b gross media

Good Article from MSNBC.com

2010-07-28T05:39:00.000-07:00

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38364681/ns/business-economy_at_a_crossroads/

Gen Y: No jobs, lots of loans, grim future
Millennials' delay in starting their careers could wallop long-term finances

"
They are perhaps the best-educated generation ever, but they can’t find jobs. Many face staggering college loans and have moved back in with their parents. Even worse, their difficulty in getting careers launched could set them back financially for years.

The Millennials, broadly defined as those born in the 1980s and '90s, are the first generation of American workers since World War II who have cloudier prospects than the generations that preceded them.

Certainly the recession has hurt young workers badly. While the overall unemployment rate was 9.5 percent in June, it was 15.3 percent for those aged 20 to 24, compared with 7.8 percent for ages 35-44, 7.5 percent for ages 45-54 and 6.9 percent for those 55 and older.

Among 18-to 29-year-olds, unemployment is the highest it’s been in more than three decades, according to a recent report from Pew Research Center. The report also found that Millennials, also known as Generation Y, are less likely to be employed than Gen Xers or baby boomers were at the same age.

Millennials are generally well-educated, but they have have been cast as everything from tech savants who will work cheap to entitled narcissists. The recession has pitted these younger workers against baby boomers trying to save for retirement and Gen Xers with homes and families.

Just ask Michael Barreto.

Eleven months was all it took to bring him from post-graduation autonomy back to his parents’ home in Apple Valley, Calif.

Armed with an undergraduate degree in literary journalism from the University of California, Irvine, and experience from an internship, the 23-year-old Barreto believed he had a better chance than many of his peers to find a job. But more than a year after graduation, Barreto is still struggling to find employment.

"Right now I'm just trying to find any sort of full-time work that would allow me to live on my own and save money for the future," he said.

Like many of his peers, Barreto left college with roughly $21,000 in federal loans. (The 2008 average for college students was $23,000, according to the College Board.) Barreto's parents also took out loans to help him afford college.

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Despite landing a job at Panera Bread Co. to support himself while looking for a job as a journalist, Barreto drained most of his savings to pay for his living expenses. He was eventually forced to move home and defer his loans.

The high unemployment rate among young Millennials can affect them financially and psychologically throughout their careers, according to a report by the Joint Economic Committee.

“The 'scarring effects' of prolonged unemployment can be devastating over a worker’s career,” according to the report. “Productivity, earnings and well-being can all suffer. In addition, unemployment can lead to a deterioration of skills and make securing future employment more difficult.”

Many Millennials have sought refuge back at school from the worst job market since at least the early 1980s. Yet that strategy, too, can backfire as students incur staggering amounts of debt to pay for advanced degrees that might not help them out much in the job market.

Jordan Hueseman, 25, accrued roughly $100,000 in student loans at the University of Denver earning a bachelor's degree in international business and a master's in business administration. On the job hunt, he found his graduate degree sometimes hindered more than it helped.

“At one point, I applied to Whole Foods, hoping they might see some potential for me to move to some type of management position,” Hueseman said. “The e-mail I received from them said I was far too overqualified for any of their hourly positions and as such would not be considered for a position.”

Hueseman said that after one job application, he was told he should leave his degrees off his resume. Hueseman said he was tempted to follow the advice but couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“It’s a personal thing for a couple of us and a bit prideful, but the idea we just spent five years — and a hundred thousand dollars for some of us — obtaining two degrees, to go ahead and wipe that right back off our resume in hopes of getting a $12-an-hour job at Starbucks would really be depressing,” he said.

Even if they did feel inclined to do it, they'd be competing for that job with their peers and with plenty of older jobless workers. About 15 million Americans currently are out of work, 45 percent of them for at least six months.

Competing against older workers with years of experience has put many Millennials on the losing end of job interviews. And while that's typical of past recessions, the long-term unemployment characteristic of this cycle is forcing many older workers to seek jobs that would have gone to younger workers in the past.

“The average length of unemployment now is almost like six months, which is an all-time high, so the longer people are unemployed and the longer they go without being able to find a job, the more willing they are to accept a job that’s lower paying or for which they’re overqualified,” said economist Marisa Di Natale of Moody’s Economy.com.

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Baby boomers also are delaying their retirement, adding to the competition. A quarter of workers postponed their retirement in the past year, with 33 percent of workers now expecting to retire after 65, according to a retirement survey by The Employment Benefit Research Institute.

If they do manage to get hired, younger employees are often the first to be fired in layoffs. And when Millennials do land a job, it probably won’t be as lucrative due to intense competition for jobs. That means that this generation’s potential earning power is likely to lag over the course of their careers.

Young workers who start off in a recession generally begin in lower-ranking positions and have difficulty shifting into better jobs the first 15 years of their careers, according to a study that looked at the experience of workers who launched their careers in the early 1980s.

Young workers on average lost over $100,000 in earnings over the course of their careers due to the recession, concluded the study by Lisa B. Kahn of Yale University.

When asked if Millennials will face similar income losses, Kahn said it’s somewhat difficult to predict but likely.

“There are a lot of similarities with this recession to the recession of the 1980s in that it was the biggest we’d seen since the Great Depression. It’s affecting educated workers, so my guess would be unfortunately, yes,” Kahn said. "

Last night's playlist

2010-07-27T05:23:00.000-07:00

So I signed up for a show last night from 6-9 as I did not have a show this past weekend. I hope you had the opportunity to tune in. If you didn't here is the playlist from the show. If you have trouble seeing the image, click on it and then click on it again to zoom in. I hope you have a good week.

-b gross

Last Saturday's Playlist

2010-07-19T11:03:00.000-07:00

Click on the image below for a higher resolution look.

Playlist from yesterday's radio show

2010-07-11T09:24:00.000-07:00

A link to the playlist can be found below.

http://wxyc.info/playlists/radioShow?radioShowID=119240

Social Media and Free Speech

2010-07-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

This is something which I anticipate will become a contentious issue, if it already hasn't been. Below is a link to a tidbit from the CNN political ticker which may serve to raise some eyebrows on the issue.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/06/how-is-social-media-impacting-free-speech-rights/?fbid=Q8mntHfOF5h

....

Things that are annoying: Part III

2010-06-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

1. Freecreditreport.com

I guarantee that you are already aware that this company is annoying. Whether it is the annoying commercials or the awfully catchy bad songs in those commercials, chances are, this company has gotten on your nerves. You may have noticed however that these commercials have subsided and/or gone away completely. This is because of recent financial reform legislation aimed at helping consumers who have been targeted by unfair business practices.

This leads me to why this company is annoying on another level. First of all, the credit score that you would get from freecreditreport.com is not free at all. I know this firsthand. Three or so years ago, I signed up for it and had to pay a nominal fee to monitor my credit (which I opted out of completely). All I wanted to do was to know my credit score. Unbeknowst to me, under the Fair Credit Reporting act, every individual is entitled to one free credit score per year. It has gotten better since then. Under new legislation , if a lender or a homeowner has requested your credit worthiness via your FICO score, you are entitled to that score. For more information, visit the Federal Trade Commission website on the matter at hand.

http://www.ftc.gov/freereports

2. Neglecting to vacate liquid waste from the urinal

I am consciously neglecting to put an image of this annoying occurrence to spare you the inconvenience. If you had trouble deciphering the title of this annoying thing, it is not flushing the toilet and leaving stale urine hanging around. Some people do this consciously, out of concern for the environment and to save money, and some people do it unconsciously, because they are lazy. Either way, the individual who leaves this travesty leaves not only a host of germs in an already dirty place, but can stain, yes stain, the toilet at hand. It is also very unpleasant to use such a toilet when it is already used in the first place. With the marginal amount of money you would be saving from your water bill, you would probably have to spend that money and more on environmentally degrading bathroom cleaning products to ensure the stains and germs go away. All in all, this is an unnecessarily annoying thing. The opposite of Nike's expression on this one : Just don't do it.

3. Health insurance companies

According to a Reuters News Service article from last year, the lobby for the health care industry was set to spend half a BILLION dollars on lobbying for the year, not coincidentally the year in which Healthcare and Health Insurance regulations were being debated in congress. This just serves to add insult to injury for the millions of uninsured and under insured individuals in this country.

It begs the question: why couldn't this money have been spent on providing more member coverage and for adding members to providers? The recently passed health care overhaul legislation has sought to provide more coverage to more individuals, but who knows what could have been done if not for this lobbying money.

For those who do have insurance, you know that the process of having obtained it is tricky. It is typically through an employer and with unemployment hovering around 10 percent, getting this insurance isn't always an option. And if you get a job, if you have a break in coverage and/or a pre-existing condition, you will have to wait for a certain amount of time. Ironically these are the types of people who would need insurance the most. For example, if I have been unemployed and had say, diabetes for instance, I probably would be both up to my ears in medical bills and possibly even have suffering health as a result. It is not yet clear what impact the new health care reform law(s) will have in practice. What is clear however is the plain and simple fact that in America, this is annoying.

Last weekend's playlist.

2010-06-28T05:28:00.000-07:00

Below is a link to Saturday's playlist from my radio show.

http://wxyc.info/playlists/radioShow?radioShowID=119129

What to look for this week on my blog...

Things that are annoying part III
Euphemisms Part I

Happy Monday!

Useful Information

2010-06-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

Today from noon to three I have my radio show on 89.3 FM in the triangle and on wxyc.org online. Check it out.

Also, here is a really good article about the job search, and some truths I found out the hard way last summer.

10 most overrated things in America in 2010

2010-06-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

here

Quite true.

Things that are annoying: Part II

2010-06-23T05:13:00.000-07:00

IV: Sports know-it-alls: Don't get me wrong... I like sports. The thing is (and fortunately for me and anyone who knows me) I will never be a Sports Know It All. Being a Sports Know It All entails not only sitting in front of ESPN all day but also making a conscious effort to make one's opinion's heard wherever one goes(as if it will make some impact on the sport at hand). Paradoxically, the more one is a Sports Know-it-all, the less athletic one is. Never engage in a discussion with these people unless you of course know more about which you speak of than him.

V: Movie Trailers: While I like being informed of when a possibly decent movie is to come out, I do not like sitting through the sequence of moving billboards that is movie trailers.

I remember a time when you saw a movie trailer and you actually had some idea of what the movie was about. Nowadays you can forget about that. Generally trailers go something like this...

Flashing the studio name- ex 21st century fox
Very recognizable song that came out a year ago or classic rock song over a black image.
Ominous or deep sounding voice begins speaking and eventually mentions an A or B list celebrity's name.
Said celebrity seen with attractive people, explosions, or other celebrity in short segments of incomprehensible scenes which give you no idea what the plot is about

This goes on for about a minute and a half after which some people in the theater start mumbling about whether or not they'd like to see it (as though they could tell based on that short bit).

And on to the main attraction...

Things that are annoying: Part I

2010-06-22T05:27:00.000-07:00

I. Blueteeth

Ever been in a social area and thought that some guy was talking to you while at the same time not acknowledging your existence? Ha silly you! He isn't talking to you at all...he is actually talking to himself. Is he all mentally there? Of course he is! A quick glance reveals he has a little thing in his ear that allows him to carry on conversations without holding a phone. ahhh...he is actually talking to his friend about Phil Mickleson... or is he?

II. Cars that have too many bumper stickers

If you are ever in a hurry to get to work or get somewhere... never...I repeat... never get behind one of these cars (especially if it is a Prius). Not only will you have to go 20 miles per hour slower than you would hope to... but you also have to confront the cold truth that some people are dumb enough to think that drivers are as gullible as to get their politics from the back of a vehicle.

III. Food Facists

There are lots of people with lots of reasons to be self-righteous. Maybe they go to church more than you or give to the poor on a more regular basis. Among the more annoying of these types of people are those who I refer to as Food Facists. These are defined as any individual who issues scorn to another person based on the contents of their stomach. Diet is always a personal choice if not in those countries where food is too scarce to have such a choice. Nonesense think food facists...people's diets are held captive by companies like Kraft foods and whoever makes transfat. You get the gist.

Today's Radio Show

2010-06-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

Check out my playlist from today's show. http://wxyc.info/playlists/radioShow?radioShowID=119071

If you missed it this week, be sure to check it out next weekend on Saturday noon-3.

Radio Show

2010-06-17T07:55:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to tune in this Saturday to WXYC-Chapel Hill 89.3 FM in the North Carolina RTP area. You can also listen online through itunes or by going to http://wxyc.org/. The show is from noon to 3 as it is every Saturday and I hope you listen!

Job seekers beware.

2010-06-15T06:29:00.000-07:00

Last summer, when I was looking for a job out of college, I was lured in to a scam of sorts that targets the unemployed. It technically is not a "scam," but it nevertheless is a croc. For some reason this has bothered me ever since. I am posting here with the hopes that someone would be able to avoid what I wasted my time on two hot days last August. I did some research on the matter and found some good resources to read regarding this.

Here are some helpful links...

http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/global-incorporated-c308929.html

http://www.spamlaws.com/vector-marketing-scam

World Cup

2010-06-14T06:52:00.001-07:00

The summer is not typically my favorite time for sports. Since quitting little league in the 5th grade, I haven't been quite into baseball as I once was even though I am still passive fan. The NBA finals will soon come to an end. This being true, I hope to get into the world cup action. I didn't watch a single game last world cup, but hopefully my sports satiation can be quenched. That is, until the 'football' I am familiar with comes again.

Playlist from this weekend's radio show.

2010-06-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

http://wxyc.info/playlists/radioShow?radioShowID=119011

This Summer

2010-06-11T08:23:00.000-07:00

I hope to revamp this website and try to use it more this summer. I will put up more content, link to more relevant information, post more videos, and document anything I think the world should know. I hope you check back soon!

Jack Bauer Fact

2010-05-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

Jack Bauer Facts

2010-05-24T13:39:00.001-07:00

the lie detector test

2009-06-09T15:56:00.000-07:00

09: Now What?

2009-06-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

In a nation that has prided itself so much on hard work and individualism, how much is there to truly show for it?

As a recent graduate of a relatively prestigious university in UNC-Chapel Hill, I can for one begin to explain the difficulties that this year's economy has presented. However, as one who has studied social affairs, world affairs, the economy, etc etc, I find it difficult to truly call what is now titled 'the recession.' It would be impossible to do what is going on right now justice.

I don't think it is just a lack of money going around. I don't think it is merely a crisis of confidence or the consequences of people paying for things they couldn't afford. It may be a truly disparaging combination of those two factors, but I also believe something more is at work.

What do I mean?

We can take a look back not too long ago to realize how different today's economy is than it was. In the period following the second-world war, employees in the United States held one or two careers (if presented with the opportunity). Now while of course there were many unjust barriers to the better jobs, at least a sense of stability existed in the job market.

The sort of jobs that people had were not too entirely different from the ones 20 years before, 50 years before, and in the case of skilled professionals- centuries before.

What has happened?

Today I look for jobs, 'work,' careers, whatever you would like to call it and something just doesn't seem right...

First of all... where is the only place that I will ever hear about jobs or apply to them? It is of course ... online. While the internet I guess has democraticized communications immensely in recent past, it has also turned people(at least in the case of a job hunt) into something that can't truly be seen, heard, touched, but really just a temporary image on a screen. How will an online resume or cover letter or email do my ability to be of value to an employer justice? It is just impossible. If my only option to get a foot in the virtual door is to write an email from a posting on a website, how is that to be done? An inordinate amount of online posting for jobs don't even name the company or employer by name. The job postings are incredibly vague and don't truly spell out what work is to be done.

I can only help but to think attaining something as simple as a job now boils down to the roll of the dice. Many of times my emails to employers haven't been responded to. If I really think about it however, I understand because all I really sent was just an email. It was not even a physical letter, it wasn't meeting someone up close, it was not even a remotely human exchange. When job postings deliberately say 'no calls,' not even my own voice can be heard about.

This frustrations aside, I also as a job seeker must consider which industries are here to stay and which are on their way out. Also there is elephant in the room of job security. This last year has demonstrated that the private financial sector is not a secure place to have a job. The Health Insurance Industry, if congress has anything to do with it, very well may fall by the wayside. The tech industry will be here to stay most likely. Skilled positions in the health care industry remain strong. Education will be a secure industry for people to work in only if the public decides how much they value it.

What is left for a garden variety Bachelor of Arts graduate? Well the answer is the jobs posted online.

But still, even if I get a decent paying job, a steady salary, etc. etc, it is doubtful whether or not I will want to remain in that industry or the industry will want to remain with me. Given that most people these days have many jobs throughout life, what stability is there? Nowadays people move away hundreds of miles away from their families within the country in search of better lives without much to show for it. If the economic crisis has taught anyone anything it has been a wake up call make people aware of what they should value most.

What to do with all this on my plate? I can only hope for stability.

www.bgrossmedia.com

2009-05-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

it is .commercial now instead of .blogspot.commercial.

get excited.

finders weepers: back to the artifact.

2009-05-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

This is what can happen if you come across small black objects in the restricted woods.

"a _____ ___ is headed to Durham"

sober daze

2009-05-17T15:53:00.000-07:00

Viral Catharsis

2009-05-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

there are some good movies (only in my opinion) in times like these. you can call them horror, you can call them apocolyptic, you can even call them unreal. they're here. they've been here. they explore possibilities and it's scary for that very reason ... you might have time ... you should check into some of these films about "pandemics"/zombies/whatever ... you can easily send suggestions yourself if you want to...

-apocolypse now

-28 days later

-dreamcatcher

-cabin fever

-any george romero movie ... of course there are more ...