I drink more than one can of soda a day that is for sure. I drink Coke and I have been trying to break the habit. I need to stop drinking Coke. I guess I need to watch this NYC anti-soad ad each day.
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I had a reader of Howard's Notebook send me a link to Tthe New York Times and an story "Across U.S., Food Stamp Use Soars and Stigma Fades."
"MARTINSVILLE, Ohio — With food stamp use at record highs and climbing every month, a program once scorned as a failed welfare scheme now helps feed one in eight Americans and one in four children…"
The friend sent the link because I had posted a entry here about food stamps and that I think I could get food stamps if I applied. I think I could get about $274.00 a month in food stamps.
I think any American that needs help getting food on the table and meets the guide line (income near or below the federal poverty line) should apply. I think I am in that group but I admit I can not bring myself to apply… I think Americans should apply but I feel that "stigma" … If I did apply I would post it here and tell you about it.. Because that is who I am and what I do and I tell you everything… But if I did get food stamps I think I try and shop at the store when there were few people in the check out line. I know that is the wrong feeling and that I should not feel like that but I would shame. I wonder why I think it is OK for people that need it and I one of those people but I can not bring myself to apply?
Food stamps is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
I may be wrong but I think SNAP is welfare. Republicans like to make Americans think that Social Security, un-employment insurance and Medicare are all welfare programs. They are not. We all paid money into the Social Security program when we were working. It is the same with un-employment insurance. The company we worked for paid into the program for us. Medicare is the same.. We paid for it and in fact we still pay for it. We pay about $100.00 a month for the health care insurance.
I have no problem getting my health care. I never got un-employment money because I never had a problem getting a job. I would have a problem getting SNAP money.
If I was getting SNAP money and I had a card and I was in the check out line at a store and the card would not work and the employee got on the PA system and said something about man needs help with his food stamp/SNAP card I think I would die right on the spot.
I am thinking about food stamps SNAP.
Popularity: 10% [?]
I was doing some searching on the Internet and I found a site about SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). I guess it is the "food stamp" program but they do not call it that anymore. It could be that it was never the real name for the program.
I took an online test and if you are in Texas here is the link: Texas SNAP Estimator
Now it is just an estimator and I was reading at a Texas news website that it takes months to get "food stamps" in Texas. Texas does not have enough employees and the ones they do have are not trained very well and are over worked.
I took the online test and it says that I could get $274.00 a month in SNAP benefits. I am not planning to sign up for real but that is a lot of money for food. If I could buy $274.00 a month in food I would be eating like a rich man.
With the unemployment rate at 10% in the United States and people losing jobs keep in mind that this is one thing that could help some Americans.
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I love Chinese food. Russell called in an order at China Kit and I walked over and picked up the food. It came to $20.29 and Russell and I are both full and we got some left over.
Russell likes Crab Rangoon and we always get some to go with our order.
China Kit is just a small place but the food is good. They are located at 13911 SW 66 Street, Miami, FL 33183.
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“WASHINGTON (CNN) — You’ve seen the iconic picture of a soldier with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, but that could soon be a thing of the past.
A new study commissioned by the Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs recommends a complete ban on tobacco, which would end tobacco sales on military bases and prohibit smoking by anyone in uniform, not even combat troops in the thick of battle.
According to the study, tobacco use impairs military readiness in the short term. Over the long term, it can cause serious health problems, including lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. The study also says smokeless tobacco use can lead to oral and pancreatic cancer.
The Defense Department’s top health officials are studying the report’s suggestions and will make recommendations to the Pentagon’s policy team and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
The study recommends phasing out tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigars over a five- to 10-year period…”
The CNN story goes on to say that many in the military object to a ban on smoking.
The military is so upset with the idea of gays in the military, and we know that about 10% of the military is gay, I think we should offer a deal …It could be you can smoke if you agree to gays in the military. Smile
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My son just just got back from KFC. It seems that Oprah Winfrey had a coupon on her web site for two pieces of grilled chicken, two sides and a biscuit for free. The free chicken deal is good for two weeks with the coupon.
So my son was in the drive-thru and the KFC girl said they no longer honor the coupon. When my son got to the window he said why are you not honoring the coupon? She held up a large number of coupons and said we got all this paper and we are losing money. She said they stopped taking the coupons about 30 minutes ago.
My son paid the $6.00 for the chicken. When he got home he said “I hope it is not good.” But he said later it was good.
OK I do not have an MBA or any degree. Hell, I had to go to summer school four years just to get out of high school.
You should not run a promotion like this for two weeks. Hell, I do not think for two days. The coupon should be on the KFC site and not on the Oprah site. Then you need to make sure that all the KFC places are going to honor the coupons.
I suspect this is not going to work out so well for KFC. You know of course what they will do? Yes, give out coupons to make up for it. Of course this time it should be coupons you get at the KFC and not let people download a coupon and make a thousand copies of it.
Popularity: 1% [?]
No, when I say crock pot I am not talking about some Republican in Washington. I been wanting a crock pot for cooking. I love chili. I used to make it a great deal but have not been making any recently for some reason.
Ken gave me a crock pot for my birthday today. It has a big removable stoneware pot. It has a small cookbook with it. It looks like all the recipes call for a lot of items. That may keep me busy trying to make sure I have everything. Smile
If you have any recommended crock pot recipes send them to me and I will try them out and post them on Howard’s Notebook.
I have not made it to the fair yet. I was going to leave at 2 PM. Now I am telling myself I will leave at 4 PM.
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CNN Money again has a good article on how the new economic recovery plan will affect you.
I said the other day that the Work Pay Credit ($400 credit to each worker) I do not feel is going to have any effect. Each worker is going to get about $15 extra each pay period. Ken makes more than $75K a year so he will not even get the full credit and even if he got the full credit when you make over $75K a year your not going to notice an extra $15.00 on your pay check. I think that part of the bill, which cost $116 billion, is money down the drain.
The One-Time Payments for those who do not work, like me, is a one time $250.00 payment. I think it will have some effect because when you get a sum like that you go out and you spend it on things that have an effect. But is it worth $14.2 billion?
The College Credit and Pell Grants and things for college are not going to help my grandson. His mother is in Sweden and has not filled out paper work he needs. His step-father does not want to release any information about and Russell is having to pay for school using credit cards.
The Unemployment Benefits will help Russell.
We should not look at the economic recovery bill as what is in it for me. We have to hope that it will fix things and turn things around.
One thing that is a surprise to me in the bill is the Food Stamp Payments part of the bill. It will increase food stamp payments by 13.6%. The CNN story says that a family of four getting food stamps gets $588.00 per month currently. I had no idea they got so much in food stamps. That is a lot of money.
I could feed a family of four very well with $600.00 a month of food.
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I did not get the videos made. I was sleeping all day. I am not sure why I was so tired today.
You know I have a number of blogs set up. It is rare that I post to the others. I can not think of a name for them or a reason for them. I will get on the Internet and I find some great blogs with great ideas.
I found Where the Locals Eat (A Guide to the Best Restaurants in America). I do not have a car and do not get out much here in Miami so I put in Kansas City, MO and did a search. It looked correct to me. Pretty neat site and with the iPhone and other devices like that it is great. Just think your out someplace and you have GPS on your cell phone and you pull up a site like that and it will tell you the best eating places near you. God, I love this time and the Internet.
I just put in our address and said find a restaurant near me and it picked Shorty’s Bar-B-Q. So this site does a good job.
One thing I did notice is that the pages load slow on it. I am not sure if that is due to the search or if they do not have enough band width.
I got a site: www.hnbdo.com and I love the software and the look of it. I just got to come up with a name and an idea. I guess I should have the idea first. Smile
I am not an idea man. I can organize and correct problems. I am a great supervisor for some reason. I am not an idea person.
Sort of sad. When I was born I guess I was standing behind the door or something as God was handing out the gifts of life. He did not give me good looks, he did not make me smart, he did not give me big dick… I should have got something from the big guy.
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The Washington Post has a story "Acorn Watchers Wonder What Happened to Crop." A few years ago I would not have paid any attention to this story. I remember hearing about missing bees and I did not believe that story and it turned out to be true and a big story. So now I am wondering if this story about starving, skinny and crazy squirrels might be true.
It seems naturalists and just common folks are finding that the acorns are missing. There is no crop this year.
If you live in an area with acorns take a look around and tell us if they are missing this year.
Popularity: 1% [?]
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