Day 139

Wildfires and Floods

Mother Nature brings floods to Northern Australia and wildfires to the Southeastern region. Record high temperatures reached 115 F/46 C- undeniably hot.  Rain accumulation reached 14 inches.  

Day 138

Another one unfinished.  I've been spending the bulk of my days preparing for my thesis show. The show opens in one short month.  Time for some shameless self-promotion.

Unemployment for January

Unemployment figures for January were published today.  598,000 jobs.  It is the highest number of jobs lost since the fall 1992.  Council of Economic Advisors Chairperson, Christina Romer, stated in a news release, "If we fail to act, we are likely to lose millions more jobs."  The Obama administration continues to push the economic stimulus package.  

Day 137

Deutsche Bank

Revenue for Germany's Deutsche Bank is reported to have risen "significantly" in January.  Earnings, totaling 2.8 billion Euros, are seen as a sign that the company will emerge from the financial crisis.  According to the article, DB does not plan to tap into the 480 billion Euro Bank Rescue Fund.  

Day 136

Funemployment

According to payroll company ADP, private sector jobs were cut by 522,000 in January.  The December figure was 693,000.  

Grand Slam!

Wow, I finished this one.  Just this morning I genuinely thought I wouldn't even stitch one today.

Time to Breathe

I came across this article after I finished with my class this afternoon.  Denny's Restaurant was giving away free Grand Slam breakfasts this morning.  I have many fond memories of Denny's- sunday breakfast with my family as a kid, a bite to eat after football games in high school, and late night study sessions during college.  Unfortunately there are no Denny's in Boston- a sad, sad fact I lament every time I want to order a Moons Over My Hammy.  

Not Enough Time

I must admit, I am tempted to skip today and not work on a handkerchief.  You would think by now I would have a better handle on my time management skills.  Sad to say, but my priority today is cannot be this project.  

Day 134

Punxsutawney Phil vs Mahmoud Abbas

Happy Groundhog's Day! According to the sage rodent, there will be six more weeks of Winter- all this because the little guy saw his own shadow.  

On the heavier side of the news, Hamas and the Palestinian Liberation Organization are involved in a power struggle of sorts. PLO leader Mahmoud Abbas has called for the recognization of the primacy of his organization as a condition for dialogue with Israel. In turn, Hamas has accused Abbas of siding with Israel....and the struggle continues. 

Earned Income Credit

I've finally received all the necessary forms to complete my taxes.  I'm going to try to file early this year to get my refund as soon as possible. Today's article was about the Earned Income Credit that is available to people that don't make a lot of money.  Many people that are eligable for the credit miss out on collecting the money simply because they don't file a tax return.  

Day 132