(from http://www.businessinsider.com/9-ridiculous-ideas-that-made-people-ridiculously-rich-2011-3?op=1#ixzz2QPKciWK7)
". . . Pet Rock, Ridiculously Rich Person Behind It: Gary Dahl
Estimated Profit: $15M in just the first six months
Yellow Smiley Faces, Ridiculously Rich People Behind It: Bernard and Murray Spain
Estimated Profit: $500MM
iFart App, Ridiculously Rich Person Behind It: Joel Comm
Estimated Profit: $400K
Wacky Wall Walker, Ridiculously Rich Person Behind It: Ken Hakuta
Estimated Profit: $80MM
Icanhascheezburger.com, Ridiculously Wealthy People Behind It: Eric Nakagawa (aka Cheezburger) and Kari Unebasami (aka Tofu burger)
Estimated Profit: $2MM
Slinky, Ridiculously Rich Person Behind It: Richard James
Estimated Profit: $250MM
Snuggie, Ridiculously Rich Person Behind It: Scott Boilen, President of Allstar Products
Estimated Profit: $200MM
Million-Dollar Home Page, Ridiculously Rich Person Behind The Idea: Alex Tew
Estimated Profit: $1MM
Beanie Babies, Ridiculously Rich Person Behind It: H Ty Warner
Estimated Profit: $3-6 Billion. . . "
It would appear that this once well-intentioned and possibly practical organization has strayed far from its original intent and has become a proponent of arms manufacturering much to the detriment of the society it was founded to serve.
Army and Navy Journal editor William Conant Church and General George Wood Wingate chartered the NRA in New York state in 1871. Its first president was Civil War General Ambrose Burnside, who had
worked as a Rhode Island gunsmith, and Wingate was the original
secretary of the organization.
Union Army records for the Civil War indicate that its troops fired about 1,000 rifle shots for each Confederate soldier hit, causing General Burnside to lament his recruits: "Out of ten soldiers who are perfect in drill and the manual of arms, only one knows the purpose of the sights on his gun or can hit the broad side of a barn." The generals attributed this to the use of volley tactics, devised for earlier, less accurate smoothbore muskets. After observing European marksmanship training, General Wingate was convinced that U.S. forces were in need of better training.
Recognizing a need for better training, Wingate traveled to Europe and observed European armies' marksmanship training programs. With plans provided by Wingate, the New York Legislature funded the construction of a modern range at Creedmore, Long Island, for long-range shooting competitions. Wingate then wrote a marksmanship manual.
The publicity generated by a long-range shooting match to determine an Anglo-American championship in 1874 helped to
establish breech-loading firearms (manufactured by match sponsors Remington Arms and Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company) as suitable for military marksmanship
training, and promoted the NRA to national prominence.
The organization has since metamorphosed into a highly financed and politically powerful group of extremists who value profits of gun sales (under the guise of protecting the U.S. Constitution) over that of human life and stop at nothing to ensure our spineless representatives are well compensated to be on board.
Witness below. . .
(from NBCNews.com)
". . . "Expanding background checks, at gun shows or elsewhere, will not reduce violent crime or keep our kids safe in their schools," top NRA lobbyist Chris Cox wrote in a letter sent to senators Wednesday night. "Given the importance of these issues, votes on all anti-gun amendments or proposals will be considered in NRA's future candidate evaluations. "The NRA rates lawmakers based on how they vote on the group's priorities. The letter grades are highly influential and carry particular weight in rural states with a strong gun culture. . . ."
I promptly wrote to my representatives in Congress and pleaded (paraphrasing), '. . . I wonder how your NRA evaluations look. I hope they look very BAD. . . '
(thanks to source Wikipedia.com)
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When I was a kid, I had great respect for my elders. I also had great respect for my contemporaries simply because that's what I was taught to do. In fact, I may possibly have accorded more respect to many (old and young) than was actually necessary. Not that I should have treated them badly. It's just that I held some in much higher esteem than was warranted.
The older I got the more perspective I gained about sense, non-sense, bluster, honesty, empathy and integrity. I was, most certainly and understandably youth generally is, naive. But I was also idealistic. I thought that a person could be taken at his word, and in that, I was wrong. At least in some cases.
This lesson was driven home for me soon after college. I had a temporary position at a local television station which I had hoped would become permanent. My 'boss' in this position was one of the nicest, most honest, empathetic, sympathetic and virtuous individuals that I had (and have) ever met. I believed that this is what a boss should be. I also believed that this is what other bosses would be. When the position failed to become permanent and I sought employment in another field, I quickly learned that my boss at the TV stations was a rare find, indeed.
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Some folks think that Margaret Thatcher accomplished much for England. . .
(excerpted from http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f76c049e-a042-11e2-a6e1-00144feabdc0.html#slide0)
". . . She changed us all. We went from being a people who saw ourselves as eternally on the downward slide to a nation that was proud to be British again. On the world stage too, she made Britain count once more. She was a startling presence who brought a strong and controversial style to our diplomacy after years of Foreign Office blandness. The words are those of Charles Powell, one of the closest aides of the “Iron Lady” during her time in power. Margaret Thatcher, who died on Monday aged 87, not only revolutionised the social order in her own country but did much to reshape world politics amid the crumbling of the Soviet empire. . . "
But yet, after some additional browsing, it appears that the negative opinion outnumbers the positive on the web. And in keeping in the spirit of a music-related blog, below is a list of Thatcher-inspired rock'n roll songs. . .
Dick Gaughan ‘Ballad of 84′Attila the Stockbrocker – Maggots 1 Thatcher 0
Gonna Laugh When Margaret Thatcher Dies – The Forlorn Hope
Pinochet and Margaret Thatcher – Deborah Holland
Margaret Thatcher, We Still Hate Her – Terry Edwards
Miss Maggie- Renaud (unusual French entry here)
The Pogues, Birmingham Six
Heaven 17, ‘We don’t need this fascist groove thang’
Ewan MacColl, ‘What did you do in the strike Daddy?’
Magi Thatcher – Daffyd Iwan a’r Band (this is in Welsh, so I’ve no idea if it’s anti-Thatcher but the tone of the chap’s voice suggests that it is)
Thatcher F*cked the Kids – Frank Turner
Thatcher - Ad Nauseum
Still Hate Thatcher – The Horror
Still Fighting Thatcher – Hard Skin
Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher - Billy Elliot Soundtrack (” we all =20
celebrate Christmas, cos’ it’s one day closer to your death”)
Angelic Upstarts-”Two Million Voices”
The Blow Monkeys-”She Was Only a Grocer’s Daughter” (whole album)
Billy Bragg-”Island of No Return”
Billy Bragg-”Waiting for the Great Leap Forward”
Kate Bush-”Army Dreamers”
Elvis Costello-”Shipbuilding”
Elvis Costello-”Tramp the Dirt Down”‘
Crass-”How Does It Feel to be the Mother of 1000 Dead?”
Crass-”Sheep Farming in the Falklands”
Crass-”Yes Sir, I Will” (the whole album)
The English Beat-”Stand Down Margaret”
The Exploited-”Maggie”
Fine Young Cannibals-”Blue”
Hefner-”The Day That Thatcher Dies”
Iain Dale-”The Falklands Hymn”
Inner City Unit-”Blue Rinse Haggard Robot”
Iron Maiden-”Como Estais Amigos”
The Jam-”Town Called Malice”
Jethro Tull-”Hard Times”
Kitchens of Distinction-”Margaret’s Injection”
The Levellers-”Another Man’s Cause”
Kirsty MacColl-”Free World”
Christy Moore-”Taking Tea With Pinochet”
Morrissey-”Margaret on the Guillotine”
New Model Army-”The Spirit of the Falklands”
The Notsensibles-”I’m in Love with Margaret Thatcher”
Pink Floyd-”The Final Cut” (the whole album)
The Specials-”Ghost Town” and cover of ‘Maggie’s Farm’
Sting-”We Work the Black Seam”
The The, ‘Heartlands’ ‘The Beat(en) Generation’, ‘Armageddon days are here again’
Richard Thompson-”Mother Knows Best”
UB40-”Madame Medusa”
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. . . expressed here are not necessarily those of the management . . .
. . . they are, nevertheless, amusing. . .
(an email from UNSIGNED RADIO- http://www.unsignedradio.biz/submit.html)
"REJOICE !
Oh Happy Day !
Hallelujah !
What wonderful news - the most evil woman in the world is roasting in hell tonight !!
My heart was filled with joy at hearing of the demise of the witch who did more to damage the British people and destroy our Industry than Hitler.
So let's all celebrate that we no longer have to share the air we breathe with Satan's sister.
SEND US YOUR ANTI-THATCHER SONGS !!
Calling all songwriters who have ever penned a song condemning the old cow and the wickedness she imposed - send it to me to play in jubilation that the earth is now a happier place .
Send them in soon and get the bubbly out as it looks like we will soon have a grave to dance on !!
Use the drop box at
http://www.unsignedradio.biz/submit.html"
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(from the Progressive Change Campaign Committee PAC)
"The president is set to include a major Social Security benefit cut in his budget on Wednesday. President Obama is proposing the so-called chained CPI, which would cut cost-of-living adjustments for grandparents and veterans.
Tuesday, April 9th -- at 12:30PM EST, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee PAC is going to deliver hundreds of thousands of petitions directly to the White House telling Obama: No cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits. "
Seems to me that is cost-of-living increases can be cut from benefits, (to which, by the way, anyone working in the U.S. contributes throughout his working life) the president must write INTO law that the cost of living can no longer GO UP! Seems only fair.
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. . . of Obama bashing, well, simply because he is Obama. I’m not sure if it’s a subjective thing like, his face, his ears, his smirk or maybe even, (yes Virginia, I’m afraid it’s true) his color. I’m just sick and tired of it. I don’t want to hear about his birth certificate (if that’s a REAL issue which his haters were able to uncover but the election officials were not before the election to his first term, then the haters should be pursuing the election officials), his salary cut, his dogs or even, although they are beautiful, his kids.
Let me be clear. I am not an Obama fan. But none of the reasons above have anything to do with why I am not an Obama fan. The reasons below however, do. . .
• 20,000 Airstrikes (First Term) Cause Death and Destruction From Iraq to Somalia.
• Signed the NDAA into law - making it legal to assassinate Americans w/o charge or trial.
• Escalated the CIA drone war in Pakistan.
• Maintained a presence in Iraq even after "ending" the war.
• Sharply escalated the war in Afghanistan.
• Secretly deployed US special forces to 75 countries.
• Sold $30 billion of weapons to the dictatorship in Saudi Arabia.
• Opened up deepwater oil drilling, even after the BP disaster.
• Did a TV commercial promoting "clean coal".
• Signed the Patriot Act extension into law.
• Continued Bush's rendition program.
• Signed the Monsanto Protection Act into law.
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