Today’s unemployment report from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics is anything but a green shoot. The official U-3 unemployment number is 10.2%. The broader and more comprehensive official unemployment number, the U-6, is at 17.5%. The U-6 counts all the people that want a job but gave up, all the people with part-time jobs that want a full-time job, and all the people who dropped off unemployment benefits because their unemployment benefits ran out. John Williams at Shadowstats.com suggests that real unemployment is actually running at 22%, which, by our calculation, is approaching Great Depression unemployment numbers.

The unemployment report may come as a surprise to those who have been following the Obama administration and mainstream economists like Paul Krugman. Here are some choice quotes from those we’ve entrusted with our economy:

“That’s a story I’m confident will be repeated at companies across the country — companies that are currently struggling to borrow money selling their products, struggling to make payroll, but could find themselves in a different position when we start implementing the plan,” Obama said. “Rather than downsizing, they may be able to start growing again. Rather than cutting jobs, they may be able to create them again.”

- President Obama (February 13, 2009)

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“That’s our hope – that’s our hope. There’s no doubt that without it, that’s where we were looking: double-digit unemployment. That’s what we’re trying to forestall.”

-David Axelrod, Senior Adviser to President Obama on whether the stimulus plan will keep unemployment from reaching 10 percent (February 15, 2009)

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“I’m looking for the unemployment rate. I want to see the unemployment rate stay safely below 10 percent, which is by no means a foregone conclusion. And I want to see it coming down notably next year.”

-Nobel Prize Recipient and Economist Paul Krugman on the benefits of trillion dollar deficit spending spending (January 21, 2009)

—

“I don’t think so. I think while we’re going to see some substantial job losses, frankly what is important about the president’s program here is that it is going to contain what would otherwise be just a vicious cycle, people spend less, therefore they earn less. We’re going to contain this problem.”

-Larry Summers, Lead Economic Adviser to President Obama (January 18, 2009)

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“Currently, we don’t think it will get to 10 percent. Our current number is somewhere in the 9s.”

-Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve testifying before Congress’s joint economic committee (May 5, 2009)

So far, no good. The policies recommended by Messers Krugman, Axelrod, Bernanke and Summers seem to be having the opposite of the intended effect. Tens of thousands continue to lose jobs, credit continues to contract, spending continues to contract, and personal credit & mortgage delinquencies are on the rise.

Luckily, America has a President in office who is changing the way Washington works from the inside out and is holding strong to the commitment he made in April of 2008:

“Today’s job news is the latest indicator of how badly America needs fundamental change from Bush-McCain policies that have been devastating for working families and catastrophic for our economy….”

“Our economy is struggling because the American people are struggling, and simply bailing out investment banks on Wall Street will not help Main Street.”

-Presidential Candidate Barack Obama (April 3, 2008)

Thank goodness that there’s at least one elected official in Washington that doesn’t believe in bailing out investment banks on Wall Street to help Main Street!

Recent developments in the economy suggest that the recession is over, recovery has started and for the consumer, it’s business as usual throughout America’s shopping malls.

All sarcasm aside, we ask our readers to consider recent statements from the public and private sector in regards to the economy. Are things really getting better? Given what we’ve been told so far, is it prudent to put our trust into the very officials who have gotten us to where we are today?

Here’s the picture of my weigh- in last month , I think Aug 26. Lose 9 kg in this picture from before the start of the weight loss competition. I’m 2nd in class in most weight loss . The leader, a 24 yr old, loss 14 kg. But we didn’t get to participate in 2nd round fight. We think it’s a setup but oh well, at least we’re much healthier and gained a ton of knowledge of how to lose weight fast and keep it off.

Here’s me and the leader (we didn’t get into the 2nd round)

 

Here’s me on Aug 26 on the weigh in (96kg from all time high of 114 kg)

Healthy, Confident and Happy !

Cheers !

Check out one of my favourite Director/Film Maker , Michael Moore with his latest documentary/movie Capitalism: A Love Story coming out on Oct 2 , 2009

Here's the quick link and info:
http://www.capitalismalovestory.com/

First Night, Capitalism: A Love Story, Venice Film Festival

(Rated 3/ 5 )

One from the heart, with humour amid the hectoring

By Geoffrey MacNab

Including today, only 3 days remaining for the 1 month fast body sculpting course. I'm now 7 kg lighter , much more energetic and focused . Feels like a million dollars to have energy up and at the same time weight down. Still have 20 or so kg to go to my optimum weight. I surveyed and I should now be the 2nd in class in terms of total weight loss. There's one 24 yr old big size young man that lost 11.5 kg . Of course, he just have wintermelon boiled with water and Dragon fruit and that's it. For me, i eat more consistent to sustainable diet -

Breakfast: 2 high fiber whole wheat breads with honey, all sorts of fruits, a glass of milk with oatmeal , occasional glass of soya bean milk
Snacks: fruits, tomatoes, smoked tofu
Lunch : Water boiled vegetable with tofu pieces (home cooked) + 1 serving of salad (little salad dressing with vinegar)
Afternoon Snacks: fruits
Dinner: Water boilet vege with tofu pieces + fruits
Supplement: 1 capsule of fish oil 1200 mg + One-a-Day WeightSmart Multi-Vitamin pill (I bought this on my last trip to US) 
Today I had a small temptation to eat some pork, so I had half a pork pao 包子 (about size of a quarter).
Besides the fish oil for the overall maintenance of good health and metabolism , I pretty much consume 0 g of oil each day.
I've been on this diet for about 15 days now, energy's up, very much lethargic than loading the stomach on carbs and oils.

Occasionally I may have a cup of coffee with sugar and creamer. That's my luxury I give myself.

Tuesday 26 Aug late afternoon next week is the weigh-in session. The class started with 36 contestants, now about up to 20 still show up for the final stretch. Only 4 (four, empat, 四，nale, quattro) will qualify for the next months one-on-one with personal trainer targeted to sculpt each person to their optimum. I want in on this.

Update in few days time !

Power Up !

This is the most exciting event to happen to me in the past 10 yrs (besides meeting Maggie) !
What a Success story to land myself into Alexander Fitness Center. And my goal was to lose weight this year. Looks like I have a vehicle to do that now. My friend promoted to me that a high end fitness club is currently running a promotion .. for those that are, oh.. I would say, obese (no other way to put it :) )  ; the club is providing free 1 month speedy body sculpting !
This is no ordinary run-of-the-mill gym, this place is right in the heard of CBD and each session can cost up to 500 yuan! So to be able to qualify for this, i mean it's funny, i just get mixed emotions after the weigh-in and they said I qualified ! - Should I get upset (that i'm that much overweight) or happy of the fact I am chosen ! It's too funny.

This gig works like this -
30 overweight were selected (I and 29 others) :)
For 30 days, except Mondays, everyday workout 2 hours on Aerobics classes - Spinning, Body Combat, and Pump , the latter is to tighten the loose skin from the first 2 aerobics class. Only allow to be absent 2 days with prior excuse out of the month.
I WANT to do it , because when I qualify for the 2nd month (criteria: staying on the program for 1 mth and showing good progress) , I'll qualify for the 2nd month with these benefits : - 1) one-on-one coaching/training 2) free organic vitamins/food 3) free 10 spa visits (cool beans!!) 4) potential to be among the 4 qualify for the finals at Shanghai (of which one Winner is picked out of 8 contestant).
The winner of the final will get : 1) 100,000 Yuan prize winning 2) become official spokesperson for the Alexander fitness center !!


The end goal is the one reason to stay motivated to finish up top. The other main reason is I believe my life and health will be transformed for the better within a month or so.
Will keep posted on this blogpage.

Power up !

Looks like these days there are more caucasians living in Beijing than before. I've seen some older couples and some are college-aged kids. Even in my community, I've seen more American-accented foreigners living here, probably working in nearby CBD area.

Went to the new mall in Dongzhimen this weekend - Raffles City Beijing Mall. It's one of the handful mall just opened recently here, the others being Glory Mall and Qianmen 23. Raffles City Beijing is opened by Singapore-based company- Capitaland. It has a modern design and the stores are laid out almost identical to malls in Singapore with long-term tenants such as G2000, H&M, Zara, Watsons, etc. In the Basement level, there's a food court sort of place with Toast Box and Bread Talk (Singapore establishments). I tried the Mee Siam from the Toast Box (15 RMB). It was okay for the price, although no where near the quality of Prima Taste (Singaporean Restaurant near Ya Xiu Market).

So overall, quite an eventful weekend.

Working out in Summer is the best feeling. Sweat pores just open up like flood gates and sips out, filling nearly all the fiber on the green t-shirt I had on. Today at gym, there was a Tai-Chi class going on in the workout room.. I think the teacher isn't very good as he teach too many steps/moves in 1 hr rather than focus on some short sequence and repeat it over and over until they mastered it. Seems some people drop out after awhile.
I was on the ellipse running machine for half an hour. These days it was humid as it rained quite a bit yesterday. I forgotten about summer rain as last year, it did not rain (controlled the rain due to Olympics).

Much has changed in one year. At least I'm getting fitter with the exercises. I've trained younger Project Managers on the job and it was a rewarding feeling that they 'get it'. Work is so-so since the slowdown in economy. I'm working my gray muscles by taking up PMP class , a professional Project Management body class. Hope class is good , it starts in August.

Cheers.