September 4, 2012

Here's a picture of my 2012 prize-winning fair cake.

July 23, 2012

A money 'black hole': rich hide at least $21 trillion in tax havens, study shows

http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/23/12903523-a-money-black-hole-rich-hide-at-least-21-trillion-in-tax-havens-study-shows?

Thanks to lax international tax rules the world’s super rich have siphoned at least $21 trillion -- more than 50 percent larger than the entire U.S. economy -- into secretive tax-free havens, according to a study by UK campaign group Tax Justice Network.

The report by James Henry, a former economist at international consultancy McKinsey & Co., shows how with the help of private banks the money has flowed into countries such as Switzerland and the Cayman Islands.

The figure of $21 trillion in off-shore funds is conservative and the true sum could be as high as $32 trillion, Henry said.

According to the study, the world’s top 50 private banks managed more than $12.3 trillion in 2010 in off-shore financial assets, up from $7.5 trillion five years earlier.

May 20, 2012

One of the most heatbreaking pictures I've seen. From National Wildlife Federation.

The pain shows so clearly in the mother's face. She's mourning the death of her cub and is being comforted by another.
http://blog.nwf.org/2012/03/wildlife-photos-well-never-forget/

April 17, 2012

Ann Romney and me

Ann Romney is a year younger than I am and her eldest son, Matt, is a year younger than my son, Mike. She and Mitt were wed a year after my wedding in 1968. So, I guess, maybe I can compare my life to hers.

I had a full 4 year scholarship to OSU when as a freshman, I met my husband-to-be. We had absolutely nothing in common: he was an Air Force 'brat' and I was a Vietnam protester. When we decided to marry, there was a selective service draft going on, so I was the only one who could drop out of college and support us. It crushed my parents when I did so. Not having many marketable skills, I went to 'key-punch' school and got a job six weeks later. There was no stock trust handed over by either set of parents and I ended up with two jobs.

My husband was in a five year engineering program, and started doing poorly in 1970. About the time that I became pregnant (BC failure). After Mike was born and we had set up a hospital payment plan, OSU kicked my husband out with about 17 credit hours to go. He had spent 4 years in the AF ROTC program and when the draft board told him to appear for a physical, the Air Force said 'hands off, he's ours' and so he went off to Colorado. I got $110 a month for child support from the USAF. When he shipped out for Thailand, I filed for divorce. Mike was 10 months old.

So, by 1972, I was a single mother. With the help of my parents, I bought a small house at age 21 and my dad's co-signature on the loan. I found a wonderful woman down the street that took care of Mike for something like $25 a week. I moved up in my 'career' and became a computer operator and then a programmer. When my ex left the Air Force in 1975, child support stopped for the next 12 years.

In the 70's I marched against war and for the ERA. I joined NOW. And I lucked out and was hired by IBM Corporation in 1973. That probably put me, by income, in the top 20% of all single mothers. I never had to get public assistance. I can probably locate by 1040's from the mid to late 70's, and show you how I made something like $29,000 and paid 35% in federal taxes and had no child care deduction or anything.

Ann never worried about who was going to watch her sons. I used to take mine, asleep, and put him on the floor of the 'CE room' when I was called out in the middle of the night. I had no options as I had to do the exact same things as the 'guys' with the same job. Although, when I was hired in there was a 15% difference in salary for the men.

Ann never had to move her sons around the country to continue her employment. She never had to miss that lousy $110 a month.

April 6, 2012

Another fantasy cake. This is last one I have online.

April 6, 2012

Thought I'd post a picture of my 2011 Grand Champion cake.

I won the championship ribbon with this cake.

April 5, 2012

Here's a picture of the wedding cake I made in January.