Heard these words spoken at the Royal Wedding and they caught my ear. Didn't know where they came from, but looked it up and they came from Romans 12. [Here's the New International version.]
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
[I think that's where the excerpt from the wedding ended, here's some more]
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Trump vs. Obama (cont.)
Trump vs. Obama continued. (Can you say negative campaigning?)
NEW YORK >> Real estate mogul Donald Trump suggested in an interview Monday that President Barack Obama had been a poor student who did not deserve to be admitted to the Ivy League universities he attended. Trump, who is mulling a bid for the Republican presidential nomination, offered no proof for his claim but said he would continue to press the matter as he has the legitimacy of the president's birth certificate.
"I heard he was a terrible student, terrible. How does a bad student go to Columbia and then to Harvard?" Trump said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I'm thinking about it, I'm certainly looking into it. Let him show his records."
Obama graduated from Columbia University in New York in 1983 with a degree in political science after transferring from Occidental College in California. He went on to Harvard Law School, where he graduated magna cum laude 1991 and was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review.
Obama's 2008 campaign did not release his college transcripts, and in his best-selling memoir, "Dreams From My Father," Obama indicated he hadn't always been an academic star. Trump told the AP that Obama's refusal to release his college grades were part of a pattern of concealing information about himself.
"I have friends who have smart sons with great marks, great boards, great everything and they can't get into Harvard," Trump said. "We don't know a thing about this guy. There are a lot of questions that are unanswered about our president."
NEW YORK >> Real estate mogul Donald Trump suggested in an interview Monday that President Barack Obama had been a poor student who did not deserve to be admitted to the Ivy League universities he attended. Trump, who is mulling a bid for the Republican presidential nomination, offered no proof for his claim but said he would continue to press the matter as he has the legitimacy of the president's birth certificate.
"I heard he was a terrible student, terrible. How does a bad student go to Columbia and then to Harvard?" Trump said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I'm thinking about it, I'm certainly looking into it. Let him show his records."
Obama graduated from Columbia University in New York in 1983 with a degree in political science after transferring from Occidental College in California. He went on to Harvard Law School, where he graduated magna cum laude 1991 and was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review.
Obama's 2008 campaign did not release his college transcripts, and in his best-selling memoir, "Dreams From My Father," Obama indicated he hadn't always been an academic star. Trump told the AP that Obama's refusal to release his college grades were part of a pattern of concealing information about himself.
"I have friends who have smart sons with great marks, great boards, great everything and they can't get into Harvard," Trump said. "We don't know a thing about this guy. There are a lot of questions that are unanswered about our president."
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Where was Obama born?
Here's the AP story that appeared in today's Star Advertiser.
Lost in the renewed scrutiny into President Barack Obama's birth records is the fact that anyone can walk into a Hawaii vital records office, wait in line behind couples getting marriage licenses and open a baby-blue government binder containing basic information about his birth.
Highlighted in yellow on page 1,218 of the thick binder is the computer-generated listing for a boy named Barack Hussein Obama II born in Hawaii, surrounded by the alphabetized last names of all other children born in-state between 1960 and 1964. This is the only government birth information, called "index data," available to the public.
So far this month, only The Associated Press and one other person had looked at the binder, according to a sign-in sheet viewed Wednesday in the state Department of Health building. The sheet showed about 25 names of people who have seen the document since March 2010, when the sign-in sheet begins.
Those documents complement newspaper birth announcements published soon after Obama's Aug. 4, 1961, birth and a "certification of live birth" released by the Obama campaign three years ago, the only type of birth certificate the state issues.
So-called "birthers" claim there's no proof Obama was born in the United States, and he is therefore ineligible to be president. Many of the skeptics suggest he was actually born in Kenya, his father's home country, or Indonesia, where he spent a few years of his childhood.
What the would-be sleuths won't find is Obama's "long-form birth certificate," a confidential one-page document containing his original birth records kept on file in the first floor of the Department of Health.
Those original birth records typically include additional birth details, such as the hospital and delivering doctor, said Dr. Chiyome Fukino, the state's former health director who twice looked at and publicly confirmed Obama's original long-form birth records.
But those documents are state government property that can't be released to anyone, even the president himself, said Joshua Wisch, special assistant to the state attorney general. Obama would be able to inspect his birth records if he visited the Health Department in person, but original records of live birth are never released, he said.
Fukino, who served as the state's health director until late last year under former Republican Gov. Linda Lingle, said in an interview with The Associated Press she's convinced the long-form document is authentic. She issued public statements in 2008 and 2009 saying she had seen the original records.
"It is absolutely clear to me that he was born here in Hawaii," Fukino told the AP. "It should not be an issue, and I think people need to focus on the other bad things going on in our country and in our state and figure out what we're going to do about those things."
***
Donald Trump vs. Gail Collins
***
Tim Adams
***
A quarter of all Americans incorrectly think President Obama was not born in the United States, according to a new CBS News/ New York Times poll.
Among all Republicans, 45 percent believe he was born in another country, as do 45 percent of Tea Party supporters, the poll shows.
***
Here’s an exchange between Juan Williams and conservative pundit Bill O’Reilly on his program of Feb. 14:
Williams: “Why are there nine congressmen, Republican congressmen I think, who have introduce some kind of legislation to question whether Obama is an American citizen?”
O’Reilly: “You want me to answer that question? Because they are pinheads and they are playing to the crowd. It has nothing to do with the business of the nation.”
***
truthorfiction.com
Snopes
Politifact
Factcheck.org
Wikipedia
Lost in the renewed scrutiny into President Barack Obama's birth records is the fact that anyone can walk into a Hawaii vital records office, wait in line behind couples getting marriage licenses and open a baby-blue government binder containing basic information about his birth.
Highlighted in yellow on page 1,218 of the thick binder is the computer-generated listing for a boy named Barack Hussein Obama II born in Hawaii, surrounded by the alphabetized last names of all other children born in-state between 1960 and 1964. This is the only government birth information, called "index data," available to the public.
So far this month, only The Associated Press and one other person had looked at the binder, according to a sign-in sheet viewed Wednesday in the state Department of Health building. The sheet showed about 25 names of people who have seen the document since March 2010, when the sign-in sheet begins.
Those documents complement newspaper birth announcements published soon after Obama's Aug. 4, 1961, birth and a "certification of live birth" released by the Obama campaign three years ago, the only type of birth certificate the state issues.
So-called "birthers" claim there's no proof Obama was born in the United States, and he is therefore ineligible to be president. Many of the skeptics suggest he was actually born in Kenya, his father's home country, or Indonesia, where he spent a few years of his childhood.
What the would-be sleuths won't find is Obama's "long-form birth certificate," a confidential one-page document containing his original birth records kept on file in the first floor of the Department of Health.
Those original birth records typically include additional birth details, such as the hospital and delivering doctor, said Dr. Chiyome Fukino, the state's former health director who twice looked at and publicly confirmed Obama's original long-form birth records.
But those documents are state government property that can't be released to anyone, even the president himself, said Joshua Wisch, special assistant to the state attorney general. Obama would be able to inspect his birth records if he visited the Health Department in person, but original records of live birth are never released, he said.
Fukino, who served as the state's health director until late last year under former Republican Gov. Linda Lingle, said in an interview with The Associated Press she's convinced the long-form document is authentic. She issued public statements in 2008 and 2009 saying she had seen the original records.
"It is absolutely clear to me that he was born here in Hawaii," Fukino told the AP. "It should not be an issue, and I think people need to focus on the other bad things going on in our country and in our state and figure out what we're going to do about those things."
***
Donald Trump vs. Gail Collins
***
Tim Adams
***
A quarter of all Americans incorrectly think President Obama was not born in the United States, according to a new CBS News/ New York Times poll.
Among all Republicans, 45 percent believe he was born in another country, as do 45 percent of Tea Party supporters, the poll shows.
***
Here’s an exchange between Juan Williams and conservative pundit Bill O’Reilly on his program of Feb. 14:
Williams: “Why are there nine congressmen, Republican congressmen I think, who have introduce some kind of legislation to question whether Obama is an American citizen?”
O’Reilly: “You want me to answer that question? Because they are pinheads and they are playing to the crowd. It has nothing to do with the business of the nation.”
***
truthorfiction.com
Snopes
Politifact
Factcheck.org
Wikipedia
Friday, April 22, 2011
Giving memory a boost
MEMORY LOSS IS usually considered a side effect of aging—but it doesn’t have to be.
Keep the following memory boosters in mind, so you won’t forget to remember.
• Be social. Engaging and stimulating interactions with others lowers the risk of dementia, so join a club, schedule a regular get-together with close friends and really talk with your family regularly.
• Improve your diet. People who lack enough vitamin B12 and folate have a greater risk of developing dementia. Fortify your body against this destructive disease by eating spinach, romaine lettuce, lentils, black beans, broccoli and/or beets. Studies show that if you stick to a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables and fish, you’ll have the lowest risk of developing Alzheimer’s and mild cognitive impairment. Green tea, too, can protect memory.
• Focus on self-care before you need crisis care. Learn your family history, take care of your body and be proactive with doctor visits in order to detect and treat potential problems early on.
• Don’t retire—yet. Find a job you love, and stick with it. Working exercises your mental capacity more than retired life and thus helps to keep your memory intact. If you’re tired of your same old job, learn something new; this stimulates the brain.
• Hit snooze. From getting eight hours of solid zzzz’s, including quality REM sleep, to taking a six- to 90-minute nap, sleep helps your brain sort, consolidate and store memories.
• Avoid toxins. What you put into your body affects what it is capable of accomplishing, including the brain functions that preserve your memory. Alcohol is especially toxic in terms of memory.
-- Health and wellness expert Eric Plasker, D.C., is the author of The 100 Year Lifestyle (Adams Media, 2007), The Costco Connection, October 2010
***
Similarly, tips from Robin Palama
As we age, we tend to have more “senior moments,” however, we can all help prevent memory loss, or at least slow it down, by incorporating these simple tasks in our everyday lives:
No. 1: Exercise 30 minutes a day, five times a week. Studies have shown brisk walking for 30 minutes a day or taking part in physically active hobbies such as gardening help lower the risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
No. 2: Eat healthy. Eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.
No. 3: Get a good night’s sleep. Aim for six to eight hours of good quality sleep a night.
No. 4: Socialize. Healthy socialization with loved ones helps you ward off depression and stress.
No. 5: Stay mentally active and keep learning – this is what we do with our patients. We have them participate in “thinking” activities and encourage them to continue when they go home.
Remember … use it or lose it!
Keep the following memory boosters in mind, so you won’t forget to remember.
• Be social. Engaging and stimulating interactions with others lowers the risk of dementia, so join a club, schedule a regular get-together with close friends and really talk with your family regularly.
• Improve your diet. People who lack enough vitamin B12 and folate have a greater risk of developing dementia. Fortify your body against this destructive disease by eating spinach, romaine lettuce, lentils, black beans, broccoli and/or beets. Studies show that if you stick to a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables and fish, you’ll have the lowest risk of developing Alzheimer’s and mild cognitive impairment. Green tea, too, can protect memory.
• Focus on self-care before you need crisis care. Learn your family history, take care of your body and be proactive with doctor visits in order to detect and treat potential problems early on.
• Don’t retire—yet. Find a job you love, and stick with it. Working exercises your mental capacity more than retired life and thus helps to keep your memory intact. If you’re tired of your same old job, learn something new; this stimulates the brain.
• Hit snooze. From getting eight hours of solid zzzz’s, including quality REM sleep, to taking a six- to 90-minute nap, sleep helps your brain sort, consolidate and store memories.
• Avoid toxins. What you put into your body affects what it is capable of accomplishing, including the brain functions that preserve your memory. Alcohol is especially toxic in terms of memory.
-- Health and wellness expert Eric Plasker, D.C., is the author of The 100 Year Lifestyle (Adams Media, 2007), The Costco Connection, October 2010
***
Similarly, tips from Robin Palama
As we age, we tend to have more “senior moments,” however, we can all help prevent memory loss, or at least slow it down, by incorporating these simple tasks in our everyday lives:
No. 1: Exercise 30 minutes a day, five times a week. Studies have shown brisk walking for 30 minutes a day or taking part in physically active hobbies such as gardening help lower the risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
No. 2: Eat healthy. Eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.
No. 3: Get a good night’s sleep. Aim for six to eight hours of good quality sleep a night.
No. 4: Socialize. Healthy socialization with loved ones helps you ward off depression and stress.
No. 5: Stay mentally active and keep learning – this is what we do with our patients. We have them participate in “thinking” activities and encourage them to continue when they go home.
Remember … use it or lose it!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Natural Health Perspectives
Blog on Natural Health by Lindsey Jesswein and Kekoa Smith (who is my cousin's son).
Monday, April 18, 2011
tax rate already cut
Still scrambling to file your taxes? You'll probably take little consolation in hearing that the super rich pay a lot less taxes than they did a couple of decades ago. And nearly half of U.S. households pay no income taxes at all.
The Internal Revenue Service tracks the tax returns with the 400 highest adjusted gross incomes each year. The average income on those returns in 2007, the latest year for IRS data, was nearly $345 million. Their average federal income tax rate was 17 percent, down from 26 percent in 1992.
Over the same period, the average federal income tax rate for all taxpayers declined to 9.3 percent from 9.9 percent.
The top income tax rate is 35 percent, so how can people who make so much pay so little in taxes? The nation's tax laws are packed with breaks for people at every income level. There are breaks for having children, paying a mortgage, going to college, and even for paying other taxes. Plus, the top rate on capital gains is only 15 percent.
There are so many breaks that 45 percent of U.S. households will pay no federal income tax for 2010, according to estimates by the Tax Policy Center, a Washington think tank.
"It's the fact that we are using the tax code both to collect revenue, which is its primary purpose, and to deliver these spending benefits that we run into the situation where so many people are paying no taxes," said Roberton Williams, a senior fellow at the center, which generated the estimate of people who pay no income taxes.
The sheer volume of credits, deductions and exemptions has both Democrats and Republicans calling for tax laws to be overhauled. House Republicans want to eliminate breaks to pay for lower overall rates, reducing the top tax rate from 35 percent to 25 percent. Republicans oppose raising taxes, but they argue that a more efficient tax code would increase economic activity, generating additional tax revenue.
President Barack Obama said last week he wants to do away with tax breaks to lower the rates and to reduce government borrowing. Obama's proposal would result in $1 trillion in tax increases over the next 12 years. Neither proposal included many details, putting off hard choices about which tax breaks to eliminate.
In all, the tax code is filled with a total of $1.1 trillion in credits, deductions and exemptions, an average of about $8,000 per taxpayer, according to an analysis by the National Taxpayer Advocate, an independent watchdog within the IRS.
More than half of the nation's tax revenue came from the top 10 percent of earners in 2007. More than 44 percent came from the top 5 percent. Still, the wealthy have access to much more lucrative tax breaks than people with lower incomes.
Obama wants the wealthy to pay so "the amount of taxes you pay isn't determined by what kind of accountant you can afford."
Eric Schoenberg says to sign him up for paying higher taxes. Schoenberg, who inherited money and has a healthy portfolio from his days as an investment banker, has joined a group of other wealthy Americans called United for a Fair Economy. Their goal: Raise taxes on rich people like themselves.
Schoenberg, who now teaches a business class at Columbia University, said his income is usually "north of half a million a year." But 2009 was a bad year for investments, so his income dropped to a little over $200,000. His federal income tax bill was a little more than $2,000.
"I simply point out to people, 'Do you think this is reasonable, that somebody in my circumstances should only be paying 1 percent of their income in tax?'" Schoenberg said.
The Internal Revenue Service tracks the tax returns with the 400 highest adjusted gross incomes each year. The average income on those returns in 2007, the latest year for IRS data, was nearly $345 million. Their average federal income tax rate was 17 percent, down from 26 percent in 1992.
Over the same period, the average federal income tax rate for all taxpayers declined to 9.3 percent from 9.9 percent.
The top income tax rate is 35 percent, so how can people who make so much pay so little in taxes? The nation's tax laws are packed with breaks for people at every income level. There are breaks for having children, paying a mortgage, going to college, and even for paying other taxes. Plus, the top rate on capital gains is only 15 percent.
There are so many breaks that 45 percent of U.S. households will pay no federal income tax for 2010, according to estimates by the Tax Policy Center, a Washington think tank.
"It's the fact that we are using the tax code both to collect revenue, which is its primary purpose, and to deliver these spending benefits that we run into the situation where so many people are paying no taxes," said Roberton Williams, a senior fellow at the center, which generated the estimate of people who pay no income taxes.
The sheer volume of credits, deductions and exemptions has both Democrats and Republicans calling for tax laws to be overhauled. House Republicans want to eliminate breaks to pay for lower overall rates, reducing the top tax rate from 35 percent to 25 percent. Republicans oppose raising taxes, but they argue that a more efficient tax code would increase economic activity, generating additional tax revenue.
President Barack Obama said last week he wants to do away with tax breaks to lower the rates and to reduce government borrowing. Obama's proposal would result in $1 trillion in tax increases over the next 12 years. Neither proposal included many details, putting off hard choices about which tax breaks to eliminate.
In all, the tax code is filled with a total of $1.1 trillion in credits, deductions and exemptions, an average of about $8,000 per taxpayer, according to an analysis by the National Taxpayer Advocate, an independent watchdog within the IRS.
More than half of the nation's tax revenue came from the top 10 percent of earners in 2007. More than 44 percent came from the top 5 percent. Still, the wealthy have access to much more lucrative tax breaks than people with lower incomes.
Obama wants the wealthy to pay so "the amount of taxes you pay isn't determined by what kind of accountant you can afford."
Eric Schoenberg says to sign him up for paying higher taxes. Schoenberg, who inherited money and has a healthy portfolio from his days as an investment banker, has joined a group of other wealthy Americans called United for a Fair Economy. Their goal: Raise taxes on rich people like themselves.
Schoenberg, who now teaches a business class at Columbia University, said his income is usually "north of half a million a year." But 2009 was a bad year for investments, so his income dropped to a little over $200,000. His federal income tax bill was a little more than $2,000.
"I simply point out to people, 'Do you think this is reasonable, that somebody in my circumstances should only be paying 1 percent of their income in tax?'" Schoenberg said.
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Cityville running slow
Cityville runs really slow on my main computer. Mainly because it runs out of memory and goes to the hard drive.
But now I notice it's even running slow or just hangs up on my "good" computer (which has 2GB of memory).
If this is the case with your computer, you can try clearing the cache from both your browser and Adobe Flash. Seemed to help some.
But now I notice it's even running slow or just hangs up on my "good" computer (which has 2GB of memory).
If this is the case with your computer, you can try clearing the cache from both your browser and Adobe Flash. Seemed to help some.
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