Winding down the year and Opening up the world

Winding down the year we are now at 24 days to go and 18 days until Christmas. There isn't much going on in the local political arena at the moment and you know what? That's probably a good thing. I guess people are getting ready for Christmas, although there are probably a lot of anxieties associated with the economy and its direct effect on this year's Christmas.

You know if it were up to me, and its not, we would get back to the real meaning of Christmas. I remember being a kid and having the family around this time of year. Yeah, I was excited about the materialistic part, but what I would give to have my Grandfathers around or those exciting Christmas Eves eating Oyster stew, Shrimp Cocktail. and other good food and telling stories and the smells and the sounds.

Truthfully, I was never into the gifts as much as I was the warmth and camaraderie of family and knowing that we were all in this thing together. I hope that some of y'all have that, and you know, if you can't afford the Ipods, Iphones, LCDs, the latest fashion, or other trinkets, then don't despair, because that is not what this season is supposed to be all about. It's supposed to be about Love of Life, not love of things,

The Commercial culture has been shoved down our throat to the point that it needs to be regurgitated. I loved what I heard from a person yesterday. They said Americans are the only people who have off-site self storage units. They then joked that if we don't stop our wasteful consumption spending habits that we might just end up living in those places. Then they spoke about how they are having to put that into the contracts, because people have been doing just that.

We are told that if we don't spend a lot of money and consume, then the world is going to end. Well, I'm here to tell you that if we don't start getting to know one another, and I mean soul-to-soul, then our personal comfortable worlds are going to end.

I just look at how our whole society has gotten to the point of rack and ruin and it seems so lonely. Disposable relationships, infidelity, divorce, kids having kids, putting the parents away as soon as they are deemed a burden... It surely isn't the Walton's. These are all effects of the lowest common denominator elements of individualism -- Me, Me, me, me, me, selfishness. We all are meant to go through trials and tribulations, but how many times do we bring these excessive burdens on ourselves?

I don't care about the Idiom of being thankful for what you've got. It is worse to say it, if you aren't practicing it. Does it even need to be said? You either are or you aren't and that's a personal thing. If you are truly thankful for what you've got, then it takes more than flipping a few bucks in a Salvation Army Kettle at Christmas to show it. It means having a deep conversation with someone who is struggling with life. It means going out of your way to help someone find a job, when they don't have one. It means inviting a lonely friend over to eat or to a party. It means developing relationships and helping people, not turning a blind eye. This is how we bring power to the individual through selflessness.

If I could have a few wishes for Christmas:
1) I'd like to personally have the opportunity to thank some active soldiers face-to-face and if you see any I hope that you will do the same. No one is perfect, we see heroes show their humanity every day, but these men and women put their lives on the line, because it is their job. They are doing what they are told to do and they willingly allow themselves to be put in harms way, so that we can lead our lives in relative comfort. It is our obligation to care and to participate in the governance of this country, because so many people forged a path that allows us to manage our own destiny. And frankly the average person in this country is squandering what people have sacrificed to give us and that is the greatest insult to the foundation of our country.

2) I'd like for people to sit down and study where this country is at today. Come to your own conclusion, but you need to learn about the debt and the deficit and how it personally relates to you and your family. People need to sit down with their family members and have frank talks about their personal finances. They need to talk with their children about the tough choices that are going to have to be made. People need to be prepared for the hard times that are coming. Most of all, they need to prepare their children for the hard times that are coming. Think of it as a Hurricane in the Atlantic. Do you ignore it and hope it goes away? Or do you prepare and hope it doesn't hit? Which is the better position to be in?

3) I'd like for people to be themselves and quit trying to project an image of who they want people to think they are. Andre Agassi had that old Canon commercial, "Image is everything." I like Agassi, but it was all image, because he is now admitting he was doing Crystal Meth and other stuff during that time. And yada, yada, yada, we all know about the world's best golfer... Image means nothing. It's all about substance. Tis better to openly be who you are, with all of your flaws, and build a history on the integrity of your own merits, than to live a lie to please others and allow those people to control and manipulate your legacy in the end.

In the end, what I am getting at is the Idea of openness and understanding. That is why I share this with those willing to listen. We only live so long and you don't want to regret not saying things that need to be said or doing things that need to be done. We all have hopes and dreams and we all have regrets. The key is to have as few regrets as possible. In my reflective times, I have gone through lately, I have been able to clearly see the different periods of life I have gone through. Yes, I have many frustrations that keep me from peacefulness, but the older I have gotten, the fewer regrets I have when it comes to things in my control and this enlightenment is the one thing that has kept me sane.

Thank you,
God Bless You,
See You Soon,
JTS

Bartering will be a Real Economic Option

Don't think that bartering is not going to take root as the Government's taxation system becomes more and more burdensome. This is something interesting that I came across today. I have believed for some time that we are going to have to find ways to stretch the value of our assets. I decided to look up some interesting facts on bartering and I came upon this website.

This is a quote from the front page of a Bartering site (IRTA):

The International Reciprocal Trade Association, IRTA, is a non-profit organization committed to promoting just and equitable standards of practice and operation within the modern trade and barter and alternative capital systems Industry and raising the awareness and value of these processes to the entire Worldwide Community.

The mission of IRTA is to provide to all Industry Members with an ethically based global organization dedicated to the advancement of Modern Trade and Barter and other alternative capital systems, through the use of education, self regulation, high standards and government relations.

Following the links I found a local North Carolina Bartering association located in Cary, NC. Bartering Business Exchange, Inc. states that it has over 700 participating businesses in North Carolina. BBE can help you trade nationally and internationally through a network of more than 300 independent barter exchanges.

The Hound is not endorsing these sites. You need to research them yourself and decide if they or others fit your lifestyle and personal economic plans. I do believe that the time has come when market forces should determine trade and Common Units of Exchange (the Monetary System - the dollar) should not be forced upon us.

Our Monetary system, the dollar, is only useful for our governmental bureaucracy, because it makes it easier for taxes to be levied upon the public. The public only uses the monetary units of measure, because of convenience; but dollars are becoming more and more inconvenient with the passing of virtually every day.

If one looks at Shadowstats.com, which is Economist John Williams' thorough site that shows how the government has cooked the books, then one will see that actual inflation has been a lot higher than what has been reported through the Consumer Price Index. Even using the official Government inflation statistics we see that $100 of today's money is only worth $77.87 of January 2000's money. You have lost over 22% of the value of your money, if it has just stood still, over the last 10 years. I was born in 1966, today's money is worth $14.99 of the money from when I was born. That means what I could buy for $14.99 in 1966 would cost $100 today. The Federal Reserve came into existence in 1913. Today's money is worth $4.52 of 1913's money. Therefore, do you not see that the dollar has not been a good store of value over the last century. Our economy has been totally mismanaged by our Government and their accomplices at the Federal Reserve.

I believe what Jesus said in the Bible verse from Mark 12:17, “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” The Government can have the money, but why do they deserve a portion of my labor or other property? If I can barter my labor for other goods and/or services without currency being involved, does the government deserve to place a value on that exchange and assess a tax related to that?

The Government was meant to be subservient to the people, but the whole system has been flipped upside down. The Government is supposed to be the people. Have the leaders actually ever read the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution -- I don't think they have. They are all supposed to be protecting and defending those documents, but they break the law of the land by continuously usurping those documents.

It is time that people stop participating in this hornswoggled, convoluted economic structure that has been tyrannically imposed on the good citizens of this nation. Can someone give me a good reason why we should play the game the way the bureaucrats and elected leaders mandate. They keep passing layer after layer of laws upon us. I guarantee there isn't a citizen of this country that doesn't break a law every day of their life. Even the comatose are probably breaking some obscure code. Just look at the Federal Income Tax Code which now has over 60,000 pages of rules.

I think that bartering and trading goods and services will become more prevalent in the near future. The dollar will accelerate its loss of purchasing power, as inflation hits from the printing of all of this paper and it also loses value versus foreign currencies. The dollar's demise can be directly traced back to the second Bretton-Woods agreement in 1971 and completely depegging it from a tangible store of value (Gold). Now the dollar is irrelevant as a measurement of your labor and your personal property. It is time that we all personally demonetize (get rid of dollars) and demand tangible commodities for the exchange of tangible commodities -- Physical Assets, Labor, Goods, and Services.

The government is going to try to control and curtail natural market forces, because they want to tyrannically impose their convoluted tax based schemes upon us. But when these schemes break down, will it not be their own fault? If they had not hijacked our monetary system for their own personal aggrandizement, then it would never have to come to this; which, unless something is done very soon, will be the demise of our entire monetary system.

June 30, 2008

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of December 1, 2009

This newsletter is about the Hickory City Council meeting that I attended this past week. City council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each Month in the Council Chambers of the Julian Whitener building.

At the bottom right of this page under main information links is a Hickory's Local Government link. If you click on that link, it takes you to our city’s website, at the bottom of the page you will see the future dates for meetings scheduled for this year.

At the top of the page, if you click on the “Documents” link, you will find historic Agenda and Minutes links. Agendas show what is on the docket for the meeting of that date. The Minutes is an actual summary of the proceedings of the meeting of that date.

Here is a summary of the agenda of the 12/1/2009 meeting. There were a couple of important items that were discussed at this meeting and the details are listed further below

Invocation by Alderman Danny Seaver

Recognition of Retiring Ward 4 Alderwoman Z. Ann Hoyle - Audio of Ms. Hoyle's recognition and speech - Hickory Daily Record Article

The Hound felt this was a fitting tribute to a lady who has represented her community and constituency very well over the past 18 years. The Mayor's presentation was excellent and you could see that his admiration came from the heart. Mr. Guess will have some big shoes to fill. Ms. Hoyle may not be the greatest orator in the world, but what she has said has always been on point and gets to the heart of the matter. To me this is not a racial issue. It is an issue of fairness and if Hank comes at these issues with Fairness in mind, then he will be successful and in getting to know Hank, I do believe that is what is in his heart. I would truly like to thank Ms. Hoyle, because I believe she has represented Hickory in an excellent manner and we should all be forever thankful for that. If there were a Hickory Hall of Fame, she certainly would deserve to be bestowed such an honor.

Oaths of Office Ceremony (There will be a short break following the ceremony)

Election of Mayor Pro Tempore for Calendar Year 2010 Pursuant to NC General Statues §260A-70 and Section 2-54 of the Hickory City Code - Alderman Brad Lail was unanimously elected Mayor Pro Tempore

Appointment of a City Attorney for Calendar Year 2010 Pursuant to the Hickory City Code, Section 4.151 of the Charter - Attorney John Crone was unanimously elected as City Attorney

Special Presentations:
Presentation by John Rambo Thanking City Council for Their Support of the Hickory Community Theatre Along With an Invitation to Celebrate the Theatre’s 60th Anniversary - This is an annual presentation by the HCT. Mr. Rambo thanked the City for the use of the old City Hall. Mr. Rambo introduced the subject of the 60th Anniversary Booklet that was made available at this meeting, entitled 60 Years of History - a Photo Diary of Hickory Community Theatre (This is a neat little magazine style booklet).

Mr. Rambo then turned over the Microphone to Jeff Mingus turned over the mic to Jeff Mingus. Mr. Mingus is the official historian of the HCT and he is a board member and the treasurer. He explained that he started out by volunteering as a "drink pourer" at presentation. He maintains the theater archive. He mentioned the wealth of documents saved by Charles Jeffers and pam Livingstone. He talked about some gaps that are missing and he encourages people who have participated in HCT projects to write them down and submit them to HCT so that they will have a more thorough history of the Theatre in Hickory -- he wants to develop a wikipedia style History of the Hickory Community Theater.

Special pre show videos will be presented before HCT events that will represent each decade of the HCTs history. These presentations will be made at HCT events throughout the upcoming year. He spoke about the HCT 60th anniversary event that took place this past October 25, 2009. Mr. Mingus then introduced the initial pre show video.

Presentation Audio of the founding up through the 1950s

The Hound feels that this was an excellent presentation I believe our arts society is excellent for a community of this size. The presentation that was put together tonight was excellent. I hope that they will youtube this video, because it was an excellent historical perspective of how the HCT was developed and what it has done for this community over the last 60 years.

The Hickory Community Theater Mission Statement - We intend to create an artistically adventurous environment that attracts and excites diverse members of the community by providing an expanded understanding of life through the art of quality theatre.

Consent Agenda:
Accept and Enter Into Minutes Certification of Votes From November 3, 2009 Election From the Catawba County Board of Elections

Mayor Rudy Wright 1923 95.72%
Write-In 86 4.28%

Ward 4 Hank Guess 1586 70.40%
Z. Ann Hoyle 658 29.21%
Write-In 9 0.40%

Ward 5 Sally M. Fox 1753 97.23%
Write-In 50 2.77%

Ward 6 Jill Patton 1422 66.23%
Harry Hipps 721 33.58%
Write-In 4 0.19%


Approve Submission of 2010 Urgent Repair Program Application for Funding to the NC Housing Finance Agency - The City of Hickory is required to submit an application for funding for the 2010 Urgent Repair Program to the NC Housing Finance Agency by December 12, 2009 and will apply for $75,000 in funds. These program funds will be utilized to assist a minimum of nineteen eligible homes with urgently needed repairs in an amount not to exceed $5,000 per housing unit. The City will provide $37,500 in matching funds available from Rental Rehabilitation Program income and there is a $50 application fee. Staff recommends approval.

Approve Vacant Building Revitalization Grant “Operation No Vacancy” to Richard and Jill Noble and Timothy and Ronda Reid for Property Located at 588 11th Street, NW in the Amount of $2,171 - The Vacant Building Revitalization Grant Program was established by City Council in September, 2008 whereby the program provides matching funds up to $25,000 for projects seeking to renovate and rehabilitate vacant buildings and the demolition of substandard buildings. Mr. & Mrs. Noble and Mr. & Mrs. Reid have applied for such a grant in the amount of $2,171 to assist in the renovation of the facility for use by a hair salon. The property owners plan to install new windows and a new garage door along with parking lot expansion, new porch railing, plumbing upgrades and landscaping. The Redevelopment Committee reviewed the application and recommends approval. Due to time constraints, the applicants have requested two readings to be held on December 1, 2009; they need to vacant their current building within the month.

Approve Vacant Building Revitalization Grant “Operation No Vacancy” to Jack Sipe Construction for Property Located at 844 Highland Avenue, SE in the Amount of $23,000 - The Vacant Building Revitalization Grant Program was established by City Council in September, 2008 whereby the program provides matching funds up to $25,000 for projects seeking to renovate and rehabilitate vacant buildings and the demolition of substandard buildings. Jake Sipe Construction has applied for such a grant in the amount of $23,000 to assist in the renovation of the facility to use for general business use. The property owner plans to invest approximately $46,000 to renovate the exterior of the building, to include installation of new fascia, pave parking areas, landscape, repairs of two loading dock doors and to clean, re-point and repair the brick exterior. The Redevelopment Committee reviewed the application and recommends approval.

Approval of Community Relations Council Grant Recommendations for Fall 2009 - Requesting Agency - Project – Total Project Cost – Grant Request Amount – CRC Recommended Amount

Dayspring Ministries of Hickory - Parakleo’s Reading Enhancement Program – Resident children of Hickory (SE, SW) – Enhance reading skills for the children of the community. Purchase learning cd’s, books and listening centers - TPC-$31,600 GRA-$1,500 CRCRA - $500 – to purchase a listening center

Morning Star Summer Enrichment Camp - Enrich the Lives of Youth and Curb Summer Learning Loss – Area children who attend camp. Funds will be used to provide snacks at no additional cost to parents. Need copy paper, crayons and general supplies TPC-$5,137 GRA-$1,000 CRCRA-$1,000

Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry - Vision Screening and Prescription Eyeglasses - Low and moderate income uninsured residents of Hickory; vision screening and eye glasses for qualifying Hickory residents TPC-$75,000 GRA-$5,000 CRCRA-$1,050

Hickory Museum of Art - Torn from Home – Outreach for After School Project – 120 students, family and eventually 6500 visitors to exhibit, including a large number of children TPC-$13,790 GRA-$950 CRCRA-$950

Girls on the Run of Catawba Valley - Girls on the Run Scholarship – Girls ages 8-15 in Hickory schools. Qualified scholarship for eligible children of Hickory. Programming expenses for 75 children that would be unable to participate. TPC-$13,100 GRA-$1,500 CRCRA-$1,500

CVCC Foundation, Inc. Hickory 10 – Minority college students; assist minority college students to stay in college; Hickory 10 funds to assist minority students on a case by case basis: car repair, utilities, rent, medical, etc. TPC-$11,000 GRA-$1,000 CRCRA-$500

Hickory Community Theater - Rug-Bug Theatre @ HCT Bi-lingual Project – ESL students in elementary school; Bilingual Theater production for children and by children TPC-$7,300 GRA-$1,000 CRCRA-$500

CRCRA Total $6,000

Approve Resolution in Support of the National Park Service Locating its New Over mountain Victory National Historic Trail Headquarters and Visitors Center Near Historic Quaker Meadows in Morganton, North Carolina

Approve Contribution to The David M. Lawrence Professorship With a Donation in the Amount of $2,500 - David M. Lawrence joined the faculty of the Institute of Government in 1968 and will be retiring in December 2009. Local Governments around the state are combining to raise $333,000 to establish a professorship at the Institute of Government in honor of Mr. Lawrence. David Lawrence has substantially contributed to the tradition of good, sound and open government in North Carolina. His legislative consulting has literally changed the way governments do business in the state. He drafted the original version of North Carolina’s open meetings law and comprehensive rewrite of general laws affecting county government and contributed to many laws dealing with local government finance, including tax increment finance legislation. Contributions from cities with a population similar to Hickory is $2,500. Staff recommends a donation in the amount of $2,500.

Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 11
1. To budget a $1,000 Library Donation from the North Carolina Community Foundation (Catawba Valley Community Foundation/Catawba Valley Unrestricted Endowment) and budget in the Library Departmental Supplies item to purchase equipment and software.

2. To appropriate $2,171 of General Fund Balance and budget in the Planning Department's Vacant Building Revitalization Grant line item. This appropriation provides matching funds to assist Richard and Jill Noble and Timothy and Rhonda Reid in their renovation of a building located at 588 11th Street NW. The applicants plan to invest approximately $2,171 in eligible project expenses to renovate the exterior of the building. Other improvements include parking lot expansion, installation of new windows, a new garage door, a new porch railing, plumbing upgrades and landscaping.

3. To appropriate $23,000 of General Fund Balance and budget in the Planning Department's Vacant Building Revitalization Grant line item. This appropriation provides matching funds to assist Jack Sipe Construction in their renovation of a building located at 844 Highland Ave. SE. Plans are to renovate the building for general business use. The applicant will invest approximately $46,000 to renovate the exterior of the building. In addition, the applicant will install new fascia, pave parking areas, landscape the area, repair two loading dock doors, and clean, and repair the brick exterior of the building.

4. To transfer $5,020 from the Police Department Capital Vehicles line item to the M/A Com Radio System project equipment line item. This transfer is to pay for the purchase of a UPS (uninterrupted power supply) for the new radio system. To transfer $5,020 from the Police Department Capital Vehicles line item to the M/A Com Radio System project. This transfer is to pay for the purchase of a UPS (uninterrupted power supply) for the new radio system.

5. To appropriate $30,000 of General Fund Balance and transfer to the Stormwater Fund-Other Professional Services line item. This appropriation is to fund a contract with the Western Piedmont Council of Governments for assistance in development and implementation of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase ll public education and outreach program.

Informational Items:
Report of Alderwoman Hoyle’s Travel to the 2009 Congress of Cities & Exposition in San Antonio, TX From November 9 – 15, 2009; hotel - $1,569.12; airfare - $437.70; registration - $1,020; per diem - $283.50; other expenses - $102

Report of Alderwoman Patton’s Travel to the 2009 Brownfields Conference in New Orleans, LA From November 14 – 18, 2009; hotel – 609.16; airfare - $237.70; per diem - $253; other expenses - $93 (Alderwoman to reimburse City $40 toward per diem expenses)

New Business: - Departmental Reports:
1. Approve Purchase of Replacement Fire Engine 7 and Award Bid to Vendor Who Meets Required Specifications Set Forth by the Hickory Fire Department - The Hickory Fire Department requests City Council to approve the purchase of replacing Fire Engine 7, which was originally purchased in 1993. In order to meet the deadline to purchase this equipment prior to December 15, 2009, staff had not yet received bids (at the time of Council Agenda preparation) from vendors due to the City’s Invitation to Bid did not go out until November 18, 2009. Official bid opening was conducted on November 30, 2009. Due to a December 2009 deadline for ordering a fire apparatus with a 2007 compliant diesel emission engine, staff requests two readings be held on December 1, 2009 to meet the chassis and engine order deadline. Bid tabulation and bids will be available to City Council on December 1, 2009 for consideration. Funds have been budgeted for this item in FY 2009-10. Deputy Fire Chief George Byers made the presentation and explained why there was only one bid. His summary basically showed that the costs of this equipment ($487,886) is in line with other similar equipment purchased in the area. Those units were purchased in Rocky Mount and Charlotte. One of the reasons behind the second reading is because they want to beat the deadline of new emission standards, set for 2010, that will increase the price of this equipment by over $30,000. The Mayor asked why the Chief thought there was only one bid? Chief Byers stated that one company is Illinois didn't bid because the body configuration does not work well with their engine. Anchor-Richey, highly recommends the unit being purchased. The other dealer is in between franchise agreement, so they couldn't make any agreements on contracts that would beat the deadline. The Metrolina dealer is tied up in equipment with Charlotte and probably can't handle a deal with supplying any more equipment at this time. Chief Byers further explained the fine service that has been supplied by this company in the past. He says that they are very reliable. The Council gave unanimous consent.

Animation explaining The Crisis of Credit (2 parts)

Part 1


Part 2


Excellent cartoon from 50 years ago - shows where we are today

Muse: Uprising

"I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny imposed upon the mind of man." -- Thomas Jefferson



Muse: Uprising
The paranoia is in bloom,
The PR transmissions will resume
They’ll try to push drugs that keep us all dumbed down
And hope that we will never see the truth around
(So come on!)

Another promise, another scene,
Another packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed
And all the green belts wrapped around our minds
And endless red tape to keep the truth confined
(So come on!)

Chorus
They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious

Interchanging mind control
Come let the revolution take its toll
if you could flick a switch and open your third eye,
you’d see that we should never be afraid to die
(So come on!)

Rise up and take the power back,
It’s time the fat cats had a heart attack,
You know that their time is coming to an end
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend

Chorus
They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious

Hey .. hey … hey .. hey!
(repeat)

Chorus
They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious

Hey .. hey … hey .. hey!
(repeat)

If you thought 2009 was great, 2010 is sure to be even better

Have you seen this? I think you should. Don't shoot the messenger:


Here are tangible examples of the Capitalization and Redistribution of Assets Project -- the C.R.A.P. plan at work - Tollcha!!!

After a flurry of stimulus spending, questionable projects pile up
By: Susan Ferrechio - Washington Examiner - Chief Congressional Correspondent - November 3, 2009

The $787 billion stimulus bill was passed in February and was promised as a job saver and economy booster. Here is where some of the money went:

- $300,000 for a GPS-equipped helicopter to hunt for radioactive rabbit droppings at the Hanford nuclear reservation in Washington state.

- $30 million for a spring training baseball complex for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.

- $11 million for Microsoft to build a bridge connecting its two headquarter campuses in Redmond, Wash., which are separated by a highway.

- $430,000 to repair a bridge in Iowa County, Wis., that carries 10 or fewer cars per day.

- $800,000 for the John Murtha Airport in Johnstown, Pa., serving about 20 passengers per day, to build a backup runway.

- $219,000 for Syracuse University to study the sex lives of freshmen women.

- $2.3 million for the U.S. Forest Service to rear large numbers of arthropods, including the Asian longhorned beetle, the nun moth and the woolly adelgid.

- $3.4 million for a 13-foot tunnel for turtles and other wildlife attempting to cross U.S. 27 in Lake Jackson, Fla.

- $1.15 million to install a guardrail for a persistently dry lake bed in Guymon, Okla.

- $9.38 million to renovate a century-old train depot in Lancaster County, Pa., that has not been used for three decades.

- $2.5 million in stimulus checks sent to the deceased.

- $6 million for a snow-making facility in Duluth, Minn.

- $173,834 to weatherize eight pickup trucks in Madison County, Ill.

- $20,000 for a fish sperm freezer at the Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery in South Dakota.

- $380,000 to spay and neuter pets in Wichita, Kan.

- $300 apiece for thousands of signs at road construction sites across the country announcing that the projects are funded by stimulus money.

- $1.5 million for a fence to block would-be jumpers from leaping off the All-American Bridge in Akron, Ohio.

- $1 million to study the health effects of environmentally friendly public housing on 300 people in Chicago.

- $356,000 for Indiana University to study childhood comprehension of foreign accents compared with native speech.

- $983,952 for street beautification in Ann Arbor, Mich., including decorative lighting, trees, benches and bike paths.

- $148,438 for Washington State University to analyze the use of marijuana in conjunction with medications like morphine.

- $462,000 to purchase 22 concrete toilets for use in the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri

- $3.1 million to transform a canal barge into a floating museum that will travel the Erie Canal in New York state.

- $1.3 million on government arts jobs in Maine, including $30,000 for basket makers, $20,000 for storytelling and $12,500 for a music festival.

- $71,000 for a hybrid car to be used by student drivers in Colchester, Vt., as well as a plug-in hybrid for town workers decked out with a sign touting the vehicle's energy efficiency.

- $1 million for Portland, Ore., to replace 100 aging bike lockers and build a garage that would house 250 bicycles.

Sources: News reports, Office of the Senate Minority Leader, Office of Sen. Tom Coburn

Happy Thanksgiving