Remembering Captain William (“Billy”) Francis Burke, Jr.
On 9-11, 343 firefighters were killed trying to help others. One of those firefighters was Captain William “Billy” Francis Burke, Jr of FDNY Engine Company 21. A firefighter for over 20 years, Captain Burke led his company into the north tower on that September morning but ordered them out of the building while he continued searching for people who needed help or to be rescued. At 46 years old, Captain Burke was an experienced firefighter who understood the dangers but couldn’t turn around when there were people trapped in the burning building. Read more 
Vegan Dining Options in Asheville, NC (Part 7)
Asheville’s vibrant restaurant scene is often compared to Portland, Oregon’s (often referred to its sister city) but its not because both cities have numerous vegan restaurants. Instead both cities are known for being incredibly tolerant and accommodating to diners preferences. Plant-based options are available at most restaurants even when the menu doesn’t list a vegan option.
There are many fine, casual, southern, Mexican, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Thai, Chinese, and Indian restaurants in Asheville. Here’s just a few that offer some great vegan dining options: Read more
Granola Bites by the Organic Pantry Co.
For plant-based eaters who prefer a farmer’s market over an outdoor vegan fest, please know I get it. It’s not that vegan foods are bad, although there are certainly a lot of unhealthy ones out there, its that far too often these products contain oil, refined sugar, syrups, or other undesirable sweeteners, too much sodium, or ingredients that I can’t pronounce.
If most of your diet is whole food plant-based then very few commercially prepared foods are on your pantry’s shelf or in the refrigerator or freezer because finding really stellar products – foods made with top notch ingredients without all the additives, and that taste great – is tough (there is just no getting around being vigilant and reading labels).
Every once in a while, a truly great product is introduced (and it feels like a reward when you find it), which is the case with Granola Bites by the Organic Pantry Co. Granola Bites are tasty pieces of granola (almost like thin crunchy cookies) with mulberries (Cashew, Date & Mulberry) or coconut and raisins (Coconut, Cacao, and Raisin) : Read more
Plant-Based Tips
Living a plant-based lifestyle is a journey. No matter what anyone says, the vegan you are in year one is not the vegan you are five years down the road because you learn so much along the way. For me, going plant-based was very gradual (I never thought I could give up cheese on my bagel or real milk in my coffee) but once I started feeling so much better without dairy in my body, I became more committed to reading and learning more about the health benefits of a plant-based diet (thank you NutritionFacts.org).
Over the past few years, there are several important things I learned that I wish I knew way back then so I pass this information along and hope it helps anyone who is trying to gradually move towards a plant-based diet or who just wants to make their plant-based life easier. Read more
Executive Salaries at AIPAC
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is a 501 (c) (4) based in Washington, DC whose mission is to “strengthen, protect, and promote the US Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of Israel and the US.” Although AIPAC is exempt from taxes, donations to AIPAC are not tax deductible (although they may be tax deductible as trade or business expenses) because the organization is a social welfare organization that can engage in unlimited lobbying (this is key). Read more
Executive Compensation at the Special Olympics
Rarely is there a disagreement about the importance of funding the Special Olympics but yesterday, Betsy DeVos, the Education Secretary proposed cutting $17.6 million in government assistance to the organization next year, asserting that the non-profit is better supported by philanthropy. Before anyone makes up their mind about this issue, they should know the financial facts about the organization, which include revenue, expenses, executive compensation, and the fund balance (which many refer to as the endowment) and ask if the Special Olympics needs the government contributions? Read more
What Happened to Character?
Apparently, there is absolutely no way Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the Boston Patriots is going to accept the plea deal in the Florida prostitution case even though the police supposedly have two tapes of Kraft paying for and receiving sexual acts from massage parlor “therapists.”
And, it looks like Felicity Hoffman and Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli may plead “not guilty” to the charges related to illegally helping their children gain entrance to prestigious colleges, even though the FBI has recorded conversations and a money trail that shows they cheated and/or bought their children’s admission. And, then there is Donald Trump trash talking John McCain, who died of brain cancer last year, and Kellyanne Conway’s husband, George Conway, who Trump called “a whack job” and a “stone cold loser and husband from hell” (as if Trump was heaven-sent). Read more
Where Does $100 to the Cancer Alliance of Help and Hope Go?
The Cancer Alliance of Help and Hope (CAHH) is a 501 (c)(3) established in 2003 in Palm Beach County to primarily provide emergency financial assistance to help cancer patients and their families. They basically help people meet basic non-medical needs, such as rent, mortgage, and/or car payments, car insurance, health insurance, and utilities (in an amount of up $10,000 per family).
Modeled after a non-profit established in Naples, Florida, CAHH has been a relatively small (and still is) organization that brought in a new Executive Director (Stanton Collemer) in 2016 to grow the organization. Operating out of an office in Palm Beach, the organization appears to be focused on raising funds in a town known for its fundraising and charity support. Read more
Consider Brandless™
Brandless™ is a relatively new company launched in July, 2017 that focuses on better access to better quality (i.e. Non-GMO, organic) goods at a more competitive price.
Instead of relying on grocery stores for common household goods (i.e. beans, ketchup, mustard, maple syrup, tomato sauce, jam, dried fruits and nuts, grains, rice, peanut butter, and more), consumers can buy directly from Brandless™ – a company that sources their goods directly from suppliers.
There are no distribution costs, wholesale to retail markups, shelf stocking fees, breakage and settlement costs, and no retail marketing costs because the supplier is linked directly with Brandless™ who delivers the goods directly to the consumer, for free (orders over $39 are shipped free, otherwise shipping is a flat rate of $6). Read more
The Vitamin B12 Issue
Vitamin B12 has always fascinated me and even more so since I started following a whole grain, low oil, whole food plant-based diet (that’s a mouthful). This super vitamin can be obtained naturally through the consumption of animals and yet, the consumption of animal products have also been shown to do us the most harm. So, there must be something in our physiology to account for this irony. Read more
Paddock Post 