From: Gregory Brown

From: Gregory Brown To: undisclosed-recipients:; Bce: [email protected] Subject: Greg Brown's Weekend Reading and Other Things.. 5/08/2016 Date: Sun, 08 May 2016 07:07:20 +0000 Inline-Images: image.png; image(I).png; image(2).png; image(3).png; image(4).png; image(5).png; image(6).png; image(7).png; image(8).png; image(9).png; image(10).png; image(11).png; image(12).png; image(13).png; image(14).png; image(I5).png; image(16).png; image(17).png; image(18).png; image(19).png; image(20).png DEAR FRIEND Another Tool of the American Oligarchy How `ghost corporations' are funding the 2016 election Two days before Christmas, a trust called DE First Holdings was quietly formed in Delaware, where corporations are required to reveal little about their workings. A day later, the entity dropped $1 million into a super PAC with ties to Jersey City, Mayor Steven Fulop, a Democrat considering a gubernatorial bid. The trust, whose owner remains unknown, is part of a growing cadre of mystery outfits financing big-money super PACs. Many were formed just days or weeks before making six- or - seven-figure contributions — an arrangement that election law experts say violates a long-standing federal ban on straw donors. But the individuals behind the "ghost corporations" appear to face EFTA01182245 little risk of reprisal from a deeply polarized Federal Election Commission, which recently deadlocked on whether to even investigate such cases. Many of the biggest super PAC donors have spread around their money, financing multiple super PACs that back presidential hopefuls and congressional candidates. They hail from various sectors, with many drawing on fortunes made in the energy industry, on Wall Street and in health care. The Washington Post tracked donations made through "ghost corporations" whose backers cannot be identified. See a list below of "ghost corporations" - corporate contributors to super PACs who have not yet been publicly linked to individual donors. 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One out of every eight dollars collected by super PACs this election cycle have come from corporate coffers, including millions flowing from opaque and hard-to-trace entities, according to a Washington Post analysis of federal campaign finance filings. Ghost 'Au, MAIMS IDOPIOCT N< LUMP* commit Ctokkee of het LLD 0.06MOD CA II*Mg 57,0000 Decor Sent. LLC %toga 0( *Tea 5150000 'rota" FrOnber Cola TX Win 5150000 fret Sterdeed lle Sat SISO 000 MC Lend • Dertoptal fanners Dont TS 5100 000 on LLC Toot. At Wikalikl, 1100.000 woo LLD Varkeett VA WS* s100D00 kW • tic Nowort atom Co Nigli* sIC0.000 TA Group StOtes Inc. Nen York NY 'Ink $100.000 IN tromps SC Pet Yak WY PPS* S100-000 Otto Mao om LI La KO*. CA rili S30D00 Custom Managant Seat.. SW, FS SD INaW $50.00) K3 pnolopment I. I.0 AIISW. MA biME sncco is unt«nt. tlf Botan Rasa IA balE $25 COO tun( tic fad* Sac % VA b - E $10000 So far, 68o companies have given at least $10,000 to a super PAC this cycle, together contributing nearly $68 million through Jan. 31. Their donations made up 12 percent of the $549 million raised by such groups, which can accept unlimited donations. That means corporations are on track to far exceed the $86 million they gave to super PACs in the entire 2012 presidential cycle, when such donations totaled 10 percent of the money raised by such groups, according to data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. Many corporate givers this cycle are well-established hedge funds, energy companies and real estate firms. But a significant share of the money is coming from newly formed LLCs with cryptic names that offer few clues about their backers. Among the new players is Children of Israel LLC, a company formed in California last June by Shaofen "Lisa" Gao, a real estate agent in Cupertino, Calif., whose Happy Realty firm helps Chinese buyers find homes in Silicon Valley. On a form filed with the secretary of state's office in September, Gao listed Children of Israel's type of business as "Donations," according to a document found by a researcher for End Citizens United, a Democratic PAC that supports candidates in favor of stricter campaign-finance rules. Weeks after being formed, Children of Israel gave $50,000 to Pursuing America's Greatness, a super PAC supporting the presidential bid of former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, FEC records show. EFTA01182248 In November, the LLC gave the pro-Huckabee group $100,000. And this January, it donated $250,000 to Stand for Truth, a super PAC backing Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. Gao — who has no history of making political contributions in California or at the federal level — did not respond to repeated calls and emails seeking comment. Valerie Martin, a senior adviser to End Citizens United, said the blatant admission by the company that its purpose is to make contributions underscores the degree to which donors feel emboldened to hide behind such entities. "This goes to the heart of what's really wrong with the system and how it's broken," she said. "I think it really bothers Americans that people want to influence elections without fingerprints." Federal law requires political committees to confirm that a donation is legal before accepting it. Eric Lycan, the attorney for the pro-Cruz Stand For Truth, declined to address specific donations but said in a statement that the super PAC "at all times complied with the law" and investigated any potentially illegal contributions. "Contributions from an LLC to a super PAC are legal and permissible, and the fact standing alone that a contribution came from an LLC would not be reason to return the contribution," he added. The Little Rock-based treasurer for the pro-Huckabee super PAC did not respond to a request for comment about whether the group vetted Children of Israel. Some donors who have given through LLCs this year said they did so out of convenience rather than any effort to mask their identities. Frank VanderSloot, the chief executive of an Idaho nutritional- supplement company, said he used two corporations he owns to give $175,000 to a super PAC supporting Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida in December because the group needed immediate donations to make its year-end deadline. "It's where I had the cash," said VanderSloot, who also gave the super PAC $150,000 in his own name. "These LLCs have been around forever — they are working operations. It takes 12 seconds to see my name. It doesn't take any great sleuthing." In other cases, it is much harder to pin down who is behind entities contributing large sums to super PACs. Little is known about Tread Standard LLC, which gave $150,000 to a super PAC supporting former Florida governor Jeb Bush last June, weeks after an incorporation service set the company up in Delaware. Equally elusive is Decor Services LLC, which was incorporated in Delaware by a paralegal in a Milwaukee law firm in January — two weeks before donating $250,000 to a super PAC backing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. One of the largest mystery donations this cycle came from DE First Holdings, the trust that gave $1 million to Coalition for Progress, the super PAC allied with Fulop. Neither a spokeswoman for Fulop nor Bari Mattes, the Democratic fundraiser who runs the group, responded to requests for comment. Several campaign finance watchdog groups have filed complaints with the FEC against the recent pop- up LLCs, but the chances of the agency's looking into the cases appear slim. Last month, the agency closed a nearly five-year-old complaint about a limited liability company allegedly used to mask a donor's identity — unable to even agree whether it merited investigation. The LLC had been set up in Delaware shortly before making a $1 million donation to a super PAC supporting then-Republican EFTA01182249 presidential candidate Mitt Romney. A Romney associate later came forward to acknowledge he was the source of the donation. The FEC's inability to come to a decision "creates incentives for people to take some risks, on the theory that even if some liability materializes, it may not be that serious," said Bob Bauer, a veteran Democratic campaign-finance lawyer. "It is inconceivable to me that they wouldn't have taken the opportunity to clarify that at a very basic level, a donor cannot set up a LLC for the purpose of making contributions through the LLC and defeating the disclosure requirements," he added. Jan Baran, a longtime Republican election-law attorney, agreed that there is a need for the commission to weigh in, noting that the FEC has not issued any new rules regarding corporate donations since the Citizens United ruling made such spending permissible. The hundreds of millions of dollars that is currently being directed by companies and big donors through ghost corporations into politics through super PACs is subverting the democratic process in the United States. Yes, we know: money can't always buy an election. If it could, Mitt Romney would just be finishing his first term as president. Or Jeb! Bush, whose super PAC runneth over with $100 million in cash, would be leading the pack. So far he's not even been able to get his silver foot on the first rung of the ladder. But to the oligarchs, bankrolling an election campaign isn't all that it's about. They contribute now for the day when the electioneering is over and the governing resumes. That's when their investment really begins to pay off. In the words of the veteran Washington insider Jared Bernstein, senior fellow at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities and former chief economic advisor to Joe Biden, "There's this notion that the wealthy use their money to buy politicians; more accurately, it's that they can buy policy." Environmental policy, for example, when it comes to energy moguls like the Kochs. And tax policy. Especially tax policy. Bernstein was quoted in one of the most important stories of 2O15 — an investigation by The New York Times into how tax policy gets written. Unfortunately, this complex but essential report appeared between Christmas and New Year's and failed to get the attention it deserves. Here's the heart of it. With inequality at its highest levels in nearly a century and public debate rising over whether the government should respond to it through higher taxes on the wealthy, the very richest Americans have financed a sophisticated and astonishingly effective apparatus for shielding their fortunes. Some call it the `income defense industry,' consisting of a high-priced phalanx of lawyers, estate planners, lobbyists and anti-tax activists who exploit and defend a dizzying array of tax maneuvers, virtually none of them available to taxpayers of more modest means... Operating largely out of public view — in tax court, through arcane legislative provisions and in private negotiations with the Internal Revenue Service — the wealthy have used their influence to steadily EFTA01182250 whittle away at the government's ability to tax them. The effect has been to create a kind of private tax system, catering to only several thousand Americans. That "private tax system" couldn't have happened without compliant politicians elected to office by generous support from the donor class. As the right-wing billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife put it: "Isn't it grand how tax law gets written?" Sam Pizzigati knows how it happens. He's been watching the process for years from his perch as editor of the monthly newsletter Too Much! Reminding us in a recent report that "America's 20 richest people — a group that could fit nicely in a Gulfttream luxury private jet — now own more wealth than the bottom half of the American population combined, a total 01152 million people," Pizzigati concludes that one reason these and other of America's rich have amassed such large fortunes is that "the federal tax rate on income in the top tax bracket has sunk sharply over recent decades." So here's the real value of all that campaign cash and lobbying largesse: underwriting a willingness among legislators and government officials to bend the rules, slip in the necessary loopholes and look the other way when it comes time for the rich to hide their fortunes. America is no longer a democracy — never mind the democratic republic envisioned by Founding Fathers. Rather, it has taken a turn down elitist lane and become a country led by a small dominant class comprised of powerful members who exert total control over the general population — an oligarchy, said a new study jointly conducted by Princeton and Northwestern universities. One finding in the study: The U.S. government now represents the rich and powerful, not the average citizen — otherwise an oligarchy. In the study, "Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups and Average Citizens," researchers compared 1,800 different U.S. policies that were put in place by politicians between 1981 and 2002 to the type of policies preferred by the average and wealthy American, or special interest groups. Researchers then concluded that U.S. policies are formed more by special interest groups than by politicians properly representing the will of the general people, including the lower-income class. "The central point that emerges from our research is that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence," the study found. The study also found: "When a majority of citizens disagrees with economic elites and/or with organized interests, they generally lose." EFTA01182251 Former President Jimmy Carter also says that he thinks the United States is no longer a democracy, calling the nation an "oligarch? during an interview with Oprah Winfrey. "We've become now an oligarchy instead of a democracy. And I think that's been the worst damage to the basic moral and ethical standards of the American political system that I've ever seen in my life," the go-year-old former president told Winfrey. For those who need a quick civics refresher, an oligarchy is a system of government where the leadership is held in the hands of a small group of elites. According to Carter, shifting systems of political influence have made it so that a rich few basically control the political process. So True Examples that Our Country is going to Pot.... EFTA01182252 ****** Horses for Courses? The Candidates and the Economy. Last month I ran across this an op-ed in the Huffington Post by David Coates who took a look at the economic programs of the five remaining Presidential candidates. Something that remaining three Republicans (Kasich, Trump, Cruz) have all but ignored and Bernie and Hillary are just paying lip service to as there are only a few differences, other than Bernie's proposed "Free College Tuition" which is more of a campaign promise than a real policy. At the same time the bulk of the media is EFTA01182253 offering a daily diet of who is ahead as if they were calling a horse race - across the entirety of the political spectrum — distracting us from the issues which are supposed to be the reasons why a voter will chose a candidate. But when the race is over, reconstructing/improving that course will be the over-riding task facing whoever wins. So can we please start talking now, in a systematic way, less about the candidates and more about their programs? When we do, a very early item will need to be the state of the US economy. For as the world economy slows down, and (as the IMF says) prospects for global economic growth dim, it is all the more essential that the US economy grows as quickly as possible and as effectively as it can. Economic growth eases all the resource constraints on public policy; whereas its absence erodes the capacity of individuals to prosper and social reform to flourish. So the strength of the US economy matters — it matters to all of us regardless of our politics — and currently that economy is not strong, certainly not as strong as it needs to be if full-scale economic recovery is to be both substantial and prolonged. There are many signs of present and future under-performance in the relevant data sets. The data on growth and trade record current net investment levels some 25% down on pre-crisis trends, labor productivity rising at only o.3% per year, the trade deficit with China at a record high, and net infrastructure spending at currently zero. The portents in the data on employment and job creation are likewise troubling. Even after 74 months of unbroken job growth, the ratio of job seekers to job openings is still 1.5:1; the jobs being created are more heavily low-paid than the ones being lost; and the number of those wanting full-time work but only getting involuntary part-time work remains around six million. For most workers, real wages remain stuck at little more than 2004 levels, and more than four workers in ten currently earn less than $15 an hour. Ethnic inequalities in wages and unemployment remain frozen; unemployment among young workers, workers over 55, and the long-term unemployed remains intractable; and the new time-bomb of student debt is currently running at the daunting total of $1.3 trillion and rising. There is anger in the land, and much of that anger has its roots here - in the large numbers of hardworking Americans who see troubled economic times ahead, and precious little economic improvement in their immediate conditions. I What political lessons should be drawn from these economic times? These three at least. 1. The fault does not lie primarily with the policies and practices of the Obama Administration, no matter how often that linkage is asserted by Republican presidential candidates as they campaign. On the contrary, if it is legitimate at all to attribute possession of a recession to a sitting president, the one from which we are still struggling to recover actually belongs to George W. Bush. It began on his watch, not on Obama's. The recession started in January 2008. The credit crisis occurred the following September. The President in both months was a Republican, not a Democrat; and the recession left to the incoming Democratic Administration by the outgoing Republican one was truly horrendous. EFTA01182254 The recession of 2008-9 was not a minor affair. On the contrary, it threw a huge shadow forward, constraining the Obama Administration as it did so. The US economy shed a million jobs in November and December 2008 alone, as the official rate of unemployment began its steep rise to 10% by the middle of 2009, and as many as one in six American workers experienced unemployment either side of the presidential handover of power. As the Obama Administration took office, there was one January day when more than 72,00o American workers were laid off in just 24 hours, with every likelihood of similar days to follow. Far from blaming the Obama Administration by making it responsible for the crisis, it is more appropriate to congratulate the incoming Obama team on eventually stopping the bleeding. Levels of economic growth and rates of job creation are significantly higher now than they were in 2009. Levels of unemployment and even poverty are lower. The Obama Administration can be faulted — on an honest day it might even fault itself - for not doing enough to lift the economy out of recession as quickly as it could have done. But it cannot, and should not, be blamed for putting the US economy into recession in the first place. Responsibility there lies on the other side of the aisle. 2. Which also means that the economic policies currently being advocated by leading Republican presidential candidates are more likely to return us to recession than to generate further economic growth. Those candidates tell us, on a very regular basis, that the economy is stalling because tax levels are too high (particularly on the rich) and because the business community is overburdened with regulations and controls. Yet it was precisely that mixture of trickle-down economics and business deregulation that the Bush Administration pursued between 2001 and 2007: a mixture that generated fewer jobs in the upturn of the US business cycle than any upturn since 1945: remember the widespread talk then of a "jobless recovery" under George W. Bush. It was also a policy-mix that the Bush Administration entirely abandoned in 2008: giving a tax break to low-income earners in early 2008 in an attempt to re-trigger economic growth (that is, replacing trickle-down economics with trickle-up ) and by the fall of that year abandoning light-touch regulation in favor of a bevy of stimuli packages, bank controls and bailouts. It was Henry Paulson, not Tim Geitner, who first introduced the Temporary Asset Relief Program (TARP). It was the Administration of George W. Bush not that of Barack Obama, which effectively nationalized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (in September 2008) and introduced an emergency 8700 billion rescue package a month later. When Republican candidates these days criticize Obama's economic policies, and advocate a return to pre-Obama ones, they forget that the Obama Administration simply picked up, and carried on, from where Bush/Paulson had left off. They also choose to ignore that what they are advocating as an alternative economics to that of the current Administration spectacularly failed on the last occasion that it was attempted. 3. This much then follows: that the only public policies likely to lift the US economy onto a higher growth path are policies that directly tackle each of its weaknesses in turn: and that the two Democratic candidates are the only ones even attempting that type of agenda. The Republicans are not. They have a blunt "tax cuts solve all problems" approach to this issue. It is the Democrats who have the more nuanced policies. EFTA01182255 And for all that Bernie Sanders and Hilary Clinton disagree with each other, and are starting to clash sharply, the truth is that they share many similar policies and objectives. Indeed, their similarities here exceed their differences. Both argue that the best way to trigger sustained economic growth is to make the distribution of economic gains fairer and more equal. Both support equal pay for women, and the ending of gender and racial inequality. Both are advocating a substantial stimulus package based on infrastructure spending financed by closing corporate tax loopholes — one geared to the creation of a clean-energy future. Both are proposing the raising of the minimum wage, the curtailing of CEO pay, and a redistribution of income downwards: to simultaneously reinvigorate the American middle class and stimulate consumer demand at the bottom of the income ladder. Both are in favor of strengthening trade union rights and extending collective bargaining. Both want to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States, and both for the moment oppose the signing of the TPP as it is presently constituted. These are vital, necessary policies. There is sharp disagreement between them, of course: on whether the US banking system is best disciplined by making banks smaller or by regulating big banks more tightly; on how to handle issues of student debt and the expansion of health coverage; and on whether the export of manufacturing jobs is best solved by a fundamental break with free trade or with its careful extension. The debate on those should help settle which Democratic candidate is making the sharpest break with established neo-liberal orthodoxies, and so is best placed to deliver growth and prosperity in 2017. But it should not settle whether the next president needs to be a Democrat or not. The weakness of the Republican economic alternative should already have settled that in the minds but all but the most intransigent and myopic of undecided voters. II It is remarkable how issues that consumed the Republican Party when the Obama Administration was in its heyday now consume them not at all. Once the talk in Republican circles was all about the desperate impact of public debt on economic recovery, and of the vital need to prune that debt before all else. But not anymore: now leading Republican candidates outdo each other with their commitments to tax cutting, leaving the debt to sort itself out as the accidental bye-product of the growth and employment they claim that trickle-down economics will automatically and rapidly deliver. This is a sensible shift of focus, because the debt problem was always a false one. The rise in public debt was caused by the recession, not the other way round, and by public policy made necessary in response to it; and debt totals were always going to settle back to manageable levels just as soon as growth and prosperity returned - as indeed we have seen. The Republican problem — on the economic agenda at least - is that instead of learning the proper lessons of the last 12 months of the George W. Bush presidency, its leading candidates have instead merely replaced one set of nonsense with another. Ted Cruz talks of the need to return to the gold standard — the one that in the 193os helped trigger the Great Depression. Donald Trump brags of an ability — unique to himself — to eliminate the federal debt entirely in eight years, while simultaneously cutting taxation. But to do that would require an even more brutal version of the slash-and-burn approach to discretionary spending of the kind we have just seen from the Conservatives in London since 2015, with the same dismal impact on poverty and growth: increasing the first and lowering the second. EFTA01182256 The tragedy for the Republican Party is that their primary contests have already weeded out any Republican with a serious understanding of how modern economies work, and of the vital role of targeted public spending in generating sustain growth and competitiveness. But even with Kasich — he is still talking about cutting taxes, as well as cutting spending on transportation, education, and health care, while increasing military spending. And somehow during the entire primary season, none of the three remaining Republican candidates have tried to explain how they would address the country's crumbling infrastructure. The economic conversation between the eventual Democratic presidential candidate and a Marco Rubio, a Jeb Bush or even a John Kasich might have been one held on a level playing field. But combine any mixture of Sanders/Clinton on the one side and Cruz/Trump/Kasich on the other, and the evidence is clear. All the economic intelligence is on one side: which is why the one true way to send the economy into a tailspin will be to vote Republican in November. Happy i,Mether's Day ! We know moms are selfless and special. Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the months of March or May. It complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Father's Day and Siblings Day, which I have never heard of before reading it in Wikipedia. In the United States, celebration of Mother's Day began in the early loth century. It is not related to the many celebrations of mothers and motherhood that have occurred throughout the world over thousands of years, such as the Greek cult to Cybele, the Roman festival of Hilaria, or the Christian Mothering Sunday celebration (originally a commemoration of Mother Church, not motherhood). In some countries, Mother's Day has become synonymous with these older traditions. In the 185os Ann Reeves Jarvis, mother of Anna Jarvis, of West Virginia started a Mother's Day Work Clubs back to train women proper child-care and sanitation methods. Mothers Friendship Day was organized by these groups in 1868 for the purpose of reconciliation during the civil war time. After the EFTA01182257 death of Ann Reeves Jarvis in 1905 her daughter who never married and remained childless all her life worked tirelessly to make Mother's Day a national holiday. The modem holiday of Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. Today St Andrew's Methodist Church now holds the International Mother's Day Shrine. Her campaign to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday in the United States began in 1905, the year her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died. Ann Jarvis had been a peace activist who cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War, and created Mother's Day Work Clubs to address public health issues. Anna Jarvis wanted to honor her mother by continuing the work she started and to set aside a day to honor all mothers, because she believed that they were "the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world". In 1908, the US Congress rejected a proposal to make Mother's Day an official holiday, joking that they would have to proclaim also a "Mother-in-law's Day". However, owing to the efforts of Anna Jarvis, by 1911 all US states observed the holiday, with some of them officially recognizing Mother's Day as a local holiday, the first being West Virginia, Jarvis' home state, in 1910. In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother's Day, held on the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers. Although Jarvis was successful in founding Mother's Day, she became resentful of the commercialization of the holiday. By the early 1920s, Hallmark Cards and other companies had started selling Mother's Day cards. Jarvis believed that the companies had misinterpreted and exploited the idea of Mother's Day, and that the emphasis of the holiday was on sentiment, not profit. As a result, she organized boycotts of Mother's Day, and threatened to issue lawsuits against the companies involved. Jarvis argued that people should appreciate and honor their mothers through handwritten letters expressing their love and gratitude, instead of buying gifts and pre-made cards. Jarvis protested at a candy makers' convention in Philadelphia in 1923, and at a meeting of American War Mothers in 1925. By this time, carnations had become associated with Mother's Day, and the selling of carnations by the American War Mothers to raise money angered Jarvis, who was arrested for disturbing the peace. Today, Americans spend billions in the gifts, flowers, meals and printed cards in observance of Mother's Day Today Jarvis' holiday has been adopted by other countries, and it is now celebrated all over the world. Motherhood is the highest and most selfless human connection, so with this said.... Happy Mother's Day to all of my friends who are Mothers or who have Mothers who is or was as special as my own Mother.... Happy Mother's Day! ****** Thank you Mr. Trump EFTA01182258 For The Newly Emboldened American Racist It wasn't too long ago that most white Americans was telling minorities that the country was living in a post racial society, confirmed they claimed by the election of Barack Obama as the first non-white President. Even after the murders of Trayvon Martin, Eric Gamer, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray and Sandra Bland who was pulled over for a routine traffic stop, which the deputy quickly escalated by removing Sandra from the vehicle and physically restraining her — She would later die in a jail cell under dubious circumstances. Because they live in a bubble, most white Americans don't understand why there was a Black Lives Matter movement. As Nico Lang wrote in November 2014: While the myth of a post-racial society is often seen as benignly deluded, an optimistic misreading of the times, the meaning is far more pernicious than you might think. The phrase took off during Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, following an unexpected win at the Iowa caucus and a strong showing in New Hampshire; the Economist referred to Obama's success as a "post-racial triumph," while the New Yorker waxed lyrically about the dawn of a "post-racial generation," unburdened by the sins of the past. They're nice sentiments, but in the six years of Obama's presidency, such wishful thinking has led to what's best a denial of How We Really Live Now, a time when we maintain the racial status quo while rolling back the clock on previous generations' civil rights gains. If we're post-racial, we don't need civil rights anymore, right? While Obama was heralded as "the Great Uniter" in 2008, AP poll data shows our country has become more divided during his tenure as president, though not by his doing. In 2012, researchers found that anti-black sentiment increased by three percentage points during Obama's first term, up from 48 percent to 51. As Patheos' Alan Noble describes, it gets worse from here: "When measured by an implicit racial attitudes test, the number of Americans with anti-black sentiments jumped to 56 percent, up from 49 percent during the last presidential election. In both tests, the share of Americans expressing pro-black attitudes fell." Despite these numbers, a separate survey from Rasmussen Reports found that most Americans actually believed that blacks are more racist than whites. Even after the P.T. Barnum of Politics — Donald Trump speciously started his political ascension by vitriolically accusing President Obama of being a non-citizen Muslim born in Kenya with a fictional history of attending Harvard University — many Americans saw this as a type of entertainment. His EFTA01182259 popularity then boom after he promised to deport 11 million (mostly Hispanic) illegal aliens. It was further cemented when he proposed barring all Muslims from entering the country. Still many in white America believed that we are living in a post racial society, even after Donald Trump was anointed the presumptive Republican nominee after winning Indiana and the two remaining GOP contestants bowing out the race. ABC journalist Jennifer Sabin wrote this week in the Huffing-ton Post: I have to thank Mr. Trump for opening my eyes to the American ugly I didn't want to see. I needed a wake-up call. I'm not closed off in some strange, futuristic liberal world. I live in a diverse community with a mix of political and social viewpoints, and I consistently read newspapers and websites with differing ideologies. I know my American history and I know what racist people have been saying about President Obama for the last eight years. I've watched the videos of young black men shot by cops. And I've listened to the calls for racial justice on college campuses. I've worked on a college campus where I was the minority, and my students have spoken and written about their experiences. Throughout my life I've heard stories from my Jewish friends about the nasty comments they've endured. So yes, I understand how deeply racism and bigotry run through American culture — as much as any educated, white, Protestant person can really understand it — even if I don't hear it in my home or my backyard. But what I didn't understand until this election, until I started paying closer attention to the voices of ordinary Americans, is how terrifying it is to read what some of them write on public forums, or to hear them say out loud what they really think about other Americans. The racists and bigots of America have always been out there. There have always been hideous trolls on the Internet. But now they are emboldened in a big way by the bellicose Donald Trump. He's opened Pandora's Box, and nobody can shut it. Imagine if you will, for a moment, being Malia Obama this week, thrilled to be going to Harvard, excited about the prospects of a gap year. She's a 17-year-old high school senior, doing what millions of other 17-year-olds — like my own daughter — are doing now. They're deciding on schools and making plans for their futures. They have big dreams, and an optimistic outlook. I just hope Malia didn't read the comments following the story about her college plans on Fox's website. It got so bad Fox had to shut down the comments section. "Sounds like black privilege to me", One poster said. "Hopefully she gets cancer/AIDS or one of those colored diseases" ashes2dust. "Who gives a crap about little monkey" said Greg14. "I wonder if she applied as a muDslime..or a foreign student..or just a Ni@@," wrote another poster. That one got the most likes. EFTA01182260 The comments go on and on. This certainly isn't the first time the Obama family has had to deal with this kind of backward, ignorant nonsense, but it's incredibly shameful and unsettling. The astonishing thing is that some of the posters used what appeared to be their full names. No shame in being a vile, racist, pig. Not when the possible future leader of the free world doesn't know to disavow the KKK, shouts plans to build walls and keep Muslims out at every rally, calls other candidates nasty names and disparages women. The presumptive nominee for President of the United States eggs on the racists and the bigots. He gives them voice where they had none. If this should teach us anything, it's that racism is alive and well in the States. In today's America, the average white family is respectively i8 and 20 times wealthier than an average Latino or black family; meanwhile, students of color who earn a college degree are nearly half as likely as their white counterparts to find a job. Trump's success has emboldened level of viciousness and hate out of some of our American citizens, people who likely regard themselves as loyal patriots; And yet, they say these things about their Commander In Chiefs beautiful 17 year-old daughter whose dream is to go to college. As for Mr. Trump and his supporters — James Baldwin said "ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have,"and when you add hatred, we can truly kiss the American Dream goodbye and this is this is my rant of the week. WEEK's READINGS Tuberculosis No. 1 infectious killer in the world. EFTA01182261 Tuberculosis (MTB, TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections do not have symptoms, known as latent tuberculosis. About io% of latent infections progress to active disease which, if left untreated kills about half of those infected. The classic symptoms of active TB are a chronic cough with blood-containing sputum, fever, night sweats, and weight loss. The historical term "consumption" came about due to the weight loss. Infection of other organs can cause a wide range of symptoms. Tuberculosis is spread through the air when people who have active TB in their lungs cough, spit, speak, or sneeze. People with latent TB do not spread the disease. Active infection occurs more often in people with HIV/AIDS and in those who smoke. Diagnosis of active TB is based on chest X-rays, as well as microscopic examination and culture of body fluids. Diagnosis of latent TB relies on the tuberculin skin test (TST) or blood tests. Prevention of TB involves screening those at high risk, early detection and treatment of cases, and vaccination with the bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine. Those at high risk include household, workplace, and social contacts of people with active TB. Treatment requires the use of multiple antibiotics over a long period of time. Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem with increasing rates of multiple drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Tuberculosis has long been the stepchild of the three major global health diseases - AIDS, TB and malaria. A major reason why is, that TB primarily impacts people living in poverty, those who are voiceless or whose voices are simply ignored. It is ironic that a curable disease remains a disease fighting to gain attention. It is also ironic that at a time when Ebola and Zika have put our nation on notice about serious health threats, the same concern is not given to TB, which can spread like wildfire just by coughing. We need to look no further than Marion, Alabama where TB has overwhelm a city. TB in Marion is now worse than in many developing nations. According to the World Health Organization, 4,100 people die each day from TB - 1.5 million a year. TB is the most common cause of death among people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. While 97% of TB cases respond to standard treatment, the world is not adequately confronting the increasing resistance to TB drugs. The incidence of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), a form of TB caused by bacteria that do not respond to standard, first-line anti-TB drugs, is growing. MDR-TB is treatable and curable by using second-line drugs. However, second-line treatments are limited and may not always be available or, if available, are cost prohibitive. Today, only 25% of MDR- TB patients are diagnosed and treated and only 50% of these patients are treated successfully. AGAIN: One-third of the world's population is thought to be infected with TB. New infections occur in about I% of the population each year. In 2014, there were 9.6 million cases of active TB which resulted in 1.5 million deaths. More than 95% of deaths occurred in developing countries. The number of new cases each year has decreased since 2000. About 80% of people in many Asian and African countries test positive while 5-10% of people in the United States population tests positive by the tuberculin test. Tuberculosis has been present in humans since ancient times. EFTA01182262 Symptoms of "Mberculosis (Established) POD pulmonary tuberculosis/ Producove ',tough Primary pulmonary tuberculosis Stuctural abncemsities arty lints a mcresp:cmc - Came Ilfl a OvalaPP^9 military tuberculosis Return of dormant tuberculosis Cough with increasing MUCUS Coughing up Wed Extrsixilmonary tuberculosis 1 Common sites: Tubeictimis  Meninges plewitis Lymph nodes Chest pin Gastrointestinal Symptoms Bone and )Oil sites /. Gentourinarytract The number of tuberculosis cases in the United States increased last year, the first time they've risen since 1992, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on March 24, 2016, which was Tuberculosis Day. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia reported an uptick in the incidence of the airborne disease, which is the No. 1 infectious killer in the world. Overall, tuberculosis cases rose to 9,563 in the U.S. in 2015, which is 142 more than were reported in 2014. Meanwhile, the per- capita rate has plateaued at three infections per 100,000 people. "The leveling-off means that we're not moving towards TB elimination," said Dr. Philip LoBue, who runs the CDC's Division of Tuberculosis Elimination. "It's at a low level, one of the lowest levels in the world, but our goal is to eliminate TB." Tuberculosis cases, per 100,000,2015 0.0.9 1-1.9 2-2.9 3-3.9 4-4.9 5-5.9 6+ 2 411" mipsW Source CDC The Huffington Post AGAIN: Tuberculosis kills 1.5 million people a year globally. But there is a $1.4 billion shortfall in the worldwide budget for treatment and a $1.3 billion funding gap for research on the disease, according to the World Health Organization's 2015 Global Tuberculosis Report. While most cases are curable with proper treatment, many TB medications are decades old, and treatment can take six to nine EFTA01182263 months. In multidrug-resistant cases, treatment can drag on for several years and come with side effects like serious hearing loss, depression or even psychosis. Rep. Eliot Engel (DM.), a longtime advocate for tuberculosis funding and a co-chair of the Tuberculosis Elimination Caucus, said in a statement, "We know how to detect and cure TB — allowing patients to suffer when we have the capabilities to treat them is absolutely shameful." "It's just crazy that people are still taking medications that were developed 5o years ago or more. We should be beyond this in this day and age," Bryden said. "We still have people in the U.S. dying of this. That's just an outrage." California, Florida, New York and Texas account for about half of the TB cases reported in the U.S. In California, 1 in 10 tuberculosis patients dies from the disease. "I think we need to break out of the mindset that this is something that happened in the 19th century or happened to our grandparents," said Bryden. "This is something that happens today." It is important to note that there has also been great progress in the fight against TB. Incidence has fallen by an average of 1.5% per year since 2000 and is now 18% lower than the level of 2000. The TB death rate dropped 47% between 1990 and 2015. And an estimated 43 million lives were saved through TB diagnosis and treatment between 2000 and 2014. It is clear that we can turn the tide, but not without the contributions of the U.S., other donor nations and the private sector. Currently, nations burdened by TB contribute 87% of the total budget to tackle the disease. While these countries know they can't do it alone, they are not running away from the problem either. They have skin in the game and it is now time for the U.S. and other nations to increase their investments. Last month, the Obama Administration proposed a 19% cut in TB funding. As a former Global AIDS Coordinator in this Administration I recognize how difficult it is to balance competing domestic and global needs. And I praise President Obama for his commitment to global health, especially during tough economic times. Yet, with TB now taking the most lives around the globe, I remain puzzled by the size of this year's cut to critical TB programs. It is not just the size of the cut. It is the magnitude of the impact. All eyes now turn to Congress. Fortunately, members from both sides of the aisle have historically recognized that TB interventions are the most cost effective interventions in global health. TB interventions have up to a $43 return for every dollar invested. That's a good buy for the American people and good protection from TB crossing our borders and posing a serious health threat. It is once again up to Congress to make needed investments in testing and treatment and research and development. Congress has the ability to turn the tide and rid the world from TB. We have the cure, we now need the political will. And if the past is prologue, our nation will give voice to the voiceless and help make our world TB-free. Over the past twenty years, the world has made some significant progress in combating TB. We need to build upon this remarkable progress and continue to innovate, invest and collaborate to achieve ambitious goals, such as those outlined in the White House National EFTA01182264 Action Plan for Combating MDR-TB, and ultimately, end TB. Together, we can achieve this if we stop talking the talk and begin walking the walk, which was the same dedication that got us to the moon. ****** WHAT DO PEOPLE IN HOLLYWOOD ACTUALLY DO? Grip LOS ANGELES So you moved to LA to work in Hollywood, but when you got your first PA job you couldn't tell an AD from a gaffer? Get ahold of yourself: we talked to Jenn Semler -- a producer (er... co-producer, see below) who's worked on major productions to tell you exactly what each of those people on set do, so you're not asking the grip to do the best boy's job: Actor (male or female): If you are lucky, the only people who show up on screen when your film is finished. Art Director: The right, or left, hand of the production designer. The Designer decides what the world is, and the Art Director works with the entire art department to make sure that vision happens. Most of the time they also have to do all that work and keep the entire department on time and budget. Associate Producer: To quote David Mamet from State and Main,"[The credit is] what you give your secretary instead of a raise." Assistant: There isn't enough space on the internet to list all the things an assistant does, but here goes a try: 1. Make coffee 2. Answer phones 3. Purchase gifts 4.Book travel 5. Do script notes 6. Get their boss home safe and alive every night 7. Etc. 8. Etc. 9. Etc. EFTA01182265 Assistant Director (AD): If the director steers the ship, the AD makes sure he has the tools to do it. The AD sets the schedule and tries their VERY best to keep everyone on it. Best Boy: Assistants to their department head (either Gaffer, see below, or Key Grip, see below below), they work hella hard and always have various types of tape and cable ties at the ready. Catering/Craft Service: They hold the cast and crew in their hands by keeping them fed, hydrated, caffeinated, and happy. For those that behave, they may also keep a small stash of your favorite treats hidden away on your rough days. Co-Producer: Most of the time just as important as an Executive Producer or Producer but makes significantly less money :-) Director: The leader of the pack, the righter of the ship and, if they know what is good for them, the buyer of the first round after wrap. DP/Director of Photography/Cinematographer: Runs the camera crew to make the visual and lighting magic -- hopefully, super well supported by the grip and electric department. Some even throw that camera on their shoulder and operate. Sometimes while doing so they fall down. Ifs funny. Editor: The person who shapes the movie into what it becomes. The right (or left) hand of the director and the person most relied upon to fix what is wrong well after the fact. Executive Producer: Up for grabs. The money person, the idea person, the line producer, the agent, or manager for the writer/director/actor or someone with the golden ticket. EFTA01182266 Gang Boss: I'm pretty sure sometimes they are just called construction foremen, but why would you call yourself that if you could go by GANG BOSS. Their job is to oversee the construction crew and make sure everything on set gets built as it should. Gaffer: The chief electrician and, hopefully, the DP's bestie. Grip: They build and maintain everything that the camera goes on like a dolly or a crane, and also help set up all the stuff that the lighting equipment goes on. Producer: What they actually do is totally up for the grabs -- either they handle the money, or they're the boss, or they're just also someone with the aforementioned golden ticket. Production Assistant (PA): Does just what the job says — assists the production in a variety of ways. They always carry a walkie-talkie. They're also the first person you should befriend on set because they can get you what you need -- whatever that is. Production Designer: The person responsible for the overall look of the film. They chat with the director and bring (with the help of a sizable art department) that vision to life. Production Supervisor: It can be SO many different things. But the best ones are like ghosts because they do all the things that need to get done and no one even notices they needed doing. EFTA01182267 Script Supervisor: Watches everyone like a hawk. It is their job to monitor action, wardrobe, props, set dressing, and hair and makeup on screen. Basically if in one take the actresses' hair is up and she walks to the right, it needs to stay up and she has to always move to the right and it's the scripty's job to make sure that happens. Sometimes they call the job continuity supervisor. Sometimes. Second Unit: The gaggle who shoots the "other stuff' for a movie. Mostly anything not involving the principal cast -- like action scenes, or pick up shots. Writer: They created, whether originally or through adaptation, the world that got everyone excited about making the movie. JEFF MILLER and JENN SEMLER — ThrNisl — March 31, 2016 The Truth About Cast Iron Pans: 10 Facts You Need To Know EFTA01182268 Cooks seeking alternatives to toxic non-stick cookware often find themselves in a bind. Stainless steel, which seems to be the healthiest alternative, is expensive, and it does not lend itself well to cooking eggs, pancakes and other dishes that non-stick cookware typically excels at. If you have not yet discovered the benefits of cast iron cooking, here are to reasons to buy and use a cast iron skillet. 1. Replacing a non-stick skillet with a cast iron one allows you to avoid the toxic fumes that accompany most non-stick cookware. Cast iron can also replace aluminum cookware, which may also pose health hazards. 2. Besides the stove, you can use a cast iron skillet in the oven, at any temperature. This comes in handy for making corn bread, frittatas, and flat bread. 3. It is nonstick. Surprisingly, a preheated cast iron skillet rivals the qualities of non-stick cookware, as long as it is properly seasoned and cared for. You can quickly move up this short learning curve by talking with employees at your local cookware store or by reading a book or Internet article about cast iron care. 4. Cast iron is easy to clean up. Not only does food easily lift off from cast iron cookware, soap is not needed or recommended, since it erodes the seasoning. 5. There are health benefits. You can actually boost your iron intake from eating food cooked in cast iron cookware. This vital mineral is crucial for maintaining energy levels, and it helps strengthen immune systems. EFTA01182269 6. It is inexpensive. Cooks looking to replace non-stick cookware often investigate stainless steel. However, a high-end, 12-inch stainless skillet runs well over $100, while a similar-sized cast iron one costs less than $30. 7. Food cooks beautifully. Using a cast iron skillet you can create restaurant-quality, homemade fish sticks, potato pancakes and French toast, complete with golden brown, crispy exteriors. Contrast this with non-stick cookware, which makes browning nearly impossible. 8. Cast iron is sturdy and wears well. Since it does not scratch, there is no need to use plastic utensils, and there is no fear of using your silverware to stir or scoop. It lasts for so long that many people still use cast iron cookware inherited from their parents and grandparents. 9. In an emergency, cast iron cookware can be used over any heat source. As such, many disaster planning lists include cast iron as the survival cookware of choice. to. It has been used for thousands of years. Natural News readers already understand how new technologies are often the least healthy, while those used by earlier generations are often more beneficial and more in line with how we are designed. Our cookware choice is no exception. Although there are many benefits to cast iron cooking, make sure to understand the drawbacks before you start: cast iron pans are very heavy; they require intentional maintenance in order to keep them rust-free and non-stick; and care is needed if you have a glass-top stove. But once you take the plunge, you will wonder why it took you so long to start. And as someone who loves to cook, a cast iron pan should be a staple in everyone's kitchen. ****** 9 Amazing Health Benefits Of Ginger Ginger is delightful. Its bright, strong flavor adds a perfect kick to almost any dish. It's been a favorite the world over for centuries and features in all kinds of cuisine. But it's not just its great flavor that makes it so popular. Like many delicious foods, this spice packs a whole host of amazing health EFTA01182270 benefits that make it even more wonderful. In fact, a lot of the foods you probably already enjoy are full of secret little health boosters, and ginger has one of the most impressive collections of benefits. The other nice thing about ginger is that it's so versatile, you can include it in almost anything. You can use it in powder form to add a little spice to desserts, or add some fresh ginger root to a stir-fry for a pop of flavor. You can even boil it to make a tangy tea that will warm you right to the tips of your toes. And while you're enjoying the flavor, you're also doing wonders for your health — and it's always great when doing good also tastes good! Check out some of the amazing things ginger can do for you below: Ginger is a rhizome in the Zingiberaceae family, and it's related to turmeric, cardamom, and galangal. A rhizome is found underground — but it's actually a stem, not a root! Ginger has been used for centuries to relieve aches, pains, and ailments of all kinds. It can be used as a spice in all kinds of cooking, as well as brewed to make tea. Benefit #1: Eases Nausea Ginger has long been used as a treatment for nausea of all kinds, including sea sickness and the nausea that comes after surgeries and other medical treatments. But it seems to be most effective against morning sickness. However, with anything, talk to your doctor before starting any kind of regimen while pregnant, or in conjunction with another medical treatment. Benefit #2: Aids Digestion Many people suffer from chronic indigestion, or dyspepsia, which is characterized by pain in the upper stomach. This condition is thought to come from a slower-than-normal digestive process, where the stomach takes longer than average to empty. Ginger has been shown to speed the stomach's emptying process and make digestion go more smoothly. Taking about a gram of powdered ginger before a meal has shown, in healthy individuals, to speed the stomach's emptying process by so percent. Benefit #3: Soothes Achy Muscle Ginger has been shown to be effective in soothing sore muscles, especially from exercise-induced pain. It didn't immediately relieve the pain, but in one study, a daily regimen was shown to reduce overall soreness in muscles after exercise. It's believed this is because of ginger's anti-inflammatory properties. Benefit #4: Soothes Osteoarthritis Just like it can relieve inflammation in muscles, ginger can also reduce inflammation in joints, such as the inflammation that occurs with osteoarthritis. One test showed that participants who took ginger extract had less pain and required less medication than those without. Another study showed that a EFTA01182271 topical combination of ginger, cinnamon, and sesame oil also reduced pain and inflammation — plus it probably smelled great! Benefit #5: Lowers Blood Sugar + Boosts Heart Health In 2015, a study showed that powdered ginger, taken daily, reduced the blood sugar levels in people with Type II diabetes by about 12 people, and long-term sugar levels by fo percent. It also showed a 23 percent decrease in oxidized lipoproteins, a major factor in heart disease. However, this is a relatively new discovery, and more studies must be performed before we really know. Benefit #6: Lowers Cholesterol Levels LDL lipoproteins, the "bad" cholesterol, are a risk factor for heart disease, and greatly influenced by what you eat. But taking 3 grams of ginger powder daily can greatly reduce LDL lipoproteins, says one study. Benefit #7: Eases Menstrual Pain When taken at the beginning of the cycle, ginger was shown to reduce the cramping pain many women experience while menstruating. In fact, it was shown to reduce the pain as much as ibuprofen. Benefit #8: Aids Brain Function Chronic inflammation, something that ginger combats, are believed to be major factors in the onset of Alzheimer's disease and other diseases that affect the brain. Also research suggest that the antioxidants in ginger can reduce inflammation and inhibit the advance of these diseases. A study involving middle-aged women also showed that taking ginger had a direct effect on the brain, too, and improved their reaction time and memory. Benefit #9: Could Help Fight Cancer Though this claim needs much more study before a conclusion can be definitively drawn, some studies suggest that a compound found in raw ginger, 6-gingerol, can greatly reduce the potentially cancer- causing activity in cells. However, other studies have shown that it has no substantive effect at all. Though the information we have on the relationship between ginger and cancer is limited, it's definitely something worth looking into! Now that you know what ginger can do for you, you might find yourself experimenting a little more with it! And be sure to SHARE this amazing information with your foodie friends and plan a ginger party! THIS WEEK's QUOTE EFTA01182272 Without additional regulations, wealth inequality will grow indefinitely, getting worse every generation. Wealth begets wealth Wealth preserves wealth Wealth has a fundamental predisposition to increase Wealth is amoral Wealth is lifeless Thomas Pikett THIS IS BRILLIANT Simply Amazing When it is your time, its your time but when it isn't.... see what can happen... Web Link: EFTA01182273 I realize that it is a blurry image but it is a picture of an airplane at the moment when its right wing detaches from the fuselage, causing it to spin out of control, yet somehow the pilot was able to land the plane safely Simply amazing THINK ABOUT THIS Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Stadiums Web Link: hups-ilyount.beixewh4bcnXs Cities spend massive amounts of public money on privately-owned stadiums. Cities issue tax- exempt municipal bonds that almost always give taxpayers the short end of the stick — and these billionaire franchise owners do so, as if it is a God given right. — Watch John Oliver break down this scam. BEST VIDEO OF THE WEEK When Cool was Cool EFTA01182274 Party Dancing Web Link: Enjoy... Enjoy... Enjoy... THIS WEEK's MUSIC In Celebration of Mothers EFTA01182275 Haan Mo s es Day! In celebration of Mother's Day this week's music pays tribute to all Mothers and for those of us whose mothers are no longer with us as a reminder of the unconditional love, care and guidance that Mothers like mine and the Mothers of my children have given to our children, families and everyone around them. As a difficult son raise by a single mother who sacrificed everything she had to make sure that I received everything possible within her grasped. I loved my mother, although I didn't always show it. But since her death 21 years ago, there is not one day that has gone by that I don't miss this most amazing, hardworking, resourceful, wonderful, caring and loving woman. For those who does not share a similar experience, I am sorry. But for those who have — please enjoy the selection below that goes from hip-hop to metal to Latin pop to country, as it's an eclectic combination — starting with my personal all-time favorite "Dear Mama" by 2Pac Shakur, whose mother Afeni Shakur died a week ago. With this said, you are invited to enjoy music that celebrates mothers and motherhood and hopefully ignites fond cassette memories of yours with your own mothers 2Pac - Dear Mama -- hups://youtu.be/MblZvUDvLDY The Intruders - I'll Always Love My Mama -- http youtu.be/FsYKaDBIeJA Carrie Underwood — Mama's Song -- https://youtu.be/bpFW4Yhy08k Insane Clown Posse — The Mom Song -- https://youtu.be/cj9x5)VmSA Jorge & Mateus — Ciclo https://youtu.be/FN2KLe673f0 Boyz II Men — A Song For Mama -- https://youtu.be/tap90z44WR8 Celine Dion — Mama -- https://youtu.be/v 1 LDNULFUN8 Nas — Dance -- hups://youtu.be/yT4LXnjaUyc Backstreet Boys — The Perfect Fan — http youtu.be/Od3e3x87ynU Mac Miller — I'll Be There -- https://youtu.be/Av9LsmSIHXE Jay Z ft Maxwell — Momma Loves Me -- https://youtu.be/fA5qxarDd4k Ghostface Killah — All That I Got Is You -- http youtu.be/f6uOeb1cF84 EFTA01182276 Snoop Dogg — 'Love My Momma https://youtu.be/9AKPlfiC53I Christina Aguilera — Oh Mother -- https://youtu.be/2yygjahV-x0 The Spinners — Sadie -- https://youtu.be/JXFuDXMGBN8 Spice Girls — Mama -- https://youtu.beNsNbhwSXDB8 Ashanti — Mother -- https://y • utu.be/25 _t9Ehxlxg Kanye West — Hey Mama -- https://youtu.be/QcZnUPrucnw The-Dream — Mama -- https://youtu.be/_NvP6TPSo90 Metallica — Mama Said -- https://youtu.be/4FKYsUEuvlo Lucero — Mom -- https://youtu.beNQwvOOyN I rg Pink Floyd — Mother -- https://youmbe/IX3uCuFKlqw Danzig — Mother -- https://youtu.be/vgSn0SbOJQI Beanie Sigel ft. Scarface — Mom Praying -- https://youmbe/f6uOebicF84 LL Cool J — Big Momma https:iiyoutu.beiVOBZR57ZXVs BONUS Wendy from Peter Pan — Your Mother and Mine -- https://youtu.be/pvTkuOnZDLA Puff Daddy/Faith Evans/112 — I'll Be Missing You -- https://youtu.be/mM0-ZU8njdo I hope that you enjoyed this week's offerings and wish you and yours a great week and a Happy Mother's Day Sincerely, Greg Brown Gregory Brown Chairman & CEO Clam/Cast Pelmets, LLC US: Tel: Fax: EFTA01182277 Sk c: browi ndi EFTA01182278