Obama is working hard to get both parties to agree to an economic stimulus/recovery plan. 

The following are possible provisions/amendments that may go into the bill:

US senate

1. A low 4% interest rate subsidized by the government. As interest rates increase this will cost the tax payers more and more.

Jen says:
Interest rates are already incredibly low. Remember the 1980s when people paid 18% for a home loan? So we are going to subsidize loans that we will need to repay in higher taxes? Those who don’t purchase a house will be subsidizing home loans for those who do purchase. How does this help our economy in the long run?

2. Give individuals making less than $75K a $7500-$15,000 house purchasing credit that doesn’t need to be repaid (currently it does) as long as the homeowner waits at least three years to sell.

Jen says:
This $7500 credit is currently an interest free loan from the government for first-time homeowners. The amendment would give the money away to any one purchasing a home.This is taking money from the left pocket and putting it into the right pocket. The only redeeming aspect of this amendment is that it encourages people to stay in their homes longer. 

3. Hold off on foreclosures for 90 days to provide time for homeowners to renegotiate their loans.

Jen says: 
This could be helpful IF the homeowner is already working with the lender to negotiate better terms and if number 4 (see below) is enacted. This could be another 90 days of free rent at the expense of lenders and tax payers. Lenders currently are notoriously slow at selling homes in foreclosure. This is an issue where the government  needs to step in and force lenders to sell foreclosed homes more quickly.

4. Force lenders to reduce house payments of delinquent borrowers to 31% of their gross monthly income by increasing pay back periods to 40 years, decreasing interest rates (subsidized by the government).

Jen says:
Reducing payments is a great idea if it doesn’t cost the government additional money. Reducing payments by locking homeowners into lower interest rates (not subsidized by the government) is a great idea. In fact, increasing payment years to 40 and refinancing at the current low interest rates is a “no-brainer”. Perhaps the $7500 credit should go toward helping people refinance. 

Full Story by Jeanne Sahadi, CNNMoney.com senior writer

Additional Resources:

Economic Package Stimulates Quests For Change
“The goal is to shape a package that is more targeted, that would be smaller in size and that would be truly focused on saving or creating jobs and turning the economy around,” said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. She said ideas like $870 million to combat bird flu should be dumped.

Avoiding Japan’s Stimulus Miscues
Here’s the critique in a nutshell: Japan in the early 1990s, like the U.S. today, saw a real-estate bubble burst, spawning a banking and credit crisis that drove the whole economy down, hard. The Japanese then tried stimulating the economy with giant doses of government spending, which didn’t pep things up — but did bring on deficits that required tax increases later, dragging out Japan’s problems for years. Read more.

I get outwardly stressed. Sure, call it bitchy if you want.

Josh? He is calm. He knows everything will be fine and reassures me. His back just hurts. 

And when he tries to heat up a hot pack in our crappy microwave and the buttons don’t work decides to slash the button control panel with a knife.

Then I release my stress by laughing uncontrollably for several minutes and even while writing this.

Still laughing.

Additional Resources:

Ewave Microwaves are junk

“30 may be the new 20, but green is definitely the new black. please recycle.”

There you have it!

36 is then the new 26, right? Dang us young folk are looking pretty darn wrinkly these days.

Hillary and Lilly

Mikulski’s speech was a call for the Senate to vote in favor of women’s rights by promoting “Equal Pay for Equal Work” through the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (S.181).

This bill was previously voted down by just two votes and  President Bush was threatening to veto it. Mikulski said that tomorrow (Thurs, Jan 14, 2009) there would be quite a debate about this resurrected bill. 

What?!

What is there to debate?!

Let me see… I have no idea what anyone makes at my office but I only have 180 days–from the day that I was paid less for the same job–to file a formal complaint? That is just silly. In April of 2008 the Republicans protested the bill because they were afraid too many lawsuits would follow. 

What?!

Isn’t that the idea? If women aren’t getting equal pay and their employer doesn’t rectify it, isn’t their legal course of action to sue?

Unfortunately, suing is one of the ways things get done in the US simply because our pocketbooks always speak loudest (no big surprise that electric cars finally started getting publicity when gas prices shot up to $4/gal and the Detroit Auto show is promoting fuel efficiency the year they asked for a bailout).

Mikulski stated that women currently only make 77 cents for every dollar that a man makes. This has changed very little in the last 30-40 years.

Over the holidays I learned from two professors in the family that women in academia (professors) make significantly less than a male counterpart who does the exact same job. I was shocked!

Click here for statistics (see page 3)

The problem is that even if people find out that professors make unequal salaries, of course a man isn’t going to demand that his salary is lowered to become equal to that of women and the women don’t want to risk their jobs.

Do you know if you are making the same salary/wage as your male counterpart?

Take action by contacting your local Senator today. It is easy and it really only takes a minute. Express that you would like them to vote in favor of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.

Resources:

GovTrack: A civic project to track congress

PA Editors Blog: Political affairs magazine

Nature News: German Professor in Sex Discrimination Battle

UBC Planning and Institutional Research: Statistical Analysis of UBC Faculty Salaries

The Chronicle of Higher Education: Female Professors at U. of Texas-Austin Earn $9,000 Less Than Male Peers

There are, however, the following side effects…

1. Waking up 6:30 am on non-exercise days and feeling like I slept in

2. Drinking my daily recommended amount of water before 7 am

3. Sweating like I am in a sauna, actually more like a steam room, while everyone is fully clothed (no awkward moments, accidental views of unsightly body parts, and no shaving my legs!)

4. Learning the Australian language. I think I’m learning although I still say, “What?” to Jamie a lot. Of course I noticed that he also says, “What?” to me a lot. Luckily this isn’t a serious communication barrier.

5. Getting out of the house at least three times a week, even if it is dark and really cold outside.

6. Exercising my brain by trying to figure how to repeat the “complicated” moves ten more times but now starting with my “other” left leg. 

7. Possibly being motivated to actually go ski after hearing that everyone else in the ski conditioning class has been up skiing, many times. Some even skip ski class and actually go skiing! The nerve.

8. Feeling very energetic and motivated to accomplish everything on my “To Do” list, at least for the first hour after I get home.

9. Watching the local Sloan’s Lake fox troll the neighborhood in the dark morning and finding out he/she smells like the sewer. Can foxes live in the sewer?

10. Wearing workout clothes any day of the week and people just assuming I went to my ski conditioning class. Wait, maybe this isn’t a good thing. Maybe people will start wondering why I don’t shower and get out of my sweaty clothes. 

11. Going out in public with some seriously scary bedhead and not caring, well at least realizing it is dark and my workout mates haven’t made funny of me, to my face.

12. Eating breakfast twice! The one at 5:30 am doesn’t really count, right?

This morning I snuck out of the house at 5:50 am and jumped in my friend Karyn’s car. Normally we walk to Jamie Atlas’ ski conditioning class (just 10 blocks away) but today even the snow had frost on it. Brrrrr.

An hour later I return to find that the kids (niece and nephew) were still asleep.

The taxi to the airport arrived at 8:30 am and the last of our 9 family visitors departed.

Now only the lonely sounds of the washer and dryer keep me company, at least for now. The inspector for our new electrical work and the carpenter will be over before the end of the day. 

We enjoyed the time we spend with family and friends this holiday season and are VERY thankful for all their work and company! This was a really fantastic holiday season!

Dec 24, 2008 Josh and our friend Mike take down the scaffolding in the evening!

Dec 25, 2008 Men's Sewing Circle (stringing cable railing) and mom cleaning a mop

Grauer Family Christmas Eve 2008

Cooking Christmas Eve Meal at the Grauer House

Mom and Josh making gravy

Pop cutting while brother, Jochen, samples the lamb he cooked

Mom and Henry... even the cats had bows on them

Dec 27, 2008 We put Hadley and Guntra (Josh's brother and sister-in-law) right to work

Harry (Josh's brother-in-law) and Josh hang the bathroom doors on barn railings.

Dec 31, 2008 Watching the Monster Production: Guntra, Libby, Gene, Dan

The Monster Production

Writers, producers, and voices for the Monster Production: Hilda and Charlie

Chef Charlie of Charlie's Diner

Gene and Josh work on the railing while Hadley takes a snack break.

Libby and Guntra (Gene in the background)

Mimi (Josh's sister) and Hadley (Josh's brother) unpack old wine

Hilda and her Uncle Dan

Guntra, Libby and Jen (inside the bathroom) remove blue tape from the bathroom doors

Josh is exhausted!

Jen and Josh enjoying their new upstairs space with Gene (Josh's dad) and Libby (Gene's wife).

Libby and Gene (aka Grandmamama and Gumpy)

Even so, I knew it would happen again.

Instead of explaining why I was not going to join the “recipe exchange chain email letter thing” I sent my friend this reply: 

Thanks for the invite! Sorry to drop the ball. 
Click here for an explanation.

If I were to do it all over again, I would have added this:

Click here for a reason to be glad I’m dropping the ball.

It’s HUGE!

I had sketched out the basic design, decided on a few measurements and our carpenters, Joe and Collin, made it happen. 

It’s GORGEOUS!

One of two bathroom sinks on the vanity.

Vanity without the necessary plumbing holes, yet.

Contact your elected representatives!