[The Goat]

While my job is totally safe it's not much consolation. As someone else mentioned I think companies have taken advantage of the situation to cut salaries, benefits and bonuses and even some positions and squeeze the rest of the bunch to just work harder for less. Actually, i tend to think lots and lots of companies are doing this.

So I'd like to find a new job w/ a new company but will almost certainly have to wait till '10. On the bigger picture I feel just horrible for all those who've lost good jobs in manufacturing of all kinds and now don't really have the skill set to pick up where they left off. My sincerest hope is the new government makes short-term unemployment more livable in conjunction w/ re-tooling, back to school programs. IMO this country is short on technical labor in a whole variety of fields... every kid coming out of college gets an f'ing business degree of some kind. Anyway I'm just saying the folks who were previously in manufacturing or other blue-collar jobs are probably well suited to re-tool in the technical job sector but we need the programs in place to foster that transition.

... lastly I think we may be on the verge of a pretty significant group-think shift. How many have heard that UBS has been helping something like 47,000 Americans cheat on their taxes? Keep in mind these are probably the very wealthiest among us and their tax burden in all likelihood tops out at 15% because we're talking about cap gains, dividends, etc. I've had a few clients, friends and acquaintances mention this and from what I can tell people are finally getting sick of the super rich getting away w/ every kind of tax evasion while most of the rest of us pay our taxes. Personally, i think the feds should demand UBS cooperate or face massive, say 75% tax on company profits, penalties if they refuse. Pundits always remark if we do this the wealthy will leave the country and go where they can get away w/ anything... so, let them go.