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Who would be an awards show presenter? It's like hosting a rubbish party, with millions of people watching to see how you're doing. Or performing your standup act in front of the most self-conscious crowd ever assembled, people who look as if they wish they could text their publicists to ask whether they should laugh at the last joke or not. You can't win.
For the second year running, Ricky Gervais has drawn criticism and praise in roughly equal measure for his stint fronting the Golden Globes. Some people found him mean-spirited (Robert Downey Jr said as much when he took the stage), and insufferably smug; others found him refreshingly irreverent and acid (James Corden, host of next month's Brits, tweeted that Gervais had been "incredible"). The Washington Post reviewer, Hank Stuever, called the show "lazy and perfunctorily smarmy" and added that Gervais "proved last year that he wasn't the right man for the job".
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the weirdly obsolete organisation responsible for the Golden Globes, must have thought otherwise, although its president, Philip Berk, seemed a little miffed after Gervais made a joke about having to help him off the toilet. One got the feeling there might be no "next year" for Gervais.
So how well did Gervais really do? It's almost impossible to say, given how many constituencies he needs to please, and that he can't please some without displeasing others. It didn't take much to startle his immediate audience, a theatre full of skittish showbiz types. A tame opening gag about Charlie Sheen (an acknowledged, if Teflon-coated scumbag) drew nervous titters, and his joke about the film I Love You Phillip Morris ("two heterosexual actors pretending to be gay. So – the opposite of some Scientologists, then") seemed to draw actual gasps of fright, as if everybody was worried they could be sued just for listening.
In any case, Gervais is pitching his jokes over the heads of the assembled stars, toward a TV audience that enjoys, to a hard-to-gauge extent, watching Hollywood A-listers squirm a little. Of course the stars like to demonstrate they can laugh at themselves, and it's up to Gervais to push past the place where they feel comfortable, but not so far that we start to feel sorry for them. When Gervais introduced Bruce Willis as "Ashton Kutcher's dad", Willis at first seemed put out, then seemed as if he were only pretending to be put out, and wanted us to know he was in on the joke. Did Gervais get the balance right in this case? For whom? Online conspiracy theorists noted that he disappeared from the programme for about an hour in the middle – a sign, perhaps, that he had displeased his employers – although this is apparently not at all unusual. For any absence that served to shorten the evening, we should be grateful.
It was also not lost on his critics that Gervais is foreign. "Are we at war with England?" asked Stuever in the Washington Post. "If not, then why have we been subjected to two years of Gervais hosting the Golden Globe awards, witnessing a growing hostility between the British comedian and a resentful audience of celebs?" One is reminded of Russell Brand's controversial turn as host of the MTV awards, two months before the US election, when he urged viewers to vote for Obama. "I know America to be a forward-thinking country," he said, "because otherwise why would you have let that retarded cowboy fella be president for eight years?" When Gervais labelled the foreign-language film award "the category that no one in America cares about", one couldn't help thinking the criticism would have sounded better coming from an American.
Americans don't much like being satirised by outsiders (even if they can respect the point being made, it's hard to laugh) and as much as they profess to love British humour, it often leaves them bewildered. On stage, Gervais relies on a comic persona that lies somewhere between the characters he plays and the way people imagine he is in real life: smug, misanthropic and a little cowardly. Doubtless some US viewers take this at face value, and just think he's a prick.
But for every person who thought Gervais went too far this time, there will be someone else complaining that he didn't go far enough; in this day and age there's no such thing as a prevailing opinion. Who decides whether he was a success, and on what basis? The folks who run awards ceremonies tend to vacillate between picking edgy presenters and safe ones – Jon Stewart one year, Ellen DeGeneres the next, Stewart the year after. There seems to be a fitful, fruitless search for the perfect "anti-host", someone who can enliven an awards ceremony – one of the most moribund forms of television in existence – with a little danger. In 2005 one-off host Chris Rock took to the Oscar stage saying, "Welcome to the 77th and last Academy Awards!" Sadly, he was unable to bring his promise to pass.
The problem in this case isn't Gervais; it's the Golden Globes – a cheesy, ill-favoured spectacle which is supposed to be a predictor for the Oscars, but is better known for honouring bad films (The Tourist was nominated this year, an anomaly not lost on Gervais) and for an atmosphere of inconsequence that allows the stars to get drunk and act stupid. You can't subvert the vacuous self-congratulation of the Golden Globes by agreeing to host it, by strolling down the red carpet with sunglasses on, or by picking on celebrities when you've been hired to do just that. It's hard to imagine a professional comedian who could give the Golden Globes the treatment they deserve. An arsonist, maybe.


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"In our changing world meditation teaches our children to use their minds without external stimulation" Amy Hamilton
A few years back I was keen to introduce meditation to my two younger boys. Not knowing where to start, I began researching and found a wonderful expert, author and teacher by the name of Amy Hamilton.
I borrowed a copy of Amy's book from our local library and loved it. The book is called Indigo Dreaming and includes 49 wonderful meditations especially for children.
"When you calm your body & your emotions, you restore yourself, and restore peace to the world around you." Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh
Each night as part of my boys bedtime routine I would read a different meditation. I kept it short and sweet, no more than around 5 minutes, although some nights my boys asked for more. At the time my boys were 8 and 10.
I followed Amy's advice and allowed my boys to participate in the meditation (rather than trying to keep them quiet). Jack my youngest would always like to comment and modify the mediation as he went along. If he preferred doing something different such as imagining himself lying down rather than sitting, then I let him. Keeping it flexible I think was an important key. Most of the time his eyes were closed.
When I interviewed Amy here is what she had to share about introducing meditation to children. I hope you find her advice as helpful, and as practical, as I did. Enjoy.
Amy's guidelines for introducing meditation to children:
Be patient and don't set your expectations too high (thinking that you will have your children sitting or lying perfectly still) like any new skill, meditation takes practice.
- Don't expect too much at the start
- Be relaxed and calm yourself
- Keep your language and instructions simple
- Let them participate voluntarily
- Make it fun and enjoyable
- Explain to your children how good it is for them-they love hearing that it improves memory, helps them to concentrate etc
- I always tell children it is like exercising their brain
A guided meditation has so many wonderful benefits. It activates their imagination, teaches them relaxation skills, better equips them for stress, engages all their senses, gives them a positive experience and encourages a better nights sleep.
Cater for all learning styles in each meditation:
Some children are visual learners. This means they will relate better to the meditation if there is a good description of what the pyramid looks like in their minds eye.
Some children are kinesthetic learners which means they would need to know what it feels like inside the pyramid.
Some children are auditory learners which means they respond well to words and sounds. A guided meditation is perfect for them.
All of Amy's 49 guided meditations cater perfectly for all learning styles. This makes it very easy for the meditation to speak to your child in their special way of learning.
Appeal to your children's imagination:
An important ingredient, I believe, is to choose only those meditations which you know will capture your child's imagination. What works for one child may not work for another.
I personally found my youngest son kept coming back to the same 3 or 4 meditations each night from Amy's books, despite the fact there were 49 different meditations to choose from.
Make it fun and short:
Following is a brief version of the magic pyramid, a wonderful meditation from Amy's book. It's my youngest sons favourite. It usually takes anywhere between 3 – 5 minutes which seems to be the perfect amount of time.
You imagine yourself sitting inside a pyramid. The air inside is warm you feel very calm and relaxed and there is no sound. You breathe in and out and feel the quiet in your body. Feel the quiet spread with each breathe until it fills the whole pyramid. It is serene and still. You say in your mind I am quiet ……. I am quiet………I am quiet.
Some of the meditations titles in Amy's book:
Sleeping cloak – Affirmation box – Bubble bath – Circle of light – Clouds – Crystal bed – Snow city – Shining star – Super hero – Tree house – Secret cave – Wizards Potion.
I have no hesitation in personally recommending Amy Hamilton's Indigo Dreaming book or CD if you are interested in introducing meditation to your children.
More resources:
Indigo Dreaming: A Book of Meditations for Children
Indigo Dreaming: Meditations for Children audio CD
Indigo Kidz's: Amy Hamiltons web site
Sarah Wood Valley Children's Meditation Facilitator training
A selection of articles about meditation and children:
Why not subscribe via email or rss feed and get free updates.
Or grab regular rejuvenation tips on facebook.
I use and love Ananga's guided meditations and music

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The high quality Security Agro tyres are especially designed for niche segments in the agricultural sector.
Security Agro offers exeptionally good usage and they are suitable for many condtions. Next to that, the price is a pleasant surprise.
European Tyre Distributors B.V. (ETD) specializes in the import of Asian tyres for the European market, with the LEAO brand as its flagship.
P.O. Box 5722, 3290 AA StrijenIndustriestraat 12, 3291 CC StrijenThe NetherlandsT + 31 (0)78 629 email@example.com


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Jeannine S recently rescued an little dog who has an even cuter message for us all She hates to eat alone. The dog will carry her doggy dish over to her new roommate Clyde so they can enjoy eating together. For those of us in school, maybe we should use this as an example, and sit beside someone eating alone during lunch. One 'Hello' can change everything.
This post originally appeared at: http://www.callmehannah.ca/2015/04/25/dog-hates-to-eat-alone-just-like-most-of-us/ on April 25, 2015


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Our lovely partners, Ragamuffin Photography will join you here and photograph your lovely pet/s.
Your package includes:
• Accommodation at Countrywide Cottages
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• 1 – 2 hour session with Ragamuffin Photography taking photos of you and your dog/s in the beautiful bushland setting surrounding Countrywide Cottages
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Just $250 in addition to the normal tariff on your accommodation
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Happen to know a dog who's a bit of a poser? Why not arrange for a beautiful painting of your dog to collect during your stay with us and a…
Along with Brae Restaurant, number 44 in the Worlds Best Restaurants 2017, we offer the Dogustation Menu: • Beautiful pet friendly 4 Star accommodation at Countrywide Cottages • Welcome home…
Our Sleep and Seek package gets you back to earth for a truly wonderful accommodation experience in the Australian Otway Ranges bush forest. • Accommodation at Countrywide Cottages • Fabulous…


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10Y+ since the iPhone, stagnant smartphone market (0% Y/Y), with 5x underlying dynamics:
- Cheapest ASP in a decade for new shipments (50% down to $300)
- 40% market share dominated by Chinese OEMs
- 3.3 daily hours (10% Y/Y), with expanding messaging use (60%+ not deduped)
- 36% of payments are mobile; Commerce is soaring (30%+ GMV)
- Underrepresented Mobile Advertising opportunity (7Bn+)
Find takeaways of this year's KPCB annual report below, and a link to the full presentation. Adapted from Mary Meeker's annual conference
User Growth:
- Harder to find growth after 50% adoption (200M new users added in 2018 / 7% growth),
- Smartphone saturation 0% Y/Y flat at 1.5B (growing share of China OEMs to 40%)
- Solid usage (5.9 hours per day / 4% Y/Y)
- Soaring growth in Online stores (35%+ Y/Y) for a massive business (800k / $25B+ GMV)
Continued concentration in Amazon's hands (currently at 28% of Global GMV or $129B)
- More additional functionality, with a strong ecosystem of start-ups: update; local; fraud (Signifyd); financing (Affirm); customer support (Intercom); custom savings; view and share; pay seamlessly
49% discovery starts at Amazon (49% of Searches). Others channels raising (15% today) within Facebook assets (Facebook/Instagram)
Material value for consumers: prices down 3%: online shopping efficiencies; selection and convenience
Massive digital advertising industry ($90Bn revenues)
Solid growth: 21% Y/Y
Mobile still underrepresented (7Bn)
- Largest spending increase for CIOs on AI
Dataset sizes continue to drive better performance / improves predictive ability of many services


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Fall Insect Service
Prevent Insects From Invading Your Home
The cool fall nights signal to insects that winter is coming. For this reason, prevention is required to stop insects such as boxelder bugs, Asian lady beetles, spiders, centipedes, millipedes, and wasps from finding their way into your home! Our Fall Insect Service, is available as a one-time single service or as a part of a yearly protection plan.
Contact the Experts
What are overwintering pests?
Insects entering your home during the fall overwintering pests. As a result of their ability to hide inside walls and ceilings, they don't require hibernation and, thereby remain active. Therefore, they become an annoyance within your home throughout the winter months. Furthermore, once overwintering pests are inside they are next to impossible to eliminate.
We provide a solution for overwintering pests
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For more information about the pests that are prevented in our Fall Insect Service:


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Inflammation in the central part of teeth leads to toothache. Toothache can occur due to cavities and gum infection. It can be due to injury or blow on the teeth. Toothache can cause continuous irritation. It will not allow you to do the normal activities like eating and sleeping. It can cause unbearable pain and discomfort.
A toothache can be a big problem if you have it at night and you do not have access to the dentist. If you are in a remote location and cannot visit the dentist, it can cause you great agony. Until the time you go to the dentist, you can cure the toothache with some simple home remedies. The best home remedies for toothache are as follows.
Home Remedies For Toothache
1. Salty Water Gargle
Salty water can help in curing toothache. If you do gargling with salty water, you will have relief in toothache. It is an easy method of curing toothache. Salty water has a wonderful effect on tooth pain. You can use unrefined sea salt for this remedy.
Things Required – Salt and warm water.
How To Use
Mix salt with warm water. One-tablespoon salt is enough for one glass water. Take the water inside the mouth and rinse, swirl, do gargling, and finally spit it. Do not rinse the mouth with water after doing the gargling. Repeat this process throughout the day.
2. Salt And Black Pepper
You can mix salt with black pepper and use it for curing toothache. This is a powerful mixture and it has the ability to cure toothache very effectively. This mixture can help in curing problems due to teeth sensitivity. If you use this mixture regularly, it will help in preventing cavities.
Things Required – Salt, black pepper, water.
How To Use
Mix salt and black pepper. The amount of both these ingredients should be equal. Add little water to it to make a paste. Rub the paste on the tooth that pains. Leave it for some time. Repeat this remedy until you get relief from the toothache.
3. Cold Compress
Cold compress can help in curing toothache. Ice helps in making nerves and gums in the affected area numb and this decreases the toothache. The tooth pain will increase if the ice touches the tooth directly, so it is important to cover the ice bag with a cloth.
Things Required – ice, a bag, cloth
How To Use
Put ice in a bag and wrap a cloth around it. Place the cloth on the affected tooth. You can also place the cloth on the tooth externally on the cheek. The tooth pain decreases due to cold temperature.
4. Clove
Clove is an analgesic and helps in decreasing pain. Clove oil is one of the best remedies for toothache. You should apply clove oil on the affected tooth repeatedly throughout the day until you get relief in the toothache. Initially, you can have burning sensation due to the clove oil, but it is harmless. You can buy clove oil from drug stores.
Things Required – clove oil, cloves, olive oil, water
How To Use
Take little clove oil and rub it on the affected tooth. Use a few drops of clove oil for this remedy. You can also grind cloves and mix olive oil to it to make a paste. Rub the paste on the painful tooth. Another method of curing toothache is to add clove oil in water and rinse the mouth with this water.
Also Read
5 Ways To Make Homemade Sage And Sea Salt Toothpowder
5 Superlative Home Remedies To Get Away With The Pain Of Wisdom Teeth!
6 Home Remedies For Teeth Whitening
6 Natural Home Remedies For Dental Abscess
5. Alcohol
Alcohol has the property to cure toothache. You can also use an alcoholic mouthwash for curing toothache. Use a strong solution of alcohol for this remedy. You can use whiskey and brandy for this remedy.
Things Required – whiskey or brandy, an alcoholic mouthwash
How To Use
Swoosh alcohol inside the mouth and then spit it out. You can use whiskey or brandy for this remedy. If you are using an alcoholic mouthwash, take the mouthwash inside the mouth, swoosh and spit it out.
6. Garlic
Garlic can help in curing toothache. It is an antibiotic and helps in curing many diseases. Garlic contains and ingredient called alicin, which has medicinal properties. Garlic can be used for the treat dental caries. It is very useful for treating oral infection.
Things Required – garlic, table salt or black salt
How To Use
Crush garlic and mix little table salt to it. Apply it on the painful tooth. You can use black salt for this remedy. You can also chew the garlic cloves directly. You should do the remedy repeatedly until you get relief in the toothache.
7. Guava Leaves
You can cure toothache by using guava leaves. The leaves should be fresh. The guava leaves release its juices, which acts on the painful tooth and cures toothache. You can also cure toothache by using peppermint leaves. The leaves should be fresh. Dry peppermint leaves are also useful for curing toothache.
Things Required – Guava leaves, peppermint leaves
How To Use
Chew the guava leaves. Choose fresh leaves for this remedy. . You can also boil the guava leaves in water, cool the solution and mix little salt to it. Use this liquid as a mouthwash and rinse the mouth with it. If you wish to use peppermint leaves for curing toothache, you should chew these leaves. Place the dry peppermint leaves on the affected tooth.
8. Onion
One of the easiest remedies for curing toothache is onion. Onion will kill germs in the oral cavity and prevent tooth diseases. Onion cures toothache because it has antiseptic and antibacterial properties. It has the ability to kill germs that cause tooth infection, hence curing the toothache. Onion cures dental infections.
Things required – fresh onion
How To Use
Take fresh onion and cut it into small slices that will fit in the mouth. You should chew the onion for three minutes. When you chew onion, its juice will be released. The onion juice acts on painful tooth and cures the pain. You can also put onion on the affected tooth.
9. Natural Extracts
Some natural extracts help in curing toothache. These extracts have the ability to cure tooth pain. The most common extract for getting relief in tooth pain is the vanilla extract. The natural extracts have the same effect on painful tooth as that of alcohol.
Things Required – cotton, vanilla extract, almond extract, lemon extract, peppermint extract
How To Use
Dip cotton in vanilla extract and place the cotton on the affected tooth that pains. You can also use almond and lemon extract. Dip cotton in any of these extracts and place the cotton near the painful tooth. You can do this remedy with peppermint extract also.


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July 17, 2017
I am from Rumilan, a small village close to Qamishli, a city on the Turkish-Syrian border in the Kurdish region of Syria. The city is the capital of the Jazira (Cizre) Canton of Rojava, the Kurdish region of Syria, and is considered a center for both the Kurdish and the Assyrian ethnic groups in Syria. I am Syrian.
I have such good memories growing up in my huge family. Life was good then. My sisters looked after me a lot. My father was working for a petrol company and my mother was at home, taking care of me and my siblings. Though my mother never taught me to cook, I have had a strong interest in cooking from a very young age on. Cooking is one of my passions.
The first time in my life I left my hometown was in 2010. I was 17 years old. I left for Damascus. I wanted to live my life, be independent. I was working as a waiter in a small restaurant. Then I progressed to be a bartender. My plan was to open a little business selling sweets like the one my brother managed in Rumilan when I was a child. I combined two jobs while starting my university studies in Damascus. I had a Kurdish girlfriend by then. She went with me to Damascus. She studied psychology. We had a tough time in Damascus, her family did not accept me since I'm not Kurdish but Arabic. She finally left Damascus for Iraq and married someone else. I was heartbroken.
On 12 march 2011, shortly after the Arab Spring spread to Syria, major protests took place in Qamishli to both protest the Assad government and commemorate Kurdish Martyrs Day. The situation got increasingly confusing and dangerous, especially for young men. Many people I knew died under the attacks in 2012.
I left Syria for Lebanon in 2012. I was fleeing from the threat of the mandatory flag service. I had no choice besides joining Assad's army or the Kurdish army. Both parties requested my entrance to their army.
You don't have much choice when the Kurds ask you to join their army. Women do have the choice to join or not. I grew up with Kurdish people, I speak their language. I know some Kurdish girls, rebels, who joined the army. I have many Kurdish friends. Kurdish women are very strong minded women, and when they decide something you have to follow, to give in. Some of my Kurdish friends are fighting in Raqqa now.
My parents didn't want to leave everything behind. It wasn't a good timing for me to leave Syria as I had just started studying journalism at the University in Damascus. The only people I told about my plan were my mother and my sister. By that time, I had never left my homeland. I had no idea on what to expect but I knew many people from my village were established in Beirut. That gave me confidence and strength. Most Syrian refugees have left Syria for neighbouring countries like Lebanon or Turkey.
In 2013, I returned to Syria for one week. My mother had called me back, she missed me. It was risky for me. Both Assad's army and the Kurdish army were after me. I had no choice other than to leave my country.
Over the last years, all my friends left Syria, one after the other and for the same reason. No one of us wanted to join the killing or run the risk of being killed. Until now I don't understand why the civil war started. Somehow everything got so confusing.
During that time, I witnessed more and more refugees establishing themselves in Lebanon and consequently how the living conditions dramatically worsened. The first eighteen months in Beirut were okay. I worked as a bartender, very successfully actually. I got more and more responsibilities. Then the mindset and the attitude towards refugees shifted. There were so many refugees arriving. The jobs got scarce, wages dropped. Many Lebanese consider Syrians as a threat to their economy. It got increasingly difficult to find work and earn a decent salary. Refugees were denied access to work.
All that time we hoped the war would stop. But that never happened. I was stuck as I couldn't go back to Syria due to the war and couldn't make a living in Lebanon. I couldn't see any future for me there.
The situation got so unstable, I started to think about the possibility to leave for Europe. I knew many people who had left Lebanon for Germany. I spent much time reading about the European countries. I googled, "good countries for refugees". It came out that Belgium in Luxembourg were the right choices for me. The website said, "Open-minded, nice people". My friends in Germany, though, told me not to go to Luxembourg as they considered the chances to be recognized as a refugee were very small. I didn't care and made my firm decision to head for Luxembourg.
I left Beirut by flight on 5 November 2015 for Adana, Turkey. From Adana, I went to visit my cousin who lives next to Izmir. I was on the bus for fourteen hours, happy to leave Lebanon and start a new chapter in my life, escaping war and poverty. Leaving the Middle East felt like an adventure. After all, it was the only option I had to change my life for the better. I was so ready for a new life. I was full of hope.
All I took was an old rucksack mainly filled with clothes. I took one book, a present a friend once gave me: a sad novel about life and love that moved me. I also took my passport, my Syrian ID, the letter the regime sent me to get me to register in the army, some university papers, and my phone. That's all. I left Turkey very early early in the morning on 26 November 2015. The smugglers put me on a wooden boat, a kind of fisher boat. We were more than 140 people on the ship. Mostly Iraqi people. The children were scared and crying.
The sea was not good. The sun was shining, many waves made the boat increasingly unstable. When the Turkish captain left the boat shortly after leaving the shore, I took over the steering board. I am a very good swimmer. At no point did I feel scared on that boat.
When we arrived, the volunteers from the Red Cross helped us to step out. We were given biscuits and fruits. I only stayed a few hours in Mytilene. They organized a big boat to Athens. There were hundreds of refugees on that boat from all around the world. The people from Red Cross gave me a map and told me what itinerary to take to cross Europe. I took many buses and trains. Since my English is good, I offered my help to other refugees. I met a young Iraqi on the boat. We crossed Macedonia together but I lost him in Serbia when we registered. I was in the Syrian line, he was in the Iraqi line. Since I had a passport, I managed to cross the border quicker than him. I continued to Croatia, Slovenia, Austria. Once arrived in Munich, I took a bus to Luxembourg. It stopped in Kirchberg (a suburb of Luxembourg City).
It was late evening in November 2015 when I arrived. My phone was empty. The streets were empty. I had no idea where to go to. I couldn't ask my way because I was all alone. I randomly walked from Kirchberg to Strassen. I didn't meet anyone. I was looking for my way. In Syria, the streets are bubbling at night. I didn't understand why no one showed up. It felt weird. In Strassen, I finally saw an ambulance. I ran after it and I arrived at the hospital. I told a young girl at the reception that I was a Syrian refugee and I was looking for a camp. People took me to Logopédie, a refugee center just a five minute walk away. The people in charge told me I have register in Luxexpo, a refugee center located in… Kirchberg! So I went back all the way to Kirchberg, hours of walking. Once I registered, I was moved to an inside tent together with four other asylum seekers, two Eritreans – very discreet people – and four Syrians. I arrived on a Thursday. I slept through Friday and woke up on Saturday. I registered for international protection at the immigration service on a Monday. They took my fingerprints. I stayed in the Luxexpo refugee center for 22 days. Then I was moved to the Monopol camp for four months.
Monopol was a dangerous place and people fought a lot, especially the Russians. I stayed away from them, trying not to get involved. We were ten people in the room from ten different nationalities. I made friends with one Iraqi and two Syrians. I felt awful, powerless. I remember I was sick with a cold for weeks. I tried to see a doctor but that never happened. I saw a nurse instead. Finally I left for a camp in Sanem. I attended a French course in Athénée de Luxembourg, but only once a week – that was clearly not enough to master the language quickly.
I realized then that the only way to thrive was to get out of the camp as much as possible and connect to residents. And that's what I did.
Asylum seekers are not to allowed to work during the status obtention procedure. Some exceptions exist but they are rare. I tried not to spend my days at the camp. Staying in a room doing nothing is not why I came here. The atmosphere was depressing at the camp.
Sharing a room with six strangers was difficult. The longer I stayed, the more I longed for privacy. Staying in a camp with no prospect to get out one day is extremely depressing.
Soon I started to go to Hariko (hariko.lu) almost every day, enjoying my time there and participating in the numerous activities. Spending good times with people of all ages from all around the world was precisely what I needed. I started volunteering and found a way to cook for Hariko events together with a friend. That's how I managed to connect to many people. Me and a friend also started to cook Syrian food at private people's parties. Not only was I busy and happy, but my social circle widened considerably.
I met Cathy in Hariko. She wanted to learn Arabic and she hoped she might meet some person there who could teach her. Marianne Donven who runs Hariko suggested me and I agreed immediately. That was the beginning of our friendship. We communicated in English, she taught me French grammar and, in return, I taught her Arabic. We started to exchange many things. Over time, she became my confidant. My closest friend. I wanted to get out of the camp. I couldn't study there as we were four to six people in a room. I was never frightened but life was tough there. The lack of privacy in the camps is difficult to stand over time.
During our conversations, I told Cathy in confidence about my wish to leave the camp and live in a family. Cathy wanted to help me and organized a meeting for me and her father in August 2016.
It was a great meeting. He told me I was welcome in their house. I was so relieved. I felt lucky and thankful. My new life started the day this family opened up to me. Meeting Cathy changed my life.
Today I have many friends, refugees as well as residents. People know my name and know that I cook well. I got many invitations to cook at restaurants but I don't know anything about European style. I can only cook Arabic specialities, especially desserts, which I have a passion for.
My Syrian mother, Rita, my Luxembourgish mother (Cathy's mother), and my Belgium mother Chantal whom I met a few months ago. Rita helped and still helps me for everything like accompanying me somewhere, arranging things for me, and most importantly, giving me the family feeling—warmth and emotional support. Chantal and her husband also support me daily. She tries to find jobs for me and she relentlessly practices French with me. She makes me feel like I'm her son. She is there for me for everything. She cares for me. I try to be helpful, too, even if nothing that I will ever do will be enough to say thank you.
Tom, Cathy's father, is like my father now. I still live at his place. If he hadn't offered me a place to stay last year, I still would be in the camp. And then nothing in my life would be like it is now. I know I will be all right in Luxembourg thanks to all these people around me.
Refugees under 25, even after having obtained international protection status, do not get RMG. We get financial support from the communes. If and to what extent they will help or not depends on the commune you registered in. Also, three months after an asylum seeker gets his status, OLAI will start asking for rent. That puts us under real stress. Without financial support we can't pay any rent, supposing we would have found a place to live. This is very unlikely given the housing situation in Luxembourg. We can't easily work, either, as it takes months to learn the languages. This means that we need to take any kind of very basic job to survive with the consequence that we can't concentrate on studying. It's a vicious cycle.
I will never find a way to thank all the people who have supported me and offered me opportunities to gain independence.
Today I study French at CLAE asbl and Luxembourgish at Moien asbl and I'm a guest student at the University of Luxembourg. My goal is to study journalism. But I'm not fluent enough in French yet to join university. I have been promised by the Ministry of Education to enter a CLIJA class (Classe d'insertion pour jeunes adultes) in September. This summer, I'll concentrate on practicing French and Luxembourgish, do sports – I love swimming. I'm airborne when I swim.
My goal is to finish my studies and then open a business.
I'm strong now. I'm ready.


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Hickman football coach passes away
Related Story
COLUMBIA — Columbia Public Schools said Hickman High School football coach Arnel Monroe passed away Sunday morning at about 8:30 a.m. He was 49 years old.
A family friend said Monroe died of a heart attack.
CPS said it is working to notify family, players and staff, as well as contacting counselors to provide support for the students of Hickman High School.
Monroe graduated from Hickman in 1985. He began coaching in 2011.
According to a blog post from Monroe on Friday, his death comes a day after players volunteered at a car wash to raise funds for summer and food expenses for the team.
Mikayla Logan, a family friend of Monroe, said he was an amazing mentor and coach.
"He would bend over backwards for you," Logan said. "He was going to push you to be the best you could be. Any time I thought I really couldn't do something, or wasn't going to make it through something, he told me I was and never really gave me an option to just quit."
Logan also said many people who knew him are devastated.
"He was Hickman," Logan said. "Someone said heaven got a little more purple and it couldn't be more true."
Messages of support and remembrance from around mid-Missouri poured in on social media Sunday morning.
Hickman graduate and current Battle assistant coach Cedric Alvis shared kind words for Monroe on Twitter.
They say everything happens for a reason, and one day I will understand this. Words can't describe what Monroe meant to me. RIP Spank— Cedric Alvis (@CoachAlvis) June 5, 2016
Former Kewpie and current Missouri Western State University defensive backs coach Regi Trotter also took to Twitter.
The @KewpAthletics family has lost a good man. God bless the family of Coach Arnel Monroe. #RIPSpanky— Regi Trotter (@1neofme) June 5, 2016
Friends and family nicknamed Monroe "Spanky."
Many others shared their memories of Monroe, using the hashtag #RIPSpanky.
[This story was updated to provide clarity and add quotes from Monroe's friends.]


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I'm an Expert Online Communication. It starts from your message and the way you like to communicate. Instead of setting sales or business goals, we focus on the content and start form there. As a Content Designer and Web Developer I can consult or create that message and set it in the right context for you.
I have been creating online projects for almost 14 years. Developing websites, webshops, blogs, applications, brand identities, campaigns and more. I have a degree in Communication and Multimedia Design. And managed an art gallery and a clothing shop.
I have experience in developing all kinds of websites: including informative websites, showcases, campaigns, web shops, games and more… Also applications for smartphone, tablet, or any other touch screen device, are part of my expertise.
As a content creator I design your message within the right context. I focus on clear communication, and search for the optimal platform. I'm skilled in writing articles and blog posts, as well as designing any graphics you may need.
Over the past years, I have worked on a variety of projects as a consultant, designer, developer and manager. I completed tasks in graphic design, web development, ICT solutions, online communication and marketing.
I consider myself to be a versatile person and a fast learner. Being able to take on my responsibilities both as a freelancer and a team player. I'm easy-going, patient and stress resistant. I have great respect for others and find good communication very important. Every project will be executed with great care and enthusiasm.
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text: When I buy measuring cups, I always go for something functional rather than something funky and I usually opt for sets that are on sale somewhere – largely because I have a hard time resisting kitchen stuff I like when it's on sale. There are times when I wish I weren't so practical, however. This is the exact feeling that struck me when I saw the ridiculously cute measuring cups mentioned on Bittersweet recently. The cups measure out dry ingredients in the typical amounts – 1/4 cup through 1 cup – are shaped like geese, with handles that stretch up vertically into little avian heads. Not only is the design cute, but it is actually quite functional because the geese are designed to nest into one another, just as more conventional measuring sets are. You can find the Measuring Gaggleat Anthropologie.The other item mentioned in Bittersweet's post was a similarly designed set of measuring spoons, only these had a giraffe pattern instead of a goose theme. Their handles, too, stretch upwards and the spoons nest together. Unfortunately, they don't seem to have this particular Giraffe Family setavailable online at Anthropologie anymore, but take a peek into a nearby store if you're interested in trying to track down a set. I know I will be stopping by!


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The Art of Animal Communication
A Weekend with International Animal Communicator Anna Twinney
Discover what's possible!
! For an evening !
Anna is excited to be returning to one of our favorite rescues, Pregnant Mare Rescue to bring the popular and powerful Animal Communication Weekend to the West Coast. If you've ever wanted to explore the vast world of telepathic communication with your Animal Companion, then this is your chance!
- What is Animal Communication
- How to connect with your Animal and all species in the Animal Kingdom
- Solving those frustrating behavioral issues
- Your animal's perspective on situations
- How to help your animal with health issues
- Tapping into your own intuitive abilities
! For the Weekend !
with International Animal Communicator Anna Twinney
resolve any confusion replacing it with clarity and a smooth transition into the next part of their lives.
Join Anna on an exploration of connecting with your own animal's/partners. Animal communication may be great for behavioral or health issues, but this journey will take you deeper into your relationship with your animal.
What challenges do they force you to face? Why?
What gifts have they given you?
What are the lessons they have come to teach you?
You might think that you are here for your animals but every companion, whether it be human or otherwise, has come into your life for a reason as well. Learn how to uncover the "why's", learn the lessons, and deepen your connection and relationship with your companions.


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Sorry for the excessive exclamation points, but I am really excited! Here are the front and back pages.
Now I just need to figure out how to get it printed. Any suggestions? It's 40 layouts which I'm thinking might be a bit more than a shutterfly book can be. I'd love to do a blurb book, but I'm concerned it will end up costing a million dollars. Thoughts?


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|About this Recording
2.110304 - MUSICAL JOURNEY (A) - GERMANY: A Musical Visit to the Munich Puppet and Nuremberg Toy Museums (NTSC)
A Musical Tour of Germany
Munich: Puppet Museum – Romantic Puppets
Pierrot is shown playing his mandolin to the Moon in figures from late 19th century France. From the same country and period come a figure of a clown playing a harp and characteristic figures of girls.
Music Felix Mendelssohn: Song Without Words, Op 85, No 4
Mendelssohn has been regarded as one of the most classical of the romantics. Born in 1809, the son of a banker and grandson of the Jewish thinker Moses Mendelssohn, model for Lessing's Nathan der Weise, he showed precocity as a child, his abilities fostered by the cultured society that his family kept. The notion of writing songs without words, a paradoxical idea, was original, but suited well enough popular demand for short and attractive piano pieces that others might market as album-leaves or under any other apt title. The D major Song Without Words, Op 85, No 4, sometimes bears the title Elegy. It was written in 1845, two years before the composer's death.
Munich: Puppet Museum – Grimaldi and Circus Marionettes
The great clown Grimaldi, born in London into an Italian family of showmen, is represented by a relatively modern fibre glass figure, shown with his dog, goose and string of sausages. The various circus figures are string puppets made about 1900 by Johann Heinrich Apel. Masked figures of Harlequin and the Apothecary, the Doctor and Tartaglia, from the commedia dell'arte were made in Turin in the 18th century.
Music Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sonata in A major, K 331 – Rondo alla turca
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, famous as an infant prodigy, was to depend during the last ten years of his life in good part on his ability as a pianist. The famous A major Piano Sonata, with its third movement Turkish March, was probably written in 1783 and was certainly published in the following year. In 1781 Mozart had quarrelled with the Archbishop of Salzburg, his own and his father's employer, and had settled in Vienna. There, in 1782, he had won success with his Turkish opera The Abduction from the Seraglio and had married without waiting for his father's permission. In the summer of 1783 the couple returned to stay in Salzburg for three months and it is possible that Mozart wrote his A major Sonata then, for the use of his sister Nannerl. The Turkish element is, of course, purely according to contemporary Viennese convention, imitating the supposed repeated harmonies and percussive effects attributed to the Janissary band.
Munich: Puppet Museum – Pictures and Roundabouts
Painted scenes include Harlequin and the Devil, and, from about 1860, painted by Franz Pocci for Papa Schmid's marionette theatre, the figure of Kasperl, the traditional German comic character, surrounded by his friends. The museum also preserves roundabouts of various kinds, and their carved figures.
Music Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Adagio in B minor, K 540
Mozart's B minor Adagio, K 540, bears the date 19th March 1788. The circumstances of its composition are unknown, although it seems to have been one of the pieces that Mozart sent to his sister in August of the same year.
Munich: Puppet Museum – Fairground
The moving figures of the Theatrum Mundi, a form of entertainment known from the 17th century, shows domestic scenes, and then, from the Heinrich Apel theatre in Dresden, moving figures, an ice-cream vendor, a cyclist, children, a mother pushing a pram, a balloon-man and other figures from everyday life, all hurrying past.
Music Ludwig van Beethoven: Rondo a capriccio
Beethoven began his G major Rondo a capriccio during his earlier days in Vienna. After an earlier abortive attempt to study with Mozart, interrupted by the illness and death of his mother, he had finally settled there in 1792, winning himself an early reputation as a remarkable pianist. The Rondo was sketched in 1795 but never completed. Its popular title, Rage over a Lost Penny, and its completion were probably the work of Anton Schindler, the composer's self-appointed Boswell.
Munich: Puppet Museum: Horses
Horses form a popular subject for representation, whether on roundabouts or as rocking-horses. They appear in some variety in the Munich Puppet Museum.
Music Edvard Grieg: Lyric Pieces, Op 68, No 4 – Evening in the Mountains
The greatest of Norwegian composers, Edvard Grieg, coupled a mastery of colourful harmonies with inspiration that was essentially national. Throughout his life he continued to compose short pieces under the title Lyric Pieces, and Evening in the Mountains is taken from the ninth of these collections, written in 1898, the year in which he presided over the first Norwegian Music Festival, recognition of his considerable achievement.
Nuremberg: Toy Museum: Roundabouts and Mechanical Toys
Nuremberg has long been famous for its manufacture of toys. Its Toy Museum includes in its collection various roundabouts, seen here, and a revolving street scene, in which dolls play music and manipulate a hula-hoop, and a monkey demonstrates acrobatic feats.
Music Fryderyk Chopin: Grand Waltz in A flat major, Op 42
Great composers are instantly recognisable from their musical language. Chopin created for his instrument the piano a characteristically poetic idiom of the greatest delicacy, coupled with brilliance and startling harmonic invention. His Grande Valse in A flat, one of those compositions that elevated the music of the ball-room to the more refined atmosphere of the private salon, was written in 1840, its opening trill introducing a work of typically contrasted rhythms.
Munich: Puppet Museum – Kasperltheater • Punch and Judy
Kasperl is the traditional German comic character, a man in the mould of Mozart and Schikaneder's Papageno in The Magic Flute, appearing in popular entertainment as an ordinary man, often in extraordinary surroundings, or so it seems to him. Hand puppets are seen from the Munich Toni Schmid Theatre. Punch and Judy, seen relatively fleetingly here, represent another tradition of popular comedy.
Music Carl Maria von Weber: Piano Sonata No 1 – Adagio
Mozart's wife Constanze was one of the daughters of the Mannheim singer, violinist and copyist Fridolin Weber. The Weber family achieved greater musical distinction through his nephew, Carl Maria, who survived a curiously disorganised and irregular childhood to become the creator of romantic German opera with Der Freischütz and a significant figure in the development of the art of orchestral conducting. Weber was a gifted pianist. The first of his four piano sonatas was written in 1812, to the delight of his friends in Berlin, who, according to a flattering contemporary account, must have impeded his playing, as they gathered round him, putting their arms round his shoulders, as he played on far into the night.
Munich: Puppet Museum – Chinese Shadow Puppets
Shadow puppets are found throughout Asia, from China to the karagöz of Turkey. Examples of the art from China are to be seen in the Munich Puppet Museum, starting with a butterfly, from the western province of Sichuan, and continuing with grotesques and figures from legend and opera.
Music Claude Debussy: L'Isle joyeuse (ed. Péter Solymos)
The French composer Claude Debussy had a clear and acknowledged debt to Chopin. This is perceptible in harmonic experiment, but still more apparent in his delicate control of piano nuances in his writing for an instrument with which he at one time had hoped to make a professional career. L'isle joyeuse, written in 1904, draws inspiration from Watteau's L'embarquement pour Cythère and the world of the fête galante that Debussy had so recently celebrated in settings of poems by Verlaine.
Nuremberg: Toy Museum: Doll's House
The Toy Museum in Nuremberg houses exhibits associated with play and childhood from the earliest period. The doll's house seen, accurate in the smallest detail, seems life-size, until the final shot, when we see the house in its true miniature proportions.
Music Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky: Chanson triste in G minor, Op 40, No 2
The name of Tchaikovsky is more readily associated with the world of ballet and of the orchestra. In common with many of his contemporaries, however, he wrote a number of piano pieces, many of them designed for a ready market among Russian amateurs and therefore more immediately profitable than works on a larger scale. His famous Chanson triste in G minor, Op 40, No 2, was written in early 1878 as one of a set of twelve pieces of moderate difficulty, completed at his brother-in-law's estate in the Ukraine, where he returned, after a stay of some months abroad during which he began to recover from the effects of his disastrous and ill-considered marriage of the previous summer.
Munich: Puppet Museum: Marionette Heads
The museum has a bewilderingly varied display of marionette heads, realistic, grotesque or diabolical. Some of these are of relatively modern origin, some of them caricatures, some distinctly surreal and some decidedly sinister, suitable figures for a Danse macabre.
Music Camille Saint-Saëns: Danse macabre (tr. Liszt)
Camille Saint-Saëns was a composer who outlived his reputation. A progressive figure in his earlier career, by the time of his death in 1921 he represented a thoroughly conservative tradition in the world of Stravinsky and Les Six, his six young compatriots in Paris. Saint-Saëns was talented and versatile, turning his hand to all kinds of composition, and earning an early reputation as the French Mendelssohn. His popular Danse macabre was written in 1874 and transcribed by Liszt two years later. This Dance of Death is very different from Liszt's own treatment of the subject.
Keith Anderson
Recording (all works)
Romantic Piano Favourites, Vol 10 Peter Nagy, piano [Naxos 8.570091]
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TOKYO, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Fukushima is keen to show it has fully recovered from the 2011 nuclear disaster by hosting some events for the 2020 summer Olympics in Tokyo.
The governor of the northeastern prefecture held talks with his Tokyo counterpart on Tuesday to discuss the matter.
"We need to set a goal so that we can show how much Fukushima has recovered," Masao Uchibori was quoted as saying by Kyodo News on Tuesday.
Uchibori did not specify which events Fukushima wanted to stage but soccer matches appeared the most likely, with games normally held around the host country and starting before the opening ceremony.
Masuzoe welcomed the interest from Fukushima, the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.
"The Olympics is meant to show to the world the Tohoku region's reconstruction. We want to cooperate as much as possible," he said. (Writing by Patrick Johnston in Singapore; Editing by Julian Linden)


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Understanding Social Security
Before we get started, I would like to know how you feel about Social Security. If you would rather not take the poll, just skip it.
How do you feel about Social Secuity?
Social Security is one of the Most Successful Social Programs
Over the years, corporations have destroyed retirement dreams by eliminating defined benefit pension plans. But social security continues to pay full benefits. Today the program is under attack from Wall Street, the Republican Party, and even some Democrats. They want the dismantling of Social Security to begin in the very near future.
Social Security should not be privatized as some people in congress are proposing. The benefits should not be cut and the retirement age should not be raised. The program has paid every nickel it has owed to every eligible American.
Social Security, Established 75 Years Ago
Before Social Security, half of the elderly lived in poverty. Today, we have a lot of people who are still in poverty, but that number is nowhere near 50 percent as it was before. That number today is less than 10 percent. Social Security provides dignified support for those in need of care.
Misinformation About Social Security
There is a ton of misinformation that is floating around about social security. That includes, the program is in crisis; going bankrupt, and the trust fund contains piles of worthless IOU's. Congress is proposing the following:
- Privatizing the system
- Lowering costs of living adjustments
- Cutting benefits
- Weaning everyone off of the program except current retirees
- Increasing retirement age to 69
- Reducing benefits to future retirees who make as little as $42,000.00 per year.
You can read my hub on political spin for more information about how politicians spin the facts.
Social Security, the Facts
- 2037 - The year when social security will not be able to pay 100% of benefits, but will able to pay out 78%
- 2.6 Trillion - The amount currently in the Social Security Trust Fund
- 4 Trillion - The amount Social Security is projected to grow by 2023
Social Security invests in U;S. Treasury bonds that are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. The program has not contributed one penny to the deficit because it is funded by payroll taxes.
Here a link to Frequently Asked Questions about the Trust Fund.
Why do they Want to Change Social Security?
There is a huge influence by Wall Street to privatize Social Security because it stands to make billions in profits by exploiting the novice investor. The "Less Government Movement" does not feel the necessity to provide retirement benefits to the elderly or those with disabilities.
Just think about your 401K or retirement program and how it fared during the financial melt down. Just think if your social security fund would have been invested in Wall Street. It is important to note that Social Security is not an investment, it is an insurance.
Social Security is not Bankrupt
Contrary to popular belief, Social Security is not bankrupt. In fact, Social Security does not need to be saved until 2037 when there will be a 22% gap in what is taken in and what will be paid out. Here are two numbers you need to know:
- $106,800.00 - Annual pay cap, where if you earn that amount or more, social security payments are no longer withdrawn from your paycheck
- 6.2% - The tax on payroll to cover social security. If self-employed, it's 12.4%. The tax is known as FICA (Federal Insurance Contribution Act)
Senator Bernie Sanders' Proposal
Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont proposes, by removing the $106,800.00 cap, this will then capture the super rich who can reach that cap in a blink of an eye. That means, the super rich will pay into the program for the full year instead of up to the $106,800.00 cap. This will accumulate more money in the fund. Removing the cap would make Social Security solvent until 2085, as calculated by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). And, it won't affect those who's annual pay never reaches the cap.
This is a very simple solution to save Social Security and requires very little legislation. Please contact your congressman on this issue to save Social Security. To find contact information, please click on the link below.
eMail from Bernie Sanders 8/16/2012
In these highly volatile economic times, when millions of Americans lost their life savings in the 2008 Wall Street crash, it is important to remember that since its inception, through good economic times and bad, Social Security has paid every penny owed to every eligible beneficiary.
Despite Wall Street and right-wing misinformation, Social Security, which is funded by the payroll tax, does not contribute to the deficit. In fact, the Social Security Trust Fund today, according to the Social Security Administration, has a $2.7 trillion surplus and can pay 100 percent of all benefits owed to every eligible American for the next 21 years. Further, unlike the huge commissions paid out to Wall Street firms, Social Security is run with very modest administrative costs.
Despite Social Security's popularity and overwhelming success, we are now in the midst of a fierce and well-financed attack against Social Security. Pete Peterson, the Wall Street billionaire, has pledged $1 billion of his resources to cut Social Security and other programs of enormous importance to the American people. Other billionaires and Wall Street representatives are also working hard to weaken or destroy Social Security and endanger the well-being of millions of Americans. We must not allow their effort to succeed.
Let us never forget that the current deficit of $1 trillion was primarily caused by two unpaid-for wars and tax breaks for the rich. These policies were strongly supported by "deficit hawks." The deficit is also related to a major decline in revenue as a result of the Wall Street-created recession. The deficit is a serious issue, but we must not move toward deficit reduction on the backs of the elderly, the children, the sick and the poor. This would not only be immoral, it is bad economic policy. At a time when the wealthiest people in this country are doing phenomenally well and their effective tax rate is the lowest in decades, the top 1 percent must begin paying their fair share of taxes. At a time when large corporations are enjoying record-breaking profits, we have got to eliminate the huge corporate loopholes which result in a massive loss of federal revenue. At a time when we have tripled military spending since 1997, we must take a hard look at a bloated and wasteful Defense Department.
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan has been a proponent of privatizing the retirement program by putting seniors' savings into risky Wall Street investments. Even before tapping Ryan as his running mate, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney said he wants to begin the process of privatizing Social Security. He also would gradually increase the retirement age to 68 or 69. And he favors slowing the growth of benefits for persons with "higher incomes." Under a plan floated by Romney's allies on Capitol Hill -- Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) -- someone making about $45,000 a year today who retires in 2050 would receive 32 percent less in annual Social Security benefits than under the current formula. By that definition, the top 60 percent of all wage earners would be considered "higher income."
President Barack Obama, meanwhile, was a staunch defender of Social Security in his 2008 campaign. So far this year, however, Obama has refused to stand behind his four-year-old opposition to cuts. In fact, the president has signaled that he may be open to lowering benefits by changing how they are calculated. In my view, it is long past time that the president told the American people in no uncertain terms, as he did in 2008, that he will not cut Social Security on his watch.
To keep Social Security's finances sound in the future I have introduced legislation -- identical to a proposal that Obama advocated in 2008 -- to apply the payroll tax on incomes above $250,000 a year. Under current law, only earnings up to $110,100 are taxed. The Center for Economic Policy and Research has estimated that applying the Social Security payroll tax on income above $250,000 would only impact the wealthiest 1.4 percent of wage earners.
Those who want to cut Social Security benefits are looking at a number of proposals. One of the most talked about ideas is moving toward a so-called "chained-CPI," which would not only impact seniors, but also military retirees and those who receive benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The "chained-CPI" approach changes how the Consumer Price Index is calculated, so that a person 65 years old today would earn $560 a year less in Social Security benefits once they turn 75. Benefits would be cut by nearly $1,000 a year once they turn 85. Instead, I have proposed legislation to base Social Security cost-of-living adjustments on a Consumer Price Index for the Elderly, a measure that would increase benefits because it would take into account the real-life impact of rising health care costs and prescription drug expenses paid by seniors.
While we often take Social Security for granted, we must not forget that Social Security today is providing dignity and security to tens of millions of Americans. It is a program that is working and working well. We must stand up today, on the 77th anniversary of this enormously important program. We must pledge to continue the fight against the right-wing Republicans, some Democrats and their wealthy backers who want to destroy the program.
Contact Your Congressman
- Contact Elected Officials | USA.gov
USA.gov: Contact Elected Officials -- Locate e-mail and mailing addresses, phone numbers, and more for your local, state, and federal officials.
You continue to always distract, the ME if you don't know is not relevant to answering the question.
FERS or SS which would you rather have.
A 20 year defined benefit plan, that is vested.
Or a life time never ending SS as long as you earn a wage. Non vested, and can be terminated at the whim of congress.
Wouldn't you rather have FERS like your bud ME than SS.
Thanks for the update. The taxes from people in the private sector who don't have the same benefits available to them as government employees is unequal and because it is the govt doing it, it should also be unconstitutional. The same is true for having higher marginal tax rates for people with higher incomes. As I mentioned, these higher tax rates are ineffective because of all the tax avoidance contained in the Internal Revenue Code.
In 1986 Regan promised lower taxes, but it also includes middle class workers losing the few tax deductions they could use. The 1986 Tax Reform Act did lower the taxes, but it didn't last long.
The govt employee benefits are huge, and they require a lot of taxes to pay for them. It is also inequality to have public servants having better benefits and retirement than those in the private sector. It should be unconstitutional, again because it the government doing it.
That is why all the wage earners in the country need equal opportunity for these benefits and no one should be forced to participate in a mandatory tax. The young should not be burdened by those retiring from the system.
A national tax system like those found in most of the states would be equal. Any arguments against it would already be addressed at the state level.
Under NTS, there would be no Tax on Income. Therefore most of the Internal Revenue Service including its private Tax Court could be downsized. There is no reason for the Income Tax to be so complicated requiring many people to use a tax preparer and keep all those financial records. That to me is involuntary servitude.
Yes, I agree the country needs to get revenue for the services they provide the people and the country, but it should be done effectively and with equality.
Giving govt workers these expensive and excellent benefits including job security is not equal.
Actually, the other problem with the government is that they don't actually have control of the money supply. That is in the domain of a private entity called the Federal Reserve Board.
We the people are actually paying the FRB to dole out our countries money. Why is that bad, I would cite that the 2008 economic failure could have been averted had the FRB raised the interest rates as they had done. But they allowed the rates to stay low, and these creative but weak home loans were allowed to hang on. That is any increase in the interest rates would have turned the loan upside down. That is how bad they were, especially the negative amortization loans. The banks and the other lenders bypassed their conservative lending practices and gave loans with little to no equity, and in the case of negative amortization, negative equity.
I will look at your article, after I post this comment.
Mike, I am not trying to convince you, I proffer this information to share what I know about it and hope that you can exchange your view on it.
You got the idea. That is great. My point was to bring the issues out and give people some food for thought. That FICA is a tax, and Obamacare is a Tax. They are not the great ideas of the government, but now we are dependent on them.
You always do the same thing, when confronted with arguments you can't counter you blame me. We will never agree because you don't have any valid arguments. You always through the stuff back at the Republicans. I don't have to defend the republicans. In fact, I won't because it takes both D and R to make bad government decisions.
I can't be wrong if you don't have any compelling evidence to show me why and how.
The young people are paying for your SS like you did before you retired. That is not the government paying for SS, it is the wage earner. Ponzi Tax Scheme.
And with FERS they are using our tax dollars to treat gov workers like the Master and not public servants.
Red Herrings are not answers to my detailed comments. I am not a Republican and neither is Trump.
Otherwise the Republicans in Congress would be working with Trump.
You never answer the questions posed to you.
Your last comment is just a drive by shooting, and it didn't hit anyone. Try again.
BTW, the democrats started this tax crap in 1913, then they added the SS TAX in 1937, and Medicare in 1965, and Obamacare in 2010.
But it couldn't have happened without the continued cooperation of the Republicans. It takes 2 to tax.
I will say it one more time, the unequal tax and wealth distribution is a function of the internal revenue code. It doesn't matter what the marginal tax rates are for the rich, the Internal Revenue Code is a Get out of Tax free card.
What does that mean to personally vest?
Brad says--- That means unlike SS your contributions are separate from the others.
The third rail in the republican agenda has always been and will always be to privatize social security. That's when the creepy crawlers come out to take advantage of those who are not astute at investing.
Brad says -- So you like it that the federal government treats their employees like family, while they treat the rest of us like the fools. People shouldn't be forced into participating in the SS tax plan.
This is the title of your article: "Social Security and Medicare along with Obama Care are just TAXES." Everything that the government provides is just taxes. That is where the revenue for the government comes from to provide services for the people. The idea of trickle down economics is just a pipe dream from the time of Reagan. It never has worked and only benefits those who don't need the money.
Brad says --- That is the problem, The federal government is too obese and flatulent and because of that they need more and more taxes from the people. The founders of the country need envisioned a large central government. That is why we are called the United STATEs. Taxing a workers lifetime to get something at the end of their life is nothing more than paying taxes. A plan similar to FERS would not only have defined benefits from the beginning, unlike SS which changes the rate of contribution as well as the size of the benefits.
Where do you think the money comes from to fund FERS? It comes from our taxes. Just like everything else the government provides. The government does not produce a product, it provides services.
Brad Says ----
What has never happened is the government significantly reducing their spending.
Brad says --- That is the problem, they are reward government employees while treating the wage earner tax payers like servants, giving them scraps.
Why should the taxpayers pay taxes to give government employees retirement, medical, and other benefits that the private sector, nor do the government plans actually give them.
Services are questionable, and government spending should be in line with those services. Too much of our taxes go to make the government a royalty. A government should lead the country in being cost conscious, not in being opulent.
The point is that isn't of only raising taxes because of over the top spending, they should be cutting the size of government and spending.
Brad says-- The ever increasing size and scope of the government requires enormous amounts of new taxes. How are the young people as well as the people under 40 going to benefit from something that is 30 to 50 plus years away. And if you look at the history of SS, you see how it has increased the tax, and the benefits has not providing anything but supplemental expenses. The death benefit is still $255 compare that with FERS.
With all the talk the left has made this century about Equality, why are private sector workers not getting equal retirements, health care, and other work benefits. If the answer is that the private sector companies can't afford it, then the retort is neither can the taxpayers afford it.
--And it is still a Ponzi scheme because it requires the young people to pay for those that are retiring.
Here you say "To keep Social Security's finances sound in the future I have introduced legislation -- identical to a proposal that Obama advocated in 2008 -- to apply the payroll tax on incomes above $250,000 a year.".
This is another reason why SS is a Ponzi Scheme. And as the $250K salaries are tapped the retirement benefits will not be commensurate with the contributions.
Feel free to comment on my article on SS Medicare and Obamacare
I have written about FERS, just ask MyEsoteric.
The point is that FERS is great SS is not for the reason I mentioned. Tell me why you didn't comment on my take on SS. It can be read and understood without knowing about FERS Federal Employee Retirement
I never said to make it a personal investment, I said it should personally VEST and your contributions to any date are yours to take with you.
This is not 1937 and there is no great depression, so why are we stuck with this ponzi scheme. It is a ponzi because it requires new blood to keep it solvent. Investing in the Treasury is too ROI to support the eventual benefits to be paid. Please reread my comment for details on why SS is so bad.
SS may not be bankrupt, but it is a ponzi scheme that requires new people into the system to pay for those that are retiring.
New wages earners coming into the workforce today and in the coming years have to wait more than 50 years to get their retirement benefits.
While government employees, the public servants, get what the people should be getting for retirement. Check out FERS.
BTW, in the 80s the congress in order to stop the SS bleeding added the government workers. Yes, in addition to FERS, a Defined Benefits Retirements program, they also contribute to SS, but to them it is a bonus.
Government FERS is vested for the employee, SS is not vested and it can be eliminated by congress any time. Not a wise choice if they want to get reelected, but nonetheless they could do it.
The death benefits for SS have not changed since 1937, $255.
The contribution period for FERS is 30 years or less, not the lifetime contribution for SS. The congress wants to move retirement age to 70 years old to keep the SS payouts lower.
SS contributions don't ever stop as long as you earn a wage. And if you are receiving additional wages while you are receiving SS retirement benefits, it can be added to your AGI.
The government employee FERS Defined Benefits Pension is managed by a private firm. SS is managed by congress. FERs puts all the employee contributions into the employees account. SS doesn't, the employee only gets credit for a portion of the years they have contributed. The average SS payout is between $1100 and $1800, with a high somewhere in the mid $2000s. None of this is enough of a sum to really live on. And while the government gives higher salaries, and living expenses depending on where the employee is in the country. SS is given the same amount where ever you live, regardless of the cost of living in your area.
The SS is not a benefit to the young in the workforce. And it is not really fair for the American people to give such expensive benefits to Government Employees, while not getting them to the private sector.
Government employees get the most holiday, personal and sick days. Also, Defined Benefits pension (look it up), the best health care insurance plans when they are working and when they retire.
This inequity should be leveled and have any of the benefit plans available to the government employees available to everyone. The government benefits are unfunded liabilities that keep increasing our taxes.
Don't confuse the necessity of SS benefits to the elderly the same as it being a great plan. It is most likely that these people didn't have the opportunity to get addition retirements such as IRAs and 401K plans.
Why should people younger than 40 years old want SS rather than a plan like FERS. The government created this elderly Drug of SS, and they should continue to pay the benefits to those retired or shortly to be retired.
For those between 40 and 70, they should calculate their SS benefit and put it into an escrow account or give them a one time pay off. No one asked to participate into SS, they were forced to pay this tax.
For the people younger than 40, a new plan like FERs should be able to take what was FICA including the employer contribution and put it into a private employee retirement fund.
How good of a system is it that requires new workers to pay for old retiring workers.
Perpetuating this Ponzi scheme is like keeping drug users on drugs. To pay for the inequity of SS, the government must also change FERS into the same system using the same rules.
The same is true of Medicare and compare it with government FEHS!
The senator must have read my mind. I have been suggesting this idea since who knows when (at least a couple decades). In addition, no one who receives a paycheck in the USA should be exempt from making Social Security payments. The Government retirement programs need to be re-evaluated, the FERS basic benefit should be abolished. I have no issue with the TSP, as it is similar to a 401K with a non-gov't employer.
You continue to evade giving answers.
The point is that the SS system is a TAX revenue, and both parties have kept it going as a revenue device.
SS is a poor system for retirement, it is open ended, it is only applied to wage earners, and the government employees don't need it, but we could use their pensions.
Yes it is the house bill. However in the Amendment, that paragraph was not amended or referenced so it still stands
This is what Obama signed.
Para b has a shall - shall is a command not optional
The are now writing the defining legislation for the IRS and SS administration.
As I have said before, it is going to be the rules that dictate what the bill actually does and those rules, to my knowledge have not yet been drafted. The language you quoted has a lot of mays and shalls. As I sure you know, may means that it is not required. Shall means it is mandatory. We have the framework, but the house has not been finished.
Here is a direct quote of what your law makers wrote in HR 3962
The monthly premium charged to eligible individuals for coverage under the program—
(A) may vary by age so long as the ratio of the highest such premium to the lowest such premium does not exceed the ratio of 2 to 1;
(B) shall be set at a level that does not exceed 125 percent of the prevailing standard rate for comparable coverage in the individual market; and
(C) shall be adjusted for geographic variation in costs.
I mean no offense and I understand 2nd party sources are often used for research. But if you want the full truth, only information from the first party is fact.
Great work and i must take the time to re read all the way. Thanks for insight and the time you spent working on this page and research.
That link is government spin. That doesn't mention many things like insurance companies are allowed to raise your rates by 125% and over 20 new taxes.
It's a bear to read but the truth is there in HR3962.
A very simple way to get these programs that the middle class depend on fixed: Require ALL politicians to receive the same level of benefits the rest of the middle class receives.
We would see how many of these "conservatives" would be against government health care, or how many of these fiscally responsible deficit hawks would support moving their retirement funds to the private sector.
As far as I'm concerned it makes no sense for the people who work FOR us to get better benefits than we do, and then argue that our benefits are the reason the country is insolvent.
I go through the trouble of giving you details and you don't respond to those details. Apparently, you have no real arguments other than liberal political talk.
The issue is Social Security and whether it is the great system you claim it to be in the beginning of your hub.
Sure you count on it today, but it is a lame system as I described in detail in my original comment.
You probably paid into SS for over forty years, now is that really the best plan. I don't want to repeat myself here. I have hubs where I detail my arguments. Don't bother to read them.
There has been no compelling arguments made in this hub that shows that SS wasn't a real bad idea.
As for Ryan, he won't make a bad system worse, but Obama has already made Medicare worse, and it will make it more difficult for you to find doctors willing to take Medicare.
Your reference to Obama Care:
" I know this. Before Obama care, you could not get insurance if you had a pre-exsisting condition. Insurance premiums were sky high and there was a huge donut hole for prescription drugs"
Affordable Care Bill HR3962
I will tell you what I told Larry: Read the bill! The insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies have been let off the hook. If you read the bill I guarantee you will change your statement.
A bad system just got worse.
They lied to us about so many things from smoking to global warming to the unemployment rate and financing. I'm just sitting back and watching it collapse everyday.Not very optimistic.
A good night to all.
Any system that is administered by any government, federal, state or local, is going to be subject to inefficiency and other possibilities. That is the nature of the beast. Therefore, give me something better than Social Security. I know all the complaints. I have my own share, but I am more than reasonably certain that when I retire next year or in five years--might have a job in a few days--the money will be there and that check will come for the rest of my life. By supplementing that with my investments in my 401K, plus the house is paid for, my tax rate will be lower, etc. I will be all right. My 401K is invested in a guaranteed plan. My wife will either draw on her own or she will draw half of my benefit, whichever is greater. It may not be the best system and Congress may have misused the funds, but money can be replaced. We need to demand it from the Congress. Enacting a whole new system, especially now when we are fighting the health care issue, is just not the thing to do.
What I don't like is corrupt politicians taking my retirement funds and squandering it. But these same politicians have the best retirement plan paid for by the same people they were supposed to protect SS for.
The only fair option is an "opt-in" system. It is the best way to meet all the peoples needs. But then again, I don't trust the government to do the right thing. Their track record is horrible.
No one has shown me a better system that everyone can understand. Individual accounts where the individual decides how his money will be invested is not for everyone. Probably, everyone on this Hub could manage such an account and make money. However, if the market crashes the day before you retire, what are you going to have? It is basically a defined benefit plan, expensive to maintain, but provides a greater level of assurance. Should the plan be adjusted in some way to provide more income--absolutely. Should the burial exemption be expanded--makes no difference, that was just something that was added on, and I do not think anyone depends on that to cover burial expenses. Show me a better system that everyone can understand then I will listen to you. My mother collected a $50,000 life insurance policy when my father died. She thought she was a millionaire. She could not understand compounding of interest and different investments. She died 10 years later. There was no inheritance for her three children. She did not owe us one, but had she lived longer; I do not know how we would have cover her medical care. She died of ALS in a nursing home. Medicare would not pay for the inhalation therapy treatments because she was not in her own home. Whatever plan you come up with should not allow lump sum withdrawals. We had a defined benefit plan and a 401K plan at my last office. The defined benefit plan was shared by four affiliated groups. People in their late 60s started drawing out huge lump sums. The plan was under funded and while my office could had paid its share, two of the other offices could not. We had to close it down and make smaller lump-sum payments to the remaining participants.
The maximum benefit depends on the age a worker chooses to retire. For example, for a worker retiring at age 66 in 2012, the amount is $2,513. This figure is based on earnings at the maximum taxable amount for every year after age 21.
That means working at the max for 45 years.
The SSA actually needs at least 35 years to calculate your amount.
Then when you retire and work to pay the bills, you once again contribute to SS. If you make too much money then they deduct from the $2513. Great system, and your family will get $255 when you die.
That amounts to $30,156.
I agree with your comment.
I understand that some people need SS but I don't understand those people that think it is a great system.
For starters SS takes in less than it pays out and there is no interest coming back on those treasury bonds.
Have you taken a look a those bonds lately? They're at an all time low paying only pennies on the dollar. No investors has been buying them. Only the Fed to prevent financial collapse of the government.
QE1 & QE2 were bout printing money and giving it to banks. The money circulates back to the Fed and government.
Back in the 80s congress robbed the fund for over 2 trillion dollars and has never paid it pack. Since then it has been in the hole.
There is no "full faith of the US Government". The government's financial status is very weak. Most bonds are returning less tham 1%.
I kinda remember Obama saying SS checks won't go out unless the debt ceiling is raised. Obviously then, money must be borrowed and the debt increased to pay for SS. No debt eh?
Money printed by the Fed (banking system) and given to the government is keeping SS and many other government projects alive along with account tricks. Your next check is a Chinese loan or electronic money.
I would strongly suggest going to the government (and Fed) web sites and studying the published spreadsheets. They tell a different story altogether.
You don't have to believe me. But if you really want to know the truth - you'll do your due diligence.
FERS is probably going to be eliminated in the next couple of years and it should be a phased out elimination.
The 40 quarters for Social Security is what you need to draw the maximum benefit based on your contributions to the system. The more years you work, the greater your benefit. The amount you pay after retiring, is based on your benefit, which is most cases is much smaller than your paycheck.
No one has the answers to the problems we are facing. It is going to take years to straighten it out. You cannot penalize people for taking a benefit they were promised. So those that are receiving FERS and or about to retire, should be allowed to do so and receive what they were promised.
I will always opposed individual retirement accounts for Social Security. Everyone is just not able to manage money as well as others are confused by investment opportunities. Those people need to be protected by being a part of a system that is consistent.
I know you disagree. So, let's not start a long exchange. Let's just agree to disagree. Certainly you are allowed to offer a rebuttal, but I have said everything I need to say.
Here is the problem with Social Security
It is a wage earners tax, that didn't apply to congress or government employees when it was created.
Now it includes government employees, but they don't need SS, as they have FERS with its taxpayer guaranteed defined benefits pension. So while private 401k lost money in the economic collapse of 2008, the government pensions didn't lose a penny. That is because the taxpayers made up not only for the loss in their pension fund but also gave them a cost of living raise.
The SS benefits are needed by today's seniors that have retired, or are about to retire. The problem is that their benefits as a sole income are at the poverty level.
In addition, they will continue to contribute to the SS as long as they earn a wage. In fact, if they earn too much the SS will reduce their benefits.
The other problem is that SS is unfair as it requires to pay the TAX for as long as they earn a wage, even though the benefits only require 40 quarters.
The reason that it should be privatized is to make a system similar to the government system which is a real pension. The split to private would be determined by setting an age at which someone can switch to the new pension. Continue to pay the benefits to those already getting them, and for those who are too old to make the switch but have not yet retired.
The age of retirement for full benefits with SS has been creeping up from 65 to 67 and higher. Contrast that with government employee retirements that range from 55 to 62, or even younger. Some government employees have retired from several government jobs, and have several government pensions.
Then there is the SS death benefit of $255, need I say more.
The biggest problem is that the congress views the SS tax as simple treasury fund with no real tie to actually having it to be self sustaining. So they use that money for their pet projects and pay practically nothing for it.
The biggest problem with SS is that congress and government employees have a real pension system, and get great expensive healthcare benefits, so they are not dependent on SS. To them SS is chump change, as many of their pensions are close to what they made when they were working for the government.
I had a 401K program at my office that was doing pretty good until the crash in 2008. I lost about a fourth of its value, which is better than a lot of people did. I had recently changed my investment strategy to something more conservative. If that fall had come one year earlier, I have no idea how much I would have lost. I am not in favor of privatizing Social Security. Depending on how long you live and how long your spouse live, you stand a very good chance of getting all your money back. My family does not have a history of longevity. However, my wife's family lives for ever. She has eight uncles. Three are dead. The last one to die was 95. The oldest is 99 and the baby of the family is 89. Her mother is 90 and has been a widow for more than 10 years living off of her late husband's survivor benefits for his pension and Social Security. He worked in the private sector for several years. I think Social Security will be paying full benefits after 2037 or whatever year they are claiming. I will not be here to see it, but I think better times are ahead, regardless of who is President.
My private investments - 401(k) and IRAs - have done much much much better than the puny 1-2% yield on my Social Security taxes. Privatizing a Social Security like system works wonders in Chilie. I wish I had had the option of privitizing it back when I was still working.
When I invest my money in , oh well I'll remain a homer, 3M lets say. There actually capital goods which I purchase a wee teeny tiny part of those capital goods - machinery, buildings, land, etc. When I invest my money in a government bond all I am getting is a promise to pay me back out of future taxation. Not quite the same thing. A promise, in the case of Social Security where the Supreme Court has already ruled that Congress can change the rules and/or ignore the promise whenever it wants to.
When I put my money in the bank, I realize that a large share of it is invested in other things, but I trust the bank to invest in capital goods - like houses, cars, farm equipment, etc. - where I have a reasonable expectation of actually getting my money back. When I invest in a government bond the best I can hope for is that the need to manufacture money out of thin air when it comes time for the government to pony up won't have too big an impact on the rate of inflation.
Don't put your faith in the, for all practical purposes, non-existent Trust Fund. If you are still working do your damndest to be able to retire without Social Security because that is you best bet for financial freedom.
Money is a strange abstraction that everyone has agreed to go along with; at some point, I always come to that when the issue of "where to put the money "abstraction comes up. It just makes me wonder why we still do things this way. If someone is starving, they need food; it is bizarre that instead it becomes an issue of money; it's not logical and the two things are not actually connected. I realize that's not a political argument, but it's true nonetheless
More to the point, Peoplepower, it is you who are deluding yourself that the Social Security Trust Fund actually exists. Excess Social Security revenues are spent on the same day they are received. They are spent on tanks, jet aircraft, atom bombs, congressman's salaries, fuel for Air Force One, ... It's gone. Look at what I quoted to you - the money is indistinguishable from other general revenue. IT IS SPENT.
The fiction of the Social Security Trust Fund is akin to the following. Suppose you want to buy a new computer and it costs $1,000 so you have been saving $100/month to afford it. But eight months into it your water heater goes out and you need to a new one and it costs $800. So you take the savings to buy the water heater and you leave your self an IOU for the $800.
Do you actually still have $800 saved for the new computer? Two moths from now will you be able to pay cash for the machine? Is your IOU of any value?
The government "investing" in it's own Treasury Bonds, regardless of how fancy-dancy, is the same thing as described above. Basically it's meaningless. The only advantage that the government has over you when it writes itself an IOU is that when push comes to shove, the government can always manufacture money out of thin air - you can't do that. But that doesn't mean that the government's IOU is worth anything because it's not and never has been.
The Social Security Trust Fund has been a lie from day one. Both Republicans and Democrats have lied about it and continue to do so. Every p[resident from F.D.R. forward has lied about it. There ain't no such animal as a Social Security Trust Fund - it's fiction.
And here is the key point (quoting from the S.S.A. FAQ) "Tax income is deposited on a daily basis and is invested in "special-issue" securities. The cash exchanged for the securities goes into the general fund of the Treasury and is indistinguishable from other cash in the general fund." Or in other words, they are spent immediately. Consequently, in the final analysis, there ain't no Social Security Trust Fund, the money has been spent.
I would hate to have the security of my later years in the hands of Wall St. Yes, Social Security is insurance, not an investment, so that we don't starve and become homeless as we age. You're right, it is time for those with more to contribute; we have made them rich, we have paid into the kitty: It's their turn. Great Hub!
There ain't no such animal as a social security trust fund. It has all been "invested" in government bonds and the government has already spent the money.
Here's how it works: Suppose Social Security revenues come up 10 billion short this month. A Social Security employee takes a bond over to the Treasury department and redeems it for 10 billion. Since the Treasury is empty it has to borrow the 10 billion so the U.S. ends up another 10 billion in debt.
Suppose instead that there ain't no trust fund and Social Security is still short 10 billion for this month. The Treasury goes out and borrows 10 billion and hands it to the Social Security Administration which leaves the U.S. another 10 billion in debt.
Hard to see much of a difference between having a "Social Security Trust Fund" and not having one. Unless, that is, you think moving a piece of paper around between two buildings in Washington D.C. actually means something.
I found your hub to be very good and very much in line with the research I have done. I am 61 and unemployed. I plan to start drawing next year. Also, with the genetic traits of my family, it would not be wise to wait until 66.
I do not think Social Security is ever going away. It is the most sacred of all the political sacred cows that come before Congress. I do favor raising the limit on which Social Security Taxes or pair, or enacting a lower rate at some point to be paid on a person's entire earnings, after the regular threshold is met. This would add additional funds to the system.
Good up, voted up, interesting and useful.
Although this information is truthful it hurts our business. Many baby boomers are now going into business. They are making the right decision but for the wrong reason. Their belief there won't be money for their retirement in the social security system.
The truth is by going into business they will be assuring that there is enough. It is people paying into the program which keeps it solvent.
We don't agree with allowing social security being privatized. Our beliefs are let the people vote for a raise in the amount of deductions if that is what is necessary to keep social security intact and viable for the next generation. There is no company or corporation which will keep the needs of the people in forefront as well as the people themselves. Our government at times forgets it is "for the people by the people".
Thank you Mike for explaining the real state of Social Security. Have you not written this, I would have believed in what I always hear from politicians mouths.


text:
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text:
Tree of Witness
Imagine a lifetime of standing in silent witness to the full spectrum of behaviors of man and beast, from delightful to monstrous. What would it do to a human? What would it do to a tree? This incredible osage orange tree in New York City's Central Park has witnessed a lot. Colored pencil on Stonehenge paper.
Award for Oustanding Achievement, CPSA International Exhibition, 2019