Catfish-and-Grits

This would be just plain silly, if it didn't have health implication. Not to mention truth-in-advertising implication. So what's the [ deal ]....

Hershey, and other american chocolate manufacturer want to trim the cost of producing chocolate. Members of the U.S. Chocolate Industry are supporting a change in the basic formula of chocolate, by allowing the use of vegetable fat substitutes in place of cocoa butter. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a chocolate standard of identity requiring manufacturers to use approved ingredients in making chocolate, and it protects the consumer from any substitution of inferior ingredients. As a result, the Chocolate Industry must obtain approval from the Food and Drug Administration to make any changes to the standard of identity for chocolate.

Recently, the U.S. Chocolate Industry, through its Chocolate Manufacturers Association (CMA), along with 11 other food industry associations, have joined with the Grocery Manufacturers Association(GMA) in supporting what is called a citizen's petition asking the FDA for approval to change current requirements for a number of food categories, of which chocolate is included. The petition has been recorded with the FDA as Docket # 2007P-0085.

Below is a chart of the proposed:

Notice the "Added Fat" section. The CMA wants to virtually remove all traces of REAL chocolate from the ingredients, with cocoa butter costing $2.30/lbs vs. vegetable fat costing only $0.70/lbs. And the truth-in-advertising angle is that companies like Hershey, Altria (formerly Phillip Morris) also want to be able to sell their chocolate with out any special labelling -- ie. selling fake chocolate as real chocolate. This is what happens when you have an obscenely pro uber-mega corporation president. Businesses begin to think they are no longer accountable to the consumers. Click [ here ] to read the proposal and submit your comment. The more we disagree with this kind of stuff the less it happens. Of course, if it passes, you can always vote with you dollars.

Simply put I personally don't like abortions and would hope a women would never be put in the position of having to choose an abortion, however I in no way support encoding into law the telling a women what she can and can't do with her body. As a matter of fact, legistlating "morality" is itself immoral -- remember "...for all men have sinned and come short the glory of God...". So who's moral belief would we be encoding in our laws?

• Bill Frist
  
  • The Security Exchange Commission (SEC) is [ investigating ] some stock trades that were made right before his family business -- a chain of medical bussinesses -- stock price declined.
  • Having never meet Terry Shiavo, he attempt to diagnosed her FROM A CAMERA.
  • Connected to Jack Abramoff
  
    
• Rick Santorum
  
  • This idiot took his child, the day his wife miscarried, to his other young children so that they could see their sibling before being buried.
    
    "Gee thanks dad...I'll only scream out at night for the rest of my life"
      
  • His book [ It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good ] essentially told career women that once they decided to become mothers they should leave their job. And if you happen to be a single working mother, first find a man then leave your job.
  • The overseer of the K-Street Project ( a republican attempt to coral all lobbying money in Washington; even telling lobbying firms that if they lobby to democrats they'll pay for it by having beneficial legistlation tabled )
  • Connected to Jack Abramoff
  
    
• Tom Delay
  
  • [ Supports ] Mariana islands business that promote the sex trade industry, and sweat shop industry. The women who are apart of this sex trade are made to have abortions, should they get pregnant. All for the right to have "Made in the USA" logo sown on clothing.
  • Legitimately [ indicted ] for money laundering.
  • The Supreme Court is currently looking into the off-census-year Texas redistricting fiasco.
  • [ Admonished ] several times by the House ethics committee
  • Conjoined to Jack Abramoff
  
    
• Conrad Burns
  
  • [ Opened ] up Congress, to lobbyist after lobbyist, after lobbyist.....
  • Conjoined to the other side of Jack Abramoff

Here's the [ article ] from PBS.org presenting the comments of several South Dakota lawmakers. Pay close attention to the conversation involving South Dakota state senator Bill Napoli, his reasoning is that the only way he would allow an abortion is if the the women was (1) a virgin before a rape, (2) religious (i.e. Christain) before the rape, (3) the actual rape would have to be severe (by the way......any rape is severe), and (4) the women had to have been reserving her virginity for marriage. Essentially, only christian women will be given consideration when it comes to abortion, according to Napoli.

I tell ya........these conservatives are LOSING THEIR MINDS. Eat up!!!!!

In a time like this, wouldn't it be nice to now that your medical insurance could be used in any state because it would be universal. Howard Dean, proposed this during his presidential run. If everyone had universal health care, you wouldn't have insurance companies going on TV saying that insurance premiums would go up for a while to compensate for the increase in claims filed because of Katrina. So here's my 2 cents:

There should be a basic plan that all american have and the insurance companies can market add-ons to medical insurance. This way the average american can control what they pay verses the insurance company telling you what you will pay. And the insurance company can still be involved in earning revenue, and probably lower the cost of the add-ons because they no longer would have to be concerned with the basics that everyone should have.

The Catfish-And-Grits Basic Health Plan

• Emergency Viral / Bacterial Infections care
  • Cold
  • Influenza
  • Headaches
  • Dehydration
  • Vaccinations
  • Other infectious diseases
• Broken Bones, Sprained Muscles, Basic Rehabilitation care
• Elderly care
• Basic Infant care

That's it folks pure and simple. A flat rate across the board for everybody in the Basic Plan within the 50 states ( and commonwealths). You could then charge tax on the add-on features provided by the individual insurance companies. And I'm not completely against the insurance company marking up the price of their own product in addition to the respective state tax tacked on. The goal is not to prevent insurance companies from making money but to give everyone a level of dignity.

Dignity should never cost anything!!!!!