Eleanor Arnason's Blog, page 114

Hunger

From today's New York Times, writing about an US Agriculcutre Department report that just came out:

In its annual report on hunger, the department said that 17 million American households, or 14.6 percent of the total, "had difficulty putting enough food on the table at times during the year." That was an increase from 13 million households, or 11.1 percent, the previous year...

Overall, one-third of all the families that are affected by hunger, or 6.7 million households, were classified as...

Sick Leave

I have just been on the fine public health blog Effect Measure, where I found this quote from the English paper The Independent:

The United States is one of only five countries in the world without a national policy on paid sick leave, (Senator Chris) Dodd said.

"We're in the company - and I say this respectfully of these countries - of Lesotho, Liberia, Papua-New Guinea and Swaziland. Those countries and the United States are the five that don't have paid sick leave," Dodd said.

"Five...

Floyd B. Olson

From the Wikipedia entry on Floyd Bjornstjerne Olson, governor of Minnesota from 1930 to 1936:

In its April 24, 1933, issue, Time magazine quoted Olson speaking from the steps of the state capitol:

"I am making a last appeal to the Legislature. If the Senate does not make provision for the sufferers in the State and the Federal Government refuses to aid, I shall invoke the powers I hold and shall declare martial law. ... A lot of people who are now fighting [relief:] measures because they...

November Weather Report

The sun is up and shining on the buildings across the street.

October was cold. November is unseasonably warm, according to the DJ on Minnesota Public Radio. I'd prefer more traditional weather. But the sunlight on the buildings is lovely.

Patrick, who was just out, says it's cold at the moment. He didn't have gloves and needed them.

Early A.M. Thoughts

It's six thirty, my usual rising time. In the summer, light comes into my bedroom at four thirty. Right now, it's pitch black outside. But I'm up and making coffee and thinking about Bill Holm.

Bill, who was slightly younger than me, died a few months after retiring from a job that was wearing him down, a job he had come to dislike intensely. He was beginning the life he had dreamed about for years, when he would be free to spend his life doing what he wanted, especially free to write.

I am no...

Dr. Doom

Dr. Nouriel Roubini (the economist known as Dr. Doom) quoted in Digby's blog:

Think the worst is over? Wrong. Conditions in the U.S. labor markets are awful and worsening. While the official unemployment rate is already 10.2% and another 200,000 jobs were lost in October, when you include discouraged workers and partially employed workers the figure is a whopping 17.5%.

While losing 200,000 jobs per month is better than the 700,000 jobs lost in January, current job losses still average more...

Tuesday Report

Duluth on Friday was sunny and lovely. The Arthur Anderson slid through the shipping canal right on schedule. We took lots of pictures. I will post some later.

We walked around in Canal Park and looked at things to buy, but did not buy anything.

Saturday I went to media conference and enjoyed it. I am not a nonfiction writer, but I am interested in new media and think I will begin to pay more attention.

Sunday I went to a meeting of my poetry workshop. I am not writing poetry currently, but I r...

Peak Oil

This is from The Guardianon Monday, November 9:

The world is much closer to running out of oil than official estimates admit, according to a whistleblower at the International Energy Agency who claims it has been deliberately underplaying a looming shortage for fear of triggering panic buying.

The senior official claims the US has played an influential role in encouraging the watchdog to underplay the rate of decline from existing oil fields while overplaying the chances of finding new...

The Bottom 40%

This is from a Jon Taplin post at Talking Point Memo Cafe:

So here is the reality of life for the bottom 40% of America's families. After they pay for food, housing and transportation they have $1200 per year to spend on "discretionary items" like clothing, medicine and doctors. Never mind telephone, Internet or cable TV which are supposed to be middle class entitlements.

He is writing about families with an income of $22,000 before taxes. This is $10.57 an hour. Many jobs pay less than this a...

Unemployment

Steve Clemons has a post at Talking Point Memo Cafe on the Hindery Report on Effective Unemployment. This report is done by Leo Hindery, a former economic adviser for the John Edwards and Barack Obama campaigns. Hindery's figure for unemployment includes changes in farm employment and self-employment, which are not included in the usual government figures, and includes discouraged job-seekers and the underemployed.

The official unemployment figure in 10.2%, one worker in ten.

Hindery's figure ...