Prize Being Offered by Monkeybusinessworks to Whoever Can Explain the Meaning of this Disclosure Statement

 

The following was copied directly from a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Disclosure Statement to supposedly inform creditors of certain matters concerning the bankruptcy.  Monkeybusinessworks is offering a prize for anyone who can explain what the heck the below disclosure means. To collect the prize please contact us at our address.

 

UPON SIX MONTHS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE, IF THE POST CONFIRMATION TRUST HAS NOT INSTITUTED AN ACTION AGAINST THE DEBTOR RELEASEES, FOR GOOD ANDVALUABLE CONSIDERATION (INCLUDING FOR SERVICES PERFORMED BY THE DEBTORS’DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS DURING THESE CHAPTER 11 CASES), THE ADEQUACY OF WHICHIS HEREBY CONFIRMED, THE DEBTORS (IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL CAPACITIES AND AS DEBTORSAND DEBTORS IN POSSESSION) WILL BE DEEMED TO RELEASE FOREVER, WAIVE, ANDDISCHARGE ALL CLAIMS, OBLIGATIONS, SUITS, JUDGMENTS, DAMAGES, DEMANDS, DEBTS,RIGHTS, CAUSES OF ACTION, AND LIABILITIES (OTHER THAN THE RIGHTS OF THE DEBTORSTO ENFORCE THE PLAN AND THE CONTRACTS, INSTRUMENTS, RELEASES, INDENTURES, AND OTHER AGREEMENTS OR DOCUMENTS DELIVERED UNDER THE PLAN, AND LIABILITIESARISING AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE IN THE ORDINARY COURSE OF BUSINESS) WHETHERLIQUIDATED OR UNLIQUIDATED, FIXED OR CONTINGENT, MATURED OR UNMATURED,KNOWN OR UNKNOWN, FORESEEN OR UNFORESEEN, THEN EXISTING OR THEREAFTERARISING, IN LAW, EQUITY, OR OTHERWISE THAT ARE BASED IN WHOLE OR PART ON ANYACT OMISSION, TRANSACTION, EVENT, OR OTHER OCCURRENCES IN CONNECTION WITH,RELATING TO, OR ARISING OUT OF THE DEBTORS, TAKING PLACE ON OR PRIOR TO THEEFFECTIVE DATE (OR THE DATE OF RESIGNATION OF AN OFFICER OR DIRECTOR, IFEARLIER), THE CHAPTER 11 CASES OF THE DEBTORS, THE NEGOTIATION AND FILING OF THE PLAN, THE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT OR ANY PRIOR PLANS OF REORGANIZATION, THEFILING OF THE CHAPTER 11 CASES RELATING TO THE DEBTORS, THE PURSUIT OF CONFIRMATION OF THE PLAN OR ANY PRIOR PLANS OF REORGANIZATION, THE CONSUMMATION OF THE PLAN, THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN, OR THE PROPERTY TOBE LIQUIDATED AND/OR DISTRIBUTED UNDER THE PLAN THAT COULD HAVE BEENASSERTED BY OR ON BEHALF OF THE DEBTORS OR THEIR ESTATES, AGAINST THE DEBTORRELEASEES, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT THIS RELEASE SHALL NOT EXTEND TO OR COVERANY ACTS OR OMISSIONS THAT ARISE FROM GROSS NEGLIGENCE, WILFUL MISCONDUCT,OR FRAUD. FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT, THE RELEASES GRANTED IN ARTICLE XI.B OFTHE PLAN SHALL NOT EXTEND TO OR COVER ANY DIRECTORS OR OFFICERS OF THE DEBTORS WHO WERE NOT DIRECTORS OR OFFICERS OF THE DEBTORS AS OF THE PETITION DATE, OR ANY OF THE DEBTORS’ SHAREHOLDERS OR EQUITY INTEREST HOLDERS WHO ARE NOT DEBTOR RELEASEES. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SPECIFICALLY PROVIDED IN THE PLAN, THE DEBTORS, THE POST-CONSUMMATION TRUST ADMINISTRATOR, THE POST-CONSUMMATION TRUST, THE COMMITTEE, THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE (SOLELY IN THEIR CAPACITY AS SUCH),AND ANY OF THE FOREGOING PARTIES’ RESPECTIVE PRESENT OR FORMER MEMBERS,OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, ADVISORS, ATTORNEYS, REPRESENTATIVES,FINANCIAL ADVISORS, INVESTMENT BANKERS, AGENTS OR OTHER PROFESSIONALS AND ANY OF SUCH PARTIES’ SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS, SOLELY IN THEIR CAPACITIES AS SUCH,SHALL NOT HAVE OR INCUR ANY CLAIM, ACTION, PROCEEDING, CAUSE OF ACTION,AVOIDANCE ACTION, SUIT, ACCOUNT, CONTROVERSY, AGREEMENT, PROMISE, RIGHT TO LEGAL REMEDIES, RIGHT TO EQUITABLE REMEDIES, RIGHT TO PAYMENT, OR CLAIM (AS DEFINED IN BANKRUPTCY CODE SECTION 101(5)), WHETHER KNOWN, UNKNOWN, REDUCED TO JUDGMENT, NOT REDUCED TO JUDGMENT, LIQUIDATED, UNLIQUIDATED, FIXED, CONTINGENT, MATURED, UNMATURED, DISPUTED, UNDISPUTED, SECURED, OR UNSECURED AND WHETHER ASSERTED OR ASSERTABLE DIRECTLY OR DERIVATIVELY, IN LAW, EQUITY,OR OTHERWISE TO ONE ANOTHER OR TO ANY CLAIMHOLDER OR INTEREST HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY IN INTEREST, OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AGENTS, EMPLOYEES,REPRESENTATIVES, ADVISORS, ATTORNEYS, OR AFFILIATES, OR ANY OF THEIR SUCCESSORS OR ASSIGNS, FOR ANY ACT OR OMISSION ORIGINATING OR OCCURRING ON OR AFTER THE PETITION DATE THROUGH AND INCLUDING THE EFFECTIVE DATE (OR THE DATE OF RESIGNATION OF AN OFFICER OR DIRECTOR, IF EARLIER) IN CONNECTION WITH, RELATING TO, OR ARISING OUT OF THE DEBTORS, THE CHAPTER 11 CASES OF THE DEBTORS, THE NEGOTIATION AND FILING OF THE PLAN, THE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT OR ANY PRIOR PLANS OF REORGANIZATION, THE FILING OF THE CHAPTER 11 CASES OF THE DEBTORS, THE PURSUIT OF CONFIRMATION OF THE PLAN OR ANY PRIOR PLANS OF REORGANIZATION, THE CONSUMMATION OF THE PLAN, THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN, OR THE PROPERTY TOBE LIQUIDATED AND/OR DISTRIBUTED UNDER THE PLAN.

The Gutenberg Bible

On this day in 1452, the first section of the Gutenberg Bible was finished in Mainz, Germany, by the printer Johannes Gutenberg. Little is known of Gutenberg's early history or his personal life except that he was born around the year 1400, the youngest son of a wealthy merchant, but from the time of the appearance of his beautiful Bibles he has left an indelible mark on human culture.

 Ancient books had primarily been written on scrolls, though an innovation in the second century A.D. — that of the codex, a sheaf of pages bound at one edge — gave us the familiar book form we recognize today. Early codices were produced by hand by monks in scriptoriums, working with pen and ink, copying manuscripts one page at a time so that even a small book would take months to complete and a book the size of the Bible, rich with color and illuminations, would take years.

 Gutenberg's genius was to separate each element of the beautiful, calligraphic blackletter script commonly used by the scribes into its most basic components — lower case and capital letters, punctuation, and the connected ligatures that were standard in Medieval calligraphy — nearly 300 different shapes that were then each cast in quantity and assembled to form words, lines, and full pages of text.

He also invented a printing press to use his type, researching and refining his equipment and processes over the course of several years. In 1440, Gutenberg wrote and printed copies of his own mysteriously titled book, Kunst und Aventur [Art and Enterprise], releasing his printing ideas to the public. And by 1450, his movable-type printing press was certainly in operation.

It is unclear when Gutenberg conceived of his Bible project, though he was clearly in production by 1452. He probably produced about 180 copies — 145 that were printed on handmade paper imported from Italy and the remainder on more luxurious and expensive vellum. Once complete, the Bibles were sold as folded sheets, the owners responsible for having them bound and decorated, so that each surviving copy has its own unique features like illumination, dashes of color, marks of ownership, and notes and marginalia.

Only four dozen Gutenberg Bibles remain, and of these only 21 are complete, but what Gutenberg created went far beyond the reach of those volumes. By beginning the European printing revolution, he forever changed how knowledge was spread, democratized learning, and allowed for thoughts and ideas to be widely disseminated throughout the known world. In his time, Gutenberg's contemporaries called this "the art of multiplying books," and it was a major catalyst for the Renaissance, the Scientific Revolution, and even the Protestant Reformation. In 1997, Time magazine named Johannes Gutenberg "Man of the Millennium" and dubbed his movable type as the most important invention of a thousand years. His name is commemorated by Project Gutenberg, a group of volunteers working to digitize and archive cultural and literary works, while making them open and free to the public. His name was even placed in the skies as the planetoid Gutemberga. 

Mark Twain wrote in 1900, in a congratulatory letter to mark the opening of the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz: "What the world is today, good and bad, it owes to Gutenberg. Everything can be traced to this source, but we are bound to bring him homage ... for the bad that his colossal invention has brought about is overshadowed a thousand times by the good with which mankind has been favored." (from "The Writer's Almanac")

Health Insurance Companies- A Better Way

The New York Times article about the large increase in health insurance premiums made me wonder- what if all Americans got sick of these insurers' incessant search for higher profits and large bonuses to their executives and decided to pool their money and start a non-profit health insurance company?  I know that many people argue that the striving for profit provides innovation and better products. But, is that really the case when dealing with something like health insurance? You examine the claims, set your rates, and make sure that you have modest profits to cover losses.  You negotiate with the hospitals and medical providers for reasonable rates.  And, since there would be just one insurance company where else would the hospitals and providers go.  Hmm.  Sounds a lot like Medicare.  And, that's not a bad thing.  Ask most Medicare users if they are happy.

The Death Penalty and the Torah

Because the death penalty is the ultimate penalty it should not be imposed lightly or upon the use of certain kinds of evidence.   The death penalty should be reserved for the most heinous crimes and not those non-fatal crimes that are added together in order to arrive at the death penalty.  Also, on any crime the death penalty should not be imposed on circumstantial evidence.  There is just too much room for error.  The Bible is a good standard to use.  In the Torah or Old Testament, it was decreed that no person should be put to death except on the testimony of two or more witnesses, never on just the testimony of one person.  Deuteronomy 17:6 states, "On the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness."Numbers 35:30 says, "If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death at the evidence of witnesses, but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness."  This is wise advice because of the fact that sometimes witnesses lie or are easily influenced.  It is more difficult to make mistakes with more than one witness because of the ability to cross-examine them separately and determine how the stories conflict or confirm. 

Never Trust a Progressive (Democrat)

“Never trust a Progressive. If you do, next thing you know your water and air will be cleaner, your workplace safer, your work week shorter and your pay higher, and your kids will be going to decent schools instead of working at the local factory at the age of eight or heading to the coal mines. Put your trust in a Progressive, and before you know it you can't own black people anymore, and women have the right to vote, and own property.  Put your trust in a Progressive, and you find out that your cars are safer, your food is too pure, and the kid’s can’t get their daily dose of lead anymore from the paint and toys they chew on...yeah, those **** progressives, they ruin everything. Don't trust them, not an INCH.”  By  Anonymous (Ah, I knew him well but he never would give us his first name)

George Washington's Farewell Address

On this day in 1796, President George Washington's farewell address was printed in the Daily American Advertiser as an open letter to American citizens. The most famous of all his "speeches," it was never actually spoken; a week after its publication in this Philadelphia newspaper, it was reprinted in papers all over the country.

    The address was a collaborative effort that took Washington months to finalize, incorporating the notes that James Madison had prepared four years prior when Washington intended to retire after his first term, as well as numerous edits from Alexander Hamilton and a critique from John Jay. Madison, Hamilton, and Jay were accustomed to writing collectively; together they had published the Federalist Papers, 85 newspaper articles published throughout the 13 states to introduce and explain their proposal for a Constitution.

    Now only eight years old, the Constitution was in danger, Washington feared, of falling prey to the whims of popular sentiment. In 6,086 words, his address seeks to encourage the nation to respect and maintain the Constitution, warning that a party system — not yet the governmental standard operating procedure — would reduce the nation to infighting. He urged Americans to relinquish their personal or geographical interests for the good of the national interest, warning that "designing men" would try to distract them from their larger common views by highlighting their smaller, local differences. "You cannot shield yourselves too much against the jealousies and heartburnings which spring from these misrepresentations; they tend to render alien to each other those who ought to be bound together by fraternal affection," he wrote.

    Washington also feared interference by foreign governments, and as such extolled the benefits of a stable public credit to be used sparingly, recommending avoiding debt by "cultivating peace" and "by vigorous exertion in time of peace to discharge the debts which unavoidable wars may have occasioned." Although he conceded that "the execution of these maxims" — or, in layman's terms, balancing the budget — was the responsibility of the government, Washington wagged a finger at individual citizens too, reminding them that "it is essential that you should practically bear in mind that towards the payment of debts there must be revenue; that to have revenue there must be taxes; that no taxes can be devised which are not more or less inconvenient and unpleasant ..." (from "The Writer's Almanac')

Defense of Fort McHenry

     A lawyer named Francis Scott Key, on this date in 1814,  wrote his poem "Defense of Fort McHenry." The fledgling United States was two years into its second war with Great Britain. Things were going all right for the Americans early in the war, because the British were distracted by their concurrent war with France. But when Napoleon was defeated in April 1814, the British turned their full attention on their former colony. Americans were shocked and appalled when the British marched into Washington, D.C., and burned the Capitol and the White House. "Every American heart is bursting with shame and indignation at the catastrophe," one Baltimore resident said.

     From Washington, the British moved on to Baltimore, intending to destroy as much of the major port city as possible. The city's harbor was defended by Fort McHenry, and the British navy began firing on it on September 13. They attacked Baltimore throughout the day, and that night they sent more than 1,500 bombs, rockets, and cannon balls across the water at Fort McHenry. Francis Scott Key, a lawyer who had been sent to negotiate the release of an American prisoner, was on a British boat behind the lines for the duration of the battle. Suddenly, in the middle of the night, the British stopped firing. From their boat, Key and the other men had no idea whether the British had succeeded or given up and retreated, and they could no longer see the harbor now that the sky was dark. So they had to wait all night, until the sky was light enough to see which flag was flying over the fort. The sunrise revealed that the American flag still held its place. Key scribbled down some ideas for a poem, and later that day, after his release, he wrote the poem in a room at the Indian Queen Hotel. Within days it had circulated, and was being sung to the tune of a drinking song, "To Anacreon in Heaven." It became a huge hit, but didn't become our official national anthem until 1931.

     The flag in question had been commissioned in 1813 by Major George Armistead, the commander of Fort McHenry, and it was sewn by Baltimore seamstress Mary Pickersgill, assisted by her 13-year-old daughter, two teenage nieces, and an indentured servant. They constructed the 30-by-42-foot flag by sewing together strips of English wool bunting that were 12 to 18 inches wide. Each of the 15 stars was two feet wide between the points, and the stripes were two feet wide as well. They laid the flag out on the floor of a local brewery to stitch it together.

The Star-Spangled Banner remained in the Armistead family for several generations before they donated it to the Smithsonian Institution. It was in pretty bad shape by the time the Smithsonian got it; the Armisteads had snipped away several bits of it to give away as souvenirs, and Louisa Armistead (George's widow) cut out an entire star to give away. That star has never been tracked down, and that's why visitors to the Smithsonian see only 14 stars rather than 15. (from "the Writer's Almanac).