LJWorld.com

Just going to post the list and the link.... Your thoughts?.....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100216/sc_livescience/happieststateshawaiimovesintofirstplace

If you needed an extra twist of the arm to set off on a Hawaii vacation, here it is: The big-wave state was the happiest place to live in 2009, according to a newly released national survey.

Topping the well-being list among all 50 states, Hawaii pulled ahead of the 2008 leader Utah. But Utah and its neighbors still have plenty to smile about. Nine of the top 10 well-being states reside in the Midwest and the West. The south didn't fare so well, taking seven of the 11 lowest well-being spots on the list.

The results come from interviews with more than 350,000 American adults who took part in the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index in 2009. This is the second year of the survey.

The well-being score for each state is an average of six sub-categories, including: life evaluation (self-evaluation about your present life situation and anticipated one in five years); emotional health; work environment (such as job satisfaction); physical health; healthy behavior; basic access (access to healthcare, a doctor, a safe place to exercise and walk, as well as community satisfaction).

The top 10 states and their average well-being scores (out of a possible 100 points):

Hawaii: 70.2 Utah: 68.3 Montana: 68.3 Minnesota: 67.8 Iowa: 67.6 Vermont: 67.4 Colorado: 67.3 Alaska: 67.3 North Dakota: 67.3 Kansas: 67.2

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Rod Blagojevich apologized Monday for saying he's "blacker than Barack Obama," but the disgraced former Illinois governor said he probably won't try to make amends directly to the president.

"I'd be happy to but, you know, I don't have the phone number," he told reporters outside his Chicago home.

In the February issue of Esquire magazine, the ousted governor, semi-professional Elvis impersonator and reality TV contestant refers to Obama as "this guy" who was elected based simply on hope, implying that the president isn't genuine.

"What the (expletive)? Everything he's saying's on the teleprompter," Blagojevich told the magazine. The story hits newsstands on Jan. 19.

"I'm blacker than Barack Obama. I shined shoes. I grew up in a five-room apartment. My father had a little laundromat in a black community not far from where we lived," Blagojevich said. "I saw it all growing up."

On Monday, Blagojevich said the comment was "stupid, stupid, stupid."

He said it was meant as a metaphor for his disappointment with Obama, whom he accused of doing more to help Wall Street than Main Street.

The White House declined to comment.

The response — or lack of response — is in contrast to the reaction Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has received after it was disclosed that he once discussed Obama's presidential prospects in terms of his skin color and whether he had a "Negro dialect." Reid immediately apologized and Obama accepted, though some Republicans are calling for him to step down.

There was no way Obama could avoid acknowledging the statements from Reid, an important Democratic leader and legislative ally, but the president has far more leeway to ignore Blagojevich's latest strange behavior.

The twice-elected Democrat was impeached and removed from office last year after federal prosecutors arrested him on corruption charges that included trying to sell Obama's old U.S. Senate seat. He has pleaded not guilty.

Ahead of his trial, which is expected to start in June, Blagojevich is appearing on NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice."

He also continues to accuse prosecutors of persecuting him for routine political deals.

One of those deals, he said, was the possibility of naming Attorney General Lisa Madigan to Obama's Senate seat in exchange for cooperation on important programs from her powerful father, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

He used an infamously coarse word to refer to the attorney general.

"If I can get this, how much do I love the people of Illinois to make that (expletive) senator?'" Blagojevich said in the interview.

But on Monday, Blagojevich said, "I don't think I said that."

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/blagojevich-blacker-than-obama-comment-stupid/33846#comments

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - The warden of a Topeka woman's prison is accused of making racially insensitive comments. The Topeka Capital-Journal reported on the allegations against Topeka Correctional Facility Warden Richard Koerner as part of an ongoing investigation.

The claims include that Koerner made a lynching reference while criticizing two black women who were reorganizing their office. One of the women, Mary Carr, says Koerner said something "to the effect that, 'You two wouldn't be happy if I hung you with a new rope."'

Another black employee, Willie Tabor, says Koerner repeatedly called him "boy."

Koerner confirmed he made both remarks. But he says the hangman's line was a joke and use of the term "boy" was intended as an affectionate reference rather than a racial put-down.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

This is going to be a short blog... I was going to just make this a comment in my white Christmas thread but I thought it was worthy of its own space.

One of the most asinine things about work is the practice of buying one's boss a Christmas gift. Now, I'm not talking about a gift exchange where you draw numbers, straws, whatever and everyone participates (that in and of itself is a bit dumb as well but not quite as stupid as the subject at hand). I am talking about one representative of the staff going around collecting 5 bucks from everyone to purchase a gift for the boss man or woman. I never did understand this... First of all, doesn't this person make alot MORE than me salary-wise? So I am supposed to take from my measly, meager wages and contribute so that my boss can have yet another Precious Moments statuette to display in her much-nicer-than-my-own home.

Actually, at my current job, we don't practice this nonsense. The ironic thing is that my former boss here (she retired a few months ago) was one of the ONLY supervisors I've ever had who I would deem nice enough to purchase a gift for! Most of my bosses I could give a rat's ass if they have a merry Christmas, a happy Hannukah or a cool Kwanza. After we both clock out in the afternoon, you go your way and I go mine. Sayonara.

And on that note, Happy Christmas to all. :)

Okay, first of all, let's get the innuendo out of the way... For those of you who I have had banter with in threads pertaining to race, this has NOTHING to do with the color of anyone's skin. Let's get that out in the open and get past it. So shut yer yapper if that's where you were planning on going with the question at hand.

I just looked at the forecast and it said that Salina is supposed to have flurries (with a high of 29) on Christmas day. I didn't look at Lawrence's forecast but you guys are only a buck and change away from Salina so if we get snow, it is a good chance that you will as well.

To answer my own question, I don't want a white Christmas? Why? I am already tired of winter. I told my 15 year old son the other day I am getting too old for this cold. It is starting to affect me alot worse than it used to when I was his age, or even in my 20s. It cuts through me like steel and is relentless... Laughing at me with an evil cackle everytime I have to venture outside my door. I don't like winter. I don't like 100 degree weather either but anymore, I'd take that over 10 degrees.

Do any of you actually welcome the white stuff?-- Snow, that is...

As a few of you know, I live in Salina and as even fewer of you know, I had signed up for a city wide fitness deal called the Pounds Plunge. It was a 12 week stint of watching what we ate and exercising. There were weekly weigh ins at the YMCA and everyone's progress was tracked electronically.

Well the Pounds Plunge ended yesterday. I think I lost a total of 5 pounds. Yeh, I know, atleast I lost something and didn't gain any weight. And I realize that as a Tubby American (the new policitally correct term for lard butt), I must keep eating sensibly and exercising... The exercising part isn't that bad. I've always enjoyed working out. I don't mind cardio and I really like training with free weights as well as the nautilus-type weight machines. I have a membership to the Y as well as a 24 hour fitness center so I do have access to that sort of thing.

I will freely admit, however, that I enjoyed eating on Sunday. I knew I had no more weigh ins so I took my children out to eat at a breakfast buffet. I had french toast, whole grain pancakes, a sticky bun, some eggs (I am not a big egg fan but when I'm having breakfast, I need atleast a spoonful of them), a few hashbrowns, a slice of ham, quite a bit of bacon and fruit. Oh, I forgot, I have a biscuit with sausage gravy.

Don't pity the fat girl. Sometimes we're actually a happy bunch. We're not always jolly just for appearances, but many times we are jolly because damn that sticky bun certainly was delicious!!

Made you look you dirty crook, you stole your mother's pocketbook! :P

Okay, so I actually made myself chuckle there... If nothing else becomes of this blog, atleast it was worth a little laugh for myself. :D

The title of this blog is a spin on the song "Pimpin' Ain't Easy" and I'm sure that neither profession is without complication. I once got offered $200 to perform a certain act on someone sitting next to me at a bar-- this was a regular little dive here in Salina-- no, I didn't take the money. LOL But it made me think of all that strippers have to go through pretty much every night that they work. To be real honest with you, I don't think that I could endure the constant objectifying. Not that I'm Pamela Anderson or anything, but the few physical traits that I do possess that maybe deemed "attractive" get noticed a bit too much when I do patronize drunken establishments and I am keeping my garments on the entire time! It would really get obnoxious if I removed my sweatshirt. Geesh!

To my fellow novel writers-- keep on plugging away! That sizeable dent I made in my 50K words hasn't grown any since last weekend. LOL You'll get there though... I may not get there with you... No, I will get there with you. Yay us!

With cuddles and smooches,

Honeychild (and no, that's not a stripper name... That's my phone sex name dammit. How dare you suggest such a thing!)

Okay, so I am reading my hometown's newpaper website, The Salina Journal online (http://www.saljournal.com/) and I noticed that our Chamber of Commerce has paid for Ms. I-Can-See-Alaska-From-My-Backyard to speak here in February. Not only that, but check out the list of names of former speakers... I must admit that I agree with my boyfriend when he termed Salina as being "the conservative, boring sister of Lawrence" (although I am sure some people would prefer Salina's atmosphere to Lawrence's just for the Republican'ness alone).

http://www.salina.com/news/Story/chamber-speaker

"On Monday afternoon, the chamber announced that former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will be the guest speaker at its annual banquet Feb. 5.

Past guest speakers have included former President George H.W. Bush, former First Lady Barbara Bush, New York City Mayor and presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former British Prime Minister John Major and former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft."

Did you catch it? I just happened upon it... Was waiting for Leno to go off and the news to come on. Anyway, he asks a different famous person 10 random questions every night and this time it was our esteemed former governor.

Hopefully this link will work. I can't access youtube at work. ;P

Help me out if you can put up a better link...

Anyway, I thought she was pretty deadpan (as usual), BUT i really liked her answer to the question about keeping our children safe-- She actually was pretty funny w/ her response. I also liked her answer when asked who would in in a game of horse, Kathleen or Obama.