I want to go there

Dining on top of the world
Sirocco restaurant
(Check out the virtual tour)

 

One of three exquisite restaurants in the Dome in Bangkok.

 The bar in in blue instead of pink.

There is a dress code

I'm good to go...........

 

Colt Show

If you have been following my blog you know that every Oct. we head out to a Colt Show and this year it was held in Denver, Colo. at the Crown Plaza.

 Waterfall

 Bar

 

The facility was very nice but the convention rooms were a country mile away!

 

 

It did help that this was the view the first morning

 snow brushed trees....

 

The high while we were there was 38 degrees...a far cry from the 90's we left.

 

I went on the ladies tour Friday and the first stop was the Molly Brown Museum. No pictures were allowed so I can't show you much on that but it was a very interesting tour in the fact that she was a Titanic survivor and she played a huge role in helping the rescue efforts. 

 Margaret's language skills in French, German, and Russian were an asset, and she remained on Carpathia until all Titanic survivors had met with friends, family, or medical/emergency assistance. Margaret Brown "Molly" helped establish the Survivor's Committee, was elected as chair, and raised almost $10,000 for destitute survivors. This was one of many charitable things she did.

 

I had never seen the movie

 

 "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" so all this was news to me but she was a very interesting lady that stood for what she believed.

 

 We were enjoying the tour of downtown Denver and can you believe as cold as it was these were on the sidewalk as we drove by?

 

 

Our next stop was the Castle Marne for lunch.  Pictures were allowed and isn't this a beauty...

 Constructed of the native lava stone and the walls are 22 inches thick!

 

 

 

That unique stained glass window

 

View from the inside and even though it is glared look at the beautiful woodwork.

 

 

 At tables laid out for royalty we were served chicken salad, pumpkin soup, home made muffins and specialty tea and all was delicious. The current owners told us the history of the mansion and kept us entertained while we ate.

 

 Some of our ladies exiting the mansion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wished I could say we emptied our table but not the case.............

 but we did get to see many old acquaintance's and that is always the best part.

Can you explain

I'm off on a jaunt but I will leave you some food for thought.........

 

Why do women have to open their mouth to put on mascara?

 

 

 

Why don't you ever see a headline that reads "Psychic wins Lottery"?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor

and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?

 

 

 

 

 

Why this is called "rush hour"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why don't sheep shrink in the rain?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why do they call them apartments when they are all stuck together?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If flying is so safe.......why do they call the airport 



the terminal?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and lastly I finally found the answer,

Con is opposite of pro right......

that is why congress is opposite of progress!

 



 

Recipe

I am not an adventurous cook so it was not the most normal thing for me to be thinking of a dish I wanted to cook without a recipe! but it just sounded so good and kept running in my head so I went for it!



Smoked pork chops                                                                                         Serves two

1 pkg. smoked pork chops
1 can drained and rinsed sliced potatoes
1 onion thickly sliced
1-9 oz. container Alfredo sauce
1 bunch asparagus spears

Melt small amount of butter and olive oil in pan. Add sliced onion and salt and pepper and cook for a little bit. Top the onions with the sliced potatoes and sprinkle them with  parsley then top all with the pork chops....lower heat, cover and cook for about 15 min. During this time cook the asparagus in the microwave until tender and then let them sit until the 15 min. is up and then add them to the pan and top with about half the Alfredo sauce, salt and pepper. Cover and heat through.

Yum!

 

Every four years we go through the same thing....debate, fighting and controversy over voting. I can't for the life of me understand why these things don't get cleared up once and for all. We are smart enough to send a man to the moon and we can't figure out a fair, clear way to vote and have our vote count?


Out of our 50 states thirty-one states presently have laws in place that will require all voters to show ID at the polls this November. That number could rise; a total of thirty-three states have passed voter ID laws but are being held up by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The following 20 states did not have laws requiring voter ID at the polls at the beginning of 2011, but saw legislation proposing it during the year. Three state legislatures enacted new voter ID requirements--Kansas, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. Governors in Minnesota, New Hampshire and North Carolina vetoed voter ID bills in 2011. In Minnesota, supporters have vowed to pass a new bill in the 2012 session that would bypass the governor and go to the voters for approval instead. This strategy is similar to what the Oklahoma legislature did in 2009 and 2010. Mississippi voters approved a citizen initiative proposing voter ID in November 2011; that constitutional amendment will require the passage of implementing legislation before it can take effect.

• California--AB 663 and 945: failed
• Illinois--HB 3058 and SB 2035: adjourned; carried over to 2012 session
• Iowa--HF 8, HF 95, SF 142: adjourned; carried over to 2012 session
• Kansas--HB 2067: enacted
• Maine--LD 199: adjourned; carried over to 2012 session
• Maryland--HB 288 and 701: failed
• Massachusetts--adjourned; carried over to 2012 session
• Minnesota--SB 509: vetoed
• Mississippi--multiple bills: all failed; however, voters approved a citizen initiative on the Nov. 8 ballot
• Nebraska--LB 239 and 605: adjourned; carried over to 2012 session
• Nevada--SB 373 failed
• New Hampshire--SB 129: vetoed
• New Jersey--A 1725: failed
• New Mexico--HB 308, HB 577, SB 363: failed
• New York--multiple bills: carried over to 2012 session
• North Carolina--HB 351: vetoed
• Pennsylvania--HB 934: adjourned; carried over to 2012 session (passed the House in 2011)
• Rhode Island--SB 400/HB 5680: enacted
• West Virginia--HB 3219: failed
• Wisconsin--AB 7: enacted

Okay, so out of the 20 states that do not have voter ID requirements seven states clearly wanted it to stay that way (only God knows why), three states changed the requirements and 11 states did the politically right thing and kicked the can down the road for someone else to decide.

 The DOJ has blocked implementation of voter ID in Texas and South Carolina—states that, because of their histories of voter suppression, are listed in Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act and therefore must get preclearance from the DOJ before they can change their election laws.

 

Minister King Samir Shabazz and Jerry Jackson, two members of the New Black Panther Party, standing outside a Philadelphia polling station on Election Day in November 2008
The DOJ did not consider this act voter suppression in 2008.

Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now
Abbreviation	ACORN
Formation	1970
Extinction	2010
Type	Non-governmental organization
Legal status	Defunct
Headquarters	New Orleans
Region served	United States, Peru, Argentina, Mexico, India, Canada
CEO	Bertha Lewis (2008–2010)[1]
Budget	US$25 Million, 10% federal funding[2]

Please re-read their funding........

54 ACORN employees and individuals associated with ACORN have been convicted of voter fraud. Voter fraud is a blanket term coined by lawyers. It refers to fraud in the forms of identification that may be used by a voter who appears at a polling place to vote on an Election Day include:  identity fraud, perjury, voter registration fraud, forgery, and a variety of crimes related to the electoral process. ACORN itself was convicted of the crime of “compensation” in Nevada for its role in a conspiracy that gave voter registration canvassers cash for exceeding daily quotas

Let's get down to the bottom line....
If you cast your vote and a person votes under a dead persons name, a person here illegally votes, or a person who was paid to vote a certain way or a person who has cast their vote several times and votes opposite your choice.......Your vote does NOT count.

That is why there is a fight over the "right" to vote. First off it is not just a simple right to vote but a privilege that was died for and  shouldn't be taken lightly.

There are some who declare "Voter ID laws, tougher voter registration requirements, and efforts by state officials to remove noncitizens from their voter rolls could intimidate or deter many Latinos from exercising their right to vote".
The study, produced by the civil rights group Advancement Project (another acorn?), says there are more than 10 million eligible Latino voters “who could be deterred or prevented from voting in the 2012 elections” because of new voting laws enacted or proposed in 23 states. Now note this first says "noncitizens" and then declares "10 million eligible voters". Here is a news flash!!!!!!!!! If you are a noncitizen you are not a eligible voter.

Other reports declare it would put a hardship on people to have to provide some sort of documentation that you are indeed a citizen. Here are some of the accepted documents:

• A current and valid photo identification card issued by the State or the United States government; or
• A military identification ("military ID"); or
• An original or copy of a current utility bill; or
• An original or copy of a current bank statement; or
• An original or copy of a current government check; or
• An original or copy of a current paycheck; or
• An original or copy of a current other government document, other than a voter registration acknowledgement notification mailed by the board of elections, that shows the voter’s name and current address.
• A birth certificate (this might cost you $25.00)

I live in Arizona and......

 

I have the answer!!!

We need to adopt the Mexico voter policy...

Mexican officials unveiled the voting ID two decades ago to properly identify electors in a country with a history of voters casting multiple ballots and curious vote counts resulting in charges of fraud — most notoriously in 1988 when a computer crash wiped out early results favoring the opposition.

The credential proved so good at guaranteeing the identification of electors that it became the country's preferred credential, one now possessed by just about every adult Mexican. Its widespread acceptance deepened democracy, too, by giving credibility to the Federal Electoral Institute, analysts say. The agency was created as an independent agency to oversee federal elections.

 

 Mexico's voter ID has some key elements that make them acceptable to the public, say officials here. They cost nothing to obtain and the issuing agency operates hundreds of service centers nationwide, making requests easy. (Maybe we could have done this instead of the 25 million we gave to ACORN)

Though some U.S. states allow people to vote without IDs, Mexico makes no exceptions for individuals lacking the proper documents. The Federal Electoral Institute also refused to extend the registration period or grant an amnesty for those applying late, leaving more than a million people ineligible to vote.

"It is a matter that has to do with a culture of respect for the law," Francisco Guerrero, one of the nine commissioners on the institute, told the newspaper Reforma

 

The statistics in Mexico state that since creating voting ID requirements, voting turn out has double now that their citizens feel their vote will not be corrupted.

I don't proclaim to be the sharpest pencil in the box, do not have any college degrees but how hard is this to figure out?
The answer is proper identification for ALL and if you are a citizen you should be proud to prove it.

 

Liberace

 

 

You may not have like him but the man could sure play a piano

 

He quickly learned that if you added glitz, glitter and zany to talent you created famous. After one of his two year tours he made the statement he hated to take the money because he had such a good time but to the bank he went and later even laughing said he bought one.

 

In 1978, Liberace built a museum to himself and to his opulent tastes in Las Vegas.

 The museum contained Liberace's collection of smaltzy cars, a gold casting of Liberace's hands, dozens of candelabras

 a painting of his mother, a rotating rhinestone-covered piano,

 the multi-million dollar stage wardrobe,

his collection of rare and antique pianos,

the glittering stage jewelry,

 not to mention the world's largest rhinestone.

 

and all other things that glittered and sparkled

 

even rare Moser crystal from his home country of Czechoslovakia. Liberace owned service for 12, with 14 individual glasses for each setting

 

Even nine years after Liberace's death from complication of aids on Feb. 4, 1987 the Museum remained one of the most popular tourist attraction in Las Vegas.

 but after 31 years of operation, the Liberace Museum  closed its doors Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010

 

 So the big question................where is it all now?

 

 

 

When Liberace passed away in February 1987 he left the majority of his estate to the Liberace Foundation and the museum was a key source of funding. Aside from getting to learn about the famous entertainer and see some of his lavish costumes and cars up close, guests who visited the museum helped donate to the foundation through their admission. Since its creation the foundation has awarded more than $6 million in scholarships to 2,700 students.

 

This was the last I could find and it was not dated.....

The good news is that Liberace’s collection including his exotic cars and a million-dollar wardrobe will still see the light of day. The memorabilia will continue to be maintained, and a national touring exhibit is being planned. The Liberace Foundation will also still continue to operate and raise money for scholarships. 

 

 

 

This and That

Here's a morning view I will share with you...
.

and a brilliant idea I had...

Hubby and I do not use much of any milk but of course when you cook it is often called for so I came up with the idea of freezing milk in ice cube trays....each cube is about 2 tbs. of milk.

and I have been in a sewing mood so here are a couple of tops I made.....

 

Most of my time I spend knitting for charity but once in a while I get motivated to do a little sewing.

 

 

And here is a little craft I idea that I thought was cleaver. You take a regular paper lunch sack and print a picture on it from your computer and printer....add the ribbon on top and you have a personalized gift bag.