meet bill schoonover;

> Here is my final draft to Barbara Boxer.

     Please give it your widest dissemination.

> I want the world to know at least one scoundrel who masquerades as a wise solon 
> and a congress in whose hand $trillions are spent without even 
> reading the bills.
> 
> Babs:
> 
> You were so right on when you
> scolded the general on TV for using the term, “ma’am,”
> instead of “Senator.” After all, in the military, “ma’am” is a term 
> of respect when addressing a female of superior rank or position.
> 
 The general was totally wrong. You
> are not a person of superior rank or position. You are a
> member of one of the world’s most corrupt organizations, the U.S. 
> Senate, equaled only by the U.S. House of Representatives.
> 
> Congress is a cesspool of liars,
> thieves, inside traders, traitors, drunks (one who killed
> a staffer, yet is still revered), criminals, and other low level 
> swine who, as individuals (not all, but many), will do anything to 
> enhance their lives, fortunes and power, all at the expense of the 
> People of the United States and its Constitution, in order to be 
> continually re-elected.
> Many democrats even want American troops killed by releasing 
> photographs. How many of you could honestly say, “We pledge our 
> lives, our fortunes and our sacred
> honor”? None? One? Two?
> 
> Your reaction to the general shows
> several things. First is your abysmal ignorance of all
> things militaire. Your treatment of the general shows you to be an 
> elitist of the worst kind. When the general entered the military (as 
> most of us who served) he wrote the government a blank check, 
> offering his life to protect your derriere now safely and comfortably
> ensconced in a multi-thousand dollar leather chair, paid for by the 
> general’s taxes. You repaid him for this by humiliating him in front 
> of millions.
> 
> Second is you puerile character,
> lack of sophistication, and arrogance which borders on the hubristic. 
> This display of brattish behavior shows you to be a virago, 
> termagant, harridan, nag, scold or shrew, unfit for your position, 
> regardless of the support of the unwashed, uneducated masses who have 
> made
> California into the laughing stock
> of the nation.
> 
> What I am writing, Senator, are
> the same thoughts countless millions of Americans have
> toward Congress, but who lack the energy, ability or time to convey 
> them. Under the democrats, some don’t even have the 44 cents to buy 
> the stamp. Regardless of their thoughts, most realize politicians are 
> pretty much the
> same, and will vote for the one who will bring home the most bacon, 
> even if they do consider how corrupt that person is.
> 
> Lord Acton (1834 – 1902) so
> aptly charged, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power
> corrupts absolutely.” Unbeknownst to you and your colleagues, Mr. 
> Power has had his way with all of you, and we are all the worse for 
> it.
> 
> Finally Senator, I, too, have a
> title. It is “Right Wing Extremist Potential Terrorist
> Threat.” It is not of my choosing, but was given to me by your 
> Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano. And you were 
> offended by “ma’am”?
> 
> Cheers!
> 
> Bill Schoonover
> 3096 Angela Lane
> Oak Harbor, WA 98277
> 
> 360-675-3609

TomHead
Abreu Gallery
3712 Auburn Blvd
Sacramento CA 95821
www.abreugallery.com
916.488.1211
Fax 916.488.1213
This account is monitored 6a - 4p
tuesday thru saturday only.

at a time when i doubt this countries population is truly made up of 
people that share the pride in a history that made us a strong nation,
i say (for the sake of the few of us that do remember), god bless those
that gave their lives to make us free.
50 years ago seems so short a time to watch a conversion from 'fighting for your country'
to worrying about what others think 'about' your country.
yes virginia, there was a time when people pledged
allegiance to their country first. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6f_FvZpm3g

Assemblyman Ammiano of San Francisco wants to make 'Bud' available to all you 'Spicoli' types out there, and he says it's worth over a billion tax dollars a year to California.
For those that don't understand, Bud is short for Cannabis, and Sean Penn played character Spicoli, the pothead in the movie "Fast Times at Ridgemont High", gainingacclaim by falling out the side door of a van as marijuana smoke poured out behind him. He was, as they say, obliterated at the time.
The first thing that went through my head when I heard the cry to legalize from the sanctuary city by the bay, was a basic comparative. If I'm a dope dealer and i need money, i just sell some pot. If I'm a politician and my state needs money, I just legalize pot. It's going to be hard for me to tell the difference from now on.
It's not just the tax windfall folks. It's also the 200 million in savings we'd achieve by not having to continue the foolish front called marijuana law enforcement.
I just don't understand this part of the scenario; if the herb is taken off the illegal list, why wouldn't every toker just plant 2 or 3 plants in the backyard and take the whole buyer seller principal away? It has been explained one way. We are the American consumer, so to think planting our supply so there would be a baggie around at all times, omits their marketed choices brought about by sophisticated bud breeding. See, i'm a dinosaur, and when pot was around when i was a kid, you bought a baggie full of the stuff for no more than a hundred bucks a bag and sometimes it was a couple of ounces. We didn't care if it was Mauie Wowie or Panama Red, we didn't get the magnifying glass out and check to see if there were purple hairs on the buds. We just thought it was an opportunity for a buzz and we got by it after the initial excitement wore away.
Personally, i hope it gets done this time, because the current farce involving Pot Clubs, which was and still is a stupid name for the supposed legitimate distributers of medicinal marijuana, needs to be shut down and the people who truly believe this is a program that effectively helps the sick and infirmed need to be allowed to slither back into their holes. I'm sick of being forced to recognize the Docs that are prostituting themselves out for a hundred bucks to write scrips for recreational users and consider it a necessary evil for the sake of the chemo patient that needs a little pot to keep their appetite?
Ever walk into a pot club? Do you really think the Bob Marley posters for sale in there are for the rheumatoid arthitis patients seeking a little comfort? Sorry, i'm done with the current disguised distribution of pot.
Get this legalization rolling folks.
The truly ill that need it will still be OK because legitmate doctors will see to it that they can find relief.
Force the worthless slimeballs that have been riding the coattails of alzheimers, glaucoma, and aids sufferers to make sure they get their buzz to separate themselves from this "Medicinal Marijuana"lowlife excuse for distribution.

It started a couple years ago when I first discovered a beef cut that was cheaper than the rest and lived up to the texture and tenderness needed in some of my recipes. The flavor was a bit different but with seasoning and proper braising, it resulted in great stroganoff dishes and its medallion potential proved exciting. They were called 'clod tenders', a torpedo shaped cut that came from the cross rib section, or the shoulder, depending on which butcher I questioned.

A few months went by, and in shopping for my weekly feed, ( I cook for the shop every Friday), I noticed the name of my little find had changed. Little did I know that a name change to “Petite Tenders” could cause a raise in the price by some 75 cents a pound.

I'm a pretty well seasoned consumer. I understand that markets and producers have to raise prices when necessary, but what demographic are you going for when you believe it necessary to relabel a product in an effort to pull more profit out of it? You certainly aren't making a veteran buyer feel better. It just irritates us. The beef council will be pleased to know I still buy them, (even though I grumble), but only because the rest of the beef cuts exploded into higher price brackets by at least the same amount.

Not so lucky were the marketers in other food groups.

The cereal box caper was next. You did notice those clever folks cut back on the weight content but retained the size of the box. Brilliant marketers that they are, the copy on the boxes continued to morph into more health conscious BS. Fiber rich, whole grain, new and improved, and less sugar are examples of some of the meaningless claims your cereal sales sharks resort to in this day and age of “perceived value”, (one of my least favorite marketing terms) hypocrisy.

It still smacks of making you think you're getting more than you actually are.

Ellie, the register clerk at my neighborhood store, revealed the Dreyers Ice Cream move to make you believe you were getting the same amount of ice cream in their package, but the cylindrical container was actually about an inch shorter.

All of this shouldn't be much of a concern to most of you. You have created a huge quandary in my mind during these fragile days of business survival. I still can't figure out how we can be in this 'recession' when I drive past lines of folks at the Starbucks window dying to give up 5 bucks for a cup of coffee.

Pepsi is the one that sticks in my throat the worst. I have been a devout Pepsi fan for most of my life, because I grew up across the street from Mike Mikulas. He started with the Pepsi company after we left high school, and as a young man I was raised to believe that you should support the companies that supported you and your neighbors. That's over!

While picking up drinks for the Friday feed, I ended my faithful allegiance to the Pepsi company over their blatant repackaging of the 12 pack to contain only 8 cans. Those silly little 'half cans' they came out with earlier on were goofy enough. I looked over to see that A & W still had the original 12 can packs, and I went for it. I found that the folks at lunch that Friday even praised the new selection.

If you don't find these current methods of charging you more without displaying the increase in prices forthrightly, I guess you're part of the 'more accepting' newer generations. I'm still stuck in the past, when more honesty resulted in a greater following'. Forbes magazine recently compared the whole change in the concept of “raising your prices” vs “charge more by giving less” akin to New Yorkers vs Californians. New Yorkers have the decency to stab you in the front.

Anyway, the cereal scam ended up with me moving my preferences to the store brands for the first time, and you already know how I dealt with the Pepsi farce.

If Sir Walter Scott will forgive me, just remember; “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when we package to deceive!”

Two people, very close to me, have been going through the circus called jury duty stand by. It’s bad enough to have your work or school schedule take a beating over not knowing if you’re going to be able to appear for a test or if your employer can count on you to show up for work, but one of my friends was also forced to accept an admonishment from the court after answering the judge truthfully.

After several days of telephone checking and appearing at the courthouse with dozens of others, only to return home at the end of the day without knowing what tomorrow will hold, a pool of prospective jurors were asked point blank, “can you be impartial regarding this defendants guilt”? My friend made what seemed to be a mistake by responding with a “no”!

This response came after being made aware of this defendants alleged crimes, and she was merely being honest, without knowing it may be characterized as a fault.

The judge was offended by her response. He looked at his formerly potential juror and said “I hope you never have to appear in this courtroom on a criminal charge”. Well now that’s a comforting comment. Was it supposed to make her feel that she is heartless, judgmental, unreasonable, or what?

When the judge came out with his rather pointed comment, it’s too bad that she showed respect instead of responding with something like “Oh it’s doubtful Your Honor. I’m a respectable citizen and criminal activity just isn’t my forte!”

And furthermore, I also doubt that you would understand how a person like me would feel after seeing neighborhood vandalism, car thefts, and helicopters hovering above what used to be a desirable neighborhood. Does that sound like the neighborhood you live in? Do you awaken to fresh graffiti on the fence across from your house? Do you no longer casually answer the front door when the bell rings out of fear that it may be a possible home invasion? No I didn’t think so.

Do you believe everyone thinks the courts are spot on when it comes to swift and just trying? When a Democracy votes on an issue and a judge believes he or she knows better than their constituency and overrules the vote of the people, do you think it raises the level of respect toward the bench?

So it’s doubtful that making one feel guilty over not being a good juror prospect will change their truthful persona, but hey, as long as it made the judge feel better.