Missy's Blog

Wayne Dyer

2011-07-02T11:52:00.004-05:00

I got a link on Facebook about a list that Wayne Dyer did. He visits people that die and then come back to life. He had a list of TEN PEOPLE that reported that they saw people up in heaven, and when they came back they reported to their family, something like - I saw Uncle Fred! The family was surprised because Uncle Fred was alive but got a call later telling them he had died yesterday! This happened to all on the list.

I have been wondering if there was a God, but now I believe there is! This is clear evidences.

Isn't Jail time enough?

2010-08-18T10:29:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I applied for a link card. I was in line for about an hour, and started talking to the man who was in front of me. He was 46 years old and had been in jail. He said he has been trying to get a job for 2 years, and the last time he was there, the person who interviewed him said he should stop trying for another 5 years! He was insulted by this because he is trying hard to get a job. He was a very nice man.

We have to pay for his living expenses, after he has paid for whatever he did.

This is crazy! Once you have paid your time, you should be free to do whatever you want, with some obvious exceptions!

Islamic Center in NY

2010-08-17T13:10:00.003-05:00

The Media is going overboard about the center 2.5 blocks from Ground Zero.

Some details: There is a Burger King, a McDonalds and a Strip Club on that block!

In such a large city as New York and few blocks can make a world of difference, plus NYC supports it.

We have freedom of religion in this country, so stop going after then.

With all the other problems we are having why of why are the republicans doing this.

http://peoplesworld.org/islamic-center-has-broad-support-in-new-york/

The Catholic Church

2010-07-03T15:25:00.005-05:00

There was a Pregnant woman in a Catholic Hospital. She was dying and the doctors said they could save her by taking the the baby out, otherwise they both would die. They decided to take the baby out and save the woman. The Nun that was the president of the hospital was told by the church that she was excommunicated from the Catholic Church!

There was a woman in the catholic church that was in the church for a long time helping them and teaching. She had always wanted to be a priest. After many years she finally found a church that made her a priest. She died 2 days after and the Church would not allow her to be buried in a Catholic cemetery.

I was raised a catholic but when I was in College I started asking preists why women could not be preists, some said it was because there were no women at the Last Dinner with Christ. I would respond by saying the were so many other people that were not represented there. Most preists said they didn't know why and several agreed with me.

I think the Church is on slide that they may not be able to recover from

Health Insurance Info

2010-02-25T15:58:00.002-06:00

The Republicans are claiming the we the people don't want health care reform. It is true that the recent poles shown health reform at 43% approval. That is because of the bill that has gone through both houses. It has be gutted of anything that will reduce the cost. Actually 70% of the people approve Medicare for all but hate the way the bill looks.

I am moving

2010-02-23T12:22:00.004-06:00

I am selling my house and my business. I was going to move down to southern Florida near my good Friends Dave Bowers and Walter Lopez who live in Boca Raton. Originally I was going to buy an ihouse but it costs $100.000 (with solar panels) and you have to find a finished Lot to put it on. When I told Dave I was planning on this, he suggested I just buy a house for $50,000, that there are lots of them in Florida. I did a search and found so many, I asked Dave what happened to the people that lived in those houses? He said they were mostly 2nd homes and now the bank owns them.

That was my plan. Then last week I had dinner with my good Friend Kathy Mauck. She said why buy a house? You are single and don't have anyone to leave it to, plus with a house you have to fix the roof, AC, Windows, etc. If you rent you don't have to do any of that. Kathy always gives me alternative views, and when I went home that night I went on Craig's List in Southern Florida and there were lots of houses for rent at $1,000 to $1200 per month. If I am lucky I may walk away with $100,000, plus I will get about $1300 per month Social Security. I really want to travel to see the world and with that money I will be able to really enjoy my life.

The Supreme Court and Money - Chilling

2010-02-01T09:17:00.003-06:00

We are in for big changes. 1st the court approved money as speech. Now they have taken the enormous step to allow them to spend their money freely.

I can imagine this scenario:

A person is running for a seat and wants to talk about the banks, that they should have rules that stops them for doing what they did last year.

Morgan Stanly runs lots of ads against her, and worse she knows this, so she doesn't speak up. This is really scary!

8 things you should not have in your bathroom

2010-01-13T12:35:00.001-06:00

It is really hard to understand why we have not done something about these:

The following ingredients usually appear in the products we use daily — shampoo, sunscreen and the like — and general scientific consensus concludes that they’re best avoided:

Parabens are a synthetic preservative and antimicrobial agent commonly found in personal-care products with high water content: shampoo, conditioner, lotion, cleansers and body wash. They also turn up in solid products like deodorant. They appear as methyl-, ethyl-, butyl- or propylparaben. Studies have found that parabens mimic estrogen in the body and disrupt normal hormone function, and they have been found in breast-tumor biopsies.

Growing awareness about parabens has inspired a number of manufacturers to banish them in favor of safer preservatives, while some have simply accepted a shorter shelf life as the price of doing healthy business. You can often find personal-care products labeled “paraben free,” which will save you a little squinting in the product aisle. Signers of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics have committed to avoiding their use; you can find the list of these companies at www.safecosmetics.org.

Phthalates are plasticizers that stabilize scent in perfume and color in cosmetics; they also keep nail polish from chipping. You won’t find them listed on most labels, though they can be present in almost every conceivable personal-care item hidden in the ingredient “fragrance.” (Company formulas are legally protected as proprietary information.) Multiple studies have linked phthalates to depression of normal thyroid function and birth defects, mostly affecting the genital development of young boys and sperm counts in adult men.

Two kinds of phthalates commonly found in cosmetics were banned in the EU with its recent cosmetic safety directive, forcing international companies to reformulate their products for the European market. A number of nail polish manufacturers have removed the “toxic trio” — dibutyl phthalate, toluene (a solvent and neurotoxin) and formaldehyde — from their nail polish formulas. Still, it’s smart to view nail polish and products with caution, especially if you’re pregnant. Water-based polishes are the most benign option.

Nanoparticles consist of ultra-tiny particles of common ingredients and are used in everything from sports clothing to car tires. They’re often found in sunscreen, to make it transparent instead of white, and in anti-aging products to help them penetrate deeper skin layers; they can be listed on labels as “microfine particles.” These “penetration enhancers” are worrisome in the company of phthalates and parabens. And, because they’re a new and quite powerful technology, environmental-health experts are also concerned about their impact on the environment once they’re washed into rivers and lakes. While the particles alone have not been implicated in health issues, many experts recommend waiting to use them until more studies have been completed.

Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate (SLS) is a synthetic detergent and foaming agent connected to skin and eye irritation. It’s also linked to the byproduct 1-4 dioxane, a suspected carcinogenic contaminant produced by the ethoxylation process, used to make some ingredients less harsh. (Sodium lauryl sulfate is converted to sodium laureth sulfate, for example.) Ethoxylation is one reason why so many “gentler” products — those with a natural slant or made especially for kids — have turned up surprisingly high levels of toxins.

According to researchers at the Organic Consumers Association, who conducted tests for 1-4 dioxane on hundreds of products from 16 major brands in 2008, only 23 products were found to be free of 1-4 dioxane contamination. Many companies have quit using ethoxylated ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate to avoid 1-4 dioxane contamination as well as allergic reactions, and the standard for the Whole Foods Premium Body Care Seal doesn’t allow it. Look for “-eth” at the end of other ingredient names to detect this process.

Synthetic fragrances can contain as many as 200 ingredients that manufacturers are not required to disclose. A common allergen, “fragrance” on an ingredient label is a reliable indicator that the product contains phthalates, unless it’s clearly indicated that the fragrance contains no synthetics. Higher-potency fragrances are the likeliest suspects for high concentrations of phthalates. Sophie Uliano, natural-beauty expert and author of Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life (HarperCollins, 2008), points out that “fragrance-free” or “unscented” products aren’t always a dependable alternative, since manufacturers sometimes use masking fragrances in place of identifiable scents. Look for products that explicitly say “no synthetic fragrances” or “natural essential oil fragrance only,” or try to buy from companies that have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics.

Diethanolamine (DEA) and Triethanolamine (TEA) are emulsifiers and foaming agents typically found in shampoo and body wash. They can produce allergic reaction as well as, ironically enough, hair and skin dryness. They belong to the category of “nitrosamines” that Uliano cautions against, which studies have shown can be carcinogenic.

Diazolidinyl and Imidazolidinyl Urea are frequently used synthetic preservatives that can cause contact dermatitis and are suspected formaldehyde releasers. They appear in sunscreen, lotion, shampoo — the same places you’ll find parabens.

The number of personal-care ingredients with unknown or suspected health effects is quite long; you can find a comprehensive list at www.cosmeticsdatabase.com.

Stroger Hospital

2009-11-07T12:36:00.001-06:00

My cancer on my back was removed this week at Stroger Hospital. It disturbes me that I was able to work through the system to get the life saving care I needed. Others who don't have health insurance may not have the knowledge to find the way to do it.

When I talk with people about single payer health care, sometimes they talk about how it will reduce the amount of money the doctors make. I think it is true that the "rock stars" may get a cut. 60% of the doctors are in favor of it. I think most doctors are in the business to help people. Am I right on this? Any docs out there?

I have always wondered, when is enough money enough? I am truly mistified about the people that make millions and continue to work. I understand boredom but how much do you really need?

Being at Stroger made me realize a number of things. The people being served there (very few that looks like me) were very nice for the most part, as were the people who worked there. And there were so many people that were in much worst shape that I was!

Before my surgery I was at a "staging area" where we were waiting to be called to the surgical rooms. 3 people were there to have tatoos removed!

Pitney Bowes needs Competition

2009-10-28T10:41:00.002-05:00

I bought my Pitney Bowes stamping machine about 3 years ago from an outside company. I just realized that they are charging me $25.00 per month for the machine. I called them and they said by their rules I cannot own an machine!

The Night Ministry

2009-09-18T14:20:00.002-05:00

A Freind of Mine just took a job at the Night Ministry. I had served on a board with the Executive Director but never really learned about what they did. When my freind sent out the announcement about joining them she included a You Tube about them. It brought me to tears and made me decide when I sell my business I will volunteer with them.

Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53QsLkE2euY

I am really Worried

2009-09-14T13:29:00.002-05:00

The Reporters that keep showing people with guns at a meeting against Obama, showing the "Birthers", showing Obama as Hitler, and what about those that held their kids away from school when the president gave the kids a speech about staying in school and working hard!

They are all very small groups (that I think they are crazy), but why are they being shown all the time? I think it is because CNN and the like want to show both sides of everything- even when the President gave the school speech, as every president before him had done.

There are times when it is absolutely ridiculous, but more than that I think it is dangerous. We are giving them creditability. I hope none of them try to go after the President.

My neighborhood

2009-08-23T18:24:00.002-05:00

I walked over to the Davis Theater to meet a Friend to see Section 9 for an early movie. We came out and stopped to eat and I walked back home, cutting though Wells Park about 6:00. The was a baseball game being played in one corner, the tennis courts were full, there were about 15 people in the gazebo playing drums, about 16 Italian speaking men playing Bocce Ball and 6 women with Hulla hoops around them! It made me smile!

There are 3 big parks within walking from my house but Wells park seems to be the one that is the most used.

The Republican Party

2009-08-07T16:37:00.002-05:00

CNN announced a new survey this week. Of the 50 states only 6 of them voted for the republicans. I don't understand why they think they can win elections the way they are acting. McCain voted against the new judge (who's name I can't spell) even when he gave a speech saying the party had to reach out to the latin vote. It was the first time he has ever voted against a candidate for the court!

Now those people that are trying to interrupt the meetings and not allowing people to talk - and now they are going on about nazis and hurting the people that are trying to talk.

Isn't there someone in the republican party that has real ideas instead of NO all the time?

Car Emission Problems

2009-08-02T09:53:00.003-05:00

On June 24 I went to my favorite Currency Exchange (and cleint)to renew my plates. He told me I had to drive throught the emissions check, so I did. I guess I wasn't surprised that I flunked, and as I drove to my repair guy I was happy that the city was doing something to help the world. Little did I know the problems I would have.

Your car has a computer that tracks the emissions. When they "repair" it, they remove the "checks" on that computer. You have to drive over 55 MPH for a few days to get the "checks" put back. I drove up and down the outer drive at 55-60 and 3 days later went through the emissions check. I flunked, BUT instead of flunking 4 things it was reduced to only 1.

I went back the repair guy, who fixed it, waited 3 days and drove through again. The guy asked how long has it been since it was fixed? I said 3 days, he said drive it some more. Next day the check engine light came on - back to the repiar, bad wire that they replaced - 3 days later back to emissions. Of the 8 things they check , only 6 could be checked - he said drive it around more.

Meanwhile I have gotten abou 6 tickets for expired plates. I make copies of the bills, the emission reports and letter explaining what I have been doing to get the emission report.

By the way, eveytime to dirve into and out of the emissions places there are about 10 gusy that approch you car to give you a sheet that says "Did you car GO thu OK - if not we can fix it."

Health Insurance Dirty Tricks

2009-08-01T10:39:00.002-05:00

You may have heard about Wendall Potter. He used to be an exec for one of the really large health insurance companies. He took a vacation to see his relatives in Tennessee and read in the local paper that there was a health fair on the Fair grounds. He drove over and was shocked at what he saw. This shows what happened to him:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-M10jDkmm0

Single Payer Health Care for all

2009-07-12T12:35:00.000-05:00

Yesterday (Sat. July 11) I went to a meeting to learn how to discuss Single Payer Health Care-Improved Medicare for all. I learned a bunch:

1. The US has the lowest Life Expectancy and the lowest Infant Mortality of all other counties that have Nation Health Ins.

2. 35% of people that have insurance do not go to the Doctor because they know they will have to pay a large part of the costs for tests and procedures.

3. CANADA - 92% of the people that live there like there insurance. Last year they checked with the doctors, clinics + hospitals in states that are along the US Border with Canada. The treated only 80 people that had come from Canada for US Health.

In 1960 to 1980 it was true that doctors moved from Canada to the US. HOWEVER, in 1990 thru today it has turned around - US doctors are moving to Canada. Canadian doctors were asked if they would move because they would make more money in the US - overwellming they said NO.

4. Healthcare is a human right, not a privilege or commodity to be bought, sold, and traded on Wall Street. Only single-payer healthcare reform, S 703, will secure that right.

5. Today alone, 60 Americans died from lack of healthcare coverage, over 18,000 Americans die annually.

6. 80%of Americans who lack healthcare coverage are families with one or more jobs.

7. More than 50% of bankruptcies occur due to medical bills and half of those had private medical insurance at the time the illness/injury occurred.

8. Of all nations, the US spends the most on healthcare, 14.6% of GDP.

9. At 60%, the US has the highest rate of people who believe their health system should be reformed.

10. The spiraling costs of healthcare are negatively impacting American businesses making it difficult to compete globally.

If you really want to learn more about this there are several websites where you can find more details like how it will paid for:

www.pnhp.org/
www.healthcare-now.org
www.pda.org

I was RIGHT!

2009-04-28T11:20:00.002-05:00

Senator Arlon Spector is Changing from being a Republican to a Democrat.

I am certain it is because of the way the republican party was treating him after he voted for one of Obams's bills.

This Economy is a Real Killer!

2009-03-23T10:30:00.003-05:00

I was watching Bill Moyers show on TV over the weekend. He opened with this

For every percent of unemployment rises:

47,00 People Die!

- Half from Heart Attacks

- More the 800 Murdered

- 1200 commit suicide

Check this:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-dreier/this-economy-is-a-real-ki_b_173515.html

Our Financial problems

2009-03-17T13:15:00.003-05:00

in 1999 things were changed. Banks were allowed to sell stock...and with the same bill they let credit cards increase what they charge us.

Large banks starting selling lots of types of stock - like derivatives. City Bank went wild with it as did most large banks. This has created the problems we have today.

Banks should be banks. Stocks should be sold by different companies - not banks.

And they all should be regulated.

The second problem is with the companies that rates the stocks - like AIG and a few others. They rated Morgages that were put together (derivitaves) made of failed morgages with houses that were empty - and rated them as AAA the top rating! When someone who dicovered this why they did this - he explained that they get more business if the companies think they will get a good rating.

It seems to me that we should make the goverment take over the ratings.

Financial News Network

2009-03-14T12:58:00.001-05:00

If you didn't see the Daily Show yesterday take a look:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=220534&title=Intro---Brawl-Street:-Get-Ready-to-Buy-Low!-And-Sell-Die

Stewart vs. Cramer - John Stewart was brilliant and not at all funny. Cramer said he knew heads of financial companies were lying to him when they said thier companies were just fine. Stewart said "then why didn't you investigate that company to find out what was going on? WNBC could provide a real service to our country to investigate rather than just follow."

Stewart is a genuine mix of a sharp mind and a funny character. I am crazy about his show.

Coyote Near the River Bank

2009-03-09T12:37:00.003-05:00

This coyote was on the other side of the river last weekend.

The RNC Is Crazy!

2009-03-05T12:35:00.002-06:00

They had their big Rally this week and Rush Limbaugh said that he wanted Obama to FAIL! Michael Steele (the new Chairman of the RNC) criticized him, but the next day apologized! I just do not understand why he and others would NOT criticize him. I didn't like Bush but I would never say this. It would mean our Country would fail!

I think they are going to loose at least one Republican, who will turn into a Democrat because of all this.

Towards Peace in Columbia

2009-02-21T10:25:00.005-06:00

I went to Pete & Debbies last night to sing. Sarah lives across the street (she's a midwife) and her daughter Rachel was there, who is in her early 20's. She is going to live in a village in Columbia for a year. Columbia is where the FARC are killing lots of people. This village has taken a stand against them, and invited the world to come and see what is going on. I asked Rachel why the FARC have not attacked that village and she replied it is because the world is watching them. How come that we don't here about it here??

Check out her blog: http://paz4colombia.wordpress.com/

She will be updating it when she gets there in mid-March. I urge you to check out the blogs on the left side from people that have been there recently.

My Home

2008-12-25T16:17:00.003-06:00

I moved here in July of 2004 and thought I had arrived in a large family. This block is the best I have ever seen. I hear from people in the area that they tried to find a house on this block but had to settle for nearby - one of the people that told me this was Lisa Madigan - the Illinois Attorney General and maybe future Governor!

Christmas Smile

2008-12-20T09:06:00.000-06:00

Check this out:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/12/20/fashion/20081220-street-feature/index.html?th&emc=th#

So many problems

2008-11-13T12:15:00.002-06:00

My sales for the last 5 month have been $14,000 per month. They used to be $28,000 to $30,000 per month!

I have been giving the bank that holds my mortgage, about $2100 per month - these are the total of the 2 rent checks I get every month. My mortgage is around $2,700. In October the bank sent me a letter saying if I didn't give them $7,000 by the end of the month. they would hire lawyers to start the foreclosure against my building on Nov. 1

A freind sent me to website called NACA that helps people stop the foreclosure. I just faxed them bank statements from May to October and they are calling me at 2:00 this afternoon. I had filled out a form several weeks ago explaining my problems. I hope they can save my home!

I heard on NPR this morning that they expect the Foreclose to go way up by the end of the year, and that 25% of all homes would be in foreclose!

Early Voting

2008-10-31T10:45:00.002-05:00

I went to vote on Wed. at my local Park Building. When I entered there were over 100 people in a long line! I actually got tears in my eyes when I saw it - I was proud that people were voting. I was in the line about 45 minutes, and when I got into the room, I asked the woman whether it had been like this all the time and she said YES! She said on Saturday the line was much longer and went outside around the corner - and people waited a long time to vote. She said she is sure it will break all records.

This is great!

17 year old pregnancies

2008-09-06T10:11:00.003-05:00

I was just thinking about this.

If Obama had a 17 year old that got pregnant, would people say the same as Sara Palin's kid?

Obama said we should lay off the talking about the kids.

Rap About the Collider!

2008-08-31T10:10:00.001-05:00

I love Science Friday and went to thier website to look at how flies escape swats (on Fridays show), but found this awazing rap about the Large Hadron Collider--don't miss it!

http://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/watch/10143

1968 Democratic Convention

2008-08-14T11:38:00.003-05:00

I have been hearing lots of things about it on the radio so I thought about what happend in Chicago.

There were lots of people in Lincoln Park starting on Wed. They were Hippies that had tents where they slept. Me and my friends walked thru the park and the hippies were playing music and Guitars and very freindly. I think there were about 300 of them thru Lincoln Park.

I went to a freinds apartment on Friday after work (I had just left college). She lived on Lincoln Ave, just west of the park. Around dusk we heard all this noise outside. The Hippies were running down the block being chased by the cops, with their sticks hitting whoever would get near them. We went outside. There was a neighbor next door that also came out. There was a girl running down the sidewalk and she tripped right in front of him. The cop raised his stick to hit her, and the neighbor grabbed his arm to stop him and said "hey why are you doing this?". The cop turn and hit him really hard in the head...then ran on. Blood poured down his face.

All the news was about Grant Park over that weekend. You never hear about what went on in Lincoln park the night before.

It took me a about 20 years to not think badly about the cops

Obama and the Middle East

2008-07-12T08:36:00.001-05:00

This was an interesting column:

June 11, 2008
Op-Ed Columnist
Obama on the Nile
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Cairo
This column will probably get Barack Obama in trouble, but that’s not my problem. I cannot tell a lie: Many Egyptians and other Arab Muslims really like him and hope that he wins the presidency.
I have had a chance to observe several U.S. elections from abroad, but it has been unusually revealing to be in Egypt as Barack Hussein Obama became the Democrats’ nominee for president of the United States.
While Obama, who was raised a Christian, is constantly assuring Americans that he is not a Muslim, Egyptians are amazed, excited and agog that America might elect a black man whose father’s family was of Muslim heritage. They don’t really understand Obama’s family tree, but what they do know is that if America — despite being attacked by Muslim militants on 9/11 — were to elect as its president some guy with the middle name “Hussein,” it would mark a sea change in America-Muslim world relations.
Every interview seems to end with the person I was interviewing asking me: “Now, can I ask you a question? Obama? Do you think they will let him win?” (It’s always “let him win” not just “win.”)
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Democrats’ nomination of Obama as their candidate for president has done more to improve America’s image abroad — an image dented by the Iraq war, President Bush’s invocation of a post-9/11 “crusade,” Abu Ghraib, Guantánamo Bay and the xenophobic opposition to Dubai Ports World managing U.S. harbors — than the entire Bush public diplomacy effort for seven years.
Of course, Egyptians still have their grievances with America, and will in the future no matter who is president — and we’ve got a few grievances with them, too. But every once in a while, America does something so radical, so out of the ordinary — something that old, encrusted, traditional societies like those in the Middle East could simply never imagine — that it revives America’s revolutionary “brand” overseas in a way that no diplomat could have designed or planned.
I just had dinner at a Nile-side restaurant with two Egyptian officials and a businessman, and one of them quoted one of his children as asking: “Could something like this ever happen in Egypt?” And the answer from everyone at the table was, of course, “no.” It couldn’t happen anywhere in this region. Could a Copt become president of Egypt? Not a chance. Could a Shiite become the leader of Saudi Arabia? Not in a hundred years. A Bahai president of Iran? In your dreams. Here, the past always buries the future, not the other way around.
These Egyptian officials were particularly excited about Obama’s nomination because it might mean that being labeled a “pro-American” reformer is no longer an insult here, as it has been in recent years. As one U.S. diplomat put it to me: Obama’s demeanor suggests to foreigners that he would not only listen to what they have to say but might even take it into account. They anticipate that a U.S. president who spent part of his life looking at America from the outside in — as John McCain did while a P.O.W. in Vietnam — will be much more attuned to global trends.
My colleague Michael Slackman, The Times’s bureau chief in Cairo, told me about a recent encounter he had with a worker at Cairo’s famed Blue Mosque: “Gamal Abdul Halem was sitting on a green carpet. When he saw we were Americans, he said: ‘Hillary-Obama tied?’ in thick, broken English. He told me that he lived in the Nile Delta, traveling two hours one way everyday to get to work, and still he found time to keep up with the race. He didn’t have anything to say bad about Hillary but felt that Obama would be much better because he is dark-skinned, like him, and because he has Muslim heritage. ‘For me and my family and friends, we want Obama,’ he said. ‘We all like what he is saying.’ ”
Yes, all of this Obama-mania is excessive and will inevitably be punctured should he win the presidency and start making tough calls or big mistakes. For now, though, what it reveals is how much many foreigners, after all the acrimony of the Bush years, still hunger for the “idea of America” — this open, optimistic, and, indeed, revolutionary, place so radically different from their own societies.
In his history of 19th-century America, “What Hath God Wrought,” Daniel Walker Howe quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson as telling a meeting of the Mercantile Library Association in 1844 that “America is the country of the future. It is a country of beginnings, of projects, of vast designs and expectations.”
That’s the America that got swallowed by the war on terrorism. And it’s the America that many people want back. I have no idea whether Obama will win in November. Whether he does or doesn’t, though, the mere fact of his nomination has done something very important. We’ve surprised ourselves and surprised the world and, in so doing, reminded everyone that we are still a country of new beginnings.

My complicated life

2008-06-22T10:41:00.005-05:00

So much has been happening. I thought I would break it down like this:

1. My business - I lost all 4 of my employees in March. It wasn't a conspirancy and it is a long story. I replaced 3 of them. The 4th was an outside sales person which I haven't replaced yet.

I have been through 5 Cust. service people in 2 months! It has really hurt my business. 2 were fired, 2 worked for a week or 2 and then emailed me that they would not be back (no reason), and the fifth started on a Monday. On Tues. she came in from lunch and looked very glassy eyed, I asked her if she was OK. She said no that she just thru-up and had a bad pain in her side. I said go home and I hope you feel better tomorrow. I got an email from her a few days later - she needed surgery, didn't have insurance and was moving back with per parents in Michigan, she added that she really liked working for me (for a day and 1/2?).

I hired another one on June 16, and she seems to be doing really well, although I am starting to doubt

2. My building - I am still behind in my mortgage. The upper apt. was vacant for 5 months. I was getting $1500 per month and that covered more than 1/2 of my mortgage payment. I fanally rented it for $1250 to a really nice couple. He shovels the snow, and picks some weeds for me!!! They just sent me a note that they LOVE the neighbohood but have to move because Link has a 5 year old son from a prev. marriage, who lives in Indiana. He goes there every weekend to see him and wants to bring him here, but his ex is battleing with him, it is in the courts but will take time, so they are moving to nortwestern Indiana. They will leave Sept. 1

I have decided that i really want to rent to gay people. I've been here for 3 years, and always have young couples who become pregnant and then move out after the babies born.

3. The good news is I may be able to get $1400 for the apartment which will help with my mortgage.

More good news - I live in a remarcable neighborhood. `Yesterday we had our summer solstice meeting from 10-2 at the end of the block. There was a band - composed of people on the block, we sat around in a curcal, read poems, told what was new, celebrated 2 new babies, The Bullfrogs sang a song (I am a Bullfrog), ands I suggested we have a block garage sale. I am going to organize it.

The Bullfrogs meet on the 1st and 3rd Friday across the street at Pete's house. People bring snacks and wine and beer. Pete's daughter directs us, Petes son play the piano and other instruments, and we are seperated into Sopranos, Base, etc. We harmanize and sound really great. We just sang at the Field Museum last week!

4. Went to the REM Concert last week and had great seats on the floor! Michael Stripe neeled down and said he loves Chicago, but especially today - he reached and pulled up a big buttom with Obama on it and said today he won. The place went crazy!

5. My dog Charlie - He brings me great joy!

6. I am in Love!

Am I living under a Big Black Cloud?

2008-02-26T10:38:00.002-06:00

I have has so many bad things happening to me in the last 2 weeks:

1. Car crash Feb. 14. Took the guy that hit me until the 25th to call his insurance co. Wainting to hear from his ins. co. because they wanted me to pay for the tow and storage of my car because they had not heard from him.

2. Could not rent a car because all CC cards are maxed out and bank card had an odd charge on it, so they cancelled the card Feb. 8 and said it would take 7-10 days to get new one. Took cabs to and from work.

3. Got the new CC in the mail on Feb. 16 when I was at work. The mail came around 1:00. All the Rental car places close at 1:00 on saturdays.

4. My new Cust. Servie person quite after 90 days - last day was Feb.19. Been interviewing poeple since.

5. Garage door auto door would not open or close - just stayed open - Feb. 24

6. New tenant moved in over the weekend of Feb. 23. They have a storage area in the basement. It has been vacant for 5 months because the apt. has been vacant for 5 months. The storage areas left side is the ground wall of my building. It was all wet because the wall where it attaches to the cement floor has a leak - because of all the snow and melting. It cannot be fixed until it gets warmer.

7. Downstairs tenant knocked on my door last night. There was a large puddle of water at the bottom of the back stairs. I cleaned it upo with the shop vac...but don't know where it came from! No it is not from the storage area.

7. Has 6 " of snow last night - I am so tired of shoveling!

Gun Control

2008-02-18T10:13:00.003-06:00

I just don't understand how we can alloow people to purchase guns without any restrictions. This last shooter bought his on a web site, the same site that was used by the shooter at the West Virginia Univ.

How can anyone be against a 30 days waiting period, where we can check backgrounds - were they ever in a mental institution and more?????

Make sure your vote counts

2008-01-20T13:10:00.000-06:00

I was listening to NPR a little while ago. They were talking about the new computerized voting machines. Most of them do not have any kind of "paper" trail, where the votes can be verified. These machines are made by 3 large companies with ties to Bush.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/11/11/politics/main583042.shtml

One person said when she went into the voting booth she put her ID next to the screen and took a photo with her cell phone. They mentioned that when you do vote, you should ask the people there "How are you being certain that my vote can be tracked so there is no funny business?"

If enough people ask that question, maybe changes will be made.

Boy oh boy

2008-01-06T11:44:00.000-06:00

I watched both debates last night..actually this morning because I recorded them. I was very impressed with John McCain, Hilary and John Edwards. Edwards seems very strong on fighting the lobbyists and Hilary was very strong. I went to her web-site but I didn't like what I saw, so I guess I am stuck between Edwards and Obama.

Changed my mind

2008-01-05T12:18:00.000-06:00

After Obama's win in Iowa, I took a look at his website. I spent over 2 hours looking at his issues. He has a good healthcare plan - we can select a plan like the one that covers congress now-non-profit, or continuse with a profit making program.

http://www.barackobama.com/issues

He wants to make the lobbyists donations and perks open for all to see, with a website showing the contributions made, who got them and how they voted on the issues. Anyone working in government cannot be a lobbyist for 2 years after they leave.

The end of no-bid contracts over $25,000.

Open Earmarks (pork barrel spending) with the name of the legislator who asked for each earmark, along with a written justification, 72 hours before they can be approved by the full Senate.

End Tax Haven Abuse: Building on his bipartisan work in the Senate, Obama will give the Treasury Department the tools it needs to stop the abuse of tax shelters and offshore tax havens and help close the $350 billion tax gap between taxes owed and taxes paid.

Amend the North American Free Trade Agreement: Obama believes that NAFTA and its potential were oversold to the American people. Obama will work with the leaders of Canada and Mexico to fix NAFTA so that it works for American workers.

I ask you to take the time to look at his issues. After I did that I am now supporting him. One big reason that brought me to his website was the article that Andrew Sullivan wrote and I qouted in my previous blog page. What would those Islamic "terrorists" think when we elect a president who's name is Barrach Hussein Obama, and who went to school in an Islam school!

My Neighborhood is so COOL!

2008-01-01T14:34:00.000-06:00

This band is across the street from me: http://www.cajunvagabonds.com/index.html I know the "dad" and several of the kids in the band. They play during our street party and Eli is Pete & Debi's son who still lives with them. Pete's house is were I go singing on the 1st and 3rd Friday.

There also is a Recording Studio at the end of the block: http://www.riverbendstudio.com/. It is run by a guy who used to be a regular on the Bozo show...I think he played the piano.

I really landed on a great area!

More on Toxis here in the US.

2007-11-27T13:53:00.000-06:00

Here is a link to today's episode of Fresh Air on NPR:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story .php?storyId=16616951
Mark Schapiro is the guest, and he has a book out entitled, "Exposing a toxic US policy".
I think every American should read it, or, at least listen to the podcast of this episode of NPR's Fresh Air.
He explains a couple of cases that should get the attention of most women, and anyone else concerned with the long term condition of the environment.

There is something in plastic and rubber that harms our Neurons (Sp?). What ever it is called it has been banned by the EU. And even though the UE thought it might be a problem, something was found to replace it, so in the UE they doesn't have those problems anymore. In our country the plastics and rubber still has it...even though they are producing a replacement for it!

Also they found LEAD in 50% of the lipsticks in the US. The UE has banned it and the companies again found a replacement!

He also followed a case where 6 chemicals used in the manufacture of electronics where banned in the EU - and those companies found a way to comply there too.

The thing I found most interesting was the part when he was asked why the business lobbyists aren't as successful in the EU as they are in the US. He said that he believes that the two top reasons are, in this order, socialized medicine (the government has to pay the medical bills of the people poisoned by these companies, so they are more proactive in regulating them.)., and the fact that it is illegal for businesses to give campaign contributions (regulating lobbyists!).

So, if you want someone to protect you from toxic chemicals used in the manufacture of things you consume - don't look to your government. They are more concerned about Corporate profits. Look to the EU. Because the EU is now a larger part of the global purchasing economy than the US, companies are starting to make changes to protect your health to comply with the EU regulations - but, they can still unload their tainted goods here if they want to.

The major roll of any government is to protect it's citizens. This does not mean bomb the crap out of Iraq, or try to spread "democracy" around the world but, it does include making sure that the products, and goods we consume are not detrimental to our health, and the health of our children. Our country has failed us for far too long, and it is time for a change! Lets not forget what we are fighting for!

John Edwards 2

2007-11-01T15:56:00.000-05:00

Take a look at this. You need to click the red X, I don't know how to bring this in, I tried copy and pasting but that didn't work This is one of the reasons I am for Edwards.

Body Burdens # 3

2007-10-22T15:37:00.000-05:00

Here is a list of chemicals that are in our body and where they come from:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/10/22/body.burden/index.html#cnnSTCOther1

VP Cheney and the Irag Oil Maps

2007-10-18T13:11:00.000-05:00

Cheney had a secret meeting called "Energy Task Force", prior to the invasion of Iraq. It included Gas Companies, Lobbyists and Haliburton. He had a map defining the oil fields in Iraq (see the map here: http://www.judicialwatch.org/IraqOilMap.pdf).

He was offering them the oil fields!!!!

Yes this is true. The Supreme Court is looking at this at the end of this month.

When people said we went to war over the oil, I said no that can't be. I guess I was wrong.

Thousands of our soldiers dead or hurt. And many more Iraq people killed. All for Oil revenues. It make me sick to think about it. How can these people sleep at night?

The Cubs

2007-10-07T12:01:00.000-05:00

I am so bumbed out about the Cubs - why does this happen?

In July of '84 the former Cub Any Pafko said "I never imagined so long without a pennant. I mean, I thought they might accidentally win one."

Can anyone explain it?

I am very sad.

OUCH! SAD!

2007-10-05T08:09:00.000-05:00

I don't understand...maybe we are cursed!

GAME ONE: Marmol came in on the 7th inning. He has the 3rd lowest ERA in all of baseball! He's won his last 18 starts! The announcers talked about hard it is to hit with him! What happen? He gave up a tiebreaking homer. Then another BIG hit,that brought one guy who had reached 3rd base in. That's how the game ended 3-1.

Then the 2nd game - one of our best, Ted Lilly, struggled for the 1st time in 13 starts! Our big hitters - SQUAT!

Why oh why is this happening to my beloved Cubs!

The CUBS - YIPPEE!!!

2007-09-23T16:07:00.000-05:00

I was at Monday and Fridays game and we are going to win our Division!! The breaks all went our way and you would not believe the noise we make! Those terrible closing pitchers in the spring now are the some of the best closers!

Today, Sunday, the game just ended. We won 8 to 0 and milwaukee lost so we are 3.5 games ahead with only 6 more games to play!!!!

WOW..I am soo excited...it is hard to believe how good we have gotten it the past 2 weeks. Out hitting has finally turned on and defense is great!

More later....

I've finally made my Decision

2007-08-30T16:30:00.000-05:00

After going back and forth for months I have decided to go for John Edwards. I saw this today: http://johnedwards.com/watch/portsmouth/ and it made up my mind.

30% of large companies do not pay any taxes! He wants to stop companies that do not pay taxes:

"Declare war on offshore tax havens by cracking down on tax shelter promoters, cooperating with allies to fight tax havens, and closing the "tax gap" by improving IRS customer service, simplifying tax filing, auditing more large corporations and high-income individuals and requiring more third-party reporting.
Close unfair loopholes like the tax breaks for hedge funds and private equity fund managers and unlimited executive pensions. "

He's the only one with new Health Care Ideas, Ideas about helping people that are in trouble with the mortgages, Six New Proposals to Help Get New Orleans Back on its Feet and much more.

Wow Very bad Storm in Chicago

2007-08-24T12:48:00.000-05:00

Whew..did we get hit! I was up north getting my hair cut. A man came in just as I was leaving. He said a tornado came up Lake Shore Drive! He was driving North, at about North ave., and saw a white column to his right about 10' away. It moved really fast north and toppled trees and light poles as it turned right and went into the lake.

I was talking to people about it because there were no real reports about tornado's. I was told it was WIND SHEAR..which can take down planes!

I was curious so I got on the drive going south. I saw a car that must have been lifted up because he was across an entrance to Lake Shore drive, with his front wheels on the grass and his back wheels against the curb that marks the road.

Lots and lots of trees and big branches down. Part of a large roof (from one of the high rises) came down atop a van. The roof of the car was rubled.

The side of my street had power but the rest of the neighborhood was black. Really lucky!

So very Sad

2007-08-15T17:10:00.001-05:00

I heard suicide rates in New Orleans are way up and found this article from December. Why aren't we as a country doing something about it. It's been 2 years!

Hurricane Takes a Further Toll: Suicides Up in New Orleans
By ADAM NOSSITER
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 26 - Mental health professionals say this city appears to be experiencing a sharp increase in suicides in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and interviews and statistics suggest that the rate is now double or more the national and local averages.

At least seven people have killed themselves in the four months since the storm, officials say, here in a city whose population is now no more than 75,000 to 100,000. That compares with a national rate of 11 suicides per 100,000 for all of 2002, and a rate in New Orleans of about nine per 100,000 for all of 2004. There is broad agreement that the problem is likely to get worse.
Stevenson Palfi, 53, a well-known local filmmaker, was apparently the latest to take his own life. Mr. Palfi's house in the Mid-City section had taken eight feet of water, and he was in despair over losing years of files and photographs, a computer - in fact, all the contents of his office.
The aftermath of the storm pushed him "right off the cliff emotionally," said a friend, Mary Katherine Aldin.

"This just hit him so hard," she said. "It was a cumulative devastation to him emotionally."
Mr. Palfi sat down to write a suicide note and a will, then shot himself on the second floor of his Banks Street home in the early hours of Dec. 14, Ms. Aldin said.

The signs of despair are pervasive here: a woman, having returned to see her flooded-out house for the first time, runs screaming down Mirabeau Avenue in the Gentilly neighborhood, where the police find her babbling uncontrollably; in a Bourbon Street nightclub, a man draws a gun and shoots himself in the head, even as dancers sway to the music; from half-ruined houses, the police retrieve homeowners, weeping and distraught; psychiatrists report that previously stable patients are now preoccupied with death and suicide.

"I would call the scope of this disaster, the scale of mental health problems, unprecedented," said Charles G. Curie, the mental health administrator at the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

Officials say that among those who have killed themselves was Dr. James Kent Treadway, a pediatrician who was a fixture in the Uptown neighborhood. Dr. Treadway, 58, committed suicide in his partly destroyed house on Nov. 16. "He's got no practice, the house is flooded, his office was destroyed," said his brother-in-law, Michael Caire. "He just doesn't know how he's going to make it in the future."

Officials have also reported suicides among evacuees in cities like Houston, where large numbers of them have settled. And in addition to those who have killed themselves here, about two dozen have tried to do so, a rate that is most likely, officials say, also far higher than normal.
Jeff Wellborn, administrator of the Police Department's mobile mental health squad, said members of his unit were being called in frequently when a homeowner, witnessing the extent of losses for the first time, broke down.

"They're coming into town, and they get so depressed they can't handle it anymore," Mr. Wellborn said. "Most of the time they are crying." "These are not the same people we dealt with before the storm," he said. "They had no mental health history. We are seeing almost exclusively new patients."

Health professionals confronting this tide of despondency view it as one more sign that New Orleans, with its miles of ruined neighborhoods, moribund downtown and enclaves of semi-normality, is far from recovered. Nobody here can escape the persistent evidence of the city's devastation. First exchanges are often about how much damage your house has suffered, or whether your house still exists.

"There are a lot of people walking around with an endemic low-grade depression," said Dale F. Firestone, a local psychotherapist. For an undetermined number, it is worse, experts said.
"I've had some very depressed people from Katrina," said Dr. Douglas W. Greve, a psychiatrist with a practice in the French Quarter. "These are profound depressions. In the past I would have hospitalized these patients."

"I'm beginning to get experiences with acute anxiety," Dr. Greve said. "Anxiety and depression, abuse of alcohol, that's gone way up." A handful of his patients have been suicidal, he said, adding, "I think it's going to get worse."

Children, too, are suffering, said Dr. Douglas S. Pool, a psychiatrist who treats the young.
"You actually get kids as young as 5 talk about not wanting to live, wanting to die," Dr. Pool said.
Dr. Denise L. Dorsey, president-elect of the New Orleans Psychoanalytic Center, said that for many, the devastation was beyond an ability to cope.

"Looking down a street where it's house after house, and the garbage and the innards of the houses, there's something about it that people in general can't grasp," Dr. Dorsey said. "It's not within the realm of any experience anyone's ever had. Your ordinary American doesn't have that in their repertoire of experience."

Toyota vs General Motors

2007-08-06T11:25:00.000-05:00

A Modern Parable
A Japanese company (Toyota) and an American company (General Motors)decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River. Both teams practiced>long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race. On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile. The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat.

A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action. Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the American team had 8 people steering and 1 person rowing. Feeling a deeper study was in order American management hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion. They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing.

Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team's management structure was>totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 3 area steering superintendents and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager. They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 1 person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder.

It was called the 'Rowing Team Quality First Program,' with meetings, dinners and freepens and a certificate of completion for the rower. There was discussion>of getting new paddles, canoes and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses. The next year the Japanese won by two miles.

Humiliated, the American management laid off the rower (a reduction in workforce) for poor performance, halted development of a new canoe, soldthe paddles, and canceled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executive s as bonuses and the next year's racing team was "out-sourced" to India...

Sadly, the End. However, sad, but oh so true! Here's something else to think about: Ford has spent the last thirty years moving all its factories out of the US, claiming they can't make money paying American wages.

Toyota has spent the last thirty years building more than a dozen plants inside theUS. The last quarter's results: Toyota makes 4 billion in profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses. Ford folks are still scratching their heads.I

IF THIS WASN'T SO SAD IT MIGHT BE FUNNY!

Could it be happening....

2007-07-20T11:42:00.000-05:00

I was at the Cubs Game yesterday against the Giants. It was a wild game with lots of over-throws by the Giants, things I thought should be errors. I started thinking...we are getting lots of breaks.... could it mean.... is it possible to dream about it.... dare I mention it.

Barry Bonds hit 2 home runs, once with no one on, but in the 7th there were 2 on base so the score was 9 (Cubs) 8 (Giants) with 2 innings to go. If we got 3 players out it the 8th and another 3 players out in the 9th, Bonds would not come up. But if we gave up 1 hit he would.

Bob Howry started pitching. He he got 4 to Strike Out and 2 to Pop Up. AMAZING!

The crowd during the game was unlike any I have ever been in, from the beginning. Cheering on almost every 3rd out, really pumped up. We are playing like I have never seen the Cubs play. Our players do great defensive plays and the Pitchers - they were so bad earlier this spring - now they are fabulous. We've always had hitters, but almost all of them are really great hitters, and if our pitchers continue, and the defense keeps amazing us...it could happen!

Body Burdens #2

2007-07-20T11:41:00.000-05:00

Clean Up Toxics

What's New
Environment Illinois is working this legislative session to clean up a man-made toxic chemical that is so widespread it's found in polar bear blood, sewage sludge, and mothers' breast milk: the toxic flame retardant decaBDE. House Bill 1421 would eliminate this chemical from TV casings and home furnishings by 2011. On March 20th, after nearly two hours of heated testimony, the House Environmental Health Committee narrowly voted to pass HB 1421, and the bill now awaits a vote by the full House of Representatives.
Safer alternatives to decaBDE are available, but the four chemical companies that still make it are going to great lengths to defeat this bill—they even flew in paid consultants to oppose it. Now those companies' lobbyists are walking the halls of the capitol trying to persuade representatives to vote against it. With your help, Environment Illinois is working to counter their influence and ensure this important bill passes the legislature.
Click here to view the read HB 1421 or view its status.
New Illinois EPA report confirms decaBDE's dangers: On March 20th, Illinois's Environmental Protection Agency released its comprehensive survey of recent research on decaBDE's toxicity and alternatives. The report cites numerous studies indicating that decaBDE breaks down in sunlight and animals into more toxic chemicals already banned in Illinois, concludes that alternative flame retardants are available across all industries currently using decaBDE, and with little to no cost barrier, and recommends that Illinois phase-out decaBDE. Click here to view the report.

My neice Emily - Update

2007-07-14T09:04:00.000-05:00

Emilys dad, Scott, posted these 2 updates on his blog page.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

On Monday we took our daughter Emily to Loyola to take a "tracer" dose of radiation which is absorbed by only thyroid cells. Since she had her thyroid removed last February any thyroid cells left in her body will be cancerous. Tomorrow morning we will take her back the hospital for a scan of her entire body looking for any of the radiation left in her from the tracer. The hope is that this scan will come back negative and we need not endure another dose of radiation treatment. If there is any thing left in her lungs we will be heading back on Friday to admit her for three days of isolation and her third dose of radiation in the last year. Which will be followed by another 6 month wait while the radiation does it's work then we start the process again looking for more thyroid cells. This is pretty much the course of treatment we're in right now until things come back different. Crystal and I are honestly pretty tired from this entire situation. Since everything started 16 months a go we've lost a lot of sleep, a lot of energy, and as anyone who's dealt with week long hospital stays and radiation treatment knows, a lot of money.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Test Results
Well the scan results came back kinda good, kinda okay.The good news is that Emily's neck is completely free of any cancer. This is great because the masses in her neck absorb a lot of the iodine before it has a chance to get into her lungs, so everything she is given from this point out will be concentrated in her lungs. This also means for sure that there will be no more surgeries in the foreseeable future.The okay news is that Emily still has some thyroid cells left in her lungs. This is okay because there is actually less than there was 6 months a go, and even more less than there was a year a go. So we know the radiation treatments are working. However, she will have to receive another does of radiation, which is always dangerous and increases her risk of long term cancer re-occurrences.The next step is to admit Emily Monday morning where she will drink a large does of radioactive iodine. Then she will sit in isolation for 3 days while we can only see her for a half hour per day. The hard part of that from the last two treatment has been that the doctor ordered a catheter and an IV for the three days. This time around he is going to go without those so Emily will be much much more comfortable. She doesn't mind alone time all that much because she's a bit of a loner like her old man. :)Other than that it's another 6 month wait to do another scan and see what our progress is at that point.Thanks to everyone for the kind comments on the last post!

Wedding in the Prairie by the River Bank

2007-07-14T08:51:00.000-05:00

The bride wore rubber white flats, and her two bridesmaids, who were paddled to the ceremony in canoes, were fortunate enough not to trip while delicately getting in and out of the boats or while scaling the trail up the bank.

The pictures are here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44124305473@N01/sets/72157600778943208

ARGGHH!

2007-06-22T11:46:00.000-05:00

I just saw Michael Moore’s new movie last night call SICKO. I have been on the phone with our Dental Insurance Company for about an hour because our policy got cancelled and they don't know why. I hate talking to Insurance companies.

You really need to see this movie. He traveled to Canada, France, London and Cuba. He talked to people and doctors. None of these countries have insurance companies and all their health care is provided for FREE. We are the only industrial country in the world that has Private Insurance Companies and Drug Companies.

He talked to 3 people that had worked at the site on 9/11. These heroes were all turned down from their insurance companies when they came down with lung problems. One of them needs a drug that costs $120 per month. He took 3 of them to Cuba and they all got treated with things the insurance companies here would not allow – and they were not charged a penny! The drug that that person pays $120 per month in the US, she was charged 25 cents for it in Cuba! They returned to the US feeling much better.

As for the supposed “problems” in Canada, he interview people in the emergency rooms of hospitals in Canada, asking “how long did it take to get seen”. They looked at him oddly and replied 10 or 20 or 30 minutes.

He talked to a doctor in Canada about how much he made and the doctor was very happy with his salary, and said they get more money if they get their patients to stop smoking, or reduce their weight or cholesterol.

In this country the insurance people get bonuses if they can reduce what the company pays out.

I was thinking that if our country provided free health care I would not have to deal with these damn insurance companies!

Body Burdens

2007-05-31T16:26:00.001-05:00

I am reading John Kerry's recent book that he wrote with his wife. The average baby born today has 70 "body burdens". These are chemicals that are not natural to our bodies and our bodies are unable to dispose of them.

Check out http://www.chemicalbodyburden.org/whatisbb.htm

Europe has a new rule. For any new chemicals that are distributed, they must pass 5 rules before they go on the market. In this country we take the word of the Chemical companies that they are OK for us.

Meanwhile childhood problems are growing. Do we know if the plastic in baby bottles are OK to use? What about those plastic bags our food gets stored in? What about the pesticides that we use on our grass...it gets into our water and food! The list goes on and on.

In the past 20 years there have been 200,000 new chemicals "introduced" to us. It is insane that we don't know how they affect our bodies.

I wish the people running for President would start taking about this.

My neighbor the Squirrel - It is now WAR!

2007-04-26T12:29:00.000-05:00

This morning he tore up a cushion on my porch. He had been using leaves, but now he is getting lazy and took the stuff from the cushion. Very bad boy!

UPDATE: He took lots of the fluffy cushion stuff up the tree, but on Friday it was very windy, and it all blew down! Parts are hanging from the tree and it is scattered all over my front and my neighbors front! I went and picked up as much as I could...It filled a Garbig bag! AARRGGGE! I am sure it will keep coming down for a long time!

Gun Control

2007-04-22T15:47:00.000-05:00

I do not understand why people are opposed to any type of gun controls.

If we try to purchase cold medication at the drug store, we have to show a reason for getting it. In some states you don't even have to show an ID to get a gun!

Some statistics:

Amendment II of our Constitution:

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

New York City closed down all the Guns stores about 2 years ago. The gun violence went down 50% the following year.

The supreme court has ruled 5 times AGAINST Individuals having the "right" to carry a gun. These court charges were always brought by Gun companies and was ruled against them. I do not understand why we don't have a federal law to limit gun sales.

Ny Neighbor - The Squirrel

2007-03-19T13:21:00.000-05:00

I have a large window in the front of my house that overlooks my front porch and the neighborhood. Every morning I open up the drapes and drink coffee while I watch the news and what is going on outside. There is a large fir tree to the left of my porch. For the last 3 days there has been a little squirrel that runs along the porch fence, back and forth about every 2 minutes. He goes down into my garden, picks up a bunch of leaves and runs back up, across the fence and jumps on the tree and climbs way up beyond where I can see him. No doubt he is building a nest. I really love watching him. He is very fast as long as I stay on the couch, but if I stand up and move just a little towards the window, he is a little more cautious. I looked under the tree but I can’t see the nest, the tree is too full.

This may be the same one that I watched last summer take a few bites from the wood top of the stairs. He put a nut under the top! (see the picture of the bites).

I also watched him a few weeks ago, he had a peanut and dug into the snow and dropped it in. I went out to see for sure and sure enough there it was.

Nature in my Neighborhood

2007-03-11T15:46:00.000-05:00

I live 1/2 block from the Chicago River. I have a back room where my washer & dryer (and pantry) is. The windows face the deck. I went in to do a load of laundry and there was a morning dove on the railing. I ran back to get my camera, but had to shoot through and dirty window and screen.

Then I took Charlie for a walk. I have always loved trees and they look like sculptures right now. I took some photos of the ones I thought looked magnificent. Lastly there is one photo of the prairie grasses, which will be burned off in a few weeks to allow for new.

Scooter Libby

2007-03-08T12:14:00.000-06:00

This week's conviction of Lewis "Scooter" Libby for perjury will surely give the CIA some measure of vindication. But what about the people that exposed Valerie Plame in the 1st place? Remember that she was exposed shortly after her husband Joe Wilson wrote a column criticising the war

According to TIME MAGAZINE: My comments in Blue:

That's because in the course of the Libby investigation and trial, the CIA effectively lost the Intelligence Identities Protection Act. In deciding not to charge Libby or anyone else in the administration with exposing a covert operative, Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald all but proclaimed the act virtually unenforceable. If it had any teeth, Fitzgerald would have used it not only against Libby but also Karl Rove and Undersecretary of State Richard Armitage, the two who leaked Plame" s name in the first place. Or even possibly Washington Post columnist Bob Novak, who first published it.

And let there be no doubt about it: according to press reports, all three knew exactly what they were doing. Despite what they may claim, Rove and Armitage either knew Plame was under cover, suspected she was, or should have assumed she was. As for Novak, the CIA asked him not to print the name, but he did anyway, apparently deciding he would decide who the CIA should have under cover and who it shouldn't. Armitage admitted he told someone in the press.

Let's also not forget that in 1982 there was a good reason Congress overwhelmingly passed the Intelligence Identities Protection Act, which was intended to prevent anyone from systematically exposing operatives as part of a campaign to harm national security. In 1975, the Greek terrorist group November 17 assassinated the CIA chief in Athens, not long after he was exposed in the press. In the 70's a former CIA officer, Philip Agee, was systematically exposing CIA personnel overseas, probably at the behest of Cuba. If Agee's campaign had been picked up by the rest of the press, the CIA would have had to close its doors.
Unlike other agencies working overseas, the CIA depends on cover. It is impossible for CIA employees to work in the world's hot spots or really almost anywhere if their names are in the press. Walking around Baghdad with a scarlet CIA tattooed on your forehead is the quickest way to get killed.

Public exposure of its operatives will have a cascading effect. We should count on CIA sources — most of whom are foreign and vulnerable to arrest or much worse — having closely watched the Libby/Plame affair. They now are going to ask themselves, if the CIA cannot protect one of its own, why should we be expected to protect them?

There was always a doubt about just how much teeth the Intelligence Identities Protection Act had. Now we know.

Charlie

2007-02-23T14:54:00.000-06:00

This is Charlie. He's a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and was 7 year old on Oct. That makes him about 50 in human years. I take him to work with me and he is a great friend. I wanted to put his photo on my Profile Page but you can't just browse and pick up the photo, you have to make it a url page, so I am putting him here.

Wind Power

2007-02-22T14:54:00.000-06:00

Wind power is starting to look much better. There is a company in Finland that is building some very attractive ones. I hope the price will be under $5,000 to install it on your roof.

Check it out at: http://www.windside.com/

Chicago's Winter Fest

2007-02-18T12:01:00.000-06:00

Wow..Chicago has the best winter fest! Last Sat. I saw Dr. John (a New Orleans icon) at Navy Pier FOR FREE. It was a Mardi Gras celebration with lots of wild people celebrating in New Orleans style.

Then yesterday saw a Blues tribute to Albert King at the Cadillac Palace Theater downtown. Big Time Sarah opened it and then a large (fabulous) band with horns came up. There were 4 guitarists that showed up individually that were unbelievable- I don't remember there names and they are'nt listed on the book!. The last person was the singer who did "Mustang Sally". A real show man, who closed with Mustang Sally. Wow-what a show! It was only $10! We paid double that for parking!

We picked up a book for "Chicago's Winter Delights". It started January 2nd and goes through the end of February. We missed lots of other events- Dance, Music Food, Ethnic, Family, History, Theater, Handmade, Opera.

http://www.winterdelights.com/ethnicCelebrations/index.html

Minneapolis has a Winter fest with lots of snow stuff. Chicago has a large city with lots of different interests and is showing it off during the "dark" months. Bravo!

Health Insurance HELL

2007-02-16T08:09:00.000-06:00

I got a quote for new Health Insurance for me and my employees. I gave the quotes to my employees because they pay 50%.

I just got the first bill. The TOTAL went from $1200 per month to $1860 per month.

I called the insurance co. and they said someone in my group had something that raised the rates for the whole group (4 of us), the underwriters made the change after they got the applications.

One of my employees has left but is continuing his insurance until the new job insurance starts. He has a recurring small problem, with dry eyes. I asked insurance company if it was his that made ours go up. They cannot tell me this, because of Hippa. The problem is: He will only have this insurance for 2 or 3 months, but it will affect my rates for years.

There is no way my employees can afford to pay 50% of the new rates. I will not be able to get good employees without insurance. That is HELL!

Oil Companies are going to help

2007-01-28T14:11:00.000-06:00

In an effort to call attention to the detrimental effects of industry-funded, so-called “research” in the debate on global climate change, Senators John (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-WV) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) sent a letter to the large oil companies to end its funding of a climate change denial campaign. Rockefeller and Snowe’s effort would also reassert the leading role of the United States in addressing important global issues that demand the world’s collective attention.

It resulted in good news. The big 6 oil compnaies announced that would stop funding the denial campaign, AND that they would get together to see what they can do to stop carbons from their use.

Sure China is much worse but unless we can show them we are trying to make changes, why would they? We should be leading the world in ways to stop carbons. We could sell them what they need to clean up their air all over the world.

Incidentally, Dave Bowers got back from 3 weeks in China last week. He said the air was really bad. I was there in September and the only place that was bad at the time was Hong Kong...It is changing rapidly!

Global Warming

2007-01-22T11:45:00.000-06:00

I heard something very interesting on NPR. On one Farm the cows produce approx. 32,000 lbs of manure and pee PER DAY! They spread it on their fields and it produces green house gases, plus goes into our rivers and water. Now they have a way to make money on it and not pollute. They have a machine that scraps under where they sleep and eat, and pushes all the manure into a pipe that moves it to a building where they create electricity from it. This farm produces enough to light and heat 200 homes. They sell the extra to the electric company, making $6,000 per month. On top of all that, the thing that is left over is lots of fluffy brown stuff. The cows sleep on wood chips that they buy at $1700 a month. The farmer said the brown stuff is much nicer and free. So they get free electricity, income and they don't pollute. So far 40 farms have set this up...I think they said there are 4,000 farms that could do this and they would save lots of carbons going up in the air. Good news.

The Election Next year

2007-01-22T09:26:00.000-06:00

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is the latest high-profile Democrat to toss his hat into the ring. He will be my choice unless I hear better from others.

He has served as a congressman, as well as the United Nations ambassador and energy secretary under President Bill Clinton. He was our United Nations ambassador, he worked to build alliances and help prevent the development of nuclear weapons in North Korea.

Just this month, he went to Sudan on behalf of the Save Darfur Coalition of groups trying to stem the violence in Darfur, to try to break the deadlock over who would police the region. President Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan and leaders of several rebel factions in Darfur agreed to a 60-day cease-fire in separate meetings with Mr. Richardson.

Last year he helped negotiate the release of an American journalist charged with espionage in Sudan. He has international contacts made as ambassador in the Clinton administration.

He has been nominated four times for the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating the release of hostages, American servicemen and political prisoners in North Korea, Iraq and Cuba.

“The next president of the United States must get our troops out of Iraq without delay,” he said. “Before I became governor of New Mexico, I served as ambassador to the United Nations and as secretary of energy. I know the Middle East well and it’s clear that our presence in Iraq isn’t helping any longer.”

He said he had set up an exploratory committee that will allow him to begin raising money and assembling his campaign organization.

He also highlighted domestic issues.

“On issues like the environment, jobs, and health care, state governments are leading the way,” he added. “And that’s because we can’t be partisan or we won’t get our jobs done.”

Today, he outlined his strategy for what is likely to be the prominent campaign issue — American involvement in Iraq.

He said a timetable needed to be established for the Iraqis to handle their own security, as well as setting up national reconciliation talks among Sunni Arabs, Shiites and Kurds. Talks with Iran and Syria were also needed, he said.

“What we need to do is bring their neighbors in, bring regional powers as part of the solution,” he said in the ABC interview. “Set up a reconstruction effort to help Iraq achieve civil administration and build up its resources.”

He would be the first Hispanic president if he won. But he said today on ABC that he would not run as a Hispanic candidate.

“I believe the country would be ready for a woman president, an African-American president, Hispanic president,” he said. “But I wouldn’t run as a Hispanic candidate. I would run as an American, proud to be Hispanic, proud of my heritage.”

Mr. Richardson was born on Nov. 15, 1947, in Pasadena, Calif., to an American father and Mexican mother. He grew up in Mexico City before moving to New England, where he attended high school and college, his announcement said. He graduated from Tuft’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Massachusetts.

Laptop update

2006-11-06T17:28:00.000-06:00

I called TSA on 9/10 AM. I filed a claim on 9/21. I received a letter on Nov. 3, dated Oct. 20 that offered me $312.85 for the laptop. I paid $1400 for it!

I got only 2 choices: "I ACCEPT this offer." OR "I REJECT this offer completely and do not wish to negotiate a settlement. I understand that by checking this option, my administrative claim will be denied."

What kind of a choice is this? How can this be legal??

I am inquiring of a class action lawsuit against the TSA Thefts.

My 1st Cruise

2006-09-21T16:35:00.000-05:00

I took my 1st cruise about 7 days ago with my old friend from high school - Barb McCarthy. It was a 5 day cruise from NYC to St. Johns and Halifax in Nova Scotia. It was a big boat - over 2,000 people, and most people were 70-90 years old! The food was fabulous and we had a nice room with a balcony were you could look out over the ocean. I kept looking for whales with no luck. If I do it again I would prefer a smaller boat and younger people. These photos are from a place called "Peggy's Cove" in Halifax, they say it is most photoble in the world.

My Laptop got stolen

2006-09-14T09:47:00.000-05:00

When I got back from the cruise and opened my luggage I found a slip that said "NOTICE OF BAGGAGE INSPECTION". This notice was where my Laptop Computer was BEFORE! It was GONE! I have called the TSA from department of Homeland Security, The Port Authority Police and American Airlines. The only one I can't reach is AA, I have faxed and emailed them. The computer was bought 2 years ago for $1,400!

I finally heard from TSA and the Post Authority Police. The Police man, Frank, a detective for 17 years. He said that he has been working with the TSA since 9/11 and is disgusted with them. He said the police have to leave there number for every job they work on. He has been trying to get the TSA to do that with their employers for years and they won't do it. If they had to leave their number on each bag (with a sticker) then it would be easy to find someone to talk to about it.

Shortly after the TSA called. They said "don't worry we have cameras and can see who is working so we will see who took it." I was glad and called Frank right back and told him. He said "They are lieing! I have been trying to get them to get cameras for years. If they had them I would have looked through the film by now".

American Airlines refuses to even call me after I have faxed and emailed. I have gotten 3 letters faxed to me from them and basically they say they are not responsible for for computers or any other Electric equipment!

I checked the bag with my computer because it was about a week after they said you shouldn't bring anything on the plane. I THINK my insurance will pay for it, but if they don't I think I will try to sue American Airlines.

This happened on Sat. 9/9. On Sunday I went to Office Depot to get another and told the sales person that mine got stolen at the airport. He said there was a guy here earlier today buying a new laptop because his had also been stolen and the airport!

Religion

2006-08-17T10:34:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking lately (and often) about religion. It seems to me that you pick it up from where you are born.

If we were born in the middle east, we would believe in the Koran. It's as simple as that.

We seem to be at war because of religious differences and don't really try to understand other religions because we believe ours is the true religion.

River Banks And Neighborly Contributions

2006-07-22T11:53:00.000-05:00

I live near the Chicago River. These show what the Neighbors have done to make the river easy to walk by. I will be helping out next Sunday to continue it. There are always people walking along, and people on the river going by. You can rent a canooe nearby.

I met a man last week who was talking about this place along the river that has lots of different berries that you can pick. It was my area his was talking about! It's becoming famous!

Click on the picture to blow it up. Before these paths were done it was a wild area that blocked your view of the river banks. They have been working on it for 3 years.

Changes to my home

2006-07-18T10:15:00.000-05:00

When I bought my building it had grass and some very large bushes in the front. The good part was there was no tree, so even though it faces north, it gets sun. I removed the grass & bushes. You can see how it looks here. I had bought some Bamboo for the inside of the house but I didn't like it. I took it outside and "planted" it and it looks great.

I entered these pictures in the WGN TV Contest...maybe I will win!

Amazing Trees (and my Cell Phone)

2006-07-16T13:39:00.000-05:00

I was talking with my neighbor Pete. He has lived in his house since he was a child and he knows everything that has happened to the area... He told me that when they were working on my building, there was a problem with a water pipe under the house. They found it had a hole in it so they removed it. Inside the pipe they found a large bump (about 10" around) against the interior, with tiny little roots growing from it. Each was about 20-30 feet long! It was from a tree. Trees are amazing. They found this little hole and made the best of it. I said to Pete that they seem like people. They respond to problems in many ways.

I have always loved trees, but I have an awful one on my back yard, actually it's in my neighborÂs yard. It's called the Tree of Heaven, but don't know why. It drops thin sticks all over my house (not on his house) and garage. I have had my gutters cleaned out 3 times since I have been here (for just 1 year) and they are clogged again. I talked with my neighbor, Frank. He is retired and doesnÂt live there but shows up frequently to do work on the porch. I told him I got prices to remove the tree for $1,000 and I would split it with him. Otherwise I would remove the part of the tree that is over my property (which is almost 1/2 of the tree). He said I should get gutter guards. I responded that they are very expensive and wouldnÂt work because of the thin sticks that continually come off the tree. I didnÂt tell him this, but it also falls all over my lawn, flowers and deck. (see the photos of the sticks on my garage and on my deck) Pete told me that the previous owner made the same offer to Frank. I am going to have the part removed next week that hangs over my property.

CELL PHONE Â I killed mine by running it through the washing machine. It went through all the cycles and it has dried out, but won't turn on. If it was a tree I bet it would figure a way to survive! I just got a new cell phone and they transferred the SIM card to it. The only problem was there were only 2 phone #'s on the SIM card, which means the SIM card doesn't like a bath either! It is taking me hours to enter everything, oh well another lesson learned.

CELL PHONE 2 - The replacement phone I got was a flat phone...I was in a hurry when I got it. I took it back and got a flip phone. They removed the SIM card and put it in the new phone. I assumed all the phone numbers I had put in the phone the day before were on the SIM card...WRONG! Now I have to enter them again aigan! I will go back to the store to get a new SIM card. Obviously this one was permanently damaged!

Car Problems

2006-06-13T09:49:00.000-05:00

I was driving to a survey downtown yesterday. It was about Health Insurance (my hot button) and would pay me $200 for 2-3 hours. At about 5:20 I stopped at a red light at Michigan and Chestnut, on the left side going south.

When I went to go, there was a big sound. It sounded like I had gone over one of those parking things that you can't see. I got out and looked under the car, but there was nothing there.

I couldn't move, but the car would start and sounded fine. There was a traffic woman working the corner who called the city to move me to a better place, because I was blocking one lane of traffic in rush hour! She called a second time and after 30 minutes she left, but told me to call 331 which I did. They promised to send someone. I waited. Lots of cars beeping, even though I had my lights blinking and the top up. Finally a cop stopped and said he had called someone who would be there fast. Sure, I continued sitting.

I sat there through rush hour! Finally about 6:45 a truck showed up to move me around the corner. I had already called a truck to pick me up but he said it would take another hour. The truck guy called someone for me and said he could be there in 15 minutes, great.

The minute the truck moved away, you will never guess who pulled up. The horses that pull those wagons downtown. They start from that very place and about 7:00. I had a horse right against the back of my van, and a wagon right in front. At least it was interesting.

The tow truck that came to get me missed me the 1st time because I was among all the wild life! Finally he hooked me up, and we were off about 7:20. We drove up north to a place where he dropped the car off. I walked back to work because Charlie was there. I got there about 8:15 hoping that rental car companies were open until 9. They are not. I was stuck.

I called my good friend Kathy Mauck who was having dinner at the time, but she came by and took us both home. I got home about 9:15!

I rented a car this morning. Whew!

I'm going to see Bruce Springsteen tonite, can't wait...I need some fun.

GOOD NEWS! My Front Axis broke (it's good it didn't happen on the highway going 60!) so it is much cheaper - $335 instead of $1200 or more. Yippee. Also Bruce was great!

An Inconvenient Truth

2006-06-12T09:36:00.000-05:00

I know many people claim that Global Warming is happening and it has happened before, that it is part of a cycle.

This is wrong.

You definitely owe it to yourself to see this movie.

It doesn't matter what you think you know. It brings up details that are shocking. It really is about saving the earth and time is running out. Don't be stubborn, see it and then see if you still don't believe it.

Comments to go with the China Photos

2006-06-05T11:43:00.000-05:00

The photos I took are on Yahoo http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mis2ko/album?.dir=d14dscd

Naked man - I was walking down a main street in China and crossed a river. He was down there taking a bath.

Trees in Shanghai - They were all supported with Bamboo, but they also has small blue bags in the dirt. That were filled with that white stuff that retains water.

Construction Site - They use Bamboo for scaffolding, but they also decorate the signs that surround the site with green leaves. The leaves are fake but they look real.

Laundry - In Shanghai & China every building and hi-rise has laundry drying on the balcony or on poles that stick out. The newer hi-rises and a room that looks like a balcony, but it is used for hanging the wash. Maybe they BBQ in between?

Selling Bunnies & Chicks- China is a study in contrast. The block this man was on was filled with fancy shops like Gucci.

Umbrella Holder - Outside out hotel. It put a wrapping around your wet umbrella so you don't drip.

Chinese garden - It was built in 1200 AD! I thought the "garden" would have flowers, but it had massive rocks. They were taken from a lake and were thought to bring luck back in 1200.

Little things about China

2006-05-30T22:19:00.000-05:00

1. We have stayed at 5 star hotels, and I LOVE the Chinese food in the hotels. They make really good veggies, and the sweets are delicious and not too sweet. They makes these "sweet" buns with sugar on them. The bun has a little salt in it and the sugar and salt together are great!

The restaurants are different. At most restaurants the chicken, fish and pork generally are hard to eat because there are bones all through.

Oops I was wrong....I Just had a delicious dinner at a very small restaurant, in a crowded street, where they cook outside of the restaurant and serve inside. Chinese people that Dave knows took us there. I took pictures of the restaurant and will put all the pictures on Yahoo, when I get back. I guesse you have to know where to go, like in any city!

2. The restaurants don't provide napkins, except for the hotel restaurants. The Chinese are very neat eaters and never use their fingers, or drop things. Amazing. I am pretty good with chopsticks, but when they clear my area there are always drips and pieces, not so with the Chinese, or Dave for that matter.

3. In the country, at least where we were, there are no STOP signs or STOP lights and traffic is scarry!

4. I am taller than every Chinese person.

5. I like all kinds of Chinese beer. I haven't had any wine that is good (except in the hotel where the bottle costed $100!)

6. They have a serious problem with pollution. Hong Kong is awful, very polluted, you can barely see the buildings across the street. They sit south of all the major manufactures in China and the winds blows from the north, so all the junk lands on Hong Kong.

I went with Dave to a meeting yesterday at a manufacture in Taiwan. Wile they had there meeting I took a walk. There was a stream of water along the road. It was full of metal clippings, foam and oil. They need someone like Rachel Carson, who wrote "The Silent Spring" that made America wake up to what we were doing to our rivers and streams. Dave agreed but said that would drive up the prices to cover the expence of it all.

7. Cars - Buick's seem to have the lead for American cars. Those are the only American cars I see.

8. In China and Taiwan especially the traffic is very weird. It Taiwan, there are as many autobikes as cars. What is weird is that if you are trying to turn left from the hotel, but there is line of cars, so you block the cars coming at you to get in the line. The cars and autobikes that are coming at you look very much like they will hit you. They stop about 2 inches from your car! The good part is that no one goes fast, especially in the old and very thin streets, it is unbelievable to see the corners that meet at each block, people crossing on foot, bikes trying to find a place, autobikes running between everything and cars turning. Wow, it's amazing I never saw any accidents!

9. When you enter an elevator or walk along the street and smile and nod at someone, you rarely get a response. Maybe it's because there are so many people you may be smiling a nodding all the time.

10. Very few birds around, although many in cages that they sell at markets. We drove around the countryside with lots of trees and greenery, but didn't see one bird, weird. Same on dogs, very few...and NO they don't eat them in China, I think that is done in Taiwan though.

11. The bathrooms are getting to me, so I am trying not to drink much water, although it's really hot here in Taiwan. Everywhere except the hotel it's a hole in the ground. Some are better than others, (some are really gross) but the squatting with pants on is always a challenge!

12. I really admire the Chinese people that speak English. There aren't many on the streets, but in Dave's business, the "makers" he meets with always have 1 or 2 people that speak it pretty well. They are the ones that take us around.

13. 2 nights ago Dave's "makers" had a banquet for us. Many of the restaurants have these private rooms...This one had about 8 of them. They play lots of drinking games, and though you can get pretty drunk, it is lots of fun. Although I can't speak the language, it is great to see them laughing so much and having fun.

14. I have seen 3 men with moles on their face. Black hairs sticks out from the moles, about 4-5" inches. No other hair on the face. I don't think it looks very good, but maybe it attracts someone? I have been told the hair from a mole on your face is lucky and you should not take them off.

15. Many men have just ONE finger nail VERY Long. I do not why.

16. Driving around the countyside of China, you could see several places where they striped off all the trees, leaving a scar of clay. Very sad.

17. When we were in China and Shanghai, I couldn't see my blog, or any other. I could however make postings to mine, but couldn't see the final product. This is good news to the people who live here, who want to make a blog.

18. All over China , they have parks with lots of flowers that are very clean. They have people picking up and weeding all the time. On the other hand - We went to The Dragon Boat festival. It was on a river next to a forest. There were many people and lots of food, just like our fests. Walking back to our car was a shocked because it looked like everyone had thrown there litter in the forest. You always hear about China, that there are many opposites. It is true.

Wow how very different is the country in China

2006-05-30T21:52:00.000-05:00

We went to a southern province in China and visited several cities. These are very large cities but there is a big change from Shanghai.

I met a young woman who Dave works with. She's about 25, speaks very good English and has a very reponsible job with a large manufacturing company, she puts together the quotes and talks to the clients, she the top person under the head of the company. She and a driver picked us up at the airport and the drive was about 2 hours, through lots of lush country side. Dave said to her that she had to get a visa to come the US (for her job). She said it was impossible to get a visa. In the same breath she said she had to get married, I asked why? She said if she was married she could get a visa, because she would leave her husband in China and that would make her come back. She also said she would have to have a baby within the 1st year. I was shocked because she didn't seems to want to do it, seemed sort of sad about it. I told her about the girl I met in Shanghai, who did not want to get married. She said it is different in the country, lots of pressure to get married and have a baby.

Women with babies do not work in China, so I am very surprised she has such a good job. I wouldn't hire someone that I knew would leave after a year or 2.

I asked her about the new Chinese President and she said she didn't know too much about him, but offered that Chairman Mao was the peoples favorite president. I said "that seems odd because he did the Cultural Revolution". She nodded, and said that there are so many people in China, it is very difficult to rule it.

Wow, she was so smart but it was the strait party line. She must have learned it all through school.

Hello from Southern China

2006-05-28T22:25:00.000-05:00

We left Shanghai yesterday and flew to Shanzhen in southern China. Dave said it was a fishing village 10 years ago, now it takes 3 hours to drive across it. The highways are all new roads, and they are building new ones every where you look. Many, many new buildings. The really strange thing is there are NO stop lights or STOP signs and there's a lot of traffic, with cars, people (walking right along the roads, and not close to the sides), bikes and motorbikes...and no one wears helmets. The good news is that everyone drives slow, but the left turns are very scary!

That reminds me, the only people that wear seat belts are the people in the front seat, non in the back seat, this is true in cabs as well as private cars.

We went to a famous market in Shanghai before we left. It is where they sell knock-offs for everything. You have to deal (barter) with everyone, and I was told never get for less than 1/4 the original price. I got a burberry coat (knock-off), where the orig. price was $1,650, but I got for $300, which is $37.50 US! Here's how it works:

You ask the price, they say $550, you say no, no, what's your best price? they type in a calculator where the price is $520. You say...that's crazy, I can buy around the corner for $50!. Then they complain about how you don't realize how many people I have to care for, or you don't know what I paid for it. They say...Name your price and hand you the calculator. You type in $40. They respond with hands in the air, saying you crazy. You say, OK i will find it around the corner. You walk away, after you have gone past 3 booths, someone grabs your sleeve, and it is that person, who says, OK $50. You respond $45, they look sad and say OK. Then you go back to the booth and buy it. Sometimes they will say things like "if everybody bargains like you I would go broke". It is lots of fun, the dealers laugh.

The only thing I couldn't' find was round table cloths, they had lots and lots of tablecloths, but no round ones.

China is closing that market in 2 weeks, their effort to show they are doing something about the problem.

I am sitting in conference room while Dave is meeting with the people from the factory we are in. They are talking right now about ceiling fans.

I forgot to mention bathrooms in China. The only ones that have toilets as we know them are in the hotels. This modern factory has a hole in the ground, that's what is all over China, that's just what they do. The women have very strong legs!

We are leaving tonight for another town in southern China. Then we will take a ferry to Hongkong and a flight to Taiwan.

Hello from Shanghai

2006-05-26T20:46:00.000-05:00

I put all the emails I had for my freinds into my palm the night before I left, but forgot to synce it up. I don't have your emails and I want to up-date my trip. Please send your email address to signs@signsnowchicago.com. I can pick it up and will add it to an email adress book I have in Yahoo.

I arrived on Monday. We crossed the Int'l date line so it was Sunday in Chgo. If it is 5:30PM in Chgo, it is 6:30 AM here.

I am with Dave Bowers, whio took me to China 10 years ago. Lots of changes, but it doesn't look like the US, not one strip-mall.

It is Sat. morning now. We`are leaving Shanghai on Sunday, for southern China and then to Taiwan. It is a working trip for Dave, but I find things to do during the day. We are coming back June 3.

I went on a full day tour a few days ago, to 2 cities near Shanghai. I was the only one on the tour so it was easy to talk to the woman and find out about her. She was in her 20's and had gone to college to learn English and majored in Tourism. She said she didn't want to get married, and was saving money so she could go to school in the US. She has to leave a "deposit of $20,000" that she will get back when she returns.

We talked about a lot of things. The farmers are coming into the cities to get work but in the country where the farms are, there are no schools, so there are lots of problems with them. She asked me about the US and why we are trying to stop the Mexicans from coming in, but not the Canadians. I told her the Mexicans are hungry and the Canadians have a good education system. I think the US should talk with Mexico and help them build shools and educate their people. This made us talk about education in China.

Health Care. She can go to any doctor she wants and she pays 1% of the bill. There are no health care insurance companies in China.

The 2 cities we went to: Suzhou, where they have silk factories and i saw how those little worms work, and Zhouzhuang, The "Water Village"...which was a made-up village, which i could have passed on.

I am going to a market today that sounds really interesting. It has lots of knock off products, and China is going to bull-dose it in July.

I can't open any blogs here, so you will see this before I do!

I'm Going to China - finally!

2006-04-25T16:22:00.000-05:00

Dave was here last week and we are going to China on May 20 for 2 weeks or more. Yippee! He's working out the schedule now.

We are leaving tomorrow morning for Shanghai. Coming back on June 3.

Abortion and Choice

2006-04-23T13:26:00.000-05:00

I just do not get it. People are against abortions because all life is precious. If that is so, how can they approve sending people to war and in favor of the death penalty?

For the record, I am against abortion BUT a woman should make her own choice because it is her body and God will decide in the end.

I do not believe in the death penalty, I do not believe we have the right.

Banjo 5

2006-04-16T10:51:00.000-05:00

I think I got it!

I had my 7th lessons last Thursday, and there is only one more to go. There is a template for each song that shows the music and where your left fingers go, and your right hand too. I have never really understood most of it. Most of the guys in my class have played the guitar so they know how to read it. I asked about some of it in the last class and I GOT IT! Now I understand what I have been doing wrong.

I think I will go on to the 2nd class! Yippee!

Banjo 4

2006-04-12T16:19:00.000-05:00

I think I will Flunk!

I missed the last lesson, #5, and we only have 3 more Lessons and it is much harder to play than I thought. When you think about banjo playing, it is never slow! As I said before there are many things that you need to do at the same time:

1. Strum with your right hand
2. Strings and Frets with your left hand
3. Read the "music" sheet with your eyes
4. Peak at your left hand to be sure it is on the correct fret and string
5. Then add hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides - all done with your left hand

Then GO FAST!

I think I will have to repeat lesson #1. I can only imagine that lesson #2 adds a whole bunch more things to do with both hands. There are a series of 5 different lessons! Maybe I can take them for the next 5 years!!!!

Global Warming 2

2006-04-02T12:25:00.000-05:00

Someone posted a comment on my previous blog and I went to there page: http://www.chinalawblog.com/

Some very interesting info on China and it's growth.

Global Warming - Uh-Oh

2006-04-02T10:50:00.000-05:00

The new Time magazine's cover story is called: "Global Warming. Be worried. Be very Worried" "Climate change isn't some vague future problem-it's already damaging the planet at an alarming pace."

It's complicated but here is an part called the FEEDBACK LOOP:

"One of the reasons the loss of the planets ice cover is accelerating is that as the poles bright white surface shrinks, it changes the relationship of the earth and the sun. Polar ice is so reflective that 90% of the sunlight that strikes it simply bounces back into space, taking much of its energy with it. Ocean water does just the opposite, absorbing 90% of the energy it recieves. The more energy it retains, the warmer it gets, with the result that each mile of ice that melts vanishes faster than the mile that proceeds it."

Yukon Forests used to be cool and wet, but they are catching fire because of a drought.

I have a high school friend who is a travel agent in California, Barb McCarthy-Demko. She is planning a boat trip to Alaska in September and has asked me to go along. I am going to try very hard to go because I want to see it before it changes forever.

You may have read recently about a scientist at Nasa who was director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies and a long time leader in climate change research. He tried to put out a paper that sounded the warning, but was harrassed by White House appointees, who tried to stop him.

The really scary part is the rapid growth of India and China. That will have an enourmous impact. I hope and pray that we can all come up with a plan that will save our planet.

For years I have wanted to put solar panels on my roof. I have checked the price and it is $17,000 to do it. You can get $7,000 back from Illinois, but that is still a lot of money.

I recently heard of a small county...don't remember where, they announced they were completely free combustable fuels.

Our government should AT LEAST be talking about it!!!!

Tenants in My buidling

2006-04-01T19:48:00.000-06:00

Problems, problems. 1st I inherited a woman, Maria, in the basement apartment who was paying very little. After many discussions about the rent, I gave her 6 months notice that she had to leave on March 31, if she did not want to pay the increase in her rent. On March 2nd she claimed she needed more time and it might take until July! I agreed to give her another month and rented the apartment for May 1. My doorbell just rang and it was Maria turning over her keys, she had moved out yesterday. I called the incoming tenant because she had expressed interest in moving in early, but she meant the weekend before the first, not a month early. This means i will have to come up with more of my own money to pay the mortgage this month.

The tenants I have upstairs are very nice, but everytime they give me a rent check, the bank redeposits it because it doesn't clear the 1st time. So far no checks have bounced, but it is nerve racking.

Banjo #3

2006-03-30T22:11:00.000-06:00

I just finished my 5th lesson and am really confused because I am having trouble "reading" the music. I guess it takes time to learn, but most of the guys in the class seem to pick it up pretty fast...a lot of them play guitar so they probably know about reading the music. The worst thing that can happen is I would have to take Banjo 1 again!

My Neighborhood - River Bank Burning!

2006-03-27T10:30:00.000-06:00

I live 1/2 Block from the Chicago River and the area is one of the best in the city because the Riverbanks Neighbors have created a walking path along the river from Irving to Montrose on the East side. Every spring they burn the thatch that grows to make room for the new buds. There are invasive plants and these have short roots, the plants that belong there have roots as long as 25 feet, so the invasive plants do not survive but the old ones do. Plus it takes car of flees and some other bad bugs. They get a permit and notify the Fire Dept. And Police the morning of. They wait until the wind is light and blows from the south so the smoke will blow down the river. The wind didn't really work that way all the time, and some of the smoke blew against the expensive houses that are there, but no one came out to complain.

They start at the top (next to the Fence Picture #1) and were very careful that they do not burn the fence. Along the river bank they mark small trees (most under 3' tall) with markers and take away what ever would burn from a circle around them. The after picture (#2) shows what is left after the burn. They say that within 1 week there will be lots growing up after the burn.

There is a group of people in the neighborhood that went to a 2-day class to learn how to do this. There was 1 with a hose, about 5 with rakes, and 3 with shovels. 1 man had the fire starter. There were about 40 people on and off watching it while I was there.

Then Martha invited us all back to her house (one of the expensive one) for beer and wine.

Amazing Neighborhood!

My Neighborhood is Fabulous!

2006-03-19T15:50:00.000-06:00

I just came from a RIVERBANK NEIGHBORS SPRING EQUINOX CELEBRATION. It was from noon to 2:00 at a house on Rockwell, right next to the River (1 block from where I live). There were about 60 people there, including Alderman Schulter and Attorney General Lisa Madigan who lives right next door!

There was group of about 18 people who sang for us. I learned that they meet at a house across the street from me on the 1st and 3rd Wed's at 8:00 to sing! I am going to go to it the next time. I love to sing and I'm not very good at it, but I spoke with a few of the singers and they said I should come over and just try. They told me people bring food and wine. At the Riverbank meeting someone had brought some Brown Rice and I make much better Brown Rice (very yummy) so I will bring it to the singing.

There was another group that meets to make blankets. They invited people to come to there meeting also.

These are the people that work on the River Bank. The area between Irving and Montrose is the best, and that is my area. They are planning a "burn" and invited people to give them there email addresses so they can notify them when it will happen. The "burn" is good for the bank of the river, but I don't know why...I guess I will learn.

The Illinois Governors Election

2006-03-14T15:33:00.001-06:00

Did anyone see the last republican debate on March 7th? They were talking about that Hate Board that 5 Jewish people had retired from. The men all said the board should be disbanded. Judy Baar Topinka said she thought it should be re-structured because the Chairman was making $90,000 per year!

Last year the City and State put there budget on the web. The salary of every person that was the head of a department was there. They were all making over $100,000 per year and most were making over $150,000. This just seems too high for someone that is working for US!

That's why I will vote for Judy Baar Topinka.

Banjo 2

2006-03-12T15:57:00.000-06:00

I just finished my second Bango lesson on Thurday. There are 9 people in the class and I'm the only female. The guys are all under 30! Oh well..I still like it though.

I can do the picking pretty well but in the 2nd class he introduced chords. That's going to take some time to get used too. Having your left hand do one thing while the other hand does something different. It's pretty hard to do, plus i don't know anything about reading music and making it go with the words...that's really hard. I can do C, G and D7 when I am just strumming, but add picking and trying to figure out when to change the cord..it's a whole new world. It makes me really appreciate people who play music

I've been trying to play Oh Susanna but not quite there yet for the whole chorus (forget about the whole song)...I have the 1st 4 words pretty well though!

Health Insurance Hell!

2006-03-02T15:29:00.000-06:00

This is one of my hot buttons.

The Private Health Insurance is so expensive because private insurance companies spend so much money on advertising, sales people, the money they pay their top people, and investor profits.

Of course there are 47 million people that do not have insurance. Because of this they wait to egt fixed and go to the hospital when it gets so bad that they can't live with it, which puts them in the most expensive health care.

I read a book called "Health Care Meltdown" about the Health Care Industry. It was very disturbing. In the book they compared the money spent for overhead between Medicare and private insurance. Medicare spends about 2%, private Insurance companies come in at 30%!

There is a group called Physicians for National Health Care. They have a website with a lot of information. If you really want to educate yourself about it go to http://www.pnhp.org/ and click on the top right "GET THE FACTS". Please take the time to learn about it, before you say "We don't want to be like Canada".

Banjo Classes

2006-02-28T12:20:00.000-06:00

I just picked up my rented Banjo and my class starts on Thursday night for 8 weeks! Yippee!

No Peace, No Justice

2006-02-23T14:08:00.000-06:00

You might have heard about that Canadian Citizen that was accused of being in a terrorist when he went to Kennedy Airport. Here is his story. Why is United States of America doing this? Don't we have the right to answer charges, and defend yourself? I just don't understand how we are allowing this to go on:

February 23, 2006
Op-Ed Columnist
New York Times
No Justice, No Peace
By BOB HERBERT

If you talk to Maher Arar long enough, even on the telephone, you'll get the disturbing sense that you are speaking with someone whose life has been shattered like a pane of glass.

"Sometimes I have the feeling that I want to go and live on another planet," he told me. "A completely different planet than planet Earth. You know?" Mr. Arar, thanks to the United States government, went through the almost incomprehensible agony of being tortured. Now he is trying to live with the aftermath of torture, which is its own form of agony.

On Sept. 26, 2002, Mr. Arar, a Canadian citizen born in Syria, was taken into custody by American authorities at Kennedy Airport in New York. He was locked in chains and shackles and accused of being "a member of a known terrorist organization."

There was no evidence to support the accusation, and no evidence has ever come to light. Nevertheless, as part of the hideous U.S. policy known as extraordinary rendition, Mr. Arar was shipped off to Syria, where he was kept in an underground rat-infested, grave-like cell, and tortured. (When I visited him in Ottawa last year, he told me how he had screamed and wept and begged both God and his captors for mercy.)

After 10 months, he was released. No charges against him were ever filed. I called Mr. Arar last week after a federal judge in Brooklyn threw out a lawsuit in which Mr. Arar had sought damages from the U.S. government for his ordeal.

"I don't feel like I am the same person," he said. "I feel that my brain or my inner soul does not want to think about what's going on. My soul is trying to distract itself from reality." The reality, he said, is that his life has been all but completely destroyed. He is fearful. He has become psychologically and emotionally istant from his wife and two young children. He has nightmares. He can't find a job. He spins dizzily from one bout with depression to another. And some former friends who are Muslim will no longer associate with him because "they're afraid to be the next target."

"I mean, you can tell, no one wants to hear about me," he said. "After 9/11, everyone branded with the terrorism label — they're doomed." Mr. Arar, now 35, made a comfortable living as a software engineer before he fell into the demonic embrace of the rendition program. Now no one will hire him. "They put it in a nice way," he said. "They've said to people: 'Listen, we believe he's innocent. But, you know, we don't want to hire him.' " Mr. Arar's own psychological difficulties have compounded the external challenges he faces. "I was invited to go and speak in Vancouver, which is west of here," he said. "But I can't take the plane anymore. Psychologically
I am so scared to fly. So I couldn't go."

He said he frequently lacks the confidence or motivation to perform even minor tasks, and often feels overwhelmed by the thought of something as ordinary as a scheduled meeting with the principal at his 9-year-old daughter's school.

He said his 4-year-old son, Houd, panics whenever he thinks his father is about to go out. "He always wants to come with me," said Mr. Arar. "He insists, and he cries if I can't take him. He's afraid that if I go, I won't ever come back."

So the nightmare that began with rendition continues with no end in sight. Mr. Arar is grateful that his wife was able to land a job last year with a political party. "It's not much money," he said, "but had she not found a job we would be in a very, very miserable situation. We're just barely surviving."

Unexpected emotional support has come from ordinary Canadians; strangers frequently come up to Mr. Arar on the street and shake his hand. "They might say, "We're behind you,' or, 'We support you,' " he said. "It means a lot to me."

The rendition program is one more example of the way the United States, using the threat of terror as an excuse, has locked its ideals away in a drawer somewhere. We don't even give them lip service anymore. A person like Mr. Arar is not seen as having any rights. He's not even seen as human. He was carted away in accordance with official U.S. policy, and treated like an
animal.

"They are doing this to people and it is wrong, wrong, wrong," said Mr. Arar. "This is an evil practice, and I want them to acknowledge it. I want them to acknowledge that what they did to me was wrong."

Morality, Politics & Religion

2006-02-22T15:13:00.000-06:00

I don’t understand how Christians can support George W. Bush.

Is it Moral to give tax breaks to millionaires that amount to 90 billion dollars and at the same time trim the budget for the sick and poor of 50 Billion? There are many people that were born with problems that will not allow them to lead “regular” lives. They need the support from our government to survive. It strikes me that this is related to the abortion issue. Can you say that you are against abortion and then approve how the budget would affect these poor souls? If these people had been aborted the government wouldn’t have to help them. I do not advocate this but it really makes me wonder.

Would Jesus do this?

Iraq has brought us 2,270 American Deaths and 16,742 Wounded and 28,500 Civilians Iraq deaths. The Bush Administration lied about the reasons to go to war.

The U.S. holds 505 detainees at Guantanamo, some of them captured after the U.S. ousted Afghanistan's Taliban regime following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Many have been held for more than three years without charge. Lawyers have sought their trial or release. Isn’t it possible that some of them got tabbed by accident? Most of them have families back home. We have always been a nation of laws, where you get charged and you get to defend yourself. The people have been there for 3 YEARS! Why won’t we charge them? How can this be Moral?

The worst has been the Environment

Bush Quote: "In the years since Earth Day was established, America has made great strides in honoring the ideal of conservation and living by high standards of stewardship.” [Source: White House Web site]

"Three years into the current administration, the trend in environmental regulation is sledgehammer clear: this administration is the worst steward of the environment ever. So bad is the record, so long the list of environmental depredations, that it is difficult to pick the worst. The administration has gutted rules limiting deadly air pollution; undone protections against the filth of factory farms; proposed allowing industry to buy and sell permits to emit mercury, a known poison; slashed protections for the most pristine of our publicly owned forests; sought to
permit oil-drilling in the crown jewel of the American wildlife refuge system:

http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=34898

I have trouble with organized religions but I think I am a pretty moral person. I am opposed to abortion, but believe a woman has a right to choose what happens to her own body. I’ve never understood why politicians don’t say this when they are accused of being pro abortion if they are pro choice.

Tucson

2006-02-21T10:46:00.000-06:00

I just spent a week in Tucson Arizona. I would never want to live there for 2 reasons: It’s very dry, and there are dangerous animals there!

Tucson is in a valley surrounded by mountains. When you are up in the mountains it looks like a bowl and is very hazy, I think it must be pollution. The area is very interesting with big skies and interesting plants.

DRYNESS

Everywhere we went there were signs saying “EXTREEM FIRE DANGER - VERY DRY”, but all over the place there is grass, which takes a lot of water and there are no rules about how you use water there.

This is supposed to be there “rainy” season but they haven’t had rain in months and they are building lots of new houses, which will take up even more water.

We drove up the largest mountain – Mount Lemmon. It took about an hour and you went through 3 climate zones! First dry dessert with lots of cactus, then palm trees, then fir trees! Amazing! We were looking for Summerville at the top. According to a book on Tucson we had, it was a resort that had a restaurant and the best view around. As we were driving up we noticed a mountain range next to us…all the trees were burned, in a very large area, as far as we could see.

We got to the top and followed a sign saying Summerville with an arrow going around the corner, but when we turned the corner, it was a very small community with lots of building going on. We figured it was a new area with the people from Tucson building there houses to stay on the mountain top during the hot summers.

We turned around figuring we had missed it somehow, but there aren’t a lot of car roads on a mountain and we pulled into a gift shop/convenience shop and asked where Summerville is? The man said “this is it”. He said in the summer of 2003 the whole mountain went up in flames! They were rebuilding the town. He had 3 8x10 pictures on his wall, 1 before, 1 during (building in flames) and 1 after (rebuilt).

I asked him if the insurance company refused to renew his insurance (like my insurance did on nelson after spending $250 on roof damage), he said they raised it from $5,000 to $13,000 per year. It took the insurance 1-1/2 years to pay off and he got less that his building was worth. He said there is a little secret that insurance companies use (I think insurance companies are very evil). They have a program that they can use, where they enter every door and window, to get an accurate replacement value. But they never use it. He said he only got his money when he threatened to sue them. He said there were 90 people in town that are taking the insurance company to court, and that can take 2 more years. He said there was a lot of sadness and anger there.

Incidentally there is a ski area there, but no rain means no snow too.

DANGEROUS ANIMALS

1. We went to have dinner with a friend, Angela, who lived in a small house on a street that had lots of houses. We went out back to watch the sun set over the mountain. She has a 6’ wood fence and a swimming pool. She said they have a serious problem with a “family” of bobcats! Dad jumps over her fence and drinks out of her pool. The neighbors are very worried and they called animal control. Animal control told them that they are “protected” and there isn’t anything they can do. They recommended that you keep a water hose nearby and spray them with water when you see them. Angela swims laps in the pool every day. You can see that there is a water hose right next to the pool. According to Animal control they only are “active” during dawn and dusk (I hope the bobcats know this).

2. We went to a beautiful canyon where there was a small “train” with open cars that take you though the canyon. Lots of signs around: EXTREEM DANGER MOUNTAN LIONS”. They gave us a flier about the lions, here are the rules. If you should run into one:

1. Stare it him, don’t break the stare (I always thought just the opposite)
2. Don’t bend over to pick up your kid
3. Make yourself larger with your shirt/coat
4. Talk loud and slow (I guess they have trouble understanding English and are hard of hearing).
5. Never bend down or turn.
6. If you must move slowing backing up. (I wonder how long anyone can stay there staring at him.)

If one should ATTACK you:

1. Stay standing and don’t let him get to your neck or head. (I guess it’s better to let him chew on your leg)

2. Fight him any way you can. You can purchase a walking stick in the gift shop that would be helpful in the fight (no kidding, it actually said this!)

WOMENS RODEO

Very Cool. We drove about 90 minutes to a very small town that time forgot. We stopped at a diner for lunch. The bathroom had shower curtains over the stall doors!

There was a rodeo going on and we were the only people there that did not live in the town. We had great seats, and when they were doing the barrel run, one the barrels was right in front of us. You could see the excited eyes of the horses as they went around. The women even road the bulls! I am going to keep an eye to see if the Women’s Rodeo ever comes to Chicago.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

If women can ride the Bulls in Rodeos why can’t women do the Ski Jump in the Olympics? There is a guy who is competing in the Ski Jump who said his sister is better than he is. I think it was just a few Olympics ago where the women were not allowed to run the downhill.

Missy's Blog

Wayne Dyer

Isn't Jail time enough?

Islamic Center in NY

The Catholic Church

Health Insurance Info

I am moving

The Supreme Court and Money - Chilling

8 things you should not have in your bathroom

Stroger Hospital

Pitney Bowes needs Competition

The Night Ministry

I am really Worried

My neighborhood

The Republican Party

Car Emission Problems

Health Insurance Dirty Tricks

Single Payer Health Care for all

I was RIGHT!

This Economy is a Real Killer!

Our Financial problems

Financial News Network

Coyote Near the River Bank

The RNC Is Crazy!

Towards Peace in Columbia

My Home

Christmas Smile

So many problems

Early Voting

17 year old pregnancies

Rap About the Collider!

1968 Democratic Convention

Obama and the Middle East

My complicated life

More problems

Am I living under a Big Black Cloud?

Gun Control

Make sure your vote counts

Boy oh boy

Changed my mind

My Neighborhood is so COOL!

More on Toxis here in the US.

John Edwards 2

Body Burdens # 3

VP Cheney and the Irag Oil Maps

The Cubs

OUCH! SAD!

The CUBS - YIPPEE!!!

I've finally made my Decision

Wow Very bad Storm in Chicago

So very Sad

Toyota vs General Motors

Could it be happening....

Body Burdens #2

My neice Emily - Update

Wedding in the Prairie by the River Bank

ARGGHH!

Body Burdens

My neighbor the Squirrel - It is now WAR!

Gun Control

Ny Neighbor - The Squirrel

Nature in my Neighborhood

Scooter Libby

Charlie

Wind Power

Chicago's Winter Fest

Health Insurance HELL

Oil Companies are going to help

Global Warming

The Election Next year

Laptop update

My 1st Cruise

My Laptop got stolen

Religion

River Banks And Neighborly Contributions

Changes to my home

Amazing Trees (and my Cell Phone)

Car Problems

An Inconvenient Truth

Comments to go with the China Photos