You guessed it, Tennessee is one of those states:
Are there any precincts in Chattanooga that use the electronic voting machines they are referring to?
]]>From CNN's Rebecca Sinderbrand and Mark Preston
Larry Flynt is asking for a bailout.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Another major American industry is asking for assistance as the global financial crisis continues: Hustler publisher Larry Flynt and Girls Gone Wild CEO Joe Francis said Wednesday they will request that Congress allocate $5 billion for a bailout of the adult entertainment industry.
"The take here is that everyone and their mother want to be bailed out from the banks to the big three," said Owen Moogan, spokesman for Larry Flynt. "The porn industry has been hurt by the downturn like everyone else and they are going to ask for the $5 billion. Is it the most serious thing in the world? Is it going to make the lives of Americans better if it happens? It is not for them to determine."
Francis said in a statement that "the US government should actively support the adult industry's survival and growth, just as it feels the need to support any other industry cherished by the American people."
Flynt and Francis concede the industry itself is in no financial danger -- DVD sales have slipped over the past year, but Web traffic has continued to grow.
But the industry leaders said the issue is a nation in need. "People are too depressed to be sexually active," Flynt said in the statement. "This is very unhealthy as a nation. Americans can do without cars and such but they cannot do without sex."
"With all this economic misery and people losing all that money, sex is the farthest thing from their mind. It's time for congress to rejuvenate the sexual appetite of America. The only way they can do this is by supporting the adult industry and doing it quickly."
So far, there has been no congressional reaction to the request.
Surprise! I'm not whining and complaining this time.
I just saw that at www.recycleright.org you can sign up for an email alert. They will send you a reminder when it is time for you to set out your stuff.
I signed up.
If you have as tough a time remembering and/or figuring out when they are coming to pick up your recyclables as I do then you probably should sign up too.
]]>I hate to be told where I have to go to the doctor, where I have to get lab work done, what medicine I have to take etc... by an INSURANCE COMPANY.
If my doctor says I need a certain medicine I hate for the insurance to tell me, "No, we like __________ medicine better, we don't think it is necessary for you to take ___________ medicine even though your PHYSICIAN says you should."
If my child's DOCTOR tells me to take him to the hospital to get lab work done I don't want my INSURANCE company telling me, "No, we want you to get the lab work done _______________."
I like making my OWN decisions in health care and following the advice of a DOCTOR I trust.
I don't want an INSURANCE company telling what to do - WHY WOULD I WANT THE GOVERNMENT MAKING THOSE DECISIONS.
I don't agree with most of the government's other decisions, WHY WOULD I TRUST THEM WITH MY PERSONAL FAMILY MEDICAL DECISIONS!!!!!!!!!!
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Sorry for the rant, I just finished another very frustrating phone conversation with our insurance company.
Today we received a letter in the mail informing us that our pediatrician is retiring.
He was my pediatrician as a child and has been the only ped. we have used for our own children. He is the same ped. my sister and brother use for their children too.
I don't know how to choose a new one.
We would really appreciate recommendations from other parents.
I won't be able to make it, but I would encourage any of you who can to go.
The Brainerd Unity Group - BUG - will meet on:]]>
Thursday, March 13 at the Brainerd Rec Center, Moore Rd. 6 - 7 p.m.
Social Hour, 7 - 8 p.m.
Presentation: Creating a Brainerd Vision!
Special Guests in Attendance will be: State Senator Andy Berke and Representative JoAnne Favors; City Council Members Carol Berz, Duke Franklin and Debbie Gaines; County Commissioner Greg Beck, Dept. of Neighborhood Services Administrator Beverly Johnson and others.
Wear your green for an early St. Patrick's Day party for Brainerd's Pot o' Gold!
PLEASE FORWARD TO YOUR NEIGHBORS. ALL IDEAS WELCOME!!
Refreshments provided by Out of the Blue Cafe and your BUG Steering Committee.
Questions? Email brainedblog@bellsouth.net or call 504-9640
You guessed it, Tennessee is one of those states:
Are there any precincts in Chattanooga that use the electronic voting machines they are referring to?
]]>Democrat Ballot
Republican Ballot
If you are voting on the Republican ballot you can also vote for delegates. Can someone explain to me how that works? Why isn't it the same with the Democrats?
I wonder how many people will vote for candidates who already dropped out of the race?
]]>For years we have voted at Tucker Baptist Church. (I think that is the right name)
Both Eastgate 1 and Eastgate 2 now vote at New Covenant.
]]>It was good to have a chance to hear from all of the candidates and feel like, for the first time, when I vote for someone I have something to base it on other than name recognition, or what I've seen or heard in the media.
I will say that no one candidate jumped out at me, but I do think I was able to narrow things down and begin to form more of an opinion.
For me, personality goes a long way. I tend to vote from a more emotional level than an intellectual one. If there is a candidate whose personality turns me off or rubs me the wrong way I have a difficult time looking at their "platform" unbiased.
Most of the candidates were very likable people who seem to have our district's best interest at heart.
I would like to see some one who could bring a higher level of professionalism to our city council while at the same time bringing a human and personal approach to the politics in our city. I would like to see someone from District 6 who can represent the wide spectrum of people who live here. I would like to see our councilman/women be someone who isn't afraid of a changing district. We need someone who won't only be fighting for the well established, elderly, white people in our area, but also for the black and hispanic members of the district.
The problem? Knowing who that person is, and if they will be effective in the position.
]]>I have been watching some video clips online of Barak Obama and his wife. I must say he certainly is easy to look at and easy to listen to.
I also had a moment of WOW, what it would mean to have a black couple in the White House. The more I think about it the more I think WOW.
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By the way...
Can anyone explain how you know if you can or can not vote in a primary? Do you have to be registered as a Republican to vote for the Republican candidates and a Democrat to vote for the Democratic candidates?
And, if that is the case how do you know what you are registered as? It has been about 15 years since I registered and I have no idea. Does it say on my voter registration card? If so, where? I can't seem to find it.
]]>If you live in District 6 this is a great opportunity for you to meet the candidates.
The forum will be held at Friendship Community Church, located at the corner of Brainerd Road and Tuxedo Avenue (in front of 21st Century Academy).
Joe Lance of TennesseeTicket.com will serve as the moderator.
The forum is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. and run until 7:30 p.m.
Each candidate will be asked 10 questions and given 90 seconds to respond.
The candidates will be available to meet with constituents from 5:15 - 6:00.
Park beside or behind Friendship Community Church and enter behind the building at the entrance to the gym. There will be signs to direct you to the right place.
The six candidates are:
We vote on February 5th! (Actually, I think early voting has already begun)
Friendship Community Church:
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We wouldn't get very excited about this: (Chattanooga Jan. 2008)
But we were all crazy excited about our snow last night. Even though some of it is already melting I love looking out of the window at it this morning.
]]>This is for those of you who live in Brainerd and, like myself, have never seen the first cent of the city's $100,000 recycling education program.
Recycling pick up in our area is on Wednesday of the SECOND FULL week of the month.
I guess I'm just really slow, but my learning curve on this once a month pick-up has been pretty sad. (I educated myself by calling 311 yet again)
Because this month began on a Tuesday, my recycling won't be picked up until NEXT Wednesday. Too bad. Now I have to go and drag in five bags of wet stuff so I can drag eight bags out next Wednesday.
I'm almost to the point of just throwing it all in the trash can.
This mother of five just doesn't have time to schedule in recycling pickup. It is WAY TOO much of a frustration. I don't need piles and piles of recycling cluttering up my life.
If a small part of me didn't want to do what is "right" and if I thought there would be room for it all in my once a week garbage pickup I'd just can the whole thing.
(And I'm lucky if I can fit a shower into my day - there is no way I can drag it all to a pick up center unless I ask each of my kids to hold a bag on their lap while we take a special little outing on our way to the library or something.)
This makes the second year in a row that our daffodils bloomed in December.
I remember getting in the van ready to leave for our Christmas trip to Minnesota and seeing actual daffodils blooming beside our driveway. It looks like, unless this little cold snap kills them, they might bloom for Christmas again this year.
Article on the Chattanoogan.com: City To Install Speed Cameras At 7 Intersections
Mr. Van Winkle said the aim is "to make the streets safer" rather than revenue collection.He said signs will be posted in the vicinity of the cameras. He said, "We are not out to surprise anybody. We want to persuade them to change their habits."
"Mr. Van Winkle said there will be two cameras at North Moore and Brainerd - one for eastbound traffic and another for southbound traffic."
He said the speeding cameras have been a success. The city has speed cameras at the Hixson Pike S Curves as well as some mobile cameras that are moved from location to location.
I must admit, I really didn't get too up in arms about the other cameras. They didn't affect me directly, I rarely drive in the area where they have been installed. Now, they are putting them up in an area I drive through any time I go somewhere. It is an intersection I CAN NOT avoid.
I am someone who tries to drive carefully and within the speed limit, but my mind does get sidetracked sometimes and I might not always pay attention to my speed.
I hate to think that I'm going to feel like someone is just waiting to catch me in a mistake and punish me for it. I don't mind people slowing down, but I don't like the idea of the cameras.
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