Aruba

Aruba
aloe factory
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead

Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall--confucius

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page." anon

A man is but the product of his thoughts--what he thinks, he becomes. Gandhi


I am only one, but still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
but still I can do something;
and because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do something that I can do. edward everett hale
Doom to you who legislate evil, who make laws that make victims -- laws that make misery for the poor, that rob my destitute people of dignity, exploiting defenseless widows, taking advantage of homeless children. What will you have to say on Judgment Day, when Doomsday arrives out of the blue? Who will you get to help you? What good will your money do you? (Isaiah 10:1-3, The Message)

There is nothing in the world more beautiful than the forest clothed to its very hollows in snow. It is the still ecstasy of nature, wherein every spray, every blade of grass, every spire of reed, every intricacy of twig, is clad w/radiance. william sharp

I think no matter how old or infirm I may become, I will always plant a large garden in the spring. Who can resist the feelings of hope and joy that one gets from participating in nature's rebirth? edward giobbi

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. marcel proust

I am only one, but still I am one.I cannot do everything,but still I can do something;and because I cannot do everything,I will not refuse to do something that I can do. edward everett hale




Wednesday, November 7, 2012

NOV 2012

for getting to a corporation or getting a complaint to a credible person: www.hoovers.com  to get a mailing address and phone #

Amiel's Journal p 317:  All the epochs of decadence When beauty of form hid poverty of thought and exhaustion of feeling.  henri-frederic amiel  (peeroma, sacerdotal)

  • very worthwhile experience even if i didn't win; not a huge % difference is there?

    (WITH 4 OF 4 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
    Barry M. June (REP) . . . . . . . 2,505 33.34
    Patrick M. Major (REP) . . . . . . 2,271 30.23
    Donna Hart (DEM) . . . . . . . . 1,834 24.41
    Lynne Morisette (NPA) . . . . . . 871 11.59
    WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 32 .43
    Total . . . . . . . . . 7,513
    Over Votes . . . . . . . . . 4
    Under Votes . . . . . . . . . 1,911
    supposedly all state ballot proposals were NO
    McCormack may have been elected to MI supreme court 



    Hightower oct 2012:  .."while 46% of americans don't pay income taxes, they do pay billions of dollars in federal payroll and excise taxes and fees.  these are very regressive assessments--people who earn $20,000 to 33,000 a year pay 10.5% of their income in such taxes, while those hauling in more than 450,000 pay less than half that rate.  likewise, state and local taxes hit low and middle income people disproportionately hard--those earning under 20,000 a year, for example, shell out 12.3% of their pay for state and local taxes, while the 450,000 class pays only 7.9%".

    big ag's myths see FoodMyths.org 

    from Michigan Farm News oct 15:
    p 2 article against Food and Chemical Toxicology Journal report about a diet of biotech-enhanced corn causing tunoirs in lab rats.  kevin  richards director of am. farm bureau federation specializing in biotechnology has 5 pts:
    1.  "genetic modification of food is not new...today's biotech is actually more precise and predicatable than cruder yet less regulated methods from the past  2.  the overwhelming scientific consensus  on the safety of modern biotechnology is unequivocal  3.  agriculture products derived from biotech are the most thoroughly reviewed and strictly regulated in history  4.  the benefits of ag biotech are vast and undeniable  5.  farmers and ranchers have been feeding literally billions of livestock genetically engineered corn and soybeans for almost 2 decades w/out any evidence of health risks.

    from the oct 30 issue p 1:  laments selling the MSU's purebred beef barn cattle blaming unions for MSU cuts and layoffs.  cattle and 2 men lost jobs both "who both lost their employment due to seemingly ubiquitous budget cuts and union rules.  ken and cody are well-respected.....to force out good people because of union rules baffles farmers because they  know very well  that farms cannot be run the union way.  but that's the university system, ad while we nay not like it, that's the way it is."  How interesting to know that cuts have been coming for years (both w/Granholm and Snyder) and the extension service has been hard it.  we will blame unions for state cuts and reorganizations?
    following this article on p2 is the guest opinion bny rich studley Mi Chamber of Commerce urging a no on prop 2 (did get a NO) because a yes out eliminate gov employee pension reforms (i get to pay 100/month now) adding another 312$ million burden to Mi taxpayers each year.  and prop 2 would overturn 300 million in savings achieved through reforms that allow public school districts to hire Mi job providers to provide cost-effective support services (PRIVATIZING).. . .prop 2 would send a crystal clear signal to investors, job creators and the rest of the nation that gov employee unions will stop at nothing to prevent meaningful economic reform." 
    I hope the defeat of the tiny millage in genesee county  (extension, 4-H, master gardener) makes the farm bureau happy. 



    In This Issue / Nov. 15, 2012
    • Legislature poised to jam through bills to create statewide takeover district

    Legislature poised to jam through bills to create statewide takeover district

    Legislation that would eliminate a local community's ability to guide education policy by creating a statewide "takeover district" appears to be headed for quick action in the Legislature after the Thanksgiving holiday.
    House Bills 5923 and 6004 expand the authority of the interlocal agreement between Detroit Public Schools and Eastern Michigan University that created the Education Achievement Authority, a virtual school district. The legislation would expand the EAA's current reach from Detroit to the entire state, allowing Lansing bureaucrats to assume many of responsibilities currently entrusted to local school board members, parents and educators.
    This statewide takeover district would oversee schools deemed by arbitrary and flawed ratings to be in the bottom 5 percent. Creating a cold, impersonal statewide school district would eliminate time-honored "neighborhood schools," further eroding the public school system.
    Proponents of the legislation tout the Detroit EAA's alleged effectiveness, despite the fact that it has only been in place since the beginning of the 2012-13 school year. The Detroit EAA has not existed long enough to be ripe for fair evaluation, much less statewide implementation.
    House Bills 5923 and 6004 represent a drastic change in how we fund education, as it would create a voucher system that inhibits school districts from properly managing resources for students of their local communities. This new voucher system would be much more extensive than any other that's been previously proposed.
    Moreover, the legislation does not provide any control to establish standards, create missions and goals, monitor performance, or audit finances of these new schools.
    Finally, the legislation should also be of concern to local taxpayers, because it would allow a new state authority to confiscate local school buildings that have already been paid for by local tax dollars.
    Despite its myriad flaws, the legislation could be taken up in the final three weeks of the 96th Legislature. Lawmakers got a jump on the action Tuesday by holding a House Education Committee hearing on the legislation.


    www.votesmart.org  -- voting records, bios, issue positions, campaign finances, interest group ratings, public statements   also 888-votesmart

      http://www.sunelco.com/  interesting ad in hobby farms but catalog $3.  no info on line

    http://www.snaplockchickencoops.com/  one i viewed $450 --too much but looked nice

     

    dividing perennials = www.hobbyfarms.com/divideperennials

    water saving tips + drought = www.hobbyfarms.comfarmdrought

    noxious weeds in states = www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov

     

    from prevention 4-12  =  foods to avoid that may contain GMO

         soybeans, canola, corn, cottonseed, sugar beets, hawaiian papaya, some zucchini and yellow squas

    the FDA deputy commissioner for food was once a vice pres at Monsanto.  in 92 the fda rules that there's no material difference between genetically modified and traditional crops.  monsanto = "there is no need for or value in testing the safety of gm foods in humans"

    also same issue = steer clear of pesticides and herbicides w/2,4-D for pet safety.  products for killing weeds like clover and dandelion often contain this

    june 2012 ACRESUSA p. 9 ---- global justice ecology project, a field trial of genetically modified radiata pine trees had trees destroyed in new zealand.  trial by SCION a NZ crown research institute (CRI) that specializes in tech for forestry.  scion working w/arborgen, a consortium originally formed by Monsanto, international paper, meadwestvaco and NZ based rubicon.  arborGen has headquarters in summerville SC.  250,000 eucalyptus trees are in field trials across the southern us, genetically engineered in NZ

    2013--international year of quinoa by UN, protein, fiber, calcium, phosphorous, iron, magnesium 

    ACRES USA june 2012 ------ Stewards of the Land by mallory mcduff
    "...robert kennedy jur who is a devout catholic, was asked by an interviewer why so many conservative christians are against the basic environmental agenda.  he stated flatly that the trouble was rooted in dominionist theology, which he regarded as a christian heresy, an extreme misinterpretation of scripture".  have to say i agree.  one candidate for gop pres i believe said there is nothing man can do to harm the earth (god's in control)

    thyme, marigold, and myrrh tinctures treat acne.  thyme was the most effective

    GMO myths and truth:  earthopensource.org/index.php/reports/58
    Monsanto has filed 144 lawsuits against farmers and settled approx. 700 in 13 years--those bad farmers' crops were gmo contaminated by monsanto seed/plants so the farmers are the bad guys. bad bad pollen drift. maybe monsanto can patent wind and weather too
    food and environment reporting network and abc news--increasing drug resistance of bladder infections in women have found evidence linking the resistance to poultry treated w/antibiotics

    movie to see:  better this world about erosion of civil liberties and the creep of domestic surveillance.  trailer at motherjones.com

    american teacher -- a film about 

    exxon mobil spent more on money in 2009 lobbying (43 million) than it paid  in taxes (ZERO)


    aarp tutorials -- using a tablet, genealogy, facebook, ipads etc  see www.aarp.org/bookstore

    national asso of consumer advocates naca.net  ---  help when the collector has the wrong person

    state's statute of limitations on debt see:  bankrate.com 

    book to read (the nation)  by mike lofgren    subtitle of newest is "how repubs went crazy, demos became useless and the middle class got shafted" 

    The Torture Report     larry siems  what the documents say about america's post 9-11 torutre program

    from aug 1 washington spectator:  p2  ..."because dismantling environmental protections is where repub members of congress can provide the  largest savings for their corporate underwriters"----to destroy all the good environmental work done?  i bet there is no conscience or moral thought involved--these people are evil


    187,722 pensioners in MI for public school retirees.  average benefit of 21,189.  38.9% of pension benefits go to individuals w/annual pensions of 12,000/year or lower (for fiscal year ending 9-30-1  office of retirement services):
    uner 4,800 = 18.3%
    4,801 to 9,600 = 15.1%
    9,601 to 14,400 = 10.3%
    14,401 to 19,200 = 8.4%
    19,201 to 21,600 = 4%
    21,601 to 24,000 = 4.1%
    over 24,000 = 39.8%

    emergency # worldwide for mobile is 112.  supposedly can be dialed even if keypad is locked

    remote open car when keys locked in if someone can hold your second set remote by a cell phone

    hidden battery power--if very low hit *3370#.  phone should have reserve usable 

    to find mobile phone's serial # key in *#06 a 15 digit unique # should appear.  keep this # and if phone stolen service provider can block it w/this number.  even if sim card changed the phone should be useless.

    for directory help don't pay cell phone co.  dial 1-888-FREE411   =   1-888-373-3411 


    There are 47% of the people...who are dependent upon gov, who believe that they are victims, who believe the gov has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing...I'll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives."  mitt romney 


    ‎"OCA Director Ronnie Cummins is urging the public not only to stop purchasing the following brands, but also to call their corporate hotlines and demand that they reverse their position and begin supporting GMO labeling initiatives nationwide, including upcoming GMO labeling ballot initiatives in Vermont, Washington state, Connecticut, and elsewhere."

    We are asking our members to boycott the following brands:

    Naked Juice, Tostitos Organic, Tropicana Organic, Boca Burger, Back to Nature, "O" Organics, Honest Tea, Odwalla, Muir Glen, Cascadian Farm, Larabar, Orville Redenbacher's Organic, Hunt's Organic, Lightlife, Alexia, Kashi, Bear Naked, Morningstar Farms, Gardenburger, R.W. Knudsen, Santa Cruz Organic, Ben & Jerry's, Horizon, Silk, White Wave.

    http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_26671.cfm


     gov's talk right now live--open public land for public private natural gas exploration, michigan's fracking record is great "we do it right"  he says therefore mi will be partner w/um to understand fracking in the state to be in forefront "to be environmentally responsible".  environment:  land and water.  state owns over 4 million acres -- state needs strategic plan for land like organizing trails in the state from belle isle through upper peninsula.  review use of state public lands.  urban areas need work (blight, right to farm).  water resources discussed. "integration" resources -- best practices for farms (certification).  how to be more green in the state.  recycling--how to improve in the state only 21 of 83 counties have recycling procedures that is acceptable.  proposal 3 on ballot--let's decide our goals together in the state not ballot issue through the legislative process.  "michigan is the come back state" .  in summary--since it was an environmental talk and energy efficiency nothing mentioned about JOBS.
       did like the traverse city energy specialist who asked why the legislature was lowering standards for energy efficiency--gov said he didn't support legislature necessarily--but does cost $ so state has to be careful.  grand valley question--about coal fire plants being closed what is gov's plan for energy?  gov--time for dialog about this problem  (equivocating i assume)   replacing ad valorum tax by severance tax when a mine closes down (wasn't up to date on this issue -- but jobs lost by mine's closing discussed) oxford question about using MI manufacturing --gov says won't be big tax credits for businesses (hummm--not believing this)


    sites charity donations:
    givewell.org   --   efficiency and financial info
    causes.com   --   find a cause to support
    justgive.org   --   allows recipients of customize donation gift cards to pick their charity 


    deal finders:
    pricegrabber.com
    redlaser
    the christmas list
    karma -- ships gift lets receiver customize it, swap, or donate it
    drop down gifts = web browser plug in showing local deals and free shippinbg on sites as you shop

    nutrition action healthletter dec 2012 says since 19987 per capita consumption of sugary drinks has declined by 25% and for the first time in 30 yrs, obesity rates appear to be leveling off

    good soups = health valley organic no salt added, tabatchnick low dsodium, trader joe's organic low sodium, pacific organic light sod. butternut squash, amys' organic light in sod (lentil, minestrone, butternut squash) and dr mcdougalls lower sodium


    from acres usa novembeer 12
    gm wheat may cause glycogen storage disease IV reulting ibn enlarged liver, cirrhosis of the liver and failure to thrive.  average life = 5 yrs  (australian study)

    gm fed rats developed tumors and died sooner than rats fed standard diet.  (food and chemical toxicolgy un of caen molecular biologist gilles-eric seralini)

    epa phaseout of AZM used on apples azinphosmethy or guthion.  used on apples, cherries pears and blueberries mostly in wash, mi, ca, new york, oregon

    book = the esdentials of economic sustainability by john ikerd former prof of econ at u of missouri      "everyone knows that if we continue to pursue the policies we've been pursuing, particularly for the last 30 yrs, that econ and social inequities are going to continue to grow"

    as long as we allow economic values to dominate what we do individually or what we do in our conmnmunities or what we do through public policy, we will continue to live in an unsustainble society.
    the social inequity will continue to grow, and the environmental problems and pollution will continue to grow because there is simply no econ incentive to do those things that are absolutely necessary for the long run sustainability of human life on earth"


    bee article : 100% of of honey sampled from drug stores like walgreens, rite aid and cv pharmacy had no pollen and 77% from big boxes costco, sams, walmart, target and HEB had the pollen filtered out.


    mosquito repellent:  2 cups catnip     3-4 cups mild rice vinegar.  rinse, dry catnip, crush and place in clean quart jar.  vover w. viegar.  seal jar store in dark place 2 wks.  strain liquid into clean jar refrig for up to 6 months.  spray bottle


     beekeeping101.psu.edu     for beginners

    food hub resource = www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5097957  

    recent study by stanford u researchers made internat news when it claimed organic foosds are no more safe or nutritious than conventional foods see tinyurl.com/stanfordstudysept2012.  cornucopia and other organic policy experts recognized however that stanford's research in fact substantiates health and safty advantages in consuming organic food, including an 81% reduction in exposure to toxic and carcinogenic agrichemicals.   ...resuklts of the study were spun by the stand=ford researchers and public relations staff, and accepted without thge nec fact checjibng by journalists in a rush to file stories over the labor day weekend.. . . charlotte vallaeys food and farm policy director of the cornucopia institute:  "we were not surprised to find that the agribusiness giant cargill, the world's largest ag business enterprise, and foundations like the bill and melinda gates foundation, which have deep ties to ag chemical and biotechnology corps like monsanto, have donated millions to stanford's freeman spogli institute, where some of the scientists who published this study are affiliates and fellows."  also discovered:  one of the study's authors has a well documented history of accepting research funding from the tobacco industry ...when the scientific lit in the 70's pointed to serious health risks from smoking.



    cars--best time to buy = july and aug.  see truecar.com for price info  (aarp mag)

     


    tmas Tithe'
    Get a free trial issue of Sojourners Get a free issue of Sojourners
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    Sojourners
    Religion is far too judgmental. Surveys show that many people think that, especially a new generation of young people who — more than ever before — are checking the “none of the above” religious affiliation box.
    I get it. But religious leaders tend to be judgmental about many of the wrong things; they are not making moral judgments on the important questions. So I am going to be judgmental, as a religious leader, about something I just read.
    A recent Harris International and World Vision poll showed that Americans plan to spend more this Christmas season on consumer gifts than they did last year, but give less to charities and ministries that help the poor. Many say they are less likely to give a charitable gift as a holiday present — a drop from 51 percent to 45 percent.  (and why a surprise here if states like MI no longer allow charity deductions?  family not others will come first.)
    So we will have more Christmas presents this year, but less help for the poor. While retailers, economists, and politicians may rejoice at the news about higher consumer spending this year, the lower levels of support for the ones Jesus called “the least of these” should legitimately bring some moral judgments from the faith community.
    Indeed, the Matthew 25 scripture that this text is taken from is one of the few, and most, judgmental passages in all the New Testament. About some things, Jesus was judgmental. The Gospel clearly says that how we treat the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the prisoner is how we treat Jesus. That’s pretty judgmental, especially when you go on to read what will happen to those who ignore Jesus in this way.
    But rather than just being judgmental, let’s do something about it. Let’s start a "Christmas Tithe.” Let’s spread the idea to our kids, our families, our friends and neighbors, and to the members of our congregations. Let’s keep it simple:
    Keep track of all our holiday spending for gifts this year, and then tithe a percentage of that amount to an organization that directly serves the poor. A tithe is traditionally 10 percent, but you could decide to do less or even more. But make a decision about your Christmas tithe and pledge it to groups that are now struggling to respond to the highest number of Americans in poverty in half a century, and to those who focus on the poorest and most vulnerable around the world. This is a time to give more — not less.
    Sit down with your kids and get them involved in the discussion and decision. You may be surprised at how responsive they are to doing this together. World Vision, which commissioned the sad survey, has a great World Vision Gift Catalog that concretely improves the lives of a children and families in need around the world by providing critical tools, opportunities, and animals to overcome extreme poverty!
    We do this every Christmas Day at our home after we have opened our presents to each other; and our two boys often feel it is the best part of the day. Each kid gets to choose a gift for a family in one of the world’s poorest countries. (Goats are top choices!) And then we decide together what else we will give to other families. Many other organizations provide similar opportunities. We at Sojourners have launched our own Just Giving Guide for that reason. Such gifts can be given in the name of our children or loved ones.
    The only silver lining from the World Vision survey was the high number of people who like charitable gifts like this that are given in their names. This Christmas, my own extended Wallis family, instead of just giving more things to each other, are all giving to an orphanage in Haiti that our sister Marcie and her family and church are very involved with.
    All of that can be part of our Christmas Tithe.
    Many of us are deeply involved in missions and campaigns to bring social justice to this world — to transform structures and policies that hurt the poor into new practices that help them overcome their poverty. But the kind of personal giving that we do is also very important, especially in teaching the lessons of compassion and justice to our children.
    So let’s counter the results of the survey with a Christmas Tithe. Gather your family together around this, send the idea to your friends and fellow believers, take the idea to church, write letters to the editor in your local paper. Let’s all decide this Christmas to tithe a percentage of all that we give in Christmas presents directly to the poor — those who were given the greatest gift at the first Christmas, with a child born in a stable who promised to bring them “good news.”

    from time dec 3 2012:
    joe klein--socialism = dictionary def:  " a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state.  is that what 49% of young people favor?  i don't think so.  if it is count me on bennett's team.  that sort of soc has been an utter failure, and regulated cap has been the greatest eradicator of poverty in the history of the world.  but i suspect...that all those blacks and young people got their definition of soc from rush limbaugh and other wing nut foghorns:  soc is when the gov helps people out"   (william bennett citing 20122 Pew poll on young who were more positive of soc than capitalism)

    this active life nov 12:
    clean up on line info--use google,com or bing.com to find out about you.  check first 3 or so listings and then if you want stuff out, start by cleaning up your social media like changing your pic and the  about info on facebook.  set stronger privacy settings.  set up  google.com/alerts for not when your name is mentioned in a news story.  and protect passwords.    use a device password if you access soc media through phone or other device


     keeping lists on line use:  toodledo.com

    free antivirus software:  windows use avast! free antivirus.  MAC use iAntiVirus Free Edition

    best browsers = chrome and firefox

    picasa for photos (cost?)

    robocalls delete==try press # key or *# and ) keys at the same time (*#0)

    clogged drains= zip it tool

    caps = try petroleum jelly on threads of bottle when you open.  keeps them easy to reopen

    dirt and odor removal =  floor cleaner
    1 cup white vinegar, 1/4 c baking soda and 6 drops essential oil like lavender, cinnamon, etc in pail w/hot water     


    this active life:  the media and some politicians have falsely claimed that under the ACA 716$ billion has been taken out of the medicare trust fund to pay for the expansion of health coverage to the uninsured.  the aca did find that amt in spending reductions buy they impact the insurance co and hospitals, not medicare enrollees

     Nation dec 3 p.8  "philip  giraldi retired career cia case officer told nation "i would not say that cia has been taken over by the military but i would say that the cia has become more militarized.  a considerable part of the cia budget is now no longer spying; it's supporting paramilitaries who work closely w/ jsoc to kill terrorists and to run the drone program  the cia is a killing machine now"

    p 17 on "timeless whoppers"  we are witnessing the worst inequality since the gilded age.  the top 1% of taxpayers pocket more income each yr than the bottom 40%, and they own more wealth than 90% of americans.  yet their tax rates are near the lowest in post wwII history."
    average annual ss is 14,800

    in these times dec 2012:  p 16 "the new right's rabid watchdog"  
    right started in 70's w/ direct mail fundraiser richard viguerie who founded conservative digest and political strategist paul weyrich who co founded the heritage foundation and others built "the new right".  in 1981 in the new right: we're ready to lead viguerie wrote that their strategy included the  creation of AN ALTERNATIVE MEDIA.  in 2004 viguerie  new book america's right turn:  how conservatives used new and alternative media to take power


    p39 weak teavangelicals:  interesting artickle since i saw the billy graham ad in a paper, whole page.  "graham placed ads after romney meeting--the keepers of his website carefully removed a prior mention of mormonism in an entry on illegitimate non christian cults shortly after the romney meeting.  HYPOCRITES aren't they?    


    photo from 1990 in pretoria showing how the bible supports segregation
    matt 10-5
    neh 13-1  
    josh 23-12 

    help w/ checking how dark money has been laundered:
    http://tiny.cc/InvestigateDarkMoney  

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