Now I’m a capitalist

                       

I was looking at a red t-shirt that said, "Capitalist."  Most of my professional life I worked for the government: University of Illinois, Ohio State University, State of Ohio, and OhioNet ( state and federal grant money). I had a few jobs working in the free market economy when I was between "real" jobs, and of course, I was my husband's only staff for 20 years. So I have a state teacher's pension (not Social Security--can't have both). That sort of qualifies me as a capitalist, because pensions are invested in businesses/stock market/ real estate/ etc. While I was working, I socked away as much as was allowed in TIAA-CREF and IRAs (the stock market). For now those businesses and fat cats that are regularly maligned by this administration are doing well and paying me for investing my money—as a capitalist.

http://www2.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/pension_fund_capitalism.html

http://www.statecapitalist.org/category/pension/

http://www.giaging.org/documents/NIRS_Report_12-10-13.pdf

Newmont Mining Corporation

I see I've bought 50 shares of Newmont Mining Corporation (NEM), a gold producer, with significant assets or operations in the United States, Australia, Peru, Indonesia, Ghana, Canada, New Zealand and Mexico. Well, I hadn't planned to buy gold for my retirement portfolio, but apparently if you do, you'll be helping me.

Discovery & Development | Newmont Mining Corporation

A serious typo

Can you spot it? I don't think this is the message this wealth building seminar ($97 to attend) wants to convey.


Do you think printer should give the customer a refund?

Fire the proofreader?

Hope no one notices that we don't own the IRS, it owns us?

The Hank and Ben Show

Seen at jomama

Is it too early for a repeat? So much has happened in 2 weeks. Our investment advisor says we're the lucky ones--our portfolio has dropped "only" 8%--the market 20%. By next week it won't make much difference, but we'll be using cash to draw down our IRAs which we are required to do next year.

I’ve got the low down, trillion dollar, Ben and Henry Blues
by Norma Bruce

Woke up this morning ‘bout five fifteen,
Read my big ol Bible and a new magazine,
Jumped in the van, turning on the key
Let me tell you mama, there’s no stopping me.

Driving on to Main Street, stopping at the light
Heading for the coffee shop the other side of night,
Singing with the radio, changing stations now
Got the dog and pony show, candidates take a bow.

Mitigating factors, oozing out the wazoo,
Sell ‘em or hold ‘em, it’s all a rescue.
I’ve got the low down, trillion dollar
Ben and Henry blues.

Warm bakery bread and yeasty brown rolls
Congress still propping up the C-E-Os
Espresso coffee chai and tea
The government ya know--that’s just you and me.

NINJA loans for aliens, flipping for the rich,
From coastal homes, to buildings in the sticks,
McBama to Fannie to Goldman Sachs
They’re pointing fingers and covering tracks.

Mitigating factors, oozing out the wazoo,
Sell ‘em or hold ‘em, it’s all a rescue.
I’ve got the low down, trillion dollar
Ben and Henry blues.

The paperless society

This morning I moved a mature IRA from one bank to another, because the first bank was charging me $30 a year just to use my money! Do you know that by the time I got home from those two transactions about a mile apart, I had 26 pieces of paper, or 27 pieces if I counted the check, 25 of them 8.5 x 11. Both banks used to be called something else--or at least one was, and the other was started by officers of a former savings and loan. I can remember the days when they rolled the certificate into a typewriter and I signed a little card for the beneficiaries which stayed there. In those days, I thought it took a long time, but now with computers it is much longer. Plus, the computers don't even update your account until the next day, so on one sheet I had to write in the new amount. But the staff are always pleasant, handsome and cheerful, so it's nice to go to a bank and enjoy the comfy furniture and have a chat. Just make sure you have plenty of time. Plus it is a beautiful, sunny day in central Ohio. My artificial flowers are doing fabulously even in the cold snap.