Marsha SPEAKS

AMERICAN WOMEN AT WORK

2006-03-18T19:29:00.000-05:00

"Women as a rule don't seek job promotion-their emotions are secure in a limited job."
Handbook for Supervisors, 1968

We know what the stereotype says: men leave home to do the real work, women stay home to clean the house. We also know what history says: reality is far more complicated than that. American women have always worked. They have worked, survived, and succeeded in a separate and unequal work environment. In celebrating Women's History Month we need to examine and emphasize more than the political history of American women. We need to broaden the spectrum of study of women to include the social and economic quest for equality.
Until the early 1960's, newspapers published separate job listings for men and women. I recall as a young woman wondering why jobs were categorized according to sex, with the higher level jobs listed almost exclusively under "Help Wanted- Male". In some cases identical jobs were listed for both female and male workers-but with very different salaries. Between 1950 and 1960 (according to www.infoplease.com) women earned on average 59-64 cents for every dollar their male counterparts earned in the same job.
The Equal Pay Act became effective June 11, 1964. Gender could no longer be viewed as a drawback on one's resume. It became illegal to pay women lower salaries for the same job strictly on the basis of their sex. Keeping in mind that it is almost impossible to legislate morality and decency- persistent wage gaps are still a reality four decades later.The basic goal of the Equal Pay Act has not been realized and there remains much to still accomplish.

2006's ECONOMIC APARTHEID

2006-03-12T17:10:00.000-05:00

The emergence of a second Gilded Age in the United States, in which tremendous economic success has gone to the top 1%, has created an economic chasm between the very rich and the poor. Economic data can be debated but not income inequality. According to Billionaires R Us, at www.alternet.org, the U.S. is now the third most unequal industrialized society after Russia and Mexico.
Forbes magazine annually lists the world's wealthiest individuals.Www.rr.com calls to our attention that this year's Billionaire List Looks Familiar. The same names-Bill Gates. Michael Dell, George Lucas, Steven Spielber, Donald trump. Paul Allen, Margaret Whitman, Richard Branson and Oprah Winfrey-(the same billionaires) are featured. The sweet megafortunes that this group enjoys just makes the rest of us feel more vulnerable as the certainty of pension and health-care benefits are threatened.
This Road Runner feature also offers hope of financial mobility; the opportunity for individuals to move up the economic ladder in innovative and honorable ways. Millionaire Secrets, Turn Key Way to Enlightened Wealth and a Mom of Six Makes Big Bucks are presented as magic bullets to show us how to end our economic stagnation and generate true wealth and personal freedom. This eclectic mix of get rich quick schemes is fascinating and worth more than a glance or sneer.
The One Minute Millionaire-The Enlightened Way to Wealth by Robert G. Allen and Mark Victor Hansen mentors us to survive even if we were to lose our main source of income. The downloadable training materials covering Creative Real Estate Investing, Info-preneur, Stock Investing, and Internet Enterprise are offered as the safety net and strategy to stop living paycheck to paycheck.
As we gaze across a growing distance at the more successful, that slim sliver at the top, we are told to be embarrassed to remain pasive witnesses. There is help out there!!

STRANGERS=FRIENDS WE HAVE YET TO MAKE

2006-03-09T16:14:00.000-05:00

Life's greatest treasures are intangible, and therefore immeasurable. Relationships give our lives meaning, purpose and direction. Friendship serves as the model for all our intimate encounters. Since we do have the opportunity to select our friends in contrast to our relatives, there is the opportunity to pause occasionally and create very private emotional credit/debit accounts for each friendship. Sometimes these accounts exist only in our subconscious-but they are there. When the credits equal or surpass the emotional debits the relationship continues to thrive. Throughout our lives we continually learn and relearn that entering into a friendship opens the door to fulfillment and happiness as well as to hurts and harm that are often not easy to forgive and forget. In order to avoid the silent epidemic (loneliness)we are vulnerable to cultivating negative realtionships.
Www.cyberparent.com helps us to identify the characteristics of toxic friends, those people whose friendship eventually hurts you. They outline the nine main types of toxic friends (user, betrayer, control freak, judge, promise breaker, self-centered, competitor, gossip and leaner) and suggest that knowing the categories of toxic friends helps you avoid them. Perhaps?
The site also gives outstanding suggestions to help us get closer to the people we care for and nurture those satisfying friendships. The many anecdotes and case histories on this site make it easy to understand how to be a more loveable person and a better friend. Www.personaldevelopment.com also gives excellent advice about negative and positive friendship experiences as well as problem solving strategies that enhance the value of our relationships.

WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

2006-03-06T15:10:00.000-05:00

Quickly brainstorm the names of ten famous women in history (no athletes or entertainers). Then name ten famous men. Few would disagree which list was more difficult to complete. Why is it so much easier to name famous men rather than famous women?
Before 1970, women's history was rarely the subject of serious study. College courses or formal doctoral training in the subject were not offered. Since the 1970s, the field has undergone a metamorphosis, culminating in the public celebration in 1978 of Women's History Week and in 1987-the expansion to a month long celebration. Fortunately, the women's movement of the 1960s caused women to question their invisibility in traditional American history education and produced a growing number of female historians.
March has been designated as Women's History Month. Its purpose is to raise the awareness of the entire population, male and female, regarding the wealth of multicultural women's history that has been left out of the standard history textbook. Women's history is a new way of looking at the events and individuals who have made the world and this country what it is today. The study brings to light entirely new aspects of American life; images to which women and men can relate.
To start the celebration here are some famous female quotes to spark your thinking and hopefully discussion.
"Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead
"You win one day, you lose the next day, you don't take it personally. You get up every day and go on." Hillary Rodham Clinton
"Some of us are timid. We think we have something to lose so we don't try for that next hill." Maya Angelou
"You can't change the world. You can only change yourself." Beatrice Wood
"We hold these truths to be self evedent, that all men and women are created equal." Elizabeth Cady Stanton

A NEW BREED OF FLAG RAISING PROFILERS

2006-02-27T16:37:00.000-05:00

Would it not be wonderful if Congress passed legislation to ban all foreign companies from controlling operations of U.S. ports of entry?
No one can be thrilled with the ramming through of a $7 billion contract giving a United Arab Emirates company control over significant operations at six U.S. ports. Many Americans were shocked to learn that it has been common practice to have foreign nations run our ports-even more terrifying to many citizens after the horror of 9/11.
In response, political opportunism on both sides of the aisle (Democrats and Republicans) is running rampant. Democrats are doing a fantastic job trying to block the UAE transfer, focusing attention on the process led by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, and attempting to put American security interests first. Must be an election year? Perhaps the primaries for 2008 have already started. Hillary is busy saving the nation.
It is important to remember that the same people who are crying out against the deal transferring operations of our ports to the U.A.E. owned Dubai Ports World, tried to block efforts to impose common-sense citizenship requirements on airport security workers after the 9/11 attacks.They also attacked the Bush Justice Department after 9/11 for fingerprinting young male temporary visa holders traveling from terror sponsoring and terror friendly nations. It was also the same Democrats who attempted to remove funding for the National Security Exit-Entry Registration System-a program that has successfully caught at least 330 known foreign criminals and three known terrorists who had attempted to enter the country. Democrats have appeared furious and spoken against profiling and immigration enforcement against illegal aliens. It could be said that we're all profilers now.

Expanding the Focus

2006-02-24T16:47:00.000-05:00

Once again I visited www.rr.com's living section to see if there were any updates or additional materials available on the RR Celebrates Black History Month selection. While the selection is clear, concise and reader friendly it still appears to be a cut and paste mosaic of music, film, calendars, videos dedicated to the achievements of African Americans, a quiz, some cute cartoons, and a look back at slavery, the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights Movement. Variety is present, the layout looks good, but one gets the feeling they are looking at a textbook or a child's book on Jim Crow laws and the fight for Civil Rights. In the action oriented community of the Internet the tribute that RR has presented fails to distinguish itself from competitors. Another possibility is that somehow-someone confused January and February. February is Black History month and its celebration must address thousands of years. In January we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his vast array of achievements. The focus for February must be broader.
An incorporation of family activities, more primary source materials, places to visit, an emphasis on art and literature and a study of the ongoing efforts of African Americans (politically, economically, socially, culturally and academically) to achieve true equality would help promote public awareness and nurture respect. Road Runner's celebration could have served as a launch point for connecting black history to the nation's history and to contemporary problems (such as racial profiling) and possibilities facing our American democracy.

THIMEROSAL AND THE EXPONENTIAL GROWTH OF AUTISM

2006-02-20T07:39:00.000-05:00

It is interesting that the symptoms of autism are similar to the symptoms of mercury poisoning. As a society we are very careful not to ingest too much mercury. We limit our intake of fish and panic when a thermometer breaks and mercury, the liquid metal is dispersed. The cause of autism is not known. Indications that autism is a genetic disorder do not explain the exponential growth of autism and other neurological disorders in the United States. According to www.autism-society.com, a decade ago the autism rate among American children was estimated to be 1 in 2500. Today the CDC places the rate at 1 in 166, or 1 in 80 boys.
The question of a relationship between vaccines and autism continues to stir debate, law suits and fear. Numerous animal, DNA, epidemiological, and other studies point to Thimerosal as a culprit in America's epidemic of neurological disorders. Thimerosal, an antibacterial compound composed of nearly 50% ethyl mercury, is 50 times more toxic than plain old mercury. By age 2, American children had been receiving 237 micrograms of mercury through vaccines alone, which far exceed current EPA "safe" levels of .1mcg/kg per day. According to www.mercola.com not all vaccines have mercury. It is put in as a preservative in the multi-use vials. Single use (more expensive to prdouce and buy) vials do not have Thomerosal. In 1991 a memo was written by senior executives at Merck and Co. disclosing that a six month old child who received their vaccinations on schedule would be receiving a mercury dose nearly 87 times higher than guidelines for the maximum daily consumption of mercury from fish.
Drug comapnies wary of liability reduced Thimerosal in most children's vaccines in recent years. Unfortunately, until the end of 2003 mercury laced vaccine stocks were given to American children. The preservative still remains in flu shots, tetanus boosters and some over-the-counter drugs. It remains present in the vaccines we distribute to developing nations. It is not difficult to see lots of lame reasoning and the power of political funding and approval to the scientific community in the reluctance to totally remove Thimerosal from vaccines or publicly acknowledge its terrible human toll.

VALENTINE SYMBOLISM

2006-02-13T23:16:00.000-05:00

Www.rr.com has a special Valentine's Day feature. Their gift ideas, romantic movies,
romantic book selections, menus and special pampering posssibilities will help those in search of novel ways in which to celebrate this ancient and well love Hallmark holiday.
Although Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14th every year, it originates from the Roman celebration called Lpercalia, a fertility festival, which was held on February 15th. So how do cupid, hearts, arrows, sweetheart, sugar pie, honey etc., valentine cards, wearing your heart on your sleeve, lovebirds, red, white and pink, flowers, chocolate, love knots, paper hands and lace etc. fit in?
Www.brownielocks.com answers all our questions about the symbolism of Valentine's Day. This site is fun to share with those you love.
I particularly enjoyed their explanation of hearts and arrows. A heart (red or pink) with an arrow piercing through it is the most common shape and look for a Valentine. The heart is a symbol of both love and vulnerability. When you send someone a valentine, you take a risk of being rejected and your feeelings being hurt. So a piercing arrow is a symbol of death and the vulnerability of love. On the other hand, the heart and arrow also symbolize the merging of the male and female as one.
Wearing your heart on your sleeve? This expression comes from the early 1800s when young American and British men wore slips of paper pinned to their sleeves with their girlfriend's name written on them. Flowers? Flowers were considered love tokens before there even was a St. Valentine's Day. Since the time of Solomon, the primary flower linked to romance was the always the rose.
Chocolate contains phenylethylamine or phenylaline, a chemical that is produced in one's brain when falling in love-and many people believe that chocolate and love are both addictive.
Paper hands, considered by the 19th century to be another symbol of love, symbolizes courtship because of the custom of a man asking for a lady's hand in marriage.

A GRAYING PLANET-A TOO SILENT REVOLUTION

2006-02-12T11:03:00.000-05:00

The prolongation of average life expectancy, and the sometimes dramatic decrease in birth rate, have given rise to an unprecedented transition: the age pyramid that existed less than a century ago has literally been turned upside down.Ironically, as people are increasingly living longer, the function of and respect for older people is diminishing. The concept of the graying planet is viewed too often as a crisis. Beyond the demographic data there are social, economic, cultural, psychological and spiritual considerations. We must see this as an opportunity and challenge. Imagine the production, knowledge and consumer power of one billion human beings over the age of 50.
We are often repulsed by aging. Age is looked upon as an incurable disease. We fight against age, we do not want to be reminded that time is a lousy beautician. Nature should teach us that age demands dignity and respect. The older the tree the more majestic, the older the wine or cheese the more they are prized and honored for taste. Should it not hold true that the older a person, the more they are to be appreciated by others-they are living history.
According to www.gerrymcgovern.com there needs to be new thinking-something has got to change, or else society is in serious trouble. The lack of work for older workers is America's most costly waste of talent and human energy. The multi generational society we aspire to shall only become a reality if it is based on respect for life in all its phases.
Global aging is in part the result of great triumphs of human compassion and innovation. Are we not capable of even greater compassion? On www.quotegarden.com there are wonderful quotes about age and how we view the aging process.As Mark Twain said, "Age is an issue of mind over matter, If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."

PROVERBS AND BLACK HISTORY MONTH

2006-02-08T08:25:00.000-05:00

Proverbs reflect the values and codes of behavior a culture holds dear. Part of a culture's oral literature, they are learning tools for teaching children the ways of adulthood and life since they reveal moral beliefs, impart wisdom, or give advice. February is Black History Month and one of the best ways to understand the culture of the people who were unwillingly brought to what would become our nation is to look at African proverbs. Here are some of my favorites. The African ethnic origin of each proverb is identified.
*A man who suffers much knows much; every day brings him new wisdom. (Ewe)
*A negligent man starves in the midst of abundance. (Baya)
*A weak person goes where he is smiled at. (Herrero)
*It is better to know your own faults than those of your neighbor. (Serer)
*Ninety-nine lies may help you but the hundredth will give you away. (Hausa)
*Three things are important in the world-good health, peace with one's neighbor, friendship with all. (Serer)
*Kiss the hand you cannot cut off. (Swahili)
*A captain who desires a ship should know how to handle it. (Swahili)
It is not diffiult to relate these proverbs to our own values and experiences. We might ask ourselves which proverbs should we teach our own children and how can we use them to give meaning to Black History Month in our homes. These proverbs tell us a great deal about the values of African people and foster an appreciation of cultures that existed long before slavery in the New World.

DEBUNKING THE HINDENBURG (HYDROGEN) MYTH

2006-02-06T17:49:00.000-05:00

President Bush's State of the Union address gave us a vision of energy alternatives and a package of proposals to wean ouselves from fossil fuels and bring new fuel technologies out of the lab. This vision of our prosperous future included hydrogen fuel, ethanol fuel and solar energy.
Hydrogen is amazing stuff with a false reputation as an unsafe fuel. Perhaps it was using the Hoffman Apparatus in the dialysis of water in science class and the reliable and sizable explosion that accompanied the collection of hydrogen that developed my long held fear and reluctance to accept hydrogen as the fuel of the future. After reading www.rmi.org I am ready for a healthier relationship with hydrogen technology.
On an international level the Hindenburg disaster of 1937 raised concerns about the safety of hydrogen as a fuel. The hydrogen gas that once filled the Hindenburg zeppelin did burn, but it did so quickly, upwardly, and away from the people below. When the airship was docking, an electrical spark discharge ignited the airship's canvas (which was unknowingly treated with two major components of rocket fuel). The rest is unfortunately and unjustly hydrogen history-those who perished were victims of diesel burns and jumping to the ground not hydrogen explosions.
Many people incorrectly associate hydrogen fears with the haunting images of the 1986 Challenger Space Shuttle disaster. Experts agree that this catastrophe was not caused by hydrogen.
www.culturechange.org while pointing out that hydrogen is not the quick fix it's cracked up to be still acknowledges that hydrogen from a safety perspective is safer than gasoline or diesel. Due to its ligthness, hydrogen disperses and floats skyward when leaked-it does not soak into clothing nor pollute soils and ground water. It does not cause environmental disasters.

WELCOME TO AMERICA-NOW SPEAK ENGLISH

2006-01-30T08:51:00.000-05:00

Many years ago at the end of an adult intermediate ESL(English as a Second Language) class my students presented me with a tee shirt that stated in bold letters-Welcome To America-Now Speak English. Most of my students were the parents of students I taught during the day. They believed that only by learning English would they be able to partake of all that the United states had to offer them and their children. They did not want to be linguistically isolated in their new nation.
Being very, very politically incorrect the tee shirt was placed in a dresser drawer.
Might just be the time to take it out!! In the name of political correctness the New York City Council is presently calling for an additional $20 million for school document translation in order to engage more parents in their children's education. I believe that politiicans in their continuing attempt to make a name for themselves should be putting more money into classroom services not translation fees. Our nation is a linguistic paradox-we both embrace and reject lingual diversity-yet few of us can buy into into multilingual government. Multilingual government is expensive, encourages disunity and the growth of linguistic enclaves.
Opponents of this policy go much further-saying that it is time to make English the official language of the United States government and that this huge sum of requested money is a waste of taxpayer money. Statistics are produced to highlight the fact that many of the children who fail in New York City schools are English speaking. Other statistics do not demonstrate that children whose parents speak a foreign language are failing at school because of a document translation deficiency. Furthermore, it is pointed out that bilingual staff is already available within schools to help parents with translations and school issues.

THE SINGLE OBSTACLE COURSE

2006-01-25T15:33:00.000-05:00

I have never doubted that the Social Security System and most federal and state laws encourage and reward the ideology of marriage and the family. It is an accepted concept that the government taxes lifestyle choices. Marriage is also rewarded in the workplace through employment benefits. In a nation where marriage does not mean what it used to (not 'til death do you part' for more than 50% that take legal marriage vows-or for those who are serial monogamists) it is shocking and disappointing to discover the range of discrimination-related problems that single individuals, unmarried couples and nonmarital families experience in our nation.
Www.unmarriedamerica.org discusses discriminatory practices and laws in the United States that affect 89 million unmarried adults. Some of these problems include: being refused housing by some landlords, paying higher insurance (particularly auto) simply because of being unmarried, criminal laws imposing penalties for consenting sex in private or for unmarried cohabitation, being paid less benefits compensation than married employees, less opportunity to partake of Sociall Security payments and heavy estate tax penalties. Even in the area of travel and recreation www.singlescenter.com points out that airlines limit the use of frequent flier miles to spouses only. Hotels and cruise ships charge double room rates even if a single person is occupying the room. In almost every instance despite helpful travel agents, a single person is still inconvenienced simply because they do not have a partner.
It is evident that the leaders of both major political parties are ignoring some basic demographic information as they haggle over Social Security reforms, tax reform and estate taxes. Caught up in the cult of the couple, American society seems to give its passive approval to the discrimination faced by single citizens.It is time that the scholars of stigma take the position of singles in our society seriously and that single citizens (employers, employees, consumers, taxpayers and voters) voice their concerns to political powers through their voting practices.

A PLETHORA OF INCOME TAX INFORMATION

2006-01-23T18:06:00.000-05:00

As the old saying goes, nothing is certain in life except for death and taxes. Www.rr.com helps to remind us with its special feature-Tax Day Countdown that April 15th is rapidly approaching. Road Runner provides necessary filing forms, software and refund tips to help make this tax season go smoothly. We are informed that for millions of eligible taxpayers with an Adjusted Gross Income of $50,000 or less there is a Free File. Free File is online tax preparation and electronic filing through a partnership between the IRS and the Free File Alliance, LLC. In other words you can e-file free.
As we prepare the required documentation for income tax filing we should remain aware that taxation is a political act involving controversial decisions arrived at through the democratic process. Fairness at any given time is what the law says it is. Despite what the law says, we can never be certain that we are not paying too much and someone else too little. We might also ponder present tax reform legislation and the concept that there are bad taxes that ill serve our nation's present and future.

SOCIAL GLUE

2005-12-29T18:45:00.000-05:00

What did you receive for Christmas? Who sent you a gift? Did you receive the gifts you had hoped for? Did a gift disappoint you? Who did not send you a gift? Who thanked or did not thank you for a gift? Which gifts will you cherish and hold dear for years to come?
Giving gifts is a basic human way of establishing and strengthening social ties. Complaints of commercialization and greed oversimplify a complicated situation. While the holiday season has come to be described as a festival of consumption-the season is also a time to restate and renew ties of kinship and friendship. With abundant life experience, I have come to understand that there is more in the exchange itself than in the things exchanged.
Gifts not only have the power to make or break a relationship; they often imply status, power, taste and emotion. It is an accepted fact that men give more substantial gifts and fewer token gifts than women. The non appearance of a gift can place a full stop at the end of a friendship. Where there is no gift given-there is a relationship that will wane in importance.
People give gifts for many reasons- to show love and caring, to show off wealth and success, to get a gift in return, to manipulate others, to relieve guilt, to repair a relationship or even as a form of fiscal foreplay.
The motivation for the giving of material goods is usually the desire to build social bonds. Be a cheerful giver and a willing receiver and allow the social glue of gift giving to hold us together.

A NEW YEAR WITH NEW SOUL

2005-12-22T17:12:00.000-05:00

With New Year Day almost upon us, many of us begin to puff up our chest and announce with as much conviction as we can muster that we're going to lose weight, focus on working out more, save money, make time for leisure activities, find a better job, become more organized, eat better, stop a nasty habit, stick to a budget--become a better person. As Charles Lamb once stated, "New Year's Day is every man's birthday". We are given the opportunity to be born again on the first day of January. The annual ritual of New Year resolutions according to www.goalsguy.com dates back to 153B.C.
The pattern remains constant; the many "ME" resolutions usually are not carried through, in a few months forgotten and we often feel awful about ourselves. Could the problem be that in our society of entitlement and self we do not set our goals high enough? What might happen if in making New Year resolutions we looked outward rather than inward? What if we made resolutions to better someone else's world? What if we stopped being so introspective? What if we could learn the principles that lead to lasting change? What if we sought out fundamental changes with the same vigor we seek cosmetic changes? What if we learned to care about and address the adversities that face lives other than our own?
Passionately embracing the New Year with purpose and kindness just might bring random beauty to the lives of others and foster progress in the development of our personal character and potential.

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

2005-12-14T07:51:00.000-05:00

For half the world it is that time of year again when words and phrases such as blizzard, cold wave, black ice, hard-packed, freezing rain and snow day become key words in conversations. Anxiety and fear crescendo at the sounds of cars spinning out of control, sirens blasting and ice cracking under the weight of tires. A seasonal assault, winter weather has always presented danger, anxiety, challenges, a need for caution and the necessity to be prepared for the unexpected. Basic intelligence demands the realization that getting stranded during a winter storm can be a matter of life and death and that panic is the enemy.
Besides considering an advanced driver-training course, the following sites: www.wsdot. or www.njdot. or www.mto.gov. view a winter driving survival kit as required. Articles that should be kept in the trunk include: shovel, sand or cat litter, traction mats, tow rope, snow brush/ice scraper, compass, cloth or roll of paper towels, small tool set, warning light or road flares, blanket, emergency food pack, bottled water, matches and a survival candle in a deep can, booster cables, extra clothing and footwear and tire chains. Www.tech-net.com also has a list of items to be stored inside the car that includes road maps, flashlight, first aid kit, an envelope containing vehicle registration, insurance paperwork and names of persons to notify in an emergency, medications, and a "survival" type blanket. A cell phone should be charged and hopefully you will be within your carrier's service area.

GASTRONOMY 101

2005-12-10T17:26:00.000-05:00

There are times when a desire to unleash my creativity overwhelms me and I have attempted to prepare a meal without benefit of proven or known recipes for family and friends. My smoke alarm usually alerts me that I have assassinated the meal.
As the holiday season (Christmas. Hannukah and Kwanzaa) approaches I have come to the realization that I am a novice cook and baker unable to conjure up a holiday meal that is edible. Fortunately, www.rr.com is featuring a holiday special that reveals how to make the most of the holiday season with recipes, gifts and tips for entertaining. There are videos and slideshows to assist in creating grand feasts or just cookies for Santa. Utilizing www.epicurious.com, the world's greatest recipe collection, I find impeccable directions that read like a baking primer and yet I feel as if an experienced friend is working with me. A no frills site that also has great recipes and lucid directions on how to bake for the holidays or any day is www.joyofbaking.com. This site also describes the fascinating history of a plethora of snazzy goodies. The origins of afternoon tea, angel cake, banana bread as well as dozens of other favorites are presented and enrich the joy of baking and consumption.

SAUSAGE POISON PARTY

2005-12-06T16:38:00.000-05:00

A very beautiful, generous and eternally youthful friend recently sent me an invitiation to her very unique holiday party to be held at a plastic surgeon's office-a Botox Party. When one longs to once again hear adjectives like pretty, gorgeous, lovely, beautiful after more than an hour long marathon of makeup and dressing but settles for looking well or nice-such an invitation is more than inviting. Yet common sense leads me to www.google.com to add to my limited knowledge about how a "party" works and the long and short term results of Botox injections.
Botox, the fastest growing cosmetic procedure, is made from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum; possibly the most toxic substance known(100 grams of this toxin could kill every human being on earth). Originally approved in 1989 to treat two eye muscle disorders, a very unusual side effect of this eye disorder treatment was the youthful appearance of patients. By April 2002, the FDA was satisfied by its review of studies indicating that Botox reduced the severity of frown lines (particularly the vertical frown lines between the eyebrows that tend to make people look tired, angry or displeased) for up to 120 days and approved it for cosmetic purposes. Studies have suggested that Botox has additional potential in several therapeutic areas including the treatment of migraine headaches, excessive sweating and muscle spasms in the neck and eyes.
Although I am aware that I do not have to fear contracting botulism from Botox injections, there are some risks associated with this fountain of youth procedure. If too much toxin is injected, for example, or it is injected into the wrong facial areas, I could end up with droopy eyelid muscles that could last for weeks. The other possible side effects of Botox injections-nausea, respiratory infection, headache and flu syndrome-create more anxieties.
To learn more about how a Botox "party" typically works I visited www.fda.gov. These parties are a new marketing tool and some professionals view this as an opportunity to treat a lot of people at one time in a relaxed but professional atmosphere-at a reduced cost to the patient or the host or hostess of the party. Other physicians feel that something is lost when they mass treat and a Botox vial is intended to be used for a single patient in a single treatment session. I am still deciding!

EXCEEDING THE STANDARDS IN CUSTOMER SERVICE

2005-12-04T15:53:00.000-05:00

Recently a travel companion sent me a gift of unique pottery from Cafe Britt as a remembrance of our trip to Cost Rica. Surprised, thrilled and anxious to open the package upon its arrival I was very disturbed to find that the large vase had been chipped in transit. Utilizing my newly acquired e-mail expertise, I immediately sent a message to Cafe Britt explaining the arrival of a damaged gift. Within ten minutes a gracious response came from www.cafebritt.com asking me to describe the pottery or send a photo of the artifact. There is little doubt that people are an organization's greatest asset. The next day one of the Cafe Britt executives in Costa Rica left two voice mail messages asking me whether I would like a replacement or money returned. I e-mailed saying that I would prefer a replacement. I was impressed by the superior customer service, that single most cost effective way to differentiate one company from its competitors. Then there was silence. I immediately assumed the worse knowing that examples of shortsightedness in the area of customer service abound. I was also surprised that Cafe Britt had not asked me to ship the damaged product in its original package back to their offices in Costa Rica. Resigned to accept what consumers have unfortunately grown to accept-I thought that nothing would be done.
Three days later I was the very pleased and very surprised recipient of a pottery replacement and two one pound bags of marvelous coffee beans. Ethical business practices make good business practices and keep customers. They turned a negative to a very positive experience and gained this consumer's loyalty. They offer wonderful and unique items (music, coffee, candy, pottery, books and other Costa Ricab artifacts) for purchase on their web site www.cafebritt.com.

THIRD TIME COULD BE A CHARM OR SOMETHING ELSE

2005-11-30T18:05:00.000-05:00

Judge Samuel Alito is the third nominee to Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's seat on the Supreme Court. Alito's confirmation would give President Bush a legacy beyond his two terms and would create the first majority Catholic Supreme Court. Religion and secular law have never mixed well. Unfortunately, abortion issues are destined to emerge as potential fault lines.
Media focus has been on his 15 years as a federal appellate judge and on his stream of conservative leaning opinions. Alito has compiled an extensive right-wing judicial record on numerous matters of importance to the protection of the rights and interests of ordinary Americans-a record that has earned him the nickname "Scalito" for his ideological resemblance to Justice Antonin Scala. The question that must be answered in the Senate confirmation hearings is whether Alito is rigid and doctrinaire or can he apply the law both fairly and with compassion?The fact that Judge Alito's rulings have been hostile to basic reproductive privacy rights, have rejected Congressional authority to regulate gun possession, have rejected basic protection and civil rights for workers, have the government actively supporting religion and have failed to consider racial discrimination in capital punishment demonstrate that confirmation hearings will be contentious as liberals and Democrats fear a judiciary shift to the right.

RODENTS-DEADLY MESSENGERS

2005-11-29T15:07:00.000-05:00

Www.rr.com has been calling attention to a magnificent six part series that premiered on PBS on November 1 called Rx For Survival. The fourth program deals with the most dangerous vector on earth-the mosquito (malaria, yellow fever, West Nile virus). No one laughs at the mosquito. Vector borne diseases rely on insects and animals to spread infectious diseases.
While usually the subject of jokes, often sexist ones, and science fiction movies; rodents are too often ignored as serious vectors. The Hantavirus, though still relatively rare, is a serious and life threatening illness that is currently being diagnosed in many parts of our country. This virus leads to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), an often fatal infection of the lungs. According to www.cdc.gov the symptoms of the hantavirus are very much like those of the flu-fever, headache, shortness of breath, severe muscle aches, coughing, vomiting, and abdominal pain. The CDC warns that if a person experiences these symptoms within one to six weeks of exposure to rodents or rodent secretions, see your doctor immediately or call your local county health department. Those 'innocent' mouse droppings that too many people laugh about-are not funny-they are quite lethal. It is believed that the disease is contracted mainly by breathing in tiny droplets from fresh or dried droppings, urine and salive left by infected rodents or through direct contact with these rodent excretions. While most cases have been acquired in rural settings, everyone is at potential risk since many homes, garages, businesses and even public schools harbor mice. No more mouse jokes!!!!!!!

PRICELESS GIFTS

2005-11-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

Black Friday-Cyber Monday-as Thanksgiving gives way to mall mania and internet sluggishness one cannot doubt that the official holiday shopping marathon has begun. Utilizing my new Pay Pal account and the wonderful shopping sites and suggestions on www.rr.com I encounter the opportunity to purchase the exotic, the exciting, the pointless and unwrappable gift. On www.luxist.com I visit the unique gifts I will never give nor receive. As I continue looking at "e-tailer" offerings, a very, very corny Conway Twitty sings 'Happy Birthday Darling' on the radio and I stop and listen and think, really think-very dangerous activities while shopping. I think of all the corny, priceless gifts that would be cherished if given and those I would love to receive-the ones that are all affordable but too rarely shared.
Here are some suggested gifts: Give the greatest goft of all-yourself. Spread good news. Give the gift of hope. Give the gift of honesty. Apologize graciously to those you have offended. Make this a season of forgiving, not just giving. Empathize with people beyond your nuclear family. Be understanding. Smile. Be a friend, and remove the pain of loneliness. Give a gentle look, a soft touch or a warm embrace, give comfort. Give those you care for- peace of mind.

NOT IN MY COUNTRY

2005-11-19T15:28:00.000-05:00

Katrina evacuees staying in New York City hotels were told yesterday that FEMA would no longer pick up the hotel tab after December 1, 2005. HAPPY HOLIDAYS! New York City has agreed to cover the hotel bills through January 1, 2006. After that date the city can only make their shelter system available for those who still find themselves homeless. A system that is totally frightening to a single homeless person is unspeakable for families with children.
This entire scenario-as well as future post apocalyptic scenarios- could have been avoided if FEMA had realistic plans (utilizing realistic worst case numbers) that included temporary housing in the form of trailer and prefabricated homes. Whatever the disaster-earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, mudslides, blizzards, forest fires- our citizens need and must be entitled to the basic needs of survival. The creation of trailer cities as close as possible to the geographic location people have called home would foster rapid rebuilding, keep families intact, create employment and maintain the essence of a community.
Trailers need to be stockpiled in 15 geographic locations throughout the nation that would permit the rapid dispersal of trailers where needed by truck and railroad. There are numerous companies and individuals anxious to produce temporary housing for government agencies (www.elmonterv.com and www.stewartparkhomes.com ). Financially advantageous as compared to the cost of hotels, trailers are mobile, can be used many times and would provide housing for enormous numbers of evacuees for prolonged periods of time.
In a resource rich nation such as ours no person who has been the victim of a natural disaster should receive poorer treatment in meeting their basic needs than the people convicted of felonies residing in our prisons.

Holiday Shopping At My Cautious Fingertips

2005-11-14T17:41:00.000-05:00

So it is the week before Thanksgiving and I was hoping that it is too early to think about Holiday shopping. Then I look at the RR Poll question (www.rr.com);' How much of your holiday shopping will be done online?' and I know it is time to plan. This year on line shopping is a new purchasing option for me that gives me easy access to virtually millions of items from all over the world. An option that allows me not to mix with holiday crowds and temporary staff in traditional retail settings while avoiding the endless search for parking in filled lots is very promising. Still the on line shopping experience does have dangers associated with transferring personal information on line in addition to the risk of dealing with a merchant who is located thousands of miles away. Before I begin to be able to answer the RR Poll I must learn how to minimize the risks and potential pitfalls of an online shopping trip.
After exploring websites that serve as on line shopping guides (such as www.debtfreegrad.com) I learned about precautions I need to take to make the experience a safe and enjoyable one. Checking out the stability of a retailer, looking at the shipping charges, learning about the return policy, checking the warranty service agreement, checking out the security payment technology, finding out if the order is covered should items be lost or damaged in the mail and identifying the people to contact should there be any difficulties are essentials of on line shopping. Yes, there is even an on line Better Business Bureau and a great site www.fraud.org which lists recent scams and frauds. My best find for making secure purchases on line without revealing my credit card number or financial information was setting up a pay pal account at www.paypal.com.
Given this new purchasing option which permits me to shop at all hours in all types of weather I suppose I will have to work at finding the fine balance between knowing when to shop and knowing when to stop.

STOP ENOUGH STOP STOP

2005-11-11T09:38:00.000-05:00

Atkins Diet, Cabbage Soup Diet, The Grapefruit Diet, The Hollywood Miracle Diet, The Scarsdale Diet, The South Beach Diet, The Beverly Hills Diet, Weight Watchers Diet, Nutra System Diet, Jenny Craig Diet, Body For Life Diet, The Rice Diet, The Rotation Diet-been there-done that-too many times. Having returned from the land my waistline will never forget (great vacation); panic has set in. The old wife's tale about opening one's appetite just might have some validity. Yet I have reached that age when life seems too short to be "on a diet" and "counting calories" is already totally integrated into my identity. I like to eat and I like to believe that I do not use food and eating as a way to hide from my emotions or to fill a void or to cope with daily stresses and problems. Yet VANITY still reigns! New research as discussed in the health section of www.rr.com has also pointed out that during middle age keeping those extra pounds off may not only keep my body healthy but my mind fit. I know I want those clothes to fit again.
Turned to the health section of www.rr.com that specializes in dieting to look for the magic plan that would help me lose my newly and thoroughly enjoyed weight gain. There is some sanity out there-no new diet plan just some sound improvements I know I could and should make. I was lucky to find this great article 'Top Five Ways To Feel Full and Eat Less'. I am guilty of "super-sizing" my meals, and having a very healthy appetitie-the two main reasons I could always lose some more weight and suffer from a lifelong preoccupation with weight. This article by Eric Sabo deals with those hunger pains that do not go away-real or imagined- and what everyone can easily do to address the common complaint: how can you lose weight if you're hungry all the time? Suggestions include eating super size filling foods, eating your protein, can the soda, snack smart and eat until you're hara hachi bu (translated from Japanese, this literally means "eat until you are 80 percent full". I might be a convert- rather than just eating less-there are ways to feel full without giving up all that much.

CELLULAR INTRUSIONS

2005-10-24T19:03:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's RR Poll on www.rr.com asks us to respond to the question; Do you use your mobile phone in restaurants? Yes or no. As much as I would love to believe that technology and manners can be compatible I will not be at all surprised if the evils of mobile technology (the ring often with annoying melodies, the unwanted private loud conversations, the muti tasker and the potential ring) triumph in this poll as they have in our everyday lives. The plague of cell phone addicts is creating a cell phone backlash.
Every time the phone rings in a restaurant or related setting, it's not only an interruption of the user's time, it's an interruption on everyone else who is trying to enjoy the restaurant. And what about the people you're dining with-the ones sitting there while listening to the yakking. Might not be a bad idea if restaurants asked their patrons to park their guns and their phones at the door.
There are some real abuses of wireless technology being perpetrated all around us. Ringers that play La Cucaracha in a loud and persistent manner, people who insist on sharing their private lives in the aural space of others, and people using phones that take photos never asking permission of their subjects.
While basic common courtesy should lay the groundwork for cellular etiquette, www.techdirt.com addresses the possibility of making a living talking about cell phone etiquette. An etiquette expert has been hired by Sprint PCS to be their "etiquette spokewoman". Greater research needs to be conducted to study how the constant presence of cellphones have changed the way we communicate, make decisions, relate to our surroundings and each other, and the long term social ramifications of cellular intrusions.

FRIGHTENED BY HARRIET

2005-10-22T19:11:00.000-04:00

The understanding that religion in the United States is a private affair and that separation of church and state is absolute and sacred is in peril as Harriet Miers' confirmation hearing begins on November 7th. The expanding influence of theology in our government should trouble and anger every American.
Harriet Miers has been rightfully described as a "stealth candidate" in a www.rr.com news article. Her supporters hope her lack of a paper trail will lead to an easy Senate confirmation. Miers' views on abortion are unclear. I do not know what she thinks about assisted suicide, prayer in schools, the civil rights of homosexuals, or public funding of religious schools. What we do know is that she is an evangelical Christian who has experienced a "born again" transformation. She is a member of a Dallas church that proclaims its belief in the Bible's infallibility. The church also teaches that those who do not believe and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will be eternally residing in hell. Her religion does not frighten but rather I fear the bigotry that so often grows when others do not believe in someone else's sacred doctrine. Will such a worldview compromise a fair hearing? There is no place in any of the three branches of our goverment for this potential danger. Unfortunately too many politicians see no difference between their religious faith and the public interest. Evangelicals today demand that politicians use their office to advance and support their religious beliefs. The allegiance of all political leaders must be to the Constitution, not to their Bible. When television evangelist Pat Robertson warns Republican Senators not to vote against Miers, the wall separating church and state is threatened and the encroachment of religion into politics becomes evident. The scales of justice have no room for conflict between the Constitution and one's personal conscience or religious beliefs.

LARGE AFRICAN FRIENDS IN PERIL

2005-10-11T12:50:00.000-04:00

Having a great affection for the hippopotamus (not an affinity), I was disturbed to read on www.rr.com (science news) that hippos are facing extinction-only 887 hippos left- in the Congo. The Congo was once home to the world's largest population (1974-29,000 hippos) of this enormous amphibious mammal with smooth naked skin. Hippos are being killed by government soldiers, local militia and poachers. The meat is sold as food while the teeth end up as part of the illegal ivory trade. Hippos fetch about $50.00 per animal.
Despite the popular image of the animal being easy going and peaceful (remember Harriet the Hippo and your Sunday visits to the Bronx Zoo) the hippo is actually one of the most dangerous animals in Africa and is said to account for more human deaths than any other African Mammal. On www.pbs.org it is explained that this statistic is not because they are more aggressive than other African mammals but rather because they are highly territorial and their space often conflicts with that of farmers and tourists. More agile than they look, a hippo can gallop at 18 miles per hour in an emergency. With canine teeth at 20 inches or more, a mouth that can open to more than four feet wide, a huge head that is used as a battering ram, and body weight that varies from 3300 pounds to 7040 pounds, this unique creature can stay submerged in water for 5-10 minutes. We cannot allow this endangered "river horse" to become extinct. The disappearance of hippos would also trigger serious secondary effects for the population and an environmental disaster. Hippo dung provides vital nutrients for fish in lakes and rivers. Its absence has led to a rapid decline in some lake's fish stocks. Somehow the decline in hippos and butterflies come to mind.

A LIVING WAGE

2005-10-09T20:10:00.000-04:00

Katrina and the media did more to bring attention to poverty in our nation than the recent release of the latest poverty figures. The Census Bureau report said 1.1 million more Americnas fell below the poverty line in 2004, bringing the total to 37 million or 12.7 percent of the population. We can debate a lot of economic data but not the growing huge income inequality that exists within our nation today. We are the richest nation on earth and yet millions of Americans make wages so low they are forced to choose between eating or heating, health care or child care. Why does poverty remain so pervasive? Is it unavoidable? Is it time we rethink the accepted links between individual failure, family breakdown and poverty? While Americans continue to remain divided over the causes of poverty (drug abuse, shortage of jobs in certain sectors, too many immigrants, medical bills, decline in moral values, too many single parent families, lack of motivation and of course poor quality public schools) the time has come to examine Congress' reluctance to raise the Federal minimum wage. It has been stuck at $5.15 since 1997 - the second longest stretch of government inaction since the minimum wage was enacted in 1938. Since this last increase Congress has hiked their salaries six times-up to $157,000.
A job should keep people out of poverty, not keep them in it. We should make work pay. Raising the minimum wage would help lift some working families above the poverty line by addressing the primary problem with current minimum wage rate-the real value of the minimum wage is less today than that of ten years ago-it has failed to keep pace with inflation and the rising cost of living.
Raising the minimum wage is not a magic bullet, but it can be a significant factor in addressing the growth in wage disparity and poverty figures. Income inequality is now wider in the United States of America than anywhere else in the industrialized world. Is this the American dream?

MORE THAN CAKE

2005-10-05T18:30:00.000-04:00

What do Air Brush Artists, Asian Name Painters, Caricaturists, Magicians, Wacky Waiters, Look A Likes, Strolling Comedians, Hypnotists, YoYo Experts, Clowns, Origami Artists, Fortune Tellers, Murder Mystery Stagers, Caterers, Ice Sculptors, Hand Writing Analysts and 60 Second Novelists have in common?
Give up? They are all part of what can make a good party a stellar one; interactive entertainment for hire that can make any bash a smash. Many sites are full service-for example. www.smashpartyentertainment.com. offered performers, belly dancers, virtual reality, arcades, murder mystery, photo-ops-something for everyone.
Being retired I often find myself being assigned subjects to research that will hopefully stimulate my creativity, help me develop expertise in new fields, and save others lots of time. The newest request centered on gathering information that would help in celebrating one more year of a precious life with a memorable Birthday Party.
Using www.r.r.com I explored birthday party theme and ideas that were unique and would hopefully ensure a party to be remembered, a party where even the jaded might rejoice at the possibilities offered. One might wish to select a Hollywood Theme, a Disco Theme, a Sports Theme, a 50s Theme, a Murder Mystery Theme, a Western Theme, a Mardi Gras Theme, a Carnival Theme, a Mobster Theme, or a Las Vegas Theme. The ideas and the shopping guides for perfect party necessities seemed endless. An inexpensive and fun site that encompassed a huge selection of party goods was www.orientaltrading.com.
Party games are often the pefect excuse for adults to revisit childhood. Suggested party games such as Mafia present exciting possibilities to foster the inclusion of all guests. Instructions for numerous adult party games are easily accessed on Road Runner.

EXPLODING MYTHS OF COVERT AGENDAS

2005-10-03T19:50:00.000-04:00

This week www.rr.com features a peek into the FBI's star files. In response to a Freedom of Information Act request by the Associated Press, the FBI released memos it wrote about famous people from 1974-2005. Road Runner successfully demystifies FBI files by explaining acronyms, symbols and code words that make FBI documents difficult to decipher.
High profile Americans (athletes, artists, rock stars, mobsters, celebrities, criminals) are chronicled in their individual FBI files. Household names-Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Groucho Marx, Ted Bundy, Jimmy Hoffa, Jackie Kennedy, Andy Warhol, Albert Einstein, Jackie Gleason, Louis Armstrong-are all part of historical FBI records-though for a variety of different reasons.
Of particular interest was a file on Desi Arnaz that contains allegations that he had once been a card carrying member of the 'Cuban Communist Party'. It was later determined by the FBI that he was six years old when he left Cuba with his parents for the United States. Frank Sinatra's file indicates that he had been diagnosed with psychoneurosis. Other material on Sinatra relates to his fraternization with organized crime figures. Andy Warhol found his way into FBI memos that dealt with the production and distribution of "Lonesome Cowboys". It had been alleged that portions of it were obscene.
As Americans we like to think of our nation as enlightened and progressive. Unfortunately there is also a dark side to our history-when national security has been threatened we have created graveyards for our civil liberties. The Freedom of Information Act defeated the culture of confidentiality that was best represented by the question,"Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?" Yet for many who faced the question, the consequences of their answer still haunt them today. We are a country that tries to right its wrongs, and that is our power.

A BLESSING VERY DISGUISED?

2005-09-29T12:55:00.000-04:00

Can the high prices of gasoline be the proverbial blessing in disguise? How high must they go before we stop talking about how they are hurting our society and begin to focus on how we must change our relationship with fossil fuels and ultimately change ourselves and our society? Might there be a decline and eventual fall of the petroleum empire?
Having established that a culture of cronyism and corruption has made us vulnerable to nature, to the politics of the Middle East, and to the monopolistic policies of oil companies, we must also realize that the token gestures we have made to conserve, award tax credits and explore alternate fuels are grossly inadequate. Ozone alerts, global warming and urban sprawl can no longer be put on hold for future generations to solve.
High gas prices mean we must live closer to where we work, shop closer, buy more efficient cars, share our mobility and invest in research that will create alternative fuel technology. Americans have a mandate to drive less in more fuel efficient cars, pollute less and spend less time in their cars.
According to articles I read on the Road Runner site (www. road runner.com):conservation could win, the environment could win, world stability could win and renewable energy could win if we become vigorous in finding new cost effective energy sources and conserve what is available; rather than playing with temporary solutions.

A RIGGED ECONOMY

2005-09-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

Sufficient cold water in the face of American consumers should awaken us to the vertically integrated monopoly established by the five big oil companies. No longer should we believe that the fundamentals of supply and demand drive the prices we pay for gasoline and other petroleum based products. Rather an understanding of how monopoly corporate power combines with unregulated futures markets will facilitate an adjustment to a new energy environment and its economic impact. Politics, not free markets explains what has really happened to oil and energy prices.
First there was the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 pushed through by Phil Graham, a Republican from Texas. This legistation makes it extremely easy to mask the identities of speculative traders and removed regulation of commodity financial exchanges that set the future price of oil. Second there was the response to political pressure-the Federal Trade Commission relaxed anti trust enforcement of oil companies and refineries. As a result five oil companies control 48 percent of domestic oil production, 50 percent of domestic refining capacity and 61 percent of the retail gasoline market. In the past five years, over 80 of the independent refinery companies have been bought out by the big five oil companies. Recent natural disasters have exposed to the American public just how stretched the nation"s refineries are and have pointed out that the prime beneficiaries of high oil and gas prices are the oil companies. It has also hopefully made the American voters aware that this rigged economy leaves our nation in peril.

THE DESPOTIC POWER

2005-09-25T16:34:00.000-04:00

In recent decades the government's power of eminent domain has raised concerns culminating in the June 2005 (5-4) Supreme Court ruling, Kelo v. New London. The Judge Roberts confirmation hearings once again called attention to this power; enshrined in the 5th Amendment of the United States Constitution and the Constitutions of all 50 states. A power which at one time was limited to public use projects like roads, bridges and public buildings can now be exercised for the benefit of developers or commercial interests, on the basis that anything that increases the value of a piece of land is sufficient public use.
Realizing that the long term ramifications of the Kelo ruling will be with us long after New Orleans is beautifully rebuilt I researched (utilizing the www.rr.com site) the history of eminent domain and the multiple organizations that are actively working against eminent domain abuses.
While most citizens accept that private property rights should not be absolute, the recent Kelo ruling sets a frightening precedent that will impact poor and middle class families across our nation. New definitions of what constitutes blighted will continue to be manufactured as needed. The prospect of higher local tax yield and employment opportunities will permit local governments to claim many 'castles' for the benefit of private enterprise. Thanks to this ruling the growing schism between the haves and havenots within our American society broadens.
Soon it will be in the hands of voters as they select state legislatures and members of Congress who must stand up for the rights of private landowners and ensure that the individual rights of their constituents are protected.

ALTERNATING POLITICAL DYNASTIES ?

2005-09-22T09:21:00.000-04:00

Busy, busy week for the Clintons and at least one former paramour. Monica headed off to England to pursue an advanced degree in Political Science while Bill very actively campaigned for Hillary. Hillary continued to be very intelligent as she worked to achieve the ultimate feminist triumph. Hillary and Bill want their house back.
According to the news articles I devoured on the Road Runner news site former President Clinton has advised Democrats to pounce on and exploit President Bush's refusal to hike taxes to finance man made calamities (wars in Iraq and Afghanistan) and natural disaster relief efforts (Katrina and Rita). He feels this should be an issue in the 2006 election and the 2008 election (the one that really counts for Hillary; and Bill, the world's best campaign strategist). While I cannot argue with Bill Clinton's position that tax cuts since 2001 have greatly and primarily benefitted the richest -the top 1% of our population, I do have a huge problem with his comments on NBC's "Meet the Press" that "large figures" in national politics do not need to tell the truth about their future political plans. Sounds too much like the leader who at one point was the most humiliated man in the United States and the woman who claimed a Republican conspiracy was making up lies about her faithful and trustworthy husband. The American populace are wonderful -their political and moral memories fade so quickly. Jeanine Pirro, (a woman who probably can relate to Hillary on a personal level-except her husband did serve time) intends to run against Hillary Clinton (no longer described as a carpetbagger) in 2006, ripped into the former President for saying his wife shouldn't have to promise to serve a full six year term as the Senator from New York.
Since serving in public office Hillary Clinton has positioned herself as a centrist. She sits on the Armed Service Committee, has spoken out in favor of the death penalty, voted for the war in Iraq, successfully built some very strange alliances, then did not vote for some Iraq funding and has always remained eloquent, intelligent and polarizing. Her voting record in the Senate has gotten increasingly liberal-by 2003 she wound up in a three way tie for 8th most liberal Senator. Voters know that it is difficult to get elected and also be completely open and honest about what you think. We acknowledge that ideals must often be disregarded to be elected. Voters also accept the reality that many politicans contradict or reposition themselves; we still forgive Bill Clinton ( he is so likable) for doing it all the time. I find I am unable to answer the questions,
"What does Hillary truly stand for? Believe in? Who is the real Hillary Clinton?" When I ask others why they love Hillary the responses usually include her intelligence and ________? When asked what she has accomplished in public office the room usually becomes silent.

SHARE THE SECRET

2005-09-15T12:37:00.000-04:00

Do you know of any assigned evacuation depots in your area? Have you seen anything resembling an evacuation plan for your locale? What role will the police and emergency medical personnel play in a lethal situation? To evacuate is a verb requiring action. In today's world of insecurity all citizens must be informed by all levels of governments as to how to proceed if evacuation is necessary in order to prevent human losses. Knowledge is power and security. The time is now-share the secret.

NO PLATFORM / NO AGENDA

2005-09-14T19:02:00.000-04:00

The first confirmation hearing for a Chief Justice in 19 years that will most likely produce the youngest Chief Justice in over 200 years; focuses on whether Judge Roberts would use his judicial position to achieve political ends. While Roberts asserts that he has no program and no agenda-the hot issues that the top court may address ( abortion, right to privacy, church and state, gay rights, voting rights, crime and punishment, states' rights, right to die and eminent domain) makes it essential to explore his legal philosophy. His legal record while conservative is also opaque.
The exquisite design of our balanced government permits two branches (Executive and Legislative) to reflect personal political preferences. All our Presidents, regardless of political affiliation, have attempted through their nominations to the Supreme Court to politicize the third branch. President Bush by nominating Judge John Roberts has succumbed to this Presidential tendency. After reading numerous news articles about the Robert's confirmation hearings on the Road Runner site, one must question if it is at all possible for the highest court to be uncontaminated by political and social philosophy and even ideology.
The Founding Fathers created a court system they believed would remain untainted by political motivations-justices were to be appointed not elected for life with salaries that could not be reduced by the President or the Congress. The giants of our judicial system were to be selected based on their legal ability, ability to communicate, integrity and experience in order to protect our nation from the tyranny of the majority.
Ironically, after Presidents in the past have succeeded in getting their nominees to the Supreme Court confirmed, the justices have risen to their position and become great justices instead of loyal politicians, disillusioning those that nominated them for the position. One of my favorite examples is an Eisenhower nominee, Earl Warren, who proved to be the most progressive Chief Justice in our history.
The RR Poll question of the day is Should Roberts be confirmed? I anxiously await the results.

HELPER'S HIGH

2005-09-08T18:38:00.000-04:00

Inundated with horrendous scenes of human misery and death, discusssions by masters of hindsight, accusations of gross mismanagement and incompetence, the revelation of the problems of a federal system, and stories of throw away people; leaves many Americans feeling that financial contributions while necessary are inadequate. As an olderAmerican, a retiree, I decided I need to volunteer my skills, experience, time and compassion. On various web sites dealing with disaster relief and recovery it is clear that well meaning volunteers at this time are being urged not to report directly to the affected areas unless directed by a volunteer agency. Now my agenda was to find such a volunteer agency; not just for this challenging time but as an ongoing committment. Using several Road Runner sites I became acquainted with numerous service opportunities. Some 45 million Americans participate in volunteer activities and about 15 million are older persons. The USA Freedom Corps Network helps individuals find service opportunities that match their interest and expertise in their hometowns, across the country or around the world. The Senior Corps, on a national and state level, places senior volunteers, provides training and even offers stipends if needed. Learn and Serve Programs also offers opportunities. In researching the Network for Good, I located a total of 210 opportunities for volunteer work in my zip code area. From helping with hurricane relief projects to art gallery hostess to assisting children with disabilities to assisting in writing newsletters-an abundancy of possibilities were offered. Hoping that I possess certain personality traits that transcend age, I was fascinated by AmeriCorps: the Domestic Peace Corps(www.americorps.org). This national service program allows people (even seniors) to work in communities nationwide tutoring children, building homes, clearing trails, establishing local health clinics and other goal oriented projects. I received an application online, submitted it and anxiously await a response.
Giving back to society, financially and socially, as well as the desire to make a difference and help others less fortunate is a major motivator for all volunteer efforts, particularly right now.

LOOKING FOR RICHARD CHENEY

2005-09-03T21:19:00.000-04:00

As the largest rescue and disaster recovery undertaking in our nation's history is taking place we have heard from the President, from DHS, from FEMA, from the 82nd Airborne, from the National Guard, from Senators, from Representatives, from Governors, from Mayors, from Ex-Mayors, from the Raging Cajun. Even Al Gore was seen at the Louis Armstrong Airport. We know Condoleezza Rice has been shopping for expensive shoes in New York City. But where is the man who often enjoys the reputation of a sober, reliable inside player and steady hand at the helm of the Bush administration? Why has the press failed to grasp Mr. Cheney's ineptitude? Why have they remained blind to his vice presidential incompetence? Why has his terrible judgment to remain missing at this time been ignored? To what extent will this new Cheney lapse eventually be cleaned up? We should all be looking for Richard Cheney.

HIGHWAY WARFARE

2005-09-01T21:07:00.000-04:00

Perhaps it is the accelerating cost of gasoline, or the anger at government not keeping promises, or the recent fury of nature, or the disappointment of the overall quality of life that is making many drivers behave as though they are at the mercy of an unpredictable amd powerful emotion; anger. Driver anger that is caused by either internal or external events has serious ramifications. Worldwide, about 1.5 million people are killed in road accidents every year. In the U.S. about 42,000 traffic fatalities accur every year and about 6.5 million injuries annually at a total cost of 200 billion dollars. Almost all driver error can be traced to a lack of emotional intelligence (road rage and aggressive driving behavior) behind the wheel. There appears to be an excess of it present this summer. The escalating degree of hostility on our roadways is frightening.There are alternative methods that drivers could use to deal with frustration, impatience, anger. and intolerance.Verbally denigrating another driver using highly colorful terms, tailgating to pressure another driver to go faster or get out of the way, making obscene gestures, closing ranks to deny someone entry into a lane, using a car to retaliate by making sudden, threatening maneuvers are behaviors commonly observed on roadways. From unfriendly behavior to intense fury and epic road rage too many drivers seem to be taking an uncivilized path. They are active participants in terrifying highway warfare.

TERROR INGREDIENTS

2005-08-29T20:24:00.000-04:00

Increasing the range of human anxieties, a Road Runner news article revealed that large quantities of unsecured radioactive material has been discovered by Australian researchers in two Southeast Asia countries. Australia is involved in an international effort to ensure radioactive material used in medicine and industry is stored securely and systems are set up to track it. Not surprisingly, sources declined to identify the countries because the sources remain vulnerable and the material could be stolen.
Pragmatic considerations (such as our common interest in sheer survival) are given inadequate attention by the media. The feared dirty bomb is not mentioned as the sophisticated search for these stashes of nuclear waste continues. The political realities of our time demand that people in an effort to improve and protect their lives take positive action instead of passively accepting terrorism and its horrendous ramifications. While the September 11 terrorists created fearsome weapons out of our own transport system, there is every reason to believe that Al Qaeda has the capability to create their own weapon, a dirty bomb. A dirty bomb is not an atomic bomb and is not capable of creating an atomic blast. The primary dangers from a dirty bomb are from the explosion and the dispersal of radioactive particles; while its main function is primarily to spread terror through contamination. Terror is magnified where a lack of knowledge exists. The CDC has prepared an excellent bulletin on Emergency Preparedness and Response. It can be found on the Road Runner site. It must be made available to the public through a multi-media campaign. One can not justify truth becoming subjective, available only to a few gifted people whose will, or spirit, or personality, is greater than that of the masses. Mass mobilization of the American populace will accomplish our desired ends while terrorist militancy and violence will ultimately fail.

MUSICAL BRAIN BLOAT

2005-08-28T13:47:00.000-04:00

Driving to a car cruise with cousins (the kind you truly share a grandparent with) is conducive to trips down memory lane. With only twenty four hours to go until the 2005 Video Music Awards, yesterday's trip was filled with musical memories, a form of therapeutic entertainment. We were a group of senior wiz kids singing songs, naming groups, recalling decades of musical events, thrilled with our incredible ability to recall with amazing accuracy--until someone started singing Spinning Wheel. No one seemed able to remember the name of the group from the late 1960's and 1970's. We were able to recall and sing other selections this group successfully recorded-You've Made Me So Very Happy, And When I Die, God Bless The Child, Sometimes in Winter-we began calling out groups and individuals who might have recorded these songs. We managed to collectively name the group's famous lead singer-David Clayton Thomas. Hope lived! All the songs we named had been very popular-this was not obscure stuff. Not remembering the name of the group-although I was able to easily pull up the name of drummer Bobby Columby, a member of one of my brother's adolescent bands, led me to a sudden, embarrasssing slice of silence. We even asked the very mature DJ at the Car Cruise-he too was unable to name the group. Phone calls (life lines) were made to friends with the hope that they might remember.
While everyone else decided it was a senior moment-I preferred to think of it as brain bloat--too much stuff in the head.Cramming stuff into your head for 50 or 60 years manifests itself into a time/space relativity. I refused to give up. Suddenly-I knew, was absolutely positive, the group was Blood Sweat and Tears. Relieved to know my full and useful brain still works! It was a group victory!!
We were anxious to get home to play the music of Blood Sweat and Tears on Road Runner's Rhapsody. My free 14 day trial has given me access to over 1,000,000 songs and over 100 radio stations. Burning CDs and their transfer to other devices will permit me to enjoy the marvelous music of this never to be forgotten group.

RUPTURED DUCKS

2005-08-23T20:05:00.000-04:00

Being the fan of a Jets fan I long ago gave up arguing about the ridiculous salaries and celebrity professional football players receive. I suppose I grew tired of being football's awkward, lonely outsider.
With Labor Day upon us, the hysteria of the football season has begun its crescendo. No where was this more evident today than at the Jets Training Camp at Hofstra University in Hempstead, Long Island. Following the Road Runner directions (Map Quest) to training camp evoked a different type of hysteria. Providing no escape route, the directions led me to overcrowded parking lot expressways; almost three hours for a trip I know should have taken no more than 90 minutes. Never again will I be a victim of Road Runner's convoluted directions!
This five week training ritual open to the public will end tomorrow. It provided a peek at a plethora of new names and faces to the Jets lineup. With 38 new names on the training camp roster this season, it was interesting to see new Jets and familiar faces interacting on the field. Pennington will hopefully improve his passing game. Quack! Quack! Only Curtis Martin was wearing long pants. Why? Most intriguing is the fanatic devotion demonstrated by Jets fans. All ages and both genders are extreme in their devotion to a team that has not seen the Super Bowl since Broadway Joe was a heartthrob.
Lots of contests, freebies, schedules, photo ops-but the most appealing aspect of Jets Training Camp is the Generation Jets Fest 2005. I wanted to be a kid again. Free to the public for the ninth year, this interractive NFL Theme Park that operates in conjunction with the New York Jets Training Camp, features a number of inflatable games and activities centered on football. Last year they claim over 35,000 young fans attended, with a daily average of 1700 fans. Get them while they're young! And they do! The kids get the autograph sessions, get to walk through the Jets Experience tent (history of the Jets), and participate in Bungee Runs, Field Goal Kicks, and the Jets Food Zone.
Wishing the Jets a season filled with tight spirals!!

FALL SHOPPING SAVVY

2005-08-21T09:02:00.000-04:00

"What shall I wear?" is the American woman's second most frequently asked question. What one replies to this question, is never truly accepted as settling the issue. As an American woman I too frequently assume that other people know best how I should look. As each season's shopping season begins, insecurities and anxieties concerning weight, height and age surface. Clothes that used to look fabulous on me look frumpy. Why? Gravity! My clothes are too loose in some places and too tight in others. It is not about dressing my age-it is about dressing my shape. I am fearful of making fashion mistakes, so I end up dressing as I have always dressed, dating myself. I have been told to "loosen up my look". I suppose I am being told to dress in a more stylish and youthful manner. The implication is clear-I need to be able to identify and pay attention to what is hot. How does one identify worthwhile trends? Like many of my peers I start with fashion magazines; so numerous and some so large that the mail person must hand deliver them. What are the models wearing? I try to be cognizant of color and cut. What style might work for me? Overload sets in as I unsuccessfully attempt to categorize fall's fashion trends. I do not want to shop in an incoherent state.
Frustrated I turn to my new survival tool-Road Runner. I quickly open the Living section and I select fashion. Style.com has as one of its lead articles-2005 Fall Trend Reports. Straight from the runways, it promises to be my guide to fall's must buys. Simply organized by the six major trends-Back in Black, Russian Dressing, New Frontiers, the Governess, Edie's Sixties, and Next Big Thing-there is hope; I comprehend, this might even prove to be enjoyable. I am going to develop Fall shopping savvy.
I immediately relate and am delighted by Back to Black. Black is and has always been my old steadfast friend. Besides effortlessly going from casual to business to evening-it is slenderizing. Photos of little dresses, swingy coats, column gowns-these are fashion classic in wonderful black. I am awed by the Russian Dressing trend. Embroidery, a dash of military pomp and lots of ornaments excite as they ignite memories of Omar Shariff. Forty years after Mary Poppins did her thing, the look of the Governess returns. Prim, edwardian perfection with high collars and elegant floor grazing skirts are featured. New Frontiers is an updated call of the frontier with fringes and hand tooling on boots and bags. Edis's Sixties reminds me too much of the stuff I gave away when I moved. Surprising was the final trend, the Next Big Thing. Tulip skirts, balloon pants and swing coats are featured on the lovely models. Full on top, pencil thin on the bottom or vice versa, this trend must be reserved for those blessed with a tall, svelte body.
Armed and confident with knowledge of new fashion trends I will attempt to develop a flattering, age and shape defying collection of clothing. I will "loosen up".

BONES ABOUT IT

2005-08-18T08:56:00.000-04:00

For those people who still use and comprehend words and phrases such as hanky, album, hi-fi, necking, dungarees, rouge, typewriter, nifty, going steady and record player; along comes osteoporosis. What our appearances often don't reveal, our mouths and bones betray.
More than 28 million Americans are at risk for osteoporosis. As the media keeps reminding us this new big O causes bones to become weak and brittle. Road Runner's health feature today addresses osteoporosis. Through articles and videos, the prevention, treatment options, patient perspectives, psychological issues, appropriate nutrition and exercise programs are examined.
Particularly interesting was the article that dealt with exercise for bone health. It is a well known and accepted concept that weight bearing and resistance exercises can decrease bone loss, increase bone density, and reduce the risk of fractures. This article reveals that certain exercises are dangerous. Individuals at risk should avoid any exercises that increase forward bending or rounding of the spine. These exercises include sit-ups, toe touches, and the use of exercise equipment that applies flexion forces (some abdominal machines). No problem!!!!!!!
Important components of a realistic walking program (my favorite form of exercise) are detailed. I am reminded also that while exercising I focus on posture and strength;
but what about the rest of my day? Guidelines for the proper performance of daily activities seem to plead with me to sit without slouching, to bend from the hips and to stabilize my back while coughing and sneezing.
In this century, a woman's life expectancy has increased by 31 years; a man's by 28 years. The bones and joints we were born with were not meant to last as long. No bones about it- effective and safe exercise lowers the risk and minimizes the effects of osteoporosis- thus improving the quality of our lives.

A New Red Scare

2005-08-16T23:50:00.000-04:00

The stillness of the Gulf, the texture of the water, and the subtle new aroma seemed to warn of an imminent change. I knew had to get out of the water. By the next morning dead fish littered the shore line and the closer I came to the water the more I sneezed and coughed, straining for oxygen. These memories are part of my archives of a summer holiday on the southwest coast of Florida. After questioning the owner of the resort I was told of the Red Tide. It was described to me as a natural, shortlived, interesting algae occurrence that was unharmful to humans. Why was I gasping and coughing? Immersion in the toxic air was killing me.The vacation was over.
One of Road Runner's Top Headlines today dealt with a blooming red tide off the coast of Tampa, Florida. The archives opened. I can hardly imagine the assault on the senses that this summer's unusually fierce bloom has evoked. It has succeeded in choking off oxygen and killing off undersea life in a region of the Gulf of Mexico about ten miles off the coast. Southern California has been dealing with its own red tide for over two months. The microscopic algae have reproduced at an explosive rate. This algae produces a neurotoxin that can paralyze or make breathing difficult for fish, manatees or even humans that inhale or ingest it.
One can conclude that public officials, particularly those in the tourist sector, fear losing tourist dollars and keep the dangers to the public's health a secret. Problems associated with this massive and long lived algae overgrowth are rarely noted in the media and tourists are not given necessary access to information that would permit them to be educated consumers.
Road Runner suggested some sites that answered questions about the red tide that I shelved that summer long ago. Direct poisioning of sea life and indirect poisioning of people through the consumption of contaminated mussels, clams, oysters and other shell fish are consequences of a red tide. The increasing intensity and growing frequency of red tides over a wider global distribution calls for an international research effort to determine what role the greenhouse effect and human activity plays in creating this challenging menace.The public must be made aware of the problems and dangers of the red tide.

" PLUG-INS"=HOT RODS OF TOMORROW

2005-08-14T09:28:00.000-04:00

Even my daughter comments and drives an extra block to find cheaper gasoline prices. Friends are putting off selecting and purchasing new vehicles waiting to see if gasoline prices stabilize. Should it be a hybrid? Discussions of gasoline prices rival those of real estate bubbles at happy hours.
Hope and technology seem to be on their way. Today's Road Runner news items included the revelation that experimental hybrid cars can get up to 250 Mpg. We are always being led to believe by politicans and automakers that a car capable of reducing our dependence on foreign oil and reducing greenhouse gases is years or even decades away. Ron Gremban, an electrical engineer and committed environmentalist has created that car and it sits in his California garage. This "plug-in" hybrid vastly increases fuel efficiency by harnessing small amounts of electricity generated during braking and coasting. Using a stack of 18 brick-sized batteries (stored in the car's trunk) that boosts the mileage, the car looks like a typical Toyota Prius hybrid. The extra batteries allow him to store extra power by plugging the car into a wall outlet at his home-all for about 25 cents.
The technology utilized in Gremban's hybrid and other hybrids has existed for three decades. Yet only Daimler Chrysler AG has committed to building its own hybrid plug-ins. Toyota Motor Corp. officials at first frowned on people altering their cars; now they feel they may be able to learn from them. Better late than never. But why the great delay?
This is wonderful news but present realities demand a more progressive plan and greater governmental incentives to beef up production of these plug ins. If it is true (conservative foreign policy hawks believe it to be so) that American gas guzzling fuels terrorism we must expedite the production of these incredible new hot rods without delay.

The WORD

2005-08-12T09:59:00.000-04:00

It used to be said that a person was as good as their word. In a world where the daily planner or palm pilot is part of an individual's attire, I find many scribbling down dates, creating timetables, and appointments so they can keep their word. In my innocence I have always believed that if one was unable to meet their committment; communication and apologies were a given.
A promise was made to be kept, another person's time as valuable as mine, an appreciation of another's feelings and position were ingrained into me alongside personal hygiene training at a very young age. A dramatic shift away from this mentality leads me to question who is to blame for this sorry situation?
The emergence of the entitled people; those entitled to have all things proceed as they wish, how they wish, when they wish while leaving situations unresolved is alarming. The antiquated view that one's word is golden or as good as a signed contract leaves society with amoral guidelines. These guidelines or lack of are negatively changing the way people think, feel and work. It is abundantly clear that the impact of the word has lost its significance and it is indeed society's loss.

Stumped at the Pump

2005-08-09T14:21:00.000-04:00

I feel like a passive witness to a massive conspiracy each time I pass a gas station. Gasoline prices rise overnight as speculation that the price of a barrel of crude may rise. From Sunday evening to Monday morning the price per gallon often rises by 6 cents. No midnight delivery to the pumps, same gasoline in the ground, same overhead costs for the station-no justifiable reason for the rise in price. When one hears about a new lower price for a barrel of crude, I fail to see immediate price adjustments. What's to blame for this sorry situation?
As a barrel of crude oil rose to $63 this past Monday, ( as compared to$28.50 in 2003 and $24.00 per barrel in 2002), I initially grumbled and realized that there was no magic bullet to make all these increases go away. I then resorted to my Road Runner resources to answer questions I never bothered to ask when gasoline prices were stable and inexpensive.
The components of the retail price of gasoline include the cost of crude oil to refiners, refinery processing costs, marketing and distribution costs and finally the retail station costs and taxes.The price we pay at the pump reflects these costs, as well as the profits of refiners, marketers, distributors, and retail station owners. While gasoline prices have always fluctuated due to factors such as seasonality, local retail competition, supply/demand imbalances, regional and environmental programs and changes in the cost of crude oil; nowhere in the literature was I able to find an explanation or a commentary regarding the relentless, greedy upward daily mobility of gasoline prices.

Less Expensive Than a Psychologist

2005-08-08T13:03:00.000-04:00

When the women I know are depressed, stressed or bored, they eat or go shopping. My state of mind seems to reflect the summer doldrums, no monsoons. Weekend indulgences and basic sanity prevent me from eating and so it seems I will be the victim of my weakness and I shall shop. I pride myself on thinking globally and shopping locally, but flooding seems imminent; I am forced to stay home and the revenues of local shops will be reduced. This leaves me two options-boring home shopping networks or the internet.
I have become a slave of the ordinary in my wardrobe. I read numerous fashion magazines which feature the everyday purchases of celebrities; but those things are over the top for me. I decide to visit (shop) the Road Runner shopping site. I immediately find my favorite category - Special Offers. The offers include everything from purchasing theatre tickets to online gambling. A new world of possibilites, comparison shopping, style, debt and excitement opens. Reminding myself to be practical and that a diet might be an excellent undertaking but time consuming, I look over the shapewear collection (torture devices). Building a wardrobe from the inside out-just might be the way. No tax, free shipping, 35-70% discounts are offered. I order garments that promise light and moderate power control, and indirectly new life experiences as a slim person.

Birthday in Chocolate

2005-08-07T12:09:00.000-04:00

My very best friend turned 60 today. While I was graciously thanked for the many cards and gifts received, she belligerently pointed out that I and everyone else had neglected to indulge her lifetime passion for chocolate. This being a very special milestone she correctly feels that she has earned the right to spend it in a gratifying way-that includes a huge gift basket of varied and rich (in small packages) chocolates. I will live to regret this omission.
Yesterday in an attempt to redeem myself amd make my beloved friend happy I visited my Road Runner shopping site in search of the ultimate gift basket, one filled with chocolate. Quickly I located numerous companies that had chocolate birthday wishes gift baskets, and thanks to Road Runner's free comparison shopping site, selected three companies. Now the challenge was to find one that would deliver today. Flowers, balloons and other assorted birthday remembrances are delivered on Sunday-but not chocolate. Doomed to failure, having put off my selection and duty too long, I can now only reflect on how better to accomplish goals and how to gain my friend's forgiveness.

New Focus for Right to Lifers

2005-08-05T14:06:00.000-04:00

Calling all Right to Lifers!!! Hurry there is so much to do and so little time!! I have a new cause for you that will justify your existence. There are many young lives that deperately need your political and financial power, organization, lobbying skills, care and committment in order to survive. Addressing the question 'Who's fighting cancer in kids?' will hopefully lead to research and production of much needed pediatric cancer drugs. Why should the power you hold be utilized to protect only the unborn? Children already with us certainly deserve your attention and devotion. They deserve the right to life. More than 12,400 children are diagnosed with cancer each year.
A government report in April found a near absence of research into pediatric cancer drugs. About half of the oncology drugs used to treat children are at least 20 years old. Even when difficult to organize pediatric drug trials have been successful there is no guarantee that anyone (drug companies) is going to make them. Most drugs given to juvenile cancer patients were developed for adults and do not spare young patients from the ravages of conventional chemotherapy.
The Food and Drug Administration has created a number of incentives to encourage companies to make pediatric cancer drugs. These incentives have not done enough to promote new pediatric drugs because the drugs still cost more to develop than they will potentially earn. We have an administration that endorses many of the beliefs of Pro Life organizations. These groups must use their political capital to greatly enhance these incentives and have federally funded research in this field become a priority.

DIVA JUSTICE

2005-08-04T11:56:00.000-04:00

Poor domestic diva! Poor Martha Stewart! Today's Road Runner headline news included a story on Martha Stewart's extended confinement. She was due to complete her five months of house arrest August 10th (after having served five months in a West Virginia prison camp) but has agreed to extend the sentence three more weeks to August 31st. Martha was seen riding an off road vehicle on her estate and attending a yoga class this past Sunday. Now Martha knew that except for 48 hours a week ( for employment, food shopping, doctor appointments and church)she was to remain inside of her home north of New York City.
As we probably all recall, Martha was convicted of lying to investigators about a suspicious stock trade. Whether she was wrongly accused, viciously prosecuted, gender persecuted or unfairly convicted is not for me to judge. I will not attempt a study of our justice system (at least not at this point in time), but I will venture to discuss punishment for white collar crimes.
Throughout our history punishment for criminal activity has included retribution and rehabilitation. Recently the concept of community service, particularly as punishment for a misdemeanor, has found its way into the repertoire. There have been all types of social and financial studies showing that the annual cost of keeping a prisoner incarcerated surpasses the cost of attending Harvard University. When an inmate is an international celebrity the cost rises geometrically.
There are other ways someone like Martha Stewart can and should pay her debt to society. Ways that would cost the penal system far less and would serve as an example to others that no one is or least should be above the law. Martha has the resources and the talent to benefit society in very tangible ways.
South of her home, in New York City, there are many housing developments (projects) in desperate need of revamping and decorating. Hallways that need paint, wallpaper, and furnishings. Martha has the dollars, the creativity and the ability to personally work on this without any expense to taxpayers except for a guard to monitor her work progress and an individual who will measure her performance against objectives established by the court. Martha would be expected to bear all material and labor costs to complete the projects. A sophisticated type of labor camp that utilizes the assets (financial, physical and skill sets) of those convicted of white collar crimes to enhance the lives of those less fortunate would be cost effective and fufill society's criteria of retribution and rehabilitation.

The Half Way Mark

2005-08-03T15:56:00.000-04:00

Sometime around August 1st-like a reflex I begin to count down the days left before the inevitable. Half the summer has somehow vanished. The things I did not yet do, the places and people not seen, and the lack of time left becomes an obsession. Too many years of readying myself for another September challenge-thinking of new programs, new students, probably new curriculum and some unreasonable mandate from those on high interferes with daily life and transforms the quality of sleep. Anxiety of an unknown origin becomes the driving force of those known as teacher.
The back to school advertisers, members of kill a tree club, remind us that summer is quickly coming to and end. Parents begin shopping for what is needed and wanted by their offspring. From lunch boxes to computers, children have needs that are satisfied only after large sums of money and hours of shopping create weary parents.
In the Living Section of Road Runner, there is a Back to School section filled with insightful suggestions to help students and parents prepare for that inevitable return to school. One can browse school supply offerings, select lunch menus and recipes, get the classroom lowdown and learn the essentials about the infamous SATs and other assessments.
Old habits and thought patterns die hard-this September begins my endless summer-I am retired. I can still empathize.

A Frightened Global Futurist

2005-08-02T21:01:00.000-04:00

More anxieties, more neurotic thoughts, more clear and present dangers are evoked each time we partake of the media's offerings. Television, movies, the internet, newspapers and magazines keep adding new horrors to incorporate into our list of doomsday scenarios. Scenarios that include dirty bombs, super volcano eruptions, nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) attacks, killer weather, global warming, biotech disasters, alien invasions, asteroid impact and nanotechnology disasters are a mere sampling. One may select from either a natural or human triggered apocalypse.
A new end to the world as we know it scenario truly alarms me. I learned about this scenario by reading the Doomsday Guide, a comprehensive, organized and easy to comprehend resource found on Road Runner. My paranoia is running deep. Officials fear an inevitable flu pandemic and say medicine will be powerless to fight it. Vaccines will either be incapable of fighting these new strains of virus or unavailable to the majority of plebeians. Medical agencies in the United States and around the world have warned of the danger and tried to mobilize since a wave of avian flu began sweeping through poultry in Southeast Asia and spread to people. Germs and people have always coexisted, but occassionally the balance gets out of whack. Intensive agriculture and land development are bringing humans closer to animal pathogens. Pandemics are caused by strains of virus that are highly contagious and to which people have no immunity. These strains arise from the chance scrambling and recombination of an animal flu virus and a human one. International travel means diseases can spread faster than ever. Sounds like Thomas Malthus and population control.
Little comfort is found as baffled health officials debate proposals for unprecedented countermeasures. The idea of closing schools or transit systems, restricting international travel, nationalizing supplies of critical medical equipment, quarantining infected families, and vaccinating only children is more than frightening and does not promise to be successful in combating a pandemic.

2005-07-31T23:04:00.000-04:00

Nascar Sophisticate

2005-07-30T23:31:00.000-04:00

Last week I received an invitation to Sirius Satellite Radio at the Glen. I read so I know something about this new type of radio. Technology to bring more noise and isolation into the world. Somehow this invitation was tied to Nascar racing. Years ago my first question would have been what does one wear to this event. Having realized somewhere after forty that no one turned around, well perhaps a few, when I entered a room-- knowledge and expertise have become my main assets in new social situations. At least I have over two weeks to prepare for my new status as Nascar sophisticate. Sometimes you just get lucky. Road Runner must be a new technological guardian angel. Today's special feature was about Nascar. Without having to ask my host a thousand questions about the invite to the Glen on 8/14/05, I learned enough through Nascar.com about Nascar races and the Watkins Glen International to hide my novice status and perhaps enough to impress my host and his friends. From a fabulous Nascar glossary and Tech tips to the biographies of famous drivers I am armed and ready. The Nascar point system evokes no fear and I will definitely toss around the name of Tony Stewart, last year's winner and probably throw in a little history about this race that goes all the way back to 1948. That is the year I got started too. I know how long the race course is, 2.45 miles, and that the type of car that has usually won is a Chevrolet. I"m confident now that I can successfully handle any Nascar event from Daytona to Phoenix to Atlanta to Pennsylvania. Next I will have to shop for that appropriate outfit. By the way I still do not know what to wear.

BSL for the Ultimate Canine Gladiator

2005-07-28T17:57:00.000-04:00

Woke up to the news that Denver won a court fight and reinstated one of the toughest pit-bull bans in the nation. More than 380 dogs have been impounded and at least 260 destroyed since May in Denver. Denver is one of three major metropolitan areas, along with Cincinnati and Miami, to ban pit bulls. This BSL (Breed Specific Legislation) applies to any dog in Denver that looks like a pit bull. All the guests on this morning news show seemed genuinely concerned, angry and somewhat unsure of what is fact and what is myth when one deals with pit bulls. Critics of the ban used words like "annihilation" and "genocide".
Having time and wonderful resources available (Road Runner), I wanted to learn if pit bulls were victims of their own genetic code. Having been sensationalized by the media and presented in literature, movies and television as the ultimate fighting machine, pit bulls evoke fear in much of the population. Visions of locking jaws, (psi) jaw strength greater than any other breed and viciousness unparalled in the canine world add to the pit bull's negative image.
Pit bulls were imported to the United States from England shortly before the Civil War. Selectively bred for combat with other dogs the pit bull is genetically predisposed to dog aggression. Gameness was the most cherished trait in this type of fighting dog. Gameness is defined as the willingness to see a task through to its end, even under penalty of serious injury or death. While the public holds many misperceptions of the Pit Bull, it is impossible to erase genetics, and these dogs are too often dangerous to other animals and people.
Many pit bull owners are working to promote a positive image-one of a dog that is a loving, loyal and safe pet. Descriptions even more appropriate to other breeds. While no one wants to see an animal they care for impounded, destroyed, or sent away to another locale or animal sanctuary, perhaps it is time to stop breeding this dog and to pass additional Breed Specific Legislation that will ban or regulate ownership of pit bulls and other breeds known for attacking.

Is Bigger Always Better?

2005-07-27T22:20:00.000-04:00

I learned this week that since 1970 the size of the average home in the United States has increased by 55 percent (to 2,330 square feet) while the size of the average family has decreased 13 percent. Houses that are more that habitable are thrown down to create monster houses that seem to be almost self sufficient with every recreational activity addressed within the confines of the house. Interaction with the outside world is often redundant. Back yards and family get togethers often belong to storybooks. Within this monster house the inhabitants may be physically and even emotionally isolated from one another.
Possessions rather than people are emphasized, as the size of media rooms, swimming pools, tennis courts, and home gyms become the focus of the home owner. Walk in closets rather than proximity to children's rooms often determine the desirability of a house. Where is it written that every child must have their own bedroom and playroom?
In order to purchase and maintain this type of home people often choose to have smaller families. Only children are often the norm in communities with zero lots; as lot size equals the size of the home. The long term effects on society are not difficult to comprehend. At what point is a house too large to be a home?

The Greens Were Not Quite Right

2005-07-25T18:50:00.000-04:00

Being totally obsessed with Road Runner weather statistics(local, national and international) and stories, watching too many tomorrow movies and earth catching fire scenario movies, being unsure as to what happened last December to the earth's axis after the devastating earthquake and tsunami keeps me totally engrossed in our environment. I fear spending far too much energy on possible government coverups (remember Roswell), but I can not stop wondering what happened to the immediate news bulletin about the change in the earth's axis after the earthquake and the effect it would have on earth's climates. These possibilities coupled with the growing number of heat waves globally and the earlier and more potent hurricane season leave too many questions unanswered. While experts speak of global warming, something more seems to be happening. Friends speak of the sun not being in the proper place in the sky, some complain of horrific sun burns in temperate climates, others notice that the leaves on the trees, the grass and the plants do not seem to be the right color green this year. Hopefully someone will address these growing concerns.

A Bubble In Need Of Bursting

2005-07-23T22:29:00.000-04:00

Well armed thanks to my Road Runner realtor resources, I have been absent as I continue in search of my new perfect home. Thought that well earned pension might permit me to be the master in this quest. As each month, probably more accurately each day, passes the 'American Dream' becomes more unattainable for the majority of the new real estate havenots. Perhaps this new stock market or the new breed of real estate agent barracudas have created a bubble that needs to be slowly squeezed back to reality. Traveling the east coast of the United States, utilizing my Road Runner maps, the pattern is constant. New list prices constantly replace old list prices. Utilizing the concept of low mortgage rates to justify ridiculous prices on homes, buyers face difficulties when banks refuse to assess properties on the new purchasing price. Those in the unfortunate situation of being first time buyers or having sold and waited to purchase another home will find themselves waiting and hoping for this real estate bubble to burst.

Trust the Seat of Your Pants

2005-06-30T09:45:00.001-04:00

Road Runner and their amazing site http://www. BeepBeep.com, are helping this newbie become an informed and sophisticated automobile consumer. An article by T.J. Cobb on this site gives me an entirely new view of the time honored test drive. The author does not promise that his guidelines will guarantee unmitigated bliss; but his suggestion that the consumer develop a list of two or three alternatives in the same general size and price range to test drive, will motivate me to see how the Lexus Sc430 compares to some of its competitors. I learn from another Road Runner resource that the Mercedes SL500 and the Jaguar XK8 are the competitors. I hope my favorite relative's choice stacks up versus the competition.
Given a short test drive checklist that covers a lot of ground (quality, adjustability, roominess, engine response, transmission, noise, handling, braking and ride quality), I am ready and confident that I can call the shots rather than the salesperson and the dealership. T.J. Cobb even suggests that before getting down to the definitive test drive of the vehicle, every consumer should test drive the dealership first. It is essential to check out the reputation of the dealership, and cruise the service department checking out neatness, organization, even the service representatives. His guidelines are easy to follow and will probably prevent a great deal of grief and time lost.

Trust the Seat of Your Pants

2005-06-30T09:45:00.000-04:00

STANDARDS

2005-06-29T12:20:00.000-04:00

When did mediocrity become superiority or average become excellent in our culture? On a global level this might explain our disturbing status. I recall a time when anything made in the United States was considered the "best".
On a national level we have lowered standards whether it be in the field of education or building a house. Compounded by the unfortunate fact that very few in our society are truly held accountable for the quality and endurance of their product, consumers look for warranties on just about everything. Faulty and shoody products and workmanship too often are the norm. A warranty often is not worth the paper it is printed on and be prepared to have a magnifying glass available to read the very fine print.
We laugh at movies that deal with houses that eat up people's life savings or fall on their heads because we have known that horrible feeling of impotence when dealing with contractors.
Even a buyer that is aware can find themselves victimized by a lack of high standards, and a mentality that accepts mediocrity and rejects longevity in a product.

Curvaceous Daring and Eye-Catching

2005-06-27T23:45:00.000-04:00

If dogs often look like their owners, and couples often begin to look like one another; do people often select cars (finances permiting) that reflect their real or desired personalities and physical attributes?
Given that oil prices closed today at $60.00 a barrel for the first time ever-I imagine there are more pertinent questions ahead for the internal combustion engine and its housing.
Revisiting my Road Runner resource, www.BeepBeep.com, I continue my online study of the 2005 Lexus SC430. The review of this model causes me to drool, and I seriously begin to ponder the purchase of two of these upscale and refined automobiles. The extremely literate, sensuous, exciting, informative RR review encourages the reader to utilize all their senses as they gain expertise about the car and ready themselves to deal with the car dealership. From the Walkaround to the Interior Features, from the Driving Impressions to the Specifications as Tested, one learns that in spite of the car's luxurious overtones, it delivers superb performance. I am a convert-no other car, even one equipped with rear wheel drive and a 4.3-liter V8 (costing $63,175.00), seems capable of delivering the same smooth, luxurious top-down dynamic motoring. It seems a car has finally been created for my favorite relative.

Get To See Them Enjoy It Now

2005-06-26T11:50:00.000-04:00

While most of my friends and acquaintances are busy writing wills and buying long term care policies (to protect their assets for their heirs) I have made the decision to see those heirs enjoy the spoils of a lifetime of very difficult work (mine) while I still smell the air and see their pleasure of having dreams (material ones at least) come true.
Having heard my favorite relative speak of a dream car, the Lexus SC430, my research begins. To avoid confronting the terrible 3 H's of summer, this little more than a newbie has made the decision to utilize the tools of this Information Revolution. Using the Road Runner resource www.beepbeep.com to buy this car, I will be an extremely informed consumer and will have much to add to any conversation about the future design and specs of many automobiles. Why? As I go to www.beepbeep.com there is a wealth of information in well written articles. Of greatest interest is the prospect of the return of the muscle car in 2009. The Challenger will even have a V-8" hemi "engine. Anyone out there remember those monsters? This new breed will be a great deal more efficient; not a gas guzzler because it will be a low compression engine with 250 horsepower. WOW! I know I have time to read these fascinating articles because this site will give me car reviews by year. The Lexus purchase can be patient. My favorite relative will understand.

Newbie Goes International with RR

2005-06-24T00:54:00.000-04:00

This newbie got really lucky. My favorite family member invited me to Central America for an all inclusive holiday. What I did not let her in on was the unfortunate fact that I do not have a U.S. passport. I truly dreaded the thought of dealing with the bureaucracy; getting the application, finding out where and when to submit the completed application.
Now you have to understand that three weeks ago I was incapable and incompetent in sending an e-Mail. I called it the devil's technology. More on that topic another time. I had to ask what an IM address is. Difficult to comprehend in this so called information age.
Taking on the challenge, using my RR resources, I googled the State Department and began a surprisingly pleasant experience. RR quickly led this newbie to the U.S. Dept. of State-Services and Consular Affairs (http://travel state.gov). In a few minutes I successfully printed the directions, the application, the nearest location to apply, dates and times of operation and if needed where photos could be obtained. I saved time, gasoline and above all alot of aggravation.I even learned state department tips for safe travel.
Road Runner has helped me enter this so called Information Age. I am no longer a dinosaur.

Witnesses-We All Need Them

2005-06-19T22:20:00.000-04:00

Another Hallmark holiday! Father's Day , Mother's Day, Grandparent's Day-shouldn't everyday be special for those we hold dear. Hopefully your holiday was a good one. For those who have lost a father, or are not able to be a father, or unfortunately are estranged from your father-I suspect there have been better days. Father's Day will become tomorrow.
There is one day that everyone can and should feature as a special Hallmark Day. Surprisingly, Hallmark seems to have neglected a day for Friends; for cards, gifts, visits and even guilt. In a little known Spanish proverb it is said,"Death without a friend is a life without a witness." All our lives we need witnesses . Or as Sophocles stated long ago, "He who throws away a friend is as bad as he who throws away his life." Plato viewed friendship between two people as infinite and immortal. Hallmark! Where are you?
While love is often defined as an excessive degree of tolerance, true friendship manifests itself as reciprocal benevolence. While we do not select our relatives we are fortunate to be able to select our witnesses. With a witness you can reveal your vanities, envies, fears, hates, and your absurdities without fear of losing the loyalty offered by true friendship. Friends Day! A day we can celebrate and share throughout our lives as we develop new friendships, honor longterm friendships and bring new witnesses into our lives.

69ing IS NOT THE ANSWER

2005-06-17T17:39:00.000-04:00

GOTCHA! I guess there's truth in the notion that money, sex and power are the greatest motivators--with a little idealism thrown in. No- this is not about 69 in the biblical sense but about the audacity of one of our elected officials truly believing that raising the Social Security age to 69 will cure all the ills of a system that has been played and replayed with the permission and blessing of our legislators. The majority of citizens are not aware of the built in abuses that threaten the future of millions of Americans in generations to follow.

Are you aware that:
I. People who have copulated successfully in their later years receive S.S. payments as do all their offspring until they reach the age of 18-just as though the parent were deceased. Having children later in life is a luxury. Was this a reason for the creation of the S.S. system?
II.People who have lost their mate, then remarried and divorced can choose to collect the first mate's S.S. benefits if they are greater than their own benefits. Isn't this having it both ways? Expensive.
III.Some widows and widowers collect their dead mate's S.S. benefits at the age of 62 . They then change over to collect their own benefits at a higher rate at age 65. Once again people who are not married are penalized. Some collect at 60 a survivor's benefit and then switch to collect their own at 65. Once again at the maximum rate.
IV. Mates of Social Security recipients who have never paid into the system receive approximately half of their mates benefits. Not to work is a choice or a luxury-therefore if one collects from the system one should pay into it via their mates contribution.
V. Disability benefits are often so difficult to receive that when a disabled person is able to find employment they are fearful of giving up those benefits for fear that they will have to go through the entire process once again.

If these aberrations of the system were to be addressed, 69 would never be needed. We cannot place blame on those that have learned to manipulate the system for their benefit. We need to reexamine the reasons for the creation of the Social Security system and make it work to meet the needs of a changing population.

Marsha Speaks of Marsha

2005-06-15T21:59:00.003-04:00

Having been vaccinated by a phonograph needle I finally know contentment having found the soap box of the 21st century-'the blog'. This deflated idealist will attempt to expose, discuss, and address the injustices that often prevent us from competing successfully in our global community. I have been called opinionated as I examine our society's values, as I call for justice and equality for all members of our American mosaic, and I ask others to empathize. No bleeding heart liberal, no paragon of perfection rather a vintage personality with a great deal left to give, to share, to explore and to learn.
Retired too early from the world of urban education-nothing like a pension to help one decide to seek other adventures-I seek a new status within a new age. Freedom and leisure need respect and direction. I have the respect--still working on the direction. How very fortunate I am.

Marsha Speaks of Marsha

2005-06-15T21:59:00.002-04:00

My internet speeds....

2005-06-07T08:41:00.000-04:00

I just figured out that internet speed is reliant upon distance from a switch and router.