Back in early January, when Barack Obama was still President-elect, two of his chief economic advisers — leading proponents of a stimulus bill — predicted that the passage of a large economic-aid package would boost the economy and keep the unemployment rate below 8%. It hasn't quite worked out that way. Last month, the jobless rate in the U.S. hit 9.5%, the highest level it has reached since 1983.
The two advisers who wrote the paper, Christina Romer and Jared Bernstein, went on to land key jobs in the Obama Administration. Romer is the head of Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, and Bernstein is the chief economist and economic-policy adviser to Vice President Joe Biden. And the stimulus bill that both economists championed became law in mid-February. What has not come to pass, however, is the boom in job creation that Romer and Bernstein predicted. A little over a month ago, the Administration said the stimulus bill had created or saved 150,000 jobs. That's a far cry from the 3 million to 4 million jobs that Romer and Bernstein foresaw back in January.
Lawrence Summers, director of the White House's National Economic Council, said last week that the stimulus bill was on track. This past weekend, the President rejected calls for a second stimulus package, saying the current stimulus needs more time to work, since only a small fraction of the money has been spent. From the beginning, the Administration has said that much of the boost to the economy from the stimulus plan would not come until the second half of this year. Administration officials have also insisted that it's unfair to judge the effectiveness of the stimulus by projections they made back in January since the recession has turned out to be worse than what most economists predicted even just six months ago.
In a report released on July 13, Romer's Council of Economic Advisers says the stimulus bill is creating opportunities for workers in health care, education and energy. The report reiterates that the economists believe the stimulus plan will create 3.5 million jobs by the end of 2010. "The various forms of fiscal stimulus are expected to provide powerful upward pressure on aggregate demand and to aid recovery," Romer's group says.
But while the stimulus plan may eventually reach its goal, a look at the paper Romer and Bernstein wrote back in January shows that at least for now, the stimulus plan is at best off to a slow start. The two economists did say in the report that they expect the bulk of the jobs created by the stimulus to happen in 2010 and 2011. Nonetheless, the report says that even by the middle of this year, the stimulus bill would have a positive effect on the unemployment rate. Without the stimulus, the two economists predicted, the unemployment rate would rise to around 8.5% by the middle of this year; add the stimulus, and that rate would drop by half a point. In reality, the unemployment rate is a full percentage point higher than what Romer and Bernstein predicted it would be without a stimulus.
Vincent Reinhart, a fellow at the right-leaning think tank the American Enterprise Institute and a former top economist at the Federal Reserve, says the problem with the stimulus bill is that it stimulates parts of the economy — like the health-care and alternative-energy industries — that were likely to grow anyway. He believes it would have been better to spend on U.S. manufacturing, where demand is much less certain to resurface and jobs are being shed rapidly. "I don't buy the argument that you just have to give the stimulus package more time," says Reinhart. "By the test they put forward to grade the stimulus, it is failing."
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Fallout 3 Review
Been playing it and I gotta say, like everything from Bethesda, it's a really great game. The graphics are decent, the weapons are amazing, and the story, well, the story needs work. But with all the crap you can do, and all the weapons you can find, it its makes up for it, and then some.
To be honest, I know this board is still new, but I'm a little surprised no one has put anything about Fallout 3 up here, but I suppose I'll do it, and people can add their opinions afterwards.
I played through the main storyline, and I've gotta say, its pretty decent. The ability to do anything you want in games like this never ceases to amaze me. With the Karma system, you can choose whether you will be good, neutral, or evil. This will, in turn, affect a lot of the actions you can perform in the game, as well as affect the main storyline.
With the perk system, there is no limit to what type of play-style you can choose. There are perks for everything. From giving you more health, to allowing you to silently kill people in the sleep. Some perks even give you quests. With the sheriff and Contract Killer perks, you can go to locations where you can give people fingers or ears for money. (fingers and ears are bonuses you get after killing people. with the sheriff perk, you gain a finger when you kill an evil human. With the contract killer perk, you gain an ear when you kill an innocent person). Some perks will also allow you to increase your stats.
The weapons are great. You can use anything from a lead pipe to a missile launcher. On top of that, you can use lasers and plasma weaponry. (just keep your eye on your ammo and weapon condition). There are also weapons that allow you to shoot mini-nukes at you enemies. Great for taking out packs of those obnoxious super mutants.
Okay, on top of the overall game, there is also a crap-ton of DLC available. From Broken Steel to Operation: Anchorage, the possibilities are endless. The DLC not only includes newer major parts to the story, as well as additional quests, but it also includes a massive amount of new weaponry and armor. From the gauss rifle to new sets of power armor, these will allow you to go through the story with ease.
Gameplay: 90% - Its a great game. Its from Bethesda. What more could you ask for?
Menus: 75% - Everything in neat and organized. Simple to use and clear.
Graphics: 85% - Along the level of Halo 3. There are some flaws, but nothing is perfect.
Sound: 70% - The sound matches every action possible.
Controls: 100% - Completely easy to use. The simplest controls around. On top of that, if you DO have any problems with the controls, you can change the to whatever you want.
Overall: 84%
To be honest, I know this board is still new, but I'm a little surprised no one has put anything about Fallout 3 up here, but I suppose I'll do it, and people can add their opinions afterwards.
I played through the main storyline, and I've gotta say, its pretty decent. The ability to do anything you want in games like this never ceases to amaze me. With the Karma system, you can choose whether you will be good, neutral, or evil. This will, in turn, affect a lot of the actions you can perform in the game, as well as affect the main storyline.
With the perk system, there is no limit to what type of play-style you can choose. There are perks for everything. From giving you more health, to allowing you to silently kill people in the sleep. Some perks even give you quests. With the sheriff and Contract Killer perks, you can go to locations where you can give people fingers or ears for money. (fingers and ears are bonuses you get after killing people. with the sheriff perk, you gain a finger when you kill an evil human. With the contract killer perk, you gain an ear when you kill an innocent person). Some perks will also allow you to increase your stats.
The weapons are great. You can use anything from a lead pipe to a missile launcher. On top of that, you can use lasers and plasma weaponry. (just keep your eye on your ammo and weapon condition). There are also weapons that allow you to shoot mini-nukes at you enemies. Great for taking out packs of those obnoxious super mutants.
Okay, on top of the overall game, there is also a crap-ton of DLC available. From Broken Steel to Operation: Anchorage, the possibilities are endless. The DLC not only includes newer major parts to the story, as well as additional quests, but it also includes a massive amount of new weaponry and armor. From the gauss rifle to new sets of power armor, these will allow you to go through the story with ease.
Gameplay: 90% - Its a great game. Its from Bethesda. What more could you ask for?
Menus: 75% - Everything in neat and organized. Simple to use and clear.
Graphics: 85% - Along the level of Halo 3. There are some flaws, but nothing is perfect.
Sound: 70% - The sound matches every action possible.
Controls: 100% - Completely easy to use. The simplest controls around. On top of that, if you DO have any problems with the controls, you can change the to whatever you want.
Overall: 84%
30 Things all Girls should know about guys
1. We're not as perverted as you think we all are.
2. No matter what YOU say,your ex-boyfriend IS a LOSER.
3. We like you to give us hugsand kisses sometimes too.
4. Don't argue with us when we call you beautiful.
5. Don't treat us like crap,what goes around comes around.
6. We know you're pretty,that's one of the reason's we're going out with you.
7. Don't go into detail about your period.It scares us.
8. If you have cramps and we ask you what's wrong,just tell us it's that time of the month and nothing more.
9. If you really liked us for us,you would let us think that ourmustache, beard, or sideburns looked cool.
10. We never shave our legs.So get over it.
11. NEVER ask us if you can put makeup on us.It's just wrong............
12. Don't make bets about us,because one of your friends will tell us, if you don't.
13. When we tell you that you're not fat, believe us.
14. We absolutely do not care about theBackstreet Boys, *NSYNC, 98 Degrees,or what any other guy looks like for that matter.
15. We may not be able to pee accurately all of thetime, but at least we can stand up and go pee.
16. Just cause you think you're always right,doesn't mean that you don't have to apologizewhen you do something "wrong."
17. You expect us to say and do sweet thingsfor you, but it would be nice if you did the sameevery once in a while. We like to know that you love us.
18. We can't always be spontaneous,so try to help us make the plans sometimes.
19. Don't ask us to beat up another guy for you,cause you might get what you wish for.
20. Never kick us in the nuts"just to see what we would say".That's just mean.
21. Never pretend like you are going tobreak up with us and laugh when we believe you.
22. Pamela Anderson's boobs aren't fake anymore,but we like yours better anyway.
23. Size doesn't matter,except to idiots who don't want a relationship.
24. PMS is not an excuse.
25. If you want us to put the seat down when we're done,you should put it up when you're done.
26. Don't tell us how cute your ex-boyfriend was.That doesn't turn us on.
27. And always remember:The way to a guys heart is through his stomach.....and maybe....oh nevermind.
28. NEVER ask us to kiss other guys.You might be that comfy with your friends,but to us it's just wrong.
29. We always notice how funny it is after your rip out our heart,stick it down our throat and still want to be friends.
30. And last but not least:We know you're not always right,but we'll pretend like you are anyway.
2. No matter what YOU say,your ex-boyfriend IS a LOSER.
3. We like you to give us hugsand kisses sometimes too.
4. Don't argue with us when we call you beautiful.
5. Don't treat us like crap,what goes around comes around.
6. We know you're pretty,that's one of the reason's we're going out with you.
7. Don't go into detail about your period.It scares us.
8. If you have cramps and we ask you what's wrong,just tell us it's that time of the month and nothing more.
9. If you really liked us for us,you would let us think that ourmustache, beard, or sideburns looked cool.
10. We never shave our legs.So get over it.
11. NEVER ask us if you can put makeup on us.It's just wrong............
12. Don't make bets about us,because one of your friends will tell us, if you don't.
13. When we tell you that you're not fat, believe us.
14. We absolutely do not care about theBackstreet Boys, *NSYNC, 98 Degrees,or what any other guy looks like for that matter.
15. We may not be able to pee accurately all of thetime, but at least we can stand up and go pee.
16. Just cause you think you're always right,doesn't mean that you don't have to apologizewhen you do something "wrong."
17. You expect us to say and do sweet thingsfor you, but it would be nice if you did the sameevery once in a while. We like to know that you love us.
18. We can't always be spontaneous,so try to help us make the plans sometimes.
19. Don't ask us to beat up another guy for you,cause you might get what you wish for.
20. Never kick us in the nuts"just to see what we would say".That's just mean.
21. Never pretend like you are going tobreak up with us and laugh when we believe you.
22. Pamela Anderson's boobs aren't fake anymore,but we like yours better anyway.
23. Size doesn't matter,except to idiots who don't want a relationship.
24. PMS is not an excuse.
25. If you want us to put the seat down when we're done,you should put it up when you're done.
26. Don't tell us how cute your ex-boyfriend was.That doesn't turn us on.
27. And always remember:The way to a guys heart is through his stomach.....and maybe....oh nevermind.
28. NEVER ask us to kiss other guys.You might be that comfy with your friends,but to us it's just wrong.
29. We always notice how funny it is after your rip out our heart,stick it down our throat and still want to be friends.
30. And last but not least:We know you're not always right,but we'll pretend like you are anyway.
The Xbox is Obsolete
I mean seriously. Microsoft really doesn't know what they are doing at this point. They spend more time on crappy looking avatars than they do Making LIVE internet accessable. On the Wii and PS3, you can use the consoles to go online and surf actual internet pages. Even the PSP is and the new DS is supposed to be able to.
When is Microsoft going to actually do somthing useful? I'll admit that despite its countless flaws, party chat is a good feature, but Its also somthing the 360 should have came out with to begin with. And now the 360 is trailing behind with its short life and No Internet Access!! Tell me Microsoft, when are you guys going to get off your asses and add somthing decent to the 360? NXE was a waste of space on my harddrive! All my friends are in agreement that the origional Dashboard was much better, not to mention lag free.
Even with the new reports that Microsoft is adding Facebook to the 360, It is still Far far behind compared to the other consoles. It is just rediculous, not to mention pathetic.
When is Microsoft going to actually do somthing useful? I'll admit that despite its countless flaws, party chat is a good feature, but Its also somthing the 360 should have came out with to begin with. And now the 360 is trailing behind with its short life and No Internet Access!! Tell me Microsoft, when are you guys going to get off your asses and add somthing decent to the 360? NXE was a waste of space on my harddrive! All my friends are in agreement that the origional Dashboard was much better, not to mention lag free.
Even with the new reports that Microsoft is adding Facebook to the 360, It is still Far far behind compared to the other consoles. It is just rediculous, not to mention pathetic.
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