Free Republic Smokers' Lounge

To: Just another Joe

I'm impressed! What does she play and what city are they in?

21 posted on 04/16/2004 11:42:40 AM PDT by Sunshine Sister

To: Sunshine Sister

She plays the Tenor Sax. They're in Minniapolis (sic) St Paul.
She also plays the trumpet, tuba, flute, and pecussion.

22 posted on 04/16/2004 11:58:27 AM PDT by Just another Joe (Warning: FReeping can be addictive and helpful to your mental health)

To: Sunshine Sister

Nope....although that face cries out for it.

23 posted on 04/16/2004 11:58:40 AM PDT by TheGrimReaper (o)(o)

To: Just another Joe

24 posted on 04/16/2004 12:05:12 PM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Believe nothing you hear and half of what you see.)

To: Just another Joe

I don't have a musical note in my body so I admire those who are talented musically.

25 posted on 04/16/2004 12:20:13 PM PDT by Sunshine Sister

To: Just another Joe

Hello-it sure is quiet in here-Joe, if you're in here anywhere, can I have a Miller Lite, please?

26 posted on 04/16/2004 2:37:02 PM PDT by Texan5 (You've got to saddle up your boys, you've got to draw a hard line...)

To: Just another Joe; All

Just came in from doing some yard work. Not too much to do but found plenty of keep busy stuff which really amounts to nothing. Had a couple of martinis during the work so have chilled out a bit. Bottom line, just plain depressed about all that's going down in Iraq and people I work and associate with seem to be oblivious.........

27 posted on 04/16/2004 6:00:37 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco (I'm with the Federal Bureau of Mattresses and Pillows and I'm here to check your tags!)

To: Just another Joe

Hopefully you'll be back soon.?

Christmastime. :)

But I get to escape every four months and will do so in mid-May to London where I can have all the beer and other libations I desire for a couple of weeks.

Counting the days now....

28 posted on 04/16/2004 10:24:36 PM PDT by Allegra (And WAIT!! That's not all! Call now and receive this FREE....)

To: Just another Joe; Conspiracy Guy; Gabz

Slow week in the smoking department, eh folks?

Here's a war story you won't hear about from any U.S. media outlets:

Stranded Marines Fight To Last Bullets

What wonderful young men and women we have defending us from Islamonazis!

29 posted on 04/17/2004 3:15:55 AM PDT by metesky ("Brethren, leave us go amongst them." Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnston Clayton - Ward Bond- The Searchers)

To: Just another Joe

Better late than never, I guess!!!!!!!

30 posted on 04/17/2004 6:08:44 AM PDT by Gabz (Stress out Streisand.............................DONATE MONTHLY)

To: Just another Joe

My youngest daughter is in Minnesota with her High School jazz band playing for the National Music Educaters' Association conference. One of only two jazz bands in the nation invited to play.

OH WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's GREAT!!!!

31 posted on 04/17/2004 6:14:28 AM PDT by Gabz (Stress out Streisand.............................DONATE MONTHLY)

To: Just another Joe

Hi Joe - Good to cyber see ya! I hope that things have been going well for you... I have to run this morning but just wanted to pop in and say hi and thanks for the ping. While I'm here I'll post a something to remind us all of the great fairness of tobacco taxation -

GOV’T ADDICTION TO TOBACCO MONEY
“Between 1998 and 2002, state and federal governments collected $135 billion in tobacco taxes and state settlement payments -- more than $74 million a day. The $51,334 the government pockets every minute from smokers is nearly $10,000 more than the 2001 median household income the average working family earned in a year. The government has a virtual monopoly on tobacco profits. In 2003, the government per-pack profit -- $1.74 -- was almost 16 times more than the 11 cents per pack R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company earned. On average, 46 percent of the cost of a pack of cigarettes nationwide goes to the government.
“If you think this revenue is needed to fund the cost of tobacco-control programs, think again. According to a March 2004 report by the U. S. General Accounting Office (GAO), states are spending just 2 percent of the billions of dollars they receive in settlement funds on tobacco control and less than 20 percent on health-related programs. The GAO reports that 54 percent of the $11.4 billion states will receive in fiscal year 2004 will be spent on budget shortfalls, 17 percent on health-related programs, 7 percent on debt service on securitized tobacco settlement funds, 6 percent on general purposes, 5 percent on infrastructure, and just 2 percent toward tobacco control. Commenting on the GAO report, Sam Kazman, general counsel for the Competitive Enterprise Institute, said, "[T]he states...have become addicted to tobacco money, spending it on all kinds of unrelated programs."

That was in a email newsletter I received this morning...called "SmokeScreen". (sound familar?) It's online here

32 posted on 04/23/2004 9:04:44 AM PDT by kcpopps

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