Queen Had It Up To Here

Religion and Politics

2010-12-03T15:08:00.001-06:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/03/AR2010120303209.html?wpisrc=nl_pmpolitics

Sarah Palin is wrong about John F. Kennedy, religion and politics

The following are not my words – excerpt from article linked above..

“The United States is one of the most vibrant religious countries on Earth precisely because of its religious freedom. When power and faith are entwined, faith loses. Power tends to obfuscate, corrupt and focus on temporal rather than eternal purposes.”

Carl Paladino etc

2010-10-11T20:30:00.004-05:00

Paladino said:

... We must stop pandering to the pornographers and the perverts who seek to target our children and destroy their lives.

I didn't march in the gay parade this year, gay pride parade this year. My opponent did. And that's not the example that we should be showing our children. Certainly not in our schools.

And don't misquote me as wanting to hurt homosexual people in any way. That would be a dastardly lie. My approach is live and let live.

I just think my children and your children would be much better off and more successful getting married and raising a family. And I don't want them to be brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid or successful option"

whether or not someone is gay does not affect your straight childrens ability to fall in love and marry and raise a family - wth!

If you are speeaking out against something and using that issue to get elected you are NOT practicing live and let live. These attitudes only continue to create a hostile environment for gay people esp. youth. There are gay people across all cultures and since the beginning of time. Get over it.

A kid doesn't wake up one day and say hmmm..what choices can I make today that will ostracize me - make me a target for bullies and potentially get me kicked out of my own home and despised by my parents.

If your church doesn't want to allow gays to marry - fine....but don't use your religion to legislate laws that affect everyone - including people of other faiths and people of no faith.

If you really want to defend marriage then you should outlaw divorce and enforce severe penalties for adultery.

Gay people are not pedophiles, perverts or otherwise creepy - they are just like you and me!!!

jamie

2010-10-09T11:49:00.002-05:00

Today is the funeral.. I know I am supposed to believe she is in a better place - I am glad she is no longer suffering but it just sucks. Someone so young and awesome with a young family? Not fair! It's hard and I hate crying in front of people. I was reading a book called The Shack and I guess it is time to pick it back up. It really made me think about things in a different way. Peace to Jamies family.....

My unlce Les died from cancer not that long ago - I have a friend who thankfully just went into remission - TJ had cancer a couple years ago - many women at my work have battled breast cancer (makes me wonder if it is the environment). WTF - all this time, money and research and still no cure.

op ed - dems strugglin but Repubs wouldn't have done better

2010-10-09T11:44:00.001-05:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/opinion/07kristof.html?_r=1

Giving a DAMN

2010-10-06T20:37:00.000-05:00

acts of violence and intimidation committed against a person simply because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, race, religion, ethnicity or anything that someone labels another as "different." Perpetrators of hate rely on fear and intimidation to put down their victims. Sadly, these acts occur all the time here in the United States. In fact, one occurs approximately every hour of every single day. One out of six of these crimes is based on sexual orientation.

Crucial Conversations

2010-06-23T08:45:00.003-05:00

I took a class and now I get a newsletter which often has good info and tips. Today's newsletter is good and comes just after I was treated rudely because of my feelings about off shore drilling - by someone who doesn't know me.

Dear Crucial Skills,

When I try to have crucial conversations about issues where there seems to be no middle ground (i.e., abortion, global warming, politics), people often respond with over-the-top, dismissive, and divisive statements. How can I effectively hold crucial conversations about high-stakes topics with those who engage in aggressive ways?

Signed,
Seeking Middle Ground

Dear Seeking,

Several years ago in London, I hailed a taxi for the 45-minute trip from Gatwick airport to my hotel. After I informed the driver of my destination, he turned back and said, "You have an American accent. Are you American?"

"Yes," I responded.

He then made a pretty bold generalization about the culture I came from.

It was late at night. I was a bit tired. I weighed my willingness to engage in an energetic conversation and as I considered ignoring the comment I thought, "I should be able to do this. I should be able to talk to someone with a strong opinion even if I don't fully agree."

As this challenge took shape in my mind, I found myself more interested in a dialogue. I had no intention of trying to change his mind, but I thought, "Here's a guy who wants to be heard. And if there's hope for the world it's only if people like him and me can disagree in a respectful way." With this moral mission in mind, I responded.

"Not too worried about your tip, I take it?" I said and smiled at his eyes in the mirror.

He broke into a broad grin, then continued, saying that he loved Americans, but again reiterated some strong generalizations.

His voice got louder and his face redder the more he spoke. I began to wonder if I should just nod and smile or if I should really engage. But I returned to my conviction that until we can find peaceful ways of disagreeing we have no hope of creating real peace in the world. At one point in what turned into a five-minute monologue I patted the back of his seat to interrupt him.

"Hey, my friend. May I ask you a question?"

He looked into the rear view mirror and paused. "Sure. This is your taxi at the moment."

"You know, I am from the U.S. and don't get as much contact as I'd like with people who have a whole different experience than I do. I am very interested in hearing your views. And I may agree with some of them but disagree with others. Are you interested in mine, too, or should I just hear you out?"

"Oh, no," he practically crooned. "I want a debate!"

"Okay, then how about this. You take the first five minutes and then I get the next five. At the end, I don't care if we both agree on everything or not, but I'm guessing we might both be a little smarter. How is that?"

He laughed heartily, turned to face me full on and said, "You are a strange man. But that is a deal."

I don't know that my taxi-driver friend ended up seeing the world any differently when we were done with that ride, but I did. Not that my opinions were profoundly altered, but they were tested in a way I was grateful for. Most importantly, I was encouraged to discover that dialogue was possible with someone who held strong views and who seemed initially uninterested in anything but a monologue.

This is what I've found to be helpful in such a controversial conversation:

1. Talk about how you'll talk. If you're having a one-sided conversation but would like a dialogue, and it's not going that way, stop the conversation and come to agreement about ground rules. You can do this in a very respectful way by letting the person know you are interested in their views and want to continue the conversation. Then ask for time boundaries, or lower volume, or whatever will help you engage in a healthier way.

2. Check your motives. Be sure your interest in the conversation is sincere. If you just want a chance to demonstrate the perfection of your own opinions, expect the same from the other person. Fair is fair. But if you want dialogue, be sure you are open to new information or perspectives. If you are sincerely interested in getting smarter not just looking smart, you'll behave in ways that will invite the same from the other person.

3. Encourage disagreement. We've learned a startling truth about dialogue. People are okay with you expressing even very strongly held views so long as you are equally genuine in your invitation of their disagreement. Before sharing your opinions, make a statement like, "You know, I've got a really strong opinion on this. I've thought a great deal about it and read pretty widely, and I'd like to tell you my view. But at the end, if you see holes in it, or if you have new information I don't have, I desperately hope you'll challenge me with it. I really want to learn from your view in any way I can." This sincere invitation takes the fighting wind out of others' sails. They realize they don't have to beat you over the head with their opinions because you're asking for them!

4. Never miss a chance to agree. Finally, don't go for efficiency. When we agree on 50 percent of a topic and disagree on 50 percent we tend to move quickly to the disagreements because those are what interest us most. And besides, life is short, so why not start with the fight, right? Wrong! If you want worthwhile dialogue, take the time to listen for points on which you agree. Point them out. Confirm them. Put them in the "Pool of Shared Meaning." Then—and only then—move to the areas of disagreement. When you do this you reaffirm that your goal is not to win, it's to learn.

I hope these modest ideas are useful to you as you engage with others. I truly believe the future of humanity lies in our capacity to develop mutual purpose and mutual respect across the planet—and that happens one crucial conversation at a time.

Thank you for your interest in advancing public discourse about our most crucial issues.

Warmly,
Joseph

HOOPS HOOPS HOOPS

2010-06-17T13:40:00.001-05:00

What Every NBA Fan Needs to Know About Ricky Rubio (Plus #15 on the Community Draft Board)
by Stop-n-Pop on Jun 17, 2010 6:44 AM CDT 21 comments

With the lotto in the rear view mirror and the draft on the horizon, I figured it would be a good time to put out a little primer about the Wolves and Ricky Rubio so that excited Knicks fans have a place to go when the Daily News tells them that Donnie Walsh is really good friends with David Kahn...and you know what that means.

1- The Rubio Road to the NBA 100%, without-a-doubt goes through the Timberwolves. The Wolves own Rubio’s NBA rights and barring him completely stepping away from professional basketball for an entire year (following a 3 year period after the draft), he is Timberwolves property.

2- Rubio’s buyout from Barcalona is reported to be $1.4 million following the 2010-11 season. This is hardly unmanageable and even if it were, it is meaningless, as the NBA’s CBA clearly states that NBA franchises can only contribute $500,000 to the buyout of a foreign player. The cost associated for a buyout of any foreign player (not just Rubio) is $500k. No more, no less. This is not the case for EuroLeague teams like Barcelona, who footed the entire buyout bill for Rubio and his family during his latest transition.

3- Rubio’s buyout from Joventut was originally in the neighborhood of $8 million and was eventually lowered to $5 million. Were Rubio to have come to the Wolves, and were the Wolves able to have achieved the same $5 mil buyout, Rubio himself would have been on the hook for the additional $4.5 mil. This was simply cost prohibitive to Rubio (who was making only a couple hundred thousand Euros at the time) to come to the Wolves with the slotted 5th pick NBA rookie salary. Here is what we wrote at the time about the situation:

At first glance, the NBA’s rookie salary scale for the 5th pick seems somewhat reasonable: roughly $15.2 million over 4 years. However, this does not take into account three key items that turn $15 large into a number that doesn’t hold up well against the reported buyout number of $5.28 million. First, $8.42 million of the $15.2 million rookie scale is tied up in two years of player options. A good friend of mine works as an actuary for Mutual of Omaha and he finds it far-fetched that any loan guarantee would be written while taking into account a non-guaranteed payment option. In other words, Rubio is really only guaranteed about $6.78 million in pre-tax earnings over the course of two seasons. Secondly, at no point in any of the Rubio reporting have we ever learned anything about the payment structure of the buyout. Would it be a lump sum? Would it be over 2 years? Would it be over the length of the full 4-year rookie scale? Again, my actuary friend finds it implausible that this debt would be paid on anything other than a lump sum or a two year scale. Even if Rubio were able to secure an insurance policy that extends beyond his guaranteed years, he would face a high premium that may make it an unattractive option vis-a-vis the Barcelona contract. Third, Rubio would face a 35% federal income tax combined with state taxes in Minnesota and every state he plays in. To the best of my knowledge, his overall tax burden would be 42.85%. In other words, his pre-duty/pre-agent fee take home pay for the first two years of his rookie contract is roughly $3.87 mil. That’s $1.4 million in the hole if you add in the reported buyout. If he were able to secure a four year repayment plan, his post-tax take home pay would be roughly $8.69 million; $3.41 mil over the buyout over 4 years and $825k/year pre-agent/duty pay. The bottom line here is that it’s pretty hard to look at the non-endorsement money on the table in the NBA and have it compare favorably to what Rubio will earn in Europe over the next two years. At the end of the day, the Wolves could only contribute $500k while Barcelona ponied up over $5 million. Rubio likely chose the far safer, and more economically sound, option.

In other words, had Rubio come to the Wolves, he would have been paying to play in the NBA for the better part of his rookie contract. Paying to play for any team in the lotto, not just the 15-win Wolves, was not an attractive immediate option in 2009.

4- David Kahn and the Wolves made Ricky Rubio a ton of money. This is the point that most often gets overlooked in the Rubio discussion. By becoming a 3rd party in the Rubio sweepstakes, the Wolves effectively provided the Rubios the leverage that lowered the insanely high Joventut buyout, allowed a European League team to pick up the tab (which, as we previously mentioned, was done in whole by Barcelona), allowed Rubio to get a raise, and, most importantly, lowered his future buyout amount to a number that is completely manageable under NBA rookie salary guidelines (after the $500k Wolves buyout, Rubio is only on the hook for $900,000). He also won a championship. The kicker here is that if Rubio comes to the NBA after 3 years (and not the 2 that some fans expect, and is the first year of a possible buyout), the Wolves do not have to pay him according to the NBA rookie salary scale. They can give him an even bigger deal…at the age of 22. This angle may really come into play if there is a lockout. If Rubio had gone in the first 3 picks, he may have been able to afford the jump to the NBA. When he slid, the Wolves provided him and his family with the best possible landing spot: on a team that had an additional pick to use on a point guard to bridge the gap and who could afford to wait until a lowered buyout and, possibly, a situation where Rubio could make more than what he could under the NBA’s rookie salary scale. Imagine if the Knicks got him with the 7th pick. What would the New York media do if Rubio couldn’t afford to come over to a slotted 7th pick rookie salary? How much more leverage would the Rubio’s have lost with the buyout with Joventut if it wasn’t a closer decision to head to the NBA like the Wolves provided with the 5th pick? I cannot say it enough: The Wolves (and David Kahn) allowed the Rubios to make a lot more money and they significantly improved his financial outlook.

Ricky Rubio unexpectedly landed in the Wolves’ lap and they’re not going to give him up for anything less than a serious haul. The Wolves have allowed Rubio to improve his financial (and professional playing) situation beyond what any other team in the league could have done short of going #1 to the Clippers. At the end of the day, by going #5 to the Wolves, Rubio was able to have his buyout taken care of in full by a superior team, get a raise, continue to develop on the best team in Europe, and eventually come to the NBA at or around the age of 22 without having to worry about going in the hole for his buyout. If his agent throws a hissy fit about his client not wanting to play in Minny in 1, 2, or 3 years, all Kahn has to do is smile and say "thank you very much, we can't wait until he wants to." By showing patience now, the Wolves have significantly increased their chances of appearing credible if they need to call a bluff down the line.

Plus, for those of you who haven't been paying a lot of attention to the Wolves and how they appear to be being put together, David Kahn is all-in on the kid. They are looking to build a running team with long athletes who can get out in transition and catch all of those ally-oops. They are looking for players who can hit open 3s from the corner. They are looking for guys who can be dominant pick-and-roll players. Does it surprise you that recent rumors would leave the team with a 2011 lineup of something like Rubio, Rudy Fernandez, Rudy Gay, Anthony Randloph, and Derrick Favors? They are all in on Rubio, they have helped him and his family out, and they are not letting him go for anything other than a MAJOR haul.

can't believe

2009-12-06T21:28:00.002-06:00

I haven't blogged since Sept. Facebook seems to be my tool now but I'm gonna try to get better about blogging again. Had a fun party on Fri for my dad - most karaoke I have ever sung all in one night. Sat I took my dad to a T-Wolves game and he actually got to see a win! Then today hung out at Jon's and ate leftovers. Carrie/Lonny and kids - Michele and Jim - me and Don - Heidi - dad and Ellie - Shelly and Jake and Jake's friend.

Sat I stopped at craft fair to see Jeromes and Christopher Straub - check out Fbook for the photo of the awesome purse Carrie bought me; designed by Christopher Straub!! SO ecited - and I bought Zach a pair of his handmade underwear for Christmas. And I sent him a friend request on FBook - I was thinking it was a business page but it was his and he was kind enough to accept it. He really is such a nice guy and a fun talented designer! Carrie and I also had our photo taken with Christopher. Christopher and carol Hannah were my faves on this season of Project Runway - there was another local guy (Ramon) who was also on P Run - he went home way to early.

Back to work tomorrow :( and it will be my first full week in about a month so probably will be feeling tired and crabby by Thur :) Fun Fri night headed our way - Pierogie night at LRH3's!!!

One reason I like working at Land O'Lakes

2009-09-24T11:35:00.001-05:00

Land O'Lakes International Development Division Begins Final Phase of Iraqi Women’s Dairy Development Program

Land O’Lakes International Development Division (IDD) announces the commencement of Phase Three of the Fallujah Widow’s Dairy Development Program in Iraq. The goal of the multi-phased program, which started in October 2008, is to create a sustainable source of income for dairy farmers in Fallujah, Iraq, by providing a market for their excess milk and enough dairy products to meet consumers’ demand. Phase Three of the program is to build a Modular Milk Collection plant that will provide training and employment opportunities for women, as well as introduce raw and value-added dairy products such as pasteurized milk in bulk, sachets and yogurt in different sized packaging.

“The dairy plant will have the capacity to collect and process 1,000 liters of milk per day,” said Zaheer Baber Land O’Lakes Regional Director for Asia, Middle East, Latin America and Eastern Europe. “The plant will be manufactured in India, assembled in Iraq, and will supply products to local restaurants and other institutions.”

The Fallujah Widow’s Dairy Development Program began Phase One in the fall of 2008. At that time, a report was issued to the United States Marines which outlined the current state of the dairy sector in Fallujah, Saqlawiyah and Ramadi sub-districts of the eastern Anbar Province. It also assessed the feasibility of establishing a dairy processing plant for the Fallujah Women’s Cultural Center (FWCC). In late 2008, the U.S. Marines bought 50 local mixed-breed cows, 44 of which were pregnant, and distributed them to widows and impoverished women throughout the region.

Under Phase Two of the program, which began in February 2009, Land O’Lakes dairy experts provided training in animal husbandry and milk production and collection to the women who received the cows. Improving the care of the cows, the quality and quantity of the milk produced and the collection system has increased the incomes of the women, which has also improved the economic situation of their families.

Phase Three is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2010. Upon successful completion of this phase, the U.S. Marines, Land O'Lakes and the local government will decide whether or not to develop more opportunities like this in other regions.

Prosperity Worldwide, a 501(c)(3) organization closely affiliated with Land O’Lakes IDD, is accepting donations for those who would like to contribute to the purchase of more cows for Iraqi women.

Visit prosperityworldwide.org for more details. For more on this IDD program, visit idd.landolakes.com.

About Land O’Lakes IDD

Land O’Lakes International Development division (www.idd.landolakes.com) has been making a difference in people’s lives and local economies since 1981. Land O’Lakes International Development has participated in more than 170 development projects in 70 nations, serving as an implementing partner in projects funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, among others. Through public and private partnerships, Land O’Lakes agricultural development promotes agricultural productivity and competitiveness; food processing, product development and quality assurance; enterprise, association and cooperative development; food security and livelihoods; and health and nutrition worldwide. Land O’Lakes International Development is grant-funded, non-profit division of Land O’Lakes, Inc., a national, farmer-owned food and agricultural cooperative with annual sales of approximately $12 billion. Land O’Lakes is a Fortune 250 company which does business in all 50 states and in more than 50 countries.

Mondale and United Way

2009-09-14T13:43:00.001-05:00

I was invited to a Community Builders breakfast for United Way. The first week of Oct is United Way week at LOL and they always have some kick-off events prior; one of them being this breakfast meeting with a guest speaker. Last year we had Frank V from Kare 11…this year it was Walter Mondale. It was so awesome! VP Mondale talked about the importance of giving in our community – how the economy has greatly increased the needs and also he did a little political Q&A. Community Builders are people who give a certain amount to UW and are considered leaders at their place of employment. I think it is funny I am in the mix because most people are Directors and above – there are some other manager types but I think I am the only real peon in the room.

Anyway – you know I think giving back through time or money or both is important so I encourage you to give to someone – you may not like United Way but please consider a gift of your time or money to something or someone.

Some local stats:
*Approx. 580k in Metro are living in or at the edge of poverty.
*nearly 435k households use a food shelf
* family of 4 needs 39k for basic needs including a 2br apt – yet half of the open jobs in MN pay 22k
*by 2030 nearly 50% of all elderly households will be one-person households, doubling the number of persons over 65 who live alone.

This statement from the UW brochure says it nicely “When a child succeeds in school, when families are financially stable and when people have good health, the benefits ripple across the entire community”

The far right says Obama is bad for our kids

2009-09-04T11:48:00.001-05:00

from Salon.com piece by Joan Walsh
One of the greatest things about electing Barack Obama as president, for me, was his appeal to young people, especially disaffected kids of every group, including (OK, maybe especially) young African-Americans. In a country where schools are overcrowded and underfunded (as liberals complain), while many families and communities can't or won't take their kids' education seriously enough (what conservatives and some liberals say), Obama has always been someone who's able to balance both critiques. And he speaks to young people with passion, conviction and humor (plus references to L'il Wayne that John McCain couldn't pull off) about taking responsibility for their own education.

So I was thrilled to hear he was going to deliver a back-to- school speech next week. I like seeing him play that paternal role, Father in Chief, not just for his own daughters, but for all of our children. All of our kids need to be reminded that education is a precious opportunity they must seize, whether they live behind the high gates of a tony private community or in a violence-plagued housing project. After all the fighting of the summer, finally something we can agree about, right?

Wrong. I never imagined the outbreak of right-wing crazy that Obama's gesture would provoke, and this time it's hard not to see racism behind the hysteria. The message is "Obama's coming for our children!" the standard cry against scary boogeymen in every culture. I mean, really, what besides Obama's race could make him so scary to these people? That he's a Marxist socialist fascist Nazi? I'd argue that the only reason those extreme epithets have taken hold goes back to reason No. 1: Our first black president is provoking some outsize and irrational reactions.

Especially since, as has now been well-documented, President George H.W. Bush addressed American students in 1991, and Ronald Reagan did so via C-SPAN in 1988. (Bush talked mainly about the importance of education, while Reagan hailed the benefits of low taxes and the line-item veto.) President George W. Bush appealed to "the children of the country" to back the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001, to no public criticism. Admittedly, some Democrats accused his father of playing politics in '91, while Newt Gingrich ardently defended him. (Waiting for Gingrich to defend Obama. Still waiting.)

But there was nothing like the frenzied reaction to Obama's planned speech (which school principals are free to ignore if they so choose) to any of the other presidents' statements to students. The Florida Republican Party went into full-tilt crazy against Obama's plan to spread his "socialist ideology," claiming "schoolchildren across our nation will be forced to watch the president justify his plans for government-run health care, banks, and automobile companies, increasing taxes on those who create jobs, and racking up more debt than any other president." State party chairman Jim Greer called Obama the "Pied Piper" -- you remember, the shady guy who lured kids away from home. Since Obama merely plans to tell students to stay in school and work hard -- an early draft of lesson materials that asked them to talk about ways they could help the president was scotched -- Politifact gave the Florida GOP its "Pants on Fire" designation.

But that's not stopping other blowhards of the Pants on Fire Party. Lunatics like Pamela Heller of Newsmax, radio host Brian Fischer and WorldNetDaily's Bob Unruh are trying to organize parents to take their kids out of school for the day. Texas Gov. Rick Perry says he's "troubled" by Obama's speech. Crazy Glenn Beck and Michelle Malkin are raging against "indoctrination" while Townhall's Meredith Jessup is calling it "a massive abuse of government power."

And lest you dismiss these rantings as confined to the lunatic fringe and ratings-crazed talk-show hosts, the backlash has had an effect. First, after school administrators in mostly red states expressed concerns about exposing kids to the speech without knowing what's in it, the president's office said he'd make it available on Monday so they can read it in advance. OK, that's nice of the president, but is anybody else a little rattled that some right-wing bullies appointed the nation's unelected school administrators to vet our president's speech? And even that wasn't enough for administrators in six states: Districts in Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Virginia and Texas are telling reporters they won't show Obama's speech to students on Tuesday. (I'd urge parents of kids in those districts to protest by keeping their kids home, except liberals value education too much to do that.)

Where to start to explain this hysteria? Since the height of Sarah Palin's dishonest and divisive campaign last September, I've been alarmed by the unique way in which Obama's opponents paint him as "the other." For the life of me, I can't think of another American politician -- not even Hillary Clinton, although it's close -- who has spurred such visceral, irrational hatred. (Tell me if I've missed anyone in comments.) Sure, John Kerry was "French" and Michael Dukakis was Greek (and looked like a pinhead in that dumb helmet), but only Obama is a Marxist Communist who pals around with terrorists and wants to harm your children.

The hysteria Obama inspires in his far-right foes is primeval, primordial. From the Birthers' obsession with the facts of his birth -- which lets them obsess about his origins in miscegenation -- to the paranoia that he's coming for the children, there's a deep strand of irrational paranoia that can't be anything other than racial. These people don't merely disagree with him, they distrust and dislike him viscerally. He's not merely wrong, he's scary; even terrifying.

I've said this before, to little result, but it's past time for mainstream, responsible Republicans to stand up against this latest irrational attack on the president. I've clashed with MSNBC's Joe Scarborough over the years, and I haven't been a guest on "Morning Joe" for many, many months, but he deserves credit for calling out the people on his side of the aisle for the bile they're spewing. “Seriously, why don’t we want the president of the United States, any president of the United States, delivering the message to kids: work hard, stay in school, succeed,” said Scarborough, adding, “Get your ratings if you want, you’re just screwing your political party.” Scarborough's right, it's turning the GOP into the lunatic fringe, but I think it's also hurting the president, and hurting the country.

yes - more healthcare

2009-09-04T11:47:00.001-05:00

Some of the things that makes me so mad about the healthcare debate - it isn’t a debate – it’s Cons lying to scare and intimidate people. It’s Dem’s being too chicken to push for real reform.

There are no death panels – end of life planning make sense – ever heard of a living will? Doctors should get paid to help people figure out what kind of treatment they desire as their life nears and end – especially if they have a terminal condition – and the time to discuss that is before it is needed.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/03/AR2009090303833.html?wpisrc=newsletter&sid=ST2009090303848

The fact is most Republicans I have heard don’t even care much about the bill if they even know what’s in it – what they care about is defeating it, purely due to partisanship – stomp out Obama at any cost – even at the cost of you and me.
Demint has called health care Obamas Waterloo. His goal is to derail the process no matter what.
DeMint was ranked by National Journal as the most conservative United States Senator in their March, 2007 conservative/liberal rankings,[3] and again in 2008.[4]
At $1.5 Million a Day, Health Sector Lobbying Far Outpaces Oil & GasBy Dan Eggen
But the biggest spenders in Washington were the drugmakers, hospitals and other health-care firms that are fighting to influence reform legislation being pushed by President Obama. The sector as a whole reported spending $133 million on lobbying from April to June, up slightly from its expenditures in the first quarter of the year. More than half the total was spent by the drug industry, including the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America trade group (PhRMA) and firms such as Pfizer, Eli Lilly and GlaxoSmithKline.
Many firms have increased their lobbying compared to a year ago, in some cases dramatically, the data show. Pfizer nearly doubled its spending from the second quarter 2008, to $5.6 million, while Blue Cross/Blue Shield, PhRMA, Eli Lilly and others were also up significantly. One North Carolina firm, Talecris Biotherapeutics, increased its quarterly spending from just $20,000 last year to $1.64 million this time.
The health sector calculation does not include most major insurance companies, which have spent $81 million on lobbying so far this year and are counted by CRP as part of the financial sector. That means that added together, the health sector and insurance industry are spending well over $2 million a day on lobbying.

8 Great things about reform

2009-07-29T10:14:00.001-05:00

* No Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions: Insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing you coverage because of your medical history.
* No Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays: Insurance companies will have to abide by yearly caps on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses.
* No Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care: Insurance companies must fully cover, without charge, regular checkups and tests that help you prevent illness, such as mammograms or eye and foot exams for diabetics.
* No Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill: Insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping or watering down insurance coverage for those who become seriously ill.
* No Gender Discrimination: Insurance companies will be prohibited from charging you more because of your gender.
* No Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage: Insurance companies will be prevented from placing annual or lifetime caps on the coverage you receive.
* Extended Coverage for Young Adults: Children would continue to be eligible for family coverage through the age of 26.
* Guaranteed Insurance Renewal: Insurance companies will be required to renew any policy as long as the policyholder pays their premium in full. Insurance companies won't be allowed to refuse renewal because someone became sick.

saintstweetup

2009-07-24T10:52:00.002-05:00

Me and da boys had a great time at Sainte game. Joey, Adam and Niner put on a good spread b4 the game. Lisa had some great jalapeno and artichoke dip from Costco too! YUM. At the game was me - Joey - Steve and Scott - we sat by a bunch of teens from Columbia in town for soccer - we had a blast with them and the Saints won by like 10 - a good time was had by all.

more poli

2009-07-24T10:51:00.000-05:00

Friday, Jul. 24, 2009
Inside Bush and Cheney's Final Days
By Massimo Calabresi and Michael Weisskopf
http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1912297,00.html

Palin Favorability Rating Dips As She Nears Exit, Poll Finds – granted it is a poll, but it does have some interesting comments and stats in the article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/23/AR2009072303799.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

link with lots of articles

2009-07-23T10:07:00.002-05:00

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/health-care-reform/?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

tidbits 3

2009-07-23T10:07:00.001-05:00

http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2009/07/16/10245/mary_brainerd_the_ultimate_aim_better_health_and_more_accessible_affordable_health_care

health tidbits 2

2009-07-23T10:06:00.001-05:00

You don't want universal health care?
By Michael Goldfarb
LONDON — In America, the health care debate is about to come to a boil. President Barack Obama has put pressure on both houses of Congress to pass versions of his flagship domestic legislative program prior to their August recess.

Good luck.

Opponents are filling the airwaves with the usual litany of lies, damned lies and statistics about socialized medicine and the twin nightmare of bureaucratically rationed health care and high taxes amongst allies like Britain, France and Germany.

So here is a brief overview of health care in some of Europe's biggest economies:

Britain's National Health Service is paid for out of a social security tax. Services are free at the point of provision. No co-pay, no reimbursement. The budget last year was 90 billion pounds (about $148 billion). That makes the average cost per person about 1,500 pounds ($2,463).

The NHS is big — huge, in fact. With 1.5 million employees it is one of the largest employers in the world. Only China's People's Liberation Army, India's state railways and good old Wal-Mart employ more folks. Sixty percent of the NHS budget goes toward salaries.

The French system is run on a compulsory purchase of insurance through the workplace. The insurance cost is based on how much a worker earns. Low-income workers pay nothing. The average contribution per person is about $4,000. The government sets fees for services and negotiates the price of drugs with pharmaceutical companies.

Service is not free at the point of provision. But reimbursement for costs is swift and in the case of catastrophic illness all fees are waived. People are free to purchase supplementary insurance from private companies.

With a compulsory insurance plan, as in France, German care is universal and equitable. Germans pay approximately 14.3 percent of their earnings to buy this insurance. As in France, people are free to buy supplementary private health insurance.

Each system is unique (as are all the systems around Europe) but they have two things in common that make them different from the United States: Coverage is universal and the cost of care as a percentage of GDP is significantly less.

For Europeans — even those who would label themselves conservatives — American attitudes to setting up a universal health care system with strong state participation and management seem bizarre. The peace of mind that comes from knowing that in an emergency you will be taken care of and you won't be financially ruined has no price. Why resist it?

Beccy Ashton, policy adviser at health care think tank The King's Fund, worked for more than half a decade in the U.S. She explains the difference this way: "In Europe health care is regarded as a human right. In America, people think of it as a commodity that you buy."

If you look at how the Big Three's health systems came into being, you realize changing American attitudes may be difficult.

Britain and France created their systems out of the rubble of World War II. Pushed from below, the leaders of both nations sought to bring greater social equality to their societies. Social security systems were set up with equal access to health care given pride of place.

This wasn't done without facing down doctors and insurance companies, but politicians are never so bold as when the public will for something is clear. In 1945 in both Britain and France, there was no going back to the status quo before the war started.

Germany's system has the weight of history behind it. Its origins can be traced back to the first era of German unification when Chancellor Otto von Bismarck created the First Reich. In the 1880s he set up a system of compulsory health insurance by workers and employers and other forms of social security. He did not invent the system out of nothing. There had been a tradition among the German guilds going back to the Middle Ages of members making compulsory contributions to help their brothers in old age or if a colleague had to stop working because of injury.

Clearly, America at this moment in time has not recently experienced an epoch-shattering historical event like a World War and despite Obama's comparative popularity, he doesn't have the clout of an Iron Chancellor to simply decree what he wants and know that Congress will rubber stamp it.

Beccy Ashton points out, "The president must be aware of the fine line he has to walk. If he goes forward with a radical agenda, he knows you've lost before you've started."

So people in Europe continue to watch with bemusement as American legislators grapple with reforming a system that basically needs to be junked. Professionals like Ashton answer calls from reporters and try to refute right-wing misinformation that floats around the debate. Those damned lies and statistics.

The only statistics on health care systems that really matter are life expectancy and infant mortality. Both speak to accessability and affordability. If you want to know how the United States, the wealthiest nation on earth, stacks up, here you go:

In life expectancy, the United States ranks 38th or 45th depending on whether one uses the United Nation's statistics or those compiled by the CIA. (In both cases, life expectancy in Cuba is higher!)

According to the CIA World Factbook, the United States has many more infant deaths than its EU counterparts or its neighbor, Canada. While the United States has 6.26 deaths per live births, Canada had 5.04.

Britain, France and Germany? 4.85, 3.33 and 3.99, respectively
http://www.minnpost.com/globalpost/2009/07/22/10398/you_dont_want_universal_health_care

healthcare tidbits 1

2009-07-23T10:03:00.001-05:00

U.S. PIRG offers 'human snapshot' of small businesses' health-insurance dilemma
By Casey Selix | Tuesday, July 21, 2009
When Tracy Singleton opened the Birchwood Café 14 years ago, she was able to offer health insurance to all full-time and part-time employees. Today, she can only afford to offer coverage to full-time workers at the organic eatery.

"Every year, the costs kept going up, going up, going up — double digits like 22 percent; 26 percent was the highest," Singleton said today at a press conference in front of her café in Minneapolis' Seward neighborhood. "What that means is that every year you have to spend a whole lot of time shopping around to find the most-affordable health care plan for my employees. And what that means is that I'm trying to mitigate the cost to them because I can only pay 50 percent. … To mitigate the cost to them means we have to lower the actual plan they're getting. So, they're getting these high-deductible plans with not very much benefit."
Singleton was among more than 300 small-business owners across the nation to participate in a report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. The press conference announced findings in "The Small Business Dilemma: How Rising Health Care Costs are Tough on Small Business."

Effects of rising costs
Sure, 300-something is a small sampling, said John Stewart of U.S. PIRG, a consumer advocacy group. "Our goal wasn't to provide some scientific poll but to get a real human snapshot of what rising costs mean for small businesses."

Among the findings [full report here (PDF)]:

• 78 percent of the small businesses that do not offer coverage would like to do so, but 80 percent cite costs as the barrier.

• 55 percent of small businesses that offer coverage "do so to attract and retain good employees."

• 27 percent of those offering coverage do so "to increase worker productivity."

Despite reports of health-care industry lobbyists spending $1.4 million a day during the reform debate on Capitol Hill, most of the small businesses in this report think their voices aren't represented.

"The current voices that claim to speak for small businesses — big Washington lobbies like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business — just aren't getting the job done," Stewart said. "Only 24 percent of small-business owners felt that their interests were represented in the current health reform debate."

Others speakers at the press conference were state Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, and state Rep. David Bly, DFL-Northfield, co-authors of legislation to create the MN Health Plan. The bill, which seeks a single-payer system to cover all Minnesotans, has 30 co-authors in the Senate and 40 in the House, but hasn't made its way to the floor of either chamber yet.

"Simply put, it covers everyone and covers everything — cradle to grave," said Marty, who is running for governor in 2010. "When I say it covers everyone, that doesn't mean 94 percent [of people will be covered] like what's being talked about in Washington right now, but 100 percent. And it covers everything, including prescription drugs, including dental care, including chemical dependency and mental health."

Struggling to get insurance
Though Marty said he knows the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce will never endorse his plan, he hears a different story from at least one outstate chamber. "An executive I talked to at the Grand Rapids chamber said he thinks a lot of their members would be very supportive of this (MN Health Plan) because while the state association represents insurance companies, the members are people who are struggling to get insurance. … So, I think a lot of members of chambers are to the point now where they desperately need some way to take care of their employees."

"Many small-business people are spending lots of money on health care that doesn't bring them anything," Bly said. "They put a lot of money into trying to keep insurance and increases keep going up and up and up, and yet they're not buying any real health care."
Papa John Kolstad, a musician and owner of Mill City Music who has run for public office on a single-payer platform, told the small assembly that Minnesota could see job creation if the Marty-Bly bill were passed.

"This would be the biggest magnet to Minnesota for jobs to be created," said Kolstad, a member of Metro Independent Business Alliance. "It would draw businesses from all over the country ... that would take the Minnesota economy back to the Minnesota miracle again. This is proven by many studies; it's not just an idle assertion. So, if they can't do it for the right reasons, which would be the humanitarian reasons, they should do it for the business reasons."

Casey Selix, a news editor and staff writer for MinnPost, can be reached at cselix[at]minnpost.com.
http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2009/07/21/10391/us_pirg_offers_human_snapshot_of_small_businesses_health-insurance_dilemma

insurance

2009-07-22T13:21:00.002-05:00

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-tue-problem-insurance-0721jul21,0,5666288.column?page=1

patient gets surgery pre-authorized and insurance still denies payment – says pre-auth doesn’t guarantee payment! WTF!!! They went to the newspaper and suddenly insurance was willing to pay.

SPIN
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/21/AR2009072101677.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

you must be insured
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/07/21/ST2009072103763.html?sid=ST2009072103763

This healthcare stuff is so irritating – it needs major overhaul but I don’t even think this admin is getting it right – not to my ideas anyway. I am so sick of all the con crap being put out by insurance companies – sick of Dems that take money from insurance whiel on the very committees working on reform. Conflicts????? Insurance company profits need to be removed from the equation.

Decisions in healthcare are made every day based on money and profits, not the health of people - so don’t tell me socialized medicine would be worse. I don’t decide my care or drugs and neither does my doctor – the insurance companies do….and they base it on how much money they can make.

For every person from another country (found by insurance companies or cons) that says gov’t healthcare sucks - I can find you one that loves it. I talked with 2 Canadians who were cutting their vacation a little short to go home for a health issue – they had some care here to stabilize and didn’t even have to pay for that.

Watch Michael Moores movie - you don't have to like him and yes he has an agenda but there is info and examples there that people should see.

Weekends

2009-07-13T10:57:00.001-05:00

I had a great weekend thanks to family and friends. Fri night Heidi and I went to the Twins game courtesy of my friend Terry – we had GREAT seats and the Twins won!
Sat I chillaxed a little and then Don and I went to a Saints game with Dean and Lori – they brought steaks and baked tatos for grilling and I picked up yummy salads at deli. The eve was very fun – had a few beers and the Saints won! Plus both games had giveaways so I got some fancy Twins sunglasses on Fri and a Saints wiffle bat and ball on Sat.

Sun Heidi decided to go hang at her pool so I went along – we toasted and swam a little – Wendy came down to visit for a few also. Then Heidi headed back to St Michael where she is dog sitting and I headed over to Carrie and Lonny’s for a Meet the Baby BBQ. The food was delish thanks to Mary Jo! L3 is so adorable – I also hadn’t seen PEN for a while so was amazed at how much my little niece has grown.. She is so cute and I can already tell how smart she is – and I’m not biased :).

Short week at work – Wed I get to leave early for a project celebration – appies and drinks and then Thur we are heading up to Lancaster for the Wilebski reunion. I plan to stay until Monday – maybe Tues – it would be nice to be home and have a day before going back to work. The summer is FLYING by!!! Couple more Saints games – Buffet concert – women’s camping and then it will be fall!

Wolves plays

2009-06-24T09:58:00.003-05:00

Foye and Miller are gone - we have moved up in the draft - more could happen before Thur. I like Foye and Miller but am ok with the move - there are players I definitley don't want to trade so; we will see what happens. And I don't know squat about the 3 we picked up but am not going to invest anytinme yet - who knows if they will actually put on a uniform in the fall.

Healthcare reform is NOT socialized medicine

2009-06-24T09:52:00.002-05:00

Leading cause of bankruptcies is out-of-pocket medical expenses – even for people with insurance.

Three percent of Medicare's premiums go for administrative costs. By contrast, 10 to 20 percent of private-insurance premiums go for administrative costs.

New York Times/CBS News poll found that 72 percent of the public supports this “public option.” The poll, released Saturday, also found that 57 percent of the public is willing to pay more taxes to insure the uninsured.

IMO – healthcare should be about the keeping people healthy –preventative maint :) - treating long term illness – respectful care for the dying – not profits.

http://finance.senate.gov/healthreform2009/finalwhitepaper.pdf

http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/healthdisparities/index.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/23/AR2009062303386.html?hpid=topnews

http://www.newsweek.com/id/202872?digg=1

http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/06/23/why-healthcare-reform-is-still-alive-despite-killer-cost-estimates/

http://alankatz.wordpress.com/2009/01/18/health-care-reform-2009-required-reading/

http://help.senate.gov/Maj_press/2009_06_09.pdf

stay tuned to a variety of sources as this is constantly evolving.

Pawlenty cuts

2009-06-17T11:44:00.000-05:00

One Proposed Cut:
Reduce Children and Community Service Grants to counties by 25% the first year and 33% the second year for a loss of $16.9 million the first year and $22.3 the second. These grants fund child protection, children's mental health services, pregnant adolescents and adolescent parents and their children, adults who are vulnerable and in need of protection, people over age 60 who need help living independently, adults with mental illness, people with developmental disabilities, people with substance abuse issues, parents with incomes below 70% of state median income who need child care services for their children, and children and adolescents at risk of involvement with criminal activity.
Eliminate emergency general assistance.

So the poor, elderly, sick, mentally ill, disabled, and at risk youth can be cut to balance the budget.
They won’t write checks for his Presidential campaign so they don’t count.
If people can’t help themselves – screw ‘em – nice attitude.
His party wants to act like they are the party of Patriots and Christians – the only true Americans – not like us despicable liberals.
Well here is what the inscription on the Statue of Liberty says:

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

And I am no student of the Bible but there are many passages about feeding and clothing the poor/helpless/ill etc.

We all do better when we all do better – simple concept!!

yes it's true - I still have a blog

2009-06-12T10:15:00.000-05:00

I can’t believe how long it has been since I blogged. See what Facebook and Twitter do to you? I’m on those constantly. Of course it helps I can text to those from my phone. And those damn apps on Fbook – I have to tend my farm and my lil green patch. People want me to join Mafia Was but I’ve been holding off on that one.

So what has been up? Not much really. Monday my SD67 Women’s group is having a surprise birthday party for Senator Mee Moua – she is turning 40! Tonight Heidi and I are going to a Lynx game – they are 3 and 0 so should be a really good game. WNBA is so fun – a lot like a college game with how the crowd is so in to it – not like NBA which is a little more snooty – I mean, there are fans at a Twolves game, but also a lot of people who are “out on the town” – I call it boobies and makeup nights.

Weight loss – no more loss but no gain either – haven’t worked out in at least 3 weeks so need to get back on that bandwagon!!!

Next Wed I am babysitting Penelope for the first time – wish me well!

Sun I am going to a fashion show (with Mom) that Abby will be in – it is for the Cottage Grove Strawberry Fest – Abby is competing for Little Miss Cottage Grove. I am so excited for her. The Pageant/crowning is on the 18th and I’ll be going there too.

Then me – Heidi and Carrie are off to Milwaukee for Polish Fest – our first LRH road trip!!!

One political tidbit – Palin vs Lettermen – he is guilty of not being funny (and it was dumb) and that is it. But I don’t even really care about that – what annoys me is the milking of the situation and how it is used to go on 24 wild anti-Obama tangents. Palin was on the Today show and she was talking about the Letterman joke – and she managed to work it into a snide comment…….she was referring to during campaign when Obama said families were off limits (and he meant everyone’s – not just his – I think it was actually a direct reference to her pregnant teen) but of course she made it sound like it was only his and then she said “He who must be obeyed” or “The President who must be obeyed”. What does that type of statement have to do with anything – it is childish, bully, playground behavior but that is all they have. She has the right to say it – but what purpose does it serve? You think you have a real plan - tell me about it. But you don’t - so you play bulldog on non-issues and rally the faithful nutjobs.

Hoops

2009-05-01T09:06:00.002-05:00

At the beginning of the basketball season there were over 1000 Season Ticket Holders (STH)for the Wolves - by the last game there were 153 STH's with Perfect Attendance - of which I am one. So I get a free dinner on May 19th (Kate is going with me). In addition I have the opportunity to be the STH of the Year - to be eligible you had to have Perfect Attendance and write a 2 paragraph letter. I asked Heidi to write me a draft since she works nights and is such so verbose - I'm more bullet points and quick blurbs. So I took her draft and modified a little......here it is:

I, Julie Benick, should be chosen as the Season Ticket Holder of the Year for 2009. If you have ever seen a kid in a candy store (or perhaps in this day and age, a kid in an IPod store) then you have seen me at any Timberwolves event or game. When I go to the Gameworks and Autograph events, I'm positively giddy for the chance to meet the guys up close and get autographs and photos - you can tell my excitement based on my goofy grin in some of the photos. I am more than a dedicated and loyal fan (who scrimps and saves all year to buy tickets) – I have jerseys, bumper stickers, screen savers, signs, key chains, license plate frames, computer wallpaper and a cubicle full of Timberwolves’ gear. I even drink my water from a Timberwolves water bottle.

During the season I live and breathe Timberwolves, knowing that a game is always just around the corner makes otherwise boring winter months fly by. The end of the Timberwolves season does not mean the end of me being a fan. I read all the Timberwolves news, keep up with what the players are doing in the offseason, and I follow players, NBA and Timberwolves on Twitter. This season I started bringing my 11 year old niece to games so I can hook the next generation - heck, I even drag my husband to a few games and he is not much of a sports fan! But there is one critical and outstanding characteristic that I think is ultra important to being the number one fan and that is…I stay until the last buzzer for each and every game. I know that until that last second ticks off the clock, it is anyone’s game. All too often I have seen teams come from behind in the last 2 minutes and walk away with a win. And then, I have to admit, I laugh at all the other Minnesota “fans” that have left early so they don’t get stuck in traffic - only to hear on the radio that our dear Wolves have WON! Even if we lose, it is important to support the team until the end!! And last but not least, I should be the Season Ticket Holder of the Year because I am a Woman that is Crazy for the Timberwolves! The NBA is just not a man’s game!

Thanks for the opportunity!!!
jb (jbhoopsfan on Twitter)

Hope I win. Now for other ball news:
KG is out - I feel bad for him - they have the last game on Sat to see who moves on and I sure hope it is NOT THE BULLS! Th egames have been very exciting to watch tho'

Kevin Love made second team for Rookie All Star - way to go!!

Don't really like San Antonio or Mav's but guess the Mav's are slightly more tolerable.

social networking

2009-04-16T16:36:00.002-05:00

so I gave in to FaceBook and am addicted and now Tweeting some too. It's crazy but FB is pretty fun and that's where all my peeps are so had to take the plunge.

Keeping busy - am going to tan tonight. Last night was a Wolves game (disappointing one) but Kate and I had fun - it's always a good time when me and Kate hangout. Her new office is right downtown off Hennepin so thats cool - we can do some rooftop bars this summer!

Sat - take T to work then off to OCB for Nordin Quarterly breakfast. Sat night going to Swarm game in LOL suite. Sun is the day I can pick up me Saints tix - they have free food and tap rrotbeer and regular beer and fun stuff like. After that I am going to a movie with Lo - awesome cuz we don't spend enough time together - her kids are littler than mine and she does Scouts etc so we are both busy gals. We are going to see Duplicity although she doesn't know it yet.

I was asked to bring my crafts to a barn boutique in May so I better get on it and get some stuff done - socializing gets in the way.

I also joined Netflix so see how that will go. Liking it so far.

First Saints game I have tix for is May 19th - same day as Heidi's surgery so I guess she won't be one of my dates :)

so far

2009-04-06T18:45:00.002-05:00

Fri I shopped a little with gift cards.
Sat went to work out - Gen Grandmas funeral - lunch with Kate and haircut. Lunch was at teh Good Earth which is natural/organi/healthy and not so healthy. I had Heart Beet Juice (beet,carrot and whaet grass) it was very good, Then I had curry dusyed mahi-mahi with jasmine rice and fresh vegies in a coconut curry sauce - YUM. We wrecked all that by each having a piece of of Baileys Chocolate Cake - it was so very good!!!!!
Sat night went out and had a few drinks with Joey,Adam,Niner,and two kids from Lancaster. It was fun.

Sunday - made breakfast for everone at noon - ran to target then Wolves game with Carrie - we had a great time.

sparkrecipes - feed 4 peeps under 10 bucks

2009-04-03T14:41:00.001-05:00

http://www.sparkpeople.com/10recipes.pdf

Love or Mayo? LOVE!! Rookie of the Year

2009-04-03T09:00:00.002-05:00

Here is a closer look at some impressive stats that Kevin Love has put up this season, as of March 22nd.
Player Efficiency Rating - Rookies (min. 20.0 mpg)
RNK
Player
GP
Min
PER

1
Kevin Love, MIN
70
25.1
18.29

2
Brook Lopez, NJN
70
30.5
17.72

3
Greg Oden, POR
49
22.2
17.51

4
Marc Gasol, MEM
69
30.7
16.55

5
Michael Beasley, MIA
68
24.2
16.20

6
Russell Westbrook, OKC
70
32.7
15.45

7
Derrick Rose, CHI
70
36.8
15.43

8
Eric Gordon, LAC
66
33.6
15.18

9
D.J. Augustin, CHA
60
26.2
14.59

10
Rudy Fernandez, POR
67
25.7
14.45

11
O.J. Mayo, MEM
69
37.9
14.15

In just 24.9 minutes per night, Kevin Love ranks second in the NBA in total offensive rebounds:

1 Dwight Howard, ORL 289

2 Kevin Love, MIN 240
3 Emeka Okafor, CHA 234

4 Pau Gasol, LAL 223

4 Paul Millsap, UTA 220

Kevin Love leads the NBA in offensive rebound %:

1 Kevin Love, MIN 15.4
2 Dwight Howard, ORL 14.1

3 Paul Millsap, UTA 13.6

4 Andris Biedrins, GSW 13.6

5 Emeka Okafor, CHA 12.6

** Love is on pace to become the first NBA rookie to lead this category since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1984-85.

Kevin Love ranks third in the NBA in rebounds per 48 minutes:

1 Dwight Howard, ORL 18.6

2 Joel Przybilla, POR 17.4

3 Kevin Love, MIN 17.2
4 Samuel Dalembert, PHI 17.1

5 Troy Murphy, IND 16.6

Kevin Love has grabbed 10+ rebounds 31 times this season, most among NBA rookies:

1 Kevin Love, MIN 31
2 Marc Gasol 18

2 Greg Oden 18

4 Brook Lopez 17

4 Jason Thompson 17

Kevin Love has grabbed at least one offensive rebound in all but two games, best in the NBA:
1 Kevin Love, MIN 68

2 Yao Ming, HOU 66

3 Jason Thompson, SAC 66

4 Dwight Howard, ORL 65

4 Brook Lopez, NJN 65

4 Emeka Okafor, CHA 65

Kevin Love has gotten better as the season has gone on:

Oct/Nov 8.6 ppg 6.3 rpg

Dec 6.6 ppg 9.1 rpg

Jan 12.6 ppg 10.0 rpg

Feb 12.2 ppg 10.1 rpg

Mar 15.2 ppg 9.9 rpg

Kevin Love is the only rookie among the nine players averaging a double-double since Jan. 1 (min. 20 games):

Marcus Camby 10.4 ppg 10.7 rpg

Tim Duncan 19.0 ppg 10.9 rpg

Dwight Howard 21.9 ppg 14.0 rpg

David Lee 17.3 ppg 12.7 rpg

Kevin Love 13.2 ppg 10.0 rpg

Steve Nash 15.7 ppg 10.6 apg

Troy Murphy 15.9 ppg 12.0 rpg

Chris Paul 24.0 ppg 10.4 apg

Deron Williams 20.9 ppg 11.0 apg

Kevin Love is on pace to finish with the fourth-best rebound percentage by a rookie in NBA history (min. 20 minutes per game):

1 Clifford Ray, CHI 22.1 (1971-72)

2 Larry Smith, GSW 21.4 (1980-81)

3 Charles Oakley, CHI 21.2 (1985-86)

4 Kevin Love, MIN 21.0 (2008-09)

5 Shaquille O'Neal, ORL 20.6 (1992-93)

Kevin Love is on pace to finish with the fifth-best offensive rebound percentage by a rookie in NBA history (min. 20 minutes per game):

1 Larry Smith, GSW 18.3 (1980-81)

2 Popeye Jones, DAL 17.6 (1993-94)

3 Hakeem Olajuwon, HOU 16.9 (1984-85)

4 Charles Oakley, CHI 15.7 (1985-86)

5 Kevin Love, MIN 15.4 (2008-09)

and people wonder why I'm not a practicing Catholic

2009-04-01T15:54:00.002-05:00

Twin Cities Archbishop opposes Obama speech at Notre Dame

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Count Archbishop John Nienstedt as among the chorus of prominent Roman Catholics coming out against Notre Dame's decision to invite President Barack Obama to speak at its commencement in May.

The leader of the St. Paul-Minneapolis Archdiocese has written a blistering letter to Notre Dame president Rev. John Jenkins calling the invitation "egregious" and a "travesty."

Nienstedt calls Obama an "anti-Catholic" politician who has worked against church policies on abortion, stem cell research and gay rights.

The archdiocese would not release the letter, but it's leaked on to the Web and has been covered by the Catholic media.

In a statement, Jenkins says the invitation should not be seen as an endorsement of Obama's policies.

Help the poor, feed the hungry and love the unloveable but leave the university alone - there is plenty of more important stuff to be outraged about than who speaks where. I know it is a Catholic institution but c'mon.

You can NOT vote for people based on your beliefs - you can NOT buy their stuff and you can NOT listen to them, attend events etc. But you can't stop others from doing the same - they might not share your beliefs. There are lots of thinsg I wouldn't do - but I wouldn't stop you.

Obama gets hazy on reefer economics (opinion piece)

2009-04-01T10:18:00.001-05:00

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped0401pageapr01,0,1071790.column

April Fools

2009-04-01T09:57:00.003-05:00

not that I have any but that is what day it is. My Happy Bunny calendar says "Just Not In To It I Guess" and that is pretty much how I feel today. Work has been overwhelming lately but I do still have a job - so I keep telling myself :). Sat we went to Moms for March/April bdays - Don will be 47 on the 12th and Jims is the 13th - funny how our hubby's are one day apart and M and I are 3 days apart.

Sat night was at Wendy's for her bday party - just us close bi's - it was a good time. mellow - Sun I went to the game by myself and it was fun plus a win - unlike last night. Last night Love did well and Jesse (Justin's wife)won the 50$ VISA card - she and Seth were at the game - I NEVER WIN THAT DAMN THING!

This weekend I have no plans (except a game Sun night with Carrie) but need to clean my house and do some crafting (a coworker invited me to put stuff in her Spring Barn Boutique)- plus I might actually get to hang with Heidi. Her work schedule is totally cutting into my time with her - I am going to take some Pdays this summer though to hang by the pool with her - so my Pdays will be POOL DAYS - hehehe. Can't wait!!!!!!

Oh Yeah - and Pnut (in a drunken state) told me she couldn't figure out why Don and I were together when she first met us (when I was pregnant with Travis). Evidently he was to cute for me or I was to fat for him or something like that. We all know who won the real prize in that deal :) Love ya Don!!

Dilbert is turning 20

2009-03-26T10:10:00.001-05:00

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-0326-dilbert-comicsmar26,0,4861469.story?page=1

where are all my bloggers

2009-03-24T16:22:00.001-05:00

no one is updating......are you all on Facebook? Where is everyone? Twittering away? Even Alice has updated finally.

Mary Kiffmeyer - find something better to do

2009-03-24T16:21:00.000-05:00

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=554468&catid=14

don't sit in your car and get drunk

2009-03-24T16:20:00.001-05:00

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=554753&catid=14

info on banking and toxic assets

2009-03-24T09:57:00.001-05:00

I read these and found them informative

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-tue_toxic_assets_q_and_amar24,0,2827790.story

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/chi-tue-greising-0324-mar24,0,4424479.column

W said something I don't hate !?!?!?

2009-03-18T11:26:00.002-05:00

excerpt from Chicago Trib onlime:
by Mark Silva

Rush Limbaugh may want Barack Obama to fail.

And Dick Cheney may say the new president has put the nation at greater risk with his approach to foreign policy.

But former President George W. Bush, in his debut on the speaker's circuit, isn't saying anything of the kind about his successor.

"I'm not going to spend my time criticizing him,'' the former president said Tuesday in Calgary - the Canadian oil capital and so-called "Texas of the North'' -- delivering his first speech since leaving office in January. "There are plenty of critics in the arena,'' Bush said. "He deserves my silence.''

Bush plans to write a book about the 12 toughest decisions he made in office. He wants Obama to succeed in office, sayng it's important that Obama have his predecessor's support.

"I love my country a lot more than I love politics," Bush said. "I think it is essential that he be helped in office."

good on ya George!

busy week

2009-03-13T09:58:00.003-05:00

Sun went to Confessions of A Shopoholic with Michele and Abby - cute mobvie

Mon - TWolves game with Roz

Tues - Water exercise at Y

Wed - TWolve sgame with Seth - A win finally!!!

Thur - volunteered at Jackson Middle School Cultural Night with Carrie - ate some GREAT FOOD - served pierogies and polish apple cake. Also got to bring home leftover noodle salad with pork, cilantro, peppers, cukes, lettuce, carrots, etc sauce was fish sauce, sugar and not sure what else. When I asked the lady for the recipe she said I could take the leftovers too. Generous and oh so DELISH!!!

Fri - Thai food and a Wolves game with my friend Kate

Sat - Water ex in morn - take T to work - catch up on Lost at Carries - I am 3 weeks behind then dinner and a Wolves game

Sun - Brunch at Granite City and then card class at Archivers with Julie W (co-worker)

Penelope is here

2009-03-10T09:42:00.002-05:00

Check out the three twelve report for all the scoop.
http://threetwelvereport.blogspot.com/

I looked up the name and found this:
In Greek mythology, Penelope was the wife of Odysseus who waited for him to return to her for twenty years. She avoided remarriage by claiming she would not remarry until she had completed her father-in-law's funeral shroud; every night, she unraveled part of the shroud so that the project would take a very long time. In literature, her name has become synonymous with faithfulness.

I held her last night and she is so precious!!!!

Baby update

2009-03-09T09:01:00.002-05:00

looks like today is gonna be the day!!!!!

SOV

2009-03-05T12:54:00.001-06:00

Wendy and I plan on attending the Lady Sovereign show at Fine Line in May.
http://www.ladysovereign.info/lady_sovereign_bio.html

GameWorks

2009-03-05T12:47:00.002-06:00

Last night Heidi - Carrie - Travis and I attended a Season Ticket Holder Event at Gameworks - they closed it down for a private party. IT WAS AWESOME!!! I am like a kid at stuff like that.

Kevin Love signed my Kevin Love jersey
Madog signed my Mark Madsen jersey - To Julie My #1 Fan
autographs in my book:
Love
Maddog
Brewer
Gomes
Foye
Carney
Ollie
Brown

Pix with Heidi or Carrie camera:
Heidi and Ryan Gomes
Me and Corey Brewer
Me and Kevin Love
Me and Maddog

Timberwolves pro picture - Me with Brian Cardinal and Mike Miller (mike was much cuter in person with his glasses on)

I hope I didn't forget anyone - pix to be posted later

There were also snacks, drinks and a 3 hour unlimited game card for every attendee.

Did I say it was AWESOME!!!!!! Why didn't I go last year??? I will definitely be there next year!!!!! HOLY CRAP IT WAS GREAT!!

Womens History (HERstory) Month

2009-03-04T10:55:00.001-06:00

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release March 3, 2009
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, 2009
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
With passion and courage, women have taught us that when we band together to advocate for our highest ideals, we can advance our common well-being and strengthen the fabric of our Nation. Each year during Women's History Month, we remember and celebrate women from all walks of life who have shaped this great Nation. This year, in accordance with the theme, "Women Taking the Lead to Save our Planet," we pay particular tribute to the efforts of women in preserving and protecting the environment for present and future generations.
Ellen Swallow Richards is known to have been the first woman in the United States to be accepted at a scientific school. She graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1873 and went on to become a prominent chemist. In 1887, she conducted a survey of water quality in Massachusetts. This study, the first of its kind in America, led to the Nation's first state water-quality standards.
Women have also taken the lead throughout our history in preserving our natural environment. In 1900, Maria Sanford led the Minnesota Federation of Women's Groups in their efforts to protect forestland near the Mississippi River, which eventually became the Chippewa National Forest, the first Congressionally mandated national forest. Marjory Stoneman Douglas dedicated her life to protecting and restoring the Florida Everglades. Her book, The Everglades: Rivers of Grass, published in 1947, led to the preservation of the Everglades as a National Park. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1993.
Rachel Carson brought even greater attention to the environment by exposing the dangers of certain pesticides to the environment and to human health. Her landmark 1962 book, Silent Spring, was fiercely criticized for its unconventional perspective. As early as 1963, however, President Kennedy acknowledged its importance and appointed a panel to investigate the book's findings. Silent Spring has emerged as a seminal work in environmental studies. Carson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously in 1980.
Grace Thorpe, another leading environmental advocate, also connected environmental protection with human well-being by emphasizing the vulnerability of certain populations to environmental hazards. In 1992, she launched a successful campaign to organize Native Americans to oppose the storage of nuclear waste on their reservations, which she said contradicted Native American principles of stewardship of the earth. She also proposed that America invest in alternative energy sources such as hydroelectricity, solar power, and wind power.
more.
These women helped protect our environment and our people while challenging the status quo and breaking social barriers. Their achievements inspired generations of American women and men not only to save our planet, but also to overcome obstacles and pursue their interests and talents. They join a long and proud history of American women leaders, and this month we honor the contributions of all women to our Nation.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 2009 as Women's History Month. I call upon all our citizens to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities that honor the history, accomplishments, and contributions of American women.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.
BARACK OBAMA

Weekend

2009-02-23T15:11:00.003-06:00

Fri - Wolves game with Heidi
Sat - Water exercise at Y - errands adn last minute celaning - bake cake (choc cake mix adn 1 can diet coke - no eggs or oil and it was delish! thanks Wendy) buy DQ cake get home and cleaned up for family bday party. I got a cool green velvety shawl/vest - LB gift card - trip to see Annie at Orpheum - cd's by Pink and Adele - cash for shopping. It was fun! We also celebrated Kelsey, Adam and Michele's bdays.

Then I did some more errands and came home to get ready for my kegger at 8. Thanks to all my friends and fam who attended. It was fun and I drank plenty - was up till 4ish - had to kick the Eberts out around 3:30 :) - Got lots of fun prizes - Bath and Body - wine - etc THANKS EVERYONE!

Sun - no hangover - went to Wolves game with Roz - she made me a fleece tie blankie for my bday and the fabric was Timberwolves - it is awesome and I snuggled up on the couch with it right away. Who knew Pnut could be crafty???? I was alittel sick to my tumy but it passed and i don't think it was related to the 3/4 bottle of Absolut I polished off. Seriously - think it was more the snacks I chowed down at 2 am. Best of all - no weight gained this weekend!

They played Crazy Train at the game so I started shouting "SHARON" - we had a giggle.

Back to work - found out about bonuses today and I am VERY PLEASED!!! My creditors will also be pleased ;)

Leslie Sansone

2009-02-18T11:39:00.002-06:00

last night I did my first mile with weights on my new DVD - walking away the pounds 5 day fitness walk....or something like that. I had planned to stop at the 1/2 mile but when it came I was like..already? so I kept going. Think I will do that for about a month and then move to the next level.

OMG

2009-02-16T10:53:00.002-06:00

Today is my birthday......and I'm 45. I wasn't to whipped up about it - even kinda excited but now I'm actually a litle depressed. I'm on the downside to 50 starting tomorrow. Crap - how did this happen? Of course I don't feel like a grown up and probably never will.

So I will get over it but it just kinda hit me when my mom called to wish me a Happy Birthday. I AM 45!

I think I'll just reread Indian Summer :)

on a good note - lost another 2 lbs!

Women after 40

2009-02-11T13:08:00.002-06:00

inspired by Heidi's posting here is Indian Summer:
Indian Summer

In youth, it was a way I had
To do my best to please,
And change, with every passing lad,
To suit his theories.

But now I know the things I know,
And do the things I do;
And if you do not like me so,
To hell, my love, with you!

Dorothy Parker

I have made comments like this ( I'm over 40 now and I just don't care if you like it etc) and some of my friends have been annoyed and even angry with me. Now I know that I am just trying to bring Dorothy's motto to life. So there

so much for patriotic

2009-02-09T10:13:00.002-06:00

"Asked along with other prominent political types to write 400 words on his hopes for the president, Limbaugh said: "I don't need 400 words. I need four: I hope he fails.""

Not that you can't disagree - I spent the last 8 years pretty much on the opposite side of everything but no matter how much I didn't like BUSH - I wanted things to turn out well for the country - I wouldn't say I hope he fails.

Here's an example of Rush family values:
Limbaugh acknowledged an addiction to painkillers in 2003 and was arrested three years later. (Prosecutors agreed to drop a charge of prescription fraud if he underwent treatment.) He has been married and divorced three times.

Limbaugh's listening audience is relatively narrow -- it is predominantly white, male and politically conservative - and I don't like any of them.

weekend update

2009-02-09T10:10:00.002-06:00

Gran Torino - good
eat at Khourys - good
cathcing up on Lost at Carries - Great! Carries always has the best snacks - and it was good to see her and hear about AMY getting better! It's a miracle for sure

Cleaned my living room in a MAJOR way - like vacuum the furniture and under furniture - hung up my St Paul poster - it looks awesome in there - worked a little on the dining room too.

I have always hated TicketMaster

2009-02-05T09:53:00.002-06:00

as often as possible Don and I buy our tickets at the venue so we don't pay 10 to 20 dollars extra for the priviledge (per ticket) of buying through TM.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-tickemaster5-2009feb05,0,1222255.story

been awhile

2009-02-04T14:05:00.002-06:00

continuing on my healthier living but life has been getting in the way a little - still doing much better than ever before tho.

Trav is struggling again - appt with Dr Moore on Thur. Please think/pray for him.

Tonight Heidi, Seth, T and I are going to WOlves game. H and I will be in TWolves Suite - boys in my seats. Wolves won last night so that was good - had lost previous 3. Lakers were in town recently and I can't stand KOBE - makes me nuts.

Stayed in the Grove last night to watch girls as Jim and Michele had to make a last minute trip to Duluth to deal with Jim's Zach - on top of that Michele's truck broke down just before, or as, they got to town - it is toast so she needs a new car before she starts her new job Mon and they need to get home somehow. When it rains it pours!!

Work is ok - we may get pretty good bonuses so hopefully that will make up for the little or no raise.

2%

2009-01-28T09:44:00.001-06:00

2% raises, max, and no new hires - at least I have a job I guess

LOST

2009-01-22T14:30:00.001-06:00

Seaon Premire party at Carrie and Lon's was FABU!!! The spread was awesome and very DHARMA/Honsu focused. Check out their blogs for pix as I'm sure they will post soon! (hint, hint)

The show was crazy and I can't wait for next week!

purchase

2009-01-22T14:16:00.002-06:00

I did it.... I bought a (TA da) SCALE!! It has been many years since I have had a scale in my house. So I jumped on it and (drum roll)I have lost between 6 and 10 pounds. Now the reason I'm not sure is because I don't remember my exact weight when I went to the Dr on Dec 29th. Either way it is awesome! I have been at it for about 3 weeks. The best part is I don't really feel like I've been depriving myself. I have been exercising but not as much as I need to - eating better but not perfect - and I still lost weight. Maybe my brain is finally ready.

One of the things on Spark People was to choose some reasons/motivators for losing weight - things like - I want to be more active - I want to easily tie my shoes - I want to go to an amusement park and not be afraid to go on a ride because I might not fit and that would be SO EMBARASSING!! You are supposed to make a poster then of pix related to those themes. I haven't done that yet but just thinking about that stuff is so empowering. I do have my pledge card posted in my cube - "I promise to make healthy and positive choices so I can live a healthy lifestyle and reach my goals"!

Went to Y last night and did 50 minutes of H2O exercise and 2 laps.

And the eating thing - I know I'm an emotional eater but have become oh so much more aware of it......and that is the hardest type of eater to make changes - Food is for celebrating - gatherings - sad times - mad times - etc.

So anyway - just think what I will be able to accomplish as I continue to improve my eating and increase my exercise. And seriously - I still can have treats and choose to have "bad" days and be successful in the long haul cuz that is what it is all about.....time. And even when I have bad days - they aren't as bad as they used to be because I actually decide to slow down, have less or stop while I'm in the midst of it. SO right now it's all good but there will be hard days and weeks.

Keep on keeping on - it's all we can do.

I'm not on a diet but a life long journey!!!

Yikes - that is a lot of soul baring for me :)

MLK

2009-01-19T10:02:00.002-06:00

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"

--the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.,
Nobel Peace Prize laureate and civil rights activist

stir fry

2009-01-16T16:12:00.003-06:00

Last night I made chix stir fry for supper and Zach actually came home to have dinner with me. I wish I would have taken a pix - it was beautiful and so yummy.
Chix, red pepper, yellow pepper, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, onions, thai peanut sauce (very small amt), Barilla Multi grain pasta with omega 3 etc. I had a small amt of pasta and lots of veggies. DELISH! I will have leftovers for supper tonight.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

2009-01-15T11:29:00.000-06:00

Artcile/opinion piece about Bush:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped0115chapmanjan15,0,950006.column

becoming addicted to SPARK

2009-01-15T08:59:00.002-06:00

I really love this site and the emails - it keeps me thinking about healthy choices.
for example - I got an email today with comments from people who hate to exercise but found ways to make it work for them. Couple things really stuck out - like "don't think of it as exercising...think of it as living" and "our bodies we made to move"
here's another one - "I have always thought of my exercise time as ME time, and I try to treat each session like any other appointment in my day. I don't do it for anyone else's benefit, only my own."
—DMJAKES

So my plan is to really do this slow and right and permanently !!!!! Which doesn't mean I'll never eat another piece of Key Liem Pie but it won't be 2 or 3 and overall I will make betetr choices and move my BUTT!!!!

Spark Site Tips

2009-01-09T10:36:00.000-06:00

Your Fast Break goals are small for a reason. Small works. Small fits. Small can be rescheduled, reorganized and easily resumed. Small builds early success and tons of momentum. Something as small as substituting mustard for mayonnaise can be just the push you need to get started (it saves you 54 calories).

Here’s a quote from one of our first SparkPeople.com members: “Many other times I've tried programs or read books on self help, only to find I was trying to see how I fit their program, not the program fitting me."

Not only should a diet fit you, it should work within the lifestyle you’re dealing with. Yes, your lifestyle is going to change as you move through the SparkDiet. But healthy change starts in bits and pieces. Light spring rain showers are life-giving and nourishing. Take that same amount of water, put it in tidal wave form, and it becomes destructive and lethal. Too much, too soon can do more harm than good.

To avoid the tidal wave, start finding ways to work new, healthy habits into your existing lifestyle. Your life is what it is. Ideal or not, that’s your dieting starting point. You’ll be a lot happier, a lot saner -- and a lot thinner -- if you work with your existing lifestyle instead of against it. Ignoring realities of your daily life just invites failure and frustration.

A frog tossed in a pot of boiling water will hop right out. Put a frog in cool water instead, and it’ll stay put as the heat gets turned up. The difference is that small changes aren’t even noticed. Every day, whether you think so or not, you’re faced with small opportunities to make healthy choices and build healthy habits, to make changes that you may not even notice. In front of the TV, at lunch with the boss, talking on the phone – the opportunities are there. You have the chance now to get good at recognizing those small windows of opportunity.

You’ll learn more about these strategies as you go through the SparkDiet, but you can practice the basics now.
Smart Substitutions. Did you know that a serving of mayonnaise has 100 calories, while a serving of mustard only has 11? A few of these substitutions every day and you’ve got a great head start.

Combine Goals. Works especially well with social or family goals. See if there’s somebody who can join you for a walk, make a healthy dinner together, or start a community garden.

Think 10-15 Minutes. We’re all faced with little blocks of time throughout the day that could be put to better use. See how many you can fill up with short bursts of physical activity.

Plan Ahead. Every program could benefit from a little forethought. The SparkDiet meal planner is just one example. Something as important as your health deserves some concentration.

YAY

2009-01-08T10:00:00.002-06:00

Day 4 of better choices and I am doing ok.
Went to Y on Tues
Timberwolves have now won 4 IN A ROW - last night they totally stomped OK
Am liking the sparkpeople.com website

Katey - COME TO THE REUNION!! PLEASE

Can't believe I have to work a full week :) - surviving to day 4 so far

Fri - Potluck at Senator Mee Moua's house then over to Carries for some planning
Sat - Abby Bday party for family and the Annual Friends Christmas at Lori and Deano's
Sun - open - maybe a movie - some good ones are on teh 5 buck club this week

Definitley need to schedule some exercise in there too - maybe Y Sat morning

family

2009-01-07T10:23:00.002-06:00

Last night Don and I were chatting and I don't remember how we got to this topic but were talking about my mom's recent ER visit and I said that it sucks for parents to get older and I hated seeing mom look so fragile and tired etc. And then I thought - oops Don's mom passed afew years ago. So then I said - "as you know from your mom going so quickly". Then he said "I'm sure I will cry more when your mom dies as I am closer to her than I was to my own mom" Don had a crappy childhood and his mom never was close to us - my kids didn't think of her as a grandma as we hardly saw even though she lived close by. She would often skip their birthday parties as she had better things to do. So be thankful for the family you have - warts and all. I AM!!!!!!

Spark

2009-01-06T09:48:00.002-06:00

My co-worker found a new site called sparkpeople.com for weight loss/health living. I joined up and it is pretty cool and best of all FREE. They have lots of different groups, meal and exercise plans, food/exercise tracking etc. So what did I eat?
Mon breakfast - 2 apples; lunch - salad with chicken and a few pita chips, small veg beef soup; supper - 1 1/2 chix breast with brown rice (pineapple/cheese rice)apple.

Tues breakfast - 1 1/2 cups Total cereal with cranberries, skim milk.

15 minutes exercise on Mon

sports

2009-01-05T09:29:00.002-06:00

Vikes lose :(
but Twolves are undefeated in 09 (hehe) - they won two games in a row! One at home and one in Chicago..
My friend Sharon (Roz,Pnut) and I went to the home game on Fri and we were upgraded to courtside (Row B) right behind the hoop. It was so awesome but of course I don't carry a camera! Might have to change that. As we were leaving we saw Maddog (Mark Madsen) so I did take a pic of Sharon with him on her phone - it was funny becasue he is like 6'8" and she is like 5'1"

I also saw on NFL news on ESPN or on E that Chloe Kardhasian(sp?) is dating Rashad McCants - CRAZY!!

more cleaning

2008-12-30T13:26:00.002-06:00

took apart my bathroom cupboard and a shelf over toilet and organized/tossed/cleaned. It FEELS GREAT! Also doing more laundry. Now I'm going to watch OLTL - my "stories" as Zach snarkily says :)

2 things

2008-12-30T13:17:00.001-06:00

1)I am laughing from the comments to my previous post
2)Timberwolves FINALLY WIN - 108-98 - over Grizzlies

Almost Jan

2008-12-29T15:44:00.002-06:00

So nice having a few days off work.....
1 - really cleaned my bedroom - took out 4 bags to donate or toss - cleared surfaces and organized.
2 - took fridge apart and cleaned it out - Travis came down and looked in the fridge and asked - where did everything go? I said it is just cleaned and organized - and some crusty food was tossed...so we have the same amount of "good" stuff - just got rid of the "stunt" containers

Christmas was awesome - we had so much fun! Thr gifts were good too. Don bought me a fancy Cricut cutter for my crafting!!!! Michele and Jims house is great for hosting.

Fri - SKINS and Rockband at Carries - we had dinner with the Jeromes - then Carie and I watched two episodes before Lon came back with his new Rockband disc. We laughed and lauged and had such fun. Carrie had frozen virgin margaritas that we spiced up with Tequila - it wasn't mixing well so we added some Sunny D (LRH3 idea) it was GOOD!! So we invented LRH Sunnyritas that night. While playing Rockband Carrie was VERY WINDY - one time I'm like - dude, did you Sht your pants? Somehow Native/Indian came up so I nicknamed her Sunnyrita Shitzherpants as her new Indian maiden name - Lonny and I were rolling - Carrie said I couldn't blog it......but it was FUNNY! Besides we all have our IBS/dump issues - its all good among rellies. LOVE

Sat I met Abby and Heidi for lunch - then they went to a play and then after that Abby and I went to Twolves game - it was a blast!

Sun - went over to Carries to watch more SKINS

today - laundry in my NEW WASHER DRYER that Don installed over the weekend. IT IS GREAT!!!! Twolves tonight with Heidi.

Merry Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T12:41:00.003-06:00

I am off until Jan 2nd - but I worked about an hour today and will do the same on Fri. On-call til 1 so my day is almost done - and no calls. Yesterday I went to the Dr and found out I am actually 5'4" - not 5' 3 1/2" like I always thought - funny. I got taller just in time to shrink - maybe my yoga phase paid off :) But I am getting back on the exercise band wagon. I had 5 tubes of blood drawn this morn -so far I have not been diagnosed as diabetic but I've been pre for a couple years. They are also checking my b12 becsaue of Heidi's results and Michele also had low b12. Dr wants me to be serious about weight loss for 6 months - visit her every two months and see what I need help with - been a couple years since I was serious about it. I just changed to this Dr and I REALLY LIKE her!

I don't really want gastric bypass and only started thinking about it because Heidi is. So now I have to devise a plan I can live with - I like to exercise so am going to put more focus at that to start and then incorporate eating changes. Maybe do Seattle Sutton every other week or something. I didn't really like Weight Watchers although it does work. The food part sucks - cuz I love food and FLAVOR - chicken and broccoli don't cut it although you can lose tons on it. How can I have a spicy, flavorful, healthy diet? Cumin on my veggies? Any recipes would be greatly appreciated.

Tonight we are having our little family Christmas with Potbelly sandwiches for supper and gift opening around 6. Tomorrow at Micheles - Heidi and I are going over early to help cook.

Maybe everyday I should blog what I ate - that would make me pay attention! But do I want to be that honest about my oops :) cuz there will be days! Stay tuned - could be exciting.

My new treat is this - pure pumpkin mixed with sugar free vanilla pudding - it is good and filling and fairly healthy! Need to make more.

Carrie - we need to get together over the next week!!

Love and HAPPY HOLIDAYS/MERRY CHRISTMAS

past weekend

2008-12-16T13:02:00.002-06:00

It was a ton of fun!
Fri - cabbage rolls and pierogie making PLUS Rock Band. I had cramps in my legs the next day from drumming (foot pedal)

Sat - the play was awesome - the character that rocked was named Gladys Herdman. That young girl was a great actor.
Court's bday - it was nice - they had a taco bar and a band
Jon and Gen party - I had a lot of fun this year - maybe becasue I was in the basement pretending I could sing for most of the night. Also tho' Graham and Sara and Oscar were down there too and I realy like them. Jon and Gen have some pretty cool friends. Timmy D was there with a scary facial hair thing going on. There were also Pickle dogs which Jon made sure I got one or two as they were going fast and I love a pickle dog!

Sun - made cookies at Heidis and a blizzard came - my cookies were chesecake brownies and orange cranberry drops. Both VERY EASY and DELISH!!!! I, like Heidi, don't really like to bake.....much prefer cooking. When I took my few extras home Don declared that the orange cranberry cookies were his new favorite.

Mon - back to work and the my non-profit board meeting. It was kind of depressing due to market conditions and so many houses being lost/left. We are hearing it won't start turning til 2012. I was hoping only another year or so.....

Tonight - my womens DFL meeting is cancelled due to weather so I will hit the grocery store - exciting!

and a purple tree

2008-12-12T12:49:00.003-06:00

how funny - my favorite color is purple and I took the quiz and it said I should have a purple tree!

For you, the holidays represent a time of creativity and expression.
There's no way you'd do something bland simply for tradition's sake.

You are an independent person, and you definitely do the holidays your own way.
And you're decadent enough to go way over the top with any unusual holiday ideas you have.

Your purple tree would look great with: Purple lights and ornaments

You should spend Christmas Eve watching: A Christmas Story

What you should bake for Santa: "Kitchen sink" cookies - with a ton of things in them

stuffed I kyped from Kateys blog

2008-12-12T12:47:00.001-06:00

I am a Striped Sweater

You are a bouncy, lively, and even a little raucous.
You love life loudly, and everyone is invited to your party.

You are very hyper, and sometimes you act without thinking.
And while your impetuousness gets you in trouble, your charm gets you out of trouble.
You Are a Striped Sweater

Thur

2008-12-11T16:17:00.002-06:00

Sat Kate and I went to a Wolves game and I was almost ready to leave early - I was tired cuz I had been up since 4 with T (anxiety) and they were sucking! But I stuck it out. Game on tues I went alone cuz everyone was busy or working - had fun tho'...they lost but played much better. Talked to some Jazz fans behind me - one girl was a Wolves fan - the other 3 used to live in MN but now live in UT - so they follow Jazz. And Wittmans GONE!! YAY!! Now for McHale. Last night watched some of the game on TV - pretty good but Carmelo came out in the 3rd qtr like a crazy man and they ended up losing. Damn Nuggets. Still was fun to see the energy that has been missing.

busy days ahead - pirogies at Carries on Fri
Sat - play with mom/h/m/girls, Courtney 30th bday and J&G Keg I mean Toys for Tots
Sun - cookie making at Heidis - I hate Christmas baking but she has a cookie exchange which is fun - but I have to have a cookie making date or it will never get done.

Our tree is awesome this year (I always say that....cuz it is always true) - Don and I cut it down on Sun at Stacey tree farm. Been going there since we drug our kids around on a sled so they could keep up. Alas - they don't go with anymore - either working or sleeping :) We had to cut about 2 feet off the bottom to fit our 9 ft ceiling. It is so beautifully full and has 1400 lights on it. Don is anal about his lights - took 3 hours to put them on the tree. I love it....but I hate it- ya know. I mean - 3 hous - c'mon. I have those paper glasses you put on and look at the lights and they make shapes/designs The ones I have right now make the lights look like little santa heads - it is so cool.

Just renewed my six pack of tix for Saints games - looking forward to that outdoor baseball. Even tho' winter hasn't started.

We are having an LRH night at the game in 17th - I got extra great seats for being a season ticket holder. Travis and a friend are also going so they can use my regular 2 seats I have for every game. Of course they are going cuz they love LeBron - not becasue they are Wolves fans.

Post Turkey Post

2008-12-01T12:53:00.003-06:00

I saw I was tagged and haven't done anything about it yet. My photos are NOT organized - but I will try.

Thanksgiving thanks - family, friends, HEALTH, a good job, nice house, rellies galore. I am SO THANKFUL for it all!!!

Shop til u drop - we were at JC Penney at Maplewood Mall by 3:45 am. I bought nice winter coats to donate to Sponsor A Family - only 20$ each (doorbuster) and I bought a shirt for Travis and a George Foreman grill for me.

Next Stop - Sears - I bought the washer/dryer special - only 700 for both (i think this is the washer http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02640412000P)High capacity and very efficent!

on to Target - Mom and Greg shopped here _ I did pick up a shirt and Jeans for Don and a movie for CHEAP!

Then it was breakfast at Coffee Cup - where they know Greg and his order with out even asking. When we walked in the waitress said - "Here come the Shoppers" and she called Greg honey. Typical DELISH greasy diner food - and ginormous portions. I took leftovers home for Don.

Then Heidi dropped my stuff at home - tok me back to moms and then she went to work. Mom and I went to another Target - looking for gift for Kelsey. I ended up buying a vacuum for 29$ for my upstairs - used it on Sun and it is AWESOME!!!! Then we went to Rosedale where I bought presents for Zach. I was home by 10 in time to take Travis to work.

When Heidi got off work we went to get pedicures and then DSW for shoes - bought work boots for Don.

I am close to being done with my shopping!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T15:54:00.001-06:00

Had a great meal hosted by Heid. Played a game of Outburst (FUN) now we are relaxing and watching Batman Begins. Mom, greg, Me, Don, Zach, Travis, Carrie, Jon and Gen, Michele, Jim, Kelsey,Adam,Abby were all in attendance. Carrie and Heidi will have pix. Meeting up with Mom, Greg and Heidi at 3:30 am for shopping tomorrow.

tomorrow is Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T14:02:00.002-06:00

I will be making my Awesome Apples and Sausage Stuffing (also has cranberries) from All Recipes.com. It is very delicious and I can't imagine a holiday without it. Tonight is a Twolves game with my friend Sharon (aka Pnut, Roz etc). I have another game on Sat and Abby will be my date.

Plan on shopping Fri - Sears has a great deal on a washer/dryer and I really need those! Need a gas stove too but looking for a deal still.

Yay for the upcoming long weekend!!

Carrie - take me to the Container Store

assorted

2008-11-20T12:37:00.003-06:00

Wolves win finally - broke an 8 game losing streak. Me and LRH3(Carrie) went - she is a fun Twolves date just like LRH2(Heidi). We had supper at Eddingtons before the game, yummy soup and breadsticks! I had tomato pine nut basil and Carrie had the chicken wild rice.

I have a crappy cold - chesty cough - sore throat and lots of snot. Not so yummy!

Tomorrow night Heidi and I will be at the game - Celtics in town - which means KG in da house AND he will play. Last year he was injured. They are giving away posters as it is the 20th year. WE WILL BE EARLY TO GET THE FREE GOODS!!!!

Dad's surgery went well - talked to him this morning and he sounded great. Hope all stays well.

Sun - Don is taking a card making class with me at Archivers. We will be making Shimmer and Shine Christmas cards - so this year if you get an embossed card it may have been handmade with love by Don. He took a similar class with me last year and enjoyed it. He won't sit around and craft but he likes this class cuz it uses tools - heat gun. So last year after the class I bought a heat gun for home. I have used it several times and really do like embossing. Of course I love glitter, bling and glamour :)

over and out

heard the one about ballots in the trunk?

2008-11-13T12:42:00.001-06:00

http://www.minnpost.com/braublog/2008/11/13/4585/hannity_and_pawlenty_still_passing_car_ballot_fiction

http://minnesotaindependent.com/17385/recount-hannity-pawlenty-car-ballot-lie

5 years making butter

2008-11-12T16:02:00.001-06:00

I received my Land O'Lakes key chain today for my 5 year gift. On my actual anniversary (Monday) my boss will get a cake from Taste of Scandinavia. YUM!!

dreams

2008-11-12T15:34:00.003-06:00

while not as dramatic or crazy as Heidi's dreams I did have a minor nightmare last night. SOMEONE stole my beloved Coach purse. I was on a trip with a bunch of folks (on a bus?? I think) and stuck my purse down with all the luggage in bins cuz I wasn't going to need to access it. When we got home (it seemed to be a school or college) I went over to where everything was being unloaded and the bin my purse was in was EMPTY!! How could someone I had just be on a trip with walk off with my purse?!?!?!? Then I was thinking - oh well...not so bad - at least my wallet and check book weren't in there as I had removed them prior - but wait that's right I put them back just before I put it in the bin. Great - now I have to call the bank and credit card companies - what a pain!

Then I woke up (fell asleep on couch) and saw my purse on the chaise and all was well.

Having my purse in my sight at all times is a bit of an OCD issue for me - no matter what kind of purse it is - if I can't see then I think something is wrong (forgot it, lost it etc). That's right.....I am slightly nuts!!!

The Patriot

2008-11-11T10:17:00.002-06:00

AM 1280 Radio station The Patriot is not news - it is right wing propaganda. No source should be your single source of info. You are not informed.....you are brainwashed.

Veterans Day

2008-11-11T10:09:00.002-06:00

Called Jon this morn to wish him a Happy Vet's Day.

I am anti-war - marched with my sibs in an anti-war protest on Labor Day when the RNC was in town.

Spent many sleepless nights and joined a group when my baby bro was in the first Gulf War.

This "war" we are in now is BS.

However...just because people are anti-war does not mean they are unpatriotic or don't support the soldiers!!!!!!!!

It doens't mean we are anti-america either Michele Bachman.

BRING THE TROOPS HOME!!!

random

2008-11-10T16:05:00.002-06:00

Fri I was off so went to Archivers early and it was packed. I did get a few things and make a cute frame I am going to give to Joni and Jesse for their new babe.

Sat - crafted - ran kids to and from work - went to Carries with Heidi for pizza and a movie. The movie is "Once" and I recommend it!

Sun - off to the Rockettes Holiday show. It was awesome!!! They even had iceskaters. Then I went home and made a nice steak dinner with salad and baked potatos for me and T. Then Sunday night telly.

Now for Don's hunting saga. He and Phil went to Lancaster on Fri and as of last night had nary a shot - hardly seen a deer. What? You may ask....how can that be?

Well Shleprock is with them this trip - SAT - they got soaked as the field was very wet; no extra shoes - 4 wheeler broke down - Mr Heater broker down (they are in a tent) so they had to buy a new one in town.

Sun - friend Mike is is working in ND on a project decided to drive out and hang with them. He ended up towing them back to town as they bottomed out and ripped the oil filter off and drained out all the oil.....spent the day repairing the car.
So Mike drove 4 hours (he thought it would only be a couple) to hang out for 4 hours and then drive back 4 hours.) And the hanging out ended up being towing and repairing.

I'm thinking it should make a turn for the better as they had 3 things break down.

Meanwhile - weekend hunter, Jim Hunter, got 2 deer I hear. Bastard! hehehe

mostly hoops

2008-11-06T09:40:00.004-06:00

so my Halloween post isn't working - I'll try again later. Tried to upload a video.

Twolves lost in double OT to the Spurs last night - they played pretty good but there were some dumb errors and a rash of bad calls. No one could stop Parker tho' -he had over 50 points. It was ridiculous - he doesn't even look that good but man he was unstoppable. Pnut went with me and we had a great time. She is a good bball date as she likes the game and UNDERSTANDS the game. It was free parking too - BONUS!

Kevin Love is looking good - people mad about the Mayo trade should get over it. He may not be a Superstar but he has talent and has been an asset already.

No we just need to start winning - next home game is the 15th but I will be in Lancaster. Who wants my tix?

Election is over

2008-11-05T14:53:00.003-06:00

OBAMA WINS! I was home in my jammies last night switching between about 8 channels of coverage. At 8:10 I decided to throw some clothes on and head over to OBBS Bar where my state rep Sheldon Johnson was having an election night do. The drinks were cheap and there were free appies (which I didn't eat). It was fun - caught up with some folks I hadn't seen in a while (like Kathy Lantry City Council President).
I decided to go home aroudn 10 and put my jammies back on and settle in for a late night when to my surprise they started calling Obama the winner. It was SO AWESOME!

Headed home and watched both speeches. McCain gave an excellent speech even though some of the morons in the audience started booing. When Obama gave his speech and mentioned McCain the dems clapped.....I'm just saying.

Looks like Franken is giong to lose - it is very close and there will be a recount but I don't think it will matter.

Now we just have to keep it together and not screw anything up. The DEMs have a huge responsibilty. It is a very tough road ahead and I don't envy the pols who will try to fix the messes.

I voted

2008-11-04T08:24:00.003-06:00

went to the polls at about 7:10 - line was outside the bldg but it went really quickly. Of course by the time we left the line was virtually gone. Don was number 114 and I was number 112. That is a good sign! A guy in Lakeville called in and said there were 400 people already at 7am. Hope they weren't McCain voters.

Secret Life of Bees

2008-11-03T11:06:00.002-06:00

A really awesome movie. Time is the 60's and the Civil Rights movement. There were some shocking moments that hurt my heart. To be hated so for no apparent reason is just so hard to grasp. In one scene Jennifer Hudson's character goes to town to register to vote and a group of old white guys stop her to ask what she thinks she is doing - I won't tell more but I just gasped....and then cried. So much hate in the world.

Weekend Update

2008-10-28T10:33:00.002-05:00

Fri - went shopping at LB - got some great deals as I also had a 20% off coupon.

Sat - Lo's bday party. It was a nice night and we had a good time.

Sun - My friend Kate and I went to a Women for Obama Rally - due to inclement (feezing, wet) there was a poor turnout. We had fun - there was some good music and my sign was a finalist for best sign. What did it say you ask????

"My husband is a Joe Six Pack and he is voting OBAMA"
And my face was very red from wind burn.

Chili Party Pix

2008-10-28T10:30:00.004-05:00

Lori's Annual Chili Party for her Birthday.
My camping girlfriends.

Results

2008-10-23T09:14:00.004-05:00

vm from my DR - MRI is fine - nothing unusual. I need to make an appt to follow up with my medication change and if I a still having symptoms. Yes Mother...I will make an appt.

THANKS TO ALL FOR YOUR PRAYERS, THOUGHTS, EMAILS, TEXTS etc

life is great!

this is funny

2008-10-23T09:14:00.001-05:00

http://www.cnnbcvideo.com/index.html?nid=7e10DRD0feqCrWYQEhGOFjM4NTk3&referred_by=10899388-sbh7dMx

unofficial results

2008-10-22T15:42:00.002-05:00

I have not heard from my DR but I do know this much....
my brain is great - no MS!!!!!
there are enlarged vessles or something like that - not sure if this is something to worry about or not

I have a deviated septum - so no more hassling me about sniffing etc. I have a more than valid nasal issue :)

I left a message for my Dr earlier today so hopefully they will get on it!

MRI is done

2008-10-20T17:48:00.002-05:00

Finally! It was a seated one. They buckle you up and then slide you up, tilt you back between the magnets. It was a little tight but totally open in the front and I had a big tv to look and listen at. Much better - I got a litte panicky at the end but made it. Michele placed my iv and hung around and injected my contrast agent. She did a great job and I think it helped me relax a little more too. CDI should call my DR tomorrow so we should know soon what is up. My scan were very good.

MRI today

2008-10-20T09:14:00.002-05:00

On Fri I had a panic attack in the MRI. Seriously - I tried twice to do it and just couldn't. I'm too big - the space is too small!!! So I have an appt today at CDI where Michele works for an open sided MRI - which I have had before and was fine. I will be so glad to get this over and then find out what is up.

3pm today. And THANKS to Michele for helping me get in so quick and at a discount for my out of pocket.

The Nordin breakfast was fun - it is so great just to see everyone once in awhile.

so hopefully today is the day

2008-10-17T11:08:00.002-05:00

leaving work around 3:30 to take T to work - take my valium and go for my MRI.

Nordin breakfast tomorrow - looking forward to it. Don and I might do another drive - Sun I am getting a massage. Can't wait!!

Thanks for all the calls, texts, emails and prayers.

MRI delay

2008-10-16T09:10:00.002-05:00

So late yesterday afternoon I get a call from the clinic that I have to reschedule due to no staff (called in sick). SERIOUSLY!?!? So my new appt is for Fri at 5:30 CST. If that one falls through I am going to CDI where Michele works - hell with what it costs; I want to know what is up.

medical update

2008-10-14T13:30:00.004-05:00

so I met with a DR yesterday and will have my MRI tomorrow at 6pm CST (in case you want to think of me at that exact moment :)). The spots are very small (4mm and 5mm) definitely no tumours or anything like that. So..... she didn't seem to worried..... but I don't suppose they do anyway. Don't want to freak out the patients. I had a mini-breakdown yesterday (1 minute or so), otherwise I am fine, slightly worried but fine. It will be, what it will be, and then I will have to deal with it.

And they did up my bp meds for now.

Of course because I'm a fixer/problem solver I have already thought of various directives I would have to write down for folks depending on the outcome of my MRI.

I still have the damn headache (6 days now). And my feet are tingling at this moment.

love you all and thanks for all the support!!

weekend

2008-10-13T09:09:00.002-05:00

Fri I went to the Dr as I had been feeling funny for a few days - assumed my blood pressure meds needed to be adjusted. They sent me for a head CT and I ended up being at a DDR until 9 pm. They found 2 small spots in the white matter of my brain - could be no big deal - could be MS. I have to go in for an MRI now to get a better pic.

Sat - went to Abbey's soccer game and not much else.

Don got the Halloween stuff out - I need to take some pix and post.

Sun - we went for a drive to Red Wing - had lunch at a great cafe. Yellow Tuna sandwich on sunflower bread (panini style) with fresh fruit, kettle chips, and carrots. SO GOOD! Smokey Row Cafe in downtown Red Wing. Home of the Jenny Lind bakery!!

So please think good thoughts and prayers for me as I continue on with the doctors.

Rolling Stone McCain article

2008-10-07T16:16:00.000-05:00

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain/page/1

the right is even hateful to itself

2008-10-01T11:55:00.001-05:00

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped1001parkeroct01,0,3151779.column