I always wanted to be a heavy equipment operator...

I have always thought it would be cool to learn how to operate heavy machinery, the closest I ever came was a brief stint as an ambulance driver. Which of course is not close at all, nor did I last long on the job. I could not resist the temptation to be able to drive with the lights and sirens on just once to see what it was like. According to what I've read jobs in the heavy equipment industry are still out there which makes places like the National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools a valuable resource for those of you who might be considering employment in this industry.

I really enjoyed visiting their website, they offer quite a bit of information as well as video and it's easy to request a free DVD and get started set. The video testimonials are a nice touch since it comes across as more sincere than just written testimonials, what real people have experienced through their schools is an important consideration. Yellow Metal USA is another additional plus since one of the most important things you want to know is if there are jobs out there for you before you take any type of classes and then once you complete a course, finding that job is going to be a priority.

In addition to checking out the website and sharing with you information on the National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools, they also have a recent press release that they'd like to share with readers of LCS:

On the morning of September 21, the Southern California College of Construction (SCCC) received a visit from Chad D. Hilde—a representative of the U.S. Department of Labor Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). SCCC Training Director Al Loya discussed matters of safety with Mr. Hilde as he inspected the SCCC facilities. Loya said the following regarding the visit:

I was able to meet with Mr. Hilde briefly in order to assure him that we are constantly striving to be a very safe work site, especially since we are a training site. He was able to look through our site plan and “Part 46” plan, which he found favorable and in order as expected. We also discussed certificates for our students and we assured him that all on site were in possession of their certificate. Mr. Hilde was gracious enough to address our students and provide real world examples and safety concerns that are prevalent in the workplace and are major violations. We look forward to meeting again with Mr.Hilde and we will continue to encourage and insist on safe practices at all times.

The MSHA enforces mandatory safety and health standards at all mining and mineral processing sites in the United States. The SCCC was visited by MSHA because its training facility is also located on a mine site. The SCCC campus president, Henry Salgado, is very pleased with the MSHA visit, and said that Mr. Hilde was “very impressed and had no negative findings.”

The Southern California College of Construction (SCCC) is a member college of the National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools (www.NAHETS.com). The SCCC has been in operation as of June 2007. The SCCC trains, educates, certifies, and places heavy equipment operators into the construction and heavy equipment industries across the country.

Contact Information:

Henry Salgado
Southern California College of Construction Campus President
570 W. 4th Street Suite 103
San Bernardino, CA 92405
(909)-884-1287
henrys@ccc-south.com
http://www.ccc-south.com/landing.cfm

Damn Near Righteous

Listening to "In My Room" which is on the new album released by Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers, gave me an eerie feeling. A mixture of chills at the sound that in today's music seems to be lost and at the memories that song evokes for me.

I really recommend reading the article in Newsweek, That Old Loving Feeling. The only disappointment I had was that "You've lost that loving feeling" wasn't one of the songs selected for the CD...

Well they do breed like...rabbits...

First let me clearly state it is wrong to dump domestic pets anywhere, including rabbits, but it's also understandable how quickly a situation can get out of control and the majority of time the humane societies out there will not help you. Hence, reports of situations like this Bunny dumping mystery should not surprise anyone who has ever tried to request assistance from a local humane society. Bottom line is of course people should be responsible for their pets, and rabbits do breed quickly. We as a society need to do a better job when it comes to reproduction issues of pets and to make sure we aren't adding to the problem...

Sleep deprivation - a possible solution

I'm one of the many people out there that have problems with sleep deprivation, there are many nights where it seems impossible for me to "shut my brain off" to be able to fall asleep. This has made me almost a mini-expert on the search for an insomnia cure that doesn't leave me feeling drugged the next day.

The principle behind www.sleep-deprivation-cd.com stems from research by Heinrich Wilhelm Dove in 1893 and his discovery of what is called "Binaural beats", the simplest description would be using binaural beats is believed to influence the brain into reaching below the Alpha waves (relaxation) to Theta waves (Dreams/Deep mediation) to the desired Delta Waves (Deep dreamless sleep). I'm sure all of you know people who fall asleep to sounds of nature or other calming/soothing sounds, this is an improvement upon that concept since it includes the binaural beats. I have not yet tried this cd, but it does sound worth checking out.

Are witchdoctors next here in the US?

After reading this article, Witchdoctor caught at poll tribunal, while it was humorous, I also couldn't help but ponder the differences in cultures from here to Nigeria.

Officers caught Oluwole Abiodun Wednesday at the court building in southwestern Ondo state with charms and copies of the Bible and Koran in a black plastic bag.

A pot containing a rabbit, seven eggs, cowrie shells and palm oil was found nearby, the state News Agency of Nigeria said.

"Abiodun said that he was sent by one of the principal officers of the state House of Assembly to perform some rituals in the court premises," the agency said.

Hundreds of cases are being heard across Nigeria to resolve disputes arising from April elections that were so heavily rigged they were deemed not credible by international observers.

The witchdoctor's rituals would have been intended to ensure that the challenge to the election of the legislator failed.

If that was proven to work? I'd imagine witchdoctors being imported in for various politicians here...

:-)

Will President Bush veto more children having access to medical care?

It's been stated that the President will veto the bill that was passed today in the Senate Showdown Looms as Child Health Bill Passes. As it stands right now, it appears there are enough votes to make this bill veto proof, and it's expected that pressure will continue to be placed on the President to not veto this bill.

When you read the Washington Post, it's clear that the Democrats are working hard not just from a Presidential standpoint but in the battle of the all important public relations aspect:

Leading up to a possible veto, the DCCC is preparing advertisements, automated phone calls and e-mail blitzes aimed at Republicans who could change their votes on an override, said a Democrat familiar with the campaign.

Of course the rhetoric is already out there:

"If the president refuses to sign the bill, if he says, with a veto, 'I forbid 10 million children in America to have health care,' this legislation will haunt him again and again and again," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

The real issue beyond the political posturing is:

(the bill) has the support of moderate Republicans and conservatives, business interests and even abortion opponents such as the Roman Catholic Church. The measure has the backing of the health insurance industry and children's and disease-control advocates, most of the nation's governors, AARP, and the American Medical Association.

The compromise would expand the $5 billion-a-year program by an average of $7 billion a year over the next five years, for total funding of $60 billion over the period. That would be enough to boost enrollment to 10 million, up from 6.6 million, and dramatically reduce the number of uninsured children in the country, currently about 9 million, supporters say.

The concern from the President and those who oppose the bill is that people would decide to opt out of their private insurance to get governmental assistance. Personally I don't think many parents would do that unless they were barely able to afford insurance in the first place, the insurance available through Ohio as one example is better than no insurance at all but not better than most private insurance plans.

Air tools make life easier...

Last in my theme of making life easier, Ingersoll Rand air tools will make many of the things you do at work or around the house much easier. The other day when we were struggling with one of my daughter's cars, it would have been nice to have a "Thunder Gun". That is of course assuming if we had such a tool one could actually locate it when we needed it...We had to borrow a phillips screwdriver from the neighbor since all of ours magically disappeared...

Make blogging easier...

I've noticed a huge difference in my computer usage with the new computer and my new monitor. If you haven't upgraded to one of the new monitors, then you might want to take a look at the viewsonic monitor. The lighting is much easier on my eyes, especially when I'm blogging at night like right now under less than ideal lighting conditions. Before my new monitor trying to blog at night when my husband is sleeping was much more of an eye-straining experience...

Make your digestive system work easier...

I've never tried it, but there are many people out there that believe that a colon cleanse helps rid their body of toxins and waste. They feel there is a health benefit to this that makes your digestive system work better and gives you more energy. There are lots of resources out there to learn more about this so you can make an informed decision as to what possible benefits you might experience and as always, I recommend doing research as well as asking your health professional their opinion.

Software that helps make your life easier...

While I'm still in the mindset of making life easier, intranet software can handle many of the things you do in a much more organized fashion. Whether you need to have a better way to deal with email or group scheduling or website content management, www.epaz.com could have the perfect solution for you. Check out their website for information on how you can get a 30 day trial to see firsthand what they can do to make your life easier...

The bedroom should be an escape zone...

For most normal people, the bedroom should be a place where you can escape the challenges of the world and enjoy some peace, quiet, and relaxation. Comfort is an important aspect to creating this feeling, and your choice of bed linen is a huge aspect of this. Even while I'm an exception to the rule of a bedroom being primarily for relaxing, with my blogging office being in our bedroom, when I am stressed out from local or national politics, it's nice to know a nice soft sheet set and a quilted bed covering are only a few feet away from me.

Terry's fabrics specializes in providing a great choice of fabrics at a great price for those of you who live in the United Kingdom but with their online fabric store they have the ability to reach a global market. You'll find fabric selections that you will not see elsewhere from Chenile to Voile in many patterns and colors. In addition to great fabric choices, they also offer some wonderful interior design tips that I think you'll find helpful.

Okay Bill...will there be chip dip too?

Having already covered the lunch offer, the come help in New Orleans offer, today I received another email from former President Bill Clinton (yes, I know it's not really from him). This time offering me a bowl of potato chips...

Dear Lisa,

There are two things in this world that I love more than anything else -- my family and politics. So you can imagine just how fired up I get when Hillary is on the stage debating the issues that matter to our country.

So here's an idea: why don't you and I share that excitement together during an upcoming debate. Hillary's campaign will pick three people -- each invited with a guest to watch one of the upcoming presidential debates with me. We'll sit down in front of a big TV with a big bowl of chips, watch the debate, and talk about the race. If you enter before the Sunday midnight deadline, you and a guest could be the ones to sit down with me to watch a presidential debate.

I caved...but if I'm the one who's picked (highly doubtful but humor me), I want french onion chip dip and diet pepsi too. I also prefer Charles Chips, they rock...

72 Eurofighter Typhoon jets equals peace?

I'll never understand the logic behind those that think the more arms they have the better chances for peace, yet it's alive and well with more to come in the latest arms race which is taking place as we speak. Just a few of the recent arms sales:

In a deal announced this week, Saudi Arabia has agreed to buy 72 Eurofighter Typhoon jets from Europe's largest defense company, BAE Systems worth almost $9 billion. A boon for the company, especially given that a previous major deal is under investigation for allegations of corruption.

Hailed by the UK ministry of defense as a "new chapter" in cooperation with Saudi Arabia, the contract will be called "Project Salam," meaning "peace." It is also a new chapter that will see much more military hardware entering the region and one that ratchets up current tensions and divisions between Sunni-dominated states, such as Saudi Arabia, and Shiite Iran.

Larger deals between governments have been taking place. In August this year, the U.S. agreed to provide Israel with $30 billion in military aid over the next ten years.

Another agreement that is currently awaiting approval by the U.S. Congress would see a further $20 billion in military aid go to Saudi Arabia and other weapons deals to UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, plus a further $13 billion to Egypt.

I can't help thinking back to this flash video cartoon The End of the World....

Is Columbus, Kentucky significant?

Is Columbus, Kentucky significant to the political process of deciding a president when it's obvious that the way the town was selected was not truly based on demand from residents of the town but through the creative use of the internet and email by one town resident? That's the question I asked myself as I read this Wired article, Tiny Town Blazes New Campaign Trail, Using Social Network.

The headline should read, "Shawn Dixon of Tiny Town Blazes New Campaign Trail, Using Social Network". The town of Columbus, Kentucky has 229 residents, yet 1,870 people voted. I realize it's being said a majority from that region voted yet:

Hickman's victory was largely due to the efforts of Dixon, a politically passionate Columbus native who is now a first-year scholarship law student at the top-rated New York University School of Law. The son of two factory workers, Hickman, 24, is a Democratic activist, the first person in his family to go to college and an Edwards supporter. (He's also running an internet campaign to unseat Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican.)

Dixon began his campaign in May with an e-mail blast to his friends and acquaintances asking them to join Eventful to demand an Edwards visit to Columbus. He followed up by posting the request on Facebook and MySpace.

Dixon says that Facebook was particularly useful in spreading the word because he had about 800 "friends" in that network whom he knew personally through high school, college and work. He also wrote about his effort on the popular liberal blog, DailyKos.

I think it's awesome for the residents of the city of Columbus and of Hickman County Kentucky that Edwards is coming to visit them, yet I think the real thing demonstrated here is how successful one person can be in getting results by using the power of the internet.

al Qaeda videos developed to impact US not recruit...

In reading this article posted on the Washington Times website, Al Qaeda tapes grow in number, expertise it appears from the reports given the lessening response/support from middle eastern nations as to the ever increasing videos that these videos are being designed to attract our attention:

The use of subtitles in English, German, Danish and many other languages indicates something else about the messages, according to some analysts: They are aimed at the West.

"These messages are carefully tailored for a Western audience," said Raymond Ibrahim, a scholar of Islam and Middle Eastern history at the Library of Congress.

That may account for recent polling showing that, despite the increased sophistication of as-Sahab, al Qaeda's message is just not resonating with Muslims as it once did.

If the information being reported as to the decline in support of al Qaeda is accurate, that should be good news when it comes to terrorism. This further demonstrates that the real power behind al Qaeda here in the US is their ability to create "terror", which probably explains the reason why the messages are being geared to a US audience. If they are loosing support in the middle east, all they have left at this point is to try to keep in the news in the US, which could also explain the increase in the frequency of the videos being sent out.

Did Rudolph W. Giuliani practice what he now preaches?

This Washington Post article, Giuliani's Rhetoric on Terror Contrasts With His Record suggests that the former Mayor has not practiced what he is now preaching when it comes to the topic of terrorism. It's a highly recommended read since it's a given as the Presidential campaign continues the topic of terrorism and who is going to be "tougher" on it will be one of the primary spin points of many of the candidates both Republican and Democrat.

Will trying to paint Democrats as being soft on terror backfire on Rudy given some of his own previous statements? Some selected paragraphs from the article:

On the campaign trail, Giuliani particularly stresses the time he spent as U.S. attorney investigating Yasser Arafat for his role in the death of a wheelchair-bound New Yorker, Leon Klinghoffer, in the 1985 hijacking of the cruise ship Achille Lauro. "I investigated Yasser Arafat before anybody knew who he really was," Giuliani said in Las Vegas.

But prosecutors who led that case say Giuliani overstates his role. He assisted in the later, failed attempt to evict the Palestine Liberation Organization from its New York office, but the investigation of an Arafat link to the ship hijacking was handled by the Justice Department in Washington, say former Justice officials, including Stephen Trott, now a federal appeals judge.

In 1997, the city decided to place an emergency command center for the agency on the 23rd floor of 7 World Trade Center, across from the twin towers. Several top officials argued for a lower-profile site, such as an office complex across the Manhattan Bridge in Brooklyn.

Giuliani and his advisers have rejected criticism of the site selection, saying no one could have predicted the collapse of the towers. But Louis Anemone, a top-ranking police officer who has since retired, disagrees. The World Trade Center "was number one on our list of the most vulnerable and critical and symbolic locations in the city. The place had been attacked once before, and they had been threatening to bring those towers down again," Anemone said. "For those of us who lived and breathed this stuff day in and day out, it boggled the imagination."

This comes down to the typical question asked, what will matter more? Facts or Spin...

Rent books and have them delivered to your door...

Imagine being able to rent paperback or hardcover books without having to leave your home to travel anywhere. You pick out which books you want to read, they are delivered to your home and when you are done? You return them via mail and more books come in their place. This is exactly how I get DVD's delivered to my home, for those of you who enjoy reading there is a Book Rental Club based on the same principle:

MONROE, NJ - BookSwim.com, the first and only online hardcover and paperback book rental service, is announcing the release of a 2-at-a-Time Plan with unlimited rentals at $9.99 for the first month if they subscribe with promo code 2planfor999. Thereafter the membership fee is $14.99 monthly.

“The idea is to let some of our more casual readers discover what it truly means to ‘read more, pay less’. Saving Swimmers money through book rental has been our end goal,” says chief marketing officer George Burke. “Our previous starter plan, 3-at-a-Time for $19.99, gave less avid readers the impression of more books than needed in a month. They wanted to see fewer books for less money and we’re happy to accommodate those who don’t have much time to devote to reading, but still want to save on all the latest and rarest book titles, shipped to their door.”

As with every book rental plan, there’s no late fees so readers can keep our books as long as they wish. Postage is completely free, both ways. And with unlimited book rentals per month, faster readers are rewarded with more books. If the user enjoys a book, as with every plan, he or she can elect to purchase it at a deep discount.

Burke continues to explain the absence of a 1-book rental plan. “Shipping two or even three books in a package can cost the same as one book, so why give members one when we can give them three in a package for the same price?”

The average New York Times Bestseller title carries a list price of about $22. For $7 less, the new 2-at-a-Time plan lends members potentially 4 to 6 bestsellers, new releases, classics, or children’s books each month.

Against my better judgment...I picked Miami

Okay, those of you out there who are Jets fans can gloat...Yesterday when I had to enter my picks for the football pool I'm in I really thought about the Dolphins v Jet's game. Wishful thinking on my part made me pick Miami.



Sigh...At least it was close...

:-)

Collecting travel data more extensive than suspected...

If you wonder about how far our government has gone to track our travel data, then you'll want to read, Collecting of Details on Travelers Documented. I urge you to read the article in full, then ask yourself if you feel the government really needs to spend that much time, energy and money on us for information like this:

...new details about the information being retained suggest that the government is monitoring the personal habits of travelers more closely than it has previously acknowledged. The details were learned when a group of activists requested copies of official records on their own travel. Those records included a description of a book on marijuana that one of them carried and small flashlights bearing the symbol of a marijuana leaf.

Great way to protect your carpet and flooring

Every year when the sloppy season of winter comes it's a never ending mess when you have carpets, pets and children. I've tried different types of carpet protectors in the past but they didn't stick or they shifted which made them basically useless. With this product from Plasticover, they offer a better system for temporary carpet protection. The plastic covering comes with it's own adhesive background that sticks in place for at least 60 days of use then comes off without a sticky residue. From all appearances it looks as if it is very easy to apply.

With all of the problems we had with pets, children and carpet we opted for wood floors here. Even then there are times when the floor needs a temporary covering. Plasticover also offers a temporary floor protection film that can be used on wood or other hard surface flooring. Other than the seasonal aspect, I can also see where this would come in handy if you are expecting a large group of people, or even a business with heavy foot traffic where you want to have some temporary carpet protection in place.

Random drug testing your child...

I know of several parents who make it a practice to perform random drug tests on their children hoping that it will prevent major problems and avoid a serious issue that would require using drug treatment centers. It doesn't seem to work though, in fact I've noticed that when the level of trust is gone to the point where a parent does that it seems to encourage more rebellion from a few of these children and actually increases their using drugs.

This doesn't seem to be an issue when it comes to sports or other school programs where all of the students are being treated the same when it comes to requiring testing. I realize the ease and accessibility of drug testing but it seems to me the lack of trust and the destruction of the relationship between the teen and the parents I've recently seen go through this is not worth discovering a drug test was passed or failed...

Tired of jello...

I recently had another bout of health problems that made me have to go back on a clear liquid diet then work my way back up to eating soft foods, etc. This made me tired of jello and needing nutritional supplements since my body still needed nutrition. Now, I've gotten a cold from the virus laden household which leads me to believe I should have paid even more attention to my vitamin intake...

Amazing uses for software...

When I read about succession planning at first I thought it was some type of planning to take over a king or a queen, thinking line of succession. However, I was wrong it has to do with computer software that can track employee talents and abilities to be able to better utilize employee skills. Our modern technology and the amazing different types of software out there to help businesses perform research tasks in a more efficient manner is impressive.

First impression starts at reception desk...

Have you ever noticed how most times the impression you get when you enter into an office as to what type of treatment you can expect by looking at the reception desks? The past few places I've been to with shabby front desks, cluttered with papers have ended up being long frustrating experiences. Offices where there is a nice desk with a more professional appearance the employee behind the desk seems to reflect that...

Survivor China!

One of the few television shows I enjoy is Survivor, and tonight it was time for Survivor China. My youngest daughter, Aubrey, is also a fan of the show and she was disgusted when "Steve "Chicken" Morris" ended up being the first one to go home...

Should be an interesting series with it taking place in China.

:-)

Michael Kinsley's look at "umbrage"

In what has to be one of the most entertaining political pieces I've read in some time, comes How Dare You. Kinsley makes some thought provoking and chuckle worthy points:

Goodness gracious. oh, my paws and whiskers. Some of the meanest, most ornery hombres around are suddenly feeling faint. Notorious tough guys are swooning with the vapors. The biggest beasts in the barnyard are all aflutter over something they read in the New York Times. It's that ad from MoveOn.org — the one that calls General David Petraeus, the head of U.S. forces in Iraq, general betray us. All across the radio spectrum, right-wing shock jocks are themselves shocked. How could anybody say such a thing? It's horrifying. It's outrageous. It's disgraceful. It's just beyond the pale ... It's ... oh, my heavens ... say, is it a bit stuffy in here? ... I think I'm going to ... Could I have a glass of ... oh, dear [thud].

Welcome to the wonderful world of umbrage, the new language of American politics. You would not have thought that the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly would be so sensitive. Sticks and stones and so on. Yet they all seem to have taken one look at that ad and fainted dead away. And when they came round, they demanded — as if with one voice (or at least as if with one list of talking points) — that every Democratic presidential candidate must "condemn" this shocking, shocking document.

I agree 100% with the belief that way too much was made of this ad, and there has been a huge amount of umbrage floating around that takes away from the real issues. In this incident the Republicans definitely are winners in the umbrage department, Kinsley is the winner in the creativity zone...

22 Democrats Join Republicans in "rebuke" of Move On ad

As I sit here I wonder after reading, Senate rebukes MoveOn.org for Gen. 'Betray Us' ad will the focus be on the fact that this demonstrates that even some of the Democrats in the Senate believe the "Betray us" ad went to far or will it continue to focus on the assumption that anyone who claims to be a Democrat, especially a liberal agrees with everything that Move on does.

Here in Ohio? Sherrod Brown voted no, Voinovich voted yes...

From a Presidential standpoint? Clinton voted no...Obama didn't vote, neither did Biden.

For even more on the topic of the ad in question, the Washington Post puts it to a fact check. The end result of their fact checking:



Personally I think the waste of time voting on "rebuking" or "condemning" an ad was just as pointless as the Move On ad was. All it does is take away from the real issues and continues the political game of tit for tat...

It's like Monopoly only better...MyWallSt.net

I want to learn more about the stock market including trading but we don't have the income at this point for me to do more than just pay close attention to the market and try to learn as much as I can from reading various resources. When I heard about the rookie challenge being held on MyWallSt.net, I was immediately intrigued. Here was a way for me to learn more about stock trading, perhaps win some money and best of all? It doesn't cost one single penny! There is a weekly drawing where rookies can win $1,000, and whether you win the drawings or not, a free hat.

Registration was quick and easy, it took a matter of moments to complete the process and then I was able to set up my own profile and start trading stocks with an imaginary $100,000 to invest. Now, we'll see how I end up doing and if I end up with a profit or I end up in bankruptcy...

:-)

Amar C. Bakshi on Iran...

Another very thought provoking piece by Amar C. Bakshi for the Washington Post's PostGlobal, this time he talks to Iranian Americans on the topic of U.S. Engage or Isolate Iran?. While I'm far from a scholar on the topic of Iran and the middle east, I've talked to enough people and done enough reading to tend to agree with what Reza Aslan states:

He says that if America destabilizes Iran covertly, or starves it through sanctions, Iranians will turn against the U.S., emboldening hard line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and legitimating the old (Iranian) rhetoric of “westoxification” which was particularly salient when U.S. President Jimmy Carter seemed cozy with the Shah in the late 1970s. If America confronts Iran now, it will spread the will to sacrifice, and increase the risk of war.

I also think this quote from another Iranian American should be pointed out:

“Look at Iraq! You expect America to do any better in Iran! We have no choice but diplomacy.”

He makes a very valid point...

Seven deadly sins in the work place...

Interesting list from CNN on Seven deadly workplace sins. The quick list, for more visit the article:

1. Pride
2. Envy
3. Anger
4. Greed
5. Sloth
6. Gluttony
7. Lust

Gee...they are the same seven deadly sins in the non workplace...

They want your opinion on promotional products...

If you have the time to take a few moments to take a poll to state how you feel about Promotional products, then Get Your Promotional Products would like your help. They are interested in your opinion to help them build their data base to be able to help companies who are looking for the best return on their investment which is why your opinion matters. The type of promotional item that potential customers rank helps provide information on what is appealing and what is not...

Hellcat or Helpmate": A Look at Mary Todd Lincoln?

The title of this post, "Hellcat or Helpmate": A Look at Mary Todd Lincoln, is the headline text used from Newsweek for the web exclusive story, Mrs. Lincoln: Examining the life of a controversial First Lady.

As it was designed to do, the choice of the webtitle drew my interest so I proceeded to read the article written by Karen Springen. It's interesting from a historical perspective that some believe she was "crazy" and others do not:

The Springfield exhibit begins dramatically, with the bed where Mary Todd Lincoln slept in 1875, when she was involuntarily committed to Bellevue Place, a private sanitarium in Batavia, Ill. Her eldest son said, and a jury agreed, that she was insane, after hotel parlor maids testified that she wandered the halls at night and sewed money into her nightgown. She spent four months at Bellevue Place before a second court restored her legal right to control her affairs. “She is misunderstood, but I also believe that she had serious, serious mental illness,” says Jason Emerson, author of “The Madness of Mary Lincoln” (Southern Illinois University Press, Oct. 2007), who argues that she suffered from bipolar disorder throughout her life. Other prominent historians disagree. “She’s neurotic and narcissistic, but I don’t go with this insanity bit,” says Baker.

I really recommend reading the article, it's lenthy but well worth the read from a historical point of view and I also recommend watching the video that is on the Newsweek site as well.

New blog on hair loss...

The American Hair Loss Association, which is a non-profit organization has recently created a Hair Loss Blog. After receiving hundreds of emails from people suffering from hair loss sent to their website they felt a blog would be a great way for people to not only learn more but to be able to discuss what to many is a serious concern in an informative and supportive environment. I found some of the blog posts there very interesting, such as the one on Coffee Beans May Help Women With Hair Loss. I think many people forget that it is not just men who deal with hair loss but women and children also face this due to many different medical reasons.

If you or someone you know is dealing with the issue of hair loss both the blog and the website for the American Hair Loss Association would be great sites to bookmark as a resource and reference site.

Great credit offers in the UK...

For those of you who are residents of the UK, it's easy to get more from a Mint credit card, especially right now. Mint through the The Royal Bank of Scotland is offering some special introductory rates for you to select from, such as 0% interest until April 2008, no interest on balance transfers for 13 months. Mint also offers a 56 day grace period for purchases, online account management and the ability to manage your account through your cell phone text message software. Account management does not get much easier than that...

There are other advantages to going Mint, like special discounts to card members for everything from chocolate easter eggs to the Wine Club in association with Laithwaites that you can receive as a Mint card holder. If you don't have the Mint in your hands? Head on over and check out these introductory rates and you could save a mint...

Arg Matey...I didn't forget...

It is International Talk like a Pirate day! Though I gotta tell you, trying to blog like a pirate? Pretty damn hard...

So which are they? "hostile" or "enemy"?

Evidently the New York Times and CNN can't even seem to agree on what Israel has deemed the Gaza (which of course means Hamas). The New York Times headline from my google front news page states:

Israel Declares Gaza an ‘Enemy Entity

CNN has:

Israel: Hamas-controlled Gaza 'hostile entity'.

From the NY Times, I'm trying to figure out how the US will follow through on this:

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday the United States ''will not abandon the innocent Palestinians in Gaza,'' shortly after Israel declared the territory to be an enemy entity in order to cut off power and fuel supplies to the coastal strip.

Given she then said this:

At the same time, Rice said Gaza, ruled by the Islamic militant Hamas group, ''is a hostile entity to us as well.''

Israel stopped short at cutting off the water supply, but without food, electricity and medical supplies, only providing water is not going to do much to prevent increased human suffering in the Gaza. We've gone to war and overthrown governments for treating people the way people are being allowed to suffer in the Gaza...

Check out Project KickStart

If you do project planning as a part of your job or your volunteer activities you know how frustrating it can be to try to use some of the other products out there like Microsoft Project. There is another way...Create a well thought out project plan in under 30 minutes using Project KickStart. I spent quite a bit of time looking at the features of the software that is available for a free trial, and I was happy to see that it is Vista friendly. I also took the product tour which is very informative in pointing out the features of Project KickStart. Those of you who like charts and having your project in a very organized manner will really like the Gantt chart feature.

I can see how having this type of software would have been extremely helpful when I did the planning for a new playground a few years back, it took hours to get all of the information together and to do the power point presentation. Project KickStart exports which is an other huge plus...

Stand by President Bush or run for their political lives.

Stand by President Bush or run for their political lives is being stated as the dilemma many moderate Republicans are facing in this morning's Washington Post article GOP Moderates Weigh Loyalty To Bush vs. Political Realities.

"We are at a very significant juncture," said Rep. Jim Ramstad (Minn.), a moderate who on Monday joined seven other Republicans in announcing that he will not seek reelection. "I'd use a metaphor, but it can't be printed -- something about something hitting the fan."

Debate No-Shows Worry GOP Leaders

Washington Post has an article pointing out concerns expressed by leading Republicans for Candidates Are Urged to Attend Forums Sponsored by Minorities. There already is a perception that Republicans do not attract minority voters and having presidential candidates avoid forums such as the one written about in the Post further adds to that perception. Some selected quotes of interest:

"We sound like we don't want immigration; we sound like we don't want black people to vote for us," said former congressman Jack Kemp (N.Y.), who was the GOP vice presidential nominee in 1996. "What are we going to do -- meet in a country club in the suburbs one day? If we're going to be competitive with people of color, we've got to ask them for their vote."

"For Republicans to consistently refuse to engage in front of an African American or Latino audience is an enormous error," said former House speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.), who has not yet ruled out a White House run himself. "I hope they will reverse their decision and change their schedules. I see no excuse -- this thing has been planned for months, these candidates have known about it for months. It's just fundamentally wrong. Any of them who give you that scheduling-conflict answer are disingenuous. That's baloney."

Will the candidates listen and how they will backtrack if they do, should be interesting...

When having your own domain matters...

There is quite a bit of controversy when it comes to the discussion of should you have your own paid domain when blogging versus using a free blogging program such as the one this blog is on. Some believe that if you pay for a domain it means you are more serious about your blogging and some (like me) think that the main focus should be on what type of a blogger you are versus where you decide to blog.

When it comes to a home based business though, it takes this discussion to a different level. It's one thing to attract readership to a blog hosted on a free hosting arrangement but when people are spending money on items they purchase? The appearance of having your own domain gives your business some added advantages, which is why affordable web hosting is important.

Beyond this aspect of the appearance issue, one of the reasons I have my main political blog on it's own domain is control. Using a free website for a business typically means advertising is required that you have no control over, which could in fact compete against your very own business. From a creative control aspect, the design and software options are much more plentiful on your own domain as well, which adds to how professional your home based business website looks which has an affect on your success...

Guys need to step up to the sink

I understand the whole hygiene thing though depending on the public restroom facility it's easy to see why men are more inclined to pass heading to the sink. The ironic moment in reading the CNN article, Men more likely to not wash after bathroom use was not the statement:

"Guys need to step up to the sink,"

It was who the statement came from:

Brian Sansoni, spokesman for the Soap and Detergent Association, which co-sponsors the survey and related education campaigns.

As a spokesman he's supposed to push soap...but guys? If it's really true that:

One-third of men didn't bother to wash after using the bathroom, compared with 12 percent of women, said the researchers who spy on people in public restrooms. They reported their latest findings Monday at a meeting of infectious disease scientists.

Remember that next time someone is watching you in the bathroom that makes you uncomfortable enough that you left without washing? He was watching to see if you washed...

:-)

Cover up that hot tub...

If you are one of those lucky folks who have a hot tub on your deck, outdoors or indoors then you'll want to take note of HotTubWorks.com for Discount Spa Chemicals, Filters, Parts. Not only do they offer a cover for just about every hot tub on the market but they make it easy to order right the first time by providing you with video instructions on how to properly measure for spa covers. Their website is not only easy to navigate but is full of all kinds of helpful tips and information, which is located in the Hot Tub Toolbox, there you'll learn even more about replacement spa covers, the right chemicals and even troubleshooting tips. Friendly staff is also available via phone and email...

Hillary wanted to do lunch...John wants you to join him in The Big Easy...

Not long ago one lucky winner from Ohio donated to the Hillary Clinton for President campaign within the deadline to be selected to have lunch with a guest, Hillary and Bill Clinton.

Today in my email box I receive from the John Edwards for President campaign:

Dear Lisa Renee,

New Orleans has a special place in my heart.

Over the past two years, I have traveled to New Orleans on numerous occasions. It was from the front yard of a New Orleans home—destroyed by Hurricane Katrina— that I launched my campaign for president on December 28 last year. And it was from New Orleans that I started my Road to One America this past summer.

Soon, I will return to New Orleans to work alongside families who are rebuilding their homes and their lives. Will you join me?

I'm looking for five people who are prepared to get their hands dirty and work hard. I've asked my campaign team to select five supporters to join me in New Orleans. By contributing any amount you can afford between now and September 30th, you could be one of them.

I think I will make my own challenge, the next presidential candidate who actually emails me something of substance that does not include any type of a gimmicky ploy for dollars? Will rise high in my esteem and get some very nice blog coverage, more than once even and maybe even...My vote...

A tale of two Petraues's...

An editorial by Donald Lambro in the Washington Times is titled, Petraeus makes the case where some interesting statements are made by Lambro:

There is also no doubt Democratic war critics and their leftist allies at MoveOn.org suffered some blows and were bleeding, strategically and politically. Before the week was over, they had been decked by a one-two punch. The first delivered by Gen. Petraeus' troop-withdrawal recommendations; the second, by President Bush who quickly embraced them.

In one bold, outflanking maneuver, the Republicans were suddenly on the offensive again and the Democrats were desperately playing defense as best they could. Only this time they were the ones opposing the troop pullout the administration was preparing to begin in the coming weeks.

Jim Hoagland in the Washington Post sees it differently, From Hope to Fear in Iraq:

The thrust and parry of spin and counter-spin resembled the stuff of ephemera rather than the stuff of history. Cool, competent performances by Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker on Capitol Hill aimed at buying six to nine more months for something to turn up, as the two men honestly if indirectly acknowledged.

Nor can the other nightmare he has publicly outlined be discounted. That is of a horrific bloodbath in Iraq if U.S. troops are withdrawn precipitously. A stasis of power, of defeat and victory, has yet to be established in Iraq.

But policy dominated by nightmarish fear inevitably incurs unbearable costs at home and abroad. What Washington witnessed last week was not a true reassessment of America's involvement in Iraq. Bush, Petraeus and Crocker left events to force a reassessment that is still to come.

And in the Gaza...people suffer while Hamas/Fatah play power games...

The title of the Washington Post article is Hamas's New Order Exacts Toll On Gazans. There can be no doubt that life in Gaza has changed and that part of that change is directly related to the enforcement of the more stringent religious rules.

Yet, what disturbed me about the Washington Post article is it seems to forget that part of the reason why the people in Gaza are suffering more than they should be is because of Fatah and Abbas's U.S.-backed government cutting off funding to the Gaza for important basic life needs, such as trash pick up, medical supplies. Basically it's a starvation type sanction being placed on Hamas and the residents of Gaza to see how long it will take for people to break.

This type of sanction behavior doesn't work, it may get some to "surrender" but it also breeds contempt and even more resistance. The Post article hints at it but doesn't come right out and point out how huge of a reason this is behind how life in the Gaza is right now.

Facing money shortages, a shrinking private sector and growing political resistance, Hamas leaders are increasingly imposing harsh interpretations of Islamic law and using brute force to bolster their isolated administration....

Scott Wilson, the reporter for the story finds one factory owner who states they blame Hamas for all of this. No mention of the fact that the reason Hamas was in power was they were elected in January 2006 and what has happened since as far as aid being cut off as well as the many squabbles between Fatah and Hamas since the election. It'd be like if President Bush had not won this last election period and decided since he didn't like the outcome he was going to stay in office. It's a simplistic example but people are being punished for voting for Hamas, and it's clear the goal at the end of this from a Fatah/US/Israel standpoint is for people to be so much more miserable under Hamas (which Hamas is adding to by their own fear/control tactics) that power will be restored to Fatah...

It's a given that given the reputation of Hamas that should there be a power switch and they act like Fatah as far as not acknowledging it? That would be treated in a different manner by both the US and the media. Just like in Iraq, the sanctions didn't hurt Saddam, they hurt the people of Iraq, so while the US/Israel/Fatah continue to try to destroy Hamas, they are all destroying Gaza.

Car insurance information when you don't have an info guru

Even before I became a blogger of many blogs, my ability to search online for information has made me the "go to person" when it comes to all kinds of matters, including advice on things like car insurance quotes. Yet not everyone has the ability to be able to know the magic combination to get the best information from a search engine and this is where websites like CarInsuranceRates.com can come in handy to have as a bookmark. They go well beyond providing the basic information on how to get the best insurance rate that can be found on a myriad of websites out there.

What earns them my recommend is the details they provide, which includes a state by state listing since insurance regulations do differ from one area of the country to another, their informative articles and their insurance guide which provides more than just a basic glossary of terms. I highly recommend all smart consumers check from time to time to make sure they are getting the best deal possible on their insurance needs, but being an educated consumer is even more important. The next time you decide to check for auto insurance rates, stop by their website first for great advice on how to not only have the coverage you need, but at the best price.

New York Post questions New York Times...

I think the question being raised as to the difference in the normal price charged for the size ad that Move on ran in the New York Times is a valid one to raise, as this Reuters article, NY Times criticized for ad attacking Petraeus points out:

Moveon.org confirmed it paid $65,000 for the full page ad headlined "General Petraeus or General Betray Us."

The New York Post ran a story on Thursday asking why the basic rate of $181,692 for such an ad was discounted.

Despite the various reasons being touted by the New York Times, questions like this:

Jeff Jarvis, a journalism professor who blogs on media at buzzmachine.com, said the key question for the Times was could any other political or advocacy group get the same rate under the same circumstances.

"The quandary the Times gets stuck in is they don't want to admit you can buy an ad for that rate, no matter who you are," Jarvis said, noting that with print advertising revenues in decline newspapers generally did offer big discounts.

Anyone, conservative or liberal is going to look at the math and realize that a $116,692 dollar discount is pretty big, and if that is something that the New York Times does on a regular basis if you were one of the few who did pay full price? You'd be pretty steamed at the way you were ripped off.

This is without even getting into the deeper political issue that the ad most likely did more harm than good since rather than focus on the real issues which are valid concerns regarding the latest reports on Iraq, quite a bit of attention has been on this ad instead. Last I looked the real way to change things was to work on the real issues and not just create a subject change...

On having a successful online store...

If you are like me, you get curious as to how things work and something I always wondered was how online stores have the shopping cart on them that keeps track of what you are purchasing and then takes you to the checkout when you are done shopping as well as take your credit card information in a safe and secure manner. I discovered that it is companies like Ashop that develop the software behind this shopping cart software. This makes it much easier for an online store business to be able to create a professional appearance by making use of this ecommerce software. If you have ever had dreams of opening up your own online market place, Ashop gives you the ability to try their software for free for ten days. They also have a demo store that you can check out to try all of the features of their software, which I admit I had fun playing with the Urban Toyz demo store.

:-)

Obama mispeaks on ethnic cleansing...

How large of an issue this will become is a valid question, but it's being reported that this morning on the Today Show, Barack Obama stated:

DAVID GREGORY: You heard Secretary Rice say there is progress in Iraq that cannot be ignored. She spoke about when, not if, the United States prevails in Iraq. Do you see it that way?

BARACK OBAMA: I think it's important to understand that after two days of testimony [by Gen. Petraeus and Amb. Crocker], here's the bottom line: that having put an additional 30,000 troops in, and continued the same course we were on, we are now back to the horrendous levels of violence that we were back in June of 2006.

So there's no doubt that we've seen some measured progress in Anbar province, primarily because the Sunni tribal leaders made a political decision there that they would work with the coalition forces. We've seen a very modest reduction of violence in Baghdad, partly because entire neighborhoods have essentially been ethnically cleansed. Those are all positive things, but we are now back at the levels of violence we were 18 months ago.

I watched the video, so I did verify that is exactly what was stated...Most candidates who made such a gaffe would end up making the news, so far I haven't seen much if anything on this incident.

Court TV Commentator also blogs...

Dmitry Gorin is a well known lawyer who practices in Southern California, due to his expertise as a Former Los Angeles Prosecutor and a Professor at UCLA and Pepperdine Law School he has been a frequent commentator on Court TV. Providing even more information when it comes to law, he also has a blog, the Los Angeles Criminal Lawyers Blog | California Criminal Defense Law Forum. Commentary on California case law as well as giving his professional analysis of recent celebrity prosecutions can be read there. The most recent celebrity case covered is the Phil Spector murder trial, that at the time of this post, the jury is still deliberating on.

In Japan, prime minister resigns...

Not just Russia is experiencing some major switch ups in their governments, the Washington Post is reporting that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe resigned. Interestingly enough the article states he was a "walking political corpse" after only one year in the office.

His party, which has dominated Japanese politics since World War II, was crushed in July parliamentary elections, the kind of humiliation that had led previous prime ministers to quit without delay.

But that was just part of Abe's predicament. His judgment in picking a cabinet proved faulty in the extreme, as scandals and ineptitude had pushed four ministers to resign and one to kill himself.

Of special interest is one of the areas of contention within the government of Japan is a refueling station in the Indian Ocean that is used to for the war in Afghanistan.

As recently as last weekend, Abe had said he would do everything in his power to extend the anti-terrorism law that authorizes the floating gas station, which has pumped more than 127 million gallons of fuel, without charge, most of it into U.S. warships.

But the refueling operation had been seized upon here by the Democratic Party of Japan, the opposition group that took control of the upper house of parliament in July. Ending it was a way for the opposition to demonstrate Abe's political weakness.

Now that vote is on hold, so it's not clear if Japan will continue the re-fueling operation or not. Nor would I imagine many people realize that Japan had been fueling the US without charge.

Putin makes surprise cabinet switch...

Given the nature of secrecy that still prevails in Russia when it comes to how governmental decisions are made, the recent move by Putin to submit the name of the country's new prime minister and having it be a man who was not widely known has caused some speculation as to what affect this will have on the upcoming elections in Russia. Putin Nominates Obscure Official To Be Premier in the Washington Post covers some of the basics on this story, including:

"Really it's a very weird appointment," said Yevgeny Volk, head of the Heritage Foundation in Moscow. "Zubkov doesn't seem like a candidate fit for the presidency. This may be to divert the public from the real candidate for the moment. But Kremlin watchers now have a lot of food for thought."

Just goes to show you, politics even outside of the US can be weird...

Get a smooch and more...

Looking for a 100% free dating site with no hidden charges to be able to access certain features? Then you'll want to Click here to go to Smooch.com. It has all of the full features that you'd expect from a popular dating website such as the ability to upload photos, a "who's online" feature and the ability to chat in private. Where it is different though is Smooch doesn't promise a free profile only to have you later discover you have to pay a fee to actually be able to "meet" people interested in hooking up with you. When you join, it's very easy to see who's online from your state and if there are any members that meet the geographical area you have selected to search from. I created a test membership to fully review the site and it is very easy to join as well as to navigate the site.

Chris Cillizza tries to understand Matt Drudge...

Chris Cillizza focuses on a recent New York Magazine piece on Matt Drudge and his Drudge Report in today's Washington post entitled, Understanding Matt Drudge. Chris recommends reading the lengthy New Yorker piece because he thinks he helps highlight the importance of the new media of which Drudge like him or not is a part of.

Upon Chris's recommendation, I did read the full New Yorker coverage, Watching Matt Drudge. The article starts out more like "where it the world is Matt Drudge" as Philip Weiss tries to hunt down Matt to get answers without trying to appear as a stalker. Some interesting selections from Weiss's piece:

Who is the man behind the Website? The more power Drudge has attained, the more reclusive he has become. Drudge seems to despise his own fame with a Kurt Cobain–like intensity. On radio he speaks of himself as a nobody and has referred to his fans as “psychic vampires.” He has utterly compartmentalized his life, separating the personal and the public. Acquaintances describe very brief, formal encounters, and even friends of Drudge’s, if there is such a category, generally communicate with him by IM. He’s said by some to be gay, but he has thrown water on these speculations.

I'm not sure I agree with Chris that this piece really tells us alot about the new media, it seems to focus on the personal trials and tribulations of Matt Drudge with a great deal of personal information such as his receiving psychiatric treatment as a teenager and personal information from the divorce of his two liberal parents.

Poll Respondents Doubt Petraeus Will Give True Picture

It really should not come as a surprise given the current atmosphere when it comes to trust and our government but...Wide Skepticism Ahead of Assessment is being reported in the poll results done by the Washington Post:

The public's baseline judgment on the war is little changed -- more than six in 10 said the war is not worth fighting, a sentiment that has been a majority view for nearly three years.

But though the public assessment of progress in Iraq remains largely negative, most expected Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, to express a rosier view when he begins his congressional testimony tomorrow. Only about four in 10 said they expect the general to give an accurate accounting of the situation in Iraq. A majority, 53 percent, said they think his report will try to make the situation in Iraq look better than it really is.

As on many issues involving Iraq, Democrats and Republicans have decidedly divergent views, with independents largely tilting toward the Democratic vantage point. Just 23 percent of Democrats and 39 percent of independents expected an honest depiction of conditions in Iraq. By contrast, two-thirds of Republicans anticipated a straightforward accounting.

I found that two-thirds number hard to take, perhaps the Republicans asked were being hopeful. It would be interesting to track the very same 1,002 adults who were polled and see how they feel once the testimony has been completed.

Impress your mailman and your neighbors...

Looking for more than the ordinary residential mailboxes? Or even if you are looking for an ordinary mailbox, www.mailboxandbeyond.com has many to pick from. I'm a personal fan of the ones that have a Victorian flair to them and they also carry much more than mailboxes (hence the beyond in their name). Everything from door knockers to outdoor thermometers can be found with something for just about every taste and style.

Lost in Translation?

The format coesn't make any sense to me, if they were going to allow questions to be asked in Spanish then be translated for the candidates that don't understand Spanish, it really made no sense to demand all of the answers be in English. So perhaps the real title of this Washington Post article should have been Lost in Translation:

Instead, what proved remarkable in this 90-minute forum, held at the University of Miami, was not the responses but the format: Questions were posed in Spanish by two moderators from the Spanish-language television network Univision, which broadcast the event nationally; interpreters immediately translated the questions into English for the candidates, while a written English translation was put on a screen in the arena for the crowd of more than 3,000.

Univision required candidates to answer in English, because only New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (Conn.) speak Spanish fluently. That prompted Richardson to criticize the network from the stage Sunday night.

Richardson had a point, since the questions were posed in that manner and he had the ability to answer they should have allowed him to answer then translated his answers into English. Or demand that all questions be asked in English...I realize it could be construed as bias, but let's be real here, he and Dodd have the ability to speak two languages.

Political affiliation could be all in the brain?

I covered this on one of my other blogs from the scientific/technology aspect, but I also wanted to share it here because there could be some political ramifications if this research is proven true. It's being claimed that Political Affiliation can be tracked by brain scan. The study which did involve a small number, stated:

Researchers have long known that conservatives and liberals score differently in psychological profiling tests. Now they are beginning to gather evidence about why this might be. David Amodio of New York University, US, and his colleagues recruited 43 subjects for their test.

They asked the participants to rate their political persuasion on a scale of -5 to 5, with the lowest number representing the most liberal extreme and the highest number representing the most conservative score.

Brain recordings taken using electroencephalogram (EEG) technology showed that liberals had twice as much activity in a deep region called the anterior cingulate cortex. This area of the brain is thought to act as a mental brake by helping the mind recognize "no-go" situations where it must refrain from the usual course of action.

I really recommend reading the full article, as they are already discussing how this could be used when it comes to campaigning...

The downsides to no closet space...

My 20 year old has been staying with us these past few weeks and will most likely be here for a while. While she has taken over the living room as her space in the house, I've still had to deal with bedroom furniture shopping since the house has very little closet space and she needs somewhere to be able to put her clothing. Yet, it has to be done in a way that doesn't make my living room look like a dorm room...

You bring change by working within the system

I actually agree very much with this quote by Hillary Clinton:

"You bring change by working within the system. You can't pretend the system doesn't exist."

It's very true, unless there is an overthrow of the current system and everything is started from the ground up, you have to work within the system to change it. It would be nice to believe that just by saying something is wrong it would stop, and there was a time when I was enough of an idealist to think it was possible.

While I'm not sure if the Newsweek article is correct in saying that A year before the election, Hillary Clinton seems like the safest money in the 2008 race. I do realize that informed voters are growing tired of the platitudes from candidates, presidential and otherwise, and they want to hear solid ideas that are actually possible to accomplish. Within the current system...

Coupons are the smart way to save...

Years ago when the internet was not quite so popular, I had my huge coupon holder full of coupons that I would use to save money. Today, it's much easier, no more going through magazines or newspapers to find just the coupon you need, now Printable Coupons, Free Samples, & Deals are just a mouse click away. There are even more ways to save using the internet by taking advantage of free online coupon codes. Deal Locker makes it easy by breaking things down into categories and also an alphabetical listing for all of the stores they have coupon deals for, including one of my favorite stores, the Bed Bath Store and I love their motto, "because friends help friends get deals".

And the new look arrives...

Still some minor tweaking here and there but for the most part? Voila...the template is up...

:-)

New look in the works...

I've had this template for quite some time now, longer than I've had any other one and it's time to try something a bit different and to switch over to the full beta version so I can use the widgets.

So if things look a bit funky for the next few hours? It's because construction is taking place and I'll have to re-add all of the links, etc.

Let their be...blinds!

I personally prefer window Blinds over curtains for many reasons, one of which is the air flow factor versus privacy factor. I like to feel the breeze through windows and with curtains, you must open them all the way to get a good air flow, With blinds, you can maintain a balance between air flow and still have some privacy.

Petraeus Calls Iraq War ‘Exceedingly Complex’

The title of this thread which is the title of a NY Times article could be considered for the "no duh" moment of the year. From the initial planning stages of the war in Iraq it was known by some that this was going to be complex that the mere "shock and awe" was not going to be enough and that is where some of the groundwork for the failures began.

The real question continues to be despite the ‘Exceedingly Complex’ aspect, what can be done? It's been as much confirmed that the surge did not create the outcome the Bush administration wanted:

The general noted that the recent troop “surge” was meant to create some breathing room for Iraqis to move closer to political reconciliation. “It has not worked out as we had hoped,” General Petraeus wrote.

What possibly can be next? A bigger surge? Or a withdrawl?

10,000 Vote Club

Paul Kane gives us the low down on those in the Senate who have made the 10,000 Vote Club.

In the nearly 220 years of the Senate's history, just 28 senators have been around long enough to cast 10,000 votes. This achievement is the senatorial equivalent of hitting 500-or-more career home runs in Major League Baseball, where just 22 sluggers have cracked at least 500 round-trippers.

I can't help but wonder despite the vote count how much has been accomplished...

In the UK and looking for taps?

Here in the US you might think immediately of dancing when you hear "taps" or the military song, "Taps" but just over the sea to England, when you say Taps they immediately think of faucets. The place to shop online for taps and more with over 4,000 products in stock is Taps4Less.com, they have an astounding number of bathroom and kitchen items. I spent quite a bit of time visiting their website looking at the different types of things offered as well as making some mental notes to see if similar items were available here in the US.

Some of their sinks, including a granite kitchen sink with a minimalist faucet caught my eye immediately. Heated towel rails was another item that I saw that would really be nice to have when winter approaches, there is nothing like getting out of the tub and having a nice warm towel awaiting you. For those of you looking for the ultimate? Taps4Less.com even carries saunas and they offer free delivery to the UK mainland.

Knitting and tattoos...

Very interesting article that I spotted over on MSNBC on the topic of growing fads, What Do Tattoos and Knitting Say About US?. As a blogger I have witnessed the rise in blogs that focus on Knitting, and it appears in reading this article it's more than just in the blogosphere:

Between 2004 and 2005, the purchase of fashion yarn increased 56 percent. The fastest growing group of knitters are teens and twentysomethings.

Then this interesting tidbit:

Of the 75 microtrends cataloged in his book, Penn admits none caught his attention more than the bizarre fact churned up by a Miami polling firm last December, which found that 1 percent of Californians between the ages of 16 and 22, asked what they expected to be doing in 10 years, volunteered that they hoped to be military snipers. A sign of a generation desensitized to life and addled by videogames? Not to worry, says Penn. Aspiring snipers are evidence of a patriotic generation, who see sniping—a profession requiring reserve and cool in a war without front lines—as the new “Top Gun” military profession.

I recommend reading the article in full, and I'm interested in reading the book...

And I start out winning...

Great game tonight and I'm glad I avoided my natural inclination to pick the underdog and not pick the Saints, even though I do like the Saints and everyone who knows me knows as a long time Dolphins fan I certainly don't pick my favorite teams on their recent winning records...

It was nice to watch football again...

The rise of the online casino...

I like to do as many things online as possible, shop, research, order food, watch movies and play games just to name a few. The rise of the online casino for those who live outside of the United States, is due to people feeling exactly the same way I do. Rather than leave their home, they can take advantage of the internet to bet on sports from football to tennis or even to bet on horses. The UK version of the site I visited even had Snooker listed. You can also play poker on line through Bet365 as well as play in the above mentioned online casino.

What is interesting about this particular site is their desire to make it clear they want people to have fun but not have their desire to gamble for fun turn into an addiction issue. The website has a clearly identified section for "Responsible Gaming" as well as links to resources for those who think they may have a problem. They have been in business since 1974 which is important, it shows that they are dedicated to providing people with the ability to enjoy a gaming experience and want them to come back, and is also probably why they have 900,000 customers in 140 different countries. Bet365 also makes their affiliation with the IBAS (Independent Betting Arbitration Service) known which for those who know gambling, that's important. Hence if you are not a US resident and you are interested in online betting and gaming, Bet365 might be a site you will want to visit.

Parts of Patriot Act ruled unconstitutional

It's a start, Judge Invalidates Patriot Act Provisions.

The secrecy provisions are "the legislative equivalent of breaking and entering, with an ominous free pass to the hijacking of constitutional values," Marrero wrote. His strongly worded 103-page opinion amounted to a rebuke of both the administration and Congress, which had revised the act in 2005 to take into account an earlier ruling by the judge on the same topic.

Unfortunately, as the Washington Post article points out is that there will be an appeal, and with the way things have gone thus far the chances of this holding up upon appeal are probably slim. Yet, perhaps it's a start and that the higher courts will also place the importance and value on our freedoms that Congress and the Whitehouse seem to have forgotten.

Football Time!

Yeah! The drought is over! I'm playing on one Fantasy Football League with some awesome bloggers and a football pool at my husband's job. This adds to my football joys and I am enjoying watching Indy play the Saints right now.

:-)

Recommended source for Contemporary African Art

If you are an admirer of art, especially African Paintings, I highly recommend visiting African Encounters. Normally my tastes do not lean to contemporary art but I have to say after viewing some of the art work there, I am very impressed. In particular some of the paintings by Wiz Kudowor, especially a piece entitled, "Thinkers II", immediately caught my attention. A nice feature of the website is "virtual hanging", it gives you an idea of how a painting would look on your wall with the correct scale and in relation to the color of your walls. African Encounters also offers a selection of limited edition prints from some of the fine artists they feature, including the piece below by Ben Agbee, which can be clicked on for a larger view.

Hillary Clinton and the Lunch Lottery...

Two days ago I received an email from the Hillary Clinton for President campaign with the subject line of "Let's do lunch", my first reaction was "Wow", thinking for a second that someone from the Clinton campaign had noticed me or was coming somewhere near Toledo. Alas, that was not to be:

If you contribute by Friday, you might just have lunch with me at my home in Washington.

Then today, an email from Bill (yes, I realize these emails are from the campaign and not the actual persons), asking me "Mind if I drop in",:

Dear Lisa,

I hear you might be having lunch with Hillary -- do you mind if I drop in?

I've gotten similar emails from the John Edwards for President campaign, and one time I did respond, explaining that I understood the campaign fundraising portion, but it would be nice to get an email from time to time that was not just seeking money from me and briefly explaining how tough things are here in Toledo, Ohio right now. I never received a response back from the campaign beyond the automatic one...

So, I wrote back to "Bill", and in response I got the standard automatic email response:

The campaign has received thousands of emails from people all over the country. Your comments are important to us. Due to the high volume of questions we receive, it may take us time to answer you directly. To learn more about the campaign and Hillary’s views on the issues, please visit our website at www.hillaryclinton.com.

I think the lunch offer is a creative idea, and it could very well generate more money for Mrs. Clinton, yet one thing too many of these candidates don't seem to realize is, eventually people will open their email, see an email from your campaign and say, "OMG not another fund raising email" and stop reading the content.

As a part of their email mass marketing, they should remember, is it possible to turn off potential voters, and there should be more of a concentration on substance with perhaps, just perhaps, a bit more focus on substance rather than on fundraising...Unless of course they are concentrating as future owners of Publisher's Clearing House, several of these presidential campaigns have that potential...

Free the Jena 6!

This morning I was reading the Sojourner's Truth, I do so every week to cover for my local political blog, yet when I came across this story, it was one I wanted to share here for those of you who had not yet heard about it. The article is written by Bishop Steven Ward, If There Was Ever A Time To Stand Up, That Time Is Now!.

I recommend that article, as well as an additional post that contains a link to more information and a podcast written on Bucket O'Bulletz by Suni.

While Seated has pictures, information and even more links...

How the topic of Hawaii Real Estate started...

The other day I was riding the bus from my home to downtown Toledo to meet a friend for coffee at my favorite coffee house. I take the bus often and sometimes the bus drivers are the more surly type and sometimes they are more friendly. The bus driver I had was very chatty and when the topic turned to how long he had been a bus driver he shared he had a few years left to go then he planned to move from this area. He stated he had already started looking at Hawaii real estate and that was where he was going to spend his retirement years.

It was obvious in talking to him that he had spent quite a bit of time doing his research on the real estate aspect of his dream retirement home. He knew exactly what he wanted. He did not however seem very net savvy so I gave him some general tips and advice and told him that he might find reading a real estate blog or two very helpful in helping him with his search. So, not only was it a fun bus ride downtown, but I helped someone learn a bit more about how the internet could help him not only find his true dream home but get relocation tips and more.

Not sure Samuelson can blame it all on immigration...

I saw the secondary headline, We can't ignore the facts. Only an act of willful denial can separate immigration and poverty, and as I started to read the article, I paused...

The poverty rate is not great where I live in Toledo, many families are struggling, a recent article reported how the foodbanks in town are facing higher demand than ever before and we are rated fairly high in home foreclosure numbers. None of this is due to immigration, we don't have a large number of immigrants, legal or otherwise in our community. The deeper I read, the more it seems to blame immigration for the poverty level is to forget a key factor. The economy...

Perhaps it is accurate that the number of hispancs are adding to the current reported poverty numbers, while I think it's important as Samuelson points out to be aware of the affect of immigration on poverty numbers, I also believe it's not a factor for every area with above average poverty rankings.

Presidential Election forum

Presidential politics is a critical decision that every American who votes has to face every four years. Trying to find out information on a candidate as well as how they stand on the issues can be frustrating at times. Many times we are left to sift through the campaign public relations machines to determine what the real position is on key issues. The 2008 Presidential Election Forum was developed to help you navigate the murky presidential information sea. Not only can you discuss each presidential candidate, republican and democrat as well as third party candidates but you can also discuss issues.

The forum is new, but with the way it is set up, I believe it has a great deal of potential for those of us who are interested in presidential politics. There is a contest to help launch the site listed on the forum with some great prizes and there is some discussion happening on the war in Iraq. What I found especially interesting is quite a bit of the Presidential discussion is about Ron Paul, it coincides with the high degree of internet support he has had as a candidate. I've joined as a member so perhaps I'll see you there.

More on Iraqi Benchmarks...

We discussed this last week when parts of the draft were leaked, now NPR is reporting that it's been confirmed that 11 of its 18 benchmark goals were not reached by the Iraqi government.

GAO's findings paint a bleaker view of progress in Iraq than offered by Bush in July and comes at a critical time in the Iraq debate. So far, Republicans have stuck by Bush and staved off Democratic legislation ordering troops home. But many, who have grown uneasy about the unpopularity of the war, say they want to see substantial improvement in Iraq by September.

Given Senator Warner issuing the call for troops to be brought home, I predict absent some dramatic improvement in September more and more Republicans will also be calling for a withdrawl.

Making change happen...Climate Change Channel

We only have one Earth, that's a statement I grew up hearing, and it is very true. Non-renewable resources will eventually end and if our civilizations get to the point where they have destroyed the environment, living here would be very difficult. There is a huge gamut of beliefs when it comes to topics like Global Warming. Varying degrees of opinions on how much of what we face is man made versus Mother Nature and what control we can have on important issues like climate change.

At first glance it may seem odd for a company like British Petroleum to be involved with a website like Energy Policy TV, but it makes sense, and if you watch the video linked above, people are asking questions. Trying to provide them with answers as to what companies like BP are doing when it comes to the environment is important. Given today's gas prices very few people are going to state that the oil companies are their best buddies, yet we can do more to conserve energy and we can also play a larger role in continuing to promote the concepts of bio fuels and other alternative energy methods.

From a political standpoint if we don't educate ourselves better on the topic of climate change and green energy policies, it's very difficult to listen to those who want us to elect them and know if what they are offering is realistic. When you take a look at the many videos that are provided on the sidebar, EPTV provides a great resource to learn more about what is being said both in Congress, at energy Summits and with interviews with Presidential candidates like Hillary Clinton, who states the focus needs to be on us being more innovative.

Debunking not as effective as thought...

Very interesting article in today's Washington Post, Persistence of Myths Could Alter Public Policy Approach. It points out what some of us believed that by debunking or snoping myths and urban legends we haven't been that successful in eliminating the myths still being believed:

The conventional response to myths and urban legends is to counter bad information with accurate information. But the new psychological studies show that denials and clarifications, for all their intuitive appeal, can paradoxically contribute to the resiliency of popular myths.

This phenomenon may help explain why large numbers of Americans incorrectly think that Saddam Hussein was directly involved in planning the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and that most of the Sept. 11 hijackers were Iraqi. While these beliefs likely arose because Bush administration officials have repeatedly tried to connect Iraq with Sept. 11, the experiments suggest that intelligence reports and other efforts to debunk this account may in fact help keep it alive.

For those of us who pride ourselves on debunking myths as we come across them and trying to be as accurate as possible, this is disturbing.

Michigan moves primary - will pledge hold?

It's hard to understand what the motivation for Michigan moving it's primary up, when this is being reported in the Washington Post:

But the ramifications are likely to be huge: Michigan is now officially a week before the New Hampshire primary -- a fact that the Granite state officials cannot, by law, abide. Their primary will soon be moved.

That will force Iowa to move, though just how early the caucuses will be is uncertain. The betting right now is that Gov. Chet Culver will hold the caucuses sometime in the first week of January.

The leading Democratic candidates have all pledged to ignore Michigan, Florida and the other states who have scheduled votes before Feb. 5, in violation of the party's rules. They did so under threat from the party of losing any delegates they would win in a violating state.

Then if you head over to the Detroit Free Press, it appears Gov. Jennifer Granholm is almost making a threat:

In a statement released by her office, Granholm said she expects the names of every credible candidate to appear on the Jan. 15 ballot and suggested it would be a mistake for campaigns to ignore the state.

As an Ohioan, I think the rush to be one of the first is nothing more than a power play and I see the potential for more and more states to play this game. The larger issue is the primary process and how candidates drop out before we have all had a chance to express our opinion.

Edwards gets Steelworkers endorsement...

Yesterday as I was at our local Labor Day Parade that I covered for my local blog, I did not know as I watched the huge numbers of Steelworkers march in that parade that their national union had endorsed John Edwards.

I received this news this morning via an email from the John Edwards for President Campaign:

Dear Lisa Renee,

I hope you had a good Labor Day Weekend! John did—yesterday, he was honored to receive the endorsements of two of the biggest unions in the country — the United Steelworkers and the United Mine Workers of America. Combined with the support of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, John is now backed by more than 1.8 million union members and retirees—more than any other candidate in the race.

That is quite an accomplishment and I hope it brings more attention to Edwards being considered one of the front runners...

Reaching readers and having fun...

One of the best things for me about Blog Advertising is the knowledge I get from learning about different products and the fun I have in writing about them. PayU2blog is one of the companies I have done work for, it's been a great experience where I feel as if they appreciate me as a blogger and for advertisers it's a great way to promote their products or a website. They've had some great contests that I'm happy to report I actually won $100.00 in and I've also had the chance to receive some great products to review.

Cerebral Palsy Facts

When I was growing up a neighbor had cerebral palsy, at the time very little was know about what caused cerebral palsy. It is now stated that 20% of these cases were caused by a lack of oxygen during birth and that increased use of electronic fetal monitoring could prevent the incidence of these cases that have directly resulted from a loss of enough oxygen while in labor.

You light up my life...

I admit I'm feeling a bit less than serious today, I had a great time watching Eddie Money play last night live, then did not get enough sleep before heading off to watch the Labor Day Parade. Hence when I read the word, table lamp, the song automatically came to mind...Which was then of course followed by not being able to get the song out of my head...

Names of places that sound exciting...

Have you ever had one of those moments of thought when you hear a name of a place and you automatically envision what it looks like by name alone? Take Pigeon Forge as an example, the image that comes to mind is a beautiful wilderness location, and in looking at some of the Pigeon Forge vacation rentals the visual appears to be true...

Teenage bedroom drama...

As a parent of five, my youngest will in a matter of days officially be a teenager, this recent awareness of the magical "13" has created drama regarding her bedroom. As long term readers of the blog might remember she wanted her room to be what she called "princess pink" but most of us called pepto pink. The cute little pink quilt with the darker pink hearts is not considered Teen Bedding by her and the pink netting has to go as well.

In previous stages of living through the bedroom uprising it was hard to find Teen Bedding, bedding was either too "kidsy" or too adult. Thanks to the internet and the ability to shop online it is now possible to find items that fit her current mood. Vision bedding had quite a few items she liked, from Skateboard Bedding to other cool bedding we discovered a few bedding sets that while black would give the room a different look without me having to paint over the pink walls.