Laugh Your Ass Off Saturday
Posted by Michelle Moquin on June 30th, 2012
Good morning!
Think Obama is happy about the SCOTUS ruling? You’ve got to see this to experience just how happy he is. This is priceless!
Readers: Don’t ya love it? I bet Michelle’s thinking, “Lay those moves on me baby!” I know I would be. And if you watched a little bit further (3:09), there was a nod to our alien friends as well.
Nicole: Yes, because if people really did think about others and their struggles to pay their medial bills, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
Scott: I missed it – How was it?
Robert, rt: I wanted to say more yesterday but I had no access to my blog either. And when I did I was @ Peet’s on my playbook. I was about to post when I saw your comment, so I tried to add more to my write, which was almost impossible.
I wanted to add that whatever it was that you did to stand up and defend yourself, I just have to say that I wish that there weren’t any reason for one to have to defend themselves these days. But we all know that racism is alive and prevalent. And from what we read here, you are not one to just sit back and take it. It is one thing that I admire about you.
I understand we may not see much of you here anymore. Know that whatever you are able to contribute will be appreciated – know that you are a reason many tune in, including me, to read your insightful comments and illuminating truths. I HOPE that you are safe and well – I’m sending you my best. I am sure your friend thinks nothing less of you, understands, and wishes you the same and more.
Kelly: I believe that you are so right. When people are against it, it is “Obamacare”, but one it gets widely accepted and people are grateful that we have it, they will in no way want to give him credit. Sick but true.
Vincent: I am delighted that you have come to your senses. Now…time to work on the family putting aside their bigoted beliefs and get on the “Obamaboard”.
Happy Saturday Everyone!
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)
Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:
Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129
Thank you for your loyal support!
All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012
“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream
" 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"
June 30th, 2012 at 10:58 am
A Victory for the American People
June 29, 2012
A Victory for the American People
In passing health reform, we made history for our nation and progress for the American people. We completed the unfinished business of our society and strengthened the character of our country.
We ensured health care would be a right for all, not a privilege for the few. Yesterday, the Supreme Court affirmed our progress and protected that right, securing a future of health and economic security for the middle class and for every American.
The Affordable Care Act is already protecting millions of Americans – and the best is yet to come:
Children can no longer be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
Seniors are paying less for prescription drugs.
Students and young adults can stay on their parents’ plans.
Congresswoman Pelosi celebrates the Supreme Court’s health care decision which ensures that Americans will benefit from critical patient protections, lower costs for the middle class, more coverage for families and greater accountability for the insurance industry.
Investing in America’s Future
For months, Democrats have called on our Republican colleagues to bring to the floor a bipartisan transportation bill that creates jobs and bipartisan legislation that would prevent an interest rate hike for more than 7 million students.
More than 100 days ago, our colleagues in the Senate passed a bipartisan, long-term job-creating transportation bill to rebuild America but Republicans in the House refused to take it up. Finally, today we passed the bill we should have passed months ago.
The bill creates or saves more than two million jobs and prevents student loan interest rates from doubling; saving more than $475 million in additional repayment costs for California students for the coming school year.
My Democratic colleagues and I will continue to work to create jobs, rebuild our crumbling roads and bridges, and keep college affordable.
Fighting for Global Equality
Equality is a core value of American history; it is our heritage and our hope. On Saturday, I was honored to deliver remarks at a ‘Friends of the Pink Triangle’ ceremony commemorating the LGBT victims of the Holocaust.
On that day, we came together to remember and reflect on the horrors of the Holocaust; to recognize how far we have come and to acknowledge how much we have left to do on the march to equality and respect.
Around the world, members of LGBT communities may not be marked by a pink triangle anymore, yet their lives are still marked by violence and prejudice of the worst kind.
That is why we must make it a priority to put an end to laws criminalizing an entire group’s sexual orientation and increase access to HIV/AIDS treatment and care abroad.
We must work to advance understanding, educate others about the past, and act to prevent atrocities in the future.
Please feel free to forward this information to your family and friends. To learn more about these efforts, to express your views, or to sign up for email updates, please visit my website. I am also on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NancyPelosi.
best regards,
Member of Congress
June 30th, 2012 at 11:00 am
Michelle, it was a real eye opener. How can anyone view that and not believe we have visitors from other planets right here, right now.
All It needed was a by-line from Howie.
Scott
June 30th, 2012 at 11:11 am
Hafa adai, Michelle Guam is already feeling the benefits of the passage of Obamacare. Our monopoly run health insurance company, NetCare is now having to drop their off island limits to coverage for Guamanians that get sick off the island, and they can no longer just raise premiums whenever they want to mostly to force off people who have been paying for decades but once they reach the age where the need coverage they are forced out by increased premium demands so they have no coverage.
====================
Guam health insurance company NetCare yesterday issued a statement saying it had hoped the Supreme Court would overturn the law, but will continue moving forward in ensuring compliance with the law.
NetCare expects insurance costs to rise as the provisions go into effect, said Jerry Crisostomo, plan administrator at the company.
NetCare already implemented some of the changes the health care act mandates, before the law was passed in 2010, he said.
For example, the insurance plan covered preventative care and allowed young adults to stay on family plans to the age of 25. Pre-existing conditions were not considered for people under the age of 19.
Annual limit
One major change for NetCare will be the gradual elimination of annual pay limits, Crisostomo said.
Before health care reform, the insurance company would pay up to $200,000 annually for off-island care. The lifetime limit for coverage within Guam was $1 million, he said. But by 2014, the company no longer will be able to place a limit on its coverage.
==================
They are still trying to employ scare tactics to make people feel that the new law is not a good thing. But I know when it actually begins to show the huge benefits it has preventing the arbitrary interference of insurance companies between the patients and their doctors, the people will no longer be fooled.
Peter
June 30th, 2012 at 11:46 am
You Don’t Need Pills to Get Your ZZZZs
Potatoes, Bananas, Pumpkin Seeds—Even Cheesecake—Can Do the Trick
Even though most people would rather avoid taking sleeping pills, insomnia can be so unnerving that many sufferers will do almost anything to get some sleep.
But now there’s even more to worry about than the pills’ possible side effects, such as headache, nausea and diarrhea.
Startling new research:
In a study of more than 34,000 men and women, regular use of prescription sleeping pills was linked to a more than fourfold increase in death and a 35% increased cancer risk over a two-and-a-half-year period.
Fortunately, there is a safer and better way to get a good night’s sleep—it can be as simple as eating the right foods at the right time.
SLEEP-PROMOTING FOODS
Certain foods contain compounds that interact with your body’s natural chemistry to trigger the sleep process or to help maintain it.
Include in your meals…
Tryptophan.
Found in turkey, this essential amino acid is widely believed to be responsible for the sleep-inducing spell that overcomes people after feasting on the big bird at Thanksgiving.
The postprandial drowsiness is, in fact, more likely due to carbohydrate-rich foods served with the meal.
However, a diet that includes plenty of tryptophan-rich foods will help you feel less anxious and more relaxed, which can help promote sleep.
Tryptophan acts as a building block for the sleep hormone melatonin and the calming neurotransmitter serotonin.
Surprisingly, chicken and beef have about the same amount of tryptophan as turkey. Other sources include most animal protein and dairy products, such as milk and yogurt. Dates, peanuts and tofu also are good sources. What foods contain the most tryptophan per gram?
Spinach, shellfish and egg whites.
Complex carbohydrates. When you eat complex carbohydrates, the body releases insulin, which not only metabolizes sugar but also removes amino acids that compete with tryptophan. This process allows more sleep-promoting serotonin and melatonin to enter the brain.
Complex carbohydrates include whole-grain bread, whole-grain pasta, beans, peas and brown rice.
Don’t make this mistake:
Eating a heavy, fatty meal within four hours of bedtime—the body must work hard to digest a heavy meal, so your attempts to sleep will be disrupted.
HERBS AND SPICES
Though scientists are not sure why, the spices garlic, nutmeg and turmeric have been shown to promote sleep—and so have the herbs dill, parsley and sage.
Consider cooking with these spices and herbs whenever you can. Drinking herbal tea with nutmeg a few hours before bedtime is also a good sleep promoter.
VITAMINS AND MINERALS
The vitamins and minerals essential to getting restful sleep every night include…
B vitamins, such as B-3 (niacin), B-6, B-12 and folic acid, which regulate the body’s use of tryptophan and other types of amino acids. Vitamin B–rich foods include: Broccoli, potatoes and whole grains.
Vitamin D acts as a sleep-promoting hormone in the body.
The body produces vitamin D in response to exposure to sunlight. Getting 15 minutes of sunlight a day is important for adequate vitamin D—and for sleep.
Foods that contain vitamin D include:
Herring, salmon, tuna and vitamin D–fortified milk and cereals.
Calcium, which aids the brain in using tryptophan to produce serotonin.
Calcium-rich foods include:
Dairy products, leafy green vegetables and salmon and sardines canned with their soft bones.
Magnesium, which calms nerves and relaxes muscles to help promote quality sleep.
Magnesium-rich foods include:
Avocados, bananas, halibut, pineapple, almonds and tofu.
Zinc. A deficiency of zinc is associated with insomnia, so it helps to include foods with an abundance of this mineral in your diet.
Zinc-rich foods include:
Calf’s liver, oysters and other shellfish, wheat germ and pumpkin seeds.
My advice:
Most people can get an adequate amount of these sleep-regulating vitamins and minerals by eating a balanced diet of whole, nonprocessed foods.
Taking a multivitamin/mineral supplement that has these vitamins and minerals also helps ensure that you are getting enough of the nutrients.
BEST BEDTIME SNACKS
It is best to stop eating three to four hours before bed so that the sleep process does not have to compete with the digestion process.
However, if you had only a small dinner or ate early, don’t go to bed hungry. This elevates levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which will keep you awake.
The best bedtime snack has a small amount of protein plus some complex carbohydrates. It should have no more than 200 calories and be eaten at least one hour before bed so digestion doesn’t interfere with sleep.
Good bedtime snacks:
Yogurt with banana slices, almonds and granola…a small helping of warm oatmeal with milk and banana slices…or, my personal favorite, a slice of cheesecake (this tasty treat’s carbs do the trick for me—just make sure it’s a small slice!).
Don’t make this mistake:
Drinking alcohol to help you sleep. Alcohol should be avoided within three hours of bedtime.
Drinking it right before going to bed reduces the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is the time your brain organizes and stores memories.
BETTER SLEEP…LOSE WEIGHT
If you’re trying to lose weight, you must get a good night’s sleep. A recent study published in Annals of Internal Medicine found that dieters who spent only five-and-a-half hours sleeping each night lost 55% less fat compared with those who slept for eight-and-a-half hours a night.
The dieters who slept less had higher levels of ghrelin, a hormone that promotes hunger.
Source: Michael Breus, PhD, a Scottsdale, Arizona–based clinical psychologist who is board-certified in clinical sleep disorders.
He appears regularly on national television shows, including The Doctors and The Dr. Oz Show, and is a coauthor, with Debra F. Bruce, PhD, of The Sleep Doctor’s Diet Plan: Lose Weight Through Better Sleep (Rodale). http://www.TheSleepDoctor.com
June 30th, 2012 at 11:52 am
Zen Lill, thank you for your well wishes.
June 30th, 2012 at 11:56 am
I am reporting a very sad statistic about Guam and the way we treat our children.
===================
Guam – The national statistics are alarming: more than five children die every day as a result of child abuse and most of those children are under the age of 4. “For Guam, I believe that sexual abuse comes third in ranking from physical abuse to physical neglect to sexual abuse,” said Lydia Tenorio, administrator for Child Protective Services.
Even more frightening, the statistics indicate that most all juvenile sexual abuse victims know their perpetrator in some way. “I think that the community needs to know that it’s no longer who you don’t know but who you do know,” she said.
Here on Guam we’ve seen this first hand, for example recently a former Untalan Middle School basketball coach pleaded guilty to sexually molesting a teenager for ten years. The abuse started when the victim was 7. Two JFK coaches were arrested in recent weeks accused of having sex with their students while on campus, another teacher at Untalan Middle School was recently indicted by a Superior Court grand jury on charges of 2nd degree criminal sexual conduct and child abuse.
“I think it’s sad that you have people in authority and control over children who take advantage of this and I think that education and awareness that while we tend to say don’t talk to strangers and avoid strangers, but the reality is unfortunately are the caregivers those who actually have some type of responsibility over the children,” she said.
Tenorio adds the recent conviction of former long time Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky should awaken the nation’s conscience. Sandusky was convicted of sexually assaulting close to one dozen boys over a 15-year period. His arrest led to the firing of Penn State hall of fame coach Joe Paterno and the university’s president for failing to report the abuse to proper authorities.
“I think that the national case now in the Sandusky case that had just occurred. Hopefully that will raise even more awareness and prevention. It’s sad because it’s likely that a lot of victimization has likely been going on so I think it’s encouraging for the victims who have yet to come out or who may be victims at this time, to say that there is justice to the system.”
“They’re also now relooking and rethinking about the definition of a mandatory reporting person, because as we know, folks within or at least its alleged within that institution had known about it and never really reported it and so there are those mandatory laws and definitions that probably need to be a little more updated,” she said.
Tenorio who has been at the forefront of the battle to protect and keep our island’s children safe says the cycle of abuse has to stop, unfortunately if it goes unreported it will likely continue. “And we have to remember that the children are the helpless ones and that part of the dynamics with children who are victimized is that they get victimized over and over again and it’s at a certain age when they find the courage to come out after it’s happened so many times,” she said.
In the meantime, Tenorio says her office is here to help and willing to host workshops for groups and organizations to promote awareness and prevention. And for those of you at home watching or listening on the radio that might be scared to come forward.
She said, “I just encourage those that are victims to report to Child Protective Services. If you don’t want to go through any type of formal system law enforcement or report to some adult you can trust that you know will help you in this process, and one way or another we’ll be there as a department to help.”
The number for Child Protective Services is 475-2672 or 2653.
=======================
Guam, we can and we need to do better by our children. Please report any suspicions of child abuse to the proper authorities, The number for Child Protective Services is 475-2672 or 2653.
Hafa Adai
Anna
June 30th, 2012 at 12:02 pm
Michelle, as usual, you have sized up the situation precisely and with your usual logical calm offered some cogent advice.
It is fondly received and very much appreciated.
Robert,rt
June 30th, 2012 at 5:54 pm
Robert,rt
I believe I speak for many when I say you will be missed. Truly, I hope your silence doesn’t excite the bigots here. Your perspective was always enlightening and I liked to believe, eye-opening for the many white people here who read your words.
Take care of yourself, and good luck.
/SB
July 1st, 2012 at 11:33 am
Hafa adai, Anna.
I just want to remind Guam that Abuse of the elderly is, sadly, a very common occurrence, both across the nation and here in Guam, despite the Chamorro culture’s emphasis on respect for our manamko’.
According to Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of Health and Human Services, “an estimated one in 10 older Americans experiences some kind of abuse.” In Guam, there are more than 200 cases of elderly abuse every year, according to the Department of Public Health’s Adult Protective Services.
And this abuse comes in many different forms. Some senior citizens endure physical abuse, others are bullied or face some other form of mental or emotional abuse. Sometimes, the abuse is in the form of neglect, and some are financially exploited. Too often, abuse comes at the hands of their loved ones.
Many of these seniors are too proud or ashamed to report abuse, or don’t want to get their family members in trouble. From a community standpoint, many often don’t recognize the signs of elder abuse, or think it’s not their business.
These kinds of attitudes need to change, and that can only happen by increasing awareness among seniors and the community at large. We need stronger outreach efforts at senior citizen centers and in the villages. Posters with contact numbers of agencies and organizations that can help should be put up at every senior center and mayor’s office.
The federal government is working to “coordinate previously disconnected elder abuse initiatives across the federal government and determine what further actions are necessary to better protect our senior citizens,” Sebelius recently wrote in a column for USA TODAY. Here in Guam, we must try to do the same.
In the Chamorro culture, our manamko’ are supposed to be respected, cherished, taken care of and honored. They have endured and given so much over the course of their lives.
If we are to live up to this ideal, we must do much more to prevent abuse of the elderly. Our manamko’ deserve no less.
Lea