TOP DRAWER INK NEWSLETTER

 

Here's the latest issue of Top Drawer Ink, the newsletter written by author HL Carpenter that's chock full of humor and common sense information.

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December 5, 2009
Volume 7, Number 23
ISSN 1554-6330

In this issue:

1. Top Drawer News
2. Carpenter Country
3. Top Drawer Article
4. Top Drawer Tips
5. Top Drawer Satire

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***TOP DRAWER NEWS***

Beginning with the first issue of 2010, Top Drawer Ink will be published in an updated, easier-to-read format. Don’t worry - you’ll still receive our scintillating content, delivered to your e-mail box twice a month. However, because the change involves a new provider, subscribers will be asked to complete another double opt-in process. *Current readers can be added to the new list without having to re-subscribe.* If you would like to take advantage of this option, please e-mail editor @ TopDrawerInkCorp.com, with “Yes, add me to the new list” in the subject line.

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CARPENTER COUNTRY
What's Happening in Our Neck of the Human Experience

 

The short one came across a wedding ring in her jewelry box the other day. It once belonged to her great-aunt Fannie and the date inscribed on the inside of the gold band was 1906.

So, what was going on one hundred plus years ago? she wondered. Were there problems with health care, the deficit, the environment? Did Fannie complain as much back then as the short one does now - and did all the grumbling do any good?

History disclosed that in the year the wedding ring was slipped on great-auntie’s finger, Theodore Roosevelt was President.

An earthquake and a fire destroyed San Francisco.

Mark Twain was in Washington for the hearings on the copyright bill.

The Chicago White Sox defeated the Chicago Cubs in the World Series.

Women’s dresses were long.

Waistlines were slim.

Hats were a must.

And the streets of New York City were filled with horse poop.

Horse poop!

Yes, that was the environmental issue of the day. Throw in mosquitoes, ticks, rotting garbage and you have cholera, typhoid, typhus, yellow fever and malaria to contend with. Add cattle, sheep, pigs, rats and other rodents to the mix and there’s a really big mess.

Can you imagine trying to cross a manure-filled street in a white wedding dress?

Fannie’s complaints must have been loud, angry, and evidently heard – since the powers-that-be managed to mostly subdue the ecological crisis by 1912.

Here in Carpenter Country the ecosystem is doing just fine, but the short one’s happily grousing and grumbling about a lot of other things.

Unfortunately, nobody listens.

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TOP DRAWER ARTICLE

Employment Scams
by
HL Carpenter

 

As the jobless rate rises to - and stays in - the double digits, employment scams become more prevalent. Here are three old cons that have been repackaged to lure you with new false-as-ever promises.

Read the entire article here

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TOP DRAWER TIPS
Topics and Tidbits

 

Tip: Scams involving internet auction sites affect both buyers and sellers. Watch out for check frauds, where someone offers full price for your merchandise – if you’ll help them out by depositing the cashier’s check they’ll send and forwarding the overage to another person they owe money to.

Glossary Term: Multi-level marketing (MLM). A method of selling goods or services. MLM companies promise you’ll earn commissions for goods or services that you sell, as well as commissions on goods or services sold by people that you recruit. It’s not against the law for a company to offer to pay you commissions for selling their products or services. However, be aware that an offer to pay you commissions for recruiting others is generally considered a pyramid scheme, and is illegal.

Financial Horoscope: The future is looking a bit brighter, even though times are still tough. For now, continue your cost-cutting. Just be careful to avoid wooden nickels.

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TOP DRAWER SATIRE

All Due Respect
by
HL Carpenter

 

At a grilling attended by the chairman of the Federal Reserve this week, members of the US Senate enjoyed sticking a fork into a popular dish. Plates were loaded with All Due Respect, an oratorical entrée regularly served up in Washington.

Read the rest here