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In this newsletter you will find monthly updates and editorials concerning the issues of extreme importance and interest to the site's creator and owner James Stabile. These issues include - Discussion of the Month; Entertainment; Health, Fitness & Lifestyle; Politics and the World; Religion & Spiritualism; Technology & Business; and Too Strange, Weird or Just Funny. Peruse the articles and if you desire, send comments, questions or join our mailing list. Feel absolutely free to email ideas and topics to be discussed in upcoming months. As always do not feel obligated to participate. For the legal issues: please read the disclaimer at the top of this page. Also, please email the webmaster information concerning any programming errors that you may discover on this site. Thank you for this opportunity. Owner,
Webmaster: James Stabile |
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"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face...You must do the thing you think you cannot do." Eleanor
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14. Mother's Day
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Topics of Discussion
Discussion of The Month May 2006. Wow! Time does go fast. Summer vacations will be starting soon. Summer activities are right around the corner. Don't forget to check the Dates Important to the Webmaster for the month of May, above. The Image of the Month is becoming a quite popular scene all across the United States. Immigrants, legal and illegal as well as non-immigrants are protesting the status of illegal immigrants. See Politics for more discussion concerning this topic. I will say that all people should be dealt with fairly, humanly and with dignity regardless of their legal status and regardless of the situation. Above all, people are human beings worthy of our humane and equitable treatment. Eleanor Roosevelt's quote is appropriate when dealing with the immigration issue. We must do what is right in all cases. We must not act out of fear or because of it. We must look fear in the face - recognize it and deal with it. President Franklin Roosevelt said of World War 2, "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself." Great people, our heroes should be people who have looked fear in the face and have acted and done the right thing in spite of it. Are today's so-called heroes of the same caliber? I think not. I think that many times our contemporary heroes let fear dictate their actions. In a sense, they are controlled by that fear. Too bad. Entertainment Lucky Number Sleven...A pretty good show, once it got started. For the first 50 minutes the star Josh Harnett walked around with only a towel around his waist being the kind of goofy character that he usually portrays, then that changed. The story that Bruce Willis told us at the start of the movie was starting to unfold and the gist of the movie was revealed. It started as a light hearted story about the unfortunate luck of a seemingly unbeknownst young man and then turned into a very violent story of vengeance. After the towel scenes, the movie actually began to make sense and was very entertaining. United 93... A really great movie. It started out like any other disaster movie. About 45 minutes to an hour into the movie the movie suddenly changed from a traditional disaster movie to a recollection of a very sad time in the lives of all Americans. The movie was more than a disaster movie. It was a movie about the greatness of America - the people. ABC is offering four TV shows online for free. Desperate Housewives and Lost are two of the shows. I don't remember the other two. I think one of them is Commander in Chief. Speaking of Commander in Chief, wouldn't it be a hoot to have a woman president? You betcha and the Republican conservative right is nervous as could be about that eventuality. I think Senator Hillary Clinton will run for president. I can't wait till the 2008 presidential season. Hillary for president... Happy Days would be here again... ABC's Commander in Chief may not return to ABC in the Fall 2006 lineup. They say, the powers that be at ABC, that the contemporary drama is not capturing the viewers that it needs to be renewed for another TV season. I do like the show, well, I do like the theme, idea, genre and cast, but the story lines are becoming trite, overused and highly predictable to sustain another season. So, good-bye Madame President. Let's give them the real thing in 2008. Health, Fitness and Lifestyle Broward County Florida as well as much of South Florida is home to many, many senior citizens. As I grow older, I value that reality. South Florida is a place that is senior citizen friendly. Come to think of it, South Florida is friendly to people of many different backgrounds and lifestyles - seniors, ethnic and racial groups, religious differences, gay and lesbian and just about any other group of "different" kinds of people. Getting back to the senior citizen friendliness, we all will be seniors some day, some sooner than others, so, we should all appreciate the position of the senior citizen group in South Florida. A vulnerable senior cherishes the idea of a society made up of a lot of people his or her own age. The work force, actually the service industry work force, is composed of many senior citizens. Being old in South Florida does not automatically mean that one is too old for the job. Quite the contrary. Retired seniors looking for a little extra money or more importantly a way to subsidized a too little retirement, are eager to do the jobs that other people, typically the younger people, won't "lower" themselves to do. Seniors rule in South Florida and I am glad to be a senior. Too busy to pack a lunch for work? Prepare a little more than needed for supper and save the extra for lunch the next day. I prepare all of my salads for an entire week on Sunday afternoon. All but the dressing, which I pour into little Tupperware containers for easy access. Lunch should be as healthy as any other meal, even a lunch at that dreadful place called work. Politics and the World Are illegal immigrants being treated fairly? What? Sometimes I think the American society, yes, President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society, is a little funky. What part of illegal don't you understand? An illegal immigrant is a criminal and should be treated as such. America is the land of opportunity and yes, it is made up of immigrants. In fact the original Americans are the American Indians, every other ethnic group was once an immigrant. Back in the 1770's the founding immigrants declared their independence from an unjust king, fought a war to achieve that independence and formed a country composed of laws. Some of those laws settled questions concerning citizenship and non-citizenship issues. Immigration laws were established. These laws detailed the way in which citizens of other countries could either visit the United States or become citizens of the United States. Until recently, for the most part, immigrants who have arrived in the United States did so under the prescribed written U.S. laws. They respected the United States as the land of opportunity and they showed that respect by following the laws. The United States was a melting pot. Each ethnic group coming to the United States while revering their ethnic history tried to assume the role of true Americans. Why then in today's world should people coming to the United States be treated any differently? The laws exist. We must follow the laws. The mystique of the American existence is immigration, but legal, integrated and equitable treatment of all ethnic groups into one free nation, the United States of America. It seems to me that the politicians of the day are trying to solve economic problems by using the immigration problem to manipulate situations in order to achieve their selfish political and economic ends. These politicians are not real Americans, they are opportunists and should be stripped of all political, economic and social standing in this the people's country. The immigration solution - follow the laws of the United states. And the citizenry of the United States must be first and foremost that of Americans. All ethnic differences, respected as they should be, but second to the uniqueness of the American way, including the language of America - English. President George W. Bush is sure taking the heat of past mistakes. The President's popularity has been falling decisively. His approval rate is challenging President Richard Nixon's lowest approval rating in the height of Watergate. The President's numbers are discouraging and may be pointing to a Democratic victory in the 2006 mid term elections and possibly the 2008 presidential election. If you regularly read this news blog, you know that it's writer is a down and dirty, flaming, liberal democrat. Yet, this webmaster takes no glee in the president's situation. I think it is a mistake to attack the president as is being done by people around the country - democrat, republican or independent. Like it or not, President Bush was fairly and equitably elected to the office that he holds. Albeit the first election may have had tainted results, the second election was the execution of the American people's will and withstood the test of validity. As President, George W. Bush has the right, given to him by the American people by the United States Constitution, to govern in the manner of his choosing. He has the right to select and surround himself by the types of people that he chooses. Let him do his job. The media should report the news, not make the news. The Congress must do it's job - legislate and share the governing process with the President. The Congress is not doing it's job. The goal of this Congress as well as all Congresses should be to govern so the American people's needs are met. Government enabling the "best", "fairest" and "most equitable" situation for all Americans should be the goal of this and any legislative session. The interests of the American people must be the only goal of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government now and at all times in the American process. We are spending too much time attacking, posturing, manipulating and envisioning for the next political cycle that we are missing this moment of time for the present governing cycle. Government must not be politics and vice versa. Yes, I am a Democrat. I believe that President Bush has ignored the will of the people for his own selfish will. I believe that the President is taking America down the wrong path. I believe that the President is guilty of impeachable offenses. However, these things must be dealt with according to the American governing process. To the media, politicians and anyone who attacks the President, stop the rhetoric. Get down to business and do your job, the job of being a member of the American system of government. Hundreds of New Orleans evacuees returned to New Orleans for municipal elections in April. The run-off election for mayor will be held in May. A couple of points should be made about the courageous residents of New Orleans - they are a resilient lot and they want to rebuild their city. It was the American spirit in action when hundreds of exiled New Orleans residents return to their city to vote in the mayoral elections. Democracy was at it's best and alive and well in New Orleans this Spring. These brave Americans traveled hundreds of miles to cast their votes in the elections. Still others voted by absentee ballot in order to fulfill their American democratic responsibility. Congratulations and a speedy recovery to the residents and the displaced residents of New Orleans. It is a shame that a run-off election must be held for mayor. No candidate received over 50% of the vote in April. A May run-off election is mandated to determine the mayor of the city. Many Southern communities and states still have that 50% election law. This law is a result of racism in the South. To help ensure the victory of whites and the defeat of blacks, the 50% law was established years ago by southern whites as a way of discriminating against blacks. The candidate with the highest percentage of the votes in the April New Orleans mayor's election was the present black mayor Ray Nagin, but he received 39% of the vote. The second place candidate was Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu, a white man and third was another white man, wealthy civic leader Ron Forman. Nagin and Landrieu will be in the run-off election. Forman has endorsed Landrieu, making Landrieu the apparent favorite for winning the run-off. Regardless of the names of these specific candidates, southern run-off elections usually favors the white candidate. So too in New Orleans? The 50% law should be declared racist and unconstitutional. The person with the most votes should be the winner in any election. Let's seek out and destroy any remaining vestiges of racism in the United States. Religion and Spiritualism A Conservative Christian Values Forum at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale took place before the Easter holiday . Reverend D. James Kennedy proclaimed that the nation can be won for Jesus. "I'm telling you, America is going to be changed," said Rev. Kennedy. Is the moral majority going too far in this proclamation. The separation of church and state is one of the most basic principals of American government. Today the evangelical right is trying to blur that separation. What about the people who do not believe in Jesus? Is it possible for them to be "saved"? Freedom of religion is basic to the American way. We must defend and protect the separation of church and state and our religious freedoms. Technology and Business We are approaching the time that many families take their annual summer vacation. The price if gas is at an all time high. Many families may not be able to afford that summer vacation. I think the time is approaching, actually it probably has arrived, where the day to day activities of many Americans are being affected by the price of gas. I don't think the price outrage or the solution of this problem is a function of technology. Yes, part of the solution is technology related, it always has been, but I thing the exorbitant price is more a function of greed and selfishness of the oil companies. No business has the right to claim such large and disproportionate profits as the profits being posted by the major oil companies. A percent of these outrageous profits should be pumped back into the oil industry to lower the price of gas for consumers. Wages of the CEO's and other high level executives of the oil companies must be cut and invested in cutting the price of gas and fuel. This is outrageous. The government must step in and monitor the big oil companies. Equitable profits verses price ratios must be developed. The United States government must step in and monitor this abuse by the oil companies. Despite gas prices, many Americans will be traveling this summer and securing lodging facilities. Don't let your summer vacation end up being a windfall for unscrupulous people seeking to make money at your expense. Here are some tips to avoid hotel theft:
It's too bad, but we must take safety precautions in all we do in today's world.
Too Strange, Weird or Just Funny Two Texas brothers have been sending each other the same birthday card since 1964. One of the brothers bought the card for 15 cents and mailed it to his brother for a nickel. The same card has been going back and forth from one brother to the other ever since. In 1998 the thought that they had lost the card. One brother forgot to put the apartment number on the address and the card was detained in the mail, but it did finally arrive at the other brothers address. Each birthday the brothers have always added a message inside the card. When they ran out of room, they began adding note pages to the inside of the card. Now the card has six note pages added and is laminated. I guess this is one way to keep the celebration of birthdays alive.
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