Someday perhaps a real living room...

It's not uncommon for me to dream about living room sets in part because our living room is too small for most living room groups and it's being currently taken over by one of my daughters who prefers to sleep there than in the basement where her bedroom once was.

Which would mean for most their idea of sofa collections were not adorned with pillows and fleece blankets. My husband dreams of leather collections in a living room or den, I think of our cats and dogs and know that will never happen. Even reclining groups while tempting create flash backs to when one cat was trapped in a recliner and stuck there for hours before we returned home to locate him after hearing the pitiful meows as we entered the door...

Top ten disasters from Obama and Bush adminstrations

From the Libertarian Party, via Independent Political Report:

Top 10 disasters of the 2009 Obama administration (in no particular order):

1. Cash for Clunkers
2. War escalation in Afghanistan
3. Giant government health care expansion bill
4. Post office loses money hand over fist
5. Stimulus package
6. Expansion of "state secrets" doctrine
7. Big increase in unemployment
8. "Bailout" Geithner as Treasury Secretary
9. Skyrocketing federal spending
10. Huge federal deficits

Top 10 disasters of the 2001-2008 Bush administration:

1. Cash for Car Companies
2. War in Iraq
3. Giant Medicare expansion bill
4. Post office loses money hand over fist
5. Stimulus "rebate" checks
6. PATRIOT Act
7. Big increase in unemployment
8. "Bailout" Paulson as Treasury Secretary
9. Skyrocketing federal spending
10. Huge federal deficits

Of Toronto and the tooth fairy...

Every time I hear someone mention Toronto even if it's related to Toronto hotels, I think about my first visit to that area. It's one of my first early memories because I was eating corn on the cob at a restaurant with my family and I lost my first tooth in the corn. The tooth was not quite ready to come out, so it bled a bit, and I remember sitting there with a white sundress on and my mother upset that I might get blood on my dress.

That may not sound like a happy memory, but it actually was, since it was also when I had my first visit from the tooth fairy and it gave me an early memory of that family vacation of decades ago...

Liberty does not really make health care universal

As I read, How Liberty Makes Health Care Virtually Universal, it bothered me that one of the conservative talking points that malpractice insurance is a factor in the current health care costs increasing was listed as well as regulations on prescription drugs.

The prescription drug industry is the reason why regulation happened, and our government tries to prevent us from getting the exact same drug, from other places like Canada and Mexico. In part pushed by the big pharm lobbyists, which have too much power in DC. We as a nation pay more for drug research because we've allowed that particular industry to have too much control. The health care insurance companies have demonstrated they can not provide services without regulations, and we as consumers have been forgotten in the political battles of the lobbyists versus lobbyists.

True liberty would be being able to opt in or opt out for affordable insurance, having smaller companies being able to contract with larger ones to reduce the base cost of their health insurance plans. True liberty would be if I could get a drug I took every day, made by the same exact company in Canada? My insurance company would pay for it.

The litigation happy society that we live in, is not a huge factor in the increase of health care or the supposed lack of physicians. Medical school enrollment is actually increasing which would indicate claims being made by some that the regulation has somehow contributed to a lack of physicians is not accurate. More students specialize rather than go into family practice but it is the lure of money not fear of regulations that drives that...

The lure of gold...

You can go thousands of years into the history of man and see there has been an interest in gold shortly after man became interested in commerce. Man saw more than a value in owning gold, it was also the beauty of the gold that lured him into wanting to own it.

Today in some ways it's the same, there are those who buy gold to create a diverse portfolio of investments and there are those who still want to own gold just for the pure beauty of it. If you are one of those interested in gold as an investment, it's easier than ever before to buy gold in a variety of ways, from ingots to bullion. There are companies out there that specialize in selling gold and other precious metals. They watch the prices, they know the market, and they cater to those who want to own gold...

Boston Globe pretends Kennedy is not in Senate race

With the exception of one brief mention, you'd think that Libertarian candidate, Joseph L. Kennedy was not even in the Massachusetts Senate race after reading, this article. Where the platforms of the Democrat and the Republican are compared, there is no mention of Kennedy.

Only this:

A possible complication for Brown is the fact that Joseph L. Kennedy of Dedham - a Libertarian running as an independent, who is not related to the late senator - has submitted sufficient signatures to be on the Jan. 19 ballot. Libertarians tend to appeal to a segment of the Republican electorate.

And this:

Brown and Kennedy have also confirmed for a Jan. 8 debate on WGBY-TV in Springfield and a Jan. 13 debate that is being sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts and held at Boston’s Faneuil Hall. Coakley has not yet agreed to those.

Which really calls into question Coakley's previous comments about how Kennedy should be included in debates if she for some reason does not decide to participate...It's the same tactic used over and over again by the media, they rarely include the third party candidates in any coverage, which makes it more difficult for a third party or independent to be treated fairly by the media...

Changes in the mail...

There are still some areas, like my neighborhood where the mailman (or mailwoman) delivers the mail on foot, door to door to each of the mail boxes on my street. However I've noticed a trend in some of the newer building projects where they have all of the Residential Mailboxes in one area, so that the mail is not actually delivered to the home, but is within walking distance to the homes on the street.

It's very similar to what we used to see when it came to Commercial Mailboxes in apartment units. Gone is the relationship that used to exist with your postal person, what is also gone with that appears to be some of the care with delivering mail. Which may not be purposeful, it's much easier to make a mistake while standing at a unit full of many mailboxes than it is going house to house. Many times there is no longer even any personal service when it comes to package delivery, there is a special mailbox placed with the mass of boxes and the key is placed in your mailbox.

Certified mail is still in theory delivered, but I've found what happens all too often even in my neighborhood where there is a walking route, is the slip for the certified mail is left in the box with no attempt to even see if the person is home. Nor is there any attempt to re-deliver...This leads me to think that perhaps the solution is to drop two days a week of delivery, that way the four days a week there is service? Perhaps a bit better service could occur...

Despite vow no arrests at Dodd Fundraiser...

When I read this on the Independent Political Report:

Angry citizens vow arrests at Sen. Dodd fundraiser with Vice President Biden
What: Protest at Senator Dodd fundraising event with Vice President Biden to demand single-payer health reform
When: Friday, December 11, 2009, Human Rights Day at 11 a.m.
Where: CT Science Center, 250 Columbus Street, Hartford, CT
Who: Green Party of CT and Mobilization for Health Care for All, a national civil disobedience campaign

Why: Demand “Medicare for All” (Single Payer Healthcare Reform)

Declaring health care to be a human right, hundreds of advocates for a single-payer, Medicare-for-All health program will protest at 18 senators’ offices around the country on Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day.Many will risk arrest by committing acts of civil disobedience.

I wondered what happened, especially since IPR didn't have an update. So I went searching, and found CT News Junkie which reported a few dozen protesters in all with:

Green Party member Tim McKee said they’re taking baby steps by proposing the Medicare solution that would allow those without insurance to buy into the Medicare system. McKee said he is an advocate of a single-payer system. So is Lauren Serven of Wethersfield, who said “health care is a resource, it’s a human right.”

McKee had expected about a dozen other supporters of single-payer to show up and be arrested for civil disobedience, but no arrests related to the protest were made Friday.

McKee is still working on drafting Ralph Nader to run against Dodd.

A French revoluntionary?

When I came across the name, Christian Louboutin it sounded as if he would be a French revolutionary, I suppose in a way you could still say that, but Louboutin is a designer, one that has a line of shoes that are pretty colorful. Just about any color of the rainbow, a brightly colored rainbow at that, has one style shoe or the other. Which for some of us? Bright green heels would be pretty revolutionary...

:-)

Ralph Nader: Just War is Just Words

Recommended piece written by Ralph Nader that was posted to his website on Friday, "Just War" is Just Words. While I recommend you read the entire piece, a selection from it:

President Obama, the Afghan war escalator, received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, and proceeded to deliver his acceptance speech outlining the three criteria for a “just war” which he himself is violating.

The criteria are in his words: “If it is waged as a last resort or in self-defense; if the force used is proportional; and if, whenever possible, civilians are spared from violence.”

To say as Obama inferred in his Oslo speech that the greater plunge into Afghanistan is self-defense, with proportional force and sparing civilians from violence is a scale of self-delusion or political cowardliness that is dejecting his liberal base.

For as President Eisenhower stated so eloquently in his 1953 “cross of iron” speech, every dollar spent on munitions and saber-rattling takes away from building schools, clinics, roads and other necessities of the American people.

Gary Johnson: You say you want a revolution?

The Our America, the Gary Johnson Initiative has recently been launched. It's a website I recommend visiting to those of you who are confirmed libertarians and those of you who lean libertarian. How successful this ends up being, amid the speculation that Johnson is planning for a presidential run, remains to be seen, but there is a good deal of information on the site.

It also states the platform on many key issues, with one absent, healthcare.

Make sure to take your passport...

The laws for travel are interesting because they used to vary more than they do now, soon it will be necessary to have a passport to go anywhere outside of the US, withthe exception of US territories. It's also important that you check to see what other requirements are necessary. Let's say for an example you were looking at dominican republic resorts as a vacation spot. You'd not only need a passport but a tourist card, that has to be paid in US dollars (currently it's $10.00) and allows you to stay for 60 days. If you stay longer and have not gone through the proper extension process? You can face a large surcharge when you attempt to return to the US...

Traveling outside of the US can be a fun adventure, but make sure you do your homework first and read any travel advisories from the State Department...

Diet Industry a 40 billion dollar one...

As some in America see their waistlines expanding, there is still an increasing number who decide they are going to do something about their weight, from weight loss pills to other diet products in 2007 it was reported that the diet industry was a 40 billion dollar one.

What's interesting is some of the myths related to this, one primary one is that if those of lower economic statuses truly did not have enough to eat weight would not be an issue. Statistically it's been proven it's not the quantity of the food eaten that causes some to be overweight, it is the quality and the type of food. What role the government should play in this has been an ongoing issue...

38th Birthday of the Libertarian Party

Today, in 1971, the Libertarian Party was founded.

Do something to celebrate that reminds you of liberty and less regulation.

Running through your home naked would be more advisable than running down the street naked, not only could it be cold...but illegal.

:-)

If she really means it, it's inspiring...

In today's Boston Globe, US Senate candidate Martha Coakley supports open debates:

On Tuesday, Coakley won the Democratic nomination and state Senator Scott Brown won the Republican nomination.

Kennedy, who is no relation to the famed political family, is a Libertarian who launched an independent bid for US Senate. He is the only candidate not in a major party who turned in the 10,000 signatures needed to get on the ballot.

Coakley said there have been requests made for eight debates, and her campaign is considering them now. When asked whether she would refuse to debate unless Kennedy was included, she said, "We haven't gotten to that yet."

"I'm a Democrat, we live in a democracy, and this is one of the treasures that we have," she said."If people can get the votes and get the support, they're allowed to get their message out to voters. ... He has done what Massachusetts says he needs to to be on the ballot here. In that sense he puts himself out as a candidate.''

As the article also points out, politically it could really help her to demand Kennedy be included in the debates:

Having a three-way debate would help Coakley, the front-runner in the race, and would make it harder for Brown to clearly differentiate himself from Coakley. As a libertarian, Kennedy is also more likely to pull votes from Brown than he is from Coakley, so giving him broad exposure on a televised debate could hurt Brown's chances.

Hence the post title, if she really means what she's stated? It's inspiring to see a Democratic candidate not afraid of debates and to include third party candidates.

Spice up your kitchen...

One of the downsides to our house we are living in right now is how small the kitchen is, it's one of my dream moments about the house we are going through renovation hell with, that once that is survived, the kitchen there is 20 times larger than this one. What I have found though with a small kitchen, there are items you can buy to make things easier. Most of these items can be found online at stores like JK Adams, one example of something that can save you space is a JK Adams pot rack, the mini bar ones can also be used for small kitchen areas.

Having a spice rack is another way to save space, especially if you pick one of the JK Adams spice racks that can mount on your wall, that frees up much needed counter space. I prefer one of the chunk style cutting boards, I just leave it out as a part of my counter space but there are a large variety of JK Adams cutting boards that could also fit into a cupboard.

Even when it comes to JK Adams wine racks there are some space saving designs, and they also have some nice stemware racks, the hanging ones are a great way to free up cupboard space and if you opt for colored wine glasses? Can add a splash of color to your kitchen. This time of year I recommend red, green and gold stemware, and I have friends who take this a step farther by adding some fake holly leaves around the edges of the stemware rack. The nice thing about any of these items is when we finally do move? I can take them with me and they'll work just fine in a larger kitchen as well.

Poll on Global Warming...

Poll that might be of interest on the Libertarian Party website.

The questions:

Which of the following statements best matches your view of global warming?

This whole global warming thing is a hoax.

I don’t know whether global warming is real, but the government should limit carbon dioxide emissions just to be safe.

Global warming is real, it’s a threat, and the government should limit carbon dioxide emissions.

Whether or not global warming is real, it doesn’t justify more taxes or regulations.

Global warming is mostly natural and there’s not much we can do about it.

NRLC urges defeat of healthcare bill

WASHINGTON (December 8, 2009) -- By a vote of 54 to 45, the U.S. Senate today tabled (killed) an amendment to remove elective abortion from the new federal programs that would be created by pending health care legislation. The following statement was issued by the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of right-to-life organizations in all 50 states, and may be attributed to NRLC Legislative Director Douglas Johnson.

A majority of senators today voted to keep abortion covered in the proposed federal government insurance program, and to subsidize private insurance plans that cover abortion on demand. Now, the vote on cloture on the bill itself will become the key vote on whether to put the federal government into the abortion business. We will oppose cloture on the bill, which would require 60 affirmative votes. In addition, a number of pro-life Democrats in the House, who supported passage of health care legislation on November 7, will not vote for the Senate bill in its current form. So, this is a long way from over.

The amendment rejected today, supported by NRLC, was sponsored by Senator Ben Nelson (D-Ne.) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). It contained the same substance as the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which was adopted by the House of Representatives on November 7, 240-194. Both amendments would prevent the federal government insurance program (the "public option") from paying for abortion (except to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest). In addition, both amendments would prevent federal subsidies from being used to purchase private health plans that cover elective abortion, but would not restrict the sale or purchase of such policies with private funds.

As NRLC has previously noted, the health care bill pending in the Senate, proposed by Senator Harry Reid (D-Nv.) and backed by President Obama, would authorize the federal government to pay for any and all abortions through a huge new federal health insurance program, the "public option," and would also subsidize purchase of private plans that cover abortion on demand. President Obama and Reid know that the substance of these abortion-promoting policies is deeply unpopular, so they seek to conceal the reality with layers of contorted definitions and money-laundering schemes.

For extensive further documentation on aspects of the health care legislation relating to abortion, visit the NRLC website at www.nrlc.org/ahc.

The National Right to Life Committee, the nation's largest pro-life group, is a federation of affiliates in all 50 states and 3,000 local chapters nationwide. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect those threatened by abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and assisted suicide. If you do not wish to receive occasional updates from NRLC, simply REPLY to this email with the word REMOVE in the body of your email. Thank you.