Truth is News to Me

Washington Times Needs a Mirror

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:22:00 +0000

The Washington Times, the unofficial mouth organ of the Republican Party, has led the way in comparing the Democratic Party's health reform legislation to Hitler's Nazi Party, but it seems they should be looking in the mirror.

Robert Parry at Consortium News has an article illustrating the connection between the Times' owner, Sun Myung Moon, with known Nazis and right-wing Latin American military dictators.

It's a fascinating read and well-researched, like all writing at Consortium News.

Here's a taste:

Indeed, the Washington Times founder and funder, Sun Myung Moon, built his international religious-business-media empire in collaboration with Japanese fascist war criminals and with operational assistance from ex-Nazi SS officer Klaus Barbie, the so-called “Butcher of Lyon.”

The 89-year-old Moon also has had close ties to later generations of neo-Nazis and right-wing murderers, especially in Latin America where Moon-related organizations threw in their lot with brutal military dictators including some involved in cocaine trafficking.

Yet, in the 1970s and 1980s, Moon emerged as a major financier for the American Right. He sponsored lavish conservative conferences, slipped millions of dollars into the pockets of right-wing activists, supported prominent Republicans and – in 1982 – launched the Washington Times, which has been a prime propaganda vehicle for right-wing causes ever since.

Lou Dobbs Getting Nuttier By the Minute

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:49:00 +0000

I'm sure at one time in his long career Lou Dobbs made sense, but he just seems to be getting nuttier by the minute.

His latest? Calling Gov. Howard Dean a "bloodsucking lefist" and saying "you gotta put a stake through his heart to stop him."

Some will say he was only illustrating a point and not calling for the murder of Dr. Dean, but in the hate-filled political climate fostered by many conservatives, it is downright dangerous.

So much so, in fact, that Howard Dean's brother, Jim, chair of Democracy for America, is calling for Dobbs' firing from CNN and his radio program.

Can't say that I blame him.

Sebelius Speaks Out on Health Care Reform

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:49:00 +0000

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has written an op-ed piece to set the record straight on the administration's efforts at health care reform. The following is an excerpt:

Washington, DC — For decades, Washington has talked about fixing a broken health care system. And for decades Washington failed to act – allowing the special interests to stall reform while the cracks in the system turned into crevices, then craters.

But today, we are closer than ever to the change we need. Key committees in Congress have reached a striking degree of consensus about how to control costs, guarantee coverage, and provide more choices for every American. America’s doctors and nurses have announced their support. And even hospitals, drug and insurance companies have pledged to do their part to control costs.

Change is never easy and recently, some defenders of the status quo have made themselves heard.

One Republican Senator said, “If we’re able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him.” And a leading political strategist urged fellow Republicans to “resist the temptation” to be “constructive or, at least responsible,” and instead work to “kill” health care reform.

These opponents of change may understand how to score political points in Washington, but they don’t seem to understand the stakes for the country. The health care status quo is unacceptable and unsustainable for our families, our businesses, and our nation as a whole.

Evangelicals Invading New England

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:20:00 +0000

From the Christian Science Monitor:

Hallelujah religion is a-rising in Yankee country. As liberal congregations die in a secularizing region, conservative churches with roots outside New England are replacing them with a passionate brand of faith that emphasizes saving souls – even in a land where many think there's nothing to be saved from.

Is nothing sacred.

Robert Downey Jr.'s 'Due Date'

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:53:00 +0000

This just in from AFP:

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Oscar-nominee Robert Downey Jr. is to star opposite Zach Galifianakis in a comedy about an expectant father scrambling to get to the birth of his first child, it was reported Monday.

Downey, nominated for an Academy Award this year for his performance in "Tropic Thunder," will play the father in "Due Date," while Galifianakis ("The Hangover") will play his mismatched travel partner, Daily Variety reported.

The film, due to start production later this year, will be directed by "The Hangover's" Todd Phillips. Phillips told Variety the film was a "a buddy comedy without the buddies."

No doubt in our mind the Downey is among the finest actors of his generation. We haven't seen a movie of his in which he did not shine. Just hope he stays clean and sober.

Cuckolded Husband Narcs on Wife: She Goes to Prison

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:45:00 +0000

The husband of a woman who had an affair while living in Dubai, tipped the local police off to her indiscretion and she and her lover were sentenced to two months in prison for adultry.

The cases highlight the conservative legal code that governs Dubai, a city-state that has advertised itself as a tourist and business mecca in the heart of the Middle East. It caters heavily to Western tastes and lifestyles for its international allure, but its legal code is based on Islamic laws and tribal rules.
Sally Antia and her lover, Mark Hawkins, were arrested May 2 after leaving a Dubai luxury hotel in the early morning hours, according to court documents. Antia's husband, Vince, alerted the police to his wife's infidelity.

The couple should be happy they were only sentenced to prison. Here is what could have happened under a strict enforcement of Islamic law:

Adultery is the most serious of crimes. If the guilty party is married, he or she is sentenced to death by stoning, beheading, or shooting. Stoning is the usual method of punishment. Proof of this crime must be established by confession or by four witnesses to the act.

Debtor's Prisons Repackaged

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:23:00 +0000

I first learned of the concept of a debtor's prison from reading Charles Dickens in my youth. At the time I couldn't see the logic behind the concept because how could someone pay their debt if they were locked up?

At the federal level, the United States did away with this practice in the 1830's. The UK followed suit in 1869. Supposedly, no one can be jailed for failure to pay a debt, right? Sorry, Charlie, that ain't so.

Now this is an extreme case and may have merit, but check this out from AJC.com:

A former employee of Global Destiny Church has asked a Gwinnett judge to put Bishop Thomas W. Weeks III in jail for contempt of court because he failed to repay a debt to her.

A petition for contempt was filed Tuesday by Suzanne Ellis. The petition says that Weeks, and his church empire Global Destiny Inc. and TWIII Ministries Inc., never reimbursed Ellis for about $90,000 worth of items she was asked to buy as an employee.

Bishop Weeks might be going to jail for failing to pay a debt, but the justice system will call it contempt of court, kind of a repackaged debtor's prison.

A legacy of suicide

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:03:00 +0000

Nicholas Hughes, son of poet Sylvia Plath, committed suicide at the age of 47 last week at his home in Fairbanks, Alaska. Plath, killed herself in 1963.

Here is something I did not know:

Ted Hughes [father of Nicholas] relived the tragedy not only through the constant reminders of Plath, but also through the suicide of Wevill, his second wife, who in March 1969 killed herself and their 4-year-old daughter.

Since Nicholas was unmarried and had not children, this sad legacy of suicide will end with him.

What Goes Around, Comes Around

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:32:00 +0000

Oh, the poor Bushies. Dubya's approval rating is around 20 percent and sadness surrounds the White House.

ADMINISTRATION -- WITH RECORD LOW APPROVAL, 'REAL SADNESS' HANGS OVER BUSH WHITE HOUSE: A new CBS News poll finds that President Bush's approval rating is now at just 20 percent -- the "lowest ever recorded for a president." The President's "disapproval rating of 72 percent matches his all-time high, first reached last month." Yesterday, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino complained about about Bush's abysmal approval ratings, claiming that they are like a high school popularity contest. "Everybody would like to be popular. You can all remember that back in high school, everyone really wanted to be popular. Some of us just weren't," she lamented. The Washington Post reported over the weekend that loyal Bushies are engaging in upbeat talk to mask "disappointment and frustration among many White House staffers," who see their boss as "a good and steadfast man who has gotten a bad rap." The Post quoted a "prominent Republican who regularly talks with senior White House officials," who reportedly said, "There is a real sadness there."

McCain Involved in Car Crash?

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:16:00 +0000

Ordinarily we don't hold with conspiracy theories (yeah, right) like the one involving George W. Bush and his National Guard service, or lack thereof, but this article caught our attention:

News Orgs Investigate Possibly Fatal McCain '64 Car Crash

For the past two months, a major American magazine and an allied news service have been engaged in a legal battle with the United States Navy over records that they believe show that John McCain once was involved in an automobile accident that injured or, perhaps, killed another individual.

Vanity Fair magazine and the National Security News Service claim to have knowledge "developed from first-hand sources" of a car crash that involved then-Lt. McCain at the main gate of a Virginia naval base in 1964, according to legal filings. The incident has been largely, if not entirely, kept from the public. And in documents suing the Navy to release pertinent information, lawyers for the NS News Service allege that a cover-up may be at play.

Georgia Ordered to Allow Voting

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:48:00 +0000

Federal judges have ordered the state of Georgia to allow voting by any citizen "flagged" by the state's voter ID law.

The court also ordered Secretary of State Karen Handel to “make diligent and immediate efforts to notify, in a uniform manner, every person whose voter registration presently remains flagged.” Those voters must be told that they can vote by a “challenged ballot,” if necessary, and that there is a discrepancy in the voters’ registration information, the court said.

McCain's Mortgage Buyout Plan

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:24:00 +0000

Remember when John McCain sprung his mortgage buyout plan during his debate with Barak Obama earlier this month? No? We're not surprised.

Not only has it been termed "risky" by Obama and many others, within two days, McCain modified his plan. It is not even mentioned now.

Mike Colpitts of HousingPredictor.com had the best description we have seen of McCain's plan in a recent interview:

This [McCain's Plan] is seen as putting a tourniquet on the crisis, but the hemorrhaging will continue. Only 15-17 percent of all mortgages are subprime. The majority of the problem is with homeowners who have adjustable rate mortgages. These people are unable to refinance because their homes don't have the value they did when the original mortgage was taken out.

Is there any hope for these people? Time will tell, but don't count on it.

A U.K. take on new American Socialism

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:10:00 +0000

Sometimes we have to look overseas to find the truth, such as this from Philip Delves Broughton of The Mail Online:

For years now, we have had to listen to bankers attacking Washington for imposing regulations that inhibit the free markets from making even more money.
And all the while, they took exorbitant salaries, justifying them on the grounds of their huge contribution to capitalism.
How bitterly ironic it is, then, to see these one-time freemarketeers becoming socialists overnight.
The schoolyard bullies of Wall Street have gone running to the state for help, pleading to be saved from destruction.
They deserve neither our sympathy nor the billions in taxpayer support they are now receiving.
The truth is that over the past few years, New York's major financial players have created a world of obscene economic excess.
Dick Fuld, head of Lehman Brothers, awarded himself £17.5 million worth of, now worthless, stock.
At Goldman Sachs, more than £9 billion was lavished on employee bonuses.
Bob Willumstad, the boss of AIG, received a guaranteed cash bonus of £2million in 2007, deferred until his sacking yesterday.
What, you might ask, were they being paid for, these men who ignored the most basic kitchen table economics by borrowing 100 or 200 times the value of their capital and whose actions now threaten the Western world with a major slump?

Stop Stonewalling, Sarah Palin

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:30:00 +0000

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin first said she welcomed an investigation into allegations that she made attempts to have her ex-brother-in-law fired from his state trooper job, but now that she is a candidate for vice president, the stonewalling of the legislative investigation has begun.

The American electorate is being asked to choose Palin as next-in-line for the presidency, and we deserve to know just who she is.

Is Sarah Palin the vindictive, nasty, unethical, back-stabbing politician some claim her to be, or is she a victim of the political process.

If the John McCain campaign operatives have their way, voters won't know until after the election. Some say it will be too late, but does anyone remember Spiro T. Agnew?

It's never too late to take out the trash.

Sarah Palin Won't Talk to Media

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 10:35:00 +0000

The John McCain campaign will not let Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin answer questions from the media.

Why?

Perhaps they are afraid the real Sarah Palin will come through and the inanity of her selection will become widely known.

Can you say Karl Rove?

More on what's wrong with the media

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:10:00 +0000

Ann Davidow has an excellent take on the lack of real information coming from what passes for media in the US of A.

The glee with which pundits feed on the minutia of politics as if devouring some tidbit of celebrity gossip shows a lack of journalistic gravitas. The Fox News Channel is such a farcical turn on itself it is almost too ridiculous to be taken seriously. Yet a sizeable audience plants itself at the feet of Fox as if its news and views offered something of real value, leaving Fox viewers dangerously misinformed.

But while Fox may field the worst purveyors of intellectually challenged reportage, it isn't the only example of media intransigence. Sean Hannity may be a shameless McCain advocate, but, if Fox tops the list in terms of bias, other news organizations offer up guests who lean one way or the other but add little substance to the political debate. It's as if some producer runs around trying to find representatives of every opinion and throws them in front of a camera to provide a range of views, well founded or not.

Fox is not the only target:

Pundits like Chris Matthews on MSNBC, feel compelled to tell viewers how smart they are, as in ‘when I worked for so and so' or ‘I've been around politics since the beginning of time.' It isn't only that Matthews talks over his guests to showcase his vast knowledge of the way things work, it's his annoying habit of pretending to ask a guest tough questions and then saying at the end "you're a good guy" or something of the sort, as if to ensure his entrée into whatever sphere of influence that particular guest still commands.

And this is why we keep electing morons.

Clinton Backer Offers Bribe?

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Tue, 20 May 2008 16:09:00 +0000

Did mega-rich man and long-time Clinton supporter Haim Saban offer $1 million to the Young Democrats of America as a bribe for the votes of their two superdelegates or not?

Here's what is known:

Saban talked with YDA President David Hardt before the North Carolina and Indiana primaries. They talked about a million dollars and they talked about the two superdelegates.

Were the two topics related?

Saban claims no. He would never do that.

But four independent sources say otherwise.

Like the old saying goes, "If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then it is a bribe, er, duck."

Losing Historic Stories From a Prime Piece of Real Estate

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:17:00 +0000

Of all the real estate stories we have read over the years, none are sadder than the razing of historic properties to make room for modern, ugly, and, let's face it, tacky office buildings.

The latest is the pending fate of an historic home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, which has the misfortune of sitting on a prime real estate corner near the city's downtown area. A $12 million office complex of five to three stories is planned for the site.

From looking at a photo of the property, it doesn't seem like much.

Here's what the news account had to say about the house:

Meanwhile, the Hansen Family Partnership hopes to find a new owner for the historic three-story, 12-bedroom house so it can be moved off site and spared being bulldozed, Hagen said. The Hansen group is offering the house for free plus a $10,000 moving allowance.

Hagen said he has had more than 150 inquiries about the house, which was built and originally owned by the Van Eps family, as well as a couple of showings. "I've asked people to submit their proposals (to take the house) by May 1," he said.

Twelve bedrooms? That's not a house, it's a mini-hotel! What stories its wall could tell us. But I don't think anyone is asking.

What a tragedy to lose a bit of history in the interest of developing that real estate for cold-hearted business.

Look for the free trial in requirements management software

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:16:00 +0000

If you are like 99 percent of the world's population you have no idea what is meant by requirements management, even after reading about it on Wikipedia like we just did.

Here's how we understand it:

People working in product development, whether it's for a widget or software, are told what the product needs to do. These are called requirements, as in the product is required to do something in particular.

Often, the requirements will change as the development progresses, or the client decides to add something new. Keeping track of all the requirements can at times become problematic, especially if the changes are coming at the manager from a variety of sources, such as meeting minutes, emails, phone calls, or even little sticky notes left on the office door.

Fortunately for today's product development manager software is available to make this job much easier. But how does the manager decide which software is best for their needs?

How about a free trial of the Requirements Management Software - a real try-it-before-you-buy-it offer.

But what are the features a manager should look for when making an evaluation?

First, the manager should consider if the software is available on demand, which makes it accessible from any computer with Internet access. This is important so the developers can post their progress and the manager can keep track of the changes.

Another important feature is the ability to quickly add fields to the software as the development progresses and additions are added. This is especially important to track what are called dependencies. For example, if Requirement #1 is dependent on Requirement #2, then the manager can make sure everything is in place.

Now, you know just about as much as we do about Requirements Management Software, but if you know more, please feel free to share your knowledge with us.

As the man said, knowledge is power, and don't we all want to be powerful?

Tucker Carlson's Obsession with Hillary's Tax Return

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 12:15:00 +0000

Tucker Carlson, who did not have his contract with CNN renewed, seems a bit obsessed with the tax returns of Hillary Clinton.

This from Jamison Foser at Media Matters for America:

Carlson, the soon-to-be-former host of the eponymous (and, as of tomorrow morning, defunct) show Tucker, has not only been baffled, he has been positively obsessed:

CARLSON, MARCH 6: "Senator Clinton claims she's too busy to release her tax returns. ... The reality is she wants to keep this information hidden from the voters of Wyoming, Mississippi and Pennsylvania. And they ought to wonder why."
CARLSON, FEBRUARY 25: "Frank Rich makes the point, if we are that biased against Hillary Clinton, we'd be asking to see her tax returns."
CARLSON, FEBRUARY 22: "It has never made sense to me why Mrs. Clinton doesn't release her tax returns."
CARLSON, FEBRUARY 13: "I want to see her tax returns. I want specific tax returns. ... I want to see specific tax returns. ... And we always see them. Why can't we see her[s]? ... I want to see her tax return. ... Is there a reason she's not -- we're not seeing it? ... [I]n order to know where the money is coming from, I think it's fair to see her tax return. That's why Obama has released his. That's why every candidate has and she hasn't."

Tucker's assertion that "every candidate" other than Clinton has released his tax returns isn't quite right. John McCain hasn't released his tax returns, either.

Not that you would know that from watching MSNBC. According to Nexis, there hasn't been a single mention on MSNBC this year of the fact that McCain hasn't released his tax returns. No indication that McCain might even pay taxes, much less that he hasn't released his returns.

If you want more of Carlson's wit and wisdom, it is rumored the he will be back on the air at PBS on Friday nights. Let's hope PBS executives sober up and change their minds.

Are We Drugging Our Own Water Supply

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 12:37:00 +0000

An Associated Press investigation has found the presence of pharmaceuticals in the drinking water used by 41 million Americans. We are drugging ourselves.

To be sure, the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion, far below the levels of a medical dose. Also, utilities insist their water is safe.

But the presence of so many prescription drugs — and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen — in so much of our drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of long-term consequences to human health.

In the course of a five-month inquiry, the AP discovered that drugs have been detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas — from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit to Louisville, Ky.

Water providers rarely disclose results of pharmaceutical screenings, unless pressed, the AP found. For example, the head of a group representing major California suppliers said the public "doesn't know how to interpret the information" and might be unduly alarmed.

How do the drugs get into the water?

People take pills. Their bodies absorb some of the medication, but the rest of it passes through and is flushed down the toilet. The wastewater is treated before it is discharged into reservoirs, rivers or lakes. Then, some of the water is cleansed again at drinking water treatment plants and piped to consumers. But most treatments do not remove all drug residue.

And while researchers do not yet understand the exact risks from decades of persistent exposure to random combinations of low levels of pharmaceuticals, recent studies — which have gone virtually unnoticed by the general public — have found alarming effects on human cells and wildlife.

"We recognize it is a growing concern and we're taking it very seriously," said Benjamin H. Grumbles, assistant administrator for water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Bishop McGuinness Three-Peats in State Basketball

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 14:41:00 +0000

Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Oklahoma City won its third consecutive state basketball title in Class 4A Saturday, March 8. The the three-peat is the seventh championship title in 11 years for the boys basketball team.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Top-ranked Bishop McGuinness defeated eighth-ranked Southeast 80-63 in the class 4A state championship game Saturday afternoon at Jim Norick State Fair Arena.

This is the third consecutive title for the Irish (26-4). In addition, McGuinness has now won basketball and football championships in back to back seasons.

All five starters for the Irish finished in double figures. Ryan Randolph finished with a team high 19 points.

Daniel Orton and Jeffrey Merritt both scored 14 points for McGuinness.

Orton, a 6-10 junior center, also had 11 rebounds and seven blocked shots before fouling out with 4:16 left.

“It is very satisfying,” said McGuinness head coach Tondrell Durham. “We did a nice job and had great balance tonight.”

Ben Smith had a game-high 23 points for the Spartans (18-9). Teammate Darrell Traylor added 17.

Orton's presence forced Southeast to take a lot of perimeter shots. The Spartans managed to hit just 5-of-30 from three point country.

The Irish led 22-13 after the first period thanks to making 9-of-12 shots in the frame.

McGuiness extended to a 38-26 advantage at the half. Gabe Ikard, who finished with 10 points, gave the Irish that lead with a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Citizen Journalism and Grammar Software

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 14:21:00 +0000

The proliferation of so-called citizen journalism is generally seen as a boon to democracy in the Information Age.

A paper produced by We Media refers to this as participatory journalism. In their introduction they have this to say:

We are at the beginning of a Golden Age of journalism — but it is not journalism as we have known it. Media futurists have predicted that by 2021, "citizens will produce 50 percent of the news peer-to-peer." However, mainstream news media have yet to meaningfully adopt or experiment with these new forms.

It may be the "Golden Age of journalism," but so far it hasn't yet become the age of golden journalists.

Sure, anyone with access to the Internet can become a "citizen journalist" but so far most of them are lacking in fundamental writing skills, such as proper grammar.

Most of these "participatory journalist" would do well to take advantage of an online grammar checker. Educators did society a great disservice when they started cutting back on the teaching of basic grammar.

Some will argue that the available grammar checkers in popular programs such as Microsoft Word are adequate for the average reader, but why not take advantage of advanced contextual grammar checker software?

The best software scans the entire text and "operates a complex set of procedures based on the context of your very own newly created English text."

As an old-school journalist and editor, I welcome the new journalism. It is just what this country needs to combat corporate-own media to ensure the "real" news is presented.

But would it hurt the citizen journalist to make sure his copy is grammatically correct and his message is not being misinterpreted?

Britney Spears' Tormentors Detained

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:25:00 +0000

No one's candidate for mother of the year, Britney Spears, received some poetic justice as paparazzi chasing her were detained by police and charged with reckless driving. No word if Spears was wearing panties.

Los Angeles police Lt. Mario Munoz said officers observed several cars following a white Mercedes-Benz around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday in Mission Hills.
The cars were following Spears' car too closely and traveling at unsafe speed. They also made several unsafe lane changes, authorities said.
Munoz said officers stopped the Mercedes, interviewed Spears and released the 26-year-old pop star after verifying her driver's license.
But the four photographers in the cars chasing her were booked for investigation of reckless driving.

Sweet Wedding Favors

noreply@blogger.com (truthisnews) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:40:00 +0000

Thought I had just about seen it all until I went to the wedding of a friend's son and was given candy wedding favors. They were not just any old candy, but personalized mints.

I didn't know if I should be insulted because they thought my breath was bad, or happy to get free mints. I opted for the mints which came in a little box with the bride and groom's name and the date of the wedding. How cute.

Thinking it must have cost quite a bit to have these made up (and having a daughter of marrying age), I cornered my friend at the reception to ask about them. Was I ever amazed when he told me how little they cost and how quickly they were delivered.

Seems the kids couldn't decide until the last minute what to order, but the candy favors made it in plenty of time. Quick service, tasty mints - can't get any better than that.

What I didn't do was ask why the bride was wearing a white dress with black trim. Some things are better left unknown.

I still have the box of mints given as a wedding favor and show them to all my friends. What a great idea.