No wonder why I can't sleep...

After I read this from the National Sleep Foundation:

The bedroom should be visually pleasing and very comfortable. One should use the bedroom only for sleep, sex, and changing clothes, pleasant activities, and if awake in the night should leave the bed and bedroom and spend "unpleasant" times awake in another room. "Waking" activities such as working on the computer, talking with one's partner, talking on the phone and watching TV should take place out of the bedroom.

Not only is our television in the bedroom, but it's where my "office" is so that I don't have to deal with the noise and distractions from the rest of the household. It makes me wonder how many others who turn to the sleeping pill solution are in the same boat, or should I say...bed?

Ron Paul Hints The Re”love”ution May Live Again In 2012

The catchy title alone is worth giving some kudos to Mediaite though at age 76, despite the fact Ron Paul may find it fun to run for president...I think that train has left the station.

“It is probably hard to believe, but I look at it a little bit differently than others,” Paul said in an interview during his recent visit to Iowa. “I don’t expect to be president. I don’t expect to be. That doesn’t mean I won’t run for president, but I am really energized when I think we make inroads … to broaden the outreach on the philosophy I have been talking about for 40 years.” [...]

“I am very serious about thinking about it all the time,” Paul said about his possible presidential aspirations. “My answer is always the same thing: You know I haven’t ruled it out, but I have no plans to do it.”

The rebirth of Friedrich Hayek

Recommended article from across the seas - Friedrich Hayek: Darling of the right is reborn in the USA.

What is especially interesting is we have had these arguments before...

Friedrich August von Hayek was born in Vienna in 1899 to a family steeped in academia, and became a polymath whose learning spanned psychology and the law as well as philosophy and economics.

Working at the London School of Economics in the Thirties and Forties, he became the most persuasive of all the "Austrian school" of economists who advocated for limited government, a classical liberalism that is today more commonly described as libertarian.

They passionately opposed central planning of whatever political hue, from Nazism to Communism, and that included opposing the nationalisations and Keynesian demand management that took hold in social democratic Europe after the Second World War. It was a lonely position for much of the post-war period.

In a vivid way, it mirrors the intellectual clash between Hayek and another dead economist, John Maynard Keynes, who argued for governments to step in with big spending programmes to prevent a recession from spiralling into a depression. It was Keynesian policies, lashings of them in every major country in the world, that pulled the global economy back to growth after the financial crisis.

Keynes declared himself in "deeply moved agreement" with The Road to Serfdom, but he had a sting in the tail of his praise. He declared that the philosophy was of no practical use. A minimalist government, which left people to fend for themselves, was unconscionable, he said, and no matter how seductive it appears on the printed page, no one would support its introduction in the end.

Our right to sue when injured...

How much responsibility legally do companies have when it comes to items or products that are later proven to cause a health risk? That's one of the things I've always wondered about when you start reading about types of diseases and finding a Mesothelioma Lawyer. There was a time when asbestos was not deemed as a health risk, then there of course came the time period when it was known that it does cause that type of cancer. There are of course a variety of variables, when the manufacturer of a product knew the concerns were possible, what steps did they take, what protections were offered. Now you can find a Mesothelioma Attorney who will know more about your legal options.

Despite how long ago problems were known about asbestos, it still is having a large impact on the lives of many others...When reading more about Malignant Mesothelioma you can learn how some have survived the disease longer than doctor's expectations. It does not promise a cure, has provided hope as far as answers for some.

More fun with Rand Paul comments

We are now like the Roman empire, about to fall, according to Rand Paul:

"In the latter days of Rome, the economy was crumbling, the emperor ... would placate the mob with bread and circus -- food and entertainment to placate them since the economy was in shambles and dwindling around them," Paul, said, the Louisville Courier-Journal reports. "Now in our country, as our economy is in shambles, they give us Cash for Clunkers and a stimulus check and they tell us to go to the mall and spend your money and everything will be OK ... That's not how you become prosperous as an individual or a country."

At least this time his comments have not created some of the response from his civil right commentary - (link)

Calories in - Calories out not quite that simple...

An over seas study written about in the journal Obesity, by Y. Li and colleagues claims a low-dose multivitamin caused obese volunteers to lose 7 lb of fat mass in 6 months, mostly from their abdominal regions when compared to a placebo. The results also claim that the volunteers saw their LDL reduced by 27% and HDL increased by 40%. They also reported increased resting energy expenditure.

The results have created some controversy as to could nutrients play a larger role in weight loss. Skeptics point to the small volunteer base and the differences in diet from China to the U.S. as being factors that need to be weighed. While this is debated, it is interesting to take a look at some of the information out there on the diet industry at websites like, http://www.weightlosspills.net. The controversy has also increased the discussion of the "calorie in - calorie out" belief system that many believe is too simplistic for those who are considered clinically obese.

The mattress mangle...

Evidently when our house was built, people did not have anything other than twin or full size beds, it is not humanely possible to get a king or even a queen size bed mattress upstairs or into the basement. It is possible depending on the type of queen size mattress to mangle it into what we've called the "taco bend" to get it upstairs, but it's not possible to have a queen sized box spring upstairs. Thankfully the explosion of access to platform beds has made that not a huge issue. We spent the first several months with just our queen size mattress on the floor until we found a reasonably priced platform bed.

Libertarian candidates help Democrats win?

This is actually one of the consistent arguments used against third party candidates, that Libertarian candidates take votes away from Republicans and Green Party candidates take votes away from Democrats. It's the basic focus of this Texas Tribune piece.

I understand the argument, but it's also a scenario where if the best candidate is a Libertarian, Green Party or other third party, or even an independent, it creates the public impression that these candidates should not be considered since they can't win.

They can win, if people vote for them.

Libertarian National release on Gun Ownership Court ruling

Libertarian National Committee Chairman Mark Hinkle issued the following statement via e-mail:

“We are very pleased that the Supreme Court has ruled that the Second Amendment protects individuals from state governments wishing to violate their right to own handguns.

“Libertarians have always firmly supported the individual right of self-defense.

“Now there is some hope that Chicago’s horrible violent crime problem can be reduced by law-abiding citizens who will now be able to deter and resist criminals. More guns = less crime.

“It is disturbing that four justices voted to uphold Chicago’s gun ban. Their position is an attempt to pursue a policy goal from the bench, not to apply the Constitution — and to make matters worse, it is a policy goal that would be very harmful to the people of Chicago, and potentially to everyone in America.

“This ruling follows the District of Columbia v. Heller ruling, which overturned D.C.’s ban on handguns. That case was originally brought by Dick Heller, Libertarian Party member and treasurer of the D.C. Libertarian Party.

“We hope that this ruling will lead to further court decisions that reduce the government’s ability to infringe on gun rights with burdensome restrictions and red tape.

“Republicans and Democrats both deserve blame for violating gun rights. While Republicans often position themselves as Second Amendment defenders, it is worth noting major examples to the contrary:

“Republican 2008 presidential nominee John McCain received an F- rating from Gun Owners of America;

“Republican president George W. Bush supported a program called Project Safe Neighborhoods that sought to toughen and federalize prosecution of gun control laws;

“When he was running for Massachusetts Governor in 2002, Republican Mitt Romney said, ‘We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts; I support them; I won’t chip away at them; I believe they protect us and provide for our safety.’;

“In 1991, former Republican President Ronald Reagan announced his support for the Brady federal gun control bill.”

The Libertarian candidate for New York Governor, Warren Redlich, has commented that the ruling will affect New York gun control laws. On June 28 Redlich wrote, “This landmark ruling will require New York State to take immediate action to amend its gun laws so they do not violate the constitution. It is a striking victory for gun owners and for anyone who believes in the fundamental rights the constitution provides.”

Name that arena

Locally we just went through a scenario where our newly built sports arena was opened for business before the whole naming rights issue had been resolved. Now it's no longer Lucas County Arena but Huntington Center. Which really doesn't sound very arenaish as a name but? That's the only group willing to pay at least a small percentage of what they were originally seeking. In browsing some of the tickets for baseball and other events sold by www.ticketamerica.com a few of the names caught my attention.

Rose Garden Arena sounds like a nice place, you envision lots of roses with a garden type feel. Which may be funny if there were events like the circus or other events with not such a flowery aroma...

American Airlines Center - TX sounds more like a place to pick up your baggage than to watch baseball. Yet it is where acts like Lady Gaga are playing in 2011.

Thankfully Air Canada Centre is in Canada or that would be confusing. A bit closer to my home is the Palace Of Auburn Hills one of the places that our new arena is now competing with. Though, the Palace has some acts that are not coming here.

I do however wonder as a Diet Pepsi fan if the Pepsi Center would be the one entertainment venue that I could count on for sure as having only Pepsi products for sale....

Reverse psychology...

I don't know why, perhaps it's my general nature to rebel that creates a reverse psychological reaction for me when it comes to certain themes/products. If as an example, I see or hear a commercial against smoking or for an anti-smoking product, I have the urge to light up. If I see an ad recommending I buy apidexin or some other diet pill, I reach for a bag of potato chips...Which I just did, so the bag of Ruffles is open though I did at least temporarily pass on the chip dip...

:-)

Rand Paul underground electric fence idea

It's hard to take Rand Paul seriously, and with plans like this one that's getting some media attention, a billion dollar underground electric fence between the U.S. and Mexico is really hard to take seriously. As pointed out by several sources, including this one:

Rand Paul wants to bury a wire on the border and run electricity through it. As soon as somebody crosses the electric fence, choppers will be dispatched to dispatch the offending illegal back to whence they came.
Apparently Paul has a way to detect the difference between iguanas and other wildlife that is currently allowed to cross the borders unimpeded.
“My plans include an underground electric fence, with helicopter stations to respond quickly to breaches of the border,” state the Kentucky candidate for Senate on his website.
“I have not heard that. “Underground? What would happen? How would that work?” said National Republican Senate Committee Chair John Cornyn.

Marshmallows roasting on an open fire...

I'm surprised no one has done a satire set of lyrics based on the Christmas carol about roasting chestnuts on an open fire, especially with the growing popularity of the outdoor fireplace or fire pit. I decided to take a crack at the first few lines...

Marshmallows roasting on an open fire
Mosquitoes nipping at your nose
Crickets loud enough to be a choir
And men dressed up in speedos

I maybe on to something...

:-)

Deleting a campaign promise doesn't make it go away

During the primary in Kentucky Rand Paul stated he was not going to accept campaign donations from any senator who voted to support the financial bailouts. Now that he's made it past the primary it's being reported that he's take then pledge off of his campaign website, (link) and is soliciting donations from senators who voted for the financial bailout. He's obviously not concerned that voters will care about broken pledges and historically, few do.

The first-time candidate slammed his main primary opponent, Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson, for taking campaign cash last year at a Washington fundraiser hosted by a number of senators who backed the bailout.
That was then, but now the Paul campaign is welcoming support from lawmakers it once shunned.
"We considered that the primary was a fight over the direction and the soul of the Republican Party," Paul campaign manager Jesse Benton said this week. "By Rand taking that hard stance in the primary, we think that those ideas won."
Now that Paul is the nominee, "it is great to see so many leaders lining up behind" him, Benton said.
Paul's campaign anticipates that most of the Republican senators listed on the invitation will contribute, Benton said.
Paul's Democratic opponent, Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway, criticized the about-face.
"Rand Paul made a pledge when he needed to win the primary," said Conway spokeswoman Allison Haley. "But now that the bailout senators are offering him money, the pledge goes out the window."

Dropping poundage

We want everything fast these days, which is why many are attracted to quick and easy weight loss solutions. It's important to understand how the extra pounds were created, you didn't just wake up one morning with an extra 20 pounds - One pound of fat is equal to about 3500 calories.
That means that if you eat an extra 350 calories of food a day beyond what your body needs, you would gain an extra pound every 10 days. If you take in more than 350 calories a day beyond what your body needs you'd gain the extra weight even faster.

Best, most effective, preferred...

Marketing and advertising are about images and words, how a product is described is meant to draw your interest and appeal to you. If you read "least effective diet pill" or "completely untested wrinkle cream" you'd probably not be at all interested. However if you read, most effective diet pill or four out of five dentists prefer (fill in name) then you'd be more inclined to give a product a look. It's up to you as a consumer to do your homework and my standard advice before taking any diet or health supplement, check with your health care professional first.

78 year old Julian Heicklen still in jail...

Heicklen is a libertarian and jury rights advocate who was arrested on May 25 for the "crime" of attempting to distribute Fully Informed Jury Association (FIJA) fliers on public property in front of the US District Courthouse in Manhattan. The formal charges against the 78 year old man are "disorderly conduct" and "resisting arrest."

He is currently being held in the New York City Jail at Riker's Island awaiting a scheduled June 8 hearing though it appears when reading a blog that has been focusing on his case, (link) that there's some concern that the date might be extended. Normally you'd expect someone charged with that level of crime to be out on bail, however he is being held without bail.

When reading another site, jailed activists it's suggested that there was no bond in this case due to a prior failure to appear. I also recommend reading Heicklen's self bio...

What it's not Windex?

Ever since I watched "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" along with many of my family members,it's hard for us to not suggest Windex as a solution for just about everything. Those who watched the movie will know what I'm talking about, the father, Gus, has using Windex as a solution for acne to swollen toes as well as it being suggested in the movie as one of the best acne treatments when a problematic pimple appears on both the bride and the groom. She opts for more traditional treatment, he reveals he put Windex on his...Not surprisingly, this is not the accepted method of treatment by some.

:-)

Here in Ohio - Swartz withdraws from Congressional race

In this week's Toledo Free Press, it's reported that Libertarian candidate Jeremy Swartz has withdrawn from the ninth congressional race where he would have faced incumbent Democrat Marcy Kaptur and Republican primary winner Richard Iott.

Swartz stated he was pulling out of the election due to a personal emergency but did not provide any additional details.

As the Toledo Free Press also reports, it's not clear at this time if the Libertarian Party of Ohio is going to nominate someone to run, or if it will be Joseph Jaffe who ran against Swartz in the primary.

American people think the president is everything to everybody

Interesting quote in the title of the post made by Ron Paul in his defense of President Obama as pointed out by several media sources, including The Hill:

Rep. Ron Paul, the libertarian Republican lawmaker from Texas, said that people were expecting too much from the president in his ability to react to the ongoing spill into the Gulf.

"I'm a pretty big critic of the president," Paul said during an appearance on "Imus in the Morning" on the Fox Business Network, "but I just don't see the justification for coming down hard on the president."

"I think it represents the idea that the American people think the president is everything to everybody that he should fix an oil leak," Paul added.

Some lawmakers, including many Republicans, have questioned the administration's responsiveness to the spill, as well as whether the administration has been aggressive enough in pushing BP to end the flow of oil from its damaged deepwater well.

But Paul suggested that there was little the president could do personally to end the spill, arguing that Obama could do more to help out with the spill and the cleanup by clearing out and waiving federal regulations so that governors of the states affected by the spill have more leeway in addressing cleanup efforts.