I have been anchoring the news in Spokane for a long time. I sometimes forget that there a lot of people who don’t really know me, though; who I am and what I’m all about.
So.. here’s a peek. I am a mom, with 3 kids in elementary school and an adult stepdaughter. I am a wife, a daughter, a sister, and a friend.
I am passionate about children, especially those who aren’t given a fair shake… children who are mistreated, abused, neglected, bullied. I care deeply for children in the foster care system. I report on such children on a weekly basis during kxly4 HD News at 6:30, in a segment called Wednesday’s Child. These kids desperately want to be adopted. Because of some of those children, I created Teen Closet with the help of Linda Rogers, a Foster Parent recruiter (and many other wonderful people..). It is a non-profit.. a fabulous boutique for teenagers in foster care. They get to shop at our place twice a year, completely free of charge. (They leave with bags and bags full of great clothing and other fun “stuff”.)
I have a sister who’s a chemist, a brother who’s a Lt. Col. (and an F-15 fighter pilot) in the Air Force. We grew up in a small town in the midwest. My husband used to be a police officer and is now a sales manager.
I like to ski, camp and read. I really like my co-workers and my neighbors. I love to dance and can’t live without coffee. I don’t like to worry, but I do. I don’t like to have guilt.. but I do. (Isn’t that part of being a mom?)
That’s a glimpse at who I am. So, what is all of this? This is my blog. In it, I plan to focus on many of the topics I just wrote about… but, you know, we’ll talk about a lot of others. I hope you’ll check in and share your thoughts, too.
The roles women play in society have changed dramatically in the last century, but nowhere has the glass ceiling continued to be broken again and again as in the US military. Since I first enlisted in the military 21 years ago I have seen women begin flying combat missions, serving on ships of the line and not just support vessels and have seen them lead combat missions on the ground in Iraq.
On Friday Lieutenant General Ann Dunwoody accomplished something no other woman has ever done: She earned her fourth star.
Ann Dunwoody was promoted to four-star general in front of a standing room only crowd at the Pentagon Friday morning that erupted in cheers after the Army Chief of Staff, General George Casey, and Dunwoody’s husband, retired Air Force Colonel Craig Brotchie, pinned her stars on her uniform.
“Thirty-three years after I took the oath as a second lieutenant, I have to tell you this is not exactly how I envisioned my life unfolding,” she told a standing-room-only auditorium. “Even as a young kid, all I ever wanted to do was teach physical education and raise a family.”
“It was clear to me that my Army experience was just going to be a two-year detour en route to my fitness profession,” she added. “So when asked, `Ann, did you ever think you were going to be a general officer, to say nothing about a four-star?’ I say, `Not in my wildest dreams.’
“There is no one more surprised than I — except, of course, my husband. You know what they say, `Behind every successful woman there is an astonished man.’”
Congratulations ma’am. Another pane in the glass ceiling shattered.
Ty Barbery is a financial advisor with Edward Jones, an Air Force Academy graduate and a former pilot/instructor in the Air Force. Ty flew the Huey helicopter. In 2006 he received Company Grade Officer of the Year, 336 TRSS. For a link to this article in English visit Ty’s website.
Es el Día de la Independencia: un día para celebrar con fuegos artificiales, desfiles y días de campo. Por supuesto, todos disfrutan celebrando esta fiesta nacional. Pero ¿por qué no aprovechar también esta ocasión para pensar en lograr otros tipos de libertades en su vida? Concretamente, ¿por qué no comenzar a dar los pasos necesarios para lograr su propia independencia financiera?
¿Cuáles son esos pasos? Considere lo siguiente:
Reduzca sus deudas - Haga todo lo posible por pagar sus deudas - especialmente las deudas de la tarjeta de crédito que no son deducibles y están sujetas a una alta tasa de interés. Cuanto mayores sean los saldos que adeuda de sus tarjetas de crédito u otros préstamos personales, menos dinero tendrá para invertir.
Cree un fondo para emergencias - Procure crear un fondo para emergencias con la cantidad de dinero suficiente para cubrir los gastos para vivir de seis a 12 meses. Como quizá necesite tener acceso a estos fondos rápidamente, le conviene ponerlos en un instrumento líquido, como una cuenta del mercado monetario. Si no tiene un fondo para emergencias, es posible que deba recurrir a sus inversiones para pagar artículos costosos, como un nuevo electrodoméstico o una reparación importante en su automóvil, y cuanto más dinero saque de sus inversiones para cubrir sus necesidades a corto plazo, más lento será su progreso hacia sus metas importantes a largo plazo.
Aporte el máximo permitido a sus planes de jubilación - Su independencia financiera debería permitirle jubilarse y tener los medios necesarios para hacer lo que quiera. Pero para llegar a esa situación, deberá acumular suficientes recursos financieros. En consecuencia, le conviene aportar el máximo permitido por año a una cuenta IRA tradicional, en la que sus ganancias pueden crecer con pago de impuestos diferidos, o a una cuenta IRA Roth, en la que sus ganancias podrán crecer sin pagar impuestos siempre y cuando cumpla con ciertas condiciones. Además, procure aportar lo más posible a su plan cuenta 401(k) o a otro plan de jubilación con ventajas tributarias patrocinado por el empleador.
Piense primero en usted - Después de pagar todas las cuentas, quizá no le quede dinero para invertir en su futuro. Por eso, piense primero en usted. Piense en pedir a su banco que transfiera automáticamente una cierta cantidad de dinero todos los meses a una determinada inversión. Cuando reciba un aumento de sueldo, procure aumentar el monto de dinero que ahorra.
Cree una cartera de inversiones diversificada - Muchas personas creen que pueden hacerse ricos rápidamente comprando acciones “calientes”. En la realidad, esto casi nunca ocurre. Para el momento en que compra una acción caliente, es posible que ya se haya enfriado. Además, si está constantemente vendiendo ciertos tipos de acciones para comprar esas acciones calientes, gastará más en comisiones y otros cargos. Seguramente le conviene más crear una cartera diversificada de acciones de alta calidad, bonos, valores del gobierno y otros instrumentos de inversión y conservarlos a largo plazo, hasta que cambien sus metas de inversión o hasta que las inversiones dejen de cubrir sus necesidades.
Procure protegerse contra los grandes riesgos financieros - Si sufre una lesión o se enferma, puede perder la capacidad para generar ingresos y preservar sus activos. Por esa razón, le conviene comprar instrumentos de protección adecuados, como un seguro por incapacidad que reemplace los ingresos que ha dejado de percibir o un seguro de cuidados prolongados para cubrir los grandes costos en los que incurriría en el caso de requerir una estadía prolongada en un centro de reposo.
Es posible que tarde muchos años en llegar al punto en que pueda sentir realmente que ha logrado la independencia financiera. Pero si sigue las sugerencias anteriores, el viaje podrá ser más corto.
Ty Barbery is a finacial advisor with Edward Jones, an Air Force veteran who flew the Huey helicopter y él habla español. For a link to this article in English please go his website. Link to Ty’s website
Un plan de jubilación SIMPLE podría ser la mejor opción
Como propietario de una pequeña empresa, es posible que deba evaluar los beneficios e incentivos que puede ofrecer a sus futuros empleados, particularmente en el área de planificación de la jubilación. Si un plan 401(k)1 no es adecuado para su empresa, puede ofrecer a sus empleados un plan SIMPLE IRA (Plan de incentivo de ahorro paralelo para empleados). Este plan es apto para cualquier tipo de empresa con 100 o menos empleados que cumplan con los requisitos (aquellos que hayan ganado al menos $5,000 en dos años previos cualesquiera y que, según se preve, tendrán una remuneración de $5,000 en el año en curso).Un plan SIMPLE-IRA realmente puede ser ventajoso tanto para usted como para sus empleados. Éstas son algunas de las principales ventajas que ofrece:· Beneficios tributarios — Usted y los empleados que cumplan con los requisitos pueden aportar hasta $8,000 de su salario en 2003 (o $9,000 si tiene 50 años or más). Todas las aportaciones son deducibles de impuestos y las ganancias crecen con pago de impuestos diferidos hasta el momento en que se retiran.· Facilidad de administración — Un plan SIMPLE-IRA es uno de los planes de jubilación más económicos y sencillos de administrar y mantener. No deberá pagar prácticamente ningún costo inicial, ningún cargo administrativo y ninguna prueba de discriminación2.
· Flexibilidad de financiamiento — Por lo general, deberá realizar aportaciones paralelas iguales a las aportaciones electivas de sus empleados dólar a dólar, hasta el 3 por ciento de su remuneración. Las aportaciones paralelas del 3 por ciento pueden reducirse durante dos años dentro de un período de cinco, pero nunca por debajo del 1 por ciento. Además, en lugar de realizar aportaciones paralelas, puede aportar el 2 por ciento de la remuneración de cada empleado que cumpla con los requisitos, hasta el límite indexado de $200,000.
· Amplia gama de opciones de inversión — Puede financiar un plan SIMPLE-IRA con prácticamente cualquier instrumento de inversión disponible.
.Se permiten aportaciones a otras cuentas IRA — Si establece un plan SIMPLE-IRA no puede tener otro plan calificado para pago diferido de impuestos para su empresa. No obstante, usted y sus empleados pueden continuar aportando hasta $3,000 al año a una cuenta IRA tradicional o Roth-IRA. Aunque las aportaciones a una cuenta IRA tradicional quizá no sean deducibles de impuestos, crecerán de todas maneras con pago diferido de impuestos. (Las aportaciones a las cuentas Roth IRA no son deducibles de impuestos, pero las ganancias crecen libres de impuestos, siempre y cuando usted cumpla con ciertas condiciones.)
Aunque un plan SIMPLE-IRA ofrece muchos beneficios, deberá asegurarse de que sus empleados entiendan que este plan está diseñado para la jubilación y no para objetivos a corto plazo. De hecho, cualquier persona de menos de 59 años y medio de edad que retire dinero de una cuenta SIMPLE-IRA dentro de los dos años de realizar su aportación inicial deberá pagar una penalidad del 25 por ciento, además de los impuestos sobre la renta habituales. Después de los dos primeros años, las distribuciones tomadas antes de los 59 años y medio de edad incurrirán una penalidad del 10 por ciento, aunque hay algunas excepciones.
Una solución SIMPLE… Antes de implementar un plan SIMPLE-IRA consulte a su asesor de impuestos. Si este plan es adecuado para su empresa, es posible que se sienta complacido con los resultados. Recuerde que un empleado feliz es un empleado más eficiente.
There’s a difference between me, the web guy, and TV reporters like Jeff Humphrey as he was kind enough to point out to me the other day.
I’m the guy who learned how to call in fighter airstrikes - and actually did it a handful of times with live ordinance - while I was in the Marine Corps.
He’s the guy who gets to ride in the back of the fighter because he’s the TV reporter.
OK, granted, there’s a certain pucker factor associated with the yanking and banking and going vertical in a Blue Angel Hornet piloted by a Naval Aviator and there’s a certain sexiness associated with being strapped into a multi-million dollar fighter jet cruising above Lake Roosevelt just below supersonic.
I tell you what. Nothing compares to flying out of Baghdad International Airport aboard an Air Force Reserve C-130 Hercules transport plane, yanking left and right and changing altitude to avoid giving insurgents a shot at the aircraft with SAMs and AAA.
A four-engined Freedom Bird isn’t as fast or sexy as a Strike Hornet, but after a year in-country and heading home it’s the most memorable ride one could ever have in a military aircraft.
Last weekend I watched the U.S. Navy Blue Angels perform over Lake Washington as a part of the Seafair Air Show. It has been my privilege to see this sensational precision flight demonstration team perform almost yearly for many decades. Growing up in Seattle, I saw the Grumman Tigers flown by the Blue Angels in the late fifties. In the seventies, they were F-4 Phantoms from the Vietnam war era. Later the Blues performed their magic aboard McDonnell-Douglas Skyhawks, and today the aircraft of choice is the Boeing F/A-18 Hornet.
Since 1946 the Navy Blue Angels have astonished and thrilled tens of millions who have witnessed their brilliantly choreographed aerial shows.
The Blue Angels exist to enhance Navy and Marine Corps recruiting efforts, serving as positive role models and goodwill ambassadors. The elite Blue Angel pilots exhibit what are actually just refinements of skills possessed by all naval aviators. This year, the Blue Angels will fly 66 air shows at 35 locations in the United States. Some fifteen million spectators will see their incredible performances. Beyond the oohs and ahs, and even the recruiting value of the Blues, there is an important message delivered by this amazing precision flight demonstration team….it is about the country you live in.
Somehow, when you experience the Blue Angels, you think about America. I have had that happen to me more than once, and many others who have seen the Blues have volunteered the same. Witnessing the beauty and precision of a Blue Angels demonstration, one marvels at the extraordinary technology our country possesses. You will feel a sense of relief that those planes belong to us and not our enemies, but most of all one cannot help but feel an overwhelming sense of pride.
This precision flight team says all that is right and strong about our country. The pilots are our best and brightest. The jets are state of the art, and the epitome of American ingenuity. The precision and discipline with which the Blue Angels function is a tribute to American commitment and preparation.
Finally the remarkable maneuverability of these lightning-fast FA-18 Hornets sends an unmistakable message that our foes ought to think long and hard before they elect to take us on.
You can see what I mean this Saturday and Sunday when the U.S. Navy Blue Angels appear in the skies over Fairchild Air Force Base. Their rare visit is part of the Fairchild’s Sky Fest.
Air Force big shots think they are entitled to posh accommodations aboard military transport flights. They apparently think they should be treated better than lower grade officers, and certainly better than mere civilians when they fly at taxpayer expense.
In fact, for the last three years, it has been so important to top Air Force generals to have “world class” in-flight accommodations, that they were willing to divert over 16-million dollars from the war on terror to make themselves comfortable.
Top leadership sought to spend counter-terrorism money on so-called “comfort capsules” on military planes that ferry senior officers and civilian leaders. Four top generals haggled over the color of the capsules’ carpet and plush leather chairs, demanding changes in the color of the leather seats that alone would cost at least $68,240.
Of course, each compartment must have a swank table, a nice big bed, a sofa, a large 37-inch flat-screen television, and a full length mirror. Air Force officials say the government needs the new capsules to ensure that leaders can talk, work and rest comfortably in the air.
What arrogance!
At a time when we are at war, the top U.S. Air Force brass has been preoccupied with aesthetically pleasing luxury air travel accommodations to reflect the rank of the senior leaders using the capsules?
I have this vision of General Dwight Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander in World War Two Europe. Can you imagine him sending wires to Washington demanding five-star staterooms for his generals when they crossed the Atlantic. In an environment where business leaders find a comfortable seat all they need to conduct the business of the world, I think those pin-head generals have some nerve and a grossly inflated notion of their own importance.
If they want a real nice plane, let them run for president.
Here are the qualifications for my two cents: I’m a former Marine. I’m a veteran of two foreign wars. I’m not a participant in either the VFW or the Marine Corps League.
This is my concern. The VFW and the Marine Corps League are organizations that foster support for veterans in our community. These are men and women who have served our country in war and peace. Now instead of fighting Germans or the Japanese or North Koreans or North Vietnamese or Iraqis they’re apparently fighting each other over who gets to carry the colors.
Carrying the colors is an honor. The color guard at the White House has a member of each branch of our armed forces represented. Everyone is equal because everyone contributes. If I’m a Marine grunt in the middle of a firefight I’m counting on getting airstrikes from the Air Force, artillery from the Army and I’m counting on my platoon’s Navy corpsman to make sure all the guys in my squad stay alive. Everyone contributes.
Here’s where I’m going to adjust fire. A VFW representative, Don Reigel, says that the CDA Parade committee slighted the VFW by not inviting them to participate. They also feel slighted because the Marine Corps League - not the VFW - was asked to carry the colors. Now, I would’ve maybe asked if they could rotate that responsibility every year so that this year the Marines carry and next year the VFW carries it that way no one feels left out. But nope, it didn’t go that direction. Nope, instead Reigel decided to take a potshot at the Marine Corps League’s participation when he said:
“That flag is important and it should be done right not haphazardly.”
Out of everything else said I could understand the frustration of the VFW not being able to carry the colors. But take it to the point where you insult the Marines’ ability to honor our nation’s colors in the Coeur d’Alene Parade? That’s when I have to say as a former Marine take a look at this picture below. This picture sums up the Marines’ qualifications to honor our country’s colors.
