First, Jeremy Gold, a pension actuary, who has written quite a bit on the theoretical (and practical) issues with regards to actuarial work in the pensions field, whether private or public. Once I read through his stuff, I became a Jeremy Gold acolyte, and spread his gospel at The Actuarial Outpost.

Another pension actuary, John Bury, who I first read at nj.com but is now blogging on his own at BuryPensions. He has mainly covered NJ pensions [which will implode first.... NJ or Illinois? It's thrilling! ...if you're not a pensioner or taxpayer for NJ or IL], but has also looked more broadly.

Jack Dean at Pension Tsunami - the go-to source for news stories on pension issues. He and Marcia Fritz head Californians for Pension Reform.

Ed Mendel at Calpensions, who does original reporting on California pension issues, and really gets into the nitpicking number-crunching details.

Frank Keegan at the Franklin Center, who posts on public finance and pensions.

Leo Kolivakis at Pension Pulse, who gives a more international perspective on pension issues.

E.J. McMahon at the Empire Center, which covers NY public policy issues.

The good people at Illinois Is Broke, who will supply all sorts of interesting Chicago stories, amongst others, over the next couple years... I can just feel it.

Mish of Global Economic Trend Analysis, who covers economic issues in general, but has often looked at the state of public pensions and public finance.

Steven Greenhut, who writes columns all over the place and most recently the author of Plunder! How Public Employee Unions are Raiding Treasuries, etc. who covers all sorts of public union shenanigans.

Not named -- my mystery supporter who has been feeding me bucketloads of stories, many of which don't get sucked up in my daily news alerts and twitter searches. He knows who he is, and I thank him muchly.

And of course Dan and our merry POWIPping crew.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

Meep

Meep is a member of the Irish Catholic mafia, having a suspiciously high number of green-eyed, red-haired friends. While she doesn’t have red hair herself [except when she goes into the sun (rare for any vampire)], she does have green eyes. She’s a raving Papist and is a life actuary on the side [i.e., she counts dead people]. An amateur pain-in-the-ass [willing to go pro!], she likes covering retirement, mortality, math, and education issues.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know that this year has been trying for many Americans; for some it's been a real struggle for survival.  And while hopefully not as dire as the circumstances faced by the Pilgrims, for whom the first Thanksgiving was a temporary deliverance of sorts, we too should be as grateful.  So tomorrow when, hopefully, we are all spending time with beloved family and cherished friends, sharing whatever our feast of choice may be, take a moment to pause and remember to be be thankful.

Give thanks for all you do have; your family, your friends, your health, your wits, and all the other graces, both material and otherwise, that you've been blessed with.  Count your blessings, and always strive to be a blessing to others, just as others who touch your life are a blessing to you; both tomorrow and for all your days to come.

I won't be around much for the next few days; my lovely wife, mother-in-law, and I are visiting with my parents on Maryland's eastern shore.  But I couldn't just disappear without conveying to all my best wishes; for you and your loved ones.

May God bless each one of you, your families, and friends.  May He watch over and protect all who are traveling and also those in far flung places, especially our young men and women in uniform, who are unable to be home this Thanksgiving, and may He continue to bless the United States of America...

Rocketman