Mo Money, Mo Money, Mo Money...

How about w take the last idea and make it even simpler...

At this point there is a little less than $400 Billion bailout money left out of the original $700 Billion. That is what is left after our government has given a lot of it to banks and large corporations. They have also committed a lot of it towards rescue plans for businesses down the road. Since in theory those are our tax dollars at "work", why not give the American people some of it.

227,719,424 U.S. Citizens 18+ (estimated)
-
2,188,226 U.S. Citizens 18+ in jail (estimated)
-
14,703,600 U.S. Citizens 18+ making more than $150,000 per year (estimated)
-
12,500,000 U.S. Citizens completely relying on the government/not paying taxes (estimated)
=
198,327,598
X
$2,000 each
=
$396,655,196,000

I'm sure most of us out there could use $2,000. It could even be set-up as a slogan: $1,000 to spend, $1,000 to save. That much money directly stimulating the economy and the banks might be the "shot in the arm" we need.

Money, Money, Money, Money.........Money!

Just an idea...

Today I thought about how much good $700 Billion could do for us regular folk (those of us making under $50,000 a year). On a hunch I looked up the latest Census Bureau numbers and found out that their are an estimated 227,719,424 U.S. Citizens, 18 or older. Now, take the $700 Billion that is most likely going to bailout large corporations & wealthy CEOs... if we divided that money equally to all of these U.S. Citizens 18 and older, we could each get $3,000 and still be saving the federal government over $16.8 Billion!!! I am not good with math, but I checked this several times with a calculator. I know that to those large corporations and their wealthy CEOs that $3,000 is nothing... probably a nice business meal. But to those of us not making a hell-of-a-lot it would be a fantastic bonus, or even a badly needed infusion of cash.

To take this further, if we all spent half of what we got ($1,500 each) that would mean $341,579,136,000.00 going directly into the hurting economy. I know that might not be a big deal to the proponents of 'Trickle-Down' economics, but it would be a start.

So how about we get most of it, the government can split the rest between all the companies vying for their attention (ahem, GM) as long as none of the companies send any more jobs overseas. Maybe this isn't the best idea, but I think we might want to try it.

Another Day in History!

Alexander Campbell (born in Dungloe, County Donegal, Ireland, died 21 June 1877 in Mauch Chunk, Carbon County, Pennsylvania) was a businessman who, along with three other alleged Molly Maguires members, was hanged for the murders of two mine operatives.
Campbell proclaimed his innocence to the end, and in doing so, slapped a muddy handprint on the wall of his prison cell, declaring that the mark would remain forever as a sign of his innocence. Legend has it that despite many attempts to remove it, including building a new wall, the mark still remains today.

Other Notes of Interest:
1798 - Irish Rebellion of 1798: The British Army defeats Irish rebels at Battle of Vinegar Hill
1898 - Guam becomes a U.S. territory.
1919 - Royal Canadian Mounted Police fire a volley into a crowd of unemployed war veterans, killing two, during the Winnipeg General Strike.
1940 - World War II: France surrenders to Germany.
1942 - World War II: A Japanese submarine surfaces near the Columbia River in Oregon, firing 17 shells at nearby Fort Stevens in one of only a handful of attacks by the Japanese against the U.S. mainland.
1948 - Columbia Records introduces the long-playing record album in a public demonstration at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.
1964 - Three civil rights workers, Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Mickey Schwerner, are murdered in Neshoba County, Mississippi, United States, by members of the Ku Klux Klan.
1982 - John Hinckley is found not guilty by reason of insanity for the attempted assassination of U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
2002 - The World Health Organization declares Europe polio free.

Notable Births:
1002 - Pope Leo IX
1812 - Moses Hess, Jewish socialist and nationalist
1850 - Daniel Carter Beard, founder of the Boy Scouts of America
1892 - Reinhold Niebuhr, Protestant theologian
1905 - Jean-Paul Sartre, French philosopher and writer
1910 - Aleksandr Tvardovsky, Soviet poet
1925 - Maureen Stapleton, American actress
1947 - Michael Gross, American actor (dad from Family Ties)
1973 - Juliette Lewis, American actress
1982 - Prince William of Wales, British prince

Notable Deaths:
1377 - King Edward III of England (I fart in your general direction!)
1527 - Niccolò Machiavelli, Italian historian and political author
1591 - Aloysius Gonzaga, Italian saint
1796 - Richard Gridley, American Revolutionary soldier
1893 - Leland Stanford, American business tycoon and founder of Stanford University
1934 - Thorne Smith, American author (Turnabout, Dream's End, The Night Life of the Gods)
1979 - Angus Maclise, American mystic, shaman, musician, and composer
1987 - Madman Muntz, American entrepreneur, businessman, electrical engineer, TV commercial actor
1997 - Fidel Velázquez Sánchez, Mexican labour leader
2001 - John Lee Hooker, American musician (Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom)
2007 - Bob Evans, American restaurateur

This Day in History!

On May 20, 1527, Roman Catholic authorities executed Michael Sattler. King Ferdinand declared drowning (called the third baptism) "the best antidote to Anabaptism". It has been said that a "16th century man who did not drink to excess, curse, or abuse his workmen or family could be suspected of being an Anabaptist and thus persecuted." Thousands died in Europe in the sixteenth century. The Tudor regime, even those that were Protestant (Edward VI and Elizabeth I) persecuted Anabaptists as they were deemed too radical and therefore a danger to religious stability. The persecution of Anabaptists was condoned by ancient laws of Theodosius and Justinian that were passed against the Donatists which decreed the death penalty for any who practiced rebaptism.

This day that year, Sattler was arrested by Roman Catholic authorities, along with his wife and several other Anabaptists. He was tried and sentenced to be executed as a heretic. As part of his execution, his tongue was cut out, and red hot tongs were used to tear two pieces of flesh from his body. He was then taken outside the city by wagon, and the tongs were used on him five more times. After that, he was burned at the stake. The other men in the group were executed by sword, and the women, including Margaretha (his wife), were executed by drowning.

Honorable Mention for this day...
325- The 1st Council of Nicaea was held.
1609- Shakespeare's Sonnets are first published in London, by the publisher Thomas Thorpe. (I did not know that he is that old! I used to live with the guy.)
1861- The state of Kentucky proclaims its neutrality in The American Civil War, which lasted until September 3 when Confederate forces entered the state.
1873- Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive a U.S. patent for blue jeans with copper rivets.
1902- Cuba gains independence from the United States.
1916- The Saturday Evening Post publishes its first cover with a Norman Rockwell painting.
1972- Busta Rhymes was born.
1983- First publications of the discovery of the HIV virus that causes AIDS in the journal Science by Luc Montagnier and Robert Gallo individually.
1989- Gilda Radner died.

In Honor of Our Trip & Hopeful New Home

In a few weeks my wife, our good friend, and me will be making our way out to the beautiful state of Colorado. We have been there a few times in the past and it is by far one of the best places I have ever been. We have had a plan for several years to move out West somewhere and in the last few years we have decided on Colorado. This trip will be for scouting out the areas we already like, so that we can start making plans for our move in a little less than 2 years.

Therefore, I would like to share a list of laws in Colorado that do not make a lot of sense... or are just funny.

1. In Durango: It is illegal to go in public dressed in clothes "unbecoming" on one's sex.
2. In Denver: It is unlawful to lend your vacuum cleaner to your next door neighbor.
3. In Colorado Springs: It is permissible to wear a holstered six-gun within city limits, except on Sunday, Election Day, or holidays. (I will totally take advantage of this one!)
4. In Sterling: Cats may not run loose without having been fit with a taillight.
5. In Pueblo: It is against the law to raise or permit a dandelion to grow within the city limits.
6. In Logan County: It is illegal for a man to kiss a woman while she is asleep.
7. In Crippe Creek: It is illegal to bring your horse or pack mule above the ground floor of any building.
8. In Denver: It is illegal for Barber's to give massages to nude customers unless it is for instructional purposes.
9. Also in Denver: It is illegal to mistreat rats.

State Law says:
1. Car dealers may not show cars on a Sunday.
2. No alcohol beverage can be stored in hotel minibars in anything larger than miniature containers.
3. It is legal to remove the furniture tags that say, "Do Not Remove Under Penalty of Law."
4. It is illegal for a woman wearing a red dress to be out on the streets after 7 PM.
5. It is illegal to ride a horse while under the influence.
6. It is illegal for liquor stores to sell food or grocery stores to sell any alcohol except beer that is at most 3.2% alcohol.

I just thought you would like to know...

Best Book I have Read in Awhile...

So, most of you would be surprised to know that I read a lot... but I do. Although recently I have taken a break from my usual reading diet of comics, classics, and the occasional "leftist" theology books to read something awesome!

"The Monster Spotter's Guide to North America" by Scott Francis. Not only is this book hilarious and well written, but also it turns out this guy is from the Cincinnati area. It has information on specific monsters, case studies, and some of the best reasoning for why someone should actually partake in this hobby. Please check this book out, it is great!

Hate to Say I Told You So...

But, I did!

And actually, I don't hate saying that at all! WAL-MART Sucks! Check out the latest news on one of our country's largest (corporate) disasters...

Look-up "Wal-Mart sues disabled ex-employee for $470,000".

My heart goes out to the woman and her family, but I am kind of glad they did this... anything that makes them look bad is okay with me. They do this shit all the time, just people aren't usually watching.

So, keep it up Wal-Mart... keep making a bigger ass out of yourself and then maybe the public will finally notice.

For Your Information...

Today, a man of high stature and considerable influence in our nation (at least at one time) passed away. The man, William F. Buckley... the "spirit of conservatism" and friend to such people as Joseph McCarthy, Johnny Carson, Barry Goldwater, & Ronald Reagan. Obviously, not a personal hero of mine but I am sorry for his family all the same. Interestingly enough, my dad was once assigned to him as a personal body guard on the campus of Ripon College (not only where my dad went, but also a young unknown man named Harrrison Ford). My dad said this of Buckley, "he was interesting and very well-spoken, in a creepy and weird way." Maybe there is hope for my dad after all?

Whatever Happened to Customer Service?

Lately, I have seen a trend in the companies I deal with on a regular basis. It seems corporations are getting so big, that they have no need to extend any kind of customer service.

1. Take the truck we rented from U-haul recently. After the woman who rented us the truck agreed to one price over the phone and a certain pick-up time, she was an hour late with no real warning. After checking the truck over and taking it home we found that the truck had paintballs in the back that had been in the side-rails of the walls. These paintballs stained our mattress and made a mess. I called the woman who rented us the truck and she assured me that she would help us out and work something out for us. Not only did she not help us, but she overcharges us an additional $10. When my wife spoke to the area manager for the company he had the nerve to raise his voice to her over the phone. Well, they will never get our business again... and I intend to tell all my friends!

2. My wife has bought textbooks on Half.com for college/graduate school pretty reguarly over the last few years. Similarly, we have sold many books, movies, & cds on the site as well as selling things out of my Ebay store. Recently my wife spent $60+ on two books from Half.com, after several weeks of not receiving them we contacted the seller and complained. He did not feel inclined to respond so we sent a complaint through Half.com. After investigating they sided with him because he produced a delivery confirmation number & an insurance number. When we looked into this with the post office, they told us that yes the books were delivered... but the insurance was bogus. Now that Half.com has closed the matter, they have refused to talk to us about it anymore... and we are left with no way of getting our money back. Buyer beware... sounds like a scam to me.

3. Even my favorite company seems to be pulling a fast one as of late. We have been members of Netflix for almost 5 years, and I personally have reffered over 5 people who have at least stayed members for 6 months. In the past I have been able to get my new movie within 2-3 days at the most, usually 2 days. Over the last 6 months I have seen a dramatic slow-down in how quickly I receive the movies. Now it takes 4,5, or even 6 days just to get a movie... that is ridiculous. I complained to them and (of course) they blamed it on the postal service. Oddly enough sometimes they report a movie returned to me in the morning and then the new one doesn't even ship until the next day, late afternoon. That just doesn't seem right to me...

I know that corporations are a necessary evil in the modern world. But, doesn't it seem like the idea of customer service has gone out the window?

Now I May be Desperate

Since it is that time of year, and we are completely tapped out of money until we get our tax return... I was thinking of alternate ways to bring in some cash. I have considered making my own drugs, but I have never been good at science (and there is some sort of a moral issue involved with that). I could eat my dogs to save on money for food, but they are part of the family as annoying as they can be sometimes. It just seems that I can not find a legal/moral way to make some money... until I came upon this:


Apparently the rewards for the "Jersey Devil" have never been claimed, but are still standing. In 1909 the Philadelphia Zoo posted a $1,000,000 reward for the capturing of this creature. Similarly, merchants in Camden offered a $10,000 reward in 1960 for the same creature. So, if I can work out some way to claim both of these rewards... I will be in some serious cash! Therefore, I am enlisting the help of my good friends Matt, Dustin, Mark, & Keith. A fair 5-way split of this cash would give us all $202,000.00!!! I ask that you go to the wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Devil and read up on this. There are also similar rewards for the Sasquatch, Wendigo, Big Foot, & Skunk-Ape. We could really clean up on this... besides after this I am out of ideas!

Shrivled Bananas... ehh?

Seriously...

No more banana bread, no more choclate dipped bananas, no more bananas foster pie, what is the world coming to? Go check out the story yourself, and maybe even pick up the book... I will.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19097412

One to Grow on...

I gotta be honest, I thought I would do better...



I have taken 9 zombie survival on-line tests, and I have received scores ranging from 42%-78%. Well here you go... just for your own safety!

A little light that flickers out...

Tonight the only place that ever felt like home caught fire. I know it may sound ridiculous to be attached to a building... but for a couple of years Old Saint George was our home. I lived there with friends who were closer than family, my wife & I were married there, and for two years I worked in the building. I have such great memories of doing concerts, cleaning up after events, and staying up all night with some of the strangest/greatest people I have ever known. There are so many memories that took place in each room. I just can't get over the feeling that a little part of all of us who invested so much time & frustration into that place might have burned out tonight. If you never got to experience it... I am truly sorry. I fear now that the people with power & money may take this opportunity to knock the rest of it down. I pray that is not true.