More Odds and Ends

Dems Rejected 11 Amendments Requiring Congress to Enroll in Gov’t-Run Health Plan
(CNSNews.com) – More than 200 amendments were rejected by the House Rules Committee ahead of Saturday’s vote on the Democrats’ health care bill, Eleven of those rejected amendments would have required members of Congress and other government officials to be enrolled in the same federal insurance plan proposed for the American people. “If Congress forces our constituents into a public option plan over time, then members of Congress should be expected to do the same,” Rep. Howard McKeon (R-Calif.) told CNSNews.com. GOOD ENOUGH FOR US BUT NOT FOR THE PEOPLE SUPPOSEDLY REPRESENTING US

There's a new movie coming out called 2012. My Vietnamese manicurist was talking about it and asking me if I knew if it was true. Her 8 year old son wanted to know if he could now quit school. Here's a link explaining "2012". http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/091105-2021-doomsday.html

I just finished a new bio of Elizabeth Taylor, "How to Be a Movie Star: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood" by William Mann. Now, I don't know how much of what he wrote is true but much of it is annotated. But here's my impression of La Liz: She never had a private life. From the time she was 12, she was in the limelight. She swore like a truck driver. She had a huge libido. She could drink most men under the table. She was into conspicuous consumption primarily diamonds. She was a user of both people and drugs. She was also smart, shrewd, caring of her gay friends, loyal to those who treated her well, a great actress and, of course, mesmerizingly beautiful. It's not Tolstoy but a very good, entertaining read.

If it's up to the American people, there won't be a need to bail out the big screen TV industry. But you folks in California, you may not even get the chance to buy one. Look at this from Rasmussen: Most Americans Favor Big-Screen TVs Over Energy Conservation : Tuesday, November 10, 2009
"California is expected to implement energy-conserving regulations any day now that manufacturers and retailers say will in effect ban the sale of big-screen TVs in the state. Other states are likely to follow the Golden State’s “green” initiative in the months ahead. But a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 66% of Americans oppose a law that would effectively ban the sale of big-screen televisions to save energy. Sixteen percent (16%) favor the idea, and 18% are not sure. Most adults (53%) say being able to buy whatever kind of TV they want is more important than conserving energy. However, 37% rate conserving energy as more important. Still, 54% are willing to pay more for a television that is more energy-efficient. Thirty percent (30%) are not, and 16% aren’t sure." THE WAY IT'S GOING, OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES SEEM TO KNOW WHAT IS BEST FOR US. I MEAN, THEY KNOW EVERYTHING, DON'T THEY?

One last note. My thoughts and prayers to the family members of those who were murdered at Ft. Hood this week. Let me ask you a question. If John Wilkes Booth truly screamed out "the south is avenged" after he shot President Lincoln, do you believe the press of the day would say only that he was deranged? They wouldn't have characterized him as a southern sympathizer? So, why, when this Hasan murderer yells Allahu Akbar, the press is so reluctant to call him a Muslim sympathizer? The British press is the one that is on top of all of this. They're the one's who found out Hasan had contacted a top Al Qaeda recruiter 20 TIMES! Our PC has gone over the top...

I'm Just Curious...

Why the press isn't screaming to the heavens as to why the H1N1 flu vaccine isn't readily available to all. I'll tell you why. Because George Bush is not in office. If Bush were in office and the vaccine were so slow to be distributed, the press would be screaming. Bush wants to kill all minorities, he wants to kill all minority babies, he wants the drug companies to make trillions and zillions of dollars. I'm surprised that PrezBO hasn't said," Bush got us into this mess"... By the way, at what point can PrezBo no longer use that line? When he's out of office?

Why the Rush to judgement? I'm talking about Rush Limbaugh. The guy most people love to hate. The press, as well as members of the NFL, did little to find out if Limbaugh actually made the hate filled remarks he was attributed as saying. Simply because he is a staunch conservative and all staunch conservatives are racists and bigots, then, my God, he must have made the remarks. He denies ever saying the remarks and NO ONE has been able to verify or find a source for the remarks. But, hairball, he's arrogant and an a**hole. He must of said it! Remember the tenant of our laws: innocent until proven guilty. There is definitely a double standard when it comes to the media...

Why is it that conservatives proudly wear their ideology on their sleeves but when it comes down to liberals admitting to their liberalism, they say they're independents. Now, many of my liberal friends openly admit they are of the liberal persuasion. But, sometimes I'll be having a conversation with someone and we'll be chatting, politics will come up and then they say, "I'm an independent." Uh, didn't you just tell me that you're pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, pro-gun control, pro-more taxes, that the gov. is the best at fixing things, you believe in global warming, you believe that throwing more money at the public school system will make it get better and then you tell me you're an independent? Well, maybe you don't consider yourself a Democrat but when you vote, what party do you predominately vote for, hmmm?

Why is there a need for this web site: www.kupples.com. It's a web devoted to couples finding compatible couples by having "dates" to, hopefully, become, well, friends. Not for swapping, check those dirty minds at the door please. Are we so consumed with our lives and work that we've become lazy about making friends? Whatever happened to our childrens best friends' parents, our work buddies, meeting people through church, the gym, charity work, clubs? Here is one thing about friendships. Suppose you really like one half of the couple and can't stand the other half. What to do...

For All The Working Stiffs Out There, Here's How Your Money Is Being Spent

Your stimulus money at work. It's working so well the government also needs to run health care. These are perfect examples of pork barrel spending at its best:

1. $300,000 FOR MAPPING RADIOACTIVE RABBIT FECES:“A Week Mapping Radioactive Rabbit Feces With Detectors Mounted On A Helicopter Flying 50 Feet Over The Desert Scrub. … $300,000 In Federal Stimulus Money.” “A government contractor at Hanford, in south-central Washington State, just spent a week mapping radioactive rabbit feces with detectors mounted on a helicopter flying 50 feet over the desert scrub. … the helicopter flights, which covered 13.7 square miles and were paid for with $300,000 in federal stimulus money, took place in an area that had never been used by the bomb makers. … Marylia Kelley, the executive director of a California group called Tri-Valley Communities Against a Radioactive Environment, said the rabbit cleanup was ‘kind of funny, in a sick way.’” (“Even Rabbit Droppings Count In Nuclear Cleanup,” The New York Times, 10/14/09)
2. $4,200-$5,500 TAX CREDIT FOR PURCHASING GOLF CARTS:“President Obama’s Stimulus Plan… Is Now Paying Americans To Buy That Great Necessity Of Modern Life, The Golf Cart.” “Thanks to the federal tax credit to buy high-mileage cars that was part of President Obama's stimulus plan, Uncle Sam is now paying Americans to buy that great necessity of modern life, the golf cart. The federal credit provides from $4,200 to $5,500 for the purchase of an electric vehicle, and when it is combined with similar incentive plans in many states the tax credits can pay for nearly the entire cost of a golf cart.” (“Cash For Clubbers,” The Wall Street Journal, 10/17/09)
3. $219,000 TO STUDY THE SEX LIVES OF FEMALE COLLEGE FRESHMEN: “Five Hundred Syracuse University Freshmen Will Divulge The Details Of Their Sex Lives … $219,000 In Stimulus Funds For The Study.” “Five hundred Syracuse University freshmen will divulge the details of their sex lives as part of a women's health study called ‘The Women's Health Project,’ being conducted by Michael Carey, SU professor of psychology and medicine. Carey has found himself the target of nationwide criticism from conservatives since he received $219,000 in stimulus funds for the study, which looks at the sex patterns of college women.” (“SU Sex Study Raises Concern,” The [Syracuse] Daily Orange, 9/8/09)
4. $1 MILLION TO RENOVATE “THE SUNSET STRIP”: “Sunset Boulevard, Also Known As ‘The Sunset Strip’ And One Of The Most Famous Streets In The World, Will Be Getting A $7 Million Facelift After More Than 75 Years Of Use, With A Free Million Dollar Nose Job Coming From Uncle Sam. The City of West Hollywood Council received one million dollars in federal funds from the Federal American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), (otherwise known as the $700 billion federal stimulus package), for the long-planned Sunset Strip Beautification Project, which is scheduled to break ground soon. The guaranteed funding will allow the City to increase the already nearly $7 million budgeted for this project by an additional $1,105,000, meaning enhancements to a project that already included the resurfacing of the roadway, sidewalk and improved landscaping.” (“Feds Stimulus Sunset Strip Beautification Project,” WeHoNews, 9/28/09)
5. $2.3 MILLION FOR BUG RESEARCH IN CONNECTICUT: “$2.3 Million” “Federal Economic Stimulus Cash” For “Rearing Large Numbers Of Arthropods” Such As “Nasty Invasive Insects Like The Asian Longhorned Beetle, The Nun Moth, And The Infamous ‘Predator Of The Hemlock,’ The Woolly Adelgid.” “‘Rearing large numbers of arthropods’ probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think about using Connecticut's $3 billion in federal economic stimulus cash. But the U.S. Forest Service is using part of the $2.3 million it's spending here to fix up a quarantine research facility in Ansonia. (The arthropods, by the way, are nasty invasive insects like the Asian longhorned beetle, the nun moth, and the infamous ‘predator of the hemlock,’ the woolly adelgid.)” (“Money For Nothing,” New Haven Advocate, 9/1/09)
6. $6 MILLION FOR A SNOWMAKING FACILITY IN THE 15th SNOWIEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY: “The Other Third Of The Stimulus, Government Infrastructure Spending, Has Been The Most Controversial From The Start. Some Proposals Have Been Criticized As Wasteful, Such As A $6 Million Snowmaking Facility In Duluth, Minn.” (“The Challenge In Counting Stimulus Returns,” The Wall Street Journal, 10/27/09) (Top 101 Cities With The Highest Average Snowfall In A Year (Population 50,000+))
7. $500,000 TO STUDY “SOCIAL NETWORKS LIKE FACEBOOK”:“A $498,000, Three-Year Grant” To Study “Social Networks Like Facebook.” “Millions of Internet users have been enjoying the fun -- and free -- services provided by advertiser-supported online social networks like Facebook. But Landon Cox, a Duke University assistant professor of computer science, worries about the possible down side -- privacy problems. … To delve deeper into these issues and begin the search for alternatives, Cox recently won a $498,000, three-year grant from the National Science Foundation. The funding is part of the federal stimulus package called the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).” (“Seeking Privacy In The Clouds: Research Aims At Isolating Social Network Information From ‘Control Of A Central Entity,’” Science Daily, 10/15/09)
8. $380,000 TO SPAY AND NEUTER PETS IN WICHITA, KANSAS:“The City Recently Launched A $55,000 Project To Spay And Neuter Pets Owned By Low-Income Residents. Unwanted Pets Ultimately Cost $240 Apiece To Collect, Board And Euthanize, the city estimates, so the program covering 800 animals should save taxpayers money in the long run. The stimulative effect? That is harder to gauge. With the $380,000 overall Wichita has received from its share of the stimulus, the city estimates that it is directly funding 32 jobs so far. The bigger job producers, such as construction and transit projects, are due to start in the coming months.” (“The Challenge In Counting Stimulus Returns,” The Wall Street Journal, 10/27/09)
9. $3.4 MILLION FOR A TURTLE TUNNEL IN FLORIDA:“The Other Third Of The Stimulus, Government Infrastructure Spending, Has Been The Most Controversial From The Start. Some Proposals Have Been Criticized As Wasteful, Such As … A $3.4 Million ‘Ecopassage’ To Help Turtles Cross A Highway In Tallahassee, Fla.” (“The Challenge In Counting Stimulus Returns,” The Wall Street Journal, 10/27/09)
10. $30 MILLION FOR A SPRING TRAINING BASEBALL COMPLEX FOR THE ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS AND COLORADO ROCKIES:“A Big Chunk Of The Money That Will Pay For A New Spring-Training Baseball Complex On Tribal Land In The East Valley Will Be Delivered Via A Financing Program That's Part Of The Federal Economic-Stimulus Plan. The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community says it may borrow as much as $30 million of the estimated cost of the $100 million complex near Scottsdale that will become the spring home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies.” (“Stimulus To Help Tribe Build Baseball Complex,” The Arizona Republic, 9/17/09)

Love Jeopardy? Here are Some Factoids for You

1. More than half of the coastline of the entire United States is in Alaska ..

2. The Amazon rain forest produces more than 20% the world's oxygen supply.

3. The Amazon River pushes so much water into the Atlantic Ocean that, more than one hundred miles at sea off the mouth of the river, one can dip fresh water out of the ocean. The volume of water in the Amazon river is greater than the next eight largest rivers in the world combined and three times the flow of all rivers in the United States ...

4. Antarctica is the only land on our planet that is not owned by any country.

5. Ninety percent of the world's ice covers Antarctica .. This ice also represents seventy percent of all the fresh water in the world. As strange as it sounds, however, Antarctica is essentially a desert. The average yearly total precipitation is about two inches Although covered with ice (all but 0.4% of it, ice.), Antarctica is the driest place on the planet, with an absolute humidity lower than the Gobi desert.

6. Brazil got its name from the nut, not the other way around.

7. Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined. Canada is an Indian word meaning ' Big Village ...'

8. Next to Warsaw , Chicago has the largest Polish population in the world.

9. Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, carries the designation M-1, so named because it was the first paved road anywhere.

10. Damascus, Syria, was flourishing a couple of thousand years before Rome was founded in 753 BC, making it the oldest continuously inhabited city in existence.

11. Istanbul, Turkey, is the only city in the world located on two continents.

12. Los Angele's full name is El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula -- and can be abbreviated to 3.63% of its size: L.A.

13. The term 'The Big Apple' was coined by touring jazz musicians of the 1930's who used the slang expression 'apple' for any town or city. Therefore, to play New York City is to play the big time - The Big Apple.

14. There are more Irish in New York City than in Dublin , Ireland ; more Italians in New York City than in Rome, Italy ; and more Jews in New York City than in Tel Aviv, Israel .

15. There are no natural lakes in the state of Ohio , everyone is man made.

16. The smallest island with country status is Pitcairn in Polynesia , at just 1.75 sq. miles/4,53 sq. km.

17. The first city to reach a population of 1 million people was Rome , Italy in 133 B.C. There is a city called Rome on every continent.

18. Siberia contains more than 25% of the world's forests.

19. The actual smallest sovereign entity in the world is the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (S.M.O.M). It is located in the city of Rome, Italy, has an area of two tennis courts, and as of 2001 has a population of 80, 20 less people than the Vatican. It is a sovereign entity under international law, just as the Vatican is.

20. In the Sahara Desert , there is a town named Tidikelt , Algeria , which did not receive a drop of rain for ten years. Technically though, the driest place on Earth is in the valleys of the Antarctic near Ross Island .. There has been no rainfall there for two million years.

21. Chances that a road is unpaved in the U.S.A : 1%, in Canada : 75%

22. The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one-mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.

Would I Lie To You Honey

When my fiance and I had set a date for our wedding, one of my best friends, who had been married a while, asked if I'd like some marital advice. Well, I had been married before but said, sure, shoot. Her advice? Have separate bank accounts. Since I worked full time and so did my husband, as long as we both contributed to the household fund, it was a deal. It was a sweet deal. I could saunter in with new packages and shoes and stuff and my husband wouldn't say a word. Flash forward 22 years and we're both now retired with a joint bank account. If he's not playing golf with his buddies and I'm out shopping, he's trailing me on the internet via the credit cards or he's watching the checks clear. HELP! So where am I going with this? Lies, damned lies and lies you tell your spouse. This is the dirty little article in the WSJ that says out loud...SPOUSES LIE TO EACH OTHER! Now, of course, there are lies and then there are LIES. Like cheating on one's spouse and saying you were working late. But this article is about the everyday teeny weeny fibs spouses tell each other to either expedite a conversation or not to hurt the other one's feelings or to hide a small purchase. Hey guys. You do this too. How's that Home Depot credit card working for you?

Here's the article. I did indeed learn something from this article. When buying new clothes, before bringing them in the house, put them in a dry cleaner bag and pretend they just came from the cleaners. Oh dear. Oh, no, my husband just saw on the internet a charge at Bloomingdale's for $200. Damn!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703816204574483151421332702.html?mod=wsj_share_ybuzz

And, if you'd like to listen to the Eurhythmics sing "Would I lie to You Honey", here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsbwo8KL3Bc

The First Ammendment

If you asked me to list and give a short explanation of the amendments to the US constitution, I couldn't do it. For a refresher course, here they are.

◦Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression
◦Amendment 2 - Right to Bear Arms
◦Amendment 3 - Quartering of Soldiers
◦Amendment 4 - Search and Seizure
◦Amendment 5 - Trial and Punishment, Compensation for Takings
◦Amendment 6 - Right to Speedy Trial, Confrontation of Witnesses
◦Amendment 7 - Trial by Jury in Civil Cases
◦Amendment 8 - Cruel and Unusual Punishment
◦Amendment 9 - Construction of Constitution
◦Amendment 10 - Powers of the States and People
◦Amendment 11 - Judicial Limits
◦Amendment 12 - Choosing the President, Vice President
◦Amendment 13 - Slavery Abolished
◦Amendment 14 - Citizenship Rights
◦Amendment 15 - Race No Bar to Vote
◦Amendment 16 - Status of Income Tax Clarified
◦Amendment 17 - Senators Elected by Popular Vote
◦Amendment 18 - Liquor Abolished
◦Amendment 19 - Women's Suffrage
◦Amendment 20 - Presidential, Congressional Terms
◦Amendment 21 - Amendment 18 Repealed
◦Amendment 22 - Presidential Term Limits
◦Amendment 23 - Presidential Vote for District of Columbia
◦Amendment 24 - Poll Taxes Barred
◦Amendment 25 - Presidential Disability and Succession
◦Amendment 26 - Voting Age Set to 18 Years
◦Amendment 27 - Limiting Congressional Pay Increases

The one that is getting the most attention these days is the first amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Why is it getting attention? Because it seems that if anyone disagrees with the Obama administration, they are put on a list to be condemned. Right now the two that are being subjected to this condemnation are Fox News and the US Chamber of Commerce. Fox is definitely a thorn in the side of the PrezBO admin because they dare to find fault with his policies. Or, Fox reports the other side of the debate. Remember, Fox is not just Hannity and Beck. By the way, a Gallup poll came out today regarding whether a person regards themselves as a liberal, moderate or conservative. Choose 1 if very liberal, 9 if very conservative. 40% considered themselves to be conservative, 36% moderate and only 20% liberal. The average-5.8. Just right of center. And add that to the fact that Fox News dominates cable news programming (O'Reilly regularly draws in close to 700,000 whereas the closest from other networks is Rachael Maddow with 325,000). It seems that other news outlets are beginning to no longer have a "chill go up their pant leg" whenever they are reporting on Obama. They even came to Fox's defense when the Treasury department wanted to ban Fox from being in a "pool" of reporters to listen to a TD speech. They should come to Fox's defense. They could be next on that condemnation list...

Jay Leno said:

that President Obama was going to send 4000 more troops....to stop Fox News. Well, perhaps PrezBO needs to send the troops to CNN because of this report by Lou Dobbs on the Amnesty Bill working its way through the house:

http://d.yimg.com/kq/groups/17260182/1610997888/name/ftc-vi26.wmv

Just keeping you up to speed on the congress that is doing what is right for us. A knowledgeable electorate is a dangerous one...