Halloween Candy Companies: The trick's on us

Happy Halloween everybody! It's a relatively nice day here on Long Island and a great day for all of those little trick or treaters to go out and do their thing. Being that the holiday falls on a Saturday and the weather forecast called for unseasonably warm temperatures, I figured there'd be lots of princesses, ghosts, vampires, and bumblebees knocking on my door and I wanted to be prepared, but when I woke up this morning I was unpleasantly surprised by what I found. Warning: this is a rant!

On one of my regular jaunts to Target a couple of weeks ago, I decided to pick up my Halloween candy a little early. In the past, this would've been a dangerous thing since I'd always be sure to dip into the stored bags of goodies so much so that I'd have to pick up some more right before Halloween. But these days I'm a lot more disciplined when it comes to eating candy. When I brought it home, I left the bags of candy inside the plastic store bag and threw it into a drawer, not even thinking about it again until this morning.

When I went to Target, I had armed myself with coupons for Halloween candy. I can never bring myself to buy the cheap stuff...I wouldn't want to get that junk if I was trick or treating, so I would never want to give it out either. I had coupons for Hershey's Kisses and Mr. Goodbar, Kit Kat bars, Reeses, and all those other candy delectables I love to eat. Needless to say when I went to the seasonal candy section of the store I became confused.

As with seemingly all products on the market today, there are a plethora of choices for the shopper to make when deciding on a purchase. No longer do you need to decide between Crest and Colgate, but the mind-boggling choices of whitening formula, baking soda, advanced enamel protection, extra cavity fighting, healthy gum formulas, and all the other specialty offerings, in either gel or paste form no less, always causes me to spend a lot more time in each section than I would normally like to spend. It's just so downright confusing! Choices can be good, but this is ridiculous!

I figured my Halloween candy purchase would be simple. Just grab a couple of bags, take my coupon, pay and go. As I expected, this same multi-choice phenomenon exists in the world of candy. I had no idea there were so many different varieties of Hershey Kisses, but that wasn't my problem. The Kisses, peanut butter cups, 3 Musketeers and practically everything else came in a variety of different sized bags, the cheapest was "on sale" at $3.99 a bag. The store's shelves were packed to the gills with bags sold by the piece (a 52-piece bag for $6.99, a 100-piece bag for $9.99), by the size of the individual candies (super-mini sized, big bite size), and some were sold simply by weight (and these bags are a lot smaller than they used to be!).

I realized this morning how all of these "convenient" varieties offered by the candy companies are simply an elaborate ruse to rip me off by confusing me. After spending about a half hour in the department, I finally ended up buying four bags of the traditional (?) sized bags of my favorite candies at $3.99 each (My coupons weren't good for any other type bag!). I took out my Halloween bowl that I always use to set by the front door and opened up the bags. By the time I had finished opening the bags and putting the candy into the bowl, I immediately became infuriated. The bowl is not a large one, about the size of a large soup bowl, and it wasn't even half full! Sixteen dollars worth of candy and I'm probably going to end up running out for more later!

So while we're handing out treats to our little Frankenstein's, goblins, witches, and hobos, the candy companies are playing the tricks on us. Why do we need so many choices? The only reason I can think of is a clever scheme they've come up with to confuse and conquer. This needs to stop!

There, I feel better!

Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka Wields God's Word to Promote Hatred

On Monday, local politicians, community and religious leaders, and police held a meeting to formulate a plan of action for upcoming demonstrations in Great Neck, Long Island. On Friday, September 25, the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, will be demonstrating in front of synagogues and schools in the area. The church is one of the most notorious hate groups in America, stating as their mission to "oppose the [homosexual] lifestyle of soul-damning, nation-destroying filth."

I had mentioned the church in a previous piece in my dialogue with AC writer Becky Whittemore (Understanding Homosexuality: A Respectful Dialogue, John's Spiritual Journey, Part 2). In discussing the role of religion in anti-gay sentiment, I'd recounted a story of the group picketing the funeral of Matthew Shepherd, a young man who was killed simply for being gay, in 1998. Church members picketed the procession with raucous rhetoric and hateful signage. This has not been the only such episode in the group's history.

On the Westboro Baptist Church website, "God Hates Fags", they proclaim their mission:

"Perceiving the modern militant homosexual movement to pose a clear and present danger to the survival of America, exposing our nation to the wrath of God as in 1898 B.C. at Sodom and Gomorrah, WBC has conducted 41,226such demonstrations since June, 1991, at homosexual parades and other events, including funerals of impenitent sodomites (like Matthew Shepard) and over 200 military funerals of troops whom God has killed in Iraq/Afghanistan in righteous judgment against an evil nation."


They continue:

"WBC engages in daily peaceful sidewalk demonstrations opposing the homosexual lifestyle of soul-damning, nation-destroying filth. We display large, colorful signs containing Bible words and sentiments, including: GOD HATES FAGS, FAGS HATE GOD, AIDS CURES FAGS, THANK GOD FOR AIDS, FAGS BURN IN HELL, GOD IS NOT MOCKED, FAGS ARE NATURE FREAKS, GOD GAVE FAGS UP, NO SPECIAL LAWS FOR FAGS, FAGS DOOM NATIONS, THANK GOD FOR DEAD SOLDIERS, FAG TROOPS, GOD BLEW UP THE TROOPS, GOD HATES AMERICA, AMERICA IS DOOMED, THE WORLD IS DOOMED, etc."


Gay people are not the only objects of their ire. Jews are high on their list of targeted rhetoric. The Great Neck demonstrations are partially aimed at Jews. What they may consider to be peaceful demonstrations, I do not. Displays of such hatred carry the potential to beget violence, and when that hatred comes from a group disguising themselves as a congregation of worshippers, they are using God as a weapon to gain support for their despicable cause.

Upon exploring the group's website further, I came upon evil rhetoric at nearly every click. Three banners greet visitors on the home page, all in the mocking rainbow colors of a gay symbol. The makeshift flags display the slogans of the group: "Fag [=] Sin", "God Hates Fag Enablers", and "God Hates You." The "picket schedule" lists no less than 35 upcoming demonstrations, each with a hateful, twisted, description, and each one quoting verse from the Bible.

I am aware now, more than ever before, that not all Christians hold such radical notions in their belief systems. In fact, I believe the majority of them do not, but there are plenty of impressionable believers out there who are susceptible to this way of thinking. The act of judgement should be reserved for God and Him alone, but I can't help but bemoan the fact that the basic beliefs of homosexuality being somehow unnatural lend credence to these extreme convictions. That's what is so frustrating to me as a gay person. I know my truth and as long as there are people out there who continue to believe that my existence is invalid, then these types of extremists will continue to exist. Frankly, they scare me, as do extremists of any other religion.

The group in Great Neck came up with a plan: to ignore the protesters. U.S. Representative Gary Ackerman of Queens said, "These are very wacky people. It's a cult...Don't be there. Don't, even out of curiosity, walk by and see what they are doing. Without public and media attention, the group will lose its ability to be heard." I think it's very sound advice, and I will speak of them no longer.

Sources:

Jones, Bart. "Great Neck braces for hate group rally." LI Newsday 22 September 2009: A24. Print.

http://www.godhatesfags.com/written/wbcinfo/aboutwbc.html

Dubya....A Photo Tribute

Stock Market Psychiatry

I have an idea for what to do with some of the money from the bailout plan that's supposed to help fix the financial mess we're in. Congress should enact a law that provides money for mental health professionals to provide care for the folks on Wall Street.

I mean, every time I read something online or in the paper about the stock markets, I always see words associated with feelings. For example, today's paper had an article, "Post Election Slide" (Long Island Newsday, Combined News Services, 11/6/08) about yet another stock market tumble the day after the election. Words like, "jitters", "worries", "concerns", "nervous", and "loss of confidence" permeated the piece as they seem to do in every article about bad days on Wall Street. Good days reflect the "confidence" and "optimism" in the folks who buy and sell stocks and such.

I like to think of myself as a smart guy. I always did well in school, but Economics was never my forte. All of that supply and demand and stuff just confused the heck out of me! In my simple world, I know that as the stock market goes, so too does the rest of the economy. "Bad-feeling" days affect how much I'm paying for gas at the station and for cheese at Waldbaum's. Face it; we're at the mercy of people's emotions. People buy and sell because they're "jittery" or "nervous". They obviously need help, and we've got to get it for them.




That's why Congress needs to act now. Even with all the goodwill that's emanated from the election, these stock market speculators are still "worried." They obviously haven't shared in all the optimism that has come out of the events of the 4th. I think it would be a wise investment to provide them with the help they need. After all, $ 700 billion is a lot of money. When compared to what it's cost to bail out the banks, this venture would be miniscule in comparison.

And who knows? It just might do some good to get these people in touch with their feelings. Why do their feelings seem so manic? If these mental health professionals can break through with even some speculators, their rosier outlook might give them more confidence, causing the financial markets to go up, and everything would be alright.

So contact your local Congressman (or woman)...okay, Congressperson, today! Tell them how you feel. It's silly to even think that our pocketbooks are at the mercy of all such fluctuating "feelings". These people need help to reconcile their feelings, and get happy. Maybe then things'll get a little easier around here.

Fit to Print?

In the spring of 2006, I authored a research thesis on the media. “What Happened to the News?” received rave reviews from classmates and professors alike. Upon joining Associated Content, I decided to post this extensively researched piece in the hopes that it might garner some attention to my writing, a vocation I aspire to.
I’ve been interested in politics since the nineties, paying more and more attention to the bigger world around me each year. I feel blessed to be an American, a person who’s been fortunate to be born in a country where idealistically I have a right to participate, to have my voice be heard.

During the Monica Lewinsky scandal of the mid-nineties, I became aware of the role that a certain group of people played in shaping our nation in every way imaginable. And not for my benefit! Slowly the picture grew clearer and clearer. The events disseminated to us through what we refer to as the mass media dictate the discussion and as a result, much of the mindset of the populace. The situation came to the forefront during the turning-point election of 2000 and has eventually become the norm.

In my desire to write, I’ve wanted to develop an outlet for pointing out the injustice and wrongdoing out there in hopes of getting more people to pay attention. In February of 2007, I began a blog called “Rants”. To this day, I’m not sure exactly what I’ve wanted it to be, but this may turn out to be its next incarnation.

I live in Long Island, New York, and I feel that our daily periodical, Newsday, is respectable and well put-together. It provides me with my fodder for conversation in my daily life, as I’m sure other local newspapers are for millions of others. Newsday is the only newspaper I read regularly, so many of my views are skewed, to a degree, from my perspective here in NY. I suppose that it is probably a valid representative example of newspapers, and the media in general. So, take what you want from this…it’s just some of the world the way I see it.

What Happened in the News? Week of 10/20-10/25

Herein are some stories I found during the week’s news items. They were all presented in Long Island Newsday for the week ending October 25 and can be fully explored at Newsday.com.

What the …?

Yankee Phenom’s DUI Story

Evidence of the news cancellation is easily observed by picking up any newspaper, most any day. Newspaper readers scan headlines to find stories of interest to them, so these headlines and where they’re placed have a lot to do with what they, the general media, want us to be talking about. For two days this week, Monday and Tuesday, the DUI arrest of Yankee pitcher Joba Chamberlain made the cover of Newsday. (“DUI Apology: Joba’s Sorry Scene” screamed the headline on Monday and “Inside Joba’s Wild Night” on Tuesday.)

Tuesday’s edition came with a page 2/3 spread that included a story on Joba’s blood alcohol level, another about witnesses to the bar scene before the arrest, a timeline of the evening, a synopsis of the DUI laws in both New York and Nebraska, where the incident occurred, the effects of impairment on the operation of a vehicle, and a map of the area. Pictures of the player and the two bars he visited rounded out the coverage. This treatment was additionally given pages and pages of coverage within the sports pages, where the whole thing belonged in the first place.

Putting such a spotlight on an unfortunate story about a baseball player is absolutely ridiculous for a major newspaper. Regrettably, this sort of thing happens all too often, as sensationalism and entertainment have become the focus of newspapers and the rest of the media. Do we ask for it, or are we conditioned to yearn for it? I hope it’s the latter!

Put This in the Vault – Stories that Inform

GOP voter fraud alleged (Newsday, October 19, 2008)




“SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Dozens of newly minted Republican voters say they were duped into joining the party by a GOP contractor with a trail of fraud complaints stretching across the United States.” (BY EVAN HALPER AND MICHAEL ROTHFELD | originally printed in the Los Angeles Times)

A political firm hired by the California Republican Party to register new voters has been accused of duping dozens of voters into joining the Republican Party. Young Political Majors approached the voters with the premise of signing a petition for tougher penalties against child molesters. Instead, the constituents found themselves unwitting members of the Republican Party.

This story embodies the nefarious tactics we’ve come to expect from the Republicans in the past several years. With this year’s Presidential election looming as a major referendum on real change from the past eight years of disastrous policies, the dirty tricks seem to be all the Republicans have to grasp at any hopes of winning anything this November.

I think the majority of Americans have grown accustomed to these underhanded strategies, from the nasty “robo-calls” employed by Bush against McCain during the 2000 primaries to the phone jamming scheme in New Hampshire in 2004 to countless others. A story like this one is destined to backfire and will only serve to bolster the Democrats in races around the country.
(full story: http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/nation/ny-usfrau5890162oct19,0,415274.story )

Powell chooses, defends Obama ((Newsday, October 20, 2008)



On Sunday’s “Meet the Press”, former Bush Secretary of State Colin Powell broke with his party and endorsed Barak Obama for President. “I think we need a president who’s a generational change and that’s why I am supporting Barak Obama…” Powell maintains that he’s still a Republican, but he just doesn’t agree with the extreme rightward direction of the party of late.

Colin Powell is a well respected figure among Americans in general and his endorsement of Obama speaks volumes about the state of mind of the populace in general. We are in need of a change, and it seems to me that having John McCain as our next Commander in Chief just wouldn’t steer this country towards a better direction. It’s too bad, I think McCain would’ve been a better choice than what we ended up with in 2000!

(Note: Rush Limbaugh repeatedly referred to this story in a typically ugly talking-head manner this week, claiming in no uncertain terms this endorsement was based solely on race. Disgusting!)

Robbing Us



On Monday, three stories were published that deserved the type of coverage Joba got. (Newsday: Not Falling Fast Enough, Reid J. Epstein, October, 20, 2008 and High Prices Get Stuck that Way, Associated Press, page A8) The stories incensed me as they made me realize all of the reprehensible things going on out there that we just can’t control, yet are literally pulling the money straight from my pockets. New York Senator Charles Schumer “called it ‘shocking’ that crude oil has fallen 52 percent from a July high of $144 per barrel, but retail gasoline prices are down 20 percent and home heating oil costs are down 12 percent during the same time period.” Clearly, people somewhere between the oil fields and the gas tanks are committing robbery on all of us. You don’t need to be an economist to figure that one out.

The people within the oil industry aren’t the only ones pinching our pockets. “High Prices Get Stuck that Way” illustrates how retailers who’ve had to raise prices due to the rising price in gas haven’t adjusted their prices accordingly as the price of gasoline has come down. The effects of this condition can be seen at any supermarket across the country.

Stories like this should be shouted from the mountaintop, or at least given more attention to than the shenanigans of a major league baseball kid. When people are indifferent to anything politic, it’s because they’re not seeing the connection between the people that represent them in government (at any level) and their lives. Guess what, they do! If we all paid a little more attention to stories like these, maybe our lives would be a little better.

Eliminate Credit Card Debt

Today’s economy has put a major squeeze on the wallets of the middle class. Stagnant wages and rising prices have placed millions of Americans in a position of having very little disposable income. Monthly bills gobble up earnings and very little is left for non-essentials, like dining and entertainment. Unforeseeable expenditures, such as the breakdown of an automobile or household appliance, leave consumers with no choice but to employ the use of their credit cards to cover the cost. As a result, credit card debt adds up quickly, saddling the consumer with finance charges that further diminish the financial situations of many.

Once a person becomes burdened with high debt, there is no easy way to reduce or even eliminate the liability, but there are things a person can do to manage credit card debt and put themselves on a path towards eliminating it altogether.

Make Minimum Payments on Time

- Paying minimum monthly payments on time is critical to maintaining a good credit rating. Sustaining a superior rating is vital to managing credit card debt. High-quality credit ratings allow the consumer a wider choice of options, which translates to lower APR’s and faster diminishment of overall debt. With the deregulation of the financial industry in recent years, credit card companies have been afforded the option of assessing high fees and exorbitantly high interest rates, with little recourse for the consumer. Maintaining a good credit rating only gives consumers clout in any negotiations with banks, as these are the customers they desire.

Consolidate Credit Card Debt to Lower Interest Accounts

- Lower interest rates mean smaller finance charges. The intent is consolidating your credit card balances to the lowest possible APR available in order to pay down those balances.

- Credit consolidation offers generally come in two forms:

o A balance transfer offer from an existing credit card company, with which the consumer already does business, or

o Offers/invites to apply for a new account

- In reviewing balance transfer offers, it is critical to read the fine print and the disclosures carefully. Balance transfer offers usually come with a fee of 3-5% of the amount transferred. In addition, most offers stipulate that future payments are applied primarily to these transferred balances, further cementing the debt that’s already carried at the previous, higher APR. Taking these two factors into consideration, only you should be able to determine whether or not these conditions will help or hinder your goal of reducing your finance charges and therefore your overall debt.

- Another important consideration in analyzing consolidation offers is the length of time offered at the lower rate. Many agreements offer a choice of either a super low rate (sometimes even 0%) for a limited time or a slightly higher one that will be in effect until the balance is paid off. The lower, limited rate can be tempting, but should only be chosen if it will help remedy the specific financial situation of the borrower in the long run. Oftentimes, the low rate offer for the longer period is more beneficial.

Seek Professional Advice

-One benefit to arise out of the debt crisis has been the advent of debt counseling services. The notion of debt counseling, as opposed to debt consolidation, is providing people to manage their debt without ascertaining new debt. Quality debt advisement businesses offer a wide range of services to help consumers manage their debt. Such services include, but are not limited to:

o Offering budgeting advice to consumers who have difficulty managing their expenditures.

o Negotiating with credit card companies on their behalf, to help alleviate the burden of high payments as well as finance charges, in some cases. In most cases, multiple monthly payments can be consolidated into one, more manageable sum.

o Professional analysis of one’s overall financial situation to determine the best options for you.

- As with any other business service in the market, many predatory businesses exist within this booming industry. They offer promises to those in need, preying on those who could least afford to be victimized by such actions. It is vital to perform some thorough research in finding a valid credit counseling service. Determining the legitimacy of any debt counseling company will only serve to benefit you in your search for some valid help. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling (http://www.nfcc.org/) is a nonprofit agency that provides links to all sorts of services related to credit counseling.

Cut Back on Spending and Cut into Your Debt with a Small Daily Expenditure that You Can Afford

- Have you ever heard the quote, “Pay yourself first?” A couple of years ago, renowned financial advisor Suzy Ormon was on the Oprah Winfrey show giving tips on financial health. During the show, she suggested taking a small sum of money that you might spend needlessly on a daily basis, such as for lunch or coffee and putting it into a savings account. Ten dollars was her recommended amount. With this measure, a person would save $3650 in just one year without putting too much of a strain on their wallet. For people heavily in debt, this is surely a beneficial way to chip away at that large stone of debt, whether it’s ten dollars daily or even five.

Clearly, credit card debt is a major issue in the lives of millions of Americans. There is no magic pill for eliminating it all at once, but there are several options to help you effectively manage that credit card debt and make your way towards financial freedom. Above all, it is important to take a step back and explore all options thoroughly and decide on a plan that’s best for you.

Push and Pull

Immigrants

Like many who came before
From distant corners of the globe
Pushed from home
Fleeing calamity
Hunger, Poverty, War

The United States
Land of Dreams
Pulling those seeking a better life
Offering hope and optimism
To the downtrodden, the desperate

They’ve come to this New World
For several hundred years now
In crashing waves from different places at different times
Only to face new struggles
In a new land

“They’re taking our jobs.”
“They’re stealing our money.”
“They don’t want to speak English.”
“Send them all back to where they came from.”
They’ve all taken turns bearing the brunt

Eventually each group melds into the giant pot
Becoming a part of a new America
Time and time again
And the wave we have crashing over our shores now
Will, too