April 15, Tax Day, is more than just the day taxes are due. There are lots of tax day freebies too. Image from Flickr.

April 15 may be tax deadline day, but free Starbucks coffee and other tax day freebies are sure to take a bit of the sting out of the stress. As a part of its Make A Difference campaign, Starbucks will be offering free coffee April 15 to any customers who come in with their own re-usable mugs, travel cups or coffee cups. You may need the cheapest personal loans to pay off your tax bill, but you won’t need a single cent to get free Starbucks coffee.

Bring your own mug for free Starbucks coffee

If you go to any Starbucks coffee shop on April 15 with your own mug, you can get free brewed coffee. Usually, Starbucks offers a coffee discount on April 15. However, on tax day 2010, Starbucks is asking customers to make a pledge to use reusable cups rather than the paper cups that have become so popular.

Other Tax Day Freebies

Now that you are fueled up with your free Starbucks coffee, there are even more tax day freebies you can use to take the sting out of the instant cash loan you needed to pay your bill (or celebrate your return!). Cinnabon, Hydromassage, and Maggie Moo’s are all offering tax day freebies. Boston Market, IHOP, Mccormick & Schmick’s and P.F. Chang’s are all offering tax day discounts.

Tax Day Freebies | Cinnabon

Cinnabon is offering a “Tax Day Bites!” special to take the sting out of tax day. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Cinnabon is offering a tax day freebie of two bite-sized cupcakes.

Tax Day Freebies | MaggieMoo’s

All MaggieMoo’s gourmet ice cream shops are offering a free slice of ice cream pizza on April 15. The ice cream pizza is a “slice” of ice cream with red frosting on white chocolate. It’s a cold treat for tax day.

Tax Day Freebies | Hydromassage

If your local mall has a Hydromassage store, it will offer Free Massages as a tax day freebie. Hydromassage suggests you call ahead to make an appointment for your tax day freebie massage.

Tax Day Discounts | Boston Market

At Boston Market, you can get the “Last Minute Tax Break” by showing this Boston Market coupon between April 15 and April 18. Buy one plate, get another plate free.

Tax Day Discounts | IHOP

During the whole month of April, IHOP is offering a free child’s dinner for every adult meal purchased between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Tax Day Discounts | McCormick & Schmick’s

There are $10.40 dinner specials and a $10.40 free coupon at McCormick & Schmick’s on April 15. If you are a professional tax preparer, the tax day discount extends to you on Friday – plus a free dessert if you show your business card.

Tax Day Discounts | P.F. Chang’s

Unless it is happy hour, P.F. Chang’s is offering a tax day discount of 15 percent off your meal for dine-in or take-out.

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to decide if the hate speech of Westboro Baptist Church is protected. Image from Flickr.

After several appeals, the Supreme Court has agreed to take on the free speech questions raised by the Westboro Baptist Church. An extreme church known for protests against homosexuality at funerals, colleges and public buildings, the Westboro Baptist Church has faced a wide range of legal challenges. The case the Supreme Court will be taking on involves Albert Snyder, the father of a U.S. Marine killed in the line of duty. Originally, Albert Snyder was awarded $8 million in a judgment against the Westboro Baptist Church – an amount the church may not be able to get with even the cheapest personal loans. The main question under debate is if the extreme hate speech practiced by the Westboro Baptist Church falls under protection of the First Amendment.

The history of Westboro Baptist Church

The Westboro Baptist Church has been in existence since 1955. The Westboro Baptist Church claims affiliation with Primitive Baptist and Calvinist principles, but it is not affiliated with any Baptist church and most Primitive Baptists reject the Westboro Baptist Church. Based in Topeka, the Westboro Baptist Church pickets funerals, gay pride events, pop concerts, football games and statehouses. The Westboro Baptist Church pickets these events to spread their anti-homosexuality, anti-Jewish, anti-other-religions message. The leaders of the Westboro Baptist Church and other church members have been specifically banned from entering the United Kingdom because of their “unacceptable behaviour by inciting hatred.”

The legal challenges of the Westboro Baptist Church

Westboro Baptist Church and its members have encountered numerous legal challenges. Westboro Baptist Church has won several free-speech lawsuits against several cities and states. During WBC protests, members have been convicted of trespassing, disorderly conduct, failure to obey police and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The Supreme Court has previously rejected cases challenging Westboro Baptist Church, allowing lower court rulings to stand.

Albert Snyder’s lawsuit against Westboro Baptist Church

In 2006, Albert Snyder sued the Westboro Baptist Church leaders for their protest actions at his son’s funeral. The lawsuit said the Westboro Baptist Church violated the Snyder family’s right to privacy, as well as defamation. In the original lawsuit, Snyder was awarded $8 million in punitive damages. On appeal, the district judge upheld the ruling against Westboro Baptist Church, but reduced the payday loans award for Snyder to $2.1 million. On federal appeal, the case was overturned and Albert Snyder was ordered to pay the legal fees Westboro Baptist Church had incurred during the lawsuit. In March of 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Albert Snyder’s lawsuit.

Limitations on constitutional free speech

The basic argument in the Westboro Baptist Church supreme court lawsuit is whether there are limitations on Constitutionally-protected free speech. In Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire, the Supreme Court ruled that free speech does not protect “obscene utterances” and “certain personal slurs.” The lawsuit also considers the possibility that the free speech expression of the Westboro Baptist Church may have violated the Snyder family’s constitutionally protected right to freedom of religion – to hold and attend their son’s funeral. When two constitutionally protected rights come into conflict, the Supreme Court is asked to determine where the line between the two should be drawn.

Sources:
Christian Science Monitor
Balitmore Sun
Wikipedia

Carlos Slim Helu, world's richest person. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

The Forbes billionaire list names the 1,011 people in the world whose net worth is more than $1 billion. The people on the 2010 Forbes billionaire list aren’t worrying about getting the cheapest personal loans, obviously, but the list shows some interesting shifts in the world’s money supply. For instance, last year half the people on the Forbes billionaire list were from the U.S. This year, only 40 percent are from the U.S. And, unlike last year, the world’s richest man is not from the U.S. Here are the top 10: the richest people in the world.

1. Carlos Slim Helu, $53.5 billion

“Carlos Slim Helu and family” top  the Forbes Billionaire list. Helu lives in Mexico and is part-owner of Latin America’s largest corporation, mobile phone company America Movil. He also owns a construction conglomerate and owns stakes in several other companies, including the New York Times.

2. Bill Gates, $53 billion

The richest man in the United States, Bill Gates, slipped one spot on the Forbes Billionaire list this year, even though his net worth increased significantly. Last year the Microsoft chairman topped the list with $40 billion, and this year he is in the No. 2 spot with $53 billion.

3. Warren Buffett, $47 billion

Fun fact: the world’s third-richest man lives in Omaha, Nebraska. Investment tycoon and self-made billionaire Warren Buffett stayed in the top three this year thanks to a $10 billion increase in his wealth over the past year.

4. Mukesh Ambani, $29 billion

Mukesh Ambani, of India, inherited his father’s fortune and his oil business. He also owns a cricket team. If he wants to start handing out loans for people with bad credit, I have an idea for where he should start.

5. Lakshmi Mittal, $28.7 billion

Lakshmi Mittal inherited his fortune and ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steelmaker. He started out in the family business in India in the 1970s and branched out on his own in the ’90s. He now lives in London but still has Indian citizenship.

6. Lawrence Ellison, $28 billion

Lawrence Ellison founded Oracle, a database giant. Oracle bought 57 companies in the past five years, and the company’s stock has gone up 70 percent over the past 12 months. Along with Bill Gates, Lawrence Ellison is the second college dropout on the Forbes billionaire list. (Kids, don’t try this at home.)

7. Bernard Arnault, $27.5 billion

Bernard Arnault’s luxury goods company makes Louis Vuitton and Moet & Chandon products. The company, called LVMH, also is developing upscale commercial property in Shangai. Arnault lives in Paris, France.

8. Eike Batista, $27 billion

It was a big year for Eike Batista, from Brazil. He made $19.5 billion over the past year, mostly from his oil-and-gas exploration company. Last year on the Forbes’ billionaire list he was No. 61 with $7.5 billion.

9. Amancio Ortega, $25 billion

The Forbes billionaire list calls Amancio Ortega a “style maven.” The Spaniard owns Inditex fashion firm, which operates in 73 countries. He also owns real estate including the building that houses Bicardi USA.

10. Karl Albrecht, $23.5 billion

I had to reread this one a few times: The world’s 10th richest man owns a chain of discount supermarkets. Karl Albrecht, from Germany, owns Aldi Sud, one of Europe’s dominant grocers. He plans to open a store in New York City this year.

That wraps up the top 10 on the Forbes billionaire list. The good news that they all have more money than they did last year, which indicates that, overall, the global economy is recovering.

This sculpture is known by many names, including "Big Butter Jesus". Image from Flickr.

When you’re driving I-75 in Monroe, Ohio, be prepared to encounter the Big Butter Jesus. The Big Butter Jesus is actually a 62 foot tall statue, commissioned by the non-denominational Solid Rock Megachurch. While there are no official statements of how much Big Butter Jesus cost to build, the church most likely had to look into the cheapest personal loans to finance the project. And while this statue has lovingly become known by the moniker Big Butter Jesus, as made famous by Heywood Banks, he is also lovingly known as “Touchdown Jesus,” “Melting Jesus,” “Drowning Jesus” and (as named by 75% of Monroe residents) “Eyesore Jesus”.

Big Butter Jesus isn’t actually butter

The Big Butter Jesus sculpture, unfortunately, isn’t actually made of butter. That nickname developed after the sculpture was completed in 2004. The creamy yellow color and oversized scale of the Jesus sculpture simply make it look like butter. While there is a long and illustrious Wikipedia history of butter sculpting in the United states, the logistics of making a 62-foot outdoor sculpture out of this melty medium would be very difficult. Not to mention that tourists constantly taking chunks of Big Butter Jesus home would mean that the sculpture would have be constantly rebuilt using funds from internet loans.

Big Butter Jesus sculpted by a big name

When the Solid Rock church decided they wanted to create the “symbol of devotion” that would become known as Big Butter Jesus, they commissioned a truly big name in sculpting. Artist James Lynch had previously done well-known works in Las Vegas – the large Neptune in Caesar’s Palace – and for Disney World. He first created a metal frame of the giant Jesus, then covered it with Styrofoam and fiberglass, giving it the buttery yellow color it has become known for.

Big Butter Jesus inspires artists

The Big Butter Jesus sculpture in Monroe has inspired more than just jokes about spreading the statue on toast. Musician Heywood Banks penned a devotional song to Big Butter Jesus, and debuted it on the Bob and Tom show three years ago. Searching “Big Butter Jesus” on YouTube results in over 100 results – with everyone from fire dancers to ukulele players. Watch the original Big Butter Jesus song video below:

Will Big Butter Jesus end up in the Guinness Book?

As reported by Roadside America, the members of Solid Rock church have submitted the Big Butter Jesus for consideration by the Guinness Book of World Records as the “World’s Largest Christ”. However, the fact that this sculpture is half-buried may disqualify it. The Guinness Book of World Records has yet to officially rule on the fate of Big Butter Jesus, but keep your eyes open – or at least pull off the highway in Monroe to say hello.

Some theorize that the Montauk Monster could have come from the Plum Island Animal Disease Center. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

The Montauk Monster has returned – again – kind of. In July of 2008, mysterious photos of a monster-like creature surfaced in Montauk, New York. Since then, the “Montauk Monster” has been (probably) identified as a slightly decomposed raccoon… though conspiracy theories still abound.

The Montauk Monster’s first appearance

When the Montauk Monster was first photographed, there were dozens of theories about what it might be. Venom energy drink offered a reward that topped even the cheapest personal loans for the live capture of the monster. A live Montauk Monster has never been captured, though the debate about its identification is still going strong. In August of 2008, according to the Montauk Monster’s Wikipedia entry, state and government officials will take the corpse “to a nearby facility for future analysis and study”

The Montauk Monster : Related to the chupacabra?

In January of 2010, a carcass of a “strange, hairless dog-like animal with tan-brown skin” was found in Texas. Live Science makes the claim that this candidate for the chupacabra (the blood-sucking, small creature that is legend in many southern states and Hispanic countries) was, in fact, “just another Montauk Monster.” That is, of course, assuming that you accept that the Montauk Monster was just a hairless raccoon.

The conspiracy theories of Montauk

The Montauk Monster is just one piece of a puzzle for many conspiracy theorists. In 1992, a book called the Montauk Project was published that focused on possible time-travel experiments at the Montauk Air Force Base. The book is sold as science fiction, though the authors have never said that the book was pure fiction, and they openly encourage fans to speculate on the truthfulness of the series. If time travel isn’t quite your chosen way to get payday cash advances, then there are other theories.

Plum Island, the home of Montauk Monster?

There are also theories that the Montauk Monster is an escaped resident of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center. Run jointly by the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Plum Island focuses on researching animal diseases. Fox News examined this possibility in September of 2008.

You don't look well, Bernie (Photo: picasaweb.google.com)

The Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme was the largest financial fraud scheme perpetuated (allegedly) by one individual in United States history. When Madoff was thrown in prison, some people felt that he had gotten his just desserts and that the punishment fit the crime. While those on the outside may be resorting to the cheapest personal loans for aid, at least they can walk about free.

I’m not one of those people. I was not directly impacted by the Ponzi scheme, mind you. But it has been painfully clear to me from the outset that this operation was so large that it couldn’t have been run by only one person. The prosecution tried to get him to give up names and offer some consolidation of illegal activities, but the prosecution was unsuccessful. So Bernard Madoff is serving a 150-year term that will coincide with the end of his life, while others who are equally guilty of defrauding and destroying people’s lives remain free.

Now we see why Madoff has remained silent

Multiple reports indicate that Madoff has cancer. Specifically, Madoff is said to have pancreatic cancer that is killing him. It is said he hasn’t much longer to live, which will make obtaining the names of his conspirators near to impossible. For instance, RTT News (as well as reports by the New York Post and Wall Street Journal) indicate that the 71-year-old financier is “taking 20 pills a day to treat his cancer,” and that Madoff is telling inmates he hasn’t long to live. The specific nature of the cancer has not been definitely confirmed, but Brian Baxter blogs for AM Law Daily that it is pancreatic cancer.

Madoff’s wife Ruth or their lawyers have yet to respond to these reports.

Deception and death

According to the New York Post, the news has “tongues wagging within white-collar circles.”

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“If Madoff is truly dying, this revelation perhaps sheds new light on the real motivation for his voluntary admission of guilt,” says former federal prosecutor Robert Mintz. “It would be the ultimate act of manipulation for Madoff to have fallen on the sword, confessing his crime knowing that his days were numbered. And taking to his grave the names of those who helped him carry out his deception.”

Death attracts fans, particularly death of the rich and famous. This may be why various prison gangs have tried to recruit Madoff to their cause, but I’ll bet his financial expertise also has something to do with it. If you think people like Bernie Madoff don’t have contact with the outside world when they want it, you’re only partially right. Not as easy as whipping out a cell phone and making a call, but people in Madoff’s position have to be resourceful to get to where they are in life.

Getting ready to die

(Photo: picasaweb.google.com)

But I was talking about death, wasn’t I? The Post claims Madoff and his cancer have been participating in various Native American ceremonies that are intended to purify his body… or prepare him to pass into death, I’m not sure which. Prayers, hot rocks, ceremonial pipes… I know they may have cultural significance to some (and New Age commercial potential for others), but as Blind Willie McTell sings “Might ‘s well get ready, cause you got to die.” How about doing what’s right before you do, Bernie? Consolidation of information could save people from having to live off the cheapest personal loans…

Related Video:

What this woman says can transform a business from rags to riches.

It looks like the Centerville Pie Company will be the next business to receive the flood of business – and profits – that comes with being associated with Oprah. Apparently, Oprah didn’t even mention the Centerville Pie Company on her show. She simply confirmed for a small newspaper, the Cape Cod Times, that she had indeed ordered and purchased several pies from the Massachusetts bakery while she was in Cape Cod.
CNBC recently aired an entire hourlong special called “The Oprah Effect.” It’s undeniable that Oprah has a wide and very responsive audience. Even this web site, which helps people find the cheapest personal loans, has seen traffic greatly increase when Oprah-related topics were posted. The CNBC web site explains why the company created the show:

Everybody knows her. She’s the queen of talk, a cultural and financial icon and her impact on business is worth billions. Oprah Winfrey is the most influential woman in America-maybe the world. And, experts call her unprecedented ability to take companies from no names to brand names-The Oprah Effect.

More about Centerville Pie Company

Apparently even acquaintances of Oprah can spread the Oprah effect second-hand. The Chicago Tribune reports:

Pie company owner Kristin Broadley said she delivered a chicken pot pie to Winfrey’s traveling party last week, then followed with two more orders. Broadley says she delivered a total of 20 pies, including chicken, custard and banana cream, to Winfrey’s crew.

Broadley says a mention of the pies on Winfrey friend Gayle King’s radio show has sparked a flood of orders for her company.

So Oprah doesn’t even need to endorse or recommend a product or company. She just has to be associated with it in some way. Clearly, she did like the products she got from the Centerville Pie Company or else she wouldn’t have ordered 20 pies, so even though she never came out and said she liked the Centerville Pie Company, the business is profiting because of her.

More about ‘The Oprah Effect’

CNBC says its TV documentary “The Oprah Effect” studies individual businesses “to explain Oprah’s unparalleled impact on their bottom line.” The show also studies the process of getting a mention on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” which clearly is worth a whole lot of money to a whole lot of companies.

“Businesses large and small know that there’s no better advertising than the power of Oprah. If you’re lucky enough to create a product she loves, a brief mention by the queen of influence can make you a millionaire,” CNBC.com says.

According to “The Oprah Effect,” one word from Oprah can bring companies back from bankruptcy or out of obscurity. The Oprah effect works, somewhat, in reverse to. As I said before, when Personal Money Market has posted articles about Oprah before it has attracted a lot more readers than normal. “The Oprah Effect” tells the story of a woman who is “living life according to Oprah” and blogging about it. Because the blog, one of countless blogs out there, is focused on Oprah, it has quickly gained a huge readership. Today, the Centerville Pie Company is one of the hottest topics on the Internet, further proving the power of the Oprah effect.