Unemployment

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-april-jobs-report-20110506,0,6724981.story

The private sector surges forward adding 268,000 jobs as the government continues to shed jobs(14k)

These gains were not enough to reduce the Unemployment rate though as more people return to the work force, it inches up .2% from 8.8% to 9% flat.  Although a rise in the unemployment rate may seem bad, it comes in the light of the fact that the economy is adding plenty of jobs (although still not enough for a full recovery) so there's still reason to stay optimistic.  These jobs were added when stocks were stagnant and oil prices rising, a result of government inaction on debt and deficit issues and turmoil in the middle east.

Personally I think if Qaddafi abdicates and we get real deficit reduction measures put into action we can expect a speedier recovery. However whether or not either of those things will happen is quite up in the air.

I think it's fair to say poor people are ignorant and slothful. They may work hard but they don't work smart, they seem to have some kind of aversion to education and intelligence, they do not continuously develop their trade, optimize, maximize and search for new avenues to obtain profit. They fail to realize they need to be pro-active in the pursuit of wealth, chip away at the boundaries, innovate, monopolize, gain the edge, do what few can and not be afraid of the backlash from the haters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vscG3k91s58
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWsx1X8PV_A