Travelin’ to Graceland, Graceland, Graceland Tennessee

Once they’ve made a name and career for themselves, novelists, musicians, actors, painters and other creatives face a common challenge: Now what? Do you keep doing what you’ve done, what made you famous, or do you bust out of that niche and try something fresh and new?

Twenty-five years ago, a semi-washed-up pop star by the name of Paul Simon decided to try to something new, infusing his work with exotic influences from South Africa and Louisiana and Mexico. In “Graceland,” Simon produced one of those rare albums in which musicianship and creativity were rewarded with popularity. It was a fresh work of art by a mature professional, plus it made your feet twitch and your heart jump.

In its Silver Anniversary year, here’s the title cut:



– Jay Bookman

476 comments Add your comment

Disgusted

April 24th, 2011
8:27 pm

What part of “Ryan’s plan doesn’t affect people 55 years or older right now” do you NOT get?

Oh! I get it. Most people over 55 will simply approve of your cynical plan to destroy the safety net, provided they’re not affected.

Got news for you, pal. All you cynical libertarians, constitutionalists, and hard-core Republican conservatives are making a very bad assumption: to wit, that we elderly people are just as selfish as you. I’m one of those elderly, and I want Social Security and Medicare to be around for my son when he reaches retirement age. We aren’t going back to the days of the tin begging cup, the pencil and apple selling, and the moving in of elderly parents with their children.

Sit on it, pal. You make me sick.

Del

April 24th, 2011
8:30 pm

If there is any agreement on here I think it’s everyone realizes that our country is in peril. Should it be that government is the sole solution or is it a case where the private sector needs to lead our way out of it. I believe it’s the latter with government only facilitating the effort. Hopefully both parties will begin setting politics aside and work together but that’s probably overly optimistic. Happy Easter!

Lil' Barry Bailout

April 24th, 2011
8:34 pm

Jackie: Just using the 2008 TARP funding to point out to you what a mess President Obama inhereted from President Bush.
————–

TARP ended the financial crisis and the recession ended in June 2009. As SoCo helpfully pointed out, it was still our President Bush’s economy at that point, so He gets credit for ending the recession.

Lil' Barry Bailout

April 24th, 2011
8:37 pm

Disgusted: We aren’t going back to the days of the tin begging cup, the pencil and apple selling, and the moving in of elderly parents with their children.
——————

No, thanks to the Idiot Messiah and his failed economy, we’ve got children moving back in with their parents after not being able to find work before their two years of unemployment benefits run out.

Southern Comfort (aka The Man)

April 24th, 2011
8:37 pm

Del

I don’t disagree with your statement “is it a case where the private sector needs to lead our way out of it.” My problem is that I don’t think the private sector sees it that way, nor do they even have the appearance of thinking it’s them that are the key to the solution. Until they realize that if the US goes under, they also lose, I don’t think they feel as though they have skin in the game. I could be wrong, but I haven’t seen any conferences of business leaders getting together to do anything other than pay off Congressmen. Think of how much our economy might have been aided had the money spent for campaigns had actually gone into the economy in the form of jobs created or expanded.

Lil' Barry Bailout

April 24th, 2011
8:41 pm

The private sector didn’t create the budget problem. The private sector doesn’t write budgets or allocate funding. Obozo decided he wanted to spend nearly $4 trillion next budget year. Put the blame where it belongs.

Dave R.

April 24th, 2011
8:43 pm

“I’m one of those elderly, and I want Social Security and Medicare to be around for my son when he reaches retirement age.”

Disgusting, guess what? Ain’t gonna happen. SS will be in deficit spending by 2015 with less than one worker supporting one retiree by that year. Medicare is already broke. Neither model is sustainable, no matter how much you’d like to soak the rich to pay for them.

Your 50 years of social engineering has failed and failed miserably. Thanks for playing, but it’s time for the grown-ups to fix your mess – again.

Southern Comfort (aka The Man)

April 24th, 2011
8:44 pm

TARP ended the financial crisis and the recession ended in June 2009. As SoCo helpfully pointed out, it was still our President Bush’s economy at that point, so He gets credit for ending the recession.

So, if that’s how things happened, why on G*d’s Green Earth did the GOP try to slap all the blame for the recession and bailout on the Dems and Obama in 2010? People act as like we’re living in a game of Monopoly or something. Thing is, if we see “Game Over”, we don’t get to put another quarter in and try again. It’s time to end this battle of ideologies and actually try to do things to help ALL people, and not keep trying to pick winners and losers.

Y’all have a good evening. This public sector earning, union dues paying, sucking from the government teat, leach, parasite, or whatever the name is for us employees has to take his ass to bed or else there will be one less guard at the front door tomorrow. Catch y’all later.

Lil' Barry Bailout

April 24th, 2011
8:44 pm

In this case, the grownups are mostly younger than the greedy, wealthy retirees still looking for handouts.

Bedtime for Ronnie

April 24th, 2011
8:47 pm

What part of “Ryan’s plan doesn’t affect people 55 years or older right now” do you NOT get?

Who cares if it does not affect them right now, today, this moment. That’s hardly a basis for going through with it, for most people.

Lil' Barry Bailout

April 24th, 2011
8:48 pm

So, if that’s how things happened, why on G*d’s Green Earth did the GOP try to slap all the blame for the recession and bailout on the Dems and Obama in 2010?
——————-

The GOP quite correctly slapped the blame for Obozo wasting $1 trillion on a failed stimulus that was really just a slush fund for public union employee payoffs. The GOP also correctly criticized your Idiot Messiah, fascist that he is, for confiscating what was left of GM and Chrysler and giving it to his union goons, rather than leaving it with its rightful owners.

Bedtime for Ronnie

April 24th, 2011
8:54 pm

Why does lil barry bailout worship an idiot and on easter too.

Disgusted

April 24th, 2011
8:55 pm

Freshmen feel the heat back home—Politico

Good luck with selling Ryan’s plan. The elderly aren’t the only ones to object to it. See the Politico article. And those aren’t Democrats bringing the heat. You “grown-ups” have a little problem on your hands, unless you plan to by-pass the electorate in 2012.

Del

April 24th, 2011
8:57 pm

SoCo,
It must be understood that business is in business to survive and to prosper. Earning profits is the only way business accomplishes those two important objectives. Governments role is to facilitate not to stand as impediments or an adversarial environment is created that isn’t beneficial to the country as a whole. Unfortunately, our government today is more concerned with politics and less concerned with their facilitation role and that has created an adversarial environment. Should government maintain oversight and regulate where it’s necessary to maintain healthy balance? Of course, however, that’s not the case today. Remember, the roots of our countries success is based on an economy that depends on private enterprise and not on the central control of government. We’ve upset that balance and that’s the root of our problem.

Dave R.

April 24th, 2011
8:59 pm

Ronnie, I guess you missed the part where there were going to be no changes to Medicare or SS for those 55 or older in the Ryan plan.

Maybe you get your head out of the sand and pay attention.

This private sector worker is off to bed.

Lil' Barry Bailout

April 24th, 2011
8:59 pm

We’ve upset that balance and that’s the root of our problem.
——————

Amen.

Jackie

April 24th, 2011
9:02 pm

@Dave R.

The only time I mentioned balancing the budget when Lil Barry spoke about the Obama budget and the purported glide path we would be on if he would cut spending.

Now, when you make the dense statement, you should understand that you are a master of changing the subject matter when it does not fit into your tiny world of knowledge.

You and I were discussing the debt limit, of which you conviently tried to change the subject. Maybe if you were not so ignorant, you would have figured that out.

getalife

April 24th, 2011
9:07 pm

lil w bailout forgets Obama saved the w depression.

“During a meeting Thursday, al-Maliki told Mullen that Iraqi forces are able to maintain security in their own country.”

And he got us out of another huge w mistake.

If we got Iraqi oil, why are gas prices so high?

We should stop giving big oil welfare right lil w?

Bedtime for Ronnie

April 24th, 2011
9:07 pm

The real grown ups looked at the Ryan plan and started asking the grown up questions such as why does the national debt keep going up under the Ryan plan while the billionaire libertarians get more tax cuts and the seniors get a voucher to buy private insurance at a higher cost if they can get coverage at all while the poor sick lose medicaid and the starving lose their food stamps…

The one good thing the Ryan plan does is finally put the Republican party on display for all to see. By all means, bring us more town hall meetings. Show us how you will convince your own base to slit their wrists for your cause.

Lil' Barry Bailout

April 24th, 2011
9:08 pm

Fleeing the Dollar Flood
The world tries to protect itself from U.S. monetary policy.

Members of the International Monetary Fund emerged from their huddle in Washington last weekend resolved to keep every option open to slow the flood of dollars pouring into their countries, including capital controls. That’s a dangerous game, given the need for investment to drive economic development. But it’s also increasingly typical of the world’s reaction to America’s mismanagement of the dollar and its eroding financial leadership.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703789104576272983322884562.html

Jackie

April 24th, 2011
9:09 pm

@Lil Barry

It seems the end of the Great Recession came to an in the 3rd Quarter of 2009, almost a year after President Obama was elected.

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/10/recession_ending_gdp_rises_3rd.html

Bedtime for Ronnie

April 24th, 2011
9:09 pm

Ronnie, I guess you missed the part where there were going to be no changes to Medicare or SS for those 55 or older in the Ryan plan.

Me and everyone else that actually read it because your claim is false.

Lil' Barry Bailout

April 24th, 2011
9:10 pm

gottalie
April 24th, 2011
9:07 pm

We should stop giving big oil welfare right lil w?
————————

You’ll have to be more specific. Thanks in advance.

getalife

April 24th, 2011
9:12 pm

53 billion the gop voted for lil w bailout.

You got oil on your nose.

Lil' Barry Bailout

April 24th, 2011
9:13 pm

Looks like you’re just making sh$t up. Link please.

getalife

April 24th, 2011
9:14 pm

Google it lil w.

Bedtime for Ronnie

April 24th, 2011
9:15 pm

Lil’ Barry Bailout

April 24th, 2011
9:13 pm
Looks like you’re just making sh$t up. Link please.

Now THAT is what is known as a funny.

Jackie

April 24th, 2011
9:18 pm

Lil' Barry Bailout

April 24th, 2011
9:18 pm

If you’re talking about changing the rules after the game has been played, I’m generally against that. If it’s something else, go ahead and link to it.

Didn’t think so.

getalife

April 24th, 2011
9:19 pm

The last thing Americans want is to let the gop get their greedy corrupt hands on Medicare or SS.

ensign told the truth for once when he said they will do bad things in Washington if we do not hold them accountable.

We will hold the gop accountable in 12.

Lil' Barry Bailout

April 24th, 2011
9:21 pm

Jackie apparently believes there is actual money in the SS trust fund.

Del

April 24th, 2011
9:23 pm

Social Security is in trouble and it’s ignorant to believe otherwise. It’s based now on government IOU’s and that’s not a secure support platform.

Jackie

April 24th, 2011
9:23 pm

@Lil Barry

If you will check out this link, you too will begin to understand how the Social Security surplus is used and how the US government has borrowed from the Trust Fund.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/02/25/949893/-Factcheck-got-it-really-wrong-about-Social-Security

Lil' Barry Bailout

April 24th, 2011
9:24 pm

I did, Jackie. Maybe you should read it to. And when you do, keep in mind that the SS trust fund is empty. Nothing in it but IOUs.

Jackie

April 24th, 2011
9:25 pm

@Del

If we can not believe in the “good faith and credit” of the US government debt contracts, being the largest economy in the world, who can we trust?

Wow, the use of the ignorant word should be put away when one is unaware of the total economic picture, don’t you think?

Jackie

April 24th, 2011
9:28 pm

@Lil Barry

Is an IOU an business contract?
If so, then what is it we should be concerned about?
Will the USA declare bankruptcy?

Lil' Barry Bailout

April 24th, 2011
9:28 pm

From Jackie’s Daily Kos story:

“Social Security expenditures are expected to exceed tax receipts this year for the first time since 1983. The projected deficit of $41 billion this year…”

Bottom line: The government is paying out $41 billion more this year than it takes in. The SS trust fund has nothing in it. The money has to come from some other source, and that source is the general budget.

Bedtime for Ronnie

April 24th, 2011
9:30 pm

The fed takes money from the trust funds, for use in the general fund and puts in treasuries which are the highest rated securities available, AAA. Feel free to mess with the debt ceiling and see what that does though. It will not go down well for Republicans.

Lil' Barry Bailout

April 24th, 2011
9:30 pm

Jackie, your libbtarded friends (save gottalie perhaps) aren’t even going to help you on this one, that’s how wrong and easily b*tchslapped you are.

Next issue.

Del

April 24th, 2011
9:33 pm

Jackie,

I wish I could believe in the financial solvency of our country but all the proof points otherwise. We have a big job ahead of us to restore our worldwide financial leadership position and we need to get started immediately.

TnGelding

April 24th, 2011
9:33 pm

The general budget is in the red already. Treasury will simply issue a new bond to replace the one in the existing “trust fund.” Once we recover completely from the Bush recession and get everyone back to work that wants to work the taxes will exceed the outflow again.

Jackie

April 24th, 2011
9:36 pm

@Lil Barry

If you would have taken the time to read a little further, you would not have embarresed yourself:

“To: Editor@Factcheck.org
Subject: Wrong, wrong, wrong on Social Security and the deficit

1. Except for the newly-implemented Payroll Tax (FICA) cut, Social Security does not contribute to the debt in ANY WAY!

2. Your assertion that USA Today’s editorial writers were correct when they said that Social Security went “into the red last year” is WRONG! It didn’t. Revenue from SS payroll taxes was less than benefits that were paid out, but the interest from the SSTF exceeded that shortfall, and so the overall “income” to the Trust Fund exceeded the payouts! There wasn’t an “annual surplus”, but there’s still a surplus! It’s not “in the red”! Not in any way. There’s not a “negative cash flow”, since income plus interest is greater than benefits! That doesn’t happen for several more years, until 2016 or so (with a caveat for the unique FICA cut this year). The surplus in 2009 was 134 billion. The income in 2010 was expected to be 82 billion. For 2011, it’s 72 billion, but then in 2012 it’s expected to be 87 billion, and it reaches 94 billion in 2016. It’s not “in the red”.

3. The reason that Social Security “contributes to our fiscal woes” is because the Social Security Trust Fund (SSTF) has been loaning money to the General Fund, instead of the government having to borrow from US citizens or foreign countries. Once the amount of money in the SSTF stops growing, then the Trust Fund will have to start cashing in the special issue securities from the US Treasury to fund the benefits that retirees, disabled workers and survivors collect. The General Fund will NOT be paying those benefits. The General Fund will have to supplement the money that they have to pay out, but it’s not taxpayers that will be funding those benefits.”

Bedtime for Ronnie

April 24th, 2011
9:37 pm

According to the Republicans on here, we need to be concerned about government IOUs in the social security trust fund. Has anyone informed the holders of that total14 trillion yet (the trust fund holdings account for just a part of that). They’ll be expecting their interest payments, on schedule. Go ahead, tell them their payment is not coming unless the billionaires are granted another tax cut because that is the only way the Republicans will agree to raise the debt ceiling. Now THAT is also known as a funny.

Jackie

April 24th, 2011
9:38 pm

@Del

When approximately 25% of the world’s economy comes through the USA, if we fail, everyone else fails!
As for the weak dollar, it is a major benefit to us because it helps with our export market, bringing factory workers – middle class earners – back into the economic mainstream.

Win, win!!!

Jackie

April 24th, 2011
9:40 pm

@Lil Barry

Where you at??????

Del

April 24th, 2011
9:51 pm

Jackie,

Unfortunately, we’re not controlling the devaluation of the dollar, it’s controlling us. The cost of oil significantly increases and effects consumer costs in a fragile recovery. Some economists are predicting that we can fall into deep recession. I hope they’re wrong but the scary thing is that no one can predict with creditable certainty that they are wrong.

Jackie

April 24th, 2011
9:56 pm

@Del

The problem with oil / gas prices are the “speculators.”
There is so much oil on the world market, the USA does not facilities to store all the oil and other refined petroleum products.

It is so bad, we are using oil tankers floating in the ocean as storage facilities.

As you know, the valuation of a currency is based on “good faith and credit” of the said country. Who else in the world has the clout and muscle to better the world’s economy than the USA.

The other major problem we are having is Moody’s talking about downgrading our debt is due to the fact there is no movement on raising the debt ceiling in Washington, DC.

It has riled the world’s currency markets because there is a fear of having to raise interest rates on debt instruments. Not good for a fragile economy.

Jackie

April 24th, 2011
10:01 pm

@Del

Here is some intresting reading on the subject.

http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message561390/pg1

Del

April 24th, 2011
10:03 pm

Jackie,

As I said earlier we can all agree on one thing and that is we’re in trouble. I’ll admit that better minds than my own will need to find the solutions and my concern is that politics will make finding those ultimate solutions difficult at best. Taps now…Happy Easter

Jackie

April 24th, 2011
10:04 pm

@Del

SALUTE!!!
Good Easter to you.

TnGelding

April 24th, 2011
10:07 pm

Moody’s didn’t report anything we didn’t already know, hence the one day reaction. Saudi Arabia just cut production because of the glut of oil. The speculators are robbing us. Why do we continue to let them? The oil companies own much of the oil and the refineries. Why are they selling it instead of just delivering it to the refinery? The commodity futures markets have outlived their usefullness in this computer managed inventory age.

Jackie

April 24th, 2011
10:10 pm

@TnGelding

You are on point.

St Simons - we're on Island time

April 24th, 2011
10:30 pm

This old man was at the pier today getting his boat ready, working hard to make everything ship-shape, patching leaks, painting spots with, I guess, his grandson. Turns out he was from the Greatest Generation, and they were selling the boat. His grandson was asking questions with the stark honesty of a child. “Hey, Grampy, why are we doin’ all this to the boat?” He said, ” Well, the family that’s gettin this boat is goin out on the big bad ocean with their children, and remember when Great-Gramp fixed it before we went out? Thats right. He paid it forward. And I care. Its the right thing to do. We are doing this because that’s the kind of people we are – people of character, people of substance. If I didn’t do everything I could to make it right, you know, pay it forward, and that man got out on the ocean, and it was every man for himself, and he lost them, well we’re just not the kind of stinkin shirkin weasels that would do that, son – you remember that”

and I did.

Moral of the Story – never put the safety & future of your family in the hands of a person (or Party) with no shame, no remorse, and no conscience

0311/0317 - 1811/1801

April 25th, 2011
2:04 am

Southern Comfort (aka The Man) :

Compare it with the WW II list of entertainment volunteers. No comparison.

0311/0317 - 1811/1801

April 25th, 2011
2:05 am

“TRUMP VS. THE CHUMP”

I LOVE IT ………. CAN’T WAIT FOR THE DEATES !

0311/0317 - 1811/1801

April 25th, 2011
2:06 am

‘DEBATES”

Dave R.

April 25th, 2011
6:42 am

Apparently, Jackie doesn’t know the meaning of the words “deficit spending”.

Her OWN LINK pointed out that there is less money coming in than going out in Social Security, yet she can’t quite come to admit that what is occurring isn’t deficit spending.

When you’re sustaining your program by drawing down reserves, you’re in deficit spending.

It amazes me that she even survives in this world. Maybe she has someone that takes care of her.

Rightwing Troll

April 25th, 2011
6:48 am

Arguing with Lil Barry and Dave is pointless, they both supported W for 8 years and don’t comprehend the damage they and W did for 8 years therefore they have no true grip on reality.

Mick

April 25th, 2011
7:20 am

Good Morning – Attention serious debt reduction proposal ahead-

“And that’s why the only major budget proposal out there offering a plausible path to balancing the budget is the one that includes significant tax increases: the “People’s Budget” from the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which — unlike the Ryan plan, which was just right-wing orthodoxy with an added dose of magical thinking — is genuinely courageous because it calls for shared sacrifice.

True, it increases revenue partly by imposing substantially higher taxes on the wealthy, which is popular everywhere except inside the Beltway. But it also calls for a rise in the Social Security cap, significantly raising taxes on around 6 percent of workers. And, by rescinding many of the Bush tax cuts, not just those affecting top incomes, it would modestly raise taxes even on middle-income families.”

There it is, why is that so hard to do?

stands for decibels

April 25th, 2011
7:28 am

There it is, why is that so hard to do?

Because wealthy Americans have super-sensitive feelings and they will all Go Galt on us if we don’t continue to sacrifice our children to their precious tax cuts.

or so their much, much lower-incomed supporters tell me, constantly.

Mick

April 25th, 2011
7:37 am

stands

It’s a start, we’ll never get back if we don’t start rebuilding our manufacturing base. Everything started going south after the election of 2000, people were warned, yet there are so many that can’t seem to put it together and realize that after 30 years of this tax cutting mantra – we are broke and worse off…good grief…

Southern Comfort (aka The Man)

April 25th, 2011
7:44 am

LBB @ 8:48 The GOP quite correctly slapped the blame for Obozo wasting $1 trillion on a failed stimulus that was really just a slush fund for public union employee payoffs. The GOP also correctly criticized your Idiot Messiah, fascist that he is, for confiscating what was left of GM and Chrysler and giving it to his union goons, rather than leaving it with its rightful owners.

Wrong & epic failure in so many ways.

One third of the stimulus was tax cuts, so if it was a slush fund for public union employees, then the GOP tax cuts are nothing more than slush funds for their corporate johns. Also, the only person who regularly calls Obama any type of Messiah is you, and I hope and pray that you don’t end up being punished for worshipping an idol god. I’ll continue to pray for mercy for your soul, because day in and day out you prove over and over again that you really need it.

Del @ 8:57 It must be understood that business is in business to survive and to prosper. Earning profits is the only way business accomplishes those two important objectives.

Businesses are nothing more than parasites feeding off of their customers (hosts) then. If the customer base disappears, then so will the businesses. Why do you think there are so many unemployed and underemployed here in the US? There has to be a symbiotic relationship between host and parasite (customer and business) for both to survive. Any imbalance, and the whole system is out of whack, and the system has been out of balance here for a long time due to outsourcing and wage stagnation.

Paul

April 25th, 2011
7:52 am

Morning, Mick -

“But it also calls for a rise in the Social Security cap, significantly raising taxes on around 6 percent of workers.”

Has it not been reported here in Jay’s columns that some modest age adjustments will carry Social Security well into the future? If so, the raising of the income cap is nothing more than an back-door tax increase, as it’s an admission SS revenues are siphoned off to fund general government operations. For that reason, I’d oppose that provision.

Mick

April 25th, 2011
7:54 am

sc

Damn, you are just making too much sense for a monday morning….as an aside, florida has just earned the rank of weirdest state in the US, I can personally vouch for that….one of the ironic gems is that in the state of florida, the further north you go the more southern it gets. Yes, all us transplanted new yorkers, chicagoans, and the cursed cubans have made south florida into a real jumbalaya. Without our taxes being spread throughout the rest of the state, many a hick town would be brokes…

Paul

April 25th, 2011
7:55 am

Y’know, Mick, that proposal also seems to shield groups of people who receive tax-free allowances – for cell phones, cars, health insurance. If that SS cap is to be increased, doesn’t it seem reasonable that before we go that route we take all these tax-free allowances some groups enjoy and make them taxable? Puts them more on an equal footing with their peers.

Mick

April 25th, 2011
7:57 am

Good morning Paul

I don’t care how they fix it, just do it…that’s really the number one issue for me as I get closer to getting back what I paid into ever since I was a paperboy…

Mick

April 25th, 2011
8:00 am

paul@7:55

I don’t have a problem with that. If we are facing a crisis then everyone in this country needs to do their part to pull us out – no exceptions. In the end, all will benefit for a more secure future…

Paul

April 25th, 2011
8:01 am

Mick

There goes special-interest constituent politics – the bedrock of our system!

Mick

April 25th, 2011
8:05 am

paul

As someone who has never collected a dime of welfare, paid my taxes year in and year out, I am a bit frustrated by all these special interests. Welfare fraud needs to be reigned in as does medicare. Here in miami, you are talking about billions in medicare fraud, it has to end…

Southern Comfort (aka The Man)

April 25th, 2011
8:07 am

Mick

So, are you saying that I don’t make sense any other time? :???:

j/k!!!!

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again anyway. I’m tired of the partisan games. To hell with the GOP, and to hell with the Democrats. I’m all about America. If it’s good for America, then it’s good for me. I don’t give a sh*t if that means I have to pay more or if I get to pay less. I’m just tired of the powers that be picking winners and losers. I know there’s never going to be a way to please everyone, but damn, when we do things that helps the country, I think that we all win. Also, you’re making too much sense with your 8:00 yourself. :)

TaxPayer

April 25th, 2011
8:09 am

I used to get a tax-free allowance… from my parents. A quarter a week, as long as I did my chores.

Mick

April 25th, 2011
8:22 am

taxpayer

I remember returning coke bottles for pennies, do they do that anymore? If you were a kid who hustled, not a bad revenue stream back in the day…

stands for decibels

April 25th, 2011
8:25 am

I remember returning coke bottles for pennies, do they do that anymore?

yes, in more enlightened places. see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Container-deposit_legislation_in_the_United_States

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Container_deposit_legislation

TaxPayer

April 25th, 2011
8:43 am

Do they still make glass bottles.

Southern Comfort (aka The Man)

April 25th, 2011
8:48 am

Taxpayer

Yep. I think you can still find Coke in glass bottles from time to time. They do 8oz. bottles and 12 oz collectibles from time to time.

stands for decibels

April 25th, 2011
8:49 am

They do still make glass bottles, but a quick scan of the types of laws in place reveals that the deposits are paid not just on glass but plastic bottles (and metal cans), generally.