Social Insecurity

Included with the 2009 Social Security statement is a single page insert titled, “What young workers should know about Social Security and saving.”  Of particular note was one column presented as a single Q&A.  Here’s what it says:

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Will Social Security still be around when I retire?

Yes.  The Social Security taxes you now pay go into the Social Security Trust Funds and are used to pay benefits to current beneficiaries.  The Social Security Board of Trustees now estimates that based on current law, in 2037, the Trust Funds will be depleted.  Because people are living longer and the birth rate is low, the ratio of workers to beneficiaries is falling.  Therefore, the taxes that are paid by workers will not be enough to pay the full benefit amounts scheduled.

However, this does not mean that Social Security benefit payments would disappear.  Even if modifications to the program are not made, there would still be enough funds in 2037 from taxes paid by workers to pay about $760 for every $1,000 in benefits scheduled.

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So, if I’m not misinterpreting what is being said here (particularly in the second paragraph) then this means that unless the system is reformed, those of us in Generation X, Y and beyond can reasonably expect to receive 76% (or less) of what we paid into Social Security during our working years.  That’s a sobering thought.

It also means the figures printed on the statement are misleading.

Maybe this is an issue worth addressing some time in the near future.  My immediate reaction is to place into question the current practice of using incoming monies to pay out existing benefits.  More rational, it would seem, is a system that takes incoming money, sets it aside and treats it like an actual savings account or investment fund.  As the money grows and matures it will be there, all of it (and more) for those who paid into the fund in the first place.  Wouldn’t you think this is the way the system should already be structured?

A Kind of Misperception

I am reminded lately of those who believe that kindness, gentleness and humility = weakness.  But in fact, the opposite is true.  It takes a great deal more strength (of character) to exercise kindness, gentleness and humility in a world teeming with aggressiveness, arrogance, vulgarity, depravity and, at times, outright brutality.

When you see these traits manifested in someone I can assure you with near certainty you are looking at a person who is, in many ways, scared…and weak.

EDIT:  It’s so easy to be rude and crass, hoping this presents the image of strength.  But that is nothing more than a weak illusion; for it takes real strength to be consciously kind, polite and patient (especially because you never know how people will respond).  If you stop to think about it for a moment, I think we all intuitively know this.

Credit Card Conundrum

It is perplexing to me that an online vendor can charge your card in less than 60 seconds, any time of day or night…Yet, it takes (often times) up to ten business days for them to credit the same charge card for the same amount.

Am I alone in this?  Perhaps there’s a billing specialist out there who can elucidate this phenomenon.

What is Inferred by ‘Theory’

If the notion that humans are derived from apes is a ‘matter of fact’ in the mind of contemporary science, then why hasn’t the Theory of Evolution been declared the Law of Evolution?

This is not intended as a rhetorical question.  If someone knows the answer, and can explain it in plain terms, I’d very much like to better understand this seeming inconsistency.

Happiness versus Pleasure

This is something that has been on my mind lately, but I don’t want to take credit for it.  In fact, the person from whom this idea was conveyed escapes me at the moment (though I strongly suspect it was Richard Wurmbrand, writing in one of his books).  But it’s the idea that keeps creeping into the forefront of my mind, especially as I see so many people chasing after what they think is Happiness…but is in actuality, merely Pleasure.

The way the observation was presented, as I recall it, goes simply like this.  We, especially here in America, but as human beings also, have unwittingly (over time) come to view Pleasure as Happiness.  And while there is little question that pleasurable objects and activities often do bring genuine feelings of happiness, they are, ultimately not one and the same.  It is so easy to engage in momentary acts of pleasure, taking a hot bubble bath, getting a massage, flirting (or being flirted with), eating delicious dark chocolate, having a steamy cup of rich coffee, sex, playing or beating a great video game, taking a walk in the park on a beautiful partly-cloudy day, buying something nice, earning good money, spending good money, achieving a little fame or notoriety, having something others can’t afford…But what invariably follows from any, every pleasurable thing is only what was there before, which (it turns out) may be a general sense of Happiness, or a pervading sense of Unhappiness.

Again, I cannot take credit for this observation, but it has been on my mind.

I think it’s a worthwhile notion to ponder.  Because what if, at the end of it all, so many of us are running around chasing after temporary (and often expensive) moments of pleasure in the pursuit of something they or it cannot ultimately deliver?  What if some of us are spending years, or a lifetime, or our sense of self, pursuing Pleasure in the false hope of attaining Happiness?  It’s a sobering thought, for me especially as I look at the world and see so many doing this or buying that and trying so desperately to convince themselves (and others) that they are happy in the doing or having done.  I know I’ve spoken of Ultra-Consumerism before and that is certainly a factor in western society to be sure.  And I do wish we could make a dramatic turn in another direction (same too for our obsession with pop culture, celebrity worship and reality television).  But I digress…What if we could step back away from it all and look at this thing called life, and take a harder look at all these pleasurable things available to us, and come to the realization that maybe, just maybe, Real Happiness has little to do with Pleasure at all.  What if we thought about it and realized that we could be Happy in spite of Pleasure, in the absence of Pleasure, in the midst of Pleasure, and even when the Pleasure has ended.  What then?  Then I think some of us might really, finally be getting somewhere.

Seemingly So Much

What, I wonder, were the bees planning on doing with all that excess honey anyway?

Creation Unblemished

My vision of Heaven is planet Earth, only without the sin, sickness, disease, pollution…and maybe a few of the more pesky insects.

What Does “Professional Ball Player” Really Mean

If I could bend the ear of so many Major League ball players this is what I would share with you.  Though the words may not be audible, we in the stands, or watching on television can quite easily make out the crude utterances spoken in moments of anger and frustration.  It isn’t difficult at all to make out the words and facial expressions.  And, in the case of some, we are watching as you throw a temper tantrum on the way back to the dugout or bullpen following some fouled up play or call.  What’s more is that so many young people are among those who see and are watching.  I’m sad to think you may have forgotten, in the tense moments, the impact you have on so many young minds and hearts, of kids who idolize and look to you for an example.

What if we all stepped back for just a moment to consider what it actually means to be a “Professional” ball player.  Is it all summed up in nothing more than raw talent, in wins, in numbers and statistics?  Or is it quite possible that to be a real “Professional” is to have learned how to act when things get tense, or plays get screwed up, or an ump makes a bad call, or the guy on the other team is acting like a jerk…while meanwhile young people and fans are looking on?  Is it possible that this quality, rather than merely ability to play the game well, is what actually separates the true professionals from the rest of the field?  What would you say?

An Image of Contentment

I’d be highly suspicious of anyone claiming to have it all figured out.

…On that same token, I don’t believe, contrary to what so many magazines would have us believe, that the profession of Acting brings with it all the ’secrets’ of happiness.

Living With Computers: Managing Expectations

Computers are a moving target.  The moment you convince yourself that everything’s got to be just so, all of the time, is the moment of falling for one of the great blunders of computer ownership.  More realistic (and far more achievable) is to strive for stability, security and productivity with the understanding that, one way or another,  there’s always going to be at least one thing that isn’t quite functioning the way it ought to.