Return address is the...post office?

Ok so someone bought the Xbox WiFi Adapter that I posted on Amazon (that was a rant in itself..the thing only works with factory xbox and you have to use a disk that only reads on a factory xbox to get the adapter configured). Anyway...I put my return address on it and the recipient in the USPS click and ship. I go to the post office in Alpha, Ohio (essentially Beavercreek) and the lady goes "if you used our zip code we'd get credit for shipping it". Now...am I just being ridiculously misinterpreting or does that totally NOT make sense? I mean, the recipient should have a proper return address on the package. I'm not going to lie. That zip code is not MY zip code nor a Xenia zip code. It would be like putting the post office as the return address which makes 0 sense. Who looks at the shipping from zip code at the post office? I've never had anyone beg for zip code "credit". How odd.

Google thinks I'm a virus

So I'm listening to http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fiA3cHk2Aas&feature=related and trying to get the name of the music in the background. I'm trying to search by the lyrics (and since I don't know Italian...I'm trying to guess how to spell). Anyway...after a certain amount of tries, it appears that I am a virus...

We're sorry...

... but your query looks similar to automated requests from a computer virus or spyware application. To protect our users, we can't process your request right now.

We'll restore your access as quickly as possible, so try again soon. In the meantime, if you suspect that your computer or network has been infected, you might want to run a virus checker or spyware remover to make sure that your systems are free of viruses and other spurious software.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope we'll see you again on Google.

Well I hope they like Yahoo because that's what I'm using now (at least until Google lets me search again).

Throw Away in NOT a Throw Away. It's YOUR fault for making a monopoly!

Remember - the two-party system relies on the fact that people typically vote Dem or Rep. So if more people broadened their horizon it would be an equal playing field for everyone. Just because someone isn't Dem or Rep doesn't mean they can't win or be a big decision maker in who wins.

I think it's loony to vote for a lesser of a two evil when there is a perfectly good candidate that is in the 3rd largest party. If it's going to "spoil" then we should get rid of democracy all together. We have the freedom to choose who we want. If we didn't have that choice then it would be a throw away. It's loony to not vote at all. In the words of one reporter "The greatest power the people have is their vote, and in supporting the lesser of two evils each election, voters ensure eternal evil." I'm voting for the candidate I agree with the most. Even if it's not 100%, it's the best choice for me.

Then if you all complain if the US goes sour if a Rep or Dem takes it down, it's YOUR fault for allowing them a monopoly because you could have voted otherwise. Even in the local races, I vote for who I closest agree with. I don't care about party lines.

Throw Away Votes

So I'm not going to vote Republican or Democrat in this race. I'm going to vote Libertarian because Bob Barr is closest in view to Ron Paul who I was rooting for before the media narrowed it down to McCain/Obama.

People tell me it's throwing away my vote.

Why have the freedom of choice when people say you throw your vote away if you don't vote for a "main" candidate? That's like letting people drink but tell them they can only have one specific beer versus one specific wine and they'd rather have a cocktail.

There is a very interesting article about how third-party voting affects government here: http://www.nolanchart.com/article252.html

We just need to go back to the beginning!

I was reading Encarta on this topic and found this very interesting:

The framers of the United States Constitution made no provision in the governmental structure for the functioning of political parties because they believed that parties were a source of corruption and an impediment to the freedom of people to judge issues on their merits. James Madison argued in his The Federalist “No. 10” paper against a system in which “factions” (his word for parties) might be able to seize control of the government. George Washington, in accordance with the thinking of his fellow Founding Fathers, included in his Cabinet men of diverse political philosophies and policies, rather than narrow his choices to those of a single political outlook.

So...to those who thinking not voting R or D is a throw-away: in the words of Ron Paul motivators: "I'd rather throw away my vote than throw away my country".

A little extra money

Things like this just crack me up...like double digit thousands is pocket change. I was reading the DDN this afternoon about gold selling so well.

Gold was selling around $910 a troy ounce by midday and silver at $11.70.

ok...

Another, an older woman, bought 20 ounces of gold last week.

that's a lot of money...$18,200

"When she has some extra money, she buys," Eckman said.

WAIT WAIT WAIT....EXTRA MONEY? WHAT THE HELLL????