Hi and welcome to my Bank Notes Blog. On this site, I will use my experience, gathered over the years in Law Enforcement, Lawyering, lobbying, teaching, marketing, advertising and public relations to share insight on things that matter to me. Of course, by sharing, I hope by the time you are finished reading my messages those issues will be important to you, too.

First up, is the political climate in our country. IAM 68 and it is the worst it’s been in my life time. The esteemed political science professor, Theodore “Ted” Windt noted that one way to destroy a democracy is to eliminate all possibility of meaningful debate. This is accomplished by demonizing those with whom you disagree. What we see with taking heads today is not really debate. It’s more like an old fashioned food fight, with the words and acrimony creating the mess no one bothers to clean up. And honest discourse is impossible.  So if you are a Trump supporter, you don’t want to talk to, much less, listen to those Blue State bleeding heart, tree hugging, Liberals. And if you are a Democrat, you have probably “unfriended” people for supporting the Republican Party and that reality TV-Star turned President “The Donald.” How do we get back to where our democracy needs to be?

We have a to get over ourselves. All of us. The way to start is to focus on what we agree on. America is a great country with a diverse population, everyone of whom adds to that fabric we all cherish. And we have a right to disagree!  But that doesn’t mean we have to do so by being rude, nasty or mean to those whose views differ from ours. So talk politics. And listen to what people say, especially those whose views are different than yours. Accept the fact that their beliefs are as important to them as yours are to you.

Here’s something we can all agree on. Healthy eating. And here’s a recipe for an Oatmeal-breakfast cookie you’re going to love. Best part, it’s good for you.

4 cups of oat meal (gluten free works); four bananas, four apples, 3 tablespoons of Vanilla extract, 4 tablespoons of ground cinnamon, four scoops of Vanilla Protein Powder (I use Orgain, Organic Protein from Costco), six cups of raisins (more is better). Preheat the oven to 375. Core the apples and combine with bananas in a food processor or blender, mixing until pureed. In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients and stir vigorously. Using dinner spoon, dish out small scoops of batter, forming cookies onto a large rimmed baking sheet, preferable with parchment paper or a reusable cookie sheet liner. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the  bottoms of the cookies are slightly browned. Makes about 4 dozen. ENJOY!