In Ohio, eligible unemployed workers can receive weekly benefit payments that are approximately 50 percent of their average weekly wage, up to certain maximum amounts, for a period of 26 weeks — that is, half a year. The federal government then offers emergency unemployment compensation which provides additional payments to eligible unemployed workers that can [...]
Archive for May, 2010
When Should The Extensions Stop?
Posted in America, The Economy, Work, tagged America, Congress, Extended unemployment compensation, President Obama, Unemployment, Unemployment compensation, Work on May 22, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
What’s Up With House?
Posted in Humor, TV, tagged Greg House, House, Humor, Lisa Cuddy, TV on May 21, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Regular readers of this blog know that I don’t watch much TV, but I do watch House. Monday’s episode was the finale for this season, and frankly I thought it kind of blew. Here’s why: it seemed incredibly contrived and incredibly inconsistent with the long-standing character traits of Dr. Gregory House and Lisa Cuddy. For [...]
Redefining “Improving” (Cont.)
Posted in Ohio, The Economy, tagged America, economy, Home Foreclosures, Ohio on May 21, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Here’s more evidence of the disconnect between the “improving economy” smoke that it being blown up our collective keisters and the unfortunate economic reality — Ohio foreclosures hit another record in the first three months of 2010, up 9 percent from the number of foreclosures in the first quarter of 2009. With our “improving economy,” [...]
The Incredible Shrinking Newspaper
Posted in America, tagged America, Columbus Dispatch, Daily Newspapers, Internet, Journalism, newspapers on May 21, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Kish and I don’t subscribe to our local daily newspaper, the Columbus Dispatch, any more and have not subscribed for some time now. That probably seems strange for a married couple who were both journalism majors in college and who love good reporting, but the reason for our decision was simple — we got to [...]
The Pacific And The Power Of Fine Television
Posted in America, TV, tagged America, HBO, The Pacific, TV, World War II on May 20, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
As I mentioned several weeks ago, Kish and I have been hooked on The Pacific, the miniseries on HBO, and we watched it to the end. I thought it was some of the best television I have ever seen. The last episode aired on Sunday, and it was powerful stuff indeed. In fact, the tremendous [...]
Redefining “Improving”
Posted in America, Politics, The Economy, tagged America, economy, stock market, Unemployment, Unemployment statistics on May 20, 2010 | 1 Comment »
How many times have we seen this story since the recession began and President Obama took office? We get more bad economic news, and economists express surprise at the crappy news in view of the “improving” economy. Is anyone but economists surprised that we are getting more bad economic news? Does anyone other than academics [...]
“Smear The Queer” And Other Violent Playground Games
Posted in America, Growing Up, tagged America, Growing Up, Playground Games, Red Rover, Smear the Queer on May 20, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
And speaking of suburban kids’ games — does anyone play a game called “Smear the Queer” anymore? (I recognize the name isn’t politically correct, but that is what the game was called.) When I was a kid growing up in the Akron area in the ’60s, “Smear the Queer” was a popular, mindless playground game [...]
Embracing Technology
Posted in Technology, tagged Bump Application, Cartoon Application, Iphone, Pong, Red Dead Redemption on May 19, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
I have to admit that each and every day I am simply amazed by the leaps and bounds technology is taking. The other day a friend and I were watching the NBA playoffs and a commercial advertisement came on for the May release of a new video game called Red Dead Redemption. I’m not a video game player and [...]
Goodbye, Incumbents
Posted in Politics, tagged 2010 Election, Arlen Specter, Blanche Lincoln, Politics, Rand Paul, Tea Party on May 19, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
More evidence that the nation’s voters are not happy with our elected representatives: five-term Senator Arlen Specter, who casually switched parties at the start of the Obama Administration, was defeated in yesterday’s Democratic primary in Pennsylvania, Blanche Lincoln, the Democratic Senator from Arkansas, was forced into a run-off election, and Rand Paul, the “tea party” [...]
Jack Bauer Vs. The World (And Charles Logan)
Posted in TV, tagged 24, Charles Logan, Gregory Itzin, Jack Bauer, TV on May 18, 2010 | 1 Comment »
I can’t resist posting a few words about last night’s episode of 24. The episode featured a much-anticipated encounter of Jack Bauer and Charles Logan, and I have to say it was very satisfying. We first got to see the smarmy Logan reveling in being acknowledged for his role in securing the peace agreement from [...]
Go Bret Go
Posted in TV, tagged Bret Michaels, Celebrity Apprentice, Holly Robison Peete, Poison on May 18, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
As this article points out Bret Michaels has made it to the finals of Celebrity Apprentice and will face off against Holly Robinson Peete. I am very happy for a couple of reasons, first of all I drew his name in a pool and second of all I didn’t think he had much of a chance of [...]
How Now Brown Cow ?
Posted in Food, tagged chocolate milk on May 18, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Well it’s spring time again and that means it is time to work on the old gutski that invariably seems to occur after another long and snowy winter in Ohio. In my younger days I could eat and drink whatever I wanted to during the winter, however since turning fifty a few years ago looking good in my [...]
The Buzz About Bees
Posted in Growing Up, Ohio, tagged Bee Deaths, Bees, Growing Up, Ohio on May 17, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
If you sit outside on a warm spring or summer evening, you are apt to notice that there are fewer bees buzzing around your flowers. In Ohio, there has been a significant decline in the bee population. The phenomenon is not limited to Ohio, either. The BBC reports that bee populations have declined in the [...]
Hair Cells Are Weird
Posted in Humor, tagged Ear Hair, Hair, Humor, Men, Middle-aged Men on May 17, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
After years of thoughtful reflection and careful observation, I’ve concluded that hair is weird, and I am convinced that hair follicles are among the most perverse cells found in the human body. At some point in a man’s adult life, the hair follicles in the ankle and calf area just quit working. As a consequence, [...]
