Equal Opportunity

From Nik Amici in Pembroke Pines, Fla.

Siamese twins walk into a bar in Canada and park themselves on a bar stool.

One of them says to the bartender, "Don't mind us; we're joined at the hip. I'm John, he's Jim. Two Molson Canadian beers, draft please."

The bartender, feeling slightly awkward, tries to make polite conversation while pouring the beers. "Been on holiday yet, lads?"

"Off to England next month," says John. "We go to England every year, rent a car and drive for miles. Don't we, Jim?" Jim agrees.

"Ah, England!" says the bartender. "Wonderful country, the history, the beer, the culture."

"Nah, we don't like that British crap," says John. "Hamburgers and Molson's beer, that's us, heh Jim? And we can't stand the English, they're so arrogant and rude."

"So why keep going to England?" asks the bartender.

"It's the only chance Jim gets to drive."

Past events on this date

Dec. 2 has had quite a few important events happen that changed the world forever into what it is today.

In 1956 Fidel Castro and 80 other members of the Cuban Revolution movement arrived on the shores of Cuba after traveling from Mexico and disembarked to begin the Cuban Revolution. Then on Dec. 2, 1961, on a national radio broadcast in Cuba, Fidel Castro declares that he was a Marxist-Leninist and that Cuba was to adopt communism.

On this date in 1954, after having ruined the reputations and disgracing hundreds of loyal Americans, politicians and film personalities by accusing them of being communists on national television, the United States Senate votes to condemn Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, a Republican from Wisconsin, for "conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute."

In 1930, $150 million was a whole lot of money compared to today's economy but it was necessary for the president to do something to restore confidence in the American public and get jobs going, so on Dec. 2, 1930, President Herbert Hoover goes before Congress to make a plea for $150 million for a public works program to work on various construction projects and help to put America back to work. In today's world it took more than $110 billion to help with bailouts and almost 30 million are still unemployed. Remember, a billion is a thousand million. I think the president needs to be reminded of just how much a billion is and especially what $150 billion is.

It was on this date in 1947, a couple of years after the end of WWII, that the never ending conflicts in the Far East were exasperated when on Dec. 2, 1947, following a vote by the United Nations to create two states, one Jewish and one Arab in Palestine, the "1947 UN Partition Plan" riots broke out in Jerusalem when the Arab Higher Committee declared a three-day strike and public protest against the United Nations ruling. And the beat goes on, forever and ever.

Be wary and cautious

It has been reported that some retailer cashiers have been asking if you want "Cash Back" when using your debit card, if you say no they put in an amount and do not give it to you. They then pocket the money you did not get later in the day. If caught, they apologize with, "I must have hit the wrong key."

Always check your receipt immediately upon checking out for cash back amounts or mistakes.