According to the Huffington Post and the U.S. Labor Department, the unemployment rate is now 9.5%, down from 9.7% last month.  Additionally, a total of 125,000 jobs were cut last month (which includes 225,000 census workers who are no longer employed).  There was also a total of 83,000 new jobs (net) that were created by private businesses, making it six months in a row of "private sector job gains."  To some this is really good news and to others, it is not good enough.

Factually, there are too many people still unemployed and there is great uncertainty about our national and global economy.  In spite of the 

While at the Omni Hotel last night sitting next to my husband as he presented over 20 awards to the new United States Air Force Non-commissioned Officer Academy graduates, I asked a Sergeant, "what would it take for you to get promoted to Chief Master Sergeant?"  He replied, "It takes a lot of studying ma'am."  As I reflected on the simplicity of his answer, I remembered asking a similar question to a dear friend when she was in her final leg of her doctoral degree program.  She too answered the question with the words, "it takes pure determination and a lot of "studying" to complete a doctorate degree.