Charlie Chaplin

 

Christmas

 

Christmas Eve -- Christmas Music

 

It Ain't Me

 FORTUNATE SON by Credence Clearwater Revival (1969)

Some folks are born made to wave the flag
They're red, white and blue
And when the band plays "Hail to the Chief"
They point the cannon at you, Lord

It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no senator's son, son
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one

Some folks are born silver spoon in hand
Lord, don't they help themselves, yeah
But when the taxman comes to the door
The house look a like a rummage sale

It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no millionaire's son, no, no
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one

Yeah, some folks inherit star-spangled eyes
They send you down to war
And when you ask 'em: "How much should we give?"
They only answer: "More, more, more"

It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no military son
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one, one

It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one

I used to listen to this song often and when the song was playing on the radio in the car at the same time I was driving, I would turn the volume up loud and roll down the windows to let everyone listen...  we were children of the 60's and we were no fortunate son...

HOWEVER, nothing could be farther from the truth.

Three years prior to the song's release date, I had graduate from high school in Cairo Egypt specifically because I was, in fact, a FORTUNATE SON...  as my Dad was a high ranking official in the American Embassy and I held a Diplomatic Passport.

It was in 1969 that I also dropped out of college and lost my deferment for the draft, so instead of waiting around to be drafted, I enlisted in the NAVY...  thinking being on a boat was better that grunting around on the ground with a rifle.

I wasn't much into the military hierarchy but I found myself adapting very quickly and like any FORTUNATE SON, learned how to manipulate the system so that I could get more vacation than had been approved...  all legal mind you...

I would ask for 5 days of vacation in between 2 weekends neither of which were my duty weekends.  So, at noon on Friday, I would leave for home, then while home on Sunday, I would call into the ship at midnight, informing them that my vacation had started.  On that next Friday, I would call the ship just before midnight, informing them my vacation had ended...  then I would report for work that following Monday.

Five days of annual leave approved but actually 9 days taken...  and since the military gave us 30 days of annual leave, I could perform this little stunt 6 times which is exactly what I did...  of course, I was not the only clever sailor to do this.

Wealthy Fat Cats

It is easy to imagine myself as the bird above and the Wealthy Fat Cat trying to take everything away from me so that he can get wealthier and fatter...  fatter and wealthier...

No matter how hard we work 

No matter how much we put our families second

No matter how much we believe

There are some of us well educated and well intentioned who find themselves struggling and not getting anywhere...  because we are not quite skilled enough, maybe less than one tenth of one percent...  but, there is always someone just a little better...

OR...  we are too skilled and therefore, working here would simply not be a good fit for either one of us...  and, I am sure that you understand...

Think of it as being an actor or a singer and in addition to your lessons, you practice, practice, practice, but the role always goes to someone else...  but, have a nice day...  we will see you next time...

Only a few become successful

Fewer still become wealthy

Even fewer become super wealthy

So, it is very easily to feel like the blue bird and the wealthy fat cat getting ready to pounce...

 

Our Place In Society

Our parents, our teachers, or coaches, our ministers, priests or pastors, and our leaders can TELL US ALL DAY LONG that AMERICA is the land of opportunity and that everything is possible even though it is highly unlikely that you will reach your initial goals, especially if the bar is set very high.

For instance...

1. becoming President of the USA is entirely possible for anyone, but how many do actually believe will ever get there?
2. becoming a professional athlete is another goal that is entire possible but less than ONE TENTH of ONE PERCENT ever make it to the pros.
3. becoming a professional entertainer and being called a celebrity is always another lofty goal but there are literally thousands of potential entertainers working in restaurants waiting for their big break.

Not all college graduates will become CEO's or even Vice Presidents let alone part of a senior management team, and yet these are the dreams that everyone keeps beating into our heads...   WHY?

Are they intentionally trying to give us FALSE HOPE?

Or, is this some kind of mental punishment for not having inherent skills and abilities?

AND...  how many doctors do you think that graduate from MED SCHOOL will actually EXCEL in their respective fields of medicine and how many will simply become ordinary?

Once you are in your 40's, you pretty much know what your future is going to be and if you are on a path to success or not...  although success for many of us is a relative term and is not always associated with money, power, or control.

Actually, one should know where one is really going during the first decade out of college although, it could take 20 years or more for a high school graduate to become a restaurant manager.

AND...  for those fortunate enough to be born into wealth, their lifetime role in many cases especially if they inherited a business or a farm is making sure they don't loose it which can be all sorts of embarrassing.  Not everyone is a smart as their parents unfortunately.

Is This Being A LIBERAL?

I am against the government... 

raising taxes            
telling me what to do                                
telling what how to think                       
telling me how I should dress            
telling me what to believe

I will never own a firearm or handgun

But I support the SECOND AMENDMENT

I support the legalization of marijuana

Illegal Drugs should be taxed and regulated like alcohol

Prostitution should be legalized and regulated like gambling

I believe high school should prepare for life as well as college

College Degrees should be certified after graduation 

Couple should be required to live together for 5 years before marriage

Everyone without exemption should serve in the military for 2 years

I don' believe in abortion

But I support a female's right to choose

I support... equal rights

                       equal pay

                       equal opportunity

                       equal justice

But in REALITY, America is the land of INEQUALITY

I support the fact that all lives should matter

I support religious tolerance as long as one's beliefs are not forced on me

I believe in our FREEDOMS 110%

I believe in a small federal government with more rights given to the States

I am in favor of abolishing the Electoral College

I believe we can be free enough to vote ourselves out of having freedom

I am against wars of any kind outside of our borders

I believe only in legal immigration

I believe that only citizens should enjoy/benefit from our Constitution

I am against the abuse of power at any level

I am against sexual harassment of any kind

I believe that all races should be proportionately represented in government

I believe that Congress and Senate should have limited terms like the President

I believe in a balanced budget and becoming debt free

I believe that we should defend the USA to the last person standing

I really do not care for LBGT's or their movement

LGBT's offend my religious beliefs

But LGBT's have the right to be who they want to be as long as they stay clear of me

I believe that American Justice will NEVER be equal

I believe that being uneducated is a fundamental right

I believe that being stupid is a CHOICE

Eating Leftovers

My Dad's entire career of 40 years (retiring at the age of 62) was spent not just working for our Federal Government, but working specifically and exclusively for the Department of Agriculture.  Aside from being the Agricultural Attache to Egypt, Holland, and Poland,  I can recall only two of duties prior to working at our Embassies and those were:

• Responsible for the food lunch programs in all the public schools
• Responsible for selling American Agricultural products to other countries in the world

I believe that it was from the first of the two jobs listed above that I adopted the habit of eating everything that was on my plate and making sure all the leftovers were eaten before cooking any new meals...  and, it had nothing to do with all the starving children in China or anywhere else in the world other than the fact that it was logical, common sense, and prevented waste.

As I got older, I began noticing more and more how Americans WASTE FOOD, especially leftovers, but they only eat about half of what they have ordered because it has gotten cold I suppose, but in about an hour later, they are hungry again.

I attributed this to a lack of parental discipline or being so wealthy that food waste was not that important.  And, I remember an economics professor telling me that once I paid for my food and/or beer that I need not consume either because the money was already spent...  and, there were no do-overs.   

I have left my father's home at the age of 18 and 55 years later, I am still making sure that I eat all the leftovers.  My wife discovered, in the last day or two, that we still had a box of Moravian Sugar Cake in the freezer from last Christmas...  after ordering more for this Christmas...  She put the Sugar Cake in the refrigerator to be eaten but after warming up a section, it no longer tasted good, so it is left up to me to eat all that remains

While it does not taste as good as just coming out of the oven, it still tastes pretty good and I have no problems eating a little each day to keep down on the calories.

Cooking and Calories

First of all, let me deal with calories...

According to Health.Gov, I should be eating around 2,000 to 2,200 calories a day and about 2,600 if I am active...

According to VeryWellFit.com,

A calorie is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. Calories in food provide energy in the form of heat so that our bodies can function. Our bodies store and "burn" calories as fuel. Many people who are trying to reach or maintain a healthy weight will count calories and try to decrease caloric intake.

However, and I am not an educated nutritionist, but I have decided (right or wrong) that my caloric intake is going to be somewhere between 1,500 and 1,800 calories per day with the understanding that it is ok for me to exceed 2,000 calories one day out of seven, if there is an occasion to do so...

My Oncologist says I should eat a Mediterranean Diet but I am trying to move towards a Chinese Diet where one DOES NOT EAT anything with a FACE or a MOTHER...   really!!!  but, that is exactly what it says.

THEREFORE, my focus will be on FISH (Salmon, Cod, Tuna, White, Flounder) and WHITE MEAT (Eggs, Chicken, Turkey) along with a variety of FRUITS (Berries, Bananas, Apple, Pears, Peaches) and VEGETABLES (Peas, Lima, Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Potatoes, Asparagus, Squash, Zucchini, Tomatoes) and LEGUMES (White Beans, Pinto and Kidney), with my GRAINS being low calorie English Muffins and my DAIRY (Yogurt and Mozzarella).

I have kept track of my calorie intake as well as the various food groups for the last 9 months and have gotten my calories down from over 2,500 to 2,000 each day with a little bit of effort, and now I am experimenting with the minimum number of calories from the foods that are the most filling like soups...  and no, it does not have to be cold to have soup.

This afternoon, I decided to cook the following:

770 calories     2 cans of White Beans

100 calories     1 package of frozen spinach

320 calories     2 cans of diced potatoes

140 calories     2 turkey burgers

200 calories     2 tablespoons of Olive Oil

 70  calories      2 medium onions, 2 medium peppers, 1 large tablespoon Garlic

1,600 calories

My wife and I save the plastic containers that slices of ham come in to be used to store leftovers...  but, I use them to store things I have cooked because each container holds just enough for a meal from which I can say I am full once eaten.

I filled 6 of these containers and place them in the refrigerator to be eaten over the next 6 days starting tomorrow.  None of the food will spoil in that amount of time, and each container contains only 267 calories.

I like to keep each meal under 500 calories which leaves room for 1-2 snacks of fruit.  My meals have been averaging between 250 and 350 calories...  sometimes, 450 calories but that is not often.  For example:

BREAKFAST

70 calories    1 fried egg

80 calories    1 vege sausage

60 calories    1 slice American Cheese

140 calories    1 English Muffin   

350 calories

250 Calories    5 cups of Decaf Coffee with 2 spoons of Sugar Free Cappuccino Mix

180 Calories    6 --  8 oz glasses of flavored teas

LUNCH

60 calories     1 slice American Cheese

50 calories     1 slice Mozzarella Cheese

70 calories      4 thin slices of Ham

140 calories    whole wheat bread

80 calories     1 tablespoon of Mayo

400 calories

SNACK

90 calories     1 container of Yogurt

110 calories   1/4 cup of granola

200 calories

DINNER

267 calories    Bean, Burger, Potato, Spinach Soup

1647 Calories for the entire day...

It takes me only 2-3 hours to prepare a pot of soup that will last me 4-6 days and most of that time is spent cutting stuff up.  I have an electric heating device on which I sit a pot and can set the temperature and the timer for every 20 minutes so I can get out of my chair and stir...

At first it was a tad difficult to force myself to cut back on my eating especially when I was watching some kind of drama series on NETFLIX but once I concentrated and made sure I was drinking plenty of liquids, it was relatively easy to change my eating habits.

When I am writing articles there is never a compulsion or a need to eat as I am focused on research or on doing my writing.

Since I started this process about 9 months ago, I have lost 25 pounds which does not seem like too much at all...  and about 5-7 of those pounds were lost while being in the hospital for 6 days...  which actually helped me reduced my need and/or desire for food.

My goal is to continue reducing my weight gradually until I get down to 205 pounds which is the weight I was at in 2007 when I was first diagnosed with cancer.  That leaves me losing another 20 pounds and while my calorie intake is below the recommended level,  I am eating the healthiest I have ever eaten in my entire life...  plus, I see my Oncologist monthly, my Cardiologist semi annually, my Urologist quarterly, and my family doctor whenever I need to.

When the COVID scare is over, I will probably return to the gym and no doubt I could walk around the community if I wanted to...  I suppose...  it is just that I lost my motivation...

All in all, I am doing fine and all my days are now taken one at a time.

SLAVE OWNERS

VALID:

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

INVALID AND SHOULD BE VOIDED:

US CONSTITUTION/BILL OF RIGHTS

Sponsored by Friends of Black Lives Matter, but not ANTIFA

What's SO GREAT About America?

Politicians Lie

News Media Censors

America Cannot Stop POVERTY

America Cannot Stop Owning Guns

America Cannot Stop Abortions

America Cannot Stop Human Trafficking

America Cannot Stop Blacks From Dominating Professional Basketball and Professional Football

Wages May Increase A Little

America Cannot Stop Rap Music Lyrics From Saying KILL WHITEY

Cost of Living Out Paces Wages

Healthcare Costs Are Only For The Wealthy

The Wealthy Control All Aspects of Life

America Does Not Take Care Of Her Elderly

America Does Not Take Care of Her Veterans

America Cannot Stop Systemic Racism

America Cannot Stop People From Hating

American Cannot Stop Rape

American Cannot Stop Illegal Drugs

America Cannot Stop Illegal Immigration

America Cannot Improve Her Education

America Cannot Control BLM or ANTIFA

America Cannot Stop White Supremacists

America Cannot Stop COMMUNISIM

America Cannot Stop Terrorism

America Cannot Stop CHINA from Global Domination

America Cannot Stop Russia From Interfering

America Cannot Stop Nuclear Proliferation

America Cannot Stop American INDIFFERENCE

America Cannot Stop Spending Money and Borrowing Money

America Cannot Stop the End of Democracy

What Makes A Country Great

 Printed by the BBC in 2018...  author:  Amanda Ruggeri

For almost a hundred years, two measurements have been used to get a sense of how well a country is doing. One is GDP, or gross domestic product, the amount a country earns. The other is its unemployment rate. But when it comes to figuring out how well a country is serving its citizens, these tools might not only be incomplete: they may not in fact be that helpful at all.

On estimates of social progress, for example – which measures aspects like access to education, food and affordable housing – poorer countries often outdo their wealthier counterparts. “Broadly, richer countries have higher social progress, so getting more economic growth is not a bad idea,” says Michael Green, CEO of the Social Progress Index. “But what we also find, very clearly, is that social progress is not completely explained by economic variables. GDP is not destiny.

The Social Progress Index is one of a number of indexes that aggregate data about countries worldwide – and about how well those countries are serving their populations. If we come across them at all, we usually see them being used for the kinds of country rankings that make us daydream about a move to Denmark or New Zealand.

Behind the scenes, though, this kind of information is used for much more. It can show surprising relationships that help shape policy. It can determine which countries get help with funding. And it may even be able to help predict the future.

One of the interesting ways these kinds of indexes are used is to see how countries have improved or declined – or just stayed the same.

There are some who argue the US government is less effective than ever, for example; the US public has lower levels of trust in government since almost any time since 1958. But the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) show that levels of government effectiveness have remained roughly the same every year since 1996. (The measurement analyses outcomes like the condition of highways, primary school quality and the amount of red tape).

Other countries have moved a fair amount. Tunisia, for example, saw a steady decline in voice and accountability, which measures aspects like confidence in elections and freedom of the press, from 1996 to 2010. Then the Arab Spring happened. In 2011, Tunisia jumped from the 9th percentile to the 36th and has grown steadily since then; in 2016, it was on par with Hungary at the 57th percentile.  TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE...