Benny's World

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Off to the Volunteer State

Within a couple of hours. Will do some blogging there and perhaps post a few pics during the week.

Meantime, check out EENR blog (on my blogroll), and David Mizner's excellent diary at the Daily Kos, entitled "Do You Miss Edwards Yet?"

L8tr...

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Friday, March 14, 2008

Friday Humor

Dedicated to my dad, who loved jokes and humor like in the video. He would have been 82 today.

(h/t Oklahoma Voter from EENR)

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Second Peek


Truck over to EENR blog and check out my regular Friday blog column, Second Peek. Folks are talking about the FISA vote in Congress today.

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Wednesday, March 12, 2008

OK, I've Seen all of the Best Picture Nominees for 2007

And I do not agree that "No Country for Old Men" deserved the Oscar.

In order, here's what I thought were the best of the line-up:

There Will Be Blood
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
Atonement (and at that, that shouldn't have been in the top 5)

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Lance Armstrong's Foundation and ALA Team Up

via e-mail from the American Library Association this afternoon:

Lance Armstrong Foundation and ALA team up to deliver cancer survivorship notebooks to libraries



AUSTIN – The Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) recently announced it is collaborating with the American Library Association (ALA) to provide libraries across the country with reference materials to better serve those seeking health-related information, specifically cancer. Recently, the LAF began shipping LIVESTRONG Survivorship Notebooks to more than 14,200 libraries across the United States.


"Libraries as places of opportunity that make information affordable, available and accessible to all people," said American Library Association President Loriene Roy. "We are pleased to work with the Lance Armstrong Foundation to bring this information to our libraries and to highlight our efforts in keeping our communities healthy and well-informed."


The LAF created the LIVESTRONG Survivorship Notebook to give cancer information access to everyone, especially low-income or uninsured citizens who don’t have access to a computer or are denied follow-up care after completing cancer treatment.


“As a cancer survivor and someone who grew up in a city where more than 95 percent of families use the public library, I recognize the importance of providing access to cancer resources through libraries,” said Doug Ulman, president of the LAF. “We created the Survivorship Notebook to help cancer survivors be inspired and empowered to live life on their own terms. I am proud that the LAF is partnering with the ALA on such a critical initiative.”


The LIVESTRONG Survivorship Notebooks are a free resource and are designed to help cancer survivors, their families and caregivers organize, keep and access important information related to their cancer experiences. The Notebooks are divided into four sections:

  • Survivorship Tools – These tools help cancer survivors organize physical and emotional health concerns; maintain a list of medications; keep track of medical, financial and insurance records; and keep a record of medical history after treatment.

  • Survivorship Stories – This section contains a booklet of stories told by real survivors about their experiences with cancer.

  • Survivorship Topics – This section features information about the physical, emotional and practical challenges cancer survivors and their loved ones may face throughout their battle with cancer. Topics addressed in this section include: the aftereffects of cancer treatment, the emotional effects of cancer, planning your financial future and how to communicate with your health care team.

  • Survivorship Updates – Cancer survivors can use the information in this section to request additional information about cancer survivorship to add to their notebooks. They can also add to this section information they receive from their own health care team, family members, support groups, caregivers and friends.

Individuals, groups and organizations can order the free LIVESTRONG Survivorship Notebook at LIVESTRONG.org.


This is fantastic. And I'm certain Elizabeth Edwards would approve.

To honor this initiative, here's the video of Lance and JRE from last summer riding together at RAGBRAI, and Lance said hello to EE.


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Monday, March 10, 2008

MSM and Supporters of Those Who Live in Glass Houses Shouldn't Throw Stones Either


I went to a PT session today, was fortunate to meet a storage solutions and clutter specialist (and feeling glad about that since I live in a rural area), got groceries and came home to try out my new lumber roll for my chair which sits in front of my workstation.

Check the e-mail, and I get this alert from the NYT:

Spitzer Is Linked to Prostitution Ring

Gov. Eliot Spitzer has informed his most senior
administration officials that he had been involved in a
prostitution ring, an administration official said this
morning.

Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com/?emc=na


Gov. Spitzer, you did your wife wrong more than us. Problem worse is that what you did was illegal.

Spitzer is a backer of Clinton's. No doubt this will dredge up memories of Dick Morris during Clinton's administration, and Monica L. But I am convinced Clinton knew nothing of this, and therefore should not be blamed or linked to his wrongdoing just because Spitzer supported her candidacy (why wouldn't he, Clinton is his senator).

However, the Obamatons are going to have a field day with the news, although the MSM, in collusion with them are overlooking this piece of news that is completely about unethical moves in government:

Obama consulted on health board appointees

March 10, 2008
FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Sen. Barack Obama was among eight state officials and others consulted about who should be appointed to a state board that later became involved in what prosecutors describe as a fraud scheme, according to a memo from a Democratic official.

The memo was discussed Monday at the trial of Antoin ''Tony'' Rezko, a Chicago businessman who was a prominent contributor to Obama and Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Among other things, Rezko is on trial for allegedly plotting with board member Stuart Levine to split a bribe from a contractor.

Prosecutors say Levine used his position on the health facilities planning board and a state pension board to pressure companies for payoffs. They say Rezko used political clout with Blagojevich to help Levine.

Wilhelm wrote his memo to Susan Lichtenstein, who was on the stand at Rezko's trial for a second day Monday. She was general counsel to Blagojevich in June 2003.

Snip

Levine was appointed to the board. He has pleaded guilty to charges in the case and is expected to be the government's star witness against Rezko. Beck has been charged with no wrongdoing in the case.

Wilhelm's memo said ''we worked closely over the past six months'' with eight officials including three state senators, one of whom was Obama.


Sun-Times

Of course, Obama may have not done anything wrong, but this smells of corruption, and I have a gut feeling Obama is part of it. But I cannot throw stones at Obama at this point since we're unclear about it.

Politics are nasty, and going to get worse within the Democratic Party before better.

Update: there is a famous line from the movie American President in which the GCD Director tells his lobbyist, "there's never an egg timer when you need one." Less than 24 hours--some dumb Kossack has already started throwing rocks at Clinton, not knowing the difference between the situations.

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Sunday, March 09, 2008

Bye-Bye Tucker

And don't let the door hit you too hard on the way out.

(h/t Rod Sterling, Daily Kos)

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