"2010 Tiny Tidbits................'

Good Morning;

First... an apology and a correction, Phil Jacobs of the Baltimore Jewish Times, is the Executive Editor, not the Publisher....(sorry 'bout dat Phil).

Second... based on the anecdotal evidence of the pain in my right foot, and the numbness in my left one; and the fact that unless there was actual body contact with the fabric, the nylon on the INSIDE of my sealed to the outside air sleeping bag was cold to the touch; and the glaze of ice over my eyeballs that turned my vitreous humor into Jello....Global Warming,(at least in my neck of the woods), is a HOAX....(LOL).

Third... I left Jenn's yesteday afternoon, having spent Saturday night also with her and cooked her dinner...(which was seasoned and quickly seared, then baked in a lemon garlic vinaigrette/marinade, butterflied center-cut porkchops (and they were on sale...and then further reduced by $4.00 at the Giant! Creative cooking and frugality can result in a gourmet meal!....LOL), with a peach mango applesauce, and a small salad). And I had a craving for my Reduced Fat Pringles,(NOT!...I Repeat...NOT! the Fat-Free ones...they contain the 'fake fat' that, and I quote..."may cause 'anal leakage'..."....Shudder!!!!, who would even eat such a...and I use the term lightly..'food'..!!!), and Jenn had a bag of Herr's Cheddar Horseradish Kettle Coooked Potatoe Chips, so we took the lazy route for the starch...LOL.

She dropped me at the Starbucks on her way out and I met Allan at closing and we drove around for an hour or so, just catching up, and he dropped me at the gas station around 9:15 pm. I killed an hour there and the Lotto gods were smiling down on me, (as they have been all year..ha!), and I killed an hour and left with a couple more dollars than I started with, all from an initial $2.00 bet on Saturday. Hmm...maybe for shits and giggles, I'll chart my complete play history for 2010 and see what the win/loss record, or at least the $$ figure, whether + or -, is ??? Hell, people do their PhD. dissertations on less....lol.

I just saw Neil here, and we are meeting at the coffee shop later. And while I was talking to him I got an e-mail from the photographer at the Jewish Times, wanting to set up a meeting...synchronicity...or..tinytown...lol. Me..soon to be a supermodel....lol.

Fourth....Yesteday, Sunday 01/03/2010 edition of The New York Times, front page, an article on people living, surviving actually on Food Stamps alone, NO CASH. Been there, done that! This has occurred both when I have been on the street and when Rachel's mother and I were still together and between jobs. I am of 2 minds about people who are getting Food Stamps and crying about not having enough to eat. We fed 2 adults and 5 kids on 'stamps', WIC, and about $25.00 in donated food from Ahavas Yisroeal, and ATE WELL! (And oft times had a few dollars left at the end of the month). This was achieved by a combination of seriously taking advantage of sales, coupons, and bulk buying; and doing as much shopping at places such as Sav-A-Lot or Sam's Club or BJ's as possible, to offset the purchases that had to be made at the Kosher Markets, (We were strictly kosher for a long time); AND creative cooking and freezing in larger amounts, and use of leftovers and those unused, uncooked, 'remains' from a recipe, innovatively recombined to make a completely new dish....the rule I taught my kids, and hers is.."You Don't Have To Like It..BUT You DO Have To Try It", and if they honestly did not like it, but honestly gave it a taste, they were not forced to eat it, which Rachel will tell you with no hesitation, AND the favorite dish in our house was...Fanfare Please...."SHUT UP AND EAT IT"....(usually the same ingredients combined in a different way...lol), and if you have kids, you know that if you can get them to taste it before they know what it is....8 times out of 10, they like it!

So I know it can be done. I also know that the Food Stamps will NOT pay for such essentials as toilet paper, soap, detergent, etc. If you sell some of your stamps to get the cash to buy these and other needed non-food items, or even do a trade off at the register with another shopper who is paying cash/credit/debit, you are breaking Federal and State law and if caught can/will be prosecuted and removed and banned from the Food Stamp program. Even if it is only a friend helping a friend, and no one is making a profit and it is a straight dollar for dollar....(and on the streets, stamps go for $0.50 cents on the dollar, for cash or drugs). Of course it is still done, both ways, only somewhat more discreetly.

The article illuminates how broad the issue has become, and how varied are the recipients, from former homeowners to the homeless.

Fifth.....I just got a real kick out of seeing the Archives listing of the blog (left hand side), particularly the 2008, 2009, 2010 headings..but that's just the ole ego...lol

See you later..Dave