Representin' Sweet Swine

So, by now, most of you have heard about the infamous Sweet Swine Pork Rind lady from Maryland who claimed to have hit the Mega Millions jackpot. So, far there hasn't been proof that she won anything except for some free air time and the World's Most Peculiar Hat award.

The whole thing was bizarre enough. I mean, here's a woman who claims to have a winning lottery ticket worth over $100 million. An even though her coworkers claim to have pooled their money together for the ticket, Mrs. Swine Swine says that she bought the winning ticket on her own. So, she hires an attorney and attends a "press conference" where she sits silent (with the exception of taking a brief cell phone call). First she claims to the winning ticket locked up in a safe, then she changes her story and says that she lost it. In the meantime, an anonymous woman finally comes forward and produces the elusive winning ticket.

But here's the thing that really puzzles me. Why would someone at the center of a media spectacle and come to a press conference wearing a Sweet Swine Pork Rinds hat? I'm no fashion expert, but I'm pretty sure it's a no-no to wear sweatpants and Pork Rinds hat to what would turn out to be a nationally broadcast press conference. I haven't seen a fashion statement like this since The Bad News Bears donned those Chico's Bail Bonds uniforms back in '76.

Just so no one gets the wrong idea, I'm not bashing pork rinds at all. In fact, I'm been known to tear up a bag every now and then. My personal favorite is the salt and vinegar variety. I sometimes get a strange look from bartenders when I say, "Give me a Sam Adams Noble Pils and a bag of barbarque pork rinds." My biggest beef with pork rinds is that every once in a while you'll get one that's hard enough to crack a molar. But that's a story for another day......

So anyway, I got a little curious about the Sweet Swine company and decided to check out their website. Well, just when I thought that it couldn't get any more bizarre, it turns out that www.sweetswineporkrinds.com actually takes you to an anti-Mitt Romney website. The site was created by an Alabama blogger in response to the recent story about Romney transporting the family dog in a crate on top of his station wagon back in 1983.

From what I understand, the woman who intrigued us with the Sweet Swine hat really had no political agenda at all. In fact when asked by the Baltimore Sun where she got the hat, she replied, "I don't remember."  It sounds a little fishy to me. This hat would, no doubt, be a recurring conversation starter. So how could you possibly forget where you got a trucker's hat with a gigantic Sweet Swine logo on the front? And I still don't understand what the woman's purpose was for all of this. Was this a desperate attempt to acquire her fifteen minutes of fame? Or, since she happened to be a McDonald's employee, was this simply publicity stunt for the new and improved McRib sandwich??

Nonetheless, seizing an opportunity for his own publicity, the anti-Romney guy from Alabama purchased the Sweet Swine domain name for $9.99 shortly after the infamous press conference. I have to give it to him, that's some pretty quick thinking on his part. But luring a carnivorous person like myself to a bogus pork site is just mean. Expanding on the idea, the guy is now selling his own Sweet Swine hats via the website. Could this be the start of a new urban fashion trend?

But I'm still left wondering, "Is there really such a thing as Sweet Swine Pork Rinds?" To my dismay, I have not been able to find an actual company with this name. But I refuse to be discouraged and will continue to search. If anyone happens finds the real Sweet Swine, please send me a bag of their rinds. And if you really want to show your love, throw me one of those hats too.....

kw

A Digest of Baseball Mascots

I've always got a kick out of sports team's names and mascots. I've already wrote about college mascots*, so since it happens to be baseball season, let's take a trip down that road.........

Growing up in Baltimore, I became a huge Oriole's fan at a young age. Although my interest has dwindled through the years, I still have fond memories of those classic Baltimore teams. The Oriole bird is the perfect mascot for the team because it also happens to be the state bird of Maryland. I always thought that the black and orange colors of the Baltimore Oriole created an attractive, bold contrast. The only problem that I have with the Orioles is that they're sometimes referred to as the O's. Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal, but people from Baltimore have a distinct dialect that absolutely butchers the traditional "oh" sound. If you've spent any time at all around the city, you know what I'm talking about....

All the way across the country on the left coast, there's the Oakland Athletics, better known as the A's. Since there's no annoying accent to contend with, "the A's" is a perfectly fine name. I actually like it better than the Athletics. I mean, what the hell is an Athletic anyway? It actually sounds more like an adjective (i.e. Ken is an athletic man). Wouldn't the Oakland Athletes be more appropriate?

And then there's the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox. Why would anyone name a team after a pair of socks? Along the same lines, the Cincinnati Reds were originally called the Red Stockings. Who came up with that name? Santa Claus?


Moving along, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been playing in LA since they moved from Brooklyn in 1958. The name "Dodger" is short for "Trolley Dodger". While the team played in New York, this name made perfect sense since there were probably plenty of drunken Irishmen dodging trolley cars during that era. But how many people are dodging trolley cars in modern-day Los Angeles? Bullets maybe, but not too many trolley cars.....

Actually, LA has a second team, the Angels. The team was originally called the California Angels which never really made sense to me. At the time, there was already four other major league baseball teams in the state of California (San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, LA Dodgers & Oakland A's). In my opinion, if there's a team that represents the whole state, it should be the lone team in that state. Well, since the Angels played their home games in the city of Anaheim, someone eventually came up with the smart idea of renaming the team, the Anaheim Angels. And the, just when you thought everything made sense, in 2005 the team was renamed the Los Angeles Angels. This make absolutely no sense at all to me since LA already had the Dodgers and the Angels were still playing their home games in the city of Anaheim. If that wasn't bad enough, Los Angeles is Spanish for "the angels". So, by calling the team the Los Angeles Angels you were basically calling them the Angels Angels. Now, that's what I call loco crazy!

Along the same lines, Minnesota has the Twins which, of course, refers to the the twin cites, Minneapolis and St. Paul. And there's also the New York Mets, which is short for the Metropolitans. Real catchy, huh?

Years ago, when Washington DC had their original baseball team, they called themselves the Senators. Ok, I get the name concept here. But why would any team want to be named after a politician? Years later, when the Montreal Expos moved to Washington, the team was renamed the Washington Nationals. Again, I get the concept of the name, but could they have possibly made it any more bland?

Moving on to Cleveland, the Indians have been around since the turn of the twentieth century. The previous names of Cleveland's ball club included the Bluebirds and the Molly McGuires. Taking a cue off of the Boston Braves (now the Atlanta Braves), the team was renamed the Indians in 1915. I don't really see the big deal, but in today's politically correct society, I'm really surprised that the team name still stands.

Now, the most interesting name of all, in my opinion, goes to the Milwaukee Brewers. How can you not love a club that makes beer? I can remember watching the Orioles play in Milwaukee years ago. Every time one of the Brewer players would hit a home run, one of the team's mascots would slide into a giant mug of beer just over the outfield wall. The Brewers also happen to be the only team that treats their fans to a "sausage race". The five sausages include the Italian, the Polish, the Hot Dog, the  Chorizo and my personal favorite, the Bratwurst. In 2003, perhaps the most famous race, a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates whacked the head of the Italian Sausage with a baseball bat. The Italian went down and took the Hot Dog with him. Merchandisers quickly seized the opportunity and had shirts printed up that read, "Don't Whack Our Wiener!"

Coming back to the Pittsburgh Pirates. You're probably thinking, "Pittsburgh is an industrial town known for steel manufacturing. What the hell does this have to do with pirates?" Well, the team, formerly known as the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, renamed itself the Pirates in 1891 after the Philadelphia Athletics of an opposing league accused Pittsburgh of stealing or "pirating" one of their players. The name change was a tongue-in-cheek jab at Philadelphia and as a result, there have been Pirates in Pittsburgh ever since.....

What about the Kansas City Royals? Seems like a nice enough name, but what's so royal about Kansas City? The team was actually named after the "American Royal" which happens to be a rodeo, horse and livestock show that's held in Kansas City every year. It actually sounds like a state fair to me. But I don't think that the Kansas City Fairies would go over very well.....

kw

* http://kensmouthpiece.blogspot.com/2010/03/word-on-college-mascots.html

Selective Outrage

Well, it looks like George Zimmerman is going to be charged with something after all. Second degree murder is what Zimmerman is now facing.With all of the public scrutiny and the pressure from the civil rights crowd, I think we all saw this coming.

But there are some recent developments surrounding the case that I find a bit troubling. For instance, the town of Sanford, FL had started to prepare for potential unrest in the event that Zimmerman was ultimately not charged. This was no doubt being fueled the by the race hustlers who continue to claim that Trayvon Martin was targeted because of his skin color.

But here's my problem. Even if Zimmerman wasn't charged, why would it be acceptable or even encouraged to burn the city down? How would that possibly help anything? It certainly wouldn't bring Trayvon Martin back. In fact, it could possibly get others needlessly hurt or even killed if things really got out of hand. But nonetheless, Al Sharpton and company continue to beat "No Justice No Peace" drum.

As I've said before, I am indeed sorry that a teenage boy died. And my heart goes out to his family. But we need to let the justice system do it's job.. When the trial is over and if Zimmerman is found not guilty, we'll just have to accept it and move on. Some may have an issue with it, and I understand that. But I can't help but wonder how many of these same people had no issue when OJ Simpson was found not guilty of a double murder even though the overwhelming evidence was against him? As a society, we need to be more objective on these matters instead of automatically aligning ourselves with a particular skin color. I don't know, maybe we should be appalled at all unprovoked violence? Sounds like a good idea to me.....

But I don't expect it to happen as long as we've got race hustlers like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton pushing their brand of selective outrage. In one of his latest incendiary moves, Jackson has asked blacks to wear hoodies to polling places during this year's election season. This guy has done far more harm than good for race relations in this country. If he and Reverend Al just went away, I think there would be a much better chance that blacks and whites could one day gather around the campfire and sing Kumbaya. But Jesse and Al work to keep racial tensions high because it's what they sell. And sadly, right now business is good.

And what is the with the sudden fascination with the hoodie? Almost everyone I know owns one. Hell, I have one myself! So, why has the hoodie now become the symbol of black oppression? I really don't think that wearing  a hoodie into polling places, political meetings or churches is going to do one bit of good to help ease racial tensions. 

Here are some recent events that have drawn attention as a result of the Trayvon Martin case:

• In Toledo, Ohio, a 78-year-old man was robbed and beaten up by a group of black youths. During the assault, they shouted, "Kill that white man! This is for Trayvon!" 
• A group of blacks brutally assaulted a 27-year-old white man in Gainsville, FL. Prior to the beating they yelled, "Trayvon!" Local police believe that the attack was racially motivated. 
• Al Sharpton has called for civil disobedience and an "occupation" in Sanford if George Zimmerman is not arrested. Attorney General Eric Holder praised Sharpton earlier today at the National Action Network convention.
• In Baltimore, a young white man was assaulted by a group of blacks right in front of a downtown courthouse (my understanding is this actually happened on St. Patrick's Day). One member of the group sucker punched the guy causing him to fall backwards and hit his head on the concrete pavement. While the victim was semi-conscious, several members of the group robbed him and stripped off his clothes. Others watched and laughed. One member of the group videotaped the entire event and posted in on a hip hop website. Police are currently investigating. Although all of the perpetrators were black and the victim was white, the Baltimore Police Commissioner has said that it "doesn't appear to be a hate crime".
• On Saturday, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, five blacks were randomly shot (three died)  around the city by what was described as a "white guy in a pick up truck". Two white men have since been arrested and it's looking like it will be treated as a hate crime. 
• At Ohio State University, someone painted "Long Live Zimmerman" on the black cultural center. 
• An armed Neo-Nazi group has begun to patrol areas of Sanford in preparation to the reaction of the George Zimmerman decision.
• An NBC producer was fired for editing George Zimmerman's 911 recording in an effort to make Zimmerman seem "more racist".
• Actor Bill Cosby has said that we need to get the guns out of hands of neighborhood watchmen.
• The New Black Panthers have called for a race war and bloodshed in reaction to the killing of Trayvon Martin. "Suit Up and Boot Up" is their new rally cry.
• A member of George Zimmerman's family has reportedly sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder asking for hate crime charges to be brought against the Black Panthers for the bounty that they put out on Zimmerman. Members of the Zimmerman family remain in hiding, fearing for their safety. There has been no response from the Department of Justice. This has many whites speculating that Holder is failing to act against the Black Panthers because he himself is black.
• An unarmed Hispanic man was shot dead by a black male at an Arizona Taco Bell. The shooter is claiming self-defense and has not been arrested.
• Reverend Jeremiah Wright recently gave a speech where he said, among other controversial things, that white supremacy is driving global policy.
• Someone shot the windows out of a Sanford police car near the scene of the Trayvon Martin shooting.
• Photos of Trayvon Martin with the word "Revenge" written across them were attached to mailboxes in Franklin, Wisconsin

No doubt, there are plenty off knuckleheads to go around. And they come in all colors. But for whatever reason, it does seem that certain cases get more attention than others. We should feel equally outraged when anyone is the victim of senseless violence. What difference does it make if the victim is black or white? Picking and choosing according to what might fit one's agenda does nothing but divide people and create unwanted tension.  Until this nonsense stops, we'll never become the post-racial America that we all hope for.....

kw

Arena Rock - Gone But Not Forgotten

Capital Center - Largo, MD

 Growing up as a music fan in Baltimore, there was never a shortage of good concerts to see. For the bigger acts, there was the Baltimore Civic Center and the Capital Center (near Washington DC). For the summer time shows, Merriweather Post Pavillion in nearby Columbia was a popular stop for national acts. And for local acts there was the Painters Mill Music Fair (the stomping ground for local favorites such as Kix and Crack The Sky).

I can remember seeing huge bands like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Aerosmith. There were plenty more and they always packed the arenas. And back in the day, getting tickets wasn't as easy a few mouse clicks.  When we heard that our favorite bands were coming to town, my friends and I would head down to the local Hecht's store and take our place in the Ticketmaster line. Each passing minute moved us a few rows back. So, time was of the essence! If we were really lucky, we would score floor seats. It was all part of the ritual...

Back in the 1980's, we had the best of both worlds: an abundance of shows and reasonable ticket prices. I would sometimes possess tickets to three or four different shows at one time. You could buy a ticket for $10-15 back then. Even for a teenager, these prices were relatively cheap. So, we went to every show that we could! For my very first concert, I went to see Ted Nugent. The opening acts were Def Leppard and the Scorpions. The total cost of the ticket? $8.80....

I'm not sure when it started but somewhere along the line, the arena concerts started to dry up. Nowadays, only mega-stars are booked at major venues. And even with some of those acts, portions of the arena are closed off due to dismal ticket sales. So, what's the reason for the lack of big shows these days?

Ticket prices and the state of the economy, in all likelihood, have something to do with it. If you're struggling to make ends meet, shelling out a couple hundred dollars for concert tickets probably isn't going to happen. I bought tickets to see Fleetwood Mac a couple of years ago. The price? Over $300 (with service fees) for two tickets! Being somewhat frugal, I normally would not have paid that much. However, Tina is a huge Stevie Nicks fan, and although we had seen Stevie before, we had never seen her with Fleetwood Mac. And let's face it, they're not getting any younger. Figuring it might the last opportunity to see them, we had to go....

I also believe that the easy accessibility to bands today has a negative effect on the arena shows. All you have to do is go to You Tube or various other internet sites to catch live footage of your favorite bands. There is also no shortage of music channels form your cable company. Before all of this was available, there was a certain degree of mystique to going to a live show. Sometimes, you didn't even know what the band members looked like until they hit the stage. And the opening riff to each song brought an element of surprise and excitement. The first time I saw the band Triumph live, I was really confused. They hit the stage with one of their signature songs, and although I heard the vocals, I didn't see anyone singing. I finally realized that  the drummer, partially hidden by his massive drum set, was actually doing the singing. These were the kind of "surprises" that made live shows so special.

Many of today's acts are booked in bars or nightclubs. The maximum capacity of these places is usually pretty low, so it can get a little tight. However, even in these small venues, part of the room can be still closed off. I saw the popular 80's band Queensryche at Ram's Head Live in Baltimore a few years ago. They whole upstairs was closed off! I found this amazing because I saw these guys back in 80's and 90's when they were packing the arenas. And most recently, I saw Y&T (one of my all time favorite bands) at the small Baltimore Soundstage. This is probably the smallest room in which I've ever seen a national act. And still, half of this room was closed off!

I've heard some people say that traditional rock and roll is dead. There just isn't any new bands that can draw the massive crowds anymore. Today's kids seemed to have transitioned over to the hip-hop scene while the adults have migrated towards country music. Sadly, the days of arena rock appear to be behind us. It was fun while it lasted.......

Where are they now?

• The Baltimore Civic Center still stands in it's same location, but through the years, it's been remodeled and renamed to the 1st Mariner Arena. 
• The Capital Center was briefly renamed the USAir Arena before it was demolished to make way for a shopping center in 2002. The correct spelling of the venue was actually Capital Centre. I never quite understood why. For those who want to take a trip down memory lane, I recommend a documentary called "Heavy Metal Parking Lot". 
• A group of arsonists burned Painters Mill Music Fair to ground in 1991. It was never rebuilt and is now the site of a BJ's Wholesale Club. 
• Merriweather Post Pavilion has remained  pretty much unchanged through the years and still remains a popular summertime stop for many bands.

kw

The Great Bambino

I've always loved talking about classic baseball. You'd be surprised how heated a discussion of the national pastime can sometimes become. I liken it to talking politics and religion in the sense that baseball fans can be very passionate. One of the things I always like to ask people is, "So, who is the best baseball player of all time?" The interesting thing about this question is that you're likely to get ten different answers from ten different people. And every one of them will be totally convinced that there is no room for argument.

One could make a strong case for Willie Mays, Lou Gerhig, Ted Williams Joe Diamagio, Hank Aaron or even Barry Bonds. Of course, Bonds is always going to have a stigma attached to him because of the steroid allegations. I'm personally convinced that Bonds did juice up and perhaps it did contribute to some extra home runs in his record breaking career. But as steroids will undoubtedly make you stronger, they do not give you the ability to hit a baseball. You have to have the natural ability first. With that being said, I think that there should be an asterisk on Bonds' home run record.

And let's talk about the guy who's record was broken by Bonds. Henry Aaron was one of the most naturally gifted players ever to grace the baseball diamond. Although he never hit more than 47 homeruns in  a single season, Hank Aaron was a model of consistency finishing his career with a record 755 long balls. This record stood for thirty-three years. Hank also made twenty-one straight all-star teams as well as earning three Gold Gloves. And keep in mind that when Aaron entered the Major Leagues in 1954, there was still tremendous racial tension he had to deal with. He obviously persevered and that's a true testament to the kind of man he was. I saw an interview with Aaron's wife many years ago. She spoke of Hank with a gleam in her eye as she said, "You know, Henry was a good ball player. But he was a better father." In my book, that makes him a Hall of Famer at life.....

Again, we could make a strong case for either of these guys, as well as numerous others. But I'll cut right to the chase and tell you that there's no doubt in my mind that George Herman Ruth was the greatest baseball player ever. You can try but you will not convince me otherwise. So, let me make my case, and you can make yours....

First off, my decision has nothing to do with the fact that I grew up the Babe's hometown of Baltimore. It also has nothing to do with my attendance of Cardinal Gibbons High School, the site of the old St. Mary's Industrial School where Ruth was introduced to baseball. But it makes for good conversation...

No player in the history of the game, in my opinion, had such an impact as Ruth. His numbers are staggering. Of course, his record of 714 home-runs was eventually broken by Hank Aaron. But keep this in mind. Aaron, as great of a player as he was, needed nearly four thousand more at bats to do it!

In 1920 and 1921, Ruth had an unbelievable .846 slugging percentage! Barry Bonds did indeed break this record 2001, but come on. The only performance enhancing substance in the Babe's bloodstream was cholesterol.  And consider this, in Ruth's early days with the Yankees, he played his home games at the Polo Grounds where the center-field fence was nearly five hundred feet from home plate! And if the fair ball curved around the foul pole and landed in foul territory back then, it was not a home run. It's estimated that if modern rules were implemented in 1921, Ruth would have jacked 104 more home runs!

And until Lou Gerhig came around, pitchers would often pitch around Ruth. No surprise, he often led the league in bases on balls. On one of the many occasions when he got a hold of one, it was an amazing thing to witness. On July 18, 1921 at Detroit's Navin Field, Ruth blasted one into intersection beyond the stadium walls. This shot was measured at 575 feet, the longest recorded homerun in history. They didn't call him The Sultan of Swat for nothing!

The Babe had a lifetime batting average of .342. Most of today's best players don't even bat that high in a single season. And while you're digesting that, Ruth also had 123 career stolen bases! And he stole home ten times! Pretty impressive for a 300 pound man. By the way, the legendary Yankee pinstripes were introduced in an effort to make the Bambino look thinner.

Are you guys still with me? Please don't leave, it gets better......

When Ruth started his major league career in Boston, his plate appearances were limited. Why? Because he was a pitcher! He was a twenty game winner twice (1916 & 1917). To put this in perspective, Mike Mussina, who many consider to be the second greatest Oriole pitcher, only won twenty games in a season once. Along the same lines, the Baltimore Oriole's haven't had a 20-game winner in almost 30 years!

Ruth also won two games in the 1918 World Series and extending his consecutive scoreless Series innings streak to 29 and 2/3. A record that stood until it was broken by Whitey Ford in 1961.

Ruth pitched nine shut-outs in 1916. This was an American League record for left-handers which stood until 1978 when it was finally equalled by Ron Guidry.

Walter "The Big Train" Johnson is considered one of the greatest pitchers of all time. He had 417 career wins (second to only Cy Young) and a lifetime Earned Run Average of 2.17. He also had 110 career shutouts, a record that still stands today. Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson opposed each other as pitchers on five occasions. Ruth won four of those games.

In 1918, Walter Johnson amazingly only allowed two home-runs the entire season. Babe Ruth hit both of them. I think we know who owned the bragging rights between those two guys!

Babe Ruth finished his pitching career with a 2.28 lifetime ERA. Today's pitchers dream of an ERA like that...

Babe Ruth was also known for his off-the field antics. In 1930, a reporter asked Ruth how he could justify making more money than President Hoover. Ruth responded, "I had a better year than Hoover."

When Babe Ruth was born, they broke the mold. He changed the game forever with his astonishing statistics and charismatic personality. And as a result, people came out in record numbers to see him play. If I could have one sports wish, it would be to go to Yankee Stadium in the 1920's where I would grab a couple of hot dogs and a beer, then watch The Great Bambino knock one out of the park!

There will never be another one like him.......

kw

The Chocolate Bunny - An Endangered Species

When I opened up last Saturday's newspaper, the first thing that I noticed was a large Toys R' Us insert/advertisement. It's purpose was to advertise Easter "gifts". Maybe my mind is starting to go south, but when did Easter become a gift-giving holiday?

As a kid, I do remember getting a modest Easter basket. It would usually contain a chocolate bunny (if you were really lucky, you got one that was made out of real chocolate), a couple of Mary Sue Easter Eggs and some of those little speckled malted balls. When Peter Cottontail was in an especially generous mood, we would get one of those large pecan eggs. As a husky kid, I use to practically put myself into a sugar-induced coma from power eating the contents of my Easter basket. I would wail on the Mary Sue eggs much like the way Forrest Gump plays a game of ping-pong. On more than one occasion, my Mom would point out to me, "That Easter basket was supposed to last you all month! And you ate it all in one afternoon?? Stay out of your sister's baskets!" And although it doesn't sound like much by today's standards, we really enjoyed it. A few pieces of chocolate was all that it took to keep us happy back then. Well, at least the husky boy was happy...

But Easter has since become the "spring-time Christmas". And it has nothing to do with the religious aspect of it. As Easter approaches, many parents will load the little tots into the minivan and head down to Toys R' Us for a day of shopping. Once there, the overindulged kids will pick out video games, DVD's and other gifts that have absolutely nothing to do with Easter.

This kids will run down the aisles of the toy store, screaming, "Mommy, Mommy! What can I get?"

The mother will reply, "Get anything you want, kids! It's Easter!"

It's crazy! As a young lad, I once asked for "Frampton Comes Alive" for Easter. Personally, I always thought "Do You Feel Like We Do" was way better than "Here Comes Peter Cottontail". But anyway, my Mom wouldn't have any parts of it. She said that I would have to settle for a chocolate bunny. Can you believe that? Today, it would probably be viewed as a form of child abuse.

I wonder if kids even get an Easter basket anymore. I mean, once you give them an Xbox 360, is a chocolate bunny or a 5-pack of Peeps really going to have any effect? And where do you draw the line? If it's a $300 game console at five years old, by the time the kid hits his teens, he's going to expect a Corvette!

Don't worry kids, if you didn't get what you wanted for Easter, Memorial Day is right around the corner!

kw

It's Mine! All Mine!

This morning, most of us reluctantly dragged ourselves out of bed and slowly shuffled off to work after hearing that we didn't hit the Mega-Millions jackpot. Not exactly the ideal way to start off a Monday morning. Ahh, what could have been......

My dream of building a Chick-fil-A in the back yard will have to wait. 

But for three people, their dreams have come true. Lucky ticket holders from Illinois, Kansas and Maryland will split the massive jackpot. After taxes, each winner will receive a cool $105 million. No doubt, these folks are about to spend some serious time stimulating the economy. But the winners in Illinois and Kansas may get a head start on that shopping spree. 

Let's get back to the lucky lady from Maryland. First off, she shares my last name (Wilson) and lives in my home state. I only mention this because it's probably about as close as I'll ever come to hitting the jackpot myself. But nonetheless, Miss Wilson has a bit of a dilemma to deal with. And I'm not just talking about choosing between the red or the black Ferrari. The problem is that her McDonald's coworkers are saying that they, along with Wilson, went in as a group to buy the winning ticket. But Miss Wilson has basically given them an emphatic "Hell, no!" and told them to keep flipping the burgers. Can you imagine the pissed-off work crew at that McDonald's this morning? Sorry kids, we're out of Happy Meals today...

Wow! That's some pretty cold stuff right there. So, instead of fifteen lives being instantly upgraded, only one (at least for now) will be turning in her resignation to Mickey D's. What would you do? Even if the woman is telling the truth, and did purchase her private stash of tickets, couldn't she at least kick a measly million bucks to each one of her colleagues? That would still leave her with $90 million! I think she could survive on that...

A similar situation occurred a while back in New Jersey. A guy hit for $24 million and tried to shaft his fellow "group members". In the end, a jury ordered him to share the winnings with the group. Will the same thing happen in this case? We'll see......

One thing's for sure, there is going to be a bunch of disgruntled workers at one Maryland McDonald's for the time being. You might want to eat at the Burger King until the dust settles on this one......

kw