I am directly in the markets in the transportation and logistics. I'm out here on the road. I'm seeing businesses being quite creative in compensating for the market fallout. The problem is credit being frozen for businesses to buy raw materials to keep businesses running. I am seeing businesses scrambling to do new ways to keep the wheels turning. They are intermarket buying and eliminating the middleman borrowers and banks. Not only is the public trust in wall street completely failed- the reason the stock market crashed is because the public is disgusted and is dumping their stocks making it crash further. People are completely pissed off at fatcat CEOs that elected themselves huge payraises then asked for a government handout acted as such. So they are getting out. The trust is gone. And now businesses are sick of borrowing short term money from wall street to buy materials to keep their businesses running. Wall street is lying and saying we don't have the money to borrow. So businesses are skipping wall street altogether and working intermarket to keep things flowing smoothly. Wall street committed suicide by their immoral actions to the whole world. Now the people will be reluctant to ever trust them with their money again. And now businesses will find new ways to avoid using them to do business. It may sound stupid but after market corrections this mess will bring people closer together. And it will make midrange corporations more streamlined and self sufficient. Some businesses will be booming. Some will bust. Right now I'm in the middle of the scrambling. I have to get 3 million dollars in silicon manganese alloys from the port terminals in chicago fresh from the mines in africa to the steel mill in st paul owned by brazillian interests caught in the middle of using their own capitol to cover purchase. They have had a 20 year logistics contract with us and we deliver on our contract but the material used to make steel hard is on a deliver by need basis. Some places that were slow are now busy. Some places that were busy are now slow. Living in the bulk commodities market is a trip. I guess I must like it. Been doing it 16 years.

Having used CNA's extensively I have had the inside view to verify their creditials and what background checks are or are not done. Far to many agencies it usually amounts to photo copying their social security card and driver's license and calling their last employer and asking the very limited number of questions that are allowed if they bother to do that. If and employee says they have worked in the field for a year, taken a class which is relatively little more than a first aid course, shows up and there are not customer complaints they can pretty much work. Since to my knowledge most of these agencies do not offer insurance beyond minimal workman's compensation it is not like any of the pay they are attaching is in benifits we might think of as "pay". Granted workman's compensation and social security are employment perks that have to be added to the cost of wages I don't think it doubles the cost of what most consumers are charged. Maybe if and agency does extensive matching services and on going training but most just process time cards and then they don't guarantee and aid will show up when you need them.

the employer pays the following

workman's comp
social security
unemployment insurance
Malpractice insurance for nurses
They have to pay for their facilities to run their business.
They pay for background checks through the nursing system
They pay their business insurance
If it is a reputable company they pay their employees 401K
They pay the non nursing staff to run the office
They pay for continuing education for the nurses
They pay vacation and sick time
They pay for their employees health benefits(in some cases)

So If they pay the CNA 12 an hour and charge 25 an hour that is 13 for the rest, plus that company is in business to make money. Doesn't seem like they really make that much now does it?

As for my personal portfolio in investments? I got out long ago by accident. I got out in june 2001. My retirement accounts were maxed fully vested. I was checking into them when I discovered mt boss was using my name. I discovered a seperate retirement account with my name on it that my multimillionaire boss was using to hide his money in. I sicked the feds on him and the bank that started that portfolio without a notary signature and with forged documents. He and the bank got a slap on the hand. It was then I realized that they are all crooked with my money and that the only one I could trust with my money is me. So I got completely out of the markets. Lost just under 15%. I took the money and invested it in tangibles. Tangibles are valuables that there are only a finite number of. Call them collectables. Call them antiques. But certain tangibles hold their value. Ming vase, arabic rugs- persian dynasty, 70 hemicudas, 1958 gibson les paul guitars, pre 1930 banknotes, silver, gold, civil war memorabilia, 1938 D45 martin prewar acoustic guitars, prewar crystal, artwork and paintings,numismatic coins and currency. They never lose value. In fact most of those items I've listed above are up 375- 500%. And going up in value daily. Some of my tangible investments have matured since 2001 and are ready to sell. I will take the money from the sothebys auction and reinvest it in other tangibles. You won't see me near the stock market right now. ----But a piece of advice on getting into tangibles and antiquities? Have lots of insurance. Good trustworthy insurance. Because that 70 hemicuda in the garage is worthless if the garage burns down without it.

LHB - next time cash out any investments in your name whether authorized by you or not, then report

...I know what you are saying. But a long time ago I vowed to be honest. Even if it hurts. I'm no saint. To steal from them would have made me no better than them. I sleep with a clear consceince. Besides that I've used the incident as collateral damage insurance against my employer. My get out of jail free card if you like.

I'm with you, I too always end up doing the right thing - morally important to me