Things that are Hard to Believe... for $100 Alex

A new report cites that more 1 in 100 Americans are in jail or prison. "The report said 2,319,258 adults were held in U.S. prisons or jails at the start of 2008 — one out of every 99.1 adults, and more than any other country." If this isn't a wakeup call for creative sentencing... then I need to be elected as a judge!

Today Cuban Foreign Minister, Felipe Perez Roque, signed two key international human rights treaties. However Cuban said "it had reservations about some provisions and accused the United States of impeding the Cuban people's enjoyment of their rights." What would such a dog and pony show be if there were no political jabs taken at the U.S.?

There were however an end to political jabs in Kenya. "Kenya's rival politicians signed a power-sharing agreement Thursday and shook hands after weeks of bitter negotiations on how to end the country's deadly postelection crisis." Remember Bush/Gore in Florida... well a similar thing happened a while back in Kenya, but left over 1,000 dead and devastated the economy rather than promote rating for cable news shows. Despite this, in Kenya this took only weeks to resolve while people here in the U.S. still argue about hanging chads 7 years later.

Your cell phone bill may be going... down? Thats right, with new price wars in the wireless market competition is getting fierce. Of course if you are stuck in a contract like most of us, then you will have to wait to take advantage the great deals. One consumer advocate reminds us, “It’s important that you stand your ground when they call you at the end of your contract and start offering teasers to keep you as a customer ... this is the only time you have the bargaining power, so you want to push for all the features and services you can get before being signed up for two years again.” You may wish to read that as "suckered for two years again," I know thats how I feel!

And, Keith Richards is telling people to 'Lay off the Dope.' Richards, Rolling Stones guitarist and one of the most drugged up rock stars in human history, is telling youth “Give it up, it ain't really worth it. I know the fascination, but it ain't worth it.” He would know... rumor has it he once snorted his father's ashes. It's also just hard to believe that he's still alive!