Getting Ready for Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

這種萬聖節應景的衣著

每年萬聖節過後都是賤價出售

這幾件都是去年撿便宜買的

不過買來後

也只有在萬聖節前幾天才能穿

頂多穿個三四次

橘黑相閒 是很亮眼的配色呢

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今年Ethan要求要扮烏龜

(受寵物Bubble的啟發)

市面上哪有賣這麼大小孩的烏龜裝呢?

(都是給baby穿的)

有是有啦 忍者龜裝 (可是Ethan不要)

於是媽咪和姨在兩三週前就趕忙手工製作

配上連帽的綠色sweatshirt和綠色長褲

看來還不賴呦

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至於Nate就沿用哥哥以前穿過的超人裝

為了怕他到時不肯穿

媽咪特意在前一天拿超人裝給Nate看看

熟悉一下

想不到他高興的不得了

(因為是他最愛的藍色)

不斷地喊著: "I'm a superboy!"

明天Ethan學校的遊行是兩點開始

Nate的則是四點開始

(好在時間錯開了)

媽咪和姨都特地請了假

要去幫小烏龜和小超人照相!

學習近況

一直以來
Ethan的學習精神與態度都不需要操心
因為他是典型的做得好就很愛做
做不好就意興闌珊
但運氣很好的是
碰巧他的學習能力很強
幾乎每樣東西都學得不錯
這又更強化了他的學習慾望

愛閱讀的Ethan
在Ms. Martinez的推薦下
開始讀這套 A to Z Mysteries
這是一套簡易兒童推理小說
很適合章回小說的初入門小讀者

全系列26本書各依字母排序為其書名
(Absent Author, Bald Bandit, Canary Caper...)
每本書共分十個章節
由三個三年級的小朋友 (Dink, Josh & Ruth Rose)
以偵探推理的方式解謎

Ethan本來就對字母排序和偵探推理超有興趣
接觸了這書後更是如獲至寶
每天臨睡前媽咪會唸一章
但Ethan為了趕快看到第十章得知謎底
還把書帶到學校讀
第一天在學校讀完將近一章
第二天讀完兩章
然後他說每天要在學校讀完三章

(真的有做到)
這樣不出一個禮拜就可以讀完一本!

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至於Nate因為有哥哥跑在前頭
自然得不到像哥哥那麼多的注意力
但媽咪心裡有數知道他在哥哥的刺激薰陶下
學習能力應屬中上

上週Nate的老師Ms. Kim問媽咪是不是有教Nate拼音閱讀
他說他發現Nate會試著用拆字拼音的方式讀新字

媽咪很驚訝
因為不只沒教過他拼音
連書都很少讀給他聽....

我們一直以為哥哥在academic上勝過弟弟
現在看來好像是低估了Nate

不過在生活技能的學習上
Nate肯定勝過哥哥無數倍
哥哥一直到約四歲才算potty train成功
(過程之艱辛.....讓媽咪一度以為Ethan大概要包尿布包到小學畢業)
現在兩歲半的Nate
據老師說已在學校小馬桶站著小便數次
現在在學校午覺醒來
尿布多是乾的
然後會跟老師說要go potty
完成手續後會高舉雙手為自己歡呼 “I did it!”

想當年Nate要戒bottle時
也是只花了一天就完成
老師們都很驚訝Nate的超強適應力與學習力

直呼從沒見過這樣資優的小孩

媽咪跟爸爸說

我們倆應該是前輩子有積功德

兩個小朋友都這麼棒

想不到爸爸很臭屁的說

都是遺傳自他的資優基因

(說什麼他小三就會讀水滸傳三國演義云云...)

是呦

希望別像他是小時了了大未必佳就好

得在小朋友們的恆心毅力及心態上多下工夫才行

免得他們仗得自己的資質

就偷懶或自大

這是媽咪目前要修的另門功課...

蓋洛普民調

蓋洛普民調 (Gallup)
是一個從事調查與分析的機構
不過因為多次與選舉結果相悖離
在台灣也被戲稱"蓋離譜民調"

最近是我們公司一年一度的年度調查
每年都是委託蓋洛普民調來做
問題許許多多千奇百怪

我們大家都知道
若是回答的不好
這可是為影響年度考核的

舉例而言
若是你說公司內你沒有交心的好朋友
代表你們部門向心力不足
老闆沒把team帶好
若是你說事情太多影響家居生活
那麼代表老闆不體恤下情
會影響你的工作態度

所以呢
每年我們team都會為這開個會議
大家都要一致多寫點好話上去
就是要表達我們這是一個好地方
於是年底上司會被獎賞
大家明年的調薪也會相對好看

很假 - 不是嗎?

不景氣和退休金

今天 CNN/Money 刊登的一篇文章
其實是讀者投書問與答
我覺得還蠻有幫助的
全文如下

Can my pension be reduced?
By Walter Updegrave, Money Magazine senior editor
October 21, 2008 11:26 am

Question: Does the current crisis have any effect on my defined-benefit pension plan? I just turned 55 and was getting ready to start drawing from it. Will the amount I receive change now? —Lynn, Hephzibah, Georgia

Answer: The short answer is no. Just because the stock market has been reeling and the economy is in a major funk, your employer can’t reduce the size of the pension you’ve earned or take it away from you.

If nothing else, the current financial crisis has highlighted a major difference between traditional check-a-month defined-benefit pensions and defined-contribution plans like 401(k)s.

With a 401(k), a market meltdown can dramatically reduce your account balance. And if that happens after you’ve retired or are close to doing so, you may have to cut back on the income you draw from your 401(k) to avoid running out of money late in retirement.

With a traditional defined-benefit pension, on the other hand, the amount you receive is based on the number of years you worked for your company and your salary (typically the average for your last five years or your highest-earning five years). Once you’re “vested” in your plan - which usually takes five years in a traditional defined benefit plan - your employer is obligated by law to pay you the pension you’ve earned, regardless of how the financial markets perform (although you’ll typically have to wait until you’re 55 to 65 to collect it).

In short, if you have a 401(k), you assume the market risk. If you have a defined-benefit pension, your employer is on the hook.

The risks

Of course, plummeting stock prices have put a strain on the value of pension fund assets, and those assets are what employers are counting on to pay the pensions of current and future retirees. Generally, pension funds invest about 65% of their assets in stock and spread the rest among bonds, real estate and other investments. So when the stock market takes a dive, it cuts into the amount available to pay pension benefits.

That said, pension funds overall went into this year in pretty good shape. According to benefits consulting firm Hewitt Associates’ Pension Risk Tracker, the overall “funded ratio” of the pensions of companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index was 98% at the beginning of the year, which means the value of the assets in the funds was just about sufficient to cover the benefits due to plan participants. By mid-October, however, falling stock prices had pushed that ratio down to just over 80%.

The safety nets

But that doesn’t mean pension funds won’t be able to meet their commitments. Pension funds pay out their benefits over many decades. Indeed, a 35-year-old worker may not begin collecting for another 20 to 30 years and even then the payments will likely stretch over another 20 to 30 years. So there’s plenty of time for asset values to bounce back.

What’s more, the Pension Protection Act of 2006 set tough new standards for how much money employers must contribute to their pensions annually to maintain their plan’s financial health. (The PPA doesn’t apply to defined-benefit plans of state and local governments, but those benefits are protected by state law and ultimately backed by tax revenues.)

Besides, even if your company were to go bankrupt and the pension plan’s assets were insufficient to meet its obligations, you would still likely collect all or most of the pension you have coming to you. That’s because the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., a government agency charged with assuring the payment of private-sector pensions, would step in and make payments up to certain limits.

The PBGC’s maximum payment for plans ended in 2008 is $4,312.50 a month, or $51,750 a year, for a 65-year-old. This ceiling is higher if you’re older and it’s lower if you retire earlier or if your pension includes payments for a survivor.

There are instances when the maximum payments aren’t enough to cover someone’s full pension, as has been the case with many pilots of airlines that went bankrupt. But more than
80% of the people whose pensions are taken over by the PBGC see no reduction in payments.

There’s one other way that the current crisis could affect defined-benefit pensions, however. If pension funds’ investment losses are deep enough, employers could be required to inject big sums of cash into their plans at the very time when their profits are being squeezed by the weak economy. If that happens, more companies might follow the example of companies like IBM, Unisys, Gannett, Equifax and others that have already frozen their pensions or announced plans to do so.

In the event of a freeze, you would typically no longer accrue additional benefits in the frozen plan for additional years on the job, although companies that freeze plans may enhance benefits other ways, such as by adding a 401(k) or improving the 401(k) if the firm already offers one. In any case, you would still be eligible for whatever benefits you had accrued before the freeze. Any pension benefit you’ve earned can’t be taken away. (If you think you have been unfairly denied pension benefits, check out your rights.)

So unless your pension plan is seriously underfunded and your company is in financial trouble and your pension is significantly above the PBGC ceiling, you can cross your defined-benefit pension off your list of things to worry about. And then turn your attention to your 401(k) and other retirement savings accounts to be sure you’re following the right investment strategy there.

其實這和我之前寫的篇文章(Pension Plans)很像
有興趣就連來看摟

題外話 -
Louisa 和我的401(K)今年以來都跌了至少30%
股災真是害人不淺啊
所以呢
我是覺得一個家庭夫妻兩人中
最好能有個人公司有提供 traditional pension plan
畢竟當你年老時若是401(K)跌個50%的話
要幾年才補的回來
你整個退休計畫計會完全被打亂了

棒球小測驗

這個小測驗是同事寄來的
是關於2008球季的問題喲
喜歡棒球的有興趣可以玩一下

一共有25題
平均答對的是19題
至於我答對了24題
錯了一題很白痴的題目

最後 -

Go O's Go!
Wish a .500 season in 2009!

美國總統大選

Louisa和我的政治立場(台灣)基本上相同
所以也不像台灣社會新聞中夫妻為了選舉反目成仇
今年是我們第一次能投美國選舉
沒想到我們支持的人選卻不相同

基於共和黨較為反共與保守的立場
所以我支持馬侃
想說他比較支持台灣
而且是反同性婚姻等我較為支持的政策

至於Louisa呢?
她則偏好歐巴馬
因為民主黨對移民政策是較為寬鬆
歐巴馬當選對她們的業務一定有幫助
加上歐巴馬又是年輕帥哥
Louisa一看到馬侃就說好像老的要中風了
她又很討厭培林
哪天馬侃若駕鶴西歸她可不想一個像培林那樣的人繼任

這是今天 Washington Post的新聞
歐巴馬真的是不像馬侃那樣支持台灣
若歐巴馬也支持售台F16 C/D和潛艇的話
我可能會比較不討厭他


Obama Commends Taiwan Arms Sale

Updated 4:30 p.m.By Glenn KesslerSen.

Barack Obama today welcomed the Bush administration's decision to sell $6 billion of military equipment to Taiwan, but unlike his presidential campaign rival, Sen. John McCain, he did not call for the administration to also add submarines and F-16 aircraft.

"Senator Obama welcomes the Bush Administration's decision to notify Congress concerning the package of weapons systems for Taiwan. This package represents an important response to Taiwan's defense needs. This action is fully consistent with U.S. obligations under the Taiwan Relations Act. The sale helps to contribute to Taiwan's defense and the maintenance of a healthy balance in the Taiwan Strait," said Wendy Morigi, national security spokesperson for Obama, in a statement.

"Senator Obama strongly supports the reduction of tensions between China and Taiwan, and commends China's President Hu Jintao and Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou for their efforts in that regard. A strengthening of Taiwan's defenses will not undermine the process of reduction of tensions and can actually promote it," she added.

On Tuesday, the GOP presidential nominee said the White House did not go far enough when it said it would sell 330 Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) missiles and 30 Apache Block III Longbow Attack helicopters."The package will not include submarines or new F-16 aircraft. I urge the administration to reconsider this decision, in light of its previous commitment to provide submarines and America's previous sales of F-16s," McCain said.

The Obama campaign declined to comment on whether he supported or opposed adding the submarines and F-16 aircraft to the package, saying the statement stood by itself even though it did not address those issues. The submarines were originally included in the arms package that President Bush proposed in 2001.

The White House announcement so angered China that it canceled senior-level visits to the United States. "Senator Obama regrets that China has responded by suspending military-to-military exchanges with the U.S. and nonproliferation talks," Morigi said. "These discussions are in the interest of both sides, and should be resumed."

Severance Package

今年的景氣真的很糟
光看股票市場就知道了
道瓊一路從年初的一萬四跌到目前的八九千
更別說許多公司已倒閉了

景氣不好時公司就容易裁員
還記得以前在Mercer時
就遇過不知多少次了
裁員當天之前沒有人知道
被裁員的員工一早來到辦公室
主管叫你到了小房間
你大概就要有心理準備了
然後給你個紙箱
你只能把自己私人的東西帶走
裝不完的公司會幫你處理
請你周末再來大廳拿回

然後呢
下午兩三點時
全體剩下的員工齊聚大會議室
然後由公司local的大頭解釋這次公司為何不得不裁員
最後總會提到
剩下的大家都是最優秀的
公司一定會更加照顧你們....bla bla bla

被裁員的員工 (不包括被fire的)
公司都會給一筆遣散費
也就是所謂的severance package
其他公司我不曉得
但根據以前被裁員的的同事說
Mercer的遣散費是按照年資
假設你工作n年
你的遣散費是 max (4+n , 2n)個星期的薪水
所以呢
一年的工作經驗是五個星期
五年則是十個星期
除此之外
還會給你半年的COBRA
就是你還可以繼續享受公司給你的健康保險半年
不過你還是得交保費
若你不需要的話可以折現
大約另外可拿到三千左右

被裁員的員工可以向政府申請失業救濟
根據以前被裁員的的同事說
一個月大概是九百元左右
不過只能領半年就是

雖然景氣不好
還是希望不小心逛到我們的小格的朋友們永遠遇不到這種事
還有還有
也希望股票趕快回到至少一萬兩千點吧

Orioles' Prospect Report

John Siekels 在 Rotowires 的 top 100 prospects
因為是付費才能看
所以沒有連結
Orioles在top 100中佔有5位 - 一捕四投
在野手方面則全軍覆墨
Orioles的名單如下
1. Matt Wieters (catcher)
20. Brian Matusz (LHP)
30. Chris Tillman (LHP)
40. Jake Arrieta (RHP)
80. David Hernandez (RHP)

其中如許多人所預期的
強打捕手 Matt Wieters排名第一
喬治亞理工出身的他
比起學長Jason Varitek的評價更高
咸認是Twins的Joe Mauer的強化版
強肩又是左右開攻加上不錯的power
目前他還要在小聯盟學習的大概只剩配球了
最慢明年五月他就會被叫上大聯盟了

排名20的Brian Matuaz是今年選秀的最佳投手
在聖地牙哥大學期間
他和目前Tampa Bay Rays的 David Price是並稱大學界最佳的左投手
由於David Price去年就加入選秀加上今年在minor的優異表現
David Price在John Sickels的名單排名第二
只略遜Matt Wieters
一般咸認Brian Matuaz的完成度極高
直球曲球與變速球這三種都已有major的水準了
快的話明年九月擴編就會看到他了

排名30的Chris Tillman是Orioles在Bedard交易中從Mariners拿到的
今年剛滿20歲
他可能還要兩年或更久才能ready
但他的ceiling很高
未來很可能發展出像全盛期的Erik Bedard般的威力

排名40的Jake Arrieta許多人大概都不陌生
他今年被選入美國奧運代表隊中
並被選為對中國隊的先發
速球能達到high 90's是他最大的武器
今年剛滿22歲
和Tillman一樣可能還要兩年才能ready
但說不定明年九月擴編也會看到他

排名80的David Hernandez則是今年Orioles農場表現最好的新秀
今年他和Chris Tillman在Double A Bowie同時表演三振秀
只是保送比例有點高
是隊上的防禦率與三振王
在明年開季先發投手短缺的情況下他也是有機會
只是個人還是希望他能等到九月擴編再上來

沒有意外的話明年會在OPACY (Orioles Park at Camden Yard)看到Wieters, Matuaz和 Hernandez
Orioles的農場正在持續改善中
真是可喜可賀
只是好像front office有點重投輕打的感覺
希望明年選秀能加強這方面

Ethan的學習

鋼琴課

琴鍵的位置已熟記

也開始學基礎樂理和看譜了

爸爸幫Ethan買了台電子琴

讓他在家可以練習

現階段最大的考驗是

如何讓Ethan端正的坐好彈琴

不要彎腰或歪坐

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游泳課

第三堂課一跳下水

Ethan已有游自由式的基本樣子

不再像落水狗或同手同腳游

也開始學換氣了

那個燦爛的笑容總是一直掛在臉上

這應該是Ethan每個星期最期待的30分鐘吧

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中文課

學會基本招呼語和基本動物名

對老師說的關於十二生肖的故事

深感興趣

課堂上的參與有待加強

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最近迷上看這本 Junior Dictionary

每學個新字就打個勾

還帶到學校去

下課或 after school 就拿出來讀

看來以後可以報名參加 National Spelling Bee