Be a wonk...it's fun!

I received an email about a website out there designed to track information being posted by blogs on the Presidential race, it's called Wonkosphere. The top 850 political blogs across the United States in the categories of conservative, liberal and independent are included. I was honored to discover my main national political blog is included as one of the 850.

It's a great way to easily track what some of the most influential blogs in American are focusing on, so I hope you bookmark it.

Early planning for Black Friday...

As a person who considers herself somewhat of a savvy shopper, I always scout the ads to look for the best thanksgiving deals that are items that I know for certain my family needs. Thanks to the internet, it can be possible to shop right from the comfort of your own home, still get the great deals and not have to get up at 4:00 a.m. to wait in line. Or if you are one of those who loves the "thrill of the hunt", when you get home you can head to your pc to score some great online Black Friday specials.

Black-Friday.net offers you the information early and they also have links to products for you to be able to buy them directly. They also list the items that will be specials, using Best Buy as an example, which is always a crowded mess here in Toledo, I can buy their doorbuster specials without having to worry about being bruised at the door in the crush of those waiting. With my electronically driven household electronic items are always on the top list of my family. Another one of our favorite places to shop that has great Black Friday deals is Circuit City.

I recommend you bookmark the website www.blackfriday.net so that you'll know that you are already prepared to start saving money and do some smart shopping.

Soros-tied Group Fined Over '04 Ads

Personally I don't see how fining those who are wealthy really does anything to help the process of cutting down on those who violate election law, if there is going to be enforcement at all perhaps the best punishment would be to not allow them to donate at all for a certain period of time.

No officers found guilty...

One of the unfair aspects to many when it came to what happened at Abu Ghraib was not a single officer has been held criminally responsible for the mistreatment of prisoners at the Iraqi prison near Baghdad. It's a disturbing situation for those following the issue of rights given the suggestion that there has been evidence that demonstrated the enlisted personnel were not acting of their own accord. I recommend reading the full article at IPS News...

A preference for quilts...

I grew up with a grandmother who had her own loom and was really into quilting, so I have always had a fondness for the look of quilted bedspreads. To me their purpose goes beyond being used as a bedding cover, I like them as a throw over my couch and as an extra blanket option on the back of a couch for those chilly nights when we are downstairs watching a movie. Terry's Fabrics has a very nice selection of bedspreads which includes quilted. I could spend hours there looking at the variation in color, texture and style that they have online. I also recommend taking a look at their Cushions and Throws, as I've gotten a great many design ideas from seeing what they offer.

More on Ron Paul...

Another local blogger that I know has been focusing quite a bit on Ron Paul, he has stories as well as videos listed on his blog so, if you have been following Ron Paul, a site I recommend checking out is Uncommon Squalor.

Ron Paul: How a Fringe Politician Took Over the Web

Highly recommended article over on Wired about Ron Paul if you have been following his campaign, or are just curious as to how Ron Paul has managed to make a name for himself on the internet while being shunned from the regular GOP political machine.

According to Technorati, "Ron Paul" is one of the web's most searched-for terms. News about Paul has an outsize presence on Digg and reddit, two sites that allow users to highlight their preferred content. Paul's YouTube channel has been viewed over one million times, dwarfing efforts from competitors like John McCain and Rudy Giuliani. The Ron Paul internet boom has born everything from Belgians for Ron Paul to a reggae music video promoting Paul's views on monetary policy and habeas corpus.

What the end result of this internet influence will be still remains to be seen...

Vacuum heisters...

My husband and my two daughters are fanatics when it comes to keeping their cars clean, but every time I hear one of the talk about vacuuming out their car I shudder. Why? Because this means they will take my vacuum from the house and if I am lucky they will empty it and or return all of the accessories. Our next home will definitely have a car vacuum installed in the garage, it's the only way I'll actually have my vacuum when I need it.

:-)

Here's a wiki that makes you wonder about our freedom...

If you have ever wondered how far we take fear and the fear of a few people killing us, then the "how to" tip of the day I came across today on my Google home page will show you exactly where the mindset of many are:

How to Survive a School or Workplace Shooting.

Our olden times drills of being told what to do in case of a bomb, then the scariest thing being the tornado drills have now been replaced by this. Which in a way does show that fear is constant, but what changes is what people are afraid of...

Holistic Teenage Treatment

It's been something known for quite some time that encouragement of holistic treatment or other creative outlets can be a helpful facet of Teen Rehab. It's one of the many reasons people turn to Echo Malibu when their teenager needs help with an addiction or a behavior issue. Their motto is "Recovery through Empowerment", and they have staff available 24/7.

Irony...money costing more to make than it's worth...

Recommended article from the Washington Times:

As Democratic Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez of Illinois explains it, pennies are made mostly of zinc and have a copper-plated surface. Nickels are made up of an alloy of 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel. Since 2003, world demand for core metals has driven up the price of copper and nickel by 300 percent and of zinc by 450 percent.

"At the current specifications for these coins, it costs the government 1.7 cents to make a penny, and 10 cents to make a nickel," he notes.

Federal Marijuana Ban Turned 70

I hadn't realized the ban was in place for that long, but as I was getting caught up on my reading I noticed, Federal Marijuana Ban Turns 70 on Aug. 2. I'd have to agree with the belief that this has been a total failure as Marijuana has continued to be a part of American culture and despite 70 years of a ban? It appears it's not any more difficult to obtain than it ever was:

Federal government estimates indicate that marijuana use has increased approximately 4,000 percent since the Marijuana Tax Act took effect. A study by researcher Jon Gettman, Ph.D., published in December 2006 and based on government data, found marijuana to be the country's number-one cash crop, exceeding the value of corn and wheat combined. The federally funded Monitoring the Future survey reports that approximately 85 percent of high school seniors describe marijuana as "easy to get" -- a figure that has remained virtually unchanged since the survey began in 1975. In 2005 (the most recent figures available), U.S. law enforcement made an all-time record 786,545 marijuana arrests -- 89 percent for possession, not sale or trafficking.

Given the way the Government has made such a large amount of money in taxing those who smoke tobacco and those who drink alcohol, it's surprising after 70 years that they still consider this particular herb to be any different.

My top furniture piece...

Staying somewhat on topic as to something that is "tops" would be this about my favorite piece of furniture from Gallery furniture store, but first I'd have to say that what makes this website enjoyable to visit is not just pictures but most of the furniture selections also have a video uploaded to You Tube so you can do more than just look at a picture at one angle. They are one of the only places I've seen do this and I think it's a great feature.

After spending quite a bit of time browsing various pieces of furniture, I came across one that I thought was beautiful and unique, this particular bed would be one I would have to consider my top piece of furniture:



If you want to take a look at the video for this bed, it's as easy as clicking here to watch. It was the color of the bed that caught my eye first, and I am a fan of the four poster bed look but I'm also very far from being a traditionalist. This bed with it's unique design would be a real center piece of attraction in any bedroom. You'll also notice the play area for children and how huge the showroom is of Gallery Furniture when you visit them online. If you are near the Houston area, I highly recommend taking a look at what this Houston furniture store has to offer.

Top ten reasons Ron Paul will win the Republican Primary...

I'm not sure how true these will end up being but it was an interesting item from the Libertarian Forum to share:

#10-“Ron Paul” is the second most searched term on Technorati, which measures blog search traffic. (38% of Americans as of 04 rely on the internet for information about politics, political issues and elections. 15% of all Americans use the internet as a primary source for political news)

#9- Ron Paul’s website attracts the most visitors out of all the Republican candidates.

#8 He has won almost every Republican debate according to the polls, and came in second for the ones he hasn’t ranked 1st in.

#7- Ron Paul is leading the Republicans on popularity on Social Networking sites and Meet up groups. With over 55,000 friends on Myspace, and over 25,000 subscribers onYoutube, Ron Paul is clearly the most popular candidate amongst internet users.

#6- He has currently has more cash-on-hand than John McCain. Ron Paul has the funds to compete with the “tier 1 candidates”

#5- He has 75% Support of the Libertarian party (The third largest political party in the nation)

#4- He has a dedicated base of supporters. With a mere 25% voter turnout in the last election’s primaries, Ron Paul’s dedicated supporters can make a big difference. It’s fair to assume that 75% of Ron Paul supporters will vote in the primaries. Unlike traditional voters, Ron Paul’s supporters seem to be a bit over zealous to say the least. Libertarians also tend to have a higher voter turnout then traditional political parties, and with recent surveys showing that 75% of Libertarians support Ron Paul over their own Libertarian presidential candidate, its safe to say that Ron Paul has been heavily underestimated.

#3 -Ron Paul won an early New Hampshire straw poll put together by the Coalition for New Hampshire Taxpayers. Ron Paul placed in 1st with a remarkable 65% of the votes. Giuliani came in second with a mere 8%

#2 -He has support from the U.S. Military. Military contributions among Republican presidential candidates place Ron Paul on top at 49.5%, which is nearly as much as all the other Republicans combined.

#1- America will vote for freedom, Ron Paul.

Ron Paul more libertarian than republican...

I consider myself to be a "liberal libertarian", that said I do enjoy many of the works that Ron Paul the Congressman from Texas has put out through the years. He has proudly proclaimed himself a Libertarian in the past then turned to the Republican party in Texas but he's never lost those libertarian roots. This seems to be both beneficial in that it attracts people who are not traditional republicans but it also seems to be a problem in that he does not get the same level of support from the traditional GOP machine.

For even more information on Ron Paul, I suggest visiting wikipedia.

Teach your children to be financially responsible...

For some of us the desire to help our children learn to be financially responsible can a situation where it would be great to be able to have some helpful hints in succeeding. I think we all realize that at times parenting teens can be a challenge. I've been there four times, with one more teenage episode before my parenting days are on to adult children issues. There are many more resources for parents now and I recommend taking advantage of those like the Chores and Allowances blog.

Public service or public nuisance?

I was reading this story from Amsterdam where it appears two Dutch bloggers who were taking risque pictures using a camera phone up women's dresses and skirts as a way to warn women that they were not being careful enough are now in trouble themselves. It appears their motive as stated in doing this might not prevent them from prison time. This leads to the question were they really performing a public service or were they a public nuisance just the same as those who take pictures for more nefarious reasons...

Increasing awareness of trains...

Recently here in North Western Ohio there have been several situations where a person was killed when walking across the train tracks at a rail road crossing, appearing to be because they ignored the train horn. It's not just pedestrians that do this though, time after time car drivers deciding to be impatient cross the flashing crossing guard rails and drive around. Most times there is no collision but is it really worth the risk? Our last residence before this one we lived very close to a railroad crossing, at night we would hear the train horn blow as the train approached the intersection, each time to warn those driving the train was coming. There are still crossings that have no lights or arms to come down to warn you when a train is approaching, only a sign warning you one is ahead so that you will use your own common sense judgment of what I was taught years ago as a driver, "Look, Listen then Cross".

Alex is On the Edge...

Alex Krige has a new blog On The Edge that he'd like you to know about. The blog has lots of news though I do have to disagree with Alex's one story on how to strip the DRM from Netflix Movies, other sources carried this story as well and it's been stated that Netflix has already made changes that makes this not possible. There are also some questions as to the legality of it, and not something I'd recommend people do. However, reporting about it and linking to it does give people information as well as can make for some interesting commentary.

Confirmed...GOP no show at LOGO

As a quick update to the earlier post...

Dems to spar, GOP no-show at landmark gay debate

GOP no show at LOGO

We won't have confirmation until the actual debate happens but it's being reported that none of the Republican presidential candidates have agreed to appear at the debate being sponsored by LOGO, a gay and lesbian television network. On the democratic side, Biden and Dodd have claimed to have scheduling conflicts.

For me what's sad about it is that not all gays are Democrats, I know several very politically active Republicans who are gay. While it is true that gays make up a small percentage of Americans, it is something we should not be afraid to talk about issues such as civil unions. I support the concept of civil unions for everyone, marriage should be what it was created, a religious ceremony that should have nothing to do with the State or the Federal Government.

Race and dating...

There was a time when interracial romance was not something that was accepted here in the US and those who dated outside of their race did so either in quiet or faced harassment in certain communities. Society has progressed to the point where there are now online dating communities that focus on connecting those who are interested in interracial dating to each other. For some, the cultural aspect of interracial dating makes race a determining factor when looking for love. Because of advances in technology and in making use of a user friendly format as well as free membership, interracial dating is as easy as going through profiles and finding just the right cultural background and person that interests you as a friend or companion.

Philosphy of Liberty

Nice flash resource in several different languages that tells you the basics of the Philosophy of Liberty. It is something that I've watched more than a few times as well as recommending it to other people, even my brother-in-law who is not very political but after staying with us for a few weeks has learned quite a bit. The information being available in Spanish was more useful than having my husband translate it for him.

Take the Unity 08 Survey...

If you are interested in having an impact in how this next presidential election will be determined as well as future presidential elections then I urge you to stop by and take this survey for a group I have been following very closely, Unity08. This group is trying to change how elections happen and to diminish the power of the parties, restoring power to the individual voters.