Embarrassed Republicans

Admit They've Been Thinking Of Eisenhower Whole Time They've Been Praising Reagan

"'I never understood why everyone elevated him to the level of a party icon,' said 89-year-old Nancy Reagan. 'Ronnie was certainly sweet and I loved him very much, but let's face it, he was a terrible president.'"

Furious!

I was so mad. Really mad. That was yesterday and I had just received the latest issue of Mother Jones magazine. (Smart. Fearless Journalism) They have a article titled 'Plutocracy Now' and in the article, at the beginning of the article, I found this…

"Princeton political scientist Larry Bartels studied the voting behavior of US Senators in the early 90's and discovered that they respond far more to the desires of high income groups than anyone else. By itself, that's not a surprise. He also found that Republicans don't respond at all to the desires of voters with moderate incomes. Maybe that not a surprise either. (it isn't) But this should be: Bartels found that Democratic Senators don't respond to the desires of these voters, either. At all."

Okay, I know that the study is almost twenty years old now. I would also be glad to bet that the behavior of the Senators has not changed. In fact, we're probably talking about the same Senators! They won't retire when they should and we're stuck with Senators that are stuck in the 20^th century. That's another conversation altogether…

The article, which you should buy and read for yourself, goes on with another 6 or more pages of facts and figures that tell you just what kind of a government our inattention has brought us. For instance, we know or we have heard that there is a growing in equality in income…

    The average income per family

        The top 0.01% $27,342,212.

        The top 0.01-0.1% $3,238,386

        The top 1% $1,137,684

        The top 1-10% $164647

        The bottom 90%
$31,244

The BOTTOM 90%. How do you support a family on $31,000? Don't they get it? Who did they vote for? Why are they on the bottom? Because of how they voted! Or didn't vote…(it makes me want to bang my head against the wall when I think of these facts)

These figures show so clearly that if the bottom 90% were paid decently and had decent benefits, they would be able to buy that new TV or a new car or – Gasp! – a new home. Henry Ford, bless his perverted fascist heart, knew that you had to pay labor if you wanted them to buy. Doh! Just think about the $$$billions that would flood into the economy if these families were paid…10% more? Okay, $3,100 per family in increased wages. That's a lot of buying power if millions of families start to shop again. More tax revenue! Millions more! Probably enough to revive the budget of any state

Before Reagan and his voodoo economics came into power (which one was Bonzo?) we had a decent economy because we had union labor buying into that economy. We could have that economy again if we would just rid ourselves of this current blood sucking government. We need new Senators and Congressmen. We need to vote!

Musings

I've been reading the book, Yellow Dirt
by Judy Pasternak, the story of how the Navajo nation was exploited and abused because it was our nation's desire to have more uranium than any other nation on earth. And so we do. Tons and tons of it. Far more than we could ever conceivably use. They've done the math and the War Department has quietly stored it away; next to the mountain of $200 hammers that was ordered and never used. Okay, the hammer part isn't true. But it could be.

As I read about the cover-ups and outright lies by government agencies once it was discovered that mining uranium might be harmful to your health, (Duh!) I couldn't help but think that that was another time where Wikileaks was needed. But it hadn't been 'invented' yet. As one agency after another discovered what was happening to the health of the miner's and their families, they quietly put the files away and pretended that they had never seen them. Shameful! There are still some people that think that revealing those kinds of secrets is unpatriotic; those people should have to live in radioactive homes, drink radioactive water and breathe radioactive air. Just as the Navajo people have had to.

Speaking of illness and of governmental agencies; yesterday we had to buy another month's supply of a pain med. We paid $14 for what the pharmacy said was over $400 worth of Gxxxxxxxxn. It's close to $15 a day. It's almost the same with Fxxxxxxl as we pay $45 for $300 worth. That would be $10 per day for that one. Medicare was taking up the slack. And this is just two medications out of the half dozen or so that I take. I haven't added it all up but I would imagine that without Medicare we would have to spend over $800 a month for meds. From what I've read, the $800 figure is low and that many others would have to pay much more than that on a monthly basis. Lucky us. We're also lucky because there is just one of us taking medication right now. What happens ten years from now when, hopefully, we'll both be around and taking meds? I can imagine that if it weren't for Medicare, we would be spending 2k a month or more.

Where am I going with all of this? Still musing.

When it comes to Wikileaks I am a fan. The fact is, you cannot trust your government. Ever. All governments lie. Big or small, they all lie. Think about the citizens of Bell, California. Those people would have LOVED a Wikileaks story about the grand scale theft that was taking place in their little town. Look at our own national history. It's been one lie after another and that's just the ones that have been caught. Caught without Wikileaks. I'm not saying that we are not a wonderful nation. We certainly are. And I cannot imagine living anywhere else. But we can only go downhill if we ignore the lies and tell ourselves that that's the cost of freedom. No, it's not! You certainly can't tell the people of Guatemala that ignoring the lies of Dulles, the CIA and United Fruit Co. gave them any freedom. (1954)

Maybe it's my imagination, but I don't think it is…I think that we have become far too accepting of lies. Politicians lie routinely because they are not being called to account for the lies. In 'my world', news media would be tasked with ferreting out the truth. A politicians story would never make it to print or broadcast without the basic research being done. And when I say politician I mean every government spokesperson. Dog catcher to President. Everything that goes into a newspaper or news broadcast, including letters to the editor, should be verified. How can you call it 'news' if the basic tests for veracity aren't followed? The way it is now, the 6:00 O'clock news should start this way; "Good evening. Welcome to KWIZ's 6 O'clock Opinion".

Back to the topic of Medicare and Social Security (SSI). Okay, SSI isn't going away today or next year or the year after that. It's good for another twenty years at least. And with minor tweaks…adjusting the tax rate so that upper income earners pay into it just as much the lower income earners do. Basic fairness. The program will go on easily into the next century. But there are those who see 'fair' as being socialism or worse. People who don't know anything at all about socialism. These same people want SSI to go away. And they are trying to convince my children and grandchildren that it makes sense to throw away the lifeboats on a ship that might sink. Now we happen to be quite lucky as I have a pension from the Carpenter's Union and my wife has one from her teaching days. We add that to our SSI and we're doing okay. But…the same people that want to throw away the lifeboats also want to sink the unions. I don't like imagining life without SSI or my union pension. But that is the life these con men want for my children and grandchildren.

I didn't grow up in a union family. But I did grow up in a family that respected labor. I was the first union member in the family and no one thought it was odd that I was. If, at the time I became an apprentice, I had a choice between union or non-union and I chose non-union…they certainly would have thought it odd. Or stupid. But I became a union carpenter apprentice and then a journeymen, foreman, superintendent, etc, etc. And I paid into my pension all of those years, just as I paid in to my SSI account. I used to see the dollars for those two benefits on my paycheck stub and I would often wish that I had the money right then. I needed it! But I couldn't have it and somehow, through the years, we got along without it. Now I'm retired and there isn't the smallest possibility that I could go back to work as a carpenter…but my pension and my SSI are here for me. I paid for them to be here. They aren't coming to me freely. It's actually my money. Money that the union wisely kept for me and money that the government was supposed to do the same with. I certainly wouldn't have done it. In fact, I was surprised when I did retire and asked for my union pension. I thought I might have a few bucks. I had more. I praise the union every time I think about where we might be if they hadn't looked after me.

Some Medical News:

Arizona Mulls Checking Hospital Patients' Citizenship -

Arizona's state government is considering new legislation that would prevent hospitals from giving nonemergency treatment to suspected illegal immigrants.

Suspected? This lets anyone be the judge. "Hey! I suspect you! And you...and you." Where does that kind of power stop? And to make the hospital that judge? That shouldn't be their job. Ever. Nor should it be the job of the druggist or the grocer or the baker or candlestick maker.

More

The more I read about the double dealing on Wall Street and the criminal negligence on the part of the Republican and Democratic parties as they allow these thieves to get away scot free...the more I think it's time for the American people to demonstrate to our representatives just how serious we are about change. Real change! (Don't t even mention the Tea baggers; those people are mindless fools who don't even know that they are owned and controlled by the Koch brothers. Robots!)

I want to march! Tell me where and when... Egyptians did it, why can't we?

Why Isn't Wall Street in Jail?

From Rolling Stone

Went to the post office the other day and picked up my copy of Rolling Stone. I'm 70 years old; why am I subscribing to Rolling Stone? Matt Taibbi is the reason I signed up for it. I have a feeling that I'm the only subscriber here in the 'Red' city of Orland. Anyway; you should read the article. If you want to look at the article about the cover boy, Justin Bieber, go ahead. I wouldn't recommend it though. It just might make you gag.

PolitiFact says

Mitt Romney tells CPAC that more are out of work in U.S. than employed in Canada:

This meeting of the Conservatives is like a meeting of the Liars Club...can you top this one? Why doesn't the media ever call them on these blatant lies? Because the news media belongs to the Right Wing.

Here's what an economist said, a Conservative economist at that...

"Frankly, I don't see that Romney's comparison makes much sense, whether it can be backed up or not,"

Oh, 'Mitt', do we have to listen to your fabrications for the next year and half? Why don't you go home now and spare us the pain?

First things first

A quiet morning. I read the news and then the blogs. I decided that there was nothing out there that I could fix so I moved over to the Google Reader feeds for Art and stole some more of the art I liked. Steal is a harsh word...I Copy it to a folder on my Desktop and then set my Screen Saver to display it. OC as I am, I now have about 1,400 pieces of art to look at.
Speaking of art, I found a piece of mine that needed finishing and so it is done. I put it on my art blog. 
I was cleaning things up in the studio when I found that one...and many others. I also made myself some new 'supports' for painting. A 3'x4' and a 2'x2' hardboard surface on a wood frame. They have gesso on them and now it's time to come up with an idea to cover them with. But why do I make new surfaces when I have so many that are not 'finished'?
On another note; we have used up all of the leftovers and have begun using Trader Joe's odds and ends for dinner. Not that TJ's ingredients are below par; they definitely are not! But it is time for a real meal again. This cooking for two is difficult enough, but when you're using prepared meal ingredients such as Chimichurri Rice or Sweet Potato Fries, the container always holds 4 or more servings and it's easy to be tempted to use the whole package. Anyway, back to my real meal. I defrosted some chicken thighs and a few minutes ago I deboned them and have them ready for the next step. I don't know what it is yet, but I have time. And in the meantime, I have the bones and skin simmering on the stove as I make some rich chicken broth. I credit YouTube for  my knowledge of deboning a chicken thigh. 
What did we do before the internet?
Well, we read and I'm still doing a lot of that. I'm reading the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis and I'm just finishing up Jesus War: How Four Patriarchs, Three Queens, and Two Emperors Decided What Christians Would Believe for the Next 1,500 Years, by Philip Jenkins. This one is exciting, but a tough slog. There are far too many names to remember in this ancient but true drama. (One name stands out; Timothy the Weasel, Patriarch of Alexandria.) Of course it could be the meds I'm taking that has me drooping after ten or twenty pages. I have a Fentanyl patch on my shoulder that keeps me in a gray zone most of the time.
Speaking of gray, I recently got a catalog from The Duluth Trading Co. and after reading about their Longtail T's, the Solution to Plumber's Butt, I decided to try them out; mainly because I was tired of the nagging I was getting every time I bent over. Okay, they are pretty good. Really nice. And I got a gray one. No, I'm not getting anything from them, I just thought I would share the info. 
I better go...I have to check the chicken broth. If I can remember why I'm in the kitchen.

Funny Stuff

I wasn't the first one to steal it so here it is...
The Washington Post has published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.

And the winners are:

1.Coffee, n. The person upon whom one coughs.

2.Flabbergasted, adj. Appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained.

3.Abdicate, v. To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

4.Esplanade, v. To attempt an explanation while drunk.

5.Willy-nilly, adj. Impotent.

6.Negligent, adj. Absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown.

7.Lymph, v. To walk with a lisp.

8.Gargoyle, n. Olive-flavored mouthwash.

9.Flatulence, n. Emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller.

10.Balderdash, n. A rapidly receding hairline.

11.Testicle, n.. A humorous question on an exam.

12.Rectitude, n. The formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

13.Pokemon, n.. A Rastafarian proctologist.

14.Oyster, n. A person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

15.Frisbeetarianism, n. The belief that, after death, the soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

16.Circumvent, n. An opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.

Whilst

the populace celebrates the natal holiday of Saint Ronnie, some of us are still naysayers. Boo to you Ronnie! And whilst I was surfing the intertubes this morning I happened upon some data that makes my position quite clear. I was present at the time these robberies took place but the majority of the populous seemed oblivious to the fact that they were at a crime scene...and they still are.

The Paradox

of Corporate Taxes in America - NYTimes.com

This is a very good piece on taxation and one that ought to be read and understood by all. I've griped about it for years. And the author is right. It's well concealed. No one wants to write about it or address it. The Republicans use the official corporate tax rate as some sort of bludgeon to use on the Left...when in fact, no corporation pays the 'official' rate. But you can't get a Republican to talk about it. lalalalalalalalalalala.

I've noted here before that the small corporation I worked for changed themselves to a Subchapter S corporation and saved $6 million a year in taxes. Guess who paid the $6 million? And what our corporation did wasn't a secret...every CFO knew about it and used it when they could.

Finally

I got around to posting something on my art blog

From Matt Taibbi: T

The Crying Shame of John Boehner | Rolling Stone Politics

Sure, Matt has an agenda here...but it coincides with mine so I found it great fun to read.

Numbers

Some numbers to think about…

20% decrease in violent crime from 1980 to 2007

1.8 million people in the US under correctional supervision in 1980

7.2 million people in the US under correctional supervision in 2007

13 percent of illicit drug users are African American

35 percent is the number of drug related arrests that are of African Americans

17,000 is the number of deaths annually from illicit drug use

103,350 is the number of deaths (annually) from alcohol related causes

256.2 per 100,000 is the rate for which black adults are imprisoned for drug offences

25.3 per 100,000 is the rate for which white adults are imprisoned for drug offences

Less than 1% is the difference in illicit drug use rates between whites and blacks

 

And the Republican's are looking for ways to cut the budget? Oh, I forgot. Republicans are big believers in the corrections system that we have and wouldn't mind adding to it. With private prisons. Who pays for those?

From Citizen K.:

A Rush to Judgment...

This is well worth reading! Click on it...

Asian medical innovation:

Life should be cheap | The Economist:

"America’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is excessively risk-averse: it often takes twice as long to approve a new medical technology as European regulators do. America’s confusing approvals process deters upstart medical-technology firms, since they typically lack the deep pockets and army of experts required to navigate it. And for a device to succeed in America it must be blessed not just by the FDA but also by the bureaucrats who oversee Medicare and Medicaid, the two huge government health-care schemes. Obtaining that blessing can take years."

The worlds finest health care?

"A night in an American hospital typically costs 25 times as much as a night in an Indian, Brazilian or Chinese one; a night in a European hospital typically costs four times as much."

Something

else I found...so true!

Things I saw this morning

The FBI

Failed again. I read that they raided over 100 known mobsters last night and there wasn't a Senator or Congressman among them. Somebody had to have tipped them off...

At Last!

The Health Care bill repeal has passed in the House! Tomorrow's plan is to repeal gravity. Followed the next day by a bill repealing, black people, brown people, red people and yellow people. (this excludes carrot colored people...The Boehner Amendment)

It's wonderful to watch our government in action!

Winner

Yes, I play Lotto. $1 a game. That's about $100 a year and don't tell me how poor my chances are. I know. But the facts are this; someone wins. And on Saturday night someone won $32 million. On a whim, I decided to investigate a little further and read that there was one winner and they picked the winning ticket at a convenience store in Orosi, California. I've been to Orosi. It's memorable because of the poverty that is endemic in that part of the San Joaquin Valley. Here's a link to the stats on Orosi. If you read the stats you will see that the income levels are far below the California average. The population is over 80% Hispanic and I can tell you from personal experience that most are employed in agriculture as pickers. I would guess that there is a large percentage of that number that are undocumented. Lots of citrus and lots of grapes harvested here. In a previous life I enjoyed some church mission trips here; to Lemon Cove, Corcoran and to Ivanhoe as well. All poor. Agriculture breeds poverty. I can guarantee you that this new millionaire will be the only one within a twenty mile radius. Only the workers live here. The corporate farmer doesn't come to Orosi.
 I didn't win but I'm glad someone from Orosi did.

Progress Notes from

- Doctors for America

I was reading Dr. Kevin Pho's newsletter and ended up on this site after reading one of the articles...some good reading here! The one that caught my eye was entitled "It's easier to get a gun than mental health care: mass shootings are a symptom of our broken health care system."

From the Upper Left:

: I hate to say I told you so…

Me too. I need to be included in the long list of people who 'told you so'.

Hey! It's only a $1 billion wasted. If they had kept it up, it could have turned into some serious money!

Social Security Sense

Social Security Benefits are Modest —

Short article with good data and the truth as to why the conservatives are trying to sell you and your future down the river...charts too!

Everybody likes charts.

Guns and more guns

It's a national bad habit.Our children and our grandchildren have toy guns in their hands as soon as they can stand and toddle. 99% (I'm making that % up) of the people/characters seen on television by those children, has a gun in their hands at one time or another. The amount of filmed gun violence seen by our children grows along with them until by the time they are old enough to watch R rated films, murder and mayhem are almost, but not quite, boring to them. They've seen it all.


Then if they choose to go into the military, they can use guns for real! Big guns and little guns but all very real. Did you know that we are now buying bullets from Israel because we can't make them fast enough for our grown up kids. They are averaging over 250,000 bullets per enemy dead! 


I went to Cabo San Lucas in 1990 and was surprised to see militia with rifles over their shoulders at the airport and walking around town. Shocking! A couple of years later, my wife came on a trip to Cabo with me and I warned her ahead of time about the 'guys with real guns' that she would see. Even prepared, she was scared when she saw them. We had nothing like that at home and we figured it was the sign of being in a third world country. And it was. Now we see automatic weapons routinely at our airports and other public venues. Just a sign of being in a third world country I guess.


I have hunting weapons but I gave up hunting many years ago. The weapons are in the back of the closet and I suppose I should look at them and dust them off every now and then. But I never get around to it. And hunting isn't necessary. It's expensive, dangerous, and we have all the food we need at the store. Is there a good reason to hunt? I don't know what it might be. When I stopped hunting, I thought of it as growing up.


Pistols are a real problem for me. If you're not involved in some form of law enforcement, I see no reason to have one. If you must have a pistol; can't bear the thought of doing without...do you really need one that holds more than, let's say...six bullets? Of course not. Actually just one is enough to kill a loved one by mistake or in a fit of anger. 


Well, I can vent here and could even write to 'Dear Wally', our congressman but I doubt that with his siege mentality he would be interested in addressing the issue of gun control. So I'm just venting a little. 

Incredible!

I saw this a few minutes ago and had to say Whoa!

Dinner Time

I made a great dinner last night. We agreed. And it was easy…although it does require some shopping at Trader Joe's for some of the ingredients.

 

½ cup of TJ's cubed Pancetta bacon

½ cup chopped sweet onion

½ pkg of Baby Spinach, rough chopped – TJ's

8 mushrooms, sliced – TJ's

5-6 eggs, beaten till well blended – TJ's

Crystal Hot Sauce

TJ's 21 Season Salute - seasoning

 

Using a medium sized frying pan, cook the Pancetta on medium heat. Add the onions when the bacon is almost done, about 4-5 minutes. Add the eggs and begin to stir while lowering the heat to medium low. After a minute or two, add the spinach and stir in well. As the eggs begin to firm up, add the mushrooms, 4 generous dashes of Crystal and 4 shakes of the 21 Season Salute. Turn the heat up to medium/medium low and cook the mixture slowly for about 5 minutes. Use your own sense of when it's done but the eggs need to be moist and not rubbery. This takes the proper heat and more time stirring the mixture. If you want the very best taste, put the heat on low and stir for about 20 minutes. But, if that's boring, just turn the heat up a little and stir for about 5 minutes. You can see how well you are doing by looking at the bottom of the pan as you stir. No matter how you prepare scrambled eggs, they need to be cooked as slow as possible. Remember; you don't want rubbery eggs! Ever!

Sheriff Clarence Dupnik: “

Sheriff Clarence Dupnik: “We Have Become A Very Angry Country”

I have a feeling that this sheriff never gets together over a beer and talks shop with 'Sheriff Joe' of adjoining Maricopa County...

Still Alive

The good news, so far, is that Rep. Giffords is still alive. I'm still certain that the shooting was caused by the Tea Party (Koch brothers) and the Republican Party. Certainly not directly, but just as certain by their hate filled rhetoric that they have flooded the nation with during the past two years. And longer.

Yes, Rep Giffords is still alive but six have died and 12 more are wounded. Each of the six were important people. Equally. And all were injured or killed by a man with a gun. A mentally ill man with a gun. Hello, NRA?

The Republican Party has always gone out of their way to attract those who were mentally ill; Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck and Michelle Bachman are the most obvious. I won't include Rush in the list of those who are ill because he doesn't really deserve any sympathy. He knows what he is doing to make a buck and he would flip in a minute if he could get more cash as a Democrat. He doesn't have beliefs, he has a shtick!

Speaking of the NRA as I was; where do we stand with the NRA argument that says that we are safer when good citizens have guns…guns that can be used to shoot those who would inflict violence. (That whole argument makes my head spin) I guess all of the good citizens were home that day or out at the shooting range.

More on Giffords

U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona was shot in the head while holding a public event in Tucson, according to multiple news reports

 

Fox News said Giffords was shot point blank in the head by an unidentified gunman who also indiscriminately shot at least 11 others. The network said the gunman is in custody.

 

Giffords, 40, a Democrat, is married to U.S. astronaut Mark Kelly. She took office in January 2007, emphasizing issues such as immigration reform, embryonic stem-cell research, alternative energy sources and a higher minimum wage.

 

Isn't Arizona a 'open carry' state?

And I can see where the issues she emphasized might lead…

Education

I was reading, once again, about the problems of the schools. I decided to do some research as to how much we value teachers and came up with these figures from the US Government, Department of Labor & Whatever. These are the annual pay figures for the year 2009. Today's figures will be lower, of course. I included some pay figures from other occupations just for comparison.

 

Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $30,500    

Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $56,660    

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education     $61,230    

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Vocational Education $61,370    

Vocational Education Teachers, Middle School $51,310    

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Vocational Education $63,860    

Vocational Education Teachers, Secondary School $61,620    

Special Education Teachers, Preschool, Kindergarten, and Elementary School $63,440    

Special Education Teachers, Middle School $65,140

Special Education Teachers, Secondary School $67,390

Adult Literacy, Remedial Education, and GED Teachers and Instructors $70,410

Self-Enrichment Education Teachers $41,410

Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary School    $103,600    

Education Administrators, Postsecondary $100,830    

Education Administrators, All Other $84,530    

Athletes and Sports Competitors $126,200    

Fashion Designers    $81,490

Hoist and Winch Operators    $67,000    

Boilermakers    $69,620    

Insurance Sales Agents $76,520    

Real Estate Brokers    $84,510

Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance $72,290    

Fish and Game Wardens 65,730    

Physical Therapist Assistants $56,820

Public Relations Specialists     $66,690

 

"According to the Census Bureau, over an adult's working life, high school graduates earn an average of $1.2 million; associate's degree holders earn about $1.6 million; and bachelor's degree holders earn about $2.1 million."  Unless, of course, you have a bachelor's degree in education.

 

I was hoping to find the wage figures for a high school coach. A football coach to be exact. But that figure was not to be found and I'm not surprised. By the way, did you ever notice that during heated discussions about school finance, cuts to the athletic department are never mentioned? Okay, if they are mentioned…they are dead last!

 

Automatic

I just read this news bulletin 5 minutes ago…

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona Reportedly Shot in Tucson
A Democratic congresswoman from Arizona was shot along with
several others during a public event at a grocery store in
Tucson, according to news reports. The condition of
Representative Gabrielle Giffords remained unclear. The
Tucson Citizen reported that Ms. Giffords had been shot at
close range in the head.

 

My first thought? Tea Party. Why did I think this way? Rep. Giffords is a Democrat. Isn't it a shame that the events of the past two years have made me think this way?

I'm thinking

...now that the Tea Bag people have government mandated health care under fire and seem poised to destroy it altogether, that it would make sense for them to look at some other socialist plots and put them on the list to destroy as well. The most obvious of these socialist schemes is/are the Public Utilities. Electricity, gas, water and, in a minor way, phone service. The government has long interfered with them, stifling their profits in the name of 'the public good'. Who are they kidding? It's time to take the shackles off and let the utilities seek their own level of profitability in the market place. I'm also thinking that there are a lot more government mandated services out there that need to be investigated...

But, wait...I'm thinking again; wouldn't that endanger peoples lives if they couldn't afford the new and higher rates? Health care isn't as important as electricity? As water?

Just wondering

I was scanning the Google Reader and trying to sort the wheat from the chaff as the websites flew by as fast as I could scroll…and then I spotted this from Stephen Colbert.

 

If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it.

-Stephen Colbert

 

I don't know when he said this but I do know that when I stopped and scrolled down to the comment section there was plenty of rage going on. Rage from those who felt singled out by Mr. Colbert. Rage from those who were sure it was just Democratic liberal clap trap. So I read it again. Hmmm? The quote doesn't contain a single word regarding liberals, conservatives or ? So, how were his words political? Why did these obviously conservative Republicans start foaming at the mouth?

Let’s abolish the Senate -

From a Guest Comment in the Chico News & Review

It's only a dream, but we can dream can't we?

Thoughts,

But not Mr. Porter's - From the Edge -

One of my favorite local writers has assembled some 'thoughts' and I picked out the three I liked the best...click the link above and see the rest of them.

• Believe nothing, no matter where you read it or who has said it, not even if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense. —Siddhartha Gautama (c. 566–480 B.C.E.)

• Question everything. Every stripe, every star, every word spoken. Everything. —Ernest J. Gaines (1933– )

• The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. —Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)

Chances are

Robert Genn, a Canadian painter of some fame, puts out a twice a week newsletter and it frequently has some gems in it. Such as this…

 

Art reboots the cerebral cortex, teaches new skills to underutilized hands, arouses dormant sensitivities and promotes latent passions. If need be, art gives us something to talk about besides the kids, grandkids and celebrities, hence making us more interesting people. And it's cheap--a month of art supplies for the average Daumier is about the same as a round of golf.

 

Done well, art has lots of ploys, feels good, makes you proud, is so frustratingly difficult it makes grown men cry, and it's not golf. (emphasis mine)

Robert Genn – December 31st of the year 2010

 

Mr. Genn notes that there are an estimated 12 million painters in North America. This makes my chances of becoming the next El Greco slim to none.

Life

Living life without Facebook is not as easy as I thought it might be. A couple of weeks have gone by since I gave it up and I do miss the photos and information as to where people, my family, are and what they are doing. I don't miss the constant 'Like'ing without a chance to dis-'like'. Of course the FB powers can't allow any official methods to express displeasure within the FB realm. In fact, there is no way to have a conversation. If you thought email was killing off the art of conversation, Facebook has dug the grave and is now covering it over and tamping it down.

And I noticed that there are fewer people out here on the other side of the FB wall. When I left, I ceased to exist for those still on Facebook. That makes sense; why would you comment on Cousin Susie's photo and then exit Facebook to write an email to Uncle Frank concerning that same photo? A photo that Uncle Frank can't see unless you attach it to the email…which is all sort of a bother. So you don't do either one.

I still have an obscure presence on Facebook; my 'Jim Bob' persona. I created an email account for 'him' awhile ago and then signed him up for a FB account. He has a silly photo and a bio that makes him out to be in his 90's. He was created just for laughs and I may keep him around. But he will have to obey some rules…he can't 'like' anything! He'll be my eyes and ears to watch over a select few of my FB friends. (why can't I just quit?)

On another note; Warren Buffett. One of the wealthiest men in the world.
"He was ranked as the world's second wealthiest person in 2009 and is currently the third wealthiest person in the world as of 2010."
Below are a couple of quotes from him…

 

• If anything, taxes for the lower and middle class and maybe even the upper middle class should even probably be cut further. But I think that people at the high end - people like myself - should be paying a lot more in taxes. We have it better than we've ever had it. 
  

 

• The rich are always going to say that, you know, just give us more money and we'll go out and spend more and then it will all trickle down to the rest of you. But that has not worked the last 10 years, and I hope the American public is catching on. 
  

 

But…those are quotes and nothing much will change just because a rich guy said those words. Warren isn't actually doing something to change the system with his money. He's a philanthropist and not a fighter.

 

I've been painting almost every day and enjoying it. I'm learning quite a bit from the group I paint with on Tuesdays. They are all mature artists and that doesn't mean they are old. They are all very giving with praise and advise and it has been one of the best things I've ever done when I joined up with them; to paint together for three hours once a week.

The art of conversation has not died within this group! We have all sorts of personalities and skills among us. There are two with Doctorates. There are three conservatives and five liberals. One "born' again and two Unitarian Universalists. There are three that regularly show and sell their art work while for some of us, showing is a whole new experience. A humbling one. All of this and we still enjoy each other's company! And for all of this we pay $15 a month for the use of the room at the Art Center. Cheap!

Life goes on and so do I. I'm awake, as usual, at 4 this morning and have started with the usual drugs. Now I wait for the Norco – and maybe the Tizanidine - to do something with this persistent pain. Persistent. Never ending. Always. In pain. I am so tired of it! It was a year ago that I was just a month away from the surgery that would end the pain. And it did for about six months. Slowly, the pain came back. But, I was optimistic and believed that as long as I kept up the 4 mile a day walking regimen, a miracle would occur and the pain would ease off. That didn't happen and instead, I began to need pain drugs once again. I had been off of them for about three months. Yesterday was a five Norco + one Dilaudid day and still the pain persisted, never going below a Level 3.

I sometimes feel presumptive with my complaints. How dare I presume to complain about my 'little pain' when there are so many that are in greater pain and have been for even longer periods of time? How dare I, indeed.

Well, I do dare because like so many things in life, it – the pain - is all about me and sometimes it is next to impossible to focus on someone else in pain. The best I can do is to commiserate. But who wants that?

I am in limbo. After participating in the Run For Food just a month ago, the pain has finally reached a level that makes me wonder if I should sign up for any similar events in the near future. Hopefully, I will have an answer this week. I've had my MRI and I see my neurosurgeon on Thursday. I'll also have an x-ray just before my appointment with him.

There is a part of me that says I should stop fighting it. After all, I'm 70 years old and I can't expect miracles, can I? Genetics say that I only have x number of years to live and I might as well accept that those last year's might not be comfortable. And another point; my career choices abetted my downfall and I can't rewrite history, can I?

But, on the other hand, my mean, hard drinking and smoking grandmother lived to be 93. (Sorry, grandma. You really were mean.) Her daughter, my mother, who was not at all mean, nor a hard drinker, but smoked like a chimney and lived till she was 87. So there is a chance that I, her reformed and somewhat healthy son could live till I was in my mid 90's. Or older. That's at least 25 years from now and I'm not sure I want to accept pain as a lifestyle for that long of a time.

Well, it's all just chatter until I talk to the doctor. Hopefully, the MRI and x-rays will reveal the future for me.

Once Again

I found this little bit of data this afternoon. I know it's been on the net for quite a few years; I remember it from some time back. Can't tell you when or where it came from but it's worthy of being re-posted now and then. I can only imagine that the figures have become worse since it was first posted.

  If you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep. You are richer than 75% of the world.

If you have money in the bank, your wallet, and some spare change. You are among the top 8% of the world's wealthiest.

 
If you are attending college, or planning on attending college. You are among the top 1% educated globally.


 
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness. You are more blessed than the million people who will not survive this week.

 

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the agony of imprisonment or torture, or the horrible pangs of starvation. You are luckier than 5OO million people alive and suffering.

 

If you are reading this: you are more fortunate than 3 billion people in the world that cannot read.

Zumbox

Raises $9.7 Million More For Paperless Postal System

I ran across this and thought it could be the perfect way to handle mail. It's about time! (I signed up of course)

Data

Each year, the Economist outs a skinny little book titled "Pocket World in Figures". Since I love data, I look forward to each new volume. And this years' data does not disappoint.

The top 5 nations when it comes to beer drinking…

1. The Czech Republic
   
2. Venezuela
   
3. Russia
   
4. Poland
   
5. Australia
   

I'm certain that some nations are disappointed by the results. Better luck next year!

 

The top 5 nations when it comes to drinking the hard stuff…

1. Finland
   
2. Australia
   
3. Czech Republic
   
4. Russia
   
5. Germany
   

Can we learn something from these statistics? Sure; Finn's don't like beer.

 

How about Press Freedom? The top 5 are…

1. Iceland
   
2. Denmark
   
3. Sweden
   
4. Japan
   
5. Switzerland
   

The US? We ranked #27. That's still no excuse for the poor job they do.

 

Internet. The percentage of households with internet access…

South Korea – 94.3%

Iceland – 87.7%

Netherlands – 86.1%

Sweden – 84.4%

Norway – 84.0%

The US? We're at #25 with 62.5%. Internet access numbers also reflects just how serious a nation is when it comes to education.

 

When it come to computers (per 100 people), we're in 6th place. When it comes to mobile telephones, (per 100 people) we don't even make the top 50 nations. Broadband? We're number 14. We're also #14 when it comes to divorce rates.

 

Now the good stuff; health care costs! The highest health spending, as % of GDP…

1. US of A – 15.7%
   
2. Burundi – 13.9%
   
3. Timor-Leste – 13.6%
   
4. France – 11.0%
   
5. Switzerland – 10.8%
   

 

Most hospital beds? We didn't make that list at all. But the American men scored 3^rd in the world for obesity while American women could only come up with 6^th place. We didn't make the highest or lowest numbers in death rates for infants or adults, so we just assume that we are somewhere in the middle. We are #32 for life expectancy at a combined age of 79.9 years. So if we spend all of that money on health care, what are we getting for the money? And how about DPT and measles immunizations? We don't make the top twenty on that number.

 

I could go on and on, but I won't. For now.

This just in...

"WikiLeaks Founder Released on Bail"


Personally...I think he should make a run for it. I certainly don't believe that he will receive any sort of 'fair trial' by those who wish him harm. I believe Ecuador has offered him asylum. He should take it. 


What's sad about this whole thing is the fact that he is being hunted down when  he has done what the news media has failed to do for the last 12 years? 20 years? 40 years? 


Also forgotten in the brouhaha is the fact that Mr. Assange asked the U.S. to assist in the redacting of the documents. They refused. 

paper cuts

jill sylvia’s paper cuts question the notion of value | Daily Art Muse

Why do I think I should be an art critic? Probably because I'm still trying to find my own way in expressing myself with art.

Anyway, back to the criticism. If you click on the links above you will see a fantastic display of perseverance. Perhaps mania? But is it art?

I struggle with this all of the time as I wonder if I'm creating art or wallpaper samples.

After some thought I have come to the conclusion that no one can criticize art. It is what it is...and you can keep your opinions to yourself.

Stop Motion from Dreamhack Winter 10 (Insert Coin)

Well...

...that was liberating. I just cancelled my Facebook account. It was simply becoming a bad habit. If it had been intellectually stimulating, I would have stayed. Now I have just one bad on-line habit; Google Reader!


Speaking of Google Reader as I was...I read a piece where the author had made a foot pedal style/accelerator for Google Reader. Press down and the entries just fly by! I have to find that article...

Is California a basket case? -

No, it isn't. Read this and see...

From This Corner - Chico News & Review

A quote...

 "Social conservatives never end up on the right side of history. All they have to show for their effort is burned-out brake pads."

Pricing Information from

- Leslie's List

Pick your own favorite drug and see where the lowest price is. Yes, this is from Chicago but it is representative of costs anywhere in the US. We normally use Walgreens (a big mistake!) but they are the closest to us. Costco is about 25 miles away.

Costs of Care

Costs of Care

I was reading the newsletter from kevinmd.com and ran across a story and a link to this blog/website. There are some amazing stories in here that illustrate the fact that our health care system, including patient literacy, is broken.

Middle-Man strikes back! -

From - This Modern World - Salon.com

Couldn't have said it better...

This from Corrupting Conservatives:

Where The Jobs Are

There are some mind bending statistics here. Plus, you might want to click on the image ands see the ship as it should be seen.

The statistic I loved the best... "91% of Wal-Mart products are made in China."

From My Left Wing::

Tuesday Open Thread

"Any dictator would admire the uniformity
and obedience of the U.S. media. "

Oh, so true! Conservatives rule the media...

Corporate profits in America:

Gimme a “V” |from The Economist:

"Since the end of 2008 business-sector productivity has grown at an impressive annualised rate of 4.2% while hourly compensation has crept ahead by just 2.1%. Unit labour costs have fallen at an annualised 2% rate, the steepest cumulative decline since the 1950s. Profits owe their V-shape in great part to employment’s L-shape."

You know that fable from the right wing that tells us that if we would only free the rich from this terrible tax burden, then they, the rich, would create jobs for us all and we would all live happily ever after. Wrong. They, the rich, never have done that and they never will. Why would you believe otherwise? This is just more of Reagan's 'Trickle down economics'. It didn't work then and it won't work now. History and facts tell us the truth.

Supply Side Economics? Here's some data on that...

Living in a 'Red' county

Supervisors stanp out food outreach program

This is pretty much typical of the small minds that govern in the County of Glenn. The economy here is focused on agriculture and that means it is one of the poorest counties in the state. Poverty and agriculture go hand in hand. Unless you're a rancher. With federal subsidies and federal crop insurance. Now along comes a program that will cost the county nothing and will bring money into the local economy. The state is trying to distribute federal money to the counties through the CalFresh program but these Reagan loving supervisors will have nothing to do with it. Even though the food stamp recipients will spend that money in local stores, aiding the local economy, the supervisors are doing their 'moral' duty by refusing to help in the outreach of this program. With all of this high morality you would think that they might refuse all federal aid for this county...but you would be wrong. Their sense of right and wrong is very selective.

From Matt Taibbi:

Courts Helping Banks Screw Over Homeowners | Rolling Stone Politics

I just read the article a few minutes ago and just had to see if it was on-line. And it was. It's worthwhile reading every single word of it. Then print it out and go slap a banker with it. Sure, the action takes place in Florida and we all know about Florida...but the same thing is happening everywhere the robo signers were at work and that's the whole country.

Pray tell: from Science Daily

Americans stretching the truth about church attendance

Duh! I'm pretty sure I've been saying this quite awhile...

Religion and such

Every once in awhile I become agitated by the 'Christians' in this country. I just read the other day that over 80% of Americans identify themselves as 'Christians'. I can't confirm that number...but I do know for a fact that there were a few empty seats in the pews yesterday. Maybe they slept in? 


I'm definitely agitated by the 'Christian' response to the fact that Muslims live among us. A mosque was burned in Oregon just the other day. 'Christians' are doing everything they can, illegally as well as legally, to stop the building of mosques in NYC and in Tennessee. Perhaps these people didn't know that Muslims have a lengthy history in the US of A. "When Benjamin Franklin helped establish a non-denominational religious meeting house in Philadelphia, he emphasized its non-sectarian nature by stating that "even if the Mufti of Constantinople were to send a missionary to preach Mohammedanism to us, he would find a pulpit at his service". In 1776, there were over 3 million people in the colonies...you don't think there more than a few Muslims among them? "In 1790, the South Carolina legislative body granted special legal status to a community of Moroccans, twelve years after the Sultan of Morocco became the first foreign head of state to formally recognize the United States" South Carolina? Imagine that!

But I know that ignorance rules these days and my agitation will gain me nothing. But now that I have written this I do feel better...

From Citizen K.

Tearin' o' the Green

The computer was misbehaving (backing up) last night when I called for this article and it wasn't till this morning that I was able to read it. Short and comprehensive. K explains the 'European problem' quite well. Good reading!

Walking

Thanksgiving 2010 is now history. Starting at 9 AM on that day I began the 5k run/walk at Bidwell Park along with thousands of others. Many thousands. As I shuffled along in the mass of humanity, strollers and dogs that were trying to get to the Start line, I realized that I had made a tactical error. Those who had elected to be chip timed were at the very front of this crowd while I was stuck somewhere near the middle. So myself and others who had made the same error began to work our way past those who were at park to enjoy a pleasant walk that benefitted the work of the Jesus Center, our local homeless shelter. As I cut right and left and swerved here and there I was reminded of my previous life as a driver on the freeway system of Los Angeles. My plan was to racewalk the entire 5k but I was soon running along the edges, off the trail, as I passed those groups of walkers who were deep in conversation while blocking the entire trail. This worked until trees and vines forced me back into the pack and I had to walk at the pace of the crowd once again. It wasn't until the second mile that I was more or less free to racewalk as planned. At the end, the clock said 48:50 as I passed the finish line. I deducted the 3:30 that I spent shuffling towards the Start and then averaged out the slow and the fast moments on the trail to arrive at a time of 45 minutes. Sub 15 minutes miles. Compared to my 2006 time of sub 12 minute miles. Oh well, time marches on.

Further evidence

that the majority of Californians are pretty smart!


"More than three weeks after he declared victory in the race for state attorney general, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley conceded defeat today as he trailed by more than 50,000 votes in one of the closest statewide races in California history.

The decision means that San Francisco Dist. Atty. Kamala Harris will assume the post of California's top law enforcement official, giving Democrats a clean sweep of the statewide offices."


Okay, okay...there were some ballot measures where Californians failed, but overall, not bad.

Dinner

Did I mention the cooking class I attended the other night? I guess not. Anyway, the class was held at our church, the very historic Bidwell Presbyterian in Chico. The class was for three hours and included the dinner we would prepare. All for $18. Our instructor, Pina Taddonio, a native of Torino in Italy, was my kind of cook! Recipes? Nope. It was all spur of the moment decisions on her part. A pinch of this and a handful of that. She said we could take notes if we wanted to but she wouldn’t care at all if we didn’t. I didn’t. We made cannelloni with Butternut squash for the vegetarians and cannelloni with sweet Italian sausage and broccoli for the meat eaters. Now the cannelloni was different; we didn’t fill those premade heavy pasta tubes. We used very thin lasagna pasta which was about 5”x8”. This was then filled and rolled, using brushed on water to glue it together. Then it went into the pan with the others and was covered with a Béchamel sauce. Then cooked for just 20 minutes as the filling had been already been cooked…by us, the eight students. Then we sat down to eat. Heavenly, if I do say so myself. Next month is a baking class and I must attend!

No sleep

I'm awake quite early as that is my 'normal'. The first thing I did was check on the woodstove as I was expecting to see some extremely low temps this morning but it's close to 50˚ outside. What? Yesterday, we pulled all of the Mandarin oranges off the tree and had harvested all the green tomatoes just so they wouldn't be harmed by the freeze. Well, the weatherman now says that tomorrow morning it will be 25˚ at this hour. He's a day late or we were a day early.

Will we go walking today? The winds are in the 12 to 20 mph range and rain is forecast. I guess we'll make that decision when the sun is up. Now yesterday was a great time for walking as the park was at its best. A Kodak moment at every turn of the trail. I have a feeling that this wind will strip most of the colorful leaves off of the trees and leave us with a stark winter scene for the weeks to come.

I'll be back in the park on Thursday morning for the Jesus Center Run for Food, a 5k walk/run. I did this race in 2006 and haven't been able to participate since then. I did a practice walk a week ago and was able to come up with four 15 minute miles in a row. I should be able to do that easily in a 3.1 mile race. I just looked at my journal and I see that I did the 2006 race in just under 37 minutes, giving me a sub 12 mile pace. 11.94 to be exact. Ah! The good old days when I was only 66 and my lower spine wasn't fused.

Yesterday, I was reading Nance's blog, Mature Landscaping, and she was writing about pain. Constant pain. Something she knows only too well. And it made me so thankful for the surgeon I had/have. He still has me on Gabapentin, which I hate because of the muddleheaded feeling I have to live with. And live with it forever, or so he says. So why am I thankful? Because he told me right away, as soon as I became his patient, that pain was the enemy and he was going to make sure that I had very little of it. He gave me Dilaudid and Norco and told me that he would take care of the addiction problems when it was time to do so, but in the meantime I was supposed to stay pain free if possible. Shortly after the first surgery the pain was just bearable with those narcotics. I can't imagine waiting all those months for the bones to fuse without those drugs. It's been ten months now since the last surgery and I only have to take a Norco on a rare occasion and it's been three months since I last needed a Dilaudid. The pain will never go away but I'm adjusting to it. Or so I hope. I know that I spend too much time thinking about it. And commenting about it. At the same time, I do know that my surgeon told me that if the pain becomes too much for me, he had another plan for me, an implantable spinal cord stimulator. Very cool! No, I'm not ready for that yet. I have my Wellbutrin to keep me happy. Yikes! We live in a chemical age. And I'm a willing participant in it. Perhaps I just need more nap time with Boo the Magical Cat. And more painting.

Speaking of painting; today is Tuesday and that means I get to spend three hours at the Chico Art Center with all my friends. My artistic friends. I have some Derwent Inktense pencils I want to share with them. They're great watercolor tools for accents as they won't wash away.

There are about ten of us in the group and all are better artists than I am. I'm the one in the group that tries every new thing to come along while they spend their time honing their skills. But…they all encouraged me when they exclaimed over my entry in the Small Canvas, Small World exhibit. I'm growing in my art and it's really exciting at times. I have half a dozen canvases now that I'm really happy with and I will post them to my art blog as soon as I can figure out a good way to photograph them.

Warren Buffett: says...

Cut Taxes For Middle And Lower Classes; Rich Should Pay Much More

Good article. By the way, Bill Gates says the same thing...

State taxes

"Strong majorities of Democrats and Republicans, men and women, and voters of all ideological persuasions overwhelmingly said that the deficit could be overcome by cutting waste and correcting inefficiencies."


Fools. It will not happen. We already have one of the lowest state employee to citizen ratios in the nation. We have been undertaxed for years. Corporate taxes are almost nil...and we want them lower yet? 

Elections

The House leaders have been elected and the results are as expected. Boehner and his boys will be in a position to do what they do best. Nothing. And they will make sure that we have plenty of it for the next two years. Treason.

Nancy Pelosi is the best man the Democrats have and they should be grateful for all that she has done for the party. But they won't. The usual blue dog Democrats will whine and snivel for the next two years, all the while they will be cozying up to the Boehner Boys in hopes of being tossed a scrap. Hopeless.

I never thought that I would applaud the election of a Republican but Lisa Murkowski is my hero today. She beat the Palin/tea party in Miss Quittypants own backyard. And she did it the hard way with a write-in candidacy...who would have thought that such an idea had a chance?

BIG

This is how I wish I could paint...if so, it's obvious that I will need a bigger garage/studio. Much bigger!

But, at the same time, I really love her smaller paintings, such as the 'Colour of Light' paintings.

Click here to see her website

From Tom Tomorrow - This Modern World

I try and read this great comic strip every week and I always enjoy it. This week it's better than usual.  Click here to see it for yourself. I could comment for half an hour on each panel...but I won't.

From my Left Wing

Facts. Yes, some facts about Social Security. Good article here...

 1. Social Security isn't broke.  In fact it currently has a $.7 trillion surplus and is solvent through 2037.

2.  Social Security doesn't increase the deficit.

3.  The best way to ensure the long-term health of Social Security is through good-paying jobs and a stronger economy.  

4.  If you truly are concerned about Social Security running out of money in the future, the $4 trillion projected long-term shortfall is conveniently the same amount of money which would be generated over ten years by letting the Bush tax cuts expire on the top 2% of Americans. (Oh, and BTW, those tax cuts to the very rich--they don't stimulate the economy for squat.)

5.  If you want to shore up Social Security over the long-run eliminate the cap.  Why should a worker making $105,000 a year pay exactly the same number of dollars into SS as a CEO taking home $50 million?  

This from Citizen K

Click here

I read this when we were traveling in Arizona a few days ago and although I wanted to share it at that time, I had to wait till I had my own computer in front of me. This piece really lays out the facts for 'single payer' health care, something that even the Democrats didn't want to hear about.

And this morning I heard about the San Francisco City Council voting to ban fast food meals for children that use toys to entice the children...unless the meal contains less than 600 calories, 600 mg of salt and 35% calories derived from fat. Plus it has to include a fruit or vegetable snack. I can already hear the republicans yelling about how this is government interfering in private business. Darn right it is! Because without that interference, our children and grandchildren will be enticed into eating lethal doses of fat and sodium just to increase the bottom line in the fast food industry. I can't even begin to imagine why a child would need a 600+ calorie meal; can you?

Just wondering

I see the sun. It's 6:45 in the morning and I see clouds and blue sky. Alright! We're going walking this morning. Now if we were still in Arizona we would be seeing the darkness. (in more ways than one. Okay, I'm being political here.) Arizona is one of the few states that remains Daylight Savings Time free. And I couldn't help but think about the fact that this state is run by the Tea Party now and as that means that they should be free of all government interference in their lives…why don't they simply allow the citizens of the state to determine their own time? Set their watches as they feel moved? They won't?

Hypocrites.

And speaking of hypocrites; do you think the republican congress will dismantle their own health insurance program. It appears suspiciously like a socialist program to me. Let's ask them. At every possible opportunity.