Money Matters - Part 10

nothing surprises me anymore

did you know that part of the bailout $ that GMC received was used to build a factory in Mexico?
why wasn't it a requirement that the $ had to be used in THIS country?

LOTS of bailout money, TARP money and Federal Reserve loans went overseas.

What? No honor among thieves?

Another 'green' ripoff. An electric car co. that got 120 million in stimulus $ went bankrupt. The VP visited them and touted their success.

GDP number this AM was another disappointment.

Who was that Victor - Bright Automotive?

No - Ener1.

WH aides owe close to a million in back taxes. Nice example to set. Only thing worse would be to have a treasury secretary who didn't pay his taxes. Oh wait...

Anyone looking for a job downhere, the newly remodelled world class shop rite is hiring

World class???

Yeah, there are these GINORMOUS grocery stores, the deli section is phenominal!!!

Yes, mine is huge.

GREAT>.....................Best, Worst States for Business, Tax-wise

A just-released ranking of states by their “tax-friendliness” to business finds Wyoming the most-friendly and New Jersey the least.

Surprised you 'beat' NY!

UGH and hubby is the one that wanted to stay here

Where did you want to go?? Wyoming? ^_^

that actually would be nice

I did fall in love with NH but hubby hates snow, we were looking into moving to PA other side of the Susquehanna River but I also LOVE VA, the mountain side

I love mts. The west is gorgeous but that's a big move and we would never do it as long as parents are still around. My sis and BIL are moving to PA in the spring. Near Hawley in the Poconos. No tax on pension in PA.

have to watch areas around the Poconos though, if not used to paying for garbage removal and weird fees like that they may be shocked....

They have had the house for some time already. Use it as a summer retreat.

ah

any experienced arborists looking for a job?
Requisition Number 1200033
Job Title Arborist I
Department Landscape Grounds Shop - 738
Position Summary Princeton University maintains the finest and most diverse collection of trees and plants in central New Jersey, one of the finest of any college in the United States. The arborist, working with a crew leader and occasional helper, and based on an in-depth knowledge and understanding of a wide range of diverse trees and plants, including specimen materials, has a primary responsibility for assuring the well being of these plantings

DREAM JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!! Does it pay any more than minimum wage?


DIY Pennies Countertop. You mgiht as wll, they aren't much use otherwise!
http://makeprojects.com/Project/Install-a-Penny-Countertop/85/1

def MORE than minimum wage, but doesn't say

Must possess NJ DOT/CDL license
The ability to lift 75 lbs. over 4' high
Must have physical dexterity and stamina required for the performance of tree maintenance duties, including the ability to climb and work in trees over 100' high.
The ability to endure all weather conditions
Will be required to bend, kneel, stand for long periods, stoop, climb stairs, ladders and trees on a daily basis.
Will be required to handle and use toxic and or hazardous lawn and tree chemicals occasionally.
Will be required to work in an area of light to heavy noise levels daily.
Must be able to work with power equipment having moderate to high levels of vibrations daily.
Will be required to work with or around dangerous equipment daily. (ie. Chain saws, chippers, vegetation processor, etc)
Will be required to work in hot or cold weather daily

Long commute for me!

had a store manager that worked in the Queens store and lived in Yardley, PA....drove into Princeton train station and took the train in everyday

Sounds too much like my newspaper route! Hey, Victor, you could always "occupy" one of those 100' tall specimin trees and just go home on the weekends!

Many arborists from around the world were unable to save our Liberty tree here. Note the connection of that tree to the newspaper I deliver daily in short blurb below:

"Liberty Tree, St. John's College, AnnapolisThe idea of Liberty embodied in a living tree comes from Boston in 1765, when the Sons of Liberty chose a stately elm under which to voice their opposition to the Stamp Act, a British imposed tax on newspapers and official documents. They also commissioned Paul Revere to design a medal that each member wore that bore the image and the caption "Liberty Tree." Led in Maryland by the prominent attorney Daniel Dulany who wrote a persuasive pamphlet on the evils of the tax, and by Jonas Green the publisher of the Maryland Gazette, the colonists burned the tax collector in effigy on a gallows erected near the Liberty Tree on what is today St. John's College campus, and tore down his office. The tax, which was to paid on all public documents and newspapers, led Jonas Green to publish his paper as a supplement to the last issue before the tax was imposed, thus technically avoiding the tax.

The Liberty Tree at St. John's College was the last surviving Liberty Tree in the United States. The tree served as an integral part of the campus and commencement exercises had been held under the Liberty Tree since the 1920s. On September 16, 1999, the tree was seriously damaged during Hurricane Floyd. Consultants examining the tree found that the tree was dangerous in its current condition and could not be saved through traditional methods such as bracing or wiring. On October 25, 1999, workmen began removing the tree after a memorial ceremony. A descendant of the Liberty Tree, planted in 1889, stands in front of the college library. The Maryland Commission for Celebration 2000 arranged for cuttings to be taken from the tree and cloning experiments are underway at the University of Maryland."

Yes that would be a more than min job, with the hazards and physical part. They forgot.
Will be required to work where hundreds of lovely coeds can be gazed at every day on campus.

ST John's still has some very impressive trees though, doesn't it? One of the nice things about old college campuses, and thats the oldest here?


I recently applied for a different position, county gov., which does not require any college, and I hear the applicant pool was noticeabley more 'overqualified' than usual for this job..For 11 something an hour, flex/ on call, no guaranteed hours after the training, a rough guess by the people hiring of about 450 hours per year.

Yet another one. Six million is taxpayer money and they are now cutting 2/3 of the workforce. Third company in less than one week.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/jan/25/some-200-laid-north-las-vegas-amonix-solar-plant/

Well, I decided to open that account with Perk Street Financial where I can earn cash back on my debit purchases. Kind of a pain to get it going, but finally got it done. There are a lot of steps, signature card to fax or send in, verification of bank account, waiting for debit card, waiting for bank transfers to be complete, etc. A lot of it's for security purposes, and it's good to know they take security seriously. I have finally started using my new debit card.

My sister's boyfriend got laid off from his job a couple days ago. He worked at Ocean State Job lot. Others there got laid off as well, and many long time workers had hours cut way back. Tough times.

I think anything US should be made in the USA.

Sally, I love the penny counter top. I saw a bench once made out of pennies. Really cool!

So sad about that Liberty Tree.

Karen

I wanted my DS to have some understanding of whats going on financially, especially since he's taking "politics and government" for senior social studies. So we saw the movie "Inside Job" that they had at the library. Pretty good at explaining how deregulation occurred, how the fed was complicit, and the disaster that befell us all with thecollapse of the derivitives market -- few people admitted they understood it at the time.

It's sad to us that he's the kind of kid who would master a 1000 page document, but he can't get good grades because he won't just repeat the teacher's opinions. Something is wrong if independent thinking is so punished in all areas. Government has reached deeply into the classroom with high stakes testing affecting the teachers' thought process instead of focusing on critical reasoning. DS did great on the actual tests, but I don't think the teachers or the kids in the classrooms have been able to shift between too many demands upon them.

Yes, that is ridiculous, Rose. Isn't that what we want them to do??

Yep. That's what I always thought, too. Earth science class had the kids going around and replacing all the incadescent bulbs, but didn't teach them anything about new requirements for recycling because of the mercury in the new bulbs, and so on. So we couldn't put DS into any honors science classes because he'd want things fully examined. He did write a neat letter to the town buildings supervisor about why installing a heat exchanger will be a cost-effective energy-saver in all the new elementary schools, and he got a nice thank you letter back saying they were looking into it. We just have to hope some engineering college will see it our way too because this thoughtfulness isn't reflected in grades.

He sounds like engineering material to me! Have you considered my alma mater, Manhattan College? Very good engineering school.

Not yet. But if we're not happy with the closer ones, we're looking farther away for next year or second semester. He likes having his dad around so they can make mischief together.

Years ago my DH occupied the letter section of the IEEE journal for many months because of the 'Frito Effect' -- the shift in the image you see when you look at an LED light while munching a Frito. You can imagine how long it took the editors to settle down that flood of mail.

Rosemary, do they have "mentors" or "independent studies" ? MIT is offering a number of its classes on line and free through open course ware.

http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm

Thanks for the idea, Cole. I'll keep it in mind. Maybe he can do this later. Has to focus on the schoolwork and grades above all else for now. He even dropped some activities, including orchestra, where he played well. So many compromises are needed to look good for the colleges.

Dorming is so much more $$ too.

$50K dropped in one hopping spree in one lingerie store.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9048122/Agent-Provocateur-sales-boosted-by-US-First-Lady-Michelle-Obama.html

I think I might have a hopping spree, too.

Rosemary, can't the Advanced Placement Test sbe taken by anyone or does one have to take the course, too? Sounds like you have a critical thinker in your son. Wonder how he would problem solve this one removed an iota or two from the perceived demands to look good or have "curb appeal"