tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85136142024-03-12T21:45:06.022-07:00Carbubble's Stories, Thoughts & RantsMy name is Thomas Coates. I love movies (I have a movie theater in my house - The Dreamland Theater) & I like reading mysteries & thrillers. I'm a member of Mensa and I like making up stories, songs & poems.
I have two favorite mottos - Laissez les bons temps rouler, which means Let the good times roll in Cajun and Libera Cogitatium, which means Release Your Imagination in Latin.
My purpose in life is to be creative, fun & unique and my new belief is that I will be paid to be creative.Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.comBlogger150125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-43029164112946924722009-08-13T15:16:00.000-07:002009-08-13T15:17:08.002-07:00Health Care - There is no Debate<b style="font-family: verdana;">8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage</b> <br /> <ol style="font-family: verdana;" start="1" type="1"><li><u>Ends Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions</u>: Insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing you coverage because of your medical history. </li><li><u>Ends Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays</u>: Insurance companies will have to abide by yearly caps on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses. </li><li><u>Ends Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care</u>: Insurance companies must fully cover, without charge, regular checkups and tests that help you prevent illness, such as mammograms or eye and foot exams for diabetics. </li><li><u>Ends Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill</u>: Insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping or watering down insurance coverage for those who become seriously ill. </li><li><u>Ends Gender Discrimination</u>: Insurance companies will be prohibited from charging you more because of your gender. </li><li><u>Ends Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage</u>: Insurance companies will be prevented from placing annual or lifetime caps on the coverage you receive. </li><li><u>Extends Coverage for Young Adults</u>: Children would continue to be eligible for family coverage through the age of 26. </li><li><u>Guarantees Insurance Renewal</u>: Insurance companies will be required to renew any policy as long as the policyholder pays their premium in full. Insurance companies won't be allowed to refuse renewal because someone became sick. </li></ol><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Learn more and get details: </span><a rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153); font-family: verdana;" target="_blank" href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/health-insurance-consumer-protections/?e=11&ref=hicp" title="http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/health-insurance-consumer-protections/"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1250196907_1">http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/health-insurance-consumer-protections/</span></a> <br /> <br /><b style="font-family: verdana;">8 common myths about health insurance reform </b> <ol style="font-family: verdana;" start="1" type="1"><li><u>Reform will stop "rationing" - not increase it</u>: It’s a myth that reform will mean a "government takeover" of health care or lead to "rationing." To the contrary, reform will forbid many forms of rationing that are currently being used by insurance companies. </li><li><u>We can’t afford reform</u>: It's the status quo we can't afford. It’s a myth that reform will bust the budget. To the contrary, the President has identified ways to pay for the vast majority of the up-front costs by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse within existing government health programs; ending big subsidies to insurance companies; and increasing efficiency with such steps as coordinating care and streamlining paperwork. In the long term, reform can help bring down costs that will otherwise lead to a fiscal crisis. </li><li><u>Reform would encourage "euthanasia"</u>: It does not. It’s a malicious myth that reform would encourage or even require euthanasia for seniors. For seniors who want to consult with their family and physicians about end-of life decisions, reform will help to cover these voluntary, private consultations for those who want help with these personal and difficult family decisions. </li><li><u>Vets' health care is safe and sound</u>: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will affect veterans' access to the care they get now. To the contrary, the President's budget significantly expands coverage under the VA, extending care to 500,000 more veterans who were previously excluded. The VA Healthcare system will continue to be available for all eligible veterans. </li><li><u>Reform will benefit small business - not burden it</u>: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will hurt small businesses. To the contrary, reform will ease the burdens on small businesses, provide tax credits to help them pay for employee coverage and help level the playing field with big firms who pay much less to cover their employees on average. </li><li><u>Your Medicare is safe, and stronger with reform</u>: It’s myth that Health Insurance Reform would be financed by cutting Medicare benefits. To the contrary, reform will improve the long-term financial health of Medicare, ensure better coordination, eliminate waste and unnecessary subsidies to insurance companies, and help to close the Medicare "doughnut" hole to make prescription drugs more affordable for seniors. </li><li><u>You can keep your own insurance</u>: It’s myth that reform will force you out of your current insurance plan or force you to change doctors. To the contrary, reform will expand your choices, not eliminate them. </li><li><u>No, government will not do anything with your bank account</u>: It is an absurd myth that government will be in charge of your bank accounts. Health insurance reform will simplify administration, making it easier and more convenient for you to pay bills in a method that you choose. Just like paying a phone bill or a utility bill, you can pay by traditional check, or by a direct electronic payment. And forms will be standardized so they will be easier to understand. The choice is up to you – and the same rules of privacy will apply as they do for all other electronic payments that people make. </li></ol><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Learn more and get details: </span><br /> <a rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153); font-family: verdana;" target="_blank" href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/?e=11&ref=myth1" title="http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck/"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1250196907_2">http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck</span></a> <br /> <a rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153); font-family: verdana;" target="_blank" href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/faq/?e=11&ref=myth1" title="http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck/faq"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1250196907_3">http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck/faq</span></a> <br /> <br /><b style="font-family: verdana;">8 Reasons We Need Health Insurance Reform Now</b> <br /> <ol style="font-family: verdana;" start="1" type="1"><li><u>Coverage Denied to Millions</u>: A recent national survey estimated that 12.6 million non-elderly adults – 36 percent of those who tried to purchase health insurance directly from an insurance company in the individual insurance market – were in fact discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition in the previous three years or dropped from coverage when they became seriously ill. Learn more: <a rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);" target="_blank" href="http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/denied_coverage/index.html" title="http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/denied_coverage/index.html"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1250196907_4">http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/denied_coverage/index.html</span></a> </li><li><u>Less Care for More Costs</u>: With each passing year, Americans are paying more for health care coverage. Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have nearly doubled since 2000, a rate three times faster than wages. In 2008, the average premium for a family plan purchased through an employer was $12,680, nearly the annual earnings of a full-time minimum wage job. Americans pay more than ever for health insurance, but get less coverage. Learn more: <a rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);" target="_blank" href="http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hiddencosts/index.html" title="http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hiddencosts/index.html"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1250196907_5">http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hiddencosts/index.html</span></a> </li><li><u>Roadblocks to Care for Women</u>: Women’s reproductive health requires more regular contact with health care providers, including yearly pap smears, mammograms, and obstetric care. Women are also more likely to report fair or poor health than men (9.5% versus 9.0%). While rates of chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure are similar to men, women are twice as likely to suffer from headaches and are more likely to experience joint, back or neck pain. These chronic conditions often require regular and frequent treatment and follow-up care. Learn more: <a rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);" target="_blank" href="http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/women/index.html" title="http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/women/index.html"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1250196907_6">http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/women/index.html</span></a> </li><li><u>Hard Times in the Heartland</u>: Throughout rural America, there are nearly 50 million people who face challenges in accessing health care. The past several decades have consistently shown higher rates of poverty, mortality, uninsurance, and limited access to a primary health care provider in rural areas. With the recent economic downturn, there is potential for an increase in many of the health disparities and access concerns that are already elevated in rural communities. Learn more: <a rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);" target="_blank" href="http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hardtimes/" title="http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hardtimes/"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1250196907_7">http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hardtimes</span></a> </li><li><u>Small Businesses Struggle to Provide Health Coverage</u>: Nearly one-third of the uninsured – 13 million people – are employees of firms with less than 100 workers. From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%. Much of this decline stems from small business. The percentage of small businesses offering coverage dropped from 68% to 59%, while large firms held stable at 99%. About a third of such workers in firms with fewer than 50 employees obtain insurance through a spouse. Learn more: <a rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);" target="_blank" href="http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/helpbottomline/" title="http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/helpbottomline/"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1250196907_8">http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/helpbottomline</span></a> </li><li><u>The Tragedies are Personal</u>: Half of all personal bankruptcies are at least partly the result of medical expenses. The typical elderly couple may have to save nearly $300,000 to pay for health costs not covered by Medicare alone. Learn more: <a rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);" target="_blank" href="http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction/" title="http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction/"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1250196907_9">http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction</span></a> </li><li><u>Diminishing Access to Care</u>: From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%. An estimated 87 million people - one in every three Americans under the age of 65 - were uninsured at some point in 2007 and 2008. More than 80% of the uninsured are in working families. Learn more: <a rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);" target="_blank" href="http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction/diminishing/index.html" title="http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction/diminishing/index.html"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1250196907_10">http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction/diminishing/index.html</span></a> </li><li><u>The Trends are Troubling</u>: Without reform, health care costs will continue to skyrocket unabated, putting unbearable strain on families, businesses, and state and federal government budgets. Perhaps the most visible sign of the need for health care reform is the 46 million Americans currently without health insurance - projections suggest that this number will rise to about 72 million in 2040 in the absence of reform. Learn more: <a rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);" target="_blank" href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/CEA_Health_Care_Report.pdf?e=11&ref=report" title="http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/assets/documents/CEA_Health_Care_Report.pdf"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1250196907_11">http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/assets/documents/CEA_Health_Care_Report.pdf</span></a> </li></ol>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-76977836586580180632009-06-10T00:07:00.000-07:002009-06-10T00:08:34.873-07:00Big Money Bank Sponges<span style="font-family: verdana;">An open letter to President Obama...<br /><br />Dear Mr. President...<br /><br />I'm very worried about what I read about the banking system and it's recovery. Please set in place modern, air tight as can be regulations, so we don't have to suffer this kind of problem again. I know that we had banking problems every few years until FDR put in tough regulations and then Phil Gramm and others ripped them up and we've ended up with banks that are too big to fail because they not just banks any more - they have to get back to normal business and spin off those high risk parts of the company, so they can fail if they make the wrong decisions and us taxpayers don't have to bail them out.<br /><br />Don't let the big money sponges deter you from making the correct decisions.<br /><br />Thanks and keep up the good work. I know it's going to pay off.<br /></span>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-11413366188132199832009-05-22T20:52:00.001-07:002009-05-22T20:59:26.984-07:00Happy Anniversary Baby!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/Shd0dEIg5II/AAAAAAAAClo/4uGexm0Wi4s/s1600-h/mondadout.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/Shd0dEIg5II/AAAAAAAAClo/4uGexm0Wi4s/s200/mondadout.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338863925945492610" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/ShdzpoZASHI/AAAAAAAAClg/4V-zAOX6JY4/s1600-h/Howard_Betty-1949-After_Wedding.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 131px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/ShdzpoZASHI/AAAAAAAAClg/4V-zAOX6JY4/s200/Howard_Betty-1949-After_Wedding.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338863042325137522" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;">Happy 60th Anniversary to Mom & Dad!</span></span><br /></div>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-87923304517491449992009-05-15T11:54:00.000-07:002009-05-15T12:06:13.914-07:00Tortured Logic<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/Sg27CdEgL6I/AAAAAAAACkI/-m9UQNw9Miw/s1600-h/time_bomb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/Sg27CdEgL6I/AAAAAAAACkI/-m9UQNw9Miw/s200/time_bomb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336126784341553058" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I sent this into Meet The Press today. They are having Michael Steele, head of the RNC and Tim Kaine, head of the DNC on this Sunday.<br /><br />Why does anybody care and why is there so much "reporting" about what Nancy Pelosi knew or didn't know about the official policy of torture in 2002? If she had objected, would that have stopped anything? Aren't these CIA briefings top secret, so she couldn't say </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">anything public about it anyway? Why isn't anybody call the Bush Administration, Rush Limbaugh and the GOP "Pro Torture"? Do they really like being the Pro Torture party? If McCain had won, would we still be torturing people? Change the focus back to the main issue, which is Torture is illegal period and it doesn't matter if you get some toady lawyers to write you an opinion after the fact, to cover it up. Does Dick Cheney and the GOP admire the Spanish Inquisition? they got lots of confessions. Why not thumb screws and the rack? And this argument about the ticking time bomb is ridiculous. If they had to waterboard someone 83 times over a month, how slow is that ticking time bomb?</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/Sg29DqvPzEI/AAAAAAAACkQ/WJ4Rp5gF7Nc/s1600-h/thumbscrew_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/Sg29DqvPzEI/AAAAAAAACkQ/WJ4Rp5gF7Nc/s200/thumbscrew_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336129004213619778" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />I want everything out in the open. Everyone is being too soft on the GOP. As soon as they say ticking time bomb, ask them how slow is it if we have to waterboard someone over a month to get them to talk, if that really happened.<br /><br />I want to see a concrete example of this ticking time bomb situation. I think it's all just Jack Bauer fantasies.<br /></span>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-51965658856267481422009-04-08T16:47:00.000-07:002009-04-08T17:49:24.641-07:00Almost Killed by an Avalanche!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/Sd04M5R6HWI/AAAAAAAACjA/QKpUuiwte4Q/s1600-h/avalanche.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/Sd04M5R6HWI/AAAAAAAACjA/QKpUuiwte4Q/s200/avalanche.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322472128807312738" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I was driving along peacefully, minding my own business and all of a sudden, I was almost killed by an Avalanche! An Avalanche in Castro Valley, you say? Hell Yes!!!<br /><br />Oh, it was a massive amount of snow crashing down from a giant mountain, instead it was a GIANT MOUNTAIN OF A SUT!<br /><br />Yes, a SUT. Sport Utility Truck. It was a Chevy Avalanche that wanted to make a left turn from 3 lanes over and my li</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">ttle Camry was in the way. Well, excuuuuuuse me!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No wonder General Motors needs a bailout!!</span></span><br /><br />#1 Nobody really needs a SUT. If you need a truck, buy a truck. It is a wasted model and wasted development money.<br /><br />#2 Calling a vehicle an Avalanche???? Who thought of that idea? An avalanche causes massive damage and even a small avalanche is extremely dangerous to life and limb.<br /><br />#3 I've found some other "good ideas" for car names on various websites: <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Pontiac Plague (you have a choice between Bubonic, Septicemic or Pneumonic), the Cadillac Cancer, the Oldsmobile Ebola, Chrysler Tsunami, the Edsel Earthquake, Volvo Volcano, Ford Flood, Hyundai Hurricane, Toyota Tornado, Fiat Forest Fire, Renault Street Riot, Mazda Murder Spree, Honda Hate Crime, Voltzwagen Vampire Bite, Kia Serial Killer, Peugeot Pervert and the Nissan Nitroglycerin.</span><br /><br />Be careful out there! Here is what to look for.<br /></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/Sd09GtPgNsI/AAAAAAAACjI/X5_hEqwuXC0/s1600-h/2007_Chevy_Avalanche_ext_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 130px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/Sd09GtPgNsI/AAAAAAAACjI/X5_hEqwuXC0/s200/2007_Chevy_Avalanche_ext_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322477520054924994" border="0" /></a>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-63604586473574962522009-03-13T08:52:00.000-07:002009-03-13T09:11:35.492-07:00Friday the 13th<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SbqEcngWUkI/AAAAAAAAChw/OTg4WBw_j_A/s1600-h/happy-friday-the-13th.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SbqEcngWUkI/AAAAAAAAChw/OTg4WBw_j_A/s200/happy-friday-the-13th.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312704337612788290" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: verdana;">For all these years, I've thought I suffered from Triskaidekaphobia, which is fear of the number 13, but now I learned a new word: Friggatriskaidekaphobia, which is fear of Friday the 13th. You are never too old to learn.<br /><br />Here are five favorite Friday-the-13th facts:<br /><br />1. Fear of Friday the 13th — one of the most popular myths in science — is called paraskavedekatriaphobia as well as friggatriskaidekaphobia. Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13.<br /><br />2. Many hospitals have no room 13, while some tall buildings skip the 13th floor and some airline terminals omit Gate 13.<br /><br />3. President Franklin D. Roosevelt would not travel on the 13th day of any month and would never host 13 guests at a meal. Napoleon and President Herbert Hoover were also triskaidekaphobic, with an abnormal fear of the number 13.<br /><br />4. Mark Twain once was the 13th guest at a dinner party. A friend warned him not to go. "It was bad luck," Twain later told the friend. "They only had food for 12." Superstitious diners in Paris can hire a quatorzieme, or professional 14th guest.<br /><br />5. The number 13 suffers from its position after 12, according to numerologists who consider the latter to be a complete number — 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Jesus, 12 days of Christmas and 12 eggs in a dozen.<br /></span>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-47834399786061619192009-01-05T16:50:00.000-08:002009-01-05T16:50:02.150-08:002008 Christmas Story Professorial Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SWFanjxV6pI/AAAAAAAACYo/Xo6y_eedSMc/s1600-h/Oliver_Twist_02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 152px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SWFanjxV6pI/AAAAAAAACYo/Xo6y_eedSMc/s200/Oliver_Twist_02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287607073173269138" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">From Professor Lawrence Coates re:<br />TLC's 2008 Christmas Story<br /><br /></span>A Dickensian tale of a journey from rags to riches. In an Oliverish twist of fate, our young hero is cast forth into the cruel world by his stepmother R(osi)e. However, avoiding the Scylla of despair or the Charybdis of sloth, our hero sets forth on an odyssey of discovery, finding friends and family, a home for his unused junk and a toxic waste site for old photographic chemicals. In an irony worthy of Trollope, the once-feared Monster turns out to be his best mentor, guiding him as he crossed the river with a fair wind to save Dreamland from the clutches of the dread beast, economicus meltdownicus.Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-82509677016685289912009-01-04T16:44:00.000-08:002009-01-04T16:50:04.923-08:00Fireball Classic High Score<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SWFYnUXPG2I/AAAAAAAACYY/ulfUKNHIKR4/s1600-h/Fireball+High+Score+2009+1-4-2009+5-32-24+PM.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 180px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SWFYnUXPG2I/AAAAAAAACYY/ulfUKNHIKR4/s200/Fireball+High+Score+2009+1-4-2009+5-32-24+PM.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287604870013983586" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I decided to reset the all time high score on my Fireball Classic pinball machine to start 2009. Mike Wendell had the new record of 2,863,830 for about a day, but this afternoon, I took care of that and put up the new number to shoot at - 3.992,670.<br /><br />I think I've gotten higher than that score 3 times, so it may stay for awhile.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SWFY0phjuMI/AAAAAAAACYg/DtHYA0GI6dc/s1600-h/Fireball+All+Time+High+Score.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 162px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SWFY0phjuMI/AAAAAAAACYg/DtHYA0GI6dc/s200/Fireball+All+Time+High+Score.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287605099032721602" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:verdana;" >The all time record at the Dreamland Game Room still stands as 7,403,970. </span><br /></div>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-62746002539361831622008-12-31T23:59:00.000-08:002008-12-31T23:59:00.382-08:002008 is my rear view mirror!<span style="font-family:verdana;">I'm happy that 2008 is over. It was an exciting and crazy and scary year, so I'm looking for 2009 to be a bit smoother for me. Below is my 2008 Christmas letter. I realized that I hadn't written a Christmas letter since 2004 and I know that's because I wasn't that happy in the intervening years. I am happy now and as a red-blooded True American, I demand my right to pursuit Happiness.<br /><br />What I didn't include in my Christmas letter was:</span><ol style="font-family:arial;"><li><span style="font-size:85%;">the pl</span><span style="font-size:85%;">ague and infestation of rats</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">the plague and infestation of flies (summer was big fun at Dreamland - no money, but plenty of "friends")<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">thinking I was going to lose my house, my Dreamland and the stress that caused</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">visiting and calling lawyers and finding out that employees ain't got no rights if some "qfuuz xzsbou" doesn't like you</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">but as is my credo, I used my genius for good and not evil and the people who shall not be named (and you</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> know who you are) will eventually get what they deserve because as we all know, at least those who are watching the<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">"Seven Deadly Sins"</span> series on the History Channel, that the list of sins are: <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">lust, envy, gluttony, sloth, greed, anger and pride</span>. Three of the sins: greed, anger and pride were directed towards me and that sounds bad to me. A triple Whammy, if you will. Better buy some asbestos sandals.</span></li><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I will admit to some passing angry thoughts, but then I just think about the future and I'm using this blog entry partly for expunging the past year's badness.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">I have one more thing to do before the end of 2008 and nobody will probably se</span><span style="font-size:85%;">e it, but I will know that I did it and it's out there in the ether, which is good enough for me.</span><a style="font-weight: bold;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SVwzKTBmCDI/AAAAAAAACXo/4nlEU5siGiM/s1600-h/sevendeadlysins_logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 126px; height: 107px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SVwzKTBmCDI/AAAAAAAACXo/4nlEU5siGiM/s200/sevendeadlysins_logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286156314624788530" border="0" /></a></li></ol><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Some really good things happened in 2008:<br /><ol><li>I organized the JAB (Just another Birthday) party for my Dad and it was perfect and I got<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SVw1UBLvlUI/AAAAAAAACXw/prIpyv6PGdI/s1600-h/DSC_0060.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 171px; height: 114px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SVw1UBLvlUI/AAAAAAAACXw/prIpyv6PGdI/s200/DSC_0060.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286158680657466690" border="0" /></a> donations for a plaque and a dedicated redwood tree in Big Basin State Park in the Semerviren Fund's Legacy Grove.</li><li>I found the top expert to rid me of my pestilence. </li><li>I discovered massive amounts of information about the Coates' Family Tree</li><li>On Sept. 25th, I had a vision and I went to cash in all my retirement accounts. On Sept. 29th, the Dow Jones dropped 777 points and I felt strangely at peace. Someone was looking out for me.</li><li>On July 14, 2008, I started working at Wind River. It is so nice to be appreciated for my hard work and dedication. It had been a long time.<br /></li></ol><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">I wish everyone and I mean everyone, a very Happy 2009!<br /></div><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Christmas 2008</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Change, roller coasters, family and how the Monster saved the day.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">On the calendar that I have in my office (I always get a movie poster calendar) the month of December is the poster for Godzilla. How perfect is that for symbolism? Godzilla was changed by</span></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> a catastrophic event and this year has had plenty of big events for everyone that changed things in a big way. But in my story, the Monster also saves the day, but more about that later…<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">I guess 2008 was always going to be a memorable year. For me it started out by working on my Dad’s JAB (Just Another Birthday) party. I dusted off the old family photographs and found out that online Genealogy had improved massively, so I was able to find a lot more family members and info about them. I discovered Great Uncle James Coates and his family who stayed in England. I cranked up my scanner and got the family photos online, some of them over 100 years old. It was fun to figure out who was who.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">To my surprise, I got an email saying: “You’ve got my Grandfather’s photo on your site. It was Barbara Astle, granddaughter of William Coates. She had lots of Coates’ family documents, photos & the family bible. I took a road trip to visit her and her husband David and we were able to figure out who was who in some really old photos. I learned that the ears & chin don’t change much from age 3 to 83. The photo of Crater Lake was taken on that trip.</span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SVw5w0avsBI/AAAAAAAACX4/sI3RI0Tj7bc/s1600-h/Wizard_Island+6-20-2008+12-04-24+PM.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 136px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SVw5w0avsBI/AAAAAAAACX4/sI3RI0Tj7bc/s200/Wizard_Island+6-20-2008+12-04-24+PM.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286163573493444626" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Then I also found the Silliman family, another cousin, Cliff, who’s the grandson of Jessie Coates. So this was a year to find old and new family and celebrate the family.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">The political scene this year was change and life changed for me major league big time. Losing my job after 16 years was a shocking surprise. When you’ve worked with people that long, they are like a 2nd family and now I understand more about dysfunctional families and as I was driving home, I felt strangely happy. I took my unexpected time off to donate about 600 gallons of clothes to the Goodwill, which made me feel good and I know helped lots of people. I also discovered freecycle.org, which let me cull without mercy a bunch of items that I didn’t need, but others did. It was a house cleansing and Dreamland is almost back to its heyday. I got the Fireball pinball machine tuned up, so it’s playing better than ever and I installed the <a href="http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=94552&wuSelect=WEATHER">Dreamland Weather Station</a> that’s serving up weather data to the Internet.<br /><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">The stock market has been like a rollercoaster this year, mostly a long downhill scream ride and I’m feeling blessed and fortunate that the Monster (monster.com) came along, picked out my resume and saved my bacon and my house from a crash and burn. Now things are great with me working at Wind River in Alameda with a great bunch of people and doing enjoyable work again after such a long time.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">So 2008 has been a year of discovering new family and friends and getting rid of old baggage and I’m sure that 2009 is going to be a fantastic year. I always feel blessed to have a close and supportive family and I couldn’t do it without them.<br /><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);font-family:verdana;" ><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Merry Christmas and Happy New Year</span></span></span><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);font-family:verdana;" ><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">TLC</span></span></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /></span></span>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-13876464311818685632008-12-31T20:19:00.000-08:002009-01-02T14:55:39.171-08:00Who is goooooood girl?<span style="font-size:85%;">I've gotten a couple of comments on my blog from "goooooood girl", just saying: "I like your blog." is "goooooood girl" a real person? If you are a real person, let me know.<br /><br />Just curious.<br /><br />Carbubble</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">I think I've figured out who "gooooooood girl" is: Is that you, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Annette Obrestad</span>? I use sitemeter to track how many people view my blog and it also shows the location, so on Jan 1st, someone from Elverum, Norway checked out my blog for 49 seconds and exited on the page where I talked about my<span style="font-weight: bold;"> WSOP Academy of Poker </span>class in Las Vegas where I met and played against <span style="font-weight: bold;">Annette Obrestad</span>. Just a guess.<br /><br />If it is you, I think it's way cool that you are reading my blog. If I knew I had a fan, I would write more. I haven't had much time to play any poker lately, but so far in 2009, I'm way ahead in wagering on the college bowl games.<br /><br />My email is: tlcbasebal@yahoo.com if you want to say Hi. Good luck!!<br /></span>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-27699568754770631202008-12-30T18:18:00.000-08:002008-12-31T18:34:04.797-08:00Tire inflation really does make a difference<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SVwoXJFj0pI/AAAAAAAACXA/tU6b9-znhOU/s1600-h/air+in+tires+-+better+MPG.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 122px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SVwoXJFj0pI/AAAAAAAACXA/tU6b9-znhOU/s200/air+in+tires+-+better+MPG.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286144440667460242" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I have proof that inflating your tires helps gas mileage. check out the graph. the two big spikes upwards are when I got my tires inflated - first was my last oil change and the 2nd was last week when I did it myself, although I guess I didn't get it up to the best pressure, it sure helped a lot on my MPG. I had noticed it was going down, so I figured I should try it and it worked. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">On August 4, 2008, tire inflation became the latest goofball political issue in the Obama/McCain campaign - </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/08/when_tire_infla.html">Boston Globe article (including 2 YouTube videos)</a><span style="font-family:verdana;">.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Eventually, McCain agreed that proper tire inflation was helpful in improving gas mileage, but not before the McCain's campaign offered "Obama Energy Plan" tire gauges to supporters for a donation of $25 or more, and the Republican National Committee also gave tire gauges to newsrooms in Washington "in celebration" of Obama's birthday.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SVwrNHNyXuI/AAAAAAAACXg/H6fpmhLu2oY/s1600-h/obama-tiregauge.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 49px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SVwrNHNyXuI/AAAAAAAACXg/H6fpmhLu2oY/s200/obama-tiregauge.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286147566901288674" border="0" /></a>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-83047547173232131102008-12-16T18:38:00.000-08:002008-12-16T18:53:34.461-08:00Open Letter to President Obama<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">The #1 priority is Energy Independence and Green Economy</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">Because this solves several problems - we have to start now to lower our consumption of oil for our cars - just starting down this road will keep gas prices lower. It will also create new jobs for Americans and finally it will help the environment, which everyone needs.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I heard this morning that a large percentage of the Energy Dept budget just takes care of the nuclear arsenal. That seems like old Cold War thinking. That needs to be changed. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />P.S. When Clinton got elected, I sent him a message asking to get rid of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helium">Helium</a> Fund </span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SUhnR-nB5bI/AAAAAAAACWY/sPv8mPvpqvg/s1600-h/helium.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 120px; height: 91px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SUhnR-nB5bI/AAAAAAAACWY/sPv8mPvpqvg/s200/helium.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280584121654044082" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">(started about 100 years ago to supply our barrage balloon fleet for WWI) and the Mohair subsidy (which is also a WWI leftover for making sure our pilots had nice warm Mohair flight jackets and that back then people like Sam Donaldson and Charlie Stenholm were taking big tax right offs against). The day after I sent this message back then, I heard someone mention both issues on CNN the very next day and I think for awhile they were cut back, but I think Bush brought them back.<br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SUhoC-VvGFI/AAAAAAAACWg/--4QKM8LjS0/s1600-h/mohair.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 157px; height: 107px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SUhoC-VvGFI/AAAAAAAACWg/--4QKM8LjS0/s200/mohair.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280584963395098706" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I am hoping that your budget director will find things like the Helium Fund and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohair">Mohair</a> subsidy that are relics of a previous era and finally kill them once and for all.</span></span>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-57531788560649284842008-11-26T16:31:00.000-08:002008-11-26T16:40:13.015-08:00A Thanksgiving Story<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SS3rxmsX1-I/AAAAAAAACRo/vN03K2WYGeA/s1600-h/parrot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SS3rxmsX1-I/AAAAAAAACRo/vN03K2WYGeA/s200/parrot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273129976153495522" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">A young man named John received a parrot as A gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird's' mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to "clean up" the bird's vocabulary.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even ruder. John, in desperation, threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet . Not A Peep, was heard.<br /><br />Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to the freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out onto John's outstretched arms and said: <span style="font-style: italic;">"I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."</span><br /><br />John was stunned at the change in the </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SS3r8aTSCTI/AAAAAAAACRw/9PCW5SDKjVQ/s1600-h/turkey.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 149px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SS3r8aTSCTI/AAAAAAAACRw/9PCW5SDKjVQ/s200/turkey.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273130161805592882" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">bird's attitude. As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird continued, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">"May I ask what the turkey did?"</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >HAPPY THANKSGIVING! </span>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-84364251542591190522008-11-19T20:26:00.000-08:002008-11-21T15:56:26.406-08:00Carbubble Predicts 2008 Election exactly (almost)<p><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>McCain wins Missouri; State's streak over!</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>(CNN) –</strong> It's taken more than two weeks, but we finally have a winner in Missouri.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">Fifteen days after Election Day, Republican Sen. John McCain has narrowly edged out President-elect Barack Obama in the state, according to CNN's review of the latest unofficial vote totals from the Missouri Secretary of State. This resolves the final outstanding contest of the 2008 presidential race.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">According to the unofficial results, McCain won the state by 3,632 votes . The unofficial count shows McCain with 1,445,812 votes, or 49.4 percent, and Obama with 1,442,180 votes, or 49.3 percent.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">With Missouri's 11 electoral votes in Senator McCain's column, the final count is 365 for Obama and 173 for McCain.</span></p><p>********************************************************</p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;">I predicted every single state correctly and I only missed that Obama would carry Omaha's 1 electoral vote. Not bad! </span></span><br /></p><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" id="usermap" width="420" align="middle" height="350"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://www.latimes.com/includes/electoralmap/usermap.swf"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"><param name="FlashVars" value="usergen=110100010111111011111110111110110010001001000000110"><embed src="http://www.latimes.com/includes/electoralmap/usermap.swf" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" flashvars="usergen=110100010111111011111110111110110010001001000000110" name="usermap" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="420" align="middle" height="350"></embed></object>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-28111843923598231392008-11-19T20:25:00.000-08:002008-11-19T20:25:44.488-08:00More Presidential Predictions 2008<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SSTlydy09KI/AAAAAAAACRI/XCE8LbzYbQI/s1600-h/2008+Election+Dollar.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SSTlydy09KI/AAAAAAAACRI/XCE8LbzYbQI/s200/2008+Election+Dollar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270590119084356770" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Cha-Ching! Gimme dat dollar!<br /><br />No congrats on predicting every single state correctly? Not even a "Not bad"? Oh well...<br /><br />Here are my new predictions:<br /></span><p style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sec. of State</span> - Hillary Clinton<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sec. of Defense</span> Chuck Hagel (ex GOP senator)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sec. of Treasury</span> - John Corzine (Gov of NJ and ex Goldman Sachs)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sec. of Homeland Security</span> - Tim Roemer - <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Wrong</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sec. of Energy</span> - Steve Westly (eBay founder)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Attorney General</span> - Janet Napolitano (AZ Gov) - <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Wrong, going to be Homeland Security</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sec. of Education</span> - Caroline Kennedy</span></p><p face="georgia" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Bizzaro Predictions:</p><p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Sec. of State - Andrew "Dice" Clay (least diplomatic)<br />Sec. of Defense (after Gates leaves) - Sarah Silverman (most offensive)<br />Sec. of Treasury - Paris Hilton (knows all about spending $$$)<br />Sec. of Homeland Security - Macaulay Culkin (Home Alone kid)<br />Sec. of Energy - Sarah Palin (Drill, Baby, Drill)<br />Attorney General - Adam "Pacman" Jones (Make it Rain)</span></p>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-76433978992855751492008-11-04T09:56:00.000-08:002008-11-04T10:28:50.813-08:00Election Day 2008 - Morning<span style="font-family:verdana;">I slept really well last night, so my confidence is high for today's vote. I repeat, Confidence is High!<br /><br />This has been a very long election. It all started for me in June 2006 when I bet Ken a dollar that neither McCain or Hillary would be the next Prez.<br /><br />I had no idea that I would become emotionally involved with this election. Even Dan Rather said that 2008 is the most important and exciting election he's seen and he started covering elections in 1952 when I was just barely born.<br /><br />I've made a lot of predictions about this election, so we'll see in about 6 hours if I've been right. My newest predictions is that at least one state back east will have such overwhelming turnout and/or problems that they will have to delay the polls closing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-size:130%;" >My final prediction is 364 Obama to 174 McCain.</span><br /><br />I had a couple of other thoughts lately about Gov. Sarah Palin, but now they seem trivial. I did like that McCain's boys are calling her a "whack job", a "diva", an "unscripted robot" or a "scripted ignoramus". She's just a Mavericky Rogue. Let Sarah be Sarah in 2012! Like she said: "What do I have to lose?"<br /><br />I used the excellent internet tools that the Obama campaign had and personally raised over $1000 for the campaign and I made phone calls to undecided voters in New Mexico. I sent out a lot of information to my co-workers at Wind River about the debates and how to register. I inspired someone to vote early and last weekend he drove to Reno NV and knocked on 100 doors canvasing in a latino neighborhood and found that a lot of the undecided people just didn't know where their polling place was and how to vote because it was their first time.<br /><br />I feel really good about the contribution I played and I'm very hopeful for the future. That's all for now.<br /></span>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-44335926994935523142008-11-03T07:12:00.001-08:002008-11-03T07:12:34.693-08:002008 Election Results<script type="text/javascript" src="http://widgets.clearspring.com/o/48f7b94a8845f8a3/490f14e244aa5278/4905331bc4942126/d853be5f/widget.js"></script>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-86173186785105039712008-10-15T22:21:00.000-07:002008-10-15T22:44:04.082-07:00Batman vs. The Penguin: The DebateMcCain (played by Penguin): Friends and fellow citizens, there will be no mudslinging in this campaign. I intend to stick to the issues. What are the issues? There is only one! Obama. Who is he? I suggest that he is dangerous. Why else does he conceal his past? Would you think about that for a moment, my friends? Who is he with? Criminals, that's who! Hobnobbing with crooks.<br /><br />Spin room: McCain is as crooked as a warped Shillelagh<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/l63SRpGXBHE&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/l63SRpGXBHE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-70636912367464937632008-10-09T18:39:00.000-07:002008-10-09T18:44:51.994-07:00More advice for Barack Obama & Joe Biden<span style="font-family:verdana;">I think that Senator McCain is chicken and now he's hiding behind his wife's & running mate's skirts while they spout disgraceful statements.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I think you should add disgraceful & dishonorable to erratic as a constant theme. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I think that Senators Biden & Obama should do back to back "full ginsburgs" and talk on all 5 sunday morning news shows and challenge the opponents. Answer all the questions and then ask why McCain & Palin are too scared to answer questions. Why would a fighter pilot and moose hunter be scared?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">McCain keeps asking "who is the real Obama?". If he knew how to use a computer, he could Google "obama" and discover that he's been running for President for 20 months, talking to 100's of thousands of American citizens (not prisoners) and most people do know who Barack Obama is. I'll bet that McCain has a VCR in each of his many houses and they all blink 12:00.</span>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-26594605821559072612008-09-30T17:58:00.000-07:002008-09-30T18:01:05.571-07:00Open Letter to Senator Obama - Debate ideas<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My Presidential prediction of Obama getting 300+ electoral votes still stands and it's getting better and better every day.<br /><br />Here is some advice I've sent to the Obama campaign: <br /><br /></span></span><ol><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Senator Obama, I noticed that you did mention McCain not wanting to talk with the PM of Spain, but you didn't press it and let him off the hook. I think you should make him answer that question personally and find out why he would blow off a member of NATO, who's suffered a lot at the hand of terrorists.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">At the next debate, I think you should bring up this - at the Friday debate, McCain said many times how he was a fighter, fighting for this and fighting for that, but every example he named, he didn't win or persuade anybody, just like when he suspended his campaign and claimed to convince the House GOP to pass the $700 Billion bailout bill.... He is not a winner, he just likes to fight. </span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When he starts up again with his "Senator Obama doesn't understand", you should throw that back in his face also. Say, the American people can see me in the last debate and this debate understanding all the issues we've been discussing and because I don't agree with your position doesn't mean I don't understand it and reject it as being wrong, wrong, wrong. (remember the rule of 3 - if you say something 3 times, people will really hear it and remember it - never go over 3)...</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you really want to get under his skin, ask him why he considers himself a Maverick. When he starts talking about all the issues he's disagreed on with his party, ask him if the Republicans are just plain wrong that often? If he's working with Democrats so much, then it's a matter of fact that the Democrats have the better ideas on these issues. </span></span></li></ol><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />As they said in the olde days: "Nail him to the hull".<br /><br />P.S. My personal opinion: </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;">Americans are not going to elect a grumpy, cranky, dice-throwing, erratic 72 year old fighter pilot to be the next President. When I heard about him being a big gambler at the Indian casino craps table and that he crashed at least 2 planes before he was shot down, that explains a lot. </span>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-69020210239391933322008-09-10T16:42:00.000-07:002008-09-10T16:46:20.457-07:00DIRECTV is messing up my enjoyment of the NFL Season<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">September 11, 2008</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Chase Carey</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">DIRECTV</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">P.O. Box 6550</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Greenwood Village, CO 80155-6550</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Dear Mr. Carey,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I've been a DIRECTV customer since 2001. In the last seven years, I’ve just gotten the NFL Sunday Ticket package by itself, without any base package. My house is wired so the satellite dish feed only goes to the living room and the rest of my house is wired for cable TV, which I get from Comcast. Every year, I’ve gotten automatically renewed with no problems. I really enjoy watching all the different games.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">When I got my first NFL bill this year, which was over 2 months before the NFL season starts, I was out of work and thought I was going to lose my house and paying for the NFL package 2 months in the future just didn't seem like a good idea when I wouldn't have any satellite dish in my future. As you can imagine, I was under a lot of stress. When I cancelled, I wasn’t told that there were any consequences if I wanted to sign up again the future. When I called ADT about cancelling my alarm service, they told me there was going to be a new start up fee and they gave me an option for a lower price, which I could afford. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">About a week after I canceled, I got a new job and I won't be losing my house and I'm really going to miss watching all the NFL games, but I'm not going to pay for a 200% increase over what I've been paying in the past, which is what it works out to if I have to get a base package along with the NFL Sunday Ticket.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I was told there is no way to go back to my NFL Sunday Ticket only plan. I find it hard to believe that DIRECTV would treat a long time loyal customer this way. I even found out by checking online that if you complain to the right customer service agent, you can get the SUPERFAN package added for free and that the price had gone down. I paid 5 payments of $45.80 last year and apparently it’s down to $41 something. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I would like to complain directly about Natalie D. #400866. She emailed me on 9/6 and asked for my phone number and said she would call me, but I was never called. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I’m going to cc the NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell and ask him to not renew your exclusive contract when it expires. Maybe he can find a company that treats its customers better. I don’t expect anything, but maybe you’ll treat the next customer in a similar situation with a better understanding.</span><br /></span>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-61696722659782897562008-09-08T22:27:00.000-07:002008-09-08T22:59:00.727-07:00McCain & Palin are no "Mavericks"<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SMYNSy5ls1I/AAAAAAAAB7Q/TWnXtuewJoM/s1600-h/WickerMan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SMYNSy5ls1I/AAAAAAAAB7Q/TWnXtuewJoM/s200/WickerMan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243893432671646546" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">A </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Straw Man Argument</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> is an informal fallacy based on misrepresentation of an opponent's position. To "set up a straw man" or "set up a straw man argument" is to describe a position that superficially resembles an opponent's actual view but is easier to refute, then attribute that position to the opponent (for example, deliberately overstating the opponent's position).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Click on the link below for the new Obama ad countering the McCain ad that called him & Gov. Palin so-called "Mavericks". The GOP is running a <span style="font-style: italic;">straw man campaign</span> where they avoid the issues <span style="font-weight: bold;">(McCain's campaign manager declared the election won't be about the issues)</span> and use sarcasm and false claims to move the polls. McCain has moved ahead in some polls, but still all the polls are within the margin of error.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:130%;" ><br /><a href="http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1185304443/bctid1782584531"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">No Mavericks Video</span></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">So far, I've raised $500 for Obama. My personal goal is $1000 before my Birthday on October 15th, which is the date of the final Presidential Debate.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong style="font-family: verdana;">September 26, 2008</strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">: Presidential debate with domestic policy focus, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS</span><br /><strong style="font-family: verdana;">October 2, 2008</strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">: Vice Presidential debate, Washington University, St. Louis, MO</span><br /><strong style="font-family: verdana;">October 7, 2008</strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">: Presidential debate in a town hall format, Belmont University, Nashville, TN</span><br /><strong style="font-family: verdana;">October 15, 2008</strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">:Presidential debate with foreign policy focus, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >Please donate if you can and pass this onto to your friends.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TLC"><span style="font-family:verdana;">TLC's Obama Fundraising Page</span></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Thanks to everyone.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">P.S. Here is the real Maverick.</span><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SMYNgB38zOI/AAAAAAAAB7Y/bX5myKymLnE/s1600-h/maverick.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SMYNgB38zOI/AAAAAAAAB7Y/bX5myKymLnE/s200/maverick.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243893660029603042" border="0" /></a></span>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-24424289160884307802008-09-02T17:03:00.000-07:002008-09-02T17:22:59.616-07:00Why pick Palin?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SL3U35UluaI/AAAAAAAAB6w/E9FvgRcZ_Vs/s1600-h/palin-miss-alaska-b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SL3U35UluaI/AAAAAAAAB6w/E9FvgRcZ_Vs/s200/palin-miss-alaska-b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241579598074198434" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Why not pick Palin? As Flush Lintball said: "She's a babe." That's a good a reason as any, I suppose.<br /><br />McLame realized that he was going to lose big by picking boring losers like Pawlenty or Mitt and he want to shake things up by picking Liebermann, but Flush Lintball and other big shot right wingers told him he couldn't be that much of a Maverick, so he was stuck with Palin as the only big deal that would satisfy his masters. <br /><br />Maybe their thinking was that picking a woman would help, but </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">remember that Mondale tried this same gambit and look what happened to him.<br /><br />Palin seems like a very fine woman, mother and Governor for Alaska, but when the flacks start saying that she's got <span style="font-weight: bold;">foreign policy experience</span> because <span style="font-weight: bold;">Alaska is next to Russia</span> and that she's tough because she <span style="font-weight: bold;">sold the state plane on eBay</span> and that she's a big reformer because she said no to the <span style="font-weight: bold;">infamous "Bridge to Nowhere"</span>, when in 2006 when she was running for Governor, <span style="font-weight: bold;">she was for it</span> and all the other millions of dollars of earmarks that Alaska loves (Alaska gets $300 in earmark cash for each person because the state is so big, but with a population of a congressional district in a more populous state), it just becomes silly. <br /><br />Watch this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jRhN5Et9QQ">CNN interview</a> with McCain spokesman, Tucker "Mr. Talking Points" Bounds and watch how silly it gets the harder he tries not to answer any of the actual questions. This interview caused McCain to cancel an appearance on the Larry King show.<br /><br />In the end, picking Palin won't make any difference in the 2008 election and my prediction of Obama winning 300+ electoral votes still stands.<br /></span></span>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-22314369170831163242008-08-06T09:46:00.000-07:002008-08-06T10:48:27.762-07:00Zeppelin Rides again<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SJnjorW-eAI/AAAAAAAABuI/SDcFNcYDhnI/s1600-h/Carl_Janson-1890.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SJnjorW-eAI/AAAAAAAABuI/SDcFNcYDhnI/s200/Carl_Janson-1890.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231462730140907522" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SJnVmLClcEI/AAAAAAAABuA/DzCvOnIF2wY/s1600-h/zeppelin.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6FZRZw9xMTY/SJnVmLClcEI/AAAAAAAABuA/DzCvOnIF2wY/s200/zeppelin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231447293942919234" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">My Great Grandfather, Carl Jansen, was born in Frederickshafen Germany, home of Count von Zeppelin and I thought I was going to have to travel to Germany to take a Zeppelin ride and I just found out that a Zeppelin is coming to the Bay Area and be ready to take tourist rides in Fall 2008. I am ready to go!<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The fourth and latest model of Zeppelin is now in London, captivating tourists with a bird’s eye view of the city before the airship begins a slow journey on a cargo ship to its future home in the San Francisco Bay Area. There, its new owners, <a href="http://www.airshipventures.com/">Airship Ventures</a>, intend for it to ferry tourists.</span>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513614.post-13580768815446082982008-08-05T19:52:00.000-07:002008-08-05T20:04:42.415-07:00Oxen, Rats & Paris Hilton<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >McCain - Aug 29, 1936 - Year of the Rat: Manipulative, vindictive, mendacious, venal, selfish, obstinate, critical, over-ambitious, ruthless, intolerant, scheming</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">.</span><br /><div style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Obama - Aug 4, 1961 - Year of the Ox: Dependable, calm, methodical, patient, hardworking, ambitious, conventional, steady, modest, logical, resolute, tenacious.</span><br /><br />Why does Paris Hilton make so much sense? "Thanks for the endorsement, white haired dude."<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="464" height="388"><param name="movie" value="http://www2.funnyordie.com/public/flash/fodplayer.swf?96d0a705"><param name="flashvars" value="key=64ad536a6d"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><embed flashvars="key=64ad536a6d" allowfullscreen="true" quality="high" src="http://www2.funnyordie.com/public/flash/fodplayer.swf?96d0a705" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="464" height="388"></embed></object><div style="text-align: center; width: 464px;">See more <a href="http://www.funnyordie.com/paris_hilton">Paris Hilton</a> videos at Funny or Die</div><br /></div>Carbubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292029812010317004noreply@blogger.com0