MY THANKS

Today, when I sat down to give thanks for my blessings, one special person was with me. As some know, I've had an especially rough year, a few physical incidents, many mentally stressful days, and personal losses and let-downs.

For all the personal family losses, I have learned to cope and endure. My worst loss cannot ever be matched and will always remain the biggest heartbreak of my life. Someday in the future, a person will have to come to terms with the realities of life. I cannot change that, nor would I try. As he ages and learns, he will grow to regret his loss. I will only see it from the great beyond.

For each loss in life, something takes its place. Like the old saying, "when one door closes, another one opens." A very special person in my life has done that. After enduring my greatest loss, he stepped up and filled the biggest shoes. He has been my rock, my support, my help when I needed it, and the main focus of my later years. I know he will be there for me when my time comes and there are not enough words to express my love and gratitude for his unspoken devotion. He is a person who does not express his feelings in words but in deeds.

Today we sat and ate together, talked, and shared time - his greatest gift to me. I am thankful for his unspoken love and support and I know he will reap the benefits of his decisions.

So today my greatest thanks is for the blessing of having him in my life and knowing him these past 10 years has made me a better person. I will TANGO through the rest of my days just knowing you are in my life. You know I love you.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL

HYPOCRISY

Arizona's Senator has just made history in the hypocratic world of Congress. When the Lame Duck session started, the Republicans caucused and VOTED to STOP earmarks.

That rule applies to ALL now. Except a Senator from Arizona who just got his earmark attached to a bill just passed, to give him 200 MILLION dollars for a water and snow making machine project at an Indian casino in his state. Like the newsman said, who knew you could ski in Arizona?

I guess they will now - with this new earmark passed for the SPECIFIC state of Arizona. Thanks Kyl, you have just shown the country that Republicans are hypocrites and want what they want, to hell with the country and the middle class.

HARD WORK

How many hospital maintenance workers does it take to put the lights on their Christmas tree?

According to Sheila at the hospital this morning, all three guys. When she asked them why, one of them replied, "Well, there are six or seven strands."

Her reply, "Men."

Happy decorating guys!

SMART GIRL

A Republican congressman was seated next to a little girl on an airplane, so he turned to her and said, "Do you want to talk? Flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger."

The little girl, who had just started to read her book, replied to the total stranger, "What would you want to talk about?"

"Oh, I don't know," said the congressman. "How about global warming, universal health care, or stimulus packages?" as he smiled smugly.

"OK," she said. "Those could be interesting topics but let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff ... grass. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, but a horse produces clumps. Why do you suppose that is?"

The legislator, visibly surprised by the little girl's intelligence, thinks about it and says, "Hmmm, I have no idea."

To which the little girl replies, "Do you really feel qualified to discuss global warming, universal health care, or the economy, when you don't know shit?"

And then she went back to reading her book.
(Thanks JTL)

LAUGH OF THE DAY

If you would like a little humor in your day, watch these. I got the best laugh from watching Jon Stewart and the TRUTH story. (GB's **s surgery to insert the arm of the puppet master??)

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
George Soros Plans to Overthrow America
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
The Manchurian Lunatic
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

COLOR ME BLUE

Color speaks its own language. Most of us have a favorite color. Whatever color, your preference can reveal a lot about you.

Red
What it represents: Ah, the color of passion, anger and high blood pressure. Red is a primal color. It represents primal urges, like lust (“I must have you now!”) and fury (you know the phrase “seeing red,” right?). Yes, red is a commanding color: think of how stop signs get you to halt in your tracks and how you stand back when a red fire engine goes whizzing by.

Understanding people who love it: They act — sometimes without thinking — on immediate desires. In fact, they’re usually the poster children for immediate gratification. It’s up to you if you go for it... or proceed with caution.

Orange
What it represents: OK, orange is not exactly the easiest color to wear and it’s not the most common favorite color, but guess what? Orange is as sensual as it gets. Orange is a mellowed red — and it takes primal, lusty urges and mellows them with a softer vibe. Orange is the color of early attractions, emotional responses, and inner magnetism. Oh, and one other thing: orange is also close to gold, the color of success and wealth.

Understanding people who love it: Someone who likes orange is alive with feelings, the ability to nurture, and can intuit a path to success. If your favorite color is orange, you don’t have an “off” switch when it comes to passion. This is all good stuff, but there’s nothing casual about the connections this kind of person usually forges.

Yellow
What it represents: Yellow is the color of the sun, vitality, power and ego... but it’s not a great indicator of romance. Watch out for self-centered, “me first” energy when someone prefers yellow to the rest of the rainbow.

Understanding people who love it: If yellow is your favorite color, temper your use of the word “I” when you’re interested in someone else. You can come across as too ego-centric otherwise. Now, if you’re dating someone whose favorite hue is yellow, make sure to jump in and share stories about yourself, since this person may not give you much room.

Green
What it represents: Here is the heart of the matter: green is the color of love. (It’s no coincidence that we make our money in the same color...) Green is the color of life and abundance — leaves, grass, plants — it’s all about growing, expanding, and living. So why don’t we give ferns instead of roses on Valentine’s Day? Because green is about expansive, humanistic love and acceptance, not bodice-ripping romance. What’s more, green is a nice-person color, a “do-gooder, be-gooder” kind of color. This person has a warm heart. Passion is probably in there somewhere, buried under their integrity and honor.

Understanding people who love it: If you love green, you put the greater good before your own good — but try a little selfish behavior once in a while.

Blue
What it represents: Blue is a color of clarity, communications and charm. And regardless of the shade, this hue says: “I like to be understood.” On the downside, under stress, a “blue” person can send mixed messages, have trouble making up their mind, or just space out during conversations.

Understanding people who love it: If blue is your favorite color, you never run out of anything to say — expression is your strong suit. And if you’re dating a “blue” person? The same holds true; you should always know where you stand.

Purple
What it represents: Purple evokes the energy of illusion, imagination and fantasy. Or should we say purrrrple? Purple tends to inspire coyness, romance, flirtation and teasing — it builds anticipation with a dash of playfulness. The downside of purple is unrealistic expectations. Is it easier to live in your fantasy world than the real world? Some purple-lovers prefer it.

Understanding people who love it: If you love purple, you can be an imaginative romantic or prefer imaginary romance, depending on how you feel.

White
What it represents: White is light — the combination of all colors. White symbolizes purity (the traditional bridal dress, the christening gown) and spirituality. There’s a simplicity to it, too.

Understanding people who love it: People who love white are probably clean and orderly. While white isn’t the sexiest color, it is certainly healthy.

Black
What it represents: Like white, black is a combination of all colors, but instead of purity, it represents the unknown, the unseen — mystery. Black basically holds back information... but there’s no denying that it has strong associations in our culture with “the dark side” and evil.

Understanding people who love it: If your favorite color is black, you are more hush-hush than high-strung in nature. The silence of this color lets others fill in the blanks. Black says, “I’m not telling you anything.” People who love black can be tough nuts to crack, but quite possibly worth the effort.

TODAYS MEMORIES

Today was a day of reflection for me. For some reason I felt a great "connection" to my memories and thoughts. I would have made a visit to the cemetery today, but it was so gloomy and rainy. I'll do it in a day or so.

My morning thoughts went back to this day 37 years ago when I was living in South Carolina. I knew my father had been ill for some time. He'd gone through an aneurysm of the aorta in the late 60's. He recovered after heart surgery, but had several strokes after that. When my mother could no longer take care of him at home in 1972, after another stroke, he became a resident of Case Convalescent Center here in town. Mother would visit him daily, and I saw him when I came to town.

On this day 37 years ago, my father's heart could no longer fight the fight. He died that afternoon. My mother called me, I packed a suitcase, took a week off work and drove to Ohio to be with my family. Because the Thanksgiving holiday was so close to the funeral time frame, I extended my stay beyond the standard three-day work bereavement time. There was much to do; my mother handled it with her usual grace, and I was here to help. They had been married 36 years in September of that year.

I was very close to my father, being a typical daddy's girl when I was young. My favorite youthful memories go back to early childhood when he made me taste an olive when I didn't think I'd like it. I have loved green olives ever since. My dad hated spinach, and passed that on to me before I could walk. When I was in middle school, my father quit smoking and took up the 'ice cream before bedtime' habit instead. He got me hooked on ice cream with him.

I remember sitting on his lap at home while he worked at his desk. He taught me drafting, because he was an drafting engineer, which I used later in my work life. I supervised a graphic arts department at a naval contracting firm where we did electrical and piping drawings for naval ships. That's when I realized I would need glasses from then on.

My father picked me up from school when I broke my finger in gym class, and took me to the emergency room; he worked hard and sent me to college; and was always proud of me no matter what. When he retired, I enjoyed listening to his stories. I spent as much time with him as I could in his latter years. He was a huge influence on my life, I had a good childhood and better adulthood because of him.

I am still learning things about my father, years after his death. For example, I found his original papers for his patent of the battery terminal cable connector from 1932; his patent on another business machine I'm still investigating; his attempt to work with an ophthalmologist to invent an eye exam machine; and his plans and layout canvas for a horse race game that he never got finished. To this day, my father still amazes me and I miss him very much.

GAS RIDE

NASCAR has the new way to take the gas with you. Kasey Kahne took a lap and returned to pit row due to a pitcrewmans' gaffe. Watch this if you missed the race...

CAR SMELL

FROM MY FRIEND JOHN:

A woman took her car to her mechanic.

She told him, "Every time I take my friends out in my car, there is this terrible smell. It never happens when I'm alone."

The mechanic was puzzled so he said, "OK, let's go for a spin and see what the problem is."

Off they went. She drove down a one-way street in the wrong direction at 60 MPH, served, hit the curb on both sides of the street, narrowly missed three pedestrians, ran several red lights, and just missed a policeman. They returned to the shop and she said, "There it is now - there's that terrible smell. Can you smell it?"

The mechanic replied, "Smell it? Lady, I'm sitting in it."

FUNNY FED

I found this on The Huffington Post site, was curious and watched it. I laughed and just had to share it. Watch this short video and get your laugh-a-day.

NATIONAL VETERANS DAY

To my best friend John, to my nephew Jeff, and all the other veterans I know, a thank you:

The Veterans Day National Ceremony is held each year on November 11th at Arlington National Cemetery. The ceremony commences precisely at 11:00 a.m. with a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns and continues inside the Memorial Amphitheater with a parade of colors by veterans’ organizations and remarks from dignitaries. The ceremony is intended to honor and thank all who served in the United States Armed Forces.

The Veterans Day National Committee also selects a number of regional sites for Veterans Day observances throughout the country. From stirring parades and ceremonies to military exhibits and tributes to distinguished veterans, these events serve as models for other communities to follow in planning their own observances.

A DOZEN NO-NO'S

So many jobs are being outsourced overseas by major corporations, then those big corporations funnel big money into the political ring to buy elections to get favors in return. Why don’t Americans just stop buying the products they make? Here are some examples:

1. America’s most ionic beer brands, including Miller, Coors, and Budweiser, are owned by foreign companies. In 2008, Anheuser-Busch, the St. Louis-based company that has a nearly 50 percent market share in the U.S., was sold to InBev, a Belgium-based conglomerate run by Brazilian executives.

2. Rawlings is the official supplier of baseballs to Major League Baseball. The St. Louis shop was founded in 1887 by George and Alfred Rawlings. In 1969 the brothers moved the baseball manufacturing plant from Puerto Rico to Haiti and then later to Costa Rica.

3. Etch A Sketch, an American toy since the 1960s, used to be produced in Bryan, Ohio, a small town of 8,000. Then in December 2000, toymaker Ohio Art decided to move production to Shenzhen, China.

4. Marquis M. Converse opened Converse Rubber Show Company in Massachusetts in 1908. Chuck Taylors– named after All American high school basketball player Chuck Taylor–began selling in 1918 as the show eventually produced an industry record of over 550 million pairs by 1997. But in 2001 sales were on the decline and the U.S. factory closed. Now Chuck Taylors are made in Indonesia.

5. The largest toy company in the world closed their last American factory in 2002. Mattel, headquartered in California, produces 65 percent of their products in China as of August 2007.

6. A waiver to the Buy America Act permitted an American producer of wheel-chair accessible minivans to purchase Canadian chassis for use in government contracts, because no chassis were available from the United States. The waiver specified: "General Motors and Chrysler minivan chassis, including those used on the Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac Montana, Buick Terraza, Saturn Relay, Chrysler Town & Country, and Dodge Grand Caravan, are no longer manufactured in the United States."

Note: The Buy America Act requires government mass transportation spending to use American products.

7. You know that thing you put bills into on a vending machine? It isn’t made in America, according to a waiver to the Buy America Act. Neither is the coin dispenser, according to this federal waiver.

8. Levi Strauss & Co. shut down all its American operations and outsourced production to Latin America and Asia in December 2003. The company's denim products have been a staple American product for 150 years.

9. The little red wagon has been an image of America for years. But once Radio Flyer decided its Chicago plant was too expensive, it began producing most products, including the red wagon, in China.

10. Five Rivers Electronic Innovations was the last American owned TV color maker in the US. The Tennessee company used LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) technology to produce televisions for Philips Electronics. But after Philips decided to stop selling TVs with LCoS, Five Rivers eventually filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Oct. 2004. As part of its reorganization plan, the company stopped manufacturing TVs. Now there are ZERO televisions made in America, according to Business Week.

11. Of the 1.2 billion cell phones sold worldwide in 2008, NOT ONE was made in America, according to Manufacturing & Technology publisher Richard McCormick. After studying the websites of cell phone companies, he could not identify a single phone that was not manufactured primarily overseas.

12. The incandescent light bulb (invented by Thomas Edison) has been phased out. Our last major factory that made incandescent light bulbs closed in September 2010. In 2007, Congress passed a measure that will ban incandescents by 2014, prompting GE to close its domestic factory.

FOOTNOTE: Did anyone know that this ban was passed by Congress? Or did it just slip through on the back of another measure? Congressmen have a habit of sliding these things through so we don’t know about them until much later.

HEAVEN AND HELL

While walking down the street one day, a Corrupt Senator was tragically hit by a car and died. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

"Welcome to heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official so we're not sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in," says the Senator.

"Well, I'd like to, but I have my orders. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell, and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity."

"Really?, well I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven," says the Senator.

"I'm sorry, but we have our rules", and St. Peter escorts him down to the elevator and he goes down, down, down, to hell.

The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a beautiful green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse, and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy and run to greet him. They shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had, while getting rich at the expense of the people.

They played a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and the finest champagne.

Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy having a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are all having such a good time that before the Senator realizes it, it is time to go.

Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises.

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens in heaven, where St. Peter is waiting for him to visit heaven.

So, 24 hours pass with the Senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the day has gone by and St. Peter returns.

"Well, now, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity."

The Senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: "Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell."

So, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

When the doors of the elevator open, he is in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags, as more trash falls from above.

The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulders.

"I don't understand," stammers the Senator. "Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?" The devil smiles at him and says,...

"Yesterday we were campaigning .. Today, you voted."