Pageviews last month

Monday, November 23, 2015

"Aw Have a Heart"


Mr. Chaney got his heart a long time ago.. This is a memory post..

Ok, I’m back for a while because there are things I just can’t resist writing about and one of them is our old friend Dick Chaney.
Dick Chaney needs a heart. Any volunteers out there? Cash money on the barrel head……Wait, wait lets go back a little. …Does the theory, “What goes around comes around”, really work? Is it true? OJ Simpson hired three Lawyers and got off from a double murder charge. Only later he did end up in prison on a unrelated charge…It came around for him. Actor Robert Blake hired a big Hollywood Lawyer and got off a murder charge. Has it come around for him? He disappeared, we really don’t know. I do know he doesn’t have a career anymore. The same lawyer that got him off, got Michael Jackson off from a child molestation charge. Then Michael hired a Drug dealer Doctor to give him drugs. How's that working out for you Michael? If the super rich want something they just buy it or hire someone to do their bidding. Other recipients or will soon be winners of the “Goes around award” are….Lindsey Lohan. If this young actress doesn’t stop using drugs and drinking it will come around for her..Remember Heath Ledger, well it came around for him as it will for Charlie Sheen if he doesn’t make a decision to stop abusing himself. I realize this has nothing to do Mr.Chaney but let me finish. Can you figure out yet where I’m going with this?…Remember Congressman Gary Condit from California? He was the one having sex with that young intern until she got murdered. Years later someone else got arrested the crime but for a long time everyone thought he did it…It came around for him…He lost his job and I’ll bet people still think he did it. Remember Anna Nichol Smith, Judy Garland, Janis Joplin, Elvis Presley, Chris Farley, Andy Gibb, James Belushi and so many more lost their lives due to the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol…I’m getting off track here but lets just say it did come around for this group of people, all famous, rich and thought they could buy anything….Now back to Dick…Well, this guy has a pile and I mean a huge pile of money from the oil company's and it would probably take you and I and all our relatives 40 years to spend. Now, he is sitting on this fortune, that he can’t take with him by the way. Oh and by gosh, what to do…Dick needs a heart..He’s 72 years old and wants to be on the heart list..How far down on that list is he, you ask? Actually quite far. 3169 people long. They say the list is for the near death or people with less than 6 months to live. Here's the question here? Will his Billions of dollars get him higher on the list or can he buy a heart? Sadly, Mr. Chaney has had this condition for about 30 years. I think it has to do with the severity of his illness and his projected life span. Is it coming around for the ex-vice President?…We will see. If he suddenly has a new heart, did his cash buy it? Hey, a big donation here and there. Remember he’s a Politian with connections and power. Its not like he hasn't paid for this and that before. Will he use his influence to get a heart? Of coarse, it could be that maybe its time for things to come around to him. Remember, “Goes around comes around”.. Good Luck Mr. Chaney. I wish you well. We now know money can buy Doctors, Lawyers and drugs. We will soon see if money can buy hearts and happiness…

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

My Type of Woman


Recently I have had some relationship problems or as they say in 2008 (Issues)
I thought I would, once and for all tell every one the kind of woman I am looking for. OK, OK I know this is impossible but I dream can't I..........Before I start I will apologize because some of this text will sound like I am angry. I am not angry I am just being picky but in a way I am angry because I have been dating for the past year have not found a girl that fits into my life style. Did you notice I said girl not woman? I want a woman that acts like a girl not like a woman. A woman will understand. Got it? See what I mean it gets confusing to me too. I could blame past girl friends but its not their fault. I should blame them anyway after what they put me through but that’s life, live and learn. Some of you think I should let up on the past but believe me those woman deserve everything they get The nice part is I have control over what I write and I can spill the beans or not. Gosh, I love saying that "Spill the beans" but lets get back to business. I am a nice guy (Mom said so) and a changed man so I have been getting more picky as each day goes by. The best part is I don't care. I am happy the way I am but the title of this Blog should be "Relationships" so I will get to it. The most important thing is that she be HONEST and non smoker. She must be a girl between forty and forty-five years old with long hair, blond or brunette it does not matter. No cell phones. There is nothing worst than the cell phone trill in the middle of a conversation. Cell phones must be off or no cell phones. I WILL NOT compete with that. She must be athletic but short say around five-one or five-three and weigh about 110 pounds. She must be an avid book or book on CD reader. That’s nice when you have that in common. I want someone not afraid to wear a short skirt or a dress that looks sexy. I want someone that can keep up with me. I am an older guy and maybe I am having pipe dreams but I believe you are out there. At one point because I was lazy I went on line to E. Harmony and they actually sent me a picture of a white haired lady with a walker in the background. You can laugh if you want, those idiots were serious and I was angry. I DO NOT want someone who still cries when she talks about her ex husband, ex boyfriend, ex lover or any ex anything. I have been with woman who have said they still "feelings" for an ex something or other. I DO NOT want someone who has (THOSE) feelings for any ex anything’s. I have seen it all believe me. I DO NOT want a heavy woman or someone who won't wear shorts. This is true, I have seen that too. I have a thirty four waist and I work very hard at keeping that. I do not sit home and watch TV. I am very active and ride a bicycle five to ten miles a day rain or shine and I love it. In the winter I walk three to five miles a day or night depending how cold or bad the storm is. You must be attractive and willing to make love moments notice. I am looking for someone who can laugh so hard your sides hurt. You know what I mean.....You must like to take afternoon naps and snuggle while watching it rain or snow. I want a woman who is not afraid to tell me the way it is if she feels I deserve it. Ladies all this is not impossible You are out there! I will not go out or try anything else! When I see you I will know and so will you. I believe in desire at first sight. I know you know what I mean. I am not looking for a housekeeper or a cook. I am a good cook and would love to cook for you. I want a confidant, lover and someone who understands and will help me as I will help you. I like to laugh, smile and I am not afraid to cry .I just want to have fun. I don’t want to have to think of what to say or do. I don't mind working hard on a relationship as long as we work together. I like to sit around and not have to entertain you. No head games, no aggravation, just simple kindness. Am I dreaming? Maybe but all this is possible, that is who I am looking for. You know what I mean. I know you do. One look tells it all." A wink, a smile, that knowing look the one do then glance away. You look back quickly to see if I am looking. The look that says “Lets talk". I know, I know and you can laugh if you want But Miracles happen every day I know I can say that......

I hope you realize that I am only kidding but I had to write it down.......................


Thursday, November 12, 2015

“Experience Strength and Hope”

                                                      Alcoholics Anonymous  
                                              “Experience Strength and Hope”

                                                           By Larry F. 

                Hi everybody, my name is Larry and I am an alcoholic. Since I joined Alcohol Anonymous in 1977, I have been among the privileged few not to drink or pick up a drug or a substitute. I have watched A.A grow into what it is today. I have seen the good changes and in my humble opinion, the bad changes also. I thought I would take this opportunity to share some of these changes with you. First let me qualify myself and start with how it began. This won’t be a drunk a log. My story is a story of progression more than anything else. I think our stories are all the same, its the people that are different. I was very young when I took a beer from my grandfathers beer case in the basement of his home. I think I was about ten. I clearly remember seeing him enjoy drinking beer and being so young I naturally  became curious. When he drank, it seemed to go down so easy and smooth.  I wondered what was so good about it and what did it taste like? He never drank to excess but it looked like he enjoyed drinking it so much.” How come I couldn’t have one, I thought ?….. My wonderful Grandparents who were from the old country used to watch me after school when my Mom and Dad worked. I remember those days like it was yesterday. So one lazy afternoon when my grandfather was working and my grandmother was upstairs I went down the basement and took a Hull’s beer in that stubby brown bottle from the case that was there. It was my first beer and I think, the first thing I ever stole. I came from an Italian Catholic family, you know the type, pictures of the Pope and the Saints on the walls, everything from the Infant of Prague to Saint Francis and if you read the Big Book you know he is a very popular guy.. ..I drank that beer and I vaguely remember not liking the taste and what was the big deal but at least I knew what it tasted like. I dumped out the remainder and put the empty bottle back in the case so he wouldn’t notice. I had gotten away with it. Being so young I don’t remember drinking much after that except a sip of Vermouth from under the sink in my grandmothers kitchen or some of the wine that my grandfather let me taste. He made that in the basement. I used to help him pick the grapes. I loved the taste of that. It was more grape juice than anything else. Being a Catholic and going to Catholic school I became an Alter boy at 12 years old. I remember the wait and anticipation of turning 12 so the Nuns and the Priest would let me join. I joined because I wanted to make my parents and grand parents proud of me. I soon learned that I was good at it and I learned Latin well. The pastor wanted the Latin to be pronounced just right. Me and a friend soon became the alter boys that lasted the longest. Talk about irony. He is in the A.A. program also and has been sober for many years. Although I was shy I was comfortable on the alter and it was a learning experience I will never forget. It was towards the end of my alter boy career that curiosity and temptation got best of me and I started to taste the Sacristy wine. It was soon after that I quit. There were many reasons why but mostly it had to do with guilt. I was placed in a trusted position and I felt like I was doing things that were dishonest and I had a guilty conscience. It was my way of hiding and running away while I still had my dignity only I didn’t know it at the time. At 16 when I got my drivers license I began to drink a little more but not too much because I wasn’t old enough to go into the package stores. I drank because I was shy and I noticed that when I drank, it gave me the courage to do things and fit in with my friends and some them were 21.That was drinking age at that time. I quit school at 17 and got a job in a gas station. My dad, not pleased but always keeping an eye on me suggested that I learn a trade. He said I was, and his exact words were, “Good with your hands” and helped me get a job from one of his friends working for a electrician as a helper. I learned quick by watching and did well and it paid off. When I was 21 I met my future wife. Her dad because of his connections with the State of Connecticut got me a job as a grunt at the local airport where I started at the bottom of the ladder picking up the trash around the airport. After a few years there was an opening in the electrical department and they put me there because I had experience. It took another few years of on the job training but soon I became the Airport Electrician. That’s the way it was in those days, we helped each other. In the mean time I joined the Army National Guard. I went away for 6 months and drank like the rest of the guys but because of progression I remember I was getting drunk more often. It was when I turned 25 or 27 that my drinking took off. I drank because it made me feel good. I found out I could do anything or be anybody if I had a few drinks. Although I didn’t know it at the time it was then that my alcoholic personality was born. On occasion he still comes out and makes a fool out me and I have to make amends or pick up the pieces.  I can usually contain him and live a normal life. When I was drinking I lived 2 lives. During the day I was the family man and a responsible electrician keeping the runway lights on. After work and at night I made the rounds of the all barrooms from Hartford Connecticut to Springfield Massachusetts. I drank until I was 39 years old. I was a functioning drunk and I had the same job for 18 years. We had our own home and 2 cars in the driveway. I was a cheat, a con-man and a philander and few other things but I never got a DWI or seen the inside of a jail. I stopped growing mentally when I was about 30 and because of my sickness and alcoholic decision making, I hurt my beautiful ex-wife, God bless her, she’s gone now, my 3 sons, my friends and every one I came in contact with. The only reason I stopped drinking was because of my self-destructive behavior and I was going to lose my job. I knew I was sick and hooked on alcohol and I tried many times but I could not stop drinking. I was out of control. I reported for emergencies at that airport drunk and I should have been fired and there were a few bosses who wanted to but because of the controversial new laws making Alcoholism a disease, the director of my agency sent me to a rehab and told me it was my last chance. I stayed for 28 days. That was September 28, 1977 and I haven’t had a drink or a substitute in 38 years. I went to that rehab because I was suffering and desperate but I had an open mind and I really wanted to stop drinking. It was the only way I could. It was the last stop for me. When got out of rehab I did what they said and I started to go to AA meetings. At the meetings they told me to shut up and listen and to take the cotton out of my ears and put it in my mouth. I listened and I did what the old timers or the people with long sobriety told me to do. When I learned that all I had to do was ask my Higher Power for help. The desire to drink was taken away. When they me told me to keep it green. I watched and learned what happens when you go out and pick up drink. Through the years I have known people who have never made it back and people who have died. To them I say, Thank you! You did it for me. You are in my prayers. Today I study the Steps and the Big Book I have gone to the same Step and Big Book meetings consistently every week for the past 4 years and I learn something new each week. To me, all the answers to all the questions are in those 2 meetings. When I joined AA it was to save my life and the meetings were different. A guy told me that he was going to be my sponsor and because I desperately didn’t want to drink. I said, “Yes sir“ and he gave me a job whether I wanted it or not and that’s when I learned respect. He gave me the key to a church and told me to make the coffee. I learned trust. He gave me a check book to become treasurer of our group and I learned honesty. He made me the chairman of a meeting and I learned how to come out of my shell, talk in front of a group of people and be responsible and find speakers. He told me to clean tables and empty ash trays and I learned humility. Most of that is the same today but I notice that the same people do the same jobs over and over and the speakers tell a different kind of a story. I had a wonderful childhood and my parents made mistakes like any new parent does but my mom and dad worked hard and I never wanted for much of anything. I got everything within reason that I asked for. As I got older, seldom did I have any limits set on me but it seemed like my Dad was always there. When he told or suggested something to me maybe I didn’t listen or do it right away but it didn’t take me long before I did. Not out of fear but respect. Being the first son I was spoiled. As I got older I was protected by my employer, my family and even the police. I don’t blame these people for not being tough on me. I chose to drink because it made me feel good. When I joined A.A. If there were 20 people in a room that was crowded.  In the Suffield Connecticut men’s group there were 8 regulars and the meeting was on the second floor. Today’s meetings are, depending on the season crowded with drug users, from crack and heroin to pill poppers and methamphetamine addicts with a few alcoholics sprinkled in. The speakers today talk about their fathers and mothers, telling how horrible they were and what a rotten childhood they had. Some times its like you are sitting in the treatment center in a therapy session. Lately I have heard a lot of that. Its my opinion, that Is not what AA is all about. Its not your parents fault that you drank or used drugs! That was your choice. No one held you down and poured that booze down your throat or lit that crack pipe. Stop blaming people, places and things for your sickness. Let the past go and stop taking your parents inventory. Take responsibly for what you did to yourself. Parents issues should taken to a shrink. Speakers should talk about experience, strength and hope. If you don’t know what that is go to a few big book meetings and find out.… …..
                    A while ago I went to a large discussion meeting near where I live one afternoon and a newcomer drug addict was swearing and insulting the group and saying the old timers are “Know it all's“. To me that was sad because I know that person could never make it in the AA program. If you have been around long enough you can tell the wishful thinkers from the honest people who really want to be clean and sober and make a commitment to really try.. I haven’t seen him since that day. At first I thought it was the environment I was in until I heard some insensitive remarks in a small group. An older woman was hurt and angry and complained to me after the meeting. I haven’t seen her since that night. I witnessed a speaker with a lot years in the program saying he is married and has a mistress. Some people will laugh and snicker but to the new comer that makes it OK to be a little dishonest and a tell those little white lies.
                    Do the words “Rigorous honesty” mean anything anymore? AA is a program designed around honesty and forgiveness. It’s a never ending crusade to find humility. Newcomer alcoholics and drug addicts are always looking for some one to say its OK to do things. We learn by listening and by example. People with long sobriety have to be careful what they say and do. In my opinion the alcoholic and drug addicts of today use the program to try and stay clean and sober so they change the meaning of the steps and manipulate the words of the big book to suit their needs. They lie as long as it keeps a secret that lets them get what they want. They don’t care about the feelings of the newcomer who compares and doesn’t know how to identify. In today’s society instant gratification is expected and a little lie is OK if it makes you feel good no matter what the consequences are or who it may hurt……..In some cases the change in AA is good. In one of the meetings I attend a group member travels a lot and when he is on the other side of the world he attends the meeting by his laptop computer to a cell phone. He shares and listens by speaker phone on the table. Its an wonderful experience. I think that is great. …
              In the beginning, after I had been sober for about 2 years and I could make a major decision, I finished high school and went to college. I took courses in Physiology and English composition. There is where I learned about the medical part of my disease and public speaking. A direct benefit of that is years later I was given the opportunity to work in a rehab with the alcoholics and drug addicts both adults and kids. That is where I learned social skills. For me that means when to talk and when to listen. I still have a problem with that. I still have that Alcoholic personality I mentioned and some times he comes out and causes problems. He comes in the disguise of temptation like when my favorite uncle died and after the funeral I walked into a barroom and stood at the bar. The bar-tender put that napkin in front of me and looked at me with a grin and said “What will you have sir?” I looked at my reflection in those mirrors. I looked at the bottles and the red and blue neon lights and a voice in my head said “Get out of there“. That, my friends was God talking to me. I truly believe that. I turned around and left. That was 17 years ago. Temptation reared  its ugly head again 3 years ago when I was weak and lonely and I dropped my guard and made and made a fool out of myself and I had an affair with a member of AA while I was sponsoring her. Needless to say that turned into a nasty affair but neither of us drank. Then there are the what I call the “You are cured” and the “No one will know”, temptations and those in comparison are the easy ones. You never know when temptation or that other personality will sneak up and grab you. We will always have a problem or a moment when we are not vigilant. We must always be aware of that. I always say “For some of us it takes a little longer“ Most of us are loners and I had to learn how to approach a group of people and join in a conversation. Remember when we thought there were clicks?  Now you can’t stop me. Now I join in the conversation. There are newcomers who can’t do that. A good friend once paid me a compliment and told me that when I chair a meeting I am “In my Element” and I am good at it. I guess I am making a little progress. We all work our own program, some good, some bad, some will make it, some won’t but I can only hope and pray that a little of the old style of program will still alive when I am gone. I will Pray that people will keep the miracle alive. When Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith went into that hospital room and saved that alcoholic from a sure death. It was the beginning of the road to recovery for all of us. These 2 men, not wanting to be paid but only wanting to help another human being so they could stay sober and pass the message. Many different ways have been tried to stay sober, too many to mention and all have failed. I believe God gave Bill W. and Dr. Bob the inspiration to do what they did. If you want peace of mind and a quality of life that is beyond your greatest expectations. If you are willing to be humble, forgive and be honest and because none of this comes easy, you are willing to work hard to get it. AA is the place to be. I have been through Hell and back. I have experienced most of life’s problems. Death in the family, death of a beloved pet, painful family and relationship issues and divorce. I have never picked up a drink or a substitute. Just when you think you have seen it all, something else happens. Its only because of AA I am here today and I was able to take care of my sick mother and father in their last days. I was able to be at my ex-wife’s side and ask her for forgiveness one last time in the hospital bed where she lay dieing of cancer. I was able to take care of my Mom until she died and do the things for her my that my dad asked me to do and I am able to share this message with you. That folks, is Experience, strength and hope… Thank You, My name is Larry and I am an Alcoholic…………








Wednesday, October 28, 2015

"The Fountain of Youth"


      

  Believe it or not I have found the fountain of youth.. No its not a pool of water that you jump into to get young. My fountain is called wisdom or common sense along with think, be careful and mind my own business. The story of my most important discovery begins when I was about 38 years old. It was then that I realized that I was doing things that were not healthy and came to believe that I wasn't going to live forever. There were a lot of warning signs. There is when you drink too much and can't remember what you did the night before. Someone said, "Do something about it!" and I did. I stopped drinking... Next was education.. I went to school to learn how to live and get ahead in this crazy world we live in. It was never to late to do that. That is when I learned about Genes. Remember when you heard someone say, " Oh, that it runs in the family"? That really woke me up. Mom and Dad had a long happy life so I did more research to see what sicknesses or disease's were in my heritage and I compensated. For example there was alcoholism in my family so I stopped drinking.
    Start with Food... The food of today is not the same as it was in the past.. The growth steroids and antibiotics  they give to the animals because they live in filth before they kill them and additives have side effects and cause allergic reactions in some people. Some lead to more serious problems like Cancer.
     Smoking... The tobacco company's know smoking will kill you but until the government made them say "Hazardous to your health" they didn't , food is the same now..
     Fast food ..... It will kill you and yes, it is hazardous to your health. Its prepared with chemicals to make it taste better and loaded with cholesterol which causes heart problems. They don't care about you. They do this to hook you into coming back for more.. Just like a Drug dealer would..
Alcohol ….. It’s the same as its been for years. They convince you that you can't have fun unless you drink.. Believe me, you don't need to drink to have fun..
      Medical Marijuana and Prescription drugs.... Lawyers and Politicians create new names to make it legal so they can hook you to come back for more..  They are now Legal drug dealers..  Surprise….. The news yesterday said eating meat causes Cancer.
Irony is .... I have stopped eating meat and became a Vegetarian 4 years ago.. Isn't that always the way? .. How do I know these things you may ask? The fountain of youth that's how…




Thursday, August 13, 2015

"The New England Patriot Cheater"


Tom Brady was once the best Quarterback in the league..Turns out, he's dishonest! He lied and cheated during an NFL championship game. He deceived the fans. They won or did they win? His reputation is ruined.. His career what's left of it, is over… The Hall of Fame is not in the picture anymore! Lawyers are running his life and you know what kind of a bill he will get for that! Tom "Who",  is his new name.. Friends? What friends.. He looks sad and depressed. That is what the artist was going for…..  Gee, I wonder why??   The bottom line is he is a cheater. He cheated and there is no excuse......
   What kind of example is he setting for the youth of America with this behavior? The more he fights this, the worse it gets. The NFL did the right thing, only Brady should be banned from the Hall of Fame for life and the fine should have been 2 million dollars and suspension without pay for ALL of the games of next season.  Robert Kraft should also be fined 10 million dollars for not doing anything about the cheating but he didn't get to be a Billionaire by being honest....







Thursday, August 6, 2015

"FDA Warns Tattoo Artists and Consumers Not to Use Certain Tattoo Inks"


Constituent Update

August 6, 2015
Fast Facts:
  • The FDA is alerting tattoo artists and consumers that they should not use tattoo inks marketed and distributed by A Thousand Virgins, in grey wash shades labeled G1, G2, and G3 (Lot #129 exp 1/16).
  • Through testing, the agency has found bacterial contamination, including Mycobacterium chelonae, in unopened bottles of these tattoo inks. The FDA tested the inks to assist the Florida Department of Health in its investigation of an outbreak of mycobacterial infections in people who recently got tattoos.
  • On August 4, 2015, A Thousand Virgins recalled certain tattoo inks sold separately and in sets, but the FDA is concerned that artists and consumers are continuing to use these contaminated inks from their current stock. Also, tattoo products with the same lot number manufactured by A Thousand Virgins may still be available online and may be marketed by other distributors. The inks were sold in single units and in sets.
  • Artists who purchase tattoo inks and consumers who purchase tattoo inks or who seek tattooing should check the ink bottles to see if they are included in the recall. If you find inks subject to recall, place the closed bottles of ink into a plastic bag, sealing or tying off the bag to prevent leakage. Put this first bag into a second bag and tie off this bag separately. Check with your local waste management authorities for any disposal requirements in effect in your area.
What is the Problem?
FDA has identified microbiological contamination in unopened tattoo inks made by A Thousand Virgins, Inc. The tattoo inks are labeled G1, G2, and G3, indicating the shade.
FDA has tested unopened bottles of these inks and found contamination with a human pathogen, Mycobacterium chelonae, as well as Microbacterium organisms, and the molds Cryptococcus albidus and members of the Penicillium genus.
FDA is warning tattoo ink manufacturers, tattoo artists and consumers not to use these tattoo inks that are contaminated or have been recalled.
What are the Symptoms of Illness/Injury?
When tattoo ink contaminated with mycobacteria is injected into the skin, the bacteria can cause an infection that remains at the site or that may spread throughout the body. Such infection might result in redness; swelling; itching; raised pink, red, or purple blemishes in the tattoo; or pain in the tattoo that does not go away. If you have these symptoms, you should seek medical treatment. You may also notice swollen and tender lymph nodes, at sites local and distant to the infected tattoo.
These infections can be severe and may require extensive treatment with antibiotics, hospitalization, or surgery. Sepsis, a potentially life-threatening body-wide infection of the blood, has been reported in cases of injection of contaminated tattoo inks. Once the infection has healed, the area may remain permanently scarred.
Who is at Risk?
Because tattooing involves injecting ink under the skin, the use of contaminated inks may lead to an infection. People with pre-existing medical conditions, including heart or circulatory disease, diabetes, or patients with compromised immune systems, are particularly vulnerable.
What Do Consumers and Tattoo Artists Need To Do?
Consumers and tattoo artists should know where their materials come from and should be able to identify and remove the contaminated inks described above. If you have used these inks and adverse events occur, contact the manufacturer and the FDA. Tattoo artists should not dilute inks with tap water, distilled water, filtered water, reverse osmosis water, or other non-sterile water that has the potential to be contaminated. In addition, consumers and tattoo artists should purchase inks from reputable manufacturers who source their ink ingredients appropriately and can attest to using good manufacturing practices. If you are a tattoo artist and are applying body art, advise your clients to monitor the application site closely and seek medical care if they notice redness, swelling, itching, bumps, or blemishes, or have pain in the tattoo site that does not go away. Please also inform your clients that they should be alert for rashes and inflamed tattooed areas beyond the normal healing period, as well as any tender lymph nodes, even those that are not near the tattoo. Please ask your clients to contact you, the artist, if they experience any of these symptoms, so you may remove the potentially contaminated ink from use. They should also seek medical care for their symptoms.
People with infected tattoos and tattoo artists whose clients notify them of potentially infected tattoos can report adverse events or side effects through the MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.
What Do the Contaminated Products Look Like?
The front panel of the label bears a circular logo with the name of the manufacturer, “A Thousand Virgins.” Centered within the circle are G1, G2, or G3, indicating the particular shade of grey wash ink.  Bottles are marked as Lot #129 with an expiration date of 1/16. The contaminated inks are sold singly and in sets of three or four bottles.
Where are they Distributed?
The tattoo inks and tattoo kits are sold online by A Thousand Virgins, at tattoo conventions and through other websites.
What is FDA doing about the Problem?
The FDA is working with A Thousand Virgins to recall the contaminated inks and is investigating to determine how they became contaminated. The FDA and the Florida Department of Health will provide more information as it becomes available.
How can I Report a Problem?
Adverse events (bad reactions) related to the use of FDA-regulated products can be reported through the MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program by:
For More Information:

Thursday, July 30, 2015

“Corruption and the Late Senator Tommy Dodd”

                    
        As you all know I have this intense dislike for corruption and dishonesty. There is finally a book written by David E. Koskoff about the late Senator Thomas J. Dodd, a corrupt Connecticut politician from the past. The title is “The Senator from Central Casting” You must remember his son Chris Dodd? The guy that got in trouble while partying with Teddy Kennedy back in the eighty's. Check the link below and see the "Kennedy Dodd waitress sandwich". Now, there is a new book with the truth about Tommy Dodd, Chris’s father.…What a good feeling that is! This is a story that had to be told. I realize that people today don’t know who he was but I feel that even though a lot of time has passed, the bad things as well as the good things should be exposed. Its my understanding that Mr. Dodd was instrumental during the Nuremburg trials with the conviction of the German Officers who were responsible for the murder of millions of Jews. How do I know Tommy was corrupt? Because I lived it, that’s how…I remember my Dad talking about this crook. Dad didn’t get mad very much but in this case I remember that he was visibly upset. I was very young but I could tell because he would purse his lips and get silent, then *tsk* shaking his head slowly from side to side. At the time, Dodd was accused of taking money and new cars from people who wanted him to vote for things in return for certain favors . I remember when he got caught and hid some new cars and his Cadillac Limo in the State Garage in Warehouse Point Connecticut. I remember the license plate on the Limo said “Dodd” or Dodd 1”. In 1967 he was censured by his peers for taking those cash payments from people who wanted those favors. Dad said that, “He received a slap on the wrist”.…Snicker snicker, I can see Tommy looking over his shoulder to see if anyone is watching him pocket that cash. Years later they named a minor league baseball stadium after him in Norwich Connecticut, his home town.…I was upset because no one seemed to know that this creep was a thief and was censured for corruption years before. I just don’t think that anything should be named after you, if you are a crook. He died at age 65 in 1971. Today, his son Chris who is retired from the Washington glitter and is now an ex Connecticut Senator landed a job with a movie company….It just makes me wonder? Because of his father there is always that shadow of doubt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_J._Dodd http://sonsoftherepublic.blogspot.com/2005/08/kennedy-dodd-waitress-sandwich.html








Monday, July 27, 2015

"Disconnected"

               
Who remembers when it was called a Telephone?
Its been almost 2 weeks now and its officially done. My telephone land line is gone. For the first time in many years I am not connected or in this case subjected to a land line. Its a good feeling not to have to pay a bill to be verbally abused by a continuous flow of phone solicitors. These days when you have a land line you become a prisoner in you own home by being harassed and continuously bothered by a non-person trying to sell you something.. Bell then AT&T were my company's for years until they were taken over by something called “Frontier“. Both phone company’s are now at the point where the customer has become a consumer, in other words a modern clone or human robot. Its feels really good now not to have a TV or a phone. My mind is my own again.








Friday, July 3, 2015

Go Out Side and play



Mom said, “Go Outside and play“!



Again, I received a brilliant message in an EM and I must pass it along. Its about the things we did when we were young and how the times have changed. I love when people with the same opinion send me neat stuff. I agree with some of this and some I don’t. but it was the way I grew up. Read on while we can still say it……..
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!! First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads. As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up truck on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-aid made with real white sugar. And, we weren't overweight. WHY? Because we were always outside, playing...that's why! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Play stations, Nintendo and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVDs, no surround-sound or Cd's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms. WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10Th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them. Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law! These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers problem solvers and inventors ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all. If YOU are one of them? CONGRATULATIONS! You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good. While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were. Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it ?
The quote of the month is by Jay Leno: "With hurricanes, tornado's, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunder storms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"
Folks that’s the way it was and I am so happy to have I lived through that wonderful time. My Mom and Dad were the best that there ever was and if I had it to do over I would do it again. My first car was a used 1951 Ford that my Dad gave me……No, I bought it for 300 dollars and paid him 15 dollars a week until I paid him back. As we get older we resist change. We fight it and we will do anything to prevent it but we can’t stop it. Change happens whether we want it or not. I guess acceptance is the answer. I guess I can still I still say that




Saturday, June 20, 2015

"The War Escalates"

  
      When will Obama put the Military in the streets of American cities?  Politicians with their rhetorical chatter only seem to pacify the gullible for one more day. Reality is, they have absolutely no idea what to do and the war in the United States continues to escalate. Each day the body count continues to rise around the country and in the cities. More and more innocent people and children are being shot in the streets. Could it be drug deals gone bad, could it be bigotry? Could it be suppressed anger and hatred towards our Lawmakers and Politicians? Fire fights are erupting and gun shots are ringing out in the city streets. Doctors and nurses are kept busy as emergency rooms are being filled with the dead and wounded. Its like the Revolution and Anarchy in the 60s and 70s with Viet Nam and the Hippy drug culture. Is it because of Muslim Terrorists and Unhappy Blacks and their drug culture?  Except now there is a huge drug addiction problem compounded with Pharmaceuticals and Alcoholism. All those are a trigger for anger, fear and paranoia.






Thursday, May 28, 2015

"Stop&Shop is Price Gouging"


In my area the Westerly Rhode Island Stop and Shop has a sign above the day old bread and pastry  50% off.. Thank you for keeping it that way........


All the rest of the stores in my area are 33%... I don't know who thought of this but this is pure Greed in its lowest form.. Who is Stop and Shop hurting you may ask? First its the Seniors. Its one of the first places they look for a treat they can afford.. Then its the homeless, the disabled and welfare people. You know, the real ones without the food stamps and have very little money..
                          

              If you agree with me please forward this to your friends.








Tuesday, May 19, 2015

"Tree Removal Mohegan Park in Norwich Connecticut"

                
 By the people and for the people is gone and in the past. Now its profits over people. To whom it may concern. The people of Norwich don’t care about those 200,000 visitors?   There are too many “Visitors”  driving through the city now…All of a sudden “Surprise” they cut the trees down because they don’t care what people say.. Remember! “Profits over People”. True, I don’t live in Norwich now but I did in the past for a very long time.. I moved to take care of my parents in their last years but mostly because the “City Fathers” allowed them to build that horrible casino. These days, once or twice a week only because of its beauty I return, to walk or ride my bike in Mohegan park. However everything must change. The wonderful children’s Zoo is gone. Taftville is a ghost town, downtown is starting to accumulate empty buildings and the Marina is not what it used to be… Now that beautiful serine park is slowly being striped and ruined because of greed and legal corruption.  Hey, the old school is disappearing so why should they care? The feelings of the neighbors that have owned homes around park for years don’t count. This flagrant abuse of power and the not caring is evident. If I hurt anyone with my words here, it was my intention. Now you know how I feel…  

http://www.norwichbulletin.com/article/20150518/NEWS/150519500?utm_source=newsletter-20150519&utm_medium=email&utm_term=view_as_webpage&utm_campaign=newsletter






Sunday, May 17, 2015

Monday, May 11, 2015

"Mental Firewall"

     
My mind must be in a self-protection mode today because every time I think of all the bad things going on in the world something happens and it shuts down. I actually shake my head in disbelieve when I hear or see the things people are doing to each other. Sometimes I laugh out loud. Other times I feel a profound sadness. I’m sorry. I just can’t help it, the only word that comes to mind is ludicrous. I won’t say a peculiar thing because there is just so much happening. Is it me or are things getting worse, crimes I mean? People are still killing people but in a more horrific way. The greedy thieves are still taking advantage of the less fortunate and sometimes I don’t believe what is happening. The worst part or good part is. It all depends how you look at it. I can’t make myself care. Its like I lost the ability to feel…. Too borrow an old phrase from the” Star Trek“ TV show, it must be I’ve got my “Shields up“. Yes, I’ve got them set to go up automatically when the insanity is at a higher level that usual. Almost like a firewall…… With me, its business as usual and life goes on, or at least what is left of what people think is life and happiness. You can see the greedy users and the takers are alive and well. It just never ends. I’m am not in a good mood and I feel lost because can’t find much to be happy about…..What I usually do when I feel like this is. Are you sure you want know this? Its heavy duty……..Well, OK …. Here it is…. Wait for it………..Wait…………A little longer………………. OK,…I sit back, take a breath and look at what I’ve got and then I think of all the folks who have less or who are less fortunate and I feel better…. Then I think and here is the most important part, I help someone else… Even if its only with a smile. It works every time…. I’ll bet you thought I was going to say pray or go to church…..Well, if that’s what you need to do, by all means do it but don't forget to say thank you. This is the perfect place for a Dad quote…….”I used to complain because I couldn’t run fast until I seen the little boy with no legs”………….








Sunday, May 10, 2015

"Christie calls for cuts in Social Security, Medicare"

On April 2015

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, saying that the “American people have the appetite for hard truths,” called Tuesday for cutting Social Security benefits and raising Medicare premiums for future upper-income retirees and raising the retirement age.Christie also proposed increasing the retirement age. Starting in 2022, he would raise the age by two months each year until it hits 69. “Raising the Social Security age to 69, means-testing it and eliminating benefits for some is a way to get one’s toe under the tent in order to destroy Social Security piece by piece.


http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-christie-social-security-20150414-story.html




Comment..................Did you think I was kidding when I said save your money?  .. I knew this was going happen.




Thursday, April 30, 2015

Opinion: How are we still ignoring nature’s role?

Opinion: How are we still ignoring nature’s role?



Climate change, global warming, or whatever phrase you want to use to label our significant impact on the planet isn’t about biblical flooding, superstorms or shifting seasons. It’s about how much we value other living things and how much we really care about future generations.
The answer is obvious. We don’t much care about either. The evidence is overwhelming, and sad. Really sad.
Every hour, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, three species become extinct, largely because of our greed and hubris. It doesn’t have to be that way, but we seem determined to record our history on a continuous loop. We’ve shown little desire to break this destructive cycle.
By the late 1690s, with much of their forest habitat destroyed by humans, the flightless dodo was erased from the planet. Three centuries later, we haven’t stopped erasing the natural landscape.
For example, on average, from 2000 to 2010, nearly 25 acres of forestland worldwide were lost every minute of every day. Most of this 1.3 billion or so of lost acres was cleared by humans for agriculture and timber, leaving plenty of species homeless and damaging countless ecosystems. The scars will be visible long into the future.
In the mid-19th century, the flight of passenger pigeons would sometimes darken North American skies. Such a spectacle must have been chilling. Nobody alive today witnessed it. By the beginning of the 20th century, passenger pigeons no longer lived in the wild. The last one of its kind died in captivity in 1914. We hunted them to extinction.
Our savagery against nature hasn’t diminished.
In 2011 alone, some 25,000 African elephants were killed for their ivory, according to reports. In fact, since 2002, the number of forest elephants has decreased by 60 percent. If this trend continues, they could be erased within a decade. Three of the world’s five rhinoceros species are “critically endangered.”
We arrogantly believe technology will save us from our scorched-earth march through time, and it very likely will. But the price will be staggering: the continued loss of biodiversity. It means future generations will only know tigers, polar bears and mountain gorillas as dusty, taxidermic displays behind museum glass. It means a virtual-reality future where the wild things are not.
Our collective brutality is only matched by our collective lack of compassion. Two recent examples are numbing. The United States, the presumed leader of the free world, goes to no end to make sure those who need affordable health care can’t get it.
Our elected leaders then use children trying to escape the gangs, violence and crippling poverty of Central America as political pawns to further divide a nation and win an election. Lies are spread by lawmakers and the media that these fleeing children are disease-ridden and part of an invasion. There’s very little discussion about actually helping them. Society as a whole considers the action of the adults who yell at these frightened kids and tell them to go home as reasonable and sane.
Much of the rest of the population remains nothing more than extras in a really bad sci-fi movie, in which corporations are treated better than people, the owners of a chain of stores that sells glitter glue and feather boas is allowed to tell their female employees what is best for their bodies and health, and accepted science is ignored while lawmakers introduce standards that require educators to teach climate change denial as a valid scientific position.
Welcome to Thunderdome, please don’t touch the stuffed dodo.
Frank Carini is the ecoRI News editor.



Monday, April 27, 2015

"Martial Law"

Martial law is the imposition of the highest-ranking military officer as the military governor or as the head of the government, thus removing all power from the previous executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.
It is usually imposed temporarily when the government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively (e.g., maintain order and security, or provide essential services).

Martial law can be used by governments to enforce their rule over the public. Such incidents may occur after a coup d'état (such as Thailand in 2006 and 2014); when threatened by popular protest (China, Tiananmen Square protests of 1989); to suppress political opposition (Poland in 1981); or to stabilize insurrections or perceived insurrections (Canada, The October Crisis of 1970). Martial law may be declared in cases of major natural disasters; however, most countries use a different legal construct, such as a state of emergency.

Martial law has also been imposed during conflicts and in cases of occupations, where the absence of any other civil government provides for an unstable population. Examples of this form of military rule include post World War II reconstruction in Germany and Japan as well as the southern reconstruction following the U.S. Civil War.

Typically, the imposition of martial law accompanies curfews, the suspension of civil law, civil rights, habeas corpus, and the application or extension of military law or military justice to civilians. Civilians defying martial law may be subjected to military tribunal (court-martial).



Saturday, March 21, 2015

"Retire the Elephants Now" PETA


Elephant using its trunk to turn the crank to open the umbrella at the traffic policeman's stop/go stand in the intersection of 14th St. and Pennsylvania NW in Washington, DC. Taken Dec. 5th, 1923. Such stop/go signs were operated manually by the traffic policeman. It is likely the elephant was part of a circus visiting the nations' capital.

Picture borrowed from a friend of mine on
 http://vintagephoto.livejournal.com/6053965.html









Monday, March 9, 2015

"FDA Drug Safety Communication"

 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning that the
prescription smoking cessation medicine Chantix (varenicline) can change
the way people react to alcohol. In addition, rare accounts of seizures
in patients treated with Chantix have been reported. We have approved
changes to the Chantix label to warn about these risks. Until patients
know how Chantix affects their ability to tolerate alcohol, they should
decrease the amount of alcohol they drink. Patients who have a seizure
while taking Chantix should stop the medicine and seek medical attention
immediately. Millions of Americans have serious health problems caused by smoking,
which can be reduced by quitting. Chantix is a prescription medicine
that is FDA-approved to help adults quit smoking. In clinical trials,
Chantix increased the likelihood of quitting smoking and “staying quit”
for as long as 1 year compared to treatment with a placebo, an inactive
treatment.

Drug Safety and Availability > FDA Drug Safety Communication: FDA updates label for stop smoking drug Chantix (varenicline) to include potential alcohol interaction, rare risk of seizures, and studies of side effects on mood, behavior, or thinking

Thursday, March 5, 2015

"Fifty Shades of Gray"


The story of a pathetic 27 year old millionaire who seduces and takes advantage of a gullible collage age girl and introduces her to the sick world of sexual bondage.. Its a borderline X rated 2015 movie staring a male actor known only for his rapist serial murderer role in a TV series in England... The female lead of this sick flick is Don Johnson and Melanie Griffin's daughter.. Under the guise of "Its only a movie", they stood by and allowed their daughter to dirty her reputation. Johnson and Griffin have been divorced since 1996... Because the perverts in Hollywood designed this trash to get by the 2015 censors does not make it OK.. It just opens the door for the low-life in Hollywood to poison the minds of youth and young people only to make money...



Because you might be curious of what the big deal is, don't pay for this sick garbage ..   Watch it here for free.......

 http://veehd.com/video/4915619_Fifty-Shades-Of-Gray-2015-Romance-Drama-in-HQ-subs-120-min-mp4