Growing up I was not taught the purpose of food. As a young person my diet consisted of cereal loaded with sugar, processed meats, candy, and fast foods. The purpose of food is to provide fuel for our bodies and to keep us alive. Food provides nutrients to our bodies. When we eat healthy, food can help us function at an optimal level. We should make health benefits the primary reason for the food we choose instead of choosing food based on how it makes us feel. I occasionally enjoy a warm cookie and ice cream. I realize when I consume this food it does not provide health benefits. It taste good and gives me happy feelings; however, I cannot eat it on a regular basis.

There is a quote from Minister Myles Munroe that says, “When purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable.” He explained that abuse is abnormal use. This quote holds true for food. If we do not understand the purpose of food, we will not maximize the benefits food can offer us. I am not saying that you cannot consume an occasional snack or treat. Food should not be used to provide emotional support, deal with stress, or provide comfort in uncomfortable situations. That is not the purpose of food.

Review the food that you consume. What health benefits does the food you eat offer you? Are you consuming vegetables, whole grains, fruit, and protein? Each food group has benefits for your body. For example, protein plays an important role in processing fuel for energy and carrying oxygen throughout your body. Protein helps create muscle tissue and antibodies that assist in fighting off infections and illnesses and helps cells stay healthy. Foods with protein include meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, nuts, and seeds. Most vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Whole grains assist with digestion and helps to lower blood sugar and insulin. Fruit contains fiber which can assist with lowering cholesterol and encourage regular bowel movements. You should try to eat mostly God-made food instead of man-made food.

Consider your relationship with food. Are you using food for its purpose? It is okay to realize you need to adjust the food you consume.

Friday night we went to the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra to experience Beethoven’s magnificent Third Symphony (Eroica). Saturday night we dined out in a beachfront restaurant.

Tonight we’re going to my brother- and sister-in-law’s to watch the Super Bowl with relatives. Our nieces and nephews are attending school in the classroom. They and their teachers are not being overwhelmed by the pandemic, like the Chicago Teachers Union falsely claims would happen to its members.

We got our COVID-19 vaccines without running into a confusing, bureaucratic nightmare. By appointment, we were in and out of the vaccination site–an vacant Sears store–run by the state and staffed by competent and nice people. We’ve been tested three times without any hassle, the result being negative each time.

Not to rub it in or anything, but we’re living the la vita aperta down here. Something that is increasingly being recognized nationally, despite the left-wing partisan carping about Florida’s “vast failures.” The latest recognition comes for the Washington Examiner, whose “The Future is Florida” story begins:

An old saying goes: “If you want to be someone, go to California. If you are someone, go to New York. If you were someone, go to Florida.”

But in 2020, Florida Man, Woman, and Child exacted revenge. Now, if you want to be someone, go to Florida. If you are someone, go to Florida. If you were someone, just stay in Florida.

Florida is the future people increasingly want.

Maybe we’ve been lucky here in Florida. The pandemic isn’t over. Who knows how it will end. But, as the story says, Florida is no longer an “experiment.” It’ the real deal.

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Rabine says that entrepreneurial spirit would be used to ignite IL’s re-birth as a job center and engine of economic prosperity for IL’s citizens and families. Watch this morning in Chicago, Cable Ch. 19, 9:05 am.

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 “Public Affairs,” show host Jeff Berkowitz interviews likely Gov Candidate Gary Rabine (R-Woodstock) about maintaining law and order (and not tolerating looting and riots),  capping and cutting property taxes, offering more school choice, attracting and growing jobs in IL , opening up IL’s economy and schools with vigor and safety and other issues relevant to Rabine’s apparently imminent campaign for Governor.

You give us 30 minutes and Gary Rabine gives you a different kind of politician than you are used to seeing, especially in IL. Rabine reeks of genuineness. And, his public policy positions are rooted in the entrepreneurial spirit and vision that have driven much of his life’s professional focus. Rabine says that entrepreneurial spirit would ignite IL’s re-birth as a job center and engine of economic prosperity for IL’s citizens and families.

This Sunday morning’s show, part 2 of our Rabine interview, airs thorough-out the City of Chicago proper on Cable Ch 19 (CAN TV) at 9:05 am (This airing is part of a two hour Illinois Channel package and it follows a 30 minute IL House GOP members’, Leader Durkin & IL State Trooper Moon press conference. 

You can also watch 24/7 the show featuring ditchdigger CEO Gary Rabine, Part 2, by clicking here.

Rabine, during the show, talks about the importance of letting police do high quality policing- to make our towns and cities safer.  He also discusses starting down a new path of prosperity for IL– one of much lower property taxes, more school choice, attracting jobs to, not repelling jobs from, IL, opening up IL’s economy and schools- with vigor, but in safety and other issues relevant to Rabine’s apparently imminent, campaign for Governor.

The show featuring Gary Rabine also airs:

–in Aurora this Monday at 6 pm on ACTV-10, also known as Cable Ch 10 and Aurora Community Television

–in Highland Park on this Monday and Wednesday night at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 19.

You can also watch 24/7 the show featuring ditchdigger CEO Gary Rabine, Part 2, by clicking here:

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Rabine climbed the business ladder of success:

Right after graduating from High School, Gary entered the  entrepreneurial business world by starting a company focused on paving driveways in Lake and McHenry counties (Northeast IL).

Now, at the top of his business game, Gary Rabine is still “A Ditchdigger CEO” playing a major leadership role in his eleven small and medium sized companies- not just employing but inspiring more than three hundred, hard working, high spirited teammates- who share Gary’s strong desire to compete to provide the best possible services to their customers.

Rabine promises to attract people and jobs to IL: 

In 2022, Gary, if he is running for Gov, will offer his strong competitive and entrepreneurial spirit to IL’s citizens– so IL can compete with states, adjacent and far away, to attract citizens to come to Illinois, after Gary has persuaded the Legislature to make reforms, making IL the land of:

–low property and low income taxes,

–safe streets, cities and villages,

— high performing schools (chosen by parents from a menu of charter, private voucher and traditional neighborhood schools),

–solid private sector job opportunities, and

–reformed and fiscally sound government budgets and balance sheets

Rabine would restructure IL’s pension liabilities:

In part 1 of this two part series, Gary Rabine, the ditchdigger CEO, highlighted the importance of  amending IL’s Constitution to permit its Governor and Legislature to negotiate w/unions a restructuring of the State’s and Cities’ massive $400 billion in pension liabilities to a more livable level.

Rabine would cap property taxes at 1% of market value (now in excess of 2% across the State of IL). And, restructuring the cities’ and villages’ pension liabilities would help IL’s municipalities lower property taxes while maintaining high quality services.  

Rabine: Open IL’s economy and schools:

In part 1 of the two shows, Rabine discussed how science and data supported keeping IL’s economy and schools safely open last year- and he emphasized that he would never have “Shut down the IL economy and schools,” as Gov. Pritzker did.  Now, says Rabine, IL is overdue to repair the damage from Gov. Pritzker’s mistaken shut-down – and open Illinois’ schools and economy.     

 A time to Lead?

Will Gary Rabine, Ditchdigger CEO, try to fix IL by making a run for Gov? To learn more about Gary’s and the other potential IL Gov candidates’ decisions, stay tuned to Public Affairs and the Illinois Channel.

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Do you wanna build a snowman?

Here, halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee, or as I like to call it, the “Arctic Circle,” winter has come hard.

At first, it teased. Hardly any snow, wind or finger-freezing temperatures.

Until now.

Which is when the “dog days of winter,” as I like to call them, will spin around a bit, seeming to chase their tails, then find just the right place to settle down and make us… cold.

Or should I say “COLD”?

And with that cold often comes snow.

And with that snow often comes feeling trapped in the house, unable to get out and move around.

Then add on a pandemic and, well, you get the picture.

So, I need an antidote.

But what to do?

Well, I could take up the bobsled, but then I’d have to go outside and build a mountain in my backyard, then create an iced track, put in bleachers, build a refreshment stand, etc.

Or I could build an igloo, but I don’t think our refrigerator’s icemaker has an “Igloo” setting.

So, instead, I’ll do what Anna proposed to Elsa. Build a snowman.

Sound childish? Well, yeah, and that’s the whole point.

Because, in times like these, it’s good to see through the eyes of a child again, and touch the world with their oft-sticky fingers.

Who’s with me?

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What do we want?
Free Britney!
When do we want it?
Now!!!

It’s easy to ridicule Britney Spears. I’m sure I’ve done it myself. When my daughters were young girls, the music of that era seemed to be all Spice Girls, Boy bands and Britney. The sounds going through our car were the sounds of those artists. I’d find myself singing along to “Hit Me Baby One More Time” or “Oops!…I Did It Again.” I’m sure I did it with disdain in my voice or sometimes to embarrass the kids when they had friends in the car. It was a dad thing to make fun of Britney.

A lot of the ridicule she brought on herself. There was her marriage that was annulled after three days. She followed that with another marriage to Kevin Federline only a few months after the first failed one. Then there were the multiple pictures taken by the paparazzi that had one or both of her breasts was falling out of her top. There were other pictures taken of her sitting in the back seat of cars with her legs spread and not wearing any panties. And what was the deal with the shaving of her head?

There was no question that Britney Spears was out of control and the press was always around to document her every mistake. It’s tough to grow up when you’re always in the public eye. What made it worse was she was so young and also she was a girl. In the rock and roll world, such behavior by a male adds to the mystique. When a female does it, the name-calling begins. Misogyny was alive and well in the pop music world….and it still is.

The new documentary “Framing Britney Spears” tells us the life story of Britney. From a young age, her fame and talent were used to try to make life better for everyone surrounding her, at Britney’s expense. It’s not a story that is so different from others we’ve heard in show business.

The Spears were a poor family living in Mississipi. Early on they realized that one of their children had a chance to become special.  Britney Spears was groomed for a life in show business from the age of three. It started with dance lessons and singing in church. Nothing out of the ordinary for a young child at that point. But, becoming a performer on the new Mickey Mouse Club at age eleven can be overwhelming for a child who isn’t ready to handle fame at a young age. For Britney and her family, fame and what came with it is what they wanted. Sadly, her family wanted it more than her.

From there it was on to making records. Her first album, “Baby, One More Time” has sold more than twenty-five million copies worldwide. The singles from it were also huge sellers. With it came a lot of money for Spears and her family…more than they ever imagined. Britney Spears was now the financial provider for her family. That’s heady stuff for someone not yet twenty years old. Along with the money comes worldwide fame and attention.

When it became too much, too soon, it was easy to see why she was heading towards the notorious behavior issues and her eventual breakdown and mental health issues. But, the incredible thing is Britney Spears not only survived, but she put her career back together. She continued to make records and also started a residency at Planet Hollywood, in Las Vegas, in 2013. It won awards for best Vegas residency in 2015 and 2017.

However, Spears has done this while under a conservatorship. Her father has been in charge of her life for more than a decade. Yes, he gets a piece of her income because of this, but it’s as much about control as it about money. She has not been able to make even the simplest decisions about her life without getting approval. But, now Britney Spears wants the strings loosened and her fans have been vocal in their support of this. That’s where the “free Britney” chants come from and also what becomes the main focus of the documentary.

Because of the dispute over the conservatorship, Britney Spears has said she won’t work until it’s settled in more favorable terms. She has not performed in almost three years. The film won’t leave you with a happy ending or even any kind of ending because the case is still ongoing, but it will leave you a lot more sympathetic to the life of Britney Spears. There’s no question that she’s a survivor and maybe it’s time to finally “Free Britney.”

Related Post–Amy: You Should Have Gone To Rehab

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There is one more casualty of the beer business fall-off due, partially to COVID: The Hofbraühaus Chicago, in Rosemont, has closed its doors last week. According to the Daily Herald, the location had been going for eight years, but could not keep steady business going outside of Oktoberfest time. But the loss of business during the pandemic was the final straw. Owners Joe and Mike Matuschka indicated that they will reduce the restaurant space in the building and repurpose it as a pizza bar, keeping the brewery equipment.

We are coming into the Valentine’s Day weekend. A lot of places will be offering carry-out versions of traditional Valentine’s dinners, with beer included, of course. When they had a deadline for ordering or pickup, I will try to get the announcement in the proper deadline date.

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