This Just Has To Hurt The Pocketbook...!

Being a smoker, this story sort of caught my attention!

A pack of smokes here in Texas is costly enough, but the poor folks in Russia are going to be breaking into the piggy banks for sure when this goes into effect!

Makes me want to reach for a smoke just reading this story from the Houston Chronicle.

Russia official calls for 700 percent hike in cigarette tax

Bloomberg News
April 28, 2011, 8:48AM


Russian Health Minister Tatyana Golikova called on the government to approve a sevenfold increase in tobacco excise taxes to cut the number of smokers by 20 percent.

Taxes will be raised over a “long term” to help reach an “optimal level” of 55 rubles per cigarette pack, Golikova said in an interview in Moscow today.

Looks like one more reason to be thankful that we live in the good ol' U.S.A., don't ya think?

Coffee on the patio this morning! I'm doing like the governor said and praying for rain!

I Know Smokes Are Expensive, But...!!

Now this might certainly get your attention...!

We all know that the cost of all the fun stuff like cigarettes, booze, gas, food...ALL the fun stuff, has gone up a lot as of late! This poor guy just found out what an expensive habit he has.

This must have been a shocker...but the real shocker for me would have been if my bank had even honored the purchase in the first place! This story is just an example of why I don't use brick and mortar banks...I don't trust them!

Take a look at this story from the Houston Chronicle...

Associated Press

July 15, 2009, 12:15PM

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (AP) — A New Hampshire man says he swiped his debit card at a gas station to buy a pack of cigarettes and was charged over 23 quadrillion dollars.

Josh Muszynski checked his account online a few hours after the purchase and saw the 17-digit number — a stunning $23,148,855,308,184,500 (twenty-three quadrillion, one hundred forty-eight trillion, eight hundred fifty-five billion, three hundred eight million, one hundred eighty-four thousand, five hundred dollars).

Muszynski told WMUR-TV that he spent two hours on the phone with Bank of America trying to sort out the string of numbers — and the $15 overdraft fee.

The bank corrected the error the next day.

Bank of America said the card issuer, Visa, could answer questions. Visa, in turn, referred questions to the bank. (More on this story here — and see the bill.)

I'm not sure, but this just might be enough to make someone give up smoking! If I got a bill for this amount, I think it might drastically increase my immediate consumption of the closest alcoholic beverage, if you know what I mean!

I'm thinking, my friend, that we should get some coffee and sit on the patio for a bit...and hope that coffee doesn't go up this much!

OUCH...! This Is Going To Hurt!

Well, the news from the auto repair shop was not as good as I hoped...

In fact, I guess you could say that it was a little on the bad side! Freeze plugs need to be replaced and in order for that to be done, the engine must be jacked up from underneath. Labor and parts...about $900!

Then the front brakes are in dire need of being overhauled, drums turned and new pads. The back brakes need to be adjusted. I never even knew that they were bad and I just had them done, but evidently they only halfway did the job Anyway, with parts and labor for the whole job...$1500 or there abouts.

Now, here is the dilemma I'm facing. Do I go ahead and put the $1500 into the truck, or do I just bite the bullet, and get a newer vehicle? After all, my truck is a 1991 Chevy S-10. I have to figure that the next thing to go is the tranny, right? I could put that money into a full size truck or even a van. Decisions, decisions...!

I could talk myself into going either way, but I really do need to sit and think this one out. It's always something, isn't it?

I think that this is one of those little test life throws at you to see if you are paying attention! I'm sure that the right decision will make it's way to the front of my feeble mind.

The good news is that right now the truck is still running, and really not leaking too badly. So I figure that I can take a couple of days to make up my mind. Who know...I may have a sudden true bargain jump out at me and say "Buy me, buy me!" Stranger things have happened, ya know? You might know I just put new tires all around on my truck a couple of weeks ago!

You know what? I'm not even going to worry about it right now. I'm just going to sit back and take things slower, like I said yesterday! I'll need to rethink my plans a bit...but maybe that's not such a bad thing.

Why don't we get another cup of coffee, my friend, and sit on the patio a bit. You can help me decide which direction I should take...OK?

Who Sold This Guy A Gun...??

Sighting in your expensive new deer rifle

1. Shiny new, high-powered deer rifle.....$ 1,200.00

2. Quality, high-powered scope................$ 550.00

3. Bore sighting device............................$ 140.00

4. Hospital Visit......................$ 4,893.00

5. Forgetting to remove the bore sighting device prior to actually shooting the thing?

Priceless

"Life's tough......It's even tougher if you're stupid."

John Wayne

The scary part is that this guy lived...and can buy another gun! Watch out, my friends! He may live on your street...

Now how about some fresh coffee...before this moron reloads!