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Footloose - Charlie Smith's Offshore Chronicles
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About Footloose - Charlie Smith's Offshore Chronicles
Product Description Offshore and off-the-wall -- Charlie Smith's capricious misadventures are a lighthearted glimpse of how one likeable rascal copes with the three-headed hydra of globalization, rampant taxation and creeping regulation. About the Author Fred Sharp is a director of Corporate House, a firm of private investment bankers with offices in Canada and affiliations worldwide. A graduate of University of Toronto in law and Stanford University in philosophy, he practised business, finance and securities law for many years. A member of the Offshore Institute and Canadian Bar Association, he is a regular columnist in Offshore Finance Canada Magazine, as he continues a tradition of international finance handed down by his father who moved offshore in 1969. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. 20. The Second Great Lie September, 2002 "The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist." - Dwight D. Eisenhower Of the things Charlie Smith avoided doing in life, near the top of his list was going to movies with his grandchildren. Standing in line for the latest kids' show with his three grandkids and their little friends, he tried not to ask himself questions like "What am I doing here?" Instead he concentrated on the line that snaked towards the ticket booth, calculating the time it took each customer to order, pay for and receive tickets. "At this rate," Charlie said optimistically to no one in particular, "we may be too late to see the show." "No problem Gramps," replied his grandson looking up at him. "We can always see the other movie which starts fifteen minutes later." As Charlie cringed at being called "Gramps", he realized they were at one of those multiple cinemas that featured six different movies. He was trapped, moving slowly but relentlessly towards two hours of... Showdown "Which show and how many tickets?" asked the disinterested teenager inside the glass booth. Charlie looked down at the small crowd around him and took a head count. Regrettably all of them were present and accounted for. "That'll be one adult and five children," he said. "$57.70 please," came the unwanted reply from the cashier who was busy studying her computer screen. Charlie opened his wallet and pushed a $100 bill through the wicket. "I'm sorry sir," she said, finally looking at him. "We cannot accept $100 bills. Do you have anything smaller?" Her recital of the training manual was flawless. Charlie barely resisted the temptation to offer her one of the children as payment in kind. "Are you saying you do not accept the official and legal currency of our country?" Charlie asked, using his most incredulous voice. "We've had too many fake $100 bills," the girl replied unsympathetically. "The company doesn't to take them anymore." "I might understand if I were buying something for a few dollars," Charlie said, getting into his stride, "but these tickets are costing me almost $100, which you won't accept! How, pray tell, am I supposed to pay for the popcorn and drinks if I give you all my change?" "You can pay by credit card," the cashier replied unfazed. This left Charlie in a corner with only two ways out: he could either inform the children they were leaving and suffer the unthinkable consequences; or pay with his credit card. Retreating discreetly, Charlie signed the credit card voucher. The group proceeded to the concession stand where Charlie grumbled through the same routine with the same results.
