********SPV.......I get my grant next Wednesday at 10 am.  Now isn't that special. New desks and filing cabinets and countertops and Pentium 4 and Sharp copier/printer and new fax machine and paper and stamps and envelopes and staplers and anything else.....Business phone and yellow page ad and pager and cards and fancy letterhead and cell phone and anything else I can think of under $6,000 for a year. Now the secret with Government Programs is that they always sting because they take so long.  But it is a foundation.  Did you know this program never turns anyone down?  They work with you until you get it right or they will educate you until you are prepared for the $6,000 a year. Now it took me 4 years to get my social security and this program has taken me just about 6 months to get going.  But now it is done and all approved and I go in to see how they will pay for all this junk. Now the secret to living without working like the farmers they pay not to grow corn is you must apply to everything and just wait. Let me tell you about a moron and someone like myself.  I had this greedy partner named Paula Gross.  She would fill out all those magazine sweepstakes trying to win something.  All the time she is mailing those coupons back in hoping to win the $10,000,000 Sweepstakes by that Shoe Salesman from the Johnny Carson show. Now here we have Government Grant money just leaking from everywhere.  I got Section 8 Housing.  I got free telephone.  I get full medical and I just have to apply once a year to get all my dental done. I am totally clean and fairly sober.  At my age you have to ration everything. So you people send away for the sweepstakes and buy your lottery tickets and I fill out forms and nearly all of them are granted. And I have not begun to really put this show on the road.  Wait until I have the office all set up and working and I send out my fliers and get some working capital.  Wait until I go totally Non-Profit and am open for a million different Government and Corporate Grants. Now just wait.  You do not think that me living in an area that charges $1,250 a month for an apartment which I only pay $137 for the next year each month which includes utilities is Special?  That plus DSL and Digital Cable and $200 a month is rather special.  Full medical and I mean 100% is free and 1/2 the dental and social Services puts in another $150 each year.  All of that plus to be back by a grant that is worth $6,000 in office Materials each year until I am making a good living. What is this worth?  How can my business fail? Now I can spend office hours with my new cordless phone and my new computer and office supplies to help my son find a few grants to get him through school. But what to do until next Wednesday? Maybe I will take a train ride to Mexico?  Maybe I could clean this place up and get things in order.  But why bother.  It snowed last night with the rain and it is rather gloomy outside.  Right now everything is ok and the Business Monster is coming to sit in my lap for awhile. Plus I got a letter yesterday from Social Security.  And they say, We have new laws and you are now allowed to work so you can get back on your feet and off of social Security.  You can now work without losing your benefits for 6 months without it affecting your ability to collect Social Security. And still I can use the new equipment as collateral for an 80% back $35,000 small business loan guarntee. Now aren't I special.  Like I don't need to work but it is something to do. And you all should know it is hard to make money with a new business the first year or two.  And I am not in such a great hurry to get off this rather smooth way of life. Still promises were made and obligations to keep. Personally I bet I will make out like a bandit with a new suit and nice clothes and some kid I can hire to drive me around paid for by the government. This is slow work but with the resources you can apply for everything and end up with $15,000 grant to write a book on how to Protect yourself by utilizing Restraining Orders. You know I have never gotten one.  I just never felt anyone was tough enough they needed to be restrained.