Planting Trees and Saving Up for a Yard

SO, last year my husband bought some trees. They survived last winter, and this summer. In fact, we're surprised and pleased that they have survived in their buckets for more than a year. So the time has come to plant them.

My brother is down for a few days, and he is helping us. I am very excited about this because it means progress. Progress for the yard. We have our fence, and now I'm excited to get the rest of the yard put in.

But it will have to wait. We will be saving up all winter for this yard, and putting in a sprinkler system and grass next May or June.

So until then, I will have to be happy with my trees.

Bailout!

You know that most of what I've been writing about this week is the bailout. So here is a rundown of nearly all of it. Because I'm shameless that way:

Yielding Wealth looks at how the Treasury came up with the number $700 billion (it's scary, I promise!), my issues with President Bush's Wednesday night speech, Henry Paulson's power grab, and a rundown of links to places that address the bailout.

Personal Finance Corner offers two different opinions on the bailout: One looking at why the bailout might be necessary, and one examining that a depression may be just what the doctor ordered.

LoanShak and WorkShak didn't see much action on this one, but both have some postings: Questions many are asking about the bailout, and President Bush's less-than-inspiring speech on Wednesday, as well as a look at business credit in this climate.

Banks.com Mortgage blog and the Investing blog also saw a lot of bailout goodness:

1. Is now the time to buy a home?
2. Mortgage rates and the bailout.
3. Should homeowners be included in the bailout?
4. Bailout delay brings down stock market.
5. It's a stock market roller coaster ride, determined by the status of the bailout.
6. Statement shock will happen when you look at your retirement account.
7. Buybacks become popular on Wall Street.

Also, don't neglect some great commentary from PunditMom, My Two Dollars and Moolanomy.

Las Vegas: Then and Now

SO, this past weekend I went to Las Vegas for Blogworld. It was fun. I met some people. Got to see some bloggers I admire in person. And I learned a few things.

But what was most fun for me was seeing my college buddy Shanna.

And that got me thinking about what we used to do in Las Vegas. I've been to Vegas a lot. But when we were in college, we were all about being on the Strip. And doing things like visiting Coke World and riding gondolas at the Venetian and riding roller coasters and hanging out in the Luxor and the Excalibur. I liked going to the art exhibit at the Bellagio (and watching the fountains) and even sometimes dropping a quarter into the slots.

But the Strip didn't seem as interesting when I got to Vegas this time.

This go, it was all about the Las Vegas that exists off the Strip. Shanna took me to a great tapas place and to a Greek food festival. Yum!

So, in the end, I actually had a lot more fun off the Strip than on. But we did go to the TechSet party at the Bare lounge at the Mirage...

Our Financial Saviors: President Bush and Treasury Secretary Paulson

Here are two videos about addresses made this morning by President Bush and Treasury Secretary Paulson. Good times. Then read my take on President Bush's speech at Yielding Wealth (shameless plug, I know).

Shameless Self Promotion: Monday Mayhem Edition

One of my top three concerns for this election is the economy. And today I've got all sorts of reasons to be concerned. So I've been writing all about today's mayhem. Here's a round up of today's posts on the financial bloodbath:

1. CDSs are a big part of the problem. I write about them on LoanShak, Banks.com Investing blog and Yielding Wealth.
2. What do today's events mean for your personal finances? I explore some of the effects on the Personal Finance Corner.
3. Will continued economic pressure harm my freelancing business? My worries about just this thing on WorkShak.
4. On the Banks.com Mortgage blog, I explore what today's events may do in terms of affecting the mortgage market.
   

Tags: professional blogging, CDS, personal finances, freelancing,
business, mortgage market, investing

Thinking on 9/11

I've been writing a lot about 9/11 today on my other blogs. Mainly because it really is an important date, worthy of remembering. But I've been thinking about the anniversary of 9/11, and how long we will hold it in our memories. Some things that I think we should focus on regarding the anniversary of 9/11 include:

1. The compassion and humanity that Americans showed.
2. Feelings of national unity and pride.
3. The impetus to "do something" to help.
4. The hope that we had for the future.
5. Feelings of goodwill shared with other citizens of the world.

I also feel gratitude for those (including two of my friends and Josh's cousin -- heading back for tour #3) who serve this country in the military and whose families sacrifice so much on our behalf.

Unfortunately, nearly all of these things, which showed the best in America, have been largely squandered over the past few years. And for most people, September 11 is just a day like any other.

How long has the "day of infamy," December 7, 1941, remained in our collective psyche? Most people don't even remember to "never forget." And it appears that 9/11 is going that way as well.

Pearl Harbor and 9/11

I am struck by the differences between the response to Pearl Harbor and the response to 9/11. In both cases there was indignation and a call for action.

But in the case of Pearl Harbor, those in power used it as a reason to enter a war to stop atrocities from happening. It wasn't so much for revenge as it was the realization that even America -- separated from the rest of the world by oceans -- had a moral duty to stop atrocities.

9/11 has been used as a means for revenge. While a lot of potential good could have come by our intervention in Afghanistan, we left that job half done, all but abandoned the search for Osama bin Laden, and our leaders pointed us in the direction of a country that did not represent a threat and did not attack our country. And they used 9/11 as an excuse for a "pre-emptive" invasion.

Additionally, 9/11 has been used as an excuse to pass legislation (The U.S.A. Patriot Act) that restricts our freedoms and invades our privacy.

What are your feelings this anniversary of 9/11?

Election 2008: What's Important To Me (Part 3)

Periodically, I've been posting about what's important to me in this election:

1. Health care
2. Education
3. Economy

And I'm finally to economy. This one is obvious: It has to do with issues that affect my pocketbook everyday. This year, the economy is big news because it's struggling. Out of control inflation, crashes do to the excesses of a market with little oversight, and the list goes on.

Of course, health care represents part of the economy, as does energy policy. A reasonable approach to health care, as well as an energy policy that places more focus on alternative and renewable energy than on drilling, can be a great boost to the economy. Tax policy is another issue that needs to be addressed as part of the economy. Quite frankly, in all of these areas, I find John McCain decidedly lacking.

Another concern to many is the national debt. While plans from both presidential candidates will increase the deficit, it is interesting to note that right now the non-partisan Tax Policy Center estimates that John McCain's plans will cause a greater increase. By about $1 trillion. So McCain's policies (many of which are the very policies he derided back in the day when he actually was a maverick) will not only do little in terms of helping the economy, but will actually run up more debt than Barack Obama's policies.

Here are some thoughts on the economy and Barack Obama's policies:

• Barack Obama and the focus on renewable energy.
• Improving our infrastructure could improve the economy.
• Historical precedent may favor Obama's economic plan.
• Taxing the wealthy, contrary to popular myth, does not result in lower investment.
  

Tags: economy, taxes, renewable energy, Barack Obama,
John McCain, economic plan, health care

Shameless Self Promotion: No Politics!

Taking a break from the politics for a brief period to bring you shameless self-promotion.

1. Consider a bi-weekly mortgage payment. But watch out for the costs associated with payment services.
2. The case for reasoned decisions when deciding how much diversity your portfolio needs.
3. A refresher in the most basic concept in personal finances.
4. Addressing the issue of cash flow in your home business.
5. An answer to this burning question: What is shared equity finance?
6. Learn more about me by reading about the dumbest purchase I ever made.
   

I Don't CARE About Sarah Palin's Daughter. Let's Talk Issues.

I have two things in common with Sarah Palin:

1. We have similar anatomy.
2. We both enjoy fishing.
   

But I don't like how she's being treated. I'm really annoyed with the MSM (that's Main Stream Media) -- and even some of the other media out there. Why? Because we've been treated to story after story about Republican VP's motherhood and how that might affect her in her job should McCain win (and subsequently die in office).

Seriously. Men have children, too, and somehow they aren't plagued with questions about how distracted they'd be. Chances are, if the Palin family moved house to D.C., Mr. Palin would be the primary caregiver. It's sort of something Alaska's "First Dude" probably does to some extent anyway. Attacking Palin personal for things that we consider "women's issues" and whether her choices make her a "good" mother is downright sexist and annoying. We never talk about whether male candidates are "good" fathers.

I want to talk about the issues. I want to talk policy. What would Palin do? Ban books? Institute nationwide abstinence-only education? Open ANWR for drilling? Really cut earmarks? (Since Alaska has the most per capita, I'm not sure that she is really an earmark-cutting machine.)

But even if I wanted to, there's the flip side of the coin. Because Sarah Palin is not only the target of some rather sexist remarks, but she's being used in a rather sexist way.

Consider: If anyone does address a policy concern toward Palin, the Republican spinmasters cry "Sexist!" Any criticism of Palin is labelled "sexist," whether it is or not.

While Palin's family should be off limits (I mean, seriously, do her daughter's choices affect what sort of candidate she is?), her public policy record should be scrutinized. Asking about her energy policies and trying to get to the bottom of Trooper Gate is not sexist. It's what we'd do for any other candidate.

Tags: sexist, Sarah Palin, Election 2008, Republican,
issues, Palin pregnancy

Respected Independent Journalist Arrested at RNC

Amy Goodman goes down:



She was, claims her news agency, defending two producers. All three have been released by now. Two of the arrested (Abdet Kouddus and Nicole Salazar) have definite Mid-Eastern appearance and names. I wonder if this had anything to do with it.

Another concern, of course, is that protesters are being arrested for "conspiracy to riot." Does that mean anyone at a protest can be arrested on the same basis -- that they might riot?

Charges are still pending, and Democracy Now! reports on other arrests at the RNC:

During the demonstration in which the Democracy Now! team was arrested, law enforcement officers used pepper spray, rubber bullets, concussion grenades and excessive force against protesters and journalists. Several dozen demonstrators were also arrested during this action, including a photographer for the Associated Press.

So much for the fourth estate...

Tags: Amy Goodman, RNC, RNC arrests, Democracy Now,
freedom of press