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There Must Be A Pony In Here Somewhere


Current DateTime: 02:53:02 16 May 2012
LinksList Documentid: 31373455
Expiration DateTime: 5/16/2012 2:54:55 AM
  •  
    Tuesday, 15 May 2012 4:29 PM ET

    In the budget revision released this week by California Governor Jerry Brown, there was only one thing to “like”—Facebook.
    Facebook
    Tony Avelar | Bloomberg | Getty Images

    "The biggest change in the California outlook stems from incorporating assumptions about the impact of the initial public offering of Facebook stock,” reads the Governor’s report. “It may turn out to be one of the largest initial public offerings in U.S. history and far larger than all of the recent offerings in the internet sector."

    How large?

    "The Facebook IPO could result in about $12 billion of additional income for California residents in the latter half of 2012."

    Twelve. Billion. Dollars. Really?

    The state income taxes on that alone would top $1.2 billion, enough to fill 7.5 percent of the current $16 billion deficit.

    We called the Governor's office to see how it came up with that $12 billion number.

     » Read More

  •  
    Friday, 11 May 2012 12:39 PM ET

    College graduation time! Congratulations on working so hard to earn that degree in architecture. Welcome to McDonald's.

    According to Georgetown University, architecture majors have a much higher unemployment rate than other recent grads—a whopping 13.9 percent.

    The study came out a few months ago, and it seems like a good time to go through the numbers, as parents across America prepare themselves to be bombarded by pleas from graduating progeny to move home because, “It’s so haaaaard to find a job.”  » Read MoreGeorgetown says recent graduates with the best chances of getting jobs have degrees in healthcare and education, with an average jobless rate of 5.4 percent. That's nearly three points lower than the rate for grads with degrees in computers and math.

  •  
    Thursday, 10 May 2012 2:32 PM ET

    With the crush of layoffs during the recession, it was easy to play the old "you're lucky to have a job" card with your employees. Now, as the economy starts to sputter back, you're are going to have to come up with some new material — or you’re going to have a mutiny on your hands.

    Jolly Roger Flag
    Ian McKinnell | Photographer's Choice | Getty Images
    No boss wants to see this flying in front of company headquarters when they drive into work in the morning, amiright?

    The employees left standing have been overworked for several years now, carrying the weight of both their job and the employees that were laid off, leaving the current workforce with a serious case of fatigue.

    When times are tough or companies are going through big changes, they rely the most on their top employees. These “recession work-horses” are some of the employees that are most fatigued right now, said Mark Vaughn, a senior partner at Navint Partners, a management-consulting firm that works with a lot of financial firms.

    “Every company relies on their top 20 percent,” Vaughn said. “And the best [employees] are always at the most risk of leaving — certainly in good times, but even in bad times like this,” he said. “Some people I’ve talked to have just checked out — they don’t feel like they can be rewarded in the way they should be for the work they do,” he added.

    "We have frequently seen high-level employees who are overworked and underpaid becoming disengaged," said Piera Palazzolo, senior vice president of marketing at Dale Carnegie Institute, a corporate-training organization. "Employees who ARE engaged can look beyond their wages, salary and hours and feel a close attachment to the values, ethics and actions embodied by the organization," he said.

     » Read More

  •  
    Thursday, 10 May 2012 11:44 AM ET

    Fuse | Getty Images

    Just sent dirty pictures of yourself to someone who's not your wife? Need to get rid of them quickly? There's an app for that.

    Snapchat lets you control how long your sexts last before disappearing.

    Think of it as a new age, pervy version of the self-destructing tapes Jim Phelps played on "Mission Impossible" (kids, IMDB that, it was a great show).  » Read More

  •  
    Wednesday, 9 May 2012 10:01 AM ET

    Peter Dazeley | Photographer's Choice | Getty Images
    Dude, did your mother write that sign?

    Remember when we were young, a million years ago, and we couldn't wait to leave home and strike out on our own?

    Two things have changed.

    Our children can't find jobs.

    Our children can find jobs, but they don’t like them.

    My daughter is about to graduate college and is in the midst of applying for full-time work. I'm not worried. She's worked since high school, and she actually juggled two jobs plus internships and a full class load this final year. The idea of living at home repulses her because of my cooking and her father's rules, both great incentives to finding her own way in the world.

    The good news is that more than half of recent college graduates say they have full-time jobs, according to Adecco's 2012 Graduation Survey.

    Still, about that same number claims parents are covering some of their living expenses, things like cell phone bills, internet access, food, and health coverage. Two percent of these college grads say their parents are footing their entire living expenses. That's one in 50 kids (I think the real number is higher based on personal observation).

    Some parents are not content to help pay the bills. They’re going to great lengths to help Junior get a job.  » Read More

  •  
    Tuesday, 8 May 2012 3:22 PM ET

    With all this “fiscal cliff” talk about the US economy plunging when tax cuts expire and government spending cuts hit early next year, it’s easy to second-guess the presidential candidates about their plans.

    Adam Taylor | Riser | Getty Images
    Put the beer down, armchair politicians. It's your move!

    That will never work! We’re headed for a cliff! you shout from your living room, spilling a little beer on your armchair amid the hoopla of your enthusiastic critique.

    Well, arm-chair politicians, it’s time to put the beer down and see if you can do better than President Obama, Mitt Romney and the other candidates.

    The nonpartisan group Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has come up with a “Stabilize the U.S. Debt” game to give anyone the chance to Step Right Up! – like a game at a carnival — and try their hand at stabilizing the debt.

    Don’t like Obamacare? Not a fan of the Buffett tax? Afraid of the politicians we put in charge of “the button” for nuclear warfare? Well now, step aside President Obama. And Mitt Romney. It’s your turn to decide what funding stays and what gets cut.

     » Read More

  •  
    Tuesday, 8 May 2012 2:21 PM ET

    Some videos to lighten up your Tuesday, videos that'll make you laugh, make you cry, leave you puzzled.

    FIRST...LAUGH

    Is that a weather forecast or are you just happy to see me? Be careful how you draw those weather maps. In the funny business of local news, there's been a flurry of anatomically correct weather forecasts hitting the country in the last few years. In this video, the weatherman finally understands what's wrong with his picture.

    That does not happen in this second weather report from KLST in San Angelo, Texas. As the caption on Youtube says, "I guess Mexico had it coming."

    NEXT, SCRATCH YOUR HEAD

     » Read More

  •  
    Monday, 7 May 2012 2:50 PM ET

    Mark Zuckerberg
    CNBC
    Hoodies are this IPO season's "must-haves."

    We're all about the Facebook these days.

    As the company kicks off its roadshow for investors, the big news is that founder Mark Zuckerberg has come to the Big Apple himself to pitch the company's market prospects.

    CNBC's Kate Kelly reported on what was going on inside the meeting— revealing news about the long lines to get in, the food served ("chicken breast on salad, cookies"), and that Mark Zuckerberg was in the men's room when the question and answer session began.

    (An earlier version mistakenly said Kate was in the meeting. She was not, as all press were barred from attending.)

    However, the most interesting thing about Zuckerberg's appearance is that he wore his traditional hoodie, while Facebook CFO David Ebersman and COO Sheryl Sandberg wore suits.

     » Read More

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ABOUT THIS BLOG

The news can get a little heavy sometimes, with debt crises, vicious markets and crappy earnings reports. So, we dispatched our crack reporters, Cindy Perman and Jane Wells, to find some levity amid all this seriousness. May we offer you a Keynesian cocktail with a side of bacon?

Why a Pony? To be clear, there were no ponies harmed in the making of this blog. The blog’s name, “There Must Be a Pony In Here Somewhere,” comes from an old joke, a favorite of Ronald Reagan’s, that essentially means, with a pile of you-know-what this big, there MUST be a pony—a bright side—in here somewhere!


CONTRIBUTORS


Current DateTime: 02:42:45 16 May 2012
LinksList Documentid: 43857646
  • Cindy Perman

      News Editor at CNBC.com and the author of The Pony Blog (ponyblog.cnbc.com). She has also written a book, “New York Curiosities,” and does stand-up comedy.

  • Jane Wells

      CNBC business news reporter, based in Los Angeles, covering the defense and technology industries. She writes the CNBC.com blog Funny Business.


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