New healthy eating podcast: ASK CHELLE

NUTRITIONIST MICHELLE GILLESPIE

My Health Hack’s partner, nutritionist Michelle Gillespie, and I are starting a podcast: ASK CHELLE.

It’s new, so some things are still being worked out. Currently we think we’ll do one episode per month, but we might bump it up to two soon. For now we’ll post on SoundCloud and under “ASK CHELLE” at https://healthhackschicago.wordpress.com/

We have enough questions to get started, but I invite you to submit questions about whatever you’re wondering about for our next episode.  Sugar. Fat. Protein, Carbs. Whatever you’re pondering, bring it on. Submit your questions to HealthHacks2015@gmail.com. We'll give you a shout out, if we use your question, or possibly even if we don't, unless you prefer to be anonymous.

I’ll let you know here as soon as when Episode 1 is posted.

It's a new year. Let's get healthy.

Grassroots Organizing and Millionaires

Grassroots organizing, to me, has meant organizing "from the bottom up". The "bottom" being individuals with the kind of power that is not optimal until they collaborate and push for change together and rise "up".  After gaining a certain momentum, the organization includes like-minded individuals considered to have greater power and influence. I've not thought that grassroots organizing would include millionaires from the get-go, but I'm pondering a shift, because I got this in my inbox today. It's possible Warren Buffett did not initiate this email at all. If he did, is this grassroots organizing or an example of a member of the American gentry rallying troops for his own cause? Is this a case of America's working class looking for a knight in shining armor to swoop in to help save us.

I heartily invite you thoughts and comments.

Warren Buffett is asking everyone to forward this email to a minimum of 20 people, and to ask each of those to do likewise.

In three days, most people in the United States will have the message. This is an idea that should be passed around.
 
The BUFFETT Rule

Let's see if these idiots understand what people pressure is all about.

Salary of retired US Presidents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $180,000 FOR LIFE.

Salary of House/Senate members . . . . . . . . . . . . $174,000 FOR LIFE.
This is stupid

Salary of Speaker of the House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $223,500 FOR LIFE.
This is really stupid

Salary of Majority / Minority Leaders . . . . . . . . . . $193,400 FOR LIFE.
Stupid

Average Salary of a teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$40,065

Average Salary of a deployed Soldier . . . . . . . . . . $38,000

Here’s where the cuts should be made!

Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes about the debt ceiling:

"I could end the deficit in five minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election".

The 26th Amendment ( granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds ) took only three months and eight days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971 - before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc.

Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took one (1) year or less to become the law of the land - all because of public pressure.

Warren Buffett is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.

Congressional Reform Act of 2017

1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman / woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they're out of office.

2. Congress (past, present, & future) participates in Social Security.

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 3/1/17. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women.

Congress made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and go back to work.

If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people, then it will only take three days for most people in the U.S. to receive the message. It's time!

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!

If you agree, pass it on.

Moretti's breaks ground in Morton Grove

There's a Moretti's being built where Maxwell's was, until 2003, on Dempster St. just east of Lehigh and the tracks. 

Reliable source says it due to open at
6415 Dempster St. Morton Grove in 2017.

This has irritated me. My thoughts: Yeah, just what we need, another restaurant chain venue. My opinion has softened, however, after dining at their restaurant in Hoffman Estates last night. The prices were reasonable. The vibe was friendly. Known for it's Italian-American fare, the menu's selection was wider than expected.

I got pasta carbonara for $13.99. As predicted, the portion was huge. I'll be consuming that for two more days. 

The atmosphere reminded me of a fancier Portillo's, but with waitstaff. Our waiter seemed knowledgeable and poised. Reservations are accepted.

One of the appetizers was grilled calamari. It was made well, not too chewy. Fish was not on their regular menu, but was offered as a special. They offer gluten-free items. Their beer menu was substantial, included IPAs (which is kinda lost on me as I don't drink beer). 

I expect I'll go there with family or with a few friends.

All that said, I feel sympathy for the neighbors in that 'hood. That was a lovely green space. Now construction has started. When construction is done, the peacefulness will be then be disrupted by lots of traffic, I'm guessing. I hope they won't be open too late so those folks can sleep well. I'm also concerned for Giordano's, also on Dempster in Morton Grove. I hope it won't draw too many customers away from them. Hopefully some commuters using the Morton Grove Metra stop will stop in at Moretti's before they go home.

I'm not worried about other Morton Grove restaurants, nor the Old Orchard or downtown Skokie eateries. Moretti's pizza is good -- my tablemates shared theirs with me -- but Village Inn is a place like no other. Libertad. Yolo. Both unique and too special for Moretti's to compete with. Supposedly Kabul House will have moved--love their hospitality, aushak, kabobs and tea especially--just east of McCormick on Dempster by the time MG Moretti's opens next year.

More about that bit of land: Condos were to be built there, but alas...more here.

L.O.V.E.

My friend Bill Campbell is the best.
He taught me what LOVE is an acronym for--Letting Our Vision Expand.
Brilliant.

Polio eradicated...almost

One day, very soon, polio will be no more.
When I say soon, I mean SOON.
GONE! 
The potential for this insidious disease to hurt anyone else will be eliminated.
WIPED OUT!
Humankind will have much to celebrate.
It has been a long fight by those afflicted, families of the afflicted, volunteers worldwide and organizations such as Rotary International, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, to name a few.

You'll read a lot about it via various news organizations when that big day comes. That's good. On Tuesday, September 6, however, at Rotary International's headquarters in Evanston, you can hear more first-hand and ask your own questions. That's even better.

Those expected to share stories include Nigeria's Abdulrahman "Tunji" Funsho, Pakistan's Aziz Memon, England's Judith Diment, plus Tennessee's John Germ, Maine's Michael K. McGovern and Illinois's own John Hewko.

Learn more on Rotary's event page.
Yes. It will be a "free" forum, but if you have some cash to spare, bring it. They'll surely be passing the hat.

No. It seems Archie Panjabi will not be there.