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International Monetary Fund has a recent newsletter that includes some economic projections for the Middle East. Read full article (page 13)

The Middle East and Central Asia (MCD) region has continued to see strong growth in 2008, outpacing global growth for the ninth year in a row, the IMF says in its latest regional economic outlook. Growth is underpinned by high commodity prices, strong domestic demand, and also the credibility of regional economic policies. So far, the Middle East and Central Asia region has been largely resilient to the ongoing international credit crisis and the downturn in the United States and other advanced economies. “However, inflation has emerged as a key issue in the region, and is well above the average of all developing aNd emerging market countries,” said the IMF’s MCD Department Director Mohsin Khan at a press briefing in Dubai on October 20. “For 2008 we expect real GDP in the region to grow about 6½ percent. In 2009, growth is projected to continue at a slightly slower pace, around 6 percent. This is still significantly higher than the global average,” Khan added.

Labels: finance, middle east

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 10:44 PM | Permalink | Comments

Joint investigation by the Washington Post and 60 Minutes that uncovered online poker cheating.

Labels: technology

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 9:23 PM | Permalink | Comments

Check this out. A man crashed into a woman's car because "God told him that she is not driving right and must be taken of the road"

http://www.dallasnews.com/mobile/stories/112908dntexoddwreck.304da2c.html

Regards,
Tarek Hoteit
http://tarek.hoteit.org

Labels: religion

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments

Article below: How addiction for consumption of goods killed a man who was knocked down by people desperate to enter Walmart for the Thanksgiving bargain deals..... What they said next? We are mad because We waited all night for the store to open.... This is the dark side of a consumer society addicted to what matters to them.. Such behavior is not uncommon in societies that are driven by some imaginary force, whether it is money or faith or power. Many people died in the Islamic holy city Mecca when they got run over people stumbling over one another as they moved as a mass around the Islamic Holy Shrine. Similarly, many people across the world were killed after they were knocked down by scared masses from some hoax or even real terrorist threat. Do you call this murder or an accident or a desperate run for survival? Call it what you want, but in all cases, many innocent people across the world die by other people "accidentally" knocking them down.....

Any way this is today's article on the Thanksgiving event..


Most Recent:
http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_8560/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=dvnxt1gI

Get news on the go with the Mobile News Network. Visit http://www.apnews.com to learn how to get it for your phone.

Regards,
Tarek Hoteit
http://tarek.hoteit.org

Labels: society, united states

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 9:34 PM | Permalink | Comments

thanks to Greg Mankiw's Blog for the link, Allan Sanderson, a professor of economics at University of Chicago, writes about exploited workers besides the ones we're accustomed to hear about.

With political polling and voting now behind us, as we head to malls and moms this holiday season, how about a quick survey to name the most exploited workers in the American economy? Typical knee-jerk candidates might be Wal-Mart employees, agricultural laborers, immigrants (legal or otherwise) and maybe even the U.S. taxpayer. But I have a fifth candidate.

If one wants to know who really is being exploited—defined as contributing the most revenue to his employer compared with what he is being paid for his efforts—we have to go no further than our living rooms. For there, starting with the appropriately dubbed Congressional Bowl in our nation's capital Dec. 20 and ending in Miami on Jan. 8 with the Bowl Championship Series championship game, is the vast array—34 in all—of college football bowl games.

In those athletic contests, undergraduate football players—a.k.a. student-athletes— will entertain TV audiences and stadium crowds. And for what? A souvenir that implicitly says, "My university went to Pasadena and all I got was this lousy T-shirt." For while the quarterback's institution will bring home $10 million (and receive several hours of free advertising), the coach will see a sizable financial boost and fans will extend their holiday pleasures, the player will get just coal in his stocking.

{...} read more here

Labels: finance, united states

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 7:30 AM | Permalink | Comments

The Evidence Gap - A Big Hypertension Study, and Its Minimal Impact - Series - NYTimes.com:

"The surprising news made headlines in December 2002. Generic pills for high blood pressure, which had been in use since the 1950s and cost only pennies a day, worked better than newer drugs that were up to 20 times as expensive. The findings, from one of the biggest clinical trials ever organized by the federal government, promised to save the nation billions of dollars in treating the tens of millions of Americans with hypertension — even if the conclusions did seem to threaten pharmaceutical giants like Pfizer that were making big money on blockbuster hypertension drugs.

Six years later, though, the use of the inexpensive pills, called diuretics, is far smaller than some of the trial’s organizers had hoped....."

read full story

Labels: politics

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 10:42 PM | Permalink | Comments

Labels: world

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 9:57 AM | Permalink | Comments

rise in cost of Thanksgiving dinner in 2008..another indication of food inflation.

Labels: finance, united states

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments

Middle East:
http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_9242/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=cZYkg4uj

Get news on the go with the Mobile News Network. Visit http://www.apnews.com to learn how to get it for your phone.

Regards,
Tarek Hoteit
http://tarek.hoteit.org

Labels: middle east

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 6:30 PM | Permalink | Comments

BBC NEWS | Technology | Mobile internet usage on the rise: "Mobile internet use is growing while the number of people going online via a PC is slowing, analyst firm Nielsen Online has found. Some 7.3m people accessed the net via their mobile phones, during the second and third quarters of 2008. This is an increase of 25% compared to a growth of just 3% for the PC-based net audience - now more than 35m. Ot also found that the mobile net audience was younger and searched for different things."

Labels: technology

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments

The Sunni-Shia Divide and the Future of Islam - Harvard - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs: "'The Sunni-Shia Divide and the Future of Islam'

Media Feature

November 24, 2008

Author: Vali Nasr, Senior Fellow, Dubai Initiative

Belfer Center Programs or Projects: The Dubai Initiative

Vali Nasr was interviewed by Krista Trippet for the NPR show, Speaking of Faith, on the Sunni-Shia Divide and the Future of Islam.

Listen to the program here."

Labels: religion

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 9:38 AM | Permalink | Comments

Thanks to al@mashriq , two videos posted on his site on the American Community School, which I attended for high school between 1986 to 1992.

Films - AACS: "Films about ACS

A promotional video made by ACS in 1997 showing the grounds, students, teachers and general environment. (14 minutes)



A CBS report on ACS from 1993. About the war, the casualties, survival and revival. (3 minutes)"





School's site is available here

Labels: personal

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 11:24 PM | Permalink | Comments

Business:
http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_8597/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=I9Wrw3QG

Get news on the go with the Mobile News Network. Visit http://www.apnews.com to learn how to get it for your phone.

Regards,
Tarek Hoteit
http://tarek.hoteit.org

Labels: finance, united states

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 1:18 PM | Permalink | Comments

Most Recent:
http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_8560/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=eWNOYWFm

Get news on the go with the Mobile News Network. Visit http://www.apnews.com to learn how to get it for your phone.

Regards,
Tarek Hoteit
http://tarek.hoteit.org

Labels: society

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments

'We consider ourselves heroes' - a Somali pirate speaks | World news | The Guardian: "Our community thinks we are pirates getting illegal money. But we consider ourselves heroes running away from poverty. We don't see the hijacking as a criminal act but as a road tax because we have no central government to control our sea. With foreign warships now on patrol we have difficulties."

'We consider ourselves heroes' - a Somali pirate speaks"

Labels: society

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 9:34 AM | Permalink | Comments

Headlines:
http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_8559/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=jncLYISp

Get news on the go with the Mobile News Network. Visit http://www.apnews.com to learn how to get it for your phone.

Regards,
Tarek Hoteit
http://tarek.hoteit.org

Labels: technology

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 7:28 PM | Permalink | Comments

Land and People: Arab Society for Geographical Indications: "Arab countries have many cases related to geographical indications; some of the best examples are Doan honey from Yemen (Doan is a famous valley in the Hadramout area), Mocha coffee from Yemen, Oman’s Halva, Masafi from the United Arab Emirates, olive oil soap from Nablus in Palestine, water from al Feejah spring in Syria, Lebanese tabbouleh and argan oil from morocco. However, geographical indications are not fully protected there.'"

Labels: middle east, society

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 1:22 PM | Permalink | Comments

Regards,
Tarek Hoteit
http://tarek.hoteit.org

---

From: <webmaster@syria-report.com>
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:57:03 +0100
To: <hoteit@gmail.com>
Subject: Press Release: The Middle East Market Expects a Surge in W ireless Broadband - GSM3G Middle East - Towards a Broadban d World

PRESS RELEASE The Middle East Market Expects a Surge in Wireless Broadband GSM>3G Middle East – Towards a Broadband World London, 12 November 2008 The Middle East region represents one of the world’s fastest growing mobile subscription markets with a 47% year-on-year increase. Mobile penetration in the Middle East reached 56% at end 1H08, although this figure is much higher across GCC markets. We expect these more mature markets to see a surge in wireless broadband usage as operators look to develop their networks and drive an increase in data traffic levels. This superlative growth translates to a myriad of opportunities in the region.  This December, Informa Telecoms & Media’s GSM>3G Middle East  - Towards a Broadband World (www.comworldseries.com/me) will bring together 2500+ telco decision makers, 160 exhibitors and 65+ expert speakers for agenda setting, strategic debate.  Reflecting the changing dynamics of the telco market, the congress has extended beyond mobile to focus on the opportunities presented by convergence, the evolution to 3G, broadband and beyond. Abdulaziz Ibrahim Fakhroo, Chairman, GSM Arab World supports the expanded agenda: “An annual meeting place for every kind of operator and service provider, as well as investors, technology vendors, regulatory agencies and all other players in mobile and broadband.  The conference will focus on all competing and complementary forms of broadband access and services, and the appeal is now truly global as the telecoms businesses of the Middle East expand into emerging markets beyond the region.” WiMAX – the new kid on the block Informa Telecoms & Media believes there will be only 650,000 mobile WiMAX subscriptions by the end of 2012, with rival mobile broadband technologies, particularly HSDPA and its successors, set to remain more popular. Despite some barriers to high take-up – a lack of equipment and spectrum availability – mobile WiMAX does have some potential, and used as a platform for convergence, it could yet exceed current expectations. 1 of the 6 conference streams and an afternoon plenary session in GSM>3G Middle East – Towards a Broadband World will be dedicated to Wireless Technology Evolution and Broadband Networks.  MENA Telecom Bahrain, Zain Bahrain and Packet One Malaysia will detail their experiences of WiMAX rollout in sessions interspersed with an HSPA masterclass and case studies in CDMA and HSPA deployment. The other 8 streams and plenary sessions that make up the strategic conference will include case studies, panel sessions and presentations on: • Wireless Technology Evolution - HSPA and Beyond • Effective Fixed Mobile Convergence Strategies • Using Marketing to Outdistance the Competition • Building Future Wireless Broadband Networks • The Emergence of MVNOs and the Implications for the Region • Growing the Market for VAS • Maximising Efficiencies through Managed Services & BPO • Thriving in New Regulatory & Competitive Environments “This year’s GSM>3G Middle East – Towards a Broadband World is positioned to set the Telco Agenda for the Middle East,” explains Informa Telecoms & Media CEO, Ian Hemming.  “With senior level attendance from 90+ operator companies, this is the de-facto one-stop shop for the region’s telcos to network, learn and do business.” The 13th annual GSM>3G Middle East – Towards a Broadband World will take place 15-16 December in the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Dubai, UAE.  Attendance is free to operators and regulators and exhibition only passes are available.  To find out more about the 2 day conference and exhibition visit www.comworldseries.com/me To speak to one of the team, please contact Joe Willcox, Conference Manager: Email: joe.willcox@informa.com Tel: +44 (0)20 7017 5066 -- ENDS -- Notes for Journalists About GSM>3G Middle East – Towards a Broadband World 13th Annual GSM>3G Middle East – Towards a Broadband World Setting the Telco Agenda for the Middle East 15-16 December 2008 Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre Dubai, UAE www.comworldseries.com/me Reflecting the changing dynamics of Middle Eastern telcos and the market place, the 13th annual GSM > 3G Middle East Congress and accompanying exhibition will focus on the opportunities and challenges thrown up by convergence and the evolution to 3G, broadband and beyond.  Join us in December to network, learn and do business with 2,500+ attendees. The 2-day congress will again comprise a multi-streamed, strategic and technical conference alongside a networking exhibition showcasing the products and services of over 160 international companies. Hear from our 60 strong panel of expert speakers, including 18 mobile operators and 16 from beyond the pure-play mobile space, comprising 4 WiMAX operators, 4 incumbent carriers, 4 Other Licensed Operators and 4 MVNOs. Co-located with the GSM Arab World’s Plenary meeting and incorporating the Middle Eastern Telecom Leaders’ Summit we have brought together an un-beatable line-up of speakers to deliver actionable strategic insights: • Abdulaziz Ibrahim Fakhroo, Chairman, GSM Arab World • Ross Cormack, CEO, Nawras, Oman • Hatem Dowidar, CEO, Partner Markets, Vodafone • Tayfun Çataltepe, Chief Corporate Strategy & International Expansion Officer, Turkcell • Stefan Omlor, Chief Commercial Officer, Alfa, Lebanon • Niklas Nielsen, CEO, Majan Telecom • Michael Lai, CEO, Packet One, Malaysia • Maher Maarouf, CTO, MTN Syria • Laith Sadeq, Deputy CEO, MENA Telecom, Bahrain • Suleiman Lamaani, CEO, Itisaluna, Iraq Attendance is free to operators and regulators and exhibition only passes are available.  Press can attend the conference and exhibition free of charge www.comworldseries.com/me About Informa Telecoms & Media Informa Telecoms & Media is the leading provider of business intelligence to global telecoms and media markets. Our aim is to provide actionable, strategic advice and forecasting on all aspects of converging mobile, fixed, entertainment and IT markets. Driven by constant first-hand contact with the industry our team of analysts and researchers produce over 300 annual events and intelligence services including news and analytical products, in-depth market reports and data sets. We benefit from outstanding people, including 100+ analysts, researchers and journalists across 14 countries. Our customers include major blue-chip vendors, operators, and regulators in addition to key players from the financial and content communities. We are proud of the role we play in bringing the industry together and keeping 100,000 individuals better informed. www.informatm.com

Labels: middle east

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 6:08 AM | Permalink | Comments

EuroStat: "In 2006, about three million foreign immigrants settled in a country in the EU27. These immigrants can be divided into two groups based on their citizenship: citizens of EU27 Member states (1.2 million persons) and non-EU27 citizens (1.8 million)."

EU27 citizens migrating to a Member State, of which they were not citizens, accounted for 40% of foreign immigrants. The remaining 60% of foreign immigrants were almost equally divided between citizens of countries in Europe outside the EU27, Asia, America and Africa, with each accounting for about 15%.
In 2006, the largest foreign immigrant groups in the EU27 were citizens of Poland (about 290 000 persons), Romania (about 230 000), Morocco (about 140 000), the United Kingdom, Ukraine and China (each about 100 000) and Germany (about 90 000).

click here for complete article

Labels: finance, world

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 6:03 AM | Permalink | Comments

While still reading Allegra Stratton's book, "Muhajababes" (2008, First Melville House Printing), and this time on the author's visit to Kuwait, an interesting situation is described:

[.... homosexuals parked in cars next to one another in one are......]

" 'What happens next? Nothing - without Bluetooth,' Elton replied. 'Bluetooth changed my life. Without it, all this would be pointless.' Bluetooth enabled a mobile-phone user to contact another one within a ten-meter radius without needing to know their phone number. In a country where it is rude to be seen to be approaching strangers, and in one so wedded to its cars, it was a very useful tool.
{......}
but the thing Bluetooth doesn't help you discern is the class of the receiver. 'If a high-class boy makes an advance on someone slightly more lowly than them and the lower-class boy says no then he's in trouble.'
(page 206)

Regards,
Tarek Hoteit
http://tarek.hoteit.org

Labels: arab, technology

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 2:33 PM | Permalink | Comments

While reading Allegra Stratton's book, "Muhajababes" (2008, First Melville House Printing), I came across this conversation between the author and a Lebanese citizen discussing the Palestinians in Lebanon:

" "But,' said Aisha, 'do you get Lebanese campaigning for Palestinians to have more rights in the camps? No. Do you get them calling for Israel's downfall? Of course. It is pathetic. We know Israel's culpable. But the thing we could be doing something about - the conditions and rights of the Palestinians right here - we do zip.'

Regards,
Tarek Hoteit
http://tarek.hoteit.org

Labels: middle east, politics

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 10:41 AM | Permalink | Comments

While reading a book by Colin Shindler, "A History of Modern Israel" (Cambridge University Press, 2008) , I have encountered two paragraphs in the Introduction chapter that is worthy to quote.

On Israeli economy

"… despite the Intifada, Israel's GDP grew by 4.4 per cent in 2004 over the previous year. Over half of Israel's exports are sophisticated product s of advanced technology. Engineers make up the highest percentage of the work force. Nearly a quarter of the Israeli workforce has university degrees – the third highest proportion in the industrialized world. In 2002, the national expenditure on research and development per capita was higher in the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom. Manufacturing exports in high technology in that year were four times the figure for 1990. …… In 2003, it exported $2.8 billion of defense materiel – some 10 per cent of the world trade in that commodity" (p.5)

On Israeli vs. Arab health care

"… a survey of 10,000 Israelis in 2003-4 by the Wold Health Organization indicated differences in health care between Jews and Arabs. 23 per cent of Arab women underwent mammography compared with 48 per cent of Jewish women. 50 per cent of Jewish women were tested for cervical cancer, but only 13 per cent of Arab women. Access to medical facilities was more difficult for Arabs, often living in remoter areas and without knowledge of such testing techniques, but such issues were frequently raised in the context of Israeli Arabs as being less than full citizens of the state. Moreover, Sikkuy, the Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality in Israel, published data in March 2007 that asserted that the infant mortality for Arab babies under 12 months was double that of their Jewish counterparts." (p. 7)

 

Labels: middle east, politics

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 1:38 PM | Permalink | Comments

Internet Archive: Details: Theory Of Games And Economic Behavior: "Theory Of Games And Economic Behavior (1944)" by mathematician John Von Neumann and economist Oskar Morgenstein.

Very influential book on economics, theory of games, and society in general. You can download the whole book here :
http://www.archive.org/download/theoryofgamesand030098mbp/theoryofgamesand030098mbp.pdf

from Wikipedia:

Theory of Games and Economic Behavior, published in 1944 by Princeton University Press, is a book by mathematician John von Neumann and economist Oskar Morgenstern which is widely considered the groundbreaking text that created the interdisciplinary research field of game theory. In the introduction of its 60th anniversary commemorative edition from the Princeton University Press, the book is described as "the classic work upon which modern-day game theory is based."

The book is based on prior research by von Neumann, published in 1928 under the German title "Zur Theorie der Gesellschaftsspiele" ("On the Theory of Parlor Games").

Labels: society, technology

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments

FT.com | The Undercover Economist: "Dear Economist: How do I calculate an appropriate salary?"

I have worked full time for six years and presently earn £40K. I am also about to attain chartered engineer status, which sounds good. However, I stumbled on an old letter the other day that confirmed my admission into nursery aged four, 29 years ago! Looking back at all the money invested in my more than 20 years of formal education, I feel short-changed by my income and quality of life.

Do you know how I can calculate a “fair” figure that will reflect my master’s degree and international experience? I want to use this as the minimum salary for my next job.
G

Dear G,

I’m not going to attempt to calculate your “fair” figure: it would do you no good. Employers care very little about what salary would be a fair reward for your background; instead, they want the best possible people for the lowest possible cost. Competition from other employers typically leads them to compromise on both counts.

Your fair figure might eat away still further at your fading happiness. It seems that you were satisfied until you reflected on your education and inflated your aspirations. This is sad but typical, if the economist Andrew Oswald is to be believed.

Oswald has compared people’s circumstances with their happiness. He finds that, other things being equal, happiness rises with money, good health and a successful marriage, but falls as a person’s “expected income” rises. Expected income is the income that another person of the same age, sex and education level would typically earn. In other words, more educated people have richer peers and so tend to be less satisfied.

What is especially sad is that your income would comfortably put you in the richest 10 per cent of UK citizens, who are themselves relatively rich. As for being short-changed, I doubt that you personally paid for your nursery education. Put away your admission letter, and forget about it.

Labels: finance

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

The New Pragmatism: Coping With America's Overwhelming Problems | Public Agenda: "The New Pragmatism: Coping With America's Overwhelming Problems"

http://www.publicagenda.org/files/pdf/NewPrag7.pdf

Labels: education

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments

------Original Message------
From: PerotCharts Editor
To: perotcharts@perotcharts.com
ReplyTo: PerotCharts
Sent: Nov 12, 2008 12:42 AM
Subject: PerotCharts Alert: Overhauling the 401(k) System

Dear Subscriber,
At the present time, a proposal has come to our attention that is in the early consideration stage of two committees of the U.S. House of Representatives. In ordinary times, there would be little likelihood that this proposal would have a chance of getting out of committee. However, these are not ordinary times. The proposal would combine your 401(k) plan with Social Security and administer the plan as part of your Social Security retirement benefits.
To see details about the plan, please visit PerotCharts.com <http://perotcharts.com/2008/11/save_your_401k> .
Once you have reviewed the proposal, you can take action <http://capwiz.com/perotcharts/issues/alert/?alertid=12182686&PROCESS=Take+Action> by emailing your elected officials.
Thank you.
PerotCharts.com

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Labels: finance

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 12:45 AM | Permalink | Comments

Why Arabs Lose Wars: "The author argues that the reasons for Arab armies’ perpetual ineffectiveness are rooted in Arab culture. Social factors that prohibit success include: secrecy and paranoia, pride, class structure, a lack of coordination on all levels, and little individual freedom or initiative."

Arabic-speaking armies have been generally ineffective in the modern era. Egyptian regular forces did poorly against Yemeni irregulars in the 1960s. (1) Syrians could only impose their will in Lebanon during the mid-1970s by the use of overwhelming weaponry and numbers. (2) Iraqis showed ineptness against an Iranian military ripped apart by revolutionary turmoil in the 1980s and could not win a three-decades-long war against the Kurds. (3) The Arab military performance on both sides of the 1990 Kuwait war was mediocre. (3) And the Arabs have done poorly in nearly all the military confrontations with Israel. Why this unimpressive record? There are many factors--economic, ideological, technical--but perhaps the most important has to do with culture and certain societal attributes which inhibit Arabs from producing an effective military force.

read the complete journal article here.

Labels: arab, politics

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 8:32 AM | Permalink | Comments

Op-Ed Contributors - Arab Bloggers Size Up Obama - NYTimes.com: "Barack Obama’s election in the United States has fired imaginations around the globe, perhaps nowhere more than in the Middle East, where people wonder how the future president’s approach to the Arab world will differ from that of his predecessor."

check the list of comments from Middle Eastern bloggers here.

Labels: arab, politics

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 4:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

------Original Message------
From: BLS News Service
To: Tarek Hoteit
ReplyTo: BLS News Service
Sent: Nov 7, 2008 7:40 AM
Subject: Employment Situation News Release

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest Employment Situation news release
(http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf)
was issued today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Highlights are below.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nonfarm payroll employment fell by 240,000 in October. Job
losses over the last 3 months totaled 651,000. In October,
the unemployment rate rose from 6.1 to 6.5 percent, and the
number of unemployed persons increased to 10.1 million.






-------------------------------------------------------------------------
News releases archives:
http://www.bls.gov/schedule/archives/all_nr.htm
To subscribe or unsubscribe to BLS news releases
please visit http://www.bls.gov/bls/list.htm
For help, email news_service@bls.gov

FIND OUT ABOUT REDESIGN OF BLS WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.BLS.GOV/BLS/REDESIGN2008.HTM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------



Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Labels: finance

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 8:54 AM | Permalink | Comments

A message from Michael Moore;

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

---

From: "Michael Moore" <maillist@michaelmoore.com>
Date: Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:48:22 -0500
To: <tarek@hoteit.org>
Subject: Pinch Me ...a message from Michael Moore

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

Friends,

Who among us is not at a loss for words? Tears pour out. Tears of joy. Tears of relief. A stunning, whopping landslide of hope in a time of deep despair.

In a nation that was founded on genocide and then built on the backs of slaves, it was an unexpected moment, shocking in its simplicity: Barack Obama, a good man, a black man, said he would bring change to Washington, and the majority of the country liked that idea. The racists were present throughout the campaign and in the voting booth. But they are no longer the majority, and we will see their flame of hate fizzle out in our lifetime.

There was another important "first" last night. Never before in our history has an avowed anti-war candidate been elected president during a time of war. I hope President-elect Obama remembers that as he considers expanding the war in Afghanistan. The faith we now have will be lost if he forgets the main issue on which he beat his fellow Dems in the primaries and then a great war hero in the general election: The people of America are tired of war. Sick and tired. And their voice was loud and clear yesterday.

It's been an inexcusable 44 years since a Democrat running for president has received even just 51% of the vote. That's because most Americans haven't really liked the Democrats. They see them as rarely having the guts to get the job done or stand up for the working people they say they support. Well, here's their chance. It has been handed to them, via the voting public, in the form of a man who is not a party hack, not a set-for-life Beltway bureaucrat. Will he now become one of them, or will he force them to be more like him? We pray for the latter.

But today we celebrate this triumph of decency over personal attack, of peace over war, of intelligence over a belief that Adam and Eve rode around on dinosaurs just 6,000 years ago. What will it be like to have a smart president? Science, banished for eight years, will return. Imagine supporting our country's greatest minds as they seek to cure illness, discover new forms of energy, and work to save the planet. I know, pinch me.

We may, just possibly, also see a time of refreshing openness, enlightenment and creativity. The arts and the artists will not be seen as the enemy. Perhaps art will be explored in order to discover the greater truths. When FDR was ushered in with his landslide in 1932, what followed was Frank Capra and Preston Sturgis, Woody Guthrie and John Steinbeck, Dorothea Lange and Orson Welles. All week long I have been inundated with media asking me, "gee, Mike, what will you do now that Bush is gone?" Are they kidding? What will it be like to work and create in an environment that nurtures and supports film and the arts, science and invention, and the freedom to be whatever you want to be? Watch a thousand flowers bloom! We've entered a new era, and if I could sum up our collective first thought of this new era, it is this: Anything Is Possible.

An African American has been elected President of the United States! Anything is possible! We can wrestle our economy out of the hands of the reckless rich and return it to the people. Anything is possible! Every citizen can be guaranteed health care. Anything is possible! We can stop melting the polar ice caps. Anything is possible! Those who have committed war crimes will be brought to justice. Anything is possible.

We really don't have much time. There is big work to do. But this is the week for all of us to revel in this great moment. Be humble about it. Do not treat the Republicans in your life the way they have treated you the past eight years. Show them the grace and goodness that Barack Obama exuded throughout the campaign. Though called every name in the book, he refused to lower himself to the gutter and sling the mud back. Can we follow his example? I know, it will be hard.

I want to thank everyone who gave of their time and resources to make this victory happen. It's been a long road, and huge damage has been done to this great country, not to mention to many of you who have lost your jobs, gone bankrupt from medical bills, or suffered through a loved one being shipped off to Iraq. We will now work to repair this damage, and it won't be easy.

But what a way to start! Barack Hussein Obama, the 44th President of the United States. Wow. Seriously, wow.

Yours,
Michael Moore
MichaelMoore.com
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Labels: politics

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 6:44 AM | Permalink | Comments

Study Links Sex On TV To Teen Pregnancy, Girls Who Avidly Watch Racy Programs Have Higher Pregnancy Rates, Research Claims - CBS News: "New research shows that by 16 years old, those who watch a high level of sexy television are twice as likely to be pregnant or father an out-of-wedlock baby. Sandra Hughes reports"

Labels: media

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments

Harnessing The Power Of The Brain, Scott Pelley Reports How Brain Computer Interface May Help The Paralyzed In The Future - CBS News: "People who are completely paralyzed due to illness or trauma are getting help communicating with a new technology that connects their brains to a computer."

Labels: technology

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 2:44 AM | Permalink | Comments

BBC NEWS | Health | Cut caffeine, pregnant women told: "Pregnant women should cut their caffeine intake and drink no more than two cups of coffee or four cups of tea a day, a government agency has advised."

Labels: world

Posted by Tarek Hoteit at 2:38 AM | Permalink | Comments

Somali Rape Victim Stoned To Death Was 13, Rights Group Says Teen Who Reported Rape Was Accused Of Adultery, Then Killed In Packed Stadium - CBS News: "A 13-year-old girl who said she had been raped was stoned to death in Somalia after being accused of adultery by Islamic militants, a human rights group said."

Labels: politics, society

Posted by Tarek at 12:22 AM | Permalink | Comments