Breat Exams at Hooters under Obama's plan?

Top 10 Indicators You Are Under Obama's New Healthcare Plan:

(10) Your annual breast exam is done at Hooters.

(9) Directions to your doctor's office include "Take a left when you enter the trailer park."

(8) The tongue depressors taste faintly of Fudgesicles.

(7) The only proctologist in the plan is "Gus" from Roto-Rooter.

(6) The only item listed under Preventive Care Coverage is " an apple a day..."

(5) Your primary care physician is wearing the pants you gave to Goodwill last month.

(4) "The patient is responsible for 200% of out-of-network charges," is not a typographical error.

(3) The only expense covered 100% is "embalming."

(2) Your Prozac comes in different colors with little M's on them.

AND THE NUMBER ONE SIGN THAT YOU'VE JOINED A GOVERNMENT RUN HEALTH CARE PLAN:

(1) You ask for Viagra and they give you a Popsicle stick and Duct Tape.

Thanks to my good friend Dean Harman and his wife's doctor for sharing. Sometimes there are some things just too good that you can not resist sharing!

Diva

Prolonging the Recession

Headlines

Minimum wage increased from $5.15 (January of 2007) to $7.25 effective July 24th.

Economic News

What does minimum increase mean economically?

We all want our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews to earn good incomes. However, what does that really mean? It means they will have a harder time entering the job force, keeping a full time or even part time job.

What the government, or the so called experts, don't quite get is that's just the beginning of the cost of employees....there is also FICA, Unemployment, Sick Days, Medicare, Healthcare, Vacations, Bonuses, etc.

The Economic effect of this increase?

* Lay offs of current workers worsening the Unemployment rate

* Much more of a challenge for University students with a part time job attending college with limited skills
* Even more challenging for College graduates entering the workplace with limited experience and skills
* Those who create the jobs are challenged beyond belief as it is. This increase will do nothing but hurt the backbone of our country, Small Business Owners
* Government believes small businesses can just absorb this additional cost. Nothing could be farther from the truth...it is passed on to the consumer with higher prices for everything, or some would say another form of taxation

Higher costs, less spending, higher unemployment, slower growth for small businesses , discouraging entrepreneurs and slowing our economic recovery.

Economic Update

Headlines (for up to the minute "Headline News" go to the front page of www.ChappelWood.com)

Stocks broke four week losing streak, ended last week up 7%

Warnings of the implications of new healthcare overhaul proposal

Lender CIT Group Inc, continues to be a serious concern, gov says you are on your own

Steven Rattan, Automotive Czar quits just 6 months into new job, must be really tough working for the Government

Economic News

Retail Sales rose .06%

Consumer Price Index rose .07%

Housing starts rose 3.6% in June

The DOW is up for the 6th straight session, 8848

Since the market bottom March 9, the Dow is up 35.2%

Economic Review 2nd Quarter 2009

We ended the First Quarter 2009 on a note of cautious optimism, sparked by a strong March rally that lifted the S&P 500 Index to an 8.76% return for the month.

Unfortunately, the S&P 500 is still well off its September 2008 pre-financial crisis levels. A number of concerns were raised:

Credit
Liquidity not returning to credit markets. Credit spreads have declined.

Banking
Federal Reserve needed to raise additional capital- which many did through the sale of non-core assets, issuing new shares, or with the help of the government Financials turning a 35.71% return.

Recovery Signals
Consumer sentiment and confidence have increased as well as pending home sales but rising consumer confidence has not been matched by spending and unemployment continues to rise, which you know from previous Economic Reports this is normal in a recession.

Recession Forecasts
Many different opinions, but ultimately, the majority agree it's finally bottomed and is moving toward expansion.

Corrections and Bear Market Rallies
Many different projections, but ultimately, the majority agree the economy is indeed recovering.

The Diva on Twitter

Can you believe it?! The Diva's finally given in and joined the Party! She is finally a twitter-er, twitter, tweeter-er...I'm still learning the lingo!

So if you've been wondering what all the fuss over Twitter is, here's your chance to find out, just click the link below! Even the Diva did it in about two minutes, all by herself! Now she's twittering away. No more waiting for a letter, TV show, radio broadcast, or Email. You will have instant, short messages and Diva-isms sent straight to you!

Click this link to see what Financial topic she is interviewed about tomorrow:

http://www.twitter.com/FinancialDiva

Oh, the joys! --Jennifer--

Your Portfolio and Unemployment?

The Market fall last week due to Unemployment Numbers?

Thursday's worse-than-expected unemployment reports have some in a tizzy.

Truth of the matter, this is normal during a recession. A look back in history shows recessions reflect the same data. As a matter of fact, if history repeats itself unemployment will continue to go down even as the market continues to rise.

Now you know this is not a surprise.

Headlines

· Bernard Madoff sentenced to 150 years in prison (no sentence would be severe enough a punishment).
· Global markets finished in positive territory for the second quarter.

Economic News
· Unemployment rate rose to 9.5%.
· Payrolls fell 467,000, more than expected.
· Pending home sales improved.
· While still indicative of economic contraction, the Manufacturing Index rose for the sixth consecutive month.

"An Informed Investor is a better Investor."

Diva