So….Cat Got Your Tongue?
Posted by Michelle Moquin on February 4th, 2009
Lots of comments yesterday bitching me out…lots of undies in a bundle…And this morning? Too ashamed to say anything? Hmm…seems most of you are at a loss for words. Well ya know what? Me too. Not much left to say that I didn’t say yesterday.
It’s too bad that so many of you were so wrapped up in your emotions that I’m sure it left little time for you to enjoy your day. Not me – I had a lovely morning walking along the beach in the marina and enjoying good conversation with my best friend.
But I have to admit I had a helluva afternoon. Too much to get into this morning, but I promise you, soon I will be blogging about it. Remember when I said that I had an issue the other day at work and I wasn’t going in until it was resolved? Well, it finally came to fruition and I am no longer working. Quit the PT job and I have an appointment to see my lawyer. And I’m going to be seeking your help too. I got screwed and if there are any of you out there associated with this particular company and the same thing happened to you, I want to hear about it. That’s all I’ll say now but stay tuned, I have much more to say.
Oh…by the way, I do appreciate those of you that did apologize yesterday. Yes, we are a work in progress. But hey that’s what life is about. Let’s continue to grow and learn together….and yes, a genuine camaraderie would be nice too.
So…Are we in harmony now?….I’d like to think we all learned something about yesterday. Let’s make today better than yesterday okay? You know my motto…so go out and ‘live it & give it’.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor
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February 4th, 2009 at 9:45 am
A Poorly Written Will Can Bring Turmoil and Heartache to Your Loved Ones — and Cost Your Heirs Lots of Money. How to Avoid the Biggest Mistakes…
Alexander A. Bove, Jr., Esq.
Bove & Langa PC
he number of Americans who die without wills is estimated to be as high as 70%. And many people who do have wills have set them up improperly… allowed them to become outdated… have even forgotten exactly what they say.
Don’t make the following common mistakes…
Not having a will. If you die without a will, you die “intestate” and your assets will be distributed under state law. Generally, your state’s intestacy law will not produce the results you would like.
Example: Some states require that 50% of a decedent’s assets go to a surviving spouse and the other 50% to the children. Even if there are no children, 50% might go to next of kin such as parents or siblings.
This may deprive your surviving spouse of needed wealth.
Caution: You might think that your assets will bypass probate (the legal process in which a court oversees the distribution of a decedent’s property) if you die without a will, but that’s not true. There are many ways to avoid probate (see below), but failing to execute a will is not among them.
Thinking your will alone is enough. Assets that pass to heirs through your will must go through probate of your estate. Probate can be costly because of legal fees, adversarial because a will can be contested and time consuming because a court must oversee the process.
In addition, using a will as your entire estate plan may not provide adequate estate tax-planning opportunities.
Strategy: A will should be only one component of a comprehensive estate plan. Other components might include various trusts. Assets placed in trust during your lifetime can pass to others under the terms of the trust without going through probate.
Many types of trusts can offer estate tax reduction. A “bypass” trust, for example, may allow you to provide for a surviving spouse yet avoid estate tax on trust assets at the death of both spouses. Current federal estate tax law provides for a $2 million exemption, so anyone with $2 million-plus of assets should consider this strategy.
Also needed: Besides a will and trusts, other elements of an estate plan might include powers of attorney (to handle assets without going through probate), life insurance trusts (to make their proceeds estate tax free), health care proxies and end-of-life directives.
A health care proxy allows you to name someone who’ll make decisions about your medical treatment if you become unable to make those decisions… end-of-life directives indicate whether you want to be kept alive by medical life-support systems in case of a terminal illness.
Creating your own will. You can find “do-it-yourself” kits for writing your own will on-line and in bookstores. Executing your own will is promoted as a cost-saver because you’ll avoid legal fees.
Reality: Your will is one of the most important documents you’ll ever sign. Such a crucial document should be drafted by an experienced attorney so your heirs will avoid problems after your death. Legal fees need not be excessive — you might pay up to $3,500 for an entire estate plan, including a will.
Believing your will covers all of your assets. Suppose you have a $1 million IRA, which you would like your two children to inherit. This desire may be expressed in your will, but such a bequest will be irrelevant.
An IRA will pass to a designated beneficiary, the person you name in IRA documents, no matter what it says in your will. The same is true for other retirement accounts, annuities, life insurance policies, transfer-on-death or payable-on-death accounts, and assets transferred into a trust.
In addition, property that is held jointly with right of survivorship will pass to the surviving co-owner or owners. Again, mention of such property in your will has no impact other than to incite a contest.
Bright side: The assets described above (items going to beneficiaries, jointly held property) will not be subject to the effort and expense of probate.
Important: Be sure to review all of your beneficiary designations periodically to confirm the choices you’ve made.
Trap: With IRAs and other retirement accounts, don’t name your estate as beneficiary. This can result in the loss of valuable tax deferral and may even push your heirs into higher income tax brackets.
Not notifying your executor. In your will you’ll name your executor (“personal representative” in some states), the person who’ll be responsible for handling the transfer of the assets that pass under your will.
This is a vital task, so it’s important to get that person’s consent to serve before naming him/her. You also should name at least one backup executor in case your first choice becomes unable or unwilling to serve.
Parents of minors: It’s vital to name guardians for young children in case the remaining parent is unable to fill that role. Again, get the guardians’ consent beforehand and name backups.
Leaving an outdated will in place. Once you draft a will, you can’t just forget about it. Your personal situation may change — births, deaths, marriages, divorces, changes in financial status, etc., all can have an impact on your plans.
Taxes, too: Changes in federal and/or state tax law also may suggest new strategies compared with the one outlined in your current will.
Thus, revisit your will and the other elements of your estate plan after each major change in your personal circumstances and after each change in estate tax law. Even without such events, take a look at your will every few years to make sure that it still reflects your current wishes.
Hiding your will. Some people hide their wills because they don’t want people to find them and know what they will (or won’t) inherit. Unfortunately, a hidden will might very well stay hidden. Your will should be kept in a place that’s both safe and accessible.
The best way to make your will both private and accessible is to leave it with the friend or relative you trust the most. If there’s no one you trust, name an institutional executor such as a trust company and let this firm hold your will.
Even if you store your will elsewhere, your executor and other loved ones should know where you put it. The attorney who drafted your will should have a copy, as well as a note stating the location of the original.
Putting funeral and burial instructions in your will. Most wills aren’t read until days or weeks after death. Meanwhile, your survivors must make immediate decisions about a funeral or a memorial service.
Best: Use a separate document to spell out your final wishes and tell your executor where this letter may be found.
Retirement interviewed Alexander A. Bove, Jr., Esq., partner, Bove & Langa PC, a law firm that specializes in trust and estate matters, 10 Tremont St., Boston 02108.
February 4th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Some opposers are using the IRS as a weapon to “discredit” President Obama’s picks so that he can’t re-organize the government with talented, competent to his liking people. I’m not excusing Daschle, but doesn’t it seem odd that ALL of these picks are having some sort of “tax issue”? ALL OF THEM?? I say that the President should issue a congressional- wide audit! Now we’ll get to see whose really clean, or is the pot calling the kettle black? DIG DEEPER, PEOPLE!!
February 4th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Even then, as we hew away, peace and joy will still
elude us. That’s the place so many of us women
have come to. And its a hell of a spot, literally. How
shall our unconscious – from which so many of our
fears, compulsions and phony aspirations still stream
–be brought into line with what we actually believe,
know and want! How to convince our dumb, raging
and hidden emotions to believe in you Michelle it seems that’s where we are today.
Brooke
February 4th, 2009 at 9:49 am
OOPS!!
It appears it’s Yanks (Ms Yank in this case) to the rescue once again. Emotions across the sea are every bit as delusional as those in America.
February 4th, 2009 at 9:49 am
Michelle you have tried to show the power of women serving and help-
ing and trusting each other is the recipe that many have tried and
found to be sucessful. Whenever we stray from those
basic principles, our old habits resurface and our old
selves come back with all their fears and defects.
Melinda
February 4th, 2009 at 10:26 am
Hey Mischa, I never doubted your s**t babe : ) but dang, I was bummed at the comments, ‘nuf said re: yesterday. Maybe alerting Anonz to go back and Lui’s comment fr Feb 1 is all that’s necessary, he’ll know what to do if he wants to choose life.
anonymous, yes in fact anyone who has ever filed a complex IRS return knows that s**t happens due to US tax code, the truth is Dashell paid over 2M in taxes so he’s not a complete slacker, but is that an excuse for skimping on the tax thang – no. But, that being said, I think Howard Dean is a better pick for that position anyway, feel free to agree or not. What do you make of Henry Reid, think he’s been compromised? Just curious since you’ve got much to say : )
Ciao for now, Zen Lill
February 4th, 2009 at 11:51 am
“The Republican Party, overtaken by narrowly focused special interest groups, is now officially out of the business of mainstream thinking and Steele’s ascension, while historic, is unlikely to bring about the change needed to make the GOP relevant going forward.”??I couldn’t have said it better myself. I think it will be as relevant as having Sarah Palin as a running mate
February 4th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
This is a woman to hate. She forced my friend to kill herself. Michelle is a heroine.
Iraqi woman had 80 women raped then recruited as suicide bombers
From correspondents in Baghdad
Agence France-Presse
February 04, 2009 09:15am
(20 votes)
Woman used rape to recruit bombers
An Iraqi woman has confessed to organising the rape of 80 women so she could recruit them as suicide…
Views today: 5626
Mastermind … Samira Ahmed Jassim confessed to organising the rape of 80 women so she could recruit them as suicide bombers / AP
Rape of 80 women arranged
Used rape to recruit them as suicide bombers
Female suicide attacks increasing
A WOMAN suspected of recruiting more than 80 female suicide bombers has confessed to organising their rapes so she could later convince them that martyrdom was the only way to escape the shame.
Samira Jassam, 51, was arrested by Iraqi police and confessed to recruiting the women and orchestrating dozens of attacks.
In a video confession, she explained how she had mentally prepared the women for martyrdom operations, passed them on to terrorists who provided explosives, and then took the bombers to their targets.
“We arrested Samira Jassim, known as ‘Um al-Mumenin’, the mother of the believers, who was responsible for recruiting 80 women”, Major General Qassim Atta said.
“She confessed her responsibility for these actions, and she confirmed that 28 attempts had been made in one of the terrorists’ strongholds,” he said.
Samira Jassim was arrested on January 21. She is allegedly linked to the Ansar al-Sunnah insurgent group.
Related Coverage
Woman set up rapes to recruit her martyrs?The Australian, 5 Feb 2009
Woman recruited 80 female bombers?Adelaide Now, 4 Feb 2009
‘Mum’ had 80 raped for bomb mission?Herald Sun, 4 Feb 2009
Rape used to recruit bombers?Courier Mail, 4 Feb 2009
Two of the attacks for which Samira Jassim admitted responsibility in the video confession took place in Diyala province, in central Iraq, which is considered one of the most dangerous areas of the country.
The Associated Press reports US military figures indicate at least 36 female suicide bombers attempted or carried out 32 attacks last year. Women are often allowed through military checkpoints without being searched, making it easier for them to hide explosives under their traditional robes.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25006101-401,00.html
Orgun
February 4th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Michelle, you were so right. I apologize. I was thinking with my hormones. I can’t help it. I just love that man.
Debbie
February 4th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Wall Street, Republicans, corporations and friends are fighting really hard to keep the power and the money. Burnett is so attractive and on Meet The Press, she said populism three times just as she had been taught. Her logic was ..well if someone has done a better job than everyone else they should be rewarded even if the company goes down….No they shouldn’t because they didn’t save the company and no one made them take a job at that company. Taking a job is just like any other gamble. Besides that, the company should have cut everyone’s salaries long ago. I guess Wall Street thinks if cute girls can sell cars they can sell phony stories too. Burnett’s not to blame for this. She’s just another dumb sweet kid.
February 4th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
A man in glad-handing cahoots with Saddam Hussein in the ’80s, during the desert despot’s chemical weaponized reign of terror, passes senate confirmation to run the defense department.??Rumsfeld was a shoo in for a Republican run congress, but a $900.00 tax bill sinks an Obama nominee.??Transparency works! ??Change IS happening.
February 4th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Obama was elected by the majority of Americans DESPITE the fact that he is black, not BECAUSE of it. The republicans have once again proven how despicable they can be by only seeing race. Obama could be green and would still be a fine example of the kind of people we NEED in our government. I find this latest move by the republican party to be a serious put-down to the entire electorate as they will somehow now try to equate their chairman with America’s great new president on solely the basis of skin color. The republican party can call me when they have a MAJORITY of leadership that is not white; that would be something.
February 4th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
anonymous, I wouldn’t recommend holding your breath waiting for that day, nice thought though. – ZL
February 5th, 2009 at 5:09 am
Success Secrets from Mike Wallace, Mary Higgins Clark, J.K. Rowling and More
Dyan Machan
How did Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes become TV’s most celebrated investigative reporter? How did Mary Higgins Clark become one of the world’s highest-paid writers? How did Diane von Furstenberg come to head a multimillion-dollar fashion empire? Certainly they all have talent, but plenty of talented people never reach the top. Talent leads to extraordinary success only when it is paired with smart decision making. As J.K. Rowling wrote in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Scholastic), “It is our choices… that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
How do successful people make the right choices and manage to see things through? By doing the following…
1. Get more credit for accomplishments. We might get a bonus or a promotion for an idea that makes our employer money, but most of the spoils go to the company. Capturing a significant share of those gains for ourselves can mean the difference between a solid career and a hugely successful one.
Example: Michael Flatley, star of the hit Irish step-dancing show Riverdance, left in 1995 to start his own show, Lord of the Dance. He had seen the money other people were making from his dancing and risked his savings to make those profits his. He gives his net worth now as close to half a billion dollars.
2. Stand out from the pack. Doing what everyone else is doing rarely leads to extraordinary success. Making the leap from talented to spectacularly successful often involves a decision to take the untrodden road.
Example: Shoe designer Kenneth Cole spent his entire advertising budget for 1986 on an ad about AIDS that ran on billboards and in 23 magazines. His advisers warned him that it could kill his company to be associated with the disease. Instead, the ad campaign generated so much buzz that it helped him stand out in the crowded shoe market.
3. Discover what is really important. Sometimes a crisis or tragedy can force us to reevaluate our lives.
Example: In the 1950s and early 1960s, Mike Wallace made a good living reporting the news, hosting game shows and appearing in commercials. Only after his 19-year-old son, Peter, died in 1962 did he devote himself to investigative reporting. The tragedy convinced him to make a change despite the financial risks.
4. Find a role model for facing fear. Diane von Furstenberg, founder of a hugely successful clothing company, reminds herself that her mother survived a Nazi concentration camp. Compared with that, what is there to be afraid of in a career decision?
Successful people tend to understand that it isn’t our failures we’ll regret at the end of our lives — it’s the opportunities we let slip away.
Example: Drew Nieporent, founding chef of famed New York restaurant Nobu, learned to take risks because his parents could not. His father talked for years about buying New York City real estate but was too scared to take the plunge. His indecision cost him millions of dollars in potential profits. Nieporent decided that when he had an idea he believed in, he would act.
5. Know what’s worth the risk for you. Successful people don’t always know that their crucial decisions will work out when they make them, but they are willing to take the risks to pursue their dreams.
Example: Singer Sting had a burning desire to be a musician, so he left a secure job with Inland Revenue (England’s IRS) for a job as a teacher. The shorter hours gave him time to pursue his music.
6. Remember, there are second chances. The old saying about opportunity knocking only once isn’t always correct. If we work hard and interact with a wide circle of people, we might get multiple shots at making life-changing decisions.
Example: Mystery writer Mary Higgins Clark’s first book, a biographical novel about George Washington, was a commercial disaster. She determined that thrillers sold better and got back to work. She now makes more than $12 million per book.
February 5th, 2009 at 5:17 am
Zen Lill, I like you pick. I, too, think Howard Dean would be the better pick. I definitely think Harry Reid has been compromised. The Repugnants have so much on him from all their wire, phone, email, etc tapping of every american.
Here’s my question to the Press and the rest of the President Obama nitpicking americans. Where you upset when Repugnants gave an standing ovation to Sen. Ted Stevens from Alaska after he was indicted? I have many, many, more examples of hypocrisy, too many for this space.