This post was prompted by the news heard yesterday that no one won the jackpot.
There are very few optional or voluntary taxes. Most of the time, people try to avoid paying any taxes they don’t have to pay, and sometimes even taxes they do have to pay.
The lottery is a good example of a voluntary tax. People pay millions of dollars to the government and get nothing in return. That’s even worse than a normal tax, which theoretically has some direct relationship to the payer (new roads nearby, police service for the area, etc).
Governments have reduced that argument by having the lottery profits fund the schools. That also helps to sell the concept of a lottery to some of those who would oppose a lottery. I am glad to have lower property taxes in return for having other people fund the public schools. I would be happier still without a lottery or casinos, but at least I have a choice not to fund them.
“For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
– I Timothy 6:10
Posted in Finance | 1 Comment »
I hope, for America’s sake, that the new TV show “The Moment of Truth” does not do well. It is setup to embarrass people or damage their relationships.
The TV show “The Biggest Loser” seemed at first to be not a nice show. Just watching the previews, I thought that the show was making fun of fat people.
The TV show “Average Joe” seemed at first to be a nice show. Just watching the previews, I was thought that the show was helping average guys.
After watching both shows, I switched my opinions of each. It seems that a bunch of people have the same opinion, as Biggest Loser has continued success but Average Joe is gone. Some of that may be due to the element-of-surprise nature of Average Joe.
I believe that America likes Biggest Loser because it is a show with a good intent – helping people. Average Joe had the guise of helping people but turned out to be a mean show – humiliating people.
I believe that “Moment of Truth” is a mean show – the goal is to humiliate people. And I do not want to watch it. The show is meant to capitalize on the bad parts of human nature. The contestants are, in effect, selling their souls. They are trying to win money and are apparently ready to sacrifice other parts of their lives (friendships, marriage, dignity) for that money.
Both the contestant and the network share blame for any fallout. The contestants have a choice in the matter and are responsible for their actions and words. But who is writing the questions? Who is placing the contestant is such a predicament? Just as the participants are placing money above all else, so the producers are placing ratings (and therefore money) above all else.
“But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.”
– I Timothy 6:9
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I had mentally noted this item earlier in the year, around New Year’s Day, but am just now posting it.
I thought that Lloyd Carr’s comment after the bowl game was an indictment of new coach Rich Rodriguez. I also think that Carr did not mean for it to seem that way; he was just speaking what he thought about his team.
Lloyd Carr’s comment after winning the bowl game was this: “But the reason it’s meaningful is because I can be in that locker room with the guys that did it.” Meaning that he was glad to see his team through to the end – a bowl game victory.
That contrasted with Rich Rodriguez, who was there for the Michigan game but was not there for the West Virginia bowl game. His decision to leave the Mountaineers just before their big game upset many WVU fans.
It was in that context that Carr spoke his feelings about his team and the victory, and the contrast of Carr’s words with Rodriguez’s actions was quite noticeable.
“Many a man proclaims his own loyalty, But who can find a trustworthy man?”
– Proverbs 20:6
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Things taste better in Spain.
Normally, I do not like brussels sprouts. But at lunch one day they served brussel sprouts, and I tried them. They tasted like little clumps of spinach – I wouldn’t choose them over other items, but they were not bad. Definitely better than my memories of them from when I was a child.
Normally, I dislike olives, especially on pizza. Their putrid flavor overwhelms everything else in that bite of food. But at every dinner, the appetizer-type plate included olives. I tried one and it was not as strong or nasty-tasting as the olives one finds in the USA. I had another one the next night, but again would not choose them over other items.
Here in the USA, we normally expect Mexican food to be spicier than the typical American food, whatever American food may be. Spanish food did not have much spice to it. It was good, but not spicy.
Most of the items would seem normal to an American. The most interesting item I saw on a menu was black rice. “How do they make the rice black?” you may be wondering. They color it with squid ink.
Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you
Luke 10:8
Posted in Food | 1 Comment »
Take a travel alarm clock with you. I took my battery-powered one this time, and it was quite handy. It is common for hotel rooms in Europe not to have alarm clocks. In Germany and Spain at least, it seems that they expect you to rely on the hotel wake-up-call service. Having a battery-powered clock meant that I did not have to worry about electrical adapters.
Take a direct flight whenever possible. I had a couple of connections each way on my last trip, and they caused problems. On the way there, the middle flight was late, so we missed our flight for the final leg of the trip. We got booked on the next flight, but that an extra two hours of sitting in the airport. On the way back, the flight for the final leg of the trip was canceled, so we got booked on the next flight. That meant an extra three hours of sitting in the airport.
I recommend against using US Airways (and those surveyed by Zagat agree). See above post for background information. For some humor, see the survey outtakes. And on the last flight, the one that was three hours after the original flight should have been, someone decided to wait for another plane that had passengers connecting to our flight. So we sat for another 30 minutes for this other plane’s passengers. After that time, the pilot announced that the other plane had not yet landed, so we were going to take off. But since we were just sitting and waiting, the ground crew for our plane had been pulled off in order to assist another plane, so we had to wait for them. It was a long day of waiting. But the flight itself went smoothly and safely. However, I have not had the logistics problems on other airlines that I had on this trip with US Airways.
Take plenty of cash, in Euros probably. Many places in Europe don’t like credit cards. Even a restaurant in the Barcelona airport would take Visa but not Mastercard. If the card reader prompts the cashier for a PIN and you don’t have one because it is a credit card not a debit card, then just press Enter without entering a PIN. This one threw me off for a few tries, which is why you need to have cash on hand, in case something is not right with the credit card transaction.
Tomato soup in Spain may be served cold, so if you don’t like V-8 juice, then ask about the temperature of the soup beforehand.
{Like} cold water to a weary soul, So is good news from a distant land.
Proverbs 25:25
Posted in Travel | 1 Comment »
I normally like for old records to stand. For instance, Walter Payton‘s rushing yardage record should not have been broken. Also, Hank Aaron‘s record should be the record. For that matter, I wouldn’t mind if Babe Ruth still had the home run record. I’m sentimental, so the longer a record has lasted, the more I like to see it stay unbroken.
But in the case of the 1972 Miami Dolphins and their undefeatedness, I wouldn’t mind if another football team also went undefeated. The 2007 New England Patriots were so close this year, and I was hoping they would make it to 19-0. I suppose the reason is that the league has changed since 1972, so the Dolphins’ record will forever last as the only NFL team to go undefeated in the 14-game season. Now the season lasts 16 games, so new records have to be viewed in a different manner. Just like how even though Wayne Gretzky might hold some statistical records in the NHL, he can’t match Gordie Howe because the numbers of teams and games in the NHL changed.
“Remember the days of old, Consider the years of all generations. Ask your father, and he will inform you, Your elders, and they will tell you.”
– Deuteronomy 32:7
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Last night, my wife made an observation which turned out to be a very good, albeit unintentional, pun.
We were driving through town when she noticed the local spa was offering over-priced eyebrow waxing.
“Eyebrow wax for $10? What a rip-off!” she exclaimed.
If I need to add any explanation, then it is not going to be as funny.
When I heard about this matter, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard, and sat down appalled.
Ezra 9:3
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This is Alpha, the first-born, when he was 2YO.
This is Beta, the second-born, when he was about 2YO.
This is Gamma, the third-born, when he was about 18MO.
