Posts from — July 2011

The Local Puppy Trainer tells us that Local jobless rates rose in June; rates also increased across state

David Goetsch, a local economist and vice president for community relations and workforce development at Northwest Florida State College, also expected to see an increase, but for different reasons.

“Because of the looming problem with the budget in Congress where nobody knows if they’re going to compromise, let it fail or raise the debt ceiling, nothing is happening in government,” Goetsch said. “There’s no government spending going on right now. Think of all of the employers nationwide, in the state and locally who have government contracts — nothing is happening. They’re not getting any new contracts and then the contracts they have, they’re not getting paid. Payment is going out to 120 days instead of 30 days. What that’s doing is forcing layoffs.”

Goetsch said he expects to see local jobless rates level off for July. However, depending on what happens in Washington, D.C., he said it is possible another recession could result.

“We’re inching toward that,” Goetsch said.

The rate went up even though the tourist sector was hiring for the summer. We are in deep yogurt, but no one in the DC Bubble seems to have noticed.

The BBC follows up: Scores killed in Norway attacks

At least 84 people died when a gunman opened fire at an island youth camp in Norway, hours after a bombing in the capital Oslo killed seven, police say.

Police have charged a 32-year-old Norwegian man over both attacks.

The man dressed as a police officer was arrested on tiny Utoeya island after an hour-long shooting spree.
…

The suspect is reported by local media to have had links with right-wing extremists. He has been named as Anders Behring Breivik. Police searched his Oslo apartment overnight and are questioning him.

The BBC’s Richard Galpin, near the island, says that Norway has had problems with neo-Nazi groups in the past but the assumption was that such groups had been largely eliminated and did not pose a significant threat.
…

“At Utoeya, the water is still being searched for more victims,” deputy police chief Roger Andresen told reporters.

“We have no more information than… what has been found on [his] own websites, which is that it goes towards the right and that it is, so to speak, Christian fundamentalist.”
…
[Read more →]

Zero is at a loss because Boehner has refused to accept his abject surrender over increasing the debt limit and left the White House capitulation conference.

He may have a meeting scheduled with Tiger Wood’s caddy on the weekend and didn’t want to miss it.

Just a reminder: Boehner, Cantor, and Ryan were all in the House and voted for the Shrubbery’s budgets that added trillions to the debt, and voted to raise the debt ceiling.

The Seattle Times reports FAA shutdown gives airline-ticket buyers a break on taxes

The federal government has left the FAA in limbo — and that will save buyers of airline tickets some money since they won’t have to pay federal taxes on tickets.

Starting Friday at midnight, airlines will not have the authority to collect federal excise ticket taxes since Congress adjourned Friday without approving an FAA funding measure.

Major functions of the Federal Aviation Administration are funded directly by users in the form of excise taxes on tickets. If the taxes aren’t collected, the functions have to be stopped, and employees involved furloughed. There is no way of making up the lost revenues, so the furloughed workers will not be receiving any compensation until the problem is corrected.

Airline passengers should be happy at the cost reduction … until it is no longer safe to fly.

Modane – Alpe d’Huez

Distance: 109.5 kilometers.

This is the last real stage and it is relatively short, so it should be intense. Tomorrow will be the individual time trials followed by the ride into Paris.

It starts with a Category 1 climb up the Col du Telegraphe followed by the steep side of the Hors Catégorie Col du Galibier. They fly down the other side and have a sprint before finishing with the Hors Catégorie climb to Alpe d’Huez.

Because it is relatively short there is no meal break. It will be a test of recuperation, after all of the climbs in Stage 18.

Andy takes the Yellow, and Mark takes another 20 point hit, but holds the Green. Alberto gave it his best shot, but it wasn’t good enough. Samuel Sanchez gets the Polka Dot, while Pierre Rolland takes the stage and the White.

Individual time trials tomorrow, and Paris on Sunday.

Andy Schleck ( Lux – LEO – 011 ) [Yellow] 82h 48′ 43″
Mark Cavendish ( GBr – THR – 171 ) [Green] 280 points
Samuel Sanchez ( Esp – EUS – 021 ) [Polka Dot] 108 points
Pierre Rolland ( Fra – EUC – 188 ) 10 [White]

Team: Garmin-Cervelo ( 051-059 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Pierre Rolland ( Fra – EUC – 188 )
Combative: Alberto Contador ( Esp – SBS – 001 ) [Red numbers]

They’ve gone 3,292.5 kilometers [2,045.9 miles] at an average speed of 39.8 kph [24.7 mph] ↓.

OVERALL STANDINGS:
[Read more →]

From the BBC: Oslo: Bomb blast near Norway prime minister’s office

A large bomb blast has hit near government headquarters in the Norwegian capital Oslo, killing at least one person.

The offices of Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg were damaged extensively – a government spokeswoman said he was safe.

Police said a number of people were injured in the city centre explosion.

No-one has said they were behind the attack, which witnesses said could be heard across the capital.

Television footage from the scene showed rubble and glass from shattered windows in the streets – smoke was rising from some buildings. The wreckage of at least one car was on one street.

All roads into the city centre have been closed, said national broadcaster NRK, and security officials evacuated people from the area, fearing another blast.

“Police can confirm there were deaths and injuries following the explosion in the government quarter this afternoon,” police said in a statement.

This is all preliminary and probably wrong, beyond the obvious fact that something exploded. The media seems to be pointing towards a possible car bomb attack, but until any one injured is located and cared for, the public safety personnel won’t begin an actual investigation into the cause of the blast.

Update: The BBC page at the link is being updated with new information. The latest is a possibly connected shooting at a Norwegian Labour Party youth meeting that the Prime Minister was expected to attend. They are reporting 4 dead from gun fire. At least 2 have died as a result of the blast.

Update 2: An ABC report increases the death toll from the blast to at least 7 and at least 10 dead at the youth rally.

Update 3: From the CBC – Norway camp shooting spree kills 80.

Just For Reference

Axe Murderer!

[Editor: This is a terrible picture, but it is the only full-face shot I have been able to get of the third of the ‘Underhouse” cats, the cats that were born and raised under my house last year. I assume it is a female, but she only appears in the late evening, which confuses the camera, hence the flash and bad focus. The other problem is that I can’t approach or she takes off, so I’m forced to use the camera’s pathetic zoom.]

Friday Ark

The BBC reports that James Murdoch evidence questioned by former executives

Evidence on phone hacking given to MPs by News International chairman James Murdoch has been called into question by two former executives at the firm.

He told the media committee on Tuesday he had not been “aware” of an email suggesting the practice went wider than a “rogue” News of the World reporter.

But ex-NoW editor Colin Myler and ex-NI legal manager Tom Crone have now said they “did inform” him of the email.

Mr Murdoch later said he “stands by his testimony”.

How can anyone be expected to remember the details surrounding every £600,000 check they sign to settle law suits? 😈

The email indicated that the problems at the News of the World extended beyond a single reporter, but why should James worry about such trifles?

I believe the testimony was given under oath, and surely young James wouldn’t perjure himself?

Do Not Vote For People Who Will Not Vote For You.

If You Do Not Or Can Not Know Which Is The Lesser Of Two Evils, Do Not Vote For Either.

In 2008 many people voted for Barack Obama as the lesser of two evils, and they were wrong. If John McCain had won, we wouldn’t be looking at our second world-wide financial disaster in two years, because the House Democrats would have opposed much of the worse legislation he might have proposed. As it is, they are going along with very un-Democratic legislation because the individual in the White House has a ‘D’ after his name.

For reasons known only to him, Zero has decided to attack Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. He is the one who keeps putting them on the table. After the reaction by voters in special elections, the Republicans backed off their attempt via the Ryan budget plan. They had already used claims of reductions in Medicare to beat up Democrats in the 2010 elections, so they have figured out that this is a very potent force, and they don’t want to get involved with it.

Zero is the one pushing it, and any Democrat who supports him on this will lose the support of most Democratic voters. The way Zero is structuring the “deal” on raising the debt ceiling, the Republicans are going to end up as the defenders of the Social Security system, and Democratic Congresscritters will be unelectable.

The Democratic Party can cut Zero loose, or go down to defeat with him in 2012.

Pinerolo – Galibier Serre-Chavalier

Distance: 200.5 kilometers.

This stage should be left for the Sherpas and yaks, not guys on bikes. It starts in Italy and they throw in a sprint early on to warm people up for what is to come; The first climb is Col Agnel, the highest point they will reach on the Tour, and then descend for lunch. Then they climb the Col d’Izoard, make the descent to begin climbing the to the finish at the top of the Galibier.

That’s three Hors Catégorie climbs in a single stage. This is the Haute Alpes, the High Alps, and most of the work is being done over a mile above sea level.

It was the Andy Schleck show today. He has been patiently waiting and made his move today. He is now 15 seconds from the Yellow Jersey.

Alberto Contador lost ground and is now 4 minutes and 44 seconds off the front.

Update: You may notice that Mark Cavendish has only 300 points today, rather than the 320 he had yesterday. The Tour docked him 20 points for being “outside the time” for the stage. Normally riders who are “outside the time” [take too long to finish a stage] are eliminated from the Tour, but as he was in a group of 88 riders, that would have gotten a bit messy. They actually only missed the time by two minutes, but whoever specified the cut off needs a new position, when more than half the field can’t make it.

Thomas Voeckler ( Fra – EUC – 181 ) [Yellow] 79h 34′ 06″
Mark Cavendish ( GBr – THR – 171 ) [Green] 300 points
Jelle Vanendert ( Bel – OLO – 038 ) [Polka Dot] 74 points
Rein Taaramae ( Est – COF – 151 ) 11 [White]

Team: Garmin-Cervelo ( 051-059 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Andy Schleck ( Lux – LEO – 011 )
Combative: Andy Schleck ( Lux – LEO – 011 ) [Red numbers]

They’ve gone 3,183.0 kilometers [1,977.8 miles] at an average speed of 40.0 kph [24.9 mph] ↓.

OVERALL STANDINGS:
[Read more →]

Rupert Murdoch is a naturalized US citizen. News Corp is a US corporation, incorporated in Delaware.

If the News of the World, a division of a US corporation, bribed British police officers the corporation could be in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which, as former Congresscritter ‘Dollar Bill’ Jefferson can tell you, is enough to put one in prison. That is what the FBI is investigating, not the possible hacking of 9-11 victims and their families.

While Rupert told Parliament yesterday that he doesn’t have time to watch individual members of his far-flung empire, in 2007, while the hacking was being uncovered, Rupert told a panel from the House of Lords that he exercised proprietary control of the Sun and News of the World.

News Corp was attempting to expand its holdings in Britain and Europe, so those markets would have been on the top of the executive agenda.

It is now Category 3 Hurricane Dora posing no threat to any land along the Mexican Pacific Coast.

Tropical Storm Bret is still posing no threat to land as it cruises parallel to the US Atlantic Coast.

Out in the central Atlantic where there is no land, Tropical Storm Cindy has formed.

There is activity, but the same high pressure that is responsible for the current heat wave in the Eastern US is keeping the storms away.

Gap – Pinerolo

Distance: 179.0 kilometers.

A quick trip to Italy in the only riding outside of France this year. The morning is a couple of Category 3s with a sprint between them, and then a Category 1 sandwiched between two Category 2s in afternoon.

Thomas Voeckler ( Fra – EUC – 181 ) [Yellow] 73h 23′ 49″
Mark Cavendish ( GBr – THR – 171 ) [Green] 320 points
Jelle Vanendert ( Bel – OLO – 038 ) [Polka Dot] 74 points
Rigoberto Uran ( Col – SKY – 118 ) 10 [White]

Team: Garmin-Cervelo ( 051-059 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Edvald Boasson Hagen ( Nor – SKY – 114 )
Combative: Ruben Perez Moreno ( Esp – EUS – 025 ) [Red numbers]

They’ve gone 2,982.5 kilometers [1,853.2 miles] at an average speed of 40.6 kph [25.2 mph] →.

OVERALL STANDINGS:
[Read more →]

I needed to get some new glasses, so I went back to the same place I got my current pair to order the exact same glasses with a mildly stronger right lens.

The place I went was not the least expensive in town, but I went the last time because I could get them in an hour while I wandered around to the other shops.

So, I buy exactly the same frame, and while I expected an increase in price, what I didn’t expect was waiting over a week to get the glasses. I paid more than the last time and received less.

I discovered that everyone is sending glasses out and no one is doing any of the work locally in order to cut costs.

This is a tourist area. If a tourist breaks or loses their glasses, what are they supposed to do, especially, if they need them to drive?

We are spending more and getting less as corporations “cut costs” to increase their profits.