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Rants and Raves is an opinion blog site dedicated to discussing current news and events. Issues addressed include politics, business and marketing, environmental issues, and other things that deserve a closer look, or are simply interesting. Enjoy your visit!
. You got a nice blog, I like the background. Anyways, do you mind exchanging links? 
Hello All!
I just wanted to let Rants and Raves site visitors know that I now have a second blog now. It is more focused on business and working at home. Stop by and check it out.
http://momshomecafe.blogspot.com
Also......if you are looking for a home based business or a way to generate extra income, check out my new website. This business has a great plan and it's free to join/start. On my site, you can watch a short video that explains everything in detail.
http://www.mypowermall.com/biz/home/92348
Happy Browsing!
Recently, I have had several response posts that are basically advertisments. BE ADVISED that any future response post of this type will be immediately DELETED and the IP Address will be BANNED! This blog was created for intelligent discussion of various topics, not as a place advertise.
Please do not post any replies that are advertising anything, or that are similar to this:
Well, I finally got my Christmas shopping done yesterday. The store was an absolute mad house, so apparently I am not the only one who waited till the last minute.
According to the Chicago Daily Herald, consumers have learned that retailers often offer discounts right before Christmas in an attempt to move more products before the shopping season comes to a close on Christmas day. The article states that retailers are giving deeper discounts this year than they did last year, and that they are announcing last minute holiday sales through advertising.
In addition, some shoppers say that they wait till the last minute because it puts them in the holiday spirit and gives them a rush.
So...if you still haven’t got your shopping done, go out and take advantage of those discounts! Just try not to get trampled by the crowds
A couple in
They were accused of holding two Indonesian women hostage in their home, after bringing them to the
If you're like me, you have a hard time deciding which presidential candidate has what position on what topic. This Quiz asks you to enter your position on various political topics, then tells you which presidential candidates hold views closest to yours. Check it out!
You may have heard in the news that there were recent shootings in Colorado at a Missionary and at a large church in Colorado Springs. Both were done by the same person. I believe that four people were killed between the two places, and there could have been much more.
I heard on the news that that the church (New Life Church in Colorado Springs), had a volunteer security guard on duty, who, after shots were fired, went into the parking lot and shot at the shooter. Now, it was later determined that the shooter/killer was killed by a self-inflicted gun shot wound, but the news was saying that the security guard slowed him down, and he may not have shot himself had she not intervened.
There are some people that are up in arms about the security guard that shot him in an attempt to end the violence. Apparently, the security guard works at the church on a volunteer basis. She has previous law enforcement training, but is no longer in law enforcement. She does; however, have a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
Well, people are throwing a fit because they don't believe that people should be allowed to have concealed weapons. My point is this, whether people agree with concealed carry permits or not, the security guard did the right thing. There were 7,000 people at that church that morning...that's right, SEVEN THOUSAND, and the killer was loaded with amunition. With the amount of amunition that he had, a lot more people could have been hurt if the security guard hadn't done what she did.
Okay, so you're probably wondering where I have been. Well, I have been lost in a world of homework and kids, where there is no such thing as free time. I have finally found a little "free time", lol and behold, so I'm back to blogging.
Have a happy day!!!!!!
I just wanted to share with you something that my daughter said the other day. It was so funny, and I thought it might bring a smile to your face!
A few days ago, I made some cherry Jello. My daughter loves Jello and was anxiously waiting for it to set up so that she could have some. I on the other hand, had put it in the fridge and forgot about it.
A little while later, my daughter came into the living room and her hands were bright red. Not thinking about the Jello, I asked her "why are your hands all red?"
She looked at me and said, "because they're embarrassed!"
Well, her hands weren't embarrassed, she had put them into the bowl of Jello. But what she said was so funny there was no way I could be mad at her!
Hello All!
Well, I have decided to delete my website, atleast for now. I simply don't have the time to get it up and running, and would rather focus my attention on my blog for the time being. At some point in the future, I will work on my website idea.
Anyway, I just wanted to let ya know. Hope everyone is doing well!
A playground fire in Arlington, Texas was apparently started by spontaneous combustion. Surveillance footage led officials to believe that no one started the fire. It is thought that the wood chips covering the playground area had gotten wet and started to decompose, and then extreme heat caused the decomposing chips to catch fire. The Arlington School District says that they are going to replace all playground woodchips with gravel (Associated Press).
If you've ever wondered how tall your child might be when they're done growing, check out this height predictor tool on MSN:
http://health.msn.com/pregnancykids/kidshealth/heightpredictor.aspx
I recently made a post about Sprint's cancellation of 1,000 customer contracts because the customers "called customer service service too much." Well, now Sprint has reported that though they experienced growth in the second quarter, customer cancellations could hurt the current quarter’s shares. Sprint says that shares could fall by 6.8% in the third quarter, and that it will be difficult to make up the loss.
I take it that these cancellations were due to customer choice, unlike the recent cancellations that were made by Sprint. Well, all I can say is...that’s what ya get!
Today, NASA launched a shuttle bound for the space center that included a teacher among crew members. The last teacher that had the opportunity to go up in the space shuttle was Christa McAuliffe. She was aboard Challenger, which exploded before reaching orbit in 1986.
The teacher on today’s flight is Barbara Morgan. Morgan was McAuliffe’s backup in 1986. Morgan stated to reporters that she is happy to be fulfilling McAuliffe’s dream.
I was 11-years-old when the Challenger disaster happened, and was living in Florida at the time. Though I was young, I still remember that day like it was yesterday. I was in the car with my parents when Challenger blew up in the sky. We were traveling down the Interstate, and everyone in the car saw it pretty clearly. I think that people across the country were saddened by it.
I am glad that another teacher has finally gotten the opportunity to experience space flight and to share the experience with students. I wish her the best.
Clean Energy Bill
Why it is that I had to find this on the BBC News, and don’t see any sign of this story from U.S. news sources is beyond me, but I believe that this proposed bill deserves some attention.
According to the BBC, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that would require more use of clean energy, such as “biofuels, wind, solar, and geothermal resources.” The bill would cut tax incentives for oil companies and require U.S. utility companies to “generate 15% of their energy from renewable sources by the year 2020.” The bill still has to pass the Senate, and is opposed by many, including President Bush (Nettleship).
I am certain that there are ramifications to this bill that are not mentioned in the BBC News Article, but beyond that, this proposed bill is bound to increase both utility prices and gas prices (as if they aren’t high enough). I support environmental causes, and I do want changes to be made, but there has to be some sort of “happy medium” somewhere. The House and the Senate need to come together on this issue, and come up with some solutions that are in everyone’s best interest. It’s not just the environmental impact that you have to consider here, you also have to look at the financial and economical impact for it to be in the best interest of the country.
Spy Bill
The U.S. House and Senate has now passed a bill that will allow the government to tap into electronic communications to gather foreign intelligence. The bill will bring the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 up to date with current technology, and will allow the government to increase surveillance of possible foreign terrorists. The bill will allow surveillance of e-mails, phone calls, and other communications that originate in the U.S. and go overseas, and will not require a court order.
Opponents of the bill state that the bill violates the privacy of American citizens, but the supporters of the bill counter that by stating that the surveillance will only target messages that are going out to overseas targets. If an overseas target is communicating with U.S. citizens that aren’t relevant to a target, their names will be minimized, or taken off of the transcript. Officials state that the bill is aimed at thwarting terrorists attacks in the U.S., and does not have the intent of monitoring Americans in general.
Honestly, I am still a bit undecided about how I feel about this bill. The thing that I am certain about is that I don’t want anymore terrorists attacks on U.S. soil. I’ll have to think on this one for awhile....
Senate Bill to Regulate Tobacco
On Aug. 1, legislation was approved by a U.S. Senate panel that would give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate the tobacco industry. In order for the bill to pass, 60 votes from the Senate is required, a number that the sponsor of the bill, Senator Edward Kennedy (D), says is doable.
Apparently, Kennedy has been trying to bring the bill to the table for some time, but has not been given the chance to present it until now. The proposed bill would give the FDA the power to further limit advertising, regulate nicotine levels, and more. It would also allow for a tobacco tax increase of 61-cents. The increased excise-tax would help to fund children’s health programs, and reduce the overall use of tobacco.
Supporters of the bill include various health agencies and believe it or not, tobacco giant Phillip Morris. The supporters claim that the bill would reduce the incidents of child and teen tobacco use, as well as nicotine addictions. However, those against the bill claim that it is ‘fundamentally flawed’ and that it would help Phillip Morris, as they have the upper-hand in the industry to implement the proposed industry changes.
One Senator who is against the bill, Senator Michael Enzi, has stated that he intends to challenge the proposed bill with one of his own. Furthermore, several amendments that are sponsored by the Republican party could undermine the proposed bills main intent.
According to jointogether.com, the FDA tobacco regulation bill will:
As I light another cigarette, I’m thinking that this bill may indeed reduce tobacco use. I already spend more than I can afford on cigarettes. Though I know all the risks involved, I continue to smoke because I am addicted to these stupid things. However, if continuing to smoke means more money coming out of my pocket to harm my overall health, then there is a greater chance that I’ll quit. If the FDA also requires tobacco manufacturers to reduce the level of nicotine and chemicals, it should help everyone who uses tobacco products to have a lessened addiction. (At least, it would seem so – right?).
Now, I am for smoker’s rights. In fact, I have been very annoyed at the fact that my state passed legislation last year that prohibits people from smoking in restaurants and bars. I figure that eventually they’ll have it to where you can’t smoke anywhere. But let’s face it, smoking is bad for human health! Tobacco use causes cancer and an array of other health problems. Therefore, I think that this bill would be good, and would be in the best interest of the public. The FDA can already regulate nicotine replacement products, and they regulate every other drug that there is, and I think it’s about time that they started regulating tobacco. It is, in fact – a drug.
Yet another recall has been initiated due to China’s lack of product safety practices, only this time it is not just the U.S. that is affected, it is a world-wide recall, and for the second time this year, the recall involves children’s toys.
A major toy manufacturer is issuing a world-wide recall of 967,000 toys. Mattel, maker of Fisher-Price toys, says that the recall includes 83 affected toys in the U.S. and overseas. In the U.S., the toys were sold between May and August.
Mattel had contracted with a Chinese vendor to paint the toys, and the vendor used excessive levels of lead paint. Excessive levels of lead, if ingested, can lead to brain damage and learning disabilities. Mattel made statements saying that simply touching the toys, or even licking them, should not cause physical harm; however, if the paint is ingested, then parents should contact a pediatrician.
Mattel is offering vouchers and exchanges for those who have purchased the recalled toys. A list of the affected products can be found on the company’s website, or consumers can call their toll-free hotline, at: 1-800-916-4498.
I have stated in earlier posts (see June 30th and July 6th posts in archives), that a big majority of products imported from China may not be safe for our use. I base this on the string of recalls on Chinese-made products over the last year. China has to realize that if they want to continue to do business with other countries, they have to examine their manufacturing practices and come up with methods and products that are safe. They are causing themselves to have a major public relations issue.
Now, my first thought on this, would be for everyone to boycott Chinese products so that maybe they’d “knock it off.” However, we get so many of our products from China (at least here in the U.S.), that a boycott may not be feasible. Furthermore, even if products don’t state that they’re made in China, there are a lot of companies that outsource specific parts of production in China and other countries, even though they state that they are made elsewhere. This was exactly the case with the Fisher-Price recall.
Look around your house and see how many things you find that are made in China, I’m willing to bet that it’s half the stuff you own! So, the question is, what can be done? I hope that the new import safety panel (see July 18th post) will help ensure our safety here in the U.S., but I am not sure of what safeguards are in place in other countries.
ABC’s “The View,” announced yesterday that Whoopi Goldburg will be the new co-host of the show. Goldburg will replace controversial Rosie O’Donnel after Labor Day, and will act as the show’s moderator. Goldburg stated that she may disagree with others, but will never go about things in a mean way.
If you have not heard about it, a major Interstate bridge collapsed at 6:05 Eastern time last night (August 1st), in the city of Minneapolis. According to news reports, a 1/3 mile stretch of the bridge, that crosses over the Mississippi River, collapsed within a 4 second period of time. Some drivers fell approximately 64 feet while still in their cars. While some cars landed back on the bridge, others fell into the water, or on top of other cars.
Officials state that they believe the disaster to have been caused by engineering errors or structural insufficiency. Reports issued this morning state that because of the bridge collapse, there are at least 4 dead, 60 or more people were injured, and 20 to 30 people are still missing. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported the number of injured people to be 79.
My husband is from the Minneapolis area, and has family there. Like many other family members probably did, we immediately picked up the phone and started dialing to make sure that everyone was okay. Luckily, everyone in our family is fine, and none of them were near that bridge, but there are a lot of families who were not so lucky. My thoughts are with them today, as well as the rescue workers who are still on the scene.
Update: As of today, August 3, 2007, the number of people who have been confirmed dead has risen to 5, but the number of missing has been reduced to 8, as authorities have managed to contact family members and account for almost all of the people that were presumed missing (Star Tribune). I suspect that these numbers will continue to change; therefore, I will try to post another update when the final counts are released.
Map Comparing the Safety of MN Bridges & the Safety of Bridges in Other States
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