The Big Picture has a scary US unemployment map (2004-present).

Alice Schroeder analyzes Buffett’s Burlington purchase–and claims he’s not as all-out bullish on the economy as he sounds.

EcoSalon has the stories behind ten popular organic brands (eg., which ones are independently run, and which ones are owned by large corporations).

Speaking of green…how green is your pet? (New Scientist)

1. LA: Driver for the BUS (Driver for the BUS)

Adult Day Care needs a Driver BP class.
Monday to Friday. Pay – $ 45.00

• Location: Driver for the BUS

I know that driver for the BUS makes sense in other languages…but in English, it’s just plain funny.

2. LA: Dream job for the right person… could it be you?

Dream job for the right person… could it be you?

Description: Well established adult oriented website company looking for someone with a knack for choosing the best adult material. With the training we provide, you’ll be selecting pictures and videos for our sites on a daily basis. So yes, basically you get paid to look at porn, but there’s a lot more to it than you might think. You have to know EXACTLY what to look for. It takes a highly-trained and keen eye to select the proper images for our websites. The difference between picking the right and wrong pictures even one time can mean thousands in additional sales revenues for the company.

“Highly-trained,” in this context, means you have watched a lot of porn.

3. Canada: Taboo Sales Reps Needed

Looking For Sales Help For The Upcoming Taboo Naughty But Nice Sex Show.
Needs To Be Energetic, Outgoing and Great Customer Service. Duties Would Include Greeting and Helping Customers, Setup and Tear Down of Show.

Please note this is an adult oriented show and you must be 18 and over to apply.

Must be comfortable selling jelly-like protrusions intended to fit into outlandish places.

4. Canada: Installer for chimney wanted

Looking for a chimney “expert” to install wood burning stove chimney on a weekend. Not to be offensive but please do not apply if you are a weekend handiman or someone who read how to install a chimney. Must know code. Please send me your info and I will contact you. Thank you.

Note to weekend handymen: Just be really, really good at pretending you’re an expert. And don’t being an instruction manual like the last guy did.

5. Canada: Love piercings and tattoos???

Looking to hire ENERGETIC, OUTGOING, HARD WORKING, and MOTIVATED sales people!! Christmas is a busy season and we need good sellers!! do you love to work?

please write a little blurb about yourself when applying. What makes you stand out? what weird or cool hobbies do you have?? tell us something that makes you, YOU!

You love to work, you don’t get any breaks, you have to stand around in a mall, and you have weird/cool hobbies. Why don’t they just directly ask for teenagers in desperate need of money?

Happy Friday!

7. Rhodes Scholarships

What they do:

The Freemasons select and indoctrinate the finest minds of every generation by giving them Rhodes Scholarships to Oxford University, where they have access to the best teaching and others sympathetic to Masonic ideology. Rhodes scholars invariably go on to positions of power in finance, law, politics or the media, from which they are able to ensure that Masonic interests are promoted and protected.

How they do it:

Cecil Rhodes himself became a Mason whilst studying at Oxford in the 1870s. After hearing a speech by fellow mason, John Ruskin, calling for ‘a ruling class with a powerful army to keep it in power’, he became obsessed with the idea of bringing the entire world under the rule of the British Masonic elite, and sought to do so through extensive business projects in Africa and the Empire. In his estate Rhodes entrusted Nathan Rothschild with continuing his program of intellectual world domination, and today Rhodes scholars occupy key positions throughout the global business world.

Do they really?

Although the link between Rhodes and the Masons is clear for all to see, it is entirely implausible that such a venerable institution as Oxford University would allow any external political agenda to play a part in its entrance policies. Accepting the Rhodes scholar conspiracy is akin to accepting that the whole academic world is quietly shaping the world – which is probably true in a very obvious, non-sinister way.

6. Federal Reserve

What they do:

Freemasons use the notion of the Federal Reserve as a public institution to trick the public into believing no single group has a monopoly on the production, distribution and manipulation of currency. The Masons control the Federal Reserve, operating it as essentially a private bank. Profit is created by charging 5% interest (according to the Act) on every dollar bill that is issued – 5% of the face value that is – so if a dollar bill stays in circulation for 20 years, we pay back the dollar itself, plus a dollar in interest into the pockets of the Federal Reserve.

How they do it:

The great banking families, such as the Rothschilds, Warburgs and Rockefellers, exercise almost total control over the Federal Reserve. Many of these are directly descended from the Knights Templar and the Masonic European elite. When these families decided to create the Federal Reserve in 1910 they wrote their own domination into the very constitution of the American people, as well as a license to print money from thin air.

Do they really?

The notion that the Federal Reserve is a private institution controlled by any group or individual is probably both right and wrong. The Federal Reserve derives its power from Congress, and is considered an independent central bank because its decisions do not have to be ratified by the President or anyone else in the executive or legislative branch of government. Congress periodically reviews its activities and can alter its responsibilities. On the other hand it’s undoubtedly true that a handful of powerful families exercise an inordinate amount of power – although the amount of political infighting suggests they are far from aligned with each other.

5. The Square and Compass

What they do:

Write into our everyday business and political language tacit signs of Masonic dominance. According to this conspiracy, everyday sayings and names of initiations or processes are actually based upon Masonic ritual and symbols.

How they do it:

One of the most significant Masonic symbols is the mason’s square. In court we say “his testimony doesn’t ‘square’ with the facts of the case”. When you go to jail they give you “3 ‘square’ meals”. Meetings have always traditionally been held at the Town ‘Square’. If you’re not cool, they say you’re a ’square’. Remember to play “fair and square”. Equally, another Masonic symbol, the compass, also codifies the everyday language we use to conduct business. When you graduate college, you receive a ‘degree’ (you are also called an Alumni – for Illuminati, another group connected with Freemasonry), as the Masons set up the institutions of learning in the first place. If you get in their way they give you the ‘3rd degree’, which was, in fact, the highest degree in Freemasonry for many years.

Do they really:

This conspiracy is for those that watch the movie, the Number 23, and then start counting the objects in their room. Masonic codes are no more written into the language of business, politics and education than any other codes we care to find. ‘Working like a dog’, ‘a dog’s dinner’, ‘dog tired’ – shall we conclude that dogs control the business world? No, you morons.

4. US Dollar Bills

What they do:

Further proof that the Masons control US money and the business done with it (and in particular the Federal Reserve) may be seen in the fact that on the back of the U.S. one dollar bill there is a pyramid with the All-Seeing-Eye of God, with the message,  “New Order of The Ages” or “New World Order”.

How they do it:

In Europe, occult leaders were told by their Familiar Spirits as early as the 1740’s that the new American continent was to be established as the new “Atlantis”, and its destiny was to assume the global leadership of the drive to the New World Order. By controlling the Federal Reserve and banks the Masons have been able to gradually familiarize us with their symbols to the point we are entirely unaware of them as they surround us. The all-seeing pyramid is a symbol of their dominance, written under our noses into the very currency with which we conduct business.

Do they really:

Short answer – no. Benjamin Franklin was the only Mason on the first design committee, and his suggestions had no Masonic content. None of the final designers of the seal were Masons, and the interpretation of the eye on the seal is subtly different from the interpretation used by Masons. The eye in the pyramid is not, nor has been, a Masonic symbol – the eye of providence is in fact Trinitarian reference to the God of Christianity and considered a solely Christian symbol, and in any case, Freemasonry was only just beginning in England and hadn’t arrived in the US by that time. So that pretty much wraps that one up.

3. Washington DC Street Design

What they did:

Freemasons embedded Masonic symbols into the Washington, D.C., street plan designed mainly by Frenchman Pierre L’Enfant in 1791, writing their codes into the very seat of political power. He hid certain occult magical symbols in the layout of U.S. Governmental Center which, when united become one large Masonic and Luciferan symbol.

How they did it:

The street layout of Washington contains a plethora of Masonic and associated symbols, including the set-square, compass, pentagram, 666, figure of the Godhead and the Eye of Providence. The implication is that the Mason dominance over the US meant that even the origins of its political and financial structures were based in Masonic ideology.

Did they really?

It can be said with a high degree of certainty that Pierre L’Enfant wasn’t a Mason, and in any case, what would be the point of laying out street designs in complex geometrical shapes few people would appreciate? Mark Tabbert, a self-confessed Mason and director of collections at the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia, has said that “there has to be a reason for doing such a thing. Dan Brown will find one, because he writes fiction. But there isn’t one.”

2. Monopoly on Recruitment

What they do:

Masons ensure, through programs such as the Rhodes Scholarships, that their members occupy positions of key significance in the business world. Of prime importance are the recruitment departments of the worlds largest corporations – by controlling these the Masons ensure only those who they approve of may find work in the most powerful establishments and only their own can rise to weld such power.

How they do it:

Masons fill the corporations with those sympathetic to their cause by total dominance of human resources departments and ensuring that they have a man on the board of every major corporation. Unless you are one of them or gain approval, you will never rise to any position of significant power. To conceal this fact they encourage the creation of thousands of meaningless bureaucratic positions in business, which fool people into thinking they have authority when in actual fact they are merely pawns.

Do they really?

Recruitment and promotion are under more scrutiny today than ever before, what with equal opportunities and all that. It would be very difficult to mount a huge scale program of selecting by allegiance without attracting attention somehow. Also: the sheer number of HR departments in the country make this a stupefyingly insane proposition. Never in my time have I or anyone I know been asked if I am a Mason at a job interview, or prompted to give a secret sign. Maybe I’m just not in on it though . . .

1. The World Bank

What they do:

The Freemasons use the World Bank as a front for an international banking cabal under their control. They plan to eventually subvert the independence of the U.S. by subordinating national sovereignty to a strengthened Bank for International Settlements with the intent to create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole

How they do it:

Control of the World Bank allows the Masons to extend their global influence in a similar way to how they control the Federal Reserve. They control the Board of Directors and the recruiting structures and from there are able to dictate policy and ensure that these policies are not objected to.

Do they really?

Although many of the Bank’s practices are dubious the idea it is controlled by one group (other than of course America) is preposterous. The World Bank was created as a result of the complex political minefield that was the Second World War – after such a historically significant event, it was widely held that a radical overhaul of global economics was needed. Some countries are undoubtedly held back within the Bank, but generally it strives for democracy at every turn.

Sources: 1, 2

Images: acameronhuff, cliff1066, hansbrastad, wikimedia.

In 2008, the Boston Consulting Group ran a lifestyle survey of 12,000 women in 22 countries. Their survey findings inform the conclusions in Women Want More, a book that details the burgeoning women’s consumer market.

Each chapter includes statistics, company stories, and anecdotes from individual women. Readers finish the book with an idea of how women behave as consumers, and how to gear their products for success in the female economy.

Authors: BCG Senior Partner Michael Silverstein, who wrote Trading Up (2003) and Treasure Hunt (2006). Co-written with BCG Partner Kate Sayre.

Recommended for: Corporate leaders and marketers who want to tap the growing women’s consumer products sector.

Background

Women comprise a huge potential market for companies. They control almost $12 trillion of the $18.4 trillion in worldwide consumer spending (65%). By 2028, they will control 72%. Over the next five years, they will gain $5 trillion in earned income. The result? A consumer market bigger than China and India.

That’s just the beginning. So far, 80% of unemployment growth has been male, making the term he-cession ring true. Women own 40% of US businesses—and that number is growing. Women make most of the household decisions about travel, cars, and electronics. Many control household finances.

With economic potential like that, companies need to think seriously about catering to discerning females. “Making it pink” just won’t work.

The Survey

After reviewing the results of their survey, the authors came up with some noteworthy findings. Some of it is familiar: People have either researched and concluded it before, or it sounds like common knowledge:

1) Most women are employed.

* 71% of US mothers are in the labor force (2006 stats)
* 56% have children under one year old (2006)

2) At the same time, women still do all the housework.

* 88% are responsible for grocery shopping
* 85% make all the family meals
* 84% do the laundry
* 84% do most of the housecleaning

3) As a result, they’re stressed.

* 47% say that demands on their time are the “big stress in their life”
* 45% don’t have enough time for themselves

4) Finally, in an unrelated vein of womanhood, they don’t feel skinny or pretty.

* 68% think they’re overweight
* 44% of women rarely or never feel beautiful

Sayre and Silverstein also uncover some tidbits that you may not have heard before:

* Women’s happiness, as correlated with age, is a V-shaped curve. That means women are happiest when they’re young and old, but not so much in between.

* Love, health, honesty, and well-being are the four most important values to women

* When asked what makes them extremely happy, women said:
1) Pets (42%)
2) Sex (27%)
3) Food (19%)

Sorry, guys.

The authors claim there are still a lot of first-mover advantages in the female market. Overall, women fell pressured for time and stressed. They’re constantly looking for products that meet their specific needs (unlike men, who are more loyal to brands). If you create a product that saves women time, feel in control of their finances, or offers other key features as defined in the book, you, too, can capture your piece of the femme pie.

Archetypes

To learn exactly how to address women’s needs, you need to consider the archetype your target market belongs to. The authors divide women into six archetypes. They’re based on economic class, age, and family status:

Fast tracker: 24% of population, 34% of earned income
College-educated, career-minded, makes a lot of money

Pressure cooker: 22% of the population, 23% of earned income
Middle-income, middle-aged, never enough time in the day

Relationship focused: 16% of the population, 13% of earned income
Young, single, adopting brands

Fulfilled empty nester: 15% of the population, 16% of earned income
Money in pocket, enough time, likes leisure and travel

Managing on her own: 10% of population, 9% earned income
Divorced/widowed, making a lot of decisions by herself

Making ends meet: 12% of the population, 5% of earned income
Low income, less education. Low-paying jobs or unemployed. Dissatisfied.

Companies need to understand exactly who they’re trying to serve, and refine from there.

Although the archetypes serve the purposes of this book well, they don’t take culture, lifestyle, and other important market aspects into consideration. They’re a starting point for companies, but not a definitive guide for defining a market segment.

Features of Each Chapter

After explaining the archetypes, the book explores different categories of products that women care about. Each chapter is devoted to a category. Food, fitness, beauty, and apparel make up the first four categories. Financial services and healthcare, which women perceive negatively, make up the next two.

The authors cover how women perceive each product category, how they spend their money on it, and how archetypes react to it. Quotes, statistics, and anecdotes about individual women add flavor to the chapter.

The authors also describe commercial opportunities in each category, illustrating them with major corporations that “got it right.” These include Whole Foods, Curves, Olay, Banana Republic, and several other large corporations.

Next, the book talks about women in low- and high-growth global economies. The former include Japan and Europe. The latter include BRIC, Mexico, and the Middle East. Readers learn more about the characteristics of women in those countries, and how to cater to them.

Before concluding the book, the authors detail women’s attitudes towards charity and giving.

Analysis

The book is well-written, even fun to read. The statistics, stories, and quotes in each story engage readers with the subject matter. Some topics might feel familiar—of course women don’t have enough time—but the book adds value to previous assumptions by going into specifics.

Sadly, several of the characters in the book aren’t original. One was sourced from Wikipedia; another came from a blog. BusinessWeek reporters uncovered this irritating fact in September. The authors have agreed to make revisions.

Also note that the book targets leaders of large, consumer-goods corporations (who might, incidentally, read the book and hire BCG consultants). It doesn’t go into depth with regards to service industries, outside of financial and healthcare services. It doesn’t give readers refined tips, or schedules on how to revise their product offerings. One assumes that’s where the consultants come in.

The book provides a general reminder to capture a growing market. It gives a deeper definition of who inhabits that market. And, as far as business books go, it is conventional. It covers established companies and brands. It does not mention burgeoning industries (eg. the green industry) or edgy innovations.

The material is in-the-box and focused on big companies. Undoubtedly, that serves a purpose. Just know that the business wisdom within won’t push many boundaries.

In sum: Useful and fun to read, but not groundbreaking.

Learn more about the book here.

Full disclosure: BCG sent us a free copy of the book to review.

The complaint alleges there was probable cause to believe Mr. Goffer and his conspirators engaged in insider trading in the acquisitions of Kronos Inc. and Hilton Hotels Corp.

The Yankees won the world series last yesterday, thanks in part to Hideki Matsui’s stellar performance. They also top the MLB payroll for 2009. Here’s part of the list, as compiled by the AP:

1. New York Yankees $201,449,289
2. New York Mets $135,773,988
3. Chicago Cubs $135,050,000
4. Boston Red Sox $122,696,000
5. Detroit Tigers $115,085,145
6. Los Angeles Angels $113,709,000
7. Philadelphia Phillies $113,004,048
8. Houston Astros $102,996,415
9. Los Angeles Dodgers $100,458,101
10. Seattle Mariners $98,904,167

See the full list here.

Clearly, the Yankees used more than money to win last night. And if payroll is that crucial, what happened with the Mets, the MLB’s second-highest paying team this year?

Former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina announced that she will run for Senate in California today. The Washington Post has more:

“Throughout my career I’ve brought people together, and I’ve solved problems,” wrote Fiorina in an editorial in the Orange County Register today. “And that is what is needed in our government today. People who are willing to set aside ego and partisanship and instead work to develop solutions to our problems.”

One California Republican strategist acknowledged that Fiorina “has a long way to go” in terms of viability but quickly added that her profile, her personal wealth (assuming she spends some of it) and Boxer’s controversial persona means that the Republican will likely stay within shouting distance of the incumbent through next summer and fall.

If Fiorina’s HP legacy has any bearing on her ability to be a successful political leader, this doesn’t bode well. That said, many people have become politicians after unusual careers (especially in California). And in politics, dogma and money override past mistakes. It’s not about ability to govern, it’s about the ability to get votes.

This will get interesting.

Rumor has it that Cookie Monster is turning into a health-crazed Veggie Monster in an effort to combat childhood obesity. This isn’t the case, but Cookie Monster isn’t quite what he used to be, either. The Big Change in cookie monster actually occurred in 2005, but the rumor has found its way back to the Web. CBS reported the scoop three years ago:

My beloved blue, furry monster — who sang “C is for cookie, that’s good enough for me” — is now advocating eating healthy. There’s even a new song — “A Cookie Is a Sometimes Food,” where Cookie Monster learns there are “anytime” foods and “sometimes” foods.

“Even Cookie Monster is learning to control his cookie cravings,” Frist told me by e-mail. “His sage advice opened our eyes to the simple joys of a tasty cookie and now reminds us that moderation is the key to healthy living.”

“Cookiegate” was just another chapter in a long tradition of social forces intervening in kids’ shows. More recently, Disney recalled Baby Einstein DVDs after consumer groups claimed that exposing kids to TV at an early age hampered play in favor of corporate brainwashing. Sid the Science Kid is now pushing H1N1 flu shots, thanks to a multimillion dollar government PR campaign.

The big question is: Does this stuff work? It has to, to some extent. Companies like McDonald’s fatten kids by luring them in with attractive Happy Meals. Surely Cookie Monster and talking vegetables can make healthy food look less nasty to young ‘uns, too. But parents remain the bottom line. Social propoganda campaigns remain peripheral to the lifestyle parents encourage their kids to live.

Personally, I’d rather see reams of money being pushed into organizations that promote better parenting. If parents are responsible, TV won’t ever have the final say.