Five figure bonus checks come as a big surprise to employees!

      In this difficult economic climate, it's tough to know if you'll still have a job at the end of the year, let alone a generous Christmas bonus. But recently, the employees of Illinois-based ball bearings company Peer Bearing Co. got a big surprise when they opened their end-of-year-bonus envelopes: instead of their usual gifts of several hundred dollars, the staff members had each been given five-figure checks.

The company was founded by the Spungen family in 1941, and has stayed within the family ever since. They've come to think of their employees as part of the family, too--many of their staff members have provided decades of loyal service.

So when the business was purchased by a Swedish company earlier this year, the Spungens decided to use their payoff to show their staff how important they were to them, distributing $6.6 million in profits from the sale between their 230 employees. The bonuses were based on time served with the company, and some of the most loyal staff members went home with checks as high as $35,000.

Here are some rare Black Light Posters from the 1960s

       

   (Rare -Above- 1969)             Rare 1960s silkscreen       Scarce- Iron Butterfly

 

Remember these ads from the 1950s and 1960s? Oh the ironies!

      

 

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Obama appoints Clinton and Gates to his cabinet

The pieces of the puzzle are falling into place as Obama firms up his administration. I wonder what kind of impact Bill Clinton will have now that his wife is back in the limelight?

He's been told to clean up his act with his Presidential Library and foundation so it doesn't reflect badly on Hillary.

I view Hillary's appointment much like I view what Lincoln did when he appointed his enemies to positions so that he could keep an eye on them.

Obama has the same idea. Gates was probably a good pick for the short term, to give continuity to our efforts in Iran and Afghanistan.

There's nothing like a heater on a cold Japanese day

These ring-tailed lemurs are warming themselves at the Monkey Center in Inuyama, Aichi Perfecture (state), central Japan.

Looking Like Christmas at Nana and Papa's house!

It was the last week of November, and all through the house, Nana and Papa were getting ready for some Christmas fun.

In 25 days there will be five grandchildren, and the rest of our family, here at our house which must be transformed before then to a place of wonder for children and adults alike!

In a slow, but steady stream, Christmas lights have slithered out from normally sealed red and green plastic crates throughout the household these past four days.

Stuffed Santa's and Angels have climbed out of their storage spaces, while the two, 3-foot-tall tin Nutcracker Kings, took up their positions on either side of the fresh pine sweet Christmas tree (still bare but waiting patiently for adornments sure to come).

The front porch glitters like a thousand stars when it's dark outside now with white and colored lights blinking in greeting to all visitors. Christmas ivy forms wreathes around the windows, inside and out, adding to the already colorful seasonal display.

Mrs Claus and elves are busy at work in one corner while Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer lights the way to a Nativity scene on one counter. The scents of the holiday dance throughout the room, a pleasant combination of odors for the visitor's delight.

This is what it's like in Nana's and Papa's tonight...

The high cost of low price: Wal-Mart Christmas in the T-S

The cost of doing business with Wal-Mart is another nail in American manufacturers/workers coffins.

There's a reason why they sell for less.

 Perhaps even more troubling is the response this year to shopping specials at Wal-Mart - one man dead (trampled to death by crazy shoppers) and others injured.

 Do Americans really want a deal that badly? Are the deals at Wal-Mart worth dying for?

As It Stands, in today's Time-Standard I look at Wal-Mart with a critical eye, and a deep suspicion they have contributed to this country's financial woes by their business practices.

 Click Here to read today's column.

Check out this blog by Josh Richmond of the Political Blotter

This is a sampling of political writer Josh Richman's blog, The Political Blotter. Read more and post comments at www.ibabuzz.com/politics.

Nov. 19

Oakland-based Americans for Safe Access, a medical marijuana advocacy group, sued the California Department of Motor Vehicles today on behalf of Rose Johnson, 53, of Atwater. The Merced County Superior Court lawsuit claims that despite Johnson's clean driving record — not having caused an accident in 37 years of driving — the DMV refused to renew her license in July after finding she's a medical-marijuana user and deeming that she had an "addiction to, or habitual use of, [a] drug" that renders her unable to safely operate a car.

"The only evidence introduced by the DMV to support this conclusion is the fact of Johnson's medical marijuana use pursuant to state law," the lawsuit says. "The DMV abused its discretion by suspending Johnson's license on this basis."

ASA Chief Counsel Joe Elford issued a statement this afternoon saying when California voters passed Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, "they never intended to authorize the DMV to strip medical marijuana patients of their drivers' licenses. The DMV should not be in the business of revoking the licenses of drivers like Ms. Johnson simply because she is a medical marijuana patient."

And ASA says this isn't an isolated incident.

The DMV has suspended or revoked licenses of medical-marijuana patients in other counties, including Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, Glenn, Merced, Placer, Sacramento, and Sonoma.

Johnson's case seems particularly ironic because Merced County, where she lives, this past year instructed its sheriff's deputies to respect state law and not cite medical marijuana patients or seize their medicine. Yet Johnson, never accused of driving while under the influence of marijuana or anything else, was denied her license renewal by a state agency for an activity allowed by state law.

And as I write this item, having just finished an article on the state Supreme Court's impending review of Proposition 8, I wonder how much longer we'll have to keep litigating and re-litigating the effects of a medical-marijuana initiative approved by voters 12 years ago. It seems California just can't find a way to stop stepping on its own toes.

Aphrodisiac from Ants: Man executed for massive investor scam!

Chinese authorities announced that they executed the leader of a scheme to swindle investors out of their money by making aphrodisiacs from ants. Wang Zhendong, was put to death in the northeastern province of Liaoning, according to Xinhua News Agency (China's official news source).

Wang managed to steal about 3 billion yuan ($439 million) from numerous investors. One of the investor's even committed suicide when he discovered he'd been ripped off. China does not mess with crime like this. If they catch you, that's it. You're dead. Needless to say, not many people try it.

Can you imagine if we did that here in the United States? Hmmmmm....as a matter of fact that's not a bad idea! That would help deplete the overcrowded prisons. Of course, we would have to start off by executing all the mass murders, serial killers, and just plain old murderers first. And we all know that'll never happen. Oh well...just a thought.

Lakers beat Mavericks to extend their record to 13-1

 

I know the game was Friday night, but as a Laker fan since the early 1960s, I just wanted to crow about their NBA best record so far.

The Lakers have been dismantling opponents this season by an average of 14 points a game!

Left, Trevor Aziza gets a tough rebound against two Dallas players, and on the right - Pau Gasol makes life miserable for Antoine Wright driving to the basket.

What's a Wal-Mart Christmas Mean? See Sunday Times-Standard

As It Stands takes a look at what Wal-Mart's business practices and what they have done to help destroy American manufacturers who can't keep up with the giant retailer.

How desperate are people this year to get a good deal?

How about desperate enough to kill?

That's what happened in Valley Stream, New York, on Friday when shoppers trampled a Wal-Mart contract worker to death!

Where does it end when getting a great deal is worth this? See Sundays Time-Standard's Opinion Page and see where the wages of greed have taken us.