Gordon Brown Should Remember His Country's History

According to a Yahoo! story today: "British Prime Minister Gordon Brown demanded Sunday that Israel cease settlement construction and promised more money to jump-start the battered Palestinian economy. " And he continues on to say, "Settlement expansion has made peace harder to achieve. It erodes trust, it heightens Palestinian suffering, it makes the compromises Israel needs to make for peace more difficult," Brown said at a news conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Bethlehem"

OH REALLY MR. PRIME MINISTER?

Acording to this site "Irish Land seized by English Barons: English Barons seized land in Ireland began in the year 1171."

Starting in the year 1300 Northern Ireland was under complete control of the English Barrons.

1534 King Henry VIII took complete control of those lands and by 1541 he forced Ireland to declare him their King.

"After Henry VIII's death, his children, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I continued to try to increase English control in Ireland. Mary attempted to do this by using plantation - giving land in Ireland to settlers loyal to England. She seized land in central Ireland, gave it to English settlers and renamed the land 'Queens County' and 'Kings County'. Elizabeth tried to establish Protestantism in Ireland by outlawing Catholic services and executing some Bishops and Priests. However, this only had the effect of uniting the Catholics more strongly against English rule."

Starting 1695 the following penal codes were imposed upon Catholics in Ireland:

Preventing Catholics from carrying weapons and owning horses worth more than £5
Restricting the rights of Catholics to education
Restrict their rights to education.
Preventing Catholics from buying land
Stating that on death property should be equally divided between all sons rather than inherited by the eldest.
Banning Catholics from serving in the army
Preventing Catholics from holding public positions
Preventing Catholics from entering the legal profession
Preventing Catholics from voting or serving as MPs

1801 The Act of Union became legal. "This act abolished the Irish parliament and formally united Ireland and Great Britain to become the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland."

We all pretty much know the rest.

I find it ironic to have such a strong statement against Israel, putting the onus on Israel from a man leading a country with such a history of abuse against another nation with a similar situation.

But what most people don't understand -- and I understand why they don't, media-bias and lack of factual information gone unchallenged for so long, is that Israel is the Ireland and the "Palestinians" are the British of the Middle East.

What makes this even more complicated is that the British government is largely at fault for this current situation as it is today because they were a huge imperialist nation and had taken over what is now Israel and Jordan and called it Palestine. Palestine was a territory and never a country by that name.

And many other countries in the Middle East that exist today were under other monarchy/government control. Europe controlled the Middle East, conquered those people and ruled. Then during the begining of the last century they divied it up and all the countries you know of today came into existence. Most of the leaders of those regimes today were put into control hand-picked by European nations.

That is why there are so many clan problems in the Muslim countries and so much fighting amongst themselves in addition to the so-called Israel-Palestinian crisis, you hear so much about all the time.

For all the hoopla about how America's foreign policies have supposedly created so much hate and distrust in the world, etc. etc. why is THIS never thought about??? Look at the horrendous policies of the British government for longer than my country is in existance that have caused so many troubles amongst so many different cultures and countries including and up to the current day.

Never Screw With Mother Nature

New Direction For Today

I had a great massage on Saturday and it really helped clear a lot of negative energy out of me. A few things happened in a short period of time, some I wrote about and others I have not, that were, well --- pretty darn rough to take.

But that massage was super. Not only was she an massage therapist but an energy worker and so a lot of good work happened in that room. It was so "meant to be."

So it's time for some light fun.

I read over at Crotchety Old Man's blog that you can add your own words to urbandictionary.com

I thought it might be fun to come up with a word and definition to add collectively.

I'll look at your comments to see what we can come up with. I know with my readers it's gonna be good!

What My Taste In Music Says About Me

Hmmm...after my last post about the yahoo group fiasco I am not so sure that you all would agree with the easy-going comment.

What Your Taste in Music Says About You

Your musical tastes are upbeat and conventional. You are an easy going, optimistic person. Family and friends are very important to you. You enjoy caring for and helping other people. You thrive in a tranquil environment, and you do your best to keep things peaceful. You enjoy your life. You have your priorities straight.

What Does Your Taste in Music Say About You?

My Cuss-o-meter/Dirty Mouth

I got this from Lady Banana. She's only .4%

Apparently I am a potty mouth. Check me out!


Created by OnePlusYou

The Difference Between Us and Them

After the dx of Sadie I immediately joined a Yahoo group to gain knowlege to help her. While it has already been beneficial I have already met the nastiest person to date who just happens to be French. How do I know this? Because the very first post I saw from this person mentioned this in his post after telling someone who asked a very simple question for help to "use your brain" and then continued to tell them how it was in France.

Well, I was so offended and I made a post stating my offense. This poor person is asking for help and this nasty person, WHO HAPPENS TO BE FRENCH, couches this rude mean angry response to the entire group and goes on to then say how great it is in France and how inexpensive it is.

What happened when I did this? A very anti-american post reply was given and NO ONE COMPLAINED ABOUT IT. NONE.

Here was the original post:
Use your brain. I have a lot of cats, till recently 19, now 18, and I spent most of my budget on expensive medicines prescribed by vets, medicines that in the end either didn't do anything, or even did harm. The best care for your FIV+ cats doesn't cost any money: good hygiene. Which is a matter of discipline and hard work. Keep the bacterial level inside your house as low as possible, clean the litter boxes on a daily base. Keep the house flea free, keep the garden flea and tick free, and remove all stools on a daily base.The food doesn't have to be expensive. I and some others believe that raw feeding is good. When shopping cleverly, raw feeding can be as affordable as Purina or Hill's biscuits.You are now going through the vet mill and I can assure you one thing; after you tried all the expensive medicines they prescribed to your cat and it turned out nothing helped him, they will say; well we don't know then, and you will be all on your own.The best help for my cats came from forums like this one, and it was all for free.The basic consulting fee here in France is 25 euros by the way. That is about $35.

Right or wrong I was so offended I wrote this:
That was one of the rudest posts I have ever read. "use your brain" You know, as someone new I am going to go at this right back in a rude way, so to the rest forgive me but you can take that rude attitude back to France where it belongs!

This poster then posted although it seems was removed by the list owner, disparaging remarks about Americans and how much we are hated by all especially Arabs (as if that is something to be ashamed of...NOT) and how sad that must be for all of us.

I was then emailed directly and told I was mentally ill, stupid idiot and a myriad of other insults.

In the past two days I also received off list, emails from other members telling me of similar experiences with this person and commiserating with me. It was helpful to get honestly.

So do I think ALL French are like this. NO. But here's something that makes us very different than those from other countries, mainly European countries. When people here in the U.S. start talking like this, just about everyone they know will tell them to cut it out. That there is no place for this kind of thought or behavior. It's not acceptable to justify this hate toward other people and to broad-brush citizens from one country because you don't agree with/like/approve of the politics of that country. Even to the detriment of when, in my opinion, we should be calling out some cultures for their collective bad behavior toward human-kind. But that same thing is what I love most about being an American. We ARE a kinder more socially thoughtful group of people. This would not be tolerated here. And that IS what makes us better.

Well that poster got worse. Since we were asked to respond to people off list with disagreements initially I tried to appeal to this person one on one just human to human, explaining how hurtful the words were and why. Well last night I got an email telling me this: "If you mail me again I will take the right to do with your message what I like, and I will post it in a place used by spammers to gather e-mail addresses, meaning you will get flooded with spam from now on. I want nothing from you, I clearly asked you to stay out of my mailbox, you dumb ignorant cow!"

Now please don't go writing on here or to me directly that I said this or that nationality isn't good, as good as, or isn't similar to how I feel Americans are in this respect. That would just be incorrect.

So in response to the tone on this group, I first forwarded the emails to the group leader. I haven't heard back yet, but in fairness I only did that this morning. I also started my own group and hope it is a safe place to explore options for our FIV+ cats.

And last but not least, I have this blog. And if forced to I will use it for evil as much as the good I always try to do. If I start to get spam I will post that persons full name and email address right here for everyone to see. And then YOU can all go for it! BRUHAAAAAAAAAAH!

To end this post I want to tell you a little about what I was taught as a child. I grew up in NJ and sometimes we would be taken on field trips. The teachers always always stressed that we were to be on our best behavior because we represented NJ and our town and that how we behaved would give the impression to those we were visiting what it was like and we had to make a good impression that we were well-behaved nice people.

Whether we like it or not, and often many people forget that we as individuals represent our countries and ethnicities etc...when we are in public. People will, rightly or wrongly, associate our personal behavior with our larger group we come from. So when you are on a yahoo list or just me blogging about being a Jew, we/I are setting a tone and impression for that group we belong to at large.

Sadly much more than once I have been left with the impression that the French and many Europeans as well, are very biogeted and rude by the way they will immediately attack another about their country and then continue on with personal attacks like being called mentally ill, an idiot etc...when there is an opposing thought or opinion.

That is the biggest difference between Americans collectively and the rest.

UPDATE: After forwarding the hateful threats to the moderator I got this:
"You are the one who dragged nationality in this. Now you are the one going on and on and on about it, in the forum, and in private mail. You can't do that. The forum is about cats, not about people let alone nationalities. And be prepared for other people telling you what they think of you, after you start telling people what you think of them.I am putting both moderators in the cc of this message. You try to make it look that I am bothering you in e-mail, but that is not the case. You e-mail me with nasty language and I reply to that, asking you to stay out of my mailbox. What you did in the forum; posting part of my mail there, and putting yourself down as a victim, is sick and evil. It seems you're out for a flame instead of wanting to help your cats.Again, FOR THE THIRD TIME, stay out of my private mailbox. If you mail me again, that will be unsolicited mail, and that is against the Yahoo Terms Of Service. And I will report it to Yahoo.I can communicate with you on-topic in the forum if it can help your cats, but apart from that, I think you are evil, nasty and mentally ill, so I want nothing to do with YOU."

SICK SICK PERSON!

Mama's Losin' It

I found this really well-written and fun blog today through Camp Candid Carrie.

"MLI Pseudo Wannabe Blogher Conference Convention 2008
Here Yee. Here Yee. I officially welcome all members of Camp Carrie as we gather here today to celebrate the union of blogger and blog. With all my gathered information and weeks upon weeks of bloggy experience I now pronounce this 19th day of July 2008 the first annual MLI Wannabe BlogHer conference. I will disclose with you the lowdown on 1/24th of the information covered this very weekend at the BlogHer convention. Please pay close attention to the itinerary, we are in a time crunch and we’ll need to move through these quickly."

I'm hanging around just for the 4 o'clock event!

MLI Pseudo Wannabe Blogher Conference Convention 2008
5:00 – 5:30 Introductions and Bagels (sorry funding was low this year, the continental breakfast was not in the budget)
5:30 – 6:30 Tips For Your Blog
6:30 – 7:30 Linky Love
7:30 – 8:30 The Facts on Stats
8:30 – 9:30 The Truth About Comments
9:30 – 10:30 Copyright Corral
10:30 – 11:30 Technorati Technical Support
11:30 – 12:30 Feedburner
12:30 – 1:30 Q & A
1:30 – 3:00 Keg Stands and Spin The Bottle
3:00 – 4:00 Pole Dance Lessons with Kandace
4:00 – 5:00 Martinis With Molly
5:00 – 6:00 Los Barbecues
6:00 – 7:00 Lessons On The Road Of Blogging With Cyclingred
7:00 – 8:00 Adiel Fashion Show
8:00 – 9:00 Who Am I Kidding, We’re All Old…Time For Bed.

Carrie's Friday Foto Finish Fiesta

7lbs 2 ounces, 7/18/08, 6:22AM

Go visit Carrie to see the other great Friday photos!

I'm Sending You On A Trip Today

Please go visit Candid Carrie today. She's got so many funny interesting stories to tell and she'll keep you busy.

Today I am tired and have much on my mind with the recent news I posted yesterday.

I've done a lot of research so far and even found out that my friend Brian has a cat that is also FIV + and is 12 years old. So this is not a death sentence and there is very little risk to other animals in the house. But still it is a lot for me to be thinking about right now and well I am just tired.

So go enjoy your trip over to Carrie. If you're really good she might even take you on a field trip somewhere fun.

Sad News About Sadie

Sadie has been spiking fevers. On Tuesday night I returned home to a cat that wouldn't greet me at the door as normal and didn't want to eat. I took her temperature and it was almost 104. The Vet suggested testing for FIV and Leukemia.

This morning I got the news that Sadie tested positive for FIV which is the feline version of HIV.

There's good news in this too. I have been reading some literature and found out that although many Vet's really don't know much because they have only known about this disease in cats for the last 15 years that owners of other FIV positive cats know that most live normal life spans with few issues until they are older, much like any other cat.

Also, the risk of transmission is very low, even for playful cats. It takes a deep bite to have transmission and it cannot be transmitted to humans. It's just not the same virus. Years of studies prove this.

Just as with humans, kissing and fluids from the mouth or excretions cannot transmit this virus.

I immediately joined a yahoo support group and they sent me this article which really helped me calm down. I am obviously concerned for Leo and KC. But the people here write about having multi-cat households with some FIV + and some FIV - cats for years and never had a cat that was negative become positive. "Bentley continues to be the most mellow and affectionate cat. Kids love him. So do other cats. Men admire his macho good looks, and with his paternal instincts, he has helped Karen foster 12 kittens in the past five years. All of them tested negative for FIV, of course."

"Dr. Susan Cotter, professor of hematology and oncology at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, is one of those who have helped dissolve these old fears. "I wouldn't advise getting rid of a cat that tests positive for FIV," she says. "If the cat is young and healthy, it could be years before anything changes."

Since I am a holistic practitioner and energy worker I turned to friends to ask for energy therapy to be sent to Sadie. Additionally, I am looking for an herbal regime to put her on now before things have a chance to progress. And now I am making a public plea for help.

I'm just a single gal with a very limited income. To be blunt I am just tapped tapped out. There's no money to pull from. With Leo on mood medicine twice a day costing $30 a month, the organic foods I already have them on and now must have Sadie on for best results and the Vet bills for almost weekly visits because well, we didn't know what was wrong with her I am broke. Truly broke.

If you know of any organization that will sponsor us financially - provide holistic meds, or you wish to personally help us with the financial aspects of this situation I would be most grateful.

That's my plea. No matter what just having your emotional support will be helpful.

What Would You Do For A Klondike Bar?

Do you remember those silly commercials a few years back? Well, I thought I should be giving you guys some fun, silly, stupid posts along with my heavy opinionated ones...just a little treat for ya. After all, you've been so good, reading and listening to my opinions you ought to get a little treat thrown at ya now and then. I mean seriously, even my kitties get treats for good attention.

So what would I do for a klondike bar? Hmmm let's see...that depends. Do I have my period? Am I PMSing?

On a non-hormonal day I'd probably stare you in the face until you hand it over or decide not to.

On a PMSing day you'd better move your hand fast enough not to lose your fingers.

And on a day when I have my period, you had better learn to duck and cover cause I'll rip it from your hands and lob it at ya!

What would you do for/with a klondike bar?

(Apparently there's some new contest with this company. When I wrote this post a few days ago I had no idea. So go visit their site I guess. )

The Kind Of Clients That Disgust Me

Over the weekend I met for a consult with a young woman for the work that I write about here. She was/is looking for a lower fee than the standard and there are a handful of us who will do this. Mostly those that will take a lower fee do so because they are going for certification and aren't sure how else to get experience and frankly they do not realize the costs involved to themselves and just don't have a business-head. I interviewed for this position at a lower fee than the standard but not at a no-fee or just to "cover my expenses" as many people nowadays think is the catch phrase to get someone who does what I do on the cheap.

As I sat there in this huge apartment that was 10 times the size of my own, with new furniture

all around me, a huge flat screen television, in a building on the water with a doorman with a

view of the city and listened to this woman tell me that "that's why she is interviewing people like me who have had one or two jobs ( I have had 5 as of this month mind you) who want the experience, because she just can't see paying the standard fee. Money is tight and even if she had it she wouldn't pay it."

She didn't think twice about saying that to my face. She was asking for a huge price cut in my services that she basically admitted that she didn't see the value me.

This is the kind of potential client that really ticks me off. As I listened to her spout off how she could handle her birth by herself but she felt she would do better with someone who does what I do, with her, I just thought to myself, lady you have NO idea what you are up against. It just ain't that simple. It should be but the reality is different.

Let me explain to all of you just how much rent that chick is probably paying if it is a rental building and not a co-op or condo. At the very least that rent is $3000 a month and quite possibly more. YES THAT IS THE U.N. building you are seeing.

And if people like she have it her way she will keep that kind of place on the backbone of people like myself. No thank you! Not going to happen.

I hope that the women who are training now will start to rethink the kinds of jobs they do and for whom they will do a lower cost job most strongly and stringantly. I hope the trainers will start to teach about this part of the work we do and not just the actual hands-on work because it is just as important.

There are women out there that are truly struggling who need someone like me to come in and work with them at an affordable fee. But that's where that lower fee should end. PERIOD!

The standard cost of living in NYC is extremely high. To fill up my gas tank, my little Nissan Versa is more than $45. The subway is $2 a trip. A cab is more than $2 just to open the door and for what I do often a cab is necessary due to the late night hours and long hours we work straight. If you are lucky you can find a place without needing roommates for $1300 a month but nowadays its at least $1500 and that is way out from the city in a small place. ConEd (electricity) is $50 a month without turning your air-conditioner on. Need I go on and on here?

My training cost me $600 without the books, the association fees plus my time. I hear that other trainers charge much much more.

My experience and knowledge keeps a woman away from c-sections and other unnecessary procedures saving tons of money and giving emotional support. I and my colleagues save women weeks of excrutiating pain and recovery, which translate into money lost at jobs and nowadays insurance companies dropping those who have had c-sections.

No one thinks to make a doctor justify their knowledge, schooling, or fees. I honestly don't understand the ignorance that devalues what I and my colleagues do. When study after study for 30 years show how working with us ends up in a safer better birth.

But she just wouldn't pay it if she had it. OK. Best of luck to you. With the national c-section rate almost 50% I wish you the best of luck.

This Post Is For Jessica

Inspired by Jessica

Open Letter To Heidi

The last two posts and comments from Heidi BEG for a public response.

Before I begin I want to say something to another blogger who I love dearly, love to read every day and whose feelings and thoughts are near and dear to my heart. When she comes to my blog, even though we might disagree she says it with respect and kindness. Sometimes she makes me think a little or even inspires a challenge in me to try to write from a different POV or just write what I want to say from a different angle. It's a healthy debate. And sometimes, shock of shocks we agree! What a day that is! She's not only one of my favorite bloggers she is one of my favorite Canadians....with that said I must address another person who just happens to be from the same country. But oh so proves that just because you are from the same country you will not necessarily think and behave alike.

My last two posts were my opinions about the current presidential candidates and my decision for whom I will be voting for and I also wrote about a story covered on Yahoo about a recent poll NOT DONE BY ME NOR AN AMERICAN COMPANY and I told an ancedote about a chance meeting with some very nice French people and what THEY had to say about Parisians. The study was done "for the French travel website Expedia.fr"

Unfortunately it's not the first time Heidi has come to MY blog to write nasty things about Americans and America. I've called her on it before.

That's what you do Heidi, you rant and show your ugly.

You obviously have some other issues that have nothing to do with me, since you are very new to reading my blog, yet choose to come here and be abusive with your comments.

At no point did I say a nasty word about Canadians whatsoever. NONE. ZERO! At no point did I say a nasty thing about the French, although I certainly could. But if I did I wouldn't just pull the opinions out of my ass, like you did. I'd back up my thoughts and feelings with facts that supported why I feel they are rude nasty hate-filled people. Which is more than I can say for your UGLY UGLY angry words.

"It is the 'stereotypical' Mc'Donalds seeking, crass comment filled, hurling on the sidewalks Americans that ruffle the most feathers here. " and " but the only tourists that draw my attention and make my blood boil over here seem to be American for some reason. Perhaps, that is why the smart ones travel Europe with Canadian flags on their packs?! "

But hey you're dating an American so you couldn't be a BIGOT! Hey I know, I bet he's Jewish too! Some of your best friends are, right?

"I ran a US business for 7 years, but got out near the peak of GW's rule as he slammed the dollar so badly it was no longer profitable for this Canadian to work for the US. "

Work FOR the US. I didn't know you worked for us? Hmmm.

Heidi, the president of the U.S. doesn't run the economy. Nor does the Congress. So your anger is very very displaced. I really do not know much about the Canadian government, so perhaps I am wrong in stating you have a socialist system which does affect your financial status. Here we live in a capitalist and democratic nation that believes strongly in the individual. There are no guarentees that if you have a business it will thrive or fail. But if it does it is totally up to you. If you couldn't make a buck here in the U.S. perhaps it is because A) you suck at what you did here b) your product sucked c) you just don't have a good business sense.

When I don't do well in my business it's my fault. I have to figure out how my pitches are going, and why they work or don't. It's my fault! It's that simple.

However to some degree our laws do affect our economy BUT those laws are made by our Congress which has seen a Democratic majority for the last two years. So it seems you got out during the Democratic "rule" which had such an effect on your business that you had to shut down.

Not sure about Canada but here our leaders are elected. They don't RULE. You see way way back we had this war called the Revolutionary War where we kicked the shit out of the King and sent his army packing! No more rulers. Many loyalists to the king fled, thousands actually and started a huge colony up in Novia Scotia (I believe that is where they ended up, but I'll have to check on that to be sure) one of them being Benedict Arnold, which would explain your very anti-american rants.

"And McCain is FULL of hate towards one and all. "

This is just offensive and pretty much amounts to slander. I have never heard a hate-filled word from this man. You may not like his opinions but they are not hate-filled. However, you have heard many hate-filled words from preachers that Obama sat and willingly listened to for 20 years, racists hate-filled sermons in the name of g-d, no less. And the fact that he sat there for 20 years is pretty much the worst thing which should have been damning enough to make him become a non-issue and let Hillary win the nomination of her party BECAUSE it was a choice he made and continued to make. It said I agree with this person and this church's ideas and beliefs.

Unfortunately though, there are too many ignorant non-thinkers like yourself who 1)can't read an article and pull out the simpliest FACTS of who conducted a poll and 2)therefore don't have a clue of understanding context who 3)displace their anger by blaming others for all their problems and faults and make angry angry rude ugly blanket statements.

So Heidi, here's the deal. You're welcome to come here and comment. You're welcome to come here and disagree with me. You're NOT welcome to come here and be nasty, ugly and write opinionated rants that have no basis in fact. You're NOT welcome to come here and write anti-american things. Because THAT is offensive, bigoted, rude and is the problem with the world today.

You could not possibly realize that your actions show that you don't have a clue what your supposed ideals really are, but are the direct antithisis of those espoused ideals.

Gypsy-- Loved your comments. Real real real! Honest and kind. I personally have ALWAYS found the nicest people are always from Australia and Ireland. Over and over and over. And yes that comes with my American bias based on my American Values.

The other day Karyne came and commented about similar issues and said that in (I believe) Norway the people there could never get over the fact that she didn't stick around to hear how people were doing after saying hello, how are you. A bias of Americans and Canadian culture. It's not that we are rude, it's that their society is very different, that's all.

Lee and Jessica, yes the point is to try to see people as individuals, that's true, but stereotyping comes from a sociological standpoint of protecting ourselves and sometimes is necessary.

Shelle - I of course love that you love my opinions. I do too. HAHA! While I do not hate McCain by any means, I too am choosing the MUCH MUCH lesser of two evils. And I agree with much of the rest of your comments too!

Old Man - Love writing that BTW! Yes it is being given a choice. I think we have really gotten our panties in such a twist to think that all things in life are supposed to be easy choices with no negative sides to them. Not only are our expectations really really messed up it's rather narcissistic to think there would be a candidate that is going to be this great wonderful amazing person who will do all that WE think he or she should and never compromise politically on things. It'd be nice to live in that utopia, I agree but that's not life and NEVER has been. But hey you should know that seeing as you have been around for 108 years! :-)


Heidi- BTW if the French Canadians feel much as you say you do, then please by all means, stop coming to South Florida every winter and running around with us "'stereotypical' Mc'Donalds seeking, crass comment filled, hurling on the sidewalks Americans ". Quite frankly my parents, especially my mother doesn't need the nasty energy that you all give out about us when you come for half a year to escape the cold.

This Life-Long Democrat Is Voting For McCain

"From the time Barack Obama was sworn in as a United State Senator, to the time he announced he was forming a Presidential exploratory committee, he logged 143 days of experience in the Senate. That's how many days the Senate was actually in session and working. After 143 days of work experience, Obama believed he was ready to be Commander In Chief, Leader of the Free World, and fill the shoes of Abraham Lincoln, FDR, JFK and Ronald Reagan. 143 days. I keep leftovers in my refrigerator longer than that."
Columnist…Cheri Jacobus

Ferme-la Bouche!

According to this article the French are rated the most obnoxious tourists by a survey conducted through expedia.com.

Many years ago during a power outtage that rendered the trains at a standstill I had the experience of sharing a cab into the city with some French tourists. We got to speaking and I found them rather candid and fun. They told me that everyone hates the Parisians and that they are the most obnoxious people ever. They could totally understand why our perception of the French was so horrible because they felt that way too.

So the French are known for being the least likely to try to speak the native tongue of the country they are visiting and American's are known for trying the hardest.

I've always espoused that the media is biased and messes with our perceptions and is the biggest instigator of America bashing/hating.

We American's aren't perfect and who can or needs to be, but we are the most willing to go out of our way to fit in and be kind that's for sure and it is hugely under-reported.

Well, the Japanese, Germans, British and Canadians were ranked the top-liked tourists. Americans came in 11. Not bad all things considered.

Opinions From The Paper Today That I Agree With

I voiced similar thoughts/opinions in my post, Why I Am Not A True Conservative Even Though My Friend Brian Thinks I Am, that Michael Goodwin of the New York Daily News said in Sunday's paper.

Drowsey doesn't care much for labels of left or right. OK I smell a challenge to my writing style [written with a smirck and wink], and so I'll dance around that issue and say this. It's time to think and analyze why we are making our choices for whom we like or not in this election. Forget about the term left or right and look at the facts and character of the person. THINK!

Here's what Michael Goodwin has to say and I agree with his thoughts.

"Someone who can shift positions so quickly on so many important issues that will face the next President comes off as a man who doesn't have fixed convictions. Pragmatism has to be guided by principles. A man who believes in everything believes in nothing, and that's a formula for chaos in the White House. "

"Like him or not, we think we know who John McCain is. It's a belief that doesn't depend exclusively on specific positions. As long as his policy shifts are few and explainable, the sense of who he is remains intact. It's something to trust. "

I hear a lot of screaming that we're in Iraq because of oil and other angry sentiments against being there. And those sentiments are usually angry arguments against Republicans. I am sure those same people are very much for conservation and environmentally friendly energy policies. So where is the outrage about this:

"An effort here in 1990 to lift the fuel standard to 40 mpg for cars aroused furious opposition led by Democrats from automaking states. Had that bill been passed, we would be using 3 million fewer barrels a day."

Again back go Drowsey's comments about not liking the terms left or right in politics here's a place I can agree with her. When the facts are clear we can see it is a bi-partisan effort to screw us!

Now I am no scientist, grant you BUT wouldn't using 3 million fewer barrels of oil a day reduce carbon emmissions and global warming? Isn't that suppose to be a big big big issue that the democrats are screaming bloody murder about. And by the way something I truly am concerned about myself.

How Not To Be An Insensitive Idiot

I found this really interesting post here.

I especially liked how he stated the following, highlighted for emphasis:

3. Be considerate - Everyone is living in their own little worlds, but there comes a time when you just have to care for the little worlds of those around you. Like Einstein said, “you start living when you start living outside yourself” (or something like that). You cannot win or benefit every time, and even if you did, that would be one boring life. See how you can help others to win their little battles and you just might feel good about yourself. If you don’t, you might be an insensitive idiot, but since you are reading this you are not one so don’t worry.

Why I Am Not A True Conservative...Even Though My Friend Brian Thinks I Am

I found this new blog which I really do love and found some videos over there that I have posted here recently from Ivy League Conservatives. Lately I do find myself in agreement with more of the conservative's positions. But I am a real analytical thinker on most issues. I might not always be able to translate that through my own words, but my head is always analyzing the data.

Today that site writes the following in their post:
"We have legal abortion to help a woman out of an unwanted pregnancy. There are unnecessary lawsuits galore for people who think that because something didn’t go their way, someone should pay for it.
When someone makes a poor investment decision and buys a house they can’t afford at an impossible interest rate structure and then, five years later, can’t afford it, they want the government to bail them out.
There are bad things that happen to good people, and that’s who lawsuits and federal programs are for. There are also unscrupulous people who will work the system to their maximum advantage. It is these people that comprise our nation of whiners, and it’s these people who make me sick"

I have a problem with positions that are too left or right leaning politically. Most of those people from both sides want to tell everyone else how to live. Not all, MOST.

Don't tell me what lightbulbs I have to buy in my home. Do legislate properly to encourage more true environmentally friendly options that would make me want to buy a better safer bulb.

Don't tell me what I can and cannot do with my body. If you don't believe in abortion don't have one. I respect that you came to your own conclusion that abortion is: wrong, murder, killing, etc...whathaveyou, BUT you did that on your own with your own PERSONAL beliefs and the only person that should affect is yourself. What I do with my body and mind that will have no direct effect on your life in any way is NONE OF YOUR BEESWAX!

I cannot intelligently speak on the mortgage issue, as I don't have the educational background. BUT neither did most of those people who were given home loans while those given the loans did so full-well knowing that those very people would never be able to pay them in a short period of time after signing the papers. But going further, the loan-givers also knew that they were responsible for the economic backbone of this country as their companies controlled a substantial amount of capital and that should they fall it would be a huge economic domino effect and they just didn't care. BIG EFFING FAT CATS! Wrong is Wrong!

And yes, there are people who think the government owes them something and they take advantage and it IS a problem. I have listened first-hand to people living in those neighborhoods and they do have an entitlement problem. YES YES BUT, they are such a small part of the economic pie and do not affect the rest of the economy. Case in point, for all the years we have "those people" none of "those people" has ever caused our economy to go into a recession. Not one penny ever spent in that direction has caused an economic downturn and none of "those people" have ever cause others to have to take welfare. On the other hand the ones giving out the loans, who are supposedly educated and run the system have on many occasions, namely this time around, the Bear Sterns shmucks and all their croanies in the industry have created and continued economic/financial policies that have directly caused economic destruction on a wide-scale, which have in turn pushed hard-working people who never thought they would ever need a helping hand from the government, to turn to social programs.

Yes, we need to try to make this system better so that it truly helps people who need it. I myself could use some help but I fall between the cracks and I'd rather not spend my energy fighting for a few scraps and would rather expend that same energy pulling myself up than going through the system. But that is my choice.

I'm still voting for McCain! He can speak intelligently. He admits when he was wrong and that he is open to changing his mind and position after learning updated facts. He has a track record I can follow which tells me about his character over a very long period of time.

I don't expect him to be perfect, do everything without sometimes making a mess. But I know clearly what I will get with him. He is the most qualified candidate at this time. His opponant is just a very good speech reader, who does have the ability to inspire. But that in itself is not enough. Hitler, Stalin, Castro, Che all held this ability too. NOW listen...don't go screaming at me that I am saying Obama is Hitler because that isn't what I said! And to prove my point...

The Daili Lama, Mother Teresa, Dr. Wayne Dyer all hold the same inspiring qualities. But none of them are qualified either based on that quality.

The former were evil inspirers, the latter peaceful inspirers.

OK brain is getting filled with so many off-shoot points...time to end this post.

Real Stories

Love this idea and think it is really needed. Jessica over at Thoughtful Reflections had a similar post last week.

Please go and visit this site and if you only listen to a few stories listen to Chris Gardner's, Charles Ward, Ken and Guen Willams story in their own words.