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Gimme<---
September 25, 2008Ok, so now we the taxpayers own a huge stake in AIG, a worldwide insurer. (By way of the U.S. Treasury of course) .
So in the spirit of "What do I get out of the deal?" I propose that us common folk get something in return from the bailout. As a way of saying "thanks for your support, even though we wouldn't give you a blunt nickel for free, you got us off our bad financial situation at the modest price of mere percentages of the huge loan you fronted us"
Ever heard of the phrase "a chicken in every pot",*** well, I say a free funeral in every home. That's right folks, funeral insurance. Think about it, what is the only thing that is for sure, regardless of race, color, money in the bank, etc. We are all going to leave our loved ones permanently someday.
And with the average funeral costing in the thousands, a little money saved for your last wishes can make a difference between said wishes being followed or ignored for the sake of family finances.
Maybe we can round up a group of funeral specialists to come up with a more sensible number, something that the good folks at AIG could use to show their appreciation for allowing them to exist as they are and not get chopped up like their peers. I personally think that a good 20,000 funeral insurance policy would be good enough for most.
But then I can also see folks feeling left out, of course, we do have folks that accumulate wealth like the pharaohs of old, without realizing that they too shall pass. Some might even argue that funeral insurance is unfair to the living.
I probably won't need this insurance if it ever came to fruition. I'm going out the cheap way. C'est la vie.
***By the way, I find this phrase quite fitting to our current situation. Many similarities to be observed, although no one would dare say that we are in a depression. Oh Silent Cal, too bad your successor did not know what he was getting into.
Posted by Maurel Merette at 4:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Correspondence
Have you ever had a pen pal? Let me correct that, that was a techonlogically-incorrect statement, after all, who writes correspondence on paper anymore?
You ever met someone on AIM, ICQ, MSN , etc? How about a message board? If you have, have you ever crafted a music masterpiece without even meeting?
Well, Phonte Coleman of Little Brother fame and Nicolay (a producer from The Netherlands) did so in 2004. Their album, aptly titled "The Foreign Exchange" was born out of countless IM chats and file transfers. Phonte and his crew would craft the lyrics, Nicolay the sounds and voila! Critical and fan acclaim ensued.
By the way, these guys didn't meet until after the album was ready to be put on the racks folks, how's that for foreign relations?
Well, this time around, the duo is sort of reinventing the wheel. While their first critically acclaimed effort was mainly a hip-hop album with battle raps and common rap guy raps galore, "Leave it all behind" is much different sonically and vocally.
Those who know Phonte know the boy can sang. But to do an entire original album of it? Well, I say proudly, move over Kanyeezee.
Their album is due out on October 14 as a digital download. Later on the CD version for those still adhering to the plastic. I won't easily endorse music on this blog, but if you want to hear something rich in sound and soulful, check them out. And while you are at it, check out their previous effort, Connected, guaranteed to make your ears go wow.
Posted by Maurel Merette at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Wordplay
September 17, 2008Since I first learned the valuable use of words to communicate, I've been fascinated by what a single word in a sentence can do.
It's like in mandarin chinese, where your tone can mean the difference between causing someone to smile at your guile or getting a swift kick in
the face.
Consider this following article from the Associated Press on a certain additive used to manufacture plastic bottles. ( I wrote a story a few months back about it)
FDA defends plastic linked with health risks
By AP
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
WASHINGTON (AP) _ With scientists at odds about the risks of a chemical found in plastic baby bottles, metal cans and other food packaging, the government on Tuesday gave consumers some tips on how to reduce their exposure to BPA even as it said the substance is safe.
A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee met as a major study linked bisphenol A to possible risks of heart disease and diabetes. The scientific debate could drag on for years.
"Right now, our tentative conclusion is that it's safe, so we're not recommending any change in habits," said Laura Tarantino, head of the FDA's office of food additive safety. But she acknowledged, "there are a number of things people can do to lower their exposure."
Now folks, the operative word in here is tentative. Why would the agency that watches over our food and drugs be "tentative" on a substance that may or may not increase your chances of getting sick. (another operative word)
I can accept being tentative on who to vote in the next election. Especially since the brand of generic promises that both sides are pandering seems to have lost it's luster amid the current economic situation. (Fundamentals anyone?) But to be tentative on something that can make me sick and not do the usual "we'll pull it off the market until more testing is done" is outrageous.
Anywho, here's a link to the original story posted
See if you can make sense of the wordplay.
Posted by Maurel Merette at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
