Even before the environmental impact was a hot topic I have always thought the time, money, resources and energy needed to keep up a lawn was such a waste.  I am so glad to see we are coming to our senses on this frivolous extravagance.

Good for you Hillary!  I have been in that situation where men just act like you are not even there even though you hold a position of authority.  Put those guys in their place if they do not have the IQ to deal with you as a respected human being with a brain and responsibiity.

This is much needed information anda topic that needs to be more openly discussed.   I found working with a lawyer on a will to be much more involved, messy and painful than I wanted it to be.  I like the notorized hand written will.  I also need more ihnfo on putting assets into a trust. 

I love to give.  I wish I had more to give away.

I also felt that the government was behind these moves in the market - working with or through Goldman etc.  It helps their cause to be able to report an up day - even if it was government money deliberately moving the levels to keep it from going further into the toilet.  Other countries do this.  Is this why the Fed won’t let us see where their money is being used?

Ladies, this rally is based on the major companies that are getting money from the federal government at 0% interest.  Instead of loaning that money out to the little people and small businesses to jump start the economy- these big companies (i.e. Goldman Sachs) are using the 0% government money to trade in the stock market or to buy U.S. Treasuries to keep the bond prices high and keep the interest rates low - which benefits them.   Hence Goldman earns $3 billion in trading profit revenue.  I felt since last March that Goldman was ging into the market at the close of the day and manipulating the prices.  Volume is so low in the market that it is easy for some company the size of Goldman to move the market and reap gains and cause the "closing levels" to end up although all during the day it had been a down trend.  All that is reported on is the ending levels the real underlying trend happening during the day is ignored and no one says the market gained all of its advance in the last 15 minutes before the close.  

I just do not see the reasons to justify the rally.  This economy is really bad- maybe I am tainted because I live in Michigan.  With such high unemployment, it will go higher even if it slows each month- the trend is up for unemployment (i.e. at 100% unemployment there is no one left to lay off - so is that reason to celebrate an improved economy?- Eventually you  run out of people to lay off and you are left with an old mining ghost town you can visit out west). 

Until people have jobs, the mood and money are down.  In this recession - this horrible recession- I do not believe you can say unemployment is a "lagging indicator" as it usually is in other downturns.   Unlike the other smaller recessions in our past - we are on life support in this one and only once the patient becomes conscious and breathing on their own can you say we are on the mend — and that means jobs are increasing.      We are a global economy, we have been losing jobs overseas - and this recession was going to hit eventually even without the banking crisis because as this country loses jobs, we lose buying power, tax revenue, etc and the whole downward cycle is real and irreversible anytime soon.  No jobs leads to poverty. 

Investors putting their money in foreign markets I can understand - but investing in U.S. stocks at this time- I do not get.  This rally is nothing more than another one of our mob mentality greed bubbles like tech & housing - based on thin air - jump in without a parachute.  Yes- I too lost money in the 2008 market crash.  I do believe it isn’t through crashing - though this bubble may take it and others on a thrill ride only for another great let down.

Wake up people and use common sense - employment is not a lagging indicator in this scenario.  Wen are not the exporter country we used to be.  It isn’t overseas demand for the stuff we no longer manufacture that will spur on factories and businesses and then lead to hiring the unemployed.  We are an importer nation - not an exporter.  Only increasing jobs here in the US will spur on a real economy improvement.  Any business earning improvements we see to make the stock market rally (once we get past the lay-off cost cutting routine) will be revenue these global countries are making from their overseas operations.   U.S. citizens unless you are a CEO in one of these global companies will be left in the dust.  The banking crisis just accelerated this inevitable ending for the path we were already going down.

Recent events have thrown my plans and actions to attain my goals for a loop.  I am now adrift searching for what my contribution and life should be.

Deber, yes ego and inexperience do go hand in hand.  That ego issue was a major obstacle in my old boss as well.  Recipe for disaster.

Frannie- you make a lot of sense.  And it is scary that Obama does not know the facts.  Your assessment of his role I am afraid is right on the mark.

Obama said during the campaign that he was a delegater and forgets where he places things.  There are way too many things he is flinging out to the wind with arbitrary and unrealistic deadlines.  (Another thing my old boss did.)  Gosh it was awful working for someone like this.  Wonder if the whitehouse team is getting fed up, burned out and confused?  I notice the people answering the whitehouse contact lines are now surly - they were pleasant and compassionate when Obama first got in there.  Substance and follow through can never be replaced in the long run by charisma, youth and IQ.

Frannie and Deber, more and more I see Obama not able to get into the details.  I once worked for a guy like this- caused such chaos and had no knowledge of the turmoil his decisions where creating because he did not have the background knowledge and just issued strawman edicts.  His shoot from the hip decisions conflicted with ones he made before (which he forgot he made) This boss had way too many reactionary decisions because he was scared of his position, unqualified, lacked ground up experience to understand what would be entailed to implement even one of his edicts and had no knowledge of how one decision would affect the others.  Anyway it was the worst work experience I ever had- complete confusion, chaos and tension.  Eventually he was removed after extensive turnover, expensive EXPENSIVE mistakes.  But before the realization of the mess he was creating he was touted as "great".  There is usually a good 6-12 month lag time once a decision reaps results.  I just see Obama repeating the same mode of operation as my old disastrous boss.  

That is so funny!

I waited 10 years before having kids- to get my MBA and get my career off the ground.  Then when I had my first baby, although I planned to work & have kids, I couldn’t find child care I was happy with so I had my second son close to my first and took off to raise them.  The best BEST decision I have made in my life.  I would never trade those years with my boys for anything and it gave them a solid foundation.  When I went back to work I skyrocketed so it was not a loss.  And the reduction of income (50%) while I was at home was not bad at all- it costs a lot to work: clothes, services you hire out since you don’t have the time when working, less eating out, less gas. 

Nawww. These aren’t mine!  There’s a kindergarten class next door.