Texas accidentally bans marriage?
A Houston lawyer and Democratic candidate for attorney general says a 2005 constitutional amendment intended to ban gay marriage may have undermined the legal basis for all marriages in the state. The amendment barred the state government from recognizing "any legal status identical or similar to marriage" -- a phrase that experts say appears to encompass both gay and heterosexual unions. "Whoever vetted the language ... must have been asleep at the wheel," Barbara Ann Radnofsky says. "This is indeed a huge mistake." Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Texas)

http://www.star-telegram.com/local_news/story/1770445.html

So here's some positive news... Just got done working a cool brand new tradeshow & conference - CTN-X - a show for animators (you know, drawring?). The place was PACKED, exhibit hall sold out, top animators in the world giving live demos, signings and seminars. They also had a recruiting area where candidates had pre-submitted their reels (pics, animation shorts - their work) & top studios selected who they wanted to see.

Disney, Sony and a few others actually looked at folks portfolios on the spot at their booths - and said they found a wealth of new talent. Cool for all of us in the future.

Goes to show you that if you find the right niche a new biz can successfully be launched in a down economy.

Ay, Julio...d'accord. But as long as it's offered, I'm not throwing it away.

The whole Federal Employee everything incenses me to no end so I won't comment. Last week we were in Washington DC, and all the license plates go around proclaiming "Taxation Without Representation" as if that were a legitimate complaint of DC residents.

Let me see: the entire Washington DC crowd survives thanks to American taxpayers. Their entire wages and benefits and livelihood are due to the taxpayers. That is not "taxation"!!! That is LIVING OFF THE TAXPAYERS. Representation my foot... they are in fact RUNNING THE SHOW IN THAT TOWN. Their license plates should read "Living the good life, courtesy of the American Taxpayer. Cheers!"

So to make up for that awful feeling here is a fun article:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...dition1.9e3419.html

Isn't one supposed to be able to keep their employer plan? I wouldn't give up the FEHB plan! In fact, I didn't.

Notice the health care bill as it stands curiously exempts legislators from having to join the plan. Here's one way to make them think twice about passing the plan, sign a petition requesting THEY be made to participate in the same plan they're trying to jam down our throats:

http://fleming.house.gov/?sectionid=55§iontree=29,55&formid=8

First mammograms, now Pap smears. They're saying not till age 21 and even then only every 2 years rather than yearly, one of the upsides supposedly "to protect young women from unnecessary anxiety." (?!?!?!?!?) (If you can spread your legs for your boyfriend, you should be able to do it for a doctor, get over it!)
 
Are we rationing health care yet or what?

I know, I thought it was strange too. At first I didn't believe it, but she went to 2 doctors and they both said the same thing. One of them measured her lung capacity at 60% and declared asthma. Whatever it is, the inhaler made it worse, and the natural solution worked immediately.

I told Natalie about the vinegar thing, she says thanks, better to know that than to keep steroids around. Costs less too, and it's healthier. Insurance companies really should cover homeopathic remedies.

It happens, Julio (although not discounting your suggestion...that happens too!). AND it comes back to haunt you. You think you're done, haven't used the inhaler in years, then wham! That's why the vinegar potion is a great thing to know.

An 18 year old newly diagnosed with asthma after no history? I think that is very rare, you get it as a baby/child but not really as a late teen, no? Have you considered the possibility that the diagnosis was wrong, that the whole thing was a temporary condition and that the diagnosing "doctor" is a quack?

More drug news, for those of you equally appalled and unappalled at Obamacare:

As you know, all drugs have two names, a trade name and generic name.
Example, the trade name is Tylenol and its generic name is Acetaminophen. Aleve is also called Naproxen and Advil is also called Ibuprofen.

The FDA had been looking for a generic name for Viagra. After careful
consideration by a team of Obamacare government experts, it announced today that it has settled on the generic name of Mycoxafloppin (also considered were Mycoxafailin, Mydixadrupin, Mydixarizin, Dixafix, and of course, Ibepokin).

On related news, Pfizer Corp. also announced today that Viagra will soon be available in liquid form, and will be marketed by Pepsi as a power beverage suitable for use as a mixer. It will now be possible for a man to literally pour himself a stiff one. The FDA warned against marketing this as a soft drink. So it is sure to be in the family of cock-tails and high-balls. Pepsi plans to market the new drink as: MOUNT&DO.

Thanks for that, might come in handy if she ever has a relapse, since she threw out her inhalers. They're full of synthetic cortizone, renamed to disguise the contents.

Is it just me or are doctors these days becoming drug peddlers? Natalie's asthma got worse after using the inhalers, Melissa's alergies got worse after taking the allergy meds, and they prescribe oxycodone for any hangnail these days. The addiction rate for that drug is off the charts, yet they pass it out like candy on Halloween. Are doctors getting so screwed by the insurance companies that their main source of income is now coming from kickbacks from the pharmaceutical companies or what?

Speaking of getting screwed, is anybody surprised that all of a sudden just after Obamacare passes the House, the Feds now recommend raising the mammogram screening age from 40 to 50? AND making it every two years instead of every year? Sue, how do you like the early results of our proposed socialized medicine plan?

Also helpful when one feels it coming on: vinegar. One spoon in a cup of water. My asthmatic daughter discovered this in a "100 uses for vinegar" book, thought it was a bunch of hooey, but tried it anyway. Works.

Bummer about the Swine Flu. As for the asthmatic son, there is a better solution than what might have been recommended by his doctor. My daughter Natalie was diagnosed with asthma a few months ago and she was given an inhaler, and after using it for a few weeks she felt her condition was deteriorating. On our visit to Miami to see my dad for his 75th birthday this weekend, my brother Adrian recommended we take her down to Long Key to see a lady who runs a health food store and is widely known for being an excellent wholistic practitioner. We were lucky that she arrived at her store just as we got there. She spent quite a while talking to us and giving us recommendations. She recommended a freeze-dried green powder consisting mostly of barley greens and other sprouts, as well as some drops of Indian Tobacco (which is not a tobacco) and some other drops, forgot what they are but if you're interested I'll get the info. She did some reflexology on her for a few minutes. Natalie says she has never felt better, her breathing has improved dramatically and immediately, and she completely stopped using the inhaler, I'm so happy for her, and so impressed that this lady was able to zero in on her problem so accurately.

From the Onion, they make it sound funny, but actually I was outsourcing my own desk job back in the 80's, and that's how I launched my translation business:

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/more...workers_outsourcing