Food Banks and the unemployed

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Thursday December 02, 2010 · 10:59 AM PST

2010/12/02 · 10:59

My reading of late caused a light to go off in my head.

Food Banks are running on empty. Unemployment is rampant. What do these two things have in common? A ready work-force and a need that work-force has (along with many others), food.

Please note, this is not an attempt to present a "finished product". Rather, it is an attempt to solicit expertise and advise in the development of a mature approach to aid food banks AND the unemployed.

Maybe there's a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) answer built-in here. Please provide help and support below the fold.

FeloniousMonk

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Monday October 04, 2010 · 8:50 PM PDT

2010/10/04 · 20:50

I wrote a comment on Huffington Post in reaction to a beautiful video about how ink is made. As a result I became aware of what an huge influence one person with a big heart and an interest in young people can be.

I was in those teen aged doldrums many young men fall into. My first stab at college hadn't worked out well. Too much partying, too little sleep, not enough study. So I ended up back living with my parents, working as a stock-boy for an insurance company. My parents weren't happy with me, I wasn't happy with me, I didn't date (who'd want me?). You get the picture.

The insurance company had frequent, large schools for new agents, so they had some heavy needs for printed materials. In those days (mid to late '60's), in Palo Alto CA, R.M. Van Valkenberg was The Man for printing, so I made trips to his shop often. I've never been shy about talking to anyone and always been curious about how things work and the theory behind their workings.

Stick with me, the political point comes at the end.

Poll

23 votes Show Results

Did you have an influential mentor, how did the relationship happen?

23 votes Vote Now!

Did you have an influential mentor, how did the relationship happen?

It was a family member.

3 votes

It was a friend of the family.

2 votes

It was a formal counselor (voluntary)

3 votes

It was a formal counselor (involuntary)

3 votes

It was (originally) a casual acquaintance, like Van.

1 vote

It was a peer (interesting, write a diary?)

4 votes

Other

7 votes

Sigma Tau Upsilon Pi Iota Delta = STUPID

FeloniousMonk

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Tuesday April 20, 2010 · 9:24 PM PDT

2010/04/20 · 21:24

The US Senate is a "collegial" body. Fraternal organization it may be, but, that doesn't prevent it from acting in an absolutely STUPID manner. I'm sure these grown men, raised in luxury, coddled by their fraternities and connections -- I'm sure they feel they know what's best for we poor, stupid, schmucks who actually do the work.

But, I have to tell you. I've lived in both worlds. I've been educated to contend with the mightiest. I learned to contend with the lowliest, who, by the way, ain't too friggin' dumb.

FeloniousMonk

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Monday April 05, 2010 · 10:40 AM PDT

2010/04/05 · 10:40

While watching Alan Greenspan's Sunday interview, I had a mild epiphany.

It seems possible to me that Ayn Rand's totally free markets, Karl Marx's socially shared resources and modern-day progressive views of regulated markets -- all may be mutually compatible.

Yes, I know, integrating those views seems like a tall order. Let's see if it's possible. Below the fold, I'll hypothesize ... don't jump on me until you've actually read it, and understand this is merely an attempt at explaining some current political behavior.

FeloniousMonk

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Monday March 29, 2010 · 8:27 AM PDT

2010/03/29 · 08:27

Angry Mouse's current front page diary uses a common neo-con framework that is wrong, misleading and, frankly, offensive to every person who receives Social Security income. I object!

In a comment to that diary, I say this:

Your diary, by implication, suggests that simply collecting Social Security is a sort of government welfare program.

I object. I am collecting Social Security and feel that I am receiving repayment of the money that government mandates took from my paychecks over 40 years of earnings. That is not welfare, government aid or anything close.

Go to the Social Security website and request a report of your contributions. You will receive a listing of every year you received income subject to S.S. deductions, the income and deduction amounts.

It's not a huge leap from there to decide this is not a welfare program so much as an enforced savings/insurance program.

In my mind, my social security income is nothing more than repayment of 40 years of contributions.

Neo-Cons love to characterize Social Security as a welfare program. Please don't buy into that meme. I paid for it for 40 years, the money is owed to me and I expect it to be paid.

FeloniousMonk

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Thursday March 18, 2010 · 10:02 AM PDT

2010/03/18 · 10:02

"The Island at the Center of the World" is the most captivating history book I've ever read.

It is about the colonization of Manhattan Island by the Dutch -- long before the establishment of English dominance. It is based on the efforts of a modern scholar of Old Dutch, who has/is translated/translating 12,000 pages of difficult text. Even the history of the document being translated is gripping. But, more to the point, the book seems almost like a novel, though it is full of footnotes and clearly grounded in fact, it is still a gripping story. It even includes a 1600's drawing of the Manhattan skyline.

Even if you hate history, you MUST read it.

FeloniousMonk

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Friday January 22, 2010 · 9:25 PM PST

2010/01/22 · 21:25

Rant follows:

I posted a comment that, at least I feel, needs a bit more attention.

It's probably too short to qualify as a diary, but it is certainly heartfelt. I hope you can take my comments in that vein.

FeloniousMonk

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday December 14, 2009 · 6:54 PM PST

2009/12/14 · 18:54

You inspired me to donate money to a Presidential campaign, something I'd never done before. You inspired me to knock on doors for you, something I'd never done before.

You got elected and I was ecstatic. I cried, I was comfortable that our nation was ready to be healed and you were the man to do it.

FeloniousMonk

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Wednesday December 09, 2009 · 9:25 PM PST

2009/12/09 · 21:25

The polls surely show Americans are fed up with our health care system. They also show, fairly clearly, that Americans are fed up with legislators who are bought and paid for by corporations.

What you say makes sense ... as far as it goes. Sure, we should be happier with what works better. But, really, is that the best we can do?

I say these things to you Dr. Dean because you are the best hope I have that someone with "access" will hear it.

FeloniousMonk

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday December 07, 2009 · 4:47 PM PST

2009/12/07 · 16:47

I have a bit of legislation I'd like to see introduced in Florida. I'd like to know who Florida DKossers feel are the most progressive lawmakers to present it to.

After Jeb Bush, Florida may be the worst legal morass in the U.S. The legal system is ALL about the money. It is destroying it's own citizen's in order to pay for ... er ... destroying it's citizens.

FeloniousMonk

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday September 08, 2009 · 8:27 PM PDT

2009/09/08 · 20:27

Lately I've been working as a volunteer at my local Council on Aging. That is the result of being retired and on Social Security. Additionally, it's because I spent several years as the computer nerd for the Council one county away. I also spent two years on the technical steering committee of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. I am now 64 years old, myself ... still cynical, but more "open" than I used to be.

Today I had a "come to Mama" event. I was sitting out front of the Council on Aging building, waiting for meals to be delivered for Adult Day Care and Congregate meals. A frail lady came out to sit on the bench to my left. Subsequent conversation gave me to understand that she was born in 1939 in Cincinnati (lets call her Ms. Cincinnati) and had moved to Florida not long after I was born. I offered her my seat in the shade ... but she demurred, saying she preferred to sit in the sun.

That prompted more information from the lady sitting next to me. That lady was one month younger than I, an ex-nurse with visible shaking of her hands. She explained about Ms. Cincinnati ... below the fold.

FeloniousMonk

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday June 29, 2009 · 3:05 PM PDT

2009/06/29 · 15:05

Lately, I've been involved in some contentious comment threads on the subject of GLBT rights.

My point is, and always has been, that GLTBs have a RIGHT to equal rights. First, and foremost, do you get that? GLTBs have a RIGHT to equal rights!

Now I'd like to talk about how that can and CANNOT be achieved. There is a group here on DKos that acts as if they have a corner on the market for correctness. That is the same group that pretends there is a dictionary of "offensive" words used to demean them. It is the same group that feels they have some right to actually define what those "offensive" words are.

I object to that.

I suspect there are many on DKos who agree GLBTs should have "equal" rights. But, the problem is, those rights do not extend to "acceptance".

I'm a child of the 40's and 50's. I agree GLBTs (already, per the Constitution) have equal rights and the problem is simply getting courts to concur.

But, I DO NOT agree that I am required to adhere to GLBT definitions of what is and is not an insult. Sorry, GLBTers, I live in the majority world. YOU, OTOH, are the ones who need my support. You want that support? ... try not insulting me.

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