Window boxes and cats...

The other day I was watching one of those do it yourself television shows and they built a window box for their cats. It was similar to how an air conditioner sits in a window, giving your cats the ability to go out into the window box to better enjoy the view than one they would normally have just sitting in the window.

This then got me thinking about the many different types of window boxes there are. There are window flower boxes that people use to adorn their homes but there are also window plant boxes that some grow vegetables and herbs in. These planters come in a variety of materials, from wood to fiberglass, they also come in a variety of sizes. They can attach to a window or be attached to a deck, or be free standing. Or if you really wanted to make your cat happy, you'd design a similar window box as I saw on television, then attach garden window boxes in a manner that your cat could not only enjoy the outdoors but munch on some kitty greens...

:-)

Christian-libertarian-capitalist-environmentalist-lunatic farmer?

At first I thought the title was a joke, then I saw it's actually what the person given the title has claimed as his own, Joel Salatin Advocates a Better Way to Raise Food . It's an article I recommend is worth taking the time to read, part of which:

On a foundation of Christian principles, Salatin has built a farming ecosystem where cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, and rabbits interact ecologically in a way that goes beyond conservation.

"What we're looking at is God's design, nature's template, and using that as a pattern to cut around and lay it down on a domestic model to duplicate that pattern that we see in nature," Salatin says.

What that means for Polyface in practical terms is that the cattle graze different areas of pasture every day. Then chickens pick through the same fields, eating bugs and spreading cow manure before clucking back to mobile coops.

The farm's pigs generate fertilizer by rooting around the floor of the barn, lured by sweet corn into aerating the mix of hay, cow manure, and wood chips. The finished compost is spread on fields. This process not only takes almost nothing out of the environment, it puts nutrients back in.

"We believe that the farm should be building 'forgiveness' into the ecosystem," Salatin says. "What does that mean? That a more forgiving ecosystem is one that can better handle drought, flood, disease, pestilence."

Garry Reed compares reaction to blog post to storming the Bastille

When I read the earlier piece on Examiner.com, Calling all Stalinist-Jeffersonian-Bozoian Libertarians, I didn't quite agree with all that Garry Reed shared, but he was expressing his opinion.

Apparently quite a few took issue with his piece, hence, Calling all laissez-faire sovereign individual Libertarians was penned, where Reed stated in part:

The satirically titled article Calling all Stalinist-Jeffersonian-Bozoian Libertarians published on Wednesday immediately attracted the ire of contemporary socialism's apologists who stormed the "add a Comment" box on the article's page like they were storming the Bastille.

The article posited that in today's politico-philosophical world, anyone who embraced the oxymoron of "libertarian socialism" should have no problem with accepting the absurdity of "Stalinist-Jeffersonian-Bozoian Libertarianism."

The socialists (or "progressives," that being the modern, trendy camouflage word for "socialist") angrily pontificated that the libertarian label belonged exclusively to them, that the socialist usage could be traced back 150-200 years, that the libertarian label was stolen from the socialists in 1971 by the Libertarian Party (many non-libertarians harbor the illusion that the LP is somehow the beginning of modern libertarian's existence), and that "anarcho-capitalist" rather than "libertarian socialism" is the true oxymoron (because socialists make no distinction between "capitalism" which is accepted by libertarians as a synonym for voluntary free trade while "corporatism" is an invention of coercive government and is therefore rejected by libertarians, but that's another article).

Perhaps I'm a bit more of a realist, but I think the amount of time we waste on arguing about labels and who is really what just takes us away from some of the larger issues out there that perhaps solutions could be found for. Or at a minimum we'd know which solutions are not going to ever be agreed on.

Each person's concept of what their "political label" is can vary, there is no set formula as it if you believe A then you are this and if you believe B you are this, because at times people believe or don't believe in both A and B at the same time. It's all a matter of degrees. To some, I am very liberal, to others I am very libertarian, to others? I am no way even close to their concept of what a liberal or a libertarian would be. Yet to me? I'm still the same, liberal on some issues and libertarian on others...

While Zimmer attempts to unviel new product questions remain

Earlier this month the FDA did not give Zimmer Holdings, Inc. permission to market a spine stabilization system that they call a Dynesys device as a stand alone product. That alone was not something, new this happens when it comes to medical devices coming before the FDA. What was unusual was that the FDA reviewers earlier raised questions as to possible bias in the company's study, pointing out that a majority of patients were treated by researchers with a financial interest in the company.

While it has not gotten the same news coverage, issues on zimmer durom cup have been raised in courtrooms and on the internet with some experiencing problems after having a durom cup hip replacement.

Law firms such as Maglio Christopher Toale & Pitts have filed cases in court and have provided information on the exact zimmer durom cup types that have been at issue. Apparently there is a different model that was not used in the United States that did not have some of the same failure rates.

What is interesting about this scenario is that the media is not doing any real reporting on the problems that have been reported, it has been some of the law firms that have actually provided more reference material. Which at least means those googling are discovering there could be a problem...

You have no right to free speech on a blog

Recently I was forced to ban someone from my local political blog that at one time was a friend of mine. He continually violated the rules for civil discussion I had for everyone on the blog as well as calling me several times a day to take issue with me when he had been edited. In one of his last emails to me he stated I was the poster child for needing freedom of speech and called me a neo-con.

It would have been amusing had it not been for the fact that I ended up losing a friend over my feeling as if he should have to follow the same rules as everyone else. Then there are a few others, including one blogger in particular who likes to complain about how things are on my blog, yet is not very different from those he complains about.

There is no right to freedom of speech on a blog, especially one owned and managed by a person, it is up to that person to allow you to comment, and to allow your comment to stay. It's also up to them to determine if they want rules on their site or if it's going to be this wild, wild west free for all.

Some bloggers make every comment have to be moderated, they can decide to publish or not to publish your comments.

So, there is no right to free speech on a blog...

Walleye for us -- other options for you

In about an hour we'll be leaving to head downtown to watch our first Walleye game at the new arena. It will be the first time I've been inside the new Lucas County arena since it's been completed. Thanks to the internet, buying tickets to sporting and other events, even if you think they might be sold out, is possible without having to wait until you get there to try to buy a ticket from someone outside...

Have your heart set on Blue Cross Arena Tickets? Online you can find them, the same with a variety of other events. Chicago Bears Tickets on your mind? You can not only reserve a hotel room but buy your tickets right from your home pc.

While my favorite NFL football team is the Miami Dolphins and someday I will be able to watch them at Landshark stadium, those of you looking for any team event, even Philadelphia Eagles Tickets can find them online...Probably even the Superbowl, though that one is always a bit more of a challenge, and could be much more expensive.

:-)

Libertarian parenting...

I try to read Brad Warbiany as often as I can, I enjoy his material, but I wanted to share a recent post that I think raises some interesting questions, Libertarian Response To Klingon Upbringing.

The general topic of how does someone who believes in a libertarian philosophy and parenting is one that has been discussed before. Personally as a parent of five, I take a more monarchical view of parenting, I as the parent have the final say, parenting is not a democracy nor based on political models.

That said, the questions asked concerning d’Armond Speers who only spoke Klingon to his child for his first three years, may very well be legal, yet on the other hand, despite believing parenting is not a democracy, a child is not chattel to be a part of some strange experiment and it is up to adults in a community whether decreed by law or by a sense of what is right, to protect the rights of an individual child to a basic level of human support. Learning how to communicate is a basic level of support. Where it gets then interesting is we do allow parents who don't speak English to have children in this country, those children do not often learn English. Yet, the difference in that scenario versus the Klingon one, is until there is a community filled with Klingon speaking people, a child is being isolated purposely by all society, not just one part...

Buying local and using the net

From an economic standpoint, when you buy local it helps your local economy, especially when you are buying from a locally owned business. Some areas, like Toledo have organizations designed to support and market local businesses, but some do not. That's when using a site like Local.com can help. How? It's easy, all you have to do is use their local search feature to search for a variety of businesses in your area.

Let's say I wanted to search local restaurants, it's easy since there is a link right there on the Local.com website for that category. You can then easily find which eateries are local and which ones are chains and decide from there.

It's easier to find businesses using this website than it is to use the traditional local yellowpages because it not only gives you the categories on the page but it also gives you nearby cities, that information is listed right on the sidebar. You can search by distance, by name and by rating, which also means if you have had an especially enjoyable or a less than satisfactory dining experience? You can rate it...


local yellowpages, local search, local restaurants

http://www.local.com

Phillip Carter resigned and what it means...

Phillip Carter, a civil libertarian who supported President Obama recently resigned. It's not gotten a lot of news though with the increased attention of the blogosphere it may be a story that you will see more coverage on. I tend to agree with Glenn Greenwald, Phil Carter's resignation from key detainee policy post:

Carter said he was resigning due to "personal issues," and -- like Greg Craig before him -- remained loyal to Obama by refraining, at least thus far, from publicly criticizing any administration policies. I have no idea what actually motivated Carter's abrupt resignation, but here's what I do know: so many of the detention and other "War on Terror" policies Obama has explicitly adopted were the very same ones which Carter (as well as Obama) repeatedly railed against during the Bush years, in Carter's case primarily in blogs he maintained both at The Washington Post and at Slate. Whatever else is true, the policies Obama has adopted in the last six months in the very areas of Carter's responsibilities were ones Carter vehemently condemned when implemented by Bush.

While in the updates it's states that Carter has stated this is not why he has resigned, it's really hard to not believe that the change in policy from what was promised during and right after the election not being what was actually put into practice had no impact on Phillip Carter...

The Dollar Bubble

I'm not sure we are quite at the crisis level, yet...But I think this video is one that should be watched because it does share some relevant information on the US Dollar and explains why many have turned to investing in metals, especially gold and silver. There are many who believe the dollar is going to collapse and that the Federal Reserve not raising interest rates is part of the problem.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The one day a year the farthest thing from most people's mind is appetite suppressants as we are encouraged to enjoy the food, the company and the day. In our house the turkey has never been the thing everyone longs for, it's the stuffing and the desserts that go the fastest. That might also be since it's the one holiday a year where it's okay to have three different desserts and not feel guilty...

:-)

Who visited the White House and why you should care

Highly recommended post on TPM not just for the content but for the linked material. It's also worth noting that the Obama presidency is the only one who has released such a list, albeit, incomplete, but it's a start for some semblance of transparency.

It's also interesting to see they are already tracking the 2012 election...

Interesting timing...

This weekend my oldest daughter is moving from San Jose to Phoenix, Arizona, her job has necessitated her making the move just a bit closer to home, by a few hundred miles. So when I came across this listing for Tempe apartments it caught my attention since it's not something I normally see and reminded me of her. What's been interesting is how much less expensive apartments are in Arizona compared to where she was in San Jose, she's going to spend at least $700.00 less for a larger, nicer place in Phoenix than she had in California...

On the big screen...

This is the season where many fancy plasma tvs and it's a hot item to buy as a gift or to gift to yourself. Typically the price drops after the item has been on the market for several years, we are starting to see that now when it come to plasma and lcd televisions. The downside is they are also one of the most stolen items this time of year. When you buy one? Don't leave the box out for the world to see that you've just gotten a new one. Either shred and bag it or take it out right as the trash for your home is collected. My neighbors learned that lesson, right after purchasing the new television, they put the box outside, two days later? Their home was broken into...

After everything, Pfizer pulling out of New London...

I followed the Kelo versus New London story for a variety of reasons, one of which is that is where my husband is from, another was that I took issue with the way eminent domain was being used there, and had been used here in Toledo. Now, as a sad end to the whole tale, Pfizer is leaving:

Pfizer’s abandonment of its plans for New London render moot the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on eminent domain in Kelo v. New London. In the case, the city of New London had sought “eminent domain” power to seize the houses of several people living in a run-down neighborhood. The land was to be transformed into Pfizer’s new facility. The city argued it needed to bulldoze blighted areas in order to redevelop them. Susette Kelo argued the government should not have the right to take her home.

More on Glenn Beck the "libertarian"

I read his show transcript about South Park, (link). It's kind of funny...

GLENN: You know what's amazing to me is I'm a libertarian.

STU: And they are, too.

GLENN: And they are, too.

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: And when you're a libertarian, there ain't anybody coming to your defense.

STU: No.

GLENN: There's no one coming to your defense.

STU: Not even libertarians. Because they are frustrated at everything, even themselves.

GLENN: Libertarians, I mean, Penn Jillette. Penn Jillette, I feel so bad for Penn Jillette. What Penn Jillette has gone through with some of his friends and one of his idols, Tommy Smothers, I mean, honestly I don't know if you've seen this video with Penn Jillette, but it broke my heart. Penn Jillette and I don't agree on a lot of stuff. We're libertarians. We live with it. He doesn't agree on things, I don't agree on things, but I'm not telling him how to live his life and he's not going to tell me how to live my life. And I think we've had a good relationship

.

Why you should back up your computer information...

Whether you take advantage of an online backup service or you have an external harddrive, it's important that you back up your computer information. Just the other day one of my daughters had work to do for her college classes. Her computer did not want to start up, which meant she had no access to all of the notes and materials she needed. Had she taken just a few moments to back up the work, since her computer had previously given her some warning signs, it would have been a non-crisis. My husband ended up having to take the harddrive from her computer, put it temporarily in his so she could get the information she needed since there was not enough time to fix her computer...

Want to work in the Big Apple?

If your dream has included a New York Job Search it's possible to search for a job online that may just make your Big Apple dreams come true. Before the internet, job searching in a location where you did not live was not quite as easy. There were of course job agencies, and it was possible to get copies of a New York newspapers, but now you can share your resume and easily be able to communicate with a perspective employer without having to travel there first...Many times initial interviews are done via phone or through web chats, creating a scenario where you know you are a serious candidate when you are asked to travel...

Glenn Beck not happy about South Park...

I am not going to pretend I'm a fan of South Park, but they have in the past made fun of people...Evidently Glenn Beck is not happy with the episode parodying him. I had to try to get beyond the beginning of this episode, which involved a violent shooting that doesn't meet my qualifications of humor...

At least I knew it was coming thanks to The Atlantic...

New math got you frustrated?

Chances are if you are a parent of a child in K through 12, you'll come across math problems that you have no clue as to what your child is learning. They call it "new math" and it can be a challenge to solve math problems because while it seems like the "old math" you knew, they call it different terms. If you don't have an older child around to ask for help, you need to turn to an online Math problem solver to be able to get help with math.

TutorVista is one of the more popular online tutoring systems out there, they offer an unlimited monthly package for under $100.00 a month, they also have a free demo that you can try out and they offer free algebra help for both high school and free college algebra help as a part of their free online math help. This can really come in handy when your child comes to you, with a problem that you know you can't solve. Since it's available 24 hours a day seven days a week, you can also use the service to brush up on your "new math" skills, which is especially helpful if you are considering going back to school...

Libertarianism and abortion

Most of the Libertarians I know are pro-choice, yet I realize Ron Paul is pro-life. I came across this recent article that briefly goes into why it's felt that the Libertarian platform should be one of pro-life as opposed to pro-choice. It's rather thought provoking, part of it:

Abortion is incompatible with the Libertarian ideology. While many would claim that Libertarians by nature would be pro-choice, as abortion to many is seen as a "right", the truth is that abortion is and should be reprehensible to all true disciples of Liberty. How are we to protect the rights of the people if we cannot even guarantee that they will have a right to life? Don't the words "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" mean anything anymore? None of our rights and privileges as citizens of the United States are safe if we do not protect the most basic human right - the right to life. Dr. Ron Paul, who has delivered thousands of babies, agrees with this premise, and he sees being pro-life as an essential part of his Libertarian beliefs.

This view is not shared in this article, Truth about political groups where it states:

YAL is neither Republican nor affiliated with any political party as she implies. In fact, I personally find it offensive to be called a Republican. We are an organization for small-government conservatives and libertarians. Libertarians hold very different views from Republicans. Although I cannot speak for every libertarian, libertarians are pro-choice, pro-gay rights, pro-civil rights, pro-human rights, pro-immigration and anti-war. They also support drug legalization, believe in separation of church and state, favor free-market solutions and advocate non-interventionist foreign policy (yes, many are against the Iraq War). Does that sound anything like a Republican?…Precisely. This list is obviously not exhaustive, but it is descriptive enough to show that libertarians are the alternative to Republicans and Democrats that many students seek. Many people have either become fed up with both major political parties or just don’t fall into either the Democrat or the Republican camp. Libertarianism offers a third option, one which many “outsiders” fall into.

So here are ten ways that non-Partygoers can spread the libertarian peanut butter from crust to crust:

Recommended article by Garry Reed. My favorite?

4. Start a blog like The Freedom Files (by freedomphile Rick Davis, self-styled "libertarian writer, avid pop culture junkie, armchair economist, and punk rock aficionado" and cultivate a readership of likeminded libertarian types as he has.

Libertarian candidates who won on Tuesday...

Interesting list, visit the title link for more, but in Ohio:

In Ohio:

John McAlister was re-elected to the Gahanna City Council.

Kalin Stipe got 9%, and Joyce Early got 11%, both running for City Council in Lorain.

Spencer Phelps got 34%, and Angela Williams got 15%, both running for City Council in Marion.

Alexander Hass got 8% running for City Council in Canton.