January 2012 Archives

The headline at National Review Online reads "Federal Workers Overcompensated." It refers to this study just released by the Congressional Budget Office comparing wages and benefits of federal government employees versus their counterparts in the private sector, illustrated by this chart: As you can see, the difference in wages isn't that much. The higher wages-21% more--for those with a high school education or less are almost exactly offset by the lower wages-23% less--for those with...

While much of what is on the web is junk, there are some great resources for folks who want to use their discretionary time effectively.C-SPAN has a full archive of all its programming over the years.One thing I find of value at the C-SPAN site is the Booknotes page. Booknotes was a weekly interview program that ran each week for a number of years.The most recent interview I listened to was one from 1989 with Colonel David Hackworth. Colonel Hackworth...

The United States Department of Agriculture has updated the map it issues to help gardeners across the nation determine what they can plant.Because the nation is getting warmer, people are now able to plant various flowers and trees in parts of the country that before would have not been hospitable to such a wide range of plantings.Above you see the map. Here is the link to the USDA site that has facts on how to use...

It's been a long time. I want to introduce myself. My name is Scott Barzilla and I am unemployed. Back in November, things were picking up. I had what seemed like a firm offer from an insurance company and I got a holiday job at Barnes and Noble. That job went away when the holidays ended and the insurance company is still doing background checks. Meanwhile, I've shelled out nearing 500 dollars getting certified. It's...

This is about 17 minutes long.  It is a lecture by Richard Wilkinson regarding income inequality and how it effects overall quality of life.  You'll be smarter for having watched it.I encourage you to watch and discuss....

Kate Shepherd reports on emails released under FOIA that confirms what we feared during the BP Macondo well blowout:  in an effort to get the blowout off the television, the government downplayed the environmental damage.  in her report in Mother Jones yesterday, Kate reports on the emails.Report: White House Pressured Scientists to Underestimate BP Spill Size | Mother Jones....

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You're all familiar with the libertarian leanings of Republican candidate, Ron Paul.  Lately, his followers have taken to claims that the media isn't treating him fairly.  Poor Mr. Paul, he can't even get asked a question about abortion at a debate, and he was an OB for years!I have this to say to Paul followers:The media doesn't have to play fair.  The media is made up of (mostly) for-profit corporations.  They are not out to...

This could also be subtitled "The Wandering Eye of Newt"I know I personally suffer from Adult-Onset Attention Deficit (AOAD), but has the Tea Party buried their heads in their rectums these days? I know it was soooooo last century when the Newtster was House Speaker, but seriously, this man got a standing O last night for calling out the moderator for daring to question his despicable, hypocritical adulterous practices.   The reason I bring up...