BAILOUT!

A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE

I bought a house.

I bought the right to pay city/state property taxes.
I bought the right to pay a water bill.
I bought the right to pay a city garbage pick-up bill.

I bought the right to pay an electric bill.
I bought the right to pay a home heating bill.

I bought the right to pay mortgage interest.
I bought the right to pay liability insurance for the bank's property.
I bought the right to pay property insurance for the bank's property.

My city raised my property taxes.
My city raised my water bill.
My city raised my garbage pick-up bill.
My city raised the sales taxes on my electric bill.
My city raised the sales taxes on my home heating bill.

My mortgage company raised the interest payment for my mortgage.
My mortgage company raised the insurance escrow payment for my mortgage.

My employer did not raise my wages.

I tried to sell my house, but the bank would not lend money to possible buyers.

I discontinued the utilities, told the bank they could keep their house, and moved in with my family.

Now the bank must pay the City/State property taxes.
Now the bank must pay the service fee and taxes for my water bill.

Oops! Wrong!

Now the U.S.taxpayer must pay the bank's property taxes and water bill because the Federal government bailed the bank out!

So, the federal government bailed-out the city and state governments. Is this called inter-governmental cooperation?

This is an opinion expressed by Q2(Jim); your comment is welcome.

WORLD FINANCIAL CRISIS - REV 2008

A special reminder for Lehman Bros, AGI, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and, most of all, the U.S. Government from a mere poet...


LORD POLONIUS:

Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.

From Shakespeare's Hamlet, 1603

EMPOWERMENT IN A CAPITALISTIC SOCIETY

"The problem that has no name -- which is simply the fact that American women are kept from growing to their full human capacities -- is taking a far greater toll on the physical and mental health of our country than any known disease." - Betty Friedan, social activist, The Feminine Mystique

"It was the mystical dogma of Bentham and Adam Smith and the rest, that some of the worst of human passions would turn out to be all for the best. It was the mysterious doctrine that selfishness would do the work of unselfishness." - Gilbert Keith Chesterton

NOT LIKE THE OTHERS
A giant truck stops to pick up a hitchhikeress. The driver opens the door and says, "Come on in. I'm not like the other ones that only let the good-looking girls have a ride."

I TOLD YOU…
A man came home a day early from a business trip and discovered his wife in the midst of passionate lovemaking with a total stranger in their bedroom. He demandingly asked, "What on earth are you doing?!?!!"

The wife turned to the other man and replied, "See, I told you he was dumb as a post."

NON-GOVERNMENT AIDE TO EDUCATION
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A Sacramento State grad trying to make money by auctioning off her virginity to help pay for her graduate studies is getting lots of offers...and not just for sex.

The 22-year-old who is using the pseudonym Natalie Dylan for safety reasons is going through a legal brothel in Nevada to sell her virginity. Dylan told CBS13 she's gotten an offer of $250,000. And now she's gotten an offer to do a photo spread for Penthouse magazine...

The main purpose of this is to finance a couple things in my life, Dylan told CBS13. "I think empowerment of women is picking yourself up and doing something on your own to better yourself."…

Dylan earned her bachelor's degree in women's studies from Sacramento State and plans to get her master's at the school beginning in January.

Many Sac State students say they're shocked to hear about their former classmate's plan, while others applaud her. ... I just think she should be giving it to someone special she loves, said one student on campus… another felt that selling her virginity for grad school "is a noble reason to get money."

When I was younger, I wanted 100% romance, possibly even wait for marriage. But as I grew up, reality kinda hit. And I think its a capitalistic society and I want to capitalize on this, explained Dylan.

Koula Gianulias, Offers Pouring Into Student Selling Her Virginity, September 11, 2008
http://cbs13.com/local/selling.virginity.tuition.2.815171.html

With all of the government aid programs competing to spend the taxpayers' money, isn’t it refreshing to find an old fashioned do-it-yourself capitalist? - 2q(Jim)

The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off. - Gloria Steinem

LAWYERS, HONE YOUR SKILLS
A new business acquisition client freaked out today at being stuck with a "girl lawyer." Before I got a chance to punch out the old geezer, the supervising partner told him -- with a straight face, yet -- that female lawyers are good at acquisitions because they hone their skills at shopping. So the geezer says, "Okay, but you'd better check everything she does."

Damn right he will, at $400 an hour.

Madeleine Begun Kane, DIARY OF A BASHED ATTORNEY

TYPICAL MALE…
I had parked my car in the supermarket parking lot and was walking past an empty cart when I heard a female voice say, "Mister, are you using that cart?"

No, I answered. "I'm only after one thing."

As I walked toward the store, I heard her murmur, "Typical male."

CAN'T FORGET THE GENIE JOKE
A man finds a lamp and decides to rub the dust off. Then, you guessed it, a Genie appears.

The Genie tells the man he will grant him three wishes, but everything the man gets, his mother-in-law gets twice.

The man's first wish is for 10 million dollars.

The Genie reminds the man that his mother-in-law will get 20 million dollars. The man says, "that's ok."

The man's next wish is for a house by the sea.

Once again, the Genie reminds the man that his mother-in-law will get two houses by the sea; once again, the man says, "that's okay."

The man's last wish is to be beaten half to death.

THE PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT

"DISCRIMINATE, v.i. To note the particulars in which one person or thing is, if possible, more objectionable than another." - Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

"Within the stable economy it's necessary to eliminate all forms of sexual discrimination, and to provide women for the first time in our history with economic opportunities equal to those of men." - Jimmy Carter

NONDISCRIMINATORY QUALIFICATIONS?
In a small town in the US, there is a rather sizable factory that hires only married men. Concerned about this, a local woman called on the manager and asked him, "Why is it you limit your employees to married men? Is it because you think us women are weak, dumb, cantankerous. ..or what"?

Not at all, Ma'am, the manager replied. "It is because our employees are used to obeying orders, are accustomed to being shoved around, know how to keep their mouths shut and don't pout when I yell at them."

THE BOSS'S DILEMA

Boss, to four of his employees: "I'm really sorry, but I'm going to have to let one of you go."

Black Employee: "I'm a protected minority."

Female Employee: "And I'm a woman."

Oldest Employee: "Fire me, buster, and I'll hit you with an age discrimination suit so fast it'll make your head spin."

...To which they all turn to look at the helpless young, white, male employee, who thinks a moment, then responds: "I think I might be gay..."

H.R. 1338 and S.766

"The Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 1338 and S.766) was introduced March 6, 2007 by Sen. Hillary Clinton and Rep. Rosa DeLauro to strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963. The bill expands damages under the Equal Pay Act…"
http://www.pay-equity.org/info-leg.html

Below is the full text of the Paycheck Fairness Act as submitted to Congress in 2007. I direct your attention to the areas that I highlighted in this official U.S. government document.

While H.R. 1338 purports to address discrimination in the workplace, the remedies it advances apply specifically to women only. Apparently discrimination is bad, but discrimination in favor of women has such great overpowering social value that it should be actively promoted by the U.S. Government. - 2q(Jim)

110th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1338

To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 6, 2007

Ms. DELAURO (for herself, Mr. HALL of New York, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Ms. DEGETTE, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. SKELTON, Mr. HONDA, Ms. BERKLEY, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. BOSWELL, Ms. CARSON, Mr. FILNER, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. WYNN, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Ms. SCHWARTZ, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. LANTOS, Ms. WOOLSEY, Ms. NORTON, Mr. DINGELL, Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. OBEY, Mr. MOORE of Kansas, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. BERMAN, Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. BACA, Ms. SOLIS, Mr. ELLISON, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, and Mr. GRIJALVA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor


A BILL

To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,


SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.


This Act may be cited as the `Paycheck Fairness Act'.


SEC. 2. FINDINGS.


Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Women have entered the workforce in record numbers over the past 50 years.


(2) Even today, women earn significantly lower pay than men for work on jobs that require equal skill, effort, and responsibility and that are performed under similar working conditions. These pay disparities exist in both the private and governmental sectors. In many instances, the pay disparities can only be due to continued intentional discrimination or the lingering effects of past discrimination.


(3) The existence of such pay disparities--


(A) depresses the wages of working families who rely on the wages of all members of the family to make ends meet;


(B) undermines women's retirement security, which is often based on earnings while in the workforce;


(C) prevents the optimum utilization of available labor resources;


(D) has been spread and perpetuated, through commerce and the channels and instrumentalities of commerce, among the workers of the several States;


(E) burdens commerce and the free flow of goods in commerce;


(F) constitutes an unfair method of competition in commerce;


(G) leads to labor disputes burdening and obstructing commerce and the free flow of goods in commerce;


(H) interferes with the orderly and fair marketing of goods in commerce; and


(I) in many instances, may deprive workers of equal protection on the basis of sex in violation of the 5th and 14th amendments.


(4)(A) Artificial barriers to the elimination of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex continue to exist decades after the enactment of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.) and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000a et seq.).


(B) Elimination of such barriers would have positive effects, including--


(i) providing a solution to problems in the economy created by unfair pay disparities;


(ii) substantially reducing the number of working women earning unfairly low wages, thereby reducing the dependence on public assistance;


(iii) promoting stable families by enabling all family members to earn a fair rate of pay;


(iv) remedying the effects of past discrimination on the basis of sex and ensuring that in the future workers are afforded equal protection on the basis of sex; and


(v) ensuring equal protection pursuant to Congress' power to enforce the 5th and 14th amendments.


(5) The Department of Labor has important and unique responsibilities to help ensure that women receive equal pay for doing work that is substantially equal to men's work.


(6) The Department of Labor is responsible for--


(A) collecting and making publicly available information about women's pay;


(B) ensuring that companies receiving Federal contracts comply with anti-discrimination affirmative action requirements of Executive Order 11246 (relating to equal employment opportunity);


(C) disseminating information about women's rights in the workplace;


(D) helping women who have been victims of pay discrimination obtain a remedy; and


(E) being proactive in investigating and prosecuting equal pay violations, especially systemic violations, and in enforcing all of its mandates.


(7) With a stronger commitment by the Department of Labor to its responsibilities, increased information about the provisions added by the Equal Pay Act of 1963, wage data, and more effective remedies, women will be better able to recognize and enforce their rights.


(8) Certain employers have already made great strides in eradicating unfair pay disparities in the workplace and their achievements should be recognized.


SEC. 3. ENHANCED ENFORCEMENT OF EQUAL PAY REQUIREMENTS.


(a) Required Demonstration for Affirmative Defense- Section 6(d)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(d)(1)) is amended by striking `(iv) a differential' and all that follows through the period and inserting the following: `(iv) a differential based on a bona fide factor other than sex, such as education, training or experience, except that the bona fide factor defense shall apply only if--


`(I) the employer demonstrates that--


`(aa) such factor--


`(AA) is job-related with respect to the position in question; or


`(BB) furthers a legitimate business purpose, except that this item shall not apply where the employee demonstrates that an alternative employment practice exists that would serve the same business purpose without producing such differential and that the employer has refused to adopt such alternative practice; and


`(bb) such factor was actually applied and used reasonably in light of the asserted justification; and


`(II) upon the employer succeeding under subclause (I), the employee fails to demonstrate that the differential produced by the reliance of the employer on such factor is itself the result of discrimination on the basis of sex by the employer.
An employer that is not otherwise in compliance with this paragraph may not reduce the wages of any employee in order to achieve such compliance.'


(b) Application of Provisions- Section 6(d)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(d)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the following: `The provisions of this subsection shall apply to applicants for employment if such applicants, upon employment by the employer, would be subject to any provisions of this section.'.


(c) Elimination of Establishment Requirement- Section 6(d) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(d)) is amended--


(1) by striking `, within any establishment in which such employees are employed,'; and


(2) by striking `in such establishment' each place it appears.


(d) Nonretaliation Provision- Section 15(a)(3) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 215(a)(3)) is amended--


(1) by striking `or has' each place it appears and inserting `has'; and


(2) by inserting before the semicolon the following: `, or has inquired about, discussed, or otherwise disclosed the wages of the employee or another employee, or because the employee (or applicant) has made a charge, testified, assisted, or participated in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action under section 6(d)'.


(e) Enhanced Penalties- Section 16(b) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 216



(b)) is amended--


(1) by inserting after the first sentence the following: `Any employer who violates section 6(d) shall additionally be liable for such compensatory or punitive damages as may be appropriate, except that the United States shall not be liable for punitive damages.';


(2) in the sentence beginning `An action to', by striking `either of the preceding sentences' and inserting `any of the preceding sentences of this subsection';


(3) in the sentence beginning `No employees shall', by striking `No employees' and inserting `Except with respect to class actions brought to enforce section 6(d), no employee';


(4) by inserting after the sentence referred to in paragraph (3), the following: `Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal law, any action brought to enforce section 6(d) may be maintained as a class action as provided by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.'; and


(5) in the sentence beginning `The court in'--


(A) by striking `in such action' and inserting `in any action brought to recover the liability prescribed in any of the preceding sentences of this subsection'; and


(B) by inserting before the period the following: `, including expert fees'.


(f) Action by Secretary- Section 16(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 216(c)) is amended--


(1) in the first sentence--


(A) by inserting `or, in the case of a violation of section 6(d), additional compensatory or punitive damages,' before `and the agreement'; and


(B) by inserting before the period the following: `, or such compensatory or punitive damages, as appropriate';


(2) in the second sentence, by inserting before the period the following: `and, in the case of a violation of section 6(d), additional compensatory or punitive damages';


(3) in the third sentence, by striking `the first sentence' and inserting `the first or second sentence'; and


(4) in the last sentence--


(A) by striking `commenced in the case' and inserting `commenced--


`(1) in the case';


(B) by striking the period and inserting `; or'; and


(C) by adding at the end the following:


`(2) in the case of a class action brought to enforce section 6(d), on the date on which the individual becomes a party plaintiff to the class action'.


SEC. 4. TRAINING.


The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, subject to the availability of funds appropriated under section 11, shall provide training to Commission employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving discrimination in the payment of wages.


SEC. 5. NEGOTIATION SKILLS TRAINING FOR GIRLS AND WOMEN.


(a) Program Authorized-


(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of Labor, after consultation with the Secretary of Education, is authorized to establish and carry out a grant program.


(2) GRANTS- In carrying out the program, the Secretary of Labor may make grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities, to carry out negotiation skills training programs for girls and women.


(3) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES- To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, an entity shall be a public agency, such as a State, a local government in a metropolitan statistical area (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget), a State educational agency, or a local educational agency, a private nonprofit organization, or a community-based organization.


(4) APPLICATION- To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, an entity shall submit an application to the Secretary of Labor at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary of Labor may require.


(5) USE OF FUNDS- An entity that receives a grant under this subsection shall use the funds made available through the grant to carry out an effective negotiation skills training program that empowers girls and women. The training provided through the program shall help girls and women strengthen their negotiation skills to allow the girls and women to obtain higher salaries and the best compensation packages possible for themselves.


(b) Incorporating Training Into Existing Programs- The Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education shall issue regulations or policy guidance that provides for integrating the negotiation skills training, to the extent practicable, into programs authorized under--


(1) in the case of the Secretary of Education, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.), the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), and other programs carried out by the Department of Education that the Secretary of Education determines to be appropriate; and


(2) in the case of the Secretary of Labor, the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.), and other programs carried out by the Department of Labor that the Secretary of Labor determines to be appropriate.


(c) Report- Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education shall prepare and submit to Congress a report describing the activities conducted under this section.


SEC. 6. RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND OUTREACH.


The Secretary of Labor shall conduct studies and provide information to employers, labor organizations, and the general public concerning the means available to eliminate pay disparities between men and women, including--


(1) conducting and promoting research to develop the means to correct expeditiously the conditions leading to the pay disparities;


(2) publishing and otherwise making available to employers, labor organizations, professional associations, educational institutions, the media, and the general public the findings resulting from studies and other materials, relating to eliminating the pay disparities;


(3) sponsoring and assisting State and community informational and educational programs;


(4) providing information to employers, labor organizations, professional associations, and other interested persons on the means of eliminating the pay disparities;


(5) recognizing and promoting the achievements of employers, labor organizations, and professional associations that have worked to eliminate the pay disparities; and


(6) convening a national summit to discuss, and consider approaches for rectifying, the pay disparities.


SEC. 7. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND EMPLOYER RECOGNITION PROGRAM.


(a) Guidelines-


(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of Labor shall develop guidelines to enable employers to evaluate job categories based on objective criteria such as educational requirements, skill requirements, independence, working conditions, and responsibility, including decisionmaking responsibility and de facto supervisory responsibility.


(2) USE- The guidelines developed under paragraph (1) shall be designed to enable employers voluntarily to compare wages paid for different jobs to determine if the pay scales involved adequately and fairly reflect the educational requirements, skill requirements, independence, working conditions, and responsibility for each such job with the goal of eliminating unfair pay disparities between occupations traditionally dominated by men or women.


(3) PUBLICATION- The guidelines shall be developed under paragraph (1) and published in the Federal Register not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.


(b) Employer Recognition-


(1) PURPOSE- It is the purpose of this subsection to emphasize the importance of, encourage the improvement of, and recognize the excellence of employer efforts to pay wages to women that reflect the real value of the contributions of such women to the workplace.


(2) IN GENERAL- To carry out the purpose of this subsection, the Secretary of Labor shall establish a program under which the Secretary shall provide for the recognition of employers who, pursuant to a voluntary job evaluation conducted by the employer, adjust their wage scales (such adjustments shall not include the lowering of wages paid to men) using the guidelines developed under subsection (a) to ensure that women are paid fairly in comparison to men.


(3) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE- The Secretary of Labor may provide technical assistance to assist an employer in carrying out an evaluation under paragraph (2).


(c) Regulations- The Secretary of Labor shall promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out this section.


SEC. 8. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL AWARD FOR PAY EQUITY IN THE WORKPLACE.


(a) In General- There is established the Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace, which shall be evidenced by a medal bearing the inscription `Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace'. The medal shall be of such design and materials, and bear such additional inscriptions, as the Secretary of Labor may prescribe.


(b) Criteria for Qualification- To qualify to receive an award under this section a business shall--


(1) submit a written application to the Secretary of Labor, at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including at a minimum information that demonstrates that the business has made substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women, and deserves special recognition as a consequence; and


(2) meet such additional requirements and specifications as the Secretary of Labor determines to be appropriate.
(

c) Making and Presentation of Award-


(1) AWARD- After receiving recommendations from the Secretary of Labor, the President or the designated representative of the President shall annually present the award described in subsection (a) to businesses that meet the qualifications described in subsection (b).


(2) PRESENTATION- The President or the designated representative of the President shall present the award under this section with such ceremonies as the President or the designated representative of the President may determine to be appropriate.


(d) Business- In this section, the term `business' includes--
(

1)(A) a corporation, including a nonprofit corporation;


(B) a partnership;


(C) a professional association;


(D) a labor organization; and


(E) a business entity similar to an entity described in any of subparagraphs (A) through (D);


(2) an entity carrying out an education referral program, a training program, such as an apprenticeship or management training program, or a similar program; and


(3) an entity carrying out a joint program, formed by a combination of any entities described in paragraph (1) or (2).


SEC. 9. COLLECTION OF PAY INFORMATION BY THE EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION.


Section 709 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e-8) is amended by adding at the end the following:


`(f)(1) Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Commission shall--


`(A) complete a survey of the data that is currently available to the Federal Government relating to employee pay information for use in the enforcement of Federal laws prohibiting pay discrimination and, in consultation with other relevant Federal agencies, identify additional data collections that will enhance the enforcement of such laws; and


`(B) based on the results of the survey and consultations under subparagraph (A), issue regulations to provide for the collection of pay information data from employers as described by the sex, race, and national origin of employees.


`(2) In implementing paragraph (1), the Commission shall have as its primary consideration the most effective and efficient means for enhancing the enforcement of Federal laws prohibiting pay discrimination. For this purpose, the Commission shall consider factors including the imposition of burdens on employers, the frequency of required reports (including which employers should be required to prepare reports), appropriate protections for maintaining data confidentiality, and the most effective format for the data collection reports.'.


SEC. 10. REINSTATEMENT OF PAY EQUITY PROGRAMS AND PAY EQUITY DATA COLLECTION.


(a) Bureau of Labor Statistics Data Collection- The Commissioner of Labor Statistics shall collect data on women workers in the Current Employment Statistics survey.


(b) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Initiatives-


(1) IN GENERAL- The Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs shall ensure that employees of the Office--


(A)(i) shall use the full range of investigatory tools at the Office's disposal, including pay grade methodology;


(ii) in considering evidence of possible compensation discrimination--


(I) shall not limit its consideration to a small number of types of evidence; and


(II) shall not limit its evaluation of the evidence to a small number of methods of evaluating the evidence; and


(iii) shall not require a multiple regression analysis or anecdotal evidence for a compensation discrimination case;


(B) for purposes of its investigative, compliance, and enforcement activities, shall define `similarly situated employees' in a way that is consistent with and not more stringent than the definition provided in item 1 of subsection A of section 10-III of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Compliance Manual (2000), and shall consider only factors that the Office's investigation reveals were used in making compensation decisions; and


(C) shall designate not less than half of all nonconstruction contractor establishments each year to prepare and file the Equal Opportunity Survey, required by section 60-2.18 of title 41, Code of Federal Regulations, and shall review and utilize the responses to the survey to identify contractor establishments for further evaluation.


(2) REGULATIONS- In promulgating any regulations with respect to the compensation discrimination cases, the Secretary of Labor, in establishing standards for similarly situated employees, shall include examples of similar jobs.


(c) Department of Labor Distribution of Wage Discrimination Information- The Secretary of Labor shall make readily available (in print, on the Department of Labor website, and through any other forum that the Department may use to distribute compensation discrimination information), accurate information on compensation discrimination, including statistics, explanations of employee rights, historical analyses of such discrimination, instructions for employers on compliance, and any other information that will assist the public in understanding and addressing such discrimination.


SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.


http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-1338&version=ih

DATING & SOFTWARE - BY THE NUMBERS

Genesis 1:28 (King James Version)
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Dedicated to the technologically-challenged but biologically-normal American males who will, hopefully, father the babies who will grow-up to pay my Social Security. -2q(Jim)

SOFTWARE - CHOOSE YOUR VERSION CAREFULLY

I'm currently running the latest version of GirlFriend, and I've been having some problems lately. I've been running the same version of DrinkingBuddies 1.0 forever as my primary application, and all the GirlFriend releases I've tried have always conflicted with it.

I hear that DrinkingBuddies won't crash if GirlFriend is run in background mode and the sound is turned off. But I'm embarrassed to say I can't find the switch to turn the sound off. I just run them separately, and it works okay.

Girlfriend also seems to have a problem co-existing with my Golf program, often trying to abort Golf with some sort of timing incompatibility.

I probably should have stayed with GirlFriend 1.0, but I thought I might see better performance from GirlFriend 2.0. After months of conflicts and other problems, I consulted a friend who has had experience with GirlFriend 2.0. He said I probably didn't have enough cache to run GirlFriend 2.0, and eventually it would require a Token Ring to run properly. He was right - as soon as I purged my cache, it uninstalled itself.

Shortly after that, I installed GirlFriend 3.0 beta. All the bugs were supposed to be gone, but the first time I used it, it gave me a virus anyway. I had to clean out my whole system and shut down for a while.

I very cautiously upgraded to GirlFriend 4.0. This time I used a SCSI probe first and also installed a virus protection program. It worked okay for a while until I discovered that GirlFriend 1.0 was still in my system. I tried running GirlFriend 1.0 again with GirlFriend 4.0 still installed, but GirlFriend 4.0 has a feature I didn't know about that automatically senses the presence of any other version of GirlFriend and communicates with it in some way, which results in the immediate removal of both versions.

The version I have now works pretty well, but there are still some problems. Like all versions of GirlFriend, it is written in some obscure language I can't understand, much less reprogram.
Frankly, I think there is too much attention paid to the look and feel rather than the desired functionality. Also, to get the best connections with your hardware, you usually have to use gold-plated contacts. And I've never liked how GirlFriend is totally "object-oriented."

A year ago, a friend of mine upgraded his version of GirlFriend to GirlFriendPlus 1.0, which is a Terminate and Stay Resident version of GirlFriend. He discovered that GirlFriendPlus 1.0 expires within a year if you don't upgrade to Fiancee 1.0. So he did, but soon after that, he had to upgrade to Wife 1.0, which he describes as a huge resource hog. It has taken up all his space, so he can't load anything else.

One of the primary reasons he decided to go with Wife 1.0 was because it came bundled with FreeSexPlus. Well, it turns out the resource allocation module of Wife 1.0 sometimes prohibits access to FreeSexPlus, particularly the new Plug-Ins he wanted to try. On top of that, Wife 1.0 must be running on a well warmed-up system before he can do anything.

Although he did not ask for it, Wife 1.0 came with MotherInLaw which has an automatic pop-up feature he can't turn off. I told him to try installing Mistress 1.0, but he said he heard if you try to run it without first uninstalling Wife 1.0, Wife 1.0 will delete MSMoney files before doing the uninstall itself. Then Mistress 1.0 won't install anyway because of insufficient resources.