All I Want is Chocolate!

Our first 4th of July as a married couple was spent in the back of a GMC Acadia with a scant view of the fireworks through the trees.  Sadly, the town got a thunderstorm right before the fireworks began.  I would have loved to see the kids' reaction to the fireworks had we been able to sit outside with the view we were originally going to have. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lJ2dOS3JgUX-rUIL-QLelmV-CKy53E49J0nPEo0NwFlbrVryPVmZlAM083sy-lG55prTQdd_hbIyQ4Ngha8O1g3oPHhHTILxENlbDhTdWuEV0uphoxxGJyv-fzzi7cRVoCrRMXEml9U/s1600/sugar-addiction-cartoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lJ2dOS3JgUX-rUIL-QLelmV-CKy53E49J0nPEo0NwFlbrVryPVmZlAM083sy-lG55prTQdd_hbIyQ4Ngha8O1g3oPHhHTILxENlbDhTdWuEV0uphoxxGJyv-fzzi7cRVoCrRMXEml9U/s200/sugar-addiction-cartoon.jpg" width="172" /></a></div>What a better way to cap off a very hot day and a night of fireworks with icecream, right?  Well, everyone else was enjoying the icecream but I just tried to focus on something else, like catching up on my Google Reader.  It was tough.  <br /><br />I'm trying to be cognizant of how I'm feeling or what I'm doing when I crave a sweet.  I think it's important to understand what makes me suddenly want to eat them.  So far, it's rather obvious that when there is so much downtime, then I really want a sweet.  Couple that with any amount of boredom or minor stress and the craving is amplified.   <br /><br />While I'm only focusing on your typical, easily identifiable sweets, I'm sure many of us would be surprised to find discover where else sugar is hiding in non-typical "sweets".  I read in a <a href="http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/how-sugar-harms-you?cm_mmc=Dish_Newsletter-_-876966-_-04112012-_-Grid3" target="_blank">Women's Health article</a> that even a McDonald's Sesame seed bun contains sugar.  How necessary is that really?  I'm not ready to be <i>that </i>strict with the elimination of sugar from my diet, but it's something to consider and be mindful of when selecting certain foods.  Should you venture to that article, be sure to check out that fun quiz at the bottom of page one - the questions/answers are interesting!  For example, between a Yoo-hoo and an Ocean Spray Light Cranberry Juice - which do you think has the least amount of sugar?  It's the Yoohoo!  Granted, it's not by much, but I was still surprised yet again of the marketing schemes surrounding juices.... it's all about that health halo.<br /><br /><b style="color: #351c75;">Have you ever quit eating sweets?  What was the biggest difference you felt/saw as a result?</b>

No Sugar Challenge All I Want is Chocolate!

Our first 4th of July as a married couple was spent in the back of a GMC Acadia with a scant view of the fireworks through the trees.  Sadly...

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you spin me right round

Thanks again everyone for the birthday wishes! It was a great 2 days (I always count the 4th as my birthday as well). My day started with these<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfK2BKMrny7hiSBgf6OoG8JtntbFd2qhautbFG3U0YdUslDUn3Qop7ek13ugggDuBfgTbQOdk2jqJZA5A8aKxZpke5NjzloXwRi6EnEv90m4dqMF0iLtWgAXmdEDSY_dDqNjYF9aUDbzir/s1600/BDayFlowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfK2BKMrny7hiSBgf6OoG8JtntbFd2qhautbFG3U0YdUslDUn3Qop7ek13ugggDuBfgTbQOdk2jqJZA5A8aKxZpke5NjzloXwRi6EnEv90m4dqMF0iLtWgAXmdEDSY_dDqNjYF9aUDbzir/s640/BDayFlowers.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white;">and kept getting better from there. This was 'the year of the table', as I got not 1 or 2 but 3 tables for my birthday this year. (Don't let my mom and I loose on the retail world). More on those tables another day but today I have a different table in mind. Or lack of a table rather.</span><br /><br />I'm narrowing in on a complete living room plan but one thing that is missing is a coffee table. Coffee tables are a touchy subject in this house as that is the only piece of furniture that has a 'the one that got a way' story. It is too sad to mention but just know that it had an antique round marble top and the most awesome and unique base...see I can't even talk about it. I'll cry. Anyway, moving on.<br /><br />We need a coffee table. A round coffee table.<br /><br />We could go with something in honor of 'the table that cannot be named'.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNshfFRax_AD5FaYHGzskNwFXN3scmzPAM2YGmyb9V0bbOlbb6fyBhaZax8I9i96B70IxWlzbNOK-YdwBn6BI7XQJBs0q1YBTx5YvbWBsJmOP0zUJFJop7zuKDVSXv3DxEDFft1dR8AZO2/s1600/liquidylworgbwlclrblsRXSC11.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNshfFRax_AD5FaYHGzskNwFXN3scmzPAM2YGmyb9V0bbOlbb6fyBhaZax8I9i96B70IxWlzbNOK-YdwBn6BI7XQJBs0q1YBTx5YvbWBsJmOP0zUJFJop7zuKDVSXv3DxEDFft1dR8AZO2/s640/liquidylworgbwlclrblsRXSC11.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cb2.com/accent-tables/furniture/smart-round-marble-top-coffee-table/f4971" target="_blank">cb2</a></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3XdSMK68vzRkjbnZB3m7zLn4mv7RGIgoqMs2uNsaVeIZpbCYJ-dCduBIPXmzrdpqhD4ga0rlnrsqI0a54NUunjO9RX9yr11wb9pWKsNAMzOISYq82PhE3p5NVNKvhL9XW1wpTHz662ogY/s1600/white+sofa,+morocaan+rug,+tulip+coffee+table+french+chairs.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3XdSMK68vzRkjbnZB3m7zLn4mv7RGIgoqMs2uNsaVeIZpbCYJ-dCduBIPXmzrdpqhD4ga0rlnrsqI0a54NUunjO9RX9yr11wb9pWKsNAMzOISYq82PhE3p5NVNKvhL9XW1wpTHz662ogY/s640/white+sofa,+morocaan+rug,+tulip+coffee+table+french+chairs.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://brynalexandra.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bryn Alexandra</a></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipe8Lf6SvQ8-WNmOGyvmTGXklEVIec_Qq7z9NvfTttSG_bxdXuEhRdGuLKnp8UOuTrac1S0CEBl38SEQoCq0TdNhwGd54liB6nsttMMclDLq7itSRSSlKt0fWtCtX6njAlcophdp-EhcA8/s1600/IMG_9799.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipe8Lf6SvQ8-WNmOGyvmTGXklEVIec_Qq7z9NvfTttSG_bxdXuEhRdGuLKnp8UOuTrac1S0CEBl38SEQoCq0TdNhwGd54liB6nsttMMclDLq7itSRSSlKt0fWtCtX6njAlcophdp-EhcA8/s640/IMG_9799.jpeg" width="422" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mybestfriendcraig.blogspot.com/2012/02/shout-out-and-more-pictures-our-living.html">My Best Friend Craig</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white;">But I'm afraid it will always be compared to the one we wanted and will therefore never feel right.</span><br /><br />We could go in a completely different direction and go for lucite.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRLAs-9F93yfNQl3eTIbCDQNBQ4W4KV3RqrP011zmPSjEIPBTV5ZTlPws96tPNVmpfE9Tmnlqc-BDecbxqq0lEKDC7qSXbzLZ4O5-vugFPctQHcQHk4qAcyLwYGH6kNJsgWxQ8SiYuKSx/s1600/mr-banks-beforeafter-family-room-and-powder-room.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRLAs-9F93yfNQl3eTIbCDQNBQ4W4KV3RqrP011zmPSjEIPBTV5ZTlPws96tPNVmpfE9Tmnlqc-BDecbxqq0lEKDC7qSXbzLZ4O5-vugFPctQHcQHk4qAcyLwYGH6kNJsgWxQ8SiYuKSx/s640/mr-banks-beforeafter-family-room-and-powder-room.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.peppermintbliss.com/2012/06/mr-banks-beforeafter-family-room-and-powder-room/" target="_blank">Peppermint Bliss</a></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKENg5TGP_j4x6ooueElfCsElMPXjQf-we0iBD4GnMnUGqC8F4BsxTN5wLYoyhaYTm1rDN7eDQVVk37mVAi9nza7i45W-emtjRaXG8Jy14o9wu0qk2acdN9Qph2cuCb_N77Qhqx3PmOPT/s1600/search.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKENg5TGP_j4x6ooueElfCsElMPXjQf-we0iBD4GnMnUGqC8F4BsxTN5wLYoyhaYTm1rDN7eDQVVk37mVAi9nza7i45W-emtjRaXG8Jy14o9wu0qk2acdN9Qph2cuCb_N77Qhqx3PmOPT/s640/search.jpeg" width="422" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.meredithheron.com/" target="_blank">Meredith Heron</a></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKlzSnNSAPx3S1RLxEq3j0sj_xr_7bQvXH2GHYHYT2_0aQdbGQaNki5IbWRldiYJ3HftN6OBTY_J1l-Z0x4XFLnsrG5WpTsYiiCrGWOvVRmSVmNLfqp9z_WJ-6KpA-EgJPmaJr78fSjGF/s1600/lucite+coffee+table.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKlzSnNSAPx3S1RLxEq3j0sj_xr_7bQvXH2GHYHYT2_0aQdbGQaNki5IbWRldiYJ3HftN6OBTY_J1l-Z0x4XFLnsrG5WpTsYiiCrGWOvVRmSVmNLfqp9z_WJ-6KpA-EgJPmaJr78fSjGF/s640/lucite+coffee+table.jpeg" width="614" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lonnymag.com/">Lonny Magazine</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Very different for me but would certainly keep the space feeling open.<br /><br />Or, we can go for round fluffy goodness. No, not Kim K's arse, an ottoman.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_XsDae02C46WAxKuHK6oqEuVHTfKdQdm6V14sDNGYWnhUv9_FL8Q9JdVx9twKCvlW0Q7kwqiOHIhuotMgR9wl0w6EwN70xNXAMMXQtql9ZpfJUdTvyt_EX0Qy5ZO7jUSGlLJulxcuvaw/s1600/summertime.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_XsDae02C46WAxKuHK6oqEuVHTfKdQdm6V14sDNGYWnhUv9_FL8Q9JdVx9twKCvlW0Q7kwqiOHIhuotMgR9wl0w6EwN70xNXAMMXQtql9ZpfJUdTvyt_EX0Qy5ZO7jUSGlLJulxcuvaw/s640/summertime.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://brynalexandra.blogspot.com/2012/07/summertime.html" target="_blank">Bryn Alexandra</a></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPwk6w6FabdGeR6fUC81NT-IUyUlg6hMrHfvDo8_9jQ3MdyUDWq7KwUqJr7x-Sr5Be73Q-3PxMaGTMRwLjzjMHVmhaIoXNzAA1yBlHZFl1_TqfPlnBFx3rzyhy9L6XIVfcVQqWVN7KYDI/s1600/why-this-works.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPwk6w6FabdGeR6fUC81NT-IUyUlg6hMrHfvDo8_9jQ3MdyUDWq7KwUqJr7x-Sr5Be73Q-3PxMaGTMRwLjzjMHVmhaIoXNzAA1yBlHZFl1_TqfPlnBFx3rzyhy9L6XIVfcVQqWVN7KYDI/s640/why-this-works.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jenerationinteriors.com/classic.html">Jeneration Interiors</a></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzdfDjgIasSRHlZC5gDkg25cjB71g3vVyl6j4JbF4mUQv0LwCUSXIlDTDwGVdu1gMmalhjvIqKN9z6fSNoGebKNo2cgM1dBgwaIEyKZJnJ7EK5381PaJ3Rjl9ZZY10xgLj2V0BhCMySub/s1600/diyroundottomanfinished.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzdfDjgIasSRHlZC5gDkg25cjB71g3vVyl6j4JbF4mUQv0LwCUSXIlDTDwGVdu1gMmalhjvIqKN9z6fSNoGebKNo2cgM1dBgwaIEyKZJnJ7EK5381PaJ3Rjl9ZZY10xgLj2V0BhCMySub/s640/diyroundottomanfinished.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://blog.effortless-style.com/2012/04/diy-round-ottoman/#" target="_blank">Effortless Style</a></td></tr></tbody></table>I won't say which way I'm leaning but I will say that I shamelessly watched Keeping Up With The Kardashians for the first time yesterday. (No one needs to know that but us, right?)<br /><br />What type of coffee table(s) do you have? Do you have a piece of furniture that you can't decide on? Does anyone else get 3 tables for their birthday?

you spin me right round

Thanks again everyone for the birthday wishes! It was a great 2 days (I always count the 4th as my birthday as well). My day started with th...

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SOUTH AMERICA : PARAGUAY

<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHeU3a0UiAXeKOiqbfSjXlGWQEJnrEQ-PJFDUL8g5b5WB1mBv3SbiFNGfu1yu3pCW8dO85JD7NFNjjwJpiIl03za-srLsOurhD4eFPL7H6ii_ZpiVwTuc48_r-iSSDUrFHyyu9UWkKQKY6/s1600/pa-lgflag.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHeU3a0UiAXeKOiqbfSjXlGWQEJnrEQ-PJFDUL8g5b5WB1mBv3SbiFNGfu1yu3pCW8dO85JD7NFNjjwJpiIl03za-srLsOurhD4eFPL7H6ii_ZpiVwTuc48_r-iSSDUrFHyyu9UWkKQKY6/s400/pa-lgflag.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">WELCOME TO “DEMOCRASHIP”: EGYPT AND PARAGUAY STRUGGLE TO OVERTHROW THE OLD ORDER</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">EGYPTIANS and PARAGUAYANS are now realizing new democracies take years, sometimes decades, of co-existing with the nightmare of dictatorship. </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Via AlterNet  </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">By Pepe Escobar</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">NEW BRAND OF COUP D'ETAT</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4z0VYhkTjTEVpMxynbXmgoldatZb9_v-XMt-8GTUjw48sNqli26yi479yNzVqiupAPmFo-mG5wLus8Xumc0HSItcDS-zCOjWg1mtqEtSZ3TbrIm5yCQZQW8N6tOjs2YGg21oMLP6FMhGG/s1600/Federico-Franco-via-AFP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4z0VYhkTjTEVpMxynbXmgoldatZb9_v-XMt-8GTUjw48sNqli26yi479yNzVqiupAPmFo-mG5wLus8Xumc0HSItcDS-zCOjWg1mtqEtSZ3TbrIm5yCQZQW8N6tOjs2YGg21oMLP6FMhGG/s400/Federico-Franco-via-AFP.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allegedly the Roman Catholic Church of Paraguay was strongly involved in the coup!!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Let's start with a bomb. Over 10 days ago a new brand of coup d'etat took place in PARAGUAY against elected president <b>Fernando Lugo</b>. It was virtually unnoticed by global corporate media.<br /><br />Anything unexpected? Not really. A March 2009 cable from the <b>US Embassy</b> in Asuncion, revealed by WikiLeaks had already detailed how oligarchs in PARAGUAY were busy devising a "democratic coup" in congress to depose Lugo.<br /><br />At the time, the <b>US embassy</b> noted political conditions were not ideal for a coup. Key among the plotters was former president <b>Nicanor Duarte</b>(2003 to 2008), severely bashed by progressive SOUTH AMERICAN governments for having allowed US Special Forces in PARAGUAYAN soil to conduct "educational courses", "domestic peacekeeping operations" and "counter-terrorism training".<br /><br />This US Special Forces drive was happening decades after "one of our bastards", notorious dictator-general <b>Alfredo Stroessner</b> (in power from 1954 to 1989) had allowed the set up of a giant US-owned semi-clandestine landing strip near the ARGENTINA-BRAZIL-PARAGUAY Triple Border - later to become part of the war on drugs, and then the war on terror.<br /><br />So it's a no-brainer which was the first government to recognize last Friday's coup plotters in PARAGUAY: the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.<br /><br style="color: blue;" /><b style="color: blue;">FORGET ABOUT SHARING OUR CAKE</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Progressive EGYPTIANS are now realizing new democracies take years, sometimes decades, of co-existing with the nightmare of dictatorship. It happened, for instance, in BRAZIL - now universally lauded as a new, global powerhouse. During the 1980s and 1990s, some form of institutional re-democratization was going on. But for years BRAZIL really did not turn into a full democracy - economically, socially and culturally. It took a long 17 years - until president <b>Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva</b> first came to power in 2002 - for BRAZIL to start on the road of becoming less outrageously unequal than its rapacious ruling classes always wanted it to be.<br /><br />The same historical process is now at work in both EGYPT and PARAGUAY. Both countries suffered dictatorships for decades. When a dictatorship seems to be on its death throes, only political parties linked - or mildly tolerated - by the ancient regime find themselves in the best position to profit from the long, tortuous transition towards democracy. These countries then become what BRAZILIAN political scientist <b>Emir Sader</b> has dubbed "democraships".<br /><br />This applies to the Liberal Party in PARAGUAY and the Muslim Brotherhood in EGYPT. In the EGYPTIAN presidential election, we had a former <b>Hosni Mubarak</b> crony against an Ikhwan (Muslim Brotherhood) cadre. It remains to be seen whether the Orwellian SCAF (Supreme Council of the Armed Forces) in EGYPT will allow this new "democraship" to turn into a real democracy, and to what extent the Ikhwan is fully committed to the notion of democracy.<br /><br />PARAGUAY was already in a more advanced stage than EGYPT. Yet four years after a democratic presidential election, congress was still dominated by two dictatorship-friendly parties, Liberal and Colorado. It was a piece of cake for this bipartisan oligarchy to gang up and take <b>Lugo</b> down.<br /><br /><b style="color: blue;">A MEDIUM-RARE IMPEACHMENT, PLEASE</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Lugo</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> was evicted by a coup disguised as an impeachment, processed in only 24 hours. Regime change practitioners in Washington must have been ecstatic; if only we could do that in SYRIA ...<br /><br />This simulacrum had to be concocted by what is the most corrupt senate in the AMERICAS - and that's a huge understatement. <b>Lugo</b>was found guilty of incompetence in dealing with a very murky story linked - inevitably - with an issue that is absolutely key, all across the developing world: <b>agrarian reform</b>.<br /><br />On June 15, a group of policemen and commandos about to enforce an eviction order in <b>Curuguaty</b>, 200 kilometers from <b>Asuncion</b>, close to the BRAZILIAN border, was ambushed by snipers infiltrated among farmers. The order came from a judge protecting a wealthy landowner, <b>Blas Riquelme</b>, not by accident a former president of the <b>Colorado party</b> and a former senator.<br /><br />Through legal shenanigans, he had taken possession of 2,000 hectares that actually belonged to the PARAGUAYAN state. These lands were then occupied by landless peasants, who for some time had been asking the <b>Lugo </b>government to redistribute them.<br /><br />The School of the Americas Watch has already documented how enormous tracts of land in PARAGUAY were actually stolen from farmers and "donated" to military and upper-class cronies during those decades under the <b>Stroessner</b> dictatorship.<br /><br />The result in <b>Curuguaty</b> was 17 dead - six policemen and 11 farmers - and at least 50 wounded. It simply doesn't make sense; the elite members of the eviction force, a hardcore unit named Special Operations Group, were trained in counterinsurgency tactics in COLOMBIA - under the right-wing <b>Uribe</b>government - as part of the US-concocted Plan COLOMBIA.<br /><br />Plan PARAGUAY, for its part, was very simple; absolute criminalization of every peasant organization, forcing them to leave the countryside for transnational <b>agribusiness.</b><br /><br />So this was, essentially, a trap. PARAGUAY'S rabid right-wingers - joined to the hip with Washington, for example trying to prevent, by all means, VENEZUELA'S entrance into the MERCOSUR common market - were just waiting to pounce on a regime that had not, yet, affected its interests, but had opened up plenty of spaces for social protest and popular organization.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">IT’S ALL ABOUT AGRIBUSINESS</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <br /><br /><b>Lugo</b>, a former bishop elected in 2008 with large rural support, might have seen it coming, but he did nothing to stop it. Compared with his power to mobilize people in the streets, he had minimum support in Congress: only two senators. Over 40% of PARAGUAYANS live in the countryside, but they are hardly mobilized. And 30% live under the poverty line.<br /><br />The "winners" in PARAGUAY had to be the usual suspects: the landowning oligarchy - and its concerted campaign to demonize farmers; multinational agribusiness interests such as <b>Monsanto</b>; and the <b>Monsanto</b>-linked media (as in the ABC Color daily, which accused ministers not acting as <b>Monsanto</b> stooges of being "corrupt").</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">See: <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/monsanto-global-monster-corporation.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/monsanto-global-monster-corporation.html</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;"></span>Agribusiness giants such as <b>Monsanto</b>and <b>Cargill </b>pay virtually no taxes in PARAGUAY because of the right-wing controlled Congress. Landowners don't pay taxes. <b>Needless to add, PARAGUAY is one of the most unequal countries in the world; 85% of land - like 30 million hectares - is controlled by the 2% composing the rural aristocracy, a great deal of them involved in land speculation.</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">See: <a href="http://www.propertywire.com/news/south-america/argentina-limits-foreign-buyers-201112195891.html">http://www.propertywire.com/news/south-america/argentina-limits-foreign-buyers-201112195891.html</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b><br /></b><br />Thus their Miami Vice-style mansions in URUGUAY'S hip Punta del Este resort or, for that matter, Miami Beach; the money, of course, is in the CAYMAN ISLANDS. PARAGUAY is de facto ruled by this cream of the 2% mixing agribusiness with the neoliberal financial casino.<br /><br />And by the way, as <b>Martin Almada</b>, a top PARAGUAYAN human-rights activist and alternative Nobel Peace Prize winner, has noted, this concerns BRAZILIAN landowners as well. The wealthiest soya bean producer in PARAGUAY is a "BRAZIGUAYAN", double nationality holder <b>Tranquilo Favero</b>, who made his fortune under <b>Stroessner.</b><br /><br /><b style="color: blue;">A COUP ON THE ROCKS, PLEASE </b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsaKUEtwgHEdYceSNfGe7ru1eFlPvFkG8y7q9HoX_UIyGTGs2YQd3Mo01hx2ccONYitCZLHHc7IaBhQWztWrR8_GgY0Ufj7BeRsC2uPkNxEYqGuZYohJYOe3wLi67GXmfEPJ-v8NUeeG8N/s1600/Political_Map_of_Latin_America_-_before_Paraguayan_coup-498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsaKUEtwgHEdYceSNfGe7ru1eFlPvFkG8y7q9HoX_UIyGTGs2YQd3Mo01hx2ccONYitCZLHHc7IaBhQWztWrR8_GgY0Ufj7BeRsC2uPkNxEYqGuZYohJYOe3wLi67GXmfEPJ-v8NUeeG8N/s400/Political_Map_of_Latin_America_-_before_Paraguayan_coup-498.jpg" width="390" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Political Map of Latin America - before Paraguayan coup</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The Union of SOUTH AMERICAN NATIONS (UNASUR) treated what happened in PARAGUAY for what it is; a coup. The same with MERCOSUR. The contrast with Washington's position couldn't be more glaring. Coup plotter <b>Federico Franco</b>is a darling of the <b>US Embassy</b> in <b>Asuncion</b>.<br /><br />ARGENTINA, URUGUAY, VENEZUELA and ECUADOR won't recognize the coup plotters. VENEZUELA cut off oil sales to PARAGUAY. BRAZILIAN President Dilma Rousseff has proposed the expulsion of PARAGUAY from both UNASUR and MERCOSUR.<br /><br />PARAGUAY is already suspended; this means coup plotter <b>Federico Franco</b> was prevented from attending a key MERCOSUR meeting last week in <b>Mendoza</b>, ARGENTINA, when the temporary MERCOSUR presidency would be handed over to PARAGUAY. The PARAGUAYAN oligarchy - under Washington's orders - was blocking VENEZUELA'S entrance in MERCOSUR. Not anymore; VENEZUELA becomes a full member by the end of the month.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">UNSASUR AND MERCOSUR BAN - DEVASTATING GEOPOLITICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR LATIN AMERICA?</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /><br />Yet SOUTH AMERICAN progressive governments must be very careful. <b>If PARAGUAY is expelled from both UNASUR and MERCOSUR, it will inevitably ask Washington for commercial and military help. That could translate into a nightmare - US military bases in PARAGUAY.</b><br /><br />PARAGUAY'S oligarchs, the media they control, and last but not least the reactionary <b>Catholic church hierarchy</b>, calculate they will extend their power when elections take place in April 2013.<br /><br /><b>Lugo</b> was in fact facing a Sisyphean task - trying to steer a weak state, with minimum income from taxes (less than 12% of GNP), and under severe pressure by powerful transnational lobbies and comprador elites. This, by the way, is the structural reality of a great deal of LATIN AMERICA - and, roughly, one might add, of EGYPT.<br /><br />On a geopolitical level, what progressives everywhere - from SOUTH AND NORTH AMERICA to the ARAB world - should worry about is how, since the June 2009 coup against <b>Manuel Zelaya</b> in HONDURAS, LATIN AMERICA is being turned into a giant laboratory testing all sorts of "democratic" coup d'etat mutations.<br /><br />PARAGUAY is one such mutation. Another one was the failed coup against ECUADOR'S <b>Rafael Correa</b> in September 2010. All these coups are against progressive governments who privilege social advances.<br /><br />Not by accident, <b>Correa</b>, who was almost evicted by a coup, said that if it succeeded this time in PARAGUAY it would "<b>open a dangerous precedent</b>" in the whole region.<br /><br />And in terms of poetic justice, nothing beats <b>Correa</b> - the target of a coup - currently studying the possibility of offering political asylum to <b>Julian Assange</b>, whose WikiLeaks revealed, among other things, how the PARAGUAYAN elite was plotting their own coup.<br /><br />In EGYPT, a military coup happened even before a presidential election. Progressive EGYPTIANS who actually led the ARAB Spring must be extremely alert; PARAGUAY is showing how the rocky road towards democracy may end up in a "democraship".</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

SOUTH AMERICA : PARAGUAY

WELCOME TO “DEMOCRASHIP”: EGYPT AND PARAGUAY STRUGGLE TO OVERTHROW THE OLD ORDER EGYPTIANS and PARAGUAYANS are now realizing new democracies...

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9 health-care jobs for people who don't want to be a doctor

<br /><div class="hdr_org_bld" style="color: #ff6600; font: normal normal bold 18px/normal arial, helvetica; text-align: left;"><h1 id="articleHeadline" style="color: #000066; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span id="cbArticle_lblByLine"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">By Debra Auerbach, CareerBuilder Writer</span></span></span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;"> </span></h1></div><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;" /><div class="ArticleContent" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><img alt="" class="media-image media-image-left" src="http://artstg.icbdr.com/sites/all/files/styles/large/public/Dental.JPG" style="float: left;" typeof="foaf:Image" />When you ask children what they want to be when they grow up, a common answer is "doctor." When those children do eventually grow up, their job dreams may have shifted, but for those who still aspire to work in health care, doctor is just one of the many career paths to take.<br />The population of elderly people in the U.S. is growing, and the health-care field is growing along with it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the health-care and social assistance sector is projected to gain more jobs than any other sector between 2010 and 2020.<br />If you're interested in health care and medicine, but becoming a doctor just isn't for you, consider one of these nine health-care occupation alternatives:<br /><br /><strong>1. </strong><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/cardiovascular_technologist/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;"><strong>Cardiovascular technologists and technicians</strong></a><strong> and </strong><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/vascular+technologist/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;"><strong>vascular technologists</strong></a><strong>*</strong><br /><strong>What they do:</strong> Cardiovascular technologists perform tests via imaging technology on the heart and vascular system to help physicians detect and diagnose heart and blood-vessel conditions in patients. Most workers who enter this field receive an associate degree. Some technologists and technicians get on-the-job training, but many employers also require professional certification.<br /><strong>Projected job growth between 2010-20:</strong> 29 percent (much faster than average)<br /><strong>Median annual pay:</strong> $49,410<br /><strong><br /></strong><br /><strong>2.</strong> <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/clinical+laboratory+technician/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;"><strong>Clinical and medical laboratory technicians</strong></a><strong> and </strong><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/clinical+laboratory+technologist/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;"><strong>technologists</strong></a><br /><strong>What they do:</strong> These technicians and technologists perform various tasks in a clinical lab, such as collecting samples and performing tests to analyze body fluids, tissue and other substances. In 2010, 52 percent of medical laboratory technologists and technicians worked in hospitals.<br /><strong>Projected job growth between 2010-20:</strong> 13 percent (about as fast as average)<br /><strong>Median annual pay:</strong> $46,680<br /><strong><br /></strong><br /><strong>3. </strong><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/dental+assistant/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;"><strong>Dental assistants</strong></a><br /><strong>What they do:</strong> Dental assistants help dentists with patients in a variety of ways. Tasks include making patients comfortable before procedures, sterilizing equipment, teaching patients about proper dental hygiene and scheduling appointments. Almost all dental assistants work in dental offices.<br /><strong>Projected job growth between 2010-20:</strong> 31 percent (much faster than average)<br /><strong>Median annual pay:</strong> $33,470<br /><strong><br /></strong><br /><strong>4. </strong><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/dietitian/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;"><strong>Dietitians</strong></a><strong> and </strong><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/nutritionist/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;"><strong>nutritionists</strong></a><br /><strong>What they do:</strong> As food and nutrition experts, dietitians and nutritionists advise patients on what to eat in order to lead a healthy lifestyle or reach certain weight goals. Most workers in this field have a bachelor's degree and have participated in supervised on-the-job training. Many states require dietitians and nutritionists to be licensed.<br /><strong>Projected job growth between 2010-20:</strong> 20 percent (faster than average)<br /><strong>Median annual pay:</strong> $53,250<br /><strong><br /></strong><br /><strong>5. </strong><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/dispensing+optician/?siteid=cbworkbuzz" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;"><strong>Dispensing opticians</strong></a><br /><strong>What they do:</strong> Dispensing opticians fit patients with eyeglasses and contact lenses. Opticians typically have a high-school diploma or equivalent and some form of on-the-job training. Training may include technical instruction and sales and office management practices. Twenty-three states require opticians to be licensed. Depending on the state, opticians may also need to pass a state written exam, a state practical exam and/or certification exams.<br /><strong>Projected job growth between 2010-20:</strong> 29 percent (much faster than average)<br /><strong>Median annual pay:</strong> $32,940<br /><strong><br /></strong><br /><strong>6. </strong><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/medical+records+technician/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;"><strong>Health information and medical records technicians</strong></a><br /><strong>What they do:</strong> The responsibilities of health information and medical records technicians include collecting and organizing health data, updating national cancer registries and coding medical bills for insurance reimbursement. The job outlook for this occupation is strong, given that more hospitals are transitioning to electronic health records.<br /><strong>Projected job growth between 2010-20:</strong> 21 percent (faster than average)<br /><strong>Median annual pay:</strong> $32,350<br /><strong><br /></strong><br /><strong>7. </strong><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/home+health+aide/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;"><strong>Home health and personal care aides</strong></a><br /><strong>What they do:</strong> As the elderly population grows, the need for home health and personal care aides increases. These workers specifically help elderly, disabled or ill patients who aren't able to care for themselves independently. They help with everything from bathing and dressing to light housekeeping to dispensing medication. While most aides work in a client's home, others may work in group homes or care communities.<br /><strong>Projected job growth between 2010-20:</strong> 70 percent (much faster than average)<br /><strong>Median annual pay:</strong> $20,170<br /><strong><br /></strong><br /><strong>8. </strong><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/pharmacy+technician/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;"><strong>Pharmacy technicians</strong></a><br /><strong>What they do:</strong> Pharmacy technicians help licensed pharmacists dispense prescription medication. They also perform administrative tasks in pharmacies. While most technicians hold a high-school diploma or equivalent, some states require that they complete a formal training program and pass an exam. These technicians may work either full or part time in grocery or drugstore pharmacies or in hospitals.<br /><strong>Projected job growth between 2010-20:</strong> 32 percent (much faster than average)<br /><strong>Median annual pay:</strong> $28,400<br /><strong><br /></strong><br /><strong>9. </strong><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/speech+language+pathologist/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;"><strong>Speech-language pathologists</strong></a><br /><strong>What they do:</strong> Speech-language pathologists, also known as speech therapists, help people with communication and swallowing disorders caused by anything from stroke to hearing loss to emotional problems. In this role, workers assess, diagnose and treat patients. Some pathologists choose to work with specific age groups, or they may focus on treatments for specific communication or swallowing problems. The standard level of education for speech-language pathologists is a master's degree.<br /><strong><br /></strong><br /><strong>Projected job growth between 2010-20:</strong> 23 percent (faster than average)<br /><strong>Median annual pay:</strong> $66,920<br /><em><br /></em><br /><em>*Job descriptions, projected growth and median annual pay from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.</em></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />

9 health-care jobs for people who don't want to be a doctor

By Debra Auerbach, CareerBuilder Writer     When you ask children what they want to be when they grow up, a common answer is "doctor.&q...

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