Did you know that the Food Stamp Act was part of President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society Program?

Have you ever looked at your check stub and saw a deduction for FICA and wondered what it was, and why are they deducting it from your  earnings? Did you know that the amount deducted is 7.65 percent and your  employer matches that amount. Did you know that FICA is the acronym for the Federal Insurance  Contributions Act? Did you know that this act mandates that an employer withhold a set  percentage of an employee’s salary each pay period? Did you know that FICA also requires that the employer match the employee’s amount and contribute the money to a government  account known as the Social Security Trust Fund? Did you know that the Social Security Trust Fund provides retirement  income, as well as disability insurance, Medicare, and benefits for survivors? Did you know that FICA was the result of the Social Security Act of 1935, proposed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt? Did you know that the program began collecting taxes and paying benefits in 1937?  Did you know that in 1939, FICA was amended to include widows and orphans of working  spouses, as well as elderly people who had not paid into the system? Did you know that originally, Social Security benefits were only available to people who were  under 65 and who worked in what was considered  commerce and industry?   Did you know that Government employees, medical personnel, lawyers, and agricultural  workers were all exempt from FICA? Did you know because they were not required to pay into the fund, they could not collect  monies from it? Did you know that these restrictions have been lifted, and although there are still categories  of workers who can opt out of paying into FICA?  Did you know that no one is expressly excluded from participation? Did you know that Medicaid was established in 1965? Did you know that Medicaid was designed to assist low-income families in providing health care for themselves and their children. It also covers certain individuals who fall below the  federal poverty level?

Did you know that Medicare has four parts -- Part A, which is hospital insurance, Part B, which is medical insurance, Part C, which is Medicare Advantage Plans, and  Part D, which  is Prescription Drug Coverage. Did you know that Medicaid provides medical care to the poor, to children and to pregnant  women living under the federal poverty level?   Did you know that it is funded jointly by the states and the federal government?

Did you know that the Food Stamp Act  was part of President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society Program?

Did you know that the goal of the Food Stamp Act of 1964 was to prevent hunger, improve the social conditions of citizens with low-incomes, and provide a foundation for U.S. agriculture?

Did you know that Congress designed the act "To strengthen the agricultural economy? To help achieve a fuller and more effective use of food abundances; to provide for improved levels of nutrition among low-income households through a cooperative Federal-State program of food assistance to be operated through normal channels of trade."

Did you know that the nutritional program,was designed to help reduce the incidents of health problems in poverty-stricken areas, in particular, problems associated with low birth weight, anemia, and osteoporosis?

Did you know that when  Congress adopted the mechanism to distribute agricultural surpluses to poor individuals—the ideal was food stamps—stamps that people could exchange for food at grocery stores?

Did you know that the Food Stamp Act required the federal government pay for the benefits, but the state agencies determined individual eligibility, distributed the stamps, and conducted audits and monitored vendors' food stamp inventories/

Did you know that the federal and state governments,  shared the administrative costs of the program?

Did you know that the food stamp program offers benefit that ensures recipients use the government support on groceries and nutrition?

Did you know that the program feed poor individuals, and it also provided an economic boost to grocery stores because the food stamps worked as a cash-equivalent, enabling customers to buy more goods and items not subsidized by the program?

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Did you know that Peyton Manning was the fastest person to pass for 50,000 yards?

Did you know these Peyton Manning Facts?

Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning during the 2007 season.
No. 18     Indianapolis Colts
Quarterback
Personal information
Date of birth: March 24, 1976 (age 34)
Place of birth: New Orleans, Louisiana
Height: 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	Weight: 230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
College: Tennessee
NFL Draft: 1998 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1
Debuted in 1998 for the Indianapolis Colts
Career history
As player: Indianapolis Colts (1998–present)
Career highlights and awards
11× Pro Bowl selection (1999, 2000, 2002,2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009,2010) 5× First-team All-Pro selection (2003, 2004,2005, 2008, 2009) 3× Second-team All-Pro selection (1999, 2000,2006) 4× AP NFL MVP (2003, 2004, 2008, 2009) 6× AFC Player of the Year (1999, 2003, 2004,2005, 2008, 2009) Indianapolis Colts All-time leader (Career Wins, Passing Touchdowns , Pass Attempts, Pass Completions and Passing Yards) Pro Bowl MVP (2005) Super Bowl Champion (XLI) Super Bowl MVP (XLI) Fastest ever to reach 50,000 yards passing Fastest to 1,000 completions Fastest to 2,000 completions Fastest to 3,000 completions Fastest to 4,000 completions NFL 2000s All-Decade Team Other awards and honors
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2010
Pass attempts	7,210
Pass completions	4,682
Percentage	64.9
TD-INT	399–198
Passing yards	54,828
Passer rating	94.9

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Did you know what COPD is one of the most common lung diseases?

Did you know what COPD IS? Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Did you know that Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common lung diseases. 

Did you know that there are two main forms of COPD?

• Chronic bronchitis, defined by a long-term cough with mucus
• Emphysema, defined by destruction of the lungs over time

Did you know that most people with COPD have a combination of both conditions?

Did you know that smoking is the leading cause of COPD?

Did you know that the more a person smokes, the more likely that person will develop COPD although some people smoke for years and never get COPD? 

Did you know that in rare cases, nonsmokers who lack a protein called alpha-1 antitrypsin can develop emphysema? 

Did you know Other risk factors for COPD?

• Exposure to certain gases or fumes in the workplace
• Exposure to heavy amounts of secondhand smoke and pollution
• Frequent use of cooking gas without proper ventilation

Did you know Symptoms of COPD?

• Cough with mucus
• Shortness of breath (dyspnea) that gets worse with mild activity
• Fatigue
• Frequent respiratory infections
• Wheezing

Did you know that symptoms of COPD develop slowly, some people may be unaware that they are sick?

Did you know the best test for COPD is a simple lung function test called spirometry?

Did you know that it involves blowing out as hard as one can into a small machine that tests lung capacity? The test can be interpreted immediately and does not involve exercising, drawing blood, or exposure to radiation.

Did you know that Using a stethoscope to listen to the lungs can also be helpful, although sometimes the lungs sound normal even when COPD is present.

Pictures of the lungs (such as X-rays and CT scans) can be helpful but sometimes look normal even when a person has COPD.

Sometimes it is necessary to do a blood test (call a “blood gas”) to measure the amounts of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood.

Did you know there is no cure for COPD? However, there are many things you can do to relieve symptoms and keep the disease from getting worse.

Did you know that persons with COPD must stop smoking? This is the best way to slow down the lung damage.

Medications used to treat COPD include:

• Inhalers (bronchodilators) to open the airways, such as ipratropium (Atrovent), tiotropium (Spiriva), salmeterol (Serevent), or formoterol (Foradil)
• Inhaled steroids to reduce lung inflammation

Did you know that in severe cases of flare-ups, you may need to receive steroids by mouth or through a vein (intravenously)?

Did you know that Antibiotics are prescribed during symptom flare-ups, because infections can make COPD worse?

Did you know that Oxygen therapy at home may be needed if a person has a low level of oxygen in their blood?

Did you know that Pulmonary rehabilitation does not cure the lung disease, but it can teach you to breathe in a different way so you can stay active?  Exercise programs such as pulmonary rehabilitation are also important to help maintain muscle strength in the legs so less demand is placed on the lungs when walking. 

Did you  know that these programs also teach people how to use their medicines most effectively?

Did you know that these things you can do to make it easier for yourself around the home to avoid flare-ups?

• Avoiding very cold air
• Making sure no one smokes in your home
• Reducing air pollution by eliminating fireplace smoke and other irritants

Did you know that Surgical treatments may include:

• Surgery to remove parts of the diseased lung, for some patients with emphysema
• Lung transplant for severe cases

Did you know this condition is a long-term (chronic) illness? The disease will get worse more quickly if one continues to smoke.

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Did you know that Deion Sanders was selected to eight Pro Bowls?

Did you know that during Deion Sanders 14-year NFL career, was a perennial All-Pro and one of the most feared pass defenders to ever play the game? 

Did you know that Sanders occasionally lined up with his team's offense?

Did you know that during the 1996 season, Sanders skipped the baseball season by concentrating strictly on football and attended the first NFL training camp of his career to better familiarize himself with the nuances of the wide receiver position?

Did you know he became the second two-way starter (after the Cardinals' Roy Green) in the NFL?

Did you know that Chuck Bednarik also played a two-way starter for the first half of the season due to Michael Irvin serving a five game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy?

Did you know During his career, Sanders intercepted 53 passes for 1,331 yards (a 25.1 yards per return average), recovered four fumbles for 15 yards, returned 155 kickoffs for 3,523 yards, gained 2,199 yards on 212 punt returns, and caught 60 passes for 784 yards. Sanders amassed 7,838 all-purpose yards and scored 22 touchdowns: nine interception returns, six punt returns, three kickoff returns, three receiving, and one fumble recovery?

Did you know that his 19 defensive and return touchdowns are an NFL record?

Did you know that he was selected to eight Pro Bowls in 1991--1994, 1996–1999?

Did you know he was also awarded the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1994?

• College Football News named Sanders #8 in its list of 100 Greatest College Football Players of All-Time.
• The Sporting News named Sanders #37 in their Top 100 Football Players of the Century released in 1999.
• ESPN named Sanders #74 in its list of the 100 Great Athletes of the Century released in 1999.
• NFL.com named Sanders #34 on NFL's Top 100 list released in late 2010
• On November 11, 2010 Deion Sanders was inducted into the Atlanta Falcons' Ring of Honor.

Sanders also had a rushing TD in the playoffs (against the Philadelphia Eagles in January 1996). This makes him (including post season) one of only two players in NFL history (Bill Dudley being the other) to score a touchdown six different ways (interception return, punt return, kickoff return, receiving, rushing, and a fumble recovery).

 

Did you know that on February 5, 2011, Sanders was elected to the NFL Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility?

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Did you know that a Quadriplegic Man Sues Disney After Being Left on a Ride?

A quadriplegic man from California has filed a lawsuit against the Walt Disney Co., alleging that the staff at Disneyland did nothing to help him exit the park's "It's a Small World" ride when it stalled out for 40 minutes.
The lawsuit, filed earlier this week in an L.A. court, says Disney violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to have adequate evacuation procedures for visitors with mobility disabilities.
From the OC Register:

“

During a Nov. 27, 2009 visit to the park, [the man] was left inside his wheelchair on a ride boat for about 40 minutes while other visitors were evacuated, according to the lawsuit. The rides boats stalled because of a computer glitch near the exit of the final tunnel in the ride, which repeatedly plays the catchy "it's a small world" song... While waiting for help, [he] suffered from dysreflexia, a medical condition that can cause death if untreated, the suit states.

”

"It feels like an ice pick going through your temples," the man, who says he alerted staff that he needed to be evacuated, but who was unable to exit until the ride restarted, recalls. "especially when you couple that with the continuous, 'small world' music in the background."
When the man was finally able to leave the ride, he was met by a nurse who took him to a first-aid station and called paramedics.
Unfortunately, the decision to send Mickey and Minnie Mouse to perform for the man while he was being tended to, "was like insult to injury."
About the lawsuit, the man says, "We're not just trying to sue because it's available. To us, it's to make the proper changes (at the park)."
A rep for Disney released the following statement:
"Disneyland Resort is accessible to guests with varying needs, including those with mobility disabilities. If it is necessary to evacuate an attraction, we have procedures in place for all guests."

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Did you know who are the Richest Rappers for 2009?

Forbes' 2009 Hip-Hop Cash Kings

1. Jay-Z - 35 Million

 Reclaimed his crown as the top Hip-Hop Cash King despite taking a steep pay cut from the $82 million he brought in a year ago. The reason? That figure was inflated by a top-heavy 10-year, $150 million deal he signed with Live Nation last April. Still had a good year: wrapped up a huge an international tour, made a groundbreaking appearance at the U.K.'s Glastonbury Festival and honeymooned with new wife Beyoncé. Owns a stake in pro basketball's New Jersey Nets and New York's 40/40 nightclub.

2. Diddy - 30 Million

Dapper don of hip-hop continues his decade-long run of good fortune. Diversified Diddy brings in cash from clothing line Sean John, record label Bad Boy, premium vodka Ciroc and reality TV shows Making the Band and Run's House. With over 1 million followers and an abundance of exuberant posts, Diddy is among the most prolific of hip-hop's Twitterati.

3. Kanye West - 25 Million

 Stayed atop the hip-hop charts with the release of his fourth album, 808s and Heartbreak. Though not as well-received as his prior effort, the multiplatinum Graduation, experimental oeuvre sold nearly 2 million copies. Last year's "Glow in the Dark" tour included a stop in his native Chicago to headline the music festival Lollapalooza. Moonlights as a shoe designer, recently crafting a successful limited-run Nike line called the Air Yeezy; designed another shoe line for Louis Vuitton, due out this summer.

 

 

4. 50 Cent - 20 Million

Last year's highest-earning hip-hop star has seen annual pay fall from $150 million to $20 million. Reason: a $100 million windfall from the sale of VitaminWater parent Glacéau to Coca-Cola last year. Steep drop in earnings makes him look like a crashing bank stock, but Queens-born rapper might survive future stress tests better than most: His portfolio includes popular G-Unit clothing line and record label, plus films, videogames and a slew of platinum albums. Launched cologne for Macy's in June. Fourth album, Before I Self Destruct, is set for release later this year.

  

5. Akon - 20 Million

Split childhood between Senegal and the U.S., gained worldwide fame with 2004 hit "Locked Up." Since then, has become one of hip-hop's most versatile artists--one of few to make more money this year than last. Can thank diversification: writes, sings, raps and produces; makes lucrative guest appearances on other artists' songs and tours frequently. Other business ventures include Konvict Clothing and Konvict Music, a label that boasts pop princess Lady Gaga.

6. Lil Wayne - 18 Million

 Started hip-hop career as a teenager with group Hot Boys, blossomed into a mainstream celebrity with hits like "Tha Block is Hot" and "Lollipop." This year, pulled in an estimated $10 million from his 65-show mega-tour alone; latest album, Tha Carter III, went platinum in its opening week. Follow-up Tha Carter IV said to be in the works. Also starred alongside Forrest Whitaker in the film Hurricane Season, due out later this year. Longtime buddy Birdman reportedly gave Lil Wayne $1 million in cash for his 26th birthday in October.

 

7. Timbaland - 17 Million

 Hip-hop super-producer continues to churn out tracks at a frenetic pace; catalog of classic hits include Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'" and Ludacris' "Roll Out." More recently, produced pop songs for the likes of Madonna and Chris Cornell. Second solo album Shock Value went platinum shortly after its release in 2007; follow-up is scheduled for later this year. Hollywood beckons: Timba is reportedly set to produce the soundtrack to Simon Cowell's rumored Saturday Night Fever remake.

8. Pharrell - 16 Million

 Versatile star made his name penning hits for rappers and pop artists alike as part of popular production duo The Neptunes. Recently produced songs for Busta Rhymes and Jadakiss. Now fronts the funk-rock band N*E*R*D and is said to be an avid Star Trek fan. A geek with exquisite taste, Williams designs sunglasses for Louis Vuitton and owns apparel lines Ice Cream and Billionaire Boys Club. Reportedly owns a solid gold BlackBerry.

 

9. T-Pain - 15 Million

 Circus-themed album Thr33 Ringz debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's chart and has sold nearly 700,000 copies to date. Dreadlocked star also cashed in on a slew of guest appearances, including Flo Rida's "Low" and Kanye West's Grammy-winner "Good Life" last year. Nominated for three more Grammys in 2009. Appearance on Saturday Night Live digital short "On a Boat" became an Internet sensation, earning over 30 million YouTube views. Hip-hop's Jay Leno owns 32 cars, including the first Rolls Royce Phantom convertible sold in the U.S.

10. Eminem - 14 Million

 

Controversial rhymester rapped his way back onto the scene this year with the release of Relapse, his first album in five years. The record, which details Eminem's battle with drug addiction, hit stores on May 15 and sold over a million copies in its first month. Sold 75 million records in his career; 1999 debut album The Slim Shady LP has been certified five-times platinum. Detroit native was recently voted best rapper alive in a poll by Vibe magazine.

 

 

 

 

 

Did you know who are the Richest Rappers for 2006?

Did you know who are the Richest Rappers for 2007?

Did you know who are the Richest Rappers for 2008?

Did you know who are the Richest Rappers for 2009? 

Did you know who are the Richest Rappers for 2010?

 

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