Daily news sites

Another outfit that involves a summery piece: this pair of 3.1 Phillip Lim bermuda shorts that I bought from NY during NYFW. I couldn't wait until Spring and the weather encouraged me even more to wear them now in a harmonious blue-mustard combination.





                                                                                     Coat: Zara/ option Here and Here
                                                                                     Sweater: Express/ I also love this one Here
                                                                                     Bermuda Pants: 3.1 Phillip Lim/ option Here and Here
                                                                                     Bag: c/o Meredith Wendell/ Here
                                                                                     Shoes: Shoemint/ option Here and Here
                                                                                     Sunglasses: Ralph Lauren

Conrado Juarez arraigned in a Manhattan Criminal Court on Saturday.

The following chart shows the 12-month moving average of annualized production and nonsupervisory florist employee minutes worked per capita.


Click to enlarge.

The Fed can lead consumers to flowers, but it can't make them buy. The linear trend in blue ended in 2001. It has been replaced with an exponential decay trend in red. Let's zoom in for a closer look.


Click to enlarge.

It would very much appear that the monetary placebo is wearing off again. Note that annualized florist employment minutes per capita are rolling over (as also seen in late 2000 and late 2007).

August 9, 2013
Has Twig Snapped in Wellesley?


August 11, 2013
Wellesley florist Twig files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy


Florist - Starting a Florist Business


Emphasis added (in red).

This is not investment advice. If it was investment advice, I might suggest that there were probably better times in all of recorded history to start a florist business. I'd probably also mention that about the only thing rose-colored about this economy long-term is the glasses.

Source Data:
BLS: Employment
St. Louis Fed: Population

The following chart shows the 12-month moving average of annualized production and nonsupervisory employee hours worked per capita in sporting goods stores, women's clothing stores, and hobby, toys, and game stores. I'm attempting to track an old school Christmas gift theme (a little something for everyone).


Click to enlarge.

Been there, done that


Needless to say, I'm not optimistic. This is not investment advice.

Source Data:
BLS: Employment
St. Louis Fed: Population

Mexican congressional action seeks sanctions against those responsible for not providing medical attention to indigenous mother who gave birth on a grassy lawn outside a clinic and the termination of the clinic director.

Nineteen protesters taken into custody for chaining themselves into the rims of Operation Streamline Court ICE buses, federal court fences and blocking ICE buses.

The following chart shows production and nonsupervisory employee hours worked in long-distance general  freight trucking by hours worked in air transportation.


Click to enlarge.

Expectation:

Bald Eagle with Fish (Yathin S Krishnappa)


Realization:

Pygoscelis papua (Stan Shebs)


Source Data:
BLS: Employment

J. D. Longstreet

Eddie Sotelo, "El Piolin"

I like to call this look "Pattern Blocking" after one of my Pinterest board, where I like to collect all kind of outfits with mixed prints. Even though this print is almost the same on both skirt and shirt, it still delivers a bold impact and for sure the colors are having a good input in this -blocking - result!




                                                                                   Shirt: vintage/ option Here and Here 
                                                                                   Skirt: Esprit/ similar style Here and Here 
                                                                                   Shoes: Shoemint/ great option Here 
                                                                                   Bag: Joe Fresh/ similar style Here and Here 
                                                                                   Necklace: c/o Arthur and Livingston/ Here
                                                                                   Sunglasses: Ralph Lauren/ Here

Etsy. Just the word makes my heart pitter patter. Whenever I have something that I need to do but would rather put off (laundry, dishes, etc.) I go on Etsy for awhile instead. It's a much better use of time in my opinion.

"Big deal Elizabeth, everybody loves Etsy." I hear you, but here is my fess up - I have 17 pages of  saved Items I Love. It is a sickness people. I try to go in and periodically clean the list up, but whenever I do that it usually ends up growing. There is just too much awesome in one place. I can't stop myself.

Here are some of my favorites, in no particular order...
AriannaBelle - she's a sponsor of LBD for a good reason - she makes hella good pillows. Her style is always spot on and her work impeccable. She has her own store here, but you can also find her on Etsy.


Gypsya - They cover all the bases - pillows, throws, rugs and even jewelry. Very boho chic and very reasonably priced.


Meet Me in Philadelphia - I love Ashley's blog and now I can buy her stuff. Her collection is as eclectic as her house and she's got a mix of made and found things. I've got my eyes on those lucite napkin rings, so hands off people.


Mister Pillow - Vintage rugs to die for and pillows made out of vintage rugs to die for. Enough said.

Janet Hill Studio - I am a big fan of Janet Hill's work and it is my mission to have a gallery wall of her work. Her colors just sing to me and I love her traditional subject matter with a twist.

The Pink Pagoda - As a long time fan of Jennifer's blog and her store, I've gotten to enjoy a few of her prints and I've got several more on my Christmas list. (I pick really good sponsors, don't I?!) Her Merchant Man and Wife have a prominent spot in my living room and I always get compliments on them.

Soigne - A joint venture by Erin and Charmaine gives us all a chance to buy those things we wish we could find at estate sales and antique shops. Their collection is envious and they are always adding to the pot. Be sure to follow them on Instagram (Erin / Charmaine) to get a first look at pieces as they come in.


Kerry Steele - Kerry creates custom pieces that are museum worthy. Her work makes me feel like a big, grownup girl. It makes me want to have a big white wall where I can spotlight her work. And if you read her blog like I do, then you know she's a pretty cool chick on top of her talent. Not fair.


What Etsy shops are your favorite? What do you look for most on Etsy? (I'm a pillows fool myself) And how do you pronounce it? (At-see or Et-say)

Foul odor and smelly buried dismembered corpse in backyard alerted neighbors to call police.

Walker asked for a legislative special session to approve a $100 million property tax cut in Wisconsin.

Can It Be Fixed?  Do We Want To?
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
********************

I had a meeting a few days ago with a man I have known for at least thirty years. He is a registered democrat ... a CONSERVATIVE democrat.  (Yes, we do have conservative democrats in North Carolina.  My Congressman is a conservative democrat.) Our political philosophies run parallel, though I am an Independent.

Our initial meeting was about something else, entirely, but as usual, soon turned to politics.  It came as no surprise to either of us that we both felt the country was in dire -- extreme --  danger of utter collapse.

My friend is currently in his second career as a local businessman.  He retired from his original career and, being the highly motivated man that he is, chose to return to the business world in a different field of endeavor.  He has made a success of his second career, working for himself.  I would have expected no less.

Turns out he is concerned, as is most everyone I have spoken with lately, over the "spoiled child antics" of our current President.  In particular, the manner in which Obama has gone the extra mile to make the so-called government shutdown as painful for the average American as he possibly can.

Like a petulant child who doesn't get his way Obama is intent upon making everyone else's life miserable until he does.  Then, he blames his awful behavior on someone else.

Obama should stand up, like a man, and accept responsibility for for this so-called shutdown rather than take the limp-wristed way to escape responsibility.

But, alas, that would be asking -- and expecting -- entirely too much.

Both my friend and I do not believe America can survive its current troubles.  Neither of us believes America can now be "fixed."  The damage is too great, the scars run entirely too deep, for our once great country to ever reclaim its place among the leadership of the world.

We are both convinced that a financial collapse of the American financial system is imminent within the next decade.  When that day arrives -- it will officially be over for America.

The question of whether or not we should try to "fix" America is not easily answered.  The question rather, should be, do we WANT to fix America?  After all, the legend of the Phoenix is, indeed,  a fable.  

Maybe it is time we all faced the possibility that the American people have, themselves, changed to such a degree that a free, constitutional republic is no longer acceptable and no longer workable,  nor is it realistic to expect the "new American" to be capable of assuming responsibility for themselves and live as free men and women.  Maybe it is time to realistically look at some sort of benevolent dictatorship for America with a leader, not unlike Obama, at the helm.

After all, it has become clear that the electorate has looted the American treasury by electing only those candidate who promise to give them "free" stuff and a guaranteed income (though "guaranteed income" is never referred to as such but by various high sounding names).

Over the past few decades America simply stopped manufacturing.  Basically, we make nothing -- except war.

America gets by on borrowed money having long since spent every dime we have and much, much more.  We're broke.  We are in a near parasitic state. 
And we want to "fix" this???

Maybe it's time to punch the "do-over" button.  It would be much less costly to begin anew, from the foundation up, than to spend the time and effort to repair a country that has so obviously died at its own hand, a country that in its current state, has so little to offer the remainder of the world.

Look.  I know this is distasteful to even think about, let alone TALK about, but at some point we have to face facts.  The fact is we are a "has been" nation.   If that makes you angry, then -- GOOD.  You still have some fight left in you.  You'll need it.

I have already lived my allotted three score and ten years upon this earth so I don't expect to be around for America's grand finale, though frankly, I didn't expect to live long enough to see America crash and burn as she has, either.  Nevertheless, here we are.
Never having done it, I haven't a clue as to how one founds a nation.  I suspect most of you don't either.   In my case I would repair to the founding documents of the Old Confederacy for advice and direction.  Somehow, they managed to do it and fight a war at the same time.

Look, after Obama took office and it became clear where, exactly, he intended to take America, I'll admit that I, at first, thought it would be years, even decades, before America spiraled down to where she finds herself today. 

I was wrong. Boy, was I EVER wrong!

As it turns out, the American people are far less strong than I had thought.  We were not nearly as protective of our freedom and liberty as I had thought -- and hoped.  In fact, we seemed generally eager to give up our freedom for that elusive thing called security.  Obama's government simply stepped in with PROMISES and payoffs to the electorate and-- that was that.     

As I said above, I don't expect to be around for the next iteration of America, but hopefully it will learn from THIS America's mistakes.  But somehow, I doubt it.

© J. D. Longstreet

A Missouri appeals court ruled that a lower court's decision to terminate child custody of an undocumented Guatemalan mother was affirmed.

by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny

It is not at all surprising that this week's Gallop Poll shows the American people now view the federal government as a larger problem than the economy. This at the same time President Obama's favorably hits a new low according to a recent AP Poll... "53 percent unhappy with his performance and 37 percent approving of it. "

PRINCETON, NJ -- Americans are now more likely to name dysfunctional government as the most important problem facing the country than to name any other specific problem. Thirty-three percent of Americans cite dissatisfaction with government and elected representatives as the nation's top issue, the highest such percentage in Gallup's trend dating back to 1939. Dysfunctional government now eclipses the economy (19%), unemployment (12%), the deficit (12%), and healthcare (12%) as the nation's top problem.

Click Picture To Enlarge

Americans' mentions of either the economy in general or jobs in particular as the nation's top problem had already been declining in 2013. Both issues dropped further as top-of-mind concerns in the Oct. 3-6 survey, conducted in the midst of the U.S. government shutdown.

At the same time, the percentage of Americans who mention some aspect of government leadership as the nation's top problem has doubled, 33% this month from 16% last month. This almost certainly reflects the current upheaval in Washington and party leaders' inability to agree on a way to fund the government or avoid a possible government default. October is the first time since 2008 when an economic issue was not at the top of Americans' list of most important problems.

Democrats (36%) and independents (33%) are somewhat more likely than Republicans (23%) to mention dysfunctional government as the most important problem facing the country, perhaps reflecting partisans' differing views about the role and importance of government. {Read More}

Yeppers, the country definitely has it's problems. Yet the sides refuse to talk with each others. There are those who still refuse to recognize our political parties have a shared responsibility for this. Perhaps one day this will change. But given the present political environment it may be a very long time.

Via: Memeorandum