Late for the Fuzz

The other week I was worried that I would have to make a drive to Chicago to see Hot Fuzz, the Brit comedy that opened in theaters recently. No local theaters were showing it. The closest one was in Chicago. So while many other bloggers were typing their praise, I had to shut my eyes and move on. Showplace 16 in south South Bend got it a few days ago and last Friday, Erin and I went to see it. It was great.

I'm not going to bother with a review except to say that I enjoyed it and would recommend everyone to see it. But there are couple of thoughts I wanted to get out.

• "By the power of Grayskull!" None of the young ones around me laughed. Am I that old already?
• Why does Martin Freeman always wear clothes that make him appear "Zeppelin" size?
• It took me two viewings to understand some of the dialog. Too bad, I couldn't have had a translator (or two) when I was in the theater.
• That kick to the old lady was my favorite part of the movie.
• Some complained about the pacing but I thought that the build-up to the firefight was great.
• When is the DVD coming out?

I belong to neither.

I think I'm going to have to renounce my membership in the Filipino Club. (Italics apply to me.)

- You answer to "Pssst!!"
- You point with your lips.
- You have relatives whose nicknames consist of repeated syllables like Ling-Ling, Bong-Bong, or Che-Che.
- You have uncles and aunts named Boy, Girlie or Baby.
- In your dining room there's a picture of "Last Supper" - and on either side of it are a giant wooden spoon and fork.
- The furniture in your house is wrapped in plastic or covered in blankets.
- You use shopping bags as garbage bags.
- You have a piano no one plays.
- You keep a tabo in your bathroom.
- You own a barrel man from Baguio.
- You can't resist buying items on sale even if you don't need them.
- You eat with your hands.
- and you cut your meat with a spoon and fork.
- You know a meal isn't a meal unless there's rice.
- There's Spam, Vienna sausage and corned beef in your pantry.
- You eat or have eaten fried spam and eggs with rice for breakfast.
- Whenever friends come over, they ask for "meat rolls" and you know they mean lumpia.
- You greet your elders by touching their hands to your forehead.
- You always kiss your relatives on the cheek whenever you enter or leave the room.
- Your relatives sing karaoke when they come over.
- A party isn't a party unless there's line dancing (who doesn't love the Todo Todo, Chilly Cha Cha and September???)
- You don't get grossed out by balut.
- Your mom puts sugar and hot dogs in her spaghetti.
- Your Lola taught you to gargle with warm salt and ginger water when you have a sore throat.
- You always take your shoes off when you enter a house.
- You know what the "chocolate sauce" in dinuguan is actually made of
- The tissues in your bathroom came from Holiday Inn.
- You "open" and "close" the lights.
- Your friends know what it means to be on Filipino Time.
- You think Christmas season begins in October and ends in January.
- Your second piece of luggage is a balikbayan box.
- You've mastered the art of packing a suitcase to double capacity.
- You've ridden in a tricycle that doesn't require peddling
- You hold your palms together in front of you and say "excuse, excuse" when you pass in between people or in front of the TV.
- Goldilocks is more than a fairy tale character to you.
- You say "prijider" instead of refrigerator
- Your Dad is/was in the Navy or your mom is a nurse or in many cases both.
- You leave a party with more food than you came with.
- You pronounce "v"s as "
- You're seen with a boy who's not Filipino and he's automatically your boyfriend and everyone knows about it
- You have Chinese furniture and walls screens in your house
- Your mom or dad came from a family with at least 10 children
-your parents over exaggerate the time (ex:" hoy gising na ! its almost 12 o clock," when it is really 11:15am)
- you pronounce "f's" as "p's" and "p's" as "f's" eg. pliffing = flipping , pork = fork [or vise versa ]
- Finding relatives at the airport entails scouring the crowd for a bunch of people fussing with a balikbayan box.
- Anyone whose name you can't recall in conversation is referred to as "si ano".
-Somehow there is always room for one more on the motorcycle or tricycle!
- You take off your shoes in the house.
- Your mom tells you to wear your "chanelas" when you go outside.
- You ask your mom what your "ulam" is when shes cooking.
- Your mom likes oriental furniture.
- You can speak one or more: tagalog, illocano, kapangpangan or cebuano
-You can understand either: tagalog, illocana, kapangpangan or cebuano
-You always have sardines in your pantry.
-You've eaten the bird of the balut at least once was
-You know the "Otso-otso".
-If you're not the youngest in the family, you look like your mom.
-You like Kare-Kare.
-Church is a must on Sundays.
-The first thing you offer your guests is food.
-You like the "Black Eyed Peas" because one of the guys is Filipino.
- Taho is Deeeelish!
-You believe its bad to waste food.
-Your mom tells you that its bad luck to sleep with your hair wet.
-You own a "walis ting ting".
-You like ALL of the following: Sinigang, Nilaga, Tilapia, Dinuguan, Pansit, and Lumpia.
-Mango is a dessert.
-You get excited when you see a Filipino on an American channel.

Why am I wearing a denim jacket?

And why is it bleached?

Now, I have to say that I do not watch American Idol. I have seen two episodes. Just two. The very first episode of this season and one from a couple weeks ago (um, the Latin week one). Anyways, last night I had a dream that came out of nowhere. I was on American Idol. Just thinking about it makes me laugh but there I was in my dream rocking out with the group to some song by... I dunno... Tina Turner? It was an 80's song, I think, so that probably explains my costume. While everyone was singing, I try and dance with Melinda Doolittle. We're the only two who do. At the end of it, everyone is getting their criticism. I only remember what Paula said to me which was that I wasn't good and that I wasn't bad and that I need to step it up and act like a leading man. At then end of the taping and everyone was leaving, I went to the corner of the stage and crouched down, just sick with butterflies in my stomach. I was in the top six and I was nervous about going on. Melinda came down and comforted me, telling me that I could do it.

I don't watch American Idol, but I dream of it.

South Bend, can we get an annexation please?

Here's more on the Roseland ruckus.

Former councilwoman, Dorothy Snyder was arrested last night for disorderly conduct and also resisting arrest. Local residents once again are shaking their heads. According to news reports from WNDU and WSBT, councilman Ted Penn was being videotaped by Dorothy Snyder after the meeting had adjourned. She refused to stop recording. In the WNDU article, Penn is quoted saying, "No one can be taped outside of the meeting without their permission, once the meeting's over. She can tape all she wants during the meeting." He points to a town ordinance. Mrs. Snyder's husband, David, says that ordinance was passed illegally and that anyone can videotape in a public building.

I'm no fan of the Snyders but I've lost patience for their opposition as well. Watching the WNDU newscast that night, I saw her continuing to videotape. Which obviously means, that someone was videotaping her. Actually, at least three people were videotaping yet she was the only one who got cited with the ordinance. Hmm. While watching her arrest and escort out of the building I saw members cheering the arrest but a few were down right nasty about it. One lady got out of her position flailed her arms in an aggressive manner, and pretty much got into Mrs. Snyder's personal space. I think that the behavior was incredibly embarrassing.


See also:
If only my dad was a politician...
And the Snyder Saga Continues
...and in the other corner...
Roseland is back!


News Reports from:
WNDU (article link) - April 26, 2007
WSBT (article link) - April 26, 2007


UPDATE:
An article from the South Bend Tribune says that the town ordinance mentioned above makes an exception for the media.

UPDATE II:
There's a film out this subject. Read about it at the Notre Dame Magazine (Spring 2007 issue).

Hi. Would you like your...

I'm about to head out to Erin's. She offered to pay me to mow her lawn. I'm too ashamed to settle on a dollar amount so whatever she wants to give me, I'll be glad to take. There was rain in the forecast. But the sky is beautiful and the air is cool. Excellent day to do some yard work.

Since this is a short post, I'll continue with some other thoughts.

I've put up my receipts for my LSDAS and LSAT registrations. I spent $225. Money that I don't have. Now that I've pretty much committed myself, I am having major second thoughts about law school. Dusty said that it would be a good investment. I wanted to hug him and punch him for saying that. It's nice that people believe that I can do it. But I'm so worried about being good enough for law school and being able to come up with the loans for it.

I started my application process for unemployment benefits and I still haven't gotten a decision if I a can draw on those funds. I hate the idea of using public assistance but I'm going to need it if I am to pay off some of my bills. I'll be thankful to get off it-- if I ever get on it.

I did have an interview last week and I was supposed to have had call back if they were interested. At least they told me that. So far nothing. But I do have some hope with Whirlpool and county put up another position that I could possibly fill. There is hope.

I'm still dying from that workout at the Y yesterday. Usually I do well with the legs and balancing. This time it was abs and upper body. Whoo! I'm going to sleep well again tonight even if it takes some pills.

What? An Essay?

Tagged once again.

What is the earliest memory you have as a child? Think far back.
I’m not sure if it was the earliest because I have a few from this time period but I had to be close to three or so. But I was on the balcony of the apartment complex that I lived at when my dad was stationed at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada. We lived on the second floor or maybe the third. I remember climbing on to a chair which required a lot of effort. The chair was up against the railing and on the chair I could look over the edge. And I remember looking down before either my dad or my mom pulled me back.


What is a special memory you have about someone? It could be a grand parent, family friend, - not including your parents – that you knew as a child. What do you recall about them that makes the memory special?
The neighbor lady that lived a few doors down when I was in Idaho. It was Halloween and I was eager to get as much candy as I possibly could. Towards the end, I wanted to go to this house but my Dad said that they weren’t giving out candy. I thought it was ridiculous. Why wouldn’t anyone want to give out candy? But he said that because they didn’t have their light on, they didn’t celebrate it. He let me go up to the house though and I came face to my face with my kindly neighbor and said, “trick or treat.” In the kind demeanor that she always had, she said, “Sorry but we don’t celebrate Halloween.”

It was probably the first time that I realized that someone that I liked was different than I was. And while I didn’t get any candy from her, she was always the nice neighbor lady to me. It was also the beginning of when my dad would let me start making my own choices and having to deal with the consequences. I look back on it as a lesson of life type of thing.


What was a favorite game you played as a child?
Scram ball. It worked like this: There was a cube ball with each side of it a different colors. There were also six corresponding bands that players wore. If six people were playing they would get one colored band each. If three people were playing they would be assigned two colors. So the group of 3-6 players would gather together. A person holding the ball would throw the ball up. It would land and the person whose color was on top had to get the ball. Meanwhile the rest would run away from the ball. Once the person grabbed the ball, s/he would say, “stop!” The rest would stop in their tracks and they could not move their feet. The person with ball would then try to hit one of the other players with the ball after taking four steps in the direction of his/her target.


What was a memorable trip that you can recall being a little kid and what did you do that makes you think about it even now?
For my birthday when I was in second grade, my dad took me and my sister to Disneyland (that's the one in California). It was a long trip from Idaho but I got to go through mountains and deserts. We had to drive through this mountain pass that was ice and snow covered and made me want to pee my pants when I looked over the edge. We tried Jack ‘n the Box burgers to test our fate with E. coli.

What makes me think about it now? Well, it was really the only vacation I remember taking as a little kid.


Did you ever fall in love as a child?
I did not.

This Could Be Fun

In support of one of my friends, I have agreed to accompany her on a Speed Date. The idea is kind of exciting as I imagine I'd probably be more successful in making a match with the opposite sex than I have in the past. Yeah, don't roll your eyes.

Taken from MORBID Minge

What do you think happens after you die?
You’re taken to the hospital just incase you’re not.

Do you believe in heaven?
Yes.

Do you believe in hell?
Yes, but not the fire pit that most envision.

Do you think you will be judged after you die?
Sure. Hopefully acquitted.

How many people will attend your funeral?
Maybe twenty or so.

Would you rather that people cry or laugh at your funeral?
Honestly, I don’t really care. Either would be nice, I guess.

What's better? A shot in the head or downing pills?
What the hell kind of question is this. Both suck.

What should be written on your tombstone?
I shouldn’t have a tombstone. I want to be cremated and my ashes thrown into Lake Michigan.

Would you rather die childless or divorced?
I don’t really have to worry about that now do I?

Do you want to die in the morning, afternoon, or night?
I’ll go with the morning. I wouldn’t want to wake anyone up and mess up their schedules.

If you had a million pounds to leave, who would you leave it to?
I wouldn’t have two million dollars. If done correctly, my money will be about depleted before I die. But if I did have two million dollars right and I died today, I would give:
Erin: $20,000 to eliminate her school debt.
Season: $50,000 to go to school if she so wished.
Sara: $40,000 for a black BMW
My cousins Kaylee, Alyssa, and James: $40,000 each for college
My cousins Jason, Eric B., Jessica, Eric C.: $25,000 each for college
To my Grandma and Uncle Kenny: $75,000
To MSU: $150,000 for scholarships
The remainder is split 60-40 between my parents and my sister.

What kind of flowers do you want at your funeral?
Not necessary.

On your deathbed, which moment will you most remember?
God this is morbid. Lying in the grass in Key West looking up at the most brilliant night sky I had ever seen.

Have you ever watched someone die?
Not actually die, but close to it.

What's the most gruesome death you can imagine?
Being opened on the autopsy table even though you’re not quite dead yet but they believe you are.

How often do you think about death?
Not very often but this things is affecting the average.

Is fear of dying your number one fear?
No. Being alone is.

Do you believe in reincarnation?
No. This universe has an end and reincarnation suggests otherwise.

Have you ever wished someone you loved were dead?
Yes. I feel bad about it though.

Do you consider life short or long?
Incredibly short.

Do you think you have a soul?
Yes.

Assisted suicide for a terminally ill person is:
Depends on how you define it.

If you were cremated, where would you like your ashes?
In Lake Michigan.

Would you choose to be immortal, if you could be?
No. I’d end up like Lorien and that kind of knowledge carries a burden I can’t even grasp.

What do you think of ouija boards?
Silly.

North on Monday

Late last week I made plans to go to State and check out Career Services and Placement. I would make the trip on Wednesday, the day after my job interview with Banana Republic. Herb had a recital/concert on Monday and I decided to move the trip up a couple days so that I could go to both. It’s been a tough time lately and I needed to experience something positive.

It has been a year since I last visited campus and it gets stranger to me every time I go there. That’s not a negative. Campus is continually a work-in-progress and there hasn’t been anything new that I didn’t like. Okay, perhaps the addition to Spartan Stadium is an exception. That makes the thing look so lopsided. But even though things are continually changing, much of it remains so familiar. I was excited to see some of the construction at my old dormitory, Philips Hall. It’s going to look great.

Going to Career Services wasn’t much help. The lady at the desk was really nice but explained to me that I now had to go to Alumni Services. I got some materials and went on my way. The Alumni Association wants me to reactivate my membership before I can access their systems. I love MSU but sometimes, I think that school wants me to bleed green. And that wasn’t a reference to school colors.

I picked up the latest LDAS packet for the LSAT at the College of Law. I took some time to sit and watch the law students come and go through the library.

Information about the Virginia Tech massacre was still unfolding while I was on campus. People at the International Center were clustered around the televisions showing coverage. It wasn’t as somber as 9/11 but still, it was a little tough to be there.

While I was there I tried to meet up with two friends that were still there. Christina wasn’t free to meet up but I did get to have a short drink with Dusty. It was great to catch up. He will be doing another internship this summer down in Kentucky and invited me to come down and visit someday. Sounds like a great idea to me.


I hightailed it out of East Lansing to get to Albion where Herb was having his recital. This was the part of the trip that I was looking forward to the most. Going to MSU was about finding a job. This was going to be more personal. First, I haven’t experienced opera singing before and I’m always up for something new. Second, I’ve never seen a fellow blogger in the flesh before.

The plan was to show up ten minutes before it started. There would be a crowd there and I would be able to slip in and not be noticed. It’s not that I didn’t want to meet Herb, I just didn’t want to show up unannounced. I feared that he would think, internet stalker. I know I would be thrown off balance if a fellow blogger showed up suddenly. Not that I wouldn’t welcome that, but I’d be thrown off. Not good for a performer, I think.

So I get there about ten minuets before and I walk in. I see no one there. Oh, do I have the right building? Yes I do as a couple ladies hand me a program and tell me to enjoy the concert. I make my way in and who do I see coming down the isle towards me? Herb. Oh, shit! So much for slipping in unnoticed. Well I couldn’t just slip past him thinking he might not recognize me.

“Herb, where is everyone?” Oh, as soon as I said it, I kicked myself for not coming up with something better. Believe me, I get incredibly nervous meeting new people and anything I do manage to say comes out inarticulately. Well at least, the hard part of actually meeting someone was over with. But it was cool and I took a seat, excited.

Soon, people started to fill up the seats. The girls that I sat near looked like they were there for a class assignment. They had their notebooks out and were ready to take notes. I brought out my own notebook, but to take notes for myself. As the performance went on, they were busy making their notes. Even though I had my own notes out, I refrained from writing. I wasn’t there for a class, I was there for the experience and I wanted to give it my full attention. Besides, I wouldn’t even know what to note. I get a feeling the girl next to me didn’t either as some of what I read didn’t seem too insightful.

I loved the performance. The whole thing seemed intimate. Like I was a part of something that only a select number of people could appreciate. Now, I will be the first to point out that I come up short when it comes to the arts. I may not know much, but I know that I can sit back and let the chips fall where they may. To my untrained ear, it all sounded great. There was only one snag in the program but I’ll leave that to Herb to write about if he so wishes.

When it was done, I stayed to meet Herb more properly. When he came out, we had a little chat. I would have loved to have stayed and talked some more but it was getting late and I still had to drive back home. I should have told him this, but that day was the best I have had in a long time and meeting him was the highlight of the day. So Herb, thank you.

It's not that I hate what you have...

You Are Guinness

You know beer well, and you'll only drink the best beers in the world. Watered down beers disgust you, as do the people who drink them. When you drink, you tend to become a bit of a know it all - especially about subjects you don't know well. But your friends tolerate your drunken ways, because you introduce them to the best beers around.

What's Your Beer Personality?

Wow. That pretty much hit the nail on the head.

I should be out on a Friday night...

…but I’m stuck on the couch watching Stargate!

I’m so pumped now that two of my favorite shows are back.

Stargate SG-1:

The episode began with the SG-1 fleeing a dragon, the last test that they would have to pass in order to get access to the sangral, or the holy grail. Eventually they do by speaking the guardian’s name which immediately reminded me of the The Fellowship of the Ring when they opened that gate at Khazad Dum. The team is transported to another planet where they find that the sangral was probably destroyed by Morgan le Fay. But they do find Merlin who would know how to make another one. Merlin, however, is too old to do the work and dies but before leaving a way for Daniel to complete the work. The episode ends with Daniel being captured by the Orici after sacrificing himself to allow the rest of the team to make it back to Earth.

While they were fighting the dragon, I was thinking to myself where Merlin might be. After all, they were sticking to the legend and if they brought up Morgan le Fay, I thought maybe he’s around too because I remembered…um, from Doctor Who… that Merlin had been sealed in an ice cave. And then look what happens moments later in the episode—they find Merlin.

It seems that Ancients don’t last very long on that show. At least the non-ascended ones don’t. I was kind of hoping that Merlin would stick around a little longer and maybe show off some more of those ancient tricks that he had. Actually, I thought it would be even more interesting if they would show Merlin with his darker persona. That is, he would still be that trickster who manipulates the situation to whatever ends he wants. Seeing SG-1 being played like a puppet would have put some interesting complexities into the story line. Would the team know they are being manipulated? When would they find out? How would they get out of a plot that seems to be geared towards their favor but probably imperiled their own safety?


Stargate Atlantis:

In the previous episode, the expedition evacuated Atlantis after a group of Ancients reclaimed the city. The Asurans attacked and killed the Ancients but somehow, Gen. O’Neill and the Doctor Mr. Woolsey survived. Dr. Weir and crew take back the city soon enough and everything is peachy.

Atlantis, I probably enjoyed the most out of the two shows that night. It was more simplistic but it had more of that quipy humor which makes me miss Richard Dean Anderson even more.

I heard that Carson is going to be killed. I’m hurt. I love Carson. He’s one of my favorite characters—right under Rodney.

The other side. Quick!

I have a fear of being in a stopped vehicle on a bridge. *shiver* Especially on Friday the 13th.

Even though I consider Friday the 13th to be a lucky day.

I know, I'm weird.

The Networking Sites

Chances are that if you are reading this blog, or any blog for that matter, you are aware of networking sites such as MySpace, Friendster, and Facebook. I was an early adopter when these sites first started. However, I never had much use for them since none of my friends used them. Only Facebook took off for me. The other accounts went dormant.

At the beginning, the only reason why I wanted to be on a networking site was for the possibility of meeting long lost friends. I figured that if these sites became popular enough, some might be able to reconnect. Maybe I would have been one of them. In particular, I was hoping that I’d be able to find Brandon Mullins (I use his last name in the hopes that he Googles himself and finds this page), my best friend from my time in Key West. So far, nothing has turned up.

Yesterday, though, I reconnected with a friend from college. I haven’t talked to Brian in a couple of years. I looked him up on Facebook but he was never there until he joined a few days ago. A week ago, a classmate from high school added me to her friend list on MySpace. I haven’t seen her in seven years. Now, I’ve seen that she has a husband and son. And that makes having one of these accounts worthwhile. For so little time and effort, I’ve reconnected with people I probably would have forgotten with a few more years.

Now, I’m finding these accounts to be even more valuable as I’m connecting with other bloggers. [Nods to PJS, Herb, and Roy] It’s cool and I keep telling myself that I probably should do more interacting through these sites. I’ll get on it, I promise. In the mean time, look me up. I can always use another friend.

Sugar Free

This has shaped up to be a pretty shitty week. I got fired yesterday. I have never been fired from a job before because, frankly, I'm a damn good worker. According to Scott, I have exhibited a "negative" attitude at work and that I didn't get good reviews from "secret shoppers." Funny how he couldn't come up with a single instance when I asked him to give me specifics. Also questionable since I used to get "excellent" reviews and I certainly haven't changed my approach to customers.

Actually, I saw this coming as soon as he got rid of my previous manager, Tracee. He had also got rid of the staff when he hired in the new manager, Danielle. Well Danielle couldn't just run the store all by herself. He needed me to stay and keep things going. I was tolerable for a certain end. In the off season, which begins after Easter, there has always been three staff members. The fourth finished her training--oh let's see--yesterday. So now that he has a full staff, I was a convenient cut. Saves him money.

My friend Erin took me out for a celebratory dinner. She always tells me that I'm too good for that job and she's right. This may be the beginning of something better.

Forgot to mention:

Michigan State Hockey wins the national championship! Woo-hoo. Makes up for all my bitching about the football and now, the basketball programs.

Lacking That Easter Joy

I had plans for today. In the morning, I was going to accompany my parents to church. Despite my excommunication, I thought that I could at least symbolically show my connection to the invisible church. After church, the rest of my day would consist of laundry and doing my taxes. Well, like last year, my parents ditched me and I ended up with no energy to do my taxes. I managed to get the laundry done at least.

For the past few days, I have been feeling like a big pile of blah. Even Erin’s party, last night, couldn’t break me out of the funk. And I got more action last night than I have in almost twenty years! (Well if you count a kiss as action.) Today was just a continuation with my day consisting of washing loads of laundry and reading a book from start to finish. Yup, that’s pretty much it.

Mom made ham for dinner. It’s a tradition that I wouldn’t mind never experiencing again. I hate ham. Hate it. They know it and they give me grief about it. Sorry, Mom, Dad, but I just don’t like the taste. Period. The explanation is as simple as that and yet they want more. I opted for some leftovers that have been threatening to go bad for a couple days now. I’ll know by tomorrow morning if that was a good idea or not.

Deposits and Taxes

As a few of you know, I live near the Michigan-Indiana border. There are certain benefits to living in such an area particularly when it comes to money.

This is a can of coke. Michigan has a bottle deposit law which requires a consumer to pay an additional 10¢ on every unit. So if I bought a case of Coke, I'd pay $2.40 in deposits. If I bought a 12-pack, I'd pay $1.20. The purpose of the law is to encourage recycling because when you return your bottles, you get the deposit back. It's a very successful program. An estimated 95-98% of soda cans make it back for recyling and roadside litter has been reduced by 84%.

Some people use the deposit system to make money. When I was at Michigan State, there was a well known guy who rode a bike around campus collecting discarded cans and bottles. It wasn't unusual to see him come into a lecture room after class had been let out where he would scour the room for bottles left behind. Sometimes, I'd see him with three garbage sized bags full of cans. How much he could make in a day, I never knew. Sadly, Ernie the Can Man died a few years back. While most of us never knew his name while he lived, he was missed by the MSU community.

Anyways, yesterday I bought a case of Coke that was on sale at an Indiana store for $3.96. Indiana does not have a bottle deposit system. This particular store, however, gets its soda (we call it "pop" here) shipments from a Michigan warehouse. So the case that I bought had the deposit stamp on them. I wasn't charged a deposit though. So if I take those cans that I bought in Indiana and returned them here in Michigan, I would get that $2.40 deposit without having paid it in the first place. Let's do some math:

+$3.96 -- Price of 24 can case of Coke
+$0.24 -- Indiana sales tax at 6%
+$4.20 -- Total bill
-$2.40 -- The deposit I could get back by redeeming in Michigan
+$1.80 -- The end cost to me for 24 cans of coke

That amounts to 7.5¢/can. What a deal!

Had I bought that case at the sister store in Michigan I would have paid 17.5¢/can.

I must say that redeeming those cans in Michigan would be illegal since I didn't pay into the deposit fund. And I'm not saying that I do it. However, it's not like Michigan would know since there aren't anything on those cans to suggest they weren't bought in this state.

Taking advantage of the deposit system isn't the only thing available to Michiganders living near Indiana, there are lower tobacco prices across the border. I don't smoke, so that isn't a plus for me. But, the gas tax is. Michigan's gasoline tax is 35.2¢/gal with an additional 6% sales tax (double taxation anyone? Actually, triple taxation because of state tax+federal tax+sales tax). Indiana's tax is 31¢/gal with an additional 6% sales tax. It may not seem like much but there is a noticeable change in gas prices as you get further away from the the border in either direction.

There is a bill in the Michigan House of Representatives to raise the gas tax by 9¢. Another part of that bill is to increase the registration fee by 50%. I paid $109 last month for my car to pay for road projects in Detroit. Now they want me to plop down another fifty bucks to improve roads I'll never drive on. Frak that. I'm already planning on buying my gas at the Wal-mart gas station in Indiana (where I get a 3¢/gal discount). I'm telling you-- Hoosierland is looking better and better all the time.

And the governor and legislators continue to look for a way to attract new businesses and residents. Idiots. As Simon said, "Last one out of Michigan, turn off the lights!"