Made Personal: Outs

Bailouts, Buyouts, Cashouts — can they be personalized somehow?

Of course!

I thought I had two vehicles that qualified for the Cash-for-Clunkers program. Turns out only one of them qualifies, thanks to the miles per gallon criteria. (My Honda is old and has over 300,000 miles on it — but it still does better than 18 mpg.)

It also turns out the program has been mayhem. And has apparently already run out of money.

But never fear — I hear it may be re-funded with twice the original amount. Maybe they’ll also change two key provisions:

  • The program applies only to those buying brand new vehicles.
  • To qualify, a vehicle must get less than 18 mpg.

Actually, I think I would prefer it became a true Cash-for-Clunkers program — just give me a flat $4000 for my clunker and be done with it. Now there’s a buyout I could consider! No wait — better yet, cancel all such programs and slash my taxes.

Speaking of buyouts, maybe someone could buy out my business also. I launched it on the first of January way back in 1998 to support my family as I worked at my online ministry, which I started in mid-1995. Well, my business has boomed to the extent that my online ministry has pretty much gone dormant. So now I have a vision (I think): Sell my business for enough to pay off my debts and leave us with money for six years of No-Income-Needed living. Then move to “our” mission in Mexico (to help out in the church there as well as to increase the volume of the bang for my buck) to operate my original online ministry.

Seems like I had more to say on this Outs subject back when I first thought of it, but I don’t remember anymore. So I’ve grown tired of this post.

Time out.

Bye.

Update: Speaking of freebies and handouts, I see I still haven’t won $1000 from Circuit City. In fact, nobody from Oregon has. What’s with that?!

Caption Conundrum

I was going to call this Caption Contest but changed my mind at the last minute. What I opted to use seems a little more unusual, but “contest” is what I have in mind.

Will this contest have any winners? No, not in the sense that I will pick one.

But see if you can lasso a good caption for the photo below.

Who knows, we might get an interesting round up going here! 🙄

Today's photo needing your caption!

Photo Source: The best photos of the week

Sophisms

Do you know what they are?

First, though, the background, in the form of two trimmed screen grabs from WorldMagBlog’s Pray for Your Enemy discussion.

Is Mark Roth of military background and experience?

😯 The portions of Comment #12 pertaining to me were amazing to read!

🙄 And dangerously ego-inflating as well. 🙁

But then comes the reality check in Comment #18 (after my “cover” has been blown at the end of Comment #17). Read it all

Don’t Be So Negative!

When the law says, “Do not kill,” is it presenting a negative or a positive?

Come now, that isn’t such a difficult question, is it? I mean, you see that not there, right? So that makes it a negative law.

Maybe; maybe not.

Interestingly, I’ve never heard anyone complaining about that law, “Oh, there you go being negative again. You just like to tell people what they can’t or shouldn’t do. Why can’t you be more positive? All this negativity is bad. Lighten up!” No, people don’t respond to “Do not kill” that way.

Do you know why not?

Because they realize that if that law keeps a potential killer from killing them, that law is extremely positive. In other words, they see a positive personal benefit in a “negative” law.

Now think of some other “negative” Biblical commands. For example:

  • “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).
  • “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth” (Matthew 6:19).
  • “Speak not evil one of another” (James 4:11).

You won’t have to think for long before seeing that these are extremely positive despite sounding negative. Don’t allow anyone to mislead you!

(originally written in mid-2001 and posted here: Liberty, Not License)

Ice in Coffee

I like my Nescafé Clásico hot, with a slosh of milk added for my innards’ sake (and to soften the coffee flavor down to my ET — Enjoyability Threshold).

But this afternoon — since it’s plenty warm about — I impulsively decided to make myself some iced coffee.

In order to stave off any frenzied emails asking for my secret recipe, I shall forthwith divulge the process by which I made my caffeinated concoction. Read it all

Attention, Staples!

Can you detect the error on your Web site?

Can you find the inconsistency in the Staples ad?

Or is it an error in your print ad?

I saw it right off. That was easy. :mrgreen:

PS: You’re welcome for the free advertising. I hope the frenzied shopping by my vast audience won’t cause undue difficulties for you. 🙄

Oh, another PS: Are Staples stores bound by their own advertising errors?

Free at McDonalds

Last week I notified you that McDonalds would be giving away free samples of their McCafé mocha.

Yesterday I took my brother-in-law to Woodburn (Oregon) with me on business at the bank and Post Office and grocery story. But our first stop was at the McDonalds on 99E.

Our free mocha from the McDonalds on Hwy 99E in Woodburn, Oregon

Wesley (Yoder) loved his hot mocha.

I endured my cold one. But I don’t think that was Mickey Ds fault. It was just too strong for my taste. Next Monday I think I will try it again, but this time I’ll go inside so I can tone down the strength of the flavor and tone up the strength of the chill by adding ice cubes to my free drink.

Besides, getting out of the car will give me some much-needed exercise. 😯

Above all, love God!