The Steel Guitar Forum

I'm disappointed at these reports....I thought all along that while Al was secluded in his wilderness cabin that he was working on the development of the "voices" for his midi steel-guitar program!.... www.genejones.com <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 27 December 2002 at 08:58 AM.]</p></FONT>

All I can say is I'm shocked and saddened by this.

<SMALL>I thought all along that while Al was secluded in his wilderness cabin that he was working on the development of the "voices" for his midi steel-guitar program!</SMALL>

I think he was listening to little "voices" in his head instead!

First of all, I see a couple puns here, the first one being that Al's a "petty" thief.

he's quite an accomplished steeler

<SMALL>he started wearing toupee's and still played bald headed (Another reason why he was ahead of his time,</SMALL>

"ahead" of his time by wearing a toupe...fantastic

Now, Charles Ponzi was NOT the originator of the Ponzi scheme. The true predecssor was Nicolo Delano Ponzi....1714 - 1759

Nicolo Ponzi was born into poverty in Santa Lucia della Chiesa on Candlemass Day, 1714. Little is known of his early life, however, history does record Ponzi as living in Paris in the autumn of 1736.It seems that he was then engaged in the business he called the "selling of dreams."

His business consisted of coaxing his neighbors into joining a club, the only requirements being to (1) send one golden louis to the member at the top of the list and (2) solicit ten new members into doing the same. In two weeks the new member would be senior and thereby collect his just due of 10,000 louis - enough in those days to properly outfit a count and three viscounts.

The success of Ponzi's enterprise soon reached the ear of a middle ranking duchess. She joined and found herself in the unaccustomed position of being junior to a shoemaker from Tououse, a tinsmith, an out of work magician, and the Bishop of Chalons, among other unwashed. Research points to the bishop as having altered the cycle to gain monetary advantage for the Kingdom of God, but that is of little imortance.

The true cause of Ponzi's demise resulted from the whoopings of the dutchess to anyone in the French court who would listen. Her eruptions so distressed the the mistress of the lord high chamberlain that she was forced to retire to her quarters with a case of the vapors.

It wasn't long before the chamberlain dispatched all the king's horses and all the king's men to bring Ponzi to justice. They did and it is recorded that justice has rarely been so swift or so thorough.

Ponzi found himself spending his days in a dungeon without so much of a chirping sparrow for companionship. Alone and broken, poor Ponzi's heart gave out it last feeble pit-a-pat on the feast of St. Polycarp, 1759.

Now, sure, in hindsight it's easy for us to say "Ponzi, you should have leap frogged the lousy dutchess into a more advantageous position," but this would have been out of character for Ponzi. In his own gentle way, he was a true believer of in the equality of man.

And yet life was not finished humiliating Ponzi. His wife eloped with a respectable embalmer from Bastalacaca, not so much for love, but a fierce desire to change her infamous name.

And how do we commemorate this salesman of hope?... with monuments, statues, feasts,testimonial dinners, 4/4 shuffles? Who encases the relics? No one. His bones lie in an unmarked grave, and his name is now used only as a word prefix with scheme.

Is this the way a civilized people treat the memory of the founding father of the chain letter, bogus oil lease, New Deal, Fair Deal, the credit card industry, the insurance industry, commodity market, stock market, deficit spending, the social security system, and the Federal Reserve?

Ponzi did more to affect the way we live than a regiment of Albert Schweitzers, or a galaxy of Rhodes scholars.

May he be festooned with every conceivable medal, ribbon, garland, scapular, ceremonial sword, fez, laurel, sash, golden key, and plaque. On his birthday may there be parades with confetti, flags, lapel pins, streamers, and bumper stickers celebrating this salesman of dreams.

This would be no more than simple justice.

We are living in Ponzi's world. Amen

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by HowardR on 29 December 2002 at 06:47 AM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by HowardR on 29 December 2002 at 06:51 AM.]</p></FONT>

I better return the pants I took from
Wal-Mart. "The Eyes of Texas are Upon Me"

The security man is from Texas,how do I know?.

He walks around singing "Im In The Jailhouse now,and I'll Never Be Free"

I know Al,always was a good guy,is this for real? Cant beleive this is legit.I feel bad for Al as well as the people who got hurt.

Al worked for Fender for years..Im sorry to read this.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 29 December 2002 at 05:15 PM.]</p></FONT>

Hey Smiley
Did you swipe my decals?? Or What.

Wasn't Al originally Canadian? That would explain the flight.

Canadian?? I never heard that before.

I've been in touch with a gentleman who says he and Mr. Petty were boyhood friends in Tyler, Texas.

Besides, if you had millions, why would you move to Canada? We extridite people to the US. There's many warmer places that do not.

It's interesting that the Dec 26th news story does not say he's missing.

Reminds me of a quote from Grandpa Simpson:

<SMALL>"Call me Mint Jelly, 'cause I'm on the lamb!"</SMALL>

Great story, Howard! Charles Ponzi would be impressed with your ability to convince the gullible ...

i'd been a public defender for nearly twenty years when i retired this past april fool's day, and the best advice i every received and ever could pass along was from that wise man w.c. fields. among other things, he said "you can't cheat an honest man." oddly enough, i think he's correct. (especially with a ponzi scheme, for goodness sake!)