Home Cough & Cold Remedies by Tara

This was originally posted to my friend Lori's Facebook wall. She then posted it as a note. This is an edited and updated version of that note:
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Here's a list of cold remedies from simple ones (if the sneezing hasn't started yet), to pretty radical cures for more advanced colds, coughs, wheezing or laryngitis.

1) If you feel that first tickle in the back of your throat, don't be lazy!! Get up and immediately gargle with some salt water (I have seen measurements ranging from 1/8 tsp up to one whole tsp of salt dissolved in a cup of water, as hot as you can take - the greater the concentration of salt, the more it will burn, but consequently the better it will work)…if you live near the ocean, gargle with ocean water, that's even better, provided the ocean is clean where you live.

2) Here's another good one for when you feel that first tickle in the back of your throat, but you REALLY CAN'T AFFORD TO GET A COLD RIGHT NOW…This is a pretty radical cure , but it REALLY DOES WORK
a) Get a cup with a long spout (a small teapot, or you can buy a "nose buddy" at a yoga store).
b) Mix up a batch of salt water (I have seen measurements ranging from 1/8 tsp up to one whole tsp of salt in a cup of water, as hot as you can take - the greater the concentration of salt, the more it will burn, but consequently the better it will work) - you might want to dissolve the salt in hot water, and then let it cool to lukewarm.
b) Close off one nostril with one finger, and tilt your head so you are able to "pour" the salt water up your other nostril. Inhale the salt water, but be sure to close off your throat so you DO NOT SWALLOW IT!! Open the closed nostril, and exhale it through that one...so it's going in one nostril, and out the other....Switch sides. And repeat....It's nasty, but it WILL work, but only at the very beginning stages of a cold...

3) Here's another cure that works really well, if you are having trouble sleeping because of troublesome coughing, or wheezing.
a) Get a vaporizer (under $20 at most pharmacies).
b) Buy some Eucalyptus, Peppermint or Spearmint Oil (any health food store should have one of them).
c) Fill it half full with water...the first time add some non-iodized salt to the water.
d) Put a drop or two of the aromatic oil in the little indentation on top.
e) Close the doors and windows to your bedroom, to keep all the steamy moisture in the room.
f) Plug it in, and sleep with it on...you will feel it clearing out your nose and throat while you sleep.
WARNING: The moisture might make papers curl, or tape come off your walls!

4. Another thing you can do to clear a froggy throat is crush up a handful of fresh mint leaves, while bringing some water to a boil. Once boiled, turn the water off, and sprinkle the crushed mint leaves on top (most health food stores sell fresh herbs). Stir with a wooden spoon. While the mint water is still very hot, take a big towel, and place it over your head, while inhaling the tea, so that you and the tea are in your own little world under the towel. Inhale deeply, and it will clear the sinuses nicely. If you don't have Fresh Mint, you can use tea bags of Mint Tea instead.

5. Another good way to clear a froggy throat, or laryngitis is to make this concoction:
a) Juice of one lemon
b) Mix in 1/8 tsp cayenne
c) Add 1-2 T honey (or to taste)
d) Mix into a cup of extremely hot water, as hot as you can take over it, and drink…it clears and coats the throat and gets your immune system going, too...you can even crush up some garlic into it, too...as long as nobody cares how your breath smells, of course!!

6. And for laryngitis - this one really works well, and it's yummy, too! Everything does something in this cure.
a) Grate one apple into a bowl.
b) Add the juice of one lemon.
c) Add 1 TBSP of Honey.
d) Stir it well.
e) Add a handful of raisins.
f) Add a handful of chopped walnuts
g) Add 1 TBSP of Wheat Germ (Make sure it's fresh, as it will go rancid over time).
h) Stir well again.

Eat this for breakfast or as a snack in between meals. It's actually pretty tasty, but I usually lose interest about 3/4 of the way through…you'll know when you've eaten enough.

7. Now, if your cold is more advanced, and has settled into your chest, this is the most radical cure I know of…and you don't want to do this unless you are really, really miserable, because it is difficult, and can be really unpleasant if not done exactly correctly…

Please Follow the Instructions Carefully, because if you mess up, it can be pretty painful.

a) You want to do this right before going to sleep, when you are completely ready to lay down, and don't plan to get up again, as you don't want to walk on your feet once you've done this.
b) Bring the following things to your bedside, so they will be there in the morning: A big dishpan size tub of water, filled about half full, and a bath towel. Place the tub on the floor by your bedside.
c) You will also need a pair of socks, some wet and some dry paper towels, and some Cayenne Pepper powder.
d) You are going to put Cayenne Pepper, very carefully, on all the "tougher parts" of your feet - basically, the ball and the heel of the foot. Moisten only those areas, and sprinkle the cayenne pepper on them, smooth it out with your hand, and then wipe your hand down with the wet and dry paper towels (cayenne can be a serious skin irritant)..
e) Carefully put on the socks, so as not to loosen any of the caked on Cayenne Pepper. Go to sleep.
f) You will feel the heat traveling up your legs, from your feet, towards your head, as you sleep. Your congestion should be greatly improved upon arising.

IMPORTANT: YOU DO NOT WANT TO WALK ON YOUR FEET WHILE YOU STILL HAVE CAYENNE PEPPER ON THEM.

g) Before getting out of bed, and walking anywhere, you want to MAKE SURE to rinse your feet in the tub of water and dry them off. You do NOT want to walk on the cayenne pepper, because it will burn.

IMPORTANT CAUTIONS:
i) Do not let even one grain of cayenne pepper get between your toes, or on your instep - it will burn like mad.
ii) Make sure not to walk on your feet while the Cayenne is still on them.
iii) If you have sensitive skin, you might want to have two tubs of standing water, and do a double rinse before walking around.

I know it's radical, but it really does work wonders!!
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Well, that's all I can think of right now….I'll append this post if I think of some others.

Hope some of that helped….your feedback is welcome.

: )

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P.S. Here's some great reference pages with more cold remedies:

a) Home Remedies using salt water.

Or try it with a few drops of Eucalyptus Oil as described in the Yoga Journal.

Or read about some more remedies, including some homeopathic ones from eatrundoyoga.com.

Is "Faith" a viable option?

(This was originally posted in a thread on my Facebook page, that got a lot of comments. It was discussing whether it might be time to enlist God's help, and whether Group Prayer might help the situation in the Gulf, here's a link to that thread: http://bit.ly/groupprayer)

I was raised by atheists. Angry atheists. I remember when I was in 5th grade, and they added "under God" to the pledge. It was a big, big deal at the time. I would mouth the words, so I wouldn't get caught by my teacher, but not say them out loud, in solidarity with my parents.

I never thought much about whether God existed until my teenage years, which were filled with angst. The first time I every prayed was when I found myself arrested for vagrancy, while trying to hitchhike to California with my 16 yr old boyfriend. We had gotten a ride with a trucker, who started putting his hand up my leg, while my boyfriend slept...this was after the trucker had had us wait in the truck, while he took a short detour at a whore house (he had originally picked us up because my boyfriend had long hair, and he thought we were 2 girls)...I woke my boyfriend up, and got the trucker to let us out at a bus station in Columbus, Ohio. We planned to wait until daylight to get back out on the road.

It was the middle of the night, and cops came 'round ever few hours, to make sure there weren't any homeless vagrants, and after seeing us there for so long, asked for our ID. We were arrested because we only had $15 between us, and well, let's be honest, we were hippies, before there were hippies (we were "bohemians")..and they took us in.

We had several nickel-bags of weed...this was in 1964...the cops in Ohio didn't know what it was (there were no buds back in those days)…I told them we had been hitchhiking for a while, and had colllected "soil" from the different states (the weed was all powder)…they didn't believe me - they weren't sure what it was, but they were pretty sure it wasn't soil (props to me for my creativity, though). I prayed to God for the first time, but, needless to say, God didn't help me. My parents were called, I was released into their custody, with the promise that I would be institutionalized by June 15th...I was in and out of the mental institution by June 15th, because I wasn't "crazy", I was just a pothead….but I will leave the story of my time in the crazy house for another day…

My first real experience with "God" came when I was at a LSD party a few years later. I had a friend who was very funny, but got people to laugh by making fun of other people. This guy, Dutch, had been on a roll, getting everyone in the room to laugh...then he suddenly turned to me, and (I'll never forget), said, "What are you laughing at? You look like a pig with an apple in its mouth."...everyone laughed...but me. I wanted to die (remember I was tripping on acid at the time)...I went out in the back yard, all the way in the corner, as far away as I could get from anyone else, and started weeping (I was a little overweight, but nobody would have called me fat, so it wasn't that - but I'm not very pretty)...suddenly a thought formed in my head....

"Next time I'll choose a prettier body."

Next time? Next time? Next time?

So began my spiritual journey. I began to read books about reincarnation, and started exploring what was out there. A year or two later I had an enlightenment experience, while on a mescaline trip…after which it all became clear. I "saw the clear light", and everything about life made sense to me.

Shortly after this, I gave up psychedelics. That was the experience I had been looking for. I surmised that my experience had opened a door into a whole other realm for me, and that although I had had this experience, now I wanted to be in that state all the time. I began practicing Yoga, and meditating, and became a more introspective person.

I have had no experience that has shaken my beliefs since that time. I KNOW from personal experience that there is a God…but "religion" is another whole ballgame. I am violently against anybody laying down the rules for anyone else. I despise organized religion. I think it is a "fiddle" for the priests, who take people's money, while making promises that they do not have the authority to keep. I think confession is a bunch of bull shit. Nobody can forgive you for your sins but God and yourself. No middle man is needed, or should be used. It's a travesty. If people get comfort from religion, they're bullshitting themselves. That how I see it.

Life does not come with an instruction manual. Nobody really can tell what's right for anyone else...and nobody has come back to tell us what happens after we die. Pretty much it's a guessing game...but I do know what I experienced with my own eyes, and that's the only experience I will ever trust…one that I had myself.

I feel sorry for anyone who has never actually had a life-changing religious experience and is running strictly on the "faith", which they learned from their parents. Better to have a real experience...Faith is not nearly as airtight as an actual experience, in my opinion.

I still think that "Faith" has a fairy tale quality to it, and if that's the most you have, you might want to do what you can to have an actual, life-validating experience, so you will KNOW, instead of merely having faith...

Just my opinion....

Are Obama and BP REALLY doing "everything they can"?

I think Obama (and the government) were initially really slow on the uptake. I just wish he had been responsive immediately after the disaster, I mean, like immediately. He did not make a statement, visit the Gulf, or even weigh in for far too long. He should have issued an immediate statement, and been fully engaged from Day One.

Did he learn nothing from Bush's PR catastrophe that was Hurricane Katrina? I don't understand his reticence to get involved. Plus he gave the righties ammunition by doing a whole bunch of things that weren't related to the Gulf disaster, or foreign policy, and could easily be painted as partisan or selfish acts. I'm often surprised at how much more clever the blogosphere is than Obama's advisors, who seem to get things so far wrong, so very often.

I saw a commentator the other day saying that in Australia, when they had a similar disaster, they had back up people there within minutes, 100s of helicopters, boats on the surface, workers, everything needed to deal with it immediately...

Our country's response was a disgrace. I was disgusted to learn that BP shipped 300 workers in, for a single day, to the beach where President Obama was going to visit, so that it would appear that BP had it together, and were involved with a sincere and serious clean-up effort. In fact, the workers did not even put in a full day…they left shortly after Obama did.

What is really disturbing about that fact is that BP KNOWS what responsibility looks like. They KNOW what they SHOULD be doing, and they choose not to. This is maddening to me. Why is it acceptable behavior for corporate executives to be heartless, environmentally irresponsible, and only looking out for their company's bottom line? In the corporate world, greed and deviousness are accepted, in fact, revered behaviors. Don't these people have a little Jiminy Crickett inside their heads, too? How can they allow themselves to behave so heedlessly, selfishly, badly??

BP may be the only one that can stop the leak, but the government should have had people there, on the spot, immediately, whether BP liked it or not. This blaming BP for nobody else being able to get close to it, has been way too convenient, and makes me question why the govt would want to do that, instead of just getting in there and dealing with all the many facets of it, as quickly as possible…

Anyone who wanted to should have been able to help, in some capacity, from the very beginning. People have good ideas, want to volunteer, have boats they could volunteer, but are having difficulty getting anything implemented, or even being able to reach anyone with any kind of ability to pass their ideas on to the decision-makers.

Willing volunteers & scientists have been rebuffed, even though they got phone numbers to call, as when they called them they could not get through to a human, and just got an answering machine, requesting a call-back number, but then nobody ever called them back…

That's B.S. Why would they want to do that?

I hear that the people that make the oil dispersant are making a killing, though…and their stock rose 18% when it was announced that BP had chosen this highly toxic chemical, produced by Nalco, that is banned in Europe, and was one of the most toxic choices, and not recommended by the EPA. In fact, when the government ORDERED BP to stop using Nalco's product, and to choose a more environmentally-friendly dispersant, BP flat out refused…and there was nothing (allegedly) our government could (or would) do about it.

If you dig a little deeper you will find that NALCO is associated with Warren Buffett, Maurice Strong, Al Gore, Soros, Apollo, Blackstone, Goldman Sachs, Hathaway Berkshire. These facts (with footnotes, source materials and extensive documentation) were brought to light in the recently published post by Joann Mor, "Bombshell Exposé: The real reason the oil still flows into the Gulf of Mexico", a most disturbing read.

And why wasn't a commission set up right there, right away, immediately, with phone numbers to call, places to make donations (why is there no public effort, either in our country or around the world, to help out the people in the Gulf)?

BP has not been forthcoming, or generous, I'm sure those folks could stand some extra help…money might be hard to dole out, but how about foodstuffs…everyone has to eat…and some basic household items that everyone always keeps in stock, and periodically needs to restock, like sponges, paper towels, toilet paper, Band-Aids, various over-the-counter pharmaceuticals like sunscreen, aspirin, you know, those kinds of things. I'm sure supplying those items would help… any little expense, that they don't have to make themselves, would have to lessen their strain.

The Govt could organize a movement to get the big corporations that make that sort of stuff, to donate their goods to help out the people in the Gulf who are not getting all their needs met by BP. There's been no public constant broadcasting of numbers to call, or ways to help out until recently, and I don't see the government (i.e. Obama) doing all that it can to get help to those that need it.

Also, those big corporations could be making a good name for themselves by donating things that are needed for the clean-up efforts - Dawn detergent for the birds, gloves, boots, slickers, masks, those kinds of items. If we keep waiting around for BP to do something, the situation will only worsen. The sooner we can nip this, the better.

However, not only can volunteers not find out where they can go to clean up the beaches, Public Beaches are actually being patrolled by private cops, hired by BP, chasing the public OFF their beaches, so there will be no evidence of the havoc this is causing. That is ridiculous.

Also, there could have been a massive effort on the part of the govt to get burms built everywhere, so that no oil EVER washed up on any state's beaches. If the Govt could spend (ie borrow from China) vast quantities of money that we don't actually have, to bail out big banks, we should also be able to borrow money to keep the oil off our coasts.

There are also people with machines already built that skim the ocean, and separate the oil from the water, and others with machines that are like curtains, and way taller than the barriers that BP has intermittently provided, that are already built, and "waiting for approval" from the govt - which could take 6 months, because first the Govt will have to do a study, and a cost analysis...I mean, it could take a month just to assign a project manager!

I think Obama could have been way more engaged when it comes to the top side of the ocean...he couldn't do much about the underwater situation (even a superman like him can't get down to 5000 ft below!!)...but he could have help speed up permitting processes, created a bureau to handle volunteers & scientific submission ideas and machinery suggestions, and assigned many, many more people to work on the beaches, and with the Coast Guard...I mean, there are fishermen out there with boats who need work, but they have been unable to connect with whomever is coordinating the hiring for this mess.

Who decides how many workers and what equipment gets dispatched, and to where? That person should lose their job. It's a disheveled mess, in my opinion, and it's all due to faulty management, on the parts of many people, both in the Govt and the private sector.

There are many ready & willing people whose talents and strengths are not being utilized for this effort. This should be treated like what it is, a National Emergency, and we need to implement an "All Hands on Deck" response as soon as possible, and demand that BP just not be allowed to continue in the same vein, and NO, we will not accept this polluting dispersant, goddammit, you spend the money & buy the RIGHT dispersant…and NO, we're not gonna sit by and watch as BP does a lame, half-hearted attempt at keeping the oil off the beaches, and an even lamer clean-up attempt, where it has already reached the beaches.

BP is good at a few things: Spending useless money on ads to build up their public image, hiring endless lobbyists to buy off Congress members, lying to the public about the extent of the damage and velocity of the leak, dodging paying the meager $69 million bill the Govt assessed them (while spending $50 mill in advertising, and billions in dividends checks to its stockholders), refusing to go on any News Talks Shows and answering any questions, hiring private agents with uniformed security guards to act as pretend cops and scare the Public off Public beaches, so no photos of the damage will surface.

Don't get me started on listing what BP is bad at...

Looking back over the past few years, I have to say that IMO Obama got just what he wanted (or what his overlords wanted) in both the do-nothing health care bill (which doesn't even kick in until 2014, and ended up just forcing people who can't afford health care to have to buy it), and the financial non-reform bill. Both of these bills were skillfully crafted by career politicians who make the bulk of their salaries from the Lobbyists, not the American people. They are bought by the lobbyists and corporations…so they have to make it look like the "fought really hard" for stuff, but there was always another senator that would vote down any good suggestion…they count on each other to vote the good stuff out of every bill…because that's what they've been ordered to do.

When Obama was running against Clinton & Edwards, way back in the beginning of the campaign, I happened to be watching Morning Joe (this was before I stopped watching him a few months later), and I must admit, that on that day, Joe did actually enlighten me, when he said that the media would choose Obama, because they liked his "story" best, and they wanted to cover it more than either the Clintons or Edwards (this was when everyone inside the beltway knew about the Edwards affair, but nobody was mentioning it)…Joe also said that Washington, and the "powers-that-be" would be "just fine" with Obama…he did not threaten the modus operandi at all…and that he was a clever man, good at misleading the public into thinking he was not part of the Washington machine, but in actuality, all the big corporations would not suffer at all if Obama was elected, and they'd be thrilled if he were elected.

In hindsight, they have gotten a better deal from him, than the lefties have received. I do not like most of Obama's appointees, or Supreme Court choices. I do not like that he kept ANY of Bush's people in power. I do not like that the administration has no intention of going after the Bush/Cheney regime for any of their massive list of crimes. I do not like how long it is taking to get out of Iraq. I do not like his escalating the pointless war in Afghanistan. I do not like the secret drone war in Pakistan. I do not like his stance on DADT, or DOMA, and I think he is playing everyone, trying not to offend anyone, in hopes of getting reelected, and he has lost touch with the ideals that are natural for any leftie to embrace. He has been a disappointment on many levels.

I campaigned tirelessly for Obama. I donated 100s of buttons, to various groups who had fund-raising events for him. I went to many calling parties. I called voters from my home. I sent tons of emails…I was REALLY into wanting to believe that things would be different if he was elected. I felt a level of elation on Election Night that I can only compare to being at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, or at the anti-war rallies in 2003. I hadn't felt "HOPE" like that in close to 40 years…so it pains me greatly to say this.

I am tired of pretending that President Obama is the same man as Candidate Obama. He ain't. I'm fed up. Is it time to march?

(This was originally a post about Obama, and BP, and whether they have really been "doing all they could" in the Gulf disaster. After examining all the facts, I would have to conclude, "NO", they haven't. It's time to step up. Let's see a bit more Candidate Obama, and a lot less Corporate Obama, thanks.)

Wondering how to help? Here's 10 Ways...

This is a reprint of an article, by Beth Buczynski I found on Care2. PLEASE SHARE this info freely - we need to spread the word on ways that we can help, and also, what is actually happening down there that the media is not telling us about.

It's been over seven weeks, and residents of the Gulf Coast are struggling to survive as crude oil washes up on their beaches, killing birds and marine life, and filling the air with toxic fumes.

Reports of media blackouts, and less-than-accurate estimates about spill size and impact continue; just listen to this interview with documentary film maker James Fox:



Even if you can't physically make it to the Gulf to lend a hand, here are 10 important ways you can make a difference to those who are on the ground fighting to keep up with this tragedy:

1. Boycott BP

Yes, this catastrophe could have happened to any petroleum company, but no matter which corporation is ultimately at fault, consumers MUST communicate their disapproval with the most powerful weapon they have: their pocketbooks. BP brands to avoid include Castrol, Arco, Aral, am/pm, Amoco, Wild Bean Cafe, and Safeway gas. For more news on the boycott already in progress, visit the Boycott BP page on Facebook.

2. Tell the Government, "Enough is enough!"

The only way to help prevent future disasters it to let our politicians know that off-shore oil drilling is dangerous, and we want it to stop. Sign the Care2 petition telling President Obama to reconsider his plan to expand offshore drilling and invest in clean energy resources instead. It's always powerful to contact your representatives directly, too. Help Oceana reach its goal to gather 500,000 names on a petition to stop offshore drilling permanently.

3. Shave Your Head

Ok, maybe just trimming off a few inches is enough. Matter of Trust, an ecological charity based in San Francisco, has a hair mat, oil-spill program that uses human hair to produce super-absorbent mats that can be used to clean up messes including oil spills (pet hair works too!).

Since putting out the call for hair to help soak up the BP oil spill, Matter of Trust has collected 400,000 pounds of hair and sent it to addresses along the Gulf Coast, but more is always needed.

4. Purchase Dawn Dishwashing Detergent

If you remember the tragic 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989 you likely remember that the chemical composition of Dawn detergent makes it perfect for animal rescue. Purchasing a bottle or two of Dawn dishwashing liquid at your local grocery store gives you two ways to help: a) you can enter the bottle's activation code at Dawn-Dish.com triggering a $1 donation to wildlife conservation efforts from the Marine Mammal Center and the International Bird Rescue Research Center, and b) you can donate your bottle of Dawn directly to the Gulf clean-up efforts through the Facebook page Help Us Help the Gulf Wildlife.

5. Donate Essential Supplies For Volunteers

Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, which was a significant workforce in the disastrous Tampa Bay 1993 oil spill and has experienced avian care professionals on-staff desperately needs donations of kennels, towels, gas gift cards, paper towels, and bottled water to assist their avian hospital in treating and rehabilitating wildlife that has been affected by the oil spill.

6. Support Those Saving The Wildlife

The National Wildlife Federation has set up mobile giving services to support their work in the Gulf Coast. Donors can send a text message with the code "WILDLIFE" to 20222 to automatically give a $10 donation to help wildlife affected by the oil spill.

The International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) lets you support the 16 members of their Oil Spill Response Team, as well as other non-profit organizations working in the region, by "donating, becoming a member or adopting a bird."

7. Become A Hero

Sign up with The National Audubon Society to get trained and volunteer to help local birds.

Register through OilSpillVolunteers.com to volunteer or join a cleanup organization.

Volunteer with Global Green, an organization that plans to spend the coming months working to protect injured wildlife and lobbying Congress to enforce tougher regulations on the oil and coal industries.

8. Save A Fisherman

The mission of the Gulf Relief Foundation is to provide relief to the fishing community of the Gulf Coast and their families, and to address the long-term challenge of restoring and protecting America's coastal wetlands.

Text "GULFAID 10" to 27138 to donate $10 to Gulf Aid. Replace "10" with the number of US dollars (no $ sign) you'd like to pledge, donate as little or as much as you like. You can also visit Faux Pas Prints for the latest official GulfAid.org merchandise. Portions of the proceeds go to the Gulf Relief Foundation.

9. Join Hands

Begun in Florida, Hands Across the Sand is an international movement concerned with protection of our coastal economies, oceans, marine wildlife, fishing industry and coastal military missions. Cities all across the world are pledging to stage peaceful demonstrations on June 26th during which thousands of people will join hands to convey a simple, yet powerful message: NO to Offshore Oil Drilling, YES to Clean Energy. Learn more about how to organize or join an event in your area.

10. Get Connected and Inspired

Join the Facebook group 1 Million Strong Against Offshore Drilling. Check out the action page for more suggestions of how to lend your voice to the anti-drilling movement.

Find full Care2 Coverage of the Spill here.

Like this story? Please follow me...and/or the original author: Beth on Twitter or Stumble!

BP's draggin' their wagon...wonder why?

I have come to the sad conclusion that BP has paid off Thad Allen and a whole lot of people in the government so that they will keep refusing to try solutions that the public is offering, and will take their sweet time in cleaning up the oil, in hopes of less gallons being collected, and less fines for BP to pay...let's not forget even Obama is on the dole...BP donated close to $1 million to his campaign...10x what he earns as President...

Politicians are excellent at making it look like they're really working hard at something, and somehow, in the end, all their work comes down to not managing to do very much to help the American people at all (HCR, Financial Reform...now this)...

Just sayin'...

Might as well laugh about it....

Upset about the B P mess, too? This should perk you right up...

Upright Citizens Brigade finds a way to laugh at it all...



as seen on The Rachel Maddow Show ~ 6/10/10

Carly Fiorina - don't go there...

I just had to make a comment about Carly Fiorina being unwittingly caught on an open mic, insulting (of all things) Barbara Boxer's hair...

1) Carly, you really don't want to go there - insulting a person's looks? It does, however, show other racists, that you most likely are a racist bigot, too. If you stoop to insulting a person's hair...you most likely have feelings about a person's skin color, too.

2) EXCUSE ME? Carly, you Flathead...you really think your hair is in a position to take on Boxer's? Get a grip, your hair looks greased and plastered (unflatteringly - is that a word?) to your extremely tiny, and empty pinhead! I didn't want to sink to the level of insulting someone for their looks, like you did, Carly...but really, you brought it on yourself...and it was just too easy....If you are running for office, you need to remember that if you mess with the bull, you get the horns...

3) To the "pundits" that consider this newsworthy - I thank you for even bringing it up, as it makes Carly look bad, and Barbara (one of my heroes) look good, as she is being abused by her Republican opponent, however, how about some coverage on where they stand on the issues, rather than more of that same old b.s. that is called "reporting the political news" these days? Can't we stick to the important issues at hand, rather than going straight to sensationalistic mud-slinging?

4) More substance, less glitz, please.

BP Boycott vs Receivership what'll get the job done?

I've been thinking about the outcome of a BP boycott, & I'm not sure it would be the right action, because, if we boycott BP, then they may go bankrupt, and/or might claim that they no longer have the money to completely pay everyone off.

Alternately, however, if we demand that BP go into Receivership, then the profits will go towards fixing the mess in the Gulf, & everyone will WANT to buy gas at the NEW BP, & be happy for the opportunity to help to pay for the spill.

I mean, would you trust this man?

I don't follow baseball, but...

even I heard about this ridiculous fiasco!

We all saw the footage, the guy was out!! Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig won't overturn it, because WHY?

Okay, here's what I heard - it's all about this opening up a can of worms...not this game, but other games from the past would be contested, and it could become a nightmare, if they overturn one, they might have to go back and look at a lot of other bad calls made over the years. Where would it end?

Nobody disputes that the guy was out. Even Jim Joyce, the umpire, admitted that he made a bad call! Selig had 24 hours to reverse it, but it doesn't look likely.

Baseball needs to get with the program, take a leap into the 21st century...baseball needs instant replays. For sure. The old timers insist, "We've always done it this way…we don't need those new fangled devices…what worked in 1960, still works today…", but the truth is, there were many bad calls back then, when they didn't have the luxury of instant replay…but now we do, people. Why continue to live in the Dark Ages, when there are electric lights?

It's like insisting that coffee is just as good as espresso! Or typewriters are just as good as computers.

They're not.

Come on, Bud, give Galarraga the Perfect Game!!

(is there a Facebook Group about this yet?)

Gores no More?

Hmm...could that uncomfortable kiss, all those years ago, have been the Gores doing their best at faking real affection?

Or, maybe, they got as uncomfortable as the rest of us, with the footage of their totally off the wall & over-the-top smooch, and were finally big enough to admit that it was all for show?

Or, my actual hunch is that there's a third party involved...although it's hard to picture which one of those two would have been able to find a willing extra-marital partner.

Or am I not even allowed to voice that opinion?

Don't Mess With Textbooks

Okay, we can't let this go down. Texas has voted to change what is taught in textbooks, eliminating references to "The Age of Enlightenment" and Thomas Jefferson, and replacing them with the teachings of Thomas Aquinas and Creationism. They also plan to add discussions of the validity of separation of Church & State.

If the Texans were just going to be printing textbooks with omitted facts & false information so they could teach the schoolchildren of Texas a false version of history, that would be one thing, but many, many states buy their textbooks from Texas, and these Texan textbooks will effect large parts of the nation, if We, the People, don't step in and insist that they be boycotted.

Citizens will need to mobilize, to band together with other people in local communities, and research the names & contact information of the bursars on the local School Board who control the purse-strings for School Budgets, and let them know that this is unacceptable. It would be good to publicize the contact information for these Bursars, including the Names, Mailing Addresses (not Street Addresses), Phone Numbers, and Email Addresses of the Bursars, in each district's local papers, so all citizens have easy access to the information.

Letters to the Editor of your local paper are also an excellent idea. Include the address and email of the Texas Board that is making these decisions, and encourage everyone you know who might care about this issue to get involved.

Here's how to contact them:
Barbara Cargill (R)
61 W. Wedgemere Circle
The Woodlands, TX 77381
(281) 465-8095
sboesupport@tea.state.tx.us

Write to them, email them, call them and let them know that we do not support their version of history.

And there's also a Facebook Page you can Join called, "Boycott Texas Until They Correct Their Textbooks".

Here's the email that I sent to the Texas Board (I was going to start it "Dear Texas", but I'm not feeling very "endeared" towards Texas, at the moment):

SUBJECT: I am boycotting Texas, and all things that come from Texas

To Whom It May Concern ~

I will not visit your state, nor support anyone or buy anything that comes from your state, until you correct the Textbooks & put the facts that you've omitted back in, where they belong.


How dare you impose your religious beliefs on innocent schoolchildren, in a country that purports to believe in separation of Church & State? To remove that information from your future textbooks is extremely UNPATRIOTIC & UNAMERICAN. We, as Americans, believe in and stand for the ideals that you have so callously eliminated from future textbooks...the ideals that inspire our citizens to acts of greatness, selflessness, and patriotism.

We insist that you take these falsehoods, & one-sided ideologies out of your textbooks, or you can expect a massive campaign to be mounted against this move, and encouraging every single text book buyer in every single school district in every single state in our entire nation to buy their textbooks elsewhere, from companies that do not distort the truth for their own political and religious agendas.



There will be huge negative financial repercussions, & you will lose more & more contracts, if you continue down this misguided path.

Sincerely,

Tara Thralls

A Lover of Truth, & the Ideals of Democracy,
especially The Separation of Church & State