When I saw this I had to pass it on, because it expresses the feeling that has been pouring out of my gut for a very long time. I believe this attitude is what will cure our sick nation.
Tag Archive for US
The Work of May Day
Happy International Workers’ Day, although you probably know it as “May Day.” It grew out of a movement in the late 19th century IN THE U.S. Some people think it began in Cuba or the old Soviet Union or another communist country, but this is pure AMERICAN. People united to gain basic workers’ rights, like cutting their work-day in half, from as much as 16 hours to 8, and instituting health and safety measures to counter the horrendous working conditions, thus preventing the large numbers of job-related injuries and deaths that were occurring. It was a hard-fought battle against the rich and powerful big companies, but American workers prevailed, earning themselves safer, healthier lives and the ability to spend time with their families without being sick or totally exhausted. Today, then, we celebrate a great step forward for our country, honoring and protecting our workers.
Decoding the Bar Code
So often I’ve tried to figure out where a product was made, so I look for a “made in” notation on the label. It’s not always there. Now I know a way to tell–by the first three numbers of the bar code. For example, 690, 691, and 692 mean it was made in China, 471 means Taiwan, 750 Mexico, and anything starting with 0 means United States.
For a full list of numbers and their corresponding countries, go to Barcode Prefixes and Product Country of Origin.
9 Facts About Scammers
As we finish up National Consumer Protection Week, I thought I’d pass on some advice on how scammers scam us. Here, from AJC Atlanta News Now, is a list of 9 things scammers tell you. Here’s the list. Read details on their article.
1. Scammers feed off specific clues you put in your profile.
2. He usually lives outside the U.S.
3. Scamming women is his job.
4. What he’ll tell you about himself.
5. He uses romance to lure you in.
6. He’ll always have an excuse for why he can’t see you.
7. You can’t find anything concrete about who this man is.
8. You can’t find anything concrete about who this man is.
9. Action plan for protecting yourself from a scammer.
U.S. Military Dogs Being Mistreated
(From Working Dogs Left to Die.)
“You may have seen the news recently about the reports published about horrendous neglect of U.S. bomb-sniffing dogs in Jordan. In response to a hotline complaint, the Office of the Inspector General sent a team to do an evaluation of the kennel conditions of Explosive Detection Canines provided to Jordan. What they found was a horrifying combination of neglect, overwork and lack of basic veterinary care.
“Dogs that were carefully trained to save lives are now living in squalid conditions. Their kennels are covered in feces, their water bowls are often dry, and they aren’t being fed regularly. All of that, and they are still expected to work long days under the hot sun; sniffing for bombs.”
Read more and sign the petition at https://www.spcai.org/news/ed-blog/working-dogs-left-to-die.
A Flag with Great Meaning
Today’s Thursday Thought offers two quotes worth remembering on this Flag Day. Our U.S. flag was adopted today in 1777.
“We take the star from Heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing liberty.” — George Washington.
When we honor our flag we honor what we stand for as a Nation — freedom, equality, justice, and hope.” — Ronald Reagan
Democracy in Tunisia & the U.S.
Recently Tunisia passed a truly historic constitution widely heralded as a progressive and monumental document.
Here’s just some of what these brave elected representatives agreed upon in the face of strong pressure from the more extreme factions of their parties:
- Guaranteed equality between men and women
- A constitutional mandate for environmental protection, only the third country in the world to do so
- A declaration that health care is a human right, with preventative care and treatment for every citizen
- A democracy with civil laws that respects freedom of religion
- An established right to due process and protection from torture
[Unfortunately, the U.S. falls short on some of these goals. Let’s hope we and Tunisia can truly achieve all of them soon.]
In one stroke, Tunisia’s become more democratic than many Western countries have been for years.
This is a revolution of democracy and a great victory for human rights — and the more we recognize that, the more Tunisia can shine as an example for the Western and the Arab world!
From http://act.watchdog.net/petitions/4238?n=61068103.4ibRdx