It's usually a neck-and-neck race to see who will be more annoying in a Michael Moore pic--Moore or his subjects. But seeing as how Moore's subject this time around is Wall Street, it wouldn't be surprising to see the financiers win in a landslide.

Oh, the jingles. We have witnessed our Free Credit Report Band in the most zany of situations: pirate themed restaurants, medieval farms, rolling in Geos and bicycles, moving in with girlfriends, etc. etc. The catchy tunes gracing your television screens have warned you of financial doom and forced your brain into tedious inner monologue singing. Well, Congress has had about enough of that! The new credit card policy passed on Friday eliminated unfair practices in the credit industry, including the false advertising claim that credit reports issued by these companies are in fact "free" for the consumer. Companies are now required to advertise in their commercials that the reports they issue are not the same free version that the Fed uses. Hooeay! Consumers win against the big bad corporate greedy-monsters. But we (some of us) will miss the floppy haired lead singer of the Free Credit report Band, and their carefree false advertising chants.

Professional Lego Builder. Nathan Sawaya, formerly a corporate lawyer, creates large-scale art entirely out of the iconic small plastic bricks. He began his craft as a hobby; a way to relax after a hard day at the office. Then, after a stint at the Lego Theme Park, he claimed the title of "Master Builder" and spawned a career as a 6-figure artist. Commissions include a Lego Bee as a wedding present to Ashlee Simpson from Pete Wentz, and a Donald Trump building. Check out his story and his website.

What better way to survive the storm of joblessness and a historic recession than to laugh it off? Today's 'underground' discovery includes a site dedicated to stories of people who did NOT get that job for a number of troublesome, hilarious and freakish reasons. Consider this an exercise in entertainment, in addition to utility. Sometimes knowing what not to do while seeking a job is just as valuable as knowing what to do. For the latter, I recommend www.jobology.com. Item #1 (from the classics vault at nothired.com): "According to several sites on the net, personnel executives of 100 major American corporations were asked for stories of unusual behavior by job applicants: Said he was so well qualified [that] if he didn’t get the job, it would prove that the company’s management was incompetent. Stretched out on the floor to fill out the job application. Brought her large dog to the interview. Chewed bubble gum and constantly blew bubbles. Candidate kept...

And yet another excellent "what not to do"...typos and misused words abound in these cover letters. Although, depending on the person in HR reading your letter, you might actually be invited to an interview with these seductive promises... Item #2 from nothired.com: "A few of the all-time sexiest cover-letter excerpts, cut-and-pasted here for your intimate pleasure: “I am looking for work in the Tri-City Area; my schedule is completely open and I am willing to work anytime. I assure you that I am a good, hard person who loves his co-workers.” . . .and. . . “You will notice that I didn’t work for part of 2002 because I was at home dick.” . . .and. . . “I worked in front office in Russia but I can be trusted to work in your rear.” . . .and. . . “I am planning to become a penile corrections officer.” . . .and. . . “I am willing to stay late and get dirty.” . . .and. . . “I want to grow in my new fellow team members”

New reports suggest that a Chinese citizen takes his or her life every two minutes. The confusion and break-neck pace of capitalism and the loss of traditionalism has apparently created untenable depression and stress. Cited sources of this desperation include: unrealistic expectations for success and wealth, abandonment of the elderly and family, and a lack of structure from the government which has historically managed all levels of life. These combined elements create a recipe for loneliness and destruction for the millions of people now competing for a piece of the booming economic pie. Beyond the obvious bad news for China, this study highlights an interesting truth about the limitations of an economy. It elevates the importance of the oft-forgotten human and cultural elements effected by new economic systems. For a society rooted in thousands of years of agrarian, tribal and ancestral traditions, an individualistic society of "more" may as well be a society on Mars.

We're "officially" in a recession "now"...even though it started in December of 2007. Meaning, the recent dive in the stock market was the result of media frenzy and semantics. I am not an economist, nor do I claim to have any special knowledge of the market or finances, but I do have some (a smidgen of) common sense, and I have been reading the news. My conclusion: the economy is more of a state of mind, a conversational trend, and an emotional barometer than it is a calculable, numeric analysis. The health and wellness of how we spend, how much we spend, and how we manage our finances seems to ebb and flow with the CNN talking heads. When things are peachy, we're spend freaks in a rich economic climate. When it's doom and gloom, we're frugal coupon cutters. It's not exactly a causal relationship, rather it's a constantly undulating ball of nebulousness that evolves with every sale, every "breaking news item" and every water cooler conversation about proper money management. I...

Black Friday: a stark contrast to the previous day of family tradition, good will and giving thanks. Black Friday: a day for consumers to act like rabid beasts and parasitic joy-suckers, essentially plucking the meaning right out of the first official day of holiday spirit. It is hackneyed to lament the fact that the holiday months have devolved to public commercialism and greed. But even these depression-like economic times have yet to strike a sense of humanity and personal awareness on this day after Thanksgiving. I should mention the motivation for my crabbiness. A man died this morning in Long Island, New York after being trampled by crowds at a Wal-Mart. He was a worker who had just finished stocking the shelves overnight on Thanksgiving, and was trying to control the throngs of people, when he was sucked under their storming feet. Another woman at the same location suffered a miscarriage because of the crowded violence. People continued to shop and bargain-hunt while...

As if finding a job weren't difficult enough right now, waiters in Japan now have additional competition for their jobs: trained monkeys. This is sad for two reasons: 1.  Things have gotten so bad that we have to abuse animals by forcing them to service annoying customers. 2. A waiter's job is so simplistic that a monkey--quite literally--can do their jobs. According to HuffPo: "The monkeys only work two hours a day, but bring in tourists from around the globe. They've even been deemed sanitary, so long as they wear their miniature uniforms." Source: El Richard

Some of us were getting used to the cushy life. Our folks were still helping us out some, no one expected too much because we were "so young and naive," and we weren't responsible for a family or a serious career just yet. Things were comfortable and optimistic. Not perfect, but basically carefree. Maybe it's the media buzz about a toppling economy, or it's my geographic proximity to Wall Street, but it seems that life has become notably more uncomfortable for young people recently. How long and how much will we be paying for all this bailout muckity muck? Will first-timers find a job? It's all rainbows and sunshine with Obama's election, but with a looming black cloud ruining the celebration. I suppose now is the time to rally our energies and innovation. Maybe this miserable outlook is an opportunity. A book review by a young Campus Progress activist, Cameron Cook, reminds me that new ideas and concepts provide insight during the rough patches. Perhaps the economic problems...

In the wake of last week’s financial meltdown, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has been calling for more regulation and criticizing lax oversight of Wall Street, despite the fact that he and former senator Phil Gramm passed much of the deregulatory reforms that led to the current crisis. Interviewed on CBS today, however, McCain said he does not “regret” championing the deregulation of Wall Street: Q: In 1999, you were one of the senators who helped pass deregulation of Wall Street. Do you regret that now? McCAIN: No. I think the deregulation was probably helpful to the growth of our economy. http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/21/mccain-deregulation/