Tuesday, December 6
Snowden Receives Russian Passport
MOSCOW, December 2. /TASS/. Former NSA (National Security Agency) employee Edward Snowden took an oath and was granted a Russian passport, his lawyer Anatoly Kucherena told TASS on Friday.
"Yes, he received a passport. He took the oath," Kucherena said in a response to a question as to whether Snowden has been given a Russian passport, adding that he personally met with Snowden yesterday.
The lawyer also said that Snowden’s spouse is currently submitting the required documents for Russian citizenship as well. Snowden and American acrobat and blogger Lindsay Mills married in Moscow in 2017.
Snowden’s US passport was annulled in 2013, but the White House explained back then that it was a routine legal procedure following the issuance of an arrest warrant and his citizenship status remained unchanged.
In late September, a Russian presidential decree was published stating that Snowden was eligible to be granted the Russian citizenship.
In 2013, Snowden leaked information on the electronic surveillance methods used by American intelligence services, including illegally eavesdropping on foreign leaders’ conversations.
Fleeing punitive consequences from US federal authorities, Snowden sent requests for asylum to several countries, including Russia. On August 1, 2014, he obtained a temporary Russian residence permit and later was granted an open-ended residency permit.
Back in the United States, Snowden is facing two counts of violating the Espionage Act, and he risks up to ten years in prison on each count. READ MORE...
Russian Vodka
There are few brands in Russia as widely recognized and held in as high regard as Russian Standard Vodka. It is possibly the most beloved liquor in the country.
RUSSIAN STANDARD VODKA’S ORIGIN
The story of how this brand came to be is a unique one. The company is founded by billionaire oligarch Roustam Tariko. Legend has it that Tariko grew Russian Standard Vodka with a clever marketing scheme designed around a separate banking company.
Tariko named a developing bank of his, “Russkij Standart,” in an effort to get around television broadcast guidelines and advertise vodka legally. Consumers would hear commercials promoting the Russkij Standart Bank and subconsciously be thinking about Russkij Standart Vodka.
However, there is some controversy over whether this account is true. Originally, this tale was brought forth by a marketing instructor named Max Lenderman, who authored the book “Brand new World: How Paupers, Pirates and Oligarchs are Reshaping Business.”
The story of how this brand came to be is a unique one. The company is founded by billionaire oligarch Roustam Tariko. Legend has it that Tariko grew Russian Standard Vodka with a clever marketing scheme designed around a separate banking company.
Tariko named a developing bank of his, “Russkij Standart,” in an effort to get around television broadcast guidelines and advertise vodka legally. Consumers would hear commercials promoting the Russkij Standart Bank and subconsciously be thinking about Russkij Standart Vodka.
However, there is some controversy over whether this account is true. Originally, this tale was brought forth by a marketing instructor named Max Lenderman, who authored the book “Brand new World: How Paupers, Pirates and Oligarchs are Reshaping Business.”
Lenderman claims that Tariko intentionally started the Russian Standard Bank as a way of avoiding Russian censorship laws. This story was cemented into the legacy of the brand once Lenderman was featured on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Radio show, “Under The Influence.”
Regardless of Tariko’s true intentions, one thing is for certain: he created an absolute powerhouse of a vodka brand. As suggested by its name, Russian Standard Vodka has truly become the customary vodka of the country.
This brand and its products have a deep-rooted history that goes back hundreds of years. Today, we’re going to be examining how this brand was able to beat the odds and become the face of vodka in Russia. Continue reading with Saucey to learn more.
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF RUSSIAN VODKA?
In Russia, drinking vodka is a popular part of the culture. In fact, vodka is generally considered to have been invented in Russia and is designated as the country’s national drink. There’s some contest over whether vodka originated in Poland or Russia, but either way, we know that it’s been around in both countries for a very long time, possibly as early as the eighth or ninth century.
There’s even a myth that this age-long drink was actually invented by the same person who invented the Periodic Table of Elements: Professor Dmitri Mendeleev. When he first created the principles of creating vodka in 1854, Mendeleev was working as a lowly professor at the University of St.Petersburg.
While he didn’t actually invent vodka, his contribution to the world of vodka is unmatched. His work can best be described by this formal statement by Russian Standard Vodka: “Professor Mendeleev’s philosophy on equilibrium and natural order led to the identification of the perfect balance between water and alcohol, which underpinned the original Russian Empire Standard set by Tsar Alexander III in 1894.”
WHERE IS RUSSIAN STANDARD VODKA MADE?
The company headquarters are located in Moscow, but the original distillery can still be found in St. Petersburg.
Over the years, vodka has been modified and modernized extensively. Brands like Russian Standard Vodka have completely revolutionized the industry, creating the highest possible production standards for their vodka.
According to Russian Standard Vodka, the water from their vodka is exclusively sourced from glacial water found in Lake Ladoga. The winter wheat is sourced from Russian Steppes. Then, the vodka is sent through the distillation process over 200 times.
HOW RUSSIAN STANDARD VODKA IS MADE?
The brand claims to employ Professor Dmitri Mendeleev’s original recipe but with a modern spin.
The most profound aspect of their production process is their distillation. All of their vodka passes through the distillation process over 200 times to filter out any impurities. This tedious process ensures the cleanest consistency possible.
The filtering process includes Russian birch charcoal filters, Urals Mountains quartz crystal filters, and silver filters. By using a variety of filters, the final product ends up with a smooth, subtle taste rather than a sour, bitter one.
After the vodka is distilled, every bottle is labeled with a Certificate of Origin. These certificates are issued by the Russian government. This certificate guarantees that the quality of the product is high and that it is an authentic Russian product.
Few other vodka companies go to such lengths to ensure a clean texture in their products. This intense distillation process is one of the many reasons why Russian Standard Vodka is considered the top drink in Russia. READ MORE...
HOW RUSSIAN STANDARD VODKA IS MADE?
The brand claims to employ Professor Dmitri Mendeleev’s original recipe but with a modern spin.
The most profound aspect of their production process is their distillation. All of their vodka passes through the distillation process over 200 times to filter out any impurities. This tedious process ensures the cleanest consistency possible.
The filtering process includes Russian birch charcoal filters, Urals Mountains quartz crystal filters, and silver filters. By using a variety of filters, the final product ends up with a smooth, subtle taste rather than a sour, bitter one.
After the vodka is distilled, every bottle is labeled with a Certificate of Origin. These certificates are issued by the Russian government. This certificate guarantees that the quality of the product is high and that it is an authentic Russian product.
Few other vodka companies go to such lengths to ensure a clean texture in their products. This intense distillation process is one of the many reasons why Russian Standard Vodka is considered the top drink in Russia. READ MORE...
What is Russia Famous For?
Not sure what Russia is famous for? Then you’re certainly in the right place because this guide covers all the things that the Russian Republic, the largest country in the world, is known for internationally!
Russia is famous for the cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg as well its leader, Vladimir Putin. Of course, people also know Russia for its Vodka, Russian Dolls, and many other things.
They’re featured on this list, but we’ve also got lots of other things that are popular about the country, for a total of 21 things that make Russia famous all over the world!
Russia is best known for Moscow, its stunning capital city on the Moskva River in Western Russia. The city is home to many of Russia’s famous landmarks, including the Red Square, the Bolshoi Theater, St. Basil’s Cathedral, Kremlin, Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, and many others.
The stunning city is both the largest and the most populated city in Russia, as well as the fourth city in the world by the number of billionaires who reside there. The Moscow metro system is also an impressive engineering feat and is huge at 325.4 km. in total length. Moscow metro is also famous worldwide because of the stunning architecture of many of the metro stations.
Russia is famous for Vladimir Putin, the president who has been in office for what seems like an eternity. He’s been the president of the country since 1999, only stepping down for one term in 2008 because the law required him to do so. Recently he signed legislation that would allow him to stay in office until 2036, so it’s unlikely that he’ll be stepping down again any time soon. READ MORE...
Best Places in Russia to Visit
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| MOSCOW |
Russia, once the largest and most powerful member of the former USSR, nonetheless remains a fascinating country to visit. It is a country of contrasts, from great subtropical beaches to bitterly cold winter regions in the north. The east may have fewer people, but its lovely cities are among the most popular places to visit in Russia and can hold their own against the west.
Russia is steeped in history everywhere a traveler goes, from vicious battles to great classical music and literature. And almost everywhere visitors can see examples of magnificent art, not only in museums but also in its churches.
10. Yekaterinburg
9. Sochi
8. Veliky Novgorod
7. Vladivostok
6. Nizhny Novgorod
5. Irkutsk
4. Kazan
3. Golden Ring
2. Saint Petersburg
1. Moscow
All About Russia
Russia, country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. Once the preeminent republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.; commonly known as the Soviet Union), Russia became an independent country after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991.
RussiaRussia is a land of superlatives. By far the world’s largest country, it covers nearly twice the territory of Canada, the second largest. It extends across the whole of northern Asia and the eastern third of Europe, spanning 11 time zones and incorporating a great range of environments and landforms, from deserts to semiarid steppes to deep forests and Arctic tundra. Russia contains Europe’s longest river, the Volga, and its largest lake, Ladoga. Russia also is home to the world’s deepest lake, Baikal, and the country recorded the world’s lowest temperature outside the North and South poles.
St. Petersburg
Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, St. Petersburg, RussiaThe inhabitants of Russia are quite diverse. Most are ethnic Russians, but there also are more than 120 other ethnic groups present, speaking many languages and following disparate religious and cultural traditions. Most of the Russian population is concentrated in the European portion of the country, especially in the fertile region surrounding Moscow, the capital. Moscow and St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) are the two most important cultural and financial centres in Russia and are among the most picturesque cities in the world. Russians are also populous in Asia, however; beginning in the 17th century, and particularly pronounced throughout much of the 20th century, a steady flow of ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking people moved eastward into Siberia, where cities such as Vladivostok and Irkutsk now flourish. SOURCE: Britannica
Monday, December 5
Money Drives Everything
Politicians also remind me of Plant Managers, CEOs, and others who may be in charge of something... and I make this association because LEADERS tend to withhold information away from the workforce, especially if it is bad news... Bad news is always delivered to the workforce on a Friday afternoon right before they go home for the weekend or right before a holiday begins.
This issue should also be focused on the lawyers who advise the leaders to behave in this manner in order to prevent of mitigate legal action being taken against the company.
The final area of the problem rests with the shareholders who DEMAND that they be paid a dividend of a specific amount every 90 days. As a result of this demand, companies no longer take action regarding what is in the best interest of the company or its employees or even the customer, but what is in the best interest of the stockholders... and PROFITS.
- Money drives politicians
- Money drives business leaders
- Money drives the economy
- Money drives the legal system
- Money drives societies
And, it is not just money that drives... but how much money you actually have...
If you are just a millionaire you have less influence than a multimillionaire would have and a multimillionaire would have less influence than a billionaire would have and a billionaire would have less influence than a multibillionaire would have.
This reminds me of the shit that goes on in education at our colleges and universities... No one believes you or has confidence in your opinion unless you have a PhD... And, those who have PhDs are ranked in order of when they got their damn PhD... in other words, if I got my PhD before you did, then my opinion is and will always be more valuable than your opinion.
How long do you think societies will last if their society is based or predicated upon bullshit like this???
Canada: More Nurses Needed
Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé tells reporters the province could use thousands more nurses to answer its tele-health line, which is supposed to free up emergency rooms. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)
The province's health minister is pleading with qualified nurses, asking them to sign up and lend a hand to the 811 service, saying the province's telehealth staff are overwhelmed with an increase in calls.
On Thursday, Christian Dubé said the province is looking for retired nurses, those working in the private sector and nursing students. He said they can sign up on the province's recruitment website called Je contribue — French for "I pitch in" — that was launched at the start of the pandemic.
Dubé said the province needs 3,000 qualified people to step up but added Quebec "could take up to 5,000 nurses to answer the phones."
"If there are nurses that want to help us over the coming weeks, there are good schedules. It's work that can be done part time."
When Quebecers call 811, the first option on the menu is for Info-Santé, where nurses assess a caller's symptoms and offer medical advice. The second option is for parents of sick children, under the age of 18.
Those two services received 5,000 calls each on Wednesday, according to the health minister, and it's a volume of calls that's too high for current staff levels.
The service now lets callers know how long the waiting times are, Dubé said. He said the province wants to create a virtual waiting room, allowing callers to leave their number and have 811 staff call them back instead of waiting on the line.
"But to do that, I have to be certain that a nurse will be able to call back the patient," Dubé said, implying that without more staff, it would be difficult for nurses to take care of callbacks.
The health minister, who formed a crisis task force in late October to tackle the issue of overcrowded emergency rooms, said the issue is far from resolved, but there has been progress. READ MORE...
Canada: Soldiers and the Freedom Convoy
Members of the Canadian Armed Forces march at a parade in Calgary on July 8, 2016. An email from the Minister of Defence's press secretary suggests the military knew of seven to eight CAF members' involvement in the self-styled 'Freedom Convoy' protest.(Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)Emails released through a public inquiry suggest federal Liberal political aides were scrambling earlier this year to figure out the extent to which members of the Canadian Armed Forces were supporting the self-described "Freedom Convoy" protests that had gridlocked downtown Ottawa.
The internal communications are among thousands of documents submitted to the Public Order Emergency Commission, which is looking at the Liberal government's decision to invoke the Emergencies Act to end the demonstrations in February.
On Feb. 15, one day after the Emergencies Act was invoked, Defence Minister Anita Anand's press secretary, Daniel Minden, emailed fellow political staff in the offices of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino.
"Please see this internal list of CAF members allegedly involved in the convoy so far," Minden wrote.
The email goes on to provide a "list of known members connected to protests," including five who are specifically named and two who are not. Those not named include a special forces soldier based in Ottawa and a civilian Defence Department employee.
The internal communications are among thousands of documents submitted to the Public Order Emergency Commission, which is looking at the Liberal government's decision to invoke the Emergencies Act to end the demonstrations in February.
On Feb. 15, one day after the Emergencies Act was invoked, Defence Minister Anita Anand's press secretary, Daniel Minden, emailed fellow political staff in the offices of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino.
"Please see this internal list of CAF members allegedly involved in the convoy so far," Minden wrote.
The email goes on to provide a "list of known members connected to protests," including five who are specifically named and two who are not. Those not named include a special forces soldier based in Ottawa and a civilian Defence Department employee.
All names are redacted in copies of the emails provided to the commission as "Personal Info."
The list also includes the individuals' location, the action the military was taking at the moment and the results of any actions that had already been taken.
The list appears to have sparked a strong reaction from Mendicino's director of communications, Alexander Cohen, who used an expletive in his response to Minden, saying: "How the f--- many soldiers are in the convoy?"
"7-8 that we know of," Minden replied.
Minden and Cohen did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.
The email does not provide specifics about what those on the list were accused of doing or what rules they are alleged to have broken. READ MORE...
The list also includes the individuals' location, the action the military was taking at the moment and the results of any actions that had already been taken.
The list appears to have sparked a strong reaction from Mendicino's director of communications, Alexander Cohen, who used an expletive in his response to Minden, saying: "How the f--- many soldiers are in the convoy?"
"7-8 that we know of," Minden replied.
Minden and Cohen did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.
The email does not provide specifics about what those on the list were accused of doing or what rules they are alleged to have broken. READ MORE...
Canada: Hard to Catch Diary Cows
Montreal, Canada – Marie-Andree Cadorette was getting desperate.
After being punted between government, police and animal welfare agencies, each saying they couldn’t do anything to help, the general manager of the tiny Canadian village of Saint-Severe, Quebec – population 320 – needed reinforcements.
Eight cowboys on horseback answered her call, equipped with a drone and fencing. Their target? A group of young runaway cows that has been on the lam since the summer, wreaking havoc and causing tens of thousands of dollars in damages in the largely rural area.
“They succeeded in encircling them,” Cadorette said in an interview with Radio-Canada’s widely watched Sunday evening programme, Tout le monde en parle. “But unfortunately, the heifers passed by a field of corn that hadn’t been harvested yet, and they fled into the cornfield.
“And then there was nothing left to do.”
The tale of the approximately two dozen missing farm animals has captured media and public attention across the French-speaking province of Quebec, with the agricultural ministry calling the situation “complex and unprecedented”.
It even reached Canada’s Senate last week, as Senator Julie Miville-Dechene expressed her “amused admiration” for the young bovines, which she said had “recovered their freedom”. READ MORE...
Top 15 Places to Visit in Canada
Canada is a country chock-full of natural sites and urban delights, where visitors are equally as wowed by the wildlife and wilderness, as they are by the cultural and culinary offerings found in the cities that speckle the sprawling nation.
Peruse for polar bears on the open arctic tundra of Churchill or cruise Vancouver’s curvy coastline in a canoe while gawking at the city skyline. Feast on five-star fusion cuisine in Toronto, or take in a street-side jazz jam session in Montreal.
Whether you’re a first-time visitor or returning to experience something new, these are the 15 best places to see in Canada. But be sure to plan ahead, because as the world’s second-largest country, you just won’t be able to do it all in one trip.
Explore the planet's most surprising adventures with our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox.
Get your thrills with outdoor adventures in the mountains © iStock / Getty Images
1. The Canadian Rockies
Best for mountain views
The sawtooth, white-topped mountains straddling the British Columbia–Alberta border inspire both awe and action. Five national parks – Banff, Yoho, Kootenay, Waterton Lakes and Jasper – offer countless opportunities to delve into the lush wilderness, with ribbons of hiking trails, rushing white water and powdery ski slopes to satisfy travelers looking for mountain thrills.
This is one of the best places to visit in Canada in the winter, but outdoor adventures are aplenty during the summer months too.
2. Vancouver
Best for combining city and nature
3. Niagara Falls
Best for an iconic travel experience
4. Whistler
Best place to ski in Canada
5. Montréal Jazz Festival
Best place for music lovers
6. Old Québec City
Best place to visit in Canada for couples
7. Toronto
Best for multicultural experiences
8. Vancouver Island
Best for nature lovers
9. Rideau Canal
Best for ice skating
10. Manitoulin Island
Best place in Canada to celebrate First Nations culture
11. The Prairies
Best place for road trips
12. Bay of Fundy
Best place to spot whales
13. Drumheller
Best for dinosaur lovers
14. Churchill
The best place for polar bear encounters
15. Baffin
Best for Inuit art and incredible landscapes
Best for an iconic travel experience
4. Whistler
Best place to ski in Canada
5. Montréal Jazz Festival
Best place for music lovers
6. Old Québec City
Best place to visit in Canada for couples
7. Toronto
Best for multicultural experiences
8. Vancouver Island
Best for nature lovers
9. Rideau Canal
Best for ice skating
10. Manitoulin Island
Best place in Canada to celebrate First Nations culture
11. The Prairies
Best place for road trips
12. Bay of Fundy
Best place to spot whales
13. Drumheller
Best for dinosaur lovers
14. Churchill
The best place for polar bear encounters
15. Baffin
Best for Inuit art and incredible landscapes
All About Canada
Canada, the second largest country in the world in area (after Russia), occupying roughly the northern two-fifths of the continent of North America.
Despite Canada’s great size, it is one of the world’s most sparsely populated countries. This fact, coupled with the grandeur of the landscape, has been central to the sense of Canadian national identity, as expressed by the Dublin-born writer Anna Brownell Jameson, who explored central Ontario in 1837 and remarked exultantly on “the seemingly interminable line of trees before you; the boundless wilderness around you; the mysterious depths amid the multitudinous foliage, where foot of man hath never penetrated…the solitude in which we proceeded mile after mile, no human being, no human dwelling within sight.”
Although Canadians are comparatively few in number, they have crafted what many observers consider to be a model multicultural society, welcoming immigrant populations from every other continent. In addition, Canada harbours and exports a wealth of natural resources and intellectual capital equaled by few other countries.
Canada
Château Frontenac, Quebec city
Canada is officially bilingual in English and French, reflecting the country’s history as ground once contested by two of Europe’s great powers. The word Canada is derived from the Huron-Iroquois kanata, meaning a village or settlement. In the 16th century, French explorer Jacques Cartier used the name Canada to refer to the area around the settlement that is now Quebec city. Later, Canada was used as a synonym for New France, which, from 1534 to 1763, included all the French possessions along the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. After the British conquest of New France, the name Quebec was sometimes used instead of Canada.
Canada
Château Frontenac, Quebec cityCanada is officially bilingual in English and French, reflecting the country’s history as ground once contested by two of Europe’s great powers. The word Canada is derived from the Huron-Iroquois kanata, meaning a village or settlement. In the 16th century, French explorer Jacques Cartier used the name Canada to refer to the area around the settlement that is now Quebec city. Later, Canada was used as a synonym for New France, which, from 1534 to 1763, included all the French possessions along the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. After the British conquest of New France, the name Quebec was sometimes used instead of Canada.
The name Canada was fully restored after 1791, when Britain divided old Quebec into the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada (renamed in 1841 Canada West and Canada East, respectively, and collectively called Canada). In 1867 the British North America Act created a confederation from three colonies (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Canada) called the Dominion of Canada. The act also divided the old colony of Canada into the separate provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
Dominion status allowed Canada a large measure of self-rule, but matters pertaining to international diplomacy and military alliances were reserved to the British crown. Canada became entirely self-governing within the British Empire in 1931, though full legislative independence was not achieved until 1982, when Canada obtained the right to amend its own constitution. SOURCE: Britannica
Sunday, December 4
Sunday in the Valley
I remember just a few years ago that my wife and I were putting our kayaks in at Cherokee Lake on the weekends in December and spending a couple of hours paddling around... that was prior to 2015 when we retired...
Age 67 to Age 75 has created changes from which it is going to be difficult to rebound but within those changes, I am still able to walk over a mile each day...
Today, after my walk, I will fire up the riding lawn mower and mulch up the leaves that have blown into the back yard from our neighbor's trees... If I don't mulch, it will kill the grass, and if I rake, then I will be on my back for several days... the riding mower can complete the job in 30 minutes as opposed to a couple of hours or more...
Being outside on cool days allows me to maintain my health but it also allows me to defuse my mind from all the bullshit politics I listen to in .the morning news...
Storms from the south and the southwest have blown in and created rain during the early morning hours but by the time I awake at 8:30 am, the sun is out and the skies are what I used to call a Carolina Blue when I lived in NC... but discovered 32 years ago, that my preference was East TN rather than the Piedmont of NC....
The Valley has less traffic, less polution, less crime, and less standing in lines when you want to go out to dinner. There is no state income tax and the overall cost of living is about 12% less than most other places... The temps are just icing on the cake...
Rose in the News Again
LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 15: Former Major League Baseball player and manager Pete Rose speaks during a news conference at Pete Rose Bar & Grill to respond to his lifetime ban from MLB for gambling being upheld on December 15, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on Monday announced that he was rejecting Rose's application for reinstatement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
It's been decades since Major League Baseball banned all-time hits leader Pete Rose from the league for life. Unfortunately, that ban isn't being removed this year - or anytime soon - much to the disgust of fans.
Speaking to the media this week, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred stated that he believes betting on baseball should keep Rose permanently on the league's ineligible list. However, he does not feel that should necessary exclude him from the Hall of Fame.
Speaking to the media this week, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred stated that he believes betting on baseball should keep Rose permanently on the league's ineligible list. However, he does not feel that should necessary exclude him from the Hall of Fame.
"I believe that when you bet on baseball from Major League Baseball’s perspective, you belong on the permanently ineligible list," Manfred said.
Baseball fans are furious at Manfred for taking the position, not just because Rose is baseball's all-time leading hitter, but out of a sense of hypocrisy for the league inviting sports books and gambling into the league now. READ MORE...
Saturday, December 3
Life Is Good When You Have Money
that does not mean you have to be wealthy...
Most people who are able to generate more money than they need, typically buy a larger house or a house in a more expensive neighborhood.
Most people who are able to generate more money than they need, typically buy a more expensive car, multiple cars, multiple homes, take more vacations, take more expensive vacations, fly first class, eat out more in restaurants, and stay in more expensive hotels rooms.
Most people who are able to generate more money than they need, typically throw away their money... that is not to say that they should save money... just that they should not spend money foolishly.
Foolish is not the same as being FRUGAL...
My wife and I are living good without a lot of money and on a fixed income of social security and a savings account.
- We have been debt free for over 15 years
- We saved money every month
- We purchased what we needed not what we wanted
- We spent our money frugally
- We are living retired just like we lived when we both worked
For example:
- We buy cars that are a year old, that have been leased, with low mileage and save about $10-$12,000 each time we need to purchase
- We go on vacation at Myrtle Beach, SC from Sunday to Saturday when the rates are cheaper
- We eat Salmon at Cheddars rather than Red Lobster where the meals are just as good and $6/$7 cheaper
- We buy in bulk whenever we can which is always cheaper
- We save frequent flyer points by using a Delta/American Express credit card for all our purchases
- We pay credit cards off at the end of the month to avoid paying interest
While my wife and I were both working, we spent money (after saving) on handicapping our home when we eventually retired. We took down walls and created one great room joining our kitchen, living room and dining room. Put hardwood floors down in our house to improve internal warmth.
Outside, we installed an above ground 24 foot round pool and had a deck built around it that includes enough space to have a rather large gazebo built. We also purchased a hot tub. The pool, hot tub, and deck were installed over 12 years ago. We maintained them properly and will last until we are both over 80 years of age.
We no longer pay for cable or telelphones outside of cell phones. Our entertainment is provided by a ROKU device and a HULU subscription saving over $100 each month.
I cook meals that I put in containers and eat over the next 3-4 days which saves money. This Thanksgiving, like every Thanksgiving, we buy an 8 pound Turkey breast and then eat turkey for the next 5 days... again, saving money.
Our money is not invested in the stock market or other investment accounts other than CDs... we have money because we saved money, paid off our debt, and spent money frugally during our 30 years of marriage. My salary never exceeded $50,000 and my wife's salary never exceeded $35,000.... so, neither one of us made a lot of money during our careers.
- We have been to Hawaii 3 times
- We have been on 12 week long cruises (Caribbean, Med, Alaska, Hawaii)
- We have vacationed in Europe 3 times
- We have vacationed in Mexico 6 times
- We have vacationed in Florida 6 times
- We have vacationed in Myrtle Beach twice each summer for the last 20 years
- We have vacationed at The Outer Banks 10 times
- We have vacationed in Los Vegas 3 timess
- We have vacationed in Texas, Louisana, Georgia, Gulf Coast, Colorado, New York City, and Canada.
We have not sacrificed on clothes or shoes or jackets or coats... as we have more than we ever needed and are in the process of giving away what we don't need.
The last 10 years of my career, I worked as an overpaid consultant in the areas of: quality management, team problem solving, process re-engineering, strategic planning, and ISO 9000/2000. I saved or wisely spent that money.
Released & Good to Go
My surgeon told me I was good to go... I can do any damn thing I want to do as long as I do so with a little bit of common sense.
While this is obviously good to hear, it is still not dealing with the reality of my life right now.
- My disks have not totally fused together so that is still going on.
- My walking is still awkward in that it is being forced and not natural.
- I cannot walk up steps without using the rail to pull me up.
- I cannot bend over completely without holding onto to a table.
- When I walk, I still have a slight limp.
My surgeon had previously informed me that it could be 12-18 months before I get back to normal, so if that is accurate for me, then I have another 6-12 months to go.
When I first started walking with a walking stick, it took me 58 minutes to walk a mile. Today, I no longer use a walking stick and when I walk a mile, it takes me about 22/23 minutes... so, there is an incredible amount of movement.
The surgeon told me that my core strength had to be rebuilt and it was the core strength not the surgery that was preventing me from doing what I thought I was doing before the surgery... that memory before surgery may or may not be accurate as it was not being measured.
That may be true because you don't think about what you have until it is lost or gone or taken away.
I have no choice but to continue walking a mile a day for as long as I can to reduce the physical aging process as long as possible. It is not to keep me feeling young... it is to keep me doing what I want to do a few years longer.
When I turn 80 (5 years from now), I want to be able to go outside and walk a mile like I am doing now. I want to be able to rake the leaves outside, spread mulch, cut the grass, and weedeat. It would be nice to be able to do that when I am 85 and 90 as well.
The last thing that I want to do is sit on the porch and watch the traffic for several hours and then need help to stand up... I want to be able to stand up and play checkers rather than having to sit down. I want to be able to climb the stairs of a cruise ship without having to wait for the elevator.
My walking today will help me do all of that...
A Declining US Population Impacts Higher Education
is about to crash and itt will change
higher education forever.
In 2021, Shippensburg University won the NCAA Division II Field Hockey championship, completing an undefeated season with a 3-0 victory over archrival West Chester. The “Ship” Raiders also won it all in 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2013, which I know because I saw it written in big letters on a banner festooning the fieldhouse on Ship’s campus in south-central Pennsylvania when I visited last month.
Ship was in fine form. Young men and women wearing logoed Champion sweatshirts bustled between buildings. There was a line at the coffee shop in the student union. It was the kind of bright-blue autumn day that you would see on a brochure.
There was no way to tell, from the outside, that Ship was a shrinking institution. Or that the problem is about to get a lot worse — not just here, but at colleges and universities nationwide.
In four years, the number of students graduating from high schools across the country will begin a sudden and precipitous decline, due to a rolling demographic aftershock of the Great Recession. Traumatized by uncertainty and unemployment, people decided to stop having kids during that period.
But even as we climbed out of the recession, the birth rate kept dropping, and we are now starting to see the consequences on campuses everywhere. Classes will shrink, year after year, for most of the next two decades. People in the higher education industry call it “the enrollment cliff.”
Among the small number of elite colleges and research universities — think the Princetons and the Penn States — the cliff will be no big deal. These institutions have their pick of applicants and can easily keep classes full.
For everyone else, the consequences could be dire. In some places, the crisis has already begun. College enrollment began slowly receding after the millennial enrollment wave peaked in 2010, particularly in regions that were already experiencing below-average birth rates while simultaneously losing population to out-migration.
Among the small number of elite colleges and research universities — think the Princetons and the Penn States — the cliff will be no big deal. These institutions have their pick of applicants and can easily keep classes full.
For everyone else, the consequences could be dire. In some places, the crisis has already begun. College enrollment began slowly receding after the millennial enrollment wave peaked in 2010, particularly in regions that were already experiencing below-average birth rates while simultaneously losing population to out-migration.
Starved of students and the tuition revenue they bring, small private colleges in New England have begun to blink off the map. Regional public universities like Ship are enduring painful layoffs and consolidation.
The timing is terrible. Trade policy, de-unionization, corporate consolidation, and substance abuse have already ravaged countless communities, particularly in the post-industrial Northeast and Midwest.
The timing is terrible. Trade policy, de-unionization, corporate consolidation, and substance abuse have already ravaged countless communities, particularly in the post-industrial Northeast and Midwest.
In many cases, colleges have been one of the only places that provide good jobs in their communities, offer educational opportunities for locals, and have strong enough roots to stay planted. The enrollment cliff means they might soon dry up and blow away.
This trend will accelerate the winner-take-all dynamic of geographic consolidation that is already upending American politics. College-educated Democrats will increasingly congregate in cities and coastal areas, leaving people without degrees in rural areas and towns.
This trend will accelerate the winner-take-all dynamic of geographic consolidation that is already upending American politics. College-educated Democrats will increasingly congregate in cities and coastal areas, leaving people without degrees in rural areas and towns.
For students who attend less-selective colleges and universities near where they grew up — that is, most college students — the enrollment cliff means fewer options for going to college in person, or none at all. READ MORE...
Friday, December 2
My Visit to Italy 1962/63
From Genoa we traveled to Pisa, Livorno, Florence, Rome, and Naples before visiting other countries in Europe.
I was 15/16 years old and while I was old enough to understand the importance of where I was, I was not old enough to appreciate the significance of what I saw... which looking back, is a damn shame.
The guide told us that the dress of Mary had been cut so thin that light would shine through it from behind if a light source was put there. The artistic skill to be able to do that was incredible and I doubt has ever been duplicated by another sculpture.
But more impressive than that was the fact that in 1962/63, visitors could walk up to the Pieta and get close to the sculpture that if you wanted to you could reach out and touch it.
However, asshole vandals ruined that and when I returned to St. Peter's Basilica in 2012 with my wife, we could only stand at the end of a hallway, behind bullet proof glass if we wanted to look at the Pieta.
Italy is a place that I would never get tired of visiting.
Italy: The Holy See
Vatican City, in full State of the Vatican City, Italian Stato della Città del Vaticano, ecclesiastical state, seat of the Roman Catholic Church, and an enclave in Rome, situated on the west bank of the Tiber River. Vatican City is the world’s smallest fully independent nation-state. Its medieval and Renaissance walls form its boundaries except on the southeast at St. Peter’s Square (Piazza San Pietro).
Of the six entrances, only three—the piazza, the Arco delle Campane (Arch of the Bells) in the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica, and the entrance to the Vatican Museums and Galleries in the north wall—are open to the public. The most imposing building is St. Peter’s Basilica, built during the 4th century and rebuilt during the 16th century. Erected over the tomb of St. Peter the Apostle, it is the second largest religious building (after Yamoussoukro Basilica) in Christendom.
Vatican City: St. Peter's Basilica
The Vatican palace is the residence of the pope within the city walls. The Holy See is the name given to the government of the Roman Catholic Church, which is led by the pope as the bishop of Rome. As such, the Holy See’s authority extends over Catholics throughout the world. Since 1929 it has resided in Vatican City, which was established as an independent state to enable the pope to exercise his universal authority.
Vatican City has its own telephone system, post office, gardens, astronomical observatory, radio station, banking system, and pharmacy, as well as a contingent of Swiss Guards responsible for the personal safety of the pope since 1506. Almost all supplies—including food, water, electricity, and gas—must be imported.
Vatican City: St. Peter's BasilicaThe Vatican palace is the residence of the pope within the city walls. The Holy See is the name given to the government of the Roman Catholic Church, which is led by the pope as the bishop of Rome. As such, the Holy See’s authority extends over Catholics throughout the world. Since 1929 it has resided in Vatican City, which was established as an independent state to enable the pope to exercise his universal authority.
Vatican City has its own telephone system, post office, gardens, astronomical observatory, radio station, banking system, and pharmacy, as well as a contingent of Swiss Guards responsible for the personal safety of the pope since 1506. Almost all supplies—including food, water, electricity, and gas—must be imported.
There is no income tax and no restriction on the import or export of funds. As the Holy See, it derives its income from the voluntary contributions of more than one billion Roman Catholics worldwide, as well as interest on investments and the sale of stamps, coins, and publications. Banking operations and expenditures have been reported publicly since the early 1980s. READ MORE...
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