Tag Archives: recession

Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Other Stars Make Forbes’ Top-Earning Of 2010 List

Taylor Swift, Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus also made the magazine’s top 20 list of Hollywood moneymakers. By Jayson Rodriguez Beyonc

Is This Taylor Momsen Cover of ‘F*ck You’ the Low Point of Contemporary Pop Culture?

Just one month after Gwyneth Paltrow and her blond tresses brought ” F*ck You ” to the halls of McKinley High School on Glee , another fair-haired beauty has taken a crack at Cee-Lo’s anthemic 2010 hit. That’s right, earth: Anything Gwenie can do, Gossip Girl star Taylor Momsen can do better? Don’t shoot the messenger; this is just the world we occupy in the 21st century.

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Is This Taylor Momsen Cover of ‘F*ck You’ the Low Point of Contemporary Pop Culture?

John Wells on Directing The Company Men and Being Fired Because of Jay Leno

John Wells, the director of the recession drama The Company Men , knows very well what it’s like to be fired. In 2009, the creator/producer/director of TV institutions like ER and The West Wing lost his new prized show, the critically praised Southland , when NBC made the decision to remove five hours of prime-time per week in favor of Jay Leno.

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John Wells on Directing The Company Men and Being Fired Because of Jay Leno

Why College Matters

“America is slowly coming out of the Recession of 2007—only to find itself on a collision course with the future: not enough Americans are completing college . . . By 2018, we will need 22 million new workers with college degrees—but will fall short of that number by at least 3 million postsecondary degrees . . . At a time when every job is precious, this shortfall will mean lost economic opportunity for millions of American workers.” -Help Wanted, Executive Summary added by: Progresshiv

Michigan Governor Proposes Clean Energy & Jobs ‘Moon Shot’

Photo: twicepix , Flickr, CC Jennifer Granholm, the governor of Michigan, has an op-ed in Politico today outlining her proposal to grow millions of clean energy jobs in the US. And she has some credibility — her state, arguably the worst hit by the recession, is climbing back thanks largely to a jobs program that focused on developing and manufacturing batteries for electric cars. The program has brought tens of thousands of good, permanent jobs to the state, and she argues a large… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Michigan Governor Proposes Clean Energy & Jobs ‘Moon Shot’

Krauthammer on Obama’s Televised Tax Announcement: He Was Addressing Daily Kos, NYT and MoveOn

Charles Krauthammer on Monday said that when Barack Obama spoke to the nation hours ago to announce a tax extension compromise just reached with Republicans, “It was actually a speech addressed at Daily Kos, the New York Times, and MoveOn.” In Krauthammer's view expressed on Fox's “Special Report,” “This was a speech aimed at appeasing the Left which is extremely angry over this” (video follows with transcript and commentary): read more

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Krauthammer on Obama’s Televised Tax Announcement: He Was Addressing Daily Kos, NYT and MoveOn

Ron Paul stands up for Julian Assange

Politico By ANDY BARR | 12/3/10 12:56 PM EST Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) is taking a stand as one of Julian Assange’s few defenders in Washington, arguing that the WikiLeaks founder should get the same protections as the media. Attorney General Eric Holder said this week that the Justice Department is examining whether Assange can be charged with a crime for posting hundreds of thousands of leaked government intelligence documents and diplomatic cables. Many Republicans have gone even further in their attacks on Assange, especially former Arkansas GOP Gov. Mike Huckabee, who said this week that the source who leaked to the WikiLeaks founder should be tried for treason and executed if found guilty. But in a Thursday interview with Fox Business, Paul said the idea of prosecuting Assange crosses the line. “In a free society we're supposed to know the truth,” Paul said. “In a society where truth becomes treason, then we're in big trouble. And now, people who are revealing the truth are getting into trouble for it.” “This whole notion that Assange, who's an Australian, that we want to prosecute him for treason. I mean, aren't they jumping to a wild conclusion?” he added. “This is media, isn't it? I mean, why don't we prosecute The New York Times or anybody that releases this?” Paul followed up with a post to his Twitter account Friday morning: “Re: WikiLeaks — In a free society, we are supposed to know the truth. In a society where truth becomes treason, we are in big trouble.” Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/45930.html#ixzz1761bnWUY http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/45930.html#ixzz174dZBGvq added by: ThatCrazyLibertarian

Jobless Recovery?: 25 Unemployment Statistics That Are Almost Too Depressing To Read

Guess what? Unemployment is up again! That's right – even though Wall Street is swimming in cash and the Obama administration is declaring that “the recession is over”, the U.S. unemployment rate has gone even higher. So are you enjoying the jobless recovery? The truth is that there should not be any talk of a “recovery” as long as the “official” unemployment rate remains at around 10 percent and the “real” unemployment continues to hover around 17 percent. There are millions and millions of American families that are living every day in deep pain because of the lack of jobs. Meanwhile, there are all of these economic pundits that are declaring that we are just going to have to realize that chronic unemployment is the “new normal” and that if other nations can handle high rates of unemployment then so can we. The most optimistic economists are projecting that we can perhaps get the unemployment rate down to around 8 percent by 2012. On the other hand, there are many economists that are convinced that things are going to get even worse. added by: Revelation1217

Matthews: Businesses Sitting on Trillions of Dollars to ‘Screw’ Economy and Obama

Chris Matthews thinks American businesses are refusing to spend money in order to intentionally harm the economy as part of a long-term plot to “screw” President Obama. Such political paranoia was actually uttered on Monday’s “Hardball” as the host chatted with Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post and Charles Mahtesian of Politico. Readers are strongly advised to prepare themselves for the kind of conspiracy theory normally reserved for the likes of Michael Moore, Oliver Stone, and members of the far-left who actually believe George W. Bush and Dick Cheney had a hand in the 9/11 attacks (video follows with partial transcript and commentary):  CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: You know, a great question, Charles, that wasn’t on my list to ask but I’m going to ask you because you seem like a sophisticated guy of many parts. You think business can sit on those billions and trillions of dollars for two more years after they screw Obama this time? Are they going to keep sitting on their money so they don’t invest and help the economy for two long years to get Mr. Excitement Mitt Romney elected president? Will they do that to the country? Yeah, Chris, business owners and corporate executives across the fruited plain are intentionally undermining their companies and their personal fortunes in order to impact an election that is 25 months away. Certainly, they’re not keeping stockpiles of cash out of fear of: rising taxes, increased healthcare costs, the creation of carbon emissions targets, a double-dip recession, or the next regulatory shoe to drop from the current administration. No. They’re just remaining uncharacteristically liquid to harm the man that gives you a thrill up your leg.  Now that we’ve settled that Mr. Matthews, could I interest you in some waterfront property in southern Florida? 

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Matthews: Businesses Sitting on Trillions of Dollars to ‘Screw’ Economy and Obama

MSNBC’s Contessa Brewer Uses Eddie Long Scandal For Gay Activism

While discussing sex allegations against Bishop Eddie Long on Friday, MSNBC host and gay rights activist Contessa Brewer asked Bishop James Dean Adams: “Long has taken a very strong anti-homosexual stand….Is there always a danger, if you’re taking that sort of stand, that you’re living in a glass house and people are going to be encouraged to throw stones?” Brewer described how “the Southern Poverty Law Center calls Bishop Eddie Long ‘one of the most virulently homophobic black leaders in the religiously based anti-gay moment. Long reportedly told his congregation about homosexuals, he said, God says you deserve death.'” The left-wing organization spliced together that comment and other clips of Long’s Sermons on its website . Brewer used Long’s comments to go after Bishop Adams: “I mean, you can’t support that, do you? The saying that homosexuals deserve death?” Adams replied: “No. I don’t say that homosexuals or anybody, for that matter, deserves death.” Brewer continued: “Do you think, in any way, Bishop, this will change the way black churches deal with the issue of homosexuality?” Adams explained: “I disagree with the viewpoint that the church is somehow been purposefully anti-gay. It’s not about anti-gay. It’s just simply anti-sin.” On Tuesday, Brewer warned of “consequences” for senators who opposed the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” In addition to her frequent on-air advocacy for gay rights issues, Brewer was the featured speaker at a Kentucky LGBT fundraiser in July. Here is a full transcript of Brewer’s September 24 interview with Bishop Adams: 12:37PM ET CONTESSA BREWER: Megachurch pastor, Bishop Eddie Long, has promised to use this Sunday’s sermon to explain to his 25,000-member congregation what’s going on with that lurid sex scandal that’s rocked his church this week. Three young men have now accused Long of using jewelry, cars, and cash, and his position as their minister, to lure them into sexual relationships. In a written statement, though, Long denies everything, he says, ‘the charges against me and New Birth,’ the church, ‘are false, but my faith is strong and the truth will emerge.’ I’m joined by Bishop James Dean Adams of St. John Institutional Missionary Baptist Church in Miami. Whenever there’s a scandal about the shepherd of a flock, it definitely rocks the trust that people have, but what can they do at this point without any kind of proof with his denial of the accusations? JAMES DEAN ADAMS: Well, Contessa, I think that the best thing that all of us can do is allow the process to unfold and the truth to be revealed. It would be a tremendous tragedy if these things were true, but our Christian faith requires us that we are to hope for the best and to look for the best and so that’s the posture that the Christian community is taking. BREWER: What do you make of the fact that he has – Bishop Long has taken a very strong anti-homosexual stand? In fact, the Southern Poverty Law Center calls Bishop Eddie Long ‘one of the most virulently homophobic black leaders in the religiously based anti-gay moment. Long reportedly told his congregation about homosexuals, he said, God says you deserve death.’ And now he’s facing these accusations. Is there always a danger, if you’re taking that sort of stand, that you’re living in a glass house and people are going to be encouraged to throw stones? ADAMS: Well, as the Bible tells us, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and Jesus died for everyone and so that’s the message of the church, mercy. BREWER: So you disagree – Do you disagree with his message then to homosexuals? ADAMS: I hadn’t heard – I hadn’t heard what was said. BREWER: But – but – but in this case, I mean, he is – he’s taking such a strong stand. I mean, you can’t support that, do you? The saying that homosexuals deserve death? ADAMS: No. I don’t say that homosexuals or anybody, for that matter, deserves death. BREWER: Right. Just wanted to be clear about that. ADAMS: That’s the reason Jesus Christ came, not to destroy lives but to save them. BREWER: Okay, so do you think, in any way, Bishop, this will change the way black churches deal with the issue of homosexuality? ADAMS: I believe that there’s a dialogue that’s open as there has always been. I don’t – I disagree with the viewpoint that the church is somehow been purposefully anti-gay. It’s not about anti-gay. It’s just simply anti-sin, that’s – and that’s encompassing everything that you can possibly think of. BREWER: Bishop James Dean Adams, I appreciate your time today, appreciate your perspective. ADAMS: Thank you very much.

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MSNBC’s Contessa Brewer Uses Eddie Long Scandal For Gay Activism