December 15, 2007

• Gangsters, Guided Missiles & Yes Wells Fargo, There Is a Santa Clause!

  
  It’s the time of the season, when the love runs dry.
  What’s your name? Who’s your daddy? Is he rich like me?
  It’s the time of the season for loving.

  
  

  A couple of weeks ago I called Wells Fargo because I was supposed to receive a dividend check from them that never came.  They told me they would issue me a replacement check, but apparently they got my Account # wrong, because look what I got in the mail today!!  (Did you get one too, Donna??)   This should make Christmas shopping fun.  What does everybody want???

  
  Think I should cash it?  LOL
  
  Or should I be like this guy:

  Honest Man Returns Mistaken $2M Check

  Nov 26, 2007

  SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — There are probably a million ways Jerry Mika
  could spend $2 million dollars. Trouble is, he couldn’t cash the check.
  Expecting a $15 refund from the Utah Department of Commerce, the Draper
  man opened his mail recently to find a $2,245,342 check.

  “I kept
  trying to find a way to make it legitimate so I could cash it,” he
  said. “I did think about all the things I could do with the money …
  who wouldn’t?”  Mika returned the check — a mistake that occurred
  when an employee entered a serial number, not an amount — to state
  finance offices Wednesday.  “Clearly we have an honest, honest
  citizen. I wish I could do something more than say thanks,” commerce
  department director Francine Giani said.

  Giani said the state
  will implement additional internal controls to catch such mistakes in
  the future. A new computer system, which only requires entering the
  amount of a check once, might have contributed to the problem, she said. Mika,
  who runs the nonprofit Providence Foundation to help Nepalese sherpas,
  said he’s had great fun showing off the state’s mistake.

  “Everybody looked at it, started giggling and asked why I wasn’t already in Switzerland,” he said.  He admits to being tempted to deposit the money and draw a bit interest before the state asked for its return.  “That money would have gone a long way,” he said.

  But ultimately honestly and the idea of spending time at the Utah state prison made Mika too nervous to do anything.  Because the check was state-issued, cashing it would probably have been easy, despite the large amount, Giani said.  “It
  was a valid check,” said Rick Beckstead, the state accounting operation
  manager whose signature is stamped on the check. “But it would have
  been caught when we did reconciliation and we would have been after him
  for the refund.”

  Speaking of Christmas shopping…I went to the Irvine Spectrum last night, and saw American Gangster.  It was pretty good….about an hour too long.  I didn’t think Denzel Washington was all that great, though I don’t know that any other actor could have pulled it off.  Russell Crowe did a good job.  I don’t think the script’s character development was very well done.  I kept waiting to learn how this guy became so incredibly cold hearted and was able to cast so much dispersion on his own race.  As it turns out, the movie was based on this article in New York Magazine.  After reading the article, I understand the character a lot better.  If you’re interested, you should definitely read the piece.  It’s called “The Return of Superfly“

  

  I was playing with some different settings on my camera last night, and took these shots at the  Spectrum.  I’m getting used to the Christmas with palm trees lifestyle.  It ain’t all bad   Have a great weekend everyone!

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Dear Santa,
  
  I found one more thing to add to my Christmas list!  I dare a cop to stop me for speeding with these balloons tied to my car!! 
  
  Love,
  Carey

  

  • 4:42 am
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