Training Grants — Easier to Get Than You’d Think?

clipped from blogs.wsj.com How easy is it really to find a grant to pay for training at a small company? As I wrote this Small Business Link story about how small companies can track down government dollars to fund employee training, I was surprised by how easy it sounded. Sure, there is the maze of different government agencies, all with slightly different names and purposes. But are grants really all that accessible for companies savvy enough to tap them? When looking for grants, you might pay a visit to your statehouse. Pictured: the Pennsylvania Statehouse rotunda. Photo credit: Flickr/jimbowen0306 Her No. 1 tip for small companies starting out: Partner with a college or university or an industry association.

The Bush jobs record

clipped from krugman.blogs.nytimes.com Changes in nonfarm employment since inauguration under the last two administrations: 1. The official recession may have been short, but the employment recession of 2001-2003 was anything but 2. The administration’s habit of counting job gains since August 2003 is revealed for the cheap trick it is 3. Even during the good years, job growth under Bush was slower than the average under Clinton Add: I may have been unclear: this is the total number of jobs added, in thousands, since January 1993 and January 2001 respectively. So the Clinton years ended with a net gain of about 23 million jobs, whereas the Bush years so far have seen a net gain of about 5 million. That’s not to say that either president deserves credit/blame for everything that happened on his watch; it’s just about the real facts of the case.

Bill Clinton's tirade stunned some delegates

clipped from www.sfgate.com The Bill Clinton who met privately with California's superdelegates at last weekend's state convention was a far cry from the congenial former president "It was one of the worst political meetings I have ever attended," one superdelegate said. blasting away at former presidential contender Bill Richardson for having endorsed Obama "Five times to my face (Richardson) said that he would never do that," a red-faced, finger-pointing Clinton erupted. The former president then went on a tirade that ran from the media's unfair treatment of Hillary to questions about the fairness of the votes in state caucuses that voted for Obama. "It was kind of strange later when he took the stage and told everyone to 'chill out,' " one delegate told us. "We couldn't help but think he was also talking to himself."

Secret memo claimed interrogators were exempt from federal laws

Read on by following the links.

clipped from blogs.usatoday.com The Justice Department has declassified an 81-page legal opinion that authorized military interrogators to use aggressive techniques to extract information from the terrorism suspects in their custody. The memorandum was issued March 14, 2003. “Senior officials at the Justice Department gave the Pentagon the green light to torture prisoners,” Amrit Singh, an ACLU staff attorney, says in a statment. “It is outrageous that none of these high-level officials have been brought to task yet for their role in authorizing prisoner abuse.” John Yoo, the lawyer who wrote the memo, defended his analysis in an e-mail to The Washington Post. Here are some excerpts from this controversial document, which is available in its entirety via The Washington Post: "Today’s declassification of one such memo is a small step forward, but in no way fulfills those requests," the Judiciary Committee chairman says in a statement.

MRSA infection

clipped from www.mayoclinic.com Signs and symptoms Staph infections, including MRSA, generally start as small red bumps that resemble pimples, boils or spider bites. These can quickly turn into deep, painful abscesses that require surgical draining. Sometimes the bacteria remain confined to the skin. But they can also burrow deep into the body, causing potentially life-threatening infections in bones, joints, surgical wounds, the bloodstream, heart valves and lungs. clipped from www.mayoclinic.com Risk factors A current or recent hospitalization. Residing in a long-term care facility. Invasive devices. Recent antibiotic use. These are the main risk factors for community-acquired (CA) MRSA: Young age. Participating in contact sports. Sharing towels or athletic equipment. Having a weakened immune system. Living in crowded or unsanitary conditions. Association with health care workers.

$81 Burger

I think I'll pass and wait for the $81 pizza.

clipped from wcbstv.com If you're not a fan of the cheap dollar-menu burgers at your local chain burger joints, Old Homestead Steakhouse in Manhattan has the beef for you. The Japanese Kobe Wagyu burger served at Old Homestead Steakhouse in Manhattan may explode with flavor, but it will light your wallet on fire too. CBS The west side restaurant Tuesday turned the favorite American classic into a Japanese luxury when it unveiled its 18-ounce $81 burger, made from the highest grade of Japanese Kobe Wagyu. Each burger is made with 14 ounces of the high-end Japanese beef and 4 ounces of barely-seared sirloin Wagyu medallion tucked inside. It comes with Executive Chef Oscar Martinez's own sake onion ketchup, miso and ginger aioli, and a side of tater tots. "It's the finest of the finest, Old Homestead Steakhouse is located on Ninth Ave. between 14th and 15th streets.

Bush to bypass laws to build border fence

clipped from www.usatoday.com The Bush administration will use its authority to bypass more than 30 laws and regulations in an effort to finish building 670 miles of fence along the southwest U.S. border by the end of this year, federal officials said Tuesday. "Criminal activity at the border does not stop for endless debate or protracted litigation," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in a statement. "These waivers will enable important security projects to keep moving forward." nvoking the two legal waivers — which Congress authorized — will cut through bureaucratic red tape and sidestep environmental laws that currently stand in the way of the Homeland Security Department building 267 miles of fencing in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, according to officials familiar with the plan. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly about it.