Youngstown Ohio Ranked By Entrepreneur Magazine As A Top City For Entrepreneurs

This post was also put on Pittsburgh Arts: Digging Pitt.

This post falls in to the "chaos" section of topics and is not directly about art.

Pittsburgh has been getting a lot of buzz from clueless national media who have "discovered" the city because of the G20 summit.

Hello-- Pittsburgh has had-- major leading universities
Leading medical institutions
Nationally known cultural institutions
A large number Of major corporate headquarters (once number three in the nation)
Lot's Of major charitable foundations
Many wonderful parks
A very historic and beautiful housing stock
A major airport

So, It's hardly news that Pittsburgh is now finally doing sort of OK--- the real question is what the hell took it so long. Few small cities have combined assets like these with poor economic growth.

Now, if you want to talk about a place left with a bag of lemons, it's Youngstown Ohio.

No national airport
Little known
Never home to many major corporate headquarters (and almost all of them are long dead)
Horrific industrial brownfield issues
No major foundation money
No major research universities
In state with poor political and economic climate

NO Pittsburgh Steelers!

So it's news that-- little Youngstown is on the map for it's small but thriving mix of business start ups.

"But in the last decade, something special has happened in this northeast Ohio city. Jim Cossler and his innovative Youngstown Business Incubator, which offers fledgling B2B software companies mentors, networking and services like office space and bandwidth for free or at a deferred cost, are taking Youngstown’s business future into their own hands. The incubator concept was revolutionary enough to help ignite a renaissance in this small city. “Youngstown fell so far, traditional community leaders threw up their hands and told the younger generation, ‘You guys try,’” Cossler says. “The new generation is envisioning things we wouldn’t have talked about 10 years ago.”

Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2009/august/202666-9.html#ixzz0M7qNTJPw

By the way-- one could have guessed that something special was going on there by the proliferation of local blogs eager to Shout About Youngstown.

Tails, You Lose: The Amazing Goldman Sachs

No, Goldman Sach's did not create the insane, senseless collectivist free for all that passes for our system of government these days- a system based on the blind belief that a small group of elite folks will serve and protect "the public interest".

Of course, most folks smart enough to work at a place like Goldman Sachs know there is not and will never be a way for anyone to know what might best for millions of living, thinking changing human beings. Goldman, and it's employees and alumni however have had an amazing record protecting their own interests.They didn't invent the game but man can they play it.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Was Hank Paulson- the former Treasury Secretary and former Goldman Sachs CEO protecting his own interests when thought it critical to bail out AIG-- a firm that just happened to owe Goldman 13 billion or more?



Is it any wonder why we can't audit the FED?

Bring Out Your Dead: Four Bank Failure Friday

The FDIC finally pulled the plug on four more ailing banks.

Two have assets over $1 billion.

Vinyard Bank, California
Total Assts $1.9 Billion

Temicula Valley Bank, California
Assets $1.3 Billion

Two are much smaller

Bank First, South Dakota
Assets $275 Million

First Piedmont Bank, Georgia
Assets $109 Million

A Note About Links

You might have noticed I have a long list of links which I hope will become longer. Inclusion on the list means that I found a blog or site to be of interest, but I in no way can claim to endorse every word or post in your blog.

Also, my linking process is pretty lazy and random so not being in my blogroll might very well mean I just haven't found your blog or haven't gotten around to linking yet.

Obviously, blogs with a rational spin which promote freedom, capitalism and individual rights are of greatest interest.

Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Summary: June 2009

Too depressed to give all the "highlights".

Nationwide Unemployment 9.5%

Michigan--------------------------------------15.2%
Rhode Island----------------------------------12.4%
Oregon----------------------------------------12.2%
South Carolina--------------------------------12.1%
Nevada----------------------------------------12.0%
California------------------------------------11.6%
Ohio------------------------------------------11.1%
North Carolina--------------------------------11.0%
Washington D.C.-------------------------------10.9%
Kentucky--------------------------------------10.9%
Tennessee-------------------------------------10.8%
Florida---------------------------------------10.6%
Georgia---------------------------------------10.2%

Still a few farm belt and Mountain states with small populations come in with fairly low numbers.

Montana---------------------------------------6.4%
Oklahoma--------------------------------------6.3%
Iowa------------------------------------------6.2%
Wyoming---------------------------------------5.9%
Utah------------------------------------------5.7%
South Dakota----------------------------------5.1%
Nebraska--------------------------------------5.0%
North Dakota----------------------------------4.2%

At this point a 7-8 % unemployment rate for a major state is reason to crow.

While Washington D.C's rate is high as normal, two neighboring states, Virginia and Maryland which comprise the bulk of the greater D.C. metro area show surprisingly good figures in spite of being hit by a significant housing price crash.

Virginia--------------------------------------7.2%
Maryland--------------------------------------7.3%

This supports my theory of a new "Obamaconomy" or Bushobamaconomy in which the private sector is crowded out by a parasitical state.

Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from May 2009 to June 2009, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-month
State | May | June | rate change(p)
| 2009 | 2009(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona ........................| 8.2 | 8.7 | 0.5
Florida ........................| 10.3 | 10.6 | .3
Georgia ........................| 9.6 | 10.1 | .5
Idaho ..........................| 7.8 | 8.4 | .6
Iowa ...........................| 5.7 | 6.2 | .5
Massachusetts ..................| 8.2 | 8.6 | .4
Michigan .......................| 14.1 | 15.2 | 1.1
New Jersey .....................| 8.8 | 9.2 | .4
New York .......................| 8.2 | 8.7 | .5
Texas ..........................| 7.1 | 7.5 | .4
West Virginia ..................| 8.4 | 9.2 | .8
Wyoming ........................| 5.0 | 5.9 | .9

A Very Furry Fourth

I think this was fourth year Pittsburgh has hosted the largest convention of people with an um interest in animals; animal cartoons, animal games, Sci fi animals, stuffed animals and even a lot of folks who like dressing up as animals.Why? Best not to know probably, but one has to admit that they make a very nice picture. A lot of these suits are very fine and I think many of these characters and costumes are personal inventions. Some for example had invented sports team logos.

I finally got to see a little of this in person and me and my friend got these shots of A Furry outside the hotel, a big furry drinking party outside of Tonic and a Furry Bunny on the Convention Center Walkway. (I will post that when I can)

The NY Mets who have been stuggling with injuries were and were in town to do a make up game with the Pirates on July 2nd had the misfortune of spending a long night in the Furry Hotel. Broadcaster and former Met star, Keith Hernandez had this exchange with his broadcast mate the next day.

Hernandez: What are they called..?

Cohen: …wolves…

Hernandez: Ferriers..? All’s I know is I got in the elevator with four of them and the odor was horrific. [Camera shows the Pirate Parrot again.]

Cohen: Not the Pirate Parrot. He’s a natural mascot.

Hernandez: I had to get off. I’m not lyin’. I was on the 17th floor, goin’ down. I had to jump off on the 10th floor. I almost passed out.

Cohen: Guess those costumes don’t breathe very well. But it was, it was something, we walked into the hotel last night, comin’ from Milwaukee, and there was a, a, person in a wolf’s costume. And another person in a dog costume.

Hernandez: I saw a guy with, with his pet beaver. He had his hand, he was stroking it, he was petting it. [Long pause.] I’m serious! It was a, like a stuffed animal, and he was comforting it. Very bizarre.

Cohen: It’s a different world.

For the record-- all the furries I saw seemed very clean, from a safe distance and were all very happy to be photographed.

Jean McClung took most of these shots.

Seven Bank Failure Thursday

The FDIC broke it's all friday pattern of bank shutdowns, to officialy pull the plug on 7 banks-- deemed too small to save. Six of them are in the great state of Illinois and most are very small but the last one on the list had assets of almost a billion.

All info from Calculated Risk which links to The FDIC Website.

Rock River Bank
Oregon, Illinois

"As of April 30, 2009, Rock River Bank had total assets of $77 million and total deposits of approximately $75.8 million ... The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $27.6 million."

First State Bank Of Winchester
Winchester, Illinois

"As of April 30, 2009, The First State Bank of Winchester had total assets of $36 million and total deposits of approximately $34 million. ... The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $6 million."

John Warner Bank
Clinton, Illinois

"As of April 30, 2009, The John Warner Bank had total assets of $70 million and total deposits of approximately $64 million ... The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $10 million."

First National Bank Of Danville
Danville, Illinois

"As of April 30, 2009, The First National Bank of Danville had total assets of $166 million and total deposits of approximately $147 million. ... The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $24 million."

Elizabeth State Bank
Elizabeth, Illinois

As of April 30, 3009, The Elizabeth State Bank had total assets of $55.5 million and total deposits of approximately $50.4 million. ...The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $11.2 million.

Millennium State Bank of Texas
Dallas, Texas

From the FDIC: As of June 30, 2009, Millennium State Bank of Texas had total assets of approximately $118 million and total deposits of $115 million. State Bank of Texas agreed to purchase essentially all of the failed banks assets. ... The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund will be $47 million.

Founders Bank
Worth, Illinois

As of April 30, 2009, Founders Bank had total assets of $962.5 million and total deposits of approximately $848.9 million.The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $188.5 million.

At the end of the day, 52 banks had officially failed this year but the number of banks in living dead zombie state is much much higher. It's also a secret.

Finally, Obama Called Out On Canned Interviews And Press Control

Here's a slice of the exchange between reporters,Chip Reid, the legendary Helen Thomas and White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs as transcribed by CNS news.com regarding the extreme trend in Obama's administration towards stage managed conferences with pre selected audiences and questions.

"Helen Thomas: “That's not his point. The point is the control--”

Reid: “Exactly.”

Thomas: “We have never had that in the White House. And we have had some, but not-- This White House.”

Gibbs: “Yes, I was going to say, I'll let you amend her question.”

Thomas: “I'm amazed. I'm amazed at you people who call for openness and transparency and—”

Gibbs: “Helen, you haven't even heard the questions.”

Reid: “It doesn't matter. It's the process.”

Thomas: “You have left open—”

Reid: “Even if there's a tough question, it's a question coming from somebody who was invited or was screened, or the question was screened.”

Thomas: “It's shocking. It's really shocking.”"

Gibbs seems to regard the normal right of the press and the public to openly question the President as minor issue of process (much like reading bills before they are passed).The trend towards the executive branch with close to 30 "czars" to sidestep or roll right over the the law and the Democratic process should shock everyone.