The State Of The Clap-O-Meter

[Havok]

There has been some good clapping so far.

[weemadando]

Minimum wage increase to $9.00?

Too bad that's COMMUNISM.

[Havok]

I think that is a big jump for the rest of the country. Possibly even the rest of CA. It's already $8.75 and higher where I live.

[Havok]

Ok, so that caught my ear. Did the leading Democrat just say no to "bigger government"?

[Dalton]

Right. Smarter, not bigger.

[Ahriman238]

What is this "energy security trust?" Who will be in charge and how much authority will they have?

Halve wasted energy in 20 years, good luck. I can really get behind the rebuilding the infrastructure because our roads and bridges are shit.

[Themightytom]

Minimum wage increase to $9.00?

Too bad that's COMMUNISM.

Linked with cost of living...it kind of us

[Themightytom]

....did he just promise to end AIDS?

[Rogue 9]

I think that is a big jump for the rest of the country. Possibly even the rest of CA. It's already $8.75 and higher where I live.

$7.25 is the current federal minimum, raised from $5.15 less than a decade ago.

[weemadando]

....did he just promise to end AIDS?

Why not have a little ambition?

After all, intelligence reports that there'll be a large meeting of high level extremist figures in the opposition on the War on AIDS in Rome in the coming weeks. A convenient drone strike or three and we can start the PsyOps campaign to encourage condom use in the period of disorganisation following the attack.

[Havok]

Well I missed almost all of it because the power went out in my pool house where Jenn was tutoring.

I missed all the clapping. Or maybe lack of from what I am reading.

[Havok]

This Rubio guy doesn't come across as sincere at all.

Do people really think jobs are coming back from overseas when wages are like 1/3 of what they are here... even for the good jobs?

[Havok]

Also what would have happened if the White House hadn't given an advanced copy of his speech to the Republicans for their rebuttal? I am assuming they do, I mean he is directly addressing things Obama said or didn't say.

[Havok]

As the speech went on, he seemed to be more sincere. Maybe he was just a little nervous at the beginning.

[Havok]

So re-watching the SOTU, I like the segment on immigration reform the most. Even Boehner clapped for that one, while during the rest of the SOTU he looked like he wanted to punch him in the back of the head.

[Dalton]

Image of the night

[Kintaro]

Image of the night

Oh God, that's awesome.

[Guardsman Bass]

Good for the $9.00/hr minimum wage increase proposal, and especially for proposing that it be inflation-adjusted. It's not the best way to get more money to the poor (increasing both the size and eligibility of the Earned Income Tax Credit would probably do more), but I'll take it over nothing.

A lot of it was Obama implicitly acknowledging that Congress isn't going to help much. Whenever he said, "I will direct" or spoke on Executive Orders, that's basically him saying that he's going to do what he can within the limits of what he controls.

Do people really think jobs are coming back from overseas when wages are like 1/3 of what they are here... even for the good jobs?

Some manufacturing is coming back here, which is why Obama talked about it. The downside is that they're mostly $12/hr jobs, and a big reason for them coming back is because of cheap energy (all that natural gas).

I've got a question for some of the German board-members: what's your opinion of the German vocational track? That came up in the speech. I've personally shifted over the years to a more anti-tracking belief, but I think you can make a good argument for making lots more vocational education available to students.

[salm]

I've got a question for some of the German board-members: what's your opinion of the German vocational track? That came up in the speech. I've personally shifted over the years to a more anti-tracking belief, but I think you can make a good argument for making lots more vocational education available to students.

Germany focus on graduating their high school students with the equivalent of a technical degree from one of our community colleges, so that they're ready for a job.

What exactly is a technical degree?
It looks a bit like Obama was misinformed as the normal route of education is to finish one of the 3 types of highschool and then move on to one of several kinds of university or to start an apprenticeship.

[SirNitram]

So when can we propose putting minimum wage to it's original level, adjusted for inflation?

Oh right, never, because of <Insert stale, condescending non-reason here>.

[Havok]

A technical degree is and what I believe the President was referring to given his next statement on the matter, is what we refer to as basic degree (AA) from a two year junior college in computer XYZ or basic engineering.

[TOSDOC]

Image of the night

Oh God, that's awesome.

That would be perfect if they just covered Statler with snotty used tissues.

[salm]

A technical degree is and what I believe the President was referring to given his next statement on the matter, is what we refer to as basic degree (AA) from a two year junior college in computer XYZ or basic engineering.

The thing that seems to come closest to what Obama was talking about is probably the whole apprenticeship thing.
You begin with it after graduating from highschool. Half of the time you work for a craftsman or company and learn the practical side of the job and half of the time you´re at a school for the theoretical part.
It´s mainly for jobs in craftsmanship or the industrial and service sectors.

But you don´t get such a degree in highschool.

[General Mung Beans]

So when can we propose putting minimum wage to it's original level, adjusted for inflation?

Oh right, never, because of <Insert stale, condescending non-reason here>.

The original minimum wage in 1938 would be somewhat over 4 dollars to-day, much less than the current minimum wage. The highest its ever been was in 1968 when it was somewhat over 10 dollars (by to-day's money).