Ron Paul? Look Again!

Is Ron Paul looking like a good candidate for president to you? Have a look at this and see if you still feel the same:

John Edwards? Love child? Say it ain't so!

Apparently, according to the all knowing and all trusting National Enquirer, John Edwards has a love child! Now, if you read the entire story, you'll see that there is no proof of this, but...The cat is out of the bag, and perception is reality. I feel badly for John Edwards, but not if it's true.

See the entire store here: john_edwards_love_child

Update: KATIE QUERIES CANDIDATES ON INFIDELITY Tue Dec 19 2007 14:49:22 ET

KATIE COURIC:

Harry Truman said, "A man not honorable in his marital relations is not usually honorable in any other." Some people don't feel comfortable supporting a candidate who has not remained faithful to his or her spouse. Can you understand their position?

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS:

Of course. I mean, for a lot of Americans-- including the family that I grew up with, I mean, it's-- it's fundamental to-- how you judge people and human character-- whether you keep your word, whether you keep what is your ultimate word, which is that-- you love-- your spouse, and you'll stay with them.

KATIE COURIC:

Do you think-- what-- what about people who use that as a way to evaluate a candidate? In other words, there have been a number of fine presidents according to some analysts-

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS:

Right.

KATIE COURIC:

--who have certainly not been sort of exhibited the greatest moral character--

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS:

Right.

KATIE COURIC:

--when it comes to infidelity--

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS:

Right.

KATIE COURIC:

--I guess is what I'm getting at.

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS:

Yes.

KATIE COURIC:

So how important do you think it is in the grand scheme of things?

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS:

I think the most important qualities in a president in today's world are trustworthiness-- sincerity, honesty, strength of leadership. And-- and certainly that goes to a part of that. It's not the whole thing. But it goes to a part of it.

KATIE COURIC:

So you think it's-- an appropriate way to judge a candidate?

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS:

Yeah. But I don't think it's controlling. I mean, I think that, as you point out, there have been American presidents that at least according to the-- to the stories we've all heard-- that were not faithful, that were in fact good presidents. So I don't think it controls the issue. But I think it's certain-- something reasonable for people to consider.

A Bush in the hand is worth...

Bill Clinton: George H.W. Bush will help President Hillary

Bill Clinton said former president George H.W. Bush will help fix damage done to America's reputation by his son, George W. Bush.

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina (CNN) – Former President Bill Clinton said Monday (Dec. 17th) that the first thing his wife Hillary will do when she reaches the White House is dispatch him and his predecessor, President George H.W. Bush, on an around-the-world mission to repair the damage done to America's reputation by the current president — Bush's son, George W. Bush.

"Well, the first thing she intends to do, because you can do this without passing a bill, the first thing she intends to do is to send me and former President Bush and a number of other people around the world to tell them that America is open for business and cooperation again," Clinton said in response to a question from a supporter about what his wife's "number one priority" would be as president.

A spokesman for the George H. W. Bush said Tuesday afternoon the former president supports his son's foreign policy and has "never discussed an ‘around-the-world-mission’ with either former President Bill Clinton or Sen. Clinton." (Click here for the full statement)

Clinton and the elder Bush, rivals in the 1992 presidential election, have grown chummy in recent years, often traveling and appearing at public events together. In 2005, they started a charity to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.

UPDATE: The Republican National Committee issued this statement in response to Clinton's comments:
"In 2009, a Republican president will be working with our friends and allies abroad to continue to keep our nation safe," said RNC spokesman Danny Diaz. "The American people expect our leaders — both current and former — to present serious solutions to the very real challenges confronting our nation."

Yeah, whatever. If Hillary becomes the next president, then I have no doubt that the senior Bush would jump for the chance to go on a around-the-world mission to repair the damage done to America's reputation by his son. Bush senior has always seemed to have a cooler head than his son; and isn't afraid to call him out on his failings....though his spoken words first need to be filtered by wife Barbara.

Mitchell Report List

Here's a list of most of the names Major League Baseball players (AP) - listed in the Mitchell Report.
The following players were connected to steroids, either use or possession, in the report:

Lenny Dykstra, David Segui, Larry Bigbie, Brian Roberts, Jack Cust, Tim Laker, Josias Manzanillo, Todd Hundley, Mark Carreon, Hal Morris, Matt Franco, Rondell White, Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens, Chuck Knoblauch, Jason Grimsley, Gregg Zaun, David Justice, F.P. Santangelo, Glenallen Hill, Mo Vaughn, Denny Neagle, Ron Villone, Ryan Franklin, Chris Donnels, Todd Williams, Phil Hiatt, Todd Pratt, Kevin Young, Mike Lansing, Cody McKay,
Kent Mercker, Adam Piatt, Miguel Tejada, Jason Christiansen, Mike Stanton, Stephen Randolph, Jerry Hairston, Paul Lo Duca, Adam Riggs, Bart Miadich, Fernando Vina, Kevin Brown, Eric Gagne, Mike Bell, Matt Herges, Gary Bennett, Jim Parque, Brendan Donnelly, Chad Allen, Jeff Williams, Exavier "Nook" Logan, Howie Clark, Paxton Crawford, Ken Caminiti, Rafael Palmeiro, Luis Perez, Derrick Turnbow, Ricky Bones, Ricky Stone

The following players were cited under "Alleged Internet Purchases of Performance Enhancing Substances By Players in Major League Baseball."

Rick Ankiel, David Bell, Paul Byrd, Jose Canseco, Jay Gibbons, Troy Glaus, Jason Grimsley, Jose Guillen, Darren Holmes, Gary Matthews Jr., John Rocker, Scott Schoeneweis, Ismael Valdez, Matt Williams, Steve Woodard

The following players were linked through BALCO (Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative):

Benito Santiago, Gary Sheffield, Randy Velarde, Jason Giambi, Jeremy Giambi, Bobby Estalella, Barry Bonds, Marvin Benard

What do you think about steroid use in sports? What do you think about the Mitchell report list? I think steroids should be illegal in sports; but I also think publishing this list was a big mistake! I don't see where any good will come from the list.

Step aside, Mr. Hankey

The REAL "Christmas poo" has roots deeper than South Park.

From this Wiki article:

The traditional Caganer

In Catalonia, as well as in the rest of Spain and in most of Italy and Southern France, the traditional Christmas decoration is a large model of the city of Bethlehem, similar to the Nativity scenes of the English-speaking world, but encompassing the entire city rather than just the typical manger scene. The Catalans have added an extra character that is not found in the manger scenes of any other culture. In addition to Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the Shepherds and company, Catalans have the character known as the Caganer. This extra little character is often tucked away in some corner of the model, typically nowhere near the manger scene, where he is not easily noticed. There is a good reason for his obscure position in the display, for "caganer" translates from Catalan to English as "pooper", and that is exactly what this little statue is doing — defecating.

Possible reasons for placing a man who is in the act of excreting waste in a scene which is widely considered holy include:

• Tradition.
• Perceived humor.
• Mythical Defecation by Dwarfs
• Finding the Caganer is a fun game, especially for children.
• The Caganer, by creating feces, is fertilizing the Earth. However, this is probably an a posteriori explanation, and nobody would say they put the Caganer on the Nativity scene for this reason.
• The Caganer represents the equality of all people: regardless of status, race, gender everyone defecates.
• Increased naturalism of an otherwise archetypal (thus idealised) story, so that it is more believable, taken literally and seriously.

The exact origin of the Caganer is lost, but the tradition has existed since the 17th century. An Iberian votive deposit was found nearby Tornabous in the Urgell depicting a holy Iberian warrior defecating on his falcata. This started a short lived series of polemics between the Institut d'Estudis Catalans and the Departament d'Arqueologia in the Conselleria de Cultura of the Generalitat de Catalunya as to whether that can be regarded as a proto-caganer (which would draw the origins of this tradition far before than it is thought) or just a pre-combat ritual.

There you have it, U-Bloggers. Christmas Poo isn't just for badly drawn cartoon miscreants, the Europeans love it too!

Take "charge" of your credit!

This is a re-post of a post I did some time ago. It is still just as useful today, so I thought I would re-publish it.

I am not an expert by any means on this subject, but I have my fair share of knowledge about money. I hope by sharing the lessons I have learned that perhaps you will gain some benefit from this report. I’m not going to bore you with the basics. I just want to share a few tips that may be helpful.

Cash advances
Taking a cash advance on your credit cards, either by check or by card, is the absolute worst things you can do. Duh… but, not only is the interest outrageous, there is a hidden catch in the fine print. All payments are applied to the lowest interest rate. That means if you owe 5K at 9% and you take a cash advance for 3K at 26% interest, you must pay off the 5K before any money gets applied to the high interest cash advance. Think how fast the 3K at 26% interest will grow before you get even $1 paid to it!!!! Of course, if you have a zero balance prior to getting a cash advance, then this will not affect you.

Borrow from your 401k
You should be able to borrow from your 401k for certain circumstances. I believe the rules vary by the corporate administrator, but typically you can borrow for 3 reasons. 1) First time homebuyer down payment. 2) College expenses. 3) Financial hardship. I fell in the 3rd category when I got caught by the cash advance scheme described above. I borrowed from my 401k to pay off my lower interest rate so I could pay off the cash advance I took. When you borrow from your 401k you are charged interest, but the principal and interest are all paid back to you! I saw this as a win win since I am making interest on my 401k loan, and I can now pay down the high interest cash advance.

Debit cards
What’s the difference between a credit card and a debit card? A credit card allows you to make payments on credit over time, and a debit card deducts the entire purchase from your bank account. Simple, right? Then how come when you use your debit card you always have to select credit or debit? Here is a tip I learned. If I choose “credit” with my debit card, then I am not charged a $1 fee by my bank. If I choose “debit” with my debit card, then I am charged the service fee. Not all banks charge a debit card fee, but there is no good reason I know of to choose “debit” with your debit card. Another tip along the same line, if there is not a button to choose “credit” where it asks for your PIN number, hit “cancel” and then you will be able to choose “credit”. You should never have to enter your PIN number with a debit card as long as you always choose “credit”. After all, it looks like a credit card and works like a credit card, so choose “credit”.

Keep track of your credit
You should always know the status of your credit cards. I keep an Excel spreadsheet showing account name, percent of interest, account balance, available credit and credit limit. I keep them ordered by highest interest to lowest interest amounts. Then month by month on the same spreadsheet I show the balance, charges, interest and payments. I then have a tabulation that shows the difference from last month to the current month balance. This shows me if I am increasing my overall balance or decreasing it. I know, It’s a little anal, but I feel in complete control.

Reduce your debts
Once you have your spreadsheet (or just a list on paper) of your credit card debts, you can choose one of two methods to reduce your debt. One method is to start by paying off the lowest balances first, no matter the interest rate. This will quickly give you less number of debits to pay on, and will allow you to put more amounts towards the larger balances in a short period of time. The other method is to pay off the highest interest rates first, no matter the balances. This will start reducing the amount you are paying in interest monthly which will allow you to put more and more towards your debts.

Credit score
Personally, I hate credit scores; and I feel the consumers are being abused because of them. For example, I have never been late on a payment, but because of my debt/income ratio, some credit card companies raised my interest an additional 6-10%. Why? I have never been late on a payment??? Oh, I get it. If you are at risk of possibly missing a payment, then increasing your interest will almost guarantee you to not be able to afford the payment! I also heard that car insurance rates are going to be determined by your credit score in addition to your driving record! Anyway, the better your credit score, the better interest rate you will receive almost everywhere. Take advantage of the free credit reports (not freecreditreport.com. They automatically enroll you in a credit protection program that you will pay for if you don’t cancel it), available at www.annualcreditreport.com. Once a year, you can get a truly free credit report from the three reporting agencies Equifax, TransUnion and Experian.

Reduce your interest
It never hurts or costs you anything to contact your credit card companies and argue the interest rate down. Some companies refuse to budge, some budge a little and some barter.
I had one company lower my rate from 19% to 14%, but I had to agree to a higher credit line and a cash advance (at the normal apr of 14%). I used the money to pay down other cards that wouldn't budge. I called Discover recently because they raised my rates due to my credit score, not because I have ever been late. I said "I want to either close my account, or get a better rate". They said "sorry, but we don't do that. Your account is now closed". Just like that!

Borrowing and lending on the web
Yes, you can be a lender, just like the banks! You can also borrow money from individuals instead of banks, and at even better interest rates!!! I saw an article recently in Newsweek about a site called Prosper at www.prosper.com. I really don’t like promoting a site on this blog, but I think this site is worth knowing about. I personally took a loan from the site recently at a lower interest rate than my bank would have charged me, and much lower than my credit card interest rates. I used the money to pay down my credit card balances. The only down side is that all loans are 3 year loans, whether you borrow 3K or 25K. That means that your minimum payment is going to be higher than a bank loan for more than 3 years.

I hope you have learned something though this post. If you have other tips to share, please leave a comment so everyone can learn from them.

Deep thoughts, by Stan Matuska

I often ponder certain things in life, as I'm sure we all do.
Here are a few that have been keeping me awake at night.

Some are original, some are not. Can you tell them apart?

1. If there is no gravity on the moon, then what keeps the moon rocks from floating away?

2. How do atheists explain the sun, earth and stars? If it was a "big bang", then how did the stuff that went "bang" get there in the first place?

3. They say there's always someone worse off than you, but what do you say to the person at the end of the chain?

4. What color hair do they put on the driver's license of bald men?

5. If you fly half way around the world, are you upside down?

6. When you find something that you've been looking for, why do you say it was in the last place you looked?

7. If the oldest living documented person was 128 years old, then think about this: 128 (or so) years from now, every single person alive today will be dead. The earth will be inhabited entirely by people who are not alive today.

8. Of the new inhabitants from 7. above, There will still be racism, fighting among countries similar to today, and blame for slavery. Why is that?

9. Do Lipton employees take coffee breaks?

10. If a person loses ten pounds, where does it go?

11. If you saw the clerk at Subway take someones money, then proceed to make your sandwich without washing their hands or putting on plastic gloves, would you say something?

12. Why do we say that our feet smell and out nose runs?

13. Speaking of feet, what is the name of the top part of your foot?

14. Why is the third hand of a watch called a second hand?

15. Why do they sterilize needles for lethal injections?

16. What happens when an iresitsable force meets an imovable object?

17. How is it that we can send a rocket to the moon, but can't make a tire that doesn't go flat?

18. Actually, I recently heard a real commercial about a run-flat tire that gives you something like 50-100 miles before it goes completely flat.... so if you have a flat, but don't know it because of the run-flat tires, wouldn't you still be left just as surprised about your flat tire, except that you'll be 50-100 miles further down the road?

19. Where do they put the Bible in libraries, the fiction or non-fiction section?

20. Why doesn't broccoli come in a can?