Woman Brought Back to Life - By The I.R.S.!

Sinking Spring, PA

it's been said that two things are certain in life, death and taxes. Toni Lausch has both.

it seems that Lausch, 47, and her husband went to apply for a car loan. the salesman returned to notify the couple that the husband qualified for the loan, but she did not, as she was "dead."

the Social Security Administrations says the mistake came from an error confusing the Cumru Township woman's social security number for someone else's who had recently passed away. they sent the Lauschs a letter informing of her reestablished status as living.

she will have to file her back taxes, but Mrs. Lausch says she doesn't mind. she just happy to be alive.

now Toni and her husband are free to pay their taxes, apply for loans, and file for returns. and the I.R.S. is still free to take it's sweet time cutting their return checks.

Easter

the angel said to the women, "do not be afraid, for i know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. he is not here; he has risen, just as he said. come and see the place where he lay. then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'he has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you to galilee. there you will see him.' now i have told you."

matthew 28: 5 - 7

Seeking an Exit?

a prominent Sunni politician has claimed that the Sunni insurgents in Iraq would lay down their weapons and join the political restructuring in Iraq, if there was a guarantee of their safety.

Sharif Ali Bin al-Hussein says that he has had contact with leaders of the insurgents and that they have been looking for a way to end their fight against the US troops and the Iraqi government since the January 30 election.

this good news, if to be believed, seems to show that the strong front of the US and it's allies, and the hard work of the Iraqi people, police, and new government, is making it harder and harder for the insurgents to have a faithful following.

it's too early to tell what will actually happen, but the sooner these groups stop killing their own and start rebuilding this new and growing country, the sooner the US and it's allies can come home.

something everyone can agree on.

This is Spring???

it is if you live in upstate new york....

"My Panties say I'm Waiting"

(I'm Saving It)

in a well intended move, Yvette Thomas has created a line of underwear and t-shirts designed to tell the world (and boyfriend?) you're waiting.

Thomas is the creator of Wait Wear, and hopes that the funky designs will encourage young people to wait until marriage to have sex. and her clothing line is growing. soon it will add additional items other than panties and t-shirts. this kinda reminds me of the "Vestal Virgins" in Mel Brooks' "History of the World, PartI."

(Traffic Control-Wait for Marriage)

the idea that waiting until one is married to engage in sex is nothing new. and i think a positive one. the clothing line is hoping remove the stigma that being a virgin is something strange and an anomaly.

but, shouldn't the point be made by the person and not the panties? by the time everyone's all hot and heavy, i wonder what effect a message on one's panties can really make?


(Virgin is not a Bad Word)

Political Farce

the emotionally charged case of whether or not Michael Schiavo has the right to remove the feeding tube keeping his wife alive has taken a step in the wrong direction.

the House and Senate passed a bill, and the President signed, that could lead to a Federal Judge allowing the tube to be reinserted. but who really has the right to make that decision in this matter?

this isn't about a right to life or death, it's about the law. and under Florida law, the surviving spouse, grown children, and then family are the ones who can make such a decision. there has been some 15 years that Terri Schiavo has been in a "persistent vegetative state", with no attempt to change the current law. now after all of the legal fighting, it looks like Michael Schiavo's request might be granted. or not.

the case is sad and could have been resolved had there been a "do not resuscitate" order or a living will. but there are not. and instead of upholding the law, lawmakers are cherry picking this case in order to make themselves look better.

we live in a country governed by law. and in this case the law, and the right of the husband, are both being kicked out the back door.

So Sad

it was announced today that the person of interest in the case of missing Florida girl Jessica Lunsford admitted to police that he killed her.

my heart goes out to this family. what a tragic time this must be.

John Couey, a registered sex offender, confessed to police after apparently doing poorly on a lie detector test.

this case underlines the fact that while our justice system usually works, in cases like this, it fails. there's no doubt that we have to accept that if a person serves their time, they deserve to be released. but, at what cost? Jessica would be alive today had there have been different measures in place to protect kids from sickos like Couey. i hope ALL states take a look at their books and come up with a better way of releasing a known sex offender.

God speed to you Jessica.

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Batter Up

today hearings began in Washington over the use of steroids in Baseball.

House Government Reform Committee members grilled, sometimes ridiculously, current and former players on the use of steroids and how to fix the problem facing the sport.

now there's no question that the use of steroids can be very dangerous. just look at all of the former WWF wrestlers that have died from heart attacks in the last several years. most under the age of 45.

something needs to be done. but why should the government waste time, and our money, addressing an issue Major League Baseball (MLB) looks the other way at?

and the questions the committee asked were silly. Question: why did you use steroids? Answer: to be a better player. duh. or my favorite, Question: why do you think MLB hasn't addressed this issue more? Answer: i'm not sure. i don't know. it's not for me to say. i'll tell you.

$$$$

as players began breaking more and more records, seats in stadiums across the country sold out. new ball fields were being built. TV ratings have been going up. so of course the owners and League have looked the other way. when i worked in San Francisco, co-workers would fall over them selves for tickets to Pac Bell park to see if Barry Bonds would hit another homer.

now i don't care if someone wants to dope them selves up into a human time bomb, but it's the kids that look up to these guys that i worry about. regardless of talent, the competition is fierce. and steroids look like that advantage someone might need to move up the ranks.

i'm not sure the government can do anything to fix the problem. but the League and the owners can.

Flat Tax & Social Security

Here's why these two could help each other.

With all of this talk about Bush trying to destroy social security and the petitions floating around the net, let's take a look at the problem.

Social Security, founded in 1935, was designed as a safety net for those retiring to ensure they had something to retire on. A system that would sustain itself as workers contributed more, and the government less. As those retired grow older, and less people in the workforce as baby boomers retire, the amount of money coming in to social security will start to be less and less in the next 15 to 20 years. By then, more money will go out than coming in.

Bush's personal accounts plan calls for up to 4% to be put aside by the worker in special, government approved, accounts. On a voluntary basis. And other than real estate, the stock market has always been a good investment over 20 to 30 to 40 years. So, if you contribute $100 a month, you could choose to put up to $4.00 in a private account. We like choice, don't we?

Secondly, there is no "plan" out there. Under law, Bush can not draft a bill and have congress approve it. It doesn't work that way. So, Democrats are up to their usual "doom and gloom" approach, rather than drafting their own solution. They don't like the private accounts because they want to know where the money will come from to pay for it, assuming everyone under 55 adopts this idea.

How about a flat tax?

A flat tax would be a way for everyone to pay taxes fairly and would raise a lot more money than the current system. I would eliminate taxes on anyone earning less than $24,000 a year. But a flat tax will never happen, and here's why.

Republicans need taxes. Did I just say that? Of course they do. Each time there is an election, they can look to the big business guys and wink, knowing that if I'm elected, you'll pay less in payroll tax, property tax, or just about any other form of tax.

Democrats need taxes. How else does someone pay for more education costs? College for all? Retirement for all? Health care for all? Yup, we'll raise your taxes and you'll be a CEO in 5 years. Welcome to Canada.

The percentage increase a flat tax would create could be divided in two, with one section going to start paying down the current deficit and the second part paying for the change in the social security system.

As I have said before, social security is a problem. Maybe not today, but it will be. Looking at it now is the proper way a President should handle it. Because you can guarantee that whoever is President 20 years from now will campaign on fixing it. And I'll remember a President who wanted to do just that.

Say Goodbye to the Easter Bunny

as if Christmas wasn't enough, the P.C. movement is now going after Easter and it's bunny.

city officials in Palm Beach Florida announced that the word Easter will be removed from it's events. Easter egg hunts will now be called "egg hunts" and the Easter bunny will now be referred to as the "Garden bunny!"

now i have never really understood Easter in the first place. who give eggs to an animal that hops? and it should be more of a holiday in this country, as this country was founded on Christian beliefs. Easter, more so than Christmas, embodies the establishment of faith in Christians due to the resurrection of Christ. Easter, like Christmas, has become too commercial. as always, the true focus has been lost.

and so now, the Easter bunny.

"Toilet Paper Tax"

Florida Democratic Lawmaker wants to tax toilet paper.

Senator Al Lawson wants to introduce a 2 cent tax on the purchase of toilet paper to help fund a sewage treatment center. the tax is designed to help smaller, growing towns off set the cost of the expansion.

if passed, it is estimated that the tax could raise up to $50 million per year for the local areas. but, it would have to be approved by the Republican Legislature and would also need the approval of Governor Jeb Bush. otherwise, the bill is likely to hit the can.

sure it's only 2 cents, and it is something we all use and need. my question is, why is it when it comes time to pay for something new, Democrat's want to raise taxes, not cut spending?

even though i do not live in Florida, i hope the measure doesn't pass. what's next, a tax on grocery store bags? wait, that's already been brought up in others states as well. nevermind.

Who's BAD?!

Santa Maria, CA

Michael Jackson had better get a clue. today he arrived to court, again, late. narrowly missing being arrested and losing his $3 million dollar bail.

Jackson arrived about an hour and 40 minutes late after claiming he went to a hospital very early in the morning complaining of back pain. no word on how that pain affected him in his little dance to turn around and wave to his "fans".

hopefully his attorney can straighten him out. he's in for the fight of his life, and the jury's going to get antsy when he shows up late and they arrive on time.

nice PJ's.

Microphone Alert!

she's back at it and in the headlines again.

this week wife of former presidential canidate John Kerry claimed that the 2004 election was hacked.

Teresa Heinz Kerry says that 80% of the voting machines used in the 2004 election are owned by two hard line conservatives. and, without offering any sort of proof, she went on to say that the "mother" machine could easily be hacked and turn the election in Bush's favor. she also wants to encourage Democrat's to push harder for transparency and accountability. how's this for accountability - you guys LOST.

i'm sure the conspiracy theorists eat this stuff up, but do you really think clear thinking, fair minded people buy this? and with no real scandal and out cry that "all votes should be counted", some people are still having a hard time admitting that Bush did, in fact, win. again.

could you imagine this nut running around the White House as First Lady?! they would have had to lock her up in the basement.

Blogging All the Way to the White House

Garrett M. Graff is one lucky guy.

today he becomes the first "blogger" to be granted a daily press pass with the White House. he bills his blog as a "gossip blog" about Washington D.C. Graff had little success before mainstream media helped him with his cause. USA Today, CNN, and others made some calls on his behalf. which i am sure helped him get in.

but what is a blog?

i get asked this all of the time. i usually say it's a modern "soap box".

at it's least, a blog is a place where people share comments on everything from recipes to porn to their own daily online journal.

during the 2004 Presidential campaign, it was the bloggers who Howard Dean paid off to gain press and praise. it was the bloggers who first noticed that Dick Cheney made a mistake with factcheck.org. and it was the bloggers who brought Dan Rather's phony Bush National Guard documents to light.

blogging is a new and exciting type of journalism. so, whether it's reporting from the White House, bragging about your new ride, or detailing your daily events, we enjoy having you reading.

Democracy Domino Effect?

What do you think?

History Made

Steve Fossett landed successfully today completing his trip around the world.

Fossett becomes the first person to fly the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer around the globe, solo, and without stopping for fuel.

The Ten Commandments Complaint

the Supreme Court this week is reviewing whether or not the Ten Commandments belong on public property.

doesn't the Court have more important cases to rule on? perhaps they should review their ruling that a competent, found guilty, 16 to 17 year old cannot face the death penalty. because that would violate the Constitutional cruel and unusual punishment law. i guess it was neither cruel nor unusual for someone to kill another....

the debate on the Commandments comes down to the misquoted separation of church and state. the Constitution states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." funny, the words "separation, church, or state" aren't even a part of the First Amendment.

but what do these Commandments suggest? there are three accepted translations of the Ten Commandments; Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant. for this example i will use the Catholic version:

1. I am the Lord, your God. You shall have no other gods besides Me.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
4. Honor your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.

on second thought, these don't belong on public property. the thought of someone honoring their parents, or not stealing, or not killing is way too much for the public to digest.

ridiculous.

Tom Ridge to Home Depot

former Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge (above) has been named to the board of directors at Home Depot.

announced last thursday, CEO Bob Nardelli felt Ridge's years of service to the country, vast global experience, and perspective would be a benefit to shareholders, as well as, Home Depot shoppers. this brings the total number of members on the board to 13.

the transition from politics to being a private citizen has always seemed odd to me. i'm sure you don't make it to Governor and on to first director of Homeland Security without knowing how to make deals and sell. i hope he does well with his new position and enjoys being out of the spotlight that is politics.

let's just hope there's no "color coded" on sale system.

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