Channman

Get in touch with me and I'll set up a tour for you and some friends that you maybe seeing while here at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. You will get the opportunity to see astronauts train underwater in the worlds largest indoor pool @ 6,200,000 gallons. Bring a camera and prof of US citizenship. Next time you find yourself this way and if your interested, we train pilots as well as skydivers in NASA's Altitude chamber. The training is free and is cord. thru the FAA. Learn what your Hypoxia symptoms are and experiance rapped decomp. at 25,000', cool stuff, but it is an all day class with an hour lunch. This training occurs once every month and is open to 16 students. There is an FAA form that needs to be filled out along with your Class III, II, I medical. If you have a beard you will be required to shave prior to training. Cheers

>...I was a contract W2 worker. Not wanting to beat a dead horse here, but does that mean you are self employed or from the word (was) at the time self employed? A self employed person can qualify for the Simple IRA which allows up to $10,000 of gross compensation to be invested taxed deferred. There is also the SOLO IRA which allows up to 40,000 taxed deferred investments if you meet a certain income level which I believe is $200,000 dollar income. (Family Run Business) A SEP plan allows tax defferals on adjusted net income to a maximum of $40,000.00. So you would have to have a net income after taxes of $200.000 dollars. The only down side is if you have employees you have to make contributions to their accounts which can be difficult for up start small businesses. So being self employeed or running a home business can be very good if your making the money, but far better than traditional IRAs if you are making an average income, because of your ability to withhold more. Pulled some of that out of memory, I'll check the facts to insure I'm not giving you any BS. Cheers

They, being the 70 year olds working in Walmart passing out carts, little old ladies working At Wendys picking up trays and cleaning tables i.e. having to work because SS and retirement income is not providing the basic living expenses. These are just two examples.

Safety and Guarantees, such as CD, Savings Accounts and placing large amounts of money into T-Bills exceeding 80% of ones assets is a path to poverty. One can not out pace inflation and taxes placing their money in such accounts. These accounts are fine for securing a portion of assets from loss but never for gaining financial independance. Got to go and get some lunch.

Wendy, I agree with much of what you have written, I was only pointing out what appears to be a shift. Corp. i.e. GM have gotten major concessions from the union to cut health benefits and restructuring retirement planning for their employees. United Airlines, Ford Motors....list goes on & on, corporation forfeiting their Pension programs for 401k accounts, state governments under funding there pension accounts. With people living longer and the likly hood of one spouse or the other needing some form of long term care or assist. living as you have mentioned will become a huge problem not only for families but the nation. It is therefore a need to educate those who can and are willing to make financial planning just as important as planning to go to the next boogie. But I do know alot of the average, I was one of them once. I've been in debt, financial hardship, stuggled to make ends meet. But someone shared a very basic concept with me in 1989 which over time has changed my life and that of my family. Debt free since 1996 except the morgage, which will be payed off in 2 years. It does'nt take alot of money to gain wealth, but it does take some planning and time. >Just because you don't actually know any of them doesn't mean they don't exist, or deserve to exist. I'm realy a very nice guy, not wishing to sound cold or heartless. Hope that sunroof is fixed. Cheers to ya

It is somewhat hard to understand individuals who work there intire lives giving 35 to 40 years into the work place and never saving more than 50,000 in an account. The averages are much worse. 95% of Americans find themselves either still working or financially unable to make ends meet at retirement. SS like it or not is going the way of the Pension programs in this country. The burden is being shifted more and more on to the individual to provide for their own needs as it was in the beginning. NOTE: That Kallend just whats to stir the pot with this thread.

IRA contributions are up to 4,000 per year and if you are over the age of 50, you can contribute 4,500.00 per year i.e. (Catch Up Provision). Same goes for a non working spouse. There for you could invest a total of 10,000. If you are self employeed or have a home based business you could start a Simple IRA plan, which would allow you to make contributions of a maximum of 10,000 of compensation per year. Even if you have a 401k plan with your current company that you contribute to you can still contribute to your Simple plan. Win Win

>The purpose of a society is to pool resources for the good of all. Nothing personnal, but that sounds like Karl Marks.

>Yeah...if you earn 100% return per day. Your response has nothing to do with a concept I was trying to convey. 31 days is a period of time, the penny was an amount vested with a compounding effect over that period of time. Most people think short term, give me the money now, but people of wealth leverage not only there time but their money. My point was people don't believe .01 cent could ever grow to 1,000,000.00 in just 31 days, therefore because they have a preconcieved idea they always take the 1,000,000.00, because sometimes they just don't want to listen, and because of that they forefit $10,737,418.24 Once again I'm not talking about a 100% return on your money every single day. (Hope I cleared that up for ya) There is not an individual here on DZ.Com given that there is well over 75 years of history in the market that shows that any individual willing to make well placed investments in Stock Mutual Funds would not have been far better off than waiting on their SS check in the mail. Hell starting at age 20 investing 25.00 per month to age 65 with a 10% rate of return would be mind numing for many.

Wendy, Hope that sun roof is coming along. I think Gravityman...hehehe and I are concerned that the fund managers of SS are doing just that mismanaging the funds. Americans have always given in time of need and will always continue to do so. Private Charitable operations have given well over a billion dollars to Katrina/Rita victims. SS in its current state is unsustainable and will have to be addressed now when we can do something about it or later when we can't. cheers

My point is once you show someone the power of waiting 31 days can bring you a return of more than 10 times the amount promised to you. We just need to show people how it works, then they have the power of knowledge to change their lives. But I do understand your point there will always be those that will be in need, but that does'nt mean we can't aleast try to make a difference by sharing some simple ideas.

I think you have to be pretty dumb not to at least try to understand how money works. If most Americans were given a choice of 1,000,000.00 tax free no question asked or the choice of .01 cent double every day for 31 days most would take the 1,000,000.00. As for me, give me the .01 cents doubled every day for 31 days hands down.

Wendy, Spoke to a friend of mine that knows a great deal about cars and repairing cars. (1) When operating the switch, do you hear anything at all. Does it sound like the motor is running, in a bind, humming. (2) Is the cable that drives the sunroof visible and if so, is it still attached to the gear driver that tracks the window back and forth. Possible the cable is broken or the gears that drives the window have slipped or stripped and would require replacing. (3) Usually there is a manual crank that may have come with the car that allows you to crank the window closed. It could possibly be located in the gloove compartment, or trunk with the tire tools. The crank location is usually located above an inspection cover, which you may have already removed and you can place the tool there and manually crank it in. I have not had luck on finding anything on the web. good luck

>I am equally confident that not 100% of American taxpayers could do the same thing. Hence the need for a safety net. I think most Americans given the opportunity with some education would be more than willing to invest their money. It does'nt take alot of effort to show someone that many Equity Mutual Funds have returned well over 12% over time. Take a position in the market and hold...great wealth can be made. Most Americans need to depend upon themselves for their future and not upon the government. A simple rule I learned was the rule of (72). It's just a simple rule to help someone understand how money can compound over time. If you recieve a 3% return on an investment, 72 div. 3 = 24 years for your money to double. A 10,000 investment by a 30 year old would compound to about 20,000 dollars by the time they reach 54. Therefore a 200.00 a month investment averaging 12% can grow to more than 1,000,000.00 in 30 years. Unfortunately over 7 trillion dollars of American's money is placed in accounts returning 3% or less. The Rich get Richer and the Poor get Poorer because the poor never take the time to understand how money works and how to make it work harder for them. Cheers

I hear they found that ball rolling down Preston Street in Dallas Texas early this morning. That dude was focused last night, could see it in his eyes he wanted to blast the hell out of that ball. I'm with you Sheri, should have walked him. Cheers

Anal sex? That does'nt have anything to do with someones butt i.e. ASS does it? All that friction, you might need a Tasty Poosy to cool off, and that not necessarily for drinking.

I spend alot of time at major airports due in part I like flying. Ever see a baggage handler handle your luggage. They take throwing to a new art level, not to mention dropping large items onto small items.

Yea Shari, you give him the talk. Eric you are way ahead of me since the last time we jumped together with Mike. I'm just going to have to focus on staying in tight, eye contact and trying not to take you or Shari out of the formation. If I ever find myself below, you can't miss me, I'm the dude shaking his butt at ya. Now ya get back to work and make some money. Cheers

Gawain, An old Biblical tale states that you should not cast your perils, before those that would simple trample upon them because they see no value in your words or your beliefs. And that is puting it alittle nicer than the scripture puts it. Not everybody agrees and certainly not our friends in Europe. There not the most pleasant people to hang around when your traveling when they find out your an AMERICAN!! But one thing is for sure Gawain, your place shall never be known with cold and timid souls who know nether victory or defeat. Appreciate your service.

Sinker, they have been doing that for well over 20 years now. Once had a girl friend that had an abortion several years prior to us dating. She at one time wished she could be the one that died because she was overwhelmed with guilt for making what she knows for herself was a selfish choice. That decision has haunted her for many year but I believe she has come to forgiving herself and being a mother to two beutiful girls now in there early teens.

I'll have them developed this evening and copies for you next weekend. Got my Tonysuit with them bumpinging pands on em to get some RW training. Sure due like that free flying but also like being in small to large groups in free fall as well. Hooking up with Mike next weekend for some coaching and that all important mile stone SCR. Be careful up there, them streets are slick. Cheers

Eric, truly was an awesome weekend, congrats on the 100th, not to far behind ya. Robert you dog got that SCR before me, need to get my bumpers on. Cheers

Well, i'll tell ya, I don't know what that marijuana is, but you bring it on over here and I'll drink it.

Sounds like the guy was country shopping a little like doctor shopping. I think he was hooked on the wacky weed, as well as the income it may have provided from time to time.

Don't know if they eat out much, but getting a table has to be hard.