John

I still have those furry handcuffs Glen......Maybe next year!

As some of you may know, I lost my Dad recently. My sister and I have been dealing with never ending layers of bureaucracy. Inheritance taxes in the UK are somewhat brutal once the estate is valued over a certain amount. I have always been of the opinion that the more tax I pay the more income I have therefore not it's necessarily a terribly bad thing...............however......... I got the following in my e-mail this morning and had the usual chuckle. I don't typically pass these things along as a matter of course, but as I continued to read I realized that this is very close to my heart. If you read the whole thing, it's very close to reality! Tax his land, Tax his bed, Tax the table At which he's fed. Tax his tractor, Tax his mule, Teach him taxes Are the rule. Tax his cow, Tax his goat, Tax his pants, Tax his coat. Tax his ties, Tax his shirt, Tax his work, Tax his dirt. Tax his tobacco, Tax his drink, Tax him if he Tries to think. Tax his cigars, Tax his beers, If he cries, then Tax his tears. Tax his car, Tax his gas, Find other ways To tax his ass Tax all he has Then let him know That you won't be done Till he has no dough. When he screams and hollers, Then tax him some more, Tax him till He's good and sore. Then tax his coffin , Tax his grave, Tax the sod in Which he's laid. Put these words upon his tomb, " Taxes drove me to my doom..." When he's gone, Do not relax, Its time to apply The inheritance tax. Accounts Receivable Tax Building Permit Tax CDL license Tax Cigarette Tax Corporate Income Tax Dog License Tax Excise Taxes Federal Income Tax Federal Unemployment Tax Fishing License Tax Food License Tax Fuel Permit Tax Gasoline Tax Gross Receipts Tax Hunting License Tax Inheritance Tax Inventory Tax Liquor Tax Luxury Taxes Marriage License Tax Medicare Tax Personal Property Tax Property Tax Real Estate Tax Service Charge Tax Social Security Tax Road Usage Tax Sales Tax Recreational Vehicle Tax School Tax Income Tax Unemployment Tax Telephone Federal Excise Tax Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax Telephone Provincial and Local tax Telephone Usage Charge Tax Utility Taxes Vehicle License Registration Tax Vehicle Sales Tax Watercraft Registration Tax Well Permit Tax Workers Compensation Tax STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY? Not one of these taxes existed less than 100 years ago, and our nation was the one of the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom typically stayed home to raise the kids. What the hell happened?

A day in history that changed all of our lives forever. Great post Roy........ I was at Heathrow Airport early on 9/11/01 and will never, ever forget that feeling as the BBC news broadcast the attack. It took me 4 days to get back to Toronto Pearson. While frustrated, I felt very proud that through the turmoil and confusion some 3,000 odd miles away, Canadians were volunteering their seats to get returning Americans back home, through Canada to be with their loved ones... John...

Congrat's Terry, Barbara and I just hit 33 and wouldn't change a thing.....

Hey Kelvin, have a great time bud. Be safe. John

Great report Emil. I love that part of the country. The kids' faces say it all.

Great looking fish Dad...........congrat's......you too Pete!

Great report Glen, I laughed so much I soiled myself too..............it must be an age thang!

Both politicians and oil companies forecast a month ago that gas prices would be around $1.00 per litre by Labour Day. Maybe this is a way for them to say that they gave us a break of $0.01 a litre!

Happy b'day Paul...

Several people have been arrested on suspicion of arson since Friday, although some were accused of starting fires through negligence rather than intent. One man, however, was charged with arson and homicide in connection with a fire near the southern town of Areopolis on Friday that killed six people. Building on forest land is forbidden in Greece, but unscrupulous developers are blamed for setting fires to forests in an effort to circumvent the law by disputing the area's status. Greece has no land registry, so once a region has been burned and cleared, there is no definitive proof of whether it was initially forest, farm or field. "It is rather late now, but the state should designate these areas to be immediately reforested, map them and complete the forest registry without further delay," said Yiannis Revythis, chairman of the association of Athens real estate agents. The destruction has infuriated Greeks -- already stunned by deadly forest fires in June and July. Outraged residents heckled Culture Minister George Voulgarakis Sunday when he visited Ancient Olympia to see the firefighting efforts. "The government was totally unable to deal with this situation," said Gerassimos Kaproulias, an Ancient Olympia schoolteacher. From Sunday morning to Monday morning alone, 89 new fires broke out, fire department spokesman Nikos Diamandis said. "This is an immense ecological disaster," said Theodota Nantsou, WWF Greece Conservation Manager. "We had an explosive mixture of very adverse weather conditions, tinder-dry forests -- to an extent not seen for many years -- combined with the wild winds of the past two weeks. It's a recipe to burn the whole country." The government appealed for help from abroad, and 19 countries were sending planes, helicopters and firefighters, including France, which dispatched four water-tanker planes and Russia, which was sending three helicopters and an amphibian plane. The fires hit during the traditional August holidays when villages across Greece are filled with people Athens and other large cities returning to their ancestral areas. Desperate residents appealed through television stations for help from a firefighting service already stretched to the limit. The government declared a state of emergency on Saturday. The worst of the fires are concentrated in the mountains of the Peloponnese in the south and on the island of Evia north of Athens. Strong winds blew smoke and ash over the capital, blackening the evening sky and turning the rising moon red. In the ravaged mountain villages in the Peloponnese, rescue crews found a grim scene that spoke of last-minute desperation as the fires closed in. Dozens of charred bodies have been found across fields, homes, along roads and in cars. Weekend wildfires also killed two elderly people in neighboring Bulgaria, officials said Monday. They died in a fire that burned down their house in the southern village of Prisadets, said Darina Stamatova, spokeswoman of the regional administration. An Associated Press photographer on the scene said almost all houses in the villages of Prisadets, Varnik and Filipovo were destroyed by the flames. A blistering hot summer has led to more than a thousand wildfires across Bulgaria in the past three months burning down 84,000 acres of forests and farm fields, the government said.

Amazing video, thanks. The skill is incredible.

It's too bad that they declined our original offer a few weeks ago when they claimed that they had it under control.

Great choice Mo. The Koreans, (Kia/Hyundai) have got their build quality comparable to the Japanese. Should serve you well. John

Dang cg33, I agree with you too, maybe I'm getting soft in my old age...

Actually, I'm pretty lucky too. I have 4 weeks paid vacation, another week in 3 years time. Plus 10 days stat holidays, plus my birthday as a floater. My cousins in the UK have 6 weeks paid vacation plus stat hols plus floaters plus sick days, plus family care days, both of which they can accumulate!!!

Isn't "Reasonable Suspicion" so all encompassing that it's almost unquantifiable?

A great tribute for a most deserving man....... We all have or will experience life at it's very best and it's most challenging times. The support that we receive from OFC's, some whom we know well and others who we have never met, is truly overwhelming. The fact that we share some of the best and worst times of our lives with one another attests to what we actually have here. Each time you look into the painting Lew, you will discover new intimate details that bring back fond memories. Something that only an artists rendering can provide. Be well Lew, Diane and Sheri...... John..

I was in the middle of my third coffee Roy! I will send you the cleaning bill...............

Most of us can overlook the occasional poop disturber on this board who seem to try to make up for their inadequacies............... Great thread Connie.

Don't get your knickers in a twist holdfast.......I can't remember the last time the Brit's invaded North Battleford! Perhaps it's time to build that air raid shelter........

Seems like I managed to discover some long lost relatives of............guess who?

Can't help directly but a friend on mine who is a retired high school teacher manages a Rona store and he always has a smile on his face. Mind you, they have some incredibly cute staff at his store.........

Very sincere heartfelt thanks to each and everyone of you who make up this amazing community. Thank you for your thoughts, kind words and prayers. Although I am very fortunate to be able to return to the UK 2 or 3 times a year, it is painfully difficult to "see" someone you love and respect lose their battle with this dreadful disease inch by inch, from 3,000 miles away. As many of you said, he is at peace with the one he loved dearly. John & Barbara........

We lost my Dad over the weekend. The world will be a lesser place without him. As some of you knew, he had been battling lung cancer. Against all odds he managed to live with it for a year and a half and had a pretty good quality of life. We talked practically daily and his quick witted sense of humour continued strong until the last week or so when he deteriorated quite rapidly. As he hadn't been able to eat or talk for a few days, his passing on was a blessing. Dad had selflessly dedicated 8 1/2 of the last 10 years of his life to taking care of my Mom who had many health problems. Eventually she passed away from complications associated with her illness. He never really got over losing her and talked often about their being together once again. Although I will be away in the UK for the next couple of weeks I hope to still get to the Firehall tomorrow night to have a beer or two in his honour. John....