I received an email from William this morning about the new price hike in postal stamps. To quote Casey Kasem, “and he writes…”

Postal rate increase in May, buy stamps now and save money….

I have confirmed you can indeed buy postage stamps now for 42 cents and they
will be good “forever” no matter how high the postage rate goes. Without
having to add additional postage….

“”" The Forever stamp will always be valid as First–Class postage on
standard envelopes weighing one ounce or less, regardless of any subsequent
increases in the First–Class rate.”"”

You can get the “Forever (Liberty Bell) non–denominated First–Class Mail
definitive Forever Stamp” from the U.S. Post Office website at…

https://shop.usps.com

you can buy them in 20 and 100 and packs, but they are in booklets only and
not rolls.

I understand the concept of the “Forever Stamp”. It’s less money and hassle to just accept that stamp than it is to make 1 or 2 cent stamps. I have no problem with it.

My problem comes with why the raise in price? Granted, some people don’t have access to the Internet and need to snail mail. Or they just don’t trust the Internet with handling there money transactions. These seem like the dumbest reason to use USPS.

The increase should be for some reason. I know that the USPS relies on postage sales and not Government funding. I also believe in a supply and demand system. And the USPS doesn’t fit under that category.

You take a business that’s know for it’s not so fun and it’s a pain in the ass to visit environment. Less technology advances than it’s competitors. Disgruntled employees. Plus, it’s decreasing demand of use. And then you make use pay more for this service?

This effects me in no way what so ever. As far as I know. I just don’t like the answer of, “we just need more money”. If the product was that good, you won’t need to increase the price.

With the recent bailouts and the USPS increases, it makes me wonder, what ever happened to going out of business? Did Circuit City not get the memo about just asking the Government for money? Or did they get reject with an “Eh, we’ll just go to Best Buy” letter?

How long will it be until we have to bailout a service no one uses. Just like the cars no one buys.

Someone higher up is going to have to realize the fact that companies just go out of business sometimes. If I could, I’d drive my 2009 DMC10 to the grocery store for some Superman Peanut Butter, but I can’t.

Popularity: 21% [?]

I don’t know who’s worse: Maurice Clarett, Michael Vick, Ryan Leaf or Lawrence Phillips.

[quote]LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former football star Lawrence Phillips was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison, two years after he was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon.

The sentencing was repeatedly delayed while Phillips fought to withdraw a guilty plea in a domestic abuse case that could have led to a stiffer sentence.

Phillips was convicted in 2006 of seven counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

The 31-year-old former Nebraska running back has been jailed since August 2005, when he drove onto a field near Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and his car struck two boys, ages 14 and 15, and a 19-year-old man, who suffered cuts and bruises. The car narrowly missed four other people.

He was upset over losing a pickup football game to the youths, prosecutors said.

In court, Phillips tearfully apologized to one of the victims.

“I’m sorry that your leg is messed up,” Phillips told Rodney Flores, after hearing the young man tell the court that he was unable to pursue his dream of playing high school sports as a result of being hit when he was 16.

“I’m sorry you have to come in here like this,” Phillips said, adding that he “wanted the chance to say I didn’t mean to hurt people.”

He had tried to avoid a potential 20-year prison term in the assault case by trying to withdraw a 2000 guilty plea to hitting a woman he had been dating during a confrontation at the Beverly Hills Hotel, prosecutors said.

Phillips contended he was coerced into pleading guilty to domestic abuse and making a criminal threat, resulting in a brief prison term and three years of probation.

Details of his fight to withdraw the guilty plea were not immediately available.

That crime would be considered a first strike under California’s “three strikes” law. If the guilty plea stood, it means the car assault would be a second strike carrying a potential sentence of 20 years, prosecutors said.

The St. Louis Rams released Phillips for insubordination in 1997. He signed with the Miami Dolphins, but was later released. In 1999 in NFL Europe, he set league records for rushing and touchdowns with the Barcelona Dragons.

He signed with the San Francisco 49ers later that year, but was released for missing a practice. He also has played in the Canadian Football League.[/quote]

Popularity: 11% [?]

[quote] MONROE, Wash. – In a move that could be right out of a Hollywood movie, a brazen crook apparently used a Craigslist ad to hire a dozen unsuspecting decoys to help him make his getaway following a robbery outside a bank on Tuesday. He then made his escape in an inner tube on the Skykomish River.

The robbery happened about 11 a.m. on an armored truck guard at a Bank of America branch.

“He was wearing a dust mask, a particle mask. At first I thought it might be a surgical mask. I still didn’t think anything was wrong, just unusual. Then I noticed he had a pump sprayer,” said Mitch Ruth, who had looked out his office window and noticed the man walking into the bank.

The robber sprayed the guard with pepper spray, grabbed a bag of money the guard was carrying and ran about 100 yards to the creek that runs into the Skykomish River, shedding clothes as he ran.

But apparently, the robber had planned ahead. In case anyone was hot on his trail, he had at least a dozen unsuspecting decoys waiting nearby, which he recruited on Craigslist.

“I came across the ad that was for a prevailing wage job for $28.50 an hour,” said Mike, who saw a Craigslist ad last week looking for workers for a road maintenance project in Monroe.

He said he inquired and was e-mailed back with instructions to meet near the Bank of America in Monroe at 11 a.m. Tuesday. He also was told to wear certain work clothing.

“Yellow vest, safety goggles, a respirator mask… and, if possible, a blue shirt,” he said.

Mike showed up along with about a dozen other men dressed like him, but there was no contractor and no road work to be done. He thought they had been stood up until he heard about the bank robbery and the suspect who wore the same attire.

From there, the crook made his watery escape in a creek that dumps out into the Skykomish River. One witness said the robber swam away, but another said he used an inner tube to get away.

“We did get an inner tube that was about 200 yards from the place where he entered the water and took that for evidence,” said Debbie Willis, Monroe Police.

Investigators believe accomplices could have picked the robber up at a nearby boat launch or park.

The FBI is helping Monroe Police trace the ad and want to talk to anyone who responded.

“Any piece of information anyone has could be the piece of the puzzle we need to apprehend the suspects,” said Debbie Willis, Monroe Police.

Some Monroe residents, while not endorsing what the robber did, are somewhat amused.

“Creative. Not a right way of doing it, but creative,” said Monroe resident Byron Bevard.

“I grew up in LA and I never heard of anything so crazy in my life,” said resident Sarah Vazquez.

The suspect is described as a white man in his 20s, between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-10, wearing a dark blue shirt, jean shorts and a mask.[/quote]

Popularity: 9% [?]

Did you hear? [url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20228488,00.html]Clay is GAY!!![/url]

I don’t care, neither should you. I want to use this post to discuss a serious issue.

I think what the “press” considers “news” in this country is disturbing. More importantly, whom is this news to?

Popularity: 4% [?]

So I’ve been hearing about these busts where police have arrested morons who have been plotting to assassinate senator Obama or just high enough with a shitloadTM of weapons and talking about do it. Now, I’m not voting. And, It’s my choice, so fuck off. But mainly because, I really don’t care who the president is either way but, would voting Obama in to office trigger a assassination attempt or multiple ones on Obama’s life?

I know they caught people before they’ve even come close to doing anything, but what about those who have more than 13 teeth and don’t fuel themselves on CMT and Budweiser products?

Black country leaders are not a new concept. Is America ready to accept this? I know a lot of things can change in 50 years but remember, Jackie Robinson was allowed to play in the major leagues in 1947. School desegregation happened in the 60’s and 70’s. Most of us, with a post 1970 birth, don’t know of any differences between races, minus stereotypes, or have seen it only in books. Is all of America non-racist enough to vote in a black president? I’m sad to say, I don’t think so.

Chris Rock said he’d ever become president, he’d appoint a Mexican vice, just to cover his ass from becoming shot.

When it comes down to it. White people can talk a good game. Give praise to Obama for trying and support him in his efforts. But, when that voting booth curtain is drawn, I thinks it’s going to be a whole different story in privacy. So, I guess the first and hardest step is to actually win.

Just so we all know. I don’t condone shooting anyone. Or voting for the majority of us.

Popularity: 3% [?]

[quote]24-year-old Angel Pantoja Medina of Puerto Rico apparently told his family that when he passes away, he wants to stand upright through his wake. Well, his family granted his wish. Dressed in a Yankees cap, sunglasses and a gold chain, Angel was mourned by family members while standing tall in his mother’s living room for 3 days. [/quote]

I mean, he’s dead. How would he know if you didn’t dress him up like an extra in a Jay-Z video. And for 3 days? If that just because she was lazy and didn’t clean up until then?

Popularity: 3% [?]

…is all I want on my hamburger. It used to be you had to go to Red Robin to get this off the menu with having to explain to some 16 year kid with an apron how to play Burger Time.

Now it seems a couple more places I’ve gone to lately are catching on. At Red Robin it’s the Royal Red Robin Burger. Lettuce, tomato, cheese, bacon and mayo, plus the fried egg. It a go to. Loki would agree.

I went to Ted Montana’s Grill in Crystal City. I looked them up, they have other locations at Ballston, Hoffman and Sterling. Ted’s has what’s know as their Kitchen Sink which comes with grilled ham, mushrooms, onions, a fried egg, bacon and cheese. The only thing that makes this special is your choice between cow and bison. Their cookies are pretty good too.

Recently I went to Glory Days. They now have a Glory Burger. BBQ sauce, fried onion straws, bacon and cheddar, topped with a fried egg. It was fairly decent. I might be a little biased since I’m a big fan of onion straws, too.

Popularity: 3% [?]

…this is the moped I picked up this weekend. Pretty fun to ride so far. Uphill kinda blows. I was stuck on Old Keen going uphill at about 10 mph. I didn’t want to deal with the next hill so I jumped on to Greeley and took the back way home. Still some hills back there but, I “stopped” at all the stop signs. I just need to fix the brakes which aren’t working.

Now it’s you turn to go out and get a moped. This is how we gonna roll… [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_kIUSr7-is]Hollywood Holt – Throw a Kit[/url]

Popularity: 4% [?]

[quote]HOT lanes are tolled lanes that operate alongside existing highway lanes to provide users with a faster and more reliable travel option. Buses, carpools (HOV-3), motorcycles and emergency vehicles will have free access to HOT lanes. Drivers with fewer than three occupants can choose to pay to access the lanes.

Tolls for the HOT lanes will change according to traffic conditions to regulate demand for the lanes and keep them congestion free – even during peak hours. When traffic increases, tolls will go up. When traffic decreases, tolls will go down.

Fully electronic tolling on the HOT lanes will allow customers to pay tolls with E-ZPass – eliminating the need for toll booths. Electronic signs will display toll rates to help drivers decide whether to use HOT lanes. Drivers will lock in their toll rate when they enter the HOT lanes.

[url=http://www.virginiahotlanes.com]http://www.virginiahotlanes.com[/url][/quote]

Not that I’d ever think I’d need to use them but it should free up traffic by allowing those “Blue-tools” whom think they are important enough to pay a toll to go from the mixing bowl to Tysons.

If you didn’t know, as I didn’t, HOT stands for High Occupancy Toll.

I’m not sure when the construction is to begin but I believe it’s this year.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Typically, I’d only pick one story to share, bu these were all too good:

[quote]

Woman charged with hitting police horse

AUSTIN, Texas (UPI) — A Texas woman has been charged with assaulting a police officer and his horse during a scuffle outside an Austin bar.

Corsha Beasley, 21, was being held in lieu of $30,000 bail, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

Police responding to a 911 call were trying to break up a crowd outside the Bayou Lounge early Sunday. Beasley allegedly refused to move and instead took off a shoe and used it to hit Dusty, the police horse, near his left eye.

When the officer tried to grab the shoe to keep Beasley from hitting the horse, she allegedly hit him in the face as well.

Beasley faces a second-degree felony charge, interfering with a police service animal, and a third-degree felony, assault on a police officer.[/quote]

[quote]

Air guitarists jam in Seattle
SEATTLE (UPI) — Costumed performers, including an undercover Microsoft employee, gathered sans instruments in Seattle to compete in the U.S. Air Guitar Championships tour.

The Jose Cuervo-sponsored event at Chop Suey involved air guitar devotees strumming along to music without actual guitars as part of the 24-stop tour aimed at creating a Team USA air guitar team to compete in Finland in August, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported Tuesday.

“Some people have football season — I have air guitar season,” said Garth Donald, a youth-shelter worker and air guitar veteran. He said the skill requires “years and years, and beers and beers” to perfect.

However, some performers said they had less pride in their chosen performance art.

One performer, “Red Hot,” identified himself as a Microsoft employee. He said he did not want to give his real name because he feared what coworkers might think of his hobby.

“I’ve only been here two weeks — I want to have a career or something,” he said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International
[/quote]

So that’s why John and Crystal bought those plane tickets to Seattle!

[quote]‘WTF’ plate on N.C. DMV Web site
RALEIGH, N.C. (UPI) — The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles says it did not realize a sample license plate on its Web site bore letters that stand for a vulgar phrase.

State officials offered free replacement license plates in 2007 to nearly 10,000 people whose plates bore the letter combination “WTF,” which is common text messaging shorthand for a phrase that includes a four-letter profanity beginning with the letter “F,” The (Raleigh, N.C.) News & Observer reported Tuesday.

However, the DMV discovered this week that a plate bearing the letters appears on its Web site as an example of a personalized plate.

“I can’t believe it,” DMV Commissioner Bill Gore said. “Obviously, I didn’t know it was there.”

Officials said Monday the image should be replaced on the Web site within the next day.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International[/quote]

Popularity: 3% [?]