Category: Social Issues

8 Reasons To Keep Working After Retirement

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Working After Retirement

Research shows that working after retirement is good for the mind, the body, and the pocketbook.

Research shows that working during retirement is good for the mind, the body, and the pocketbook

Keep Working After Retirement

Here are 8 Reasons to get a job after retiring

D. S. Mitchell

Measurable Benefits

Working after retirement, seems like an oxymoron, but that isn’t necessarily true. Just because you are no longer practicing your primary career doesn’t mean you should walk away from all money making endeavors. Part-time, free lance or consulting work, volunteering- doing that something you always wanted to do. A friend of mine, who worked for UPS for years, does wedding and anniversary photos as his new side hustle. Another friend works for a home health care company and does light housekeeping chores for several elder clients. I write freelance articles. I always wanted to be a writer; well now I am. Working can add to your retirement satisfaction and give your  life structure. And there are of course, the financial benefits of a paycheck. After a bit of thought and research I’ve come up with eight specific reasons a retired person may want to consider re-entering the job market.

  1. Researchers have concluded that working helps maintain good mental health.  Do not presume this is just because those with better cognitive health are better able to work. There is a particular benefit noted by researchers when the retiree switches to a different type of job than the one held prior to retirement. That benefit comes from learning new things-known as “novelty processing.” Novelty processing appears to slow cognitive decline. Who doesn’t want to stay sharp?
  2. Having a regular paycheck is a powerful means to increase the money available in retirement, without drawing down your savings, and it gives you an extended opportunity to save. Remember, you are not out searching for some high power position, with a six figure salary and every benefit ever imagined. Earning just a small portion of your previous salary will make a significant difference and substantially improve retirement security.
  3. Transitioning to part-time or even volunteer work, doing work unrelated to your prior career appears to be associated with fewer physical disabilities and declines and overall better cognitive health. University of Maryland researchers linked a post career job with fewer major diseases and functional limitations.
  4. A recent Harvard study found that retirement well-being depends on having good quality relationships. Folks who seem to enjoy retirement the most are those who replaced old work relationships with new ones. Working, whether full-time, part-time, or as a volunteer creates an environment for new interactions that can potentially develop into those new quality relationships.
  5. Finding a sense of purpose for living after retirement is critically important. A ‘little job’ can be a motivator to get you out of bed everyday. A common theme researchers hear is the need to find meaning and purpose-continuing to work in some capacity is a great way to achieve that sense of purpose, which in turn makes the retiree feel younger and more connected.
  6. Retirement allows the retiree the time and opportunity to help others. Volunteerism is one great way to ward off depression and provide inner satisfaction. That sense of well-being disappears quickly once volunteering stopped, according to recent studies from the UK.
  7. Work at what you like. Often our careers don’t match our passions. So as you think about re-entering the labor force, focus on fun and challenge. If you love to garden, how about a part-time position at the local nursery? Make sure you are spending time with people you like; in an environment that matches your hobbies or interests. Getting involved in activities you enjoy and care about can bring you in contact with new people you have things in common with.
  8. Every store in my little town has a “HIRING” sign in the front window. According to the Labor Department, there are 9.6 million job openings today in the United States. With such a severe worker shortage finding a job to better your life should be relatively easy, plus you would be helping a local business (and thus your community) that is struggling with staffing issues.

Making Cannabis Edibles

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Making Cannabis Edibles

Making Cannabis Edibles

Dave and Bill are here at the Calamity Politics studios and they are talking today about making cannabis edibles. I’m a big fan of cannabis edibles and I use RSO (Rick Simpson Oil) to make all my delicious edibles. Bill is the weed man and knows his shit. The great thing about RSO is that there is none of that weird weedy aftertaste, plus you don’t need to make any special changes to your standard recipe. So sit down and take a couple minutes to learn about making cookies, brownies, and gummies.

OPINION: 46 Is Marvelous

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OPINION: 46 Is Marvelous

Joe Biden is a Marvelous #46

OPINION: 46 Is Marvelous

46 Marvelous Things our Marvelous 46th President Has Done

 

By Anna Hessel

While some viciously attack Joe Biden I’ve been counting what #46 has done for America.

  1. Joe beat Trump’s butt with the most votes received by any U.S. presidential candidate in U.S. history.
  2. Joe’s working at saving the soul of our nation from MAGA and other far-right Republicans, he’s gotta ways to go, if you ask me, but he’s on it.
  3. #46 has continued President Obama’s legacy of inclusive diversity.
  4. As Vice President under President Obama, Biden spearheaded the fight to bring affordable healthcare to more people. President Biden continues to fight for affordable healthcare, expanding and improving the program whenever possible.
  5. Together, back in 2008, Obama and Biden saved the U.S. auto industry.
  6. joe sponsored, and has continued to fight for and strengthen the Violence Against Women Act.
  7. On Joe’s first day in office he re-entered the Paris Climate Agreement.
  8. Our average Joe from Scranton, PA met with King Charles III and billionaire philanthropists regarding financing climate change measures.
  9. The brand new president Biden rehired Dr. Fauci and worked tirelessly to get COVID vaccines in the arms of millions of Americans, helping to end the pandemic.
  10. Joe gave Americans a COVID relief package immediately upon taking office, and (actually) worked to send out stimulus checks. Thanks, Joe, I bought a set of desperately needed tires for my car.
  11. Our Joe gave us our first female Vice President a woman of color and our first Second Gentlemen.
  12. 46 has come out fighting for student loan relief, and despite SCOTUS’ rejection of his administration’s first attempt to erase some portions of student debt he is working on a different method of loan relief.
  13. Class and dignity have returned to the White House with a beautiful Doctor of Education as our First Lady.
  14. Joe Biden acts like an actual man of God, not someone that just holds a Bible in front of a church which he didn’t attend for a photo op. President Biden prayed for our nation during his inaugural address – his sincerity is humbling and refreshing.
  15. A mammoth infrastructure plan; a plan to fix roads and bridges, railways and airports that have been allowed to deteriorate for at least the last 50 years.
  16. Respects our military – a proud serviceman’s father-who is honored to lay wreaths and flowers on the graves of those lost in our wars, not insult them as “suckers and losers.”
  17. An empathetic Joe gave his personal cell phone number to a little boy that stutters, an affliction that has plagued the president and told the boy to call anytime just too talk.
  18. He has lowered everyday expenses for U.S. families with the Inflation Reduction Act and the Child Tax Credit legislation.
  19. U.S. veterans who have been exposed to toxic situations, like the Iraq burn pits, and contaminated water at Camp LeJeune, are receiving services and benefits like no other time in history.
  20. Bidenomics have rescued the U.S. economy from  disaster without padding the pockets of the 2%.
  21. Made in America means more than ever.
  22. Unemployment is at an all-time low – more people are employed than ever before.
  23. President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act, providing statutory authority for same-sex and interracial marriages.
  24. Lower prescription drug and healthcare costs.
  25. Made all vaccines under Medicare Part D free. Last year a shingles vaccine series of 2 shots cost $300. Yahoo.
  26. Joe has fought for reproductive freedom, not advocating abortion but realistically understanding the need for choice.
  27. Advocating for climate change, creating as many as nine million jobs in the process.
  28. Helping households to lower their energy costs.
  29. Joe Biden is instrumental in pulling the NATO countries together to assist the Ukraine during this Russian initiated war.
  30. Joe has the most diverse staff and cabinet in U.S. presidential history.
  31. President Biden’s is the most accomplished presidency in history, passing more bi-partisan legislation than any previous president.
  32. Joe backed and signed the strongest common sense gun safety bill to make it to a president’s desk in decades, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
  33. 46 has made the most significant investment in mental health in three generations.
  34. Government driven sensible investment in manufacturing and industry in the rust belt, an investment not seen since immediately post WWII. The pandemic proved we need manufacturing in the United States.
  35. Postal reform to undo the damage caused by DeJoy and bring long term stability to USPS.
  36. Our guy Joe, quickly released oil from the national strategic reserve to reduce the price of gas.
  37. Established a national monument (s) honoring Emmett Till and his mother Mamie Till‑Mobley.
  38. Made Juneteenth a national holiday.
  39. CHIPS and Science Act is an effort to stimulate chip manufacture in the United States. It’s  a proactive move in case the mainland Chinese invade Taiwan; protecting the U.S. economy from a potentially devastating collapse that a shutdown in manufacture of chips would cause world wide.
  40. Brought home former Marine *Trevor Reed by sending convicted drug smuggler and Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko to them. *Trevor Reed was recently wounded volunteering in Ukraine.
  41. Everyday Joe firmly stands up to Republicans with grace and dignity.
  42. Despite much vitriol President Biden concluded the conflict in Afghanistan, withdrawing all U.S. troops from harms way after 20 years in that country.
  43. Joe will never stop fighting to preserve voting rights for all citizens.
  44. Joe is patient and steady and is working hard to unify the American people.
  45. The Biden’s have brought adorable pets back to the White House. A cat and a dog.
  46. And lastly, let’s face it, Dark Brandon is sexy…

Protective Actions To Take With A Shooter

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Protective Actions To Take With A Shooter There are more guns than people in the United States. It has become hazardous to go to the store or the movies, we must do something to stop the carnage.

Tips From Homeland Security:

Protective Actions To Take With A Shooter

The FBI has not set a minimum number of casualties to qualify an event as a mass shooting, but U.S. statute (the Investigative Assistance for Violent Crimes Act of 2012) defines a “mass killing” as “3 or more killings in a single incident.” 

By D. S. Mitchell

 

A Lovely Dinner

I think it was 2001. My husband and I were having dinner on the sidewalk service area of a popular restaurant & bar at the corner of SE Milwaukie Ave and Powell Blvd in Portland, Oregon. It was about  10:30 pm. We were having fun, lingering over a glass of wine and laughing and chatting with other diners.

Running In All Directions

Several loud “cracks” caused me to look around curious, but certainly not frightened. Several more “cracks” echoed in the night. By that time, I realized the sound was coming from the AM/PM gas station across the street. People in the gas station parking lot were screaming and running in various directions. It was only then, I saw flashes of light coming from the driver’s window of a small red  sports car, stopped on Powell Blvd.

In The Leg

More shots rang out and a man thirty feet to the left of me, in the restaurant pavilion area fell to the ground screaming. He had fallen to the sidewalk clutching a leg wound. The time between the first shot and my realizing I was in an active shooter situation was probably an entire minute. Realization time. If the bullet had been 30 feet to the right either my husband or I could have been shot; probably in the head since we were sitting and the injured man had been standing.

Little Red Sportscar

The shooter revved the engine, popped the clutch, and sped away. I’m an RN and I have a duty to give aid,  so I raced across the street to help. The Portland Police were on site at the same time as I got there. Several ambulances arrived, sirens screaming. Two young men were wounded, one with a bullet in the upper arm and the other fellow with a bullet in the shoulder.  In addition to the three wounded two others lay dead. All the dead and wounded at the AM/PM were young- most likely high school age.

“There He Is!”

While the cops were asking questions, I saw the perpetrator’s red sports car slow down and slowly drive past the crime scene, again. They say criminal frequently return to the scene of the crime, but this guy was unbelievably stupid. I raised my arm and pointed toward the car and screamed, “There he is, there’s the shooter!” The wounded young man sitting on the asphalt, that I had been helping, chorused, ‘There’s the son of a bitch! There’s the shooter!!!”

The Morning Oregonian

The cops were on it and I read in the morning Oregonian, two 16 year old Cleveland high school students, members of a notorious local gang, were arrested on suspicion of murder and were being held in jail as adults. I tossed the paper on the breakfast table. What a waste. Two funerals and potentially two life sentences for the perpetrators.

Unready, Unprepared

All situations are different. I think one of the reasons it took so long for me and other diners to realize there was a shooting in progress was because we were across the street from the center of the events, with lots of traffic and noise between us. It wasn’t until a fellow diner was shot by a ricocheting bullet that any of us realized there was even a shooting. Another factor, I believe, may have something to do with the fact that in 2001 mass shooters were not quite as common as today. Whatever the reasons, we were stupidly unprepared for this deadly situation.

****

The Department of Homeland Security offers Americans several suggestions that might save your life if you are caught in an Active Shooter Situation.

Run

If you can get out of the situation, do it. Run toward the first escape route you can find. Leave your belongings and just get away. Once safe, dial 911 and give the police all the information you can.

Play Dead (this is NOT on the DHS list)

I have added this suggestion. I have heard several survivors of mass shootings tell of rubbing blood from victims on themselves and hiding in plain site among the dead as the shooter moves away to find new victims.

Hide

If you can’t escape; take cover, find a place to conceal yourself. You want to be out of sight, with some offered protection, between you and the shooter, such as a locked door. If you can blockade the door with furniture-do it. Be smart, turn off your cellphone as an unexpected call could alert the shooter to your location.

Fight

Take action against the shooter only as a last resort. Throw items and improvise weapons in an effort to disrupt and incapacitate the shooter.

When Law Enforcement Arrives

When the cops arrive, immediately put down any weapons or items you have in your hands. Keep your hands visible and raise your arms. Follow instructions. Refrain from making quick movements toward the officers.

 

10 Things To Help Protect The Earth

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10 Things You Can Do To Help Protect The Earth

The Oregon coast is a magical place but the damages of climate change are changing this place
10 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Protect The Earth

Editor’s Note: World Wildlife Fund recently published “10 Simple Things We Can Do To Help Protect The Earth.” WWF works to protect endangered species  and conserve their habitats. Time is running out for many beloved animal species. Please donate what you can to this fine organization. worldwildlife.org 

By D. S. Mitchell

1.) BYOB: In 2022, Americans went through an astonishing and astounding 50 billion plastic water bottles. Please, fill up a reusable water bottle at home and take it with you. IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE TASTE OF TAP WATER, BUY A FILTER. Remember that most of the bottled water you buy is just filtered tap water with a label.

2.) Paper Not Plastic: Take your bags with you to the grocery store. Taking your bags to the store when you go shopping can cut down on the 350 bags the average American uses each year. Reducing the number of bags will hopefully reduce the needless deaths  of marine life caused by plastic bags that end up in streams, rivers, and oceans.

3.) Safe Waste: Many items indiscriminately thrown in the trash contain contaminates that poison soil and water for thousands of years. Most communities have special procedures for disposing of items like used oil, batteries, ink cartridges, and paint cans. The new superefficient lightbulbs contain mercury, so they  require proper disposal. Many items can be recycled where they were purchased. Be sure to check with your merchant.

4.) Take A Walk: A 100 years ago nearly 99.9% of Americans got by without cars. They lived close to their work, they took the train, or the bus, and they walked. Using fuel efficient cars is a good thing, but we can save even more fuel by driving less, and walking more.

5.) Switch It Off: In much of America we can no longer see the stars, mostly due to all the electric lights. The lights are so bright they often confuse animals, such as hatchling turtles who are trying to make the ocean before before becoming breakfast for shore birds. It is fine to keep the lights on in the room you are in, but keep the rest of the house dark. Many find the dark to be calming.

6.) Layer Up: In the winter, instead of turning up the thermostat, add a sweater or a sweatshirt. A second layer of clothing will keep you warmer and also help conserve resources and reduce climate change.

7.) Plant A Tree: Planting a tree is good for the soil, good for the air we breathe, and helps in the fight against climate change.

8) Shut It Down: Catalogues are great if you buy the products advertised.  On the other hand, catalogues are a pain in the butt if you don’t buy the products. If you do not order from the company call them and tell them to unsubscribe you. That little gesture will probably save a tree.

9.) Second Time Around: Recycling isn’t just about separating cans and bottles. It can also mean rethinking an item’s use. That old bike might look great with a fresh coat of paint and a basket full of flowers sitting on your front porch. Or, that little bedside table might make a great  addition to your entry area, a place to drop your keys and the mail. Rethink, before you throw an item away.

10.) Support Activism: Please donate to organizations like Sierra Club, Greenpeace, and World Wildlife Fund that are carrying on valuable field work to save our planet and all that inhabit her.

On The Subject Of Race by Oprah Winfrey

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On The Subject Of Race

"Senseless injustices continue with names and different circumstances, but all are Emmett Till." Oprah Winfrey

On the Subject of Race

By Oprah Winfrey

Editor’s Note: The following was published in O Magazine in May of 2017 when O Magazine was still a print magazine.  Oprah wrote these words in her ‘What I Know For Sure’ column. I thought her comments were important to repeat, now six years later.

We Bleed the Same

On the subject of race here’s what I know for sure: We the people of planet Earth have made it far more complicated than it needs to be. Whether you’re type A, B, AB, O, positive or negative, you bleed the way I do, and your pain feels the same as mine. This is the ultimate lesson I’ve absorbed, person by person, from the thousands of interviews I’ve done over the years. Members of every race have heartache. Circumstances may differ, but sorrows are the same.

More Alike, Than Unalike

Joy and triumph are felt by people of every creed and belief. And though it’s true what Maya Angelou always said-“We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”- it’s also true that our unlikeness makes us whole. A whole family. A whole community. A whole nation. A whole world. It’s your differences that make you you. 

“It’s So Simple”

I sometimes feel a wave of sadness for us spiritually deprived, unconscious creatures who just don’t seem to get it. Years ago on my show, a grieving mother recounted her dying son’s last words and final breath, “Oh, Mom,” he said. “It’s so simple.” Those words made a lasting impression on me.

A Similar Journey

It is so simple to see that we’re all on the same journey, carving our paths with every choice and experience. With every action and reaction. Quite simply, to live well, we need to love well.

Harm To The Collective Soul

The audacity it takes to judge another because they don’t look or sound or act like you goes against the current of humanity. Every time we discriminate against a woman in a headscarf, the whole of us suffers. Every time we treat a brown skinned man with a Hispanic name as though he’s the “other,” we do harm to our collective human soul.

An Accuser’s Lies

Emmett Till’s accuser has finally admitted-after six decades-that the young boy’s racist murder, a murder that tore the soul of our whole country, was wrong. Shouldn’t have happened. And though she can no longer remember exactly what occurred, she says it didn’t take place the way she testified.

The List Of Names Is Long

The senseless injustices will continue. Trayvon Martin, Laquan McDonald. Twelve-year-old Tamir Rice. Srinivas Kuchibhotla, the Indian engineer fatally shot in a Kansas bar in February (2017). The nine good people killed at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. All different names and different circumstances, but all Emmett Till. When will it end?

When we decide to end it.

Mushroom Information

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Mushroom Information

Information on Mushrooms Facts and Folly

Mushroom information was the topic of discussion between David Shadrick and Bill Cook when they met up at the Calamity Politics studio today. Mushrooms and more mushrooms was the consensus of our guys.  Between these two men we are talking 50 years of eating enjoyment. You can also watch the video casts on the Calamity Politics YouTube channel or the David Shadrick YouTube channel.

3 Gremlins Facing Health Care In The U.S.

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3 Gremlins Facing Health Care In The U.S.

Americans are taking too many prescription meds

3 Gremlins Facing Health Care In The U.S.

By D. S. Mitchell

On The Front Line

Writing for www.CalamityPolitics.com allows me a grass root platform to discuss health care, and every other area of our political spectrum, for that matter. It does not give me the right to say anything I want about the issues. With that said, I have ground level experience in health care. Because of that experience and exposure to trench warfare in hospital health care I have strong opinions. Client care and results need to be discussed and evaluated for effectiveness. I have a passionate interest in health care, and in this area, I believe my street level experience gives me the right to discuss the issues. Bringing common sense thinking to health care should always be welcomed. I am an RN, and have worked for 38 years in hospitals in Oregon, Washington, California and Nevada.

The Sickest

My two primary areas of specialty are Crisis Psychiatry and Cardiac Intensive Care. Whether the issues are mental, behavioral, or cardiac emergency, many of the issues facing the caregiver, and the client are the same. Despite the obvious differences in the front line needs of the clients, both of these populations are often the sickest in the hospital. One thing I know, is that the health of the American citizen should not be decided by a politician in Washington, D.C. Sadly, that’s where this battle always shows its ugly underbelly.

Gremlin 1: Big Pharma

Suitcases Of Medications

For the first twenty-five years of my career, when I admitted a patient that came to the unit with a suitcase of medications, I believed it was because they were incredibly ill. Like physicians I had been trained to believe in  pharmaceuticals.  Once I was an old nurse, my thinking transformed into, the patient is sick because they are taking so many prescribed medications. I can hear the protests from the audience now. Don’t believe me, just read the labels. These are chemicals and they are toxic and poisonous.

Side Effects

Truthfully, every pill has the potential to cause side effects, some known and some unknown.   When a person complains to his doctor that he is uncomfortable due to the side effects of the medication he is taking, his doctor writes him another prescription to help deal with the side effects.  The patient has pain so his doctor writes him a prescription for an analgesic. When he complains that the pain medication makes him constipated, he is given a prescription.  You can see where this is headed, right?

Advertising Medications

In America, television is the best friend of the pharmaceutical industry.  Constant television marketing has convinced viewers that there is a pill that will fix anything and everything. Unfortunately, many Americans now believe that there is a pill that will make everything in their life better.  Health care policy makers need to take this issue very seriously. I realize drug manufacturers want to make a profit, but I also believe constant repetition creates a need that previously did not exist.

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Mushroom Spirituality

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Mushroom Spirituality

Mushroom Spirituality

Bill Cook visited the CalamityPolitics studio for Episode 3 of the Mushroom-Cannabis Chronicles. Bill joined Dave Shadrick to explore the spirituality of mushrooms. The boys are smiling as they discuss the centuries old experience.