With the exception of a few insurance discounters, funny insurance advertising is not paying off. So, Nationwide Insurance has introduced a new campaign called "Join the Nation". A more emotional "warm & fuzzy" approach aimed at generating an emotional connection to the insured; as we can read in this report from the USA Today:
Except for discounters, insurers' funny ads not paying off – USATODAY.com
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Why 'retirees' are still working
Why 'retirees' are still working
More baby boomers are becoming entrepreneurs, out of necessity or as a source of side income. Here are 3 success stories.
Working is the new retirement. But not just any kind of working -- baby boomers are launching their own small businesses to help fund their golden years while keeping themselves busy.
A recent survey by the Kauffman Foundation
found that baby boomers are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs.
The Center of Productive Longevity, which hosts meetings on
entrepreneurship for the 55-and-older crowd, attributes that trend to
the fact that many baby boomers are forced to leave the workforce before
they're ready or can afford to retire.
"You always have to think of yourself as You, Inc., even if you're working full time. What could you moonlight as and do full-blown later on?" says Kerry Hannon, the author of "What's Next? Follow Your Passion and Find Your Dream Job." She recommends getting started three to five years before retirement, for financial as well as health reasons. "Unless you have a pension that's turning out money, it's nice to know you have a little money," she says, adding that people who work longer tend to stay healthier as well.
Hannon recommends keeping startup costs low and creating a new email address and social-media presence that's independent from any full-time work, to avoid potential conflicts of interest. "Create a separate identity yourself," she says.
Ready to experiment with a new side-career yourself? Here are three success stories for inspiration:
Bling maker
Febe Hernandez, a longtime employee of a federal agency in the Washington, D.C., area, fell in love with beading at a friend's birthday party in 2010. "All my life I've been making things, and this really set it loose," she says. She started giving her jewelry away, until a friend suggested that she sell it. She had her first show a few months later and sold around $2,000 worth of jewelry. Over the next year, she created a website for her business, built a social-media presence and started showcasing her jewelry at more events.
Because
she works for a federal agency, Hernandez, 59, is careful to follow all
of the ethical rules and guidelines. Her agency's internal affairs
office vetted her website and business, and she gets permission before
doing any media interviews. "We're allowed to have outside employment if
they perceive no conflict of interest," she explains.
Hernandez plans to continue to grow her business, and, after she retires, wants to work on it full time. "I see us opening stores, growing our staff, and I plan for it to provide income in retirement," she says.
Natural artist
Morgan Hoth, now 63, first started experimenting with weaving and dyeing rugs and silk when she had summers off from teaching special-education students. "When I got close to retirement, I decided, 'That's what I want to do,'" she says. From her home in Richmond, Va., she creates silk scarves and neckties and sells them online, through Etsy and other online venues.
Hoth kept her startup costs low by using a $6 steam iron, for example, and she says she and her husband live frugally. That allows her to treat her income from her scarf business as "extra" income that can purchase luxuries, such as a trip to Europe or a new sofa, as well as help friends in need. "I couldn't live on it, but I can help if someone I love is on hard times," she says. The income has also funded a new Tempur-Pedic mattress and road trip. She and her husband both have small pensions that cover their basic expenses.
Her main motivator, though, is the pleasure that creating art brings her. "The only thing that really counts is enjoying life . . . I have so much fun creating things," she says.
Over time, she honed her technique and figured out how to cut costs, by purchasing her card stock from lower-cost shops for artists, for example. "Now I'm more cost-effective," she says.
After she retired in 2002, she devoted more of her energy to her art and card business. (Atkins also paints.) "I don't think I'll ever stop working. I'm just not wired that way," she says. Her father, who lived into his 90s, often said, "Do as much as you can for as long as you can" -- a maxim she continues to live by.
Reprinted from MSN Money
7/18/2012 4:15 PM ET
|By Kimberly Palmer, U.S. News & World ReportMore baby boomers are becoming entrepreneurs, out of necessity or as a source of side income. Here are 3 success stories.
Working is the new retirement. But not just any kind of working -- baby boomers are launching their own small businesses to help fund their golden years while keeping themselves busy.
A recent survey by the Kauffman Foundation
found that baby boomers are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs.
The Center of Productive Longevity, which hosts meetings on
entrepreneurship for the 55-and-older crowd, attributes that trend to
the fact that many baby boomers are forced to leave the workforce before
they're ready or can afford to retire."You always have to think of yourself as You, Inc., even if you're working full time. What could you moonlight as and do full-blown later on?" says Kerry Hannon, the author of "What's Next? Follow Your Passion and Find Your Dream Job." She recommends getting started three to five years before retirement, for financial as well as health reasons. "Unless you have a pension that's turning out money, it's nice to know you have a little money," she says, adding that people who work longer tend to stay healthier as well.
Hannon recommends keeping startup costs low and creating a new email address and social-media presence that's independent from any full-time work, to avoid potential conflicts of interest. "Create a separate identity yourself," she says.
Ready to experiment with a new side-career yourself? Here are three success stories for inspiration:
Bling maker
Febe Hernandez, a longtime employee of a federal agency in the Washington, D.C., area, fell in love with beading at a friend's birthday party in 2010. "All my life I've been making things, and this really set it loose," she says. She started giving her jewelry away, until a friend suggested that she sell it. She had her first show a few months later and sold around $2,000 worth of jewelry. Over the next year, she created a website for her business, built a social-media presence and started showcasing her jewelry at more events.
Hernandez plans to continue to grow her business, and, after she retires, wants to work on it full time. "I see us opening stores, growing our staff, and I plan for it to provide income in retirement," she says.
Natural artist
Morgan Hoth, now 63, first started experimenting with weaving and dyeing rugs and silk when she had summers off from teaching special-education students. "When I got close to retirement, I decided, 'That's what I want to do,'" she says. From her home in Richmond, Va., she creates silk scarves and neckties and sells them online, through Etsy and other online venues.
Hoth kept her startup costs low by using a $6 steam iron, for example, and she says she and her husband live frugally. That allows her to treat her income from her scarf business as "extra" income that can purchase luxuries, such as a trip to Europe or a new sofa, as well as help friends in need. "I couldn't live on it, but I can help if someone I love is on hard times," she says. The income has also funded a new Tempur-Pedic mattress and road trip. She and her husband both have small pensions that cover their basic expenses.
Her main motivator, though, is the pleasure that creating art brings her. "The only thing that really counts is enjoying life . . . I have so much fun creating things," she says.
Banker-turned-card designer
For years, Dorothy Atkins kept her side business as a greeting-card designer a secret. She worked for a bank in various client service and human resources positions. "It was totally unrelated to the card business -- different sides of the brain," she says. She used her commutes into San Francisco to brainstorm and sketch potential designs, and focused on her banking job from 8 to 5. Then, during her lunch hour, she visited local shops to see if they wanted to sell her cards. "I got a couple of clients that way," she says.Over time, she honed her technique and figured out how to cut costs, by purchasing her card stock from lower-cost shops for artists, for example. "Now I'm more cost-effective," she says.
After she retired in 2002, she devoted more of her energy to her art and card business. (Atkins also paints.) "I don't think I'll ever stop working. I'm just not wired that way," she says. Her father, who lived into his 90s, often said, "Do as much as you can for as long as you can" -- a maxim she continues to live by.
Reprinted from MSN Money
7/18/2012 4:15 PM ET
|written By Kimberly Palmer, U.S. News & World ReporThursday, May 3, 2012
$100 Airline Baggage Fee?
Hang on to your wallet, or don't take any bags with you when you fly!
Discount airline, Spirit, is proposing a hefty fee if you don't pay to check your bags in advance. $35 in advance at the time of booking, or $100 at the gate. Talk about Highway Robbery!
Obviously, an effort to get passengers to pay to have their bags checked in advance, and to get people to not carry anything on board that goes in the overhead bin! Of course, it is also an effort to circumvent the process of regulated air fare rate approvals, and yet find a way to enhance profits. I say, "throw out the government regulations on the cost of an airline ticket and let the market place prevail. I believe competition will win out with higher quality service and better rates!" Works every time!
View the link below, and let me know what do you think?
Spirit raises baggage fees again � pay early or pay a lot!
Discount airline, Spirit, is proposing a hefty fee if you don't pay to check your bags in advance. $35 in advance at the time of booking, or $100 at the gate. Talk about Highway Robbery!
Obviously, an effort to get passengers to pay to have their bags checked in advance, and to get people to not carry anything on board that goes in the overhead bin! Of course, it is also an effort to circumvent the process of regulated air fare rate approvals, and yet find a way to enhance profits. I say, "throw out the government regulations on the cost of an airline ticket and let the market place prevail. I believe competition will win out with higher quality service and better rates!" Works every time!
View the link below, and let me know what do you think?
Spirit raises baggage fees again � pay early or pay a lot!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
'Cinco de Mayo' -plenty of beer, little history
An interesting insight about the May 5th holiday we know as Cinco de Mayo!
I say, "have another Dos Equis, and enjoy the day!"
May 2, 3:16 PM EDT
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- Here's
what Cinco de Mayo has become in the U.S.: a celebration of all things Mexican,
from mariachi music to sombreros, marked by schools, politicians and companies
selling everything from beans to beer.
In this May 5, 2011 file photo, Marylin Castillo dances in honor of the Cinco de Mayo celebration in Los Angeles. Cinco de Mayo has become in the U.S.: a celebration of all things Mexican, from mariachi music to sombreros, marked by schools, politicians and companies selling everything from beans to beer. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, file)
And
here's what Cinco de Mayo is not, despite all the signs in bar windows
inviting revelers to drink: It's not Mexico's Independence Day, and it's
barely marked in Mexico, except in the state of Puebla, where the
holiday is rooted in a complicated and short-lived 1862 military victory
over the French. But don't let that spoil the party.
In Houston, ballet folklorico
dancers will ring in Cinco de Mayo by stomping to traditional Mexican music in
a city park. New York City will close parts of Spanish Harlem and Queens for
street fairs as Mexican flags flap from apartment fire escapes and car
antennas. Albuquerque honors the day with a Mariachi concert and free cab rides
for those who show their love for Mexico with a little too much Dos Equis XX or
tequila. Even West Des Moines, Iowa, has an all-day festival with Mexican food,
artwork and live music.
The holiday has spread from the
American Southwest, even though most are unaware of its original ties to the
U.S. Civil War, abolition and promotion of civil rights for blacks.
Often mistaken for Mexican
Independence Day (that's Sept. 16), Cinco de Mayo commemorates the 1862 Battle
of Puebla between the victorious ragtag army of largely Mexican Indian soldiers
against the invading French forces of Napoleon III. Mexican Americans, during
the Chicano Movement of the 1970s, adopted the holiday for its David vs.
Goliath storyline as motivation for civil rights struggles in Texas and
California.
Over the years, the holiday has been
adopted by beer companies as a way to penetrate the growing Latino market, even
as the historical origins of the holiday remain largely forgotten.
David Hayes-Bautista, a professor of
medicine and health services at UCLA and author of the newly released "El
Cinco de Mayo: An American Tradition," said the holiday's history in the
U.S. goes back to the Gold Rush when thousands of immigrants from Mexico,
Central and South America came to California during the Civil War.
According to Spanish-language
newspapers at the time, this first group of multinational Latinos on U.S. soil
identified with the Union Army's fight against the Confederacy and often wrote
pieces about the evils of slavery. Hayes-Bautista said these Latino immigrants
were concerned about the Union's lack of progress and Napoleon III's interests
in helping the South.
"It wasn't until the news came
about the Battle of Puebla that they got the good news they wanted," said
Hayes-Bautista. "Since Napoleon III was linked to the Confederacy, they
saw the victory as the first sign that their side could win."
They didn't, of course, at least not
for a few years. French forces took over Mexico after the Battle of Puebla, and
installed Habsburg Archduke Maximilian as Emperor of Mexico. He was captured by
Mexican forces five years later and put to death.
But in the years that followed,
Latinos in California and the U.S. Northwest celebrated Cinco de Mayo with
parades of people dressed in Civil War uniforms and gave speeches about the
significance of the Battle of Puebla in the larger struggle for abolition, said
Hayes-Bautista.
The Cinco de Mayo-Civil War link
remained until the Mexican Revolution, which sparked another wave of Mexican
immigration to the U.S. Those immigrants had no connection to Cinco de Mayo -
except that U.S. Latinos celebrated it.
"That's when it became about
David vs. Goliath, Indians beating a European force, and it took on a new
meaning," said Hayes-Bautista. "The Civil War ties disappeared."
The date received another jolt
during World War II during the U.S. government's "Good Neighborhood
Policy" aimed at building good relationships with Mexico and during the
Chicano Movement, when Mexican American activists adopted the day to reinforce
civil rights demands. Two police beatings of Cinco de Mayo revelers - one in
Houston in 1978 and the other in Washington DC in 1991 - resulted in riots and
sparked protests and calls for reforms from Latino advocates.
The holiday spread outside of the
American Southwest as more Latinos moved to new areas around the country.
Alyssa Gutierrez, 35, a teacher who is originally from Robstown, Texas but now
lives in New York's Harlem neighborhood, said Cinco de Mayo was barely noticed
when she moved to New York in 1998. "Now there are Mexican restaurants on
almost every block and all do something on Cinco de Mayo, usually around a
boxing match," said Gutierrez.
Jody Agius Vallejo, a sociology
professor at the University of Southern California and author of "Barrios
to Burbs: The Making of the Mexican-American Middle Class," said Cinco de
Mayo is now used by assimilated Mexican Americans as an easy way for them to
showcase their ethnic identity.
"It's very similar to how
Irish-Americans celebrate St. Patrick's Day," said Vallejo. "One way
they can honor their ethnicity is to celebrate this day, even when most don't
know why."
But not all buy in. "To
others," she added, "this holiday is kind of viewed as a joke because
they feel it's their culture that is being appropriated and exploited."
Hayes-Bautista said because the
theme and focus around Cinco de Mayo has transformed a number of times, it
won't be surprising if it changes again.
"No one has owned Cinco de
Mayo," said Hayes-Bautista. "And no one ever will."
---
©2012
The Associated Press.
All rights reserved.
All rights reserved.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CINCO_DE_MAYO_ROOTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-05-02-15-16-29
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Sign of the Times
You do not even have to make this stuff up! The sign of our times...
I'm sure these attorneys are right next door to Dewey, Cheatem & Howe!
I'm sure these attorneys are right next door to Dewey, Cheatem & Howe!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
"If I wanted America to fail"
This is a very powerful video and worth the few minutes it takes to watch.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Paul Revere's 21st Century Message
Listen my children and you shall hear
of the midnight ride of Paul Revere.
His message is different than in seventy five
instead of a horse he may drive.
The President is running, so you better draw near.
Hang onto your hat and everything you hold dear.
Well, OK... or something like that. Here is what I think Paul Revere's message would be today.
Friday, April 20, 2012
World War II gun barrels arrive in Arizona
 |
| A train carrying gun barrels from the USS Arizona and USS Missouri as seen near the Arizona Capitol on Friday. The barrels will be incorporated into a complete World War II memorial to be built in Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza. |
by Alex Ferri - Apr. 20, 2012 02:43 PM
The Republic | azcentral.com
A freight train on Friday morning brought Arizona two big pieces of history -- gun barrels from World War II battleships the state will soon add to Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza in Phoenix.
Received through negotiations with the federal government, the gun barrels once belonged to the U.S.S. Arizona and the U.S.S. Missouri.
The Arizona sank Dec. 7, 1941, during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The Missouri fought in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and was the site of Japan's official surrender on Sept. 2, 1945.
Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett, who hosted a ceremony for the arrival of the gun barrels, said the artifacts "represent bookends of the war," with the Arizona signifying the beginning, and the Missouri standing for the end.
Plans for the memorial include the construction of nine metal "ribs" between the gun barrels in the plaza, which would represent the hull of the ship, Bennett said. The nine structures also would represent the nine minutes it took the Arizona to sink, and each rib would feature a nameplate for the more than 1,900 Arizonans who died in the war.
Joey Strickland, director of the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services, said the guns "helped defeat perhaps the greatest evil to threaten the world."
The project's estimated cost is $500,000, and Bennett said half that has been raised already through donations. No tax dollars will go towards the memorial.
The installation of the barrels is planned for Dec. 7, the 71st anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
For more information or to donate to the memorial, visit www.gunstosalutethefallen.com.
The Arizona sank Dec. 7, 1941, during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The Missouri fought in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and was the site of Japan's official surrender on Sept. 2, 1945.
Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett, who hosted a ceremony for the arrival of the gun barrels, said the artifacts "represent bookends of the war," with the Arizona signifying the beginning, and the Missouri standing for the end.
Plans for the memorial include the construction of nine metal "ribs" between the gun barrels in the plaza, which would represent the hull of the ship, Bennett said. The nine structures also would represent the nine minutes it took the Arizona to sink, and each rib would feature a nameplate for the more than 1,900 Arizonans who died in the war.
Joey Strickland, director of the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services, said the guns "helped defeat perhaps the greatest evil to threaten the world."
The project's estimated cost is $500,000, and Bennett said half that has been raised already through donations. No tax dollars will go towards the memorial.
The installation of the barrels is planned for Dec. 7, the 71st anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
For more information or to donate to the memorial, visit www.gunstosalutethefallen.com.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Future AZ Governor?
 | |||
| Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett |
(Sun City) - Arizona does not have a Lt. Governor, so the second in line to the Governor of Arizona is Secretary of State Ken Bennett. Bennett addressed Republicans in Sun City on Monday evening with his easy to understand description of the State's Budget. Then he "wooed" the crowd of about 60 attendees, with his singing tribute to Arizona's 100th Anniversary, his lyrics set to Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire."
At this meeting, Bennett announced that he has established an exploratory committee for Arizona Governor in 2014. Current Governor Jan Brewer is term limited and can not seek another term as Governor. Secretary Bennett is a Republican politician and businessman. He started his political careet on the Prescott City Council, serving a term as Mayor Pro-Tem, then was appointed to the Arizona State Board of Education serving as the President of the Board and was elected to the Arizona Senate in 1998 and served as president of the Arizona Senate from 2003 to 2007. He was appointed to Secretary of State in 2009 by Governor Jan Brewer.
Another project that Bennett has been working on is the WWII Memorial in Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza in front of the State Capitol Building. He has recently procured the last remaining gun barrel from the USS Arizona and a gun barrel from the USS Missouri. Both of these battleships were the flagships of the fleet during WWII, the Arizona at the beginning of the war and the Missouri at the end of the war. An artist depiction shows steel uprights to resemble the superstructure of the ship with the gun barrels mounted on concrete bollards flanking each side of the steel uprights. Brass plates will be engraved on the steel with the names of those serving from Arizona who lost their lives fighting for freedom in WWII. That number is believed to be nearly 1800 names.
The new memorial is expected to be completed later this year. The two gun barrels have just arrived this week on rail cars from the US Retired Shipyard in Virgina. They need to be sandblasted and repainted before installing into the memorial. The memorial is being built entirely with private donations and no tax dollars.
We are excited about Ken Bennett and will follow his activity.
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