Pawprints From Space

Okay, in a country where we have the highest unemployment we've seen in a long time, folks who can't get loans for their small businesses let alone their homes and workers who are lucky to get any kind of raise this year ... we have a financial sector completely disconnected from reality. The massive banks dubbed "too big to fail" by the Bush Administration and the fools in Congress who followed them and giving raises and bonuses of head-shaking proportions. Bank of America is increasing salaries and bonuses by 31% for 2009 (over 2008 numbers) that's an average income for employees of $235,193. JP Morgan has increase salaries and bonuses by 22% for 2009 (over 2008 numbers) an average income of $378,600. Goldman Sachs takes the cake though with average income for 2009 after increases and bonuses of $498,246!! Oh we're supposed to not pay attention to Goldman's payouts because they also managed to give $500 million to charity in 2009. Smoke and mir...

Well there goes the "super majority" for the Democrats in the Senate. Let this be a lesson to those seeking election or re-election in November. How to lose an election when you shouldn't have... 1. Be over-confident 2. Be extremely negative in your ads (there's a fine line on how to make this work) 3. Pay absolutely no attention to the techniques and tactics that allowed your predecessor to hold on to the seat for 40 years-ish 4. Get out there and talk to the people!! 5. If it is a state-wide election, you have to campaign state-wide and IN PERSON 6. Don't expect your party's leader to "fix it" for you at the last minute 7. Don't assume that since the seat has been in your party's hands for 40 odd years it'll stay that way "just because" 8. Do NOT insult your constituency's favorite sports team and/or anyone who plays for that team just because he/she is supporting your opponent - you are not campaigning a...

This week our town lost a great, classy eatery to fire. The cause remains unknown and possibly suspicious, persons of interest are being sought, no one knows what to do next. The neighborhood hung out there on Fridays - I didn't go very often but it was enjoyable to go. To hang out with what a co-worker calls "the beautiful people", eat some really great food and enjoy some wonderful wine. The Bistro was a symbol. A symbol of investment in the downtown of an old, tired city. It showed what one could do with an old building and some loving care. The exposed brick, the old glass, the 100+ year old bar... this was a place with character to spare. It was a gathering place, a place you brought out-of-town guests to, where you wined and dined prospective clients, where you stopped for some dessert and coffee after a show at the Civic Center or dinner before the symphony. It added class to Main Street. The people were warm and wonderful too, chatting with the folks beh...

Too much negative energy is exhausting. And Tuesday night it was all negativity all the time. I'm still tired. Holding grudges, being spiteful, engaging in the whole us vs. them game... and this is among a group of people who all belong to the same organization. Local political stupidity. The old you're with us or against us mentality and if you haven't been one of them your entire life woe be unto you! Idiots. If we fight among ourselves we accomplish nothing. There is a new chairperson (okay it has been a year-ish but new enough) who wants to introduce change slowly, carefully and thus there is ridicule from those who want things fixed right now. The reason given is they have spent years "kissing ass" and are fed up and the new guy is supposed to be able to fix everything immediately. There are parallels to the way people are reacting to Obama's lack of widespread, immediate sweeping change in less than a year although this isn't a national situation her...

Okay, I am concerned. Not about the "public option", that seems dead for now at least so we won't go on and on about that (although I could so don't get me started). I am concerned about this concept of a "Cadillac plan". As if the sheer cost of one's insurance coverage determines whether or not it is full of "bells and whistles". And who defines "Cadillac" anyway? Apparently the US Senate. The cost of an insurance plan is in part determined by the size and makeup of the group you're in. In the case of my employer we are a small group (less than 50) with several high-risk personnel on the plan. This drives up the cost of the plan. We have a decent plan but it is an HSA plan meaning it has a very high deductible. Example the individual deductible is $5,000.00. The plan's cost (so far as I know) puts it above the amount threshold that qualifies for "Cadillac" status. Trust me, this is NOT a Cadillac plan. It is pretty ...