Yeah, I went to bed. I want to stay there all day, but no.

So people, WRT retirement plans. Do not rely on what your company has set up, have stuff on your own. Like have more money going to your private IRAs and such.

My grandmother worked for Converse for a gajillion years, in a hot factory, all day long--had a heart attack there. Her pension was $33.00 per month. It makes me sick when they talk about messing with Social Security.

Hey, Vortex, when you come around, Gnarls Barkley has a video for Gone Daddy Gone. [link] It's craxy.

Yeah, when I went to the 401K guy here, he started talking about the pension plan that this place has, and I was like, yeah, I'm not counting on that at all. If it happens, great, I'll go on holiday with that money or give it to charity. Not counting on anyone other than myself.

We're lucky, though, because we know that now. Folks like your dad were suckered because they were told the lie, and felt confident enough to count on it. I'm so sorry. I hope that it was an error, or a temporary thing, or something. Ugh.

Do not rely on what your company has set up, have stuff on your own. Like have more money going to your private IRAs and such.

You mean above and beyond "normal" 401K plans? I thought that money was independent of your company once it had been deposited, and then it was just a fund issue, something you should watch in case the returns start showing a disturbing trend--but that it's the market you're worried about not just your (previous) employer.

Hmm. It seems I was really eager to get out of bed, because the last hour/half hour of time spent there was restless. Yet this is not translating into get-up-and-go, nor va-va-va-voom. Sitting up seems to be enough.

No, the 401k is what you think it is, ita. Not that it's a bad thing to have other accounts as well, if you're able to contribute more than what the 401k allows.

401K's are meant to replace the classic pension. Workers used to labor for a company for 40 years, and get a company funded pension. However, some companies decided that to play a shell game with their books, and legally did so, thanks to congress. They underfunded their pension plans and when the time came to pay out the money to their retirees, they found the money wasn't there.

Time magazine's cover story from last year detailed the abuses and shocking stories. Let's not forget to divide the blame equally between greedy companies and compliant congressmen/women.

Breaking news on MSN is that Rep. Mark Foley is joining representative Bob Ney in alcohol rehab. Apparently, alcholism is the root cause for political corruption and pedophelia (at least according to the GOP).

I slept in yesterday, and then totally could not get to sleep last night.

Yeah, that's what usually happens to me on Sunday night, but even then I can usually fall asleep 12-ish. I was up til 2 last night! Seriously, if you see me around here at 10 eastern tonight, make me go to bed.

Apparently, alcholism is the root cause for political corruption and pedophelia (at least according to the GOP).

Oh, he was drunk? Well, that makes everything OK. You know how people get when they're drunk!

So, was everybody drunk when they recinded habeas corpus? Because that's what makes me sick. At this point I think we are actually a police state. The only thing remaining is to make it so.

Sean! I talked to my best friend (she's the COO of our local organ-donation bank) over the weekend, and she said that S. is in the best possible place, geographically, because California is so freaking big that there are 1-2 liver transplants a day throughout the state. When I explained S.'s situation, my friend was pretty confident that she'll get a transplant.

Obviously that's no kind of guarantee for S., but my best friend has been working in organ donation for 6-7 years, and she *really* knows her shit.

(Also, I'll delete this post if you don't want this info spread far and wide. Just say the word.)