Some Good Advice

This is without a doubt one of the nicest good luck forwards I have received. Hope it works for you -- and me!

There's some mighty fine advice in these words, even if you're not superstitious. This has been sent to you for good luck from the Anthony Robbins organization. It has been sent around the world ten times so far.

1. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

2. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

3. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

4. When you say, "I love you," mean it.

5. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.

6. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

7. Believe in love at first sight.

8. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

9. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

10. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

11. Don't judge people by their relatives.

12. Talk slowly but think quickly.

13. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

14. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

15. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

16. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

17. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.

18. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

19. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

20. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

21. Spend some time alone.

This was from email, so obviously the receipient (you) is to send it to other people. If you choose to copy and forward (or link) to other people, that's up to you. I make no claims as to your chances for luck, good or otherwise. This email does contain some good advice, and that's why I posted it.

I have no idea if the Anthony Robbins organization had anything to do with this or not. I doubt it as I seem to recall seeing this in previous email that didn't mention Anthony Robbins. I also have no way of knowing whether it's been around the world 10 times. Maybe yes, maybe no.

But, if some good luck comes my way from posting this, well, that's just fine with me!

It's An Animal's Life

And I thought kitty porn was addicting!

from email

Have a BALL (or two) during the entire month of June, at the Humane Society's Testicle Festival celebrating male dog and cat neutering. Each male dog or cat neutered during the month of June is automatically entered for a chance to win a 30" Flat Panel LDC TV!

You'll go NUTS at the Testicle Festival -- especially for our 15% reduction in fees during the month of June. And the ego of your male dog or cat? He'll be so happy you saved him from being a continuously never-ending deadbeat dad!

================================

from email. This is a Humane Society event, I believe in Knoxville, Tennessee.

For The Ladies

Q: What is the difference between men and women?

A: A woman wants one man to satisfy her every need. A man wants every woman to satisfy his one need.

Our present tax system….exerts too heavy a drag on growth,…It reduces the financial incentives for personal effort, investment, and risk-taking…the present tax load…distorts economic judgments and channels and undue amount of energy into efforts to avoid tax liabilities – JFK 11-20-62

www.fairtax.org

Unhappy Returns: National Taxpayer Groups Call on Congress to Make Next Year’s Tax Day Just Another Spring Day

(Washington, DC) – As many of America’s beleaguered taxpayers waited in long Post Office lines to meet their income tax deadlines, three citizen groups with a combined membership of more than 1 million businesses and individuals today united to criticize “a dysfunctional tax system” and note the sacrifices of those who pay government’s bills.

“It’s time to end the assault on taxpayers and adopt a better system of funding the government,” said Leo Linbeck, Jr. of Americans for Fair Taxation (AFFT). “We call upon Congress to get moving on fundamental tax reform by enacting the FairTax national sales tax. It’s high time we make April's tax filing deadline just another spring day.”

Legislation in Congress (H.R. 25 sponsored by Representative John Linder) would replace the current income and payroll tax system with a non-regressive national sales tax. Under H.R. 25 the IRS is eliminated and retailers, most of whom already pay state sales taxes, are provided a credit for the cost of administering the new national sales tax.

“This is a frustrating time of year for our small business members,” said Todd McCracken, President of the National Small Business Association. “Switching to the FairTax would greatly reduce compliance costs and regulatory burdens for small business owners.”

“The income tax is an economic travesty against hard-working Americans,” said John Berthoud, President of the National Taxpayers Union. “Along with their taxes, individuals and businesses endure compliance burdens amounting to $265 billion, or an additional 22 cents on every dollar collected.” And, with 41% of the US population expected to be outside the income tax system in 2006, citizens seeking their piece of the American Dream are especially vulnerable to the nightmare of the IRS and the Tax Code.”

“Tax reform would be a boon to our nation in so many ways,” Berthoud continued. “For example, as Congress continues to debate the illegal immigration issue, one overlooked advantage of the FairTax is that every person in the U.S., including those here illegally, would help to pay for government whenever they purchase goods and services.”

“The American people deserve a ‘rebate’ for the wasteful costs imposed on them by our broken tax system,” said Berthoud. “The dollar amount exceeds the combined revenue of Sears, Walt Disney, Microsoft, Rite Aid, and McDonald’s, while the yearly paperwork volume is staggering: over 1.3 billion information items and 8 billion pages of forms and instructions. The hours expended annually in this ritual is equivalent to the labor of over 2.5 million people. Don’t we all have more productive things to do with our time?”

“Let’s make tax filing day a holiday for the American taxpayer,” AFFT’s Linbeck urged taxpayers across America. “Call it Labor Day for Taxpayers, or call it a national day of remembrance. But join with us in calling for it to become a thing of the past.”

Note: Each of the groups listed above have undertaken various projects on behalf of tax reform, including studies, national lobbying, grassroots outreach, and public education. For more information on the organizations listed in this release, visit: www.ntu.org, www.fairtax.org, and www.nsba.biz .

from email - one in a series of articles to appear on the 15th of each month.

Wednesday Words of Wisdom

Earth is the insane asylum for the universe

THE ONLY FLAG THAT DOESN'T FLY

Between the fields where the flag is planted, there are 9+ miles of flower fields that go all the way to the ocean. The flowers are grown by seed companies. It's a beautiful place, close to Vandenberg AFB. Check out the dimensions of the flag. The 2002 Floral Flag is 740 feet long and 390 feet wide and maintains the proper Flag dimensions, as described in Executive Order #10834. This Flag is 6.65 acres and is the first Floral Flag to be planted with 5 pointed Stars, comprised of White Larkspur. Each Star is 24 feet in diameter; each Stripe is 30 feet wide. This Flag is estimated to contain more than 400,000 Larkspur plants, with 4-5 flower stems each, for a total of more than 2 million flowers. You can drive by this flag on V Street south of Ocean Ave. in Lompoc, CA!

Aerial photo courtesy of Bill Morson Soldiers' Prayer

For our soldiers....

Gas Daze

seventh in a series

T-Shirt Wisdom

I take life with a grain of salt, a slice of lime, and a shot of Tequila

U.S. General Population Act

H.R. 5523

The Senate has debated and passed an immigration reform bill. I, along with many of my colleagues in the House, see this bill as falling far short of reform. The Senate bill establishes a gradual amnesty program to many who have crossed the border illegally. The bill does not adequately punish those who have committed identity theft by stealing social securities numbers in order to obtain employment, or those who have not paid their taxes in order to evade immigration authorities The bill fails to address a host of other issues that arise when we turn a blind eye to crime. Awarding a person with citizenship who has shown disdain for our laws is simply not a viable solution.

The President of Mexico, Vicente Fox, has publicly criticized our right to protect our own border and keep people from illegally crossing from his country into ours. He says that we have no right to call them "illegals" or "criminals". He is very quick to advise us as to how we should proceed where immigration policy is concerned.

In an attempt to shed light on Mexico's hypocrisy, and because immigration reform is such a pivotal issue, I took action this week by introducing a new immigration reform bill. H.R. 5523, the U.S. General Population Act, is a bill that closely mirrors Mexico's own immigration laws. There are many people from other Latin American countries who are seeking employment and attempt to cross into Mexico's southern border illegally. Mexico deals with these violators with a heavy hand and does not negotiate or compromise with these criminals. So I have taken their bright-line approach to immigration enforcement, duplicated it, and introduced it in the House of Representatives. The bill includes tough penalties for those who enter illegally, tough penalties for employers who aid these criminals, eliminates anchor-babies, and a host of other provisions that will protect the integrity of our nation.

My friend, this is a very critical time for our country. Statistics suggest that more "U.S. citizens" are created each year through births to illegal aliens in this country than through all legal naturalization methods combined. This is alarming. By not enforcing our current immigration laws we have compromised our national security and we have not protected the American people. It is my sincerest desire that we reverse this tide, pass true immigration reform, and say "no" to amnesty that rewards lawbreakers. Our laws are not anti-immigrant and those who try to label them as such simply do not know the facts. Just as Mexico and other nations have strict immigration laws and enforce them, we have that same right. As a sovereign nation it is not only our right but our duty to our citizens to secure our borders first.

We cannot allow this debate to be simply about name-calling or political posturing. We need a serious and thoughtful solution to this very important and complex issue. Our success or failure will determine the fate of our children and grandchildren.

I hope you will join me in support of this bill and spread the word to your friends and family. As always, I welcome your feedback on this and any other issue. Thank you for your support!

from Congressman John Linder

Congressional Update

Me again - I received email some time ago talking about Mexico's tough immigration laws, but wasn't able to verify it. Honestly, I didn't take the time to research it very much. I'll have to dig out that email and publish it. Apparently, it has some merit.

Tabby Cat Chases Bear Up Tree, Twice

Jack, a 15-pound orange-and-white cat, watches as the bear waits for an opening to flee.

WEST MILFORD, N.J. (June 10) - A black bear picked the wrong yard for a jaunt, running into a territorial tabby who ran the furry beast up a tree - twice.

Jack, a 15-pound orange and white cat, keeps a close vigil on his property, often chasing small animals, but his owners and neighbors say his latest escapade was surprising.

"We used to joke, 'Jack's on duty,' never knowing he'd go after a bear," owner Donna Dickey told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Friday's editions.

Neighbor Suzanne Giovanetti first spotted Jack's accomplishment after her husband saw a bear climb a tree on the edge of their northern New Jersey property on Sunday. Giovanetti thought Jack was simply looking up at the bear, but soon realized the much larger animal was afraid of the hissing cat.

After about 15 minutes, the bear descended and tried to run away, but Jack chased it up another tree.

Dickey, who feared for her cat, then called Jack home and the bear scurried back to the woods.

"He doesn't want anybody in his yard," Dickey said.

Bear sightings are not unusual in West Milford, which experts consider one of the state's most bear-populated areas.

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I don't think I need to add anything to this - ed.

TO: GOD
FROM: THE DOG

Dear God: When we get to heaven, can we sit on your couch? Or is it still the same old story?

The Service Through the Eyes of the Young

One Sunday morning the pastor noticed little Alex standing in the foyer of the church staring up at a large plaque. It was covered with writing and it had an American flag mounted on each side.

The seven-year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor approached little Alex and quietly greeted him.

Alex, still focused on the plaque, returned the greeting and inquired, "What is this?"

The pastor replied, "Well, son, it's a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service."

Solemnly, as they stood, staring at the large plaque, Alex asked, "Which service, the 9:45 or the 11:15?"

God is like...

GENERAL ELECTRIC .... He brings good things to life.