People Who Think They Know Everything are a Great Annoyance to Those of Us Who Do...

I Like...

2010-02-14T10:24:00.000-06:00

Things I love:

My mom, my sister, my brothers, all my family, my dad, Fiona, #hashtags, drum solos on the elliptical, finishing a great work out, not cheating on ice cream, coffee, espresso, sitting in coffee shops, books, reading books, making people smile, making people laugh, snow, back rubs, baking for friends, cooking, laughing, laughing so hard I cry, taking walks, music, more music, even more music, karaoke for one in my apartment, karaoke in public, riding my bike, hugs, kisses, cookies, food, blowing bubbles over the cubicle walls at work, work, pizza, sushi, twitter, friends, using acronyms irl conversation, dressing up for no reason, dressing up for a reason, showers, saunas, hot tubs, penguins, otters, moose, books, music, repeating myself, chocolate, getting mail, getting email, getting @ replies on twitter, grasshopper fudge custard, movies, TV, Lake Michigan, Milwaukee, Disneyland, road trips, adventures, driving fast, not getting caught driving fast, vacations, airports, horses, wolves, puppies, walking in crunchy leaves, autumn, winter, GPS, my car, cheeseburgers, cupcakes, hot wings, good beer, creative cooking, concerts, everything!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Smallpox

2010-01-11T22:06:00.002-06:00

Telling people you have smallpox is like...

Well...

I guess there is no acceptable metaphor.

I realize I didn't blur my name the first time. My bad.

Never Need a Reason, Never Need a Rhyme. Step in Time, You Step in Time!

2010-01-06T20:39:00.002-06:00

In March of 2009, at the urging of a coworker, I stepped into my very first Step Aerobics class.

I didn't really know what to expect. I'd been at LA Fitness for about a month at that time, and tried my hand at the Kickboxing class. That was an epic failure. My hopes weren't high for Step Aerobics. I'd watched them through the window as I rocked the elliptical. It looked like it involved... coordination. And speed. And agility.

I was watching a class full of ninjas. And I was nervous about joining in.

But I did it! I didn't chicken out. I took a chance and you know what?

I hated it.

I got all the moves wrong. I couldn't keep up. I think I might have tripped and fell at some point. But I finished the class.

And, as awkward as it was, and as much as my legs hurt (not the next day. Oh no. Step aerobics tricks you into thinking you won't be sore and then 2 days later, BAM!), I was pretty determined not to quit after one class. Unlike Kickbox Cardio, I knew people in Step. And by golly, I was not going to sit next to my coworker in my cubicle every day and know she could do the class and I couldn't.

So I went back a second time. And you know what? I still sucked. But I finished the class again. I think the 3rd class I actually got 2 moves right. In a row. The next class, I managed a whole combo without losing my balance. That was it; I was in love. If I become good at something, I automatically love it. Vanity. Look it up.

And here I am today. Still going every Wednesday at 5:45pm for an hour. Other days are for the elliptical and the bikes and the weight machines. But on Wednesday evenings at LA Fitness, you can find me in the big room of windows, counting out the moves in 4/4 time and rocking out on my step and risers.

You know, right before I trip over my feet.

No Stupid Questions

2010-01-05T23:05:00.003-06:00

No such thing as a stupid question? I'll tell you a secret. That's a lie. Stupid questions exist. You have them. I have them. Don't you sometimes wish you could ask those questions anonymously and embarrassment-free?

Well, now you can!

I signed up for this site. It's pretty neat. You ask a question (anonymously!!) and I will answer. Like that Facebook Meme. But for cool people.

http://www.formspring.me/sawaboof

Into the New Year

2009-12-23T10:14:00.002-06:00

With 2010 just around the corner, I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and post a few of my own personal highlights of 2009...

I guess the best part of 2009 started in 2008, with my interview at Milwaukee Center for Independence, and the phone call that followed saying I could start either the 5th or the 12th of January, 2009. So, folks, on January 12, 2010, I will have been working as a Nurse Case Manager for an entire year. My coworkers are excited because they know I'll bring in goodies. My case load is at 102 out of a maximum of 80 but, in spite of the complaints I sometimes make, I love this job. I love my coworkers, and I especially love the people I help take care of.

In February I drove to Chicago to meet my good friend Sam from Minneapolis. She had a little bit of a longer drive than I did, and what did we go for? Deer Tick was playing a $10 show at a tiny Venue called the Empty Bottle. Worth every penny and the cost of gas, hotel, and parking!

In March, My 1989 Honda Accord was smashed by a Ford F150. I still harbor resentment. I loved that car. We'd been through a lot together. But, it does bring me to my next big hurrah of 2009. On Pi Day (3.14) I purchased my Honda Fit! And it's orange. And I named her Clementine. Because it fit. It is such a fun car to drive! My only regret is that I'm not the only one with an orange Fit. I see those cuties everywhere now. ;-)

In no particular order now (because I don't remember the dates) some other highlights were:

Seeing the National for the first time live! My favorite band and they played my favorite song!

Saw Lucero live for the second time!

Neko Case. I saw her too! Also second time!

Saw the Fiery Furnaces live for the first time.

The Books. Seeing them live was amazing. Almost like I could physically feel all my troubles draining from my mind.

I'm sure I can come up with some highlights that don't revolve around concerts...

I joined LA Fitness and discovered Step Aerobics. I also discovered how much I love working out. So much that I don't even need to make it a resolution.

Saw my aunt and uncle and cousin and her kids (including the new baby!!) for 4th of July weekend. Had a blast. Almost died in the Arizona sun (exaggeration?).

I made my decision not to return to my graduate certificate program. One expensive semester was enough and the purpose of grad school was to move here and find a job anyway. Mission accomplished!

I adopted Fiona. Never considered myself much of a cat person, and I still want a dog with all my heart, but Fiona is such a good little kitty. I love her chirps and she plays peek-a-boo and gives me shoulder rubs. Not even kidding. I know everyone's cat has their own little unique quirks. I love the ones that my cat has acquired.

I spent $760 at Ikea. Maybe not a highlight but my new couch and bed sure are! Now I just need to make paying the rest of that off my New Year's Resolution.

And last, but in no way least, I started meeting some awesome people through Twitter. It's a great bunch of people and I love that I can call some of them friends. IRL friends, you guys.

So, here's hoping 2010 is just as awesome as 2009!

Real Conversations

2009-12-19T01:23:00.001-06:00

Me: Oh! I can put these in my carry-on so if Zombies take over the plane I can break them in half and use it to stab them!
Candi: Oh totally.
Me: Candi, this is serious. This could actually happen.
Candi: I know and I'm sorry I didn't appreciate the severity of the situation.
Me: It was really insensitive.
Candi: I know and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.
Me: I hope I can too.
Candi: You're a bitch.

Passive Aggressive Notes

2009-12-09T22:31:00.003-06:00

Night after night, bass pounds through my walls. Sometimes there are screams. It was coming from upstairs for a while but that stopped. Now it's coming from next door. And it starts around 10:30 at night.

I thought about knocking on these girls' door, and asking them to turn what passes for music these days down, but we all know that will only last tonight. Tomorrow night it will be back up, I'll have to complain to management, they'll know it was me. I don't want to be that neighbor. So I left a nice, anonymous note instead. On pink paper with cute little blue woodland creatures.

Hi guys. Other people live in this building with you. Some of those people work at 6am distributing medications to sick people. If you keep your music down and the screaming to a minimum, you can do your part to help the economy by lowering the cost of health care through reduced medication errors. I'd hate to get the building management involved. Thanks!

It's a small fib. We all know I work at 7:30 or 8 or whatever, and not in a hospital. But, maybe it'll work? Who knows. If it doesn't, I can make a complaint. Maybe if I complain enough, something will get done. I might not be renewing my lease, but I still have to live here another 5 months.

#WBTasteTweet

2009-11-23T20:37:00.006-06:00

Tonight I was invited to dine with some other Twitterers at Water Buffalo (249 N. Water Street). After a little difficulty, I found it hidden in a tiny corner on, wait for it, Water and Buffalo Streets in Milwaukee.

Water Buffalo has just changed up their menu and, like all the cool businesses, is using Twitter to promote. Tonight they promoted with a free sampling of the menu. I like my Twitter people and, more importantly, I like food. Especially when I don't have to choose from a giant menu because everything's been picked already. Decisions are not my specialty.

And I love taking pictures of good food, of course! So, here are some snapshots of what is pleasantly resting in my belly right now...

But first, the most important part of any kind of Twitter Gathering...

Tweeps! Complete with Camera phones! Twitter is serious business.

Moving on in no particular order...

First came the Honey Roasted Tomato Bruschetta. Fresh tomatoes... roasted with honey. I'm not usually a fan of ricotta cheese, but this pile of ingredients served on toasted ciabatta (crisp enough not to get soggy and bread enough not to be a cracker) made me a believer.

Then came the lobster and fennel fritters, served with some crispy vegetables and balsamic honey. I loved how it was light on the batter so I could taste more than bread and oil. And the balsamic honey gave it a little zing.

The other end of the tasting table was kind enough to pass down these little bites of flavor. Calamari may not be for everyone, but I certainly enjoy it. Especially when it is almond crusted and paired with a sesame honey dipping sauce.

Salads came next. Not just any salad. Butternut sprinkle salad. Complete with fresh greens, onions, dried cranberries, walnuts, and, you guessed it! Butternut squash. I loved it. The squash and the cranberries gave it just a tad bit of sweetness. Combined with the salt of the walnuts and the tang of the toasted sesame soy dressing, it made for a light, zesty salad. Full of flavor without being too extreme.

Next up was the Ahi Tuna mignon, seared with toasted sesame aioli, and served on some seasoned rice. While I do prefer my tuna a little more rare than this was served, this was still full of flavor, and like slicing into butter.

Chicken rolls, I hear, are a popular favorite, and I can see why! Not something I would order as a meal, but definitely good for those times when you don't quite know what you're craving, but you're in the mood for something delicious. Served with a blend of avocado and sour cream that, I won't lie, is pretty good just on its own.

I did save the best for last. Beef and sausage lasagna. This is not my grandmother's lasagna! I don't know if I've ever tried one to top this. Delicious and filling and incredibly rich, the blend of ground meats and artichoke cream cheese was, let me find a word for it, delightful. Delightful and savory and incredibly filling, this is not the one to order if you're lacking in self control. Definitely what you want if ordering off of the comfort food section.

I apologize for the shoddy quality of some of these photos but, like I said, it was kind of a Twitter thing. Which means camera phones. Camera phones and fun times and, in this case, great food.

The food at Water Buffalo is good and it's creative. Creative gets me every time. And it feels like I'm eating at an upscale, fancy pants restaurant. And, you know what? The prices are totally decent. I really recommend checking out their menu and stopping by!

Menu: http://www.swigmilwaukee.com/wb/wb-menu.pdf
Restaurant Website: http://waterbuffalomilwaukee.com/

Things That Make Me Happy

2009-11-16T17:48:00.005-06:00

I have composed a list of things that make me happy. While driving. And by "make me happy," I mean "give me a smug sense of superiority." I usually reserve these simple pleasures for college kids driving expensive cars their parents bought them. And people who drive Priuses (not including Beth). Those 2 categories seem to contain the most asshat drivers.

Maybe I'll make a book out of these too.

Things That Make Me Happy (When Driving):

Driving the speed limit in residential areas when someone is tailgating me

Slowing down and stopping at yellow lights when someone is tailgating me

Stopping for people waiting at crosswalks when someone is tailgating me

Letting cars waiting to get out of parking lots go in front of me when someone is tailgating me (but really only if there is a line of cars behind that person)

Not making a right turn when the sign says "no turn on red" when the car behind me starts blaring their horn for me to go

Letting the pulled over bus in front of me when someone is tailgating me

Not driving into, and then blocking, the intersection when all the cars on the other side of the intersection are stopped when the car behind me starts blaring their horn for me to go. This is incredibly humorous when the light turns red while I'm waiting for the road in front of me to clear. This is probably my favorite thing that makes me happy.

You guys. Being a good and courteous driver really makes people angry! Unbelievably angry. So angry that all you can do is laugh and be grateful that your life isn't as sad and empty as theirs must be.

This blog brought to you by thoughts containing more than 140 characters.

The End.

Being An Adult Means...

2009-11-15T16:17:00.004-06:00

I think I'll write a book. A book called, "Being an Adult Means" because I tweet it all the time and it's time to put it all together. And by "all the time," I mean "I've posted like 3 tweets." And here they are:

Being an adult means...

being able to put as much chocolate syrup in my milk as I want.

begging to go to bed at the time you used to whine about your parents setting for you.

no more free Pizza Hut when you finish a book.

not reading Twilight. Ever.

It's a work in progress.

My Views on Current Plans for Health Care Reform. As Stated by Someone Else.

2009-11-09T20:11:00.004-06:00

I agree with everything this guy has to say. I couldn't have said it better myself. I don't throw around words like "socialism" and "death panels" because, well, it's silly and you shouldn't have to use extremes or make stuff up if what you believe is solid. And it is. The current plan to reform health care does absolutely nothing to reduce the cost of health care. Which is the main issue. I could go on, but I won't. Because that is what ctrl+c and crtl+v are for.

And so, here is an awesome blog by Cosmic.

NOOO! Reactions to the Health Care Bill

The House Saturday took the first momentous step toward overhauling this country's health care system. The plan, advanced by our supposedly visionary and post-partisan president, passed by a margin of 5 votes. It brings the country precipitously close to an inefficient and oppressive health care regime.

I believe this video segment succinctly captures my (and millions of others') emotional response to the news of the bill's passage:

Ah, yes. My sentiments exactly.

I know what you’re thinking: contained herein are the rants of another rabid, rightwing lunatic. Well, think again. There are many valid concerns about this plan that have nothing to do with “death panels” or “socialism.” Here’s another preconceived notion you may have about my position that I should also dispel immediately: I believe this country is in dire need of health care reform, the sooner the better. So why the ululation?

The reason for my lamentations is two-fold. One, this current health care plan will not actually help anyone in the long run. Most importantly, it will not significantly reduce health care costs relative to the amount of money it will cost. Two, the health care bill represents discomforting government attacks on our personal liberties, since it includes an ‘individual mandate’ that forces- literally forces- Americans to buy health insurance.

I’ve divided this piece into two sections, one for each component of my thesis: the first is dedicated to the economics of health care, and the second to the politics.

THE ECONOMICS OF HEALTH CARE REFORM

I like to say that Democrats are good people. They mean well. And this health care bill is an example of that- health care for all is an honorable mission. But, as I also like to say, Democrats don’t seem to quite understand how economics work. Their honorable plan would simply not work in the real world, and would only worsen millions of Americans’ access to affordable, quality health care. There is a better way, and the Democrats who currently occupy the halls of power refuse to even consider it. Quite simply, market forces will more efficiently and effectively ensure that the mass majority of Americans receive quality and affordable care.

This no doubt will come as a surprise to some- Democrats have cast the current system as a free market system rife with insurance companies’ cruelty and avarice. But the health care status quo is far from a free market system. The status quo is rife with government regulations and mandates, and is totally unacceptable. It is maddeningly ironic that the House’s solution to this system is more government interference.

So if America’s current health care system isn’t guided by the free market, what drives it? The heart of our current system is the HMO. An HMO, or health maintenance organization, is essentially a private corporation that dictates what treatments a patient receives and what doctors or specialists they’re allowed to see. This is a disturbing set up- imagine, an HMO employee, sitting in some dark, cramped cubicle, deciding what type of care you receive based on maximizing the HMO's profits. It sounds like an example of a free market, corporately-biased health care system gone awry. But it’s not. Congress decreed this system into existence with the HMO Act in the 1970s.

So what’s a better alternative to our current system and the system proposed in the House bill? First things first: clear the way for a true health insurance free market. This has several implications for our current policy, the most important of which is the encouragement of perfect competition in the insurance market.

Congress must create laws that encourage competition in the insurance industry, or more importantly, repeal laws that stifle competition. Competition is essential; it is the lifeblood of a free market system, since it serves two important functions. It drives prices down, since companies lower the costs of their product in order to attract customers, and it drives quality up, again, since companies want to attract customers.

An example of how competition lowers prices and increases quality in the health care industry can be found in the field of laser eye surgery. Generally, Lasik is not covered by Medicare or HMOs. Lasik used to be an expensive and risky procedure, but today, is safer and cheaper than ever. This is counter to the trend in almost all other medical fields- in which prices have gone through the roof. The difference between Lasik and the rest of the health care industry is that laser eye surgery is not regulated by government-run Medicare or government-mandated HMOs. The industry was left to free market forces, and Lasik evolved into an affordable, high quality procedure.

I was recently the recipient of a polemic against insurance companies and free market competition: "Insurance companies only care about their profits; providing health care to their customers is secondary,” one educated man passionately informed me. And, sir, you are absolutely correct. It’s a three-hundred year old concept, first expounded by Adam Smith: because companies want to make money, they will lower their prices and increase the quality of their product so that consumers will spend their money on that particular company’s product. Self interest drives the system, which of course seems greedy, but the end result is beneficial to everybody's interests.

“But wait,” you may rightly protest, “how is this situation different from that HMO accountant in his cramped cubicle restricting patients’ procedures and options based on profit?” The points outlined below address this valid concern.

Currently it is illegal to buy insurance policies across state lines. But in order for unfettered competition to drive prices down to rock bottom, consumers need many options to choose from, and by allowing Americans to buy insurance from another state increases the pool of companies competing with each other. An HMO is protected from out-of-state competition, and therefore is able to increase prices. This restriction on consumer choice must be rectified.

Related to the above point, it will also be necessary to ensure that the pool of health insurance companies remains, shall we say, sufficiently deep. Current decades-old (as in 1940s-old) legislation exempts insurance companies from anti-trust laws. By repealing this exemption, insurance giants will be subject to government-enforced trust-busting, ensuring that no company gains too large a portion of the market in order to artificially inflate prices. Unfortunately, our current administration is enamored with the “too big to fail” myth and refuses to deconstruct massive corporations that stifle competition (think AIG, Bank of America, JP Morgan, or an HMO of your choosing…).

“So then,” you may continue, “competition is good- that must mean a public option, which is supposed to compete with private insurers, will also be good,” you might now assert. This is incorrect.

Antithetical to competition is what we call ‘crowding out’ in the world of economics. Crowding out occurs when the government begins selling products that are subsidized by the American taxpayer alongside private companies’ products. This means the public option must not be implemented. The President claims it will augment competition by providing an alternative to insurance companies’ overly expensive policies. But a public option is funded by taxpayers and therefore has no incentive to lower costs or increase quality. After all, since the government has a virtually bottomless wallet filled with taxpayers' money at its disposal, there is no incentive for the government to cut costs. Additionally, in the real world, there is compelling historical evidence that demonstrates that the government is quite adept at driving private companies out of business: the case of Fannie and Freddie.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are companies chartered by Congress in order to provide a “public option” in the mortgage industry. At the time, Congresspersons vigorously denied that these two entities would ever gain more than 10-15% of the mortgage market. They were merely intended to provide competition to the other banks in order to lower their prices- the same justification used in defense of the health insurance public option. But today, after the creation of the mortgage public option, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae control over half of the mortgage industry, are bleeding cash at an alarming rate, and are at the center of the recent economic meltdown.

All in all, the economics of health care, and indeed just about anything, comes down to the fact that millions of individuals choosing between dozens (even hundreds) of competing products in a free market make better economic decisions and produce more desirable economic results than any sort of government regulation or mandates can.

THE POLITICS OF HEALTH CARE REFORM

Of course, besides the economic problems with the Democrats’ bill, it has serious and disturbing political implications for our freedoms. No, I’m not referring to pulling the plug on Grandma. I’m referring to the fact that this plan relies on government coercion (like any law passed by a state) rather than voluntary market interactions.

Most significantly, the Democrats’ plan includes the so-called individual mandate, which would require Americans to buy health insurance. Apparently, Congress has once again forgotten that the last time they foisted mandates upon the insurance industry (the HMO), the result was disastrous.

The individual mandate is necessary for the Democrats’ plan because it forces healthy people to buy into the system. With these healthy people now paying for health insurance, insurance companies would be able to afford to cover their totally unprofitable sick and dying customers (people who are typically denied coverage in the current system). But this is patently unethical. It would force the millions of Americans who voluntarily choose to not buy insurance into an exchange they want no part of. Why would some people not want health insurance? Well, for the same reason that some people don’t want umbrellas: if it doesn’t rain where you live, an umbrella is a waste of money. If I’m perfectly healthy, and choose to make the reasonable assumption that I will continue to be healthy for some time, then health insurance is a waste of money. I have more important things to spend my money on- like college tuition.

Additionally, the insurance mandate amounts to nothing more than an enormous tax. A tax is money that the government takes from individuals or corporations and reallocates for some national service. When someone is forced to buy an insurance policy by means of the individual mandate, that money is used to subsidize the new health care regime- that is, the money forcefully taken from a healthy person is reallocated to pay for the health care of someone else. Taxes are of course necessary in many instances, but they are fundamentally offensive to our liberties, and always impede economic growth- therefore taxes should be especially avoided during perilous economic times like our own.

Lastly, the individual mandate allows the Democrats’ health care plan to reward those who make bad decisions. Want to start smoking? Go for it; your future respiratory diseases will be paid for by the government, via your fellow citizens who chose to not smoke. Like many of the Democrats’ policies, this health care bill sweeps personal responsibility under the carpet, creating perverse negative incentives.

There are ways to encourage people to buy insurance without coercion or taxes. One such example is the HSA, or health savings account.

An HSA works something like a retirement account- you voluntarily deposit money into this account so that you have money available to you should you have a medical emergency in the future. This seemingly radical idea is true to the very definition of insurance- having money to insure against the unexpected. Additionally, the existence of HSAs would lower insurance premiums for everybody (including people with preexisting conditions), since insurance companies can expect that most of their customers will be able to pay at least a portion of their medical care from their HSA- in other words, HSAs do exactly what the individual mandate is supposed to do, but without government threats and intrusions. HSAs have the additional benefit of working with the economic forces detailed in the previous section to drive insurance prices so low that every American would be able to buy some sort of health insurance.

Would the HSA system actually work? After all, why would Americans, being the spendthrifts we know they are, be inclined to put a portion of their paychecks into HSAs? The solution is simple: the government can encourage Americans to use HSAs by providing generous tax deductions for all money deposited.

So to wrap this section up, we see that not only is the new bill economically unsound, it infringes on liberties in despotic fashion. The individual mandate forces people who don't want to buy insurance to buy it, while using that money to pay for the bad choices of another person, thus absolving the citizenry of any responsibility and destroying incentives to live a healthy lifestyle.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

So, to recapitulate: everything in the bill is contrary to progressive ideas because it ignores economic theory and attacks personal liberty.

On the economic side of things, the most effective way of making insurance more affordable is to increase competition by leaving the health care industry to the free market. The government should repeal laws that prevent individuals from buying insurance policies from other states. The government should also repeal the laws that exempt health insurance companies from anti-trust laws. Lastly, the government should not attempt to “help” competition by offering its own public option.

In the realm of liberty, the House bill allows for new, unprecedented government intrusions into American private life and muddles ethical issues of personal responsibility and fairness. It also creates a tax, which is an affront to both economic growth and personal freedom. As an auxiliary to the economic system of perfect competition, the use of HSAs would encourage Americans to save money in order to defray future, unforeseen medical costs in a manner that is consistent with fairness and effectiveness. HSAs also save "evil" insurance companies money, which enables them to cover unprofitable sick or dying patients.

The President's most recent praises of the bill drew upon nonsensical and vague appeals to "history" and "the future," while totally ignoring the unresolved economic and political repercussions. Mr. President, this is not a bill that will go down in history. This is a bill that will live in infamy.

This post is already exhaustingly long. If you’re still with me, thanks for reading. Please, if you’d like to denounce any of my ideas, I strongly encourage you to do so. There is still so much more I could address about the disaster that is our current health care system, and the even greater calamity that will be the Democrats’ health care system, but I just can’t fit it all here- so comment away, bloggers.

The bill passed by the House still has to survive the Senate, where it will undoubtedly undergo major revisions- or preferably, be thrown out all together so Congress can start afresh on health care reform. I’ll leave you all with this last commission: if you don’t like the current health care system, and loathe the Democrats’ proposed system, tell them so. Congress (supposedly) listens to the American people. Protest the bill like your life and limb depended on it- because they quite literally do.

Coffee Tips. From a Pro.

2009-11-08T22:13:00.004-06:00

I love my coffee. I am the first to admit that I am a snob. It is my favorite indulgence. And I take it pretty seriously.

You should take it seriously as well, or I might judge you.

My coffee comes from Alterra Coffee. They have a few locations so I'll let you know that I buy from the store on Humboldt in Milwaukee. Why? Because that is the location they roast the beans at for all the Alterras. I go there because they have the freshest beans.

My beans come in a valve sealed bag. When coffee beans are roasted, they release CO2 for a while, which affects the flavor and aroma of the coffee. The beans in the valve-sealed bag are able to release these gases. The beans you buy in a can are not, and so, before being placed in the can, all the CO2 has to be released from the beans first, or the can will expand from the gases. In order for the beans to release the gases, they have to sit around for a while, and they go a little stale. Beans in a valve sealed bag don't have to sit around, because there's an outlet for the gases. Beans sold in a nitrogen-flushed can, like those sold at Trader Joe's, are able to fight off oxygen (chemistry is sexy!), which preserves them longer than beans not in a nitrogen-flushed can, but the beans in the bag are still going to be fresher. Fresher beans make better coffee.

My beans are ground as I need them. This keeps the oils from breaking up, and keeps air from going through my beans. Again, I don't want stale coffee. Some will tell you that a burr grinder gives you the best ground coffee. I'll tell you a secret. Burr grinders are over-rated and an unnecessary expense. I have a nice grinder I got for $19 at K-Mart that has settings on it. You can grind 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 cups worth of coffee beans, and you can grind those beans to a fine, medium, or coarse ground. For my most regular use, I grind 4 cups (4 tablespoons) on the coarse setting. I hold a button down, and my grinder grinds until it's done and shuts off on its own. That's right. It has a kind of built in timer so I don't have to think about how many seconds I need to grind for.

Once ground, I dump the beans into my French Press. The French Press is my preferred method of brewing coffee. I've mentioned oils before. Oils are what give coffee its flavor. When you use a regular coffee pot, with a paper filter, these oils are absorbed into the paper and don't make it to your coffee. Your coffee is not as flavorful and delicious. With a French Press, the beans (and their oils) are directly placed into hot (never boiling!) water, where they brew into something wonderful. Even Folgers's coffee (I'm judging you) has more flavor when brewed in a French Press.

The beans steep in the hot water for about 3-4 minutes. Then I push down the plunger to separate the beans (now empty of their essence) from the coffee, and I pour my coffee into my thermos and I'm ready to go to work! I add 2% milk to my coffee. I add 2% milk to my coffee. I prefer my coffee with milk because I think milk helps bring the flavors out a little more. I use 2% because skim milk is too watery, and whole milk is a little too thick to mix properly. The reduced fat milk seems to work just fine.

Sometimes I use a drip coffee maker. Not a regular one. The kind with the thermal carafe. I like that kind because it doesn't use a hot plate. Coffee sitting in a glass carafe on a hot plate gets burned. It makes the coffee bitter. It ruins it a little bit. I also use a reusable metal filter. Because, again, I like when the oils make it into my coffee. I like flavor.

More tips:

If you use things that are metal, rinse them with water. Maybe swipe a cloth over them. Try not to use soap too often. The coffee oils on the metal coat it and prevent metal flavors from getting into your coffee.

Clean the grinder out with rice. That's right. Grind uncooked rice in that grinder to clean it. The rice absorbs all the stale coffee flavors and oils and, as an added bonus, it keeps the blades sharp!

Water is important! It is one of the main ingredients of your coffee. If you wouldn't drink the water straight from the tap, don't use the tap water for your coffee. Filter it. Or use bottled water.

I hope you all learned something today.

The End.

I Support Hate Crime Laws

2009-10-23T07:04:00.002-05:00

I do not believe it is the Government's job to make the punishment fit the crime. I do believe it is the Government's job to keep citizens safe from criminals. Part of that job necessitates that criminals be examined and sentenced based on how dangerous they are to society.

The concept behind "Hate crimes" may seem silly to those who think that murder is murder, no matter who the victim. I guess that's true on an individual level. If you're only thinking of the Justice System as a way to distribute punishment. But when you stop to think about the implications of murder on the rest of society, laws against hate crimes do have a purpose.

There is a huge difference between someone murdering someone out of spite, jealousy, anger, or greed, and someone murdering someone because they happen to be Black or Gay or [insert religion here]. When that murderer is released back into society because he or she served the time deemed appropriate for punishment for murder, they are still a danger to society. Their killing wasn't inspired by hatred toward a specific person, who is now gone. Their anger is directed toward an entire class of citizens, and those citizens are no longer safe with this criminal on the street.

Racists and homophobic people may be ignorant, but on their own, they are relatively harmless to society. Which is why hate crime laws don't infringe on people's freedom to believe whatever they want. When that ignorance is transformed into a hatred so powerful that they feel the need to commit hate crimes, they become a danger to society, not just one person. And, while I don't think it is the Government's job to subsidize businesses and reform health care, I do believe it is responsible for the safety of law-abiding citizens. All citizens. Even the Gay ones. Which is why I support an expansion of the Hate Crime law.

GPOYW: Autumn Edition

2009-10-21T19:59:00.001-05:00

Standing in a yard full of leaves! Because I love autumn! :-D

Belated GPOYW!

2009-10-15T08:23:00.002-05:00

Oops! Forgot to post this yesterday. Happy belated Gratuitous Picture of Yourself Wednesday!

Pumpkin Praline Cupcakes!

2009-10-14T07:59:00.003-05:00

So this was a bundt cake recipe that I just improvised into cupcakes. They turned out incredibly well! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Praline Bundt Cake/Cupcakes

Cake

1 package yellow cake mix (no pudding)
1/2 cup oil (You can substitute applesauce. I didn't)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup water
3 eggs
Praline mixture (see below)
Frosting (see below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cake mix, oil, brown sugar, spices, pumpkin and water. Beat until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Pour half of mixture into greased and floured Bundt pan. Top with praline mixture; top with remaining batter. Bake 1 hour or until cake tests done with toothpick. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove to platter to finish cooling. Top with frosting and sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Cupcakes

For cupcakes, I added an entire can of pumpkin, probably 1 1/2 to 2 cups. I kept the rest of the recipe the same. And then I filled the cupcake tins about 1/3 – 1/2 full of batter, plopped some praline mix on top of the batter and spread it around a little, and then added more batter. I filled the tins almost to the top, so the cupcakes turned out pretty big. It also didn’t make as many that way. The cake box said to fill them about 2/3 full. I baked them at 350 degrees about 25 minutes. Just make sure they cool all the way before putting a cheese-based frosting on them.

Praline Mixture

1/2 cup butter softened (I just melted it)
1/2 chopped pecans
1/3 cup packed brown sugar

Blend mixture until crumbly.

Frosting

1 container Mascarpone cheese
1 jar of pumpkin butter (I got this at Trader Joe's. I’m pretty sure it's seasonal, so stock up if you’re getting it!)

Blend it. (I'm going to try using only half the pumpkin butter jar next time to see if the frosting stays a little firmer).

My Name is Adam, and I Have Breast Cancer

2009-10-11T22:23:00.002-05:00

I'm running for my mom.
I'm running for my wife.
I'm running for my sister.
I'm running for my best friend.
I'm running for my grandma.

In 2009, thousands of people, men and women, participated in the National Race for the Cure to raise money to combat breast cancer. Breast cancer in women.

When asked by people who they were running for, we heard the answers listed above. Next year, I'd like to hear someone say they're running for their big brother, for their neighbor's father, for their uncle or grandpa. Maybe someone will run for Dean Baker.

Men get breast cancer too.

I'm not surprised this is overlooked. The symbol for breast cancer awareness is a "passionately pink for the cure" pink ribbon. Nothing is really wrong with a pink ribbon—just like nothing would really be wrong with using a football or a cold bottle of beer as the national icon for prostate cancer awareness. Any symbol can be used to raise awareness of any problem. However, no matter how much we like to pretend we’re above gender stereotypes, we all know the ribbon is pink because breast cancer is a girl thing.

For the most part, that's true but, let me say it again.

Men get breast cancer too.

Approximately 1% of breast cancer occurrences are in men. That's 1 out 100. It doesn't sound like a lot, but let's look at the bigger picture. An estimate 1,990 males will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year in the U.S. alone. By the end of this year, approximately 450 males in the United States will die as a result of this "girly" disease.

Risk factors in men are similar to those in women—age, family history (men and women), elevated estrogen levels, and lifestyle factors such as obesity, lack of exercise, and alcohol use.

The survival rates seem to be about the same between men and women with this disease. And, just like in women, the survival rate seems to depend on what stage the cancer is in when discovered.

Just like with women, a man's best chance of surviving breast cancer is through early detection. Maybe most men don't have huge sacks of fatty tissue hanging from their chests like water balloons, but they can still become familiar with their own breast tissue so they can bring up changes in it (lumps, etc.) to their doctor's attention. This may come as a shock to you, but men can get mammograms and perform self-examinations too. In fact, it's recommended if they have a family history of breast cancer.

Like I stated before, the survival rates of breast cancer in men are similar to those in women, and they are higher if the cancer is detected early. Unfortunately, with men, the cancer is usually found in a later stage, decreasing the chance of survival. This just might be because of a lack of awareness of breast cancer. In men, that is. Thanks to that pink ribbon, I think we're all aware of breast cancer in women.

But men get breast cancer too.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/malebreastcancer.html

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/malebreast/patient

http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types/Breast+Cancer+-+Male

Notes For Our Break Room...

2009-10-10T10:09:00.001-05:00

I leave my food in this fridge because I harbor a great amount of trust for you, my coworkers. I trust that when the hypothalamus in my brain sends the signals letting me know that my body needs energy, I can come to this refrigerator to replenish the nutrients I need to focus and do my job.

When you decide that it's ok to take someone else's food from this fridge, you not only break the trust and cohesion of our workplace, you take away from me providing my best efforts to our members. They suffer from food theft indirectly.

Think about that the next time you think opening this door is an invitation to a free-for-all.

Jesus is watching you.

Love,
Sarah

Supporting Local Businesses Makes You Feel Warm and Fuzzy

2009-10-01T18:32:00.002-05:00

Don't be jealous cuz you don't have an awesome sweatshirt with a beer pocket. You too can purchase one at Blatz Liquor!

Blatz Market and Liquor
1121 N Broadway
Milwaukee, WI 53202
theblatzliquorstore.com

Letter to My Representative

2009-09-22T19:30:00.005-05:00

Sometimes I like to pretend that actually writing letters to my representatives on issues I care about works a little bit better than copying and pasting a Facebook status message. It's not even hard, as some organizations write out a draft for you that you can edit to your liking.

You can then go to http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/ to find those extra 4 digits of your zip code, which don't normally matter too much, but it sure is handy to have when you're looking up who your representatives are!

Once you've found those people, most of them have links to contact them via email. Which is what I've done here:

Dear Senator Feingold, Senator Kohl, Congresswoman Moore:

As a public health nurse and registered voter, I am asking that you co-sponsor the Healthy Youth Act (LRB 3380/2 and LRB 3489/1).

In 2008, nearly half of Wisconsin's high school students report that they are sexually active. Of those 45%, only 61% are using condoms. In 2009, an estimated 11,000 Wisconsin teens will become pregnant. Additionally, STD rates have increased by nearly 50% among teens over the past 10 years.

It is crucial, especially in this difficult financial time, that we focus on promoting health and prevention among our youth. Unplanned pregnancies and STDs not only effect the physical and emotional well-being of these people, they burden the economy as well.

In the year 2000, an estimated 9 million new cases of STDs among the 15-24-year-old population cost the American taxpayers approximately $6.5 billion. Every year, teen pregnancies cost the national economy around $9.1 billion, and the cost is even greater in the long run, when factoring in the cost of how unplanned pregnancies contribute to a growing poverty level. A child's chance of growing up in poverty is nine times greater if the mother gave birth as a teen, if the parents were unmarried when the child was born, and if the mother did not receive a high school diploma, than if none of these circumstances are present.

Today, in this world of information, it is still not uncommon to find teens who think jumping up and down after sex can prevent pregnancy, or that sexually transmitted diseases cannot be spread through oral sex. This is directly related to a lack of comprehensive sex education, and it's embarrassing that it is so difficult to prevent the spread of such misinformation. We need to start taking Wisconsin youth and their health seriously, for their sakes and for the economy's. The Healthy Youth Act will ensure that sex education taught in Wisconsin's public schools is medically accurate and comprehensive, including information about abstinence and contraceptives to prevent teen pregnancies and STDs.

Please co-sponsor the Healthy Youth Act and help give our teens the information and skills they need to make healthy decisions--now and throughout their lives.

Thank you.

If you care about a particular issue, don't be afraid to take action. Your representatives do actually read what you send them, and they actually care about what you think! Even if what you write is more than 140 characters.

Book Quotes!

2009-09-15T21:57:00.001-05:00

I will accept any rules that you feel necessary to your freedom. I am free no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.

Robert A. Heinlein The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

I Made Something Neat!

2009-09-05T15:09:00.004-05:00

My aunt gave me this little white shelf. I wasn't really sure what I was going to do with it at first, but I knew I'd figure out something. Because I'm from a Midwestern family, and I don't turn down free things.

And sure enough, I figured out a special use for my new shelf!

Weeks ago, I got this idea in my head to attach some jars to a shelf, put all my loose leaf tea in the jars, and somehow hang the shelf on the wall. I got as far as attaching jars to the shelf. Then I meant to go out and buy some brackets but that never happened. And now I don't have to! Because I did this!

So now I have all my tea arranged nicely, and a place to put even more of that stuff I had laying around. :-)

Thanks to my Auntie Char! :-D

Jon Frosch is One Smart Cookie

2009-09-03T17:10:00.002-05:00

My friend, Jon, is smart.

"Health care is a good and a need. If there exists and unfulfilled need, I am under moral obligation to assist. I am also under moral obligation, however,not to conscript by force others to fulfill my moral obligations. So health care is not a right.

Nothing that forces one to give another a good or service can possibly be a right. Rights do not allow one to exact a toll from out of the substance of another. Taxation is also never charity, as it is forced.

To recap, health care is a good. It can be both sold and given charitably (or paid for through charity). Taxation is a morally reprehensible method of providing goods and less effective than if people were just left to their own devices with their own money. It is my firm belief that if medicaid and medicare stopped tomorrow, the standard of health care would immediately begin to rise for all members of society. Private charity is infinitely more effective than government bureaucracy."

That is all.

ATTENTION TV JUNKIES!!

2009-08-20T17:46:00.003-05:00

It's just about that time of year again! Time for...

Television Premieres!!

Here's my list (to make life easier for those interested):

On ABC:

Grey's Anatomy - September 24

Private Practice - October 1

On NBC:

Heroes - September 21

30 Rock - October 15

On Fox:

Dollhouse - September 25

Fringe - September 17

House - September 21

Firefly Season 2 (JUST KIDDING THOSE BASTARDS CANCELED IT!!)

On The CW:

Supernatural - September 21

Gossip Girl - September 14

Lost, unfortunately, does not premiere its 6th and Final Season until February, 2010.

I hope I've made your life easier. You couch potatoes!

As Improbable as Peabody's History...

2009-08-10T21:49:00.004-05:00

At some point last night, I shut my bedroom window because of the storm. Maybe a couple of hours later, I hear a scratching sound coming from the window. I didn't think much of it, but in my semi-awake daze, I somehow registered it was warm in my room and opened the window back up.

My alarm went off a little later and I woke up and heard a little bit of a scuffle. I looked up at my window sill to see a SQUIRREL dart back outside. Wtf!! I thought. I looked at my window and, sure enough, the screen is chewed/clawed through. I shut the window again.

I went to work.

I came home and submitted an online maintenance request.

I watched last night's episode of True Blood. :-D

And then I went to get something out of my bedroom. Specifically, the cat. She's not supposed to be in there. But she was. On the bed. Going insane.

Because the squirrel is back. Clawing at the window that's been shut all day. Trying to get back into my room with its rabies-infested self.

Clearly, the only solution is a firearm.

Don't be Jealous Because I Find All the Cool Things at Goodwill!

2009-08-08T19:15:00.004-05:00

I found a new frame for my cool painting!

My fun wall of things I've picked up at Goodwill! I love my mini shelves. They are actually drink coasters from Target's kitchen aisle that I attached brackets to. This idea works especially well to decorate walls with candles. :-)

I also especially love my penguin coin holder! :-D

I am going to put some fake flowers in that vase I think. Orange ones. :-)

More Wall Art!

2009-08-02T18:47:00.002-05:00

I bought this painting from Goodwill. $12.99. Not too shabby, but I did ask for a price reduction. You can't tell, but the frame is pretty worthless and the painting has a tear in it. Really, I'm not too excited about paying $13 for something I'm going to have to do some work on. But I was told no. Every other painting here may be $4 or less, but if you want the torn up one, it'll cost ya!

Whatevs. I love it. :-) So I bought it. And made a little progress in my never-ending quest for awesome wall art.

Now I just have to find an awesome teal frame to go with it. A nice frame that actually holds the painting. The frame this came in only had 2 of those metal picture holder things left in it.

But it is an awesome painting! :-)

Meanwhile at the Bradford Beach Jam...

2009-07-26T17:02:00.002-05:00

It would appear the United States Air Force is trying to compensate for something. :-P

A Hypothetical Situation

2009-07-21T18:54:00.004-05:00

Late one night at a big fancy house...

Knock at door. Man answers.

Man: Yes?

Police Officer (PO): Good evening, sir. We received a phone call about a possible break in.

Man: Oh. Well, I live here and I don't believe I called the police department about a burglary tonight.

PO: Well, sir, the call did, in fact, come from one of your concerned neighbors. Do you mind if I just see some identification and then I'll be on my way?

Man: Oh, well, now. I did have trouble getting into my home earlier. Bit of a door jam, you see. I can understand how, to the unknowing observer, my improvisatory method of entry may have appeared questionable. Here, good officer, is my identification.

PO: Thank you, sir. You have a good night.

Man: You too! It is good to know the police department is so diligent in its duties.

Why in God's name is that so difficult to accomplish?!

What happens when you let special-interest people holding out petitions on clip boards run your government?

2009-07-09T17:00:00.005-05:00

This is why our founders wanted a representative democracy, because they knew that if you give the average guy the chance, he'll vote for a fantasy world with no taxes and free beer.

Thank you, Bill Maher. And, good luck to you, California!

In Which I Can Spell "Caulk."

2009-07-08T19:12:00.003-05:00

I moved away from my old apartment in the middle of May.

Two months ago.

Two months ago, my former landlord gave me my security deposit back and I was on my merry way to the East Side of Milwaukee.

Or so I thought.

Late last night, I received an email:

Sarah -

Hope you are enjoying your summer and that everything is working out at your new place. I got some mail at the condo addressed to you; could you give me your new address so I can forward it along?

Also, I wanted to let you know that we went up to the condo to do a little bit of cleaning because we're trying to sell the condo, so we want it to look as nice as possible. And what was supposed to be just a quick picking up, turned into two days of work. There was so much mold in the bathtub, that we had to re-cock the whole thing because the mold wouldn't come off. My husband had to take all of it off, and then replace it. It was like it hadn't been cleaned the whole time you were living there. I'm not sure how you could take a shower in there without being grossed out. And there was cat hair everywhere; I swept up piles.

If I would have known how much work, time, and money we were going to have to spend to clean and re-do part of the bathroom; I would not have returned your whole security deposit. I would have taken out at least $200.

I just thought you would like to know, especially for future reference.

Of course, I had to send a reply. Because I don't just sit back and let people accuse me of doing things I didn't do. So...

Hi.

I am sorry to hear about the mold. I never had a problem with it while living there and I can assure you I cleaned out the tub at least every couple weeks with vinegar and replaced the shower curtain every few months, including right before I left. But, if the caulking had to be removed, it sounds like it was mildew and growing inside the caulk, not on it, which is why it wouldn't come off. It takes about a week or 2 to grow in a room with poor ventilation and spreads pretty quickly. I always left the bathroom door open because I never noticed a fan in there; you should probably leave the window open as well, just to let the moisture out. But it is an older building so chances are the mildew will come back. The only real way to prevent it is to keep the room ventilated and to clean the tub often.

I do apologize about the cat hair. I vacuumed the rooms a few times and mopped the floors but it seems that was not enough.

The new address is:

MY ADDRESS WENT HERE!

Good luck selling the condo!

Sarah

I really do wish her luck selling her condo. Perhaps to someone who realizes that if you live near a river and leave your older building all locked up tight for 2 months, you might have a surprise waiting for you in the bathroom later.

I understand mildew is disgusting. I really, really do. So much so that, if it was as horrible as she made it sound, I highly doubt you could have paid me to shower in that tub. And, let's be realistic. I called her and complained the vents were dusty. I am a whiny baby. She honestly and truly believes I wouldn't have called for black and grey spores of death inhabiting my bathing territory? Ok.

And did I mention this is 2 months after she walked into the apartment I was leaving and wrote me a check?

The amount of failure here just hurts.

Mmmm Drinks!

2009-07-04T21:27:00.001-05:00

Happy 4th of July 'yatches!

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I Used to Run Through Sprinklers...

2009-06-25T17:42:00.001-05:00

watching the kids play in the fountain at Bayshore. They are freaking adorable!

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Omnomnomnom!

2009-06-23T18:26:00.001-05:00

I had some leftover spaghetti sauce and mushrooms from last night. For tonight's dinner I threw in some spinach and diced butternut squash and mixed in some 3-cheese tortellinis. All courtesy of Trader Joe's! :-)

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My Favorite Place to Buy Clothes!

2009-06-21T16:59:00.001-05:00

Picked up this cutie for $7 at... Goodwill! Also bought a couple skirts and some necklaces. :-) Cheap finds for a good cause. You can't go wrong!

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Going Green for Iran

2009-06-16T22:07:00.002-05:00

If you are reading this right now, you have more luxury than someone in Iran could ever hope for right now. If you are watching TV or a video on youtube, updating your status on Facebook, Tweeting, or even texting your friend, you are lucky. If you are safe in your home, and were able to sleep last night without the sounds of screaming from the rooftops, you need to know and understand what is happening to people just like you in Iran right now.

They are not the enemy. They are a people whose election has been stolen. For the first time in a long time, a voice for change struck the youth of Iran, just as it did for many people in the United States only seven months ago. Hossein Mousavi gained the support of millions of people in Iran as a Presidential candidate. He stands for progressiveness. He supports good relations with the West, and the rest of the world. He is supported with fervor as he challenges the oppressive regime of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

On Friday, millions of people waited for hours in line to vote in Iran's Presidential election. Later that night, as votes came in, Mousavi was alerted that he was winning by a two-thirds margin. Then there was a change. Suddenly, it was Ahmadinejad who had 68% of the vote - in areas which have been firmly against his political party, he overwhelmingly won. Within three hours, millions of votes were supposedly counted - the victor was Ahmadinejad. Immediately fraud was suspected - there was no way he could have won by this great a margin with such oppposition. Since then, reports have been coming in of burned ballots, or in some cases numbers being given without any being counted at all. None of this is confirmed, but what happened next seems to do the trick.

The people of Iran took the streets and rooftops. They shout "Death to the dictator" and "Allah o akbar." They join together to protest. Peacefully. The police attack some, but they stay strong. Riots happen, and the shouting continues all night. Text messaging was disabled, as was satellite, and websites which can spread information such as Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and the BBC are blocked in the country. At five in the morning, Arabic speaking soldiers (the people of Iran speak Farsi) stormed a university in the capital city of Tehran. While sleeping in their dormitories, five students were killed. Others were wounded. These soldiers are thought to have been brought in by Ahmadinejad from Lebanon. Today, 192 of the university's faculty have resigned in protest.

Mousavi requested that the government allow a peaceful rally to occur this morning - the request was denied. Many thought that it would not happen. Nevertheless, first a few thousand people showed up in the streets of Tehran. At this point, it is estimated that 1 to 2 million people were there. Mousavi spoke on the top of a car. The police stood by. For a few hours, everything was peaceful. Right now, the same cannot be said. Reports of injuries, shootings, and killings are flooding the internet. Twitter has been an invaluable source - those in Iran who still know how to access it are updating regularly with picture evidence. People are being brutally beaten. Tonight will be another night without rest for so many in Iran no older than I am. Tonight there is a Green Revolution.

For more information:
PICTURES:
here and here
NEW INFORMATION:
Here - near constant updates
Here - ONTD_political live post
ON TWITTER:
@StopAhmadi, @IranElection09, @Change_for_Iran

دنیارابگوییدچطورآنهاانتخاباتمان دزدیده اند
Tell the world how they have stolen our election

- original post by one_hoopy_frood

The Vaccine/Autism Thing. Again.

2009-06-16T20:45:00.006-05:00

Perhaps if scientists modeled for Playboy, the media might pick up on the fact that, in the past 10 years or so, our diet and food chain has changed dramatically, and the increasing thoughts that this environmental change could be linked to autism. I find it amazing that no anti-vaxer can ever think of any cause of autism other than something that prevents diseases.

In the past 10 years, the incidence (not to be confused with prevalence) of autism has indeed increased substantially and, no. I don't think it can be entirely attributed to better methods of diagnosing (though I do think that it's a nice big chunk).

I do tend to believe in research and science over celebrities making stuff up and writing books that get featured on Oprah, so I've pretty much ruled out vaccines as the cause of autism. If a link is ever found, I will subject myself to measles and write a letter of apology to Jenny McCarthy.

Here are some ideas I think are likely links to autism:

The introduction of toxic chemicals (antibiotics, heavy metals, pesticides, additives and preservatives) in our food chain.

The depletion of nutrients in our food due to high intensity farming of the same soil year after year for decades.

Farming methods that substitute chemical fertilisers for the natural decomposition of organic matter by bacteria.

Food processing methods that destroy nutrients.

The excessive use of antibiotics in babies and children.

The 20-40X increase of Omega 6 oils in our diet, and a reduction in Omega 3 consumption from fish. and Heating of these oils producing trans-fatty acids that damage cell membrane integrity

Slow prolonged cooking methods that destroy vitamins.

Microwave cooking that destroys some vitamins and bioflavanoids.

A change in eating habits in the last 50 years: We have replaced natural nutrient-rich foods, such as organically grown fruit and vegetables, with nutrient-poor and processed foods.

Chickens that are grown several times faster on a diet laced with antibiotics.

Unfortunately, though these environmental factors do show quite a bit of promise as likely suspects, not a whole lot of research has gone into studying their possible links to autism.

Why is it not ok to continue to blame vaccines for everything?

Because in an effort to put some sense into people's heads, money is wasted over and over again proving that there is NO LINK between vaccines and autism. Lots of money. Research costs money. Researching the same thing over and over until the horse is pummeled into a bloody pulp in the ground costs even more money. That money could be going towards things. Things like finding the real cause(s) of autism and, who knows. Maybe a cure.

But why focus on a cure when you can place blame instead? We all know that blaming something or someone for problems is a valid way of solving them.

2009-06-09T19:09:00.001-05:00

I totally just bought this at Goodwill. I love that store! I have a VCR too. :-)

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Garbage Day

2009-06-09T10:52:00.000-05:00

The garbage truck is decorated with teddy bears?!

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Living room decor

2009-06-08T22:17:00.001-05:00

So far, this little shelf with tote bins is my favorite part of my living room. The sooner I get to Ikea, the better! I need some more fabrics and some cushions and chairs and many more things! Someday soon (I hope!) my living room will be how I picture it in my head. And then I will take pictures with my real camera and not my phone! :-)

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Teehee!

2009-06-05T18:55:00.001-05:00

My mommy bought me new shoes! :-)

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Breakfast time!

2009-06-04T10:19:00.000-05:00

Mmmmm breakfast! Eggs, buttery toast, canteloupe, and strawberries. Coffee too! I like vacation and having time to cook things! :-)

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Terror in the Name of Jesus

2009-06-01T21:25:00.004-05:00

"...As we can see from people like Tiller, not all who claim to be Christian act accordingly."

I hope George Tiller's death begins a real search for common ground. I hope his murder galvanises people into thinking that women deserve equal protection under the law as that accorded to their unborn children. This didn't happen in the wake of Dr David Gunn's murder in Pensacola, nor Dr Barnett Slepian's murder in Buffalo. It didn't happen when protesters at a Cleveland clinic poured petrol on a nurse and set fire to her. It is time we stopped pandering to terrorists just because they claim to be speaking in the name of Jesus. I'm not optimistic, but change in this respect is way overdue in America.

Sara Paretsky, I could not have said it better myself. Thank you.

Going back to our opening quote:

"...As we can see from people like Tiller, not all who claim to be Christian act accordingly."

As we can see from people like Tiller, not all who claim to be Christian act according to some people's interpretation of God's will. Dr. Tiller did what he believed to be the right thing and stood up for his beliefs, and subjected himself to a mass of negativity. And, knowing his own faith community would show him Christ's love through hatred and self-righteous condemnation, he still joined them with his head held high.

He is just as worthy to call himself a Christian as anyone who thanks God that they are "not like other men–robbers, evildoers, adulterers–or even like this tax collector."

If being Christian means it's ok to set fire to a nurse, or to shoot a doctor in front of his wife, because they don't agree with my opinions, I think I'll take my chances being a heathen, thanks.

Plants! Part 2.

2009-05-30T20:09:00.003-05:00

So quick update for you all on the status of my plants.

They're dead.

Shocker.

I'll try again sometime when I am able to grow things outdoors.

In the meantime, I'll have to find a different phase to go through. I'm pretty set on doing this diy project.

DIY Tea Shelf

I already have everything I need, but the shelf I have is huge and I have about 12 types of loose leaf tea. So, my shelf is going to be bigger than the picture and it'll look different. But it is basically the same idea. :-) I just need to go out and buy some jars. I really don't want to ~~save and clean out jars~~ wait until my jams and salsas are gone to be able to start this project.

I'll also be storing my coffee things on it. :-P Maybe I'll hang a basket underneath! And I will definitely be putting contact paper or something around the jars... don't want my teas exposed to light!

Someday, when I'm done, I'll post pictures.

2009-05-29T22:23:00.001-05:00

Oh dear. I've found something while cleaning. I may never leave my home again... :-P

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Creeptastic!

2009-05-29T19:01:00.004-05:00

Ok, I don't care how lonely you are. Buying a pillow that resembles a disembodied arm is fucking creepy as hell.

Creepy number 1:

Creepy number 2:

And the creepiest picture:

But for those of you who do wish to have a love affair with Thing's older brother, Overstock.com can fulfill your creepy desires for $26.97 plus shipping.

Sick.

2009-05-28T22:45:00.000-05:00

Good night and sweet dreams! :-)

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2009-05-24T16:20:00.001-05:00

That is a lot of sea gulls! :-)

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2009-05-16T23:00:00.000-05:00

I can update my blog from my cheap little phone! exciting! :-)

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A Movie Review

2009-05-13T22:50:00.002-05:00

It's hard to enjoy Star Trek when you're on the edge of your seat waiting for a clock to start ticking while Spock starts slicing heads open with his mind...

Oh, wait. No it isn't. Star Trek was phenomenal, everyone! Go see it if you haven't!

Swine Flu is serious business.

2009-05-02T10:15:00.005-05:00

You, too, can avoid swine flu. By taking the necessary precautions.

Antibacterial gel, no doubt, also probably works wonders against this virus!

Yikes, people. If we're this concerned now, I hate to think what will happen next year when the "regular" flu comes back!

Let's put the word "Pandemic" into perspective. If one person, one in the entire world, out of the nearly 7 billion population, is diagnosed with small pox, it meets the requirements for a pandemic.

Yeah. Flus are somewhat serious. H1N1 is kind of like every other flu. It is not a big deal.

What is the significance of the first person-to-person transmission of the H1N1 virus?

This is the point at which the virus could, theoretically, start to spread exponentially through the population. But it has been taken into account already by officials; because the new H1N1 virus has already jumped the species barrier into humans, scientists knew the bug would become transmissible between humans at some stage.

Dr Mark Fielder, a medical microbiologist at Kingston University, says it should not be a major cause for concern. "It's a fairly mild disease really. Its ability to spread between people, while there, is not enormous."

He adds that maintaining good standards of hygiene and following the Health Protection Agency's advice about regular handwashing and sneezing into tissues would halt the ability of the virus to spread quickly.

"The one thing to recognise is that we haven't had that many deaths yet. We've had far more deaths from other diseases going on in the world than we have had from this form of influenza. I really don't see it becoming a major mortality event. I see a number of people getting ill, but I'll hazard it will be no greater than normal seasonal flu."

Have the deaths in Mexico been hyped?

Robert Booy, head of clinical research at the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance based at the University of Sydney, believes there is a simple explanation for the concentration of more than 100 deaths in Mexico. "It's likely that this outbreak has been running for not one month or even six weeks, but more than eight weeks [in Mexico]. Influenza tends to, on average, infect two people for every one case. The doubling then occurs every three days, which is the serial interval. This means that from day one to day 30 you go to about 1,000 cases, but in the next month, you go to a million."

This means that, if there have been hundreds of thousands of cases already in Mexico, then about 100 deaths gives a mortality rate of 0.1%.

"So the disease may not be nearly as severe as people thought," says Booy. "If the disease has been around for two months and infected so many people, many of them must be mildly infected and we haven't heard about them."

Again, this shows that H1N1 is, at the moment, not as lethal as most people might think.

What are scientists doing now?

Samples of the H1N1 virus arrived at the National Institute for Medical Research in north London this week and scientists there will now grow the virus structure and see how it might evolve. Working with the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, the research will help develop a vaccine for the virus in the coming months.

And there you have it. Wash your hands and don't sneeze on people. Don't let people sneeze on you. You are going to be ok!!

Why I Love The Guardian

2009-04-29T16:17:00.001-05:00

Days 33-67: 10% of the American population succumbs to rabies.

::oink::

2009-04-28T19:42:00.002-05:00

I don't understand why everyone's so afraid of swine flu. We're due for a pandemic. So what? Yellowstone's way overdue by a few thousand years to erupt and kill millions. And the world's ending in 2012 anyway, right? Maybe the Mayan calender ends when the last human drops dead from swine flu?

Geeze. Don't let people cough on you, wash your hands, drink a beer, and chill out people.

Yet Another Reason to Vaccinate Your Kids

2009-04-26T13:21:00.004-05:00

Throwing out research by medical professionals to favor the rantings of idiots is child abuse. Vaccinate your kids.

Playing dress up!

2009-04-25T15:38:00.004-05:00

My beautiful little niece turns 3 in a few short weeks and this will be her first birthday I won't be able to attend. It's very sad, I know, but it's ok. I've discovered The Children's Place so I can replace my presence with presents! :-D

A pretty dress!

Some cute pink pants!

And a matching shirt!

And a somewhat matching headband!

I also got her a ton of stickers!

It's time to point out the linguistic shortcomings of others!

2009-04-11T17:13:00.003-05:00

God is the creator of all things and Jesus is his son who died at calvery for our sins and thru him we can be saved . I didn't go to church much as a child, but my family did teach me about God and Jesus. After I grew up I started to go to church every so often and reading the bible sometimes and i started noticing things to happen in my life that had no other explanation. He has done wonderful things for my family and I. And now I am a mother of 3 wondrful childern, I am saved and I am raising my children baptist. So my advice to people you can take it or leave it the choice is yours, but read the king james version of the bible even if you dnt believe give him a chance!!!!!!. In cosiing i do feel the need to say that I have noticed everyone i dot care if you are not christians or non believers that when somthing horrible happens what do we all do we all get down on our knees and pray to GOD i have seen it happen more than once and dont you think that threis something to that ? I know there is!

Would you like to know what worries me the most about this lovely comment I came across on the internet today? Of course you do, or you wouldn't be reading my blog.

This girl has children. Isn't that terrifying? Let's hope they're not home schooled because I'm pretty sure poor grammar and terrible punctuation makes Baby Jesus cry. The spelling just makes me want to punch something. I'd hate to see this horror passed on through future generations.

Jesus may love you but the rest of the intelligent world thinks you're an idiot. Please, don't spend too long wondering why.

Bug!

2009-04-06T21:12:00.004-05:00

I'm going to tell you the story of why I was a little late to work today.

You see, despite my need to brush my teeth and shower, I was a little bit terrified to enter my bathroom this morning. And here is why:

Yes, kids, I hate creepy crawlies. HATE THEM.

And so I watched this little stronzo skitter across my bathroom floor, and then he stopped near the wall. And lurked. Lurked with his beady little eyes and evil, alien antennae. And we had a staring contest. And then, I knew. I knew this was an epic battle for the bathroom!

He made a mistake picking a fight with me.

An army, although it may be attacked, is not to be attacked if it is in desperate circumstances and there is the possibility that the enemy will fight to the death.

I am the last, and I shall fight to the death.

As everything in the world is but a sham, death is the only sincerity.

Be true to the thought of the moment and avoid distraction. You can never win because you are distracted by life! I am undefeated!

But I am not without mercy. I let the stupid thing go outside in the yard. If he wants to return for round 2, I hope to have a cute kitty to fight my battles for me!

This is Fiona. I will have her soon!

She will strike terror into anything with more than 4 legs that dares to intrude in my home!

fin

Watch Samurai Lapin

Vill du tala Svensk?

2009-04-05T22:16:00.003-05:00

I don't know how many of you speak Swedish but, if you're interested, I also write stories for this internet magazine: http://baddest.se

My part is in English. It's ok. I don't speak Swedish either. :-P

Plants!

2009-04-04T22:38:00.004-05:00

Today I went to Target and, like every time I go to Target, I was drawn into the dollar section conveniently placed at the store entrance. On display on the shelves full 'o crap were packets of seeds and just-add-water soil pellets and these adorable tin bins. I loaded my cart before I was 5 feet from the main doors.

After returning home, I put the soil pellets in the tin containers, added water, mixed in some old coffee grounds, and added my new babies!

I now have in my home...

Sweet Basil

Oregano

Sweet Peppers

And my favorite... Lavender! :-)

Of course, they're not much to look at now...

But supposedly they will start growing in 10-14 days. When my lavender starts getting teeny tiny leaves, I'll bring it to my office and my cubicle will start to smell amazing! :-)

And these babies haven't been conceived yet, but once they've been implanted into their own earthy uterus, I'll be sure to add them to my photo journey of plant growth!

Hopefully, I don't kill these plants. I'm... not very good with plants. Or fish. I really should just get a puppy or a cat. But plants don't have a pet deposit and I won't feel guilty for keeping plants in a teeny tiny apartment while I'm at work all day.

Also, home grown tomatoes taste awesome! :-)

A Delicious Pasta Creation!

2009-03-30T20:51:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I get bored and make things up. Like dinner tonight...

I cooked a large chicken breast in the oven. While it was cooking I found some things in my kitchen...

A collage of yummyness!

I do believe Rising Moon Organics is quickly becoming my favorite brand of pasta. They're a little pricey so I stock up during sales! :-D

Into a Sautéing skillet went a large amount of spinach, a small amount of Alfredo sauce, and just enough rosemary. I added the chicken, chopped up, and let it simmer for about 12 minutes--the time the pasta container said to cook the pasta. Convenient! :-D

Then I mixed it all!

Then I put half into a container for lunch tomorrow. Then I ate the rest for dinner!!

Omnomnomnomnomnom!

The end. :-)

Almond Crusted Salmon

2009-03-22T19:17:00.003-05:00

Dinner again!

Uh oh... I'm up to something!

Almond Crusted Salmon!

1 skinless salmon fillet... If you don't like touching fish, I recommend buying skinless. I cut the skin off of mine with a knife.
Sliced almonds, crush 'em up! (I used a coffee mug to crush mine inside a cereal bowl)
2 egg whites
Flour (I used wheat flour)
salt, pepper
herbs (I used basil, thyme, and dill weed)

1. You need one plate with flour on it and 1 plate with crushed up almonds
2. Salt and pepper your salmon
3. cover both sides of salmon with flour (put one side down on the flour, pick it up, even the flour out again, put the other side of the salmon down on the flour)
4. beat the egg whites with the herbs
5. Soak your salmon in the egg white mixture.
6. The thing you did with the flour... do that same thing with the almonds.
7. Put the salmon in a skillet with some olive oil and cook it on medium heat for about 4 minutes on each side.
8. You've made something tasty!

It will look like this!

Need a wine to go with your dinner? I went to Trader Joe's and picked up a bottle of this for $6:

So smooth it's like drinking velvet. And that first sip in your mouth puts a little fruity tingle on the tip of your tongue! I'm a fan.

Until next time, kids, later! :-)

Phone Conversations with Candi

2009-03-20T19:14:00.002-05:00

Candi likes to call me on the phone while she drives. Today, while stuck in traffic, the conversation went...

Candi: Why are you stopping you motherfucking piece of shit?!!!
Sawaboof: That's what she said!

hahahaha I never get a good opening for that!

My Fit is Go!

2009-03-19T19:33:00.006-05:00

And now I share with you all my beautiful new baby!!

And of course I have my decal on the rear window!

Just for fun, let's do a before and after pic!

Before...

And after...

Yes. My Fit is, indeed, Go. It is also orange! :-D

I thought about getting custom license plates, but I am fairly certain that in the entire State of Wisconsin, someone has already claimed NCC 1701. Oh well.

Homemade Mac and Cheese!

2009-03-09T21:40:00.003-05:00

Tonight's dinner (which was devoured around 9:30pm since I didn't even start putting stuff together until 7:30pm) was inspired by Sarandipity's blog!

Follow that link for a fun blog and tasty recipe. I did throw in some parmesan, asiago, and mozzarella cheeses, in addition to the goat cheese the recipe called for.

Tasty time!

Me Want FOOOOOOD!!!

2009-03-08T20:59:00.004-05:00

So I've been doing some more cooking. Enjoy!! :-)

First item on the menu is BBQ pulled pork! First you get a 5 pound pork shoulder and slice up some onions. Then you pour 2 bottles of beer (I used Leinenkugel's honey weiss) into a 6-quart crock pot, add in most of the onion slices, stick the pork shoulder on top, and put the remaining onion slices on top of hte pork. Put a lid on the crock pot and cook that sucker for 8 hours on low.

After 8 hours, rip the pork to shreds. With your bare hands. Trust me, it's quicker than trying to chop it up with a knife. Throw it and the onions (sorry, no more use for the beer) into a ton of BBQ sauce. Use whatever BBQ sauce you want. I made my own like my dad used to make. I can't tell you how to make it because it's a secret. But, let me tell you, it's delicious!

I mixed it all and it ended up going in a smaller crock pot (4 quarts). It gets cooked on low for another 8 hours. Or 10 or 11 if you happen work until 4 or 5pm like I do and can't leave early just to go eat food. Here are the results:

This wine from Trader Joe's had a description of going well with BBQ. It was not lying! :-)

Next on the list is Saturday's breakfast! :-)

It's not very complicated. Fried eggs and pork sausage patties. I also diced a potato and fried it with olive oil with a tiny bit of garlic and salt. I also made toast. There was coffee too, but it didn't make it to the photo shoot.

Finally, we have tonight's dinner. Butternut squash ravioli and some tasty vegetables mixed together and roasted in the oven.

The ravioli came from the store. Looks like this:

It was certified vegan. But that's not how I roll so I chopped up some fresh sage, and added it to some melted butter. I could hear cows scream as I poured that butter into my cooked ravioli and mixed it in.

And, sticking with my butternut squash theme, I bought a butternut squash from the store and chopped it up. I also chopped up some zucchini, some mushrooms, and an onion. Mixed them together with some fresh sage and rosemary and a little olive oil. Then I roasted them on 425 for about 40 minutes. End results:

mix the veggies...

with the olive oil/rosemary/sage mixture...

cook it and add ravioli to get...

The wine used at this meal comes from this store. Someday I would like to go back and buy more.

Alright, folks. That completes another blog about how you wish you lived close enough for me to cook for you! :-P

What a Horrible Idea

2009-03-07T08:34:00.004-06:00

When the government doesn't have money to do the things it wants to do, its usual course of action is to not spend money it doesn't have. Hah! Right. No, it increases taxes on people's undesirable habits. Today's example is higher cigarette taxes to pay for children's health care. I have a problem with this.

Taxing a product, any product, is an unreliable source of revenue. If you are an uninsured 8-year-old, your health care is completely dependent on someone lighting up. When cigarette sales start plummeting because people can't afford to smoke anymore, where's the funding going to go for those uninsured kids? I guess the simple solution to this is not using any of the revenue from these increased taxes to fund smoking cessation programs.

Now, I think we all know what I think about increasing taxes on things to pay for other things. Let's pretend I don't feel that way. Why tax cigarettes? Let's look at the health problems of low-income children. Obesity, diabetes, pre-diabetes, and a greatly increased risk of heart disease later in life. Why not tax junk food and soda? Why should someone have to pay extra to smoke their pack a day when it does nothing to stop little Jimmy's artery-clogging, pro-diabetes habits of gorging on Cheetos and Mountain Dew every day, right before dining on a delicious all-beef patty dinner at McDonald's. Don't forget the large fries. Kids need their veggies! It's ok for kids to continue increasing the cost of their own health care; their consequences are now paid for by scapegoats.

Are any of you willing to take up smoking to fund children's health care? If not, it's pretty hypocritical to expect others to fund it by continuing to smoke. Come on, you guys! Show the world you're a child-loving patriot and puff away!

Deer TIck Videos!!

2009-03-06T23:29:00.001-06:00

I took videos at the Deer Tick show in Chicago...

3 weeks ago. :-)

Sorry my camera only holds so much video...

Ashamed
These Old Shoes
Christ Jesus
Baltimore Blues No. 1

Someone on the Cellar posted this and I wanted to share

2009-03-06T22:56:00.002-06:00

It's nice to actually have an excuse to burst into laughter sometimes.

2009-03-03T20:53:00.003-06:00

So I totally watch the movie Music & Lyrics just for this video. Twice a month at least.

Does a Body Good

2009-03-01T15:41:00.003-06:00

Today I discovered the milk I purchased yesterday is non-homogenized. Must remember to shake the milk container before trying to use it again.

So I Will Take This Old Car to Get to You... Or not...

2009-02-24T18:41:00.006-06:00

Well, folks, today was a sad day. My beloved '89 Honda Accord is no more...

As I was leaving to go to work this morning, a Ford F-150 pulled out of a driveway and sat in the middle of my road. Thinking it would eventually pull forward and leave the street, I waited behind it patiently. Then the driver's side window rolled down, and a hand appeared to say "Go around me, I'll be here a few minutes."

So I started to go around him. As I moved to go around his side, his car suddenly backed up. I saw it in slow motion, and I knew my car was going to be hit. The words "Oh my Go-" left my mouth and the huge truck impacted my itty bitty car on the "-d." There was a long crunch--the same crunch fresh snow makes under a heavy boot--and the window seemed to peel into the passenger seat (like an orange) as the glass didn't quite shatter.

I sat in shock for a few moments as I watched him stay in his car... just sitting there. With the engine running. I thought Oh my God. He's going to just leave! But then, he pulled the truck over and got out of his car. Boy, did he look angry. I could see this would go well.

I got out of my car. With paper and a pen.

Angry, yelling man: You should have been around me already! I wasn't expecting you to still be on my side!
Sawaboof: Oh... that's what mirrors are for. I need your insurance information.
Oh-shit-yelling-didn't-work man: Fine. Here's this card for my insurance agent. Just call him. I have insurance, I just don't have my card.
Sawaboof: Ummm ok... ::writes down every last piece of info on the not-quite-an-insurance card, also the info from his driver's license::
Calmed down man: Now I'm going on vacation for a month. I'm leaving now so you'll have to do everything on your own.
Sawaboof: I think I can handle it. Thanks.

He then made some half-assed apology and drove away. I went back to my poor car and pulled it back into my garage. Then I thought Oh no! I'm going to be late to my staffings!. So I called my coworker and then I called my supervisor and both gave the impression that I could just stay home that day and I thought I would but then...

I called the number for the guy's insurance agent. Answered a bunch of questions and then came to the question "what kind of car was he driving?" I hadn't paid too much attention to his car, and I really only saw the back of it. "Ummm... It was a white SUV," I replied uncertainly. "Are you sure? Was it a Ford F-150?" After a quick Google image search I replied "No... it wasn't a pick up." The agent told me the driver didn't have an SUV on any of his policies and I felt a little sick, and he took my contact information and said he'd try to get in touch with the driver.

So then I figured since there was nothing else I could do, I might as well hop on the bus and go to my staffings. Better than sitting at home all day. As I'm walking down the street, who do I see pulling out of a driveway in a huge camper? The other driver! He rolls down his window and lets me know, again, that he's going to Florida for a month and I have to take care of everything on my own. Ok. I get it. Really. He left. I looked over at his house. The truck that hit me is still there. Now that I see it from the side, and I'm not in shock anymore, it is, indeed, not an SUV. A closer look told me it was, indeed, a Ford F-150. With a box cap. Definitely not an SUV. Oops.

So, as I waited for the bus, I called back the insurance agent and told him it really was the F-150. He then gave me the name of the insurance company for that car, the policy number, and the phone number to call.

Then I went to work and my wonderful DD people gave me a lot of advice for my car. Man I love those guys!

Throughout the day, anyone with ears got to hear the tale of my car. And, as the hours in other time zones grew later, I was able to tell even more people! And, through reliving the event over and over through story telling, I was able to find out through my wonderful aunt that leaving the state before everything from an accident is taken care of and settled is illegal and I should include the guy's escape to Florida in my police report. Which I am filing tomorrow before calling the guy's real insurance company to file a claim.

Tomorrow's gonna be a ton of fun.

And now I have an excuse to finally get a new car! I want a Honda Fit but I'm thinking maybe I should get a hybrid since I'm getting a new car no matter what... We'll see. I have plenty of time to research and go to the dealership because, until I find a car to buy, my co-worker's son is letting me borrow his car for $4 a day. :-)

And, since I went through my "I'm going to buy a house!" phase, I have a bit of money saved up for a down payment! :-) Bad things work themselves out for me sometimes.

Happy Mardi Gras!

Oh, and of course, I took pictures...

My poor car...

And the newly-decorated passenger seat

And that is the story of the end of my poor car. Today was a sad day. I'm ok with continuing to pay for engine repairs and maintenance for my car, but I draw the line at body work. It's too bad. That car and I have been through a lot together. Some bad (like the head gasket blowing off) but mostly good times. Many, many road trips were made in that car, including the last road trip to Chicago to see Deer Tick! I will always hold fond memories of my car.

RIP car. I will miss you but...

At least you went out with a bang! (bud-dum-chhh!)

Deer Tick and Chicago Adventures!

2009-02-23T23:04:00.001-06:00

Hey guys! I posted pictures of my recent Chicago trip over on my Facebook!

Here are links so you can see the photos too!
Chicago and Deer Tick! Album 1
Chicago and Deer Tick! Album 2.

I'm sure I'll upload them to my photobucket and then post them here eventually, as well. But for now, I'm going to bed.

Videos of the Deer Tick show are also coming soon! :-)

::headdesk::

2009-02-18T18:07:00.003-06:00

440TH AIR FORCE RESERVE BASE REDEVELOPMENT -- TO ACCOMMODATE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPERTY PREVIOUSLY OCCUPIED BY THE 440TH AIR FORCE RESERVE BASE, CLOSED FEBRUARY 2, 2008 UNDER THE BASE REALIGNMENT AND CLOSURE ACT OF 2005, PROVIDE FUNDS TO SEPARATE PROPE

How this $4,000,000 program (that creates 0 new jobs) will fix the economy in Milwaukee

Lemon Pepper Chicken and Wild Rice

2009-02-16T19:09:00.005-06:00

I wanted to share my dinner with you all! But I can't. This is only the internet. Maybe in the future the internet will be even more amazing!

Until then, you get pictures!

Lemon Pepper Chicken with Wild Rice and Vegetables

Also, with wine.

This wine, to be exact. French wine. From France. From a little store in Forbach, called Cora. I miss it. If anyone can find me this wine in the US, I will love them forever!

The complete set:

Yeah... You wish you were at my house right now! :-)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T15:40:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I made a Black Forest cake!

It was super easy!

I have a secret. Sometimes, I don't make things from scratch. Read on for how I made this cake!

1 box of Devil's Food Cake mix. 1 20oz can of cherry pie filling. Follow the instructions on the back of the cake box, and add cherry pie filling too. Cook it in a bundt pan. It turns into a cake!

I put triple chocolate fudge frosting on top and then, just because I wanted to, I chopped some maraschino cherries in half and made some polka dots! :-D

Yummmmmmmmmm!!

Have a great day, folks! :-)

World of Goo: My Anti Drug

2009-02-08T19:06:00.003-06:00

Lately I've found myself addicted to a seemingly simple game, World of Goo. While I believe it is available for the Wii, mine was purchased off of Steam for me from a friend as an amazingly awesome Christmas gift, and is played on my computer.

The object of the game is simple: get the goo balls into the pipe. That's it. Getting the goo balls into the pipe, however, can be difficult. It took me about 7 tries to get past the stupid frog level

and that was in chapter 1! My ability to build towers and nets and bridges out of balls of goo, and figure out how not to make them weigh too much and fall over (or catch on fire, or burst on sharp spikes, or get chopped up by windmill blades) has advanced, and I'm currently working my way through chapter 4 (out of 5).

Somewhere in Chapter 3, I learned that World of Goo has artifacts to find! I found a whistle. And when the whistle blows, the goo balls come spinning and plopping towards the magical tweeting sound. They're so adorable to watch that, sometimes, I spend whole minutes just blowing the whistle to watch them go crazy! I'm sure I've wasted enough time doing this that I've ruined any hopes of achieving anywhere near a high score. Like I care!

The best part of this game is that it takes up my entire computer screen. So when people IM me, I have an excuse not to talk to them! Haha. Kidding.

I don't know what I'm going to do once I finish chapter 5. Probably redo all the chapters so I can get more goo balls for the tower I'm building in the World of Goo Corporation.

This is my goo goal!

I've also heard that Portal is fun...

World of Goo. You need to play it.

Bahahahahaha!

2009-02-05T19:15:00.002-06:00

To print out the full-size greeting card for all your friends and family, click here!!!

I'd send one to myself, but my New Year's resolution was to get a big girl job. :-P

A Chili Story...

2009-01-25T22:13:00.003-06:00

I am making chili with 4 kinds of beans tomorrow. But it has to cook all day so I did some preparation stuff tonight so I can still sleep a decent amount of hours and have time to throw everything together before leaving for work tomorrow.

Preparation involved chopping up the habaneros and jalapenos.

I want you all to know that, no matter how much you wash your hands after chopping hot peppers, if your eye itches DO NOT SCRATCH IT!

My eye is burning. :-(

But the peppers and onions are chopped. The meat is browned and mixed with spices (and peppers and onions). Tomorrow I just put it in the crock pot with the beans and tomatoes and put it on low and I will have tasty dinner when I get home from work. Multiple tasty dinners!! Hurry for food that can go in the freezer! :-D

I'm still thinking about chopping up potatoes into it... it turned out pretty good last time... hmmm....

Today, on another episode of Frivolous Lawsuits:

2009-01-18T15:20:00.003-06:00

Some of you may remember The Hamster Dance gone horribly wrong, and the lawyers we love who make frivolous lawsuits possible.

I bring you another story of someone taking an unfortunate event in their life and trying to turn it into financial gain for themselves by blaming anyone and anything they can.

Foreigner Attacked by Javelina wants $400,000.

Perhaps the "Don't feed or touch the animals" signs should have been in Dutch

Culinary Treasures...

2009-01-17T11:10:00.004-06:00

(That title was for Kristin!!)

Just a food picture update of some of the deliciousness that's come out of my kitchen the past few weeks! :-)

Salmon and Wild Rice with Green Beans

Chicken Stir Fry with Rice

Ravioli with Meat Sauce and a Salad

And some Stuffed Green Peppers! :-)

I'm making steak tonight. I think with baked potatoes and soup. That might fall victim to my habit of eating food before I remember to take pictures of it, though. :-P

I fell...

2009-01-10T00:30:00.004-06:00

On January 3, 2009, I left Nevada to go back home to Wisconsin. Before this grand adventure, my mother took me to get a massage.

While driving to Healing Hands Massage Center of Boulder City, NV, I received a phone call from my brother. He said, "Sarah, I think I have to go to the hospital. I hit my head." I rolled my eyes and told my mom, and she, being the great mom she is, made sure to drop me off at the the massage place before going to get my brother.

Taking that giant and, apparently, dangerous 4 inch step from the parking lot to the sidewalk, I stumbled. Stumbled right into the giant brick post in front of the massage clinic entrance.

So, my brother ended up with some weird glue on his head and I received my own consolation prize for my sympathy fall:

Cute, huh? :-P

The end!

I know, I know, It's Been a While...

2009-01-07T23:01:00.003-06:00

I haven't updated in a while, and I don't know what to say about that. Pesky things came up, like several 10+ page papers and group presentations all due at once. Oh, school...

Speaking of school, I won't be returning next semester. Why? Well, I was offered a full-time job as an RN case manager! I guess all the people who thought I'd never amount to anything were wrong. :-D

Yes, starting Monday, I'll be working at the Milwaukee Center for Independence in the Family Care Program, working with older adults with developmental disabilities. See that, I have a nursing job and I didn't even have to settle for working in a hospital first. Go after what you want and never let anyone else convince you to do otherwise, kids. That is the lesson to take away here. Starting out with med surge for 2 years is clearly not what life had in store for me. Public Health all the way for this happy girl! :-)

But, Sarah, what about that Public Health graduate program you were so excited about?!

Hah. You know what I wasn't excited about? Out-of-state tuition. If I take this semester off, I can re-appeal my residency and, this time, I'll get it. This time, I'll actually meet all the criteria. My tuition will decrease by about 70% or so. It's like a clearance sale on education!

Also, the classes I registered for met at like noon. Or 2pm. Not really conducive to working full-time, eh? Perhaps more class times will be added while I'm on my extended break. God knows enough of us complained about them not actually offering all their classes online and at night like the nice brochure claimed. Hopefully I'll see all my favorite classmates again soon. Well, I guess I'll be working with one of them (thanks for the heads up on the position opening, Mike!).

So, school is awesome but, for now, it's in my best interest to put it on hold for a semester. Definitely not indefinitely though. ;-)

So, I've withdrawn from my classes, had a nice chat with my adviser, canceled my loans for the spring semester and, most importantly, added many cute and professional items to my wardrobe. I've developed a special fondness of long-sleeved, button-down shirts. Especially ones by NY & Company. <3!! And I have yet to lose my love of cute shoes. Nine West had an awesome sale going on; I'm expecting a package soon. ;-)

Moving on...

I believe I promised some pictures of the snow last month and then never delivered. I'm such a tease! :-D

But here they are now--pictures of the first pretty snowfall of Milwaukee's winter:

Starting with the bike trail...

And here are some pretty branches

And the scene that reminds me of Germany

And, finally, the camouflage car. It isn't nearly as funny as the car I saw a couple weeks ago after it snowed A LOT but, unfortunately, I didn't have my camera then. This is the best you get. :-P

And with that, I end this blog. Until next time...

Prop 8 the Musical!

2008-12-18T09:49:00.002-06:00

Starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and Neil Patrick Harris so you know it's got to be good! :-D

"Prop 8 - The Musical" starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more... by Jack Black

Here we go again...

2008-12-04T11:28:00.006-06:00

OK, before this video goes even more insane on the internet:

Perhaps some of you would be interested in the full story.

In short:

Two 20-year-old girls bring a video camera into a Planned Parenthood facility and pose as 13-year-olds. One says she missed her period, back and forth conversations happen between the girl and the nurse. In the end, Live Action Films claims ~~the nurse~~ Planned Parenthood is purposely helping girls break the law and sending them to out of state family planning clinics to obtain abortions without parental consent.

A comment by user Kevin Ruble, in reply to the news article, says things as well, or better, than I can:

I've seen the video, and it seems like the nurse has the best intentions but is using some bad methods. We have a 13-year-old who is clearly not ready to be a parent and obviously doesn't want to be. But due to the circumstances of her pregnancy, she naturally doesn't want to go to her parents about it. The father is a 31-year-old man who has managed to convince this girl that he cares for her. If she doesn't get an abortion, what are the odds that she'll run off with this man "to start a family together"? It happens, and the nurse knows it. It would seem that the nurse was trying to avoid the worst-case scenario by helping this girl get an abortion without having her turn tail and run away from her parents with this 'man'.

The nurse tried to do all she legally could by saying, "I don't want to know the age", so she can continue to give advice without having to be told what she already suspects is true. But naturally, since this was a setup, the 'patient' continued to divulge the age anyway when a real patient in this situation would shut their mouth. At this point, the nurse knew what she was required to do by law, but also knew that the girl still needed help. If at that point the nurse told her, "I have to report your lover to the police now", it's probable the girl would flee, deny the whole thing when questioned, and later be convinced by the 'man' to leave her family for him. So, she continued to try to ensure the girl gets an abortion, because she felt that preventing the worst-case scenario outweighed the risks of breaking the policies/law.

Best of intentions, but could have used better methods. Give advice to the girl, and then after she leaves, report it to CPS. Naturally, we don't know if the nurse hadn't actually done this, since the student recording this probably couldn't have recorded events that happen after the interview. And even if she could, she probably wouldn't post it.

The nurse in question, if indeed this video is accurate, should definitely be held accountable, though I can understand why she allegedly did what she did. And she is being held accountable. Planned Parenthood has the situation under investigation, and has her on unpaid leave until this entire thing is settled.

I'd like to talk about the video. Point number one, someone smuggled a video camera into a medical facility. Patient privacy, anyone? I guess that's kind of a minor issue here.

The video was obviously doctored. I am fairly certain the clinic didn't have background music playing and giant maps didn't appear out of no where. Pieces were cut out of the video. The girl who made the video claimed it was to keep it short and nothing important was removed. If that's the case, she shouldn't have an issue posting the full length version for those of us who don't mind watching a long video, right? Someone find it for me, please? I've been unsuccessful in this so far.

If this video is really the "evidence" that LiveAction.org claims it is, it shouldn't have been tampered with. This video is not investigative journalism. If you have to change facts or outright lie to get people to join your cause, then your fundamental belief has a serious flaw.

I am not a fan of abortions. I would love to see the need for them disappear. But targeting Planned Parenthood and other family planning clinics is not the way to decrease the rate. Try fighting poverty and educating people with facts (just FYI, telling high school students that condoms have a 31% fail rate and that 5-10% of girls who obtain abortions become sterile is not teaching facts) and you may see less women seeking terminations for their pregnancies.

I Love Food!

2008-12-02T19:03:00.002-06:00

To fulfill my quest to acquire healthier eating habits, I have been making salads lately. Tonight's dinner was a salad, complete with chicken, mandarin oranges, rice noodles, chives, toasted almonds, and a sesame ginger dressing.

Here are the results:

It also snowed recently. It's been whole hours since then, so it's not much to look at anymore, but I took pictures when it was new and beautiful. I will post them soon.

I'm getting a new computer this weekend. And hopefully newegg ships my monitor soon. The current one is bulky and ugly and gives me migraines.

I am Grateful for...

2008-11-26T13:22:00.000-06:00

This Thanksgiving, I give thanks for mice. Yes mice. The race of hyperintelligent pan-dimensional beings who commissioned the construction of the Earth in order to find the Question to the Ultimate Answer of Life, the Universe, and Everything.

Without these beings of higher intelligence, I would not have a planet to live on.

I may not have ever gotten the hang of Thursdays, but I was taught to be grateful for the good things in my life. So, tomorrow, Thursday, on these United States' day of celebrating overabundance, take a good look around.

You wouldn't have any of this without those tiny, refuse-eating rodents.

For Heccubus...

2008-11-23T21:31:00.002-06:00

I made you a fried rice. :-)

It was cooking

And then I put some in a bowl just for you.

Too bad it's not the future yet. Then it could be real!

Weird...

2008-11-18T10:44:00.001-06:00

It's always strange to find out the junior high friends you lost contact with are now professional football players.

Good job, Hank! :-)

Hitler gave great speeches, too, you know.

2008-11-15T13:49:00.001-06:00

Hitler gave great speeches, too, you know.

Ahh yes. The argument everyone thinks they are so clever for using. I thought I could escape this lack of intelligence now that the elections are over. I have, once again, given people way too much credit.

You know who else gave great speeches?

Abraham Lincoln, Socrates, George Washington, Pericles, Patrick Henry... Jesus. I can go on. This world had many great speakers, many of which were around long before Hitler.

Saying "Hitler gave great speeches too" says nothing more than "I don't like this person, so I'm going to pick an evil dictator to compare him to."

Just for fun, let's see how ridiculous Hitler comparisons are:

"Jesus was young and charismatic. He gave some great speeches that made the crowds love him, but so did Hitler."

I guess comparing Obama to Abraham Lincoln or George Washington wouldn't quite have the same affect of hate-spreading that comparing him to Hitler does. I guess maybe a more intelligent argument would be to use comparisons that actually make sense (comparing someone to Hitler based on their ability to make speeches doesn't make sense), but it's harder to spread fear when you use rational arguments.

Calling Obama a Marxist, while at the same time, comparing him to Hitler, only shows that someone can toss around random invectives to promote a baseless hatred. Educated comments go a long way when presenting an argument against somebody. Inaccurate as it would be, comparing Obama to Stalin would show someone educated themselves more thoroughly than reading an anonymously forwarded email.

This is the time for everyone to pull together as one nation. If the nation falls apart, it won't be because of Obama. It'll be because of the fear and hatred being promoted by people who feel that complaining and spreading insults and fear is more important than backing the new leader of our Nation.

2008-11-13T02:18:00.001-06:00

Tired of the Hypocrisy

2008-11-10T09:42:00.005-06:00

Maybe I'm not the best person to speak on the duties of those who follow Christianity, but at least I'm honest about it.

I am pretty tired of Christian protesters who stand up against the "evils" of women's rights and gay marriage.

It's easy to picket and protest gay marriage and family planning clinics. It takes little effort and gives those people an inflated sense of righteousness. But as soon as many Christians are reminded they're called to love their neighbor and help the poor, called to social service and social justice, they conveniently forget that such teachings were the ones most advocated by Jesus.

At the expense of social justice, equality, and compassion, too many are deciding, instead, to battle their own definition of evil.

Demanding a display of the 10 commandments or mandatory prayer in schools

Opposing gay rights

Opposing women’s rights, contraceptives, and sex education

Opposing the Theory of Evolution

Looking the other way when people are being tortured because that isn't as important an issue as the one they are currently championing.

These are all personally motivated by someone's own sense of wanting to feel righteous. They have almost nothing to do with the actual teachings of Jesus. Ask people to give up their money in taxes to help the poor, or clean up trash from the neighborhood and plant some trees, and watch how quick they are to dismiss the teachings they proclaim to follow.

Action that actually requires you to give of yourself to ensure others are meeting basic needs (food, clothing, shelter, etc.) is much less appealing than letting people know how immoral they are and that they need to change. Both make you feel good on the inside, but only one lets you promote your own agenda of letting people know what you think is evil.

A Pointless Blog...

2008-11-07T15:11:00.000-06:00

I find it kind of funny (and I find it kind of sad) that I always get super excited about a new shampoo I've purchased. Two weeks later, it's just ok. By the time the container is down to it's last, gooey drops, I am pretty sick of using it and am thinking longingly of the new type of shampoo I have ready to use as soon as the current one is gone. Lather, rinse, and repeat... and I am back to the same routine, going through phases of anticipation and excitement to boredom and displeasure.

There is one solution to my shampoo problem. Bath and Body Works' C.O. Beigelow brand has an awesome peppermint-infused shampoo that I am fairly certain I will never tire of.

They also have a body wash.

Unfortunately, $24 for some shampoo and body wash is not a purchase I can justify making. And so, I shall continue to find new and exciting smells in the world of Dove and Suave... though I may splurge an extra 50 cents and get some kind of neat shampoo using aromatherapy or something. Or maybe I could find some fragrance-free baby shampoo and add a few drops of my peppermint oil to it. :-)

I Voted!!

2008-11-04T09:58:00.006-06:00

I voted at around 8:45 this morning. I waited in line about 15 minutes because, in Milwaukee, polling places are EVERYWHERE, specifically to avoid huge lines.

Smart Milwaukee. Very smart. :-)

Anyway... I took pictures...

Before voting

Let's get a close-up of that awesome shirt I'm wearing...

At the polls...
I was number 222

My ballot, it was official.

My ballot, it was for Milwaukee

My vote, it was for Obama

Oops! That was supposed to be a secret!

I got a sticker!!

And I am wearing it!

I wish I had taken pictures of:

The other people/things I voted for/on

Me putting my ballot into the machine

People inside the polling place

Oh well. C'est la vie, right? The important thing is, I voted! And you should too if you haven't already!

Today is the Election!!

2008-11-04T08:11:00.001-06:00

I have a giant blender full of cute and fluffy baby animals. For every person that votes, one baby animal shall be removed before the "liquify" button is pushed.

Please, 18(+)-year-old Americans who haven't already voted, think of the baby animals before you decide to be an asshat loser, sitting on your ass doing nothing today.

Fun Halloween Quotes ...Sort of...

2008-10-27T20:24:00.000-05:00

Candi: Did you make it home alive?
Me: No. A vampire got me.
Candi: Oh... Sarah you are not invited into my house.
Me: Really? You don't want eternal life? Cuz we're certainly not getting it through Jesus!

:-D

Fatworld.org

2008-10-24T20:21:00.003-05:00

OK, you guys want to know what I learn about in my Public Health Nutrition and Food Politics class?

Well, aside from reading every Michael Pollan article ever, we also find interesting and creative educational tools.

Like this website:
http://fatworld.org/

This game is awesome! Well, as awesome as a video game about food politics can be. But, it's kind of like the Sims. You get to make up your own little character and guide them through life. When you're making your little person, you get to pick what they look like, how much they weigh, what their predisposition is to diseases like diabetes and food allergies and heart disease.

If your person is like a tiny 60-year-old lady, and you try to make her walk really fast everywhere, she will slow down, start to pant, and then say she is too tired and refuse to move at all. Or maybe she'll just over-exert herself and have a stroke! This game is crazy!

You get to see how everything surrounding food is related. Like socioeconomic status and obesity. Budgets and subsidies and regulations... they are all connected to what you eat everyday!

So this game lets you set subsidies and taxes on foods. You can raise the price of, like, potato chips and lower the taxes on apples and see how that affects people's spending on food, how doing something that seems like a good idea affects farmers, the agriculture industry, the neighborhood's economy, etc.

You also get to bribe politicians!

http://fatworld.org/

Check it out. :-)

Also, here is the most horrible "prevent childhood obesity" PSA ever. Too bad no one will ever air it, because it'd probably be really effective.

A Phone Call...

2008-10-24T14:43:00.001-05:00

::ring ring::
Me: Hello?
Phone person (PP): Hi, is Sarah there?
Me: This is her.
PP: Hi Sarah. I'm calling to tell you about the yes to marriage act.
Me: Oh, ok.
PP: Sarah, The wording of Proposition 102 is pretty straightforward. It defines marriage between one man and one woman.
Me: Uh huh.
PP: Sarah, is this something you would be willing to vote yes on?
Me: Absolutely not.
PP: ::silence::
Me: ::silence::
PP: ::silence::
Me: Hello?
PP: Ma'am have a nice day.
Me: You too!
PP: ::click::

Aside from shocking her into silence with my radical views, I also lost the priveledge of being addressed by my name. Did you notice?

Also, I just kind of assumed I'd be able to vote no on this proposition. Alas, this is an Arizona proposition. I haven't been registered to vote there since... January? Nice.

ATTENTION ARIZONA VOTERS: Vote NO on going against every citizen's constitutional rights. Vote NO on Proposition 102.

Jon Frosch I made this for you...

2008-10-23T23:11:00.001-05:00

MS Paint, how I love thee... :-)

Boobies!!

2008-10-21T09:26:00.001-05:00

Originally posted here.

The Ad Council. Have you heard of them? I'm sure you have. Smokey the Bear works for them to prevent forest fighters. Though now retired, Rosie the Riveter supported women in war jobs. And I'm sure we've all seen McGruff the Crime Dog take a bite out of crime!

If you've ever watched a public service announcement (PSA), chances are it was paid for by the Ad Council.

A few years ago, the Ad Council set aside a large portion of their budget to take up the noble cause of breastfeeding awareness. The pictures you see above were part of the original campaign, headed by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Attention-grabbing and informative, health officials everywhere were excited to launch these ads!

However, lurking in dark alleyways were people who didn't approve.

The Infant Formula Industry sent in their lobbyists.

The Ad Council's budget is $35 million per year. Sound like a lot? It's not. That 35 million is the Ad Council's entire operating budget for the year. That is all the money they are allotted for everything they do. Let’s put some perspective on this. In 2005, McDonald's spent $1.5 billion on global marketing. That's not their operating budget. That's just what they spend on marketing their products around the world—in these United States, they spent $765 million. That's why McDonald's commercials are better than, oh... the good nutrition ads. Have you seen those ads? They're stupid. I digress.. Anyway, Nestle, a major distributor of infant formula, spent $561 dollars on marketing in these United States in 2005.

People with money have power. Formula companies, who are mostly divisions of major pharmaceutical companies (who donate lots of campaign money), have money; the Ad Council does not.

Back to the lobbyists. The formula industry, for unknown reasons, didn't like the idea of women seeing a link between bottle-feeding and diabetes. What did they do? They hired Clayton Yeutter, former Republican Party Chairman, to talk to Tommy Thompson, the then Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (remember, they were in charge of the Breastfeeding campaign). After a few meetings and letters, the Breastfeeding Awareness Campaign went from nipples on inhalers to:

Cute, huh? Not what the Department of Health and Human Services had in mind. Especially after they made the original ads after hiring professional ad agencies who told them positive messages weren't going to work. They needed the shocking images if they wanted to have a positive change. And they were right. During that campaign, despite the changes made, formula industries increased their own marketing budgets. After launching this campaign, the number of women breastfeeding didn't increase. It didn't even stay the same. It went down. Which means formula sales went up.

The formula industry didn't stop this campaign, but they changed it enough to make them happy. So happy that their lobbyist wrote Mr. Tommy Thompson a letter or two expressing his extreme gratitude for taking their interests into consideration.

Political interference much? It’s being investigated because of Richard Carmona's testimony that the Bush administration repeatedly allowed political considerations to interfere with his efforts to promote public health. Remember Richard Carmona? He was the surgeon general who was not reappointed. Because he didn't base his agenda on The White House's agenda. He didn't like the idea of suppressing things like reports on global health and prison health just because they were politically sensitive topics, and the Bush Administration didn't like his inability to be influenced.

And that is pretty much the story of how the Formula Industry successfully annihilated the breastfeeding campaign. You can read more about it here That article even links to the letters of gratitude written to Tommy Thompson.

Big industries are everywhere. They are in your Food Pyramid. They are in your Dietary Guidelines. They are in your medications and your health care and your school lunch programs and your education. And now, they are in your newborn's only source of nutrition. You think your government works for you? They don't. They work for the people who have the most control over them.

The people working for you send recommendations to the government. The government holds meetings to discuss the recommendations before publishing. Major industries send their people into these meetings. Words like "eat less red meat" are changed to "choose foods low in saturated fat" in your dietary guidelines because the Agriculture Industry has a lot of money and doesn't want people to know that eating a lot of cattle is bad for them. Things affecting you get changed and you never even know because you never see the original ideas. And major industries like it that way.

Steal the control from major industries! Vote for congress representatives who will represent you and your community! Write to officials and get others to write as well! Be your own lobbyist!

My other Boobies!! post can be found here.

Friends, Chicago, and the Milwaukee Public Museum

2008-10-20T13:23:00.005-05:00

Now that 2 out of 3 major papers for the semester are done, I feel that I can post more things guilt-free. :-)

Recently, Kristin and Matt came to visit from Arizona! Not to visit me (they were here for a wedding), but we still managed to have fun. And I made my first visit to Chicago (because my airport layover 4 years ago doesn't count).

Even more recent than that, I visited the Milwaukee Public Museum, where they have a room full of butterflies!! The museum has other neat things too, but my camera didn't manage to make an appearance for those. ;-)

So... onto pictures!! :-) Lots and lots of pictures...

Hanging out at my house with everyone, Matt looks over at Paul and says, "Hey Paul... go stand by the wall really quick." Paul asks, "Why?" Matt replies, "Just do it!." So Paul goes and stands by my living room wall. And then I laugh and grab my camera...

Weird...

Right... onto Kristin, Matt, and my adventures in Chicago!

Chicago has beaches...

Chicago has boats...

Some are made out of wood...

Chicago has skyline...

And Kristin does cartwheels...

Chicago has police...

Chicago has statues...

And Chicago has Pirates!!

But, most importantly, Chicago has Portillo's!!

There was also a huge and delicious beef sandwich, but I scarfed it down before I thought to take a picture...

Other Chicago pics...

And just a really good one of Kristin in my dining room, wearing my hat...

OK... onto the Milwaukee Public Museum's Butterfly exhibit!

That last one is the butterfly coming out of the cocoon! :-)

The museum also has a candy shop, where I managed to get some political pez dispensers! :-P

The end... for now... ;-)