Mailfriends.community - UNITED STATES

Travelling to the USA? Start Here.

flzapped — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:48:09 -0500

This is the start to a list of resources for those wanting to travel to the USA. Over time, more should be added to it. Those who wish to conotribute need to send me a PM. -Bruce

Note that some sites that provide specific travel information may also be commercial entities that provide travel packages. Double-check them against known travel authorities.

Trip Planning and Research

Virtual Tourist page for the USA

USA Tourist

The list of proposed amendments to Demcare

flzapped — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 10:14:27 -0400

By Michelle Malkin • March 20, 2010 08:53 AM

These amendments to the Demcare behemoth were posted on the House Rules Committee website last night at 9:23pm Eastern. The committee meets at 10am this morning. GOP Rep. Pete Sessions will be live-tweeting the hearing. Follow him here.

I want you to read the whole list (click here for link-throughs to all of the amendments) and keep in mind that Pelosi’s Slaughter House wants all of these debated, voted on, and dispensed with by tomorrow.

Pulling the Plug on our Constitution

flzapped — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 10:04:01 -0400

By Mark Alexander · Thursday, March 18, 2010

"If the federal government should overpass the just bounds of its authority and make a tyrannical use of its powers, the people ... must appeal to the standard they have formed, and take such measures to redress the injury done to the Constitution as the exigency may suggest and prudence justify." --Federalist No. 33

Our Constitution is on life support, and House Democrats are about to pull the plug.

Slaughter House Rules

flzapped — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 09:26:07 -0400

How Democrats may 'deem' ObamaCare into law, without voting.

We're not sure American schools teach civics any more, but once upon a time they taught that under the U.S. Constitution a bill had to pass both the House and Senate to become law. Until this week, that is, when Speaker Nancy Pelosi is moving to merely "deem" that the House has passed the Senate health-care bill and then send it to President Obama to sign anyway.

Under the "reconciliation" process that began yesterday afternoon, the House is supposed to approve the Senate's Christmas Eve bill and then use "sidecar" amendments to fix the things it doesn't like. Those amendments would then go to the Senate under rules that would let Democrats pass them while avoiding the ordinary 60-vote threshold for passing major legislation. This alone is an abuse of traditional Senate process.

Disgruntled hacker remotely disables 100 cars

flzapped — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 09:11:08 -0400

Disgruntled hacker remotely disables 100 cars

Omar Ramos-Lopez, a former employee of a used car dealership in Texas, allegedly powered down 100 cars by hacking into a vehicle-immobilization system.

By Matthew Shaer / March 18, 2010

And you thought sudden acceleration and faulty brakes were bad.

Australian Looking For Friends

Kaiottic.Rawr — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:28:08 -0400

Ahaha sounds sad and kinda dodgy when i put it like that but yes im looking for friends.I'd like to meet some Americans.Growing up i have to say i don't think ive ever met a American personally there quite the rarity were im from.I really want to live over there and travel around,see the sights and what not.But yer anyways im new to this hole sight literally like fetus 10 minutes old new and my main reason was to get some American pen pals and all that jazz.So thanx for stopping by and be sure to talk to me =](*thumbs up)

Blockbuster likely to file bankruptcy

flzapped — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:52:45 -0400

Blockbuster likely to file bankruptcy

Dow Jones Newswires | Blockbuster Inc. said in a regulatory filing Tuesday that it probably will file for bankruptcy if it is unable to address its debt load. In the filing, the video-rental company pointed to its operating loss for 2009, reported late last month.

Because of the loss and "the increasingly competitive industry conditions," the company sees "substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern," according to the filing.
Blockbuster said that if its operating results don't improve and if it is unable to refinance or restructure its debt, it "could require us to pursue a restructuring of our indebtedness or file for protection under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code."

According to a Reuters report Tuesday, Blockbuster's overall debt totals $1 billion.

The same report quoted Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter as saying "the key here is that it would be voluntary bankruptcy filing. Blockbuster is not being compelled at this point in their effort to continue to run the business and salvage what they've got."

Shares of Blockbuster ended Tuesday down 4.1 percent at 40 cents.

Looking for Friends in South Jersey, USA

antigone82 — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:15:30 -0400

I'm 27. I live in a town called Deptford in southern New Jersey. I'm looking for friends at the moment. Life threw me a huge curve ball and right now I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. If anyone lives in the area and would like to talk, maybe get together and hang out eventually, write back.

Peace, Tara.

Watching the Iditarod

chana_batata — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 03:44:13 -0400

I'm somewhat obsessed with it

From the official website:

Ladies and Gentleman if you haven’t figured it out yet, we have one heck of battle going on here between 2 champions. Taking the lead is Lance Mackey trying a bold move at this point and his dogs look up to the task. They’re moving at a nice smooth pace and eating everything he lays down for them. Unless his dogs tell him otherwise and he has to adapt his plan, his goal is to run from Nulato straight to Unalakleet.

Jeff decided it was more prudent to rest his dogs and try to maintain his speed rather than chasing down the trail after Lance. Jeff said with a smile on his face, “this guy really knows how to race”.

Obama doctor-cousin speaks simple maths

chana_batata — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:17:23 -0500

Obamacare proponents would have us believe that we will add 30 million patients to the system without adding providers, we will see no decline in the quality of care for the millions of Americans currently happy with the system, and -if you act now!- we will save money in the process.

As one example, consider the implications of Obamacare's financial penalty aimed at your doctor if he seeks the expert care he has determined you need. If your doctor is in the top 10 percent of primary care physicians who refer patients to specialists most frequently - no matter how valid the reasons - he will face a 5 percent penalty on all their Medicare reimbursements for the entire year. This scheme is specifically designed to deny you the chance to see a specialist. Each year, the insidious nature of that arbitrary 10 percent rule will make things even worse as 100 percent of doctors try to stay off that list.