If you still have a job, or are looking at “career opportunities” in fast food, the Minimum wage climbs 70 cents tomorrow to $7.25 per hour.

Of course, the Cato Institute will assign all jobs lost from this point forward to the rise in the minimum wage, the total disaster that the Shrubbery left behind will have nothing to do with it.

A couple of stories of interest that the BBC:

Microsoft profits down by a third

Microsoft has reported disappointing results for the April to June quarter, with profits down by almost a third.

Net profit for the period was $3.1bn (£1.9bn), down by 29% from the same period a year earlier. Revenue came in at $13.1bn, down 17% from a year ago.

The results were worse than analysts had been expecting.

The world’s largest software maker said it had been affected by weakness in the global personal computer (PC) and server markets.

Couldn’t happen to to a “nicer” company. If they spent as much on R&D as they do on lawyers, they might have some decent products that people wanted to buy, rather than the “cash cows” people are forced to buy when they want a name brand PC.

Of a good deal more interest is another report from TED: Wireless power system shown off.

This is on the work from WiTricity, which is actually fairly simple if you’ve had high school physics. It is essentially the same process that is used for radio or television broadcasting, except it uses extremely long wave lengths. It beats the hell out of looking for batteries in the middle of the night for a keyboard or a mouse.

Jimmy Carter, the only real Democrat elected to the Presidency since LBJ, has broken with the Southern Baptist Convention and explains his action at Comment Is Free: The words of God do not justify cruelty to women.

A moderate liberal, and, in the eyes of Walter Cronkite the most intelligent President he ever reported on, Carter said what he thought, held to his ideals, and did what he thought was right. Since Carter, almost every politician who calls themselves a Democrat lacks any loyalty to any concept except being elected.

Groucho Marx summed up the current crop of “Democrats” is his quote: “Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them… well, I have others.”

As expected Alberto Contador of Spain won the individual time trials, as he is much better suited to individual events than working with his team.

None of the jerseys changed hands as yellow and white were the only ones in contention on the stage, and the red numbers weren’t awarded because it was an individual event.

The Current Standings:

1. Alberto Contador (E/Astana) 73:15:39 [yellow jersey] stage 18 winner
2. Andy Schleck (LUX/Saxo Bank) +04:11 [white jersey]
3. Lance Armstrong (US/Astana) +05:25
4. Bradley Wiggins (GB/Garmin) +05:36
5. Andréas Klöden (D/Astana) +05:38
6. Frank Schleck (LUX/Saxo Bank) +05:59
7. Vincenzo Nibali (I/Liquigas) +07:15
8. Christian Vande Velde (US/Garmin) +10:08
9. Mikel Astarloza (E/Euskatel) +12:36
10. Christophe Le Mevel (F/Francaise) +12:41

Other selected riders below the fold:

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