The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Greetings ta ever one in western Illinois and all readers of "The Quill".
Ground Hog Day was last Saturday and I'm a hope'n ever one was satisfied with the news that the little critter provided.
A Billion
The government shut down is over fer a few weeks, but I wonder how many folk fully realize the reality of what a billion dollars is? The word billion is oft used in a rather casual manner when ya hear reporters and politicians talk'n about spend'n your tax dollars.
A billion is a difficult number to comprehend. But one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases.
A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959
B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.
C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.
D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.
E. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.
While this thought is still fresh in our brain...let's take a look at New Orleans...
It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division
Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D) was asking Congress for 250 Billion Dollars to rebuild New Orleans. Interesting number...What does it mean?
A. Well...If you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans. (every man, woman and child) You each get $516,528.
B. Or ...If you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans, your home gets $1,329,787.
C. Or...If you are a family of four...Your family gets $2,066,012.
Washington, D.C., Hello! Are all of your calculators broken??
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax (Fed)
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Tax
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge Taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
(And to think,we left British Rule to avoid so many taxes)
Still Think This Is Funny?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago. And our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
What happened? Politicians!
And I still have to press '1' for English.
I hope this goes around the
U.S.A. at least 100 times!
Well, there ya have it then, something ta think about.
If'n ya have a little more room in yer thinker, here are some more fillers to think on fer these long winter nights.
Passing The Buck/ The Buck Stops Here
Most men in the early west carried a jack knife made by the Buck knife company. When playing poker it was common to place one of these Buck knives in front of the dealer so that everyone knew who he was. When it was time for a new dealer the deck of cards and the knife were given to the new dealer. If this person didn't want to deal he would "pass the buck" to the next player. If that player accepted then "the buck stopped there."
Riff Raff
The Mississippi River was the main way of traveling from north to south. Riverboats carried passengers and freight but they were expensive so most people used rafts. Everything had the right of way over rafts which were considered cheap. The steering oar on the rafts was called a "riff" and this transposed into riff-raff, meaning low class.
Cobweb
The Old English word for "spider" was "cob".
Ship State Rooms
Traveling by steamboat was considered the height of comfort. Passenger cabins on the boats were not numbered. Instead they were named after states. To this day, cabins are called staterooms!
Sleep Tight
Early beds were made with a wooden frame. Ropes were tied across the frame in a criss-cross pattern. A straw mattress was then put on top of the ropes. Over time, the ropes stretched, causing the bed to sag. The owner would then tighten the ropes to get a better night's sleep.
Showboat
These were floating theaters built on a barge that was pushed by a steamboat. These played small towns along the Mississippi River. Unlike the boat shown in the movie "Showboat," these did not have an engine. They were gaudy and attention grabbing which is why we say someone who is being the life of the party is "showboating".
Over A Barrel
In the days before CPR, a drowning victim would be placed face down over a barrel and the barrel would be rolled back and forth in an effort to empty the lungs of water. It was rarely effective. If you are over a barrel, you are in deep trouble.
Barge In
Heavy freight was moved along the Mississippi in large barges pushed by steamboats. These were hard to control and would sometimes swing into piers or other boats. People would say they "barged in".
Hogwash
Steamboats carried both people and animals. Since pigs smelled so bad, they would be washed before being put on board. The mud and other filth that was washed off was considered useless "hog wash".
Curfew
The word "curfew" comes from the French phrase "couvre-feu", which means "cover the fire". It was used to describe the time blowing out all lamps and candles. It was later adopted into Middle English as "curfeu", which later became the modern "curfew". In the early American colonies homes had no real fireplaces so a fire was built in the center of the room. In order to make sure a fire did not get out of control during the night, it was required that, by an agreed upon time, all fires would be covered with a clay pot called a "curfew".
Barrels Of Oil
When the first oil wells were drilled they had made no provision for storing the liquid so they used water barrels. That is why, to this day, we speak of barrels of oil rather than gallons.
Hot Off The Press
As the paper goes through the rotary printing press friction causes it to heat up. Therefore, if you grab the paper right off the press it is hot. The expression means to get immediate information.
And...Now You Know!
Thats all fer this week's column. Hope'n ta see ya in the church of yer choice soon.
Wherever ya are, whatever ya be a do'n, 'BE A GOOD ONE!'
Keep on Smile'n
Catch ya later
Barnyard Bruke