Belizeans.com Forums - Cruffy Talk!

What do you think about.....

bzegirl — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:47:46 GMT

this and that....

The FL minister who plan on going to Ground Zero and burning Korans (sp)

Should he be able to do that based on Free Speech?

Or how about Paris Hilton being given VIP treatment on her drug charge while TI and wife had to spend hours (around 6) when they were stopped?

Or, how the media skewered Fantasia over her affiar with a married man while Alicia got her wedding pictures (even though she was preggie while Swiss was still officially married) posted in People.

Just thinking.....

Name That Pup!

Jimc58 — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:39:10 GMT

I know I'm jumping the gun, and I may be jinxing things by posting this thread, but when I do finally bring Bullet home I'm debating whether or not to change his name. It wouldn't surprise me if doc likes his name, but I'm not sure it really fits. It certainly is a break from the names I usually pick. Right now I havd Daisy, Molly, and Betty, and some of the ones I've had in the past were Buddy, Barney, Lucy, and my best friend ever, and forever, was Quincy. See a pattern going on? I'm not set on naming him something that ends in "y", but I haven't come up with anything besides Bullet yet. Any suggestions?

Here's another look at him to help you out:

Attached Images

Luke Espat Dead

Pigtail — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 05:04:01 GMT

Just heard the rumor that Luke Espat was found murdered in his apartment in Belize City.

SLOW DEATH

mellowman — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:27:01 GMT

FUNERAL WILL BE SOON.... FACEBOOK CONTINUES TO SNUFF THE OXYGEN FROM BELIZEANS.COM! IMAGINE A WEBSITE CALLED "BELIZEANS.COM" STAYING UP PAST ITS BEDTIME?????

Shake dat *** The real -BelizeanBorn Beauty- Not the fake one!

mellowman — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:21:25 GMT

Belize UB Girls -Archives- 4 years ago Dark Sisterhood 1

mellowman — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 04:21:02 GMT

What an idiot, no it wasn't Jim... lol...

mellowman — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:26:27 GMT

Dutty gyal dem, dem no have no shame... Check out these dutty b*itches....

mellowman — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:49:51 GMT

They could atleast got themselves a bloody room,but doing this ungoldly un-natural act on public transportation.

Is this a crime in every country in the world? Bemetu and Kay-C, please let us know what y'all think...

http://www.break.com/usercontent/201...sporta-1910245

To See or not to See, that is the Question...

Jimc58 — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:38:09 GMT

I got together with my LF for dinner last night and she told me she woke up with very little vision in her right eye. She went to see a doc about that and he thought it could be one of two things: a detached retina or a blocked or busrt artery. My LF said she could see a little bit out of that eye, but the doc said she had to be lying as he saw no indication that that eye was functioning at all. He wanted to have her flown down to Phoenix for immediate surgery, but she wouldn't go. The eye surgeon came up to Flagstaff last night and my LF is scheduled for 5 hours of surgery on her eye this morning. But, they are not yet absolutely positive it will be needed and her vision came back last night, and she says it is fine this morning. So, right now I don't know much more. I don't know if the surgery will happen or not, what the problem really is, and what the implications of the surgery will be, if it is needed. I did, however, persuade her to keep her appointment which she was thinking wasn't necessary anymore. All well wishes are appreciated.

Obama economics = grade phucking [B]F[/B]

Dr Buzzard — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:54:27 GMT

Obamanomics Failing to Create Jobs

With thousands of young college graduates moving in with parents and returning Iraq War veterans facing long-term unemployment, President Obama is scrambling for cover.

Irresponsible spending, largesse for big banks and subsidies for a broken health care system have busted the budget and failed to create jobs.

Economists expect the Labor Department to report on Friday the economy lost another 80,000 jobs in August after shedding 131,000 jobs in July.

Completion of the Census accounts for most of the loss, but the report will demonstrate that rewarding Democratic Party academics with new high paying regulatory jobs and general hostility toward business is causing America's largest enterprises to head for China and small businesses to wither and die.

The unemployment rate will likely creep up a bit closer to 10%, as more Americans drain their retirement accounts and endure the frustration of slammed doors in Barack Obama's jobs market.

In July alone, 381,000 adults chose to quit looking for work altogether, and that trend will continue in President Obama's land of dashed dreams and squandered opportunities.

Economists expect the private sector added about 100,000 jobs in August but that is an abysmal performance 14 months into a recovery from a deep recession.

The economy must add 13 million private sector jobs by the end of 2013 to bring unemployment down to 6%. President Obama's policies are not creating conditions for businesses to hire those 320,000 workers each month, net of layoffs.

Net of inventory adjustments, the economy's demand for goods and services is growing at only about 1% a year. The real potential is about 5% but with economic policies so ill conceived and with a president so ambivalent about private enterprises -- other than those run by Wall Street barons, Hollywood producers and union bosses -- that simply is not possible.

In the second quarter, consumer spending; investment in new structures, equipment and software; and government purchases added 4.4% to demand. But as imports grew much more rapidly than exports, the trade deficit tapped off 3.4%. The difference, 1%, is annual growth in demand for U.S.-made goods and services. That has been the pace since the recovery began in July 2009.

Businesses can accommodate up to 2% growth in demand just by improving productivity and not adding workers. Unless the rapid growth in imports can be curbed, the U.S. economy is headed for very slow growth and rising unemployment.
The president's economic policies -- more spending, taxes and regulation for Americans and appeasing foreign mercantilists like China -- is simply not working.

The massive permanent expansion in federal spending and regulatory oversight built into President Obama's budget is discouraging private hiring by raising fears of even higher taxes and yet more intrusive regulation.

Simply, higher taxes discourage purchases of non-essentials and high-line durable goods, like better appliances, more appointed automobiles and higher quality homes, and higher taxes and tougher regulation increase incentives to offshore production to China and other locations where those burdens are less and entrepreneurship is more welcome.

Prior to the 2008 crisis, President Bush spent 19.6% of GDP and the deficit was $161 billion; whereas two years into the economic recovery in 2011, President Obama's budget projects outlays at 25.1% of GDP and a $1.3 trillion deficit in 2011. The latter figures are like to be closer to 27% and close to $2 trillion if the president does not accomplish the 4% growth his budgets assume in stark contrast to the real world the rest of us struggle.

Too much spending will require new taxes, and not just pushing rates marginally above 50% on families earning $250,000. And, higher rates for those families will raise taxes on half the income earned by proprietorships -- those small and medium sized businesses the president is urging to create jobs.

Much of the $787 stimulus money was squandered on political hobby horses that create few jobs. For example, grants to build green buildings displace other, more cost-effective private construction and don't increase the amount of commercial space rented or built over the next several years. By delaying projects, those grants have slowed construction spending and killed jobs.

The biggest banks received more than $2 trillion in TARP and Federal Reserve assistance to clean up their balance sheets and recapitalize securities trading, while the 8,000 regional banks got little assistance and remain burdened by toxic real estate loans. Consequently, nearly 250 regional banks have failed, and small and medium sized businesses cannot get credit to expand.

In addition to credit, businesses need more customers to create jobs, and the trade deficit -- in particular, imports of oil and the imbalance with China -- cut a huge hole in demand for U.S. goods and services. Without addressing oil and China, other efforts to create jobs are futile.
The president's moratorium on deep water drilling, though popular with environmental fundamentalists, kills jobs by laying off workers in the oil, gas and supporting industries and by sending too many consumer dollars abroad that could be spent here.

Detroit has the technology to build much more efficient gasoline-powered vehicles now, and a shift in national policy to rapidly build these would reduce oil imports and create many jobs. Instead, the president proposes to replace stickers on cars that report gas mileage intelligent folks can understand with grade school letters -- A, B, C...

If we could only have those letter grades for the president's economic appointees, we might be better off

China's undervalued currency makes its products artificially cheap and deceivingly competitive on U.S. store shelves, but Beijing's promises of new flexibility on the yuan have not translated into meaningful revaluation. The president, like a provincial premier, stands patiently accepting Chinese largess -- bond financing for profligate spending in Washington.

If President Obama wants to fix the federal deficit and create jobs, perhaps he should spend less, get serious about better using and developing American energy resources and quit appeasing China.

Candidate Obama promised those things but President Obama's memory seems short on everything but the failings of presidents passed.

Happy Labor Day!

belizean — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:00:39 GMT

For those fortunate enough to have a job, enjoy your day off!

Happy Labor Day!!!!

Whatcha doing?

I'm heading up North!!

Hold on to it a little longer.....

bzegirl — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:36:27 GMT

Are you one of those people who pour the milk down the drain on the expiration date?

A recent poll of more than 2,000 adults showed that most of us discard food we believe is unsafe to eat, which is a good thing, of course, but it is important that we understand what food expiration dates mean before we dump our food -- and our money -- down the drain or into the garbage. On average, in the U.S. we waste about 14% of the food we buy each year. The average American family of four throws out around $600 worth of groceries every year.

Which five foods are most often feared as being unsafe after the printed date? we are most wary of milk, cottage cheese, mayonnaise, yogurt, and eggs:

Milk: If properly refrigerated, milk will remain safe, nutritious, and tasty for about a week after the sell-by date and will probably be safe to drink longer than that, though there�s a decline in nutritional value and taste.
Cottage cheese: Pasteurized cottage cheese lasts for 10-14 days after the date on the carton.
Mayonnaise: Unopened, refrigerated Kraft mayonnaise can be kept for 30 days after its expiration date or 3-4 months after opening, the company told ShelfLifeAdvice.
Yogurt: Yogurt will remain good 7-10 days after its sell-by date.
Eggs: Properly refrigerated eggs should last at least 3-5 weeks after the sell-by date, according to Professor Joe Regenstein, a food scientist at Cornell University. Note: Use of either a sell-by or expiration (EXP) date is not federally required, but may be state required, as defined by the egg laws in the state where the eggs are marketed.

Bigger isn't always better.

bzegirl — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:43:23 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) � U.S. health officials are set to rule on whether a faster-growing, genetically engineered fish is safe to eat in a decision that could deliver the first altered animal food to consumers' dinner plates.

The fish, made by Aqua Bounty Technologies Inc, is manipulated to grow twice as fast as traditional Atlantic salmon, something the company says could boost the nation's fish sector and reduce pressure on the environment.

"They're basically putting the fish on permanent growth hormone so it grows faster ... so they can sell bigger fish faster," said Jaydee Hanson, a policy analyst for the nonprofit Center for Food Safety.

The small Massachusetts-based biotechnology company is seeking Food and Drug Administration approval to sell its salmon, called AquAdvantage, to fish farmers nationwide.

If given the green light, the salmon could be followed by the company's engineered trout and tilapia. Other scientists are also developing altered pigs and cows for food. The United States already allows genetically modified plants.

On September 19, the FDA kicks off a three-day meeting to discuss whether to approve the salmon. Outside advisers will weigh available data and offer advice, although the FDA will later make the final call.

"This is an Atlantic salmon in every measurable way," said Aqua Bounty Chief Executive Ronald Stotish. "When you look at the fish, it's impossible to see the difference."

[[/B]Stotish said the company has analyzed its salmon and found no differences that warrant any kind of special labeling[/B] *personal note - this is where I have a problem.... - if there isn't a label clearly identifying that the fish in the cooler is re-engineered.*
Using technology developed by Canadian researchers, AquAdvantage grows to full size in less than 250 days compared with about 400 days for a traditional Atlantic salmon, according to the biotech.

But some groups say little is known about hazards -- such as allergies or potential digestive problems. And they have criticized the FDA for not releasing any data. The agency has said it hopes to make data public by Friday but that by law it does not have to release it until two days before the meeting.

MURDER - SUICIDES ON THE RISE...

zenflower — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:11:22 GMT

MURDER-SUICIDES: Economic worries taking toll in recent deaths

Victims' families blame financial stress

By MIKE BLASKY
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Donald and Barbara Romano had been residents of Las Vegas for more than 50 years.

He was a former Marine, a Korean War veteran and a respected member of the community. She was a loving mother, described as "very kind and generous" by her daughter.

But the couple, heavily involved in the real estate business, had been financially crippled by the recession.

On Aug. 20, a Friday, the couple was found dead in the bedroom of their million-dollar Summerlin home by their housekeeper, Las Vegas police said. A gun was found in Donald's hand and a note was left near the bed. Both were 74.

Their deaths are the latest in a wave of murder-suicides in the Las Vegas Valley this month.

From Aug. 7 to Aug. 20 there were five murder-suicides, 10 deaths total, Las Vegas police said. A gun was used in each case. In four of the five instances, the man was the shooter. In one instance, a bystander was wounded.

Maria Romano, daughter of the victims in the most recent report, said economic woes were the root of their stress.

"Their financial situation was not good," she said. "That's not a secret to people that were close to them."

Homicide Lt. Lew Roberts, speaking in general terms, said several of the recent cases can be traced to the same cause.

"At this point it appears that maybe the economy is starting to take effect, which is something we haven't seen before," he said.

Recent murder-suicides handled by Las Vegas police include:

■ Aug. 7: Phil Testa, 74, who shot and killed his wife Angelina, 79, before taking his own life during a standoff with police.

■ Aug. 16: Susan Kapfer, 50, who took a gun into Valley Hospital and Medical Center and killed her husband, Mike, who suffered from a debilitating physical and mental illness. In a suicide note, she compared their relationship to that of Romeo and Juliet.

■ Aug. 19: Edith Corona, 19, and Jose Zergara Rodriguez, 20, were killed in the northwest valley after Rodriguez shot Corona before turning the gun on himself.

■ Aug. 20: On the same day the Romanos were found dead, Steven Becker, 56, shot and killed Shannon Larkin, 48, before killing himself at Tiberti Mini Warehouses on Valley View Boulevard. Another woman at the business was injured by Becker, but survived.

Maria Romano, herself a counselor at the Community Counseling Center of Southern Nevada, near Sahara Avenue and Maryland Parkway, said she felt terrible for the families of all the victims, not just her own family.

"There's been too many, and here I am in the middle of it," she said. "My heart goes out to them."

All five crimes were classified as murder-suicide, although there were few similarities in the circumstances of each.

One expert said that's normal; there are a wide variety of stressful situations that can cause an otherwise normal person to snap.

Jack Levin, a professor of sociology and criminology at Northeastern University in Boston and an author of several books on the psychology of murder, said most murder-suicides are caused by a "catastrophic trigger event."

"A serious financial loss, the loss of a job or money, or tremendous indebtedness," Levin said. "It could be a child custody battle or a nasty separation or divorce, a terminal illness. � It's almost always a catastrophic loss that precipitates a murder-suicide, and that's one of the only characteristics that is consistent."

These crimes are often unpreventable, police said. The damage is done by the time officers are called.

Levin agreed. Although depression can be a warning sign, there are thousands of cases where a depressed person never harms anyone.

"It's best not to wait until someone wants to kill himself and their spouse," he said. "Once that intention is there, it's probably too late."

Ron Lawrence, executive director of the nonprofit Community Counseling Center and a licensed marriage and family therapist, said many residents of Las Vegas are battling hardship. His agency offers mental health and substance abuse treatment to about 3,000 people a year, and also offers intervention training for families.

Lawrence has seen thousands of clients dealing with depression. He advises friends and family to watch for early warning signs: severe depression, despondency or expressions of futility.

"In other words, saying 'No matter what I do, it doesn't matter,' " Lawrence said.

Often, just talking to a friend about problems, or "debriefing," can take the edge off, he said.

In more severe cases, professional help might be the best answer.

"In the mental health industry, we know there is always an answer most of the time," he said. "And we make ourselves available. That's our business."

Levin, Lawrence and others said there are few statistics on murder-suicides, so it is hard to spot trends or draw conclusions.

The FBI tracks homicides and health agencies track suicides, but no one has cross-referenced the two statistics, said Kristen Rand, legislative director for the Violence Policy Center.

The Washington-based nonprofit organization, which has an anti-gun agenda, has tried three times to track murder-suicides but their limited studies are not definitive.

Still, Rand said some patterns are clear.

"The killer is virtually always a male, the weapon is always a gun and the victims are often intimate partners," she said.

In the most recent study, covering the first half of 2008, only about 12 percent of cases were related to finances, Rand said.

Most involved broken relationships that led to domestic disputes.

Rand said she isn't sure why no government agency tracks murder-suicides.

"That's a good question," she said. "There's just never been resources devoted to it."

Suicide statistics provided by the Clark County coroner, which might indicate a rise of severe depression in Las Vegas, show no significant upswing or downturn since 2007.

But for friends and family of the victims, trends and statistics hold little meaning.

Romano said she hopes people would focus less on the tragedies and do more to help those in need before it's too late.

"I think that's what people need to know more than anything else," Romano said. "There is counseling available. � They won't refuse services to people who aren't able to pay now. They'll get you the help you need.

"Those are the things that are important, to focus on prevention and any positive aspects we can find."

Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283.

Image of a Farm Wife

Mosquitorose — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:28:37 GMT

I was searching the internet for an image of a farm wife, to include in my new quilt, circa1900. This is the first one that came up.....maddarass mein!

http://www.digitaljournal.com/img/2/...ugabeThugs.jpg