JOBSEARCH: Age Discrimination? No, really!

Friday, March 13, 2009

http://blogs.jobdig.com/wwds/2009/03/11/age-discrimination-is-the-new-reality-in-job-market-says-guest-expert-dave-opton/comment-page-1/#comment-117011  

Age Discrimination is the New Reality in Job Market Says Guest Expert Dave Opton
Posted in March 11th, 2009
By Dave Opton, CEO and Founder of Execunet, AARP member, exclusive for WWDS.

*** begin quote ***

If you are anything like me, while you always knew there were laws against age discrimination on an intellectual level, it wasn’t until you got out there in the real world looking to make a change at say 45+ that you came to internalize emotionally age discrimination was more than a phrase you read about from time to time but actually came with raw nerve endings. To understate the case, not a great feeling.

*** end quote ***

Unfortunately, you’re right. Exponentially.

From a societal pov, with the market crash killing 401ks and “savings”, as well as the home value crash, “we” as a society have a big problem. “We” are raising the social security retirement age, and more importantly the Medicare age. And, “companies” are shooting anyone under 40 at their first opportunity. How many “consultants” can our economy support?

As you know, I’m advising turkeys that after 50, they will find it IMPOSSIBLE to get another salaried position. (Now that may be a SLIGHT exageration, but NOT MUCH!)

I’ve revised my “emergency fund required” formula. The age component multiplier goes from a one multiplier at ages below forty to a plus one multiplier for every five years of age OVER 40. (That is 40-45 is DOUBLE; 50-55 is quadruple; 60-65 is five times. SHOCKING? You should see the old farts, myself included, who I tell that they will never work again at a salaried job like the old days! Their stunned. Some have high school age or younger kids in second marriages. Are they surpprised!)

This reflects the reality that “jobs” are really hard to come by.

I tell anyone who will listen that: “Success for future generations is: (1) ruthless financial discipline — no bad debt; (2) a life long interest in learning — education — a degree — they can’t take it away from you; (3) a white collar job in order to save big bux; (4) a blue collar skill for hard times — never saw a poor plumber; (5) one or more internet based businesses — your store is always open; (6) a free time hobby that generates income; and (7) a large will-maintained network of people who can “help” you.” Funny how no one believes me?

ERISA changed the corporate behavior of discharging “old” aerospace engineers before their pensions would vest. SO to we will need such a “game changer” to allow us to “bridge” “old age” to retirement.

I suggest that old farts, or those soon to be old farts, like myself, INSIST on an employment contract before they jump to the next opportunity. Can’t get it; be advised! You’ll soon be screwed. We have to change from an “at will” employment culture to something else.

:-(
fjohn
the big fat old turkey hisself

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POLITICAL: Obama signs huge spending bill and uses “signing statements” too

Thursday, March 12, 2009

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/obama_spending

Obama backs pet projects and signs spending bill
By PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer Philip Elliott, Associated Press Writer – Thu Mar 12, 1:41 am ET

*** begin quote ***

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama, sounding weary of criticism over federal earmarks, defended Congress’ pet projects Wednesday as he signed an “imperfect” $410 billion measure with thousands of examples. But he said the spending does need tighter restraint and listed guidelines to do it. Obama, accused of hypocrisy by Republicans for embracing billions of dollars of earmarks in the legislation, said they can be useful and noted that he has promised to curb, not eliminate them.

On another potentially controversial matter, the president also issued a “signing statement” with the bill, saying several of its provisions raised constitutional concerns and would be taken merely as suggestions. He has criticized President George W. Bush for often using such statements to claim the right to ignore portions of new laws, and on Monday he said his administration wouldn’t follow those issued by Bush unless authorized by the new attorney general.

White House officials have accused Bush of using the statements to get around Congress in pursuing anti-terror tactics.

Obama signed the bill in private, unlike a number of recent signings that took place with fanfare, but he raised the issue of earmarks in public remarks playing down their scope and possible harm in the measure.

{Extraneous Deleted}

*** end quote ***

So let me see, all those campaign promises were just hot air.

And, we hide away from the cameras to sign it.

And, you sheeple think things were going to “CHANGE”? All you can do is “HOPE” it gets better.

He’s a Chicago hack that said anything to get elected. He’s 100% Socialist.

We can only hope that the American Electorate wakes up in the mid-term election and returns us to gridlock.

Argh!

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Cramer (a leftist) points out how O doesn’t get it!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

http://www.mainstreet.com/article/moneyinvesting/news/cramer-takes-white-house-frank-rich-and-jon-stewart?page=6

Posted March 09, 2009
Cramer Takes on the White House, Frank Rich and Jon Stewart
By Jim Cramer

*** begin quote ***

Suddenly, bloggers, opinion people, columnists and, yes, pundits who haven’t paid attention to anything I have been saying or writing for the past 18 months are all over me. Suddenly, I find myself in the center of a firestorm over Obama’s economic policies, taking enfilading fire from the “liberal” media (from serious columnist Frank Rich to entertainer Jon Stewart) while being defended by Rush Limbaugh, the standard-bearer for the Republicans.

*** and ***

The answer lies in the way the two administrations handled criticism.

The Bush administration, I believed, simply chose to ignore my warnings, perhaps because of a brutal combination of ideology, fecklessness and complacency.

*** and ***

President Obama’s team, unlike Bush’s team, demonstrates a thinness of skin that shocks me. When I somewhat obviously and empirically judged that the populist Obama administration is exacerbating the crisis with its budget and policies, as evidenced by the incredible decline in the averages since his inauguration, I was met immediately with condescension and ridicule rather than constructive debate or even just benign dismissal.

*** and ***

The markets thought he could stop it; hence the giant relief rally when he was elected. But in fewer than 50 days of his ascendancy, the markets’ hopes were totally dashed and the averages are now forecasting the worst decline since the Great Depression. As someone who listens to what the averages are screaming, I think they are accurately predicting the future.

I welcome any serious exchange with the administration on the issues that are not beyond my ken: fixing house price depreciation, stopping the destruction of wealth as demonstrated by the stock market’s plunge, and solving the banking crisis before we nationalize every bank.

*** and ***

It’s time to get serious. It’s time to take the issue from the pundits and from the left and right, and put it where it belongs: serious non-ideological debate to put out the real firestorm, the collapse of the economy from Wall Street to Main Street and the ensuing Great Wealth Destruction for all.

But if it stays ad hominem, we will all be betrayed and the train wreck will become inevitable.

*** end quote ***

The inept politicians from both sides of the aisle have destroyed the investments of most people. And, all we get from them is “spend more” and “borrow more”.

STOP!

You’re putting future generations in a hole they will never get out of.

Let the failures go bankrupt. Tough medicine.

We are training future generations NOT to invest.

I’ve had two conversations that are noteworthy.

A young woman has pulled out of her 401k because the losses have eaten into her employer’s contribution and hers. A doctor is moving from equities to bonds and his “financial advisor” at the brokerage house thought it was a good idea (i.e., he gets a commission on trades; not results).

The Market’s P/E ratio is either in or going into the single digits. (Last time that happened the market doubled in a year!) The “natural recovery” from a downturn has already begun. See the uptick in home sales as the “affordability” measure is it’s lowest in decades.

Note to O: (1) Reinstate the uptick rule. (2) Aim the corporate beggars to the bankruptcy courts. (3) Grab your various regulators and ask them to resign. (4) Eliminate Federal guarantees of ARMs, Interest only, and any mortgage that’s not 20% down 30 year fixed “conforming”. (4) Tell the FBI anf your Federal Prosecutors you want some FRAUD convictions for all the bad paper. (5) Tell the SBA that you want a plan to stimulate small business by the end of the day.

Cut the spending, cut the debt, cut the waste.

Argh!

Like that’s ever going to happen!

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LIBERTY: If you used the system to change the system

Monday, March 9, 2009

http://freekeene.com/2009/03/02/a-story-about-change/

A Story about Change

*** begin quote ***

Hopefully you understand why I no longer believe in using the system to change the system. I’ve found the problem to be “the system”. The process for adding, changing and removing laws of any significance in the direction of freedom and liberty is hopelessly broken. Laws still work great for giving an edge to your friends, setting up barriers to entry, consolidating power to a few large players in a given industry (power, water, telephone, cable, autos, banks, etc. . ), or punishing others with unprofitable mandates.

*** end quote ***  

A well said response to the challenge; “You and the other people who agree with you could accomplish so much more if you used the system to change the system.”

The system is broken and biased against freedom and liberty!

Just try and get a third party on the ballot. Just try and get a Ron Paul as the nominee of one of the two major parties. Just try and change ANYTHING!

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: “Never waste a good crisis”

Sunday, March 8, 2009

http://in.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idINTRE5251VN20090306

Never waste a good crisis, Clinton says on climate

Sat Mar 7, 2009 1:44am IST

By Pete Harrison

*** begin quote ***

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told an audience Friday “never waste a good crisis,” and highlighted the opportunity of rebuilding economies in a greener, less energy-intensive way.

*** end quote ***

The socialists, who want to boss us around, are rubbing our nose in it.

They think it’s good policy.

The sheeple don’t even notice it.

Time for a tax revolt.

“Never waste a good crisis” to force some of the slugs out of office.

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GOVEROUTRAGEOUS: Ron Paul 03/04 “The end of the war in Iraq is not near!”

Friday, March 6, 2009

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/025672.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmCquxzz3-M&eurl=http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/025672.html&feature=player_embedded

Ron Paul 03/04: The end of the war in Iraq is not near!

# – # – #

It’s outrageous that the government would lie so blatantly. Obama ran as the “anti-war” candidate. That allowed him to slip in on Hillary’s left flank. THe American people outraged at the Republicans whisked him into office. Only to find, he IS that 100% liberal they were warned about, NOT REALLY anti-war at all, and a typical Chicago crook appointing all the same old same old crooks.

Outrageous!

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POLITICAL: Tax increases in a recession?

Sunday, February 22, 2009

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/21/AR2009022100911_pf.html

Obama’s First Budget Seeks To Trim Deficit
Plan Would Cut War Spending, Increase Taxes on the Wealthy
By Lori Montgomery and Ceci Connolly
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, February 22, 2009; A01

*** begin quote ***

President Obama is putting the finishing touches on an ambitious first budget that seeks to cut the federal deficit in half over the next four years, primarily by raising taxes on businesses and the wealthy and by slashing spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, administration officials said.

*** end quote ***

Companies don’t pay taxes; people do. So raising the corporate tax is essentially a tax increase for everyone; poor included.

Rich folks have the ability to defer income and shit it and even “coast”. Watch how revenues “fail to appear”!

Stupidity!

Ignores the lessons of Kennedy and Regan.

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LIBERTY: Consider carefully where you will “land”!

Saturday, February 7, 2009

When I was but a wee lad, (OK I was never “wee”. And even “lad” might be doubtful. But play along!) before I graduated college, even before I found my soul mate, I went on vacation to Nevada. It was, at that time, a land of freedom. The Wild West. No speed limits, no drinking age, no gambling age, no taxes, not much gooferment, not much water. It was Paradise in the dessert. (Or desert!) I said to myself: “Boy, what great place to live. I should move here after graduation.” And, when vacation ended, I went home. And, forgot about it. (Guess I didn’t write it down. And, there were no blogs in those days to capture the possibilities.)

Lo and behold, I wake up many decades later and “Shouldas, wouldas, and couldas” are eating me alive. How would life have been different if I had moved for Freedom, Liberty, and the “Wild West”. Now, I’m “anchored” with the thousand strings that held Gulliver in Lilliput. And, old fart stuck in his ways.

But you’re not!

May I point out that there is another “land of freedom” emerging? The Free State Project is moving 20k Liberty Lovers to NH. They will transform the landscape. And, bring liberty to that State. Too late for me; not for you!

I urge you to take a jaunt to Porcfest and meet some pioneers.

Lest, like Scrooge, you wake up one Christmas morning, many decades from now and say “Shouldas, wouldas, and couldas”.

*** begin quote ***

PorcFest 2009 – Porcupine Freedom Festival

Celebrate and Explore the Live Free or Die Spirit!

Time and PlaceStart Time: Thursday, June 25, 2009 at 7:00am

End Time: Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 11:55pm

Location: Roger’s Campground Lancaster, NH

Contact InfoEmail: PorcFest@FreeStateProject.org

*** end quote ***

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RANT: Tax revolt?

Friday, February 6, 2009

FROM FACEBOOK:

Bill Buran’s Notes

Complete hypocrisy by the Democrates on Taxes
Yesterday at 8:03pm

*** begin quote ***

Now I am against all form of income taxes and certainly try to limit my exposure, but I still unwillingly pay…more and more each year.

Yet…when a Democrat going for higher office knowingly does not pay taxes while insisting we all need to pay more to “spread the wealth”…I guess just not his wealth.

This angers me more each day and gives more reason to vote them all out…to be fair this goes for all in Congress and the Senate.

If a Democrat evades paying taxes that must paint a bigger picture of this insane overburden tax system.

So when do we all just say NO and stop giving our fruits of labor (private property) to a dysfunctional government.

Tax Revolt anyone????…..seriously!

*** end quote ***

MY RESPONSE:

It’s actually worse than anyone thinks. Inflation is the hidden tax on all of us. Taxes, via corporations, are hidden in all we buy. Some taxes, like gas, and “fees”, like real estate closing taxes or car excise taxes, are added onto the purchase prices and become invisible to the buyer. And, the only indicator of the total tax load is the total gooferment spend. See tax reduction without spending reduction is an illusion. Inflation, debt, regulation, and “fees” are the “evil stepsisters” of the taxes we pay. We can’t even fathom how much we pay in taxes. It’s theft by deception!

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RANT: O versus L? The typical false choice.

Friday, January 30, 2009

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/18194_Page2.html  

Are you with Obama or Rush?
By JONATHAN MARTIN
1/29/09 8:00 PM EST
Updated: 1/30/09 4:37 AM EST

*** begin quote ***

Politico has learned that tomorrow Americans United for Change, a liberal group, will begin airing radio ads in three states Obama won — Ohio, Pennsylvania and Nevada — with a tough question aimed at the GOP senators there: Will you side with Obama or Rush Limbaugh?

“Every Republican member of the House chose to take Rush Limbaugh’s advice,” says the narrator after playing the conservative talk radio giant’s declaration that he hopes Obama “fails.”

“Every Republican voted with Limbaugh — and against creating 4 million new American jobs. We can understand why a extreme partisan like Rush Limbaugh wants President Obama’s Jobs program to fail — but the members of Congress elected to represent the citizens in their districts? That’s another matter. Now the Obama plan goes to the Senate, and the question is: Will our Senator”—here the ad is tailored by state to name George Voinovich in Ohio, Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania, and John Ensign in Nevada—”side with Rush Limbaugh too?”

Asked to respond, Limbaugh had a message for his party.

“Senate Republicans need to understand this is not about me,” he wrote in an email. “It is about them, about intimidating them, especially after the show of unity in House. It is about the 2010 and 2012 elections. This is an opportunity for Republicans to redefine themselves after a few years of wandering aimlessly looking for a ‘brand’ and identity.”

*** and ***

Senate Republicans acknowledge that they’ll lose some of their members on the first vote.

“We’re in a little different spot than the House in that we have a handful of Republicans who have all but committed to supporting the package,” said a Senate GOP aide.

The aide declined to say who, but speculation on both sides of the aisle is centered on a group of northeasterners — Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, Sen. Judd Gregg (NH) and Specter.

*** end quote ***

Everyone should be real clear. The “stimulus” bill is not about stimulus, jobs, or benefits for the “folks”.

It’s about socialism, pork spending, and making future voters for the democratic party.

Rahm told you that a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.

We’ve been hustled before — the Bush pre-rebate, the TARP, and now this!

And, the ad offers a false choice — O versus L?

I’m with neither.

The Republican Party NOW, when it’s out of power wants to “brand” itself as the party of smaller gooferment again. Where were they for eight years? We have the TSA, deficits, and out of control spending. All caused by a President who wouldn’t veto anything.

And, O wants to remake America on the basis of he “won” an election. Hey, guess what, more folks didn’t vote than voted. So you were elected by 28% to 24%. That should tell you that your plurality is very small.

More than half the Americans know they are getting screwed no matter which “side” won.

Not that there is much difference between EITHER “side”!

In this case, I am against the “gooferment enlargement” package.

You want to restart the economy. Shrink gooferment — Nuke the TSA, Kill whole gooferment department and agencies, stop the psuedo drug war, pardon all non-violent drug offenders, and return to normal. Cut the corporate tax to ZERO forever. It’s a sham; only real people pay taxes. Corporate taxes hide how much the gooferment is stealing from us.

Argh!

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