This ‘N That Chitchat
Posted by Michelle Moquin on February 6th, 2010
Good morning….I am writing extremely late so who knows when I’ll post. It happens. Blame it on the GNO last night at The Starlight Room. It’s been awhile, actually too long, since I’ve gone out with the girls, so it was much needed, and so much fun. What went on in your world last night?
Anyway, while I am tapping the keyboard, unless, a topic sweeps my mind that I am dying to write about, all you’re going to get from me this morning, is a few hellos and responses.
Juanita: I am still laughing at your list from the other day. Last night with the girls the calculator wasn’t pulled out but we certainly weren’t tossing twenties on the table either. besides the other ‘truths, the friendship among men/women was priceless.
Wilma: Thanks for you article on prostate cancer. I found it very interesting. I am also very grateful that we are able to purchase, grassfed beef straight from the cow, so to speak knowing that it is high in Omega-3. I hope the guys out there read your post. And FYI: You don’t have to be rolling in the big bucks to purchase good meat. In my opinion, eating less meat and better quality ie: Organic and/or grassfed, is better for you and the environment. Thanks too Shawn for your input.
Al: I’m laughing…not sure why but keep it coming. You know you have an audience waiting for more. On and by the way, send pics of those teenage times :)
Grace: Thank you for your kind, supportive words. Nice to hear from the other side, not to mention the better half :) And Grace it goes without saying that you take a little credit for Glen being a good man. There’s probably not a woman out there with a good man that doesn’t deserve some of the credit, if not more.
And I have to say, I agree with you too, in regards to the ‘advances by married men and those toward married men.’ I don’t go there. Never will. I know…’never say never’. But that is one area, where the word ‘never’ feels totally comfortable. I don’t care if the man’s woman is a raging lunatic, she’s a woman, a sister, and I just don’t do that. Plus I’m married, so hey, what more is there to say?
But back to you, I am delighted that you have your sculpted man – another credit goes to you for inspiring him to take care of himself. And I’m happy that you’re going to add a few back on to please your man. The benefits for both of you, will be worth the extra pounds, I’m sure. Oh…the delight and fun you’ll both be having eating your way back to a bod that both of you can appreciate. And then Glen will be dying to get back to the beach and have you crawling all over him – Enjoy each other – I hope last night was beginning of a new beginning. I just love your story – thanks for writing in and sharing.
Anna: Were you out dancing on a GNO too? Do you love to go out and dance as much as I do?
Mike: Your entries are not going unnoticed. I hope that my readers are tuning in too.
Changez: I am glad that I could help. I know you were in the best hands possible for your escape out of Pakistan. I am also aware of Faatin’s arrival in Guam – she will be taken care of there as well.
Jameela – 2: I can not help but respond to your write to Faatin. When I read about your personal life and the lives of so many women…and then the story that you posted, I can feel the anger arise in me. I too want a dull blade…I too have an imagination…I too want slow deaths for those that can so easily dish it out, but we know will cry for mercy when soil is choked down their gasping throats. Be strong Jameela – your time will come.
Readers: That’s all I’ve got today. You have more to say? Blog me.
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.
Peace out.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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February 6th, 2010 at 11:11 am
Hafa Adai
Damn you girls get up early or go to bed way too late. I enjoy catching up on the latest news from Guam. I know there are many of us like that there on the mainland too because I was one of you until I had to return to look after my grandmother.
I picked this up while googling Guam and the Super Bowl.
Couric has Super Bowl Q&A with Obama
Posted: Feb 04, 2010 9:50 PM
Updated: Feb 04, 2010 9:50 PM
by Jason Salas
Guam – If you’ve got a question you’d like to ask President Barack Obama, our friends at CBS are leveraging interactive media during the world’s biggest sporting event, as network anchorwoman Katie Couric will be conducting an interactive Q&A session with President Barack Obama during the Super Bowl 44 pre-game show from Miami, Florida on Monday, Guam time.
If you have a question for the president, we’ll help you get it to her. Just go to our homepage, and look for Katie’s widget, and post a question for the commander-in-chief, then tune into Super Bowl 44 live on KUAM-TV11 to see if your questions make the cut.
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I can’t wait to return to San Jose, CA. But until then I will look forward to visiting my relatives on Guam. I’m coming guys.
Bernado
February 6th, 2010 at 11:14 am
Tax Help for Parents of Kids Who Move Back Home
Edward Mendlowitz, CPA
WithumSmith+Brown
t troubles me when I meet with clients whose plans for a comfortable retirement are suddenly derailed by the arrival of an unexpected dependent — an adult “boomerang child.” Usually it’s my clients’ own kid, but it could be a grown grandchild or even a niece or nephew.
These clients may have expected to give major support to a parent one day, but a grown child, never. Then, voila, the son or daughter returns and/or asks for significant financial assistance — even a place to live. (And often a car!)
The family dynamics of these situations are not something I deal with other than to be a sympathetic listener. But I also point out areas of tax savings that will lighten the financial burden. Some of the ways…
Claim the child as a dependent on your tax return. To do this, you must provide more than half of the child’s support for the year and his/her income must be less than $3,650.
Hire the child to work in your business (if you have one). Wages that you pay will be taxed at the child’s lower tax rate, and you can deduct them at the business’s higher rate.
If you’re thinking of selling stocks that have gained value to generate cash to help the child, instead give him the stock. The grown child can then sell it and pay capital gains tax at his low tax rate, saving the family money overall.
If your child is starting a business, take ownership in it yourself. To the extent that you provide funds to the child, you may be able to deduct a portion of any initial losses that the business incurs.
If you pay tuition or health-care expenses for the child, make the payments directly to the schools or health-care providers to keep the payments from being classified as taxable gifts.
Note: Gifts totaling more than $13,000 per recipient per year ($26,000 if made jointly with a consenting spouse) are considered taxable gifts to the donor. You must file a gift tax return — Form 709, United States Gift (and Generation-Skipping) Tax Return — for these.
Bottom Line/Wealth interviewed Edward Mendlowitz, CPA, partner in the CPA firm WithumSmith+Brown, New Brunswick, New Jersey, ranked among the top 35 accounting firms in the US by the industry’s leading publications. He has more than 40 years of public accounting experience and is author of 16 books, including The Adviser’s Guide to Family Business Succession Planning (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants).
February 6th, 2010 at 11:22 am
Michelle, let me play Howie for a minute and ask why you didn’t mention my name? What you don’t like my ditties?
Ok, try this one:
Aging:
Eventually you will reach a point
when you stop lying about your age
and start bragging about it.
February 6th, 2010 at 11:23 am
My boyfriend is heading to Mindanao. They are supposed to be going there to support the US military that is training Filipino soldiers to combat terrorism. But he said that he will be doing something else. He has been hitting at ” contact of the third kind” whatever that means. I know that he is hinting that he might get to meet an alien.
He is in the Guam National Guard. I don’t believe that a member of the Guam National Guard would be chosen to deal with aliens from outer space. But a friend asked me about it. She said she read it on this blog.
That’s all I know. He and about 30 others will be going.
Hafa adai
Na
February 6th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
Michelle,
That video speaks for it’s self, a walrus caught giving himself a blowjob, he did look somewhat embarassed. Like, you caught me, now leave me alone and don’t watch. He did not have anyplace to hide or a door to close, still he wasn’t stopping. “I am the Walrus” coocoocachoo……..
Michelle, I don’t know where find some of this stuff. But I split my gut laughing at that one;), and sorry, but no photos. I did not have a waterproof camera and you know how shy I can be. See ya!!!!
Bob, why do you need to be an asshole and fuck with Howie still? Can’t you tell when enough is enough? Guess not.
Doug,
I checked who narrated my version of “the Intention Experiment”.
Was Alisa Fox, Thank you Alisa, you have a great voice.
I haven’t had time to listen to it yet, looking for an opportunity when I can really get into it undisturbed.
Al
February 7th, 2010 at 7:38 am
A BALLOON UP YOUR NOSE
You may have heard about a new procedure that helps clear the nasal passages of people who suffer from chronic sinusitis — it’s called Balloon Sinuplasty. Recently approved by the FDA, the procedure uses a tiny balloon to open blocked sinus passages, much as angioplasty uses balloons to open blocked blood vessels.
But don’t be so quick to sign up — some otolaryngologists (ear, nose and throat specialists) have expressed concern that their patients may believe there’s more evidence-based research behind this treatment than there is. In fact, as yet, it’s not clear whether it works long term or even if it is really safe.
Sinuplasty is being marketed as a less invasive alternative to traditional sinus surgery. Acclarent, the private company in Menlo Park, California, that makes the device used in Sinuplasty, cites more than a dozen studies showing short-term benefits — for instance, one trial documents sinus improvements in 65 patients for two years.
Yet it is important to note that when Sinuplasty reached the marketplace in 2006, it did so under somewhat lax FDA policies that regulate medical devices. That is, Acclarent did not need to prove that Sinuplasty was safe and effective in and of itself — only that the device was roughly equivalent in safety and effectiveness to similar devices that had already received FDA approval.
Called “grandfathering,” this practice is now being scrutinized and may in fact be changed… but that’s not protecting anyone in the meantime. (For more on the medical device safety problems, see Daily Health News, October 22, 2009.)
WHAT WE DON’T KNOW
I spoke with Greg E. Davis, MD, MPH, assistant professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at University of Washington in Seattle, who told me the evidence is insufficient, in his view, that Sinuplasty is effective over the long-term. He also said there’s a possibility that the treatment could cause harm.
Sinuplasty works by creating micro-fractures in the bony openings of the sinuses in order to make the openings larger. Small fragments of bone that have the potential to lead to further blockage of the sinuses may be left behind.
Another issue is that medical indications for Balloon Sinuplasty haven’t been clearly established, so there is no agreed-upon set of circumstances defining when it should and should not be used.
Hospitals are already promoting Balloon Sinuplasty as being the best treatment to address minor sinus problems — but without more research, we really don’t know that for sure. It is also important to be aware that Sinuplasty is more expensive than traditional sinus surgery, and your health insurer may or may not cover it.
FURTHER EVIDENCE IS NEEDED
At present, Dr. Davis says it is best to view this as one more surgical approach to treating blocked sinuses, recognizing that high-quality clinical research is needed to determine whether it fulfills its promise and has lasting benefits.
If you’re considering it, be aware that the verdict isn’t yet in — and don’t forget to check whether your doctor has enough experience using the device and to learn if your health insurance will pay for it.
Source(s): ??Greg E. Davis, MD, MPH, assistant professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, University of Washington, Seattle.?
February 7th, 2010 at 8:40 am
Talk about rewriting history? The right is showing that they are apologists for any disgusting, amoral, or evil white america has done to its OTWs. Here they are pushing a book “The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War” making the claim that the civil war was fought by a South that though it had slavery, it also had IMMENSE CHARM, GRACE AND MERIT – NOT TO MENTION A VERY STRONG CONSTITUTIONAL CASE.
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The Civil War: Reality was different
Dear Fellow Conservative:
The politically correct history that dominates our schools and universities today insists that Jefferson Davis was another Hitler, Robert E. Lee was another Rommel, and the Confederate States of America were our own version of the Third Reich – a blot on American history.
But reality was different: the Old South, as H. W. Crocker III explains in The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to the Civil War, had slavery, but also immense charm, grace and merit – not to mention a very strong Constitutional case.
Now, for a limited time, Human Events is making The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to the Civil War available to you absolutely FREE in a limited-edition hardcover.
In your FREE hardcover copy of The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to the Civil War, you’ll find among many intriguing items:
• That secession was legal
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• That the Emancipation Proclamation did not free a single slave
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• That leading Northern generals – like McLellan and Sherman – hated abolitionists
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• That bombing people “back to the Stone Age” got its start with the Federal siege of Vicksburg
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• That Stonewall Jackson founded a Sunday school for slaves where he taught them how to read
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• That General James Longstreet fought the Battle of Sharpsburg in his carpet slippers
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• That if the South had won, we might be able to enjoy holidays in the sunny Southern state of Cuba
CLICK HERE to get your FREE hardcover copy of The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to the Civil War today.
Sincerely,
Thomas S. Winter
Editor in Chief, Human Events
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I am a white man from the South, who, even with the influences of hundreds of years of racists lies stereotyping OTWs, can see that a party pushing this stuff would condone and implement the actions of Nazi Germany if they could get away with it.
I can not understand why any OTW would find in common ground in a part that says sure we had slavery but we were immensely charming people.
Mike
February 7th, 2010 at 9:00 am
One Light Bulb at a Time
A physics teacher in high school once told the students that while one grasshoper on the railroad tracks wouldn’t slow a train very much, a billion of them would. With that thought in mind, read the following, obviously written by a good American.
Good idea . . . one light bulb at a time . . . ..
Check this out . I can verify this because I was in Lowes the other day for some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose attachments . They were all made in China . The next day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there .. They were made in USA . Start looking .
In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else – even their job . So, after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track . Let’s get behind her!
My grandson likes Hershey’s candy . I noticed, though, that it is marked made in Mexico now . I do not buy it any more . My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico now I have switched to Crest .. You have to read the labels on everything .
This past weekend I was at Kroger . I needed 60 W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets . I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off brand labeled, “Everyday Value . ” I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats – they were the same except for the price . The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in – get ready for this – the USA in a company in Cleveland , Ohio
.
So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here .
So on to another aisle – Bounce Dryer Sheets . . . yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada . The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA ! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!
My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA – the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!
If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time! Stop buying from overseas companies!
(We should have awakened a decade ago)
Let’s get with the program . . . . help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and
create more jobs here in the U . S . A ..
February 7th, 2010 at 9:41 am
Q: I own a life insurance policy that I no longer need and have received an offer to purchase it. Should I sell?
A: First, you and your family or other beneficiaries must be sure that you no longer need the insurance and that it is no longer economically attractive to keep it. If so, then consider a sale of the policy — called a “life settlement” — to investors who will pay the premiums on it and collect the proceeds upon your death.
In some cases, life settlements can yield much more than cash surrender value (which is the value of the policy, not reflecting changes in health after the policy was purchased).
This is especially likely if you are over age 70 and health issues have reduced your life expectancy since you bought the policy (which enables the purchaser to collect on the policy sooner). It is best to deal with a reputable life-settlement broker who can obtain bids on the policy from at least 20 potential institutional buyers. And consult an accountant about possible income tax consequences — for example, part of the proceeds from the sale of the policy may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains.
Our inside source: Lee Slavutin, MD, CLU, chairman of Stern Slavutin-2 Inc., an insurance and estate-planning firm, New York City.
February 7th, 2010 at 9:50 am
Al
What’s with the “leave Howie alone” mantra? Howie’s a big boy isn’t he. We all comment on this blog and any other blog for that matter knowing that others may not see things as we do.
If one’s ego, feelings, etc is so fragile that he/she can’t take the scrutiny, criticism, rancor, or just plain stupidity(I may have made this category on your list), the he/she should refrain from contributing his/her comments to said blog.
No one owes Howie, you, me or anyone else any special attention or consideration.
Bob