You ain’t got no job, and you ain’t got shit to do! Chris Tucker never sounded so prophetic in the 90’s stoner classic Friday. The national unemployment rate hit 7.2%, according to a U.S. Department of Labor report released this morning, cited on CNN Money. That is the highest since 1945 when all of the jobless soldiers from WWII came home. Yikes. The juiciest quote in the CNN article: “‘We’re seeing a complete unraveling of the labor market and are on track for getting beyond 10% unemployment,’ said Lawrence Mishel, president of the Economic Policy Institute.”
I can’t HEAR YOU…la la la la la la: In another astounding display of force and relevance, the U.N. has issued a call for a cease fire in Gaza, which both sides promptly ignored. They are, however, attempting to reinstitute (and HONOR) the three hour halts to firing for aid to enter Gaza. Meanwhile, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights is opening up investigations into possible war crimes in the area. And in cyberspace, the war among Arab and Israeli Facebook statuses is JUST beginning…
U.S. Senate vs. Gossip Girl (You decide which has more drama): Sarah Palin has chimed in on the Caroline, you know, Kennedy debacle, saying that she has received a free pass from the media compared to what they did (and are still doing) to the Alaska governor. Meanwhile, the Illinois House of Representatives has formally impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich with a vote of 114-1 (attention Fox News assignment desk) a few days after Blago’s appointment to fill Obama’s shoes was turned away in the rain. Who knew Al Franken was the choice with the LEAST drama for the Senate? (And I couldn’t mention “Gossip Girl” without throwing you this bone.)
The last great hopes of two former Kings: As the Consumer Electronics Show enter full-swing in Las Vegas, both Microsoft and Palm are debuting new products that are being billed as do-or-die for former kings of their respective hills entering the ‘Aughts. Palm unveiled their iPhone rival, dubbed the “Pre” to high praise from the geek blogosphere, and Microsoft released the first public beta of Windows 7. General consensus seems favorable on both, but also that Palm could fold entirely and Microsoft would have to exit the operating system market altogether if both were to fail. Even the mighty Apple is struggling with lukewarm reviews on their latest Macworld keynote (the first in 10 years not delivered by ailing CEO and resident deity Steve Jobs). eek.
Just for gits and shiggles: As even the juggernaut U.S. mainstream hip-hop market stagnates beyond recognition, we are forced to turn to the balmy shores of Halifax, Nova Scotia for fresh lyrical, production, and video craftsmanship: Classified – Trouble.