1 first

2 We're boned.

3 and as the bet-on-the-stimulus projection for 2009-2010 was significantly wrong, should we place any bets on the new projection, or are they reconsidering now that the party of NO controls the House..?

4 Welcome to the Circle of Pain.

5 also, is anyone taking into account how many "good jobs at good pay" (Clinton's boilerplate phrase from the 1992 campaign) were replaced by McJobs..?

6 There was a blurb on drudge last night where the Gallup 'Underemployment' figure rose from 17.3% to 19% from Nov to Dec. Love how the unemployment rate dropped and yet so did labor participation. Nice trick, that.

7 O/T Ace wasn't that off.  Silky is engaged!

http://tinyurl.com/2ck7xxm

8 If I'm extrapolating the blue dots correctly, are we expecting to get back to Bush employment levels by the year 2025, if man is still alive, he may find?

9 I think the long-term Democrat strategy is simply to wait out the present generation of Americans that actually remember what America used to be like. After all, within a decade or so we'll have young adults walking around that never remembered an America without double-digit unemployment, without incredible long waiting lines to see doctors, without rolling power outages and outrageously expensive gasoline that finally breaks the mobility of the American people. Those bastards really ARE effing EVIL, aren't they?

10 O/T Ace wasn't that off.  Silky is engaged!

http://tinyurl.com/2ck7xxm

Posted by: Kemp at January 07, 2011 10:53 AM (JpFM9)

Good Lord!  How fucking tacky is that!?  Do any of his children still speak to him?

11 _By Allah_{, this} is _not a _{good thing.} Candy _cannot ass_{uage my trepidation.}

12 Yeah, this is a solid B-.

/sarc

I don't trust government numbers anyway (9.4%? do they think I'm high or just stupid?), but I really don't trust stats that don't include people who left the workforce because there are no jobs or are off unemployment because they maxed out.

There were 409,000 new unemployment claims filed. Let's say I'm a business with 100 employees. Times get bad, so I lay off 5 people, then 10, then 25, then 35, then 10, then 3. Whoa, my layoff rate slowed! The good times are cooking aren't they! THE RATE HAS SLOWED, SO WE'RE ALL HAPPY! Except I'm down to 12 employees and no one else got a job. Whatevs. Did you see what I did with my rate there?

And, no, I don't think the number is "somewhere between" 100K and 300K new jobs in December. I think it's south of 100K. Love the estimate range, though!

I'm a pessimist, though. And I don't believe the GOP is going to end up having that dramatic of a positive impact, either metaphysically or in reality.

13 John Edward's son of a mill worker, AKA  a "Linthead (for Yankees, mill workers get lint in their head when they work in the  mill)"

You can dress em up, but you can't get the lint out of a linthead.

14 If these people said it was raining and I could hear the rain, I would still go look out a window.  They have pencil-fucked every number they ever released.  When I start seeing some cars on the streets and some more filled parking lots in front of supermarkets, I will believe it is getting better.

15 Good Lord!  How fucking tacky is that!?  Do any of his children still speak to him?

Elizabeth gave custody of the young kids to her oldest daughter.  Guess that tells you something.

16 @11

I don't know whether to lol or duck and run.

17

 Only 103,000 jobs were added,

Its a normal assumption, that due to Legal and illegal immigration, and the birth rate, we need to add 100K jobs to STAY EVEN.

Thus, how can they, with a straight face, call this an unemployment number, and say it dropped almost 1/2%, when we stayed even????

Not counting people may make the Economists and pundits feel better, but not acknowledging a problem does not make it go away.

18 Just a suggestion, but shouldn't the number of people on assistance be added to the graph? Thats what happens when all the money is gone, the credit cards are maxed out and no job is in sight..... Also adding the number of foreclosures and apartment eviction would also be informative.....

19 Any unemployment statistic that "improves" because more people stop looking for work due to discouragement is a LIE. One thing the GOP could do once we have power back will be to revamp the unemployment figure to show the TRUE 20 percent figure of people out of work.

20
Whoa, my layoff rate slowed! The good times are cooking aren't they! THE RATE HAS SLOWED, SO WE'RE ALL HAPPY!

But your layoff rate has slowed. Which it must do before it stops. Which it must do before hiring begins. The point of tracking the Initial Claims data is to try to project when hiring might begin. Right now, at our current rate of improvement, that point will 6 or 7 months from now. If Pelosi hadn't pushed Obamacare upon us in November 2009, it would have been June 2010, and we would have had a real Recovery Summer.

21 My descent to the bottom has slowed.

22 One more time:  If anyone can point out a sector to me that looks even remotely like it can be a driver in the months to come, I'll be the FIRST to hit the "the worst is over" button. 

23 The media will say this is great news and attribute it to Obama and the Democrats.

The sheeple will believe them because everyone wants the (half) black man to be a magnificent success.

All will be well.

Mark my words- Obama will get re-elected.

24 CoolCzech, I'll stick my suggestion that the Dems and lefties would like to see the US go bankrupt -- to get the rest of the world to help bail us out after that, we'll just have to give up some of that outdated "sovereignty" stuff. The Eurocrats in Brussels are our friends, they'll be there to help us...

25 And we're still adding positions for Czars and Overlords! It just keeps getting better!

26 Via Zerohedge:

About 2.6 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force in December, little different than a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.) These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. They were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey.


Swept under the rug....

27

The Eurocrats in Brussels are our friends, they'll be there to help us...

Brussels will burn to the ground by then.

28 #17  Thus, how can they, with a straight face, call this an unemployment number, and say it dropped almost 1/2%, when we stayed even????

The same way they claim we have low inflation - by omitting several parameters from their final calculation.  Of course the unemployment rate is going to decrease if you don't add in the drop of the civilian labor force participation rate and increase of discouraged workers. 

19 Any unemployment statistic that "improves" because more people stop looking for work due to discouragement is a LIE.

The lay public likes to look at the UE rate instead of the number of jobs generated because the former is more widely discussed in the MFM.  However, you may see the UE start to tick up again if people rejoin the labor force, thinking that the job market is improving while the economy is only generating 100 to 150k jobs per month, and they are unable to find employment. 

29
One more time:  If anyone can point out a sector to me that looks even remotely like it can be a driver in the months to come, I'll be the FIRST to hit the "the worst is over" button. 

Capex is (are?) up. Personal consumption is up. Surface freight is up.

30

OT:  Posted this in the last thread before I realized there was a new thread.  Serves me right!   I just figure some folks will be interested.

Republicans introduce bill to eliminate presidential 'czars' (Link goes to TheHill.com)

31

Capex is (are?) up. Personal consumption is up. Surface freight is up.

All seasonal.

32 22 One more time:  If anyone can point out a sector to me that looks even remotely like it can be a driver in the months to come, I'll be the FIRST to hit the "the worst is over" button.

There have been gains in the health care, leisure, and hospitality job markets, along with smaller gains in manufacturing and mining.  However, I dunno how much of the first listing was do to temporary holiday employment, *shrugs*.

33
All seasonal.

That's incorrect. They're up from the same time last year.

34

That's incorrect. They're up from the same time last year.

Ok, then--dead cat AND seasonal.

35
They were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey.

They are included in the U-6 number.

36 Every time the U.S. unemployment rate unfavorably changes, somewhere in the world a mass animal death occurs.

37
Ok, then--dead cat AND seasonal.

Whatever. Look - I think there are still some real, very terrifying, economic risks ahead in real estate, finance, and municipal & state budgets. But business has shown a longish-term (6 months) trend of getting back on its feet.

38 The labor participation rate dropping is bad news.

39 However, you may see the UE start to tick up again if people rejoin the labor force, thinking that the job market is improving while the economy is only generating 100 to 150k jobs per month, and they are unable to find employment. 

Posted by: Kratos (Ghost of Sparta) at January 07, 2011 11:12 AM (9hSKh)

How they "create" these stats has always amazed me.

People on and off unemployment is a hard number... they can just count the number of checks issued.

But how do they figure out is someone who has run out of unemployment, or like myself never received it (self employed), is or is not looking for work?

40 geoff, business may only be picking up because the Repubs took back the House and seem seriously conservative. If the MSM can convince enough of the voters that O and the Dems deserve credit, we'll be bones again.

41

Kinda related OT, in that it speaks to the extent of California's debt boned-ness.

S.E.C. Said to be Investigating California Pension Fund (link goes to NYTimes)

Take from it what you will.  The S.E.C. can't say publically whether it's planning to investigate or not, and if yes they haven't specified what the investigation will focus on. 

My apologies to y'all in California.  I really wouldn't wish your problems on my worst enemy.

...

Okay, that's not true.  But I very much hope you GOOD Californians can find some kind of rescue line to get the hell out of there before it sinks under the waves to become Cthulu's playground.

42
But how do they figure out is someone who has run out of unemployment, or like myself never received it (self employed), is or is not looking for work?

They figure it out by calling people and asking them. They don't even look at the unemployment insurance records for this report - it's all based on a survey. The unemployment insurance data is used in the weekly Initial Claims report (which I wrote about yesterday).

43
geoff, business may only be picking up because the Repubs took back the House and seem seriously conservative.

If you look at my Initial Unemployment Claims post from yesterday, that's exactly the message I was trying to deliver.

44

But business has shown a longish-term (6 months) trend of getting back on its feet.

I see it as a simple flat line.  If we were in recovery, the job creation and initial claims reports would be much better.  103,000 is anemic when initial claims are still north of 400,000 (and I'm 95% certain that will go higher this week after the holidays).  Housing still stinks.  The deficit is soaking up all the credit and now oil is at $100 again. 

I simply do not know how the Fed will keep interest rates at this level beyond March with inflation thisclose to roaring for real.

45 business has shown a longish-term (6 months) trend of getting back on its feet.
Posted by: geoff



To the extent that might be true, you'd think the tax and regulate storm acommin' in states like Illinois and California would suck the wind right out of its sails.

46 Oh--and lest I forget:  All those bad morgates?  Still bad.

47 To the extent that might be true, you'd think the tax and regulate storm acommin' in states like Illinois and California would suck the wind right out of its sails.

Posted by: Laurie David's Cervix at January 07, 2011 11:29 AM (W/gz4)

SHHHHH!  Don't TALK about that!   Haven't you ever heard of an S.E.P?

48 47 Oh--and lest I forget:  All those bad morgates?  Still bad.

Posted by: Circa (Insert Year Here) at January 07, 2011 11:30 AM (B+qrE)

*facepalm*  Okay, I've seriously got to get my eyes checked.  I read "morgates" (clearly mortgages) as "agates."  So my first thought was, "Crap, what's wrong with agates now?  Is my necklace poisoning me?  Is that what's killing all the birds?" 

49 I keep hearing that a slew of foreclosures are going to be coming out this month.  Housing prices are down nearly 2/3rds here now.  This will drive them lower. 

50
If we were in recovery, the job creation and initial claims reports would be much better.

Absolutely untrue. The job creation and initial claims reports are entirely consistent with early recovery. You won't see the types of numbers you're looking for for at least 6 months. But my job here is to let you know that 6 months from now, those are the kinds of numbers you'll be seeing.

Oh--and lest I forget:  All those bad morgates?  Still bad.

Uh yeah - I think I mentioned that in #38. But to first order, that has nothing to do with business.

To the extent that might be true, you'd think the tax and regulate storm acommin' in states like Illinois and California would suck the wind right out of its sails.

Yes, as I mentioned in #38, there are still some major risks.

51 Look at the Great Depression charts, lots of false dawns

Too many systematic causes for the mess we're in now that were a long time coming and will take a long time to fix, if they can be fixed since many solutions are politically impossible

52

You won't see the types of numbers you're looking for for at least 6 months.

We won't see them at all since interest rates are going to increase.

I know you're on our side, Geoff, and thanks for all the work on the numbers.  I just don't think we should judge this time by last time.

53 So what does this mean?

Massachusetts Fraudclosure - No Mortgages in MBS

Good?  Bad?  Buy beans?

54 50 I keep hearing that a slew of foreclosures are going to be coming out this month.  Housing prices are down nearly 2/3rds here now.  This will drive them lower. 
Posted by: SurferDoc at January 07, 2011 11:35 AM

ARM adjustments haven't gone away either, and as far as forclosures go, sooner or later those who've been living in their homes without paying their mortgage are going to get the notice on the door.

55 It means that if the Mortgage Backed Securities are toilet paper, get ready for another big bailout of the banks.

MBS was the means by which the banks could hand out those risky mortgages to illegal aliens and the barely employed.

At any rate, this mess isn't anywhere near resolution, you've only stopped hearing about it from the MFM

56
Not sure whether this made the news sidebar, because it's a couple days old, but it's pretty funny, so it's worth not missing:

Leno spots the tension between Pelosi and Boehner at the gavel-passing ceremony.

57

From today's local paper:

"North Carolina and most of the Triad set a record for foreclosure filings in 2010, a state agency reported Thursday."

Threb were 2,400 foreclosures in my County last month alone.

58

Posted by: toby928™ at January 07, 2011 11:39 AM (S5YRY)

Is it wrong of me to equally detest banks that can't keep their effing files straight and people who buy houses they can't afford?

59 Wish me luck, everybody. I got laid off yesterday.

60

Wish me luck, everybody. I got laid off yesterday.

Sorry, man.  I hope your search goes well (and quickly).

61 I'll bet myleftnut that the rate will be revised upwards to 9.5%. Any takers?

62 Wish me luck, everybody. I got laid off yesterday.

Good luck.

A reminder that behind the numbers are real people being hurt.

Damn these cocksuckers in charge.

63 60 Wish me luck, everybody. I got laid off yesterday. Posted by: JonathanG at January 07, 2011 11:48 AM

Here's hoping you find something else quickly, unemployment really sucks.

64

circa, i think the mortgage forclosure has little to do with those that couldn't afford their homes. but more that so many have lost their jobs.

Jonathan, very sorry, wish you well. hope for a quick recovery, maybe Geoff is right 6 mths at least is better than what we've been looking at for a couple of years.

65 circa , at this point in time*

66 Maybe we can start the Moron Employment Index

I've been seeing more Morons posting that they've gotten laid off, are facing layoffs, or are unemployed than Morons who tell us they've finally found another job.

67

Good luck, Jonathan.

 

68

toby- kdabear it's the toughest environemnt to find work that i or my husband have experienced.

.

69 The labor participation rate has dropped to its lowest percentage since 1983, falling from 64.5% last month to 64.3% this month. That likely indicates a large pent-up labor supply that is not included in the U-6 unemployment numbers.

This is the only number that matters and it proves that the down tick in the unemployment rate is not due to hiring. People have simply given up.

If Bush were in office the MFM would be screaming about how things are so bad the people aren't even trying to find jobs anymore.

But not now. I haven't even looked, but I bet they're selling this report as encouraging news.

It isn't. No one is hiring. We remain as boned as ever.

70 My dad just got word that the company he's worked at for 40+ years is closing.  He'd just been trying to stave off retirement for a while longer (he's 70), but it looks like that's been decided for him...

71 The BLS changed the rates for the past year today as part of its annual tweaking of its seasonal adjustments

ZH had a chart this morn that showed the seasonal adjustment in 2000 was 201,000.  In 2009 it was 412,000, in 2010 it was 460,000.  That is quite the tweak even considering population increases.

At this point I don't buy the govt numbers either, because there is no apples to apples comparison, but it matters not.  Maybe pushing the 9.4% number will psychologically help from a behavioral economics standpoint.  At least that is my hope.

72 This coming year, both Groundhog Day and the State of the Union address occur on the same day.

It's an ironic juxtaposition of events; one event involves a meaningless ritual in which we look to a creature of limited intelligence for prognostication...while the other involves a groundhog.

73  ritual in which we look to a creature of limited intelligence for prognostication...while the other involves a groundhog.

Posted by: WalrusRex at January 07, 2011 12:03 PM (xxgag)

heh

74

WASHINGTON – Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernake sketched a more optimistic view of the economy, but said the Fed's $600 billion bond-buying program is needed because unemployment is likely to stay elevated for up to five more years.

Asked about Friday's 103,000 job gains, Bernanke said if that pace of job creation were maintained "you won't see sustained declines in the unemployment rate."

 

So just keep trying the same failed policies to get the same failed results. Genius

75 Don't drive angry, Toonces.

76 Maybe we can start the Moron Employment Index

Its funny, every time I see The Chart, I first read it as "Moron Dots are actual unemployment data".

77 Buy beans?

Posted by: toby928™ at January 07, 2011 11:39 AM (S5YRY)

this. seriously.

78 Very sorry, Jonathan.  May your job search be successful - good luck. 

79 The economy will come back before November 2012, at least to some degree. We need to accept and celebrate that, since it helps our fellow countrymen. Our job is to point out that things could be much, much better if we got rid of Barky and the Democrats and gave the GOP the baton.

80 It's actually following Geithner's prediction from last Spring pretty closely (the green dots).

Even a broken clock....

81

Posted by: Warden at January 07, 2011 11:59 AM (V6HDd)

This what cracks me up...

From the BLS...

Employment to population ratio.... vs Unemployment rate...

April? 58.7% Employ to Pop...9.8% Unemployment.

May? 58.7% Employ to Pop... 9.6% Unemployment.

Note, same ratio of Employment to populaiton, yet a drop in Unemployment?

Dec? 58.3% Employ to Pop... 9.4% Unemployment???

Thus, for Dec. we have less of a percentage of our actualy Population working, yet Unemployment is DOWN? And thus a BIG win for Obama???

 

82 Unemployment is caused by Climate Change

83 I fear that from here until 2012, the numbers will be so cooked that Obama will look peachy keen just in time for re-election, despite the reality of unemployment.  The MSM will carry the water far & wide painting him as a savior of the economy. Enough dumb people will believe and he will be re-elected.  Since we never, ever get the real truth from these lying fockers, I'm kinda hoping now for some huge scandal so bad that he will not recover.  Something in the neighborhood of being caught on video ragging on the white man. 

84 Posted this on the Headlines Thread...but it's too good not to post everywhere!

85

 

27 dems vote to repeal Obama care. 1 Present and 6 not voting. 159 Nos.

230 Repubs vote to repeal Obamacare. 2 Present and 9 not voting. 0 Nos

 

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll011.xml

86 103,000 jobs/50 states = 2,060 lucky people per state.  Unless as usual 1/2 of those were in Texas which means a little over 1,000/ 49 states.

87 Wow. All this good news out there. All this recovery.
Yet the utility bills come due on the same date every month and there ain't a gawddamned cent more to pay them.


Maybe Steven Speilberg can advise Precedent Organizer McClusterfuck on how to "rebrand" getting the gawddamned lights turned off and  the kids going hungry.

88 Jonathan, here's hoping you find something else as quickly as you want. In the meantime, keep your chin up.

89 It's kind of interesting how the bump you get out of monetary inflation always pales in comparison to the pain required to undo it.  Usually the difference is quite massive, and our monetary inflation has been dramatic, itself.

Posted by: iknowtheleft at January 07, 2011 12:08 PM (G/MYk)

Normally I'm right with you, but not here.  Inflation has been largely contained to food and energy.  Food we can't do much about - there's growing global demand for better food, and that's not really a bad thing.  The inability of the rest of the world to make its own food is the problem, and we can't fix that through monetary policy.  (And killing ethanol would be little more than a token gesture.)  Energy is going up because we have the dumbest energy policy imaginable - which is to find ways to make sure there is less energy supply than there should be.  Fixing the bad policy would eliminate energy inflation.

Several factors have been draining the effective US money supply for years.  Trade deficits, excessive taxes, deleveraging, and growing wealth stratification are sucking cash out of the pool of spending money and have been for a while.  We also have massive amounts of unused labor and plenty of open industrial capacity.  So does China.    We don't have an issue of too many dollars chasing too few goods.  We have a fear problem - one that drives people to pay $1300 per ounce of soft, shiney metal and hide it under their bed, rather than buy something enjoyable or investing in something that makes wealth.

 

90 Even NPR was reporting this morning that 103,000 new private-sector jobs isnÂ’t enough to keep up with the number of new workers attempting to enter the workforce.

91 Sifty, I had to buy heating oil last month. Damn near wiped out the slack in the budget, so it's been beans and bread for a while. And meanwhile the global warming keeps falling...

92

Repubs Fitzpatrick, Sessions, voted present

Repubs didn't vote at all: Barton (TX), Issa, Jones, Mack, Maloney, Paul, Pearce, Scalise, Smith (NE).

Weird.

93 There is a pact written in blood between the Obama White House, the MFM, and Democrats in Washington D.C.

The Unemployment Rate Shall Not Rise Above 9.99999%

The command has gone out. No matter what, they WILL NOT let numbers come out that are 10% or higher. They'll do whatever alchemy it takes to hide the decline.

Because double-digits mean the end for Obama.

94 Why would Issa not vote on this?

95 Black unemployment rate:  15.8%

Ouch.

96 OT - Another "missile" mystery?

/Just stirring the pot.  It's probably nothing, just like the California "launch" seen in Nov.

97 The Coalition of Geniuses must read The Onion, or visa versa. Disassembling and reassembling Hoover Dam sure sounds a lot like repaving perfectly good highways.

98

Black unemployment rate:  15.8%

Ouch.

I'd be interest to know what the "normal" black unemployment rate is. I am under the impression it is always higher than all other groups even in good economic times.

99 I have not had a full time job in two years. I have taken 0 UE or Food stamps, I was not raised that way. I went back to school and worked part time. Fortunately I am a poly geek and saw this coming four years ago. We have 0 bills and out mortgage is manageable. Those who did not see this coming I don't know how they make it. Obama just announced his new Budget/economic team. Same old bullshit Clinton retreads and Academic dreamers that got us in this mess in the first place. We are fucked for the foreseeable future. Just gird your loins and prepare. Food and fuel are going to go through the roof.

100

Jan. 7 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama said todayÂ’s report on jobs shows government action to remove obstacles to business expansion, including cutting taxes and easing credit, will help keep the economy growing.

“Our mission has to be to accelerate hiring, accelerate growth,” the president said in the Washington suburb of Landover, Maryland. He was there to tour Thompson Creek Manufacturing, a maker of windows, doors, siding and gutters that’s added workers partly because of administration tax incentives.

 

Government action to remove obstacles to business expansion? It looks like the teleprompter is trying its hand at comedy.

101

Repubs Fitzpatrick, Sessions, voted present

Repubs didn't vote at all: Barton (TX), Issa, Jones, Mack, Maloney, Paul, Pearce, Scalise, Smith (NE).

Weird.

Posted by: dagny

 

Would it help if I said I was sorry?

102 over at drudge, Bernake says 5 years until things normalize.

103 Anybody else having a hard time loading the comments?

104 I'd be interest to know what the "normal" black unemployment rate is.

11.9% in November 2008 while 6.1% for all men, so I'm guessing about +5.

And we bitched about 6.1%  Good times, good times.

105

 I'd be interest to know what the "normal" black unemployment rate is.

11.9% in November 2008 while 6.1% for all men, so I'm guessing about +5.

And we bitched about 6.1%  Good times, good times.

remember the 2004 election? The democratic talking point was "This is the worst economy since Herbert Hoover"

Yeah..

106 Obama hasn't the balls to bite that idiot Bloomberg.

107 Does anyone really believe the government's unemployment figures anymore? They're just as cooked as the CBO's "Scoring" of projected spending and deficits. Quite meaningless, deliberately misleading. Bald faced lies, if you want to get technical.

108 93 Sifty, I had to buy heating oil last month. Damn near wiped out the slack in the budget, so it's been beans and bread for a while. And meanwhile the global warming keeps falling...

Same here.  Peanut butter and jelly sammiches get old after a while.

109 This morning's report on a drop in the nation's unemployment rate last month and a 103,000-increase in jobs, is evidence that "the trend is clear," President Obama just said: "the pace of hiring is beginning to pick up."

He cited "12 straight months of private sector job growth" and a 1.3 million-increase in payroll employment over the past year as further evidence.

Still, Obama added, "we've got a big hole that we're digging ourselves out of."

"This was a brutal recession," said the president, "the worst in our lifetimes."


Was?

110 (trying to self-censor my language)

Maybe Issa, Sessions, and Fitzpatrick should get there asses away from the cameras and do the actual job we hired them for.

Somebitches get elected and then think their job is to sit behind a desk talking to some liberal journalouse while the city burns behind them.

GOP: We hired you to vote. Not flap your gums.

111 I really wish Rudy wouldn't run. He botched it so comprehensively last time that he'll just be sucking up resources from somebody who really can win this time.

112 What's with the 'present' votes? I demand an explanation.

113 Does anyone really believe the government's unemployment figures anymore?

I've just been tracking the BLS' civilian non-farm employment.  Recover would mean that number goes up month after month.  It's up a bit this month so *crosses fingers*

Still down something like 6.6 million jobs since Barry's election.

114 Me and the missus are going on our third Hawaiian vaycaycay since last year. I don't see a problem.

115 "This was a brutal recession," said the president, "the worst in our lifetimes." Yes, and why shouldn't it have been? The Democrats labored mightily for decades to create it. Forcing banks to make bad loans, essentially eviscerating our financial system on a huge transfer of wealth that was never voted on, never even known except by a select few. They create a genuine crisis and then repeat over and over that Bush's relatively minor deficits somehow brought it on. By what process did Bush's deficits bring on the present crisis? None, of course. One thing the Republicans need to do is to ensure that a similar sort of shadow massive wealth redistribution, such as mass lending to deadbeats, never happens again without the public's knowledge and explicit approval.

116

Suffice to say, if you ever believe anything that this administration says that makes them look good, I would like to sell you a bridge in Brooklyn.

Only the imbeciles in the MSM will be gullible enough to believe this administration's bullshit and/or to pretend and to rationalize, in their incredible stupidity, that that bullshit is credible. Even Democrats other than members of the MSM know that it is bullshit. Rick Sanchez wasn't the exception. His ditzy mentality is mainstream in the MSM.

117 Peanut butter and jelly sammiches get old after a while.

For variety, a pound of vermicelli and the big can of Hunts' Italian Sausage Sauce is $2 total at Winn Dixie.

118 Wait until seasonal employees are back out of work.

Lots of people get jobs to help with Christmas and inventory counting the first of the year.. then they are let go.

119
THIS made me smile.


I liked the Leno version (linked at #57) a little better. The nonchalant side-flick was slightly funnier.

120 My little business is heavily dependent on construction, both new and remodeling, and toward the 2nd half of last year we really started slowing down. We had to put a bunch of our manufacturing people on reduced hours to minimize any layoffs. That doesn't show up in the labor statistics but it is real, painful and widespread. Surplus spending ends this summer which will mean another hit to the economy and job market right about the time Illinois, California and a host of other states start implementing draconian steps to deal with their deficits and massive unfunded liabilities. I don't see how this gets better until it gets much, much worse first.

121 Still, Obama added, "we've got a big hole that we're digging ourselves out of." Umm, Mr. Harvard Genius, sir? Digging is how you got us in to the hole. Please stop digging.

122 We have gone back to farm-style living.

Grocery shopping twice a month (except for milk, the kid has to have milk).
No fast food or pizza delivery.
No unnecessary trips.
No babysitter and no date night.
Cooking on the smoker so we can buy cheaper cuts of meat.
No hobby shit like target ammo or fishing.

But shit, ya gotta live. Only so much you can cut back and still live like an American.

We just try to keep our eyes on the prize: Getting money enough to get the hell out of California forever.
I will take the rearview mirrors off the U Haul when we go and not attach them again until we are deep into Arizona and heading East.

123 DJIA not happy  -74.36 (-0.64%)

124

Yahoo News (through Drudg link, updated ten mins ago) has different numbers and no mention of the "did not votes". Their total is 236-181.

This is the only mention of Dems for repeal:

"Voting with the Republicans were four Democrats who had opposed the law last year — Reps. Dan Boren of Oklahoma, Mike McIntyre and Larry Kissell of North Carolina, and Mike Ross of Arkansas."

 

Yahoo "nuancing" the News again?

 

 

125
Sorry to hear about your layoff, Jonathan. I hope things work out.

126

Umm, Mr. Harvard Genius, sir? Digging is how you got us in to the hole. Please stop digging.

Quiert...or he'll go back to the 'car in the ditch' analogy!

127 I'll wait for the actual revised numbers before I get all nipply.

128 The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire ...

129

I'll wait for the actual revised numbers before I get all nipply.

What?   No confidence in the 'actual' numbers?

130 121 Peanut butter and jelly sammiches get old after a while.

For variety, a pound of vermicelli and the big can of Hunts' Italian Sausage Sauce is $2 total at Winn Dixie.

Hobo meat is essentially "free" if you kill it and process it yourself.

We should have a hobo meat exchange market here. 

131 Most of the overpasses and bridges near me have cameras now to catch film drug dealers and illegal aliens. It's hard to take down a hobo here without showing up on a screen somewhere.

132 127 DJIA not happy  -74.36 (-0.64%)

Posted by: toby928™ at January 07, 2011 12:43 PM (S5YRY)

I'm convinced that the DOW has nothing to do with reality outside of the trading pit anymore.  Most trades are only kept for short periods, to gain or loose money... Its now nothing more than an Online legal betting game, in which you try to guess which way the Herd is moving...

With Naked short trades and such, it has nothing to do with raising capital for a company... and thus, like the unemployment number, or GDP (which can be raised by both Government spending, and banks lending money to each other), are not an indiction of the strength of an economy.

133

Hobo meat is essentially "free" if you kill it and process it yourself.

If you are lucky enough to find one with one good boot, you can make a 'Mock Hobo Soup'. 

134 Red meat....

the HouseÂ’s top Democrat emphasized that the private sector added jobs for the 12th straight month, crediting the legislative accomplishments of the Congress when Democrats held control of the House.

“TodayÂ’s jobs report provides evidence that the policies of the Democratic-led Congress are helping to create jobs and revitalize our economy – adding more jobs in 2010 than President Bush did over eight years,” Pelosi, D-California, said.  ‪“Building on the progress of the December jobs numbers – marking the last full month of Democratic leadership of the House – we will continue to measure every proposal by whether it creates jobs, strengthens our middle class, and reduces the deficit.”

Boehner said that the Republican majorityÂ’s efforts to repeal the health care reform law passed by the Democratic Congress last year will lead a path towards a full economic recovery.

Pelosi disagreed, and said that repealing the law would increase the deficit and do further damage to the economy, citing a CBO report on the repeal that was released Thursday.

“With so many Americans still looking for work, now is not the time to reverse course,” Pelosi said. “Republicans must join Democrats in focusing on putting people to work, instead of making their top priority repealing critical patient protections, putting insurance companies back in charge of the health of the American people and blowing a $230 billion hole in the deficit.”

135 #133 What?   No confidence in the 'actual' numbers?

They tend to "unexpectedly" adjust downwards.

136 You want to know how bad this report is? Even the New York Times isn't trying to spin this as good news. Here's the lede (http://tinyurl.com/2am3e2a):

"The United States economy ended the year by adding 103,000 jobs in December and with a lower unemployment rate, the Labor Department said Friday, but as thousands of Americans gave up looking for work, the numbers suggested that joblessness could continue to weigh on the recovery."

And here's the first quote:

“It is certainly a disappointment,” said Dan Greenhaus, the chief economic strategist for Miller Tabak & Company. “The drop was more attributed to a decline in the number of unemployed people, rather than an increase in the number of employed people. There was not a surge in employment.”

When the New York Motherfucking Times isn't fellating Obama, you know it's really bad news.

137

121 Peanut butter and jelly sammiches get old after a while.

For variety, a pound of vermicelli and the big can of Hunts' Italian Sausage Sauce is $2 total at Winn Dixie.

Thanks!  I also have a friend/student who pays me in free range eggs.  Enough protein to last me a month.

138 I'm a sucker for Winn Dixie's BOGO and manager's specials in the meat department.  I got off-brand kielbasa 4lbs for $2 last week.

139

It's hard to take down a hobo here without showing up on a screen somewhere.

You have to think like a Hobo. 

Try under the bridges.

140 We just try to keep our eyes on the prize: Getting money enough to get the hell out of California forever.
I will take the rearview mirrors off the U Haul when we go and not attach them again until we are deep into Arizona and heading East.

Posted by: sifty at January 07, 2011 12:43 PM (8dbwr)

I left California 2 years ago. 

Where are you planning on going?

141 Every single employee West of the Mississippi could quit their jobs tomorrow and apply for UI the next day.

The number would magically stay below 10% until Obama leaves office.

142

Thanks!  I also have a friend/student who pays me in free range eggs.  Enough protein to last me a month.

Protein is always free...

for the ladies.

143

Hobo meat is essentially "free" if you kill it and process it yourself.

We should have a hobo meat exchange market here. 

Part of my job entails the care and feeding of Hobos (Homeless)... if I ate them, I'd be out of work.

144

Part of my job entails the care and feeding of Hobos (Homeless)... if I ate them, I'd be out of work.

If you ate all of them....an arm here, a leg there...who's going to notice?

145 So what you are telling us is that the employment rate dropped because people left the work force, apparently a euphemism for suddenly being homeless, and we celebrate that as a good sign?

146 if I ate them, I'd be out of work.

Think of it as culling the herd.  Start with the old and weak.

147

Pelosi disagreed, and said that repealing the law would increase the deficit and do further damage to the economy, citing a CBO report on the repeal that was released Thursday

 

Does the CBO report retain the doctor fix now you see it, now you don't game? Are they still counting possible cuts twice in some categories? Are they ignoring the waivers issued? If any of the above is true, then the CBO is worth shit.

148 135 Most of the overpasses and bridges near me have cameras now to catch film drug dealers and illegal aliens. It's hard to take down a hobo here without showing up on a screen somewhere.
Posted by: sifty at January 07, 2011 12:47 PM

Pay the illegals to take the hobos down for you. The feds won't have seen nothin'

149 adding more jobs in 2010 than President Bush did over eight years

This seems like a retarded statement.  Do I need to go get the figures, or can I just safely assume it's a lie?

150

Thanks!  I also have a friend/student who pays me in free range eggs.  Enough protein to last me a month.

Protein is always free...

for the ladies.

Posted by: Moron Aphorisms

 

That's no lady! That's a moronette!

151

drug dealers and illegal aliens. It's hard to take down a hobo here without showing up on a screen somewhere

 

What do you have against eating Mexican? 

 I bet the desert near you is loaded with Sun-Cured Cholo!

152 We are researching on where to go. Lots of Texas tell us not to go to Texas and treat even conservative Californians like assholes, but I'm hoping they are the minority.

We want:
Lower taxes than California
Cheaper homes than California
Land I can grow food on.
Few gun laws and many gun stores
Concealed carry
Republican majority voters
Republican majority legislature
Plenty of fresh water
Majority conservative people
Trees
People not ashamed to go to church
All four seasons

I'm open for suggestions.

153

If you ate all of them....an arm here, a leg there...who's going to notice?

Good point, then we could bring in more PT/OT and up employment that way.

As for the old and the weak, they're pretty much self culling in that.

154 If any of the above is true, then the CBO is worth shit.

Posted by: Rep Joe Barton at January 07, 2011 12:52 PM (R2fpr)

The problem is the rules that the CBO has to follow.  They can only score it as it is given to them.  My understanding is they can't point out any accounting errors/tricks/smoke and mirrors, in the bills.

155 I'm open for suggestions.

Do you need to work as well?

156 corporate profits AGAIN look like they are going to be record braking HIGH

157

Good point, then we could bring in more PT/OT and up employment that way.

Now you are thinking!

 

158 Around here every illegal Mexican is accompanied at all times by a news crew and an immigration lawyer.

The gang members are all in another part of LA shooting grammas and honor students with their guns aimed sideways.

159 Chocolate covered cotton?!?

WTH?

160 160 corporate profits AGAIN look like they are going to be record braking HIGH

Would it be too much to ask for a linky?

Speaking of HIGH...put down the bong, dude. 

161 If you average out the last 2 reports, it's still flatlining. And call me cynical, but I'd assume the clowns in charge are cooking the books to keep the numbers under 10%. You want to see that curve hit a downward slope in a hurry, repeal Obamacare. Unfortunately, we all know that, even the useless politicians, but where we care, they don't.

162 Even with all the bullshit numbers, the fact is that the 'best' unemployment rate since early 2009, 9.4%, is being touted as good news by the 'best' President since early 2009, Barack Obama. Now that's a record of accomplishment you can stand on. Wonder how he did in school?

163

I'm convinced that the DOW has nothing to do with reality outside of the trading pit anymore.  Most trades are only kept for short periods, to gain or loose money... Its now nothing more than an Online legal betting game, in which you try to guess which way the Herd is moving...

With Naked short trades and such, it has nothing to do with raising capital for a company... and thus, like the unemployment number, or GDP (which can be raised by both Government spending, and banks lending money to each other), are not an indiction of the strength of an economy.

Posted by: Romeo13 at January 07, 2011 12:47 PM (AdK6a)

 

I agree. The markets appear to be completely detached from economic reality

164 If any of the above is true, then the CBO is worth shit.

Posted by: Rep Joe Barton at January 07, 2011 12:52 PM (R2fpr)

The problem is the rules that the CBO has to follow.  They can only score it as it is given to them.  My understanding is they can't point out any accounting errors/tricks/smoke and mirrors, in the bills.

Posted by: Tami

 

Understood. I know what filter is in place. I'm asking for informational purposes, and pointing out what should be the obvious angle of attack. The piece of crap they force fed into the CBO has changed little, except for the worse. Qouting that pack of lies a year ago was a crime. Regurgitating the exact same lie now is an insult.

165 corporate profits AGAIN look like they are going to be record braking HIGH

Posted by: archie bunker at January 07, 2011 12:57 PM (0YS61)

 

There has got to be some traffic you can play it. Go look for it

166 Working is nice.

I spent 15 years installing and designing communications cable systems all over the country. And I was raised on a farm so I can drive anything with an engine that doesn't fly.
Been a painter, an artist, a salesman, a drunk, a shitty writer,and a shitty motivational speaker.

My wife is smarter than me and can do twice as much.

We'll find work.

I'll dig ditches or chop wood. Hoe weeds.

Getting out of here is the main thing. I can't let my kid start school here in this communist hippie madhouse.

167 Barry's transcripts are hermetically sealed in a mason jar on Funk and Wagnalls front porch.

Hey-o!

168 What would happen if you eat a cannibal hobo? Will you get Mad Hobo Disease?

169

 corporate profits AGAIN look like they are going to be record braking HIGH

Well, it's not due to inflation! 

No. Sir.

You can't blame it on inflation!

170 Top Headlines Onion story "Revamped WPA To Create 50,000 New Jobs By Disassembling, Reassembling Hoover Dam" is a little too close to the truth: towns about to be submerged from the Three Gorges Dam Project in China were broken down, brick by brick, to give jobs to the folks who used to live in those towns. Hellooo Detroit, I think we have an answer. Maybe not a dam answer, but close enough: pay the citizens to destroy it, then each other.

171

Posted by: sifty

 

North Carolina is very close to being all of those things. Not as red a State as you might like, but waaaaay better than CA. Weird "combined sales tax" system, though. Everything from groceries to real estate is (sales)taxed differently in different towns, cities and counties. Depending on where in the State you live, you can pretty much fine tune the weather to your liking.

172

Hmm, this doesn't explain why the state has me filling out an unemployment statement every two weeks, but I'm not receiving any benefits. And I can't even get anyone on a phone, either. The recording says all their lines are busy and to call back later, when I get the same message again.

173 corporate profits AGAIN look like they are going to be record braking HIGH

Posted by: archie bunker

 

You didn't cite your source, your whine is odd, since your buddy Obama hangs out and travels with corporate CEOs ( at least ones that donate to him) and since the US has higher corporate tax rates then most of the rest of the industrialized world, this should come as good news to you.

P.S. your screen name represents a TV character who was an asshole and you used the wrong spelling of the word 'break'.

 

Other than all that, this was a threadwinner.

174

What would happen if you eat a cannibal hobo? Will you get Mad Hobo Disease?

This is why Hobo Ossobuco is not advised.  

The Spinal Fluid, Marrow, and Brains are best avoided or eaten only after being cooked to a min. temp of 165 deg..

 

175

A lesson in civics.

The Congress spends our money. The President can not spend it, well, except on his and Michelle's extravagant vacations.

The economy didn't tank until a year and a half after Democrats took over control of the Congress, and unemployment didn't even begin to skyrocket until immediately after Obama was inaugerated, and, in fact, unemployment was at an acceptable 4.5% when GW was President.

The Democrats own this bad economy and the high unemployment, too. Facts which disingenuous members of the MSM, including Fox (and O'Reilly), are not reporting - deliberately.

Republican politicians should be raising those issues every single time that they're interviewed by the MSM, instead of allowing Democrats to duck those issues and to get out only their own phony talking points. (Even Sean Hannity is a prissy, dufus putz who keeps dropping the ball on those issues, too anxious to gossip about minutia.)

176 The Carolinas have good barbecue.

My dream is to open a barbecue shack that also serves good Mexican food East of the Rockies.

177 The bird thing: now being called the Flockolypse. 

178 153 adding more jobs in 2010 than President Bush did over eight years

This seems like a retarded statement.  Do I need to go get the figures, or can I just safely assume it's a lie?
Posted by: toby928™ at January 07, 2011 12:53 PM

It'll be recited as gospel truth by the MFM and the shills for Obama on the talk shows

179 We are researching on where to go. Lots of Texas tell us not to go to Texas and treat even conservative Californians like assholes, but I'm hoping they are the minority.

We want:
Lower taxes than California
Cheaper homes than California
Land I can grow food on.
Few gun laws and many gun stores
Concealed carry
Republican majority voters
Republican majority legislature
Plenty of fresh water
Majority conservative people
Trees
People not ashamed to go to church
All four seasons

I'm open for suggestions.

Posted by: sifty at January 07, 2011 12:55 PM (8dbwr)

I moved back to Indiana.  Meets all the above except.. you probably want nicer weather coming from Ca.  Winter here is real winter... cold, snow, ice for months. But its so much cheaper than Ca... every single thing here is cheaper.. gas, food, housing, electricity rates.. taxes.. you name it its half the price.

I am glad I left the stupidity.  Miss the weather and scenery.. but still.. glad I left.

180 If you brine a hobo overnight (like opossum) in some saltwater, sugar, bay leaves, and some Red Rooster sauce, they come out nice on the smoker.

Shit, I've even been able to make pulled hippie.

181 153 adding more jobs in 2010 than President Bush did over eight years

This seems like a retarded statement.  Do I need to go get the figures, or can I just safely assume it's a lie?
Posted by: toby928™ at January 07, 2011 12:53 PM

It's cast in stone, read the numbers wingnuts!

182

Wasn't Geoff making a chart of total number of adults employed?

Or was that Denninger or ZeroHedge?

 

183

Posted by: sifty

Yup, the food down here is great. I'm in the Piedmont Triad (Winston-Salem), which is the heart of the old tobacco industry. There are tons of homes with easy access to fresh water and acres to spare. I expect to be moving into one of them within a few years.

184

The bird thing: now being called the Flockolypse.

They'll never figure out why we did it.  

 Sure, they may suspect us...but they'll never figure out why we did it.

185 My sister lives in Anderson, Indiana. She left two years ago and tell me it's great. Indiana is Definitely on the list.

Downside: John Cougar Mellencamp Idi Amin Dada

186 We want:
Lower taxes than California
Cheaper homes than California
Land I can grow food on.
Few gun laws and many gun stores
Concealed carry
Republican majority voters
Republican majority legislature
Plenty of fresh water
Majority conservative people
Trees
People not ashamed to go to church
All four seasons

I'm open for suggestions.

Posted by: sifty at January 07, 2011 12:55 PM

With the exception of the Palm Beach to Miami corridor, you'll get that in FL

No four seasons though.

Coloradans like to say they have 3 seasons; July, August, and Winter

187

If you brine a hobo overnight (like opossum) in some saltwater, sugar, bay leaves, and some Red Rooster sauce, they come out nice on the smoker.

Key to a good Smoked Hobo is the Drying time before it goes into the Smoker.  You want to let it develop a nice crusty glaze before you introduce it to the cure.

  I find Hobo reacts well to the subtle mix of Maple and Applewoods.

188

"The Spinal Fluid, Marrow, and Brains are best avoided or eaten only after being cooked to a min. temp of 165 deg.."

  It's okay, I only eat their genitals.

189 Civilian Labor Force in thousands

Dec 2009  153,172
Dec 2010  153,690     +518K  +10K/State

190

It's okay, I only eat their genitals.

Tea Bagger!

191
Wasn't Geoff making a chart of total number of adults employed?

I've done it in the past. Didn't do it this time because it's not very interesting - just a moderate increase.

192 Florida sounds nice on paper. But the news stories that come out of Florida frighten us.

And you have large scaly thingamajiggers hanging out all over that eat children.

193

sorry, Joanie.  But you walked right into that...

and it hit you on the chin.

 

194 My sister lives in Anderson, Indiana. She left two years ago and tell me it's great. Indiana is Definitely on the list.

Downside: John Cougar Mellencamp Idi Amin Dada

Posted by: sifty at January 07, 2011 01:12 PM (8dbwr)

Hey.. Anderson!  Not far from me.. I am in Carmel/Westfield.

John Cougar is way down south.  Moonbat loon in a world of his own.

When we moved back here, the my sons new school laughed at what California considers an "english credit"... my son spoke english so he didnt have to take english classes. Poor kid has to take 2 english classes a semester to catch up from the stupidity that was California.

195 Heh! ... Congressional comedy writes itself;

Barney Frank: 'IÂ’m Tired, and I Think . . . ItÂ’d Be Nice to Have Free Time, Not Have to Read a Lot of Stuff I DonÂ’t Care About'

196 Just kidding about the gators. If we can deal with the crips, bloods, and Greenpeace we can deal with gators.

197

Posted by: sifty at January 07, 2011 01:18 PM (8dbwr)

I have a few friends who have moved to rural Missouri and love it. 

Finding work is a bit of a challenge, but they advise to look for small college towns with strong programs in nursing and or veterinary studies.  The claim was that those towns have a bit more wealth infusion than others. 

 

198 OT: From NY Daily News

Sanitation workers have been told to save every voice mail, text or email about last week's blizzard - even on personal phones and computers.

As investigators probe rumors some workers staged a plowing slowdown to protest budget cuts, city lawyers fired off orders to workers to comply with demands from the Department of Investigation.

A copy obtained by the Daily News shows that DOI wants "all employees who have had a role with the response" to the storm to hang on to every piece of paper or instant message from friends, bosses - even their unions.

Some workers grumbled the order was another blow to morale.

"Honestly, the guys are insulted," said one veteran supervisor. "They have been working night and day, 13-hour days. They are away from their families. People on the street are giving them the finger and yelling at them.... Now we have people coming in taking books, taking paperwork and looking to put the blame on the san man."

http://tinyurl.com/259doxa

Cry me a freakin' river.

199 197 Florida sounds nice on paper. But the news stories that come out of Florida frighten us.

And you have large scaly thingamajiggers hanging out all over that eat children.
Posted by: sifty at January 07, 2011 01:18 PM

They eat mainly hobos, so there's that balance

200 January 4th 2007:  The day Pelosi became Speaker of the Democratically controlled 110th Congress

DJIA end of session:  12,800.18
National unemployment rate for December 2006:  4.5%
2006 Federal Budget Deficit:  $247.7 billion
Average GDP growth for 2006:   3.4%
Median Home Value in December 2006: $244,700   November 2010 $170,600
Average price for Regular Unleaded Gasoline December 2006:  $2.30
Federal Debt as % of GDP  2006:  64.55  2008:  70.00  2009:  90.36  2010:  94.27
Nonfarm employment in thousands   Dec 2006:  137,000   November 2010:  130,539

In the 12 years of Republican Congress, average annual deficit:  $104 billion

201

I should post my recipe for Hobo Marinade alá Valu-Rite. It's great, especially in the summer months when the heat works the Thunderbird out of their system too soon, thus causing the meat to take on a rather oaky overtone.

202
News from Texas for sifty (from the Killeen Daily Herald):

"November sales tax revenue grew for the eighth consecutive month to $1.84 billion, according to figures released Wednesday by Texas Comptroller Susan Combs.

This month's figures are up 8.7 percent compared to November 2009, Combs said in a statement.

"Sales tax revenue has now grown for eight consecutive months compared to year ago levels, with recent gains above the 5 percent mark," Combs said. "November's monthly gain showed growth in a range of sectors like manufacturing, the oil and natural gas industry, retail trade and restaurants.""

203 Geoff, have you seen the new "Obama has created more jobs in 2010 than Bush did in 8" meme? Does that look kosher to you?

204 My wife and I have a vision of becoming like that nice old couple in Book of Eli. All alone and situated in a little house in the country. Nobody around. Just our garden  and our sheep and chickens and our swimmin' / fishin' hole and our guns to protect it all.

Without most of the cannibalism and kuru though.

205

I'm trying to feel optimistic. but in the last year we have moved to another state for work, worked 3 mths- then 6 weeks. we have had 3 different families move in with us, because they fell faster than we have, which is causing its own issues.

if things don't change soon, ....

 

206 Finding work is a bit of a challenge, but they advise to look for small college towns with strong programs in nursing and or veterinary studies.  The claim was that those towns have a bit more wealth infusion than others.

College towns even in the reddest states are insane asylums and everything is way overpriced. Then you have their town or city councils that spend most of their time and your tax money passing resolutions against Israel while your streets need repairs.

207 WTF?

Pic of Obama on Drudge....

www.drudgereport.com

208 @197

We lived in Orlando for 10 years before I said get me the hell outta here.  From a comfort level, it's too hot & humid for me.  From a social level, I don't like going out shopping and feeling like I'm in another country.  The nightly local news is very scary indeed.  It's rife with crime.  I come home to SC and am so thankful I live in this little rural area where the worst crimes reported on are laughable compared to Orlando standards.  You could also never leave one thing out in your yard in O-town unless you wanted it stolen.  Including, but not limited to, your subscription newspaper, potted plants, Christmas decorations, etc.  Traffic is hideous.  I wouldn't live there again if someone gave me a mansion.

209 Sanitation workers have been told to save every voice mail, text or email about last week's blizzard... In other words, delete every voice mail, text, or email about last week's blizzard.

210

Does that look kosher to you?

Does this?

211 Dad's family all came from Missouri, around Urbana. Farmers and bank robbers, mostly.

212

I've done it in the past. Didn't do it this time because it's not very interesting - just a moderate increase.

Denninger is looking at that sort of thing here.

In particular, he has graphs for the Total Employed 1999-Present and the Employment Rate Of The Population.

It looks like "Total Employed" tried to rebound earlier this year, but resumed its drop in the second half of the year.

 

213

Sanitation workers have been told to save every voice mail, text or email about last week's blizzard - even on personal phones and computers.

As investigators probe rumors some workers staged a plowing slowdown to protest budget cuts, city lawyers fired off orders to workers to comply with demands from the Department of Investigation.

A copy obtained by the Daily News shows that DOI wants "all employees who have had a role with the response" to the storm to hang on to every piece of paper or instant message from friends, bosses - even their unions.

Some workers grumbled the order was another blow to morale.

let's face it, they will delete everything they can, and no one will do anything about it.

214 I'm open for suggestions.

Posted by: sifty at January 07, 2011 12:55 PM (8dbwr)

Mr. Puppeh and I are hoping to head to Kansas, although reality (sans personal or national disaster) says we need to stay in Crapifornia at least another 5 years.

My dream is to open a barbecue shack that also serves good Mexican food East of the Rockies.

Posted by: sifty at January 07, 2011 01:07 PM (8dbwr)

My first hubby was Mexican so I learned good home Mexican cooking from his mother and grandmother. What say we team up? (I can dream, can't I?)

215 What "Archie Bunker", aka, "your sentei",  has neglected to mention on this website, but what he lamented on another website is that he has been unemployed (and a parasite) for so long that he has become discouraged that he'll never get another job (which that deadbeat, lazy bum and freeloader blames on Republicans, of course), although he is heartened that his unemplyment benefits have just been extended for a fourth time, confident that they'll be extended indefinitely if Obama gets reelected..

216

"sorry, Joanie.  But you walked right into that..."

That's how it always happens.

217 208 Geoff, have you seen the new "Obama has created more jobs in 2010 than Bush did in 8" meme? Does that look kosher to you? Posted by: joncelli at January 07, 2011 01:23 PM

If all they're counting is GOVERNMENT jobs created, that might be the little trick they're playing

218

Posted by: Lady in Black at January 07, 2011 01:24 PM (x9xik)

Wow, where did you live here? I've been here since the late '80's and haven't had any trouble at all.

219 Never heard of nothing good coming out of Missouri.

220 My dream is to open a barbecue shack that also serves good Mexican food East of the Rockies.

Posted by: sifty at January 07, 2011 01:07 PM (8dbwr)

My first hubby was Mexican so I learned good home Mexican cooking from his mother and grandmother. What say we team up? (I can dream, can't I?)

Posted by: sock puppeh at January 07, 2011 01:25 PM (VcPAo)

I can wash dishes and chop, up any damn thing your bring in, well except for hobos, (i know i just can't).

but rockies?  cold

221 >>My wife and I have a vision of becoming like that nice old couple in Book of Eli Yea, the cannibalism and bat shit crazy puts a little damper on that vision for me. I'm thinking more along the lines of Lord Humungous. Cruising the wasteland in a thong and mask in my nitrous infused rocket car, killing anything that gets in my way. Gives me the warm and fuzzies.

222 I'd love to team up on a barbecue shack / Mexican food dispensary.

I bet two morons teaming up would constitute a militia in Uncle Janet's mind.

223 Posted by: sifty at January 07, 2011 01:23 PM (8dbwr)

Book of Eli is an awesome film. Watched it the night before we had the receiving of friends for my dad and the last 10 minutes almost made me cry.

224

Never heard of nothing good coming out of Missouri. - Granny

I was about to correct you when I suddenly got the joke.

 

225 Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population, 1940 to date

2002 136,933
2008 145,362  +8.429M

226 re: Obama has created more jobs... Look at Google's public data for Employment (www.google.com/publicdata/directory then go to US Unemployment, then Employment) and it doesn't seem possible to torture that conclusion out of this data at all. Things look even worse when you throw in the 30 million more people that live here since 2000.

227 My dream is to open a barbecue shack that also serves good Mexican food East of the Rockies.

Posted by: sifty at January 07, 2011 01:07 PM (8dbwr)

My first hubby was Mexican so I learned good home Mexican cooking from his mother and grandmother. What say we team up? (I can dream, can't I?)

Posted by: sock puppeh at January 07, 2011 01:25 PM (VcPAo)

I can wash dishes and chop, up any damn thing your bring in, well except for hobos, (i know i just can't).

but rockies?  cold

Posted by: willow at January 07, 2011 01:29 PM (h+qn

I can food test and run the books!

228 I couldn't make a good Humungous. I can't get rid of this last 8lbs around my belly. And he looks like he does way more situps than I can.

And only having three bullets would drive me nuts.

229 Jan. 7 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama said todayÂ’s report on jobs shows government action to remove obstacles to business expansion, including cutting taxes and easing credit, will help keep the economy growing

Is this the kind of "help" he has in mind?

President Obama signed legislation to renew a grant program that the administration has used to fuel diesel engine replacements, upgrades or retrofits to curb emissions across a range of cargo sector projects.

The “Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2010,” which Obama signed late on Jan. 4, modifies and reauthorizes through fiscal year 2016 the Environmental Protection Agency’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Program.

Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, said the measure was “a significant and important accomplishment” of the lame-duck 111th Congress. New clean-fuel and vehicle emission rules are taking hold that will reduce diesel exhaust from future models, but this EPA grant program targets older equipment that can last decades.

230

Pittsburgh is pretty good and satisfies some of these.

 

We want:
Lower taxes than California 3.07% State Income tax, average 1% Local EIT
Cheaper homes than California For 250K you are getting a ton of bedrooms and bathrooms in nice areas
Land I can grow food on.Our climate is perfect for tomatoes, peppers, beans, corn, etc. Can't grow tropical fruits though.
Few gun laws and many gun stores Our constitution is more specific when it comes to guns. 750,000 hunters this season, which would make them the 8th largest standing army in the world. Gun stores in every town or every other town.
Concealed carry I have one, just filed out a form, paid 5 bucks and now i have an ID card valid for 5 years.
Republican majority voters Majority Democratic, however PA Dems are social cons.
Republican majority legislature Republicans took the State and Federeal legislature this year.
Plenty of fresh water We have tons of rivers, streams and border the great lakes which make up 45% of the world fresh drinking water.
Majority conservative people Again, mainly social cons. Most democrats are union, but heavily NRA, anti abortion, catholic types.
Trees Pennsylvania literally translates to Penn's Woods(forest)
People not ashamed to go to church Several churches in every community, mainly catholic(Irish, Italian and German), protestent sects, and a large jewish population. Few to no muzzies
All four seasons In the winter we get snow, in the summer it gets hot, the spring and fall are beautiful to watch the trees and plants either bloom or turn colors and fall off.

I'm open for suggestions

 

It's pretty sweet here in western PA

231

I can food test and run the books!

the books get cooked, too. 

232

I can food test and run the books!

the books get cooked, too. 

Posted by: garrett at January 07, 2011 01:34 PM (31rNy

well hell ,then we have to hire a member the Obama administration again.

no way

233 >>And only having three bullets would drive me nuts. That's where my minions come in. I'll be one of the only people hiring. Job won't pay much but the benefits package is going to be unlimited. I never said I would look good in the thong but that's the great thing about being Humungous. Who would dare say anything?

234

It's pretty sweet here in western PA

I've got two things that would turn colors and fall off in that cold weather. And the Italianics button is stuck on.

235 From Politico:

After reading his prepared remarks on the economy at a window manufacturer on Friday, President Obama sought to take some photos with workers when a pool reporter caught up with him and asked him to explain the connection between the drop in the unemployment rate and the lower-than-expected number of jobs added in December.

Obama's response, according to the pool:

"You know, you've got to talk to Austan Goolsbee. That's his job."

Obama then posed for some photos.

236

also, I should add about western PA, is we never get natural disasters.

We are not in an earthquake zone, we're not close enough to the coast to be damaged by a hurricane. We don't get tornado's. In my 26 years I've heard of 2 in the area and they were weak ones that lasted seconds and did little to no damage. We don't have volcanos. If you live next to the river, you might get flooded, but that's about it. also we're  immune from Gamma ray bursts.

237

no way

Than look forward to be further in debt and un-employed soon after you open.

Food Service is a Cash buisness. 

 

238 @223

I started out in Pine Hills (yeah, I know, but I lived with my aunt & she bought the place when it was really quite nice in 1980).  Then I lived off of University in a new subdivision that started out nice, but over the few years I lived there, became a haven for sporadic graffiti-sprayed retention walls, etc.  Wherever you live, I find it hard to believe you don't think the local news is frightening.  That....and I hate the Buick sized palmetto bugs. 

239 Looks like yesterday's long posts wore Ace out.

240 Isn't his title The Humungus?

241

Asked about Friday's 103,000 job gains, Bernanke said if that pace of job creation were maintained "you won't see sustained declines in the unemployment rate."

 

Damn Republicans and their Slurpee sipping!

242

the books get cooked, too. 

Posted by: garrett at January 07, 2011 01:34 PM (31rNy)

and covered in a delicious, spicy red chile sauce and served with our house special rice pilaf and refried beans.

"Sifty's! Where the first shot of valu-rite is always on us!"

243
Geoff, have you seen the new "Obama has created more jobs in 2010 than Bush did in 8" meme? Does that look kosher to you?

It's a silly statement. Cherry pick your time period from either President's term, and you can get any result you want. Sure Obama's had a reasonable 2010 (if you call job creation below 100K/mo reasonable), but he had a miserable 2009 and net job losses since he assumed office.

Basically they're saying: we're going to count 2 recessions against Bush, but leave the recession out for Obama. Not kosher at all.

244 Sifty you can get most of your list in Western Colorado, front range side, not so much, unless you go near Colo. Springs.

245

"Sifty's! Where the first shot of valu-rite is always for us!"

"Free Drinks Tomorrow."

246 240. you're kidding me, right? THAT was the response of our PRESIDENT?!?! Okay, Ben is right about Western PA, but I remember a pretty nasty twister one time up in Columbia County (middle of the state). I saw it in my rear view mirror and nearly had a heart attack! It took out some GINORMOUS ancient trees, killed some folks who were camping at Rickett's Glen - whew! But that is really really rare. Our only natural disaster is Philadelphia, really. Oh and maybe C-Ville and Norristown.

247 I'm open for suggestions.

Posted by: sifty at January 07, 2011 12:55 PM

What about Tennessee?   I know people who live there (Nashville) they LOVE it.
and.. its gorgeous. I dont know if its entirely red with Memphis..

248 >>Isn't his title The Humungus? It's my plan and if I want to be the Lord Humungous then that's what I'm going to be. Word to the wise, don't keep questioning me. The Lord Humungous doesn't like being questioned and He has a long memory.

249 Cherry pick your time period from either President's term

I don't see where even cherry picking gets them the numbers.

It looks like plus a half a million jobs for 2010.  Even if you hang 2009 on Bush and start in 2000, he's still +3 mil or so.

250 197 Florida sounds nice on paper. But the news stories that come out of Florida frighten us. And you have large scaly thingamajiggers hanging out all over that eat children. Posted by: sifty at January 07, 2011 01:18 PM (8dbwr) I lived in Florida 20 years ago and at that time there was a $100 fine for killing an alligator. My neighbor across the street had property that backed up on a lake which had gators in it. Whenever his grandchildren were playing in the yard he sat on his back porch with his rifle and a $100 bill.

251 Oh, Norristown is an entirely man-made disaster, alas. Philly too.

252

But that is really really rare. Our only natural disaster is Philadelphia, really. Oh and maybe C-Ville and Norristown.

also Harrisburg is a shit hole. I was just there on Wednesday, it is a depressing town.

That's why my description applied to western PA, not central and eastern PA.

253

the books get cooked, too. 

Posted by: garrett at January 07, 2011 01:34 PM (31rNy)

I dont know how to do that.. I am not a democrat, part of the Fed Government, acorn or the CBO.

254 I am thinking a rural, wholesome Farm theme for the place:

The Rake and Hoe©

255 244 Looks like yesterday's long posts wore Ace out. Posted by: joncelli at January 07, 2011 01:39 PM

It's Friday afternoon, he likes to get an early start on drinking

256 Barack Obama Hates Blackbirds

257 256. Norristown is the one that always makes me scratch my head. Perfectly located; destroyed by bad politics. I mean, they have streets and marketplaces with Communist names. Someday, maybe, it will be renewed, like Media and Pheonixville? It could happen!

258 Or a wildlife / food theme:

The Hawk and Spit©

259 The Rake and Hoe©

Posted by: sifty at January 07, 2011 01:45 PM (8dbwr)

jeeze

 

alright, i can hoe, but let me first see your credit card limit,

260 Do you remember this story? They were talking about it this morning on the radio. The trial has begun. In 2008 an 8 year old in Massachusetts goes to a gun show with his dad and his 11-yr old brother. He's handed a small automatic weapon (they say UZI). His dad video-records the event. The boy loses control...shoots himself in the face. The boy dies.

261 What I'd really liked to have seen at the passing of the gavel....

http://tinyurl.com/2a3emok

262 I know it's disturbing. Sorry if I ruined anyone's day. But the story needs to be known. They said the video is on the internet for everyone to see. I'm not in the mood to watch it.

263

Tami, Garret  brought that in a few minutes ago, was the first time i've smiled in days.

 

264 #257 also Harrisburg is a shit hole. I was just there on Wednesday, it is a depressing town.

Well spoken!  I seldom frequent our bankrupt Capitol and then only on the outskirts to several Chinese restaurants that my lab-mate and the lab manager like to patron.  

Did you enjoy watching the swearing-in regardless?  Any problems finding parking?

265

That....and I hate the Buick sized palmetto bugs. 

That's why you wear "roach stompers", you know, cowboy boots with pointed toes so if they run into a corner, you can still get them. And they make a very satisfying "crack" when you do. Fun is where you find it.

I've had a couple of friends who lived in Crime Hills, and they never had too much trouble either. And I refuse to watch the local news, as I'm convinced doing so makes you lose IQ points.

I'm up in Seminole, the little neighborhood where B'Gal and I are hasn't changed since I moved here. Fairly quiet, everybody looks out for everybody else, traffic's not too bad. Just wish there was some work here. Plus, it seems like I know half the population here. Roots, and all. I've lived here longer than anywhere else and don't plan on leaving.

Good luck in your travels, hope you find a place to your liking.

266

 know it's disturbing. Sorry if I ruined anyone's day.

But the story needs to be known.

They said the video is on the internet for everyone to see. I'm not in the mood to watch it

do you have a link to the story(not the video)

Who hands a kid a loaded automatic weapon at a gun show?

267 So who's on trial? The ex-police chief who organized the gun show -- for manslaughter.

268 Every gun is loaded and ready to fire. All the time. Always. Even if it's just a gun barrel lying on the table.

What a needless tragedy.

269

sooth, dunno what to say.

 

is it usual for a gun to be loaded at a gun show>?

270 Who, Ben? Well, I was just about to tell you that. The 11 year old brother of the 8 year old just got done shooting the weapon, handed it to a 15 year old kid who checked it before handing it to the 8 year old boy.

271 It was more of a gun-shooting-fair at a shooting range, than a show, really. I screwed up the description, sorry.

272

Tami, Garret  brought that in a few minutes ago, was the first time i've smiled in days.

Posted by: willow at January 07, 2011 01:50 PM (h+qn

He did?  Ooops...sorry...I missed it.

273 The number of unemployed dropped by 556K while the number of employed rose by 103K and the unemployment rate dropped.  At first I was skeptical of the math until an inside source explained to me that of the 453K difference, 32K were people who took the month off to feast on the last legal Happy Meals at McDonald's in San Francisco, 47K were arrested for conspiracy to commit bake sales at schools, and 374K former BLS employees are undergoing anal probes by aliens at Area 51 to determine where they are pulling their numbers from.  Disconnect explained and all is right with the country again.

274 http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,444180,00.html from 2008

275 Tami, don't be it was twice as fun.

276 Soothsayer, that looks more like parental negligence than anything else, plus a lawyer looking for the deepest pockets he can find.

277 See you 'rons later. The toddler waits for nobody. I must dive headlong into another thrilling adventure of Thomas the Tank Engine. Again. For the 4,000,000th time.

If I ever meet the creator of Thomas the Tank engine, Barney, or that bastard Bob the Builder, God be merciful and the judge be in a good mood, Amen.

278 I thought of a way to keep the walk-in freezer full at the new barbecue spot:

Every month we'll go on Huffington Post and DailyKossucker to advertise a drumming circle out in the woods.

Better than a salt lick.

279 Tami, don't be it was twice as fun.

Posted by: willow at January 07, 2011 01:55 PM (h+qn

Ok, how about the Leno one?

http://tinyurl.com/2adepal

280

The Spinal Fluid, Marrow, and Brains are best avoided or eaten only after being cooked to a min. temp of 165 deg..

 

Posted by: garrett at January 07, 2011 01:06 PM (31rNy)

And don't use a popcorn popper.

281 today's story http://tinyurl.com/28fzp7k

282 “TodayÂ’s jobs report provides evidence that the policies of the Democratic-led Congress are helping to create jobs and revitalize our economy – adding more jobs in 2010 than President Bush did over eight years,” Pelosi, D-California, said.  ‪“Building on the progress of the December jobs numbers – marking the last full month of Democratic leadership of the House – we will continue to measure every proposal by whether it creates jobs, strengthens our middle class, and reduces the deficit.”

Posted by: Laurie David's Cervix at January 07, 2011 12:48 PM (W/gz4)

 

Someone needs to throw a net over her, slap her into a straightjacket and then into a rubber room

283 "Former Pelham, Mass., police chief Edward Fleury is on trial for the boy's death. He is charged with involuntary manslaughter. He has pleaded not guilty."

284

Someone needs to throw a net over her, slap her into a straightjacket and then back into a rubber room from whence she came.

FIFY.

285 Completely OT, but does the "homeless golden-voice" guy, you know, sort of look like The One, aged maybe ten years?

286 Someone needs to throw a net over her, slap her into a straightjacket and then into a rubber room

I'd just be happy if one of the MFM stenographers would ask where the hell these figures are coming from.

287 #257 also Harrisburg is a shit hole. I was just there on Wednesday, it is a depressing town.

Well spoken!  I seldom frequent our bankrupt Capitol and then only on the outskirts to several Chinese restaurants that my lab-mate and the lab manager like to patron.  

Did you enjoy watching the swearing-in regardless?  Any problems finding parking?

heh. No problems parking, it should have been a concern. There are more spots than people living in the town.  The swearing in was nice, especially since Republicans are taking control

I was thinking about it as I was there and how sad it was. There are a few parts( and by parts i mean a couple streets) that remind me of the Georgetown area in Washington DC. Where the homes are old and architechually beautiful. There are churches are are large stone built, then there is the capitol buildings and statues which are beautiful, specifically the obelisk's with the griffens on top at the entrance of the bridge that sits across from the capitol buildings, then there is the rest of the "city" and i use that term in the loosest possible sense.

Most cities are built around industry, office buildings, or sky scrapers, this town is centered around the capitol building.  Most stores are specialty botique stores, but there are more vacant spaces than actually places in business. I saw more gay bars than actual bars there. The Pennsylvania Museum is an architectural monstrosity with a giant cement monolith that is probably 15-20 stories high. Literally a giant block of cement, no windows or anything. I couldn't figure out what it was.

The streets were filled with two types of people. Well dressed men and women, with the men having slicked back politician style short haircuts. These were the people who clearly were politicians or worked for politicians. Then there was everyone else. The people who clearly actually lived in the city. Many of them wandered around the street aimlessly. In downtown pittsburgh there are three types of people. People shopping, people going to and from work, and the occasional hobo. In Harrisburg it seemed like there were just politicos and everyone else. The people wandering around seemed like they had no where to go or nothing to do. This is on a Wesnesday, mid day.  I did a little research and saw that there populations decreased like 10% every 10 years and it is easy to see why.

There Market District, if one can call it that, was essentially one street and a giant parking lot where I assume people peddle their wares in warmer weather. There mall, if one can call it that, was literally 75% food court. It had maybe 3 consumer stores. The rest were like offices for real estate, insurance, and other specialty companies. Also the mall had 2 universities in it. CAPA which is like an arts school, and Temple University Harrisburg.

It was a surreal experience. I was so happy to get out of there. I couldn't imagine living there and not have an overwhelming urge to commit suicide.

288

also, I should add about western PA, is we never get natural disasters.

Cool.  So Yucca Mountain isn't the only safe place to store nuclear waste.

289 Tami, haha nice.

290 Don't forget about me and my bilingual friends.........

Posted by: Dora the Explorer at January 07, 2011 02:02 PM (OWjjx)

The fuck am I? Chopped Liver?

291 “TodayÂ’s jobs report provides evidence that the policies of the Democratic-led Congress are helping to create jobs and revitalize our economy – adding more jobs in 2010 than President Bush did over eight years,” Pelosi, D-California, said.  ‪“Building on the progress of the December jobs numbers – marking the last full month of Democratic leadership of the House – we will continue to measure every proposal by whether it creates jobs, strengthens our middle class, and reduces the deficit.”

Mr. Steele, Mr. Steele, clean up in aisle 11. Mr. Steele...shit, he's never around when you need him.

292 If I ever meet the creator of Thomas the Tank engine, Barney, or that bastard Bob the Builder, God be merciful and the judge be in a good mood, Amen.


Don't forget about me and my bilingual friends.........

Posted by: Dora the Explorer at January 07, 2011 02:02 PM (OWjjx)

When my son was little, "the big comfy couch" use to make me lose my mind.

I was so glad when he went to school and I never had to sit and watch that show again.

293 In related news: Food Stamp Usage Hits New High of 43.2 Million.

294 Ferb, I know what we are going to do today.

295

How about a new fucking post?

I feel awkward reading a geoff post after 11:00am...nothing personal.   It's just slippers and coffee material.

Open Bloggage, perhaps?

296 The luscious women on the east coast of  Florida (especially, Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Daytona Beach) void all criticisms of Florida. South Beach (Miami) is a mecca for beautiful women from all around the world. I defy anyone to cite a higher concentration of beautiful women anywhere else on this planet. But if you can't afford them, stay where you are. They have expensive tastes ...., and deservedly so. This ain't like the Jersey Shore.

297 Posted by: Timbo at January 07, 2011 01:42 PM (ph9vn)

East Tennessee here. Tennessee is a good state. No income tax. Permit to carry a handgun (open or concealed are both legal) and with permit can carry a loaded shotgun or rifle in your vehicle with you, the fee is about $100.

Right to work state, very industrialized thanks to TVA. Unions are primarily federal contracts such as DOE, very few unionized businesses outside of that.

Republican majority, deeply red here in ET.

298 This ain't like the Jersey Shore.

Posted by: Brian

 

So there's nothing grazing at the Miami shoreline wearing bikinis and sunglasses?

299 #248

Basically they're saying: we're going to count 2 recessions against Bush, but leave the recession out for Obama.

Bush gets blamed for two recessions, but the first one officially began (according to NBER) in March of 2001. Bush had been president for just over a month. And yet the Democrats will never tell you that Bush "inherited" that recession from Clinton.

300

a mecca for beautiful women from all around the world. I defy anyone to cite a higher concentration of beautiful women anywhere else on this planet. But...you can't afford them

Why, yes...I mean -

¡Sí,  that is a Plantain in my pocket!

301

Allright, I'm appealing to the Morons for a good thin crust pizza dough recipe. I've been searching the intertubes and nearly all the recipes require a dough mixer with a dough hook and I DON'T FUCKING HAVE ONE!

I'm not blowing $300 on a Kitchenaid mixer just to make fucking pizza dough.

Anywho, any idears?

302 “Today’s jobs report provides evidence that the policies of the Democratic-led Congress are helping to create jobs and revitalize our economy – adding more jobs in 2010 than President Bush did over eight years,” Pelosi, D-California, said.

I'm still going to be Speaker after the November elections, and the San Francisco 49ers will win the Super Bowl this year

303 Had a cousin who worked as a meat cutter for Jimmy Dean in Tennessee. He loved it. Tennessee is on the list.

304 Why do I have to do the GOP's work? brb...

305

Anywho, any idears?

Use your hands and hand knead.  Takes a little longer but that's how it's done in the "old country'.

306 We don't watch Dora the Explora or Handy Manny in our house.

We're racist Tea Partiers.

307 The Romans didn't need no damn dough hook mixer. No siree!

308 We don't watch Dora the Explora or Handy Manny in our house.

We're racist Tea Partiers.

I need to get my hands of PeeWee Herman DVD's if i ever had kids, that show was entertaining for kids and adults

309 "I'm convinced that we can see a light at the end of the tunnel. We've pulled the economy back from the brink...we have a lot further to go. We will not have a true recovery while we are still losing jobs." --Obama July 8, 2009 He said this after the UE rate dropped from 9.5% to 9.4%. Let that sink in for a second.

310

also Harrisburg is a shit hole. I was just there on Wednesday, it is a depressing town.

That's why my description applied to western PA, not central and eastern PA.

Posted by: Ben at January 07, 2011 01:44 PM (wuv1c)

Yeah -- right. Washington PA is a lovely town. *spit*

Years ago I was trying to find a job site, en route home, in either Washington or Greene county. I stopped into a mom and pop store right out of Petticoat Junction (not that there's anything wrong with that, I'm more comfortable with them than a convenience store in a big city). I tried asking where I was using a USGS topo map and I thought I was gonna be attacked by the children of the corn.

The one guy just kept on saying "I've never seen a map like that. Where'd you say you were from?" He must've thought I was from the X-files. If he had a TV.

The locals I met in Beaver and Lawrence Counties weren't much better.

311

Anywho, any idears?

Use your hands and hand knead.  Takes a little longer but that's how it's done in the "old country'.

Posted by: ¤§EZB§¤ at January 07, 2011 02:19 PM (Ty06w)

I suppose I could get off my lazy ass and actually work at it. Next question: When proofing the yeast, use sugar or no?

312

I suppose I could get off my lazy ass and actually work at it. Next question: When proofing the yeast, use sugar or no?

Depends on the recipe.  I use a bit of sugar to feed the little suckers.  The biggest thing with pizza is getting the gluten worked enough.

313 156 We are researching on where to go. Lots of Texas tell us not to go to Texas and treat even conservative Californians like assholes, but I'm hoping they are the minority.

We want:
Lower taxes than California
Cheaper homes than California
Land I can grow food on.
Few gun laws and many gun stores
Concealed carry
Republican majority voters
Republican majority legislature
Plenty of fresh water
Majority conservative people
Trees
People not ashamed to go to church
All four seasons

I'm open for suggestions.

Posted by: sifty

--

You really should consider Utah.

What do you do for a living? 

314

Next question: When proofing the yeast, use sugar or no?

Not in Pizza Dough.  110 or so degree water for a few minutes is sufficient.

If the Yeast is strill good, it will not need the added sugar.

315 Next question: When proofing the yeast, use sugar or no?

Posted by: ErikW at January 07, 2011 02:21 PM (DKmQ4)

If the recipe calls for sugar, yes. Otherwise, no.

316

Depends on the recipe.  I use a bit of sugar to feed the little suckers.  The biggest thing with pizza is getting the gluten worked enough.

Posted by: ¤§EZB§¤ at January 07, 2011 02:23 PM (Ty06w)

Very good! Thank you for the help. I've had problems perfecting pizza crust, I'll let you know how it turns out.

317

  The biggest thing with pizza is getting the gluten worked enough.

This!  If it doesn't hold till transluscent when stretched, keep kneeding.

 

318 East Tennessee here. Tennessee is a good state. No income tax. Permit to carry a handgun (open or concealed are both legal) and with permit can carry a loaded shotgun or rifle in your vehicle with you, the fee is about $100.

Right to work state, very industrialized thanks to TVA. Unions are primarily federal contracts such as DOE, very few unionized businesses outside of that.

Republican majority, deeply red here in ET.

Posted by: Holger at January 07, 2011 02:13 PM (YxGud)

And its gorgeous.  Tennesse is a beautiful state.  I love driving through it.

We know its summer here in Indiana when Tennessee tomatoes are available on roadside stands. (ours arent ready for about a month after TN)

319 Why do I have to do the GOP's work? Because it's party time, dogg!

320

 Thank you for the help. I've had problems perfecting pizza crust, I'll let you know how it turns out.

The guy that owns Pizzeria Biance in Phoenix Az has a good recipe and description of a good Pizza Crust.

Also, a recipe I found from Sophia lauren's Cookbook works pretty well.  If you can find a good Cake Yeast, or baker's Yeast it helps a lot.

321 Thanks all. I'm making a veggie pizza for a friend who just got out of the hospital and she hates thick crust.

322 mmmm Tennessee. Land of Crockett.

323

Don't forget to sauté your veggies to get rid of the water. 

Nobody like a soggy Pizza!

324

The guy that owns Pizzeria Biance in Phoenix Az has a good recipe and description of a good Pizza Crust.

Posted by: garrett at January 07, 2011 02:28 PM (31rNy)

I just looked it up and I'm going to try it. Thanks, man!

325

Yesterday we made pizza and I went to the supermarket and lo-and-behold! Fresh pizza dough made in-store..99¢. It was perfect for an 18" thin crust pie.

There's a local place that makes and sells Pre-Made Dough in Missoula.   It's good enough that I stopped making my own out of sheer convenience.  All I have to do is brush it with a tiny bit of Olive Oil before I make the pie and it cooks up perfectly.

The key is a raging hot Pizza Stone.  500 Deg. Min.

326 sifty,
Utah has everything on your list. 
Actually, we have open carry.  I believe we have the most "liberal" (heh) gun laws in the country.
Lots of streams, rivers, lakes.  Seems like everyone owns a boat.  Four seasons.
Very red state.
Very religious state.  And, no, you do not have to be Mormon. 
Very good governor who is bringing in industry/jobs, both construction and high tech/"white collar". 

327 Pizzeria Biance has a fine pizza, and I'mma let you finish, but Pizzeria Beyonce has the best pizza in the world.

328

I need to get my hands of PeeWee Herman DVD's if i ever had kids, that show was entertaining for kids and adults

Posted by: Ben at January 07, 2011 02:20 PM (wuv1c)

Heh.

I was in charge of a bunch of hippies who had to drag the cover over a huge ass weatherport in a coordinated manner. After making sure all the ropes were tied correctly and everybody was in place I said the magic words:

"Let the cartoon begin"

Everything went smoothly.

329 We want:
Lower taxes than California
Cheaper homes than California
Land I can grow food on.
Few gun laws and many gun stores
Concealed carry
Republican majority voters
Republican majority legislature
Plenty of fresh water
Majority conservative people
Trees
People not ashamed to go to church
All four seasons

Sounds like where I am! The state of Louisiana has it's share of problems, but the NW corner (aka Ark-LA-Tex aka Shreveport/Bossier) is going strong. Housing prices never dropped, but also never were crazy high.

I feel like I live in a fantasy land when I read all the depressing news but then drive around and see 3 new banks being built in one part of my city and a local car dealership expanding!

Not going to say it's perfect and you don't want to get me started on the weather, but I think it's worth looking into.

(Well, I'll just say we have at least 4 seasons and leave it at that!)

330 We have thought about Utah. True Grit (the real one) was filmed there I think.

Staying that close to Mexico and California (same thing) bothers us. I'm tired of reading signs in Spanish but paying taxes in English.

331 311 Had a cousin who worked as a meat cutter for Jimmy Dean in Tennessee. He loved it. Tennessee is on the list.

Posted by: sifty at January 07, 2011 02:17 PM (8dbwr)

If you have been in California for a long time.. not having the scenery is pretty hard to get use to.  I love Indiana.... its home, but there aint shit to look at here. Our biggest hill is the landfill.

Everything else is fantastic.... but... coming from California which is stunning would be hard to get use to.

Tn is a beautiful state.  NC is too.

332

Thin Crust Pizza Dough:

Ingredients-

2-3/4 cp  All Purpose Flour

1 Tbsp  Fast Rising Yeast

1 tsp salt

1 cp pure water

1/4 cp  oil

Method-

Combine dry  ingredients in bowl.

Combine wet ingredients in microwaveable container and nuke for 1 minute.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix.  Take ingredients out, spirnkle flour on clean counter top and kneed until ball of dough is soft and elastic.

Put dough into warm bowl, cover with damp tea towel and let rise in warm place(temp below 140 F) for 1 hour.

Sprinkle cornmeal on oiled pizza pan or pan cover with parchment paper instead of cornmeal.

Toss or shape risen dough into pizza pie crust and let rise on pan in warmed oven another 20 minutes.(dough covers 16 inch pizza pan)

Top pizza with preffered toppings and bake at 440 F for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy.

333

Don't forget to sauté your veggies to get rid of the water. 

Nobody like a soggy Pizza!

Posted by: garrett at January 07, 2011 02:30 PM (31rNy)

Good idea. I also need to purchase a pizza stone. Back in the day I worked in a pizzeria that had a huge brick deck oven that was set at 650. The crust always turned out perfect.

334

Toss or shape risen dough into pizza pie crust and let rise on pan in warmed oven another 20 minutes.(dough covers 16 inch pizza pan)

Too much oil. 

How is this thin crust pizza?

335 Timbo:

All the pretty shit is now covered in graffitti and garbage. We don't need landfills here because the freeway sides are covered in garbage.

The signs are in Spanish, the schools look like they belong in downtown Mogadishu, and the people seem like they wandered out of a bad movie.

336 New thread

337
All the pretty shit is now covered in graffitti and garbage. We don't need landfills here because the freeway sides are covered in garbage.

The signs are in Spanish, the schools look like they belong in downtown Mogadishu, and the people seem like they wandered out of a bad movie.

Posted by: sifty at January 07, 2011 02:39 PM (8dbwr)

HAHA...

Lord.. what a f'd up state.

338 Here you go, Erik!

339

Good idea. I also need to purchase a pizza stone. Back in the day I worked in a pizzeria that had a huge brick deck oven that was set at 650. The crust always turned out perfect.

Ah, I want my own Baker's Pride for the Garage....

I have found that most ovens will give you the searing action you need at about 500 degrees...but it takes a while to get the stone to 500.  They key is for the moisture in the crust to turn to steam as it cooks.   Making for a crisp, yet chewy crust.  Just make sure you pre-heat with this in mind. 

If you have a convection setting, you can use that once you put the pizza into the oven and it does a good job of cooking everything at the proper speed.

340

(Well, I'll just say we have at least 4 seasons and leave it at that!)

LOL! 
We I live in S.Ga, and have five seasons-

Warm--  All flowers bloom then die in a 4 week period.
Hot-- Everything wilts
OMFG IS IT HOT!-- Everything wilts and then is revived by the 5pm thunderstorm
Warm-- All leaves fall off the trees, simply worn out by the wilt-revive cycle
COLD! no WARM! no COLD!-- 2 to 3 months of temps ranging from mid 20's to upper 70's.

341 The National Parks and the Wilderness of California are now a 40 acre site with 12 parking spaces and a big fucking fence around it and a big sign saying

Give us $12 to listen to mariachi music and look at dirty diapers and trash.
Stay within the fence or we will fine you for every cent you have.
Don't do anything.
The Wilderness and National Parks are now property of the Government and authorized college students in sandals.

342

Too much oil. 

How is this thin crust pizza?

Posted by: garrett

I've been making it for 30 years.  Only change I've made recently is to use grapeseed oil, RO water, and parchment paper on the pan + I use a bread machine to mix and raise the dough in before shaping.

343

We want:

> -Lower taxes than California
     Cheaper homes than California
>-Land I can grow food on.
>-Few gun laws and many gun stores
>-Concealed carry
    Republican majority voters
    Republican majority legislature
    Plenty of fresh water
    Majority conservative people
    Trees (Depends on what you call a tree)
>-People not ashamed to go to church
    All four seasons
>-Hotties (in lieu of New York or Chicago Pizza)

I'm open for suggestions.

Posted by: sifty

344 Staying that close to Mexico and California (same thing) bothers us. I'm tired of reading signs in Spanish but paying taxes in English

Here's the dynamic with that... I think (still learning). 

The legislature seems to have a good strong red streak of people who are for an AZ-style immigration law.  I've read that the last governor (Huntsman, Jr) was a bit soft on immigration, but I have not gleaned that about Herbert, our recently (re)elected governor (the one who took over for Huntsman). 

Now the dynamic here seems to be that you have some liberals in Salt Lake who are soft on immigration, but they are vastly outnumbered.

The other pressure is the LDS Church is very active in missions to Central and South America so they (sort of like the Catholic Church, but not nearly as bad) tend to be a bit squishy on Latino issues. 

But I think the economics of the state will prevent amnesty.  It's just too fiscally responsible of a state to go for that. 

And here's another good sign.  West Valley, which is an ethnic neighborhood of Salt Lake, recently started a 'learn English' drive that, get this, is being actively embraced by the immigrants. 

So I think we have, for the most part, a different type of immigrant population here.  More tractable and more embracing fitting in... maybe because of the LDS ward system or something. 

There are some Latino markets around here (Provo/Orem general area) and certainly immigrants, but it's nothing like California. 

Depending on what sort of work you're looking for, Utah may be a great choice.  And the weather is certainly going to be less of a shock than East Texas or the Gulf coast (I lived in Houston for 7 years, I know wherein I speak).  Also, we have not detected an anti-California vibe here.  In fact, there are a lot of folks here with family in California or who came from California -- but they are conservatives, not fleeing liberals. 

Housing market is still down.  Peak was in ~2007, I think.  Our challenge is in finding a small enough house in the right neighborhood, but price is nothing compared to California. 

345 <blockquote>The labor participation rate has dropped to its lowest percentage since 1983, falling from 64.5% last month to 64.3% this month. That likely indicates a large pent-up labor supply that is not included in the U-6 unemployment numbers.</blockquote>

Got a link for that?  If that's a sound figure I'm...stunned that the govt has let it out, since it suggests a "true" UE rate of around 30% or so (depending on % of retired people and students).

Any idea what this "labor participation rate" figure is in good times?

346 Okay, I see it used to run around 67-68%.  So not that scary after all.

http://data.bls.gov/  PDQ/servlet/  SurveyOutputServlet?  data_tool=
latest_numbers&series_ id=LNS11300000

347

East Tennessee here. Tennessee is a good state. No income tax. Permit to carry a handgun (open or concealed are both legal) and with permit can carry a loaded shotgun or rifle in your vehicle with you, the fee is about $100.

You forgot the height of cultural refinement there -- the Carhartt outlet store in Mountain City.

I liked Piney Flatswell enough but it was a bit too citified for my tastes.

348 We want:...

Land I can grow food on.

Plenty of fresh water

Trees

******

You really should consider Utah.

What do you do for a living?

*******

Have you been to Utah. Trees, arable land, and fresh water sources are not defining features. Their are parts of Utah that make Nevada look like a paradise oasis. 

Sifty. Take it from another Californian in the same pickle. You need to be a little more flexible with your standards. Here's why. Liberals congregate in many places, in order they prefer, 1. Major metropolitan areas, 2. Areas with nice weather that are easy to live in 3. Areas with lots of beautiful landscape. Now you know why California, which ought to be the most prosperous region in the world, period, is soooo boned.
They come in by the droves. Fuck up the region until it is a sesspool of crime and poverty; decide they "can't raise their kids there", then find the next oasis of prosperity and peace provided by hard work ethic, and good Christian morals. Once they arrive in their new home, they start to politically tear it apart with progressiveism just like they did their last home. Never learning, never even considering, that it is their philosophy which causes the poverty of both wealth and soul. They are the cancer of the prosperous society; so expect, wherever you go, since you are a de-facto part of that cancer, though you are not part of the problem, that you will not be greeted warmly, rather treated like a cancer attempting to metastasize into a new region. A "feeling out" phase by the locals will ensue and eventually, if you are cool, you will likely be accepted.

I have always said conservative Californians have no friends. Those at home hate them for being conservative, everywhere else for being Californian.

In either event. If you choose someplace too "nice" to live. If it isn't infested with liberals now, it will be soon. Choosing someplace that proffers challenges helps keep them away.

I am eyeballing Wyoming.

349

Piney Flats well enough

350  Here you go, Erik!

Posted by: Mama AJ at January 07, 2011 02:40 PM (XdlcF)

I haven't laughed that hard in a long time!

You're the best, Mama AJ!

351 My dream is to open a barbecue shack that also serves good Mexican food East of the Rockies.

Oh, head here then, plaease! Esp. if you don't mind gators...

352 Utah seems like a good choice in a lot of ways. I don't mind being around all types of folks and I have never had any problem with Mormons.

353 I just can't let a good dead meme die...

354

Only change I've made recently is to use grapeseed oil, RO water, and parchment paper on the pan + I use a bread machine to mix and raise the dough in before shaping.

The inclusion of that much oil impedes the creation of steam in the cooking crust.  As the oil won't cook off, it makes it nearly impossible to get the crust to sear. 

The pan and parchment will also impede proper cooking as they act as a heat sink and membrane, respectively.

This would make a pan style, Pizza Casserole (Read Chicago Pizza) crust...but I wouldn't cook a Thin-Crust Pizza this way.

355 I just can't let a good dead meme die...

Posted by: Mama AJ at January 07, 2011 02:53 PM (XdlcF)

I hope it never does.

356 Nah. On second thought Utah isn't far enough away.

I don't want to live in any city over 10,000 folks.

And I don't want to be able to see town from our house. Or another house for that matter.

357 #365 - Expand your horizons. Check out Costa Rica. Talk about economical, whoa!

358 Have you been to Utah. Trees, arable land, and fresh water sources are not defining features. Their are parts of Utah that make Nevada look like a paradise oasis.

Wow, if you're talking St. George coming up through NV from SoCal or Mexican Hat in Four Corners, sure maybe.  But the Wasatch Front (the western edge of the Rockies; Salt Lake and Utah Counties border -- in other words, where the jobs are) is gorgeous, loaded with lakes, rivers, and streams.  I haven't been up to the Idaho or northeastern parts yet, but I think they are also nothing like Nevada.  Maybe Utah looks "dry" to people from the Appalachians, I guess, but it's not as dry as SoCal. 

Basically, Utah and Texas are soaking up most of California's lost jobs.  Now, I loved living in Texas, but that was Houston before it went more liberal.  And it's really not a place for four seasons. 

359 365 Nah. On second thought Utah isn't far enough away.

I don't want to live in any city over 10,000 folks.

--

Well, if you don't need to work, then part of Utah's appeal may be lost.  But there are certainly rural areas of Utah where you can buy a big piece of land and be left alone.  There are little towns east of Salt Lake and Utah counties that are in the mountains, surrounded by wilderness 

360 I hope it never does.

Oh, no. One of us--at least one of us--will regret you challenging me like that...

361 zerohedge had a good discussion of this...and noted that it translates into an adjusted uemployment rate of 11.7% ...once you account for the drop in the size of the labor force.

362 We need to work, trust me. Not a pot to piss in nor window to throw it out of.

My job right now is raising my toddler. But before he was born I designed, sold, and installed communications cable infrastructure. Fiber optics and copper. As I said before up-thread, also a painter, shitty writer, farmer and goofball.

My wife works on How I Met Your Mother.

363 sifty, 
They broke ground on this yesterday.  Supposed to bring in a lot of jobs for the building and later for the data folks.  
Several computer/internet companies are putting in large installations here as well.  I can never remember the list, but one is going in Lehi, Utah (north Utah County). 
Midway Utah is commuting distance of north Utah County/south Salt Lake County where a lot of this is happening.  Really cute little town.  Lovely area.  I think you'd need a 4WD in winter to be sure, but I think it's like 30 or 40 miles. 
The only thing I've heard, but haven't experienced directly, is that it can be hard for younger kids to adapt to Utah if you are in a high-LDS area.  It's not that the Mormons are trying to exclude them, but everything the kids do revolves around the church activities, even things like boy scouts.  So people who are not LDS try to find more diverse neighborhoods if they have small kids.

364 Cool. Thanks. I have a lot of homework to do while we save.

365 Sifty,

Try New Jersey.  We all have to die sometime and even if you go to Hell, you'll still see the improvement over NJ

366 I am not a Godly man, but I never did enough harm to deserve New Jersey.

367 "Am I in Heaven?"

"No, you're in New Jersey"

368 My guess is that the Dems are refering to net job creation this year versus 8 years of Bush. Let's compare recovery year job creation under Bush and Obama.

369 Um, isn't December that month with the big holiday at the end with lots of temporary hires?  Weren't we all expecting a dip in unemployment for the month with the big holiday in it?

And how does an increase of 103,000 jobs drop the rate .4 points in December when an increase of 75,000 jobs didn't budge the number in November?

this must be Geitner math or something.

370 here's no natural reason for real environmental stewardship to have a political angle (apa

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