Archive for December, 2019

A Message From Currencia U.’s President….

Thursday, December 26th, 2019

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…and a donor worthy of a urinal

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Dear Alumnus-

I write to you with both an update and a challenge.

In regards to the update, it has been a good year for the return on our endowment which has exceeded the Dow Jones average by 3.68%. Additionally, alumni generosity has been robust. Still, there is much to be done.

As many of you might have heard, Charles Herbert (“Chuck”) Hedgecroft XVII embraces this university’s vision for greatness and donated 15 million dollars to us for our Make the World Great fundraising campaign. Because such gift helped us to exceed our 75 million dollar goal sooner than expected, we have increased it to 100 million dollars to allow others to follow the inspirational lead of Chuck. We have re-named the Mortimer Bancroft (“Bo”) Buckingham XIV School of Business to the Charles Herbert Hedgecroft XVII Center for Business Studies and Human Advancement (Mr. Buckingham, who had donated 10 million dollars prior, declined to get into a bidding war given mounting legal bills for his insider trading indictment). As part of Mr. Hedgecroft’s donation terms, a lottery will be held to select 10 people from those currently receiving scholarships who must name their first-born “Hedgecroft.” Additionally, each individual must serve as a human lawn jockey at his estate for 2 of Mr. Hedgecroft’s social gatherings (I will be serving 3).

Other donors who received recognition are as follows:

  • Salvatore Giancome had all of the dumpsters on the undergraduate campus named in his honor for a $5mm donation and will attend a ceremony marking such once he is on parole.
  • George Mellencup Winthrop XXVII donated $3mm and will have a row of urinals in the Henderson Hall male lavatory named after him. He remarked that he’s not sure he’s worthy of such but embraces this honor nonetheless.
  • Roger and Mitzi Howell will have the stalls in the Ezekial Vance Capote Trans-gender Bath and Reflection Room named after them for their $2mm gift.
  • James Arthur and Catherine Elizabeth McDowell gave $1mm and will have all of the feminine napkin dispensers in both male and female restrooms on campus emblazoned with their names. Catherine said they now feel they have made a difference with this honor.
  • A number of devoted alumni, too numerous and anemic in donation to mention, have shown their loyalty and will be having desks, staplers and hole-punchers named after them (for 1 year and then such will be up for bid again).

There are plenty of structures left on the campus for your name to be on so I ask that you consider such. Note also that there is an upgrade program so if you can only start out at the soap dispenser or trash can level, there are ways to enhance your status.

The George Mellencup Winthrop XXVII Honorary Urinals display a commitment to Currencia U. that all alumni should aspire to and represents the very best of his and the university’s values 

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The “Save Africa from Famine” fundraiser was a huge success that brought in $2.5mm which allowed us to airdrop 3 pallets of Cup-O-Noodles and a case of wet-wipes into the most needy part of Africa. The remainder of the funds went to administrative costs and a rainy-day fund for urgent needs that may arise.

Now to the future.

The Phillip Winthrop Jones building on the Charles Herbert Hedgecroft XVII Center for Business Studies and Human Advancement has now been officially declared obsolete by the Board of Trustees. Built 7 years ago at a cost of $72mm, it was state-of-the-art. But as the demands of education evolve, existing structures like it become outdated and I almost feel ashamed to see our students have to trudge into it each day, as I’m sure you would too. To replace it, we will require a fund drive (named “Great Hearts, Deep Pockets“). It will kick off with a donor’s conference in which anyone who wishes to donate at least $5,000 is invited (the fee to attend has yet to be determined, cash bar).

And as you may know, the proliferation of all of our financial needs has created the necessity for an infrastructure to administer these drives and funds received. I thank the board for its foresightedness in approving a fund drive that will allow us to have a world-class fundraising staff. I am always amazed at, and grateful for, the vision that our board displays when it comes to dealing with financial challenges. I know that the donors who created the administrative burden through their contributions will step up and help us deal with it.

To that end, the Board hired a consulting firm to study and advise how we can further encourage our alumni to show their loyalty and spirit. This firm came up with 2 cutting-edge ideas that we will implement immediately. First, we have decided to offer to our generous donors the option of buying enhanced-fonts for their names when we publish the donor lists in our alumni magazines. For a further showing of loyalty through gifting, their names can be in bold with a pronounced background color. Secondly, we have decided to issue a “non-donors” list. The consultants say this will encourage those who are unsure about whether to support advancing the cause of humanity by contributing to Currencia to do so. The Board wholeheartedly agrees.

Finally, it has come to my attention that society focuses far too much on materialism and the accumulation of money. This must change. Currencia University, through a soon to-be-announced fundraiser, will hold a study and symposium on how our culture can move away from its obsession with acquiring wealth and instead allow us to devote ourselves to advancing the causes that Currencia University does, such as eradicating overseas poverty, ending world famine, eliminating armed conflicts, and addressing global warming, to name just a few. Such an agenda requires a strong financial commitment from you, as I’m sure you’re aware.

St. Igantius said “Act as if everything depended on you.” I and the board read such to mean give profusely to Currencia University. I’m sure you share our interpretation and will donate to help us make the world, and the universe, a better place.

Always in God’s name,

The Very Reverend Phineas Taylor Barnum, S.J., CFO, MBA

President

(with clarity provided by I.M. Windee)

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While this should be published every time I.M. Windee thinks he has received far too many alma mater solicitations, such would occur every week. So it is posted at year-end when these fine institutions appeal to the personal tax-reduction benevolence of donors.

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Santa Flies into the Liberal State: Rudolph’s Big Carbon Footprint

Tuesday, December 17th, 2019

THE FOLLOWING IS UPDATED AND PUBLISHED EVERY CHRISTMAS  SEASON

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North Pole (AP [Arctic Press]) – In what can best be described as one of Santa Claus’ worst weeks ever, the corporate conglomerate better known as Kris Kringle Inc. (“KKI”) was on the receiving end of the wrath of the federal government, former President Obama, #metoo, Occupy Wall Street, congressional Democrats, organized labor and feminists.

On Monday morning, the Department of Justice led the charge by filing a suit in federal court alleging that KKI was, in fact, a monopoly. An Obama administration holdover took the reins (pardon the pun) and held a press conference explaining the action. ”One of the greatest threats to our economy is the erosion of free competition in our markets. And no one best exemplifies a lack of free competition better than Santa Claus and his corporate behemoth, Kris Kringle Inc. Think about it, is there any other entity out there that rides around the world on Christmas Eve and provides gifts to children? The answer is a resounding “NO!” And given that he does not charge anything for such gifts, we are looking into anti-dumping violations especially as we believe that some of his toys were not produced by his elves but in China.”

Image result for santa
Kris Kringle: terrorist, or worse, male chauvinist?

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The day only got worse as Monday afternoon saw the Environmental Protection Agency seek a court injunction against Mr. Claus’ Christmas Eve run. Apparently, the team of reindeer are considered “ruminant livestock” that are capable of producing tons of methane gas that contribute to global warming. In a press conference, an EPA spokes-something said that global warming should not be a partisan issue and that all thinking people, who care about Mother Earth, should be against Rudolph and his methane-emitting co-conspirators (Afterwards, she admitted [off the record] that EPA press conferences emit more hot air into the atmosphere than do the other alleged sources).

From California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office came a statement that if Mr. Claus and his reindeer wanted to enter its airspace he would have to pay a special carbon-emission tax.

Rounding out the Monday barrage, former President Obama held a rare news conference since leaving office and wondered aloud if Mr. Claus was paying “his fair share” in taxes. He then went on to demand that Mr. Claus release his tax returns and suggested that a squadron of F-16s escort Mr. Claus in his sled as he flew over the United States given that he believes Santa should be on the Homeland Security Terrorist Watch List, along with Donald Trump.

Tuesday turned out to be no better as members of congress got into the fracas. In Mr. Claus, they found their pigeon…err…man. Senator Schumer of New York thundered “Santa has to decide whether he is for the middle class or against it! Donald Trump, too! And throw in Richard Nixon for good measure.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested that Santa’s operation may fall under financial services regulations and, if not, vowed to pass legislation so that it would be, until she remembered it was no longer 2010 and that Democrats no longer controlled all of government.

Then came rumor that Chairman Adam Schiff’s House Intelligence Committee is looking into Mr. Claus’ potential illicit ties to Russia given the close proximity of his home base in the North Pole.

Wednesday continued Mr. Claus’ lousy streak: Occupy Wall Street unearthed itself and got into the fray as only they can: “Occupy North Pole.” Actually, they could not get up there due to logistics and the fact that there are no Starbucks nor bodegas at the top of the world. But they were there in spirit, protesting, and held “virtual sit-ins” smack dab at the North Pole. And their message was clear as a frozen bell: Mr. Claus is worse than the 1% as he is the only one. “ELITIST!!” they whined.

Thursday saw Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, assert that the fall of Santa shows how wrong Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s policies are. When pressed, she could not elaborate.

Then National Organization for Women president Terry O’Neill asserted that Santa Claus could well be a male chauvinist as he keeps Mrs. Claus home to bake cookies, knit sweaters and maintain the home. Ms. O’Neill said an intervention is planned to rescue Mrs. Claus from “the surly bonds of 1950s male domination.”

Related, reporters at the Washington Post have discovered that when dating, Mr. Claus gave Mrs. Claus an unexpected smooch. While well-received by her, the #metoo movement has been trying to persuade her to join them so as not to send the wrong message that giving a peck on the cheek in a horse-drawn sleigh-ride in the countryside is acceptable behavior.

Finally, on Friday, Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO President, pointed out that Santa’s elves are not unionized and thus likely exploited. He went on to say “and to my fellow worker elves, we are with you, we feel your pain whether it exists or not, and UNION YES!!”

Sensing potential political downside to this onslaught on a Christmas icon,  a joint press conference was held with lifetime bureaucrats from the Department of Labor and Department of Energy. The Energy bureaucrat reassured Mr. Claus that if KKI had to abandon its “core business model” (he looked confused when he used such term), the Energy Department would help him get into the alternative energy industry. As if on cue, the Labor bureaucrat urged congress for extended unemployment benefits legislation. But he went on to implicitly threaten Mr. Claus by saying that in the spirit of transparency, his operation would have to set up a website similar to ObamaCare’s. That caused a chill in the North Pole, no doubt.

Mr. Claus could not be reached for comment but reports say he was huddling with a team of lawyers planning his next moves.

-I.M. Windee

The Democrats’ Impeachment Cartoon….

Tuesday, December 3rd, 2019

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…with Bugs McConnell and Elmer J. Nadler

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The House Judiciary Committee chaired by Democrat Rep. Jerry Nadler opens impeachment hearings tomorrow and just as the House Intelligence Committee hearings did, I will be reminded of Bugs Bunny turning Elmer J. Fudd’s gun against him.
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Watch for Bugs McConnell to turn the Democrats’ guns on them during the Senate impeachment trial

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It could be very entertaining to watch the impeachment trial in the hands of Senate leader Mitch McConnell, more aptly Bugs McConnell.
 
Don’t think he will not be paying attention to the Iowa and New Hampshire campaign calendars.
 
No doubt when Sens. Warren or Sanders have a big campaign event in either state, there will be an impeachment procedural vote that they must attend, if not the actual trial itself.
 
I suspect Mr. McConnell will have inconveniently timed adjournments of the trial to sort through matters, only to be resolved as soon as the good senators set foot in the Hawkeye or Granite states. So unless Sens. Warren or Sanders want nothing but to rack up frequent flier mileage, I recommend they not even waste their time flying to either state for as soon as their planes touch down, they will have to taxi for take-off to head back to D.C.
 
And while as a Republican or non-Liberal American it is foolish to wish an impeachment since no one knows where it will go, as it is a fait accompli, I will sit back and enjoy the anguish Sens. Warren or Sanders will go through when having to choose between the campaign trail or their Senate duties, to the extent they will even have a choice.
 
And all this for what will be a non-removal despite the likes of the Democrats and Sen. Mitt McCain.
 
I recommend to Mr. McConnell that he tell the good senators to forward all complaints to House Committee Chairmen Schiff and Nadler as they’ll have made it all possible.

-I.M. Windee

Turkeygate

Monday, December 2nd, 2019

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A Presidential pardon leads to yet another Trump scandal

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Last week President Trump joked about this year’s White House turkeys, Bread & Butter, being subpoenaed by Adam Schiff’s Intelligence Committee after the president pardoned them in an annual White House tradition.

Yet as much as the president wants to change the subject, some serious questions were raised.

To wit, was there a quid pro quo between the president and the turkeys? Perhaps the turkeys gave the names of other turkeys that are tastier in exchange for their commutation.

President Trump tried to joke away yet another scandal that while the majority of American people may not spot, the Democrats certainly will

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And was any of the grain that the turkeys ate imported from Russia, which would show yet another interference into American politics by Vladimir Putin?

Maybe the president wanted to gain some good publicity as he goes into his re-election campaign. Did the turkeys, through their pardons, provide value to his campaign that exceeded federal campaign limits?

And what was the gender of the turkeys? We know Trump has a soft spot for females? Did that affect his decision?

Also, little is spoken of the farm the turkeys came from. Did the president have a financial interest, direct or indirect, in the farm? A foreign farm could bring up issues with the emoluments clause of the constitution.

Most importantly, has Mr. Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, had a turkey sandwich he didn’t like within the past year? Such could show an undue influence by Giuliani on the administration’s policies.

As Chairman Schiff has quoted Ben Franklin, we “have a republic if [we] can keep it,” we should never forget that the republic cannot be preserved if  pardons of turkeys are made by self-interested presidents, whether Republican or Democrat.

Depending upon how this scandal unfolds, Mr. Trump may be able to show that Bread & Butter are not the only turkeys in Washington, D.C.

-I.M. Windee