WANNA LAUGH - The modern ABC's

IKE DAVIS - VALLEY FEVER??????

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Is there a wicked season ahead for the Mets?! 
First baseman for the Mets, Ike Davis, has been diagnosed with Valley Fever, according to statements from the ball club. Davis failed a physical given upon arrival in Port St. Lucie, Florida, with an abnormal chest X-ray. He was sent back to New York for further testing where pulmonary and infectious disease specialists made the diagnosis. Davis is not contagious, but must but must avoid doing anything that might fatigue him for the time being. He will be reexamined when the team returns to New York in early April.

Valley Fever can be a very serious disease. It’s a fungal infection that is released from dirt in desert regions of the Southwest. It is inhaled and causes the infection in the lung. Davis lives in Arizona during the off season and likely inhaled the fungus when dirt was stirred up by winds or construction.

Davis had a very promising rookie season and batted .302 with seven homers and 25 RBIs in 36 games last season after hitting .264 with 19 home runs and 71 RBIs in 2010. He missed much of the 2011 season due to a bruised bone.

 Losing Davis could pose a serious problem for the Mets since All Star shortstop Jose Reyes signed as a free agent with the Miami Marlins.  My personal opinion: the Met’s owner needs to invest more $$$$ in them. Payroll slashes and “other interests” on the part of the owner have put the Mets at a disadvantage. The fans (including myself) are loyal and believe in our team. The owner should do the same. Come on Fred – support your boys!

YOUR PRESIDENT, HE SAID...

Tony Walker
Since I will be the next President of The United States, from now on my He Said's will be Your President, He Said.
As your President I will legalize prostitution.
Have you ever thought about why prostitution is illegal??
Sure some of you think it's disgusting. Some of you think it's bad for health reasons. Some of you think men who cheat with prostitutes should be tortured.
I am not arguing any of those points. But are those reasons why it should be illegal??

Why should we deny the right for a man or woman to get laid???
Everybody wants some! I want some too!!!
If that's the easiest (or only) way someone can get some love, shouldn't they be allowed?
If it's legal, the places it occurs may improve. The prostitutes may be healthier women if it's legal.
If someone is doing it behind their spouses back, you're on your own. This President ain't touchin that!
Sex sells.... spending money & regulating legal sex would improve spending, pay taxes, create jobs, etc. This could be a major boost for our floundering economy!!
What do you think? Should prostitution be legal?

SUPER TUESDAY

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Move over Monday Night Football , March Madness, Survivor and Dancing with the Stars ! It’s time for “Super Tuesday”! No, it’s not a sport, most times it’s not even “sporting”, but it’s a game of high stakes with only 4 major players remaining.

In the United States, “Super Tuesday” refers to the Tuesday in February or March of a presidential election year when the greatest number of states hold primary elections to select delegates to national conventions at which each party's presidential candidates are officially nominated. More delegates can be won on Super Tuesday than on any other single day of the primary calendar, and, accordingly, candidates seeking the presidency traditionally must do well on this day to secure their party's nomination. In 2008, Super Tuesday was February 5; 24 states held primaries or caucuses on this date, with 52% of all pledged Democratic Party delegates and 41% of the total Republican Party delegates at stake. The 2012 Super Tuesday will be March 6, 2012. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Tuesday)

Since Super Tuesday primaries are held in a large number of states from geographically and socially diverse regions of the country, Super Tuesday typically represents a presidential candidate's first test of national electability. Convincing wins in Super Tuesday primaries have usually propelled candidates to their party's nomination. The particular states holding primaries on Super Tuesday have varied from year to year.

The “Survivors” on the Republican island are Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul. On March 6^th, voters in 10 states will head to the polls for the busiest primary day so far.
The stakes are as high as they are clear. For Romney, coming off victories in Michigan and Arizona, the mission is to keep amassing more delegates than his rivals, and polls suggest he will win the most delegates on Super Tuesday.

Exit polls showed Michigan voters' top priority was the economy, a benefit to Romney, who has argued that he has stronger business credentials than Santorum, his chief rival. Romney's perceived electability against President Obama also persuaded some voters to choose the former Massachusetts governor over Santorum, polls showed.

Santorum needs to recover from some missteps that occurred earlier. Some controversial statements by the candidate on birth control and the separation of church and state have left mainstream Republicans concerned the former Pennsylvania senator is too far to the right to win in November. Ohio will be a key state for Santorum and is where he currently leads in the polls.

 Newt Gingrich still has an opportunity for yet another rebirth, partly because of Santorum’s missteps.GIngrich needs to show he remains a viable option, and he knows it. Speaking on Thursday at a campaign event, he acknowledged, "I have to win Georgia," his home state.

As for Ron Paul, he states that he’s pleased to be outperforming his 2008 results.  He has 18 in the latest Associated Press tally, which includes a projection of how many unpledged delegates he’ll collect from caucus states that have not awarded them yet.

 Super Tuesday will prove to be an interesting “challenge” for the Republican “survivors”!

Super Tuesday, February 5, 2008

"I HAVE ISRAEL'S BACK"

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

“When the chips are down, I have Israel’s back”. Barack Obama March 5, 2012

As tension rises and Israel becomes more and more concerned about the development of nuclear facilities in Iran, President Obama has promised support and if necessary, military action to insure Israel’s protection. At the same time, he stated that he believes we need to wait and let the sanctions that have been put in place  take effect and we should continue to try to resolve these problems with diplomacy.

The relationship between President Obama and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been somewhat strained to say the least. Many people believe that Netanyahu isn’t convinced of Obama’s resolve and that Israel might go ahead with attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The most telling statement indicating that Israel might end up acting on its own was Netanyahu's insistence that the Jewish state must be the "master of its fate." "The pressure (on Iran) is growing but time is growing short," Netanyahu was quoted as telling Obama during what was seen as the most tension filled meeting of U.S. and Israeli leaders in years.

 Israel, believed to be the only nuclear weapons power in the Middle East, fears Iranian nuclear facilities may soon be buried so deep that they would be invulnerable to its bunker-busting bombs, which are less powerful than those in the U.S. arsenal.

Israel insists that military action against Iran would be warranted to prevent it from reaching nuclear weapons capability, as opposed to when it actually builds a device. The New York Daily News published an article showing several attack options Israel is considering against Iran. The general opinion is, Israel will not wait much longer.

It’s clear that we are on the verge of a momentous time in history. Will it be another Holocaust if the US convinces Israel to wait, as Netanyahu fears?  Will Iran back down because of political and economic sanctions as Obama hopes? There are serious issues to be considered.

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe it’s time to start praying, because it seems that’s all we can do right now!  Pray for guidance for world leaders, pray for peaceful resolutions, and pray that all nations might grow too wise to engage in nuclear war!

*Comments welcome, but please, intelligent, clean, productive comments. Let's not bash anyone! Thank you!

Plant City Strawberry Festival

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

The Strawberry Festival has been apart of Plant City's history since 1930. An organization called the Plant City Lions Club had the idea to unite communities through celebrating this Strawberry Festival. Only one time in history did the strawberry festival come to a halt, which was during World War II. Today, the "Florida Strawberry Festival Association" is still running in full operation which is governed by a board of directors from the local community who work year round to help the strawberry festival become top 30 of such events in North America.

 You can find agricultural shows, fun contests, rides, parades, great country entertainment and strawberry delights in one place at an affordable price. The festival celebrates the area's biggest crop and typically includes all things strawberry — from vendors offering everything from berry-themed crafts to flats of the red fruit.
They don't call it the "Winter Strawberry Capital of the World" for nothing — because there's nothing like Plant City's strawberries! You won't be able to resist all the tasty treats and delicious delights prepared with mouth-watering fresh strawberries. And, you can even test your limit in the strawberry shortcake eating contest!

The Florida Strawberry Festival offers a wide variety of options for guest of all ages. From Farming to joy rides the strawberry festival has it all. You can expect to see concerts, attractions, rides, games, shopping, wide selection of food, and lots more at the strawberry festival. for more information just visit the Florida Strawberry Festival homepage. http://www.flstrawberryfestival.com/index.html

WHEN: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. March 4 through March 11
WHERE: 303 N. Lemon St., Plant City (From Orlando, take I-4 West towards Tampa. Take the Thonotosassa Road Exit. Turn left and follow to traffic light. At light go straight onto Lemon Street to a 4-way stop at Oak Avenue. Turn right on Oak Avenue. Ticket office is about 2 blocks down on the left.
HOW MUCH: $10 adults, $5 children ages 6-12, children age 5 and younger free
CALL: 813-752-9194

EATERY IS OPEN....FISHERMANS STEW

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 stalk(s) celery, chopped
• 2 clove(s) garlic, crushed with press
• 1 teaspoon(s) Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1 can(s) (14 1/2-ounce) diced tomatoes
• 1 cup(s) water
• 1/2 cup(s) dry white wine
• 1/2 pound(s) cod fillet, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/2 pound(s) medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
• Crusty bread (optional)

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Directions

1. In 4-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, pepper, and celery, and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until onion is tender and golden, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic, Cajun seasoning, and teaspoon salt, and cook 1 minute, stirring.
2. Add tomatoes, water, and wine; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, 10 minutes.
3. Stir in cod and shrimp. Cover and simmer 3 to 4 minutes or until cod and shrimp just turn opaque throughout, gently stirring once. Ladle stew into 4 large soup bowls and serve with bread if you like.

J.K.ROWLINGS NEW BOOK

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Twitter is on fire with the news that JK Rowling has signed a book deal with Little, Brown Publishers for a new book, this one for adults. Harry Potter fans have been posting their reactions to the news. Rowlings herself Tweeted: “As you may have heard, I have a new book out later this year. Very different to Harry, although I’ve enjoyed writing it every bit as much,” The details of the book, such as title and the date it will be published worldwide, have yet to be revealed.

"She is one of the best storytellers in the world," said Little, Brown Publisher David Shelley. "…I am looking forward enormously to helping bring her new novel for adults to her fans and admirers, and to introducing her writing to new readers the world over."

SOUL FOOD

Barbara Ward-Finneran

Dreams and goals have no expiration dates. The are completely renewable. No matter where you are in the journey of your life -you hold the ability to stir the untapped possibilities. Breathe it all in - The new beauty of your life is there - waiting to be born - and living it is the grandest thing in life.

Keep the promises that you make to yourself!

Photo Courtesy of Barbara Ward-Finneran and Drawn 2 Design, LLC

©  All Rights Reserved

MUSIC HISTORY MARCH 4

This Day In Music History
Birthdays:
Jason Newsted (from Metallica) (1963)
Composer Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (1678)

Shows & Plays:
Composer Carlos Surinach (1915)The Musical "The Goodbye Girl" opened at the Marquis Theatre. (1993)

The Musical Revival "Annie Get Your Gun" opened at the Marquis Theatre. (1999)

On the Charts:
Today the song "Ruby Tuesday" by the Rolling Stones topped the charts and stayed there for a week. (1967)

Today the song "(Love Is) Thicker Than Water" by Andy Gibb topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks. (1978)

Today the song "Lost in Your Eyes" by Debbie Gibson topped the charts and stayed there for 3 weeks. (1989)