Two's Company, Five Hundred's a Crowd

I know this is not current news but I recently ran across this article and thought it was worth passing on. You can make your own mind up about it.

Obama's entourage puts Queen to shame

By DALE McFEATTERS
Scripps Howard News Service

Published: Wednesday, April 1, 2009 at 4:01 a.m. 

The heads of government in London for the G-20 summit are discussing serious and weighty issues, which in time will be duly reported on, but right now the British press is entranced by the sheer size of President Obama's traveling entourage. And no wonder.

Obama arrived with 500 staff in tow, including 200 Secret Service agents, a team of six doctors, the White House chef and kitchen staff with the president's own food and water.

And, according to the Evening Standard, he also came with "35 vehicles in all, four speech writers and 12 teleprompters." For sure, our president is not going to be at a loss for words.

The press duly reported on Air Force One and all its bells and whistles but also on the presence of the presidential helicopter, Marine One, and a fleet of identical decoys to ferry him from Stansted airport to central London.

Among all those vehicles is the presidential limousine, which one local paper mistakenly called Cadillac One, but is universally referred to as the Beast. The limo, reinforced with ceramic and titanium armor, carries tear gas cannon, night vision devices, its own oxygen and is resistant to chemical and radiation attack. It is, marveled one reporter, a sort of mobile panic room. The Guardian called it "the ultimate in heavily armored transport."

The president is entitled to all the security, communications and support he feels necessary to do his job but surely, when we're trying to project a more restrained, humble image to the world, the president's huge retinue could be scaled back to something less than the triumphal march from "Aida."

The preceding editorial was written by Dale McFeatters of Scripps Howard News Service.

545 Out of 300,000,000

The 545 People Responsible For All Of U.S. Woes

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits? Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does. You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does. You and I don't write the tax code. Congress does. You and I don't set fiscal policy. Congress does. You and I don't control monetary policy. The Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president and nine Supreme Court justices - 545 human beings out of the 235 million - are directly, legally, morally and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered but private central bank.

I excluded all but the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it.

No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislation's responsibility to determine how he votes.

A CONFIDENCE CONSPIRACY

Don't you see how the con game that is played on the people by the politicians? Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of Tip O'Neill, who stood up and criticized Ronald Reagan for creating deficits.

The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it. The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating appropriations and taxes.

Nancy Pelosi is the speaker of the House. She is the leader of the majority party. She and his fellow Democrats, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetos it, they can pass it over his veto.

REPLACE SCOUNDRELS

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 235 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts - of incompetence and irresponsibility.

I can't think of a single domestic problem, from an unfair tax code to defense overruns, that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.

When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair. If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red. If the Marines are in Lebanon, it's because they want them in Lebanon.

There are no insoluble government problems. Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take it.

Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exist disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation" or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people and they alone are responsible. They and they alone have the power. They and they alone should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses - provided they have the gumption to manage their own employees.


This article was first published by the Orlando Sentinel Star newspaper by Charley Reese.

Here We Dough Again.....

A few days ago, about 5 posts ago, I wrote about the stupidity of our government sending out a letter telling you it was going to be sending out your census form. What a waste of taxpayer's money.

Well, guess what I got in today's mail? No, not another useless letter about the census from our government. This time it was a postcard! The front tells you that "Your response to the U.S. Census Bureau is required by law".


The back gets real personal by addressing me as "Dear Resident". It goes on to remind me that "a few days ago" I "should have" received a request to "participate" in the 2010 Census. It tells me that it is important that I respond and if I have not responded to "please" provide my information as soon as possible.


The odd thing is that this card is all sweet with lots of "please" and "thank you's". But then I remembered that the original survey form BOLDLY stated that I MUST return the survey or I could face jail and a fine.

So here is another example of our government wasting money. At least this time they got the postcard rate and not the letter rate. Did you get yours?

To Pee Or Not To Pee ?

I received the following in an email today and thought I'd pass it along. It's funny but actually kind of true and makes you think.

     Like most folks in this country I have a job.

                                I work, they pay me.

I pay my taxes; the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit.

 

 In order to get that paycheck, in my case, I am required to pass a random urine test (with which I have no problem).

     What I do have a problem with is the distribution of taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test.
      So, here is my question:

Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check

because I have to pass one to earn it for them?

Please understand, I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet.. I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping someone sitting on their BUTT--doing drugs while I work. Can you imagine how much money each state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check?

I guess we could call the program "URINE OR YOU'RE OUT"!

Pass this along if you agree.

Hope you all will pass it along, though.

     Something has to change in this country - AND SOON!

P.S. Just a thought, all politicians

should have to pass a urine test too!

Just Some Good Ole Honky Tonk...For Your BaDonkaDonk

Enough serious posting, let's take a break. Here's what honky tonk country and western used to really sound like. A classic by Hank Williams.       "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive"

Now you're lookin' at a man that's gettin' kind a mad
I had lot's of luck but it's all been bad
No matter how I struggle and strive
I'll never get out of this world a live.

My fishin' pole's broke the creek is full of sand                   
My woman run away with another man
No matter how I struggle and strive
I'll never get out of this world alive.

A distant uncle passed away and left me quite a batch
And I was livin'g high until that fatal day
A lawyer proved I wasn't born
I was only hatched.

Ev'rything's agin' me and it's got me down
If I jumped in the river I would prob'ly drown
No matter how I struggle and strive
I'll never get out of this world alive.

These shabby shoes I'm wearin' all the time
Are full of holes and nails
And brother if I stepped on a worn out dime
I bet a nickel I could tell you if it was heads or tails.

I'm not gonna worry wrinkles in my brow
'Cause nothin's ever gonna be alright nohow
No matter how I struggle and strive
I'll never get out of this world alive.

I could buy a Sunday suit and it would leave me broke
If it had two pair of pants I would burn the coat
No matter how I struggle and strive
I'll never get out of this world alive.

If it was rainin' gold I wouldn't stand a chance
I wouldn't have a pocket in my patched up pants
No matter how I struggle and strive
I'll never get out of this world alive.

Recorded by Hank Williams
Written by Hank Williams and Fred Rose

Interesting facts:  The song was released by Williams in 1952. The last single to be released during Williams' lifetime, it reached #1 on the Billboard Country Singles chart posthumously in January 1953. Co-writer Fred Rose died a year after the song's release. Meant to be a humorous song, as evidenced by its ironic title and chorus, the song took on additional poignancy following Williams' mysterious death. In fact, the urban legend that the song was #1 at the time of his demise is not at all far from the truth, as he did in fact die in the early hours of January, 1953.

As Clear As The Nose.......

 I'll let you make your own mind up about the health care battle. My opinion won't sway anyone but I'd like to pass along the following figures that show how we stand right now with the present system in place.


These statistics  were pulled from the "Investor's Business Daily."        
Percentage of men and women who  survived a cancer five years after
diagnosis:

U.S.                65% 
England          46%
Canada            42%


Percentage of  patients diagnosed with diabetes who received treatment  within
six  months:

U.S.                93%
 England          15%
Canada            43%


Percentage of  seniors needing hip  replacement  who received it within  six
months:

U.S.               90% 
England          15%
Canada            43%

Percentage  referred to a medical specialist who see one within one  month:
U.S.                77% 
England          40%
Canada            43%

Number of MRI scanners (a prime diagnostic tool) per  million people:
U.S.                71
 England          14
Canada            18

Percentage of  seniors (65+), with low income, who say they are in  "excellent
health":

U.S.               12%
 England           2%
Canada            6%

Got Gas? Don't Get It Here....

I have started a group on Facebook titled Don't Buy Gas From Exxon/Mobile. As much as I'm really starting to dislike Facebook, it still is a good venue for getting your opinion out there.

If you'll take a quick look at this group you might understand that my idea could work, at least in therory. I believe it just needs a lot of people to join the cause and it will work.

I also have another blog relating to this subject as well as my thoughts on insurance companies and a few other topics. Take a peek at Gasoline Costs Too Much .

Senseless, Cents-less, Sent Us

About a week ago I wrote and explained that our government was spending an awful lot of money sending out a letter to millions and millions of people telling them they were going to get a census survey in the mail. Soon. Fill it out. Mail it back. Thanks.

Well, it may have been a little longer than that but the point is, it served no purpose. That's the same as you getting a letter from your credit card company saying they were going to be sending out your credit card bill in a week or so. Pay the bill. Thanks.

Today I discovered the cost of that advance notice that a survey was coming. It was mailed to about 10 million addresses at a cost of $85-million....

Yes, almost 71 cents per address. For no conceivable common sense reason.

Of course these figures are provided by the Census Bureau themselves so I'm not sure how accurate they are, and if they could be a tad on the low side. Anytime a government agency admits how much it spent or a project costs, I'd venture to say they report on the low side.

Oh, and they gave a reason for the advance notices being sent: It would increase the response by 6 to 12 percentage points, resulting in a savings of more than $500 million.

See, that's another thing the government does. When they get caught wasting money they always explain how it will actually be saving taxpayers money. How can they possibly explain the equation explaining how they came up with the 6-12 percent figure? And also, why will it save $500 million? Why not 2-8 percent and $350 million? Or 10-16 percent and $625 million?

You get the point. They wasted money.

It got noticed by everyone, liberals and conservatives. They were red-faced. They made up figures. They lied.






Que sera, sera.

A Lady Named Irena

After escape from Pawiak prison, 1943

 There recently was a death of a 98 year old lady named Irena. During WWII, Irena, got permission to work in the Warsaw Ghetto, as a Plumbing/Sewer specialist. She had an ulterior motive. She knew what the Nazi's plans were for the Jews. Irena smuggled infants out in the bottom of her tool box she carried, and she carried in the back of her truck a Burlap sack, (for larger kids).

 She also had a dog in the back, that she trained to bark when the Nazi soldiers let her in, and out of the ghetto. The soldiers of course wanted nothing to do with the dog, and the barking covered the kids/infants noises.


During the course of doing this, she managed to smuggle out and save 2500 kids/infants. She was caught, and the Nazi's broke both her legs, and arms, and beat her severely.

Irena kept a record of the names of all the kids she smuggled out, and kept them in a glass jar, buried under a tree in her back yard. After the war, she tried to locate any parents that may have survived it, and reunited the family. Most of course had been gassed.

Those kids she helped got placed into foster family homes, or adopted.
Last year Irena was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.... She lost.

Al Gore won, for doing a slide show on Global Warming.

 -Irena with award: On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the Judaica Foundation decided, in recognition of Mrs. Sendler extraordinary courage and human solidarity in the dark night of the Shoah by saving 2,500 human lives from the Warsaw Ghetto, to award her with the Judaica Foundation medal. This award took place in her room on April 16th, 2003.

 Please take the time to read about the Irena Sendler Project. Also, you can learn more about this remarkable unsung hero at  http://www.auschwitz.dk/Sendler.htm.

A Distorted View

I came across a letter to the editor in today's copy of the St Petersburg Times that sums up quickly and clearly about what is wrong with the mainstream media. It concerns an article in the same paper on March 9 by reporter David Brooks. I didn't read that story but I get the idea that he was writing a negative story about the Tea Party movement. Here is the response by Winnie Bayon from Palm Harbor, Florida.

David Brooks misses the point in his zeal to label the Tea Partiers as radical and similar to the New Left.

As with the rest of the compliant mainstream media, he fails to do the research to understand that most people in the Tea Party movement are just trying to get the country and the government back to the vision of the original framers of the U.S. Constitution.

There are radicals in every movement, but the Tea Partiers, for the most part, are not antigovernment and antiestablishment but anti-large government, anti-"Big Brother" and antispending.

The problem is that the mainstream media so disregard the Tea Party movement that they can't bring themselves to report the real motivations of those who make up the movement.

If Brooks could objectively get back in the trenches and interview some of these Tea Partiers, he would find that most are not radical at all but normal everyday people who have been awakened by the frightening reality of the radical make-up of the Obama administration and its unending thirst for control and spending. 

That just about sums up perfectly how today's media report only how they see it and their personal political views. I'm not trying to convert anyone to join the Tea Party movement or change your political views. I just want to point out that we need to have an even playing field when it comes to political news reporting. Just cover the facts like the old days. The who, what, when, where, and how. The reporters and broadcasters need to leave their personal political views at home and just tell the facts. Period.

Is This The Con-Census of Our Country?

Did you get your "advisory" from the U.S. Department of Commerce yet? I received mine yesterday. A one-page letter informing me that "About one week from now" I will be receiving a 2010 census form in the mail. I assume they mean the same "mail" by which they sent this letter. It went on to tell me my response was important and it thanked me in advance. It was signed by Robert Groves, the Director for the Census Bureau. I'm pretty sure he didn't sign it personally.

After reading the letter I started wondering why the bureau bothered to send out a notice telling you that you were going to receive something in the mail. If you received this letter wouldn't you also receive the census form? If you opened this envelope to read it won't you open the census form envelope also? Couldn't they tell you that your response is important and ask you to fill it out when you got the census form? Did they just DOUBLE the cost of postage for the whole census project?

And after I thought about the waste of money, our tax money, I noticed that near the bottom of the letter that it explained you could go to the the 2010census.gov website if you needed help in completing the form.
In SIX languages! Yes, the help notice was in English of course and then Spanish and four other languages.

So if you are being sent a census "pre-warning" don't they already have your address? If you're an illegal immigrant I doubt that you received this letter and I sure as hell doubt that you're going to fill out a census form! And if you are a legal immigrant can't you speak and read enough English to understand this letter?

I just don't understand how and when we became used to accepting the fact that illegal immigrants sneak in our country every day by the hundreds and we really don't put a stop to it. To prove my point, do you remember the protest march a few months ago about giving amnesty to all illegal immigrants in the country? It was made up of mostly illegal immigrants! Yes, there they were walking down the middle of streets across the country carrying picket signs ( printed in English by the way). And we just watched. But I digress, that is for another blog.

The point of today's blog is why does our government waste so much money on stupid things? How much did that letter cost us? Tens of thousands of dollars? A hundred thousand or more? You do the math. So when you get your actual census form and you fill it out, before you seal it, would you throw in a buck to offset the postage?

Couldn't Have Said It Better...Or Funnier.

"Rep. Charles Rangel has temporarily surrendered his post pending an ethics investigation. They've been investigating him for three months and they haven't found a single trace of ethics." - Jay Leno

What, Me Worry?

I know that a lot of people hear a news story about a politician that gets caught in some sort of scandal. It could be financial  related or criminal or even a sex scandal. But I notice that it quickly gets lost from the headlines or evening news and most people just sgrug their shoulders and think, "Oh well". 

Sure, some get a lot more attention than others. A lot depends on who the person is, the office they hold and what they did. But, for the most part, we quickly forget the story and it's as if we have become used to these stories and we actually expect politicians to be untrustworthy and eventually do something criminal or unethical. 

So why do we feel like that? Why don't we get furious when they are caught and why don't we make sure they are removed from their office? Just look at all the politicians that were caught in a criminal act. They actually broke a law and were caught. Some called it an over-sight and were allowed to pay back whatever the dollar amount was, like tax evader  Secretary of the Treasury Timothy "Oops, I Didn't Know The Tax Law"  Geithner!

 Others actually commit a crime like former Washington D.C. mayor Marion Barry and his cocaine caper and then after he served time in PRISON, gets elected back as mayor!

There are hundreds of examples but this is already going to be a longer than normal blog and I'm getting sleepy so I'll get to the point.

The following is a reprint of a Bryon York article in the Washington Examiner:

The clock is ticking on tax cheat Charlie Rangel

It hasn't gotten much attention amid news of Ted Kennedy, Obamacare and the worsening outlook in Afghanistan, but an extraordinary situation is developing in the House of Representatives. With each passing day, it's becoming more clear that the powerful committee chairman in charge of writing America's tax laws is a financial wheeler-dealer, a serial asset-hider, and a tax offender.

Rep. Charles Rangel has been in the House since 1971. He's as old bull as you get in the Democratic hierarchy, and he waited through 12 long years of Republican rule to take over as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee in 2007. Along with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and fellow Democratic power brokers Henry Waxman and Barney Frank, Rangel is playing a key role in the effort to push the president's health care, environmental, and financial initiatives through the House.

Last week, we learned that Rangel filed a grossly misleading financial disclosure report for 2007 -- failing to report at least half a million dollars in assets.

It turns out Rangel had a credit union account worth at least $250,000 and maybe as much as $500,000 -- and didn't report it. He had investment accounts worth about the same, which he also didn't report. Ditto for three pieces of property in New Jersey.

Beyond that, we've learned that Rangel has failed to report assets totaling more than $1 million on legally required financial disclosure forms going back to at least 2001.

The news comes on top of revelations last year that Rangel didn't report -- and didn't pay taxes on -- income from a villa in the Caribbean. In that matter, the Internal Revenue Service gave him sweetheart treatment; Rangel paid about $10,000 in back taxes but was not required to pay any penalty or interest.

Rangel's doings are under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which so far hasn't taken any action. Democrats are standing behind their chairman, and minority Republicans can't do anything about it.

But they're still trying. In February, the GOP introduced a resolution calling for Rangel to be removed as chairman. It failed, 242 to 157.

The Republican leadership also wrote a letter to Pelosi urging that Rangel "step down from his Ways and Means chairmanship pending an investigation of his ethical lapses." That went nowhere, too.

And then there is H.R. 735, also known as the "Rangel Rule Act of 2009."

The brainchild of Rep. John Carter, a Texas Republican who spent two decades as a judge before coming to the House in 2002, H.R. 735 would require the IRS to give everyone the same kid-glove treatment it gave Rangel.

The bill's title is modeled on something known in Texas as the "Hobby Rule." In the 1970s, Bill Hobby, then the state lieutenant governor, was pulled over for drunken driving. Hobby was taken to the police station, but when his attorney showed up in the wee hours of the morning, authorities simply let Hobby go -- no bond, no nothing. That special treatment became a precedent for future drunken-driving cases, as lawyers cited the "Hobby Rule" to demand their clients be freed with no questions asked, just like Bill Hobby.

Thus the "Rangel Rule." Under H.R. 735, if you're caught cheating on your taxes, you would pay what you owe, then write "Rangel Rule" at the top of your return, and you wouldn't be charged any penalty or interest. That way, Carter said when he introduced the bill, ordinary taxpayers would be "treated with the same courtesy that, it seems, the IRS is treating the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee."

Of course Carter's bill doesn't have a chance. Democrats undoubtedly see it as a joke. But the Rangel case is very, very serious.

If you don't think so, just look at this, from the front page of the Oct. 28, 2008 Washington Post: "Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, one of Congress's most powerful Republicans, was convicted yesterday of lying on financial disclosure forms to conceal his receipt of about $250,000 in gifts and expensive renovations to his house. ..."

Stevens' conviction was later thrown out because of prosecutorial misconduct, but the message was clear: This is the kind of thing you can go to jail for.

Rangel appears to have hidden greater sums of money than Stevens allegedly did. Democratic leaders don't want to face it now, but it's just a matter of time before they're forced to admit they have a serious Rangel problem.

So, ole Charlie has "temporarily" stepped down as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. I guess that means that he'll get the job back as soon as this blows over. 


Lets start a new trend America..... lets start holding politicians accountable for their actions like the average citizen is held accountable. Lets stop re-electing the ones that commit a crime. Lets impeach those that are in scandals. Lets start DEMANDING honest people in our public offices!

 

No Need To Escape ... We'll Let You Walk Out!

 No one could see this coming could they? Is this one of those great moments in time when you can smile at someone and say "I told you so"?


It was reported in today's St Petersburg Times that a man who was freed from Guantanamo more than two years ago after he claimed he wanted only to go home and help his family is now a senior commander running Taliban resistance to the U.S.-led offensive in southern Afghanistan.


Abdul Qayyum is also seen as a leading candidate to be the next No. 2 in the Afghan Taliban hierarchy, according to two senior Afghan intelligence officials.

According to U.S. intelligence, 20 percent of suspects released from Guantanamo Bay prison have returned to the fight and that number has been steadily increasing. Yes, I know, the "Set-Them-Free" Blowhards can say, "Well, 80 percent don't go back to Afghanistan and fight. They go to New York and become taxi drivers".


Qayyum's key aide in plotting attacks on Afghan and international forces is another former Guantanamo prisoner, said the Afghan officials as well as a former Helmand governor, Sher Mohammed Akundzada. (Not to be confused with our country's Cher).


Abdul Rauf, who told U.S. interrogators that he only had "loose connections" to the Taliban, spent time in an Afghan jail before being freed last year.  (He must have meant the loose connection of wires to the detonator). Akundzada said he warned the authorities against releasing both Rauf and Qayyum.


And so it goes. We continue to treat these prisoners as civilian criminals instead of war criminals. We do not take our two current wars seriously. We treat them as a nuisance and treat anyone that is involved with its continuance as a criminal. It makes a great platform for celebrities to get some TV air time or news print. 


I don't agree with everything that is happening and would make some changes if I were King but I do know a criminal when I see one and I personally have seen enemies to our country. I know how much we are hated in other parts of the world. That's why it is so hard to understand why we hate each other in this country. Left, right, up, down, black, white. We'll always have two sides that can't agree on anything. But why does that make some people actually hate their opponent? 

I can also attest to what it is like to be away from our country for months and months. It stops being fun very quickly. You actually think of so many things that you took for granted everyday. And when you finally return, believe me, you don't take them for granted ever again. 

So as long as we are actually in combat with our troops, let's at least treat the people they are fighting as an enemy of our country and not as a shoplifter at the mall.

AMC ...... IOU

First, let me say that I rarely go to a theater to see a movie. I used to, many years ago. But not now. Why is that you ponder? Because of the ticket prices? Partially. Is it because you can usually see any movie on DVD a couple of weeks after it shows in theaters? Partially. Or that you can definitely see most movies on cable in your own living room in peace and quiet by waiting just a couple more weeks? Partially. But the main reason I try to boycott the theaters..... they are slapping you in the face with their concession prices! 

We have a local AMC cinema that charges $4 per ticket for the first showing and sometimes it stays that price until 4pm.  It should still be $2 all the time but I can live with $4. But here's the catch: $5.50 for a SMALL popcorn! $4.25 for a SMALL soft drink! $3.25 for a SMALL candy bar! Or you can get all 3 in a "combo" for only $12.25. Yes, buy the combo and you save...wait....er, uh, you pay 25 cents more than if you bought them separately. Well, they do give you that nifty cardboard holder to carry it all in.

Those were the small size prices. How about $6.50 and $7.00 for a medium or large popcorn or $4.75 for a large drink? Sound better? How about a hot dog? How much can a wiener and bun cost? $4.50. Want an Icee? $5.00 for a small. OK, I'll just drink a bottle of water. $3.75. That's the prices at my local AMC theater!

So a family of four pays $16 for tickets and each gets a small popcorn and a small drink for $39 total. They just dropped $45 to see Avatar two weeks after it premiered! Welcome to show business.


Is this stupid? Crazy? Idiotic? Robbery? I'll go with the latter for the theater and the first three for the consumer.


Come on folks, stop this! You know popcorn costs $1.00 for 10 tons. And a small drink costs them maybe a nickel. You can find a 24-pack of bottled water for under $4. That's about 16 cents a bottle!! 

It's wrong. It should be stopped. How? Do NOT go to the movie theater. That's it. When they don't sell a ticket and the popcorn is getting stale and the soft drink is losing its fizzle then I bet we can get a $3 combo that consists of a small popcorn, drink and candy bar.


If you think you'll just stop buying their concession products and sneak in your own drink and snack (not me! Never! OK, who told you?), that won't work. They'll just raise the ticket prices to $15, like they already are in New York. But it would be fun wouldn't it? Just STOP buying anything they sell, pay the cheap matinee ticket price and watch the movie. Can you make it 90 minutes without stuffing junk food in your pie-hole? Then when they start losing money and finally raise ticket prices, stop going. 


We can control almost any retail price in this country. From movie tickets to gasoline. Just stop buying certain products or shopping at certain retailers and it would make prices drop. But we can't get 100 people to agree on the weather let alone boycott a product or service. 


But it's like I told my wife this past weekend as we bought our $4 tickets and we walked by the four-deep double lines at the concession stand: We are all lemmings walking over the cliff, one after the other. Our eyes staring straight ahead while we hand the kid a $10 bill for a small popcorn and drink. (Wait, you get a quarter back!) It is so obvious but yet we pay. We even say thank you after he hands us our quarter back. We even smile as we drop some of that platinum-priced popcorn while soaking it in melted-plastic-butter look-a-like.

 And so it goes, on and on, forever, like the movie title so aptly named for this puzzlement, from here to eternity.


And if you are one of the millions that pay the $10 price and never utter a word about it.......enjoy the show.