COMMERCIALS I REALLY HATE.

The reason I hate the following commercials is that they so untrue. There seems to be no more truth in advertising, and companies can make a fortune lying to the American public. For instance Prevagen doesn't improve memory despite this nonsense about jellyfish, yet enough gullible American buy this rubbish (at about $35.00 a bottle) so the company can afford costly TV commercials every time you turn on the tube. Advil and Aleve have greatly exaggerated claims about the effectiveness and duration of their pills, which work well but not miraculously.  Bayer, the company that developed the gas the Nazis used during the holocaust, suggests that taking their aspirin during a heart attack of stroke will make all the difference in outcome. While there is some truth in this, any aspirin will do. The wildly popular lower-cased febreze says it eliminates odors. It doesn't. It just covers them up like everybody else. Oxi-clean is another over-promiser, as are so-called whitening toothpastes, dandruff shampoos, wrinkle creams, diet pills, and any number of brand-name
products that are in the hands of advertising agencies that couldn't care less about truth when it comes to making a profit for their clients.

FILLING A PRESCRIPTION

When I, at 75, found out I had a heart blockage, I immediately went into the hospital and had four stents installed. In the follow up, my doctor stressed, "You must take two Brilintas every day, possibly for a year or longer. " Following his advice seemed easy enough, although the $30 a month co-pay was kind of annoying. Recently when I was running low, I went to the pharmacist for a refill.
I was told he would have to get it approved by my doctor. I couldn't understand why a medicine I had to take for a year or longer had to be approved after two months. Still I had three pills left. But they were soon gone and the refill hadn't been approved yet by the doctor who practically suggested I would die without these pills. Later, after I had two days without the needed pills, the refill was approved. The only problem was that I had reached the gap in my coverage and instead of the pills being $90 for three months, they were $375.00. This made me think two things. How disgustingly greedy pharmaceutical companies are.  And what do poor or uninsured people do when they are faced with the outrageous costs of staying alive?

SOMETHING TO REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER

There are lots of nasty people in the world.

They don’t care about the hungry and the sick.

All they want do it make big bucks,

And they want to make those big bucks quick.

How do you stop these greedy creeps?

How do you squash these horrid trolls?

You can’t shoot them. You can’t stab them.

But there’s one step you can take:

You can beat then at the polls.

You can crush them. 
You can slay ‘em.

You can cause a world of mayhem.

Your vote is a bullet 
to each bastard on the ballot.

It’s an arrow, it’s a noose, it’s a well placed mallet.

And when yours is one of milllons, please take note:

Nothing has the power of your one vote.

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION, ETC.

The more I watch ID or Forensic Files or any of the many other crime shows, I am struck by how often women (victims are mostly women) can avoid being murdered. My friend Pat Longan wrote and illustrated a hilarious book on the subject, but in case you don't have it (and why don't you?) let's review. First of all many victims are killed in their beds. They wake and find a rapist/strangler standing over them.Nobody should be able to enter your home at night without making a loud noise. Put something that will fall and break at every point of entrance. Never leave a window open on an
accessible floor not matter how hot it is. If you're getting divorced don't tell your husband, "I'm going to take you for everything you own." especially if you're alone. If your spouse suggests increasing your life insurance, be suspicious. If you are suddenly sick with mysterious symptoms, suspect poison no matter how nice your spouse is. Be suspicious of that overly friendly neighbor, wary of any repair person, and distrustful of anyone at the front door who you don't know. Most important for men and woman who are dating. As soon as someone shows any sign of being controlling as to what you say, who you're friends with, or how you dress, drop that person.I could go on and on, but it's all here in this book. So if you're not in the mood to be murdered, read it.

THE LETTER IN THE BLACK LACQUERED BOX.

One of the Trump mysteries that has never been cleared up involves the black lacquered box. This was the "gift" presented to Trump at the Miss Universe office in New York in November of 2013 by the daughter of an oligarch. The box, supposedly from Vladimir Putin contained a sealed letter from Putin or the oligarch, Aras Agalorov. The contents of that letter has never been revealed. Being an incredible narcissist, one can assume if it were flattering, Trump would have bragged about its complimentary contents. But he didn't. This leads me to suspect it was a threat, the opening salvo to blackmailing Trump with a videotape or other evidence of his illegal dealings in Moscow, which must have been pretty shameful to  launch him on his unwavering devotion to Putin. This letter, if it still exists, is a highly desirable item to Mueller's investigation.  One wonders.

I've been very lazy about my blog lately, and I have no excuse. But as a sort of apology, I will
put this on in case you haven't read it.

MY PLAN FOR REUNITING FAMILIES.

My friends have scoffed at this plan and found reasons it wouldn't work. But then what else works? So here goes. My plan would require the use of three sports stadiums, possibly in Texas, Louisiana,
and the Northeast. Parents who were separated for a single son would be sent to one of these stadiums, as would all lone males separated from their parents. Once there they could search for their child, then offer proof of a relationship.The same thing would apply at another stadium for parents separated from a single daughter. The third stadium would be for all parents separated from more than one child and, of course, all brothers and sisters in captivity would be sent there. This system would be better than what is happening now as all those in need would be in one place. As parents wander among the children they are more likely find their child(ren)than any government plan. In addition stadiums have video screens in which parent or child can make pleas for reconnection. The cost? Transporting all these victims to the stadiums. The food that would be provided. The workers who would be needed to make out forms and verify relationships and to give special care to infants.
If we don't create something like this fast, the chances are that these children will never be reunited with their worried parents, and we will create a huge population of bitter, forgotten and dangerously
flawed adults. I also repeat my assertion that Americans has plenty of space to house the world's
"poor, tired, huddled masses, yearning to breathe free."