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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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Thought For The Month "To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude." Albert Schweitzer, philosopher |
Dates Important To The Webmaster 7. Pearl Harbor Day |
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Topics of Discussion
Discussion of The Month December 2005, Let the celebrations begin! This is the best time of the year. Christmas, the birth of the Christ Child, renewal, rebirth and a host of other good feelings and reasons to celebrate fill the 31days of December. Don't get too busy and don't let your age prevent you from celebrating this time of the year. Priority, perspective and thanksgiving must be a part of the holidays, too. People of all ages, of all situations, of all lifestyles are called to stop, enjoy and spread the good cheer of this holy season. I think the best gift that one person can give another person is time. Time to just listen to that other person. Time to really take an interest in the life situations of that other person. Time to reflect. Time to forgive. Time to appreciate that other person for being the person that he or she really is. Time to say, "thank you" for being you and "thank you" for allowing me to be me. Time to be genuine and unassuming. Discover and spread the real meaning of Christmas during these days of December and throughout the days of the New Year. Entertainment Flight Plan starring Jodie Foster was a thriller alright. It kept you thinking throughout the movie. Just before the antagonist was revealed, I figured out who was the "bad person" and the puzzle started coming together. I had several erred scenarios before I figured it out. The ending was plausible although not probable. It was exciting and definitely a thriller none the less. Ice Harvest just like an old gangster movie, only a little more intense. John Cusack, one of my favorite actors, did a fine job. There was a little of the humorous Cusack, but mostly a gangster with a frozen heart in his character. It kind of reminded me of the movie, Sin City, which I saw in May 2005. It was just as gruesome, violent and gangsterly, but not as vulgar, although it was vulgar. The movie gave me what I was looking for - an escape for an hour and a half on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. In Her Shoes a completely different type of movie. Cameron Diaz didn't start off as the cute, wholesome, blonde that she usually plays, but ended up growing into that role. Shirley MacLaine was a sweet, though kind of meddling kind of grandmother. I thought the movie would be terribly funny. It was funny, although low key funny. It was a feel good movie. It even made a tear or two come to my eye a couple of times. At those times I just pretended to be rubbing a hair out of my eye. I exited the cinema with an appreciation of the relationship between senior citizens and young people. They can co-exist and learn from each other. Oprah is celebrating 20 years as the queen of the daytime talk show. Her success come from the lady herself. As a talk show host she comes across as a genuine, concerned and motivated person. She doesn't capitalizes on the melodramatic in life. She sees life as it is and concentrates on people and their reactions to it. Oprah goes one step further, she makes a commitment to make a difference in these people's lives. Is Oprah genuine and caring in real life? I don't know and I don't care. She has done a lot to help people from all walks of life cope with life's situations. She has discussed topics that were once taboo and unmentionable. She has forced the world to see people and people's situations in a caring and supportive manner. In the mid-eighties Oprah did a show about her drastic weight lost. She now regrets that weight loss show. She lost much weight on a liquid diet. After the show she started eating food again. In three days she could not fit into the jeans that she had worn on the show. She realized that a liquid diet is not a good weight loss approach. Over the years that followed she has realized and has "preached" to her audience that the best way to lose weight is the eat healthy, cut calories and become physically active. You go girl! I hope she stays on the air for 20 more years. The ironic thing to all this, I never watch her anymore. In the early nineties I fell in love with CNN. The TV Christmas season has begun. A Charlie Brown Christmas is probably one of my favorites. We have all seen these Christmas shows many, many times, but I, as well as many, many people look forward to these Christmas reruns. Remember, Christmas is for children, so, be a child again. The West Wing is getting very exciting for me. I really never watched the West Wing, until this year. I suddenly got caught up in it. Maybe the presidential campaign did something to motivate me to watch the show, but now I seldom miss it. The Sunday night airing is good too, I don't fall asleep too early on Sundays. Ricky Martin is back, he never really left. He has a new dance hit out, "I Don't Care". He sings the same lyrics over and over again, "I don't care...I just want to be yours...I don't care..." I kind of like the song, but the video makes it seem like a JLo or Brittany Spears kind of song. Here's a short clip of the song, if you care. I Don't Care, Ricky Martin, to view this clip windows media player must be installed on your computer. Ricky Martin has done some extreme community service in the world. He has done a lot to help disaster victims. In a recent interview he says that even though he has been at the top of the success ladder in his field, he has felt alone and unfulfilled. He has discovered that one must "chill" and think about where you have come from and where you are going. Work is good, success is good, but priority and a life lived in perspective is necessary for true successful living and a deep and sincere appreciation serves as the icing on the cake. Health, Fitness and Lifestyle It's the flu season. Did you get your flu shot? Who should get the flu shot? Senior citizens 65 and over, young children and people at medical risk are recommended to get the flu shot. Also, people in the labor force are recommended to get the shot. A bad case of the flu can keep a person out of work for up to 2 weeks As we all know the flu shot does not protect us from being sick. It is one's best defense against that strain of flu that is expected to hit during the season. A flu shot does not contain immunity for all possible strains of flu. It does not provide immunity against the common cold. There are a lot of misconceptions concerning the flu shot. Most of what you thought about the flu shot is not true. It is true that if you are allergic to eggs or chickens, then you should avoid the flu shot. Most other people should be able to sustain the side effects of the shot. Common sense precautions against the flu can not be underestimated. Some of these include: avoid doctors' offices, avoid hospitals or any places where "sick" people congregate, wash your hands, don't touch your eyes, nose or month, cover your nose and mouth when you cough, eat "healthy foods ( cranberry juice, orange juice, red wine, garlic extract offer defense from the flu and colds), use Zicam or other over the counter products to ward off the illness and one of the most important precaution - stay home if infected. If you are sick, stay away from other people. The old saying, "Be part of the solution not the problem" applies here. Research suggests that eating kiwi fruits every day, 2 or 3 a day is beneficial to heart and circulatory system. Eating 2 or 3 kiwi a day reduces abnormal clotting by platelets - blood cells that make blood clot. Abnormal clotting can cause heart attack or stroke. Speaking of heart attack, shortness of breath may tell more about the risk of someone dying from heart attack than chest pain alone. Shortness of breathe may be a factor that predicts heart attacks, especially in women. Women do not always experience the same symptoms of heart problems that men experience. A note of caution about the shortness of breath, make sure the shortness of breath is not caused from respiratory problems or obesity before you attribute it to potential heart problems. Caffeine and high blood pressure, any cause - effect relationship? Recent research suggests that the caffeine in coffee does not seem to raise blood pressure in women, but caffeine in colas does raise the women's blood pressure. Interesting, but wait for another study, the reverse will probably be found to be true? To be safe, go easy on any caffeine. The recent hurricanes showed once again the danger in using candles as opposed to flashlights in a "lights out" situation. Experts suggests to use flashlights, not candles when the power goes out. Candles prove to be dangerous to ones health and ones possessions. If one must use candles, especially in one of those romantic encounters, practice safe candle use. The use of candles during electrical outages has sparked records in starting fires. Be careful when using candles. Speaking of natural disasters, is any part of the United States free from natural disasters. I think not. One just has to read the local newspapers or watch the 6:00 or 11:00 news and see the havoc mother nature plays on this planet we call Earth. Enough said. Wherever one lives, be proactive and be ready for one's native natural disasters. Politics and the World President George W. Bush and the war in Iraq or is it President Lyndon B. Johnson and the war in Vietnam, pretty much the same to me. The reasons for the United States to enter the wars may be different, but the outcomes seem to be following similar paths. Most Americans are now against the war. They do not trust the president, in fact they feel that he is a dishonest person who lied about the intelligence that led us to war with Iraq. That is really too bad. Now, due to the winds of the political mood of most Americans, the president and the administration are talking about the eventual exodus of American troops from Iraq. Even more outrageous than the war in Iraq is the practice of our American political and governmental leaders to mold their governing strategies in the image of public opinion. People used to be called leaders because they did what they felt was right for the American people regardless of public opinion. Today, leaders sway to and fro in the winds of public outcry. This is a shame. The Iraq war is a total mess. The reasons for the war, the deceptive manner in which the Bush administration led us to war and the untruths concerning the end of the war and the eventual reconstruction is a mess, to put it bluntly. Honest, direct, straightforward and selfless action must be taken by congress and the president to end this embarrassing episode in American History. The continuation of this deception is causing other aspects of American life to be compromised. The economy, budget, human rights, health care, natural resources and national security are among the casualties of the war in Iraq and the Bush administration. This is too bad. The Republican extreme right and the Bush administration have lost a moment of greatness in American History. The Clinton administration bequeathed to the current administration a healthy and exuberant economy and an America full of optimism, pride and potential. The Bush administration has squandered these resources and is destroying our American way of life. The 2006 mid term elections and the 2008 presidential election have the potential to turn around our national nightmare. The people of the United States must wake up and face the state of the union and make their voices be heard in November of 2006 and 2008. My fellow Americans wake up, investigate, research, get involved and take back America. Yes, the foreign terror is a problem, but the bigger problem is terror from within. Terror by those in our government who have lost sight of the dream and potential of America and function from selfish, egotistic and egocentric principals. Beware of false prophets. Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. Separation of Church and State. Respect and dignity to all people. People are basically good and are in command of their futures. True goodness will prevail. Religion and Spiritualism There goes the Vatican again. A new decree released in November prohibits active gay men or gay men who accept the gay lifestyle from entering the priesthood. Gays who have lead a gayless life for the past 3 years are permitted to join the priesthood. I agree with this decree, in part. I think that gay people who engage in gay sexual relationships should be bared from the priesthood. No, not because the gay lifestyle is wrong or sinful, but because the law of celibacy for priests exists in current church law. The rest of the ban, I disagree. Representatives of the church are visiting seminaries to determine if they are being operated following the church's rulings on homosexuality. Any illicit sexual behavior, gay or straight in nature, can not be tolerated and should be rectified. A point must be emphasized here, the gay lifestyle should not be confused with illicit sexual activity. Did you ever hear of a gay being celibate, not all gays are sexually active. In other words, it is my belief that a celibate gay man should be given equal access to the priesthood just as a celibate straight man. Remember, the majority of sexual abuse takes place by heterosexual, straight people. Abuse is abuse and should be identified, investigated and eradicated. One of the key ingredients to a psychologically healthy and well adjusted psyche is honesty. Encouraging people to hide their lifestyle is unhealthy and causes problems in social interactions. People must be free to be who they are. Gays and the priesthood are compatible. The number of men and women choosing the religious life is dwindling. Many parishes are operated by one or sometimes visiting priests. The spiritual needs of many Catholics are being ignored by church leaders due in part to this problem. Lay workers are performing many of the spiritual duties of the clergy - distributing communion, visiting the sick, comforting the sorrowful, etc. A solution may be to ordain women. Another solution, abolish the celibacy requirement for priests. I seriously doubt the either of these solutions will ever be considered by the current Pope and Vatican. The inspiration of the Holy Spirit is taking place, but the acceptance of this inspiration and renewal must occur with our church leaders. Evangelical leader Pat Robinson warned the people of a rural Pennsylvania town that disaster may strike them because "they voted God out of their city". The town's people voted school board members, who were for "Intelligent Design" out of office last month. Intelligent Design is the belief that the universe is so complex it must have been created by a higher power. It serves as an alternative to the theory of evolution. Many conservative Christians want this theory of creation to be taught in public schools along with the theory of evolution. Personally, I believe in the theory of evolution, but I also believe in Creationism. I believe that evolution gives the scientific explanation and Creationism gives the religious explanation - both are not mutually exclusive, they can coexist. However, science is science. Public schools are public schools. The existence of the "Separation of Church and State" exists and must be honored. This separation is intrinsically entwined in our form of government. It is the basis for the Constitution of the United states of America. I am a Catholic Christian, I follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, but I am also an American and I adhere to the teachings of The Constitution. I do not have the right to impose my religious beliefs on any other person. My lifestyle reflects my Catholic Christian beliefs, but I must not appear arrogant about my beliefs to any other person. My work in society must not be judgmental or patronizing concerning the religious beliefs of other people. The Jew, the Islam, the non-believer, etc. have the right under the United States Constitution to be free of any pressure or any other subliminal attacks to his or her religious beliefs and practices. As President John F. Kennedy said, in reference to his religious beliefs and his ability to be president, "it is not relevant". In response to Reverend Pat Robinson, in the words of President Ronald Reagan, at one of his presidential debates, "there you go again". Technology and Business The tax man cometh. The new year is coming and so is tax time. This last month of the year is the time to prepare and celebrate the December holidays, it is also the time to make those final preparations for the deductions that you may reap on your 2005 tax bill. Just as we tend to get our personal lives in order for the New Year, we should be busy getting our financial house in order, too. There are a few simple, easy things to do in order to achieve a few more tax deduction dollars, if you itemize your deductions. Clean out your closets. Instead of discarding those old items of apparel that are old, out of date or not to your liking anymore, donate them to charity. Pack up the items and take them to your neighborhood Good Will or Salvation Army donation center and donate them to charity. Remember to secure a receipt for your donation. Most times, the charity will give you a standard receipt form with the dollar amount of your contribution blank. Just fill in the dollar amount you think you contribution is worth. Be reasonable, but don't be modest when evaluating the monetary worth of your donation. Stack up on supplies for your home business or items that you may use in your job. Make sure you have taken advantage of all time sensitive tax cuts offered by your employer. Purchase your tax related computer software, TurboTax, etc. Many tax software items are bargained priced and rebate adjusted at this time. If you regularly use these types of things, then buy them now when you can deduct them from your 2005 earnings. Pay property tax bills before the end of year. Many times you will receive a discount and property tax is deductible. Make contributions to tax shelter accounts or other tax reducing accounts or open a tax reducing account. And finally, decide to better plan and record keep for the 2006 tax year, and there will be a 2006 tax year. This time of year is an
excellent time to think about your investment options. Actually any time
of year is a good time to revaluate your savings options. Yes, there are
stocks and bonds, IRA's, TSA's and a host of other retirement or
investment options, but
what about simple savings accounts. Most simple savings accounts offer
very, very low interest rates on your money. Yes, the money that I am
talking about is not long term investment money, rather money that you
may need in a matter of months. Let's look at a scenario. You work at a
job, of course you do. You get a paycheck every week or bi-weekly or
monthly or whatever. Whether the paycheck is automatically deposited in
one of your bank accounts or you personally deposit it in a bank
account, I prefer automatic deposits, your money sits in a checking
account or a savings for days or weeks getting extremely little interest
or none at all. I feel checking accounts are for day to day expenses.
Keep only day to day expenses in your checking account. The rest of your
paycheck, of course after you have paid your long term savings and investment
accounts, may be deposited in a higher interest rate account. There
are many savings accounts that do not require big initial deposits or
high minimum balances or unrealistic withdrawal regulations and are at
relatively high interest rates. Now these accounts may hold the money
for your Christmas shopping, summer or other vacations, special events,
property taxes, insurance premiums or any other big item expenses that
are usually scheduled at intervals throughout the year or pop up
unexpectedly. Money in these accounts are within relative
immediate reach at any time, but the money in the account is making
money for you in the form of higher interest earnings. You must do your homework
to find these accounts. Two such savings accounts that I am familiar with
are online, http://www.capitalone.com/savings/
http://home.ingdirect.com/products/products.asp. Notebook and battery. If you have a notebook or laptop computer experts say to calibrate your battery every so often to extend the life of your battery. Check the operator's information that came with your notebook for directions to calibrate the battery. Just as with desktops, proactive maintenances helps ensure the health and reliability of your notebook or laptop computer. Out smart the hackers. Beside improving security for their credit card users, some major credit card companies are offering added protection to their members by offering Virtual Cards for their use. AT&T Universal by Citi, Discover, and MBNA have programs where their members can use a virtual credit card, which is tied to their regular credit card account, to make purchases online. A virtual credit credit is generated upon request of the card holder and contains credit card information that is randomly "made up", but tied to the card holders account. Usually the virtual card is used once and expires in a short period of time, usually a month. All virtual card transactions are trackable and appear on the card holders account record. Never again give your real credit card number and other information when making online purchases. I've used such virtual cards for one-time online purchases and found their use very pleasant with little or no complications. Unhealthy lifestyles could cost you your job. Bib Brother is watching, especially at the work place. Private employers are becoming more concerned about unhealthy workers. Health problems and unhealthy lifestyle could cost you your job. I don't think that this is fair or ethical, but it sure makes sense when the bottom line is profits and cost effective practices. Example: group heath care costs are cheaper for a business or firm that has a lower incidence of employee illness and insurance claims. People with higher health care risk, such as obesity, unhealthy lifestyle or disease, have a greater probability of needing health care services. This translates to higher insurance premiums, higher spending per employee and lower profits. To me, this is another reason for health care reform and government intervention to assure reasonable and equitable health care services to all Americans. It's the holiday time. Check credit card bills and all receipts for fraud or error. Fraud happens and mistakes happen, but don't you pay for some one's illegal activity or ineptness. Be proactive in all financial situations. Also, be aware of your surroundings when shopping. Watch the parking lot. Be aware of other people's suspicious behavior. Anticipate the unexpected. Be safe. Too Strange, Weird or Just Funny Remember Abbott and Costello? Here's a take on their "Who's on First" routine. Some one emailed it to me. I don't know who came up with it originally. Arthur unknown. COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A
COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT . . . |
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