Unless you’ve been living on Mars for the past year, you know that the economy is sliding into the sewer. The Labor Department reported that 62,000 more people lost their jobs in June. That’s the sixth straight month of job losses. The retail sector alone lost 7,500 jobs. It is interesting to note that almost two-thirds of those jobs, about 4,800, were in car dealerships.
That alone is saying something. The July figures will be available shortly, but as of the finish of the first half of this year 438,000 jobs vanished. The souring of the economy is all over the front pages of our daily newspapers. The actual job losses are scattered throughout. GM TO DISMISS ANOTHER 20% – headline and story on the front page of the business section. KODAK TO LAY OFF ANOTHER 10,000 EMPLOYEES – headline and story hidden on page 33.
WYETH TO REDUCE WORLDWIDE WORKFORCE BY 5% – headline and story on page 3 of the business section. And Bank after bank is announcing deep job cuts. On a Monday it’s on page 25. On a Tuesday somewhere on page 35…and so on. These job cuts are so common that they don’t make the front pages. Wait! Stop! There was one that was announced on the front pages of more than 75% of this nation’s newspapers. On July 2, 2008, all over America, we picked up our daily paper and were shocked by the front page bold print headline. It shouted – STARBUCKS TO CLOSE 600 STORES IN U.S. Then in smaller headlines – 10,000 To Lose Jobs.
I have to wonder. Did the journalists that wrote this story worry about the job losses or are they nervous that they might not be able to get their convenient caffeine fix?
Wow. 600 closing. I think that will leave us with only about two million, three hundred and fifty thousand stores. What will the Starbucks Junkies do?
I feel very sorry for those that will be forced to march to the unemployment line. Many of them are part-timers that are working their way through school. But as far as the product goes – It’s only my opinion but I think the Lahtays, Shmatays and whatever else they name their beverages, are burnt, bitter and overpriced. I am not a Starbucks fan. As far as I’m concerned the best cups of coffee on the planet are at McDonald’s, Seven-Elevens and the Hess Station down the street. I’ll take gas station coffee over that name brand.
And as far as all those layoffs go – we’re still reading about the many companies that are closing plants and dismissing employees. Yet, I have not read about one single individual that’s been dismissed by an elected official from his overstaffed offices. Come on, Chuck. Set an example.
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I don’t read the New York Times. That’s not entirely true. I should really say that I don’t BUY the New York Times but I do read it when someone leaves his copy on the seat of a bus or subway. The following is something that was in All The News That Fits:
Americans throw out about 27 percent of the 350 million pounds of food they buy every year.
Where does that stat come from? Do you believe it to be true? I don’t. Everybody I know saves leftovers to be served at another time. Even if they don’t want to eat yesterday’s roast they’ll give it to Sam, the Labrador Retriever, who will enjoy every morsel or disguise it into another food form such as stews and soups …. but to throw away one fourth of the food purchased? Not these days.
I am StanGershbein@Bellsouth.net telling you that I enjoy eating Ibbergerblibbernis (Google it).
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