Strange News of the Week: January 28, 2008

Excerpted from "Belrad Universe," January 28, 2008. Listen to the entire broadcast at: http://www.associatedcontent.com/audio/2121/belrad_universe_january_28_2008.html

Get more at www.BelradUniverse.com

And now, the interesting side of the news of the week.

First up, there is a buzz about the land concerning the new tax rebates. Now, this is all still pending, but here's where it stands at the moment.

Each household will receive up to $600, depending on income, with an additional $300 per child, up to a maximum of $1200 per family. The package is still going through congressional approval, but the treasury department hopes to have checks in the mail within a couple of months.

If the plan pans out, many Americans will be getting a tax break at right about the same time as their income taxes are due.

A strange arrest took place this past week in Clearwater, Florida. A 75 year old grandmother was taken into police custody at a McDonald's for refusing to pull forward at the drive-thru. She was charged with disorderly conduct, in refusing a police order to move her car.

Guess that's what happens when you come between a cop and his coffee.

Well, there's another scam floating around the internet. This one claims to be from Yahoo, and, like so many others, they want to give you money. The email says that YOU have been selected to receive a huge ton of cash from the world bank... yadda, yadda, yadda.

Just so everyone's aware, despite the letter's assurances and "security measures" to prove that it isn't a scam - it is.

Here's a tip: if the email doesn't come from or go back to the company it claims to represent, it might be a scam. If the email is filled with more spelling errors than President Bush's attempts at speech writing, it might be a scam. If it gives you a telephone number to call that doesn't go to the country where the company is based, it might be a scam. And - especially important - if an email tells you not to reveal this 'top secret' information to the public, it might be a scam.

Just a word of warning.