Yes, Tim, it truly is about jobs. Congress can debate health care reform, bail out banks, extend unemployment benefits, work to develop a climate bill, increase the legislative budget, and do whatever else it does until the cows come home, but we need jobs—lots of good jobs—for the economy to improve.

Jobs and a healthy economy are analogous to the chicken and the egg. You can't have one without the other. And without jobs and a healthy economy, the U.S. can't afford the flood of money Congress is spending these days. The current situation is a mindboggling conundrum—a mess. I don't have the answers, but I believe employers and employees can work together to mitigate job loss—just as the companies mentioned in my colleague's blog post did. Fabricating Update readers think so too.

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Fox News—most people either love it or hate it. I'm indifferent about it, preferring to look at it as I do most media: Take what I hear with a grain of salt and watch out for bias.

Just yesterday, host Greta Van Susteren chatted with David Cho, financial reporter for the "Washington Post" about how small businesses are doing. Cho authored an article in the "Post" Oct. 22 entitled "Rescue efforts shift to small business." The crux of that effort is getting affordable credit into the hands of small businesses.

Fabricating Update subscribers are in businesses that could benefit most from these efforts, provided they are handled properly and in a timely manner. Some subscribers welcome the focus on small businesses, some clearly think properly and timely are not in the government's lexicon, and some think the government should stay the heck out of business altogether.

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I love online polls, especially those that allow takers to comment. There's a certain feeling of anonymity when you are sitting all alone in front of your computer screen that tends to make many of us more open when voicing our opinions through our keyboards. (Of course that same feeling of privacy also can lead to misuse of Internet resources at work, as IT departments everywhere can attest.)

Yesterday, MSNBC.com's Newsvine featured a poll that asked, When do you plan to retire? As I write this, 50 percent of the 14,652 voters have indicated that they will retire by the age of 65—18 percent at 60 or before, and 32 percent by 65. Almost 22 percent said they planned to retire by the age of 70; 24 percent chose the answer: You’ve got to be kidding. Can people still afford to retire? The remaining four percent chose: Does being unemployed count as being retired?

The March 2009 issue of "Tube Talk" asked subscribers about their retirement plans. A quarter of respondents, like Tom from Tennessee, had retirement well within their sights. Tom said, "Last year the wife and I targeted May 30, 2009 for my retirement; she is already retired four years.

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Most people with half a brain who actually think about U.S. manufacturing agree that it is suffering. You can't watch or read the news without learning of plant closings, layoffs, furloughs, pay reductions, and growing unemployment lines that include many factory workers, staff, and management.

Help for U.S. manufacturing has been a topic of discussion for years. Politicians dance around the issue (about as well as they do on Dancing With the Stars), commission studies, appoint manufacturing czars, make promises that result in sound bites on the news, throw dollars at a few programs, and then focus on another hot topic, while manufacturing's dilemma simmers—once again—on the backburner.

To solve a problem, you have to go to the heart of it. Here are some thoughts from "Fabricating Update" readers who responded to the September issue's item about the recent appointment of Ron Bloom as the latest in a string of manufacturing czars and asked subscribers what they would tell him if they had his ear.

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The metal fabricating industry is made up of highly skilled, hard-working individuals who are passionate about their work and proud of what they create. But every now and then, along comes a slacker who does a half-backside job and creates all kinds of problems. Such is the case with the Northrop Grumman welding inspector who falsified some inspections on eight U.S. submarines and an aircraft carrier. "Welding Wire" readers had plenty to say about this incident and how it came to light.

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Yesterday's "Fabricating Update" lead item ruffled feathers, raised hackles, and had this editor ducking for cover as fabricators sounded off about comments from the Obama administration's recently released employment report.

The item cited an article that appeared in The Washington Post about President Obama's economic team releasing an upbeat employment forecast July 13. The forecast predicted robust jobs growth in the health-care and clean-energy sectors, and a recovery in manufacturing positions over the next decade. The report also addressed the need for improvements in education and job training.

The newsletter item concluded by asking readers what they thought about the report and whether it indicated that the government finally understands the need for better education and training programs—something manufacturers have sought for a long, long time. Be careful what you ask for; you might just get it, with both barrels.

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Oprah, I'm not. And I don't have a book club. But this morning, I read about a book in USA Today that I believe might appeal to thefabricator.com's visitors. In fact, I'm guessing many of you could have written it. I plan to read it; maybe you'll want to also.

The book's title is Blue Collar & Proud of It. USA Today published a Q&A with the author, Joe Lamacchia, 50, of Newton, Mass., who owns a landscaping company. Newton argues that despite societal pressures to the contrary, not all high school students need to go to college to be successful. This sentiment is shared by many in the metal manufacturing community, including "Welding Wire" readers who responded to last month's newsletter about disappearing voc-tech programs.

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If you read last week's blog post "Leapfrogging the competition," you know about the Barclay's Commercial survey cited in the May issue of "Tube Talk" that said 54 percent of UK businesses view the ability to leapfrog struggling competitors as their key opportunity in the current recession. You also know that 31percent view staff loyalty, retention, and productivity as their greatest opportunity during the economic downturn.

That post included remarks from a "Tube Talk" reader who agreed wholeheartedly with the findings, particularly about the opportunity to retain skilled workers. This reader shared his frustration with the trend to cut the work force to trim costs. He said, "We need to start looking for creative ways to cut back so as to keep our most valuable asset, our work force."

Another reader believes the work force-related opportunities that exist in a recession go beyond retaining your skilled workers—it's time to weed out poor performers and find the talent that can take you to the next level.

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Crook County High School, educational institutions all across the U.S., and Congress, we're addressing you. Please listen.

Last week's "Welding Wire" newsletter featured an item from News/Talk 1110 KBND, Bend, Ore., about a high school metal and welding class that likely will be cut in next year's budget. The Oregon State champs in the Skills USA Competition came from this class.

Teacher Dan Holland is concerned because the metal and welding skills the kids learn are applicable for many of the jobs that stimulus money is providing. He reportedly said that "if the [school district] sees community support to keep the class, there is a good chance that it will stay. "Welding Wire" readers throughout the U.S. and Canada agree with Holland and support retaining vocational-technical (voc-tech) programs.

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Are cracks in welds ever acceptable? Is the term 'crack' a misnomer for linear indications, hot tears, lack of fusion, and other weld characteristics, and are these characteristics acceptable?

A recent issue of the "Welding Wire" e-newsletter featured an item that originally appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle. The article, "Questions over welds delay Bay Bridge project," described how inspectors hired by the California Department of Transportation to monitor the fabrication of steel girders being used in the project reported finding cracked welds. The newsletter then posed the questions: Are a few minor cracks in welds for bridge components OK? Can inspectors be too strict?

Welders responded quickly. Here's what they had to say.

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