So for those of you who actually know me (since I have no idea who reads this blog, but the stats are showing some of you are), you will know that I am totally a wanna-be-fashionista.

I would say the characteristics of a wanna-be-fashionista include: Loving fashion, but not enough to necessarily pursue it as a career; Have a fashion sense, but sometimes it is a little off; have a closet full of clothes, but don’t have the budget to fill it with the labels you love; you love high fashion, but don’t have the Rihanna-type confidence to pull it off; and finally having no care about matching brown and black or blue and black (I am personally all for camel and black).

Anyway, I have been exploring my little side passion through Polyvore. I posted a set a while back on this blog, but I have been rapidly creating more and more. It is becoming my obsessive hobby. It is pretty cool because you can enter contests where you win prizes and money. However, the chances of winning aren’t the greatest but who doesn’t love a good competition?

Here are a few I posted just for fun. Seriously I would wear some of this outlandish stuff:

Both little tributes to the 60’s & 70’s and also Janis Joplin.

Here are a few I submitted for contests. One was for Katy Perry & the other was a contest that just had to incorporate leggings:

Oh how I would love to live in a fashion clad city like New York or L.A., but Omaha is helping me with my fix. Some personal favorites around Omaha are Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, GAP, Roots & Wings, Be Yourself & the Giving Tree, along with Stella in downtown Lincoln.

For great vintage inspired pieces check out Bellweather boutique or Scout in Dundee.

Finally, if you have extra cash and want some unique pieces check out Trocadero, or Nouvelle Eve in the Old Market.

Anyway, just wanted to share a great new obsession of mine. I think I will go get a fix of my Polyvore addiction now. Good Night!

Checkout the No More Empty Pots blog at http://nomoreemptypots.wordpress.com/.

Omaha can be a very confusing game if you do not understand the rules, especially if you have no Poker experience. If you have played Texas Holdem before, then you are probably going to have a lot easier time learning this game. It is not very difficult to play, just confusing if you are new. Everyone has to start somewhere, and what better place to start then with the Omaha Poker Rules?
Omaha Objective:

The objective of the game is the same as most Poker games. You are trying to get the best possible five card poker hand that you can get. The player with the highest hand at the end of the hand will win what is in the pot. If more than one player has the same high hand, they will split what is in the pot.

Omaha Dealing:

Each and every player will get dealt a total of four hole cards, which will be dealt face down for only the player to see. Those cards will be their cards only. Then, there are a total of 5 cards that will be dealt out to the board, face up. These are the cards that will be known as the community cards. Each player will try to use the cards in their hand to match up with the cards on the board to make the best hand.

There are a total of 4 rounds that the cards will be dealt out within. The first set of dealing will be the players’ hole cards. As mentioned above, each player will get 4 of these cards. The next round which is known as the Flop will be where the first 3 community cards are dealt. At this point there will be a total of 3 cards showing face up on the board. The next round (known as the Turn), another card will be dealt face up on the board for the community to use. Then lastly is the River, where the fifth and final community card will be dealt, once again; face up.

Omaha Betting:

The betting structure is very similar to the dealing structure. All you have to keep in mind is that you will have the opportunity to bet or act every time new cars are dealt. That will be the only time you will ever bet. There are a total of 4 rounds of betting as well, once again following the distribution of cards. There are actually three different variations of Omaha, all having to do with the betting. There is Fixed Limit, No Limit and Pot Limit.

Depending on which one you are playing, that will set the betting limits. Either way, the basic betting structure is still the same. It is just that you are limited to how much you can actually bet in some variations. Still, right from the beginning there will be a small blind and a big blind. To the left of the dealer there would be a small blind and to the left of the small blind would be the big blind. For example, in a $2/$4 fixed limit game the small blind would be $1 and the big blind would be $2. After the blinds have been posted, the four hole cards are dealt.

From there, the player to the left of the big blind will be first to act, deciding if he or she wants to call the blind, bet on top of the blind or fold. From there, each and every time new cards are dealt there will be another round of betting. The only difference is that in the next rounds, the player directly to the left of the dealer will be the first player to act. Then, it will go around the entire table until the action reaches the dealer.

The betting structure immediately before and after the flop would be $2. The flop is when the first three community cards are dealt. The next two rounds which are known as the turn and river – bets are increased to $4.

Defining a Winner

Just like any other Poker game, Omaha is a game of many hands. There are tournaments and there are cash/ring games. Either way, the winner is defined by the amount of chips or money he or she has at the end of the game. In a ring game there can be many winners, but in a tournament there can normally only be one. In a tournament, the player with all of the chips at the end will be the winner of the tournament. At the end of each hand all of the players that are still in the hand will show their hands and the player with the best hand will take the pot.

Omaha is a fairly long game that actually takes quite a bit of experience to master. It would actually take years to become a very good well experienced Omaha player. Still, once you get the hang of it you will find that you quickly gain knowledge and learn enough to be a solid player. It just takes years of experience to go through enough hands to learn all of the different things that can happen and different situations you will go through. The best place to start however is with the basics. You will soon be able to find yourself a unique and winning Omaha strategy.

Play Omaha online!

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Do you have a closet that is filled to the max?  Most everyone says yes to this question because naturally if you have space …you tend to fill it up. Are you ready to clean out your closet?  Here is a statistic about clothes for you… most people wear 20% of their clothing 80% of the time.  Doesn’t that sound crazy?  Oh, but it is true.

The first time I heard this statistic I prided myself with being a bit of a minimalist and thought to myself,

“No Way, I do much better than that.  I think I use more like 80% of my clothes 80% of the time”

Then one day as I was folding the laundry, I realized that I was fooling myself.  I came to this realization because I was folding a sweatshirt that is in the wash almost every week… which meant that I wore it all the time!  Then I looked at the rest of the clothes I was folding and realized that these are the same clothes I wash almost every week.  Then my thinking went to my closet…which was full of all the clothes I hardly wear.  Oh my goodness, my closet is just like everyone else’s closet!!

The Clothes

As an Organizer, I knew I needed to “fix” this situation.  It was time for me to clean out my closet. One of the best tips for cleaning out a closet is to place a donate basket in your closet or bedroom.  Each morning, while you getting an outfit, it is very easy to pull out  a couple of things you don’t wear and place them in the donate basket.  Then there are those clothes that you always try on thinking you want to wear but, for whatever reason, never wear it out of the room.  Don’t hang these items back up…put them in the donate basket.

Do you wear all your clothes?  I have a challenge for you.  Place all you hangers backwards and only put them the correct way after you have worn the item on the hanger.  Give it a try.  It will open your eyes to the amount of clothes you really never wear.

The Shoes

I love shoes like everyone else.  The best tip for organizing you shoes is to get them off the floor.  Put them on a rack or a shelf that is visible.  It is totally understandable to have a couple pair of shoes on the ground but try to keep the rest put away.  As you bring in new shoes, remove the old ones from your closet.

The Accessories

If you have a walk in closet then it is helpful to keep all you accessories in one area of your closet.  This makes it much easier to pull a complete outfit together. If you don’t have a walk in closet then a dresser with a mirror also works nicely.  The key is to keep everything together so you don’t have to do any searching for items.

The Donate Basket

When your donate basket is full, you can give the items to your favorite charity.  This is my favorite part because I know there are others who need the stuff and they will actually wear them more than I did. From here on out, whenever you bring home a new item to put in your closet, try to place an item in your donate box.  This is the “one in, one out” rule.  Best of luck and enjoy the new found space in your closet.

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World Health Organization Issues “Warning” About Bird Flu and Swine Flu Combining to Create “Deadly” Virus

20 Reasons Why Vitamin D Is Better Than a Swine Flu Vaccination

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A Doctor Has Come Out in the Open About BELARUS – Situation is Bad – Lung Destruction Seen

D225G Ukraine-Norway Link and China Spread

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Mutant, drug resistant H1N1 showing up in U.S. – YouTube

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Boy in Omaha With Lung Failure on Respirator – Mutant H1N1?

Last-Ditch lung bypass for worst ARI/Swine Flu cases

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Virologist Says Swine Flu – Came From Lab or Vaccine Making Company – Though WHO Disagrees!

flashback: European labs discover flu vaccines contaminated

H1N1 Re-infection raise Pandemic Concerns

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Are Populations Being Primed For Nano-Microchips Inside Vaccines?

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American Medical Association: No Mandatory Flu Shots… for DOCTORS

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WHO acknowledges Canada’s Side Effects from Recalled Vaccine

Swine Flu Vaccine Now Ready For Toddlers 6 month-olds plus – Calls to be made to Encourage Vaccine to People – this is not good news

Singapore: 27 “Official” Adverse Side Effects from Swine Flu Vaccine

2.5 million begin Hajj amid Swine Flu fears

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Reported flu stats by country

(courtesy of Flu News Network)

Canada
•  Vaccine allergic reaction prompts pulling of one lot (Link)
•  Saskatchewan has 2 more deaths, 11 total, 30 in ICU (Link)
•  Peterborough, Ontario man, 32, fights for his life (Link)
•  4 more deaths in BC, 34 total deaths so far (Link)
•  Health Canada says flu vaccine reactions an anomaly (Link)
•  2 new deaths confirmed last week in Nova Scotia (Link)
•  Alberta’s H1N1 flu rate nearly double national average (Link)

China
•  Hong Kong reports another death case of influenza A/H1N1 (Link)

Egypt
•  Confirmation of 10th death, 140 in hospitals with H1N1 (Link)
•  Egypt reports 11th death case of A/H1N1 flu (Link)

India
•  Chandigarh confirms 2 more deaths, total now 6 (Link)
•  3 recent deaths bring total deaths in India to 558 (Link)

Morocco
•  Confirmation of 114 new cases of H1N1 (Link)

The Netherlands
•  Dutch queue for H1N1 jabs in blanket plan (Link)

Serbia
•  17 deaths and 344 cases (Link)

Turkey
•  Confirmation of 112 deaths thus far  (Link)

United Kingdom
•  More children ‘than expected have had swine flu’ (Link)

United States
•  US: ECMOs can save lives of some of the most severely ill (Link)
•  CA: San Diego confirms 8 more deaths, total in SD now 45 (Link)
•  IA: Iowa State produces and supplies only H1N1 vaxx for swine (Link)
•  KS: Kansas confirms 2 more deaths, 21 total (Link)
•  MI: Michigan confirms 54 deaths since April1  (Link)
•  MN: Minnesota adds 6 new confirmed deaths from H1N1, 35 total (Link and link)
•  NH: 25 yr old Dartmouth student died of H1N1 (Link)
•  NJ: Morris County man is state’s 29th swine flu death (Link)
•  OR: 1 new death, 15 hospitalizations (Link)
•  RI: Rhode Island man 8th death since Sept. 1 from H1N1 (Link)
•  SD: “Healthy” 12 year old dies from H1N1 (Link and link)
•  TX: Mechanical rocking bed helped save a young mom’s life (Link)
•  TX: San Patricio County confirms 2nd death from H1N1 (Link)
•  WV: Physician confirmed to have caught H1N1 TWICE (Link)

General News
•  Avian flu: WHO warns of resurgence (Link)

I, Michael L. Aaronson, MD, (simple country nephrologist / kidney doctor) received the mist version of the H1N1 flu vaccine. Since I received a live virus, I wondered if I kissed my children more than I usually do whether or not I would be able to transmit inactivated virus to them and therefore protect them from obtaining the real Mccoy. Dr. Dave Quimby with Infectious Disease and Epidemiology Associates, independent physician with privileges to see patients admitted to the Alegent Health System family of hospitals was gracious enough to grant me an interview to answer this question as well as some others that I had. We appreciate his opinion on this important public health issue.

Aaronson: H1N1 influenza virus: what’s the latest? Has anything changed?

Quimby: not really. One new development: If a person contracts this virus, becomes sick and has to be admitted to an intensive care unit and is unable to take medications orally like tamiflu, there are some new antiviral drugs that we can obtain from the centers of disease control that can be given intravenously.

Aaronson: you and I have been involved in taking care of some patients who have been really sick in the hospital with H1N1. Some have done well, others have not. In your opinion, if someone is sick enough to get admitted to the hospital, what predicts whether a patient will do well or not? If Alegent Nephrology gets called because of kidney failure, what is the patient’s prognosis compared with not having kidney disease?

Quimby: The more organs that shut down, the worse off you are. If the kidneys have failed the person is at high risk.

Aaronson: is the H1N1 influenza vaccination still effective?

Quimby: it is as effective as any flu vaccine.

Aaronson: have there been any changes or mutations in the H1N1 bug?

Quimby: there have been a handful of cases where the H1N1 flu was resistant to Tamiflu. But those are very, very few and far between.

Aaronson: why are some people afraid of the vaccine?

Quimby: because of a lot of incorrect information out there, you’re going to find people afraid of any type of vaccine. There’s no more reason to be afraid of this vaccine than any other vaccine. The vaccine is safe. I got it. You got it. I gave it to my two and half year old who qualifies under the guidelines.

Aaronson: I would like my kids to get it, but availability of the vaccine is hard to find. Alegent does have a phone number people can call: 402-717-H1N1 to check availability and to schedule an appointment. My understanding is there will be more vaccine available soon. I encourage all my patients and everyone I know to call that number and get on the list so they can get their vaccine as soon as possible.

If a person has a choice between the mist and the shot, which one should they choose?

Quimby: because of the shortage, I would go with whichever one a person can get their hands on. If a patient has a bad medical condition such as leukemia or is receiving chemotherapy, I would not recommend a live vaccine in general. I would just do a shot.

Aaronson: let’s talk about the standard flu shot. There are people who opt out of receiving a regular influenza shot, thinking “if I get the flu, I get the flu. I’ll take the risk.” Now that we are at risk for contracting swine flu, should this opinion change?

Quimby: in general, people usually mistake the common cold for the flu. Actual influenza even in a healthy person, will knock you down for a week and a half. People I see who get the real flu learn how horrible it is and usually decide to get a flu shot yearly from that point on. The reason why H1N1 is so virulent [infectious] is that people have never seen this new strain, and they have no partial immunity to it. The reason why H1N1 can kill healthy people so easily is that it is different from anything most of us have seen before.

Aaronson: why can’t a person get both the standard flu mist and the H1N1 mist at the same time?

Quimby: I don’t know. But there such a shortage of both of them that it usually is not a big issue at this time.

Aaronson: As you know, I got the H1N1 flu mist. I was wondering if I kissed my children more than I usually do if I could give them an inactivated form of the virus and protect them from the real thing. Is that crazy?

Quimby: it’s not crazy, but it’s not likely to work. The mist is a live virus that has been weakened. Therefore the chance of spreading it person to person is exceedingly low. Since the virus is so weak, it’s very unlikely that it will make you sick. So although well intentioned, your display of affection most likely was just that.

Aaronson: there is a concept called to herd immunity that infectious disease folks like to talk about. Wiki defines it as “a type of immunity that occurs when the vaccination of a portion of the population (or herd) provides protection to unprotected individuals. Herd immunity theory proposes that, in diseases passed from person to person, it is more difficult to maintain a chain of infection when large numbers of a population are immune. The higher the proportion of individuals who are immune, the lower the likelihood that a susceptible person will come into contact with an infected individual.”

So here is my question, if many people in Omaha and its surrounding areas get vaccinated, are the ones that refuse or can’t get vaccinated protected from infection? Does that concept apply here?

Quimby: Not really in this case because the H1N1 flu is so easily spread to others, unless almost all of the people in Omaha get vaccinated, if there’s any flu virus around, those not vaccinated are still at very high risk. These unvaccinated people are at high risk because of the way H1N1 is transmitted person to person. So people need to get their vaccine. Make sure you bold that. Right now, we don’t have enough vaccine to give to everybody, and that’s why we risk stratify – we give it to those who need it the most.

Aaronson: and the Alegent hotline, 717-H1N1, does just that. I would encourage our readers to pick up the phone and give a call so that they can get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Quimby: that is correct. It should be noted that once more vaccine becomes available, anyone who wants it will be able to get it.

Aaronson: I’ve seen in the news the suggestion that now that the first wave of infectious H1N1 has passed through Nebraska the need to get vaccinated has lessened. Since I am a kidney specialist who spends a lot of time in intensive care units helping to take care of very sick patients, I’ve seen some really bad cases of the swine flu. I disagree with the thinking that the unvaccinated population is safer now than before. Is my thinking based on a referral bias, where I think a certain way because I’ve seen the small percentage of people who’ve gotten so sick that they have needed to be admitted to an intensive care unit for support and therapy? Since infectious disease specialists such as yourself are also consulted on these patients, you know what I’m talking about. Are we safer now?

Quimby: no. It is still very important to get vaccinated when you can. Many people still have not been exposed in any fashion to H1N1. So the risk will still be there until H1N1 goes away, you get actual herd immunity from vaccines, or you get actual H1N1. Since most people have not had the flu vaccine or the flu, the risk of getting it is still very high. There are still many people who can get it and that keeps this terrible infection going.

Aaronson: so let’s pretend that I am a patient, and I have cold symptoms. I’m worried that I have H1N1. I go to my primary care Physician and ask the question should I be tested for H1N1? How would you answer?

Quimby: A nose swab can be done in a primary care setting. The problem is that this rapid test for influenza type A is NOT the H1N1 influenza virus. There is a cross reaction, so a positive test implies that there is a possible H1N1 infection. The problem is that a person can test negative and still have H1N1. So in other words, if a person actually has H1N1 influenza, the immediate test done it in a primary care office setting is positive six out of 10 times, which is basically the same as flipping a coin.

Aaronson: that’s why I don’t recommend it unless I’m worried about standard influenza A or B virus. However, I do think it is important for people who are concerned and get sick very quickly to go to their doctor as soon as possible to see if they are a candidate for Tamiflu.

Quimby: I base this diagnosis for the most part on the patient’s clinical picture. How they present.

Aaronson: Thank you professor for your time. We appreciate hearing your expertise on this issue.

In sum, remember to call 717-H1N1 if you have not gotten your H1N1 vaccine yet and get vaccinated as soon as you can! Thanks for reading.

Platform, Omaha train station, 2009. Photo by Walt Baranger

So I’m sitting in a hospital lobby in Culver City, being entertained at long distance by my friend Walt, who’s making a cross-country train run aboard Amtrak’s historic California Zephyr. He’s sending back lovely digital images of snow-covered mountains and glowing sunrises.

Then, he arrives in Omaha, NE, from which he sends…this.

When you hear people wailing about “America’s crumbling infrastructure” — a topic so expansive that it takes up a sizable chunk of Google — this is one example of what they’re talking about.

This looks like something left behind by an air strike — 50 years ago.

“OK, some of the Amtrak stations are impressive,” he wrote. “Some are cute. Some are merely functional. But really — can’t something be done about Omaha?”

Good question. The old historic station in Oakland, CA is in no worse shape than this despite earthquake damage — and it’s been abandoned for 20 years.

If anyone knows a good reason why this platform should be in such a sorry state, I — and probably a lot of Amtrak passengers — would love to hear it. Between waiting through train breakdowns and pulling into sights like this one (and Walt has done both on this trip), how much confidence would you have riding Amtrak?

One ill-timed piece of falling metal and some Amtrak passenger — or their next-of-kin — is going to own both Amtrak and Omaha.

Come to think of it, where on Earth is the City of Omaha in all of this? The neglect so visibly evident in this pic gives new meaning to that old railroad expression, “asleep at the switch.”

The California Zephyr carries about 350,000 passengers a year — which means that every year, just over a third of a million people will be going home with this image in their heads when they think of Omaha.

That’ll bring in a lot of out-of-town business — or it would, if rust collectors held conventions.

If this were, say, Omaha, Japan instead of Omaha, NE, both the mayor and the head of the local chamber of commerce might have committed suicide by now. The shame would’ve been that great.

This is not to suggest that Omaha’s city fathers or Amtrak executives should be out falling on swords, but I refuse to believe that this is the best a major American city — and the national railroad serving it — can do.

On Saturday’s show, we were excited to have on Nick Strawhecker, the executive chef and owner of Dante Pizzeria Napoletana…opening next month in Legacy (168th & Center)

What Nick is bringing to Omaha is something special and we’re all very excited. Oh, and we almost forgot to mention that Dante Pizzeria will have Omaha’s only indoor bocce court! Talk about authentic Italian.

Anyway, check out the show, and in the meantime check out this article about Dante Pizzeria from the Omaha World Herald.

The cities of Omaha and Lincoln will compete with between eight and 20 cities to participate in a federal grant program to make older buildings and home more energy efficient.  (read more)

Foreign Correspondent John Hlavacek

As I walked out of my hooch one afternoon to perform my daily mail clerk duties, I ran into a man whose face I had seen many times on TV back in the ‘World’. It was John Hlavacek a reporter/foreign correspondent for KMTV-TV in Omaha, Nebraska, and he was looking for me of all people.
His mission was to film and interview soldiers serving in Vietnam from the TV viewing area around Sioux City, IA and Omaha, NE. He was putting together a program to be viewed as a TV Special during the 1970 Christmas Holidays. The families of the soldiers were notified by the TV stations ahead of time so they could watch their loved ones when the program aired.
He wasted no time doing the interview after I told him Charlie Troop 1/9th was a prime target for frequent mortar attacks. He asked a few questions, did his filming and quickly moved on but not before I got his autograph…

This letter and videotape was sent to my parents by KCAU-TV in Sioux City, Iowa.

After graduating from Carleton College in 1939, John Hlavacek taught English at tha Carleton-in-China Middle School in Shansi and Szechwan for two years, then took a job driving Red Cross trucks to deliver medical supplies to foreign mission hospitals. In December 1941, John joined the American Military Attache’s office in China’s wartime capital of Chungking. In 1944 he left that post to join United Press as a war correspondent. After China, John contiued his foreign reporting from India, Jamaica, Cuba, Vietnam, Eastern Europe, and Africa for NBC News and Time-Life. He was an Edward R. Murrow Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations during the 1957-58 academic year, studying at the Russian Institute of Columbia University. Today, John resides with his wife, Pegge, in Omaha, Nebraska.

END THE FED rallies across America

Sunday – November 22nd 2009

(Cities are not in alphabetical order; if you know of more events please add comments with information and links!  Event details are contained in the links.)

END the FED on Facebook (page)

Boston
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/group/bostonendthefed

Philadelphia
http://www.meetup.com/Truth-Freedom-Prosperity/calendar/11636289

Buffalo
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/group/buffaloendthefed
http://ronpaul.meetup.com/346/

Cleveland
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/group/clevelandendthefed
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/events/end-the-fed-tea-party-rally

Cincinnati
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=180367893394
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/events/end-the-fed-cincinnati

Pittsburgh [November 21st]
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=181086100086&ref=nf
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/events/pittsburgh-end-the-fed-march

Richmond
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/group/richmondendthefed

Baltimore
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/group/baltimoreendthefed

Charlotte
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=153425711668&index=1
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/events/end-the-fed-protest-no-3

Atlanta
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=160096492868&index=1

Birmingham
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/group/birminghamendthefed

Jacksonville
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/group/jacksonvilleendthefed
http://www.floridalibertyalliance.org/
http://www.meetup.com/The-NE-FL-Campaign-For-Liberty-Meetup-Group/

Miami
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/group/miamiendthefed

Nashville
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/events/end-the-fed-nashville-nov-22nd

New Orleans
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/events/end-the-fed-new-orleans

Chicago
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=170751495671
http://ronpaul.meetup.com/94/calendar/11800953/
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/events/end-the-fed-chicago

Milwaukee Carpool to Chicago
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/events/milwaukee-trip-to-chicago-fed
http://www.myspace.com/endthefedmilwaukee

Detroit
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=188273324202&ref=mf
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/events/end-the-fed-detroit
http://ronpaul.meetup.com/1577/

St. Louis
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/group/stlouisendthefed
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/events/st-louis-end-the-fed-rally

Little Rock
http://www.meetup.com/central-arkansas-campaign-for-liberty/

Louisville
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/events/end-the-fed-rally-louisville
http://ronpaul.meetup.com/146/calendar/11786761/

Memphis
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/group/memphisendthefed
http://ronpaul.meetup.com/157/

Minneapolis
http://www.meetup.com/ETFMpls/
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/events/end-the-fed-minneapolis-rally
http://www.facebook.com/endthefedmpls

Helena
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/group/helenaendthefed

Kansas City
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=155002452329
http://www.libertyrestorationproject.org/endthefed/
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/events/end-the-debt-audit-the-fed

Denver
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=info&ref=share&gid=2917…
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/group/denverendthefed

Oklahoma City
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=173540774520
http://endthefedokc.com

Omaha
2201 Farnam Street
Omaha, NE 68102

Dallas
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/events/dallas-end-the-fed-1st-year
http://www.meetup.com/End-The-Fed/calendar/11714331/

El Paso
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/group/elpasoendthefed

Houston
http://www.facebook.com/ETFHouston
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/events/end-the-fed-houston-rally-nov

San Antonio
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=158309272172&ref=ts
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/xn/detail/2413003:Event:52037?xg_sourc…
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/events/end-the-fed-sa-nov-22-2009

San Francisco
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/group/sanfranciscoendthefed
http://www.meetup.com/wearechangeeastbay/calendar/11803493/

Los Angeles
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=172793850497&index=1
http://www.meetup.com/socalendthefed/

New York City
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=148839384562
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/events/nyc-etf-rally-112209
http://www.meetup.com/End-The-Fed/calendar/11796309/

Washington, D.C.
http://www.wearechangevirginia.org
http://9-11.meetup.com/330/calendar/11572245/

Portland
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/group/portlandendthefed

Salt Lake City
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/events/salt-lake-city-end-the-fed

Seattle
http://www.meetup.com/seattlechange/calendar/11578371/

originally published 11/17/2009

Last Friday’s wedding was a blast! – We started in Omaha’s Old Market district, headed over to the new Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge (the good side), and then stopped off at Council Bluffs’ Bayliss Park before the ceremony at St. Peter’s Church – These two (and their wedding party) were fantastic to work with, thanks so much and enjoy your sneak peek!

Do you have a messy desk…you know like the one in the picture above?  Maybe you know someone with a desk like that? 

 The Omaha World Herald is having a Messy Desk Contest.  If you live in the Omaha area then you can submit a picture of the desk with the owner of the desk to chris.christen@owh.com.  Along with the picture, give us a reason why you need help ( 100 words or less please).  The deadline for submissions is November 30th.

Now the good news…the winner will get to be organized by us!!  The contributers to this blog all belong to the Heartland Organizers.  We will be donating our time to help the winner get organized.  Along with our help, the winner will get $50 worth of probably much needed organizing supplies.

Don’t procrastinate, submit your entry today!!

Thanksgiving is a such a fun holiday because  it is all about the 4 F’s (family, friends,football and food).  If you are hosting Thanksgiving at your house I have a few tips for you.

1.  Clean the house this weekend, and get some help from your whole family.  I like to work as a family.  We start at the bottom( basement) and work our way up.  Typically the kids pick-up, dust and use the glass cleaner while my husband and I vacuum and clean the bathroom.  After the basement is all done, we move up to the main level and repeat.  When we finish the main level, the kids go and work on their bedrooms.  This process usually takes us about 2 hours.  You can then do a touch-up on Wednesday if needed.

2. Make a plan.  What recipes are you using and when is the earliest you can make it?  If you’re having a hard time figuring this out, go online or pick up a magazine. I Googled  “Thanksgiving meal planner”  and found tons of recipes and planners.  I am sure there is something out there that can help you.

3.  Delegate, delegate, delegate.  All the food does not need to be produced in your kitchen!!   If your Aunt offers to bring something, then say yes!  You will be doing you and her a favor.  She wants to help and you need the help!  This also goes for Thanksgiving day.  Delegate everything!  Kids are great at making place cards and setting the table.  It is a special treat for the kids to get out the good dishes and make a table look beautiful.

4.  When dinner is over, it is time to relax, enjoy some football and get out some games to play.

One thing you don’t want to do is miss this special day because you were in the kitchen and stressed!   Plan and work ahead so you can enjoy the day and be thankful for the people you love.  Your family and friends will be thankful for you.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Lampe, MO to Omaha, Nebraska – 425 Miles

I had packed the bike the night before. As usual the left saddle bag contained my sleeping bag, a Big Agnes 30+ bag, and the matching air mattress that fits inside the sleeping bag. This is very handy as most ground pads and air mattresses that you sleep on top of you tend to slide off when you are soundly asleep and wake up frozen and stiff in the morning. The bag also housed my tent – a free standing EMS Quarter Dome one person that works perfectly in just about any condition. The only problem is that it is truly a ONE person tent and with your gear stored inside it’s very, very tight. One of the best tips I got when researching my first long distance month long ride is take a pillow. My pillow is a compressible thermarest pillow that is by far the most comfort inducing piece of gear I took on both trips (In May I rode 5,300 miles from Vermont to Texas, Key West, FL and surrounding areas). I can usually fit my LED headlamp and when I really need space my flip flops to and still get the bag closed. I can’t tell you the satisfaction I feel when I walk up to the bike and know everything I need to sleep well and be protected from the elements fits in a single pannier on my Futura.

Home away from home:

The right side bag is for clothing. For a month out on the road I take two pairs of cargo pants, a pair of cargo shorts, swim trunks, two pair of socks, two pair of underwear, two outfitter style shirts, a sweat shirt, two t-shirts and a pair of sweat pants and a zip up vest with a high collar. Most of this gear is a high tech fabric that washes and dries overnight easily. My daily riding apparel consists of the following bits in no particular order. – LDC comfort shorts – single best long distance sport touring clothing I’ve ever purchased. These are riding underwear that are specially made for long distance riders. They are seamless and although they fit snugly they are not compression shorts – which serve a different function – more for sports activities not hours and hours of motorcycle riding. I read that long distance riders often wear bicycle shorts on their rides. Let me tell you after 5,300 miles of wearing a set HATED them. The padding is in the wrong place and the seams cut into your skin. It got so bad at one point earlier in the year that I tried to cut out the sewn in pad in a McDonald’s bathroom with my Leatherman! That must have been somewhat of an interesting visual, my black Alpinestars black-label cargo pants around my ankles, my leather jacket on the hook and me hunched over sitting on the crapper sawing away at my shorts with a razor sharp knife all while cursing under my breath and yanking out the stretchy panels of the underpants, hacking away. Anyway they are great and you should RUN to the computer to buy a set immediately – trust me on this.
On the road again:

I was finally on the road again. The radar was sketchy for a ride north. Rain near Kansas City and the Dakotas, sheesh, don’t get me started on the Dakotas. For the last week the weather had been deteriorating. From middle 70’s in late September to 40’s and snow at the start of October. But one thing I learned from the last trip is that weather forecasters are full of shit and wrong almost all the time. The ride from Lampe to Omaha would be mostly slab. However, the first part was fantastic with a million sweepers, tight turns, s-turns and hills that were rollercoaster like in their rises and falls. I replaced my onboard GPS with a Garmin. My $99.00 Sony died a horrible death after I rammed my fist through the glass faceplate. It just did too many frustrating things too many times to tolerate and I guess this was my subconscious making me get something else. This GPS cost 4x the price of the Sony and over the course of this trip would pay for itself many times over. After the fun part of the ride I hit the highway and basically headed due north. This part of the ride was eyeglazingly boring only interrupted by a few showers and trucks trying to kill me. I stopped to refuel and while having an iced tea and sitting next to the bike I noticed this extremely interesting site. It was an Amish family getting into a pickup truck. I’m thinking they can’t drive and then I see their driver and for the first time actually notice what’s on the back of the flatbed. TWO brand new buggies and all the fixins. So, somewhere in America there is a factory that turns out buggies for the Amish. Interesting stuff, at least it was for me.

I got off the interstate again to get gas and stumbled on this little town somewhere between Lampe and Omaha. Yeah I know I need to be more specific with details but at this point in the trip I was just enjoying riding to be riding.

Another small town that Wal-Mart wiped out. I wonder if Sam realized that his business would essentially destroy small town America.

It was cold and wet fo the last ½ of the ride. Entering Nebraska is very cool as they have a bunch of locomotives on a hillside at the state greeting sign. I checked into dumpy La Quinta and dragged my bags to the room. Being an ex-Hotelier (French for “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible time”) I called Karyn and said come and rescue me. Karyn is a loooovely red head who used to work for me in New York back in the days when I was a Hedge .

Our first stop was the Interlude Lounge in a strip mall in downtown Omaha. This place was FANTASTIC. Sunken seated areas, wacky 60’s lighting, and a huge L shaped bar. There are always places you stumble into when you travel that make you want to move to that area just to be near them. The Interlude is one of those places – you just feel comfortable the moment you walk in the door. The smoking hot blonde large breasted cougar bartender helped too…. If you have a chance to get within 100 miles of this place (on a ride to Sturgis or whatever just GO. It’s worth it.

Karyn getting her groove on.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/interlude-cocktail-lounge-omaha

Our next stop was the bar “Beer and Loathing” This was a fun place for beers and we had a great time.

As Karyn had to work the next morning we shut it down before things got totally out of control. Dinner this lovely evening was Taco Bell and crashing by the TV.

Tomorrow – Omaha to South Dakota?

Blame Drew: ASU Baseball Coach Pat Murphy Resigns – Pat Murphy …
Pat Murphy announced his resignation today, thus freeing up some time to roam the earth, seek out Drew and beat him like a readheaded stepchild, if he were the sort of man to do such a thing. [ASU Sun Devils]

BREAKING NEWS: Sun Devil Baseball Head Coach Pat Murphy Resigns …
NOTE: Keep monitoring this post for the most recent updates; we’re adding new info to the bottom as we learn more. Pat Murphy has resigned as the head coach.

BaseballAmerica.com: Blog: Baseball America College Blog » Blog …
UPDATE: I just got off the phone with Oregon State coach Pat Casey, who had not yet heard the news about Murphy’s resignation and was understandably stunned. Casey is one of Murphy’s closest friends in the college coaching world, …

The College Baseball Blog » Breaking News: Arizona State’s Murphy …
Mark Rafferty who contributes to this site and runs PitchForkNation.com has informed me that Arizona State baseball coach Pat Murphy resigned effective.

pat murphy resigns – latest 5 news, information, videos, photos …
(AP) — Pat Murphy has resigned after 15 seasons as baseball coach at Arizona State. No reason was given for the move, which was announced by the university in a brief news release on Friday. The colorful and often outspoken Murphy led . …

Rosevictor’s Weblog: Shared in google rea
Murphy resigns as ASU baseball coach – Arizona State baseball coach Pat Murphy resigned during a meeting with athletic director Lisa Love on Friday. 3 hours ago. Victor – FriendFeed · Voyagerfan5761: Akula: I wonder if Google will limit …

Rosevictor’s Weblog
ASU Baseball Coach Resigns – Pat Murphy has resigned after 15 seasons as baseball coach at Arizona State. 30 minutes ago. rosevictor status. – shared in google rea Subscribed to jonwheatley: I subscribed to jonwheatley’s channel on Yo.. …

Legendary ASU coach Pat Murphy resigns — Tempe in Motion
A blog and news about Tempe Arizona. Legendary ASU coach Pat Murphy resigns. by Tempe Guy on November 20, 2009. TEMPE, Ariz.- Arizona State University baseball coach Pat Murphy announced his resignation Friday. …

Pat Murphy Resigns At Arizona State | College Baseball 360
Murphy went to four College World Series, won four Pac-10 titles in 15 seasons TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona State University baseball coach Pat Murphy announced.
Arizona State, 620 KTAR, ASU, College World Series, The Arizona Republic, Stream, Omaha, John McCain, State coach, college baseball, Corvette, national title, B. Murphy, Judicial Performance, NCAA,

The Constitutional Liberty Coalition Presents…
The November 22nd, 2009 – End the Fed Rallies Across America this weekend

Pre-Event Show
Live on air Thursday Nov 19th, 7-9pm EST (6-8pm CST) on RepublicMedia.TV

Join Sam Ettaro and E Wayne Johnson bringing you the Constitutional Liberty Coalition Grassroots Live and in Action with Shelli Dawdy and Sandra Crosnoe. Their guests this week will be Charles Burris, Bobby Kessler and Ryan Underwood talking about END the FED movement past and present and future – getting ready for grassroots rallies all over the country on November 22nd.

Our weekly online interactive series continues with live video and audio conferencing, and simulcast audio and video, and online chat.

If you would like to join us in the video conference room, please email to
ewjohnson@republicmedia.tv

Click Here For More Details on the Constitutional Liberty Coalition Broadcast Page on RMTV

End the Fed Rallies and Links (with details on over 38 cities and event locations)

If you are looking for a specific show in archives – we will have links for you soon.  For now you can see whatever is playing live or rebroadcast on the link above.

You can also find our section on RMTV with the button on the right CLC Grassroots in Action with RepublicMedia.TV.  The CLC button takes you to our page there and the RMTV banner takes you to the home page on Republic Media TV.

Hope you will join us live and with questions for our guests on air.  Of course if you have a scheduling conflict – the archives will be available on demand.

Hi! This is Dr. Michael Aaronson, kidney doctor/ simple country nephrologist. Today I’m speaking with Dr. Alan Parks, general surgeon at Alegent Health. Thank you doctor for taking time out of your busy schedule so that we can get to know you better.

Parks: Thank you.

Aaronson: Tell me a little about yourself: where did you grow up, where did you train, and what you do for fun?

Parks: I grew up all throughout the United States.

Aaronson: Why was that?

Parks: My father worked for the Air Force, civil service. We would move approximately every six years. So I’ve lived in Virginia, Hawaii, Nebraska and Florida. But Nebraska is home. I went to high school here at Bellevue East. I went to college at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. I went to med school at Des Moines University where I found a passion for anatomy and general surgery. I pursued my general surgery residency in Columbus, Ohio.

Aaronson: You’ve lived in so many places. Why is Nebraska “home”?

Parks: My family lives here. I have spent the majority of my live here. Omaha and its surrounding towns are a great place to raise a family. It’s a great place to live and a very friendly city.

Aaronson: I couldn’t agree with you more! After all, if it is good enough for Warren Buffet, it is good enough for me! Let’s move on: you are general surgeon.

Parks: That’s correct.

Aaronson: What kind of surgeries does a general surgeon perform?

Parks: General surgeons perform operations on the following organs: thyroid, breast, anything within the abdomen — gallbladder, appendix, colon, and spleen. When highly complex operations are required, a specialist is called in. Hepatobiliary surgery would be an example of this.

Aaronson: Ah, I understand. So the more complex the word, the greater the number of syllables per word, and an increased number of words required to explain the operation, makes it more likely that a specialist will be called in.

Parks: That basically sums it up…

Aaronson: Tell me what you do for fun.

Parks: I’m a father of four. So right now I spent my free time raising my children.

Aaronson: Where is your main office located?

Parks: I’m based out of Papillion. My office is located in the Midlands 1 professional building.

Aaronson: I think the Midlands campus is gorgeous.

Parks: I agree. Alegent did a beautiful job. I would call it a true overhaul. I remember Midlands Hospital from before. It is truly amazing what Midlands has become.

Aaronson: Not only does it look nice, but there’s also a lot of substance going on behind the scenes. For example, the radiology department has all of the latest and greatest equipment. The intensive care unit is brand spanking new. In addition to bedside care, patients are monitored electronically by critical care doctors for the majority of the day. Efocus has helped me out on many occasions. For example, I was performing kidney dialysis at Alegent Bergan Mercy hospital and was called by a Midlands bedside critical care nurse for a kidney related emergency. Efocus helped stabilize the patient as I drove to Papillion. Another thing I like is the fact that the Alegent pharmacy is now located in the hospital — it used to be across the street. The pharmacists there are a tremendous resource patients can use for information, and their accessibility can’t be beat.

Parks: A good radiology department is critical to the success of a surgeon’s practice. Radiology studies help the surgeon know where to go in the body and what to focus on. The radiologists help me to make for example, an exploratory laparotomy less exploratory.

Aaronson: Of all the surgeries you perform, which one is your favorite?

Parks: I love to take out gallbladders, especially those done laparoscopically.

Aaronson: Is there anything else you would like to say about your practice? Anything in particular that you would like the public to know about you?

Parks: My training has prepared me to take care of a variety of surgical diseases. I’ve been trained to use the latest surgical techniques to give great care to the patients I see. I’m available at Midlands, Lakeside, and Bergen Mercy. I want people to know that I will do everything in my power to take the best care of you possible.

Aaronson: I have had the opportunity to work with you on a few occasions. And your passion to do a great job translates to great care at the bedside. You have a very good bedside manner. You’re there for the patient. You spend time with the patient. In sum, you are a really nice guy.

Parks: Thank you.

Aaronson: My pleasure. Well, I appreciate the time you spent today. Agreeing to an interview on a Saturday is above and beyond the call of duty.

So for everybody out there interested in learning more about Dr. Parks, feel free to click here. Alegent.com allows you to schedule an appointment if you wish. Another option is to go through your primary care provider.

It is that time of year again, time to put everythng away for the winter months.  This is the time of year you need to decide what “treasures” in your yard are really worth keeping.  I know that I have some of those “treasures” in my flower beds that look the worst for wear.  It is time to let them go.  How about all the “stuff” under the deck or in the storage shed.  I know there was a reason that I kept all that stuff, but for the life of me, I can’t remember what they are now.  Make the spring feel much freer for you, downsize your outdoor treasures now.