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Working Women Demand Family and Economic Policy Focus
[Verbatim] As Governor Palin and Senator Biden prepare for the V.P. debate, much attention will be paid to the role of women voters and how they may decide the outcome of the elections. In the meantime, a growing working women's movement is advocating for policies that value families at work, such as paid sick days, equal pay and the flexibility to take time off to care for a sick child or attend a parent-teacher conference. Polling shows Americans, particularly women, support these issues. While many are asking how Sarah Palin manages work and family responsibilities, advocates argue the real issue is making it possible for all workers to meet their family responsibilities without risking their jobs or their paychecks.
Olde Tyme Commissary
Tucked away in Highland Village's myriad shops is Olde Tyme Commissary, a fixture there since 1972. The store features children's toys and costumes, fine-tailored baby clothes, and educational toys and games, but shoppers can find its true character in the shop's hand-painted items and in its owner, Sandra Weber.
Don't Be Evil
There was a time when Google represented that feeling you got watching Jonny Lee Miller and Angelina Jolie do battle with The Man in "Hackers" or Ryan Phillippe go toe-to-toe with Tim Robbins' corporate tech mogul in "Antitrust."
Jackson Area Businesses Open, Close and Give Awards
BRAVO! Restaurant in Jackson is asking its patrons for stories of the people who changed their lives. The upscale Italian restaurant is giving away $600 in gift cards for the best story of a life-changing person posted on its Facebook page. The contest is a creative way of launching the restaurant's presence on the social-networking Web site, BRAVO! co-owner Jeff Good told the Jackson Free Press.
Indeck Magnolia BioFuel Center Breaks Ground
Indeck Energy Services, Inc. of Buffalo Grove, Ill., and Homan Industries of Fulton, Miss., ("The Partners"), invite you to attend the ground breaking ceremony for Indeck Magnolia BioFuel Center wood pellet production plant on Thursday, November 20, 2008 at 12:00 p.m., 1610 North Clark Avenue, Magnolia, MS, 39652.
Business Owners of Both Parties Supporting Obama
USA Today is reporting the surprising trend of Republican business owners supporting Barack Obama for president, ending with this quote from one: ""I would rather pay a little higher tax on a higher profit than a lower tax rate on lower profits." Here's some more:
Pearl River Resort Cuts 570 Jobs
The Pearl River Resort in Philadelphia is laying off 570 non-Tribal employees and closing the Golden Moon Casino on weekdays. The Neshoba Democrat reports that the Golden Moon has been a financial strain on the resort, which is managed by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, since it opened in 2002. The economic recession hitting the state and the entire country has not helped, either.
Apple Posts Strong Quarter; Yahoo! Cuts Jobs
The NASDAQ eagerly awaited reports from two stalwart tech stocks after the bell rang today. Apple offered up one of its best quarters in its history, but with unsteady guidance for fiscal Q1 2009. (Apple's first fiscal quarter of each year corresponds with the holiday quarter, calendar Q4 2008.) Apple posted revenue of $7.9 billion and a profit of $1.14 billion, compared to $6.22 billion and net quarterly profit of $904 million in the year ago quarter.
10/21 Markets ‘Sell' on Recession Fears
The DOW stayed above 9000 today, but still dove over 230 points, down 2.5 percent, with the market focused on some tough earnings reports from banks and financials. Deep into earnings season, fears have turned to recession, even as credit markets appear to be loosening somewhat.
Bloomberg: Bush Backing Down on Spending Rest of Bailout
Boomberg News is reporting that a beleaguered President Bush is backing down on spending the rest of the bailout package. The Bush administration is under fire for spending half of the bailout in ways that were not intended by Congress. Bloomberg:
Half-Million Jobs Cut in November
The Washington Post is reporting job losses of 533,000 in November, affecting construction, computer makers, auto dealers, clothing stores, banks and insurance companies. Here's a snippet from the story:
Jaro, Staxx Featured in Clarion-Ledger
Cheers to Jaro and Staxx for all the hard work they do for Jackson. We're very proud.
Today, The Clarion-Ledger featured JFP photographer Jaro Vacek and John "Staxx" Tierre in a story about Staxx's company Blockwear distributing in the Czech Republic with Jaro's help. We consider Staxx a member of the family, too, having featuring his clothes several times in JFP shoots. And, last October, Charlie Braxton wrote in the JFP about Staxx, and other local hip-hop designers who are distributing nationally and internationally last October. We also featured Staff as a young businessman to watch in April.
Americans, Wall Street Shrug Off Mad Cow
Reuters reports:: Investor concerns that consumers would shun beef after last month's discovery of the first U.S. case of mad cow disease appear to have evaporated as shares of steakhouses and hamburger chains have snapped back to their previous levels.In the days following the Dec. 23 announcement, restaurant stocks fell hard on fears that meat from a cow with the deadly brain-wasting disease, formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, had entered the food chain. Humans can contract a form of the disease known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease by eating infected beef."
The iPad v. Laptop Debate
A hard-drive crash that forced me to reinstall the operating system on my 4-year-old MacBook interrupted work on this week's column.
Shop Local: Liz Henry, Fondren Traders
We just heard about two great retail sales—one at Liz Henry and another at Fondren Traders, both in Fondren. Both are discounting their very stuff up to 40 percent to make room for fall merchandise. Head on over there and tell 'em the JFP sent you.
Hacking Education
Let's take a little diversion from talking about hardware, software and tech companies this week. All the recent discussion about charter schools and virtual charter schools got me thinking about the role technology does and should play in education of our children.
Daily Journal: ‘Childers, Musgrove, Davis Talk About Crisis'
Patsy Brumfield of the Daily Journal talks to several of the state's congressionals and candidates for Congress about the financial crisis. (Interestingly, the paper's headline leaves out the name of senatorial candidate Erik Fleming of Jackson, who is also quoted in the piece. OK, we will refrain from pointing out that they left out the black candidate because we're sure it was on oversight.) Anyway:
11/26 Dow Continues Up Going into Holiday
The Dow has been up for four straight days, apparently responding to action taken by the Barack Obama transition team as it names its cabinet and bevy of advisors, along with hints that a solution for ailing automakers may be in the works.
11/10 Dow Dips Under 8,900
While the dip wasn't as dramatic as in weeks past, the Dow did fall less than a point today lead by U.S. automotive stocks that are taking a hit as they seek a government handout from the government. GM is warning that it's running low on operating capital, while Ford's stock is trading at $1.93, down 4.5 percent.
Handy Hardware Coming to Mississippi
[verbatim from the Governor's office]
Jackson, Mississippi - Governor Haley Barbour announced today that Handy Hardware, a member-owned hardware buying group, will open a distribution center in Meridian. The company plans to employ more than 150 people.