Fourth
Dimension Report
Decision is Made
Jerry
Melvin
12/09/2002
DECISION IS MADE
After carefully considering prospects for the future, I've decided to join
forces with Jim Boswell, a long time resident and business person in the
Fort Walton Beach area. I have become Vice President of American Business
Concepts, LLC, a company that will be marketing Passeport Debit Card, a
pre-approved debit card that requires no credit check or no social
security number. There are similar programs in existence today;
however, none of the existing programs offer the world-wide concepts that
are being offered by Passeport.
I just returned from a one-day gathering in Las Vegas where the program
was completely outlined and all legal questions were answered.
Contracts are being finalized and businesses that are interested will have
an opportunity to see a pilot of program in operation.
I will be heading up the section dealing with Payroll Services. A
business may deposit payroll funds direct to the Passeport Card and avoid
necessity of writing checks and keeping up with the paper trails.
The cards may access funds and balances at any ATM machine anywhere in the
world. There's a lot more to the program and I'll be filling you in from
time to time. Will also have a website to refer you to in the
immediate future.
Say a little prayer for me as I undertake this new venture.
TIME FOR SOMETHING TO BE DONE
Have you ever visited the OWCC/UWF Fort Walton Beach Campus and tried to
find your way - especially at night. You can tell the entire thing
was engineered by someone who knew nothing about numbering buildings,
accessing classrooms, etc. First thing, the signs are so small
that you need to have binoculars to even know what they say. Second,
the signs are located so no light shines on them, and they are so low that
they are blocked by automobiles parked in the lots and along the roadways.
Building numbers are located on these same small, dark signs, positioned
where light does not shine on them, and where bushes and automobiles block
them from sight. When you enter a building, you can't get from one
side to another. If you go upstairs and can't find the room number
where you are, you have to go back down stairs, cross over and up another
flight of stairs to see if the rooms are there.
Last week I had told Dr. Barbara Bowers that I would be there to speak to
her class. Unfortunately my new laptop computer was not hooked
up to a printer at the time; therefore, I did not print out the directions
Dr. Bowers gave to me. By the time I got to the Center, I had
forgotten the building and room number. I quickly called home
to ask my wife, Pat, to look up the information for me only to
remember that she had gone to a meeting and would not be back for an hour
of so. I decided to look around. No one is there to ask directions
from in the evenings. No one - and I mean no one that I ran
into had the slightest idea of how to find Dr. Bowers' class. There
is no directory, no information center, no listing---brother, you're on
your own. So I started out and went to every building and
looked in every class. I finally gave up and went home.
I still say that OWCC/UWF Center should be required to put
"Large" building numbers/names on the fronts of the buildings
where a person could actually see from an automobile. There should
be a person on hand to answer questions, or there should be a lighted
directory at the reception center. Maps should show people which
stairs should be used for the various class numbers. In other words,
let's make the place User Friendly" for all the folks.
We keep hearing that there is no space at the Center for additional
classes. I can tell you from first hand inspection that a lot of the
classrooms were not in use the night I was there trying to find my way
around.
I'm going to make sure Dr. Richburg and all the other folks get a copy of
my concerns. I know what many of you are thinking - "Just don't
go looking for a place with taking along the proper directions and
information." I agree I should have been better prepared,
but sometimes things just don't work out as planned.
If you've had some of these types of experiences there, let me know.
AM RESEARCHING LEGISLATION THAT'S BEEN INTRODUCED THS FAR
Next week I'll have a report on some of the legislation that has been
introduced thus far in the Florida Legislature. I'll let you
know what our delegation members have filed thus far. Sure
hope each one will introduce legislation to do away with the Intangibles
Tax. Also hope they will have the courage to introduce legislation
implementing English as Official Language for Florida. With
reference to the Intangibles Tax, I know times are tight with funding for
the sate; however, when taxes are reduced, the economy prospers.
I've seen research stating that the top 10 percent of taxpayers pay 67% of
the taxes while the bottom 50% pays 3% of the taxes. If we can
loosen up on the taxes, then people will begin to buy more, invest more,
and even give more to the various charities and organization needing the
assistance.
DID YOU KNOW
Even at my age, I learn something new every day. Was talking
with Mr. Keller at O.K. Tires the other day and learned that the size of
tires an automobile is suggested to have installed is written on the
inside of the door frame. This bit of information was given to me when we
were talking about a car with oversized tires hydroplaning during wet
weather.
PEOPLE ARE ACTUALY GOING BONKERS
When I read that someone was suing McDonalds because the person had gained
weight and was blaming McDonalds, the hair on the back of my neck actually
stood up. Just how stupid can our citizens be when they constantly
blame others for their own short-comings. No one makes a person eat
at McDonalds or any other place. So, accept responsibility for your
own actions and SHUT UP! Hopefully this case will go before a judge
who believes in this country and he'll toss it out with vengeance.
UNRULLY SPORTS FANS
Are you as "fed up" with actions of unruly sports fans and
players as I a. I'd like to see the State of Florida and all other
states pass a law that would outlaw any particular sport at any
institution where such behavior occurs. If fans and players
knew the particular sport involved would be suspended for a year maybe
they'd think twice before acting like a bunch of unruly gangsters.
Hopefully videos can identify some of the participants. If so,
they should be prosecuted and required to help pay for the damages caused.
ORPHAN RESEARCH CONTINUING
I still don't have all information I need relative to the orphan situation
in Afghanistan. Will pass along just as soon as can.
NOT ENOUGH ACTIVITY
Sorry to see that local organizations are not doing more in remembrance of
December 7, Pearl Harbor Day. Hopefully school teachers will
educate children in classes about this important date in American history.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"There never was a period of depression that was not caused either by
an attempt to monkey with the multiplication table or to monkey with the
Ten Commandments." (Roger W. Babson)
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Should a sport be suspended for at least a year at a school, college or
university when fans and players are riotous?
Comments
should be sent to: jmelvin@gulf1.com
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