A Friend of Mind told me today of the passing of his dog..

Rosie was the Best Squirrel Dog in East Texas.

She will be missed by her family and friends... and by the hundreds of squirrels that will not be taken down in the years to come. This season, her record was 68 squirrels. It was a low year for her.

Age was creeping up on her.

Goodbye, Rosie.

You were a wonderful Rat Terrier mix and companion to Don. He misses you.

FD.

CPAC Round Up

http://www.cpac.org/





The American Conservative Union and Conservative Political Action ConferencE (CPAC)would like to express our deepest gratitude to all of the speakers, sponsors, contributors and volunteers who helped make this 36th Conservative Political Action Conference our biggest success to date! We look forward to seeing you at the 37th annual CPAC!





I was not aware of CPAC...


If you want to see and hear from this conference, here are the collected videos of speakers and presentations:





http://video.google.com/videosearch?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=cpac+2009&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=ZS-1SbeTA5LEMe3dhesE&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title#




Here is the best summary article on the Man and the Event - FD.

Rush Limbaugh, CPAC, and Me
Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: I encourage readers to go to the below link and to read the complete post by Eric aka the Tygrrrr Express. I know Eric and I can assure you that if you met him, he would have you laughing. His article says what most conservatives clearly understand. It is something that the liberal news media or the Obama pundits and his White House staff will never understand. Extracted just a part, believe it or not, of his "most excellent" post. Be sure to take time to visit the link and read it all. Here are a few highlights:
http://arkansasgopwing.blogspot.com/2009/03/rush-limbaugh-cpac-and-me.html

50 - 70% of people begin to snore when they get older. I am one of them. It is a major problem for the house hold... should I care?

Open Wide!

Also called Pillar Implants.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/13670.php

Researchers find that inserting three matchstick sized pieces of polyester material in the upper palate is a simple, low cost, and easily tolerated office procedure that provides effective snoring relief. In a stress filled society, sleep is precious. When your partner or roommate has loud and habitual snoring, finding an effective, minimally invasive and cost-effective treatment becomes critical. Surgery is one option, particularly the uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) and laser-assisted uvuloplasty (LAUP), which reduces the pharyngeal tissue volume and increases palatal stiffness through postoperative scarring.

However, these procedures are painful and may cause considerable morbidity [define] and functional changes. Recently developments have resulted in more targeted procedures to stiffen the palate and cause less surgical trauma for patients. These procedures include radiofrequency and injection sclerotherapy of the palate. However, these regimens often require more than one treatment for optimal palatal stiffening, and occasional tissue damage can cause mucosal breakdown and fistulas.

The public has recently been introduced to a new palatal implant system designed to achieve palatal stiffening without tissue damage and volume reduction. This system reduces snoring through placement of permanent implants, which cause fibrosis and submucosal scarring in a single procedure. The implant itself is a segment of braided, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which has a long history of human implantation.

Advantages of this system are expected to be low morbidity, simplicity, and low cost. But does the palatal system actually work? A research team from Norway set out to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this new treatment for snoring through long-term follow-up.

The authors of "Palatal Implants for the Treatment of Snoring: Long Term Results," are St�le Nordg�rd MD PhD, Brit Kari Stene Md, Ketil Wichmann Skj�stad MD, and Vegard Bugten MD, all with the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, St Olav University Hospital, Trondheim; and Nina Vanvik Hansen, a research nurse, all in Norway. Their findings are being presented at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, being held September 19-22, 2004, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York City, NY. Methodology: Thirty-five patients referred to St. Olav University Hospital in Trondheim for habitual snoring were included in this prospective, non-randomised study. A complete medical history and physical ENT examination was conducted on each subject. The patient and his/her bed partner completed questionnaires to evaluate the severity, intensity, duration, and social effects of the snoring. The intensity of snoring and the degree of pain, speech, and swallowing problems were recorded on a visual analogue scale (VAS) from 0 to 10. For snoring intensity, 0 was no snoring and 10 related to an intensity that causes the partner to leave the bedroom. The Epworth Sleepiness Score (ESS) was used to describe the patient's daytime sleepiness. To evaluate the satisfaction rate, the patients and their partners were asked if they would recommend the procedure to a friend or a family member based on how they felt at the time of follow-up. The ambulatory, nocturnal polysomnography was performed; follow-up office visits were performed at 2-3 days, 14 days, 30 days, 90 days, 180 days, and 360 days after treatment. These follow-ups consisted of a physical examination and the completion of questionnaires to evaluate the safety and efficacy for the procedure. A polysomnography was repeated at 360 days.

The Palatal Implant System (Pillar System) was used in this research study.

The implant is 18 mm long and 1.5 mm in diameter. The implant is designed to be permanent while the delivery system is disposable. Results: The study group comprised 26 men and eight women with a mean age of 43.7 years (range 23-67 years). The mean BMI was 26.1 and did not change significantly after one year (BMI 26.3). Four patients did not repeat the polysomnography, leaving 30 pairs of data for comparison of the sleep study results. There was no significant change in mean AHI (Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI), the number of apneas and hypopneas that occur during the night and dividing by the time in bed). None of the patients withdrew from the study; all completed their follow-up visits at 2, 14, 30, 90, 180 and 360 days postoperatively. These implants offered a new philosophy of stiffening the palate to reduce snoring. Unlike UPPP, LAUP, RF, CAPSO and injection snoreplasty where scarring takes place after tissue resection or ablation, this procedure causes virtually no tissue damage and the implants serve as a template for fibrous ingrowths. This is reflected in the very low patient morbidity observed in this study. No mucosal breakdown, palatal swelling, discomfort or fistulae, as reported for radiofrequency and injection snoreplasty, were noted with the palatal implant system. In this study, pain was not registered at a day-to-day basis, but the objective data related to analgesic use places it at least similar to the most favourable results from radiofrequency. Six patients (17.8 percent) did experience a total of nine partial extrusions.

In a one-year follow-up after the palatal implantation, 70 percent of patients' bedmates reported that snoring was no longer a problem, compared to 92 percent at four to six weeks.

This is approximately equal to the satisfaction reported in surgical and less invasive procedures.

Conclusions: The palatal implant system is safe and the procedure is associated with a very low patient morbidity and virtually no tissue damage. The effectiveness in treating snoring is comparable to other surgical methods but can be further improved through better patient selection. Partial extrusion of one or two implants, the most frequently observed adverse reaction, does not affect the overall treatment results.

The advantages when compared to other methods are simplicity, low cost and minimal patient discomfort from only a single procedure where the majority of bed partners remained satisfied long term.American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (AAOHNS) One Prince St. Alexandria, VA 22314United StatesPhone 703-519-1563Fax 703-519-1587http://www.entnet.org/ent-press/index.cfm

Chain Email on Remembrance of the Holocaust...

It is now 63 years since the Second World War in Europe ended.

This e-mail is being sent as a memorial chain, in memory of the six million Jews, 20 million Russians, 10 million Christians and 1,900 Catholic priests who were murdered, massacred, raped, burned, starved and humiliated with the German and Russian Peoples looking the other way!

Now, more than ever, with Iraq, Iran, and others, claiming the Holocaust to be 'a myth', it's imperative to make sure the world never forgets, because there are others who would like to do it again.

This e-mail is intended to reach 40 million people worldwide!

Join us and be a link in the memorial chain and help us distribute it around the world.

Please send this e-mail to 10 people you know and ask them to continue the memorial chain.

I don't e-mail stuff much any more.

It is not just Arab (?) states that have denied the event. Lot's of Neo-Nazi, Conservatives groups in this country are saying it did not happen. Did it? I believe it happened. My wife has WWII photos from her Dad. My mother was in Europe during WWII and talked about it when I was young pup, and then began to deny it when she got older. So some groups are "re-writing" it.

FD.

Since I don't use Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, etc. these stories are even more interesting to me...

When Skittles Met Twitter
A bold social media marketing experiment on the Mars brand's home page prompted a lively debate at the fourth annual Social Media Conference
By Kerry Capell

http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/mar2009/ca2009038_020385.htm

On Mar. 2, Skittles, the colorful candy brand owned by Mars, transformed its home page into an online portal featuring a live Twitter feed alongside Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube content.
Instead of the usual corporate propaganda, the home page and "chatter" section became the brand's Twitter page, the video media and images pages became the brand's YouTube page and Flickr stream, respectively. Meanwhile, the "friends" section morphed into a Skittles Facebook fan page. According to Andy Hobsbawm, European chairman of online ad firm agency.com , which came up with the idea, the site received so many hits the first day it brought down Twitter. But just two days after its launch, Skittles was forced to rethink its social media strategy after users deluged the site with inane and often profane "tweets," the messages sent by Twitter users. READ THE REST ABOVE ON THE LINK.

Social media still stump the experts, but the rest of the article is still worth a glance. The relationship language in the opening paragraph was the most useful part of the story for me... but did it sell more Skittles?
FD

The GOP wants to ignore this one. The Democrats want to jump on it. It is literally eating my lunch, so I need think about it more.

Clues to recession's end lurk in economists' data
When will this wretched economy bottom out?

FD: I will be editing this piece all week.
This recession seems to be a bit different than the last three we have had...here are some random facts.

The recession is already in its 15th month. For now, everything seems to be getting worse: The Dow is in free fall, jobs are vanishing every day, and one in eight American homeowners is in foreclosure or behind on payments.
The economy runs in cycles, and economists are watching an array of statistics to spot the turning point. The Associated Press examined three sectors – housing, jobs and stocks – and asked experts where things stand and how to know when they've hit bottom.

JOBS
How bad is it?
The U.S. unemployment rate hit 8.1 percent in February, a 25-year peak. The nation has lost 4.4 million jobs since the recession began in late 2007. The job cuts began early last year, as the housing and construction industries slowed down. The collapse of the financial industry in the fall battered white-collar workers.

How much worse could it get?
The darkest days for the job market could still be ahead. With spending weak and credit markets stalled, some experts think the economy might shed 2.4 million jobs this year.
The job market will probably be weak for years, even if the economy starts to turn around next year. The unemployment rate may not fall back to its pre-recession level of 5 percent until 2013, according to Moody's Economy.com.

When will it improve?
Economist Sophia Koropeckyj, a managing director at Moody's Economy.com, is keeping an eye out for two signs – a slow rise in companies hiring temporary workers and an increase in the number of hours worked by those still employed. When conditions improve, employers hire temporary workers first, she said, and a pickup in permanent hiring wouldn't be far behind. Koropeckyj estimated that could come in mid-2010.

HOUSING
How bad is it?
The median price of a home sold in the U.S. fell to $170,300 in January, down 26 percent from a year and a half earlier, according to the National Association of Realtors.
This housing crash has spread pain more widely than any before it. Other housing downturns in recent decades have been regional. Prices in the fourth quarter of 2008 fell in nearly 90 percent of the top 150 metro areas, according to the Realtors group.

How much worse could it get?
The Federal Reserve estimates home prices could fall 18 percent to 29 percent more by the end of 2010. Declines will probably be less severe in cities with healthier economies that don't have a glut of unsold homes.
When will it improve?
Susan Wachter, a professor of real estate at the University of Pennsylvania, is watching the backlog of unsold homes. At January's sales pace, it would take about 10 months to rid the market of all those properties. A more normal pace would be six months.
Once foreclosures level off and the backlog is cleared, Wachter says, the housing market can begin to recover. Most economists don't expect home prices to bottom out before the first quarter of 2010.

STOCKS
How bad is it?
The Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor's 500 index have lost more than half their value since the stock market peaked in October 2007.
How much worse could it get?
Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Private Bank in Chicago, said the Dow could fall to 6,000 if the economy slows much further and unemployment rises well past the current 8.1 percent. He pegs the likelihood of that at about 30 percent. Others are more pessimistic. Bill Strazzullo, chief market strategist for Bell Curve Trading, contends the Dow might fall to 5,000 and the S&P to 500.

When will it improve?
In downturns over the past 60 years, the S&P 500 has hit bottom an average of four months before a recession ended and about nine months before unemployment hit its peak.
Investors will be looking for turnarounds in housing, lending and employment, as well as signs that consumer spending has picked up.
Many market experts say the bottom of the stock market could come in the second or third quarter of this year. And the recovery, whenever it comes, could be as breathtaking as the fall: Since 1932, the S&P 500 has gained an average of 46 percent in the year after stocks have hit a bottom

Bankruptcy for GM and the rest of the banks and businesses is OK with the GOP...

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/US-Car-Firm-General-Motors-Bankruptcy-GM-Could-Go-Bankrupt-Amid-Global-Financial-Crisis/Article/200903115236124?lpos=Business_First_Buisness_Article_Teaser_Region_3&lid=ARTICLE_15236124_US_Car_Firm_General_Motors_Bankruptcy%3A_GM_Could_Go_Bankrupt_Amid_Global_Financial_Crisis

Auditors for the company have warned there is "substantial doubt" about its ability to stay in business if it fails to stop its losses. "Our future is dependent on our ability to execute our viability plan," GM said in its annual report to US securities regulators.
"If we fail to do so for any reason, we would not be able to continue as a going concern and could potentially be forced to seek relief through a filing under the US bankruptcy code."
GM warned late last month that it expected auditors Deloitte & Touche to question its viability after it reported a loss of nearly £22bn for 2008.
The car maker is seeking up to £21bn from the US government in order to restructure.

More than half a century ago, then-General Motors President Charles Wilson was misquoted as having said, “What’s good for General Motors is good for the country.” That quote came to epitomize the auto giant’s arrogance.
Now, the giant automaker is seemingly spinning out of control. On Monday, GM’s management team was shuffled, presumably in response to the threat from Standard & Poor's to downgrade its debt to “junk bond” status. On Tuesday, Moody's downgraded GM's bonds to one step above junk. With a powerful blue chip company on the ropes, it might be worth a moment to see what their corporate culture of arrogance has wrought. On Sunday, the GOP was on all the talk shows asking for it's bankruptcy and the end of the UAW.

By the time Wilson made his infamous declaration, the company was a dominant political force. It had already led a successful effort to destroy the streetcar system in America’s cities in order to force people to buy cars, rather than take public transportation. GM later spent decades battling efforts to reduce tailpipe pollution emissions that caused public health problems throughout the nation. ...

Don't much care about GM, my Dad was a Ford Man.

I grew up driving Fords... then I bought a Volvo,
then Ford bought Volvo... would have bought another Explorer, but Ford screwed up the basic design of the Explorer. Still mean to test drive the FLEX, but the way things are going I might as wait.

Now I still drive the Ford X with over a quarter of a million miles on the one Mom named "SUE" and a Scion Bx with only 100,000 miles on it that Mom picked out a couple of years before she died as "one you should look at."

Mom had an eye for cars. Dad had an eye for Mom.