Daniels announces state employee pay raise for 2008

INDIANAPOLIS (December 19, 2007) - Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels today announced state employee salaries will rise 4.8 percent in 2008 on average. Since taking office, Daniels has made properly compensating state employees a top priority through his "pay for performance" program. Prior to the Daniels administration, all state employees received the same across-the-board increase regardless of job performance. This approach led some high-performing employees to leave state employment because they felt unfairly and inadequately compensated.

"It's the rule in life that those working the hardest and getting the best results are rewarded more than those doing a poor job, but Indiana state government, until now, didn't apply that rule," said Daniels. "The best public servants deserve the best pay."

"We have been able to significantly increase salaries and benefits and increase them dramatically for those doing the best job of serving taxpayers," Daniels added. "Because of the new approach, we are in an improved position to attract and retain top talent, even while holding total payroll costs flat."

All state employees will receive a 1.5 percent increase that will be reflected in the employees' final 2007 check. Those whose performance evaluations "meet expectations" will receive an additional three percent performance-based increase for a combined total pay raise of 4.5 percent. Staff who "exceed expectations" will receive an additional 8.5 percent performance-based increase for a combined total pay raise of 10 percent. These merit-based raises will become effective on the last check in February for agencies completing their employee evaluations by the end of January.

Approximately 80 percent of state employees will receive a rating of "meet expectations," while 10 percent will "exceed expectations." Employees in the lowest 10 percent will receive a work plan designed to improve their job performance to the "meets expectations" level.

In addition to salary adjustments, over the last three years, Daniels also authorized increases in the state's contribution to employees' health insurance and implemented two bonus programs. Even with larger increases in average state employee compensation, total payroll costs to the state have dropped by nearly $50 million since the start of the Daniels administration. The overall decrease was made possible by a 10 percent reduction in the number of state employees.

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Rank in Rankrz

I don't know if it is because I am sleepy or what but I have completed the Rankrz registration and all but I still don't understand it. I have two votes--one of them mine--and I have a new place to promote my blog, www.imadeamesss.com. About the site, I read that Rankrz is a user-generated ranking site, which gives ad revenue opportunities to users. I want ad revenue. They want initial users for their beta site. This, I think is what I was supposed to accomplish for Rankrz and I think that I did it. If it were the aforementioned items, then we have all met our objectives and that is just fine. It is a nice site and I like it when I get help with keywords. Maybe you should go check it out for yourself. Look in the box below.

Merry Christmas and have a prosperous New Year

This was a good day for children. They were happy and enjoyed the day. The ham could have been better but I had two vegetable dishes--asparagus and corn and scalloped potatoes with butter and sharp cheddar cheese and corn bread sage dressing.
I got very little sleep over the past two days.
Of course, I didn't get any gifts BECAUSE I AIN'T GOT NO MAN...but that is another blog post.

Well tomorrow is Christmas Eve...

and the carnage will be worse than ever.
Last minute shopping, nick knacks and whatever will take up most of everyone time so if you run into rudeness or if they are out of everything at the store please keep in mind it is Christmas Eve.
Folk coming in from out-of-town can't drive and don't know your town as well as you do so be patient, don't flip anyone off--it's Christmas Eve.
Be patient when picking loved ones up from the airport because it will be crowded so be ready to wait and remember to greet your passengers with a smile. Do not say, "what were you doing in there? Buying stuff? We ain't got time for that! Don't spend all your money in one place!"
It's Christmas Eve. Don't drive through traffic switching lanes and blowing your horn and slamming on your breaks. It's Christmas Eve.
And mostly don't send your spouse out for last minute ingredients--it's Christmas Eve and he or she doesn't want to be bothered either.
(Now when Christmas dinner isn't cooked, don't complain.)

Fly me to the moon--or Australia!

I've never been to Australia but I hear it's nice and I wouldn't mind visiting. I hear it's warm. I plan on visiting somewhere out of the country soon. It’s a country larger than the whole of Europe and unless you are backpacking for a year, you will need several holidays to Australia just to see half of it. I'm going to visit the cities of Sydney and Melbourne, dive the Great Barrier Reef, walk in the rain forest, drive the Great Ocean Road, surf the great beaches, cruise the beautiful Whitsunday Islands, enjoy the rugged west coast and the vast desert of the red center. Then I'm going to sleep. The good thing about a good vacation is all of the good rest you can get.
However, I'm not the only one who wants to go. Anyone can call dialalight.com to book a flight to Australia.

Let the Countdown begin

As of December 22, the real Christmas shopping shall begin. It will be ugly. It will be a mess. People will argue and snatch gifts from your hand. It is the real deal.
Anyone in this country that celebrates Christmas is in a store on this day finishing up the last of the holiday holiday shopping.
It's too late to order stuff off of the Web because it is unlikely that it will arrive by The Day.
Watch out for bad parking bad driving and getting cussed out for pulling in front of people. A car full of gifts and the police at an accident is not the way to get the holiday cheer going.
And watch out for having packages visible in the car. Anybody walking by can see what you have and take it--even when stopping to have a lunch. Eat first and then shop. You can also take packages home then enjoy the evening.

Stay warm this winter

When thinking about home heating this winter think about gas wall heaters.
They're great if something were to go wrong with the furnace--not all of us have signed up to get emergency repair with our utility companies across America. You automatically have back-up heat with a gas wall heater.
Portable room heaters are great if you don't have the space in your home for a fire log burning or even a vent free fireplace. You should consider a wall heater as an alternative heat source. A wall heater will make your rooms more comfortable on a cold winter day, and can even save you quite a bit of money on your heating bill.
I use a portable room heater when I'm downstairs to save on my winter heating costs. I make it a point to keep the thermostat at 68 degrees--like recommended but that definitely means wearing a sweater and using a safe, clean and efficient portable room heater.

What to tell the children?

My 9-year-old son on Friday saw that the Zoe 101 girl who says she is 16 announced her pregnancy.
I said she ought to be ashamed. Take into account that I'm talking to a 9-year-old.
I know that girl has more than enough money and support from her family to do as she pleases. When you do on your own dime, you are grown and can do as you please. She can become emancipated and live her life as an adult legally if she chooses to do so. She is grown--even at 16.
However, my little boy is a child. He didn't seem to see anything wrong with what Ms. Spears was doing. He thinks he is grown anyway so I let him know the whatfor.
"When you are old enough to have sex you are also old enough to pay your own bills and have a place of your own in which to have said sex."
I also told him if you are old enough to have a baby you are old enough to care for said baby. I'm not going to do it.
He was astonished.
"All I did was ask what was wrong with it!"
He finished putting on his school clothes and went on about his day as a child.
But now, at least he knows.

Call the World for Pennies From The USA

Lots of people like my blog so incidently, I have made friends all over the world. We keep in touch frequently but this holiday season, I'm going for a visit.
People like us need a reliable international calling system that doesn't tie us down with long strings of numbers to remember and all of that. I found out about Mobile Talk Packet 8 Voice over Internet protocol. It's low-cost international calling from your mobile phone--it works with over 400 models. Usually, I'd be tied down to my home phone to use a service like this.
First, sign up and activate your account then download the MobileTalk application. In most cases, your phone will receive a text message with a link.
Whenever you make an international call (dialing starts with 011... or starts with '+'), the MobileTalk application will automatically route the call to the Packet8 network and you will save up to 90% or more on your international cell phone calls.
It's the best thing to do if you have even one friend overseas, across the pond or what have you.
There is no calling card needed (I'd lose it) PIN numbers (I'd forget it) no data plan, no connection fee, you don't need a hot spot and you get high quality digital calls.

So Few Days Left till Christmas

Running out of gift ideas? Here are some last minute gift ideas.
If it is for the guy or girl who has everything, then look towards service industry based gift ideas like spa gift certificates (for the full package) or mani/pedi gift certificates. Buy the person something you know they will use--like their favorite music or an MP3 player. Depending on how old they are, it may take a few days to get it going but it's not that hard to download music from one of the popular sites.
If you can swing it, jewelry is always a favorite--diamonds are a girls best friend.
How about a neat as seen-on-tv appliance for the chef in your life? It would be a fun and practical gift to give.
How about something really neat for the car? A CD holder or cup that fits in the cup holder--can't have too many of them.
Maybe along with the cup (a nice one from Starbucks or something) a bag of their favorite coffee beans.

Step show anyone?

As a college student, I saw that there were lots of fraternities and sororities that would have these custom greek t-shirts made up with their line name and their name after going over, on the shirt. They were so cute. The Delta Sigma Theta, Alpha Kappa Alpha and Sigma Gamma Rho sorority sisters would have either red and white, pink and green or blue and gold t-shirts and lettering while the fraternities would have purple and gold or black and gold or red and white or blue and white to represent Omega Phi Psi, Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, or Phi Beta Sigma on their shirts.
Of course, the fraternity and sorority members would have more than one shirt. They would get shirts made especially for steps shows or if out-of-town brothers and sisters were visiting and they would compete with each other to see who could come up with the most imaginative shirt.

Yeah and --So What, seriously!

My little brother must have told my parents about my blog www.imadeamesss.com because I got the lecture from Mom about don't film inside the house or write about them--she and Dad.
Well I do anyway because I figured how would they know? Well, I used to tattle all the time on my little bro (he's 31 and way over six feet)when we were growing up so I guess he feels turnabout is fair play--even if 20 years or so have passed.
I ought to take my Kanye West CD back. He commandeered it several weeks ago to my chagrin. Nah, I'll take it on the chin. That CD brings him so much enjoyment and he has never appreciated my taste in music before that CD.
Hey, did y'all hear that the Fox Cable News offices have had some sort of chemical explosion? I heard it on CNN. The news is being broadcast as usual on Fox and they mentioned the explosion in passing only. Wow. Talk about serious journalists. That's old school right there--I mean City News Bureau of Chicago type old school journalism.
I never shared my CNB stories with y'all--have I?

Get Clean for the New Year

I used to work at a drug rehab facility. The work was fulfilling but tough. Many of the clients had been trying for years to get and stay clean and most were successful.
Stone Hawk drug rehabilitation center claims more than a 76% success rate. Participants discover that they can develop a lifestyle that fits their needs and wants without drug addiction or alcoholism.
However, the motivation to change the drug-abusing behavior, the degree of support that the individual receives from family and friends, and whether there is additional pressure from outside sources to stay in treatment such as the legal system or child protective services, all play a role in recovery.
A treatment plan needs to be established and followed so that he or she knows what to expect during treatment and it is also important that the drug treatment center provides “aftercare” to ensure that the patient is still following their treatment plan after being discharged.
The Stone Hawk Rehabilitation Center is located in south central Michigan, approximately 1-1/2 hours west of Detroit and 1-1/2 hours east of Chicago in Battle Creek, Michigan.

I can cook!

See, this is why I cannot lose weight. I just made Chicken and Dumplings with Yukon Gold potatoes cut up into tiny bite sized pieces and Chicken'n Turkey Chili at the same time. I In different pots of course)
I started early this morning. I boiled in a pot four chicken quarters with Old Bay Seasoning for about an hour. Then I divided it into two pots. I couldn't make up my mind which I wanted to prepare so I made them both. OMG the dumplings (made with butter) are so tender. The broth is perfect--not too thick and not too thin. Perfect.
The chili has ground turkey, black beans, Great Northern beans and a secret ingredient. It is perfection. Found only on www.imadeamesss.com.

Why be fat?

Yeah well, while living in Florida, I was in a bathing suit a lot--like everyday almost because the ocean is right there and it's beautiful. I could have stood to lose a few--if you get me--but I didn't. I could have driven over to a tampa weight loss clinic and had the
Journey Lite Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding which is also known as LAGB or the LAP BAND System procedure.
Maybe Trick Daddy and I would have hooked up that time on South Beach. I met him in the News Cafe during Black Music Week. Instead he took one look at me and said no, I could not roll with him and his crew. The extra weight made me look too old.

Has anyone considered why we haven't had a Black or a Woman President?

Why are the political pundits so interested in whether or not
Oprah can sway the 2008 political election?
Are they afraid that a black man would become president of
these United States? What is really so wrong with that?
Why must the people who represent us to the world act like such
country bumpkins?
Was it really necessary to point out that our Vice President and one of the presidential candidates were related on down-the-line somewhere? Who were you assuring of the Senator's qualifications?
Not me, of course.
Hey listen, other people who don't have this country's best interest
in mind are watching this election and it's processes just as
we in this country are watching. They will think that we are racist if we're not careful.
Anyone who really thinks about it long enough can influence
anything in this country.
We are a country that is easily influenced.
The more influence a person or group has the more we accept
what ever it is they are selling.
Everyone knows this about us.
The least influential groups have the least amount of sway.
That would include the poor and minorities or anyone who
appears to be in need.
Yes, Oprah is influential but you must remember her years in
Chicago.
Sen. Obama is a Democrat from Chicago. It is a natural match.
When questioning Oprah's influence, what I really hear is can Oprah get this black man elected as president of these United States.
Maybe, maybe not.
We have always counted on the soccer moms of this country to pull through for us, haven't we? Many, if not all of her audience, are so-called soccer moms.
Also remember that Oprah is an African American and a
Southerner. She started out in broadcast news in Mississippi and
made her way to Chicago. She hosted AM Chicago and then bought the
show. She is smart and well advised. She is a journalist.
But she is black and included in the 12 percent of Blacks that
the U.S. Census says we are in this country. We are here.
Most of us are and have been for a while, disconnected from a
motherland (Africa) so we don't have a place to run to when times get
hard. We stick it out here and are mostly ignored and shoved aside and told, 'you can't be president.'
How would you like to be invited to a party where you know you
weren't that well liked and then told to smile and be
positive--everyday until you died?
How would you like it if you were adopted into a rainbow family
where it was constantly pointed out that you were adopted and
therefor different--in a rainbow family!
What if you were told, 'we just let you stay here 'cause we can't
find your folks to send you home!'
How would you like it if you were asked to go home by some of
the brothers and sisters in your adopted family just because
they were sick of looking at you and dealing with your
problems--not clearly understanding that they were making it worse with their attitudes toward you.
You wouldn't like it but Oprah and 12 percent of this
population live that kind of life EVERY DAY. And no one really
cares but the 12 percent and www.imadeamesss.com.
Believe me, we could do worse than Obama for President--at
least he understands how it feels to be the underdog everyday
and the outsider. Many Americans fight that battle white and
non-white. Many non-Americans feel that way as well.
However, he has to capture the nomination of his party.
(DNC starts August 25 in Denver Colorado)
Early on, I remember hearing a man on T.V. say about Hilliary Clinton and Barack Obama that they are the showbiz portion of the Democratic Party--the
window dressing to get the masses going. Maybe the carrot on
the stick so-to-speak and that the real candidates were those
other white men they presented to us.
I was given the impression that Hillary and Barack's only
reason for running in the 2008 election was to raise money for
the Democratic Party and that they were not to be taken
seriously no matter what it looked like. Then I figured they'd just end up splitting the democrat's votes during the party nomination process or what have you.

Well, that is one reason I didn't allow myself to get excited
about the presidential elections--neither of my candidates
would actually win. I knew Hillary was running. I wanted her to
win, in hopes of restoring the American economy (Bill is her
husband) then I saw Barack was running and I definitely didn't
allow myself get excited.
I remember how Jesse Jackson really just made a good show for the Dems when he ran but that wasn't good enough for me. I wanted him to win. Black folk in my area used to believe he could win too. They used to say if he won someone would
shoot him. I didn't want that to happen so I really didn't know how to
feel. I secretly still wanted him to win and to live.
I live in a country that I think will not let a man of African
decent be president. See how I didn't even say African
American?

Barack made it a point to let us all know that he wasn't born
of slaves. I was. My people were sharecroppers. I have a lot of
friends who are also decedents of slaves. I'm not ashamed. It
didn't seem like much could be done to change that back
then--at least by the slaves. They did what they could when
they could. They had to stay alive.
It would be nice to see a black man gain the nomination of the
Democratic National Party. It has never happened in Oprah or any black
person's lifetime. I wonder why?
If Mr. Edwards won (since they told us who we really have to
pick) I wouldn't be mad. He seems to care about poor people
like me. I care about this because I have voted in every election since I could vote. What I don't want is another wealthy millionaire dressed in
Democratic clothing. I know he is really a Republican--there is nothing wrong with that. African-Americans started out as Republicans.
Democrats point out this country's problems and Republicans find a way to fund it.
See, we can all work together.
But hey, you don't gotta listen to me. I read the newspaper everyday, watch stuff on the Cartoon Network like Family Guy-- I watch SNL, MAD TV and a host of other ensemble casts, sitcoms and cartoons and many of the network and cable news channels and I'm 41 years old. WhaddoIknow? My brain is mush.

Get a loan

If I had, say, $500,000, I'd pay off a few bills and sock some away in a jumbo 5-year Certificate of Deposit (CD) before the feds tank the interest rate--bailing out the mortgage industry with their sub-prime loan mess (remember the savings and loan debacle?)
I'd save a little too for the stock market because I always imagined myself delving into that. However, loans don't come a dime a dozen. You have to qualify and then after you qualify you should Compare loans to make sure you are getting the best rate.
I'm looking for one of those Unsecured loans because it doesn't require collateral--something I'm kinda short on.
Considering today's housing market, I'd have to have more than a half-a-million dollars to consolidate some debt and stuff and buy a house.
Homeowner loans in this market require immaculate credit.

Scenarios

Refusing to washing hands after the bathroom, co-worker touches potluck buffet table, do you eat the goodies?
The new fella keeps conversation at your desk quite often, asks you out, do you go?
What are the proper things to do?
"First off, beat nasty ass to the table. Apparently, she ain't the only one to be nasty.
You know men goin' the restroom shake they *o** and don't wash hands the first.
Tell him git his ass on. Going out with him is up to you If you eat where you shit you might have problems--people do it but...
I hate when people lean their ass against your desk--especially when you have food on the desk. What makes people think you want that much ass that close to your face or your food?

-comments all from a friend of mine

I need a new car

I need a new car and I am looking for a great Auto Loans Financing rate where I'm not put in the poorhouse trying to buy a hybrid. (Yeah, I said it--a hybrid.)
I cannot keep driving Mommy and Daddy's truck!
Don't get me wrong--I love the truck. It's a Ford Explorer and it's big enough for me, momma, granny, the kids (mine and my brothers) and all of our shopping bags. We can go to seven or eight stores and still have room for everyone. I would like to buy one of those for myself but I can just imagine the interest rate I would have to pay. Even people with perfect credit need help shopping for low rate auto loans.
I ran across a site called autoloansmania.com and it said that it had lots of rates--even for people like me with less-than-perfect credit. (Yeah, imagine me being less than perfect.)

Local officers recieve a awards

The Post-Tribune, a local Northwest Indiana newspaper, reports that a few good cops is all it takes.
The newspaper reports that during a ceremony Wednesday, Detectives Jeff Hemphill, Keith Richardson and James Bond received commendations for catching a murder suspect.
Officers who received more than one award for their work included Detective Lorenzo Davis, Detective James Gonzales, Richardson and Sgt. Thomas Decanter.
Internal Affairs officers Sgt. Jarrett Bridgeman and Detective Edward Jenkins were recognized for handling the investigations of the officers at the scene of a September 15 crash in Gary that killed two local high school students.
Cpl. Agnes Roberts received a commendation for working on the investigation of the crash.
Cmdr. Bruce Outlaw Sr. said despite the public and the media scrutiny, Roberts worked diligently on the investigation.
Col. Len Miller was recognized for making the most arrests -- 210 total this year.
Congratulations and thanks for all of your hard work. We all appreciate it.