It is amazing what absolutely worthless information is etched into our minds. A better personal understanding of the reasons why would take more knowledge of the cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem the stuff that controls our thoughts, feelings and senses.

Scientists, physiologists, physicians or even brain surgeons might provide some additional light. But clarity is unlikely to come from a simple wordsmith laboring in a trade to feed his family. He might, however, share a personal memory that is stuck between grey and white matter inside his balding, mis-shaped skull.

But first, there isn't a better time to stop using the third-person, singular, personal pronoun as "he" isn't fooling anyone. It is I, he said.

Every family has spenders and savers. It was no different with my sisters and now with my children three of my four sons are moderates in matters of money (sorry, Noah). But this is not about my boys. For some reason, I had a total recall this week of one of those absolutely worthless events that will occasionally haunt me for life.

It is of my sister, Paula Susan, the middle sibling. I need to point out that I love her and the worthless memory of which I write lives on only as one strange, isolated incident (our childhoods were relatively normal).

She was an early and often spender. I should let this go because her habit has brought her much comfort and joy and I am not interested in drawing her wrath. But I can't get Silly Putty out of my mind.

One afternoon, my sister returned from the toy store after spending her entire weekly allowance (less than $1) on a small plastic egg filled with silicone polymer. I wanted to cry. I felt sorry for her. It seemed to me (a saver) that she had wasted her money. I didn't say anything, but if I had, it probably would have been something like this: "Do you think money grows on trees?"

Here's the turn, or the crux, of this column. I am now convinced money DOES grow on trees. It's obvious. Here's why:

• The State Historical Society Foundation is asking for $1 million from Bismarck and $300,000 from Mandan, after being awarded $40 million by the state. Isn't that a bit of double-dipping on the backs of some taxpayers? And what happens if Burleigh and Morton counties get caught in the historical snare as well? You, me and Dupree and all the others from our neck of the Plains will be purchasing a sugar cone of three scoops for the Heritage Center. Please don't misunderstand my angst. I very much like the Heritage Center; it is one of my favorite places. But shouldn't it come up with the additional needed money from private donations?
• The Bismarck Park Board will pay a $700,000 cost over-run for the Bismarck State College Indoor Aquatics and Wellness Center. Cost of the facility went from $8.7 million to $9.4 million. Let's see, if the Park Board pays, then we all pay, again. I have long supported the project, just not all the financial and partnership considerations.
  
• Tens of millions of dollars have been spent on promoting or denouncing the so-called Employee Free Choice Act. That is sad, really sad.
• America spent $19.6 billion on pork projects in 2009. North Dakota, by the way, was third per capita with $142,549,091 for a population of 641,481 a $222.22 per person average ($29.60 is the per person national average).
• The U.S. federal debt (as of June 2) was $11,382,737,715,925.23.
• The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will give out God-only-knows how many billions or trillions of dollars.

Those six facts, and others, prove fairy tales do come true, or green backs can be found on brown branches. No longer can I say it ain't so; anything seems possible.

So because of my new-found knowledge, I owe my sister Susan an apology mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa. I now realize her less-than-a-dollar investment in Silly Putty wasn't so silly after all.

(You can reach Editor John Irby at 250-8266 or john.irby@;bismarcktribune.com and go to http://www.bismarcktribune.com/blog/?w=thepaper&e_id=2671/ to read his blog.)