Riddle Me This...

Why do days where we have to film our tv show and really bad hair days always coincide? *sigh*

Wordle

Make your own here.

Loss of a Legend

I've said before that I've always been a sucker for an intelligent man with a good sense of humor and a set of piercing blue eyes. Obviously, that description perfectly sums up Paul Newman. Good grief, you can't miss the intensity of those eyes even in the black & white photo!!

Not only was he a great actor -- from Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof or Cool Hand Luke to Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid or The Sting -- add in the fact that he was such a humanitarian, giving more than $200M to charity via his Newman's Own foods, and there really isn't anything not to like.

Robert Redford, a co-star and long-time friend said of Newman that "this country is better for his being in it". With the legacy that he leaves behind, I'd have to say I agree.

God speed, Paul Newman!

Woo Hoo Part Two!!

I've mentioned a couple of times in my Thankful Thursday posts that I've got a great boss & a job I really like with some interesting projects I've been working on lately. My boss just pulled me aside & told me I'm being recognized as the "Employee of the Month" for October for the work I've been doing on some of those projects.

This comes as a TOTAL surprise to me. I really hadn't ever even thought about it or thought that what I was doing was that spectacular. I do sometimes have to finesse my way through it all since some of my clients can be a bit "prickly" at times & my boss wanted to recognize the efforts it takes to successfully navigate through the potential minefields and the fact that I successfully do so to make everything happen.

It feels really good to be recognized. I've worked at different jobs where things like this NEVER happened. You hoped NOT to be recognized because it was never a good thing: you could never be right, you could only be wrong & anyone who did anything well was considered a threat to the Powers that Be and had to be beaten down. It's great to work for someone who WANTS his people to shine and who realizes that the more we all do, the better we ALL look.

Doesn't hurt any to know that there's a cash award that comes with it!! Gotta love that!

First the Redskins beat Dallas & now this -- I haven't smiled this much on a Monday in a long time!!

The Birk Economic Recovery Plan

NOTE: I don't know if the original author of the following was serious or not, but I have posted the following as a joke. If you do the math, the numbers don't actually add up......

Hi Pals,

I'm against the $85,000,000, 000.00 bailout of AIG. Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000, 000 to America in a We Deserve It Dividend. To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000 bonafide U.S. Citizens 18+. Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up.

So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billion that equals $425,000.00.

My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a We Deserve It Dividend. Of course, it would NOT be tax free. So let's assume a tax rate of 30%. Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes. That sends $25,500,000, 000 right back to Uncle Sam . But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket.

A husband and wife has $595,000.00. What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?

Pay off your mortgage - housing crisis solved.

Repay college loans - what a great boost to new grads

Put away money for college - it'll be there

Save in a bank - create money to loan to entrepreneurs.

Buy a new car - create jobs

Invest in the market - capital drives growth

Pay for your parent's medical insurance - health care improves

Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean - or else

Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.

If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of trickling out a puny $1000.00 ( "vote buy" ) economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President.

If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+!

As for AIG - liquidate it. Sell off its parts. Let American General go back to being American General. Sell off the real estate. Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up. Here's my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn't. Sure it's a crazy idea that can "never work."

But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party! How do you spell Economic Boom? I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion We Deserve It Dividend more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC .

And remember, The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam . Ahhh...I feel so much better getting that off my chest.

Kindest personal regards,

T. J. Birkenmeier, A Creative Guy & Citizen of the Republic

PS: Feel free to pass this along to your pals as it's either good for a laugh or a tear or a very sobering thought on how to best use $85 Billion!!

Woo Hoo!!

When you grow up in Washington, DC, you root for 2 teams: the Redskins & whoever's playing Dallas. When those 2 are one in the same, it takes on even bigger meaning. "Dallas Week" is always a big deal around these parts -- even if you aren't a Redskins fan or even a football fan, you can't miss the fact that it's Dallas week. Pretty much every local newscast has at least one mention of it, oftentimes not even as part of the sports report. I saw quite a few "man on the street" type of spots this past week w/ the upcoming football game as the focus...For those of you who aren't from around here, it's sort of like the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry on steroids.

Going into the game today, expectations around here weren't so hot. Washington was an 11-point underdog. However, anyone who lives in either of the 2 cities knows that that doesn't mean much. Even in years where one team or the other was downright awful, the one game they'd win all year would be against the other.

Shows you what the so-called "experts" know. Final score: Washington 26 - Dallas 24.

It's gonna be a fun week around the office. All of the 'Skins fans will be in a good mood and the couple of (normally obnoxious) Cowboy fans will do their best to be invisible. Hee hee

Thou Shall Not Covet

Got home from my nephew's bday party & caught "A League of Their Own" showing on tv.....I *want* Geena Davis's wardrobe from that movie!!! They don't make suits like that anymore!!