Alternative Energy

First, I want to say that on Fox and Friends Friday morning they used my exact Evian analogy when talking about gas prices --three days after the original post... Hmmmm....

Second, I came across an old article (old being a month or two) that I never blogged on in which Al Gore was predicting the end of the world -- I find it's always more interesting to combine stories that relate to get the whole picture...

So, we have Al Gore claiming the actions of the Evil Bush/Cheney/Halliburton/Republican conglomerate will be the end of all that is mankind and we also have reports being released claiming that the air quality in the US has improved.
Of course it's not all good news, there are 368 counties that have unhealthy level of pollution. But, what I find interesting --even though this is the fault of the EBCHRC...almost all of the polluted cities are BLUE cities...

"Cities that rank among the worst in the nation for both pollutants include: Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Fresno, Hanford and Visalia in California; New York City; Newark, New Jersey; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Washington D.C.; Baltimore; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Cleveland, Ohio, and St. Louis, Missouri." (source)

In an example of complaining about air quality and alternative energy, but not wanting anything done about it that effects you I offer up Senator Teddy Kennedy and the continuing "wind power debate".
The seemingly oft-drunk Senator can continually bloviate about oil dependence and evil gas guzzling Republicans...but when a wind farm is proposed all the liberals at Cape Cod freak out...their precious view would be tainted.... I wish most Americans knew about this as they listened to the hypocrisy. Where would be a good place for it Teddy? The ninth war in New Orleans; I mean that already looks like crap right?

"Kennedy, who has been under fire from fellow liberals for trying to kill the Cape Wind project just miles offshore from his family’s Hyannis compound, said he “strongly supports” a measure he’s pushing that would allow a Massachusetts governor to veto any wind facility on Nantucket Sound." (source)

So, everyone talks about "sacrifice" and changing our ways, but when even the most vocal among us won't actually do it... What are we to think?

Most of us are just trying to get to work and get our kids to school --we're not protecting our glorious view or taking private planes...

...and if you think you're being energy conscience spending your hard-earned cash on a Prius or the new Honda Civic Hybrid --you've most likely been hornswoggled.

Rosie Stole My Job!

Wouldn't I have been a WAY better replacement for Meredith than Rosie O'Donnell?! They already have Joy for the comic relief, they're all lefties and Rosie doesn't seem like much of a team player --they should have shaken it up a bit with a cool conservative...;) The cowards.

The Cyber Jihad Continues...

For those of you that don't know --many of the conservative blogs have been plagued with cyber hacking jihadists over the past few months. It happened again today. From what they can tell the attacks are coming from Saudi Arabia and you can read some of the background info at Michelle Malkin's site.

Some of the blogs that have been effected:
Powerline, Instapundit, Hugh Hewitt, Michelle Malkin, Captain's Quarters, Aaron's CC, Argghhh!, the Rotti, IMAO and Small Dead Animals (among many others).

Here is the question that I want to ask. Seriously, not facetiously...

Does it bother those of you on the left that NOT ONE left-wing blog has been targeted by Islamofacist terrorists? Doesn't that make you a little uncomfortable --that they feel OK with all that you post?

...'Cause that would keep me awake at night for some serious introspection.

News from the Jihad...

Abu Nasser, a leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, is beside himself with glee over one of the casualties of Israel's latest terrorist bombing. Daniel Wultz, a teenager from Florida, remains in a coma. He lost his spleen, kidney and one leg when the bomb detonated and doctors are now fighting to keep his other leg. He is 16 years old.

Terrorist leader Nasser calls Daniel the "best target combination we can dream of – American and Zionist".

"I want to use this occasion of speaking to the American people to tell them that the unfair support of your people to Israel is the reason that you are targeted almost everywhere in the world. Second, I want to bring to your knowledge that the most cruel settlers are those who came from America. It is known that the Jews are sly and not honest, and they are leading into this trap of the Middle East in order to carry out their plan of controlling the world."

Also speaking to WND, Islamic Jihad senior member Abu Ayman warned Americans are now enemies of the Palestinian people.

"The Americans are now the typical enemy of the believers like it is mentioned in the holy Quran. They think that they are all mighty and invincible, and they seem to not have the right conclusions from what happened to them in the last few years. The Americans are now the best representatives of the devil on earth," Abu Ayman said. (source)

The Full transcript of Bin Laden's latest audio message is now posted online. He wants the Danish cartoonists "handed over". "He said the cartoon controversy was "too serious for an apology" and was the most serious aspect of the alleged war against Islam." (source)

--An interesting aside to the Mohammad cartoons --one that I would like to present to Osama can be found HERE. Zombie has compiled a comprehensive collection of Mohammad likenesses (done by Muslims) drawn through the centuries...

Centcom has posted a transcript of Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi latest ramblings.

When "Peace Activists" Vandalize...

The targeting of college campus ROTC by anti-war student groups continues...



Michelle Malkin has the story

Here's my question --if you go to the trouble of the red paint for aesthetics...why leave the cans?

You Won't Hear it from the MSM or the DOD...

...but you can now read it here thanks to my Iraq hookup. Let's see, he didn't pick a name and I won't presume to choose one for him--for now we will just call him an awesome American warrior on the front line in Iraq. He has allowed me to pick through his personal journal and share with you things that I found interesting.

...this is not at all implying that building schools, distributing clothes or IEDs aren't important, I'm just saying you can get that information other places. When it comes to soldier memoir --I'm more interested in the stuff we don't hear from anyone else, stuff in their own voice... Like this:

"I heard in one of our meetings about a supposed prostitution ring that is operating here. And we found out about it from one of the soldiers wives who heard it from one of her friends in Germany who heard it from a soldier here.

The way it works is you go to pick up your laundry and tell them that they forgot your red shirt. They ask what room you are in and when you will be there. You tell them the answers to both and they say that they will bring you the shirt as soon as they can find it. At the time you gave them, there is a knock at your door. After hearing this J___, D___ and I laughed some, but we started paying attention more when we were at the laundry picking up our stuff.

A few days later J___ informs us that there was a LTC who had complained about the loss of a red pair of socks. And the rest played out like we had heard. So still not sure if this is real or not, and not that I am interested in getting first hand knowledge about the operations but my mind starts to wonder. What was the wife doing telling her husband how to get a prostitute? I am sorry but I know of no woman who will tell her Significant Other to go and purchase sexual gratification. Second since this is illegal in Iraq, and if it is this widely known that the COL’s who are running the war know about it, how is it that it has not been stopped? So I am thinking that this is one more example of deployed urban legends’.

Thanks R!!! Be safe and keep an eye on your red stuff! ;)

Lovin' Alberto...

I don't care if Alberto Gonzales put the panties on Abu Gharib prisoners himself --he's made rounding up sex offenders a top priority and that makes him a hero in my eyes...

"More than 1,100 people wanted in connection with violent sex crimes were among 9,037 fugitives arrested in a weeklong roundup, top law enforcement officials said Thursday.

The arrests were made as part of "Operation Falcon II," a 27-state dragnet led by the U.S. Marshals Service and timed to coincide with National Victims Rights Week.

This year's focus was on sex offenders, a group that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has made a priority in his 15 months at the Justice Department. The operation "targeted the worst of the worst," Gonzales said at a news conference at the Justice Department." (source)

Gotta love that --and speaking of Alberto... Rush has the best shirt for sale - "Club GITMO - Your Tropical retreat from the Stress of Jihad" LOL

(H/T: Liz)

Apes Granted "Human Rights"?

I understand that there will never be a nationwide consensus over abortion, embryonic research, the death penalty and 'torture' as many feel these human rights issues are subjective...but I have to believe that even the most pro-choice among us would have to find it odd that in Spain (where abortion and embryonic stem cell research is legal) there is now legislation to give apes "human rights"... even Amnesty International is shocked.

"Observers might be excused for thinking that the move by the vigorously anti-Catholic socialist government of Spain was intended as a dig at the Vatican. Recent history shows a propensity for in-your-face gestures pointed at Rome including, particularly, the abolition of traditional marriage, and refusing to allow judges to opt out of witnessing homosexual unions for religious reasons.

The idea of “human” rights for great apes is possibly a stab at what secularists regard as “retrograde” Christian ideas about the hierarchical nature of creation with man, as the image of God, at the top.

While the socialists are passing legislation intended as rude gestures to the Church, Pope Benedict continues to warn against the extreme secularization of Europe and the looming economic and social consequences of the plummeting birth rate.

Currently, the birth rate in once-fervently Catholic Spain stands among the lowest in Europe. A recent article appearing in the UK political magazine, the Spectator, suggested that a culturally and historically European Spain will soon find itself contracepted and aborted out of existence." (source)

Bush, Please Stop Catering...

...to the Left.

They will never respect you -or accept you Mr. President. You control the House and the Senate and have no need to pander to people that will despise you no matter what you do. Get over it and keep the promises you made to your base and to the millions of people that voted for you. Democrats move to the center before elections to trick Independents into voting for them --Conservatives DO NOT move to the center after they're already won the election for their second term.

Stop with the "Americans are addicted to oil" crap. Of course we are. We are a thriving, growing nation. ...and maybe if environmentalists hadn't closed all of our refineries and we were drilling in ANWAR we wouldn't be hurting so bad right now.

"It is no program to say use less energy." -Ronald Reagan (source)

..And what's with the amnesty talk? I don't get it? Are we in a "Global War on Terror"? Did hijackers get into this country illegally and kill 3000 Americans?

I know it must be terrible to have so many people saying so many horrible things about you all the time...but now is not the time to get soft. Experts all say we are overdue for a terrorist attack --why make it easier? For what? So they stop drawing you as a monkey or Cheney's puppet? They won't -regardless of what you do --so buck up and keep your eye on the prize...security.

Tony Snow

Didn't you think the left would be happy that Bush picked someone for Press Secretary who wasn't what they consistently label the rest of his circle..."yes men (and women)"? Here's one thing I thought they'd have to grudgingly give Bush credit for... but alas, I was wrong again.

Here are some reactions to Snow's new appointment:

"And as to the forecast for Snow at the White House, in the words of one Washington wag about the press secretary heir apparent, 'The administration appears to have vetted him as well as it did Bernie Keric.'" -Keith Olberman (referring to critical articles that Snow has written about the President).

"Tony Snow, who also happens to be an anchor over there at the "F" word network, is likely to take the job as White House press secretary." -Jack Cafferty

...and from the Kos kids:

"While he's not Limbaugh, Hannity, Savage, Ingraham, O'Reilly or some of the other right wing kooks," the Daily Koser explained, "he still worked for Faux news, the official propaganda arm of the RNC and the White House."

(source)

ALWAYS complaining. It's tiresome. It's getting old.

Tony Snow seems like a really good guy who isn't afraid to speak his mind when it's warranted. No, he won't be doing that on camera, but maybe he'll be a voice of conservative reason behind the scenes.

I also think it's pretty cool that he's in a rock band...

There Was '04 Election Fraud!

It didn't involve ballot boxes or Republicans...it involved privileged kids, intimidation, sharp objects and Democrats...

In Milwaukee "A U.S. lawmaker's son and three Democratic campaign workers were sentenced Wednesday to four to six months in jail for slashing tires outside a Bush-Cheney campaign office on Election Day 2004. The men pleaded no contest in January to misdemeanor property damage.

The Wisconsin state Republican Party had rented more than 100 vehicles to give rides to voters and poll monitors on Nov. 2, 2004. The cars were parked outside a Republican campaign office when the tires were punctured. The vandalism left the drivers scrambling for new vehicles.

Among those sentenced Wednesday were Sowande A. Omokunde, the son of Democratic lawmaker Gwen Moore, and Michael Pratt, the son of former acting Milwaukee Mayor Marvin Pratt." (source)

Here in the "City of brotherly Love" we are not strangers to Election Day voter intimidation... Think labor unions... And then there were the rumors of voting machines in Center City starting the day with 2,500 votes for Kerry. The thing is, even if Kerry would have won, I wouldn't be whining about it and calling it a 'stolen. election... I guess I'm just not that bad a sport.

I Won't Say Who Needs These, But...

...there has been a novel new development in bean preparation. That's right, "fart-free beans"...coming soon to a grocery store near you?

"Beans cooked with a pinch of bacteria means diners can tuck in without the explosive results, scientists say. Researchers from Venezuela say two strains of bacteria are the key to producing fart-free beans....

...In spite of being part of the staple diets of these populations, their consumption is limited by the flatulence they produce." Smart cooks know they can ferment beans, and make them less gas-inducing, by cooking them in the juices from a previous batch.

When the researchers fermented black beans with the two bacteria, they found it decreased the soluble fibre content by more than 60% and lowered levels of raffinose, a compound known to cause gas, by 88%." (source)

Caption It...

War Dead: Respect or Government Secrecy

Canadians are having the debate over media coverage and their war dead similar to the one we had here in the U.S.

I think this is a really hard debate because I understand both sides.

I *do* believe that the MSM only wants media coverage as ammunition --for political gain, and that is wrong. ...BUT, I also believe in a free press and as much transparency as possible. It's a dilemma.

Is a returning warrior, that was killed in the War in Terror, the government's responsibility --which the media has a right to, or is the family owed this privacy in receiving their loved one? I lean toward letting the family have this moment.

"When asked what their biggest concern would be should something happen to them, very nearly all the soldiers who agreed to speak Tuesday said they preferred grieving family members be shielded from what they consider to be the sometimes ruthless intensity of the media spotlight.

"I believe that should be a family and private moment," said Cpl. Greg Gorecki, of 1 Combat Engineering Regiment. "I support the decision."

If a family member chooses to talk to the media, that's their prerogative, but they should not be put on display, complained several soldiers.

"All of the coverage the media has here on Kandahar airfield is all the coverage the media has to have," said Gorecki. "I think once the event has been covered, it doesn't need to be exposed any more." (source)

Bin Laden getting Desperate?

From al Jazeera:

"The US is no longer facing a tiny dangerous faction within the Islamist movement that is al-Qaeda. The US faces now an ideological enemy which encompasses all jihadis, local jihadis and trans-national jihadis and even radical Islamists.

In many ways this basically sets the US on a highly dangerous track because it's one thing to say that the US faces al-Qaeda which is a highly dangerous enemy and it's another to say that the US faces an ideological threat which encompasses all jihadis and even all Islam.

It changes the nature of confrontation and basically convinces Americans who know very little about the nuances and differences between jihadis and the Islamists that somehow we're facing what I call an existential threat, a strategic threat. And this is not true." (source)

This is an excerpt from an interview with Fawaz Gerge (Christian Johnson Chair in International Affairs and Middle Eastern Studies at New York's Sarah Lawrence University). Sounds like he is saying this will turn into a war of religions...

In the interview he also says that Bin Laden is getting desperate:

"He sounds deeply disappointed that his messages have fallen on deaf ears. The caravan of jihad has left him behind, and it is moving in a dramatically different direction than he had expected. He feels an urgent need to remind his followers and the Muslim community that he is still alive, that he exists.

But the truth is that there are few takers for his civilisational war. Neither Iraqis nor Palestinians are willing to wage a war on bin Laden's behalf; nor do they subscribe to his vision. They have much more limited goals than bin Laden's ambitious and convoluted rhetoric." (source)

I know Bin Laden is a figure head and his death won't stop the hundreds waiting in the wings with suicide vest in hand, but damn would it make me feel better...

Famous Baby: Coming Soon...

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 300 millionth American will be born sometime in October 2006...

AB (my sis) is due in the middle of October. She could be carrying the prized baby that will give parents their 15 minutes of fame...

"If the experts are right, some time [in January], perhaps somewhere in the suburban South or West, a couple, most likely white Anglo-Saxon Protestants or Hispanic, will conceive a baby who, when born in October, will become the 300 millionth American.

As of yesterday, the Census Bureau officially pegged the resident population of the United States at closing in on 297,900,000. The bureau estimates that with a baby being born every 8 seconds, someone dying every 12 seconds and the nation gaining an immigrant every 31 seconds on average, the population is growing by one person every 14 seconds.

At that rate, the total is expected to top 300 million late this year. But with those projections adjusted monthly and the number of births typically peaking during the summer, the benchmark is likely to be reached about nine months from now." (source)

And even with all that pro-creating going on here in the US of A...we are still far behind China and India in the population growth race --and then there's Japan, which is apparently shrinking...

If the baby is AB's, I'd love to capitalize on the event and put him/her in the Roe V. Wade shirt...or maybe one of these shirts when the news trucks arrive... ;)

When Hollywood & Politics Collide...

Looks like another Hollywood type is set to enter the political arena. Kelsey Grammer wants to run for public office. He doesn't say which office that would be in any of the quotes that I could find, but all the stories seem to hint at (or outright say) President.

"Grammer, who has a sordid past of substance abuse as well as a taste for strippers (though after Clinton the latter shouldn't be a problem), doesn't believe the skeletons in his closet will hurt his chances. "The opposition would hope [my past] would harm me, but my frankness and openness about it would probably benefit me." (sourdce)

...I'm still holding out for Fred Thompson.

I was trying to recall the celebs that have been on 'Real Time with Bill Maher' complaining and accusing over the NSA wiretapping --as it seems that Hollywood has been doing a bit of wiretapping of their own.

...An Angry God...

"Five youths were killed when a large metal cross where they were praying was struck by lightning in central Mexico, local media reported.

The five ranged in age from 9 to 16 years old. Several others suffered burns when lightning struck the cross on a hill in the town of Santa Maria del Rio early Sunday, according to two newspaper reports." (source)

...I was going to say something about God weighing in on the illegal immigration thing, but I really shouldn't make light of this.

Best Jobs in the US

Salary.com and Money magazine have put out a list of the 50 Best Jobs in America.

Here are the top ten:
1. Software Engineer
2. College professor
3. Financial adviser
4. Human Resources Manager
5. Physician assistant
6. Market research analyst
7. Computer IT analyst
8. Real Estate Appraiser
9. Pharmacist
10. Psychologist

Teaching, Librarian or Social Work is no where to be found -even on the list of 50... Guess this doesn't help me narrow down my options...
Of course I think the best job in America is being a mom, though the pay sucks... ;)

The DNC "Plan"...

I spent the weekend reading all the lefty sites... Wow! What a treasure-trove of post-worthy information...why didn't I think of that before?! If only I was good at stand-up comedy...

So there was a wave of excitement rolling through the left'o'sphere over Dean's new opus...the "Six point DNC Plan" to take back Congress this year and the Oval Office in '08. He made the speech while he was in New Orleans. Brace yourselves...

1) Raise Minimum wage
2) Fair taxes for the middle class
3) Ban gifts and travel for lobbyists
4) Cargo inspection
5) Fix Medicare
6) "Transition" in Iraq

I thought they said it was the Right that needed "bumper sticker slogans" --short and sweet. Easy to comprehend...that the left was nuanced. Over at the blog-for-hire they were pretty pumped about this "plan" --pretty confident it would win it all back for them. In all fairness a few of them also stated they were "proud" Teddy *hiccup* Kennedy was their Senator too --so we may not be dealing with full decks here...

Here's what stood out to me:
1) Raising the minimum wage hurts small business owners (i.e. the middle class)
2) What is "fair"? Does that mean taxes should be higher or lower (because families of four have gained an average of $3000/yr under Bush)
3) Does anyone in America really care about lobbyists? Is this a bit odd stuck in the middle when we are at war with two countries and have three waiting in the wings?
4) Everyone wants safe ports, but from all I've read this is nothing but an election buzz phrase and inspecting every container is not only astronomical but improbable.
5) Once again, are we at war?
6) The LAST item? Iraq is last? Wasn't this their biggest talking point? And a "transition"? What does that mean?

Weak. I'd be pretty embarrassed if this is what the GOP spat out after all these months.

...and, unless they do get Congress back --all of this is moot because they can promise all they want, but if there is still a GOP controlled Congress in '08, they won't have the votes...

...so there.

CIA LEAK

I wish I had the ambition right now to track down quotes from the "Plame" leak and the "pre-war intelligence" leak that outed Joe Wilson as a fraud... The indignant, self righteous psuedo anger from the left... If I were feeling more motivated I would list them all here...

and here...

and here...

But alas, I am feeling lazy and I'm sure you all remember the politically motivated feigned antipathy without my help.

So, just to prove it was a farce, I thought I'd offer this little quote from one of the Kos Kids contributors...referring to the CIA agent, Mary McCarthy, who leaked national security information to the press:

"...a courageous CIA whistleblower is fired for telling the truth about American gulags."

Whistle blowing, not leaking. Courageous, not traitorous. Interesting. And they are crying about double standards?!

Gas Prices...

Am I the only one that is pretty indifferent to rising gas prices? I mean, sure, it sucks to have to pay more for anything...but is the price really that high? Europeans are laughing at us...they were paying way more for their petrol in '97 than we're paying even now...

When you start to fret, think about this --in America we pay $1.99 for an 8 oz. bottle of WATER (that most likely came from a tap similar to the one in your kitchen). A gallon of gas (currently $2.88 for a gallon of regular in Philly) contains 128 ounces. That means that you will pay $.24 an ounce for water without blinking an eye, but moan and cry at $.02 an ounce for gas? It would cost you $32 for a gallon of Evian...

Why aren't we blaming the President and big business for water prices? That seems like a way bigger rip off to me... They don't need off shore rigs, drilling and refining for Evian...they only need a $30 faucet from Home Depot. Everyone's always talking alternative fuel, but thank God our cars don't run on bottled water or we'd really be screwed...

In the Sandbox...

To Servicemembers’ Children

"I want to take this opportunity to recognize the extraordinary contributions of our nation’s military families, who have faced many challenges — from family separations to frequent moves — with great courage. I would especially like to acknowledge a special source of inspiration: children of military families:

You are patient and understanding when duty calls and your mom or dad cannot attend a soccer game, music recital, birthday party, or other important family or school activity. You are heroes in a quiet, thoughtful way, and I am grateful for the unconditional love you give your mom and dad. Many of you have experienced the sad and sometimes frightening experience of having your mom or dad far from home, serving around the globe in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Through your personal courage and support, you serve this nation too — and I am proud of you!

Frequent moves are a way of life for the military child. It is never easy to say goodbye to friends and familiar routines, to begin again in a new school, a new neighborhood — and, sometimes, a new country! But your resilience and self-confidence are strengths that others, including your parents, admire.

Growing up in a military family offers some challenges, but it also provides some special rewards. You can be proud of your mom and dad for their brave defense of this great country. Your love and support sustains them. So thank you for being there for Mom and Dad. You are American patriots and role models for us all."

-Marine Gen. Peter Pace, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington (Stars & Stripes: Letters to the Editor)

...girls of the Reserves...
One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six

Blogger, Kicking Me When I'm Down...

So Blogger was thwarting any attempt at publishing all day. I realize it's a free service and all, but...

That was classified as an "unscheduled outage" and later today there is a "scheduled outage" --so I am not going to put up any of today's posts until tomorrow...

On top of the publishing impotence of this morning, I took my dog to the vet. She's been acting really weird. The doctor is a good friend of mine (I worked at this particular practice for nine years) and she was a bit cryptic about what the ultrasound revealed, which is out of character for her. To my untrained eye it looked like there was a large mass in her bladder. We did $175 worth of bloodwork...so I guess I'll have a better idea of what's going on tomorrow. I am guessing she thinks it's cancer and just didn't want to say. Tink is only four. I knew it was bad when even her new red Coach collar didn't cheer her up... She's not looking well.

How am I ever going to tell the boys?!

The MSM and the Left...

There are many a frustrating conversation to be had with a liberal. The "validity" of the war. Bush being dumb/evil. Republicans hating anyone that isn't old, white and rich. Government doing everything for everybody. We've all had them here and in our personal lives... but there is one that has always frustrated me more than the others. Media bias and their denial of it. The reason this tops my list is because the other things are subjective --and the left wing bias in the media is fact. ...So whenever I have had this argument I have just burned inside thinking -'How can this person just look me right in the face and lie through their teeth?'.

...But alas, I think I have come to a new realization that should help my stress level. I honestly don't think they believe there is a left-leaning media bias. Though the left group-think controls almost every paper in this country and we know for a fact that most news stations are run and programmed by lefties... In fact, I think they might honestly believe the media has a Right bias. Now, I don't know if they all believe this about the MSM or if they truly believe that FNC and right wing radio overpowers all the other stuff.

On one of the bigger sites of the left'o'sphere yesterday they were all discussing how the MSM holds the DNC down. How they must overcome the bias! And get this, how Katie Couric is a puppet for the right! I'm flabbergasted, but at least now I know these people are actually delusional and not just liars...

For those on the right that don't believe this (I know it's a bit kooky), I offer the picture as proof. This was taken by the good folks at Protest Warrior at an anti-war rally. NPR has a rightwing bias?! Oh Lord...

Rainy Sunday Fun...

...well, it's raining here anyway. Of course all week it was beautiful, 72º and sunny and now it's been cold, windy and rainy all weekend...

So I was playing around with this site called MyHeritage.com, which I first read about on IMAO. You upload your picture to their site and it scans your facial features and gives you celebrities that have similar feature structure...

Here are my results:


Jeff Goldblum?! Can I go kill myself now? :)

...and The Man's results:


Haha...He got mostly women, and look at that, he does look like Ava Gardner!

Busta got: Heather Graham, Katie Holmes, Ricky Martin, Micsha Barton and Christina Ricci.
Ninja also got Katie Holmes and Christina Ricci.

Anyway, go play...it was fun.
(*If you want your results on your blog, you'll have to make them yourselves --unless you know how to copy Macromedia...which I don't)

Virtual Conference & Busy Work...

I am taking a break from posting today because...thanks to Greyhawk and Mrs. Greyhawk and technology...I have been watching/listening to the Milblog Conference '06 streaming live into my computer room.

It's been really great thus far and many of the "big names" in Milblogging are there. This has been really interesting as the only Blogger panel I have sat on was one where I was the token conservative and talking to an audience that wasn't exactly blog-savvy. This has a whole different feel...

If you want to check it out, you can GO HERE and check out the video/audio and chat. PLEASE, no moonbats...if you have something negative to say about the military and the milbloggers you can go find a Code Pink rally somewhere...

Some interesting reading...
CIA finally fires someone over the leak

The Minutemen tell Bush if he won't build a fence -they will

The economy is great -why doesn't anyone seem to know it?

Navy & Marriage for money (I'd say we aren't paying these guys enough...)

I really hope LYNN SWANN's staff reads this article!

...and some Quizzes...

Your Hidden Talent

You are both very knowledgeable and creative. You tend to be full of new ideas and potential - big potential. Ideas like yours could change the world, if you build them. As long as you don't stop working on your dreams, you'll get there.

What's Your Hidden Talent?

Your Quirk Factor: 53%

You're a pretty quirky person, but you're just normal enough to hide it. Congratulations - you've fooled other people into thinking you're just like them!

How Quirky Are You?

...Ok, so I'm not very good at taking a day off.

Sex Offender Registries

Megan's Law has been challenged in Philadelphia over and over... some might be surprised to know that here in PA we have only recently (within the time I've had this site) been able to look up our neighborhoods on the registry. Thanks to groups like The Defender Association of Philadelphia (--which claims to be a non-profit/independent organization, but then says it gets its money from the City of Philadelphia all in the same sentence...) and the ACLU, both who want to abolish Megan's Law and sex offender registries.

I don't get this. I don't get it at all. I can't comprehend it. I can't think of one thing that could possibly be motivating these people to take away what measly protections we have... I don't like to hate and it makes me hate. It makes me wonder about them and what they are doing in private. What is a society that continually fails to protect the weakest among them --the babies and the children...those that have no way of protecting themselves?! I wish that each judge, public defender, hot shot defense lawyer slummin' it in pro-bono land and each ACLU lawyer was forced to leave their children with the molester they are defending and trying to get off the registry for two days...alone. I know it's an unrealistic thought... But I wonder if they would be fighting to get them off the registry if they lived on their street... I can only assume it's all childless people waging this fight, because the alternative is unthinkable.

Currently in Montpelier, Vermont the ACLU is targeting online sex registries :

"Allen Gilbert of Vermont's ACLU chapter said "these things never work. If doing something doesn't add to public safety and, in fact, can lead to tragedies like we've just seen in Maine, I think it really doesn't make sense to have an online registry."

There are 220 sex offenders listed on the Vermont online registry. People can see the towns the sex offenders live in, but not their street addresses. Its information state officials say the public has the right to know, and they believe the public will use it wisely.

Sheri Englert is Vermont's sex offender registry coordinator. She said the site -- which lists the most dangerous sex offenders -- is a public service and a tool that should stay public." (source)

Jay at Stop the ACLU has posted about this also.

I much prefer to hear news like this out of South Carolina :

"South Carolina's Senate voted 38-4 to allow the death penalty for sex offenders convicted a second time of raping children younger than 11. Oklahoma lawmakers are considering a similar bill.

Gov. Mark Sanford and South Carolina's attorney general, both Republicans, have endorsed the death penalty for child rapists. A state House committee has yet to take up the measure.

Like most of the 38 states allowing capital punishment, South Carolina and Oklahoma reserve the death penalty for murderers.

Only three states -- Louisiana, Florida and Montana -- have laws allowing the death penalty for sex crimes, and no such executions have been carried out since the U.S. Supreme Court let capital punishment resume 30 years ago." (source)

Eh Tu Blair?

One can only surmise from Jack Straw's speech in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia yesterday that Britain is seriously toning down their previous resistance to Hamas.

Two things really stood out:

"Hamas now leads the government and we would like to have normal relations with them as we have had with previous governments."

He qualified this with requests for Hamas to renounce terrorism (they sponsor and encourage terrorism) and honor peace treaties...

Recognition of Israel does "not mean a formal declaration by Hamas, but just a practical acceptance of the 'reality' of the Jewish state."

"The Telegraph also noted that Straw "is said to believe that re-writing the Hamas charter, which calls for the destruction of Israel, is not a precondition for dialog."

The remarks by Britain's top diplomat come just days after the Hamas government gave its stamp of approval to the slaughter of nine Israelis by a "Palestinian" homicide bomber in Tel Aviv." (source)

Why would Blair do this? Our strongest ally in the war against terror? The man, who after 9/11, said "Their barbarism shall be their shame"... This site claims to have the inside scoop...

"Britain and France are competing for large-scale arms deals with Saudi Arabia and multi-billon dollar contracts to build a new electronic fence enclosing the border between the oil kingdom and Iraq.

Straw’s main mission in Riyadh was to gain the edge for London over Paris. To this end, three days after Hamas justified a Palestinian suicide bombing which killed 9 people in Tel Aviv, he was willing to back down from the three main US-EU provisos for accepting a Hamas government." (source)

What the Heck is Going on in Oklahoma?!

I feel like every story I do about some weirdo lately has taken place in the Sooner State...

The latest is 45 year old Michael Theleman, who is creating a scene in his neighborhood with a sign posted on his lawn…

"He put a sign in his yard Sunday saying he'll pay $1,000 for a virgin bride between the ages of 12 and 24.

One of his neighbors said she feels like she's living near a pedophile. As of Wednesday, there were no offers.

Theleman said he doesn't understand. He said his grandmother married "a much older man" at age 14.

After complaints, he put up a new sign Wednesday without the ages. The new sign said he's not interested in a "pig-worshipping, heathen, white-supremacist wife."

Stephens County District Attorney Gene Christian said Theleman's sign likely is legal." (source)

Truthfully, the only problem I have is that he didn't start the ages at 18. If he's such a misanthrope that he needs to advertise for a wife, that's on him... And $1000 is not near enough for one of those pretty Russian or Filipino mail brides.

(H/T: Liz)

Check Your Pennies...

A coin collector is putting three pennies -each worth over $200- into circulation. He spent the first one yesterday buying a pretzel on the street in New York...and he's not saying where he'll spend the rest. He's doing it to raise interest in coin collecting.

"Scott Travers, Coin Collector: "I want people to look at their pocket change and understand there's excitement and the potential for profit."

And what a profit it is. He is circulating a 1914 'D' (minted in Denver) Lincoln cent valued at $300. He's already released a 1908 'S' (for San Francisco) Indian Head penny valued at $200, and today he'll release a 1909 'S VDB' valued at a whopping $1,000 on the streets.

Here's what to look for on that 1909, $1,000 penny:

On the back, on the bottom, between the two stocks of wheat are the initials 'VDB' for the man who engraved the coin." (source)

I hope The Man doesn't get one...he throws all his pennies in the street. I also hope the boys don't find out about it or they'll drive me insane looking at pennies for the rest of my life...

Caption It...

Milblog Conference '06

The Man and I were hoping (planning) on leaving tonight for tomorrow's Milblog conference in D.C....but alas, we will not be in attendance.

I was really looking forward to meeting many of the other Bloggers that will be there and am really disappointed that we can't go.

Damn.

I hope all of you that are going have a great time... :(

Today in History...

April 20, 1979:

Giant Bunny Attempts Presidential Assassination!

"Today in Odd History, President Jimmy Carter was attacked by a rabbit during a fishing trip in Plains, Georgia. The rabbit, which may have been fleeing a predator, swam toward his boat, "hissing menacingly, its teeth flashing and nostrils flared." President Carter was forced to swat at the vicious beast with a canoe paddle, which apparently scared it off.

Upon his return to the White House, Carter told his staff about the furry amphibian's assault. Most of them refused to believe him, insisting that rabbits can't swim (although since most mammals can swim, there's no reason to believe that rabbits cannot), and that even if they could, they certainly wouldn't attack humans, and certainly not presidents. Fortunately, a White House photographer had been on the scene, and had recorded the bizarre attack. The photograph showed Carter with his paddle raised, warding off a small creature which might, or might not, have been a rabbit. One staffer was quoted as saying, "You couldn't tell what it was." Undaunted by their skepticism, Carter had the image enlarged, and there it was--a killer bunny rabbit, apparently bent on assassinating the president." (source)

This has always been one of my very favorite stories... Thanks to the Freepers for reminding me... And thanks to the Reagan Administration for leaking the pictures...

Vindication Always Comes...

...when the other side is politicizing a non-issue (for either side mind you). Right now the vindication is for the right.

We already know that the real reason the left was upset that Bush de-classified pre-war intelligence was because it proved Joe Wilson to be a liar --and that they quickly tried to spin the story to make it seem as if Scooter Libby said it was okay to leak Wilson's wife's name to deflect the exposed Wilson lies...

Now we have the documented proof that Plame wasn't "covert" (which the thinking public knew from the beginning)...

Real Teen has a post up outlining the "Unclassified" Valerie Plame memo. This memo was declassified BEFORE 2003 and Plame's name is not blacked out.

"I researched the type of declassification this was, and found the following:

1.6 X 1: Reveal an intelligence source, method or activity, or a cryptologic system or activity

You will notice from the picture, that this is a 1.6 X 1 type of declassification. This actually means that the information was purposely declassified so that this intelligence source, method, or activity information would be available. Valerie Plame wasn’t covert, or else this would have STAYED secret." (Read the whole post)

Considering the fact that anyone that decided to sit outside CIA headquarters in Langley could have seen Plame driving in every day and easily deducted she worked for them -this whole Wilson - Plame - Libby fiasco has been a bunch of smoke and mirrors. Even though it was obvious from the start, it's nice to see the BS dissipate. I got trolled big time the first day I posted that Plame was a desk jockey -- I always marvel at some of the crazy nasty stuff people will say to other humans under the cloak of "cyberspace"...

...If you want to see how vicious, nasty, racist and always misogynistic the LEFT gets when they are called on something --read THIS POST at the Jawa Report explaining what's going on with Michelle Malkin and S.A.W. members (Students Against War). See how all their PC rhetoric goes right out the window as they repeatedly call her "chink scum" (which I guess means these lefties are saying "they all look a like" considering she's not Chinese, but Filipino). If you are offended by vulgar language, you can read about it on Michelle's site instead.

If I Were the President...

...I would make EVERYONE (especially all NOW and NARAL members and supporters) watch this video. If you remember, I stopped watching CNN because they blew off questions about what partial birth abortion entails and just kept explaining it as "a form of late term abortion". MANY Americans have NO IDEA what this procedure entails...or that "health of the mother" refers to anything from a cold to a fear the baby is not her husbands... Like good programmed drones they ask about the “health of the mother”, but never wonder or how killing the baby can save the mother if the baby is already delivered?

This video (don’t fret, it’s done with A DOLL) is really, really useful. Not propaganda...just what happens... remember as you watch this that NOW, NARAL, Planned Parenthood and the ACLU are fighting tooth and nail to keep this "procedure"...

Best Story This Year...

It seems that a seventy-six year old man was going door to door posing as a doctor and offering free breast exams...

Two women (there is no proof they were blondes!) took him up on his offer. On the first woman he began the exam by feeling her breasts and as he moved to her lower regions it finally dawned on her that he might not be a real doctor. OMG! Is it wrong that I can't stop laughing?

"At about 9 a.m., BSO investigators say, Philip Winikoff drove to an apartment complex near the 3200 block of Northwest 40th Street. Carrying a black ''doctor's'' bag, he walked up to the building and told a 36-year-old woman that he was in the neighborhood offering free breast exams.

The woman let Winikoff, of Coconut Creek, into her apartment and the phony doctor began the exam. The woman told police that after Winikoff touched her breasts, he moved his hand to her genitals and further assaulted her. Realizing he was not a doctor, she called BSO, but Winikoff had already left her apartment and found another victim; a 33-year-old woman in the same complex.

Deputies found Winikoff on Northwest 40th Street and arrested him. Investigators say the second victim told them a similar story -- that Winikoff presented himself as a doctor and was in the area giving free breast exams. Again, the woman let Winikoff into her apartment and again, he sexually assaulted her.

Investigators believe Winikoff has likely victimized other women who may be embarrassed about coming forward. They are asking that anyone with information about Winikoff call Detective Joe Harris of the BSO Sex Crimes Unit at 954-321-4240." (source)

...Yeah, I think I'd be a little embarrassed too!

Military Tidbits...

More proof that our troops are evil and heartless and don’t care about civilians...

The 10th Mt. Div. is de-worming goats and sheep in Afghanistan:


Emperor Darth Misha I has the story behind this picture posted:


John, over at The Castle, has a great post about Milblogging:
The Enemy is Reading --and so is the FBI and CIA it seems...

CBFTW recently spoke at Ithaca College during their "War is Complex" week. I'd be really interested to hear how the discussions went and what turnout was like... I wish I could have gone up.

IMO, way cooler than blogging from theater are the ever-emerging war video diaries. The fairly new site YouTube has a lot available (search keyword: Iraq) These videos (both highly produced and very amateur) contain tons of pics and video that haven't been seen before --I don't know what the military is going to think about video being posted in real time with non-DOD approved footage, but I’ve been enjoying watching while it lasts.
Here is one of the better produced videos:

Iran & The Palestinians...

I think that I've been pretending if I don't blog about this whole situation that it will kindly just go away...

...So to be quite honest I am really a bit in the dark about the entire scope of what has been transpiring. I figured I'd give the whole liberal head-in-the-sand thing a go.

What I do know is that terrorists are amping up the efforts to recruit "White Muslims" (like the infamous Johnny Walker Lindh). Which, we all knew was coming...

"Terrorists have been working to recruit non-Arab sympathizers — so-called "white Muslims" with Western features who theoretically could more easily blend into European cities and execute attacks — according to classified intelligence documents obtained by The Associated Press.

A 252-page confidential report jointly compiled by Croatian and U.S. intelligence on potentially dangerous Islamic groups in Bosnia suggests the recruitment drive may have begun as long as four years ago, when Arab militants ran up against tough post-9/11 security obstacles.

"They judge that it is high time that their job on this territory should be taken over by new local forces ... people who are born here and live here have an advantage which would make their job easier. By their appearance, they are less obvious," the report reads.

Arabs, it adds, "have become too obvious, which has made their job difficult." (source)

I also know that on Monday yet another Palestinian went on to find that the 72 virgins promise was a big, fat lie. And Israel is pissed --rightly so. Hamas, of course, is defending the slaughter of nine and injury of over 50...claiming "self defense".

"Israeli officials made it clear that they hold Hamas responsible for the bombing, even though a rival militant group, Islamic Jihad, has claimed responsibility. They warned that further attacks might lead to retaliation against members of the Palestinian government.

"Being a member of Hamas will not grant immunity to any terrorist," said Raanan Gissin, Olmert's spokesman. "Those who are involved in terrorist activity can rest assured that we can reach them," said Gissin, clearly alluding to the targeted assassinations that Israel conducts on militants. "Those who don't stop terrorist activity, or give sanctuary to terrorists, are as guilty as those who send the terrorists." (source)

I also know that there is a diaolouge taking place on whether the US (and the UK) should take military action against Iran's nuclear strikes... Iran says it's ready and has already recruited an army of suicide bombers that are at the ready to hit British, American and Israeli targets.

So does this all work itself into one emerging story? Is this the precursor to WWIII? Will an attack by the Israeli PM against Hamas lead to a response by Iran and in turn the US and the UK....? Can I put my head back in the sand now...it's kinda nice down there?

(Photo Credit - The Sun UK)

Do As I Say, Not As I Do - Vicente Fox

...Well, that's not really his quote, but it should be.

I can't believe after ALL this debate we are having here in the US and all the pressure Fox has put on our President and Congress...he is the biggest hypocrite ever. OK, we already knew that... I mean who else has the cojones to ask another country to care for people that belong to you? Especially when you are the President of a country dripping in resources and tourism...

Now, listen to this mierda...

Illegal aliens (or "undocumented workers") are considered felons in Mexico and hunted down like dogs...

"While migrants in the United States have held huge demonstrations in recent weeks, the hundreds of thousands of undocumented Central Americans in Mexico suffer mostly in silence.

And though Mexico demands humane treatment for its citizens who migrate to the U.S., regardless of their legal status, Mexico provides few protections for migrants on its own soil. The issue simply isn't on the country's political agenda, perhaps because migrants make up only 0.5 percent of the population, or about 500,000 people — compared with 12 percent in the United States.

The level of brutality Central American migrants face in Mexico was apparent Monday, when police conducting a raid for undocumented migrants near a rail yard outside Mexico City shot to death a local man, apparently because his dark skin and work clothes made officers think he was a migrant.

Virginia Sanchez, who lives near the railroad tracks that carry Central Americans north to the U.S. border, said such shootings in Tultitlan are common. "At night, you hear the gunshots, and it's the judiciales (state police) chasing the migrants," she said. "It's not fair to kill these people. It's not fair in the United States and it's not fair here."

Undocumented Central American migrants complain much more about how they are treated by Mexican officials than about authorities on the U.S. side of the border, where migrants may resent being caught but often praise the professionalism of the agents scouring the desert for their trail.

"If you're carrying any money, they take it from you — federal, state, local police, all of them," said Carlos Lopez, a 28-year-old farmhand from Guatemala crouching in a field near the tracks in Tultitlan, waiting to climb onto a northbound freight train.

Lopez said he had been shaken down repeatedly in 15 days of traveling through Mexico. "The soldiers were there as soon as we crossed the river," he said. "They said, 'You can't cross ... unless you leave something for us.'" (source)

Why don't we tell El Presidente Fox that whatever he does for his illegals, we'll do for ours... It's only fair right?

Hate Crimes...

There really shouldn't be a such thing as the broad label of hate crime --as we have seen evidenced time and again, if there is black on white crime it isn't a "hate crime" and I suspect of there was gay on straight crime it wouldn't be a "hate crime"...

I'm not really complaining about this because, quite frankly, I'm not even sure what "hate crime" is... Isn't ANY crime a hate crime? If you murder someone in cold blood, does it really make a difference why? Does it matter if you randomly killed them or killed them because they were Black or Asian or liked Trent Reznor, were bi-sexual or wore tapered pants and Keds? How can we know someone's intent/motivation and even when we do --what the hell does it matter...the person is still dead, or raped, or robbed or injured.

...The story that inspired this mini uninspired rant is this one... A white NYU student (20 yr. old Broderick Hehman) was grabbed, hit, punched and chased into New York traffic by four Black teens that were allegedly chanting "Get the White Boy" (Or something to that effect -I've read a few different versions on the exact wording and grammar i.e. "Get Whitey") --they chased him to his death. No "hate crime" charge is being filed. A burglary charge is all that has been brought --and it will be heard in family court. Switch it around --a black student is chased... you get the point right...

"The evidence discovered by the District Attorney’s office revealed that Mr. Hehman was approached by a group of teenagers. He was held in a bear hug and punched in the side of his head. The teenagers also attempted to rob him.

The victim succeeded in breaking free from his attackers but the group pursued him and converged on him from two sides. He was chased into the street where he was struck by a car. Mr. Hehman sustained fractures to the base of the skull and the side of his head. He suffered cerebral trauma and died at Harlem Hospital days later.

One NYPD police officer said, on condition of anonymity, "This is a travesty. These street punks are getting a slap on the wrist. They did complete a felony -- assault -- when they grabbed the student and punched him. They just didn't want to throw the
book at these kids."

He also said, "They didn't want to charge them with a bias crime because they don't want the [crime] stats to show a black-on-white bias crime. You can be sure if the roles were reversed -- if it was a white-on-black incident -- it would have been treated as a bias crime." (source)

And then there's this from one of the perpetrator's grandfather:

"Rodney Jenkins, a grandfather of one of the 15-year-olds, said he spoiled his grandson so he would never be lured into the thuggery that upends the lives of so many young black men.”He has a jacket for every day of the week and stack of jeans," Mr. Jenkins said. "We do that so he won't have to go to the street to sell drugs." (source)

Someone give me a pro-hate crime charge argument. Please, don't take this to mean that I condone racially/sexually motivated crime --I just don't see what difference labeling crime does... Like I said, to me ALL crime is hate-based.

Link Between Suicide & Goth

A new study out of Glasgow University has linked the instance of self-harm, attempted suicide and suicide with the "Goth" lifestyle.

"Although only fairly small numbers of young people identify themselves as belonging to the Goth subculture, rates of self-harm and attempted suicide are very high among this group," said Robert Young, lead researcher of the Glasgow University study.

The Scottish team described Goths as being a subgenre of Punk "with a dark and sinister aesthetic, with aficionados conspicuous by their range of distinctive clothing and makeup and tastes in music".

Shock rockers such as Marilyn Manson are said to be popular amongst Goths and the subculture has often attracted suspicion and criticism from the media.

Two U.S. students who massacred 13 people at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999 were said to have been fascinated by the Goth image.

The Glasgow researchers studied of 1,258 young people who were quizzed at the ages of 11, 13, 15 and 19 about self harm and their links to various youth cultures. Although other subcultures were associated with self harm, such as Punk, the link was strongest with Goths." (source)

When I was younger I hated when articles like this came out --it gave adults more reason to be condescending and to judge on appearances. I dressed in all black and listened to death metal...at one time I even wore a real bejeweled chicken foot necklace (until my mom's Great Dane ate the damn thing)--and I also didn't do drugs and got good grades.

The key line of the article:
"...But since our study found that more reported self-harm before, rather than after, becoming a Goth, this suggests that young people with a tendency to self-harm are attracted to the Goth subculture."

Parents, don't fret over appearances. Outward rebellion is the best kind. Your kid is throwing it right in your face instead of snorting it behind your back... IMO anyway.

Cruising Beyond Weird...

Okay...I almost can't even take anymore, but I just had to say something about this...

...Tom Cruise is planning on eating the placenta that is currently housing he and Katie's baby.

"Cruise told GQ magazine: "I'm gonna eat the placenta. I thought that would be good. Very nutritious. I'm gonna eat the cord and the placenta right there."

Cruise has also claimed he knew that Katie Holmes was pregnant before she told him.

He has also defended the Scientology belief that women should give birth in silence.

"It's really about respecting the woman. It's not about her not screaming," he told GQ." (source)

My slightly insane sister decided to memorialize Mason's placenta on film... Tom Cruise is going to eat it --let's see if you can even look at it...

(H/T: Night Rider)

What's the Real Story in Iraq...?

Iraqi Frustration, Naysaying Blame-America-Firsters and Iraqi Boy Bands...


It seems that only the ones that have been there will ever know for sure. The Main Stream Media says it's on the brink of civil war...an un-winnable quagmire. Returning OIF Soldiers say tons of the people love them and thank them for coming. Politicians on the left (most of who have never been) say it's worse than when we got there. Laura Ingraham (who was there) says that she was shocked at the welcome she received from the Iraqi people and how high the troop morale was.

Who do we believe?

Three stories stuck out as I was thinking about this. ...Thinking about the humanitarian side of this war...

The first is the story of an Iraqi officer who questioned a group of our soldiers about the possible motivation of the American MSM. If his word is to be believed --the Iraqis are as upset over the left-biased media as the American right...

"Why do you people not tell our story? Why do you not say what is going on? Why do you come to our country and see what is happening, you see the schools and the hospitals and you see the markets and you eat with Sunni and Shia soldiers – everybody eats together, everybody works together –you see that Saddam is gone forever and we are free to speak and complain.

You see we are working and eating together and fighting together – Sunni and Shia – you see what we are building here, you see the votes we make as one people. Then you say to the world about a great war and horrible things and how we are all killing each other? We are not animals! We are Iraqis. Look around you! Look!" (source)

Then, the good feeling that I begin to get from reading that (as I am inclined to believe an Iraqi who is there over the American media) fades...as I read another story. A story of an American who is sickened that her kindergartener likes to say the pledge... She tells him of all the people being killed in Iraq because the President wanted to start a war and ruin people's schools and homes and kill children. "America did that" she tells her five year old...

"Still, for the first few months, we felt uneasy. Eighty of Narrowsburg's 319 adults are military veterans and at least 10 recent school graduates are serving in Iraq or on other bases overseas right now. The school's defining philosophy was traditional and conservative, starting with a sit-down-in-your-seat brand of discipline, leavened with a rafter-shaking reverence for country and flag. Every day the students gathered in the gym for the "Morning Program," open to parents, which began with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a patriotic song, and then discussion of a "word of the week.

...If you knew nothing else of the world, if you were just 5 or 6 or 10 years old, and this place was your only America, you wouldn't have any reason at all to question the Narrowsburg School's Morning Program routine. Hand over heart, my son belted out the Pledge with gusto every morning and memorized and sang "The Star-Spangled Banner." I never stopped resisting the urge to sit down in silent protest during the Pledge.

...In simple language, I told my son that our president had started a war with a country called Iraq. I said that we were bombing cities and destroying buildings. And I explained that families just like ours now had no money or food because their parents didn't have offices to go to anymore or bosses to pay them. "America did this?" my son asked, incredulous. "Yes, America," I answered.

...Now it has been almost a year since my son scampered down the steps of Narrowsburg Central Rural School for the last time. We've since returned to the city, driven back to urban life more by adult boredom than our children's lack of educational opportunities. Our son is enrolled in a well-rated K-5 public school on Manhattan's Upper West Side; not surprisingly, the Pledge of Allegiance is no longer part of his morning routine. Come to think of it, and I could be wrong, I've never seen a flag on the premises." (Lefty source -so you have to watch ads before you can read it)

She doesn't tell him that America is building schools, building hospitals, freeing children smaller than her son from prisons and stopping the rape rooms and the de-flowering of young girls by Saddam's sadistic son. She's happy her son's new school has no American flags... During election times the left always whines that the right claims the flag... Hmmm, wonder why...

Maybe the real message will start to get out --and come from other places than the Oval Office and Downing Street. Iraq is definitely coming into it's own --and we see that with the emergence of an IRAQI BOY BAND!

"The promise of good news from Iraq sounds like Downing Street propaganda, but for the past six months a five-piece Iraqi pop group has been in London preparing to deliver exactly that. Unknown To No One - UTN1 for short - are desperate to tell the rest of the world that there's more to their homeland than bombings, kidnappings and civil war.

"We don't see Iraq the way you see it on TV," says Hassan Ali, vocalist and guitarist. "That's what we want to tell people. We're the same as you, we can sing, we can speak different languages." "In each country, there's a small minority who make problems and troubles, stealing, killing, smuggling," adds Shant Garabedian, one of the group's co-founders. "Unfortunately, all the media in Iraq capture all these bad things, but they never show the good things and the progress and the educated people." (source)

Exacerbated Pedophilia

...As if sexually abusing a 10 year old wasn't bad enough. Kevin Underwood, a 26 year old grocery store clerk, decided to amp it up a bit.

This story is bad enough on it's face, but when you think about Jamie Bolin's parents... and having to know this information... THIS STORY is why I support the death penalty. Kevin Underwood has given up his right to be a part of the human race...

"Prosecutors in Oklahoma have filed first-degree murder charges against Kevin Underwood. He's accused of killing a 10-year-old neighbor, Jamie Rose Bolin.

...An affidavit from Purcell police said Underwood has confessed to killing Bolin. Investigators think Underwood killed Bolin, then sexually assaulted her as part of an elaborate plan to eat human flesh.

Authorities believe Underwood lured the girl into his apartment, beat her over the head with a wooden cutting board and suffocated her with his hands and duct tape. He and the girl lived in the same apartment complex in Purcell, about 40 miles south of Oklahoma City. People who know Underwood describe him as quiet, "boring" and seemingly trustworthy.

Police said he also targeted other potential victims, including an adult woman and a 5-year-old boy. Underwood kept an online diary in which he described himself as "single, bored, and lonely," but "pretty happy." On it, he joked about cannibalism, discussed the effects of not taking his anti-depression medication and mentioned "dangerously weird" fantasies. In the end, he said all he wanted in life was "to be able to live like a normal person."

However, in an entry two months ago, Underwood wrote that he struggled with depression and social interaction. He also mentions cannibalism, asking "If you were a cannibal, what would you wear to dinner?" and responding: "The skin of last night's main course."

Underwood's mother said she doesn't know how this happened, noting that her son was "always a wonderful boy." Connie Underwood said she feels "so terrible." "I would like to be able to tell her family how sorry we are. I just feel so terrible," Connie Underwood said.

...They believe the killer had plotted over time to abduct, rape, kill, devour and dismember someone and chose Bolin as the victim the day she disappeared.

Tompkins said the child was found unclothed inside a large, blue Rubbermaid tub and had deep lacerations to her neck, which they believe were signs of an attempt to decapitate her.

Kuykendall said preliminary findings indicate the child died of blunt force trauma to the head and asphyxiation. It's believed she was hit three or four times on the head with the cutting board, then a hand and some duct tape were placed over her mouth." (source)

His blog is on Blogspot. (H/T: Huff's Crime Blog) I read through some of the blog... he's had it since 2002. This is from his first entry:

"September 10th, 2002. The day before the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on America. And I say...who gives a fuck? I'm sick of hearing about it! I was sick of hearing about it a week after it happened. I liked the coverage of it at first, because it was entertaining. But after a few days of it, it got boring! The same thing happened with the Murrah Building bombing in Oklahoma, from which I live only about 30 or 40 miles away. I didn't care about that, and I don't care about the WTC. No one I know was involved in either of them, no one I know was hurt. And as long as none of my close friends or I are hurt, I don't give a fuck how many people the terrorists kill. I'm not worried about it. I live in the middle of nowhere, there's not much chance they're going to bomb anything here. The only thing I'm worried about is Anthrax, or something else chemical or biological." (source)

An IM conversation he had:

"missy_custer: Mmmm, I'm hungry.
missy_custer: What did you have for dinner tonight?
SubSpecies23: Children!
missy_custer: lmfao
SubSpecies23: lol, not really. I had meatloaf.
SubSpecies23: Made out of children!
missy_custer: lol, meatloaf, the singer?
SubSpecies23: ew, no, lol. Though he looks like he's probably eaten a child or two.
missy_custer: Yeah, the evil bastard." (source)

Of course these stood out too:
"But, yeah, that's what happens when you're raised in my family. The same thing happened to me. My parents are very anti-republican. If we weren't so lazy we'd probably all be bomb-throwing liberal activists." (source)

"I was, in my opinion, a lucky child. I was lucky enough to be raised in a fairly liberal house. My parents are both democrats, and are pretty open when it comes to religious and political ideals, my dad esepcially." (source)

So, ya know... just sayin'.

I have enrolled both my boys in a safety training session called "Know & Go". The class is at the end of May... I know it won't guarantee nothing will ever happen to my guys, but I hope it will give them some tools for this incredibly f'ed up world we find ourselves in...

(Story H/T: Liz)