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Yes, we're back... And better than ever. Each and everyone has something cooking upstairs and for once it's not just baking brain cells. This may go to a blog format something we've checked out. The consensus is that we may lose some freedoms in being "associated" with a site that had control in any form over the message we choose to send so we're still checking it out. You see under each article an area where we are asking for your comments and opinions. Each "Submit Your" is an email link. Your words will appear exactly as written and we will only publish the personal ID that you allow. You cannot post as some mysterious entity that jots and runs as someone may want to comment on your comment! So, click submit and jot down your thoughts. Give us a few initials and a place that's it. You will see your story comment added almost immediately. Pass our the link along. We all believe that what we say here has value and although you may not agree it's cool. Communication is a good thing. from all of us at theGRIND . . .peace. |
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    Prepare to Insert Foot in Mouth!Going to talk about the very on the top issue that continually gets a heave-ho out of the public eye, the issue of same-sex marriage. As a guy I guess I can say I'm not “Gay” unless I've had too much of any sickening sweet brandy. Then it's easy to find me doing stupid, silly crap for the enjoyment of my own anal-retentive motivations. I do not think I'm a lesbian not having the same type of body as a female. It's interesting that even someone who is same-sex orientated is further classified on their gender as well. I am an ordained minister who does teach but it is a far cry from what could be classified as religion which I've developed a severe distaste for. That aside let me look at what this hubbub is about! So a woman desires to reside and have a relationship with another woman in a consensual way and agree jointly to share their lives as any other “quantified” couple in the United States. Two men who have similar tastes follow the same course. This is the crux of it right? Am I missing something? Should I say, “That they share intimate relations?” Will that make some of you homophobic readers skittish? What's the real issue here I mean really? That a man and another man choose to have sexual relations with each other? That two women wish to do the same? Frightened that it will rub off on you? Is this why we NEED to determine how a homosexual is born? Is it genetic or is it a “Mommy or Daddy Dearest” novel? Allow me, Mr. Wizard to answer some of me own questions. Question number one, the crux, the cross that all homosexual relationships have to face in the light of what is assumed to be an enlightened country. Is homosexuality “normal?” Answer, who gives a shit? Why do I want to waste one second of my time in trying to decipher why some of my gay and lesbian friends live the lifestyle they have chosen. Our boundaries between each other are very well defined and truth be told those “people” have turned into some of my most endeared friends. I would rather enjoy my time around them. Most of this is a guy thing after all, this gay and lesbian nonsense. Against the laws of God they say, unnatural and immoral, disgusting and against nature, tons of other meaningless expressions made by one group of people trying desperately to force their opinions onto another group of people. The guy thing is one of if you are not straight then you are ridiculed. This is an attitude ingrained in all young, omnipotent teen-aged males running around. Thank goodness that the attitudes of teens who desire same sex relationships have loosened up a might allowing more of them to make their sexuality known. Prior to this imagine the phobic personalities that walked through life, having to hide what they feel for the sake of your perception of what you would have them be. Imagine “Leave it to Beaver” where Eddie Haskell is gay! Wow that would make for good television. I've known lesbians as neighbors and have intimate friendships with each and every one. This is so not about the need to discover a woman's needs and wants in order to elevate my own intimate stature but to learn like we all should that balance of both side's of us are okay. To explain, I was raised predominantly by women. My mom of course in that top slot and am from that upbringing a bit sensitive to others. I am also logical and thoughtful and in knowing women where there is no need for the “sexual tension” conversations are most real and highly engaging. The flip side of the coin also true as I've had the privilege of knowing a very cool couple named Dean and John. John worked with me and during the times when we had to go to a mutual business meeting we'd drive together. Make no mistake about the clarity of my orientation. The desire for another man as an intimate partner is “repulsive” to me. But then I was not and am not John. I have NO RIGHT to alter his choice in any way. As he also believed the thought of lying with women would undoubtedly lead him to vomiting our boundaries were then clear and the genuine nature of a friendship develops. Excellent! Is it against God's law? Hmmm….let's think about God's law and for the sake of the varying Deities that have places of honor I'm going to talk about my God if I could invent a God and what would be expected of the glory of creation. Is it against God's law? Hmmm….let's think about God's law and for the sake of the varying Deities that have places of honor I'm going to talk about my God if I could invent a God and what would be expected of the glory of creation. My God's Ten Six Commandments (And whether we'd so far abided by the rules) Nope, missed that curve, Strike One! Think we can throw that right out of the fucking window, aye? We'll pretend it was a ball as I'm clearly running on baseball metaphors at the moment? If I assume this means take care of the earth and its creatures, the forests and the seas then strike fucking two Mate! Let me use some of the common acronyms to answer this question, OMFG! ROFL. Where to begin . . . where to begin? Low and away, ball two. Okay, you win I can't take it anymore. Strike Three. We are so out! How many is that? “Dum . . . num . . . num . . . num . . .Show me the way to go home. I'm tired and I want to go to bed. I had a little drink about an hour ago and it's gone right too my head . . .,” No comment. The point you ask? What is the point religiously? That point is a simple one. In all religions it speaks of the creators power of judgement and that power is divine, not for human consumption. That all creed's and factions objectives speak of kindness and honor even amongst your most vile enemy as it is only in the actions of an individual that define their principles and values, not their words. You have no right, none at all to condemn a relationship that doesn't sit well in your stomach so to speak. You may however disagree with the choice do not disassociate the person. I really am getting tired. It's so damn easy. We are interdependent on each other. None of us has that power, that strength to survive without the hands of another. Maybe I will add to this later but it seems a moot point for those that do not agree will dismiss it as a poster statement for the lifestyle and brand me a “whatever I would be branded!” The very people whose lives could fold within our own remain far away. By countering their actions in temperance with an equal reaction nothing will change. Peace. |
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 Ewww......RemarksOkay, you've drawn me into this political babble and now I really have got to let this out. The whole media machine in addition to numerous members of both sides of our political machine have centered in on the remarks of Barrack Obama referencing the various comments he'd made regarding the American public and how they've been venting their unhappiness or finding refuge for it. For the most part the tight in the shorts people have expressed that, "This just isn't so and he is not in touch with the pulse of the country." His opponent finding an opportunity to get herself off the hot seat and put the pressure back on Obama has of course lit several signal flares of opinion and commentary with a dash or two of judgment. Candidate or not, Barrack Obama hit a nerve in addition to hitting a mark. One of theGRIND's first stories spoke of the apathy vote of which I declared and still remain a part of. Perhaps I can be the New York Chair? And we are not alone. There are many disgruntled parties. We have religious factions vying for the center square while denouncing other religions all in the name of a higher deity that promotes peace and love for all human kind, consideration and patience, living in a way you know to be correct. Yet, religion is causing pain and anger, conflict and death and causing the American public to again choose sides as they choose a path to follow. As was mentioned to me, we find it in the most basic aspects of life in road rage and riot. We find it in horrific acts committed by increasingly younger individuals. We find apathy everywhere we look as our educational system crumbles under the weight of its restrictions in both finance and program. We find it in the smiles we no longer see on faces as we walk silently from one passage of the day thru another. We find it now at the gas pump and in the food markets. We will find it soon in every single product that we use in our lives for the price of diesel fuel is keeping a better upward soar than gas which is hurting the independents as well as the corporate drivers. This means shipping costs go up as well. So here we are and Obama say's we're angry and venting in a variety of ways and everyone is saying NO? You're wrong. I don't think an individual has ever made a more accurate public statement about the state of the public. You know it's all good if you sit there and have made money and spent effort to preserve a way of life. I do not degrade you nor deplore you; I applaud you, good for you. There are however more of us who have worked and taken care of our obligations that no matter what the influx of days and without a winning lottery ticket seem to continue to have a hard time making ends meet. Our housing market is showing a result of that, no? Our minimum wage is RIDICULOUS period. Personally I've been to both sides of the fence even now hovering above the side that has dirt where the grass should be. I am not going to piss and moan as I am taking care of my financial obligations but afterward there is a strict budget on what I can and cannot purchase. I find a gallon of milk is the same as a gallon of gas. I find it difficult to keep any kind of variety in my diet not for lack of want but for want of cash to keep ahead of the prices. I have a healthcare plan that causes more symptoms than it would or will ever relieve. My point is give us a break! |
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A Message from our Sponsor's I'm sure you've seen commercials that are done by Lawyers and Attorney's. The commercials are local to the area with people you could call at any time. Only in America folks, only in America can we have 24/7 lawyers. The 7-11 of litigation, now if only you could get a free plant with your call. There is one commercial that you may have seen, mom sitting at the kitchen table. The boy's commenting to his dad that he understands that he can't work and it's okay that his (the boy's) dream is going into the toilet, he'll get a job and help bring money to the table. The dad is sitting at the table elbows resting on its top and hands to either side of his head, cradling it as it gives the face of despair, convincingly played I might add. The mom now chimes in that they shouldn't have settled their "lawsuit" without an attorney and that they should've called, insert witty catch phase for the offices here. The second commercial plays the same women (mom) talking with a co-worker giving her all the private details about their unfortunate financial condition and wishing that they had called, insert jingle! Huh? This is just what dad wants to hear isn't it. Not only can he no longer work but he also has his own guilt, shame, blame, frustration and anger and lest we forget, mom blabbing all over the neighborhood how dad blew it and now their broke and should have called, insert jingle but didn't. Oh, woe! Then we have teenage son hanging in there for the team, no worries dad I don't have to go to school. It's totally cool that I now have to work at some minimum wage job and come home to your fat ass sitting on the couch cause you can't work and didn't call, insert jingle. I wonder why dad, while they sit around that kitchen table doesn't blow his brains out! I mean is this a commercial that works? Do people sit and see it and look at dad, and why is it always a dad, can't mom fall on her butt sometimes too? But do they believe this is real? See the commercial and do what? If that situation applies, well you've already messed up and should just ride the wave till the spot's over. If you haven't and your sitting there deciding whether or not to sign settlement papers with the insurance company this is the spot that will influence you to call? It makes me depressed. I do not want a firm working for me that makes a commercial that if in that situation would make it difficult to not too take too many valium at bedtime right after canceling my life insurance policy and hand writing a will bequeathing everything to the old dude that lives in the refrigerator box in the woods down the street. |
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Perspective It's really difficult to know what to put here week after week. It is not for lack of subject matter rather than too much subject matter. Today there was a lot of information pointing to the two worst environmental polluters and main contributors to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of earth. Would you like to guess which countries scored the highest? It was the country that promotes human rights of all kinds but seldom lives up to that promise in a wholly practical manner, America. The next is China. A look at a satellite map showing the concentration of greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide emissions can be seen here: Where Global Warming Begins. And then we have the now out in the open issue of Social Security, which we wrote of beforehand see Article Name. We have the commercial about major retailer talking of using reusable water or drink bottles and a filter system for your water to save the 200 million empty plastic water bottles that are tossed aside each day. This falls right into what we wrote beforehand see article name. It seems as this staff is a bit gifted when it comes to the foretelling of what will be. We sit and laugh knowing it's nothing more than slowing down and looking at what is real rather than what other wants us to perceive as real. In the last of the story about the major retailer our thoughts were, "Why would a MAJOR retailer promote and environmentally safe alternative to bottled water when in FACT they not only have (in plastic containers) several of their own house brands as well as several branded under an associate warehouse label. I would think, STOP selling plastic water bottles and provide only the alternative. Oh my, did I just hear someone complain that they couldn't make a payment on the Bentley? All of our concerns, all of our issues with one another, our issues of environmentalism, racism, religion, integrity, consideration, compassion and honor have fallen by the wayside to the power of money. We pit three fundamental philosophies against each other and sit back watching as the feathers fly. We have our challenges in keeping the planet intact for the next 1000 years. I would say 3 billion years till the sun engulfs this speck completely and vaporizes it and hence it will be no more but that's really pushing it considering the current state of our world's population. We have some serious issues going on but then they've been going on in this direction for the last hundred years or so and I cannot foresee it stopping anytime soon regardless of strong public collectives or rash and revolutionary individual action. To change anything we all have to agree to be on the same page not scattered about in different clicks and sects. The efforts of individual 'charities' will never be enough to achieve objectives. Again part of the basic problem, the smarter we believe ourselves to be about the nature of human nature the more blind we become to the individualism and interdependency that is the human race. I believe that many of us care, some of us care too much and become extremists as the opposite is true with those who use blatantly the resources and energies that surround them without care or concern for the consequences. Where many years ago your family had independence yet knew the value of a neighbor who lived to either side of you. Helping one helping the other and for most of us today it would be hard to remember the last time we spoke to our neighbor or lent them a hand. We as a nation refuse to look back and do not look to far into the future as this is what "the norm" for psychological behaviors is based, yet it is that very past which gives us an ultimate destination in the future if we continue to ignore the past and future to focus on today. Today can handle itself and will no doubt for the next three billion or so years continue to take care of its future today's. We have too much diversity and it is forcing a gap between the world. We see differences in ideologies and religions, differences in treatment between one individual and another. We have help centers and call lines for illness and behaviors that would take a substantial book to display collectively. We are trying to save land and trees, birds and bees, whales and seals, owls and eels. We are trying to eliminate poverty and give the basics of life to a formidable population of what we call 'third-world' residents of this same earth through the varied efforts of numerous charities. Now, all worthwhile causes but –and allow this interjection on the word "but" when used in conversation, it is used in conditional agreement or disagreement and thus not concrete—we have too many choices. We have "too many buts" if you'd excuse the resonance with a pun. Give us a clear consensus; we cannot continue to unfurl so many different banners to so many common and important causes. It is fundamentally going to short everyone and hence in opinion continue to perpetuate the problem. Let me get further into the midst of arrogance. Every single child born of this one world has a right to, is deserving of and by all the rights afforded any human being the basics in knowing safety, a full stomach, health care and an education. This is not just a local problem, a single countries problem but a world problem. And here's that word again, but this is for another time and another page. |
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For too long I've messed with the wiring in my head. Now it shorts out more oft than not. But at my age I just sit and enjoy the sparks. |
 "Houston . . . We have a Problem!"I do not lean one way or another to a political party. Truth be told I think the whole process is conflicting and balances nothing. We cannot be conservative or liberal only as that requires perfect absolutes. None are perfect and few are absolute. It is the nature of humans to learn for better or worse, ways to insure personal motivations and fulfillment. I tend to lean toward liberal life views but can become very frugal (conservative) with matters of finance. So am I a "Demo-Publican?" Yes this is another assassination on the Integrity of the human condition. Why do I want a leader that is fuzzy about past events? That lack of personal clarity has no place in a position of authority. "Did you send the authorization to launch?" "I'm sure I did but it's been such an eventful day, I do remember a fight in the rose bushes this morning. Why is there a problem?" Yes, sarcasm ... but all of us must live with the individual that is elected to whatever position of authority that we vote them too. Their mistakes in congress or the house reflect surely our mistakes in our perceptions. Originally as I've written before, it is time for a female, a person of color or ethnicity just for the change that it offers over 200 years of basically White Anglo Saxton Protestant Leadership. It is most certainly time for change! However it's time for the country to change. It's time we open our eyes to the essence of the people that stand before us and without some loyal emotional content think logically about our leadership, our families and our country. I believe it is time for the candidates to overcome ego, overcome the feeling that one will overcome the odds and band together to unify our decision. To let this lingering by any party to continue is pointless. It is certain that there are two people who are more interested in the events at the end of the day on April 22, 2008 than others. That is a day that could well define future history in making promises of change on both sides of the parties' fence. |
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"I'm Sorry, it will never happen again." I truly wish to believe that somewhere there exist an individual who will just let their lives open up to the public. The need to "enhance" the moments of our lives in the retelling of a taller tale. America has a big problem on the Democratic side of the fence. We wrote earlier that the mud-slinging has to end to give the American Public an opportunity to look ahead to changes in what is. So, tactics have changed somewhat. Now Senator Clinton states that she "misquoted" the events surrounding the supposed "sniper fire," "snipers," hostile area" part of her recent speech. For me a problem occurs when this happens. It draws attention to issues that are not relevant to the weight of the politics of the candidates but to the weight of the ability for "We the people…" to discern the crap from the toilet paper. How can someone who has speech writers, someone who quite clearly or hopefully reviews that speech with aides and those in the inner circle. Obviously with the scrutiny surrounding this process you would know that there can be no misquoting. In paraphrasing her answer it was something to the point of she had been to so many different places that she merely misplaced the event. Okay, Senator Clinton, please advise the American Public when you were ever under a snipers sight as First Lady of the Country? Why would her partner, the President, The Cabinet, and various inner circle concubines allow the First Lady to visit any country where her life would be at high risk? Ladies and Gentleman that statement denotes "high risk." By trying to show the public her phenomenal record as a First Lady and First Ambassador she is showing why she should not be in the White House. Senator Clinton has done some good things . . . why she continues to embellish on what is good to what is not is beyond me. Perhaps as she mentioned a month ago, she is willing to talk with her Democratic rival on a joint ticket. As I had thought that would be a Democratic must have, now this writer is not so sure. |
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"He who is without sin cast the first stone." Most of the country knows what happened to Elliot Spitzer, the now former governor of New York. We have welcomed and for those who do not know a very real person in the guise of a politician, his name is David Paterson. Now the media in its forms will concentrate on the items of a story that they believe will keep you watching and keep ratings high. So when they spoke of Lt. Governor Paterson the presentation was that he is the first "African American" to hold this post. The second, he is legally blind. Although now Governor Paterson finds his way around quite well and can make out images in close proximity he is not one to be out driving a car or reading a fine print contract solo. The media did pick up a bit on his "human-ness" and ability to get along which of course prompted some in New York Politics to say in so many words that his attitude would be food for the sharks (The New York State Political Machine). Now he is in office and last week both he and his partner admitted to the media that both had been involved in their own extra-marital affair at one time. Today Governor Peterson takes the press by storm in announcing that he had used drugs, cocaine and marijuana. And once more for the third time since his rise to public office he has the media and the aforementioned machine all in a tizzy. Why? I applaud him, I applaud his integrity, and I applaud his human-ness and his honesty. And for the barker's in the capitol you should now know that perhaps the sharks are really the bait. We can of course call for his resignation which would put a stain on New York's politics that it may not ever recover from. The machine knows that they must endeavor to work in the interests of the state not in the interests of another scandal. Once again I applaud him and believe quite realistically that he will become official when elected to his own term as this States Chief Executive after this take over term expires. We need individuals who are bright enough to know not to hide the very faults that make them more able to lead. I've always written that I would vote for the first prospect, who stated in a selection of these words, "I have screwed-up, sometimes procrastinated, have had impure thoughts, smoked pot and inhaled and actually got quite a nice buzz, gotten drunk on more than one occasion, had arguments with my family members and intimate circle, I've MADE mistakes . . .but I will promise you two things: I will utilize what I understand of human nature based upon my experience and feelings and the feelings and opinions of those I believe in and I promise I will do the very best for the public that I serve as I can."It is in the admission of our faults that shows strength and wisdom. It is in the way we turn negative situations into positive based upon experiences of the past. These few lines and many others I could pen would be indicative of a good leader. What amazes me is that all of us share those similar thoughts and feelings and I personally find it repugnant when someone stands before me and talks of perceptions that just cannot be with the human psyche. And for those of you that want to believe that Governor Paterson is just fluff I will share another belief. 69% of the voting public put Spitzer and Paterson into the Governors' seats and Spitzer was a strong candidate but David Paterson if you looked at his past brought an awful lot of food to that 69 percentile as well. Governor Paterson, lead on dude, onetiredpup salutes you. |
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  "Water you think?"In 1981 Frank his brother Frank and their little brother Frank took all their deposits down to the general store and with the money they collected put in a bid for 1000 empty quart bottles to a local distributor. There idea, to create the first complete see thru home made house boat. Figuring on only needing the bottles and a couple of quarts of white glue their eyes shown with visions of maritime notoriety and late night appearances on talk shows as they assembled the bottles into their blueprint of this "The Ultimate Transparent Houseboat." With the whole town of Whatchamacallit, Idaho in attendance the brothers launched their creation in the traditional way by breaking a bottle of champagne across her bow. Frank, his brother Frank and their little brother Frank did not understand the dynamics and properties of plastic, force, glass and resistance and the bottle hit the bow full force only to recoil and hit the elder Frank square on the chin knocking him unconscious. The cheers of the local town folk were deafening. Loading said unconscious brother onto the houseboat they proceeding to guide her out into the bay hoping to catch the ebbing tide of the Atlantic to help transverse the 10 nautical miles to the next town on the shore. For the next three weeks or so Julia and Lori Kirkwood walked the 100 yards or so from their house to the shoreline. They both brought a couple of those larger garbage bags. Ever since the accident where Frank, his brother Frank and their little brother Frank put their boat to sea hundreds of plastic bottles were collecting themselves daily along the shoreline. It seems that neither Frank, his brother Frank nor their little brother Frank ever really read the label on the glue which stated quite clearly, "Water Soluble." No more than 5 minutes after leaving the shoreline and immediately after they'd caught the ebbing current the glue and the bottles dissolved their partnership sending all three brothers who also refused to utilize lifejackets stating that the plastic boat was all the floatation device they needed and who could not swim a lick to the bottom of the Atlantic. Julia and Lori kept the bottles in their basement not really knowing why they collected them or exactly what they should do with them. Neither could think of any craft project that would use so many plastic containers although they both agreed that the labels were nice looking with the sun and a river set on a blue background. On this particular afternoon, hours after their last collection mission to the beach; they could not find any more of them washed up upon the sand and totaled only 12 bottles for that morning, had to play in their softball game. At the last minute Lori took 4 of the bottles rinsed them out and filled them full of water and put them in her backpack to take with her to the game. Neither had any money for sodas so Lori thought that rather than wait like the other kids in line for the fountain she and Julia would skip the line today and have nice cool water at their disposal when ever they wanted. It just happened that this afternoon would be one of the more talked about afternoons for years to come as the late afternoon summer sun brought the temperatures to record breaking levels and at the time of Julia and Lori's game it was easily 99 degrees in the shade heading to a high of 104. There were a lot of programs and a lot of hats trying with little success to bring their owners a bit of breeze as the ball game wore on. One couple noticing the water bottles that the girls were using approached and asked to have one. Lori said, "No, they're ours" and dismissed him. Without a seconds hesitation the gentleman offered Lori one dollar for the remaining two bottles. Lori, always with better business sense sold both bottles to the gent for one dollar per bottle. During that summer the girls got rid of every bottle they has collected and even wound up recycling some 430 bottles that made there way back into their collection. They filled the bottles, used a lighter to melt a small part of the cap, then put the whole load in their mom's basement freezer which was more empty than not. In 1997 Julia and Lori sold their remaining interest and bowed out of the water business taking with them nothing short of 655 million dollars to share with a 10% interest in all net profits over the following 20 years. Julia was quoted as saying, "We started making our product and never had to change a thing, we did have to get a bigger freezer!" |
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Recycling I really enjoy recycling the cash back plastics, cans and glass. To many of you the nickel return is not worth the effort and if your town is like my town you probably want to avoid at all costs the number of homeless and alcoholics that use recycling to eek out their existence. It's the best feeling turning items that you see as common trash into dollar bills and change. One of the first lessons I've taught my sons that as long as you do not worry about pride or what the Joneses think collecting bottles, cans and plastic is a great way to save some cash. There is a mentality that has to be understood and I think I've a handle on it as I've done it. One empty pop bottle as you're in the car or walking in the park is trash. It seems unnatural to walk around with an empty container. But, take those empty containers and put twenty in a plastic bag and the one container(s) collected are now a one dollar bill. But then this is not a story about recycling as much as it is a story about recycling. You see I have also often wondered what the difference in glass is between a Glass Fruit Drink that has no deposit and a beer bottle that has a deposit. They're both clear, both hold fluid so can be recycled or reused but the bottle that contained beer or soda is worth a nickel while the fruit drink is trash? With the millions of water bottles that we empty each day, all can be re-manufactured and thus reused so why would they be mounting a siege on our landfills while a flimsy version that contains soda is worth a nickel? Why is a can of Iced Tea different than a can of Orange Soda? Both made from similar materials it is clear even to the average idiot such as myself that both can be melted together to be used again. So what I believe is that our recycling laws are not controlled by our government but rather by the manufacturers in the wavering flexibility of what constitutes recycling materials and what constitutes trash. As I understood my science, although grades of the substances differ somewhat in tensile strength and process, a can is a bloody can, a plastic bottle is a plastic bottle by any other name and a bottle, well glass is glass otherwise it would be a can or plastic. Perhaps it's time to hold the manufacturers and consumers responsible for a total recycling program. Instead of forming a special designation for one type of recycling product from another have the manufactures either pay for their waste (the non-recycled materials) or pay for the recycling as the manufacturers of beer and soft drinks do. As consumers and looking at the prices that we have to pay lately for groceries and fuel it seems to me that the manufacturers and distributors of those products are not currently in financial straits. What is wrong with holding them accountable for the end product of their products? No one loses here. The manufacturers become a "green company" by embracing recycling and in turn gain more consumer confidence. The public of which I am one become more loyal to buying products that aide in alleviating "recycling guilt" and the homeless and those who choose these products to enhance their income will find the world a more gratuitous and gracious place. Think about it because we really do not want to keep doing things half-way, do we? |
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Have a Glass of Water? Water, H2O, the elixir of life, without which we cease to exist, we would not know that we needed water to exist if we did not exist so water is some seriously important stuff. How did one of the basic substances of life, one of the things that cover's three-quarters of the planet become an enemy? There was a time when you were thirsty and you didn't have the quarter or 50 cents for a pop you went to the house garden hose (and it didn't matter if it were your house or not either) turn it on, wait a couple of seconds for the dank water in the hose to pass and drink till you were filled. So I guess I am having another dilemma. Our society alone is purchasing and consuming millions of bottles of water a day. There are major suppliers of this bottled elixir and brand names; there are supermarkets that have their own "store-brand" of bottled water. We have water loaded with vitamins. We have 'flavored' water in every variety. We have sparkling water with a fruit mix. We have water for workouts, water for sports, water for running, water for women and water for men. It comes in fancy bottles of real fluted glass complete with designer logo. We have water for big people in monster containers with handles and water for kids in easy to carry 4 oz. bottles. We have 6 pack water and party pack water. We've even put water on a pedestal and have big 5 gallon empties to prove it and a guy, yup a guy that comes and brings your refills and wears a nametag and drives a van or small truck. It is of course a great way to impress your teenage materialistic friends when he makes an appearance and you get to treat him as another servant. So here's my dilemma: Where is this pure, virgin, rocky mountain stream, cool refreshing fodder coming from? I mean we've all heard of the Grand Canyon and "Old Faithful," We've heard of the Catskills and the Rockies but I've never heard of this everlasting well of such promising eternal purity. And if in fact the government is keeping said well from us by allowing its use only by the highest bidding contractors who then pass those padded expenses along to the consumer, do they all get there water supply in the same way? Even Wal-Mart? |
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"I can read...except for a very big word we sometimes have. Like the word philosopher. Do you know what a philosopher is? Well...it's a man that thinks a lot, but doesn't do anything much about it." Anissa Jones "Buffy" from "Family Affair" "Amen." |
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Sometime's the more Ridiculous Ideas are Best! New York State recently proposed that illegal immigrants be granted driver's licenses. Although Governor Spitzer was lambasted by the Republican side of New York State and this became a less than stellar first year for the former attorney general who is now facing the possibility of resignation for his "alleged" involvement in a Federal Investigation into an Upscale Prostitution ring. Nevertheless, the idea in a security sense makes sense. First, think like an immigrant and one who is in a country illegally. Would you really want to announce that fact by taking a drivers test and having issued to you in duplicate information that includes a picture, your birth date, last know address, etc. When I first heard the announcement last year and followed the bickering as one after another the DMV units of counties said that they would NOT issue a license to someone illegally residing in this country. Now, not to sound cold and callous but initially I thought the same thing. What a stupid thing to do. But it makes another kind of sense. How would you catch someone to deport them? How do you maintain a log of those people living within your county or state who are here unlawfully and absolutely take resources and finances from the community? See it's a double-bind. I do not know that many stupid people and you would have to be sincerely stupid to walk into a county government building and fill out an application for a "permit' to drive and in so announce, "Hey all you government workers and sheriff dudes, I am an illegal alien, know where I can find a good 4 hour course?" |
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Taking Flight: My Story By Vicki Van Meter
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Remember Vicki Van Meter? Who at the age of 11 flew cross country and the following year at 12, flew from the U.S. to Europe died Saturday. Her body was found in her Meadville home on Sunday of what the Crawford County coroner said was an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. She was just 26 years old. Family members spoke of her battles with depression and also opposition to conventional medications but they also felt that she'd been dealing with these problems. Although Daniel Van Meter said that, "She was unhappy." He also added that it had been hard for her to open up and we thought she was dealing with it. Vicki made national headlines back in 1993 with her cross-country flight from Augusta, Maine to San Diego, California over a period of five days. Although still to young to fly solo she was accompanied by her flight instructor and she alone piloted the plane. The very next year she made her trans-Atlantic flight again accompanied by a flight instructor due to F.A.A. regulations (she is too young to pilot an aircraft "alone"). Both instructors said that it was Vicki alone who piloted the plane and also performed all functions of a normal solo flight, fuel planning, communication, navigation. In 1994 Vicki flew from Augusta to Glasgow, Scotland and was acknowledged with being the youngest girl to make a trans-Atlantic flight. Her exploits brought public attention to her small community and upon Vicki. It was all well received. In the time after her feats she earned a Criminal Justice degree from Edinboro University in Pennsylvania afterward spending two years in Cahul, Moldova with the Peace Corps. Vicki's funeral will be held in her hometown of Meadville. |
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Speak to Me! I adore the Spanish people. I'm also highly attracted to women of spanish desent and love Spain having spent time there. Given the opportunity to engage in the culture and the people and if circumstances allowed it I would live there. I understand that many of the Hispanic population in this country are not as it were true Spaniards coming instead from North or South American countries or islands that are scattered along the continents coastline. Our country has had a long history of immigration. Even as I once joked to others (having a Native American bloodline), "You can all go back where you came from!" the remark is valid. At one point in time the first of the North American settlers crossed a land bridge from Asia. So in its very essence this area of the North American continent was homesteaded by animals. I wonder then with the influx of heritage, culture, language, custom why we have then a universal language. The King's English as it were has been pretty much raped by our society through the years. When the English Settlers arrived they maintained the language they had learned. When the Germans arrived, the Polish, the Russian, the Slavic, the Italian, the Irish, the Chinese, the Jewish and the Japanese, not to mention the thousands of individuals who came from areas or tribes who spoke rare or unique languages they may have for a generation or two continued to voice family matters and conversation in a native tongue but as almost an entire whole it was necessary to learn what we called, "The English Language." The means of a blend conforming to a standard way of communicating and writing so that we do not in our need to interact with social standards fumble with our words as we're humans and hardly listen at all. I wonder then why I am in a way being coerced into learning to read or speak Spanish? I am wondering why we are catering to a certain culture in our own. I find it hard to believe that with the huge influx of Hispanic residents in the area I currently live would have need for this kind of hospitality? Surely their parents are citizens or they themselves have become citizens, which in turn requires knowledge of the English language and more history than most of us will ever remember . Or is this a larger problem that is now enhanced by the duality of our government. As with the special language aides we also find our social welfare systems involved in preserving a basic quality of life. We have a woefully under funded immigration program that cannot stop the flood of illegality. It seems to me quite simple: substantiate either the immigration laws in this country or rip all the rules aside and give more funding to the social welfare programs, the educational programs, and the environmental programs. We have enough signs in America, we do not need signs in other languages. When I went to Spain I was confronted with a distinct language barrier. In school I had studied, and not very well French and Latin. I paid careful attention to the Spaniards and what they spoke as they bought items or talked at the café. Within a short time although fragmented I was quite able to navigate a day out in Madrid or exploring the countryside with little problems. I should mention that the Spanish are also a hospitable people and their tolerance and patience made the visits ones that obviously have remained well placed in my life's memories. |
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"What's Wrong with Us?" I am guilty of reading the entertainment news. It's all someone else's fault of course as I was quite unaware that the programs of the sixties and seventies were the stepping stone to my fullblown junkie habit of still dreaming to act on stage, in film or on television. As I am a male it also plays a role in part of my super-ego for the belief that with a little exercise and some rigorous training (about 15-20 minutes worth) I too can still be a super-hero. So I keep the dreams alive (as it should be) and focus on what I read in the entertainment community. If I were a star I am beginning to believe that in some ways they become super-hero's with regular movie names. I've read of the exploits of Brittney Spears, Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton, Nicole Ritchie, Mel Gibson, River Phoenix, et al and understand that these exploits although in many cases entirely human get overly exploited. The one thing that does seem to annoy me, the random penalties that these "icons" of the entertainment industry draw which in too many cases are far less than those that would be put upon John or Jane Doe. I did a random search on Google for "Celebrities in trouble with the Law" and was amazed at the listings which allowed me to think a bit more in a non-judging way and look at things more practically. One thing that has to stand out is the power of the money that these "stars" amass and its ability to pay for the certainties that penalties will be at minimum if at all. See I am the kind of guy that would forget my headset one time and use the cell phone only to find red lights in my rear-view. If I ever spit on the sidewalk it will just happen to be underneath a sign that say's "Spitting - $250.00 Fine" and onto the shoes of a walking patrol officer. If I got caught in a DUI more than my license would be lost lest I begin to think about what would happen with a D.W.I.. There also seems a strange correlate between the star popularity and the sentence. Lesser "idols" fall farther into the chasm as the more "upon a pedestal" icons. That we would still tolerate the media bombardment referencing the likes of Ms Spears and her current medication or Lohan and whether or not she has managed to break Paris Hilton's record of how many bed partners she's had. Do you care so much about whether K-Fat gained a lot of Fed as photographed as he played a round of golf on a sunny afternoon? Doesn't it bother you in the least bit if someone you knew had hit a car or gotten pulled over for driving in the wrong lane late at night? Would it annoy you if some lessor celebrity type was found with felony possession of cocaine and walks out of a jail because as the officials quote, "Overcrowding?" Why then wouldn't these same officials let someone else have the early release, someone who actually had served time for the same or a similiar offense? Michelle Rodriguez got a early get-out-of-jail free card after serving 18 days for violating probation on a DUI. Rodriguez was released from jail early, according to the Associated Press, the release coming on the heels of an early release program. Ms Rodriguez had been sent to jail after failing to prove that she had done the community service that was court ordered. Also for drinking while wearing a SCRAM ankle bracelet. Rodriguez was arrested in 2003 and 2005 for DUI. I think it's time we evaluate why we find the real life's of people who have nothing to do with our lives and who by the nature of their acts show, first that they are not anything other than human and the faces that we see at concerts and on the screen are people working at the profession that they've chosen. Second, it send's the wrong message to everyone, that there is a distinct difference in the way you are treated based upon your height in the countries caste and how much money and celebrity you can throw at the problem. |
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An Idea? Maybe Just a Thought! The Congressional Research Service puts the figure at $330 million as the current cost of the War in Iraq per day. This figure in other assessments goes as high as 750 million dollars per day when you include the benefits and care of this conflicts veteran's. Now join me on a trip in my fantasy of the perfect society. The reason I bring up this figure is to point out the shear 'weight' of the number over time and to move in a different direction all together ultimately. Allow me to place a more conservative number than that reported by the Congressional Research Service. I will bring that number down to $250 million dollars per day. This means with the ever so challenging mental math that I must do, every four (4) days of this conflict will eventually and has cost the American Society, yes the, "We the People...," so brilliantly penned will shell out in one form or another, One Billion Dollars. Soak that in folks, every four days our conflict is costing in just a financial sense, One Billion Dollars. The Congressional Research Service and I have not as mentioned earlier added in the absolute financial repercussions of any conflict that will have effects far beyond those of the timeframe of the conflict itself. This additional financial settlement comes in the form of benefits and payments that the government will have to respond to for many for the veteran's entire life. So in the course of 365 days that's 91,250,000,000 not including long term benefits and payments. This average of mine and the one of the Congressional Research Service have not added in the far reaching costs that prevail once a conflict has ended as repercussions of any conflict have effects far beyond those of the timeframe of the conflict. Now for a total stray down an entirely different path and the prime reason for the financial research. Over the course of my life to date I have listened carefully to the "health care" issue. I am after all a baby boomer and one of those individuals, provided I live to my accorded median age, will put the largest burden on society for resources. I am already aware through the horror stories of my elders the confusion and chaos that Medicare brings. The paperwork, the follow-through's, yes through(s) plural, in order to comply for and get payment to your provider and piece of mind for a mind that is slowly loosing its cookies. I am well aware that the Social Security System is a paper-giant distributing essentially IOU's for money it does not have and that lack of funding will again sooner than later crash the Social Security infrastructure to the point of collapse which then will allow more money to be spent in trying to come up with a solution. We are a nation of fingers. Sticking those fingers in various cracks in the dam fooling ourselves into believing it will last another day. There are give or take a few million 300 million current United States Citizens. If you want to look at the 'weight' of how financially large the dollars expended in Iraq, Afghanistan and our own Upgrades in Security overall read this document* and then wonder as I do why we cannot fund the needed programs in our little corner of the world? Let's do a quick health and education reform. Let's eliminate the lobbyist's, the pharmaceutical companies, the HMO's, the MD's, Ob-Gyn's and all other abbreviations just for now. What if? What if we took four days of war costs and gave every single citizen in this country a 1,000,000 dollar health care bank account? Money that could only be used by the individual with the account and only for health care costs for the duration of their lives and costs beyond the scope of the account would be paid for or supplemented by the individual after all, if a mil cannot cure you, you already know it and will have used your devious mind to concoct alternatives. What if? What if we gave every citizen who wished a full or more complete education another 1 million dollars in an educational bank account to be used only for the expenses of a secondary education? What I am asking is a drop in the bucket compared to one single other budgetary item, the cost of the conflict in Iraq. A mere 1.2 billion dollars and everyone in the country will have 2 million collecting interest for the expenses of health and education. Perhaps my math is incorrect but could we spare another couple of days to reinvent the Social Security System? Of course there are the opponents to these suggestions and all of them for one reason or another will say it will not work, it cannot be administered. You will see chaos in physician's expenses and insurance rates, chaos in the pharmaceutical industry, chaos in the college textbook printers, oh . . . the horror, the horror. In my mind it's a no-brainer. 5 years of 300 million, give or take 50 million against two weeks of that conflicts costs to re-boost the morale and the possibilities of life? |
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"What we have here. . . is a failure. . . to communicate!" And that may benefit the Republican Party. With John McCain unopposed his greatest tasks now would be staying in the public eye and choosing a quality running mate. With the media coverage all over the Democratic Candidates due to their continuing their feuds this will not be an easy task. As McCain has no debates to offer the news stations, no opponent to voice his policy over the others, on all sides of the political fences it brings about an interesting dilemma. What's happening currently to remedy this divided political nation further divided by party politics? Nothing and that is surely the saddest reality of all. And now to further complicate the democratic lines Senator Clinton has made several references to a mutual ticket with her opponent. This is a smart move on the part of the Clinton Campaign machine. As is her recent lack of party politics in Wyoming and Mississippi where instead of detracting democratic party members with their "fight in the sandbox" stance Senator Clinton focused on the lack of Republican Presidential leadership. Where every delegate counts Senator Clinton has in my eyes washed both states from her delegate slate. Mississippi for the majority of the voting public are people of color and Wyoming which has to date been more supportive of Obama's contention. By giving an inference that a joint ticket with Clinton and Obama may be in the cards the reply from Obama was that it was too early to speak about such an affiliation she has set herself up for a trip to the White House. I personally as one of the "Apathetic Party" will say here for the record that I am very much in favor of something different than the mid to older white male dominance that has held its grip on this country since its founding. I am excited, very excited about this campaign because I see fire in the candidate's eyes. Both Clinton and Obama are well aware of the division of the party and know that in order to defeat John McCain the party must be completely in focus and behind its candidate. This is the process. But what will happen is this. The Apathy Party will wait till the very last minute like the candidates themselves and then say forget it and sit on the couch, watch a movie and check the news the next day to see who won. The save the whales and save the snails people will still be morose about their little know less powerful public contender not pulling a "Cinderella Man" and will be right next to their apathetic house mates fighting over the remote. The Democratic Party, those who get really into it and hope for their fifteen minutes of fame or dare I say, acknowledgement and a lifetime of compensation by the party itself will become lackluster and solemn. This also will reflect fewer democratic voters voting. The bickering also contributes in a negative way from "No need to Campaign Now" McCain and the Republican spotlight. Everyone is watching what amounts to the newest fad on television, reality politics. Maybe we should get a chance to phone in our votes as well after hearing their best renditions of God Bless America. Here is opinion take it for what it's worth. I would not like to see Senator Clinton win the Democratic nomination. I do not believe that she is the best choice to lead this country. I believe that she and our former President barely got out of the cookie jar with their fingertips intact. Although I did like Bill Clinton I do not believe he had the opportunity to be the kind of leader he wished to be. Leadership after all can only be as strong as its followers, not its leader. I was duly troubled when Senator Clinton became a Senator bypassing the normal residency requirements to run for office. That I understand to a degree, but to run for a major seat in the senate without having lived in the state was shameful. As with many other politicians so that Senator Clinton should not be singled out I am disappointed in my representation. She is however two things that I do admire, a 'Woman' of substance in the political arena and very bright. She is not a President, not yet. This is why in my thinking the Clinton Campaign inference to a joint ticket makes sense. Although still possible I do not feel that Clinton will win the endorsement from the Democratic Party. Yes, it's very close now, some may say that I am full of 'shite' but it's not her time. It is however time for a woman president. I only hope that someone who fits that bill comes sooner than later. I also feel that Clinton has some of these same thoughts you must to be at all human. I can easily become less apathetic if the ticket were Obama and Clinton. I can see these two guiding the country for two terms with Obama leading the way at which point I can see Clinton walking into the White House and history. So for Hillary it's a win-win. If she doesn't win the nomination she and the party know quite well that no other candidate will be acceptable to the party as a running mate other than Clinton and the same is true if Clinton wins the nomination regarding Obama. Right now however we seem to be fighting over who will be the Alpha. Right now the odds are not in either favor as long as the squabbles continue. ¼ of the country (who got out of their chairs and away from the TV) want to see Clinton lead the way. ¼ of the country would like to see Obama lead the country, ½ the country is already behind McCain. But remember this is only a total from the average voting turn-out, getting the less average turn-out is another goal. If John McCain can rise above what is happening and continue to breath ever present he could take much of the fire away from the Democratic Party and its voters. The character attacks and outright accusations that also sadly are quantified by Obama by denial or retaliation, neither method have helped and both method have harmed both candidates by further dividing he individuals that would support them. I have no qualms about John McCain except one; it's the same old rhetoric by the same style of male. I am amused across the board how five years down the line people everywhere have talked about the poor job Bush is doing. His policies both here and abroad have left us the worse for wear. But these words are for another time. I am truly apathetic but the excitement that was so instilled in me originally has started to dwindle with the bickering. It makes me feel less than, like what's the point if this is how a party has to do its business. I gave up mud slinging except for certain occasions when I play with my seven year old at the lake. |
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Old Working Diet Re-Visited We see diets that have incorporated water, veggies, fish, exercise, surgery, stapling. We have diets where you have meals sent to your home so that you feed only on what others say is proper for your body. Well folks, it's no longer the hottest diet fad on the market. Due today for its poor television image but the tapeworm weight program still has followers and detractors. Oh yes, the lowly Tapeworm. It wasn't that long ago that neighbor would say, "Your kid eats like he has a tapeworm!" It was not so long ago that advertisements tried to parlay the abilities of the Tapeworm to shed pounds. It is not long ago that jockey's would utilize the tapeworm as part of their regiment for keeping pounds off in a very pound conscience sport. Well let's see what dear old Miss VanHoosen's research has uncovered. Many sites offer commentary on the 'effects' of the tapeworm diet and a search shows that the tapeworms of today are marketed as "The Sanitized Tapeworm Diet!" And we assume this means that the Tapeworms have somehow washed all there tiny little hands, brushed their tiny little teeth and will be carrying an anti-bacterial soap in their fanny pouches? A tapeworm by definition is: "Any of various ribbon like, often very long flatworms of the class Cestoda, that lack an alimentary canal and are parasitic in the intestines of vertebrates, including humans." What is not "Urban" legend is that Men and Women alike have used the Tapeworm as a weight-loss solution and still do today. Checking the websites that have looked into the Tapeworm diet we found that most were as we are ambivalent to the truth or fiction of this organic dietary supplement. The most popular Urban Myth debunker, Scopes.com has not thrown the 'legend' aside making an "undetermined" decision. Ingesting tapeworm cysts (a baby tapeworm) is the start of the "diet." While the tapeworm happily gobbles up the foods that you put into your stomach it also feeds on the vitamins and nutrients that those foods try to give to your body which of course decreases the body's ability to function at a healthy level. So, you may lose weight but you will lose the ability for your body to withstand the negative effects of your environment on your ability to live a healthy life. In other words, you open yourself up to a legion of heath related problems. Let's not forget that (something I remember well from what I had heard as a kid) that the Tapeworm also grows to a size that rivals the length of the intestine and they love to create little versions of themselves to live in the food rich environment that you give them. I like the show "House" with Hugh Laurie and recently they aired an episode that showed what can happen to a healthy, normal female adult as the result of a tapeworm. True to form the show also made it clear that the tapeworm can and will over time find their way into other areas of the body, especially in muscle and hard tissues and can cause cysts in muscle, liver tissue and believe it or not your eyes. Our bodies have a response to the tapeworm in the form of Ascites which is excess fluid in the space between the tissues lining the abdomen and abdominal organs (the peritoneal cavity). Ascites create a large pool of fluid in your stomach as an immune response to something in your stomach that is not supposed to be there, an invasion. It could be said that if you have a large distended stomach or pot belly chances are very good that you have, voluntarily or involuntarily given a home to the tapeworm. The advertisement from the turn of our century shows the ad campaign launched targeting the "dieting" women of the time. I only wish that we could all learn to be comfortable with who and what we are. Alas, with the psychology and self-image of many of us this is not to be. We here at theGRIND do not believe that dieting is an answer for the overweight. It just seems that in psychological terms using food or the portioning of is not a viable choice. We need energy to complete the task of living and food to produce that energy. Making food a negative psychological flag goes against the inherent primal need for food for survival. We're not even going to go into what different methods that have been utilized to get the tapeworm out once the contract expires. Take a look at what some of the other sites are saying, Google Search Tapeworms and Dieting. |
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Now that the Mud has Dried Regardless of party affiliation one has to wonder when the mud-slinging on the Democratic side of the fence will clear as we head toward the end of the year. From my standpoint it seems that Obama has for the most part and in paraphrasing a favorite movie, "Let the small shit, truly slide!" The comment of his opponent in terms of having made a Xerox copy of someone elses words not only gained the disdain of the forum attendants but of the democratic party and the nation. "Lions and Tigers and Bears. . .Oh my!" Reading a short time ago how the accuser became the accused as individuals researched some of her past retorts and found a striking similarity to some phrasing that her partner had made during his Presidency among others. Personally I have serious issues with many politicians and every so often find a bit of refreshment, a window of opportunity per say opens to enlighten me to understand that someone does know what it may be like. But then that may also be my medications? I do know as an individual that this chaos, this squabbling and mud smearing really needs to end. Taking the opinion that in order to know truly what you have the abilities to do and not to do once you take office I then submit that all campaign promises can be nothing more than what they are at the time. The belief of a candidate and the way they form the words to make the promises. And I have heard the term lobbies and committees and sub-committees. And I have watched the news, portrayals in movies, I have read the tabloids and am old enough to remember the first President's on television. I understand somewhat the nature of the human nature. To me it's simple. Who shows in words, deed or substance present or past of the best intent. If I were an author, editor or reporter the issue of using words that do not, did not belong to me is a very serious matter. To the student plagiarizing substance is a captial offense. For a politician I believe it will be a given. The snappy catch-phrases and sentences are again mere fluff for the American People. Instead of our focusing on the words, lets look at the individuals, their political track record and more importantly our 'gut' feeling as to who will serve the interests of this nation with honor and integrity. I know, they are politicians and this is a stretch. And it seems I was totally incorrect. We have what seems to me two children (Democratic Candidates) in a sandbox and only one toy (said nomination) available. With kids however the scuffle for the toy ends when the toy is not of interest or the more aggressive of the two takes the toy from the other. Wait isn't the toy really us? |
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Commentary I'm really interested in the politics of this country to a degree. Learning long ago that like any author with a new book or actor with a new movie the hype is always much more interesting than the body of work. I am methodically interested in the challenges that this country and our brothers and sisters around the world will face creating solutions to these present-day and certain future obstacles. I am interested in the end of the war, knowing that it should not have started to begin with. Then of course my voice was the minority with screams coming from the whole of the country who wished to take out vengeance for the aggression and human destruction of September 11, 2001. Sadly for me the understanding that war in the lack of solidarity of the world is nothing more than needless aggression for a nomally unjust agenda. The wars that we call World War I and World War II were wars where the very fate of the existence of world and its future population indeed did hinge on that solidarity, in all ways, mind, body, spirit and for all its peoples. But then this is not a history lesson although it could easily be. From history as with many other things we should ignore the rhetoric and go with the gut. Our choices are limited as to who could and/or should lead this country. We close off our options by focusing on those presented to us and then spend the next year and more listening to the tirades of what each of these prospects will accomplish for the United States. Yet, in all of history how many of these people actually accomplished anything close to the ideals that were so firmly believed in at the start? A few come to mind, individuals with an integrity that seems lost among today's society. The presidencies of Roosevelt and Lincoln are good examples of individuals who wore the mantle of leadership with courage and forethought. Even Kennedy managed to get this country through the first real example of what could happen when super-powers come to a head when the Cuban Missile Crisis ensued. The measure of a leader is not within the words that come out of their mouth's but in their leadership, integrity and shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of doing what is right over what is popular. From YouTube: Nixon and Kennedy: Watch the Televised Debate. From the Internet Archive, Nixon and Kennedy Debate Part One and Part Two The recent televised debate between the Democratic candidates once again proved that antics were far more appealing to the American Public than issues and what should have been a wonderful chance for real enlightment turned into a two-sided endeavor where one potential leader attacks and counters repeatedly to substance that needs not have an answer. Many of us are the Kings and Queens of creation right now. We are the baby-boomers and we are getting older. Have we forgotten the turn of events with the Nixon and Kennedy Debate? To my distinct displeasure these potential heirs to our kingdom made something out of nothing and swept everything under another rug. We need leadership, we desire it and will follow it with the loyalty of a puppy with its owner. Sadly we have been settling lately for family members in one form or another. It is clear that the author is hedging, at least to the author. Here is what "I" am comfortable with. I am comfortable with any person leading this country in respect to age, color, creed, nationality, ethnic background, gender, even lack thereof. What cannot be tolerated is deception for the purpose of gaining a position of authority. Personally, if someone said that they have had impure thoughts, gotten high occassionally, gotten drunk more than once, have had family and personal difficulties, emotional difficulties and have waded through their own muck and mire to become a person of integrity once again. A person that knows the truth of day-to-day living in a percentile that you will generally not find milling about in the conventions. Where is Mr. Smith when you need him? |
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Please Forward We all get e-mail that ask us to forward to as many people as we can. Most have little value. Many are harmful. A few, funny or sarcastic views of the sender. Despite good intentions the internet has made it easier to take a "forwarded" message with meaning when sent from a friend, family member or aquaintance. Before you barrel down the list of friends that you plan on sending the tid-bit to it may be a good thing to scope out the info. I received this in a recent mail. A genuine attempt at keeping me in mind with a topic I am interested in. After years of telling people Chemotherapy is the only way to try and eliminate cancer, John Hopkins is finally starting to tell you there is an alternative way. 1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size. 2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime. 3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors. 4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors. 5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system. 6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc. 7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs. 8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction. 9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications. 10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites. 11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply. CANCER CELLS FEED ON: a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal,Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt. b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastrointestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved. (almond milk is a better substitute, Dot's note) c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer. d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts an |