Friday, May 26, 2006

Bancorpsouth Bank----Be Careful

I've been getting a lot of e-mails from Bancorpsouth asking for personal information related to my accounts with them. There is just one little item: I don't bank with Bancorpsouth. I use another bank. In that bank, I have only a checking account. All my investments are in brokerage accounts.

If you are getting these e-mails from Bancorpsouth--do not give them any information. This is a scam and the crooks could steal your personal information. Identity theft is increasing and one way this is accomplished is through e-mail. Be careful.

MEMORIAL DAY

This coming Tuesday is the official Memorial Day holiday (despite it being celebrated next Monday). Let us never forget this day of remembrance and give thanks to those who fought and those who died for our freedom.

I have surfed the Internet and read chilling books on the Croatian Holocaust during World War II and the Holocaust of the Jews during that hapless period. The horror of those two Holocausts will make your skin crawl. The Orthodox Serbs and the Jews were killed solely because of their religion. What possesses a person to slaughter innocent human beings because of their religion is beyond me. Truly a person must be evil.

As a person of Jewish ancestry, I am grateful I was born in the United States. I remember my maternal grandfather telling me what it was like to live in Poland. After Poland got its independence in 1918-1919, the Jews were promised they would live in a society where everybody would be equal. A year later, my grandparents found that to be a lie. Their town of Zarem was the focus of virulent anti-Semitic prejudice (Don't bother looking for the town on a map. The Germans literally wiped it off the face of the earth during WWII.). My grandparents got angry at the persecution and fled with their two sons (They had three sons. One of them died a few days after birth and was buried there. My mother was born in the United States.) to Hungary. The next thing they encountered was a one-hundred day Communist takeover by Bela Kun. So they fled and took a boat to the United States.

When my grandparents told me all this, I said "I sure am lucky to have been born in the United States." My grandfather yelled, "YOU'RE LUCKY? YOU'RE LUCKY???? At least I had a country to escape to!!"

We must never forget this nation, the United States of America, is the last best hope for freedom and liberty on this earth. Let us remember those who fought and died for us on Memorial Day and pray for those who are fighting for us today.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

LAW ENFORCEMENT IS WATCHING YOU

The Pearl Police were out at the nexus on Airport Road and other areas on Highway 80. They were checking to see if you were wearing your seat belt and to give you a warning. Beginning on Friday, you can be ticketed if you are not wearing your seat belt.

I'll be the first to tell you that wearing a seat belt saves lives. I'm living proof of that. In July 1992, I had an auto accident at the intersection of North Ridgewood and Northside Drive in Jackson, Miss. A car tire blew out and I hit a telephone pole head-on. If I had not worn a seat belt, I would've gone right through the window and had been instantly killed. As it turned out, I had a simple fracture on my left leg, some bruises and a chipped back tooth.

But I am totally opposed to the government FORCING me to wear one. I am above the age of 21 and I can decide for myself if I want to be a jerk and risk my life. In Pearl, there is enough for the police to do without checking on drivers wearing a seat belt. The police might want to police the illegal immigrant areas a lot better instead of worrying if Granny is wearing a seat belt.

Another thing that concerns me is the slow but sure loss of freedom we have. Unless it directly affects another person's life or liberty, government has no right to force us to do things we do not want to do. You can rest assured there will be an effort to ban drivers from talking on cell phones. Sure, it's dangerous and stupid to talk on a cell phone while driving. (I have a cell phone but NEVER talk on it while driving.) But unless you hit me, I have no problem with you being a fool. If you DO hit me, I'll sue you for every penny you have. Should government monitor this, too? What about eating while driving? Or fixing your hair? Look, I know of a CPA who had a fax machine in his car and yakked on the cell phone while driving and faxing!

Be careful while driving this weekend. And buckle up!!

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Pray for Jason Reed

Please pray for Jason Reed. I've known him for five years and I can tell you he is one of the finest Christian individuals I have ever known. He is a fellow CPA and he is only 32 years old. He has a very rare form of cancer and is in ICU at University Hospital in Jackson, Miss.

I met him back in 2001 when I was working for Smith, Tew and Phillips. We did work for the firm as a second job. He was great to work with. I never heard him cuss or even get nasty. When you work with someone for four years, surely you will have a cross word or two. That never happened between the two of us. I genuinely liked him and he was a very friendly, bear of a guy. He worked hard and knew quite a bit about taxes.

I'm hoping and praying for a miracle. He went into ICU in the early part of the month and nearly died. He's on life support. He was supposed to get married on May 20th. He'd make an excellent husband and father. There are very few Christians who talk and live the Christian life. He was one of them.

Don't Forget to Vote

Don't forget to vote on June 6th in the Democratic primary. There is only one race--that for the US Senate. Since there is no Republican primary (Sen. Lott is unopposed.), I can vote in the Democratic primary. I plan to vote for Bill Bowlin. I'm not crazy about the other candidates. It's all a moot point, since the Democratic nominee will lose to Lott.

Wouldn't it be a hoot if there was a runoff? While the first primary would have a good turnout because of the heated primary in Congressional District 2, the second primary would not have that race and voter turnout would dive in a second primary.

Welcome

I am a CPA in Pearl, Mississippi. My goal is to keep others in the area what is going on in Pearl and the county it is located in--Rankin County. I will comment on politics, businesses, and what is going on in the area.

I am very conservative and I will comment on politics, taxes, the economy, religion and the culture. I will not pull any punches and I will tell it as I see it. I basically vote Republican, but I have been known to vote Democratic in some races.

I invite comments from all readers and keep me abreast as to what is going on.