Christmas

Please welcome the writings of my son, Tyler, who is my guest author for today.

Tyler understands Christmas.



Merry Christmas

Christmas time is here, reindeer and yuletide cheer, the jolly atmosphere, is something near and dear, to people old and young, shopping and stockings hung, lip-locks and socks among, the box of rocks and rum. You hear a doorbell rung, the hum of carols sung, from every living lung, you become Santa stung. Its fun to run around, with pounds of presents bound, for door, the floor, the ground, escape without a sound. Under the Christmas tree, wrapped up so beautifully, they will remain until the day they can be opened and seen. You hear a choir sing, whistler's whistling, and it brings you such a feeling got you kneeling and reeling from the memories, of decorating trees and shopping sprees, and how you'd freeze on those late-night deliveries, cookies and Sees; can I please, just catch some Zzz's is what you plead but you've agreed, to get no sleep for a week-and you're weak from all the planning, in line standing, and winks. Gotta think of something clever but your levers on low, gonna mow over the rovers that all hover and Ho Ho Ho, their in your way and waving oh I don't know know know, if I can take it might not make it in snow snow snow, it's raining paining all the people that go go go, no stopping shopping dropping not till its 8 below. The flow of buyers and suppliers all show that dough; you grow and grow with every season such a seasonal pro. No rejuvenating waiting on those tired-out toes. You wrap up wrapping, mapping napping in the hustle and flow. You seize the reason for the freezing season's glimmer and glow. Show up to parties, bring Bacardi's, eat some smarties, n' tic-tac-toe to music playing, hips are swaying some doe-see-doe. It's getting late; you wait abruptly cupping a cup of Joe. See couples wed, eat gingerbread, fed green and red Oreos. Use milk for dipping sipping some of that hot cocoa. To fill the chill instilling in and around your bones, you're on a hill building abominable men of snow. You roam for dolls and deck the halls till daylight falls into moonlit glow. A very merry Christmas wish is what you bestow. I know you heard me when I sternly said ho ho ho and not ha ha ha, fa la la la la, so in awe of every jaw-jaw jacking that bah humbug, I eggnog chug and hug the pug that plops itself a-top a snuggly twelfth night rug. I've dug into the dishes with a violent and vicious giant appetite, every bite delicious and finished right, no sweat if not nutritious you're ambitious, diminish wish for anything light. Every night eat something heavy, have a beverage with Chevy chasing vacation sights. See the lights all shining bright; incite excitement hype in the neighborhood. All the real good girls and boys will relieve some grieve with toys from deliveries, delivered down the chimney with jiminy glee, under the tree for all to see, there will be racing, constant pacing, total anarchy; but the birth of Jesus Christ from his mother Mary, is the reason for the season's divinity, a holy night for you and for me. So you see, whether you're playing choo-choo trains chomping candy canes, or deciding who to show you have mistletoe, remember loudly yell singing jingle bells, and let your merry show saying ho ho ho. Lastly I will say on this holiday, a day to celebrate, be happy and gay, let's pray for peace on earth and goodwill towards men, and distribute all the loving love will let you lend.

Written by Tyler Wagner


Amen Tyler. Thanks for sharing. Love from me, your Dad.

Chinese Almost Stole Christmas

OK my friends, it is a busy time of year so I know my editor would appreciate it if I would actually let her have some time off over the Christmas and New Year's holidays.

I don't want to be a Grinch so I am going to have my last post tomorrow until after New Year's.

Tomorrow's will be a good one so don't miss it.



Speaking of my editor Pat, her husband Wally was talking to me about any ideas I have as to what she might want for Christmas.

I asked Wally what Pat's favorite flower is.

He said he was pretty sure it was Pillsbury.

I think Wally may get a lump of coal for Christmas.



Yesterday I was out Christmas shopping when I saw a very interesting sign on a door to the store I was going into.

It said "Caution Doors Open."

I suspect it helps business that they do open!!!!!

I'm also glad I was warned cause I was beginning to wonder what a door does!!



There was almost a disaster this Christmas. Check this out.

Santa Wins Case Over Lost Red Suit

One dry cleaner now knows how to get on Santa's naughty list: lose his suit.

After Christmas last year, Santa took his red velvet suit to Royal Cleaners, which accidentally gave it to someone else.

The family-owned business acknowledged the mixup and offered to pay him half the value of the nearly $400 suit, said Jean Hwang, who said she's the owner's sister.


After the Christmas season last year, Santa brought his Santa Claus suit in for a dry cleaning. But Royal Cleaners accidentally returned the suit to someone else.

A jolly Santa burst into the dry cleaners Monday, television cameras rolling.

"Merry Christmas! Have you been a good girl?" he asked a smiling Hwang.

The Chinese send us bad food and toys. Now they almost ruined Christmas by giving away Santa's suit to someone else.

How stupid is that they don't recognize Santa?

That's it for today. Be sure and check out tomorrow's post as it is a good one.

Special Gifts

OK, so black Friday is over and Cyber Monday is over as well.


I guess if you want a T. V., Computer, IPod, or a camera, there are deals out there.


Me, I wanted to get Vicki something special this year so I searched for 12 special gifts.

The first was a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

Only after I looked stupid when I tried to get one of the Partridge family from the old T. V. show to return my emails did I learn that a partridge was a bird.



Even though it is a strange gift, if I find one I have a pear tree in the back yard.


Next I was off in search of Two Turtle Doves. This I thought could make some money if indeed I could find one let alone two birds mixed with a turtle.


I was not quite sure about that one, but what the heck, I fired off my email requests to several stores.

I received somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 responses that I didn't think used the proper language considering they were a store and I, after all, was a potential customer, not a pervert as some suggested.


Three French Hens were next on my list and that was easy.


Off to Albertsons I went and bought three fryers figuring Vic would not know if they were French.


Now it gets to be a challenge as I have no clue what Four Calling Birds even are.

Thanks to the Internet I am now enlightened. A calling bird is an Americanization of the traditional English wording colly birds. Colly is a dialect word meaning black and refers to the European blackbird Turdus Merula.



Five Gold Rings

Well this is a lot easier. Just head to the jewelry store as women like rings.

Only thing is they like the gold rings complemented by diamonds. Oh boy, nothing but dollar signs.

Six Geese A-laying

Not so hard to find as I am going to take bread crumbs to a park and get these little devils caged up.

Seven Swans A-swimming

These are not so hard to find either so I am going to take bread crumbs to a park and get these little devils caged up then put them in our pool since they have to be swimming.

Eight Maids A-milking

OK I figured this was a no brainer as well so off to Anderson Dairy I went.

They didn't have any cows there let alone maids. In fact they suggested I call Annie the Maid or Maids R Us to see if they could help.

Nine Ladies Dancing

For this one I went to Cheetah's and talked to the girls as they were pole dancing. Told them I wanted to take them home for my wife for Christmas and immediately the bouncers came and escorted me out. So I will have to keep shopping on that one.

Ten Lords A-leaping

This was easy. I ran down and hit up the Chippendales but they want a lot of cash for a private deal.

Eleven Pipers Piping

For this one I went to Mr. Bill's pipe shop and wait til Vicki sees the pipers I lined up.

Twelve Drummers Drumming

I called the Army on this one but they advised me the drum and bugle core is a matched set and they would not split them. I hope Vicki enjoys the horn section.


You know after all this maybe I should forget the exotic gifts and get her a frying pan or maybe a vacuum instead.

All those birds make a mess of your house for sure, not to mention all those people.

Still No Rain

Monday and the weekend is over, boo hoo.

Every once in a while I am lucky enough to capture pictures I feel warrant sharing.

Today I am posting the skies of Las Vegas. These pictures were taken 12-6-07.










If only I knew where to enter these, I'm sure they would be award-winning.

I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did.

Silliness

Friday happy Friday Woo Hoo!!

It's getting close to the end of the year so remember to check to see if your birth certificate expired or is about to?


The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.



The problem nowadays is stupidity. Why don't we just take the safety labels off everything and see what happens?


Did you know:

7/5 of the population doesn't understand fractions

55% of the population doesn't pay attention to statistics

There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.



Do you know:

(Answers below, don't peek)

1. In the song 'Frosty the Snowman,' what kind of hat did Frosty wear?





2. How many reindeer pull Santa and his sleigh?





3. Can you recite Santa's reindeer's names?





4. In the "Twelve Days Of Christmas," how many gifts are mentioned?















1. Silk
2. Nine
3. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, Blitzen and the most famous of all Rudolph.
4. There are 364 gifts mentioned in "The Twelve Days of Christmas."


And there you go for this week. I hope you are getting in the spirit of the season.

May you find it all at the mall!

Be safe and sane in your quest for the sales at the stores this weekend.

That's My Son

The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

By Tyler Wagner

It had been a long time since I had visited a Toys R Us, probably about 10 years at least. So when I ventured into the store to do some research for this paper, I was taken back by what I saw. The store was pretty much exactly how I had remembered it all those years prior, only now there were bigger toys, more accessories to purchase, and a slew of new characters for the kids to look up to.

The very first thing I noticed when I walked towards Toys R Us was the sign. Whoever came up with the color scheme for that sign was brilliant. If you make it all one color, like say black, you might alienate women, but if you make all the letters pink, then you are alienating the men. They perfectly blend colors together that make people feel comfortable and wanting to come inside and take a look around.

I felt like I was walking into an old friend’s house when I walked through the doors of the toy store. I remembered the smell, I remembered the layout, but most of all, I remembered the size. Going to Toys R Us was like going to Disneyland for me. It was this big, huge place where I could literally get lost and escape for an hour or two. Now while I didn’t quite get lost on this trip, I did find myself looking for a bench to sit down on after all the walking. I’m telling you, Toys R Us needs benches. Maybe I am out of shopping shape, but by the time I journeyed through the entire store, rack by rack and aisle by aisle, my feet were killing me, and I wasn’t even lugging anything around. I just don’t know how people do it. I guess I’m getting a little off topic, although I will be writing a letter to the store about my bench idea.

As soon as you walk through the entrance, the ploy to get you to buy begins. There are toys strategically placed right in front of you, and that’s even before you really get inside the store. They aren’t the little cheap toys that they are trying to get rid of either. Oh no. They are the expensive suckers; the guitars, the dollhouses, the trucks, the “Ultimate Big Gifts” as they say. I found it very amusing that there was a huge candy section near the entrance as well. Can you imagine anything more eye-popping to a kid than to come into a toy store and automatically see huge toys and loads of candy? Can you say cha-ching?

Once inside the store, they have televisions playing commercials advertising the toys that are available for you to purchase. This is brilliance at its best. I must have watched that damn T.V. for 5 minutes straight just waiting for the commercials to end and a show to come on. To my surprise, no show came on. Why show cartoons that might distract kids from shopping when you can endlessly plug the toys you are selling? No longer will customers have to ask workers how a certain toy works. Now you just wait for the ad for that toy to come on the screen and wa-la, you are an expert on it.

What I found really entertaining after that were the strategically placed wall hooks for hanging ornaments and things of that nature on, which were right beside things like ponies and dirt bikes. Surely no kid is going to walk by a wall hook and say, “Yes! Wall hooks!” Those are put there for a reason and that reason is that the store knows they aren’t just selling to kids. This fact became very evident later on in my journey through toy land as I found a classic downy bed with a picture of two grown ups on it right in the same section as kids playhouses. Are they trying to hint that parents are going to be worn out after all the shopping and building is done, so go and buy a bed for your troubles? It makes you wonder.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what the hot sellers are this year either. All I had to do was look at a giant wall dedicated entirely to Barbie to know that the long running franchise is still as popular as ever. Speaking of popular things for girls, what about this Dora the Explorer? My lord she was everywhere! I guess I was a little out of the loop on what’s cool these days for young girls, but I think I have a pretty good grasp on it now. Get a girl anything Barbie, Dora, Hannah Montana, or High School Musical, and I’m pretty certain you will have a friend for life.

The placement of the toys is also very important. They have trains set on the ground so that when kids walk by they are at eye level with them. I would have never thought about this if it hadn’t been for a little boy walking by and saying, “Wow Dad, look at the size of that train!” It’s brilliant. If they stack the trains on a shelf where only the parents can really notice them, they won’t be seen as much, but by putting them on the ground, bingo, you’ve got yourself a great seller.

The store is also really clever in their wording of things. For instance, they label all of their sections “Ultimate” this or “Ultimate” that. Ultimate Big Gift, Ultimate Game Shop, Ultimate Christmas Shop. It all tends to give you the impression that this is the end all, be all. Everything in these sections is the best and you just have to have them.

I had to laugh when walking by some boxes of pool tables and air hockey tables because of the kids shown on them. Every kid is so happy, and every box is blended just right with gender and race. I started to wonder what would happen if they showed a kid without a smile on his face on one of the boxes. Or better yet, if they dared put two Caucasian children on one of the boxes instead of one white child and one black child. Would the toy not sell as well?

Another thing I laughed at was the ingenious use of color coordination. It is such a constant theme in the store. For instance, in the clothes section, above a blue sign for boys sizes are blue boxes of play desks. Above the pink sign for girls sizes are pink Barbie boxes. Above the purple sign for infants sizes are purple drum kit boxes. I mean the coincidences never end. These people at Toys R Us are Coordinating Kings.
As I walked further, I began to wonder if I had left Toys R Us and accidentally entered into Babies R Us, for I found gift cards strewn all over. The cross-advertising never ends.

My tired legs limped further into the store and into the sports section, and I must say, I was shocked by what I saw. No, not shocked by the amount of gear, or shocked by the prices, but by the fact that the only team they had anything for was the Oakland Raiders. Yes, the Oakland Raiders. I mean, I know we are near Oakland and all, but any fan of football surely knows that Raider gear is not going to be a hot-seller this holiday season.

I’m honestly surprised there haven’t been more accidents at Toys R Us involving boxes falling onto people. Seriously, I looked up over the aisles and they literally have boxes stacked to the ceiling. To the ceiling! Plus, there are no bars or anything holding them in place. Can’t you just see some rambunctious little devil running through the aisles and nudging one of the stands a little too hard and giving the boxes a little shake, sending a box tumbling to the ground, aiming right for poor Timmy’s little head? Okay, maybe it’s not that easy to jar those things, but still, it’s something to think about.

The recycling and remaking of toys is also something I found to be very interesting. Toys that were popular when I was a kid like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, and wrestling figures are just as popular today as they ever were. I guess this is the sign of a great creation.

Another great creation would be the giant light sabers from Star Wars that they sell. I’m not going to say if it was me or not, but there was definitely some racket being made in aisle seven from all the saber slashing. It lasted for about 5 minutes and only ended because this “particular individual” was starting to get weird looks from customers.

Cabbage Patch Kids still have a section dedicated to them in the store, only now they are called Classic Cabbage Patch Kids. Anything that’s been around that long certainly deserves that title. Did you know the doll was created by a man named Xavier Roberts in 1978? It was once said that there were more Cabbage Patch Kids in the world than people at one time.

Remember when “Tickle Me Elmo” was so popular? Well, obviously the people that made them do, because they have now made “Guess What Elmo,” “Up! Up! Elmo” and “Hokey Pokey Elmo.” I’ll tell you what; I for one can’t wait for “Shut the Hell up Elmo,” but maybe that’s just me.

As I walked past the mainstays like Lincoln Logs, Play-Doh, and Lego’s, I felt good in knowing that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Prices may rise, sizes may increase, but toys will always be a part of life, and for that I am thankful.

Happy Hanukkah

In 2007 Hanukkah begins at sundown on Tuesday December 4 and ends at nightfall on Wednesday December 12.

Hanukkah is an eight-day holiday both in Israel and outside of Israel.

Hanukkah is the most widely celebrated American Jewish holiday, possibly because it is a fun, child-centered occasion. It is celebrated with excellent food, an exchange of gifts, and the lighting of beautiful menorahs (special Hanukkah candelabras) filled with brightly colored candles. Unlike some of the other Jewish holidays, which require intense spiritual reflection or elaborate preparation, it is easy to celebrate.

Many Jewish holidays commemorate events invested with historical and religious meaning, and Hanukkah is no exception. Hanukkah means "rededication," and it commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its desecration by foreign forces. The celebration also reaffirms the continuing struggle to live by God's commandments and to lead Jewish lives.

When all is said and done, perhaps the most important message of Hanukkah may be found in the name of the holiday itself: Dedication. When Jews have dedicated themselves, through faith and action, to the pursuit of high religious and human ideals, Judaism has been strong. That imperative, to strengthen our religion and our people, remains an important challenge at this season, in every generation. Hanukkah begins every year on the 25th of the Hebrew month of "Kislev." This year, the 25th of Kislev corresponds to the evening of December 4th, 2007.

Lighting the Hanukkah Menorah (also called the Hanukkiah) is the essential observance of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Hanukkah candles are lit to commemorate the miracle of the Maccabees' victory and the miracle of the oil that burnt for eight days in the Temple.

Each of the eight nights of Hanukkah, all members of the family should gather around the Hanukkah Menorah. Before lighting the candles, the blessings are recited.

The first two blessings below are recited each night. The third, a blessing of joy traditionally recited during each Jewish festival, is recited only the first time the Hanukkah menorah is lit.

BLESSING 1
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by His commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukkah.

BLESSING 2
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who wrought miracles for our fathers in days of old, at this season.

BLESSING 3
This blessing is recited only on the first night or the first time one kindles the Hanukkah lights. Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has kept us alive, and has preserved us, and enabled us to reach this time.



To all my Jewish readers out there, I wish you a very Happy Hanukkah.

Something to Ponder

Go figure.

We're the country that has more food to eat than any other country in the world and more diets to keep us from eating it.

We yell for the Government to balance the budget, then take the last dime we have to make the down payment on a car that will take 5 years to pay off.

We demand speed laws that will stop fast driving, then won't buy a car if it can't go over 100 miles an hour.

We'll spend half a day looking for vitamin pills to make us live longer, then drive 90 miles an hour on slick pavement to make up for lost time.

We have more experts on marriage than any other country in the world and still have more divorces.

We tie up our dog while letting our sixteen-year-old son run wild.

We heavily tax smokers to get them to stop smoking, while subsidizing the tobacco farmer.

We're supposed to be the most civilized nation on earth, but we still can't deliver payrolls without an armored car.

We run from morning to night trying to keep our "earning power" up with our "yearning power."

We will work hard on a farm so we can move into town where we can make more money so we can move back to the farm.

In the office we talk about baseball, shopping or fishing, but when we are out at the game, the mall or on the lake, we talk about business.

We know the line-up of every baseball team in the American and National Leagues but mumble through half the words in the "Star Spangled Banner".

We buy oil from countries that hate us, and sell our oil to the country that almost destroyed our Navy.

We whip any enemy in battle, then give them the shirt off our backs.


Think about that!!!!!!!!

Disguised Abuse

Let's tell it like it is.

Catholic Comic Books Warn Kids of Abuse

NEW YORK - The Archdiocese of New York is handing out coloring and comic books that warn children about sex predators, the first such effort by a Roman Catholic diocese in the United States.

In the coloring book, a perky guardian angel tells children not to keep secrets from their parents, not to meet anyone from an Internet chat room and to allow only "certain people" like a doctor or parent to see "where your bathing suit would be."

In a comic book version for children over 10, a teenager turns to St. Michael the Archangel for strength to report that two schoolmates are being sexually abused.

Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the archdiocese, said they have been distributed to about 300 schools and 400 religious education programs to use as a resource. They are also free online.

"It's to help young people to know situations they should not get into," he said. "How to be safe — but to try to do it in an age-appropriate and sensitive way."

Some critics, while applauding the intent, say the books should say explicitly that trusted adults — including priests — may be the abusers.

Zwilling said that as far as he knows, the coloring book is the first of its kind to be produced by church officials. David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said he, too, was unaware of any such effort.

Clohessy said that while he welcomes any attempt to teach children how to stay safe, he believes the coloring book should state more clearly that the predator is more likely to be a trusted adult than a stranger.

"There continues to be a bit of an overemphasis on stranger danger," Clohessy said. "I think it would be most effective if it would say, 'Not only strangers molest kids. Even adults you like and your parents respect — teachers, doctors, priests — can hurt kids.'"

But Zwilling said the vast majority of priests are "good and holy men," and he said it would have been inappropriate for the coloring book to single out priests as potential abusers. "You don't want to frighten children," he said. "You also don't want to stigmatize any group."

The closest the coloring book comes to directly addressing the 2002 church abuse scandal is a picture of a second angel — not the guardian angel — grinning at a priest and an altar boy through a wide open door.

"For safety's sake, a child and an adult shouldn't be alone in a closed room together," the text reads. "If a child and an adult happen to be alone, someone should know where they are and the door should be open or have a big window in it."

Is it just me or is this another case where the Catholic church does not want to address the real problem?

As we are seeing regularly, the Catholic Church is a haven for pedophiles disguised as priests.


Zwilling said it would have been inappropriate for the coloring book to single out priests as potential abusers. That may be true but it surely should have added them by name.

The comic book, while a good idea for kids, still does not address the fact that parents do not believe the children because the priest would never lie.


The Church needs to get real and quit covering up for the sins.

It's time to expose and get rid of the pedophiles within their ranks.

Oh wait they can't because as the teaching goes "Let Ye Without Sin Cast The First Stone." That leaves no one to fire them!!

Who Knew

OK my peeps, it's Friday so let's kick it up a notch for the weekend. Short, but oh so sweet!!


Youth:

In some cases the younger generation is a lot smarter than we were. I'm sure you have all heard and know what the term "Friends with benefits" means today.

In our day "Friends with benefits" meant you had a buddy with a pick up truck whom you could call to help you move something big.


Now this is what I'm talking about:

Normally I don't read books but I have found one that I have to read and I suggest it to everyone who wants to keep their brains active.

Boost your brain with chocolate, sex ... and cold cuts?

The secret may lie in our lifestyle and what we eat to fuel our bodies.

Dark chocolate and plenty of cold meat for breakfast top the list for boosting grey matter, researchers suggest, while sex is essential for keeping the brain fit in later life.

The theories, based on research from experts around the world, are contained in the book Teach Yourself: Training Your Brain.

The book contains mental exercises and radical thinking on how diet, the environment, stress and other aspects of modern life affect our mental capacity.

It claims sex has a positive impact, listing seven chemical reactions the brain undergoes during intercourse which improve its functioning ability.

For instance, raised levels of oxytocin - or the "trust" hormone - increase a person's readiness to think of novel or risky solutions to a problem. Elements in dark chocolate also prove beneficial.

Magnesium and antioxidant chemicals increase the supply of oxygen to the brain and reduce the chances of brain damage through a stroke. Ditching a low-fat diet is also recommended to boost performance.

The book recommends that readers should seek a concept known as BLISS - Body-based pleasure, Laughter, Involvement, Satisfaction and Sex - which all enable the mind to perform well.

"Mix with people who make you laugh, have a good sense of humor or who share the same interests as you, and avoid people who whinge, whine and complain, as people who are negative will make you depressed."


The author must have been somewhere and heard me talking because I have told the same things to everyone that would listen.

In fact it is the creed I live by!!!

How stupid am I? I should have written the book and made the big bucks.



OK next...

Question: Do you know how a deaf person gets his wife to stop nagging?

Answer: He turns off the light.



Going Green:

So Al Gore has been in the Hollywood news lately. You remember him, he was the one that thought Florida should do away with the death penalty - too many hanging Chads. Anyway he is promoting going green.

Well I thought we should do what we can to go green so I brought home a donkey and a camel.

I told Vicki we had new transportation because we were going to go green.

Vicki told me I should sit on my ass and smoke a camel as she was not parting with her red Denali.

She told me she previously had a green Denali and is quite happy with the red one!!

She was pretty mad at me so now instead of green I'm going black and blue.



Tips for doing your part for going green:

Shower together. Not only do you save water, but you are sure to have a steamy time.

In the winter time, some nice warm loving before bed can get the bedroom toasty, meaning the thermostat can be lower.

And of course the classic candle-lit dinner is a delicious way to set the mood and save on energy bills.


And so it goes for this week.

Activate your mind and seek out your bliss for the weekend.

Turn on and tune in next week for more of nothing much.

Working the System

The following story was forwarded to me by Karen, one of my readers from the windy city of Chicago, home of the Cubs.

Some of you may remember Karen has previously written a guest article on this site.

Karen suggested with the wide viewing audience this blog has that it might be good info for all my readers out there.

I am not sure who the author is so to them I apologize for not mentioning their name.



Free

Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas is a fairly famous institution and for a variety of reasons:

1. John F. Kennedy died there in 1963
2. Lee Harvey Oswald died there shortly thereafter
3. Jack Ruby-who killed Lee Harvey Oswald, died there a few years later...by coincidence

"On the flip side, Parkland is also home to the second busiest maternity ward in the country with almost 16,000 new babies arriving each year. (That's almost 44 per day---every day)

A recent patient survey indicated that 70 percent of the women who gave birth at Parkland in the first three months of 2006 were illegal immigrants. That's 11,200 anchor babies born every year just in Dallas

According to the article, the hospital spent $70.7 million delivering 15,938 babies in 2004 but managed to end up with almost $8 million dollars in surplus funding. Medicaid kicked in $34.5 million, Dallas County taxpayers kicked in $31.3 million and the feds tossed in another $9.5 million.

The average patient in Parkland is maternity wards is 25 years old, married and giving birth to her second child. She is also an illegal immigrant. By law, pregnant women cannot be denied medical care based on their immigration status or ability to pay.

OK, fine. That doesn't mean they should receive better care than everyday, middle-class American citizens. But at Parkland Hospital , they do. " Parkland Memorial Hospital has nine prenatal clinics. NINE.

The Dallas Morning News article followed a Hispanic woman who was a patient at one of the clinics and pregnant with her third child---her previous two were also born at Parkland . Her first two deliveries were free and the Mexican native was grateful because it would have cost $200 to have them in Mexico . This time, the hospital wants her to pay $10 per visit and $100 for the delivery but she was unsure if she could come up with the money. Not that it matters, the hospital won't turn her away. (I wonder why they even bother asking at this point.)

"How long has this been going on? What are the long-term affects?

Well, another subject of the article was born at Parkland in 1986 shortly after her mother entered the US illegally - now she is having her own child there as well. (That's right, she's technically a US citizen.)

These women receive free prenatal care including medication, nutrition, birthing classes and child care classes. They also get freebies such as car seats, bottles, diapers and formula.

Most of these things are available to American citizens as well but only for low-income applicants and even then, the red tape involved is almost insurmountable.

Because these women are illegal immigrants, they do not have to provide any sort of legitimate identification - no proof of income. An American citizen would have to provide a social security number which would reveal their annual income - an illegal immigrant need only claim to be poor and the hospital must take them at their word.

Parkland Hospital offers indigent care to Dallas County residents who earn less than $40,000 per year. (They also have to prove that they did not refuse health coverage at their current job. Yeah, the 'free' care is not so easy for Americans.)

There are about 140 patients who received roughly $4 million dollars for un-reimbursed medical care. As it turns out, they did not qualify for free treatment because they resided outside of Dallas County so the hospital is going to sue them! Illegal's get it all free! But U. S citizens who live outside of Dallas County get sued! How stupid is this?

As if that isn't annoying enough, the illegal immigrant patients are actually complaining about hospital staff not speaking Spanish. In this AP story, the author speaks with a woman who is upset that she had to translate comments from the hospital staff into Spanish for her husband. The doctor was trying to explain the situation to the family and the mother was forced to translate for her husband who only spoke Spanish. This was apparently a great injustice to her.

In an attempt to create a Spanish-speaking staff, Parkland Hospital is now providing incentives in the form of extra pay for applicants who speak Spanish. Additionally, medical students at the University of Texas Southwestern for which Parkland Hospital is the training facility will now have a Spanish language requirement added to their already jammed-packed curriculum. No other school in the country boasts such a ridiculous multi-semester (multicultural) requirement.

(Sorry for the length, but this needs wide circulation particularly to our "employees" in Congress.)

Remember that this is only ONE hospital is Dallas, Texas . There are many more hospitals across our country that also have to deal with this.

Thanks to Karen for the article.

This, my friends, is your tax money at work. We don't need immigration reform, we need to enforce the laws that are on the books.

90% of the American citizens want the laws enforced and no reform.

99% of the politicians want reform. Why? Obviously they don't care what the people that elected them want!!!!

Remember, calling an “illegal alien” an “undocumented immigrant” is no different than calling the corner crack dealer an “unregistered pharmacist.”

Foreign Trade

OK we keep importing all the contaminated food products and the lead-laced toys and in return:

Admirals: China 'not helpful' on Thanksgiving

Aircraft carrier was refused permission to dock in Hong Kong

The USS Kitty Hawk, which has its home port near Tokyo, was forced to return early to Japan when Chinese authorities at the last minute barred the warship and its escort vessels from entering Hong Kong harbor.



But wait there's more.

Violation of unwritten code of the sea?

China refused, several days before the Kitty Hawk incident, to let two U.S. Navy minesweepers enter Hong Kong harbor to escape an approaching storm and receive fuel. The minesweepers, the Patriot and the Guardian, were instead refueled at sea and returned safely to their home port in Japan.

I don't understand why the United States does not cut off all export/import deals and cut financial aid to China.



Move over lead, now we have asbestos in toys:

Asbestos turns up in toys, children's clay

DIYers who use duct tape, spackle, roof sealer also at risk of exposure

Asbestos has been found in a variety of products including the CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit and two brands of play clay, in addition to home products such as cleanser, roof sealers and duct tape.

The products were tested by labs hired by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Foundation.








The CSI Fingerprinting Kit has a collection of plastic tools and three types of powders, two of which had high levels of asbestos, especially concerning since kids will be touching the powder directly as they search for fingerprints.

According to the manufacturer, Planet Toys, "The kit has been tested and has met all safety standards requirements as set by toy safety agencies and legislation, including the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The agencies don't require asbestos testing and therefore we have never been apprised of any unacceptable levels of asbestos."

One of the highest levels of asbestos -- 30 percent -- was found in a roof sealer.

None of this junk was made in the U.S.A.

We gotta keep that trade balance, you know the one where we take their goods and in trade it kills us.

Dried apples preserved with a cancer-causing chemical.

Frozen catfish laden with banned antibiotics.

Scallops and sardines coated with putrefying bacteria.

Mushrooms laced with illegal pesticides.

These were among the 107 food imports from China that the Food and Drug Administration detained at U.S. ports just last month, agency documents reveal, along with more than 1,000 shipments of tainted Chinese dietary supplements, toxic Chinese cosmetics and counterfeit Chinese medicines.

For years, U.S. inspection records show, China has flooded the United States with foods unfit for human consumption. And for years, FDA inspectors have simply returned to Chinese importers the small portion of those products they caught -- many of which turned up at U.S. borders again, making a second or third attempt at entry.

U.S. companies have become so dependent on the Chinese economy that tighter rules on imports stand to harm the U.S. economy, too.

"So many U.S. companies are directly or indirectly involved in China now, the commercial interest of the United States these days has become to allow imports to come in as quickly and smoothly as possible," said Robert B. Cassidy, a former assistant U.S. trade representative for China and now director of international trade and services for Kelley Drye Collier Shannon, a Washington law firm.

As a result, the United States finds itself "kowtowing to China," Cassidy said, even as that country keeps sending American consumers adulterated and mislabeled foods.

" U.S. companies have become so dependent."

"Allow imports to come in as quickly and smoothly as possible."

"Harm the U.S. economy, too."

All buzz words to make it OK for China to poison us!!

"Kowtowing to China" my ass. The United States should kowtow to no one.

Wake up America!!!!!!!!!!

Highway Robbery

Oh boy, look what Las Vegas has to brag about.


We have ourselves HOV lanes.

Also known as carpool lanes, commuter lanes, diamond lanes, and transit lanes.

We spend millions of our tax dollars on the widening of our freeway only to lose one lane as an HOV lane for cars with two or more people in them, unless you are on a motorcycle then you are exempt.

Neither of those criterion makes any sense.

First, this lane will not encourage carpooling.

It will in fact only be used by those who already have two people in the car which in turn means you have one lane underutilized to actually move traffic.

In the great wisdom here in Nevada, that lane is an HOV lane 24 hours a day rather than just during rush hour.

The original purpose of a carpool (HOV) lane was to lighten traffic and reward people that ride share to and from work, not 24 hours a day.

With the 24 hour regulation as the lane is now, the soccer mom and her kid will be the ones using it as well as Mom and Pop on the way to the mall.

How does that encourage carpooling?

That lane should at the very least be usable by other vehicles outside of peak hours.

The other problem that will happen real soon at least here in Las Vegas is the HOV lane will cause more traffic accidents.

If you are in the HOV lane during rush hour and you are going to exit you must transition across all lanes of traffic in a short distance to exit.

Good luck!!!

Next problem is the HOV lane does not have a wall between it and the other lanes thus the traffic speed differential between HOV and general purpose lanes creates a potentially dangerous situation if the HOV lanes are not separated by a barrier.

The Texas Transportation Institute found that HOV lanes lacking barrier separations caused a 50% increase in injury crashes.

Think about this, with the HOV lane and the amount of cars that will legally be using the HOV lane, it will significantly increase demand on the other lanes causing a net increase in overall congestion delay.

Bang for the buck tells anyone with common sense we should not have an HOV lane that costs a lot of tax dollars and does not help traffic flow.

It's an oxymoron or like mixing apples and oranges.

Freeways are built to move traffic. When traffic becomes stop-and-go, you expand the freeway to move traffic. Right?

HOV lanes are for the most part lightly traveled thus wasting a lane that could be used to actually move traffic.

The relative rarity of high-occupancy vehicles compared to single occupancy vehicles is estimated at 7% of the traffic in the United States.

If you build a freeway to carpool then three of the four lanes should be HOV lanes and one lane for all others.

I have some other issues with the HOV lane as I use that road everyday but am unable to carpool.

I'm not alone. 93% of other drivers can't use it either.

However, my tax dollars paid for that lane and that should entitle me to full use of that part of the highway.

I am considering hiring an attorney to sue for my rights to use that lane without a second person in the car.

Beware my friends when this HOV lane here in Las Vegas flops, they will be converting under-utilized HOV lanes to high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes. This would permit single-occupant vehicles to buy the right to use the HOV lanes for a toll.

If the geniuses want to do something effective they should designate the far right hand lane as a TRK lane and make it illegal for a truck to travel in any other lane.

How about a DWO lane? You know "Driving While Old" lane for all the people that drive 45 on the freeway.

Or a "STPD lane" for all the stupid people that drive slow in the left lane.

Something to consider as you drive along side the empty HOV lane.

Zoe' Meets Chloe

Thanksgiving weekend 2007

When Zoe'


Met Chloe



















What a great weekend!!!!!