Hey Bear!

More of the same old junk.....

2012-01-04T06:46:00.000-05:00

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/50-economic-numbers-from-2011-that-are-almost-too-crazy-to-believe

A sample....

The six heirs of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton have a net worth that is roughly equal to the bottom 30 percent of all Americans combined.

or

#35 According to an analysis of Census Bureau data done by the Pew Research Center, the median net worth for households led by someone 65 years of age or older is 47 times greater than the median net worth for households led by someone under the age of 35.

or

#36 If you can believe it, 37 percent of all U.S. households that are led by someone under the age of 35 have a net worth of zero or less than zero.

lesson to be learned on surviving

2011-12-10T09:51:00.001-05:00

http://beforeitsnews.com/story/1269/137/Incredible_Survival_Q_A_From_Serbia.html?currentSplittedPage=0

9th gup!

2011-12-10T09:25:00.001-05:00

Only 9 more tests to go to black.....

edit- more then 9 tests so I am told.....

app to kill monitoring on android devices

2011-12-04T05:59:00.001-05:00

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=17612559&postcount=110

good post on Real Estate fraud

2011-11-23T18:05:00.001-05:00

http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=198032

His comment was the S&L crisis was 1/70th of what we are dealing with now.

We have no rule of law anymore. Prepare for the worst

QOTD

2011-10-05T05:49:00.001-04:00

"It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe in it"
George Carlin

Rescue Dogs of 911

2011-10-04T07:41:00.000-04:00

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2033628/Surviving-9-11-rescue-dogs-scoured-Ground-Zero-bodies-commemorated-decade-difficult-mission.html#ixzz1ZlfVEkKo

"Who rescued who?"

Good Graphics on leadership

2011-10-02T06:48:00.000-04:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnnyshop/6196456311/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Freedoms I Wish the Military Were Defending

2011-09-12T19:34:00.001-04:00

Freedoms I Wish the Military Were Defending
by Laurence M. Vance

http://lewrockwell.com/vance/vance256.html

snip.....

Not in any particular order, and in varying degrees of significance, here are some freedoms I wish the military were defending:

The freedom to fly without being sexually violated.
The freedom to purchase a gun without a waiting period.
The freedom to grow, sell, and smoke marijuana.
The freedom to sell goods and services for whatever amount a buyer is willing to pay.
The freedom to make more than six withdrawals from one’s savings account each month.
The freedom to drink alcohol as a legal, voting adult under twenty-one years of age.
The freedom to purchase Sudafed over the counter.
The freedom to gamble without government approval.
The freedom to deposit more than $10,000 in a bank account without government scrutiny.
The freedom to not be stopped at a checkpoint and have one’s car searched without a warrant.
The freedom to sell any good or offer any service on Craigslist.
The freedom to fill in a "wetland" on one’s own property.
The freedom to cut someone’s hair for money without a license.
The freedom to home-brew over 100 gallons of beer per year.
The freedom to advertise tobacco products on television.
The freedom to smoke Cuban cigars.
The freedom to not wear a seatbelt.
The freedom to be secure in our persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures.
The freedom to keep the fruits of one’s labor.
The freedom of an employer and an employee to negotiate for any wage.
The freedom to discriminate against anyone for any reason.
The freedom to videotape the police in public.
The freedom of businesses to hire and fire whomever they choose.
The freedom to not be brutalized by the police.
The freedom to not be arrested for victimless crimes.
The freedom to sell raw milk.
The freedom to not have one’s child subject to unnecessary vaccinations.
The freedom to not have one’s child unjustly taken by Child Protective Services.
The freedom to not be subject to the Patriot Act.
The freedom for kids to set up neighborhood lemonade stands.
The freedom to not have every facet of business and society regulated.
The freedom to stay in one’s home during a hurricane.
The freedom to not have our e-mail and phone conversations monitored.
The freedom to travel to and trade with any country.
The freedom to be left alone.

Certainly there are hundreds of things that could be added. We no longer live in a free country.

Song of the day

2011-09-07T05:28:00.001-04:00

Bopping in my mind......

Quiet your mind

Zac Brown Band

I hear the waves
Sun beatin' down on my shoulders
It's a near-perfect day
Wishin' I wouldn't get any older
They say that it's gone 'fore you know it now

Quiet your mind
Soak it all in
It's a game you can't win
Enjoy the ride

I feel the change
Goin' on all around me
It's strange
How I'm taken and guided
Where I end up right I'm needed to be

Quiet your mind
Soak it all in
It's a game you can't win
Enjoy the ride

At the end of the water
A red sun is risin'
And the stars are all goin' away
And if you're too busy talkin'
You're not busy listenin'
To hear what the land has to say

Quiet your mind

I hear the waves
Sun beatin' down on my shoulders
It's a near-perfect day
Wishin' I wouldn't get any older
They say that it's gone 'fore you know it and
Soak it all in
It's a game you can't win
Enjoy the ride

good video recap of year

2011-08-28T08:17:00.003-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=N5aSWehaKlk

QOTD

2011-08-22T07:26:00.001-04:00

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will.
-Vince Lombardi-

Men's brains and womens brains

2011-08-21T15:33:00.000-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BxckAMaTDc

Funny dude....

Welcome to Amerika

2011-08-18T04:51:00.000-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tFb2eHjnxJc

I'm Just Quitting

2011-07-27T06:11:00.001-04:00

‘I’m just quitting’: A scene right out of ‘Atlas Shrugged’ in Birmingham
by David McElroy

My name’s Ronnie Bryant, and I’m a mine operator…. I’ve been issued a [state] permit in the recent past for [waste water] discharge, and after standing in this room today listening to the comments being made by the people…. [pause] Nearly every day without fail — I have a different perspective — men stream to these [mining] operations looking for work in Walker County. They can’t pay their mortgage. They can’t pay their car note. They can’t feed their families. They don’t have health insurance. And as I stand here today, I just … you know … what’s the use? I got a permit to open up an underground coal mine that would employ probably 125 people. They’d be paid wages from $50,000 to $150,000 a year. We would consume probably $50 million to $60 million in consumables a year, putting more men to work. And my only idea today is to go home. What’s the use? I don’t know. I mean, I see these guys — I see them with tears in their eyes — looking for work. And if there’s so much opposition to these guys making a living, I feel like there’s no need in me putting out the effort to provide work for them. So as I stood against the wall here today, basically what I’ve decided is not to open the mine. I’m just quitting. Thank you.

http://www.davidmcelroy.org/?p=1586

Great movie on cancer treatment

2011-06-28T21:29:00.001-04:00

https://www.burzynskimovie.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=110

Fun songs to wake you up

2011-05-26T07:12:00.001-04:00

No Inflation eh?

2011-05-24T07:17:00.002-04:00

Items 1971 2010/11 % Increase
Average Cost of new house $28,000 $273,000 975%
Median HH Income $10,300 $47,000 456%
Average Monthly Rent $150 $750 500%
Cost of a gallon of Gas $0.40 $3.80 950%
Average New Car Price $3,430 $29,200 851%
United States postage Stamp $0.08 $0.44 550%
Movie Ticket $1.50 $7.89 526%

http://www.theburningplatform.com/?p=15246

Thought for the Day

2011-05-21T07:17:00.001-04:00

"When they came for the Fourth Amendment I didn't say anything because I had nothing to hide.

When they came for the Second Amendment I didn't say anything because I wasn't a gun owner.

When they came for the Fifth and Sixth Amendments I didn't say anything because I had committed no crimes.

When they came for the First Amendment I couldn't say anything."

Unknown

quote of the day

2011-05-07T09:14:00.000-04:00

From Ace of Spades:

Of course, if a plane is hijacked with a SEAL on it, I doubt he'll be carrying a card that says, "Hi, I'm a Navy SEAL".

The SEALs I've worked with - can't wait to be on a hijacked plane.

Songs of the times

2011-03-31T15:13:00.000-04:00

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update on Japan quake

2011-03-16T11:03:00.001-04:00

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1366395/Japan-tsunami-earthquake-Rescuers-pick-way-apocalypse-wasteland.html

Scroll down to picture of boat on hosue, unreal.....

Before and After pics on quake

2011-03-15T07:28:00.000-04:00

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/13/world/asia/satellite-photos-japan-before-and-after-tsunami.html?hp

Moving in a America

2011-02-18T07:04:00.000-05:00

http://www.forbes.com/2010/06/04/migration-moving-wealthy-interactive-counties-map.html

From Forbes.com:

More than 10 million Americans moved from one county to another during 2008. The map below visualizes those moves. Click on any county to see comings and goings: black lines indicate net inward movement, red lines net outward movement.

2008 stats.

Grapes Of Wrath - 2011

2011-02-16T07:34:00.002-05:00

James Quinn does it again....

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/guest-post-grapes-wrath-2011
Steinbeck became the champion of the working class. When he decided to write a novel about the plight of migrant farm workers, he took his task very seriously. To prepare, he lived with an Oklahoma farm family and made the journey with them to California. Seventy years later the plight of the working class is the same. If Steinbeck were alive today he would live with a Michigan auto manufacturing family making a journey to fantasyland of green energy, where automobiles ran on corn and sunshine. The working class bore the brunt of the Great Depression in the 1930s and they are bearing the burden during our current Greater Depression. Steinbeck knew who the culprits were seventy years ago. We know who the culprits are today. They are one in the same. The moneyed banking interests caused the Great Depression and they created the disastrous collapse that has thus far destroyed 7 million middle class jobs. Steinbeck understood that the poor working class of this country had more dignity and compassion for their fellow man than any Wall Street banker out for enrichment at the expense of the working class.

Why Small Business Isn't Hiring and Won't Be Hiring (February 8, 2011)

2011-02-14T06:27:00.003-05:00

http://www.oftwominds.com/blogfeb11/small-biz-02-11.html

Couple of snips from Charles Hugh Smiths editorial...

What pundits and politicos don't get is small business knows the "recovery" is totally bogus. Why hire somebody who you'll have to lay off a few months from now? Laying people off is emotionally painful--you dread it, tire of it, are wearied by it. This is a real human being who is losing their job, not some ginned-up statistic hyped by some think-tank-pundit pulling down $15K a month for dishing whatever flavor of propaganda he/she is paid to churn out.

And....

Nobody's hiring for the long-term for the simple reason that there is no long-term: we're either selling the company as soon as we can, or we're waiting for the next dip in revenues to close down before we lose everything.

And...

Local government has grown accustomed to small business being uncomplaining tax-donkeys, silently paying every junk fee and every additional tax the government levies. Only a funny thing happened on the way to local government's plan to fill the shortfalls in its own revenues by taxing small businesses even more: they're closing down.

The reason is simple: why work for free? This is incomprehensible to both local governments, who expect all those "filthy-rich small-business Capitalists" to pay higher taxes and fees, and the safely remote-from-the-real-world pundits and politicos.

Note- have had the "oh you're self employed so you must be rich"... opinion smacked at myself in the past.

Who is John Galt?

OH NO !!!

2011-01-31T11:02:00.008-05:00

dogs and cats living together
In other words it might snow out tomorrow.

open minds - good to read the other side sometimes

2011-01-17T05:08:00.002-05:00

I try to read from all points of view, mainly to see what the other side is thinking. Obviously, it's strategy from Sun Tsu to know your enemy, although for me it might be more along the thought of knowing the isssues better. I no longer believe the "right vs left" paradigm is at work anymore. More like the 80% vs top 20%.

Two posts from the same author but several years in between, funny how they read like current news.....

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0301-12.htm

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/01/17

My reaction to both articles is it is too late to change and these are interesting ideas but no one at the top will allow them to oocur.

The comments are a hoot too, really shows how the right vs left thing is brainwashed into peoples heads.

Cool video of the day

2011-01-13T09:38:00.000-05:00

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9000 frames a second is really fast!!!!

Excellent Advice- proof you own your house

2011-01-05T06:58:00.003-05:00

From a blogpost at Naked Capitalism

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I have family experiencing the same. here’s what I learned.
For what it’s worth.
Prepare for a battle that’s going to last at least six months.

However, Forget the lawyer, do your own leg work first. get your head around what’s real first.

Quicly take responsibility. Mark your calender, The next steps are absolutely critical, you must make the bank establish rightful intrest of your title any and all liens to the property. Period.

Don’t panick.

But run,don’t walk to your county property registrar. Take two witnesses who will testify as being present,have copies of Picture Id. Past tax bills, utility bills, all paid and stamped paid, present them to the county court houseclerk of property registrations, ask for and secure valid stamped, dated and witnessed copies of your property’s registration, taxes paid, all liens registerred and released, and releases from your first to last of mortgage of the property as released to you; including the refinanced mortgage and most especially the releases of all the release of liens on the property and a current registration of the current loan, tax id and lien holder claiming to be holder of your mortgage.

Make copies of everything, including closing papers….got it…everything and secure them in a savings deposit box. keep 1 for a private desk file and quick access, scan another and file as an un-editable PDF file, burn a digital copy disc’s,a store PDF file on desktop file and on-line Internet file system such as Mozilla.

Once the above is done, you can take the next step.

Submit by courier, a registerred letter, return receipt requested, by snail usa mail to the loan department of your bank requesting title and written response from the bank.

Do not under any circumstance threaten suit or legal action. Your letters will establish your legal request to get a copy of the title. Give them 10 business days to respond by written letter from an registerred officer of the banks loan department.

Failing their response, send them another letter of request of copy of your title. remind them of the 1st request. Give them 10 business days.

Failing that, file your own legal subpoena in the county court house for the banks property records from the mortgage lender. You still have not threatened anybody.

take personal responsibility. do not however, I repeat do not make the mistake of witholding your mortgage payment. That takes the focus off what needs to get done. Simply get your ducks in a row.

Subpoena the bank until your satisfied.

If they fail that, now you can go to AG, ask the AG to subpoena on your behalf, exhaust all options. Proceed in the same manner as above. Pay attention to the calender and don’t let up, for any reason. your goal is to establish your title. Period.

Thought of the day

2011-01-04T06:57:00.001-05:00

If I walk up to your door with a gun and demand your wallet, what is it? Robbery.

If I walk up, demand the wallet at gunpoint, and tell you I'll spend 20% on your road improvements and 10% on the charity of your choice, what is it? Still robbery.

If I and my neighbors (all of us with small homes) form a political entity and vote to put in new sewers and sidewalks, and hand the bill to your local business, or just "assess values of property" and tax proportionally (sorry, you own much more valuably property than the rest of us), what do we call it?

Self rule. Democracy. Representative government. Pick your euphemism for what it really is: Robbery.

Blog commment from http://js-kit.com/api/static/pop_comments?ref=http%3A%2F%2Fglobaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com%2F%2F&path=%2F2011%2F01%2Fconsumer-becomes-consumed.html&permalink=http%3A%2F%2Fglobaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com%2F&label=Add%20New%20Comment&title=Mish's%20Global%20Economic%20Trend%20Analysis&adminBgColor=%23DDDDDD

Good Riddance- Just go away

2010-12-31T06:29:00.004-05:00

Eight years of continual mismanagement, I wonder if the state can survive??

image source- www.freep.com

Thought for the day....

2010-12-24T06:56:00.001-05:00

There’s an old saying in Africa I like –

“Don’t try to show a man the stars when he doesn’t know where the sky is.”

Cut from a blogpost....

Very cool video- miniature world

2010-12-20T15:58:00.001-05:00

http://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/exhibit/video/4-minutes-wunderland/

I would love to see this in person. Some of the detail was amazing.

Minimum wage the new way to wealth???

2010-12-14T07:15:00.001-05:00

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/entitlement-america-head-household-making-minimum-wage-has-more-disposable-income-family-mak

Not sure the numbers work out, need more thinking on this.

U.S. Facing Federal Debt Cataclysm, The Establishment Is in Despair

2010-12-13T19:37:00.000-05:00

http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article24771.html

The post-2020 fiscal outlook is downright apocalyptic, for two reasons. First, the aging of the U.S. population will drive sharp increases in health care costs (and at the same time, more Americans will be retired). Second, federal interest expense will rise exponentially, as the Treasury's borrowing costs grow with the debt.

Is your bank sucking on the government teat?

2010-12-12T05:06:00.003-05:00

http://projects.propublica.org/tables/treasury-facilities-loans

CITIGROUP NY 370(loans) $2,427,866 $110,350 $2,020,219 $297,297 these amounts are in millions so add a few more zeros on them. Normal businesses would have failed and then the assets sold to the highest bidder renewing the business cycle. But no, in bizarro world these banks lost big time and then the taxpayers are covering the bad debts.

Our economy will burn up and fail if the fraud is not brought out and prosecuted.

Wealth of Nations

2010-12-03T04:51:00.001-05:00

h/t www.lifescience.com

Quote of the day

2010-12-01T06:31:00.001-05:00

“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquillity of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, — go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen!”
-Sam Adams

Murphy is a friend of mine...

2010-11-29T04:42:00.002-05:00

http://survivalcache.com/murphys-laws-of-teotwawki/

Murphy’s Laws of TEOTWAWKI
From Wikipedia: Murphy’s Law is an adage that is typically stated as: “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong”.

It is so hard to get people to plan for emergencies I really quit offering my opinions anymore. Let them starve is my adage now. I'm guessing but we need to get out 3 months after TSHTF to clean out the dead wood of society and after that we can start to rebuild.

The new America???

2010-11-25T12:18:00.004-05:00

Tent Cities, Homelessness And Soul-Crushing Despair: The Legacy Of Decades Of Government Debt And Mismanagement Of The Economy

Short quote from article:

"Well, look how all of that turned out. In 1985, the U.S. trade deficit with China was 6 million dollars for the entire year. In the month of August alone, the U.S. trade deficit with China was over 28 billion dollars.

In case you can't figure it out, that means that 28 billion dollars of our national wealth was transferred to China in just one month."

More here....

Banned commercial???

2010-11-22T05:06:00.001-05:00

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Get out your book of Atlas Shrugs cause we are living in it. Or maybe Brave New World....

h/t market-ticker.org

Matt Taibbi: Courts Helping Banks Screw Over Homeowners

2010-11-20T05:54:00.000-05:00

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/232611?RS_show_page=0

Excellent read on some of the scams banks are using to screw homeowners in foreclosure.

"We are holding our own..."

2010-11-10T18:39:00.002-05:00

35 years ago today the Edmund Fizgerald sank with all crew lost. The storm was a massive winter blast that I remember as a kid. On that day we lived on Lake Huron near Oscoda and the waves were hitting the seawall and traveling over the wall to hit the house approximately 75 feet away. Ice formed on the front that was an inch thick by morning.

And for the tune that made the sinking legendary...

FOr me one of those life events you never forget.

Autism Made in the USA- Video

2010-11-07T07:04:00.000-05:00

Pushing on a string

2010-10-23T05:53:00.008-04:00

http://www.oftwominds.com/blogoct10/normalized-pathologies10-10.html

While the American/Western worldview holds that we are autonomous individuals exercising free will at every moment, in reality we are all heavily programmed by our socio-economic class conditions. What is so striking about present-day America is the way in which the narcissistic, no-moral-compass social pathologies of entitlement, denial and fabrication of "truth"/reality has been "normalized" (accepted as normal behavior and thinking) in all social classes.

Charles Hugh Smith has a good piece on the rot in society and why it is so hard to fight against it.

As a parent, it frustrates me to see this mechanism at work while trying to show my children a better way.

End of the world????

2010-10-13T12:22:00.001-04:00

Jon Stewart and the mortgage mess...

2010-10-08T05:52:00.000-04:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Foreclosure Crisis

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Rally to Restore Sanity

Thought for the day....

2010-10-05T06:57:00.001-04:00

There will always be a society. Meaning (to me) an organization run by a sociopath class, with a sycophant class, and lots and lots of true-believing dumbasses. These three groups are what history is. The trick is to be part of the sycophant class or - failing that - a pretend dumbasses. Wave the flag, watch the eagle, keep your mouth shut, but know that the sociopaths WILL happily kill the dumbasses for fun and profit - all you can do as an invisible dumbass is to slowly move yourself - and your kids - to the back of the pack of dumbasses - away from the line of fire.

comment from http://www.hoocoodanode.org/node/11146

School loans

2010-09-30T07:09:00.001-04:00

Infographic by College Scholarships.org

Tune of the day

2010-09-21T09:27:00.000-04:00

Blue Collar Man

Written by Tommy Shaw
Lead Vocals by Tommy Shaw

Give me a job, give me security
give me a chance to survive
I'm just a poor soul in the unemployment line
my god, I'm hardly alive
my mother and father, my wife and my friends
You see them laugh in my face
But I've got the power, and I've got the will
I'm not a charity case

I'll take the long night, impossible odds
keeping my eye to the keyhole
if it takes all that to be just what I am
well I'm gonna be a blue collar man

Make me an offer that I can't refuse
make me respectable, man
this is my last time in the unemployment line
so like it or not, I'll take the

long nights, impossible odds
keeping my back to the wall
if it takes all night to be just what I am
well, I'm gonna be a blue collar man

keeping my mind on a better life
where happiness is only a heartbeat away
paradise can it be all I heard it was
I close my eyes and maybe I'm already there

I'll take those long nights, impossible odds
keeping my back to the wall
all that to be just what I am
well I'm gonna be a blue collar man

do do do do do do do do do do do

you don't understand

do do do do do do do do do do do

I'll take those long nights, impossible odds
keeping my eye to the keyhole
if it takes all night to be just who I am

well, I'd rather be a blue collar
got to be a blue collar
gonna be a blue collar man

My cat loves me....????

2010-09-19T10:01:00.000-04:00

ROCK ON!!!!! Climbing to 1700 feet

2010-09-18T06:34:00.000-04:00

I would so want to try to climb this, hell just riding the elevator to 1600 would be a blast.

Engler was below 4% for the thinking challenged in Michigan

2010-09-08T06:52:00.005-04:00

http://theblogprof.blogspot.com/2010/09/granholm-hope-for-michigan-after-decade.html

Thank god, allah, or the trees that she is termed limited out. Maybe she will move back out to California and help them.

The Purpose Behind Engineered Economic Collapse

2010-08-31T06:45:00.000-04:00

http://neithercorp.us/npress/?p=674

By Giordano Bruno

Neithercorp Press – 08/17/2010

“From now on, depressions will be scientifically created.” — Congressman Charles A. Lindbergh Sr. , 1913

Are you ready?

Anotherr good quote from M. Ali

2010-08-15T05:11:00.001-04:00

"Inside of a ring or out, ain't nothing wrong with going down. It's staying down that's wrong." – Ali

Or as I like to say----

weebles wobble but they don't fall down......

The right to be a father

2010-08-06T06:23:00.001-04:00

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Feminists had this film banned during a flim competition. More info here

Great Quotes

2010-08-05T05:00:00.007-04:00

="">

Muhammad Ali: Recipe for Life

Q: What would you like people to think about you when your gone?

Muhammad Ali: He took a few cups of love. He took one table spoon of patience. One table spoon, tea-spoon of generosity. One pint of kindness. He took one quart of laughter. One pinch of concern. And then he mixed willingness with happiness. He added lots of faith. And he stirred it up well. Then he spread it over a span of a lifetime. And he served it to each and every deserving person he met.

my kind of vehicle

2010-08-04T09:15:00.005-04:00

Memorial Day up on Mackinac Island. Always try to rent the buggy for a spin.

Wow I'm a "Bright Spark" !!

2010-08-02T07:05:00.002-04:00

You're a Bright Spark
You thrive from new challenges that push you out of your comfort zone. You're positive and enthusiastic with a strong work ethic that means you strive to perform at the highest level in everything you do. Successful and confident, you have high levels of energy and believe that life is what you make it. You prioritize exercise and wellbeing as part of your commitment to living a healthy lifestyle. When it comes to pursuing your interests, you display great passion and commitment. You enjoy a busy social life and are thoughtful and generous, aiming to give something back to society whenever you can. But you also like to spoil yourself a little too...
You like to be stimulated intellectually and actively seek debate and discussion. Good social interaction makes you feel alive. You're a bit of a bookworm at heart. You probably have a good pile of books by the bed and maybe even a few on-the-go at once! Never one to rest on your laurels, you truly believe that life is what you make it. You are always seeking out fun new adventures that will excite and inspire. It's important sometimes to get out of your comfort zone to reconnect with your inner self and really understand what matters most in life. Bright Spark I thrive from new challenges that push me out of my comfort zone. I'm positive and enthusiastic with a strong work ethic that means I strive to perform at the highest level in everything I do.

http://www.latimes.com/news/newsmatch/

15 Signs You’ll Live Forever

2010-07-31T08:42:00.002-04:00

15 Signs You’ll Live Forever by James Quinn

1. The employed outlive the laid-off Could the recession actually kill you? Losing your job makes you 15 to 20 percent more likely to die within the next 20 years, according to a 2009 study. Aside from the obvious reasons—loss of health insurance, increased poverty (see No. 10)—nutritionist Jonny Bowden, author of The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer, says that “job loss is one of the greatest stresses” a person can endure. One of what Bowden dubs “the four horsemen of aging”—along with inflammation, excess sugar, and free radicals—stress spurs production of the hormone cortisol, which harms the immune system, shrinks the hippocampus, and thickens the waist. (Source: Daniel Sullivan and von Wachter, Till (2009): Job Displacement and Mortality: An Analysis Using Administrative Data. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 124 (3), 1265-1306.)

2. Married people outlive singles On average, married people have a 15 percent higher life expectancy and live 1.17 more years than their unwed counterparts. Happily married pairs enjoy “companionship and support, which lowers stress levels,” says longevity expert Sally Beare, author of 50 Secrets of the World’s Longest Living People. “Regular sex with a long-term partner also helps slow the aging process in women as it helps them produce growth hormone.” And husbands live longer “partly because their wives encourage them to take care of their health.” (Source: Paul Frijters et al. (2005): Socioeconomic status, health shocks, life satisfaction and mortality: evidence from an increasing mixed proportional hazard model. The Australian National University Centre for Economic Policy Research Discussion Paper no. 496)

3. Women with husbands their own age outlive cougars Women who are married to guys seven to nine years younger than themselves face a 20 percent higher mortality risk than women with same-age partners. “Since marrying a younger husband deviates from what is regarded as normal, these couples could be regarded as outsiders and receive less social support,” theorizes the author of the study that yielded this statistic. “This could result in a less joyful and more stressful life, reduced health, and finally, increased mortality.” All things being unequal, men with seven-to-nine-years-younger wives have an 11 percent lower mortality rate than men with same-age wives. (Source: Sven Drefahl (2010): How does the age gap between partners affect their survival? Demography, 47 (2), 313-326.)

4. People who sleep less outlive people who sleep a lot Those who typically sleep more than 8.5 hours a night face a 15 percent higher mortality risk than those who typically sleep seven hours nightly. (The risk factor soars again for those who sleep fewer than 4.5 hours nightly.) Although sleep duration is highly individualized and “different people have different sweet spots,” Bowden muses, “some people who sleep nine hours a day are very toxic. What’s happening with their bodies that they need that kind of sleep? Some might be sleeping off bad hangovers.” (Source: Daniel F. Kripke et al. (2002): Mortality associated with sleep duration and insomnia. Archives of General Psychiatry, 59, 131-136.)

5. Slim-waisted people outlive big-waisted people This is not the same as thin people outliving fat people—your body can be the right weight, but still pose a risk if it stores it in the wrong place. Large waist circumference (defined as 40-plus inches in men and 35-plus inches in women) is associated with a 25 percent higher mortality risk than normal waist circumference (defined as 36 inches in men and 30 inches in women), regardless of body-mass index. “The apple-versus-pear body shape shows where you store your fat,” Bowden says. “The apple shape is far more dangerous.” Unlike hip/thigh/bottom fat, belly fat is associated with diabetes, heart disease, and other life-shorteners. (Source: Annemarie Koster et al. (2008): Waist circumference and mortality. American Journal of Epidemiology, 167 (12), 1465-1475.)

6. Optimists outlive pessimists Optimists have a 55 percent lower death risk in general and a 23 percent lower death risk from heart failure than pessimists. The researchers who reached this conclusion define “optimist” as someone who “thinks in a positive way, sees the future as meaningful and fulfilling, has a desire to achieve new goals, and has a sense of happiness and joy.” Beare points out, “It is well known that laughing boosts immunity and helps heal illness, and we can presume that optimists laugh more.” (Source: Erik J. Giltay et al. (2004): Dispositional optimism and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in a prospective cohort of elderly Dutch men and women. Archives of General Psychiatry, 61, 1126-1135.)

7. People who move outlive people who sit But it’s not as simple as all that. If you sit still for eight or more hours daily, you’re 18 percent more at risk of dying prematurely than those who sit still for less than three hours a day. The surprise in this stat is that exercising vigorously beforehand or afterward doesn’t make up for all that sitting time, so you can’t just cancel out the ill effects of your desk job by attending a spin class afterward. “Every continuous hour that you sit adds to your mortality risk,” warns Bowden, who recommends standing and stretching now and then because “metabolic processes involved in creating a healthy cardiovascular system don’t happen when you just sit.” (Source: Katrien Wijndaele et al. (2010): Television viewing time independently predicts all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: the EPIC Norfolk Study. International Journal of Epidemiology, doi:10.1093.)

8. Churchgoers outlive non-churchgoers “Those who attend religious services at least once a week have a 25 percent higher life expectancy than those who don’t. That’s probably because church attendance increases social support, a proven life-extender, rather than because God rewards the faithful, asserts Victor Zeines, author of Living a Longer Life. “Mississippi has a very high churchgoing rate but also a very high obesity and mortality rate,” Zeines points out. “I don’t like the implication that you should go to church to stay healthy.” (Source: Ray M. Merrill (2004): Life expectancy among LDS and non-LDS in Utah. Demographic Research 10(3), 61-82.)

9. Mormons outlive non-Mormons Mormon men and women live 6.7 percent and 3.2 percent longer than those not affiliated with the Church of Latter Day Saints, respectively. “LDS Church doctrine promotes longer life among its members by discouraging use of tobacco, alcohol, coffee, and tea, and recommending a nutritious diet,” explains Brigham Young University epidemiologist Ray Merrill, whose research yielded the findings. Keep in mind that BYU is a Mormon school when considering this stat. (Source: Ray M. Merrill (2004): Life expectancy among LDS and non-LDS in Utah. Demographic Research 10(3), 61-82.).

10. The rich outlive the poor Money may not buy you happiness, but maybe it can buy you some time. People who live in high-income areas have a 10 percent lower mortality rate than people in low-income areas, and an increase in household income is associated with a 15 percent reduction in mortality risk. “The fact that richer areas might have better health or public amenities (e.g. such as road safety, less serious crime) … is certainly an important topic for future research,” write the scholars whose work produced this result. (Source: Paul Frijters et al. (2005): Socioeconomic status, health shocks, life satisfaction and mortality: evidence from an increasing mixed proportional hazard model. The Australian National University Centre for Economic Policy Research Discussion Paper no. 496)

11. Light drinkers outlive abstainers By now, the world has heartily embraced the truism that red wine is a health beverage: Wine drinkers live 4.7 years longer than nondrinkers and 2.5 years longer than those who drink other forms of alcohol. This is possibly due to resveratrol, an antimicrobial phytoalexin found in dark grape skins which, in experiments, extends the lives of monkeys and fruit flies. But it may surprise you to learn that men who consume 20 grams—about two drinks’ worth—of any kind of alcohol daily have a 25 percent lower mortality risk than male nondrinkers. In moderation, “drinking relieves stress,” Zeines says. “It’s not always toxic, any more than oxygen is always toxic.” (Source: Martinette Streppel et al. (2009): Long-term wine consumption is related to cardiovascular mortality and life expectancy independently of moderate alcohol intake: the Zutphen Study, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 63, 534-540.)

12. TV avoiders outlive TV devotees Every additional hour per day spent watching television is associated with an 8 percent higher death risk from cardiovascular disease and a 5 percent higher death risk in general. Is it the couch-potato factor—or the Home Shopping Network? “5.4 percent of deaths from all causes could be reduced if those watching TV for 3.6 hours a day would watch 2.5 hours a day instead,” write the researchers whose study yielded these results. “Public health recommendations should consider advising a reduction in TV time, a predominant leisure activity in modern society.” (Source: Katrien Wijndaele et al. (2010): Television viewing time independently predicts all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: the EPIC Norfolk Study. International Journal of Epidemiology, doi:10.1093.)

13. Hawaii residents outlive everyone else in the United States If time feels like it passes more slowly in the islands, maybe that’s because it really does. Residents of Hawaii, the nation’s longest-lived state, make it to 81.3 years old on average, while residents of Mississippi and Louisiana, the two shortest-lived states, tend to live only 74.2 years. It’s worth it to live longer when drinks come in coconut shells. (Source: Frank R. Lichtenberg (2007): Why has longevity increased more in some states than others? The role of medical innovation and other factors. Manhattan Institute for Policy Research Medical Progress Report, 4.)

14. Women outlive men According to the Centers for Disease Control, the death rate for males in the U.S. is 40.6 percent higher than the death rate for females; on average, women outlive men by 5.1 years— and the gap is widening. “In terms of biology, men are in many ways superfluous,” Zeines says. “As a male, my job is to kill every other male I see and spread my seed. Once we do the fertilization thing, there isn’t any reason for men to be around.” Biologically, at least. (Source: Melonie Heron et al. (2009): Deaths: Final Data for 2006. National Vital Statistics Reports, 57 (14).)

15. Literate people outlive illiterate people The mortality rate for those with inadequate reading skills is more than 50 percent higher than the mortality rate for those who can read well, for a host of reasons. Imagine being unable to read prescriptions, labels, charts, or instructions. Or the latest information on health and sickness. (This column, for instance.) Another factor, Beare speculates, is that the least literate among us might work the most dangerous jobs. (Source: David W. Baker et al. (2007): Health literacy and mortality among elderly persons. Archives of Internal Medicine, 167 (14), 1503-1509.)

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Note number two is "happily married couples" not just married which for some is hell on earth.

Congressional Reform Act of 2010

2010-07-22T06:39:00.000-04:00

I need to find link to this but I like the idea.

Congressional Reform Act of 2010 [NOTE: I cannot take credit for this text, it was forwarded to me via email - but I agree with it 100%]

1. Term Limits: 12 years only, one of the possible options below.

A. Two Six year Senate terms
B. Six Two year House terms
C. One Six year Senate term and three Two Year House terms

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

2. No Tenure / No Pension:

A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security:

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates with the American people.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, server your term(s), then go home and back to work.

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan just as all Americans.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

6. Congress loses its current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

7. Congress must equally abide in all laws they impose on the American people.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

8. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective 1/1/11.

The American people did not make this contract with congressmen, congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

America's Ruling Class- and the Perils of Revolution

2010-07-22T05:39:00.002-04:00

http://spectator.org/archives/2010/07/16/americas-ruling-class-and-the/print

Excellent article defining the "ruling class". Are they Republicrats or demopublicans???

I say they are liberals and are basically the same coin just two sides of it.

I definitely fall into the definition of "country class".

http://market-ticker.denninger.net/archives/2471-Our-Douchebag-Government-Midyear-Debt-Update.html

2010-07-06T06:22:00.001-04:00

http://market-ticker.denninger.net/archives/2471-Our-Douchebag-Government-Midyear-Debt-Update.html

Karl is a good read and tough medicine ( cutting spending) IS the cure.

Ya gotz to laugh.....

2010-06-27T06:17:00.001-04:00

Four guys have been going to the same deer camp for many years.. Two days before the group was to leave, Darwin's wife puts her foot down and tells him he isn't going. Darwin's friends are very upset that he couldn't go, but what can they do. Two days later the three get to the camping site only to find Darwin sitting there with a tent set up, firewood gathered, and dinner cooking on the fire. Dang man, how long you been here, and how did you talk your wife into letting you go? Well, I've been here since yesterday.

Yesterday evening, I was sitting in my chair and my wife came up behind me and put her hands over my eyes and said, 'Guess who?' I pulled her hands off, and she was wearing a brand new see thru nightie. She took my hand and pulled me to our bedroom. The room had candles and rose pedals all over. On the bed she had ropes! She told me to tie her to the bed, and I did. And then she said, Do whatever you want. So, Here I am!!!!

Meet Hank- our new tribe mate!!!

2010-06-21T06:30:00.000-04:00

Hank was a shelter dog rescued from the Roscommon area as an owner surrender. He is very well behaved, a little scared at times, and has the softest ears going for a dog. He is the first boy dog added to the tribe's history so we will see how that goes. His first play was to climb the kids clubhouse and slide down the slide.

The cats are not impressed.

The-US-economy-needs-fewer-public-school-jobs-not-more

2010-06-09T05:54:00.000-04:00

http://biggovernment.com/acoulson/2010/06/05/the-u-s-economy-needs-fewer-public-school-jobs-not-more/

Over the past forty years, public school employment has risen 10 times faster than enrollment (see chart). There are only 9 percent more students today, but nearly twice as many public school employees. To prove that rolling back this relentless hiring spree by a few years would hurt student achievement, you’d have to show that all those new employees raised achievement in the first place. That would be hard to do… because it never happened.

Good explanation of oil well failure

2010-06-04T07:13:00.000-04:00

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6559#more

Link to 12 BP ROV cameras

http://mxl.fi/bpfeeds2/

Individual cameras here

http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=9033572&contentId=7062605

Picture of oil well in Gulf

2010-06-01T05:51:00.000-04:00

Amazing that the technology exists to do this. Stopping the leak may only be possible with the relief wells.

The 50 Greatest Bad-Ass Action Movie Quotes Of All-Time

2010-05-20T05:06:00.000-04:00

http://rightwingnews.com/#post12823

42) Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn't have f'ed with? That's me. -- Gran Torino

29) To the last, I will grapple with thee... from Hell's heart, I stab at thee! For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee! -- Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan

8) Persian: Spartans, lay down your weapons. (He's impaled through the chest with a spear) Persians! Come and get them! -- 300

NIA Announces Release of 'Meltup'

2010-05-14T19:18:00.000-04:00

Peak Oil linkfest

2010-04-30T21:47:00.000-04:00

Several articles of interest on the peak oil problem...

Life After Growth

By Richard Heinberg

Peak Oil, Peak Food

By Aetius Romulous

World Energy And Population: Trends To 2100

By Paul Chefurka

Too Late To Prepare For Peak Oil?

By George Monbiot

The End Of Electricity

By Peter Goodchild

Systemic Collapse: The Basics

By Peter Goodchild

Peak Oil And The Generation Gap

By Peter Goodchild

My opinion is that we have peaked and without a serious effort to replace conventional oil, the world will be a mess.

Song of the day......

2010-04-29T10:20:00.000-04:00

Thank god and Greyhound
Roy Clark

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx8x3LCnYZw

I've made a small fortune and you squandered it all
You shamed me till I feel about one inch tall
But I thought I loved you and I hoped you would change
So I gritted my teeth and didn't complain.

Now you come to me with a simple goodbye
You tell me you're leaving but you won't tell me why
Now we're here at the station and you're getting on
And all I can think of is thank God and Greyhound you're gone

Thank God and Greyhound you're gone
I didn't know how much longer I could go on
Watching you take the respect out of me
Watching you make a total wreck out of me
That big diesel motor is a-playing my song
Thank God and Greyhound you're gone.

Thank God and Greyhound you're gone
That load on my mind got lighter when you got on
That shiny old bus is a beautiful sight
With the black smoke a-rolling up around the taillight
It may sound kind-a cruel but I've been silent too long
Thank God and Greyhound you're gone.

It's the debt

2010-04-29T04:58:00.000-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZA0qNsf4m0&feature=player_embedded#!

It's 11:59......

2010-04-24T05:21:00.000-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5iFESMAU58&feature=related

8 part video on why we are in so much trouble in the world......

Run the sky is falling!!!!!!

2010-04-21T08:49:00.000-04:00

"State budget cuts imperil 100,000 to 300,000 public school jobs"; My Take: Fictional Emergency

Sugar is the enemy

2010-04-20T08:43:00.000-04:00

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/04/20/sugar-dangers.aspx

76 Additional Ways Sugar Can Ruin Your Health

In addition to throwing off your body's homeostasis and wreaking havoc on your metabolic processes, excess sugar has a number of other significant consequences.

Nancy Appleton, PhD, author of the book Lick the Sugar Habit[5], contributed an extensive list of the many ways sugar can ruin your health from a vast number of medical journals and other scientific publications.

1.Sugar can suppress your immune system and impair your defenses against infectious disease.[6] [7]
2.Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in your body: causes chromium and copper deficiencies and interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.[8] [9] [10] [11]
3.Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline, hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.[12] [13]
4.Sugar can produce a significant rise in total cholesterol, triglycerides and bad cholesterol and a decrease in good cholesterol.[14] [15] [16] [17]
5.Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function.[18]
6.Sugar feeds cancer cells and has been connected with the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, biliary tract, lung, gallbladder and stomach.[19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25]
7.Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose and can cause reactive hypoglycemia.[26] [27]
8.Sugar can weaken eyesight.[28] 1
9.Sugar can cause many problems with the gastrointestinal tract including: an acidic digestive tract, indigestion, malabsorption in patients with functional bowel disease, increased risk of Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis.[29] [30] [31] [32] [33]
10.Sugar can cause premature aging.[34] In fact, the single most important factor that accelerates aging is insulin, which is triggered by sugar. 1
11.Sugar can lead to alcoholism.[35]
12.Sugar can cause your saliva to become acidic, tooth decay, and periodontal disease.[36] [37] [38]
13.Sugar contributes to obesity. [39] 1
14.Sugar can cause autoimmune diseases such as: arthritis, asthma, and multiple sclerosis.[40] [41] [42]
15.Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections) [43]
16.Sugar can cause gallstones.[44]
17.Sugar can cause appendicitis.[45]
18.Sugar can cause hemorrhoids.[46]
19.Sugar can cause varicose veins.[47]
20.Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users.[48]
21.Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.[49]
22.Sugar can cause a decrease in your insulin sensitivity thereby causing an abnormally high insulin levels and eventually diabetes.[50] [51] [52]
23.Sugar can lower your Vitamin E levels.[53]
24.Sugar can increase your systolic blood pressure.[54]
25.Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.[55]
26.High sugar intake increases advanced glycation end products (AGEs),which are sugar molecules that attach to and damage proteins in your body. AGEs speed up the aging of cells, which may contribute to a variety of chronic and fatal diseases. [56] 1
27.Sugar can interfere with your absorption of protein.[57]
28.Sugar causes food allergies.[58]
29.Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.[59]
30.Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.[60]
31.Sugar can cause atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.[61] [62]
32.Sugar can impair the structure of your DNA.[63]
33.Sugar can change the structure of protein and cause a permanent alteration of the way the proteins act in your body.[64] [65]
34.Sugar can make your skin age by changing the structure of collagen.[66]
35.Sugar can cause cataracts and nearsightedness.[67] [68]
36.Sugar can cause emphysema.[69]
37.High sugar intake can impair the physiological homeostasis of many systems in your body.[70]
38.Sugar lowers the ability of enzymes to function.[71]
39.Sugar intake is higher in people with Parkinson's disease.[72]
40.Sugar can increase the size of your liver by making your liver cells divide, and it can increase the amount of fat in your liver, leading to fatty liver disease.[73] [74]
41.Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney such as the formation of kidney stones.[75] [76] Fructose is helping to drive up rates of kidney disease. 1
42.Sugar can damage your pancreas.[77]
43.Sugar can increase your body's fluid retention.[78]
44.Sugar is enemy #1 of your bowel movement.[79]
45.Sugar can compromise the lining of your capillaries.[80]
46.Sugar can make your tendons more brittle.[81]
47.Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.[82]
48.Sugar can reduce the learning capacity, adversely affect your children's grades and cause learning disorders.[83] [84]
49.Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha, and theta brain waves, which can alter your ability to think clearly.[85]
50.Sugar can cause depression.[86]
51.Sugar can increase your risk of gout.[87]
52.Sugar can increase your risk of Alzheimer's disease.[88] MRI studies show that adults 60 and older who have high uric acid are four to five times more likely to have vascular dementia, the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s.1
53.Sugar can cause hormonal imbalances such as: increasing estrogen in men, exacerbating PMS, and decreasing growth hormone.[89] [90] [91] [92]
54.Sugar can lead to dizziness.[93]
55.Diets high in sugar will increase free radicals and oxidative stress.[94]
56.A high sucrose diet of subjects with peripheral vascular disease significantly increases platelet adhesion.[95]
57.High sugar consumption by pregnant adolescents can lead to a substantial decrease in gestation duration and is associated with a twofold-increased risk for delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant.[96] [97]
58.Sugar is an addictive substance.[98]
59.Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol.[99]
60.Sugar given to premature babies can affect the amount of carbon dioxide they produce.[100]
61.Decrease in sugar intake can increase emotional stability.[101]
62.Your body changes sugar into 2 to 5 times more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch.[102]
63.The rapid absorption of sugar promotes excessive food intake in obese subjects.[103]
64.Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).[104]
65.Sugar adversely affects urinary electrolyte composition.[105]
66.Sugar can impair the function of your adrenal glands.[106]
67.Sugar has the potential of inducing abnormal metabolic processes in normal, healthy individuals, thereby promoting chronic degenerative diseases.[107]
68.Intravenous feedings (IVs) of sugar water can cut off oxygen to your brain.[108]
69.Sugar increases your risk of polio.[109]
70.High sugar intake can cause epileptic seizures.[110]
71.Sugar causes high blood pressure in obese people.[111]
72.In intensive care units, limiting sugar saves lives.[112]
73.Sugar may induce cell death.[113]
74.In juvenile rehabilitation centers, when children were put on low sugar diets, there was a 44 percent drop in antisocial behavior.[114]
75.Sugar dehydrates newborns.[115]
76.Sugar can cause gum disease.[116]

Hurt-

2010-03-28T05:32:00.000-04:00

I prefer the Johnny Cash version, not a fan of NIN. The video is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmVAWKfJ4Go&NR=1

"Hurt"

I hurt myself today
To see if I still feel

I focus on the pain
The only thing that's real
The needle tears a hole
The old familiar sting
Try to kill it all away
But I remember everything

[Chorus:]
What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know goes away
In the end
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt

I wear this crown of thorns
Upon my liar's chair
Full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
Beneath the stains of time
The feelings disappear
You are someone else
I am still right here

[Chorus:]
What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know goes away
In the end
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt

If I could start again
A million miles away
I would keep myself
I would find a way

Interesting song to dwell upon for Lent if I must say.

Fun Stuff- forget the end of the country crap

2010-03-23T06:02:00.000-04:00

Sometimes you need to just stop and laugh.

h/t http://ace.mu.nu/

Sysadmins Rock!!!

2010-03-16T17:43:00.001-04:00

http://www.xkcd.com/705/

Will Michigan be right behind California?

2010-03-12T04:21:00.002-05:00

2010-03-12T04:21:00.000-05:00

How good is your hearing?

2010-03-06T16:56:00.000-05:00

Created by Oatmeal

Another site to test your hearing...

http://www.audiocheck.net/audiotests_frequencycheckhigh.php

And yes I could still hear the sounds.

Student loans and debt

2010-03-03T04:36:00.000-05:00

It's Time to End the Student Loan Rip-Off (February 25, 2010)
by Charles Hugh Smith

Student loans are a classic simulacrum of "helping the citizenry:" the real purpose is to support bloated bureaucracies and create highly profitable debt instruments.

http://www.oftwominds.com/blogfeb10/student-loans02-10.html

In 1982 community college was $25 bucks a credit hour. Now C.C. is over $100 an hour.

Why Peak Oil exists

2010-02-24T05:13:00.000-05:00

If the Chinese, one day, use as much oil per person as Americans, then the world will need seven more Saudi Arabias to meet their demand.

http://www.businessinsider.com/15-facts-about-china-that-will-blow-your-mind-2010-2#by-2025-china-will-build-ten-new-york-sized-cities-1

Sugar- The Bitter Truth

2010-02-14T08:20:00.000-05:00

MTV first 10 minutes on the air

2010-02-10T05:13:00.000-05:00

Pretty wild stuff, bad videos back then too. I think it was 1982-3 when I first saw MTV. At 4:06ish there is a Pat Benatar vid so jump past the lame-o video to watch....

h/t http://ace.mu.nu/

What happens if the Lions ever win the superbowl..

2010-02-09T04:42:00.001-05:00

A Crude Awakening......

2010-01-31T15:26:00.001-05:00

10 worst states

2010-01-31T04:18:00.000-05:00

50 things successful people have in common

2010-01-19T08:16:00.000-05:00

http://thedewview.com/2008/08/18/50-things-successful-people-have-in-common/

"What if you could take every self-help book and condense it down into that most interesting 10%…. Well, I found it about 4 months ago and after review some thought I present you with with the “50 Things Successful People Have in Common“:"

Terrror threat levels.....

2010-01-06T05:41:00.000-05:00

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was during the great
fire of 1666.

The Scots raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards" They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the frontline in the British army for the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide". The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France 's white flag factory, effectively paralysing the country's military capability. It's not only the French who are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout loudly and excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose".

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels .

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Americans meanwhile are carrying out pre-emptive strikes, on all of their allies, just in case.

And at a local level...

New Zealand has also raised its security levels - from "baaa" to "BAAAA!". Due to continuing defense cutbacks (the airforce being a squadron of spotty teenagers flying paper aeroplanes and the navy some toy boats in the Prime Minister's bath), New Zealand only has one more level of escalation, which is "Shit, I hope Austrulia will come and rescue us". In the event of invasion, New Zealanders will be asked to
gather together in a strategic defensive position called "Bondi".

Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be right, mate". Three more escalation levels remain, "Crikey!', "I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend" and "The barbie is cancelled". So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.

h/t to Theo Spark @ Last of the Few

http://www.theospark.net/2010/01/terror-alertsa-repost.html

Some climate change info

2009-12-26T05:31:00.000-05:00

http://icecap.us/index.php/go/new-and-cool/fact_based_climate_debate/

It is crucial that scientists are factually accurate when they do speak out, that they ignore media hype and maintain a clinical detachment from social or other agendas. There are facts and data that are ignored in the maelstrom of social and economic agendas swirling about Copenhagen.

--Unfortunately, real help in preserving our earth and responsible use of its resources will not occur with all the political crap going on. Scientists that fake data to make a political point should be stripped of their college degrees, tenure and other ranks of distinction. But like bankers that steal and gamble knowingly on bad investments, no one is going to prosecute them either.

James Quinn on the Brave New World

2009-12-19T08:12:00.000-05:00

Click here

“Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted. That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history.”

Aldous Huxley

So are we there yet? Has the "American dream" turned into a dream with no reality?

Hockey stick observed in NOAA ice core data

2009-12-13T12:51:00.000-05:00

Excellent post on AGW and why we are not the cause......

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/12/09/hockey-stick-observed-in-noaa-ice-core-data/

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Swamping The Productive

2009-12-10T04:39:00.000-05:00

According to the US Debt Clock (http://www.usdebtclock.org), the current US population is 308 million. Of that total population, just over 35 percent (108.7 million) are taxpayers. The rest are those who pay no net tax, government employees, dependents and those who are unemployed and/or on welfare. These percentages would be similar in any nation with a mature welfare state.

If you subtract Americans under 18 from the almost 200 million Americans who do not pay tax, the US is in a situation where many more people vote for a living than work for one. This too is an inevitable end result of any mature welfare state. The fact remains that in the US, 108 million productive people are supporting almost 200 million drones. Those same 108 million people are paying the ever increasing
interest bill on the so-called “public debt”. And finally, those same 108 million people are the only REAL source of the wherewithal to eventually repay the debt. At current levels of US federal government spending, it would take a cut of more than 50 percent just to balance it - especially after the servicing costs on the existing debt are taken into account. To actually BEGIN to pay the debt would take budget cuts even bigger than that. As long as more people vote for a living than work for one in the US, that simply is NOT going to happen. A productive minority CANNOT support a non productive majority.

http://www.investmentrarities.com/best_of_bill_buckler12-03-09.shtml

Problem solving maestro

2009-11-29T05:20:00.001-05:00

The problem begins with the loss of AOL id's on Itunes.....

So being a "good guy" I try to register a new ID

The result, stupid account info will not link to purchased music from AOL account info...

I then try to work inside the system....

Customer First Name : Barry
Customer Last Name : Buchholz
email : bearbuc@vvvvvvvvvv
Web Order # :
Support Subject : iTunes Store Account and Billing
Sub Issue :
See additional info below
OS version: Windows 7
Country: US
iTunes version: iTunes 9.0
iTunes account name: bearbuc@yahoo.com
Specific request: I can't sign in with my AOL account
AOL account billing address: address
AOL account billing city: St. Johns
AOL account billing state: MI
AOL account billing zip: 48879
AOL account billing phone number:
AOL account name: bxxxxxxxx
Details:
Please sync aol account to this apple account. The wizard DOES NOT WORK.

Thank you

----- Original Message ----
From: iTunes Store
To: bearbuc@vvvvvvvvvv
Sent: Mon, November 2, 2009 2:53:58 PM
Subject: Re: iTunes Store Account and Billing; Follow-up: 86909648

Dear Barry,

Hi i am Danielle. I'm sorry but I was unable to determine the nature of your inquiry based on the information you have provided. I am not sure if you are wanting to convert your aol account to an apple, or merge accounts. Please reply to this email with more information about the issue you are experiencing, as well as the text of any error messages you may be receiving. I look forward to your reply.

I thank you for your patience and if you have any other questions please feel free to reply to this e-mail and i will be more than happy to assist you.

Sincerely,

Danielle
iTunes Store Customer Support

Please Note: I work Monday-Friday 11:00 am-8:00 pm CT

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to assist you. You may receive an AppleCare survey email; any feedback you provide would be greatly appreciated.

TrackID: 8693371

Full ViewRe: iTunes Store Account and Billing; Follow-up: 86909648
From: iTunes Store Add to Contacts
To: bearbuc@vvvvvvvvvvv

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Reply:

Itunes will NOT allow me to use the older aol account info to authorize my pc. It always goes to the wizard to create an apple account but then nothing else.
All my music under the older AOL account will not play.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Hi Barry,

Shaunna here from the iTunes Store and I will be happy to assist you today on behalf of my colleague, Danielle, who is currently out of the office.

I'm sorry to hear that you have been experiencing some difficulty converting your AOL ID to an Apple ID. I can convert your account for you. Before I can do this, however, Apple requires that you provide the following for security reasons:

- The billing address listed on the account
- Your permission to reset the password

...as well as one of the following:

- the last four digits of the credit card used for your iTunes Store account
- or the order number of your most recent purchase
- or the name of any item you've purchased using this account

Upon receiving your response, Apple will verify your information, reset your password, and send you an email with your new password.

Barry, ensuring this matter is resolved for you is important to me, so I'll make sure to contact you again shortly if I do not hear back from you. To reach me again, simply reply to this email. Thank you for your understanding and have a wonderful day!

With Warm Regards,

Shaunna
iTunes Store Customer Support

Please note: Please note: My hours are Sunday - Thursday 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to assist you. You may receive an AppleCare survey email; any feedback you provide would be greatly appreciated.

My Solution......

After three emails and the stupid wizard this should have been an easy fix for them.
Now I will rip all my music....

And the wizard in Itunes is still broke.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2009-11-26T06:46:00.000-05:00

http://www.hulu.com/watch/322/wkrp-in-cincinnati-turkeys-away

"As god is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly...."

Cracks me up every time I hear it.

What kind of conservative are you?

2009-11-23T06:57:00.000-05:00

My Conservative Identity:

You are a Flag-Waving Everyman, also known as a patriot. You believe in freedom, apple pie, rooting for America at all times, and that God gave us a two-day weekend so we could enjoy football and NASCAR.

Take the quiz at www.FightLiberals.com

Tune for the day

2009-11-20T06:04:00.000-05:00