Photo courtesy of Declan Mccullagh

“Land of the free and home of the brave!’ ‘Come to America where you too can live the American dream!’….’that is if your government will step aside and allow you Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness.’

I decided in honor of our great nation….god that sounds so canned…oh well…I decided to share with you a section of ’The Declaration of Independence’, a so-called radical document of its time. 

‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.’

Let’s break it down:

It states that ‘all men are created equal’ – Yes, but let’s leave out penis size and intelligence, and then we can say ‘all men are created equal’. (chuckle:)  But the more important question to ask is, ‘Are they treated equally’? We all know the answer to that one. Need I say more?

Okay next:  We are endowed by our Creator ‘with certain unalienable rights’ - meaning, rights that are absolute, non-negotiable, ones natural rights. Hmm…sounds good…looks good on paper, but let’s look at those rights: ‘Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness’. ‘Life’: Okay, we are living, breathing human beings…but it is also the right to grow and live…you know, no one should harm another person by taking their life from them, aka: ‘Don’t kill another.’ Unfortunately this happens every day.  ‘Liberty’: FREEDOM!! – George Michael sang it best. But seriously, it gives us the power to choose. And not in the sense of being unrestrained but more in the sense of being able to choose different possibilities. And the last natural right: ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’ – Meaning, go for it – your dreams, what ever…BUT, in the process, make sure that you don’t harm anyone or violate their natural rights in the process. This is where ‘do unto others…’ might come in handy.

Next….’That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, (We won’t even bring up the lack of women here) deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.’ – That’s us – we are the governed ones.  We are giving them, the government, power through our permission; to protect our rights from threat. Enough said. Clear? 

‘That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.’: Basically if the government is treating us unfairly and denying us our rights: ‘Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness’, then it is not protecting our rights.  When all is said and done, if the government is not protecting our rights then they can be replaced. Uh..can we replace them NOW!

So..Readers: These are my thoughts. Maybe you feel differently – share. How do you think our government is holding up these days? Blog me.

Oh…and let me just say…I’m not down on our forefathers…not at all. I’ll use Anonz’s words, ’cause they’re good ones, and say that, ‘The Declaration of Independence’ was an idea that felt good. I genuinely feel that it was written with good intentions. It’s just too bad that as time went on the good intentions got lost somewhere between selfishness and greed, and in the forms of racism and sexism to name a few.

Do I sound like I am ending this on a downer note?  I don’t think I am being untruthful…but it is the 4th if July, Independence Day.  It is a celebratory time!  The United States is still the best country to live in. And don’t get me wrong…I am so grateful for all that I have and most of all for all of the choices and possibilities available to me.  We may be ignorant at times but we are blissful! (tee hee hee:)

To my loyal International readers:  How do you celebrate your country? Share with us – Blog me. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Dearest Madaline:  How is it that you can contact Anonz and not have ANY communica with moi?  Or is it because he’s a man and you’re trying to get your thrills? Remember he’s just like a puppy even with the added ‘two’….or have you persuaded Tal to succumb to a wish? Ha ha! Maybe.  Sorry Anonz to make you the butt of the joke, but I couldn’t resist. Just funnin’ with maddie at your expense. You have proven you are much more than just a handsome face. Speaking of…how is the face?  And the added two?  You don’t have to answer that :) Stop me now please…(I just can’t get dick off my mind today!:) 

Anyway…back to maddie…

I have been emailing you and trying to talk to you for days on my blog – Are the lines down? I think not. Frankly, it is BS that you and the girls have taken a leave, let me remind you, an unauthorized one. Po’d that I haven’t unleashed you and the girls? Or just too busy…but too busy to show face? Too busy to entertain us with your bitch badinage and enlighten us with your worldly knowledge? Am I sounding a bit sarcastic here? – excuusse me. I don’t mean to be…

As much as I love livin’ in the good ‘ol US of A, I am so ready to get out of here – You? 

~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy Independence Day everyone!-Go out and celebrate-have one on me :) …I’m certainly gonna have a few!  Be safe and be kind.

Luv & Peace…and always…

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle  ?

For archives dated before January 17, 2008  click on my Blogroll:  

or click here: “A Day in the life of…” 

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

The title got ya huh? 

Fooled you. We are gonna talk about nuts but that is about as far as I’m gonna go…up to you to use your creative mind if you choose. :)

I am a peanut butter nut; nothing out of the jar, thank you. I like mine freshly ground from Whole foods.  However, there  are a few brands that I like straight from the jar but skippy & Jif are not one of them. So when I got a little email didley from a company ‘Spread’ who specializes in nut butters mixed with all sorts of things, I just had to check them out.

If I like a product I have no problem blogging it and ‘spreading’ the word.  However, the same goes for products that I feel are ripping off the general public.  And this is one of them…

I went to their website and perused the different flavors.  I did notice the price but what I didn’t notice was how much one got for that price.  Never do they once mention how big the jars are – now I know why. These little jars and I stress the word ‘little’, some only holding 4 servings worth, a serving being 2 tablespoons, is a whopping $10.50! You do the math.  For that price, they better be good for something else – a facial, or an eatable lubricant perhaps? Ha! Ha! – Okay, I lied. I took it a wee bit farther – couldn’t resist. 

Ahem…Back to the nuts…Well…once again, let me tell you marketing is everything. They call themselves ‘Style Peanut Spreads’, and ‘Trend Almond Spreads’, a ‘Nouveau Comfort Food’…yeah, for the nouveau riche – the only ones who could afford it let alone even consider buying it at that price. They claim, ‘The celebs drooled over these at the 2007 Emmy awards!’ It was the ‘must have’ hollywood gift over the holidays. Oh well, in that case, I’m convinced.  I must get myself some since NOW they are available to us regular folks for the first time.  Blah, blah ,blah, no thank you. 

Years ago I developed my own soy nut butter that my friends drooled over…they weren’t celebs but they all tried to convince me to go into business with my delicious concoctions.  I had some pretty tasty little flavors too….Hmmm, did I miss my calling?  Nah…I think I’ll spread my own and call it a day. Yum.   

Spreadin’ yours?  Have a delicious time!

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle  ?

For archives dated before January 17, 2008  click on my Blogroll:  

or click here: “A Day in the life of…” 

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008

“ Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox“

The title got ya huh? 

Fooled you. We are gonna talk about nuts but that is about as far as I’m gonna go…up to you to use your creative mind if you choose. :)

I am a peanut butter nut; nothing out of the jar, thank you. I like mine freshly ground from Whole foods.  However, there  are a few brands that I like straight from the jar but skippy & Jif are not one of them. So when I got a little email didley from a company ‘Spread’ who specializes in nut butters mixed with all sorts of things, I just had to check them out.

If I like a product I have no problem blogging it and ‘spreading’ the word.  However, the same goes for products that I feel are ripping off the general public.  And this is one of them…

I went to their website and perused the different flavors.  I did notice the price but what I didn’t notice was how much one got for that price.  Never do they once mention how big the jars are – now I know why. These little jars and I stress the word ‘little’, some only holding 4 servings worth, a serving being 2 tablespoons, is a whopping $10.50! You do the math.  For that price, they better be good for something else – a facial, or an eatable lubricant perhaps? Ha! Ha! – Okay, I lied. I took it a wee bit farther – couldn’t resist. 

Ahem…Back to the nuts…Well…once again, let me tell you marketing is everything. They call themselves ‘Style Peanut Spreads’, and ‘Trend Almond Spreads’, a ‘Nouveau Comfort Food’…yeah, for the nouveau riche – the only ones who could afford it let alone even consider buying it at that price. They claim, ‘The celebs drooled over these at the 2007 Emmy awards!’ It was the ‘must have’ hollywood gift over the holidays. Oh well, in that case, I’m convinced.  I must get myself some since NOW they are available to us regular folks for the first time.  Blah, blah ,blah, no thank you. 

Years ago I developed my own soy nut butter that my friends drooled over…they weren’t celebs but they all tried to convince me to go into business with my delicious concoctions.  I had some pretty tasty little flavors too….Hmmm, did I miss my calling?  Nah…I think I’ll spread my own and call it a day. Yum.   

Spreadin’ yours?  Have a delicious time!

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle  ?

For archives dated before January 17, 2008  click on my Blogroll:  

or click here: “A Day in the life of…” 

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008

“ Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox“

 www.time.com/time/specials/ 2007/environment/a...

It is that time of year again when nuptials are in the works.  Whether is is your first, second, or ‘who’s counting?’ wedding ceremony, how about doing it the modern way and going green? Yes, eco-friendly can apply here too. 

The Invitations:  Saving trees doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice style.  ‘Earthly Affair‘, takes our earth into account.  They print on FSC- certified cotton or 100% post-consumer paper.  So you know those 250+ invites aren’t going to be responsible for cutting down one tree in honor of your day – now that is cool.  They offer a wonderful selection of fonts, colors, and design choices, and you can do everything on-line.  

Conflict-free Diamonds:  Let your ring sparkle brilliantly – no blood diamonds here.  You can wear it with a smile knowing that the gold is recycled and the stones are conflict-free.  Dawes Design will create the perfect ring for your wedding or any other occasion. 

Round two:  Sloppy seconds these are not! Encore Bridal or Bell’ancora offer once-worn wedding dresses from all of your favorite designers at a discount price, saving you money and saving the environment too. 

Bridesmaid bliss:  Tired of those hideous dresses in even more hideous colors? It is modern and chic to have your maids looking  lovely too. Adorn them in outfits that are not only flattering but sustainable too.   Earth & Sky  has what you are looking for.  And to complete the outfit: leather shoes are overrated, go for  vegan shoes from Té Casan.

Register Reality: And if you are truly going green for your big day then how about for life? Registering with a sustainable company too is a must for all of those new items for your home.   Check out these eco-friendly sites that offer items that are stylish and chic too: Branch and Global Table   are two of my favorites and if you are ever in need to find other products, suppliers etc., Greenopia: The Urban Dwellers Guide to Green Living, is a fabulous site to bookmark.

There you have it!  

Happy nuptials whatever number you are celebrating!

?????

Al:  I have been so wrapped up in my own stuff….I too wanted to say I am sorry about your mother passing so early…But I have to say, I agree…what a beautiful gift to be able to give to her. I would turn it into a positive and celebrate your birthday even more so knowing that she was released from her body…she gave life to you on that day and you gave it back in the freedom of formlessness.  I just have a feeling that she would want you to be happy on that day.  Just my little two cents.

ZL:  B had the deer antlers too – she despised them! :)

See you all tomorrow…

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle  ?

For archives dated before January 17, 2008  click on my Blogroll:  

or click here: “A Day in the life of…” 

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008

Oh, I am happy it’s Friday!                                                        

Hmmm… No major subject today…just a few Friday tidbits that I wanted to share to get your weekend going in a safe and pleasurable way…  

It has been brought to my attention that there is a looming virus out there ready to strike and if you are like me, a heads-up on anything that might mess up my computer is at the top of my list.  Have you hear of ”POSTCARD’ ?  Yep, a new virus substantiated by Snopes, so you can warn all of your friends. It is real! So feel free to pass this along. Be alert for it today and the next coming days. Check out Snopes for all of the alias names that it may be sent under. 

Here’s the gist on it: 

Do not open any message with an attachment entitled ‘POSTCARD’, regardless of who sent it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which ‘burns’ the whole hard disc C of your computer.

This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list. This is the reason why you need to send this e-mail to all your contacts It is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it.

If you receive a mail called’ POSTCARD,’ even though sent to you by a friend, do not open it! Shut down your computer immediately.

This is the worst virus announced by CNN. It has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever. This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information is kept.

Oh and by the way…speaking of hard drives….I just got one of those portable external hard drives…not the USB Cruzer mini 1.0 GB…got one of those too – great for snapping up quick info….No this is a portable WD passport – 250GB – got it at Costco and I back-up my comp once a week. I highly recommend something like this. Great for traveling too.  Don’t want to carry your laptop? Just download this on anyone’s computer and it is like you are working on your own. Cool eh?

Le’ts see…what else? Oh yeah…Are you a wino?  I mean that in a good way. Maybe I should ask,  “Are you a wine lover, or maybe a wine connoisseur? Or at least you’d like to be?”  I have the perfect little didley for you. It’s called ‘Nirvino’ — I just love that name – says it all huh? Anyway, this is a new web-based mobile community of vinophiles that puts supreme wine wisdom right in the palm of your hand. That is if you’re one of those who has an iphone or some other PDA to download it to. I am not one of those but hey I still like the product and one can always sign up on-line – it’s easy and free. 

Here’s the gist on this:

The site’s omniscient rating system aggregates opinions, wine blog scores, and print reviews into a quantity of stars (five being the highest) for each wine in its database. The user-friendly format with brief descriptions helps you create a perfect pairing.

In a pinch at dinner for an albariño to drink with your tapas? Enter the restaurant’s contenders into the Nirvino mobile application on your handheld and it will expertly suggest the ideal vintage.

Monthly events for local members, sommeliers, chefs, and winemakers to share love of the vine will bring you one step closer to wine utopia.

Now this is a site Doug would love ’cause he is really into wine.  And I know ZL would too. How about you? Me? I love wine but I’m not a big drinker. However, it would be fun to use this when I’m racking my brain for a dinner party.  Could come in handy this weekend….

That’s it for today – Have a fab Friday folks! 

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle ?

For archives dated before January 17, 2008  click on my Blogroll:  

or click here: “A Day in the life of…” 

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008