Online ad alert

Seems like everywhere on the interwebs these days are ads about a mom's tooth whitening discovery.

Click through, and you'll get a page telling you that for a mere four bucks, you'll receive two products that will whiten your teeth.

Read the fine print for Dazzle White:

When you order today you'll be signed up as a member of our exclusive preferred customer club. You will be billed $4.95 for the shipping of your 14-day day trial, then once you choose to continue whitening with the DazzleWhite Pro System the low member price of only $58.76 per month for every month.

And for Smile Brite:

After ten days we will charge you at a discounted price with a 18% savings of $19.95 off the regular price, for the low price of $85.37.

I think I'll pass, and I recommend you do the same.

Chrysler dealership closings

Curious coincidence being noted on the 'net. Apparently it's far more likely that a Chrysler dealership owned by a Republican donor will be closed than one owned by a Democratic supporter. This isn't a surprise to me. The President came out of the Chicago political machine, which makes Louisiana's corruption look young and amateurish.

Google "dealergate" and read.

Seems that John Furey Motors is closing; their website is defunct. Wonder who he contributed to?

Counterfeiting funds terrorism

Law enforcement officials on Capitol Hill Wednesday told a House panel that the booming international trade in phony consumer goods is funding terrorism. Link

So, Bogalusa PD, this was not your best idea:

"We decided to just take the items off the street,” Culpepper said, adding both business are legitimate with the proper licenses. “It’s what they were doing that was the problem.” Link

Gee, Capt. Culpepper, I trust this isn't the way you approach drug dealing? Just take the drugs away, let the perps go? How 'bout armed robbery? Victim gets his money back, bad guy stays on the street?

I. Didn't. Think. So.

Counterfeiting funds terrorism. The Fox News article linked above is from 2003. This ain't nothin' new.

Friday's Daily News has a front-page article about a couple guys arrested while selling counterfeit items. Their names sound, oh, Middle-Eastern to me.

I wonder if their profits were staying in the USA - or if they were going overseas to buy explosives for IEDs to kill our soldiers and Iraqi citizens.

I'm sure it's difficult being a cop in a small town, where you've got to arrest your cousin or your in-laws. But you swore an oath of office; do your job, and leave the judging to the court and jury. Arrest the bad guys, including the store owners, because unless they unwittingly purchased fake goods from their regular supplier (doesn't sound like it), they're just as guilty as the ones driving the truck.

In the latest case, you might want to alert the FBI, in case the scoundrels have terrorist connections.

Mortgage lender implosion

144 lenders down the tubes since late 2006.

Message for friends...

Oh, you can't scare me, I'm sticking to the union,
I'm sticking to the union, I'm sticking to the union.
You can't scare me, I'm sticking to the union.
I'm sticking to the union, 'til the day I die.

From Union Maid, by Woody Guthrie

Why you need a union.

Fifty lenders have gone bust.

That's right. Fifty. Read it and weep.

Mortgage lender implosion

The number of defunct mortgage lenders has risen to forty-four.

Global warming?

Wishing ain't gonna make it so:

Entergy said this winter has been colder than any since 2003-04...Link.

Insensitivities

Usually I am more likely to gripe about the nuttiness that is political correctness, but this is givin' me a real "duh!" moment.

Via Lou Minatti:

Boeing is studying the 737 replacement. The Times understands that two early prototypes have been drawn up: a wider, twin-aisle version and a shorter, single-aisle jet. These have been dubbed Fat Boy and Little Boy. Link

For the young 'uns who don't get it: Fat Man and Little Boy.

Mortgage lender implosion, again

The number gone kerplunkt is now THIRTY-SIX.

Mortgage lender implosion

THIRTY-FOUR mortgage lenders have gone bust.

Previous:

If I had any extra money... -- posted Sunday, March 4, 2007. Three more MLs down the tubes since this post.

If I had any extra money...

... I'd probably buy silver coins and bury them in Mason jars in the backyard.

Stock market shenanigans. Subprime lenders going bust. Housing prices and the bubble. It's all there at Housing Panic, and it ain't goin' away.

Read the posts, the links and the comments, and plan accordingly.

UPDATE: Thirty-one mortgage lenders have gone bust since late 2006.

Garden planning

I usually spend my "seed money" at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

They ship promptly. Their prices are decent.

And they've got the most interesting stuff!

Cassabanana or Melocoton:

The fruit are brilliant, flaming red and are about 2' long, one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen! They have bright orange flesh that is sweet and is used in drinks, jellies and other desserts, it has a unique tropical fruit taste. The fruit are so fragrant and keep for a long period, like squash, making this a hot item for fall sales for pumpkin growers. Huge vines can grow to 50' and are quite ornamental, but they do require a long season.

Guess I'll need to put up one heck of an arbor, for a 50-foot vine. Yikes.

49 varieties of heirloom tomatoes - and that's just the red ones!

We'll be canning white tomato sauce this year.

They also have gardening forums.

Note: I am not connected with nor an affiliate of Baker Creek. Just a satisfied customer.

Our filthy computer

We had to replace the CD-ROM drive and as long as we had the case open, added some memory.

Whew! was it ever dusty in there!

So off we went to Wal-Mart for a can or two of compressed air.

None to be found. None in the back, none at the front.

None at Rite-Aid or CVS. None at the various dollar stores.

How and why did the whole town run out of canned air?

DSL internet service

Somebody at the Hard Copy board mentioned that a Bellsouth employee said DSL internet service will be available all over the area by the end of the year.

I went to the Bellsouth site and had an online chat with a customer service rep.

Yes, it's true. BS DSL will be available all over the place by the end of 2007.

Yippee!