It is rolling around again ..... December 7

I imagine the number of people who vividly remember this date is dwindling. I am 79, born in 1932, and remember that day as if it were yesterday. As FDR said, "A date which will live in infamy."

I was in Greencastle, Indiana, along with my Mom and Dad, we were visiting my Brother Dean, who was attending DePauw University. We had just finished eating lunch in the Delta Tau Delta house dining room, my brother's fraternity. I was reclining on a big leather couch, suffering from a mild allergy attack from eating too may hot homemade Parker House rolls. I knew better, I was allergic to eggs, but could not resist those hot rolls.

News was coming in on the big Philco Radio in the large Commons Room, which was filled with many students and their parents. I remember hearing, Japan, Pearl Harbor, sneak attack, bombs, aircraft, words like devastation, casualties, ships sinking, words that would soon become commonplace.

The stillness in the crowded room, the expressions on faces, there was a foreboding feeling in the room that made me acutely aware that a disaster had happened, one that would have a dramatic affect on the young men in the room. I had a feeling that they sensed how this would affect their future, that their lives would never be the same, a life altering event.

I remember the three hour drive home, in a Packard Clipper, few to no words were exchanged between the three of us. We drove in silence. The country would soon be at war, and we all knew it. My Dad had served in WWI and knew of war, his Father, Caleb,  was in the Civil War, and Dad had heard many stories of the horror of that war. He was the most silent, he knew what the future held.

December 7, 1941, "A date which will live in infamy." We should never forget that date.

A Thanksgiving Story T in C

Harry Caster, through his attorney C. Brewton Collier revealed today that a family Thanksgiving Dinner was ruined when a "breast implant" was discovered in their turkey.


"It was devastating for the family," Collier stated, "You can just imagine, that after a lengthy pre-dinner Thanksgiving Prayer, given by their cousin, the Reverend Dennison Sanker, Pastor of the Fourteenth Avenue Church of the Open Book, in Highland Park, which was offered right after the grand entrance of the platter carrying the tastefully prepared and deeply browned bird being carried in by the family cook, Estelle Patrone, that the discovery, needless to say, ruined the day.

Caster had meticulously sharpened his carving knife, and with a grand gesture, took his first cut into the breast of the bird, which penetrated the breast implant and squirted the heated contents over all the fourteen relatives in attendance.

Collier went on to say, "The stuff in that thing was over heated and the material had expanded and when Harry just touched it with that sharp knife of his, it exploded. It apparently wasn't implanted too deep because it shot out of that turkey and did one circle around the room like a balloon. It finally ended up in Aunt Sarah Morton's cranberry and walnut sauce.

Caster ended up taking the group to The Family Buffet for dinner.

It is anticipated that Judge Brenda Carlson will eventually hear the case. No court date has been set.

The origin of the elective surgery has not been determined.

It was inevetable ..................

An old country preacher had a teenage son, and it was getting time the boy should give some thought to choosing a profession. Like many young Men his age, the boy didn't really know what he wanted to do, and he didn't seem too concerned about it. One day, while the boy was away at school, his father decided to try an experiment. He went into the boy's room and placed on his study table four objects.


1. A Bible...

2. A silver dollar...

3. A bottle of whisky...

4. And a Playboy magazine...

'I'll just hide behind the door,' the old preacher said to himself. 'When he comes home from school today, I'll see which object he picks up. If it's the Bible, he's going to be a preacher like me, and what a blessing that would be! If he picks up the dollar, he's going to be a business man, and that would be okay, too. But if he picks up the bottle, he's going to be a no-good drunken bum, and Lord, what a shame that would be. And worst of all if he picks up that magazine he's going to be a skirt-chasing womanizer.'

The old man waited anxiously, and soon heard his son's foot-steps as he entered the house whistling and headed for his room.

The boy tossed his books on the bed, and as he turned to leave the room he spotted the objects on the table.

With curiosity in his eye, he walked over to inspect them. Finally, he picked up the Bible and placed it under his arm. He picked up the silver dollar and dropped into his pocket. He uncorked the bottle and took a big drink, while he admired this month's centerfold.

The old preacher disgustedly whispered: 'He's gonna run for Congress.'

Walmart Plans to Enter Health Care Market

By Julia Appleby and Sarah Varney, Kaiser Health News

Walmart - the nation's largest retailer and biggest private employer -- now wants to dominate a growing part of the health care market, offering a range of medical services from basic prevention to management of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease, NPR and Kaiser Health News have learned.

In the same week in late October that Walmart announced it would stop offering health insurance benefits to new part-time employees, the retailer sent out a request for information seeking partners to help it "dramatically ... lower the cost of healthcare ... by becoming the largest provider of primary healthcare services in the nation."

On Tuesday, Walmart spokeswoman Tara Raddohl confirmed the proposal but declined to elaborate on specifics, calling it simply an effort to determine "strategic next steps."

The 14-page request asks firms to spell out their expertise in a wide variety of areas, including managing and monitoring patients with chronic, costly health conditions. Partners are to be selected in January.

Analysts said Walmart is likely positioning itself to boost store traffic - possibly by expanding the number of, and services offered by, its in-store medical clinics. The move would also capitalize on growing demand for primary care in 2014, when the federal health law fully kicks in and millions more Americans are expected to have government or private health insurance.

"We have a massive primary care problem that will be made worse by health reform," says Ian Morrison, a Menlo Park, Calif-based health-care consultant. "Anyone who has a plausible idea on how to solve this should be allowed to play."

Report: Penn State Preparing to Oust Joe Paterno

By Ray Gustini

The New York Times is reporting that Penn State football coach Joe Paterno will not be back next season, as questions continue to mount about the 84-year-old coach's response (or lack thereof) to the sexual abuse allegations made against former Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.

According to the Times, the school's board of trustees has yet to meet to figure out when exactly the coach will depart, but based on conversations with two university sources, it looks as if Paterno's exit could come "within days or weeks." The accelerated timetable would seem to imply he would not coach Penn State in a bowl game this year, and might not even finish out the regular season.

The school canceled Paterno's scheduled press conference Tuesday, after first telling reporters last night they would be able to ask him only about the team's upcoming game against Nebraska. Paterno's son Scott told the Associated Press that the decision to cancel the press conference came from university president Graham Spanier.

New formula would reduce Social Security increases

By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER - Associated Press

 Just as 55 million Social Security recipients are about to get their first benefit increase in three years, Congress is looking at reducing future raises by adopting a new measure of inflation that also would increase taxes for most families — the biggest impact falling on those with low incomes.

If adopted across the government, the inflation measure would have widespread ramifications. Future increases in veterans' benefits and pensions for federal workers and military personnel would be smaller. And over time, fewer people would qualify for Medicaid, Head Start, food stamps, school lunch programs and home heating assistance than under the current measure.

Taxes would go up by $60 billion over the next decade because annual adjustments to the tax brackets would be smaller, resulting in more people jumping into higher tax brackets because their wages rose faster than the new inflation measure. Annual increases in the standard deduction and personal exemptions would become smaller.

Former SEAL's Book: Obama Golfed as Forces Moved In on bin Laden

By Henry J. Reske

While SEAL Team Six was moving in for the kill on Osama bin Laden, President Barack Obama was golfing. The allegation is one of many startling revelations in a new book on the mission that killed the world’s most wanted terrorist.

The book, “SEAL Target Geronimo: The Inside Story of the Mission to Kill Osama bin Laden” by former SEAL Chuck Pfarrer, was excerpted in London’s Sunday Times. Obama was on the golf course until 20 minutes before the operation began in earnest, a move alleged to provide cover for the president if the raid had gone bad, according to accounts in London’s Daily Mail.

The book, based on interviews with some of the men who carried out the raid on the al-Qaida leader's hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, claims that the official account released to the press was riddled with errors.

Native American group slams Kardashian mom comment

By MANUEL VALDES - Associated Press

A Native American group is denouncing a comment Kim Kardashian's mother made on national television as being "wrong and hurtful."

The comment from Kardashian's mom, Kris Jenner, came on "Good Morning America" Thursday, when Jenner was asked if her daughter should return Kris Humphries' $2 million engagement ring after their 72-day marriage ended.

Jenner responded with a laugh, saying: "Well, I hate an Indian giver. Don't you? It's a gift. Keep your gift."

The National Congress of American Indians wasn't amused.

"The phrase 'Indian giving' is wrong and hurtful," Jacqueline Johnson Pata, executive director of the tribal advocacy group, said in a statement.

"The cultural values of Native Americans are based on giving unconditionally and empowering those around them. Instead this cultural value is forgotten when negative stereotyping of Native people occurs."

Pata noted that November is Native American Heritage Month and invited the Jenner and Kardashian family to "join with the country in learning more" about American Indian culture.
 
Conaider the source of the comment before making a judgement.

Another Ponzi Scheme - Why can't I think of these things?????

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors made new allegations on Tuesday in a probe of the Full Tilt Poker website, accusing self-styled "Poker Professor" Howard Lederer and professional poker champion Christopher Ferguson and others of paying themselves more than $440 million while defrauding other players.


In a motion filed in federal court in New York to amend an earlier civil complaint, the prosecutors accused Full Tilt Poker of running a Ponzi scheme that continued even after the original charges were filed.

Prosecutors unsealed the earlier charges on April 15, accusing three Internet poker companies -- Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker and PokerStars -- and 11 people, including Full Tilt director Raymond Bitar, of bank fraud, illegal gambling and money laundering offenses.

Lederer is described on his website as "The Poker Professor" and Ferguson has won five World Series of Poker events. The men are directors and owners of Full Tilt Poker.

"In reality, Full Tilt Poker did not maintain funds sufficient to repay all players, and in addition, the company used player funds to pay board members and other owners more than $440 million since April 2007," the office of Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement.

"Full Tilt was not a legitimate poker company, but a global Ponzi scheme."

A Ponzi scheme is usually one in which early investors are paid with the money of new clients and it collapses when funds run out.
 
As we used to say in Reno, "If you're gonna be a sucker, be a silent one."