My 2 Cents

I can’t win

brockhenderson — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:26:30 +0000

When Obama ran for the Presidency, the claim was that if you didn’t vote for him it was because he was black which made you a racist. So I didn’t vote for Obama because I didn’t care for what he said he was going to do, but according to the liberals I’m a racist.

Now, Herman Cain comes on the scene and frankly I like what he says. But because he is a black Republican, if I support him I’m a racist.

What?

If I oppose one black man for President I’m a racist; and if I support another black man I’m a racist.

Now what got me going on this was a comment by Janeane Garofalo:

“People like Karl Rove liked to keep the racism very covert. And so Herman Cain provides this great opportunity say you can say ‘Look, this is not a racist, anti-immigrant, anti-female, anti-gay movement. Look we have a black man.’”

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/09/29/janeane_garofalo_racist_republicans_support_herman_cain.htm

What ever happened to the concept of supporting and voting for the individual that has the best ideas?

UPDATE: In recent years I have repeatedly heard that only whites can be racist, that blacks are never racist. But now (black) Democrat strategist Cornell Belcher has said that Herman Cain is a . . . (drumroll) . . . racist. So now we’ve got a black Democrat calling a black Republican a racist. I’m getting more confused by the minute.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/09/30/cornell_belcher_cains_brainwashed_remark_was_a_racist_bigoted_statement.html

That’s my 2 cents.

OnStar: Shame on you

brockhenderson — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 15:22:11 +0000

For the record I do not own a GM car, but have thought the introduction of OnStar emergency services was a wonderful idea. And when I saw that you could now purchase OnStar at BestBuy for installation on any car, well I was elated. Was even considering buying one for my wife’s car.

Now however, my high regard for OnStar has come crashing to the ground … perhaps even below ground.

In the article below it is revealed that OnStar now continuously monitors your vehicle and sells that information to insurance companies, law enforcement, and anyone else who might be interested.

To put it another way: Customers purchase the OnStar service and pay a monthly fee so that OnStar can profit even more by selling detailed customer information.

That’s just too much of an invasion of privacy for me.

Article:

GM’s OnStar now spying on your car for profit even after you unsubscribe? [UPDATE]

By Zach Bowman RSS feed

Posted Sep 21st 2011 4:28Pm

If you’re the owner of a fairly new General Motors product, you may want to take a close look at the most recent OnStar terms and conditions. As it turns out, the company has altered the parameters under which it can legally collect GPSdata on your vehicle.Originally, the terms and conditions stated that OnStar could only collect information on your vehicle’s location during a theft recovery or in the midst of sending emergency services your way. That has apparently changed. Now, OnStar says that it has the right to collect and sell personal, yet supposedly anonymous information on your vehicle, including speed, location, seat belt usage and other information.

Who would be interested in that data, you ask? Law enforcement agencies, for starters, as well as insurance companies. Perhaps the most startling news to come out of the latest OnStar terms and conditions is the fact that the company can continue to collect the information even after you disconnect the service. If you want the info to be cut off all together, you’ll have to specifically shut down the vehicle’s data connection. If that sounds scary, you should check out a full breakdown of the new policies here.

*UPDATE: OnStar has released a statement in response to the dust up over its newest set of terms and conditions:

New Terms & ConditionsThe following statement can be attributed to Joanne Finnorn, Vice President, Subscriber Services

“OnStar has and always will give our customers the choice in how we use their data. We’ve also been very open with our customers about changes in services and privacy terms.

“Under our new Terms and Conditions, when a customer cancels service, we have informed customers that OnStar will maintain a two-way connection to their vehicle unless they ask us not to do so. In the future, this connection may provide us with the capability to alert vehicle occupants about severe weather conditions such as tornado warnings or mandatory evacuations. Another benefit for keeping this connection “open” could be to provide vehicle owners with any updated warranty data or recall issues.

“Of course, if the customer requests us to turn off the two-way connection, we will do as we have always done, and that is honor customers’ requests.

“Our guiding practices regarding sharing our subscribers’ personal information have not changed. We are always very specific about with whom we share customers’ personal information, and how they will use it. We have never sold any personally identifiable information to any third party.

“Keeping the two-way connection open will also allow OnStar to capture general vehicle information that could be used in future product development.

“We apologize for creating any confusion about our Terms and Conditions. We want to make sure we are as clear with our customers as possible, but it’s apparent that we have failed to do this. As always, we are listening to our subscribers’ feedback and we will continue to be open to their suggestions and concerns.”

Sorry OnStar, I’m not buying it . . . or your product.

That’s my 2 cents

Comprehensive List of Obama Tax Hikes

brockhenderson — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 22:36:19 +0000

Thought you would find this interesting, it’s from the Americans for Tax Reform:

Which one of these tax hikes will destroy the most jobs?

Since taking office, President Barack Obama has signed into law twenty-one new or higher taxes:

1. A 156 percent increase in the federal excise tax on tobacco: On February 4, 2009, just sixteen days into his Administration, Obama signed into law a 156 percent increase in the federal excise tax on tobacco, a hike of 61 cents per pack. The median income of smokers is just over $36,000 per year.

2. Obamacare Individual Mandate Excise Tax (takes effect in Jan 2014): Starting in 2014, anyone not buying “qualifying” health insurance must pay an income surtax according to the higher of the following

	1 Adult	2 Adults	3+ Adults
2014	1% AGI/$95	1% AGI/$190	1% AGI/$285
2015	2% AGI/$325	2% AGI/$650	2% AGI/$975
2016 +	2.5% AGI/$695	2.5% AGI/$1390	2.5% AGI/$2085

Exemptions for religious objectors, undocumented immigrants, prisoners, those earning less than the poverty line, members of Indian tribes, and hardship cases (determined by HHS). Bill: PPACA; Page: 317-337

3. Obamacare Employer Mandate Tax (takes effect Jan. 2014): If an employer does not offer health coverage, and at least one employee qualifies for a health tax credit, the employer must pay an additional non-deductible tax of $2000 for all full-time employees. Applies to all employers with 50 or more employees. If any employee actually receives coverage through the exchange, the penalty on the employer for that employee rises to $3000. If the employer requires a waiting period to enroll in coverage of 30-60 days, there is a $400 tax per employee ($600 if the period is 60 days or longer). Bill: PPACA; Page: 345-346

Combined score of individual and employer mandate tax penalty: $65 billion/10 years

4. Obamacare Surtax on Investment Income (Tax hike of $123 billion/takes effect Jan. 2013): Creation of a new, 3.8 percent surtax on investment income earned in households making at least $250,000 ($200,000 single). This would result in the following top tax rates on investment income: Bill: Reconciliation Act; Page: 87-93

	Capital Gains	Dividends	Other*
2011-2012	15%	15%	35%
2013+ (current law)	23.8%	43.4%	43.4%
2013+ (Obama budget)	23.8%	23.8%	43.4%

*Other unearned income includes (for surtax purposes) gross income from interest, annuities, royalties, net rents, and passive income in partnerships and Subchapter-S corporations. It does not include municipal bond interest or life insurance proceeds, since those do not add to gross income. It does not include active trade or business income, fair market value sales of ownership in pass-through entities, or distributions from retirement plans. The 3.8% surtax does not apply to non-resident aliens.

5. Obamacare Excise Tax on Comprehensive Health Insurance Plans (Tax hike of $32 bil/takes effect Jan. 2018): Starting in 2018, new 40 percent excise tax on “Cadillac” health insurance plans ($10,200 single/$27,500 family). Higher threshold ($11,500 single/$29,450 family) for early retirees and high-risk professions. CPI +1 percentage point indexed. Bill: PPACA; Page: 1,941-1,956

6. Obamacare Hike in Medicare Payroll Tax (Tax hike of $86.8 bil/takes effect Jan. 2013): Current law and changes:

	First $200,000 ($250,000 Married) Employer/Employee	All Remaining Wages Employer/Employee
Current Law	1.45%/1.45% 2.9% self-employed	1.45%/1.45% 2.9% self-employed
Obamacare Tax Hike	1.45%/1.45% 2.9% self-employed	1.45%/2.35% 3.8% self-employed

Bill: PPACA, Reconciliation Act; Page: 2000-2003; 87-93

7. Obamacare Medicine Cabinet Tax (Tax hike of $5 bil/took effect Jan. 2011): Americans no longer able to use health savings account (HSA), flexible spending account (FSA), or health reimbursement (HRA) pre-tax dollars to purchase non-prescription, over-the-counter medicines (except insulin). Bill: PPACA; Page: 1,957-1,959

8. Obamacare HSA Withdrawal Tax Hike (Tax hike of $1.4 bil/took effect Jan. 2011): Increases additional tax on non-medical early withdrawals from an HSA from 10 to 20 percent, disadvantaging them relative to IRAs and other tax-advantaged accounts, which remain at 10 percent. Bill: PPACA; Page: 1,959

9. Obamacare Flexible Spending Account Cap – aka “Special Needs Kids Tax” (Tax hike of $13 bil/takes effect Jan. 2013): Imposes cap on FSAs of $2500 (now unlimited). Indexed to inflation after 2013. There is one group of FSA owners for whom this new cap will be particularly cruel and onerous: parents of special needs children. There are thousands of families with special needs children in the United States, and many of them use FSAs to pay for special needs education. Tuition rates at one leading school that teaches special needs children in Washington, D.C. (National Child Research Center) can easily exceed $14,000 per year. Under tax rules, FSA dollars can be used to pay for this type of special needs education. Bill: PPACA; Page: 2,388-2,389

10. Obamacare Tax on Medical Device Manufacturers (Tax hike of $20 bil/takes effect Jan. 2013): Medical device manufacturers employ 360,000 people in 6000 plants across the country. This law imposes a new 2.3% excise tax. Exempts items retailing for <$100. Bill: PPACA; Page: 1,980-1,986

11. Obamacare “Haircut” for Medical Itemized Deduction from 7.5% to 10% of AGI (Tax hike of $15.2 bil/takes effect Jan. 2013): Currently, those facing high medical expenses are allowed a deduction for medical expenses to the extent that those expenses exceed 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income (AGI). The new provision imposes a threshold of 10 percent of AGI. Waived for 65+ taxpayers in 2013-2016 only. Bill: PPACA; Page: 1,994-1,995

12. Obamacare Tax on Indoor Tanning Services (Tax hike of $2.7 billion/took effect July 2010): New 10 percent excise tax on Americans using indoor tanning salons. Bill: PPACA; Page: 2,397-2,399

13. Obamacare elimination of tax deduction for employer-provided retirement Rx drug coverage in coordination with Medicare Part D (Tax hike of $4.5 bil/takes effect Jan. 2013) Bill: PPACA; Page: 1,994

14. Obamacare Blue Cross/Blue Shield Tax Hike (Tax hike of $0.4 bil/took effect Jan. 1 2010): The special tax deduction in current law for Blue Cross/Blue Shield companies would only be allowed if 85 percent or more of premium revenues are spent on clinical services. Bill: PPACA; Page: 2,004

15. Obamacare Excise Tax on Charitable Hospitals (Min$/took effect immediately): $50,000 per hospital if they fail to meet new “community health assessment needs,” “financial assistance,” and “billing and collection” rules set by HHS. Bill: PPACA; Page: 1,961-1,971

16. Obamacare Tax on Innovator Drug Companies (Tax hike of $22.2 bil/took effect Jan. 2010): $2.3 billion annual tax on the industry imposed relative to share of sales made that year. Bill: PPACA; Page: 1,971-1,980

17. Obamacare Tax on Health Insurers (Tax hike of $60.1 bil/takes effect Jan. 2014): Annual tax on the industry imposed relative to health insurance premiums collected that year. Phases in gradually until 2018. Fully-imposed on firms with $50 million in profits. Bill: PPACA; Page: 1,986-1,993

18. Obamacare $500,000 Annual Executive Compensation Limit for Health Insurance Executives (Tax hike of $0.6 bil/takes effect Jan 2013). Bill: PPACA; Page: 1,995-2,000

19. Obamacare Employer Reporting of Insurance on W-2 ($min/takes effect Jan. 2012): Preamble to taxing health benefits on individual tax returns. Bill: PPACA; Page: 1,957

20. Obamacare “Black liquor” tax hike (Tax hike of $23.6 billion/took effect immediately). This is a tax increase on a type of bio-fuel. Bill: Reconciliation Act; Page: 105

21. Obamacare Codification of the “economic substance doctrine” (Tax hike of $4.5 billion/took effect immediately). This provision allows the IRS to disallow completely-legal tax deductions and other legal tax-minimizing plans just because the IRS deems that the action lacks “substance” and is merely intended to reduce taxes owed. Bill: Reconciliation Act; Page: 108

Hobby Lobby, it’s June

brockhenderson — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 00:30:12 +0000

My family and I were in Hobby Lobby today, and I was surprised to see they were putting Christmas decorations up for sale.

In June!!!!

It’s over six months until Christmas and Hobby Lobby was selling Christmas ornaments. That’s just starting the season a tad too early in my opinion. When I was a child, (yes, I understand we’re going back a couple of hundred years), but stores didn’t start the Christmas season until the day after Thanksgiving. Then they started the Christmas push before Thanksgiving, and more recently the Christmas push starts in October before Halloween.

And now, it’s before the 4th of July.

At this rate it won’t be long before the Christmas selling season will start on January 1st . . . or maybe even December 26th. Wouldn’t that be something, the day after Christmas and it’s time to start shopping for next years Christmas presents.

It’s time to slow down and be a bit more realistic. We don’t need to start the Christmas season in July. Come on Hobby Lobby, use some common sense.

That’s my 2 cents.

DEAD: BIN LADEN

brockhenderson — Mon, 02 May 2011 11:50:23 +0000

In several news reports this morning the President has announced the death of Osama bin Laden.

My congratulations to our military and intelligence people.

However, since his body was buried at sea, no pictures (yet) of the body, and the fact that DNA test will take days to complete can we be 100% sure that we have correctly identified the body?

Here are some of the news reports:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/02/how-osama-bin-laden-found

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=13506251

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/05/01/obama_at_my_direction_us_carried_out_operation_against_bin_laden.html

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/05/former-presidents-george-w-bush-bill-clinton-issue-statements-on-osama-bin-laden-death.html

Let us pray that this symbol of terror and evil is now in another world befitting his terrorism in this one. (And I don't mean that in a nice way.)

That's my 2 c

Happy May Day

brockhenderson — Sun, 01 May 2011 18:50:23 +0000

May 1st is May Day . . . or at least it was.

When I was a child the 1st of May was celebrated. Not like Christmas or Easter, but a welcoming of spring. There was often a May Day parade, and I can remember my Mother taking me to a few homes of elderly people, where we would leave a basket at their door with some sort of home-made treat like cookies.

At kindergarten we would hang streamers to a large pole in the ground, each child having the end of one streamer, and we would walk around the pole until it was completely wrapped. It was the May Pole.

I have no idea what the significance of the May Pole was, but certainly taking a basket of goodies to friends and those less fortunate was a nice gesture.

The country doesn’t seem to celebrate May Day any more. No parade, no May Pole, no May Day gift baskets.

Sad. It was a great tradition.

Guess we got too busy . . . or perhaps too lazy . . . or maybe people don’t give a (bleep) any more. I don’t know; but it was a nice tradition that has unfortunately faded away into distant memories.

So may I suggest you take a couple of minutes to sit down and call someone you haven’t spoken to in some time. Don’t send an e-mail,or a text, or a tweet, but reach out as one human to another and actually talk to them. Let them know you are thinking of them and that they are special. After all we all need to feel special.

Happy May Day

That’s my 2 cents.

Happy Easter

brockhenderson — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 20:42:39 +0000

To all of you who celebrate Easter, may I wish each of you love and blessings.

To those who don’t celebrate Easter, I wish you love and blessings as well.

Happy Easter everyone.

That’s my 2 cents.

Reprimanding 101

brockhenderson — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 03:19:33 +0000

From time to time even the best of employees may require a performance correction. But there is a right way and a wrong way to correct or reprimand someone.

No one likes to have their supervisor tell them that they are messing up, and frankly these conversations can be more unsettling to the employee than you might imagine.

For our purposes right now I am talking about oral not written reprimands.

Being told you are “messing up” is very embarrassing, and should be done away from coworkers. Heaping public humiliation on the employee not only demoralizes them, but also their coworkers; and it diminishes your stature.

What is the correct way to reprimand an employee?

1. You move them into your office or at the very least out of ear-shot of coworkers.

2. Always speak in a calm voice. If you can’t be calm then wait until you can be.

3. Tell them what you observed that was wrong, and allow them to tell their side of the story. Maybe what you saw or heard was only part of the story. You need to be sure of your facts before proceeding.

4. If they were in error explain exactly what they did wrong and how they should handle it next time.

5. Do not threaten, lay blame, be sarcastic, or talk down to the employee.

When you take an employee aside they are automatically on the defensive, but raising your voice only adds to the defensiveness and tension. Neither you nor the employee need that.

In retail situations I have seen managers reprimand employees in front of customers, that should never be done.

Employees want to do a good job, your job as a manager is to help them do the best job they possibly can.

You do not want them to live in fear of you. You should have their respect and trust, and you get that by being considerate in all your dealings with your team. That includes the way you reprimand.

Treat your employees well, and they in turn will do the best job they know how, which will take care of your customers and your business.

Are there times you want to beat your head against the wall? Sure.

And there will be times when you will not understand how they could possibly have done something so silly, but take a deep breath and count to ten a couple of times.

Everyone makes mistakes, even you. So reprimand privately, quietly, and with respect for the individual.

That’s my 2 cents

Obama Admits He Was Born in KENYA

brockhenderson — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 04:25:02 +0000

Here is a YouTube video with Obama in a public forum stating that he was not born in the United States but in Kenya. This admission comes in the first minute or two of the video; in addition his wife (again in a public speaking situation) also refers to Kenya as where Obama was born.

The longer the Supreme Court dodges a ruling on Obama’s place of birth the deeper our country will sink into the brown smelly stuff.

Here’s a link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwhKuunp8D8&feature=player_embedded

That’s my 2 cents.

Winning?

brockhenderson — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 15:10:06 +0000

As you probably know by now, Charlie Sheen has been fired from the hit series Two-and-a-half Men. Was this intential on his part? Were his antics and rants part of a plan to be cut loose so he could go on to more profitable activities? He alone knows, but there is a great deal of speculation on it.

If it was intentional then I consider it highly unprofessional to leave his fellow actors, crew, and other show support employees without work. It’s hard enough to find work these days, let alone in a town that chews up actors like snacks, and to put all those people in the unemployment line is just unseemly IMHO.

While I commend the attitude of “winning” at life and everything you do, it isn’t winning when it costs so many others their jobs.

Now, if his actions were not part of a plan to get fired, but were just rants . . . well . . . perhaps he needs some help and a solid reality check.

His show was one of my favorites, and I hope they can find someone to step into his role. If the writting stays at the level it has been then there is a chance the show can continue. It will never be the same, but if they are careful I think it can continue to be a hit.

Here are some links you might find of interest:

SHEEN FIRED, VOWS LAWSUIT…
THREATENS TO ‘CUT THEIR THROATS’…
WARNERBROS Termination Letter Cites Outtakes Reel Of Forgetfulness…
MONDAY NITE: LIVE ON WEB…

Drinking, Ranting, Sweating…
Waves machete on rooftop: ‘Free at last!’…
Roseanne: He makes me look sane…

That’s my 2 cents