March 2, 2017

G.W. Bush is on Ellen. He's making me smile. I feel like

I'm betraying myself, but he's taken a couple of subtle shots at 45*

February 21, 2017

Attended Womack's Townhall in West Fork this morning. I was

able to ask one of the last questions. About 100 people got into the council room and there were around 150 more in the parking lot. Rep. Womack wouldn't move the discussion outside. I would estimate 75 to 80% of the attendees don't approve the Republican agenda. He talked about the new 'unified' government's top 2 goals for this year. Repeal the ACA, with vague reference to replacement, and tax reform
He explained his vote to repeal all of Obama's regulations like the protection of streams from coal mines as economic killers and EPA overreach. Says we can't afford Medicare and other services. So, I asked him why the human cost of repealing things wasn't more important than the economic and stated that the solution should be to raise taxes. I got applause from audience and set him off. He yelled, "I wasn't elected by NW Arkansas to go to Washington and raise taxes!" People yelled back, "How do you know?" I would guess that the only ones who expressed that view to him was the Walton family (Walmart).

February 13, 2017

How White House adviser Stephen Miller went from pestering Hispanic students to designing Trump's

http://www.univision.com/univision-news/politics/how-white-house-advisor-stephen-miller-went-from-pestering-hispanic-students-to-designing-trumps-immigration-policy

Can't post paragraphs because I'm really bad posting from my phone. Read the background on this man of hate.

February 1, 2017

Cotton office cancels meeting with citizen group, sparking protest

https://www.google.com/amp/www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2017/02/01/cotton-office-cancels-meeting-with-citizen-group-sparking-protest%3Fmedia%3DAMP%2BHTML

Arkansas Times
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Cotton office cancels meeting with citizen group, sparking protest

David Ramsey Feb 1, 2017 9:12 AM


The citizen group Ozark Indivisible has a protest scheduled for 10 a.m. this morning outside of Sen. Tom Cotton's field office in Springdale. The group has been hoping to raise concerns about the future of the Affordable Care Act, the president's recent executive order enacting a travel ban, and other issues — but they say that Cotton and his team won't meet with them.

Caitlynn Moses, one of the founding members of the group, contacted Cotton's office on January 17. She originally asked for a townhall but Cotton's team declined. However, staffer Morgan Farmer, a field representative, said that she would be happy to arrange a meeting and she would pass on concerns to Cotton. Farmer asked about the size of Moses's group; Moses said that she had about 20 people that wanted to come. Farmer replied that the maximum size of a group allowed would be five people because of the size of the office.

That meeting was scheduled for today at 10 a.m. Yesterday, it was abruptly cancelled without explanation. No mention was made of potentially rescheduling the meeting.

With their meeting cancelled, Ozark Indivisible is now planning a protest. They will be demonstrating just outside of Cotton's office. "We feel the need to talk to our congressman but we can’t reach him," she said. "If they won’t hear us face to face, maybe they’ll hear us outside." Hundreds of people have indicated interest in attending on the group's Facebook page.

I asked Farmer and Cotton's spokesperson Caroline Rabbitt for comment yesterday and have received no response.

Republican lawmakers have been reluctant to hold town halls because of the potential for bad optics. I expect we'll be seeing more of this.

Ozark Indivisible also held a demonstration at Sen. John Boozman's Sringdale office yesterday, protesting Trump's cabinet nominees. Meanwhile, in Washington D.C. yesterday, dozens of protesters were arrested outside of Sen. Orrin Hatch's office. They were peacefully gathered in the hallway, hoping to raise concerns about the future of the ACA.

UPDATE: According to the Little Rock field office, Cotton is not allowing any constituents in to his offices because of "recent threats."

© 2017 Arkansas Times

January 18, 2017

I have a question maybe you guys can answer.

My brother-in-law passed away in 2014 and my sister hasn't recovered very well. She's in the process of moving 1000 miles to live across the street from me.
Her husband served in the Army during the Vietnam Era. What is the best thing to do with his uniforms? I suggested we give away pants and anything not having Army ensignias. But what about shirts with his name and dress uniform and overcoat?

November 29, 2016

I've finally found my key to losing weight at age 68 1/2.

I've had a poor body image since about the age of 12. I've always compared myself to my older sister. Although, most people didn't see me as really 'fat', I thought I was because I weighed more than my sister who's an inch shorter and because of my large breasts (which I hate with a passion).

I weighed about 125-128 at 5'3" through college and until I had my son. I didn't lose the baby weight until I went through my divorce. Then continued to weigh from 128 to 133 for the next 30 years.

After menopause, I gradually ballooned up to 158. Then had Stage IV throat cancer in 2009 and went down to 125 through treatment.

Suddenly, when I could eat again, everything was stored as fat! Nutritionist said it was a normal reaction to the end of months of 'starvation' my body had gone through. I went back up to 138 and spent $1000 with Metabolic Research Center in 2013-14, attempting to lose a lousy 14 pounds and they failed.

Anyway, I found I was back at 148 at the end of this August. (Became addicted to Cadbury Mini Easter Eggs and all things sweet). I wanted to lose pounds before my trip to Paris next month.

Found a used book called The Virgin Diet by J.J. Virgin and decided to give it a try. I lost 13 pounds in the 21 day first cycle. The diet is a little bit Paleo, close to the Whole30 plan. You give up gluten, dairy, sugar, soy, eggs, corn, and peanuts. Whole30 you keep the eggs and give up beans. In Cycle 2 you begin to add back things, but leave sugar and preprocessed foods forever.

Anyway, it's been 6 weeks since I started and I'm down to my college age weight! I only wish I looked like I did back then. Things definitely happen to women as they age!

So, I think I will always start my day with a plant protein shake and watch my carbs like a hawk.

Yes, it's sugars and carbs that make me gain. But there might be a few forgiven in Paris.

October 19, 2016

Trump says sex accusers are "phony people saying phony things". This from a

grown man who has a history of having phony/fake people in his life. There's been a Mr. Green, John Miller, John Baron, and of course, Meredith McIver.

October 19, 2016

I don't think it's been posted, but the Supreme Court agreed to take Turkmen v. Ashcroft.

https://ccrjustice.org/home/press-center/press-releases/supreme-court-review-case-against-ashcroft-and-other-bush-officials

Supreme Court to Review Case Against Ashcroft and other Bush Officials for post 9-11 Racial and Religious Profiling

Appeals Court Ruled Officials Could Be Sued for Unconstitutional Profiling and Abuse; Ashcroft, Ziglar, Mueller Seeking Reversal

October 11, 2016, Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a request by former high-level Bush administration officials to review a 2015 ruling allowing them to be sued for their roles in the post-9/11 profiling, immigration detention, and abuse of Muslim, Arab, and South Asian men. Former FBI director Robert Mueller, Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Commissioner James Ziglar, and Attorney General John Ashcroft will be urging the Court to protect government officials who create and implement unconstitutional policies.

“No one is above the law. To suggest that the most powerful people in our nation should escape liability when they violate clearly established law defies the most fundamental principle of our legal system,” said Center for Constitutional Rights Senior Staff Attorney Rachel Meeropol. “At a time when racial and religious profiling are put forward as serious policy proposals for dealing with everything from immigration to terrorism, it is more important than ever that the high court affirm that government officials, especially those at the highest levels, can be held accountable when they break the law. We look forward to making that argument before the justices.”

https://ccrjustice.org/home/what-we-do/our-cases/turkmen-v-ashcroft

Turkmen v. Ashcroft is a civil rights lawsuit filed in 2002 on behalf of a class of Muslim, South Asian, and Arab non-citizens swept up by the INS and FBI in connection with the 9/11 investigation. Based solely on their race, religion, ethnicity, and immigration status, hundreds of men were detained as “terrorism suspects” and held in brutal detention conditions for the many months it took the FBI and CIA to clear them of any connection to terrorism. They were then deported.

Prior DU post :
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1016125229

September 26, 2016

I thought you might like to see my fair cake this year. This is the 6th. year in a row I've won.

This is my Troll Village cake, taken from Debbie Brown. I don't know why, but the figures got a little droopy sitting in the heat of the fairgrounds for 6 days. So there's one before and after the 'melting'.

January 25, 2016

What the hell is wrong with this country? We have taught

our population that a gun is the solution to every one of life's problems. We are so afraid, so full of self importance, so lacking in logical thinking, that picking up a gun is the only thing to do. Unfortunately, our love of violence is spreading.
Think this says it best, "Those who live by the sword, dies by the sword." I'm almost 68 and have never had a need to even consider owning a gun. And I've had a couple of dozen really frightening things happen.