,883,139.38

Total Federal Debt, as of 09/30/2001: $ 5,807,463,412,200.06

Increase in Federal Debt: $ 1,395,974,529,060.68 or 32%

Increase in Federal Debt, Bush - Clinton = $ 4,706,391,062,250.96.

Bush increased the federal debt by 4.37 times the increase under Clinton.

(sources: treasurydirect.gov and whitehouse.gov)

*** The Republicans and WSJ use every opportunity to scare the public about the fiscal deficit. Republicans eagerly block spending policies like the extension of unemployment benefits, but in the same breath are willing to blame the Democrats for letting the tax cuts expire. The fiscal deficit is perhaps curable, moral deficit may not be.

Picking on Some, but not on Others

According to a report in the NYT lawmakers are upset that the nonprofit executives are making a lot of money. Apparently it is perfectly fine for the CEOs of Sachs and Chase and BOA to reward themselves and their friends with many millions of dollars that they picked from the taxpayers' pockets.

Lawmakers Question Salaries at Nonprofits - NYTimes.com: "In New Hampshire, Attorney General Michael A. Delaney is investigating compensation among nonprofit hospital executives. And Vermont legislators are trying various ways of curbing salaries paid by nonprofit groups that have contracts with the state.

On Capitol Hill, four senators this spring refused to approve a $425 million package of federal grants for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America after staff members looked at the organization’s tax forms as part of a routine vetting process and were surprised to learn that the organization paid its chief executive almost $1 million in 2008 — $510,774 in salary and bonus and $477,817 in retirement and other benefits.

“A nearly $1 million salary and benefit package for a nonprofit executive is not only questionable on its face but also raises questions about how the organization manages its finances in other areas,” said Senator Tom Coburn, Republican of Oklahoma.

Another senator, Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa, has told Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner that he is concerned that the Internal Revenue Service is not tough enough in policing pay in the nonprofit sector and that regulations governing compensation are too weak.""

Stories on Employment

Companies Wringing Huge Profits From Job Cuts - NYTimes.com: "This seeming contradiction — falling sales and rising profits — is one reason the mood on Wall Street is so much more buoyant than in households, where pessimism runs deep and joblessness shows few signs of easing.

Many companies are focusing on cost-cutting to keep profits growing, but the benefits are mostly going to shareholders instead of the broader economy, as management conserves cash rather than bolstering hiring and production. Harley, for example, has announced plans to cut 1,400 to 1,600 more jobs by the end of next year. That is on top of 2,000 job cuts last year — more than a fifth of its work force."

Wipro profit up 31 pct to $284M on stronger demand - Yahoo! Finance: "Wipro said it added net 4,854 employees during the quarter, bringing net staff additions over the last three quarters to nearly 15,000. Despite a February wage hike, attrition for the quarter was a high 23 percent.

'We have given promotions to as many as 20,000 people and consequent promotion increases,' said Suresh Vaswani, joint chief executive of Wipro's IT business. 'The issue is not unique to us and it's reflecting the demand environment today.'

Wipro said that despite rising employee costs it increased margins by 30 basis points, thanks in part to a stable pricing environment and volume growth of 4.7 percent for the quarter.

BP is one of Wipro's key clients, but executives said the oil spill and costly clean up effort had not affected their relationship."

The Hindu : Business / Industry : India Inc’s hiring activity soars 21% in June: "India Inc’s hiring activity grew by 21 per cent in June this year compared to the year-ago period, led by the improving business sentiment, job portal naukri.com said in a report.

Naukri.com’s monthly job index — JobSpeak — moved up to 947 in June this year compared to 784 in the same month of 2009.

Hiring activity in June also showed an improvement over the previous month as well, with the job index increasing by four per cent in June from 913 in May, the study revealed.

“Companies are actively hiring now and have shed their ‘wait-and-watch’ policy. The hiring growth in June is secular in nature, with a balanced rise seen across all sectors and cities,” Info Edge (owner of naukri.com) COO and Director Hitesh Oberoi said."

Are the Mass(es) onto Transit?

A great story on mass transit in the Chicago Tribune. More than half of the suburban residents appear to favor investment in mass transit over highways and toll roads.

Hopefully these types of results will be reported in other counties and states.

Suburban residents now favor more transit spending, poll shows - chicagotribune.com: "I wish the mass-transit system were expanded a lot,' he said, particularly suburb-to-suburb service that has been promised for years.

'The problem with Metra is that it is a spoke system without a wheel,' Ceithaml said, noting that the only way to get from one suburb to another on a different Metra line is to travel to downtown Chicago, switch trains and head back out. 'Why don't we have an around-Chicago rail line?'

Fifty-two percent of suburbanites said they agree with investing more of limited government resources in public transit, versus 32 percent who chose improvements to highways and toll roads. In a 1999 Tribune poll, 34 percent of suburban residents said more money should be spent on mass transit than on roads...
The director of a Chicagoland civic organization called the poll results "phenomenal.''

"People are seeing that a car-oriented culture is limiting economic development and quality of life in the region,'' said Frank Beal, executive director of Chicago Metropolis 2020, which promotes social and economic ideas for the 21st century. "There is a general recognition that friends, neighbors and family see what is happening around the country but not here. Phoenix, Arizona, has a light-rail system.''

"

Nokia calling in India, But Apples are Ringing

For the quarter ending June 30, 2010:

APPLE NOKIA

Revenues $ 5 Billion $ 8.7 Billion

Number of Devices 8.4 Million 111.1 Million

ASP $595 $78

The iPhone: unit sales 8.4 million, 61% unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Over 1.7 million iPhone 4 sales in the initial five countries where it was launched. According to IDC, the overall smartphone market grew 38% in the June quarter, almost half of the Apple’s 61% growth. The value of iPhones sold during the quarter was $5 billion, resulting in an average selling price (ASP) of about $595.

Nokia total mobile device volumes of 111.1 million units, up 8% year-on-year. Nokia mobile device ASP (including services revenue) of EUR 61 (about $78) , down from EUR 62 in Q1 2010. Devices Revenue of EUR 6.8 Billion or $ 8.7 Billion. Operating Profit of EUR 643 Million, or $ 823 million.Nokia Corp. Q2 2010 Earnings Call Transcript -- Seeking Alpha: "In India, we benefited from solid sales of the Nokia 2690, our lowest priced device with removable memory card and this helped us to end Q2 with higher market share in India than at the start of the quarter.

In Q3, we expect to start shipping the Nokia C1 dual sim phone. This is expected to further improve our portfolio in developing markets, especially in India, where dual sim is particularly popular."

No Apples at McDonald's

Revenues Net Profits

Apple $15.7 Billion $3.25 Billion (20.7% of revenues)

McDonald's $5.945 Billion $1.225 Billion (20.6% of revenues)

Who would have thought that Apple selling fewer products to far fewer customers than McDonald's would report profits more than two and a half times that of the Big Mac Maharaja?

Cash-ing at Apple, Suicides at FoxConn

Apple Inc. reported its 3Q results on Tuesday.

Net income: $3.25 billion in the quarter, up from $1.83 billion in 3Q last year.

Revenues: $15.70 billion, up from $9.7 Billion in 3Q last year.

International sales: 52% of the total revenue in the quarter.

Gross margins: 39.1%

Operating margin: 27.0%

Cash and investments: $45.8 billion

Cash flow: $4.8 billion 3Q last year

3.47 million Macintosh computers, 9.41 million iPods, iPod ASP increase of 12%, 8.4 million iPhones including more than 1.7 million iPhone 4 sales, iPhone handset sales, accessory sales and carrier payments of $5.33 billion, 3.27 million iPads, with the value of iPads at $2.1 billion.

Now, a little rough analysis-

ASP of iPhone4 = $595

Let's assume that labor costs paid by Apple to FoxConn for the manufacture of iPhone4 are 10% of the COGS (which is perhaps higher than the actual number). Assuming a BOM of $190 (iSuppli estimates it to be $187.51), the production labor cost is approximately $21 per phone, a part of which goes to the workers physically working on the phones.

If Apple doubled the amount it paid to FoxConn for the iPhone manufacturing so that the people assembling and testing the phones could have a decent life, its COGS would go up by approximately $21 * 8.4 Million = $176.4 Million. If Apple paid an extra $21 for every device that was manufactured, its manufacturing costs would go up by 24.55 Million *21 or $515.55 million. Assuming Apple's tax rates are around 24%, this implies that Apple incurs increased cash expenses of %515.55 * .76 or about $392 million.

Apple would have reported net income of $2.86 billion, instead of $3.25 Billion. Diluted EPS would have been $3.08 instead of $3.51.

What is the price of suicides of Chinese workers at FoxConn?

Steve jobs has taken a compensation of $1 for each of the past three years, but the total compensation of the five named Executive Officers (reported in the proxy) was more than $50 Million in 2009. One need not feel sorry for Steve Jobs- he has been paid handsomely ($100 million plus) in the past.

Obama Out-"Fox"-ed

Ms. Shirley Sherrod courageously tells a true story that reveals her thoughts and her actions. Result: She gets fired. Some things that should happen:

1. Mr. Andrew Breitbart should be charged with intentional malicious slander of Ms. Sherrod.
2. The producers and readers of all "news" shows on television should apologize to the public for dereliction of their duties and not doing what they are paid to do- to "research" and report. Further, they, along with Mr. Andrew Breitbart, should contribute a week (or a month or a year) of their compensation to Ms. Sherrod for defaming her character.
3. N.A.A.C.P. should fire its head, Benjamin T. Jealous, for contributing to the defamation of Ms. Sherrod.
4. Everyone in the administration who was involved in the decision to fire Ms. Sherrod should be docked a month's salary (a period longer than the time in #2) for failing to gather the facts before making a decision, when time was not critical.

None of these will happen- hence we should be prepared for many more cases like these in the future.

No wonder Reuters and other news organizations outsource writing to India

There is no dearth of folks complaining about the education system and teachers. But the folks who do the complaining should hold themselves accountable. Let us not "misunderestimate" the writing skills of our mama grizzlies and elected officials. Case in point:

Sarah Palin tweeted, and typed "refudiate" - a collection of letters that does not exist in the dictionary. After the mistake had been identified, she apparently deleted the tweet and posted another, but she did not even apologize for her error. Instead, she glorified it by tweeting that""Refudiate," "misunderestimate," "wee-wee'd up." English is a living language. Shakespeare liked to coin new words too. Got to celebrate it!"

Got to Celebrate it? So, in the make-believe world of Palin, words and grammar do not matter. English is a "live" language, so anything can be a word, and anyone can coin and use a new word especially since Sarah Palin, the modern day Shakespeare, has courageously taken the initiative and coined new ones. Unfortunately Palin World is becoming the Real World for some folks. Just the other day I was having lunch with a good friend and we were recalling a former colleague who always used 'casual' for 'causal' and 'lead' as the past tense of 'lead.' However, this colleague never claimed that he was 'inventive.'

As my tenth grade math teacher Rasool Sir wrote, quoting Confucious (and perhaps others) "To know that you know what you know and that you do not know what you do not know is true knowledge."

Life's consequences if E-Books KO Hardcovers...

Amazon reported that it sold more E-books than hardcovers in the last three months.

What might be the consequences if paper based books suffer the fate of the "old" newspapers?

Some thoughts:

• Space freed up in the house because there is no "physical" library
• Brick and Mortar libraries might become endangered. The combination of E-books and Streaming video/ digitally stored video could reduce the costs of running libraries.
• The optics business- opticians, ophthalmologists, lens makers, etc. will benefit from the increased time spent looking at the screens.
• Traditional Backpacks will be toast.
• Professors will also have more space in the office, but need to set up a new background for the times they are going to be recorded.
• Used book business might be deleted.

Amazon Says E-Books Now Top Hardcover Sales - NYTimes.com: "Amazon.com, one of the nation’s largest bookstores, said Monday that for the last three months, sales of electronic books for the Kindle, Amazon’s e-reader, outnumbered sales of hardcover books for the first time.

The fact that e-books now outsell hardcover books is “astonishing when you consider that we’ve been selling hardcover books for 15 years, and Kindle books for 33 months,” Amazon’s chief executive, Jeffrey P. Bezos, said in a statement.

In the quarter, Amazon said it sold 143 Kindle books for every 100 hardcover books, including hardcovers for which there is no Kindle edition. That number includes the last four weeks, when sales increased to 180 electronic books for every 100 hardcover copies."

Auto East...Rick West

In the urban cities of India, the traditional man-powered rickshaws are becoming extinct. Even the auto-rickshaws are being banned in come places. Everyone wants to go around in a car.

NYT has an article about NYers who are moving around and hauling people and goods on tricycles. It is a great story and something to pull for. If only the Indians started to walk or bike more and used the auto less!

Spokes | Hauling Cargo, No Car Necessary - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com: "It’s literally a car,” said Ms. Rose, a fashion designer who regularly commutes on the trike in heels and a dress from her home in TriBeCa to her office in the fashion district. She says the machine has changed her life.

“I figured out the key to New York,” she said. “It’s a trike that hauls your stuff.”

Ms. Rose is one of a small but growing number of New Yorkers who are using bicycles and tricycles not only as personal transportation but also as near replacements for cars, taxis or the subway to carry children, pets, groceries, lazy spouses and more up and down the city’s new bike lanes."

A Roadside View of the East

Anyone visiting the East, especially China or India, will be awestruck by the amount and size of the roadways being built. Even in India, where infrastructure development is slow, numerous highways are being built and commissioned for use.

On the other hand, WSJ has an interesting report on the conversion of some asphalt roads to gravel because the local governments are short of money. Clearly, corporate profits are booming, and quite a few folks are making a lot of money, especially the bankers. It is to be expected that a few areas will be well supported, but many parts of the country will be hard hit by lack of tax dollars. Infrastructure will be one of the casualties of this bifurcation in the USA.

Economic Crisis Forces Local Governments to Let Asphalt Roads Return to Gravel - WSJ.com:... "'When [counties] had lots of money, they paved a lot of the roads and tried to make life easier for the people who lived out here,' said Stutsman County Highway Superintendant Mike Zimmerman, sifting the dusty black rubble through his fingers. 'Now, it's catching up to them.'

Outside this speck of a town, pop. 78, a 10-mile stretch of road had deteriorated to the point that residents reported seeing ducks floating in potholes, Mr. Zimmerman said. As the road wore out, the cost of repaving became too great. Last year, the county spent $400,000 on an RM300 Caterpillar rotary mixer to grind the road up, making it look more like the old homesteader trail it once was.
...
Paved roads, historical emblems of American achievement, are being torn up across rural America and replaced with gravel or other rough surfaces as counties struggle with tight budgets and dwindling state and federal revenue. State money for local roads was cut in many places amid budget shortfalls....

In Michigan, at least 38 of the 83 counties have converted some asphalt roads to gravel in recent years. Last year, South Dakota turned at least 100 miles of asphalt road surfaces to gravel. Counties in Alabama and Pennsylvania have begun downgrading asphalt roads to cheaper chip-and-seal road, also known as 'poor man's pavement.' Some counties in Ohio are simply letting roads erode to gravel."

This song is melodious...

Op-Ed Columnist - Tweet Less, Kiss More - NYTimes.com: "There’s a character in the August Wilson play “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” who says everyone has a song inside of him or her, and that you lose sight of that song at your peril. If you get out of touch with your song, forget how to sing it, you’re bound to end up frustrated and dissatisfied."

Easy loans don't add to easy Sentiment

Financial Institutions are back to their old tricks, making loans to high-risk borrowers and converting homes to ATMs. But consumer sentiment plunged earlier this month, easy money notwithstanding.

Signs of Risky Lending Emerge - WSJ.com: "Fannie Mae, seized by the U.S. government in 2008 to avert the mortgage company's failure, launched an initiative in January that allows some first-time home buyers to get a loan with a down payment of as little as $1,000. Securities firm Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, a brokerage operation jointly owned by Morgan Stanley and Citigroup Inc., is offering some clients home-equity credit lines of as much as $2.5 million.

Credit-card issuers mailed 84.8 million offers of plastic to U.S. subprime borrowers in the first six months of this year, up from 43.7 million a year earlier, estimates research firm Synovate. Nearly 8% of loans for new cars in the latest quarter went to borrowers with the lowest range of credit scores, up from 6.2% in 2009's fourth quarter, according to J.D. Power & Associates and Fair Isaac Corp."

Survey: Consumers' mood lowest in 11 months - Business - Consumer news - msnbc.com: "U.S. consumer sentiment weakened in early July to its lowest in 11 months on a resurgence in fears about the economy, a year since the recovery began, a private survey released Friday showed.
The reversal in consumer sentiment was dramatic after it reached its strongest level in nearly 2-1/2 years last month on hopes of better job and credit conditions, according to Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's Surveys of Consumers."

Goldman Sachs - $550 Million tap on the wrist

Goldman to pay $550M to settle civil fraud charges - Yahoo! Finance: "Goldman Sachs & Co. has agreed to pay $550 million to settle civil fraud charges that accused the Wall Street giant of misleading buyers of mortgage-related investments."

/*** It should be noted that for the three month period ending March 31, 2010, GS's net income was $3,456 Million Dollars. Thus GS is paying about 16% of its quarterly earnings or 4% of its one-year earnings (on a pro-rated basis) for its misdeeds...in the grand scheme of things, a small price to pay for allegedly "misleading" buyers ***/

"This settlement is a stark lesson to Wall Street firms that no product is too complex, and no investor too sophisticated, to avoid a heavy price if a firm violates the fundamental principles of honest treatment and fair dealing," said Robert Khuzami, the SEC's enforcement director.

/*** If Khuzami things that 4% of one year earnings is a heavy price to pay, he is living in a fool's paradise. This is just a tap on the wrist. ***/

Competent Teachers and Competitive Salaries

Teacher salaries are in the news...and teacher bashing is not far behind.

According to the Chicago Tribune 4% of teachers statewide, "About 4 percent of teachers statewide earned $100,000 or more — 5,457 teachers — but the vast majority worked in the Chicago suburbs, with heavy concentrations in north Cook, DuPage and Lake counties. In all, 32 Chicago-area districts paid at least 20 percent of their teachers six figures — five times the state average." Interestingly few faculty in our College make six figures. A few associations have raised objections to these teacher salaries.

What should the faculty salaries be compared to? Relative to the CEOs, where a Carly Fiorina can make a mess of HP and still walk away with $20 million or more, or a Dick Fuld can amass millions in salary and bonus while Lehman went bankrupt, the top teachers are a bargain.

Jeffrey Pfeffer, in his book "What Were They Thinking?" proposes that the CEO compensation keep going up because every CEO claims to be "better than the average" and the Board believes that the CEO it has hired is "better than the average" so he/she has to be paid higher than the average. The result is that the average compensation keeps going up. Similar logic applies to the compensation of managers and coaches in major league sports. Perhaps the CEOs and the managers need to go back to school and learn about statistics.

Illinois teacher salaries: Some educators in suburban Chicago earning more than $100,000 - chicagotribune.com: "In the Chicago region, $100,000 salaries are most common in fields ranging from algebra, biology and U.S. history to art, instrumental music and physical education.

The Tribune examined salary information for nearly 132,000 full-time Illinois teachers who worked a traditional nine- or 10-month school year in 2008-09. Salaries provided by the Illinois State Board of Education encompass all earnings, including extra stipends for coaching and sponsoring school clubs as well as retirement perks."—About 4 percent of teachers statewide earned $100,000 or more — 5,457 teachers — but the vast majority worked in the Chicago suburbs, with heavy concentrations in north Cook, DuPage and Lake counties. In all, 32 Chicago-area districts paid at least 20 percent of their teachers six figures — five times the state average.

—Districts used taxpayer dollars to pay $100,000 salaries even as they struggled with red ink. A third of districts with unusually high concentrations of teachers making six figures — at least 10 percent of teachers — posted operating deficits in 2008-09, according to state financial data.

—Six-figure teachers were unevenly distributed, with high school teachers making up 60 percent of the group — more than double their representation in the teaching force. Affluent suburban districts had the largest concentrations of six-figure teachers. Less than 1 percent of Chicago Public School teachers earned $100,000 or more in 2009.Elected school board members determine the appropriate pay for teachers, said Ken Swanson, president of the Illinois Education Association, and take into consideration the characteristics of the school community, including housing costs.

"In a high-wealth, high-cost-of-living district, if you want a teacher to be a resident in, or close to, the community, they're going to need to have compensation that allows them that option," Swanson said.

Teacher salaries are based on a pay scale that gives pay hikes for acquiring more years of experience, college credits and degrees. It's not unusual for teachers to get double-digit raises in one year when they can combine hikes for both education and experience. It's also common to boost pay by coaching sports teams.

A now-retired physical education teacher and longtime football coach at Addison Trail High School in DuPage County earned more than $184,000 in 2008-09 — the highest teacher salary in the Tribune's analysis. He had 35 years of teaching experience and a master's degree, all factors that boosted his salary.

Maine Township High School District 207 in Cook County posted an operating deficit of more than $10 million in 2008-09 and has laid off staff and increased class sizes, said Mary Kalou, assistant superintendent for business. The district twice asked the teachers union to reopen talks on reducing salaries but got no for an answer, according to Kalou.

Likewise, Glenbard Township High School District 87 in DuPage asked its union to reopen contract talks "and they were not interested in doing it,'' said Chris McClain, the assistant superintendent for business services. Glenbard is cutting staff and reducing costs as it projects declining revenues and reserves in the next five years. A third of its teachers earned $100,000 or more in 2009.

Elsewhere, teachers in Lyons Township High School District 204 recently agreed to a partial pay freeze for 2010-11, though the pay schedule still allows for double-digit pay hikes in some circumstances. About 38 percent of the district's teachers earned salaries of $100,000 or more in 2008-09.

The district is in good financial condition, said director of business services David Sellers, and "our ability to afford what we're paying our teachers is pretty much unquestionable."

Lake County's Township High School District 113 is working on a plan to reduce pay increases related to experience and education for new hires beginning in July 2011, said Barry Bolek, assistant superintendent for finance.

Though the district is in solid financial condition, it has been cutting expenses because of the economy.

In Lake County's Community High School District 128, based in Vernon Hills, about 41 percent of teachers earned six figures in 2009, making the district competitive with other affluent and high-performing districts in the area, said Superintendent Prentiss Lea..."

A Question of Values...

Heated debate over proposed Islamic center in DuPage - Chicago Breaking News: "Neighbor Jackie Sitkiewicz, whose property borders the west and north side of the Islamic center site, said lower property values were a major concern.

'This is not a question of religion, race or the history of the United States of America,' she said. 'This is a question of zoning. This is a residential property. I have owned this property since 1978. On Aug. 6, 2008, by the stroke of a pen (when Haque bought the house), that was taken away from us because our property values are going down now."

Stroll(er)Obesity

The country's obesity problem is 'wide'ly known these days. The fact that the obesity problem has afflicted food (giant burgers), housing (McMansions), transportation (Chevy Yukon/Cadillac Escalade) is also well-known. That the obesity problem has spread to Strollers hit this blogger right in the knees when he was out running. He was stymied by a wide stroller that occupied the entire width of the walk/run path, with the lady of the stroller also walking a dog alongside the stroller.

A quick search on Amazon yielded one example of a "middle of the line" stroller. The feature set on the stroller is quite filling...

/* Bold face and Italics are mine and are not present in the original source material. The reviewer, however, is responsible for abuse of the language by using the contraction It's in place of the possessive Its */

Amazon.com: Stroll-Air DUO 4 Wheel Double Twin Baby Stroller: Baby: "FEATURES: - lightweight aluminum cassis - two independent reversible seats - front and back suspension - two seperate hoods with sun protection extension - full reclining seats - adjustable footrest - adjustable, removable fron bars - quick release wheels - 360 rotating front wheels with locking mechanism - large shopping basket - adjustable handle height - mesh vent in hoods - 5 point adjustable safety harness INCLUDES: - aluminum chassis - 2 stroller seats - 2 hoods - 2 foot covers - Diaper bag - 2 mosquito nets - 2 rain covers and pump

WEIGHT AND DIMENSIONS:- Stroller chassis 13 lbs (18 lbs with wheels) - Stroller seat: 4 lbs - Stroller seat with wheels, seats and hoods 26 lbs - Width: 29 inches - Handle height adjustable from 27 to 44 inches - Folded Size: 29x29x10 inches - Backrest Height: 22 inches - Footrest Length: 11 inches - Seat Width: 12 inches - Seat Depth: 8 Inches - Seat to Hood Top: 24 inches

If one is curious about the requirements of the Strollerolling moms, the following review from Amazon provides great food for thought.

/* Bold face and Italics are that of the blogger and are not present in the original source material. The Amazon reviewer, however, is responsible for abuse of the language by using the contraction It's in place of the possessive Its */

The Stroll-Air My Duo Stroller is a side by side stroller that can go the full distance for twins. With the purchase of high and low car seat adapters, it can take two car seats for all those store and doctor visits. It can be used without car seats from day one with infants too, thanks to it's full recline seats. It even has optional basinette / carry cots. In fact, it goes beyond what I dared to dream about in a stroller, with it's the ability to reverse the seats. Face both little ones forward, face both little ones to the rear, or face one forward and one rear so they can essentially face one another. Reversing the seats is easy too. Presto Chango. In merely seconds you press the buttons, pop it off, flip it, and pop it back on.

So what else did I want in my fantasy stroller? I wanted it light yet sturdy, compact and easy to fold yet roomy enough and comfortable, easy to push, and easy to keep organized. Oh and since this is a fantasy and all; let's throw in sturdy rain covers, bug netting, foot muffs, positionable foot rests, fully adjustable seat backs, mesh vented generous sun shades, an adjustable height stroller handle and fully rotating yet lockable wheels. Throw in a matching high quality diaper bag with both shoulder and stroller straps too.

While I dared to dream, the people at Stroll-air were clearly waving their magic wands and chanting bippity boppity or something because the Stroll-Air My Duo is pretty much a dream come true for twin parents. It has everything I listed above and probably a few more I've neglected to mention.

Since it was sent to me by Stroll-Air for review, I've been putting this double stroller through the ringer with the help of my twins of course. I've taken it to track meets, Target, the Zoo, muddy fields, grassy back yards, all about the neighborhood, and right inside the front door of my home. The stroller handled each space and place wonderfully. And I'm happy to confirm that at 29 inches wide, it fits through any standard doorway without issue. It's two 12-inch foam tires in back, and two 8-inch foam tires in front are more then adequate for any place I've explored with it, but if you are into really serious off-roading air tires are an add-on said to be coming soon.

While I was in the process of writing this review, I received an email from someone considering this stroller that had a few questions. One of her concerns was with the width of the seats being adequate for a 2-3 year old child. You'll note in my included pictures that my twins are just shy of that 2 year mark and have plenty of room still. I've also included a picture of my 9 year old daughter sitting in it. She's well beyond the weight requirements and stroller riding stage but I thought this photo (for demonstration purposes only) might help people with sizing perspective. I find it adequate for a child up to the weight limits of this stroller.

There are several add-on options available and more to come. I'd highly suggest the Stroll-Air Double Stroller Universal Organizer. You can use it to organize and carry a variety of items and it was a total life-saver when we took our recent trip to the zoo. I think I had 6 cups in it at one point.

A deal breaker for me (with any stroller) would be if it didn't fit in the back of my 3 row Buick Enclave without the need to fold down a row of the car. I have 5 children in total and need ever single seat. I'm also not a fan of having to pop the seats or wheels off the stroller chassis each time I run in some place for two seconds. The moment of truth came and the Stroll-Air My Duo passed. Positioned on it's side it fits in the back of my car (wheels and seats on) it fits with enough room for a diaper bag and a couple other small items. The fold is a touch tricky the first couple times but both hubby and I have got it down now.

YUM!my for Shareholders

Yum!, the owner of KFC and Pizza Hut, reported strong sales and earnings, driven by International markets, especially China. On CNBC the CEO pointed to Innovation as the potential driver for jobs in the U.S. On the other hand, it is clear that companies are going to invest, in people and capital equipment, where there is growth.

Yum! Brands Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2010 EPS of $0.58, 17% Increase Excluding Special Items Driven by Strong China Growth; Raises Full Year 2010 EPS Growth to 12%, Excluding Special Items - Yahoo! Finance: "David C. Novak, Chairman and CEO said, “I’m pleased to report we expect to deliver 12% EPS growth this year, making 2010 the 9th consecutive year we meet or exceed our annual target of at least 10%. We followed up a strong first quarter with second quarter EPS growth of 17%, before special items. This was fueled by profit growth in each of our three divisions, including exceptional growth of 33% in China. Overall, system sales grew by 4% and worldwide operating profit increased 21%, prior to foreign currency translation benefit and special items. A key driver of our overall growth continues to be new unit development in China and Yum! Restaurants International. We continue to expect to open about 1,400 international units this year and remain the industry’s leading international new unit developer."

No Credit for this Kind of Performance...

More Americans' credit scores sink to new lows - Yahoo! Finance: "Figures provided by FICO Inc. show that 25.5 percent of consumers -- nearly 43.4 million people -- now have a credit score of 599 or below, marking them as poor risks for lenders. It's unlikely they will be able to get credit cards, auto loans or mortgages under the tighter lending standards banks now use."

Recreational Education

Those of us in the education business watch, with acute discomfort, the growth in hiring and salaries on the administrative side while the teaching side lags behind.

Share of College Spending for Recreation Is Rising - NYTimes.com: "American colleges are spending a declining share of their budgets on instruction and more on administration and recreational facilities for students, according to a study of college costs released Friday.

The report, based on government data, documents a growing stratification of wealth across America’s system of higher education.

At the top of the pyramid are private colleges and universities, which educate a small portion of the nation’s students, while public universities and community colleges, where tuitions are rising most rapidly, serve greater numbers and have fewer resources."

Analytical Reasoning - Free Market Style

Economists, journalists, market gurus, consultants, and researchers of all types are using one hand and then the other in trying to explain the U.S. job situation. The first point to be made is that the situation is complex, and keeping the faith is not enough (Billy Joel's fine song notwithstanding).

Data Point # 1: U.S. Lags in Job Growth - WSJ.com: "One year into the global recovery, the U.S. is lagging far behind other major economies in restoring jobs lost in the recession.

A Wall Street Journal analysis of employment trends in 11 countries suggests that manageable debt burdens and healthy banking systems—areas in which the U.S. doesn't excel—are proving to be crucial factors in creating jobs.
Brazil and Chile, neither of which suffered banking crises, have seen the strongest job growth since the beginning of the recession, according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the International Labor Organization. In April, total employment in the two Latin American countries was up 4.5% and 6.8% from December 2007, respectively...Proximity to the booming economies of Asia has helped job creation in some cases. Australia has managed to boost total employment by 3.7% through May, thanks in part to trade in commodities such as iron ore with Asian countries that never went into recession.
Australia's banks also emerged from the financial crisis largely unscathed.
By contrast, total employment in the U.S. in June was down 4.8% from December 2007. Businesses have been reluctant to hire amid difficulties getting loans from financially wounded banks and uncertainty about how long it will take consumers—a key driver of the U.S. economy—to pare down their large debt loads..." (bold font added by blogger for emphasis).

***When did the WSJ suddenly wake up and realize that the U.S. does not have excel in manageable debt burdens and healthy banking systems? Did a healthy U.S. banking system suddenly become unhealthy? How did the disciples of Adam Smith suddenly end up with unmanageable debt burdens? What happened during the times of the great free market mavens George Bush, Greenspan and Helicopter Ben?***

Data Point # 2:BofA Says It Incorrectly Hid Debt - WSJ.com: "Bank of America Corp. admitted to making six transactions that incorrectly hid from view billions of dollars of debt, following a bid to cut the size of a unit's balance sheet and meet internal financial targets.

The disclosure, made in a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission, comes as the agency prepares to unveil the results of an inquiry into banks' accounting for borrowing deals known as repurchase agreements, or 'repos.' ...
The bank's disclosure also suggests the trades may be an example of end-of-quarter 'window dressing' on Wall Street, in which banks temporarily shed debt just before reporting their finances to the public. The practice, which The Wall Street Journal has uncovered in a series of articles, suggests the banks are carrying more risk most of the time than their investors or customers can easily see, and then juggling it during quarter-end reporting of financials."

***So, the banking system is not getting healthy, but continuing to abuse the public trust and money***

Data Point # 3: Why Andy Grove Is Wrong About Job Growth - BusinessWeek: "Third, the majority of new jobs created in the U.S. aren't created by companies like Intel, but by startups. The Kauffman Foundation's analysis of Census Bureau statistics shows that net job growth in the U.S. economy occurs only through startup firms. From 1977 to 2005, existing companies were net job destroyers, losing 1 million net jobs per year. In contrast, new outfits in their first year added an average of 3 million jobs annually."

***Wadhwa claims that startups drive job growth and multinationals like Intel are net job destroyers.***

Data Point # 4:Immigration Can Fuel U.S. Innovation—and Job Growth - BusinessWeek: "...Take a recent study by the McKinsey Global Institute on U.S. multinational corporations. In Growth and competitiveness in the United States: The role of its multinational companies, the consulting firm notes that big business comprises less than 1 percent all U.S. companies, yet the 2,270 multinational corporations in its database accounted for 31 percent of the growth in inflation-adjusted gross domestic product from 1990 to 2007. Even more important, U.S. multinational corporations have contributed 41 percent of gains in labor productivity since 1990—and 53 percent of the productivity increases during expansions...."

***Chris Farrell cites the august McKinsey- that multinationals account for disproportionately high share of growth and productivity...but Wadhwa claims that these multinationals are job destroyers. If startups are creating massive numbers of jobs, that should drive or be driven by growth. Companies like Apple, Google, CAT, and others are delivering the growth, and small businesses and startups are struggling. The ones that make it to a certain level are trying to cash in by selling to the large firms.***

Data Point # 5:Immigration Can Fuel U.S. Innovation—and Job Growth - BusinessWeek: "The consultants highlight the role immigrants play in bolstering the competitiveness of American multinationals, especially helping the U.S. 'lead the world in the number of engineers, scientists, and business professionals who are ready to work in a multinational company.'..It's well-known that America's high-tech economy has prospered thanks largely to highly educated foreigners. But the degree that the nation's cutting-edge industries, from semiconductors to biotechnology, depend on immigrant scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to remain competitive is stunning. For example, a quarter of the engineering and technology companies started in the U.S. from 1995 to 2005 had at least one founder who was foreign-born, according to research by scholars Vivek Wadhwa, Annalee Saxenian, Ben Rissing, and Gary Gereffi. In Silicon Valley, America's epicenter of technological innovation, the percentage of immigrant-founded startups reached 52 percent of total new companies over the same period."

***The key question is the trend of employment at these startups. What is the survival rate and how many of the survivors sell to the multinationals?***

Data Point # 6: Small business cautious about hiring - chicagotribune.com: "...Intuit Inc., a Mountain View, Calif., provider of payroll services for small employers, says the nation's tiniest companies had fewer new hires last month than anytime since October.
The data are further evidence of a trend that has had many economists worried for months and intensifies concerns that smaller firms may not be robust enough to help lead the country out of its financial slump. The slowdown in hiring is particularly troublesome, experts say, because small businesses typically hire first during a recovery. A reluctance by little companies to add positions could mean that the big firms, which typically lag behind, will add jobs even more gradually..."

***Expecting start-ups and small businesses to deliver fast job growth does not appear to be realistic***

Data Point # 7:Businesses step up criticism of Obama's agenda - Yahoo! News: "...The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a lobby that represents big businesses, is to lay out its concerns with Obama's policies at a 'jobs for America' summit Wednesday in Washington. Chamber CEO Tom Donohue is to issue an open letter to Obama and Congress that will urge 'immediate action to address the new regulatory stranglehold placed on America's job creators.'
Douglas Holtz-Eakin, an economist who was a top adviser to 2008 Republican presidential candidate John McCain, said Obama's agenda has 'nothing in it' for the business community...In comments that echoed those of some prominent chief executives and business groups, Holtz-Eakin called Obama's recently passed healthcare plan and proposed legislation to cap carbon emissions examples of regulatory overreach. He also said large budget deficits are spurring uncertainty and worries among businesses about the potential for higher taxes...

Ivan Seidenberg, chief executive of Verizon Communications, in a speech last month said there was a 'disconnect' between Washington and the business community that is harming job growth...The sweeping financial regulatory reform that is close to passage in Congress is another point of criticism for some groups representing business and finance..."

***data point # 2 clearly hits home the point that the finance industry continues to engage in shenanigans. However the Chamber of Commerce continues to pound Obama for trying to put some measly regulations to restrain the monster. In this effort the COC is ably supported by the WSJ ***

___________________________________________

It is wise for everyone, especially the COC and the WSJ, to take note of Dr. Grove's observation - "...Most Americans probably aren't aware that there was a time in this country when tanks and cavalry were massed on Pennsylvania Avenue to chase away the unemployed. It was 1932; thousands of jobless veterans were demonstrating outside the White House. Soldiers with fixed bayonets and live ammunition moved in on them, and herded them away from the White House. In America! Unemployment is corrosive. If what I'm suggesting sounds protectionist, so be it...."

P.S. the bold font that appears in this post is added by the blogger for emphasis- it does not appear in the quoted articles.

Getting Run Over...by Metra

When one gets run over once too often everything appears normal.

Metra: Pay raises for execs, fare hikes for public - chicagotribune.com: "...Former Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano received pay raises and awarded extra compensation to himself and his top executives while the agency was freezing the salaries of lower-level employees and asking the public to pay higher fares, records show..."

Job Problem brings out the Wadhwas in people

Why Andy Grove Is Wrong About Job Growth - BusinessWeek...by Vivek Wadhwa, who appears to be well-qualified to teach in the BeckU.

Vivek Wadhwa, yet another proponent of free market economics, wrote in BusinessWeek that Andy Grove was wrong about jobs. Dr. Grove led Intel - a company that arguably has been at the core of technology innovation, and has given the U.S. the technology edge over the past thirty years. To call Dr. Grove wrong is arrogance- Wadhwa has never created jobs on the same scale as Dr. Grove.

Wadhwa recycles the same old argument that since the large companies get large chunks of revenues from other countries, a trade war will cost American companies money and Americans jobs. What he fails to observe is the % of profits that are generated in the U.S. versus other markets. A crooked argument which any smart person would not put forward.

While Dr. Grove talks about manufacturing jobs- the type of jobs Intel created in its fabs, Wadhwa dismisses the argument by citing the worker conditions and suicides at Foxconn.

So what is Wadhwa's Rx? "We need to have the concept of lifelong education become part of our culture." When folks with PhDs are unable to find jobs, the message to them is - lifelong education? Perhaps he is unaware that continuous process improvement and lifelong learning have been embraced by many firms- some of whom have laid off the very employees who participated in these activities. Another Wadhwa's Rx is "...Clearly, not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur, but a significant proportion of the workforce can be taught to start successful companies and create jobs." In other words, the jobless should become entrepreneurs and hire others. What kind of an idiot would use the phrase "a significant proportion of the workforce?" What is significant?

After making a couple of other incorrect recommendations, Wadhwa closes with "...we need to provide incentives to American companies to keep research in the U.S..." Appears that free market proponents like Wadhwa never hesitate to ask government to provide incentives. Perhaps he is unaware that the U.S. is running massive deficits, and providing incentives and tax breaks has not produced much job benefits (the failure of American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 to create jobs is an example).

Wadhwa falls into the halo trap that is described brilliantly by Phil Rosenzweig - he justifies his claims with the line "My team's research has shown that most high-growth companies are founded by middle-aged workers..."

Dr. Andy Grove made excellent points in his piece. The government needs to get money from firms that generate revenues here but have their employee base in other countries, in order to provide incentives to firms to create jobs locally. Whether the money should come from higher taxes on imported products, as proposed by Dr. Grove, or from higher taxes on profits can be analyzed.

Have an Education Problem? BeckU+Fox+WSJ have God's solution.

Today's WSJ provides a good study of the fundamental problems facing the country.

Mohamed A. El-Erian makes some good observations in "The Real Tragedy of Persistent Unemployment- It erodes the skills of the labor force and reduces future productivity" in the WSJ. However all his recommendations are for "policymakers"- he suggests that they come up with a "comprehensive strategy that focuses on improving human capital, particularly through a greater emphasis on education and training; expanding infrastructure and technology investments, ..." Through this, lawmakers can apparently help "companies and individuals navigate" the current situation.

Mr. Lechleiter, CEO of Eli Lilly and Company, in his WSJ piece, "America's Growing Innovation Gap-We've fallen behind according to studies and my experience as a CEO. Here's how to reclaim our edge." suggests three policies necessary to cultivate innovation. He writes that "First, with our kids falling further behind on international comparisons in education, we've got to get serious about broad improvement in science and math instruction in our grade schools and high schools."

How do the WSJ and its partner FOX deliver this education? The WSJ opinion pages today have the following pieces (in addition to the above stated ones):

• Obama and the Chicago Machine- Testimony in the Blagojevich trial shows the White House in an unflattering light.
• The Obama-Pelosi Lame Duck Strategy - Union 'card-check,' cap and trade, and so much more.
• The White House Gets Drilled
• An Obama Home Run- He picks a fighting general for Centcom. (Apparently WSJ does not want to be caught doing a Steele)
• Our Pro-Business President- The White House says he's misunderstood. (this piece ends by saying that "no one in business will trust any of this as long as Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid run Congress).

These are the types of "opinion" pieces that are supposed to further education in the country?

FOX is certainly not going to trail WSJ in educating the public. The latest is the offering from its star performer- the BeckU education. Mr. Beck's website advertises itself as "The Future of Entertainment and Enlightenment." What an idea! Beck is the Christian Buddha- the Enlightened One.

Glenn Beck - Current Events & Politics - Announcing Beck University: "This July, while others are relaxing poolside, head back to the classroom - from the comfort of your own home. That may sound like an oxymoron but Glenn’s new academic program is only available online.

Offered exclusively to Insider Extreme subscribers, Beck University is a unique academic experience bringing together experts in the fields of religion, American history and economics. Through captivating lectures and interactive online discussions, these experts will explore the concepts of Faith, Hope and Charity and show you how they influence America’s past, her present and most importantly her future."

Video: Glenn Beck makes self-described 'outrageous claim' of an Obama voter intimidation conspiracy: "Then Beck somehow jumps to Robert Byrd and his filibuster of the 1964 Civil Rights Act (completely ignoring the significant political shift which took place after 1964), and proceeds to talk about the Obama administration's recent decision to challenge the Arizona immigration law.� Under Beck's theory, the Obama administration is challenging the law as part of the voter intimidation scheme.� To 'support' this idea (support used in truly the most liberal sense of the word) Beck plays a clip from the SEIU Vice President in which he talks about race.� The SEIU Vice President is not speaking about the Arizona immigration law, or voter intimidation, or the Obama administration, yet somehow this links everything together for Beck.�
At the end, Beck himself admits that he is about to make an 'outrageous claim,' but he proceeds to make it anyway.� Beck accuses the President of purposefully making blacks and Hispanics fearful of white people so that he can gain votes.� Beck provides no evidence from the Obama administration itself, and fails to even provide any evidence of any union boss purposefully trying to make minorities afraid of white people."

***

Unfortunately, the few who have the guts to speak up are stomped on, while the FOXy WSJ and their ilk write about Education.

GOP leaders let demagogues set tone, lawmaker says | World news | guardian.co.uk: "I think we have a lot of leaders that are following those (television and talk radio) personalities and not leading,' he said. 'What it takes to lead is to say, 'You know, that's just not right.''

Inglis said the rhetoric also distracts from the real problems that politicians should be trying to resolve, such as budget deficits and energy security.

'It's a real concern, because I think what we're doing is dividing the country into partisan camps that really look a lot like Shia and Sunni,' he said, referring to the two predominant Islamic denominations that have feuded for centuries. 'It's very difficult to come together to find solutions.'

Inglis' refusal to join in on the Obama-bashing of the far right played a big role in his landslide defeat on June 22. Leading up to the election, he frequently challenged voters who questioned the president's citizenship or patriotism. At one town hall meeting, he was jeered for saying that Beck, a Fox News Channel host, is a divisive fearmonger..."

Coal Industry blasts mountaintops, blackens Ashley Judd

Poster showing topless Ashley Judd in Ky. mocks actress for opposing mountaintop coal mining - chicagotribune.com: "A topless photo of Ashley Judd emblazoned on a poster that mocks the actress' outspoken opposition to mountaintop removal mining was on display at a coal industry-sponsored golf tournament in Kentucky.

'Ashley Judd makes a living removing her top, why can't coal miners?' the 5-by-3-foot poster reads in bold, black letters. It was hanging at a golf tournament Wednesday at StoneCrest Golf Course in Prestonsburg, Ky.

Judd said in a speech last month to the National Press Club that mountaintop removal, which blasts the tops off mountains to extract coal, is the "rape of Appalachia."

She also referred to golf courses that have been built atop former mining sites, like StoneCrest.

"I'm not too keen on reinforcing stereotypes about my people, but I don't know a lot of hillbillies who golf," Judd said in the June 9 speech. The actress, who spent her childhood in eastern Kentucky and attended the University of Kentucky, said she is "proud of being a hillbilly."

Judd said in a statement that she anticipated criticism from "cunning and greedy" coal companies when speaking out against mountaintop mining.

"It is time to retire the cynical and superficial coal company-created argument that we must choose between people, their jobs, and our mountains," Judd said. "That is simply false, fear-based and fear-mongering."

The actress, who has starred in the Hollywood films "A Time to Kill" and "Where the Heart Is," said she will continue her vocal opposition to the mining practice.

Two coal industry groups sponsored the tournament, Friends of Coal and the Pikeville-based Coal Operators and Associates. Its president, David Gooch, said he does not know who created the sign, first reported by WYMT-TV in Hazard.

But Gooch said Thursday that many Appalachians are angry over Judd's criticisms because they see it as an attack on their livelihoods and culture.

"If you're an eastern Kentuckian, if you're a hillbilly — if that's what you want to call yourself — you don't go around and ridicule and denigrate the other people of the area," Gooch said.

Paul Hughes, assistant general manager at the StoneCrest Golf Course, said he heard no complaints about the poster.

"All the people that was here yesterday, they was all for it," he said.

Judd is one of many artists, including musicians Dave Matthews and EmmyLou Harris, who have been outspoken about the controversial mining practice."

Facebook-ing India

A few months ago, I did a guest lecture in a marketing course in India, and the students discussed the evolution of the SNS (social networking sites) and their future. Looking at the data, both from a macro level and from their individual and collective actions, it was clear that Orkut was going to be stranded as the masses deserted it. Twitter versus Facebook posed a tough choice. The time spent by my students on Facebook swamps the time spent on Twitter. As Facebook makes more efforts to "monetize" it is interesting to see the effects.

Facebook Makes Headway Around the World - NYTimes.com: "Sergey Brin, a Google founder, takes issue with people who say Google has failed to gain a foothold in social networking. Google has had successes, he often says, especially with Orkut, the dominant service in Brazil and India.

Mr. Brin may soon have to revise his answer.

Facebook, the social network service that started in a Harvard dorm room just six years ago, is growing at a dizzying rate around the globe, surging to nearly 500 million users, from 200 million users just 15 months ago.

It is pulling even with Orkut in India, where only a year ago, Orkut was more than twice as large as Facebook. In the last year, Facebook has grown eightfold, to eight million users, in Brazil, where Orkut has 28 million.

"In country after country, Facebook is cementing itself as the leader and often displacing other social networks, much as it outflanked MySpace in the United States. In Britain, for example, Facebook made the formerly popular Bebo all but irrelevant, forcing AOL to sell the site at a huge loss two years after it bought it for $850 million. In Germany, Facebook surpassed StudiVZ, which until February was the dominant social network there.

With his typical self-confidence, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s 26-year-old chief executive, recently said it was “almost guaranteed” that the company would reach a billion users.

Though he did not say when it would reach that mark, the prediction was not greeted with the skepticism that had met his previous boasts of fast growth."