Okay, you may be asking “Why is Author337 so boring and serious lately?” Why have we gone from poolside cabana romps and cheeky movie rants to discussions of voting, international relations and now taxes? I’m taking a cue from our President elect: spend a little time cracking wise (talking about what dog to get and hoping for a “mutt like” him) and then spend most of our time grappling with the myriad issues facing a galvanized but wary nation.

After the Florida coup of 2000 and the resurgence of blind patriotic blood lust after 9.11, many young people like myself felt on the outside of America. With this recent vindication of America’s electoral integrity, many of us former expatriates feel an incredible urge to be on the inside of America. On January 20th 2001 I was pictured in the local newspaper protesting in the streets of San Francisco. On January 20th 2009, I will be figuring out what I can do to help the new administration. Unfortunately, the first thing I have to do is trust Obama with my taxes

People whine that compared to other first world countries, income taxes are unfairly high in the United States. What we forget is that those other countries aren’t the greatest country in the world. In order to enjoy the freedoms and services of the most powerful nation, we have to pay rent and utilities. Since the Bush administration has been curtailing these freedoms and services, our rent doesn’t seem to be fair. We’re paying for war and golden parachutes, when we should be paying for our schools and medical care. Obama seems to be in favor of shifting the focus in this direction.

As an independent contractor working for Arts enrichment with my local government, I am responsible for withholding my own taxes. Every time I get a fat check from the city of Walnut Creek, I keep forgetting I’m gonna hand off a lot of it to country that doesn’t seem to have its shit together. Being forced to manage my own taxes has made me acutely aware of what a terrible burden it is.

As a twenty-something feeling my way into financial responsibility, I’ve been fairly good about managing my money and avoiding getting in trouble with credit cards and bar tabs like many of my peers. I need a lot of equipment and capitol to continue my cinematic and theatrical endeavors, and I’ve been saving for it. But with all this talk of taxes, I recently had a sobering realization that I need to set aside much of that savings for April 15th. I thought about what I should do. I opened a savings account and put aside most of the money I want to pay for my dreams to pay for America’s. It was hard. I’d never used that much money in one sitting. But it also felt kinda good, like a down payment on my future.

A shitload of my money is now stored away to be taxed away. President elect Obama, I am prepared to do my duty and hand that money off to you. Please do not squander it. Please use it to help me continue my education, help me buy a fuel efficient hybrid, help give my less-educated peers “green collar” jobs, and maybe even get us some health insurance. Use it to get our armed services the best equipment we can give them. They protect me with their lives. The least I can do is protect them with my money. It may not be glorious, but is it not patriotic?

If he reneges on the promise to “spread the wealth” to help us people living on five digits, what responsibility do we have to renege on ours? Is a new Boston Tea Party in order? What if we used the incredible capacity for political action that our internet-savvy generation has demonstrated in this past election to toss the “tea” of war and golden parachutes into the proverbial bay? A populist revolution wherein all of those new voters who supported Obama formed a coalition with the “Joe” the “Plumber” supporters and refused to pay taxes, thus overwhelming the IRS. The civil disobedience of the Civil Rights era was based on the idea that if enough people protested in the streets, the police would be overwhelmed with the inability to arrest all of them. What if we did the same thing to the IRS? They can’t audit all of us. But will we be “hosed” in two figurative senses? Or would this refusal to continue funding a corrupt use of our hard-earned income be the greatest act of financial patriotism since the condemnation of “taxation without representation”? It seems crazy, but if there is one thing America continues to prove, it’s that we never know what unbelievable revolutions are in store.

**PLEASE NOTE** This blog has been relocated. For updates to this post and to view more recent postings, click here.

$120,000 must be the new $150,000, no, it’s the new $200,000, no, the new $250,000. Huh??

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, in a radio interview on Denver, Colorado radio station 850 KOA today stated that people with incomes under $120,000 would receive tax cuts:

After months of stating that Obama would give tax cuts to “all working families” that made less than $250,000, that number has changed four, perhaps five times this week.

Those numbers for people who will have tax bulls-eyes tacked to their foreheads just keeps changing. In the whole “spreading” or redistributing the wealth scheme, those who will have their wealth “spread around” seem to be making less and less from one day to the next.

On Wednesday, “Oh, That’s Just Joe Being Joe” Joe Biden said the Obama-Biden tax plan would lower taxes for everyone making less than $150,000:

Perhaps in a “slow economy” or “financial crisis”, we just need to redefine the definition of “rich”. Wednesday, apparently, rich was $150,000, during Obama’s thirty minute indoctromercial, it was $200,000.

Perplexed by the four different numbers now floating, Fox News Stuart Varney, filling in on Neil Cavuto’s Your World, invited an Obama spokeswoman on to clear things up.

**Warning - Duct Tape Alert**

Please wrap your head securely in Duct tape prior to viewing as your head is likely to explode about 90 seconds in:

This link will take you to the Fox News site where you can view the video.

Miss Law seems to lower the threshold now to $45,000 - $50,000 if I get anythinng that makes any sense out of what she said.

If Mr. Obama, his running mate, a former Ambassador to the U.N. and sitting governor, or his “spokeswoman” can’t walk a straight line, let us do so here. Let’s examine some of the ways in which Miss Law tried to tap dance around directly clarifying which particular number is the one we are to believe:

1. $150,000 and $120,000 were amounts used because they fall inside $250,000, and so does $200,000
2. It’s not Mr. Obama who stated anything but $250,000, it was Joe Biden, and Governor Richardson
3. Since it wasn’t Mr. Obama himself, we’d have to ask Joe Biden and Gov. Richardson what they meant
4. Gov. Richardson and Sen. Biden were just saying those particular amounts because of the people they were talking to probably don’t make more than those amounts of money
5. Mr. Obama did say $250,000 and then $200,000, but that’s not equivocating
6. The discrepancies in amounts just reflect the struggle to define what “middle-class” is
7. Middle-class is really $45,000 - $50,000

Miss Law really cleared things up, didn’t she? Let’s see if we understand her correctly, taking these explanations, one at a time and correcting the circular logic:

1. It’s not a question of what falls inside the amount in question, and that’s not the context or language that was used by any of the speakers. It’s a question of where the threshold lies.
2. First, it was Mr. Obama who was among those confusing the issue. But also, if a candidate or campaign sends out someone to speak on their behalf, they are obligated to have their facts straight. If they don’t have those facts straight, don’t send them out. If they say something that represents the candidate’s point of view, we will take the person at face value. Otherwise, the candidate himself should call a press conference and clear things up. Besides, since Miss Law was speaking on the campaigns behalf, hence the word, “spokeswoman”, are we not to believe anything she says either.
3. We don’t need to ask Biden or Richardson anything. They already spoke. Were they rogues out there without campaign permission? Can we have Miss Law’s cell phone number so we can call and ask her what she meant?
4. So the campaign is admitting that they say things to different people in different places?
5. Huh?? Then what the heck is it?
6. The discussion is not regarding the “struggle to define middle-class”, it’s an effort to nail down a dollar amount at which certain incomes will be taxed higher and others given cuts. Apparently we are being clearly told that until the “struggle” is resolved, we’re not going to be clear on that murky middle-class definition. Hence, the threshold for “rich” is TBD. In other words, we won’t really know what the amount is until after Sen. Obama is elected.
7. Now we’re getting down to it. That $45,000 figure is suspiciously like the $41,600 figure we’d heard about earlier in the campaign: Sen. Obama had at one point in the U.S. Senate voted to raise taxes on  people with incomes above that amount.

Let us examine the definition of the word “equivocate”, courtesy of Merriam-Webster’s:

equiv·o·cate

1 : to use equivocal language especially with intent to deceive 2 : to avoid committing oneself in what one says

2 : to avoid committing oneself in what one says

Seems like the whole loopy discussion is the definition of “equivocate”.

Finally, let’s move totally into the land of common sense and sound reasoning. Is there any real doubt about what’s going on here? We’re being bombarded with so many amounts at this stage, so later, if elected President Obama can stake a claim on whichever amount is most convenient.

This is my last political blog of the season, because quite honestly–I can’t take it anymore!  We are political junkies around here, but as it is with all “junk,” eventually you just have to throw it out.  But after reading the articles and blogs–most of them focused on “redistributing the wealth” and the magic number “$250,000,” I wanted to give my say.  It’s a bit different and I feel it’s all in the words. 

First and foremost, I am in no way questioning the character or motives of Senator Obama.  I don’t know his heart, but assume that he wants the best for the country.  Secondly, I think he is quite accomplished.  He came from a modest and chaotic upbringing to be an extremely successful man–he has lots of achievements, marked intelligence and personality. 

But on the fairness and tax issues–he’s just wrong.  Here’s why.  Fairness cannot be determined by a plan, a law or even a handout.  It’s all dependent on the perspective.  Is it fair that a single mother of three lives on food stamps in government housing, works hard at the local convenience store and sees little of her children? She doesn’t think so.  Is is fair that the small business owner works 80 hours a week, misses his family and sleep, and yet gets taxed more because of it?  He doesn’t think so.  There are always mitigating circumstances that affect each situation, so how do you define fair?  Our government doesn’t have a simple definition for anything–you’re going to leave “fair” up to them?  It’s a word that means something different to neighbors in government housing and neighbors in Beverly Hills. 

So now that we know that fair can’t be defined, then let’s talk specifics.  The additional dollars in taxes paid aren’t even the issue; it’s what kind of behavior it promotes.  First let’s take the low or middle income person who gets an additional $1500 or so in a refundable tax credit (means they get it no matter what, if any, taxes they pay).  It’s likely they will take it and spend it.  They may buy food, pay bills, splurge a little–that’s good for the economy and good for them.  But it is probably not used to improve their situation much–not enough to start a business, go to college, send their kids too a better school–none of that. 

Now let’s look at the small business owner that “takes home” $250,000 a year and then is bumped into paying approximately $7500 to $9000 more a year in taxes.  If they aren’t scrambling to the accountant to figure out a way to get under it (retirement savings, charitable contributions, etc.)–they pay it.  That is immediately $7500 less they have to pay in employee salary, contractor work, benefits, etc.  They might decide to pay one person a little more to do more work and lay someone else off.  Or if you aren’t using it on your business you might forgo the landscaping, painting the house, cleaning the house, buying the car…please stop me, because I could go on.  (Remember when you are a small business person, it’s all the same money.)  Okay, let’s say you get $250,000 in salary–same applies for you.  Now here’s where it hurts–the people that do the landscaping, clean your house, work at the dealership–they’re the ones that might lose their jobs because Mr. $250,000 isn’t doing business with them anymore.  And they are in the low to medium income bracket (see paragraph above). 

So I ask you, what good is an additional $1500 tax refund when you don’t have a job?  You think I’m crazy, tell that to my landscaper who told me yesterday he’s trying to figure out how to get his customers to spend some money.  His family doesn’t go hungry, but he may have fewer employees (read: fewer jobs for lower income folks). 

So in the name of fairness, is an additional 3% a big deal? It could be fair in theory, but in practice it doesn’t work.  So instead of looking at Senator Obama’s accomplishments, let’s look at his policies.  And listen to his words and realize sometimes “fair” just isn’t fair at all.

Carl Campanile and Brendan Scott in the NYP deliver more to us on the Biden and his bout of latent patriotism revealing the truth (finally!) about their tax plan and who is considered rich in America. By next Tuesday, the tax hikes could be as inclusive as Bush’s tax cuts

Gaffe-prone Joe Biden put his foot in his mouth again yesterday, mistakenly excluding millions of Americans from his running mate’s tax-cut proposal.

The Delaware senator’s latest blunder came while discussing Republican tax policies during a television interview in his hometown of Scranton, Pa. 

“What we’re saying is, that $87 billion tax break doesn’t need to go to people making an average of $1.4 million,” Biden said.

“It should go to middle-class people, people who make $150,000 a year.”

Actually, Barack Obama has promised to cut taxes on households earning less than $200,000 a year while raising taxes on those who make more than $250,000 annually.

John McCain quickly cashed in on the slip.

During a rally in Hershey, Pa., McCain told supporters the gaffe revealed the Democrats’ true tax-and-spend intentions.

“It’s interesting how their definition of ‘rich’ has a way of creeping down,” McCain said.

“Senator Obama has made a lot of promises. First, he said people making less than $250,000 would benefit from his plan.

“Then, this weekend, he announced in an ad that if you’re a family making less than $200,000 you’ll benefit - but yesterday right here in Pennsylvania, Senator Biden said tax relief should only go to ‘middle-class people’ - people making under $150,000 a year.

“At this rate, it won’t be long before Senator Obama is right back to his vote that Americans making just $42,000 a year should get a tax increase.

“We can’t let that happen,” McCain added.

The Republican nominee has pounded Obama on taxes recently as economic woes have come to dominate the political debate.

Biden’s tax faux pas provided a new distraction for Obama as he tried to focus on broad, uplifting themes, like “change” and “hope,” in the final week of swing-state stumping.

Obama campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor issued a statement that corrected the vice-presidential candidate without explicitly saying so.

“No family making less than $250,000 will see their tax increases one cent,” Vietor said. “And if your family makes less than $200,000 - as 95 percent of workers and their families do - you’ll get a tax cut.”

Vietor went on to call McCain’s attack on Biden “desperate.”

“Maybe the McCain campaign keeps lying about Obama’s tax plan because with seven days left in this election, voters are rejecting McCain’s plan to give billions more in tax giveaways to big corporations and the wealthiest Americans,” he said.

Also during the stop in Hershey, McCain took a moment to shrug off reports of discord between his campaign staff and his running mate, Sarah Palin.

“By the way, when two mavericks join up, we don’t agree on everything,” McCain said. “But that’s a lot of fun! It’s wonderful to fool the pundits.”

It used to be that according to Barack Obama, if you made less than $250,000 per year, you would not see an increase in taxes. Now, in his latest ad, Obama has lowered that to $200,000 and maybe even $150,000 if we are to believe Joe Biden.

According to National Review:

Obama’s Moving Tax Threshold: $250,000? $200,000? $150,000? What Next?
Byron York
National Review
October 28, 2008

And in Pennsylvania yesterday, Joe Biden said that tax relief should only go to “middle class people — people making under 150,000 dollars a year.”

It looks like Obama and Biden are finally fessing up to how much they will really have to gouge the American worker to pay for all that wealth redistribution they have planned. Chances are, anyone making over $42,000 per year is going to get gouged even further.

Check out the video of Joe Biden over at Hot Air:

Video: Biden Talking About Taxing Incomes Over $150K, Not $250K, Now?
HotAir.com
October 28, 2008

Watch Obama as he lowers the bar to $200,000 over at YouTube:

Obama Ad In Which He Breaks His Promise Not To Tax Those Under $250,000 A Year
YouTube
October 28, 2008

Joe, it’s  time to grow up. If indeed you had 1040 earnings of $250,000.00 you would be well-off. The U.S. Census reports that only about 2% of households in the entire country make an annual income of $250,000 or more. So, from a national perspective you would be right up there with the most successful people in America. And, from a local perspective, according to the 2007 American Community Survey for the Toledo Metropolitan area less than half of a percent of households (542 of 117,939) have annual incomes of more then $200,000.  That would make you one of the wealthiest citizens in Toledo, Ohio. Congratulations would certainly be in order.

Mr. McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, is confused. He seems to think that paying taxes would preclude you from buying a business that would earn you $250,000 or more a year and keep you from realizing the American dream. Where’s the logic? Mr. Obama’s proposal would cause a tax increase of $30 per $1000 earned over $250,000. If that would preclude you from buying the business, then you had best look at your business plan again. It makes no sense.

Later, in an interview on Fox News, Joe, you said, “…it’s my discretion who I want to give my money to, it’s not the government’s.” You seem to think that that the graduated income tax is unfair–that higher income shouldn’t be taxed at a higher rate. Do you have a better solution?  I suppose you are not opposed to getting a small business administration loan or driving your business’s trucks on the roads and bridges that American tax dollars have helped to provide. Perhaps you’d prefer a flat income tax and make up the difference in a value added sales tax (VAT). You’d be paying the VAT on all the goods your business buys as well as on your personal spending on goods. Since you’d be earning more, the bet is you’d be spending more, too. The more you’d spend, the more VAT you’d pay.

Joe, it seems that you have a problem with paying taxes already. The press is quoting the records of the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas that in January of 2007, the state filed a tax lien against Samuel J. Wurzelbacher for $1,182.98 and that lien is still in place. If that’s you, Joe, pay your taxes.

It is time to take responsibility, Joe. Where does the idea come from that to make it means not having to shoulder more responsibilities? Responsibilities grow with success. The greater the wealth, the greater expectations are. Joe, making it means taking responsibility to ensure that our nation can continue to provide to others the same opportunities and infrastructure that is benefiting you. You have to be willing to shoulder the burdens of success as well as reap its rewards.

It is time to be a leader. Running a business means providing leadership and doing what’s right for your employees, customers, and community. Do right by your employees just as you have always expected your employer to do right by you. No one is asking you to shoulder a burden greater than your ability to do so. Stand up and take charge. You are in the driver’s seat. Think smart and act judiciously. Make a difference.

Get your priorities straight. As a business owner you need to focus on the economy. Are people in Toledo going to have the money to hire your plumbing services? Are you going to be able to secure the credit you need to operate your business on a daily basis and grow it over the long term? Are you going to be able to hire skilled employees? If an employee gets sick or injured will he/she have access to good, affordable health care and be back to work as soon as possible? These are the questions that should be front and center, Joe.

Becoming and staying successful takes hard work. Ten. Twelve hours a day. You said it. That is what it takes and more. Embrace it. And thank your lucky stars you have the opportunity to do it. Good Luck.

All original content copyright 2008 Mary E. Slocum

Joe The Plumber’s $250,000 Dilemma has dominated the third and final US presidential election debate and has given me a bad headache.

Let’s be real here. $250,000 is (still) a lot money everywhere you go in the world. If I’d be a regular Joe the plumber from a US suburb and earn a quarter of a million US dollars, I wouldn’t mind paying a bit more taxes. A family can live very well with that kind of money. Just think about how many people live on minimum wage in the US or on less than $2 a day in other countries. McCain was saying that he wants to help Joe realize his American Dream. Still, that doesn’t mean that Joe is exempt from tax paying. It is like turning down a higher income job. No one would say, “No, I don’t want to earn more, because I don’t want to pay more taxes.” I understand that no one likes paying taxes. But in the West, we all need to pay taxes. That is how we finance our welfare. 

In Italy, Silvio Berlusconi promised tax cuts to everyone and he actually cut some taxes. Unfortunately, a few years later, all of Italy complains that there is not enough money for anything and Italy’s infrastructure is falling apart. Stinky Naples being just one outcome. 

Folks, it doesn’t matter if your income rises to a six digits amount. Be happy to earn more, even though you might have to pay a little more taxes. You will actually do something good for your country and for future generations. Someone who makes $250,000 a year should feel blessed that she has something to eat and a roof over her head. I get somewhat confused when hearing people complaining about having to pay taxes when earning a quarter million dollars a year. 

Let’s be happy that with $250,000 we actually have money to pay our taxes.

The third and final US presidential election debate saw one national hero: Joe The Plumber. No, it isn’t a metaphor for the state of the American psyche. Joe The Plumber’s real name is Joe Wurzelbaum and he is a real plumber from Ohio, who got mentioned almost thirty times during the debate.

Joe has one problem: According to Times Online, [Joe] is a tradesman who has worked 12-hour shifts for years and now plans to buy his own small plumbing business. The trouble for Joe the plumber is that this would take his earnings to more than $250,000 - making him a target of Obama’s plan to tax the wealthy. 

The following is a crucial excerpt from the debate (Source: Huffington Post)

“You were going to put him in a higher tax bracket which was going to increase his taxes, which was going to cause him not to be able to employ people, which Joe was trying to realize the American dream,” McCain said to Obama.

McCain then looked directly into the TV camera and said: “Joe, I want to tell you, I’ll not only help you buy that business that you worked your whole life for and I’ll keep your taxes low and I’ll provide available and affordable health care for you and your employees. And I will not stand for a tax increase on small business income.”

Obama denied that was true.

“Not only do 98 percent of small businesses make less than $250,000, but I also want to give them additional tax breaks, because they are the drivers of the economy,” Obama said. “They produce the most jobs.” 

Democrats’ Vice Presidential Candidate Joe Biden countered the attacks on the Democrats’ tax policies with, “I don’t have any Joe the Plumbers in my neighborhood that make $250,000 a year and are worried. The Joe the Plumbers in my neighborhood, the Joe the Cops in my neighborhood, the Joe the Grocery Store Owners in my neighborhood, they make — like 98 percent of the small businesses — less than $250,000 a year and they’re going to do very well under us.”

Read the next post for my subjective opinion.

Here’s what John McCain was referring to in the final presidential debate. Obama lays out his tax plan for the Ohio plumber. Well, done Sen. Obama! 

Read Dad’s reply to this email.

I have no idea where this came from or if it’s for real.  But it is interesting.  The version I got was bold but it screwed up the post if left it that way but that’s the only change.  I didn’t get the attachment.  Does anyone have it? 

hey Dad
Let’s talk later today. Looking for what you think and what you’ve been thinking. Here is mine. Give me the best reasons that I should vote for McCain and tell me if what I’ve found is a load of bull. I’m having trouble thinking it through. Maybe too much CNN & SNL haha Also need to check out what obama might do to small businesses - havn’t had time to do that do you have anything?I’m thinking okay, McCain has done such strange things over the last couple of weeks and Sarah Palin isn’t ready so thought it best to check out Obama’s tax plan for myself.

Taxes and taking care of my family is my issue - it’s the only issue as far as I’m concerned. However, McCain is obviously the only choice for national defense. Finally, a war hero as the president - - - - but that won’t pay my bills.

You’d have to make over $250,000 a year for your taxes to increase under the Obama plan. I’ve attached a chart. So this idea that he’s gonna raise taxes on us may not be right - unless your somebody that I’m not - no way I make close to $250,000 a year. I wish!

I’m also looking at gas prices. My taxes didn’t go down much during Bush’s time but gas has gone crazy. So they lowered my taxes by a few dollars and then raised the price of gas x 3.

And it ticks me off that the top people at oil companies are getting rich while we are getting robbed at the gas stations.

They had record profits and some CEOs made over $30 million in one year.

When Bush took office the average price of gasoline was $1.56 per gallon. Now it’s $4.07 . I don’t know who is to blame but I know that my tiny tax cut didn’t pay for the out of pocket that I have in gas.

Do you think that the numbers from the Census adjusted for inflation are right? I’m not sure how this works but it looks like most of us lost more than $2,000 a year in income since Bush has been in office. That makes since because at work we’re cutting back cutting back - asking to pay more of our own health insurance. While prices have gone up up up, work gives me less less less. Dad, is the Washington Times an okay sourc? Aren’t they conservative? Maybe I’m wrong if so discount this story - read title=”http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/aug/27/household-incomes-flat-during-bush-administration/” href=”http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/aug/27/household-incomes-flat-during-bush-administration/”>this story from the Washington Times. the country has lost jobs for the last 7 months and house values are zomming down.I know my house is worth lots less now. We wanted to move when Tom hit 6th grade but I don’t think we could pay off the mortage with what’d we’d get.

Here is the Obama tax thing in a nut shell - Looks like my taxes would go down. I’d have to make over $250,000 to get an increase.

Other stuff I found and it is making me lean against the party. I just can’t keep going backwards financially . Maybe you have to be rich for it to work for you. I’m I off here?

Exxon has had record profits. They booked $11.7 billion JUST IN one quarter. Here is an article on it:

http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/01/news/companies/exxon_earnings/
Last year, the CEOs of the 15 largest oil companies took home a total of $512.9 million, averaging over $34 million each. The top earner of $95.1 million was Bill Greehey, top executive of Valero Energy, the la…you can read more here

dkd

 

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Today’s show was really plain…not much to talk about.

Ok the treasure hunt for the BB prize began last night. A big patch of sand in the backyard. First they had to find 10 pieces of a jigsaw puzzle in the 10 segments marked out. Ben was first to find his…then they all slowly found their pieces in their assigned field. Nobbi Ben and Bianca put the jigsaw pieces together. I didnt’ get to see the puzzle but from the puzzle, they somehow had the idea this treasure was between the spa and the laundy, so they started digging in the sand between the two areas. They dug very deep, where there was water too! Dig Dig , Rory and Ben found a treasure chest with scissors, something that looked like a sowing kit….and this supposed clue…which BB gave a spare to Nobbi when he was called to the Kombi. The clue ‘disintegrated.’ Yes…….very believable.

The clue was read out by the Nobster, the clue was really obvious. Somewhere where past housemates have met their doom, where you place your bum. They all thought it was the question mark lounge…so did I! But BB told them it wasn’t. Then Nobbi suggested the diary room chair when others thought it was the bed….why ruin the bed when you can ruin the diary room chair! In the diary room, they pretty much ripped it apart, and found MONEYS! 10 boxes of $25 000 each. Wow! Yes, BB told them that they are indeed playing the game, and with the money, he makes sure of it. Person who wins BB gets $250 000. Brigitte says you can’t afford a Ferrari with that money…T_T

Anyway during the digging, the housemates were given a break by Big Brother to see Rhianna deliver her final farewell. Rhianna bursted into tears immediately, saying how she had the best time in the house. She said alot of things about Cherry and how evil he was! Anyway thanks to the housemate grenade, she takes revenge on Cherry, forcing him to be housekeeper, who must clean up after every meal and clean the toilets EVERY DAY! Haha, this job is worst than Dixie’s. Sucked in Cherry =p Well deserved, for being a meany to Rhianna, but for playing the game…

Anyway, nominations. Very tight nominations this week. Some really weird things came up. Rory giving points to Brigitte due to her comment early about the money and ferrari. Terry giving points to Terrence for telling people to do certain things after they leave. Brigitte voting for Rory and Ben for being party of the gang. Alice had similar reasons. People voted for Cherry…for playing the game…Cherry’s made it sooo obvious he’s playing the game. He did tactical votes for both his nominations. He nominates Rory so he can get into nominations and hopefully be voted off by the public. Cherry does not deserve to win now!

So the nominees at first were Alice, Cherry, Terrence and Rory. Nobbi says Rory no doubt, then comes the reshuffle, putting himself up along with Terri and Brigitte. Poor Nobbi. Cherry’s plan actually worked T_T We could say that the housemates were influenced not to vote for Nobbi! Ah ha! But what would’ve been smart for Nobbi was to vote for himself, after knowing what Cherry said earlier. Oh well. What’s done is done.

I don’t know who will go. I have established Australia likes Alice. So she won’t go. Australia won’t let go of Brigitte. Australia likes Terri, she won’t go. I don’t know how Australia sees Nobbi, after the Travis incident. Cherry…should just leave. Terrence…maybe Australia likes. As grim as it seems, Nobbi might get booted out…but hopefully Cherry.

50th post on the blog yay! And nearly the 50th day of BB. Lots in the daily show!

As the boys were in the cinema, Cherry and Brigitte were being naughty and being strategic… Cherry said ‘Winning Friday Night Games may not always be to your advantage.’ Obviously, all housemates knew if the person winning was in the 4th spot, the person would slip into nominations after the twist. So Cherry is like, we should give less points hint hint. That gave him a strike. Brigitte said the same thing in the lounge, with Terri warning her she can’t say that stuff. She got a strike as well! Brigitte goes on about Nobbi forming his own group, making it seem playing the game like.

When the boys were out of the cinema, Bianca was nice enough to fill the boys in on what was happening, saying how Cherry seems to think Nobbi is playing the game?!?! I don’t know what happened there. Nobbi went to cherry before going to the cinema and said sorry for not inviting him. Cherry was alright, then you see Cherry plotting evil plans! So Nobbi asks Cherry to come out and they have a little argument! With Bianca in the middle, who was the ‘mole.’  Pretty funny, because Bianca’s all quiet and Nobbi’s like ‘i heard this from someone, who i won’t tell who.’  Cherry probably figured easily. Hmmmm that whole things complicated =/

Terrence was busy meditating, with his blind fold on. Nobbi, bored as ever will be, mucks around, surrounds him with the farm animals quietly. It looked really funny because the animals were pretty much next to Terrence. Terrence awakes from his slumber and WOAH animals! ‘I make peace with the animals,’ Alice Nobbi and Terrence just laugh.

In the morning, Nobbi notices stuff over the house wall. He thinks its decorations for something, probably Brigitte’s b’day. Brigitte doesn’t think so =/ Anyway, Brigitte talks to Nobbi about forming his own cult and how he’s trying to get Cherry. Nobbi is no way getting Cherry into his cult, but doesn’t want Cherry to dislike him. Brigitte likens the cult to black crowswho sit in the trees talking about people, like the guys do anyway.So now the new cult is the black crow gang. Brigitte demonstrates the workings of the crow gang, in a crow voice. Nobbi says he tries to brainwash everyone in to joining, even Terri, who was there. Too bad Nobbi ‘tried to brainwash Brigitte but she has no brain.’

The Task for this week, was the BB salon. Housemates had the opportunity to cut and receive hair cuts from their fellow housemates. As BB was delivering the results, the housemates were wearing their new hairstyles. Though BB criticised their cutting skills, they passed the task. yay!

Brigitte finds a new way to straighten her hair, at the oven. She’s smart wooot! Anyway skip to her b’day party. Housemates had no idea where they were going, except the fact they were going to Brigitte’s 21st B’day party…, they all hopped onto the BB plane…off to Sparkle Land! On the way, housemates were playing with the helium in the balloons that were in the plane. High voices Travis tried but his voice didn’t really change. Terri had to state the obvious, ‘your voice is so high, there’s no difference.’ When they arrived, All the housemates were surprised at sparkle land! All pink, shiny, sparkly, balloons..and a pool. There was food yay! Anyway, BB gathered the housemates around the plasma TV for a message from Brigitte’s family. Damn, whats the point of the housemate grenade T_T. Renee must be pissed!

Anyway, the video message was funny, Brigitte’s dad crying , running away from the camera. Anyway fun fun during the party, as the danced, boogied, ate stuff etc. Brigitte b’day present came…and guess what it was. PRINCESS SPARKLES! As dirty as ever before seen! Probably thanks to Saxon.  Some housemates went into the pool. Special mention to Rory with his gstring, then getting into the pool with Rhianna for some love time =o

It was time for the housemates to leave Sparkle Land. BB warned housemates they were not allowed to take anything from the party, not even food! Obviously BB wanted the left over food! Brigitte tried shoving a pillow up her dress o_O Anyway, all aboard BB airways…and captain BB announced,…6hours till they arrive to Gold COast. All the housemates moan. XD

Evictions…skip skip Rhianna got evicted oh knows…shock horror, i wanted Alice to go. Wah wah! Rory got hit hard, not hard to see. Rory’s new snuggle buddy seems to be Terrence. I don’t know how that came to be, but we will see later =/

Ok the prize this year was revealed to the housemates…well its location at least…well in a treasure hunt activity. we know its 250 000 dollars, and its been in the house the whole time, where housemates sit their asses on. Yes a few places, there’s the spa….bed….diary room chair, lounge room, TOILET! Yes….anyway housemates are currently digging out a treasure chest that had a riddle, that gives the whereabouts of the prize. Well, there’s so much sand in the backyard! As they made a huge field of sand in lock down. Happy finding housemates.

Sorry its kinda rushed, but im busy =/

Hey, next saturday Toronto is having a party for having a quartre of a Million hits.

If you can’t see the image, it says:

• 250,000 Hits Party!
• When: Saturday, May 10.
• Time: 3:00PM (ET).
• Where: Mammoth, Dock.
• Who: Everyone!

For more information visit http://clubpenguincp.com ;)

Becoming increasingly worried about their son who, as previously reported by iNPLACENEWS, had been kidnapped, the parents of the suspected victim in Florida are increasing the reward for their son’s return from $10,000 to $250,000.

Here is the original post from iNPLACENEWS:

iNPLACENEWS

Thank You! 

ThunkDifferent.com received it’s 250,000th visitor early this morning. This is great news! Thanks visiting and exploring all the fun stuff we talka bout and comment on. Thunk Different has had a audio podcasts, video podcasts, a forum, and in the future a book! Until then, we keep living the dream and make an exciting weblog of wonderful content. Thanks x 250,000 and please check back regularily to see and hear things thunk different.

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