Spike TV is extending a helping hand to veterans searching for work and the companies that offer them jobs.  Last Friday, on Veterans Day, Spike TV launched  its new “Hire A Vet” campaign.

The campaign will be spotlighted on the cable channel’s new “Hire A Vet” website. The site is a resource for job hunting veterans and it will salute the companies that hire them.

“Spike TV is honored to assist this country’s veterans– real-life heroes who represent the best of what our country is about,” said Kevin Kay, Spike TV president, in an announcement on the new website’s blog. “These young men and women who have bravely served their country are now making the often difficult transition from military service to the general workforce. Hire-A-Veteran is designed to help in that process.” More details here.

Around this time of the year, a lot of us are thinking about the creepy-crawlers. It’s all part of the fun of  Halloween. On the serious side, there are careers where creepy creatures are part of daily operations.

Recently, CareerCast.com, a job search and career website, identified the nation’s creepiest careers.  ”Forensic Entomologist, who studies insects that invade a person’s dead body and decipher insect life cycles to determine the time and manner of death, is the creepiest career on our list,” according to Tony Lee, publisher, CareerCast.com. “These little bugs can even offer clues as to when and if a body part was moved after death and the types of injuries that may have occurred.” Lee is quoted in a PR Newswire release.

Other creepy jobs that made the list: Pest control specialist who must eliminate insects and rodents, reptologist who studies creatures with green scaly skin, and an arachnologist involved in the study of all sorts of spiders, ticks, and mites.

Photo: Chuck Kennedy/White House -- President Barack Obama delivers an address on jobs and the economy to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol September 8, 2011

President Barack Obama wants to shore up the sagging economy by putting “… more people back to work and more money in the pockets of those who are working.” Last night, in an address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol, the president presented the American Jobs Act, which he claims will achieve those goals.

THE PRESIDENT:  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, and fellow Americans:

Tonight we meet at an urgent time for our country.  We continue to face an economic crisis that has left millions of our neighbors jobless, and a political crisis that’s made things worse.

This past week, reporters have been asking, “What will this speech mean for the President?  What will it mean for Congress?  How will it affect their polls, and the next election?”

But the millions of Americans who are watching right now, they don’t care about politics.  They have real-life concerns.  Many have spent months looking for work.  Others are doing their best just to scrape by — giving up nights out with the family to save on gas or make the mortgage; postponing retirement to send a kid to college. 

These men and women grew up with faith in an America where hard work and responsibility paid off.  They believed in a country where everyone gets a fair shake and does their fair share — where if you stepped up, did your job, and were loyal to your company, that loyalty would be rewarded with a decent salary and good benefits; maybe a raise once in a while.  If you did the right thing, you could make it.  Anybody could make it in America.

For decades now, Americans have watched that compact erode.  They have seen the decks too often stacked against them.  And they know that Washington has not always put their interests first. 

The people of this country work hard to meet their responsibilities.  The question tonight is whether we’ll meet ours.  The question is whether, in the face of an ongoing national crisis, we can stop the political circus and actually do something to help the economy.  (Applause.)  The question is — the question is whether we can restore some of the fairness and security that has defined this nation since our beginning.

Those of us here tonight can’t solve all our nation’s woes.  Ultimately, our recovery will be driven not by Washington, but by our businesses and our workers.  But we can help.  We can make a difference.  There are steps we can take right now to improve people’s lives. 

I am sending this Congress a plan that you should pass right away.  It’s called the American Jobs Act.  There should be nothing controversial about this piece of legislation.  Everything in here is the kind of proposal that’s been supported by both Democrats and Republicans — including many who sit here tonight.  And everything in this bill will be paid for.  Everything.  (Applause.)

The purpose of the American Jobs Act is simple:  to put more people back to work and more money in the pockets of those who are working.  It will create more jobs for construction workers, more jobs for teachers, more jobs for veterans, and more jobs for long-term unemployed.  (Applause.)  It will provide — it will provide a tax break for companies who hire new workers, and it will cut payroll taxes in half for every working American and every small business.  (Applause.)  It will provide a jolt to an economy that has stalled, and give companies confidence that if they invest and if they hire, there will be customers for their products and services.  You should pass this jobs plan right away.  (Applause.)  

Everyone here knows that small businesses are where most new jobs begin.  And you know that while corporate profits have come roaring back, smaller companies haven’t.  So for everyone who speaks so passionately about making life easier for “job creators,” this plan is for you.  (Applause.)

Pass this jobs bill — pass this jobs bill, and starting tomorrow, small businesses will get a tax cut if they hire new workers or if they raise workers’ wages.  Pass this jobs bill, and all small business owners will also see their payroll taxes cut in half next year.  (Applause.)  If you have 50 employees — if you have 50 employees making an average salary, that’s an $80,000 tax cut.  And all businesses will be able to continue writing off the investments they make in 2012. 

It’s not just Democrats who have supported this kind of proposal.  Fifty House Republicans have proposed the same payroll tax cut that’s in this plan.  You should pass it right away.  (Applause.)

Click here for the full text of the president’s address on the White House.gov website.

OSH is hiring in Burbank . The Orchard Supply Hardware store in the 600 Block of North Victory Boulevard has help wanted signs pasted to its front doors. They are looking for cashiers, sales associates, and pick-up clerks with some special skills.

“We are seeking applicants with an outgoing personality, willingness to learn and the motivation to provide legendary customer service…”  OSH job qualification.

For details and more qualifications check the store website, www.osh.com, and click on careers at the bottom of the page.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are looking for new talent. You don’t have to be able to throw a fastball or hit a home run. The baseball organization is accepting applications and resumes right now for the part-time seasonal union position of Ticket Seller.

The qualifications include excellent verbal communications, outstanding customer service, and at least a high school diploma or GED. For more requirements and details on the position click over to dodgers.com   and check under job opportunities or call Human Resources at (323) 224-1547.  The deadline to apply is April 5, 2011.

Hackers breach Nasdaq security

The Internet is buzzing today about a report of a hacker attack on Nasdaq OMX Group, the company that runs the U.S. stock exchange and several others around the world. The Feds are investigating the computer intrusion — which occurred sometime last year. More about this on the Computerworld website.

Google on a hiring spree

The word is out. Google is hiring. Last week, the Internet search giant got flooded with more than 75,000 applications, according to a Los Angeles Times article. That’s a company record. At the end of 2010, Google had around 24,400 employees. By the beginning of 2012, the innovative company plans to grow to more than 30,000.

NBC staffer fired for posting news clip on YouTube

An NBC staffer reportedly posted a vintage news clip of morning anchors Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel discussing “what is the Internet?” with reporter Elizabeth Vargas on YouTube. It went viral. Apparently NBC executives were not happy to see the off-air clip from 1994 get that kind of play. The staffer was reportedly fired and NBC is trying to get YouTube to take down the news clip.

The Wrap has more on the dust-up and a copy of that now infamous video.

Photo: Pete Souza/White House —President Obama visits a Home Depot in Alexandria, Virginia on December 15, 2009.

Where does the president park when he drops by Home Depot? Not outside in the lot. No way. When President Barack Obama visited one of those home improvement stores in Virginia yesterday, his limo parked in the lumber aisle.

President Obama was there to talk up the importance of retrofitting homes with a group of small business leaders on the floor of Home Depot. Obama says retrofitting homes saves a lot of energy, money, and creates jobs.

Photo: Pete Souza/White House — President Obama sits down for a chat with some small business leaders in Alexandria, Virgina yesterday.

“In our nation’s buildings — our homes and our office consume almost 40 percent of the energy we use and contribute almost 40 percent of the carbon pollution that we produce and everybody is talking about right now in Copenhagen.  Homes built in the first half of the last century can use about 50 percent more energy than homes that are built today.  And because most of our homes and office aren’t energy-efficient, much of that energy just goes to waste, while costing our families and businesses money they can’t afford to throw away.

The simple act of retrofitting these buildings to make them more energy-efficient — installing new windows and doors, insulation, roofing, sealing leaks, modernizing heating and cooling equipment — is one of the fastest, easiest and cheapest things we can do to put Americans back to work while saving families money and reducing harmful emissions.”

More of the president’s comments on The White House Blog.

Photo: Pete Souza/The White House 12/03/09

President Barack Obama gets it. The economic recovery will not really hit home for many until the sluggish job market is revitalized. Yesterday, the Labor Department reported the national unemployment rate took a surprising dip to 10 percent in November— the best it’s been since December of 2007. Companies laid off 11,000 workers last month, compared to 111,000 in October. A significant improvement.  Still, millions of unemployed Americans searched but did not find work last month.  

Meanwhile, the nation’s tally of 2009 bank failures hit 130 on Friday when regulators shut down six banks: one in Ohio, another in Illinois, another in Virginia, and three small Georgia banks. Customers of those banks have their accounts protected up to $250,000 by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

The tally is nearly five times the number that failed in 2008, and the highest number since 1992 when 181 banks went under.

In his weekly address today, President Obama focused on the economic recovery and the importance of getting millions of unemployed Americans back to work. Here’s the full text of the president’s address from The White House website.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
Weekly Address
Saturday, December 5, 2009

Every month since January, when I became your President, I’ve spoken to you about the periodic reports of the Labor Department on the number of jobs created or lost during the previous month; numbers that tell a story about how America’s economy is faring overall.  

In those first months, the numbers were nothing short of devastating. The worst recession since the 1930s had wreaked havoc on the lives of so many of our fellow Americans. Yesterday, the numbers released by the Labor Department reflected a continuing positive trend of diminishing job loss.

But for those who were laid off last month and the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs in this recession, a good trend isn’t good enough. Trends don’t buy the groceries. Trends don’t pay the rent or a college tuition. Trends don’t fulfill the need within each of us to be productive, to provide for our families, to make the most of our lives, to reach for our dreams.

So, it is true that we, as a country, are in a very different place than we were when 2009 began. Because of the Recovery Act and a number of other steps we’ve taken, we’re no longer facing the potential collapse of our financial system or a second Great Depression. We’re no longer losing jobs at a rate of 700,000 a month. And our economy’s growing for the first time in a year.

But too many of our neighbors are still out of work because the growth we’ve seen hasn’t yet translated into all the jobs we need. Stung by this brutal recession, businesses that have kept their doors open are still wary about adding workers.  Instead of hiring, many are simply asking their employees to work more hours, or they’re adding temporary help. 

History tells us this is usually what happens with recessions – even as the economy grows, it takes time for jobs to follow. But the folks who have been looking for work without any luck for months and, in some cases, years, can’t wait any longer. For them, I’m determined to do everything I can to accelerate our progress so we’re actually adding jobs again.

That’s why, this week, I invited a group of business owners from across the country to the White House to talk about additional steps we can take to help jumpstart hiring. We brought together unions and universities to talk about what we can do to support our workers today and prepare our students to outcompete workers around the world tomorrow. We brought together mayors and community leaders to talk about how we can open up new opportunities in our cities and towns.

On Friday, I spent the day in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and met with workers and small business owners there. I stopped by a steel company called Allentown Metal Works, and spoke at Lehigh Community College. I visited folks at a job placement center, and stopped by a shift change at Alpo.  The stories and concerns I heard mirrored the countless letters I receive every single day. And they speak louder than any statistic or government report. The folks in Allentown – and in all the Allentowns across our country – are the most dedicated, productive workers in the world. All they’re asking for is a chance, and a fair shake.

And that’s exactly what I’m working to give them. In the coming days, I’ll be unveiling additional ideas aimed at accelerating job growth and hiring as we emerge from this economic storm.

And so that we don’t face another crisis like this again, I’m determined to meet our responsibility to do what we know will strengthen our economy in the long-run. That’s why I’m not going to let up in my efforts to reform our health care system; to give our children the best education in the world; to promote the jobs of tomorrow and energy independence by investing in a clean energy economy; and to deal with the mounting federal debt.

From the moment I was sworn into office, we have taken a number of difficult steps to end this economic crisis. We didn’t take them because they were popular or gratifying. They weren’t. We took these steps because they were necessary.

But I didn’t run for President to pass emergency recovery programs, or to bail out banks or to shore up auto companies. I didn’t run for President simply to manage the crisis of the moment, while kicking our most pressing problems down the road. I ran for President to help hardworking families succeed and to stand up for the embattled middle class. I ran to fight for a country where responsibility is still rewarded, and hard-working people can get ahead.  I ran to keep faith with the sacred American principle that we will deliver to our children a future of even greater possibility.

And my commitment to you, the American people, is that I will focus every single day on how we can get people back to work, and how we can build an economy that continues to make real the promise of America for generations to come.

Some grim economic news out today from the federal government about the number of Americans out of work. The federal data shows the unemployment rate continues to rise despite reports from some experts that the recovery from this dreaded recession is underway.

The California jobless rate rose from 11.9% to a record high of 12.2% in August, according to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics. The golden state is not so bright for more than 12,000 of its workers who lost their jobs last month and thousands of job seekers who were looking and didn’t find work.

In Michigan unemployment jumped to 15.2%, the highest in the country. Nationally, the unemployment rate creeped up from 9.4% to 9.7%. Here locally, in the Los Angeles/Long Beach/Glendale area, the rate hit 12.3%. A radio announcer reacted to the new stats today by saying, “If you’re unemployed, the rate is 100%.” Grim, but true.