You Thought America was Free? Check here:

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Ranking the Countries: The US comes in under 'mostly free' (sigh), I think because of government intervention.

distribution of global economic freedom
100-80	79.9-70	69.9-60	59.9-50	49.9-0	N/A
free	mostly free	moderately free	mostly unfree	repressed	not ranked

Index of Economic Freedom World Rankings (Click on the country name for more details.)

world rankcountryfreedom scorechange from previous	world rankcountryfreedom scorechange from previous

1Hong Kong89.70.0	93Morocco59.6+0.4
2Singapore87.2+1.1	94Mongolia59.5-0.5
3Australia82.5-0.1	95Ghana59.4-0.8
4New Zealand82.3+0.2	96Egypt59.1+0.1
5Switzerland81.9+0.8	97Swaziland59.1+1.7
6Canada80.8+0.4	98Nicaragua58.8+0.5
7Ireland78.7-2.6	99Honduras58.6+0.3
8Denmark78.6+0.7	100Tunisia58.5-0.4
9United States77.8-0.2	101Serbia58.0+1.1
10Bahrain77.7+1.4	102Cambodia57.9+1.3
11Chile77.4+0.2	103Bhutan57.6+0.6
12Mauritius76.2-0.1	104Bosnia and Herzegovina57.5+1.3
13Luxembourg76.2+0.8	105The Gambia57.4+2.3
14Estonia75.2+0.5	106Kenya57.4-0.1
15The Netherlands74.7-0.3	107Sri Lanka57.1+2.5
16United Kingdom74.5-2.0	108Tanzania57.0-1.3
17Finland74.0+0.2	109Mozambique56.8+0.8
18Cyprus73.3+2.4	110Gabon56.7+1.3
19Macau73.1+0.6	111Nigeria56.7-0.1
20Japan72.8-0.1	112Vanuatu56.7+0.3
21Austria71.9+0.3	113Brazil56.3+0.7
22Sweden71.9-0.5	114Mali56.3+0.7
23Germany71.8+0.7	115The Philippines56.2-0.1
24Lithuania71.3+1.0	116Indonesia56.0+0.5
25Taiwan70.8+0.4	117Benin56.0+0.6
26Saint Lucia70.8+0.3	118Tonga55.8+2.4
27Qatar70.5+1.5	119Malawi55.8+1.7
28Czech Republic70.4+0.6	120Moldova55.7+2.0
29Georgia70.40.0	121Senegal55.7+1.1
30Norway70.3+0.9	122Côte d'Ivoire55.4+1.3
31Spain70.2+0.6	123Pakistan55.1-0.1
32Belgium70.2+0.1	124India54.6+0.8
33Uruguay70.0+0.2	125Djibouti54.5+3.5
34Oman69.8+2.1	126Niger54.3+1.4
35South Korea69.8-0.1	127Yemen54.2-0.2
36Armenia69.7+0.5	128Tajikistan53.5+0.5
37Slovakia69.5-0.2	129Suriname53.1+0.6
38Jordan68.9+2.8	130Bangladesh53.0+1.9
39El Salvador68.8-1.1	131Papua New Guinea52.6-0.9
40Botswana68.8-1.5	132Algeria52.4-4.5
41Peru68.6+1.0	133Haiti52.1+1.3
42Barbados68.5+0.2	134Mauritania52.1+0.1
43Israel68.5+0.8	135China52.0+1.0
44Iceland68.2-5.5	136Cameroon51.8-0.5
45Colombia68.0+2.5	137Guinea51.7-0.1
46The Bahamas68.0+0.7	138Argentina51.7+0.5
47United Arab Emirates67.8+0.5	139Vietnam51.6+1.8
48Mexico67.8-0.5	140Syria51.3+1.9
49Costa Rica67.3+1.4	141Laos51.3+0.2
50Saint Vincent and the Grenadines66.90.0	142Seychelles51.2+3.3
51Hungary66.6+0.5	143Russia50.5+0.2
52Trinidad and Tobago66.5+0.8	144Ethiopia50.5-0.7
53Malaysia66.3+1.5	145Micronesia50.3-0.3
54Saudi Arabia66.2+2.1	146Nepal50.1-2.6
55Macedonia66.0+0.3	147Bolivia50.0+0.6
56Latvia65.8-0.4	148Burundi49.6+2.1
57Malta65.7-1.5	149Sierra Leone49.6+1.7
58Jamaica65.7+0.2	150São Tomé and Príncipe49.5+0.7
59Panama64.9+0.1	151Guyana49.4+1.0
60Bulgaria64.9+2.6	152Central African Republic49.3+0.9
61Kuwait64.9-2.8	153Togo49.1+2.0
62Thailand64.7+0.6	154Maldives48.3-0.7
63Romania64.7+0.5	155Belarus47.9-0.8
64France64.6+0.4	156Lesotho47.5-0.6
65Cape Verde64.6+2.8	157Equatorial Guinea47.5-1.1
66Slovenia64.6-0.1	158Ecuador47.1-2.2
67Turkey64.2+0.4	159Guinea-Bissau46.5+2.9
68Poland64.1+0.9	160Liberia46.5+0.3
69Portugal64.0-0.4	161Angola46.2-2.2
70Albania64.0-2.0	162Solomon Islands45.9+3.0
71Belize63.8+2.3	163Uzbekistan45.8-1.7
72Dominica63.3+0.1	164Ukraine45.8-0.6
73Namibia62.7+0.5	165Chad45.3-2.2
74South Africa62.7-0.1	166Kiribati44.8+1.1
75Rwanda62.7+3.6	167Comoros43.8-1.1
76Montenegro62.5-1.1	168Republic of Congo43.6+0.4
77Paraguay62.3+1.0	169Turkmenistan43.6+1.1
78Kazakhstan62.1+1.1	170Timor-Leste42.8-3.0
79Guatemala61.9+0.9	171Iran42.1-1.3
80Uganda61.7-0.5	172Democratic Republic of Congo40.7-0.7
81Madagascar61.2-2.0	173Libya38.6-1.6
82Croatia61.1+1.9	174Burma37.8+1.1
83Kyrgyz Republic61.1-0.2	175Venezuela37.6+0.5
84Samoa60.6+0.2	176Eritrea36.7+1.4
85Burkina Faso60.6+1.2	177Cuba27.7+1.0
86Fiji60.4+0.1	178Zimbabwe22.1+0.7
87Italy60.3-2.4	179North Korea1.00.0
88Greece60.3-2.4	N/AAfghanistanN/AN/A
89Lebanon60.1+0.6	N/AIraqN/AN/A
90Dominican Republic60.0-0.3	N/ALiechtensteinN/AN/A
91Zambia59.7+1.7	N/ASudanN/AN/A
92Azerbaijan59.7+0.9

Jacob

I just spent 45 min. with Jacob (4) on the phone; this is quite a record, because Jacob can be kind of quiet. He's the strong, silent type. I enjoyed every minute; he told me all about getting his warts 'burned' off, what we will play when he gets to my house, about his studying grasshoppers, and lot of other important stuff. He also told me that his pillow still says "Gramma loves you" when he lays down, and he said that one time it said it a 'google' times! We also talked about what kind of snacks he would like to have at Grammie's...apples, bananas, and chocolate smoothies. He also learned my phone number, in a snap. Each of the children learn my phone number at age 4 - he could have learned it sooner, but Charlie has been taking care of it for him, so we forgot. We got the job done today:) Jacob is the best.

Still more from Iran...

I have not finished posting a selection of my photos from our last trip to Iran, 7 months ago now. These are from Shiraz, mostly taken in a HUGE, and I mean HUGE bazaar. This is place is so big and meandering that we actually started to get nervous...about ever finding our way back. Our taxi drive never left us for a second, and as it turned out he could be trusted; no reason not to think otherwise other than we had never laid eyes on him before! In the bazaar I found this little spice shop. I have an amazing pic of Mano negotiating for the spices, but he has threatened me with the his eternal wrath if he ever catches a photo of him on the internet...so I am complying:)

Smoothies and VitaMix

Hah, so I have been eying this blender for a while, waiting for it to show up at Costco which it did this last week, and I've been experimenting with it for the last few days. Here is what I whipped up just now:

frozen blueberries

frozen strawberries

1/2 frozen banana (I prefer the smoothie not to be overpowering banana!)

drizzle Manuka™ honey

dash flax seed

1/4 tomato

almond milk

heaping spoon of plain yoghurt.

Blend...yum.

Yesterday:

frozen banana (1/2)

frozen grapes

frozen mango

1/4 carrot

5-7 spinach leaves

lots of ice

water

Blend...makes 'ice cream'.

Confused about whether Mormons are Christians?

Here is a website that will help you to understand that Jesus Christ is at the center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Here is the link:

http://jesuschrist.lds.org/SonOfGod/eng/?cid=wpats2

Here is another website that has everything that a person with a sincere heart would need to find out what Mormon's actually believe.

www.lds.org

These are websites with accurate details on the church (official websites). There are plenty of sites where those that don't want to live the gospel, have found 'reasons' not to...but the gospel is beautiful, and it's true. If you are Christian now, you will find that not only is our church Christian, but it's based on the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and supports what you already know in an expanded way. The gospel is deep, rich, spiritual, and even intellectually stimulating. There is a feast for anyone wanting to sup. I pray that you will want to!

Lastly, here is a cool YouTube video on God as the Father of us all.

http://lds.org/pages/god-is-our-father?lang=eng

Busyness!!

I haven't posted in so long - but it's been busy with family visits, a fun vacation, and special times with grandkids...most notably Charlie had his special time with Grammie two weeks ago. Here are the incredible traits that I love about Charlie:

He is incredibly optimistic and is interested in everything...it doesn't matter what it is (it could be your new handbag, or a star, or a bearded dragon, or a new tree in the yard); it's a trait he shares with his Uncle Mark. Charlie is also fun, and cheerful. He is sensitive to others, and notices everything...so he won't be hurting your feelings ever. He has a keen sense of fairness, so you have to be fair, or he will let you know. He is honest, and pure, loves his family, gives so many kisses and hugs...he is game for any activity and for any kind of food. At the Space and Science center, he literally bounced with joy at a ball display that had in front - the joy reached from the top of his head to the bottoms of his shoes. He was vibrating happiness and curiosity! I can't say enough awesome things about Charlie, and I can't wait for his next visit, after Scarlet, Janie and Jacob that is...to be fair:)

Charlie, thanks for coming to stay with me buddy! man shoma ducet daram!!