Views & Reviews From Writer Steve Miller
Formerly Reviews and Stuff at Rotten Tomatoes, 2005 - 2009.

Currently Showing at Cinema Steve

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

'Survivor' star couldn't game the IRS

I caught a little news item about one of the biggest celebretards in recent memory, Richard Hatch. You may remember this freak from an early season of "Survivor" where he was known for being a jerk and walking around with Little Dick on display for all to see. Hatch later became known for tax evasion, and, upon being caught and subsequently claiming that CBS said they'd pay his taxes for him, a complete moron.

(Virtually no prize winners or hired actors get paid on a W2 and neither did Hatch. AT BEST, CBS could have withheld a percentage of Federal taxes, but Hatch would still have had to deal with the Social Security and Medicare payments. And before CBS would withhold the taxes, Hatch would have to fill out a variety of paperwork separate from whatever NDAs and contracts relating to the "Survivor" show. He's a cheater and a bad liar.)

From a law enforcement-related mailing list I subscribe to... the last word on Richard Hatch, currently starring in "Survivor: Federal Pen".


When we last checked in on Survivor winner Richard "But the Producers Promised to Pay My Tax Bill" Hatch, he was convicted on three counts of tax fraud, sentenced to 51 months in prison, and was required to pay $474,971 plus interest and penalties for taxes owed. Earlier this year, the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit upheld the conviction and sentencing. Not surprisingly, Mr. Hatch vowed to take his case all the way to the Supreme Court.

However, the high court has just declined to review the case, so Mr. Hatch has no further options.

The moral of this story? Perhaps it is best stated by Eileen J. O'Connor, former Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department's Tax Division, who at the time of the sentencing said, “Our nation's federal tax system is not a reality show to be outwitted, it is a reality, period."

Thursday, November 6, 2008

The McRib is back!

For the past three years, the McRib Sandwich from McDonald's has not been available at any McDonald's in King County, Washington. Nowhere. Those television ads were just taunting me, taunting me with the promise of a McRib sandwich that never materialized.

Yesterday, I saw a billboard advertising the McRib Sandwich. Today, I went by aMcDonald's at lunch and... THEY HAD THE MCRIB on their drive-thru menu! Oh, happy day!

I wish there had been a little more BBQ sauce on it, but otherwise, it was perfect!


Every Thursday will now be McRib day until this happy period goes away again (as usual, it's "available for a limited time only"). I am, indeed, loving it!

Maybe The Obama IS the Change That We Need. He get's elected, I can buy a McRib sandwich down the street from my office. Coincidence? Probably not!

(On the other hand... if The Obama was all he's cracked up to be, the McRib sandwiches would be free!)