Steal a Buck for Healthcare

A man from North Carolina recently robbed a bank of $1.oo. He needs health care, and can't afford it so so figured that if he goes to jail, he will get treatment for free (sort of .... afterall, he will be in jail) . 


        "Richard James Verone is 59 and was unemployed with multiple health issues before the crime.    Varone says he robbed the RBC bank in order to go to prison and get treatment -- he said it was the only way he could get healthcare."


Not sure what to think about this, except that desparate times call for desparate measures.....

The 3/50 Project

I work in retail for a lovely couple .... a true mom and pop business which is a rarity today with all the competition from the big box stores. All the shop owners I know are really struggling just to keep their doors open and to earn a living. Many have closed their doors.

For quite awhile now we have had a lot of "customers" come in to "just look" and then go home to make their purchases online to save a few dollars and sales tax. (I know this because I am invisible to them and they don't realise that I can hear what they say.) They don't seem to understand (or care) that there is a lot of overhead to run a business, and if they don't start supporting their local small businesses they will no longer have store fronts to visit and actually see the merchandise.

We and other small business deal with this mentality on a daily basis and it is hard to be polite and cheerful when you just want to scream. There is a movement going on by Cinda Baxter, a retail consultant. It is called the 3/50 Project, and I hope everyone who reads this takes it to heart and passes it on to their friends, relatives and acquaintances. If we as Americans don't consciously make some changes, our quaint and unique small businesses will just be a fond memory.

"R E S P E C T Find Out What It Means To Me"

 I was out in Washington DC last week and got a little sightseeing in.

Learned some history, some government stuff, and even how to get around on the metro. Mostly I learned that (a very large number but not all) Americans are pretty rude and disrespectful. So much in fact that there are signs posted all over the place telling people how to not be rude and disrespectful.  But as "entitled Americans" that must be meant for someone else...after all, we are a free country and can do whatever we want!

Anyway, here are a just few simple etiquette tips:

1. Don't let your children or school groups run and scream through museums.
2. Adults also, tone it down.
3. When someone is looking at something, don't step right in front of them to block their view...wait your turn.
4. Don't take too long viewing something so others get their chance.
5. This may be old fashioned, but if you are young and able-bodied and an elderly or otherwise less able-bodied person gets on a crowded metro..be a gentle(person) and give them your seat. You will be them someday...sooner that you think.
6. When visiting a cemetery: Do NOT walk on the graves, sit on the headstones, talk loudly, or make derogatory and judgemental comments about the deceased. 
7. This one is easy....just show a little respect...

HP Wants YOU to Feel Good About Recycling!

I had to get more printer ink for my printer. In the past I have found that it is more cost effective to just buy a new printer because the ink is obscenely expensive. ..and new printers come with new ink. But for now, I have a semi decent printer/scanner set up, and the replacement ink cost about half of what a comparable new printer would cost, so I just got a two pack of black ink at Costco, for about $53.

HP asks their customers to recycle. Once you struggle with all the packing material, you can read about how you can feel good about recycling.

That is all and good, but maybe they should stop using so much packing material in the first place! I got two printer cartridges.

                                          They aren't very big:  

       

But look how BIG the pile of packaging is! Are they really serious about recycling?