Fingers Off My Fanta!

There's been a hue and cry lately over too much government intervention in our private Lives. Normally I shrug this off as just more conservative rantings. But, this time dangit, they're going too far!
If you live in New York State, by now you've been bombarded by TV and radio commercials encouraging the NYS legislature to pass a surcharge on soft drinks. The ads proclaim that adding a few pennies to the total price of sodas will stop kids from buying them. Two paid hacks that no one ever heard of claim that this will help stem the tide of childhood obesity and tendancy toward diabetes. What a crock! You've got to be kidding!
First of all, the kids are just going to ask their parents for a dollar to cover the increase or they're going to do without something else to buy soda. Perhaps instead of buying one of the national/international brands, they'll buy a cheaper one. Even if that one goes up by a few pennies too, it'll still be within their price range.
Secondly, it's about parents encouraging their children to eat healthy. It's about parenting period. The government can encourage healthy eating habits, as our First Lady Mrs. Obama is doing, but legislating it this way leaves a bitter taste in one's mouth.
Thirdly, if they add a few cents onto the price of soda, are they simultaneously decreasing the price of healthy beverages, like juice, milk or water correspondingly?? No, they are not.
Don't be fooled people. This is a stupid idea and one which only fattens the coffers in Albany. They are desperate for new ways to raise money to offset the deficit. But just tell the truth about it. Don't make it seem as though it's about the children and their health, when it clearly is about money.
Finally, what about me? I like a soda once in a while. Why am I being punished? Maybe we should just be 'carded' to make sure we are not children trying to sneak a soda. Then we can whip out our state-issued soda card and get to pay the discounted 'adult' price.
Really Albany...you should just allow this to fizzle out and find the loopholes in the budget where some real money is slipping through your fingers. Taxing children for drinking soda is a very lame idea.

Author: "Native Intelligence"
www.nativeintelligencethebook.com

This is The Legacy

When one thinks about the various factors, the experiences, the generations before which created your 'backstory', there will inevitably be some events and people at the forefront. These people made an indelible mark on who you have become. And, whether positive or negative, it is up to us to decide what effect these interactions have upon us...how they shape us, how we view ourselves. One such person was my grand-aunt, who every time she came to visit would sit me on her knee and tell me the history of my great-grandfather, her Dad, who became the first Black Congressman. She told me of his trials and of his triumphs. She explained to me what it meant to be a child of legacy and what it meant to be a 'Rainey'. My aunt was a very proper, dignified and well-educated woman who, in fact, became the first certified Black schoolteacher in the State of Massachussets. Her brother, my grandfather became the first Black internationally recognized classical violinist. As I listened, I thought, what a burden to thrust upon a child. Yet I listened and was sold...sold on the idea that anyone could do wondrous things. That anyone could, with enough determination, be something special. Any person might be someone who could inspire and leave a legacy worthy of admiration and emulation.
My daughter told me just last night, that I am old-fashioned. At first, I regarded that as a semi-insult. But then I thought. When did being 'old-fashioned' become a bad thing? Our ancestors had a set of ethics that will always be timely. I am proud to admit that in some areas I am 'old-fashioned'. I think that hard work brings reward and I do not want anything I did not earn. I think speaking English well is the best way to communicate with others on the level you seek and being well-educated is not losing your identity. You can never have too much knowledge. I do not make excuses for myself. I do everything to the best of my ability. I set high standards for myself and try to lead by example.
In my childhood I was surrounded by the most ethical and 'old-fashioned' people I have ever met. On my father's side and my mother's. And in the intervening years, I have met thousands. I take their lessons with me whereever I go and no matter what. Many times, I think that being open and honest encourages others to do the same. When I have been wrong and they have not responded in kind, that's a burden they will have to bear which reflects on them. In the history of my mother's people, the Choctaws, there are many examples of how an Indian was found guilty of an offense and the punishment was death. The judges knew that they were people of honor, and innocent or guilty, if they released them, they would show up at the appointed time to be executed. I find that an amazing testament to their concept that their word was worth more than their Life.
On this day, December 12th, 1870, Joseph H. Rainey was sworn in as the first Black Congressman. Born into slavery, the humblest and most inhumane of all circumstances, he rose to become one of America's political pioneers. He was a man of honor and commitment to his causes who was re-elected four more times making him the longest tenured Black politician until the 1950s. He endured physical and verbal abuse in spite of his role as a public servant. Intimidation was his constant companion and he must have felt that his work in Congress was more important than his Life.
This is the legacy which we should all share. A legacy which propels each of us to excellence and fulfilling our potential. It is a legacy which I personally pass along to my children. And, even though they may not know it, they are just as 'old-fashioned' as I am. I just won't tell them, they'll find out soon enough that they too are 'Living the Legacy'.

Author: "Native Intelligence"
www.nativeintelligencethebook.com

Tempus Fugit

After all the serious posts I have uploaded, I thought it might be refreshing to put up my most recent poem. Hope you enjoy it! But please remember that it is protected intellectual property. You may forward or reference with proper credit.
Thx!

"Tempus Fugit"

They told me it would happen
I'd seen it all before
It happened oh so slowly
Then could not be ignored;
I felt the same as usual
Didn't feel a blessed thing
But I'd surely been a victim
Of this accursed thing;
Just like all the others,
I tried to stave it off
Creams, toners, make-up cover
Any anti-age I bought;
Oh well beloved sisters
Some things we cannot change
So no longer give a number
Just give them your age range.
Lorna Rainey 2009


Author: "Native Intelligence"
www.nativeintelligencethebook.com

Help Save NYC

Okay. I can't leave it alone. I am so incensed by the 'cheek', the audacity, the conceit, the arrogance of Michael Bloomberg that I find myself talking out loud about it. Better to talk to you, my followers.
When Mayor Mike talks about how much he has done for the middle class, I am reminded of the same type of equally absurd comment made by John McCain during the recent Presidential campaign. Neither of these men has any idea what it's like to be middle-class and neither seems to be aware that because of them and people like them, there is virtually no more middle-class. An article in yesterday's local AM newspaper cites the fact that New York City has seen it's highest exodus since they've been keeping records. You can't afford to live here, exist maybe, live...No. The quality of Life has plummeted. From the crumbling roadways to the higher MTA fares to the higher bridge/tunnel crossing fees to the hordes of parking ticket minions, every day has become a challenge. There is no humanity left. Mayor Mike says that his Board of Education revisions have elevated the percentages of students earning better grades. Well, that's true. But it's because the teachers are handed a sample of the mid-term tests and the year end tests and teach the children question for question what's going to be on the tests. That's not a healthy school experience. The children are not really learning anything except how to score well on tests! If you stray beyond those questions, what do they really know? All the teachers I know are so frustrated with not being able to help students exercise their minds, but they are so afraid of losing their jobs that they just do as they're told.
It's a shame that Bloomberg will probably win the election. Not because he's done such an outstanding job as Mayor. But because he has now spent more than any political candidate in history on his campaign. He's a billionaire. His commercials and mail pieces are constant. People who are not astute will believe his distortions of the facts. They will shrug off his blatant disregard for the will of the people who twice voted to limit mayoral posts to two terms. Money is power, but does that make those of us who don't have it powerless? I hope not. We still have the power of the vote and I hope for a huge upset from the 'silent majority' on November 3.


Author: "Native Intelligence"
www.nativeintelligencethebook.com

Hypocrites!

Like most other Americans, I was shocked by the outrageously boorish behavior of Joe Wilson (R- South Carolina) during President Obama's speech on Health Care Reform. To think that he was a liar, like most of us did about Former President Bush, was one thing; to say it loudly in a televised speech before a joint meeting of Congress is quite another. Again, this is a money issue, where the 'haves' are engaged in an anything but silent war against the 'have-nots'. And additionally, his carefully premeditated outburst was a mark of disrespect for not only the man, but the office of President as well. Let the voters in his district show the same disdain for Wilson (no title of any sort is deserved) with their votes come election time. I cannot say that I am not concerned about money going to cover health care for illegal immigrants. I am! It is totally unfair to reward people for breaking the law. However...didn't George Bush campaign on immigration reform? Yet, during his tenure, illegal immigrants held one-day rallies in every major American city clamoring for their rights! If the President was serious, he should have had hundreds of busses and planes waiting to bag them up and ship them out. But, let's face it. The illegal immigrants were a source of cheap labor for the rich. The employment of them made the bottom line that much blacker and their profit margin that much larger. It became the way of business to look the other way when questions of legality arose. It became the way of business to flaunt the law and not pay American workers a fair wage. This fit in nicely with the conservative mindset. The same mindset which supported slavery and went to war to try to keep it. So, here they are bringing an old custom into a new century. This is the slavery of the new millenium. Work them hard, pay them cheap and pretend they don't exist. Hypocrites!
For some reason, I am on the Republicans mailing list. This is a wonderful thing! I get to see things most people would not. I recently received a mailing from that bastion of fairness and progressiveness, Newt Gingritch, asking for a donation to roll back the abortion clock. His group is launching another push in favor of abortion repeal. Of course this requires money. Of course, he thinks I have some. Whatever loose change I have goes to 'Feed the Children' or 'The Smile Train'. It is not our job to judge what situations a woman finds herself in. But, it is our responsibility to help where we can. Their efforts would be much better served, in my opinion, helping out foster care agencies and promoting adoption. Those people who scream out against abortion are the same ones who don't want welfare, food stamps, cross-racial adoption, or a slackening of the regulations on adoption, etc. But look into their well-manicured homes. Do you see any adopted children??? Only people who have stepped up and adopted a child who would have been aborted has the right to tell someone else that they should follow through. And, all this foreign adoption should be stopped until every American child has a home. We have too much red tape and too many loopholes here. Fix it so those children who desperately want a home and people who want to adopt can find each other. Hypocrites!
Lastly, I live in NYC...the kingdom of Michael Bloomberg. I live here. It has not become better. I live here. The standard of living has gone down. I drive here. The roads are a crumbling tangle of 'bet you're gonna need some front end work soon'. But the road usage tax has gone up...so have the bridge and tunnel tolls. And although the unemployment rate has gone up, there is an ever increasing horde of his ticket agents...pouring over the streets like roaches looking for the tiniest infraction. Now they pull their cars up and block you into an expired meter, bus stop, hydrant, trying to ticket you before you can move! My child goes to school here. The teachers are all fearful that if they don't teach to achieve good marks on the next test, they'll be fired. They want to do more, be more for the children, but they are on a leash. I've seen the TV ads. They must be for somewhere else. Talking about someone else's mayor. Mike's a billionaire. And he's squeezing us to death while his ads say he's concerned about the middle class and working people. Hypocrite!



Author: "Native Intelligence"
www.nativeintelligencethebook.com

Upsetting the Balance

I am one of the countless numbers of Americans who do not have health insurance. I am one of the countless Americans who struggles to stay afloat in this economy. I am one of the countless optomists who believed that our government with a new President could work wonders in righting so many wrongs. I also believed that we, as a people, had sent our representatives to Washington with a mandate for change. We, the people, had spoken. Obviously, some people were not listening to what Obama said about health care reform on the campaign trail.
In recent weeks I have seen more of the ugly truth than I thought existed. I have seen viciousness from a whole new angle, but with the same old purpose...rancor sown for the sake of division and anger shown for the sheer intimidating effect of it. The spindoctors are busy painting their objections with an altruistic brush, but peel off the layers and it is about the division of money and how much of it they may be forced to share with you!
Health care...a right or a privilege? If it is a right, then every vested legal American should have access to it. If it is a privilege, then it is as it is now...only for a privileged few. Don't forget what happened the last time a President dared to challenge the status quo. President and First Lady Clinton made health care reform a priority. Their adversaries made their destruction a priority with Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky. And Health Care was quickly and permanently shifted to the back burner.
When I see and hear all the venom being hissed at President Obama from all the indignant Americans who are worried about the deficit, I wonder where these good people were for the past eight years when two terms of President Bush Jr took the biggest surplus in modern times and turned it into the biggest deficit in history. And during that time, a bogus war was started which resulted in the deaths of innocents who were American, Iraqi and Afghani. These same righteous, indignant Americans were not in any Town Hall meetings, they organized no big protests, there were no petitions, letter-writing campaigns or anti-war email campaigns. The truth is you can send soldiers off to war with no exit strategy and faulty intelligence, you can strip the mortgage industry of all regulations, you can ship jobs overseas and bring illegal workers in...but you can't propose health care reform. If you want to 'let the dogs out'...try to strike a better balance between the 'haves' and the 'have nots'. The snarling dogs will come after you if you upset the balance that they've come to expect; the one that ensures that the majority of the money and profits are weighted in their favor.
I am not saying that I want the government to take over health care, but if the insurance companies are busily bankrupting people and deciding who gets health care and who doesn't, I do want the government to fill in the cracks, close the loopholes, and rescue so many of us from an uncertain future with no health coverage in sight. Perhaps the proposed plan is not perfect. But sit down, stop screaming and playing to the cameras, and come up with an alternate plan. We want reform. We need reform.
Finally, I find it disgusting that Sen McCain, of all people, whose limitless health coverage is a perk of being a Senator and whose wife has googobs of money, would dare to tell the rest of us how he is concerned about how much money the reform would add to the deficit. Again, where has he been for the past eight years? He should be ashamed that the very people he is talking to are in his age group and are the most vulnerable. He is part of a Congress, the majority of whom are privileged, that had no problem funding war, but gags at the prospect of keeping its citizens well. It's obscene that we spend billions killing, but balk at a further deficit to keep people alive. I would say it's sickening...but I am uninsured and can't afford it.


Author: "Native Intelligence"
http://www.nativeintelligencethebook.com/
Producer: http://www.culinaryhightv.com/

We Have the Power...Part 2

Sometimes it seems more difficult than it really is. The answer lies somewhere beneath a complicated mangle of thought which we have created. And all it really takes is the will to change.
For eight years, we've been drained by the Bernie Madoffs and the reversal of common sense advocated by the Bush regime. It can be summarized in four stages: greed, me first, who cares and we'll figure it out later. All of which led us into the economic quagmire we're in today. But can we really shift all the blame onto the government and lack thereof? How many times did we ignore the Made in China label and buy it anyway because it was cheaper? On how many occasions did we call customer service and connect to India? How much of our food is imported from other countries where the regulations are looser and the prices are lower? It's one thing to shop in the 99 cent store for discontinued items, but it's a whole other mindset when we buy everything we can from there regardless of where it's made.
This has been a vicious cycle which has caused us to spiral downward into mind-numbing fear. We make less, so we spend less. But can we have an impact with what we spend and where we spend it? Of course we can by using the power of consumer choice. Multiply yourself by millions of other consumers and you can see how we impacted our economy by saving a couple of dollars every shopping trip over the past few years! What about those bootleg CDs and DVDs? And you wonder why the cost of a night at the movies and the price of a concert ticket keeps going up. The producers have made a substantial investment and they know that a tremendous amount of revenue will be lost to the bootleggers. So, we go to the ticket window and get gouged. Okay, you saved a few dollors, but the rest of us paid for it. At the produce market, look for fruits and vegetables grown locally or at least in the United States. Our farms are disappearing and along with them generations of farming families. When shopping for clothing or other goods, look at the label of origin and help the American worker keep that job. If you have bought a new American product and need customer service, insist on speaking to someone here. Wouldn't you like to understand whatever directions the rep is giving you and don't you know anyone who needs a job? It's very simple...support your fellow citizens now, or support them later. In some ways we have exascerbated the problem by not thinking in the long term. When you opt to buy foreign products our money is going to support their citizens and boost their economy. Right now, China is holding notes on some of the loans we negotiated to rescue us. We gave them our money and now we have to borrow some of it back. It's a very painful lesson and we'd better get the answers right this time. But each of us can do our part. Let's think about each other, care about each other, help each other. Very simply...Buy American. We have the power to change some things and that may be enough to put us on the right path again.




Author: "Native Intelligence"
www.nativeintelligencethebook.com