The Future of McDonalds!

Opinions from across America:

•  Beef, Pork, Dairy, and Chicken prices have risen 19.5% on average over the last 45 days. That's a big hit and they all have different excuses, explanations, whatever from weather to illness. Here is what I think, three major companies produce 92% of the food in every store. Tyson, Hormel, and P and G. That's a tight oligopoly and they get farm subsidies and any small farmer that fails, the USDA gets stuck with the loan and Tyson picks it up for cheap. Big problem. Finally, do you really think McDonalds is all that good? It can't be. 5 bucks for a hamburger, a coke you don't need, and fries you don't need. One serving is enough calories for the whole day but to you fatty Americans it is just a snack. In China you almost never see anyone fat. Factories give men 30 days to get their waist size to the US equivalent of 32-34 if they gain weight or they are fired. Women are always between 92 and 114 lbs tops and for some that is during pregnancy. They eat all the time but don't gain weight. Superior genes. Now the pollution is bad and too many men smoke. so there is always something. 
•  Micky Dees uses cheap-tasting bitter rolls (too much iron in the flour) on their budget burgers. Their fried items taste bad as the fry oil isn't changed often enough. Not enough special or seasonal items anymore. Their fish sandwich is double the price it should be. Happy meals way overpriced. No more Angus burgers. Get the idea? 
• People have gotten smart and cook their food themselves, cheaper and better for you. This recession has been good in changing my spending habits and budgeting. 
• What people are noticing, is that hamburgers at the chains have actually shrunk in size and likewise with portion. So crunching the numbers would actually show a major loss of more than 1% of sales in any given major chain. MC opened more stores so counting that franchise fee would also show another decrease in revenue as they didn't make expectations. 
• The only time I stop at McDonald is to use the restroom.
• I will not eat at macs any more, after hearing how much the CEO is paid, compared to the actual wages workers get paid, the lack of benefits, of these workers.
  Ceo = 9700 $ an hour! Benefits, too many to list, health, retirement, stock options, ect ect
  Hourly worker pay = $7.25....benefits....none 

EXTENDED MASS LAYOFFS -- SECOND QUARTER 2012!

                          
Employers in the private nonfarm sector initiated 1,476 mass layoff events in the
second quarter of 2012 that resulted in the separation of 262,848 workers from
their jobs for at least 31 days, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported
today. Over the year, total extended mass layoff events and associated worker
separations were down from 1,810 and 317,546, respectively. (See table A.) In 2012,
total events reached their lowest second quarter level since 2007, while
manufacturing sector events declined to their lowest level for any quarter in
program history (with data available back to 1995). The completion of seasonal
work accounted for 44 percent of the total extended mass layoff events during the
quarter. Second quarter 2012 layoff data are preliminary and are subject to revision.
(See the Technical Note.)

Industry Distribution of Extended Layoffs

Over the year ending in the second quarter of 2012, the number of private nonfarm
extended mass layoff events declined in 15 of the 18 major industry sectors, with
the largest decreases occurring in accommodation and food services and in
manufacturing. Total manufacturing events declined over-the-year from 263 to 180,
their lowest level for any quarter in program history. Sixteen of the 21 manufacturing
subsectors experienced over-the-year decreases in the number of layoff events. (See
table 1.)

The construction sector had 194 extended mass layoff events and 21,825 separations,
primarily due to contract completion. This sector accounted for 13 percent of the
layoff events and 8 percent of the related separations during the second quarter of
2012.

Reasons for Extended Layoffs

Layoffs due to the completion of seasonal work accounted for 44 percent of extended
mass layoff events and 51 percent of related separations in the private nonfarm sector
during the second quarter of 2012. Business demand factors, primarily contract
completion, accounted for 32 percent of the events and 27 percent of related
separations during the quarter. (See table 2.)


Table A. Selected measures of extended mass layoff activity


     Period                  Layoff events       Separations     Initial claimants
    
     2008

January-March............         1,340            230,098            259,292
April-June...............         1,756            354,713            339,630
July-September...........         1,581            290,453            304,340
October-December.........         3,582            641,714            766,780

     2009

January-March............         3,979            705,141            835,551
April-June...............         3,395            651,318            731,049
July-September...........         2,034            345,531            406,823
October-December.........         2,416            406,212            468,577

     2010

January-March............         1,870            314,512            368,664
April-June...............         2,008            381,622            396,441
July-September...........         1,370            222,357            260,077
October-December.........         1,999            338,643            390,584

     2011

January-March............         1,490            225,456            258,220
April-June...............         1,810            317,546            342,530
July-September (r) ......         1,393            235,325            291,066
October-December (r) ....         1,903            334,383            403,439

     2012

January-March (r) .......         1,290            245,901            286,384
April-June (p) ..........         1,476            262,848            221,997


    r = revised.
    p = preliminary.


Movement of Work

In the second quarter of 2012, 36 extended mass layoffs involved movement of work and
were associated with 7,506 worker separations. Forty-seven percent of the events
related to movement of work were from manufacturing industries. Employers cited
organizational changes as the economic reason for layoff in 58 percent of the events
involving movement of work. Among workers seperated by the movement of work, the
largest proportions were in the Midwest. (See tables 6-8.)

The 36 events with movement of work for the second quarter involved 42 identifiable
relocations of work actions. (See table 9.) Employers were able to provide information
on the specific number of worker separations for 25 of these actions. Among these
actions, most were domestic reassignments and involved work moving within the same
company. (See table 10.)

Recall Expectations

Sixty-four percent of the private nonfarm employers reporting an extended mass layoff
in the second quarter of 2012 anticipated recalling at least some of the displaced
workers--the highest second quarter percentage since 1998. Of those employers expecting
to recall workers, 44 percent indicated the offer would be extended to all displaced
employees and 77 percent anticipated extending the offer to at least half of the workers.
Among employers expecting to recall laid-off workers, 75 percent intend to do so within
six months. Excluding extended mass layoff events due to seasonal work and vacation period,
employers anticipated recalling laid-off workers in 38 percent of the events. (See table
11.)


Table B. Metropolitan areas with the largest number of initial claimants associated with
extended mass layoff events in the second quarter 2012, by residency of claimants


                                                        2011 II (r)            2012 II (p)
                       
            Metropolitan area                        Initial                  Initial
                                                    claimants     Rank       claimants   Rank

        Total, 372 metropolitan areas ...........    278,922                  181,686     

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif. ........     34,819        1          22,248      1
New York-Northern New Jersey-Long
    Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. .......................     20,469        2          16,019      2
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill.-Ind.-Wis. .......     14,664        3          12,497      3
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. ........      9,355        4           6,134      4
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pa.
   -N.J.-Del.-Md. ...............................      8,621        5           4,561      5
St. Louis, Mo.-Ill. .............................      5,077        9           4,190      6
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Calif. ...........      7,826        6           4,087      7
Kansas City, Mo.-Kan. ...........................      1,904       27           3,353      8
Pittsburgh, Pa. .................................      5,600        8           3,042      9
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas ...............      3,118       13           2,881     10

    r = revised.
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE: The geographic boundaries of the metropolitan areas shown in this table are defined
    in Office of Management and Budget Bulletin 10-02, December 1, 2009.


Size of Extended Layoffs
 
The average size of a layoff (as measured by the number of separations per layoff event)
was 178 workers during the second quarter of 2012. (See table 12.) Events were largely
concentrated at the lower end of the extended layoff-size spectrum, with 67 percent
involving fewer than 150 workers. Conversely, only 6 percent of layoff events involved
500 or more workers. (See table 13.)

Initial Claimant Characteristics

A total of 221,997 initial claimants for unemployment insurance were associated with
extended mass layoffs in the second quarter of 2012. Of these claimants, 18 percent were
black, 18 percent were Hispanic, 53 percent were women, and 25 percent were 55 years of
age or older. (See table 3.) In the entire civilian labor force for the same period, 12
percent of all persons were black, 16 percent were Hispanic, 47 percent were women, and
21 percent were 55 years of age or older.

Geographic Distribution
 
Among the four census regions, the West recorded the highest number of extended mass layoff
events in the second quarter of 2012. Among the nine census divisions, the highest number
of mass layoff events was in the Pacific. All regions and 8 of the 9 divisions registered
fewer extended mass layoff events compared with the second quarter of 2011. (See table 4.)

California recorded the largest number of extended mass layoff events in the second quarter
of 2012, followed by Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New York. Over the year, 38 states reported
decreased numbers of extended mass layoff events for the second quarter. The largest declines
were in California, Florida, and Pennsylvania. (See table 5.)

Eighty-two percent of the initial claimants for unemployment insurance associated with
extended mass layoff events in the second quarter of 2012 resided within metropolitan areas.
Among the 372 metropolitan areas, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif., reported the
highest number of resident initial claimants. (See table B.)

Note

The quarterly series on extended mass layoffs cover layoffs of at least 31-days duration that
involve 50 or more individuals from a single employer filing initial claims for unemployment
insurance during a consecutive 5-week period. Approximately 30 days after a mass layoff is
triggered, the employer is contacted for additional information.  Data for the current quarter
are preliminary and subject to revision. This release also includes revised data for previous
quarters. Data are not seasonally adjusted, but survey data suggest that there is a seasonal
pattern to layoffs. Thus, comparisons between consecutive quarters should not be used as an
indicator of trend. For additional information about the program, see the Technical Note.
Source: http://www.bls.gov/

Milton Friedman - Redistribution of Wealth!

Milton Friedman clears up misconceptions about wealth redistribution, in general, and inheritance tax, in particular.
Using McDonalds as an example, Milton Friedman explains how the minumum wage actually kills jobs for young people entering the job market and decreases their ability to acquire beginning job skills.

Knight Capital algorithm malfunction!

Investors' anxieties over volatile marktes compounded on Wednesday by a trading algorithm malfunction. It cost the brokerage company Knight Capital $440m. Lex's Stuart Kirk and Vincent Boland discuss the effect of another rogue algo on jittery markets.

Is the SAT ineffective and outdated?

FAQ: Q: What can I do to help/change the situation? A: Expecting me to suddenly come up with a solution to an issue this vast and ingrained in society is quite a high order. This is the kind of construct that is so established that it would take years to patch up. If I absolutely had to be put on the spot, I would opt for the lessening or even elimination of standardization in college admissions. The simplest thing you can "do to help" is share this video. The first step in change and reform is an informed public who cares about an issue. Change will not happen without awareness. HOWEVER, if you really need to take some sort of action, you can take the ACT, as it is more accurate at gauging a student's logic and thinking skills. Unfortunately, the CEO of the company distributing the ACT receives a compensation rate of 3.09, more than twice that of the CEO of the College Board. Decide which you think is the lesser of two evils.

Q: Hurr nurr you didn't provide sources so this is UNSUPPORTED. A: That isn't a question, but thank you for pointing it out. All sources are now at the bottom of the description. Q: The statistics at 1:30 are incorrect, the CEO of Red Cross ALSO earns a compensation within the 1-2million dollar range! Should I be outraged? A: No, you should not. Those statistics are based off of compensation rates (compensation:revenue). The CEO of Red Cross may not receive five times the amount, but his organization circulates five times the revenue, making his compensation rate a fifth of the College Board's CEO. Same goes with the Salvation Army CEO. Q: How can you try and claim that the correlation between family income and SAT scores is so unacceptable when multiple studies show that family income and intelligence are also related? A: This is a somewhat valid counterargument, however it is the amount of correlation that disturbs me. The R^2 of family income and SAT scores is 0.95! That's an unbelievable amount of correlation, enough so that I feel it worth mentioning. Q: What's the point of this video? It is a PSA, Public Service Announcement, intended to inform the public about a current issue. Q: The SAT isn't in my region, what in the world am I watching? A: The SAT is a test that almost all college-prone students in the U.S. and all around the world take. It is based on math, reading, and writing comprehension. However, it is greatly flawed and does not actually gauge a student's intelligence or potential. Unfortunately, many colleges still consider it a valid aspect of the admissions process. Most of these colleges, especially prestigious ones, require SAT (and ACT) scores from students simply so that they may bolster their statistical advertising campaigns (i.e. being able to put "Average SAT score of 2300!" on their school pamphlet and being ranked as a "top school"). On top of all that, it just happens to generate a billion dollars a year that could be spent... elsewhere.

Complete Urban City Preparedness Guide for Economic Collapse, Natural Disaster!

Is your home in the midst of a large population center? If it is, then there may be considerable danger in the event of an economic collapse. Urban survival is definitely possible, but follows different guidelines and involves dangers not covered in most survival manuals. If you are not confident in your ability to stay safe in a populous area, you may want to use a retreat away from the city....

How fast is the federal deficit rising?

The United States public debt is the money borrowed by the federal government of the United States at any one time through the issue of securities by the Treasury and other federal government agencies. The U.S. national public debt consists of two components:

-Debt held by the public includes Treasury securities held by investors outside the federal government, including that held by individuals, corporations, the Federal Reserve System and foreign, state and local governments.

-Debt held by government accounts or intragovernmental debt mainly includes non-marketable Treasury securities held in accounts administered by the federal government that are owed to program beneficiaries, such as the Social Security Trust Fund. Debt held by government accounts represents the cumulative surpluses, including interest earnings, of these accounts that have been invested in Treasury securities.

How fast is the federal deficit rising? In every second of 2011, the federal government spent $41,210 that it didn't have. No agenda. No party line. Just facts. More facts at www.FaceTheFactsUSA.org. A project of The George Washington University.