Looking back at last week: Work
Looking forward to next week: Work & Mom
Looking forward to the week after next: Work & Mom
Looking forward to two weeks from now: Work & Mom
Looking forward to three weeks from now: Work and April 15th Yea!
Sometimes life just seems to boring to write about. Since my life is really about as exciting as watching paint dry I'm going around the world with some news items:
Natasha Richardson's death both touched me and scared me. Losing a multi-talented actress in her mid forties is just tragic. In her honor one night at 8 p.m. Broadway dimmed their lights for one minute as a well earned tribute to her. Anyone that watched the remake of The Parent Trap had to be touched by her death. She was just so glowing and beautiful in that movie. Now the part that scares me, the bleeding of the brain due to a head injury. Remember when I had the concussion on the first day of the job? One of the doctors told me he was sending to the emergency room because he feared that due to the high blood pressure he feared that I might have bleeding of the brain. You feel fine. Then the next day you get a headache and die. I am now really happy that I din't know how tragic the consequences could have been when I fell. However, I am scared after the fact.
The AIG bonuses just make we want to kick something. First we are told that they are retention bonuses. Bonuses to keep their best and brightest. You know the ones? The ones that destroyed the coompany and put the country in an economic crisis. Wow, failure pays big these days. Then a couple of days later we learn that some of the "retention bonuses" went to over seventy workers no longer working for the company. Do they deserve these bonuses? Their contract says yes. However, AIG wouldn't have had enough money to pay off the bonuses had they not got the bailout money from the government. That is us, the taxpayer. Why in the world wasn't their restrictions put on the bailout money before it was handed out to AIG and other companies. The good thing is some AIG employees gave back the bonuses. I don't like the idea of taxing the bonuses at 90% because of the type of tax laws that it may bring in the future. I also doubt the legality of it. To target a tax law towards a few US Citizens is just wrong. What if they decided to put a 90% tax rate on accountants? On waitresses? Etc. As much as I hate the bonuses to AIG, the solution stinks. The foresight of the government stunk when they handed out the bailout money, now it is a little late to recover from their stupidity.
Rant over. How did you react to the Natasha Richardson death? How did you react to the AIG bonueses? Is their anything in the news that caused to want to kick something, if so share it with us.
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15 comments:
Natasha Richardson's death bothered me as well. When someone you really don't know dies it usually doesn't get to you, but this one did get to me. I guess because of it being so sudden and unexpected. I know first hand how a head injury can cause so much. I am glad you got checked over so well so quickly. It makes a difference most times.
About the AIG bonuses? I could kick something too! I agree with you.
And, I like to watch paint dry.
:)
Hi Bill - yes head injuries are serious and fatal. My father died of a subdural hematoma. Natasia Richardson died of an epidural hematoma. Different part of the head/brain is all. My father was ok for about a week after a fall and then lapsed into a coma for 3 1/2 weeks. I'm glad she didn't suffer any longer than being in a coma for a couple of days.I was very saddened to hear of her loss as I liked her a lot and had seen her films and many interviews on T.V. She seemed like a joy to be around which makes it harder because she seemed "real" and not a Hollywood phony. I was shocked to hear of her sudden passing. However, I cannot understand why people don't wear helmets especially beginner skiers?! You'd think that would be a requirement.
Glad you came away without enduring trauma to your head or self.
As far as your "exciting" life, only you can make it different, better or more exciting. What happened to the stand up classes you were going to take - sounds like you really need to do something just for "you".
Natasha Richardson's death was shocking because it was so unexpected, and also because it might have been prevented had they dealt with her fall the way yours was dealt with. It's a lesson to us all. It's always very sad when a young and vibrant person dies suddenly.
AIG? I want to kick butt, too. However, I very much dislike Congress suddenly coming up with a tax targeted to only the recipients of the bonuses, and even then only those with household incomes above $250K. The bonuses are infuriating. They should never have been given, contracts or no contracts, and those receiving them should give them back.
But I very much dislike, on principle, taxes targeted to only one group or other. Who's next? Why can't we have a system where we all pay a fair share without all the hideaways available to those with superhigh incomes? And further, why can't the tax code be comprehensible to a person with average intelligence? Do I sound annoyed to you? Good call. You bet I am. I'm annoyed with AIG, the bonus givers & receivers, the IRS, and with Congress, too. So what else is new?
I feel so sad about Natasha Richardson. She is a bit younger than I am, and I never ski with a helmet. Even through some hard falls, I never hit my head that hard. At least so I think. She has two boys, younger than mine, named Michael and Daniel, and her husband is heartbroken. I didn't know that much about her, but it breaks my heart to think of those boys losing their mom.
Those bonuses. Gah. Entitlement. Makes me sick. I wish somebody would pay me a million dollars to drive my company into the ground. Grumble. They should all pay it back, I'm amazed they took it in the first place.
Dona
Thanks for saying that you like to watch paint dry, you are a real treat!
Most stranger deaths don't bother me but in the last several months Heath Ledger's, Paul Newmans's and Natasha Richardson's death bothered me all for different reasons.
Bill
Hi Red
It is always good to hear from you.
I didn't know youe dad had died of a head injury that is just tragic. Richardsonn didn't act Hollywood at all.
As to the comedy class with three jobs and a mom to care for their just isn't any time left for things like that until after April 15, then life will go back to abnormal.
When I semi-retired a couple of years ago I didn't envision having to work this hard but the crooks on Wall Street caused my IRA to drp 37% and I had no choice but to go back into the business to recover that loss. With my occupation you have to take the jobs when you can get them. There really isn't a lot of work after April 15th so you take what you can get even if it effects your life. But three weeks and things should turn around.
Bill
Hi Pat
I love it when you get going!
In Richardson's death she refused treatment because she felt so good. I felt good too but thought I should listen to the doctor and not be alone or not do anything for 24 hours. It is so sad that she wasn't forced to do the same.
It is a valuable lesson for us all.
I think our tax system stinks but I can see the drawbacks with a flat tax. They could change the current system to make it more fair and easier but anytime more than one of the brilliant congresscristters get involved in a project they could make a game of solitare to difficult for a Harvard graduate to figure out. And if the are going to target a group then target the oil companies that are making billions. They don't even have to target them, they can just take away all the special write-off's they gave them.
Bill
Hi Mary
Looking at the Natash Richardson's death in the context of how much her life relates to yours just makes it even more tragic and just makes me shudder. I guess Liam Neesson was seen the day before her death walking to the hospital holding his eldests son's hand. That picture just tugs at my heart.
Now the next time you ski you better wear a damn helmet!
As to Aig I do't think we could drive a company into the ground even if we tried!
Bill
Bill, you like it when I get going, huh? When I'm all annoyed and grumpy? I guess it's okay in email. Maybe not so much in person. [g]
I know there are too many problems with a flat tax for it to ever get going, but I also agree that the system could be more fair. It could certainly be more understandable. I always get a kick out of the advice to "go over your return carefully before signing and sending it in". I try to do that, and am immediately baffled by 'take 8% of line 42 and multiply by X then compare it to line 64 and if it's greater than 1, subtract from line 72..." I can do simple math, but I get lost in meaningless line numbers and give up quickly.
You're right about the oil companies, too. Take away all their perks and loopholes and don't let them establish offshore entities. For starters.
Got me going again, didn't you?
I hear you - my life is just one exciting whirl - work, teach classes, take care of whatever directives come from Mom and/or Deb, cook, clean, laundry, start over again. Thank goodness for line dance once a week! Then again, I won't complain, because Lord knows we've had plenty of crises to liven things up over the past four or five years and most of them have not been of a positive nature, so I guess coasting is better.
I think everyone has pretty well covered the other issues. The bonus thing is absolutely stinky. I agree with Obama's statement last night that the folks in big shiny NY offices (and elsewhere), making big bucks and big bonuses for creating economic disaster need to get out of NY and try visiting No. Dakota, Iowa, wherever. These folks definitely need a reality check! Maybe some time locked in a room with the folks whose pensions and retirement funds are now such that they can't afford to buy groceries or medications or with folks whose jobs have gone offshore and they can't support their families. They may read the stats (maybe), but I think somes down-home, in-your-face time would do a lot of these guys a great deal of good.
As to taxes -- I don't think they're fair and I don't know how to fix them, but I do agree they need to be simplified and I darn sure think there are a lot of loopholes to be closed. Flat tax -- doubt it would work, even if one could sell the idea. OTOH, taking away the loopholes and "special considerations" has great appeal to me. Who knows, we might rediscover the middle class.
I especially hear you on the losses and going back to work. My semi-retirement isn't so "semi" and Himself, who should be out fishing and puttering and such at age 70 is putting in about 40 hours a week. As someone at Mom's apartment complex (over 55 requirement) said, "The golden years seem to have become mighty tarnished."
Pat
Yes, I like it when you get going because I almost always agree with you. And I'd probably like it in person too!
The advise to go over it before you send it in, is basically the accountants covering their asses.
Bill
Hi Dr
Life does seem sort of repititive right now.I'm hoping to get back to the comedy classes after the fifteenth, those are my line dance classes!
The Wall Stree clueless have no idea what it is like in the rest of America. Maybe six months trying to live on unemployment.
Yes. Semi-retirement has become semi-recover losses.
Bill
Watching paint dry can be very exciting Bill!..........http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/2007_swimsuit/video/painting.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSFYdEMZ3E8
Hi Lisa!
Now that is watching paint dry!
Thanks for the links.
I hope your travel schedule is getting less and things are good with you and yours!
Bill
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