The stuff that smiles are made of…

Highway robbery: Fayette County, GA police are on the hunt for thieves with a hankering for Japanese noodles, reports the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. The highway robbers got away with a tractor-trailer parked at a Fayetteville gas station carrying a load of ramen packets worth nearly $100 thousand. It begs the question: where can they find a fence who specializes in stolen noodles.

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And the music played on: It’s common knowledge that opera lovers are a special breed. Their devotion to the works of Puccini, Mozart and Verdi can border on the fanatical. And, many of them have a favorite opera that they will listen to more than any other. But, according to the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC], one aficionado in Slovenia may have taken her love of La Traviata too far. She was arrested for playing her recording of Giuseppe Verdi’s masterwork too loud and too often. It seems she started playing it 16 years ago to drown out the barking of a neighbor’s dog and never stopped playing it, day after day. If convicted at her court appearance, she faces up to six months in jail.

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Soup’s on: A Vietnamese food company celebrated its 55^th anniversary by feeding a crowd of about 2,000 in Ho Chi Minh City with a three ton bowl of beef soup.   The gesture was so grand that it secured the company a place in the Guinness Book of World Records, says the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. The VIFON foods company assigned 55 chefs to prepare the soup using more than 336 pounds of fixins, 130 pounds of beef brisket, more than 46 pounds of seasonings and about 2,466 pounds of hot water. The crowd literally ate it up. And they said too many cooks spoil the soup.

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The scourge of socialism strikes fear in the hearts of mainstream Democrats

WASHINGTON, DC, Aug 17 – Americans who identify themselves as Democrats are embracing Socialism at an alarming rate, according to a new survey. And, mainstream Democrats are concerned. They fear the scourge of socialism may stymie their efforts to win at least some measure of control in Congress come November.

Gallup just released the results of the poll showing that Democrats have a more positive image of socialism than they do of capitalism. Fifty-seven percent say they view socialism in a more positive light than they view capitalism while just 47% say they favor capitalism.

“The popularity of socialism in the U.S. has never been greater than it is today. Look at what happened in the Bronx. Upstart, 28-year-old socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez beat veteran, 10-term Congressman Joe Crowley [D-NY] in the New York Democratic primary. Since then closet socialists in the Democratic Party have been outing themselves all across the country, much to the delight of the Democratic Socialists of America, a three-and-a-half decades old organization that has lived in relative obscurity till now,” says Dan Weber, president of the Conservative Association of Mature American Citizens.

The DSA is a club, not a party, but since the upset victory of Ocasio-Cortez on June 26^th it is being called “the most visible and organized force in politics for an ideology”.

However, as Weber points out, the majority of far-left candidates in Democratic primaries across the country lost to their mainstream contenders. “And, that is what concerns the party.”

The vast majority of voters in the country are unlikely to embrace a philosophy that blatantly wants to upend our American way of life. But, the sudden focus on socialism has been disquieting and is particularly alarming for traditional Democrats who are seeking to overturn the Republican Congress in November. The socialist movement is not likely to help them because it is anathema to voters and could have the effect of minimizing Democratic turnout while rallying the Republican base in the midterm elections.

As discredited former Director of the FBI, James Comey, who was a registered Republican until two years ago, put it in a social media post on July 22: “Democrats, please, please don’t lose your minds and rush to the socialist left.”

Ocasio-Cortez may have stolen the limelight of socialism, but there are plenty of far left candidates running for office this year – probably more than ever before. And, they are making their own headlines.

Three, progressive 30-something women in Pennsylvania, for example, upset candidates with plenty of funding and lots of Democratic clout. Two of the upstarts won in state house primaries against veteran mainstream Democrats. The other, also a first time candidate, beat a state Senate aide, also a first timer, but who had party backing as well as lots of campaign funding. Meanwhile, in Texas – of all places – as many as 20 self-proclaimed socialists are on ballots throughout the state this year. And none of them seem to be bashful about identifying themselves as a socialist.

One of those Texans, Ali Khorasani, who is running for Congress, proudly proclaims his progressive inclinations on his Web site. He also posted an online message that reads: “As a member of both the DSA and the Communist Party of Houston, I am deeply aligned with socialist values and anti-capitalism.”

So, where is this leftist activity coming from? One of their own, socialist New York Times OpEd columnist Michelle Goldberg, reveals, in a New York Times opinion article that it’s the work of “The Millennial Socialists.”

“And, if you haven’t figured it out, many of those millennials were indoctrinated in school,” says Weber who cites a survey conducted by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.

The organization was created by a unanimous Act of Congress in 1993. It conducts periodic surveys of attitudes toward socialism and communism and its most recent poll found:

• Millennials would prefer to live in a socialist country (44%) than in a capitalist one (42%).
• Seven percent of those polled said they’d actually prefer to live in a communist country.

In reporting on its survey, the Foundation pointed out that there are more millennials than baby boomers in the U.S. and that they make up what is officially the largest generation in America.

“To a large extent, they received their education in middle school, high school and college from teachers and professors that were liberal, at best,” Weber points out. “They helped shape the lives of their students, as they grew old enough to vote.”

Jake Zhu was the National News Editor of the Cornell Review in 2015 and wrote an article for the publication with the headline: I Am a Survivor of My Public Schools’ Liberal Brainwashing. As he put it, “the greatest threat to my intellectual cultivation throughout my years of attending Boston Public Schools is the prevalence of blatant left-wing indoctrination entrenched in the academic content.”

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The stuff that smiles are made of…

Row, row, row your boat: Here’s a world record worth reporting: a high school teacher used his summer break to row 2,000 miles across the Atlantic in 38 days, 6 hours and 49 minutes, says the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. Bryce Carlson, who teaches at Seven Hills School in Madisonville, OH, crossed the Atlantic alone from Canada to England, topping the previous solo record of some 53 days. He told reporters: “I capsized about a dozen times, give or take. All occurred while I was inside the cabin, most while I was awake, “tailbone pretty badly.” On the bright side, he lost between 10 and 15 pounds.

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A dog-eat-dog competition: The sport of surfing is going to the dogs. At least it is in Pacifica, CA, which hosted this year’s World Dog Surfing Championships, reports the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. The event, which is billed as “the premier dog surfing” competition, first took place in 2006 in San Diego. It was a won of a kind contest that has since spawned similar events around the world.

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They said it wouldn’t last: And, here’s a world record that requires stamina, according to the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. It’s the one for the oldest living married couple. The record keepers at Guinness announced recently that a Japanese couple managed to celebrate their 80^th wedding anniversary due to their longevity. He is 108-years-young and she is a mere 100.

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Kavanaugh likely to be confirmed as Associate Justice Kennedy’s successor on the Supreme Court

‘He is a thoughtful and honest jurist who has shown that he will protect the Constitution’

WASHINGTON, DC, Aug 10 – Senate Democrats seek to put up a united front against President Trump’s selection of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court. But, political analysts – Democrat and Republican – seem to believe it is a losing battle, says Dan Weber, president of the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC].

“Those opposed to Kavanaugh have sought to convince moderate Republicans Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine to vote against his confirmation. But, in recent weeks both Collins and Murkowski have indicated they are comfortable with his nomination. Meanwhile, there are a slew of Red State Democrats who are up for re-election who can take their places if either of them or both have last minute reservations,” according to Weber.

Weber says he is confident that Kavanaugh has enough support to pass muster in the Senate. “Democratic leaders are deceptively and disingenuously attempting to persuade their colleagues otherwise. They are seeking to convince the American people that he is not qualified but his credentials and his career show that he is eminently up to the task.”

A simple majority in the Senate is all that it will take to confirm Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court. And, even if Senator John McCain [R-AZ] is unable to travel to Washington for the vote due to ill health, it still leaves Republicans with a 51 to 49 advantage since Vice President Pence would cast the deciding ballot.

It should be noted that not all who call themselves Liberals are opposed to the Kavanaugh selection. Liberal Yale Law School professor Akhil Reed Amar recently published an Opinion Article in the New York Times extolling the virtues of Judge Kavanaugh. It was entitled A Liberal’s Case for Brett Kavanaugh and in it Amar wrote: “The nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to be the next Supreme Court justice is President Trump’s finest hour, his classiest move. Last week the president promised to select ‘someone with impeccable credentials, great intellect, unbiased judgment, and deep reverence for the laws and Constitution of the United States.’ In picking Judge Kavanaugh, he has done just that.”

 In addition, there are nine Democrats who are up for reelection in states that voted heavily for President Trump in November 2016 and they risk alienating voters if they go against Kavanaugh. They are Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Doug Jones of Alabama, Bill Nelson of Florida, Jon Tester of Montana, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin.

“It’s unlikely that all of them will oppose their Democratic Senate colleagues and support Mr. Trump’s pick for the court. It is likely that a few could and would do just that, but I don’t think that enough of them will vote to derail his appointment,” Weber opined.

“The fact is that Kavanaugh is widely considered the best person to succeed Justice Kennedy. Not because he is a conservative, but because he is a thoughtful and honest jurist who has shown that he will protect the Constitution. He is opposed on the left because there are those who would like a more flexible candidate on the Court—someone who would not be bound by the Constitution and who would legislate from the bench. They would like to see a deciding vote on the Supreme Court bench who would enable the progressive elements in America to turn our constitutional republic into a socialist state. That’s not going to happen.”

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Beware the attack of the ticks: some can give you Lyme disease

WASHINGTON, DC, Aug 3 – It’s the height of summer, a time of year when we are most vulnerable to insect-borne diseases. It’s a threat that will still be with us well into the Fall. Dr. Robert R. Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control [CDC], warns that “a growing list of diseases caused by the bite of an infected mosquito, tick, or flea have confronted the U.S. in recent years, making a lot of people sick.”

Tick attacks can be particularly nasty for seniors, says Dan Weber, president of the Association of Mature American Citizens. “They can cause several different illnesses, most notably Lyme disease. All of these sicknesses can have harsh symptoms but they rarely result in death, although the elderly have weaker immune systems and are therefore more susceptible.”

According to the CDC the symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, rash, facial paralysis and arthritis and can last up to six months. The Interim Healthcare Web site notes that these ”symptoms can be harsh but slow to set in – a person could be infected with Lyme disease for a full month with nothing but a small rash at the bite location before more serious symptoms set in. Later stage Lyme can include increased rashes, partial facial paralysis, arthritis and joint pain, irregular heartbeat, brain and spinal cord swelling, nerve pain and short-term memory loss.”

 Not all ticks carry Lyme disease. Weber says, “it is the blacklegged tick and the western blacklegged tick that are the culprits. They are not common in all 50 states. In fact, up until about 20 years, they were common only in the Northeastern United States. But two decades later they can be found in 1,531 counties spread across 43 states. Rebecca Eisen, a research biologist at the CDC, tells us that blacklegged ticks inhabit the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and north-central regions of the United States, and the western blacklegged tick are found along the Pacific Coast.”

Weber says he did some research and found that you can tell the difference between the blacklegged and the common dog tick [which is not known to spread disease] by the physical differences between the two. The blacklegged tick is much smaller than the dog tick and the dog tick has white markings on its back.

The AMAC chief also suggests that you do not panic if you find a tick has attached itself to your body; you’ve got up to 24 hours before an infection can set in. So you have time to get help in removing it at an ER, for example. “Whatever you do, don’t try to squeeze it out or use a lit cigarette to coax it out. If you can’t get medical help, use tweezers to grip it as close as possible to its mouth to remove.”

And, now it is reported that a new species of tick, the “Longhorned Tick” has recently been identified in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and Arkansas. According to one report, “while they have been known to transmit disease to humans in other parts of the world, health officials say more research is needed to determine whether that’s possible in the U.S.”

To prevent tick bites, the CDC suggests that you:

Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin. Permethrin can be used to treat boots, clothing and camping gear and remain protective through several washings. And that you,

Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. EPA’s helpful search tool can help you find the product that best suits your needs. Always follow product instructions.

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The stuff that smiles are made of…

The good thief: She left her wallet, containing $160, at a Walmart store in Clinton, AR. She returned and retrieved the wallet but found that a thief had removed the cash. But the crook turned out to be “a good thief” and, according to the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC], a few days later anonymously dropped off an envelope at the police station. It contained the stolen cash and a note addressed: “To the lady that left her wallet at Walmart.” It read, in part, “please forgive me as I always strive to have integrity, and that day I failed miserably.”

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A hairy story: A six-month old baby girl in Japan has become something of an international celebrity after her mother posted photos of her sporting a full head of “lush” black hair. The Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] reports that “Baby Chanco,” as the infant is known, has some 150,000 followers on Instagram. Her hair has been growing so fast and thick since her birth that her Mom has been taking her to a beauty parlor for frequent haircuts.

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Fly me to the moon: Here’s a gift for newlyweds that is truly out of this world: a titanium plaque etched with their names that will orbit the earth in space for a hundred or more years. The Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] says the Warp Space Company of Japan offers to launch the personalized commemorative wedding plaques into space for $270 each. Interested? Email them for more information.

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Our schools need to put a new emphasis on American history

‘Ask yourself: Could my middle and high school students pass a citizenship test?’

WASHINGTON, DC – Numerous news reports indicate that elementary, middle, and high schools are giving little attention to the study of American history, according to education consultant John Danielson.

Professor Katy Swalwell teaches courses in elementary social studies methods at Iowa State University.  In an article she published at the National History Education Clearinghouse Web site, Dr. Swalwell noted that “the condition of history in the elementary classroom is one of great concern.   History is rarely included as part of the curriculum and, if it is taught, relies upon a conventional and canonical perspective that ignores historical scholarship and excludes multiple perspectives.  Our best hope is that current and future teachers become critical consumers of state standards and district-sponsored materials and see themselves as ‘smugglers’ of good history back into the school day.”

It’s shameful but true that less than 20% of young learners are proficient in U.S. history.  More disturbing is a report issued by the Annenberg Public Policy Center that shows nearly 75% of Americans cannot name the three branches of government.

“There is a general lack of knowledge about our history; perhaps, that is the reason why political dissension has become more violent in recent times,” says Danielson, a long-term colleague of former Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander.  He also served as Chief of Staff for Education Secretary Rod Paige.

“Dissension, in itself, is not a bad thing.  Skeptics like George Washington, John Adams and the other Founding Fathers put our nation on the road to a unique style of governance—a federation of states with a Representative Democracy.  And, it took nonconformists such as Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony and Martin Luther King, Jr. to incorporate their visions of a better world to bring about much needed reforms to the American way—which actually—permanently influenced the world for the better.  They were our revolutionary role models,” said Danielson.

Is the country losing faith in the values and ideals that made it great, because of its historical illiteracy?

“The late Dr. Bruce Cole, former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and history education advocate David Bruce Smith thought so.  And, that is why the Grateful American Book Prize was established.  It occurred to them that if kids were not learning history in the classroom, perhaps they could be enticed with stories of adventure, romance and ingenuity.  The Prize is aimed at encouraging authors and their publishers to produce more historically accurate fiction and nonfiction for middle schoolers.  Regaling our kids with exciting tales that capture their imaginations can hook them on history.”

As columnist Karol Markowicz put it an OpEd in the New York Post: “We talk often about how fractured our country has become.  That our division increases while school kids are taught less and less about our shared history should come as no surprise.”

If that’s the case, says Danielson, we need to do whatever it takes to “re-capture” the kids.  It would help, too, if parents petitioned the education authorities in their communities and states, requesting them to reinstate the importance of history in the classroom.

“How can we expect America’s younger generations to learn how to be responsible and productive citizens without informing them of the events and personalities that shaped the nation?  How can they make knowledgeable, intelligent choices without knowing the critically important decisions of the past?” Danielson said.

Fact: for those newly arrived in the U.S. seeking to become citizens, a thorough knowledge of American history is a requisite.  They need to know about the Constitution, the workings of our three branches of government and more.  There are no less than 100 questions on the examination they must take in order to qualify for citizenship.

Says Danielson: “ask yourself, could my middle and high school students pass a citizenship test?”

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The stuff smiles are made of…

Merry Christmas: It’s Christmas in July, at least for 150 Santas who traveled from around the world to attend the 61st World Santa Claus Congress in Copenhagen, according to the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. One Santa from the U.S., who has attended the event for 12 years in a row, told the Reuters News Agency that more and more Kris Kringles have been choosing to dress like an American Santa. Danish Santas, for example, have traded in their traditional gray suits for red suits, white fur trimmed nightcaps, black boots and wide black belts. And, if you doubt the popularity of Old Saint Nick in the non-English speaking world, consider this: Japanese kids are now among the world’s most prolific writers of letters to Santa. As they say in Japan during Yuletide, Merīkurisumasu!

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Harken to the swan song: England’s annual swan count is underway. The “Swan Upping,” as they call it, is an 800-year-old traditional way of counting how many swans live on the Thames River, says the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. Starting in the 12^th Century the mute swans of England were declared to be the property of the ruling monarch. They were considered a delicacy in those days, a meal fit for a king or a queen. They don’t eat swans any more; modern monarchs are environmentally minded. Instead, Upping is an eco-friendly way to keep track of the swan population.

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Used couch gets ‘friended’ on Facebook: Someone disposed of a used couch along a road in West Melbourne, FL and it quickly became the town’s hot spot. It didn’t take long for local residents to begin accessorizing the sidewalk sofa. Locals soon provided such conveniences as a throw rug, a coffee table and various and sundry other decorative and practical items. There are no immediate plans to remove the couch. Residents seem have grown fond of it, even creating a Facebook page for the settee with more than 6,000 followers.

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The stuff that smiles are made of…

Florida cop engages in slow speed chase: Deputy Bryan Bowman spotted a slow mover on the road – a very slow mover. In fact, says the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC], it was a tortoise. Bowman tried to coax the miscreant off the road, but the testy turtle snapped at him. So the cop got back into his patrol car, turned on the flashing lights atop his vehicle and followed the critter for 20 minutes until the tortoise veered off into the woods. Bowman caught the whole thing on video, which the Marion Country Florida Sherriff’s office posted on Facebook. On the video, the deputy is heard saying: “The nerve of this guy. He’s literally going one mile per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone.”

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Costly Joy ride: It was his dream come true when a Virginia man, whose identity police have not revealed, picked up his brand new McLaren 720S. According to the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC], the manufacturer says the $300,000 sports car “embodies our relentless quest to push the limits of possibility.” But the next day the proud new owner of a genuine supercar pushed its speed limits and his dream turned into a nightmare. He wrapped the costly car around a tree and totaled it. His injuries were not life-threatening, but his ego must have suffered, particularly when the Fairfax County, VA Police Department posted a picture of the wreckage and this message on Facebook: “Purchased Friday. Totaled Saturday.”

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Napping for dollars: If you are 18 years of age or older and enjoy taking cozy, comfortable naps, this paid internship is for you. The Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] reports that Mattress Firm is taking applications for what it calls a “Snoozetern.” The company says that their new “in-house bed tester” must be proficient in napping and will be sleeping on the job for a period of three months.

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AMAC supports Congressional BOLD initiative to combat ‘the scourge’ of Alzheimer’s disease

Bi-partisan bill in both Houses of Congress may provide them

WASHINGTON, July 20 – The Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] has endorsed bi-partisan legislation in Congress to focus attention and resources on “the scourge” of dementia and, in particular, Alzheimer’s, which is America’s most expensive disease.

The BOLD [Building Our Largest Dementia] Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act [S.2076] and the House version of the bill [H.R.4256] were both introduced last November with bi-partisan support. Susan Collins [R-ME], Chairman of the Special Committee on Aging, introduced the bill in the Senate. Rep. Brett Guthrie [R-KY] sponsored the House version. The measures would provide “research funding … needed to achieve our goal of preventing and treating Alzheimer’s by the year 2025,” according to an online post by Sen. Collins.

AMAC president Dan Weber sent letters of support to Senator Collins and her cosponsors in the Senate and to Representative Brett Guthrie and his cosponsors in the House. In his messages, Weber stated: “The BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act will empower those living with Alzheimer’s, and their caregivers, by increasing access to education and expanding necessary support services. The steps outlined in this bill will ensure both patients and caregivers are best positioned to deal with the effects of Alzheimer’s and preserve the financial integrity of our healthcare system by averting a potentially disastrous public health crisis.”

Weber has long been calling for a new focus on Alzheimer’s and says “it’s about time that one of the most devastating diseases afflicting older Americans receives the full attention of the U.S. government. It is destructive to the individuals who suffer from this malignant form of dementia and their families. But it also has the potential of overwhelming America’s healthcare infrastructure if it is not checked.”

Weber notes that AIDS, a disease that is in decline and afflicts 1.1 million Americans, receives some $32 billion in Federal funding. Meanwhile, he points out, the National Institutes of Health [NIH] says it will spend just $1.9 billion this year to fund research on Alzheimer’s – a disease that plagues the lives of more than 5.7 individuals in the U.S. and is expected to destroy the lives of as many as 14 million by the year 2050.”

Former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. David Satcher, who also served as the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Alzheimer’s is the most under-recognized threat to public health in the 21st century.”

In an appeal for support of the BOLD Act, Satcher said that the legislation would create a “public health infrastructure across the country to implement effective Alzheimer’s interventions.” It would:

• Establish Alzheimer’s Centers of Excellence that would increase early detection and diagnosis, reducing risk, preventing avoidable hospitalizations, reducing health disparities, supporting the needs of caregivers and supporting care planning for people living with the disease.
• Provide funding to help public health departments implement effective Alzheimer’s interventions.
• Make available funding for the Increased data collection, analysis and timely reporting needed to support research aimed at controlling and controlling the disease.

“The BOLD Act provides a new, sorely needed perspective on Alzheimer’s disease and much needed, substantive support in the quest for a cure. Along the way it will help researchers to come up with new, more effective ways of managing this insidious form of dementia. Meanwhile, the more we learn about the pathways of Alzheimer’s with help from the public sector, the more effective medical researchers in the private sector can be in checking the progress of the disease among older Americans,” Weber said.

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