Photo Contest Update…

Good Morning!

If you remember in my blog a couple weeks ago, I mentioned that I was a Semi Finalist for the Photography contest at work. After nearly two weeks of voting amongst my colleagues, I found out the results this morning.

I didn’t win for my category or the overall.

I’m a bit bummed, but then I rather expected it since my personal photograph wasn’t my favorite. Instead, the one that won in my category was the leaf on a rock with water droplets. That’s cool to me though – I really liked that one and the one of the lotus reflected in water. I figured after seeing the competition (and the fact that I really didn’t like mine all that much) it wasn’t a sure bet.

On the brighter side, however, I had entered a different contest for

http://www.worldofgood.com

and promoting it as a Fair Trade website. I was entered into a drawing and won $50 US to spend on that website (I found that out today too).

Since I was planning on doing a fair trade themed Christmas anyhow this really makes it that much easier for me to order from this site (and a couple others) and get the items I wanted as gifts while purchasing items that are eco-friendly AND bettering the welfare of some of the people in rural communities.

I suppose if I had to choose, I would have liked to win the photography contest – but in the end, I’m pleased that something else close to my heart (and even more so – the people and communities I’ll be helping by purchasing fair trade items).

So, in some small way, I’m a winner – and a so are a whole bunch of others.

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Down like Dominoes…..

How did we get here? Why is it happening?

Lehman Brothers
AIG
Merrill Lynch
Bear Stearns
Fanny Mae
Freddy Mac

And that’s just the few that I can remember – all going downhill and/or being taken over by the Federal Government.

Then, I read today that the FDIC is short on funds. If a major player like Washington Mutual failed today, the FDIC wouldn’t be able to provide their insurance to the investors there. They’d have to go to the Treasury and ask for funds.

And where do you think all these funds are coming from?!? You and me the taxpayer.

This Administration with their “big business”, “corporation” and “no regulation” policies has yet again ignored things like huge failures (think Enron) and we, the American taxpayer are paying the price. Yes, folks, we voted them in office, yes, folks, we let them get away with 8 + years of de-regulation, huge bonuses (even when their companies were going under), abuse of our wallets and pocketbooks, abuse of the system – and viola – you have a set up …

that’s toppling like dominoes.

No, I’m not a scared investor – my investments have been chopped to 1/4 of what they were less than 2 years ago. I’m not moving my money out of my stocks and bonds – yet.

I am, however, once again spreading it around. No longer are my funds all held in one bank. I now have 2 banks, 2 credit unions, and 3 different stock brokers. Why? Because I don’t want to be caught under it – when the house of cards collapses.

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