Salmonella Outbreaks in our Peanut Butter

Sudden outbreaks of salmonella keep popping up in our food supply. Why? 

A couple of weeks ago King Nut peanut butter was recalled for traces of salmonella, and then a few days later all products with peanut butter were recalled for traces of salmonella. Now the government is telling us to not buy products with peanut butter in it, but that it's safe to buy whole jars of peanut butter. What!?

This is reminiscent of when traces of salmonella were found in our tomatoes and jalapeno peppers, and then afterwards the government said it was safe to eat tomatoes and peppers again. 

Where does salmonella come from and how does it get into our food? 

Allegedly, the peanut butter products were traced back to a few Georgia peanut butter factories, but what are these factories doing to poison whole batches of peanut butter? Are they not cleaning the machines properly, are people not wearing plastic gloves and not washing their hands? Salmonella doesn't sound like something that's by accident, it sounds like something done on purpose. 

Recently there was an article on the country China, and how people were purposely tainting milk that babies drink everyday. Fortunately, these culprits were caught and locked up but not without killing off a few hundred innocent babies first. So it wouldn't surprise me if we had similar culprits of our own purposely poisoning Americans to kill us off. Can somebody say "population control?"

The peanut butter plants in Georgia should be investigated immediately, and someone needs to get to the bottom of this matter without delay. People have a right to their lives and we have the right to not have our lives taken, due to the mistakes and/or ignorance of certain individuals.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

2009 LA

To Cold for School?

Have you ever been told to stay home from school because it was to cold outside?

In the South whenever snow is predicted in the forecast, schools are ready to shut down. I'm a Northern girl and know all to well about bad snow days, but even during the bad snow days in the North school still remained in session. There may have been a delayed opening but we still had to go to school.

However, snow flurries and it being a bit to cold outside constitutes a school closing in Georgia. 

But isn't that why we wear jackets, sweaters, gloves, scarfs, hats and boots; the things that help us combat bad weather? You can still drive in the cold -- hell, you can still drive with snow flurries! If the heating systems in schools aren't working and the classrooms are freezing than that's a different story. But if children are bundled up outside and there's heat in the schools, then classes should proceed.

Being a child from "yankee land" it's definitely noticeable that children in the South, miss way more school than those in the North. Local parents have said that children in the South can afford to miss school, because they don't have as many snow days. But shouldn't that be more the reason to keep schools open and children learning?

This past Christmas holiday children in Southern Georgia were let out of school an entire week before the holiday, and these same children didn't return to school until almost a week after New Years Day. Should children have almost a month vacation for two holidays? 

With single parent households or a household where both parents work, I assume it'd be hard to find somewhere to keep your children. And for latchkey kids the additional time off can lead to trouble, or for trouble to find them.

Who calls the shots on whether or not to close the schools down? 

Whoever it is they must not hear the parents I hear complaining about where to put their kids, and wondering how they will feed them for the entire day.

I discovered that most struggling single parents really count on schools to give their children breakfast and lunch, so all they have to worry about is dinner. But when children are home for almost a month that's three meals a day plus snacks -- depending on how many children you have. That can take a toll on parents' pockets.

In short, unnecessary closings should be forbidden and when schools are closed, there should be free extra-curricular activities for children. It would lighten the load on parents, keep children active, learning, and out of trouble.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

2009 LA

Graceful Aging for Barack Obama?

Have you ever noticed how rapidly presidents age?

The way in which president's age has been talked about for years. Obviously, stress is the number one contributing factor for gray hairs and wrinkles and before and after photos are usually taken to  compare and contrast a president's aging process. The photo comparisons is what shows proof that being president definitely accelerates the aging factor.

I totally believe that being president is a stressful job, but throughout the history of this country all of our president's have been Caucasian. 

It is a known fact that Caucasians age faster than African Americans due to having less melanin in their skin and the fact that President Obama is America's first Black president, it'd be hard to compare him to previous presidents because there isn't any that look like him. So it'll be interesting to see how Obama's aging process plays out as I'm sure the media will keep a watchful eye.

I'm guesstimating that Obama won't age as fast as other president's in the past, due to the black side that gives him the melanin that Caucasians lack?

When Obama's presidency is over he would have indeed gained more gray hairs -- but gray hairs come with age. I believe after Obama's presidency he'll look a lot younger than president's from the past. 

As the saying goes, "Black don't crack!"

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmmm...

©2009 LA

Does Donating to Charities Make You Think Twice?

Giving to charities over the years, I'd like to think my contributions went to good use. This is the whole point of giving; to lend a helping hand to those in need. 

It came to my attention that the charity 'March of Dimes', a non-profit organization that helps to prevent birth defects and infant mortality, was caught in a theft scandal wherein top company officials took donated funds and used it leisurely. Hearing this news amplified my suspicions of certain charities. 

Did you hear about the fifty billion dollar ponzi scheme ran by New York broker, Bernard Madoff? 

Allegedly, wealthy individuals invested their funds (some of them their whole life savings) into foundations and charities entrusted into the hands of Mr. Madoff, and as a result many charities fell victim to the robbery. 

A few of Madoffs' victims were: The Wiesel Foundation and L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, and French investor Thierry de la Villehuchet who committed suicide after learning he lost $1.4 billion dollars in Madoff's scandal.

Although Mr. Madoff was convicted of fraud fortunately for him he happened to have ten million dollars available to bail himself out of jail, and is being confined to his seven million dollar home until his trial. 

Will Madoff be acquitted of all charges just like the investors in the Enron scandal? Let's not forget that two-thirds of the senate and 40 percent of the House benefited from Enron money, some of which is now being returned by embarrassed lawmakers from both parties.

So again, how can we trust that our donations to charities will be used in the proper way when corrupt officials hide behind the organizations? 

Maybe there should be a federal stamp of approval once a year, that charitable organizations have been regulated and audited?

The presidential election of Barack Obama has woken up sleeping giants and forced people to pay attention to politics, and even closer attention to how taxpayer dollars are being spent. The political arena will never be the same again. 

The Things That Make you Go Hmmmmm...

2008 LA

Does Atlanta's Unpaid Water Bills Show Favoritism?

When everyone is told to conserve water does it only pertain to a certain group of people? 

In local Georgia news, talks of unpaid water bills as well as the importance of water conservation has Georgia residents on edge due to Lake Lanier, being at its lowest water levels in the past two years. As a result of the latest drought, residents are often told to take heed to the consumption of large amounts of H2O. Southerners began to watch their water levels and as a result, the company's revenue drastically decreased which prompted them to raise water usage rates. 

The rate increase troubled most civilians because they were told that it'd be best to to conserve, and after finding out that high rise condos and corporate buildings in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, have outstanding unpaid water bills with some amounting to $1.5 million; it definitely left a bad taste in people's mouths.

The mayor of Atlanta commented that "The bills would be paid as soon as possible." 

Fortunately for these corporations they weren't subjected to having their service cut-off even though they owe ridiculous amounts of money. Furthermore, Atlanta's two biggest homeless shelters are now claiming to have unpaid water bills as well, but unlike the high rise condos and corporate offices these homeless shelter's were cut-off from the water supply. 

Morris Brown, a historically Black college in Atlanta will soon close their doors due too an unpaid water bill which cut-off their water supply -- leaving a non-functioning establishment.

Why is it okay for schools to close down but not corporations? Especially when their bills far exceed any amount owed by any one individual and/or homeless shelter?

This is corruption in one of the worst ways; this matter should be investigated immediately.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmmm...

2008 LA

Is the Welfare System Designed to Keep You Poor?

Reading and processing the book 'The Audacity of Hope' written by President-elect Obama, and understanding what his plans are for the country and for single mothers in particular; it caused me to take a serious look at America's welfare system. 

Growing up, all I knew about welfare was that it came with some sort of secret code language and shame if one were ever seen in public using it. As a child I'd hear both kids and adults, speak badly about those that needed government assistance. 

In grocery stores when I'd see people paying with food stamps which looked like foreign paper bills, it was pulled out discreetly so that others standing in line couldn't see. But in retrospect, acting secretive about something only makes people focus in on what one is doing. And it was because of these secretive actions that made me think being on welfare was a horrible thing.

Becoming older and wiser helped me to comprehend that the welfare system was designed to help those in need until assistance is no longer needed; specifically for single mothers. And speaking one-on-one with single mothers about their living conditions, what I discovered was that the dollar amount of what they individually received wasn't enough to feed their children. 

Five hundred and sixty dollars a month for one mother with 3 children; five dollars per day, per kid. It was appalling to hear these stories because what child can survive off of five dollars a day? What kind of nutritious foods can one afford with five dollars?

There's a rule that men aren't allowed to reside within the home while the female is on public assistance, and if the woman is caught with a man in the home the checks stop coming. Welfare authorities even make random calls to the residence just to see if a male is present. 

Maybe the welfare agency should revamp its programs and assist people with out-of-poverty knowledge as well as funds, because living paycheck to paycheck never solves a money problem and in fact one will almost be guaranteed to fall short somewhere. 

Can you imagine how tough it must be for a parent to look their child in the eyes, while telling them that there isn't any food in the house until the end of the month?

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmmm...

2008 LA

What Can You Say About Your Life Experiences?

Have you ever had an epiphany that made you see things so much more clearer?

It would seem that the more knowledge one acquires, the  more self-awareness one receives. You finally understand where you came from, and have a better direction of where you're going. 

When you get going you'll encounter indifference's in the world, which in turn can cause you to question, think deeply, while searching for solutions. Finding solutions can turn into your life's work ultimately propelling you into the catastrophic waves of good verses evil.

Through this profound and enlightening discovery your eyes are widened, your thirst for knowledge intensifies, therefore stretching you into new heights and plateaus that some will mock due to ignorance. 

Then faith steps in -- continuously elevating you to new and amazing horizons, allowing you to excel regardless of the mockeries.

You become stronger, wiser, and will even still educate and love those who in the beginning doubted you.

Just thoughts from my life experiences.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmmm...

©2008 LA

A New Way Of Getting Paid?

Viewing a website which displayed the salary of coach Pat Summit, as a women's basketball coach for the University of Tennessee; I wanted to share it with you because it was quite interesting.

Coach Summit makes over a million dollars a year. 

She does this by receiving her base pay of over 300 thousand dollars, as well as TV/radio gigs and many endorsements. 

Coach Summit's bonuses:

1. 10 thousand for a Graduation Success Rate of 80 percent.

2. 15 thousand for cumulative team GPA of 2.75 or higher per academic year; 25 thousand for team APR of .925 or better.

3. 25 thousand for being named SEC Coach of the Year.

4. 50 thousand for national coach of the year.

5. 75 thousand for SEC regular-season or tournament championship.

6. 100 thousand for a Final Four appearance.

7. 250 thousand for winning a national championship.

Right now you might be thinking, "well damn, can I get paid like that?" 

Exactly! That's what I thought too. It would seem that coaches, athletes, and entertainers, are paid handsomely for their basic jobs and for each individual duty!

If you worked in a retail store as a cashier, you know that being a cashier isn't your only duty. You'd also have to be the rack fixer, box stocker, dressing room cleaner, and even add new displays in the window -- all for the same minimum wage amount. Working in a retail store you'll probably make between 5-7 dollars an hour tops. 

Wouldn't it be great if Coach Summits' pay scale could apply to everyone? 

This way the employee feels appreciated by the retail store, and can actually make a living wage. When people are not paid well it turns them off from the job, but if incentives are factored in there is a whole new outlook. Employers should adapt the method of quality pay for quality work. Instead, employers would rather hire the cheapest labor to save themselves more money. However, if employers adopted this kind of pay scale they'd have happier, faithful, and loyal employees. 

Why is this pay scale good enough for the rich, but not good enough for regular working folks?

The things that make you go hmmmmm...

2008 LA