Recent Comments

1. almost 13 years ago on Wizard of Id

   However, you may want to go here to buttress your argument, see line U-6:

   Table A-15. Alternative measures of labor underutilization

   Many claim that U-6 is the true rate, but so far as I know, its calculation has not been altered. I don’t know where to go to find earlier data of the same nature.

2. almost 13 years ago on Wizard of Id

   Just a tiny sample from: How the Government Measures Unemployment. (This is not new, all recent administrations did it this way, many wished they could change it and phony up the numbers.)

   Who is not in the labor force?

   Labor force measures are based on the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years old and over. Excluded are persons under 16 years of age, all persons confined to institutions such as nursing homes and prisons, and persons on active duty in the Armed Forces. As mentioned previously, the labor force is made up of the employed and the unemployed. The remainder—those who have no job and are not looking for one—are counted as “not in the labor force.” Many who are not in the labor force are going to school or are retired. Family responsibilities keep others out of the labor force.A series of questions is asked each month of persons not in the labor force to obtain information about their desire for work, the reasons why they had not looked for work in the last 4 weeks, their prior job search, and their availability for work. These questions include:1. Do you currently want a job, either full or part time?2. What is the main reason you were not looking for work during the LAST 4 WEEKS?3. Did you look for work at any time during the last 12 months?4. LAST WEEK, could you have started a job if one had been offered?These questions form the basis for estimating the number of persons who are not in the labor force but who are considered to be “marginally attached to the labor force.” These are persons without jobs who are not currently looking for work (and therefore are not counted as unemployed), but who nevertheless have demonstrated some degree of labor force attachment. Specifically, to be counted as “marginally attached to the labor force,” individuals must indicate that they currently want a job, have looked for work in the last 12 months (or since they last worked if they worked within the last 12 months), and are available for work. “Discouraged workers” are a subset of the marginally attached. Discouraged workers report they are not currently looking for work for one of four reasons:[This is not the initial entry and it goes on forever. ]

3. almost 13 years ago on That is Priceless

   Looks like a Progressive cover-up to me.

4. almost 13 years ago on Doonesbury

   I consider your comments on this thread to be brilliant.

5. almost 13 years ago on Brevity

   Putting your theory more precisely:

   Ψ ≥ ∫⇔∫πΘ(β-∞)/virgins
6. almost 13 years ago on Brewster Rockit

   A truly brilliant concept, but kinda flatulent.

7. almost 13 years ago on The Dinette Set

   “And beecuzz the Dull computer keyboard is getting sticky, take it out and hose it down. Flush out the hard drive while you’re at it. Then find the Z-U customer file drawer and send it to the Boca branch. Oil up the Dull after it dries, and then we’ll see about scheduling your sick days. I’ll make you into a manager if it kills me.

   “Corporate has their eye on me!”

8. almost 13 years ago on PC and Pixel

   Nice!

9. almost 13 years ago on Brewster Rockit

   “Hey babe, it’s not like you swallowed a hamster.”

10. almost 13 years ago on Off the Mark

    “Awww, sweetie, it’s a hell of a lot better than those discs their wearing on Venus.”