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Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Subject: Family Visits & Memories
Time: 12:53:39 PM CDT
Author: lowis6535
Mood: Cheerful
Music: The Eagle- 105.7
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click for a larger view:
 My excuse for not having gone to any events this past week-end like:
- The Crystal Theatre- The Army Band
- Champion, MI- the Horse Pulls
is a good one: I had Company! Last minute plans were made by my two sisters & niece for them to drive up to visit me Sunday.
Of course, that meant a heavy-duty housecleaning project on Saturday, so I decided not to go to the Theatre. I had planned upon having a picnic lunch on the picnic table I'd moved to the south yard ... I wonder if this is the one that my nephew & friends sailed down the river, out onto the bay when we lived in Suamico?
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BUT ... SUNDAY MORNING WAS VERY RAINY ... so, we had our pasties, etc. inside. THEN ... we were lucky to have it clear up ... went outside so they could do what they usually do when they come up ... they dig baby trees to take home. |
They've learned to like the Tamarac trees, & I knew where some little tamarac were, not too far from the house. I was surprised to see how much the trees had grown; some were too big to dig easily. AND ... THE DEER HAD REALLY DONE A LOT OF PRUNING ON THEM THIS PAST WINTER! It really had been a hard winter for the deer.
NOW ... MY NEXT BIG DECISION IS HOW TO BEST ENJOY THIS UPCOMING 4th OF JULY WEEK-END.
The weather is supposed to be absolutely perfect ... not too hot ... & no rain until Sunday night. Alpha, Amasa, & Iron Mountain are the three closest activities; Crystal Falls is right in the center of these three. The traditional old-time kids' games, pie socials, horseshoe tournaments, tug-of-war, etc .... these places really know how to do the 4th! FIREWORKS, TOO!
5-Day Forecast for ZIP Code 49920
| Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
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76° F | 47° F
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70° F | 45° F
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76° F | 49° F
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79° F | 54° F
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81° F | 58° F
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| Chance of T-storms
50% chance of precipitation |
Partly Cloudy |
Partly Cloudy |
Clear |
Chance of T-storms
20% chance of precipitation | |
 I sometimes wait until there is shade later in the afternoon on the days that it gets hot ... which to us is rarely even into the 80's ... to do my gardening. WoW, I'm behind on my flower gardening, too. AND ... MY WAR ON THE BURDOCKS IS NOT AS FAR ALONG AS IT SHOULD BE.
click for a larger view
 In Crystal Falls, Runkle Lake city park is open for the season. Maybe the water is a bit chilly yet ... but ... people are in swimming ... so it can't be too bad.
Maybe I'll try swimming there.
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When we had the marina on the Suamico River just north of Green Bay ... it was so nice to just walk across the road & go jump into the river. I am not really a swimmer; I can dog-paddle a bit. My idea of swimming is to settle into an inner-tube, with my sun hat & can of something ... with my swim fins to take the work out of paddling. |
One fine day, the guys decided to cool off after washing the picnic table by the river by then floating it out INTO the river ... which led to them getting the beer cooler & sailing the table out to "the island".
What really made Johnnie mad was that he had to send them back out to the island the next day to go bring the table back home!
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 My reading project ... books by a very local author."A Tree Grows in Trout Creek" & "The Wishing Years" .
The next large town over west on U.S. 2 is Iron River; I have friends there. The author, Coralie Cederna Johnson grew up in Iron River; her books are full of street names, people names, store names that are so familiar to me.
 In "A Tree Grows in Trout Creek" , she echos a statement I often make about "we're in an ocean of trees". She wrote about disliking a family excursion up to relatives in TROUT CREEK, because all there was for scenery on the way there was trees, trees, & more trees. Then, to top it all off ... her Grandfather (who was visiting from Minnesota) was bringing a grand gift up there to them ... coffee cans with baby trees from Minnesota?
It completely baffled her, as a very young girl, as to why this was so important ... bringing baby trees to people who were already surrounded by trees! Another reason for feeling uncomfortable about family gatherings when she was very young was because the grown-ups were all talking in Finnish ... then ... once in a while she'd hear her name & they'd all chuckle & look over at her.
ANYONE WHO GREW UP IN THE U.P. WILL LOVE HER BOOKS; THEY'D MAKE NICE GIFTS, TOO,
ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO'VE MOVED AWAY.
Click here: Wildwood Press — Celebrating words, books and the writing life
Crystal Falls Library is ONLINE! You can do a "search" to see if they have a certain book or topic ... and even if it is currently checked out or not.
Click here: Crystal Falls Library Home Page
Here's a fer-instance, I typed in "Crystal Falls", chose "title" & got 10 results:
- Record #1 A Collection of recollections :
- Crystal Falls Centennial Committee,;
- 292 p. :; 28 cm.; ill. ;;
- Location: PMP CRYSTAL FALLS; Call #: 977.4 CRYSTAL; Status: In;
- Location: PMP CRYSTAL FALLS; Call #: REFERENCE 977.4 CRYSTAL FALLS; Status: In;
... ETC ... Record #10 Geology and magnetic data for the Northern Crystal Falls Area, Michigan (prepared in cooperation with the Geological Survey Division of the Department of Natural Resources of the State of Michigan and the U.S. Department of the Interior). Speaker-Hines & Thomas, Inc.,; 23 p.:; 28 cm.; illus. (some col.);; Location: PMP CRYSTAL FALLS; Status: In; Location: PMP CRYSTAL FALLS; Status: In;
I typed in "Harju" (another local author), chose "author" & got 8 results.
AUTHOR: Jerry Harju
WHILE LOOKING UP SITES WITH QUOTES FOR MY LAST ENTRY, I FOUND THESE GEMS:
30. The older you get, the better you realize you were.
31. Age is a very high price to pay for maturity.
32. Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday.
Here's something relating to my entry before ... the words to this silly song:
The site it's from is a wonderful site in itself.
There, I enjoyed their humor, including this one:
 See ... I REALLY am a BLOGGER! 
On an Iron County Yahoo Board:
this subject was entered ... so ... I looked up some opinions on the topic.
Click here: RUMOR: Obama Is Not Elegible To Be President - The Forum at GOPUSA
LISTEN TO REAL LIVE YOOPERS TALKING:
Streaming internet 6 days a week Telephone Time! A call-in show. Like "Yooper-Bay" Each morning 9- noon CST
Click here: WebStream | Listen live to The Breeze WIKB — 99.1 FMIron River, MI
Click here: Telephone Time - WIKB 99.1 The Breeze! SEE JAY BARRY
THE CRYSTAL FALLS VFW ... FLAGS FLYING
 MY ENTRY THAT FELL OFF INTO THE ARCHIVES:
MAGGIE COMPLETES HER GRADUATE STUDIES AT MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY.
Click here: Marquette University
 L o i S
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Written by lowis6535
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Saturday, June 28, 2008
Subject: SUMMER ACTIVITIES
Time: 11:29:48 AM CDT
Author: lowis6535
Mood: Pensive
Music: WIKB: Telephone time
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I went to another special event last weekend, with some good friends.
The very special Iron County Museum had an event celebrating a Scandinavian custom ... "Midsummers Day" ... the longest day of the year.
There were quite a few singers with a variety of Scandinavian music. I think my favorite song was the silly song: "OH, LUTEFISK".
It is said that about half the Norwegians who immigrated to America came in order to escape the hated lutefisk, and the other half came to spread the gospel of lutefisk's wonderfulness.
- Norwegian-American saying
Here's some of my previous entries about Lutefisk:
Click here: CHRISTMAS: Bazaar, Lutefisk, Recipes
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Since we were there ... we made a quick trip around the museum and outdoors exhibits before the buildings were closed up for the day.
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MANY LOG BUILDINGS ... these were dismantled, each log coded, & re-assembled at the museum site ... resembling old communitees. |
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Iron County Museum WEBSITE
Here's some of my previous entries about that museum:
Click here: BUSY, BUSY
This is SUMMER! ... REALLY ... June is almost over ... the 4th of July is near. Many little towns make a big thing out of the 4th. Republic used to. Alpha probably has one of the best now.
There are so many activities that I'd like to go to. Well, with the price of gas, and my budget, I usually talk myself out of most of them. If the price of admission is $10 or more ... I probably won't go ... if the distance is more than 20 miles, I probably won't go.
- There's something interesting up at Covington next weekend ... A Finnish Music Festival, but the admission is $10.
- At the Crystal Theatre, there is a free concert by an Army Band.
- At Champion is a weekend of activities; Sunday is the Horse-Pulling Contest.
- Many museums, etc. are only open during the summer months. I really hope to get to both the Amasa and the Crystal Falls museums this summer, again.
Click here: WebCalendar. U.P. Events
Click here: Main Street Calumet Michiga: PASTY FEST
MY LAWN MOWING ... I GUESS I'LL JUST DO SOME TRIMMING AROUND THE EDGES SO THAT THE WILDFLOWERS CAN DO THEIR BLOOMING.
I've been pegging away at my annual war-on-the burdocks. The weed whacking & my other chores have to get done on the installment plan ... my back says so! I do several minutes of weed-whacking .... lean on the weed-whacker ... several minutes of weed-whacking .... lean on the weed-whacker ... several minutes of weed-whacking .... lean on the weed-whacker ... GO SIT DOWN ... & REPEAT. I set a goal to get done, then quit & go sit down ... with both the internal & the external liniment.
click for larger view 
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THE KITTENS ... yesterday, I didn't see them. The mother cat has been taking them up in the woods. This family of cats (we've had them for generations) teaches their kittens to hide from people. It seems as tho they know that after the kittens get to a certain age, we take the kittens & send them away to new homes. I was just getting to be able to pet the kittens & pick up some of them when I fed them. I will be P^^**^^ if I don't see them today.
|  Darn! There are coyotes, hawks, eagles, fox, bobcats, & Lord only knows what else here!
I'd better get in gear ... the hurrieder I go, the behinder I get. I don't know where that came from ... or was that just something that my Dad always said? The Cryptograms that I'm so fond of ... many of them are interesting quotes. I just love this one:
I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
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Maybe, you would like to do something different?
How about an informal writing contest? Read all about it:
HERE'S A SILLY WRITER'S CONTEST ... it is by a retired Pastor who
recently moved from Crystal Falls to Neenah, WI.
Entries must be submitted by July 20, 2008..
HAVE YOU VISITED MY PROSE & POETRY INDEX? There's some of my original writings there, including my two entries in Dr. John's previous "Dragon Story" contest. Click on the button:
 My Literary INDEX
See ... I REALLY am a BLOGGER!
Recently ... I added another comment on WLUC T.V.'s news page on mining in the U.P. on this topic:
GET REAL!
OKAY ... SO YOU PERCEIVE PROBLEMS ALONG WITH THE BENEFITS OF MINING IN THE U.P.
NOW ... grow up & quit whining. We have a wealth of minerals here; many of us had parents, grandparents, etc. who worked in the mines & remember when the U.P. was not a ghost town, as it is becoming.
THE SMART THING TO DO WOULD BE TO PUT OUR TIME, EFFORT, MONEY, TALENTS, & WHINING INTO SOME PLANNING.
Each area of local government should make proposals to make sure that we get the maximum benefit from 21st Century Mining.
How about making sure that as much as possible local labor is used, local suppliers and use local businesses?
The mining companies can be more profitable if the ores do not have to be shipped out of the area to be processed.
Yes, strict laws can be made to make sure that the mining projects eventually leave the scenery in acceptable condition when each mine is done.
ALL YOU SQUEAKERS & SQUAWKERS ... PUT YOUR EFFORTS INTO MAXIMIZING THE BENEFITS OF MINING TO THE U.P.!
— Lois Haglund, Crystal Falls
| I plan upon sending that to some U.P. newspapers
when I get a round-tuit.
 The elections ... still the main news topic. Thank Heavens we don't have to go thru this every year.
WELL ... ON SECOND THOUGHT ... ONCE THE ELECTIONS ARE OVER ... NOTHING EVER GETS DONE BECAUSE OF ALL THE POLITICAL BICKERING THAT GOES ON! I JUST HATE THAT!
My favorite candidate didn't make the cut ... but, maybe now that we know him, he'll run again next time!
My vote will be cheerfully given to John McCain. Now that I know him better, I have no misgivings about voting for him.
JOHN MCCAIN'S WEBSITE:
PRETTY FLOWERS AT THE LUTHERAN CHURCH; CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE BACKGROUND
click for larger view
Bikers have to push their bikes UP the hills.
TRUCKS STILL RUNNING STEADILY
ON MY WAY HOME
 click for larger view
AT HOME:
MY "KISSING TREES" click for larger view
MY ENTRY THAT FELL OFF INTO THE ARCHIVES:
Click here: REALLY SPRING! (I think)
L o i S  |
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Sunday, June 22, 2008
Subject: ABOUT CRYSTAL FALLS
Time: 9:32:02 AM CDT
Author: lowis6535
Mood: Cheerful
Music: The Eagle
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Here's an entry mostly of photos of Crystal Falls.
The collage above shows scenes overlooking the Riverwalk.
Click upon each picture for a larger view.
click for larger view
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You can see the Court House atop the hill in one of the photos.
The bridge over the Paint River is at the foot of the hill.
This bridge is on M69 |
click for a larger view
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The Riverwalk Concert featured an all girl band. These girls just graduated from High School this year; I hope that they can stay together for a while. I was wondering what some of the senior citizens thought of their music? Well, music is music ... and these girls are talented singers & musicians. |
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This lady makes jewelry ... she took advantage of the invitation for local artists to set up displays. I should really set up a table with some of my stuff next time.
The local coffee shop had a food concession, too. Next time, I'll have to save some room for one of those nummy-looking croissant sandwiches!
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In driving around C.F. and going to a few rummage sales ... here's some pictures taken in town.
This bear was carved from the stump of an old tree that had to be cut down. Have you ever seen such a big "chain-saw-bear"? Quite an artist!
 click for larger view
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The bear is in the front yard of the "DA BEAR" Gun Shop on U.S. 2/141.
I had stopped in for a baby ice-cream cone, & a box of shells (for scaring varmints away).
 click for larger view
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Still selling plants
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Crystal Falls is an antique town
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Many hills in town
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Nice mechanics here
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Crystal Falls official webpage:
Click here: Crystal Falls, Michigan
Some of my own Crystal Falls special webpages:
Click here: SHOESHOP SPECIAL
I found my journal entry that featured many photos of our Iron Country Courthouse ... Click here: IRON County Courthouse Special
A JOURNAL ENTRY OF CRYSTAL FALLS IN WINTER:
Click here: JUST Crystal Falls: around town
Here are JUNE archives from past years; I like to go back & contrast weather, activities, etc.
2005
2006
2007 Click here: Upper Peninsula, MI and beyond JUNE 2007 ARCHIVES
Then, check out this mega-linkspage about the whole U.P.
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MY "NEW" CAR! It is a 2002 Chev Tracker.
My kids thought that I ought to have a 4-Wheel drive vehicle.
I gave it a bath yesterday, but, couldn't find myTurtle Wax wash & wax.
I made a little doggie seat for Mimi so she can see out the window as we drive along.
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MOST OF JUNE IS PAST ... I just am so far behind on everything ... blame it on our crazy-late Spring, I guess. Gardening & potting is way behind ... so is my weed-whacking. I gave up on my lawn mower ... invested in a $10 belt for it, then another major problem. It's junk now. Well, I like to let the wild-flowers bloom ... I'll just tidy up with the electric weed-whacker ... & concentrate on my annual war on the burdocks.
The little neighbor girl came over to visit; we took a little walk behind the house & scared up a fawn. She ran to her house to have her Mom & brother come out to see it, too.
I'm getting the kittens a LITTLE more tamed ... some of them. I need to find homes for them.
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See ... I REALLY am a BLOGGER!
THE FLOODING ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI:
This couldn't happen on the Great Lakes. Where we lived near Green Bay, Wisconsin, on the Suamico River & on the bay ... there were constant reminders of the strict regulations protecting "Wetlands" . These are low-lying areas to provide a place for high waters to flow into ... thus preventing floods
Wetlands are sacred there. Even road/highway construction had to create wetlands equal to what they might need to fill in. Sometimes homes/parts of towns were decimated so that the road construction wouldn't have to fill in wetlands by going around these. Building permits specified that the building/home had to be elevated above the flood level. Often, this meant that it was built way high, and needed to be landscaped so that it didn't look like it was built on stilts.
JUST A THOUGHT!
Here's my advice: "BUY AMERICAN" WHEN SPENDING YOUR
"ECONOMIC STIMULUS" CHECK! If the U.S.A. is having a trade deficit and we are losing American companies/jobs ... it's our own fault for not remembering to "BUY AMERICAN" .
If it says other than "Made in America" ... PUDDIT BACK! DON'T BUY IT!If it says "Made in China" ...PUDDIT BACK! DON'T BUY IT!
LISTEN TO REAL LIVE YOOPERS TALKING: Streaming internet 6 days a week Telephone Time! A call-in show. Like "Yooper-Bay" Each morning 9- noon CST
Click here: WebStream | Listen live to The Breeze WIKB — 99.1 FMIron River, MI
Click here: Telephone Time - WIKB 99.1 The Breeze! SEE JAY BARRY
MY ENTRY THAT FELL OFF INTO THE ARCHIVES:
CLICK ON THESE FOR A LARGER VIEW 
CLICK FOR LARGER VIEW
L o i S
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Thursday, June 19, 2008
Subject: Soon It's Summer
Time: 10:05:05 AM CDT
Author: lowis6535
Mood: Cheerful
Music: WIKB: Telephone Time
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What weather ... my fault, I suppose ... for having said that we've just had light showers all spring ... not rains that go on for hours & are real "gulley-washers". Well ... THEN, we got that kind of rain!
Last week, one rainstorm was three inches. We can literally sit & watch the grass grow. Luckily, it seems as tho we can plant without fear of frosts.
GUESS WHAT ... AFTER TRIALS & TRIBULATIONS ... & MANY UNEXPECTED COMPLICATIONS ... I FINALLY GOT MY OLDSMOBILE SOLD.
I will really miss my "Rich Bitch" car ... but, am getting used to my 4-Wheel drive Tracker. I even took it up on the logging trail, & have been using it to move stuff around.
 BYE-BYE,faithful car ... (I get attached to vehicles.)
Last year, I had won some tickets to the Crystal Falls Raceway Motocross (on WIKB Telephone Time) ... but, this year, I was too busy with trying to sell my car to spend the time to win some tickets. I cannot find my pix/entry from that. Here's the website of the Raceway:
WIKB Telephone Time also gave some trivia prize tickets to the U.P. Rodeo last year; I won tickets last year. This year ... I was involved in the car project & didn't go. Here's my (great) entry from that event:
HOWEVER ... I WILL BE PLANNING TO ATTEND THE FREE "RIVERWALK CONCERTS" ON THE BOARDWALK ON THE PAINT RIVER ... AT THE FOOT OF THE MAIN STREET IN CRYSTAL FALLS.
These are once per month in the summer, are free, and feature a variety of local bands.
Date: June 19th
Contact: Katie Clark Phone: 906-875-6686
Location: Paint River Boardwalk-SHC
5:30-7 pm-concessions on site
City: Crystal Falls
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When you are out camping ... be considerate.
HERE'S SOMETHING I READ.
 OK, mosquitos.. prepare to be repelled!!!!!  Use Bounce Fabric Softener Sheets...Best thing ever used in
Louisiana..just wipe on yourself & go..Great for Babies
Bob, a fisherman, takes one vitamin B-1 tablet a day
April through October . He said it works. He was right.
Hasn't had a mosquito bite in 33 years. Try it.
Every one he has talked into trying it works on them.
Vitimin B-1( Thiamine Hydrochloride 100 mg.)
I have had good results with Brewer's Yeast tablets.
(Maybe just drinking beer would help?)
If you eat bananas,
the mosquitos like you, - something about the banana oil
as your body processes it.
Stop eating bananas for the summer and the mosquitos
will be much less interested.
This is going to floor you, but one of the best
insect repellents someone found (who is in the woods
every day), is Vick's Vaporub.
Plant marigolds around the yard, the flowers give off
a smell that bugs do not like,
so plant some in that garden also to help ward
off bugs without using insecticides.
"Tough guy" Marines who spend a great deal of time
"camping out" say that the very best mosquito
repellant you can use is
Avon Skin-So-Soft bath oil mixed about
half and half with alcohol.
(Imagining this makes us smile.)
One of the best natural insect repellants is made from the clear real vanilla. This is the pure Vanilla that is sold in Mexico.
It works great for mosquitoes and ticks,
don't know about other insects.
When all else fails--get a frog
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My reading project ... I've been too busy to write book reports on the wonderful books I've been reading by a very local author. :
- "A Tree Grows in Trout Creek" &
- "The Wishing Years" ...
Click here: Wildwood Press — Celebrating words, books and the writing life
See ... I REALLY am a BLOGGER!
Here's some random thoughts:
The EAGLE, the radio station that is on night & day in my home
also promotes YOOPER activism:
If it says other than "Made in America" ...
PUDDIT BACK!
DON'T BUY IT!
If it says "Made in China" ...
PUDDIT BACK!
DON'T BUY IT!
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THIS IS SOMETHING YOU MUST DO; BUT, I DON'T KNOW IF THE CONVERTERS ARE ACTUALLY AVAILABLE YET.
Get a $40 coupon (2 per household) for the T.V. converter box you MUST have for your television next year!
Click here: TV Converter Program Website
Between January 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009, you can request a coupon while supplies last in one of four ways:
- Apply online
- Call the Coupon Program 24-hour hotline 1-888-DTV-2009 (1-888-388-2009), TTY 1-877-530-2634
- Mail a coupon application to: PO BOX 2000, Portland, OR 97208-2000. Download a Coupon Application here.
- Fax a coupon application to 1-877-DTV-4ME2 (1-877-388-4632)
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LISTEN TO REAL LIVE YOOPERS TALKING:
Streaming internet 6 days a week
Telephone Time! A call-in show. Like "Yooper-Bay" Each morning 9- noon CST
Click here: WebStream | Listen live to The Breeze WIKB — 99.1 FMIron River, MI
Click here: Telephone Time - WIKB 99.1 The Breeze! SEE JAY BARRY
Some of the topics are about controversial, current discussions. He invites guests in to comment ... even if they present an opposing viewpoint.
I enjoyed the in-depth discussions he's been having about our energy crisis ... perhaps because I do agree with him that,
- yes, this is an emergency
- yes, we can REDUCE our dependency upon our enemies
- yes, this can happen sooner than you'd think
- Other foreign countries want to begin off-shore drilling ON OUR COASTS, BUT, WE ARE FORBIDDING OURSELVES!
- U.S.A. has oil
- U.S.A. has natural gas
- U.S.A. has uranium for power plants (up here in the U.P.)
- U.S.A. has abundant supplies of coal
- U.S.A. can put aside the bans on offshore drilling & other restrictions
We MUST declare an emergency & begin harvesting our own energy supplies & setting up other energy sources. Our electrical bills are set to sky-rocket.
DRIVING AROUND CRYSTAL FALLS:   | |
