Get In The Game
Posted by Michelle Moquin on October 24th, 2010
Morning. Is it good? You tell me.
Readers: Volunteer to get out the vote. And if you have more money than you do time….pledge a few bucks and help your candidates get out their message. Here’s the latest from OFA:
Michelle –
Republican Senate candidates Linda McMahon in Connecticut, Rand Paul in Kentucky, John Raese in West Virginia, and Dino Rossi in Washington have all pledged to roll back or eliminate the minimum wage.
Sharron Angle in Nevada, Ken Buck in Colorado, and Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania have all talked about privatizing Social Security — or eliminating it altogether.
Twenty of this year’s Republican candidates for the Senate have been asked about climate change, and 19 of them have said that the science is wrong.
But taking stances this extreme has consequences. Pat Toomey is slipping in Pennsylvania. In Wisconsin, Ron Johnson is losing ground. Raese, Paul, and Buck are running out of steam.
OFA supporters are out there every day, making record numbers of phone calls and contacts at the doors. And these conversations are changing elections. You are making the choice to voters absolutely clear: whether to continue to move America forward, or to go back to the failed policies of the past.
This election is an uphill battle — it’s a tough environment and special interests are spending tens of millions of dollars attacking Democrats.
But the more people find out about this crop of Republicans, the better our candidates do. The call scripts and ads are all ready to go to continue spreading the word. We just need your help to amplify the message. And we have nine days to do it.
Will you chip in $10 or more to help tell as many voters as possible about the choice in the final days?
https://donate.barackobama.com/Extreme
Thanks,
Mitch
Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America
************
Zen Lill: I would love to. Maybe my guy and I will pop by for a surprise some day soon. I am available for a chat today. I’ll be around all day. Call me when you feel like taking a break.
Nora: I respectfully would not want to walk in your shoes.
PEACE OUT…
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 :)
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October 25th, 2010 at 1:32 am
Simple Secrets of Living Debt-Free
Jeff Yeager
If you can’t afford to pay for it now, you can’t afford it. When my grandfather told me that 40 years ago, it didn’t sound nearly as radical as it does today.
Grandpa borrowed money only once in his life — to buy a house — and even then he paid it off long before the bank required.
Of course, times are different now. Everything costs so much more. There’s no way you can live comfortably these days without borrowing money and going into debt.
Wait a minute! If you believe those last three sentences, then have we got an article for you. Those three sentences are as false as Grandpa’s teeth.
I picked the brains of some leading personal finance experts and my own network of volunteer “Miser Advisers” to get their thoughts on living comfortably without going into debt — or at least without borrowing to the extent that most Americans do today. Here are their secrets…
Be afraid, be very afraid, of credit cards. To paraphrase Jack Nicholson’s character in the movie A Few Good Men, “Credit cards?
You can’t handle the credit cards!” Roughly 60% of active credit card accounts are not paid off every month.
Many people think that they can game the system — earn lots of bonus points or cash back by frequently using a credit card — and pay it off every month. In reality, most people just end up in debt.
Pay in cash, and you certainly will spend a lot less. According to Bankrate.com, the average credit card purchase ends up costing 112% more than the purchase price (that’s right, more than twice as much) because we fail to pay it off right away.
To me, there are only a few wise uses of a credit card. These include establishing your credit history… genuine emergencies… and transactions such as car rentals that require a card.
Practice the art of procrastination. When it comes to debt-free living, procrastination can be a virtue, not a vice. We’ve all had buyer’s remorse.
That’s the feeling of regret you get when you buy something that disappoints you. Buyer’s remorse often is compounded by a sense of guilt when you buy something on credit.
The purchase has disappointed you, and you haven’t even paid for it yet.
Practice procrastination when it comes to discretionary purchases, particularly if you plan to use a credit card. Wait at least one week between the time you see an item in a store or online and the time you go back to buy it.
Chances are good that you will decide that you don’t want it after all. And whenever you do buy, save your receipts so that you can return items you regret for a full refund.
Shine up that used car. When it comes to buying an automobile, the smart money is almost always on buying a used (but not abused) vehicle, so you let the guy who buys the new car pay the 20% or more in value that most new cars lose in their first year of ownership.
Still have that urge-to-splurge on a new car? Anthony Manganiello, author of The Debt-Free Millionaire, has this simple advice that helps him resist the call — keep your car really clean.
He says that a sparkling used car feels like a new car and helps him resist the unending barrage of car commercials.
Buy a home, not a castle. Granted, few people can afford to buy a home without taking out a mortgage, but that doesn’t mean that you need to live your entire life with a mortgage hanging over your head, as many Americans do.
The secret is to choose a house costing no more than 75% of the maximum amount you can qualify to borrow and then aggressively paying off your mortgage early.
“The priority is to get into something you can afford and then work on trading up or improving the house you have,” says personal finance columnist Gregory Karp in his book Living Rich by Spending Smart.
Once you’re in that affordable home, begin making extra principal payments to pay off the loan early. If in the course of a year you make just one extra monthly payment, you can knock years and many thousands of dollars in interest off your mortgage.
Ask yourself, “When is Christmas next year?” That sounds like a stupid question, but as Heather Wagenhals of the Unlock Your Wealth Foundation points out, many people are financially blindsided every year by holidays, vacations and other “spending events” that can be planned for well in advance.
The same goes for “emergencies.” Certainly it is possible to have a truly unanticipated financial emergency, but for many people, almost everything is an emergency because they’ve failed to plan — and save — for even those things that can be anticipated.
A car with 100,000 miles on it needing repairs shouldn’t be an emergency. You know it’s going to need repairs… you just don’t know exactly when.
Figure out what Grandpa would do. If you still aren’t convinced that it’s possible to live debt free, or nearly so, like previous generations of Americans did, keep track of everything you spend money on for a month.
Then look at that list, and ask yourself one simple question, “Did my grandparents spend money on that?”
A second or third automobile? Unlikely. More than one TV? Doubtful. Meals in restaurants, other than for very special occasions? Rarely. Pet-grooming services? Not a chance. Bottled water? Are you crazy? Tanning salons? Fuggedaboutit.
Personal interviewed Jeff Yeager, dubbed “The Ultimate Cheapskate.” He honed his cheapskating skills during 25 years of working with under-funded nonprofit agencies. He lives in Accokeek, Maryland, and is author of The Ultimate Cheapskate’s Road Map to True Riches (Broadway). http://www.ultimatecheapskate.com
October 25th, 2010 at 1:51 am
Michelle
I would do anything to have Madaline walk in my shoes. These men need to feel what they deliver.
Nora
October 25th, 2010 at 1:53 am
Michelle:
I see the stakes are very high this election. I am looking forward to seeing how you get Madaline to handle it.
I hope there is an effort by the dems to get the job done s you can finish it for them.
Ruth
October 25th, 2010 at 2:07 am
Maybe you’ve heard about the sheepherder in a remote part of the West who was held captive in a UFO with an all-female crew. He was found by police on the side of the road,, muttering, “I’ve just had an unidentified flying fuck.”
October 25th, 2010 at 2:17 am
“Imagine a large museum with dozens of halls and thousands of valuable exhibits. After several acts of vandalism a special guard is placed in the museum at night.
The guard catches the vandals and the damage stops. A vandal is any immature person who loves the thrill of hurting others. And there are a lot of these subnormal people than you imagine.
Your special guard is your own stonge wish to no longer be vandalized. Make this wish even stronger.”
October 25th, 2010 at 2:26 am
Mr. Robert, Hello.
My quote for today is; “Love is not enough. It must be the foundation, the cornerstone–but not the complete structure. It is much too pliable, too yielding.”
Betty Davis
October 25th, 2010 at 2:35 am
Hello, Ms Ruth:
I agree: “It is with our passions, as it is with fire and water, they are good servants, but bad masters.” -Sir Roger L’Estrange, Aesop
October 25th, 2010 at 2:41 am
Oh you are good.
Try this one.
“Taking joy in life is a woman’s best cosmetic.” Rosalind Russell
October 25th, 2010 at 2:53 am
Robert, if I may?
I would comment on your post re cruelty. “I must be cruel only to be kind.” Hamlet, III,4
October 25th, 2010 at 3:02 am
Evelyn, my Sweet. Wouldn’t that depend on what was giving the “joy?”
I found more joy in sorrow
Than you could find in joy.
Sara Teasdale
October 25th, 2010 at 3:06 am
Evelyn,
“All human joys are swift of wing,
For heaven, doth so allot it,
That when you get an easy thing,
You find you haven’t got it.” – Eugene Field
October 25th, 2010 at 3:11 am
Lance, thanks, but in the spirit of my post on cruelty, I would have thought that while staying with Shakespeare this is closer to my meaning.
Come you spirits…
And fill me from the crown to the toe, top-full
Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood;
…Come to my woman’s breasts,
And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers!
Macbeth, I,5
October 25th, 2010 at 3:16 am
In massage parlors, clock-watching Clive
Needs a number of girls to arrive:
While a team works his cock,
He’ll be watching the clock
To get off at the stroking of five!
October 25th, 2010 at 3:18 am
I noticed the new picture. Damn, Michelle you are a beautiful girl.
If you ever get tired of men(or just want to play), I am willing.
Nicolette
October 25th, 2010 at 3:22 am
PA: Joe Sestak
LA: Charlie Melancon over David Vitter
WA: Patty Murray over Dino Rossi
WI: Russ Feingold over Ron Johnson
They will lose if the republicans have their way. The fix is in for them.
October 25th, 2010 at 3:28 am
Sorry, I haven’t been on the blog guys, but you know how difficult it is to get in if your name isn’t Zen Lill :).
Anyway you have been emailing me about the bodybuilders selected to represent Guam. This article should shed some light on most of your questions.
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Are you interested in performance sports and want to beef up so as to stand a better chance of making the team and even going professional?
To be an athlete, one must be tough mentally and physically. And while there are no shortcuts to strength training, some people use supplements to help their performance and endurance.
But it’s best to consult your doctor before putting any supplements in your body.
The Pacific Daily News recently sat down with Dr. Sean Fitzsimmons, a full-time orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at the Guam Surgicenter and Guam Memorial Hospital, to talk about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to supplements and improving performance and endurance.
Here’s what he had to say about how much of that is good for you and how much will hinder your performance:
Carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks like Gatorade — These are good for endurance sports, Fitzsimmons said. People who are working out for 30 to 45 minutes have shown to perform better with carbohydrate electrolyte drinks, he said.
“It’s important to be hydrated on Guam when playing sports in a hot and humid environment,” he added.
Protein/protein shakes — Fitzsimmons said protein is advantageous if it’s lean protein like chicken, turkey or fish. He added that most people who are not vegetarians get enough protein in their diets.
Creatine — This has been shown to be effective for strength and power, but not useful in endurance sport because it causes dehydration, Fitzsimmons said.
“I wouldn’t recommend it for athletes who are practicing in hot weather,” he added. “I wouldn’t recommend anyone to take it.”
Amino acids — These are the building blocks for protein, but Fitzsimmons said these haven’t been shown effective in building muscles.
Caffeine — Caffeine is a stimulant that has been shown to have some performance benefits in endurance sports. However, its use is limited by athletic organizations like the International Olympic Committee and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Fitzsimmons said.
“Caffeine is a diuretic, so athletes need to be careful in using this in performance sports,” he added. “A diuretic can make you dehydrated. Dehydration can put you at risk for heat stroke — a serious medical condition.”
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October 25th, 2010 at 3:32 am
FLU RISKS IF YOU HAVE ALLERGIES
The 10 million-plus Americans who have allergic asthma — where allergy symptoms that result in asthma are triggered not only by seasonal plants but also environmental threats, such as cat dander, dust mites and mold — need to be especially careful over the next few months.
New research has revealed some additional flu-related health risks for this population that warrant taking extra protective measures to stay healthy when colds and flu are going around.
Researchers at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas learned that certain flu-fighting immune cells are disabled in people with allergic asthma and that exposure to allergens may depress their anti-flu immune response even further, says the study author, Michelle Gill, MD, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics.
This means that people with allergic asthma may experience more intense flu symptoms… take longer to recover… and are at higher risk for serious complications such as pneumonia.
Dr. Gill’s study included 56 people, ages three to 35. Twenty-six had allergic asthma while the others had no known allergies.
Researchers took blood samples and then isolated immune cells that direct the body’s response to viral infections.
When the blood of those with allergic asthma was exposed to the flu virus and the relevant allergen, the cells’ ability to fight the flu virus was impaired about half the time.
The same thing happened when the cells were exposed to rhinovirus, which causes the common cold. A future study will examine whether the opposite response also occurs — that is, whether exposure to flu viruses blocks the allergic response, which could, ironically, make patients less allergic while they are sick with a cold or flu.
SPECIAL PROBLEM, SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS
In the meantime, what we now know is that a person with allergic asthma (triggered by dust mites, for instance) is likely to have more trouble fighting off a flu or cold virus when the allergic trigger is also in play (the house isn’t clean).
So, said Dr. Gill, the important take-home finding here is that controlling the allergen triggers is especially important during flu season.
Be aware of your allergy triggers, and be vigilant about doing all you can to reduce exposure to them during flu season.
Take extra measures to eat nutritious foods, get plenty of rest and manage stress appropriately in order to support your health and immunity.
A naturopathic physician also may offer advice on what vitamins and supplements can be helpful in strengthening your immune system.
Ask your doctor whether you should get a flu shot.
Limit your exposure to people with flu as well as those with colds.
If you do get sick, see your doctor right away. Antivirals exist for the flu, and though there are none for cold viruses, your doctor can recommend appropriate testing and treatment.
Lastly, she says (no surprise here) — keep your hands clean.
Source(s):
Michelle Gill, MD, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.