in case workers loose their jobs as result of TPP?

Just got email about Petition against this from Credo Mobile. http://act.credoaction.com/sign/tpp_medicare?nosig=1&t=3&akid=14385.7328523.tnriUS

Any one else heard anything about this?

This whole thing just keeps getting worse, IMHO.

Funny how ones varying interests can intersect. Always used books, movies, music, t.v to distract from personal problems and frustrations about politics.

Then there are times they intersect. Irish actor Colin Dongahue currently one of my favorite performers just posted this link on Twitter! https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=h9h0bA5cujU


It's interviewing 20 year olds in U K on the banking system, debt, austerity,etc.

Googled already and since it's probably too specific no answer. As I have posted previously my favorite character on television right now is Captain Hook from Once Upon a Time.

Background to help in answering question!

He was featured prominently in seasons 2,3 and the first half of just concluded 4th season! Ratings were fairly strong & steady!

Then second half of 4th season the show brings in lots of guest stars, spends most of season concentrating on them, and only 2 of their main cast gets any significant amount of airtime, Hook hardly on at all, ratings while not plummeting show noticeable decline.

On Netflix though their listings of rentals for the various series indicate the episodes that he was featured prominently in during 4 A, rank consistently at top of chart.

The character, however, has some very persistent & vocal detractors on social media who make it clear their objection is because they would have preferred the character who is his love interest to be paired with their own preferences. They keep asking producer to write actor off. Occasionally he will respond with "we know you're out there and please play nice. " So he's obviously noticing them. Any time anyone tries to tweet something positive about actors and character to network or producer this group shows up & starts trying to flood thread with negatives. Positive tweeters getting frustrated and tired of being harassed, sometimes personally are giving up.

The actor , however, also has supporters and some of them including a current pop music singer(she asked him to co-star in a video and he did), several entertainment reporters, praising his performances, and even during the season finale one of the top editors at Harlequin Publishing tweeted to executive producer of show and actor saying this finale needs more Hook. E Entertainment who has someone live tweet during the broadcast was tweeting their speculation about where Hook was instead of what was on air. Ratings started to decline after first half hour. He was in 2 hour more but don't think ratings bounced back.

Of course season finale ratings or tweet activities that night wouldn't have influenced upfront presentations this week because they obviously had to be filmed and edited in advance but...

In a crossover skit written just for the media presentation they featured the actor playing Hook attending a class on How to Get Away With Muder! Only one other Once cast member in skit too. One of the TV critics tweets that they have crowd laughing hard and he also mentioned how funny it was watching "Hook" trying to raise his Hook to be called on, and that actor was really nailing the performance!

So after those and sorry if there's too many details, how significant is it that actor was featured, it sounds like prominently in the upfront? Is it possible the network is taking notice of Netflix sales, positive reviews from industry critics, etc and is trying to indicate they want him playing bigger role this season despite the vocal group negative twittering? Anyone got any insight into how industry operates to gauge performer popularity?

It has me curious! I used to be a Professional researcher until illness sidelined me, so I have annoying tendency to over analyze everything including my entertainment. Plus I really enjoying watching him for his acting skills and okay I'll confess for his looks too!

Does it sound like they are at least intending to keep him around awhile barring unforeseen factors? Thanks!

For 3 nights some type of creature is making this God awful noise, between a screech and squawk is the best I can describe it. The first time I heard it I thought someone was strangling a Canadian goose!

It was cold last night but I could still hear it loud and clear! So it's got volume.

My sister thinks it could be a screech owl but would they hang around where there is a colony of full grown feral cats and a neighborhood with lots of larger breed dogs?

I live in Western NY! We have deer, geese, ducks, coyotes, if that helps in possible identification!

Know it's probably not anything creepy or dangerous just annoying when I'm trying to sleep and kind of like chalk on a black board !

Any ideas what it could be? I'm curious. If I hear it tonight, I might try to record it.

No matter who they are or claim to be! To graduate with a degree in History at my alma mater we had to take both an oral and a comprehensive written exam. At the end of the oral portion I was asked what 2 required reading books, over the course of my four academic years, did I find most influential in shaping my view of history and politics.

I said these two: http://www.amazon.com/The-Terrible-Secret-Suppression-Solution/dp/0805059849

and http://www.amazon.com/Bury-My-Heart-Wounded-Knee/dp/0805086846

The two professors conducting my exam then asked why. I said because as a Catholic I was taught that I should never question my Church, and in high school I was taught that the United States was the champion of all that was supposed to be good and right in this world. I believed both those things and thought that was what all good Christians and Americans should do.

But then I read these books and saw the danger in that kind of unequivocal loyalty! They helped me realize that political and religious leaders are not deities to be worshiped but humans capable of potential good yes but capable of incredible acts of deception and cruelty as well!

The European history professor reached across and shook my hand and said "we've done our job!"The American history professor said "well yes but I'm just afraid we've made you too cynical now." I said "no, because I think now that just because I see flaws doesn't mean I still don't love my country, I do, it's just now I see the value of questioning! It's because I love it and want it to become better and stronger than it is now that I offer constructive criticism, recognizing of course that my own reasoning and actions can be flawed.

So that's why I question even myself!

Read this on Jimmy Kimmel's bit at the ABC upfronts and found some of this really poor taste and offensive. The report said he did it to mock his own bosses and maybe he thinks he's the new Colbert, but he doesn't come close to Colbert's skill and the way he did it just made me say yuck! Don't get me wrong I'm not upset by the network being mocked, but in mocking out their efforts to appear "diverse", I thought he was bordering on being offensive to minority groups too. Or maybe I'm just being overly sensitive?

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-upfronts-jimmy-kimmels-10-795092

We know people with magic like Rumple & Regina can take out there own hearts and live.Well pictures and videos combined with bits and pieces the producers have said have led people to believe that Emma is going to stab Rumple with the dagger and become the Dark One.

But that would leave Rumple dead and Emma the Dark One who would stay that way until someone killed her. I don't think they are going to write off two of their three main stars like that despite all their teases about Emma going dark. Oh I think she will definitely be dark in the AU that's coming up and some of that's carried over into next season, but it seems like it's too obvious that she stabs Rumple in present day Story Brook and takes his place as the big bad. The producers say the finales biggest secret hasn't been leaked yet, and they know the pictures with Emma with the dagger in hand are out.

So my question is what would happen if Emma took her own heart out, left it with Hook to protect, then stabbed Rumple? Would the Dark One still be able to possess it, if it's not in her body? It came to me because Hook said something last Sunday about being in charge of protecting her heart, and she said she wasn't dumb enough to fall into one of Rumple's traps. When Hook first said it I thought he meant figuratively but maybe it's literally.

I think the twist will be that someone maybe the Sorcerer waylays Emma on her way back to Hook or someone steals it from Hook, and she doesn't get her heart back as soon as she thinks.

Anyone think this is a plausible theory?

I now have a second ailment with physical symptoms that they can clearly observe, they acknowledge it, know what it is, give me meds to treat but once again like my hives have zero clue what's causing it.

In addition to the chronic hives, I've talked about here, I now have an infected lymph node on my neck that hurts like hell and Advil doesn't help.

The doctor once again said I can't understand this because you have no other symptoms other than the swelling and tenderness which I can see and feel and the pain that you feel. He said normally the lymph nodes don't usually get infection unless you have a primary one somewhere else.

I'm getting to the point of saying what's the point in going, if they can't find the answers.

Trying to rebuild self confidence at 54 that was shaky at best since age 5 isn't easy but I'm trying. This is why I am going to give myself a pat on the back publicly.

When I was younger there were several relatively minor incidents that led me to dread not only the thought of driving in cars but riding in them period. For a long time I would huddle in the rider's seat or backseat reading to distract myself or closing my eyes just praying for the ride to be over. I could never quite fully enjoy myself at family functions, events, or shopping because I would always imagine horrible wreck on the way home. It took me a long time to get over that and I still have to fight not to regress.

The thought of driving as you can imagine was even worse. I used every excuse imaginable not to take driver's education at 16. Then I just came clean to my parents how truly terrified I was and they quit forcing the issue.

Then when I was 32, it was suggested by a new Primary Care doctor that I had pretty bad cases of anxiety and depression and that I needed to seek psychiatric counseling. I followed his advice. The therapist he sent me too got me through the riding issue and she was unrelenting on the driving subject. I finally signed up and took professional lessons and got my license. To be honest I haven't used it much just to get myself to doctor's appointments.

This winter I was using the weather as an excuse to even chicken out of that. That and the antihistamines that I have to take for hives. But I realized that has to stop. There is very poor bus service here and the cost of taxi is pretty high.

So I told myself today I was going to force myself to drive to the grocery store today to pick up some items that I needed instead of waiting for the weekend when my sister normally takes me. I bought myself a submarine sandwich and a big gooey chocolate chip cookie as a reward.

I'm not going to lie I was still nervous as hell but I did it and that's what counts! So yay me !

Okay so I am plus sized. I have to dress too. We have had an LL Bean store in our area for several years now.

They have always carried plus sizes in this store before.

Today I noticed the largest size in stock for anything was XL. Not a 1X in the whole place. So I went and asked a clerk.

She said "no we aren't carrying those in our stores anymore but we can order it for you here or give you one of our catalogs, or you can go online. It's all free shipping and returns.

So I don't get to try something on anymore to see if it looks right? I just have to trust it will. I have to go to the inconvenience of returning it to the store or arranging a UPS return if it doesn't but skinnier women don't have to do any of this? That's fair, not!

To me it was like she might as well have said "we don't want heavier set people in the store, you're supposed to stay home where nobody can see you, so you don't upset our skinny customers by having to look at your fatness.

I tweeted my dissatisfaction and called it discrimination. They tweeted me said sorry for misunderstanding. I PM them which they requested yet I've heard nothing back so far and doubt I will. They just wanted me to quit complaining in public.

If they don't want my business or to address my complaint why don't they just admit it, instead of pretending like they do?

You know I have been told all my life that I needed to stick up for myself more, so I have been making a genuine effort to do so. I am back to wondering why though and believing it is pointless. It never resolves anything and I feel even more vulnerable and voiceless, for being dismissed and ignored like I don't count.