So Sayeth The Shack

The Tragedy Is Nationwide

2011-01-14T16:13:00.002-05:00

The "tragedy in Tuscon", as it has come to be called, it just a small part of a much larger tragedy; a tragedy that engulfs our nation and our society. On a regular basis, people are gunned down in cities around the country. We rarely hear about this. Why? Because the victims are "insignificant"? They are perhaps poor, drug addicts and/or dealers, gang members, etc. Yet they are someone's mother or father, or even someone's child. They are human beings, just like you and I. They may not have the "status" that some of the victims in the Tuscon shootings have, but they are still human beings, and the needless murder of any human being is a tragedy.

There will now be calls for stricter gun control laws. I reject these arguments. First of all, there are are already many illegally obtained guns out there that will still be out there once new laws are in place. The new laws would do nothing about this. Second, criminals do not obey laws. If they wish to obtain a gun and cannot do so legally, they will do so illegally, by stealing or some other means. Just look at the drug laws; they do not prevent people who really want drugs from getting them. Just look at prohibition. People could still get alcohol if they wanted it. Gun control laws will not solve the problem.

There is a culture of hate and violence in our society. We are too easily offended or angered by the words and actions of others, then too often resort to violence as an answer. We want vengeance for some wrong that has been done to us, whether the offender intended to hurt us or not. Until we all realize that everyone out there is a human being just like us, with the same basic needs and rights, the problem will continue.

Miscarriage of Justice

2010-08-20T08:48:00.003-04:00

In this morning's paper there were two stories virtually side-by side. One was about a homeless man who had spent 13 years in jail after trying to steal food from a church kitchen. Thirteen years for that!? Really!? Could they have not cut this man a break? He was probably just hungry! The other was about a man charged with DUI for the 7th time! This man was not in jail and he had a valid driver's license! Now tell me, which one of these people should have spent 13 years in jail? Which one obviously has the money to afford a better lawyer? Our justice system is so screwed up....just like our political system.

So Sayeth The Shack

Time For Leaves to Leave

2009-11-10T16:03:00.002-05:00

Autumn leaves are kind of like winter snow....pretty at first, but after they've been around too long they get ugly and dirty and it's just time for them to go away.

So Sayeth The Shack

Here We Go Again!

2009-05-17T11:40:00.002-04:00

We're heading for summer and the price of gas is on the way up. Where I live it has gone up 5-10 cents per gallon EVERY DAY for the past week or so. Who to blame? The oil companies? Well, Exxon seems to make record profits every year no matter how high or low the price of gas is so I think they are less to blame than some others. Who are those others? The rich, greedy commodity traders. They are the ones who push up the prices of necessities so they can get a bigger return on their investment dollar while breaking the budgets of the common people who cannot afford to pay more for basic things like food and energy. Have we learned nothing over the past two years? Despite what some "experts" might say, I think that $4-plus/gallon gasoline had a big hand in causing the current economic crisis. The experts might say that it was the mortgage situation but I say that a lot fewer people would have defaulted on their mortgages if they didn't have to pay over $4/gallon for gas just to get to work. And I firmly believe that another steep rise in the price of gas will quell any attempt at an economic recovery anytime soon.

Greed, mixed with a little stupidity, played a big part in the current recession. I am talking mostly about the people who are investing in and manipulating the prices of basic things such as food and energy in order to pad their wallets. In fact I think that such trading should be banned. Necessities such as food and energy should not be traded for profit. The common people simply cannot afford higher prices on food and energy just so the rich people can get richer.

So Sayeth The Shack

Feeling Unstimulated

2009-05-03T11:29:00.002-04:00

So they government has given billions of dollars to the banks to "stimulate the economy" and rescue the banks from "failure". And what are the banks doing with this money? They're turning around and screwing their customers!!

I recently received a notice from a bank with which I have a card account. I have never missed a payment or been late, but the notice said they were raising my interest rate about 8 percent! I had the option of "accepting"the change or cancelling my card and paying off the balance at the old rate and terms. So I called and asked them why the increase since I had done nothing to merit this increase. They said it was because of "economic conditions". In other words I was being punished for the actions of other people, since I had nothing to do with the current recession. So I cancelled my card. If that's what they're going to do, screw them! I hope they do fail! I encourage everyone else in this situation to do the same thing so the banks will get the message!

So Sayeth The Shack

Keep Government Out of Sports

2009-05-03T11:23:00.003-04:00

The government has been known to overstep its bounds now and than and right here we have a classic case. They want to step in and legislate a college football bowl and playoff system. Now admittedly, the current system is imperfect, but it is no business of the government. Things have really gone too far in this country when the government gets involved with things like this. They need to stick to the business of running the country and sports has nothing to do with that.

So Sayeth The Shack

Trickle-Down Taxation

2009-04-23T16:36:00.002-04:00

I read a post on a message board recently that got me thinking. One person said "we don't have to worry about our taxes going up; that will only happen to productive, hard-working Americans making $250,000 or more." The other person said "my employer makes that much; there goes my raise."

Previously I had been all for the idea of increasing taxes on better-off individuals and companies while keeping taxes low on the rest of us. But this little exchange got me to think. If the company I work for has to pay more taxes, they will have less money to pay their workers or to invest in capital improvement. So really a tax increases on businesses and well-off individuals can really also end up being a tax increase on the rest of us, without the rest of us realizing it. So we end up paying one way or the other.

Of course there is no guarantee that if our employers get to keep the money, they will use it to increase our compensation or to better our working conditions.

So Sayeth The Shack

These People Should Work for PENNDOT

2009-04-09T15:18:00.001-04:00

Now they'll expect everyone to fix their own roads!!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/09/hawaii.volunteers.repair/inde x.html?eref=rss_topstories

So Sayeth The Shack

Leave The Drunks Laying In The Street

2009-03-08T15:52:00.003-04:00

Leave the drunks laying in the street.

That's what I say after reading the latest story about people with legitimate injuries having to wait 8 hours in the emergency room for treatment or transfer to another facility because the ambulances were too busy bringing in drunks who were injured or passed out during the State Patty's Day drunkfest. The people who pass out should be left laying wherever they end up, in their own vomit even. Those who are injured should be made to wait 8 hours or go elsewhere for treatment so they can sober up and think about it. I have no sympathy whatsoever for these people. They deserve what they get.

I wonder how any of these drunks would feel if someone had died waiting for the ambulance that was instead tied up taking them to the hospital because they were behaving senselessly.

And to the person who said “It wasn’t the students’ fault. It’s just what we do.” you can just take your money and go somewhere else. We don't want you or your money in our town. If that's what the future leaders of our country do, then this country is in worse shape than I thought.

So Sayeth The Shack

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The Nest Gets Emptier

2009-03-01T10:08:00.003-05:00

I don't usually say much about my personal or family life on this site, but I'll make an exception.

We now have one less person in our household as our oldest, our daughter, moved out last week. I guess it would have technically happened several months ago had she chosen to go to college, but she did not, even though she had applied and been accepted. And that's OK with me. College isn't for everyone...I barely made it through myself. And it costs so much sometimes I wonder if it is even worth it. She has been working full-time since before high-school graduation last year and has been wanting to move out (especially since I started charging her rent beginning this year). So she moved in with some friends across town. We'll see how things go. Rents are high around here and working full time at a pizza place barely pays enough for that and a few other necessities. She knows she can come back if she needs to. Meanwhile, what to do with her room. We have a few ideas, but I don't want to do anything too drastic until we see how permanent this arrangement ends up being.

So Sayeth The Shack

Not An "Accident"

2009-02-17T16:33:00.002-05:00

"Crash death ruled accidental" was the headine to a story concerning the death of a 4-year old boy as the result of a car crash. This tragedy could have easily been prevented and so was no more an "accident" than those that are caused by drunk drivers. In this case, according to newspaper reports, the driver of the car, the boy's mother, attempted to pass another vehicle IN A NO PASSING ZONE ON A SNOW-COVERED ROAD! She slid off the road and hit a tree head-on. There is a double dose of stupidity here. First of all, no-passing zones are there for a reason. Due to sight distance, curves or potential oncoming traffic entering the road from an intersection, it has been deemed unsafe to pass in the area. Second, on a snow-covered and slippery road? Just take it easy and slow down. Sure there are some people who drive too slow in those conditions, but it is safer to just back off and stay behind them than to try to pass, especially in a no-passing area.

So Sayeth The Shack

----------------------------------------------------

The Octuplet Scam

2009-02-15T10:44:00.003-05:00

So this woman that had the octuplets, along with all her other kids, apparently is just trying to make some kind of celebrity of herself. She has a publicist and a website. (Wonder who is paying for those). She even has the audacity to be using the website to ask for donations! And supposedly she has received death threats. While the death threats, if they have indeed occurred (note my skepticism) cannot be condoned, I have to say that anyone who actually donates money to this woman via her website is an idiot. This is all just a big scam to get money and noteriety. The next thing we know she'll be showing up on "The View" and whatever other talk show she can weasel her way on to.

So Sayeth The Shack

I Hate (Love) My Job

2009-02-11T15:42:00.002-05:00

Ever hate something and love it at the same time? That is how I feel about my job right now.

Regular readers know what I do and where I do it so I won't get into that. Besides it could be most any job.

I was never too keen on the "new system" my company went to a couple of years or so ago, but recently it has gotten worse. In early December, a couple of positions were cut from the shift I work on and the work was "redistributed". And I'll tell you right where it all went: to me! So now I am doing not only what I used to do but also what two other people used to do. And I only have the same amount of time to do it that I had before. This is an enormous amount of work to be responsible for and I m also expected to get everything right. Some days it doesn't bother me too much, but other days it does, and this is one day when it bothered me a lot. So I just had to write it down, shout it from the highest hill: I hate my f-ing job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But I have to say that at the same time, I love my job....sort of anyway. In a time when it seems tens of thousands more people are losing their jobs every day, I have to say that I am at least somewhat happy to still be employed. Because if I weren't, I'd have nowhere to live and nothing to eat. It's just that on some days, like today, I'd rather be a trash collector.

So Sayeth The Shack

The Obama Abortion Irony

2009-01-21T15:12:00.004-05:00

Our new president is a supporter of abortion rights. The conservative Catholic group, Catholicvote.org, had a new ad to coincide with his inauguration yesterday. The gist of the ad was as follows.....

"This child's future is a broken home
he will be abandoned by his father
his single mother will struggle to raise him
despite the hardships he will endure
this child
will become
The 1st African American President
Life
Imagine the Potential"

What are the odds that our now-president might have become just another abortion statistic?

While I agree that abortion should be up to an individual, the individual should not just automatically decide to abort a fetus just because it looks like it might be a tough road ahead. People actually can overcome and rise above bad situations.

So Sayeth The Shack

What's The Harm In Mentioning "God"?

2009-01-13T15:42:00.003-05:00

Many years ago, the atheists were successsul in getting prayer removed from our public schools. More recently, some have attempted to get the words "so help me God" removed from the presidential oath of office. In the meantime, what about the "in God we trust" that is emblazened on our currency and the fact that when you testify in court you swear an oath on a bible ending with the words "so help me God". (There are exceptions for non-believers in most cases). There are still many religious references in public everyday life.

For those who believe in God, which is still the majority of people in this country, this is not a problem. Since this country is supposed to be a Democracy, that means majority rules, right? So those who do not believe should "take a back seat". Just like those who did not vote for the new president-elect should "get over it" and "get on with their lives"

Besides, even if you do not believe in God, is the mention of His name going to kill you? Surely, I think not. Does it offend you? If so, you need some thicker skin. So I really don't see the problem with phrases such as "so help me God" or "in God we trust", at least when spoken by someone else. To the atheist, it is just an empty, meaningless phrase. And in most cases, exemptions have been made for non-believers when testifying in court that they do not need to speak these words. So it should ultimately be up to the person taking the oath whether or no to make a reference to God. If the incoming president chooses not to speak these words, he should not have to. But if he did choose not so, that would cause quite a stir, don't you think?

So Sayeth The Shack

Happy New Year 2009

2009-01-01T17:00:00.003-05:00

My longtime readers know that I am usually somewhat of a scrooge when it come to New Year's.

But this year I will start things off on a slightly different note.

Happy New Year from The Shack. May 2009 be better that or at least as good as 2008 for you and your families. May you face and overcome new challenges with faith and strengh. May you strengthen old relationships and start new ones. May a small piece of the world be better because of you. And may you find yourself a better person in some way 365 days from now. Have a good year!

So Sayeth The Shack

Digital TV

2008-12-20T10:34:00.003-05:00

Unless you live in a cave in Aghanistan, and probably even if you do, you have heard about the government mandated switch to digital TV coming up in the near future.

Our local TV stations have been running incessant announcements as well as scroll bars during the shows about it. I really wish they would stop. There cannot possibly be anyone left who watches more than 5 minutes per month of TV who was not heard about it. Plus, as I understand it, it is only going to affect people who do not have cable or satellite. What's that, maybe 1 percent of the population?

Moreover, I hate the way government has mandated this change....again in usual way, forcing people to spend money to come into compliance with some law. If digital TV was so great, don't you think the people and the TV stations would eventually make that switch anyway?

As for myself, I have an old-fashioned (not digital, not high-def, not flat screen) TV that I bought about 10 years ago. Since it is connected to cable, it will supposedly keep right on working. But there is a small part of me that wishes it wouldn't. There is so little stuff on there that is really worth watching and of course I can definitely do without the advertising.

So Sayeth The Shack

We're All Going To Pay Dearly

2008-12-18T14:39:00.002-05:00

Wow! Isn't this recession great?!

Gas prices are way down. Other prices are coming down. There are plenty of bargains out there.

As long as you still have a job.

BUT WAIT!!!!

Have you heard about the tax and fee increases?

Due to loss of revenue from real estate values and other investments, most municipalities are increasing taxes and fees. Five percent seems to be the going rate where I live. A 5 percent real estate tax increase. A 5 percent sewer rate increase. And increases across the board on virtually all services...like trash collection, etc. Soon they'll be charging us by the street foot frontage to plow the snow. Renters, many of whom are on fixed incomes, will get slammed as landlords pass on all the increases.

What lies ahead? No one knows. Certainly not the "experts" who just months ago were predicting $10/gallon gas in the near future. Where is all the money going to come from for these "bailouts"? Oh yeah...I know...HIGHER TAXES FOR US!! So my grim prediction: more of us will lose our jobs, prices can only go so low, but taxes and fees will continue to go up, to the point where many of us will not be able to pay them.

A side note: What I can't believe is the NFL is losing money and cutting jobs. Yeah right. With the price they charge for tickets plus all the advertising revenue? I see those stadiums filled every week on TV. That's a crock o' crap that they're losing money.

So Sayeth The Shack

Even Atheism Is A Religion

2008-12-06T16:04:00.002-05:00

After reading the news about the sign an atheist group put up next to a nativity scene In Olympia, WA, I was curious and had to check out the group's website. The sign that had been put up dismisses belief in gods or devils, heaven or hell, and claims that there is only the world we currently live in. It claims that religion only "hardens hearts and enslaves minds". Looking around, it would seem that a lot of awful things have been done in the name of religion both in recent times and throughout history. But is God really the author of such hideous acts? I really don't think so. All of these acts have been committed by people. They might cowardly blame God (or the devil) for what they do, but no supernatural being can force them or any of us to do anything. We all have our own free will and are responsible for our own actions. As powerful as he might be, God cannot force us to obey him.

Meanwhile, these atheists have their own "religion", if I may call it that. I define the term religion here as a gathering of people who think or believe alike joining together to share their beliefs as well as attempting to influence others to believe likewise. This is pretty much what all religions do. This group has a website and a radio show. On their website, they invite people to join their "religion" and to make a tax-deductible donation. So they are really doing some of the same things that the other religious groups they criticize are doing.

So Sayeth The Shack

We'll Miss You, Julie!

2008-12-03T16:48:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite local columnists has passed away. I very much enjoyed her writing and am saddened by this news. My condolences to her family and friends.

Wednesday, Dec. 03, 2008
"PSU editor, former CDT employee Brink dead at 50"

"CDT columnist Julie Ann Brink, who brought a distinctive voice of admiration for country living to the community, died Monday. She was 50."

"(Linked are some of Julie Brink's CDT columns and some of her work at Penn State)
Marking seasons with sweet memories
Julie Brink: Raised in savoring the spoils of saving
Julie Brink: Instructor learns a few lessons of her own from undergrads
Julie Brink: Living on a farm
Julie Brink: PSU still life
Julie Brink: Packard's 'Hidden Persuaders' reminds consumers why they buy
Julie Brink: Book offers solutions on how to cope with nasty co-workers "

"Brink was a lifelong writer, working at the Centre Daily Times as an copy editor and features editor for more than 15 years before leaving in 2000 to work at Penn State.
There she was assistant manager for internal communications, wrote the occasional feature story, and taught journalism on the side.
An chronicler of rural life, Brink lived in Centre County for more than 20 years after growing up in Irvona, Clearfield County, and graduating from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Penn State spokeswoman Annemarie Mountz, who worked with Brink for 20 years, both at the CDT and then at Penn State, said Brink was a stickler for grammar and editorial style, but a friend to everyone she worked beside.
“She’s always been so unassuming and behind the scenes — the copy editor — making other people look good,” she said.
Brink died Monday after being hospitalized with pneumonia.
“Julie and I both loved sunsets,” Mountz said. “Back in 1991 when Mount Pinatubo erupted putting dust in the air, every night in the midst of deadline she and I would get up from our desks and watch the gorgeous sunsets. Everyone else thought we were crazy.”
She was born in Philipsburg, went to Moshannon Valley High School, and is survived by her sister, Christina, of Camp Hill.
CDT senior reporter Chris Rosenblum called Brink a “conscientious and dedicated editor” who “cared deeply about good writing and good journalism.”
Christine Arbutina noted that the Book Beat page that appears in Sunday’s Life section was Brink’s brainchild.
After leaving the CDT, she continued to write columns, and in recent years produced a “Centre Life” column that appeared one Monday of each month.
“Julie’s columns always were reader favorites,” said Bob Heisse, CDT executive editor. “She was a great friend of the paper and she’ll be missed.”
Some of her columns dealt with current affairs, but many were fond recollections of her years growing up in rural Clearfield County, or observations about her life in Houserville. Earlier this year, she received an honorable mention for her work in the columns category of the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association’s Keystone Awards.
“Through her columns, CDT readers got to know a lot about Julie,” Arbutina said. “We learned about her bountiful gardens, her beloved cats, and her penchant for salvaging things old yet still useful well before such recycling became fashionable. Her vivid accounts of growing up in Clearfield County’s coal country were history lessons in 600 words or less.”
After leaving the CDT, Brink went to work for Penn State where she edited three dozen newswires a week, and had lent her talents to others by teaching a feature writing class.
“She was a wonderful teacher,” said Ford Risley, head of the department of journalism. “She really cared about the craft of writing and wanted to pass that along to students.”
CDT senior reporter Chris Rosenblum and other staff members contributed to this report. Sara Ganim can be reached at 231-4616. "

So Sayeth The Shack

Stupidity Abounds

2008-12-03T16:41:00.003-05:00

A couple of recent newpaper articles have me wondering just how stupid people can get. For all of you intelligence-challenged out there, here are two pieces of advice:

1: If you are an escaped prisoner, don't call 911 for anything!

http://www.centredaily.com/news/local/story/994986.html

"A man listed as an escapee from Luzerne County for more than two years was arrested Wednesday morning after he called 911 to report a domestic argument he was having with his girlfriend in a Toftrees hotel room, police reported. Patton Township police responded, and a routine check at the scene revealed that in September 2006, Dixon failed to return to Luzerne County Prison from a work release program, police said in a news release. He was taken into custody without incident and placed in Centre County jail to await extradition to Luzerne County."

2: Dont drive drunk even one time in an evening, let alone two!

http://www.centredaily.com/news/local/story/989473.html

"State College police arrested a woman twice Saturday morning on drunken driving charges. The woman was first stopped by police about 1:20 a.m. on South Atherton Street. She parked her car in a lot on the 1200 block while police booked her on DUI charges. Police say the woman then got a ride back to her car and tried to drive it home about 4 a.m. Police got her before she could leave the parking lot. The woman was arrested again, and now faces two sets of charges related to driving drunk."

So Sayeth The Shack

You Know......

2008-11-29T14:12:00.002-05:00

You know that Penn State is a party school....when the mascot gets charged with DUI!!!

So Sayeth The Shack

Wonder How Much He Paid

2008-11-24T16:20:00.002-05:00

According to the news reports, Penn State football coach Joe Paterno underwent hip replacement surgery yesterday and all was successful. That's great.

But I'm just wondering how much he had to pay for it, out of pocket. I'm willing to bet he didn't have to pay one red cent. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that any college or pro football player who has to be treated for injuries don't have to pay any of their own money for it, even though they can well afford it a lot more so than us regular folks.

I have nothing against Joepa, or any other football player or coach for that matter. I am just saying this because of how I feel about our society's treatment of athletes and celebrities, which you already know from reading some of my other writings. They get all the money and glamour while those of us who do the "real work"of the world struggle to get by. I still owe the hospital a ton of money from last year that I'm paying off bit by bit. And it just irks me that these people have all the money and special treatment just because they play football.

So Sayeth The Shack

The Forgotten Holiday

2008-11-23T16:03:00.003-05:00

In October, it's all about Halloween. Costumes, decorations and candy fill the stores. Then, as soon as Halloween is over, BANG! its Christmas! The trees are up, the music is playing, the decorations are out and the toys are on sale.

Now just wait a minute here!! What ever happened to Thanksgiving? It is now totally skipped over in the rush to the retail commercialized frenzy that originated with the birth of Jesus.

Don't get me wrong. I love Christmas. I love the music, the decorations, the gathering of families and the giving of presents. But everything in its own time, and let us not overlook Thanksgiving, which is an important holiday in and of itself.

Of course, Thanksgiving, like many other holidays, is all about food. But beyond that, it is about giving thanks. After all, that is the name of the holiday. In this day and age it is easy to skip over the act of giving thanks, or thinking of the things that we have to be thankful for. Most of us are more prone to complaining about what we don't have than being thankful for what we do. I blame the media for this, especially TV and the advertising that goes with it. Advertising makes us dissatisfied with what we have and who we are and leaves us yearning for the products that will make our lives so much better, whether we really need them or not. It doesn't take much TV-watching (aside from the news) to make you realize that your life sucks; that everybody else has more money, a nicer house, a nicer car, is better looking, and is getting way more sex than you are. On the other hand, watching the news can really bring you back to earth. My wife hates watching the news because it depresses her. I, on the other hand, see the problems of so many other people and I realize how good I have it. I might not have tons of money, a big house, a nice new car, the latest cell phone, etc. But I'm healthy, I have a decent job, a loving wife, two teenage kids that have done great in school and aren't into drugs or in jail....and I can come up with lots of other things. My life might be pretty mundane overall but there is plenty to be thankful for. And while each one of us is in a different situation, we all have something to be thankful for.

So Sayeth The Shack

Bailout For The Common Folk

2008-11-19T17:58:00.003-05:00

That word "bailout" has been tossed around a lot lately, but always in regard to the "big boys"; big banks, big corporations, maybe the big automakers. The hope is that sending these folks tons of money will help us get out of this financial mess.

But will it help you or me? Maybe. Maybe not.

So here is my idea: bail out the common people instead. I don't mean a token thousand bucks or so like the government sent out earlier this year to "stimulate" the economy. Obviously that didn't work. Why not? Because instead of spending the money on new items, a lot of people, like myself, used the money to pay down debt. So what will work? Bail us out of our personal debt. Maybe not out mortgages but all other debt. I know that some people are are in debt through their own stupidity and foolishness, but many have had to borrow...use credit cards...whatever...for emergency home or auto repairs, medical expenses, etc. Having this debt erased would free up huge amounts of cash that could stimulate the economy from the bottom up which will likely work better than trying to stimulate it from the top down.

So Sayeth The Shack

Wow! What An Election

2008-11-05T15:23:00.002-05:00

Whether or not the person I voted for won, this was the most amazing election I have ever seen. Never before have I waited in line to vote. Yesterday it was a good hour wait. It was great to finally see so many people that care about the future getting out and having their say. I always vote at about the same time of the day. Usually I am voter number 100 or less. Yesterday I was voter number 780!! Wow!!! It would be nice to see this kind of turnout at every election.

So Sayeth The Shack

What A Choice!

2008-11-03T15:29:00.002-05:00

So tomorrow is election day and I am sitting here still wondering who to vote for.

Do I vote for an exuberent yet inexperienced young man who seems to have some great ideas, but who supposedly lacks knowledge of and respect for the constitution?(This according to Heather Higgins and others). He wants to "redistribute" wealth in a more fair and equitable fashion by the use to taxes and such things. This would be beneficial to me at the present time but at the same time I'm not sure it is fair to punish wealthier people because they have more money. His own lack of experience is supplemented by the experience of his running mate however.

Or do I vote for a much older man of much greater experience including military service but with a running mate with even less experience than the other candidate? A man in somehat questionable health and with a notorious temper. A man who allegedly failed his comrades-in-arms during a previous war. (Again, who do you trust for this information?) A man who did more than his share of negative campaigning...taking some of his opponent's words and phrases out of context and twisting them into something else (not that his opponent didn't do the same thing).

So many tough decisions. I think when I get into the voting booth tomorrow I'll just play eeny-meeny-miny-mo.

So Sayeth The Shack

Shack-O-Ween

2008-11-01T10:12:00.005-04:00

Halloween at the Shack's Shack

Shack as a blind referee . (He can't see very well anyway so it wasn't a tough part to play.)

Shack-Wife as a crazed murderous school lunch lady. (And she plays the part quite well in real life.)

Went to a party and had a great time.

So Sayeth the Shack

Road Trip

2008-10-27T14:12:00.005-04:00

I'm a big football fan, but I don't go to a lot of games. Its kind of expensive, and most of the time you can see the game better on TV than you can from many stadium seats. But every once in a while I'll splurge, and this was one of those times. This past weekend my son and I ventured to Columbus to see Penn State beat Ohio State. We made a weekend of it, leaving here on Friday and coming back on Sunday. I rooted for Penn State and my son rooted for Ohio State (how he became an Ohio State fan, I really don't know...any more than I know how my daughter became a Packers fan). Anyway here are some pictures.....

This was the view from our seats. We were so high that we could almost reach up and touch the blimp.

We stayed at this hotel. The Crown Plaza North in Columbus. Very nice and I highly recommend it. The PSU team and coaches also stayed there. They arrived a little while after us.

The Budweiser brewery was right across the street from the hotel. How's that for convenience??

Also visited with a former roommate. His wife is a professor at Ohio State. He works for the University of Illinois. It's a long-distance relationship right now.

The price of gas in Columbus: $2.28/gallon!!!! Talk about a ripoff! It's cheaper everywhere than it is here!!!!!

So Sayeth The Shack

Walkers Beware!

2008-10-18T13:35:00.001-04:00

Twice in the past two days I have nearly been struck down in the middle of the road by someone blatantly running a red light. Both of these occurrences were in broad daylight in the middle of the afternoon. Both times I had a walk signal and the light had been red for the cross traffic for several seconds, so it was not a case of someone trying to beat the red light and not quite making it. No, it was a case of someone totally disregarding the light, not to mention the safety of everyone else.

Drivers, please obey the law. By running red lights, you are risking not only a fine and a citation, but also a collision with another vehicle or a pedestrian who assumes you will obey the law and stop. Serious injury or even death could result.

Pedestrians, please obey the law. Do not jaywalk. But even when you have a walk signal, be very careful, lest you end up flattened in the middle of the street by a red-light runner.

So Sayeth The Shack

Who Is More Wrong?

2008-10-14T16:59:00.002-04:00

Not a week goes by that I don't hear a comment about how weathermen are always wrong. Well we may miss a forecast now and then, but what about those ECONOMISTS????

I didn't hear or see ANYONE predicting this economic tumble a few months ago. I didn't hear or see ANYONE say the price of gas would drop below $3.00/gallon or that crude would be under $90/barrel. To the contrary I heard predictions of $5.00-$10.00/gallon gas. So how 'bout it ECONOMISTS? Talk about a busted forecast! How 'bout y'all picking on THEM for a change?

So Sayeth The Shack

Serves You Right

2008-10-11T10:36:00.002-04:00

Have you lost money with the decline of crude oil prices?

SERVES YOU RIGHT, I SAY

Those who mess with the lives of others by speculating in the markets of necessities such as food and fuel and driving prices upward for the common person deserve to lose their money, I say. Just look at the economic toll of $140/barrel crude and $4/gallon-plus gasoline plus the huge rise in food prices. People going broke, losing their jobs and losing their homes so that some other greedy person could have even more money.

Now its time for those greedy people to lose some of what they have.

What goes around comes around.

So Sayeth The Shack

Will Anything Be Learned From This?

2008-10-09T15:01:00.002-04:00

The government is "bailing out" financial institutions that are in serious trouble, supposedly because of the economy, but maybe instead because of some poor choices that they made.

If we as individuals get "bailed out" every time we make a mistake, will we ever learn anything from our mistakes? Probably not. We will just figure that everything is OK and even if we make the same mistake again, it will still be OK because someone will again bail is out.

While this government bailout might help the economy, eventually, I fear that sometime down the road, we will find ourselves in the same boat once again and will again be looking for a bailout.

On all levels, from the individual to the corporation to the nation, we must at some time have to face the consequences of our action and of our mistakes if we are ever to learn not to repeat them.

So Sayeth The Shack

Getting Gouged Deeply

2008-10-01T15:34:00.002-04:00

The price of crude oil has dropped $40/barrel over the past several weeks.

The average price of gas in PA. is $3.45/gallon.

So why are gas stations in and around State College still charging $3.55/gallon????

The actual price should be closer to $3.00.

I for one, refuse to buy any gas until the price drops to a more reasonable level based on the price of crude. If I run out of gas before that, I will just leave my car right there in the middle of the road where it sputters to a stop as my form of protest.

So Sayeth The Shack

Don't Be a One-Issue Voter

2008-09-21T14:17:00.005-04:00

Recently, in a letter to the editor of the local newspaper, someone indicated that they would vote for McCain based on Obama's and Biden's stand on abortion rights. They gave no reasons other than this.

There are many such "one-issue voters" out there. They vote based on the candidate's stand on one issue only. For some, the issue is abortion rights. For others it may be gay rights, or gun control, or some other thing.

This is not the way to pick our political leaders. We must figure out which candidate will do the best job overall leading our nation. We may not agree with their view on every issue, but sometimes sacrifices must be made. We must try to pick the person who has the best vision for our nation's future and will do the best job turning things around and getting us back on track as a world leader.

As far as abortion rights are concerned, I believe that this is a personal issue. I personally believe that abortion is wrong, but I believe that each woman must be given the freedom to decide this issue for herself.

As far as gay rights are concerned, I believe that we must treat all human beings equally regardless of their sexual orientation or other characteristcs. If being gay is a "sin" then God can deal with it at the appropriate time.

As far as gun laws are concerned, this would have been a much better world if guns had not been invented in the first place. Can we go back in time and undo that one? But seriously I believe that everyone has the right to own a gun to defend themselves, their family and their property, and to hunt if they so desire. The exception would be convicted criminals and those who are mentally unstable and have displayed suicidal or homicidal tendencies.

So Sayeth The Shack

After Fifty Years, What I Believe

2008-09-14T15:22:00.008-04:00

As of today I have spent a half-century on this earth and during that time I have developed certain beliefs, based on what I have seen and experienced. I will now share those beliefs with you (whether you want me to or not).

BACKGROUND: I was born into a Catholic family and raised that way. We went to church on Sundays and Holy Days and and I also went to Catholic school through 8th grade. I didn't go to Catholic high school because it would have meant taking a bus to another city while the public high school was virtually right in my backyard. So I went to public high school instead. Still went to weekly and Holy Day mass with my family. For the most part though I, like many, took my religion for granted. I didn't think much about what it all meant. I recited the prayers and stuff pretty much mindlessly. During college, my church attendance became more random. If I was home for the weekend, I would go, so as not to disappoint my parents. If I was not home, I generally wouldn't. After college, my church attendance remained rather random. One day, two well-dressed young men with name tags knocked on my door and introduced me to the Mormon Church. They were good salesmen and I was an easy sell, so I decided to give it a try. I got baptized and went to church there...a bit more regularly than I had been. I lost my fiance over it and almost my parents too. I thought I agreed with most of their beliefs. I even married a Mormon woman. But eventually I couldn't take it any more. Three hours of church every Sunday plus all kinds of other meetings, conferences, etc, some in far-flung distant places was just too much. I couldn't and still can't afford to pay one-tenth of my income for tithing. I didn't have the time to say all the prayers and read scripture every day. And no coffee or alcohol? Come on! So I "fell away" or "went inactive" as they call it. This was a few years ago. So that leaves me now as what I will call a "religious floater". I generally don't go to church, although I do still enjoy a good Catholic Mass now and then.

THE EXISTENCE OF GOD: The foundation of all religions is a belief in something that cannot be proven. Namely that there is a being that created the universe and everything in it and that after we die we will live with this being in heaven (or not, depending on how we live our life here). I am not really sold on the existence of God to start with. Obviously it cannot be proven one way or another. My big problem is the idea that God is supposed to be perfect and that he loves everybody. If He is really perfect then how could he have created this earth and the rest of the universe, which are imperfect and filled with natural disasters, etc, and how could He have created us, who are also far from perfect. And if he really loves all of us, then why do some of have it so good and others have it so rotten? If I loved all my children I would make sure that they were all equally provided for and given the same opportunities. But that is not the case with the human population. So I have a problem with the God thing to start with. I suppose that it is possible that the imperfections of this universe and the people in it are actually part of an overall perfect plan that is so large that we simple cannot perceive it. That is probably what some ministers and others will say. And maybe it is so. But I haven't quite gotten to the point where I can grasp that yet. Sometimes I think God is like Santa or the Easter Bunny. Many children believe in these mythical, make-believe things, then find out eventually, to their great disappointment, that they do not exist. And yet I think there is a "spirit of Santa" a spirit of gift-giving at the holidays and other times. My wife and I both give each other gifts at Christmas labeled that they are from Santa even though be both know that there is really no such person. Our teenage kids think it is corny as all heck. So, too, perhaps, there is a "spirit of God" that helps many of us strive to be better people, whether or not God himself really exists.

RELIGION AND CHURCH: There is supposedly one God, so why so many different religions? The biggest problem is that many of them claim to be the "only true religion". The Catholics claim this. The Mormons claim this. Other churches and religions do as well. Obviously they can't all be true, although there might be some element of truth in many of them. If there is only one God, there can really only one true religion, and at this point I do not believe that there is any such thing on the face of the earth. I do believe that a religion or church is good for a person if it motivates them to be a better person, live a more Christ-like life, be more loving to their neighbors, etc. On the other hand, a religion or church that excludes anyone for any reason, or motivates people to kill or harm others, is not good. In my opinion, religion, right along with race and nationality, has been and continues to be one of the biggest causes of wars and conflicts in the history of our world. It has divided many more people than it has ever united. To this day it divides families to the point that parents disown children and wives divorce husbands.

PRAYER: Prayer is defined as "talking to God". I have tried this. Problem is, since I'm not sure that God exists, it is like having a one-sided phone conversation. I don't know that anyone is listening, so there isn't much of a point. Sometimes we are told to pray for faith, but this is a circular argument. If we don't have the faith that someone is listening to our prayers to start with, it is rather difficult to pray and ask that person we are not sure is there to give us more faith. In the Catholic church we did a lot of praying to different saints and to the Virgin Mary. I never really saw the point of that. Sure they were great people, but they're not God. Some people claim to have been miraculously healed as a result of prayer. I think these are cases of mind-over-matter. If you believe strongly enough that you can do something or can be healed, it just might happen. Besides the idea of a miracle implies the idea that something has gone wrong and God has to "fix" is, again bringing up the imperfection idea. And if God really is all-knowing and all that stuff, he already knows what we need and what we want, so why bother him with our incessant begging and whining?

So this is where I stand. I don't go to church regularly. I don't pray or read scriptures. I'm not sure whether or not God is there. Nonetheless I try to be "good" person. I try to treat others with the love, respect and dignity that they deserve, because they are human beings, and without regard to their race, nationality, religious beliefs, political affiliations, and so forth. I am not perfect at this by any means. I try to do what I can to make this world a better place for mayself and others. I believe that every human being has basic needs which include love and fair treatment by others as well as food and shelter. I may not be able to help much with the latter two, but certainly I can give love and respect to all, or at least I can try. if we could just all treat each person with the love and respect they deserve, what a great world this would be! And I don't believe that one necessarily has to go to church or any of that other stuff in order to be able to do that.

So Sayeth The Shack

Still A Tough Choice

2008-09-10T13:43:00.002-04:00

A while ago in Vote For The Veep I advised picking the new president based a great deal on who they picked for running mate.

So the choices for vice president have been made by both parties and it is still a tough choice. I believe the Obama/Biden ticket is well balanced, combining youthful exuberance and ambition with wisdom and experience. Of course the same might be said for the McCain/Palin ticket in reverse. And of course you can find a scandal against just about anyone. Even me. I kicked a nun once when I was in grade school. That's my scandal. It would be a big deal if I were nominated for office.

One of my biggest problems with McCain is that he has how many houses? 7? Who the frick need seven houses!??!! I'll bet they're all mansions too...not one of them like anything I'd be able to afford. Is that how he will run this country...spending taxpayer money on extravagances? So for now I lean toward Obama/Biden.

So Sayeth The Shack

Empty, Alone, Worthless

2008-09-07T12:37:00.002-04:00

Hello, I am Nobody.

You might know me, or at least be aware of me. I might be someone you work with, someone who lives near you, or somebody you see walking along the street.

And yet, it seems as though I am invisible.

No one seems to care about me or wants to be my friend.

When I was a kid, all the other kids picked on me and no one would be my friend.

Later, people stopped picking on me, but I still didn't have any friends.

Hot girls never liked me...only the average or below-average ones ever had an interest.

Oh, there have been a few "friends" along the way, but over the years we have gone our separate ways due to various life circumstances, and nobody keeps in touch. No one writes, e-mails, calls, etc. The "friends" I had in college...I never heard from afterwards. "Friends" or coworkers from years ago, I never hear from. So I ask, were they ever really "friends"?

Now, I have no friends. No one to get together and have fun with or talk things over. I have "co-workers" and "acquaintances" but that is all.

No one invites me to their weddings.

I have a blog, but no one reads it. Well maybe one person.

I have tried joining various social and service organizations, even churches. But I always felt like I was on the fringe, never really like a part of the group. Almost like I was invisible.

EVEN MY MOTHER HATES ME!!! She never writes; she never calls.

And the hot girls still don't like me. Well I guess I'm too old for that now anyway.

What did I ever do to anyone to deserve this kind of treatment from anyone? What is wrong with me? I guess I am an empty shell and have nothing to offer anyone.

So I get up every day and go to work. Then I come home and feel empty, alone and worthless not to mention BORED OUT OF MY FRICKIN' MIND!!!! until I get up the next day and do it all over again.

I guess I really don't see the point of it all.

Some days I can keep myself busy and occupied and keep these feelings buried deep down inside, but today was not one of those days. The feelings are always there; deep-seated feelings of unhappiness, loneliness and emptiness. Never going away. Because no one ever really liked me.

So Sayeth The Shack

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A Fifty Percent Chance, Huh?

2008-08-28T16:25:00.002-04:00

Back on Tuesday, just like many other times this year, the National Weather Service was forecasting a 50 percent chance of rain for Wednesday night and Thursday. I have seen this forecast many times this year...a 50 percent chance. What good does it do tell people that there is a 50 percent chance of rain? It's like..anyone can say it might or might not rain on any given day. You sure as heck don't need to go to college for 4 years. Now maybe the NWS has some kind of policies about doing this, but it seems to be that they can to a lot better than saying there's a 50 percent chance of rain. It's like throwing up your arms and saying "I don't know what's going to happen". Even on Wednesday I think they were still saying a 50 percent chance. Finally on Thursday morning, they took the chance up to 100 percent, AFTER IT HAD STARTED RAINING! A lot of good that did!

So Sayeth The Shack

Vote For The Veep

2008-08-20T17:05:00.000-04:00

Given the state of affairs in this country and around the world, the upcoming presidential election will likey be one of the most important in a long while. But there are two big problems. First of all, is either candidate qualified to lead in these times of trouble and turmoil? More importantly, will either candidate, if elected, live out the term of office? One risks getting assassinated, for various reasons. The other is so old that he might die in office. This makes the vice-presidential candidate perhaps more important than the presidential candidate. I am not happy with either candidate, but will most like choose based on who they pick for running mate more than anything else.

Don't Be Fooled

2008-08-11T16:21:00.002-04:00

The price of crude oil and gasoline have tumbled from their recent record highs, but make no mistake, they will sooner or later be heading back up. And this time they will set even higher records...maybe 5 bucks per gallon..maybe even more.

The point is, whatever you were doing earlier this summer to save on gasoline, KEEP IT UP!!
Drive less, combine trips and errands, put off that vacation trip, switch to a more fuel-efficient vehicle, if possible. Don't be lulled into a false sense of security that the crisis is over. This has happened time after time in the past, and we never learn. Do you think we've learned this time? Only time will tell.

So Sayeth The Shack

George W. Bush Presidential Library

2008-08-04T16:42:00.002-04:00

The following is from internet discussion boards, not my original work....

The George W. Bush Presidential Library is now in the planning stages.

The Library will include:

The Hurricane Katrina Room, which is still under construction.

The Alberto Gonzales Room, where you won't be able to remember anything.

The Texas Air National Guard Room, where you don't even have to show up.

The Walter Reed Hospital Room, where they don't let you in.

The Guantanamo Bay Room, where they don't let you out.

The Weapons of Mass Destruction Room, which no one has been able to find.

The National Debt room which is huge and has no ceiling.

The 'Tax Cut' Room with entry only to the wealthy.

The 'Economy Room' which is in the toilet.

The Iraq War Room. After you complete your first tour, they make you to go back for a second, third, fourth, and sometimes fifth tour.

The Dick Cheney Room, in the famous undisclosed location, complete with shotgun gallery.

The Environmental Conservation Room, still empty.

The Supreme Court's Gift Shop, where you can buy an election.

The Airport Men's Room, where you can meet some of your favorite Republican Senators.

The 'Decider Room' complete with dart board, magic 8-ball, Ouija board, dice, coins, and straws.

The museum will also have an electron microscope to help you locate the President's accomplishments.

Congressmen and Senators get in free. After all, they've had a free ride for the past 8 years!

So Sayeth The Shack

Post-Election Taxes

2008-08-01T17:20:00.001-04:00

The following was received via e-mail. Thought I would pass it on.

DATA ON TAXES

Proposed changes in taxes after the 2008 General election:

CAPITAL GAINS TAX

MCCAIN

0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples). McCain does not propose

any change in existing home sales income tax.

OBAMA

28% on profit from ALL home sales

How does this affect you? If you sell your home and make a profit, you

will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement and

would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community, 28%

of the money you make from your home will go to taxes. This proposal will

adversely affect the elderly who are counting on the income from their

homes as part of their retirement income.

DIVIDEND TAX

MCCAIN 15% (no change)

OBAMA 39.6%

How will this affect you? If you have any money invested in stock market,

IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or

anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now be paying nearly

40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama becomes president. The experts

predict that 'Higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains would crash

the stock market, yet do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit.'

INCOME TAX

MCCAIN (no changes)

Single making 30K - tax $4,500

Single making 50K - tax $12,500

Single making 75K - tax $18,750

Married making 60K- tax $9,000

Married making 75K - tax $18,750

Married making 125K - tax $31,250

OBAMA (reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)

Single making 30K - tax $8,400

Single making 50K - tax $14,000

Single making 75K - tax $23,250

Married making 60K - tax $16,800

Married making 75K - tax $21,000

Married making 125K - tax $38,750

Under Obama, your taxes could almost double!

INHERITANCE TAX

MCCAIN 0% (No change, Bush repealed this tax)

OBAMA Restore the inheritance tax

Many families have lost businesses, farms, ranches, and homes that have

been in their families for generations because they could not afford the

inheritance tax. Those willing their assets to loved ones will only lose

them to these taxes.

NEW TAXES PROPOSED BY OBAMA

New government taxes proposed on homes that are more than 2400 square feet.

New gasoline taxes (as if gas weren't high enough already)

New taxes on natural resources consumption (heating gas, water, electricity)

New taxes on retirement accounts, and last but not least....

New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the same level

of medical care as other third-world countries!!!

You can verify the above at the following web sites:

http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/election/2008/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/issues.taxes.html

http://elections.foxnews.com/?s=proposed+taxes

http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/politics/articles/mccain_obama_offer_different_visions_on_taxes.html

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/barack_obama/

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/john_mccain/

Twenty Million To Retire? Sure!!!!!!

2008-07-31T17:48:00.003-04:00

So the Packers have offered Brett Favre $20 million over 10 years to stay retired.

WOW! I wish somebody would give me $20 million to retire! In fact, I'd be happy with a tenth of that....it should last me the rest of my life with no problem whatsoever, and I'd be living better than I do now.

So Sayeth The Shack

A Crappy Situation On The Mountaintop

2008-07-21T16:43:00.002-04:00

From the Centre Daily Times:

A.M. BRIEFING: Monday
Burglar leaves dog feces after break-in
State police at Rockview are investigating a burglary earlier this month in which someone went into a Snow Shoe home, stole some electronics and left dog feces inside the refrigerator.
Police said the incident happened sometime between 9 a.m. July 11 and 11 p.m. Saturday.
Someone got into Jenifer Jo Bickel’s home, 210 W. Olive St., through an unlocked porch and then through a window, police said. The person took video games, DVDs and CDs, valued more than $1,000, then left dog feces in the refrigerator, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the police at 355-7545.

So Sayeth The Shack

Leave The Gas Tax Alone

2008-07-21T16:14:00.003-04:00

Over the past few months, as fuel prices have skyrocketed, there as been talk, especially among presidential candidates, of lowering or (temporarily) abolishing fuel taxes. One of the more popular ideas has been a "summer break" from fuel taxes.

According to an article in yesterday's paper, however, this talk has been mostly silenced, and replaced by the idea of raising fuel taxes. This new idea is being "quietly" discussed in congress (sounds a little like pay increase that Pennsylvania lawmakers voted themselves in the not so distant past) especially among those who have constituents who would profit from additional road construction.

At this time I feel that both of the above are bad ideas. Lowering or temporarily eliminating the tax would be bad because the money is need for road repair. And oil companies would probably just raise the prices back to where they were before the tax reduction anyway. Raising the tax is an even worse idea given the current economic situation. The consumer, the very engine that is supposed to be driving this economy, is already being suffocated by massive increases in the cost of necessities such as food and fuel. The higher tax would further increase the cost of fuel, which would, in turn, cause even higher prices for everything else. This would just strengthen the economic choke hold on the consumer and would ultimately not benefit anyone. So the best thing to do right now is to not change fuel taxes at all.

So Sayeth The Shack

No Double-Nickle, No Tolls

2008-07-13T10:43:00.002-04:00

Two articles in today's paper aroused my ire just a bit.

The first concerns the idea of re-instituting a national speed limit of 55 mph to help save gas. This will be a massive waste of time and money. Virtually no one obeyed that speed limit the last time around and a large percentage of drivers don't even obey the current speed limits. I was on I-80 just last month and while my cruise was set at 86 (the speed limit) I was still passed by the majority of other cars. (For some reason the fastest drivers always seem to be from New Jersey or Michigan). If people want to slow down a little to save gas, that's fine, and the increasing price of gas might motivate more and more of them to do so, but I really don't think the goverment needs to spend all that time and effort necessary to re-institute a national speed limit of 55 mph.

The second concerns tolling I-80. Reading the article, I was almost tempted to change my mind on this issue. It spelled out how the money would be spent for new interchanges and other upgrades. The idea is invest the money now for later benefits. However I think that at the very least, this is a bad time. Drivers are already burdened with steeply higher gas prices and while some people can cut back on trips, the commercial drivers cannot. The cost of the new tolls will, like the higher cost of fuel, will be passed on to...guess who? you and me, the consumer. It will be reflected in the cost of the goods shipped along that interstate which, in this area, is just about everything. This at time when inflation, driven by steep rises in the cost of fuel and food, is at a pace we have not seen in a long while. Perhaps in the future when the economy has stabilized a bit, but right now is a bad time. Plus, how much is it going cost to construct and man the toll booths anyway? And where will these toll booths be? Many interchanges have rather short and steep on and off ramps so there is really no safe place without major alterations. I cannot fathom putting them between interchanges, making all the traffic stop to pay. This is extremely unsafe. Look what happens now when traffic is stopped or slowed down unexpectedly....it usually gets rear-ended by someone not paying attention. And one more thing...some percentage of drivers will simply take the "back" roads to avoid the tolls, putting more traffic on what are often narrow 2-lane winding, hilly roads that pass through small towns...creating more unsafe situations. So even though the money may be needed, I am still against the idea of tolls on I-80.

So Sayeth The Shack

Well Said

2008-07-13T10:28:00.002-04:00

I was walking through town a few days ago and saw a bumper sticker that said: "Live Simply, That Others May Simply Live".

I think that very nicely sums up some of the things that I have been trying to say in posts concerning the economic excess of some at the expense of the unmet needs of others. If everyone in this world would simply take only what they needed. I believe that there would enough to cover the needs of everyone and that no one would be homeless or starving.

There are those who say that people who live a lavish and extravagant lifestyle have perhaps worked hard and earned the money and the right to spend it any way they want. That is true, but does anyone really need massive homes on huge plots of land, a fleet of lavish, gas-sucking vehicles, designer clothes, jewelery, etc.? It would be better that these people would donate of their excess and live humbly and simply so that others' basic needs might met.

So Sayeth The Shack

The Most Pointless Thing I've Ever Seen

2008-07-08T15:31:00.003-04:00

This has to be the most useless "accomplishment" I have ever heard of.

And I thought I had no life!!

http://www.kare11.com/news/whatsup/whatsup_article.aspx?storyid=517399&catid=333

Man tries to break new world record on stadium sitting

	Updated: 3 hrs ago
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Getting a seat in the Rose Bowl could be a difficult task but one man in Pasadena is taking all 92,542 of them. So when I tell you there's a guy a world record stunt on stadium seat sitting you might ask yourself several questions.

World record holder Jim Mouth says "Why? Because it was here. Because this is the granddaddy of stadiums in the world and the home of the Rose Bowl."

Jim Mouth says "I challenge myself. It's kinda like fasting but I fast as far as sleeping and relaxing. And I said I'm going to raise money for a good cause, I'm going to challenge myself; I'm going to do something I've never done before. That's sit in every seat in the Rose Bowl. No one's ever done it. And it took me 20 years to get the permission. And I'm jumping on it."

You might also think "what's so hard about about that?"

Well to answer that you've got to give it a try.

92,542 times under the Pasadena sun in July.

Jim Mouth says "your knees will go out because you're spinning on your knees. And you quads, right here on the top of your thighs. Are you feeling soar?"

So now you may just be wondering about this guy.

What kind of person does things like this?

Or one of his many other Ripley's Believe It Or Not accomplishments.

Like shoving the most cigarettes, cigars, french fries, hot dogs, straws or pizza slices into his mouth.

Jim Mouth says "and the 25 mile crawl where I crawled 25 miles on my hands and knees. And that was by far the most devastating on my body. This is number four. Number four as far as brutal. I jumped a parking meter 5,000 times. Past out twice."

You almost have to be a comedian to do this.

And Jim Mouth is a comic musician. When he's not sitting around, and around, and around.

Jim Mouth says "now you're slowing me up. I'd already be on the next row by now. You know that suit ain't going to be worth much after this."

(Copyright 2008 by NBC. All Rights Reserved.)

So Sayeth The Shack

Now This Is What I'm Talkin' About!

2008-07-07T17:43:00.003-04:00

I have often railed about how our economic system allows some people to have so much as the expense of others who have so little. Read below about a family that did something about it.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/07/02/hunger.house/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

By Rusty Dornin
CNN

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- One day while driving with her father, Hannah Salwen noticed a Mercedes stopped next to a homeless man sitting on the curb.

The Salwen family of Atlanta, Georgia, has decided to sell this house and give half the proceeds to charity.

"I said to my dad, 'If that guy didn't have such a nice car, then that guy could have a nice meal,' " the 15-year-old from Atlanta, Georgia, recalled.

And so began the tale of what the Salwen family calls "Hannah's Lunchbox." Watch why family wants to give away $800K »

It started as family discussions about what they needed versus what was enough. Hannah's father Kevin, an entrepreneur, is on the board of the Atlanta Habitat for Humanity and is no stranger to community work, but he said this family conversation was life-changing.

"We stopped and paused and thought about what are the things in the world that could really make a difference, a little bit of difference in the world," he said.

They talked about selling their cars or other things, but it was Hannah's mother, Joan, who came up with selling their 6,500-square-foot house, donating half the proceeds and then moving into a house half the size.

For nine years, the family lived in a historic 1912 mansion near downtown Atlanta. It boasts five bedrooms, eight fireplaces, a kitchen that would make any cook jealous and even an elevator. See the new and old houses, side by side »

When Hannah would bring friends over, she said, often their jaws would drop and they'd gasp, "Wow, you live here?"

Like most teens, Hannah loves to shop, and she jammed every space of her massive walk-in closet full of clothes. But she also knows many people are less fortunate; she volunteers at a local community food bank and other relief agencies.

Joan Salwen, a teacher, said the mansion was her dream home.

"It was a challenge," she said of giving up that house. "It was a test, almost, to see: How committed are we? I mean, how serious are these kids about what we should do? And they all nodded and there we were."

So the Salwens put the house up for sale in May 2007 and started figuring out what they would do with half the proceeds, which would amount to more than $800,000.

They spent six months researching charity organizations before deciding on the Hunger Project, an organization dedicated to helping end world hunger through people helping themselves.

Hunger Project Vice President John Coonrod said the family met with organizers in New York and notified them months later that the charity was the winner.

When the Salwen house sells, the money will be channeled through the Atlanta Community Foundation over a six-year period and end up in Ghana, Coonrod said.

"This will underwrite a process in more than 30 villages to enable people to meet all of their basic needs on a sustainable basis," he said. "They will be able to grow enough food, to build clinics and schools, and the villagers will be doing the lion's share of the work."

Coonrod said he'd never heard of a family donating in this way.

"Hannah's awakening to social injustice, and her family's ability to make a difference in that issue will make a profound difference in the lives of tens of thousands of people," he said, estimating the money could affect more than 20,000 people in Ghana.

Hannah's 13-year-old brother, Joseph, was so impressed with his big sister's ideas that he made a three-minute video of the family's project. Watch Joseph's video

The video won the grand prize in the 2008 "My Home: The American Dream" contest, sponsored by Coldwell Banker and Scholastic Publishing.

In the video, Joseph tells viewers, "We're showing you can redefine the American dream."

But the Salwens' house has sat on the market for more than a year. It's a tough time to sell any house, let alone one with an asking price of nearly $1.8 million.

Real estate agent Sally George said she's shown the house 40 or 50 times, and there have been nibbles but no buyers. See the house's real estate listing

Many people are interested in the house's rich history but often don't know anything about the philanthropic aspects of the family's project.

"I've never handled a house selling for this reason," George said. "I didn't learn about what the family was doing until early this year."

Hannah and Joseph said most of their friends at school don't know about it.

"We didn't do it for the fame or the glory," said Joan Salwen. "This was something Hannah sort of yanked us into."

Even though it was Joan Salwen's idea to sell the house, it has been tough for her to give it up. "I have to admit," she said, "I loved living in this house. Does that make me an evil person? I hope not because it's a beautiful place."

The family recently moved to a house less than half the size of their mansion four blocks away. While Hannah's friends called her old home the "wow house," this one is more ordinary and that's fine with her.

Lately the family has spent a lot of time around the kitchen table talking about an upcoming two-week trip to Ghana. The Salwens will spend six or seven hours a day visiting the villages where their money will be put to work.

Kevin Salwen said the new house is great, it's just smaller.

"We as Americans have so much," said Salwen, a former Wall Street Journal writer. "We love the concept of half. We are going from a house that's 6,000 square feet to a house that's half the size, and we're giving away half the money.

"And we do think everyone can do something if they think through half."

So Sayeth The Shack

July Fourth Waste

2008-06-29T12:33:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year when many cities, towns and organizations spend large amounts of money purchasing fireworks and putting on displays. Many individuals also purchase their own and set them off. I personally do not see the value in any of this. All that money, all that work...what do you get out of it? A few minutes of ooohs and ahhhs and that's it for another year. I've seen some fireworks displays in my time and I'll tell ya what.....you've seen one, you've pretty much seen them all. It really wouldn't bother me if I never saw another one. As far the ones individuals can buy and set off, as I've said elsewhere on my website, you might as well just pull some money out of your pocket and set it on fire for all the good it does you. So you can call me a grinch if you want, but as far I as I'm concerned, they can take all the fireworks and send them back to China. And speaking of that, with all the problems there have been with products from China over the past year or two, I wouldn't want to be within a few miles of any Chinese fireworks!!!!

So Sayeth The Shack

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Some Of Us Have The Freedom

2008-06-23T15:37:00.002-04:00

Here in Pennsylvania, if you ride a motorcycle, you have the choice, according to law, whether or not to wear protective headgear to reduce the chances of serious or fatal injury if you are involved in a crash. (Not to mention to make an atrocious amount of noise!!) However if you drive or ride in an automobile, van, SUV, pickup or commercial truck, the law does not afford you the same choice when it comes to seat belts. A recent news story indicated that a study has shown that head trauma resulting in injury or death has increased over the years since wearing helmets has become optional for motorcyclists. As some have opined in the local newspaper, duh!...fewer helmets, more injuries and deaths. Other studies have indicated that someone wearing seat belts are more likely to survive a crash than someone who is not. The issue here is one of both personal safety and personal freedom. Looking at it from a personal freedom viewpoint, we should all be free to decide for ourselves whether or not to wear a helmet or to use seat belts. So why is it that one group, the motorcyclists, is free to make that decision for themselves while another group has the decision made for them by the government? From a safety standpoint, it would make sense for motorcyclists to wear helmets and for drivers and passengers in automobiles to wear seat belts, no matter what the law says. So why do we need to have a law? Oh yes, because a lot of people don't have any common sense. But why the different treatment for different vehicles? Either require both helmets and seat belts, or neither. The current laws make no sense to me.

So Sayeth The Shack

A New Way To Fund Our Roads

2008-06-14T09:16:00.004-04:00

Pennsylvania's roads and bridges are in bad shape, as are those in other states. They are in need of a great deal of repair work. A variety of ideas have been presented to pay for the needed work: leasing the turnpike, putting tolls on I-80, raising gas taxes and registration fees. Most of these will have a detrimental impact on the economy at a time when the economy is aready floundering. So it's time to think a new direction: corporate funding of our roads. We could have the "PNC Pennsylvania Turnpike", the "Capital One Keystone Shortway" and so forth. Companies would pay some amount of money in return for being able to advertise along the roadways. Rest areas and individual interchanges could also have their own sponsors. Maybe each bridge (at least the big ones) could have their own sponsors. Even construction areas could be sponsored" "road improvement next 10 miles, brought to you by (insert company name)." In a world where advertising is everywhere, why not our roads as well?

Some of the more comical ones might be "The Enzyte Expressway" and "The Viagra Viaduct Bridge"!!

So Sayeth The Shack

A New Way To Fund Our Roads

2008-06-14T09:16:00.000-04:00

Finally Changing Our Driving Habits

2008-05-27T15:55:00.003-04:00

Over the past couple of years as gasoline prices inched upward from one past two to three dollars per gallon, I have wondered what it was going to take for people to change their wasteful driving habits, long roads trips etc. My family and I had long ago cut back on unneccesary driving. We had made an art of combining errands and doing them on the way home from work so that once we were home, that was it. We didn't go back out unless we absolutely had to. We long ago traded the pickups for small fuel-efficient cars. Well we seem to have found the answer. Gas prices heading four dollars per gallon is what it would take to get at least some people to make some changes, as I see in the following article.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/05/26/gas.driving/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

"At a time when gas prices are at an all-time high, Americans have curtailed their driving at a historic rate. Americans are not driving as much as they did a year ago as gas prices skyrocket.

The Department of Transportation said figures from March show the steepest decrease in driving ever recorded. Compared with March a year earlier, Americans drove an estimated 4.3 percent less -- that's 11 billion fewer miles, the DOT's Federal Highway Administration said Monday, calling it "the sharpest yearly drop for any month in FHWA history." Records have been kept since 1942.

According to AAA, for the first time since 2002, Americans said they were planning to drive less over the Memorial Day weekend than they did the year before...."

It's about time!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So Sayeth The Shack

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How To Spend Your Rebate

2008-05-27T15:53:00.003-04:00

I received the folloing via e-mail. Not sure of the source but thought I would pass it on....

IRS rebate, and just who it finally Helps !

The federal government is sending each and everyone of us a $600 rebate.

If we spend that money at Wal-Mart, the money will go to China .

If we spend it on gasoline it will go to the Arabs.

If we purchase a computer it will go to India ..

If we purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico , Honduras , and Guatemala ..

If we purchase a good car it will go to Japan .

If we purchase useless crap it will go to Taiwan ....and>none of it will help the American economy.

The only way to keep that money here at home is to buy prostitutes, weed, beer, and tattoos, sincethese are the only products still produced in the USA .

Thank you for your help & please support the USA......

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The Fifty Buck Car Wash

2008-05-21T15:39:00.002-04:00

Wow there's a new car wash in town where for fifty-some dollars A MONTH you can get your car hand washed, dried, polished, etc inside and out as often as you want. Holy crap! I don't know very many people who, given the current economic situation, are willing to dish out that kind of money for a clean car. We can barely even afford to drive our cars anymore, let alone pay that kind of money to keep them clean!

So Sayeth The Shack

One God For All?

2008-05-01T16:36:00.002-04:00

It really bugs me when I read or hear something like the following excerpt from a letter to the editor in the local newspaper written by Donal Heller: "In his recent letter, Ed Emel asked whether we let mankind or the will of God govern us. Whose god is he referring to?" (Click here to read the full letter)

What do people mean when they ask "whose god?" Do they think that there is a different god for each of us; a different set rules or commandments to live by for each person? No wonder this world is such a mess!

If there is a god, which, by the way, I am far from certain of, then is there not only one? Ancient peoples worshiped multiple gods, but for the past few thousand years, the major religions have been monotheistic. This means one god. The same god for you as for me as for everyone else. And even though there are still many different religions, I believe that they all basically worship the same god, albeit in somewhat different ways. The existence of a god is not affected by our belief or lack thereof. We choose whether or not to believe but that does not affect the fact that a god either does or does not exist. We, at this point, can neither prove nor disprove the existence of god. But if there is one, I believe, as do the majority of others, that there is only one. So when someone asks "whose god?", the answer is "your god, my god, everyone's god", and his rules for you are the same as his rules for me and for everybody else. Each religion may have their own interpretation of things but that is because these interpretations have been altered by man down through the ages. So for those who believe, the question "whose god?" is meaningless.

So Sayeth The Shack

Welcome New Readers

2008-04-30T17:49:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to say hi to a couple of new readers who have commented recently, terri and minnesotablue. Welcome! As you can probably see, I do not post as often as some bloggers...just when something strikes me and I feel the need to express my feelings about it. Thanks for the comments!

So Sayeth The Shack

More Worried About Animals Than People?

2008-04-27T16:07:00.004-04:00

The circus came to town this past week. Interestingly, it arrived on the day of the primary elections. A little ironic, don't you think?

Whenever the circus comes to town, there are people who write letters to the editor of our newspaper protesting the way the animals are treated. Animals that are supposed to be running wild in Africa, Asia or wherever are instead captured, trained and made to perform for our entertainment. I do not totally disagree with the writers of these letters. However, human beings have been subjugating animals just about as long as there have been human beings on this planet. We have captured them, tamed and domesticated them, put them to work for us, made pets out of them, and made food out of them. The circus animals are probably treated relatively well compared to some of these others. But more importantly, I wonder if these same letter-writers are just as horrified by the way we treat other human beings. I am not specifying any "we" in particular, but human beings in general are not know for their wonderful treatment of other humans. Slavery, genocide, torture and war are just some of the examples. And you don't have to go to some far-flung country. Right here at home, in the news on a regular basis, are examples. In fact the majority of us are now being forced into poverty by Big Oil, Big Business and Big Government. So before we worry about how the circus animals are treated (I'm sure they are well fed, at the very least), we should worry about how we treat others, starting with our family and neighbors and going outward from there.

So Sayeth The Shack

Political Circus

2008-04-23T16:12:00.001-04:00

Yesterdday was primary election day here. It was also the day the circus came to town. Anyone besides my see the irony?

So Sayeth The Shack

Some Pennsylvanians Unable To Vote

2008-04-21T15:26:00.001-04:00

It has come to our atttention that a large number of rural Pennsylvanians will be unable to vote in tomorrow's primary.

The reason?

They can't afford the gas to drive to their polling place!!!!

So Sayeth The Shack

Why Be President?

2008-04-05T18:14:00.001-04:00

I really don't understand why anyone wants to be president of this country. It's like volunteering to be captain of a sinking ship.

So Sayeth The Shack

The Divisiveness Of Politics

2008-03-30T16:35:00.003-04:00

It is amazing how much an election or political campaign can divide the American people. First we break down into Republicans, Democrats, Independents and a few other parties. The we have the "black vote", the "white vote", the "latino vote", the "Christian vote", the "Jewish vote", the "gay vote", the "soccer mom vote", even the "NASCAR vote" (please forgive me if I didn't mention YOUR group...no offense was intended). It seems to me that one function of a leader is to unite the populace behind a common cause, that cause perhaps being the betterment of this country. But all we ever do is break down into groups...this group voting for this and the other for that. Many people vote based on one issue alone (abortion for example, or the death penalty, or gun control) and don't look at the overall big picture. The last time this whole country was united behind a cause was during World War II. Oh we might have briefly united after the 9-1-1 attacks but that didn't last long. So is there anyone who can get elected and actually unite the people of this country and take us forward.

By the way, my group is the bitter moneyless white middle class living paycheck to paycheck and getting shit upon by the likes of the oil companies and other big businesses (not to mention the government itself).

So Sayeth The Shack

Ecomonic Disaster Fast Approaching

2008-03-27T15:58:00.003-04:00

From CNN http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/26/beck.deficit/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Let's say a giant asteroid was headed toward Earth right now and experts say it has a good chance of ending civilization as we know it. Let's also say that we've known about this asteroid for years but even as it gets closer and closer our leaders do nothing.

"Don't worry," they tell us, "The next administration will figure something out."

With the future of our country at stake, would Americans really sit back and tolerate that kind of inaction? Of course not -- we'd be sharpening our pitchforks and demanding answers.

Well there may not be a space asteroid heading toward us, but there is an economic one -- and the threat to our future is just as severe.

You might think that I'm talking about the recession (sorry: potential recession) or credit crisis, but I'm thinking bigger. Much, much bigger.

Let me give you three numbers that will put this economic asteroid into perspective: $200 billion, $14.1 trillion, and $53 trillion.

$200 billion is the approximate total amount of write-downs announced so far as a result of the current credit crisis.

$14.1 trillion is the size of the entire U.S. economy

And $53 trillion is (drum roll please) the approximate size of this country's bill for the Social Security and Medicare promises we've made.

While no one will ever mistake me for Alan Greenspan, it seems to me that the third number is quite a bit larger than the other two. It also seems very few people care.

According to the latest Social Security and Medicare Trustees report (and I use that term loosely since it has the word "trust" in it) released earlier this week, the economic asteroid will first make impact in the year 2019 when the Medicaid trust fund becomes insolvent.

Only an immediate 122 percent increase in Medicare taxes and a 26 percent increase in Social Security taxes can prevent (or more likely, delay) its impact.

Realizing that Americans have become pretty much numb to these kinds of ridiculous sounding proposals, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson tried to up the ante this week. "Without change," he said, "Rising costs will drive government spending to unprecedented levels, consume nearly all projected federal revenues, and threaten America's future prosperity."

Now, I know we're all worried about important sounding things that none of us understand, like CDO's, SIV's, and Credit Default Swaps, but did you hear what our Treasury Secretary just said?

"Rising costs will ... consume nearly all projected federal revenues ..."

Translation: Every single tax dollar that is sent to Washington will be used to pay for just these two programs.

That means no money is left for anything else. Nothing. No Department of Defense or Homeland Security, no Department of Energy, no Department of Justice, no Environmental Protection Agency, no Internal Revenue Service. Actually, knowing our government, they'd probably keep the IRS going somehow.

Of course, none of this is exactly breaking news. Our leaders have known about this rapidly approaching asteroid for years now and they've done nothing but debate it. At the same time, I'm a realist. I understand that this stuff is "the third rail of politics," but our leaders' negligence on this issue is damn near criminal. No, correction, it is criminal.

Americans aren't afraid of the truth. In fact, we crave the truth only slightly more than we crave a leader who will actually give it to us. But part of the problem with this issue is that numbers followed by 12 zeroes aren't very relatable to the average American. Instead, try this on for size.

A million seconds is 12 days. A billion seconds is 32 years. A trillion seconds is 32,000 years. And 53 trillion seconds? 1.7 million years.

In an article that will appear in an upcoming issue of my magazine, Fusion, former Comptroller General of the United States David Walker tries a different tactic. He writes that our unfunded promises translate into "an IOU of around $455,000 per American household."

Wow. Does the size of our debt hit home now?

The America that I know doesn't sit around waiting for someone to rescue it from disaster. Besides, who do we expect to swoop in and save the day? Congress? The president? Please -- they're not only the ones who put the asteroid into space, they've also been making it bigger with irresponsible spending on everything from prescription drugs to billions in rebate checks and bailouts.

Bruce Willis and Tommy Lee Jones? They're more likely to be on Social Security than to save it.

And that leaves only us: We the People. Like every other crisis we face, it's up to us to save ourselves.

But how?

Be honest, no matter what side of the political aisle you're on, it's obvious that our financial deficit is dwarfed only by the deficit of trust we have in our leaders.

I'm willing to do the right thing for our future, I'm willing to sacrifice, but not when I believe that our leaders will do nothing but make the asteroid even larger.

----------------------------------------------

None of us want to see our taxes go up, especially with our budgets being squeezed by inflation. But as I have said before, there is a crash coming, and drastic action must be taking to save our country and our economy. My guess is that rather coming from the top (our so-called "leaders") it may actually come from the bottom by way of some kinds of grass roots revolution. That is if we can get our minds away from Britney Spears, NASCAR and March Madness and focus on what is really important.

So Sayeth The Shack

Spring in Pennsylvania

2008-03-27T15:49:00.001-04:00

The season of Spring in Pennsylvania is, in fact, one day. It is the day that, in the morning, you turn off the heat (which has been running steadily for the past 6 months) and, in the afternoon, turn on the air conditioning (which will run steadily for the next six months).

For more weather check out Weather16801

So Sayeth The Shack

I Don't Get March Madness

2008-03-22T16:43:00.003-04:00

I don't really care much for basketball and I really don't get the whole "March Madness" playoff thing. It seems like every team is in the playoffs, so why even bother having the regular season? Plus everyone and their brother is running around with their brackets, trying to predict who the ultimate winner will be. I say, who cares? Certainly not me. Many people bet on them, and large amounts of work time is lost talking about the outcome of the latest round of games. I really don't care who is in the playoffs, or who wins. This goes for both the college and professional levels.

For more stuff I don't get, click here

So Sayeth The Shack

Colorectal Cancer

2008-03-18T18:14:00.002-04:00

So this is supposed to be "colorectal cancer awareness month". I am supposed to want to go to my doctor (he won't remember me; I haven't been there in a few years) and have something shoved up my rear end to see if there might be cancer up there. No thanks. Yeah I know it might prolong my life, but I really don't want to live to my 80s or 90s like many of my relatives. Life just isn't that great, especially the way this country is headed. So if I have cancer, fine...I'll die young. That's OK with me. And since my suck-shit health insurance probably won't pay for the exam, I can't afford it anyway.

So Sayeth The Shack

More Government Waste

2008-03-11T15:48:00.002-04:00

Two more examples of our government wasting our tax money have caught my eye recently . One is the congressional hearings concerning baseball players using steroids. What business is this of congress? Steroid use is illegal right? So just deal with this the way you would deal with any crime. Why does it have to go through congress? Personally I don't care whether or not baseball players, or any athletes, use steroids. We pay these people millions of dollars a year and in return expect perfection. So it is no wonder they turn to steroids and other methods to enhance their performance and stay on top of their game. Basically they are doing it to give us what we expect of them for the money they are making. But congress should keep their noses out of it. They have more important things to do for the money we are paying them...not that they ever do it.

The other thing I recently heard that the IRS is going to spend millions of dollars...I forget the exact figure...to mail out notices to people to let them know they will be getting tax rebate checks. Hello? Does no one already know this? Do they really have to send out these notices? How about they at least save some of that money by sending e-mail notices to taxpayers who have e-filed, instead of using the postal service.

So Sayeth The Shack

"State" Patty's Day

2008-03-02T13:12:00.003-05:00

The students at the local university will be on spring break when Saint Patrick's Day rolls around later this month. What a pity! They'll be in Cancun, Daytona Beach or some other exotic place having a great time and no doubt drunk off their asses and getting laid every 5 minutes. They'll miss some of the crappy, cold and often snowy weather that March often brings to central PA. But they'll also miss Saint Patrick's Day, another opportunity to get drunk off their ass (as if they need one!) So what do they do, they fabricate an alternate holiday, call it "State Patty's Day", and go out and get drunk off their asses. This took place yesterday and last night. Of course this leads to some less than exemplary behavior from the "future leaders of our nation" including some run-ins with the law. Here are some excerpts from the local newspaper reports of some of the activity...

"At 2:48 a.m., two men said they were minding their own business when eight to 10 men beat them up, police said. The assailants were white, college-aged males, police said."

"A man threw a snowball at a State College parking enforcement Jeep at about 12:30 a.m., only to learn it was being driven by State College police officers due to the weather. The thrower is being cited."

And my personal favorite..........................

"Police came to the rescue of a lost, drunken man who was “trapped” inside the State College Area High School’s track at 650 Westerly Parkway about 2:30 a.m. Saturday. He apparently was too intoxicated to get over a 4-foot-tall fence, according to a police report. The man will be cited with public drunkenness."

Is it any wonder that I have such low regard for the local college students?

So Sayeth The Shack

Nutrisystem Before & After

2008-02-25T16:57:00.002-05:00

Every week in the Parade section of my Sunday paper there is an add from Nutrisystem. It features "before and after" pictures of a bunch of people who have supposedly lost tens or even hundreds of pounds. Come on now...who do these people think they are kidding? Most of those pictures look like they cannot possibly be the same person. Most of the time the hair is a different color or a different length; sometimes the skin is even a different shade. There is no way they can be the same person!

So Sayeth The Shack

Change Date For Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T16:22:00.002-05:00

OK Whose idea was it to make Valentine's Day the 14th of February....or the 14th of any month for that matter?

For the majority of us, the 14th is one day before payday...the day when we have the least money to spend on those cards, flowers, boxes of chocolates, dinner dates etc to keep ourselves out of the proverbial doghouse.

So while we're messing with the dates of other holidays...Presidents' Day to make it a Monday, St. Patty's Day so the college kids can get drunk, and so on, let's change Valentine's today to something like the 16th or 17th so that it hits just after payday instead of just before.

So Sayeth The Shack

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Spinning My Wheels

2008-02-09T13:59:00.001-05:00

Let me say a few words about my financial situation. I have a college degree and have worked for the same company for 27 years. But every year it seems as though my financial situation remains stagnant or gets worse. I was better off 20 years ago than I am now and I am certainly no better off than my parents were 30 or 40 years ago and neither of them went to college! Sure I get a raise every year, but it is nowhere near enough to compensate for the increases in the cost of living...like the increase in gas prices, which results in the increase in the price of everything else...increases in premiums for my suck-shit worthless health insurance that doesn't pay for much of anything...increases in utilities, rent, etc. It is like a tractor-trailer trying to go uphill on a sheet of ice; not only do I not go forward, but it is all I can do to keep from sliding back down to the bottom. Nothing ever seems to get any better and I just don't see any light at the end of the tunnel. I have to keep scaling back how much I put into my retirement plan due to increases in taxes, insurance premiums and such. So I'll never be able to afford to retire either. Whenever I have a few minutes of free time and start thinking about this stuff I can instantly get seriously depressed and feel like killing myself. So whenever I am not busy or occupied with something, that is how I feel.

It just seems like nothing ever changes and nothing ever gets any better. So why bother?

So Sayeth The Shack

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What Season Is It Anyway?

2008-02-06T16:33:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I heard birds chirping. The weather has been really weird lately. It's been pouring rain for the past 4 or 5 days with ice all over the ground and thick, creepy fog in the air. Today it went up to 60 degrees and the ice melted and it stopped raining for a while. The winter has pretty much sucked. We haven't really had any snow. Whenever it's cold it doesn't do anything. The rest of the time there is rain or ice. Might as well just get warm and stay warm.

So Sayeth The Shack

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Animals Come Before People--Again!!

2008-02-05T18:26:00.000-05:00

5-legged cat to have surgery, then foster care to recuperate

The Associated Press
EIGHTY-FOUR, Pa.

"A cat born with five legs will soon be a three-legged feline ready for adoption.
The cat, named Babygirl, will undergo surgery Wednesday near Pittsburgh to remove the extra leg and the crippled rear left leg to which it is attached.....The cost of the $1,600 surgery will be paid for by donations....." (color added for emphasis)

Whose gonna donate money to pay for my family's medical bills ??!!! People will give money to fix a freakin' 5-legged cat but what about a person??!! Where are the priorities in this world??!!
Right now as far as I'm concerned the frickin' cat can spend its whole life hopping aroud on 5 legs! I hate cats anyway....they puke and pee all over everything and they make me itch!!!!

So Sayeth The Shack

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Hillary Healthcare; Another Unfunded Mandate?

2008-02-04T15:59:00.000-05:00

One of Hillary Clinton's big campaign items is the idea of universal health insurance. When I first heard of this I was thinking of the sort of universal health care they have in Canada. But a closer listen reveals that she is talking about universal heath insurance. Basically everyone will be required to have insurance. OK now who is going to pay for that? The main reason people don't have health insurance is that they can't afford it. Now they're going to be required to have it? And even for some people who do have it...it's pretty much worthless anyway. Just look at mine. I paid thousands of dollars in premiums last year and still have thousands of dollars in medical bills, so basically I didn't get jack shit for the money I paid in. The same thing is happening this year. I really feel that I would be better off without it, and probably some of these other people would too. If I had saved all the money I had paid in premiums I might actually be able to afford my medical bills.

So Sayeth The Shack

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Here Is One Smart Dude

2008-02-02T12:35:00.000-05:00

http://www.centredaily.com/news/breaking_news/story/374716.html

---------begin quote--------------------------

Homemade bombs found in Tyrone

From CDT staff reports

Three homemade bombs were found Friday on railroad tracks near the American Eagle Paper Mill in Tyrone, police report.

A man told borough police he was walking along the tracks at around 12:30 p.m. when he noticed what appeared to be improvised explosive devices made of cardboard, black powder and newspaper, police report.

The man took the devices, which were the size of road flares, to his home where he called police.

Officers secured the devices in a steel box at the scene and notified the Pennsylvania State Police Explosives Disposal unit from Hershey to dispose of the bombs.

An investigation is ongoing, and there are no suspects, police report.

The FBI, Norfolk Southern Railroad and Nittany and Bald Eagle Railroad were notified of the incident.

Tyrone police remind residents not to touch any suspicious packages but to call 911 immediately

---------------end quote--------color added for emphasis------------------

That's real smart....taking the bombs home with him....he could have been blown up!!!!!

So Sayeth The Shack

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Immigrants and Birds

2008-02-01T16:30:00.000-05:00

I received the following by e-mail recently. It is not my original work, but I basically agree with it, so I am passing it on...................

An interesting parable

I bought a bird feeder. I hung it on my back porch and filled it with seed. What a beauty of
a bird feeder it is, as I filled it
lovingly with seed. Within a
week we had hundreds of birds taking advantage of the
continuous flow of free and
easily accessible food.

But then the birds started
building nests in the boards
of the patio, above the table, and next to the barbecue.

Then came the poop. It was
everywhere: on the patio tile,
the chairs, the table ...
everywhere!

Then some of the birds
turned mean. They would
dive bomb me and try to
peck me even though I had
fed them out of my own
pocket.

And others birds were
boisterous and loud. They
sat on the feeder and
squawked and screamed at
all hours of the day and night
and demanded that I fill it
when it got low on food.

After a while, I couldn't even
sit on my own back porch
anymore. So I took down the
bird feeder and in three days
the birds were gone. I cleaned up their mess and took down the many nests they had built all over the patio.

Soon, the back yard was like
it used to be ... quiet, serene
and no one demanding their
rights to a free meal.

Now let's see ....
Our government gives out
free food, subsidized housing, free medical care, and free education and allows anyone born here to be an automatic citizen.

Then the illegals came by the
tens of thousands. Suddenly
our taxes went up to pay for free services; small apartments are housing 5 families; you have to wait 6 hours to be seen
by an emergency room doctor; your child's 2nd grade class is behind other schools because over half the class doesn't speak
English.

Corn Flakes now come in a
bilingual box; I have to
"press one" to hear my bank
talk to me in English, and
people waving flags other
than "Old Glory" are
squawking and screaming
in the streets, demanding
more rights and free liberties.

Just my opinion, but maybe
it's time for the government
to take down the bird feeder.

If you agree, pass it on. If not,

continue cleaning up the poop!

-----------------------------------------------

Freezing In the House

2008-01-25T16:13:00.000-05:00

I read a comic strip recently that got me thinking about something. One person was cold and wanted the other to turn up the heat, but was told to put on a sweater instead. So she asked why in this age of being so technologically advance we have to keep our homes so cold (because we can't afford to heat them)?

I remember when I was young, everyone's home was nice and warm in the winter. Not like now when most people keep their homes in the 60s. It's not so much by choice...it is that we can't afford to keep them warmer. So if we are so advanced why can't we develop some new methods of heating and thurn that thermostat up. Or bring back the coal furnaces. There's still plenty of that stuff around.

So Sayeth The Shack

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Spend It All!

2008-01-24T15:47:00.001-05:00

Well from the latest news, a round of tax rebates is just about a done deal. The government needs to "give" people more money so that they can spend it to boost the sluggish economy.

It seems to me that there is something wrong here. Why is it that we all need to spend every penny we earn...and more...to keep the economy chugging along? When I was young, people saved as much as possible. Credit was used sparingly and only for major purchases, like a home and perhaps a car. If we wanted something, we saved for it. If something worked, we kept it; if it didn't work, we got it fixed. Only as a last resort did we dispose of it. Now, if something doesn't work, we toss it and get a new one. If we can't afford it, we buy it on credit. Savings, what's that? Most technology is made to become obsolete within a few years. Cell phones, computers, video game systems, etc all have a life of just a few years or so before a major upgrade or replacement is necessary. We would have been better off without all this stuff. Maybe the Amish have the right idea of forsaking technology and conveniences.

We are sometimes chastised for not saving enough and being too deep in debt, but when there is a reduction in consumer spending and the economy slows down, the economists and politicians panic like they are now. I wonder what would happen if everyone stopped spending on all but the necessities and started saving like in the "old days". Would the economy completely collapse?

I think everyone who gets a rebate should either sock it away in savings or use it to pay down old debts. Don't spend a penny of it on anything new.

So Sayeth The Shack

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What Right Do They Have?

2008-01-22T18:39:00.000-05:00

Bellefonte bans outdoor furnaces

I've never been around one of those outdoor furnaces, but I doubt if they are much worse than the coal furnaces of my childhood. Will they ban indoor woodburners and fireplaces next? Do they even have the right to tell you what you can and can't use to heat your home? I'd like to see someone challenge this law and take them to court.

NFL Tiebreaker Rules

2008-01-22T18:07:00.000-05:00

I'm not a big sports fan and for the most part I pretty much don't care, but I think the N.F.L. overtime rules are quite unfair. It basically boils down to whoever scores first in overtime wins...the other team doesn't even get a chance to come back. Even college is better...setting a definitive amount of time for each overtime period. Basketball too. And baseball seems to be the most fair, playing an entire extra inning if the score is tied. So come on, NFL, put some fairness i your overtime rules!!

So Sayeth The Shack

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Messy Kids' Rooms

2008-01-22T17:58:00.003-05:00

Here's another thing to add to the list of things in life I don't get. What is it about kids and their rooms? When I was a kid, my room was neat and clean, and my parents didn't really have to keep after me to keep it that way. I have two teenagers, and their rooms are dumps. My daughter has more garbage in her room than a New Jersey landfill. (Maybe there are a few dead gangsters in there, too?) My son's clothes are all over the floor. He has a closet and a dresser, but the clothes are pretty much always on the floor. He says he likes it better that way. Me...I couldn't live like that. I can't stand messy, dirty places. We have them clean their rooms, but a few days later, it's back to the slop. Kind of like Penndot fixing I-80...as soon as they're done it starts falling apart again. I don't even want to think what their houses or apartments will look like after they move out.

So Sayeth The Shack

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Getting Gouged

2008-01-22T17:53:00.000-05:00

So I heard today that gas is below 3 dollars in Williamsport and Lamar, yet it is still 3.15 here. If that's not gouging, I don't know what is! Someone's getting rich and, as usual, it ain't me!

I'm just glad I don't live in Moe-Shannon anymore and drive a big 4WD truck. Would have gone bankrupt by now even though I might have had the house paid off.

So Sayeth The Shack

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Yak, Yak, Yak

2008-01-18T16:00:00.000-05:00

So I was watching a football game last weekend. I like football. There's plenty of action and I can understand the game and rules. Unlike baseball where there are long gaps in the action, or basketball, where there is plenty of action, but I don't understand the rules...like the fouls. People are running into each other all the time, but sometimes they call a foul and sometimes they don't. What's up with that? But back to the point. I really don't understand why they need a pregame show that tells you about the game you are about to watch, a halftime show to tell you about the game you are watching (and maybe a few others) and then a postgame show to tell you about the game you just watched. They are paying a handful of former players and coaches probably hundreds of thousands of dollars to do all this yacking, and it's like a bunch of girls yacking about their wardrobe or whatever...it just goes on and on and on. Please, just show me the game without the pre- and post- stuff. And at halftime, I'd actually like to see a marching band instead of all the yacking. Like back when I was a kid...they actually showed halftime. Those kids put in just as much practice as the athletes. They deserve to be on TV too.

So Sayeth The Shack

----------------------------------------------------------------

Cars Taken To Hospital?

2008-01-14T16:01:00.000-05:00

From the 3WZ website and local Cable Channel 4:

"A BOROUGH POLICE CRUISER AND A MAZDA HATCHBACK COLLIDED ABOUT 3 A.M. SUNDAY AT SOUTH GARNER STREET AND EASTERLY PARKWAY. BOTH WERE TAKEN TO MOUNT NITTANY MEDICAL CENTER. "

So now they take the cars to the hospital! Wonder what they do with the occupants....take them to the junkyard maybe? Or the body shop? Maybe it would be cheaper to do it that way!

So Sayeth The Shack

-----------------------------------------------------------

Yeah Right

2008-01-10T08:03:00.000-05:00

So I hear Prez Bush is predicting "peace in the Middle East" by the end of his term.

Sure.

The only that will happen is if we go over there and annihilate every last person so there is no one left to fight. Maybe that's what he has in mind.

So Sayeth The Shack

----------------------------------------------------

A Sad Ending

2008-01-09T15:13:00.000-05:00

O.W. Houts & Son to close

I didn't shop there often, but this store was always known as 'the place to go if you can't find it anywhere else" I did usually get vegetable plants and other stuff for my garden there in the spring. It's sad to see another locally owned and run business close down

So Sayeth The Shack

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A Beautiful Rainbow

2008-01-09T14:49:00.000-05:00

Not in the habit of posting pics, but....This full rainbow appeared on the morning of January 9th a little after 8 A.M. It was visible for quite some time looking west from town. It is one of the best rainbows I have ever seen so just had to share it. Used my cell phone camera and could not fit it all into one show so had to take two to get all of it.

So Sayeth The Shack

--------------------------------------------------------------

Last Of The Nog

2008-01-07T15:35:00.001-05:00

Today I drank the last of the egg nog for this season, which makes my very sad. Egg nog is one of my favorite things about the holiday season. My Mom used to put rum in hers. My sister-in-law spiked hers with a good bit of whiskey and made it so think that you almost had to eat it with a spoon. But even regular store-bought no-alcohol nog is fine with me. I realy like the taste. So I wonder....why do they only make it for the holidays? I'll tell you what...I would drink it all year if they made it all year.

So Sayeth The Shack

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First Night, Last Night? Stupid

2007-12-30T16:32:00.000-05:00

So it's time for my annual anti-New Years' rant.

This time I'm going to pick on a relatively new event called "First Night", which occurs on the nigth of December 31st.

I don't have a problem with the various events conducted on said night, but I do have a problem with the name. December 31st is not the "first night" of the year...since night begins at sundown, it is actually the "last night". The first night isn't until the night of January 1st, and everyone is pretty much finished with celebrating by then.

But I still have a problem with the whole concept of New Years'. As I have said many times, I don't see why people make such a big deal out it. It is just an arbitrary day when the number on the calendar changes. Nothing else changes. Life it still full of the same old crap. The same wars are still ongoing. A large part of the world's population is still in poverty or without adequate food. I don't know about anyone else but my life has gotten worse, financially at least, every year since the turn of the century. Between higher prices for gas and everything else, and some large medical bills, which will get larger during the coming year, my financial outlook is dismal. So BAH HUMBUG to New Years' !!!! Screw It!!!!!!!!!! What's there to celebrate? It's just another excuse to get drunk for most people. Maybe that's what I should so.

So Sayeth The Shack

-----------------------------------------------------------

They Start Early In New Jersey

2007-12-30T16:26:00.000-05:00

Apparently criminal activity starts at an early age in New Jersey. Read Below:

Police: Little kids take gifts out of home on Christmas Eve
by South Jersey News Online
Friday December 28, 2007, 4:05 PM

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) -- Local police said it was a classic holiday Grinch tale: A home broken into on Christmas Eve, and wrapped presents stolen off a kitchen table.
But police now say the Grinch was two little kids: a 9-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy.
South Brunswick police Detective Jim Ryan said Friday that the kids used a Blockbuster gift card to pick the lock on the back door of a home a block away.
They then took about $200 in wrapped presents that were located on a kitchen table, including Hannah Montana and Jonas Brothers CDs.
The couple who lived in the home returned from some Christmas Eve shopping to find the house broken into, and the presents, intended for a niece, gone, Ryan said.
Eventually, one of the children's relatives, who also lived in the neighborhood, spoke with the couple and realized the gifts that had been taken matched some mysterious extra presents that the children appeared to received on Christmas.
The relative contacted the children's mother, who got the truth out of them on Wednesday, and then contacted police.
Ryan said he didn't immediately know why the young children would go to such lengths to get presents. He said charges weren't planned against the kids.
"A 9- and 5-year-old would never be on our suspect list. For a burglary? Maybe for taking a bike or something like that, but not for a burglary," Ryan said.
The names of the children were not released since they are underage.

So Sayeth The Shack

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Local Man Plays Cop

2007-12-21T11:11:00.000-05:00

http://www.centredaily.com/news/local/story/294835.html

Kudos to this guy, who after his store was robbed at gunpoint, chased down the robber on foot and by vehicle, eventually getting the money back and bringing the robber back to the store were the cops were waiting.

The cops in this area are pretty much worthless at solving real crimes, but woe be unto anyone who goes 2 mph over the speed limit or doesn't come to a complete stop at a stop sign....in the middle of the night when there is no one else on the road...you will get a ticket in no time!

So Sayeth The Shack

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Reason For The Season

2007-12-20T16:59:00.000-05:00

Commentary: You can't take Christ out of Christmas

Yes the Christians probably "stole" the holiday from the Pagans and Jesus probably wasn't born in the middle of winter, but...

It seems to me that the holiday is all about the spirit of loving and giving, and not spending, getting and mass consumption.

So from The Shack Family, have a safe, happy and joyous (fill in whatever it is celebrate at this time of year). And if you don't celebrate anything in particular, we hope that your life has nonetheless been touched by the spirit of love and giving.

So Sayeth The Shack

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You Just Can't Please These People

2007-12-20T16:33:00.000-05:00

It's amazing that no matter what we do to try to produce cleaner energy, the environmentalists are never happy. Today's paper has an article about a proposed wind farm in part of Centre and Blair Counties, including some complaints from environmentalists.

"But environmentalists already have voiced concerns about what they say are the negative effects of fragmenting the forestland. Stan Kotala, president of the Juniata Valley Audubon Society, said Ice Mountain in Blair County, where part of the project would be built, is unique because it has a large expanse of unbroken forest. That interior forest is favored by some species including the bobcat, fisher and scarlet tanager, Kotala said. The county Planning Commission’s Natural Heritage Inventory designated the area a natural heritage area, he said.
“We just feel that it should be protected"

Ya know...we're not talking about a big strip mine or a coal-fired electric generating plant belching out sulfur, soot and whatever (personally I always liked the smell of burning coal.) We're talking about one of the cleanest and most renewable sources of power there is. BUT THEY'RE STILL NOT HAPPY! The windmills might kill some birds. Wow. I'd really rather have a few dead birds than a $1000 electric bill...or no electricity at all. I'm willing to bet that fewer animals will die or be displaced in the long run as the result of a wind farm than as the result of a strip mine or coal-fired power plant. Other people are afraid of noise. Again, I'll bet that a wind farm is quieter than a strip mine (with all the equipment and trucks coming and going) or a conventonal power plant.

Nothing is perfect, but I think wind power is a lot better than some other alternatives.

So Sayeth The Shack

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's Some Great Irony For Your

2007-12-03T16:20:00.000-05:00

(From the internet; not original material)

As hunting season was approaching, I too noticed an increasingly large number of similar vehicles (big 4-wheel drive trucks) on the roads. Aside of having to sell several kidneys in order to afford to fill the gas tanks, I find the usual reason given for hunting rather amusing. Bare with me for a second:

Brand new 4x4 Truck: $60,000 plus
ATV(s): around $10,000 each (decked out for hunting, usually two or more on trailer)
Trailer to pull it all: $15,000 plus
Hunting Blind/Tree stand: $10,000 (top of the line)
Guns & Ammo: $10,000 (depending on # and type of rifles/bows)
Hunting Cloths: $2,000 (fleece lined, top of the line, multiple sets)

Total: Over $115,000
(prices are based on what I could look up quickly and what I saw at the Sportsmen's Outdoor Show in Harrisburg last year. I've never priced high quality guns and ammo. Actual total may be much higher.)

I parked next to a couple of guys at a restaurant last weekend, they had a setup similar to what I described above, though the truck they were driving had to be closer to the $75,000 price range - it had a high lift kit for the 4wd, brush guards and off-road lighting, and chicken lights all around the rockers and bed. (chicken lights are exorbitant numbers of running lights, usually reserved for big rigs.)

I was talking to the driver for a few minutes and finally ended up asking him why he liked to go hunting. His answer, "I can't afford to buy meat for my family."

So Sayeth The Shack

I'm Dying!

2007-11-30T15:57:00.000-05:00

My wife recently brought home some information that says caffeine is a poison and that just a very small amount of it in pure form can kill you. WOW! With all the coffee and other stuff I've drank in my life, I should already be dead! Maybe I'm well on my way. The trouble with living a long life is that, like my mother, who is still alive (and has been drinking coffee AND smoking since she was a teenager), you run out of money, friends and things to do before you run out of life.

So Sayeth The Shack

------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm Shrinking!

2007-11-30T15:53:00.001-05:00

I guess I've arrived at that age where you start getting shorter. I remember many of my older relatives, especially on my mother's side of the family, getting shorter as they got older. Recently, several of my pants have suddenly and inexplicably become too long. So I must now be getting shorter also. Guess it's time to find a tailor!

So Sayeth The Shack

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

E-Mail Scam

2007-11-29T15:28:00.000-05:00

I received the following e-mail recently.....

JJob offer

We have reviewed your resume at Monster.com and are eager to inform you that we are ready to offer you a vacant position of the "Financial Agent".NzQ wND

Nj liNj

We looked through your skills and became sure that you correspond to our requirements.MTc5 YjFm

The position of the "Financial Agent" will require from you a half-day activity.
Your work will consist in transferring money among our clients.

Job scheme will comprise the following:Nm QxZD

1. You get a check by mail.ZTJ lZ

2. Than you cash itMjdj Zj

3. You transfer the money to our clientsOTg 4MDU

Your earning will be 8 % of the amount of each check.NzEy OTZ

Additionally we are going to effect you $ 1500 as your salary at the end of each month.OTUz Nm

Required skills to start this job:OW RiY

- Honesty, responsibility and promptness in operations;Ym MzNT

- Prior customer service experience is a good benefit;MTY0 Mzl

- Internet and e-mail skills; Experience in online work;NTM 3Zjk

- Good communications skillsZDI 0Mm

Njl iN

This job will allow you to:
Njli NjM

- Get additional free time; MG Fk

- Develop high selfrespect and esteem. MG Fk

- Get financial independence working only 3-5 hours per day; MGF kZ

General requirements:

- Prior customer service experience is a good benefit; Yj RjZ

- Willingness to take the responsibility to set up and achieve goals; YjR jZ

- Ability to create good administrative reporting; YmYz N2F

- Effective interaction with customers;Yz Zl

In addition we will be able to offer you $ 2500 as a monthly payment after completion of the trial period.Zm ViOW

In case you are interested in the position, please answer this message. We will get in touch with you within 2 working days.NDJi Nj

HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Think you can trick The Shack, huh?

First of all, I don't have a resume on monster.com

Second of all, I have heard of these scams where you are supposed to deposit a check and then send the money somewhere else. The check ends up being fake and you are out the money plus whatever fines and fees your bank charges for depositing a fake check.

I find interesting the use of the word "scheme" in the original e-mail.

Too bad it isn't true. I could use the extra money.

So Sayeth The Shack

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Health Insurance Sucks

2007-11-29T15:18:00.001-05:00

Why even bother having health insurance? The comic strip above pretty much sums it up. First the emergency room doctors at our local hospital don't accept the health insurance that most local residents have. Now, according to today's paper, the anesthesiologists may stop accepting payments from Highmark because of a disagreement. My son broke his leg earlier this year. It was not covered. So we still owe the hospital, and the doctors, a large sum of money that we cannot pay all at once. Now more things may not be covered. I have a large sum deducted from my paycheck to pay health insurance premiums. What good does it do me? When something happens, I still end up having to pay large amounts of money to the hospital, the doctors and the pharmacists. And I still have to keep paying the premiums. As far as I'm concerned, the insurance that we have, Highmark (no choice where I work), is a big, worthless scam. I think I'd be better off without it.

So Sayeth The Shack