Michael Kuettner wrote:
> Dave Smith wrote:
>
>>George Shirley wrote:
>>
>>
>>>>My sister in law's stepdaughter is a bit of a loose cannon, to say the
>>>>least. For years she has been talking about going to Greece and
>>>>opening the ultimate Greek cooking school. She is not Greek. I don't
>>>>know if they would even let her into the country because she is still
>>>>living in a half way house after having spent close to a year in jail
>>>>for fraud.
>>>
>>>She could still qualify to live in France, ran into a lot of frauds in
>>>France. Mostly trying to sell stuff to tourists.
>>
>>LOL I ran into one of those walking down the street in Paris. First he
>>said that he thought we were American, but when I told him we were
>>Canadian he loved Canadians and had a sister in Montreal. He was in
>>Paris for business....fashion business, and wanted to give us a gift.
>>He tried to give me a ugly cheap looking fake suede jacket. Except he
>>wasn't actually giving it to me. All he needed was some money for gas to
>>get back to Milan. I said "Nice try" and he yelled "Son of a bitch" at
>>me. Maybe he would have still liked Canadians if I had given him a
>>couple hundred dollars for an $20 jacket.
>
>
> Either this is the new public sport in Italy or I ran into the same man.
> Met him in Liechtenstein. Said he came from a fashion fair and had
> a leather jacket left that would be too expensive to take through customs.
> He'd give it to me for free; he just needed money for gas to go back to
> Rome.
> The world is a small place ;-)
>
> Cheers,
>
> Michael Kuettner

I used to work on a street that had a lot of full time professional
panhandlers.

I eventually started telling them when they asked me for 'spare change'
that "there is no such thing" and then proceed to ask them how they came
by the concept of me having money that i don't need?

Contrary to what some of you may suspect im NOT The Queen of England or
Bill Gates, i don't have ANY money i don't need. Spare money! the mind
boggles!

Now im sure both The Queen and Mr. Gates have just such 'spare money'
but they probly don't stroll down Telegraph ave. in Berkeley ca. a lot
and get importuned by the 'panhandlers' they probly have to go to state
dinners and corporate functions to have a few millions extorted out of
them on behalf of 'charity' but then it is money they can spare. And
get a tax break for giving away.

I thought it interesting that, Bill Gates didn't want his children to
inherit mega wealth, they will be well off but not the way he is. The
bulk of his fortune is going to the Gates Foundation which, according to
what i have heard, is not a tax shelter for the family money but a real
foundation supporting research and projects to alleviate human
suffering. Course only time will tell just how altruistic his actions
are, to say nothing of effective.
--

Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq.

Domine, dirige nos.
Let the games begin!
http://fredeeky.typepad.com/fredeeky.../sf_anthem.mp3