Vote Early, Vote Democrat

Early Voting started Monday October 4. Please vote early in the Midterm Election on November 2. Early voting will continue until November 1. Election Day is November 2. If you don't vote early, please make sure to vote Democrat November 2.

Vote early, vote straight Democrat.

Vote early at:

100 Broadway
Lake County Court Bldg.

9 a.m. to 3 p.m



Lake County Courthouse, normal business hours

Crown Point, Indiana



Also



Volunteer at the Indiana Democratic Headquarters, 201 E. Fifth Ave.(across from the fire station), Gary to help the Democratic Party win November 2. When you show up, ask for "Shae."

Hours:

9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday; Noon to 7 p.m., Sunday.

Call for more information:

219-405-2038
219-405-2041
219-687-0040

A CNBC town hall Event with President Obama: Encore at 7 p.m. Central

"A CNBC town hall Event with President Obama was good. Very good. The encore presentation on CNBC airs 7 p.m. Central, 8 p.m. Eastern.

If you are undergoing a personal financial crisis, you should watch.
It seems to me that the very wealthy should lend a hand- up to those below them in the economy. If they would work with the president to help the middle class grow, then we would be a much happier country. (and no one would expect much else from you.)

There are people who cannot put food on the table right now and they have these big car note payments and mortgages and a questionable jobs future. They want to save face too. And, they have been struggling with this for some time--before President Obama won the election.

The ones at the top, who are in charge of hiring and firing should take a really good look at what they would lose and gain by helping the president achieve his goal for America. Right now, they are not spending money on job creation and instead fighting like they have a problem keeping food on the table and that couldn't be farther from the truth.

These people at the top should ask themselves, what would you really be giving up? One lavish party per year? One less outing on the yacht? No one is discounting your hard work and right to enjoy your riches but at what cost to others? (you spend more time showing off and one upping each other in your class group--according to some prognosticators--and don't involve yourselves with the struggles of the commoner.)To much is given much is expected. What you are being asked to relinquish is not very much at all. Pitch the fk in.

If poor people and the working poor could be of help, they would be made to help society. However, to ask disabled individuals, widows, orphans and veterans to take a meal off of the table and literally starve to death pitching in to help America is insane. Don't be greedy. Don't take too much. Every one else is cutting back on their consumption because their budgets have gotten smaller. Top Dogs in business and finance should do the opposite and spend--spread the wealth. Call your friendly Senator and Congressman or Congresswoman and ask them to vote with the president. You won't notice a change in your budget worth mentioning.

It's like the rich men in the Bible. Those are good examples. While God said the poor would always be among us, he didn't say kick them when they are down or take food out of their mouths while they watch you at the feast. Wow, one less suckling pig on the table. What a sacrifice!

Most of these people pushing against the president are trying to save financial face. They are one step away from not being a millionaire anymore and surprisingly, I can understand that pain. Try thinking about the situation from another viewpoint. You may temporarily not be technically considered a millionaire or billionaire but many of your friends are in the same boat so there will not be a class difference that is noticeable. These people are far from broke and struggling they are not in survival mode and working hard to keep food on the table. Small sacrifices from the wealthy will quiet the rumble in the tummies of the poor and we can all move forward as one nation in peace.

Remember, people who do not have much to lose don't have far to fall but much to gain, are very dangerous to those who do have a lot to lose.

Long Hair Care Forum - News

Long Hair Care Forum - News

Natural Hair Relaxer

Natural Hair Relaxer

Straighten Hair without Chemicals

Straighten Hair without Chemicals

The Root: Which Votes Really Matter In Arkansas? : NPR

The Root: Which Votes Really Matter In Arkansas? : NPR
"...senators who vote to give anyone more than $1 billion, even if it was agreed on long ago, worry that voting to pay the black farmers could cost them re-election."

Desiree Rogers named CEO of Johnson Publishing :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Business

Desiree Rogers named CEO of Johnson Publishing :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Business

The FRESH Act, Senator Lugar's Farm Bill in the News

The FRESH Act, Senator Lugar's Farm Bill in the News

Agricultural policy is not sexy. You probably don't know the intricacies of "loan deficiency payments" or "base acreage," and you probably don't care. This was once an agrarian nation, but now there's a less than 1% chance that you're a farmer, and if you are, you're probably part time; the average farm family gets 82% of its income from nonfarm sources. We're not a people of the soil anymore, and for most of us, our eyes glaze over when we see farm statistics like the ones in that last sentence.

Making Homes Affordable - Foreclosure Prevention

Volunteer Agency: Kaplan Thaler Group
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the Making Home Affordable Program in February 2009 as part of the plan to stabilize the housing market and help struggling homeowners get relief and avoid foreclosure.

Making Home Affordable is an initiative that includes a mortgage modification program to provide eligible homeowners with more affordable monthly mortgage payments. The Federal Government provides free resources to struggling homeowners to help them learn about options under the program, and to work with a HUD-approved housing counselor. Since the program launch, over one million homeowners have received help.

The PSAs feature real homeowners who have benefitted from the program.

Created pro bono by The Kaplan Thaler Group, a New York-based advertising agency, the new campaign is available in English and Spanish and features real homeowners from across the country who have benefited from the program.

“Even though the economy is getting stronger, many Americans are still facing the fear and uncertainty of losing their home to foreclosure,” Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, said.

“The Administration’s loan modification programs have given more than a million responsible homeowners a chance to stay in their homes, and we want to do all we can to help make sure that struggling homeowners know about these free resources for help,” he said.

“Many responsible borrowers continue to face challenges due to unemployment, negative equity or because of soaring utility payments,” HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, said.

"These public service announcements will help us to reach at-risk borrowers now, while they are still current on their payments and eligible to receive help through the Making Home Affordable Program or our expanded options for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) refinancing.”

“We are proud to partner with the Treasury and HUD on this critical campaign to educate Americans about free resources available to help them prevent foreclosures,” said Peggy Conlon, President and CEO, the Ad Council. “We hope Americans who are struggling will be empowered by these compelling PSAs and take simple actions to help them stay in their homes.”

The Ad Council will distribute the new PSAs to more than 33,000 media outlets nationwide. The campaign includes television, radio, print, out of home and web advertising. The PSAs will air in advertising space donated by the media.

The Making Home Affordable Program was launched in February 2009 to help homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure through no fault of their own make their monthly mortgage payments more affordable. Since then, more than 1.5 million homeowners have been offered help under the program, and almost 1.3 million homeowners have started a trial plan. Homeowners in permanent modifications under the program have a median monthly savings of over $500 each month or about one-third of their previous payment.

Homeowners that are struggling with their mortgage payments to visit www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov or call 1-888-995-HOPE (4673) to learn about their options.

Sponsor Organization: The U.S. Department of the Treasury, The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Campaign Website: www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov

How to Maximize Your Working Time on Amazon Mechanical Turk | eHow.com

How to Maximize Your Working Time on Amazon Mechanical Turk | eHow.com
I'm posting this because I signed up for the Amazon Mechanical Turk and have made .21 cent so far. Really. I guess I'll make it to the $10 you need to earn in able to transfer it to your bank account. Some of the Human Intelligence Tasks won't pay. I got cheated four times in a row. One was to put an ad on Craigslist--never saw that money and the dashboard said that I abandoned it. All I could do was to contact the person who posted the job. I'll keep you informed of my efforts.
In the meanwhile, please enjoy the eHow article on the Amazon Mechanical Turk.
By the way the Turk comes from a mechanical doll from the 1800s dressed in traditional Turkish clothing, who challenged folks in chess as a parlor game. Go figure. I'm uncomfortable saying the name now that I know about its origins. I mean, should we be saying "Turk"? Arrrgggg.

Free Local Mini Parent Conference in Gary, Indiana

The Gary Community School Corporation District Parent Advisory Council will present a free Mini Parent Conference Wednesday May 26, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Pulaski School, 920 E. 19th Ave. Gary, Indiana.
The theme of the mini-conference is, "There's MORE to Parenting Than Meets the Eye."
A Continental Breakfast will begin a 7:30 a.m. for participants.
For more information, please reach Program Associate Dwight E. Pointer at 219-881-4075 or Director, Dr. Cordia P. Moore at 219-881-4064.

Black & White: Kids on Color CNN Special

Please don't show it. Please don't tell!
Sitting and watching TJ Holmes present CNN's Black & White: Kids on Color, Tuesday morning,
I hoped that after the commercial break, I would not hear a discussion on blacks still being color struck.
But it happened anyway.
I guess it doesn't matter how wide a range of skin colors exist in American families.
The tester in the segment asked again and again: Which child is the pretty one, smart one, bad one, etc.
Most of the children chose darker skinned pictures as bad or ugly children and the lighter one as good or pretty. Only a few opted out of complexion stereotyping or as old folks say, being color struck.
The CNN series examines complexion-based internalized racism in school aged children from white and black races. The study mimics the 1939-1940 doll studies conducted
by two black psychologists.
First, the white children were asked questions about the cartoon pictures of asexual dolls, nearly hairless, arranged in a range of complexions from light to dark.
Most chose the lightest ones as a representation of good and the darkest ones of bad.
Then comes the African American children's responses. I held my breath. I tried not to watch. I didn't want to hear the truth.
"Why is this one pretty?" a tester asked after a child pointed to the lightest example as pretty.
"...because she is light-skinned," a pretty dark-skinned girl said.
"Bias towards white is still a part of our culture." A voice over said.
Don't fret Blacks because Whites have the same color struck conversations in their households. A
pinkish hue is still favored over ruddy or olive complexion--as long as there is still an ability to tan reasonably well.
But one needs only to look throughout their own friends and family to see these hurtful stereotypes repeated and reinforced.
It is a good thing that stunning beauty is held in the facial bone structure of an individual and not the skin color.
I wish someone would tell the kids the truth about beauty because skin color stereotypes are perpetuated through the generations, maintained in the home and reinforced in society. (Oh, good hair counts too.)
Read more: http://ping.fm/g7yZ4

What I Should Have Said Is...

I think if Black Leaders were seen as well connected to the Black Community, they would have a better chance at holding an audience with the President, I think.
Courting The People is a good idea. You never get to know what is really going on if you are not there in person, often times. I'd like to see an enriched relationship between Black Leaders and The Community-at-Large.
Yeah, that's what I meant to say.

What About the Kids, Arizona Legislators?

Arizona was the last state to sign the Martin Luther King Day bill into law. I took note of that then and I take note with parts of their anti-ethnic education bill.
Why is it that the people of Arizona feel the way they do about minorities? What are they going through every day that makes them not accepting of minorities and why can't they handle their frustrations any better than they have been doing?
Granted, if a politician runs for office and is elected by the people for the people he or she should serve the people completely. More qualified people should have run for office if the people wanted a smarter legislature. However, why stop the African American education curriculum in public schools? Really.
Every ethnic race, Eastern European, African, Hispanic, Dominican, Italian etc. deserves to be highlighted for their race's achievements in American history. The culmination is that we have all contributed in making this country great, so why cull those parts out? It is not a good solution to the problems in Arizona. Students in Arizona won't know or understand who they are or where they come from when they are not taught about European immigrants and what they did to establish their place in American history and culture. Damn shame. There are a lot of European immigrants in this country.
Read more: http://ping.fm/pfjAZ
http://ping.fm/wfRMD

Family Guy Transgender Episode or Quagmire's Dad Gets a Sex-Change Operation

I saw the Family Guy transgender episode and I just have to say: Please don't act as if we don't already know and understand prejudice exists in America. Seth just did it in a funnier way.
Really. You who support or are GLAAD didn't know that people laugh behind your back and make fun of you? Right. Well, I never heard a racist black joke either. Or a fat joke.
SMH at the whole matter. Seth MacFarlane is in the business of comedy. He is the Equal Opportunity Offender and so the f what. He makes me laugh and I thought the episode was funnier than anything.
Along the lines of GLAAD, I should have expressed similar dismay and agitation at the "My Black Son," cut away. ..."and also he's a Ninja!" Really now, we knew what he was edging at but I was so shocked and stupefied, I laughed because it was funny and we all have a turn at the wheel with the FG creator. So what. He pokes fun at the inhabitants of the Northeast every time FG airs. Look at how he portrays these folks and they're not complaining. They are laughing. Maybe they don't take themselves as seriously as everyone else does. Seth grew up in this Northeastern environment and he is only conveying a portion of what he experienced growing up. There are not many of our generation who bother to participate in our Pop Culture Renaissance. They point out more things we have in common on the show than what they point out as different. Watch the episode in question. Notice how Peter, Lois and Brian interact when Brian makes an announcement about a trip. Listen to that dialogue. And the "can of pennies?!" That is comedy gold and it hits so close to home. The indifference in which we all treat each other in families is a common strand. Trying to get a family member who is so not interested in what you are doing to be interested in you and what you are doing, is an every day challenge for those of us who still bother to interact with our families. I laughed so hard at that. Gold, Seth baby, gold.
I support Seth and the FG team. They're great and they make me laugh and think at the same time. I personally think folk should stop being so fn sensitive and Chicken Little-ish. Save the fight for when it really matters so that you'll have supporters for your cause when you really need it. Also be glad that the issue has been placed before relevant portions of the American public rather than be ignored and shoved out of every one's mind!
More information on the issue: http://ping.fm/e9ZDF
http://ping.fm/OwiVg

Reversal of Fortune: A documentary on Showtime

I saw a good portion of this documentary on Mother's Day and found it quite interesting. First off, I would like to know where the filmmaker got $100,000 to give to a homeless man?
Obviously, the guy had some personality disorders, delusions, etc.
He does not know the right thing to do and as he stated, his mother was a "bar whore." He said that on the weekends, he found a different man his mother would bring into his home as a child. I wonder what types of abuse he experienced as a child and if he is a result of one of his mother's trysts? No one asked him any follow up questions.
Maybe that is why he frequented bars. Then again he also said he had not had a woman in years and that most of the woman he meets found him undesirable for either his lack of teeth in the front of his head or other reasons. (Check out how he argued with that woman at the recycling center. Really.)
After one's basic needs are met they are supposed to climb Maslow's hierarchy of Need, not just stop at the basics, safety, food, clothing, shelter, emotional needs. But he did not know that and he is obviously not self-actualized. Many are not and that is the basic problem with society.
In his defense however, he has a kind heart and gave the ones close to him some of his treasure. He gets big points for that. I think at least one of them should have convinced him to use the financial counselor. With discipline, that money could have lasted quite a while. But self-discipline is a quality many people do not own. His outlook on life is to live without restraint so the very nature of giving him a large sum of money could have led to his death. Then what would the filmmaker do? That money could have gone to a socially well-adjusted but struggling family. I wonder what they would have done?
http://ping.fm/x9iMm
http://ping.fm/7CzhH

Oklahoma to Become Fourth Retail Market for Honda's Natural Gas-Powered Civic GX

Dealer network expands for retail sales of nation's only natural gas-powered vehicle sold by an OEM

American Honda Motor Co., Inc., recently announced that dealers in Oklahoma will now have the option of selling the compressed natural gas (CNG) powered Honda Civic GX to customers on a retail basis. There are 13 Honda dealers in Oklahoma, three of which are already selling the Civic GX as a fleet vehicle.

"Expanding Honda's Civic GX retail program along with the continued success of fleet sales expresses our commitment to the environment and natural gas vehicle technology," said Elmer Hardy, senior manager of Alternative Fuel Vehicle Sales & Marketing. "Honda seeks market opportunities for the Civic GX where strong natural gas refueling infrastructure exists, and we continue to see its promise as a clean, sustainable, domestically-sourced alternative fuel."

Honda is the only OEM currently selling a CNG-powered vehicle on a retail basis in the United States. Additionally, the Civic GX is the only OEM-built, CNG-powered passenger car assembled in America. The Civic GX is built on the same assembly line as the gasoline-powered Civic 4-door models at Honda's Greensburg, Indiana manufacturing facility.

In 2006, the Civic GX became available for the first time to retail customers in California. Since then, retail sales have expanded to New York, Utah and now, Oklahoma. Currently, 43 dealers in California, 19 in New York and eight in Utah have added Retail Sales Addendums to their Honda Sales Agreements that enable them to sell the Civic GX on a retail basis. When including dealerships that sell fleet vehicles, there are a total of 134 Civic GX dealers in 33 states.

Oklahoma is an ideal market to expand retail sales of the Civic GX with its low refueling costs, a generous state tax incentive toward the purchase of a new Civic GX and solid fleet sales. As the second largest natural gas producing state in the U.S., Oklahoma already has a strong existing CNG station infrastructure with robust plans to expand the network over the next several years.

The 2010 Civic GX achieves an EPA-estimated city/highway fuel economy of 24/36** miles per gasoline-gallon equivalent and is the only vehicle certified by the EPA to meet both Federal Tier 2-Bin 2 and Inherently Low Emission Vehicle (ILEV) zero evaporative emission certification standards. Additionally, the Honda Civic GX is the cleanest internal combustion vehicle ever tested by the EPA, and for the seventh straight year, the Civic GX NGV was named "Greenest Vehicle" by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

Blog - Pillars of Slippers

Blog - Pillars of Slippers

Gas Station Divas-The First Part

Gas Station Divas