CONTROL

Sometimes, whether there is a lot on my mind or very little, I still have problems sleeping beyond 6 hours and since I retire to bed very early most evenings, the result is that I am fully awake on these mornings before 5:00 AM.

I typically use this time, once coffee is in my system, to think about what I would like to write about for the Blog which prompts me to read the news on my Droid via the various apps I have installed for that purpose.

This morning was one such morning.

There are 7 billion people living in the world today, many of which are living below a global poverty level than is much lower than the poverty level we have set in the US.

But, more importantly it is not what level of poverty do they live but how their lives are being controlled.  In point of fact, it is not just those people who are being controlled but those of us who live on various socio-economic levels.

Aside from the various global forms of government that have set up laws to govern and control the people, there are other more insidious ways that we are being controlled.

Control takes place through:

• A civilian police force
• A military command and control center
• A religious philosophy or belief
• A healthcare system
• An educational system
• A marketing concept
• A political philosophy
• An economic system
• A recreational system
• A family system
• A community system
• An employment system
• An entitlement system
• A military conquest system
• A system of isolation
• A technology system
• A system of censorship
• A prison/punishment system

Each of these, depending upon one’s global location, can be applied individually, consecutively, or simultaneously.

While I am not that familiar with the rest of the world, my focus will be on perceptions here in the US.

For example:

1.       We are graduating uneducated people from both High School and College for jobs that they are either not qualified to have or are rejected because they cannot pass drug tests or because they want too much money.

The result is control.

2.      We are creating a society of non-thinkers, convincing them to go into debt, purchasing items they don’t need so that a few can get wealthier.

The result is control.

3.       We have created a society of people that have become dependent upon the government or religious doctrines or military doctrines or community doctrines teaching them to behave in specific ways that keeps them mentally and physically suppressed or in a false state of euphoria.

The result is control.

4.       We have created a society through social media of anonymous or covert thrill seekers as well as a society who are the exact opposite through video games, athletics, reality TV shows and other escapism tactics revolving around the use technology and technological devices that must be repurchased over and over again as the technology improves.

The result is control.

Now, you may think that I might be getting a little ODD with my thoughts here and that this can only happen if people allow it to happen; after all, we all have the ability to make choices or not make choices.  But, let me suggest that you reflect upon the TV commercials which is a constant bombardment, that:

• Suggests to us what to wear…
• Suggests to us where to eat…
• Suggests to us that we should stay young…
• Suggests to us that we cannot live without this car…

The result is control, is it not?

Let me remind you what Henry Ford once said:

“…you can have any color you want as long as it is black…”

So, is there really

any alternative here?

                 

A way out from under this control?

                                        

I would venture to say no.

Hump Day Art

Something about which

to think, I wonder?

AGING GRACEFULLY

Ageing (British English) or aging (American English) is the accumulation of changes in a person over time. Ageing in humans refers to a multidimensional process of physical, psychological, and social change. Some dimensions of ageing grow and expand over time, while others decline. Reaction time, for example, may slow with age, while knowledge of world events and wisdom may expand. Research shows that even late in life, potential exists for physical, mental, and social growth and development.] Ageing is an important part of all human societies reflecting the biological changes that occur, but also reflecting cultural and societal conventions. Roughly 100,000 people worldwide die each day of age-related causes.

In a new study, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues elsewhere, describe markers and a model that quantify how aging occurs at the level of genes and molecules, providing not just a more precise way to determine how old someone is, but also perhaps anticipate or treat ailments and diseases that come with the passage of time.

The findings are published in the November 21 online issue of the journal Molecular Cell.

“It’s well known that people age at different rates,” said Kang Zhang, MD, PhD, professor of ophthalmology and human genetics at the Shiley Eye Center and director of the Institute for Genomic Medicine, both at UC San Diego. “Some people in their 70s look like they’re in their 50s, while others in their 50s look like they’re in their 70s.”

However, identifying markers and precisely quantifying the actual rate of aging in individuals has been challenging. For example, researchers have looked at telomeres – repeating nucleotide sequences that cap the ends of chromosomes and which shorten with age – but have found that other factors like stress can affect them as well.

 “It’s a very robust way of predicting aging,” said Zhang, one that was subsequently validated on a second sampling of several hundred blood samples from another cohort of human individuals.

The scientists found that an individual’s “methylome” – the entire set of human methylation markers and changes across a whole genome – predictably varies over time, providing a way to determine a person’s actual biological age from just a blood sample.

“It’s the majority of the methylome that accurately predicts age, not just a few key genes,” said co-senior author Trey Ideker, PhD, a professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Medical Genetics in the UC San Diego School of Medicine and professor of bioengineering in the Jacobs School of Engineering. “The methylation state decays over time along the entire genome. You look in the body, into the cells, of young people and methylation occurs very distinctly in some spots and not in others. It’s very structured. Over time, though, methylation sites get fuzzier; the boundaries blur.”

More profoundly, said Zhang, the methylome provides a measure of biological age – how quickly or slowly a person is experiencing the passage of time. That information has potentially huge medical import. “For example, you could serially profile patients to compare therapies, to see if a treatment is making people healthier and ‘younger.’ You could screen compounds to see if they retard the aging process at the tissue or cellular level.”

 “The next step is to look to see whether methylation can predict specific health factors, and whether this kind of molecular diagnosis is better than existing clinical or physical markers. We think it’s very promising,” Ideker said. 

Tips to controlling the aging process:

1.      Give up smoking

2.      Moderate alcohol consumption

3.      Healthy diet, includes:

a.       Fruits and veges

b.      Reduce red meats

c.       Avoid heavy, spicy, greasy foods

d.      Eat fish and chicken

4.      Exercise regularly – 15-20 minutes each day

5.      Get 8 hours of sleep

6.      Manage stress

The National Rifle Association believes . . .

Guns don't kill, people do . . .

Just Thought You Ought to Know

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – A first-of-its-kind donation drive is taking place in Sacramento Monday due to a critical shortage of breast milk.

Sutter Medical Center and the Breastfeeding Coalition of Greater Sacramento are asking mothers to register to become breast milk donors for preemies in neonatal intensive care units and others.

According to the Breastfeeding Coalition of Greater Sacramento, just three ounces of breast milk is enough to feed a premature infant 9 times. The human milk is critical for premature and sick infants protecting them from devastating intestinal infections.

The breast milk will be donated to the Mothers’ Milk Bank of California, a San Jose organization that provides breast milk to 73 hospitals in 13 states.

“There is a shortage of breast milk from donors, and our hospital is one of the top purchasers of breast milk in the area,” said Kate Risingsun, R.N., the regional lactation manager at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento. “Our care can be compromised if there isn’t enough, so we’re pleading for more.”

Interested moms can register at Sutter Medical Plaza, 1625 Stockton Boulevard until 3pm Monday.

For more details about the requirements to become a donor you can visit the Breastfeeding Coalitions’ website.

Why is breastfeeding important?

Beastfeeding protects babies

Early breast milk is liquid gold – Known as liquid gold, colostrum (coh-LOSS-trum) is the thick yellow first breast milk that you make during pregnancy and just after birth. This milk is very rich in nutrients and antibodies to protect your baby.

Breast milk changes as your baby grows – Colostrum changes into what is called mature milk. By the third to fifth day after birth, this mature breast milk has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein to help your baby continue to grow.

Breast milk is easier to digest – For most babies — especially premature babies — breast milk is easier to digest than formula.

Breast milk fights disease – The cells, hormones, and antibodies in breast milk protect babies from illness.

Mothers benefit from breastfeeding

Life can be easier when you breastfeed – Breastfeeding may take a little more effort than formula feeding at first. But it can make life easier once you and your baby settle into a good routine. Plus, when you breastfeed, there are no bottles and nipples to sterilize.

Breastfeeding can save money – Formula and feeding supplies can cost well over $1,500 each year, depending on how much your baby eats. Breastfed babies are also sick less often, which can lower health care costs.

Breastfeeding can feel great – Physical contact is important to newborns. It can help them feel more secure, warm, and comforted. Mothers can benefit from this closeness, as well. Breastfeeding requires a mother to take some quiet relaxed time to bond. The skin-to-skin contact can boost the mother’s oxytocin (OKS-ee-TOH-suhn) levels. Oxytocin is a hormone that helps milk flow and can calm the mother.

Breastfeeding can be good for the mother’s health,  – Breastfeeding is linked to a lower risk of these health problems in women:

1.      Type 2 diabetes

2.      Breast cancer

3.      Ovarian cancer

4.      Postpartum depression

Mothers miss less work – Breastfeeding mothers miss fewer days from work because their infants are sick less often.

Now, aren't you glad we shared this with you?

Avoidance Avoidance

Procrastination

It is really pretty simple avoidance is the process of staying away from something or someone.  Not answering the doorbell ringing or not answering the telephone or not answering a question is an example of this process.

However, avoidance avoidance is a psychological conflict inside a person’s mind that results when having to choose between two undesirable alternatives which is the case here.  Let me explain.

Every Sunday, my blog partner and I would deliberate how we would cast off the week with a choice of articles that we would want to post Monday or today.  Since his passing, that process has fallen solely on my shoulders.

As I began to analyze my own speculation of this task, I came to the startling revelation that neither of my short list ideas, were ones that I was terribly excited about; hence, my avoidance avoidance delimma.

While the horrific shootings in Connecticut have been on everyone’s mind for the last several days (and rightly so), I felt that my personal opinion as to how the media was covering the event would be misleading to the actual truths surrounding the killings; plus, perhaps the public has soaked up enough or perhaps better journalism would prevail elsewhere. 

At any event, that left me with my other final choice that I was not particularly desiring to write about but knew that I had to since I knew that the topic was about ready to explode…

So, here we go…

As reported by the Associated Press on November 28, 2012:

WARSAW, Poland — Poland's Supreme Court said Wednesday that a same-sex partner can inherit the right to a deceased's rented apartment.

Edie & Thea, married in Canada.

The decision extends a right that so far was granted only to spouses, children, grandchildren or unmarried heterosexual partners of tenants who had died.

The court said that the right applies equally to a cohabiting same-sex partner if he, or she, had been in an "emotional and physical" relationship with the deceased.

It was a response to the case of a gay man, identified only as Adam K., who sued Warsaw city authorities for denying him the right to stay in the city-owned apartment his partner had rented. The suit was rejected by the lowest court and the man appealed. The court considering the appellation was not sure if the right applied and sought the interpretation from the Supreme Court, which pointed to the Constitution which guarantees equal rights to all.

In denying the apartment to the man, Warsaw authorities argued that it understood relationships to be between heterosexual couples.

Poland, which joined the European Union in 2004 does not allow gay marriage, but Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and some other officials before him, have said that inheritance or social security could be secured to same-sex partners through lawfully registered agreements between them.

What is interesting here is that our own US Supreme Court agreed to take its first serious look at the issue of gay marriage, granting review of California's ban on same-sex marriage and of a federal law that defines marriage as only the legal union of a man and a woman.

At the very least, the court will look at this question: When states choose to permit the marriages of same-sex couples, can the federal government refuse to recognize their validity? But by also taking up the California case, the court could get to the more fundamental question of whether the states must permit marriages by gay people in the first place.

The California case involves a challenge to Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment approved by 52 percent of voters in 2008. It banned same-sex marriages in the state and went into effect after 18,000 couples were legally married earlier that year.

Our world is changing right before our eyes…  this topic would have never gotten any traction back in the 60’s…  70’s… or 80’s…  but since the 1990’s there has been an openness the likes of which the world has never seen before.

Sunday Funnies

Quote of the Week

Pelosi said Boehner should get past the “stale, old, boring” debate over raising taxes on the wealthiest 2 percent of taxpayers.

Boehner should be able to figure out how to pass legislation that does not put members of the GOP caucus at risk while still meeting Obama’s requirement for raising tax rates, Pelosi said.

The House could immediately pass the Senate version of middle-class tax-cut legislation by more than a two-thirds margin, according to Pelosi.

Or, Boehner could structure several votes on the legislation that would allow passage of middle-class tax relief, but still let some GOP lawmakers register their objections.

“I do know there’s a way to bring a bill to the floor that accommodates the needs of the American people, that protects the Republicans who don’t want to vote for it, but that gets the job done for the American people,” she said.

Caturday

Don't even think about it...

T. G. I. F.

Turn Your Back on Your Friends...



Of course, that's just my opinion...

Only In America

BAD BARBIES

NYC Female Street Gang

West Side Story...

In 1957, the original Broadway production of West Side Story took place which captured audiences with a realistic portrayal of New York City street gangs of the 50’s.  The story revolved around two gangs called “The Jets,” and “The Sharks.”  I remember being taken to that play by my mother when it went on tour to the National Theater in Washington, DC. a few years later. It has been a memory that I have never forgotten.

However, never more vividly have I relived this memory than this morning (Thursday – 1 day ago) when I heard on CBS This Morning that a female street gang had been busted in New York City.

On Wednesday (2 days ago), the WSJ reported the following story:

NEW YORK — Authorities have taken down a violent New York City street gang whose female factions went by names like "Bad Barbies" and "One Seven Hoes."

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Wednesday that at its height, the Trinitarios gang had up to 100 female members. He said one was a 24-year-old involved in the fatal stabbing of a Crips gang member and in the shooting of a robbery victim outside a Mexican restaurant.

An investigation of the gang has resulted in arrests of 119 people in the Bronx and Manhattan since 2009.

Kelly and U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara (buh-AHR'-uh) announced the latest arrests on Wednesday at a news conference.  Bharara said the gang would turn the streets in a "shooting gallery" if anyone infringed on its drug dealing or gun running.

—Copyright 2012 Associated Press

Yesterday from the Daily News, we learned:

The Feds busted 40 accused Bronx Trinitarios gang members — including the leader of the all-female "Bad Barbies" faction — charging them with a whopping nine murders and 24 attempted murders.

"We weren't surprised to learn that the Trinitarios were up to no good in the Bronx," NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said Wednesday. "But the Bad Barbies? Who knew? Maybe it's a sign of the times that gender is no bar when it comes to murder, robbery and other crimes."

Meanwhile, Brooklyn authorities smashed up a Bushwick gang Wednesday, collaring 41 alleged members on charges that include murder and attempted murder.

The True Bosses Only crew collected dues from members during weekly meetings that were used to pay bail and buy weapons and buy credit at the Rikers commissary, authorities said.  The Brooklyn bust came after a detective friended 24 of the alleged gangsters on Facebook, Kelly said. Some True Bosses Only members are as young as 12.

Girl Gansters of the 1800's

I have titled this piece Only in America because that was one of the lines from the lyrics of one of the songs in West Side Story, implying that almost anything and everything was possible in America.

Given our current mentality in this country, I also predict in the not too distant future that a reality TV show will be developed revolving around female street gangs in one of our larger cities, possibly Chicago since NYC is taking a lot of heat right now; or, maybe Los Angeles or Miami…

I would also suspect that one of these female gang member from either “Bad Barbies,” or “One Seven Hoes,” will be approached by a publishing company to write a book about their experiences…

And, if and when that happens, then no doubt, Hollywood will produce a full-length movie and if the right females are selected, the movie could possible win an Oscar…

Only in America…

America Falls

US No Longer the Sole

Global Superpower

Written by BYRON TAU of Politico on Dec 10, 2012:

 

A new report by the intelligence community projects that the United States will no longer be the world’s only superpower by 2030.

“In terms of the indices of overall power – GDP, population size, military spending and technological investment – Asia will surpass North America and Europe combined,” the report concludes.

“Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds” — prepared by the office of the National Intelligence Council of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence — projects that the “unipolar” world that emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union will not continue.

“With the rapid rise of other countries, the ‘unipolar moment’ is over and no country – whether the U.S., China, or any other country – will be a hegemonic power,” the report argues.

Full article here

I would say that this should cause us to pause with alarm, wouldn’t you?

Potential Superpowers

Let’s take a looksee at the situation…

First of all, the US is in a financial crisis that the rest of the world perceives, at this moment, is unable to solve.  Coupled with this is the notion that the wealthy should be taxed more and that entitlements should be reduced, neither of which do our political groups want to give up.  Many businesses are sheltering money in tax havens in the Caribbean.

Second, our economy is growing very, very slowly while the economy of China was growing rapidly although it has slowed down some.

Third, China owns 1/3 of our debt which is not good.

Fourth is the loss of jobs due to:

Outsourcing for cheap labor due to high wages in America

Outsourcing for skills Americans no longer possess

American businesses are faced with uncertainty due to fiscal cliff

Fifth, is the fact that American school children are now ranked 17^th in the world in math, science, and English skills.  The global community knows that an abundance of future jobs lie in the area of STEM skills:  Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

Sixth, the rest of the global community wants what Americans take for granted and we have become too lazy both mentally and physically to see that clearly.

Seventh, is the realization that 25% of the working population ( the so called baby boomers) are getting ready to retire or have retired, leaving thousands of jobs open that silly Americans have not positioned themselves to take.

Eighth, there is now (and appears t will never change), an on-going animosity (anger, battle, etc.) between management and labor which is sometimes fixed by unions (increasing costs); however, in Right to Work States, these feelings are still strongly present, even though both sides try to admit that they are not.

Ninth, there is an uncanny fascination among Americans to be more concerned with celebrities than with present day realities that could well be a misplaced and misguided form of escapism.

This can be seen in TV Reality shows (most of which are scripted), blockbuster movies, adoration of singers and athletes and the unparalleled addiction to social media.

Tenth, the breakdown of the American nuclear family that in the past has provided most of us with proper values, ethics, integrity, and morals.  This breakdown has left us with inappropriate role models.

So, here we are and in 20 years there YOU will be, because I will either be dead or in a state of sublime “too old to give a damn,” reality.

It does not take too long at all for 20 years to pass...

Hump Day Art

Michigan & The Right to Work

And Again . . .

     

            And Again . . .  

             

                         And Again . . .

Growing up in the South has its advantages and disadvantages just like any other geographic area, I suppose, but when it comes time to find employment, I personally would rather work in a Right to Work State than in a State that forces one to join a Union.

In the beginning and especially after Upton Sinclair’s novel, The Jungle, unions benefitted the employee by  offering a united voice against management, receiving increased money and benefits in the process; however, gradually over the years, the demands of the union placed unnecessary financial burdens on management because it got to the point where the night janitor could not replace light bulbs because that had to be a union worker from another trade.  And, that is not an exaggeration.

Michigan protestors

The Michigan House approved a second right-to-work bill on Tuesday that would cover all private employees, by a vote of 58-52.

Republicans have asked for a reconsideration of the votes, which means final passage on the private sector bill, SB 116, before it reaches the Michigan Governor's desk, will most likely be delayed till tomorrow.

"It's a sad day for the middle class and the state of democracy in Michigan when legislation that harms workers is successfully rushed through the process without any hearings or debate," said House Democratic Leader Richard E. Hammel (Mt. Morris Twp.) in a statement emailed to The Huffington Post.

"Despite repeated calls for hearings on this legislation, Republicans insisted on moving it through the Legislature as fast as they could. We are appalled by the continued assault on the standard of living of Michigan's working men and women."

Protesters and union supporters have gathered in the state capitol of Lansing to oppose the bills, shouting "shame on you" in the galleries and leading demonstrations on the grounds.  The House first passed a measure pertaining with public-sector employees by a vote of 58-51. Democrats tried to have the vote reconsidered but failed.

State Capital - Lansing, Mich.

Michigan's Republicans hold majorities in both legislative houses – 64-46 in the House and 26-12 in the Senate.

The right-to-work legislation will deal a crippling blow to unions in Michigan, opponents say. The bills will allow employees to choose whether they pay union dues at businesses that are unionized. While supporters say that the bill will make Michigan more competitive to businesses looking to locate in the state, detractors suggest that unions will become defunded and suggest that employees' ability to negotiate with their employers will be lessened by the new legislation.

Passage of this legislation will not only hurt unions in Michigan but it will hurt most if not all of the southern states as well because part of the south’s attraction is the fact that northern companies can relocate to southern jurisdictions to avoid unions.  So, in a way, the south needs unions to remain firmly planted in the north, otherwise our economic future in the “rust and Bible belt” permanently damaged.

It seems like those northern folks just can’t seem to leave us

southern folks alone…