THINK sideways

Coffee Bruin Studios

2021-05-14T17:55:00.004-04:00

This is just a brief post.

Looking back, I've been on this platform for 11 years. And before that Live Journal. There have been posts on Facebook and My Space before that.

That's a lot of writing. Not all of it is good. But there are a few nuggets.

Looks like I'm going to archive it all here soon and take it over to my own website. CoffeeBruinStudios.com

I may take everything, warts and all, that's to be determined. There are a few good things here like Guerilla Catering and pretty much everything on pizza. And there are things that are dated like some of my political stances.

There are also more than 30 blogs in various states of composition that never got posted.

Ah well.

Goodbye Blogspot (Blogger), it's been fun.

Reexamining my biography

2020-05-20T18:00:00.002-04:00

Brief Biography

Born and raised in South Florida, I have called North Carolina my home for the last ~~twenty-two years~~. twenty-five years. I am a husband and father of two kids and a new grandfather(!), ~~seven~~ five cats (+1 foster kitten for two more weeks - side note: we kept her, Jade. She was a wonderful cat but she passed away suddenly, tragically. We've lost several cats along the way: Kitty, Alley, and Penny too. L'il Guy and Snarf are new additions), two dogs, and a turtle. I have a varied and diverse with experience in hotel, restaurant, and retail management, and IT Support. I'm still doing IT Support. It will be 3 years in August with this company. They are good people and treat me well. My side project, Coffee Bruin Studios, allows me to be a graphic artist and do voice over work. Artwork and Voiceover work had been put on the back burner, but I'm looking at it again. We have built Unconventional Ventures and are running comic book conventions now, specifically Wilkes Comic Con. Due to COVID-19, we have had to postpone this year's event to 2021, which really sucks. I have appeared comic book conventions in three different states, produced podcasts, and lectured for many years.

The project that brings me the greatest happiness has been my volunteer work with Samaritan Kitchen of Wilkes, a local food pantry here in Wilkes County, NC. It is one of the main reasons that I have returned to college after twenty-five years. After finally getting a good staff and a decent board, I finally decided it was time to take a break from the board. I left the board at the end of June 2019. My plans were, initially to return July of this year, but with COVID-19 and my plans for grad school and the grandson, I'm not sure about that right now.

What are my Educational Goals?

I am seeking to finish my Political Science degree (~~anticipated Spring 2019~~ Sooooo, life happened. I ended up having to retake two classes and there was no way I could maintain the pace of two classes a term and work in the IT field. I think when I wrote this I was still working 4 days a week at Waffle House. The IT position is 40 hours, 5 days a week, plus 10 for commute, and then after hours and weekend on call). I then hope to get my ~~Masters in Sociology and Public Policy~~ MBA with a concentration in Public Administration. It wasn't my first choice. It wasn't really even my second or third choice, but it was the smart choice. I'm staying at SNHU, so admission into the program is simple, and with my GPA I may be able to get some scholarships. The Masters in Public Administration is not a program they offer, but the MBA with a concentration in Public Administration is. An MBA opens more doors. I thought about a Masters in Political Science. But unless I want a career in politics, law, or as a political pundit, it's useless. Now, I love to talk politics and political theory, so I'm sure I'd enjoy it but I'd never make a dime.

What are my Professional Goals?

As chairman of the board of a non-profit food pantry, I want to take the knowledge gained at SNHU and either by working with a larger agency (Second Harvest Food Bank, Feeding America, etc.) or working with a governmental agency working on policy to help end hunger in Appalachia. This goal really hasn't changed. I'd like to get on with an Non-governmental Agency (NGO) and work towards eliminating hunger in Appalachia. I'd even look at bigger opportunities if they arose. A job with the state government in Raleigh, or the Federal Government, if I could remain in the area would be great too.

What knowledge and skills do you hope to gain from this experience and how do you think they will help you attain those goals?

This was a whole section on a communications course I took. It was a lot of fun and I made this massive presentation in Prezi about the history of comic strip art. If I can find the link I'll add it.

How does the issue of privacy affect your personal and professional identities and your educational and professional goals? Do you prefer them separate? Why or why not?

(Please see the above links for examples of my personal and professional identities online.)

It is foolish to believe that anyone that wanted to hack me wouldn’t check out these accounts, as well as my accounts on Instagram, Snapchat, ~~Google +~~ that's not a thing anymore, Tumblr, Critcker (a movie review website if you were wondering), ~~Periscope~~ dropped that!, DeviantArt, and Reddit. If they wanted to go “old school” they could find my old Live Journal and MySpace accounts - I have been around for a long time.

I do not see how you can maintain any difference in privacy levels between personal and professional identities. I still don't three years later, but it doesn't mean I post stupid things on social media. If a potential employer wants to know about you, they are going to check out your LinkedIn page but they are also going to check out your Facebook and Twitter accounts. Any negative information on these may prevent you from being hired.

With an active presence on so many platforms, how do I maintain privacy? If I don’t have to use my real name and main email address, I won’t. On a lot of these accounts I am under an alias. I am very careful with my phone number and address. Except for 2-factor authentication (which you should always use), I never give out my phone number. Additionally, my password is always at least 16 characters long with special characters and upper-case and lower-case letters plus numbers in it. don't forget password management software and a vpn. And I am THAT person who can remember the weird passwords but I like not having to. That closes the front door. Finally, I limit the real information that I have to list on the site to an absolute minimum. Social hacking (eg. finding out someone’s kids names, birthdays, mother’s maiden name, etc) is very common and very easy to fall prey to. Yeah, I wrote this before the whole Cambridge Analytica scandal broke. I TOLD YOU SO!

Now, it's now. Then was then. (Think the Spaceballs scene, I'm not attaching the picture). It's the middle of May, 2020. The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is here. I'm sure I'll write more in detail about that in a different post. It sucks. No one I know has died, but I know people who have had it. It has affected how I live my life, and how I do my job.

SNHU

2020-05-17T02:49:00.000-04:00

Brief Biography

Born and raised in South Florida, I have called North Carolina my home for the last twenty-two years. I am a husband and father of two kids, seven cats (+1 foster kitten for two more weeks), two dogs, and a turtle. I have a varied and diverse with experience in hotel, restaurant, and retail management, and IT Support. My side project, Coffee Bruin Studios, allows me to be a graphic artist and do voice over work. I have appeared comic book conventions in three different states, produced podcasts, and lectured for many years.

What are my Educational Goals?

I am seeking to finish my Political Science degree (anticipated Spring 2019). I then hope to get my Masters in Sociology and Public Policy.

What are my Professional Goals?

What knowledge and skills do you hope to gain from this experience and how do you think they will help you attain those goals?

I see three major take-aways from COM 126. The first is a deeper and richer understanding of our culture and how the Mass Media has shaped it, specifically how the ever-evolving tools of mass communication, from the printing press through Snapchat, have molded and shaped each generation. The second is a challenge is to myself, to shake away preconceived ideas and to interact with other people have different concepts, beliefs, and life experiences. The third is to reestablish myself as a student. This is my first college class in twenty-five years. There are a lot of cobwebs to brush away, a lot of bad habits to break, and Southern New Hampshire University is very different than Florida Atlantic University.

A better understanding of how Mass Communication uses us and how we use it is a critical skill to anyone in a leadership role in an organization. As chair of food pantry, I can tell you that we have a presence on Facebook, we send out press releases, and we interact with the local radio station. This class will help me to better craft, focus, and direct our message. If this was the only thing that the class helped me with, it would be money well spent. However, if it helps me to expand my horizons and become a better student which in turn eventually helps me to achieve better employment, then I will know that this has been a very successful term.

How does the issue of privacy affect your personal and professional identities and your educational and professional goals? Do you prefer them separate? Why or why not?

(Please see the above links for examples of my personal and professional identities online.)

It is foolish to believe that anyone that wanted to hack me wouldn’t check out these accounts, as well as my accounts on Instagram, Snapchat, Google +, Tumblr, Critcker, Periscope, DeviantArt, and Reddit. If they wanted to go “old school” they could find my old Live Journal and MySpace accounts - I have been around for a long time.

I do not see how you can maintain any difference in privacy levels between personal and professional identities. If a potential employer wants to know about you, they are going to check out your LinkedIn page but they are also going to check out your Facebook and Twitter accounts. Any negative information on these may prevent you from being hired.

With an active presence on so many platforms, how do I maintain privacy? If I don’t have to use my real name and main email address, I won’t. On a lot of these accounts I am under an alias. I am very careful with my phone number and address. Except for 2-factor authentication (which you should always use), I never give out my phone number. Additionally, my password is always at least 16 characters long with special characters and upper-case and lower-case letters plus numbers in it. And I am THAT person who can remember the weird passwords. That closes the front door. Finally, I limit the real information that I have to list on the site to an absolute minimum. Social hacking (eg. finding out someone’s kids names, birthdays, mother’s maiden name, etc) is very common and very easy to fall prey to.

Fake News in the Age of COVID-19

2020-05-16T16:11:00.001-04:00

Please excuse me, I am plagiarizing myself:

Where does the media’s responsibility lie? At what point in the quest for ratings do reporters sacrifice their journalistic integrity for ratings?

According to the Society of Professional Journalists, journalists are supposed to:

Seek Truth and Report it
Minimize Harm
Act Independently
Be Accountable and Transparent

In minimizing harm, they are supposed to show compassion for those who may be affected by news coverage and avoid indulging lurid curiosity. The daily body count, the constant pandering by some in the media to the fears of the "Right" and of the "Left" gives all journalists a bad name.

“Fake News.” The term is appalling. It’s an insult to our intelligence, yet many of us not only tolerate it, we have co-opted the term into our own vocabulary. Here’s the big secret, “Fake News” does not exist.

Media Bias? Media bias exists. Media bias is the bias of journalists, editors, producers, and publishers within the mass media in the selection of stories and events for reporting and publication and how they are covered. It has existed as long as there has been some form of mass media.

Libel and Slander? Libel and Slander exist. Libel is a published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation. Slander is a spoken version of libel.

And yes, there have been times that media bias has pushed journalists into the realm of libel and slander. But if it happened as often as some of our politicians claimed, then we could effectively sack the First amendment.

Fake News? Fake News does not exist. Fake News is a term made up to attack the coverage of facts and events that were unflattering because they were neither libelous nor slanderous (although they may have potentially biased). The problem is, after saying the term enough times, if even once the veracity of a story is questionable, then all of the stories accused of being “Fake News” are also questionable. It doesn’t matter if later the politician who screamed “Fake News” is later proved to be lying, once even one story is proven to be unreliable – all stories are unreliable.

When reliable news sources and channels are used, and questionable sources are eliminated (OANN, Fox News, Daily Kos, Brietbart, Occupy Democrats), then we can hold our leadership accountable for their statements and accusations of “Fake News.”

Thus, when we have become desensitized by the constant shouting of "Fake News!" by members of the administration and less reputable members of the media, when actual FALSE information is put forward for the sake of power and profit by those same members of the administration and less reputable members of the media we have no one to complain to. We have allowed that cabal to use that term with impunity without calling them on the carpet and without exposing their malignant bias. So now, people believe them when they spout unscientific theories, theories that can and are costing people their lives.

We had a long time to hold them accountable and did nothing. Hold them accountable in November.

Cloudflare

2019-08-04T22:44:00.002-04:00

First, the good news:
Cloudflare will no longer be hosting 8chan.

That's a wise business decision. Considering that 8chan has been the site where it appears these white supremacists have been posting manifestos before they commit these horrible mass murders, Cloudflare needs to distance themselves from them.

Now the bad news:
Since Cloudflare will no longer be hosting 8chan, and has stated this publicly, I think we can expect massive outages tomorrow.

Cloudflare acts much like AWS or Google Web Services (although it is completely different). Many of the web's top sites rely on Cloudflare to operate. About a month ago, an outage at Cloudflare impacted random areas of the web. This included sites like Zendesk, Uber, and many others. This was an accidental outage. Imagine what will happen when a bunch of outraged bigots put their minds together.

I say, back up your data tonight.

Put the cookie jar out of reach of the kids.

2019-08-04T18:16:00.001-04:00

114 Mass Shootings

Per Mother Jones' extensive investigation. 114 Mass Shootings since 1982 including the 2 this weekend.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1b9o6uDO18sLxBqPwl_Gh9bnhW-ev_dABH83M5Vb5L8o/htmlview?sle=true#gid=0

That's over 1,000 victims, injured or killed.

I don't care anymore. Put the cookie jar out of reach of the kids. Your argument is invalid.

saying here what I can't say there

2019-08-04T17:06:00.000-04:00

So the past 48 hours happened. A lot of people died.  Then as usual, a lot of people got stupid.

For the past few months I really have tried to stay quiet on social media. I have a presence now, for whatever that's worth. I run a comic book convention and hopefully more.  Maybe someday - a lot more.

And remember, whatever you say online, stays there forever. Even this blog.

In the capacity of my Facebook presence, I need to pull back again. That means, politics here again.
So I posted this:

You know what? I tried. I've tried being non-political. I've tried keeping my mouth shut. But over the past day, I've seen some of the most amoral, stupid, hurtful things written. So, since I have to use this platform for business, I've made a couple of decisions.

One, I'm paring down my contacts list here. When I republish this post, if you can see it, you're still here. This may cause some real world issues, especially with family. I can't help it. I am not going to put up with toxicity anymore.

Two, I'm going back to putting my political posts on my blog. It worked well (https://lachapelle221.blogspot.com/).

Three, I have lot's of happy news coming and lot's of business news coming. I don't need to ruin it with all of the other crap happening in the world.

Four, the world can be a Better Place© if we work at it. I have had that mindset for three years now. I really think if we all try to think that way, we can accomplish it.

So... that's it. I love you people. Give everyone you know a hug. They could use one.

Kind of to the point, if not short.

I won't say my hand was forced, but people had it coming. I mean, I have to mute you every month for a year? I don't care if you're family - goodbye. If you equate support for abortion as a perfectly sane justification for these murders - goodbye. If you tell me that had Hillary won the election you would have taken up arms and stormed the White House -goodbye (and let me find the number for the local FBI office).

It has been very hard to remain a Republican in this environment. Fiscally conservative, but socially laissez-faire. I don't think this situation continues for much longer.

Media coverage... a quick political post

2018-11-03T17:49:00.003-04:00

Saw this on Facebook today (11/3):

Gonna warn you, going off on a little rant. First off, it passed on 10/10. Here’s the link from Congress.gov:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2554/text

That means the news is a couple weeks old. So once again, we have someone baiting people, claiming the media is attacking Trump. So, I did a little digging and here are the facts. The bill was S. 2554: Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act.

This was a Bipartisan sponsored and supported bill that flew through the house and senate.

Did it get media coverage? You bet it did, but with the media cycle and the elections going on, who can remember what you saw last week. Here are the links:

NBC: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-signs-bills-lifting-pharmacist-gag-orders-drug-prices-n918721

CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/10/politics/drug-prices-legislation-signed-into-law-donald-trump/index.html

New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/10/us/politics/trump-health-insurance-drug-costs.html

Fortune: http://fortune.com/2018/10/11/trump-administration-gag-clause-compare-prescription-prices/

NOW THIS I FIND FUNNY… I even went straight to Fox News, I couldn’t find mention of it there, but here’s FOX 43, WPMT:

https://fox43.com/2018/10/11/president-trump-signs-bills-aimed-at-increasing-drug-price-transparency/

If you are going to continue to attack the media – get your facts straight. And this time, thank the Congress for working together to pass a bill with support on both sides of the aisle.

If you want to boycott Nike, JUST DO IT, but have a good reason for it...

2018-09-06T10:40:00.002-04:00

There are plenty of reasons to boycott Nike, good ones too:

But if none of these bothered you before, and you are going to burn your Nike's now because of Colin Kaepernick, perhaps you need to step back and reexamine your politics and priorities.

A reminder about the First Amendment and Article II

2018-09-06T10:15:00.000-04:00

The First Amendment of the Constitution:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Article II, Section One, Clause 8 of the Constitution:

Before he enters the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:—"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

President Trump has been continuing to suggest that protesting should be illegal, "I think it’s embarrassing for the country to allow protesters," he said. "In the old days, we used to throw them out.” When combined with his attacks on the the press, Trump is in violation of his oath.

Just think about it.

a story

2018-08-21T22:32:00.003-04:00

I’m going to tell you a story.

You don’t have to believe it, it is just a story.

It happened a long time ago.

It’s a story about an alien in this country, illegally.

This alien was involved in organized crime.

He was involved in the most famous break in in US History.

The job got botched, but he got away.

The other guys weren’t so lucky.

A couple of months later, he married an American citizen.

This let him legally get a green card.

Over the next thirty or so years he did lots of other bad things.

Some big.

Some small.

He did some good things too.

Then he retired.

Eventually he got sick and one day he died.

(He never did get his citizenship).

But you know what?

He didn’t come from Mexico.

And your stupid wall wouldn’t have stopped him from coming in.

The wall is racist and xenophobic.

It’s a waste of taxpayers’ money so that we can put on a show.

Why don’t we staff our Embassies, fund our schools, and enforce our laws instead?

A new place for my Political Posts and Retired Judge Mark Painter is a Real Republican

2018-07-13T10:07:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone,

Most of you know I have been going off on lots of political rants lately. This has the effect of alienating a lot of my friends and family. While I am not afraid of sharing my opinions, the forum I'm doing it in is not necessarily the best place.

Therefore, as an experiment, for the next few days I'm going to try to move my political posting, both links and essays to here. This is my old blog. There is some great old content here so feel free to look around. If this experiment works, you won't see much more in my Facebook or Twitter feed other than a comment that I have updated my blog and a title.

Now on with today's posts and links.

First up, THIS GUY GETS IT. See, here is a case of a Republican who sees what has happened to the party. Retired Judge Mark Painter states:

I took pride in belonging to the party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan.

Check out his op ed in the July 13, 2018 USA Today here.

-Denis

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

2018-02-25T22:22:00.000-05:00

Note: It has been a while since I have posted here. I can't promise that there will be any more frequent postings but the following is a term paper from my American Politics class. There are some important issues here regarding the pending 2018 Farm Bill. Please take a few moments to read this and feel free to provide constructive criticism and proposals on how we can better approach SNAP.

Thanks!

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Final Paper

Denis R. Lachapelle

Southern New Hampshire University

Introduction

“It’s a messed-up situation.” Danny Lamb is 41. He lives in Pittsburg, Kansas. And he is the face of food insecurity in the United States. “You got people who really do depend on a little bit of assistance through the state," Lamb said. "It seems like they really don't care if somebody goes hungry or whatever" (Efrenfreund & Ferdman, 2016).

The USDA defines Danny as an “ABAWD”, Able Bodied Adult Without Dependents. This definition limits his ability to collect assistance. Danny has been filling out employment applications for several weeks. He does not have a degree and has bad knees, old football injuries from high school, that restrict the kind of work he can do. And since his 8-year-old son lives with the boy's mother, Lamb legally has no dependents.

Danny is an example of the one in eight people struggling with hunger in the United States. Poverty, often caused by unemployment or under-employment, and job instability are the leading causes of food insecurity and hunger in the United States. Food insecurity describes a household’s inability to provide enough food for every person to live an active, healthy life (Feeding America, 2018). Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, formally known as food stamps, provide a fundamental safety net for over 42 million Americans (USDA, 2018). These benefits are considered the fundamental safety net in the United States and are the only public assistance program that is available to all family types (Hoynes & Schanzenbach, 2012).

What does SNAP do?

SNAP benefits, as the name implies, are supplemental. The benefits are designated to be a supplement to food purchases made with a household’s own income. SNAP can be used at supermarkets, large and small grocery stores, convenience stores, and farmers markets to purchase foods for use at home or seeds for plants to produce food. Alcohol and tobacco cannot be purchased. (USDA, 2012)

Who is Responsible for SNAP?

Individual states administer the SNAP program and certification of eligibility for SNAP benefits, however these benefits are 100% federally funded. Benefits are provided via an electronic debit card to most households with gross income less than 130 percent of the federal poverty guidelines (USDA, 2017).

	(130 percent of poverty)	(100 percent of poverty)	Maximum Benefit Allotment
1	$1,307	$1,005	$192
2	$1,760	$1,354	$352
3	$2,213	$1,702	$504
4	$2,665	$2,050	$640
5	$3,118	$2,399	$760
6	$3,571	$2,747	$913
7	$4,024	$3,095	$1,009
8	$4,477	$3,444	$1,153
Each additional member	$453	$349	$144
SNAP Income Eligibility Limits - October 1, 2017, through September 30, 2018

SNAP’s budget is administered by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). As part of the USDA, it shares an annual budget with other areas including farm and foreign agricultural services, rural development, food safety, and natural resources and environment. Within the Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services department, SNAP is just one program of many that domestic nutrition assistance programs including WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program), and FDPIR (Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations). Combined, these Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services programs make up over 70% of the USDA’s budget annually (USDA Budget, 2016).

The History of Food Stamps

At the height of the latest financial crisis, December 2012, an all-time high of 47.8 million Americans participated in SNAP (LaRose, 2016). Today, an estimated 42 million people rely on SNAP to supplement their household food purchases. Formally known as Food Stamps, there have been federally supported governmental programs successfully providing surplus food as early as 1939. Between 1939 and 1944 over 20 million people were provided with surplus food through the Food Stamp program (USDA, 2017). The modern Food Stamp program dates back to President Kennedy’s first executive order which established a pilot program in eight counties. This was later expanded in 1964 into The Food Stamp Act as part of President Johnson’s Great Society program. Its goal was to strengthen the agricultural economy and to provide improved levels of nutrition among low-income households. The program took several years to ramp up and did not universally cover the United States until 1975 as funding controlled its growth (Hoynes & Schanzenbach, 2012). With the passage of the Farm Bill of 2008 the Food Stamp program was renamed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Why is SNAP controversial?

Historically there has been a belief in an “Ideology of the Dole”: a belief that many relief recipients were “undeserving poor”, lazy, immigrants, people of color, unwed mothers, and did not want to work (Rose, 1989). That belief carries over to the impression people have of SNAP recipients. They have no intention to take part in the “American Dream” but wish to be dependent on the Federal Government. In contrast, four out of five recipients are employed (Redden, 2013). Low unemployment rates mask the reality that the working poor and many low-skilled workers are trending towards more precarious job conditions, with fluctuating schedules, low hours, and irregular paychecks. Roughly 4 in 10 workers who are paid hourly are informed of their schedules less than a week in advance. "Even if you get a job, you're not guaranteed more than 20 hours a week" (Efrenfreund & Ferdman, 2016).

Taking a Side

From the earliest days of the colonies, there has been publicly funded relief for the poor and dependent people. Local government officials were given the authority to raise taxes as needed to build and manage poorhouses, supply food, and put the able bodied to work (or in prison). Colonial legislatures and later the States passed legislation that established the tradition of public responsibility for care of the poor (Hansen, 2011). Yet prior to the Great Depression, most of this relief was handled at the local and town level by local government units and charities (Rose, 1989). This changed with the New Deal, and specifically with the passage of The Social Security Act of 1935. This was the first time that the government, at a federal level, had attempted to protect the health and well-being of the nation.

As the United States has continued to grow into a country of spread across 2.3 billion acres with over 300 million citizens, the national welfare state has grown. It is no longer a question as to whether or not the government addresses the issues of poverty and hunger but is now a debate as to the degree to which the Federal Government responds.

Is it the Government’s Job to Fight the War on Poverty?

President Johnson, in his 1964 State of the Union Address stated the goal of the War on Poverty was, “…not only to relieve the symptom of poverty, but to cure it and, above all, to prevent it” (Johnson, 1964). But after more than fifty years, has the war been successful? Adjusting for inflation, over 21 trillion dollars have been spent on various entitlement programs including Head Start, Food Stamps, and Medicare (Woodhill 2014). Yet rather than reduce poverty, this has only increased the size of the welfare state and possibly changed the very moral fiber of our country. In 1967, 14.2% of Americans fell below the poverty line. Thirty-eight years later, in 2005, 12.7% of Americans fell below the poverty line – based on US Census Bureau data from the March Current Population Surveys (Grieger, 2009). The government pushed forward with plans that were supposed to help America’s poor become self-sufficient, but measured against these statistics, it can be argued that the war has been a failure.

Looking at just the changes in poverty rate is a simplistic approach to assessing Johnson’s War on Poverty. The question should be, what would the rate of poverty have been without the government programs? Government programs have played a large role in maintaining a flat rate in growth for poverty. Without the anti-poverty programs in place, it is estimated that poverty levels would be at the 27-29% (Wimer, 2013).

A Handout or a Helping Hand

Many government programs fall into the category of entitlements: housing assistance, Pell grants, Head Start, LIHEAP, Lifeline, and the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit. Each of these programs provide benefits to segments of the American population. With issues as complex and politically charged as entitlements, it is not possible to arbitrarily end them, however, limitations and budgetary restraints are often put in place to slow the growth or prevent abuse.

Each program has its own unique set of rules and regulations. The eligibility and benefit stipend size for SNAP is determined by several criteria: income, household composition, citizenship/immigration status, and resources. As earnings increase, the system automatically adjusts benefits amount, weaning the recipient off the program.

SNAP recipients are also limited if they are classified as ABAWD. North Carolina recently implemented its policies regarding Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents. These adults, aged 18 to 49, without dependents or children under the age of 18, and able to work, are subject to a 3-month maximum benefit within a 36-month period if they do not work a minimum of 20 hours per week or 80 hours per month (NCDHHS, 2016). The program is designed to provided incentive to look for work or enroll in job training.

The Local Food Pantry Should Not Be the Only Answer

SNAP was designed to be supplemental, but for many it doesn’t work out that way. Many people do not have sufficient income after paying for rent and utilities, they have no money left for food or medicine. "One of the solutions the government has put out there is telling people to go to their local food bank, but we don't have the resources to step in in place of the government," said Margarette Purvis, president of the Food Bank for New York City. "This whole thing is not about whether or not they need food," she said. "That's a big problem. These people desperately need the help" (Efrenfreund & Ferdman, 2016).

Food Insecurity dramatically increased during the Great Recession of 2008 and its aftermath due to the sharp rise in unemployment. By 2011, the rate of households classified as food insecure nationally had peaked at 15% - a figure 34% higher than before the recession. Most dramatically, post-recession the fraction of food insecure households has remained significantly higher than a decade before. (Executive Office, 2015)

“We have a lot of elderly clients that come in here every day,” stated Roy Jarrard, volunteer coordinator of Samaritan Kitchen of Wilkes, a North Carolina based food pantry. “Many of them have custody of their grandchildren. Their food stamps are sometimes as low as 15 dollars a month where last year they were getting 100 dollars. We see on average 1000 families a month”

Samaritan Kitchen of Wilkes is one of many organizations that work together with Feeding America. Feeding America is one of the most well-known and largest of the private organizations that helps to fight hunger every day. As a network of over 200 food banks across the nation, it works with its 60,000-member organizations to help distribute surplus food to over 46 million people annually (Feeding America). Feeding America believes the “SNAP is our nation’s first line of defense against hunger,” furthermore, “Hunger is unacceptable, particularly because it is solvable” (Weill, 2017).

A Proposal to Fix a Broken System

The Farm Bill

The primary source of appropriations for SNAP came in 2014 from the most recent Farm Bill. Farm Bills are renewed approximately every five years, which gives Congress a predictable opportunity to comprehensively review agricultural and food issues. The most recent farm bill, the Agricultural Act of 2014, is an omnibus, multi-year law that governs an array of agricultural and food programs. SNAP comprised 80% of the nutrition component of the bill. Under the Farm Bill, nutrition assistance programs including TEFAP, a program that provides USDA foods and federal support to food banks and food pantries like the Food Bank of New York City and Samaritan Kitchen of Wilkes, are also supported. Outside of nutritional assistance programs, the bill covers an array of other agricultural and farm commodity programs (Johnson & Monke, 2017).

The House Committee on Agriculture, chaired by Representative K. Michael Conaway (Republican, Texas), oversees funding for the USDA, and specifically the Nutrition Subcommittee, chaired by Jackie Walorski (Republican, Indiana), oversees the SNAP program. In 2016, the Committee submitted a report of an audit they conducted of SNAP. They found that since other forms of welfare had become more difficult to obtain and since SNAP’s eligibility criteria was more relaxed, SNAP had become a catchall for individuals and families that received no or lower benefits from those other programs. The net effect was to increase in SNAP enrollment. To adjust for this increase in enrollment, the report pointed out that “the need for nutrition assistance cannot be addressed by just one program or just one group—it requires more collaboration between governments, charities, businesses, health systems, communities, individuals, and many others” (Conway, 2016).

The 2018 Farm Bill (New)

Currently in committee is the 2018 Farm Bill. There are likely to be two major issues that will be discussed. The first will be a change or possible increase to the ABAWD guidelines to 30 hours, and the second will be limitations to limit what people can buy with SNAP benefits. There is continuing debate in restricting the use of SNAP benefits for soda and other “unhealthy” products (Vilsack, 2018). In 2015 the TEFAP program was converted to block grant funding. There is also a good possibility that there will be discussion of transitioning SNAP to block grant funding.

Also new to the table will be President Trump’s recent recommendation of the “Harvest Box” Program. The proposal is that households participating in SNAP that receive more than $90 per month would receive a package of food in lieu of monetary benefits. The program claims proposed savings over ten years of over $129 billion. It does not address religious or dietary restrictions, costs for transportation and logistics, or losses to retail grocers.

Groups including Feeding America have already come out against these proposed changes. Diana Aviv, CEO stated, “Our message to elected officials is this: No structural changes, no block grants, and no budget cuts for federal nutrition programs that help low-income Americans.” (Weill, 2018)

Block Grants

A sweeping set of welfare reforms pushed through Congress in 1996. One of the major reforms was made to AFDC. The cash welfare program known as AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) was converted into a new program known as TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). Two major changes were made to the program. The first was a work and activity requirement for benefits. The second was changing the funding to block grants (Conway, 2016).

A block grant is a consolidation of several categorical grants into one single grant. In theory, block grants provide states and cities considerable freedom in determining how to spend money while helping to relieve their tax burdens. History has proven that block grants present more problems than they solve. Block grants tend to have four issues:

· The amount of money available from of the block grants do not grow as fast as the states had hoped or as fast as it had through categorical grants;

· The federal government continued to attach strings to supposedly “unrestricted” money;

· They tended to grow slower than categorical grants because of the nature of the kinds of political coalitions supporting each type. Liberal politicians and interest groups tend to distrust the states, so they tend to support categorical grants. Conservative politicians and interest groups tend to support the states over the federal government and thus support block grants;

· Because block grants cover such a wide range of activities, no single organization or interest group has a vital stake in enlarging the grant (Wilson, 2017).

Congress in considering proposals to make SNAP a block grant program with the 2018 Farm Bill. "The way to think about this block grant proposal is it's a placeholder that the Republicans have put on the table as a way of signaling that they believe the SNAP program has to be changed, whether it's actually a block grant or not" (Fessler, 2015).

By converting SNAP to a block grant program, individual states would have control over the allocation of funds, possibly making deep cuts in eligibility and benefits., or allocate the funds to other uses. Additionally, by adding 54 or more additional layers of bureaucracy (each of the fifty states controlling their own budget, plus the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Federal Indian Reservations), they will be less likely to be responsive to economic downturns or crises, either national (e.g. recession) or localized (e.g. natural disaster).

A Three-Point Plan for Reform

A proactive approach must be taken in order to protect the majority of benefits that SNAP provides. With the 2018 Farm Bill under consideration, and the potential for massive funding changes and restructuring of the program, it is essential that the report the House Committee on Agriculture prepared on SNAP be analyzed to see where changes in the program can be made that maintain and expand benefits where appropriate while protecting it for years to come. Thus, I propose a three-pronged strategy of 1) ABAWD reform with an enhanced training and job placement program, 2) Expansion of benefits for children and the elderly with a partnership with Medicare and Medicaid and a focus on nutrition, and 3) a focus on fraud enforcement and penalties.

ABAWD Reform and Training

"Making people hungrier isn't going to make them find work faster," said Rebecca Vallas, managing director of the Poverty to Prosperity Program at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank. "One of the most helpful things for someone looking for work is helping them not worry about putting food on the table" (Efrenfreund & Ferdman, 2016).

The current debate is for possible tightening of the requirements for ABAWD. Based on the Wisconsin FoodShare program, the proposal would require the recipient to be working 30 hours per week or earning the equivalent of 30 hours at minimum wage to qualify for benefits. There are exemptions for students, caregivers, and other reasons (FoodShare Wisconsin Handbook, 2018).

ABAWD requirements target people who are already dealing with food insecurity due to unemployment or underemployment. The requirements for ABAWDs need to be reduced or maintained at current levels. Additionally, to help get people off of the program altogether, we need to increase opportunities for job training and placement. Former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack gave high praise to programs in Vermont and Mississippi. While their programs were vastly different, Vermont targeted hard-to-employ individuals, like homeless or ex-cons, for special help getting work, and Mississippi gave recipients a four-week intensive job readiness courses. Vilsack said the goal was to find which methods worked best and apply them nationwide. (Fessler, 2015)

"These are, again, adults - no dependents, physically and mentally capable of working," Rob Nichols, a spokesman for Kasich's presidential campaign, said in a recent interview. "Just as much as we believe in the social safety net, we also believe it's a sin not to help oneself" (Efrenfreund & Ferdman, 2016). Therefore, if we can follow the lead of Vermont and Mississippi and provide intensive job training and placement, we can begin to alleviate the need for SNAP.

Benefits for Children and Elderly

Close to half of all participants in SNAP are children, and over half of all non-elderly, non-disabled adult participants live with children (CBPP, 2017). And 8% of all children nationally are food insecure (USDA – ERS, 2017).

Childhood hunger and food insecurity, is associated with many health and developmental issues including poor social and emotional development, less advanced mental proficiency, anxiety and depression, and poor self-control. Inadequate diet may also impede children’s ability to perform academically (Executive Office of the President, 2015).

Organizations like Samaritan Kitchen of Wilkes and other food pantries offer backpack programs to assist children to supplement their diets on the weekend. Roy Jarrard explained that in Wilkes County, NC, Samaritan Kitchen has seen a 13% jump in the number of students receiving supplemental food backpacks. “We have given out over 13 thousand bags already this school year, that’s over 53 thousand pounds of food to children in 21 schools who otherwise would go hungry over the weekend. 700 children every week get two ready to eat breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, plus snacks in each bag. I know they’ll have food through the school year, but I worry about these kids during the Summer when school is out.”

According to Eric Schneidewind with AARP, “Elderly households, which are defined as those with an individual over age 60, represented 19 percent of all SNAP recipients in FY 2014.” Many of these seniors have specialized diets or very specific dietary needs. These can be difficult to afford on a limited budget. Certain illnesses, such as diabetes, require special consideration. When dietary restrictions are not followed, health expenses rise. The USDA does have some programs to address senior needs, including assignment of card benefits and the CSFP (Commodity Supplemental Food Program), and some food banks are equipped to assist in providing a larger range of healthy alternatives for families with dietary restrictions. However, the increasing number of seniors with dietary restrictions poses a significant challenge (Conway, 2016).

The current proposal by the Trump administration for the Harvest Basket program reduces the amount of benefits by half, replacing it with food. Without taking into consideration these specialized diets or dietary restrictions, much of this food will be wasted. There are two alternatives. The first would be to pair up cross-departmentally with Medicare, and possibly Medicaid, to have doctors or nutritionists identify these individuals that have dietary restrictions and treat the diets or correct food as a prescription. The cost of the food could then either be granted as a stipend on the EBT card as supplemental income required to pay for the additional food or, since Medicare and Medicaid are being involved, a deductible could be paid.

The second would be to reclassify the foods that are in the system and change the benefit structure to encourage purchase of healthier alternatives. With the help of a nutritionist, help the consumer to make healthy choices. Certain items could be 50% of regular cost (beans, rice, fruits & vegetables, skim milk, juice), certain items could be full cost (regular grocery items), and certain items that are “unhealthy choices” (sugary sodas) could also be full cost but not tax exempt. This alternative could help promote healthier diets and reduce the perception of fraud in the system.

Enforcement and Penalties

Food stamp fraud is considered rampant, anecdotally. There are also stories about people buying lobsters and filet mignon with their EBT cards, purchasing beer and cigarettes with cash, and then getting into their brand-new Escalade and driving away. In truth, the reality of fraud in the SNAP program is much less dramatic.

The period from 2012-2014 saw a record-high level of fraud in the system, with $1.1 billion wasted. But that needs to be put in perspective. The cost of providing nutritional assistance is $72.1 billion. Therefore, the amount of fraud is about 1.5 percent of all of the money spent (Willey, et al., 2017). Continued diligence and investigation by law enforcement should keep this number low.

Consumer misuse is a perspective issue. If a customer was to go into a grocery store and purchase gluten free bread and soy milk, would it be ok if they used SNAP? What if they bought Coca Cola and Twinkies? Why should someone who requires assistance not have the right to purchase what they please? Does a person who is poor not have the right to have something they might enjoy, and if not at what point does it become the business of the government? SNAP limits purchases of many items including hot foods ready-to-eat. Some states, including Maine, have attempted to limit the purchase of junk food and sugary soda but have been blocked from doing so.

Ultimately, solutions to the fraud issues come down to the enforcement of existing laws and elimination of the stigma of the “Ideology of the Dole”. Adoption of new programs like the Harvest Box will potentially open up new fraud issues including disposal or resale of unwanted or undesirable food. It is also possible that disreputable retailers may resell some of this food to make up for the loss of revenue from SNAP sales.

Two key theories of American Government

In discussing SNAP, two key theories underlie the issues: America as the welfare state and Federalism. Within the Twentieth century, there have been two periods that solidified America into a welfare state: the 1930s with Roosevelt’s New Deal, and the 1960s with Johnson’s Great Society. Roosevelt’s first 100 days were marked by the rapid approval of relief legislation that included the Emergency Conservation Work Act (which created the Civilian Conservation Corps), the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the Federal Emergency Recovery Act (FERA) (Trowbridge, 2017). Johnson’s Great Society was focused on his “War on Poverty.” Important programs during his administration included the Economic Opportunity Act, the Food Stamp Act, Head Start, and expansions to Social Security. Both presidents undertook massive political efforts to protect and enhance the health and well-being of all Americans. Their efforts fundamentally shifted the way America views its government.

In creating a welfare state, significant financial expenditures were required. These were done at both the state and national level. For example, Roosevelt’s Federal Emergency Recovery Act provided $3 billion to the states for direct payments and to create jobs in various public works projects (Trowbridge, 2017). But the Social Security Act of 1935 (and subsequent changes and expansions, including Johnson’s) were completely Federal programs. Food Stamps, and later SNAP, were designed more like FERA as they were federally funded but state run. This is a clear example of Federalism.

Recommendations

Assessing the Current Political Climate

The President, the House, and the Senate are all currently Republican controlled. Historically, there is little expansion in domestic entitlement programs under these conditions. The current Congress and Administration is trying to cut entitlement programs. The controversial Affordable Care Act is their primary target, but along the way programs like The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) were temporarily defunded. The government shut down as part of the budget battle as well. Major recommendations have been proposed that would alter SNAP have been proposed, from block grants, to ABAWD, to Harvest Boxes. The future for those that are battling hunger and food insecurity and rely on SNAP and other governmental nutrition program is bleak.

However, Congress is currently drafting the 2018 Farm Bill. The “Three-point plan for Reform” would need to be addressed now and while the bill is in subcommittee. Once the 2018 Farm Bill is cleared through the Nutrition Subcommittee and then the House Committee on Agriculture, it may be too late to make any effective change. When the bill reaches the floor of the House of Representatives, it will most likely pass. It is important that we communicate with our Congressional Representatives and Senators to recommend this plan as well as other possible alternatives. Invite them to local food pantries and soup kitchens so they can see the problem of hunger in their own communities.

Three Rebuttal Arguments

Abuse of the System

SNAP has been characterized by some as an out-of-control entitlement program, with participants becoming dependent on their monthly benefits. Furthermore, participants get trapped in a cycle of dependency on government handouts, and the program is ineffective against reducing hunger.

The participants in SNAP tend to be food insecure, and the SNAP is not designed to provide the entire food budget, but a supplement. When comparing the number of people relying on SNAP against the number of people at the 130% of poverty line, the trends track identically (Center on Budget, 2017). Poverty is a trap that is hard to get out of. But people do improve their situation. The average person receiving SNAP benefits participates between 37 and 48 months (United States Census Bureau, 2015). Ultimately, as Roy Jarrard said, “We want to run out of hungry people someday and go out of business.”

Drug Users

The 2014 Farm Bill did not include changes to broad-based categorical eligibility or a state option to drug test SNAP applicants; these options have been included in House proposals. (Johnson & Monke, 2017). Many people feel that drug testing should be mandatory for SNAP participants just as it is for welfare recipients.

Not all states are testing welfare recipients, and each state that requires testing handles it differently. The cost involved could be very high if all 46 million SNAP recipients were required to undergo mandatory screenings. However, if new applicants were screened based on certain pre-determined (or random) criteria, costs could be limited to the workhours required to screen the candidate. Even then, would the potential savings found from denying a positive drug user offset the cost of the labor and testing?

There is no denying that drug abuse is an issue. Roy Jarrard pointed out that a lot of the newer, younger clients at Samaritan Kitchen of Wilkes are meth addicts. This may be due to high unemployment and poverty in the Wilkes County, North Carolina area, the Appalachian region, or it may be indicative of the entire United States.

Disproportionate use of the system versus Demographics

African-Americans and illegal immigrants are very often cited as the primary users, and abusers, of SNAP. But in February of 2015, Mississippi state legislator, Gene Alday, a Republican, had to issue an apology for telling a reporter that all the African-Americans in his hometown of Walls, Mississippi, are unemployed and on food stamps (Le Coz, 2015). Undocumented immigrants have never been permitted to receive SNAP benefits (USDA, 2017).

The USDA reports that nationally, most of the people who receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are white. Roy Jarrard concurred, “Our clients here match the demographics of [Wilkes] county.”

Is a new law necessary?

From an appropriations standpoint, the 2018 Farm Bill is necessary. The problem is, anytime the act is reviewed, the provisions it contains become politicized. This year’s Farm Bill is critical to the survival of SNAP in its present form. Block grants, ABAWD, Harvest Boxes, and even drug testing, are all points up for debate that may change program. There are areas and opportunities within SNAP that could make it more effective. Adding the three-point proposal listed in this report into the Farm Act could help better regulate while expand services and potentially cut costs. Otherwise, a new legislation or regulation is not necessary.

Why Representative Foxx and Senator Burr should consider this proposal

“We will launch a special effort in the chronically distressed areas of Appalachia” (Johnson, 1964). Living in the Wilkes County, NC, in the Foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, I have seen the generational cycles of poverty. Representative Foxx is the Congressional Representative over this district and has seen the crisis of hunger and food insecurity first hand. In August of 2016, Ms. Foxx toured Samaritan Kitchen of Wilkes as it played host for a roundtable on hunger. During the meeting, Sue and James Watts, local residents, SNAP recipients, and clients of Samaritans explained about their particular situation. The Watts have custody of one grandchild and one great-grandchild. They are on a fixed income and only receive $74 per month in Food Stamps. After utilities bills, they have a choice every month of either buying food or medicine. Thus, they come to Samaritan Kitchen monthly for food (Dunn, 2016). The Watts’s story is not unique in Appalachia, or the United States.

The Watts’s are examples of a family that could take advantage of the second part of the three-point plan. With better benefits that tied in with their Medicad and Medicare, they might be able to receive additional food for a low co-pay and they might be able to get lower priced more nutritious food.

As the Representative for the district, and the Senator for the state respectively, one would hope that our local politicians would see the logic and merit to these proposals and work with the Congress and the Senate to pass common sense legislation that would help the most impoverished among us.

References

CBPP. (2017). Chart Book: SNAP Helps Struggling Families Put Food on the Table. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Retrieved from https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/chart-book-snap-helps-struggling-families-put-food-on-the-table

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (2017). SNAP tracks changes in share of population that is poor or near-poor. Downloaded from https://www.cbpp.org/snap-tracks-changes-in-share-of-population-that-is-poor-or-near-poor-6

Conway, K. M. (2016). Press Releases: Chairman Conaway Unveils SNAP Report: Findings from the “Past, Present, and Future of SNAP” Hearing Series. House Committee on Agriculture. Retrieved from https://agriculture.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3599

Dunn, K. (2016). Foxx asked to support current school food policy. Wilkes Journal Patriot. Vol. 110, No. 172

Efrenfreund, M. & Ferdman, R. A. (2016). The controversial reason tens of thousands of people just lost their food stamps. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/04/01/why-tens-of-thousands-of-americas-poorest-people-just-lost-their-food-stamps

Executive Office of the President (2015). Long-term benefits of the supplemental nutrition assistance program. Retrieved from https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/documents/SNAP_report_final_nonembargo.pdf

Fessler, P. (2015). Both Parties Agree The Food Stamp Program Needs To Change. But How? The Salt. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/03/20/394149979/a-push-to-move-food-stamp-recipients-into-jobs

FoodShare Wisconsin Handbook. (2018, 01 17). Retrieved from State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services: http://www.emhandbooks.wisconsin.gov/fsh/policy_files/3/3-16-1.htm

Grieger, L. D., Danziger, S., & Schoeni, R. F. (2009). Accurately measuring the trend in poverty in the United States using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Journal Of Economic & Social Measurement, 34(2/3), 105-117. doi:10.3233/JEM-2009-0313

Hansan, J.E. (2011). Poor relief in early America. Retrieved February 25, 2018 from https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/programs/poor-relief-early-amer/

Hoynes, H. W., & Schanzenbach, D. W. (2012). Work incentives and the Food Stamp Program. Journal Of Public Economics, 96151-162. doi:10.1016/j.jpubeco.2011.08.006

Johnson, L. B. (1964). Annual Message to the Congress on the State of the Union. Retrieved from http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=26787

Johnson, R. & Monke, J. (2017) What is the Farm Bill? Congressional Research Service. RS22131. Pg. 9 – 10. Retrieved from https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RS22131.pdf

LaRose, E. (2016). No More Free Lunch. Econ Focus, 20(1), 8.

Le Coz, E. (2015, 2 17). Rep. Alday publicly apologizes for race-tinged remarks. Retrieved from Clarion Ledger: https://www.clarionledger.com/story/politicalledger/2015/02/17/alday-apologizes-race-tinged-remarks/23565751/

NCDHHS. (2016). Food and Nutrition Services FSs245. North Carolina DHHS On-Line Manuals. Retrieved from https://www2.ncdhhs.gov/info/olm/manuals/dss/ei-30/man/FSs245.htm

Redden, M. (2013). This is why food stamp reliance has exploded. New Republic. Downloaded from https://newrepublic.com/article/114609/congress-fights-over-food-stamps-dont-worry-about-growth-snap

Rose, N. E. (1989). Work relief in the 1930s and the origins of the Social Security Act. Social Service Review, 63(1), 63–91.

Trowbridge, D. J. (2017). A history of the United States: 1865 to present. Asheville, NC: Soomo Learning. Available from http://www.webtexts.com

United States Census Bureau. (2015, 05 28). Retrieved from 21.3 Percent of U.S. Population Participates in Government Assistance Programs Each Month: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2015/cb15-97.html

USDA. (2012). Building a Healthy America: A Profile of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Retrieved from https://www.fns.usda.gov/

USDA. (2017). Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Downloaded from https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/

USDA. (2018, 02 02). FY15 through FY18 National View Summary. Retrieved from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap

USDA Budget. (2016). United States Department of Agriculture FY 2017 BUDGET SUMMARY. Retrieved from https://www.obpa.usda.gov/budsum/fy17budsum.pdf

USDA – ERS. (2017). Food Security Status of U.S. Households with Children in 2016. United States Department of Agriculture: Economic Research Service. Retrieved from https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/key-statistics-graphics.aspx

Vilsack, T. (2018, 01 16). What the 2018 farm bill means for urban, suburban and rural America. Retrieved from The Conversation: http://theconversation.com/what-the-2018-farm-bill-means-for-urban-suburban-and-rural-america-89605

Weill, D. A. (2017, 3 3). President, Congress must protect programs that keep hunger at bay. Retrieved from The Hill: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/322178-president-congress-must-protect-programs-that-keep-hunger-at-bay

Willey, J. & Fetting, N., & Hale, M. (2017). The Extent of Trafficking in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: 2012–2014. USDA. Retrieved from https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/ops/Trafficking2012-2014-Summary.pdf

Wilson, J. Q. (2017). American Government Institutions and Policies. Cengage Learning. 66

Wimer, C. &. (2013). Trends in Poverty with an Anchored Supplemental Poverty Measure. New York: CUNY.

Woodhill, L. (2014). Opinion: The War on Poverty Wasn't A Failure -- It Was A Catastrophe. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiswoodhill/2014/03/19/the-war-on-poverty-wasnt-a-failure-it-was-a-catastrophe/#66a4997c6f49

Movie Review: There Will Be Blood (2007)

2015-08-29T06:51:00.005-04:00

Author's Note:

Apparently I am the last person to see this movie. Additionally, I have managed not to have it spoiled for me. So I was able to sit down and watch this movie fresh.

Movie Review: There Will Be Blood (2007)

Once again, this movie has been out for some time, so of course there will be some spoilers. I assume that, unlike me, you may probably have seen this movie. Please feel free to comment below.

Summary

Yes, that was the book I used in 1987

Transcendentalism in American Literature; I really despise the whole literary movement. I almost failed Sophomore year English class because I understood it better than the teacher and at one point I was fed up and mocked her in a paper. However, I can appreciate a fine piece of art even when I don't like some of the tropes it uses. Such is the case with There Will Be Blood. The movie is all about people conning people. Everyone has a con. Everybody wants something.

The Good

Daniel Day Lewis is an actor whose name is revered in Hollywood. If his name is attached to a picture it suddenly gains “Gravitas”. He is the Marlon Brando of his generation without becoming a caricature of himself. His performance here is nuanced and layered. He takes every part of this manipulative and conniving oil man and like an onion, he peels it back one layer at a time to reveal more and more. A lesser actor would have read the words, he was Daniel Plainview. This is a master class on method acting.

Cinematography that in all of it's run time doesn't waste a shot. The cinematographer can say more with the camera than the actor can with his words. The wide open spaces of turn-of-the-century California is contrasted with the claustrophobia of the mine shaft. Plus, I could help but notice the quality and use of wood throughout the film. It helps to tell the tale. From the old weather worn boards of the cabins, to the fresh new lumber of the church and town as it's being built, all the way to the contrasting rich grains of wood throughout Plainview's parlor and then bowling alley. It is an attention to detail that is not lost when telling the story.

The Bad

I shouldn't be surprised about one of my biggest problems with this movie. I mentioned earlier about my issues with the whole Transcendental movement. Names give a lot away. Weather plays an important role. So seeing names like “Plainview” for a protagonist and “Sunday” representing religion almost insult my intelligence. But then when the film telegraphs scenes, it becomes almost painful to watch. By telegraphing a scene, I do not mean foreshadowing. Paul Sunday beating Daniel Plainview on the dais at the church is foreshadowing for the final scene of the movie. Telegraphing is the blatantly bad setup for the accident where HW loses his hearing. This scene was set up so badly that it became distracting to the rest of the sequence.

Casting issues also plagued this movie. I seriously disagree with casting Paul Dano. He was one dimensional in his performance, seeming to come across as creepy more than anything else. He was also not convincing at all in the ending scenes where he has aged. Essentially, this is a movie about con men and Rev. Sunday is supposed to be a charismatic church leader who can con little old ladies.

Furthermore, Kevin J. O'Connor is miscast as Henry. In a movie about con-men, the con-man trying to con Daniel Plainview needed to be a little more of his own character. Instead he came across like Fredo from the Godfather. I think the part was written well, but it demanded a different actor.

I have to wonder if these performances were sub-par or just overshadowed by Daniel Day Lewis. If you look at his work in Lincoln, you can see where he works with other good actors and they bring up each others game.

I like this movie. I recommend this movie, for the ending scene alone I recommend this movie, but given what I have said above it isn't one of my top 10 favorite films.

Final Score: 81 / 100

References:

http://www.villagevoice.com/film/california-burning-6419995

http://www.online-literature.com/periods/transcendentalism.php

http://www.amazon.com/Silly-Crazy-Straws-Assorted-Colors/dp/B004ODITNY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1440843650&sr=8-1&keywords=funny+straw

http://www.textbooknbeyond.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=452

http://www.ultimatemovierankings.com/daniel-day-lewis-movies/

http://www.telcomhistory.org/vm/LHTrains.shtml

http://thefilmexperience.net/blog/2011/8/28/take-three-paul-dano.html

http://www.lomography.com/magazine/243688-reel-vs-real-daniel-day-lewis-as-abraham-lincoln

Movie Review: Nebraska (2013)

2015-08-19T17:36:00.001-04:00

Author's Note:

The cinema is a true form of art. It should be considered high art along with paintings, sculpture, literature, and music. One could even argue that the cinema is a combination of all of these into one.

I enjoy the cinema. I love a good movie. What is a good movie? It is a good story, told well, acted well, presented in an aesthetic way that enhances the narrative.

Not every movie has to move me. Sometimes I just want to go to a movie for mindless fun. I want to eat some popcorn, drink some soda, and enjoy the time with my family and friends as we watch explosions on the screen. Other times, I get the opportunity to watch a movie that is more subtle.

Movie Review: Nebraska

Bay-splosion!

Since this movie has been out for some time, and was nominated for an Oscar, I feel I can include some spoilers. Yes I will be giving away the ending. Since I do recommend you see this film, if this is an important factor to you please do not read any further than this paragraph. You will be seeing a slow paced, melodramatic, black and white film. This is not Bruce Dern's finest work but he does a very good job. Will Forte is very understated in his best performance to date. This movie is not for the Michael Bay crowd.

Summary:

Woody Grant, patriarch of the family, believes he has won a million dollars in a “Publishers Clearing House”-esque style giveaway. Not trusting the US mail, he sets out on foot from Billings, Montana to Lincoln, Nebraska to claim the prize. Woody's youngest son, David has just broken up with his girlfriend and needs some time away so agrees to drive his father to Lincoln to humor him. Along the way they stop in Hawthorne, Nebraska, Woody and Kate's hometown. Woody tells people about winning the money. David tries to explain that it is the misunderstanding of a confused old man but the town thinks he is lying. The trip and stop in Hawthorne reveals to David much about Woody's past and his character.

The Good:

The cast and the acting is spot on. In watching this movie I don't see one person that is THAT ACTOR first and the character second (think Tom Cruise). You are watching the Grant family deal with the aging alcohol-addled (I won't call him an alcoholic) patriarch and his delusional fantasy that he won a million dollars. The unmentioned elephant in the room is that the elder Grant appears to be suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Bruce Dern portrays a man dealing with disorientation, mood swings, and behavioral issues including wandering off. He does not appear to be motivated to care for himself or his family or society. The question becomes, is this due to age or has he been driven to this by his wife, wonderfully portrayed by June Squibb. June's character of Kate Grant could have been left as a simple one dimensional construct, but the writing and supporting characters flesh out her foibles and hypocrisy.

The cast is rounded out by Bob Odenkirk as the “successful” brother Ross and finally, brilliantly by Stacy Keach as Ed Peagram.

The cinematography is almost a character in itself. Normally I would look at a black and white movie as an attempt to be art-house, instead I see this as almost a tribute to Ansel Adams work.

As we travel with David and Woody we experience the incredible vistas as well as the small towns. The beauty is breathtaking.

The Bad:

This story is formulaic and there are no huge surprises here. You could tell that Ed was going to get his comeuppance and that Woody was going to be humiliated. It's not even a real surprise that Ross and David try to steal an air compressor and that it goes wrong. If you are watching Nebraska for an exciting plot, you will be disappointed.

However, If you are looking for a solid story, acted well by terrific actors in beautiful scenery then watch this movie. This movie was well deserving of it's Oscar nomination.

Final Score: 88 / 100

References:

1. Michael Bay Explosion: http://www.irkitated.com/2015/01/make-michael-bay-movie.html
2. Where Should Lucky Travel to Next? http://blog.pch.com/blog/2015/01/20/who-will-win-the-one-million-dollar-prize-from-pch-today/
3. Strange Romance: A Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes Photo Album http://www.thewire.com/entertainment/2012/06/strange-romance-tom-cruise-and-katie-holmes-photo-album/54072/
4. Ansel Adams, The Tetons and The Snake River (1942) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansel_Adams

Movie Review: Fantastic Four

2015-08-14T15:24:00.001-04:00

Author's note:

For quite some time I have been reviewing films on Criticker.com. I have over 500 movies rated there. There are some great features on their site, including recommendations and a ranking system. I love being able to leave reviews and read other people's reviews. Unfortunately, the "mini-reviews" are a little short, limited to 500 characters. Starting with this review, I hope to start writing some movie reviews. Additionally, I'd like to revive this blog. It may be some time until I reacquire my domain name, but for now I appear to be back!

Movie Review: Fantastic Four

WARNING

Let's cut to the chase shall we. This is a bad review. As such, to be able to explain why I didn't like it I have to explain about parts of the movie. SPOILERS abound. If you want to see this movie, don't read this review. I didn't like this movie and I don't want you to waste your money on it. Go see another movie if you want to see a movie. Or better yet, if you want to do something in the actual spirit of the Fantastic Four, do something science-y. Go to a local museum or planetarium. And do it with your family. Because ultimately that's what the Fantastic Four is supposed to be: a family using science together. Oh yeah, if you find a mole man, you can beat it up.

The Good

While choppy the first act built up nicely. The relationship between Ben (Evan Hannemann) and Reed (Owen Judge) starting in the 5th grade is explored briefly and should have set up their relationship for the whole movie a little better. Dan Castellaneta (Homer Simpson) chews up his small role throughout the movie. Fast forward to the accident. It has serious shades of David Cronenberg's "The Fly" and is the last good part of the film.

If you want to see a good movie about teleportation, watch THIS one instead.

The Bad

A lot of this movie is missing. I think the director has been blamed for it but I think It was written by committee. I am not willing to make Josh Trank public enemy #1 for this movie. The first act has a completely different feel than the rest. Did they lose the missing parts of the movie on the printer? Did they accidentally delete the file and use the backup to film from? Seriously, did they try to shoehorn in 30 different possible plots and take out the wrong ones? After the first act the movie becomes horrendously bad with one exception which even then was a "Direction Not Taken".

Finally, I don't need my intelligence insulted. The filmmakers felt the need to explain why Sue is white and Johnny and their father is black by saying she's adopted. Why did they even bring up the subject. I didn't care. It's 2015. We are striving towards a more accepting society, free of prejudice based on religion, sexual orientation, or skin color. By pointing this out and then further explaining it to the audience, the writers are insulting the movie going public. It was another hiccup in the flow of the movie.

If the writers wanted an example on you to showcase tolerance, I highly recommend review of the Russell T. Davies era of Doctor Who. The inclusion of multiracial and/or same sex couples was commonplace. There was no one holding a sign going, "Look you stupid, ignorant, hate filled people. This is how you should be." Change wasn't slow. Change wasn't subtle. Change was there and it was accepted and we all moved along. Fantastic Four's producers, writers, and/or director felt the need to say, "Look at us! We are progressive and changed Johnny Storm's race. And you are a hateful prick if you don't like it." Let me lay this out for you, if Michael B. Jordan (Johnny Storm) did a good job with the part then it isn't going to matter. With the material he was presented I think he did a fine job. No one is winning any Oscars here.

The Really Bad

Victor Von Doom. Dr. Doom is the classic Marvel Universe bad guy. You really can't screw him up that badly if you stick with the formula from the comics. Even there, they have toyed with his background and origins enough that the filmmakers had a lot of latitude. Even the Ultimate Universe changed his name to Victor Van Damm (which actually I kind of like). In this movie he is reduced to a brooding, jealous, hipster genius who is either written or played so flat that were he anyone else than Victor Von-fricking-Doom he'd be completely forgettable instead of unforgivable. This movie could have been salvaged with the proper writing and acting JUST IN THIS PART!

Moving on to post-accident Doom. W.T.F. um... how... ummm... oh yeah... I mentioned there must have been missing pages to the script. That's how he knew about the Fantastic Four. That's how he knew about their powers. That's how he was able to come up with that diabolical plan even though he'd been stranded on planet Zero alone with no technology for over a year.

Look it's Dr. Doom!

Dr. Doom is overpowered, way overpowered. He is now Telekinetic. Plus, he seems to really have a thing for popping peoples brains ("Scanners" style). He stays seriously overpowered UNTIL the climax battle of course. A climax where we discover that the team can't defeat them separately but they have to work together. With all of the murders Dr. Doom commits, he easily could have killed the FF the same way, Instead we are treated to potentially hundreds of collateral innocent deaths. We're not talking Man of Steel high, but there's no sweeping this under the rug.

They eventually defeat Dr. Doom. Yippie. They become a team. Yippie. They get a secret research base. Yippie. They come up with name. Yippie. Is it time to go yet?

The Direction Not Taken

There were missed opportunities throughout this movies. You can see threads of stories that they abandoned. For example, there was a very "Incredible Hulk" feel during part of the movie as the team searched for Reed. I think there was another treatment of the script with the hope of negotiating a tie into the MCU. It would have been a great opportunity for Reed and Bruce Banner to get together out in the jungles of South America. Bruce could serve as a mentor to young Reed. Then when they are discovered there could have been an epic battle between the Hulk and the Thing (as well as expansion of the whole Natasha betrays Bruce line). But instead we get about five minutes of retread. We've seen it. many times. And it was done better every time.

Final Score

I am being very generous with this score because I really thought the first act had promise and the accident scene was quite good. A snarkier version of me would give this 4 out of 100, but that's not fair or honest. Here's the take away. This is a bad film. It should not have been released. It represents everything that is wrong in Superhero filmmaking and in Hollywood in general. It was made to keep rights for the franchise at Fox. It insults the intelligence of the film going public and comic book fans.

Do not see this movie in the theater.
Do not see it on RedBox or Netflix.
Do not purchase it when it hits the dollar bin at Walmart, which it will.

This movie is bad enough that several careers in Hollywood may have ended. Sadly none of them are the executives at Twentieth Century Fox.

Final Score: 24 / 100

Notes:

The reaction in the theater should really sum this up. There were people sleeping (as in more than one). A couple of employees came in to clean up afterward and asked me what I thought. They were afraid of going to see it since the Rotten Tomatoes score was half of the score that Pixels had. My answer to them was that they will be issuing refunds on this movie.

References:

1. Mole Man: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_Man
2. Comic Book Guy: The Comic Book–The Collector’s Edition #1, Bongo Comics. http://www.bongocomics.com/catalog/simpsons/comic/comic-book-guy-comic-book/1
3 "Golden Raspberry Award" by Source (WP:NFCC#4). Licensed under Fair use via Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Golden_Raspberry_Award.jpg#/media/File:Golden_Raspberry_Award.jpg

The Crossover Blog Post

2013-07-26T02:41:00.000-04:00

Richard Belzer rocks the world

Faithful followers of food and art - this is a crossover post. By "Crossover" I don't mean a Crossover SUV, or a crossover pass; I'm talking about a crossover blog post. Today's post will be in both My Taste Of The Day and Coffee Bruin!

There have been plenty of great crossovers. I remember when the show Homicide, Life on the Street crossed over with Law and Order. (In fact, that's why Detective Munch is now on Law and Order SVU.)

So why the crossover and what are we going to do? Over the past few years, I have had THOUSANDS of you read My Taste Of The Day and many of you have shared your ideas and requests. I want to keep catering to you and continue to give you content while I build up readership with content, comics, and art at Coffee Bruin. THESE ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE GOALS!

Presenting the great Cookbook Challenge!

Here's the plan: I am looking for comments with 2 - 3 ingredients but NOT RECIPES! Think Iron Chef. If I choose your comment for the challenge I will develop a recipe from your ingredients, draw cover art for the recipe, and include it in a forth-coming cookbook. If I can get 25-30 comments, I'll start a Kickstarter campaign to get this published and all of the included commenters will get a hard copy of the cookbook if it is successful. Stretch goal? I'll make videos of some of these recipes and post them on YouTube.

There you have it folks Art meets Food. So let's get this Bear drawing and Cooking!

A short update and some WONDERFUL NEWS

2013-06-14T02:06:00.001-04:00

Faithful followers,

I have had a rough few months, losing my job and trying to transition into a new life. I have had the love and support of my wife and family and I couldn't have done this without them. I have not forgotten about you and will be updating as I reorganize my web presence. So there is no recipe today.

But don't pout, don't fret, I have exciting wonderful news.

My daughter got engaged this evening!!! Yes this is the same daughter that helped me bring you Wuthering Heights with a Side of Bacon.

Her boyfriend is a wonderful guy who I've seen grow up over the last several years, he's a hard worker, he puts her on a pedestal, and together they have big plans for the future. I am so excited for them!

So until next time, I wish you Peace, Love, and Hollandaise Sauce.

The Coffee Bruin starts TOMORROW!!!

2012-12-31T14:25:00.003-05:00

#WheresTheBear

CoffeeBruin the Web Comic starts tomorrow!

Visit CoffeeBruin.com

Blitz Post #8: Have I abandoned my readers?

2012-10-28T04:40:00.001-04:00

Short answer: NO!

As you may have noticed, I have not done a long form post in a while. Rest assured they will be coming back. Life has a funny way of making me very busy.

There have been a few of changes around here. First, I've updated the logo, let me know what you think.

Second I have a new SECOND blog at COFFEEBRUIN.COM That's right, the Coffee Bruin blog is live! The web comic goes live 1/1/2013. I was finding that I was spending so much time on webcomics and drawing that it needed its own blog.

Third, I am still writing this blog. In fact I have about 6 articles in the pipeline. The one I was working on this evening got sidetracked when I finally finished the new logo. The next post, "The Italian Feast" is coming. It is a major post, not a Blitz Post. I am editing it and selecting graphics and these things take time. This week is going to be very busy for me. I have a major project at work that I have to complete, a Toastmasters convention, a possible snow event, and all of the normal stuff with life.

Wow, can you pack any more excuses in a paragraph?

So you crazy, wonderful people out there that have stuck with me over time, thank you. Until next time my friends, I wish you peace, love, and Hollandaise sauce!

Blitz Post #7: INTERVENTION CON recap

2012-09-25T01:55:00.000-04:00

Where do I begin? This weekend was a blast! Intervention Con really was my best con experience ever, hands down. As a “panel junkie”, I was over whelmed:

Creative Marketing 101
How to Survive as a Writer in the Business of Webcomics, Comics and Other Visual Media
Juggling Geek Life and Parenting
For the Love of Cartoons
There Is A Line-Handling potentially offensive topics in webcomics
How to find the Doctor throughout Time and Space

The Charity Auction to benefit the Electronic Frontier Foundation was really funny (human trafficking is funny?)

But what was the highlight for me? It was the amazing artists/vendor room. Over the past several years I have made several friends in webcomics, people like the amazing Chris Flick, who have given me advice and help. Intervention introduced me to a number or other wonderful artists who worked with me and spent time with me. They talked to me as a FELLOW ARTIST, not just some shlub they wanted to sell a book to. I learned so much! I also spent more than I ever have because of it.

I want to send special shout outs to:

Onezumi Hartstein – http://www.onezumi.com/ - Oni puts on one HELL of a great show! I am clearing my calendar for August 2013!

Matt Blum – the Managing editor of the Geek Dad blog over at Wired.com who handled with grace and style my case of being star struck (I have all 3 of the Geek Dad books)

Elaine Corvidae (Riven Sol) – either I am stalking them, or they are stalking me. I've seen them in Wilkesboro, Charlotte, and now Intervention.

Travis Surber (Hainted Holler) – a fellow resident of Appalachia, we swapped stories and marketing ideas. Funny stuff!

Tony DiGerolamo (Super Frat)-Wow, just wow. Tony was probably the most successful writer in the room! With credits including the Simpsons, he was extremely approachable and fielded lots of questions. He also was on a ton of panels.

Check out his vlog:

(psst... I make a brief cameo at 4:06)

Megami Jadeheart – You spent a half hour working with me, talking about light, and shadow, and many other things. Your art is phenomenal and I was truly awestruck! Check out Annie!

Danielle Corsetto – a.k.a. The PRO! Girls with Slingshots. Danielle, this is your day job and you do what I think everyone is striving to do. I really appreciate the work you’ve done and a big thank you for the future cameo.

Alfredo Torres – I need to add you to my Zombie Survival Kit, which is remarkably shaped like a TARDIS. In all seriousness, having a fellow parent (or parental unit) to discuss the trials and tribulations of this geek life and Aspie kids is very important. Go subscribe to his podcast at http://www.torresvszombies.com/

Ben McCormick - "Reality Amuck", "Playing Doctor Podcast" – Your panels were great, but then we got to talk Sunday afternoon. Being able to discuss our common issues as parents and the possibility of future projects based on this is exciting.

Chris Flick - Capes-N-Babes, Web Comics Alliance Podcast. Damn. Where can I start? Chris, thanks for answering my questions over the past several weeks. You have been generous with your time and your talent. Plus you put up with my hovering around too, that takes serious patience! And a huge thanks for the artwork too! I’m hunting frames now.

I’m also looking forward to talking more with you, Ben, and Al and maybe some future projects.

Folks, if you are not reading these strips, start NOW. If you are not listening to these podcasts, subscribe TODAY.

Finally I have a couple of announcements...

THE COFFEE BRUIN IS COMING! January 1, 2013
My first web comic is in pre production. Scripts are being written, panels are being drawn, and software is being installed. The new website is purchased but not up, but the email is running. You can now reach me at Denis@CoffeeBruin.com

Blitz Post #6: Thinking Sideways in the Corporate World

2012-08-08T17:14:00.000-04:00

*A safe place to fail.

We should always strive to succeed in everything we do, every day. But at the same time, it is good to know the culture of the American workplace is beginning to embrace the spirit of THINKING SIDEWAYS. If we are in constant fear of trying things in a new way, we will never innovate, we will never grow, and we will never expand. We will stagnate and die in the sea of sameness.

*Make mistakes, learn from your mistakes, and EVOLVE!

“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” Thomas Edison is a great example of someone that personifies this idea. Every time you try a new idea, you learn from that experience. Be courageous, because your new idea may be the one that saves the sale, or streamlines the process, or fixes the issue.

*Get involved! Do something creative!

"Gee, all of this sounds great, but I have no ideas."
"I don't want to rock the boat"
Corporate America has realized you can’t keep doing the same things the same way and has begun to embrace a culture of change. But if YOU are still afraid, start outside of work. There are some great hobbies and organizations you can get involved with. Get creative and try new things. Do things that challenge your status quo.

Consider becoming part of the Maker movement. Repurpose old items, take apart broken equipment, learn what makes thing work. Will you be the next great inventor? Maybe not, but you may learn why something works, why it doesn't, and why MAKING A CHANGE MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

Look into your local or corporate Toastmasters Club. I joined the Wilkes Toastmasters two years ago. Toastmasters is a group where it truly is A SAFE PLACE TO FAIL. Toastmasters Clubs are very supportive, offering a friendly professional environment to improve your leadership skills through public speaking. Every meeting includes evaluation which gives all members the opportunity to improve.

Download GeoCaching software onto your smartphone. What is GeoCaching? It is a FREE, real world GPS treasure hunt. Using your smart phone's GPS, you can IMPROVE YOUR PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS by trying to locate hidden containers all around the world. This is great alone or with a family as you get to explore the world around you. GeoCaches usually have a logbook for you to sign and often have little prizes for you to swap. (GET REWARDED!)

Those are just three things you can do outside of work to help you motivate yourself to evolve and help your company to EVOLVE!

-Denis Lachapelle, ACB, CL
about.me/denislachapelle

And until next time my friends, when I will try to bring you some really cool recipes of been stock piling, I wish you peace, love, and Hollandaise sauce!

Blitz Post #5: Live Long and Prosper

2012-07-13T02:00:00.002-04:00

I have a passion for public speaking. Or, maybe I just like the sound of my own voice. Either way, I am a member of the Wilkes Toastmasters club. We meet every Thursday at 6PM at the Addison Inn in Wilkesboro, NC. Please check out our website: http://wilkestoastmasters.org/. We'd all love for you to join us!

Every week our meetings have a theme. Tonight's theme was, "Star Trek". Star Trek is a pretty gutsy call if you are not sure of your audience. To start off with, many people still roll their eyes and laugh at you if you make the odd "Spock" or "Captain Kirk" reference, to say nothing of DS9, Voyager, the Borg, the Dominion, Quark, "Q", Holo-decks, 10-forward, Jefferies Tubes, mind melds, and Orion slave-girls. However, if you can pull off Star Trek, and do it well, Star Trek has a lot to teach us.

What does public speaking have to do with Star Trek?

At Toastmasters we like to say it's a safe place to fail! But seriously, There are several key points you can learn about making a good presentation from the Starfleet Captains:(1)

Make an Impact
Do no Harm
Celebrate Diversity
Entertain a flair for the Dramatic
Engage... [your Audience]
[Seek action and commitment] ...and make it so
You will return to the Alpha Quadrant someday [this, too, shall pass]
You canna break the laws of physics! [the equipment WILL break]
The Away Teams [first ones to a situation] take the most risks and get the most praise
The Red-shirt dies first [Be a permanent and contributing member of the team.]
When presenting as a team, use everyone’s strengths to your advantage
Maintain your Ethics
Dress appropriate to your audience
Keep your phasers on “stun” [Be prepared for difficult situations.]
Boldly go where no one has gone before [Challenge yourself and be the one in front.]

What can we learn about leadership from Star Trek?

This boils down to which Captain you prefer. Do you like Kirk's style: a shoot-from-the-hip, cocksure, arrogance, that would cheat death and cut corners but never violate his principles? Do you prefer Picard's style: aloof, administrative, and over-analytical. Taking a more positive viewpoint, both captains earned loyalty and trust from their crew by being 100% committed to the crew and their mission.

There are several key elements that you can take away: (2)

Never Stop Learning
Have Advisors with Different World Views
Be Part of the "Away Team"
Play Poker, not Chess
Blow up the Enterprise [Do whatever it takes to forge a new path that is fulfilling.]

But what about tonight's meeting?

Tonight was FUN! Joyce was our Toastmaster and she did an excellent job of weaving the theme through the entire meeting. Many of the members who had roles, and some of the speakers, even incorporated the theme. Our word of the day was "Prosper", and all three of our Table Topic questions had a Star Trek theme to them.

Joyce also provided refreshments, in the spirit of the day - it was Green.

If you enjoy Star Trek, and Science Fiction in general, and you are in the Hamilton, Ontario area you may want to check out the new Galaxy Toastmasters club. Galaxy Toastmasters is unique from other Toastmasters clubs in that this club is a science fiction, science fact & fantasy themed club.

For Information: http://toastmasters86.org/joomla/ OR
Contact: pro.d86tm@gmail.com
Phone: 289-696-3167

If you haven't checked out Toastmaster's head out out to the Toastmaster's International website

http://www.toastmasters.org/ to find a club that meets near you

Finally, thank you to my followers who have been patiently waiting for my return. I have been here, but a new position at work has forced me to temporarily reallocate some resources. There will be more blogging to come. I have a major project to come and I'm counting on YOUR help!

Until next time, I wish you peace, love, and Hollandaise sauce!

(1) WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT PRESENTATION SKILLS I LEARNED FROM STAR TREK(TM) CAPTAINS; http://www.springboardtraining.com/uncategorized/presentations-startrek-captains

(2) About Leadership and Lessons from Star Trek; http://blogs.worldbank.org/publicsphere/node/5940

Blitz Post 4: Meditation Reflections

2012-03-17T11:35:00.002-04:00

You can call this procrastination and not wanting to get out of bed this morning. As I sit here in peace and quiet, I have been quietly meditating.

Meditation is one of those "things" I have always outwardly scoffed at at but on occasion do. My problem with meditation is that for me it quite often turns to sleep. This time was not the case.

I am reflecting on the direction of my life, my health, and my goals. Several weeks ago I posted a rather ominous post, Crossroads. Today's meditation provided me a lot of insight and may provide it's follow up post.

Photo Credit: http://www.hirstmusic.com/too-many-hats/

When you do too many things, you "wear too many hats". Do you do that? Check out my about.me page to see my hat collection. I wear too many hats. It's my choice too. What is the result? I don't sleep enough, I don't eat right, I don't exercise, and I don't appreciate the people around me.

This is not a post about being sad! I said earlier, I had insight into what was going on. I believe I had an epiphany of sorts.

Photo Credit http://www.billiesucherblog.com

Before everyone panics, let me assure you I will continue to blog and maintain my presence on Twitter. In fact Social Media is very important to my future, so I'm not going away, but I digress.

My meditation led me to nine simple guidelines, which I believe if put in practice would lead to a happier world:

Put others before yourself
Laugh
Slow down, focus, and observe
Cherish the people around you
Walk
Live simply
Get enough sleep
Eat a balanced diet
Meditate and Pray

These all seem to intertwine in one way or another. Slow down & Walk. Cherish the people around you & Put others before yourself.

I'm very interested in any comments you may have.

No recipe with this post.

Until next time, I wish you Peace, Love, and Hollandaise Sauce.

Blitz Post 3: Popcorn blog, supplemental

2012-03-09T00:44:00.000-05:00

I thought I said everything I could say about popcorn last week, but I was wrong. WAY WRONG. I have gotten a tremendous amount of feed back here in the blog, on Twitter, even at work regarding Popcorn. I'm beginning to feel like a regular Orville Redenbacher!

First things first, let me clarify things. If have microwave popcorn use it by all means. It convenient, inexpensive, and darn tasty! But, if you want to save money, avoid excess packaging, and avoid potentially harmful chemicals, when you run out of your current supply of microwave popcorn, try the Brown Bag method. I really think you'll be impressed.

Second, Recipes? We don't need no stinking recipes!

Recipes are guidelines. Let me repeat that in a larger font.

Recipes are guidelines.

Tonight, the Wilkes Toastmasters Club hosted our International Speech Competition. Since I was organizing it, I was responsible for filling all of the roles: judges, counters, timers, contest master, sergeant-at-arms, participants, and getting snacks and drinks. Time was of the essence, and so was budget. I am also the President of the club so I have an idea of what the finances are and I didn't want to spend any of the club's money on the contest.

Dilemma: Very little time, and money for snacks are coming out of my pocket. Solution: Dollar Tree!

www.dollartree.com

For under $15, I purchased several packages of cookies (including very good fudge grahams), a popcorn bowl, a serving scoop, aluminum trays, bottled water, microwave popcorn and chocolate covered pretzels. WHAT? MICROWAVE POPCORN!?! Remember, recipes are guidelines.

When I got to the contest site, I microwaved two bags of popcorn and while they were still hot, I mixed in two bags of chocolate covered pretzels. The chocolate melted and MELDED the popcorn with the pretzels and made a nice sweet and salty snack.

Was it fast? Yes! Was it cheap? Not as cheap as brown bag, but it was fast!

The Contest was a lot of fun! Debbie won the Table Topic competition and Wendy won the International Speech competition. Both will be advancing on to the Area competition. If you are interested in more information on Toastmasters, please contact me or check out http://www.toastmasters.org/.

Until next time, I wish you Peace, Love, and Hollandaise Sauce.