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marmar
marmar's Journal
marmar's Journal
December 5, 2013
Listen: http://rdwolff.com/content/economic-update-giving-thanks
by Richard Wolff.
Published on December 1, 2013
Updates on seriously wrong solutions for real economic problems (in Hawaii and at Walmart), 10 big companies paying the lowest wages, Pope's assistant with strong critique of capitalism, correction on Swedish economics prize. Major discussion on the economics of organized religion and separating the issue of full employment from respecting the environment. Response to listeners on Philippine typhoon and critique of seeing "capitalism" as root of all evil.
Professor Richard Wolff's Economic Update: Giving Thanks? (audio link)
Listen: http://rdwolff.com/content/economic-update-giving-thanks
by Richard Wolff.
Published on December 1, 2013
Updates on seriously wrong solutions for real economic problems (in Hawaii and at Walmart), 10 big companies paying the lowest wages, Pope's assistant with strong critique of capitalism, correction on Swedish economics prize. Major discussion on the economics of organized religion and separating the issue of full employment from respecting the environment. Response to listeners on Philippine typhoon and critique of seeing "capitalism" as root of all evil.
December 5, 2013
Wolf Richter: Strung-Out Consumers, Desperate Retailers, Crummy Sales
During this festive time of the year, the whole world is intensely focused on American consumers, watching their every move under a digital microscope to parse if the universe is going to live or die. Retailers and the media joined forces to create hoopla and excitement and frenzy and the perception of once-in-a-lifetime deals. Stores opened on Thanksgiving, stayed open late at night, and opened early in the morning. And consumers dove right into this extravaganza.
Chaos, mayhem, melees, and stampedes ensued. Black Friday Death Count arrived, I don’t know how, at 1 death and 15 injuries that day, and 7 deaths and 90 injuries since 2006, from shootings – over parking space, obviously – stabbings, tramplings, collapses, fights, pepper sprayings, exhausted shoppers falling asleep at the wheel…. “Because only in America people trample each other for sales exactly one day after being thankful for what they already have,” is how a tweet explained that phenomenon.
The sacrifices of shoppers who paid the ultimate price, or almost did, will not be wasted. They did their patriotic duty and obeyed orders and went out there and, despite immense difficulties and bad weather, fought it out in the trenches, often mano-a-mano with other shoppers, to further our national goal of borrowing money to buy more baubles, devices, and rags made in distant countries and then re-exporting the detritus for recycling. The world economy is based on this. American consumers merely execute the plan.
.......(snip).......
Despite Thanksgiving having been turned into a shopping day! Retailers are now discovering: it’s a zero-sum game, where the frontloading to Thursday cut sales for the rest of the weekend. Expenses were the only thing that went up. If inflation is added into the equation, the total decline for the weekend amounted to a gut-wrenching 4%!
It was the first drop in at least seven years! Even the catastrophic Thanksgiving weekend of 2009 was roughly flat. Instead of spending more money in less time, as they were supposed to, consumers are spending less money in more time. A toxic mix; many retailers get 40% of their annual revenues from the holiday shopping season. ......................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2013/12/wolf-richter-strung-out-consumers-desperate-retailers-crummy-sales.html#i2l3At8vZGcQqYuB.99
Strung-Out Consumers, Desperate Retailers, Crummy Sales
Wolf Richter: Strung-Out Consumers, Desperate Retailers, Crummy Sales
By Wolf Richter, a San Francisco based executive, entrepreneur, start up specialist, and author, with extensive international work experience. Originally published at Testosterone Pit.
During this festive time of the year, the whole world is intensely focused on American consumers, watching their every move under a digital microscope to parse if the universe is going to live or die. Retailers and the media joined forces to create hoopla and excitement and frenzy and the perception of once-in-a-lifetime deals. Stores opened on Thanksgiving, stayed open late at night, and opened early in the morning. And consumers dove right into this extravaganza.
Chaos, mayhem, melees, and stampedes ensued. Black Friday Death Count arrived, I don’t know how, at 1 death and 15 injuries that day, and 7 deaths and 90 injuries since 2006, from shootings – over parking space, obviously – stabbings, tramplings, collapses, fights, pepper sprayings, exhausted shoppers falling asleep at the wheel…. “Because only in America people trample each other for sales exactly one day after being thankful for what they already have,” is how a tweet explained that phenomenon.
The sacrifices of shoppers who paid the ultimate price, or almost did, will not be wasted. They did their patriotic duty and obeyed orders and went out there and, despite immense difficulties and bad weather, fought it out in the trenches, often mano-a-mano with other shoppers, to further our national goal of borrowing money to buy more baubles, devices, and rags made in distant countries and then re-exporting the detritus for recycling. The world economy is based on this. American consumers merely execute the plan.
.......(snip).......
Despite Thanksgiving having been turned into a shopping day! Retailers are now discovering: it’s a zero-sum game, where the frontloading to Thursday cut sales for the rest of the weekend. Expenses were the only thing that went up. If inflation is added into the equation, the total decline for the weekend amounted to a gut-wrenching 4%!
It was the first drop in at least seven years! Even the catastrophic Thanksgiving weekend of 2009 was roughly flat. Instead of spending more money in less time, as they were supposed to, consumers are spending less money in more time. A toxic mix; many retailers get 40% of their annual revenues from the holiday shopping season. ......................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2013/12/wolf-richter-strung-out-consumers-desperate-retailers-crummy-sales.html#i2l3At8vZGcQqYuB.99
December 5, 2013
(WNYC) The U.S. Department of Transportations's Joseph Szabo sent a letter to the MTA Tuesday that said "four serious accidents in less than seven months is simply unacceptable" and expressed "serious concerns" after Sunday's derailment in the Bronx.
Szabo oversees the Federal Railroad Administration, part of the USDOT.
The letter also said that Metro-North should immediately implement a confidential close-call reporting system that would help them identify incidents that could lead to significant safety issues. .........................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.wnyc.org/story/us-dept-transportation-mta-we-have-serious-concerns/
Feds say Metro-North Safety Record 'Unacceptable'
(WNYC) The U.S. Department of Transportations's Joseph Szabo sent a letter to the MTA Tuesday that said "four serious accidents in less than seven months is simply unacceptable" and expressed "serious concerns" after Sunday's derailment in the Bronx.
Szabo oversees the Federal Railroad Administration, part of the USDOT.
The letter also said that Metro-North should immediately implement a confidential close-call reporting system that would help them identify incidents that could lead to significant safety issues. .........................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.wnyc.org/story/us-dept-transportation-mta-we-have-serious-concerns/
December 4, 2013
http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Projects/New_Vehicles/New_Streetcars/index.jsp
The TTC has begun on-street testing of its new streetcar fleet, having successfully run the first test vehicle from the TTC’s Bathurst St. facility (Hillcrest) to Bathurst Station and back in the early hours of March 14, 2013.
Since the first test streetcar arrived in Toronto in late 2012, TTC and Bombardier engineers and staff have conducted static tests on functions such as air conditioning, heating, lighting, CCTV cameras, stop announcements, ergonomics and many other components of the vehicle. Testing locations and times will broaden and occur across the city over the next several months.
The next phase of testing moves to Toronto streets and includes power, braking, coupling/towing, clearance, cameras, doors and much more before the streetcar can be commissioned for service, scheduled for the first quarter of 2014.
Plans call for the new streetcar to serve the 510 Spadina line first. As production vehicles arrive and are commissioned by the TTC, more streetcar routes will begin to be serviced by the new car. Full deployment across the streetcar network is expected by 2018. TTC staff will update the TTC Board and public later this spring with its deployment plan.
Toronto, meet your new streetcars
http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Projects/New_Vehicles/New_Streetcars/index.jsp
The TTC has begun on-street testing of its new streetcar fleet, having successfully run the first test vehicle from the TTC’s Bathurst St. facility (Hillcrest) to Bathurst Station and back in the early hours of March 14, 2013.
Since the first test streetcar arrived in Toronto in late 2012, TTC and Bombardier engineers and staff have conducted static tests on functions such as air conditioning, heating, lighting, CCTV cameras, stop announcements, ergonomics and many other components of the vehicle. Testing locations and times will broaden and occur across the city over the next several months.
The next phase of testing moves to Toronto streets and includes power, braking, coupling/towing, clearance, cameras, doors and much more before the streetcar can be commissioned for service, scheduled for the first quarter of 2014.
Plans call for the new streetcar to serve the 510 Spadina line first. As production vehicles arrive and are commissioned by the TTC, more streetcar routes will begin to be serviced by the new car. Full deployment across the streetcar network is expected by 2018. TTC staff will update the TTC Board and public later this spring with its deployment plan.
December 4, 2013
(WNYC) The U.S. Department of Transportations's Joseph Szabo sent a letter to the MTA Tuesday that said "four serious accidents in less than seven months is simply unacceptable" and expressed "serious concerns" after Sunday's derailment in the Bronx.
Szabo oversees the Federal Railroad Administration, part of the USDOT.
The letter also said that Metro-North should immediately implement a confidential close-call reporting system that would help them identify incidents that could lead to significant safety issues. .........................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.wnyc.org/story/us-dept-transportation-mta-we-have-serious-concerns/
Feds say Metro-North Safety Record 'Unacceptable'
(WNYC) The U.S. Department of Transportations's Joseph Szabo sent a letter to the MTA Tuesday that said "four serious accidents in less than seven months is simply unacceptable" and expressed "serious concerns" after Sunday's derailment in the Bronx.
Szabo oversees the Federal Railroad Administration, part of the USDOT.
The letter also said that Metro-North should immediately implement a confidential close-call reporting system that would help them identify incidents that could lead to significant safety issues. .........................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.wnyc.org/story/us-dept-transportation-mta-we-have-serious-concerns/
December 4, 2013
from YES! Magazine:
We Know Who Stole the Economy—National People’s Action Moves to Take It Back
"Listen to and work with your base to create a shared, big-picture narrative."
by David Korten
posted Dec 03, 2013
There are a great many civil society organizations doing good work in service to nature, justice, and democracy. Few, however, demonstrate the strategic sophistication of National People's Action (NPA). The NPA, which was founded in 1972, is an informal association of more than 200 grassroots organizations mostly representing working-class families. The NPA provides a place for these groups to work together to advance economic and racial justice.
I highly recommend the NPA's two reports, "Long-Term Agenda to the New Economy" and "Creating a Long-Term Agenda for Change: A Case History of National People's Action." The latter is filled with lessons from their 5-year planning process, which will be relevant to other organizations committed to advancing a just, sustainable, and democratic new economy.
What most caught my attention is the clarity with which the NPA focuses on changing the rules that hold in place an economic system that assures continued global-scale environmental, social, and political failure. These are six vital lessons that caught my attention in reading these two reports.
The NPA narrative identifies an economic system that empowers financial markets and corporations to concentrate financial power without limit as a primary source of environmental, social, and political failure. It goes on to envision the institutions of a new economic system designed to maintain a just distribution of wealth and provide all people with the opportunity to achieve a secure and meaningful livelihood. ........................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/we-know-who-stole-the-economy-national-people2019s-action-moves-to-take-it-back
David Korten: We Know Who Stole the Economy—National People’s Action Moves to Take It Back
from YES! Magazine:
We Know Who Stole the Economy—National People’s Action Moves to Take It Back
"Listen to and work with your base to create a shared, big-picture narrative."
by David Korten
posted Dec 03, 2013
There are a great many civil society organizations doing good work in service to nature, justice, and democracy. Few, however, demonstrate the strategic sophistication of National People's Action (NPA). The NPA, which was founded in 1972, is an informal association of more than 200 grassroots organizations mostly representing working-class families. The NPA provides a place for these groups to work together to advance economic and racial justice.
I highly recommend the NPA's two reports, "Long-Term Agenda to the New Economy" and "Creating a Long-Term Agenda for Change: A Case History of National People's Action." The latter is filled with lessons from their 5-year planning process, which will be relevant to other organizations committed to advancing a just, sustainable, and democratic new economy.
What most caught my attention is the clarity with which the NPA focuses on changing the rules that hold in place an economic system that assures continued global-scale environmental, social, and political failure. These are six vital lessons that caught my attention in reading these two reports.
1. Listen to and work with your base to create a shared, big-picture narrative that names the problem and its cause, envisions the desired future, and provides a strategic frame within which to identify and prioritize individual campaigns that serve as stepping stones toward that future.
The NPA narrative identifies an economic system that empowers financial markets and corporations to concentrate financial power without limit as a primary source of environmental, social, and political failure. It goes on to envision the institutions of a new economic system designed to maintain a just distribution of wealth and provide all people with the opportunity to achieve a secure and meaningful livelihood. ........................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/we-know-who-stole-the-economy-national-people2019s-action-moves-to-take-it-back
December 4, 2013
from Consortium News:
US Shutting Down a Key News Source
December 3, 2013
By Elizabeth Murray
This New Year’s Eve, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence will quietly deliver a devastating blow to the American public’s access to accurate, unbiased information that is unparalleled in quality and comprehensiveness by shutting off access to the World News Connection.
WNC is a valuable trove of U.S. government-sponsored media translations and analyses that has informed the work of American scholars, journalists, writers and historians for the past six decades. It is one of the few offices in the U.S. intelligence community that regularly shares information with the people, rather than simply extracting metadata about them.
Since 1941, the Open Source Center (OSC) – which was known by its earlier moniker, the Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) until 2005 – has produced timely, mainly unclassified products based on foreign media that provide valuable strategic insights to the U.S. intelligence community, including military and diplomatic developments. Previously administered by the CIA, it now comes under the purview of the ODNI.
The Open Source Center has long made a substantial amount of this material available to public subscribers, such as university libraries, think tanks and other institutions – as the “World News Connection” via the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), a government information clearinghouse. .......................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://consortiumnews.com/2013/12/03/us-shutting-down-a-key-news-source/
US Shutting Down a Key News Source
from Consortium News:
US Shutting Down a Key News Source
December 3, 2013
Exclusive: The U.S. intelligence community vacuums up vast amounts of data, but it has one agency, World News Connection, that gives back information to the public – except that the service is getting shut down at year’s end, notes ex-intelligence analyst Elizabeth Murray.
By Elizabeth Murray
This New Year’s Eve, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence will quietly deliver a devastating blow to the American public’s access to accurate, unbiased information that is unparalleled in quality and comprehensiveness by shutting off access to the World News Connection.
WNC is a valuable trove of U.S. government-sponsored media translations and analyses that has informed the work of American scholars, journalists, writers and historians for the past six decades. It is one of the few offices in the U.S. intelligence community that regularly shares information with the people, rather than simply extracting metadata about them.
Since 1941, the Open Source Center (OSC) – which was known by its earlier moniker, the Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) until 2005 – has produced timely, mainly unclassified products based on foreign media that provide valuable strategic insights to the U.S. intelligence community, including military and diplomatic developments. Previously administered by the CIA, it now comes under the purview of the ODNI.
The Open Source Center has long made a substantial amount of this material available to public subscribers, such as university libraries, think tanks and other institutions – as the “World News Connection” via the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), a government information clearinghouse. .......................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://consortiumnews.com/2013/12/03/us-shutting-down-a-key-news-source/
December 4, 2013
from Deadspin:
Free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury has agreed to a deal with the Yankees. He used to play for the Red Sox. In case you are an alien or a baby born today who just learned how to use a computer, the Red Sox and Yankees are big rivals. Anyway, Boston fans are mad about Ellsbury being a traitor for switching teams. If only they could spell.
Link to the tweets: http://deadspin.com/angry-dumb-red-sox-fans-call-jacoby-ellsbury-a-trader-1476102468?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_facebook&utm_source=deadspin_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow
Jacoby Ellsbury is a "trader"
from Deadspin:
Free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury has agreed to a deal with the Yankees. He used to play for the Red Sox. In case you are an alien or a baby born today who just learned how to use a computer, the Red Sox and Yankees are big rivals. Anyway, Boston fans are mad about Ellsbury being a traitor for switching teams. If only they could spell.
Link to the tweets: http://deadspin.com/angry-dumb-red-sox-fans-call-jacoby-ellsbury-a-trader-1476102468?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_facebook&utm_source=deadspin_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow
NickCaliri @nickcaliri076
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jacoby ellsbury is a fucking trader
9:27 PM - 3 Dec 2013
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jacoby ellsbury is a fucking trader
9:27 PM - 3 Dec 2013
December 4, 2013
Dean Baker | Everyday Low Wages at Walmart: Brought to You by Government Policy
Monday, 02 December 2013 09:35
By Dean Baker, Truthout | News Analysis
There is a large and growing movement to pressure Walmart to raise its workers’ wages. This has taken the form of direct action by workers, efforts to pass higher minimum wage or living wage laws, and implicit threats of consumer boycotts if Walmart does not raise wages and benefits.
This drive is encouraging, and often inspiring, as many workers have bravely risked their jobs and their livelihoods to try to get a better deal for themselves and their co-workers. But an important part of the story is missing in the way it usually gets presented.
The standard story is that Walmart workers, left to the mercy of the market, are unable to earn a high enough wage to support themselves and their families. There have been numerous accounts of Walmart workers being forced to turn to food stamps and other forms of government support to make ends meet. It is extremely difficult for a single person to survive on a Walmart wage. There is no way that a typical Walmart worker could support one or two children without help from the government.
In this picture, the government is the helping hand that allows Walmart workers to make ends meet despite the bad cards dealt to them by the market and Walmart’s stingy wage policy. The problem with this story is that the cards were not just dealt out randomly; there was a rigged deck. ......................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://truth-out.org/news/item/20362-everyday-low-wages-at-walmart-brought-to-you-by-government-policy
Dean Baker: Everyday Low Wages at Walmart: Brought to You by Government Policy
Dean Baker | Everyday Low Wages at Walmart: Brought to You by Government Policy
Monday, 02 December 2013 09:35
By Dean Baker, Truthout | News Analysis
There is a large and growing movement to pressure Walmart to raise its workers’ wages. This has taken the form of direct action by workers, efforts to pass higher minimum wage or living wage laws, and implicit threats of consumer boycotts if Walmart does not raise wages and benefits.
This drive is encouraging, and often inspiring, as many workers have bravely risked their jobs and their livelihoods to try to get a better deal for themselves and their co-workers. But an important part of the story is missing in the way it usually gets presented.
The standard story is that Walmart workers, left to the mercy of the market, are unable to earn a high enough wage to support themselves and their families. There have been numerous accounts of Walmart workers being forced to turn to food stamps and other forms of government support to make ends meet. It is extremely difficult for a single person to survive on a Walmart wage. There is no way that a typical Walmart worker could support one or two children without help from the government.
In this picture, the government is the helping hand that allows Walmart workers to make ends meet despite the bad cards dealt to them by the market and Walmart’s stingy wage policy. The problem with this story is that the cards were not just dealt out randomly; there was a rigged deck. ......................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://truth-out.org/news/item/20362-everyday-low-wages-at-walmart-brought-to-you-by-government-policy
December 3, 2013
....... There are lots of threads and articles about boomers and millenials, but we can scarcely get a mention.
Ok, that's my mini-rant. Now I think I'll slip into my flannel shirt and hit the coffee house.
Fellow GenXers, ever feel invisible? .......
....... There are lots of threads and articles about boomers and millenials, but we can scarcely get a mention.
Ok, that's my mini-rant. Now I think I'll slip into my flannel shirt and hit the coffee house.
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