We are beginning to see a turn in our area. Just one county over from us was one of hardest hit late last year and prompted a visit from the President to make his point for the stimulus package. Unemployment is still double digit at this point but dropping. There has been far more talk about the new jobs being created then lost ones. Elkhart county is heavy in the RV and Mobile Home industry and has always been subject to layoffs during any economic downturn. What he are seeing are new kinds of businesses making the choice to relocate or expand here. A large number of skilled but unemployed workers makes for a nice labor pool to draw from. The closing of so many plants left a lot of unused building available at reduced cost and ready to have someone new move in and set up shop. Manufactured Housing and RV's will still play a part in that economy, but even that seems to returning. Some of the plants in that field are hiring new or recalling old workers as well. Taking up the slack of those who fell leaving a customer base that feels better about spending now.

We have seen a 300 million dollar development go up near the University of Notre Dame. A mixed use project of shops, condos, apartments and hotels. The shops are filling up quickly. The draw to the campus sure does help, but it is good to retailers having enough faith to open new stores.

Of course things will vary in different parts of the country and I would not want to suggest it is all roses here, but it is getting better. My oldest son works for a local company that process sheet metal products for a number of companies one of which is Ford. He has been on ten hour days, six sometimes seven days a week for several months now. Ford must be selling some cars to be buying up that much product from this company.

83 Percent of U.S. Adults Fail Test on Nation's Founding

It's ironic that those seeking to become citizens of the U.S. have to pass such a test but a hugh majority of the natives don't know much about their own country.

Point well taken, I doubt very much that the majority of the kids or the adults for that matter that I work with have a strong working knowledge of American history or just how the political system. Can you imagine givinging a test before you are given your voter registration card?

That's been done: Southern states used literacy tests to keep blacks from voting

President Obama was correct to take a cautious approach to off-shore drilling. The proof that we need to explore before drilling is in the Gulf of Mexico now. The "drill, baby, drill" set is pretty quiet on the matter.

GM posts its first quarterly profit in 3 years

This is very good news for the American auto industry. Stop driving Accords and Camrys. Start driving Fusions and Malibus.

I don't buy new cars myself but I see other people driving a brand new car every three years or so.

I have a 2009 Corolla. It wasn't my vehicle of choice (Chevy Impala still holds that distinction). But the sales team worked out a financing option that was suitable to me.
Still, that's welcome news about GM.

BP has tried almost everything to no avail!



But has BP tried this stuff?



Unfortunately, this spill is going to require years of bio remediation.