This'n'That; October 31st[Halloween;Welfare "Rats"]

Do You Trick-Or-Treat? When I had young children, we trick-or-treated, both giving and receiving. Even after the kids grew up and left home, we provided treats for all the little goblins that came to the door. Fast forward to this evening. One of my shortcuts coming home from work passes through a fairly densely populated suburb of the city. I travel about 10 blocks before getting to the major cross-street that separates the 'burb from the city. Some of the oddities I observed: The ghouls and goblins have advanced in age. There were several "twenty-somethings" out trick-or-treating. Those fine folks who volunteer to help me spend my money [read: Welfare Rats!] had about a dozen kids loaded into their Escalade and were driving from neighborhood to neighborhood. At practically each corner they stopped, all the doors opened, the kids flocked out and went "up one side and down the other!!" This WAS NOT just one vehicle, but at least a half-dozen!! This goes on all over the city!! I'll bet the kids get fifty-pounds of candy, each!! Mister Tooth Decay and the area dentists will be busy.... and we get to pay for it!! The government says I HAVE TO pay for these slugs to live "high, wide and handsome".... but it don't say I gotta give 'em anything, voluntarily!!! Til nex'time.....

This'n'That; October 30th[Wlth Re-dist;Hillsdale;

Spread The Wealth Around O-bomb-a's mantra seems to be having the desired affect!! The DandC reported in this morning's paper that a coupla local dentists [Dr Sandra Elczko, Livonia and Dr Steve Thompson, Holley] are going to redistribute the "Halloween Wealth!!" I don't have a clue..... What's Halloween candy going for these days ?? $4/lb-$5/lb?? These dentists are intending to "buy back" the candy collections of local children for a buck-a-pound and send it to the troops in Iraq and Afganistan. There's a coupla things amiss here...... The kids are gettin' scammed and the troups are gettin' a visit from Mr Tooth Decay!!!! I hope there'll be lotsa tooth brushes in the "CARE" packages!! A Conservative College.....No, Really!!! From time to time, I make reference to Hillsdale College's monthly publication-Imprimis. Hillsdale was established in Hillsdale, Michigan, in 1844 as an indepenedent, co-educational, non-sectarian, liberal arts college. The college refuses federal and state aid in any form and as such, must finance it's entire $46 million through private donations. Imprimis is a free-subscription monthly speech digest that reaches over 1.6 million households. Imprimis contributors include the late Tony Snow, the late Senator Jesse Helms and many others equally as intelligent, conservative and famous. Check out both the college and the publication at: http://www.hillsdale.edu/ Til Nex'time..........

This'n'That; October 29th[obama;biden;Social Sec]

A Dunce Leading A Dolt Where do "the powers that be" find these people?? The Democrats have a Dolt, who in his entire Senate career, has been wrong on 95% of his decisions concerning foreign policy. The o-bomb-a campaign crowd is probably beginning to rue the day o-bomb-a selected the Dolt as a running mate!! Each time I hear a speech about the Democrat wealth redestribution plan, the threshhold to be considered rich drops. It started out with annual earnings of $250,000 Then the next speech I heard, o-bomb-a changed the lower limit to $200,000. Today, one of the commentators referred to a Dolt speech where the limit was AGAIN LOWERED, this time down to $150,000. At what level will it stop?? I'm bettin' that it'll be around the $50-60k range. I don't know about you, but I don't consider $50k, rich!! New Yorkers To Get Screwed AGAIN An article in today's paper says that state workers' pension fund has suffered a $30 BILLION [-20%] decline in value. This is due to the Wall Street meltdown. By state constitution, the state's taxpayers are obligated to make up the shortfall!!! Social Security Stuff Social Security is and should be, considered only one portion of one's retirement financial security. The other two are a self-funded retirement account, i.e., a 401k or individual IRA and current cash and othe liquid assets. As Mister Roosevelt said when signing the Social Security Act into law in 1935; "The civilization of the past 100 years, with its startling indutrial changes, has tended more and more to make life inecure. Young people have come to wonder what would be their lot when they came to old age. The man with a job has wondered how long the job would last." Social Security, stable but failing, is projected to run out of funds in 2041. Now is the time for the "powers-that-be" to allow the individual to invest a small portion of their SS tax into the stock market. With the market down by about 35-40% now is the time to have funds to invest!! With the stock market having lost [on paper] about $3 TRILLION, many retirement accounts have taken massive, devastating hits!! I know mine is down about 40%. Most financial advisors suggest that an individual/family have AT LEAST six months of expenses in savings accounts or other LIQUID investments. The American public has not been keeping up with their savings. The national rate is now in negative numbers, spending more than they earn. This is a tough time for anyone. My suggestion, as my father made to me; Save at least 25% of EVERYTHING you earn!! This will pay massive dividends if invested wisely. I'm currently saving to amass funds for investment in both retirement and regular stock accounts. Til Nex'time..........

This'n'That; October 28th[Lcl History;obama;Definitions]

History At The L0cal Level A gentleman, Bob Marcotte writes a column a few times a week in the Rochester [N.Y.] Democrat and Chronicle. His columns deal history as it happened in the Rochester area and/or as it affected this area. Creativity helped Rochester promote WWII bonds "Eight miniature 'Pacific Islands' dotted the smooth Main Street 'sea' last night as the stage was set for the ceremonial opening of the Sixth War Loan campaign this evening. The string of Pacific lands, dotted with palm trees, begins with the Philippines just east of the Four Corners and ends with Tokyo, east of Main Street East and Clinton Avenue. Volunteer workers anchored the islands, which straddle the center traffic line, and surrounded them with sand bags and red lights to forestall any premature invasion by streams of cars in traffic." --Democrat and Chronicle, Nov 20, 1944. The things Rochester came up with to promote war bonds during World War II! Centerpiece of the Sixth War Loan Campaign was a replica of a U.S. aircraft carrier, nicknamed "Tokyo-bound." The idea was this: For every $33,644 in war bond sales, the Tokyobound would be moved one foot farther east up Main Street, gradually passing those islands one-by-one. And if all went well--if Monroe County reached its $64.4 million goal-- the carrier would "capture" Tokyo on the last island. War bonds were a big deal during World War II. Why? ***They helped finance the war effort, raising some $135 billion toward the $330 billion overall cost of the war. They were bought by big businesses and average citizens. ***They helped forestall ruinous inflation "by sopping up excess wages at a time when there were acute shortages of many consumer goods," adds Ronald H. Bailey in The Home Front: U.S.A., part of the Time-Life series on the war. Indeed, by mid-1943 the home front "was awash in so much money-some $70 billion in cash, checking accounts and savings, compared with $50 billion in 1941-that one U.S. Treasury official referred to it as 'liquid dynamite,' " Bailey explains. To diffuse the situation, the federal government took several steps, including a requirement that employers begin deducting from each paycheck an apropriate percentage of income ta, which up to then had simply been paid as a lump sum at the end of the year. Thus began the withholding tax that continues to this day. The Treasury also began selling war bonds, in denominations ranging from $25 to $10,000. A war bond was, in effect, a loan made by a citizen to the government. A $25 bond, for example, sold for $18.75, and could be redeemed for its full value after 10 years. No expense was spared to promote the sale of bonds. Huge rallies were held, at which movie and radio stars and war heroes back from the front exhorted patriotic Americans to chip in. Ads flooded the airways and filled newspaper columns. Posters proliferated in public and work places. And Rochester found some truly novel ways to drum up support. Getting creative For example, on June 8, 1943, thousands of Rochesterians stood in line to look at a Japanese midget submarine athat had been captured after the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was parked on Main Street between Clinton and South avenues. More than 25,000 residents, in fact, bought war bonds or stamps for the privilege of peeking through a series of portholes cut into the sides of the submarine. The goal was to cover the $500,000 price tag of a new Navy sub chaser. More than $700,000 was collected. "Spectators got a big kick out of seeing the 81-foot pigboat," the Democrat and Chronicle reported. "It's bigger than I thought it would be" was a common reaction. Also: "It looks like a fish." The followig June, while the world waited expectantly for the Allies to invade western Europe, Rochester braced for an equally important struggle at home. The six-county quota for the fifth national war bond drive was a staggering $83.4 million, far surpassing previous drives. To help drum up support, a temporary pedestrian bridge, featuring four flags and a replica of the Liberty Bell, was erected across Main Street at Stone Street [A similar tactic was used during a War Bond campaign in Rochester during World War I.] The Democrat and Chronicle explained the symbolism: War bonds would help build a bridge from the "threat of totalitarian domination" to the "more promising opportunities [that] the victory of decent ideals will bring." A variety of events were scheduled at the bridge to publicize the campaign. War heroes gave speeches. Free tickets were given away for the movie Going My Way starring Bing Crosby. A Stromberg-Carlson Co. dance orchestra call the "Modulators" performed; so did the 80-voice Bausch&Lomb chorus and the 60-member Teutonia Male Chorus. Huge success It worked. No sooner had Sgt. and Mrs. Samuel Volo exchanged vows than they hurried down to the bridge to buy six war bonds: One for each of the bride's three brothers in the service, and one each for Volo and his two brothers, also in uniform. Salvatore Lambardo, a 44-year-old florist, bought $5,000 in bonds. It was "the only weapon I can use against the Germans," he explained. Two months earlier he had learned that his brother, his brother's wife and their 2-month-old baby were killed during a German bombin raid in Sicily. Two of his other brothers were missing in action with the Italian army, and this, too, he bleamed on the Germans. Seven-year-old Carol Mileo, alas, wanted to buy a war bond and ring the Liberty Bell, but was bed-ridden with the measles. Finally, with time running out, Carol's mother called the newspaper and a reporter obligingly bought a bond, rang the bell and brought the certificate to the grateful girl. By the end of the drive, the Rochester district had raised a "smashing total" of 100.1 million. The bridge came down. Rough Voyage And then, that November into December, the Tokyobound began inching its way along that symbolic chain of Pacific Islands stretching up Main Street. The miracle is that it reached its goal in one piece. Apparently the originators of this nifty idea had not taken into account Rochester's motorists-or the weather. The first night the islands were in place, a young motorist crashed into Tokyo. After a late November snowfall, another motorist flattened the island of Oshima Shoto and sped off, leaving a bumper behind. The replica carrier became progressively harder and harder to move as its hulk became encased in ice. And yet, even though the bad weather cut down on promotional events, the Rochester district again easily surpassed its quota, raising some $103 million. Famous visitors As mentione in a previous column, the camer that captured the lag-raising on Iwo Jima was taken with a Folmer-Graflex Speed Graphic camera made in Rochester. The three surviving flag-raisers-Pfc. Ira Hayes, Pfc. Rene agnon and Navy Pharmicist's Mage John Bailey-came to Rochester on May 16, 1945. as part of their nationwide tour to promote war bonds during the seventh war loan drive. Their misgivings about being sent stateside to do this while their buddies remained at the front was portrayed in the movie Flags of Our Fathers. They made no secret of it during their tour. "They give you the impression that they feel a bit guilty about their jobs as bond salesmen....sleeping in soft beds, eating the best offoods.....and telling people why they should buy War Bonds" while their comrade continue to fight in the Pacific, the Rochester Times-Union noted. They arrived on one of those cruel May days when the temperature never got above 46 and a cold rain fell. Long stretches of the parade route were utterly deserted. But not even the elements could deter one woman, wearing a babushka on her head, who was seen rushing up the platform after master of ceremonies Al Sisson had finished, waving a receipt for $3,000 and shouthing "I buy the bond, I buy." Mrs. Hosephine Di Maggio explaine4d that her son, a G.I. serving in Europe, had urged her to buy lots of bonds. "Her eyes beamed complete satisfaction as the chairman [Raymond Ball] took her hand and gave it an enthusiastic shake and congratulated her on her patriotism and loyalty to her adopted country." [Contact Mr Marcotte on-line: bmarcott@DemocratandChronicle.com ] Little Secret Exposed o-bomb-a has a dirty little secret that the mainstream media won't discuss: His radical plan to give illegal aliens Social Security benefits, Medicaid, amnesty and citizenship. By his own count there are twelve million illegal aliens in th U.S. and he wants them all getting government benefits. o-bomb-a's plan to give illegals driver's licenses-even though everyone knows the 9/11 plot began with 13 of the 19 perpetrators getting driver's licenses.

Definitions Necessary In The Current Political Climate

Socialism:

1. Any of various theories or systems of social organizaton in which the means of producing and distributing goods owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.

2. The stage in Marxist-Leninist theory intermediate between capitalism and communism, in which collective ownership of the economy under the dictatorship of the proletariat has not yet been successfully achieved.

3. A political and economic theory or system of social organization based on collective or state ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange. Like capitalism, it takes many and diverse forms.

Facism

1. An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.

2. Extreme right-wing, authoritarian, or intolerant views or practice. The term fascism was first used describing the totalitarian right-wing nationalist regime of Benito Mussolini in Italy [1922-1943]. The Nazi Regime in Germany was also Fascist. Fascism tends to include a belief in the supremacy of one national or ethnic group, a contempt for democracy, an insistence on obedience to a powerful leader and a strong demogogic approach.

3. The five main components of the facist ideology:

a] Extreme [superior] nationalism.

b] An assertation of national decline.

c] National decline is often linked to a diminution of racial purity of the nation.

d] The blame for national decline is based on a conspiracy of other nations/races seen as competing for dominance.

e] In the struggle for dominance, both capitalism and liberal democracy are seen as divisive devices to ragment the nation and subordinate it in the world order.

4. The philosophy of government that stresses the primacy and glory of the state, unquestioning obedience to its leader, subordination of the individual will to the state's authority and harsh suppression of dissent.

Communism

1. A theorectical economic system characterized by the collective ownership of property and by the organization of labor for the common advantage of all members.

2. A system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single, often authoritarian party holds power, claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people.

3. The Marxist-Leninist version of Communist doctrine that advocates the overthrow of capitalism by the revolution of the proletariat.

Til Nex'time.....

This'n'That; October 24th[Health;Nutrition;Obesity]

Eight Fixes Nutritionists Want On Food Labels MAKE SERVING SIZES REALISTIC. Most current "serving sizes" do not reflect realistic dining habits. The serving size should reflect what an average individual actually eats; use ounces and cups rather than grams. BETTER EXPLAIN THE PERCENTAGE DAILY VALUE [DV] Clarify whether the recommended percentage for a nutrient is a "ceiling or a floor." As an example: A particular label indicates 30% of the recommended DV of saturated fat. It would be ludicrous to eat more fat than necessary just to reach the 100% level; the thirty percent would be considered a maximum. For vitamins, minerals and fiber, the values should be considered minimums; you'll have to get the remainder from other sources. Most values on the labels are for someone consuming a 2,000 calorie diet. This may be too much for those trying to lose weight or for children's diets. Two columns of values could indicate percentages for another diet, like 1,200 or 1,500 calorie diets. CREATE A MAXIMUM DAILY VALUE FOR SUGAR Currently, there's no ceiling value for sugar consumption. After a maximum is created, it should be further sub-divided into sources of added sugars, i.e., cane juice, high-fructose corn syrup and naturally occurring sugars from whole foods like fruits and milk. REQUIRE A LISTING FOR CAFFEINE CONTENT Caffeine is in many products the consumer might not suspect, like coffee flavored ice cream. During my research, I couldn't find any listing for all [or even most] foods inwhich caffeine has been added. The best I could find is a listing for bottled beverages.... from a high of 1,200 mg in a 12 oz Powershot to a low of 1.2 mg in Canada Dry Diet Cola. The research path is: http://www.erowid.org/splash.php >>>Plant and Drugs >>>>Caffeine HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON WHOLE GRAINS The total amount of whole grains in a product can be difficult to determine. Update container labels to indicate the amount in grams and percentage of the food [or container]. This should apply to fruit products as well. The label should disclose [by percentage of the container] how much is actually fruit. INCLUDE A LISTING OF HEALTHY PAIRINGS WITH THE PRODUCT Using a dry cereal like Wheaties as an example, the label could read... "healthy pairings: skim or 1% milk, fresh berries, fresh bananas, flax seeds [or meal], [etc.]" EXPLAIN FOOD ORIGINS Using cartoon characters/drawings to enhance the text explaining the country of origin of major ingredients, country of production, USA entry point, etc. USE COLOR-CODING AND/OR SYMBOLS PLUS NUMERICAL SCORES TO INDICATE HEALTH VALUES Some larger grocery chains [in the Northeast, Wegman's] are already doing this to some of their products. Establish a color/symbol system that corresponds to a point score indicating the more or lesser health values of like products. Some basics might be fiber content, sugar content, omega-3 and protein content as well as the negative sources like carbohydrates, fat, cholestrol, high sugar levels, etc. With this information readily available, the consumer could compare two cereals, say Wheaties against Cocoa Puffs, to determine which is healthier. CUT CORN CONSUMPTION FOR HEALTH The American food supply is awash in corn. In 2007, U.S. farmers reaped 13 BILLION BUSHELS, the largest corn harvest in American history. Massive federal subsidies to farmers helped keep corn prices-and the resulting food prices-down, but the glut of corn is harming our health. Reducing corn consumption could be a smart health move. That 13 billion bushels has to go somewhere!! Much of the corn is made into high-fructose corn syrup, which is in many processed foods and most consumer beverages. Production of high-fructose corn syrup has increased 4,000 PERCENT since 1973; the average American consumes a whopping 42 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup each year [an extra 75,281 calories-enough to feed the typical American for 37 days!!]. The bulk of these added calories come from soda, energy and juice drinks. Recent studies show that soft drinks have replaced milk as a dietary staple and have become the third most common breakfast food!! "If the average American cut just one soft drink or sugared water drink per day, they would cut their weight 10 pounds per year," says Barry Popkin, agricultural economist and professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina. Chemically, the corn syrup is nearly identical to table sugar and both substances most likely play a part in the nation's obesity problem. The bulk of the nation's crop ends up feeding livestock. Feeder cattle are cleaply fattened on corn before slaughter. Beef from corn fattened cattle tends to have more artery clogging saturated fats than grass-fed beef. Research also suggests that corn-fed beef is lower in the healthful Omega-3 fatty acids. Cattle that are primarily fed corn develop high stomach acidity, which appears to breed E. coli O157:H7, a deadly strain. A new study by Kansas State University found that cattle which are fed distillers grains, a byproduct of ethanol production, have a significantly higher prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 in their digestive system. This could have profound implications in food safety. Corn is NOT inherently unhealthy, nor should it be banished from the food system. Corn is an astounding plant capable of producing an astounding amount of food from an astoundly small space. The problem is the scale at which it's produced!!

Til Nex'time...........