IT’S NOT JUST THE NUMBER OF JOBS: Questions About The Quality Of Jobs Being Created.

One word is polarization. That word appeared in the minutes of the most recent meeting of the Federal Reserve‘s monetary policy setting Federal Open Market Committee. The meeting, where the Fed decided it had to ease policy more to help the stubborn unemployment problem, took place Sept. 12-13. The minutes were released Thursday.

“It was also suggested that there was an ongoing process of polarization in the labor market, with the share of job opportunities in middle-skill occupations continuing to decline while the shares of low and high skill occupations increased.”

That’s the quote from the Fed minutes, in the context of the policymakers’ discussion and debate of slack in the jobs arena. Ultimately, of course, the Fed decided to aggressively ease, though some observers have questioned the central bank’s ability to significantly influence hiring through a bond-buying regime.

Presumably, monetary policy isn’t designed to affect polarization. Long-term issues about public education, access to higher education, tax policy, start-up incentives, trade issues and more help determine what sorts of jobs are created and who is qualified to fill them.

The other phrase of interest Friday is part time. Analysts and others poring over the September jobs data, which showed a rise in total employment by 873,000, according to the Labor Department’s survey of households, have noted a big increase in part-time positions among those who would prefer full-time employment.

Based on Labor data, there were some 582,000 new part-time jobs created that are included in the Labor category of “part time for economic reasons.”

How’s that hopey-changey stuff workin’ out for ya?

IT REALLY IS LIKE THE HUNGER GAMES IN OUR CAPITAL CITY: Capitol Assets: Congress’s wealthiest mostly shielded from effects of deep recession. “Most members weathered the financial crisis better than the average American, who saw median household net worth drop 39 percent from 2007 to 2010. The median estimated wealth of members of the current Congress rose 5 percent during the same period, according to their reported assets and liabilities. The wealthiest one-third of Congress gained 14 percent.”

HE CHOSE TO BE SEDUCED: David Thompson on historian Eric Hobsbawm’s lifetime love affair with Communism.

HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: Stimulus! Consumer Credit Soars As Uncle Sam Resumes Handing Out Billions In Student Loans With Reckless Abandon. “Needless to say, the biggest source of consumer credit in the past 4 years has been the Federal Government.”

HOW’S THAT HOPEY-CHANGEY STUFF WORKIN’ OUT FOR YA? (CONT’D): 2012’s Sure Losers—Young People: “Hi, I’m Marty and I’ll be your waiter for the next 40 years.” “What these numbers show is a process of political disconnection among under-30s. And why not? This is the bitter fruit of a reality familiar across low-growth Western Europe: Youth unemployment is breeding youth disengagement. Over the past four years, the unemployment rate for Americans age 16 to 24 has been twice the rate for the general population. Currently it’s about 17%. For young blacks it’s 28%. . . . Western Europe is about a decade ahead of the U.S. in showing the path downward once a low economic-growth rate gets locked in, as may be happening here. Where we could be headed politically was suggested by a small but telling story this week from France, where chronically high youth unemployment sits at about 22%.”

Redistribution always ends this way.

HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: Private College Tuition Up by 3.9%, Smallest Rise in 40 Years. “The data come at a time of heightened pressure from politicians and the public for colleges to keep their charges within reach of students and families.”

CHANGE: “What You Know” now beats “Who You Know.”

THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE IS A BUG: Researchers Discover Bacteria That Produces Pure Gold.

B.B. KING AT 87: The last of the great bluesmen.

BUT WILL HE SEE ANOTHER SUPER BOWL? Jerry Jones turns 70.

ANSWERING THE VITAL QUESTIONS: The Oxford English Dictionary wants to know whether Prince Philip is responsible for coining the phrase ‘blue-arsed fly’.

THAT’S NOT AN EXTREME  SPORT, THIS IS AN EXTREME SPORT: New Extreme Sport Of Flyboarding Takes Off In Australia

DEFINITELY BIG BIRD: Who should Obama pick to practice debate with next time, if Kerry was so ineffective?

JOE BIDEN TO THE RESCUE!

WHY WI-FI is often so slow.

I agree with the endorsement of power line adapters. I use those in our house and they work well.

AT AMAZON, up to 50% off in Movies, TV & Instant Video.

FEMALES CAN DO FINE WITHOUT MALES:  If they happen to be snakes!

BAH.  THEY SHOULD SELL IT AS A NOVELTY:  Blue and green honey makes French beekeepers see red

WELL, IT IS THE 21st CENTURY:  Mouse stem cells yield viable eggs

CONFUSION: Obama’s Social Security Answer Leaves Democrats Utterly Baffled.

THEY’RE SHOWING YOU DON’T HAVE ANY SAY: California struggles with gas prices and availability and people ask “What are they doing to us?”

OBAMA CARE GAMES: New York State Seeks to Limit Doctor Visits for ‘Benchmark’ ObamaCare Plan

OF COURSE HE DOES: Obama delays retaliating for Libyan attacks.  My children and grandchildren will pay in blood for the image of weakness he’s projecting abroad.

ISN’T IT TIME TO MOVE PAST NOSTALGIA? The Beatles 50 years on: sink the yellow submarine.

RUT-ROH: Is Michael Vick a dog owner once again?