Really? The GOLDEN YEARS?

On balance, I would say that when you're spending as much time, or even more, going to the funerals of family members and friends than you are attending the weddings and christenings and graduations of their children and your own, it gets a bit difficult to think of this time of life as the golden years.  And even more telling is having the mindset of youth restrained in a body that can't do nearly half of what it was capable of doing as recently as a decade or two ago.  Perhaps the "golden" lining in the cloud of old age is having the experience and the wisdom to come to terms with the natural order of birth, life and death and thus become comfortable with and accepting of your own mortality. 

When will I find love?

When I was a younger man just coming out, I thought that being gay was incredibly difficult. Then 20 years later, when I tested HIV+ in January of 1992, right around my 40th birthday, I soon learned that there are more difficult paths in this life than just being gay.

And now, 18 and a half years after testing positive, I deal with the frustration of being a mature, well-anchored individual, finally ready for a life-time relationship, but because of my health status, the opportunities for finding my soul mate seem unavailable.

Thought For The Day

"I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice. "
Abraham Lincoln, speech in Washington D.C., 1865
16th president of US (1809 - 1865)

This Is SO FRUSTRATING! Why Won't Any Of The Elected Federal Office Holders Answer My Questions?

Three months ago I accessed President Obama's page on Facebook and sent him the message which follows. But of course, I have not had a reply.

_____________________________________________________________

Dear Mr. President:

For the past several years now I have been writing to my representatives in the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Senate, sharing my thoughts on Social Security. Sadly, the only replies I have ever received are form letters, none of which answered my questions or remarked on my ideas. Last year I even e-mailed the Obama campaign with my ideas only to receive a reply that stated something to the effect "you should advocate your concerns with your friends and neighbors to arrive at some conclusions/suggestions".

Mr. President, I am a simple man with what I think is a simple and logical idea about how to deal with the Social Security crisis. Unfortunately I do not have access to the data that would help me to prove or disprove my ideas. For example, I have no way of knowing the aggregate amount of income that is not subject to the FICA tax because of the income cap; and I do not have access to the formula by which Social Security determines benefit amounts for people. If I had some of this information, perhaps I would realize that my suggestions are not as sound as I believe them to be. So you can understand my frustration when those in power with access to the aforementioned information send me a form letter in answer to my queries and suggestions.

I am hoping that by writing you with my ideas that you will be able to have somebody in the government get back to me with a reasonable explanation that addresses my points of concern. So, here goes:

The first and probably most important thing we should do to protect the Social Security Trust Fund was proposed by Al Gore during the 2000 Presidential Race when he advocated putting the fund in a "LOCKBOX" to prevent the Federal Government from borrowing from the fund.

Then, in the spirit of fairness, lower the FICA tax, eliminate the income cap for the individual taxpayers, and maintain the income cap on the employer's contribution but raise that cap to offset the lower tax rate. In this way the majority of Americans would realize a tax cut which they could use to pay down their mortgages or invest into their retirement nest eggs, and all Americans would be paying the same tax rate on their total incomes. For example, let’s say that the 6.2% FICA tax rate is lowered by a third to 4.13%. Now an individual who earns $40,000 a year would pay $1,652 a year in FICA taxes rather than the current tax of $2,480 a year, thereby realizing a savings of $828 that could be put into a retirement account or used to pay down his/her mortgage.

If neither of those suggestions is viable, perhaps we should change the criteria or formula with regard to the amount of Social Security payments made to individuals upon their retirement (or receiving of disability) to more appropriately reflect the amount of their total lifetime income that was subject to the Social Security (FICA) tax. On the official Social Security Administration’s website at www.ssa.gov, there is a benefits calculator that estimates a person’s potential benefit amount using different retirement dates and levels of future earnings. Several months ago, using the SSA website’s Quick Calculator, I calculated the monthly benefit amount for two individuals, each of whom was born on the same date of 6/15/50, and each of whom plans to retire at age 68 in June of 2018. As a part of the calculation(s), I indicated that one of the individuals earned $40,000 in 2007, and that the other individual earned $1,000,000 in 2007. For both individuals, I selected the option to see their projected benefit amounts in inflated (future) dollars. The results were as follows:

Current earnings: $40,000.00 - Your estimated monthly benefit amount, beginning at age 68 in 2018, is $2,039.00.

Current earnings: $1,000,000.00 - Your estimated monthly benefit amount, beginning at age 68 in 2018, is $3,826.00. (Note: For your benefit calculation, we limited your earnings to the $102,000.00 taxable maximum for 2008.)

Based on the calculation results, a person who earns tens of millions of dollars in his lifetime can expect to receive 88% more in monthly Social Security retirement benefits than a person who just barely earns $1,000,000 in his lifetime. And that same multi-millionaire can expect to receive 252% more in monthly Social Security retirement benefits than a person who earns just the federal minimum wage during his lifetime! Now why would a retiree with more than enough income and resources to support an affluent lifestyle need to receive $46,000 a year from Social Security? Surely such an individual would not even blink if say, half of those Social Security benefits were re-directed to those persons who depend upon their monthly benefits to pay the rent, put food on the table and cover medical costs! After all, wasn't Social Security created as a safety net for the poorest of American Society?

ADVICE WORTH READING

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio.

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written."

"My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more":

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Its estimated 93% won't forward this. If you are one of the 7% who will, forward this with the title '7%'. I'm in the 7%.

Remember that I will always share my spoon with you!

Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves.

HONEST LEADERSHIP

I believe that Rep. Nancy Pelosi is misleading the public as to her knowledge of when "water-boarding" was first used, and that she should resign her position as Speaker of the House. The controversy surrounding this issue is an unwanted and grave deterrent to President Obama's agenda and its implementation!

THE UNITED STATES ONE DOLLAR BILL

Take out a one dollar bill, and look at it.

This so-called paper money is in fact a cotton and linen blend, with red and blue minute silk fibers running through it. It is actually material. We've all washed it without it falling apart. A special blend of ink is used, the contents we will never know. It is overprinted with symbols and then it is starched to make it water resistant and pressed to give it that nice crisp look. If you look on the front of the bill, you will see the United States Treasury Seal.

On the top you will see the scales for a balanced budget. In the center you have a carpenter's square, a tool used for an even cut. Underneath is the Key to the United States Treasury. That's all pretty easy to figure out, but what is on the back of that dollar bill is something we should all know. If you turn the bill over, you will see two circles. Both circles, together, comprise the Great Seal of the United States .

The First Continental Congress requested that Benjamin Franklin and a group of men come up with a Seal. It took them four years to accomplish this task and another two years to get it approved.If you look at the left-hand circle, you will see a Pyramid.
Notice the face is lighted, and the western side is dark. This country was just beginning. We had not begun to explore the west or decided what we could do for Western Civilization. The Pyramid is uncapped, again signifying that we were not even close to being finished. Inside the capstone you have the all-seeing eye, an ancient symbol for divinity. It was Franklinʼs belief that one man couldn't do it alone, but a group of men, with the help of God, could do anything. 'IN GOD WE TRUST' is on this currency.

The Latin above the pyramid, ANNUIT COEPTIS, means, 'God has favored our undertaking.'The Latin below the pyramid, NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM, means, 'a new order has begun. 'At the base of the pyramid is the Roman Numeral for 1776. (MDCCLXXVI)If you look at the right-hand circle, and check it carefully, you will learn that it is on every National Cemetery in the United States . It is also on the Parade of Flags Walkway at the Bushnell, Florida National Cemetery, and is the centerpiece of most hero's monuments. Slightly modified, it is the seal of the President of the United States, and it is always visible whenever he speaks, yet very few people know what the symbols mean. The Bald Eagle was selected as a symbol for victory for two reasons: First, he is not afraid of a storm; he is strong, and he is smart enough to soar above it. Secondly, he wears no material crown. We had just broken from the King of England. Also, notice the shield is unsupported. This country can now stand on its own. At the top of that shield you have a white bar signifying congress, a unifying factor. We were coming together as one nation. In the Eagle's beak you will read,' E PLURIBUS UNUM' meaning, 'one from many.' Above the Eagle, you have thirteen stars, representing the thirteen original colonies, and any clouds of misunderstanding rolling away. Again, we were coming together as one. Notice what the Eagle holds in his talons. He holds an olive branch and arrows. This country wants peace, but we will never be afraid to fight to preserve peace. The Eagle always wants to face the olive branch, but in time of war, his gaze turns toward the arrows. They say that the number 13 is an unlucky number. This is almost a worldwide belief. You will usually never see a room numbered 13, or any hotels or motels with a 13th floor. But think about this:
13 original colonies,
13 signers of the Declaration of Independence,
13 stripes on our flag,
13 steps on the Pyramid,
13 letters in, 'Annuit Coeptis,'
13 letters in ' E Pluribus Unum,'
13 stars above the Eagle,
13 bars on that shield,
13 leaves on the olive branch,
13 fruits,
and if you look closely,
13 arrows.

And finally, if you notice the arrangement of the 13 stars in the right-hand circle you will see that they are arranged as a Star of David. This was ordered by George Washington who, when he asked Hayyim Solomon, the wealthy Philadelphia Jew, what he would like as a personal reward for his services to the Continental Army. Solomon said he wanted nothing for himself but that he would like something for his people. The Star of David was the result. Few people know that Solomon, who saved the Army through his financial contributions, died a pauper.

I always ask people, 'Why don't you know this?ʼ Your children don't know this, and their history teachers don't know this. Too many veterans have given up too much to ever let the meaning fade. Many veterans remember coming home to an America that didn't care. Too many veterans never came home at all. Share this page with everyone, so they can learn what is on the back of theUNITED STATES ONE DOLLAR BILL, and what it stands for.