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Job Numbers Down 49,000 Last Month; Oil Prices Surge Again; Major Cell Phone Deal
Aired June 8, 2008 - 15:00 ET
(NEWSBREAK)ALI VELSHI, CNN HOST, YOUR MONEY: Welcome to YOUR MONEY where we look at how the news of the week affects your wallet. I'm Ali Velshi; we've got a lot to cover this hour. Oil, politics, a major deal in the cell phone sector but let's get started with jobs. It was the big story this last week. Unemployment jumped to 5 1/2 percent in May, that is the biggest monthly rise in more than two decades. Employers cut more than 49,000 jobs last month. For most of us, our economic outlook is pretty simple, do I have a job. Lakshman Achuthan joins us now, he is the managing director of the Economic Cycle Research Institute and a good friend of ours and Lakshman we have to make the point here that deciding whether you're downsizing from your SUV to a smaller car or how you are refinancing your mortgage it all starts with the ability to make money to have an income. LAKSHMAN ACHUTHAN, ECONOMIC CYCLE RESEARCH INST: Absolutely. VELSHI: So the job is the underpinning of this economy. We thought we had a bit of a break we didn't lose as many jobs in April, but now we are back to losing 50,000 jobs in May. ACHUTHAN: This is at hallmark of a recession. Each recession, each downturn is completely different. They're like snowflakes they're all different. This is no different. There's a mild set of job loss. But are we in a recession, what is this? Today's data tells you are in recession. You've never had, we've had a 1 percent, over a 1 percent rise in the unemployment rate since last spring to put that in perspective, you've never had more than a 1 percent rise in the unemployment rate outside of recession. VELSHI: So this is twice as much. ACHUTHAN: So it's basically the diagnosis is over it is a recession, but that's a big part of the healing process. You get to know where you are. We want to look, is there any sign of a recovery ahead? What we know is we're probably going to get more job losses ahead. It's not over. That's the number one thing. We haven't hit the bottom yet. Some reasons to hope for a recovery at the end of this year. Basically, inventories were very lean going into this recession and we've been exporting a lot. VELSHI: A lot of stuff around. ACHUTHAN: So there's not this big downward correction in inventory. VELSHI: We wondered whether the stimulus checks, some of which have gone out already, would cause a big impact. People are going shopping, businesses will make more money, and they'll hire more people? ACHUTHAN: Sorry to give you the bad news, I'm afraid that money is not going to do anything about this recession at all. It came too late. It's not the amount, it was the timing. It came too late. As a result, we know oil prices have raised $40 this year. Pretty much all of it went there, into the gas tank. VELSHI: So that government you've been spending to fill up for gas. ACHUTHAN: So that's gone. That's not going to kick start the economy or anything like that. Looking forward, because of these lean inventories and because the recessions recently have been a little bit shorter, we have a reason to hope for an end of the year recovery. There's a risk to that. The risk to that is this current oil spike going on. Getting another shock on top of an already kind of vulnerable economy, that's not a combination you want to go out and have if you can avoid it. VELSHI: Right. ACHUTHAN: We do look like that's setting up right here. That's the risk to this kind of short recession. VELSHI: So the recession in and of itself might start to fix itself. But if we continue to see these oil numbers, someone at Morgan Stanley said $150 by July 4th for a barrel of oil. That's going to send gasoline prices higher, air fares, all of that. ACHUTHAN: And the combo of a new oil shock. We've had oil shocks in '07, and '06, '05, they didn't knock us out. But an oil shock in the midst of a recession that is a different combination. It's not a repeat of years earlier and it could give us a leg down. That's a risk I'm concerned about going forward. VELSHI: So we're trying to hope for the best situation that might get us out of this situation by the end of the year. ACHUTHAN: The thing is recessions kill inflation. Ultimately inflation is going to come down. VELSHI: Because demand goes down. We don't have job, we don't have as much money. ACHUTHAN: This is Darwinian in correcting itself. VELSHI: All right. Lakshman Achuthan good to see you; thank you so much for that. Well we been talking about oil, oil jumped on the jobs news on Friday. Fueling more concerns over the cost of fuel and our dependence on oil. Politicians specialize in promising energy independence. With the presidential race heating up, look for the candidates to promise to reduce our dependence on regions in the world that frankly don't like us very much. Can these politicians deliver on those promises? Well CNN's special correspondent Frank Sesno joins us with more. Hey, Frank. FRANK SESNO, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Ali, how are you? VELSHI: Good. We're getting these promises. That's what everyone is talking about. We use four times the oil we produce in the United States. Energy dependents is nowhere on the horizon for us. FRANK SESNO, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Nowhere on the horizon. Promises, promises. Get used to it, the can campaign is under way, we'll see what they can actually deliver. Here's the thing, what is our government doing about it as these prices go up, what can the candidates do? Look no farther than Washington, D.C. Right now, where the politics of distraction pretty much defines our energy policy. Case in point, perfect metaphor, and this business about not filling, the strategic petroleum reserve, and the metaphor for the problems and for the complication behind it, really a big so what? What if we stop filling the petroleum strategic reserve? (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SESNO: It sounds nice, but it won't make the Saudis pump more or China use less it won't convince Iran with all its oil to like us or enable our friends to help us since their biggest oil fields have already peeked. For example, Norway's production is down 25 percent in the past seven years, Britain is down more than 40 percent. Mexico, Americans second biggest oil supply has seen its biggest oil fields collapse. If we stop filling the strategic petroleum reserve, it won't bring stability to Iraq or to Nigeria where rebels keep attacking the oil it won't boost U.S. production or the mileage we get with our big cars it won't undo American sprawl, our monuments to cheap gas. Or fix mass transit so more Americans have efficient alternatives. Here's what it will do. It will stock about 70, 000 barrels out of more than 21 million earned each day from going into the ground. Our insurance policy in case the oil flow is disrupted like it was in the '70s it will save two to five cents a gallon most experts say. Another thing it will do it will let politician say they've done something. (END VIDEO CLIP) SESNO: But they'll keep talking about it as they should because the pressure is really on. Meanwhile the prices continue to go up. It's going to be a long painful summer. VELSHI: Because you know so much about this, let's put this in perspective for our viewers. When we talk about getting oil from places we may have relationships with. In fact, the top few countries we get oil from we have a good relationship with. SESNO: It's mixed bag. Here's the latest readout from the Energy Information Agency. Our supplier, number one supplier, people don't realize this, is Canada to the north. Good relationship, largely driven by the oil sands which they turn into synthetic crude. Right behind them is Saudi Arabia, Mexico, number three, Nigeria number four and Venezuela after that so some allies there, but the Saudis when the president was last there and the president said pump some more. They gave a little bit, and are holding back beyond that. Beyond those top few countries, you've got some real problems and real instability. VELSHI: You made a comment earlier about the United States right after being rebuffed by the Saudi when President Bush asked for more oil, deciding that they were not going to be putting 70,000 some barrels a day into the strategic petroleum reserve, those big vats of reserve in Texas and Louisiana, had no effect on the price of oil whatsoever, even that day. SESNO: You know what? Like I said, this is a distraction, it's like the gas tax holiday, the strategic petroleum reserve, the issues that are driving these prices, you report on it day after day are global demand, the uncertainty in the marketplace, and the sense of risk. This is the marketplace. And you know, we've been saying for a long time, the era of cheap oil is over. That's what have to get into our heads because even with some of these tweaking there's just too much demand chasing too little supply or too tight supply right now. It doesn't mean we're running out of oil imminently, but it means it is a tight marketplace. VELSHI: I would love to get your comments on this. At some level we're pleased that there are investigations into the speculation or how excessive speculation might drive up the price of oil but I worry that that investigation likely calling the oil companies CEOs up to Congress, they are also distractions to the main issue here and that is we really have to look at massive alternatives to what we are doing right now, regardless of whether someone is speculating to send the price of oil up or you think an oil executive it making too much money. SESNO: That's just right. We have been lulled into this sense of cheap oil and we built ourselves around cheap oil, that's the key. Now we've got this tech tonic shift, technology is going to change, lifestyle is going to change, and buying habits are going to change. We've already seen this with the backlog of hybrid vehicles, the jump on the demand of public transportation situations. Very much like Europe has experienced because of high taxes for a long time. Now the United States is now going to start to experience because of high taxes but because of the rising price of the fuel itself. VELSHI: You hit it right on the head. Frank Sesno thanks so much. CNN special correspondent Frank Sesno. He talks about our lifestyle changing, one of the things we're doing is dumping trucks. Find out how the high price of oil is driving change on car lots and auto factories around the country. And later, when life hands you a pink slip, how do you make pink lemonade. We'll tell you how to negotiate the best possible severance package when you are faced with a layoff. Stay with us. You're watching YOUR MONEY on CNN. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) VELSHI: General Motors announced this week, it's moving away from trucks and focusing on smaller cars instead, the move comes less than two weeks after a similar announcement by Ford and it represents a major change for the world's largest automaker. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RICK WAGONER, CHRM. CEO GENERAL MOTORS: Our greatest concern is these unprecedented rise in oil prices. These higher gasoline prices are changing consumer behavior and rapidly. Significantly affecting the U.S. auto industry sales mix. We, at GM, don't think this is a spike or a temporary shift. We believe it is by and large permanent. (END VIDEO CLIP) VELSHI: GM is closing four North American truck and SUV plants cutting truck capacity by 700,000 vehicles. In Canada, the factory that makes the award winning but poorly selling Chevy Silverado pickup truck and GMC Sierra twin. In Mexico, a plant that builds medium duty pickups and two U.S. plants, one in Moraie, Ohio which makes the mid sized SUV Chevy Trail Blazer and GM's Envoy and one in Janesville, Wisconsin, which makes the large Chevy Suburban and GMC Yukon. The company is also looking at dumping its gas guzzling Hummer brand. GM hasn't had a profitable year since 1994 and it won't have one this year either. But CEO Rick Wagoner says its cars and crossover vehicles are selling much better. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) WAGONER: Going forward our focus on cars and crossovers will accelerate. In fact, 18 of our next new 19 product launches in the U.S. will be cars or crossovers. (END VIDEO CLIP) VELSHI: And it's ramping up production of those types of cars. Starting in September, GM is adding a shift at two of its U.S. plants. One is the Lake Oreon Michigan plant which makes the Chevy Malibu, the North American car of the year and Pontiac g-6 the other is in Lords town, Ohio, where the combat Chevy Cobalt and the Pontiac g-5 are built. The Lords town plant will also be home to a new generation compact fuel efficient car similar to the Chevy Aveo. GM's board has also approved money to develop the Chevy Volt a plug in hybrid electric car which can run gas-free for up to 40 miles before it needs a recharge. The Volt can hit showrooms by 2010. So clearly the high price of gas is affecting not only drivers but automakers as well. Profound changes are on the way. Joining us now is Rebecca Linland. She has her eye on the Northern American auto industry for Global Insight. Rebecca good to see you again. I should point out, these auto makers are all clients of the research that you do at Global Insight. REBECCA LINLAND, GLOBAL INSIGHT: That's right. Thanks for having me on again, too. They are all clients so we're an equal opportunity employer. VELSHI: Here's the question that people have been asking me since the Ford announcement and since the General Motors announcement, didn't they see this coming like the rest of us. They research it, why now are they surprised by the fact that Americans have run for the hills away from trucks and SUVs? LINLAND: I don't know how much people did anticipate this because we've seen the shift in consumer behavior in the last few months. So they anticipated the shift to crossovers because GM was the first one to actually come out with large crossovers almost two years ago now. So they have anticipated to some extent the need for replacing full sized SUVs, which are truck, based and tend to weigh more and not get as good gas mileage into crossovers which are car based and get better gas mileage. VELSHI: So they kind of give you that little bit more spacious feel, maybe a higher ride, but they're not a truck so they don't use as much gasoline. LINLAND: Right, they're a kinder gentler version of a SUV but they still appeal to consumers because you can have a high riding position similar to a truck and often times they're easier to get in and out of. I'm really short and I look at a vehicle and I say do I need a step ladder and a parachute or can I get in and out easily. VELSHI: My mom doesn't like getting into my car because she can't reach it very easily. Here is the thing the Europeans have been dealing with the higher gas prices than Americans have for so long, their problem wasn't making all sorts of creations that will make you feel like you're driving a truck or having a lot of storage space, they make do with little cars and very few seats and effective but small storage. Do we really just are to change the way we live? LINLAND: The European model has actually grown out of the fact that they have smaller interstate, they have significantly smaller roads themselves in the cities and they do have a lot higher fuel prices. When you look at an emerging market like China, in fact, China much prefers the types of vehicles that the U.S. buys larger, bigger vehicles. That's just what people kind of gravitate towards. It's very interesting to see the emergence of China and what they prefer. VELSHI: You and I have talked over the years about what the auto companies need to do. You have made the point that they need to get sexy, they need to be interesting, and the second biggest purchase in life has to be a real adventure. It seems now the priority has shifted for these care companies. Cars have got to be efficient. LINLAND: The consumer value hasn't changed. They still want their vehicle to be sexy, it's just the version of sexy is a little bit different now. So it still has to make a statement, but now it tends to be more environmentally friendly and more of somebody looking and saying wow, what kind of fuel economy do you get in that thing for better or worse? So the value is the same but how you explore that is different now. VELSHI: It's a never ending story of the auto industry in America. Rebecca Linland, good to see you again. LINLAND: Thanks Ali. VELSHI: Rebecca is with Global Insights. Coming up after the break, a big merger in the mobile phone market find out what it means to your talk time and what you're paying for it regardless of your carrier. We'll break that down for you when we come back on YOUR MONEY. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) VELSHI: Well, Verizon, the nation's number two wireless carrier agreed Thursday to buy Alltel, which is the nation's number five carrier. The deal will create the largest service provider for cellular phones in the United States. Mike Gikas from "Consumer Reports" joins us now to tell us what this will do for your bill even if you are not a customer of either of these carriers. Mike good to see you. Thank you for being with us. Good news or bad news for consumers when these telephone service providers, these cell phone service providers consolidate? MIKE GIKAS, ASSOC EDITOR, "CONSUMER REPORTS:" Probably, well, for the customers probably neither. Both, Alltel and Verizon scored considerably high in the customer service and coverage area, but for Verizon, I guess they get to claim they're number one. VELSHI: Now, let's first of all, talk about this is it Cingular that still advertises or AT&T that still advertises how many bars you get. Is coverage still an issue in 2008 in the United States? GIKAS: It's one of the many issues, but overall, its customer service and high fees. VELSHI: That's what we've heard, I mean we hear people complaining about the fact they can't get problems solved, the fees are too high or they are not understandable, billing problems. Have we had much resolution on that front on the customer service side? GIKAS: Small drips and drabs. That's some good news for Alltel customers, Verizon does have, it's a small step but they have a plan, they prorate their -- well all carriers have very hefty termination fees of $175 to $200. VELSHI: But that's something we've seen an evolution in, more and more prorate it which means as you get closer to the end of your contract -- GIKAS: Well, yes. And Verizon deducts $5 off that fee for every month that you have the contract. So as you approach the end of the contract, your determination fee will be much smaller, but a lot of consumer groups are pushing for those fees, those reductions to be a little bit more generous. VELSHI: What happens is people decide they want to get a new phone and in order to do that at the discounted rates, phones have these ridiculous prices. It could be $500 but it's free if you take a two- year contract. That seems to be other common complaints, too. GIKAS: And also they should look at what they use. One of the ways phone companies make money off of you is if you underestimate or overestimate the service that you need. If you buy a 400 minute a month plan and you're only using 300 minutes a month, well you're giving them $10 or $15 more a month. VELSHI: And they know that you can call up the company and say over the last year, tell me what I've used and they can tell you really which program, which monthly plan will suit you the best. GIKAS: Exactly. And it's a game they're asking to you play and you're locked into it. You're asked to pro-ticket for the next two years what you're going to use and if you go over or under, they're going to make money. If you don't use enough or if you go over, you can pay up to 45 cents a minute. VELSHI: Do they let you change between those plans easily now? GIKAS: They do but you have to be careful, these rules aren't written in to the contract in many cases. They may just automatically do it. So if you know up front when you call to change a plan, especially if you're adding, if you're adding minutes to your plan or adding a data plan or text messaging, they shouldn't do it, but make sure you have that understanding when you're discussing this on the phone and hopefully you can get a written as well. VELSHI: Mike Gikas good to talk to you, associate editor at "Consumer Reports. Coming up, we put the presidential contenders to the test. We want to tell you what you need to know to determine whether Barack Obama or John McCain is the best bet for your wallet. Stay with us we'll tell you when we come back on YOUR MONEY. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (NEWSBREAK) VELSHI: Well, we now know that it will be Barack Obama squaring off against John McCain in November. So what is that going to mean for "Your Money" very specifically? CNNmoney.com's senior writer Jeanne Sahadi joins us now with a look at the candidates' plan. Jeanne, I do not envy you this job but you've done a fantastic job of trying to pars everything that they're saying about the economy starting with taxes. JEANNE SAHADI, CNNMONEY.COM SENIOR WRITER: Yes. VELSHI: You know taxes really are -- they may not be as sexy a topic as gasoline or as foreclosure, but they are the important one. SAHADI: Right. VELSHI: They're the one that's going to last. SAHADI: Nothing I cover is sexy. VELSHI: Yes. SAHADI: And I may even argue gas prices aren't sexy. They're just... VELSHI: They're just there. SAHADI: ... trouble. Yes -- taxes have some pretty stark difference in how they approach what they want to do to the tax code. Both of them want to extent Bush's tax cuts. But Obama only wants to do it to a certain degree. He only wants to extend them for everybody except people making more than roughly $250,000. VELSHI: Which by -- from a percentage perspective is the vast majority of Americans. SAHADI: That's right. VELSHI: In other words, 99 percent of the Americans will still get the tax cut under Barack Obama. SAHADI: Exactly. VELSHI: It's the wealthiest who won't? SAHADI: That's right. He also wants to come up with some new tax breaks for middle and lower income families. He wants to expand the (INAUDIBLE) income tax credit. He wants to exempt seniors who make less than $50,000 from paying income tax. So he's -- despite his complaints about McCain being just like President Bush, you know, he's signed on to some of these tax cuts himself so. VELSHI: Right. And President Bush made a speech the other day where he said 43 million Americans will lose the benefit of the tax credit. There's -- just to be clear, there's no one running for president who thinks... SAHADI: Right. VELSHI: ... that those tax cuts should all go away so. SAHADI: Not yet anyway. VELSHI: Not yet. All right. Let's... SAHADI: Do you want to talk about Senator McCain or... VELSHI: Yes. Let's talk about him. SAHADI: He wants to keep the tax cuts in place for everyone and he wants to lower corporate tax rates. He is -- he's completely on board with this as an economic growth model. VELSHI: He feels that if you lower the tax rates for businesses they'll have more money to expand and hire people? SAHADI: That's right. There has been a move towards corporate tax reform for the last few years. The argument is, if you made things simpler for organizations and you flattened their rates, that, in fact, that would -- there wouldn't so much tax avoidance among companies. It's yet to be born out there way but that's -- that's kind of the theory. VELSHI: All right. And Barack Obama has sort of hinted that he might raise those tax rates. This is the one you've studied. Social Security -- very complicated. SAHADI: Social security... VELSHI: How do we -- what's a simple way of explaining how they differ on Social Security. SAHADI: Well, Senator Obama really is the only candidate so far who's been very specific in one of his proposals and it's not a comprehensive proposal. He simply wants to increase the amount of income subject to the payroll tax which on Social Security so that just means higher income folks would be subject to more Social Security tax than they pay now. He hasn't made it clear, though, whether they're benefits would also go up as a result of them paying more into the system. So if that's a solution to help the long-term shortfall it's not clear how much it's going to help because we don't have enough details. Senator McCain has said he -- given his druthers he does not want to raise taxes, he'd rather reduce the growth and benefit. But he's also said, I -- you know, I recognizes that it's going to require a bipartisan solution. They also differ on account. They -- Senator Obama is opposed to having individual investment accounts. Senator McCain supports them but he now says he doesn't want to divert money from Social Security. VELSHI: And then that'll be like a 401K kind of a thing? SAHADI: Right. VELSHI: That's the idea behind it. SAHADI: Right. It's to augment your benefits because, you know, if you think that you have to cut the growth in benefits... VELSHI: Yes. SAHADI: ... in order to compensate seniors... VELSHI: Yes. SAHADI: ... in the future you might want to have another account that pays out some money but how his account is to be funded is not quite clear yet. VELSHI: OK. Did a great job on Social -- Security and taxes. And now we're going to give you the easy one. SAHADI: Yes, the really... VELSHI: It's the one that you can actually make a clear distinction... SAHADI: Yes. VELSHI: ... between them and it's on health care. SAHADI: Right. The hornet's nest of... VELSHI: Right. SAHADI: ... the next president's problems. Yes. It's really a difference between governments and the markets. Senator Obama -- his plan would require children -- even without a mandate -- children would have to have health insurance. So parents would have to... VELSHI: Pay for that. SAHADI: Pay for that. VELSHI: Right. SAHADI: But he would give them some cost effective ways to do that and he would mandate that companies contribute to worker's health cares in a -- in a few ways -- one of a few ways, provide a plan, give them money directly to pay for their health care, or barring those two things contribute to a national health network that he would like to create of public and private plans for people who have trouble getting insurance. VELSHI: So like a pool that they can... SAHADI: A pool. VELSHI: And John McCain takes a fairly standard conservative approach to this and says the market can fix this problem better than the government. SAHADI: Right. The -- his drive to drag down health care costs, he thinks, is best achieved by relying on the individual. So -- and he's coming up with a pretty radical change which is changing the tax treatment on the money you get to pay for health insurance. Right now, if you work for your employer, you get subsidized. It's tax-free income to you. John McCain would actually subject the employer's portion to income tax for you so you'd be paying income tax on it, but in exchange, he'd give you a tax credit which is a dollar- for-dollar reduction. But it would be a cap. And the idea is, if I know what my limit is -- on how much I can get as a tax credit, I'm going to be much more cost conscious about the health care I choose and insurers and doctors are going to be much more competitive in trying to get my business. He also would expand the choices in health care plans letting consumers buy across state lines and buy outside of company plans. There's a lot of criticism, though, of McCain's plans and also of Obama's plan. VELSHI: Yes. SAHADI: And I know we don't have time to get into. VELSHI: You should read Jeanne's stuff on Money.com because she really does know all this kind of stuff. You don't find yourself having these kinds of conversations like with friends after work and stuff, do you? SAHADI: Well... VELSHI: Because you're really smart. But this... SAHADI: So boring, I know. VELSHI: We love having you here. You're never boring to us. Jeanne Sahadi with CNNmoney.com. Coming up, with unemployment on the rise, we're going to seek out your silver lining. Believe it or not, there is one. Where you can find a job in this struggling economy next on "Your Money." (COMMERCIAL BREAK) VELSHI: The employment report came out for May this week and the results show the U.S. has lost jobs for the fifth straight month. Coupled with an unemployment rate which saw its biggest increase in two decade, well, you get the picture. The U.S. economy is shaky. The Labor Department says unemployment jumped to 5.5 percent in May. That's the biggest monthly increase since 1986. Employers cut 49,000 jobs last month. The economy has now lost more than 300,000 jobs this year. Minorities have been particularly hard hit. In fact, the unemployment rate among Latinos is rising faster than the rate for non-Hispanic workers in the United States, as the steep decline in construction industry eliminates hundreds of thousands of jobs. And as you can see, the unemployment rate among African-Americans was double -- nearly double that of whites. Job losses are mounting in many different sectors. As the nation's unemployment rate continues to climb, so where are the jobs in this slumping economy? It's all we want to know and Allan Chernoff who follows this very closely, there are -- some jobs created. Somebody asked me this morning, does that mean if we lost 49,000 jobs, there wasn't a single job created? ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Sure. Plenty of jobs were created but it's the net number that we're talking about here. And certainly lots of careers that seemed stable years ago no longer are. Companies have been chopping jobs left and right as they try to boost their profits in this tough economy. But there are some job sectors that are relatively recession-resistant like nursing. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CHERNOFF (voice over): Marie Tessinari thought she had a dream job when she worked at ABC News as a production coordinator. MARIA TESSINARI, NURSE: In the beginning, I was bright eyed and bushy tailed and I thought, oh my gosh, this is wonderful. CHERNOFF: But after several years, she realized television news was more hard work than glamour, and as friends were laid off, she thought it wasn't terribly secure. TESSINARI: You realize that, you know, this is not a stable industry. This is not an industry where I know I will have a job for the next 15, 20 years. Let's see what we have going here. I was inching towards 30 and I realized I don't want to wake up at 50 and be unhappy at what I'm doing. Life is too short, especially, you know, after what I'd been through. CHERNOFF: Maria's dad suffered from a debilitating illness and her mom was stricken with a brain aneurysm. Caring for both of them until they passed helped Maria realized that nursing on a professional level was her true calling. So she went back to school to become an oncology nurse. TESSINARI: I need to make people feel good on a bigger level. CHERNOFF: Even in this slumping economy, health care employment is up. Last year there were 113,000 more nurses in the workforce -- the biggest increase since 2002. Some are retired nurses going back to work because of the economy. NANCY CORCORAN, HACKENSACK UNIV., MEDICAL CENTER: Well, some may have gotten laid off and they don't have benefits. They need health care benefits, so they're coming back to obtain benefits for their families. TESSINARI: All right, Papi(ph). This should make you feel better. CHERNOFF: The benefits for Maria include helping people for a living as well as knowing that a nursing career means a job for life. TESSINARI: You have to know that you have a paycheck coming in. You have to know that you have somewhere to go. There's always jobs in health care. It's the human body, it's health. We're not going anywhere. (END VIDEOTAPE) CHERNOFF: Maria says she has never been so happy going to work every single day, especially knowing that she can always land a job. VELSHI: What do they say about the TV news business? I guess we should all be looking out for something like that. What are the other benefits of nursing? It is -- health care is definitely one of the growing areas. Certainly in this jobs report, it was the -- it was the biggest gainer. But what are the other advantages of this kind of career? CHERNOFF: And that says a lot about health care... VELSHI: Yes. CHERNOFF: ... when you've got such a sour economy. VELSHI: Yes. CHERNOFF: But certainly, in addition to the fact you can find jobs, it is a growing area, the population is aging, you can also take it with you. VELSHI: Right. CHERNOFF: Portability and the hours are extremely flexible. Lots of jobs, you know, very rigid... VELSHI: Right. CHERNOFF: ... and they keep you working late. Nursing -- you can put in a 10, 12 hour shift, just work a few days a week, works out nicely. VELSHI: All right. Good stuff. Allan, thanks very much. Allan Chernoff. And there other jobs. We'll bring those to you here on YOUR MONEY. Coming up next on the show, if you think the job or your job is on the chopping block you are not going to want to miss this next segment. It may help you make some decisions. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) VELSHI: One of the biggest things about this economy that we're dealing with right now are job issues and a lot of people are getting laid off in America. Some people think it's obvious if you get laid off from a major corporation or even a smaller one that you're going to get a severance package. Well, you can't count on that, says career consultant Cynthia Shapiro. She's a former human resources executive who says in a slow economy the old rules don't necessarily apply. Cynthia, we continue to report on layoffs in the thousands in some cases. CYNTHIA SHAPIRO, CAREER STRATEGIST: Yes VELSHI: And when that happens at a big corporation it all happens for people in suspended time. I mean they... SHAPIRO: Yes. VELSHI: They just all get called or told what's going on. In many cases they are offered a severance package. You may have expectation as to what that severance package is, because you've heard of other people being laid off. You're saying it's not the case, it's not consistent? SHAPIRO: That's exactly right. People get shell shocked. It all happens all at once and they don't know what to do. And they go on precedent. They may hear that there are layoffs coming, maybe, two months ahead of a time. VELSHI: Yes. SHAPIRO: And they say, oh, well, the company has always taken care of people in the past or they did a generous buyout a couple months ago. But in a down economy, you cannot count on that. Severance isn't a right. It's not something legally required. VELSHI: Interesting. SHAPIRO: So it's -- it could be there, it could not be there, and you can't really count on a company that may be afraid of staying around and afraid that it's not going to have money to survive to take care of you as you leave. VELSHI: So if you're an at-will employee, the kind that can be fired... SHAPIRO: Yes. VELSHI: ... or laid off at anytime, do you have right? Is there any right that you actually have? When you go into HR, when they lay you off and you don't think you've got the fair package, what -- do you have rights? SHAPIRO: That's a great question. You do. I mean there are certain things that you're always going to get. You're always going to get your vacation pay that you didn't -- or you know, they didn't pay. VELSHI: Right. That's yours. SHAPIRO: That's yours. VELSHI: Yes. SHAPIRO: Exactly yours. And you're also going to get, you know, unemployment -- if you're eligible for unemployment, that's a whole other issue. VELSHI: Right. SHAPIRO: A lot of people being laid off right now are not eligible yet. But those two things are things that you are absolutely entitled to and that you're going to walk out with. But if you are counting on a big severance package because somebody got it, you know, last month and so you've waited -- instead of job searching, you waited until you were actually in this position of going into the layoff. You may find they just -- are not offering it and you're left with just, you know, a couple of days vacation and unemployment. VELSHI: OK. So severance package is not an option in looking for a new job. SHAPIRO: Right. VELSHI: You shouldn't be sort of hedging towards trying to get one unless you happen to know what that is going to be. SHAPIRO: Yes, don't hang out and wait for it and hope it's going to be there for you. VELSHI: OK. SHAPIRO: Because you could just be left hanging. VELSHI: Is there a typical severance package that you would know happens? SHAPIRO: You know every company is different. And like I said, sometimes it's dictated by the economy. Sometimes companies just can't give the big severance packages... VELSHI: Right. SHAPIRO: ... they used to get. But a lot of times severance is an exchange for signing a separation agreement. VELSHI: Right. SHAPIRO: And separation agreements have become very, very common. And basically what they are is they're, you know, filtered in with the exit paperwork and they sat -- they have you sign your rights away. It says you'll never see the company. It says that you will, you know, hold them harmless and all this kind of thing. Some of them say you can't work for a competition for six to... VELSHI: Right. SHAPIRO: ... eight, nine months. VELSHI: Right. So you need to understand that very fully before you sign it. SHAPIRO: Yes. And that is your -- that's your trigger. If you see that, then there should be money attached to it. There should be a -- you know a nice severance package attached to signing that that you wouldn't normally get. VELSHI: So that you have to take another job. So it's funny they compensate you for not working in the industry. SHAPIRO: It can be. It can be. VELSHI: Tell me about COBRA. Does that -- the right for you to pay for your health care... SHAPIRO: Yes. VELSHI: ... at a rate that is much more than you (INAUDIBLE). SHAPIRO: Astronomical. Yes. VELSHI: Should you negotiate that right? Or -- and is it typically offered? SHAPIRO: You -- COBRA is something that you definitely have a right to but it's very, very expensive. That may not actually -- a lot of people get shell shocked and they just take COBRA. VELSHI: Yes. SHAPIRO: And that's not necessarily what you should do. You have 30 days to find your own health insurance. VELSHI: So look around. SHAPIRO: But that -- absolutely, look around. But that aside, you know, when you have that separation agreement, that is your trigger to negotiate. You can ask for paid COBRA -- the company... VELSHI: Right. SHAPIRO: ... to pay your COBRA for three so six months, which can be worth its weight in gold, give you more time to figure it out. You can ask for them to pay for outplacement services for you. You can negotiate that you get your bonus you would have gotten had you stayed with the company. VELSHI: Wow. SHAPIRO: And -- I mean the worst thing they can do is say no, and then you can decide what's best for you. But in exchange for signing that document that is, you know, signing your rights away and helping them sleep at night and letting them know that you're never going to come back and cause them any grief, you should fully negotiate and ask for whatever it is you feel you need. VELSHI: All right. So you're going to feel terrible when it's happening, but be clearheaded. SHAPIRO: Yes. VELSHI: Take a little time to figure it out. And I guess you can't -- it doesn't really matter what they think of you at that point. So you might as well... SHAPIRO: What are they going to do, fire you? VELSHI: Exactly. SHAPIRO: Yes. VELSHI: Might as well ask what you have to. Cynthia, thank you for joining us. SHAPIRO: Thank you so much. SHAPIRO: This is a important topic and I'm glad we know a little bit more about it. Cynthia Shapiro. Well, you might not be -- worried about losing your job. In fact, you might have thought you're getting a promotion, and then your boss gives it to someone else. Well, appointment attorney Robin Bond is going to tell us what you can do about that. Robin, in a tough -- thank you for joining us. In a tough environment many people who get passed over for a promotion might not think that they're in a position to make waves or to fight that at that point. How do you even know whether you should or can respond to being passed over for a promotion? ROBIN BOND, WORKPLACE LEGAL EXPERT: Well, the knowing is the difficult part because so many factors go into a promotion decision that knowing whether or not you've been discriminated against is really a very difficult thing. But there are generally four legal requirements that you have to prove if you're going to make a wrongfully denied promotion claim. VELSHI: OK. BOND: So first of which is what -- or are you a member of a protected class? Were you qualified and did you apply for the promotion? Were you rejected despite your qualifications? And was someone else selected who was equally or less qualified than you were and who was not a member of the protected class? VELSHI: Now this -- if you're not a member of the protected class -- class protected by gender, race, national origin, disability, do you have a case at all? BOND: Well, you know, again, this all depends on the facts, Ali. Cases rise and fall on the facts, but generally Title VII of the Civil Rights Act determines whether or not one has a case or not. You have to be a member of a protected class... VELSHI: OK. BOND: ... in order to have a lawsuit. VELSHI: Fair enough. Now let's say you've done a little bit of this home work, you are a member of a protected class, you feel that you were passed over, you've examine who got the job, you think that you are better qualified than they were, what is your next step? Is it the HR? Is it your supervisor or is to a lawyer? BOND: Well, now, you know, if you -- if you feel you have been passed over, generally, what I would do is I would say, look -- take a good hard look at what you want to accomplish, because you certainly do have options, but you have to figure out what you want to achieve. Because if you want to have a future with the company, the first thing you want to do is not rush off and make threats about lawsuits, but try and build some rapport with your supervisor. I would generally encourage people to take a good hard look at the evidence and say, well, how did my performance and my qualifications really stack up against the person who got the job? And when I look at that data, if I would say no reasonable person looking at this information would have selected this person instead of me. VELSHI: Right. BOND: Then get to an employment attorney who represents people. And say, hey, look at the facts. Look at the data that I've compiled. What would you do in this instance? Yes. VELSHI: Is it clear that if you do feel that you've been passed over and maybe you've even spoken to your supervisor and try and reasons to why you weren't promoted -- if you're not satisfied with that, then it is an employment attorney, not your HR department that you want to go to next with a complaint. BOND: Absolutely. I think go to the employment attorney first so you can be strategic and know what you should do, because absolutely, I'm suggesting go to the employment attorney not so you can immediately file a lawsuit but so that you can be strategic in how you approach your supervisor or approach your human resources department. Because I will often coach clients to go back to their supervisor and strategically say something like, you know, I was really disappointed that I didn't get selected for this job. I'm very committed to the company. I'm committed to advancing my career. I'd like to know where I fell short. What do I need to do to make sure I get selected the next time? VELSHI: What's your opinion of the remedy? Does it normally result -- if somebody really has been unfairly passed over, what typically comes out of that? BOND: Well, hopefully this kind of a nice conversation with a boss is going to do one of two things. I mean, hopefully, it will build the rapport, and the boss will say, gee, I think very highly of you now. I'm going to help you get on the fast track for the next promotion. You know because it's illegal under federal law to retaliate against a person who complains about being passed over for promotion. But we all know that you have to be delicate as to how you raise these issues of workplace wrong. That's why I suggest you talk to an employment attorney to find out how strategically to do this, rather than running off when you're angry and complaining to HR or complaining to your supervisor. VELSHI: But there's a good chance by the time I've walked into your office the end result is going to be some separation from my company. BOND: Well, you know, that's the second thing. You know, obviously, if the boss is not receptive to you, if you find out that when you go to talk to the boss in a very positive constructive way, you're hitting a brick wall, you're getting a bogus reason for why you weren't selected. You may have to go back to the attorney and say, look, it looks like I'm not going anywhere fast. Then probably what's going to happen is the attorney is going to write a letter or you're going to approach HR and a separation package is likely to be what happens next. VELSHI: All right, Robin. Great conversation. Thank you so much for telling us a bit about the subject. We're all a little bit wiser now about things to do in this tough work environment, this tough job environment where we've lost more than 300,000 jobs this year in the United States. You do have rights no matter how bad it seems. We're coming right back with more on YOUR MONEY. But first this week's "Right on Your Money." (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) VELSHI (on camera): Protect yourself. When it comes to this economy, having easy access to cash gives you a safety net for the unexpected, like losing your job. So you should have enough on hand to cover your lifestyle for several months. WALTER UPDEGRAVE, SENIOR EDITOR, MONEY MAGAZINE: For my emergency reserve, these three to six months that I need, your primary concern is safety. You're not trying to get the absolute highest yield. VELSHI: The key is putting your money in an investment you can withdraw from any time without penalty. UPDEGRAVE: Security is of utmost importance. So you want to stick primarily to savings accounts, money market account, short-term CDs. You want to do the best that you can within those categories. VELSHI: So shop around and remember, this is a low-risk, low-reward investment. That's why finding the best rate is your best bet. UPDEGRAVE: You're still probably a little bit below 4 percent so you may be still losing out a little bit to inflation, but you can still do a little bit better than, for example, just getting the average return or just going -- automatically going to your local bank. VELSHI: And that's "Right on Your Money." (END VIDEOTAPE) ANNOUNCER: Right on Your Money" is sponsored by... Go to CNN.com/rightonyourmoney to learn what's financially right for your lifestyle. And for more tips on managing your money, pick up any of these magazines on newsstands now. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) VELSHI: All right. We want to hear what you think about jobs, the price of gas, the price of oil, and other concerns with this economy. Drop us a line, our address is firstname.lastname@example.com. Thank you for joining us for this edition of YOUR MONEY. We'll see you right back here next week, Saturday at 1:00 and Sunday at 3:00. See you then.


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Press release
Statistical press notice: NHS referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times data July 2012
Data are published on consultant-led Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times for patients who were treated during July 2012 and patients waiting…
Data are published on consultant-led Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times for patients who were treated during July 2012 and patients waiting to start treatment at the end of July 2012.
Main Findings
• During July 2012, 92.7% of admitted patients and 97.7% of non-admitted patients started treatment within 18 weeks. For patients waiting to start treatment (incomplete pathways) at the end of July 2012, 94.0% were waiting within 18 weeks.
• 315,117 RTT patients started admitted treatment and 921,947 started non-admitted treatment during July 2012. The number of RTT patients waiting to start treatment at the end of July 2012 was around 2.68 million patients.
• The average (median) time waited for patients completing an RTT pathway in July 2012 was 8.5 weeks for admitted patients and 4.1 weeks for non-admitted patients. For patients waiting to start treatment at the end of July 2012 the median waiting time was 5.5 weeks.
Detailed tables of waiting times by treatment function (specialty), commissioner and provider are available on the DH website.
Notes to Editors
For admitted patients, adjusted data (allowing for legitimate pauses of the RTT clock) is used to measure waiting times.
Statistical Notes
1. National Statistics
The United Kingdom Statistics Authority has designated these statistics as National Statistics, in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and signifying compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. Designation can be broadly interpreted to mean that the statistics:
• meet identified user needs;
• are well explained and readily accessible;
• are produced according to sound methods, and
• are managed impartially and objectively in the public interest.
Once statistics have been designated as National Statistics it is a statutory requirement that the Code of Practice shall continue to be observed.
2. Referral to Treatment "pathways" and "clock stops"
Patients referred for non-emergency consultant-led treatment are on Referral to Treatment (RTT) pathways. An RTT pathway is the length of time that a patient waited from referral to start of treatment, or if they have not yet started treatment, the length of time that a patient has waited so far.
The following activities end the RTT pathway and lead to the RTT clock being stopped:
• first treatment - the start of the first treatment that is intended to manage a patient's disease, condition or injury in a RTT pathway
• start of active monitoring initiated by the patient
• start of active monitoring initiated by the care professional
• decision not to treat - decision not to treat made or no further contact required
• patient declined offered treatment
• patient died before treatment
3. Operational waiting time standards
The waiting time standards set the proportion of RTT pathways that must be within 18 weeks. These proportions leave an operational tolerance to allow for patients for who starting treatment within 18 weeks would be inconvenient or clinically inappropriate.
These circumstances can be categorised as:
• Patient choice - patients choose not to accept earliest offered appointments along their pathway or choose to delay treatments for personal or social reasons
• Co-operation - patients who do not attend appointments along their pathways
• Clinical exceptions - where it is not clinically appropriate to start a patient's treatment within 18 weeks
The admitted waiting time standard is 90% and applies to admitted adjusted RTT pathways. Admitted pathways are the waiting times for patients whose treatment started during the month and involved admission to hospital. These are also often referred to as inpatient waiting times, but include the complete time waited from referral until start of inpatient treatment.
The non-admitted waiting time standard is 95%. Non-admitted pathways are the waiting times for patients whose treatment started during the month and did not involve admission to hospital. These are also often referred to as outpatient waiting times, but they include the time waited for patients whose RTT waiting time clock either stopped for treatment or other reasons, such as a patient declining treatment.
The incomplete waiting time standard is 92%. The Department of Health introduced this new operational standard from April 2012 onwards. Incomplete pathways are the waiting times for patients waiting to start treatment at the end of the month. These are also often referred to as waiting list waiting times and the volume of incomplete RTT pathways as the size of the RTT waiting list.
4. Referral to Treatment waiting times data collection
Referral to Treatment (RTT) data is collected from NHS providers (NHS Trusts and other providers) and signed off by commissioners (Primary Care Trusts).
The data measures RTT waiting times in weeks, split by treatment function. The treatment functions are based on consultant specialties. The length of the RTT pathway is reported for patients whose RTT clock stopped during the month.
The Department of Health published the RTT Rules Suite on 28 November 2007. These documents were updated in January 2012 and can be found on the DH website.
The data return includes all patients whose RTT clock stopped at any point in the reporting period. A column has been provided to enter data for patients whose length of RTT period is unknown, i.e. patients who have had a clock stop during the month but where the clock start date is not known.
For admitted patients, the RTT time is measured on an adjusted basis - from the date the RTT clock starts to the date that the RTT clock stops, allowing for legitimate pauses as described in the above RTT Rules Suite.
For non-admitted patients, the RTT time is measured on an unadjusted basis - from the date the RTT clock starts to the date that the RTT clock stops, as detailed in DSCN 17/2006.
For patients on incomplete pathways, the RTT time is measured on an unadjusted basis. Incomplete pathways represent those patients who have been referred on to consultant-led referral to treatment pathways, but whose treatment had not yet started at the end of the reporting period. These patients will be at various stages of their pathway, for example, waiting for diagnostics, an appointment with a consultant, or for admission for a procedure.
5. Data Availability
Data for admitted patients (patients whose RTT clock stopped with an inpatient/ day case admission) has been published each month since January 2007 on an unadjusted basis.
Data for admitted patients (patients whose RTT clock stopped with an inpatient/ day case admission) has been published each month since March 2008 on an adjusted basis.
Data for non-admitted patients (patients whose RTT clock stopped during the month for reasons other than an inpatient/day case admission) and incomplete RTT times for patients whose RTT clock is still running has been published each month since August 2007.
RTT waiting times data are published to a pre-announced timetable, roughly 7 weeks after the end of the reference month. Publication occurs on a Thursday and is always on or after the 31st working day after the end of the reporting month.
6. Provider and Commissioner based data
Commissioner based returns reflect data on a responsible population basis, which is defined as:
• all those patients resident within the PCT boundary; plus
• all patients registered with GPs who are members of the PCT, but are resident in another PCT; minus
• All patients resident in the PCT, but registered with a GP who is a member of another PCT
Provider based returns cover patients for whom English commissioners are responsible.
7. Average (median) and 95th percentile waiting times
The median is the preferred measure of the average waiting time as it is less susceptible to extreme values than the mean. The median waiting times is the middle value when all patients are ordered by length of wait. This is the midpoint of the RTT waiting times distribution. For completed pathways, 50% of patients started treatment within the median waiting time, and for incomplete pathways 50% of patients were waiting within the median waiting time.
The 95th percentile waiting time reveals how long patients at the higher end of the waiting time distribution waited to start treatment. It is a statistical measure of the RTT waiting times distribution. The 95th percentile waiting time is the time that 95% of patients waited less than, and 5% of patients waited more than.
It should be noted that median and percentile times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the position on average waits.
8. Interpretation of RTT waiting times
Care should be taken when making month on month comparisons of these figures. Measures of waiting time performance are subject to seasonality. For example, the presence of bank holidays or the number of weekends in a calendar month both affect the number of working days. Similarly, adverse weather may result in emergency pressure and impacts upon the health service's ability to preserve elective capacity. These factors can affect waiting times and should be considered when making comparisons across time.
9. NHS Operating Framework 2012-13
The operational standards of 90 per cent for admitted and 95 per cent for non-admitted completed waits as set out in the NHS Constitution remain. In order to sustain the delivery of these standards, trusts will need to ensure that 92 per cent of patients on an incomplete pathway should have been waiting no more than 18 weeks. The referral to treatment (RTT) operational standards should be achieved in each specialty by every organisation and this will be monitored monthly.
10. Feedback welcomed
We welcome feedback on the content and presentation of RTT statistics within this Statistical Press Notice and those published on the DH website. If anyone has any comments on this, or any other issues regarding RTT data and statistics, then please email email@example.com
Additional Information
For press enquiries contact the Department of Health Media Centre. Please refer to the Department of Health's website for the relevant contact details.
The Government Statistical Service (GSS) statistician responsible for producing these data is:
Mark Svenson
Knowledge and Intelligence
Department of Health
Room 4E63, Quarry House, Quarry Hill, Leeds LS2 7UE
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- Yes, these recipes are very similar, but each shared with slightly different details that may encourage you. I am grateful to know each of these three delightful ladies, hard working wives and moms who love the Lord, and was very eager to share their recipes and a "link" to their lives. Hope you enjoy the yogurt, and that it will remind you that when lives are poured out, mixed with a generous cup of the good stuff that inspires new growth, and given the right amount of time and warmth - wonderfully rich blessings result! Grateful to share life with you, Terri
- Titus 2 Yogurt
- From the kitchen of Michelle Hilleson www.undividedheart.wordpress.com
- This wonderful yogurt recipe is from a true Titus 2 friend/Sister in the Lord, Holly Johnson: Okay, y'all. Here's my yogurt recipe. Really easy. I'm not even going to give you temps. You do this just by touch.
- Slowly heat your milk to boiling. Heat it right to the point it starts bubbling, but not a rolling boil. Shut it off, and remove it from the burner.
- Let it sit, until you can dip your finger in the top of it and it does not "sting." You want it still hot, but not where it "bites" your finger.
- When it gets to that point, throw in 1/2 cup of plain yogurt (this is to one half of a gallon of milk. You can use any type of milk you want...fat content does not matter. You can double the recipe if you want) This is your starter. Whisk it together.
- Now, I place it in my crock pot, with the lid on. I have one of those little insulated cover thingies for my crock pot, but if you don't, simply wrap it or cover it all up in a heap of towels or blankets. I've done it both ways.
- This way it will gradually cool down and thicken up, or incubate. Let it sit for four hours. It can sit for longer if you desire, but the longer it sits the more sour it gets.
- That's it. Really.
- Michelle's Notes:
- 1. Be very careful not to scorch the milk, it will ruin the whole batch. Ask me how I know this. 2. I usually add 1 c. powdered milk to the starter (adds nutrition). 3. The longer you let it incubate, the thicker it will get. After 4 hrs, my yogurt was something similar to kefir. I usually let it sit 6-8.
Share this Recipe


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GREAT SCOTT! GREAT SKY! 2008 edition
So I'm back from the 2008 Great Sky Zen sesshin. I wanted to write all about it. But there's a sale at Rockaway Records in Silverlake I gotta get to. So this'll be short.
Oh! Before I begin, I checked my zillions of e-mail when I got home. I saw there that someone posted a thing on one of the YouTube videos of me saying (I kinda wish YouTube wouldn't send these to me):
Jimmy Swaggart, TD Jakes, Brad Warner. Anyone can cash in on religion. People will line up to buy their books without examining the kind of lives that these people lead. Swaggart with his hooker, Jakes with the money, and Warner with the fame. I mean come on, a Zen priest that listens to punk rock music and is into recreational drugs????
I don't really care if this guy thinks I'm cashing in on religion (if so, where, oh where, is the cash? Wish I knew!) or if I'm too famous for his liking. But when he says I'm "into recreational drugs" I have to draw the line. I've been pretty clear that I'm not, I think. If anyone out there is still unsure about it, check this blog occasionally for my recurring anti-drug rants or read Hardcore Zen (I forget which pages, but it's almost an entire chapter). Or better still buy the Zero Defex CD! "Your drugs suck! Don't push them on me! Your drugs suck! Get 'em out of my face!"
Here's the briefest summation of the sesshin I can give you:
Yes, that's right folks, this was the tune going thru my brain for a good deal of the sittings. We did seven days with nine 40-minute periods per day starting at with a wake-up bell at 4:30 AM and ending with lights out at 9:30 PM. Which was, by the way, 2:30 AM and 7:30 PM respectively for me since I came from the West Coast and Minnesota is Central Time. The teachers there this year were me, Tonen O'Connor of the Milwaukee Zen Center, Zuiko Redding of Cedar Rapids Zen Center, Myoyu Anderson of Great Plains Zen Center in Illinois, Rosan Yoshida of the Missouri Zen Center and Dokai Georgeson of Hokyoji itself (where the sesshin was held, in southern Minnesota). We each took one day as dohsi (practice leader), on which day we had to deliver a dharma talk and lead services. Leading services is a challange for me because in my tradition we do very few services. So I've no idea what all the dance steps required are. But Tojun Cobb, resident priest at the Milwaukee Zen Center, helped out a lot with that.
Thirty people showed up including a few readers of this very blog who found out about it from what I'd written. I think three people came solely because of that. Thanks for being there! It was a very nice sesshin.
I got hay fever. At least I hope it's hay fever and not a cold. But, ironically enough, my nose, throat and lungs seem to be functioning much better in the pollution of LA than they were in the wide open spaces and clear air of Minnesota. Maybe I've spent too much time in cities! I'm still sniffling some, though. At least I didn't get Lyme disease from the dreaded deer ticks that inhabit the area.
As in 2007, the best talk was the final one of the sesshin delivered by Dokai. He's a genius. But you had to have been there. I noticed they digitally recorded the talks this time. Maybe they'll get put up on a website somewhere someday. But even if you listened I don't think you'd really get a feel for what actually was said. You have to get steeped in zazen for eight hours a day with a group of people all working and living in close proximity for a few days before you'd really grok it. You hadda be there.
I think I had more to say. But I can't recall right now what it was. Maybe the lingering after-effects of the sesshin. I also made a point of not keeping a journal, which I did last year. If I come up with some more stuff to write, I'll put up another post.


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OKANOGAN Components of the annual Omak-Okanogan Community Christmas Basket Program are coming together as volunteers plan for the annual giveaway for people in need.
As in past years, the program will include food for Christmas dinner, staples for the week, toys, warm hats and clothing.
Donations for the basket program will be accepted from 4-7 p.m. Dec. 16-20 at the Okanogan County Fairgrounds Agriplex, 175 Rodeo Trail Road. Bulk donations will be assembled into baskets on those days.
Distribution will be at 8 a.m. Dec. 21.
The program, a joint project of the Omak Kiwanis Club and Omak-Okanogan Civic League, draws on a variety of businesses, clubs, school groups, churches and others.
Organizers have a goal of assembling at least 280 baskets, co-chairwoman Constanza Smith said.
School groups are jumping in to help.
In Omak, high school students are collecting non-perishable food and cash to support the basket program, teacher Randy Smith said.
Rewards will be offered for the food gathered, from a staff member getting a pie in the face to others getting their heads and facial hair shaved.
A rewards assembly is planned for 2 p.m. Friday in the school gym, 20 S. Cedar St.
In Okanogan, students are collecting money for the basket program, with the effort culminating in the annual Polar Plunge. The more money raised, the more people will plunge, from students to staff and a school board member, sophomore Laura Brown said.
The plunge is set for 2:30 p.m. Dec. 20 on the football field.
Each Christmas basket will contain a holiday meal and
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SCO Gets Wrist Slapped Over Novell Unix Copyrights
from the this-ain't-over-yet dept
As for the Novell case, a judge has finally come down with the final ruling on a fine, and it's basically a slap on the wrist to SCO. Rather than buying Novell's argument that 95% of SCO's licensing revenue actually belongs to Novell, the judge took a much more limited approach saying SCO only owes $2.5 million. It's not peanuts, but it's a lot less than many had hoped. It certainly will allow SCO to keep going (and potentially appeal this ruling) which is why many are labeling this as a mixed bag sort of ruling. Still, as has been pointed out, SCO is the one that kicked this off, suing IBM and then Novell... and the end result is that SCO is paying out $2.5 million. That's probably not what the company's execs expected when they started down this path.


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Did you read today's front page stories & breaking news?
From the Wires
Prominent Miami DUI Lawyer Jeffrey Feiler Responds to Sobering Holiday DUI Statistics by Offering Superior Legal Assistance to Those in Need
Rising DUI Rates During the Holiday Season Increases Demand for a Trusted Miami DUI Lawyer
By: Marketwired .
Dec. 19, 2012 11:25 AM
MIAMI, FL -- (Marketwire) -- 12/19/12 -- It is no surprise that the number of DUIs issued increases during the festivity-filled Holiday season. In this situation knowing the recommended course of action is critical to achieving the best possible outcome. The most reputable Miami DUI lawyer and criminal defense attorney, Jeffrey Feiler and The Feiler Law Firm, offer expert legal advice and assistance throughout the entire legal process whether faced with a DUI charge or any other legal dilemma.
In Miami, most people do not know their legal rights as well as a Miami criminal defense lawyer. There are numerous scenarios that could lead to losing a license and/or spending time behind bars, but if the situation is navigated wisely the outcome can be exceedingly more favorable. Skilled lawyers at The Feiler Law Firm can ensure that one does not pay for this mistake more than necessary.
Utilizing the services of this prominent DUI lawyer in Miami is the recommended course of action when faced with a DUI charge in South Florida. Jeffrey Feiler and his team have developed a guide outlining step-by-step advice in the event that one gets pulled over this Holiday season. The guide, found on their website (see link below), is designed to be printed and put in the glove box for quick and easy reference. They recommend being prepared all year-round by following these simple steps:
The Miami criminal defense attorneys at The Feiler Law Firm are not only interested in attaining justice, they are also interested in creating long-term relationships with their clients. Their nearly 30 years of experience and proven results makes them the number one choice for legal assistance no matter the situation. Jeffrey Feiler and his staff know that mistakes happen, especially around the Holidays, and they are ready to offer compassionate, confidential, and satisfying expert legal assistance to everyone in need.
Read full press release at http://www.jeffreyfeiler.com/press-release/prominent-miami-dui-lawyer-jeffrey-feiler-responds-to-sobering-holiday-dui-statistics-by-offering-superior-legal-assistance-to-those-in-need/ or call 1-305-670-7700 for more information.
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text: Here is a picture of DMX reading a bible while on house arrest stemming from one of his bazillion run-ins with the law. He's focused. He's calm. He's not wearing handcuffs ... and he's the perfect subject for our TMZ Photo CAPTION-O-RAMA!Submit your funny captions for this pic in the comments section from now until 6:30 AM Wednesday morning. Funniest submission, as chosen by the TMZ editorial staff, wins a TMZ t-shirt and a TMZ mug!9\/4\/13 -- WE HAVE A WINNER! Congrats to Andrew Arch for the winning caption, "And the Lord said: X gone giveth to you."Enjoy the shirt and the mug!


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ianjarvis on Family Tree Circles
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Looking for Garden West of Dublin
I am trying to link Garden West b c1821 in Dublin to Temple West, Vice Admiral of The White, b 1713 d 1757 m 1737 to Frances Balchin. Family anecdotal notes indicate there may be a link.
Garden West was married in Dublin to Susan Browne b 1820 Kilrush, Ireland and had 4 sons John, Alexander, George, Garden T. and a daughter Alice. Susan remarried in 1853 to Thomas Spence Hutcheson my GG Grandfather.
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Gold and Silver Break Losing Streaks
On Tuesday, gold (NYSEARCA:GLD) futures for February delivery, the most active contract, increased $7.90 to settle at $1,660.80 per ounce, while silver (NYSEARCA:SLV) futures for March gained 40 cents to close at $31.18.
Both precious metals snapped their losing streak as the U.S. dollar and consumer confidence declined. With the Federal Reserve set to keep its current monetary policy in place at the conclusion of its two-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting tomorrow, the dollar index reached as low as 79.54.
Meanwhile, the consumer confidence index in January dropped to 58.6, compared to 66.7 in the previous month. It was the lowest reading since November 2011 and the worst month-over-month decline since August 2011.
Lynn Franco, Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board, explains, "Consumer Confidence posted another sharp decline in January, erasing all of the gains made through 2012. Consumers are more pessimistic about the economic outlook and, in particular, their financial situation. The increase in the payroll tax has undoubtedly dampened consumers' spirits and it may take a while for confidence to rebound and consumers to recover from their initial paycheck shock."
In afternoon trading, the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSEARCA:GLD) increased 0.40 percent, while the iShares Silver Trust (NYSEARCA:SLV) jumped 1.45 percent. Gold miners (NYSEARCA:GDX) such as Yamana Gold (NYSE:AUY) and Goldcorp (NYSE:GG) both gained nearly 2 percent. Silver names such as Endeavour Silver (NYSE:EXK) and First Majestic Silver (NYSE:AG) surged 3.5 percent and 4.10 percent, respectively.
Investor Insight: The Fed's Balance Sheet: $1 Trillion…$2 Trillion…$3 Trillion
If you would like to receive professional analysis on miners and other precious metal investments, we invite you to try our premium service free for 14 days.
Disclosure: Long EXK, AG, HL, PHYS


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Track ConditionCondition of the racetrack surface. Ex: fast; good; muddy; sloppy; frozen; hard; firm; soft; yielding; heavy.
TrifectaA wager picking the first three finishers in exact order. Called a "triactor" in Canada and a "triple" in some parts of the U.S.
Trifecta BoxA trifecta wager in which all possible combinations using a given number of horses are bet upon.
TripAn individual horse's race, with specific reference to the difficulty (or lack of difficulty) the horse had during competition, e.g., whether the horse was repeatedly blocked or had an unobstructed run.
Triple CrownUsed generically to denote a series of three important races, but is always capitalized when referring to historical races for three-year-olds. In the United States, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. In England the 2,000 Guineas, Epsom Derby and St. Leger Stakes. In Canada, the Queen's Plate, Prince of Wales Stakes and Breeders' Stakes.


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Christopher1 needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 84 designs submitted by 23 freelance designers.
Teaching House
We are the premier teacher training center, running courses around the world. Our graduates teach English as a Foreign Language to students who are learning English. Our graduates teach in different countries around the world.
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White background, clean, simple, modern look.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Telekinesis. Mind over matter. Whatever you call it, the ability to manipulate matter with nothing more than a thought has captivated and fascinated audiences around the world.
Kinetica is a collection of three telekinetic demonstrations from the mind of Sean Fields and presented by Criss Angel.
Kinetic Coin - A borrowed quarter visually warps and bends as you stroke it with your finger. One of the most unorthodox methods for bending a coin you will ever see!
Kinetic Bill - The classic self folding bill illusion, with a borrowed bill! Sean's handling is simple, direct, and elegant.
Kinetic Ring - Poetry in motion. After placing your ring into your palm, it slowly stands up and rotates above your hand before suddenly stopping and falling back into your palm. Finally, the ring literally flies back onto your finger! This effect is so powerful it will be featured in Criss' next television special.
Shot on location in Las Vegas, Sean walks you step by step through the illusions, from preparation to performance, ensuring you know the subtleties and details of each effect.
Comes complete with the gimmicks you will need to start manipulating matter immediately.
This is Kinetica.
When I first bout this trick I expected something totally different. I mainly use the kinetic bill because the kinetic coin isn't angle proof and I usually don't wear a ring. If you have the criss angel ULTIMATE magic kit you already have the gimmick. But in the end I think that this is an amazing trilogy and I would recommend it to any magician looking for a good trick. - Nico H
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