RALPH NADER POINTS OUT SOCIALISM IS SAVING CAPITALISM LAST WEEK!
REAL LIFE IMITATING ART LATELY? REMEMBER THE MICHAEL DOUGLAS MOVIE!
THIS IS A SIGN OF THE TIMES: THE S & L CANARY IN THE COAL MINE!
THIS USED TO BE THE BUILDING AT TAMPA & VENTURA IN TARZANA, WHERE I’M STILL THE HONORARY MAYOR, AND WHERE SANTA BARBARA SAVINGS & LOAN WAS LOCATED, THEN IT WAS TAKEN OVER BY HAWTHORNE SAVINGS & LOAN…THEN THE COMMERCIAL BANK THAT YOU CAN STILL SEE THE FADED LOGO ON THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING SETTLED IN, AND NOW ALL THAT’S LEFT IS ALL FENCED OFF WITH WEEDS AND UNWATERED LANDSCAPING SURROUNDING IT!
CNN COMPARES THE REAL LIFE SARAH PALIN WITH THE TINA FEY SNL COPY!
YOU’RE NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO’S ALL STRESSED OUT AND TIRED LATELY!
THE TRIBUTES CONTINUE TO POUR IN FOR ACTOR PAUL NEWMAN, DEAD AT 83!
HERE’S A VIDEO FROM PAUL’S OWN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION ABOUT HIS WORK!
PAUL NEWMAN & JOANNE WOODWARD WERE MARRIED 50 YEARS!
It was one of the longest lasting marriages in Hollywood. Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman met in 1952 and married on January 29th 1958. They remained as in love with each other as they were fifty years ago. Clips include footage from films they made together; The Long, Hot Summer, Rally ‘Round the Flag, Boys!, From The Terrace, Paris Blues, A New Kind of Love, Winning, WUSA and Mr and Mrs Bridge. To the Theme of Anastasia “At the Beginning”.
AND ONE FINAL CLIP OF PAUL NEWMAN “INSIDE THE ACTOR’S STUDIO” IN 1994!
IN CASE YOU MISSED THE FIRST DEBATE ON FRIDAY NIGHT, HERE IT IS!
IF YOU WANT TO CHECK HOW TRUE SOME OF THE FACTS THE CANDIDATES STATED IN FRIDAY NIGHT’S DEBATE WERE, HERE’S THE LINK TO THE FACTCHECK.ORG WEBSITE.
TINA FEY SHOWED UP AS SARAH PALIN AGAIN ON “SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE”!
LAST FRIDAY, I POSTED AN EMAIL FROM T.J. BIRKENMEIER THAT PROPOSED A BAILOUT PLAN FOR AMERICA THAT I AND A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO FORWARDED ALONG THE SAME EMAIL WERE VERY EXCITED ABOUT. IT BASICALLY SAID INSTEAD OF GIVING THE BILLIONS TO WALL STREET FIRMS LIKE AIG THAT WERE GOING UNDER, TO DISTRIBUTE THE WEALTH TO AMERICANS OVER 18 EQUALLY TO THE TUNE OF $425,000 EACH. IN MY ENTHUSIASM FOR A NEW IDEA, I FAILED TO CHECK T.J.’S MATH. AS LISTENER TOM PENLAND (SEE EMAIL BELOW) AND DOZENS OF OTHERS QUICKLY POINTED OUT, IT REALLY WOULD AMOUNT TO ONLY $425 EACH. I FORGOT TO FOLLOW MY OWN INTERNET CAVEAT, THAT IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, GOOGLE IT OR CHECK IT OUT ON SNOPES.COM.
Hello Charlie
Yesterday you read a proposal by T J Birkenmeier and it is a good idea with one problem, we would only get $425 each not $425,000. That is one of the problems in America, most people believe what they are told, see and read. If you want to read something on that people really need to know about on the air read this….
Aristotle said, “The educated differ from the uneducated as much as the living from the dead.” I was not around back then but I do not think Aristotle was talking necessarily about formal education. I think he was talking about the kind of knowledge and education gained from having the will to go beyond the normal sources [media, what we are told] and learn independently, all [facts] one can about important issues. Typical media [TV, Radio, Magazines and Newspapers] is controlled by the very same people that control our money supply, the very same wealthy few that keep us MIS-FOCUSED on issues in such a way as to promote their own well-being and wealth, NOT OURS! Wake up America!
Our Founding Fathers, the ones our elected public servants are always chirping they respect, warned the American people about usury and unscrupulous bankers:
“If the American people ever allow the banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation, and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property, until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power of money should be taken from banks and restored to Congress and the people to whom it belongs. I sincerely believe the banking institutions having the issuing power of money, are more dangerous to liberty than standing armies.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
So what we have is a central bank issuing worthless paper “money” that controls our economy, our lives and our future. This private banking cartel was unconstitutionally granted this power by a devious, scheming group of senators back in 1913. In essence what they did was place the American people into indentured servitude by forcing The People to pay usury on worthless fiat currency (paper money created out of nothing), not to fund the government, but to enrich the bankers and fund wars in which America should never be involved. This system exists not to fund the government, but to allow the U.S. Congress carte blanche power to continue funding unconstitutional agencies and programs by providing them with a bottomless source of worthless ink.
The central banks make huge profits and assert stranglehold control over us with never ending cycles of credit expansion and reduction. Bailout or no bailout makes little difference as it is just more of the same. Americans must take back control of our currency from the very private, Federal Reserve Bank which is not part of the government at all. It is a private corporation whose goal is strictly to make as much profit as they can. Wake up America!
In light of the bailout at hand I encourage you to read “An Introduction to Monetary Reform Principles” below by Milton Friedman (born July 31, 1912 died November 16, 2006). FYI, Milton Friedman was an American Nobel Laureate economist and public intellectual. The Economist hailed him as “the most influential economist of the second half of the 20th century…possibly of all of it”. If you want to know more about him you can read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Friedman
REFORM LEGISLATION -An Introduction to Monetary Reform Principles. Why draft model reform legislation with little to no chance of enactment under the present circumstances? Nobel Laureate in Economics, Milton Friedman, offers two reasons:
It is worth discussing radical changes, not in the expectation that they will be adopted promptly but for two other reasons. One is to construct an ideal goal, so that incremental changes can be judged by whether they move the institutional structure toward or away from that ideal.
Friedman continues:
The other reason is very different. It is so that if a crisis requiring or facilitating radical change does arise, alternatives will be available that have been carefully developed and fully explored. (Whoa, is this at hand or what?)
Further, modern history is replete with instances in which the Hegelian dialectic has been applied to the political and economic orders to manipulate or soften-up governments to change in ways contrary to the public good. This method usually involves the artificial (i.e. coldly calculated) initiation of conflict of some kind after careful conditioning of the elements of the society who could either obstruct or implement the planned change; followed by a crisis (e.g. an economic or political anomaly such as the stock market crash of 1929 or the oil crises of 1974 and 1979); which is then “interpreted” by controlled mass media to direct the responses to the crisis into pre-planned avenues and away from correct responses such as careful analysis of the causes and criminal indictment of the perpetrators (Manipulation on the personal/psychological order follows a similar pattern of stress, emotion, counseling). Orwell noted this in 1984:
In governing the populace, unrest cannot be averted. Therefore, it must be channeled and cultivated. (Just another way of saying enslaved)
The following quotation of David Rockefeller, then Chairman of Chase Manhattan bank, speaking at the June, 1991 Bilderberger meeting in Baden Baden, Germany (a meeting attended by then-Governor Bill Clinton) is illustrative of the media control mentioned above:
We are grateful to the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time Magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost forty years. He went on to explain: It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subjected to the lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. The super-national sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries.
What you have just read is only part of Mr. Friedman’s paper. I think we have come to the point where we must take a stand for our very freedom and have real reform, not a bailout. Educate yourself [and others] on this issue. Please read Milton Friedman’s complete paper here http://www.themoneymasters.com/principles.htm
As the debate over a $700 billion bank bailout continues in Washington, one of the nation’s largest banks, Washington Mutual, collapsed under the weight of its bad bets on the mortgage market. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. seized WaMu on Thursday, and then sold the thrift’s banking assets to JPMorgan Chase & Co. for $1.9 billion.
Seattle-based WaMu, which was founded in 1889, is the largest bank to fail by far in the country’s history. Its $307 billion in assets eclipse the $40 billion of Continental Illinois National Bank, which failed in 1984, and the $32 billion of IndyMac, which the government seized in July.
One positive is that the sale of WaMu’s assets to JPMorgan Chase prevents the thrift’s collapse from depleting the FDIC’s insurance fund. But that detail is likely to give only marginal solace to Americans facing tighter lending and watching their stock portfolios plunge in the wake of the nation’s most momentous financial crisis since the Great Depression.
Because of WaMu’s souring mortgages and other risky debt, JPMorgan plans to write down WaMu’s loan portfolio by about $31 billion — a figure that could change if the government goes through with its bailout plan and JPMorgan decides to take advantage of it.
The downfall of WaMu has been widely anticipated for some time because of the company’s heavy mortgage-related losses. As investors grew nervous about the bank’s health, its stock price plummeted 95 percent from a 52-week high of $36.47 to its close of $1.69 Thursday. On Wednesday, it suffered a ratings downgrade by Standard & Poor’s that put it in danger of collapse.
“For all depositors and other customers of Washington Mutual Bank, this is simply a combination of two banks,” Bair said in a statement. “For bank customers, it will be a seamless transition. There will be no interruption in services and bank customers should expect business as usual.
HERE’S FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON’S TAKE ON OUR ECONOMIC CRISIS!
HERE’S A VERY POPULAR C-SPAN CLIP CALLED “LET’S PLAY WALL STREET”! IT ECHOES WHAT I REPORTED YESTERDAY IS THE “REAL STORY” ON THE BAILOUT!
THEN THERE’S THE JOKER’S VIEW OF THE PRESIDENT’S BAILOUT PLAN!
MY FAVORITE SOLUTION TO OUR ECONOMIC CRISIS AND WALL STREET WOES! IT’S A BAILOUT PLAN FROM AN INTERNET EMAILER NAMED T.J. BIRKENMEIER!
I’m against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG.
Instead, I’m in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a We Deserve It Dividend.
To make the math simple, let’s assume there are 200,000,000 bonafide U.S. Citizens 18+.
Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up..
So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billion that equals $425,000.00.
My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a We Deserve It Dividend.
Of course, it would NOT be tax free.
So let’s assume a tax rate of 30%.
Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes.
That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam.
But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket.
A husband and wife has $595,000.00.
What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?
Pay off your mortgage – housing crisis solved.
Repay college loans – what a great boost to new grads
Put away money for college – it’ll be there
Save in a bank – create money to loan to entrepreneurs.
Buy a new car – create jobs
Invest in the market – capital drives growth
Pay for your parent’s medical insurance – health care improves
Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean – or else
Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.
If we’re going to re-distribute wealth let’s really do it…instead of trickling out a puny $1000.00 ( ‘vote buy’ ) economic incentive that is being proposed. If we’re going to do an $85 billion bailout, let’s bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+!
As for AIG – liquidate it. Sell off its parts. Let American General go back to being American General. Sell off the real estate. Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.
Here’s my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn’t.
Sure it’s a crazy idea that can ‘never work.’
But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party!
How do you spell Economic Boom?
I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion
We Deserve It Dividend more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC
And remember, The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.
Ahhh…I feel so much better getting that off my chest.
Kindest personal regards,
Birk
T. J. Birkenmeier, A Creative Guy & Citizen of the Republic
PS: Feel free to pass this along to your pals as it’s either good for a laugh or a tear or a very sobering thought on how to best use $85 Billion!!
OH, AND DAVID LETTERMAN IS STILL MAD AT JOHN McCAIN’S NO-SHOW!
THE LATEST SARAH PALIN YOUTUBE VIDEO IS HER 1984 MISS ALASKA PAGEANT!
We keep hearing about the big government bailouts of banks, insurance companies, mortgage companies, and all supposedly to help save the country and the taxpayers.
But there are some circles saying it’s nothing more than the politicians rewarding their rich banker friends who donated to their campaigns all on the backs of U. S. taxpayers! Adding there is no need for bailouts. Let the free markets stay free. If rich bankers make bad investments, let them go out of business just like any other business. We don’t see the federal government bailing out the local businesses, or you or I when we get in financial trouble. Instead they want to save those who the FBI is now investigating for all sorts of possible illegal financial shell games, lies, manipulation, and out and out deceptive practices that got exposed with the mortgage meltdown.
Wall Street is in trouble because of misplaced bets on derivatives and other financial instruments. It is not the purpose of tax dollars to limit the damage to multi-millionaires for trading mistakes they have made say some.
This plan has been dubbed the “son of RTC”, referencing the independent Resolution Trust Corporation, which bought the assets of failed savings and loans in the 1980’s, but it will be very different from the RTC.
The RTC took the assets of defunct savings and loans. Shareholders in these savings institutions were wiped out. However, the Paulson process is protecting Wall Street. The US Treasury Department will seek to buy as much as $700 billion in toxic assets from institutions that are still solvent. This will protect those same current corporate titans who ran many of these firms into the ground with excess leverage and wayward trading.
As one analyst pointed out, because this is being done by the government directly, the balance sheet of the US Government is at risk for further deterioration of the assets. Treasury, by some accounts, plans to buy the assets through “reverse auctions”. But the danger of naïve government functionaries buying assets they don’t understand is scary for the taxpayer. Banks could sell the US Treasury assets much shakier than currently anticipated. Since these bureaucrat buyers have no skin in the game like private buyers would have, the possibility of additional shell games mushrooms.
Also the plan includes the insuring of money-market funds with over $3.4 trillion in assets. This amounts to the nationalization by the US Treasury of the commercial-paper market. Money-market funds are generally low-risk commercial paper, but with a government guarantee, the risks will climb and the due diligence of the buyers will fly out the window. Before long, Wall Street will be selling bad assets here. When risks are divorced from investments, you naturally have an increased opportunity for fraud.
MEANTIME DAVID LETTERMAN WAS FURIOUS OVER JOHN McCAIN CANCELLING!
SARAH PALIN DID FIND TIME IN HER SCHEDULE TO TALK WITH KATIE COURIC!
AND BARACK OBAMA THINKS FRIDAY’S DEBATE SHOULD NOT BE CANCELLED!
EIGHT FOODS YOU NEED TO EAT EVERYDAY TO MAINTAIN GOOD HEALTH!
SPINACH HAS OMEGA 3’S AND FOLATE AND REDUCES HEART DISEASE. SHOOT FOR 1 CUP EVERY DAY.
YOGURT- 1 CUP A DAY FOR BONES AND HEALTHY BACTERIA BOOSTING YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM.
TOMATOES- LYCOPENE REDUCES RISK OF ARTERY DISEASE AND CANCER 8 CHERRIES TOMATOES OR 1 GLASS OF TOMATO JUICE WILL DO IT.
CARROTS- REDUCES RISK OF CANCER BETTER EYESIGHT ½ CUP A DAY
BLUEBERRIES- MOST ANTI-OXIDANTS OF ALL FOODS PREVENTS CANCER DIABETES MEMORY ISSUES AND RICH IN FIBER. ½ CUP A DAY.
BLACK BEANS- GOOD FOR YOUR HEART. ½ CUP IS GREAT!
WALNUTS- UNLESS YOU ARE ALLERGIC OF COURSE RICH IN HEART HEALTHY OMEGA 3’S..PACKS AS MUCH PROTEIN AS CHICKEN- 1O OUNCES OR 7 NUTS IS ALL YOU NEED!
OATS- PACKED WITH FIBER PROTEIN LOWERS HEART DISEASE RISK!
WITH ALL THESE FINANCIAL GURUS AND CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS HOLDING HEARINGS TRYING TO GET WHAT THEY WANT FOR THE $700 BILLION DOLLAR BAILOUT, CONSIDERING THE FACT ALL WASHINGTON POLICTICIANS HAVE MAJOR CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTORS FROM WALL STREET, ARE THEY ALL REALLY TELLING THE TRUTH WHEN THEY STATE THEIR INTEREST CONCERNS ABOUT THE PUBLIC, OR IS IT REALLY JUST ABOUT GETTING THEIR CAMPAIGN UNDERWRITERS A SWEET DEAL. WATCH CAREFULLY WHEN THEY SPEAK BECAUSE HERE’S 25 SIGNS YOU’RE HEARING A LIE!
1. Touching the chin or rubbing the brow
2. Crossed arms or legs
3. Playing with hair
4. A line of perspiration on the brow if it isn’t a warm day
5. Saying “no” several times
6. Continually denying accusations
7. Being extremely defensive
8. Providing more information and specifics than necessary
9. Inconsistencies in what is being shared
10. Body language and facial expressions don’t match what is being said such as saying “no,” but nodding the head up and down
11. Smugness
12. Placing a barrier, such as a desk or chair, in front of self
13. Uncommon calmness
14. Unwillingness to touch spouse during conversation
15. Being hesitant
16. Slouching posture
17. Rigidity or fidgeting
18. Differing behaviors; not acting in a usual fashion
19. Unnatural or limited arm and hand movements
20. Partial shrug
21. Lack of finger pointing
22. Unusual voice fluctuations, word choice, sentence structure
23. Stalling the conversation by repetitive use of pauses and comments like “um” or “you know”
24. Lack of use of contractions; prefers emphasizing “not” when talking
25. Avoidance of eye contact, eyes glancing to the right, staring past you, or turning away from you while talking.
FINANCIAL ADVICE EXPERT SUZE ORMAN WAS ON OPRAH TUESDAY!
HERE’S THE LINK TO OPRAH’S WEBSITE FOR A TRULY INFORMATIVE HOUR LONG INTERVIEW WITH SUZE ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD, ABOUT WHAT WE THE PUBLIC ON MAIN STREET CAN DO WITH OUR MONEY, WHILE WALL STREET WAITS FOR OUR TAX-FUNDED BAILOUT!
A BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK AT BECOMING A COVER GIRL!
MEET THE 2008 WINNER OF THE DOG OBEDIENCE SCHOOL COMPETITION!
LISTENER KATIE SHELL SENT ALONG THIS “GOOD OLD DAYS” TEST!
This is NOT a pushover test. There are 20 questions. Average score is 12. It will help if you are over 60! This one will be difficult for the younger set.
Have fun, but no peeking! The answers are below after the test.
1. What builds strong bodies 12 ways?
A. Flintstones vitamins
B. The Buttmaster
C. Spaghetti
D. Wonder Bread
E. Orange Juice
F. Milk
G. Cod Liver Oil
2. Before he was Muhammed Ali, he was…
A. Sugar Ray Robinson
B. Roy Orbison
C. Gene Autry
D. Rudolph Valentino
E. Fabian
F. Mickey Mantle
G. Cassius Clay
3. Pogo, the comic strip character said, ‘We have met the enemy and…
A. It’s you
B. He is us
C. It’s the Grinch
D. He wasn’t home
E. He’s really me an
F. We quit
G. He surrendered
4. Good night David.
A. Good nighy Chet
B. Sleep well
C. Good night Irene
D. Good night Gracie
E. See you later alligator
F. Until tomorrow
G. Good night Steve
5. You’ll wonder where the yellow went…
A. When you use Tide
B. When you lose your crayons
C. When you clean your tub
D. If you paint the room blue
E. If you buy a soft water tank
F. When you use Lady Clairol
G. When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent
6. Before he was the Skipper’s Little Buddy, Bob Denver was Dobie’s friend…
A. Stuart Whitman
B. Randolph Scott
C. Steve Reeves
D. Maynard G. Krebbs
E. Corky B. Dork
F. Dave the Whale
G. Zippy Zoo
7. Liar, liar…
A. You’re a liar
B. Your nose is growing
C. Pants on fire
D. Join the choir
E. Jump up higher
F. On the wire
G. I’m telling Mom
8. Meanwhile, back in Metropolis, Superman fights a never ending battle
for truth, justice and…
A. Wheaties
B. Lois Lane
C. TV ratings
D. World peace
E. Red tights
F. The American way
G. News headlines
9. Hey kids! What time is it?
A. It’s time for Yogi Bear
B. It’s time to do your homework
C. It’s Howdy Doody Time
D. It’s Time for Romper Room
E. It’s bedtime
F. The Mighty Mouse Hour
G. Scoopy Doo Time
10. Lions and tigers and bears…
A. Yikes
B. Oh no
C. Gee whiz
D. I’m scared
E. Oh my
F. Help! Help!
G. Let’s run
11. Bob Dylan advised us never to trust anyone…
A. Over 40
B. Wearing a uniform
C. Carrying a briefcase
D. Over 30
E. You don’t know
F. Who says, ‘Trust me’
G. Who eats tofu
12. NFL quarterback who appeared in a television commercial wearing women’s
pantyhose…
A. Troy Aikman
B. Kenny Stabler
C. Joe Namath
D. Roger Staubach
E. Joe Montana
F. Steve Young
G. John Elway
13. Brylcream…
A. Smear it on
B. You’ll smell great
C. Tame that cowlick
D. Grease ball heaven
E. It’s a dream
F. We’re your team
G. A little dab’ll do ya
14. I found my thrill…
A. In Blueberry muffins
B. With my man, Bill
C. Down at the mill
D. Over the windowsill
E. With thyme and dill
F. Too late to enjoy
G. On Blueberry Hill
15. Before Robin Williams, Peter Pan was played by…
A. Clark Gable
B. Mary Martin
C. Doris Day
D. Errol Flynn
E. Sally Field
F. Jim Carrey
G. Jay Leno
16. Name the Beatles…
A. John, Steve, George, Ringo
B. John, Paul, George, Roscoe
C. John, Paul, Stacey, Ringo
D. Jay, Paul, George, Ringo
E. Lewis, Peter, George, Ringo
F. Jason, Betty, Skipper, Hazel
G. John, Paul, George, Ringo
17. I wonder, wonder, who…
A. Who ate the leftovers?
B. Who did the laundry?
C. Was it you?
D. Who wrote the book of love?
E. Who I am?
F. Passed the test?
G. Knocked on the door?
18. I’m strong to the finish…
A. Cause I eats my broccoli
B. Cause I eats me spinach
C. Cause I lift weights
D. Cause I’m the hero
E. And don’t you forget it
F. Cause Olive Oyl loves me
G. To outlast Bruto
19. When it’s least expected, you’re elected, you’re the star today…
A. Smile, you’re on Candid Camera
B. Smile, you’re on Star Search
C. Smile, you won the lottery
D. Smile, we’re watching you
E. Smile, the world sees you
F. Smile, you’re a hit
G. Smile, you’re on TV
20. What do M & M’s do?
A. Make your tummy happy
B. Melt in your mouth, not in your pocket
C. Make you fat
D. Melt your heart
E. Make you popular
F. Melt in your mouth, not in your hand
G. Come in colors
Below are the right answers:
1. D – Wonder Bread
2. G – Cassius Clay
3. B – He Is Us
4. A – Good night, Chet
5. G – When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent
6. D – Maynard G. Krebbs
7. C – Pants On Fire
8. F – The American Way
9. C – It’s Howdy Doody Time
10. E – Oh My
11. D – Over 30
12. C – Joe Namath
13. G – A little dab’ll do ya
14. G – On Blueberry Hill
15. B – Mary Martin
16. G – John, Paul, George, Ringo
17. D – Who wrote the book of Love
18. B – Cause I eats me spinach
19. A – Smile, you’re on Candid Camera
20. F – Melt In Your Mouth Not In Your Hand
THIS YEAR’S EMMYS WERE THE LOWEST RATED EMMY SHOW IN HISTORY! ONE OF THE NIGHT’S FEW BRIGHT MOMENTS WAS JIMMY KIMMEL’S EMMY INTERVIEW SPECIAL! CHECK OUT THIS SINGING MOMENT WITH SALMA HAYEK!
Lawmakers are scrambling to complete the Bush administration’s $700 billion plan to save financial markets predicted to be one of the greatest bailouts in U.S. history.
Congress and the Treasury Department appear to be in agreement on the big picture, namely the need and the cost. The differences lie on issues such as what, if anything, the government should extract in return for helping out struggling financial firms and specific attention that can be given to struggling homeowners.
So what steps can we Americans take in the meantime, regardless of the passage of the $700 Billion Rescue Plan. CalCPA is the nation’s largest non-profit CPA state society representing more than 32,000 CPAs in the state and abroad specializing in tax, accounting, auditing and consulting services such as personal finance. Here’s what these CPAs are suggesting for all us to better manage their finances:
STEP 1: Make sure your finances are in order. Pay down credit card debt. Pay your bills on time. Consider creating a budget so you have extra money you can put away to save. Limit your splurges. Cut down to the basics, with maybe just a single splurge category, even then, decide if you can live without it.
STEP 2: Make sure you have cash reserves or an emergency fund to tide you over if things get tough or you lose your job. You should shoot for cash to cover three to six months of expenses in your household to cover a family member getting laid off or sick.
STEP 3: Build more equity in your home by putting some extra money toward the mortgage. Find out what kind of mortgage you have. If you have an adjustable rate mortgage, talk to a few lenders four to six months before that mortgage resets to a higher rate. To avoid foreclosure: Talk to your lender and make an appointment with a housing counselor approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Call (800) 569-4287.
STRATEGY 4: Study your 401(k) investment plan. Your retirement account is for buying and holding investments, not for day-trading stocks. But now might be a good time to review your plan based on your personal situation and risk tolerance.
A solid, long-term strategy that involves a well-diversified investment portfolio should protect your 401(k) or other retirement account during rough times.
Examine the risk in your investment plan and consider whether or not you need to reduce it by shifting away from stocks and moving toward bonds, cash and other alternative investments that can reduce overall risk. Diversify. You need to understand the types of investments that are available, and decide which ones are right for you. If you don’t have the time, energy, or inclination to do this yourself, hire a financial professional. He or she will explain the options that are available to you, and will assist you in selecting investments that are appropriate for your goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon for retirement.
STRATEGY 5: Take that deep breath and review tax aspects if you withdraw money from your 401(k). If you stop contributing to your retirement plan now, you’ll miss out on compounding — that wonderful phenomenon that lets you generate earnings from your investments’ previous earnings. And you could miss out on free money if your employer matches your contributions.
If you panic and cash out your account entirely, you’ll have to pay a 10% early-withdrawal penalty if you aren’t 59. Distributions, regardless of your age, are taxed as regular income. Plus, people who pull their money out of the market in a panic not only sell at the wrong time but they often buy back in when prices are too high.
Instead, use this recent market volatility as a wake-up call to examine and review your portfolio including your 401(k) and check to see if you are in something like a target fund that automatically reallocates your retirement portfolio, now is probably a good time to make sure you are allocated properly so you can withstand future market changes.
STEP 6: Focus on keeping your credit score high so that you’d be able to obtain loans if necessary in an emergency. Know your score. A recent amendment to the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. But there’s only one online source authorized to do so. Review your reports for accuracy and correct any incorrect information that negatively impacts your credit score.
STRATEGY 7: Ask your employer for help. You don’t have to fly solo during these tough times. Thanks to a change in the law in 2006, employers can now provide investment advice to employees who participate in 401(k)s and similar plans.
So check with your employer to see if your plan administrator can offer guidance.
STEP 8: Be sure you max out your contributions to your 401(k), especially if your employer matches your contribution. Saving for retirement is always a good idea. Contributing at least an amount to take full advantage of an employer’s matching contribution is a must. It is free money that cannot be left on the table. The employer contribution to your retirement account will accelerate the growth of your retirement nest egg.
STEP 9: Protect your source of income — your job — by making yourself more valuable to your employer. In hard times, companies making less money lay off workers. Raise your profile at work. Make sure your boss knows your value. Make it a point to work on the best and most high-profile projects. Transition yourself to areas of the company that drive revenue and future growth opportunities. Renew connections. Join a professional network or association to stay up to date on the latest trends in your industry and maintain professional contacts.
Self-employed individuals may want to manage their accounts receivable more closely to avoid being affected by other people’s recession problems ask for prepayment before completion of work or extend shorter credit terms.
STEP 10: Do additional research. Check out the California Society of CPAs’ free Web site on personal finance topics to help manage your household budget. This Web site can be accessed at: http://www.calcpa.org/Content/home.aspx Check out the “Dollar & Sense Program.”
JIMMY KIMMEL HAD A VERY FUNNY PRIMETIME EMMY SPECIAL LAST NIGHT!
GREAT MOMENT DURING THE EMMYS WITH RICKY GERVAIS AND STEVE CARELL!
AND JOSH GROBAN DELIVERED A GREAT MEDLEY OF TV THEME SONGS!
“DANCING WITH THE STARS” IS BACK TONIGHT! FUTURE CONTESTANT?
AND ONE OF HOTTEST NEW VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE LATELY: THE NINJA CAT!
