The Life and Times of Jim
Hi, there. I'm Jim. Welcome to my phlog!
This site was written for Las Vegas, then LouisVille. Now, it seems to be about anywhere. In these phlogs, you'll see a lot of my personal notes and pictures. I like to post my observations here to remember life and celebrate it. I'm not religious. I don't pray for good fortune. I'm ecstatically grateful for the gift of life and I think our time should be remembered and not taken for granted. I'm not a writer. I think pictures tell stories so much better than words. I love just about everything in this life, and, I guess that would have to include you. So, if you've seen me, don't be surprised if your picture is in here somewhere. Of all the critters, people are absolutely the most interesting. 
<< 12/2005 < 11/2006 Calendar 01/2007 > 12/2007 >>Sign InView Other Logs
Wed 
12/13/2006 08:51:42
 Jim  ...Bow Wow...
Dennifur and Just'in are always causing trouble...but they make me laugh a lot, so I love em a lot.
And, beats me if there's a special Christmas breakfast food.
I'd love to take Dustin and Jennifer jogging around the block, but there's a brown cloud of death out there. When I go out, my eyes water like crazy, and its not just me.
I told a headhunter to put me up for a job openning in Tampa.
I know nothing will happen though.
Fri 
12/15/2006 15:01:43
 Jim   (Reply)...RE:RE:RE:RE:Bow Wow...
I am pretty much turned off to those guys. I'm just being lazy.
BUT, if I got a decent job offer, I'd entertain it.

I just read an article about Googles AdWords. People are saying they're making over $8,000 a week using them. I wish I had a mentor in that area. Google's changed its ranking strategy again. SO,
I searched for LVDude. My site came out on top...but beneath it was some 23 y/o gay prostitute with a 9 inch pecker, and a 16 y/o on MySpace that has no class at all. YUCK!!!
I should have stuck with LVGuy. 
Wed 
12/13/2006 04:29:35
 Jim  .feeling superior enough act mediocre
As always, your writing is incredible!!! I love it!!!
I wish I knew you in real life...hahahahaha!
On a sad note, but then again, you probably never got to know him, your grandfather died in September (Grandpa Louis to you I guess). We popped on up to Erie, Pa for his funeral.
It was small, short, and his sister paid for it. Sonny and I were the only ones to speak for him.
288,000 people die in this world every day, and on September 4th, he was one of them.
Kind of sad isn't it, how the most exciting event in some people's lives is their death.
Tue 
12/12/2006 21:20:21
 Jim  Replaced the water heater.
We were picking up Dustin and Jennifer when Sonny called. He said the water heater had busted.
From report to finish, it took 2.5 hours!
I'd say thats pretty darned good.
That included shopping on the internet for price, picking one up at Lowes (it was on a shelf 12 foot high), uninstalling and installing the new gas heater. Not bad for a couple of KY boys.
Sat 
12/09/2006 23:11:46
 Jim  The Bible and the soul
"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" (Matthew 16:26)
To me, that sentence just doesn't make any sense. I was raised in a religious family, and the definition for the soul was something in you, the lives on after you die. If that were so, "loses his own soul" would be a silly thing to say, at best. It would infer that God will strike successful business people down, or something strange like that.
But that could not have been what the Bible said. That was what it was translated to say.
The word soul did not exist in Biblical times.
The word soul, originated in 970 AD from the word sawol, centuries after Mathew was written.
If the Bible's translation had said:
"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own life?"
like it should have, it would make sense, even to a small child.
The word "soul", in the sense we use it today, did not exist in Hebrew or Aramaic,
It existed in Greek. Ancient Greeks typically referred to the soul as psyche (as in modern English psychology). Aristotle's works in Latin translation, used the word anima (as in animated), which also means "breath". In the New Testament, the original Greek word used is "Psyche" which in Ancient and Modern Greek means soul.

Plato, drawing on the words of his teacher Socrates, considered the soul as the essence of a person. He considered this essence as an incorporeal, eternal occupant of our being, the determines how we behave. As bodies die the soul is continually reborn in subsequent bodies. The Platonic soul had three parts:
1. the logos (mind, nous, ego, or reason)
2. the thymos (emotion, superego, or spiritedness)
3. the pathos (appetitive, id, or carnal)

The logos was the charioteer, directing the horses balance of appetite and spirit. It allows for logic to prevail, and for the optimisation of balance.
The thymos comprises our emotional motive, that which drives us to acts of bravery and glory. If left unchecked, it leads to hubris -- the most fatal of all flaws in the Greek view.
The pathos equates to the appetite that drives humankind to seek out its basic bodily needs. When the passion controls us, it drives us to hedonism in all forms. In the Ancient Greek view, this is the basal and most feral state.
Sat 
12/09/2006 19:00:00
 Jim  Las Vegas Marathon - Starts Tommorrow
Blue Man Group will play live on the start line.  Blue Man Group will perform the Star Spangled Banner in the signature style that has brought them to international prominence against a spectacular display of pre-dawn fireworks.  Immediately after Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman fires the starter pistol, Blue Man Group will entertain and energize with a special performance for the field of up to 20,000 runners, walkers and wheelchair athletes as they run the electrifying neon corridor of the world famous Las Vegas Strip.
The Las Vegas Marathon (a 26.2 mile race) will start at the Mandalay Bay at 6am. The Blue Man Group will kick it off playing the Star Spangled Banner.
Be there, or be square!!!
Sat 
12/09/2006 11:15:32
 Jim  WinterFest at the Events Plaza
December 9, 2006
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: Henderson Events Plaza
Address: 200 South Water Street
Phone: 702-267-2171
The City of Henderson proudly presents WinterFest, celebrating exciting traditions, both old and new.
Join us for the official tree lighting ceremony, ice skating and visits with Santa, entertainment and more.
EVENT SCHEDULE
Friday, December 8th
5 pm - 9 pm Ice Skating Rink (free), Concessions and Vendors
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Thurman White Choir
6 pm - 6:30 pm Mayor and Santa arrive in horse drawn cart for tree lighting ceremony
6 pm - 9 pm Wagon Rides - Visits with Santa - Tree and Light Display viewing - Train Rides
6:30 pm - 7 pm CBC to hand out decorating contest awards
7:30 pm - 8:45 pm Ice Sculpture Demonstration
All activities end at 9 pm

Saturday, December 9th
5 pm - 9 pm Ice Skating Rink, Visits with Santa, Wagon Rides, Tree and Light Display Viewing, Train Rides Concessions and Vendors
6:30 pm - 8 pm Ice Sculpting Demonstration
7 pm - 9 pm Entertainment
Fri 
12/08/2006 22:25:12
 Jim  Smoked some brisket. Ate at GMas.
My brisket and pork shoulder came out GREAT!
I showed Sonny how to make it. He said "wow, thats easy"... :^)
As usual, Gma's chicken fettucini was delicious.
I played with sending text messages from my web page to my cell phone (for notary stuff).
Two days ago, I installed the Internet Explorer 7.
Today, I installed Office Professional 2007 on the PC and my laptop.
They're both attractive. So far, except for some things being moved around, I haven't found many improvements.
Most of the improvements I've found were items begging to be fixed, like re-adding HTML email to Outlook.
Renee called Becky
She likes Washington state. Its cold here with little chunks of white everywhere from the snow.
I get chills when the phone rings on Christmas.
On a few occassions, its been terrible news (like Rob and Mom).
Thu 
12/07/2006 17:42:24
 Jim  I had to do it...I posted a comment in the RJ
Regarding Question 5, it reads:
54% of the voters approved Question 5.
991,054 voters are registered.
283,598 of them actually voted.
SO, when we're talking about the majority of voters that passed Question 5,
we're talking about 11,343 voters who tipped the scale.
I call that a very slim majority in a state that has 3 million people.
These stats came from http://sos.state.nv.us/nvelection/2006StateWideGeneral/VoterTurnout.htm
Everyone should vote. You can make a difference.
Thu 
12/07/2006 04:14:46
 Jim  The Odds of Life Happening
I know the following sounds crazy, but it makes sense if you think hard about it.
The odds of rolling a 7 with two dice are:
6 to 1. That is calculated by taking the total combinations of the dice (36) / the number of ways to make a 7 (6).
How fast this happens depends on how fast the dice are rolled.
The odds of life happening are:
The total combinations of elements in the universe / the total number of elements necessary to make life.
It took 2 billion years for this to happen on Earth
Check out Life on Earth for more information on how life came about on Earth.
The odds of your life happening are:
The Odds of You Happening = The Total Combinations of life / The Number of Ways to Make You.
It took 8 billion years for your combination to come up.
The odds are that'll you'll come back to life after you die 
simply because it has happened once in 8 billion years.
Since nature was created from scratch 8 billion years ago, the odds of our re-creation shouldn't take as long the next time around.
So there...I've said it. I know this all sounds profound, but numbers do not lie.
Math is truth. It is the language of nature.
If you can't figure things out for yourself, then you'll have to take what others say on faith.
And faith is a symptom of laziness.
Wed 
12/06/2006 19:49:13
 Jim  We took Jonathan and Renee to the airport
They kissed most of the way there and you could tell they are anxious to get away.
Its been a strange day, with the phone ringing off the hook.
I guess some people think Renee is really messing up.
I think she's twenty-one and she is happy. How could she be doing the wrong thing?
And who knows what the right thing is anyway.

I guess I'm a softy, but it always jerks a tear from my eye when I say goodbye.
We didn't see much of Renee since we've been back, but just knowing she's gone somehow seems sad.
And Robert will be leaving soon.
Guess thats just the way of Vegas
Tue 
12/05/2006 22:08:46
 Jim  We went to a Hookah bar tonight
The food was Jordan cuisine and it was Very Good!
We smoked a hookah bowl and chatted with the waitress for quite awhile.
She said the decision on whether they can exist as a business remains to be seen.
She also said they would most likely be given except status since they were licensed as a tobacco smoking club.
Who knows....
Sonny, Becky and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. It was really nice, the customers were very friendly and the prices were reasonable. My only complaint, the place was too small for the number of people there.
On another note, Jonathon and Renee are taking off tomorrow night
They're leaving for Everett Washington at 9pm.
I'm egging Renee to call Robert, just in case she doesn't see him again for another 10 years.
Is it me? I'd think that would be instinctive, to say good bye to your brother before moving out of state.
He's 5 miles away. hmmm.
I just called Robert and explained everything to him
He'll be by after work tonight.
Tue 
12/05/2006 16:32:12
 Jim  Renee/Jonathon will be staying over
Jonathon is staying at 138 Bonnie Ln, Las Vegas, NV 89110.
He says he has a plane ticket for 2 to go back to Washington, and they can take off at anytime. (hmmm).
Anyway, they want to stay here for two nights.
Mon 
12/04/2006 12:43:09
 Jim  Big business, small business, and logic
Friday, the indoor clean air act takes force in Nevada.
In my mind, the law was put to vote without any thought about its corrupt nature or its consequences.
If the law included casinos and strip clubs, I'd be fine with it, but it didn't.
The point is:
- No thought was given to the people who will be over the DUI limit, because the bar couldn't serve food.
- No thought was given to the enforcement of this law.
- No decisions were given to the small businesses that have to declare themselves as "Supper Clubs" to exist.
- It is blatently illogical
You can smoke in casinos and strip clubs, but not in bars. What's the difference?
Small bars aren't throwing big money at the politicians? They can't afford it?
Any law that favors big business, and bullies small businesses into extinction should be, in itself, illegal.
However, the Nevada Supreme Court doesn't care about that.
It is a stupid law, that bullys over 50% of local bar patrons.
It also puts 8 hookah bars out of business who have business licenses here in Clark County.
My real fear is:
With a stroke of a pen, my business could be destroyed.

One possible action small bar patrons could take this Friday
- Go from one bar to another.
- In each bar, light a cigarette.
- When the bartender informs you its against the law, tell him to call the police (311).
- Move on to the next bar.
The facts are:
- Most smokers will never get cancer from smoking.
  The estimates run from 1% to 12% depending on who is giving the estimate. Look it up.
  My grandfather died at 93. My dad died at 83.
  I should mention that most smokers will almost surely develop emphysema.
  Smoking is very bad for your health.

In Nevada, there are enough stupid laws on the books.
- One of them is, if you want to get a business licenses as a limo service,
   you have to get approved by other limo businesses.
Mon 
12/04/2006 05:05:22
 Jim  Holiday hookers and ballers.
I guess everything has its place.
Last night, Renee was telling Becky how they decorated their Christmas tree.
She said that she put the hooks in the Christmas balls, while Jonathon hung them.
Becky said, "Renee, you were the hooker?". I laughed and said "and Jonathon was the baller".
Becky blurts these things out all day. You can see why I love her so much.
Thanks for the suggestion about the tenants junk.
I'd bet Big Brothers, Salvation Army, Goodwill, or any of those places would love to clean out that garage.
Sat 
12/02/2006 22:23:09
 Jim  Are you a picky eater?
 
I am Superman at the Las Vegas buffets.
I tend to eat just about anything in mass quantities.
I'm often heard saying "gimme whatever that is" when ordering at restaurants.
I eat foods that dogs spit out. I'd eat fried shoelaces.
So I often wonder about those people who don't eat certain foods because:
- they've never tried it before, its too green, too loud, or its too yucky,, or its touching the mash potatoes on their plate.
These are the people who only eat green M&Ms, or pick the beans out of their chili and pile them up on the side.
These people must be insane?
I've read that picky eating is a symptom of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).
On the other hand, eating fried shoelaces would undeniably be schizophrenic.
Thu 
11/30/2006 09:02:54
 Jim  Its another strange year for the weather
- 3 months ago you could fry an egg on the side walk.
- 1 month ago, our honeysuckles started to bloom
- Today, the temperature will be 28 to 47 degrees.
The temperatures have dropped 80 degrees in 3 months.
Sun 
11/26/2006 21:46:58
 Jim  Suspense is killing me!
I really don't know what to expect this next week.
The tenants haven't even tried to move out. They haven't called.
The gardener (Rich) thinks they are tweakers.
It seems suspicious to me.
I have two images in my mind:
- Us with the constable, knocking on the door and nobody answers.
  I drill and replace the door locks.
  The constable leaves. 
  Later the tenants come back and break in.
- Us with the constable, the tenants answer, they exit the building
  I change the locks. 
  The constable leaves and the tenants don't. 
  Later, they break in.
No matter what happens tommorrow, its going to be very ugly.
I'd bet we'll be involving the police.
Thu 
11/23/2006 12:01:00
 Jim  Thanksgiving Holiday
We ate a wonderful dinner at GMa's.
Paul, Renee, Jonathon, Dustin, Jennifer, Becky and I were there.
Sonny make it, due to the bird being done at 2pm.
Becky's back hurt really bad, so we had to leave early too.
Mon 
11/20/2006 22:41:17
 Jim  Smoked a Turkey.
My recipe:
- brining the turkey for 3 days
- cook the bird in the oven at 350 for 4 hours or until the thingy pops out.
- Put soaked hickory chips in the smokers pan. Fill water pan with water.
- Smoke the turkey for an hour.
- EAT the turkey! haha
Becky sprung her back muscles while in the shower.
She is in a lot of pain.
I looked it up, and most lower back injuries are from torn or pulled muscles.
Inactivity will cause that.
Robert and Joy came over.
I drove Robert's Ford Focus to pick up a video. His car drives like a Porsche!!!
It has 6 forward gears, shifts like a dream, but has continuous power through the 1,000-6,000 RPM range.
The speedometer may say 160mph, which I think it could do, however most tires are only rated for 120mph.
It handles OK. The suspension could be a little tighter.
I would recommend a Ford Focus to anyone.
Becky started crying really bad when she got up to use the bathroom.
I felt so bad so bad for her. I had to help her walk.
Robert suggested she needed to go to the hospital.
Seriously though, what are they going to do?
I went through 6 years of therapy with my ex wifes problems and it was a waste of time, and thousands of dollars.
The doctors and hospitals take a lot while giving very little. Insurance proceeds, not the customer, is their master.
I talked a lawyer not long ago about health care assistance.
She said, a person is better off going to California if they have low assets.
Nevada no longer gives Medicare assistance to women unless they have a child anymore.
She said I can get group coverage with the corporation if there are only two employees.
Insurance companies have to comply, however, that will be a couple of months down the road.
Mon 
11/20/2006 12:31:08
 Jim  YellowBook.Com Ad
After talking to Teresa Zeigler from Yellow Book (702) 406-8170.
We will now get a white backed Yellow Page ad for $200 a month.
The book comes out in April, so we got in just about the right time.
A business has to advertise!
Our ads will be under the headings for Notaries, Loans, and Real Estate.
Plus, we'll show online in 6 weeks.
Ya know, I had to notice from the other ads in Yellow Book
- There was an ad for a notary that was listed as Notario Publico, which is EXTREMELY ILLEGAL.
To people, from spanish speaking countries, that is the title of a lawyer.
It is specifically listed in the Nevada Revised Statutes as being a no no.
- Also, in the listings, an ad mentioned wills. Normally a will is notarized by the lawyer that drafts it.
While this is not illegal, it is probably unethical.
Sun 
11/19/2006 21:42:00
 Jim  The Gettysburg Address
November 19, 1863 (143 years ago today)
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation,
conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation,
or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.
We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground.
The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.
The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.
It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.
It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us...
that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion;
that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom ;
and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Sat 
11/18/2006 22:46:01
 Jim  Dustin, Jennifer, Robert, Joy, Amy were here

We hung out, watched X-Men 3, and went to the Chocolate Gardens.
Sat 
11/18/2006 00:57:05
 Jim  Went to Chuck E Cheese.
It was okay. I guess don't like cheese e characters. Paul sprung for it.
Gma had a birthday party at Paul's house, and that was especially cool.

We went to the Chocolate Wonderland.

That was really neat. We saw lots of lights throughout the gardens. 
Starbucks was giving away their special holiday brew too. Yum.
We also saw some rabbits, and an owl...Pretty cool, huh?
To spoil things 108 FM was advertising their We Hate Smokers concert in Henderson.
Its the "Industry-Free Hardcore, manipulation-free punk, smoke-free-seen against tobacco users"
Thats what the pamphlet reads. I thought that was really UnCool.
I hope these guys appreciate what is happened when sales taxes and unemployment go up, and tourism goes down.
Everyone gets what they ask for I guess.
Also, to top things off when we got home,
Dustin hung out for 10 minutes, then played Gameboy for the rest of the night.
He said he didn't like the "Da Vinci Code", but he had no idea what the movie was about.
Becky, Jennifer, and I watched The Da Vinci Code
I learned more about the Constantines and the Byzantines.
The movie was interesting.
Dustin learned how to jump things over cartoon characters I guess.
Once again, we all get what we want, I guess.
Fri 
11/17/2006 19:00:04
 Jim  Lake Las Vegas Resort - Tree Lighting Ceremony w/C
Clint Holmes, along with Santa and his elves, will be at a tree lighting ceremony at Lake Las Vegas Resorts.
Clint Holmes will be singing, and the Ice Skating Rink will be open.
All day passes for the Ice Skating rink are available for $12.
It is a free to all that come. Activities start at 7:30pm. Click here for more information
Fri 
11/17/2006 16:12:24
 Jim  Illegal Notarizations
I've had to notice, since I've been studying the laws relating to Notaries.
Two things are mandated:
- The person has to be in front of the notary.
- A notary can't charge you more than $5.
This year, we've had four documents notarized.
One for a home refinance (it was legal).
One for our bond and insurance (it was illegal, the notary never saw us, she was in Pahrump).
One for our corporate account (it was illegal, the notary never saw us).
One was a neighbor's document that had no title, no legal certificate but a Postal Outfit notarized it for $15 anyway.
After calling around for a Mobile Notary Services
I noticed ALL of them charged more than $25!
At least I'll be 100%  legal.
I'm going to charge $20 for the referral, $20 for the trip, and $5 for the notarization.
I may be the only person with a legal notary business in Las Vegas.
Fri 
11/17/2006 15:17:08
 Jim  Opened a Schwab Business Account
It costs $2,500 to open, but it is completely free!
And it pays interest, even if you just have a $1 balance.
Fri 
11/17/2006 12:01:00
 Jim  Stardust Auction
Bidding starts at 11am.
We can be there, or online at www.greatamerican.com .
11/17 Fri - Casino Floor and Tables, (no slots will be sold) Sportsbook, Consumer Collectibles
11/18 Sat - Art, Antiques, Collectibles, Signage, Photos
11/19 Sun - Art, Antiques, Collectibles, Signage, Photos
11/20 Mon - Cooking equipment, Landscaping, generators, Suite furnishings etc.
11/21 Tues - Facility assets, Office furnishings, miscellaneous, odds and ends.
Fri 
11/17/2006 09:59:03
 Jim  How to Beat Auto Mechanic Rip Offs
I needed brakes two years ago. This is how I beat them
Armed with a slew of $99 coupons, I went to 6 brake shops.
Almost all of them came up with estimates over $400!
I listened to the people in front of me at the lines. They were being duped.
So I got written estimates and used logic to beat them.
Mr Brake said I needed new rotors.
- They estimated over $400 but $250 was for the rotors. Ceramic pads were included.
Midas said my rotors were fine, but I need new shocks.
- They estimated over $400, but $250 was for the shocks. Ceramic pads were included.
Another Mr Brake said the rotors were fine, but $99 brake pads were crap
- They estimated over $400 for the pads, but $250 was for ceramic the pads.
Combining all of those estimates, it was obvious I was being duped.
I showed my estimates to the first Mr Brake
- I pointed out that, unless Midas and the other Mr Brake were lying, they had to be wrong about the rotors.
- A customer was present that was about to pay $400 for a $99 coupon brake job. (I listened in)
Mr Brake gave me new ceramic brakes (front only) and shocks for $250.
- They said OOPS! We made a mistake on the rotors.
I should point out the following:
- I felt sorry for the other customer that was getting duped.
- It was near closing time
- I watched them do it from the parking lot.
DO NOT TRUST AUTO MECHANICS!!! Get written estimates first.

Channel 8 Stings Purrfect Auto
I was really happy to see what I think is a common dupe.
Auto repair companies typically lure people in with coupons that charge unreasonably low rates.
Thu 
11/16/2006 15:24:25
 Jim  I’ve read some good things about Chantix
Its supposed to help 1 out of 5 smokers quit, by both blocking nicotine absorption into the brain, and by satisfying the craving for it. It joins Zyban for quit smoking drugs.
Unfortunately, it costs $4 a day ($128 a month).
For me, without insurance, that goes up to $8 ($256 a month), due to needing a prescription.
When you consider we have two smokers in the house, its not a viable solution.
I can't find it in the underworld of  pharmaceutical drugs yet. Maybe in a few months it will be available for $1 a day.
Since Chantix's success rate is only a marginal gain over Zyban for smoking cessation
And its SO EXPENSIVE, I think I'm going to go with Zyban.
Zyban can be purchased from this link Offshorerx.com for what amounts to $60 a month.
An article by Phyzer says only 1 out of 20 smokers who try to quit smoking succeed without aid.
Thu 
11/16/2006 14:43:34
 Jim  Why Wear Seatbelts?
From :whyquit.com
Today there are nearly 50,000,000 smokers in the United States, which is nearly 20% of our entire population.
If 20% of the 42,191 who died in 1998 automobile accidents were smokers,
your chances of dying from smoking are 50 times greater than being killed in a car accident. 
With those kind of odds, why even wear a seatbelt?
With 220,000 middle aged smokers dying this year, each an average of 22.5 years early, wouldn't it make more sense to sell the seatbelts and the airbags and use the money for a down payment on a coffin.  Seriously!  Have you ever been coffin shopping?  It's a real eye opener - so many colors and lots of styles.  Save your family the hassle!  Plan and pay for your own early funeral now.
I just went to the above sight for some tips to quit smoking.
Instead, I find myself reading blatent propaganda.
That sucks!
Did I read that article right?
Are they telling, not only smokers, but EVERYBODY to not wear their seat belts.
I did some simple math on these numbers.
Lets to some math...what do you say?
- The average life span in the US is said to be 76 years old.
- There are 300,000,000 people in the US.
So, 300,000,000 / 76 = 3,947,368 people die every year. That was easy.
The article says 220,000 people die of smoking each year.
So, of the deaths that occur each year, what percentage is smokers?
Simple, divide 220,000 / 3,947,368 and muliply by 100...
ANSWER: 5% of deaths each year are caused by smoking.
Thu 
11/16/2006 12:15:14
 Jim  We are now, officially, BE QUICK, Inc
Yahoo! Now we just need to:
x Open a checking account. ($2,500). Opened 11/17/2006
x File Corp S election with the IRS. Mailed 11/17/2006
- File with Nevada Department of Taxation
- Finish Certification (1 week for me). $180 + 3 weeks for Becky's background check and certification.
- Get business cards ($100)
- Get another phone line. ($100)
- Set up for accepting charge cards. Check PayPal
- Advertise. Embarq Super Bold Listing under Mobile Notaries (up to $5,000).
  Yellow Book is by coming Monday 10am.
And we're on the road to the American Dream, to own our own business!
Thu 
11/16/2006 09:38:02
 Jim  Smokers are beaten. Its hard to quit.
I'd compare the addiction to breathing. When you don't get oxygen, you go nuts!
Why did it get so popular in the first place?
I'd imagine the cause was greed.
Smokers have been over taxed and under compensated. That adds up to a lot of money.

The following are some statistics I gathered from the internet
If you believe what you read, this is how statistics fit together.
Taxes: There are 44 million people in the US smoking 1 pack a day. They pay $1 a pack in taxes to the state.
So 44 million people x $1 a day x 365 days = Smokers pay $16 billion dollars in state taxes a year.
Social Security Retirement: The Average life span is 76 years. Smokers live 17 years less than non smokers.
So most smokers die by their 59th birthdays. Smokers rarely get Social Security Benefits.
Social Security and Medicare have taxed 15% of every dollar I've ever made. That will all go to non smokers.
This sad commentary is interesting:
From www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov
Despite a widespread cessation in smoking over the past several decades, there has been no significant decline in death rates from lung cancer among former smokers, according to a new study (Epidemiology 1999;10:500-12).
So, given my own collection of information from the web:
- I'm going to die early even if I quit.
- Insurance won't touch me.
- I won't get a job.
- I'll die before retirement.
- I won't get Social Security benefits
- I won't get that 15% in FICA paid throughout my life.
In short: I'm going to die poor, hated, sick, and cheated.
My course of action can only be one thing:
Quit smoking, and lie about ever having smoked.
Thu 
11/16/2006 07:59:40
 Jim  .Howling again....
Your absolutely right Mikey, we need to quit.
I really appreciate your response.
Tweaked articles like the one you pasted are hard to dispute. They do insult common sense though.
I think I found that article. Smokers need not apply here 
If you read that article, you'll realize the employer, Weyco, absolutely HATES smokers.
Rebutting a few things it said:
- Since when do you sell your $500,000 house without repainting it? I think thats funny.
- Who gets their teeth dry cleaned?
- About the 6,000 employers who don't hire smokers. 
   Weyco admittedly spies on its employees. They are not someone I would want to work for.
   I really think this employer has gone too far. They'll admittedly fire someone for lighting up while vacation.
The justification has a footing: Smokers can be persecuted because they can quit, and it costs insurance companies money.
If you could renounce Judaism to escape persecution, would you?
The solution for me isn't one of faith though. Its one of character.
When good guys are suddenly depicted as bad guys, don't you want to ask the question "What happened?".
Mob mentality, I think, is always a bad thing.
Of all the people I've known in my life, 3 died from cancer, 2 of them were smokers
Therefore I could say 2 out of every 3 people who die from cancer, smoke.
But my group is made up of at least 100 of dead people that I've known.
From personal knowledge, the top killers would be old age, accidents, suicide and murder.
Wed 
11/15/2006 23:28:18
 Jim  Holiday Events
Chocolate Wonderland 

Ethel Ms Chocolate Factory Mtn Vista and Sunset.
5pm to 10 pm, Fri, Sat through Dec 23rd. Free
Features 500,000 lights, chocolate houses, sculptures, Santa Claus and live enterainment.
Tree Lighting Ceremony
Lake Las Vegas - Nov 17. 8pm. Free. Clint Holmes will be singing 8pm to 9pm.
The Floating Ice Skating Rink is open for $12 per person (all day).
Gift of Lights
Sunset Park - Thu, Fri, Sat 5pm to 9pm. Cost: $12 per vehicle
It has displays with over 7 million lights.
Heritage Street Holidays
Clark County Museum - 1830 Boulder Highway. $1.50 adults, $1 children
See holidays past on the Clark County Museum"s Heritage Street.
The restored have historic homes decorated in vintage trim from the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.
Museum-goers will be given a set of period recipes, available at each home.
"Holiday Trains Around the Tree" will take place 4:30-8 p.m. Dec. 9-11.
The event will feature music, trees, and Dec.rated homes along Heritage Street; historic train runs at the Railroad Depot and a special 1920's Lionel's Golden Age model railroading exhibit; a special holiday discount on every purchase; and complimentary holiday refreshments.
Tue 
11/14/2006 23:04:04
 Jim  Pahrump, NV: English is now official
Theres problems with the First Amendment Rights to Freedom of Speech.They may face lawsuits about it.
At least their trying to hold on to what they view as sacred.
I've noticed that you must speak English to gain citizenship unless you are over 55.
Americans have lost so much.
You can't raise your child the way you want, you can't say a prayer in school.
I can't even understand the girl in the drive up window at McDonalds.
It won't be long before all of the religious holidays are gone.
Hey, kids are murdering each other. Has anyone noticed?
Do we need something like language dividing us even further apart?
Tue 
11/14/2006 11:37:13
 Jim  A Cutlar Started The Pig War
Lyman Cutlar was a farmer in San Juan, an island near Washington, and Vancover.
During that time, the English and British were at odds of the rights to land.
In 1959, San Juan only had 18 American colonist.
Cutlar caught a pig eating his tubors (potatoes), and shot it.
The pig was owned by a sheep herder who worked for the Hudson Bay Company.
The two, who had gotten along before the incident, got in a dispute, one yelling "Keep you pigs out of my potatoes",
the other yelling, "Keep your potatoes out of my pigs". The British threatened to arrest Cutlar.
The colonist petitioned the US for aid and the situation esculated.
Things started getting CrAzY
Next thing you know, 514 Americans with 14 cannons opposed five British warships, with 70 guns, and 2,140 men.
It was known as the Pig War. It didn't happen though, thanks to President Buchanan's intervention.
Mon 
11/13/2006 15:49:06
 Jim  Consumer Freedom - Put to a Vote
Can 20,000 votes out of Nevada's 2.4 million people take away individual freedom.
- take away a business's right to decide what his customers want?
- take away a consumer's rights to choose what he buys
There are 1.8 million people over 18 in Nevada. 20,00 votes allowed Question 5 to pass.

What really bothers me about Question 5 is what it does to free enterprise.
A line is being crossed here that is dangerous. Today, the smokers are the targets.
Do you like your steak medium rare? Do you like hot coffee? How about beer?
Its forseeable that fatty foods, drinking, obesity, even illegal immigration could all be construed as being harmful to your health. How many jobs have to be lost before Americans wake up?
Destroy freedom and you destroy what this nation is all about.

Free Enterprise - How it is supposed to work
The following is an excerpt from socialstudieshelp.com
The U.S. economic system of free enterprise operates according to five main principles: the freedom to choose our businesses, the right to private property, the profit motive, competition, and consumer sovereignty.

Freedom to Choose Our Businesses
In this country, the decision whether or not you should go into computer services or any other kind of enterprise (business) is basically yours alone to make. You will decide what fees to charge and what hours to work. Certain laws prohibit you from cheating or harming your customers or other people.
But, in general, you will be left alone to run your business as you see fit.

Right to Private Property
Private property is a piece of land, a home, or a car owned by an individual, a family, or a group. It differs from a public building, or public property, such as the city hall, a park, or a highway, all of which provide a government service for all citizens. In the U.S. economic system, people's right to buy and sell private property is guaranteed by law. People must use the property in safe and reasonable ways, of course. In setting up computer systems for your customers, for example, you do not have the right to interfere with the electrical, telephone, or computer systems of other people.

Profit Motive
The main reason why you or any enterprising person organizes a business is to make money. You do this by earning more money than you spend. The amount of money left over after subtracting your business expenses from your business income is known as your profit. In the free enterprise system, business firms try hard to keep costs down and increase their income from sales. The better they succeed at this, the higher are their profits. Economists describe the efforts by business firms to earn the greatest profits as the profit motive.

Competition
Just as you are free to start a computer business, so is everyone else. The rivalry between sellers in the same field for consumers' dollars is called competition. If your business is profitable, it is likely that others will enter the same business hoping to be as successful as you are. They will be competing with you for the same customers. To win a share of the computer business, other sellers may try to offer more and better services, or services at lower prices. Because of the pressure of competition, business firms must constantly try to provide the best services and create the best products at the lowest possible prices.

Consumer Sovereignty
In the end, it is the customers, or consumers, who determine whether any business succeeds or fails. In the U.S. free enterprise economy, consumers are said to have sovereignty-the power or freedom to have final say. Consumers are free to spend their money for Product X or for Product Y. If they prefer Y over X, then the company making X may lose money, go out of business, or decide to manufacture something else (perhaps Product Z). Thus, how consumers choose to spend their dollars causes business firms of all kinds to produce certain goods and services and not others.

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