Dec 30, 2008
Government Bail Outs
Reality check! If a business goes belly because of mismanagement up it goes out of business. Simple as that! After all, who’s fault was it? The business owner(s)!, right? Think again!
Though I don’t agree, I do understand why the Government bailed out our nation’s financial institution’s. Had they not, the domino affect would been globally catastrophic. On the other hand, I’m against bailing out companies, i.e. the auto industry. After all, it’s not our (the tax payer’s) fault that they are on the brink of a corporate wide melt down!
Today, the auto industry will be receiving billions of our tax dollars in order to keep its operations from going belly up. I am so against this government hand out (corporate welfare) because the auto industry squandered the opportunity to become self-reliant by refusing to compete with foreign manufactures, mainly the Japanese, who manages their operations responsibly, produces quality cars, and is willing to invest into the future by building environmentally friendly automobiles. The U.S. auto manufactures should have been doing the same, but didn’t. Now, is it our fault that they are needing billions in tax dollars in order to keep doing more of the same? I think not!
Instead of selling the American consumer gas guzzling and poorly manufactured automobiles, the auto companies should have been working on improving there image and products which in turn would have allowed them to vigorously compete with foreign counterparts. Had they done away with the “business as usual” mentality, today, they would not be needing my (our) tax dollars to support their poor management practices.
Yes, I understand that if the auto industry goes belly up it will cause further hardship on an already crumbling economy. On the other hand, perhaps they need to go belly up. This in turn will force these auto manufactures to improve their products and better compete on the world market. As it stands, even with the bail out, I believe that the business as usual mentality will continue and they will return to Washington seeking more of our tax dollars. The cycle will not end.
As for the promise to repay, sounds good!, but if the auto companies do go belly up, well, forget ever seeing any of our tax dollars being paid back! Risky business, yes! As I see it, this bail out is to risky and as tax payers, unaffordable. In my opinion, there are better ways to spend these billions of dollars than giving it to companies who took themselves to point of no return.
Though I don’t agree, I do understand why the Government bailed out our nation’s financial institution’s. Had they not, the domino affect would been globally catastrophic. On the other hand, I’m against bailing out companies, i.e. the auto industry. After all, it’s not our (the tax payer’s) fault that they are on the brink of a corporate wide melt down!
Today, the auto industry will be receiving billions of our tax dollars in order to keep its operations from going belly up. I am so against this government hand out (corporate welfare) because the auto industry squandered the opportunity to become self-reliant by refusing to compete with foreign manufactures, mainly the Japanese, who manages their operations responsibly, produces quality cars, and is willing to invest into the future by building environmentally friendly automobiles. The U.S. auto manufactures should have been doing the same, but didn’t. Now, is it our fault that they are needing billions in tax dollars in order to keep doing more of the same? I think not!
Instead of selling the American consumer gas guzzling and poorly manufactured automobiles, the auto companies should have been working on improving there image and products which in turn would have allowed them to vigorously compete with foreign counterparts. Had they done away with the “business as usual” mentality, today, they would not be needing my (our) tax dollars to support their poor management practices.
Yes, I understand that if the auto industry goes belly up it will cause further hardship on an already crumbling economy. On the other hand, perhaps they need to go belly up. This in turn will force these auto manufactures to improve their products and better compete on the world market. As it stands, even with the bail out, I believe that the business as usual mentality will continue and they will return to Washington seeking more of our tax dollars. The cycle will not end.
As for the promise to repay, sounds good!, but if the auto companies do go belly up, well, forget ever seeing any of our tax dollars being paid back! Risky business, yes! As I see it, this bail out is to risky and as tax payers, unaffordable. In my opinion, there are better ways to spend these billions of dollars than giving it to companies who took themselves to point of no return.
2009 Predictions
Next year could bring more, equally unbelievable, happenings such as another 400 points being wiped off the S&P 500 and a slump in Chinese growth to zero, according to a report from Saxo Bank titled "10 Outrageous Claims 2009."
1. Iranian Revolution
If oil prices continue to decline, which Saxo Bank believes they will, the Iranian society will be badly affected due to the country's reliance on its number one commodity. The government may not be able to provide the basic necessities its citizens need, which would lead to widespread social unrest, according to Saxo Bank.
2. Crude Oil to $25
The ongoing economic crisis will further dent oil demand throughout next year, sending the price ever closer to $25 a barrel, Saxo Bank said. OPEC production cuts will be hampered by disagreement and fail to stem the slide, it added.
3. S&P 500 to 500
The S&P 500 will fall to 500 points in 2009 as slowing corporate earnings will drag on the U.S. index, according to Saxo Bank. Earnings will slow because of a continued consumer recession, lead by the credit shortage. An increase in corporate funding costs, falls in house prices and a slowdown in investing programs will also add to the weakness, the report said.
4. Italy Could Drop the Euro
Italy could make good on threats to leave the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) and may drop out in 2009, Saxo Bank said, a decision which would mean the country effectively gives up the euro. The EU is likely to crack down on excessive government budget deficits, which could prompt Italy to leave the currency regulation, it said.
5. Australian Dollar to Slump vs Yen
The Australian dollar will sink to 40 Japanese yen as next year's continued slump in commodities hurts the Australian economy, Saxo Bank said. The whole commodity complex will be left dead in the water for the next ten years, the report said.
6. Dollar to Outstrip the Euro
The euro will fall to 0.95 cents versus the dollar in the New Year, before shifting direction and rising to 1.30 cents, according to Saxo Bank. The euro-zone will face a tough year in 2009 as the banking sector will suffer because of its exposure to Eastern Europe, a region that will increasingly falter next year, the report said.
7. Chinese GDP Growth to 0%
Export-led China will be hit by the double blow of a slowing U.S. economy and the souring of commodity-based investments, according to Saxo Bank. Japan will not actually sink into recession, despite gross-domestic-product growth all but disappearing, the report said.
8. Eastern European Forex Pegs to Fail
Several of the Eastern European currencies currently pegged or semi-pegged to the euro will come under increasing pressure to decouple next year, the report said. The emerging economies are vulnerable to more credit-market disruptions, it added.
9. Commodities Prices to Plunge
Commodities are facing widespread weakness next year with the Reuters/Jefferies CRB Index to drop 30 percent, according to Saxo Bank. The consensus belief that demand has been outstripping supply for years might not even be true and more stockpiles could be revealed, the report said.
10. Yen to Become Currency Peg
Asian countries could shun dollar pegs in favor of the Chinese yen next year, according to Saxo Bank. China's economic, political and cultural influence is growing and shifts in market re-evaluations will favor the country, the report added. - CNBC
If the above isn’t bad enough …
2008 was the year that subprime borrowers and speculators got hurt by the real estate crisis. 2009 could be when everyone else gets hit.
Until now, the nation's most serious home price declines have been in low-cost markets that were dominated by subprime mortgages, and in overbuilt markets such as Florida, California, and Las Vegas, where residential values are sliding fast toward pre-housing boom levels.
The Commerce Dept. reported Dec. 23 that November new-home sales in the U.S. fell to their lowest level in 17 years, down 35.3% compared with November 2007. And the outlook is even bleaker. The same day, Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS - News) forecast that more than 8 million homes will go into foreclosure over the next four years, or approximately 16% of all U.S. households with mortgages.
That's because the big story in 2009 could be that, with the deepening recession and mounting job losses, serious housing troubles could infect wealthier communities and markets that were just beginning to stabilize this summer before the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers on Sept. 15 sparked the most serious financial turmoil in decades. In fact, according to online real estate research firm HousingPredictor.com, based in Destin, Fla., housing prices nationwide will fall 12.5% next year, compared with an estimated 11.1% this year.
Housing and mortgage problems pushed the nation into a recession that could now amplify, draw out, and expand the reach of the housing declines. –Yahoo News
1. Iranian Revolution
If oil prices continue to decline, which Saxo Bank believes they will, the Iranian society will be badly affected due to the country's reliance on its number one commodity. The government may not be able to provide the basic necessities its citizens need, which would lead to widespread social unrest, according to Saxo Bank.
2. Crude Oil to $25
The ongoing economic crisis will further dent oil demand throughout next year, sending the price ever closer to $25 a barrel, Saxo Bank said. OPEC production cuts will be hampered by disagreement and fail to stem the slide, it added.
3. S&P 500 to 500
The S&P 500 will fall to 500 points in 2009 as slowing corporate earnings will drag on the U.S. index, according to Saxo Bank. Earnings will slow because of a continued consumer recession, lead by the credit shortage. An increase in corporate funding costs, falls in house prices and a slowdown in investing programs will also add to the weakness, the report said.
4. Italy Could Drop the Euro
Italy could make good on threats to leave the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) and may drop out in 2009, Saxo Bank said, a decision which would mean the country effectively gives up the euro. The EU is likely to crack down on excessive government budget deficits, which could prompt Italy to leave the currency regulation, it said.
5. Australian Dollar to Slump vs Yen
The Australian dollar will sink to 40 Japanese yen as next year's continued slump in commodities hurts the Australian economy, Saxo Bank said. The whole commodity complex will be left dead in the water for the next ten years, the report said.
6. Dollar to Outstrip the Euro
The euro will fall to 0.95 cents versus the dollar in the New Year, before shifting direction and rising to 1.30 cents, according to Saxo Bank. The euro-zone will face a tough year in 2009 as the banking sector will suffer because of its exposure to Eastern Europe, a region that will increasingly falter next year, the report said.
7. Chinese GDP Growth to 0%
Export-led China will be hit by the double blow of a slowing U.S. economy and the souring of commodity-based investments, according to Saxo Bank. Japan will not actually sink into recession, despite gross-domestic-product growth all but disappearing, the report said.
8. Eastern European Forex Pegs to Fail
Several of the Eastern European currencies currently pegged or semi-pegged to the euro will come under increasing pressure to decouple next year, the report said. The emerging economies are vulnerable to more credit-market disruptions, it added.
9. Commodities Prices to Plunge
Commodities are facing widespread weakness next year with the Reuters/Jefferies CRB Index to drop 30 percent, according to Saxo Bank. The consensus belief that demand has been outstripping supply for years might not even be true and more stockpiles could be revealed, the report said.
10. Yen to Become Currency Peg
Asian countries could shun dollar pegs in favor of the Chinese yen next year, according to Saxo Bank. China's economic, political and cultural influence is growing and shifts in market re-evaluations will favor the country, the report added. - CNBC
If the above isn’t bad enough …
2008 was the year that subprime borrowers and speculators got hurt by the real estate crisis. 2009 could be when everyone else gets hit.
Until now, the nation's most serious home price declines have been in low-cost markets that were dominated by subprime mortgages, and in overbuilt markets such as Florida, California, and Las Vegas, where residential values are sliding fast toward pre-housing boom levels.
The Commerce Dept. reported Dec. 23 that November new-home sales in the U.S. fell to their lowest level in 17 years, down 35.3% compared with November 2007. And the outlook is even bleaker. The same day, Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS - News) forecast that more than 8 million homes will go into foreclosure over the next four years, or approximately 16% of all U.S. households with mortgages.
That's because the big story in 2009 could be that, with the deepening recession and mounting job losses, serious housing troubles could infect wealthier communities and markets that were just beginning to stabilize this summer before the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers on Sept. 15 sparked the most serious financial turmoil in decades. In fact, according to online real estate research firm HousingPredictor.com, based in Destin, Fla., housing prices nationwide will fall 12.5% next year, compared with an estimated 11.1% this year.
Housing and mortgage problems pushed the nation into a recession that could now amplify, draw out, and expand the reach of the housing declines. –Yahoo News
Dec 28, 2008
Year's Best
Best of 2008Video
Message from God
Editorial
TW's Letter
Acknowledgements
Granny's Florist
To view click on each title
Dec 27, 2008
Your Beautiful!
A man was just starting to wake up from anesthesia after surgery while his wife sat by his bedside. His eyes fluttered open and he told her, 'You're beautiful.'
Then he fell asleep again. His wife had never heard him say that before, so she stayed by his side. A few minutes later his eyes fluttered open once again and he told her, 'You're cute.'
The wife was disappointed because instead of 'beautiful' it was now 'cute'.
She asked, 'What happened to beautiful?'
The man replied, 'The drugs are wearing off.'
Author Unknow
Then he fell asleep again. His wife had never heard him say that before, so she stayed by his side. A few minutes later his eyes fluttered open once again and he told her, 'You're cute.'
The wife was disappointed because instead of 'beautiful' it was now 'cute'.
She asked, 'What happened to beautiful?'
The man replied, 'The drugs are wearing off.'
Author Unknow
Post Christmas Blues
I truly hope that all of you had a wonderful and memorable Christmas!
Here on the home front, Christmas Eve I spent with friends of mine … Jon and Georgie. Christmas Day, my buddy Steven came over and we spent the afternoon/evening together hanging out. As for gifts and cards received, plentiful! As for eating (God only knows how I love to eat), again, plentiful! Last but not least, Sumo got a new ball, Purlie a new collar, and Buddy a special treat. So, as far as Christmas is concerned, no matter how rough the road was getting to the day, I am thankfully to say that at least we all made it.
Now that Christmas is past, I believe that history will say that this year’s celebration was a mixed bag for everyone. As for my celebrating the holiday, it was very subdued and uneventful! I didn’t go all out this year by decorating or have a Christmas party … I totally skipped the tree thing! I only purchased two gifts to pass out. Mailed less Christmas cards. Actually, trying to find and maintain the spirit of the season was very difficult this year! And I’m not alone!
Those close to me and people in general, this season was a struggle for everyone. In all my Christmas pasts, I’ve never experienced the emotional toll that this Christmas was imbedded with. If a chunk of coal was the “must have” for this season, stores would have sold out! I tell you, emotionally it wasn’t very merry! And as far as spiritually, most that I know didn’t even bother attending Christmas Eve services. Therefore, for most, I included, everyone’s just happy it’s over with! It truly was a gloomy Christmas for most!
Well, if I can end this on a bright note (hmm!), at least we have one last hurrah left … New Year’s Eve! Wow, how the year has flown by! At least one thing is certain, for most, we’ll be able to look back on 2008 as it ticks its way out and say; it was what it was … bye-bye now!, and PRAY that the New Year will be better in every way.
Here on the home front, Christmas Eve I spent with friends of mine … Jon and Georgie. Christmas Day, my buddy Steven came over and we spent the afternoon/evening together hanging out. As for gifts and cards received, plentiful! As for eating (God only knows how I love to eat), again, plentiful! Last but not least, Sumo got a new ball, Purlie a new collar, and Buddy a special treat. So, as far as Christmas is concerned, no matter how rough the road was getting to the day, I am thankfully to say that at least we all made it.
Now that Christmas is past, I believe that history will say that this year’s celebration was a mixed bag for everyone. As for my celebrating the holiday, it was very subdued and uneventful! I didn’t go all out this year by decorating or have a Christmas party … I totally skipped the tree thing! I only purchased two gifts to pass out. Mailed less Christmas cards. Actually, trying to find and maintain the spirit of the season was very difficult this year! And I’m not alone!
Those close to me and people in general, this season was a struggle for everyone. In all my Christmas pasts, I’ve never experienced the emotional toll that this Christmas was imbedded with. If a chunk of coal was the “must have” for this season, stores would have sold out! I tell you, emotionally it wasn’t very merry! And as far as spiritually, most that I know didn’t even bother attending Christmas Eve services. Therefore, for most, I included, everyone’s just happy it’s over with! It truly was a gloomy Christmas for most!
Well, if I can end this on a bright note (hmm!), at least we have one last hurrah left … New Year’s Eve! Wow, how the year has flown by! At least one thing is certain, for most, we’ll be able to look back on 2008 as it ticks its way out and say; it was what it was … bye-bye now!, and PRAY that the New Year will be better in every way.
You Never Know!
Four friends, who hadn't seen each other in 30 years, reunited at a party. After several drinks, one of the men had to use the rest room. Those who remained talked about their kids.
The first guy said, 'My son is my pride and joy. He started working at a successful company at the bottom of the barrel. He studied Economics and Business Administration and soon began to climb the corporate ladder and now he's the president of the company. He became so rich that he gave his best friend a top of the line Mercedes for his birthday.'
The second guy said, 'Darn, that's terrific! My son is also my pride and joy. He started working for a big airline, then went to flight school to become a pilot. Eventually he became a partner in the company, where he owns the majority of its assets. He's so rich that he gave his best friend a brand new jet for his birthday.' The third man said: 'Well, that's terrific! My son studied in the best universities and became an engineer. Then he started his own construction company and is now a multimillionaire. He also gave away something very nice and expensive to his best friend for his birthday: A 30,000 square foot mansion.'
The three friends congratulated each other just as the fourth returned from the restroom and asked: 'What are all the congratulations for?' One of the three said: 'We were talking about the pride we feel for the successes of our sons. What about your son?'
The fourth man replied: 'My son is gay and makes a living dancing as a stripper at a nightclub.' The three friends said: 'What a shame... what a disappointment.'
The fourth man replied: 'No, I'm not ashamed. He's my son and I love him. And he hasn't done too bad either. His birthday was two weeks ago, and he received a beautiful 30,000 square foot mansion, a brand new jet and a top of the line Mercedes from his three boyfriends.'
Author Unknown
The first guy said, 'My son is my pride and joy. He started working at a successful company at the bottom of the barrel. He studied Economics and Business Administration and soon began to climb the corporate ladder and now he's the president of the company. He became so rich that he gave his best friend a top of the line Mercedes for his birthday.'
The second guy said, 'Darn, that's terrific! My son is also my pride and joy. He started working for a big airline, then went to flight school to become a pilot. Eventually he became a partner in the company, where he owns the majority of its assets. He's so rich that he gave his best friend a brand new jet for his birthday.' The third man said: 'Well, that's terrific! My son studied in the best universities and became an engineer. Then he started his own construction company and is now a multimillionaire. He also gave away something very nice and expensive to his best friend for his birthday: A 30,000 square foot mansion.'
The three friends congratulated each other just as the fourth returned from the restroom and asked: 'What are all the congratulations for?' One of the three said: 'We were talking about the pride we feel for the successes of our sons. What about your son?'
The fourth man replied: 'My son is gay and makes a living dancing as a stripper at a nightclub.' The three friends said: 'What a shame... what a disappointment.'
The fourth man replied: 'No, I'm not ashamed. He's my son and I love him. And he hasn't done too bad either. His birthday was two weeks ago, and he received a beautiful 30,000 square foot mansion, a brand new jet and a top of the line Mercedes from his three boyfriends.'
Author Unknown
Dec 26, 2008
Dec 23, 2008
2008 Nominations Are...
>> Video Nominations <<
(Best & Worst)
Musical Dumpster Baby - Kumbaya - Viagra Commercial
Night Before Christmas -Achmed Christmas - In God We Still Trust
The Perfect Wife - It Is Well With My Soul - Recession Claus
Message From God - Merry Christmas John
>> Editorial Nominations <<
(Best & Worst)
Dear Mr. Mayor - Dear Mr. President - Black Friday - Christmas Correctness
Political Correctness - This Will Give You Goosebumps
Setting The Record Straight - TW’s Letter - Response To TW’s Letter
Comments To TW’s Letter - Just Want To Thank You All
Politically Correct Christmas Greeting - Lets Remember and Pray
Journals - Sometimes Life Just Sucks
>> Acknowledgments <<
HIV/AIDS Information, Blog In General, Granny’s Florist
Voting Ends Dec. 28th., Please Cast Your Votes Now
(Best & Worst)
Musical Dumpster Baby - Kumbaya - Viagra Commercial
Night Before Christmas -Achmed Christmas - In God We Still Trust
The Perfect Wife - It Is Well With My Soul - Recession Claus
Message From God - Merry Christmas John
>> Editorial Nominations <<
(Best & Worst)
Dear Mr. Mayor - Dear Mr. President - Black Friday - Christmas Correctness
Political Correctness - This Will Give You Goosebumps
Setting The Record Straight - TW’s Letter - Response To TW’s Letter
Comments To TW’s Letter - Just Want To Thank You All
Politically Correct Christmas Greeting - Lets Remember and Pray
Journals - Sometimes Life Just Sucks
>> Acknowledgments <<
HIV/AIDS Information, Blog In General, Granny’s Florist
Voting Ends Dec. 28th., Please Cast Your Votes Now
A Christmas Blessing!
You have been chosen to receive the Blessing of the Snow Fairy!
The Snow Fairy will bring you good luck for one year! May you be blessed by his good deeds!.....
The Snow Fairy will bring you good luck for one year! May you be blessed by his good deeds!.....
Dec 21, 2008
"Deep Throat"
W. Mark Felt, who leaked information to reporters under the moniker, "Deep Throat," about the Watergate break-in, died Thursday at the age of 95, sources told CNN.W. Mark Felt, known as "Deep Throat," divulged information to reporters about the Watergate break-in. W. Mark Felt, known as "Deep Throat," divulged information to reporters about the Watergate break-in.
Rob Jones, Felt's grandson, said his grandfather died at his home in Santa Rosa, California. According to published reports, Felt died of congestive heart failure.
Felt admitted in a 2005 Vanity Fair article he was the Washington Post's source for many of its 400 stories on the Watergate affair during the early 1970s. The Watergate break-in eventually led to the 1974 resignation of President Richard Nixon.
"I'm proud of everything that Deep Throat did," Felt, 92, told CNN's "Larry King Live" in 2006, his first public interview on the subject.
Felt's entanglement with history occurred in 1972 after the bungled break-in at the Democratic National Party offices in the Watergate hotel. Felt, an associate director at the FBI, said he was unhappy with the way the administration meddled with the investigation into the break-in, which led him to divulge information to the newspaper. –CNN
The Bomb In The Christmas Stockings
A Personal note!The following article (shared with me from my friend Ralph) is lengthy and for some might be boring. However, it’s worth the reading because it sure focuses on what we are experiencing today.
With the economy tilting on the brink of overflow, Darryl Schoon has some very interesting things to say which we all need to take notice if we are going to survive our current economic crisis.
Yes, it’s the Christmas season. The news is cautiously talking about the state of our nation’s economy. Why? Because Christmas stimulates the economy! The Government wants us to SPEND! However, come the new year, and I hope I’m wrong, the news is going to get grim ... whole lot grimmer. Therefore, after reading Schoon’s article and wondering if I should post this, I decided to go ahead, because it makes a whole lot of sense. So it may be boring reading, but well worth the time, as well as insightful.
Enjoy!
Misplaced fears are the most dangerous of all.
The terrorists of Mumbai are not our greatest threat nor will they cause the greatest suffering in the days ahead. That which will cause the greatest grief is the banker’s system of credit-based paper money, a house of cards now in flames and about to burn all inside who still believe it to be shelter instead of a charnel house.
Those who have attended Professor Antal E. Fekete’s Gold Standard University Live (GSUL) are not found around corporate watering holes discussing stock tips. Although aware of the markets, those in attendance have their focus on the system itself, on what caused its problems and what can be done to correct it.
Last June at Session IV of GSUL a group of Hungarian bankers were in attendance. I asked one why they had come to hear Professor Fekete. His answer was unusual, at least for a banker. He answered that they had realized their models could not explain current markets and, as a consequence, they were looking for models that could do so.
When most people are confronted with the inexplicable, instead of looking for other explanations they instead attempt to explain away what is happening. In times of systemic stress, the usual response is denial. The Hungarian bankers were obviously an exception.
What is extraordinarily dangerous today is the ubiquitous ignorance that exists about our financial system. Those who benefit the most from the current monetary pathology—bankers and government—through their influence in the corporate-controlled media and academia have effectively hidden the cause of society’s problems from society itself.
By controlling the content and direction of social and academic dialogue, the present beneficiaries of our credit-based system of paper money have effectively prevented any real response to correct that which is now our greatest threat—the collapse of the global economy which will bring unimaginable suffering to most of humanity, a collapse that is now upon us.
The bankers’ influence over government and the media has effectively stifled social and academic discussion about the real cause of our problems. Those who live off debt do not want its origins and their influence exposed to the light of day. As a consequence, society will suffer immensely though ignorant of the reasons why—which is exactly what bankers and governments prefer.
A DEPRESSION PLUS
We are about to experience a depression in (extremes). Although similar to the Great Depression, what is about to happen has never happened before; we are about to experience something new, a depression in combination with a currency collapse, une Grande Dépression à la papier-monnaie.
Ralph T. Foster’s important book, Fiat Paper Money—The History And Evolution Of Our Currency notes that paper money first appeared in China, which is also the first country to later ban its use.
Over the course of 600 years, five dynasties had implemented paper money and all five made frequent use of the printing press to solve problems. Economic catastrophe and political chaos inevitably followed. Time and time again, officials looked to paper money for instant liquidity and the immediate transfer of wealth. But its ostensible virtues could not withstand its tragic legacy; those who held it as a store of value found that in time all they held were worthless pieces of paper.
Page 29, Ralph T. Foster, Fiat Paper Money—The History And Evolution Of Our Currency, to order email tfdf(at)pacbell.net
While good ideas often spread, terrible ideas do also. Eventually, the “virtues” of paper money were too great for the West to resist; and like another Chinese invention, gunpowder, paper money was to be used in the pursuit of wealth, empire and, ultimately, war.
But, in the beginning, the West was highly dubious of this alleged Chinese invention. Foster’s book notes that the first mention of paper money in the West was found in Marco Polo’s account of his travels. The chapter heading which refers to paper money begins:
“HOW THE GREAT KHAN CAUSETH THE BARK OF TREES, MADE INTO SOMETHING LIKE PAPER, TO PASS FOR MONEY OVER ALL HIS COUNTRY”
Page 39, Ralph T. Foster, Fiat Paper Money—The History And Evolution Of Our Currency.
The idea that the bark of trees could pass for money was met with disbelief, derision and ridicule in the West. Such a possibility was considered as absurd as the more modern idea that $ 1.5 trillion of subprime “don’t ask, don’t tell” mortgages could be sold to banks, pension funds, and insurance companies as risk-free AAA investments.
The use of paper money was formally abolished in China in 1661. But, like the proverbial bad penny, it reappeared again in the 1900s. Bereft of alternatives, China wholeheartedly embraced the West’s paper-based credit markets believing that perhaps in its 300 year “journey to the west” paper money had picked up some “western mojo” along the way.
Unfortunately, as China is about to discover, paper money was no more viable upon its return than in 1661 when it was banished. Once again, economic catastrophe and political chaos will follow—this time on a global scale.
Foster also points out that although Kubalai Khan’s methods of encouraging the use of paper money were brutal, i.e. the penalty for not accepting paper money in trade was death, the Great Khan was certainly not ignorant in the ways of money, as Marco Polo noted:
But what really captured Polo’s attention was how all the gold and silver went to the imperial treasury, while the population gladly received paper.
Page 41, Ralph T. Foster, Fiat Paper Money—The History And Evolution Of Our Currency, to order email tfdf(at)pacbell.net
WE KHAN TOO
Today, paper money is more common than herpes and far more dangerous (and hopefully not with us forever). When paper money loses its value, economies collapse which is now about to happen.
Kubalai Khan’s experiment with paper money, however, gives us an important clue about what to do. As long as everyone accepts paper money, we should exchange our paper money for goods and services. But, like Kubalai Khan, our savings should be held in gold and silver.
WHAT LIES AHEAD
A depression is now beginning. The last depression, i.e. the Great Depression, lasted approximately ten years. While it is not possible to know how long this depression will last, we do know this depression will be much worse than the 1930s. It will be a depression in (extremes), a depression in combination with a currency collapse.
The US dollar is a now a fiat currency, a paper coupon issued by the US government stating it is legal tender. Without the ink, however, it is similar in all respects to Kubalai Khan’s currency which started out as the bark of a tree made into something like paper to pass for something like money.
When the US dollar was accorded the status of a reserve currency by the Bretton-Woods agreement in 1944, it was convertible to gold upon demand by other nations. Today, it is convertible only to whatever speculators decide. Someday, as with all fiat currencies, it will be zero.
Some believe that a US default on its debts will occur this year. Such a default may or may not happen soon but it will happen someday. When the US allowed private bankers to issue the US dollar (via the Federal Reserve in 1913) thus changing the dollar from a savings based currency to a debt based currency, the death warrant of the US dollar was signed. Its burial was only a matter of time, a time which has almost arrived.
It has been less than one hundred years since bankers and businessmen conspired to create the Federal Reserve Bank to control America’s finances and to profit from the economic expansion of this once great economic power.
The consequences of that conspiracy are now around us—a collapsing dollar, a collapsing economy and, now, a collapsing nation. Using soundbite slogans, the bankers convinced Americans that its markets were free while they controlled the markets through the issuance of credit.
Thomas Jefferson warned about what would happen if private bankers controlled America’s currency. Jefferson’s warnings were ignored, forgotten and buried by the press, academics and politicians who were paid to promulgate the false promises of bankers. Americans took the bait, swallowed it and are now about to be flayed.
THE BANKERS SINK WITH THE SHIP BERNARD MADOFF—THE POSTER BOY OF DEREGULATION
The irony is that, today, bankers themselves are being destroyed by the very system they created. The excessive issuance of debt-based money by bankers is destroying bankers and banks as well as businesses, families, and governments.
Bankers’ influence turned government oversight into culpable blindness giving bankers the rope they needed to hang themselves. The soundbite of self-regulation ultimately spawned the largest Ponzi scheme ever, a decades long $50 billion theft by investment banker and former NASDAQ Chairman Bernard Madoff—accomplished directly beneath the blind eye of SEC oversight.
Madoff’s extraordinary accomplishment is the pièce de résistance to the hallowed soundbite of free markets. I am a strong believer in freedom and free markets but only fools and dupes believe that today’s credit driven financially manipulated markets are free. Follow the money, not the soundbites. Follow the truth, not the bullshit.
CHRISTMAS AND THE COMING NEW YEAR
This year’s holiday season will not be like last year’s, i.e. “the last happy Christmas”. Americans especially have been living in a self-induced bubble of illusion and denial which has now popped along with the real estate and stock market bubbles.
Reality is finally beginning to dawn on those who believed their denial would save them from what they fear. What is happening is a surprise only to the indentured slaves of debt who believed the banker’s promise that credit would give them their dreams; instead, that credit has now become debt and their dreams have become nightmares.
The past year has destroyed the illusion of eternally expanding growth driven by eternally expanding credit. Salome was never so attractive; but now, society must pay the price for having succumbed to the bankers’ beckoning pole dance.
Only if we learn from history will we not repeat it. But if China’s experience with paper money is any indication of mankind’s learning curve, I suggest you put your savings into gold and silver—and soon.
Darryl Robert Schoon
http://www.drschoon.com/
www.survivethecrisis.com
blog www.posdev.net/pdn/index.php?option=com_myblog&blogger=drs&Itemid=81
Dec 20, 2008
Christmas Around The World
Unable to post all pics, but here's a sampling of how
Christmas is celebrated around the world.
Enlightened Perspective
I've learned....that the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
I've learned....that when you're in love, it shows.
I've learned....that just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.
I've learned ....that being kind is more important than being right.
I've learned.....that I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.
I've learned....that no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
I've learned....that sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
I've learned....that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
I've learned....that we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
I've learned....that money doesn't buy class.
I've learned....that it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
I've learned....that under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
I've learned....that to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
I've learned....that when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
I've learned....that love, not time, heals all wounds.
I've learned....that the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
I've learned....that everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
I've learned....that no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
I've learned....that life is tough, but I'm tougher.
I've learned....that opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.
I've learned....that when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
I've learned....that I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.
I've learned....that one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
I've learned....that a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
I've learned....that everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
I've learned....that the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.
Author: Andy Rooney (A man who has the gift of saying a lot in a few words)
I've learned....that when you're in love, it shows.
I've learned....that just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.
I've learned ....that being kind is more important than being right.
I've learned.....that I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.
I've learned....that no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
I've learned....that sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
I've learned....that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
I've learned....that we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
I've learned....that money doesn't buy class.
I've learned....that it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
I've learned....that under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
I've learned....that to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
I've learned....that when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
I've learned....that love, not time, heals all wounds.
I've learned....that the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
I've learned....that everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
I've learned....that no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
I've learned....that life is tough, but I'm tougher.
I've learned....that opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.
I've learned....that when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
I've learned....that I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.
I've learned....that one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
I've learned....that a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
I've learned....that everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
I've learned....that the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.
Author: Andy Rooney (A man who has the gift of saying a lot in a few words)
Dec 19, 2008
Caylee Anthony
ORLANDO, Fla. – Skeletal remains found in the woods are the Florida 3-year-old who has been missing since June, but they don't reveal any clues about how she was killed, a county medical examiner said Friday. A utility worker stumbled upon the remains last week, less than a half-mile from where the girl lived. DNA tests confirm that the remains match Caylee Anthony's genetic profile, said the medical examiner, Dr. Jan Garavaglia.Caylee's mother, 22-year-old Casey Anthony, was indicted in October on first-degree murder and other charges, even though no body was found. She has insisted that she left the girl with a baby sitter in June, but she didn't report her missing until July.
It took authorities several days to analyze the remains, and some tests are still being completed. Some of the bones were as small as a pebble and had been scattered, and the fragments were hard to find by excavators who searched on their hands and knees, authorities said. The bone fragments did not reveal any trauma before death, Garavaglia said, but exactly what happened to the girl remains a mystery. –Yahoo News.
Is Casey guilty or Innocent? Cast your vote!
Dec 18, 2008
Just Want To Thank You All
Just want to thank all of you for your educational e-mails over the past year. I am totally screwed up now and have little chance of recovery.
I no longer open a public bathroom door without using a paper towel or have them put lemon slices in my ice water without worrying about the bacteria on the lemon peel.
I can't use the remote in a hotel room because I don't know what the last person was doing while flipping through the adult movie channels.
I can't sit down on the hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what has happened on it since it was last washed.
I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the number one pastime while driving alone is picking ones nose (although cell phone usage may be taking the number one spot).
Eating a little snack sends me on a guilt trip because I can only imagine how many gallons of trans fats I have consumed over the years.
I can't touch any woman's purse for fear she has placed it on the floor of a public bathroom.
I MUST SEND MY SPECIAL THANKS to whoever sent me the one about poop in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing.
ALSO, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.
I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl (Penny Brown) who is about to die in the hospital for the 1,387,258 th time.
I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.
I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St. Theresa's, Novena, has granted my every wish.
I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.
I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.
THANKS TO YOU I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.
BECAUSE OF YOUR CONCERN, I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.
I no longer can buy gasoline without taking someone along to watch the car so a serial killer won't crawl in my back seat when I'm pumping gas.
I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr. Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put 'Under God' on their cans.
I no longer use Saran Wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.
AND THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face … disfiguring me for life.
I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.
I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.
I no longer receive packages from UPS or Fed Ex since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.
I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our American troops or the Salvation Army.
I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica, Uganda , Singapore , and Uzbekistan.
I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe.
THANKS TO YOU I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big brown African spider is lurking under the seat to cause me instant death when it bites my butt.
AND THANKS TO YOUR GREAT ADVICE I can't ever pick up $5.00 dropped in the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a sex molester waiting underneath my car to grab my leg.
I can no longer drive my car because I can't buy gas from certain gas companies!
I can't do any gardening because I'm afraid I'll get bitten by the brown recluse and my hand will fall off.
If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon and the fleas from 12 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beautician.
Oh, by the way … A German scientist from Argentina , after a lengthy study, has discovered that people with insufficient brain activity read their e-mail with their hand on the mouse.
Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.
Author Unknown
I no longer open a public bathroom door without using a paper towel or have them put lemon slices in my ice water without worrying about the bacteria on the lemon peel.
I can't use the remote in a hotel room because I don't know what the last person was doing while flipping through the adult movie channels.
I can't sit down on the hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what has happened on it since it was last washed.
I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the number one pastime while driving alone is picking ones nose (although cell phone usage may be taking the number one spot).
Eating a little snack sends me on a guilt trip because I can only imagine how many gallons of trans fats I have consumed over the years.
I can't touch any woman's purse for fear she has placed it on the floor of a public bathroom.
I MUST SEND MY SPECIAL THANKS to whoever sent me the one about poop in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing.
ALSO, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.
I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl (Penny Brown) who is about to die in the hospital for the 1,387,258 th time.
I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.
I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St. Theresa's, Novena, has granted my every wish.
I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.
I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.
THANKS TO YOU I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.
BECAUSE OF YOUR CONCERN, I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.
I no longer can buy gasoline without taking someone along to watch the car so a serial killer won't crawl in my back seat when I'm pumping gas.
I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr. Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put 'Under God' on their cans.
I no longer use Saran Wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.
AND THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face … disfiguring me for life.
I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.
I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.
I no longer receive packages from UPS or Fed Ex since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.
I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our American troops or the Salvation Army.
I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica, Uganda , Singapore , and Uzbekistan.
I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe.
THANKS TO YOU I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big brown African spider is lurking under the seat to cause me instant death when it bites my butt.
AND THANKS TO YOUR GREAT ADVICE I can't ever pick up $5.00 dropped in the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a sex molester waiting underneath my car to grab my leg.
I can no longer drive my car because I can't buy gas from certain gas companies!
I can't do any gardening because I'm afraid I'll get bitten by the brown recluse and my hand will fall off.
If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon and the fleas from 12 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beautician.
Oh, by the way … A German scientist from Argentina , after a lengthy study, has discovered that people with insufficient brain activity read their e-mail with their hand on the mouse.
Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.
Author Unknown
Dec 17, 2008
Lets Remember and Pray
Rest easy, sleep well my brothers. Know the line has held, your job is done.
Rest easy, sleep well.
Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held.
Peace, peace, and farewell...
**********
Lets Also Remember Our Service
Men and Women
n
Afghanistan & Iraq
Merry Christmas
Rest easy, sleep well.
Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held.
Peace, peace, and farewell...
**********
Lets Also Remember Our Service
Men and Women
n
Afghanistan & Iraq
Merry Christmas
Dec 16, 2008
Dec 15, 2008
Did You Know
Did you know that the three most difficult things to say are: I love you, Sorry, and Help me.
Did you know that when you help someone, the help is returned in two-fold?
Did you know that you can make your dreams come true, like falling in love, becoming rich, staying healthy, if you ask for it by faith, and if you really believe, you'd be surprised by what you could do.
But, don't believe everything I tell you, until you try it for yourself. If you know someone that is in need of something that I mentioned, and you know that you can help, you'll see that it will be returned in two-fold.
Today, the ball of FRIENDSHIP is in your court, reach out and touch a FRIEND.
Author Unknown
Did you know that when you help someone, the help is returned in two-fold?
Did you know that you can make your dreams come true, like falling in love, becoming rich, staying healthy, if you ask for it by faith, and if you really believe, you'd be surprised by what you could do.
But, don't believe everything I tell you, until you try it for yourself. If you know someone that is in need of something that I mentioned, and you know that you can help, you'll see that it will be returned in two-fold.
Today, the ball of FRIENDSHIP is in your court, reach out and touch a FRIEND.
Author Unknown
What Love means to a 4-8 year old . . .
A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, 'What does love mean?' The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think.
'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.' -Rebecca- age 8
'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.' -Billy - age 4
'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.' -Karl - age 5
'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.' -Chrissy - age 6
'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.' -Terri - age 4
'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.' -Danny - age 7
'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss' -Emily - age 8
'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.' - Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)
'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,' -Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)
'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.' -Noelle - age 7
'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.' -Tommy - age 6
'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.' -Cindy - age 8
'My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at ”night.' -Clare - age 6
'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.' -Elaine-age 5
'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.' -Chris - age 7
'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.' -Mary Ann - age 4
'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.' -Lauren - age 4
'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' -Karen - age 7 (what an image)
'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.' -Mark - age 6
'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.' -Jessica - age 8
And the final one! The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, 'Nothing, I just helped him cry'
'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.' -Rebecca- age 8
'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.' -Billy - age 4
'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.' -Karl - age 5
'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.' -Chrissy - age 6
'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.' -Terri - age 4
'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.' -Danny - age 7
'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss' -Emily - age 8
'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.' - Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)
'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,' -Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)
'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.' -Noelle - age 7
'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.' -Tommy - age 6
'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.' -Cindy - age 8
'My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at ”night.' -Clare - age 6
'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.' -Elaine-age 5
'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.' -Chris - age 7
'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.' -Mary Ann - age 4
'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.' -Lauren - age 4
'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' -Karen - age 7 (what an image)
'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.' -Mark - age 6
'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.' -Jessica - age 8
And the final one! The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, 'Nothing, I just helped him cry'
George Carlin's Views On Aging
Enjoy the ride ... There's no return ticket.Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 1 0 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.
'How old are you? ''I'm four and a half! 'You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.
You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.
'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life! You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!
But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?
You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.
But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!
So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.
You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!
You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92.'
Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half!' May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!
Dec 14, 2008
Santa And An Adventure With Grandma
Santa and an Adventure With Grandma I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma.I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!"
My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her world-famous cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true.
Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus!" she snorted. "Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad. Now, put on your coat, and let's go."
"Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous, cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it.
I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.
I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten- dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for.
I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out for recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that, Bobby Decker didn't have a cough, and he didn't have a coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat!
I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that. "Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down.
"Yes," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby." The nice lady smiled at me. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry Christmas.
That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper and ribbons (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus", on it -- Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially one of Santa's helpers.
Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going."
I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby.
Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: "Ridiculous". Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team.
I still have the Bible, with the tag tucked inside: $19.95.
He who has no Christmas in his heart will never find Christmas under a tree.
Author Unknown
A Different Christmas Poem
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right, I'm out here by choice.
I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son.”
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."
LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right, I'm out here by choice.
I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son.”
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."
LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq
PLEASE, send this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. To send this, copy and past into your own email service or click on the email link below, past and send. We owe our service men and women our deepest gratitude for their service to us and our country.
Dec 12, 2008
Huckabee And Gay Marriage
Also, on the side bar, see Gay Issues and read
News Weeks article on Gay Marriage.
Dec 11, 2008
Chicago Politics-Oh Please!
I really don't understand the big deal over Illinois Gov. Blagojevich hoopla. Yeah, he's a crook! And? Hey, Chicago politics was and is about officials on the take. Right or wrong, it's what put Chicago on the map and continues to be headlines! Nevertheless, those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones!
In my opinion, from the Presidency down to the cop on the street, most everyone are on the take! What's the difference between Gov. Blagojevich trying to sell a senate seat and our representatives and senators in Washington, DC? Nothing! Those sitting under the capital dome is no better than Blagojevich. When we voters and corporations "donate" to any one's campaign ... isn't this buying a seat? When special interests "donate" to a politician's pocket for a "favorable" vote ... isn't this buying a vote? After all, politics is all about the almighty dollar. Who has or gets the most, WINS!
If we're going to punish Blagojevich then we need to do the same with all those who are on the take. Politics is dirty and it's high time to clean it up.
In my opinion, from the Presidency down to the cop on the street, most everyone are on the take! What's the difference between Gov. Blagojevich trying to sell a senate seat and our representatives and senators in Washington, DC? Nothing! Those sitting under the capital dome is no better than Blagojevich. When we voters and corporations "donate" to any one's campaign ... isn't this buying a seat? When special interests "donate" to a politician's pocket for a "favorable" vote ... isn't this buying a vote? After all, politics is all about the almighty dollar. Who has or gets the most, WINS!
If we're going to punish Blagojevich then we need to do the same with all those who are on the take. Politics is dirty and it's high time to clean it up.
Dec 9, 2008
Thank You!
To all of your who responded to my two blog entries below, I want to thank you for your comments and voices of support. As one human being to another, I personally would NEVER treat a FRIEND as I was treated ... NEVER! In any circle of life, It was simply wrong!
Yes, we ALL may not agree with each other or like what is said, but it certainly does not warrant cruelty such as was displayed from whom I thought was a true friend. But now I know that the friendship was never a part of our association and I'm ok with that. The individuals action, they will have to answer for it, not me! Therefore, I can walk away with no quilt or apology.
Again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support. And now lets all move on ... IT'S CHRISTMAS ... it's time for rejoicing and celebration!
Yes, we ALL may not agree with each other or like what is said, but it certainly does not warrant cruelty such as was displayed from whom I thought was a true friend. But now I know that the friendship was never a part of our association and I'm ok with that. The individuals action, they will have to answer for it, not me! Therefore, I can walk away with no quilt or apology.
Again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support. And now lets all move on ... IT'S CHRISTMAS ... it's time for rejoicing and celebration!
Dec 7, 2008
Response To TW
Hey Phil,
Just read your blog and i cannot believe TW feels the way she does. You are a good person and a great friend! All you are doing was expressing yourself as to how you see things so TW needs to get over it! I feel TW has the Cindy Syndrome ... IF she is not in control then you are wrong. Also, IF TW cannot deal with you having "TRUE FRIENDS" then she needs not to be part of your life. You were nothing more than a "Friend" of convenience to her if she connot understand how you felt. That's the way i see it!
Your "True Friend,"
Georgie
Just read your blog and i cannot believe TW feels the way she does. You are a good person and a great friend! All you are doing was expressing yourself as to how you see things so TW needs to get over it! I feel TW has the Cindy Syndrome ... IF she is not in control then you are wrong. Also, IF TW cannot deal with you having "TRUE FRIENDS" then she needs not to be part of your life. You were nothing more than a "Friend" of convenience to her if she connot understand how you felt. That's the way i see it!
Your "True Friend,"
Georgie
A Response To My Blog
I read your blog - and I am done with you. You may no longer refer to me or my family as being a part of your life and I also am requesting that you remove my name as the executor of your will (if you have not done so already). You can have a "true friend" accept that responsibility for you but not me since we are no longer friends. You will never see anyone else's side of a situation nor will you ever accept their feelings. You only see your side and turn it around to always make someone else the bad guy. If someone does not jump to your bidding then they are written off. Maybe you are not patient enough or realize that other people are struggling to make it through life also. I say "Too bad for you - Good luck in life but know this - You have lost an entire family and not just a few friends". -From TW
Dec 6, 2008
Oh No You Didn't!
We ALL say things and act in certain ways that others may not understand, comprehend or accept. And more often then not, the recipient of our words and actions never looks beyond the cause of why it was said or why a particular reaction was taken. And almost always, things between friends and acquaintances go unsettled causing a rift in the relationship.
Proof that I’m just as human as the next, there are times I react to situations and circumstances negatively. Sometimes I say things without thinking. Sometimes I react harshly. Sometimes I just simply scratch my head and wonder why I reacted the way I did either in speech or action. And sometimes I should simply shut the hell up or just not react at all.
Recently, I made two statements to two individuals that was heated. It’s not so much what I said, but how I said it. Both have called me on it. One asked for an explanation and when I did give one, in no uncertain terms called me a lier. The other felt that I had no “right” to feel the way I did. In my opinion, both were more concerned about their feelings being hurt (the all about me syndrome), thus caring less as to why I said what I did or why I felt the way I did. So both issue’s remains unsettled and will never be resolved.
I admit that the tone I used in delivering how I felt was harsh. On the other hand, what I said I will never apologize for. With this said; we ALL hate rejection, specially from our friends. Though my delivery may have been harsh it steamed from the fact that I felt brushed aside either because I was an inconvenience and because I didn't have the right to feel the way I did. Therefore, being called on how I said how I felt I’m okay with, but what I’m not okay with is that they not caring as to why.
My thing is this. If we are truly friends, it has to be understand that we’re not always going to come across like perhaps we should. There is going to be those occasions when things are said that is going to either dig or hurt. We don’t live in a perfect world and no one is 100% of the times going treat us perfectly. This is reality. To think or expect otherwise is being unrealistic.
Perhaps replacing behavioral expectations with a bit of understanding might lesson the impact in which the message was received, thus providing a sense of conformability in open dialogue. If this aspect is denied then resolve will never be a part of the relationship and eventually the relationship will fall apart.
Yes, we all want to live peacefully, without drama, and without pain. But since utopia is not going to be a part of this life we have to find ways in which we can get along. And in my case, I believe that if BOTH would take a little more time to listen rather than not accept or not want to hear as to why I’m feeling the way I do, then life would be so much easier to deal with and I wouldn’t still feel like I’m an inconvenience or have no right to feel the way I do.
Proof that I’m just as human as the next, there are times I react to situations and circumstances negatively. Sometimes I say things without thinking. Sometimes I react harshly. Sometimes I just simply scratch my head and wonder why I reacted the way I did either in speech or action. And sometimes I should simply shut the hell up or just not react at all.
Recently, I made two statements to two individuals that was heated. It’s not so much what I said, but how I said it. Both have called me on it. One asked for an explanation and when I did give one, in no uncertain terms called me a lier. The other felt that I had no “right” to feel the way I did. In my opinion, both were more concerned about their feelings being hurt (the all about me syndrome), thus caring less as to why I said what I did or why I felt the way I did. So both issue’s remains unsettled and will never be resolved.
I admit that the tone I used in delivering how I felt was harsh. On the other hand, what I said I will never apologize for. With this said; we ALL hate rejection, specially from our friends. Though my delivery may have been harsh it steamed from the fact that I felt brushed aside either because I was an inconvenience and because I didn't have the right to feel the way I did. Therefore, being called on how I said how I felt I’m okay with, but what I’m not okay with is that they not caring as to why.
My thing is this. If we are truly friends, it has to be understand that we’re not always going to come across like perhaps we should. There is going to be those occasions when things are said that is going to either dig or hurt. We don’t live in a perfect world and no one is 100% of the times going treat us perfectly. This is reality. To think or expect otherwise is being unrealistic.
Perhaps replacing behavioral expectations with a bit of understanding might lesson the impact in which the message was received, thus providing a sense of conformability in open dialogue. If this aspect is denied then resolve will never be a part of the relationship and eventually the relationship will fall apart.
Yes, we all want to live peacefully, without drama, and without pain. But since utopia is not going to be a part of this life we have to find ways in which we can get along. And in my case, I believe that if BOTH would take a little more time to listen rather than not accept or not want to hear as to why I’m feeling the way I do, then life would be so much easier to deal with and I wouldn’t still feel like I’m an inconvenience or have no right to feel the way I do.
Confucius Says-Part 2
Man who fight with wife all day get no piece at night.
——–
Man who live in glass house should change clothes in basement.
——–
Man who live in glass house should change clothes in basement.
(unless he’s worth looking at … LOL)
——–
Man who fish in other man's well often catch crabs.
——–
Crowded elevator smell different to midget.
——–
Baseball is wrong: man with four balls cannot walk.
——–
Man who eat many prunes get good run for money.
——–
Man who run in front of car get tired.
——–
Man who fish in other man's well often catch crabs.
——–
Crowded elevator smell different to midget.
——–
Baseball is wrong: man with four balls cannot walk.
——–
Man who eat many prunes get good run for money.
——–
Man who run in front of car get tired.
Dec 5, 2008
OJ Gets 15 Years!
“LAS VEGAS -- A broken O.J. Simpson was sentenced Friday to at least 15 years in prison for a hotel armed robbery after a judge rejected his apology and said, "It was much more than stupidity."“The judge said several times that her sentence in the Las Vegas case had nothing to do with Simpson's 1994 acquittal in the slaying of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman."
“The judge said several times that her sentence in the Las Vegas case had nothing to do with Simpson's 1994 acquittal in the slaying of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.”
“Simpson was immediately led away to prison after the judge refused to permit him to go free on bail while he appeals.” -Sun New Myrtle Beach On Line
I predicted Simpson’s guilt back on September 10th. Today, Judge Glass confirmed his quilt. Justice may not always be right or swift, but its always sweet. And in this case, it was sweet. Bye-bye OJ … c ya!
Is Your Job Safe?
Figures just released on the job market is GLOOM! In October alone, 533,000 jobs were lost. Since December 2007, 1.9 million jobs were lost. This is the worst job loss report since 1974. It is being said that the worse is yet to come. The hardest hit, the service industry. Folks, it ain’t looking good! And if it gets any worse, God help us! Hate to say this, but from the government down, we cannot afford the business as usual mentality anymore.
Dec 4, 2008
Be Safe
It’s unmanageable what lengths people will go to to steal what doesn't belong to them! Therefore, ALWAYS lock your car door’s manually when exiting your car. Read on...... While traveling my son stopped at the rest area to use its facilities. He came out to his car less than 4-5 minutes later and found someone had gotten into his car stealing his cell phone, laptop computer, GPS navigator, briefcase … every thing.
They called the police and since there were no signs of his car being broke into the police told him that there is a device that robbers are using to clone your security code when you lock your car doors using your key-chain locking device. When you manually lock your car upon exiting it doesn’t send the security code, but if you walk away and use the door lock on your key chain it sends the code through the airwaves where it can be stolen. Therefore, be sure to ALWAYS manually lock your car door’s, that way if there is someone setting in a parking lot watching for their next victim it will not be you.
Be safe for goodness sake!
Rewritten for this blog without permission. Click HERE to read the actual article.
They called the police and since there were no signs of his car being broke into the police told him that there is a device that robbers are using to clone your security code when you lock your car doors using your key-chain locking device. When you manually lock your car upon exiting it doesn’t send the security code, but if you walk away and use the door lock on your key chain it sends the code through the airwaves where it can be stolen. Therefore, be sure to ALWAYS manually lock your car door’s, that way if there is someone setting in a parking lot watching for their next victim it will not be you.
Be safe for goodness sake!
Rewritten for this blog without permission. Click HERE to read the actual article.
Dec 3, 2008
Broken Foot
My buddy Steven fell at work today and broke his foot. After spending most of the afternoon in doctor offices he was sent home, foot in a cast and with a warning … Stay off the foot, absolutely no pressure on it what so ever and it will heal on its own. Otherwise, the foot would have to be operated on. He has an appointment next Tuesday with his orthopedic surgeon to see if he’s following instructions. When speaking to him this evening, he was in good spirits, but feeling the pain.
Dec 2, 2008
I'll Be Home For Christmas History
I'll be home for Christmasyou can plan on me.
Please have snow and mistletoe
and presents on the tree...
Out of all Christmas music, “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” is my most favorite of favorites. Back when I was away at the Academy (high school) and Christmas recess was around the corner this song would make my journey home all the more joyful. And all during the time my parents were alive, being home for Christmas was always a priority. God, how I miss those days! But now being home for Christmas is all about where my heart is even if it’s only in my dreams.
Here's its history ...
In 1943, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" joined "White Christmas" to become one of America's most popular homegrown holiday songs. Recorded in a rich baritone by Bing Crosby, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" shot to the top ten of the record charts (as "White Christmas" had for Crosby the previous year) and became a holiday musical tradition in the United States.
The label on Crosby's recording credits "I'll Be Home for Christmas" to Kent, Gannon, and Ram. Later recordings usually credit only Kent and Gannon. The discrepancy arose from the fact that on December 21, 1942 Sam "Buck" Ram copyrighted a song titled "I'll Be Home for Christmas (Tho' Just in Memory)" although, it should be noted, that version bore little or no resemblance, other than its title, to the Crosby recording.
A song titled "I'll Be Home for Christmas" was also copyrighted on August 24, 1943, by Walter Kent (music) and James "Kim" Gannon (words). Kent and Gannon revised and re-copyrighted their song on Sep. 27, 1943, and it was this version that was made famous by Bing Crosby. Image: Bing Crosby Autographed photograph of Bing Crosby, 1945. Courtesy of Bob Hope Archives from the Bob Hope and American Variety Exhibition.
On October 4, 1943, Crosby recorded "I'll Be Home for Christmas" with the John Scott Trotter Orchestra for Decca Records. Within about a month of its being copyrighted the song hit the music charts and remained there for eleven weeks, peaking at number three. The following year, the song reached number nineteen on the charts. It touched a tender place in the hearts of Americans, both soldiers and civilians, who were then in the depths of World War II, and it earned Crosby his fifth gold record. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" became the most requested song at Christmas U.S.O. shows in both Europe and the Pacific and Yank, the GI magazine, said Crosby accomplished more for military morale than anyone else of that era.
"I'll Be Home for Christmas" was recorded by Perry Como (1946), Frank Sinatra (1957) and countless other artists. And the team of Kent and Gannon continued to write songs, although none attained the popularity of 'I'll Be Home for Christmas. Kent also composed the hit song, "(There'll Be Blue Birds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover," with the lyricist Nat Burton.
In December 1965, having completed the first U.S. space rendezvous and set a record for the longest flight in the U.S. space program, the astronauts Frank Borman and James Lovell hurtled back to earth aboard their Gemini 7 spacecraft. Asked by NASA communication personnel if they wanted any particular music piped up to them, the crew requested Bing Crosby's recording of "I'll Be Home for Christmas."
See "I'll Be Home For Christmas Video Here
Source: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200000010/default.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)