Leslie's Omnibus

Drive-Bys

If you're like me, you hate, hate, HATE the fact that things like erectile disfunction drugs are advertised during prime time.

If you hate that, you'll hate this even more.

Nice.
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AD has gifted me with an ear worm and a sight it'll take days to scrub from my psyche. Yeesh!
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My BlogDaddy calls my reaction to the news of the potential siezure of IRAs and 401ks "hysteria," but then he handed me back the reasons for exactly why it's not:
“From where I sit that’s just crazy,” said John Belluardo, president of Stewardship Financial Services Inc. in Tarrytown, New York. “A lot of people contribute to their 401(k)s because of the match of the employer,” he said. Belluardo’s firm does not manage assets directly.

Higher-income employers provide matching funds to employee plans so that they can qualify for tax benefits for their own defined-contribution plans, he said.

“If the tax deferral goes away, the employers have no reason to do the matches, which primarily help people in the lower income brackets,” Belluardo said.
I don't know about you, but my employer matches a whole hell of a lot more than $600 a year, and I certainly don't want to lose that. Neither should you. However...
Under Ghilarducci’s plan, all workers would receive a $600 annual inflation-adjusted subsidy from the U.S. government but would be required to invest 5 percent of their pay into a guaranteed retirement account administered by the Social Security Administration. The money in turn would be invested in special government bonds that would pay 3 percent a year, adjusted for inflation.
In addition, my current contribution to my 401k is strictly voluntary. I certainly don't want the government telling me I have to contribute 5% of my salary to a fund run by those most altruistic folks in DC to manage for my future. Oh, wait. We are already required to fork over a large chunk of our income every year to Social Security... and we all know how well that seems to be working.

$80 BILLION of our own money they're trying to take away, boys and girls. Wrap your head around that one for a while. And remember that it's people in the lower income brackets that'll be hurt the most.

Make this an opt-in program for those folks who don't want to be responsible for their own futures, and I've got no problem with this. But for those of us who choose to steer our own destinies, no thanks.
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And since I haven't done a Blogthing in a while:




What Your Home Says About You



You come across as very intellectual. People take your wisdom seriously.



Your hygiene is passable, but you may be hiding some dirty secrets.



You are a very domestic person. You enjoy decorating, cooking, and making things homey.



You are not a very nurturing person. You have enough trouble taking care of yourself.



You feel settled in your life. You have enough time to focus on little details.



You are not a very self sufficient person. You depend on others more than you realize.



Your friends see you as accommodating, peaceful, and forgiving.



But I'm not done decorating yet, either.
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Oh, what the hay. Here's one more:




The Part of You That No One Sees



You are balanced, peaceful, and sincere.

You're the type of person who goes along to get along.

And you're definitely afraid of rocking the boat.



Underneath it all, you fear your world falling apart.

You'll put up with a situation that you don't like in fear of changing it.

Disruptive and forceful people intimidate you - and sometimes exploit you.


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Couldn't resist. Here's one more:




You Are Grape



You are bold and a true individual. You are very different and very okay with that.

People know you as a straight shooter. You're very honest, even when the truth hurts.

You are also very grounded and practical. No one is going to sneak anything by you.

People enjoy your fresh approach to life. And it's this honesty that makes you a very innovative person.

Leslie

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