I just watched two videos that infuriated me. One was about an EIGHT YEAR OLD CHILD BEING GIVEN BOTOX INJECTIONS, the other of A SCREAMING FIVE YEAR OLD HAVING HER EYEBROWS WAXED, both because the children participate in beauty pageants.
Recently people were quick to yell about the protesting child who was patted down at an airport, why aren’t these people screaming louder about what is happening to so many of the children who participate in some of these pageants? Continue reading ‘KIDDIE BEAUTY PAGEANTS – ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’ »
UPDATE 5-28-11: The House, followed by the Senate, has changed their vote against giving Amazon a 5 year break from collecting taxes on goods sold to SC residents. As a result, Amazon will be locating in South Carolina.
In addition, Altgen Corp, which pulled out of negotiations when Amazon announced they were scrapping the SC deal, is reopening negotiations to locate in SC. __________________________________________________________________________________________
The State Paper reported today that two companies have cancelled plans to build in SC after Legislators voted against giving Amazon a five year exemption on collecting sales tax on merchandise sold via the internet to SC residents, a promise made by previous governor Sanford.
One would have brought 200 jobs but may have required up to 20 million dollars in incentives to come here. “Our concern is you get incentives and get the commitment for it and the state changes the rules of the game,” operations manager Chip Harriford of Altgen said. “Our financiers are not willing to take that risk.” Continue reading ‘COMPANIES CANCEL PLANS TO BUILD IN SC AFTER HOUSE SHOOTS DOWN AMAZON DEAL’ »
UPDATE 4-28-11 12:16 EST: The SC House voted that Amazon would have to collect taxes on items purchases by SC residents. Amazon in turn has canceled plans to build here and have announced they do not expect legislative negotiations to continue. Goodbye 1200+ jobs. Goodbye to a boost to SC’s lagging economy. IMO this was an absolutely idiotic move on the part of SC politicians. Now SC doesn’t have the jobs, the economy boost, jobs that would have been created because Amazon was here and they STILL WON’T BE COLLECTING TAXES FROM AMAZON SALES MADE TO SC RESIDENTS!
Amazon has already started building a new distribution center in South Carolina. When operational it will employ 1200+ people at an average pay of $15 per hour. They were given sweet incentives to locate here – just as many companies in the past have been given.
Now the project has hit a snag. Amazon was led to believe they would not have to collect sales tax on merchandise sold to South Carolina residents. Unfortunately, some local businesses, large and small, have jumped up in arms screeching like a little girl scared of a bug that it’s not fair to them. Ridiculous!
First of all, the businesses that are protesting have brick and morter stores here – stores you can physically walk into and purchase items. You cannot walk into an Amazon distribution center and purchase anything. You go online, you place an order and it is shipped to you – maybe from the distribution center in SC, maybe from one located elsewhere. Some of the businesses protesting also have online ordering – but the difference is you can also walk into their local store to shop. AMAZON IS NOT A “RETAIL” STORE ! Continue reading ‘South Carolina Retailers Lash Out At Amazon – Could Cost SC Jobs’ »
Most internet users are familiar with spam – unwanted email. People who maintain websites which allow people to post are familiar with another kind of spam – forum or comment spam.
A comment spammer’s goal in life is to get their (or their customers) website more traffic by posting links to them, wherever and however they can. Continue reading ‘Comment Spam’ »
With Easter may come a surplus of boiled eggs. With soaring food prices, nobody wants to waste food, but making sure they are safe to eat should be the first concern. Foodborne illnesses are not a good thing. Personally I think the best idea is to use plastic eggs for Easter Egg hunts, keeping the decorated eggs refrigerated and safe for consumption. Continue reading ‘Boiled Eggs’ »
UPDATE 10-28-2011 Pizza hut in the Midlands area of SC currently has the $10 special for any pizza, eat-in or carry out. UPDATE 7-17-2011 The latest Pizza Hut $10 any way you want it pizza FOR CARRYOUT does include Supreme and Super Supreme. ——————————————————– I’m rather disappointed with Pizza Hut due to an experience I had while ordering today. They need to fix their tv and website ads. The special deal they are advertising, $10 for any size pizza, including specialties, isn’t so – prices have been raised on some pizzas, although the ads still indicated they were $10.
I placed an order today, 3-31-11, for two large supremes, which are specialty pizzas. I was told the supremes were not longer $10 – that Corporate had raised the prices to $12. I pointed out that the website showed they were $10, then she pointed out to me that the tv ads still said they were $10 as well, but that the menus inside the restaurant had been changed to reflect the new price. Continue reading ‘Pizza Hut $10 Special No Longer Includes Supreme?’ »
With the approach of spring and summer, more people are out and about, therefore land and property owners are more likely to experience problems with trespassers. Exactly what is a trespasser? A trespasser is someone who enters the property of another without permission. An amazing amount of people think it’s perfectly okay to trespass at will. Continue reading ‘Trespassers and Property Owners’ »
It won’t be long before hummingbirds will be back to the area. I could sit and watch them for hours. It doesn’t seem possible their tiny wings move so fast they are hard to see and their ability to dart around as they do is amazing. I always knew they were tiny, but I never realized just how tiny and delicate they are until I rescued one. Continue reading ‘Hummingbirds – A Rescue Story’ »
It’s everywhere! Pollen season has arrived and the air is full of it, especially of pine pollen.
You wash your vehicle only to find it back in minutes. Although the weather is beautiful, forget opening windows – pine pollen makes an unwelcome visitor. Continue reading ‘Pine Pollen Is Here Again !’ »
Cell phone subscribers, check your bills carefully. Some phones come with pre-loaded applications that are NOT free and you could be getting billed for ‘services’ you have never subscribed to, used or signed up for. Continue reading ‘Cell Phone Apps With Hidden Charges’ »
Just as the economy appears to be showing signs of improvement, more unrest in oil producing countries is causing crude oil prices to sharply increase. The increase doesn’t just hit consumers in the pocket at the gas pumps – it causes prices for everything to rise due to transportation costs. Farmers pay more in fuel costs to grow food, more to transport it to the processing plants, then the plants pay more to transport products and so on and so on, with the bottom line being that consumers pay more in the end. Continue reading ‘Gas Prices Rise – So Will Everything Else’ »
You may say I’m an tea addict. I love tea! Where some folks crawl out of bed in the morning and head for the coffee pot, I head for my refrigerator and a big old glass of tea. Continue reading ‘Love That Sweet Tea !’ »
I’m all for freedom of speech. I can understand why the Supreme Court had to side with the disrespectful military funeral protesters – had they ruled otherwise it could have endangered the right to free speech of everyone – but at the same time I am sad that those fanatics “won.” Continue reading ‘Free Speech Can Go Too Far’ »
In November 2010, voters in Richland County, SC said no to a one cent sales tax increase, part of which would have been used to fund the failing bus system.
Now, Columbia City Council is raising electric company franchise fees within the city limits from 3% to 5%, a fee which will be passed on to electric customers. Media reports that 60% of properties in the City of Columbia are exempt from property taxes, so this method of raising funds will insure that everyone using electricity in the city pays something – including more people who actually use the bus system. Continue reading ‘Electric Franchise Fees To Be Raised 2% To Help Support Columbia Bus System’ »
This crochet stitch works up fast, is very easy to do and is extremely versatile. It’s textured and there is no wrong and right side so it’s completely reversible so it’s good to use for almost anything. I’ve made ponchos, baby blankets, afghans, scarves, shawls and more with it. The weight of your project is easily adjusted by changing the size of the crochet hook you use. Continue reading ‘Quick, Easy and Versatile Crochet Stitch Pattern’ »
Have you noticed the contents of a lot of packages have become smaller? Prices haven’t been reduced, though, and in some cases have gone up. When a pound of meat or vegetables goes up in price it’s obvious, but the real “gotcha” is in canned and packaged products. Continue reading ‘Product Sizes Shrink But Not The Cost – Consumers Beware’ »
I used to buy the fragrance products you clipped to the filter in your homes air return filter to help freshen air being circulated. They worked well – but only for a very short time and I quickly realized their cost didn’t justify their benefit. I found a cheaper way to freshen the circulated air. Continue reading ‘Freshen Your Air Ducts’ »
Now you can buy a place in line at some hospital emergency rooms! A new online service allows you to make an appointment with participating hospital emergency rooms. If you aren’t seen within 15 minutes of the scheduled time, you don’t pay for the online registration, and at some hospitals you may not have to pay for some of the emergency room services. Continue reading ‘BUY A SHORTER EMERGENCY ROOM WAIT’ »
