Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
My Review of Landau Kosher Wrap "n Boil Bags 8 Bags
Originally submitted at Kosher Vitamins Express
*Use when preparing Soup, Fish, Stews...*Reduces Kitchen Mess*Makes Cooking Easier*Separates what you want to keep or discard from the rest of the food.Just put food you want to save, or ingredients (e.g. bones, onions, etc.) you want to dicard into Wrap "n Boil bag. Wrap "n Boil bag will expand to...
This is the best invention!
By Aliyana from Edison, NJ on 11/29/2011
Pros: Well Packaged, Good Value, Easy To Prepare
Best Uses: Add Flavor
Describe Yourself: Foodie, Health Conscious
make chicken soup with real chicken and get all the flavor with none of the bones or skins floating around or sinking to the bottom of the serving bowl. No straining necessary, just pull the bag (with the chicken) out before serving. I love these little bags for any kind of herbal bouquets when cooking with liquids, or for use inside chicken, turkey or duck cavities when roasting.
(legalese)
Friday, August 5, 2011
The recession has hit everybody really hard...
My neighbor got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.
Wives are having sex with their husbands because they can't afford batteries.
CEO's are now playing miniature golf.
Exxon-Mobil laid off 25 Congressmen.
A stripper was killed when her audience showered her with rolls of pennies while she danced.
I saw a Mormon with only one wife.
If the bank returns your check marked "Insufficient Funds," you call them and ask if they meant you or them.
McDonald's is selling the 1/4 ouncer.
Angelina Jolie adopted a child from America .
Parents in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and learned their children's names.
My cousin had an exorcism but couldn't afford to pay for it, and they re-possessed her!
A truckload of Americans was caught sneaking into Mexico .
A picture is now only worth 200 words.
When Bill and Hillary travel together, they now have to share a room.
The Treasure Island casino in Las Vegas is now managed by Somali pirates..
Congress says they are looking into this Bernard Madoff scandal. Oh Great! The guy who made $50 Billion disappear is being investigated by the people who made $1.5 Trillion disappear!
And, finally....
I was so depressed last night thinking about the economy, wars, jobs, my savings, Social Security, retirement funds, etc., I called the Suicide Hotline.
I got a call center in Pakistan, and when I told them I was suicidal, they got all excited, and asked if I could drive a truck.
Wives are having sex with their husbands because they can't afford batteries.
CEO's are now playing miniature golf.
Exxon-Mobil laid off 25 Congressmen.
A stripper was killed when her audience showered her with rolls of pennies while she danced.
I saw a Mormon with only one wife.
If the bank returns your check marked "Insufficient Funds," you call them and ask if they meant you or them.
McDonald's is selling the 1/4 ouncer.
Angelina Jolie adopted a child from America .
Parents in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and learned their children's names.
My cousin had an exorcism but couldn't afford to pay for it, and they re-possessed her!
A truckload of Americans was caught sneaking into Mexico .
A picture is now only worth 200 words.
When Bill and Hillary travel together, they now have to share a room.
The Treasure Island casino in Las Vegas is now managed by Somali pirates..
Congress says they are looking into this Bernard Madoff scandal. Oh Great! The guy who made $50 Billion disappear is being investigated by the people who made $1.5 Trillion disappear!
And, finally....
I was so depressed last night thinking about the economy, wars, jobs, my savings, Social Security, retirement funds, etc., I called the Suicide Hotline.
I got a call center in Pakistan, and when I told them I was suicidal, they got all excited, and asked if I could drive a truck.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Has America Forgotton the Fruits of Freedom?
Brian S. Wesbury - Chief Economist
Robert Stein, CFA - Senior Economist
Date: 6/7/2010
Putting aside religious beliefs, nothing in life has 100% upside – nothing. But the closest thing to a guaranteed better, safer, and more fulfilling life is freedom. Freedom means responsibility. It also means failure, accidents and mistakes. This, in turn, leads to learning, which is why successes outweigh the failures. However, humans must be free to understand the consequences of their actions. Without consequences, there is little learning.
When freedom prevails, the ingenuity and inventiveness of people creates incredible wealth. This is the source of the natural improvement of the human condition. Capitalism is created by free people. Socialism, on the other hand, is what happens when people trade their freedom for the perception of safety. And when people trade in their freedom, they trade it in for a less dynamic, less safe, life.
These days, more and more people seem willing to trade in their freedom. But who can blame them? Intellectuals and politicians are telling them it’s the right thing to do. Ken Rogoff, professor at Harvard and former Chief Economist at the IMF, has written that, “The accelerating speed of innovation seems to be outstripping government regulators’ capacity to deal with risks, much less anticipate them.” In a recent opinion piece he drew parallels between the BP oil spill and the subprime financial crisis. Like a modern-day Luddite, he asks for government protection from technology.
Many political leaders, who call themselves conservative, and say they believe in freedom, have also made the same argument, albeit in a roundabout way. By supporting TARP, stress tests, bailouts, and stimulus spending, they implicitly suggest that a system of free markets cannot remain stable without government control. These “so-called conservatives” talk the talk of freedom, but do not walk the walk. George W. Bush said that he “abandoned free market principles to save the free market system.” The only thing Americans who listen to that can believe is that free markets aren’t trustworthy.
Don’t get the wrong idea. Oil gushing from a pipe a mile deep is appalling. We wish not a drop had gurgled to the surface, ruining beachfront property and fishing habitats.
But accidents happen. The good news is that we learn from them. Between 1970 and 1979, there were an average of 25 oil spills per year of 700 tons or greater (from shipping). Between 2000 and 2009, there were just 3 per year on average. Oil companies lose money, and soil their image if oil spills. They have a huge incentive to stop spills. These incentives cause them to invest in better safety controls.
The number of plane accidents has fallen significantly. The same is true of train accidents and coal mining accidents. If the government ran all the train, plane, coal, and oil companies there would still be accidents. No one can stop them. Negative events do not mean that free markets and capitalism have failed. Freedom cannot eliminate the risk from life, but neither can government.
In fact, when government does try to eliminate risk, it often creates even more. For example, by holding interest rates at 1% back in 2003 and 2004 in order to stop deflation, the Federal Reserve created the environment necessary for the housing bubble. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and other government inventions, inflated housing even more. It was these things that caused the financial panic, not freedom.
And back in the 1970s, the US government stopped the building of nuclear power plants, partially because of an accident at Three Mile Island. Today, people complain about coal and CO2 emissions – a problem made worse by the lack of nuclear power.
There is no way to take the risk out of life. When government tries, all it really does is transfer that risk elsewhere. And without the growth and advancement that freedom brings, the system breaks down and wealth creation is undermined. You can’t get something from nothing. The fruits of freedom are only available to those who are willing to take the risks of freedom. Let’s not forget that lesson.
Be well.
republished by my good friends:
John Fitzgerald Acosta
Managing Partner, CPFP
Financial Advisor, RJFS
Brian M. Fernandez
Managing Partner, CPFP
Financial Advisor, RJFS
Robert Stein, CFA - Senior Economist
Date: 6/7/2010
Putting aside religious beliefs, nothing in life has 100% upside – nothing. But the closest thing to a guaranteed better, safer, and more fulfilling life is freedom. Freedom means responsibility. It also means failure, accidents and mistakes. This, in turn, leads to learning, which is why successes outweigh the failures. However, humans must be free to understand the consequences of their actions. Without consequences, there is little learning.
When freedom prevails, the ingenuity and inventiveness of people creates incredible wealth. This is the source of the natural improvement of the human condition. Capitalism is created by free people. Socialism, on the other hand, is what happens when people trade their freedom for the perception of safety. And when people trade in their freedom, they trade it in for a less dynamic, less safe, life.
These days, more and more people seem willing to trade in their freedom. But who can blame them? Intellectuals and politicians are telling them it’s the right thing to do. Ken Rogoff, professor at Harvard and former Chief Economist at the IMF, has written that, “The accelerating speed of innovation seems to be outstripping government regulators’ capacity to deal with risks, much less anticipate them.” In a recent opinion piece he drew parallels between the BP oil spill and the subprime financial crisis. Like a modern-day Luddite, he asks for government protection from technology.
Many political leaders, who call themselves conservative, and say they believe in freedom, have also made the same argument, albeit in a roundabout way. By supporting TARP, stress tests, bailouts, and stimulus spending, they implicitly suggest that a system of free markets cannot remain stable without government control. These “so-called conservatives” talk the talk of freedom, but do not walk the walk. George W. Bush said that he “abandoned free market principles to save the free market system.” The only thing Americans who listen to that can believe is that free markets aren’t trustworthy.
Don’t get the wrong idea. Oil gushing from a pipe a mile deep is appalling. We wish not a drop had gurgled to the surface, ruining beachfront property and fishing habitats.
But accidents happen. The good news is that we learn from them. Between 1970 and 1979, there were an average of 25 oil spills per year of 700 tons or greater (from shipping). Between 2000 and 2009, there were just 3 per year on average. Oil companies lose money, and soil their image if oil spills. They have a huge incentive to stop spills. These incentives cause them to invest in better safety controls.
The number of plane accidents has fallen significantly. The same is true of train accidents and coal mining accidents. If the government ran all the train, plane, coal, and oil companies there would still be accidents. No one can stop them. Negative events do not mean that free markets and capitalism have failed. Freedom cannot eliminate the risk from life, but neither can government.
In fact, when government does try to eliminate risk, it often creates even more. For example, by holding interest rates at 1% back in 2003 and 2004 in order to stop deflation, the Federal Reserve created the environment necessary for the housing bubble. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and other government inventions, inflated housing even more. It was these things that caused the financial panic, not freedom.
And back in the 1970s, the US government stopped the building of nuclear power plants, partially because of an accident at Three Mile Island. Today, people complain about coal and CO2 emissions – a problem made worse by the lack of nuclear power.
There is no way to take the risk out of life. When government tries, all it really does is transfer that risk elsewhere. And without the growth and advancement that freedom brings, the system breaks down and wealth creation is undermined. You can’t get something from nothing. The fruits of freedom are only available to those who are willing to take the risks of freedom. Let’s not forget that lesson.
Be well.
republished by my good friends:
John Fitzgerald Acosta
Managing Partner, CPFP
Financial Advisor, RJFS
Brian M. Fernandez
Managing Partner, CPFP
Financial Advisor, RJFS
Friday, June 4, 2010
If I Want It Done Right, I Do It
The STORY:
Two weeks ago on Friday afternoon, 15 minutes after normal quitting time, as Robin headed out the door to go home, Jesse, her boss, saw her walk by his office and called out to her.
"Robin, before you go, there's something I want to ask you," he shouted, getting up from behind a desk that was literally a foot deep in paper.
Mistake, thought Robin, I should have left the back way. Everyone warned me about him.
"Robin, if you have a minute..." his voice trailed off as she followed him back into his office.
"Actually, I don't," she replied, "we're having people for dinner, and I need to get home."
"Just a minute..." again the voice trailed off as if he had not even heard what she had said.
Although she was annoyed at being kept late at work, Robin was flattered, too. Jesse was actually asking her what she thought of the company's direction. He even asked her to spend some time over the weekend writing down what she thought. Then he wanted to go over it on Monday morning.
Partly to finally get out of there and partly because she believed he was really interested in her ideas, she agreed.
Robin worked all weekend to produce a 22-page report. On Monday morning she arrived, only to find out that Jesse had decided to take the day off. I guess that's what you can do when you are the company President. She left the report on his desk.
Four days later, upon returning from lunch, she found the report she had done for Jesse on her desk. Opening it, she discovered just about every inch of every page was covered with negative comments. On the last page was written, "None of your ideas have any merit. Please see me after work today. I need to make sure that you understand what I expect from my employees."
The RESULT:
Jesse has taught Robin a very valuable lesson on how to survive and prosper in his company. Never, never should any initiative or original thought be expressed. The road to success is finding out what Jesse wants and then giving him exactly that in return.
DISCUSSION:
While Jesse is an extreme case of megalomania, he did not become this extremely self-important overnight. It took years of gradually believing, more and more, that everyone around him was becoming less and less competent. Believing more and more that if he wanted it done correctly, he had to do it himself or somehow turn those around him into mindless drones who would do his bidding.
And when Robin inevitably leaves within a year or two, Jesse will ascribe her departure to the fact that she couldn't measure up to the hard work, and he is better off without her since she never really did her job anyway.
APPROACH:
For a period of two or three days, jot down on some note paper that you carry what you are doing as you go from task to task. But leave out the detail. As they use to say on an early TV program, "Just the facts."
Once you have your work list of the past two or three days, sit down with it. Now take a pen and mark those tasks you did without any assistance from anyone. Of those tasks, are there any you believe that only you are capable of doing? One or two would not be unusual.
For most tasks, ask for and use input and assistance from others in the company. And learn to agree with others on how you will combine your approaches. Then do it.
You don't need mindless drones, you need co-workers.
THOUGHT:
If you are the only one who can do it right, then you might as well work in a hall of mirrors where the only thing you see is yourself.
Two weeks ago on Friday afternoon, 15 minutes after normal quitting time, as Robin headed out the door to go home, Jesse, her boss, saw her walk by his office and called out to her.
"Robin, before you go, there's something I want to ask you," he shouted, getting up from behind a desk that was literally a foot deep in paper.
Mistake, thought Robin, I should have left the back way. Everyone warned me about him.
"Robin, if you have a minute..." his voice trailed off as she followed him back into his office.
"Actually, I don't," she replied, "we're having people for dinner, and I need to get home."
"Just a minute..." again the voice trailed off as if he had not even heard what she had said.
Although she was annoyed at being kept late at work, Robin was flattered, too. Jesse was actually asking her what she thought of the company's direction. He even asked her to spend some time over the weekend writing down what she thought. Then he wanted to go over it on Monday morning.
Partly to finally get out of there and partly because she believed he was really interested in her ideas, she agreed.
Robin worked all weekend to produce a 22-page report. On Monday morning she arrived, only to find out that Jesse had decided to take the day off. I guess that's what you can do when you are the company President. She left the report on his desk.
Four days later, upon returning from lunch, she found the report she had done for Jesse on her desk. Opening it, she discovered just about every inch of every page was covered with negative comments. On the last page was written, "None of your ideas have any merit. Please see me after work today. I need to make sure that you understand what I expect from my employees."
The RESULT:
Jesse has taught Robin a very valuable lesson on how to survive and prosper in his company. Never, never should any initiative or original thought be expressed. The road to success is finding out what Jesse wants and then giving him exactly that in return.
DISCUSSION:
While Jesse is an extreme case of megalomania, he did not become this extremely self-important overnight. It took years of gradually believing, more and more, that everyone around him was becoming less and less competent. Believing more and more that if he wanted it done correctly, he had to do it himself or somehow turn those around him into mindless drones who would do his bidding.
And when Robin inevitably leaves within a year or two, Jesse will ascribe her departure to the fact that she couldn't measure up to the hard work, and he is better off without her since she never really did her job anyway.
APPROACH:
For a period of two or three days, jot down on some note paper that you carry what you are doing as you go from task to task. But leave out the detail. As they use to say on an early TV program, "Just the facts."
Once you have your work list of the past two or three days, sit down with it. Now take a pen and mark those tasks you did without any assistance from anyone. Of those tasks, are there any you believe that only you are capable of doing? One or two would not be unusual.
For most tasks, ask for and use input and assistance from others in the company. And learn to agree with others on how you will combine your approaches. Then do it.
You don't need mindless drones, you need co-workers.
THOUGHT:
If you are the only one who can do it right, then you might as well work in a hall of mirrors where the only thing you see is yourself.
Monday, May 24, 2010
7 Must Read Life Lessons from Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States. He served from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln successfully led the United States through its darkest hour … the American Civil War. In the end, Lincoln was able to preserve the Union and end slavery.
Prior to his election in 1860, as the first U.S. Republican president, Lincoln was a country lawyer, an Illinois state legislator, a member of the United States House of Representatives, and an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Senate twice.
Concerning slavery, Lincoln was forthright and open in his opposition to the expansion of slavery. This attitude earned him the Republican nomination in 1860; later that year he was elected president.
During his time in office he introduced measures that resulted in the abolition of slavery, including the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and the passing of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Just six days after a large-scale surrender of the Confederate forces (under General Robert E. Lee), Lincoln became the first American president to be assassinated.
Lincoln is considered by scholars to be one of the greatest U.S. presidents to ever take office.
7 Must-Read Life Lessons from Abraham Lincoln:
Prepare for Success
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four hours sharpening the axe.”
Before you can succeed, you must prepare. When Lincoln was an unknown attorney in the backwoods of Illinois he was preparing for success, when Lincoln became an Illinois State Senator, he was preparing for success, and even when he lost the election for the U.S. senate twice, he was preparing for success. What are you doing in preparation for success? Lincoln said, “I will prepare and some day my chance will come.”
Hustle
“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”
You can’t stroll to a goal, you must hustle; you must move quickly in order to gain the momentum necessary to break free from the gravitational pull of the commonplace. The best things in life come to those who hustle. Are you hustling?
Remember That Greatness is Possible
“That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.”
If someone else can succeed in the business that you’re in, that is proof that you can succeed as well. If someone else can become rich in the state that you’re in, that is proof that you become rich as well. You have all that the greatest of men have had: a mind, and a will. Don’t make excuses, if someone else can do it, so can you… And who knows? You may be able to do it faster and better; never underestimate you abilities.
Become Worthy of a Good Reputation
“Reputation is like fine china, once broken it's very hard to repair.”
Work to be, the way you want to be perceived. Don’t try to look good, be good. A good name is more valuable than fine gold and “choice” rubies.
Practice becoming honorable.
You can be just as honest, have just as much integrity, walk in just as much humility, and possess just as much discipline as the greatest men who have ever lived.
Make the Years Count
“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”
Lincoln didn’t live to a very old age, but the “life in his years” made a profound impact on the world. Are you making your years count? Are you changing the world? You’re capable of it; if you’re able to read and understand these words, then you have the ability to make a profound impact, and that’s not just meaningless rhetoric, it’s a very real reality, but will you grasp it, will you believe it and make it “your” reality.
See the Brighter Side of Things
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
If you look for something to complain about, you will certainly find it! There’s “always” an opportunity to be “offended!” Don’t take these opportunities; they “never” lead to anything positive. Learn to see the roses in life; life is filled with roses, if you’ll take the time to see them.
Constantly Improve
“The way for a young man to rise is to improve himself in every way he can…”
If you improve everyday, imagine the improvements you could make over the course of 20 years. You could become successful “in-just-about” any field in 20 years. You can make a significant impact on the world in 20 years! Remember, slow and steady wins the race; Rome was not built in a day. Work to get a little better everyday, and it time, you will accomplish your dreams.
Thank you for reading and be sure to pass this article along!
Prior to his election in 1860, as the first U.S. Republican president, Lincoln was a country lawyer, an Illinois state legislator, a member of the United States House of Representatives, and an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Senate twice.
Concerning slavery, Lincoln was forthright and open in his opposition to the expansion of slavery. This attitude earned him the Republican nomination in 1860; later that year he was elected president.
During his time in office he introduced measures that resulted in the abolition of slavery, including the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and the passing of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Just six days after a large-scale surrender of the Confederate forces (under General Robert E. Lee), Lincoln became the first American president to be assassinated.
Lincoln is considered by scholars to be one of the greatest U.S. presidents to ever take office.
7 Must-Read Life Lessons from Abraham Lincoln:
Prepare for Success
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four hours sharpening the axe.”
Before you can succeed, you must prepare. When Lincoln was an unknown attorney in the backwoods of Illinois he was preparing for success, when Lincoln became an Illinois State Senator, he was preparing for success, and even when he lost the election for the U.S. senate twice, he was preparing for success. What are you doing in preparation for success? Lincoln said, “I will prepare and some day my chance will come.”
Hustle
“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”
You can’t stroll to a goal, you must hustle; you must move quickly in order to gain the momentum necessary to break free from the gravitational pull of the commonplace. The best things in life come to those who hustle. Are you hustling?
Remember That Greatness is Possible
“That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.”
If someone else can succeed in the business that you’re in, that is proof that you can succeed as well. If someone else can become rich in the state that you’re in, that is proof that you become rich as well. You have all that the greatest of men have had: a mind, and a will. Don’t make excuses, if someone else can do it, so can you… And who knows? You may be able to do it faster and better; never underestimate you abilities.
Become Worthy of a Good Reputation
“Reputation is like fine china, once broken it's very hard to repair.”
Work to be, the way you want to be perceived. Don’t try to look good, be good. A good name is more valuable than fine gold and “choice” rubies.
Practice becoming honorable.
You can be just as honest, have just as much integrity, walk in just as much humility, and possess just as much discipline as the greatest men who have ever lived.
Make the Years Count
“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”
Lincoln didn’t live to a very old age, but the “life in his years” made a profound impact on the world. Are you making your years count? Are you changing the world? You’re capable of it; if you’re able to read and understand these words, then you have the ability to make a profound impact, and that’s not just meaningless rhetoric, it’s a very real reality, but will you grasp it, will you believe it and make it “your” reality.
See the Brighter Side of Things
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
If you look for something to complain about, you will certainly find it! There’s “always” an opportunity to be “offended!” Don’t take these opportunities; they “never” lead to anything positive. Learn to see the roses in life; life is filled with roses, if you’ll take the time to see them.
Constantly Improve
“The way for a young man to rise is to improve himself in every way he can…”
If you improve everyday, imagine the improvements you could make over the course of 20 years. You could become successful “in-just-about” any field in 20 years. You can make a significant impact on the world in 20 years! Remember, slow and steady wins the race; Rome was not built in a day. Work to get a little better everyday, and it time, you will accomplish your dreams.
Thank you for reading and be sure to pass this article along!
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