Christmas Tree Harvesting at it's best

This guy rocks

R.I.P., Frank Davis

Frank Davis, a local celebrity in Southeast Louisiana, has passed on at the age of 71.

Frank was well loved for his sense of humor, his fishing tips, his cooking demonstrations and cookbooks.
He was always cheerful and had a personality that brought light into the room.

CIPD, an autoimmune disease, had Frank going from using a cane to permanent bed rest in a month. Here is the last video I know of on Frank dealing with this illness.

For those of you who don't have any of his cookbooks, WWL TV has an archive at this link.

Scuzzbucket of the Week

From Blacknews.com
Mark Ciavarella Jr, a 61-year old former judge in Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to nearly 30 years in prison for literally selling young juveniles for cash. He was convicted of accepting money in exchange for incarcerating thousands of adults and children into a prison facility owned by a developer who was paying him under the table. The kickbacks amounted to more than $1 million.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has overturned some 4,000 convictions issued by him between 2003 and 2008, claiming he violated the constitutional rights of the juveniles – including the right to legal counsel and the right to intelligently enter a plea. Some of the juveniles he sentenced were as young as 10-years old.

Ciavarella was convicted of 12 counts, including racketeering, money laundering, mail fraud and tax evasion. He was also ordered to repay $1.2 million in restitution.

His “kids for cash” program has revealed that corruption is indeed within the prison system, mostly driven by the growth in private prisons seeking profits by any means necessary.


- See more at: http://govtslaves.info/pennsylvania-judge-sentenced-28-years-selling-kids-prison-system/#sthash.8DQxk9ga.dpuf

R.I.P., Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela passed away today at 95.

Click here to read about this amazing man's life.

I love this quote from Mandela:

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion,” he wrote in “Long Walk to Freedom.”

Windows Wednesday

A view of one of the cabins at Fountainbleau State Park in Mandeville.

We stayed there in 1988 for a week and it was fantastic. Fully furnished, each cabin has a screened-in porch. Unfortunately the cabins were badly damaged by Hurricane Isaac and won't be repoen
\e until next year

Four Hands Boogie-Woogie

From WWOZ dot org;


Authored by: David Stafford
Submitted: Tue, 12/03/2013 - 8:41am
Tag(s): WWOZ Latest
This clip comes from a late 1980s TV how called Sunday Night (AKA Night Music) hosted by American saxophonist David Sanborn and English pianist/singer/composer Jools Holland. The latter is joined by Dr. John for some "four-hands" boogie woogie piano.

According to Sanborn** the "precise fingering and split second timing" required by such a duet make it "one of the most demanding and dangerous pieces of music to perform".

Giving Thanks

Taking an idea from New Orleans blogger, Glenn, I would like to make a list of everything I am thankful for this year.

- My husband and best friend. He knows me and loves me and takes care of me. And believe me, I can be a handful at times.

- The sense of sight. I am amazed everyday by things I see: the color of a cloudless sky, the beauty of a rose and the sweetness of the doves that gather in our backyard.

- My pets: a Lab, 3 mature cats, 2 kittens and a squirrel. They keep me laughing - and sometimes cursing.

- I'm grateful to be born at a time when the technology changes at lightening speed.

- Chocolate

- My friends and family. Thanks to Facebook, I can converse with my sisters much more often than before. My friends are
always ready to help when it's needed and for that I am eternally grateful.

- I am thankful for a friend that asked me to work for her in a flower shop. It's an awesome job, one I really love!

- My health. It's been up and down the past year, but right now I'm feeling good and am grateful for that.

- My proudest accomplishment: my daughter.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!

Windows Wednesday

The setting sun reflected in the windows of a camp on Dauphin Island, Alabama .

Windows Wednesday

ooops! I forgot

Taken at a street fair in Picayune, Mississippi

Obama's Katrina????

McScuzzbuckets

A Smile for Your Monday

This is so endearing! I love how the elephants get into the music. Enjoy

Stones

Andersonn Cooper again.....

For some reason, I find listening to Anderson Cooper's laugh amusing. Enjoy

Scuzzbucket of the Week

Her name is Sophia Body, aged 28. Sophia is facing charges for attempted murder and aggravated battery. She admitted on questioning that she beat the 82 year old for tapping her car lightly as he pulled over to assist her.

“Yeah, I pulled his a** out of the car and beat the f**k out of him.”

Body and a friend flagged him down for some reason, but he accidentally bumped one of them with his vehicle.

The man apparently did not realize that his vehicle had bumped one of the women, neither of whom were injured in the incident. He told police that the women appeared to need help, so he pulled over to assist them. But when he parked his car, he was dragged from the vehicle and attacked.

Body is being held on $2 million bail.

Windows Wednesday

no explanation needed!

Veterans, the forgotten Americans

I hate the title of this blog post, but it is so true. How many of you say "thank you for your service" when you notice
men with baseball caps indicating they served our country? Or National Guards people who are in uniform? I figure about 5 percent.

They have become - since the days of the Vietnam Veterans - forgotten Americans.

And they put THEIR lives on the line every day during their tours of duty so that we can hang out with friends, go to ball games and simply sleep soundly at night.

There are reputable organizations out there that help our Veterans. I donate to Paralyzed Veterans of America...$10/month.

Here's a link for grateful Americans to help support our Veterans because American Government is NOT .

If you would like to help our Vets - from WWII thru Afghanistan - above is a link to resources. Choose one, donate monthly. It doesn't have to be a lot. Everyone thinks "well enough people will donate, so I don't have to"....YES YOU DO!!! THESE PEOPLE PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE FOR YOU!!!!


Many of them are homeless, like the video above. Many of them are on food stamps, which have recently been cut ( thanks G.O.P.). You sent these people to witness and perform unspeakable acts and you bastards want to sweep them under
carpet?????

There are thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans who have PTSD. How many are being helped? How many are waiting almost TWO FUCKING YEARS to get help from the bogged down with government bereaucracy at Veterans Administration These people need help NOW, not when it's convenient for some government worker to get to the bottom of their 'TO DO' list.

HELP OUR VETERANS, PLEASE. They didn't think twice about protecting you.

Scuzzbuckets of the Week

They are from Tangipahoa Parish, Natalbany, Louisiana.

27 year old Yance May (left). You can tell it's him because he had his name TATTOO'd ON HIS NECK!!!!
Taylor Kleinpeter is on the right. I can't find anything on her, but I'm sure that will change very soon, as details of the child abuse become known.
I really don't care that these two are heavily into drugs. What I DO care about is that they lived in squalor with five children, ranging in age from 2 to 10 years old, who were found living in “well-beyond deplorable living conditions” in a home with narcotics and several used syringes.

Here are a few shots from the inside of the house:

Stay tuned.

Windows Wednesday

A little bit of New Orleans history today. This is a picture I took several years ago inside a parking garage that's attached to One Canal Place.

The B. Rosenberg and Sons building was in high gear in the first decade of the 20th Century. This building housed Rex Shoes

Shoes were made by hand during this time.
I'm pretty sure they lasted a longer time compared to the mass produced shoes of today.

The pictures shown in the links above are from The Historic New Orleans Collection..

Scuzzbuckets of the Week

Apparently these three racists have no idea how tasteless their idea for a Halloween costume was.

From left to right William Filene, Caitlin Cimeno (mother of 2) and Greg Cimeno.

I just don't understand this depth of hate.

Apparently Filene is a convicted felon and Caitlin was fired from her job. You can find out more at this website.

Another example of Caitlin's racism is this picture. Check out her comments

Windows Wednesday

While my daughter was attending Nicholls State in Thibodaux, I enjoyed taking the trip down there to visit with her. Every time I took that 2 hour trip from Slidell, I would drive along a road that parallels Highway 1 - Highway 308 - and enjoy the scenery. This old house caught my eye one day a few years ago. As I looked at it, I wondered what it was like when it was a new house. How long ago would that have been? There are so many old houses like this one along both Highway 308 and Highway 1. If you're looking for a good day trip, I suggest taking the trip to Thibodaux/Houma area. It's sugar cane harvesting right now and the sights are worth the trip.

Windows Wednesday

I have been lost lately, not knowing the day of the week and have been missing my Windows Wednesday posts.

I'm trying to get back into the swing of things
now that I'm working part-time for a local florist. I LOVE the job, but am physically worn out by the time I get home. So, this post is cleaning up my WW backlog.

Hopefully, I'll make it on time this coming week.

For October 16th.

This window was shot on Lee Lane in Covington, Louisiana.. If you like antiquing, this is the place for you.

For October 23rd

My precious Beignet relaxing in front of a window at our old house. About a month after we moved into our present house, Beignet vanished. We think it was coyotes or some other creature living in the forest behind our house.

Happy end of October!

Please go away, t-bags

Scuzzbucket of the Week

He has been a scuzzbucket for a long, long time.

He's such a loser that he was FIRED from Faux News

He's racist
"This president I think has exposed himself over and over again as a guy who has a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture....I'm not saying he doesn't like white people, I'm saying he has a problem. This guy is, I believe, a racist." –on President Obama, sparking an advertiser exodus from his FOX News show, July 28, 2009

He's cold hearted

"I think there is a handful of people who hate America. Unfortunately for them, a lot of them are losing their homes in a forest fire today." –on why people who lost their homes in forest fires in California had it coming, "The Glenn Beck Program," Oct. 22, 2007

"The only [Katrina victims] we're seeing on television are the scumbags." –"The Glenn Beck Program," Sept. 9, 2005

And just plain stupid

During his February 8, 2006 show, Beck repeatedly referred to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter as "a waste of skin", adding that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il was not a bigger waste of skin because "[a]t least evil is using that skin."

For some more Beck quotes go here

What made me think he's a scuzzbucket THIS week is a headline I just read:

From this webiste here is his latest wacko-ism:

Tea Party conservative Glenn Beck decided to give parents a lesson on how to convince their children that rights come from God. Apparently, in Beck’s mind, parents need to physically bully their kids into believing: “challenge them, get in their face … teach them a lesson — push ‘em!” And if you don’t, Beck warns, they’ll “run around like little girls crying.”


“Well, they’re going to cry,” Beck mocks his viewers, “‘I’ll hurt their feelings.’ PUSH ‘EM!,” Beck screams. “Because if you don’t do it now, it’s going to be much worse when they’re pushed and they’re shoved and they’re shot. Push them! Teach them! They need to know the truth, and they need to be pushed up against the wall once in a while, so they know they can defend themselves, they know they can survive, they don’t run around like little girls crying at the drop of a hat! PUSH ‘EM!”

Yikes


"Satan's mentally challenged younger brother." –Stephen King, writing in "Entertainment Weekly

Windows Wednesday

Looking out my dining room window (which is being taken over by nice green stuff) my latest kittens: Calypso and Rosie.

Taken a few months ago, the girls have grown and thrived in an animal loving environment. We no longer use alarm clocks,as we awaken every morning at 6 to these to fireballs running down the hall and bouncing onto our bed. I love cats

Please spread the word

There is a petition going around to charge those in D.C. who are holding our Country hostage with Sedition.

Sedition is a conspiracy to disrupt or destroy the normal functioning of the government. some time ago 80 Republican representatives signed a pledge to shut down the US government. This was unquestionably an act of Sedition. Millions of American Citizens, and active Troops overseas and at home are already suffering, and many may die because of this action. The action of these men and women has absolutely given aid and comfort to our enemies. We ask that you hold them accountable to the full extent of the law, and arrest them for treason and Sedition.

Why is this important?

The House Republican Tea Party Caucus is a seditionist group intent on overthrowing the legitimate Government and subverting the Constitution. They have publicly stated this on many occasions, and recently enacted a long planed act of insurrection by completely destroying the function of the government with a purely political shut-down. It is time that we stop pussyfooting around, and call this group what it is, a Terrorist Organization, and arrest and charge them accordingly.

Here's a link to the petition. Please sign it. Thank you.

Steve Gleason and Pearl Jam

For "Obamacare" haters

Windows Wednesday

The Cabildo in New Orleans

How the World Sees USA

Courtesy of Khalil Bendib an OtherWords’ cartoonist.

LinkedIn Network Updates, 10/02/2013

	LinkedIn Network Updates, Sep 25 - Oct 2 Updates from Your Extended Network Connect with them to see what they're up to Ralphie A Burcke http://lnkd.in/bGJPYxg Song From Drago. Coat of arms of Serbia (since 2011) (Photo credit: Wikipedia) My brother Wolf sent me some lyrics in Serbian. Here they be: Tiho tekla mutna Rajna  odavde do roterdama  al, otom bolje cutati  napiti se i odlutati neznam sta mi sudba sprema... Connect with Ralphie A · Comment Martin Abrahams http://lnkd.in/b9Wh3Qi Why everyone should be able to travel in space Space exploration may be costly, but entrepreneur and former astronaut Anousheh Ansari thinks new technologies will help more of us explore the final frontier. Connect with Martin · Comment Joanne Cochrane http://lnkd.in/bgSc4Rk Obama admin. knew about WWII veterans’ request and rejected it The White House and the Department of the Interior rejected a request from Rep. Steven Palazzo’s office to have World War II veterans visit the World War II memorial in... Connect with Joanne · Comment Dashon Hines http://lnkd.in/bTPzeKK Nas - Nastradamus (Full Album) (1999) Definitely not one of Nas's best works, but I always enoyed the creativity in it, sort of like his earlier CD "I Am..." which was also released in 1999, in fact it was meant to be with "I Am..." as a double Disc album called "I Am....The... Connect with Dashon · Comment View All Updates
	You are receiving Network Updates emails. Unsubscribe. This email was intended for Blogger fairchild (retired at None). Learn why we included this. © 2013, LinkedIn Corporation. 2029 Stierlin Ct. Mountain View, CA 94043, USA

Obamacare: Myths vs Truths

Verbatum from YahooFinance.com

Starting today individuals can sign up for health care insurance by way of the exchanges created under the Affordable Care Act. So far seventeen states and the District of Columbia have set up their own exchanges, also known as insurance marketplaces; the rest will use either the federal health insurance exchange or run a joint state-federal exchange to provide coverage.

It's been a bumpy ride so far, given the complexity of the effort and the politics surrounding it. Many Republican Congressional members are hell-bent on defunding Obamacare even though it's law and the Supreme Court reaffirmed its constitutionality. They won't agree to continue funding the government unless Obamacare is defunded or delayed by a year. And Democrats -- in Congress and the White House -- are firmly committed to just the opposite: implementing Obamacare.
That leaves us where we are today: a government that is partially shut down and lots of confusion about coverage under the ACA.

Lori Robertson, managing director of Factcheck.org, spoke with The Daily Ticker's Aaron Task, about some of the major misrepresentations surrounding Obamacare.

We'll try to help set the record straight so read on:


Myth #1: Health Care Premiums are Rising.

Robertson says whether health care premiums are rising or falling for individuals depends on their particular situation. "Whether your new plan on the exchanges...is going to be more or less what you're paying now really depends on you," says Robertson. "If you have a health condition you may see a decrease. If you don't, you may see an increase."
Related: Obamacare Could Mean Lower Rates in These Three States
You health insurance premium will also depend where you buy your insurance--including the state and locality--your age and your income. (At certain income levels, participants in so-called "silver" plans--the second cheapest--can qualify for government subsidies, which would reduce costs.


Myth #2: Obamacare is Killing Jobs.

Robertson says there's little evidence that Obamacare is a job killer. "The CBO has estimated it will have a small impact on jobs and ...mainly from workers choosing to work less," says Robertson. She explains that some people may reduce their working hours because they no longer need a second or third job to pay insurance premiums, while others may choose to retire early knowing they can't be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions.

Myth #3: You Can't Choose Your Own Doctor Under Obamacare.
Not true, says Robertson. "There's nothing in the law that's going to pick your doctor for you," says Robertson. But she notes that "some exchanges may have a small provider network," so if you choose such a plan you may have to choose a new doctor.


Myth #4: The Increase in Health Care Spending is Slowing Because of Obamacare.

Another misconception, says Robertson: "Experts have said that the overwhelming reason" for the slower rise in health care costs is "the down economy." She cites a Kaiser Family Foundation report that found that 77% of this deceleration is due to the economy.


Myth #5: Congress is Exempt from Obamacare.

Not true, says Robertson. "Congress is not exempt from the law...The law says that Congress and its staffers have to get their coverage through the exchanges that are being set up." But, Robertson says, the federal government can help pay for the premiums of that coverage, just as it does now under the Federal Employee Health Benefits program for Congress and staffers.

CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES

Windows Wednesday

The stairs along the riverfront are reflected in the windows of the tug J.K. McLean a "Z-class" tugboat.

The workers on the boat were lucky to be able to attend the 2013 New Orleans Oyster Festival along the Mississippi earlier this year.