Sen. Barbara Mikulski, who is the longest serving female senator in U.S. history. When Mikulski arrived in the Senate in 1986, there wasn't even a woman's bathroom. Since then, she has become the unofficial dean of the increasing number of women serving in the Senate.
In 1986, Senator Barbara Mikulski became the first Democratic woman to be elected to a Senate seat not held by her husband. With her re-election in the 2010 midterms, the Senator from Maryland has now served in that august body longer than any woman in U.S. history.
Over the years, she's become the dean of Senate women. And in that unofficial role, she holds regular dinner parties with a bipartisan group of women senators and acts as a mentor, sharing the benefit of her decades-long experience on the Hill.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Federal judge says healthcare law is unconstitutional
A federal judge in Florida dealt President Obama's healthcare overhaul a sweeping blow Monday, ruling the law unconstitutional because of its requirement that Americans have health insurance starting in 2014.
U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson declined to suspend the law but said the government should abide by his ruling, potentially complicating implementation in some states.
The Washington lawyer who represented the 26 states in the lawsuit said the ruling freed them from complying with its provisions, including requirements not to cut people from their Medicaid programs, as some governors say they want to do.
"For the 26 states that were parties to this suit, the entire statute is dead," said David B. Rivkin Jr. "The decision has immediate force, and it means all the new Medicaid stuff is gone."
Obama administration officials disputed Rivkin's analysis and indicated they would appeal Vinson's decision.
"We don't believe this kind of judicial activism will be upheld and we are confident that the Affordable Care Act will ultimately be declared constitutional," Assistant to the President Stephanie Cutter said in a White House blog post.
With lower federal courts divided, the fate of Obama's signature domestic achievement will probably be decided by the Supreme Court, which could rule as soon as next year.
I hope this ball is picked up and run with ....... into the Endzone. Groundwork has been laid, let's get on our lawmakers, representatives and congressmen ..................
U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson declined to suspend the law but said the government should abide by his ruling, potentially complicating implementation in some states.
The Washington lawyer who represented the 26 states in the lawsuit said the ruling freed them from complying with its provisions, including requirements not to cut people from their Medicaid programs, as some governors say they want to do.
"For the 26 states that were parties to this suit, the entire statute is dead," said David B. Rivkin Jr. "The decision has immediate force, and it means all the new Medicaid stuff is gone."
Obama administration officials disputed Rivkin's analysis and indicated they would appeal Vinson's decision.
"We don't believe this kind of judicial activism will be upheld and we are confident that the Affordable Care Act will ultimately be declared constitutional," Assistant to the President Stephanie Cutter said in a White House blog post.
With lower federal courts divided, the fate of Obama's signature domestic achievement will probably be decided by the Supreme Court, which could rule as soon as next year.
I hope this ball is picked up and run with ....... into the Endzone. Groundwork has been laid, let's get on our lawmakers, representatives and congressmen ..................
Makes you wonder .........
Just saw a Taco Bell commercial, gotta wonder what is in that steak they advertise, or from what animal it came from ............ we know what's in their Tacos ..............
I thought it was GREAT!!!!!!!
My wife, Marilyn, while she and I were shopping for her BIRTHDAY dinner tonight said, "Get both the shrimp and the crabs legs."
"Wow," I thought, gonna be a great dinner.
Later, I found out that the shrimp were for me.
Great dinner though, Candy from Melissa for dessert ..... and a little more White Zinfandel, now a few days of ice and snow, give us plenty of time to clean up the kitchen.
Happy Birthday Marilyn, it has been a great journey with you ...................... and, the journey continues after all these years ................
"Wow," I thought, gonna be a great dinner.
Later, I found out that the shrimp were for me.
Great dinner though, Candy from Melissa for dessert ..... and a little more White Zinfandel, now a few days of ice and snow, give us plenty of time to clean up the kitchen.
Happy Birthday Marilyn, it has been a great journey with you ...................... and, the journey continues after all these years ................
I screwed up - BIGTIME
"Honey, it's your birthday, what would you like for dinner tonight?"
OK, I an drinking a little White Zinfandel while I get the Shrimp Cocktail ready, right before I put the Baked Potatoes in, and get the water boiling for the Crab Legs, and get the butter melting, while I break off pieces of the French Bread and put on the Broccoli to boil.
Next year I will just taker her out to dinner, gotta be cheaper ....... and less work.......
OK, I an drinking a little White Zinfandel while I get the Shrimp Cocktail ready, right before I put the Baked Potatoes in, and get the water boiling for the Crab Legs, and get the butter melting, while I break off pieces of the French Bread and put on the Broccoli to boil.
Next year I will just taker her out to dinner, gotta be cheaper ....... and less work.......
Detailed Local Forecast for Nerk, Ahia
Tonight: Light freezing rain early will transition to wintry mix overnight. Some icing possible. Low near 25F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 80%.
Tomorrow: Expect periods of light freezing rain early...becoming heavier in the afternoon. Thunder possible. Temps nearly steady around 30. Winds NNE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of precip 70%.
Tomorrow night: Windy...with freezing rain in the evening...later mixing with rain. Low around 30F. Winds ENE at 25 to 35 mph.
Wednesday: Windy with rain and snow showers in the morning. Then mainly snow showers in the afternoon. Morning high of 37F with temps falling to near 25F. Winds SW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of precip 50%.
Thursday: Windy with rain and snow showers. Highs in the upper 30s and lows in the low teens.
Friday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 20s and lows in the low teens.
I wonder what the weekend will be like???????
Tomorrow: Expect periods of light freezing rain early...becoming heavier in the afternoon. Thunder possible. Temps nearly steady around 30. Winds NNE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of precip 70%.
Tomorrow night: Windy...with freezing rain in the evening...later mixing with rain. Low around 30F. Winds ENE at 25 to 35 mph.
Wednesday: Windy with rain and snow showers in the morning. Then mainly snow showers in the afternoon. Morning high of 37F with temps falling to near 25F. Winds SW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of precip 50%.
Thursday: Windy with rain and snow showers. Highs in the upper 30s and lows in the low teens.
Friday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 20s and lows in the low teens.
I wonder what the weekend will be like???????
Obama Eyeing Internet ID for Americans
STANFORD, Calif.--President Obama is planning to hand the U.S. Commerce Department authority over a forthcoming cybersecurity effort to create an Internet ID for Americans, a White House official said here today.
It's "the absolute perfect spot in the U.S. government" to centralize efforts toward creating an "identity ecosystem" for the Internet, White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt said.
That news, first reported by CNET, effectively pushes the department to the forefront of the issue, beating out other potential candidates, including the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. The move also is likely to please privacy and civil-liberties groups that have raised concerns in the past over the dual roles of police and intelligence agencies.
The announcement came at an event today at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, where U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Schmidt spoke.
The Obama administration is currently drafting what it's calling the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace, which Locke said will be released by the president in the next few months. (An early version was publicly released last summer.)
It's "the absolute perfect spot in the U.S. government" to centralize efforts toward creating an "identity ecosystem" for the Internet, White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt said.
That news, first reported by CNET, effectively pushes the department to the forefront of the issue, beating out other potential candidates, including the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. The move also is likely to please privacy and civil-liberties groups that have raised concerns in the past over the dual roles of police and intelligence agencies.
The announcement came at an event today at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, where U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Schmidt spoke.
The Obama administration is currently drafting what it's calling the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace, which Locke said will be released by the president in the next few months. (An early version was publicly released last summer.)
Marilyn Dooley - Birthday TODAY
OK, once again, a request for some Birthday Emails ...
Today, my wife's Birthday, so a flood of emails would be nice ........
MARILYN DOOLEY EMAIL
or marilyndooley@yahoo.com
Would be nice to hear from some of the overseas people .........
Thanks .......................
Today, my wife's Birthday, so a flood of emails would be nice ........
MARILYN DOOLEY EMAIL
or marilyndooley@yahoo.com
Would be nice to hear from some of the overseas people .........
Thanks .......................
The SUN is out, my WATCH is running, but??????
The National Weather Service in Wilmington has issued a winter storm watch for Licking, Fairfield, Pickaway and Fayette counties from this evening through Tuesday afternoon.
Periods of wintry precipitation are expected this evening through Tuesday morning. This precipitation is expected to initially take the form of sleet and freezing rain before transitioning mainly to freezing rain late Monday night and early Tuesday. Precipitation is expected to transition to rain by Tuesday afternoon as warmer air moves into the region.
Some areas may see up to a quarter inch of ice accumulation. Total sleet accumulations are expected to be less than an inch.
A winter storm watch means conditions are favorable for a hazardous winter weather event in or close to the watch area.
That means the power might go out .... Kerosene Heater is ready, water in the bathtub (to flush the toilet), five gallons of drinking water on the ready, my battery jumper thing is fully charged, can make coffee in the AM if no power, candles ready, LED lamp is ready, clothes layed out and ready, TO LAYER if necessary, battery radio is handy ..... I AM READY
Periods of wintry precipitation are expected this evening through Tuesday morning. This precipitation is expected to initially take the form of sleet and freezing rain before transitioning mainly to freezing rain late Monday night and early Tuesday. Precipitation is expected to transition to rain by Tuesday afternoon as warmer air moves into the region.
Some areas may see up to a quarter inch of ice accumulation. Total sleet accumulations are expected to be less than an inch.
A winter storm watch means conditions are favorable for a hazardous winter weather event in or close to the watch area.
That means the power might go out .... Kerosene Heater is ready, water in the bathtub (to flush the toilet), five gallons of drinking water on the ready, my battery jumper thing is fully charged, can make coffee in the AM if no power, candles ready, LED lamp is ready, clothes layed out and ready, TO LAYER if necessary, battery radio is handy ..... I AM READY
The Lord giveth and the bank taketh away
The Lord giveth and the bank taketh away — at least, that is what a lot of churches have found recently. Lenders foreclosed on about 100 churches last year, an enormous increase from just a few years ago.
It suggests even doing God's work does not always keep the creditors away.
For Dan Burr, the road to losing his church last year began with the greatest of hopes. Twelve years ago, Burr and his wife started to worship with a few friends in their son's house in Fontana, Calif., a community about 80 miles East of Los Angeles. Neighbors began to come to the service. They brought their kids.
"And it began to grow, and before we knew it we had a little viable church," Burr recalls.
Eventually Crossroads Community Church bought a building of its own — a dilapidated Boy's Club that church members fixed up themselves. Those were the glory days. Fontana was one of the fastest growing cities in the country, church attendance was booming and Burr began to make big plans.
"We were looking at [buying] vast tracks of land, building family community centers, day care and youth centers," he says, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. "We were going to really going to do this! It was great — and then BAM!" The economic bottom fell out, and members started losing their jobs.
"First, one in 10, then one in eight, then one in six of our wage earners was out of work. They just couldn't find work," Burr says.
Church offerings dropped 20 to 25 percent. The church cut staff, trimmed programs to the bone, but finally, it simply couldn't pay the mortgage. A year ago, it gave the building back to the bank. Now members are renting it until the bank finds a buyer and Crossroads is starting over.
It suggests even doing God's work does not always keep the creditors away.
For Dan Burr, the road to losing his church last year began with the greatest of hopes. Twelve years ago, Burr and his wife started to worship with a few friends in their son's house in Fontana, Calif., a community about 80 miles East of Los Angeles. Neighbors began to come to the service. They brought their kids.
"And it began to grow, and before we knew it we had a little viable church," Burr recalls.
Eventually Crossroads Community Church bought a building of its own — a dilapidated Boy's Club that church members fixed up themselves. Those were the glory days. Fontana was one of the fastest growing cities in the country, church attendance was booming and Burr began to make big plans.
"We were looking at [buying] vast tracks of land, building family community centers, day care and youth centers," he says, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. "We were going to really going to do this! It was great — and then BAM!" The economic bottom fell out, and members started losing their jobs.
"First, one in 10, then one in eight, then one in six of our wage earners was out of work. They just couldn't find work," Burr says.
Church offerings dropped 20 to 25 percent. The church cut staff, trimmed programs to the bone, but finally, it simply couldn't pay the mortgage. A year ago, it gave the building back to the bank. Now members are renting it until the bank finds a buyer and Crossroads is starting over.
Where's the Beef?
Taco Bell "beef" pseudo-Mexican delicacies are really made of a gross mixture called "Taco Meat Filling" as shown on their big container's labels, like the one pictured here. The list of ingredients is gruesome.
Beef, water, isolated oat product, salt, chili pepper, onion powder, tomato powder, oats (wheat), soy lecithin, sugar, spices, maltodextrin (a polysaccharide that is absorbed as glucose), soybean oil (anti-dusting agent), garlic powder, autolyzed yeast extract, citric acid, caramel color, cocoa powder, silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent), natural flavors, yeast, modified corn starch, natural smoke flavor, salt, sodium phosphate, less than 2% of beef broth, potassium phosphate, and potassium lactate.
It looks bad but passable... until you learn that—according to the Alabama law firm suing Taco Bell—only 36% of that is beef. Thirty-six percent. The other 64% is mostly tasteless fibers, various industrial additives and some flavoring and coloring. Everything is processed into a mass that actually looks like beef, and packed into big containers labeled as "taco meat filling." These containers get shipped to Taco Bell's outlets and cooked into something that looks like beef, is called beef and is advertised as beef by the fast food chain.
Can you call beef something that looks like ground beef but it's 64% lots-of-other-stuff? Taco Bell thinks they can.
Beef, water, isolated oat product, salt, chili pepper, onion powder, tomato powder, oats (wheat), soy lecithin, sugar, spices, maltodextrin (a polysaccharide that is absorbed as glucose), soybean oil (anti-dusting agent), garlic powder, autolyzed yeast extract, citric acid, caramel color, cocoa powder, silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent), natural flavors, yeast, modified corn starch, natural smoke flavor, salt, sodium phosphate, less than 2% of beef broth, potassium phosphate, and potassium lactate.
It looks bad but passable... until you learn that—according to the Alabama law firm suing Taco Bell—only 36% of that is beef. Thirty-six percent. The other 64% is mostly tasteless fibers, various industrial additives and some flavoring and coloring. Everything is processed into a mass that actually looks like beef, and packed into big containers labeled as "taco meat filling." These containers get shipped to Taco Bell's outlets and cooked into something that looks like beef, is called beef and is advertised as beef by the fast food chain.
Can you call beef something that looks like ground beef but it's 64% lots-of-other-stuff? Taco Bell thinks they can.
Chaos in Cairo
There was chaos in Cairo on Sunday, the sixth day of protests in Egypt against the government of President Hosni Mubarak, and as night closed in on the capital, the streets were still filled with uncertainty about what will happen next.
The army set up checkpoints around the square, frisked people for weapons and looked at IDs, but otherwise it left alone the 5,000 demonstrators gathered at Tahrir Square, which has been occupied since Friday afternoon.
The demonstrations continued past the curfew and into the night. At around 7 p.m., Nobel Peace Laureate Mohammed ElBaradei, a key opposition figure, came to the square for the first time.
"You are the owners of this revolution. You are the future," he told the cheering crowd. "Our essential demand is the departure of the regime and the beginning of a new Egypt in which each Egyptian lives in virtue, freedom and dignity."
The outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, which wants to establish an Islamist state in Egypt, has made some statements that it was willing to let ElBaradei act as point man for the movement. But it also appeared to be moving for a more prominent role after lying low when the protests first erupted.
The army set up checkpoints around the square, frisked people for weapons and looked at IDs, but otherwise it left alone the 5,000 demonstrators gathered at Tahrir Square, which has been occupied since Friday afternoon.
The demonstrations continued past the curfew and into the night. At around 7 p.m., Nobel Peace Laureate Mohammed ElBaradei, a key opposition figure, came to the square for the first time.
"You are the owners of this revolution. You are the future," he told the cheering crowd. "Our essential demand is the departure of the regime and the beginning of a new Egypt in which each Egyptian lives in virtue, freedom and dignity."
The outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, which wants to establish an Islamist state in Egypt, has made some statements that it was willing to let ElBaradei act as point man for the movement. But it also appeared to be moving for a more prominent role after lying low when the protests first erupted.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Comment from Frank Beckman of WJR Detroit
President Obama, his administration, and party, support Egyptians who have killed over 100 people in their demand for political change.
So why do these same people demean those who engage in peaceful political opposition here in the U.S.? ...... Frank Beckman
A very perceptive comment, good for discussion and contemplation and ..........CONCERN
WHY do we give Egypt a BILLION DOLLARS a year?????????? Aid FOR WHAT??????
WHY is Hillary in Haiti and WHY are we rebuilding their country when we have A NEED FOR AID in this country?
We USED TO BE a World Power, we could afford to help others ..... WE are a second or third rate country now ............ we need their help................
WE are still those arrogant Americans, we think we are a SUPER POWER ............. HOW can we be a SUPER POWER when we are partially owned by China and are in debt up to our eyeballs with so much INTERNAL political strife?????????? WE actually have NO money that we could send to any country as AID ..... HOW do we do that anyway, just print up more?????????
So why do these same people demean those who engage in peaceful political opposition here in the U.S.? ...... Frank Beckman
A very perceptive comment, good for discussion and contemplation and ..........CONCERN
WHY do we give Egypt a BILLION DOLLARS a year?????????? Aid FOR WHAT??????
WHY is Hillary in Haiti and WHY are we rebuilding their country when we have A NEED FOR AID in this country?
We USED TO BE a World Power, we could afford to help others ..... WE are a second or third rate country now ............ we need their help................
WE are still those arrogant Americans, we think we are a SUPER POWER ............. HOW can we be a SUPER POWER when we are partially owned by China and are in debt up to our eyeballs with so much INTERNAL political strife?????????? WE actually have NO money that we could send to any country as AID ..... HOW do we do that anyway, just print up more?????????
MSNBC Ratings Soar After Olbermann’s Exit
MSNBC’s ratings for its 8 p.m. show rose 50 percent on the first night Keith Olbermann did not host the hour.
With Lawrence O’Donnell hosting on Monday, the network had 1.5 million total viewers, up from Olbermann’s average of just over 1 million.
Rachel Maddow, the 9 p.m. host, also enjoyed about a 50 percent ratings bump on Monday, rising to 1.4 million viewers.
O’Donnell was likely the beneficiary of curiosity over what he might say about Olbermann’s departure. O’Donnell, whose show previously aired at 10 p.m., did say he owed his introduction to the network to his predecessor.
O'Reilly also discussed Olbermann, although he did not mention him by name and instead referred to him as a "hateful commentator."
With Lawrence O’Donnell hosting on Monday, the network had 1.5 million total viewers, up from Olbermann’s average of just over 1 million.
Rachel Maddow, the 9 p.m. host, also enjoyed about a 50 percent ratings bump on Monday, rising to 1.4 million viewers.
O’Donnell was likely the beneficiary of curiosity over what he might say about Olbermann’s departure. O’Donnell, whose show previously aired at 10 p.m., did say he owed his introduction to the network to his predecessor.
O'Reilly also discussed Olbermann, although he did not mention him by name and instead referred to him as a "hateful commentator."
eBay Buyers And Sellers Donated More Than $50 Million To Nonprofits In 2010
A donation was made every 24 seconds via eBay Giving Works, the company's nonprofit fundraising program in the U.S., raising more than $91 a minute for nonprofits. Overall, donations were up 7 percent last year, compared to 2009, and nearly 9 million items were listed for sale, with all or a portion of the sale price donated to a nonprofit, more than double the items listed in 2009.
“Through Giving Works, eBay continues to drive innovation in online philanthropy, enabling millions of people to easily donate to organizations they care about and support people and communities in need,” said eBay Inc. President and CEO John Donahoe.
“Through Giving Works, eBay continues to drive innovation in online philanthropy, enabling millions of people to easily donate to organizations they care about and support people and communities in need,” said eBay Inc. President and CEO John Donahoe.
Well, It happened here in Ohio
It has finally happened ...
My SOLAR POWERED WATCH has run down, NO SUN
My SOLAR POWERED WATCH has run down, NO SUN
One Case Down, Guantanamo Still Far From Closing
by Dina Temple-Raston
Guantanamo is not a good news story for the president. One of the first things he did when he came into office was sign an executive order that promised to close the Guantanamo Bay prison within a year. And as the Obama administration starts its third year, administration officials say they think it is unlikely they will be able to shutter the facility before his term ends.
"Closing Guantanamo has turned out to be much more complicated than the administration thought it would be," said Matthew Waxman, a law professor at Columbia University who advised the Bush administration on Guantanamo. "It was easier to campaign on. And now they realize there are some really bad individuals down there that no one knows how to deal with."
Guantanamo is not a good news story for the president. One of the first things he did when he came into office was sign an executive order that promised to close the Guantanamo Bay prison within a year. And as the Obama administration starts its third year, administration officials say they think it is unlikely they will be able to shutter the facility before his term ends.
"Closing Guantanamo has turned out to be much more complicated than the administration thought it would be," said Matthew Waxman, a law professor at Columbia University who advised the Bush administration on Guantanamo. "It was easier to campaign on. And now they realize there are some really bad individuals down there that no one knows how to deal with."
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Poor George .................
George Herman returned home a day early from a business trip. It's late, after midnight.
While en route home he asked the cabby, Bill Martin if he would accompany him inside and be a witness. George suspected that his wife was having an affair and he wanted to catch her in the act. For $100, Bill agreed.
Quietly arriving home and entering the house, George and the cabby tiptoed upstairs and into the bedroom.
George switched on the lights, yanked the blanket back and there is his wife in bed with another man!
He reached into a drawer pulled out his gun, and put it to the naked man's head.
Mary, his wife, said, "Don't do it! I lied when I told you I inherited money. HE paid for the Corvette I gave you. HE paid for our new cabin cruiser, HE paid for your season Pittsburgh Steelers tickets, HE paid for our house at the lake, HE paid for our country club membership, and HE even pays the monthly dues!'
George shook his head from side-to-side, and lowered his gun. He looked over at Bill and said, , "What would you do?"
Bill replied, "I'd cover him up with that blanket so he doesn't catch cold!"
While en route home he asked the cabby, Bill Martin if he would accompany him inside and be a witness. George suspected that his wife was having an affair and he wanted to catch her in the act. For $100, Bill agreed.
Quietly arriving home and entering the house, George and the cabby tiptoed upstairs and into the bedroom.
George switched on the lights, yanked the blanket back and there is his wife in bed with another man!
He reached into a drawer pulled out his gun, and put it to the naked man's head.
Mary, his wife, said, "Don't do it! I lied when I told you I inherited money. HE paid for the Corvette I gave you. HE paid for our new cabin cruiser, HE paid for your season Pittsburgh Steelers tickets, HE paid for our house at the lake, HE paid for our country club membership, and HE even pays the monthly dues!'
George shook his head from side-to-side, and lowered his gun. He looked over at Bill and said, , "What would you do?"
Bill replied, "I'd cover him up with that blanket so he doesn't catch cold!"
Friday, January 28, 2011
Another one from Ernie in California
Employee: Excuse me sir, may I talk to you?
Boss: Sure, come on in. What can I do for you?
Employee: Well sir, as you know, I have been an employee of this prestigious firm for over ten years.
Boss: Yes.
Employee: I won't beat around the bush. Sir, I would like a raise. I currently have four companies after me so I decided to talk to you first.
Boss: A raise? I would love to give you a raise, but this is just not the right time.
Employee: I understand your position, and I know that the current economic down turn has had a negative impact on sales, but you must also take into consideration my hard work, pro- activeness and loyalty to this company for over a decade.
Boss: Taking into account these factors, and considering I don't want to start a brain drain, I'm willing to offer you a ten percent raise and an extra five days of vacation time. How does that sound?
Employee: Great! It's a deal! Thank you, sir!
Boss: Before you go, just out of curiosity, what companies were after you?
Employee: Oh, the Electric Company, Gas Company, Water Company, and the Mortgage Company!
Boss: Sure, come on in. What can I do for you?
Employee: Well sir, as you know, I have been an employee of this prestigious firm for over ten years.
Boss: Yes.
Employee: I won't beat around the bush. Sir, I would like a raise. I currently have four companies after me so I decided to talk to you first.
Boss: A raise? I would love to give you a raise, but this is just not the right time.
Employee: I understand your position, and I know that the current economic down turn has had a negative impact on sales, but you must also take into consideration my hard work, pro- activeness and loyalty to this company for over a decade.
Boss: Taking into account these factors, and considering I don't want to start a brain drain, I'm willing to offer you a ten percent raise and an extra five days of vacation time. How does that sound?
Employee: Great! It's a deal! Thank you, sir!
Boss: Before you go, just out of curiosity, what companies were after you?
Employee: Oh, the Electric Company, Gas Company, Water Company, and the Mortgage Company!
Didn't Really Happen .... Thanks Ernie..
I was in my back yard trying to launch a kite. I threw the kite up in the air, the wind would catch it for a few
seconds, then it would come crashing back down to earth. I tried this a few more times with no success.
seconds, then it would come crashing back down to earth. I tried this a few more times with no success.
All the while, my wife Marilyn is watching from the kitchen window, muttering to herself how men need to be told how to do everything. She opened the window and yelled to me,
'You need more tail.'
I turned with a confused look on my face and said, 'Make up your mind. Last night, you told me to go fly a kite.'
Mexico finds 2nd 'pot-catapult'
Associated Press
HERMOSILLO, Mexico - Drug smugglers are using an ancient invention as a new way to move marijuana across the border from Mexico to Arizona.
The discovery of two "drug catapults" in the Mexican state of Sonora marks the latest twist in the cat-and-mouse game traffickers play with authorities.
U.S. National Guard troops operating a remote surveillance system at the Naco Border Patrol Station say they observed several people preparing a catapult and launching packages over the fence late last week.
A Mexican army officer says the 3-yard (3-meter) tall catapult was found about 20 yards (20 meters) from the U.S. border on a flatbed towed by a sports utility vehicle.
The officer says the catapult was capable of launching 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms) of marijuana at a time. He says soldiers seized 35 pounds (16 kilograms) of pot, the vehicle and the catapult.
The smugglers left before they could be captured. The surveillance video of them using the catapult was released Wednesday.
A second catapult was discovered Thursday in near Agua Prieta, another border town. Another army officer in that area said an anonymous tip led soldiers to the scene and the catapult was similar to the first.
Mexican officials say it is the first time they have seen this smuggling method used by local traffickers.
Mexican traffickers have previously used planes, tunnels, vehicles, boats and couriers to smuggle drugs into the United States. Colombian drug traffickers have even used homemade submarines.
Woman Accused of Hitting Cop With Sex Toy
An Illinois woman accused of assaulting a police officer with a sex toy says she only picked up a dildo to protect herself.
Carolee Bildsten, 57, says her arrest in November for allegedly hitting a cop with a "clear, rigid feminine pleasure device" was anything but pleasurable.
"I got a little bit afraid," she told TribLocal.com in a lengthy interview. "I got scared. And the only thing in my sock drawer besides my socks and my cash was a dildo."
Police say Carolee Bildsten, 56, attempted to strike a cop with a sex toy on Nov 9. The Gurnee, Ill. resident was confronted by an officer after allegedly walking out on her bill at a restaurant. The cop escorted her home to retrieve cash, and that's when Bildsten reportedly whipped out a "clear, rigid feminine pleasure device" and approached the cop in a "threatening manner." But Bildsten insists she was acting in self defense.
She admits having a meal and wine at Joe's Crab Shack on Nov. 9, but she swears she didn't just walk out on the check, as police reports indicated.
Instead, Bildsten says she "wanted to travel light" by leaving her purse at home, but she realized she forgot her credit card only after finishing her meal.
"I sheepishly told the bartender that I didn't have any money with me but that I lived nearby, so I was going to run home and get money," said Bildsten, who also disputed reports that she had recently committed a similar dine-and-ditch at the restaurant.
When she couldn't find a taxi, Bildsten says she began walking home. Partly due to a broken foot and partly due to her "intoxication," Bildsten says she tripped and fell during the walk -- and that's when police found her lying on a patch of grass near the Six Flags Great America amusement park.
An officer told Bildsten she must either pay the bill or face arrest, and he offered to give her a ride home.
Inside her residence, Bildsten says she got nervous because she remembered an article about a local police officer who had been convicted of sexual assault.
"I'm counting my cash to make sure I take out enough, and the officer walks into my bedroom and startles me," she said.
That's when she raised the dildo in what she calls a "defensive move."
But Bildsten insists she never struck the officer.
"I did not assault him. I'm not guilty of that," she said. "I simply was defending myself."
Carolee Bildsten, 57, says her arrest in November for allegedly hitting a cop with a "clear, rigid feminine pleasure device" was anything but pleasurable.
"I got a little bit afraid," she told TribLocal.com in a lengthy interview. "I got scared. And the only thing in my sock drawer besides my socks and my cash was a dildo."
Police say Carolee Bildsten, 56, attempted to strike a cop with a sex toy on Nov 9. The Gurnee, Ill. resident was confronted by an officer after allegedly walking out on her bill at a restaurant. The cop escorted her home to retrieve cash, and that's when Bildsten reportedly whipped out a "clear, rigid feminine pleasure device" and approached the cop in a "threatening manner." But Bildsten insists she was acting in self defense.
She admits having a meal and wine at Joe's Crab Shack on Nov. 9, but she swears she didn't just walk out on the check, as police reports indicated.
Instead, Bildsten says she "wanted to travel light" by leaving her purse at home, but she realized she forgot her credit card only after finishing her meal.
"I sheepishly told the bartender that I didn't have any money with me but that I lived nearby, so I was going to run home and get money," said Bildsten, who also disputed reports that she had recently committed a similar dine-and-ditch at the restaurant.
When she couldn't find a taxi, Bildsten says she began walking home. Partly due to a broken foot and partly due to her "intoxication," Bildsten says she tripped and fell during the walk -- and that's when police found her lying on a patch of grass near the Six Flags Great America amusement park.
An officer told Bildsten she must either pay the bill or face arrest, and he offered to give her a ride home.
Inside her residence, Bildsten says she got nervous because she remembered an article about a local police officer who had been convicted of sexual assault.
"I'm counting my cash to make sure I take out enough, and the officer walks into my bedroom and startles me," she said.
That's when she raised the dildo in what she calls a "defensive move."
But Bildsten insists she never struck the officer.
"I did not assault him. I'm not guilty of that," she said. "I simply was defending myself."
I remember it well .... about our neighbor
We had a neighbor on our farm when I was young, who had a little boy named Ralph. Since birth he had not been able to speak.
They took him to specialists, speech clinics, anywhere that they thought there was a ray of hope, but nothing worked.
Finally, one morning Ralph came down for breakfast, quietly sat down and started to eat.
"Mom, these darn pancakes are cold," he said.
The family was excited, they jumped around the dining room for joy.
His father, who was filled with excitement said, "Ralph, what happened, all these years you couldn't talk, now you are talking, why?"
Ralph said, "Dad, up to now everything has been OK."
They took him to specialists, speech clinics, anywhere that they thought there was a ray of hope, but nothing worked.
Finally, one morning Ralph came down for breakfast, quietly sat down and started to eat.
"Mom, these darn pancakes are cold," he said.
The family was excited, they jumped around the dining room for joy.
His father, who was filled with excitement said, "Ralph, what happened, all these years you couldn't talk, now you are talking, why?"
Ralph said, "Dad, up to now everything has been OK."
The sad story of a dead duck ............
A woman brought a very limp duck to the veterinarian's office. As she lay her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest. After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, "I'm so sorry, your pet duck Cuddles has passed away."
The distressed owner wailed, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am sure. The duck is dead," he replied.
"How can you be so sure," she protested. "I mean, you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."
The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room, and returned a few moments later with a black Labrador Retriever.
As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head.
The vet patted the lab and led it out of the exam room. He returned a few moments later with a cat.
The cat jumped up on the table and also sniffed delicately at the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.
The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck."
Then the vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman.
The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. She screamed, "$150.00!" "$150 just to tell me my duck is dead!"
The vet shrugged. "I'm sorry. If you'd taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20, but with the lab report and the cat scan, it's now $150.00."
The distressed owner wailed, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am sure. The duck is dead," he replied.
"How can you be so sure," she protested. "I mean, you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."
The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room, and returned a few moments later with a black Labrador Retriever.
As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head.
The vet patted the lab and led it out of the exam room. He returned a few moments later with a cat.
The cat jumped up on the table and also sniffed delicately at the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.
The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck."
Then the vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman.
The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. She screamed, "$150.00!" "$150 just to tell me my duck is dead!"
The vet shrugged. "I'm sorry. If you'd taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20, but with the lab report and the cat scan, it's now $150.00."
I don't need YOUR people
Gov. Kasich to Sen. Nina Turner on diversity issue: “I don’t need your people.”
He said he meant her "Political Party"
King John, as he is being called, often puts his foot in his mouth, or is not too smart, or just doesn't give a damn. At this point, I am really concerned about the man that was elected Governor of Ohio.
He said he meant her "Political Party"
King John, as he is being called, often puts his foot in his mouth, or is not too smart, or just doesn't give a damn. At this point, I am really concerned about the man that was elected Governor of Ohio.
Politics as usual in Illinois
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Thursday that Rahm Emanuel can run as a candidate for mayor in next month's Chicago elections, overturning an appeals court decision that had knocked the former White House chief of staff off the ballot.
The scathing majority opinion from five of the justices on the Illinois Supreme Court scolded the appellate court for adopting a previously unheard of test for residency in Illinois, saying it was without any foundation in Illinois law.
In reversing the 2-to-1 appellate ruling, the justices said what it means to be a resident for election purposes was clearly established long ago and Illinois law has been consistent on the matter for well over a century.
Two justices concurred with the majority in ruling Emanuel eligible for the ballot, but wrote a separate opinion stating the law is not as clear-cut as the majority states.
Emanuel lived for nearly two years in Washington working for President Obama until he moved back to Chicago in October to run for mayor.
Emanuel, who has said he always intended to return to Chicago and was only living in Washington at the request of the president, had asked the Supreme Court to overturn the Feb. 22 appeals court ruling.
Within minutes of the ruling, Emanuel was at a downtown Chicago public transit station shaking hands with residents.
The scathing majority opinion from five of the justices on the Illinois Supreme Court scolded the appellate court for adopting a previously unheard of test for residency in Illinois, saying it was without any foundation in Illinois law.
In reversing the 2-to-1 appellate ruling, the justices said what it means to be a resident for election purposes was clearly established long ago and Illinois law has been consistent on the matter for well over a century.
Two justices concurred with the majority in ruling Emanuel eligible for the ballot, but wrote a separate opinion stating the law is not as clear-cut as the majority states.
Emanuel lived for nearly two years in Washington working for President Obama until he moved back to Chicago in October to run for mayor.
Emanuel, who has said he always intended to return to Chicago and was only living in Washington at the request of the president, had asked the Supreme Court to overturn the Feb. 22 appeals court ruling.
Within minutes of the ruling, Emanuel was at a downtown Chicago public transit station shaking hands with residents.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
RU from Ahia?
You might be from Ohio (pronounced Ah-hi-a), if:
1. You think all Pro football teams are supposed to wear orange!
2. You know all the 4 seasons: winter, still winter, almost winter and construction.
3. You live less than 30 miles from some college or university.
4. You know what a buckeye really is, and have a recipe for candied ones.
5. "Toward the lake" means "north" and "toward the river" means "south."
6. You know if other Ohioans are from southern or northern Ohio as soon as they open their mouths.
7. You can spell words like Cuyahoga, Olentangy, Bellefontaine, Tuscarawas, Wapakoneta and you know which letter is doubled in Cincinnati .
8. "Vacation! " means spending a day at Cedar Point in the summer and deer hunting in the fall.
9. You measure distance in minutes
10. Your school classes were canceled because of cold.
11. Your school classes were canceled because of heat.
12. You've had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
13. You know what should be knee-high by the Fourth of July.
14. You end your sentences with an unnecessary preposition. Example: "Where's my coat at?"
15. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.
16. You think of the major four food groups as corn, pork, beer, and Jell-O salad with marshmallows.
17. You carry jumper cables in your car.
18. You know what 'pop' is.
19. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.
20. Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow. (Amen!)
21. You think sexy lingerie is tube socks and a flannel nightgown.
22. The local paper covers national and international headlines on one page but requires six pages for sports.
1. You think all Pro football teams are supposed to wear orange!
2. You know all the 4 seasons: winter, still winter, almost winter and construction.
3. You live less than 30 miles from some college or university.
4. You know what a buckeye really is, and have a recipe for candied ones.
5. "Toward the lake" means "north" and "toward the river" means "south."
6. You know if other Ohioans are from southern or northern Ohio as soon as they open their mouths.
7. You can spell words like Cuyahoga, Olentangy, Bellefontaine, Tuscarawas, Wapakoneta and you know which letter is doubled in Cincinnati .
8. "Vacation! " means spending a day at Cedar Point in the summer and deer hunting in the fall.
9. You measure distance in minutes
10. Your school classes were canceled because of cold.
11. Your school classes were canceled because of heat.
12. You've had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
13. You know what should be knee-high by the Fourth of July.
14. You end your sentences with an unnecessary preposition. Example: "Where's my coat at?"
15. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.
16. You think of the major four food groups as corn, pork, beer, and Jell-O salad with marshmallows.
17. You carry jumper cables in your car.
18. You know what 'pop' is.
19. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.
20. Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow. (Amen!)
21. You think sexy lingerie is tube socks and a flannel nightgown.
22. The local paper covers national and international headlines on one page but requires six pages for sports.
The throwaway dog whisperer
When you have some time to sit and read what I think is a really neat story about a gal who has overcome and unbelievable early life, and is really doing something worthwhile. I put it on a separate post, the link is below ..... hard to believe a child could go through all of that and then turn her life around...........
Here is the story
Here is the story
Another Two Nun Story .........
There were two nuns
One of them was known as Sister Mathematical (SM) , and the other one was known as Sister Logical (SL ) .
It is getting dark and they are still far away from the convent.
SM: Have you noticed that a man has been following us for the past thirty-eight and a half minutes? I wonder what he wants.
SL: It's logical. He wants us.
SM: Oh, no! At this rate he will reach us in 15 minutes at the most! What can we do?
SL: The only logical thing to do of course is to walk faster. A little while later...
SM: It's not working.
SL: Of course it's not working. The man did the only logical thing. He started to walk faster, too.
SM: So, what shall we do? At this rate he will reach us in one minute.
SL: The only logical thing we can do is split. You go that way and I'll go this way. He cannot follow us both.
So the man decided to follow Sister Logical.
Sister Mathematical arrives at the convent and is worried about what hashappened to Sister Logical.
Then Sister Logical arrives.
SM: Sister Logical! Thank God you are here! Tell me what happened!
SL: The only logical thing happened. The man couldn't follow us both, so he followed me
SM: Yes, yes! But what happened then?
SL: The only logical thing happened. I started to run as fast as I could and he started to run as fast as he could.
SM: And?
SL : The only logical thing happened. He reached me.
SM : Oh, dear! What did you do?
SL : The only logical thing to do. I lifted my dress up.
SM : Oh, Sister! What did the man do?
SL: The only logical thing to do. He pulled down his pants.
SM: Oh, no! What happened then?
SL : Isn't it logical, Sister? A nun with her dress up can run faster than a man with his pants down.
And for those of you who thought it would be dirty, Say two Hail Marys!
One of them was known as Sister Mathematical (SM) , and the other one was known as Sister Logical (SL ) .
It is getting dark and they are still far away from the convent.
SM: Have you noticed that a man has been following us for the past thirty-eight and a half minutes? I wonder what he wants.
SL: It's logical. He wants us.
SM: Oh, no! At this rate he will reach us in 15 minutes at the most! What can we do?
SL: The only logical thing to do of course is to walk faster. A little while later...
SM: It's not working.
SL: Of course it's not working. The man did the only logical thing. He started to walk faster, too.
SM: So, what shall we do? At this rate he will reach us in one minute.
SL: The only logical thing we can do is split. You go that way and I'll go this way. He cannot follow us both.
So the man decided to follow Sister Logical.
Sister Mathematical arrives at the convent and is worried about what hashappened to Sister Logical.
Then Sister Logical arrives.
SM: Sister Logical! Thank God you are here! Tell me what happened!
SL: The only logical thing happened. The man couldn't follow us both, so he followed me
SM: Yes, yes! But what happened then?
SL: The only logical thing happened. I started to run as fast as I could and he started to run as fast as he could.
SM: And?
SL : The only logical thing happened. He reached me.
SM : Oh, dear! What did you do?
SL : The only logical thing to do. I lifted my dress up.
SM : Oh, Sister! What did the man do?
SL: The only logical thing to do. He pulled down his pants.
SM: Oh, no! What happened then?
SL : Isn't it logical, Sister? A nun with her dress up can run faster than a man with his pants down.
And for those of you who thought it would be dirty, Say two Hail Marys!
I am sorry, this is cute
There was an elderly man at home, upstairs, dying in bed.
He smelled the aroma of his favourite chocolate chip cookies baking.
He wanted one last cookie before he died.
He fell out of bed, crawled to the landing, rolled down the stairs and crawled into the kitchen where his wife was busily baking cookies.
With his last remaining strength he crawled to the table and was just barely able to lift his withered arm to the cookie sheet.
As he grasped a warm, moist chocolate chip cookie, his favorite kind, his wife suddenly whacked his hand with a spatula.
Gasping for breath, he asked her, "Why did you do that?"
"Those are for the funeral," she replied.
He smelled the aroma of his favourite chocolate chip cookies baking.
He wanted one last cookie before he died.
He fell out of bed, crawled to the landing, rolled down the stairs and crawled into the kitchen where his wife was busily baking cookies.
With his last remaining strength he crawled to the table and was just barely able to lift his withered arm to the cookie sheet.
As he grasped a warm, moist chocolate chip cookie, his favorite kind, his wife suddenly whacked his hand with a spatula.
Gasping for breath, he asked her, "Why did you do that?"
"Those are for the funeral," she replied.
More Navy Talk
OK, I admit it, when I went aboard the Mitchell, the only thing they had open was for me to be the Chaplain's Assistant. I ran the children's nursery, bingo games, dances and set the room up for his church service.
My first Chaplain was a Wesleyan Methodist, strict beyond belief. If they had a dance in the passengers lounge, it was on the same deck as his cabin, he would sleep in the Chaplain's Office, which was on another level. He was no fun at all.
Then I got a Lutheran, first "buying" trip with him in Seattle, well we would buy bingo prizes and items for his church services. His services called for a lot of wine, and he loved to play cribbage. That is pretty much what I did for a year or so, play cribbage and drink wine, and of course, my duties aboard the ship.
I was the Ship's Diary Yeoman, kept a diary on everything that happened aboard ship. It had to be the last thing to leave the ship before we sailed. That became a bit "hairy" on occasions, with last minute transfers, some who missed the ship for one reason or another, I was often typing as the ship was leaving port, and would hand the diary to the Pilot as he left the ship. Often heard, "Diary Yeoman to the Bridge." If the Diary didn't leave the ship, the ship didn't sail, so you can see my dilemma.
All in all, I had a good four years in the Navy. Played a lot of golf in San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Yokohama, Japan, Okinawa and some other bases in the orient. Golf was not as popular the. Our Captain played golf, the Executive Officer did, Tony, a Corpsman did, and I. So we often did a foursome. On a number of occasions, we were the first four off the ship.
The Mitchell is gone, every time I shave, I wonder if I am using any of the metal from the old Mitch. I have some more information on the Mitchell or, there is a link on this blog.
My first Chaplain was a Wesleyan Methodist, strict beyond belief. If they had a dance in the passengers lounge, it was on the same deck as his cabin, he would sleep in the Chaplain's Office, which was on another level. He was no fun at all.
Then I got a Lutheran, first "buying" trip with him in Seattle, well we would buy bingo prizes and items for his church services. His services called for a lot of wine, and he loved to play cribbage. That is pretty much what I did for a year or so, play cribbage and drink wine, and of course, my duties aboard the ship.
I was the Ship's Diary Yeoman, kept a diary on everything that happened aboard ship. It had to be the last thing to leave the ship before we sailed. That became a bit "hairy" on occasions, with last minute transfers, some who missed the ship for one reason or another, I was often typing as the ship was leaving port, and would hand the diary to the Pilot as he left the ship. Often heard, "Diary Yeoman to the Bridge." If the Diary didn't leave the ship, the ship didn't sail, so you can see my dilemma.
All in all, I had a good four years in the Navy. Played a lot of golf in San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Yokohama, Japan, Okinawa and some other bases in the orient. Golf was not as popular the. Our Captain played golf, the Executive Officer did, Tony, a Corpsman did, and I. So we often did a foursome. On a number of occasions, we were the first four off the ship.
The Mitchell is gone, every time I shave, I wonder if I am using any of the metal from the old Mitch. I have some more information on the Mitchell or, there is a link on this blog.
What I did in the Navy
I have had a few ask "What did you do in the Navy?"
Well, it's a long story. I went through Boot Camp, then Yeoman School, and I was sent to the Eleventh Naval District, Discipline Office, and was given the "Discharge Desk." That meant I handeled the General, Bad Conduct and Undesirable Discharges for the Eleventh Naval District. That was in late 1952. The world was different then. Interesting duty, to say the least.
I discharged some really hard cases. Some where the Brig Chaser (guard) would stand by the prisoner while I interviewed him. As I recall a few General Discharges, that was the worst. Each GD necessitated the charges being read before the assembled base, throughout the Navy. I remember after the Brinks Robbery, the FBI came on base and questioned some of our "inmates" in the Brig, to see if they had any information on who might have done it. One man had sold arms to the enemy in Korea, a lot of AWOL's and in general, just some really bad a...guys. On more than one occasion, there would be a robbery or a murder, somewhere and we would be visited by some agency, to question someone in our custody.
I basically did nothing but type up the discharge papers, all the preliminary work was done, the court martial or whatever prompted the discharge. Then they were sent to our Brig to await the completion of all the paperwork. We had Brig Chasers, guards who would bring the prisoners over, do the interview, type up the DD-214 and everything necessary to complete the discharge, because once they were handed those papers, escorted off the base, they were out of our jurisdiction.
We "graduated" on Wednesday and Friday. Paperwork done the two days before discharge, a visit to the San Diego Police Station by the "class." The SPD would check to see of there were any outstanding warrants or tickets on any of the prisoners. Each prisoner discharged would get transportion furnished to his place of enlistment, or his home at the time of enlistment, so as far as the SDPD was concerned, that was their last chance to nail them.
I'm not going to get into the UD's they were issued for a variety of reasons, some, today quite controversial, so will leave that subject alone. We discharged some, in those days, that would not be discharged today. One kid was allergic to salt water, the Navy was not a good place to be. He was from Iowa and had never been away from home so when he got to San Diego, that's when his problem began.
Before going aboard ship, the USS William T. Mitchell TAP-114, I did a month or so of Shore Patrol Duty at the Mexican Border in Tijuana, but that is another whole story, as you can imagine.
Well, it's a long story. I went through Boot Camp, then Yeoman School, and I was sent to the Eleventh Naval District, Discipline Office, and was given the "Discharge Desk." That meant I handeled the General, Bad Conduct and Undesirable Discharges for the Eleventh Naval District. That was in late 1952. The world was different then. Interesting duty, to say the least.
I discharged some really hard cases. Some where the Brig Chaser (guard) would stand by the prisoner while I interviewed him. As I recall a few General Discharges, that was the worst. Each GD necessitated the charges being read before the assembled base, throughout the Navy. I remember after the Brinks Robbery, the FBI came on base and questioned some of our "inmates" in the Brig, to see if they had any information on who might have done it. One man had sold arms to the enemy in Korea, a lot of AWOL's and in general, just some really bad a...guys. On more than one occasion, there would be a robbery or a murder, somewhere and we would be visited by some agency, to question someone in our custody.
I basically did nothing but type up the discharge papers, all the preliminary work was done, the court martial or whatever prompted the discharge. Then they were sent to our Brig to await the completion of all the paperwork. We had Brig Chasers, guards who would bring the prisoners over, do the interview, type up the DD-214 and everything necessary to complete the discharge, because once they were handed those papers, escorted off the base, they were out of our jurisdiction.
We "graduated" on Wednesday and Friday. Paperwork done the two days before discharge, a visit to the San Diego Police Station by the "class." The SPD would check to see of there were any outstanding warrants or tickets on any of the prisoners. Each prisoner discharged would get transportion furnished to his place of enlistment, or his home at the time of enlistment, so as far as the SDPD was concerned, that was their last chance to nail them.
I'm not going to get into the UD's they were issued for a variety of reasons, some, today quite controversial, so will leave that subject alone. We discharged some, in those days, that would not be discharged today. One kid was allergic to salt water, the Navy was not a good place to be. He was from Iowa and had never been away from home so when he got to San Diego, that's when his problem began.
Before going aboard ship, the USS William T. Mitchell TAP-114, I did a month or so of Shore Patrol Duty at the Mexican Border in Tijuana, but that is another whole story, as you can imagine.
It happened down on the farm
Cletus is passing by Jimboy's hay barn one day when, through a gap in the door, he sees George doing a slow and sensual striptease in front of an old green John Deere.
Buttocks clenched, Jimboy performs a slow pirouette and gently slides off first the right strap of his overalls, followed by the left. He then hunches his shoulders forward and in a classic striptease move, he lets his overalls fall down to his hips revealing a torn and frayed plaid shirt.
Grabbing both sides of his shirt he rips it apart to reveal his stained tee shirt underneath. With a final flourish he tears the tee shirt from his body and hurls his baseball cap onto a pile of hay.
Having seen enough Cletus rushes in and says, "What the heck are you doing, Jimboy?"
"Jeez, Cletus, ya scared the snot out of me!" exclaims Jimboy. Then, obviously embarrassed, he says, "Me and the old lady been having trouble lately in the bedroom department, and the therapist suggested I do something sexy to a tractor."
Buttocks clenched, Jimboy performs a slow pirouette and gently slides off first the right strap of his overalls, followed by the left. He then hunches his shoulders forward and in a classic striptease move, he lets his overalls fall down to his hips revealing a torn and frayed plaid shirt.
Grabbing both sides of his shirt he rips it apart to reveal his stained tee shirt underneath. With a final flourish he tears the tee shirt from his body and hurls his baseball cap onto a pile of hay.
Having seen enough Cletus rushes in and says, "What the heck are you doing, Jimboy?"
"Jeez, Cletus, ya scared the snot out of me!" exclaims Jimboy. Then, obviously embarrassed, he says, "Me and the old lady been having trouble lately in the bedroom department, and the therapist suggested I do something sexy to a tractor."
EXTORTION - Medical Extortion
This is just one of a number of definitions of the word EXTORTION. It is used, often, in our daily lives and we are not even aware of it.
The term extortion is often used metaphorically to refer to usury or to price-gouging, though neither is legally considered extortion. It is also often used loosely to refer to everyday situations where one person feels indebted against their will, to another, in order to receive an essential service or avoid legal consequences. For example, certain lawsuits, fees for services such as banking, automobile insurance, gasoline prices, and even taxation, have all been labeled "legalized extortion" by people with various social or political beliefs.
"Hi Joe, this is Doctor BLANKS office, (whose practice is owned by the hospital) we want you to go to the hospital and get blood work done, and then call, and make an appointment to come in and see the Doctor. THEN, she can renew your prescription."
That to me is Medical Extortion. My old Doctor, who WAS NOT PAID by the hospital, NEVER called me up to tell me to make an appointment. If you got sick, then YOU called and made an appointment.
I don't know, is there NOW a law that states that a Doctor cannot write or renew a prescription for a patient, even though he/she is a regular patient without seeing them, I doubt it, if there is, it was written with EXTORTION in mind.
My lab work and office visit, with the exception of a small amount of co-pay, is paid for by Medicare, my guess is around $1000. I would really like to know how much our local hospital takes in each day from Medicare. My guess, a staggering amount.
Hospitals used to exist to be of service to patients and Doctors, Now the Doctors are owned and paid for by the Hospitals. Does the hospital also pay their Malpractice Insurance? What a STAGGERING amount that must be each month at about $5000 or so per.
No wonder they want me to get the blood work and the office visit done, THEY NEED the money
The term extortion is often used metaphorically to refer to usury or to price-gouging, though neither is legally considered extortion. It is also often used loosely to refer to everyday situations where one person feels indebted against their will, to another, in order to receive an essential service or avoid legal consequences. For example, certain lawsuits, fees for services such as banking, automobile insurance, gasoline prices, and even taxation, have all been labeled "legalized extortion" by people with various social or political beliefs.
"Hi Joe, this is Doctor BLANKS office, (whose practice is owned by the hospital) we want you to go to the hospital and get blood work done, and then call, and make an appointment to come in and see the Doctor. THEN, she can renew your prescription."
That to me is Medical Extortion. My old Doctor, who WAS NOT PAID by the hospital, NEVER called me up to tell me to make an appointment. If you got sick, then YOU called and made an appointment.
I don't know, is there NOW a law that states that a Doctor cannot write or renew a prescription for a patient, even though he/she is a regular patient without seeing them, I doubt it, if there is, it was written with EXTORTION in mind.
My lab work and office visit, with the exception of a small amount of co-pay, is paid for by Medicare, my guess is around $1000. I would really like to know how much our local hospital takes in each day from Medicare. My guess, a staggering amount.
Hospitals used to exist to be of service to patients and Doctors, Now the Doctors are owned and paid for by the Hospitals. Does the hospital also pay their Malpractice Insurance? What a STAGGERING amount that must be each month at about $5000 or so per.
No wonder they want me to get the blood work and the office visit done, THEY NEED the money
ODOT cafeteria ordered to show Fox News
With the change in administrations changes are happening at all state agencies. New leadership. New goals. New priorities. And, as it turns out, new TV channels as well.
We just learned that the Ohio Department of Transportation’s cafeteria, which used to show CNN during the day, has recently been ordered by ODOT’s HR department to ONLY show Fox News (Kasich’s former employer).
First thoughts: is ODOT’s Human Resources paying someone to hang around the TV to yell at you if you change the channel? Did they just post a nasty memo? Or did they just take the cheap route and tape all the buttons down?
We just learned that the Ohio Department of Transportation’s cafeteria, which used to show CNN during the day, has recently been ordered by ODOT’s HR department to ONLY show Fox News (Kasich’s former employer).
First thoughts: is ODOT’s Human Resources paying someone to hang around the TV to yell at you if you change the channel? Did they just post a nasty memo? Or did they just take the cheap route and tape all the buttons down?
Universities, Military Reconsider Restoring On-Campus ROTC
Universities, Military Reconsider Restoring On-Campus ROTC
by Frank James
Mutual suspicion, sometimes verging onto outright hostility between the U.S. military and academia, has been pronounced ever since the Vietnam War.
That tension has led many colleges and universities, especially Ivy League campuses, to remain ROTC-free zones, first because of the war, then from opposition to the just repealed Don't Ask, Don't Tell ban on gays serving openly in the U.S. military.
In a related situation, during Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan's confirmation hearing, she was questioned about her role as Harvard Law School dean in the decision to bar military recruiters from campus because of DADT.
The Supreme Court in 2006 ruled the federal government could bar federal money from institutions that barred recruiters from campus.
Now some schools are revisiting the idea of having ROTC on campus. In his State of the Union address, President Obama urged them to say yes to ROTC.
by Frank James
Mutual suspicion, sometimes verging onto outright hostility between the U.S. military and academia, has been pronounced ever since the Vietnam War.
That tension has led many colleges and universities, especially Ivy League campuses, to remain ROTC-free zones, first because of the war, then from opposition to the just repealed Don't Ask, Don't Tell ban on gays serving openly in the U.S. military.
In a related situation, during Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan's confirmation hearing, she was questioned about her role as Harvard Law School dean in the decision to bar military recruiters from campus because of DADT.
The Supreme Court in 2006 ruled the federal government could bar federal money from institutions that barred recruiters from campus.
Now some schools are revisiting the idea of having ROTC on campus. In his State of the Union address, President Obama urged them to say yes to ROTC.
Color-Coded Terror Warnings Get The Red Light
by The Associated Press
The nation's color-coded terror warning system will be phased out beginning this week, according to government officials familiar with the plan. The officials requested anonymity to speak ahead of an announcement scheduled Thursday by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.
The Homeland Security Department and other government agencies have been reviewing the Homeland Security Advisory System's usefulness for more than a year. One of the most notable changes to come: The public will no longer hear automated recordings at U.S. airports stating that the threat level is orange.
The Obama administration will take the next three months to roll out a replacement, which will be called the National Terrorism Advisory System. The new plan calls for notifying specific audiences about specific threats. In some cases, it might be a one-page threat description sent to law enforcement officials describing the threat, what law enforcement needs to do about it and what the federal government is doing, one of the officials said.
The nation's color-coded terror warning system will be phased out beginning this week, according to government officials familiar with the plan. The officials requested anonymity to speak ahead of an announcement scheduled Thursday by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.
The Homeland Security Department and other government agencies have been reviewing the Homeland Security Advisory System's usefulness for more than a year. One of the most notable changes to come: The public will no longer hear automated recordings at U.S. airports stating that the threat level is orange.
The Obama administration will take the next three months to roll out a replacement, which will be called the National Terrorism Advisory System. The new plan calls for notifying specific audiences about specific threats. In some cases, it might be a one-page threat description sent to law enforcement officials describing the threat, what law enforcement needs to do about it and what the federal government is doing, one of the officials said.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The Night Congress Learned To Couple-Skate
by Bill Chappell
The idea that members of Congress would tout their commitment to bipartisanship by sitting together Tuesday night struck some as inspired — and others as insipid. But the gesture may have helped President Obama more than anyone.
Based on appearances alone, viewers of Obama's State of the Union speech could be forgiven for thinking that the president's words were hitting home more than usual inside the hall.
That's because, instead of the standard partisan sight of half the chamber standing to applaud while the other half sat on their hands and looked like they were chewing on Sour Balls, on Tuesday night the ovations looked less one-sided.
The audience for the State of the Union is usually self-segregated, with Democrats on one side of the aisle and Republicans on the other. But not this year. The shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords prompted lawmakers to call for mixed seating, and the idea quickly gained traction.
With more than 50 bipartisan pairs — and even trios, quartets and whole softball teams — sitting together, this wasn't a night to nod off and simply copy your neighbor's reaction.
The idea that members of Congress would tout their commitment to bipartisanship by sitting together Tuesday night struck some as inspired — and others as insipid. But the gesture may have helped President Obama more than anyone.
Based on appearances alone, viewers of Obama's State of the Union speech could be forgiven for thinking that the president's words were hitting home more than usual inside the hall.
That's because, instead of the standard partisan sight of half the chamber standing to applaud while the other half sat on their hands and looked like they were chewing on Sour Balls, on Tuesday night the ovations looked less one-sided.
The audience for the State of the Union is usually self-segregated, with Democrats on one side of the aisle and Republicans on the other. But not this year. The shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords prompted lawmakers to call for mixed seating, and the idea quickly gained traction.
With more than 50 bipartisan pairs — and even trios, quartets and whole softball teams — sitting together, this wasn't a night to nod off and simply copy your neighbor's reaction.
Six Boys And Thirteen Hands...
A worthwhile read about an 8th grade class from Wisconsin who enjoyed a unique moment at the Iwo Jima memorial in Washington.
Each year I am hired to go to Washington , DC , with the eighth grade class from Clinton , WI where I grew up, to videotape their trip. I greatly enjoy visiting our nation's capitol, and each year I take some special memories back with me. This fall's trip was especially memorable. On the last night of our trip, we stopped at the Iwo Jima memorial. This memorial is the largest bronze statue in the world and depicts one of the most famous photographs in history -- that of the six brave soldiers raising the American Flag at the top of a rocky hill on the island of Iwo Jima , Japan , during WW II.
Over one hundred students and chaperones piled off the buses and headed towards the memorial. I noticed a solitary figure at the base of the statue, and as I got closer he asked, 'Where are you guys from?'
I told him that we were from Wisconsin . 'Hey, I'm a cheese head, too! Come gather around, Cheese heads, and I will tell you a story.'
(It was James Bradley who just happened to be in Washington , DC , to speak at the memorial the following day. He was there that night to say good night to his dad, who had passed away. He was just about to leave when he saw the buses pull up. I videotaped him as he spoke to us, and received his permission to share what he said from my videotape. It is one thing to tour the incredible monuments filled with history in Washington , DC , but it is quite another to get the kind of insight we received that night.) When all had gathered around, he reverently began to speak. (Here are his words that night.)
'My name is James Bradley and I'm from Antigo, Wisconsin . My dad is on that statue, and I just wrote a book called 'Flags of Our Fathers' which is #5 on the New York Times Best Seller list right now. It is the story of the six boys you see behind me.
'Six boys raised the flag. The first guy putting the pole in the ground is Harlon Block. Harlon was an all-state football player. He enlisted in the Marine Corps with all the senior members of his football team. They were off to play another type of game. A game called 'War.' But it didn't turn out to be a game. Harlon, at the age of 21, died with his intestines in his hands. I don't say that to gross you out, I say that because there are people who stand in front of this statue and talk about the glory of war. You guys need to know that most of the boys in Iwo Jima were 17, 18, and 19 years old - and it was so hard that the ones who did make it home never even would talk to their families about it.
(He pointed to the statue) 'You see this next guy? That's Rene Gagnon from New Hampshire. If you took Rene's helmet off at the moment this photo was taken and looked in the webbing of that helmet, you would find a photograph..a photograph of his girlfriend. Rene put that in there for protection because he was scared. He was 18 years old. It was just boys who won the battle of Iwo Jima . Boys. Not old men.
'The next guy here, the third guy in this tableau, was Sergeant Mike Strank. Mike is my hero. He was the hero of all these guys. They called him the 'old man' because he was so old. He was already 24. When Mike would motivate his boys in training camp, he didn't say, 'Let's go kill some Japanese' or 'Let's die for our country.' He knew he was talking to little boys.. Instead he would say, 'You do what I say, and I'll get you home to your mothers.'
'The last guy on this side of the statue is Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian from Arizona . Ira Hayes was one of them who lived to walk off Iwo Jima . He went into the White House with my dad. President Truman told him, 'You're a hero' He told reporters, 'How can I feel like a hero when 250 of my buddies hit the island with me and only 27 of us walked off alive?'
So you take your class at school, 250 of you spending a year together having fun, doing everything together. Then all 250 of you hit the beach, but only 27 of your classmates walk off alive. That was Ira Hayes. He had images of horror in his mind. Ira Hayes carried the pain home with him and eventually died dead drunk, face down, drowned in a very shallow puddle, at the age of 32 (ten years after this picture was taken).
'The next guy, going around the statue, is Franklin Sousley from Hilltop, Kentucky . A fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. His best friend, who is now 70, told me, 'Yeah, you know, we took two cows up on the porch of the Hilltop General Store. Then we strung wire across the stairs so the cows couldn't get down. Then we fed them Epsom salts. Those cows crapped all night.' Yes, he was a fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. Franklin died on Iwo Jima at the age of 19. When the telegram came to tell his mother that he was dead, it went to the Hilltop General Store. A barefoot boy ran that telegram up to his mother's farm. The neighbors could hear her scream all night and into the morning. Those neighbors lived a quarter of a mile away.
'The next guy, as we continue to go around the statue, is my dad, John Bradley, from Antigo, Wisconsin , where I was raised. My dad lived until 1994, but he would never give interviews. When Walter Cronkite's producers or the New York Times would call, we were trained as little kids to say 'No, I'm sorry, sir, my dad's not here. He is in Canada fishing. No, there is no phone there, sir. No, we don't know when he is coming back.' My dad never fished or even went to Canada . Usually, he was sitting there right at the table eating his Campbell 's soup. But we had to tell the press that he was out fishing He didn't want to talk to the press.
'You see, like Ira Hayes, my dad didn't see himself as a hero. Everyone thinks these guys are heroes, 'cause they are in a photo and on a monument. My dad knew better. He was a medic. John Bradley from Wisconsin was a combat caregiver. On Iwo Jima he probably held over 200 boys as they died. And when boys died on Iwo Jima , they writhed and screamed, without any medication or help with the pain.
'When I was a little boy, my third grade teacher told me that my dad was a hero. When I went home and told my dad that, he looked at me and said, 'I want you always to remember that the heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who did not come back. Did NOT come back.'
'So that's the story about six nice young boys. Three died on Iwo Jima , and three came back as national heroes. Overall, 7,000 boys died on Iwo Jima in the worst battle in the history of the Marine Corps. My voice is giving out, so I will end here. Thank you for your time.'
Suddenly, the monument wasn't just a big old piece of metal with a flag sticking out of the top. It came to life before our eyes with the heartfelt words of a son who did indeed have a father who was a hero. Maybe not a hero for the reasons most people would believe, but a hero nonetheless.
We need to remember that God created this vast and glorious world for us to live in, freely, but also at great sacrifice
Let us never forget from the Revolutionary War to the current War on Terrorism and all the wars in-between that sacrifice was made for our freedom...please pray for our troops.
Remember to pray praises for this great country of ours and also ...please pray for our troops still in murderous places around the world.
STOP TODAY and thank God for being alive and being free due to someone else's sacrifice.
God Bless You and God Bless America .
REMINDER: Everyday that you can wake up free, it's going to be a great day.
One thing I learned while on tour with my 8th grade students in DC that is not mentioned here is . . that if you look at the statue very closely and count the number of 'hands' raising the flag, there are 13. When the man who made the statue was asked why there were 13, he simply said the 13th hand was the hand of God.
Great story - worth your time - worth every American's time. Please pass this blog post on.
An IDEA to kick around
Got this idea from another blog, My View from the Purity Mall, and it makes good sense.
Why don't they have to get bicycle licenses anymore? I used to have to get one, years ago, in Dayton, Ohio, in my youth. A lot of discussion locally about how to maintain the bike paths, simple, make them get a license and use that money. You need a license for everything else, makes good sense to me.
You either ride a bike on a path or a ROAD, automobiles get a license to ride on the ROAD, trucks get a license to drive on the ROAD.
Why does your Dog need a license, but not your Bike? Need a license to get married, drive a car, go hunting, go fishing, operate a business, almost anything.
License bikes could be the answer, not sure to what, but something.
Why don't they have to get bicycle licenses anymore? I used to have to get one, years ago, in Dayton, Ohio, in my youth. A lot of discussion locally about how to maintain the bike paths, simple, make them get a license and use that money. You need a license for everything else, makes good sense to me.
You either ride a bike on a path or a ROAD, automobiles get a license to ride on the ROAD, trucks get a license to drive on the ROAD.
Why does your Dog need a license, but not your Bike? Need a license to get married, drive a car, go hunting, go fishing, operate a business, almost anything.
License bikes could be the answer, not sure to what, but something.
More about Melissa
My Daughter, Melissa Shannon Dooley - Dunlap, loves animals, has all of her life. She once nursed a baby Opossum whose Mother had apparently been killed, back to health. Even had it trained to go in a litter box. She loves to fish, catch and release. She raised abandoned baby rabbits to health. She had dogs, cats, has had birds, alligators and snakes and a Iguana that used to spend a lot of time on her curtain rod. This photograph, I love, there had been a house fire, this kitten was overcome with smoke, Melissa and the fireman did CPR, or something, and brought the cat back. That is so much Melissa, helping animals.
If she sees an abandoned, hurt or homeless animal by the side of the road, she stops and picks it up. Occasionally, she will stop by, "Oh, hi Dad, love you, ah, could you watch this dog for a few days, till I find it a home?"
She is trying to get a business started, Pampered Pets, wash and groom place for dogs and cats. If you live in this area, or know someone who does, mention that to them. Or, on this site, there is an ad for her.
Incidentally, if you had not read one of my posts, today is her birthday, an email to her would be nice, from wherever you are in the world.
Thanks ..................
HEY, this is GREAT .................
This is really neat, the more the merrier .... YOU are making my Daughter very Happy Today ... on her Birthday ......... KEEP those EMails coming in to her ... Someday she wants to own a Purple Nova, thus the email address ........... if I ever hit the lottery, first thing I do is get her a Purple Nova.......... She deserves it.
thepurplenova@yahoo.com
thepurplenova@yahoo.com
Worth Reading and Considering
This is lengthy, but a very good read, and I think it is something that should be read and discussed, and passed on.
THIS LADY NOT ONLY HAS A GRASP OF 'THE SITUATION' BUT AN INCREDIBLE COMMAND OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE! A letter to AARP
Recently you sent us a letter encouraging us to renew our lapsed membership in AARP by the requested date. I know it is not what you were looking for, but this is the most honest response I can give you. Our gap in coverage is merely a microscopic symptom of the real problem, a deepening lack of faith.
While we have proudly maintained our membership for several years and have long admired the AARP goals and principles, regrettably, we can no longer endorse it's abdication of our values. Your letter specifically stated that we can count on AARP to speak up for our rights, yet the voice we hear is not ours. Your offer of being kept up to date on important issues through DIVIDED WE FAIL presents neither an impartial view nor the one we have come to embrace. We do believe that when two parties agree all the time on everything presented to them, one is probably not necessary. But, when the opinions and long term goals are diametrically opposed, the divorce is imminent. This is the philosophy which spawned our 200 years of government.
Once upon a time, we looked forward to being part of the senior demographic. We also looked to AARP to provide certain benefits and give our voice a power we could not possibly hope to achieve on our own. AARP gave us a sense of belonging which we no longer enjoy. The Socialist politics practiced by the Obama administration and empowered by AARP serves only to raise the blood pressure my medical insurance strives to contain. Clearly a conflict of interest there!
We do not understand the AARP posture, feel greatly betrayed by the guiding forces that we expected to map out our senior years and leave your ranks with a great sense of regret. We mitigate that disappointment with the relief of knowing that we are not contributing to the problem anymore by renewing our membership.. There are numerous other organizations which offer discounts without threatening our way of life or offending our sensibilities.
This Presidential Administration scares the living daylights out of us. Not just for ourselves, but for our proud and bloodstained heritage. But even more importantly for our children and grandchildren. Washington has rendered Soylent Green a prophetic cautionary tale rather than a nonfiction scare tactic. I have never in my life endorsed any militant or radical groups, yet now I find myself listening to them. I don't have to agree with them to appreciate the fear which birthed their existence. Their borderline insanity presents little more than a balance to the voice of the Socialist mindset in power. Perhaps I became American by a great stroke of luck in some cosmic uterine lottery, but in my adulthood I CHOOSE to embrace it and nurture the freedoms it represents as well as the responsibilities it requires.
Your website generously offers us the opportunity to receive all communication in Spanish. ARE YOU KIDDING??? Someone has broken into our 'house', invaded our home without our invitation or consent. The President has insisted we keep the perpetrator in comfort and learn the perp language so we can communicate our reluctant welcome to them.
I DON'T choose to welcome them.
I DON'T choose to support them.
I DON'T choose to educate them.
I DON'T choose to medicate them, pay for their food or clothing.
American home invaders get arrested.
Please explain to me why foreign lawbreakers can enjoy privileges on American soil that Americans do not get?
Why do some immigrants have to play the game to be welcomed and others only have to break & enter to be welcomed?
We travel for a living.. Walt hauls horses all over this great country, averaging over 10,000 miles a month when he is out there. He meets more people than a politician on caffeine overdose. Of all the many good folks he enjoyed on this last 10,000 miles, this trip yielded only ONE supporter of the current administration. One of us is out of touch with mainstream America . Since our poll is conducted without funding, I have more faith in it than one which is power driven.
We have decided to forward this to everyone on our mailing list, and will encourage them to do the same. With several hundred in my address book, I have every faith that the eventual exponential factor will make a credible statement to you.
I am disappointed as h---. I am scared as h---.
I am MAD as h---, and I'm NOT gonna take it anymore!
Walt & Cyndy
Miller Farms Equine Transport
THIS LADY NOT ONLY HAS A GRASP OF 'THE SITUATION' BUT AN INCREDIBLE COMMAND OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE! A letter to AARP
Recently you sent us a letter encouraging us to renew our lapsed membership in AARP by the requested date. I know it is not what you were looking for, but this is the most honest response I can give you. Our gap in coverage is merely a microscopic symptom of the real problem, a deepening lack of faith.
While we have proudly maintained our membership for several years and have long admired the AARP goals and principles, regrettably, we can no longer endorse it's abdication of our values. Your letter specifically stated that we can count on AARP to speak up for our rights, yet the voice we hear is not ours. Your offer of being kept up to date on important issues through DIVIDED WE FAIL presents neither an impartial view nor the one we have come to embrace. We do believe that when two parties agree all the time on everything presented to them, one is probably not necessary. But, when the opinions and long term goals are diametrically opposed, the divorce is imminent. This is the philosophy which spawned our 200 years of government.
Once upon a time, we looked forward to being part of the senior demographic. We also looked to AARP to provide certain benefits and give our voice a power we could not possibly hope to achieve on our own. AARP gave us a sense of belonging which we no longer enjoy. The Socialist politics practiced by the Obama administration and empowered by AARP serves only to raise the blood pressure my medical insurance strives to contain. Clearly a conflict of interest there!
We do not understand the AARP posture, feel greatly betrayed by the guiding forces that we expected to map out our senior years and leave your ranks with a great sense of regret. We mitigate that disappointment with the relief of knowing that we are not contributing to the problem anymore by renewing our membership.. There are numerous other organizations which offer discounts without threatening our way of life or offending our sensibilities.
This Presidential Administration scares the living daylights out of us. Not just for ourselves, but for our proud and bloodstained heritage. But even more importantly for our children and grandchildren. Washington has rendered Soylent Green a prophetic cautionary tale rather than a nonfiction scare tactic. I have never in my life endorsed any militant or radical groups, yet now I find myself listening to them. I don't have to agree with them to appreciate the fear which birthed their existence. Their borderline insanity presents little more than a balance to the voice of the Socialist mindset in power. Perhaps I became American by a great stroke of luck in some cosmic uterine lottery, but in my adulthood I CHOOSE to embrace it and nurture the freedoms it represents as well as the responsibilities it requires.
Your website generously offers us the opportunity to receive all communication in Spanish. ARE YOU KIDDING??? Someone has broken into our 'house', invaded our home without our invitation or consent. The President has insisted we keep the perpetrator in comfort and learn the perp language so we can communicate our reluctant welcome to them.
I DON'T choose to welcome them.
I DON'T choose to support them.
I DON'T choose to educate them.
I DON'T choose to medicate them, pay for their food or clothing.
American home invaders get arrested.
Please explain to me why foreign lawbreakers can enjoy privileges on American soil that Americans do not get?
Why do some immigrants have to play the game to be welcomed and others only have to break & enter to be welcomed?
We travel for a living.. Walt hauls horses all over this great country, averaging over 10,000 miles a month when he is out there. He meets more people than a politician on caffeine overdose. Of all the many good folks he enjoyed on this last 10,000 miles, this trip yielded only ONE supporter of the current administration. One of us is out of touch with mainstream America . Since our poll is conducted without funding, I have more faith in it than one which is power driven.
We have decided to forward this to everyone on our mailing list, and will encourage them to do the same. With several hundred in my address book, I have every faith that the eventual exponential factor will make a credible statement to you.
I am disappointed as h---. I am scared as h---.
I am MAD as h---, and I'm NOT gonna take it anymore!
Walt & Cyndy
Miller Farms Equine Transport
Wednesday Morning
Kinda Blah today, dreary and cold outside, dirty snow on the ground, two good things so far, the coffee is really good, and hot, and today is the birthday of one Melissa Shannon Dooley-Dunlap, my daughter. Make it a point to send a Happy Birthday EMail to her- thepurplenova@yahoo.com that would really brighten her day. She is a really good kid, trying to get her business started, between the weather and the economic climate it is tough going, so an email from you, or anyone would be great. Send this to your mailing list and have your friends send one to. A lot of emails, from strangers, would be a neat present, thank You.
I did not watch the Super Bowl Speech last night, watched basketball and bits of the few channels that were not carrying the speech. Between the Arizona Pep Rally and the Couples Night Out speech last night, well, one can only take so much.
People were cold and hungry in this country last night, perhaps some froze to death, some people had to decide between medicine, they need, and food, and yet we are sending food and aid to any country that has had a disaster of some kind. Ships are still lined up getting relief to Haiti and other countries, while the homeless population in this country climbs at an alarming rate. The main concern in Washington last night, who was sitting with who, and they sat there listening to a well orchestrated speech, being given by a man that we don't even know, for sure, is qualified to even be holding the office.
Jobs are leaving the country at an alarming rate, immigrants are crossing our borders, at an alarming rate, and adding a potentially devastating burden on our welfare and health care systems, and whatever rhetoric was "spread" last night, in no way addressed the problem.
Oh, the OSU basketball game I watched last night, was a runaway, much like our economy. The PA announcer thanked everyone for coming, with five minutes left, the crowd was leaving, unlike "date night" in Washington last night.
I did not watch the Super Bowl Speech last night, watched basketball and bits of the few channels that were not carrying the speech. Between the Arizona Pep Rally and the Couples Night Out speech last night, well, one can only take so much.
People were cold and hungry in this country last night, perhaps some froze to death, some people had to decide between medicine, they need, and food, and yet we are sending food and aid to any country that has had a disaster of some kind. Ships are still lined up getting relief to Haiti and other countries, while the homeless population in this country climbs at an alarming rate. The main concern in Washington last night, who was sitting with who, and they sat there listening to a well orchestrated speech, being given by a man that we don't even know, for sure, is qualified to even be holding the office.
Jobs are leaving the country at an alarming rate, immigrants are crossing our borders, at an alarming rate, and adding a potentially devastating burden on our welfare and health care systems, and whatever rhetoric was "spread" last night, in no way addressed the problem.
Oh, the OSU basketball game I watched last night, was a runaway, much like our economy. The PA announcer thanked everyone for coming, with five minutes left, the crowd was leaving, unlike "date night" in Washington last night.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Not a Bad Idea - Tell Your City Council
Recently, in the City of Dallas, Texas, they passed an ordinance that if you are pulled over by law enforcement and not able to provide proof of insurance, your car will be towed right away.
Afterwards, to retrieve your car after being impounded, you must show proof of insurance to have your car released. This has made it easy for the City of Dallas to remove uninsured cars that are typically driven by mostly illegals.
Shortly after "No insurance" ordinance was passed, the Dallas impound lots began to fill up quickly and were full after nine days. Most of the impounded cars were driven by illegals.
Not only must you provide proof of insurance to have your car released, you have to pay for the cost of the tow, a $350 fine, and charged $20 for every day the car is kept in the lot.
I would suggest other cities across the nation to follow, what Dallas, Texas is doing. Not only is it getting uninsured drivers off the road, but it is taking away vehicles, driven by illegals with no insurance, that might endanger your life.
Afterwards, to retrieve your car after being impounded, you must show proof of insurance to have your car released. This has made it easy for the City of Dallas to remove uninsured cars that are typically driven by mostly illegals.
Shortly after "No insurance" ordinance was passed, the Dallas impound lots began to fill up quickly and were full after nine days. Most of the impounded cars were driven by illegals.
Not only must you provide proof of insurance to have your car released, you have to pay for the cost of the tow, a $350 fine, and charged $20 for every day the car is kept in the lot.
I would suggest other cities across the nation to follow, what Dallas, Texas is doing. Not only is it getting uninsured drivers off the road, but it is taking away vehicles, driven by illegals with no insurance, that might endanger your life.
Great Granola
Makes approximately 10 cups (I have made 1/2 recipe and it turned out great)
8 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking or instant)*
2 cups nuts, chopped**
1 cup golden brown sugar (or dark, if you prefer)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup honey
2/3 cup butter
Dried fruit (optional): banana, apple or mango.
*Rolled oats are steamed then rolled, providing the flat texture best for granola. Instant oats are partially cooked, and quick-cooking are finely cut, much like steel-cut oats, which are thinly sliced by steel yet retain some bran. Rolled oats will provide the right texture and will cook properly in granola recipes.
**Use any nuts you want in any combination — pecans, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, etc. Get the untoasted ones. Chop by hand, with a nut chopper or with a few pulses in a food processor.
Position racks in middle of oven and preheat to 300 degrees. Lightly spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper.
Mix oats, nuts, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and cardamom in large bowl.
Combine granulated sugar, honey and butter in small saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Pour hot liquid over oat mixture and stir well. Toss mixture until thoroughly mixed. (Option: Caramelize white sugar with a little water, then add honey and butter. To do this, add white sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat and spread evenly across the bottom of the pan. Add a little water and stir until the mixture reaches a boil. Keep the mixture moving until it begins to turn brown. Then, add honey and butter. This process will add a caramel flavor to the granola.)
Spread granola on prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden brown and fragrant, about 30 minutes. Rotate pans halfway through.
Cool granola completely. If you like large "sheets" of granola, remove with a large spatula. If you like clusters, let the granola cool until it won't burn your hands, then shape into handfuls.
Add dried fruit (if desired) after the granola is cooled.
8 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking or instant)*
2 cups nuts, chopped**
1 cup golden brown sugar (or dark, if you prefer)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup honey
2/3 cup butter
Dried fruit (optional): banana, apple or mango.
*Rolled oats are steamed then rolled, providing the flat texture best for granola. Instant oats are partially cooked, and quick-cooking are finely cut, much like steel-cut oats, which are thinly sliced by steel yet retain some bran. Rolled oats will provide the right texture and will cook properly in granola recipes.
**Use any nuts you want in any combination — pecans, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, etc. Get the untoasted ones. Chop by hand, with a nut chopper or with a few pulses in a food processor.
Position racks in middle of oven and preheat to 300 degrees. Lightly spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper.
Mix oats, nuts, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and cardamom in large bowl.
Combine granulated sugar, honey and butter in small saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Pour hot liquid over oat mixture and stir well. Toss mixture until thoroughly mixed. (Option: Caramelize white sugar with a little water, then add honey and butter. To do this, add white sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat and spread evenly across the bottom of the pan. Add a little water and stir until the mixture reaches a boil. Keep the mixture moving until it begins to turn brown. Then, add honey and butter. This process will add a caramel flavor to the granola.)
Spread granola on prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden brown and fragrant, about 30 minutes. Rotate pans halfway through.
Cool granola completely. If you like large "sheets" of granola, remove with a large spatula. If you like clusters, let the granola cool until it won't burn your hands, then shape into handfuls.
Add dried fruit (if desired) after the granola is cooled.
Date Night ..............
"OK, to show solidarity and bi-partisanship and that you all really like me, and acknowledge and respect me as your president, I want half of you people on this side to go sit with half of those people on that side and vice versa. And to show even more, why don't you guys all hold hands on this "date night," as the press is calling it, where is Keith, anyway, maybe he can have that vacant post we have now. Nancy, why don't you hold John's hand, and Barney, why don't you hold ............. OH, I see you already have someones hand...."
Keith Olbermann - TinC News Break
Keith Olbermann - Former news anchor Keith Olbermann formally denounced the "death" of his career on Twitter. Three days after his abrupt departure from NBC's "Countdown With Keith Olbermann," the former host wrote, "It's not what it looks like, I may have been asked to take over one of the morning show spots, not at liberty to say which one, but Reg and I talked and he thinks with my wit, experience, and political clout, due to my immense donations to certain politicians, that it could work out well for me. I am up to date on world events and politics and I look forward to working with Kathy Lee."
Palin to take over for Oprah - TinC News
A "slip of the lip" at a recent after show party being held by Dancing with the Stars gave some insight to the future plans of Sarah Palin.
The party, which was held at Chuck E. Cheese's on Gunhill Road in the Bronx, has become a tradition since the show began. Staff, cast and guests are always invited to the events, and prizes are generally awarded at the end of the event to the person who wins the most coupons.
The most conversation revolved around Bristol Palin's improbable run to next week's finals. Rumors abound and there is an uproar that conspiracy theories are floating, and that she is still on the show because of the high ratings she produces.
One staff member was overheard saying, "She can't dance but she sure keeps our ratings up, she ain't no Ginger Rogers."
Bristol was overheard saying, "I don't care what they are saying, when Mom takes over the Oprah show all of this will be forgotten. Heck, any jerk can be president, Mom wants more than that, she wants the power that Oprah has. Keep that under your hat, we don't want that to get out."
This is an old SPOOF post of mine, had some requests to post it again ..........
The party, which was held at Chuck E. Cheese's on Gunhill Road in the Bronx, has become a tradition since the show began. Staff, cast and guests are always invited to the events, and prizes are generally awarded at the end of the event to the person who wins the most coupons.
The most conversation revolved around Bristol Palin's improbable run to next week's finals. Rumors abound and there is an uproar that conspiracy theories are floating, and that she is still on the show because of the high ratings she produces.
One staff member was overheard saying, "She can't dance but she sure keeps our ratings up, she ain't no Ginger Rogers."
Bristol was overheard saying, "I don't care what they are saying, when Mom takes over the Oprah show all of this will be forgotten. Heck, any jerk can be president, Mom wants more than that, she wants the power that Oprah has. Keep that under your hat, we don't want that to get out."
This is an old SPOOF post of mine, had some requests to post it again ..........
Ahmen Gahailani gets Life ...
The first Guantanamo Bay detainee to have a U.S. civilian trial was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday for his role in the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan called it a day of justice for Ahmed Ghailani as well as for the families of 224 people who died in the al-Qaida bombings, including a dozen Americans. Thousands more who were injured in the two attacks.
"The offense was horrific," Judge Kaplan said. "I am not persuaded that Mr. Ghailani is the harmless and innocent person as presented - not at all," he said.
The judge also fined Ghailani $32 million. Ghailani declined the opportunity to address the court when asked and stood for sentence.
U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan called it a day of justice for Ahmed Ghailani as well as for the families of 224 people who died in the al-Qaida bombings, including a dozen Americans. Thousands more who were injured in the two attacks.
"The offense was horrific," Judge Kaplan said. "I am not persuaded that Mr. Ghailani is the harmless and innocent person as presented - not at all," he said.
The judge also fined Ghailani $32 million. Ghailani declined the opportunity to address the court when asked and stood for sentence.
Too Old
I'm getting too old, they announced the nominees for the Academy Awards this morning, I have not seen any of the movies, I have not heard of any of the movies, and I don't recognize anyone getting an award. Then I realized, the last movie I went to was probably twenty years ago, have no idea what it was. OK, not sure how many years ago it was ...............
We were in LA, after a cruise which did not go well, visiting with a friend of a friend who lived out there, she lived in a house that John Wayne had built for a fellow actor, or something like that. One of the events she had planned for us, was a movie, not just a movie, a "by invitation" to a pre-screening of a movie,, wasn't even named yet. Marlan Brando was in it, some kid that is in a lot of pirate movies now, he was an escort or something, went out with a lot of women, I must admit I don't remember a lot about it. We had to fill out a form after the movie about how we liked it.
That was the last movie I saw.
We were in LA, after a cruise which did not go well, visiting with a friend of a friend who lived out there, she lived in a house that John Wayne had built for a fellow actor, or something like that. One of the events she had planned for us, was a movie, not just a movie, a "by invitation" to a pre-screening of a movie,, wasn't even named yet. Marlan Brando was in it, some kid that is in a lot of pirate movies now, he was an escort or something, went out with a lot of women, I must admit I don't remember a lot about it. We had to fill out a form after the movie about how we liked it.
That was the last movie I saw.
DIVORCE AGREEMENT
This will be of interest to some ................. Thanks Ernie .......
Dear American liberals, leftists, socialists, social progressives, Marxists, and Obama supporters, et al: We have stuck together since the late 1950's for the sake of the kids, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has clearly run its course.
Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right for us all, so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.
Here is a model separation agreement:
Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a similar portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.
We don't like redistributive taxes so you can keep them. You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU. Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military. We'll take the nasty, smelly oil industry and you can go with wind, solar and biodiesel. You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell. You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them.
We'll keep capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart and Wall Street. You can have your beloved lifelong welfare dwellers, food stamps, homeless, homeboys, hippies, druggies and illegal aliens. We'll keep the hot Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEO's and rednecks. We'll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood .
You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us. You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we'll help provide them security.
We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values. You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism, political correctness and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N. but we will no longer be paying the bill.
We'll keep the SUV's, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars.
You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors. We'll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a right. We'll keep "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "The National Anthem." I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute "Imagine", "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing", "Kum Ba Ya" or "We Are the World".
We'll practice trickle down economics and you can continue to give trickle up poverty your best shot. Since it often so offends you, we'll keep our history, our name and our flag.
Would you agree to this? If so, please pass it along to other like-minded liberal and conservative patriots and if you do not agree, just hit delete. In the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you answer which one of us will need whose help in 15 years.
Sincerely,
John J. Wall
Law Student and American
P. S. Also, please take Ted Turner, Sean Penn, Martin Sheen, Barbara Streisand, & Jane Fonda with you.
Dear American liberals, leftists, socialists, social progressives, Marxists, and Obama supporters, et al: We have stuck together since the late 1950's for the sake of the kids, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has clearly run its course.
Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right for us all, so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.
Here is a model separation agreement:
Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a similar portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.
We don't like redistributive taxes so you can keep them. You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU. Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military. We'll take the nasty, smelly oil industry and you can go with wind, solar and biodiesel. You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell. You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them.
We'll keep capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart and Wall Street. You can have your beloved lifelong welfare dwellers, food stamps, homeless, homeboys, hippies, druggies and illegal aliens. We'll keep the hot Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEO's and rednecks. We'll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood .
You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us. You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we'll help provide them security.
We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values. You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism, political correctness and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N. but we will no longer be paying the bill.
We'll keep the SUV's, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars.
You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors. We'll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a right. We'll keep "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "The National Anthem." I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute "Imagine", "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing", "Kum Ba Ya" or "We Are the World".
We'll practice trickle down economics and you can continue to give trickle up poverty your best shot. Since it often so offends you, we'll keep our history, our name and our flag.
Would you agree to this? If so, please pass it along to other like-minded liberal and conservative patriots and if you do not agree, just hit delete. In the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you answer which one of us will need whose help in 15 years.
Sincerely,
John J. Wall
Law Student and American
P. S. Also, please take Ted Turner, Sean Penn, Martin Sheen, Barbara Streisand, & Jane Fonda with you.
Tuesday Morning Comments
The Price is Right - I am going to have to quit watching it, my blood pressure shoots up, way too high. Why can't contestants decide for themselves, why do think that someone in the audience knows more than they do, are all the contestants they choose, that stupid. Then, they are given the chance to bid on a 50 thousand dollar car, three trips and a hot tub, the they demurely bid, "Oh, thirty thousand, No, make it Thirty-one hundred, NO, I mean Thousand." And, she misses it by only forty thousand. How STUPID can people be. Drew Carey, some day will have broken ribs or a punctured lung, from large breasts being slammed into his chest.
The Ohio Governor - Before he was elected I was optimistic. Now that he is in office, I am skeptical. I must admit I don't like what I am seeing so far. We are going back to the way some things "used to be" and I didn't care for them then. I think I am going to do a bumper sticker with a picture of Ted Strickland, and the saying, "Miss Me Yet?" Einstein said it best, "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." Kasich promised one thing, and then raises the salaries of all his "friends," Say one thing and then do another, Politics as Usual.
Obama and the State of the Union - "OK boys and girls, I want you all to find someone from the other party, now that means the one that you are not with. If you are a Republican, find a Democrat to sit with. This will be so neat. Since I was defeated so badly, last election, we are doing all we can do to show good stuff, and this will be good stuff. All you guys sitting together, hold hands if you want. What, OH, yea, a, some of you will be doing that anyway, te he. An announcement, we are all going out for Chinese after this show, it was part of an agreement I just made with Hu, not who, Hu."
The Weather - Everyone who is tired of WINTER, raise their hands ......
The Ohio Governor - Before he was elected I was optimistic. Now that he is in office, I am skeptical. I must admit I don't like what I am seeing so far. We are going back to the way some things "used to be" and I didn't care for them then. I think I am going to do a bumper sticker with a picture of Ted Strickland, and the saying, "Miss Me Yet?" Einstein said it best, "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." Kasich promised one thing, and then raises the salaries of all his "friends," Say one thing and then do another, Politics as Usual.
Obama and the State of the Union - "OK boys and girls, I want you all to find someone from the other party, now that means the one that you are not with. If you are a Republican, find a Democrat to sit with. This will be so neat. Since I was defeated so badly, last election, we are doing all we can do to show good stuff, and this will be good stuff. All you guys sitting together, hold hands if you want. What, OH, yea, a, some of you will be doing that anyway, te he. An announcement, we are all going out for Chinese after this show, it was part of an agreement I just made with Hu, not who, Hu."
Reason for CONCERN in Ohio
Governor Strickland came into office promising to make ethics a priority in the state and after the many ethics violations we saw under the previous GOP administration, Strickland’s tighter restrictions were welcomed by Ohioans.
One of Governor Strickland’s first acts was to issue an executive order limiting the gifts that can be received by state government officials and employees. He hoped that such restrictions would prevent businesses and organizations from unfairly exerting influence on the government decision making process. It seems to have worked.
According to the Executive Order: The job of the officials and employees of the State of Ohio is to serve the people of Ohio. When those who want contracts or grants or other benefits from the State give gifts or meals or tickets or trips to state officials or employees, the people of Ohio have every right to be suspicious that official government decisions aren’t being made based on the merits.
Kasich has thrown away all of those restrictions and returned the state’s ethics policy back to where it was under Taft. For most officials and employees this means that instead of reporting any gifts over $20 they have to report any gifts over $75. Limits on gifts to family members of state employees are also gone. And, most importantly, restrictions that Strickland put in place preventing lobbyists and people seeking grants or loans from the state are now gone.
As if this wasn’t bad enough, Kasich had indicated that he doesn’t intend to stop there. It appears at though Kasich is intent on decimating the state’s ethics policy, at least where it applies to his friends. And, as he promised during the campaign, he’s going to start with the Department of Development.
One of Governor Strickland’s first acts was to issue an executive order limiting the gifts that can be received by state government officials and employees. He hoped that such restrictions would prevent businesses and organizations from unfairly exerting influence on the government decision making process. It seems to have worked.
According to the Executive Order: The job of the officials and employees of the State of Ohio is to serve the people of Ohio. When those who want contracts or grants or other benefits from the State give gifts or meals or tickets or trips to state officials or employees, the people of Ohio have every right to be suspicious that official government decisions aren’t being made based on the merits.
Kasich has thrown away all of those restrictions and returned the state’s ethics policy back to where it was under Taft. For most officials and employees this means that instead of reporting any gifts over $20 they have to report any gifts over $75. Limits on gifts to family members of state employees are also gone. And, most importantly, restrictions that Strickland put in place preventing lobbyists and people seeking grants or loans from the state are now gone.
As if this wasn’t bad enough, Kasich had indicated that he doesn’t intend to stop there. It appears at though Kasich is intent on decimating the state’s ethics policy, at least where it applies to his friends. And, as he promised during the campaign, he’s going to start with the Department of Development.
Lang Lang - Intentional Snub?
At last week's White House state dinner honoring Chinese President Hu Jintao, classical pianist Lang Lang played the song "My Motherland," which is widely seen in China as anti-American. Die he intended to snub the U.S.?
Date Night ...... in Washington
The State of the Union address is a solemn affair. The president lays out his goals and accomplishments before a gathering of the powerful from across the government: Supreme Court justices, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and, of course, Congress.
It's serious business. But this year it's earned a new nickname from pundits and lawmakers alike: Date Night!
To show their commitment to bipartisanship, some senators and representatives have pledged to sit with a member of the other party while listening to the president's speech.
It may sound trivial, but to people who watch Congress like a sport, this will be riveting. It's like the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins hanging out for a post-game beer. Coke and Pepsi talking bottle tops. Mozart and Salieri comparing compositions.
It's serious business. But this year it's earned a new nickname from pundits and lawmakers alike: Date Night!
To show their commitment to bipartisanship, some senators and representatives have pledged to sit with a member of the other party while listening to the president's speech.
It may sound trivial, but to people who watch Congress like a sport, this will be riveting. It's like the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins hanging out for a post-game beer. Coke and Pepsi talking bottle tops. Mozart and Salieri comparing compositions.
Carol Browner Leaving As Obama Climate Adviser
by The Associated Press
Carol Browner, President Obama's top energy and climate change adviser, is departing, two White House officials said Monday.
Browner, a former Environmental Protection Agency administrator under President Clinton, will be leaving the White House just as Republicans in Congress prepare to take on the Obama administration over global warming and the administration's response to the massive Gulf oil spill.
Browner successfully helped negotiate a deal with automakers boosting federal fuel economy standards and requiring the first-ever greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles. She also pushed for billions of dollars for renewable energy in the economic stimulus bill.
But the administration fell short on it key domestic priority of passing a comprehensive energy and climate bill to place a firm limit on pollution blamed for global warming. Just after the November elections, which gave Republicans a majority of seats in the House, Obama admitted the legislation was dead.
One White House official said Browner was "confident that the mission of her office will remain critical to the president." The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Browner was "pleased" with the clean energy commitment Obama would lay out in his State of the Union address Tuesday and in his budget request.
Carol Browner, President Obama's top energy and climate change adviser, is departing, two White House officials said Monday.
Browner, a former Environmental Protection Agency administrator under President Clinton, will be leaving the White House just as Republicans in Congress prepare to take on the Obama administration over global warming and the administration's response to the massive Gulf oil spill.
Browner successfully helped negotiate a deal with automakers boosting federal fuel economy standards and requiring the first-ever greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles. She also pushed for billions of dollars for renewable energy in the economic stimulus bill.
But the administration fell short on it key domestic priority of passing a comprehensive energy and climate bill to place a firm limit on pollution blamed for global warming. Just after the November elections, which gave Republicans a majority of seats in the House, Obama admitted the legislation was dead.
One White House official said Browner was "confident that the mission of her office will remain critical to the president." The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Browner was "pleased" with the clean energy commitment Obama would lay out in his State of the Union address Tuesday and in his budget request.
My experiment with Vicks on the Soles of my Feet
I often use Vicks, have used it all my life to be exact, always have a blue jar of it around. I have used it everywhere around my head, never on my feet, well I did last night.
First, my feet are always cold in the Winter, except, last night after I put Vicks on them, they felt warm. I put a pair of wool socks on. When I was little, my Mom would put the Vicks in my chest and throat and wrap my neck with a wool type scarf, so I used wool.
OK. Next morning. I ALWAYS wake up between 7:30 and 8:00. Caleb, our dog, sits beside the bed waiting for me to get up, during that half hour window. This morning I woke up at 9:00, with a very clear head, no sinus congestion.
My wife wakes me up a couple of times a nigh, coughing. I had her try it last night. She didn't wake we up once.
Does it work? It certainly did last night, for my wife and I. So, try it, nothing to lose and you might be pleasantly surprised.
Monday, January 24, 2011
VICKS Vapor Rub - INTERESTING
I can attest to parts of this, I have been a Vicks user all my life, and I recall my Dad, the Doctor, prescribing similar therapy many years ago. I am going to try it tonight. If you have success or comments about this, let me know. EMAIL. I recall some items also, using DMSO on the soles of the feet, and some other items and a book on Foot Therapy.
During a lecture on Essential Oils, the speaker told the group how the foot soles can absorb oils. Their example: Put garlic on your feet and within 20 minutes you can 'taste' it.
Some of us have used Vicks Vapo Rub for years for everything from chapped lips to sore toes and many body parts in between. But I've never heard of this. And don't laugh, it works 100% of the time, although the scientists who discovered it aren't sure why. To stop night time coughing in a child (or adult as we found out personally), put Vicks Vapo Rub generously on the soles of your feet, cover with socks, and the heavy, deep coughing will stop in about 5 minutes and stay stopped for many, many hours of relief. Works 100% of the time and is more effective in children than even very strong prescription cough medicines. In addition it is extremely soothing and comforting and they will sleep soundly
Just happened to tune in A.M.. Radio and picked up this guy talking about why cough medicines in kids often do more harm than good, due to the chemicals in them This method of using Vicks VapoRub on the soles of the feet was found to be more effective than prescribed medicines for children at bed time. In addition it seems to have a soothing and calming effect on sick children who then went on to sleep soundly.
My wife tried it on herself when she had a very deep constant and persistent cough a few weeks ago and it worked 100%! She said that it felt like a warm blanket had enveloped her, coughing stopped in a few minutes.So she went from; every few seconds uncontrollable coughing, she slept cough-free for hours every night she used it.
If you have grandchildren, pass this on. If you end up sick, try it yourself and you will be amazed at how it works.
During a lecture on Essential Oils, the speaker told the group how the foot soles can absorb oils. Their example: Put garlic on your feet and within 20 minutes you can 'taste' it.
Some of us have used Vicks Vapo Rub for years for everything from chapped lips to sore toes and many body parts in between. But I've never heard of this. And don't laugh, it works 100% of the time, although the scientists who discovered it aren't sure why. To stop night time coughing in a child (or adult as we found out personally), put Vicks Vapo Rub generously on the soles of your feet, cover with socks, and the heavy, deep coughing will stop in about 5 minutes and stay stopped for many, many hours of relief. Works 100% of the time and is more effective in children than even very strong prescription cough medicines. In addition it is extremely soothing and comforting and they will sleep soundly
Just happened to tune in A.M.. Radio and picked up this guy talking about why cough medicines in kids often do more harm than good, due to the chemicals in them This method of using Vicks VapoRub on the soles of the feet was found to be more effective than prescribed medicines for children at bed time. In addition it seems to have a soothing and calming effect on sick children who then went on to sleep soundly.
My wife tried it on herself when she had a very deep constant and persistent cough a few weeks ago and it worked 100%! She said that it felt like a warm blanket had enveloped her, coughing stopped in a few minutes.So she went from; every few seconds uncontrollable coughing, she slept cough-free for hours every night she used it.
If you have grandchildren, pass this on. If you end up sick, try it yourself and you will be amazed at how it works.
DON'T SHUN THIS ONE.. TRY IT THE NEXT TIME YOU GET A BAD COLD.
THE ONLY THING YOU CAN LOSE IS YOUR COUGH..
Jack LaLanne dies at 96
He filmed some of his info-mercials at my son Dean's studio in New Jersey, and he was an advocate for Bragg's Pure Apple Cider Vinegar, and I know stated that he took some every day. I am a big advocate of that, and got the idea from Jack.
He has been a TV companion for many years, watching his shows, and his info-mercials on TV. I was going back to New Jersey once to be there when he filming, but was unable to go back for some reason. I imagine my son has some nice memories of him.
He was an Icon for the aging ..... his info-mercials will be on forever though.
He published numerous books on fitness and hosted a fitness television show between 1951 and 1985.
LaLanne gained recognition for his success as a bodybuilder as well as for his prodigious feats of strength. He was inducted to the California Hall of Fame and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
LaLanne wrote that as a boy he was addicted to sugar and junk food. He attacked his brother, attempted suicide, and tried to burn down his house. LaLanne later described himself as "a miserable kid... It was like hell." At age 15, he heard health food pioneer Paul Bragg give a talk on health and nutrition. Bragg's message had a powerful influence on LaLanne, who decided to focus on his diet and exercise habits. He studied Henry Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body and concentrated on bodybuilding and weightlifting.
LaLanne blamed overly processed foods for many health problems. He advocated a vegetarian diet, though he ate some fish himself.
Speaking of Guardian Angels
Since I brought up guardian angels, I have two. They are in New York visiting right now, taking care of my Daughter who was not feeling well, they are keeping an eye on her for me, and I am confident that she is getting better. I am sure, since I suggested it to her, that she is taking Honey and Cinnamon, and feeling better every day.
My first GA, was named Ramey, he was with me in the 30's and 40's, got me through my first twenty years. I am not sure of the name of the one who got me though life after that, I know she was there though, stayed with me up until the mid 60's, when the pair took over.
The two I have now got some early training with the help of Don Rickels. They view their jobs from a different viewpoint and with a different perspective.
For example, I will be driving down the street, toward a green light, so close, it will turn yellow, then red. They are telling me to not hurry, slow down, take it easy, Joseppi, that's what they call me. Going to Walmart, I see a close empty parking space, I turn, head for than empty space, wham, someone pulls in just ahead of me, that's them, just letting me know they are there.
I'll write a lottery ticket, knowing that they will help me, don't even get one number, and I can hear them chuckle, they don't want me to waste my money.
They all have gotten me through thus far, I think everyone has one, you just have to find them, they can show themselves in unusual ways, just look for them.
My first GA, was named Ramey, he was with me in the 30's and 40's, got me through my first twenty years. I am not sure of the name of the one who got me though life after that, I know she was there though, stayed with me up until the mid 60's, when the pair took over.
The two I have now got some early training with the help of Don Rickels. They view their jobs from a different viewpoint and with a different perspective.
For example, I will be driving down the street, toward a green light, so close, it will turn yellow, then red. They are telling me to not hurry, slow down, take it easy, Joseppi, that's what they call me. Going to Walmart, I see a close empty parking space, I turn, head for than empty space, wham, someone pulls in just ahead of me, that's them, just letting me know they are there.
I'll write a lottery ticket, knowing that they will help me, don't even get one number, and I can hear them chuckle, they don't want me to waste my money.
They all have gotten me through thus far, I think everyone has one, you just have to find them, they can show themselves in unusual ways, just look for them.
It Really Happened
Many years ago a friend of mine in Reno, a 21 dealer at Harold's Club, was going to have a minor operation, but it could not be done at the local hospital, so we were going to drive her down to Sacramento to have it done. She was originally from San Diego, and her family still lived there.
Her Mom, apparently, was quite a worrier, so she had not told her Mother of her upcoming surgery so she would not worry about it.
Some other friends were going to ride down with us, had four in the car, my Studebaker Hawk, loved that car, so anyway, we headed for Sacramento. We all had some time off so we were going to make it a three day mini vacation. We left on a Monday and her operation was to be on Tuesday, so we were going to stay at a motel nearby the hospital.
We got her all checked in at the hospital, and the rest of us headed for our motel. We visited with her at the hospital that night before going out to eat.
We got up early on Tuesday and headed for the hospital and went up to her room. We were all sitting and talking, waiting for them to take her to surgery when her telephone rang.
It was her Mother, from San Diego, something had told her to call that hospital in Sacramento, and she even knew the room number, 477, I have never forgotten that room number, it was so strange. Out of the blue, she knew that something was wrong with her Daughter and she needed to call her.
Since that time I have believed in guardian angels.
Her Mom, apparently, was quite a worrier, so she had not told her Mother of her upcoming surgery so she would not worry about it.
Some other friends were going to ride down with us, had four in the car, my Studebaker Hawk, loved that car, so anyway, we headed for Sacramento. We all had some time off so we were going to make it a three day mini vacation. We left on a Monday and her operation was to be on Tuesday, so we were going to stay at a motel nearby the hospital.
We got her all checked in at the hospital, and the rest of us headed for our motel. We visited with her at the hospital that night before going out to eat.
We got up early on Tuesday and headed for the hospital and went up to her room. We were all sitting and talking, waiting for them to take her to surgery when her telephone rang.
It was her Mother, from San Diego, something had told her to call that hospital in Sacramento, and she even knew the room number, 477, I have never forgotten that room number, it was so strange. Out of the blue, she knew that something was wrong with her Daughter and she needed to call her.
Since that time I have believed in guardian angels.
Monday Morning in Ohio
Early Monday morning, just sitting here looking out the window and drinking my first cup of coffee, I don't even try to see what's on TV anymore, I just go directly to Easy Listening music, a lot of Mantovani, Roger Williams, Hugo Montenego, Ferranti and Teicher, great "listening" music, which goes well with quiet, snowy and early morning tranquility. I can feel my batteries "recharging."
I read my email, a lot about football, politics, oil prices, it's Monday morning, I just deleted it all, I don't want to know that we are in horrible shape right now. Oh, "The Last Farewell," love that song, saw the fellow that had that hit record in Columbus many years ago, very entertaining evening.
It is so "quiet" right now, even with "The Last Farewell" in the background, it's hard to find "quiet" anymore. I think the cold and snow and Winter add to making it quiet.
Just wondering, how do they get so much depth and volume out of our little "flat screen" TV, there are no big speakers, it's only an inch thick, yet the quality is better than our first "Hi Fi" I bought back in the late 50's. We had to have a "hi fi," radio was not good enough anymore, by the time the salesman got done telling me about "hi fi" I had to have one, he showed me what I had been missing by not having one. Then a few years later he showed me what I was missing by not having a "STEREO," and I had to have one of those, he even sold me a stereo pillow with speakers in both sides of the pillow so I could lie there and listen to "STEREO."
Progress is great, 78's, then 33 1/3's, wire, tapes, CD's and I really don't know what they use now to hold those - every song ever written - things they have in their ears now.
Just think, I delivered newspapers, The Dayton Journal Herald, to Orville Wright, granted, the airplane had developed quite a bit by then, but I have seen the man that made the first flight, and look where we are now. A lot has happened in my lifetime, things have come and gone.
"Wind Beneath My Wings," is playing now, I cry a lot at the end of that movie. Memories are a great thing, I am so thankful that I still have all of mine at this age, they are better than TV, anytime.
Movement here in our apartment complex, a neighbors son is going somewhere in their Cherokee, he is in his teens, must be cold, I don't think he has any long pants, just those shorts that go down below the knee, Reebok high tops, t-shirt and a light jacket, youth, he doesn't feel the cold.
"Try To Remember," that is just what I am doing.
I read my email, a lot about football, politics, oil prices, it's Monday morning, I just deleted it all, I don't want to know that we are in horrible shape right now. Oh, "The Last Farewell," love that song, saw the fellow that had that hit record in Columbus many years ago, very entertaining evening.
It is so "quiet" right now, even with "The Last Farewell" in the background, it's hard to find "quiet" anymore. I think the cold and snow and Winter add to making it quiet.
Just wondering, how do they get so much depth and volume out of our little "flat screen" TV, there are no big speakers, it's only an inch thick, yet the quality is better than our first "Hi Fi" I bought back in the late 50's. We had to have a "hi fi," radio was not good enough anymore, by the time the salesman got done telling me about "hi fi" I had to have one, he showed me what I had been missing by not having one. Then a few years later he showed me what I was missing by not having a "STEREO," and I had to have one of those, he even sold me a stereo pillow with speakers in both sides of the pillow so I could lie there and listen to "STEREO."
Progress is great, 78's, then 33 1/3's, wire, tapes, CD's and I really don't know what they use now to hold those - every song ever written - things they have in their ears now.
Just think, I delivered newspapers, The Dayton Journal Herald, to Orville Wright, granted, the airplane had developed quite a bit by then, but I have seen the man that made the first flight, and look where we are now. A lot has happened in my lifetime, things have come and gone.
"Wind Beneath My Wings," is playing now, I cry a lot at the end of that movie. Memories are a great thing, I am so thankful that I still have all of mine at this age, they are better than TV, anytime.
Movement here in our apartment complex, a neighbors son is going somewhere in their Cherokee, he is in his teens, must be cold, I don't think he has any long pants, just those shorts that go down below the knee, Reebok high tops, t-shirt and a light jacket, youth, he doesn't feel the cold.
"Try To Remember," that is just what I am doing.
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