The Stranger: Legalizing Pot will reduce the Black incarceration rate

We here are the Evil Black Economist have long been in favor of legalizing Marijuana because of the jobs it will create.  Here is another great benefit.  It will reduce the Black incarceration rate as well.  Here is the story from the Stranger. 

NY Times: Part-time work

Another brilliant piece as only the new New York Times can do.  This one is on the the companies shifting part-time workers schedules.  Here.

The stories are quite sad as we race to the bottom.

Madem Noire: Joseph Stiglitz says the "The American Dream" is dead

Here is a story from Madem Noire that quotes Joseph Stiglitz's provocative idea that "The American Dream is Dead".  Here.

Mother Jones: Urban farms reduce crime

Mother Jones has a story on urban farms reducing crime. Here.

Emmanuel Saez paper on Income Inequality

Here is the paper everyone is talking about by Emmual Saez on income inequality.

Legatum Prosperity Index

I got this site, Prosperity.Com,  from Foreign Policy magazine.  The article from Foreign Policy Magazine is here. And the Legatum Prosperity Index is here. The report is here. The article links the delcine in prosperity to a lower opportunity score because of income inequity.

Foreign Policy: US prosperity slipping

Here is story from Foreign Policy regarding shrinking prosperity in the united states.  Here.http://drezner.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/10/30/whats_happening_to_american_prosperity

AP Poll: Majority of Americans have negative view of Blacks

Here is a very important piece on a public opinion poll conducted for the Associated Press.  The survey asked about Americans attitudes toward American Blacks.  Here are the results from the Associated Press as featured in the Washington Post . The piece is notable for several reasons.

1) It is rare to see an article detailing peoples attitudes toward a racial group.
2) The story provoked a huge, honest, and unfiltered discussion as detailed in the comments. There were over 5000 comments.
3) The anonymity of the internet lets people express their true feelings; including their honest, racist views.
 You also have to read the comments to get a full and board idea of peoples individual attitudes.

Guardian UK: UK corporate tax bills close to zero

Here is a story from the Guardian in the UK about IKEA, eBay and Starbucks paying abnormally low corporate taxes. Hopefully, governments, which need the extra revenue, will crack down on non value added (sham) transactions.

Three people got fired at my job yesterday

Getting fired sucks. I overheard three people getting fired on Friday.   I work in the computer field and the company outsourced it's computer room to a hosting facility last January.  Very few corporations actually own their own computer systems any more.  Instead the lease time and space on remote computers on a monthly or yearly basis at a managed hosting facility.

One of the network guys, Reggie, who I only talked to a little bit, left immediately.  I guess he knew what was up and had good skills.

But two other guys, Sam and Kevin, stayed.  Sam, had been with the company for 15 years and worked as a computer operator.  He was a local guy with a high school education.  When they outsourced the computer systems, they gave Sam a job on the helpdesk. But Sam had trouble keeping up and answering calls.

Kevin, the late shift operator, who used to cover 4pm to 12am really had no work at all.  I think he had a second job some place.  He was an immigrant from a west Asian country.  He was down to managing backup tapes.

That, along with a 3rd guy, in computer support, whom I did not know at all, were let go a 4:30 on Friday.  Bam !  Pack your stuff, give me you access card, get out.

So, I am trying to decide if the company did the right thing and if it even matters.

Long story short, I gotta look for a job with more job-security like teaching or the government.

Global Top Income Database

World Top Income Database is a project of the Center for Equitable Growth

Mother Jones: Warehouse work

Here is a nice story about the current work environment in warehouses today.
The story is a bit dramatic but accurate. Mother Jones

French Entrepreneurs protest new taxes

Here is the same story about the french government asking millionaires entrepreneurs to pay more.  Here.  Seems like the same old story about whiney rich people who have more not wanting to pay more.

GrameenPhone: Example of unselfish capitalism

GrameenPhone is a good example of unselfish capitalism. Grameen Phone is part of the Garmeen bank empire and is set-up to offer low-cost phone service in Bangladesh  They realize phone service is critical to a developing economy.

US Energy Information Center

If you want basic information on energy and energy prices.  The place to go is the U.S Energy Information Administration.


Want to check average gas price around different regions of the US.It's here.

Militarized police offer peacekeeping answser

Italy is one of the few countries to a large and active national police force as part of it military strucutre.  The Carabinieri have police power jurisdiction over the military and civil matters both inside Italy and externally.  Basically they are the military police for the whole nation.  They are trained to military standards yet also enforce civil law.

There are many slights to the Carabineri but the police model is sound.

Many people have recoginzed this type of training is essential for peace keeping operations.

Here is the link to the Center for Excellence for Stability Police Units.

Bias in NYC specialized high school admission process

Here is a great story from "Dominon of New York" about bias in the Specialized High School Admission process in NYC. The link is here.   The story is a very good introduction to bias in getting into NYC elite high schools.

The link to the brief from the suite by the NAACP LDF is here.

Translation Advertising: Vertical Integration

Catching up on my news since July. Don't ask.  I didn't know Jay-Z partially owned an advertising company.  Translation LLC with Steve Stoute.

Here is some more on Steve Stoute from Wall Street Journal. Mr. Stoute has a website for his book "The Tanning of America."

Here is nice You Tube Video from Harvard Business Review.

South African Unemployment Rate: 24.9%

We are taking a quick peak at South African unemployment. We are using the South African Statistics Office information.

The Stats SA unemployment report is here. The reported rate is 24.9% which is down 0.8% (25.7%) from same period last year.

Here is a more detailed article on SA unemployment can be found in South Africa Info. Quote "4.5 Million people are out of work and 3 Million has be out of work longer than a year."

Gross Domestic Product grew by 3.2% annualized rate in the second quarter of 2012.

South Africa ranks 123rd in the UN Human Development Survey.

Two high level fashion media appointments

Huffington Post is reporting that two black women have received high media appointments.  Here. 

Wal-Mart workers strike in California

A group called Organization United for Respect at Walmart has staged one of the first strikes at a Wal-Mart store. Wal Mart has been very successful at avoiding unionization. Wal-mart make heavy use part-time and low paid workers. A story link from ABC News is here. The group is known as OurWalmart for short. Their web site is call forrespect.org.   The article reported the group is backed by the the United Food and Commercial  Workers Union and UFCW has a link on their website highlighting the protest.

Macy's to hire 80,000 temps during holidays

Macy's said it will hire 80,000 temporary workers during Christmas 2012.

Here is Macy's press release.  Here is a link to Macy's Jobs website.