Got Milk

National Chocolate Milk Day

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By Diane Forrest

I have never been a milk drinker.  Just watching someone drink that white liquid makes me nauseous.  However, chocolate milk is a different story.  Just by adding a few spoonful’s of chocolate powder, or some chocolate syrup, and I could drink it all day long. 

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Recently in the news there have been reports that Chocolate milk is no longer allowed in schools, because of the sugar content.  In my opinion it’s hard to weigh which is worse.  Not having necessary calcium and Vitamin D, or 8 grams of sugar.  According to one study I read on ABC, the extra sugar would add 5 pounds per year, but what they fail to mention is the calories these kids burn off in a day.  I’m assuming those 5 calories per year are for inactive children who can't move.  However the loss of vitamin D and Calcium would be detrimental to the formation of bones and teeth especially during the growing years.

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Then there are the people like me who cannot drink plain white milk.  I know there are others besides me.

Today is National Chocolate Milk Day.  So to keep your calcium level up and your calories down, drink a nice glass of Chocolate milk, then take a long walk around the block or a nice bike ride in this cool fall weather.

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Adult Immunization Awareness Week

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By Terry Orr

In the Navy, getting your immunizations happen all too often for most of us – and stress the importance getting them when needed.  We fortunate to have a primary care doctor who makes sure that we keep current on all our shots and recommendations for once that may not be required, but make good sense to have them.  As adults, we owe it to ourselves, our family or love ones to be proactive and get those vaccines.

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According to Adult Immunization.org, more than 50,000 US adults die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases and their complications, more than breast cancer, HIV/AIDS, or motor vehicle traffic accidents, yet overall vaccination rates remain low. Adult vaccinations can protect against illness, absenteeism from work, hospitalization, or even death; however, adult vaccination rates, on average, are far lower than the Healthy People 2020 goals for immunization and infectious diseases.

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These suboptimal rates are not only taking a toll on the country's health; they are also impacting the bottom line: the estimated direct costs of treating just two vaccine-preventable illnesses — influenza and pneumonia — in adults in the US alone are over $35 billion per year.

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10 Reasons To Be Vaccinated:

Vaccine-preventable diseases haven’t gone away;

Vaccines will help keep you healthy;

Vaccines are as important to your overall health as diet and exercise;

Vaccination can mean the difference between life and death;

Vaccines are safe;

Vaccines won’t give you the disease they are designed to prevent;

Young and healthy people can get very sick, too;

Vaccine-preventable diseases are expensive;

When you get sick, your children, grandchildren and parents are at risk, too; and

Your family and coworkers need you.

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References and Links:

http://www.adultimmunization.org/cai

http://www.cdc.gov/Features/AdultImmunizations/

http://children.webmd.com/vaccines/tc/immunizations-adult-immunizations

World Maritime Day

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By Terry Orr

(USN Ret.)

I have always enjoyed the water – be it a small stream, river, lake, sea and of course the oceans and this was probably an influencing factor in my joining the Navy so many years ago.  Memories of sailing aboard ships are still fond for the most part and look back at those peaceful and quite times when I was able just to enjoy the view. Today as we celebrate maritime day, let us reflect on the past, keep current on today’s activities and help where we can to make the waterways peaceful for all to enjoy.

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The United Nations (UN), via the International Maritime Organization (IMO), created World Maritime Day to celebrate the international maritime industry’s contribution towards the world’s economy, especially in shipping. The event’s date varies by year and country but it is always on the last week of September.

The World Maritime Day theme for 2012 is “IMO: One hundred years after the Titanic”, which will focus on the Organization’s roots and raison d’être, i.e. safety of life at sea.

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Undoubtedly the most important legacy of the Titanic disaster was an urgent acceleration in the process of setting and implementing international standards and procedures for maritime activity. The first international conference on the safety of life at sea was held in London in January 1914. Its outcome - the Convention on Safety of Life at Sea - remains the leading international treaty on maritime safety. The task of keeping it updated, and maintaining its development in light of technological advances, falls to a United Nations agency, the International Maritime Organization.

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 The United States Coast Guard (USCG), an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of seven uniformed services. In addition to being a military branch at all times, it is unique among the armed forces in that it is also a maritime law enforcement agency (with jurisdiction both domestically and in international waters) and a federal regulatory agency. The USCG has a broad and important role in homeland security, law enforcement, search and rescue, marine environmental pollution response, and the maintenance of river, intra-coastal and offshore aids to navigation. As the lead maritime regulatory agency, the Coast Guard develops national regulations, standards and policies to enhance maritime safety, security and stewardship. In addition, the Coast Guard represents the United States at the IMO for the development and execution of international standards. The Coast Guard’s motto “Semper Paratus”, Latin for “Always Ready”, is one fitting for all of the Coast Guard’s missions.

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Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. While books and movie industries made Pirates interesting and fun – today’s Pirates at sea are anything but interesting – they are dangerous, murders and terrorist with little to no regard to human life.

According to Wikipedia, Seaborne piracy against transport vessels remains a significant issue (with estimated worldwide losses of US$13 to $16 billion per year), particularly in the waters between the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, off the Somali coast, and also in the Strait of Malacca and Singapore, which are used by over 50,000 commercial ships a year. A recent surge in piracy off the Somali coast spurred a multi-national effort led by the United States to patrol the waters near the Horn of Africa.

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References and Links:

http://www.imo.org/About/Events/WorldMaritimeDay/wmd2012/Pages/default.aspx

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/un/world-maritime-day

http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/pressrels/2012/unissgsm373.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracy

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2012 Elections – First

It is almost here!
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By Terry Orr

This November 6, 2012 will be my 12^th opportunity to help decide who will be the next president of the United States and quite possibly the most important one of them all. While I personally do not support nor recommend the presidential candidates, the key issues and critical need for ‘strong’, ‘legal’, ‘honest’ and ‘doing the right thing’ are essential.  In addition, mending this country and bringing us back together.

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Researching the internet for the current Top/Critical/Important issues for this upcoming election has proved interesting and has varied somewhat dramatically.  According to Rasmussen Reports dated September 21, 2012 the Top 10 issues and how important each issue was based upon two recent surveys.

Top 10 Issues

Issue	Very Important
Economy	80%
Health Care	66%
Gov't Ethics and Corruption	66%
Taxes	58%
Energy Policy	52%
Education	61%
Social Security	60%
Immigration	45%
National Security/War on Terror	52%
Afghanistan	35%

Top 15 Issues (in alphabetical order) according to CNN Politics:

Abortion	Debt & Deficit	Economy
Education	Environment/Global Warming	Foreign Policy
Gun Control	Health Care	Illegal Immigration
Jobs	Role of Government	Same-Sex Marriage
Social Security/Medicare	Taxes	Terrorism

Top 5 Issues according to FoxNews:

1. Federal Spending
2. Jobs and Economy
3. Government Regulation
4. Illegal Immigration
5. Health Care

An alternative perspective comes from HubPages article titled “The 2012 US Presidential Election won’t change a broken government.” Now when I read this title, my first impression was someone is looking at the glass – half empty, but then I read the entire article and guess what?  It actually has some very valid points and even makes sense when you step back, reflect and think – this person may have just hit the mark.  In additions, there are some very good comments from readers that you might want to consider.

Here are some samples of the article and you can read all by clicking here. (provide link)

• For the last 100 years to government of the United States of American has been breaking down. Each election during that time took it down a notch.
• A good US Government would be the color or shade of purple, not the red and blue of the two parties.
• The reason for the breakdown is the two party system of the democrats and the republicans.
• These two parties have demonstrated that they believe in the party over the country.
• They rarely compromise on an issue, even if the compromise would be beneficial for the people and the country.
• They compete with each other, refuse to work with each and the country has fallen over this repetition of stubbornness.
• They have created a division among the people that is as divisive as was slavery.

Top Issues:

1. Economy - Without a strong economy the US is no longer a Super Power, they are just another country that failed.
2. Employment - Without jobs even a strong economy won't help the people. The jobs that were lost over the last decade were mainly in the middle class.
3. Housing - With a bad economy and high unemployment along with the housing and banking scam that culminated in the economic crash of 2008 many people lost their homes.
4. National Defense - 911 showed the weakness of our national defense. The same type of miscommunication that allowed Japan to attack Hawaii was also involved in 911.
5. Energy - Dependence on foreign oil, and oil in general are issues beyond economics, they also include National Defense, as well as the Environment. Without enough oil the military defense of this country is at peril.
6. Voting Integrity - With the close races of the George W Bush elections, it is obvious that even a few votes from those people that are not qualified to vote can make a difference in the outcome of the election.

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Commentary by author

It is entirely past time for the Office of the President, cabinet and congress to get down to the business of running this country and end the petty bickering and finding excuses for not doing their job.

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Please, register, take some time review the issues, candidates, and items that are going to be on your ballot and vote!  Less than 57% of American votes actually cast their vote in 2008!!

What do you say America?

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References and Links:

• http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/importance_of_issues
• http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2012/hot-campaign-issues
• http://www.cnn.com/election/2012/campaign-issues.html
• http://ibradmasters.hubpages.com/hub/What-do-you-think-are-the-ten-most-important-issues-for-2012

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One Hit Wonder Day

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By Diane Forrest

What do these songs have in common?  They were all ONE hit wonders from various artists.  A One hit wonder is a song from a group that is their only "claim to fame".  Meaning, they never had another hit song.  I would imagine this is not a list I would want to be included in If I was a singer, or part of a band.    If this song brought you instant fame, but you never had another hit song again, that would put an end to your career.  However, even if you were a one hit wonder, that is still more than most people in the world have ever achieved, and would be able to achieve a great since of accomplishment.

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Today is One Hit Wonder Day, so spend the day listening to one of your favorite hit songs

Artist	Song Title	Year
Benny Mardones	Into the Night	1980
Alive and Kicking	Tighter, Tighter	1970
Calloway	I Wanna Be Rich	1990
Frijid Pink	House of the Rising Sun	1970
The Chords	Sh-Boom	1954
Bobby Bloom	Montego Bay	1970
Charlie Dore	Pilot of the Airwaves	1980
Giant	I'll See You in My Dreams	1990
Candyman	Knockin' Boots	1990
Ron Holden and the Thunderbirds	Love You So	1960
Edison Lighthouse	Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)	1970
The Divinyls	I Touch Myself	1990
SOHO	Hippychick	1990
Jimmy Eat World	The Middle	2002
Norman Greenbaum	Spirit in the Sky	1970
Blues Image	Ride Captain Ride	1970
David & David	Welcome to the Boomtown	1986
Sugar Hill Gang	Rapper's Delight	1980
Autograph	Turn up the Radio	1985
Mungo Jerry	In the Summertime	1970

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Murphy's Real Laws

(Fun email to share)

1. Everyone has a photographic memory. Some don't have film.

2. He who laughs last, thinks slowest.

3. A day without sunshine is like, well, night.

4. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

5. Back up my hard drive ? How do I put it in reverse?

6. I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory.

7. When the chips are down the buffalo is empty.

8. Seen it all, done it all. Can't remember most of it.

9. Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.

10. I feel like I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe.

11. She's always late. In fact, her ancestors arrived on the  "June flower."

12. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted and used against you.

13. I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges.

14. Honk if you love peace and quiet.

15. Pardon my driving, I'm reloading.

16. Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how it remains so popular?

17. Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.

18. Just remember if it wasn't for gravity, we'd all fall off. ( Or up)

19. The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.

20. It is said that if you line up all the cars in the world end to end, someone would be stupid enough to try and pass them.

21. You can't have everything. Where would you put it ?

22. Latest survey shows that 3 out of 4 people make up 75% of the world population.

23. If the shoe fits, get another one just like it.

24. The things that come to those that wait may be the things left by those who got there first.

25. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day drinking.

26. Flashlight: A case for holding dead batteries.

27. The shin bone is a device for finding furniture.

29.. A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.

29. Everybody lies, but it doesn't matter since nobody listens.

30.I wished the buck stopped here, as I could use a few.

31. I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it.

32. When you go into court, you are putting yourself in the hands of 12 people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty.