Is there any end to Hollywood mania? Catherine Zeta-Jones entered rehab with a diagnosis of Bi-polar II. I guess it's the sequel.
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From a fellow BCer:

No explanation needed! Please forward this …;

Well, here's "The Change". How do you like it so far?

IT HAS ONLY BEEN 2 YEARS!

Two years ago January, Barack Obama was inaugurated as president of the United States ..
Are you better off today than you were two years ago?
Numbers don't lie, and here are the data on the impact he has had on the lives of Americans:


January 2009
TODAY
% chg
Source

Avg. retail price/gallon gas in U.S.
$1.83
$3.104
69.6%
1

Crude oil, European Brent (barrel)
$43.48
$99.02
127.7%
2

Crude oil, West TX Inter. (barrel)
$38.74
$91.38
135.9%
2

Gold: London (per troy oz.)
$853.25
$1,369.50
60.5%
2

Corn, No.2 yellow, Central IL
$3.56
$6.33
78.1%
2

Soybeans, No. 1 yellow, IL
$9.66
$13.75
42.3%
2

Sugar, cane, raw, world, lb. fob
$13.37
$35.39
164.7%
2

Unemployment rate, non-farm, overall
7.6%
9.4%
23.7%
3

Unemployment rate, blacks
12.6%
15.8%
25.4%
3

Number of unemployed
11,616,000
14,485,000
24.7%
3

Number of fed. employees, ex. military (curr = 12/10 prelim)
2,779,000
2,840,000
2.2%
3

Real median household income (2008 v 2009)
$50,112
$49,777
-0.7%
4

Number of food stamp recipients (curr = 10/10)
31,983,716
43,200,878
35.1%
5

Number of unemployment benefit recipients (curr = 12/10)
7,526,598
9,193,838
22.2%
6

Number of long-term unemployed
2,600,000
6,400,000
146.2%
3

Poverty rate, individuals (2008 v 2009)
13.2%
14.3%
8.3%
4

People in poverty in U.S. (2008 v 2009)
39,800,000
43,600,000
9.5%
4

U.S. rank in Economic Freedom World Rankings
5
9
n/a
10

Present Situation Index (curr = 12/10)
29.9
23.5
-21.4%
11

Failed banks (curr = 2010 + 2011 to date)
140
164
17.1%
12

U.S. dollar versus Japanese yen exchange rate
89.76
82.03
-8.6%
2

U.S. money supply, M1, in billions (curr = 12/10 prelim)
1,575.1
1,865.7
18.4%
13

U.S. money supply, M2, in billions (curr = 12/10 prelim)
8,310.9
8,852.3
6.5%
13

National debt, in trillions
$10.627
$14.052
32.2%
14



















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Raul Castro made the following statement: ""No country or person can spend more than they have," he said. "Two plus two is four. Never five, much less six or seven - as we have sometimes pretended." -- There must not be any TV or Internet access in Cuba, or else he would know the US DUMB&DUMBERats have incorporated 'new math' into spending and 2 + 2 can equal whatever.
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L-E headline: "Tornado hits Fort Benning" -- Ooops. my bad. Thought Biden has slipped in on a whirlwind tour.
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Remember Jim and Bernice Johnson in your prayers. Though it was never been over for them, they are having to re-endure additional instant replay of this horrible death of their child and grandchildren.
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From L-E story: "Better “beat” coverage. Most news reporters are assigned to cover specific “beats”: city council and school board are two examples. Local governments and public agencies make dozens of decisions each month that affect our lives in profound ways, and the L-E newsroom must do a better job of staying ahead of what’s happening instead of reacting to the news. -- Where was Joseph Kieta when the L-E needed him years ago?
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