BPA – I’d rather not take a chance, thank you
More than 92 percent of Americans have BPA in their urine, and scientists have linked it — though not conclusively — to everything from breast cancer to obesity, from attention deficit disorder to genital abnormalities in boys and girls alike.
Now it turns out it’s in our food.
via Op-Ed Columnist – Chemicals in Our Food, and Bodies – NYTimes.com.
AIG CEO threatens Congress with sodomy
“[Congress] can stick it where the sun don’t shine.”
- Robert Benmosche, CEO, AIG
That’s not a nice way to talk about your boss, the guys who own 80% of your company, is it? Hey, employees out there – what would happen if you said this in public about your boss?
Nice backbone, Congress. Read more.
Darkness on the Edge of Monotown
A resident told a reporter over the summer: “We are eating — excuse me — grass. It’s shameful.”
via Op-Ed Contributor – Darkness on the Edge of Monotown – NYTimes.com.
hard times are a gateway to new careers
For millions of Americans, the recession has been a curse. For a relative few, it’s something more complicated: A catalyst for change. An opportunity to grow. A kick in the butt.
via For some, hard times are a gateway to new careers – USATODAY.com.
the perfect employee, or not
Within a week it was clear that we had hired the perfect employee. He came in early every day, needed very little training and always went out of his way to do something extra. He even offered to drop the mail at the post office on the way home.
Amazing that someone could get away with this? Not really. I’ve seen it several times in my career. It’s not that hard if you have weak financial controls at a company. I even figured out a way I could have done it, once, then pointed it out to the owners. Jaws dropped, but few changes were made because “we have perfect emplooyees!” Sigh.
people who don’t owe tax payments
In 2009, roughly 47% of households, or 71 million, will not owe any federal income tax, according to estimates by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center.
Some in that group will even get additional money from the government because they qualify for refundable tax breaks.
The ranks of those whose major federal tax burdens net out at zero — or less — is on the rise. The center’s original 2009 estimate was 38%. That was before enactment in February of the $787 billion economic recovery package, which included a host of new or expanded tax breaks.
The issue doesn’t get a lot of attention even as lawmakers debate how to pay for policy initiatives like health reform, whether to extend the Bush tax cuts and how to reduce the deficit.
The vast majority of households making up to $30,000 fall into the category, as do nearly half of all households making between $30,000 and $40,000.
from “47% will pay no federal income tax“
I am sure that many people seize on these numbers to (a) claim that the system is unfairly punishing the middle class or (b) people are getting poorer and poorer.
But the tax burden on someone making less than $30,000 is enormous. Payroll taxes, sales taxes, property taxes and so on all become substantial. I at least get a deduction on my federal taxes for my property taxes. I can’t even begin to imagine how you can support a family of four on $30,000 a year. Taxing a family like that wouldn’t solve anything, so the 47% number’s more a reflection of the falling real wages in this country.
I am no flat-taxer or teabagger, but I do think a system like this starts creating a bit of a problem, though. If the number of households paying federal taxes keeps rising, you create a substantial proportion of the population willing to shove the tax burden further and further away from themselves. I’d argue that everyone needs to pay at least SOME federal taxes to try and reinforce to everyone that there is a cost to citizenship. If everyone had to pay something, maybe we’d also generate a stronger call for a simpler system. I’d even like to see some – not all – of the federal revenue derived from a national sales tax.
But I am just dreaming. As the article said, let’s spend our time arguing about marginal rates on people earning $200,000 a year and so on rather than coming up with a coherent tax plan that would actually fund the government (and hopefully at the same time encourage the government to cut spending). That would be good. That and kicking that jerk Jon off and enjoying “Kate Plus 8!” with looking at his smarmy middle-aged earring-ed face. Sigh.
high income, no net worth
What an odd story this was… until you read it and realize it’s just another story of a guy who felt that his actions wouldn’t have any consequences…
When the news broke recently that Jim Press, the deputy CEO of Chrysler, is being hounded by creditors and the IRS for an array of debts, it presented a puzzle. How could an executive who worked at the top of the auto industry for decades get into such financial difficulty? And what turmoil was going on in the personal life of Press, who had been renowned in the industry for his Kansas-bred calm and quiet charm?
from “The truly puzzling life of Chrysler’s deputy CEO“
peer-to-peer lending is becoming mainstream
Since registering with the SEC in October, Lending Club has gained 300,000 members. In January, it oversaw $1.8 million in loans. Last month, $3.4 million in loans were made.
from In a Tight Market, Borrowers Turn to Peers
Miss Singapore World steals our hearts… and somebody else’s money
“Beauty queen Miss Singapore World has given up her crown after it emerged that she had stolen credit cards to go on a shopping spree for lingerie.
Ris Low had come under public pressure to be stripped of her 2009 title, after local media reported she stole seven credit cards last year while working at a medical clinic, buying goods worth about S$8,000 ($5,662) including gold anklets and phones.”
from Miss Singapore World Resigns After Lingerie Scandal
Whenever I read stories like this I always wonder how in the world she spent $5000 and the two most significant items were gold ankletS and phoneS – PLURAL! She bought more than one phone with stolen money? I can understand why she might steal it, and use it for stupid things, but to buy multiple phones seems over the top.
finding passion in your work… or not
“So maybe searching for a passion is not so bad. But it is also important to remember that there is no one way to find it, and someone else’s passion may be your idea of drudgery. And sometimes life – and work – is simply going to be putting one foot in front of the other. Or as Professor Warr said, “On the way to happiness, there must be unhappiness.”
from “If Not Passion for the Job, at Least Warm Feelings”
And another good article on the subject…
“When people say, “Find a job you’re passionate about” they really mean to include it under the broader 21st century mandate: “Go out there and become self-actualized.” This sounds a whole lot scarier and impossibly vague. That’s because it is. A lot of the career angst over “passion” is part of a larger learn-as-we-go process of how to be individuals in an increasingly individualistic culture, as Wilkinson puts it. We should celebrate greater individualism and the quest to personalize our career, despite the associated stresses — just as we celebrate women’s freedom despite how it complicates women’s lives. It would be nice, however, if the career advice industry would frame their obsession with passion in larger sociological context, and reinforce how new a concept it really is.”
from “Being Individuals in an Increasingly Individualistic Culture”
