Hard times...

All around the world hard times, are a way of life...Yet in America we don't expect to be hit by recessions, housing market troubles, lost mortgages, declines...etc. Arrogance abounds that we could grow continually with no trouble, that we could have more, do more, eat more and give less and survive. This is a reality check, that we are no better than anyone esle, that we can't expect to live in a world of unending blessings. These thoughts cloud my mind, I wonder and question my own values, theories and thoughts. The last year was extremely hard for me, I hardly blogged, I lost clients at work, I have no money and I haven't found another job to fill the gaps. Yet, on the upside I have food to eat, a home to live in, family to support me, all my legs, arms and fingers. Life has treated me well, tragedy is really only something I understand through empathy, proxy and love...to be continued...

Scam of the Day : Contact Mr. Benson Smack

Every day, My email inbox receives several emails very similar to this one. Almost with melancholy repetition each day I delete them. Click...Click...Click...Yet, occasionally curiosity gets the best of me, just to see what is out there. Does it really ever work? I mean it has to right? Why would people do it? For the Scammers they should be eternally shamed for tapping into the sympathies of people...but really who is to blame...the greed of the Scammer or the Scammee...

I don't understand the psychology of someone who would fall for emails like this. Money is not free! You can't win lotteries if you don't buy tickets! Money doesn't fall from the sky into your pocket! IF someone asks you to cash a check of large amount of money for them...don't do it...it has to be illegal! Rich eccentric relatives don't leave you millions? Most importantly, people who are dying of cancer...or any fatal disease don't pick some total stranger to inherit all there money!

Right away one should ask three questions: 1. Who is sending me this email...do I know them...is it reputable? 2. How was I picked to receive this email? 3. How much money is involved? All of these emails are bad grammatically, thematically and logically. They contain several misspellings, common mistakes of English is your second language speakers, foreign nationalities and weird stories.

Now, to convince me that I had won millions I would expect phone calls, professional emails and correct spellings....How about you? Would you fall for this?----Scam of the Day

My Dear Friend:

Due to your effort, sincerity, courage and trust worthiness you showed at the course of the Uk Online Lotto winning cheque shipment to your location,I want to compensate you and show my gratitude to you with the sum of$750,000USD (Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars) I have authorized the finance house where I deposited the money to issue you international certified bank draft cashable at your bank.My dear winner,I will like you to contact the CEO in charge of the finance house for the collection of this international certified bank draft.

The name of the Person with your Cheque is MR. BENSON SMACK COMPENSATION AND FINANCE HOUSE HEAD OFFICE CONTACT AGENT MR. BENSON SMACK

CONTACT TELEPHONE NO: +234-708-858-2922

E-MAIL: rev.benson33@sbcglobal.net

EMAIL: rev.benson44@sbcglobal.net

At the moment, I am very busy in Sydney because of the investment projects which myself and my new partner Mr. Peter Hills of CTL Express Delivery Company are having at hand. Finally, remember that I have forwarded instruction to MR. BENSON SMACK at the finance house on your behalf to end the bank draft to you as soon as you contact him without delay.Please I will like you to accept this token with good faith as this is from the bottom of my heart. Thanks and God bless you and your family.

Hope to hear from you soon.My sincere advice to you as a christian is that you should endeavour to pay your tithe to a bible believing church when you get the money because noticed it as a fudiciary agent that you were skeptical about your winnings when you ere been ask by the Uk lotto Agency Inc to file out aclaim for your prize. And now the current policy of the Lotto organiser is that if an emerged winner fails to claim up his/her winning cheque of any amount it's now mandatory that this fund can be remitted or forfeited to the fudiciary agent in charge of this winners file.However, I want you to contact him immediately as soon as you receive this information because he is leaving for the US by the end of this month and this might cost a delayment for you to receive this draft.

Yours Sincerely,

Mr Agric Michael

Holiday Fever!

Is it just me or have all the American people become more selfish. The economy is in a downturn but all I hear about is people complaining that they can't give their children ipods and Wii's for Christmas. When the money is short, we used to give gifts like loaves of banana nut bread wrapped in colorful paper, plates of persimmon cookies and knitted pot holders. I mean, I don't even know if we were poor back then...I don't know If I realized there was a difference...I have very fond memories of childhood Christmases and I don't believe my parents ever spent more than 50 dollars on me once. Why is it that as a nation we have come to equate wealth, bling and status with success. Its charming, flashy and sexy...I suppose, but what about what really matters. All of that success eventually becomes meaningless.

Why have the days of caroling been replaced with downloads of The first Noel and Silent night...I mean, I love my ipod as much as the next individual, but it will never replace going and listening to a Christmas choir in person. Every year, I go to at least 6 church Christmas programs they are free and lovely. Not that you have to attend church...its just there is so much in life that can bring joy and holiday cheer that doesn't cost thousands of dollars...All I am really trying to say is...can't we teach our children to look past the dollar signs...

So to ease my conscience a bit, I have developed a list of low cost and free holiday cheer, help me add to it:

1. Homemade Hot cocoa...not Starbucks
2. Homemade Sugar cookies
3. Strings of cranberries and popcorn for the Christmas tree
4. Christmas Cards made on the Home computer (tons less than buying in the store)
5. Listening to the Radio Station with Christmas tunes rather than buying new CDs
6. Reuse wrapping paper and Christmas bags for presents
7. Use Funnies to wrap gifts
8. Bring out the China for holiday dinners instead of the Dixie cups and plates
9. Use the old ornaments from the closet rather than buying new ones this year
10. ...still to come

I can't believe it!

Is it really possible these are wedding cakes? To each their own...but to some who raised you? These are some of the most tasteless...pun intended...wedding cakes, I have ever seen. People have no shame...


Is this really the image you want of each other for the rest of your lives?


Its one thing to like black, bats, bugs and scary things...but it becomes a bit of a fetish to have them on your wedding cake...this gives me indigestion.


This images makes me wonder about the husband, he wants to eat his wife symbolically? This screams cannibalism, control and spooky.


Be afraid ver afraid...if your wife wants this cake, have a ironclad prenup...in case of murder, arson, or mysterious death wife gets zero....

Ditto!

Wow...What is this? I can't even guess...what they were thinking...

Confidence, at its best?

I've been watching the presidential debates, intermixed rather depressingly with the reports from numerous media stations about the downtrodden economy. Both candidates claim to have a plan, a concrete way to fix the economy and save everyone concerned. Yet, neither one can at least to my level of satisfaction explain how they plan to do it. Obama, I must say though, seem to be at least more in touch with what is really going on in our world. Unlike, Mr. McCain that has yet, to really bridge that important gap yet. Don't get me wrong, I am greatly disappointed with both candidates plans for the future. The Dow Jones dropping hundreds of points every day, Unemployment rates increasing exponentially in some areas. In my area...there just are no jobs, including the one, I was hoping to get....

Yet, there is a bit of cynical humor out there...Personally, I find the idea hilarious...but very distasteful. Artist Laura Gilberts whose subject is Money, Men and Mischief distributed 10,000 of the fake bills in front of the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday, Oct. 7th to protest and call 'real' attention to the economic crisis gripping our nation. Gilberts' print is called 'The Zero Dollar'. Visit her gallery at http://www.glibertgallery.org/ .

Spark!

Just when the darkness seems to be at its peak it gets darker,
Just as I believe that I can bear it no longer,
Light appears,
How dare that light appear and give me hope,
When I know it will fade away into the darkness once again,
Leaving me,
I,
Alone,
How dare it!
As if it in its haughty hope holds the answers men have sought after for years,
Why fight the despair,
Isn’t it what makes sense,
No,
Each time that light appears,
I realize just once more,
How much I want to see it again.

Criminal Law 101

Which one of these would be result in a go to jail now card?

1. Rape comitted while sleepwalking (or)

2. Driving your friends car, with his stash of Mary Jane under the seat

The answer was unbelievable to me. I think the Criminal Justice System needs a little schooling from Dr. Freud.

(Answer 2)