Bush Bashing to Become an Olympic Sport

Ever since that courageous and outraged Iraqi journalist heaved a couple of size 10 loafers at our dishonored president Bush, the Olympic Committee has been bombarded with
requests to include Bush Bashing in the next Olympics. All countries wishing to send a team are holding their Olympic trials on the Internet. So if you think you have some shoe tossing prowess. Go to Sock and Awe and try out.

Christmas List

I can't remember when anyone has asked me for a Christmas list---it's been a long time, and truthfully, spending time with my family is the best gift I can ever get, and every year I have that blessing. This year, I'm invited to my daughter's in Spokane, which is a real treat. So if any of my family is reading this, I just want you to know what a joy you all are and how much spending time with you means to me. That gushing stuff said. Here is a brief list.

1. Books: 2666 By Roberto Bolano---to the best of my knowledge it is not out on Kindle and I'd really like to read it.
2. Books: Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden---again as far as I can tell not out on Kindle. This book is the 2007 Canadian Giller Prize Winner.
3. Socks. I totally love socks. Wild socks, goofy socks, toe socks, bland socks, soft socks, socks---can't have too many of them--and for me it is way to have fun, without drawing a lot of attention to myself. Yep, love those socks.
4. Sweatshirts: Love 'em, they are warm and comfortable, and the nicer ones can pass as sweaters---a person can't have enough nice sweat shirts.
5. DS Mystery Series Games: Yes I know DS is for kids, but I love the mystery games, I've played sample games online--but don't actually own one, so you can't go wrong and buy me one that I already have, cuz I don't have any. They say there is a series--the only one I can find advertised is the MillionHeir---but I love mysteries, so I think any in the series would be fine.

So that's it---that's all I've got. Hope this is helpful.

The Auto Industry Bailout with a Main Street Twist

Whether or not to bailout the beleaguered auto industry was all the talk of the Sunday talk shows. Most folks think the American Auto industry has been playing a poor game of catch up to Asian car markers and has caused most if not all of the problems they find themselves in. While their is a huge consensus for the causes of the auto industry debacle, the real debate centers around whether or not the government should bail them out. Lots of different bailout schemes are being touted, but none of them seem to have much to offer the American Public. So here is my suggestion, if we want to save our auto industry, let's give every American who buys an American car a $2000 refundable tax credit in the year of purchase--in addition, why not guarantee car loans to qualified buyers at a 6 percent interest rate. If folks could get a car loan at 6 percent and a $2000 refundable tax credit for buying American made cars, we'd all be lining up to trade in our cars for new ones. Everybody wins.

State Employee Contract

I haven't read the actual contract proposal yet--but I have read several summaries of the proposed contract. Although a 2 percent per year doesn't sound like much and hardly keeps up with inflation--it is more than I expected. In addition the Union got us an additional personal holiday in each of the two years of the contract. Not bad.

I, for one, wasn't happy about being forced to be a part of this union, but this is the second contract they negotiated--and both times they at least got us something. So here's a big shout out to the Union!!!!

Changing Neuropathways to Stop Smoking

Ever wonder why it is so darn hard to quit smoking? As a failed white-knuckler, I now only too well how easy it is to fail. Then I learned something. I learned how nicotine effects the neuropathways of the brain, and how to change those pathways so I have a reasonable chance for success.

Niotine reacts with neurons and neurotransmitters in the brain to release feelings of calm and pleasure whenever nicotine enters the system. Nicotine replacement products such as gum and patches, etc., allow the body to slowly withdraw from the nicotine. Which is very necessary to be successful in quitting.

However, if you don't deal with the neuropathways of the brain, your chances of relapse are high. Neuropathways are the brain's automatic transmission, they react for you, so you don't have to think about it. And therein lies the problem when it comes to nicotine.

The most successful way to do this is using hypnosis either with a certified hypnotherapist or using self-hypnosis. What self-hypnosis does is create new pathways in the brain. It teaches you new behaviors to employ when you are stressed, need to focus, frustrated, or just need a break (times when you normally would reach for a cigarette.) And it does it pretty quickly. I know because I haven't had a cigarette in 20 years and that is what finally worked for me.

Stop Smoking Now
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NO FREE LUNCH

I posted earlier that I was trying at this new (to me) way of making money at a
website called freelunchroom.com. In essence this is someone paying you to respond to offers. The folks I contracted with at freelance.com were great, super honest, and paid immediately.

However, I've subsequently had to cancel my credit cards and debit cards and get them all re-issued. The reason is that companies that I signed up for free offers or offers under $5, were billing me for larger and ongoing fees. Even though within 24 hours of signing up, I followed their cancellation policies and cancelled. Fortunately, I kept copies of all these transactions and the credit and debit card companies are refunding the money to me.

But needless to say---it was a HUGE hassle--still is. I know that people do make money this way---obviously they know something I don't.

Freelancing Update

Two great opportunities came my way today. I don't know if either of them will pan out. One is from GetAFreelancer. I placed a bid weeks and weeks ago and got no response from this vender. Just got an email offering me 60 re-writes per week, if her client likes my writing. I emailed back and accepted, but I believe she is offering it to several writers So I'm still waiting to here. The second, is from Blogvertise, who accepted my blog, and will give me opportunities to write for them. I haven't seen any yet, but will keep you posted.

FreeLunchRoom

I'm trying out this new deal--it is getting paid for completing offers. Everyone has seen this deals--get a free laptop, get a free ipod, then you have to complete all these offers, and just when you think you're close--the up the ante. Well, it's kinda like that---except someone pays me to complete offers for them. This weekend and did two--and was paid $45. Now that is not all profit, because some of these offers you sign up for cost money. But by my calculations I've cleared between $30 to $35. So not bad.

It gets tricky though, because a lot of this are free trial offers, so once you go green, you have to get in there and get them canceled--or it will cost you a whole lot more than you make. So as far as a way to make money---I'm still on the fence about it.

I will say that the folks at FreeLunchRoom are really nice and have all sorts of videos and manuals to help.

Oh Say Can You See

Back in the day folks didn't go shopping on holidays---because hardly anything was open. Fireworks stands, a gas station or two, maybe a corner grocery but that was it. Really, unless you go to a parade, or a family gathering, it just looks like any other day with a bunch of American flags hung from the city streets. Wal-mart parking lot was full when I went by, so was Safeway, and MarketPlace foods.

I stayed home this year--no parades---not because I don't love parades, I do. But because I didn't want to spend the gas. I watched the neighborhood fireworks and thought about what America means to me. I could say all the trite things that everyone says, greatest country on earth, freedom, etc. And to some extent that is all very true---but it doesn't really say anything new.

What being American means to me--is that I'm a single woman who raised three children alone--and this country made if possible for me to earn a living, buy home, and see my children through college. Maybe I could do that elsewhere in the world--for sure in Europe, but there are lots of places that that wouldn't have been possible. See the problem with saying that America is the greatest country on earth, etc., is that it is the only frame of reference I have. Although I've traveled outside the country---I haven't lived outside the country. Doesn't everyone feel that their country is the greatest, the best? Aren't they like me, the country they live is all they know. I love this country because it is mine, like my mother is mine. I didn't choose my mother and I didn't choose this country. Both have been good to me, both have disappointed me.

I think there is a difference between loving the land and the people of America and loving the government. I truly love the people and the land. The government, provides me with safety nets, like Social Security and Medicare when I retire (hopefully), it provides unemployment when I cannot work. The government facilitates trade with other countries, defends the land and people from invaders and is there to hold us up in times of natural disasters. It's important to remember all things that the government does that holds us all together day to day, year to year, century to century. Because too often, and I am certainly guilty of this, we think of the government as politics. I'm not crazy about the current politics--more accurately I would prefer that the last eight years of non-leadership didn't happen. But I truly appreciate the government.

Being proud to be an American is not quite as cut and dry as the song would imply. Being an American is complicated: it is not all truisms and platitudes--it is scandals and greed, and back-biting politics, as well as altruism, generosity, and leadership. Some days I'm prouder than others. What I do know is that America is all I've got--all I've got to give to my children and grandchildren. I want it to be strong and kind and I don't give a damn if it is the greatest nation in world to anyone but us.

Raccoon Shooting in Rainier Neighborhood

My children will remember the great ferret debacle--where the whole neighborhood --including the police department went into mob action over a ferret. It was ugly, for the ferret, and pretty traumatic for my children. That was 25 years ago. In all that time, the neighborhood properly ashamed and chagrined over their abysmal behavior, has been domestic pet and wild life friendly. (In case you're wondering, there has long been a debate as to whether the ferret was domesticated and freed, or was in fact a wild ferret. The truth will never be known.) But everything changed last night.

Maybe I should have seen it coming when folks down at the store were all upset over sighting a coyote in town. Each person was telling the others where they had seen it. Really? There have been coyotes in town since the day I moved in over 25 years ago. Frankly, my guess is the coyotes have a family history here longer than any one else. But suddenly folks were getting worked up.

Then as things do, it escalated and mutated now folks are getting worked up about a raccoon or raccoons that were eating the koi out of their ponds. I get that koi, especially large ones, are expensive. But they are fish---they are outside. Raccoons aren't their only problem. We have cats, cougars, owls, eagles, hawks--you name it---they all need to eat.

Well as it turns out, a neighbor down the block shot a raccoon. It was daylight and as would be expected it wasn't a lethal shot. The raccoon was wounded and leaving a blood trail--which in turn was being followed by the shooter, the shooter's wife and about 15 neighbors of various ages and physical conditions---all tromping through the yards trying to find the injured animal.
(Not to render aid, but to dispatch the poor creature to meet his god.) Alas, they were unsuccessful in finding the wounded animal.

I hope the wound was not serious and that the raccoon will recover. I doubt seriously that it will return to the neighbor's pond--it has probably learned its lesson. The scary part for me, is that now we have pistol-packing neighbors that will shoot at anything that gets near their yards or ponds---this is, I fear, a recipe for a future tragedy.

Month One As A Freelancer

Today I added up my total earnings for the month from my combined buyers, ContentGuru and GetAFreelancer. I earned a total of $128--subtract from that the 10.00 I spent at Elance to get writing gigs, and the $13 I spent at Freelancer to get more opportunities to bid on jobs. I cleared a whole $104 for writing 48 articles. Yep, 48 articles--and I don't think I'm nuts. But I do work hard.

Here's the deal, I learned a whole lot this month. I learned to research fast, organize, and write fast. I learned about SEO writing--which is essential producing internet pollution, but I did it and I'm still doing it. It's part of paying my dues. My main gig for now is writing real articles (no keyword stuffing) for the internet for $2 a piece. While the money sucks, I get to search the internet and write---two of my favorite things to do. And, while I am writing two-dollar articles, I am not driving around (saving gas money) and not buying anything---still another savings

Washington Faeries In Big Trouble

Washington State boasts one the largest flocks of faeries in all the world. But all that is about to change. Many of the most prominent faeries are now over 80 years old. Washington DOT (Department of Trolls and Faeries), Elizabeth Gingham says, " we just failed to plan and the legislature failed to plan."

Washington's faeries are key to the tourist industry all around Puget Sound. More and more the older faeries have proved unreliable, and DOT has had to pull a number of them from their routes.
We are committed to our flock, Gingham says, and will do whatever it takes to renew and refurbish the flock.

The Legislature will have to deal with some important issues in the coming session. (1) What to do with the aged faeries; (2) where to get the money to increase the flock and (3) what can be done to help ailing businesses while the fleet is being revamped.