The Divisiveness Of Politics

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

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.

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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!!

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?

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

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

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!

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Freezing In the House

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!

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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Cars Taken To Hospital?

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

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Yeah Right

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

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A Sad Ending

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

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

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Last Of The Nog

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

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First Night, Last Night? Stupid

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

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They Start Early In New Jersey

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

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Local Man Plays Cop

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

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The Reason For The Season

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

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

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Here's Some Great Irony For Your

(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!

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

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I'm Shrinking!

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

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E-Mail Scam

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


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Health Insurance Sucks

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

We Haven't Learned Yet

I should say they haven't learned yet. It certainly wasn't me out there lined up at 4AM Friday morning ready to whip out my credit card.

According to a news story I heard while listening to the Sunday morning polka show on WALN from Allentown (sorry I can't pick up Big Moose on WOWQ where I live) spending on the day after Thanksgiving (not calling it "Black Friday" cuz I don't want to "offend" anyone) was up 8 percent over last year.

I don't know about anyone else, but I cannot advocate any increase in spending given the uncertainty of our economic situation. With the price of energy going who knows how high and the price of everything else following along, frivolous spending is just out of the question as far as I'm concerned. Fortunately the Shack Kids are old enough to understand that this will be one very lean Christmas coming up for our family. Because I'm just not willing to go along with the rest of the crowd and get even deeper into debt given the economic situation of not only our family but of the entire nation.

So Sayeth The Shack

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Rights Of Believers And Unbelievers

Christmas is fast approaching and many of the decorations are already up.

When I was a child I remember the Christmas tree in the town square with a manger scene underneath depicting the birth of Jesus. Nowadays such a display of religious belief, at least on public property, has been condemned, as have displays of the cross, the ten commandments and other religious items, by the non-christian minority in this country.

Excuse me, but isn't Jesus the whole reason behind Christmas and isn't the ten commandments what our whole system of laws based on? So it seems to me that there is nothing wrong with having a statue of Jesus as part of a Christmas display or having a display of the ten commandments at a courthouse. If it bothers someone, well they really don't have to look at it.

But here is what I really think about the whole situation. It really doesn't matter one way or the other. If you truly believe, it will not matter whether or not you see a cross or a statue of Jesus or a display of the ten commandments somewhere. Or a bible in your hotel room for that matter (yeah that's the latest thing....no more bibles in hotel rooms; guess you have to bring your own if you want one). Your faith is in your heart and it should not matter if you see any external symbols of it or not. Likewise if you do not believe, I don't think seeing a cross or a statue of Jesus or some other religious symbol will suddenly convert you. So the whole controversy is meaningless. If someone wants to display a manger or a cross, fine; I don't care. I mean, what about a statue of Budda, or maybe some pagan figure? They're all fine in my opinion, and it won't change what I believe or don't believe.

So Sayeth The Shack

Don't Send Me The Bill!

War costs could total $1.6 trillion by 2009, panel estimates

The headline from CNN speaks for itself. So I wonder how many people would support this war if, though taxation, they were the only ones who had to pay for it while those who were against the war did not have to help pay for it.


So Sayeth The Shack

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Leno And Letterman Not So Great?

I find it odd that the late-night talk shows were the first to be sidelined by the writers strike. If these guys were really good comedians, seems like they could come up with their own material. Heck I could probably get up there and do it. (I'm a great comedian...just ask my kids...if they don't laugh at my dinner-table jokes I deduct money from their allowance).

As for the other shows, I am surprised that they don't have the whole season written ahead of time, so that everyone knows what will happen.



So Sayeth The Shack

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The Forgotten Holiday

I love Christmas music and decorations, even if I am not a regular churchgoer. If they want to decorate and put the music on as soon as the Halloween candy has been handed out, that's fine with me.

The trouble is, there is something that is getting lost in the shuffle here, namely, Thanksgiving. With all the emphasis on Christmas already in the first and second week of November, Thanksgiving has been more or less plowed under. Guess I should sell my stock in Butterball.


So Sayeth The Shack

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Things I Don't Get

OK I suppose I'm starting to get up in years, but there are some things and fads that I just don't get.....

BACKWARDS BASEBALL CAPS. The visor is supposed to be in the front to serve a purpose, but nearly everyone wears them backwards anymore. To me it makes them looks like hoodlums.

EARRINGS ON GUYS: Until I was about 20 or so, only girls wore earrings. Now most guys seem to wear them too. For what? To me it makes them look gay...even though I know that is not usually the case.

MOTORCYCLES: Why do they have to be so gosh-frickin' loud!? You can hear them coming (and going) for miles and they scare the frickin' crap out of me. And they usually travel in packs too which makes it even worse. There have been a few times that I have almost had a wreck because I was scared by the sound of a motorcycle. Why are they allowed to be so loud but if my car sounded like that I would get a citation or fail inspection?

FIREWORKS: (While we're on the subject of unneccesary noise..) What is the big deal with these? You've seen one you've seen them all and they just make a lot of useless racket. Used to be they were just on the 4th...now it's New Year's, baseball games, football games....weddings maybe? And some people just set them off for no reason at all...just to make noise. (Maybe I'll have some set off at my funeral!). They are a big waste of money too as far as I'm concerned. Might as well just take some money out of your wallet and set it on fire.

CELL PHONE AND MUSIC PLAYERS: Seems like everyone you see out and about, either walking or driving, has a cell phone attached to their ear or or a headset on. Can't anyone stand the sound of silence anymore? I like music as much as anyone but, especially as a parent, I value the sound of silence when I can get it, which isn't very often. Besides I can't imagine what they all have to talk about or who they have to talk about it to. (Guess I'm just a loser who doesn't have any friends).

OUR OBSESSION WITH SPORTS AND CELEBRITIES: Our society holds professional athletes, musicians and actors/actresses in the highest regard...above our leaders, our teachers, engineers, medical professionals and religious leaders. We pay them more than anyone else. And then they get even more money to promote other products. An entire second industry is built up to closely track their every movement and mistake and to quickly inform the world of it. You know what? They can all jump off the end of the earth as far as I'm concerned. The world would be none the worse for it. In fact it would be better. All that money would be freed up to help solve some of our real problems like poverty and homelessness.

SPITTING: I am always seeing (mostly) guys spitting. This is especially true when watching a sporting event. What do they have in there to spit out? I don't spit....never really feel the urge to. There just isn't anything in there to spit out. Maybe I'm just weird or something.

ADULTS DRESSING UP FOR HALLOWEEN: When I was young, kids were kids and adults were adults. I never saw adults dress up in costumes for halloween and act like idiots. I think it's stupid. I think the whole thing is stupid, including the kids dressing up in costumes and collecting candy. And of course the vandalism that often occurs is uncalledfor also.

HOLLISTER: Except for being a town in California, I have no idea what this is. Yet I see people all the time wearing shirts or jackets that say "Hollister". Would someone please explain to me what and what the big deal is with Hollister?

"MARCH MADNESS"AND THE BRACKETS: I don't really care much for basketball and I really don't get the playoffs. 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. 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.

So Sayeth The Shack

Too Many Choices

Today was election day so after work I took a hike a few blocks up the street to the local polling place and "did my civic duty". It can be a daunting task to study the views and qualifications of each candidate in an attempt to to make an informed decision...beyond what little information is contained in their TV ads. Considering the relatively low percentage of Americans who vote these days, I wonder what fraction of that percentage actually takes the time to critically examine the candidates to make an informed decision.

Even beyond the political arena, our country has become one of many choices, very few of them any good.

Consider the following comparisons between when I was kid and now....

I grew up in a rather small town and now live in a medium-size city.

When I was a kid, you were either Catholic or some type of Protestant. (Or according to my Dad you were either a Catholic or were going to hell). There were no Jews, Mormons, Unitarians, Muslims, Wiccans and so on. For that matter there were no atheists either...that I know of. Now there are all kinds of churches, and their "salesmen" go door-to-door to pitch their respective religion.

There were 2 grocery stores in our town. My mother only ever shopped at one. To this day I have never been in the other one, nor do I think has my mother (83 and still going, God bless her!). There were no convenience stores either. Department stores?....had to go to "the city" There are nearly 10 supermarkets where I live now...or maybe more..think I quit counting.

There was one bank in town . Where I live now there is a bank at almost every intersection. (So many banks, but I've got no money to put in any of them!)

We got 3 TV stations....or fewer, depending on the weather. Now many of us get over 100 stations; but how often is there something on worth watching? There were equally few radio stations...but at least they played music you could listen to; not rap-crap or whatever else is on the airwaves.

There was one restaurant in town. Where I live now, there are almost as many restaurants as there are banks. Funny; they all seem to be full with waiting lines. Guess no one eats at home anymore. Which makes me wonder; who shops at all the supermarkets and what are they buying?

Most people lived in the same house and worked for the same employer from when they started working til they retired (then they still lived in the same house until they died). They also stayed with the same spouse from marriage til death. And no one "lived together". In the 27 years since I began my career I have lived in 6 different places within a 30-mile radius. Four of these were in the past 8 years. But at least during that time I have stayed with the same employer and for the past 19 years and 2 months I have been married to the same wife (we never "lived together" either...my nickname "Shack" has nothing to do with the phrase "shacking up").

The whole time I lived there (18+ years) I only remember there being one mayor and one police chief. They were related to each other as well as to more that half the other people in town, including my mother's family. Maybe they are still there. Speaking of being related, one of my cousins married my 7-th grade teacher. Two of my great-aunts were teachers at the high school. Another cousin was the assistant high-school principal. In 4th-year Spanish class, there were 10 kids including myself, two cousins and my girlfriend (whose mother and my mother were best friends when they were in high school).

So things were easier back then, at least in terms of making choices. Are we better off with all the choices we have now? I'm not really so sure. Maybe if we took the time to carefully study things so that we can make an informed decision, like we should do before voting. But who has time for that? What do you think? Just pick whoever's TV ad you like better, or whoever's name you can remember the easiest and go with it! Maybe that's why this country is in so much trouble.



So Sayeth The Shack

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This One's A "Duh"!

So one of the headlines in today's newspaper said "Fewer Poor Students At Penn State". On another page was the headline "Room, Board Costs to Rise". Gee, ya think they're related? And I'll bet I can find a story in the same section about gas prices being over 3 dollars a gallon (along with the latest excuse from the oil companies).

It doesn't take too many brains...not even a college education really...to figure out with the skyrocketing cost of college, poor people can't afford to go there. They can barely afford to go to work given the price of gas.

These are 2 of the factors that will bring about The Crash as described in my post from last week.


So Sayeth The Shack

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