7 For All Mankind- $200 Right?

May 28Th - National Trouser Day!

I almost missed it! I think I slept through this lesson in history class because for the life of me I don't remember learning about it. But sure as you're reading this, In 1923 the US Attorney General determined that it was legal for women to wear trousers whenever they wanted. I know we can argue about the importance of this glorious revelation and debate the many other social changes that came far too late, but I won't go down that road right now. I'll instead solicit some understanding from you all......

How on earth did we get to a point where it is common place for retailers to charge $200 for women's jeans? And women can walk into the store and buy them without even wincing. Now I remember when designer jeans first became fashionable. You remember! Jordache, Sasson, Calvin Klein, Chic, Guess, and Gloria Vanderbilt to name a few. When these designers changed the basic look and feel of the blue jean the prices jumped significantly. I personally didn't believe the jeans were any better looking or feeling than say... Wrangler, Lee, or Levis but many people went for the name identity. And remember when the ripped jeans became fashionable? Now I could get with that fashion because that meant I could get a few more years out of my old jeans. I couldn't understand buying new jeans that were ripped but oh well. Fashion is Fashion!

7 For All Mankind

Wait a second.... Does the house come with those jeans? How about the model?

At their prices we should get the full Monty!

So step over Sasson, Lee, Jordache, Calvin Klein, whatever.... You're about to get hit with the new wave of designer jeans. Here comes the likes of True Religion, 7 For All Mankind, Joes Jeans, and more. All for close to 150-200 bucks a pop. I don't know if they're worth it or not yet but time will tell. For now, from where I sit those old jeans still look pretty good!

Joes Jeans

Listen to Fat Boy Slim- That Old Pair of Jeans!

A Brief Memorial Day Post!

Memorial Day is a holiday observed on the last Monday of May. It was formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who perished while in military service to their country. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War, it was expanded after World War I to include casualties of any war or military action.

Many people observe this holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials. Others will spend time with friends and family at BBQ's and parties. Some Americans view Memorial Day as the unofficial beginning of summer so there is generally a kind and fresh spirit in the air.

While you are out today doing whatever your favorite things may be: Please take a minute to remember those who have served and are no longer with us!

A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. US Eastern time.

John Coltrane - My Favorite Things

CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge!

Let the Games Begin!

Since I'm confessing to other things I figure now is a good time to confess to one of my other vices. For the longest time, I was addicted to CNBC! You know -As in - I used to watch it religiously at every opportunity. After 3 interventions and successfully completing a 12-step program I was able to ween myself away from my daily fixes. I'm now down to about two or three times a week and shorter spurts. I used to wake up in the morning to Squawk Box and just power through the day. When I was sitting in my office I'd have it on for background noise. Okay, so yes I am exaggerating a bit but you get the point. Anyway, last year, about this time, CNBC announced that they would sponsor a Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge. The competition would allow individuals to trade a fictional portfolio of $1,000,000.00. They advertised and marketed the competition like crazy. So for grins, I signed up. It was a fun. I worked my way gradually up the ladder until I was in the top 3%. And that's when I pulled out all of the stops. In the last two weeks I knew I had to be very aggressive to win. After all, there was to be only one Grand Prize winner and that was going to be me. Needless to say, my aggressive moves didn't pay out and someone else took home the big check. Oh well, I told myself there was always next year.

Well next year is here and Monday I signed up again. The contest is a little different this year. They're allowing each contestant to trade 5 different portfolios. The plan is designed to allow $900,000.00 in stock and $100,000.00 in currency trading. They've had some issues getting the currency trading started. We'll see if they can work out all of the bugs. Nonetheless, I'm off to the races. My poorest performing portfolio is has me in position 508,016th. My best performing portfolio after 3 days has me in the top 14.4% and in game position 96,007th. So only about 96 thousand people to pass and approximately $400,000 in profits are required to catch up with the leader.

The good news is: After I win I plan to have a really big party and invite all of my Blog Friends! So wish me luck and send me your stock tips!

If you want to check it out or even play along..... Follow this link to CNBC -Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge!

Thanks in advance for your support and Good Luck if you decide to play along!

Prohibited Item In Your Carry-On Bag?

Every once in a while I find myself scurrying through the airport and inevitably, bustling through airport security screening. I generally try (but fail) to allow myself enough time at security because you can never anticipate how long the delay will be. So you can imagine that from time to time, usually when I'm late, the screeners find something interesting in my carry on bags that they want to take a look at.

Items confiscated at security checkpoints

I'm usually traveling with a variety of items in my carry on. At least a laptop, camera, cellphone, Ipod and electric razor. But guess what? The screeners are never interested in any of these electronic devices. I guess that's a good thing. Yet, in the years since 9/11 I've been forced to surrendered two screwdrivers, several cork screws, scissors, multiple tubes of toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, and a very fine Swiss Army knife. Mostly items that I foolishly forgot were in my bags. One time they wanted to confiscate my nail clippers. I asked "what about my nail clippers is illegal." and they said "The inch long pointed file." I didn't argue with them, I simply bent it back and broke it off and put the file-less clippers in my pocket and handed the screener my inch long weapon. I thought to myself - I suppose if a passenger could somehow manage to conceal this piece of metal in the pilot's coffee, maybe he/she could overpower the crew and take over the airplane while the pilot was choking to death. A long shot I know.....

Don't get me wrong, those guys/gals have a tough job to do and they are part of our very short line of defense. And rules are rules! And honestly, most of these rules have evolved from some sort of viable threat. But I still travel with those clippers today and every time I use them I think back on that episode. Even though the rules have changed again for domestic travel, I still haven't replaced those clippers. I've substituted a cardboard Emery board (compliments of some fine hotel) in place of the file.

So anyway, last month as I was headed out to some not so exotic destination, Mr TSA Screener stops me and says- "Is this your bag?" Yes it is Sir - is something wrong? I reply. "We need to run it again." He follows. After the second run he advises me that I have a very long piece of metal in my bag and he wanted to take a look at it. So he opens a side pocket on my bag and pulls out my set of keys. Behold, the very long piece of metal. I instantly prepare for battle thinking - Oh No! He's going to confiscate my keys! He smiles and tells me I should be careful because my key can be mistaken for a weapon. I quickly run through the list of quick and smart come-backs to this remark but decide to keep quiet. After all, I did want to make my flight. I collected my items and moved on.

Later on in the flight I contemplated the necessity of leaving something of significant value behind or losing it all together. What do you do for example if you show up at the airport with the family crested letter opener that's been with your family for two hundred years and Mr. TSA guy says sorry, you can't take this on. If you've allowed yourself enough time for this blunder you can run back and check the item. Or I guess you miss your flight and call your Mother and tell her what a bum you are for not planning ahead. Well, now there's another option. I've learned that at most major airports there is now a service that allows you to mail your item to yourself or arrange for it to be held at the airport until you can pick it up later. All for a fee of course. One of the services is run by CheckPoint Mailers the other company is MailSafe Express. There is usually a kiosk at/near the security checkpoint. Please keep this in mind if you're ever in need. Unfortunately, this service did not help actor Dennis Farina who was charged with a felony after trying to get through security with a loaded gun just last Sunday. When the weapon was discovered at a security checkpoint, the 64-year-old actor reportedly said he had forgotten the .22-caliber handgun was in his luggage. Dennis Farina's latest film, the Ashton Kutcher-Cameron Diaz comedy "What Happens in Vegas," just opened. Farina has starred in TV's "Law & Order" series and is also a former Chicago police officer. A bad way to premier a comedy movie. These types of mistakes are generally reserved for Rappers and Rockers!

Dennis Farina

More to A Kiss! Than just A Kiss!

How do you like your kisses? Warm and Wet? Soft and Sensual? Wild and Whimsical?

Do I have your attention?

It's kind of cool having a blog with no specific focus because I can branch off into just about anything....

So - Is a kiss still a kiss?

We all remember the very classic scene from Casablanca.......

"Of all the Gin joints in all the towns in all the world. She walks into mine.
(piano starts to play)
What's that you're playing?

- Oh just a little something on my own -

Well stop it, you know what I want to hear..............

Play It!"

- fades into "As Time Goes By - A Kiss is Still A Kiss........"







I came across an article during my travels that talked about kissing and kisses and apparently, there's more to kissing than meets the lips... I mean eye!

According to an article by Gordon G. Gallup, Jr., PHD, (what a name huh?) Evolutionary psychologist, University of Albany, New York, kissing is actually part of an evolved courtship ritual. And "When two people kiss there is a rich and complicated exchange of information involving chemical, tactile, and postural cues," said Gallup. Researchers Susan M. Hughes, and Marissa A. Harrison assisted Gallup in his kissing study in which they published the results in Evolutionary Psychology.

Furthermore, in a study of 1041 people, they concluded that most women would never engage in sex without kissing while many men would. Women seem to kiss to assess a partner's level of commitment based on unconscious mechanisms and may be prompted to end a potential relationship after a single kiss whereas men are more likely to kiss as a means to a shorter term goal such as sexual intimacy or reconciling after a fight. Big surprise there huh fellas?

Scientific research aside, clearly there are many types of kisses. The hello/goodbye social kiss on the cheek, the goodnight mom/dad/sister/brother kiss, Eskimo kiss, butterfly kiss, the ceremonial kiss on the lips, and the many others. I'm sure your respective individual imaginations can conjure up some more. But what about the sensual passionate kiss? Are some people better kissers than others? If so, Is there a way to become a better kisser? Here's the cheat - If you want to be a good kisser the key is to start slowly. Carefully progressing and measuring how your partner responds. Kissing is a mutual experience and like dancing someone should take the lead. This doesn't mean that the leader can't change from time to time but two kissers battling for control with no Kissee is not a pretty sight. And a selfish, one-sided kisser leaves the other party feeling left out and unsatisfied. Some people just seem to be better kissers, perhaps because they are sensual and passionate, or perhaps they work on it and practice... practice... and practice. Of course we can't rule out the possibility that when people are physically, and chemically attracted to each other they sometimes enjoy the kissing experience more.

With that said, this picture is going around in an email. I picked it up from Strangepersons.com.

I wonder..... Do you think these ladies are good kissers? I think I'd rather have a cold beer than find out for myself!

How about you?

Courageous Or Dumb?

Is Erik the Stupidest Survivor Ever?

Erik Reichenbach

Okay, the cat's out of the bag now. I'm a closet survivor junkie! Yes, I watch it. (Please don't hate me for this.) And when I'm out of town, I TIVO it and watch it later. I haven't done a great job of keeping up with American Idol this season but I can say, I've watched every single episode of Survivor. I even watched an episode online after somehow goofing up the recording process.

So last night, there I sat watching the episode before the season finale in disbelief! I watched as Erik Reichenbach found himself in the proverbial "Cat Bird" seat. He was stranded on a tropical island with 4 women. He had just won a reward challenge and spent the night getting the spa treatment in the company of the lovely Amanda Kimmel. He followed up this paradisaical experience with an immunity challenge victory. For those that aren't familiar with the immunity challenge - This victory gave him immunity from being voted off the island and assured him a spot in the final four contestants.

Amanda Kimmel

That's where the plan went unthinkably wrong and Erik somehow lost his mind! Erik was given the opportunity to surrender his immunity and give it to another contestant, Natalie Bolton, thus protecting her and leaving himself vulnerable or keeping it and moving on to the final four. In the final four, he stood a pretty good chance of winning immunity again and at least making it to the final three. But, you guessed it, Erik opted to give his immunity necklace to Natalie and was subsequently voted off! This single act of gratitude cost him at least $15,000 (the difference between 4Th and 5Th place in past years) and eliminated his chances to take home One Million dollars!

Before we judge Erik too quickly, let's take a quick look at his biography!

Erik Reichenbach, a true SURVIVOR fan, was too young to be in the first 14 seasons of Survivor. Reichenbach religiously studied the game from the comfort of his home, until he was of age to audition. Determined to play the game, Erik practiced his survival skills last summer off a small island in Florida. Reichenbach was born and raised in Pinckney, Michigan. He is currently in his senior year of studying art at Eastern Michigan University, and is a member of the college's track team. Reichenbach works at an ice cream parlor called "Screams" in Hell, Michigan, where he also designs t-shirts, hauls canoes and entertains his customers. He previously worked in landscaping, construction and as a freelance graphic designer. His hobbies include drawing, writing comic books, rock-climbing and studying philosophy/religion. He describes himself as animated, earnest and familiar. He is very proud of his running accomplishments during his senior year of high school, where he set the school's 400 yard record (49.3 seconds), and being able to run in the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Carolina. Reichenbach is a member of the Eastern Michigan Cross Country and Track team, Pinckney Pirate Track and Field Alumni and a rock climbing club. Reichenbach believes he'll go far on SURVIVOR because he is a good listener, entertaining, optimistic, athletic, a creative thinker and can easily be a leader or a follower. Reichenbach is currently single and lives in Ypsilanti, Michigan, with his cats, Furrball and Kittyfizzle (K-Fizz for short). His birth date is November 27, 1985.

Short of living in "Hell, Michigan" (Is there really such a place?) His Bio reads like that of "The All-American Boy."
But Dude! What on Earth were you thinking?
Jeff Probst commented during the show that - "He has just learned a life lesson."
I say - What a life Metaphor!
While most men are fantasizing about being trapped on a tropical island with beautiful women and the chance at winning a million bucks a bonus - Erik makes a conscious decision which forces him to leave without the women and without the money and go back to "Serving Ice Cream in Hell."
I won't call Erik the "Stupidest Survivor Ever" yet. I'll wait until the finale on Sunday and see what he has to say for himself. I hope he was bewitched, hoodwinked, bedazzled, or perhaps it was voodoo. Maybe he'll come up with some other believable/understandable reason like Love! I like the kid and hope it's not true what they're all saying:
Erik Reichenbach is the Stupidest Survivor Ever!

Standing Down!

Well it appears that the ransom note and package sent to my house was all a farce. As it turns out, Speedcathollydale is safe and in good hands. So I've called my friend Jack Bauer and thanked him for his offer to help out and ordered the troops to stand down. I've also stored the collected ransom items for any future emergencies. I must say, we've got a list of nice things.

Here's what I've collected so far:

1. Pentad - Three boxes of old notes and rejected articles from her book.
2. Kim - Three calendars with risque color pictures.
3. Jane Turley- One Tickling brush, feather duster and a bottom scrubber! Don't ask.
4. Wendster - Half a bottle of sun screen and all of her gardening clothes.
5. Robert - Half a bottle of Jack Daniels and an ashtray full of Camel butts.
6. Bellydancegirl- One set of Zils and a very sexy scarf.
7. Olgathetravelingbra - One box of training bras - Used.
8. Heather- 3 pair of old running shoes.

My personal thanks to each of you for coming to the aid of our good friend Speedy in his "almost" time of need!

Help Speedcat! Send Ransom!

INtRePid, I aM BeIng Held CaPtiVe by By 3 Crazy Women.

TheY MigHT Be wOrkInG FoR HoRtoN! Don'T sEnD HeLp YeT!

I WanT to LeT ThEm TortURE Me soMe MoRe! So I caN

LearN ThEir tRUe IdEntitIes.

Regards,

your bud,

SPeedCatHollydale

I received this notice and photo via Fedex this morning accompanied by a decapitated rubber chicken and a golf ball with a Horton label on it. Frankly, I can't tell if it's legitimate or not. I currently have two research teams working on the message looking for clues. Do any of you think this is real? It doesn't really look 100% like Speedcat. But who knows what the stress of being held captive might have done to his appearance? If you are a friend or blog buddy of Speedcat please stand by. I may need to collect items for his ransom. Whatever you have lying around the house would be helpful. Just to let you all know...

I've sent the following message to Speedcat:

Speedy, I'm not sure if this is a true call for help or not. But I have a Delta team standing by for your rescue. Jack Bauer is also on my speed dial. Furthermore, I'm notifying your blog buddies and collecting items for your ransom just in case we need to cut a deal. Please let me know if everything is alright. Otherwise, I'll wait to hear more from your captors.

"Intrepid, Just wanted to let you know I'm here for you..... A friend of yours is a friend of mine. So if you need some help with "Speedy"s" rescue, I'm available. Just hit me up on my cell!

Peace Out! Homey!

Jack"

So that's it for now. Please stay tuned. I'll keep you all posted on the progress.

Who's living next door?

What do you do when life reads like a really bad novel? You thank God it's not your life! I guess that's the best positive spin I can put on some of what I'm about to blog about. I've gone back and forth on this post and questioned whether I should include something so grim in my blog. I won't know for sure that I will until I finally hit the publish button. And of course, I can always delete it. So if you're reading this..... My apologies in advance.

Warning! If you are a minor (younger than 18 years old) or are sensitive to images or ideas of rape and incest please don't read beyond this point.

Anyway, here it goes:

Yesterday, I read in horror about an Austrian man, Josef Fritzl, who police say has confessed to imprisoning his daughter for 24 years and fathering seven of her children. That's right! Are you as shocked as I am? Anxiously I read on, gathering up each detail of this perverted story. All the time repeating in my head "This can't be true. There must be a punch line to this story somewhere." I read on to learn the unthinkable details of a pathetic and sad story.....

According to investigators, Josef Fritzl held his daughter Elisabeth captive in a cellar for 24 years. That's right! 24 YEARS! He raped her repeatedly and eventually fathered seven of her children. He fabricated a story that his daughter ran away from home but came back on three occasions to drop off (abandon) her children. Fritzl and his wife agreed to raise these children in their daughter's absence. All the while, Fritzl kept his daughter, the mother of these, children, plus three other children that he fathered locked in a cellar beneath his house. One other child that Fritzl fathered, a twin, died shortly after birth. Fritzl later admitted to burning the remains.

Fritzl was finally caught when his 19 year-old (daughter/grand daughter), Kerstin fell ill and needed medical attention. Fritzl claimed she was dropped on his doorstep and took her to the hospital. Fritzl came under suspicion when a note was found in Kerstin's pocket written by the captive mother Elisabeth. This note described their captivity. I won't go into any more of the morbid details of this story but if you're interested follow the link below the photo to a more detailed story.

Right: Elisabeth Fritzl in a 1981 school photo taken when she was 15 at the "Polytechnische Lehrgang

More Photos

Today, I read about Susan LeFevre 53, who had been living under an assumed identity for 32 years. LeFevre was a fugitive living under cover after escaping from a Michigan prison in 1976 while serving time on heroin charges. She managed to build a new life for herself in California. She and her husband raised three children. Her husband Alan of 23 years, claimed he never knew her real identity. LeFevre was arrested April 24 outside her home in an affluent suburb of San Diego after someone anonymously alerted Michigan police and revealed her assumed name. She was arrested wearing a sweat suit and driving a black Lexus SUV.

So I ask myself, come on.... the spouses of these two individuals must have had some idea of what was going on right? Is it possible to be married to someone for 23 years and not know that they're a fugitive from the law? And more frightening, can you be married to someone for nearly half a century and not know that he has held your daughter and three others captive in a cellar for 24 years? And what about the neighbors and friends? Did they suspect anything?

In all honesty, the LeFever story is somewhat tolerable. I suppose I could stand the thought of living next to an escaped heroin user who had cleaned up her life and become a law-abiding citizen. But the Fritzl story is tragic and nearly knocks me off my feet. As were the stories of Manson, Ray, Bundy, Gacy, Dahmer and other serial killers. Every time I read or hear of a story like this it make me wonder. How many more of these quacks are out there yet undiscovered. Call me paranoid but I'll be keeping a close eye on my neighbors for the next few years and you should do the same!

photograph of Susan Lefevre, now known as Marie Walsh

If you're interested in checking out your neighbors as well as staying abreast of safety issues that may affect you and your family check out:

FamilyWatchDog

This site contains a National Sex Offender Registry as well as other tips that may help keep you and your family safe.

More Joshua Tree

Some of you may be saying "Enough of the U2 and Joshua tree stuff." Well, this post is for those of you who really enjoyed my "U2- Joshua Tree" post a few weeks ago and are thirsty for more
information.

I was stimulated by some of the comments by Speedcat, Bellydancegirl, Pentad, and Footsteps to do a little more research on this Joshua tree stuff. In my studies, I discovered a wonderfully written post by Brad Biringer, who submitted: My Two Visits to U2's Joshua Tree.
Brad paints a wonderful picture as he leads you through his odyssey and highlights his story with photos, personal experiences and history. To me, this post read like a fine short story. Miss Jane -I hope you don't find this story a bit too "soppy" (in your words) but I enjoyed it and thought it was well worth the few minutes to read.

ANZAC DAY

Happy ANZAC Day!

I've been on the road again. Spending some more time in Sydney, Australia. Sydney set a record today after posting its' eleventh consecutive day of rain. It's been 77 years since Sydney has had more than ten strait days of rain in April. Today I collected my things in my hotel room and prepared to head to the airport for my flight back to Los Angeles. As I looked out my window upon a rainy windy morning, I couldn't help but notice the buzz. All around the city there was talk of the upcoming ANZAC celebration and people scurrying about. On the radio there was talk about the parades and celebrations. On television they were running a recurring documentary describing what ANZAC day is all about. For those who don't remember from high school history class or never knew, here's a brief reminder:

ANZAC - stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. ANZAC Day commemorates and recognizes the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.

When war broke out in 1914, Australia had been a Federal Commonwealth for only thirteen years. In 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of an Allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula, under a plan by Winston Churchill to open the way to the Black Sea for the Allied navies. The objective was to capture Istanbul, capital of the Ottoman Empire and an ally of Germany. The ANZAC force landed at Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold strike to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stale-mate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915, the Allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian and 2,700 New Zealand soldiers died. News of the landing at Gallipoli made a profound impact on Australians and New Zealanders at home and 25 April quickly became the day on which they remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in war.

I won't be around to enjoy the celebrations this year. In the past, I've witnessed the parades and watched as they blocked off the streets in the "Rocks" area of Sydney and prepared for a period of drinking and merry-making. I've even stopped in a pub - "The Hero of Waterloo" and shared a pint or two with a couple of Aussies and listened to perhaps the oldest band to ever grace the stage. It's a fun time and a wonderful tribute to those brave lads on all sides who fought in Gallipoli. I won't be around this year but I will make a point to rent the movie Gallipoli and eat some ANZAC biscuits to remember.

1981 movie Gallipoli

Remembering Elliot Yamin's #1 Fan!

Do you remember Elliot Yamin?

In the 2006 American Idol season, Elliot Yamin finished third. I didn't remember that Elliot finished third but I do remember his number one fan. His mother, Claudette Goldberg Yamin. She captured the limelight as her son competed in the series. She was known for her dedication and unwavering support. Her weekly smile served as inspiration to many and captured a true Motherly proud moment. I just learned two days ago that she passed away earlier in the month. I'm a Little behind on watching Idol this year so I've also just learned that American Idol had a small tribute for her last week in which Elliot sang a song and was given the opportunity to eulogize his mother.

Certainly she will be missed by friends, fans, and family. I'm thrilled she was able to share in her son's success and enjoy her time in the spotlight before passing. She seemed to be such a delightful lady and she brought a wonderful new perspective to the season.





Claudette Yamin At The ETrain JDRF Fundraiser

In celebration of her life I'm running a youtube clip of one of my favorite Elliot Yamin songs. This song brought Paula Abdul and Simon to tears. (I think Simon was crying because he was laughing at Paula.) But Paula was clearly emotional and I think it was justified.

Elliot was singing one of his favorite songs: His lucky song - "A Song For You" by the late Donny Hathaway. I also learned that Donny Hathaway's daughter sings background vocals for Idol. How coincidental...

Elliot does a great job with this song! Through his talent and persona, he has brought credit and recognition to both Donny Hathaway and his Mother.

Thanks Elliot........

Here's the original song by a very young and talented Donny Hathaway who in my opinion, left this world far too soon and before his enormous talent could be fully realized.

Enjoy!







See also: http://curageousideas.blogspot.com/2008/01/american-idol-flashback.html

and Elliot's website: etrainstation.com

What's in a Dream?

And how can you figure out the meaning of your dream?

Last night "I" had a dream. Not in the MLK sense, but a dream nonetheless. Some of you are thinking - Whoppie! News Flash! Call the press - Intrepid had dream! Do you guys have dreams and remember them? I usually have dreams. And sometimes, I actually remember what I dreamed about. One of my favorite things to do is to wake up in the morning and lie there in peace for a few minutes and review the cinematic glory of the preceding dream and reflect on the contents. Interpretation - kick back with the pillow over my face and run the tapes of the dream and try to figure out what happened and what it all means.

My dreams are generally all over the place. They usually involve people or faces that I don't know or remember. They usually take place in some unfamiliar territory and they generally involve one of several recurring themes.

I can classify my dreams into one of the following categories:

1) Anxiety - This dream normally involves some sort of time constraint and I characteristically find myself unprepared and not ready. My standard dream in this category is to discover just before I wake up that I have a major college test, a college paper, and a sports contest i.e., football game, basketball game, boxing match, or track meet all happening when I wake up and you guessed it.... I haven't prepared for any one of these. It's always a relief to awaken to realize that none of the above are happening. Whew! I'm glad that's done with.

2) Insecurity- I call these my "I can't" dreams. These usually find me involved in some activity in which I just can't quite close the deal. For instance, I once had a dream where the entire world was cloaked in darkness. I surprisingly through a series of quests discovered the one light switch which could illuminate the world. The switch was hanging from a ceiling in an empty room. I walked into the room and reached up to flip the switch. Guess what? The switch was just out of my reach. I stretched, jumped, and tried everything to turn on the switch but I just couldn't reach it. I also have a recurring dream where I'm being chased by a villain or creature. Let's assume it's a man sized RAT! You all know how I feel about rats! The rat finally catches up with me and corners me. No problem, I swiftly unholster my 357 Magnum and aim between the eyes of this gigantic rodent. But as I try to squeeze the trigger I realize that I can't physically move it. It's too hard. I squeeze with all of my might but to no avail. I generally wake up from this type of dream very frustrated and disappointed with myself. My confidence diminished.

3) Erotic Fantasy- Okay, I'd be disingenuous if I didn't include this category. You all know the deal here. Sometime during my slumber some mysterious fair maiden(s) enter my dream. She teases and seduces me and otherwise stimulates me to some degree of sexual arousal. We frolic and fancy each other and continue with the love games until poof! It's time to wake up. Boo for me. I'm left with the fond memory of her company but unfortunately I never achieve the illusive triumphant victory.

4) Hero and champion - This is the dream where I do everything right and wake up the hero. Like the time I came to the rescue of Miss Jane. She unfortunately had placed her trust in a lad named Bond. I won't go into all the intimate details but let's just say when I rescued her she was buried waste deep in a sand bunker on the 17Th hole at Paradise Isle Country Club. 007 was no where to be seen. I later found him floating in a water hazard. He was alive but his service weapon (PPK) was rusted, empty, and useless. So I single-handedly fought off the gold digging sleazes of S.L.U.S.H with my trusty Colt (.45). I considered calling my bud SpeedCatHollydale for back up but things were going smoothly so I waited. When I had dispatched the final 10 attacking enemy agents, I had a few shots left in my weapon so I slung Miss Jane over my shoulder and decided to play number 18 (par 5) before it got dark. After some coaxing, Miss Jane came to life and begged to tee off with me. It was difficult finding the hole in the fading light but we managed to close out the card. Miss Jane finished with an impressive eagle and I posted a birdie. Keep in mind she played from the red tees. We found some time to unwind at the 19 hole before we had to report in to our respective agencies. I called Speedy and he joined us for some chicken nachos.

5) Other - Any dream that doesn't fit in one of the above categories falls into this area.

This is the subject of my post today. When a dream falls into the other category it puts me into the analytics mode. If there's time, I really try to analyze my dream and determine if there is anything I need to do or a lesson to be learned. I don't always reach a conclusion but it's fun to explore the options. So here we go...... Last night there was a part of my dream where I was walking across a very long bridge. I passed many people in my walk but no one stood out until the very end. As I reached the other side, I approached a middle aged woman talking on a cell phone. She was average looking and was wearing a low cut V-neck sweater. As I approached her I noticed she had many (15-20) loose 1 carat diamonds all over her neck and around her feet. She didn't want to move for fear that more diamonds would fall off her neck and drop off the bridge into the water below. As I got closer, she mumbled "help me please." I quickly walked up and pulled a credit card from my wallet and scraped the loose diamonds on her neck into my hand and helped her gather the diamonds at her feet. I surrendered the gems to her and she thanked me and walked away.

So what on Earth does all that mean? I'm sure you all have some great ideas. Please leave your input in the comments section below. I've pondered this a bit myself and decided to consult with a few dream analyzing sights. I've consulted with http://www.thecuriousdreamer.com/ and http://www.mydreamvisions.com/. If you have a dream that you're seeking clarification for maybe you'll want to input the ideas and analyze the themes.

Here's what I've concluded using the symbolism from the sites- As I transition from one phase of my life to another, (symbolized by the bridge) I will encounter a woman reaching out/calling for help (symbolized by the cell phone). She is vulnerable (symbolized by her open neck) and having problems in her financial life or is having a difficult time keeping in touch with reality (symbolized by the diamonds). I will come to her aid either financially, or organizationally (symbolized by my credit card) and help her stay in touch with reality or advance financially. Wow! Pretty deep huh? Who knows if any of this has any relevance or truth. It sure was fun exploring though.

So let's move on to my dream the night before when I was being chased by an elephant! When I finally got tired of running I turned to face this beast and noticed it was running after me wearing beach sandals. I started laughing so hard that it hurt the elephants feelings and he began to cry!

I'll have to tackle that one on another day!

Dream On!

Federal Income Tax - Is it Constitutional?

Do you really need to file a Federal Tax Return?


Forget about the procrastinators, the extenders, and the just plain "I hate to file my tax return" people and let's talk about the approximately 1 million Americans who "defy the law" and refuse to pay federal taxes based on principle. Some of these Tax Protesters believe that our federal income tax policies are unconstitutional and do not apply. So annually, they refuse to file their tax returns. You've surely heard this argument in some fashion before. About 14 years ago while I was anxiously preparing my taxes a friend informed me that paying taxes is optional. "Excuse Me" I queried? I've always believed that there was nothing more certain than income taxes and death. He forwarded some literature to me and I read it but ultimately didn't have the "cajones" to defy Uncle Sam in this venue. So I cracked the whip and got my taxes done. I must admit, every year around this time I wonder how much of his argument is actually true. Not that I'm trying to escape my obligation but I'd just like to know the truth. Proponents against paying taxes submit that Section 861 of the tax code supports their argument. One of the bigger advocates of this idea is columnist William A. Shields for USA Daily. Check out his article: SECTION 861:THE LAW THEY HOPE YOU NEVER READ

According to Shields, "at least 300 persons have requested clarification from the IRS on this subject in general and section 861 in particular. To date, the IRS has refused to address these questions and they have resorted to bullying, blustering and threatening. But ALWAYS they have refused to address specific questions about section 861."

Fueling the argument is Joseph R. Banister C.P.A and former IRS special agent, and Congressman Ron Paul who also argues that income taxes violate the Sixteenth amendment.



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I personally believe the tax code is entirely too complicated and that far too many resources are expended to support this bureaucracy. Nonetheless, It's April 13Th, and I'm wrapping up my return and preparing to write the IRS a check. I'll be combing the tax codes and searching for every little deduction and legally protesting in my own little way. But ultimately, the IRS will get their money from me and next year I'll have the same question in my mind.......... Is it constitutional for the IRS to require me to file a tax return? But for now, here's your money.... Leave me alone for a year PLEASE!

IRS building on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C..