I don't think it's any secret that occasionally my mind wanders into places that it probably shouldn't. As I was at the gas station giving my car a snack, I thought to myself: self, it's been a while since you've seen a good chain e-mail. Why not create one??? So, when I got home, I drafted this little gem:
Hello Friend,
I recognize that the past few years have been particularly tough for my fellow Americans, with the Great Recession and slow recovery taking its toll on many families. While I have been fortunate to escape the effects of these hard times, I would like to do something to help my countrymen. Therefore in the spirit of generosity, I am putting forth this e-mail. If this message gets forwarded 100,000,000 times by February 28, 2013, which the Obama Administration has promised to help me track, I will create a "free gas" day on March 3, 2013. That's right: if this e-mail gets forwarded one hundred million times, I will pay for everyone's gas for one day. Good luck America!
Sincerely Yours,
William H. Gates III
I'll probably forward it to a few in-laws and see how far it gets. Odds that it will get automatically sent to their junk folder: 90%; odds that it will sweep America and Bill Gates will be forced to pay for everyone's gas on 3/3/2013: 0.00001%. Worth a shot!