When giving directions in Florida, you must always start with the word “Take.” “Take I-75, “Take I-4 “or “Take I-95.” When crossing the border into Florida, forget about all of the driving rules you ever knew. If you’re a snowbird or a non-working retiree, you absolutely do not drive between the hours of 8 A.M. to 10 A.M. and 4 P.M. to 7 P.M. This is considered to be RUSH HOUR, and you are not in any rush! Freeways only go north and south. Tolls are a fact of life. The state has to make money to maintain the highways. Accept this as reality! I-275 (Tampa area) will always be under construction. That is reality, and there is nothing anyone can do about it! ‘A1A’ and ‘Alt. A1A’ are the same road. Traffic lights are not timed. Accept it, and learn to live with it. You measure the distance you travel in time, not miles. If you travel more than 5-10 miles on any road in any part of Florida without seeing an orange barricade, you are lost! If you miss your exit on I-75, I-4, or I-275, it is perfectly acceptable to back up! Every street in Florida has one or more names and a number or numbers (i . e . Adamo = Rt. 60). Learn to take pleasure from reaction you get from visitors when you give them directions. Once the light turns green, only 3 cars can go through the intersection, eight more go through on yellow, and 4 more on red. You must learn the difference between SunPass, Sun Fest, Sun-Sentinel. and SunTrust. Flip flops, tank tops, and baggy shorts are also known as business casual. Plaids and stripes of different colors at the same time are the norm. Your car’s signal blinkers mean nothing. Join the rest of your driver friends and leave your blinkers on at all times. English is our first and second language. It is perfectly acceptable to brag about the size of your emergency generator. We have alligators here in Florida, and they WILL bite you. Don’t be stupid and try to feed one. You might as well try to pet one. When a hurricane is headed our way, even though you have advance warning, and you are told to be prepared, you are not a true Floridian unless you wait until the absolute last minute to go to Home Depot to pick up plywood or to Publix to stock up water, ice, and potato chips. You must learn how to spell Okeechobee. There is an Okeechobee Lake, Town, County, Blvd., Street, and Avenue. A true Floridian does NOT own a boat. They make friends with someone who already owns one. That way you don’t have to deal with any of the headaches. You weren’t born here. If you were, you’re angry that anyone else has moved here. There is always a Walgreens across the street from a CVS on nearly every corner, with more being built every day. When picking up a woman on South Beach, always check for an Adam’s apple. It’s normal to sweat when you are putting up your Christmas holiday decorations. In south Florida, the four seasons are summer. There is a city called ‘The Villages’ where over 250,000 old people live that all drive golf carts and dance in the streets. About 65% of these people are swingers; the rest just got too old to care about it. (They have the highest number of cases of VD/STDs in the world!) Jupiter is a city, not a planet. Seniors have to do their errands during the weekdays, on weekends. Those are for the working folks. There are three types of dolphins: Mahi-mahi, Flipper, and the Miami Dolphin football team. You can’t say; ‘This is how we did it up north’. If you think that way, then go back up north. Just remember, I-95 and I-75 run both ways. No matter what they decide in Tallahassee, you will never, ever be able to figure out your property taxes. Learn how to dress in layers. It will be 95 degrees outside. But inside every restaurant and most businesses it will be 65 degrees. With the slightest hint of a hurricane, your house insurance will be cancelled. The biggest Asian pythons in the world now reside in the Everglades. You want to live on a lake? If you can’t afford lakefront property, dig a hole. Early bird dinner starts at 4, but be there at 3. Have plastic bags in your purse or pocket for the packets of sugar, Splenda, etc. True Floridians rarely go to the local beach. Those who do go are easily recognized by their tobacco-colored leather skin. Don’t even think about going to Boca unless you are wearing at least once piece of gold lame.’ Always be observant of cars driving through store windows, into canals, and into swimming pools. Note that most cars are driven by headless drivers. When you do see them, there is always either white or blue hair and over-sized, black, wrap-around sunglasses. This would be even funnier if it were not all true!
Category Archives: Friends Submissions
Friends Submissions
Roof Safety Issue
I wanted to follow up my earlier post. Wildlife Patrol, Robert Schafer 407-575-6783 (cell) & 866-8727 (office) inspected my neighbor’s roof upon his request and discovered the exact same problem I had regarding an unsecured roof vent. Additionally, my neighbor has a gable roof (mine is a hip root) and found joint openings at the corner angles (joints) under the roof lip large enough for him to place his hand partially through the opening into the attic space.
Such openings will allow wind driven rain to enter the attic in addition to allowing strong winds an entry point under the roof that could possibly result in very negative consequences. He observed similar openings in the gable roof of my other next door neighbor also. We all had new roofs installed within the last year or so.
That’s three (3) out of three (3) roofs with serious potential problems. I’d wager there are other homes out there with similar undetected problems. Without my roof rat/s, I never would have ever known. I’d recommend for all to conduct an independent or personal inspection ref. attempting to physically test the security of all roof vents by attempting to lift roof vents to test if they are secure and inspecting all gable angles/joints for your own welfare.
If you are relying on the final inspection conducted by the installer or the City building inspector, you may be making the same mistake I made. My roof may have passed those inspections but my roof was definitely not secure in terms of potential wind or water damage. I’m sure any roofer or competent handyman could conduct such an inspection.
Unsecured vent on new roof & roof rats
I had a new roof installed in 2015. Unfortunately, I have roof rats and contacted Wildlife Patrol, Robert Schafer, who lives here in Clermont. He conducted an inspection and discovered an unsecured roof vent which he could easily lift with his hand. He advised the rat/s probably simply lifted the vent to enter. He inspects for free.
Naturally, the greater danger is the unsecured vent. Had we experienced a hurricane, the wind might have lifted the vent from the vent hole allowing the wind/rain to enter our home at a minimum. At the worst, the wind would have lifted the roof off of our home.
He’s going to secure the vent, seal other potential entry points and exterminate the rodents. I’d strongly recommend that all home owners should check to see if their roof vents are secure, especially if you have a new roof. The rodents were a blessing in disguise as we might have suffered irreparable storm damage.
When the Clermont building inspector signed off on the job, he never went up on the roof but only viewed it from the ground. In my opinion, his inspection was worthless other than justifying the permit fee for the City.
Submitted by Paul Wilks, Summit Greens
Thank you so much for bringing awareness to this problem and solution to our neighborhood.
Mary’s Lamb
Thank you, Mary Kay Wienberg, for sending this very thought-provoking article.
Signers of the Declaration of Independence – Their Lives
Well….., what the hell is happening to us?????
Well….., what the hell is happening to us?????
Democrats and
Republicans
(‘different’ ONLY in name)
We read all the jokes and forward the good ones but
I just wonder who will pass this one on.
How about you sending it on, and back to me,
if you have enough ‘chutzpah’ to do so.
I do
And I wonder just how many I will get back?
Someone please tell me what the HELL’s wrong with
all the people that run this country!!!!!!
Both Democrats and Republicans say, “We’re broke” And can’t help our own Seniors, Veterans, Orphans, Homeless, Etc.,?????
But, over the last several years THEY have provided direct cash aid to….
Hamas – $351 M,
Libya – $1.45 B ,
Egypt – $397 M,
Mexico – $622 M,
Russia – $380 M,
Haiti – $1.4 B,
Jordan – $463 M,
Kenya – $816 M,
Sudan – $870 M,
Nigeria – $456 M,
Uganda – $451 M,
Congo – $359 M,
Ethiopia – $981 M,
Pakistan – $2 B ,
South Africa – $566 M,
Senegal – $698 M,
Mozambique – $404 M,
Zambia – $331 M,
Kazakhstan – $304 M,
Iraq – $1.08 B ,
Tanzania – $554 M,
…with literally Billions of Dollars and those assholes still hate us!!!!
But on the other hand, Our retired seniors, Living on a ‘fixed income,’ Receive NO aid!
Nor do they get any breaks, while our government
And religious organizations will pour
Hundreds of Billions Of $$$$$$’s
and Tons of Food to Foreign Countries!
Someone needs to explain to them that Charity begins
AT HOME!!!
And another atrocity….
We have Hundreds of adoptable
American Children who are shoved aside
To make room for the adoption of
Foreign orphans.
AMERICA : A country where we have
countless homeless without shelter,
children going to bed hungry,
elderly going without needed medication
and the mentally ill without treatment — etc.
YET ……….They will have a ‘Benefit’ Show
for the people of Haiti , on 12 TV Stations ;
Ships and planes lining up with food, water, tents
clothes, bedding, doctors and medical supplies.
Now just imagine if our own *GOVERNMENT*
gave ‘US’ the same support they give to foreign countries.
Sad, isn’t it?
99% of people won’t have the ‘chutzpah’ to forward this.
WELL, I’m one of the 1% who just did.— Shame on you if this does not make you VERY angry.
Submitted by Dominica VanDeventer
History Lesson on Your Social Security Card
Just in case some of you young whippersnappers (& some older ones) didn’t know this. It’s easy to check out, if you don’t believe it. Be sure and show it to your family and friends. They need a little history lesson on what’s what and it doesn’t matter whether you are Democrat or Republican. Facts are Facts.
Social Security Cards up until the 1980s expressly stated the number and card were not to be used for identification purposes. Since nearly everyone in the United States now has a number, it became convenient to use it anyway and the message, NOT FOR IDENTIFICATION, was removed.
Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social Security (FICA) Program. He promised:
1.) That participation in the Program would be completely voluntary,
No longer Voluntary
2.) That the participants would only have to pay 1% of the first $1,400 of their annual
Incomes into the Program,
Now 7.65% on the first $90,000
3.) That the money the participants elected to put into the Program would be deductible from their income for tax purposes each year,
No longer tax deductible
4.) That the money the participants put into the independent ‘Trust Fund’ rather than into the general operating fund, and therefore, would only be used to fund the Social Security
Retirement Program, and no other Government program, and,
Under Johnson the money was moved to the General Fund and spent.
5.) That the annuity payments to the retirees would never be taxed as income.
Under Clinton & Gore Up to 85% of your Social Security can be taxed.
Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and are now receiving a Social Security check every month — and then finding that we are getting taxed on 85% of the money we paid to the Federal government to ‘put away’ — you may be interested in the following:
Q: Which Political Party took Social Security from the independent ‘Trust Fund’ and put it into the general fund so that Congress could spend it?
A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the democratically controlled House and Senate.
Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding?
A: The Democratic Party.
Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social Security annuities?
A: The Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting the ‘tie-breaking’ deciding vote as President of the Senate, while he was Vice President of the US.
Q: Which Political Party decided to start giving annuity payments to immigrants?
AND MY FAVORITE:
A: That’s right! Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party. Immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65, began to receive Social Security payments! The Democratic Party gave these payments to them, even though they never paid a dime into it!
Then, after violating the original contract (FICA), the Democrats turn around and tell you that the Republicans want to take your Social Security away!
And the worst part about it is uninformed citizens believe it! If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of awareness will be planted and maybe changes will evolve. But it’s worth a try.
How many people can YOU send this to?
Actions speak louder than bumper stickers
Submitted by Bob DuShaw
4 Irrefutable Facts
These facts are irrefutable.
A wise person once said:
1. We all love to spend money buying new clothes but we never realize that the best moments in life are enjoyed without clothes.
2. Having a cold drink on hot day with a few friends is nice, but having a hot friend on a cold night after a few drinks – PRICELESS.
3. Arguing over a girl’s bust size is like choosing between Coors, Budweiser, Michelob & Samual Adams. Men may state their preferences, but will grab whatever is available.
AND
4. I haven’t verified this on Snopes or Google but it sounds legit. A recent study found that women who carry a little extra weight live longer than the men who mention it.
Submitted by Don & Nadine Allen
Some Very Cool Pictures
The History of Flag Day
A Wisdom Quote
Thank you to my dear friends, Don and Nadine Allen for submitting these thoughts to live by. You haven’t missed a beat in the over thirty years of friendship and business. God be with you.
New Old Stuff
Earthday
St. Patrick’s Day Primer
Valentine’s Day Trivia
Wild pigs; A parable and a fact.
About the below parable-Lets’ see-Greece-already with big international loans, claim they are about to run out of money- Venezuela, who stole most business years ago, took over the grocery chains last week, cause their folks are hungry-starving, Cuba died, many years ago-Probably could N Korea be on the list and no doubt the parable will remind you of some other past last nations or “some just around the corner”?? Isn’t is amazing-two tied together countries-N Korea-S Korea-one booming-one dying-Just a small amount of people-dictators, can get all the “pigs” fenced in !! PS As you disembark those cruise ships to explore those nations to our south-it “hits you in the face” unless you have your eyes closed , along with your mind!!!
Wild pigs; A parable and a fact.
One day while in class at a large college, a professor noticed one young man, an exchange student, who kept rubbing his back and stretching as if his back hurt. The professor asked the young man what was the matter.
The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country’s government and install a new communist regime. In the midst of his story, the student looked at the professor and asked a strange question, “Do you know how to catch wild pigs?”
The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man assured the professor that his question was no joke and went on to say.
“You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come every day to eat the free corn.
When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence.
They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in the last side.
The pigs, which are now used to and want the free corn, eventually begin to come through the gate to get to the free corn. When all the pigs get inside, you slam the gate and catch the whole herd.
Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They are confused and run around inside the fence, but soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity.”
The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening in America . The government keeps pushing us toward Communism/Socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tax exemptions, tobacco subsidies, welfare entitlements, medicine, drugs, etc., while we continually lose our freedoms, just a little at a time.
God help us all when the gate slams shut! Marx once said, “Remove one freedom per generation and soon you will have no freedom and no one would have noticed.”
If you think the free ride is essential to your way of life, then you will probably not share this.
AND AWAY IT GOES…
Political Correctness
Political Correctness
A definition worth remembering:
There’s an annual contest at Bond University, Australia, calling
for the most appropriate definition of a contemporary term.
This year’s chosen term to be defined was
“Political Correctness” and the winning student wrote :
“Political Correctness is the doctrine (fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and promoted by an unthinking mainstream media) which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.“
A Remarkable Statue
A Remarkable Statue
I, for one, am thankful for the power of the Internet. I would never see this in or on any of this country’s main media outlets.
Shame on them.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS? OR WHERE THIS IS?
This statue currently stands outside the Iraqi palace, now home to the 4th Infantry division. It will eventually be shipped home and put in the memorial museum in Fort Hood, Texas.
The statue was created by an Iraqi artist named Kalat, who for years was forced by Saddam Hussein to make the many hundreds of bronze busts of Saddam that dotted Baghdad.
Kalat was so grateful for the America’s liberation of his country; he melted 3 of the heads of the fallen Saddam and made the statue as a memorial to the American soldiers and their fallen warriors.
Kalat worked on this memorial night and day for several months.
To the left of the kneeling soldier is a small Iraqi girl giving the soldier comfort as he mourns the loss of his comrades in arms.
Do you know why we don’t hear about this in the news? The media avoids it because it does not have the shock effect. But we can do something about it.
We can pass this along to as many people as we can in honor of all our brave military who are making a difference.
Ten Things That Will Disappear In Your Lifetime
We thank Tom Maibach for finding this most enlightening article.
A Bird’s View of Life
Thanks to Jane Kiper for sending another keeper!
Groundhog’s Day Trivia
Eight Picture and a Speech to Make You Think
There are no words to add to this!!! But Churchill saw it coming. Read his ending comment.
Makes you think!
IRAN 1970
IRAN 2012
AFGHANISTAN
EGYPT (Cairo University) 1959
EGYPT (Cairo University) 2012
NETHERLANDS (Amsterdam) 1980
NETHERLANDS (Amsterdam) 2012
…And some people still do not see a reason to worry!
Winston Churchill 1899. “Individual Muslims may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world.”===============================================================================================
This is amazing. Even more amazing is that this hasn’t been published long before now.
CHURCHILL ON ISLAM Unbelievable, but the speech below was written in 1899.
(Check Wikipedia – The River War). The attached short speech from Winston Churchill, was delivered by him in 1899 when he was a young soldier and journalist. It probably sets out the current views of many, but expresses in the wonderful Churchillian turn of phrase and use of the English language, of which he was a past master. Sir Winston Churchill was, without doubt, one of the greatest men of the late 19th and 20th centuries. He was a brave young soldier, a brilliant journalist, an extraordinary politician and statesman, a great war leader and British Prime Minister, to whom the Western world must be forever in his debt. He was a prophet in his own time. He died on 24th January 1965, at the grand old age of 90 and, after a lifetime of service to his country, was accorded a State funeral.
HERE IS THE SPEECH:
“How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries, improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live. A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement, the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property, either as a child, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men. Individual Muslims may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome.”
Sir Winston Churchill; (Source: The River War, first edition, Vol II, pages 248-250 London). Churchill saw it coming.
AND WHO TOOK THE BUST OF CHURCHILL OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE????
Thank you, Minnie VanDeventer for a very interesting and eye-opening article.
TWO STATES IN THE MIDDLE OF AMERICA!
TWO STATES IN THE MIDDLE OF AMERICA!
Illinois & Oklahoma:
I thought these two states, made for an interesting contrast. The first part about Illinois and the second part is about Oklahoma!
PART 1 – Illinois
“A State with No Republicans”!
Some interesting data on the ‘state’ of the State of Illinois… There are more people on welfare in Illinois than there are people working. Chicago pays the highest wages to teachers than anywhere else in the U.S. Their average pay is $110,000/year. Their pensions average 80-90% of their income. Wow, are Illinois and Chicago great or what? Be sure to read till the end. I’ve never heard it explained better. Perhaps the U.S. should pull out of Chicago?
Body count:
In the last six months, 292 killed (murdered) in Chicago.
221 killed in Iraq; AND Chicago has one of the strictest gun laws in the entire US.
Here’s the Chicago chain of command:
President: Barack Hussein Obama.
Senator: Dick Durbin.
House Representative: Jesse Jackson Jr.
Governor: Pat Quinn.
House leader: Mike Madigan.
Atty. Gen.: Lisa Madigan (daughter of Mike).
Mayor: Rahm Emanuel.
The leadership in Illinois – all Democrats.
Thank you for the combat zone in Chicago.
Of course, they’re all blaming each other.
Can’t blame Republicans; there aren’t any!
Let us get ALL the facts out while we are at it:
Chicago school system rated one of the worst in the country. Can’t blame Republicans; there aren’t any!
State pension fund $78 Billion in debt, worst in country.
Can’t blame Republicans; there aren’t any!
Cook County ( Chicago ) sales tax 10.25% highest in country. Can’t blame Republicans; there aren’t any!
This is the political culture that Obama comes from in Illinois. And he is going to ‘fix’ Washington politics for us?
George Ryan is no longer Governor, he is in prison.
He was replaced by Rob Blagojevich who is, by the way, also in prison.
And Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. resigned and, that’s right, he and his wife are both in prison.
The Land of Lincoln, where our Governors and Representatives make our license plates. What?
As long as they keep providing entitlements to the population of Chicago, nothing is going to change, except the state will go bankrupt before the country does.
“Anybody who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the Government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian.”
Don’t forget Detroit , another great example of a Democratic empire.
With all the bad news, there is hope, so let’s go to:
PART 2- Oklahoma
OKLAHOMA- may soon have plenty of new residents!
THIS IS REALLY INTERESTING, AND TRUE… PLEASE READ IT!
Oklahoma is the only state that Obama did not win even one county in the last election. While everyone is focusing on Arizona’s new law, look what Oklahoma has been doing!!!
An update from Oklahoma:
Oklahoma law passed, 37 to 9 an amendment to place the Ten Commandments on the front entrance to the state capitol. The feds in D.C., along with the ACLU, said it would be a mistake. Hey this is a conservative state, based on Christian values… HB 1330
Guess what. Oklahoma did it anyway.
Oklahoma recently passed a law in the state to incarcerate all illegal immigrants and ship them back to where they came from unless they want to get a green card and become an American citizen. They all scattered. HB1804. This was against the advice of the Federal Government, and the ACLU, they said it would be a mistake.
Guess what… Oklahoma did it anyway.
Recently we passed a law to include DNA samples from any and all illegals to the Oklahoma database, for criminal investigative purposes. Pelosi said it was unconstitutional SB1102.
Guess what… Oklahoma did it anyway.
Several weeks ago, Oklahoma passed a law, declaring Oklahoma as a Sovereign state, not under the Federal Government directives. Joining, Texas, Montana and Utah as the only states to do so. More states are likely to follow: Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, West Virginia, Mississippi and Florida. Save your confederate money, it appears the South is about to rise up once again. HJR 1003
The federal Government has made bold steps to take away our guns. Oklahoma, a week ago, passed a law confirming people in this state have the right to bear arms and transport them in their vehicles. I’m sure that was a setback for the criminals The Liberals didn’t like it- –
But…
Guess what… Oklahoma did it anyway.
Just this month, the state has voted and passed a law that ALL drivers license exams will be printed in English and only English and no other language. They have been called racist for doing this, but the fact is that ALL of the road signs are in English only. If you want to drive in Oklahoma you must read and write English. Really simple.
By the way, the Liberals don’t like any of this either.
Guess what… who cares… Oklahoma is doing it anyway.
Submitted by Bob DuShaw.
Bob Hope
On his death bed they asked him where he wanted to be buried.His answer was, “Surprise me.”
________________________________________________
Do you remember Bob Hope? You’ll enjoy this.
I had forgotten that he lived to be 100,
and also didn’t realize it has been over 11 years since he died.
I Always enjoyed him, his movies, and his show. He touched a lot of lives during his life.
Thought you might enjoy a bit of memory touching. Enjoy and recall a neat comedian.
__________________________________________
BOB HOPE IN HEAVEN
For those of you too young to remember Bob Hope, ask your Grandparents and thanks for the memories.
WHAT A WONDERFUL E-MAIL.
I HOPE THIS WILL PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE AND IN YOUR HEART.
This is a tribute to a man who DID make a difference.
ON TURNING 70
‘I still chase women, but only downhill.’
ON TURNING 80
‘That’s the time of your life when even your birthday suit needs pressing.’
ON TURNING 90
‘You know you’re getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.’
ON TURNING 100
‘I don’t feel old. In fact, I don’t feel anything until noon. Then it’s time for my nap.’
ON GIVING UP HIS EARLY CAREER, BOXING
‘I ruined my hands in the ring. The referee kept stepping on them.’
ON NEVER WINNING AN OSCAR
‘Welcome to the Academy Awards, or, as it’s called at my home, ‘Passover.’
ON GOLF
‘Golf is my profession. Show business is just to pay the green fees.’
ON PRESIDENTS
‘I have performed for 12 presidents but entertained only six.’
ON WHY HE CHOSE SHOWBIZ FOR HIS CAREER
‘When I was born, the doctor said to my mother,
Congratulations, you have an eight pound ham.’
ON RECEIVING THE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL
‘I feel very humble, but I think I have the strength of character to fight it.’
ON HIS FAMILY’S EARLY POVERTY
‘Four of us slept in the one bed. When it got cold, mother threw on another brother.’
ON HIS SIX BROTHERS
‘That’s how I learned to dance. Waiting for the bathroom.’
ON HIS EARLY FAILURES
‘I would not have had anything to eat if it wasn’t for the stuff the audience threw at me.’
ON GOING TO HEAVEN
‘I’ve done benefits for ALL religions. I’d hate to blow the hereafter on a technicality.’
The Aldridge-Benge Firefighter Safety Act of 2008
The Aldridge-Benge Firefighter Safety Act of 2008
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In December 2009, the Florida legislature unanimously passed the Aldridge-Benge Firefighter Safety Act (Florida Statute 633.027), a law that requires the identification of commercial, industrial, or multi-unit residential buildings that contain light-frame construction.
The law is named after two Orange County, Florida, firefighters, Todd Aldridge and Mark Benge, who lost their lives in a 1989 gift shop fire following a collapse of the lightweight trusses.
Efforts to pass this legislation were made a higher priority following the deaths of nine firefighters in Charleston, South Carolina.
The Aldridge-Benge Firefighter Safety Act of 2008
The law requires owners of building that contain light-frame construction to apply markings to the building exterior. The required marking is an 8″ Maltese cross that includes one of the following:
Structures with light-frame truss roofs shall be marked with the letter
“R.”
Structures with light-frame truss floor systems shall be marked with the letter “F.”
Structures with light-frame truss floor and roof systems shall be marked with the letters “RF.”
What Is Light-Frame Construction?
Light-frame (or light-weight) construction is a broad definition of newer types of construction that have become more popular since the 1950s.
The goal of light-frame construction is reduced cost of building materials, faster build time, and reduced cost to the buyer.
It is important to understand these construction methods in order to understand what is actually covered (and not covered) by the new law.
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Most light-frame forms of construction are based on the truss.
Trusses take advantage of the strength of the triangle, and trusses have largely replaced traditional wooden joists/rafters in floor and roof assemblies, and steel I-beams in commercial buildings.
Trusses also offer the ability to span large areas creating an uninterrupted floor space free of supporting columns.
Nowadays, trusses (and other lightweight components) are designed by computer programs and built off-site to exacting standards and dimensions, then delivered to the building site.
Light-frame construction has long been recognized by the fire service for the potential danger of premature collapse.
While light-frame construction meets or exceeds industry standards for strength and durability, these buildings can become unsafe for interior firefighting much faster than buildings that use more traditional building components.
Of the five basic types of construction, lightweight components can be found within these three:
- Type II – Non-Combustible
- Type III – Ordinary
- Type V – Wood Frame
Note: Type 1 construction (Fire Resistive) may contain lightweight components but these are “protected” by a membrane or fire-resistant coating. For this reason Type 1 buildings present a reduced collapse risk when compared to Types II, III, and V.
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Type II — Non-Combustible |
Most commercial buildings (excluding high rises) use Type II construction, most commonly masonry walls with steel roof assemblies.
| Ordinary Construction |
Type III — Ordinary
These buildings can be single or multiple story, and are often referred to as “taxpayers” or “brick and joist” buildings.
Masonry walls with wood floors define this construction type.
Modern Type III uses light-frame wood instead of traditional joists or
tongue and groove planking.
|
Type V — Wood Frame |
Buildings where the frame is entirely wood, although the exterior can be wood, stucco, block, or brick veneer.
This not only includes single-family dwellings but apartments, townhouses, condominiums, and some hotels up to four stories in height.
Forms of Light-Frame Construction
Wood Trusses
Repetitive wood trusses are more commonly used instead of the more traditional solid wood.
While a joist or rafter is a solid wood member (2 x 8, 2 x 10, 2 x 12)
with considerable mass, truss elements are smaller in size (usually 2×4) and have an open web configuration. The wood members are usually connected with metal truss plates (commonly called gusset plates).
There are several truss designs (see chart) and they can be used as floor or roof assemblies.
However, all trusses are not necessarily lightweight. Heavy timber trusses such as the bowstring truss use heavier wood members
although these are far less common in Jacksonville.
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All trusses have top chords, bottom chords, and web members.
When used in floor or flat roof assemblies, trusses also eliminate the horizontal fire separation previously found when solid wood components
were used.
This permits unchecked fire spread within the truss assembly.
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Steel Trusses
These are commonly referred to as “bar joists” but the proper
term is “open web steel truss.”
These can be built using light gauge to heavy gauge steel, and may often contain simple angle iron for the top and bottom chords and rebar for the web members.
Steel trusses are very common in Jacksonville, mostly in mercantile buildings such as convenience stores, strip malls, industrial buildings, and large anchor stores such as Lowes or Wal-Mart.
While steel is a very strong building material, fire can weaken steel prematurely to the point of collapse.
Steel begins losing strength at temperatures lower than actual flame temperatures.
A significant load above the steel framing (such as air handlers or accumulated rainwater) can further weaken the structure.
Engineered Wood
This includes a very broad variety of building materials and their use
has increased in the past two decades.
Engineered wood uses wood products and industrial adhesives to make engineered wood in the shape (and strength) of traditional lumber.
Plywood is a form of engineered wood that has been in common use in the U.S. Building industry for well over 100 years.
One major concern about engineered wood is the performance of adhesives under fire conditions. While independent testing of these adhesives confirms their strength, the fire service remains skeptical.
| Engineered Wood – OSB; LSL; LVL |
In the quest for less expensive wood products, the following engineered woods have been developed:
- Oriented strand board (OSB)
- Laminated strand lumber (LSL)
- Laminated veneer lumber (LVL)
OSB and LVL have replaced plywood in many building applications, while LSL is used to make beams for headers, lintels, and other load-bearing components.
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One type of engineered wood product deserves special attention — the wooden I-joist.
This combines the appearance of a joist with the chord design of a truss — it contains a top and bottom chord made of 2×3 or 2×4 lumber or engineered wood, with a web of relatively thin OSB.
Like all engineered wood products, these meet industry standards for strength but have been identified as the cause of premature collapse in several recent fires nationwide.
Due to the thin web component, burn-through is rapid, thus sacrificing
the bottom chord and precipitating collapse.
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Steel Beams
We are all familiar with the strength and mass of the traditional steel
I-beam. Steel is also used in fire-resistive construction (Type I) to reinforce concrete.
However, a lighter form of steel construction has been developed that can be used in place of the open web steel truss. These are called “C” or “Z” beams depending on their shape (sometimes called “purlins“).
They contain considerably less mass than I-beams and are therefore more susceptible to weakening when exposed to fire.
Expect these beams to weaken much like an open web steel truss.
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Composite Trusses
These use a combination of wood and steel. There are many variations.
Most often wood is used for the chords and light gauge steel or tubing used for the webs.
The photo here shows a truss plate incorporated into the metal web members.
What Construction Is Covered by the Law?
Now that we have a better understanding of light-frame construction, let’s take a closer look at the specifics of the Aldridge-Benge Firefighter Safety Act. The original wording is contained in Florida Statute 633.027, with a subsequent Florida Administrative Code to provide direction in implementation.
Here are the major components of the Florida Administrative Code:
“The purpose of this rule is to require the placement of an identifying symbol on structures constructed with a light-frame truss component in a manner sufficient to warn persons conducting fire control and other emergency operations of the existence of light-frame truss-type construction in the structure.”
“Light-frame truss-type construction” means a type of construction
whose primary structural elements are formed by a system of repetitive wood or light gauge steel framing members.”
The definition above has created confusion within the fire service, code enforcement agencies, and the building industry. While the wood truss is clearly identified, other forms of lightweight
construction are not as clearly included despite the intent of the original law.
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In 2010, Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshall Alex Sink issued a declaratory statement in an effort to clarify the definition of light-frame construction. This statement specifically excluded lightweight steel construction including the open web steel truss and the C/Z beam.
It is still unclear if the wooden I-joist meets the requirements of the
law.
In response to this, the Florida Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association (FFMIA) has proposed additional legislation that clearly defines light-frame construction.
If this legislation is approved, all forms of light-frame construction described in this lesson will be included in the law.
Marking Requirements
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You may have already seen these signs appearing on buildings in your response
district.
They are required to be a minimum of 8 inches in diameter, must be located between 4′ and 6′ from the ground, and located within 24″ to the left of the main entrance.
Additionally, if the building is longer than 100′ or contains multiple
tenants (such as a strip mall) multiple signs may be required.
What Every Firefighter Must Know!
This law can be a beneficial tool for firefighters when evaluating a structure prior to interior attack. However, every firefighter must understand the weaknesses of the law in its current form. As stated previously not all forms of light-frame weight construction are currently addressed by the law.
This law also specifically exempts some buildings.
Any multi-unit residential building (apartment complex or condominium) with three units or less is not required to identify light-frame construction.
Townhouses are also excluded (a townhouse is a connected residential building that has a two-hour fire separation between units).
And keep in mind that single-family dwellings are the largest user of light-frame construction and the majority of firefighter fatalities occur in single-family dwellings.
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Summary
To summarize, it appears that the intent of the original legislation has
fallen short. While many buildings will be marked in accordance with the law, it will take time to fully comply, and further interpretation may be forthcoming as Florida fire service leaders recognize the inherent weakness of the law and pursue additional legislation.
It is incumbent upon each company officer, incident safety officer, and
chief officer to continue to rely upon pre-planning, training, and experience to identify buildings that contain light-frame construction, and make every effort to continuously evaluate the safety of operating within these buildings.
While the presence of a light-frame marking may aid in identifying light-frame construction, the absence of such a marking does not guarantee that the building is free of light-frame components.
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Five Lessons
Team OverDrive’s Best Books of 2014
Team OverDrive’s Best Books of 2014
Marie-Helene Bertino (2014)
A Brief History of Seven Killings
Marlon James (2014)
Ha Jin (2014)
Terry Pratchett Neil Gaiman (2014)
Carys Bray (2014)
Paulo Coelho Margaret Jull Costa (2014)
Laura Lippman (2014)
Hannah Vincent (2014)
Jennifer Weiner (2014)
Dinaw Mengestu (2014)
Anthony Doerr Zach Appelman (2014)
Anthony Doerr (2014)
Julia Glass (2014)
Maggie Shipstead (2014)
Roxane Gay (2014)
Meg Wolitzer (2014)
Josh Malerman (2014)
Lauren Beukes (2014)
John Waters (2014)
Lisa Jackson (2014)
Chris Bohjalian (2014)
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and his Years of Pilgrimage
Haruki Murakami Philip Gabriel (2014)
Julie Schumacher (2014)
Elizabeth Little (2014)
Laura Lane McNeal (2014)
Cristin O’keefe Aptowicz (2014)
Emma Healey (2014)
Rebecca Rasmussen (2014)
Daniel Kehlmann Carol Janeway (2014)
Beth Macy (2014)
Alice Munro (2014)
Michelle Knight Michelle Burford (2014)
Charles M. Blow (2014)
Smith Henderson (2014)
Emma Donoghue (2014)
Michelle Richmond (2014)
Steve Brezenoff (2014)
Linda Tirado (2014)
History of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Ten Songs
Greil Marcus (2014)
Grady Hendrix (2014)
Caitlin Moran (2014)
How to Tell Toledo from the Night Sky
Lydia Netzer (2014)
I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You
Courtney Maum (2014)
Malala Yousafzai Christina Lamb (2013)
Malala Yousafzai Patricia McCormick (2014)
Malala Yousafzai Christina Lamb (2013)
I Am Malala, Young Reader’s Edition
Malala Yousafzai Patricia McCormick (2014)
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
Barbara Leaming (2014)
Brian Jay Jones (2013)
Bryan Stevenson (2014)
Rainbow Rowell (2014)
Rainbow Rowell Rebecca Lowman (2014)
Karen Abbott (2014)
Susan Vreeland (2014)
Merritt Tierce (2014)
Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932
Francine Prose (2014)
Amy Bloom (2014)
Mary Carter (2014)
Tiffany Baker (2014)
Midnight, Texas
Charlaine Harris (2014)
Hannah Hart (2014)
Joanna Rakoff (2014)
Howard Norman (2014)
Lena Dunham (2014)
Lena Dunham Lena Dunham (2014)
Edward St. Aubyn (2014)
- J. Novak (2014)
Yelena Akhtiorskaya (2014)
Daleen Berry Geoffrey C. Fuller (2014)
Vampire Chronicles
Anne Rice (2014)
The Red Rising Trilogy
Pierce Brown (2014)
Phil Klay (2014)
Phil Klay Craig Klein (2014)
Vivek Shraya (2014)
Nickolas Butler (2014)
Spademan
Adam Sternbergh Arthur Morey (2014)
Spademan
Adam Sternbergh (2014)
Doctor Who
Justin Richards (2014)
Last Hundred Years: A Family Saga
Jane Smiley Lorelei King (2014)
Last Hundred Years: A Family Saga
Jane Smiley (2014)
John Twelve Hawks (2014)
Emily St. John Mandel Kirsten Potter (2014)
Emily St. John Mandel (2014)
Anna Quindlen (2014)
Margaret Atwood (2014)
Summer House with Swimming Pool
Herman Koch (2014)
Lauren Willig Nicola Barber (2014)
Chris Pavone (2014)
Sue Miller (2014)
Laline Paull (2014)
Laline Paull Orlagh Cassidy (2014)
David Mitchell (2014)
The Book of Strange New Things
Michel Faber (2014)
The Care and Management of Lies
Jacqueline Winspear Nicola Barber (2014)
The Care and Management of Lies
Jacqueline Winspear (2014)
Ian McEwan (2014)
Susan Rieger (2014)
Joseph O’Neill (2014)
Michio Kaku (2014)
Michio Kaku Feodor Chin (2014)
The Ghost in the Electric Blue Suit
Graham Joyce (2014)
The Girl with a Clock for a Heart
Peter Swanson (2014)
M.R. Carey (2014)
McCormick Templeman (2014)
Black Francis Josh Frank (2014)
Chrysler Szarlan (2014)
Rebecca Makkai (2014)
Mary Robinette Kowal (2014)
Andy Weir (2014)
Mary Rickert (2014)
Emily Giffin (2014)
Joanne Fluke (2014)
The Queen of the Tearling
Erika Johansen (2014)
Erika Johansen Katherine Kellgren (2014)
Lauren Owen (2014)
The Rise & Fall of Great Powers
Tom Rachman (2014)
The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace
Jeff Hobbs (2014)
Cormoran Strike
Robert Galbraith (2014)
The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing
Mira Jacob (2014)
Michael Cunningham (2014)
The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry
Gabrielle Zevin (2014)
Patti Callahan Henry (2014)
Thrity Umrigar (2014)
The Hollows
Kim Harrison Marguerite Gavin (2014)
The Hollows
Kim Harrison (2014)
The Underground Girls of Kabul
Jenny Nordberg (2014)
The Walking Dead
Robert Kirkman Jay Bonansinga (2014)
Laura McHugh (2014)
Jeremy P. Bushnell (2014)
TaraShea Nesbit (2014)
Alena Graedon (2014)
Yannick Murphy (2014)
Courtney Miller Santo (2014)
Nick Harkaway (2014)
To Rise Again at a Decent Hour
Joshua Ferris (2014)
Sophie Cunningham (2014)
Matthew Thomas (2014)
- Lockhart Ariadne Meyers (2014)
- Lockhart (2014)
Oprah Winfrey (2014)
What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding
Kristin Newman (2014)
Peter Mendelsund (2014)
David Shafer (2014)
Lars Iyer (2014)
John Darnielle (2014)
The Stormlight Archive
Brandon Sanderson Michael Kramer (2014)
Amy Poehler Amy Poehler (2014)
Amy Poehler (2014)
Jean Hanff Korelitz (2014)
Best eBooks of 2014 as seen by OverDrive users
(If you haven’t used this to get your books from the Library, you’re missing out on a great app.)
Senior Version of “Jesus Loves Me”
While watching a little TV on Sunday instead of going to church, I watched a church in Atlanta honoring one of its senior pastors who had been retired many years. He was 92 at that time and I wondered why the church even bothered to ask the old gentleman to preach at that age. After a warm welcome, introduction of this speaker, and as the applause quieted down, he rose from his high back chair and walked slowly, with great effort and a sliding gait to the podium. Without a note or written paper of any kind he placed both hands on the pulpit to steady himself and then quietly and slowly he began to speak….
“When I was asked to come here today and talk to you, your pastor asked me to tell you what was the greatest lesson ever learned in my 50-odd years of preaching. I thought about it for a few days and boiled it down to just one thing that made the most difference in my life and sustained me through all my trials.. The one thing that I could always rely on when tears and heartbreak and pain and fear and sorrow paralyzed me…
The only thing that would comfort was this little song:
“Jesus loves me this I know.
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong,
We are weak but He is strong…..
Yes, Jesus loves me….
The Bible tells me so.”
The old pastor stated, “I always noticed that it was the adults who chose the children’s hymn ‘Jesus Loves Me’ (for the children of course) during a hymn sing, and it was the adults who sang the loudest because I could see they knew it the best.”
“Here for you now is a Senior version of Jesus Loves Me”:
JESUS LOVES ME
Jesus loves me, this I know,
Though my hair is white as snow
Though my sight is growing dim,
Still He bids me trust in Him.
(CHORUS)
YES, JESUS LOVES ME.. YES, JESUS LOVES ME..
YES, JESUS LOVES ME, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.
Though my steps are oh, so slow,
With my hand in His I’ll go
On through life, let come what may,
He’ll be there to lead the way.
(CHORUS)
When the nights are dark and long,
In my heart He puts a song..
Telling me in words so clear,
“Have no fear, for I am near.”
(CHORUS)
When my work on earth is done,
And life’s victories have been won.
He will take me home above,
Then I’ll understand His love.
(CHORUS)
I love Jesus, does He know?
Have I ever told Him so?
Jesus loves to hear me say,
That I love Him every day.
(CHORUS)
Jane Kiper sent us another one that we can all appreciate.
Star Spangled Banner As You’ve Never Heard It
Every (high school) student should be required to view this video once a term. A history lesson all students should be required to learn, along with every Immigrant and American living in this country.
This is a great history lesson.
Star Spangled Banner As You’ve Never Heard It – YouTube
Thanks to Joe Zarro for submitting this to us.
WWII British Military Cemetery in Libya
ABSOLUTELY SICKENING………..
This says it all….nothing I can add….
Muslims & WWII Cemetery
This is pretty disgusting keep this going so everyone on your email list see’s it and passes it on.
WW II – British Military Cemetery in Libya.
Every time a joke and or cartoon is made about the Koran, the whole world turns upside down…!! and we
are all called racists!!!!!!!!
However they appear to do whatever they like and no one says anything…and the
majority of people remain silent.
See this video while it’s available and before it is removed.
Smile!!!
Smile is right! Judith Mascia, you’ve hit a home run again!
Prayer Request
Photos/ Please respond to the message at the end
Prayer request
ACLU has filed a suit to end prayer from the military completely. They’re making great progress..
The Navy Chaplains can no longer mention Jesus’ name in prayer thanks to the ACLU and others.
I’m not breaking this one.
If I get it a 1000 times, I’ll forward it a 1000 times!
Let us pray… Cuz’ if this picture doesn’t move you, you need prayer.
Prayer chain for our Military… Don’t break it!
We owe them sooo Much!
Pray for our soldiers, Don’t break It!
Dear Lord,
Hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them & their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. In Jesus’ name,
Prayer Request:
MAY GOD BLESS YOU FOR PASSING IT ON!!!
Thanks to Doug Hotaling for sending this message.
If You Need Some Comfort
A Beautiful Message
Thinking of you. Have a great day.
It’s only a two and a half minute video. Sit back and enjoy it!
http://www.youtube.com/embed/zf_0jzPQ8lo?rel=0
Thank you, Joe Zarro, for submitting this wonderful video.
TEXAS GOODBYE
TEXAS GOODBYE
This is why America will remain strong. We take care of our own as well as others who may not deserve taking care of. I just wanted to share with you all that out of a horrible tragedy we were blessed by so many people.
Chris Kyle was Derek’s teammate through 10 years of training and battle. They both suffer/suffered from PTSD to some extent and took great care of each other because of it.
2006 in Ramadi was horrible for young men that never had any more aggressive physical contact with another human than on a Texas football field.
They lost many friends. Chris became the armed services number #1 sniper of all time. Not something he was happy about, other than the fact that in so doing, he saved a lot of American lives.
Three years ago, his wife Taya asked him to leave the SEAL teams as he had a huge bounty on his head by Al Qaeda. He did and wrote the book “The American Sniper.” 100% of the proceeds from the book went to two of the SEAL families who had lost their sons in Iraq .
That was the kind of guy Chris was. He formed a company in Dallas to train military, police and I think firemen as far as protecting themselves in difficult situations. He also formed a foundation to work with military people suffering from PTSD. Chris was a giver not a taker.
He, along with a friend and neighbor, Chad Littlefield, were murdered trying to help a young man that had served six months in Iraq and claimed to have PTSD.
Now I need to tell you about all of the blessings.
Southwest Airlines flew in any SEAL and their family from any airport they flew into…free of charge.
The employees donated buddy passes and one lady worked for four days without much of a break to see that it happened.
Volunteers were at both airports in Dallas to drive them to the hotel.
The Marriott Hotel reduced their rates to $45 a night and cleared the hotel for only SEALs and family.
The Midlothian, TX Police Department paid the $45 a night for each room. I would guess there were about 200 people staying at the hotel, 100 of them were SEALs. Two large buses were chartered (an unknown donor paid the bill) to transport people to the different events and they also had a few rental cars (donated). The police and secret service were on duty 24 hours during the stay at our hotel.
At the Kyle house, the Texas DPS parked a large motor home in front to block the view from reporters. It remained there the entire five days for the SEALs to congregate in and all to use the restroom so as not to have to go in the house. Taya, their two small children and both sets of parents were staying in the home.
Only a hand full of SEALs went into the home as they had different duties and meetings were held sometimes on a hourly basis. It was a huge coordination of many different events and security. Derek was assigned to be a Pall Bearer, to escort Chris’ body when it was transferred from the Midlothian Funeral Home to the Arlington Funeral Home, and to be with Taya. A tough job.
Taya seldom came out of her bedroom. The house was full with people from the church and other family members that would come each day to help. I spent one morning in a bedroom with Chris’ mom and the next morning with Chad Littlefield’s parents (the other man murdered with Chris). A tough job.
George W Bush and his wife Laura met and talked to everyone on the Seal Team one on one. They went behind closed doors with Taya for quite a while. They had prayer with us all. You can tell when people were sincere and caring.
Nolan Ryan sent his cooking team, a huge grill and lots of steaks, chicken and hamburgers. They set up in the front yard and fed people all day long including the 200 SEALs and their families. The next day a local BBQ restaurant set up a buffet in front of the house and fed all once again. Food was plentiful and all were taken care of. The family’s church kept those inside the house well fed.
Jerry Jones, the man everyone loves to hate, was a rock star. He made sure that we all were taken care of. His wife and he were just making sure everyone was taken care of…Class… He donated the use of Cowboy Stadium for the services as it was determined that so many wanted to attend.
The charter buses transported us to the stadium on Monday at 10:30 am. Every car, bus, motorcycle was searched with bomb dogs and police. I am not sure if kooks were making threats trying to make a name for themselves or if so many SEALs in one place was a security risk, I don’t know. We willingly obliged. No purses went into the stadium!
We were taken to The Legends room high up and a large buffet was available. That was for about 300 people. We were growing.
A Medal of Honor recipient was there, lots of secret service and police and Sarah Palin and her husband. She looked nice, this was a very formal military service.
The service started at 1:00 pm and when we were escorted onto the field I was shocked. We heard that about 10,000 people had come to attend also. They were seated in the stadium seats behind us. It was a beautiful and emotional service.
The Bagpipe and drum corps were wonderful and the Texas A&M men’s choir stood through the entire service and sang right at the end. We were all in tears.
The next day was the 200-mile procession from Midlothian, TX to Austin for burial. It was a cold, drizzly, windy day, but the people were out. We had dozens of police motorcycles riders, freedom riders, five chartered buses and lots of cars. You had to have a pass to be in the procession and still it was huge. Two helicopters circled the procession with snipers sitting out the side door for protection. It was the longest funeral procession ever in the state of Texas. People were everywhere. The entire route was shut down ahead of us, the people were lined up on the side of the road the entire way. Firemen were down on one knee, police officers were holding their hats over their hearts, children waving flags, veterans saluting as we went by. Every bridge had fire trucks with large flags displayed from their tall ladders, people all along the entire 200 miles were standing in the cold weather. It was so heartwarming. Taya rode in the hearse with Chris’ body so Derek rode the route with us. I was so grateful to have that time with him.
The service was at Texas National Cemetery. Very few are buried there and you have to apply to get in. It is like people from the Civil War, Medal of Honor winners, a few from the Alamo and all the historical people of Texas. It was a nice service and the Freedom Riders surrounded the outside of the entire cemetery to keep the crazy church people from Kansas that protest at military funerals away from us.
Each SEAL put his Trident (metal SEAL badge) on the top of Chris’ casket, one at a time. A lot hit it in with one blow. Derek was the only one to take four taps to put his in and it was almost like he was caressing it as he did it. Another tearful moment.
After the service Governor Rick Perry and his wife, Anita, invited us to the governor’s mansion. She stood at the door, greeted each of us individually, and gave each of the SEALs a coin of Texas. She was a sincere, compassionate, and gracious hostess.
We were able to tour the ground floor and then went into the garden for beverages and BBQ. So many of the Seal team guys said that after they get out they are moving to Texas. They remarked that they had never felt so much love and hospitality. The charter buses then took the guys to the airport to catch their returning flights. Derek just now called and after a 20 hours flight he is back in his spot, in a dangerous land on the other side of the world, protecting America.
We just wanted to share with you, the events of a quite emotional, but blessed week.
Punch-line:
To this day, no one in the White House has ever acknowledged Chris Kyle.
However, the President can call some sport person and congratulate him on announcing to the world that he is gay? What the hell is happening to our society, our honor and our pride??
Footnote: Chris’ story has now been made into a movie “The Sniper”, directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller
The New Breadwinner – Wake Up America!!!
Hard to
believe, But it’s happening all over the USA!!!
Wake
up America!!!
The new
breadwinner in the family…
An emergency
room physician told me that a woman in
her late 20’s came to the ER today with her
8thpregnancy.
She
told the first doctor she saw: “My Mama told me that
I
am the breadwinner for the family.”
He
asked her to explain. She said that she can make
babies, and babies get money from the State for
the family. It goes like this:
The Grandma
calls the Department of Child &
Family Services, and states that the unemployed
daughter is not capable of caring for all of her kids.
DCFS agrees,
and tells her the children will need
to go into foster care.
The Grandma then volunteers
to be the foster
parent, and receives a check for $1500 per child
each
month in Illinois .
Total yearly
income:
$144,000
tax-free and nobody has to go to work!
In fact,
they get more if there is
NO husband/father/man in the home!
Not to
mention free healthcare (Medicaid), plus a
monthly card entitling them to free groceries
and a voucher for 250 free Obamaphone minutes
each month. This does not include WIC and other
welfare benefits…that they are “entitled” to.
Indeed, Grandma
was correct that her fertile daughter
is the “breadwinner” for
the family.
and now we are
hopelessly overrun with people
who vote only
for those who
will continue to keep them on the dole….
No wonder
our country is broke!
Worse,
the Muslims have been paying attention,
and by mandating that each Muslim family
have eleven children, they will soon replace the
voting bloc above and can be running this country
within 25 years. Read the above again,
until it sinks in, and then ask yourself if your
Children,
Grandchildren, and Great Grandchildren
will survive these severe changes to America !!!
Are You alarmed yet? Is anybody listening?
Is this
a GREAT COUNTRYor
what….?
Don’t forget
to pay your taxes!
There are a
lot of “breadwinners”
depending on you..forward
this to as many as you can!!!!
Thanks, Tom Maibach, for sending this. I had personal experience with this in the dentist’s office. A young woman came in and gave the receptionist her Medicaid card and then sat down and began using a beautiful iPhone. I began the “dumb old lady” act. She explained about her latest iPhone and how all her children had them too. Admiring her smart clothes, she explained which designer they were. Her hair and nails were impeccable and she told me that she had them done weekly at a designer salon. Please understand everyone, we are paying for her dental care through Medicaid (free care with our hard earned taxes) Her designer clothes, shoes, hair and nails paid for through the DCF welfare checks she receives for making babies and not a bit of remorse for spending our hard earned tax money on these luxuries!!!!
John Wayne – Tribute to America
John Wayne’s 1970
Tribute to America
Most of the performers have passed away. Nostalgic to a fare thee well—from a much better day for America.
PLEASE ENJOY THIS CLIP by John Wayne and friends. View Full Screen
http://biggeekdad.com/2014/09/john-wayne-1970/#.VD4BKEV8qPM.email
Thank you, Jane Kiper, for submitting to Fun at the Summit!
Every Friday at the Pentagon
EVERY FRIDAY AT THE PENTAGON
It really breaks your heart to know that we didn’t know this goes on every Friday, well at least I didn’t know. Instead, I guess the media feels it’s more important to report on Hollywood stars as heroes. I hope this article gives you a sense of pride for what our men and women are doing for us, every day, as they serve in the armed forces here and abroad.
Mornings at the Pentagon
By JOSEPH L. GALLOWAY
McClatchy Newspapers
Over the last 12 months, 1,042 soldiers, Marines, sailors and Air Force personnel have given their lives in the terrible duty that is war. Thousands more have come home on stretchers, horribly wounded and facing months or years in military hospitals. This week, I’m turning my space over to a good friend and former roommate, Army Lt. Col. Robert Bateman, who recently completed a yearlong tour of duty and is now back at the Pentagon. Here’s Lt. Col. Bateman’s account of a little-known ceremony that fills the halls of the Army corridor of the Pentagon with cheers, applause and many tears every Friday morning. It first appeared on May 17 on the Weblog of media critic and pundit Eric Alterman at the Media Matters for America Website.
“It is 110 yards from the “E” ring to the “A” ring of the Pentagon. This section of the Pentagon is newly renovated; the floors shine, the hallway is broad, and the lighting is bright. At this instant the entire length of the corridor is packed with officers, a few sergeants and some civilians, all crammed tightly three and four deep against the walls. There are thousands here.
This hallway, more than any other, is the `Army’ hallway. The G3 offices line one side, G2 the other, G8 is around the corner. All Army. Moderate conversations flow in a low buzz. Friends who may not have seen each other for a few weeks, or a few years, spot each other, cross the way and renew.
Everyone shifts to ensure an open path remains down the center. The air conditioning system was not designed for this press of bodies in this area.
The temperature is rising already. Nobody cares. “10:36 hours: The clapping starts at the E-Ring. That is the outermost of the five rings of the Pentagon and it is closest to the entrance to the building. This clapping is low, sustained, hearty. It is applause with a deep emotion behind it as it moves forward in a wave down the length of the hallway.
A steady rolling wave of sound it is, moving at the pace of the soldier in the wheelchair who marks the forward edge with his presence. He is the first. He is missing the greater part of one leg, and some of his wounds are still suppurating. By his age I expect that he is a private, or perhaps a private first class.
Captains, majors, lieutenant colonels and colonels meet his gaze and nod as they applaud, soldier to soldier. Three years ago when I described one of these events, those lining the hallways were somewhat different. The applause a little wilder, perhaps in private guilt for not having shared in the burden … Yet.
Now almost everyone lining the hallway is, like the man in the wheelchair, also a combat veteran. This steadies the applause, but I think deepens the sentiment. We have all been there now. The soldier’s chair is pushed by, I believe, a full colonel.
“Behind him, and stretching the length from Rings E to A, come more of his peers, each private, corporal, or sergeant assisted as need be by a field grade officer.
“11:00 hours: Twenty-four minutes of steady applause. My hands hurt, and I laugh to myself at how stupid that sounds in my own head. My hands hurt. Please! Shut up and clap. For twenty-four minutes, soldier after soldier has come down this hallway – 20, 25, 30.. Fifty-three legs come with them, and perhaps only 52 hands or arms, but down this hall came 30 solid hearts.
“They pass down this corridor of officers and applause, and then meet for a private lunch, at which they are the guests of honor, hosted by the generals. Some are wheeled along. Some insist upon getting out of their chairs, to march as best they can with their chin held up, down this hallway, through this most unique audience. Some are catching handshakes and smiling like a politician at a Fourth of July parade. More than a couple of them seem amazed and are smiling shyly.
“There are families with them as well: the 18-year-old war-bride pushing her 19-year-old husband’s wheelchair and not quite understanding why her husband is so affected by this, the boy she grew up with, now a man, who had never shed a tear is crying; the older immigrant Latino parents who have, perhaps more than their wounded mid-20s son, an appreciation for the emotion given on their son’s behalf. No man in that hallway, walking or clapping, is ashamed by the silent tears on more than a few cheeks. An Airborne Ranger wipes his eyes only to better see. A couple of the officers in this crowd have themselves been a part of this parade in the past.
“These are our men, broken in body they may be, but they are our brothers, and we welcome them home. This parade has gone on, every single Friday, all year long, for more than four years.
Thanks to Judith Mascia for sending this to us.
French Soldier’s Room
French soldier’s room unchanged 96 years after his death in first world war
Parents kept room as it was the day he left, and stipulated when they moved that it should not be changed for 500 years
The soldier’s bed Photograph: Bruno Mascle/Photoshot
The name of dragoons officer Hubert Rochereau is commemorated on a war memorial in Bélâbre, his native village in central France, along with those of other young men who lost their lives in the first world war.
But Rochereau also has a much more poignant and exceptional memorial: his room in a large family house in the village has been preserved with his belongings for almost 100 years since his death in Belgium.
A lace bedspread is still on the bed, adorned with photographs and Rochereau’s feathered helmet. His moth-eaten military jacket hangs limply on a hanger. His chair, tucked under his desk, faces the window in the room where he was born on 10 October 1896.
He died in an English field ambulance on 26 April 1918, a day after being wounded during fighting for control of the village of Loker, in Belgium. The village was in allied hands for much of the war but changed hands several times between 25 and 30 April, and was finally recaptured by French forces four days after Rochereau’s death.
The parents of the young officer kept his room exactly as it was the day he left for the battlefront. When they decided to move in 1935, they stipulated in the sale that Rochereau’s room should not be changed for 500 years.
“This clause had no legal basis,” said the current owner, retired local official Daniel Fabre, who showed the room to the Nouvelle République newspaper. But nevertheless he and his wife, who inherited the house from her grandparents, have respected the wishes of Rochereau’s parents and will continue to do so.
The soldier’s desk. Photograph: Bruno Mascle/Photoshot
The room contains the spurs of the cavalry officer, his sword and a fencing helmet, and a collection of pistols. A flag is propped up beside the wall. His pipes are on his desk and the stale smell of English tobacco comes from a cigarette packet.
Rochereau, a second lieutenant with the 15th Dragoons Regiment based in Libourne, outside Bordeaux, received a posthumous croix de guerre, the French equivalent of being mentioned in dispatches, and the Legion of Honour for his extreme bravery on the battlefield.
As well as being commemorated at the local war memorial, his name is also on the monument to the fallen in Libourne. The regiment’s history recounts how Rochereau’s commander was killed by a bullet to the head after giving the “heroic” order to counterattack in Loker.
On Rochereau’s desk is a vial on which, in keeping with tradition, a label records that it contains “the soil of Flanders on which our dear child fell and which has kept his remains for four years”.
The battlefields of Flanders, which stretched from north-east France into Belgium, saw some of the fiercest fighting of the 1914-18 war. To commemorate the 580,000 soldiers who died on that part of the western front, a memorial by the architect Philippe Prost is due to be inaugurated by the French president, François Hollande, on 11 November.
The soldiers who died there came not only from the UK, France, Belgium and Germany but also from as far afield as Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and India. The memorial at Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, France’s biggest national war cemetery, where the remains of 40,000 French soldiers are interred, is a giant ring of gilded metal bearing the names of the dead. Prost says he intended the Ring of Memory to symbolise unity and eternity.
Confessions of a Public Defender
Considering the current state of affairs with regard to law enforcement and the African American community (e.g. Ferguson, New York/Staten Island, Cleveland, etc.), this piece has relevance . . . . you may or may not agree with the author’s comments, but they provide added insight into what we’re experiencing at this time . . . , like the author, does anyone have a ready answer for it ??
Confessions of a Public Defender
Michael Smith, American Renaissance, May 9, 2014
Still liberal after all these years.
I am a public defender in a large southern metropolitan area. Fewer than ten percent of the people in the area I serve are black but over 90 per cent of my clients are black. The remaining ten percent are mainly Hispanics but there are a few whites.
I have no explanation for why this is, but crime has racial patterns. Hispanics usually commit two kinds of crime: sexual assault on children and driving under the influence. Blacks commit many violent crimes but very few sex crimes. The handful of whites I see commit all kinds of crimes. In my many years as a public defender I have represented only three Asians, and one was half black.
As a young lawyer, I believed the official story that blacks are law abiding, intelligent, family-oriented people, but are so poor they must turn to crime to survive.
Actual black behavior was a shock to me. The media invariably sugarcoat black behavior. Even the news reports of the very crimes I dealt with in court were slanted. Television news intentionally leaves out unflattering facts about the accused, and sometimes omits names that are obviously black. All this rocked my liberal, tolerant beliefs, but it took me years to set aside my illusions and accept the reality of what I see every day. I have now served thousands of blacks and their families, protecting their rights and defending them in court. What follow are my observations.
Although blacks are only a small percentage of our community, the courthouse is filled with them: the halls and gallery benches are overflowing with black defendants, families, and crime victims. Most whites with business in court arrive quietly, dress appropriately, and keep their heads down. They get in and get out–if they can–as fast as they can. For blacks, the courthouse is like a carnival. They all seem to know each other: hundreds and hundreds each day, gossiping, laughing loudly, waving, and crowding the halls.
When I am appointed to represent a client I introduce myself and explain that I am his lawyer. I explain the court process and my role in it, and I ask the client some basic questions about himself. At this stage, I can tell with great accuracy how people will react. Hispanics are extremely polite and deferential. An Hispanic will never call me by my first name and will answer my questions directly and with appropriate respect for my position. Whites are similarly respectful.
A black man will never call me Mr. Smith; I am always “Mike.” It is not unusual for a 19-year-old black to refer to me as “dog.” A black may mumble complaints about everything I say, and roll his eyes when I politely interrupt so I can continue with my explanation. Also, everything I say to blacks must be at about the third-grade level. If I slip and use adult language, they get angry because they think I am flaunting my superiority.
At the early stages of a case, I explain the process to my clients. I often do not yet have the information in the police reports. Blacks are unable to understand that I do not yet have answers to all of their questions, but that I will by a certain date. They live in the here and the now and are unable to wait for anything. Usually, by the second meeting with the client I have most of the police reports and understand their case.
Unlike people of other races, blacks never see their lawyer as someone who is there to help them. I am a part of the system against which they are waging war. They often explode with anger at me and are quick to blame me for anything that goes wrong in their case.
Black men often try to trip me up and challenge my knowledge of the law or the facts of the case. I appreciate sincere questions about the elements of the offense or the sentencing guidelines, but blacks ask questions to test me. Unfortunately, they are almost always wrong in their reading, or understanding, of the law, and this can cause friction.
I may repeatedly explain the law, and provide copies of the statute showing, for example, why my client must serve six years if convicted, but he continues to believe that a hand-written note from his “cellie” is controlling law.
The Constitution allows a defendant to make three crucial decisions in his case. He decides whether to plead guilty or not guilty. He decides whether to have a bench trial or a jury trial. He decides whether he will testify or whether he will remain silent. A client who insists on testifying is almost always making a terrible mistake, but I cannot stop him.
Most blacks are unable to speak English well. They cannot conjugate verbs. They have a poor grasp of verb tenses. They have a limited vocabulary. They cannot speak without swearing. They often become hostile on the stand. Many, when they testify, show a complete lack of empathy and are unable to conceal a morality based on the satisfaction of immediate, base needs. This is a disaster, especially in a jury trial. Most jurors are white, and are appalled by the demeanor of uneducated, criminal blacks.
Prosecutors are delighted when a black defendant takes the stand. It is like shooting fish in a barrel. However, the defense usually gets to cross-examine the black victim, who is likely to make just as bad an impression on the stand as the defendant. This is an invaluable gift to the defense, because jurors may not convict a defendant—even if they think he is guilty—if they dislike the victim even more than they dislike the defendant.
Most criminal cases do not go to trial. Often the evidence against the accused is overwhelming, and the chances of conviction are high. The defendant is better off with a plea bargain: pleading guilty to a lesser charge and getting a lighter sentence.
This inability to see things from someone else’s perspective helps explain why there are so many black criminals. They do not understand the pain they are inflicting on others. One of my robbery clients is a good example. He and two co-defendants walked into a small store run by two young women. All three men were wearing masks. They drew handguns and ordered the women into a back room. One man beat a girl with his gun. The second man stood over the second girl while the third man emptied the cash register. All of this was on video.
My client was the one who beat the girl. When he asked me, “What are our chances at trial?” I said, “Not so good.” He immediately got angry, raised his voice, and accused me of working with the prosecution. I asked him how he thought a jury would react to the video. “They don’t care,” he said. I told him the jury would probably feel deeply sympathetic towards these two women and would be angry at him because of how he treated them. I asked him whether he felt bad for the women he had beaten and terrorized. He told me what I suspected—what too many blacks say about the suffering of others: “What do I care? She ain’t me. She ain’t kin. Don’t even know her.”
The decision to plea to a lesser charge turns on the strength of the evidence. When blacks ask the ultimate question—”Will we win at trial?”—I tell them I cannot know, but I then describe the strengths and weaknesses of our case. The weaknesses are usually obvious: There are five eyewitnesses against you. Or, you made a confession to both the detective and your grandmother. They found you in possession of a pink cell phone with a case that has rhinestones spelling the name of the victim of the robbery. There is a video of the murderer wearing the same shirt you were wearing when you were arrested, which has the words “In Da Houz” on the back, not to mention you have the same “RIP Pookie 7/4/12” tattoo on your neck as the man in the video. Etc.
As a public defender, I have learned many things about people. One is that defendants do not have fathers. If a black even knows the name of his father, he knows of him only as a shadowy person with whom he has absolutely no ties. When a client is sentenced, I often beg for mercy on the grounds that the defendant did not have a father and never had a chance in life. I have often tracked down the man’s father–in jail–and have brought him to the sentencing hearing to testify that he never knew his son and never lifted a finger to help him. Often, this is the first time my client has ever met his father. These meetings are utterly unemotional.
Many black defendants don’t even have mothers who care about them. Many are raised by grandmothers after the state removes the children from an incompetent teenaged mother. Many of these mothers and grandmothers are mentally unstable, and are completely disconnected from the realities they face in court and in life. A 47-year-old grandmother will deny that her grandson has gang ties even though his forehead is tattooed with a gang sign or slogan. When I point this out in as kind and understanding way as I can, she screams at me. When black women start screaming, they invoke the name of Jesus and shout swear words in the same breath.
Black women have great faith in God, but they have a twisted understanding of His role. They do not pray for strength or courage. They pray for results: the satisfaction of immediate needs. One of my clients was a black woman who prayed in a circle with her accomplices for God’s protection from the police before they would set out to commit a robbery.
The mothers and grandmothers pray in the hallways–not for justice, but for acquittal. When I explain that the evidence that their beloved child murdered the shop keeper is overwhelming, and that he should accept the very fair plea bargain I have negotiated, they will tell me that he is going to trial and will “ride with the Lord.” They tell me they speak to God every day and He assures them that the young man will be acquitted.
The mothers and grandmothers do not seem to be able to imagine and understand the consequences of going to trial and losing. Some – and this is a shocking reality it took me a long time to grasp – don’t really care what happens to the client, but want to make it look as though they care. This means pounding their chests in righteous indignation, and insisting on going to trial despite terrible evidence.
They refuse to listen to the one person – me – who has the knowledge to make the best recommendation. These people soon lose interest in the case, and stop showing up after about the third or fourth court date. It is then easier for me to convince the client to act in his own best interests and accept a plea agreement.
Part of the problem is that underclass black women begin having babies at age 15. They continue to have babies, with different black men, until they have had five or six. These women do not go to school. They do not work. They are not ashamed to live on public money. They plan their entire lives around the expectation that they will always get free money and never have to work. I do not see this among whites, Hispanics, or any other people.
The black men who become my clients also do not work. They get social security disability payments for a mental defect or for a vague and invisible physical ailment. They do not pay for anything: not for housing (Grandma lives on welfare and he lives with her), not for food (Grandma and the baby-momma share with him), and not for child support. When I learn that my 19-year-old defendant does not work or go to school, I ask, “What do you do all day?” He smiles. “You know, just chill.” These men live in a culture with no expectations, no demands, and no shame.
If you tell a black to dress properly for trial, and don’t give specific instructions, he will arrive in wildly inappropriate clothes. I represented a woman who was on trial for drugs; she wore a baseball cap with a marijuana leaf embroidered on it. I represented a man who wore a shirt that read “rules are for suckers” to his probation hearing. Our office provides suits, shirts, ties, and dresses for clients to wear for jury trials. Often, it takes a whole team of lawyers to persuade a black to wear a shirt and tie instead of gang colors.
From time to time the media report that although blacks are 12 percent of the population they are 40 percent of the prison population. This is supposed to be an outrage that results from unfair treatment by the criminal justice system. What the media only hint at is another staggering reality: recidivism. Black men are arrested and convicted over and over. It is typical for a black man to have five felony convictions before the age of 30. This kind of record is rare among whites and Hispanics, and probably even rarer among Asians.
At one time our office was looking for a motto that defined our philosophy. Someone joked that it should be: “Doesn’t everyone deserve an eleventh chance?”
I am a liberal. I believe that those of us who are able to produce abundance have a moral duty to provide basic food, shelter, and medical care for those who cannot care for themselves. I believe we have this duty even to those who can care for themselves but don’t. This world view requires compassion and a willingness to act on it.
My experience has taught me that we live in a nation in which a jury is more likely to convict a black defendant who has committed a crime against a white. Even the dullest of blacks know this. There would be a lot more black-on-white crime if this were not the case.
However, my experience has also taught me that blacks are different by almost any measure to all other people. They cannot reason as well. They cannot communicate as well. They cannot control their impulses as well. They are a threat to all who cross their paths, black and non-black alike.
I do not know the solution to this problem. I do know that it is wrong to deceive the public. Whatever solutions we seek should be based on the truth rather than what we would prefer was the truth. As for myself, I will continue do my duty to protect the rights of all who need me.
Thanks to Tom Maibach for submitting this enlightening article.
Because of Love (A True Story)
A brother and sister had made their usual hurried, obligatory pre- Christmas visit to the little farm where dwelt their elderly parents with their small herd of horses. The farm was where they had grown up and it had been named Lone Pine Farm because of the huge pine, which topped the hill behind the farmhouse. Through the years the tree had become a talisman to the old man and his wife, and a landmark in the countryside. The young siblings had fond memories of their childhood here, but the city hustle and bustle added more excitement to their lives, and called them away to a different life.
The old folks no longer showed the horses, for the years had taken their toll, and getting out to the barn on those frosty mornings was getting harder, but it gave them a reason to get up in the mornings and a reason to live. They sold a few foals each year, and the horses were their reason for joy in the morning and contentment at day’s end.
Angry, as they prepared to leave, the young couple confronted the old folks “Why do you not at least dispose of The Old One.” She is no longer of use to you. It’s been years since you’ve had foals from her. You should cut corners and save so you can have more for yourselves. How can this old worn out horse bring you anything but expense and work? Why do you keep her anyway?”
The old man looked down at his worn boots, holes in the toes, scuffed at the barn floor and replied, ” Yes, I could use a pair of new boots.”
His arm slid defensively about the Old One’s neck as he drew her near. With gentle caressing he rubbed her softly behind her ears. He replied quietly, “We keep her because of love. Nothing else, just love.”
Baffled and impatient, the young folks wished the old man and his wife a Merry Christmas and headed back toward the city as darkness stole through the valley.
The old couple shook their heads in sorrow that it had not been a happy visit. A tear fell upon their cheeks. How is it that these young folks do not understand the peace of the love that filled their hearts?
So it was, that because of the unhappy leave-taking, no one noticed the smell of the insulation smoldering on the frayed wires in the old barn. None saw the first spark fall. None but the “Old One”.
In a matter of minutes, the whole barn was ablaze and the hungry flames were licking at the loft full of hay. With a cry of horror and despair, the old man shouted to his wife to call for help as he raced to the barn to save their beloved horses. But the flames were roaring now, and the blazing heat drove him back. He sank sobbing to the ground, helpless before the fire’s fury. His wife back from calling for help cradled him in her arms, clinging to each other, they wept at their loss.
By the time the fire department arrived, only smoking, glowing ruins were left, and the old man and his wife, exhausted from their grief, huddled together in front of the barn. They were speechless and stunned as they rose from the cold snow covered ground. They nodded thanks to the firemen as there was nothing anyone could do now. The old man turned to his wife, resting her white head upon his shoulder as his shaking old hands clumsily dried her tears with a frayed red bandana. Brokenly he whispered, “We have lost much, but God has spared our home on this eve of Christmas. Let us gather strength and climb the hill to the old pine where we have sought comfort in times of despair. We will look down upon our home and give thanks to God that it has been spared and pray for our beloved most precious gifts that have been taken from us.
And so, he took her by the hand and slowly helped her up the snowy hill as he brushed aside his own tears with the back of his old, withered hand.
The journey up the hill was hard for their old bodies in the steep snow. As they stepped over the little knoll at the crest of the hill, they paused to rest, looking up to the top of the hill, the old couple gasped and fell to their knees in amazement at the incredible beauty before them.
Seemingly, every glorious, brilliant star in the heavens was caught up in the glittering, snow-frosted branches of their beloved pine, and it was aglow with heavenly candles. And poised on its top- most bough, a crystal crescent moon glistened like spun glass Never had a mere mortal created a Christmas tree such as this. They were breathless as the old man held his wife tighter in his arms.
Suddenly, the old man gave a cry of wonder and incredible joy. Amazed and mystified, he took his wife by the hand and pulled her forward. There, beneath the tree, in resplendent glory, a mist hovering over and glowing in the darkness was their Christmas gift. Shadows glistening in the night light.
Bedded down around the “Old One” close to the trunk of the tree, was the entire herd, safe.
At the first hint of smoke, she had pushed the door ajar with her muzzle and had led the horses through it. Slowly and with great dignity, never looking back, she had led them up the hill, stepping cautiously through the snow. The foals were frightened and dashed about. The skittish yearlings looked back at the crackling, hungry flames, and tucked their tails under them as they licked their lips and hopped like rabbits. The mares that were in foal with a new years crop of babies, pressed uneasily against the “Old One” as she moved calmly up the hill to safety beneath the pine. And now she lay among them and gazed at the faces of the old man and his wife.
Those she loved she had not disappointed. Her body was brittle with years, tired from the climb, but the golden eyes were filled with devotion as she offered her gift —LOVE. Because of love. Only Because of love.
Tears flowed as the old couple shouted their praise and joy… And again the peace of love filled their hearts.
This is a true story.
Willy Eagle.
This is an Inspirational message sent to a small group of people. My hope is that it will make your day just a little bit better. Keep reading. A small request ! Cancer is a strange cell. Going along for years in remission and then one day it pops it head up again. Pray for the day there will be a permanent cure. A SMALL REQUEST… 93% won’t forward, but I’m Sure You Will……..All you are asked to do is keep this circulating, even if it’s only to one more person. In honour of anyone you know who has been touched by cancer.
Why Teachers Drink
New Years Customs Around The World
Stimulus Funds – How they are being spent!!
Thanks to Don and Nadine Allen for sending along this enlightening article!
Bill O’Reilly had the Guts to say it…you gotta watch this !!
http://www.cnsnews.com/video/national/oreilly-americas-race-problem
Thanks to Tom Maibach for passing along
Merry Christmas
A good reminder to all, of who is watching over us & probably won’t enjoy family this Christmas.
Click here: A Different Christmas Poem – YouTube
Thanks to Tom Maibach to submitting
NOMINATED FOR — BEST EMAIL OF THE YEAR
After being interviewed by the school administration, the prospective teacher said:
“Let me see if I’ve got this right.
“You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning.
“You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self-esteem and personal pride.
“You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a checkbook, and apply for a job.
“You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of antisocial behavior, and make sure that they all pass the final exams.
“You also want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents in English, Spanish or any other language, by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card.
“You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps.
“You want me to do all this, and then you tell me…… I CAN’T PRAY?”
The First Thanksgiving: 10 Myths and Facts
The story of the first Thanksgiving is filled with folklore and legend. But what’s the real story? Here are 10 commonly believed myths about the First Thanksgiving debunked.
1. Myth: The First Thanksgiving lasted only one day.
Fact: It lasted three days!
The typical one-day celebration that Americans now enjoy for Thanksgiving wouldn’t have cut it for the Pilgrims. One day of celebrating just wasn’t enough for our ancestors, so they turned it into a three-day celebration. The first successful harvest was so bountiful that it lasted the Pilgrims and Native Americans for three days and included wheat, corn, barley, and maybe peas, not forgetting the venison, turkeys, waterfowl, cod, and bass. And of course the sides and sweets can’t be forgotten: clams, mussels, lobster, eel, nuts, walnuts, chestnuts, squashes, beans, strawberries, raspberries, grapes, and gooseberries. Talk about a food coma!
2. Myth: The Pilgrims enjoyed a plentiful bounty of corn.
Fact: They enjoyed “turkey wheat.”
OK, we call it corn today, but in the 17th century corn meant rye, barley, oats, or other grains, not the corn we know and love today. During the 1600s, they most likely called it “Indian corn” (to what we normally call the beautifully fall-colored kernels shown above) or simply “turkey wheat.” The bounty was so plentiful thanks to Squanto and the Native Americans that it could last each person of Plymouth Plantation a week, according to William Bradford’s account: “Besides, they had about a peck of meal a week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to that proportion. Which made many afterwards write so largely of their plenty here to their friends in England, which were not feigned but true reports.”
3. Myth: The Plymouth settlers were called Pilgrims.
Fact: The word “pilgrim” wasn’t coined for the settlers until 200 years later!
When the settlers first arrived in America they were called “Old Comers” or “First Comers” and then referred to as simply the Forefathers. It wasn’t until two centuries later that a manuscript of Bradford’s was discovered in which he referred to the Old Comers as “saints” who left Holland as “pilgrimes.” At the bicentennial celebration in 1820, the famed orator Daniel Webster used the phrase “Pilgrim Fathers” and colloquially shortened to simply Pilgrims. The term has been used ever since.
4. Myth: Thanksgiving has been celebrated in some form or another ever since that first day.
Fact: The Thanksgiving holiday wasn’t celebrated until 1827.
The Pilgrims never celebrated or even commemorated Thanksgiving in any year thereafter. The closest holiday celebrated by the settlers’ descendants was called “Forefather’s Day” and took place closer to Christmas. George Washington made the first Thanksgiving address, but never established the time-honored holiday and Americans didn’t keep the tradition. It wasn’t until 1827 that the efforts of Sarah Josepha Hale, an influential writer and editor, finally paid off and the holiday was created. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln officially made Thanksgiving a national holiday. However, it still wasn’t recognized as the holiday we know and love today. It would take another 76 years in 1939 before President Franklin Roosevelt designated the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving.
5. Myth: Thanksgiving is celebrated on the same day as the Pilgrims celebration.
Fact: Bluntly put, NO.
November is far too late in the season to enjoy a plentiful harvest. The Pilgrims most likely celebrated the First Thanksgiving some time between September and early November.
So why do we celebrate it in late November?
The day is believed to be related to the date on which the Mayflower set anchor at Cape Cod: Nov. 21, 1620. Fun fact: the Pilgrims still used the Julian calendar, so the date based on the modern Gregorian calendar that we use today would be Nov. 11.
6. Myth: A giant bird was the dinner staple.
Fact: The turkey we eat today is much different than that of the 17th century.
Today we eat what is known as “domestic turkey.” This turkey is giant compared to the wild turkey the Pilgrims might have eaten (a large, plump bird would have weighed perhaps eight pounds). Despite an abundance of such turkeys near the settlement, there is no written account of the Pilgrims eating turkey. The two accounts published, one by Bradford and the other by Edward Winslow, only mention wild fowl, most likely referring to geese or duck. Even so, these birds wouldn’t have been enough to fully satisfy the entire colony. So what did the Old Comers do? They threw in some more meat like venison and some seafood, along with a wide range of pies from savory to sweet, which of course would last them through their three-day celebration.
Fun fact: Benjamin Franklin loved turkey so much and thought the bird so magnificent that he lobbied to have it be our national bird. (It’s a good thing his lobby failed and the bald eagle became our national bird, as it might have made it difficult to eat a national symbol.)
7. Myth: The Pilgrims invited the Native Americans to the harvest.
Fact: Written accounts tell a much different story.
There are only two written accounts of the First Thanksgiving and neither imply that Pilgrims invited the Native Americans to partake in their celebration. The Wampanoag Indians were certainly present at the feast, but the wording implies that they simply happened to show up rather than be invited. Some historians have suggested that they even showed up in full warrior garb because the Pilgrims were shooting off guns and hollering about out of celebration and so the Wampanoags thought they would be attacked. No account can verify this suggestion either, which leaves us to believe that the Native Americans “crashed the party.” However, because of the typical festivities surrounding celebrations during the era, the Pilgrims most likely were making lots of noise and the Indians came to investigate, at which point they were “invited” to participate in the festivities.
8. Myth: Turkeys got their name from the sound they make, which sometimes sounds like “Turk turk turk.”
Fact: Turkeys were named after their importers-the Ottoman Turks.
In the 16th century, a new bird was introduced to Europe by the Ottoman Empire called the guinea fowl. The merchants, Turks, were known as “turkey merchants” and so the birds were soon referred to as “turkey fowl.” The American turkey was thought to be a type of guinea fowl and so the same name was applied to the North American turkey. The North American turkey is a different species than guinea fowl, but the name stuck and is continued to be used today.
9. Myth: The First Thanksgiving was about giving thanks to God.
Fact: The First Thanksgiving was actually just a harvest celebration.
What?! How could you say that?! The Pilgrims were religious! They fled Europe because of religious persecution for heaven’s sake!
Yes, all true. But keep in mind that the Pilgrims were staunch and even radical Puritans, more technically called Separatists. What was this group best known for? Their puritanical views, of course! Which includes not making religion a celebration or “fun.” A celebration that included fun and games and drinking would not have been considered a religious holiday to the Pilgrims. Thanksgiving Holidays were religious days devoted to God and the Pilgrims did indeed have Thanksgiving holidays dedicated to giving thanks to God, but the day we celebrate as Thanksgiving was not considered a Thanksgiving holiday to the Pilgrims. They celebrated various Thanksgivings throughout the year that were highly religious affairs, which meant everyone was in church and everyone was praying – not out celebrating the harvest.
10. Myth: Our Thanksgiving is the same as the Pilgrims.
Fact: We’ve combined two traditions into one.
Today’s national Thanksgiving holiday blends the tradition of celebrating after a bountiful harvest – which in and of itself is based on the ancient English tradition of harvest festivals – and the Puritan Thanksgiving holiday or religious observance full of prayer, feasting, and church-going. Today, we might not be giving thanks for a bountiful harvest, or even celebrating it, but we do give thanks for the many blessings in our life, from family and home to successes and that big, fat turkey that’s sitting in the middle of the dinner table.
Compliments of StaffWarrior
Thanks For Your Time
Smile!
Smile is right! Judith Mascia, you’ve hit a home run again!
Rich or Poor
Proud To Be A Redneck
This is not the type of Redneck jokes we hear, this is beautiful.
We have enjoyed the redneck jokes for years. It’s time to
take a reflective look at the core beliefs of a culture that
values home, family, country and God. If I had to stand
before a dozen terrorists who threaten my life, I’d
choose a half dozen or so rednecks to back me up.
Tire irons, squirrel guns and grit — that’s what rednecks are
made of . If you feel the same, pass this on to your redneck friends.
Y’all know who ya are………………. 
You might be a redneck if: It never occurred to you to
be offended by the phrase, ‘One nation, under God..’
You might be a redneck if: You’ve never protested about seeing
the 10 Commandments posted in public places.
You might be a redneck if: You still say ‘ Christmas’
instead of ‘Winter Festival.’
You might be a redneck if: You bow your head when
someone prays.
You might be a redneck if: You stand and place your
hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem
You might be a redneck if: You treat our armed forces
veterans with great respect, and always have.
You might be a redneck if: You’ve never burned an
American flag, nor intend to.
You might be a redneck if: You know what you believe
and you aren’t afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.
You might be a redneck if: You respect your elders and
raised your kids to do the same.
Some of you are so old you don’t have elders to respect.
You might be a redneck if: You’d give your last dollar to
a friend.
You might be a redneck if: You believe in God & Jesus
And believe that others have the right to believe in which
Ever God they believe in as long as their God does not
Tell them to kill anyone who does not believe the same
As they do!!!!!
If you got this email from me, it is because I believe that
you, like me, have just enough Red Neck in you to have the
same beliefs as those talked about in this email.
God Bless the USA! 
Keep the fire burning, redneck friend. You can pass it on to your redneck friends and associates—It is totally acceptable and might save our Country!!!!
IN GOD WE TRUST!
Prayer Request For Our Military
Photos/ Please respond to the message at the end
Prayer request
ACLU has filed a suit to end prayer from the military completely. They’re making great progress..The Navy Chaplains can no longer mention Jesus’ name in prayer thanks to the ACLU and others.
I’m not breaking this one.
If I get it a 1000 times, I’ll forward it a 1000 times!
Let us pray… Cuz’ if this picture doesn’t move you, you need prayer.
Prayer chain for our Military… Don’t break it!
We owe them sooo Much!
Pray for our soldiers, Don’t break It!
Dear Lord,
Hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them & their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. In Jesus’ name,
Prayer Request:
MAY GOD BLESS YOU FOR PASSING IT ON!!!
Thanks to Doug Hotaling for sending this message.
Family Circus
This has to be the cutest. ..
Sent by Jane Kiper. Thanks Jane. It’s a keeper!
21 People Who Are Kicking Age
Thanks to Andy Pao for this great submission! It really does prove that age is just a number.
And Then It Was Winter
A Nun Grading Papers
You Reap What You Sow
Christmas Customs Around the World
Do You Remember When
The perfect age is somewhere between
old enough to know better and too young to care.
How many of these do you remember?
old enough to know better and too young to care.
How many of these do you remember?
Candy cigarettes |
Plastic Army Men |
| Wax Coke Bottles filled with Colored Sugar Water  |
Soda Pop Machines Dispensed Glass Bottles  |
Coffee Shops with Tableside Jukeboxes |
Blackjack, Clove and Teaberry Chewing Gum |
| Home Milk Delivery in Glass Bottles with Cardboard Stoppers  |
Chief Pontiac Signs |
P.F. Fliers |
Telephone Numbers with a Word Prefix… (Raymond 4-601)  |
Party lines |
Howdy Doody |
45 RPM Records |
45 RPM Spindles |
Green Stamps |
Metal Ice Cubes Trays with Levers |
Beanie and Cecil |
Roller Skate Keys |
Cork Pop Guns |
Marlin Perkins |
Drive-in Movies |
Drive-in Restaurants |
Car Hops |
Studebakers |
Topo Gigio |
Wringer Washers |
The Fuller Brush Man |
Sky King |
Reel-to-Reel Tape Recorders |
Tinkertoys |
Erector Sets |
Lincoln Logs |
15¢ McDonald Hamburgers |
5¢ Packs of Baseball Cards |
Penny Candy |
25¢ per Gallon Gasoline |
Jiffy Pop Popcorn |
5¢ Stamps |
Gum Wrapper Chains |
Chatty Cathy Dolls |
5¢ Cokes |
Speedy Alka-Seltzer |
Cigarettes for Christmas |
Falstaff Beer |
Burma Shave Signs |
Kodak Brownie Camera |
Flash Bulbs |
TV Test Patterns |
Old Yeller |
Chef Boy-Ar-Dee |
Fire Escape Tubes |
Timmy and Lassie |
Ding-Dong, Avon Calling |
Brylcreem |
Aluminum Christmas Trees |
At The Hop |
If you can remember most of these, then you have lived!!!!!
Pass this link along to anyone who may need a break from their “grown-up” life,
I double-dog-dare-ya!
I double-dog-dare-ya!
Credit Card Scam
Compliments of Pete Capece:
Credit card scam….DO NOT IGNORE.
This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want.
WARNING…New Credit Card Scam.
Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it. This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA &MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you’ll be better prepared to protect yourself.
One of our employees was called on Wednesday from “VISA”, and I was called on Thursday from “MasterCard”.
The scam works like this: Person calling says, “This is (name), and I’m calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460 Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I’m calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a Marketing company based in Arizona?”
When you say “No”, the caller continues with, “Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?”
You say “yes”. The caller continues – “I will be starting a Fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security.
You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. “Do you need me to read it again?”
Here’s the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works. The caller then says, “I need to verify you are in possession of your card”. He’ll ask you to “turn your card over and look for some numbers”. There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he’ll say, “That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?” After you say No, the caller then thanks you and states, “Don’t hesitate to call back if you do”, and hangs up.
You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the Card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card.
Long story made short – we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number.
What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don’t give it to them. Instead, tell them you’ll call VISA or Master card directly for verification of their conversation.
The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you’re receiving a credit. However, by the time you get you r statement you’ll see charges for purchases you didn’t make, and by then it’s almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.
What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a “Jason Richardson of MasterCard” with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn’t let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening.
Please pass this on to all your family and friends.
By informing each other, we protect each other.
Billy Graham’s Prayer for Our Nation
Billy Graham’s Prayer for Our Nation
THIS MAN SURE HAS A GOOD VIEW OF WHAT’S HAPPENING TO OUR COUNTRY!
“Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, “Woe to those who call evil good”, but that is exactly what we have done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!”
Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, ‘The Rest of the Story,’ and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired.
With the Lord’s help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called 
‘One nation under God!’
Adventure with Grandma – No Santa!!
Adventure with Grandma – No Santa!!
I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: There is no Santa Claus, & she jeered. Even dummies know that.
My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her world-famous cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. No Santa Claus! she snorted. Ridiculous! Don’t believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad Now, put on your coat, and let’s go. Go where, Grandma? I asked. I hadn’t even finished my second world-famous, cinnamon bun. Where turned out to be Kerby’s General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars.
That was a bundle in those days. Take this money, she said, and buy something for someone who needs it. I’ll wait for you in the car. Then she turned and walked out of Kerby’s.
I was only eight years old. I’d often gone shopping with my mother, but I’d never shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for.
I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock’s grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn’t have a coat. I knew that because he never went out for recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn’t have a cough, and he didn’t have a coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat!
I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that. Is this a Christmas present for someone? the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. & Yes, I replied shyly. It’s …. for Bobby. The nice lady smiled at me. I didn’t get any change, but she put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry Christmas.
That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper and ribbons (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible and wrote on the package, To Bobby, From Santa Claus – Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker’s house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially one of Santa’s helpers.
Grandma parked down the street from Bobby’s house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. All right, Santa Claus, she whispered, get going. I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his doorbell and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby. Fifty years haven’t dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker’s bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team. I still have the Bible, with the tag tucked inside: $19.95
He who hath no Christmas in his heart will never find Christmas under a tree.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
10 Crucial Tips That May Save Your Life
10 Crucial Tips That May Save Your Life
The Fury of Lightning
7th FAIRWAY LIGHTNING STRIKE
Beware, my friends, of the fury of lightning on the golf course!
Five Things OWS Protesters’ Mothers Should Have Taught Their Children
Here are five things the OWS protesters’ mothers should have taught their
children but obviously didn’t:
- Life isn’t fair. The concept of justice – that everyone should be treated fairly – is a worthy and worthwhile moral imperative on which our nation was founded. But justice and economic equality are not the same. Or, as Mick Jagger said, “You can’t always get what you want.” No matter how you try to “level the playing field,” some people have better luck, skills, talents or connections that land them in better places. Some seem to have all the advantages in life but squander them, others play the modest hand they’re dealt and make up the difference in hard work and perseverance, and some find jobs on Wall Street and eventually buy houses in the Hamptons. Is it fair? Stupid question.
- Nothing is “free.” Protesting with signs that seek “free” college degrees and “free” health care make you look like idiots,
because colleges and hospitals don’t operate on rainbows and sunshine.
There is no magic money machine to tap for your meandering educational careers and “slow paths” to adulthood, and the 53 percent of taxpaying Americans owe you neither a degree nor an annual physical. While I’m pointing out this obvious fact, here are a few other things that are not free: overtime for police officers and municipal workers, trash hauling, repairs to fixtures and property, condoms, Band-Aids and the food that inexplicably appears on the tables in your makeshift protest kitchens. Real people with real dollars are underwriting your civic temper tantrum. - Your word is your bond. When you demonstrate to eliminate student loan debt, you are advocating precisely the lack of integrity you decry in others. Loans are made based on solemn promises to repay them. No one forces you to borrow money; you are free to choose educational pursuits that don’t require loans, or to seek technical or vocational training that allows you to support yourself and your ongoing educational goals. Also, for the record, being a college student is not a state of victimization. It’s a privilege that billions of young people around the globe would die for — literally.
- A protest is not a party. On Saturday in New York, while making a mad dash from my cab to the door of my hotel to avoid you, I saw what isn’t evident in the newsreel footage of your demonstrations: Most of you are doing this only for attention and fun. Serious people in a sober pursuit of social and political change don’t dance jigs down Sixth Avenue like attendees of a Renaissance festival. You look foolish, you smell gross, you are clearly high and you don’t seem to realize that all around you are people who deem you irrelevant.
- There are reasons you haven’t found jobs. The truth? Your tattooed necks, gauged ears, facial piercings and dirty dreadlocks are off-putting. Nonconformity for the sake of nonconformity isn’t a virtue. Occupy reality: Only 4 percent of college graduates are out of work. If you are among that 4 percent, find a mirror and face the problem. It’s not them. It’s you.
4th of July Facts
Thanks to Susan Halverson for this submission!!
We have an amazing God!
Our Creator and Redeemer . . .
and do we THINK about it ???
God’s accuracy may be observed in the hatching of eggs.. . ..
. ..For example:
the eggs of the potato bug hatch in 7 days;
those of the canary in 14 days; –
those of the barnyard hen in 21 days;
The eggs of ducks and geese hatch in 28 days;
those of the mallard in 35 days;
the eggs of the parrot and the ostrich hatch in 42 days.
(Notice, they are all divisible by seven,
the number of days in a week!)
God’s wisdom is seen in the making of an elephant.
The four legs of this great beast all bend forward in the same direction.
No other quadruped is so made.
God planned that this animal would have a huge body,
too large to live on two legs.
For this reason He gave it four fulcrums
so that it can rise from the ground easily.
The horse rises from the ground on its two front legs first.
A cow rises from the ground with its two hind legs first.
How wise the Lord is in all His works of creation!
God’s wisdom is revealed
in His arrangement of sections and segments,
as well as in the number of grains ..
-Each watermelon has an even number of stripes on the rind.
-Each orange has an even number of segments.
-Each ear of corn has an even number of rows.
-Each stalk of wheat has an even number of grains.
-Every bunch of bananas has on its lowest row
an even number of bananas,
and each row decreases by one,
so that one row has an even number
and the next row an odd number.
-The waves of the sea roll in on shore
twenty-six to the minute in all kinds of weather.
-All grains are found in even numbers on the stalks,
and the Lord specified thirty fold,
sixty fold,
and a hundred fold
all even numbers.
God has caused the flowers to blossom
at certain specified times during the day.
Linnaeus, the great botanist,
once said that if he had a conservatory containing
the right kind of soil,
moisture and temperature,
he could tell the time of day or night
by the flowers that were open
and those that were closed !
The lives of each of you
may be ordered by the Lord
in a beautiful way for His glory,
if you will only entrust Him with your life.
If you try to regulate your own life,
it will only be a mess and a failure.
Only the One Who made the brain
and the heart
can successfully guide them to a profitable end.
I HOPE YOU FIND THIS AS FASCINATING
AS I DID.
May god bless you in ways you never even dreamed.
I didn’t think twice about forwarding this one.
The Bible
When you carry the Bible,
Satan has a headache,
when you open it,
he collapses,
when he sees you reading it,
he loses his strength,
AND when you stand on the Word of God,
Satan can’t hurt you!
And did you also know…
When you get ready to forward this,
the devil will get very upset
and try to talk you out of doing it ….
Do it anyway,
you will be glad you did.
Faith is not believing that God can,
it is knowing that God will.
Submission from Jane Kiper, a strong God-fearing woman who is the widow of my insurance business partner and mentor. He never knew there was a difference between males & females in business!!!
Our National Anthem – All Four Stanzas
Star Spangled Banner, US Army Band, click 
to play
To Those of Us Born Between 1930 – 1970
Here’s to US!!!!
No matter what our kids and the new generation think about us,
WE ARE AWESOME!!!!
OUR LIFE IS LIVING PROOF!!!!
To Those of Us Born
1930 – 1979
At the end of this
email is a quote of the month by Jay Leno.. If you don’t read anything else, please
read what he said.
Very well stated, Mr… Leno.
TO ALL THE KIDS
WHO SURVIVED THE
1930’s, 40’s,
50’s,
60’s and 70’s!!
First, we survived
being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.
They took aspirin,
ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn’t get tested for diabetes.=2 0
Then after that
trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered
with bright colored lead-base paints..
We had no
childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we
rode our bikes,
we had baseball
caps
not helmets on our
heads.
As infants &
children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat
belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.
Riding in the back of
a pick- up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from
the garden hose and not from a bottle..
We shared one soft
drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white
bread, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar.
And, we weren’t overweight.. WHY?
Because we were
always outside playing…that’s why!
We would leave home
in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights
came on….
No one was able to
reach us all day. And, we were OKAY.
We would spend
hours building our go-carts out of scraps
and then ride them
down the hill,
only to find out we
forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to
solve the problem
We did not have Play
stations, Nintendo’s and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels
on cable, no video movies or DVD’s,
no surround-sound or
CD’s,
no cell phones,
no personal
computers,
no Internet and no chat
rooms.
WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside
and found them!
We fell out of
trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these
accidents.
We would
get spankings with wooden spoons, switches, ping pong paddles, or just a bare
hand and no one would call child services to report abuse.
We ate worms and mud
pies
made from dirt, and
the worms did not live
in us forever.
We were given BB guns
for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and,
although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or
walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just
walked in and talked to them.
Little League had
tryouts and not everyone made the team.
Those who didn’t had
to learn
to deal with disappointment.
Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if
we broke the law was unheard of.. They actually
sided with the law!
These generations
have produced some of the best
risk-takers, problem solvers
and inventors ever.
The past 50 years
have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom,
failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.
If YOU are one of
them, CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to
share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the
lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own
good.
While you are at it,
forward it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents
were.
Kind of makes you want to run through
the house with scissors, doesn’t it ?
~
The quote of the
month is by
Jay Leno:
‘With hurricanes,
tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms
tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird
flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of
the Pledge of Allegiance?’
For those that prefer
to think that God is not watching over us…go ahead and delete this….
For the rest of
us….pass this on.
Thanks to Jane Kiper for another winner!!!
The Wooden Bowl
The Wooden Bowl
I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now,
a year from now.
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson.
The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered
The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor.
When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.
The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.
‘We must do something about father,’ said the son.
‘I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.’
So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.
There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.
Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.
When the family glanced in Grandfather’s direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone.
Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.
The four-year-old watched it all in silence.
One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.
He asked the child sweetly, ‘What are you making?’ Just as sweetly, the boy responded,
‘Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.
‘ The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.
The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.
That evening the husband took Grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table.
For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.
On a positive note, I’ve learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things:
a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
I’ve learned that making a ‘living’ is not the same thing as making a ‘life..’
I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.
I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back sometimes.
I’ve learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you
But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others,
your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you
I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.
I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one.
I’ve learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone.
People love that human touch — holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.
I’ve learned that you should pass this on to everyone you care about .I just did.
FRIENDSHIP CANDLE
NOTICE AT THE END,
THE DATE THE CANDLE WAS STARTED.
GONNA GIVE YOU GOOSE BUMPS.
I am not going to be the one who lets it die. I found it believable —
angels have walked beside me all my life–and they still do
*********************
This is to all of you who
mean something to me,
I pray for your happiness.
The Candle Of Love, Hope & Friendship
This candle was lit on the
15th of September, 1998
Someone who loves you has helped
keep it alive by sending it to you.
Don’t let The Candle of Love, Hope and Friendship die
Pass It On To All Of Your Friends
and Everyone You Love!
May God richly bless you!
So generously submitted by Debbie Rodrigues
The Producer Workers Guide to Fruit and Vegetables
We’ve had a few requests lately from readers who want to know more about how to get the most out of their fruits and vegetables. Keeping your produce fresh begins at the store. As a former produce stocker, I can tell you that most grocery stores use a variety of tricks to keep profit margins high and the waste to a minimum. If you know what to look for, then you can be sure to pick fruits and veggies that will have a longer shelf life at home.
I put together a list of 25 commonly purchased grocery items and provided some basic purchasing tips based on my experience working in the produce department. (See also: Fresh Fruits and Vegetables by the Month)
Avocados
Choosing that perfect avocado can be tricky. Because avocados will only ripen after they are picked, it’s really hit or miss in terms of what shape they are in by the time they reach their destination. You can tell if an avo is ripe by the color and how firm it is. If it is bright green and hard, it won’t be ready for a few days at least. A ripe avocado will be slightly soft and have a dark green skin, but it shouldn’t be too soft. If push your finger into the skin and feel a “space” between the skin and flesh, it is past its prime. If you can’t find a ripe avocado at the store, you can always speed up the ripening process by placing it in a brown paper bag, which helps trap the natural ethylene gas that causes many fruits to ripen. Placing an apple or banana in the bag also helps.
Bananas
Finding ripe bananas is similar to hunting for ready-to-eat avocados — they are grown in tropical regions, picked early, and shipped to far away places. Customers would often pass up bananas with a few brown spots because they thought they were “overripe.” I would always peel one and let the customer taste, and most people would agree that this is when the banana is at its best. Lastly, from a strictly environmental perspective, you don’t have to put your bananas in a plastic bag to bring them to the checkout (same for avocados). I’ve never understood this phenomenon, since this is one of the only fruits that has an inedible skin. Just be mindful next time you are at the store, and ask yourself, “Do I really need a bag for this?”
Basil
In the summer, many stores will display large bunches of basil in a bucket of water, which tends to look nice for about 24 hours. Make sure you are picking the healthiest bunch; the leaves shouldn’t be droopy or shriveled, and they should have a strong aroma. If the basil is bagged, make sure there aren’t any black leaves inside. A few spots are okay, but look for the bunch with the greenest leaves. Like most produce, the older items are rotated to the front when the display is restocked, so you may have to dig around a little. If you still can’t find healthy-looking basil, ask someone in the department to check in the back. Basil is one of those items that is delivered often, but the new batch may not be on the floor yet.
Beets
Beets, turnips, parsnips, celery root, and other root veggies should never be soft. If your store displays them in a cooler that is too cold or wet, they will tend to get soft faster. Make sure they are hard and colorful, particularly if you plan on making a fresh beet salad or juice. It isn’t as much of an issue if you plan to cook root veggies.
Berries
Mold is the biggest issue with berries, particularly the more delicate ones, such as raspberries and blackberries. In the summer, try to buy local berries sold in paper pints. Pick up the pint to check for any wet spots on the bottom, and try to gently shake the berries around to see if there’s any hidden mold or broken berries. Mold spreads quickly once it is in the package, particularly plastic packaging. But even in the package, you can often detect bad berries by the smell. It’s generally better to buy berries when they are in season since they will have more flavor and cost significantly less. Because they are so delicate and there’s a lot of loss, produce departments have to mark up out-of-season berries.
Broccoli
There is some contention over whether it is best to buy crowns or bunches. Crowns tend to be more expensive, but bunches are sold by weight, and if you add the weight of the stalk, it can be just as costly. It really depends on whether or not you will use the stalks. In any case, you want to make sure that the crowns have a dark green hue. If they look pale or have yellow spots, they are on their way out. You can also squeeze the tops to make sure the broccoli is firm. The same goes for cauliflower. Look for a firm head with little to no brown spots.
Carrots
If your store offers bulk carrots, these are your best choice for quality, and they are much cheaper. As a general rule, bagged items have traveled many miles and may have begun to break down. Buying local will guarantee that you are getting the crispest carrots, but if local carrots aren’t available, find out the source of the other options (most of the time you can find this information on the bag or ask an employee). Usually, you can find carrots that haven’t traveled too far. Carrots should be bright in color and look “alive.” Avoid anything that looks limp, dry, dark, or moldy (similar to other root veggies).
Citrus
A good rule of thumb for citrus is that most varieties will not ripen after they are picked. So it is best to buy citrus that is ripe but not rotting. Look for a firm fruit with vibrant colors. Avoid anything that is bruised, wrinkled, or lacking in color.
Corn
Corn will last longer if you buy it with the husk and don’t shuck it until you are ready to cook it. The husk keeps the corn moist and fresh. Look for a thick, bright-green husk, and don’t buy anything that has dry ends or has too many brown spots. Even if it looks healthy, bugs can still be an issue (particularly with organic corn). Before you buy, peel back the husk without taking too much off, and make sure there aren’t any places where the corn is pale, dry, or nibbled on. You can also tell which ears are healthy by weight. The heavier the ear, the more moisture it has retained.
Cucumbers
Cukes should be firm and dark green in color. Pickling cucumbers tend to be lighter in color, but you can always check to see if there are any soft or dark spots. I love Italian cucumbers — the long, slender ones — but they don’t last as long and are typically sold in plastic wrap, which holds in the moisture and causes more breakdown. For any type of cuke, try to find ones that are not packaged.
Eggplant
Eggplant should be dark purple and firm, though there are many eggplant varieties that have different shapes and colors. All eggplant varieties should have skin that is free of wrinkles and soft spots. Only buy eggplant if you plan to use it soon, since it doesn’t store very well. Smaller varieties are less bitter.
Figs
While figs may not be as common as other fruits such as peaches or apricots, they all share the same qualities when they are ripe. Fresh figs are harder to find than dried ones, but they are a real treat if you can buy them when they are ripe. A ripe fig should have the same soft texture as a ripe peach, but it shouldn’t be too soft. The skin should be slightly wrinkled but not shriveled. The color depends on the variety, but the most common variety sold in stores is the Brown Turkish Fig, which should have a deep brown color when ripe. But if you ever have the opportunity to eat a fig right of the tree, this is the best way to experience a fresh fig.
Green Beans
You should be able to break a fresh green bean in half without any effort, and it should have a snap to it. Buy green beans in bulk if you can, and put them in paper bags if your store offers them (the paper might absorb some of the moisture, but plastic encourages mold). Like berries, green beans tend to mold quickly, so look for the white furry stuff, especially if the beans are pre-packaged. Avoid anything that looks dark or mushy; a few spots are okay, but don’t buy spotty, pale, or limp beans (same goes for snap peas).
Kale
A healthy bunch of kale has a rich color, and the leaves won’t droop when you hold the bunch upright. This is true for other leafy greens, such as collards and chard. If you gently squeeze the leaves, they should make a squeaky sound and bounce back immediately. Think about a house plant that hasn’t been watered in a while — don’t buy any leafy green that looks like a sad or dying plant.
Lettuce
You can always tell if a head of lettuce is fresh by looking at the bottom where it was cut from the ground. If it is brown and dried out, it hasn’t retained any water during its trip from the farm to the grocery shelves. Working in produce in the winter meant a lot more prep work, since we received lettuce from the West coast — a long distance from Vermont. To revive lettuce, we would trim off the bottom of the heads and soak them it in a sink full of water, which you could do at home, but it is better to pick out the healthiest lettuce at store. Look for lettuce that is crisp, vibrant, and that doesn’t have wilted leaves, holes, or dark mushy spots. Avoid pre-packaged lettuce and buy mixed greens in bulk when available. Of course, local is always the best choice when it is in season.
Melons
To halve or not to halve. Forgive the hackneyed cliche, but this was always a debate in the produce department. From my experience, dividing and shrink-wrapping melons was an easy way to help customers see if the fruit was ripe. If a cantaloupe, for instance, had a good color, not too pale but not too dark, and didn’t have any dark or pulpy spots, it was ready to eat. Avoid anything that looks too watery or that has a strong musky odor. For an uncut melon, smell the outside, and if you can tell what the fruit is with your eyes closed, it’s ripe (this is true for pineapples too).
Watermelons are in a slightly different category because they don’t smell as strongly, and tapping to see if they sound hollow has never really worked for me. Avoid watermelons that have funky shapes, major discoloration, or anything that feels too light for its size. Heavier watermelons have more water inside and will be juicier. If you aren’t sure, you can always compare it to the other ones around the same size and pick the heaviest one. Last word on melons — be adventurous. There are many types of melons out there, and you never know if one of them might be your new favorite.
Mushrooms
Picking out mushrooms that aren’t molded can get dicey, since by definition, they are mold. One of my co-workers grew mushrooms for many years, and he said the best way to tell if a shroom is funky is the smell. Don’t buy mushrooms if they smell fishy (not suspicious, but literally like fish). Color and texture are also good indicators. Lots of dark spots, slimy surfaces, and mushrooms that are too spongy are not good signs.
Onions
As with other alliums, such as garlic and shallots, sprouting is a sign that the onion is beginning to break down, but you can always check for wet or dark spots. Although onions have a strong odor to begin with, if the odor is overwhelming, it’s probably bad. Look for fruit flies around the bin at the store, and always ask if there are fresher onions in the back since many root veggies are lower on the priority list in terms of restocking.
Pears
Like bananas, pears are actually better if they have brown spots on them. You don’t want them to fall apart in your hands, but they should be relatively soft and aromatic. You can always request to taste one if there are many in the bunch that look too ripe. I’ve found that most people who work in produce are very friendly and generous with sampling, but as a rule, the brown spots on the skin are more of an indication of ripeness than rotting fruit.
Peppers
Smooth skin usually means a healthy pepper; however, wrinkles on jalapenos are okay, but be wary, because this often means that they are extra hot! All peppers should be firm and free of holes or dark spots, and they shouldn’t feel like a rubber when you gently squeeze them.
Potatoes
You’ll often find that potatoes are sold in plastic bags, which is the worst possible way to store potatoes. I’m assuming this is done so that customers can see the condition of the potatoes, but try to buy potatoes in bulk or sold in paper bags. Again, sprouts and spots are usually good indicators of a bad potato, but wrinkled skin is another one, along with soft flesh. Sometimes you can pick off the sprouts and they are still fine, but always check for green potatoes by scraping away a little of the skin. There’s still a debate over how toxic green potatoes really are, but it’s definitely a sign that the root has begun to break down.
Radishes
If the radishes are sold with the tops, you can tell how fresh they are by the health of the greens. Yellow or wilted leaves are a sign that the radish has been on the shelf for a while; however, always check the actual root. If it is still firm, then it is still fresh.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes have three simple fresh indicators: Color, texture, and fruit flies. Avoid pale tomatoes (heirlooms are exceptions to this rule) and any tomato that has been damaged. Once the skin is broken, they will break down much more quickly. When buying packaged cherry tomatoes, pick up the package. If you see fruit flies buzzing in all directions, put it back. If you aren’t sure how to tell if an heirloom is ripe, just ask someone. For the most part, a tomato is ripe when it is soft enough to squeeze without breaking the skin.
Winter Squash
Winter squash will last for quite some time after harvest if stored properly. Whether it’s butternut, acorn, or delicata, look for the squash that is heavy for its size (like watermelons), and don’t buy winter squash if it is soft or if the rind is shriveled or dark in places.
Zucchini (and Summer Squash)
Zucchini and summer squash are very similar, and you will often find them displayed near one another. Like most items on this list, avoid anything with mushy brown spots or that is too pale. Depending on the variety, the color should be bright and consistent. You can tell by the ends as well. Don’t buy anything that has dry or squishy tips. The skin should also have a nice sheen and rubbery texture.
From avocados to zucchini, you can always rely on color, texture, and size to help ensure freshness and quality when buying produce. Just remember three basic rules to guide you along the way: Ask questions, buy in season and local if possible, and don’t be afraid to handle the goods. As long as you are gentle and not causing more damage, you have every right to inspect your produce before you buy it.
JANUARY
• cabbages
• leeks
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• oranges
• grapefruit
• tangerines
• tangelos
• lemons
• papayas
FEBRUARY
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• oranges
• grapefruits
• lemons
• papayas
MARCH
• broccoli
• lettuce
• pineapples
• mangoes
APRIL
• zucchini
• rhubarb
• artichokes
• asparagus
• spring peas
• broccoli
• lettuce
• pineapples
• mangoes
MAY
• okra
• zucchini
• rhubarb
• artichokes
• asparagus
• spring peas
• broccoli
• lettuce
• cherries
• pineapples
• apricots
JUNE
• corn
• lettuce
• watermelon
• strawberries
• cantaloupe
• cherries
• blueberries
• peaches
• apricots
JULY
• cucumbers
• tomatoes
• summer squash
• corn
• green beans
• lettuce
• watermelon
• strawberries
• cantaloupe
• blueberries
• peaches
• apricots
• kiwi
• raspberries
• plums
AUGUST
• cucumbers
• corn
• eggplant
• tomatoes
• summer squash
• green beans
• lettuce
• watermelon
• strawberries
• cantaloupe
• blueberries
• peaches
• apricots
• kiwi
• raspberries
• plums
SEPTEMBER
• eggplants
• pumpkins
• tomatoes
• spinach
• lettuce
• grapes
• pomegranates
OCTOBER
• pumpkins
• winter squash
• broccoli
• spinach
• lettuce
• sweet potatoes
• cranberries
• apples
• pomegranates
• grapes
NOVEMBER
• pumpkins
• winter squash
• sweet potatoes
• broccoli
• mushrooms
• spinach
• cranberries
• oranges
• tangerines
• pears
• pomegranates
DECEMBER
• sweet potatoes
• mushrooms
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• pears
• oranges
• grapefruit
• tangerines
• papayas
• pomegranates
The Little Things of Life
~The
‘L I T TL E‘
Things of Life~
As you might remember,
the head of a company survived 9/11
Because his son
started kindergarten.
Another fellow was alive because it was
His turn to bring donuts.
One woman was late because her
Alarm clock didn’t go off in time.
One was late because of being stuck on the NJ Turnpike
Because of an auto accident.
One of them
Missed his bus.
One spilled food on her clothes and had to take
Time to change.
One’s
Car wouldn’t start.
One couldn’t
Get a taxi.
The one that struck me was the man
who put on a new pair of shoes that morning,
took the various means to get to work,
but before he got there, he developed
a blister on his foot.
He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid.
That is why he is alive today.
Now when I am
Stuck in traffic,
Miss an elevator,
Turn back to answer a ringing telephone,
All the little things that annoy me.
I think to myself,
This is exactly where
God wants me to be
At this very moment..
Next time your morning seems to be
Going wrong..
You can’t seem to find the car keys,
You hit every traffic light,
Don’t get mad or frustrated;
It May be just that
God is at work watching over you.
May God continue to bless you
With all those annoying little things
And may you remember their possible purpose.
Pass this on to someone else, if you’d like.
There is NO LUCK attached.
If you delete this, it’s okay:
God’s Love Is Not Dependent On E-Mail!!
(that’s the cool part)
A MEN
Thank you, Debbie Rodrigues, for another winner!!!
The Final Inspection
Now “THIS” is a Poster!
I don’t know who wrote “THE FINAL INSPECTION”, but PLEASE keep this going!
Read to the end!
I hope this poster circles the globe.
If it weren’t for the United States military, there’d be NO United States of America.
PLEASE DO NOT HOLD ONTO THIS, NOR PRESS DELETE.
SOMEONE HAS TO HOLD OUR COUNTRY IN THEIR HANDS. SEND THIS ON.
THE FINAL INSPECTION
The Soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.
‘Step forward now, Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?’
The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
‘no, Lord, I guess I ain’t.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can’t always be a saint.
I’ve had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I’ve been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny,
That wasn’t mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills just got too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I’ve wept unmanly tears.
I know I don’t deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears
If you’ve a place for me here, Lord,
It needn’t be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don’t, I’ll understand.
There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
‘Step forward now, you Soldier,
You’ve borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven’s streets,
You’ve done your time in Hell.’
~Author Unknown~
It’s the Soldier, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press.
It’s the Soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech.
It’s the Soldier, not the politicians that ensures our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
It’s the Soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag.
If you care to offer the smallest token of recognition and appreciation for the Military, please pass this on.
I DID!!!
Separating Egg Whites and Egg Yolks
Separating Egg Whites and Egg Yolks
A simple and quick method to remove the yolk from the white of an egg for your favorite recipes
When a recipe calls for egg whites, you might want to freak out. If you’re running short on time, you don’t have the patience and time necessary to separate that pesky yolk from the egg white. Not to worry, because Steve has found a way to pull the yolk right out of the egg white. It’s quick, easy, and a little fun.
Materials
- Egg (or two, or three)
- Empty plastic water bottle
- Bowls or plates
- Crack an egg into a bowl or plate. Be careful not to break the yolk when cracking the egg.
- In your hand, lightly squeeze an empty plastic water bottle. You don’t want to compress the water bottle all of the way.
- Hold the water bottle in the squeezed position. Don’t release it.
4. Touch the mouth of the water bottle to the egg yolk and slowly release the squeeze on the bottle.
5. The egg yolk is pushed right into the bottle, leaving the egg white!
Take It Further!
If you want to use this tool for more than recipes in your home, turn it into a literature connection. Separate the yolk from the egg white and add green food coloring to the egg white. Replace the egg yolk and voila… now you have real green eggs to use while reading Green Eggs and Ham to your students.
How does it work?
When you squeeze the bottle, you are decreasing the air inside. If you squeeze the bottle while the mouth is facing towards you, you’ll feel air rush out. Releasing the squeeze on the bottle allows air to rush back into the bottle. If you cover the mouth of the bottle with the egg yolk prior to releasing the squeeze, the available volume inside the bottle is filled by the egg yolk. The egg yolk separates easily from the egg white because of their differing viscosity. While the egg white is runny and slimy, the yolk is more solid, enabling the entire yolk to enter the bottle while the egg white runs off onto the plate or bowl.
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/
Debbie Rodrigues has done it again!
Debbie, This one is really great and I, for one, will use it over and over.
Thanks again, Debbie
Sending Large Files Made Easy
Sending Large Files Made Easy
Finding it difficult to send email attachments larger than 25MB in Gmail? Well, there are several alternatives to sending large files. Here are a few that are better than the best in the business…
[1]
Google Drive
Yes, many people use Gmail all the time, but they fail to notice the Drive icon next to the ‘Attach files’ icon. You can upload new files into your Google Drive or share the files already in your Google Drive. And the best part? You can send files up to 10GB. That is 400 times the current limit and it’s free.
[2]
Wetransfer
Unlike other file sending services on the market where you have to first create an account before you send, this one does away with all that. You can just log on to wetransfer.com and send files up to 2GB immediately by attaching the file, entering the friend’s email ID and inserting a short message. Not only is the service fast, but also mighty convenient.
[3]
Dropsend
This one offers the same 2GB sending limit as Wetransfer but with one notable exception. It offers 256bit AES Security encryption and one-step verification – whenever you send an attachment, you also have to enter an automatically generated security code.
[4]
Dropbox
This one offers to send 2GB for free, but you have to sign up for an account. Once you do that, however, you can be assured of 256bit AES Security encryption and a two-step verification. Also, everything you store in the cloud is automatically private. So you control who sees what.
[5]
Skydrive
Once you download the software on to your desktop or laptop, Microsoft’s cloud storage offers 7GB of free storage with a 2GB file sending limit.
[6]
Amazon Cloud Drive
Download the software and you can store 5GB worth of data that you can share with anyone you like.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000828861
~ Zahid H Javali
URL to article: http://www.worldstart.com/sending-large-files-made-easy/
Article printed from Worldstart’s Tech Tips And Computer Help: http://www.worldstart.com
Ode to the Spellchecker
Mark, you’ve done it again. What a fun piece for all of us to read! We become so dependent on our computers to do the work for us, but do tend to forget that they really are machines in the end.
New Bucket List for 2014,15,16
Neat Tips
Thanks to our Aussie friend, Leah, for sending this along to America!! We met Mark & Leah at Manassas Battle Ground a few days before the 4th of July and said “We’ll see you on the Mall for “Thunder Road”, knowing full well with those crowds that it would be a one chance in a million.
We came out of the Smithsonian looking for a lemonade and who did we see, but Leah taking Mark’s photo directly in front of us. Wayne walked up and put his arm around Mark and nearly got leveled by Mark and Leah almost passed out! The one in a million happened and we have been friends since then. It was destined to be!
Mom’s Empty Chair
A wonderful story that will warm your heart
A woman’s daughter had asked the local minister
to come and pray with her mother.
When the minister arrived,
he found the woman lying in bed with her head
propped up on two pillows.
An empty chair sat beside her bed.
The minister assumed that the woman
had been informed of his visit…
‘I guess you were expecting me, he said.
‘No, who are you?’ said the mother.
The minister told her his name and then remarked,
‘I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew
I was going to show up..’
‘Oh yeah, the chair,’ said the bedridden woman
‘Would you mind closing the door?’
Puzzled, the minister shut the door.
‘I have never told anyone this,
not even my daughter,’ said the woman.
‘But all of my life I have never
known how to pray.
At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer,
but it went right over my head…’
I abandoned any attempt at prayer,’
the old woman continued, ‘
until one day four years ago, my best friend said to me,
‘ Prayer is just a simple matter
of having a conversation with Jesus.
Here is what I suggest..
‘Sit down in a chair;
place an empty chair in front of you,
and in faith see Jesus on the chair.
It’s not spooky because he promised,
‘I will be with you always’..
‘Then just speak to him in the same way
you’re doing with me right now…’
‘So, I tried it and I’ve liked it so much
that I do it a couple of hours every day.
I’m careful though.If my daughter saw me talking
to an empty chair, she’d either have a nervous breakdown
or send me off to the funny farm.’
The minister was deeply moved by the story and
encouraged the old woman to continue on the journey.
Then he prayed with her, anointed her with oil,
and returned to the church.
Two nights later the daughter called
to tell the minister that her mama
had died that afternoon.
Did she die in peace?’ he asked.
Yes, when I left the house about two o’clock,
she called me over to her bedside,
told me she loved me and kissed me on the cheek.
When I got back from the store an hour later,
I found her .
But there was something strange about her death.
Apparently, just before Mom died,
she leaned over and rested her head on the chair
beside the bed. What do you make of that?’
The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said,
‘I wish we could all go like that.’
Just send this to four people or more,
and do not break this, please.
Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive.
I asked God for water, He gave me an ocean.*
I asked God for a flower, He gave me a garden.*
I asked God for a friend, He gave me all of YOU…
If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.
Is it a Genuine Mirror or a 2-Way Mirror?
IS IT A GENUINE MIRROR OR 2-WAY MIRROR??
Thanks to Judy Roberts, a classmate for sending this great information!!
Mike Monsoor
A fellow Navy Seal who knew and trained with Mike Monsoor said that he had already earned a Silver Star for Bravery and a Bronze Star for separate acts of valor.
On April 8, 2008, Mike Monsoor was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously officiated by President George W. Bush in a ceremony at the White House. The text of his citation reads:
For service as set forth in the following CITATION:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as automatic weapons gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on 29 September 2006. As a member of a combined Seal and Iraqi Army Sniper Overwatch Element, tasked with providing early warning and stand-off protection from a rooftop in an insurgent held sector of Ar Ramadi, Iraq, Petty Officer Monsoor distinguished himself by his exceptional bravery in the face of grave danger. In the early morning, insurgents prepared to execute a
coordinated attack by reconnoitering the area around the Element’s position. Element Snipers thwarted the enemy’s initial attempt by eliminating two insurgents.
His funeral took place in October 12, 2006 at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego. During Mike Monsoor’s funeral, the six pallbearers removed the rosewood casket from the hearse, and lined up on each side of Mike Monsoor’s casket, with his family members, friends, fellow sailors, and well-wishers. The column of people continued from the hearse, all the way to the grave site.
What the group didn’t know at the time was, every Navy Seal (45 To Be Exact) that Mike Monsoor saved that day was scattered through-out the column!
After one completes the basic Navy Seals program which lasts for three weeks, and is followed by Seal Qualification Training, which is 15 more weeks of training, necessary to continue improving basic skills and to learn new tactics and techniques, required for an assignment to a Navy Seal Platoon. After successful completion, trainees are given their Naval Enlisted Code, and are awarded the Navy Seal Trident Pin. With this Gold Pin they are now officially Navy Seals!
It was said, that you could hear each of the 45 slaps from across the cemetery! By the time the rosewood casket reached the grave site, it looked as though it had a gold inlay from the 45 Trident Pins that lined the top! This was a fitting end to an eternal send-off for a warrior hero!
This should be front-page news!
I am proud of all the branches of our military..
PS A new ship has been commissioned by the Navy and it is named the USS MICHAEL MONSOOR, in honor of this Navy Seal.
Meet Molly
Lab Tests – What Do They Mean???
Do you ever wonder what those test results mean when the doctor orders them? All those letters seem so foreign to us, so here’s how to make sense of them. Just click on the following website and choose your test and they will explain what it is for in layman’s terms. Isn’t this a great site?
Kitchen Miracle Cleaner
You put about 1/4 cup of baking soda in a small glass bowl
and squirt in hydrogen peroxide until it makes a
nice paste. Then you rub it on the offending dirt/stain/grease…whatever! You
can usually just use your fingers…but you can also use a small sponge as well.
Japanese Surrender Film – September 2, 1945
JAPANESE SURRENDER FILM – SEPTEMBER 2, 1945
This is an excellent reminder for those of us who are “old” enough to remember, first hand, this ceremony. For those who are too young to have experienced, or perhaps never have seen or heard of this ceremony, you really must watch this. This is history. The events and years leading up to this must never be allowed to happen again. God was with us then. Let us never leave HIM! God bless America.
If you are a fan of history at all, this will stir your soul. I can’t imagine what the men on the Missouri that day were feeling and thinking.
ACTUAL VOICE OF GENERAL MacArthur NEVER BEEN SHOWN TO GENERAL PUBLIC BEFORE. Please click on to Japanese Surrender below. A keeper.
This is a ‘must see’ for the WWII history buff or anyone interested in history.
Interesting the other signers to the document, from New Zealand/Australia to Europe/Russia.
This is an actual film made of the surrender ceremony of the Japanese to McArthur in Tokyo Bay in September 1945.
Actual voice of the General. Never been shown to the general public before.
We always saw the “stills” but never the film itself.
Click here: Japanese Surrender
Intervention for Burns
INTERVENTION FOR BURNS
EVERYONE PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH YOUR LOVE ONES! IT’S VERY IMPORTANT!
WOW!!! Real interesting! Something I did not know, could come in handy..
I wish when my nephew was badly burned someone had known this.
A young man sprinkling his lawn and bushes with pesticides wanted to check the contents of the barrel to see how much pesticide remained in it. He raised the cover and lit his lighter; the vapors ignited and engulfed him He jumped from his truck, screaming.
His neighbor came out of her house with a dozen eggs and a bowl yelling: “bring me some more eggs!”
She broke them, separating the whites from the yolks.
The neighbor woman helped her to apply the whites onto the young man’s face.
When the ambulance arrived and the EMTs saw the young man, they asked who had done this. Everyone pointed to the lady in charge.
They congratulated her and said: “You have saved his face.”
By the end of the summer, the young man brought the lady a bouquet of roses to thank her. His face was like a baby’s skin.
A Healing Miracle for Burns:
Keep in mind this treatment of burns is being included in teaching beginner fireman. First Aid consists of first spraying cold water on the affected area until the heat is reduced which stops the continued burning of all layers of the skin. Then, spread the egg whites onto the affected area.
One woman burned a large part of her hand with boiling water. In spite of the pain, she ran cold faucet water on her hand, separated 2 egg whites from the yolks, beat them slightly and dipped her hand in the solution. The whites then dried and formed a protective layer.
She later learned that the egg white is a natural collagen and continued during at least one hour to apply layer upon layer of beaten egg white. By afternoon she no longer felt any pain and the next day there was hardly a trace of the burn. 10 days later, no trace was left at all and her skin had regained its normal color. The burned area was totally regenerated thanks to the collagen in the egg whites, a placenta full of vitamins.
Since this information could be helpful to everyone: Please share it!
Thank you to Debbie Rodrigues for sharing this with us
ICE Campaign
ICE Campaign
“In Case of Emergency”
We all carry our cell phones with names & numbers stored in its memory but nobody, other than ourselves, knows which of these numbers belong to our closest family or friends.
If we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the people attending us would have our cell phone but wouldn’t know who to call. Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored but which one is the contact person in case of an emergency?
Hence, this “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) Campaign. The concept of “ICE” is catching on quickly. It is a method of contact during emergency situations. As cell phones are carried by the majority of the population, all you need to do is store the number of a contact person or persons who should be contacted during emergency under the name “ICE” (In Case of Emergency).
The idea was thought up by a paramedic , who found that when he went to the scenes of accidents, there were always cell phones with patients, but they didn’t know which number to call. He therefore thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name for this purpose. In an emergency situation, emergency service personnel and hospital staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialing the number you have stored as“ICE.”
For more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2 and ICE3 etc. A great idea that will make a difference!
Let’s spread the concept of ICE by storing an ICE number in our cell phones today! ICE will speak for you when you are not able to.
Article submission thanks to
Carole Paulette. We are grateful to neighbors like you who take the time to share articles with us.
I Am Thankful
How to Read Barcodes for Made in America and Canada
HOW TO READ BAR CODES… (Very good to know)
BUY USA & CANADIAN MADE by watching for “0” at the beginning of the number.
I am going to watch those bar codes a LOT more now… I am busy reading the ingredients…Boy, shopping is a full time job!!!
ALWAYS READ THE LABELS ON THE FOODS YOU BUY–NO MATTER WHAT THE FRONT OF THE BOX OR PACKAGE SAYS, TURN IT OVER AND READ THE BACK— CAREFULLY!
With all the food and pet products now coming from China, it is best to make sure you read label at the grocery store and especially Wal-Mart, when buying food products. Many products no longer show where they originated, only give where the distributor is located. It is important to read the bar code to track its origin. This may be useful to know when grocery shopping, if it is a concern to you.
A GREAT WAY TO “BUY USA & CANADA” AND NOT FROM CHINA!!
The whole world is afraid of China-made “black hearted goods”. Can you differentiate which one originates in Taiwan or China?
If the first 3 digits of the barcode are 690, 691 or 692, the product is MADE IN CHINA… 471 is MADE IN TAIWAN.
This is our right to know, but the government and related departments never educate the public, therefore we have to RESCUE ourselves.
Nowadays, Chinese executives know that consumers do not prefer products “MADE IN CHINA”, so they do not show the country that produced it. However, you may now refer to the barcode – remember if the first three digits are:
690-692 … then it is MADE IN CHINA
00 – 09 … Made in the USA & CANADA
30 – 37 … Made in FRANCE
40 – 44 … Made in GERMANY
471 … MADE IN TAIWAN
49 … Made in JAPAN
50 … Made in UK
BUY USA & CANADIAN MADE by watching for “0” at the beginning of the number. We need every boost we can get!
Submitted by Charles Pickens. Thank you for sending this to enlighten our Community.
How to Make a Shiva Call
Tips About Forwarding Email
Some Tips About Forwarding Email
Do you really know how to forward e-mails?
Do you wonder why you get viruses or junk mail? Do you hate it? Every time you forward an e-mail there is information left over from the people who got the message before you, namely their e-mail addresses & names.
As the messages get forwarded along, the list of addresses builds, and builds, and builds, and all it takes is for some poor sap to get a virus, and his or her computer can send that virus to every E-mail address that has come across his computer. Or, someone can take all of those addresses and sell them or send junk mail to them in the hopes that you will go to the site and he will make five cents for each hit. That’s right, all of that inconvenience over a nickel! How do you stop it? Well, there are several easy steps:
(1) When you forward an e-mail, DELETE all of the other addresses that appear in the body of the message (at the top). That’s right, DELETE them. Highlight them and delete them, backspace them, cut them, whatever it is you know how to do. It only takes a second. You MUST click the “Forward” button first and then you will have full editing capabilities against the body and headers of the message. If you don’t click on “Forward” first, you won’t be able to edit the message at all.
(2) Whenever you send an e-mail to more than one person, do NOT use the To: or Cc: fields for adding e-mail addresses. Always use the BCC: (blind carbon copy) field for listing the e-mail addresses. ;This is the way the people you send to will only see their own e-mail address. If you don’t see your BCC in Outlook Express/Windows Mail, click View in the compose window toolbar and check “All Headers”. In other email programs try clicking on where it says To: and your address list will appear – then highlight the address and choose BCC: and that’s it, it’s that easy. When you send to BCC: (and with no address in the “To:” field) your message will automatically say “Undisclosed Recipients in the “TO:” field of the people who receive it.
(3) Remove any “FW :” in the subject line. You can re-name the subject if you wish or even fix spelling.
(4) ALWAYS hit your Forward button from the actual e-mail you are reading. Ever get those e-mails that you have to open 10 pages to read the one page with the information on it? By Forwarding from the actual page you wish someone to view, you stop them from having to open many e-mails just to see what you sent.
(5) Have you ever gotten an e-mail that is a petition? It states a position and asks you to add your name and address and to
forward it to 10 or 15 people or your entire address book. The e-mail can be forwarded on and on and can collect thousands of names and e-mail addresses.
A FACT: The completed petition is actually worth a couple of bucks to a professional spammer because of the wealth of valid names and e-mail addresses contained therein. If you want to support the petition, send it as your own personal letter to the intended recipient. Your position may carry more weight as a personal letter than a laundry list of names and e-mail address on a petition. (actually, if you think about it, who is supposed to send the petition in to whatever cause it supports? And don’t believe the ones that say that the e-mail is being traced, it just ain’t so!)
Just about everything you receive in an e-mail that is in question can be checked out on Snopes.com. Just go to www.snopes.com or www.truthorfiction.com It’s really easy to find out if it’s real or not. If it’s not, please don’t pass it on.
Heart Attack and Water
Guide to Home Health Care in Florida
Introduction
This guide contains information about health care services provided in the home. Such services may be needed during recovery after a hospital stay, or to help a disabled or elderly person live independently in their own home.
Topics Include:
Home Health Care Services Home Health Care Providers
When a Patient Receives Skilled Services Choosing a Home Health Care Provider Medicare and Medicaid
Other Resources and Information
Home Health Care Services
Health care services offered in the home may include:
• Nursing care
• Physical, occupational, respiratory, or speech therapy
• Home health aide services
• Medical social services
• Nutritional counseling
• Medical equipment and supplies
• Homemaker/companion services
Home Health Care Providers
Home health care providers include companies and independent health care professionals. Listed below are types of home health care providers that are licensed or registered by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration to provide services in the home as well as information on independent health care professionals. You can find a list of these companies on Facility Locator on FloridaHealthFinder.gov.
Home Health Agencies
Home health agencies provide nursing care; physical, speech, occupational, respiratory and IV therapy; home health aide and homemaker/companion services; home medical equipment; nutritional guidance; and medical social services in the patient’s home or place of residence.
Nurse Registries
Nurse registries arrange for nurses, certified nursing assistants (CNAs), home health aides, or homemakers/companions to provide services to patients in their home or place of residence.
Hospices
Hospices provide nursing, physician, social work, and pastoral services; nutritional counseling; and bereavement counseling (dealing with the grief of death and dying) for terminally ill patients and their families. Additional services may include: physical, occupational, speech, and massage therapy; home health aide and homemaker/companion services; home medical equipment and supplies; and respite services (temporary relief for the caregiver). The staff is specially trained to help the patient and family members who are dealing with death and dying. These services are provided in the patient’s home or place of residence, a hospital, or a hospice facility.
Home Medical Equipment Providers
Home medical equipment providers sell or rent home medical equipment and services for use in a patient’s home or place of residence. Equipment includes, though is not limited to, oxygen, respiratory equipment, and customized wheelchairs. Services include delivery, set up, instruction, and maintenance of equipment. A home health agency or hospice can also provide this service.
Homemaker/Companion Services
Services provided by homemakers and companions include housekeeping, meals, shopping, and trips outside the home. These services can also be offered by a home health agency, nurse registry, or hospice.
Independent Health Care Professionals
An individual health care professional may provide health care services in the home, within the scope of his or her state license or registration, or within his or her training. Health care professionals can include registered nurses (RNs); licensed practical nurses (LPNs); physical, occupational, respiratory, and speech therapists; certified nursing assistants (CNAs); home health aides; and homemakers/companions.
If you employ an independent health care professional, you should ask them who will be responsible to pay household employment taxes, income withholding taxes, and unemployment taxes. If he or she does not pay these taxes, you may be required to pay them.
When a Patient Receives Skilled Services
The Florida law includes the following requirements for those home health care companies that serve patients who need skilled services. Skilled services are provided by a nurse or by a physical, speech, occupational, or respiratory therapist.
• If a patient is receiving skilled services the patient’s doctor must sign a treatment order, stating the services needed. Then a plan of care must be created, giving details of how the care will be given (sometimes a plan of care is called a POC or a plan of treatment). A plan
of care is not required for people receiving home health aide services without a treatment order or for those receiving only homemaker/companion services.
• A patient has the right to be a part of the planning of his or her care and to receive, upon request, a copy of the plan of care.
• For patients receiving skilled services, a health care professional licensed to perform these services must do an assessment of the patient’s condition.
• The plan of care must be reviewed at certain times by the patient’s doctor, and the care must be coordinated and supervised by the home health care provider. These requirements vary depending on the provider offering the services, so ask the provider and your doctor what to expect.
Choosing a Home Health Care Provider
The following are some suggestions in choosing a home health care provider.
• You may want to talk with two or more home health care providers to find one that meets your needs. You may also want to talk with your doctor about your choice.
• If you need nursing care, therapy, home health aide services, or home medical equipment, discuss this with your doctor. The doctor might write a treatment order for your care. If you have a treatment order the cost might be paid by your private insurance or by Medicare or Medicaid, if you and the home health care provider are eligible (See the Medicare and Medicaid).
• If you need help with bathing, dressing, feeding, or other types of personal care, but you do not need any other medical care, you may want to talk with your doctor about this, or you can arrange these services yourself. A home health aide or certified nursing assistant (CNA) would provide these services (a homemaker/companion cannot provide these services).
Most often these services would be paid with your own money. For possible assistance, check with your insurance company, the Department of Children and Families, Department of Elder Affairs, or Agency for Persons with Disabilities.
• If you need someone to help you with shopping, meals, household chores, or driving, these services can be provided by a homemaker/companion. Most often these services would be paid with your own money. For possible assistance, check with your insurance company, the Department of Children and Families, Department of Elder Affairs, or Agency for Persons with Disabilities about their programs.
• You can use Facility Locator on FloridaHealthFinder.gov to find a home health care provider in your area. After you have a provider or list of providers on the website, click on a provider name to find the address, phone number, and driving directions. The profile page
also includes the administrator and owner, emergency actions (where applicable), and a link to inspection reports.
Additionally, the profile page for home health, hospice, and homemaker/companion will list the counties they serve; home health will also list if it is Medicare or Medicaid certified; and home medical equipment will list the type of equipment they provide. You can also choose to search for these particular categories in your search option on the first page of Facility Locator by clicking Advanced Search before clicking the Search button.
• To find out about Medicare eligibility, contact Medicare. For Medicaid eligibility contact the Department of Children and Families. Further information about these programs is listed under the Medicare and Medicaid section.
What to Ask the Home Health Care Provider
Following are topics you might want to ask the provider about, along with any other questions you may have.
• Ask what services will be provided.
• Ask for a written description of fees and ask how billing will be handled.
• Tell the home health care provider if you have insurance and ask if they will submit bills to your insurance company. If you are covered by Medicare and/or Medicaid, ask if the provider is eligible to bill one or both of them.
• Ask for proof of current liability insurance. (Homemakers/companions are not required to carry liability insurance.)
• If you are receiving skilled services or are on life-support equipment, the home health care provider is required to be on-call 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. Be sure the provider gives you their 24-hour phone number. If you are receiving only non-skilled services or equipment that is not life supporting, the provider should give you the phone number where you can call during regular service hours.
• Ask about who you should contact in the company if you have a complaint or problem with the service. You also have the right to file a complaint with the Agency for Health Care Administration through the toll-free number (888) 419-3456.
• The local offices of the Florida Division of Emergency Management maintain a Special Needs Registry for patients who will need help with evacuation and sheltering during a disaster, like a hurricane. This is for special needs patients who have a physical or mental condition that requires medical oversight during evacuations. If this describes your situation, ask the home health care provider to help you register with the Special Needs Registry.
• Ask for references.
Medicare and Medicaid
Conditions that usually need to be met in order to get Medicare or Medicaid home health benefits include the following:
• To qualify for Medicare you must be 65 years or older, disabled or with end-stage kidney disease. To qualify for Medicaid you must meet low-income requirements. Medicaid covers mostly children, pregnant women, disabled adults, and seniors.
• All hospices serve Medicare and Medicaid patients. Home health agencies and home medical equipment providers may or may not have a Medicare and/or Medicaid provider number, so if you are eligible for Medicare and/or Medicaid ask the company if they are eligible too. Some nurse registries may be able to serve clients on certain Medicaid waiver programs. Homemaker/companion companies are not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid.
• For Medicare coverage of home health services you must be under the care of a doctor, be homebound, need skilled nursing care, physical therapy, speech therapy, or have a continuing need for occupational therapy. “Home” can be a house, apartment, assisted living facility, or adult family-care home. When you leave home, it is for infrequent or short time periods, such as a doctor’s appointment. For further information contact Medicare.
• To apply for Medicaid contact the Department of Children and Families. For information on Medicaid view the Florida Medicaid website at the Agency for Health Care Administration or contact the Agency’s Area Medicaid Office that serves your county.
• Services must be on a part-time basis (not 24 hours).
• Your doctor must sign a treatment order for you to receive care. However, some of the Medicaid waiver programs do not require a doctor’s treatment order.
Medicaid Waiver Programs
In addition to the regular Medicaid program there are a variety of Medicaid Waiver programs that target certain populations, including disabled adults, elderly, brain and spinal cord injured, developmentally disabled, and AIDS patients, among others. The following state agencies administer waiver programs: Department of Elder Affairs, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Department of Health, Agency for Health Care Administration, and the Department of Children and Families.
What Is Not Covered by Medicare
• Help with bathing, dressing, feeding or other types of personal care unless skilled services are also ordered
• 24-hour care at home
• Meals delivered to your home
• Homemaker/companion services
Other Resources and Information
Health Insurance and Long-Term Care Insurance
Talk with your health insurance plan to learn what kind of home health care services your plan might cover. If you have long-term care insurance, or are thinking about buying this type of insurance, find out exactly what it covers, under what conditions you can receive coverage, any restrictions that may apply, and what you need to do when coverage is needed.
The Florida Department of Financial Services regulates insurance in Florida and provides consumer publications on health insurance, long-term care insurance, and other types of insurance. For further information call the toll-free number (877) 693-5236 or visit the Department of Financial Services and the Office of Insurance Regulation.
Florida Department of Elder Affairs
The Department of Elder Affairs offers a variety of programs for seniors. To learn more about the programs listed below and other programs call the toll-free number (800) 963-5337 or visit the Department of Elder Affairs.
• Older Americans Act (OAA) – Provides homemaking services, home-delivered meals, medical transportation, home health aide, adult day care, and other services. The OAA is for people 60 years or older, especially those in economic or social need.
• Community Care for the Elderly – Provides homemaking, home-delivered meals, and personal care services to frail elders, age 60 and older. Eligibility is based, in part, on a person’s inability to perform certain daily tasks needed for independent living, such as meal preparation, bathing, or grooming.
• Home Care for the Elderly – Provides some financial help so relatives can keep a low-income elder in their own home or in the home of a caregiver. A participant must be at risk of nursing home placement and be 60 years or older.
• CARES (Comprehensive Assessment and Review for Long-Term Care Services) – Provides evaluation of seniors or people with a disability who need long term care services, to see what level of care they need. It also provides help in getting in-home and community services to avoid nursing home care. Call the toll-free number (800) 963-5337 or view the CARES website at the Department of Elder Affairs.
• SHINE Program – Serves seniors and people with a disability and provides counseling on health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care insurance, prescription assistance programs, and other health insurance needs. Call the toll-free number (800) 963-5337 or view the Florida Shine website at the Department of Elder Affairs.
Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities
The Agency for Persons with Disabilities helps people who have developmental disabilities and their families, including supportive living and Medicaid Waiver. Call the toll-free number (866) 273-2273 or visit the APD website. The website includes a list of the district offices.
Additional Consumer Guides Include:
A Patient’s Guide to a H ospital Sta y Assisted Living in Florida
End-of-Life Issues – A Practical Planning Guide Florida Medicaid
Health and Human Services Programs Health Care Advance Directives Nursing Home Care in Florida
Long-Term Care Patient Safety
Understanding Prescription Drug Costs
Note: This is not designed to offer medical or legal advice. Please talk with your doctor for medical advice and an attorney for legal advice.
Information is current as of September 2012.
This may be copied for public use. Please credit the Agency for Health Care Administration for its creation.
If you have comments or suggestions, please call (850) 412-3730.
Grey Haired Brigade
Grey Haired Brigade
They like to refer to us as senior citizens, old fogies, geezers, and in some cases dinosaurs. Some of us are “Baby Boomers” getting ready to retire. Others have been retired for some time. We walk a little slower these days and our eyes and hearing are not what they once were.
We have worked hard, raised our children, worshiped our God and grown old together. Yes, we are the ones some refer to as being over the hill, and that is probably true. But before writing us off completely, there are a few things that need to be taken into consideration.
In school we studied English, history, math, and science which enabled us to lead America into the technological age. Most of us remember what outhouses were, many of us with firsthand experience. We remember the days of telephone party-lines, 25 cent gasoline, and milk and ice being delivered to our homes. For those of you who don’t know what an icebox is, today they are electric and referred to as refrigerators. A few even remember when cars were started with a crank. Yes, we lived those days.
We are probably considered old fashioned and out-dated by many. But there are a few things you need to remember before completely writing us off. We won World War II, fought in Korea and Viet Nam. We can quote The Pledge of Allegiance, and know where to place our hand while doing so.
We wore the uniform of our country with pride and lost many friends on the battlefield. We didn’t fight for the Socialist States of America; we fought for the “Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.” We wore different uniforms but carried the same flag.
We know the words to the Star Spangled Banner and America the Beautiful by heart and you may even see some tears running down our cheeks as we sing. We have lived what many of you have only read about in history books and we feel no obligation to apologize to anyone for America.
Yes, we are old and slow these days but rest assured, we have at least one good fight left in us. We have loved this country, fought for it, and died for it, and now we are going to save it.
It is our country and nobody is going to take it away from us. We took oaths to defend America against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and that is an oath we plan to keep. There are those who want to destroy this land we love but, like our founders, there is no way we are going to remain silent.
It was the young people of this nation who elected Obama and the Democratic Congress. You fell for the “Hope and Change” which in reality was nothing but” Hype and Lies.”
You have tasted socialism and seen evil face to face, and have found you don’t like it after all. You make a lot of noise, but most are all too interested in their careers or “Climbing the Social Ladder” to be involved in such mundane things as patriotism and voting. Many of those who fell for the “Great Lie” in 2008 are now having buyer’s remorse. With all the education we gave you, you didn’t have sense enough to see through the lies and instead drank the ‘Cool-Aid.’
Now you’re paying the price and complaining about it. No jobs, lost mortgages, higher taxes, and less freedom. This is what you voted for and this is what you got. We entrusted you with the Torch of Liberty and you traded it for a paycheck and a fancy house.
Well, don’t worry youngsters, the Grey Haired Brigade is here, and in 2012 we are going to take back our nation. We may drive a little slower than you would like but we get where we’re going, and in 2012 we’re going to the polls by the millions.
This land does not belong to the man in the White House or to the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. It belongs to “We the People” and “We the People” plan to reclaim our land and our freedom. We hope this time you will do a better job of preserving it and passing it along to our grandchildren.
So the next time you have the chance to say the Pledge of Allegiance, Stand up, put your hand over your heart, honor our country, and thank God for the old geezers of the “Grey-Haired Brigade.”
~Author, Anon. Grey-Haired Brigade Member ~
I am another Gray – Haired Geezer signing on. Come on guys. Let’s get this circulated.
Thanks to Mary Kay Wienberger
Green Postcard Scam
Rita,
I received a green post card from Combined Package Services, Whitehouse, Texas. This is a scam. It was sent via official first class postage, not the bulk rate postage which is usually used for solicitations. The post card is a notification for a package pickup, with a tracking number and had an 855 area code telephone number to call. The attached word document is a copy of information regarding this company from the Michigan Better Business Bureau, where this scam has been occurring. Apparently this company also using Express Package Delivery is moving to our area, because of the senior population. If you can let other residents know of these post cards perhaps it will save someone some grief in the future. I hope this is helpful.
Andy Schneider, Wolf Creek Street.
BBB of WESTERN MICHIGAN, INC
NEWS RELEASE
News Release #120109
Issued: 12-17-2009
Contact: Ken Vander Meeden
616-774-8236 or Email: bbbceo [at] iserv [dot] net
www.bbb.org
________________________________________
Consumer Alert
Scam “Delivery” Package
Offer Hits West Michigan
The BBB of Western Michigan warns ALL regional residents that a SCAM OFFER has been mailed to hundreds of consumers. The “postcard” claims to be a “package” that could not be delivered to you during the Christmas season and claims, “Sorry we missed you!!!”
Scam offer is from:
Express Package Delivery
P.O. Box 131690
Tyler TX 75713-1690
Phone: (888) 4-PAK-DEL
or (903) 839-1500
Instructions are to “Call to schedule pickup”. After calling the number, consumers are asked for the twelve-digit pickup number and then told that they have a free vacation package. Consumers are then asked for a credit card number to pay for a, “…nominal delivery fee,” which must be paid in advance.
Consumer complaints allege the company is sending out a card by mail, which claims in red letters, “SORRY WE MISSED YOU”, and also in bold letters, “CALL TO SCHEDULE PICKUP”.
On calling the number, the consumer is:
• asked for 12 digit pickup number on card
• asked for credit card number to pay for a “nominal” delivery fee which must be paid in advance
• consumers state EPD is using deceptive marketing tactics, since there was no attempted delivery
• also calling the EPD number reveals your home phone number to them, even if the number is on the DO NOT CALL list
• EPD has 4 unanswered complaints (3 in Michigan) and an “F” rating already at the BBB. As this offer just arrived in west Michigan, it appears our region was the first targeted.
Ken Vander Meeden, BBB of Western Michigan President, stated:
“I received this offer at my own home and immediately checked it out at www.bbb.org as it looks, acts, and certainly is very deceptive and misleading. As many people expect package deliveries during the holidays, it certainly garners attention immediately. This is a flat out scam to sell vacation certificates and gain access to credit card information. Our alert needs to be publicized in all 38 counties in west Michigan before significant losses are incurred. As law enforcement is difficult for false advertising, we encourage all consumers to file complaints at www.bbb.org. While they have an “F” BBB Business Rating, more research is being done to assist law enforcement in getting involved in this offer.”
As always, Start With Trust by checking every unknown offer or company at the BBB.
Grandma’s Thanksgiving Invitation
Dear Family,
I’m not dead yet. Thanksgiving is still important to me. If being in my Last Will and Testament is important to you, then you might consider being with me for my favorite holiday. Dinner is at 2:00. Not 2:15. Not 2:05. Two. Arrive late and you get what’s left over.
Last year, that moron Marshall fried a turkey in one of those contraptions and practically burned the deck off the house. This year, the only peanut oil used to make the meal will be from the secret scoop of peanut butter I add to good old home made, not canned carrot soup.
Jonathan, your last new wife was an idiot. You don’t arrive at someone’s house on Thanksgiving needing to use the oven and the stove. Honest to God, I thought you might have learned after two wives – date them longer and save us all the agony of another divorce.
Now, the house rules are slightly different This year because I have decided that 47% of you don’t know how to take care of nice things. Paper plates and red Solo cups might be bad for the environment, but I’ll be gone soon and that will be your problem to deal with. However there will be honest to goodness silverware and real dishes, and I have a dishwasher, so none of you will have to get your hands wet.
House Rules:
1. The University of Texas no longer plays Texas A&M. The television will stays off during the meal.
2. The “no cans for kids” rule still exists. We are using 2 liter Bottles because your children still open a third can before finishing the first two. Parents can fill a child’s cup when it is empty. All of the cups have names on them and I’ll be paying close attention to refills.
3. Cloe, last year we were at Trudy’s house and I looked the other way when your Jell-O salad showed up. This year, if Jell-O salad comes in the front door it will go right back out the back door with the garbage. Save yourself some time, honey. You’ve never been a good cook and you shouldn’t bring something that wiggles more than you. Buy something from the bakery.
4. Grandmothers give grandchildren cookies and candy. That is a fact of life. Your children can eat healthy at your home. At my home, they can eat whatever they like as long as they finish it.
5. I cook with bacon and bacon grease. That’s nothing new. Your being a vegetarian doesn’t change the fact that stuffing without bacon is like egg salad without eggs. Even the green bean casserole has a little bacon grease in it. That’s why it tastes so good. Not eating bacon is just not natural. And as far as being healthy… look at me. I’ve outlived almost everyone I know. I eat all
6. Salad at Thanksgiving is a waste of space.
7. I do not like cell phones. Leave them in the car. We are here to talk to each other.
8. I do not like video cameras. There will be 32 people here. I am sure you can capture lots of memories without the camera pointed at me.
9. Being a mother means you have to actually pay attention to the Kids. I have nice things and I don’t put them away just because company is coming over. Mary, watch your kids and I’ll watch my things.
10. Rhonda, a cat that requires a shot twice a day is a cat that has lived too many lives. I think staying home to care for the cat is your way of letting me know that I have lived too many lives too. I can live with that. Can you?
11. Words mean things. I say what I mean. Let me repeat: so I know you will remember them. You don’t need to bring anything means you don’t need to bring anything. And if I did tell you to bring something, bring it in the quantity I said. Really, this doesn’t have to be difficult.
12. Domino’s and cards are better than anything that requires a battery or an on/off switch. That was true when you were kids and it’s true now that you have kids.
13. Showing up for Thanksgiving guarantees presents at Christmas. Not showing up guarantees a card that may or may not be signed.
The election is over so I’ll watch what I say about the black bastard, and you will do the same. If we all stick to that, we’ll have a good time. If not, I’ll still have a good time but it will be at your expense. In memory of your Grandfather, the back fridge will be filled with beer. Drink until it is gone. I prefer wine anyway. But one from each family needs to be the designated driver so you decide which one,
I really mean all of the above.
Love You,
Grandma
(The person who submitted this has asked to remain anonymous and that request shall be honored)
Frozen Pipes in Southern Climes
Frozen Pipes in Southern Climates
From the Land of Enchantment: Sinatra via Violin
From the Land of Enchantment: Sinatra via Violin
Enjoy the music- Note – you see immigrants getting off boat in NY- Maybe your grandparents – Immigrating the “RIGHT WAY”
Thought you might enjoy this. It is awesome.
*Paul Anka wrote this for Sinatra, and only a violin can make this sound as beautiful as it truly is.*
*Rieu is a renowned Dutch violinist, conductor and composer, and his orchestra did a tribute to Frank Sinatra with My Way on his Stradivarius violin at Radio City Music Hall – New York .*
*Don’t miss this…..Rieu doesn’t often play his violin thru whole pieces, this he did*
Friends are like Panties
French Infantryman’s View of American Soldiers
Thanks to Chuck Pickens for sending us a look at our soldiers who are putting their lives on the line every day to keep us free. What a statement this Frenchman has made regarding our men!!!
Freezing Lemons – Who Knew??
Freezing Lemons – Who Knew?
Read this – it may save your life or the life of a friend or loved one. The more you read, the more you want to know… It’s amazing! Amazing frozen lemons!
All it is…..is a frozen lemon
Many professionals in restaurants and eateries are using or consuming the entire lemon and nothing is wasted. How can you use the whole lemon without waste?
Simple… place the washed lemon in the freezer section of your refrigerator. Once the lemon is frozen, get your grater, and shred the whole lemon (no need to peel it) and sprinkle it on top of your foods.
Sprinkle it to your vegetable salad, ice cream, soup, cereals, noodles, spaghetti sauce, rice, sushi, fish dishes, whisky…. the list is endless.
All of the foods will unexpectedly have a wonderful taste, something that you may have never tasted before. Most likely, you only think of lemon juice and vitamin C. Not anymore.
Now that you’ve learned this lemon secret, you can use lemon even in instant cup noodles.
What’s the major advantage of using the whole lemon other than preventing waste and adding new taste to your dishes?
Well, you see lemon peels contain as much as 5 to 10 times more vitamins than the lemon juice itself. And yes, that’s what you’ve been wasting.
But from now on, by following this simple procedure of freezing the whole lemon, then grating it on top of your dishes, you can consume all of those nutrients and get even healthier.
It’s also good that lemon peels are health rejuvenators in eradicating toxic elements in the body.
So place your washed lemon in your freezer, and then grate it on your meal every day. It is a key to make your foods tastier and you get to live healthier and longer! That’s the lemon secret! Better late than never, right? The surprising benefits of lemon!
Lemon (Citrus) is a miraculous product to kill cancer cells. It is 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy.
Why do we not know about that? Because there are laboratories interested in making a synthetic version that will bring them huge profits.
You can now help a friend in need by letting him/her know that lemon juice is beneficial in preventing the disease. Its taste is pleasant and it does not produce the horrific effects of chemotherapy.
How many people will die while this closely guarded secret is kept, so as not to jeopardize the beneficial multimillionaires large corporations?
As you know, the lemon tree is known for its varieties of lemons and limes.
You can eat the fruit in different ways: you can eat the pulp, juice press, prepare drinks, sorbets, pastries, etc… It is credited with many virtues, but the most interesting is the effect it produces on cysts and tumors.
This plant is a proven remedy against cancers of all types. Some say it is very useful in all variants of cancer. It is considered also as an anti-microbial spectrum against bacterial infections and fungi, effective against internal parasites and worms, it regulates blood pressure which is too high and an anti-depressant, combats stress and nervous disorders.
The source of this information is fascinating: it comes from one of the largest drug manufacturers in the world, says that after more than 20 laboratory tests since 1970, the extracts revealed that It destroys the malignant cells in 12 cancers, including colon, breast, prostate, lung and pancreas…
The compounds of this tree showed 10,000 times better than the product Adriamycin, a drug normally used chemotherapeutic in the world, slowing the growth of cancer cells.
And what is even more astonishing: this type of therapy with lemon extract only destroys malignant cancer cells and it does not affect healthy cells.
So, give those lemons a good wash, freeze them and grate them. Your whole body will love you for it!!!!!
Our Aussie friend has sent another great article. Thanks Mark!!
Female Heart Attacks
NURSE’S HEART ATTACK EXPERIENCE
I am an ER nurse and this is the best description of this event that I have ever heard. Please read, pay attention, and send it on!
FEMALE HEART ATTACKS
I was aware that female heart attacks are different, but this is the best description I’ve ever read.
Women and heart attacks MI (Myocardial infarction). Did you know that women rarely have the same dramatic symptoms that men have when experiencing heart attack … you know, the sudden stabbing pain in the chest, the cold sweat, grabbing the chest & dropping to the floor that we see in the movies. Here is the story of one woman’s experience with a heart attack.
“I had a heart attack at about 10:30 PM with NO prior exertion; NO prior emotional trauma that one would suspect might’ve brought it on. I was sitting all snugly & warm on a cold evening, with my purring cat in my lap, reading an interesting story my friend had sent me, and actually thinking, ‘A-A-h, this is the life, all cozy and warm in my soft, cushy Lazy Boy with my feet propped up.
A moment later, I felt that awful sensation of indigestion, when you’ve been in a hurry and grabbed a bite of sandwich and washed it down with a dash of water, and that hurried bite seems to feel like you’ve swallowed a golf ball going down the esophagus in slow motion and it is most uncomfortable. You realize you shouldn’t have gulped it down so fast and needed to chew it more thoroughly and this time drink a glass of water to hasten its progress down to the stomach. This was my initial sensation—the only trouble
was that I hadn’t taken a bite of anything since about 5:00 p.m.
After it seemed to subside, the next sensation was like little squeezing motions that seemed to be racing up my SPINE (hind-sight, it was probably my aorta spasming), gaining speed as they continued racing up and under my sternum (breast bone, where one presses rhythmically when administering CPR).
This fascinating process continued on into my throat and branched out into both jaws. ‘AHA!! NOW I stopped puzzling about what was happening — we all have read and/or heard about pain in the jaws being one of the signals of an MI happening, haven’t we? I said aloud to myself and the cat, Dear God, I think I’m having a heart attack!
I lowered the footrest dumping the cat from my lap, started to take a step and fell on the floor instead. I thought to myself, If this is a heart attack, I shouldn’t be walking into the next room where the phone is or anywhere else … but, on the other hand, if I don’t, nobody will know that I need help, and if I wait any longer I may not be able to get up in moment.
I pulled myself up with the arms of the chair, walked slowly into the next room and dialed the Paramedics … I told her I thought I was having a heart attack due to the pressure building under the sternum and radiating into my jaws. I didn’t feel hysterical or afraid, just stating the facts. She said she was sending the Paramedics over immediately, asked if the front door was near to me, and if so, to unbolt the door and then lie down on the floor where they could see me when they came in.
I unlocked the door and then laid down on the floor as instructed and lost consciousness, as I don’t remember the medics coming in, their examination, lifting me onto a gurney or getting me into their ambulance, or hearing the call they made to St. Jude ER on the way, but I did briefly awaken when we arrived and saw that the Cardiologist was already there in his surgical blues and cap, helping the medics pull my stretcher out of the ambulance. He was bending over me asking questions (probably something like ‘Have you taken any medications?’) but I couldn’t make my mind interpret what he was saying, or form an answer, and nodded off again, not waking up until the Cardiologist and partner had already threaded the teeny angiogram balloon up my femoral artery into the aorta and into my heart where they installed 2 side by side stents to hold open my right coronary artery.
‘I know it sounds like all my thinking and actions at home must have taken at least 20-30 minutes before calling the Paramedics, but actually it took perhaps 4-5 minutes before the call, and both the fire station and St. Jude are only minutes away from my home, and my Cardiologist was already to go to the OR in his scrubs and get going on restarting my heart (which had stopped somewhere between my arrival and the procedure) and installing the stents.’
‘Why have I written all of this to you with so much detail? Because I want all of you who are so important in my life to know what I learned first hand.
1. Be aware that something very different is happening in your body not the usual men’s symptoms but inexplicable things happening (until my sternum and jaws got into the act). It is said that many more women than men die of their first (and last) MI because they didn’t know they were having one and commonly mistake it as indigestion, take some Maalox or other anti-heartburn preparation and go to bed, hoping they’ll feel better in the morning when they wake up … which doesn’t happen. My female friends, your symptoms might not be exactly like mine, so I advise you to call the Paramedics if ANYTHING is unpleasantly happening that you’ve not felt before. It is better to have a ‘false alarm’ visitation than to risk your life guessing what it might be!
2. Note that I said ‘Call the Paramedics.’ And if you can, take an aspirin. Ladies, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE! Do NOT try to drive yourself to the ER… you are a hazard to others on the road. Do NOT have your panicked husband who will be speeding and looking anxiously at what’s happening with you instead of the road.
Do NOT call your doctor — he doesn’t know where you live and if it’s at night you won’t reach him anyway, and if it’s daytime, his assistants (or answering service) will tell you to call the Paramedics. He doesn’t carry the equipment in his car that you need to be saved! The Paramedics do, principally OXYGEN that you need ASAP. Your Dr. will be notified later.
3. Don’t assume it couldn’t be a heart attack because you have a normal cholesterol count. Research has discovered that a cholesterol elevated reading is rarely the cause of an MI (unless it’s unbelievably high and/or accompanied by high blood pressure). MIs are usually caused by long-term stress and inflammation in the body, which dumps all sorts of deadly hormones into your system to sludge things up in there. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let’s be careful and be aware. The more we know the better chance we could survive.
A cardiologist says if everyone who reads this article sends it to 10 people, you can be sure that we’ll save at least one life.
Please be a true friend and send this article to all your friends (male & female) you care about.
Email Been Hacked???
Email Hacked? 7 Things You Need to do NOW
1. Recover Your Account
Login to your email account via your provider’s website.
If you can, consider yourself very lucky and proceed to step 2 right away.
If you can’t login even though you know that you’re using the correct password, then it’s likely that the hacker has already changed your password.
Is it on my PC or not?
When faced with this situation, most people immediately believe that some form of malware has entered their computer and is responsible for email being sent out from their account.
That is rarely the case.
In the vast majority of these situations, your computer was never involved.
The problem is not on your PC. The problem is simply that someone else knows your account password and is logging into your account online.
They could very well be on the other side of the planet from you and your PC (and often, they are).
Yes, it’s possible that a key-logger on your PC was used to sniff your password. Yes, it’s possible that your PC was used in a non-secure way at an open WiFi hotspots. So, yes, absolutely, scan it for malware and use it safely, but don’t think for a moment that once you’re malware free, you’ve resolved the problem. You have not.
You need to follow the steps outlined to the left to regain access to your online account and protect your online account from further compromise.
You’ll use your PC, but your PC is not the problem.
Use the “I forgot my password” or other account recovery options offered by your email service. Typically, your provider will send password reset instructions to an alternate email address that you do have access to or perhaps have you answer the “secret questions” that you set up when you created the account.
If the recovery methods don’t work – perhaps because the hacker has also altered all of the recovery information that might be used (changed the alternate email address or answers to the secret questions) or perhaps because you don’t recall the answers, didn’t maintain the alternate account, or didn’t set up any recovery information in the first place – then you may be out of luck.
If recovery options don’t work for whatever reason, your only recourse is to use the customer service options provided by that email service. For free email accounts, there are usually no phone numbers or email addresses. Your options are usually limited to self-service recovery forms, knowledge base articles, and official discussion forums where service representatives may (or may not) participate. For paid accounts, there are typically additional customer service options that are more likely to be able to help.
Important: If you cannot recover access to your account, then it is now someone else’s account. It is now the hacker’s account. Unless you’ve backed up, everything in it is gone forever and you can skip the next two items. You’ll need to set up a new account from scratch.
2. Change Your Password
One you regain access to your account, or if you never lost it, you should immediately change your password.
As always, make sure that it’s a good password: easy to remember, difficult to guess, and long. In fact, the longer the better, but make sure your new password is at least 10 characters or more and ideally 12 or more, if the service supports it.
But don’t stop here. Changing your password is not enough.
3. Change Your Recovery Information
While the hacker had access to your account, they may elect to leave your password alone. That way, chances are you won’t notice that the account has been hacked for a while longer.
But whether they changed your password or not, they may very well have gone in and changed the recovery information.
The reason is simple: when you finally do get around to changing your password, the hacker can follow the “I forgot my password” steps and reset the password out from underneath you using the recovery information that he collected or set.
Thus, you need to check all of it and change much of it … and right away.
Change the answers to your secret questions. The answers that you choose don’t have to match the questions (you might say your mother’s maiden name is “Microsoft”, for example). All that matters is that the answers that you give match the answers that you set here if you ever need to recover your account.
Check your alternate email address or addresses associated with your account and remove any that you don’t recognize or are no longer accessible to you. The hacker could have added his own. Make sure that all alternate email addresses are accounts that belong to you and that you have access to.
Check any mobile or other phone numbers associated with the account. The hacker could have set their own. Remove any that you don’t recognize and make sure that if a phone number is provided, it’s yours and no one else’s.
These are the major items, but some email services have additional information that they can use for account recovery. Take the time now to research what that information might be and if it’s something that could have been altered while the hacker had access to your account.
Overlooking information that could be used for account recovery could allow the hacker to easily hack back in; make sure that you take the time to carefully check and reset as appropriate.
4. Check Related Accounts
This is perhaps the scariest and most time consuming.
Fortunately it’s not common, but the risks are high so understanding this is important.
While the hacker has access to your account, they have access to your email, including both what is in your account now – past email – as well as what arrives in the future.
Let’s say that the hacker sees that you have a notification email from your Facebook account. The hacker now knows that you have a Facebook account and what email address you use for it. The hacker can then go to Facebook, enter your email address, and then request a password reset.
A password reset that’s sent to your email account … that the hacker has access to.
As a result, the hacker can now hack your Facebook account by virtue of hacking your email account.
In fact, the hacker can now gain access to any account that has this hacked email associated with it.
Like, perhaps your bank. Or Paypal.
Let me say that again: because the hacker has access to your email account, he can request a password reset be sent to it from any other account for which you use this email address. In doing so, the hacker can hack and gain access to those accounts.
What you need to do: check your other accounts for password resets that you did not initiate and any other suspicious activity.
If there’s any doubt, consider also proactively changing the passwords on those accounts as well. (There’s a strong argument also for checking or changing the recovery information for these accounts just as you checked for your email account, for all the same reasons.)
5. Let Your Contacts Know
Some may disagree with me, but I recommend letting your contacts know that your account was hacked. Either from the account once you’ve recovered it or from your new email account.
In particular, inform all of the contacts in the address book that’s kept with that account online. That’s the address book that the hacker would have had access to.
I believe it’s important to notify your contacts so that they know not to pay attention to email sent while the account was hacked. Occasionally, hackers will actually try to impersonate you to extort money from your contacts. The sooner that you let them know that the account was hacked, the sooner, they’ll know any such request – or even the more traditional spam that might have come from your account – is bogus.
6. Start Backing Up
One of the common reactions to my recommending you let your contacts know is: “But my contacts are gone! The hacker erased them all and all of my email as well!”
Yes. That happens sometimes. It’s often part of a hacker not wanting to leave a trail – they delete everything in the account: everything they’ve done along with everything you’ve done.
If you’re like most people, you’ve not been backing up your online email. All I can suggest at this point is to see if your email service will restore it for you. In general, they will not. Because the deletion was not their doing, but rather the doing of someone logged into the account, they may simply claim it’s your responsibility.
Hard as it is to hear, they’re right.
Start backing up your email now. Start backing up your contacts now.
For email, that can be anything from setting up a PC to periodically download the email via POP3 or IMAP to setting up an automatic forward of all incoming email to a different email account, if your provider supports that. For contacts, it could be setting up a remote contact utility (relatively rare, I’m afraid) to also mirror your contacts on your PC or periodically exporting your contacts and downloading them that way.
7. Learn From the Experience
Aside from “I should have been backing up,” one of the most important lessons to learn from the experience is to consider all of the ways that your account could have been hacked, and then take appropriate steps to protect yourself from a repeat occurrence in the future.
- Use long passwords that can’t be guessed and don’t share them with anyone.
- Don’t fall for email phishing attempts. If they ask for your password, they are bogus. Don’t share your password with anyone.
- Don’t click on links in email that are not 100% certain of. Many phishing attempts lead you to to bogus
sites that ask you to login and then steal your password when you try. - If you’re using WiFi hotspots, learn to use them safely.
- Keep the operating system and other software on your machine up-to-date and run up-to-date
anti-malware tools. - Learn to use the internet safely.
- Consider multi-factor authentication where simply knowing the password is not enough to gain access. Most services do not support this, but for those that do (Gmail, for example), it’s worth considering.
If you are fortunate enough to be able to identify exactly how your password was compromised (it’s not common), then absolutely take measures so that it never happens again.
8. If You’re Not Sure, Get Help
If the seven steps above seem too daunting or confusing, then definitely get help. Find someone who can help you get out of the situation by working through the steps above.
While you’re at it, find someone who can help you set up a more secure system for your email and can advise you on the steps that you need to take to prevent this from happening again.
And then follow those steps.
The reality is that you and I are ultimately responsible for our own security. That means taking the time to learn and to set things up securely.
Yes, additional security can be seen as an inconvenience. In my opinion, dealing with a hacked email account is significantly more inconvenient and occasionally downright dangerous. It’s worth the trouble to do things right.
If that’s still too much … well … expect your account to get hacked again.
http://askleo.com/how_do_i_choose_a_good_password/
- Create all new passwords 12 characters or longer. (You can make a password longer and more secure by adding repeating characters if you can’t think of anything else.) i.e. 7CxP&*Jf#hR9
Consider using a utility like LastPass or Roboform to remember all your different passwords for you.
A personal note to add: When answering your Security Questions follow the method below:
Where were you born?
Chocktaw-feeble
By adding the –feeble, it is highly improbable that this Security Question would ever be broken.
By adding the –(any word), to all Security Questions, you are adding High Security to all of them.
Eggs – Fresh or Not???
So how do you tell if an egg is truly fresh?
The water method is very simple to perform and interpret. Simply fill a medium size bowl with at least 2 – 3 inches of water roughly the same temperature as the egg. Gently place the egg into the water and observe how it behaves. If the egg sinks to the bottom and lays on its side, the egg is fresh. If the egg touches the bottom of the bowl, but stands up on its end, or is very close to standing up on its end, the eggis a little older, but still OK to eat (especially if you don’t mind store bought eggs.) These “older” eggs are great for hard boiling as they tend to peel easier. If the egg loats and does not touch the bottom of the bowl or the eff very quickly stands on end, it’s time to retire the eggs to the trash can.
Thanks to Debbie Rodrigues for this great submission!
Donations and Honor – Think Before You Give
You will see that all the Veteran organizations have zero salary. Back in the olden days , it was an honor to get elected to the school board. No salary!!! Now I see Lake County board member payments budget almost $1 million dollars for next year !! – And Lake County, so desperate that we are going to enjoy a 13% increase in our taxes. But this is a “good deal” cause they had a ” tax fire sale” – It was proposed at 19% increase, but reduced to only 13% – ` Everyone enjoys the “Bargain” or did we all get “raped”?? The teachers union- Last payment , by American Federation of Teachers and the Florida Education Association was $750,000 political payout to “Charlie Christ”. So part of your real estate taxes for schools, is diverted from the teachers, thru the Unions to the Democrats , constantly. I never see teachers complaining about this loss of wages !!! Is it fear of job discrimination or is it so easy for your Lake County Commissioners to add more taxes to your real real estate bill to provide super education. Amazing– Florida ‘s rapid growth – added real estate- sales taxes are by seniors over 55- The school busses do not service all these seniors locations- The just pay “big tax” bill, for no education service, cause your elected politicans can raise your tax bill by 13% so easy –!!
By Bob DuShaw
: Donations
Who knew? We need to think before we give.
And don’t forget Wounded Warriors !
YOU MAY WANT TO THINK BEFORE YOU DONATE
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT BEFORE YOU MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS:
As you open your pockets to do a good thing and make yourself feel good, please keep the following facts in mind:
| The American Red Cross President and CEO Marsha J. Evans’ salary for the year was $651,957 plus expenses |
MARCH OF DIMES It is called the March of Dimes because only a dime for every 1 dollar is given to the needy. |
The United Way President Brian Gallagher receives a $375,000 base salary along with numerous expense benefits. |
UNICEF CEO Caryl M. Stern receives $1,200,000 per year (100k per month) plus all expenses including a ROLLS ROYCE. Less than 5 cents of your donated dollar goes to the cause. |
GOODWILL CEO and owner Mark Curran profits $2.3 million a year. Goodwill is a very catchy name for his business. You donate to his business and then he sells the items for PROFIT. He pays nothing for his products and pays his workers minimum wage! Nice Guy. $0.00 goes to help anyone! STOP giving to this man. |
Instead, give it to ANY OF THE FOLLOWING GO “GREEN” AND PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE IT WILL DO SOME GOOD:
| The Salvation Army Commissioner, Todd Bassett receives a small salary of only $13,000 per year (plus housing) for managing this $2 billion dollar organization.96 percent of donated dollars go to the cause. |
The American Legion National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary.Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth! |
The Veterans of Foreign Wars National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary.Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth! |
The Disabled American Veterans National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary.Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth! |
The Military Order of Purple Hearts National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary.Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth! |
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Please share this with everyone you can.
Dinner with the Guys
A group of 15-year-old guys discussed where to meet for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Dairy Queen next to the Ocean View restaurant because they had only $6.00 among them and Julie Johnson , the cute girl in Social Studies , lived on that street.
10 years later, the group of 25-year-old guys discussed where to meet for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the beer was cheap, the restaurant offered free snacks, the band was good, there was no cover and there were lots of cute girls.
10 years later, the group of 35-year-old guys discussed where to meet for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the drinks were good, it was right near the gym and, if they went late enough, there wouldn’t be too many whiny little kids.
10 years later, the group of 45-year-old guys discussed where to meet for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the martinis were big and the waitresses had nice buns.
10 years later, the group of 55-year-old guys discussed where to meet for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the prices were reasonable, the wine list was good, the restaurant had windows with a view and the fish is good for cholesterol.
10 years later, the group of 65-year-old guys discussed where to meet for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the lighting was good and the restaurant had an early bird special.
10 years later, the group of 75-year-old guys discussed where to meet for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the food was not too spicy and the restaurant was handicapped-accessible.
10 years later, the group of 85-year-old guys discussed where to meet for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant because they had never been there before.
Compliments of Joe Mucha
A Dose of Nostalgia
45 Record Spindles
50’s Dance
50’s Dinette Set
50’s Library Dewey Decimal System
Art Linkletter’s Kids Say the Darndest Things
Ball & Jacks
Bonnet Hair D
Boulava
Bronze Shoes
Bubble Gum Rolls
Class Punishment
Crayola School Crayons
Dial Phone
Diaper P
Dippity-do
Drive-in Tray
Electrolux Vacuum
Evening in Paris perfume
Five Year D
Flash Camera
Floor Radio
Fuses
Gas Pump
Gummed Reinforcement Stickers
Hose & Garter Clips
Lepage’s Glue
Library Book Card
Mabelline Mascara
Merthiolate
Milk Shake
Mimmeograph
Nylon Hose
Old Gold TV C
Pant Stretchers
Pin Curls
Pixie pic up Stixs
Portable Radio
Rental Roller Skates
Report Card
Ricky
Sack Lunch
School Room
Smith Bros cough drops
Soap glasses
Tabletop Jukebox
Teenager on Phone
Aluminum Glasses
Toni perm
Waterproof Pants
Wooly Willy Magnet
Woven Pot Holders
Wringer Washer
A Lovely Story
Englishman James Bowen had an unsettled upbringing. While in school, he was sniffing glue and eventually was diagnosed with ADHD, schizophrenia and manic depression.
After living in Australia for a while, he returned to England in 1997.
He was 18 years old and when living with his half-sister didn’t work out, he began a life of either living on the street or in shelters. James’ life revolved around his heroin addiction
and busking on the streets of London.
In early 2007, James tried to drag himself up by enrolling in a Methadone programme. He was living in sheltered accommodation and one day returned home to find a ginger tom cat in his building.
Figuring it belonged to one of the other residents, he didn’t pay too much attention. The next day, the cat was still there. James asked around and found no answers as to the animal’s ownership.
On closer inspection, he discovered a wound on the cat’s leg and decided to take it to the vet and get it treated. And so James adopted the cat, who he named Bob.
Since then, Bob has led James into a public life. Together they have become celebrities. It began when Bob started following James everywhere. He joined James busking on the street and James’ income rapidly increased.
He began to attract more and more attention. Tourists would visit his spot just to see the cat, who was happy to dress up and sit still.
They went everywhere together…on foot…
And on public transport.
You Tube videos appeared and newspapers got hold of the story. This led to a publishing agreement and James started writing
about his experiences with Bob on the streets of London. Apart from “A Street Cat Named Bob” and “The World According To Bob”,
a number of books for children have also been written. Sold worldwide, James’s life has improved.
Together they have become celebrities.
And their teamwork is certainly causing a stir.
The books have been translated into numerous languages. More than a million have been sold.
There’s also news that a movie will be made about the two of them.
Still living in London, James still loves busking and a healthy looking Bob goes too, efficiently taking care of the publicity.
A lovely good news story!
Our friends from Australia have hit another home run…thank you Mark for sending this to us. Now we have a new book to purchase also.
Definition of “OLD”
Definition of “OLD”
I very quietly confided to my best friend that I was having an affair.
She turned to me and asked, ‘Are you having it catered’?
And that, my friend, is the sad definition of ‘OLD’!
Just before the funeral services, the undertaker came up to the very elderly widow and asked, ‘How old was your husband? ”98,’ she replied: ‘Two years older than me’ ‘So you’re 96,’ the undertaker commented. She responded, ‘Hardly worth going home, is it?
Reporters interviewing a 104-year-old woman:
‘And what do you think is the best thing about being 104?’ the reporter asked.
She simply replied, ‘No peer pressure.’
I’ve sure gotten old!
I’ve had two bypass surgeries, a hip replacement, new knees, fought prostate cancer and diabetes I’m half blind, can’t hear anything quieter than a jet engine, take 40 different medications that make me dizzy, winded, and subject to blackouts. Have bouts with dementia.
Have poor circulation; hardly feel my hands and feet anymore. Can’t remember if I’m 85 or 92. Have lost all my friends. But, thank God, I still have my driver’s license.
I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape, so I got my doctor’s permission to join a fitness club and start exercising. I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors. I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour. But, by the time I got my leotards on, the class was over.
An elderly woman decided to prepare her will and told her preacher she had two final requests. First, she wanted to be cremated, and second, she wanted her ashes scattered over Wal-Mart. ‘Wal-Mart?’ the preacher exclaimed. ‘Why Wal-Mart?’ ‘Then I’ll be sure my daughters visit me twice a week’
My memory’s not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my memory’s not as sharp as it used to be.
Know how to prevent sagging? Just eat till the wrinkles fill out.
It’s scary when you start making the same noises as your coffee maker .
These days about half the stuff in my shopping cart says, “For fast relief”
THE SENILITY PRAYER :
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.
Thanks to Jan Maibach for sending this along.
We all need to laugh each and every day and these are the emails that “make our day”!!
Contractors’ License – Do They Have One – Do They Need One??
http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/pro/cilb/codes.html
Construction Industry Licensing Board
Definition of Occupation and Class Codes
General Terms
In general the term “contractor” means the person who is qualified for, and shall only be responsible for, the project contracted for and means, except as exempted in this part, the person who, for compensation, undertakes to, submits a bid to, or does himself or herself or by others construct, repair, alter, remodel, add to, demolish, subtract from, or improve any building or structure, including related improvements to real estate, for others or for resale to others; and whose job scope is substantially similar to the job scope described in one of the subsequent paragraphs of this subsection. For the purposes of regulation under this part, “demolish” applies only to demolition of steel tanks over 50 feet in height; towers over 50 feet in height; other structures over 50 feet in height, other than buildings or residences over three stories tall; and buildings or residences over three stories tall.
A “certified contractor” means any contractor who possesses a certificate of competency issued by the department and who shall be allowed to contract in any jurisdiction in the state without being required to fulfill the competency requirements of that jurisdiction. Certified contractors are designated by an occupation code which begins with the letter “C”.
A “registered contractor” means any contractor who has registered with the department pursuant to fulfilling the competency requirements in the jurisdiction for which the registration is issued. Registered contractors may contract only in such jurisdictions. Registered contractors are designated by an occupation code which begins with the letter “R”.
A “swimming pool specialty contractor” means a sub-contractor whose scope of work is limited to the scope of work of their particular specialty license. Swimming pool specialty contractor licenses may be issued in the areas of layout, structural, excavation, trim, decking, piping, and finishes. Swimming pool specialty contractors may not contract directly with the public, and must work under contract, under the supervision, and within the scope of work of a contractor licensed pursuant to Sections 489.105(3)(j) – (l), Florida Statutes.
Definitions including the occupation codes and class codes, where applicable
CG and RG – A “general contractor” means a contractor whose services are unlimited as to the type of work which he or she may do.
CB and RB – A “building contractor” means a contractor whose services are limited to the construction of commercial buildings and single-dwelling or multiple-dwelling residential buildings. These buildings cannot exceed three stories in height. A building contractor may also construct the “accessory use structures” in connection with these buildings. An accessory use structure would be a garage, guest house, garden shed, or other outbuilding. A building contractor is also a contractor whose services are limited to remodeling, repair, or improvement of any size building – if the services do not affect the structural elements of the building.
CR and RR – A “residential contractor” means a contractor whose services are limited to construction, remodeling, repair, or improvement of one-family, two-family, or three-family residences which are not more than two stories and the “accessory use structures” in connection with these buildings. An accessory use structure would be a garage, guest house, garden shed, or other outbuilding.
CS and RS – A “sheet metal contractor” means a contractor whose services are unlimited in the sheet metal trade and who has the experience and skill necessary for the manufacture, fabrication, assembling, handling, erection, installation, dismantling, conditioning, adjustment, insulation, alteration, repair, servicing, or design of ferrous or nonferrous metal work of U.S. No. 10 gauge or its equivalent or lighter gauge. A sheet metal contractor may also work with other materials, including, but not limited to, fiberglass.
CC and RC – A “roofing contractor” means a contractor whose services are unlimited in the roofing trade. Roofing contractors have the experience, knowledge, and skill to install, maintain, repair, alter, extend, or design and use materials and items used in the installation, maintenance, extension, and alteration of all kinds of roofing, waterproofing, and coating, except when coating is not represented to protect, repair, waterproof, stop leaks, or extend the life of the roof. The scope of work of a roofing contractor also includes required roof-deck attachments and any repair or replacement of wood roof sheathing or fascia as needed during roof repair or replacement.
CA and RA – A “class A air-conditioning contractor” means a contractor whose services are unlimited in the execution of contracts requiring the experience, knowledge, and skill to install, maintain, repair, fabricate, alter, extend, or design central air-conditioning, refrigeration, heating, and ventilating systems. Class A Contractors may also execute contracts requiring experience in the installation, maintenance, repair, fabrication, alteration, extension or design of duct work in connection with a complete system but only to the extent that such duct work is performed by the contractor as is necessary to complete an air-distribution system, boiler and unfired pressure vessel systems, and all appurtenances, apparatus, or equipment used in connection with them. A “class A air-conditioning contractor” shall not perform any work such as liquefied petroleum or natural gas fuel lines within buildings, potable water lines or connections, sanitary sewer lines, swimming pool piping and filters, or electrical power wiring.
CA and RA – A “class B air-conditioning contractor” means a contractor whose services are limited to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 BTU of heating in any one system in the execution of contracts requiring the experience, knowledge, and skill to install, maintain, repair, fabricate, alter, extend, or design central air-conditioning, refrigeration, heating, and ventilating systems, including duct work in connection with a complete system. A “class B air-conditioning contractor” shall not perform any work such as liquefied petroleum or natural gas fuel lines within buildings, potable water lines or connections, sanitary sewer lines, swimming pool piping and filters, or electrical power wiring.
CA and RA – A “class C air-conditioning contractor” means a contractor whose business is limited to the servicing of air-conditioning, heating, or refrigeration systems, including any duct cleaning and equipment sanitizing which requires at least a partial disassembling of the system, and whose certification or registration, issued pursuant to this part, was valid on October 1, 1988. NOTE: No person not previously registered or certified as a “class C air-conditioning contractor” as of October 1, 1988, shall be so registered or certified after October 1, 1988.
CM and RM – A “mechanical contractor” means a contractor whose services are unlimited in the execution of contracts requiring the experience, knowledge, and skill to install, maintain, repair, fabricate, alter, extend, or design central air-conditioning, refrigeration, heating, and ventilating systems, including duct work in connection with a complete system. A “mechanical contractor” shall not perform work that involves potable water lines or connections, sanitary sewer lines, swimming pool piping and filters or electrical power wiring.
CP and RP – A “commercial pool/spa contractor” means a contractor whose scope of work involves, but is not limited to:
• the construction, repair, and servicing of any swimming pool, or hot tub or spa, including the repair or replacement of existing equipment or the installation of new equipment, as necessary;
• the layout, excavation, operation of construction pumps for dewatering purposes, steelwork, installation of light niches, construction of floors, guniting, fiberglassing, installation of tile and coping, installation of all perimeter and filter piping, installation of all filter equipment and chemical feeders of any type, plastering of the interior, construction of decks, construction of equipment rooms or housing for pool equipment, and installation of package pool heaters; and
• includes the scope of work of a swimming pool/spa servicing contractor.
• A “commercial pool/spa contractor” cannot perform direct connections to a sanitary sewer system or to potable water lines.
• The installation, construction, modification, or replacement of equipment permanently attached to and associated with the pool or spa for the purpose of water treatment or cleaning of the pool or spa requires licensure; however, the usage of such equipment for the purposes of water treatment or cleaning shall not require licensure unless the usage involves construction, modification, or replacement of such equipment.
CP and RP – A “residential pool/spa contractor” means a contractor whose scope of work involves, but is not limited to:
• the construction, repair, and servicing of any residential swimming pool or hot tub or spa including the repair or replacement of existing equipment or the installation of new equipment, as necessary;
• the layout, excavation, operation of construction pumps for dewatering purposes, steelwork, installation of light niches, construction of floors, guniting, fiberglassing, installation of tile and coping, installation of all perimeter and filter piping, installation of all filter equipment and chemical feeders of any type, plastering of the interior, construction of decks, installation of housing for pool equipment, and installation of package pool heaters; and
• includes the scope of work of a swimming pool/spa servicing contractor.
• A “residential pool/spa contractor” cannot perform direct connections to a sanitary sewer system or to potable water lines.
• The installation, construction, modification, or replacement of equipment permanently attached to and associated with the pool or spa for the purpose of water treatment or cleaning of the pool or spa requires licensure; however, the usage of such equipment for the purposes of water treatment or cleaning shall not require licensure unless the usage involves construction, modification, or replacement of such equipment.
CP and RP – A “swimming pool/spa servicing contractor” means a contractor whose scope of work involves the servicing and repair of any swimming pool or hot tub or spa. The scope of such work may include any necessary piping and repairs, replacement and repair of existing equipment, or installation of new additional equipment as necessary. The scope of such work includes:
• the reinstallation of tile and coping, repair and replacement of all piping, filter equipment, and chemical feeders of any type, replastering, reconstruction of decks, and reinstallation or addition of pool heaters;
• the installation, construction, modification, substantial or complete disassembly, or replacement of equipment permanently attached to and associated with the pool or spa for the purpose of water treatment or cleaning of the pool or spa requires licensure; and
• however, the usage of such equipment for the purposes of water treatment or cleaning shall not require licensure unless the usage involves construction, modification, substantial or complete disassembly, or replacement of such equipment.
CF and RF – A “plumbing contractor” means a contractor whose contracting business consists of the execution of contracts requiring the experience, financial means, knowledge, and skill to install, maintain, repair, alter, extend, or, when not prohibited by law, design plumbing. A plumbing contractor may install, maintain, repair, alter, extend, or design the following without obtaining any additional local regulatory license, certificate, or registration:
• sanitary drainage or storm drainage facilities;
• venting systems; public or private water supply systems;
• septic tanks; drainage and supply wells;
• swimming pool piping;
• irrigation systems; or
• solar heating water systems and all appurtenances, apparatus, or equipment used in connection with these, including boilers and pressure process piping and including the installation of water, natural gas (excluding liquid petroleum gases), and storm and sanitary sewer lines; and
water and sewer plants and substations;
• the design and installation, maintenance, repair, alteration, or extension of air-piping, vacuum line piping, oxygen line piping, nitrous oxide piping, and all related medical gas systems;
• fire line standpipes and fire sprinklers to the extent authorized by law; ink and chemical lines;
• fuel oil and gasoline piping and tank and pump installation, except bulk storage plants; and
• pneumatic control piping systems.
CU and RU – An “underground utility and excavation contractor” means a contractor whose services are limited to the construction, installation, and repair of:
• main sanitary sewer collection systems;
• main water distribution systems;
• storm sewer collection systems;
• the continuation of utility lines from the main systems to a point of termination up to and including the meter location for the individual occupancy, sewer collection systems at property line on residential or single-occupancy commercial properties, or on multioccupancy properties at manhole or wye lateral extended to an invert elevation as engineered to accommodate future building sewers, water distribution systems, or storm sewer collection systems at storm sewer structures; and
• install empty underground conduits in rights-of-way, easements, platted rights-of-way in new site development, and sleeves for parking lot crossings no smaller than 2 inches in diameter, provided that each conduit system installed is designed by a licensed professional engineer or an authorized employee of a municipality, county, or public utility and that the installation of any such conduit does not include installation of any conductor wiring or connection to an energized electrical system.
• An underground utility and excavation contractor shall not install any piping that is an integral part of a fire protection system as defined in s. 633.021 beginning at the point where the piping is used exclusively for such system.
CV – A “solar contractor” means a contractor whose services consist of the installation, alteration, repair, maintenance, relocation, or replacement of solar panels for potable solar water heating systems, swimming pool solar heating systems, and photovoltaic systems and any appurtenances, apparatus, or equipment used in connection with these systems.
PC – A “pollutant storage systems contractor” means a contractor whose services are limited to the installation, maintenance, repair, alteration, extension, or design and use of materials and items used in the installation, maintenance, extension, and alteration of, pollutant storage tanks.
SCC, RX – A “specialty contractor” means a contractor whose scope of work and responsibility is limited to a particular phase of construction and whose scope is limited to a subset of the activities described in the categories established in s. 489.105, F.S.
1940 North Monroe Street, Tallahassee FL 32399 :: Email: Customer Contact Center
:: Customer Contact Center: 850.487.1395
https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp?mode=0&SID=
Verify a license for contractors
Insurance Agents – License Information
http://www.myfloridacfo.com/Data/AAR_ALIS1/index.htm
Jeff Atwood, Florida Chief Financial Officer
Florida Department of Financial Services
200 East Gaines Street, Tallahassee FL 32399
Monday – Friday 8 am – 5 pm (EST) 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236)
Causes of Black Crime
My friends, whether you like or hate O’Reilly, this time he hit it out of the park. Finally, someone has the guts to say it like it is.
I never thought I would hear this from national news caster…
Obama, Wright, Jackson and Sharpton (the career race baiters) will have to change their underwear after seeing this!
I like O’ Reilly, but after this, I have a lot more respect for him. I’m sure he is putting his career on the line.
What he says is the TRUTH and most of America already knows it!
But like the “Emperor with no clothes”, no one will dare speak the truth in public.
This video should go viral. Thanks Bill, someone, finally, had the nerve to say it.
http://www.cnsnews.com/video/national/oreilly-americas-race-problem
This was submitted by Addie Hall, a lady whom I used to work. She did not have a prejudice bone in her body then and I’m sure she has not changed.
Thank you Addie for submitting a very eye-opening non-prejudicial video of truth.
Are You Organized or Dis-Organized?
Disorganized people spend a lot of time hunting for their keys; they have to order a replacement birth certificate; they know they must have a dozen staplers, because it’s easier to grab another stapler than to find the old one.
Often, however, people don’t realize how disorganized they are. Are you?
At a minimum, if applicable, you should know exactly where to find these possessions (assuming, of course, you own them—and you should):
stamps
your passport and your birth certificate
a corkscrew
Bandaids
a highlighter
a flashlight
paperclips or a stapler
your phone charger
a spare set of keys
your doctor’s phone number
cinnamon
your tax statements from 2013
a pair of mittens (unless you never go anywhere cold)
spare AA batteries
Congratulate yourself for being well-organized if you can also say exactly where you’d find these objects:
a tape measure
your high-school yearbook
a Phillips screwdriver
a pencil sharpener
a copy of Pride and Prejudice or The Da Vinci Code
a vase the proper size to hold a bunch of tulips
a ruler
an extension cord
a recipe for a favorite food a family member used to make
a deck of playing cards
a pad of sticky notes (Post-Its)
One observation: disorganized people often aim to put things away approximately. They’ll keep something “in a kitchen drawer” or “in my office.” It’s much more satisfying to put things away in an exact location—like a particular desk drawer. It takes some effort, at first, to decide where everything belongs, but once you’ve put objects in their proper places, it’s much easier to return them there.
Taken from the following by Gretchen Rubin:
A Brief History of Labor Day
10 Important Mantras for the Golden Aged
Many people feel unhappy, health-wise and security-wise, after 60 or 70 or 80 years of age, feeling as if a diminishing importance if given to them and their opinions. But, it need not be so, if only we understand the basic principles of life and follow them.
Here are ten mantras to age gracefully, make life after retirement more pleasant, enjoy and treasure the elder years of wisdom and intelligence at its best.
1. Never say ‘I am too old’
There are three ages, chronological, biological, and psychological. The first is calculated based on our date of birth; the second is determined by the health conditions and the third is how old you feel you are. While we don’t have control over the first, we can take care of our health with good diet, exercise and a cheerful attitude. A positive attitude and optimistic thinking can reverse the third age.
2. Health is wealth
If you really love your kids and kin, taking care of yourself and your health should be your priority. Thus, you will not be a burden to them. Have an annual health check-up and take the prescribed medicines regularly. Take out a health care insurance coverage.
3. Money is important
Money is essential for meeting the basic necessities of life, keeping good health and earning family respect and security. Don’t spend beyond your means even for your children. You have lived for them through out, and it is time you enjoyed a harmonious life with your spouse. If your children are grateful they should take care of you. But never take it for granted.
4. Relaxation and recreation
The most relaxing and recreating forces are healthy and religious attitudes, good sleep, music and laughter. Have faith in your religion, learn to sleep well, love good music, and see the fun side of life.
5. Time is precious
It is almost like holding a horse’s reins. When they are in your hands, you can control them. Imagine that every day you are born again. Yesterday is a paid cheque. Tomorrow is a promissory note. “Today is ready cash; use it profitably. Live this moment”.
6. Change is the only permanent thing
We should accept change ; it is inevitable. The only way to make sense out of change is to join the dance. Change has brought about many pleasant things. We should be happy that our children are blessed.
7. Enlightened selfishness
All of us are basically selfish. Whatever we do, we expect something in return. We should definitely be grateful to those who stood by us. But, our focus should be on the internal satisfaction and happiness we derive by doing good to others, without expecting anything in return but the warm glow we get, which in the end, is what we really want.
8. Forgive, then Forget.
Don’t be bothered too much about others’ mistakes. We are not spiritual enough to show our other cheek when we are slapped on one cheek. But, for the sake of our own health and happiness, let us forgive and forget them. Otherwise, we will only be increasing our BP.
9. Everything has a reason; a purpose
Take life as it comes. Accept yourself as you are, and also accept others for what they are. Everybody is unique and right in their own ways.
10. Overcome the fear of death
We all know that one day we have to leave this world. Still we are afraid of death. We think that our spouse and children will be unable to withstand our loss. But the truth is that no one is going to die for you; they may be depressed for some time. Time heals everything and they will carry on. Remember, no one leaves this world alive.
Twas the night before Christmas – Soldier Style
Merry Christmas, My Friend
By James M. Schmidt, a Marine Lance Corporal
stationed in Washington, D.C., in 1986
stationed in Washington, D.C., in 1986
Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone,
In a one bedroom house made of plaster & stone.
I had come down the chimney, with presents to give
and to see just who in this home did live
As I looked all about, a strange sight I did see,
no tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.
No stocking by the fire, just boots filled with sand.
On the wall hung pictures of a far distant land.
With medals and badges, awards of all kind,
a sobering thought soon came to my mind.
For this house was different, unlike any I’d seen.
This was the home of a U.S. Marine.
I’d heard stories about them, I had to see more,
so I walked down the hall and pushed open the door.
And there he lay sleeping, silent, alone,
Curled up on the floor in his one-bedroom home.
He seemed so gentle, his face so serene,
Not how I pictured a U.S. Marine.
Was this the hero, of whom I’d just read?
Curled up in his poncho, a floor for his bed?
His head was clean-shaven, his weathered face tan.
I soon understood, this was more than a man.
For I realized the families that I saw that night,
owed their lives to these men, who were willing to fight.
Soon around the Nation, the children would play,
And grown-ups would celebrate on a bright Christmas day.
They all enjoyed freedom, each month and all year,
because of Marines like this one lying here.
I couldn’t help wonder how many lay alone,
on a cold Christmas Eve, in a land far from home.
Just the very thought brought a tear to my eye.
I dropped to my knees and I started to cry.
He must have awoken, for I heard a rough voice,
“Santa, don’t cry, this life is my choice
I fight for freedom, I don’t ask for more.
My life is my God, my country, my Corps.”
With that he rolled over, drifted off into sleep,
I couldn’t control it, I continued to weep.
I watched him for hours, so silent and still.
I noticed he shivered from the cold night’s chill.
So I took off my jacket, the one made of red,
and covered this Marine from his toes to his head.
Then I put on his T-shirt of scarlet and gold,
with an eagle, globe and anchor emblazoned so bold.
And although it barely fit me, I began to swell with pride,
and for one shining moment, I was Marine Corps deep inside.
I didn’t want to leave him so quiet in the night,
this guardian of honor so willing to fight.
But half asleep he rolled over, and in a voice clean and pure,
said “Carry on, Santa, it’s Christmas Day, all secure.”
One look at my watch and I knew he was right,
Merry Christmas my friend, Semper Fi and goodnight.
