Health care still the news rather than unemployment

I was slightly disappointed when I headed over to RealClearPolitics most of the focus is on the health care debacle instead of the fact that over one million people will run out of unemployment insurance coverage on Monday.

The lack of concern from the overall media and Washington D.C. is disturbing, this will have a much greater immediate impact on many more than that one million. It will impact their spouses, their children, their communities.

It is for them, an earthquake...one that few seem to want to help with.

Things people don't like to talk about...

Having been pregnant more than once, more than twice, more than three times (smile) -- I'm often the person that is called for advice as to "what's normal" and what's not. One of the things most asked about, typically in a hushed manner is hemorrhoids. Yes, I know some of you, especially the guys are saying "ewww" but many women experience them during the last stages of pregnancy. Not only is it not fun but since it's not talked about often, few know if there is a cure for hemorrhoid attacks that works or if it's something that you just have to bear until the pregnancy is over. It could be said to be a tender subject. What's my suggestion? Witch hazel as a compress, it's a great product for a variety of things from a face astringent to helping reduce swelling...

:-)

Supplements versus pain pills...

I suffer from joint pain as well as a close friend of mine. She takes a variety of different herbal supplements that she says works for her to reduce her pain level. I've tried some of the same products as well as quite a few others over the years and have not yet found one that works for me.

However, I also don't take pain pills very often, since they can have troubling side effects, especially if taken on a regular basis. It means living with pain, which many do. It also means trying to find a doctor that will actually address your pain level. I've had some very miserable experiences with physicians and am currently looking for a new doctor again. When you take a bag full of the previous medications that have been tried and they don't listen? You know you are wasting time and money...

Coffee Party Movement

Don't agree with the philosophies of the Tea Party Movement? Then perhaps the Coffee Party Movement is what you have been looking for. As reported in the Washington Post:

Progress is patriotic, they tell the camera. Wake up. Espresso yourself. Something is brewing, America.

* * *

Need something to wash down that heaping helping of American angst? Tea or coffee? (Must we choose?)

Deep down, underneath the Tea Party's Revolutionary War garb and the Coffee Party's faded HOPE stickers, they seem to want the same thing. To save America. Which raises the question: "From what?"

The easy answer is "each other," when really their complaints are similar and eternal: The political system is broken, elected officials ignore the people, and the media warp truths and pit sides. A recent Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that two-thirds of Americans are "dissatisfied" or "angry" with the federal government," the highest level in 14 years, and many have sought solace in social networking. The Coffee Party, whether it grows or fizzles, is the latest effort to turn virtual disenchantment into real-world results. Its members are incited by Tea Party tactics, which they believe obstruct reform and discourage thoughtful deliberation, and the Tea Party -- well, the Tea Party has not heard of the Coffee Party.

86 percent think government is broken...

Interesting stuff from CNN:

* 75 percent of you think federal government officials are dishonest

* 86 percent of you think the government is broken

Considering the huge numbers that will not be able to apply for an extension of unemployment benefits because the Senate did not act? I'm surprised more did not say that government is broken.

More than a million are going to be impacted...starting Monday.

Spot removal...

Some days I feel old, I know that being almost 50 is not old as in the sense I'm not even considered a senior citizen yet, I know many people much older than I am lead very happy active lives. I have not gotten to the point where I've started looking for the best age spot remover out there, at least not yet. Though I admit at times looking in the mirror for signs of aging. Thankfully while my hair is going gray, my skin is still holding up well.

:-)

Supplementally...

While the economy may be not doing well in some areas, when it comes to diet products, that market seems to be still doing well, at least from an advertising/marketing standpoint, all you need to see this is to see how many ads there are out there for what is the best fat burning supplement. The diet industry is a multi-million dollar one that appears to be still doing fairly well despite the downturns other industries are facing. It was estimated several years ago to be a 100 billion dollar industry...

Do you read before you buy?

Are you the type of person that buys products on impulse? Many are, they'll see a product and buy it without doing any research at all. I recommend research, especially if it is a diet product. It's easy to find reviews for some of the popular products out there, like a xenadrine rfa x review which can provide helpful information. I also recommend checking ingredients and prices, as well as reading the fine print. Many of these products claim to have a money back guarantee, but the actual shipping and handling charges are set higher because they are not refundable.

Even if you do your research a product may not give you the desired results so, take a few moments, do your homework, your pocket book will thank you...

Making a hero out of a murderer?

Facebook once again proves that our nation is full of all kinds of people, including those that feel that flying a plane into an IRS building, killing and injuring people is not only okay but heroic. There are over 134 Facebook fan pages on Joe Stack, most proclaiming his beliefs as acceptable, a few claiming he is a hero. Those are being shut down and then reopened...One example from the Joe Stack American Hero fan page !:

Category:
Common Interest - Current Events
Description:
Joe Stack was a great American ! Dedicated to freedom ! Flying his plane into an IRS building was heroic indeed ! Joe Stack deserves to be recognized for his greatness ! Most americans are mindless drones of capitalism ! Happy to just get enough while slowly America drifts into 3rd world status !

Another example from Joe Stack - Patriot:

Category:
Common Interest - Philosophy
Description:
This sole purpose of this group is to acknowledge the revolutionary philosophies of Joe Stack, and the truths that he pointed out in his suicide note. It in no way encourages violence or even celebrates the violence he committed, but acknowledges his views were not that of a nut job, but an angry patriot who feels his country needs drastic change. Income Tax should be abolished! Our government is failing us!

There is some huge hypocrisy taking place when we as a nation who went to war because people who were angry at us flew a plane into a building with the aim of killing people but then have people making a hero out of someone who flew a plane into a building with the aim of killing people...

There are also those complaining about their free speech being violated by Facebook taking down sites glorifying Stack. There are also people giving the hosting owner of the website Stack used grief for taking down the site at the request of the FBI, link, where some actually believe that there is some conspiracy theory over this. That the FBI or some other governmental entity hacked into Stack's website to leave the suicide note.

We actually don't live in a democracy...

A friend posted a link to this site on Facebook yesterday, Oligarchy USA "And you thought you lived in a Democracy" was the title/sub title.

My first instinct was of course to point out we don't live in a Democracy so anyone who thought they were, demonstrated how little they knew about our government in the first place. I did state the first part but not the second part.

It is however harder to argue that there is not some validity to no longer calling us a Republic but calling ourselves an Oligarchy. In theory we are supposed to elect representation, but in most cases we really have no choices. Political power games or money determines the winner more often than having elections based on who is really the best candidate.

Historically our founding fathers feared a true Democracy, which is why our government was set up as a Republic. That was supposed to save us, yet our founding fathers also did not support political parties or the concept of career politicians. We pride ourselves on "one person - one vote" but we don't elect presidents by a one person one vote system. It's the electoral college that has that power, which is contradictory to how we elect every other office.

We have a primary system but in most cases, there are no primary opponents. In 2008 it was reported that over 250 million adults over the age of 18 live in the United States; 131,257,328 voted in the 2008 presidential election, 208,323,000 have been reported as eligible to vote. This has been stated was the highest voter turnout in our nation's history with a little over 63% turnout.

Our haunted doorbell...

When we moved in here several years ago, the house did not have a working doorbell, it was something I was used to having, so we bought a doorbell that attached to the front door jamb but plugged into an electrical outlet. It seemed simple but what followed was strange. The doorbell would ring when there was no one there. The dogs would bark and carry on, rush to the front door and nothing. It happened at all times of the day and night, with no discernible cause or pattern. We tried different outlets, same result, without warning the doorbell would ring and no one would be there.

This began the girls believing the house was haunted. I told them that if it wasn't plugged in then rang, they should begin to worry...That thankfully never happened, at least not yet.

:-)

How to pretend to be rich and famous...

Ever dream of pulling up to an event in a F430 Ferrari? I was surprised to learn there are actually rental car companies out there that specialize in renting out top end "dream cars" for one day or monthly. It's pricey, costing almost as much for one day as a typical rental car would cost for a month, but? For those of you interested in creating one heck of an impression, it's out there thanks to the internet as well as a variety of other items related to luxury cars including Ferrari parts (just in case you have one and there's not a local dealer). For those of you who have less exotic cars, you could also pick up a set of Ferrari floor mats, or one of the yearbooks that Ferrari puts out to adorn your coffee table.

:-)

Obama not interested in what worked for Clinton...

As expected and expressed previously, President Obama is not going to take the advice of those who felt he could take a few history lessons on the Clinton presidential years...Obama dismisses Blanche Lincoln's plea to be more centrist in the Washington Post which says in part:

In any case, for those seeking a true measure of Obama’s judgment, on both policy and politics, the meeting between the president and Senate Democrats yesterday was much more instructive. Obama’s words made it clear that, notwithstanding his party’s recent election losses at the polls and its declining poll ratings, he has no intention of embarking on a Bill Clinton-style “triangulation” strategy.

The pivotal moment came when Sen. Blanche Lincoln of deep-red Arkansas, a centrist who’s on her way to defeat in November, practically begged the president to repudiate “extreme” liberals -- a clear reference to the Nancy Pelosi-led House -- and tack to the center. Arguing that the Democrats’ ambitious legislative agenda was sowing job-destroying “uncertainty” in the business community, she asked: “Are we willing as Democrats to push back on our own party?”

Obama’s reply, in a nutshell: Sorry, Blanche.

Like it or not, more people are towards the middle and not at either extreme end of the political spectrum. Not to mention it's hard to paint Obama as an extreme liberal, because on most issues he's not. Which makes this a labeling issue that could backfire.

Xbox versus Sega

My youngest daughter's boyfriend has been staying with us since before Christmas since his living situation with his mother was not one that was working out. One of the things he brought with him was his xbox 360. It's pretty interesting how advanced gaming has gotten but the other day when he and my daughter were bored they discovered our old Sega game system in the garage. They've been playing Sonic for a few days now, it's funny to watch them entertained a game that to them is simple but at the time? Seemed pretty amazing as far as game technology...