Time to make some decisions. If you don’t make decisions about your own life, decisions will be made for you. BTW, someone who stands for nothing will fall for anything. In fact, some people say they stand for something and still fall for anything. –Kintsugi 2/18/24
See the ‘fire Elon Musk’ ads The Washington Post scrapped from its Tuesday edition
Banks know their customers are generally not attentive to account details. Scott Pearson, a lawyer who represents banks in regulatory matters, noted that banks aren’t expected to alert customers each time they are eligible to refinance a mortgage. Read more here.
There’s lots of case law saying that financial institutions don’t owe fiduciary obligations to their customers.
Scott Pearson
A book I recommend
People of faith suing the Trump administration for violating their religious freedom. Including UCC, PCUSA, TEC, UMC conferences…the list is long… PRAY. INFORM. SUPPORT. STAND UP. PREACH. Read the complaint here.
*FOR COVID-19 RECOMMENDATION: As of October 23, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends for people 65 years and older and those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised to receive a second dose of 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine six months after their first dose (minimum interval of two months). The recommendation also allows for flexibility to receive additional doses (i.e., three or more) for those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised at least two months after the last dose received, with shared clinical decision making.
Here are 5 ‘hidden’ retirement costs that millions of American seniors don’t even think about. From soaring health care costs to surprise support for an adult child in crisis, here are five retirement expenses that could blindside you, and how to fight back before they do. (More)
What’s going on with all the recent plane crashes? At least 18 people were injured after a Delta Air Lines flight crashed and overturned on the runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport. All 80 people on the flight from Minneapolis survived. (More)
Between Harlem and Heaven: Afro Asian American Cooking for Big Nights, Weeknights, and Every Day by JJ Johnson , Alexander Smalls
Meals, Music, and Muses: Recipes from My African American Kitchen by Alexander Smalls and Veronica Chambers
Just in time for tax season: Musk’s DOGE seeks access to personal taxpayer data, raising alarm at IRS. The unusual request could put sensitive data about millions of American taxpayers in the hands of Trump political appointees. (More)
11 Tiny Gestures That Speak Loudly When Someone Is Very Attracted To You
I’m not surprised that JD Vance attacked Europe over free speech and migration. Are you?
Ozempic? Gila monster? The Gila monster, native to the deserts of North America, can survive on just a few meals a year, thanks to a digestion-slowing hormone in its venom. The discovery of this hormone paved the way for Ozempic. (More)
Senior US and Russian officials opened talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to end the war in Ukraine and improve ties between the two powers.Notably absent from the meetings — much to their frustration — were European powers, whose troops would likely be needed to enforce any peace deal, and Ukraine itself. (More)
4 medium (5 oz. each) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-in.-thick slices
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3/4 cup chicken stock
Directions
Preheat oven to 475°F with a rimmed baking sheet positioned on center rack. Microwave 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large microwavable bowl on MEDIUM (50% power) until melted, about 1 minute. Add potatoes, salt, and pepper, and toss to coat.
Remove preheated pan from oven, and pour potatoes onto pan; spread into an even layer, leaving space between each potato slice.
Bake until browned on bottom, about 15 minutes. Flip potatoes, and bake until browned on both sides, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, microwave chicken stock on MEDIUM (50% power) until warm, 1 to 2 minutes; stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter until melted. After potatoes have been cooking for 30 minutes, pour stock mixture over potatoes, carefully tilting pan to evenly distribute stock mixture. Reduce oven temperature to 400°F, and bake until stock has been mostly absorbed and potatoes are very tender and browned, about 10 minutes.
Our research revealed that the data collected by the various agencies is largely accurate. But the filters used to compute the headline statistics are flawed. The 4.2% unemployment number misleads in several ways. First, it counts as employed the millions of unwillingly under-employed people. Second, it does not include many Americans who have been so discouraged that they are no longer trying to get a job. If you filter the statistic to include unemployed people who can’t find anything but part-time work or who make a poverty wage (roughly $25,000), the percentage is actually 23.7 percent. (More)
What do we know about politics? We know what news organizations want us to know. We read or listen to what they think is important. We also choose news sources based on our own viewpoints. It’s time to broaden our news horizons, check out the validity of the reporting, and when possible use original sources rather than filtered information. Did you notice that most of the major carmakers did not advertise at the Super Bowl? I only saw Jeep! I can’t respect a person who doesn’t stand up for their spouse (thinking of MM, TC, SC and others), particularly in the face of bullying by a well-known or powerful person. You can only kiss the powerful, famous person’s a** so many times. Another old person’s saying, “put your money where your mouth is.” Makes sense to me.
Wild Cooking Woman 2/14/24
What Companies Support Your Political Perspective?
Back in the day, we used our purses and time to influence things. The Montgomery Bus Boycott is a positive example of using our ability to effect change by refusing to spend our money to support things we disagree with. Are the places you spend your money supporting political ideas you disagree with? How would you know? Here is a list of sites that can help you make economic decisions.
ESPN’s unmarried Stephen A. Smith said if his wife danced on a halftime show like Serena Williams he’d divorce her. This is Alexis Ohanian’s (Serena’s husband) response: “I get it—you’re 57, and life didn’t turn out the way you imagined. That kind of disappointment must be exhausting. You’re the embodiment of peaked in high school, spending decades chasing validation from strangers through Likes and Digital Hugs, only to find that no amount of external approval fills the void. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Criticism only fuels your victim complex, reinforcing the comforting delusion that there’s some grand conspiracy against you and your “brave ideas”—when in reality, you’ve just got terrible takes. It’s a cycle: outrage, backlash, self-pity, repeat. This is a lonely road. There’s still time to rewrite the ending — start by working on yourself first. You’ll find that if you wake up every morning trying to be a little better, a little more curious, you won’t have time for irrational hating — you’ll be too busy winning.” -Alexis Ohanian
From WearetheMeteor.com: Two lawmakers in Ohio—one a woman, one an impressively game man—took a cue from a Mississippi Democrat and introduced their own “Conception Begins at Erection Act,” which would make it a felony for men to “discharge semen without the intent to fertilize.”
I know you know that you know all there is to know about African American history. If you don’t know everything, and have a free Saturday, here is an event you might enjoy.
2 tablespoons neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking cocoa (not heaping)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (be careful, no more than this)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips (about 15) or a mixture of white and semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
Spray a 16-ounce microwave-safe coffee mug with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine milk, oil, and vanilla. Add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt; stir to combine. Pour into prepared mug, and sprinkle in chips.
Microwave on high until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 2-1/2 minutes; mug will be hot. Serve immediately.
Too little, too late. It’s easy to speak truth to power when there aren’t any consequences.
Do you like pizza? What about frozen pizza? Here are some hints for making frozen pizza taste more like a freshly made pizza:
add extra fresh veggies (if you like veggies; I add peppers, onions and mushrooms)
let the pizza thaw before baking it
use a pizza stone or a pizza pan with holes in it to crisp the bottom
preheat the oven
don’t overbake it
Are you concerned about your financial future? Aren’t disciplined enough to make or follow a budget? One step to take is to stop mindless spending.
Fight, flight or freeze – which one are you doing these days? Sometimes I cycle through all of them in a few minutes. Thoughts from Rainer Maria Rilke, ” Let this darkness be a bell tower and you the bell. As you ring, what batters you becomes your strength.” Kintsugi 2/6/25
Black/American History Month
The Black History Month 2025 theme, “African Americans and Labor,” focuses on the ways that “work and working of all kinds—free and unfree, skilled, and unskilled, vocational and voluntary—intersect with the collective experiences of Black people.” (History.com)
90.1% of African Americans age 25 and older have a high school diploma or higher in 2022.
The Black or African American alone or multi-racial population in the United States in 2023 was 50,579,102.
The State of Texas had the largest Black alone or multi-racial population in 2023.
Cook County, Illinois, which includes Chicago, is the county with the largest Black alone or multi-racial population in 2023. (not Hotlanta!)
2023 Florida history standards now teach students that some Black people benefited from slavery because it taught useful skills. The Florida State Board of Education’s new standards include controversial language about how “slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit,” according to a 216-page document about the state’s 2023 standards in social studies, posted by the Florida Department of Education. (more)
Here are some sites for more information about black history:
Explore Our Collection of Black History Newspapers for Free Spanning over 200 years and comprising more than 2 million newspaper pages, these papers were published by or for Black Americans. They chronicled issues, including slavery and the Civil Rights Movement, and highlighted the struggles and achievements of Black Americans. Go here to explore.
Want to know how long you’ve got? Take the quiz here for a clue.
All ultra-processed foods are not terrible. I am trying to think of one right now. Are the foods in your shopping cart ultra-processed? Play this game to find out. I learned something!
How many people in the USA have the same education, income, work hours, and commute as you do? Check out this interesting site, FlowingData.com, for the answer to that and other burning data questions.
Did you know that ProPublica has a tool to help you appeal denied health insurance claims? ProPublica’s Claim File Helper lets you customize a letter requesting the notes and documents your insurer used when deciding to deny you coverage. Get your claim file before submitting an appeal.
