Friday, November 23, 2007

IS IT IN YOUR FOOD? IS THE FED IN YOUR FOOD?

If you look carefully, you'll see a little illegal alien in this picture. The lettuce is called mache in Spanish, Valerianella locusta in Latin. It's a gourmet form of lettuce. And it is sold in many food stores in the Southwest. I don't know anything other than that about it. Well, maybe the fact the animal is apparently a frog, carrying who knows what diseases. In fact the idea of consuming any of this lettuce is not being given any room in my cluttered mind. How should I put it? "There's enough s**t in my head now"? "No more p**s and vinegar, thank you"? You get the idea. . When America imports food stuffs don't we have the right to ask that it be readied for us by our standards? Well, yes. And no. Yes, we have the right to demand this from our federal and state governments. No we don't, according to the sellers and buyers of the the raw product. (Raw seemed to fit well here.) . Complaining to either of these governments (ours and theirs) can be most frustrating and lead one in circles that are like crop circles (do you suppose?) that never seem to end. If you don't believe that, here's a little test you can perform. Write down a question to ask the IRS. Call the IRS, read the question and carefully record the response with pen and paper. Hang up, call the 1-800 number again and read the same question. Write down their answer. Hang up and call the number again. Read the question. Write down their answer. The odds are all three will be different responses. Keep calling and you might get an infinite variety of answers. And the IRS cannot be held responsible if they give you the wrong answer and you wind up with a fine and late fees. That's in their rules. Federal Income Tax was first started in 1862 to pay for the Civil War and was eliminated in 1872. Then it was revived in 1894 and declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court the next year. In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the Constitution made the income tax a permanent blight on our lives. The Social Security Act was signed into law in 1935 and the first payment was made into it in 1937. Under this law, only retirement benefits were paid to the primary worker. In 1939 a change in the law added survivors benefits and benefits for the retiree's spouse and children. In 1956 Disability benefits were added. The original 1935 law contained the first national unemployment compensation program, aid to the states for various health and welfare programs, and the Aid to Dependent Children program. Franklin Roosevelt, President and multimillionaire, saw that many businesses had no retirement nor pension plans and forced the bill through a Congress who did not want it enacted. They were afraid of losing the support of big business who supplied them with perks and money for re-election campaigns. The cost was low to the average wage earner. A few pennies out of their paychecks. People thought, correctly, that there would be some money coming in after the business world was through with them. Poor houses would become a thing of the past. And the people were right and the houses disappeared. And contentment reigned in the country. (The children of the retirees were happy that they wouldn't have to hold two jobs to support the parents in their old age. Parents were happy because they wouldn't have to take orders from their snot nosed kids. Everybody was happy. COLA (Cost Of Living Adjustment) were first paid in 1975. Before that, Congress played the catch me when you can game before giving them raises. However, Congress, which gives itself and the President raises when it feels like it, decided that retired people didn't need to have their COLA figured on the same basis that Federal Government employees did. Maybe they thought that retirees paid less for food, less for cars and gasoline and repairs, less for housing costs, less for clothing than gov employees. Maybe. . This coming year, retirees are being treated to a magnificent 2.3% COLA because of the way it is figured. (Bean counters another 1, citizens 0.) The message I see the government sending is: If you don't like it, stick it in your gas tank. I think that perhaps the last president we had who really cared about the average citizen was John F. Kennedy.

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Oh, clicking on the header will take you into an entirely different world.

. I confess, it was a sneaky way to get into this subject.

19 comments:

alphonsedamoose said...

Scary what we might be eating isn't it? I try not to buy from 3rd world countries anymore.
As for taxes, our Revenue Canada has now said that if you go into their offices to pay, it must be by checque or debit card. Cash will not be accepted, even though it is the LEGAL tender of the country.DUMB

Catmoves said...

moose, we having been avoiding 3rd world food since he first time it came up with nasty poisons in it.
Hold on a minute about not accepting cash. I might be inclined to point out that perhaps there are too many light fingered employees in Revenue Canada?
Cash has a way of disappearing when there are vast piles of it and poor accounting methods.
I live in N.M. There is plenty of that proof here.

alphonsedamoose said...

Good point Cat. It just seems silly that the Government issues the cash as legal tender but won't accept it.
I know what you mean about light fingers though. that may be the reason.

Rachelle said...

It's enough to make you want to move to Cuba... HA!!
I totally agree, we need standards that are specific to each country, and they need to be strict, and enforced.
I also want a million dollars, a candle that never burns out and smells like cinnamon, and a 2008 black Corvette for Christmas....
Slainte~
Rachelle

Lin said...

For Moose, that 3rd world country might be the U.S. these days, at least given the current exchange rate.

DO NOT get me going on der S.S. joke.

That appears to be your garden variety (literally here) Rana. I DO so adore them but maybe not in my pillow pack salads nor do I want to see their legs used to satisfy someone's culinary longings. They are wonderful, sociable creatures in a pond though.

Mark knows well of what you speak in terms of IRS advice. I had the occasion to work with a former IRS employee posing as our shop accountant. So together, we formed an opinion less than complimentary.

Cat, you just avoided my blog snare today thanks to the Moose. You owe him now, bud.

TheWayfarer said...

Franklin D. Roosevelt seems to me like a man who actually meant well, and do to the blinders that the OMFR and abject poor tend to wear, never dreamed of what his policies and plans would get twisted into after he was gone.
What's that expression about "No good deed ever goes unpunished"?

Catmoves said...

moose, I couldn't help but shake my head in awe. Seems the Credit Card companies have won now, doesn't it?
We have so much government theft in N.M. that it's becoming old news every time a scandal breaks.

Catmoves said...

rachelle, America for money, Cuba for climate?
If you get that Corvette let me know. We'll be there the day after Christmas.

Catmoves said...

lin, you might be right about our becoming a 3rd world power. 'specially if we elect one of those candidates who wants to spend, spend, spend without worrying about where the dough is coming from. (The budget was balanced when Dubya took over.)
Mark has first hand experience. I was once audited by the IRS and the CPA there admitted he had to find something in our return. Wound up paying the equivalent of $20 or so. After spending an entire day with him.
I'll be over to see the trap moose got me out. (He ain't expensive, but he ain't free, either.)

Catmoves said...

Galt-In-Da-Box, FDR saw the misery opf seniors cits and tried his best to keep the sticky fingers in government out of the honey box he knew SS would create. It took them many, many years to figure out a way around it.

alphonsedamoose said...

Cat: Just so you have a heads up. Another blogger out up a post that knocked Canadians. I went on a rant and said some things. Just want you to know they do NOT apply to you or any other bloggers I converse with.

Catmoves said...

Oh, yeah, moose. I check your blog out regularly and you know it. Guess I'll have to go raise some hell. I'm curious as the devil now.
I, personally have always enjoyed Canada and the funny people who live there. Hehehehehehe.

Catmoves said...

Couldn't find it, moose. Where's the clod?

Anonymous said...

Moose was on fire. He came out swinging, as did I and my sister and a couple of other Canucks.

It all started when one of "your people" travelled north into Canada for a short visit. He insulted us on his blog.

I had more of a problem with one of his readers who is from the Netherlands. I skinned him alive. I would have accepted a sincere apology from him because he didn't know any better, but the jackass got rude so I skinned him again.

Anyway I'm not going to direct you there myself but you can get the link from the comments on Moose's recent post. Go look, if you dare.

Remind me never to eat bagged lettuce again. If I saw a frog I would scream like a girl. Waaaait a minute..I AM a girl.

Catmoves said...

Babzy your comments are always eye opening and refreshing. Thank you.
I could tell moose was heated up by his posting to me.
"my people?" America's supposed to be a melting pot. I deny all relationship to anyone who could rile you and moose this way.
And yes, you're a girl. There.
I like the way you've changed your profile, too.

Lin said...

Okay, I step out for a couple of days and find that the crap has hit the international fan. I'm heading over to Moose's now to find out who the blog-putz was, too.

And now ya'll got me thinking about that song with the refrain "I don't like spiders and snakes" and the part where he says "... so I picked up a frog and I shook it at her." What boys won't do when they get uncomfortable.

Corey~living and loving said...

Great post. Very thought provoking.

Thank you for stopping by my blog. :) You kind comment made my day. I started really paying attention to photography when my daughter was about 6 months old. I got my first DSLR this past june, and have been having a fab time. I guess when you take like 300-500 photos a week....you sort of get better with time. tee hee

have a great day!

Catmoves said...

lin, what's your opinion about this blogworld flap? Somehow I think it's all a misunderstanding.

Catmoves said...

corey, welcome to the mad world of Catmoves (and his best boss, Schotzy). Please don't let Wild Thing see this.