How to Clean Up your Economic Situation... Kind Of.

This isn't meant to be perfect, but just because I'm in a bit of a bind myself, I thought I would just offer folks some ideas on how to cut back on expenses and save some cash while still being able to enjoy life. It's the time of year when, after your done all your holiday shopping, your realize that you spent a bit too much on everyone and not yourself. Because of it, you could be seeing some really big credit card bills, or may face some big bills.

If so, or if you want to make sure your not in that situation, here are some suggestions:

1. Check your bills! It may seem simple or common sense, but double-check the charges on your bills! I did recently and found 2 odd things. I looked them up on-line and, sure enough, they were scams.

2. Be careful of scammers! If you went to an FYE or Suncoast recently and signed up for a "free magazine" offer, make sure you cancel them once your done with them, even if it's a debit card! I thought it would just cancel itself but it didn't. The bill will come up as TWX*MAGAZINE. Call them and cancel them if you already have them. Also, look out for FreeCreditReport.com! they charge $13 a month to see your credit score, and it's a good idea to look for another service instead.

3. Buy used and sell things you don't want. This is a good rule to follow when buying older CD's and DVD's. If there is something you've wanted for a while, see if you can get it used instead. You can save a good amount of money on it, sometimes at least half or more instead of buying it new. Sell those old CD's or movies you don't watch anymore as well.

4. Sign up for any budget services. If your electrical or gas company has a low-income plan, see if you can sign up for it.

5. Conserve Energy. Not only do you help the planet, but you help your wallet and bottom line by doing this! Turn off lights and electronic devices when your not in the room or using them, try to keep the heat down low and wear warmer clothes indoors, and open the curtains during the winter to keep the house warm.

Happy holidays!

The Simpsons Movie DVD: Review

First, let me review the movie in 4 words:

Greatest. Simpsons Episode. EVER!

Seriously, that's it. The movie kicks ass and is incredible.

Onto the DVD itself, and thus the post. I just bought it a few days ago, along with the Insanely Delux version of Blade Runner that came out the same day. I was a bit puzzled by the plain-looking package that I was getting for $16 (I got it cheap because it was on sale), and knew that if it was anything like the seasons box-sets that I have ought (Down-right religiously at that!), there would be a TON of extras.

Fox must be holding out on us.

Special features on the DVD are limited to two commentary tracks, one featuring the creators and actors, another with just the director. From the first commentary alone, and from every web account possible, a ton of footage was cut from the film to make sure it worked. So when you open up the special features and only a few select deleted scenes are there... well, as a die-hard fan, I'm pretty annoyed.

In an age when new releases of DVD's tend to come in "special edition" packages upon their initial release, and when I can get a special bonus disc to Clerks 2, Shrek, and god knows how many others, upon their initial release... well, you know where I'm going with this.

This is where the Blade Runner thing is going to chime in. For a good $80, you get 5 different versions of the film, deleted scenes, and more extras than you can shake a stick out! 9 HOURS of bonus footage! Hell, the Lord of the Rings had maybe that much, if not more!

The point of all of this is that I just want more bang for my buck here! The Season 10 commentary was lacking since everyone was busy with the movie, and there was so much stuff that was tied-in with this film... well, I think it's time to lay out what I think should be on a re-release of this DVD:

ALL of the Deleted Scenes - Not kidding. If it was put into a final animation state, add it. If it was something deleted from the animatic, or not fully animated, I want to see it. With all of the stuff cut, and all of Lisa's boyfriends cut... COME ON!

All of the Tie-in Ads - Burger King Spots, any news reports on the Kwik-e-Mart transformations of the 7-11's, photos of the best print ads...

Footage from the Release - I know there had to be something filmed during the Springfield, Vermont screening.

Documentary - Documentary of the making of the film. When isn't there one of these?

That's about it. I want to hear some ideas before I make, yes, an on-line petition. Something tells me FOX is already planning this... but still.

IT'S MILLER TIME!

As in, Donna Reed Miller is still a horrible City Council Person.

It's the holidays, and if you've thought, "WOW! That Larry has been really kinda mellow lately!"... your right, I have been. In terms of politics, it's getting insanely quiet and anything making the news is just... well, it's not aggravating for once. Nutter did something good and scored a good $3 million for the City's Schools. He still hasn't even begun to explain his idiotic Crime Emergency Plan, though.

But let's go back to Miller. Instead of posting a long diatribe about how she shouldn't have been re-elected or just what is wrong, I'll just post the damn article:

A Philadelphia woman was charged Monday with extorting more than $5,000 in cash and a cell phone while working for the city of Philadelphia and City Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller.

Theresa Pinkett, 53, of Philadelphia is alleged to have extorted the cash and cell phone in exchange for providing assistance on real estate issues for properties located in the city, which was part of her duties, according to the charges.

Pinkett is alleged to have accepted about $5,000 in cash and a cell phone from 2001 to 2003 -- while serving as a constituent services representative for Reed -- and $1,200 in cash from September to December of last year while serving as a community specialist in the Community Affairs Division for the City Controller's Office. No wrongdoing is alleged by others in Reed's office or the Controller's Office.

Just got a Hand-Signed Card from Devin Townsend!

Today, work was just... uh! Traffic was a nightmare, and I've just been in a fairly mediocre mood. So imagine my shock and how happy I was to see a card-shaped envelope from Devin Townsend Records, and when I opened it, seeing a HAND-SIGNED CARD FROM DEVIN TOWNSEND HIMSELF!

It was sent to everyone on the Devin Townsend Newsletter Mailing List, but it still means a lot to have a card signed by him personally. It's been a long period of a lot of pain, suffering, and needing to grow, and this really made it worth it! It's amazing how a little card can mean and do so much!

Devin Townsend is a hero of mine. He spent 15 years writing, preforming, and producing over 20+ albums, and is currently producing about 10 different albums this year alone! He is incredibly hard-working and is one of the greatest and most diverse song writers and guitar players alive.

Thanks again, Hevy Devy! I hope to repay the favor soon!

If You DO Have Some New Toys Lying Around...

Yes, I JUST finished talking about how this economy sucks twice in the last week, and most recently... well, less than 24 hours ago.

If you have some extra cash or some toys lying around that you haven't opened yet (I'm looking at all of my fellow collectors out there!), please donate them to Toys for Tots. As bad as you and I have it, there isn't much worst for a kid to go a Christmas without a present. I know it may seem trivial, but donating a toy for a child who may not get anything is a very nice thing to do.

So please, if you can, donate a new unwrapped toy today at your nearest Toys for Tots drop-off center.

Another Economy Post

"I HATE THIS SHIT ECONOMY, IT MIGHT AS WELL BE SODOMY!"

- "Consfearacy" by Slayer

Let's just get right to it: The economy is pure shit. This holiday season, we are seeing more and more people spend less and less because... well, who can afford to have fun this year other than rich people? For some people it's gas prices, for other rising prices for electricity and home heating. So, yeah, everyone has a problem with gas these days (heh heh...) and we can point it directly at the CEO's who are taking home hundreds of millions every year!

Not only that, but its even harder to not want to spend cash since all the stores are just slashing their prices right now! Hell, Border's has a coupon for 40% ALL DVD Box Sets! I'm not making that up! You know their not having a good year with something like that!

Frankly, no one really has money for anything.

On the flip-side, you have a bunch of people saying our economy is just fine! They point to the fact that while the American Dollar is loosing value, it means that exporting goods is going up, which means we're going to see our value go up as more money is pumped into our economy. Normally, this form of Trickle-down economics work well, but with more and more companies exporting jobs overseas, we are becoming a nation of givers as we are now being sucked dry.

On the plus side, how many times do you see a Slayer fan use the word "shit" and discuss the value of the American Dollar in the same article? Huh?! Sweet....

SHUT UP WITH THIS "STATE OF BLACK PHILADELPHIA" CRAP!

I'm writing this on behalf of no one but myself, but also for anyone else, black, white, hispanic, asian, whatever, who is sick and tired of the non-stop dribble that is being haled by the local media as the "greatest insight on blacks in Philadelphia ever!" Let's get something straight; you would have to live in either a hole in the ground or live on the moon for the last 50-odd years if you didn't know that, sadly, blacks have it a little bit harder than whites, and in Philadelphia it isn't much better.

I wanted to write today that the report was 100% unabashed stupid, unnecessary, and a slap in the face to all the hard-working black people who aren't the beer-drinking, pot-smoking, lazy, welfare check depending idiots that 90% of all media (even black-based media, BET I'M LOOKING AT YOU!) depicts us. We also do not all fall into the insanely-successful blacks who are doctors, lawyers, and live in massive homes.

I speak of the blue-collard workers, the men and women who do work hard, save their money, and live happy, wonderful lives. It isn't glamorous or perfect by any means, but to say that, in essence, we suck and need help is a vast overstatement!

The report is true that there is a gap between blacks and whites in terms of earning and quality of life. I won't dismiss raw data and fact; Philadelphia is becoming more and more a city of the haves and have-not's. Nearly 40 percent of the residents here are poor or on welfare, and those that are tend to be predominately black or hispanic.

At the same time, to automatically assume asinine concepts such as forced integration will help, or giving (and I stress GIVING) blacks more jobs instead of having them earn them doesn't help as well.

The problem lies in education more than anything. For now, let's focus on education for now. Fact is, the Philadelphia Public School system is in terrible shape and needs a lot of work. We have a massive drop-out rate and if you live in a poor area, your more likely not to try and succeed. That isn't always the case, obviously, but it tends to be the trend. On the other side of the spectrum, more white families can afford to send their kids to private schools. So while Dick and Jane are going to private school and getting a decent education, Nasir and Laquita are stuck in public school with 35 other kids in their class not really learning anything.

The solution is very simple; Improve the public school system! We have it for a reason, and that reason is to have a well-informed and intelligent public. We want people who will be productive members of society, and our current education system makes it very, very hard.

Alycia Lane was Arrested

Normally, stupid stories about celebrities, especially local celebrities, piss me off, especially when they make the front page of the Philadelphia Metro... and the Daily News... and... well, everything. Especially since there were 6 murders last week and we actually have 6 suspects in custody.

But this is a rare exception for a few reasons. First is my little bit of joy of checking out Philadelphia Will Do daily to see if they're finally reporting on me again (which is always nice). There is a long-running joke about seeing her in a bikini which I think is silly since you can see plenty of pics of Pamela Anderson in a bikini. And, honestly, who would you rather see, anyway?

Second is the fact that she said this:

"I don't give a fuck who you are, I'm a fucking TV reporter, you fucking dyke."

LINK!

What can I say other than being a local news anchor on the lowest rated TV News show in a city 90 miles away that isn't even seen there doesn't really count for much to me. I love heading to NYC myself, but I don't expect special treatment because I ran for mayor myself.

CZAR CLARKE AT IT AGAIN!!

Ill be honest: It's getting to the point where the lack of attention I'm getting is annoying. I've written every friggin blog I could, as well as newspapers and City Council members about how Clarke is trying to take away freedoms by tracking purchases of Cigarrettes, Beer, and Sharpies, but it's constantly ignored. So when he tries something big, it FINALLY gets noticed. I just wished people would actually listen to me sometimes.

Ranting aside about that, lets get to the point: CLARKE IS AT IT AGAIN!

No longer content with simply tracking your purchases and banning "offensive" images, he now wants to personally oversea where restaurants go. I'll simplify the bill for you; If you have a take-out restaurant, then your going to be zoned just like if you were a strip club! In order to get a variance from the city, you would need to talk to your City Council rep. And, oh look, Clarke is in control of half of Center City! Namely, the WESTERN HALF! Considering that means everything west of City Hall, the business district and the places where the most revitalization has happened, it's obvious that this bill is here to make life hell for anyone running a business.

Credit where's Credit Due, City Council President Anna Verna is also sponsoring the bill.

If your mad as hell about this, WRITE CITY COUNCIL:

1st FRANK DiCICCO Dicicco-1st-District@phila.gov
2nd ANNA C. VERNA verna-2nd-district@phila.gov
3rd JANNIE L. BLACKWELL blackwell-3rd-District@phila.gov
4th CAROL ANN CAMPBELL cambell-4th-district@phila.gov
5th DARRELL L. CLARKE Clarke-5th-district@phila.gov
6th JOAN L. KRAJEWSKI krajewski-6th-district@phila.gov
7th DANIEL J. SAVAGE savage-7th-district@phila.gov
8th DONNA REED MILLER miller-8th-district@phila.gov
9th MARIAN B. TASCO tasco-9th-district@phila.gov
10th BRIAN J. O'NEILL oneil-10th-district@phila.gov

Councilmembers-At-Large
W. WILSON GOODE, JR. goode-at-large@phila.gov
WILLIAM K. GREENLEE greenlee-at-large@phila.gov
JACK KELLY Kelly-at-large@phila.gov
JAMES F. KENNEY Kenney-At-Large@phila.gov
JUAN RAMOS Ramos-at-large@phila.gov
BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN brown-at-large@phila.gov
FRANK RIZZO rizzo-at-large@phila.gov

Also, feel free to buy some Czar Clarke Merchandise. I would love to make some cash off his incompetence!

http://www.cafepress.com/larrysshop/4278795

The Middle-Class is becoming the Working Poor

Today is more based on personal opinion on a day that could be better than a news story, which is a bit of a change. I'm currently am working a new job at Tech Tattoo in King of Prussia Mall. It's a great job, I love it, and I wish more people would take advantage of getting something cool like their cellphone engraved. Sadly, that isn't the case.

I'm currently making more here per hour than at any other job I've ever had. Despite this, I am having a harder time living than ever as well. This is due to a few reasons, but for now, I'll focus on the one that we can all agree with, and that is that aside from the job market being so tough now, the overall economic situation in this country for the working class is far from good.

The average working person now has to deal with paying more for everything then they did even 3 years ago. This goes from everything from mortgage rates, gas prices, home heating bills, and simply eating. The price of milk, bread, meat, and nearly all things edible has risen over the last 3 years. It's safe to say that, in the same time, it's rare that everything in a dollar store is a dollar now.

The middle class in this country have less chances to not only get jobs, but to get good jobs. While working in a factory may have always been looked upon by those seeking a better life, it is these same exact jobs that helped to support millions across the country make a decent living. These same jobs are now being exported ad-nauseum overseas to other countries. It is becoming harder and harder to not only find something made in America, but also to find a person who helped to make it as well.

Our dependency on gas has made us slaves to oil, forcing us to suffer rising prices for gas, plastics, heating our homes, and increasing the cost of living on a whole dramatically.

It is rare to find someone living in this country not living from paycheck to paycheck who isn't among the rich. This is because of various factors from cost of living, to bills, to oil prices, to simply not being able to save money for the future due to those demands. I can't tell you how many times I have seen people working 2, 3, even 4 jobs to help just get by and pay the bills!

A college degree doesn't come with the same promise as a job it once did; Even those who went to college can find themselves stuck working at Wal-Mart.

The fact of the matter is, it seems it has become increasingly impossible to live the American Dream than ever before.

Most available jobs are in the retail and fast-food markets, and from there it is becoming increasingly difficult to attain even office jobs and anything higher. The need for more manufacturing jobs in this country must be realized once more! Even with a constant need for construction jobs, these jobs are still few and far in between if your not in a union, and getting into one has become tougher and tougher.

The fact of the matter is, Slayer had it right: "I hate this shit economy/It might as well be sodomy". The Middle Class has become the Working Poor.

Ted Rall Says it Better than Me

Sick Day's

I've been sick since Monday and today it's finally hit me like a ton of bricks. I have no idea what happened with the bills I brought up yesterday and so far, no updates from any of the blogs.

I'll post as many updates as possible.

An Open Letter to City Council

Dear City Council Member:

I am writing to you today in regards to three bills that will be presented tomorrow at the City Council Meeting by Councilman Darrell Clarke of the 'Licenses and Inspections' Committee. These bills are:

Bill No.: 070875 - The bill that would track sales of cigarettes and beer.
Bill No.: 070876 - The bill that would track sales of spray paint, indelible markers, and etching acid.
Bill No.: 070914 - The bill that would ban showing the image of a burning cross, noose, or swastika in public.

I am asking you to NOT pass these bills!

These three bills would limit the civil rights of the citizens of Philadelphia and impose unnecessary barriers in order to fight crime and racism, respectively.

These bills would allow the Government of the City of Philadelphia to violate the right of privacy to buy beer and cigarettes without having the government know. At the same time, tracking the sale of indelible markers would also include tracking when you bought even a Sharpie marker. What, exactly, is the point of that? Considering the large number of Sharpies sold in the City of Philadelphia, along with Spray Paint, it seems that tracking each and every sale will not lead to a crackdown on crime and being able to catch the criminals, but instead a backlog of useless information that seems more intent on harming the public rather than protecting it!

For those reasons alone, I am asking you not to pass Bill's 070875 and 070876.

As for Bill No. 070914, this bill has one intent and one harmful side-effect; in an effort to defeat racism and protect everyone, the First Amendment Right to freedom of expression is hampered! While the bill specifically state that it would be forbidden to show them with "intent... to incite violence", what that covers is a very large area. In essence, some forms of these symbols are meant to incite anger and hatred, but sometimes also to think. Would a teacher discussing racism being arrested for showing these symbols to provoke a reaction from their class to show them racism is wrong? Would someone wearing a shirt showing a Swastika to show their disapproval of something they see as fascist be banned as well?

The First Amendment is called into question with Bill No. 070914. While I understand and agree with the intent, we already have Hate Crime laws in effect doing the same thing. For a municipal government to create laws such as this is a step in the wrong direction and, in my opinion, a step toward limiting freedom and rights.

I urge you to NOT pass these three bills! They do not seek to help Philadelphia and Philadelphian's, they only exist to impose more useless legislation and barriers in a society built on freedom that slowly seems to be loosing them.

I thank you all for your time and consideration into this matter, and wish you a wonderful fay, the bet of luck in your meeting, and a happy holiday season!

Sincerely,
Larry West

New Calendar is Now Out!

OK, finally released my latest calendar! I haven't had one since 2004, so please enjoy! It's a year of great art!

You can see my website here:

Larry West Productions

And you can buy the Calendar here!

http://www.cafepress.com/larrysshop.197058916

Ramsey Loves the Police State Idea!

About two weeks ago, I discussed in length and in great detail the Crime Emergency Plan, what I felt was wrong with it, how the Ramsey's could impact it, and what could be done instead.

Despite all of this, he still wants to declare it!

"Declaring a state of emergency is fine with me," Ramsey, the former Washington police chief, said in an interview Friday. "Crime is at an unacceptable level. . . . It's certainly something we have to get a handle on real quick."

How Ramsey will carry out the emergency response is less certain. He spent much of last week getting his bearings in his new city - meeting with Johnson and the department's command staff as well as attending several district roll calls to introduce himself to the rank and file.

Again, we're left scratching our heads on how, exactly, this will happen. Despite how "peaceful" where you live is, it could still be declared "dangerous". What if your in an area and don't know it's under lock down, are you still in trouble for being out there late?

This plan is FLAWED! This idea is FLAWED! Ladies and gentlemen, I implore you, write Nutter yourself, tell him NOT to declare this Crime Emergency! IT MUST BE STOPPED!