SiCKO Healthcare Issues

Okay, so at my school, in my grade, on my team we r doing debates on the presidential candidates- Obama and McCain. so, naturally, we started talking about some factors that will impact us based on america's decision on which man should b president. 1 of them was healthcare.

y is healthcare so important? well it's wat pays for all ur bills on things that help u stay alive. of course, as u may or may not know-- america's healthcare is among wat is considered the worst there is. Micheal Moore certainly agrees that insurance companies rn't giving their clients what they deserved. One client didn't get her med. bills paid for because her body-mass index was too large. in other words, they didn't giv her the cash bcuz she was FAT. another lady didn't hav her ambulence ride to the emergency room paid for bcuz she didn't inform the insurance company b4hand. that's stupid-- how wuz she gonna know that she was going to need an ambulence b4 the car accident actually happened, and wat- was she supposed to call the insurance company while she was mangled and unconscious on the road?
Workers hav also been quitting their jobs at the insurance companies bcuz they feel that their policy, their methods, and their message r all terrible. Some insurance companies giv a bonus to the workers who deny the most clients. that's not right- and that's certainly turning the workers a little biased.
so, enough with da healthcare angry ramblin's. to cut it short, ppl r paying big money 4 a healthcare that doesn't giv them wat they deserve.

B4 the ramblings took control of a hefty amount of post space, i wuz mentioning something about Micheal Moore, wuzn't i? Micheal Moore is a dude who doesn't believe that american healthcare is worth it. so, he started speakin' out against it, rebellling a little, gettin' the word out-- on youtube!
so ovr at the side-bar u'll notice a video. that's his TRIP TO CUBA, 1 way 2 get the medical treatment ppl deserve. actually, the story behind it is very loooooong, and he has many episodes of his SiCKO (that's the name of his rebelling healthcare videos) trilogy. However, i only hav 1- so that explains some of the loose ties at the end. however, i thought that the message was clear there, so go on--- enjoy.

**EXPLANATION ON VIDEO:
as u know healthcare in America is painfully expensive, i mean whopper expensive. however, prisioners- murderers, in American prison get quality healthcare for FREE. So, thinking this was super unfair- Micheal Moore and a lot of other desperate Florida citizens boated ovr 2 a small section of Cuba where the prisoners were kept. At the gates of the base, they demanded the medical attention- no more, no less, then what the evil-doers were getting. they did not get their wish, but after sailing to Cuba, they realized that the hospitals there were quite good. In america, the prescription 4 one lady would hav been $120, but in Cuba- the equivelence is 5 cents. 5 cents!? W-O-W. anyway, they got wat they deserved in the end, although they did hav 2 get ovr some bitter boundries dividing the two nations- and focus on what was more important.

srry bout da video. it's not upgraded well so it takes a LONG time ta load. hopefully it'll get bttr.

Another Contest- Saddest Song Ever! (NOW CLOSED)

Okay, ready guys? here it comes- ANOTHER CONTEST! ^_^ yayayaya! wow, i think the last time i did one o these wuz *ponders* june. @.@ i know- right? scary.
well, here it is, and this time the topic is SADDEST SONG EVER. can u find the SADDEST SONG? now pleez, remember the last time i did this. i only got ONE entry! ONE!!! that's really pitiful. well, now that there's more ppl, i hav higher hopes, so pleez don't squash 'em. if ur having problems writing a comment on it under this post then talk 2 me. i can help.

just 2 spice up the competition, the winner will recieve a few things. 1) an honorary mention. 2) the song will b posted on this blog 3) they will get there own post. unlike a "takeover" they get 2 write the post themselves, rather then me just asking questions. on it u can blab on about urself, things u like, ur blog, yaddayaddayadda. pretty much anything u want! just try 2 keep it PG appropiate k? this is ur chance 2 b FREE, and advertise YOURSELF 2 the world! huzzah! and finally.... 4) u get 2 change teh name of the blog from "Coco Juniper Rocks" to whatever u like! knock urself out! ;)

Rules (ick, i know.):

1) the song has 2 b at least PG appropriate.
2) it haz 2 b on Google Videos OR Youtube. (if it's not on there- which i doubt- then put it on!)
3) u hav 2 state the song's name and artist (that's it.)

how this works is u find a song, u can either email me the song (the youtube address, aka.) or post the name (and youtube address) of it under this post. any questions can b emailed or posted here.

now remember, try 2 find the saddest song as possible! u wanna win this! go get it! this is urs!

Later Edit: Yah, 2 bad but ya missed it. This contest is now CLOSED. b sure 2 keep looking 4 more opportunities 2 shine in contests, here at cocojuniper.blogspot.com! keep rockin' on!

TIES R WICKED

Ties are truly wonderful things. Seriously! and they're not just a man thing, i think girls can use them 2. in fact, i created a list on what u can use it for....

1) use it as a pretty scarf
2) use it as a belt.
3) use it as a...well, a tie.
4) keep it around your neck and use it as a whip for self-defense, etc. heh...heh...
5) use it as a headband...erm, a really long headband (good if u hav a very large head.)
6) wrap it around...and around...and around...and around, ur wrist as a bracelet. fasten w/ pin.
7) use it as a hair-tye to put ur hair in a pony tail (and whenever u turn around, a long piece of tie will whap someone on the head.)
8) attatch something small and heavy to either end of the tie and uv got urself a real nifty pair of ninn-chucks (or how is it u spell it?)
9) if it's really cool looking u can hang it on your wall.
10) do some really complicated form of origami on it. ^_^

i think ties r cool. they can hav so many cool patterns and textures and they can even b shiny or sparkly! and they're fun 2 use. i remember on the Suite Life of Zack and Cody (a TV show, if u don't realize), Maddie likes 2 use ties...alot. and i think that's cool! i think im gonna use ties more often.
as in, im wearing a tie 2 school tommorow. well, not the whole day, just Social Studies- bcuz im doing a debate in front of the class. my group and i plan 2 dress up like lawyers (heh. we'll c how that works out.) as in, skirt, neat and well-ironed shirt, hair in a very very tight bun, glasses that u will perch on the very end of ur nose (or some spectacles don't hurt), dressy shoes, and a tie. im not so sure about the granny glasses, i tried that and aftr a while it gets really really annoying 2 wear sunglasses on the tip of ur nose always, and as for the bun...HA! and anyways, i doubt i could do a bun, my hair's too short! ^_^. and naturally, i plan 2 wear a tie.
the tie im wearing is pink w/ white stripes, and it's so incredibly hard to get it on you. After i practically strangled the tie, i asked my mom 2 help, and in a flash she had it in a perfect tie. all she did was squirm, tuck it under, loop it through, flow over it, slash inbetween, twist, scrunch up, etc., etc., etc. lemme tell u, i thought it would b easy to get a tie on, but it ain't! so don't hurt urself trying. unless, ur particularily brave. and if that's the case- kudos 2 u. good luck w/ that.

so, yeah....ties r cool. Remember this 2 future generations.

Babbles...Babbles...Babbles

Okay, okay- it's true that i haven't been coming 2 my blog a lot and it hasn't been updated as consistently as it wuz ovr the summer. that's understandable right? i mean- hello- school? u get that right? uh-huh, yeah, yes? so, now that iv confessed this blog's faults i'll move on- bcuz this isn't a very interesting topic.

so wat do i base my blog post's on? usually i get my ideas from books, TV, ppl, etc. Unfortunetly i hav run dry of ideas at this point, and im sorry 2 say that im too lazy 2 go do some real research.

yes, u heard it from me.

so, if im not gonna write my blog posts on that then what do i write it on? *ponder* *ponder* usually, my friends, i get it from my own brain.
unfortunetly just shifting through random memories in ur brain will take ages 2 get something relitively good. this is usually bcuz ur brain throws out many of it's memories in, like wat?- 2 minutes? 2 seconds? something like that. so, it's very hard 2 write about something u don't know what 2 write about. and also- hav u evr come up w/ a time when u wanted 2 write about something but u just couldn't? that's a writers block and yes they can b a problem.
howevr, lucky me, i hav the ability 2 babble if i truly wanted 2. if i were in a light, fuzzy, bored kindof mood then it is more likely that i would babble. on a normal basis, i can control myself. but, if i really try to babble- then my peeps- i make success. I know, right- u didn't c that coming. @.@
but babbling can actually b kindof fun 2 listen 2- just as long as the rambles don't blab on 4evr. if uv evr heard someone babble then u'd understand what i mean. they could b talking about- oh, i don't know- star wars, and then end up with a deep explanation on y they don't like George Bush. sometimes that makes u go- "whoa. where did the link come from? *brain twitch*" howevr- other times when u can manage 2 keep up, it's rather amusing. and fun. u learn alot about the person. perhaps more then u evr dreamed about knowing.

...
in a good way

...
usually, anyway.

so y exactly am i writing this post? what on earth am i talking about? where did u go wrong? i can hear u thinking that- yes, i can. and 2 answer that, i'll simply say that i wuz giving u a good idea of what babbling wuz. howevr, lucky 4 u, i didn't babble so much that i hurt myself, or u, and i managed 2 stay on 1 irrelevent, unimportant, downright stupid topic. so, you're welcome. if u evr felt like looking, u can scan through my posts 2 c where i babble on. the one w/ the "nude barbies" or the "air freshner" is a great place 2 start if ur looking 4 babbling. and, u can look 4ward 2 much more babbles in the future- bcuz that's what coco juniper is all about. KIDDING! u didn't seriously believe that? *laffs*

Cakeriffic

I <3 cake! wahoo!




on the top right is a steak. no, a cake. no a...ceak? or a stake? it looks like a steak, but it's made from the ingrediants of a cake, so what does it taste like? hmm, i wonder.










don't laff- it's "special". and spiky too. It's truly unique, but yet... too spiky for me. i might hav 2 go 2 a hospital aftr i hav a bit o that. Still, giv it points, after all puffer fish r cool. erm, i think. and, i suppose it's original. erm...i suppose. but don't laff- it's special.

i like this cake as well. it's unique, violent, interesting, violent, original, violent, weird, and violent. U got da idea, right? VIOLENCE! not my kinda wedding cake, if u know wat i mean. wedding's r supposed 2 b happy, and heart-warming, not violent. erm...right? iv nevr actually been 2 a wedding b4, so....







got any fun cake stories? b sure 2 comment here- only at cocojuniper.blogspot.com! or, if u don't hav any cake stories- make one up. we'll try 2 guess if it's real or not. or, just tell us wat ur favorite dessert is (don't worry, i won't get offended if u don't say cake.)

9/11

Pleez take your time 2 go 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDh_pvv1tUM and watch the video. i know i usually like 2 joke and fool, b weird and make fun of things on this blog, but now i kinda wanta b serious. if u can't handle that, then im sorry. tuff luck.

“Freedom itself was attacked this morning, by a face-less coward…”

For once, I agree with what President Bush has to say. The 9/11 was a terrible attack on the WTC, and though I did not understand the seriousness of it when it occurred, I can now recognize its impact on the U.S. Before the terrorist attack, traveling by plane was as simple as it is to hop on a bus, but now the government complicates security immensely- knowing that if security might fail, another attack like the 9/11 may occur. I think the attack on the WTC was more sad then it was frightening. The part that touched me the most was when you could see the people jumping off the building, or when I heard about the wives receiving last calls from their husband. It ached inside to see that, and I know that others felt that way too. I remember how the plane swooped into the tower, and you could see the rippling of the building. Then, when the second plane plummeted into the offices, the mass of rubble blew up in billows of smoke and debris. That is why I fully agree with George Bush’s statement.

“…And Freedom will be defended.”

Alagaesia- The Land of 'Inheritence'

Eragon, is a fantasy read written by Christopher Paolini. He starting writing Eragon when he graduated from high school at fifteen. He became a New York Times best-selling author at ninetten. Out of the entire Inheritence trilogy, Chris has so far gotten through two books so far- Eragon and Eldest. Like other books, Eragon can b seen as 'boring' or 'confusing', but i actually think it's a good action-packed core book. i also think u should try it- bcuz it's definetly worthwhile.
i first read this book in 4th grade, not that i think any 4th graders should try reading it. it's kindof confusing 2 some ppl, though how it's confusing idk. so, i got bored and picked it up. there wuz sooooo many new things i read this time that i missed the other many times i read it in 4th-5th grade. it's a great book. seriously.
as i wuz going through the book, i marked a few short segments that i really, really liked. unfortunetly, i cannot show 2 many of these segments bcuz it's a 1-way spoiler 4 this book. so, i found this excerpt. i read it ovr a few times and i don't think it givs away anything 2 huge. i thought it wuz cute...

The herbalist's shop had a cheery sign and was easy to find. A short, curly-haired woman sat by the door. She was holding a frog in one hand and was writing with the other. Eragon assumed that she was Angela, the herbalist. On either side of the store was a house. "Which one do you think it is?" he asked.
Brom deliberated, then said, "Let's find out." He approached the woman and asked politely, "Could you tell us which house Jeod lives in?"
"I could." She continued writing.
"Will you tell us?"
"Yes." She fell silent, her pen scribbling faster than ever. The frog on her hand croaked and looked at them with baleful eyes. Brom and Eragon waited uncomfortably, but she said no more. Eragon was about to blurt something out when Angela looked up. "Of course I'll tell you! All you have to do is ask. Your first question was whether or not I could tell you, and the second was if I would tell you. But you never actually put the question to me."
"Then let me ask properly," said Brom with a smile. "Which house is Jeod's? And why are you holding a frog?"
"Now we're getting somewhere," she bantered. "Jeod is on the right. And as for the frog, he's actually a toad. I'm trying to prove that toads don't exist- that there are only frogs."
"How can toads not exist if you have one on your hand now?" interrupted Eragon. "Besides, what good will it do, proving that there are only frogs?"
The woman shook her head vigorously, dark curls bouncing. "No, no, you don't understand. If I prove toads don't exist, then this is a frog and never a toad. Therefore, the toad you see now doesn't exist. And," she raised a small finger, "if I can prove there are only frogs, then toads won't be able to do anything bad- like make teeth fall out, cause warts, and poison or kill people. Also, witches won't be able to use any of their evil spells because, of course, there won't be any toads around."
"I see," said Brom delicately. "It sounds interesting, and I would like to hear more, but we have to meet Jeod."
"Of course," she said, waving her hand and returning to her writing.
"Once they were out of the herbalist's hearing, Eragon said, "She's crazy!"

Like it? It's only a small part of Eragon, though. If ur curious, the woman- Angela the herbist- was actually based on Chris' sister. Cool! and btw, u'll b hearing more of Angela throughout the series so ur not done w/ her yet! ;)
INHERITENCE REPORT: Book three in the cycle is coming out soon- and it's only 12 days away (from when im writing this!) if u want the exact time you have 2 wait, and u want 2 learn more- u can go to http://www.alagaesia.com/index.php . Brisingr, is said 2 b a hit, but don't take my word 4 it! ;)

Sunset, the Pokey Kitten

WELCOME, THE NEWEST ADDITION 2 THE JUNIPER FAMILY! SUNSET!

meow! that's right, Sunset is a cat. This 8-week-old kitten is super-active and totally out-going. His previous owner was right when she said he "certainly has a personality!" This guy ain't shy at all, quite different from my 5-year-old cat Callie! My brother, Lizic, named him Sunset, though i flatter myself that i actually came up w/ the name. Lizic, Sunset's owner, liked Sunset bcuz it reminds him of his soft orange coat, and pokey white paws! He's a bit nippy, but so playful. His favorite toy is a straw tied to a long piece of string. he has light blue-green eyes, and he loves to eat my hair!
But enough about that- onward 2 another matter: Callie. Callie is timid, shy, and just a bit cowardly. Completely different then this outgoing, adventurous, and nosy kit, u can c. so, we wondered how she would react to this new addition of the Juniper family. The good news is, she hasn't eaten the bouncy dude. The down news, is that she doesn't seem too fond of him either! When he first arrived, she took to staring at him with her wide green eyes, for about 10 minutes. Then she stayed down in the basement, and hasn't come up. Jealous, probably. Since we've been busy trying to settle him in, she has been keeping 2 herself a lot. Me, my mom, and my bros have been playing w/ her. If she knows that we still luv her, she may not b so envious.
Sunset appears to like the place. and everyone luvs him, so perhaps it will work out. after all, Callie hasn't eaten him- so maybe that's a sign that it's all gonna work out! ehhh, well we'll c how it all works out.

To Moon: hey Moon, d'u still come 2 this blog? U should meet Sunset sometime, he kinda reminds me of Ginny, except a li'l less fluffy. He is adorable! ^_^

Fortune Cookie Fortunes (And Me Yapping On About Wat the Right And Wrong Ways to Open a Fortune Cookie)

Normally, i just assumed fortune cookies were some cheap novelty thing. but actually, they turned out 2 b very interesting. honestly, fortune cookies r posessed! The other day i had chinese food, and 4 out of teh 5 family member in my family got fortunes. here r what they r:

my mum: "never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you."
Bramble: "let hatred turn into friendship because of your existence."
Lizic: "learn to listen, not hear."
Me: "not having a goal is more to be feared then not reaching one."

i like my mum's fortune best. at first it sounds like gibberish, but once u get past that.... and lizic's makes sense too. I'm okay with mine. i mean, it's true and it makes sense, but i honestly don't c how it relates to me.

but, thats all irrelevent at the moment, wat i really wanta talk about is the fortune i found today. i had the combo for my locker in my jean pocket, and when i wuz looking 4 it, i found this fortune instead! this is wat it said:

"trust your intuition. the universe is guiding your life."

I can't remember when i got it. i remember asking some1 what 'intuition' meant, but i can't remember exactly when i got it! errughh, that really bugs me. anyway, i liked the fortune.
fortune cookies r fun. i especially like the ones w/ "learn chinese" in the back of it. It'll have teh chinese symbol, a thing on how to pronounce it, and what it means. at the time it's fun, but physically it doesn't do me any good bcuz i usually 4get it after like an hour. which is a bummer, bcuz chinese always sounds so cool.

and another thing. i wuz told that there's apparently a 'right' and 'wrong' way to open a fortune cookie. howevr, i forget wat the right way is. is it, pulling on the two ends. or do u bite the tips? or do u smash it w/ ur fist? i dunno. i usually just chomp on it. that's always worked for me, except sometimes i eat the fortune in the cookie. well, i don't anymore, but i stay on guard. cuz paper ain't supposed 2 b good 4 u. i think, anyway. siiiiiiiiigh. well, leav comments, my peeps.

3 Random Facts- 2!

Here, r 3 listed things i thought u should know!

1) Peanut Butter can be converted into diamond! (good to know!)
2) the world's largest soap bubble was as long as four school buses!
3) a great white shark can weigh as much as 15 gorillas (y u care, i do not know.)

Vanessa Who?!

"I was in Florida on vacation with my family and we were at the mall. There were tons of people there, and I swore I saw Vanessa Hudgens walk by. I ran out of the store screaming, "Vanessa Hudgens!" I took my flip-flop off and asked if she could sign it. When she finally turned around and took off her sunglasses, i realized not only that it was not Vanessa, it was a man. The entire mall was staring at me, and i ran like the wind!"


-An Embarrassing Moment from Discovery Girl's Magazine

McCain vs. Obama

As u probably should b aware of, the presidential elections 4 the U.S. r in Novembr, and their r two participants. John McCain, the republican and Barack Obama, the democrat. Below, i hav some info on some of the main bullets. then, when u hav decided who YOU would like 4 president, vote at the side-bar! pleez take your time 2 read all of it.
b4 we begin, i would like 2 refresh a bit on what republicans and democrats r. i think of it this way. Remember the saying "all for one, and one for all"? Well the republicans represent the "one for all" statement. they care more about the summary of the U.S. of america. If 4 some reason, some individual groups of ppl r having trouble, they will sympathize, but has to let it go 4 they r 2 busy overlooking for what most of the economy needs. Democrats represent the "all for one" statement, i think. They tend 2 have higher taxes, so that the "all" can focus on the "ones" or the individual groups. They work 4 everyone.
But pleez, don't quote me 2 much. im not an expert. a smarticle- but not an expert. there may b loopholes 2 that, above.

JOHN McCAIN:
He has been the Arizona senator for over 20 years, he is a navy pilot and war hero, and is married 2 Cindy (with four sons and three daughters- all grown). A fun fact is taht he enjoys barbequing, his favorite seasoning is Hog's Breath! a startling fact is that he's old. Like, 72 years old!

education: parents will choose good schools for their children. If their neighborhood school doesn't meet certain standards, parents will be able to send their child to another school.
economy: taxes will be lower for middle-class families. There will be programs to help people in danger of losing their homes to pay for their houses.
iraq war: U.S. troops will stay in Iraq until the democratic government is stable and the Iraqi army is able to protect the country.
healthcare: anyone who pays for health insurance will recieve money from the government. This will allow people to buy the insurance they like best.
enviorment: big businesses will have to buy permits to release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. the government will encourage the development of cleaner sources of energy.

BARACK OBAMA:
he is younger then McCain (at 47), and was the Illinois senator since 2005. He is a lawyer specialized in civil rights, and is married to Michelle (has two daughters, ages six and nine). a fun fact is that he plays basketball and is writing a children's book! his idea is 4 a "change."

education: struggling students will get extra help. after-school programs will be improved. the government will pay part of the tuition for most college students, helping everyone get a college education.
economy: taxes will be lower for working families. the government will invest in "green" technologies, which will create new high-paying jobs.
iraq war: U.S. troops will begin to leave Iraq immediately. With the help of the United Nations, Iraqi leaders will be pressured to agree on rules for governing their country.
healthcare: an affordable, high-quality health insurance plan will be availible to everyone. Needy families will have help paying for it.
environment: big businesses will hav to buy permits to release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. the government will invest in cleaner sources of energy.

**some of the info on John and Barack r quoted from the DG (discovery girls) magazine.

Ramblings....

i hav an unexplainable knack 4 being unintentionally funny. sometimes, i'll just b putting aloud my thoughts when- baaam! laffter. at me. it's frustrating! and they won't explian what wuz so funny! UGH!
then of course, there r the opposite times, when i tell a joke but nobody gets it. so, i end up having to explain it deeply and recite it a few times be4 i get evn a hesitant chuckle. and it feels rather lame- when u hav 2 resort 2 that. sometimes it's bttr if they do admit that they don't know what wuz so funny about the joke. bcuz sometimes, they just pretend 2 laff at my joke, which can b hard bcuz ltr when i make a reference 2 it, this pitiful puzzlement and confusion clouds their face and yeah....

im so very sorry, im sure u don't like listening 2 my ramblings...