For permission to reprint any materials on this web site please contact Diane Finley at design.finley@gmail.com or Marilyn Cruger at rcruger@san.rr.com

Cruger Candidate Rating System - C.C.R.S.

10 point rating system. 10 points maximum for each category.
10 is highest, 1 is the lowest in the individual categories. 100 is the highest total point score possible.

If not enough knowledge about a candidate he/she gets a D.K.W.E. (Don’t Know Well Enough) Any candidate getting less than 50 points should go home a get a job selling real estate.
 
Candidate's Name _____________

1. Charisma ______
2. Doesn't seem to BS ______
3. Seems fairly honest ______
4. Class/Style ______
5. Is “one of us” ______
6. Smarts ______
7. Trust in him/her ______
8. Looks good on TV ______
9. Can read & write good ______

10. Good leader ______

Total Points ___________________

My Name_____________________
Candidate's Name______________
Total Points __________________
 
 
Send to:

Your comments on this column are welcome.
E-mail Laramie @

Your comments on this column are welcome.
E-mail Ron @

The Costco Solution
Are there really UFO's?
Do we need the elderly?
What constitutes a "legal" marriage?

Welcome to our new readers from these cities

On growing older - not dying!

Your comments on this column are welcome.
E-mail Norm @

     The years have rolled by since my sudden realization of what growing older means to younger Americans.
    The passing years have shown me that growing older means one thing to the younger among us and another to those who mark the years following their sixty fifth anniversary.
    As we senior citizens mark the passing years we often find the younger ones speaking louder, gesticulating and wondering if we catch the drift of what they’re saying. After all, we’re old, which must mean we couldn’t possibly understand what they’re talking about.
     I’ve noticed that to those younger around us the years we have spent growing, achieving and even succeeding are remnants of our own particular dark ages. They give the impression that our accomplishments were done when times were remarkably different than what theirs are today. It’s almost as though they are giving their elders a perfunctory pat on the head and discounting years of their active service to generations past. These elders were once presidents, senators, foreman, actresses, race car drivers, surgeons, nurses, inventors and leaders of the nation and its communities.
     In America there is a tendency to look at retired people as finished, done, sort of just- waiting- around- folk, not really capable of contributing anymore.
     There is a tremendous waste of experience and talent going on in America. The retired men and women in this country could be contributing in every aspect of our nation’s growth, safety and future.
     The mistake occurred generations ago, when the age of sixty-five was established as the time for men and women to leave their jobs and stay home. They were deemed too old to contribute to government, factories, colleges, hospitals, sports – even mentoring.
     America is unique in its approach to the aging. Other countries realize the value and contributions the seniors among them have and can dispense. 
    

“The big question of the day is “What are we doing in Afghanistan?” The latest news makes that big question even bigger. Seems that an Afghan soldier just killed four French troops and wounded fifteen others. This was the second deadly shooting against French forces in Afghanistan in a month. The shooting of the French soldiers came during a deadly 24-hour period for the international coalition. Thursday night, in southern Afghanistan six U.S. Marines were killed in a helicopter crash. The Taliban said it shot down the helicopter. I’m still waiting for the answer to the big question, “What are we doing in Afghanistan?” Whatever the reason it isn’t worth the life of one American.” – Ron Cruger

“I have been daydreaming and thinking of what the United States would be like if Ron Paul was elected president. The man has some cogent thoughts. He also has some ideas that, if put into effect, would bring this nation – and, indeed, the world, to chaos. Standing next to Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich appears to be a moderate. Ron Paul’s a strange man. A good American, but a strange man.” - Jack Potter

 
“I wish that things like the Canada oil pipeline and global warming weren’t shoved into the political gewgaw pile. Having enough cheap oil or wondering if our planet is going to boil away are too important to leave for some politicians to use as election devices. In fact, just about anything of value is too important to let the politicians become involved.” - Biff Carlyle

     It started years ago. It was the first time. A young man in our local market said, “Can we help you carry your bags out to your car?” It was almost comical the way my head snapped towards the young man, a real double take. I quickly said, “Thanks, I can manage.” 
        

Your comments on this column are welcome.
E-mail Laramie @

UFO's

      There has been a rash of reports of UFO's since the year 2012 began. Literally, of course, UFO simply means that something was seen in the sky that couldn't be recognized or explained at the time. But virtually everyone who hears the term UFO immediately assumes the sighting to be some contraption from "outer space", as in coming from Mars, or even farther out in deeper space, and they believe that probably it is "manned."

     Colorado based MUFON, the Mutual UFO Network, the largest UFO investigative organization in the world, and other groups, have some interesting data related to alleged sightings of UFO's. One of the earliest sightings reported to MUFON was on August 12, 1883, in Mexico. That turned out to be a flock of geese. Since then, reports of metallic balls, glowing lights, speeding disks, winged humanoids, commercial jet collisions with spacecraft, even animal mutilations by aliens, and abductions, have been kept on file. Even former President Carter claims to have made a sighting somewhere in Leary, Georgia, before he became the state Governor.  (He is reported to have said that his understanding of physics, though, is what made him believe it probably wasn't an alien spacecraft. But it may have been that he said that after being asked to make that disclaimer by the federal government, for reasons of "national security").

   

Can't We just Live Together?

     In California, one definition of a legal marriage is "the creation of an economic unit between a man and a woman." That legal marriage unit is supported by over 1100 federal and state rights and responsibilities. That's a far cry from the usual religious views on what makes a marriage. Maybe marriages are made in heaven, but that alone will not make them legal. No religion can offer a legal license to marry, nor provide a couple the means to a legal divorce. In fact the Catholic religion is well known for not recognizing a marriage ceremony involving a Catholic if it is performed outside of their Church. Only the state can both issue a license for a legal marriage and certify that a couple is legally divorced.
     Just why the term "economic unit" is involved in the "holy state of matrimony" becomes crystal clear when you consider the monetary restrictions in the marriage over property rights, tax issues, and dissolution of the marriage by death or divorce Since almost half the adult population of the U.S. is unmarried, and a large percentage of the unmarried adults are same sex couples or life partners, it seems likely that the push for legalization of same-sex marriage is, to a large degree, influenced by the economic differences resulting from just living together with a partner, or by marrying them.

The Costco Solution

Millions of Americans are looking for work. This has to stop. Since our government can't seem to solve the unemployment problem, I submit five jobs that should be created. And I nominate Costco to do it.

      1. In Costco there is a big cold room where they have milk and eggs. I notice that everyone who buys a carton of eggs opens the box to make sure none are cracked. This causes a backup and customers to freeze while they wait their turn. Costco should hire Egg Carton Inspectors. These ECI would stand in the cold room and open the carton for the customer to see that none of the eggs are cracked. The ECI gets a break every ten minutes to warm up. The relief ECI would be the FSL (Food Sample Lady) who usually hands out pizza,

      2. Also at Costco, they should hire a bunch of people to create Costco apps. One would be a map app on you phone or pad that shows where everything is. They seem to enjoy moving things around at Costco. The soup used to be in the aisle next to the pasta. Now it is over by the coffee. You could type in your item and the app map would direct you to the proper aisle. Next would be a food sample app. It would show each sample table, what it has and what time it opens and closes. The last app would be a "it won't be here next time" app. Just when you get used to a product, they don't have it the next time you go there. Some are sessional products but most are things that I like all year and hate it when they disappear. So this app would list which items will go away and when.

     

Send your questions to Josh  

San Jose (California), Rathdrum (Idaho), Jacksonville (Florida), Maple Valley (Washington), Germany, Astoria (New York), Middlesborough (United Kingdom).