the government passed a new law that requires our company's retirement plan to be handled by an administrator. at first, this was only moderately annoying. although i am not a huge fan of vanguard, it allowed me to handle everything online and i could make changes to my contributions and portfolio whenever i wanted. and it offered a few sri options (socially responsible investing, penny nickel describes it well here). the sri fund i chose was not ideal (more on that later) but it was better than nothing. plus, it was cheap because they let me manage it myself. so i was content.
well, this past week we had to enroll with the standard, our new plan administrator. we can still do it online, but i think that is the norm for this type of thing now. they gave us a list of 15 available funds plus target retirement funds (where it diversifies based on your target retirement year). i know that everyone has different goals, but one of the most important things to me is what companies/industries my money is invested in. yes, i'd like a decent rate of return. but i would rather earn a few % less and feel good about what my money is doing. so as i am considering each of the funds, i look at the objective and the fund's top 10 holdings. and what do i find? every single fund offered has at least 2-3 of the following as their 10 ten holdings: wal-mart, proctor & gamble, exxonmobin, phillip morris, johnson & johnson, mcdonalds, and ge. and the other holding companies aren't much better, i only listed some of the most bothersome.
i contacted the standard, and they said while they have sri funds available, my company did not choose any as options for our retirement plan. they were unable to give me details on the financial cost associated with having one of these sri funds available, and advised me to contact our human resources department. considering i work at a fairly liberal nonprofit, i thought that i may get some support from the administration. i spoke with our ceo about my concerns about having no sri options. he said he understood my dilemma, but that he had already spent extra money ensuring we had more than 6 funds to choose from and he didn't think he could justify spending more money on our retirement fund. i asked him if he knew how much it would cost, but he said no. i approached our human resources department and explained my interest in sri. she said she would look into it. but based on my ceo's response, it doesn't sound promising.
so as of now, i have not signed up with the new retirement plan. well, i have signed up, but am not contributing any money. if i contribute at least 1% of my salary, my company will contribute 5%. i can't in good conscience support these companies through my investment dollars, but am i really willing to give up free money? in addition to looking at adding an sri fund to our retirement options, i have contacted the standard to see how often i would be able to roll money from their account to an ira without a fee. but so far it isn't an option.
i am so frustrated.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
not a solution to homelessness, but...
homelessness is a serious problem in this country. well, the world actually but i'm just focusing on the united states in this moment. no one really has a good solution. we need substantial reform and government support in areas of low-income housing, educational and vocational training funding, psychiatric care, and other resources. even before the current state of our economy, one of the largest problems is that it was extremely difficult to get (and keep) a job if you were homeless.
think about it. for one, you don't have an address at which to include on applications or receive mail. this is a larger difficulty that people realize. also, you likely have little access to facilities and resources to present an appropriate appearance. clean hair cut, clean and pressed clothes, decent shoes, clean fingernails. imagine how difficult this must be when you do not have a place to call home. there are various agencies and charities that work with the homeless to try and alleviate some of these problems by providing a mailing address, access to showers, donating clothes for interviewing, etc. but not only are they unable to provide assistance to all those in need, this only helps with the first step -- getting a job.
now that you have a job, the hard part is over right? what types of things do you have to do to keep your job? you have to arrive at your shift on time, every day. you have to be clean, showered, and dressed appropriately. you have to have a stable enough personal life that allows you to focus on your job and do it well. imagine how difficult it would be to keep your job as a person who is homeless. you would need a place to shower every morning before work. you would have to have access to more than one set of work clothes. (what response could you expect from your job if you came in the same outfit each day even if it was washed before each shift? obviously, this does not apply to many people in the service industry or other positions in which a uniform is required. but you get what i'm saying). so even if you are lucky enough to have access to a shelter or a friend to use their shower and store your clothes, you have to get to work on time and stay focused enough to do your job. if i were homeless and did not know where i was sleeping that night or if i would be safe in the place i was sleeping, i would have trouble doing my job well. and though not as vital, imagine getting to know your coworkers on your new job site and answering the "where do you live?" questions.
so what made me start thinking about this tonight? i saw this post by derek about a personal mobile shelter designed for those who are homeless to protect them from the weather, provide them with privacy, and as a storage solution for their possessions and a way to collect recyclables. the mobile shelter is through edar (everyone deserves a roof). it's a very interesting charity which supplies the units and provides an edar community which they describe as
and on a sad note, i saw this post about a drop in shelter in new jersey that was evicted by the first reformed church. the wall street journal reports it was because the shelter director served food to the people who attended christmas dinner rather than leading them in sermon and carols first, as requested by the church officials. does someone need to remind the church that being homeless isn't a sin?
think about it. for one, you don't have an address at which to include on applications or receive mail. this is a larger difficulty that people realize. also, you likely have little access to facilities and resources to present an appropriate appearance. clean hair cut, clean and pressed clothes, decent shoes, clean fingernails. imagine how difficult this must be when you do not have a place to call home. there are various agencies and charities that work with the homeless to try and alleviate some of these problems by providing a mailing address, access to showers, donating clothes for interviewing, etc. but not only are they unable to provide assistance to all those in need, this only helps with the first step -- getting a job.
now that you have a job, the hard part is over right? what types of things do you have to do to keep your job? you have to arrive at your shift on time, every day. you have to be clean, showered, and dressed appropriately. you have to have a stable enough personal life that allows you to focus on your job and do it well. imagine how difficult it would be to keep your job as a person who is homeless. you would need a place to shower every morning before work. you would have to have access to more than one set of work clothes. (what response could you expect from your job if you came in the same outfit each day even if it was washed before each shift? obviously, this does not apply to many people in the service industry or other positions in which a uniform is required. but you get what i'm saying). so even if you are lucky enough to have access to a shelter or a friend to use their shower and store your clothes, you have to get to work on time and stay focused enough to do your job. if i were homeless and did not know where i was sleeping that night or if i would be safe in the place i was sleeping, i would have trouble doing my job well. and though not as vital, imagine getting to know your coworkers on your new job site and answering the "where do you live?" questions.
so what made me start thinking about this tonight? i saw this post by derek about a personal mobile shelter designed for those who are homeless to protect them from the weather, provide them with privacy, and as a storage solution for their possessions and a way to collect recyclables. the mobile shelter is through edar (everyone deserves a roof). it's a very interesting charity which supplies the units and provides an edar community which they describe as
Five to ten EDAR's are used as modular components of a pod grouping, creating a community effect on land provided by a local authority or other entity which wishes to move homeless people away from random locations and towards a facility where bathrooms and other necessities are added at minimal cost. Cities own many pieces of scrap land which go to waste. Similar to the Dome Village in downtown Los Angeles, the local authority provides unused land, so that EDAR can be used as the ready-made basis of a small community, having positive security, hygiene and social services for the homeless.
and on a sad note, i saw this post about a drop in shelter in new jersey that was evicted by the first reformed church. the wall street journal reports it was because the shelter director served food to the people who attended christmas dinner rather than leading them in sermon and carols first, as requested by the church officials. does someone need to remind the church that being homeless isn't a sin?
Saturday, January 3, 2009
an interesting recap on sex education
only partway through this wonderful blog post about sex. greta christina is posting what she learned about sex in 2008 and my favorite so far has got to be
i know its only a recap, but it made me want to start reading the blowfish blog.
I learned that there’s a culture clash about sex in America, between a younger generation that thinks things like a history as a stripper are no big deal . . . and an older generation that’s freaking the fuck out about the fact that the younger generation isn’t properly ashamed of this stuff.
i know its only a recap, but it made me want to start reading the blowfish blog.
top ten list
have been playing around with stumbleupon for the first time this evening. found an interesting top ten list on evilbible.com
humorous and although it is fairly crude and generalizes a lot - it is talking about fundamentalists specifically.
i would imagine there have been other versions of this done as well. while i like humor, i wonder if there is one done that christians may be more likely to read think about and respond to?
Top Ten Signs You're a Fundamentalist Christian
10 - You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of yours.
9 - You feel insulted and "dehumanized" when scientists say that people evolved from other life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt.
8 - You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a Triune God.
7 - Your face turns purple when you hear of the "atrocities" attributed to Allah, but you don't even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in "Exodus" and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in "Joshua" including women, children, and trees!
6 - You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem believing that the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.
5 - You are willing to spend your life looking for little loopholes in the scientifically established age of Earth (few billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by Bronze Age tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that Earth is a few generations old.
4 - You believe that the entire population of this planet with the exception of those who share your beliefs -- though excluding those in all rival sects - will spend Eternity in an infinite Hell of Suffering. And yet consider your religion the most "tolerant" and "loving."
3 - While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the floor speaking in "tongues" may be all the evidence you need to "prove" Christianity.
2 - You define 0.01% as a "high success rate" when it comes to answered prayers. You consider that to be evidence that prayer works. And you think that the remaining 99.99% FAILURE was simply the will of God.
1 - You actually know a lot less than many atheists and agnostics do about the Bible, Christianity, and church history - but still call yourself a Christian.
humorous and although it is fairly crude and generalizes a lot - it is talking about fundamentalists specifically.
i would imagine there have been other versions of this done as well. while i like humor, i wonder if there is one done that christians may be more likely to read think about and respond to?
Thursday, January 1, 2009
save the children
finally! it took over a decade.
the national school lunch program feeds approximately 30 million students each day. the usda requested the institute of medicine convene a committee to review the appropriate nutritional guidelines. the institute of medicine reports
the first phase of the report was released in mid december 2008. you can download the report for free (though they require you to enter your email address to do so). i warn you - it is 193 pages and phase 1 simply identifies how the committee is going to determine the nutrition standards for the national school breakfast and lunch programs. they are, however, requesting public comments on their approach outlined in phase 1 via email until Jan 31 2009. the final committee meeting will be help jan 28 2009 in washington dc. it appears that the final report with recommended guidelines will not be released until late 2009 or 2010. does it really take that long? anyways.
i am fairly skeptical about this report, as it is being funded by the usda and i do not think they can be trusted. they receive too much money from various lobbyists and interest groups and much of their guidelines have been established in controversy (read diet for a dead planet by christopher cook). but, i am trying to be hopeful.
the national school lunch program feeds approximately 30 million students each day. the usda requested the institute of medicine convene a committee to review the appropriate nutritional guidelines. the institute of medicine reports
The recommendations are to reflect new developments in nutrition science, increase the availability of key food groups in the school meal programs, and allow these programs to better meet the nutritional needs of children, foster healthy eating habits, and safeguard children’s health.
the first phase of the report was released in mid december 2008. you can download the report for free (though they require you to enter your email address to do so). i warn you - it is 193 pages and phase 1 simply identifies how the committee is going to determine the nutrition standards for the national school breakfast and lunch programs. they are, however, requesting public comments on their approach outlined in phase 1 via email until Jan 31 2009. the final committee meeting will be help jan 28 2009 in washington dc. it appears that the final report with recommended guidelines will not be released until late 2009 or 2010. does it really take that long? anyways.
i am fairly skeptical about this report, as it is being funded by the usda and i do not think they can be trusted. they receive too much money from various lobbyists and interest groups and much of their guidelines have been established in controversy (read diet for a dead planet by christopher cook). but, i am trying to be hopeful.
Monday, December 29, 2008
why would anyone want to read what i have to say?
why would anyone want to read what i have to say?
maybe they wouldn't. but some of the things that i know - i believe if other people knew - they would change. change their behavior, their attitude, their opinions, their decisions.
i am blogging in an effort to learn more about these issues, and hopefully educate others in the process.
although i would like to think i am fairly knowledgable, i know that there is much i do not know and times that i am wrong. that is why i appreciate feedback and encourage discussion. and i realize i post in all lower case, so no reason to bitch about it.
maybe they wouldn't. but some of the things that i know - i believe if other people knew - they would change. change their behavior, their attitude, their opinions, their decisions.
i am blogging in an effort to learn more about these issues, and hopefully educate others in the process.
although i would like to think i am fairly knowledgable, i know that there is much i do not know and times that i am wrong. that is why i appreciate feedback and encourage discussion. and i realize i post in all lower case, so no reason to bitch about it.
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