The Turkeys We Send To DC

This Guy's The Worst... But They're All KnuckleheadsYou've heard the old joke, the one they tell every year at this time: "Know why they aren't having Thanksgiving in (Chicago)? They sent the turkey to Washington!" Usually, the quip refers to the president - any president - but lately, all the elected federal officials from both parties have been particularly turkey-like.
If you follow the arguments they're all having these days (and why in the world would you do that?), you know the key point being made by both sides seems to boil down to "I know you are, but what am I?" This is a time-honored argument, of course, and it still works as well today as it did when these turkeys undoubtedly rolled it out on playgrounds nationwide (and in Indonesia) when they were, like, eight.
Meanwhile, the nation's having a new-and-different kind of fun, what with no one being able to run a successful business, or hire anybody, or get a job, or make money, or even protest everything in a manner consistent with decent personal hygiene.
But despite all this, and despite the fact that all of us seem to have sent our turkeys to Washington, we did have Thanksgiving in America recently. And, as all presidents before him, President Obama ceremoniously pardoned two symbolic turkeys. But his heart didn't seem to be in it. That's probably because all presidents have to do this goofy turkey-pardon thing, and they aren't allowed to put their own personality into it.
If the president had been allowed to do it his way, he'd have organized those turkeys into a community. Then, upon hearing their names were "Liberty" and "Peace," he'd-a probably butchered them himself, with a lusty cry of "All the turkeys are mine! Mine!"
Makes me wonder how previous presidents would've done the turkey thing if they could've done it "their way." George W. Bush probably would've thought Karl Rove said "make sure you get your axe cuts," and therefore his turkeys wouldn't have been safe, either. His dad would have said "Read my lips, no new axes," and then axed the birds anyway.
Clinton? "I experimented with turkey once, but I didn't swallow." Reagan would've saved Liberty and Peace, but would not have remembered doing so. Carter would've cited the birds' "misery index" as he severed their heads. Ford would've tripped over them. Nixon would've gotten the turkeys to pardon HIM. Johnson would've sent the birds to 'Nam - twice. And Jack Kennedy would've been thankful (as would've the rest of us) if he'd just been around to do anything at all with the '63 birds.
Happy Holidays, and I hope you have much to be thankful for this season. Me? I'm grateful for many things, including the right to dismiss these turkeys next November - even if only to send in a fresh crop of gobblers.
by Michael D. Hume, M.S.
Michael Hume is a speaker, writer, and consultant specializing in helping people maximize their potential and enjoy inspiring lives. As part of his inspirational leadership mission, he coaches executives and leaders in growing their personal sense of well-being through wealth creation and management, along with personal vitality.
Michael and his wife, Kathryn, divide their time between homes in California and Colorado. They are very proud of their offspring, who grew up to include a homemaker, a rock star, a service talent, and a television expert. Two grandchildren also warm their hearts! Visit Michael's web site at http://michaelhume.net/

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Trying To Solve Tricky Riddles Is A Great Activity For The Elderly

It is a proven medical fact that as we get older, our brains begin to slow down and not function as well as they once did. It is also a proven medical fact that if you keep your brain engaged working on difficult projects; you can maintain a high level of thinking capacity for much longer period of time. For that very reason, it is recommended that the elderly work daily on trying to solve tricky riddles.Regardless of a person's age, when you first start trying to solve riddles, you want to begin with easy riddles. If you start with the real brain teasers, it will be almost impossible for you to come up with even one correct answer.
Most of the experts that practice this activity have developed their own techniques for solving hard riddles. While each and everyone are a little different, they do have certain principles that they utilize which are very similar.
Most great riddle solvers will tell you that the most important thing that they do when they first sit down and try to come up with an answer is to read the riddle extremely carefully. They also tend to read a riddle many times, before they even start trying to think about an answer for it.
They do this for many reasons, one of which is that they try and get into the writers head and figure out where the riddle is heading. These professionals already fully realize that the obvious response is always going to be wrong. They know that the author is trying to push you in one direction, but you really need to be heading down a much different path.
They will ask themselves many questions, such as "Why did the writer use this word, instead of that one"? Or, "What are all of the possible not so obvious alternatives that I should to consider"?
Being able to consistently come up with correct riddle answers is not easy, but it can be done. The longer you practice at it, the better you get. It is kind of like sitting down and doing a crossword puzzle for the first time. Very few, if any people ever succeed at getting all of the words correct, until they have been doing them for a while.
Solving riddles for people that are in their twilight years is a fantastic way for them to have some fun, while at the same time forcing them to use their brains in an intense fashion. Some of them will get frustrated when they first start because they cannot come up with the answers, but if they stick at it for a while, most of them will eventually get the hang of it.
If you have a friend, loved one, or an associate that needs something to do with their spare time, learning how to solve riddles is a great way to occupy it. Please remember to start with the easy ones, and then gradually work your way up to tricky riddles.
Are the Riddles you're used to solving a little too easy for you? If so, I suggest you check out our newer and harder Riddle List online at iRiddles.org, where they are much harder.

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Primaries, Presidential Politics and a Few Good Shrinks: A Stress Analysis for the Candidates

The chronic stress of present-day presidential politics must lead all rational Americans to an incontrovertible conclusion: the time has come to assign a few good shrinks to the candidates.Imagine how bored their Docs must get waiting for plaque to build up in coronary arteries or watching for a polyp to crop up on intestinal walls. On the other hand, psychological experts would have their hands full immediately.
The candidates need real pros to provide feedback when their verbal habits veer off track, help them unload repressed feelings when the media frustrates them, and provide emotional support after the 'accusation of the day' from their own and the opposing party.
The presidential aspirants might require a team of specialists: a marriage counselor when things get tough with the prospective First Partner, a Psychologist to help with the self-esteem issues that stem from striving to be adored by several hundred million people, and when all else fails, a Psychiatrist to give their brain cells a boost of serotonin.
We Americans suffer from the illusion that our chosen leaders must have their collective heads on pretty straight. Not necessarily true! When you're at the top, people get squeamish about pointing out your idiosyncrasies. Would you tell the prospective President of the most powerful country in the world that his temper tantrums with the media represent unresolved rage towards his/her mother? Of course not, but a good Shrink would!
We need a permanent policy mandating a few good shrinks to follow each potential leader. Wouldn't it inspire confidence in our candidates - and set a great example for our kids - if the networks ended their news programs with this important message:
"And finally, ladies and gentlemen, we come to our Presidential candidate Smith, who consulted a counselor today because
.....the pressure of running for the most powerful position in the world was stressing him/her out.
.....he/she had a nightmare last night that revealed deep-seated feelings of inadequacy.
.....and, worst of all, the prospective First Partner was peeved at him/her during dinner.
The presidential aspirants exhibit these natural human reactions whether we want to believe it or not. Do you want someone running your country that is not in touch with his/her deep-seated feelings of inadequacy?
We should require each candidate running for the highest office in the land to submit to a complete psychological evaluation. Our team of shrinks could be summoned to the primaries to pinpoint potential problems. Family members would be interviewed to evaluate the level of dysfunction in the prospective First Family. This way, we could tell if a future "Prez" was about to experience a midlife crisis. A candidate with sociopathic tendencies could be eliminated before he/she got into serious trouble.
Think about it! Can we afford to take a chance with the future Big Guy/Gal's psyche? That's pretty risky! Remember, our lives will ultimately be dependent on the ongoing health of his/her brain cells.
Dr. John J. Parrino is a Psychologist and author in Atlanta, Georgia. His website is http://www.drparrino.com/.

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Miksi rakastan minun iPod

My History
When I was a kid, a revolutionary way to listen to music was born in the Sony Walkman but prior to the advent of this personal music player, grooves had only been available in limited format.
The home stereo complete with record player and speakers the size of a small coffee table was prevalent in just about every household including ours. As a lover of music, my mom had one of the top of the line systems made in the 1970's. We listened to AM and FM stations, spun vinyl discs on the record player, and with the included cassette receptacle our world of harmonious variety opened up even wider.
My sister and I had separate equipment in our room including a stand alone record player and the ever popular boom box. Our boom box stereo was rad as it included two cassette docks so we could record from either the radio or tape to tape. We spent hours creating the perfect mix tapes but sadly had nowhere to play them except on the home stereo.
Other than transistor radios, complete with 9Volt batteries that ran out after about an hour and antennae that either did nothing to help tune the station or outright broke off, availability of portable music was fairly limited until the introduction of the Walkman.
There Is Only One Walkman
In roughly 1979 Sony unveiled its portable cassette player known to all as the Walkman. The device was a small box with a door that opened to reveal components for insertion of a cassette tape and a small hole for the headphones. The earliest models were equip with buttons for volume, play, stop, rewind, fast forward and an on/off switch. The addition of the pause feature came later and was quite an advance.
Since Sony's introduction, many brands flooded the market and although Sony held the naming rights, universally these little devices of musical magic were referred to as Walkman.
As I was only six years old when the first Walkman was introduced it took a few years before I was given one of my own. If I remember correctly my sister and I both received one for Christmas sometime around 1984. We were not given the cheap, knock off either, our players had the word Walkman emblazoned right across the gray face.
After the first genuine model I had about three more personal cassette players which I purchased with my own money. Considering the number of times I dropped the player or got sand in the gears while using it at the beach, my own purchases were typically of the lesser priced models.
The base was quite a bit heavier than the headphones so there were countless times when it was lifted by the cord by mistake, only to have the headphones pull right out of their hole and I would watch as the base unit went crashing to the floor. A couple of my players were used for months with no door.
CD's Were Much Easier to Carry
In the early 1980's, just as I was buying a larger purse so I could enjoy the freedom of taking many of my cassettes with me, the compact disc (CD) was unleashed on the world. This twelve centimeter wide disc was an immediate success and even today holds as one of the top selling forms of music and media.
Suddenly instead of carrying around a bulky boom box, Walkman or enormous bag full of cassette tapes, music portability was streamlined. Once again Sony was on the cutting edge of the technology as they introduced the Discman in 1984.
Books with open top sleeves to hold CD's were marketed and people could now carry countless additional music selections with them everywhere. I enjoyed using my Discman on long car trips, when flying or anytime I felt like getting away from the world and since it was so much less bulky to carry a plethora of discs, I took much of my growing collection with me at all times.
The Discman became a rousing success once an anti-skip feature was developed in the mid 1990's. This allowed for the unit to be placed in a bag, backpack or purse without fear of the CD jarring continuously. Additionally the unit was a sleeker, thinner profile than Walkman so it was lighter and less cumbersome to carry around.
How It Evolved
When an adapter was introduced which turned the cassette deck in a car into a CD player, it quickly became clear that people would rather transport the less bulky items. It was so much more convenient to change out a disc and they were a smaller profile to store in the car as the personal sized books would fit in most glove boxes or under the seat.
After a few years it became evident that I was spending more money replacing compact discs than was smart as carrying these thin plastic spherical shaped items around caused an increase in the number of scratches and finally led to the demise of many discs in my collection.
I finally sold or gave to charity my Discman as well as the car adapter and went back to reliance on cassette tapes or the FM radio in the car. Eventually cassettes were also primarily phased out as many had snapped over time and again, the financial outgo to replace them became far too costly.
On a trip with friends in roughly 2001, one of my best began explaining this new device she had just acquired which played music digitally. By this point I had acquired a digital camera but had not heard of digital music and immediately became intrigued.
The early, and viable, models of digital audio players held upwards of 16MB of music which meant each unit was able to store and play anywhere from 100 - 150 songs. The flexibility of the portable music device took such major leaps forward that technologies began being developed at an alarmingly rapid pace.
Apple Has a Leg up but They are Not the Only Ones
After years of lying almost dormant under the technological blanket created by Microsoft, Apple reemerged as the predominant leader of technology with the introduction of the first generation iPod in 2001. Despite an ability to hold upwards of 1500 songs in its 5GB memory capacity, people did not exactly scramble to acquire one as the price tag was close to $500.
But just like any and all technologies not only will a conceptual idea be improved upon, the cost to create and procure will begin to plummet as more people take interest and purchase said item. There was no exception with the iPod.
Although approximately 125,000 units were all that could be sold of the first generation in 2001, the introduction of additional models, larger capacities and lower prices eventually had former Walkman owners scrambling to get their very own, myself included.
By the time I got my iPod I was able to acquire the 30GB model for only $249. This model is now known as the Classic and sadly has been retired. Or rather perhaps I should say it was traded up for either a 40GB or an 80GB Classic, not to mention the iTouch or iPhone.
Once Apple released their iPod many other companies began throwing their own ideas into the ring. Most notably would be the Microsoft Zune which has similar functionality and storage capacity, but there are a multitude of additional players out there to make use of our digital music collections today.
This Torrid Affair Will Continue On Forever
Since the dawn of time, it seems, people have been interested in music. Now that we are able to surround ourselves so completely with our own personal selections it seems there will be no stopping us. I am on my second iPod and fully intend to surround myself with my own music for years to come by continuing to love my amazing piece of technology as long as it holds out.
With the introduction of countless accessories, a rainbow of colors, sizes and storage capacity to fit every connoisseur, and adapters that allow for playing our very own music library in the car it seems that as a society we have reached the pinnacle of technological advances as related to music, its storage and portability. Then again, it is possible that the inventor of the first instrument may have just felt the same way.
Proofreading services are offered at http://writesy.blogspot.com/
My inner ramblings can be read at http://randomnessandlunacy.blogspot.com/

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Tricky Riddles Are Sometimes Called Brain Teasers

If you like to do things that test your deductive reasoning skills in order to keep your mind sharp and your time occupied, then you need to get into trying to solving tricky riddles. Before you start though, let us warn you, it is certainly not going to be the easiest thing that you have ever tried to do in your life.Riddles come in different grades of difficulty, starting with the obvious, easy ones, then hard ones, next tricky ones, and the godfather of them all, the evil and sometimes impossible to solve, the brain teasers.
It is recommended that if you do decide to start this exceptional hobby, that you begin with easy riddles. After all, if you start with the hard ones, more than likely you will quit the very first day.
Trying to quickly guess riddle answers is never going to allow you to actually learn how to solve them on a regular and sustainable basis. In order to do that, you are going to have to perfect your skills by working at it, like millions of other people do.
The first thing you are going to need to do is to understand the concept behind riddles. Essentially, they are a play on words that is designed to force you to look in the opposite direction from where the riddle is initially pointing you. If you always think the answer is the one staring you directly in the face, you will never be able to solve one.
Next, you need to read the riddles very slowly and repeatedly before you try to start solving one. This is not the typical type of reading you are used to doing. It involves trying to figure out why the writer put each and every word in the riddle, because they are all there for a reason. As most of you already know, it is very easy to substitute one word for another in a sentence. That is the dilemma when it comes to riddles, trying to figure out why the authors choose to use the exact words that they used?
Then over time, as you begin to practice more and more, you will start to develop your own riddle solving style and techniques. You really should start with the easy riddles first and later when you get good at coming up with the correct answer quickly, move up to the hard riddles.
This will give you an opportunity to feel success, and it will boost your confidence. Then someday, when you solve one of the hardest riddles you ever tired; you will simply feel great about yourself, and know that all of your hard work and dedication finally paid off big time.
Always coming up with riddle answers that are correct is virtually impossible, even for the pros, which have been working on them for years. But, if you stick with it and persevere though the tough times, sooner or later you will get the hang of it and you will be able to solve most riddles that you are confronted with.
Are the Riddles you're used to solving a little too easy for you? If so, I suggest you check out our newer and harder Riddle List online at iRiddles.org, where they are much harder.

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Just About Everybody In the Entire World Has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

I attended a presentation on an emerging new diagnosis: VICARIOUS PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). The speaker discussed her research on this diagnosis being considered for the DSM IV. The DSM stands for The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. The DSM is the "Bible" for determining medical diagnoses for mental illness, and the "IV" is the Roman Numeral for the 4th edition, because the medical establishment requires more than lowly numbers, like 1,2,3,4, etc., for there to be status associated with their work, oops "profession".If the new diagnosis of Vicarious PTSD were to be put into effect, then all doctors, and anyone having anything to do with LISTENING, or even READING, etc., about the trauma of others could be emotionally damaged so much that they, themselves, could be considered having had the experiences VICARIOUSLY and, as a result, they too would qualify for disability, the same as their patient! Naturally, if this new diagnosis is put into effect, there may be an increase in disability claims by the medical profession. So I say in order to "beat them to it" submit claims now!
Even better than to qualify for VICARIOUS PTSD, though, is to become aware that instead of having secondary Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, we all, or mostly all, have PRIMARY PTSD because our parents spanked us! This spanking caused us all such trauma terror that we are ALL (or almost all of us) are without responsibility for our future actions and/or conduct! Come to think of it, perhaps the spanking all started with the doctor who spanked us when we were born and it is this that begins our life trauma. Perhaps we all need to file a class action suit against all doctors, or use that as a back-up in case there are zero disability funds left when everyone files for disability, when unemployment finally runs out, and there are zero jobs to be had, zero funds, left and/or we are turned down for loans to attend university, college, etc., and when or if, our credit runs out.
Another alternative might be for us all to attempt to return to our infancy as adults, and "re-do" it, sort of like the movie "Ground-Hog Day". We could in our imaginations go back to that very first spanking incident. We could "re-create it until we "get it right". For instance we could imagine ourselves with infant voices saying, as soon as we are picked up and about to be spanked: "Dr., if you spank me, I will sue you!
B. Todish can be reached at btodish@verizon.net. Consider visiting http://www.powerplayradiorantz.com/, scroll down to "Listen to Barbara Todish here" especially Humanity 102, Humanity 103 for additional information on Vicarious PTSD, etc.
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Riding Horses With Kids

Yes, you heard me correct. I have ridden, now, for the past fourteen years with a little passenger in the saddle. And no this riding with kids, has not been an involuntary occurrence. I ride with them until they are able to ride by themselves, voluntarily.Just as most mothers of small children would agree, riding with the kids, beats the only other alternative; not riding at all.
A couple of minor adjustments over the years have prolonged my riding enthusiasm. The primary adjustment of riding tandem in the saddle is to have given birth to a smaller kid. And second, I scored a larger and slick-forked (a.k.a roping) saddle.
The challenges of riding with kids are nothing in comparison to the bounty of rewards and freedom to explore while riding horseback with kids.
The greatest concern for me, over these years riding with kids is keeping their eyes open. The consistent slow rocking and steady clip-clop of hoof beats, the warm sun shining down and fresh air; all work cohesive to knock the rowdiest of kids out.
The trick here is nothing more than preplanning a timely and coordinated dismount. Praying and hoping for no shut gates along the way are also beneficial.
I battle the sleepy tendencies, every ride, with my three-year-old. Fortunately, she loves chasing the cows and yelling, whooping, hollering. This activity is a sure way to keep her conscious. And she is the first to volunteer to move the cows to fresh pasture.
The primary concern when riding horses with kids is safety. A mom could go on all day about safety, kids and horses. For wordiness sake, I shall only highlight the basics here that I categorize under 'Riding with common Sense'.
First- it behooves to realize that there never has been, nor never will be a bomb-proof horse. Horses are animals. They spook. They flee. And they fall.
*Put a helmet on your kid. Keep in mind that it's cool that Mom and Dad wear helmets too.
When my kids where, all, small and still taking naps, riding with them was a breeze. There was nothing handier than breastfeeding back then. Although, I'm sure I more than made a fashionable statement riding the hills through the sage in hot pursuit of stray bovine while clutching a suckling infant. Hey, where there is a will, there is a way!
Looking back, now, carrying extra snacks and water bottles on the saddle is a drag; especially when dropped and then retrieved again and again.
The commitment to the cattle drive is also a nagging proposition for me, the mother. Because, once we're out in the saddle, we are out there in the saddle for the duration. And there is no going back, no turning around until the cows are moved to fresh pasture.
With any chore needing done; three-year-olds run out of steam. When punching cows, three-year-olds get hot, they get tried, they get bored, they get cranky.
My three-year-old devised her own unique entertainment once the saddle strings ran out. She had to, "PEE-PEE, PEE-PEE, PEE-Pee!" every hundred yards.
I can't say that I blame her, because there where bugs, rocks and soft sand beneath our feet. Her old Paint-horse didn't seem to mind the pit stops for fresh nibbles of grass either.
For fifteen years, I have been less than efficient riding heard. I often am dubbed for retrieving the truck and the horse-trailer, on account that all gates en route remain opened.
Perhaps next spring my littlest will be ready to ride her horse, alone. I will still be near to rescue and retrieve, as I did for her older sister when her old "Doc" would straddle and scratch his privates on every large brush he passed. Poor old, "Doc!" I would have let him get his thrills where he could, if my daughter hadn't protested. She reminisces now, much matured, flabbergasted that I, her mother, laughed and didn't come to her rescue quicker. "How could I have let her ride such a grodie old horse?"
"He was just itching!"
There will soon be rides when I am all alone in the saddle with no warm trickle oozing down my leg, no sleeping body in my arms, no stops to catch horny-toads and no whooping at imaginary cattle.
I do know that I'd best enjoy the solitary rides, if they ever manifest from my imagination, because one day soon I'll be riding with a grand baby in my saddle.
Ondi Laure Shepp, writes short stories and western novels from her family's ranch in Wyoming. Read more of her stories on her blog http://olshepp.wordpress.com/, and sign up for the latest of O.L. Shepp's comic relief.

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