Straight Up with Sherri

Iraq Speaks...........

2005-10-12T07:50:00.000-04:00

I wanted to write about Jalal Talabani's editorial in The London Times but Mack the Knife has done such a GREAT job writing about it, I will just share HIS piece with you. (use the link)

WHY WE FIGHT

Jalal Talabani

New Orleans Police Beat a SOBER MAN?

2005-10-11T08:32:00.000-04:00

"I haven't had a drink in 25 years," Davis said. He had stitches beneath his left eye, a bandage on his left hand and complained of soreness in his back and aches in his left shoulder.

SUWS HAS MOVED! BRING YOUR BRAIN!

2005-10-08T08:14:00.000-04:00

What Did He Know? And When Did He Know It? (Gone AMUCK!)

HYSTERICAL!!!!!

I read this FIRST thing this morning. OH! It's going to be a GOOD DAY! (emphasis in article below is ALL mine!)

Democrats to force Dobson to testify?
Senator wants to know if he's hiding Miers' pro-life views

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee might subpoena James Dobson during the confirmation hearings for Harriet Miers to probe the family advocate about "confidential" information he has about the Supreme Court nominee, a Capitol Hill source says. (Yeah, Like Dobson now has confidential clearance that U.S. senators do not have...uh,huh,yeah, that's the ticket,eh?)

Dobson recently said his endorsement of Miers was founded on "confidential" information he was "privy to" but "not at liberty to talk about," according to the political weblog Ankle Biting Pundits. (Sounds almost like a witness protection program deal! And I thought blogs (conservative blogs) were just a bunch of pajama wearin' fools.....)

Although not a Judiciary Committee member, Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., has taken up the cause, pitching the idea to top Democratic staffers on the panel.

"It seems to me, all of the [information] the White House knows about Harriet Miers should be made available to the Senate and the American people," Salazar said. "If they're making information available to Dr. Dobson – whom I respect and disagree with from time to time – I believe that information should be shared equally with a U.S. senator." (If You tell him you HAVE to tell ME? Now EVERY word uttered must be available to a U.S. senator? Would you like to know what we had for dinner last night?)

Citing "insiders," the weblog says Salazar believes Dobson should be called before the panel to answer what he knows about Miers, when he knew it and who provided him with the information. (Bwaaahaaahaaaaahaaaaaa!)

The unspoken suspicion is that someone in the Bush administration – presumably presidential adviser Karl Rove – told Dobson that Miers is pro-life and has pledged to vote against Roe v. Wade should she be confirmed, the weblog says. (So now SUSPICION of a converstaion is worthy of a Congressional subpeona? Like FAKE but ACCURATE? Or more like SERIOUSNESS OF THE CHARGE?)

Some of Salazar's colleagues, however, including Minority Leader Harry Reid, believe calling Dobson before the committee as a hostile witness would be seen as a disastrous public relations stunt that would further alienate the Democrat Party from Christian conservatives. (DUH!? YA THINK?!?!? But don't pay no attention to US, that ship has sailed! DO you really think that ONLY Christian conservatives would find this a bad idea? LOL!- Oh, yeah that's right- we are the stuuuupid red-staters. The rest of the country is just like the MoveOn.org/Sheehan?Daily KOS kids.......)

"We're not going to conduct an Inquisition," one top Hill staffer told the weblog. "Salazar's idea is half-baked." (DING! DING! DING! WE HAVE A WINNER!)

But another Hill staffer said Sen. Ted Kennedy, a Judiciary Committee member, likes the idea and is trying to craft it as a "separation of powers" issue rather than a religious issue. (hee heee heeeeee, the sheeple are soo stuupid. hee hee heeeee, yeah SEPERATION of POWERS, heee heee heee)

It might work, Kennedy believes, if Democrats can make it an issue of President Bush withholding information. (Drink another one Teddy, and then see how you can DECEIVE the AMERICAN people AGAIN- just for your own lust of power......creating issues is just perfect.....)

If you would like to sound off on this issue, participate in today's WND Poll.

This is just a PERFECT example of WHY the Democrats keep LOSING ELECTIONS! It's like a high school track runner sneaking into the locker room and filling his opponents sneakers with itching powder, only he actually sabotaged his OWN sneakers.

Tom Talks to Billy About Christopher Columbus.....

2005-10-07T08:35:00.000-04:00

Tom Purcell is a friend of mine and a syndicated columnist. You can find his column weekly in The Jewish World Review, MensNewsDaily.com, and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He has added me to his distribution list and given me permission to share it, even if I get it up before the other guys do- YAY! I thought you all may enjoy him.

Explaining Christopher Columbus

“Dad, why does America celebrate Columbus day?”

“Well, Billy, in 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed from Europe to America and founded the very first settlement in the new world. His arrival marks the beginning of America as we know it.”

“But didn’t he discover America by accident, dad?”

“Columbus believed the earth was a small sphere. He thought he could reach the Far East by setting off on a westward course. Though he stumbled upon what is now the Bahamas by accident, he was still a great explorer and a great man, Billy.”

“A great man, dad, or a racist oppressor?”

“Pardon me, son?”

“When Columbus came to America, he brought with him the greed of the white European males who subsequently colonized America for the dough. They fought and killed the Indigenous Peoples who were already here and took their land and their gold. Columbus eventually died a very rich man.”

“Well, Billy, an unfortunate part of human history involves countries invading their neighbors to take control. This has happened in many parts of the world, including Europe, which has a long history of war. But remember that Indigenous Peoples were also prone to war and fighting to expand their control well before Europeans arrived.”

“Well, Columbus is also responsible for many germs and diseases that Europeans brought to America, causing untold suffering and death among the people who were here before us.”

“Have you been drinking too much caffeine lately, Billy?”

“America’s history of environmental destruction can also be laid at Columbus’s feet, dad. As soon as the Europeans colonized America’s pristine lands, they cut down the trees and plowed up the fields. Can you say soil erosion, dad?”

“Son, did I ever tell you that you take after your mother’s side?”

“And what about slavery? It was the Europeans who created a flourishing slave trade in America. They did it to develop the land cheaply, so they could make giant profits. Columbus even made slaves out of some of the Indigenous Peoples who attacked him and his men.”

“Son, do you remember where your mother hid the bourbon?”

“I’ll tell you another thing, dad. The only reason we even celebrate Columbus Day is because he was Italian, and the day is also a celebration of Italian heritage. When FDR mad Columbus Day official in 1934, he did it not just because Columbus discovered the New World, but because Italian immigrants in America represented millions of votes.”

“Look, Billy, there are a lot of ways to look at what Christopher Columbus symbolizes. You can focus on the negative attributes, and there are some, or you can do what America has been doing for many years now: focus on the positive.”

“Positive, dad?”

“Sure, Billy. Columbus represents the spirit of exploration, the spirit of pushing forward into the great unknown to find greater and better things. This has always been the spirit of America, the land of innovation and new ideas.”

“What kind of ideas, dad?”

“How about the ideas of freedom and self-government, Billy? After Columbus opened a gateway to the new world, other European countries established colonies here, too. Eventually, some amazing historical figures would evolve in North America. They would create and fight for a way of life that has proved to be extremely successful – their ideas are STILL spreading and changing the world for the better.”

“Really, dad?”

“Yes, son. The concept of freedom has taken root so solidly in America that people are free to criticize or praise anything, including whether or not Christopher Columbus was a hero or an ogre, or whether or not Columbus Day should still be celebrated in America. Now, do you have any other questions about history?”

“Sure, dad. Was Benjamin Franklin really a predatory male chauvinist womanizer?”

(Tom Purcell’s e-mail address is TomPurcell@aol.com; his Web address is http://www.tompurcell.com/)

Read Tom's Latest Column by Clicking Here: www.TomPurcell.com

Psssst, Tom, my divorce is final- but we'll have to do something about Billy.............

HE'S BAAAAACK!

2005-09-28T23:07:00.000-04:00

Right Wing Nut Job on Tom Delay:

Is Tom Delay a Crook?

NEW LOCATION!

2005-08-30T19:17:00.000-04:00

I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING!

THINGS ONLY GET BETTER!!!!

BRING YOUR BRAIN!!!!

Whodda Thunk?

2005-08-21T14:10:00.000-04:00

Court rules atheism a religionDecides 1st Amendment protects prison inmate's right to start study group

A federal court of appeals ruled yesterday Wisconsin prison officials violated an inmate's rights because they did not treat atheism as a religion.

"Atheism is [the inmate's] religion, and the group that he wanted to start was religious in nature even though it expressly rejects a belief in a supreme being," the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals said.

The court decided the inmate's First Amendment rights were violated because the prison refused to allow him to create a study group for atheists.

Brian Fahling, senior trial attorney for the American Family Association Center for Law & Policy, called the court's ruling "a sort of Alice in Wonderland jurisprudence."

"Up is down, and atheism, the antithesis of religion, is religion," said Fahling.

The Supreme Court has said a religion need not be based on a belief in the existence of a supreme being. In the 1961 case of Torcaso v. Watkins, the court described "secular humanism" as a religion.

Fahling said today's ruling was "further evidence of the incoherence of Establishment Clause jurisprudence."

"It is difficult not to be somewhat jaundiced about our courts when they take clauses especially designed to protect religion from the state and turn them on their head by giving protective cover to a belief system, that, by every known definition other than the courts' is not a religion, while simultaneously declaring public expressions of true religious faith to be prohibited," Fahling said.

I LOVE THIS STORY! I guess this now means I can call atheists religious zealots! YEAH!

Tom Purcell went sailing!

2005-08-19T16:43:00.000-04:00

On Sailing with Women

I had a bad feeling as soon as I got onto the boat.

It was a small rented sailboat that was piloted by two women. They women had taken a few sailing lessons and wanted to try out their nautical prowess on the Potomac River. I and two other fellows went along for the ride.

And what a ride it was. Shortly after we boarded, one of the women, a lawyer, began lecturing us on sailing techniques. She told us about the jib, the small sail up front, and how to move it from one side to another by releasing one jib rope and pulling the other.

She explained what it meant to “tack,” or shift the sails from one side to another to catch the wind and change direction. She lectured us with a seriousness you’d encounter at a sexual-harassment seminar.

No sooner did her lecture conclude than the winds whipped up and grabbed the sails. We were yanked out to the great unknown at the neck-snapping speed of two miles per hour.

“Let go of the jib!” she shouted to one of the men, who, being a man, felt the need to do something, so he grabbed the jib rope. I later learned he was her ex-husband and they still lived together.

“But if I pull the jib tighter, it will catch more wind,” he speculated. Men speculate, you see. A lack of actual knowledge never interferes with our perpetual quest to resolve problems.

“Release the jib now!”

“But if I --”

“I said let go of the damn jib!”

He let go of the damn jib. His surrender, and the embarrassment we felt for him, set the tone for the rest of the torturous outing.

No matter where you sit on a sailboat piloted by women, you are in the way. Your head is perpetually getting struck by ropes, pulleys and sail rods. If you attempt to do nothing, the women yell at you to pull the damn jib. If you pull the damn jib, they demand you release it. If you release it, they demand you pull it tighter.

I got to thinking about this episode after reading about Women’s Equality Day, to be celebrated Friday, August 26th. Congress established it in 1971 to spotlight women’s efforts at achieving equality. It is celebrated on August 26th, because that’s the day women won the right to vote back in 1920.

Things sure have changed since then.

It used to be that women were held back in this country. They had few options but to marry and become mothers, and they were then expected to stay home while the men went off to run the country.

Today, the potential of women has been unleashed and we’re all better off. Women are excelling in every profession. More women than men are enrolling in college and more are earning advanced degrees. Nearly 40% of all businesses in America are owned by women.

It’s true that women have not yet achieved parity at the top levels of corporate America. It’s also true that women earn 75% of what men do, though doesn’t this have more to do with the choices women can now make than discrimination?

Women can stay single and climb the corporate ladder. They can marry, have a family and hire a nanny to watch the kids. They can suspend their career, which will reduce their earning potential later when they return to work, to stay home with the kids. There are a million choices available and women are choosing every variation under the sun.

And they’re piloting sailboats.

It used to be that when five people got onto a sailboat, it was the men who sat in the back barking orders. They’d soon get to bickering and turn an otherwise delightful outing into a miserable affair.

Now it’s the women who are doing that. While they focus intensely on their piloting duties, it’s the men who are adrift at sea.

Men who aren’t sure whether they should pull or release the damn jib.

(Tom Purcell’s e-mail address is TomPurcell@aol.com; his Web address is www.TomPurcell.com)

TOOOOOOO FAR!!!!!!!!!!

2005-08-19T01:52:00.000-04:00

That's IT! I have HAD IT! I have NEVER blasted the ACLU on this blog before, but now I have HAD IT! The ACLU was created to fight for civil liberites for United States' Citizens. They were NOT created to fight for FOREIGN NATIONALS, especially ILLEGAL ones. They were certainly not created to protect ENEMIES of America and TERRORISTS! In fact, I would venture to say that they were created to STOP terror being imposed onto people. HOW THINGS CHANGE! If you are giving ONE RED CENT to the ACLU, then I, personally, consider you to be an enemy to the United States of America. PERIOD!!!!!!

ACLU to Gitmo inmates: Don't talk
Prisoners advised of 'right' not to answer interrogators

Peace Plan?

2005-08-18T10:57:00.000-04:00

This plan will not bring peace.

I awoke yesterday morning to see IDF soldiers literally kicking in the doors of a Jewish family in Gaza. My heart broke as I watched such an intimate moment of grief and despair unfold before my eyes. Part of me felt guilty to be witnessing this event. Part of me was filled with such admiration for a family stricken with such tragedy responding without violence and struggling to have their voice heard. The family spoke of their arrival in 1976 to a desert land. They had come to farm the land, and make it fertile. They were greeted by an imam that brought them salt and bread, welcoming them, begging them to farm this land to provide jobs for his people. SO much has changed...........

As the men began to cut and tear their clothes (an Old Testament sign of mourning for Jews), I had to catch my breath. When the children began singing from Psalms (the Torah) I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. I don't know what the orange bracelets and clothing symbolize, but it was obvious there was a message with this color.

This is hard for for me to grasp. Of course, we can't feel compassion for these people without realizing how the people of Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon must have felt when Israel was created, and what they went through when their lands were lost in the Six Day War. One commentator on FOX News claimed the fact that they lost their land because they attacked Israel and lost was no point at all because, the result is the same. I beg to differ with THAT. A dead father is a dead father, the pain and result is the same for a family, yet a father killed BY a drunk driver is definitely different than a father killed because HE was driving drunk.

If this world TRULY wants peace, the anti-Semitism MUST STOP! PERIOD! As part of the world seeks Israel to live in peace with its neighbors, another part of the world seeks to expel Jews from the earth. Then there is the part of the world that is so busy trying to understand both sides, and afraid to be "UNCARING" that they just get in the way of the entire process. We can sift through history and debate it until we are blue in the face. The bottom line is that we are no longer IN HISTORY. We cannot go back and change ANYTHING. We are HERE, NOW. Israel seeks peace, not conquering the world. Are there some Jews that are hate filled? Sure. Are there some Muslims that are NOT determined to act like savages counting each Jewish death as a blessing? Sure. But these people are not the majority on either side.

What can we do? I don't have all answers. ALL I can come to is that the only way to STOP this cycle of violence is to rid ourselves of the HATRED. Getting the Jews out of Israel will NOT stop terrorism or violence. Unless you are willing to go back to Hitler's plan to exterminate a whole people based on race, we need to take a stand to rid the hate. These are the only choices. The kicker to all of it is this. Even if the Jews were shaken off the earth, the violence will not stop.

Poeple in America have at times claimed that "fundamentalist" Christians are just as dangerous as the "fundamentalist" Muslims. WHAT A LIE! True Christians are not the least bit interested in using violence to rid the world of all Non-Christians. Christians will quickly step up and denounce violence. They condemn killing abortion doctors and bombing clinics. The difference in the Christian religious zealot and the Muslim religious zealot is not just stark, but CLEAR.

Groups like HAMAS will not stop until the Jews are GONE, PERIOD.

A Fall OF Grace

2005-08-16T22:38:00.000-04:00

Skydiver's desperate prayer answered
Felt 'warm embrace' as he survived spiraling plunge to Earth

A first-time skydiver who survived a 3,500-foot plunge to Earth after his parachute failed to open properly says he experienced extraordinary comfort as he prayed on the way down.

Daniel Levi Cave, speaking from his hospital room in Seattle yesterday, told the "Today" show's Matt Lauer he made a last-minute plea to God.

"I said, 'OK, well, I trust you, I believe in you, and if there's any way, I'd love to see my family again, so help me out here.'

Cave continued: "And I just felt – I got to say, I just felt like the biggest hug in the world and just this warm embrace. It was the most amazing thing ever. And at that point, I thought, either way, this is going to turn out good, so, and here I am. I don't know how."

Read it all!

RUDY!

2005-08-13T01:09:00.000-04:00

To say that being a mother is the hardest job in the world is so cliche. It is said so often that we really don't give it any thought. Most people think about the hours, and the selflessness put into it and miss the REAL meaning of the statement. Even us mothers nod, and know it's true, we don't often spend time thinking about what TRULY makes the job of being a mother so hard. Today was one of those days for me that helped to put this old cliche back into focus for me.

My son is 16. He is kinda little for his age compared to the other kids at school, and it is especially noticeable when he steps out onto the football field (or stands on the sidelines). He's a Junior this year- and it is his FIRST year playing football. He is very athletic, built and cut well, but still pretty small and quite inexperienced in organized sports, let alone FOOTBALL! He comes home each day after practice and shares how much he lifted, how many 40 yrd sprints he won (6 out of 15 he came in first- he is pretty fast). He plays wingback, but would LOVE to play safety or wide receiver, and with his speed and ability to jump- he would fair pretty well in those positions. But with his size and just starting to play his Junior year, he truly lacks the self-confidence and experience to SHINE.

I am a typical mom, and think everything he does is awesome and I am very proud. I see the talent he possesses quite easily. I also see the tender ego and heart of a 16 year old boy that grew up without his father in his life until he was 14, and how he struggles to find the man inside of him. I see how he measures himself by others. It is normal for 16 year old boys to go through this, but it also breaks my heart. It is particularly painful because I know that no matter how well-adjusted he his, he still feels the sting from the abandonment of his father in his early years and the pain he has endured by my poor decisions.

His first scrimmage game was last Friday, and I was the typical mom, jumping out of my seat exclaiming "Kevin's on the field! Kevin's on the field!" the very first time I saw him run for a play. I laughed at myself, of course. His little sisters, 5 and 6, clamored at the fence yelling his name as he stood on the sidelines, and he graciously turned and smiled and waved. How nice of him not to get embarrassed and try to ignore them. It was such a relief to see his teammates think it was cute too, instead of razzing him over it.

But tonight was different. Tonight he looked agitated on the sidelines. He finally got to get in for one play- the second to last play of the game. It was at the other end of the field and since I was firmly planted in the front row, I really didn't get to see it. The game ended, and we waited by the locker room as he came to get out of uniform. I walked up to him, slapped him on the shoulder and said "Hey, All-Star!" He turned around to look at me, and I could see the fury all over his face. "What's wrong?" I asked. "I RAN INTO THE QUARTERBACK!" He snapped, and I saw the tears well up in his eyes. MY HEART SHATTERED!

How could I fix this? What do I do? What do I say? The mother in me wanted to grab him and hug him and tell him everything was okay, just let him cry. But THANK GOD I am a bit wiser than that, or am I? As my insides burned and my arms ached to hold him, I smiled and said, "Hey, at least you didn't get your hands on the ball and run to the wrong end zone." He rolled his eyes and tried to smile. "Shake it off! It was one play." I said "My ONLY PLAY." He mumbled, and he disappeared into the locker room.

I stood outside, waiting. I rocked back and forth wishing there were a man there to tell me how to handle this without destroying him. I mean, as parents. we just don't have all the answers. We are doing ALL we can just to not totally WRECK their lives. I knew this was a crossroad moment in his life. This young teenager, trying to be a man, had come to a point where how he handled this could effect how he handled failure the rest of his life, especially on the BIG things in his life. This was a moment that would set a pattern for so many things. At this age they hang their identity on things that nobody else ever remembers. OH- I NEEDED HELP! How do I ease the pain? How do I allow him the opportunity to feel the pain without adding to it, and at the same time help him keep this tiny moment in perspective? How do I make sure he doesn't let this moment haunt him or define him without belittling how he feels?

This was truly a moment that required an academy award-winning performance from me, and the wisdom of ANYONE BUT ME! As my heart broke, my mind raced for the answer on what to do. I racked my brain, trying to think of a man I could call in for reinforcements. Okay, to be totally I honest- I was trying to think of a man that I could hand this whole thing over to and say- "Please fix this! I am afraid to touch it! I'll mess it all up! Here- YOU TAKE IT! PLEASE!" Finally I calmed down and the answer came to me.

He came out of the locker room and we walked to the car. On the way, I asked him if the coach said anything to him about it. This is when he explained that the coach sent in 3 guys. 2 wingbacks and a tailback- but no fullback. The quarterback told my son to play fullback. So, of course, he had NO IDEA WHAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO DO OR WHERE HE WAS SUPPOSED TO GO! When he came off the field, the coach asked him, "What happened?" My son told him. The coach said, "Oh, my bad," and just shrugged it off. I just laughed and said "Well, that's cool. If the coach said 'My bad' then no worries." "But it was my ONLY play." was all he could say. But that was okay, I had a plan. "I got surprise for you." I told him.

We all piled into the car and I headed to Hollywood Video. I ran in and came out with a bag of movies. When we got home, I called my dad to tell him what happened, how I handled it, and what I was about to do, as my son took a shower. Thank GOD, my dad agreed. I had spent some time on the way home sharing with him some of my most embarrassing moments, and explained to him that he would live through it, and this moment just didn't define him and not to let it haunt him. My dad thought it was great that I didn't make it a BIG deal, despite my urge to coddle him and help him lick his wounds. Treating it like just another funny moment in life was pretty good. He was also thrilled with the next step. My son got out of the shower, and we sat down to watch "RUDY."

We laughed, we cried, and we cheered. As we read the little message at the end about how NO ONE had been carried off the Notre Dame field since 1975, my son looked at me and said "AMAZING MOVIE." He hugged me tight and said "Thanks mom!"

He then got on his computer and checked his zenga (OY!), kissed me goodnight and went off to bed. Right now he is laying in bed, drifting off to sleep. He has no idea that I just had one of the most TERRIFYING nights of my life, and I am PRAYING that I didn't just do EVERYTHING WRONG as a mother. He has no inkling that I hope I was a good mom tonight, and that it may be 20 years before I ever find out if I fumbled, or made a game winning Hail Mary catch in the end zone with 2 seconds on the clock. Chances are, I did neither. Chances are, I made a simple play that either gained a few yards or lost a few yards on the vast field of his life. As parents we get in a LOT of plays. But for THIS ONE HUGE MOMENT in his life, it was MY ONLY PLAY of the game.

YOU can SAVE a LIFE!

2005-08-12T14:47:00.000-04:00

Yes, YOU can save the life of a soldier. You can save a child the agony of losing a parent, or mother and father from losing a child, a spouse from being widowed.

The helmets that our troops use are the same type issued during WWII. With the way war has changed- more troops are killed by the IED's than bullets. Sadly enough, many of them lose their life not from the blast itself, but from the force of the blast and the way the helmet impacts the skull. You can read more on this by following the link provided below.

There is a life saving kit that can be provided to our troops for their helmets to avoid these deaths. If you have extra cash- please show your support for our troops by investing in them in a life-saving way. There is plenty of argument to be made about why our soldiers are not provided this life saving kit already, but until we can address this issue, let's not waste time and waste precious lives.

Operation Helmet

Just for the sake of covering some of the debate on this issue:

It sickens me that we are more concerned about giving SPECIAL meals to Club Gitmo TERRORISTS than spending the money on saving the lives of our brave soldiers. It further sickens me that POLITICS, POWER, and GREED get in the way by those WE HIRED to have charge over such spending and decisions. It INFURIATES me that the MEDIA spends more time pandering to TERRORISTS and "PROTECTING" THEM than the men and women GIVING THEIR LIVES so that these childish media people can ACTUALLY EXERCISE their first amendment rights. What a WASTE of their talents, gifts, and opportunity. Someone once commented that I would make a terrible reporter. May I just say, "AMEN MY FRIEND, YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!"

Tom Purcell on Gay Marriage

2005-08-11T22:20:00.000-04:00

When Heterosexual Men Marry (Each Other)

The law of unintended consequences always produces interesting results. Here’s a doozy.

Two heterosexual fellows in Canada, invoking their rights under Canada’s recently passed same-sex marriage legislation, have announced their intentions to marry. Drinking pals Bill Dalrymple, 56, and Bryan Pinn, 65, intend to marry not because they are gay but for the tax breaks.

News of the pending engagement didn’t sit well with same-sex marriage activist Bruce Walker, a Toronto lawyer. He complained that marriage should be for love.

Well, who is Walker to criticize? He used to argue that if two consenting adults of the same sex wanted to marry, it was nobody’s business but theirs. Now that two fellows of the same sex want to marry – perhaps to qualify for family discounts at the neighborhood pub -- what business is it of his?

Where Canada is concerned, marital preconditions are over, and good riddance.

It used to be that marriage was sacred. A man would leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife as one flesh. It was a powerful commitment, a duty, an institution. What’s worse, it meant you weren’t allowed to see another woman naked for the rest of your life.

It used to be that governments gave breaks to married folks because it was ultimately good for society. The family has always been the building block of a healthy society, and encouraging family life was good for everyone.

It’s true that heterosexual men and women have made a mess out of traditional marriage. Nearly half of all marriages end in divorce – and that only pertains to folks who bother marrying. Many heterosexual folks prefer cohabitation, as it provides many of the goodies of marriage without the hassles.

But cohabitation frequently fails and men and women become so suspicious of each other, they end up living alone. That means millions of single women spend their free time playing with their two cats, while millions of single men are slumped over a bar stool.

That’s why those two heterosexual Canadian fellows may be on to something. Perhaps more people should marry their buddies.

If single heterosexual women married their female friends, they’d avoid the loneliness of single life, while enjoying the benefits of marriage. If one was a member of a country club, for instance, the other would be able to join as her “spouse.” The only downside of women marrying their friends would be a significant increase in four-cat households, but then you can’t have everything.

Single heterosexual men could enjoy similar benefits from marrying their buddies. They would never spend their weekends window shopping at the Crate and Barrel with their “spouse,” but business would be brisk at the Keg and Barrel.

You’d find married heterosexual fellows doing all kinds of things they could never do with a real wife. The natural course of any man who is single long enough, after all, is to wake up in a pile of dirty laundry still clutching the tequila bottle he began sipping out of a few days before. At least if he married a buddy, he’d be able to self-destruct with a little company.

Such a married couple would sit up all night drinking beer and watching Beavis and Butthead reruns. They’d argue over who is hotter, Liv Tyler or Halle Berry (and Halle wins hands down). If a fight broke out and guacamole dip ended up all over the rug, who cares.

Such an existence would be unthinkable with a wife. A real wife would never guide her husband to the bathroom after he won a drinking contest down at the VFW, and she certainly wouldn’t celebrate his victory the following morning by bringing him a Big Mac, a large Coke and a bottle of aspirin.

Perhaps America ought to follow the lead of its courageous neighbors up north. Instead of working to strengthen marriage as an institution, we ought to broaden it. We ought to make its benefits available to any consenting adults who want at them.

Such as married drinking pals, who deserve the right to spend their tax savings buying extra rounds at the pub.

(Tom Purcell’s e-mail address is TomPurcell@aol.com; his Web address is www.TomPurcell.com)

Tom, I don't have ANY cats, I don't shop for crates or barrels, and I could probably out drink you at the VFW ( I may require an escort to the bathroom though). Oh, and my divorce should be final within 60 days.

Terrorism, Pedophiles, and.......Dating?

2005-08-10T20:11:00.000-04:00

What do these things have in common? Profiling. The word games played by vultures clamoring for political power and MONEY are just that- GAMES!

When searching for terrorists, there is a profile. Do ALL terrorists fit this "profile?" NO! It is a method used for all sorts of things. If your 6 year old daughter disappears from her bed in the middle of the night, the first thing the cops do is start with pedophiles and sex offenders known to be in the area. I know- I know- someone is already whining about how these guys have already been convicted of a crime, blah, blah, blah. But hold on a second. WHY do the police start with these particular folks? It's not just because they can. It is because they are the most LOGICAL place to start. It's not like they sit around waiting for missing little girls so they can go harass the sex offenders. They start with the sex offenders because the PURPOSE is to FIND THE MISSING GIRL! The PURPOSE of taking an extra look at folks utilizing public transportation is to STOP TERROR ATTACKS! It is not a scheme designed to harass people.

Profiling is even done with dating. We all do it with the dating game. For instance. If I were looking for a man to date- I have a profile. He has to have a job (a steady job), a car, no criminal history (especially pedophilia), etc... Can I find ALL these things and still end up with a scumbag- YOU BETCHA! Could I find an incredible man who has no job, no car, and a vacation period compliments of the American tax payer in a resort with barred windows? Possible. The numbers are greater if I stick with the profile. Why waste time dating an ex-con with no car and no job? Men, on other hand, may kick me out of the running because they have no interest in women with kids. Especially women with THREE kids!

Should we check granny? Sure we should. After watching Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman on the BIG SCREEN, no telling what terrorists could try. But do we ONLY do random searches? DO we totally give Middle Eastern men between the ages of 18 and 35 a pass for fear of "OFFENDING" or looking "RACIST?" NO WAY, JACK! It isn't about RACISM, it is about a PROFILE! It is about taking the information you have, and making educated and thoughtful decisions. THIS is the LEAST I expect from those charged with the duty to protect me and MY CHILDREN!

Enough of the smoke screen. PC is dangerous enough to our society without drowning ourselves in blood in order to create racism that doesn't exist. There is REAL racism in this world. Let's stop insulting the REAL ISSUE of racism with such ridiculous charges in the case of terrorism.

Tyrants, Theives, and BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.......

2005-08-09T00:15:00.000-04:00

When I read about the events that took place here in Atlanta, GA over the weekend, I SMILE!

Bush, GOP Labeled 'Thieves' Who 'Need to be Locked Up'

Atlanta (CNSNews.com) - A featured speaker at Saturday's civil rights march in Atlanta said the Bush administration and Republican Party leaders are "thieves" who "need to be locked up" for stealing the past two presidential elections and presiding over federal budget deficits and the war in Iraq.

"They all need to be locked up because they are all criminals and they are all thieves," said Judge Greg Mathis, the star of the syndicated television program "The Judge Mathis Show."

and then:

Harry Belafonte Calls Black Republicans 'Tyrants'

Celebrity activist Harry Belafonte referred to prominent African-American officials in the Bush administration as "black tyrants" at a weekend march, and he also compared the administration to Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany.

Oh, and the AJC sweetheart, Cynthia Tucker:

Easy to identify hypocrisy of Georgia Republicans' voter ID law

When Mamie Fields voted last year, it was easy. She rode the elevator down to the lobby of Lakewood Christian Manor, a high-rise for the elderly. The voting booths were right there, so all she had to do was show her Social Security card and cast her ballot.

But Gov. Sonny Perdue and the GOP-dominated Legislature have gotten tough on people like Fields, who is 93, so she won't be able to get away with that again. Claiming they were on the lookout for fraudulent voters, GOP legislators pushed through a stringent voter ID law that would force Georgians to show a state-sponsored photo ID. But Mamie Fields doesn't have one. She hasn't driven in many years, she said.

My DEAR, DEAR, Cynthia! Relax, hun! Calm down, take a DEEP breath and put down the kool-aid. No one is out to "GET TOUGH" on 93 yr old women. You are taking an EXTREME circumstance and turning it into some EEEEVIL INTENT of a GOOD, COMMON SENSE idea. The TRUTH is that the state of GA is willing to actually COME TO Mamie's HOUSE and GIVE her the photo ID! I think it is RIDICULOUS for the state of Georgia to go to this extreme, but hey- they are willing to do this for Miss Fields and others like her. I don't think that expecting people to present a PHOTO ID is too EXTREME to ask people to do when they are participating in one the most crucial processes of our country governance. Call me CRAZY- but I remember the accusations and banter of the last 2 elections. I remember the stories of the dead voting and I think we even had some fictional characters registering to vote in Ohio. Who wants the leader of our country decided by FRAUD!? Our system NEEDS to hold INTEGRITY! I realize this puts a wet blanket on the party lines like "illegitimate" and "stolen election," but you may need to be more careful next time you throw around such loaded horse manure. The kicking and whining "Not Fair, Not Fair" will only get you so far when dealing with the REAL WORLD, sweetie.

My initial response was to label this old, tiring, and worn out rhetoric, but the word rhetoric just doesn't fit. The word rhetoric is a strong sounding word, and there is no power left in this dribble. It has become more like a laugh track to a re-run sit-com. It adds a little humor to the daily read of the news..........

My Deepest Sympathy to the Jennings Family....

2005-08-08T00:12:00.000-04:00

Peter Jennings Passed Away Tonight. I offer my deepest sympathy to his family and the many people at ABC who spent so many years with him. I cn only imagine the loss they feel.....

Peter Jennings dies at 67ABC News anchor succumbs to lung cancer

Longtime ABC News anchor Peter Jennings died tonight at the age of 67 from complications of lung cancer......

Words of Wisdom

2005-08-06T16:23:00.000-04:00

These are some old columns, but in light of the London bombings, the "American Hiroshima," the ACLU, Judge Roberts' adoption files being a TARGET of the LOONS, etc- I felt it HELPFUL to post this today. You can follow the links and read much more.

Jonah Goldberg, YOU ROCK!

"The difference between the good society and the bad one is entirely defined by the rules which determine how this natural impulse to compete for respect and happiness should take place. A bad society is one where it is acceptable for people to attain status through violence or birthright. The good society is one where status is achieved through creativity, personal industriousness, and moral self-restraint. A bad society considers some groups ineligible to compete for trivial or superficial reasons. A good society believes everyone is free to pursue happiness equally. But all societies, good and bad, will have such competition for status and success. This is a universal truth."

and then there is this one:

"Meanwhile, conservatism has always understood that life is too complicated to be easily defined — or controlled — by the human intellect. "The nature of man is intricate," wrote Edmund Burke, "the objects of society are of the greatest possible complexity; and therefore no simple disposition or direction of power can be suitable either to man's nature or to the quality of his affairs." Man is born in sin, God's plan is unknowable, the known and tried, in Lincoln's formulation, is preferable to the unknown and untried: This is the spine of conservatism's humility."

and this one:

The Tyranny of Clichés

In debates with readers, colleagues, college audiences, et al. the monitor on my internal respect-o-meter flat-lines every time I hear someone say, for instance, "better ten guilty men go free than one innocent man be punished."

In order to explain what I'm talking about let me repeat my objection to this phrase.

It's not so much that this isn't true. Maybe it is. Maybe it is better that ten confirmed rapists and murderers be set loose on the streets to murder and rape again rather than lock up one innocent guy along with the ten menaces to society. Maybe we will all accept it as the price of liberty when your mother is subsequently raped or your son is shot because, hey, better the rapists and murderers go free than the unlucky go to jail.

But, it seems to me, there's an argument to be had here. Isn't there? Let me provide a very quick-guided tour of the obvious. According to the best social scientists and criminologists, career criminals commit a great many crimes over their lifetimes. Indeed, that's why we call them "career criminals" — they've made a career of it. Career accountants have, in all likelihood, prepared many tax returns and we can expect them to prepare many more. So it is with career criminals who've committed many crimes: We can expect them to commit many more. This is why I call prison "the bad people place."

So, anyway, if you say "better ten guilty men go free than one innocent be punished" — or some variation of that — all I expect from you is an argument. Why is it better?

Don't get me wrong, I understand the principle: We should err on the side of protecting the innocent rather than punishing the guilty. Fair enough. But quite often — too often — when people throw out this old adage, they seem to think the principle settles the argument when in fact it only sets the stage for it.

For instance, how come it's better that ten guilty men go free? When we translate the principle to reality, we've got to pick a threshold number. So why not say it's better that 50 guilty men go free? Or, say, two guilty men? Is 10 a special number? Or is it just easy to say? Or haven't you thought about it all? Most often, people haven't thought about it all.

So let me ask you, why not set free two million guilty men? After all, we all know that some number of innocent people are in prison right now. Therefore, if we maximize the principle of erring on the side of the innocent we should let everyone out of jail because we know someone doesn't belong there.

The point is.......

It's NOT the GUNS, it's US!

2005-08-05T11:40:00.000-04:00

America has gone INSANE. Too many Americans are losing perspective. Most of us have good intentions, we just want to find a way to avoid tragedy. Where things get mucky is when we start debating and implementing certain ideas on HOW to do this.

First, let's take GUNS. GUNS don't kill. SUV's don't kill. Box cutters don't kill. PEOPLE KILL! This story is a perfect example of the kind of story that sparks debate over gun control:

Man Holding Daughter Killed in Road Rage

BROCKTON, Mass. -- A man lifting his infant daughter out of his car was killed in an apparent case of road rage by a motorist "who obviously exploded" and shot him four times at close range in front of dozens of witnesses, authorities said.

The victim's 10-month-old girl was covered with blood but uninjured when police found her in a car seat on the floor of the vehicle.

Walter R. Bishop, 60, who was taking medication for depression, was arrested Tuesday and charged with first-degree murder in the death of 27-year-old Sandro Andrade. He pleaded innocent and was ordered held without bail; a hearing was scheduled for Aug. 26....

The other debate topic in this article is the whole medication issue. Lovely how we just want to shove personal responsibility under the rug all the time. Drugs, alcohol, a cheating husband, the dog told me, etc- IT'S NEVER MY FAULT! BOLOGNI!

I will certainly concede that putting a 60 yr old man on medication sets off alarms. I have found in some of my research for other topics, that physicians often don't take into account how an elderly body processes these drugs differently than say a man in his thirties. That being said, "TOO BAD!" Any one who CHOOSES a GUN as the way to deal with anger over a TRAFFIC INCIDENT DOESN'T NEED TO BE LOOSE ON THE STREET!

HYSTERICAL! If These People ONLY HAD A CLUE!

2005-08-05T11:37:00.000-04:00

The first three minutes are just setting the table, but once you get to the 3 minute mark- GET YOUR DUCT TAPE! (Or just LAUGH AND PRAISE GOD THAT YOU HAVE COMMON SENSE!)

Labor Unions Upset Over Stolen Jobs in Space?

Nuke in America on Saturday August 6th?

2005-08-02T14:59:00.000-04:00

Nuke terrorists'
favorite dates
Numbers, calendars important
to bin Laden include Aug. 6

WASHINGTON – Intelligence gathered from captured al-Qaida documents and interrogations of captured operatives has provided the U.S. with some specific information about Osama bin Laden's favored dates for his decade-long plan for an "American Hiroshima" nuclear terrorist attack – and one of those dates arrives this week.

One of the most frequently cited dates is Aug. 6, the anniversary of the U.S. nuclear bombing of Hiroshima. Saturday marks the 60th anniversary of that attack, so this Aug. 6 would have special significance, reports Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, the premium, online intelligence newsletter that has broken several major stories tracking al-Qaida's nuclear terrorism plans.

Read it all!

My Response?

Can I get an "AMEN!?"

2005-08-02T14:41:00.000-04:00

Senator Coleman speaks out about the UN Global Internet Control

Washington, D.C.-Senator Norm Coleman today submitted a statement into the Congressional Record denouncing a final report issued by the United Nations' Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) suggesting that the U.N. assume global governance of the Internet. Since its inception and creation in the United States, the U.S. has assumed the historic role of overseeing the Internet's growth and has overseen its development. The U.N. taskforce report suggests that in addition to terminating the U.S.'s leadership role, the authority and functions of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a non-profit organization overseen by the U.S. Department of Commerce, should be transferred as well. Senator Coleman strongly opposes these measures.

"My probe of the U.N. as Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations revealed management that was at best, incompetent, and at worst corrupt," said Coleman. "The first priority for the United Nations must be fundamental reform of its management and operations rather than any expansion of its authority and responsibilities. The Internet has flourished under U.S. supervision, oversight, and private sector involvement. This growth did not happen because of increased government involvement, but rather, from the opening on the Internet to commerce and private sector innovation. Subjecting the Internet and its security to the politicized control of the UN bureaucracy would be a giant and foolhardy step backwards."

"Recently, I introduced UN reform legislation with the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations, Senator Dick Lugar (R-IN), known as the Coleman-Lugar UN Reform Bill, to help put an end to a culture of corruption that was exposed by the Oil for Food scandal, peacekeeping sexual abuse scandals, and other instances of organizational failures at U.N.," Coleman said. "Putting the U.N. in charge of one of the world's most important technological wonders and economic engines is out of the question. This proposal would leave the United States with no more say over the future of the Internet than Cuba or China-countries that have little or no commitment to the free flow of information."

Read it all....

AMEN COLEMAN, AMEN!

Sometimes it is Just SOOOO HARD TO BE A GOOD CHRISTIAN!

2005-07-30T00:54:00.000-04:00

REPORTER VOWS TO 'KILL SELF' IF CHENEY RUNS FOR PRESIDENT

Veteran wire reporter Helen Thomas is vowing to 'kill herself' if Dick Cheney announces he is running for president.

The newspaper HILL first reported the startling claim on Thursday.

"The day Dick Cheney is going to run for president, I'll kill myself," she told the HILL. "All we need is one more liar."

Thomas added, "I think he'd like to run, but it would be a sad day for the country if he does."

I can just imagine the fun in the White House with this one today! I wonder if VP Cheney has had even ONE conversation today that didn't start with, "So Dick, when are you going to announce you're running?" I must stop here. She just made it toooooo easy to be tooooo ugly.

THANKS FOR THE LAUGHS HELEN!

Another One?

2005-07-30T00:47:00.000-04:00

Hat tip: Marine Mom

Eminent domania!
Another Supreme home scoped for confiscation

Call it eminent domania.

Public outrage over the recent Supreme Court ruling allowing governments to seize private property and give it to another private party has spread to a second justice whose home is now targeted for confiscation.

Justice Stephen Breyer has joined his high-court colleague David Souter in feeling the wrath of the public, specifically the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire, which wants the city of Plainfield, N.H., to seize Breyer's 167-acre vacation retreat by eminent domain........

I Want to Buy the World a Coke and Fairness is in the Middle?

2005-07-29T16:31:00.000-04:00

Love this! Let's take a journey. Let's take some "popular" stands and follow them through.

Here is one comment that just tickles me! I call this one, "I want to buy the world a coke." (those younger readers may want to refer to an old Coke sales slogan/song to understand.)

"I do not think it is right for a birth certificate to have parent A and parent B on it. I think both parents name should be on the birth certificate even if parents are both males or both females. I am not for gay marriages, but I am not against any thing that make other people happy. Since I am not that way, I am not going to hate another person because they are that way. The world has to realize that people have to do what make them happy and that just cause you do not do it doesn't make it wrong or right.(TB8068)"

"not against any thing that make other people happy." HUH? What if robbing a bank makes me happy? I know, I know- so extreme, huh? What if sleeping around makes me happy? No one else has the right to put THEIR morals on me! Sounds fair, doesn't it? But what about the kids? Is it fair to the kids? Is it fair to them? I mean, I can raise my kids any way I want to right? The gov't or YOU have no right tellin' me how to raise my kids!

C'mon people! BIRTH CERTIFICATES! THIS MEANS CHILDREN! LITTLE LIVES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT INTO THE WORLD! GOD BLESS YA- YOU WANNA HAVE PARENT 'A' and PARENT 'B'. What about the child's RIGHT? What are we doing? Are we stepping back into slavery here? Does OWNERSHIP come into play? Who OWNS another human being? TELL ME! Who has the right to ERASE YOUR IDENTITY? Yeah- yeah- I know about adoption. DERN RIGHT I DO! We act so AFRAID to go AGAINST ANYTHING that might make someone else happy! Otherwise that makes us HATEMONGERS, right? FOOOEY!

Then this line- "The world has to realize that people have to do what make them happy and that just cause you do not do it doesn't make it wrong or right." HUH? This comment AGAIN- was in reference to the BIRTH CERTIFICATE thread. GET REAL! Just because I am afraid of heights and don't want to jump out of a PERFECTLY SAFE AIRPLANE WITH AN ABLE BODIED PILOT- does not mean I would call it WRONG to go skydiving! (Although I may call it NUTZ!)

Take a stand! This is not PARADISE or UTOPIA! There are plenty of things I don't choose to do- that doesn't make ANY of them WRONG!

As for the middle, this one is just as silly. If Joe thinks beating children is okay, and Sally thinks touching a child in discipline is ALWAYS wrong- middle of the road would be spanking- right? sound nuts? No. But if Joe thinks that murder is okay? then the middle would be what? BEATING? Being in the middle means basing your beliefs on EVERYONE ELSE'S STAND! RIDICULOUS! Finding comfort in "being in the middle" and striving for finding the "middle" for your own beliefs is basing YOUR beliefs on others. So if being 5 foot 1 is short, and 6 foot 2 is tall- I can't find happiness at 5 foot 2? Or if 200 lbs is FAT and 150 lbs is thin, then 175 lbs is what I shoot for? FAT IS FAT, SHORT IS SHORT- RIGHT IS RIGHT AND WRONG IS WRONG!

Base your beliefs and stands on YOU OWN VALUES! They may be different than others. They may seem extreme to some. BUT AT LEAST YOU KNOW THEY ARE YOURS- BASED ON YOUR BELIEFS- NOT ANYONE ELSE'S!

I found out something amazing to me a few weeks ago. Until 1969, lynching was considered LEGAL! This is AFTER I was born! So, in the era that my mother and father grew up- this was acceptable behavior. Does this mean that them being racist would be okay? Does this mean that them using the term "colored" is okay? NO! (And I must add that neither of my parents are racist or use such terms.) RELATIVITY does NOT WORK~! PERIOD!

Now, I know several of you will take these words and attempt to eat me for lunch. The funny thing is this, that's okay with me. I am NOT middle of the road. I AM WHO I AM- PERIOD. To some- I may seem moderate, to others extreme- to others just wrong. ALL OF THIS IS OKAY WITH ME. I AM WHO I AM BASED ON WHAT MY BELIEFS ARE AND WHAT I HOLD TO BE TRUE IN MY OWN HEART. NOT ON ANY ONE ELSE.

I use to be "little miss ERA!" I was pro-life in my heart, but I would always vote pro-choice. After all, as a woman who had been through "crisis pregnancies," I understood that NO ONE could tell me what to do. right? Then I grew up. I realized that life was not about ME. It was not about MY rights. NOTHING GAVE ME THE RIGHT TO END AN INNOCENT LIFE! If I truly OWNED this life inside of me, then I had to subscribe to slavery. I don't subscribe to such barbaric practices. PERIOD. It was a HARD thing to face, but right is right, wrong is wrong.

I base my values on GOD. Not me. I get a LOT of things wrong. I am NOT ALL KNOWING. I am NOT PERFECT. I don't have the answers to life. I don't know how to operate my VCR, DVD player, cell phone, or computer better than those that created these devices. So, I read the manual they write, so I can get the BEST and MOST out of their creation. So, I read the Bible, and try to get the best and most of my life from GOD. After all, I am not a creation of Barbara Boxer or Rush Limbaugh- I am HIS CREATION!

Is Discovery Destined for Doom?

2005-07-28T00:30:00.000-04:00

I know Levi doesn't like when I use WorldNetDaily as a source, but if this is accurate- we need to start demanding some answers instead of blindly trusting NASA.

NASA: We were wrong to launch
Future missions suspended due to foam-insulation danger

WASHINGTON – NASA today admitted it was wrong to launch the space shuttle Discovery and suspended future shuttle flights because of the risks from foam insulation debris – the same problem that brought down Columbia in 2003.

Though the space agency doesn't yet know the extent of the damage to the Discovery, it too was a victim of foam insulation falling off the shuttle during its launch.

The debris spun off the tank when it separated from the main craft. The debris missed Discovery, and NASA insists it does not appear to present a problem for the seven-person crew now in space.

READ IT ALL!

I think I would have aborted this mission a LAST WEEK!

Another Attack on the American DAD!

2005-07-27T00:52:00.000-04:00

You're not gonna believe THIS ONE!

Mass. Debates Birth Certificates for Babies of Same-Sex Couples

BOSTON Â Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (search) says babies born to couples of the same sex should be given amended birth certificates, but supporters of gay marriage who want to change those certificates say the governor's formula for doing so is wrong

{snip}

"I'm opposed to taking the Massachusetts birth certificate and removing the term 'Mother' and 'Father' and substituting 'Parent A' and 'Parent B,'" Romney said. "Look, each child has a mother and a father. They should have the right to have that mother and father known to them and that's something I'd like to preserve on a birth certificate."

READ IT ALL!

RIDICULOUS! There is a reason that a birth certificate names the NATURAL PARENTS! Even in the event of an adoption, we name the BIRTH MOTHER AND BIRTH FATHER on the ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE. Here's the kicker- FOR A REASON! What a bunch of numbnuts! Yes, I used the term numbnuts. Let's follow this train of thought for just a moment. If the TRUE IDENTITY of the mother and father are not relevant, but just the PERCEIVED or WISHED IDENTITY of the mother and father, oops- I mean Parent 'A' and Parent 'B', why not write down the name of your best friend or roommate? Does this mean I can name anyone I want as the father too? Maybe I wanna pick Mel Gibson as Father. Or maybe I have a thing for Darth Vader. I heard Brad Pitt wanted kids...............

These people have finally flipped. They want to defy nature at every turn and try to recreate the world to be as they WANT it, not as it is. Did you know that a mule (the cross between a horse and a donkey) is almost always sterile? Why do you think incest increases risks of infertility and health defects? It is AGAINST the INTENT of the CREATOR- that's why! This is EXACTLY the argument I use when debating with those that are against interraciall marriage. The offspring of mixed races do NOT run a higher risk of health defects or infertility.

I'M BAAAAACK, Again!

2005-07-25T18:59:00.001-04:00

First off, thanks to RWNJ for alerting you all to my computer issues. I am back online!

So much catching up to do!

The TERROR bombings in London are TRAGIC and HORRIFIC. There is a bit of banter about the "innocent" man shot in the subway. I regret a man was killed and my sympathy goes out to his family. I can't imagine the shock and anger they must feel. As a woman with children, and an American that understands what the TERRORISTS seek to do to us, I have to say, "Oh well, what do we expect?" What on earth was he thinking? He was wearing a HEAVY jacket in 70 degree weather in July- the day after another attempted bombing on the subway system. He JUMPED the gates at the entrance, and then RAN when told to freeze. Not to mention that when he RAN, he RAN into a train crowded with people. Times have changed folks. The suicide bombers have changed the atmosphere. Their weapon is their own body (strapped with bombs, hidden by heavy jackets). Their mission is to kill themselves and take as many innocents with them as possible. If were to find myself with guns aimed at me, I would have dropped to my knees, after thoroughly wetting and soiling myself, with my hands in the air screaming "Please don't shoot me!" In ANY situation with law enforcement pointing guns at me, I would do this. We have seen the same type of thing happen here in America with people carrying fake guns.

As horrified as passengers were to see this man shot down in front of their eyes, it sure beats having your body blasted into pieces plastered onto the insides of the train. We ALL need to wake up and realize that the world TRULY HAS changed. It is a change most of us would NEVER have wanted, but it is here weather we like it or not. I pray no more innocent life is taken. Not by the terrorists, OR by law enforcement.

The troops are doing their part to protect us. We need to do ours. We need to support those with the charge to protect us. In this particular case, I feel the officers shooting this man made the right decision. This man made not ONE mistake, but several. None of them make him DESERVING of death, yet all of them put together lead him there. This new world we live in was brought to us courtesy of TERRORISTS, and this is where the BLAME TRULY LIES.

The American Hiroshima?

2005-07-11T22:21:00.000-04:00

Al-Qaida nukes already in U.S.
Terrorists, bombs smuggled across Mexico border by MS-13 gangsters

WASHINGTON – As London recovers from the latest deadly al-Qaida attack that killed at least 50, top U.S. government officials are contemplating what they consider to be an inevitable and much bigger assault on America – one likely to kill millions, destroy the economy and fundamentally alter the course of history, reports Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.

According to captured al-Qaida leaders and documents, the plan is called the "American Hiroshima" and involves the multiple detonation of nuclear weapons already smuggled into the U.S. over the Mexican border with the help of the MS-13 street gang and other organized crime groups.......

Read it all!

As I realize this headline should be EXPECTED in today's world, why do I hesitate to believe it? Does this mean that I just can't fathom this as a reality? Are the political scare tactics and rhetoric at such a high pitch that we just don't take this seriously? Are the images of 9/11 hidden from us so well for so long that we have forgotten the feelings we had that day? Or is it that we have done so well in the War on Terror that we just don't think they could pull it off? It's not like we doubt this is what they want to do to us. Or do we just feel invinsible? Or do we just not trust anything these terrorists say?

The LORDSHIP of Judges........

2005-07-10T13:47:00.000-04:00

Build condos – or go to jail
Judge threatening county planners with prison if development not OK'd

A judge in Maryland is threatening jail time for county planners if they don't approve a 254-townhouse project in a badly congested region, despite a shortage of water and a petition signed by 600 residents.

"What is the point of having commissioners if the county is going to be run by lawyers and judges?" Carroll County Commissioner Dean Minnich told the Baltimore Sun. "All the decisions at this level of the courts seem to be pro-development."

According to the paper, the planning commission rejected the Eldersburg project last year, citing inadequate facilities in South Carroll, whose population has nearly tripled since 1980.

But Circuit Judge Michael M. Galloway agreed with developers that a previous ruling from six years ago was still valid, and on June 30, he ordered commissioners to OK the site plan for the rental complex in the county's most populous and fastest-growing area.

Benjamin Rosenberg, attorney for the developer, the Carrolltowne Development Partnership, said he'd demand jail time for members of the planning commission – including County Commission president Julia Walsh Gouge – if officials did not comply with the judge's decision.

Local roads are reportedly congested, schools are surrounded by portable classrooms, and the water supply is so stretched, officials have cut back on development until new sources of H2O can be found.

"They will find water for this project," Rosenberg told the Sun. "The county should have reserved water for this project in 1995. If need be, it will have to take water allocated to another project."

The ruling is prompting an outcry from some local residents.

One posted reaction in an online messageboard, decrying the judge's ruling:

"The citizens of Carroll County be damned. A developer wants to make some bucks. It's simple, go to court and have the judges become the final word on what is best for the county. Judges are becoming too powerful in this country. Their ilk are strictly out of touch with what is good and right for society. In this case, they overstepped their authority and are attempting to become legislators. For the sake of their citizens, I hope the board will unanimously ignore the judges. Their is no one the judges can go to to enforce the ruling. All the bench warrants in the world are not going to have the board arrested. No one will lift a finger to jail the board."

Now a judge can rule that elected officials must IGNORE voters and what is in the best interest of the community- or go to jail? HUH?

O - L - I - G - A - R - C - H - Y ! ! ! ! !

INSANITY!

2005-07-09T14:34:00.000-04:00

Court affirms partial-birth ban unconstitutional
Critics say judges 'fail to understand the barbarity of the procedure'

A federal appeals court today upheld a district court decision striking down the federal law banning partial-birth abortion.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit in St. Louis agreed with a federal district court judge in Nebraska that the ban, passed by Congress in 2003, is unconstitutional because it does not contain an exception for the health of the mother.
Pro-life advocates said the court has exhibited a "failure to understand the barbarity of the procedure."

"This court apparently would have us believe that there is a constitutional right to crush the skull of a baby that is halfway out of the mother's body," said Gary McCaleb, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund. "Americans overwhelmingly reject this barbaric procedure, and it is their will, not the will of the courts, that will win in the end."

McCaleb argued that health exceptions are not well defined, meaning almost anything can become an exception.

"Including such an exception would render the ban nearly useless," he said. "Moreover, Congress found that the evidence clearly demonstrates that no such exception would ever be needed."

The Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 says: "A partial-birth abortion is never necessary to preserve the health of a woman, poses serious risks to a woman's health, and lies outside the standard of medical care. There is no credible medical evidence that partial-birth abortions are safe or are safer than other abortion procedures."

ADF funded a friend-of-the-court brief for the 8th Circuit in the case, Carhart v. Gonzales.

In the court's opinion, opinion, Judge Kermit Bye wrote, "When 'substantial medical authority' supports the medical necessity of a procedure in some instances, a health exception is constitutionally required. In effect, we believe when a lack of consensus exists in the medical community, the Constitution requires legislatures to err on the side of protecting women's health by including a health exception."

Read it all

INSANITY! INSANITY! How is SUCKING THE BRAINS OUT OF A BABY'S HEAD WHILE IT IS HALF WAY IN AND HALF WAY OUT ABOUT SAFETY FOR THE MOTHER? DO THEY HAVE ANY IDEA HOW RIDICULOUS THEY SOUND? DO THEY REALLY THINK PEOPLE BELIEVE THIS AND DON'T SEE RIGHT THROUGH THEM?

An Open Letter to Our Islamofascist Buddies

2005-07-07T16:07:00.000-04:00

Tom Purcell's latest column!

An Open Letter to Our Islamofascist Buddies

It’s not going to work, boys.

I know how much you enjoy blowing up innocent people, people whose only crime is going to work in the morning. I can’t imagine how fun it must be to meet secretly while building bombs and coordinating cold-blooded murder.

I can’t imagine the thrill of carefully executing your plan and how the head fellows in your organization -- not the unfortunate slobs who wrapped bombs around their torso in exchange for 72 virgins -- likely watched the explosions from a safe distance.

“Britain is now burning with fear, terror and panic in its northern, southern, eastern, and western quarters,” you posted on one of your Web sites.

That just isn’t so, boys. The Brits were calm and orderly and tended to those in need. The only thing they were burning with was anger and resolve. You boys keep thinking your barbarism will weaken us, but it strengthens us. It reminds us how hopefully lost you are and how we must defeat you.

I understand your confusion. You’ve probably been misunderstanding some of the messages that have been reported on the news -- those in which some American “leaders” have stopped attacking the terrorists and instead attacked their president, who is unflinching in his efforts to defeat you.

But what you keep forgetting is that America is a free country. Anyone here is free to speak his or her mind. People can say anything even if it isn’t true or even if it is intended to twist or confuse. And some of our “leaders” have been doing just that. They hope to weaken the president with the hopes of winning back political power.

I can see how you could misunderstand that. The irony is that the best thing you could have done was to have NOT launched another attack. If you wanted to weaken our resolve to defeat you, you could have just sat back while America argued with itself, while we forgot how barbaric you really are.
But you blew it again.

This latest bombing reminds us of the way you beheaded Nick Berg, a fun-loving American fellow who did nothing to wrong you, and how you praised your God while you murdered him.

It reminds us of the way you took over a school in Chechnya, killing innocent children. And how you blew up the trains just before the Spanish elections. And how you’ve detonated bombs all over the world on numerous occasions with the hopes of spreading fear and terror, and how you killed thousands in America on 911.

This last act in London was just as horrific as your past work. I read the reports of walls covered with blood, of body parts spread about the twisted steel. That is your signature, isn’t it. Well it’s a dumb signature.

The truth of the matter is that you fellows aren’t very smart. You had a nice host country in Afghanistan -- you were free to train terrorists and foment your hatred -- but then you attacked America on 911. You expected us to cower, but you got the opposite. You’ve been on the run ever since.

And just as America was turning on itself -- just as Democratic senators and others have had some success clouding what the war on terror is really about and making Bush and the Republicans the bad guys -- you go and strike again, which has caused America to come back to its senses again.

I think it is because you are a bunch of narcissists. You suffer from the worst of human sin and weakness, while wrapping yourselves in the cloak of your religion. You are so lost in yourselves, you actually believe God is on your side as you slaughter the innocent.

That is why you keep miscalculating, you nitwits, and thanks to your miscalculations, you have strengthened our resolve just when we needed a jolt.

That’s why it’s not going to work, boys.

(Tom Purcell’s e-mail address is TomPurcell@aol.com; his Web address is http://www.tompurcell.com/)

The Venom of HATE....

2005-07-07T09:21:00.000-04:00

Terror in London

Seven near simultaneous explosions rocked the London Underground network subway and tore open a double-decker bus during the morning rush hour today in the capital city, killing at least 40 people and injuring hundreds of others.

Bloodied survivors were seen emerging from stations and receiving treatment on sidewalks.....

The Words of President Bush:

I spent some time recently with the prime minister, Tony Blair, and had an opportunity to express our heartfelt condolences to the people of London, people who lost lives. I appreciate Prime Minister Blair's steadfast determination and his strength. He's on his way now to London here from the G8 to speak directly to the people of London. He'll carry a message of solidarity with him.

This morning I have been in contact with our Homeland Security folks. I instructed them to be in touch with local and state officials about the facts of what took place here and in London, and to be extra vigilant, as our folks start heading to work.

The contrast between what we've seen on the TV screens here, what's taken place in London and what's taking place here is incredibly vivid to me. On the one hand, we have people here who are working to alleviate poverty, to help rid the world of the pandemic of AIDS, working on ways to have a clean environment. And on the other hand, you've got people killing innocent people. And the contrast couldn't be clearer between the intentions and the hearts of those of us who care deeply about human rights and human liberty, and those who kill -- those who have got such evil in their heart that they will take the lives of innocent folks.

The war on terror goes on. I was most impressed by the resolve of all the leaders in the room. Their resolve is as strong as my resolve. And that is we will not yield to these people, we will not yield to the terrorists. We will find them, we will bring them to justice, and at the same time, we will spread an ideology of hope and compassion that will overwhelm their ideology of hate.

Thank you very much.

BTK, Duncan, and Terroists. What kind of work goes on in someone's head to justify the kind of behavior these folks participate in? What kind of mental hoops does someone have to jump through to make it okay to rip other's lives in order for you to satisfy some horrific thirst or need you have? I will never understand it. The men who steal little girls from their homes, use them to quench some fantasy, then snuff out her life, are of an evil I cannot comprehend. It is the same evil that cloaks the men who can take a knife and saw off the head of another human being that is bound and blindfolded because of their race or nationality.

Could you do this? Could you take a knife, saw back and forth through a neck, listen to screams and justify it? Could you get some erotic fulfillment as you listen to the whimpers and cries of a mother or a little girl? It is the same evil that plots and plants bombs in a public place, and awaits the sounds of explosions, cries of terror, sirens, and panic. What kind of spirit engulfs a body that finds pleasure and satisfaction in these things?

Evil is unworthy of compassion. To us, compassion is a gift, a strength. To them, compassion is a weakness. It is the battleground and the weapon.

Good News, Bad News

2005-07-06T17:07:00.000-04:00

I wish to invite all of the Minions, Groupies, and Trolls to celebrate with me for a moment. On Thursday, I begin a new job. I have been unemployed for two years, one week, and two days. I truly do love working; psychologically unemployment has been somewhat difficult for me. I have drawn great satisfaction and purpose on several blogs, most significantly Straight Up With Sherri. My new job is a great job with a terrific small company. It will require a commute lengthier than I prefer - but that is a minor shortcoming with numerous options for overcoming.

The bad news is that I will not be available as often and will not have the time to research many of the issues that I love. I will still be here whenever I can.

I wish to thank all of you for enhancing my life and providing your insights and perspectives on numerous topics. Thank you for sharing your feelings. Even though I may sometimes disagree with you, I have enjoyed your company and I am pleased to know you in whatever form you present yourself.

Most importantly, I express my gratitude to Sherri for the trust she has placed in me. For letting me usurp her soapbox and say anything I wish … and for her faith in me and her willingness to personally confide in me. Sherri and I have become very good friends in an amazingly short time. We have never met face-to-face and probably never will. She does hold a very special place in my heart.

Right Wing Nut Job

PSA's and Who Has Issues?

2005-07-06T00:31:00.000-04:00

Okay- we are venturing way out of my normal realm of topics, but I find myself extremely irritated lately at some of the parenting practices I see. I know someone is going to use this as an opportunity to point out my parenting flaws, and challenge my "right" to comment on others, but I get flack no matter what. Taking a stand on any issue always leaves you open for criticism, not to mention, criticism from those that don't share my same values just doesn't bother me anyway. So, here it goes.

I was listening to this PSA (Public Service Announcement) earlier today that really made sense to me. I wonder though, how many people heard it, and really "got it." It talked about how parents are afraid to talk to their kids about doing drugs for fear of being seen as a hypocrite by their children. This is where the VERY BASICS of parenting needs to be addressed. We've all been there at some point and time with our kids. Maybe not about drugs, but some issue comes up where we find ourselves disciplining our child for something we do or have done. Sometimes we find ourselves telling our kids not to do things we did or have done.

If the fear of being seen or thought of as a hypocrite overrides your will to see your children live a better life than ourselves- WE ARE THE ONES WITH AN ISSUE! Raising our kids is not about our image. Yes, I understand that kids can spot hypocrisy- I also understand that losing respect from our kids hinders our effectiveness. I would rather take the stand of telling my child to "wait for marriage" and be seen as a hypocrite than handing them condoms and praying for the best. My son never knew his father for the first 14 years of his life. I was NEVER married to his father. How do I get away with teaching him to "wait" for marriage? Easy. The pain of him not knowing his father was the collateral damage of my reckless behavior. I tell him just that. "Do you really want your children to grow up like you had to?"

Other parents tell me I am a fool to think that my son will not be having sex. They say things like, "I want my child to be able to talk to me. I would rather know what they are doing so I can protect them, than to be blind to what they are doing." This is the epitome of pride getting in the way of the real purpose of parenting. Children don't share with their parents all they are doing or not doing based on weather or not they are allowed to do these things. Don't be silly. If you tell your kids they can have sex- just use a condom and don't get anyone pregnant, or we tell them all the dangers and warn them to be careful; then think that we will know all they are doing- we are kidding ourselves. There is always something they are doing that we don't know about. So, the higher the bar- the better. On top of that- think about it. It sounds more like we are more concerned about looking like fools for thinking our kids aren't having sex when they are, than we are concerned about the choices they are making and what this can do to their lives.

I am not attacking parents that parent differently. I know all parents mean well. We all LOVE our kids. But we are human. We have issues. I just want to encourage each of us to focus on what the best thing to be telling our kids is, instead of focusing on what makes us feel good as parents. It is not easy. But once you commit to expecting them to be strong, and show them that we believe they can be, it gets a LOT easier. If you degrade your children when they fall short of your expectations, expect them to degrade you when you fall short as well. If you ask for forgiveness when you fall, without allowing your failures to be excuses for theirs, you may be surprised by how relieved you both are!

I had a bit of an edge with my son. I decided a LONG time ago to be sure to parent from the point of protection rather than authority. God gives us rules to live by. Once we step out from these rules, we step out of His protection. The rules are not there to ruin our fun or make life miserable. The rules are there for us to get the most enjoyment out of life. Thou shall not commit adultery is not about making sex evil. It is about God saying, "Hey, I don't want you to have to come home from work and find your wife in bed with your neighbor." Thou shall not steal is not about God not wanting you to have nice things. It is about God not wanting you to worry about people stealing YOUR things. Believe it or not, kids get that. They understand it.

Building trust with our kids means being honest. My son knows I am not, and never was a saint. He knows that I made STUPID decisions and choices. Ones that caused HIM hardships. But he knows that I love him. He knows that I will always try and look at what is best for him. I fail. He knows this too. But even as I fail, he knows that it is because I am human and am honest about being human. He knows it is not about trying to convince him I am perfect. He knows I am not- no matter how much I would try to hide it from him. I only have experience on him. He has wisdom over me by a longshot. He trusts me. This is the key.

Treat your kids with respect, and you will get it back. My son knows when I say "no" that he has the opportunity to make his case- as long as he does it RESPECTFULLY. He also knows that I will honestly listen, not just debate or argue. He also knows that once I re-affirm "NO," then the answer is "NO," and he knows that it is "NO" because I love him. He also understands that sometimes the answer is "NO" because it is not best for the family as a whole if the answer were "YES." It takes a little extra effort and time to establish this kind of rapport with your kids, but saves a LOT of time and heartache trying to deal with other "issues."

The most important thing I could ever offer to any parent is this. No matter what, NEVER cut them out of your life. Never become a memory with no contact. NEVER! Once you have done this, you have missed EVERY PART OF PARENTING! EVERY PART! I realize there are times that parents have to step back and let their kids fall. There are times when you cannot help them anymore. They have to fall on their face and deal with the consequences of their choices without us bailing them out. NO DOUBT. But to just step out of their lives completely is the WORST parenting style of all. I know GOOD people who have never seen their grandchildren. I know people who made a mess of their lives and hurt the ones they love- then changed from within- and their families have missed out on the BEST person they have ever been.

There is no such thing as "quitting" as a parent. No such thing. Give me a failing parent. Give me a parent that can't have a sober conversation with their child. But don't show me a person who PUNISHES their child by never talking to them and then call that person a parent. I realize there are many children better off without their parents in their lives. This is different. I am not talking about a parent that is so bad they destroy their kids lives. I am talking about parents who choose to walk out of their child's life as a PUNISHMENT to their child. RIDICULOUS! COWARDLY! IMMATURE!

In the end- we can all only do our best. But when you stop doing anything at all. YOU LOSE ALL RIGHTS TO BE CALLED MOM OR DAD! ALL RIGHTS!

None of us can be perfect parents, but we can all let our kids know we love them. No child EVER deserves a parent to stop letting them know that they love them.

INDEPENDENCE DAY

2005-07-04T15:46:00.000-04:00

It is a pet peeve of mine to hear people refer to this American Holiday and celebration as "The Fourth of July." It is the fourth day of July- but it is the fourth day of July in ALL of the earth. Today is INDPENDENCE DAY!

INDEPENDENCE DAY is the day that a bunch of WHITE, CHRISTIAN MEN decided to fight against TYRANNY. It is the day that the thought of PEOPLE governing the GOV'T instead of the GOV'T governing PEOPLE was ESTABLISHED as a GOD GIVEN RIGHT! It is the day that the WORLD saw a bunch of CRAZY ideas born- and NEW HOPE DELIVERED!

Today is the day we eat watermelon, watch a crazy uncle drink himself into a stupor, smell charcoal and smile as our mouths water, and gather to watch a spectacular light show. As you stare into the sky tonight- know that MILLIONS join you. Also know that MILLIONS ENVY YOU! BILLIONS pray and dream of their own INDEPENDENCE DAY. MANY DIED FOR US TO HAVE THIS!

If you do nothing else today- give your children the legacy we had. Then give them more. Give them an appreciation of a country divided and united. Different, yet BONDED! Each glimmer and sparkle is laced with blood- blood of good men and women. Every "ooh" and "aahhh" is a gift. Each memory is a treasure. One paid highly for. Many daddies and mammas are missing from families today; sisters, brothers, sons and daughters. But FREEDOM is STRONG and THRIVING. LIBERTY IS EXALTED TODAY!

Today I will look in my daughters' eyes, seeing the reflection of sparks in red, white and blue. When they are watching the sky light up, I will be watching them. My eyes will sting, as I taste the salt of my tears running down my face. I will think of men like Hamilton, Franklin, Adams, Hancock, Washington, Revere, Lincoln, Rodney, etc. But I will mostly think of people like my grandfather who fought against Hitler. I will think of my brother who has served 2 tours in Iraq. I will think of fingers stained with purple ink. I will think of women owning their own businesses. I will picture churches, temples, peace signs, soldiers, and nuns. Most of all I will picture horses, mud, blood, stripes and stars. I will praise God for men of honor. I will long for the days when men know of causes bigger than themselves and a dollar sign. I will not take for granted the men and women of today that are visiting grave sites, missing loved ones, feeling grief. For watching those flares, hearing the pops and snaps of fire in the sky- is all a gift, but seeing them reflect off the eyes of my children is a MIRACLE! Why am I one of the ones born in America? Why was I given the gift to be born free over the billions of others born under tyranny and oppression? I will ask myself, what am I doing with this MIRACLE?

Who is BLESSED because I WAS BORN FREE? Who has heard of, or FELT JESUS because I CAN TELL THEM AND SHOW THEM JESUS without death on my doorstep? Who have I reached? When have I tried? When didn't I? I will be filled with shame of the waste of my freedoms and liberties. I will also be filled with HOPE that TOMORROW, yes TOMORROW, I will do better. Most of all. I will hope my children see me be a better me, tomorrow.....

When the rocket's last glare is snuffed out for the night, I will gather my babies in my arms. I will kiss them under the star-lit night and know that I am the most blessed woman on earth. I am a mother. I am an American woman. I am a child of God. And MANY people gave their lives for me to be able to celebrate. Not to celebrate the fourth day of July; but to celebrate INDPENDENCE DAY!

Caesar Rodney

2005-07-02T12:31:00.000-04:00

In the midst of our weekend celebration of our INDEPENDENCE, I would like to share a piece I wrote on the cusp of the Iraqi elections in January of this year.

My FAVORITE story of our forefathers that is little known:

The story of Caesar Rodney and the Declaration of Independence

The Harder the Conflict, the More Glorious the Triumph.

"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain, too cheap, we esteem too lightly:--'Tis dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to set a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed, if so celestial an article as Freedom should not be highly rated....... I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death."
Thomas Paine- The American Crisis (Also the author of Common Sense.)

Common Sense was published on January 9, 1776 and became an instant best seller. It was a 50 page pamphlet that outlined a strong case for the colonies to go to war, seeking Independence.

On the eve of such an historical event as elections in Iraq, I can't help but think of the courage of our forefathers. While most people I know talk much about George Washington, John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Revere; the one man I remember the most is Caesar Rodney. Most Americans have no idea who he is, unless of course you have lived in Delaware. Let me share with you perhaps the most incredible story of a man that knew his purpose and life was bigger than himself.

It was late June in 1776, and Caesar was in Sussex County Delaware. Rodney was a "Brigadier General of Delaware's militia, speaker of the state assembly which had also declared him as their leader. He was alternately in his seat in congress, and at work in Delaware, stimulating the patriots and repressing the royalists." He was also dying of cancer, when he received word from Thomas McKean that he was needed in Philadelphia to sign the Declaration of Independence. It was made clear that without his signature, there would be no independence. The flesh on his face was being eaten away by this disease and he knew that if he signed the Declaration, he would never be able to return to England. The cancer would surely take his life. In spite of this fate, he mounted his horse and started on his journey for Philadelphia.

With cancer eating the flesh from his face and asthma gripping his every breath, he ventured onward through brutal humidity, thunderstorms, and torrential rains. He was racked with pain, sought by the British, and exhausted. The trip was not a simple ride on well traveled trails. He crossed rickety bridges, streams, and fields. He knew every hour and every one of the 80 miles were bringing him closer to signing his own death warrant, and bringing him closer to freedom.

Finally he reached Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Caesar Rodney staggered into Congress with only minutes left of the debate. Others in the room saw his condition and quickly came to assist him. His face was wrapped in linen, now covered with blood, sweat, and mud; in fact his entire body was laden with mud. It is believed he spoke these words as he cast his vote, "As I believe the voice of my constituents and of all sensible and honest men is in favor of independence, my own judgment concurs with them. I vote for independence," and then he collapsed.

Caesar Rodney cast the DECIDING vote.

My heart swells with utter pride and my eyes sting of tears when I think of this man's excruciating mission. Whenever I get a quarter, I check to see if it is his. Yes, the Delaware quarter features his valiant ride on its back. This is the epitome of integrity to me. He risked it all. He was dying of cancer. His only chance for survival was to go back to England, but he not only stayed and fought, but he gave it his all. What is more amazing is that Rodney was a 48 year old bachelor. In the 1700's, 48 was not a young age, and he had no wife or children to be leaving a legacy of freedom to. It was about his honor and duty, it was about freedom, justice, and liberty. It was about a dream.

In the years to come we will hear stories like these of the people in Iraq. They won't be riding horseback through streams and fields for 80 miles. They will be those that walked deserts, and stood in front of police stations that were the targets of choice for suicide bombings. They will be of women who dared to work in public or just leave their homes without covering their faces. We are in the midst of these great stories. Once again, America is leading the charge. We are helping others achieve the great history we hold so dear for themselves, as we did in Europe and Japan. They may not remember what our valiant and heroic soldiers did, and how our nation was ripped in a political fervor to make it all happen; but we will.

Rejoice in being an American today.

In the words of Thomas Paine, "We have it in our power to begin the world anew...American shall make a stand, not for herself alone, but for the world."

I CAN'T FIND THE WORDS!

2005-07-01T11:01:00.000-04:00

Note to self: DO NOT SIP COFFEE WHILE READING NEWS AND BRING DUCT TAPE! (Be sure to spike coffee with HARD liquor or lace HEAVILY with drugs.)

I don't have the words for this guy!

NBC anchor compares Founders to terrorists
Brian Williams equates 1st U.S. leaders to Iran president-elect

In his newscast tonight, "NBC Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams compared America's first presidents to the president-elect of Iran, alleged hostage-taker Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, saying they were "certainly revolutionaries and might have been called terrorists by the British crown."

At least six of the Americans held at the U.S. embassy in Tehran as hostages for 444 days claim Ahmadinejad was one of the leaders of the captors, having recognized him on television reports.

Williams' comment came in a question to reporter Andrea Mitchell.

At the end of Mitchell's report, Williams asked, "What would it all matter if proven true? Someone brought up today the first several U.S. presidents were certainly revolutionaries and might have been called 'terrorists' by the British crown, after all."

Read it ALL!

HOW DARE HE COMPARE OUR FOREFATHERS TO THESE ANIMALS! HOW DARE HE! What is his point? I mean some people would say that Hitler was a humanitarian....... SO? These people would be called MORONS! (at the VERY LEAST!) The Bombers of Pearl Harbor could be called Heroes by some people. We could carry a list forever. Heck- some people would call McCain a conservative. GIVE ME A BREAK!

Here we are, on the cusp of our DAY OF INDEPENDENCE, and some IDIOT wants to talk about our founders this way?

Tune in tomorrow, I will share a story about my favorite American Patriot, and the kind of MAN he was. This weekend will be dedicated to REMINDING people of the AWESOME men our forefathers were.

The Supreme (UNELECTED and UNACCOUNTABLE Constitution Revising Committee) Court Losing a Robed Royal?

2005-07-01T10:50:00.000-04:00

O'Conner steps Down

Justice Sandra Day O'Conner announced her retirement today.

O'Conner, a swing vote on issues such as abortion and the death penalty, said she plans to leave before the start of the court's next term in October.

In a letter to President Bush, she wrote: "This is to inform you of my decision to retire from my position as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, effective upon the nomination and confirmation of my successor. It has been a great privilege indeed to have served as a member of the court for 24 terms. I will leave it with enormous respect for the integrity of the court and its role under our constitutional structure."

More to come ...

The LUNCH of Champions?

2005-07-01T10:33:00.000-04:00

WARNING: This story could be VERY UPSETTING!

I have no idea how true the allegations in this story are, but the fact that investigators find it the least bit believable is ASTOUNDING!

Accused fetus-eatersays he's vegetarian
Abortionist calls charge 'outrageous,'claims meat makes him squeamish

The Kansas abortionist who had his license pulled and clinic closed after high-profile accusations by at least one employee that he microwaved a fetus and mixed it into his lunch says the charge is ''outrageous'' because he's a vegetarian who is squeamish about meat.

{snip}

No charges were brought against Rajanna for the alleged fetus consumption, but not because law enforcement authorities disbelieved the accusation. The problem for the district attorney was that there are no laws against eating fetuses.

After being provided information about horrific conditions of a Kansas abortion clinic nearly two years ago, the Kansas state board in charge of regulating such facilities took months to investigate it and even longer to shut it down. It was finally shut down in March. Rajanna lost his license earlier this month.

{snip}

''Julia went on to describe how she and the other girls actually witnessed Rajanna microwave one of the aborted fetuses and stir it into his lunch,'' explained Howard, the investigating officer in the case. ''Julia claimed that she shared this (information) with some of the other employees, who confirmed that they had seen him do the very same thing.''

There is MUCH more. READ IT ALL!

I also want to make a point. Many people believe doctors are "special" people. They are dedicated to saving lives. They are committed to helping people, bettering their lives, and keeping them healthy. Many doctors are WONDERFUL, but just like ANY other profession, there are good ones and bad ones. Do we really think that ABORTION doctors are compassionate, top of their class, ethical people? What kind of person makes a living at such a thing? Day in and day out, scraping babies from the womb. I imagine these folks are NOT the hardest working, most meticulous, or cream of the crop. I would venture to say these folks are the LOSERS of their profession. How would ya like to spend an afternoon BBQ at their house? I can just picture the FUN and EDIFYING conversation- not to mention the finger licking meal.......

(excuse me while I go PUKE!)

Howard Dean and The Declaration of Independence?

2005-06-30T19:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, Clements has won my affection, but TOM OWNS MY HEART!

Another GREAT PIECE FROM TOM PURCELL!

Please be sure to visit his sight and read ALL his work! TOM ROCKS!

If Howard Dean Were to Update the Declaration of Independence

If Howard Dean were to update the Declaration of Independence, this is what he might say:

When the founding fathers of this country decided to sever ties with King George III, who ruled over them as though they were rented mules, they made the heroic decision to declare their independence. They were heroic even though they were rich white Christians.

They declared independence because an imperial power across the Atlantic had no right telling them what to do or how high their taxes should be. No, these rights should only be exercised by a carefully selected group of American elites, usually Democrats, who have the proper educations and IQ’s to make decisions for everyone else.

And just as the founders risked all to sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776, it’s high time we declare our own independence from the injuries and usurpations inflicted on us by King George W Bush.

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

As we take back America from the monolithic party of white Christians, we hold these truths to be self-evident:

That all women and men are created equal and, therefore, it is the role of carefully selected government appointees and servants, usually Democrats, to ensure that some people are given special preferences and others placed at a disadvantage in order that equality is properly manifested.

That it is not some “Creator” that provides all men and women with unalienable rights -- why must the religious right always push religion where it doesn’t belong -- but that this work should be managed by a handful of carefully selected government appointees and servants with the proper education and IQ’s, who are usually Democrats.

Among these inalienable rights are life (except in those cases where carefully selected judges decide otherwise), liberty (but only in those areas where the government allows it) and the pursuit of happiness (hey, if it feels right for you, go for it, but we better not catch you praying on public property).

Furthermore, to secure these rights, our government must be comprised of carefully selected appointees and servants with the proper education and IQ’s, usually Democrats, who are more capable at securing these rights than the governed, who, after all, were dumb enough to elect Bush.

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

To that end, I now issue some of the many grievances Democrats have regarding King George:

He is a rich white Christian, and his party suppressed the vote of anyone who wasn’t white and Christian, which is how he won.

He has promoted his “ownership society” which basically restricts taxation and regulation not so that all women and men may accumulate wealth by owning homes and stocks and managing their own Social Security accounts, but so that the wealthy shall be free to grow wealthier.

He has inflicted his imperialist ambitions on an innocent country. He did so not to advance the war on terrorism, as he has claimed, or to secure America from attacks using powerful weapons that might have ended up in the wrong hands. It was not to set forth a spark of freedom in the Middle East, with hopes it will take root and grow.

No, he has exploited the tragedy of 911 for the sole purpose of attaining riches and power. And it is therefore the duty of every American to endlessly criticize and weaken this president during a time of war, even if such rhetoric emboldens our enemies and causes more bloodshed, because that is one of the few shots Democrats have to win back the Congress during the mid-term elections.

And so on this important day, July 4, 2005, I, Howard Dean, chairman of the great Democratic party, ask my fellow Americans to declare their independence from the injurious policies of King George. I ask you to throw your support behind Democrats across the land, who have the proper education and IQ to decide important matters for you. And I am so excited for you to declare your independence, there is but one more thing to say.

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

(Tom Purcell’s e-mail address is Tom Purcell@aol.com; his Web address is www.TomPurcell.com)

Tom Purcell

Writer

TomPurcell@aol.com

www.TomPurcell.com

How About a CHAIN of Hotels?

2005-06-30T00:27:00.000-04:00

Can someone please tell me if Clements is married? I think I'm in love!!!

Clements thinks there is room for a CHAIN of Hotels. After all, Souter isn't the ONLY ONE that supports GOVERNMENT ripping land from American citizens.

Justice John Paul Stevens
Justice Stephen Breyer
Justice Anthony Kennedy
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

I say we drop the tradition of leaving mints on the pillows in these hotels, and leave tea bags instead!

POETIC JUSTICE!

2005-06-28T18:31:00.000-04:00

I hope you all LOVE this story as much as I did!!!

POETIC JUSTICE!!!

The EPITOME of UN-AMERICAN

2005-06-27T23:16:00.000-04:00

Yes, there are UN- American, Americans. Can you imagine? Using FREE SPEECH to Denounce FREEDOM OF SPEECH? Yup, MORONS!

Ward "the Wacko" Churchill has a way of making my points FOR ME!

GET YOUR DUCT TAPE!

Another Right Bites The Dust

2005-06-27T11:17:00.000-04:00

As I had expected, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) today ruled in the cases of two Kentucky Courthouses that any display of religion is no longer to be permitted on "public" property. Couple that with last Thursday's ruling that all property is "public property" and you have effectively a total ban on religion. As I had said on Friday, "We have lost our rights to life and to liberty and now it's property." There really isn't anything left, folks, except our guns! And I'm sure they will be the next target.

Associate Justice David H. Souter, writing for the majority, says, "The touchstone for our analysis is the principle that the First Amendment mandates government neutrality between religion and religion, and between religion and nonreligion."

It says no such thing! He just made that up. What it says is that Congress cannot establish an "official" state religion. That's all. Religion is so ingrained into the fundamental fabric of our society, that to remove it is to destroy the United States. They know this, but one must recognize that the destruction of this Great Nation is the ultimate goal of four of these rouges in black robes (Ginsburg, Souter, Stevens, and Breyer). O'Connor who concurred and Kennedy who dissented in this issue are just aimless, value-void judicial flotsam. Rhenquist, Scalia (my favorite - the most strict Constitutional interpreter), and Thomas at least believe that God gave the people rights and that the government is subservient to the people.

Lest you get to thinking that the government wants total control of everything, let me proffer a second opinion that was released today (you do realize that there is a reason these are called opinions and not divine decrees). In FCC v. Brand X, SCOTUS overturned a lower court ruling that required cable operators to open up their high-speed Internet lines to rivals. On the surface, this might seem fair enough, but what it does is to apply a different standard to internet access (and content access) to the internet than it does to telephone services. Smaller independent providers, such as Earthlink, are now in line to be squeezed out by massive content providers such as AOL. Keep in mind that these large communications conglomerates are also the most politically active. By eliminating the little guys and empowering the "big buddies" completes the cycle of the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance law that removed freedom of speech from the Constitution (and SCOTUS also upheld as being terrific!).

Today is a really bad day for the people of the United States - and a really great day for Satan!
Let me interject a plea here to oppose limits on your free speech - tell your politicians to reject efforts aimed at a Constitutional ban on flag burning. SCOTUS would surely interpret that to include any and all criticism of the government!

By the way, I'm not the only one freaking out. Here is a great editorial by Tom Ambrose!

addendum: I missed this one last Friday. It seems that Justice Anthony Kennedy told a group of attorneys last Friday (June 24, 2005) that judges should be a select group and protected from criticism. It is happening right in your own back yard!

Right Wing Nut Job

I'M BAAAACK!

2005-06-24T16:00:00.000-04:00

Where do I start?

Michael Jackson. Would someone PLEASE define REASONABLE to JURERS! Beyond a REASONABLE doubt- not beyond A SHADOW OF A doubt. There is NOTHING REASONABLE ABOUT THIS VERDICT. ANY OF THOSE WHO DISAGREE-- SEND YOUR KIDS TO SLEEP WITH MICHAEL.

Gitmo. Sounds like a LOVELY RESORT.

Senator TURBAN- Call my brother a NAZI AGAIN- PLEASE! Remind me why LIBERALS DRIVE ME NUTZ!

The War in Iraq. Send Saddam PLENTY of Doritos. Let's send him more cigars too. In fact, I say we let Monica DELIVER THEM, Bubba Bill can some along too.

Hillary. Can the antichrist be a woman?

Terri. May God rest her soul, and may Michael ROAST. The "epitaph" PROVES that this has been ALL about HIM- never about Terri. SICK! THE MAN IS SICK!

Special Thanks. Thanks to ALL of you who have not abondoned Straight Up- ESPECIALLY Right Wing Nut Job! He is an ANGEL in my life! I HAVE MISSED ALL YOU TERRIBLY!

Where was I? Well, working 2 jobs, MOM broke one ankle and sprained another. I have been helping to care for her. I LOVE HER DEARLY! It has been an AWESOME BLESSING to CARE for her. I praise God I have my mother in my life to care for. I have also been helping some friends of mine make significant changes in their lives- so they have a better future for them and their families.

I am tempted to include some typos- just to prove to you all that it is REALLY ME!

Hope I left enough fire to get some chat started.

Again, thank you so much for bearing with me this past month.

Steal From The Poor - Give To The Rich

2005-06-24T10:03:00.000-04:00

One aspect of the tremendous beauty of the United States Constitution is its incredibly simple language. In a similar manner, the first ten Amendments (that are an insoluble part of the Constitution, implicitly part of its ratification), known as the Bill of Rights, are really easy to read and understand. That is, unless you happen to be an activist jurist who doesn't believe in the Constitution and instead wishes to unilaterally and tyrannically impose Socialism on the people of this great nation. (It takes the equivalent of a third-grade reading level to grasp it completely.)

Consider the Fifth Amendment and its simple way of explaining personal property rights: nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. Now, I know it's not just me, because the phrase "public use" is pretty darn explicit and not open to any interpretation. Either some item of property is being used by the public, or it is not. Nowhere does this Constitution give one or more governmental tyrant the power or authority to take anything away from party 'A' in order to give it to party 'B'. No matter what! Under highly regulated processes, a jury may do that, but never the government.

So what's with the Supreme Court of the United States? Well, they've been cruising toward socialist oligarchy for some time now. Long ago, they forgot that all "rights" come from God. They don't seem to understand that only people have rights, individually, never collectively. And they have no power whatsoever to either legislate or mandate legislation. Read it for yourself - it's all there in Articles One through Three; and it's really simple.

So yesterday's ruling on the legalized theft of property with collusion by the government came as little surprise to me. With several hard-core socialist operatives on the bench whose ultimate objective it is to overthrow the people of the United States, it makes perfect sense. Notwithstanding the efforts of James Madison and the Federalists who encouraged the establishment of a Constitution that would empower the government to be responsible for "common good" of society, they lost. In the end, it was decided that the government should never be trusted with such power. Had the Federalists had their way, this Nation would have collapsed almost immediately!

Back to the subject in the 21st century. It's a rare day that I agree strongly with Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor; but in this case, I do. "Any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private party, but the fallout from this decision will not be random," she wrote. "The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms."

In case you have not had the pleasure of appreciating my views in the past: I don't like big government, I don't like big business, and I don't like big education. But I do like you. What we have here is the orchestrated authorization of power politics. We have lost our rights to life and to liberty and now it's property.

Lastly, what surprised me about it? I would not have expected Justice O'Connor to be so adamant about it, nor would I expect Justices Kennedy and Stevens to buy into the idea of granting so much power to local governments. None of the others surprised me; not because of division of governmental power, but because of Socialist - Individualist ideologies. Maybe the biggest surprise was who wrote each of the opinions. That caught me totally off-guard.

Right Wing Nut Job

Are We There Yet? Partie Deux.

2005-06-21T10:34:00.000-04:00

(Hat tip to levi from queens)

We are getting closer to the truth on John Kerry's promise to sign SF-180 and release his military records.

I will give the Junior Senator from Massachusetts a D- for effort, but he still deserves an F for integrity. The waffle-man has actually signed and submitted, not just one copy, but at least three! Yeah, right! He has authorized the release of "a single one time copy of the complete military service record and medical record of John F. Kerry." This is great. It is exactly what we had asked for. But wait, there's a catch. It's that pesky little item in SECTION II labeled PURPOSE. Herein lies the rub: "To provide, on a one time basis, a complete copy of Senator Kerry's military record to a reporter of the {Kerry goon squad}"

The three copies are identical but for filling in the name of the particular goon squad member:
Boston Globe (Michael Kranish)
Associated Press (Glen Johnson)
Los Angeles Times (Steve Braun)

If you wish to view the three SF-180 documents, they are available (pdf) at Power Line.

Okay, for a second, let's review the promise John Kerry made to America when speaking with Tim Russert on Meet the Press (January 30, 2005):

MR. RUSSERT: Many people who’ve been criticizing you have said: Senator, if you would just do one thing and that is sign Form 180, which would allow historians and journalists complete access to all your military records. Thus far, you have gotten the records, released them through your campaign. They say you should not be the filter. Sign Form 180 and let the historians…

SEN. KERRY: I’d be happy to put the records out. We put all the records out that I had been sent by the military. Then at the last moment, they sent some more stuff, which had some things that weren’t even relevant to the record. So when we get–I’m going to sit down with them and make sure that they are clear and I am clear as to what is in the record and what isn’t in the record and we’ll put it out. I have no problem with that.

MR. RUSSERT: Would you sign Form 180?

SEN. KERRY: But everything, Tim…

MR. RUSSERT: Would you sign Form 180?

SEN. KERRY: Yes, I will.

Now, really, Mr. Kerry; aren't you being a bit disingenuous? Or would sneaky be a better adjective? Letting these three organizations have access to your records is not releasing them. It's more like telling your mother a secret. We still know nothing and probably never will. So, no! You have not RELEASED your records! For now, the banner stays.

Is there hope? That's a definite maybe! Perhaps Mr. Kerry will loosen up? Probably not. The Globe and Times - no way! However, I have found Glen Johnson to be a pretty even handed reporter. Will he share the secrets with the rest of us? Come on, Glen, time to spread the news.

Right Wing Nut Job

It's Who Says What

2005-06-17T11:14:00.000-04:00

I read the Terri Schiavo autopsy report the day it came out. I was largely unimpressed. As I had said in an earlier editorial, the results were a forgone conclusion. It would be easy for me to get emotionally charged about this, but for some reason, I am not.

I believe that Dr. Jon Thogmartin actually did a better job than I have expected. For this, I laud his work and offer my humble apology for having less faith in him than he deserves. In my opinion, the greatest mistake he did make was accepting the medical report of only one of the trial witness physicians as fact, while totally disregarding the rest. He should have either accepted all or disregarded all.

The real interest to me is less in what the Chief Medical Examiner says than what others have deduced from the nebulous document. There is so much speculation about what is and is not said by Dr. Thogmartin. He actually says very little and that is not surprising. Most of what he attests to is what was not present: evidence. For example, Terri did not have a heart attack and that she did not have a potassium imbalance due to bulimia. She may or may not have had a problem due to caffeine excess. There were no signs of physical trauma, but even Dr. Thogmartin states that wouldn't be evident 15 years after the fact. He claims she was blind, but there is living evidence that supports the contention she was not. I guess blind is a matter of degree. Some have speculated that the autopsy suggests that Terri was cognizant and aware of everything being done to her during her murder; others disagree. Dueling pathologists!

One of my favorite overall editorials was written by Fr. Rob on Blogs for Terri. This is certainly worth the time to read.

Mark Fuhrman will be coming out with his own investigative book about Terri Schiavo (scheduled for release on June 28). There are many, including Governor Jeb Bush, who are calling for additional investigation. Some of this is sincere; some is grandstanding on both sides of the issue. The amount of "I told you so" is depressing to me. The search for truth seems to be lost.

It is clear to me that we will not know the real story of Terri Schiavo until Judgment Day.

Right Wing Nut Job

The Democrat Party And The Culture Of Death

2005-06-10T15:20:00.000-04:00

As a prelude to this editorial, let me categorically declare that I recognize that not all Democrats embrace the Culture of Death. In a similar fashion, I know that all Republicans do not embrace the Culture of Life.

I was reading an op-ed piece by Evan Sayet published by NewsMax.com, entitled Republican Party the Pro-choice Party. The essence of his opinion is that the Democrats are really not pro-choice as they claim to be, but rather pro-abortion. He further goes on to explain this position: that the Democrat Party conspires to prevent any choice from being allowed to women; that any measures designed to provide information or assistance in "choice" are systematically destroyed.

Then Mr. Sayet does something even more spectacular. He explains why! In an effort to hold on to any vestige of power, the Democrat Party has aligned itself with two adamantly Pro-abortion groups:

Most prominent among these groups is the radical feminist movement, which sees its argument that there is no difference between a man and a woman except what society has thrust upon them exposed as pure folly each time a pregnant woman walks down the street.

Similarly the radical homosexual movement, which seeks to sell the concept that there is no difference between homosexuality and heterosexuality, sees the product of the union of man and woman – something they cannot create themselves – as overwhelming evidence that their claims are patently ludicrous.

This is a highly charged essay that is certainly worth reading in its entirety.

Right Wing Nut Job

What Is A Hero?

2005-06-10T14:39:00.000-04:00

Sherri and I have a common friend we had met on a different blogsite. He had apparently issued a plea for assistance and we had chosen to oblige. As it turns out, this plea was not from him. However, my response remains the same.

Let me begin by repeating the hoax that was purported to be his story:

My father, a hero of Iwo Jima, died a hero at the World Trade Center. At the age of 79 he ran into the burning buildings to rescue people. He never came out. I have told this story but people aren't listening. They feel that because his name isn't on any of the lists that I am lying. I swear to the Lord God and the Baby Jesus I am Telling The Truth. I need HELP to get the record straight. Please blog about this.

Thank You and May The Lord Continue To Bless This Country.

Realwest.

Why is this important? To me, it represents a question of heroism. What is a hero? I believe that we are driven by our values. When a situation arises that causes one to perform dangerous deeds, the response is automatic. There is little consideration of risks or rewards. It is not for the engraving on a marble monument that the father of Realwest sacrificed his life - it is for his inherent values. Is it important whether this truly happened as Realwest describes it? Not really. I personally believed the story, but that is actually immaterial. The lessons that it teaches me are the same as with any legend; truth is perhaps less important than the moral of the epic.

Why is this pertinent to Straight Up With Sherri? Because the causes that are embraced here are much the same. It is not for glory or recognition that we do this, but as a response to conditions where we may be able to do something to help. It is a passion that drives Sherri and filters through to her groupies, minions, and trolls.

To Sherri and to the father of Realwest, I say, "God Bless You".

Right Wing Nut Job

Are We There Yet?

2005-06-09T10:17:00.000-04:00

Okay, I read the junk from the Boston Globe. John Kerry is just being sneaky again! He has not issued the release Form SF-180. Johnny Boy thinks he can collude with his hometown newspaper and we will all take down our banners? Do you want the real story? Read it here in WorldNetDaily.

The banner stays until the Junior Senator from Massachusetts gets it right!

Right Wing Nut Job

"No Such Thing as Pro-Life with Exceptions.."

2005-06-08T21:56:00.000-04:00

Planned Parenthood fights order in fraud probe

Planned Parenthood is on the defensive in Indiana after a pro-life group's undercover work led to a state fraud investigation and a judge's decision ordering the agency to turn over medical records for abortions done on girls under the age of 14.

Mark Crutcher, author of a new handbook that aims to re-energize and equip the pro-life movement, sparked the Indiana probe and others like it across the nation with a well-documented survey revealing virtually all Planned Parenthood affiliates fail to report clear cases of statutory rape to authorities.

Girls under age 14 are presumed to be victims of rape, but Planned Parenthood argues that compliance with the underage reporting law would breach the doctor-patient confidentiality agreement.

Nevertheless, Crutcher, president of Texas-based Life Dynamics, insists Planned Parenthood understands the law, noting his group has a tape recording of the abortion provider's top two national attorneys admitting that child-abuse reporting laws override confidentiality requirements in every state.

Planned Parenthood is preparing an appeal of the May 30 ruling by Judge Kenneth H. Johnson of Marion Superior Court, who said in his 23-page decision, "The great public interest in the reporting, investigation and prosecution of child abuse trumps even the patient's interest in privileged communication with her physician, because in the end, both the patient and the state are benefited by the disclosure."

Betty Cockrum, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Indiana, told the New York Times she's fighting the ruling to protect the 100,000 patients who went to the 40 Indiana health centers last year.

"It's surprising and disappointing," Cockrum said. "Patients beyond Planned Parenthood's are looking at this decision with some anxiety. People believe their medical records are sacred."

A similar case is pending in Kansas before the state Supreme Court.

In addition to the Planned Parenthood probe, Crutcher's Life Dynamics brought about the 1999 congressional hearings on the sale of aborted baby parts. His unique 1996 book, "Lime 5: Exploited by Choice," documented that women are being sexually assaulted, mutilated and killed inside legal abortion clinics in numbers never before been made public.

Staying on message

In his latest book, "On Message: Understanding and Communicating the Pro-Life Position," Crutcher provides succinct responses to 90 arguments commonly posed by abortion-rights activists.

He believes the handbook comes at a time of unprecedented opportunity for the pro-life cause.

But Crutcher contends that since the Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 overturning all state laws banning abortion, the movement has strayed from the simple message that life begins at conception and, therefore, must be protected from that moment.

"If you go back to the early years of the movement, the message was, 'We must stop abortion, period,'" Crutcher explained in a WorldNetDaily interview. "But over that period, we've drifted, we've compromised, allowing abortion for this reason or that reason."

He contends there is no such position as "pro-life with exceptions."

In his introduction, he asserts the "exceptions" arguments can be exposed as fraudulent by simply paraphrasing them -- such as in the case of rape, saying, "I am pro-life, but I think it should be legal to butcher babies who were conceived in rape."

The arguments in the book, presented in an easy-to-read format, are vital, Crutcher believes, because the pro-life struggle is a grass-roots campaign that will be won by people talking to their co-workers, relatives, friends and neighbors.

"We've got to stay on our message, the fundamental pro-life view," he said. "I've just seen so many instances where people who call themselves pro-life are so far away from the pro-life position that it means nothing."

One reason he wrote the book is because of a new generation of activists.

"We have all these polls showing we have an enormous influx of young people coming into the pro-life movement," he said. "It's incumbent on those of us who have been around for a while to educate these people."

But the book has been helpful even to pro-life advocates active for many years.

A 20-year veteran of the movement, noted Crutcher, said she got the book for her daughter but decided to read it first to make sure it contained nothing inappropriate for young people.

The woman didn't anticipate learning anything, he said, but after reading it, commented, "I was astonished at what I didn't know, and I was astonished to see what were very simple no-nonsense answers to questions."

Topics include contraception, women's rights, "back-alley abortions," sex education, constitutional rights and overpopulation.

Media 'lockhold'

Crutcher believes the abortion-rights movement has been able to gain ground because of its "lockhold" on the American media.

"The mainstream media has been a giant newsletter for the pro-abortion lobby," he said.

But Crutcher also belives pro-lifers have been misguided in their strategies.

"People have said erroneously, if we can soften the pro-life edge a little bit, we'll make it more palitable," he explained. "But all you've done is confuse people."

The genius of the pro-abortion movement, he says, is they have been unwilling to compromise.

"If a state proposes the most innocuous, meaningless restriction on abortion, these people fight it like it's a complete ban," Crutcher said.

In contrast, the pro-life side has been willing to compromise by allowing exceptions, such as the health of the mother and fetal deformity.

"In the process, what we did was confuse the American people," said Crutcher. "If we had stuck to our guns, to say absolutely no abortion during the nine months of pregnancy, I think we would have won this a long time ago."

READ IT ALL!

GIVE ME A BREAK!

2005-06-02T11:16:00.000-04:00

49ers owners apologize for offensive training tape

While pundits from coast to coast dished about a San Francisco 49ers training video featuring lesbian porn and racist humor, the team owners issued an apology this afternoon and the players tried to focus on the business of playing football.

The video, put together by the team's former public relations manager as a primer for how players should deal with the media, is "offensive in every manner," team owners Denise and John York said in a statement.

"We deeply regret that anyone from our organization would produce such senseless, inexcusable material," the statement said. "Policies are being put into place to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again."

After today's practice session at the team's facility in Santa Clara, some members of the 49ers offered their own takes on the video.

"This is not what this organization is about," said coach Mike Nolan, who wasn't with the 49ers when the tape was shown to players last summer.

Nolan said he hadn't viewed the tape, but that judging by a written summary, it was "tasteless." Quarterback Ken Dorsey referred to the tape as a "third rail."

Defensive end Andre Carter defended public relations manager Kirk Reynolds, who is no longer with the team.

"He's been awesome with on-the-field issues and off-the-field issues," Carter said. "There was no harm done; it was basically just for us as players. I'm sure when the tape went out, it offended some people. But that was not that person's intention."

Safety Tony Parrish likened the bawdy content of the video to that featured on "Chappelle's Show" of cable TV.

"Is the video insensitive? Yes," Parrish said. "But what type of video is it? It's a public relations video. How a not-to type video. ... Knowing the context in which it was done, I don't think it was as bad as everyone is making."

Linebacker Julian Peterson, who appears in the video as a panhandler, voiced a similar view.

"It wasn't meant to harm anybody or be any kind of negative message at all," he said. "It was supposed to be an in-house thing. I know Kirk personally. I know he has not addressed anybody with racial slurs. ... I'm just so upset this got out the way it did."

Greg Aiello, spokesman for the National Football League, said he was not aware of any other team-produced videos on media relations.

"The standard approach is to use our video and supplement it with comments by the PR directors, head coach, etc.," he said.

FOR THE LOVE OF PETE! IT IS A FOOTBALL LOCKER ROOM! I certainly feel the tape is STUPID! I wouldn't choose to watch such a video. I find the video OFFENSIVE, but SO WHAT! At LEAST they didn't try to release the video to the public and call it a DOCUMENTARY! SHEESHK! I wonder- if they had shot video portraying President Bush as an ape or a gay lover- would they have called it ART instead of claiming outrage!?!?!

FINALLY- Charges Brought Against School Boys and Principal in Columbus, Ohio.

2005-06-02T11:01:00.000-04:00

Here we are in JUNE, and FINALLY the police have brought charges in a sexual attack against a handicapped girl that took place back in MARCH! We have covered this story before. I AM STILL OUTRAGED THAT NO CHARGES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT AGAINST THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, LET ALONE THAT THEY HAVE MERELY BEEN TRANSFERRED AND KEEP THEIR JOBS! Sounds too much like the Catholic Church remedy for problems. Just press your finger to your lips, "SHHHHHHH"- and move the problems to another group of victims.

Ex-Principal, Students Charged In School Sexual Assault

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Two students were charged Wednesday with sexually assaulting a mentally disabled girl in a high school auditorium. The former principal was charged with failing to notify police.

The case generated criticism because school officials did not immediately report the allegations to police and said they feared negative media attention if they did.

The 16-year-old girl told a teacher at Mifflin High School that she had been dragged into the auditorium March 9 and forced to perform oral sex on at least two boys as other students watched and one boy videotaped, according to investigators.

Two boys, Brandyn Hobbs, 15, and Timothy C. Armistead, 16, were charged with juvenile counts of rape, sexual battery and kidnapping.

Regina Crenshaw, who was removed as principal because of the incident, was charged with failing to call police. If convicted, she could get anything from probation to 30 days in jail.

Crenshaw said Wednesday she did not break the law because the girl's father called police and the school district's policy on when to call authorities is contradictory.

"I did not expect any criminal charges to be put on me. This came as a total surprise, total shock," she said.

Authorities said an assistant principal at the school warned the girl's father not to call 911 because he did not want to alert the news media. The girl's father ignored the request.

The district has moved to fire Crenshaw and a hearing before an independent mediator is set for Thursday. Three assistant principals at the school were suspended and reassigned.

Superintendent Gene Harris said the district will continue to train staff on proper procedures, but said attention should be paid to what students did -- not just what adults didn't do.

Gary Shroyer, attorney for the girl's father, said his client was pleased with the criminal charges.

Yes- the MENTALITY of our SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS is QUITE CHILDISH! Pay no attention to the COMPLETE INEPT AND CALLOUS ATTITUDES OF THE PEOPLE HIRED TO OVERSEE YOUR CHILDREN ALL DAY! The school district in MY area is JUST AS UNINTERESTED in addressing school faculty failures. One day I will have to share the story of how MY DISTRICT handles issues. LOVELY! JUST LOVELY!

Teacher Gives Boy Candy for LICKING HER TOES!

2005-06-02T10:48:00.000-04:00

Mom Upset Over Toe-licking Incident

A Carroll County mother is accusing one of the teachers at her son's elementary school of having inappropriate physical contact with her son, having him lick the teacher's toes in exchange for candy.

The mother says she discovered what happened on Friday, when she saw a note, bearing the teacher's name in the signature, written in her 10-year-old son’s school yearbook.

“I saw a note from a teacher, saying, ‘Good luck next year. Don't lick anyone else's toes. You're silly. Love, Mrs. Kilpatrick,’” said Denise Strozier, the student’s mother. “So, I'm, like, okay. What is this about licking somebody's toes?”

She says her son, a student at Temple Elementary School, then described inappropriate physical contact this past February with teacher Jody Kilpatrick in front of a dozen other children.

“He said that [the teacher] says, ‘Well, everybody else has candy. And if you lick my toes, you can have some candy,’ And I said, ‘Are you sure that's what you [heard?]’” Strozier said. “He said, ‘Yes, ma'am, all my friends were there and I licked her toes, and I got candy.’”

Strozier says one of her son's friends also wrote in his yearbook a note similar to what she says the teacher wrote.

Strozier called the principal to complain, and she said the initial response from the school was simply to offer Strozier and her son a replacement yearbook, but only if she returned the one with the teacher's writing in it.

Strozier said the teacher apologized to her over the phone, but the mother wants the teacher fired.

“If she'll let my son lick her toes, who's to say she won't do something worse? So, if she doesn't have better judgment, she doesn't need to be there,” she said.

A spokesman for the superintendent and the school board said they had only recently become aware of the incident and were investigating.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the Carroll County sheriff's office confirmed that it has just launched an investigation of the mother's complaint as well.

WHERE DO I START?!? First of all, I LOVE how the writer of this story makes it clear that the teacher is "accused" of inappropriate physical contact. OY! Second, the "initial" response from the school is to REPLACE THE YEAR BOOK?!?! So, the concern here being that the YEARBOOK has been devalued? NO! I think the principal wanted to get possession of the EVIDENCE!

The MOST INFURIATING part of this story is that in order to get action taken against teachers and/or administrators, parents need to go to LAW ENFORCEMENT!?!?!?! FOR PETE'S SAKE!

Nixon or Deep Throat: Who's Worse?

2005-06-01T21:38:00.000-04:00

I am too young to remember Nixon, and frankly never cared. My only real knowledge of the Watergate fiasco comes from a scene in the movie "Forest Gump." I never even knew that the term Watergate came from a the name of a hotel. Again- I really didn't care. So, when this "big news" hit- I was yawning. All I knew about Nixon was SCANDAL. I had no knowledge on ANYTHING else about his Presidency. NONE.

Today I found this story. Yeah- Nixon is still a stain, but all in all- I don't think he is the WORST character in this entire story. I don't think Felt is the real "villian" either. Sadly, the REAL scum in this whole story seems to be the media- and even worse- Felt's family. SHAME ON THEM! As more unfolds in this story, it will become clear why I see it this way, but for today- enjoy this piece by Ben Stein.

Deep Throat and Genocide

Re: The "news" that former FBI agent Mark Felt broke the law, broke his code of ethics, broke his oath and was the main source for Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward's articles that helped depose Richard Nixon, a few thoughts.

Can anyone even remember now what Nixon did that was so terrible? He ended the war in Vietnam, brought home the POW's, ended the war in the Mideast, opened relations with China, started the first nuclear weapons reduction treaty, saved Eretz Israel's life, started the Environmental Protection Administration. Does anyone remember what he did that was bad?

Oh, now I remember. He lied. He was a politician who lied. How remarkable. He lied to protect his subordinates who were covering up a ridiculous burglary that no one to this date has any clue about its purpose. He lied so he could stay in office and keep his agenda of peace going. That was his crime. He was a peacemaker and he wanted to make a world where there was a generation of peace. And he succeeded.

That is his legacy. He was a peacemaker. He was a lying, conniving, covering up peacemaker. He was not a lying, conniving drug addict like JFK, a lying, conniving war starter like LBJ, a lying, conniving seducer like Clinton -- a lying, conniving peacemaker. That is Nixon's kharma.

When his enemies brought him down, and they had been laying for him since he proved that Alger Hiss was a traitor, since Alger Hiss was their fair-haired boy, this is what they bought for themselves in the Kharma Supermarket that is life:

1.) The defeat of the South Vietnamese government with decades of death and hardship for the people of Vietnam.

2.) The assumption of power in Cambodia by the bloodiest government of all time, the Khmer Rouge, who killed a third of their own people, often by making children beat their own parents to death. No one doubts RN would never have let this happen.

So, this is the great boast of the enemies of Richard Nixon, including Mark Felt: they made the conditions necessary for the Cambodian genocide. If there is such a thing as kharma, if there is such a thing as justice in this life of the next, Mark Felt has bought himself the worst future of any man on this earth. And Bob Woodward is right behind him, with Ben Bradlee bringing up the rear. Out of their smug arrogance and contempt, they hatched the worst nightmare imaginable: genocide. I hope they are happy now -- because their future looks pretty bleak to me.

Our Kids are FINE?!?

2005-06-01T10:01:00.000-04:00

Girl stabs 11-year-old friend to death

A NINE-YEAR-OLD girl was being held in a New York juvenile detention centre today after allegedly stabbing her friend to death with a kitchen knife in an argument over a rubber ball.

Police officials said the girl, whose name was not released because of her age, was believed to be the youngest ever suspect in a killing in New York City, and it was not immediately clear how the case would proceed.

The girl was playing at home in Brooklyn on Sunday with her 11-year-old friend, Queen Washington, when the two girls got into an argument over a ball, a police spokesman cited family relatives as saying.

By the time the suspect's mother returned from an errand, her daughter had plunged a steak knife into Washington's chest, police said.

The victim was declared dead on arrival at hospital.

Cases involving children younger than 14 are usually dealt with in special family court.

Remember............

2005-05-29T20:51:00.000-04:00

Please take time today as you grill out your burgers and dogs to remember what this day is truly about. This is a day to reflect on those that risked their dreams for a cause much greater than themselves. Many gave all their tomorrows for our today. We enjoy a life the world envies. We take for granted our freedoms.

The mere right for us to speak freely, to dissent, to blog.... many died for, many were mamed for. Men never saw their children. Children never knew their fathers. Mothers' arms ached, still ache.

As a special treat, Glenn Beck has posted this essay for FREE this weekend. Please take a few moments to listen. Send the link to family and friends. Clear your heart for just a few moments this weekend, and remember.

Glenn Beck Memorial Day Essay

The City of Liquid Nitrogen

2005-05-26T11:38:00.000-04:00

Anne Morse, in a NationalReviewOnline feature, tells us about a vast population of human beings that are known to exist by only a few people. The estimated 400,000 people is about the same number of people in Omaha, NE where I live. But the undiscovered do not enjoy the sun and fresh air of my temperate climate. Instead they live in liquid nitrogen tanks; cryogenically frozen for later use in experiments, harvested for parts, or in a few instances, allowed to mature into "normal" human beings and walk the face of God's great earth.

We grow these humans much as we would sorghum, and we treat them with less dignity. The Culture of Death has now become engaged in the practice of both creation and destruction. Perhaps evil has bounds beyond our imagination.

I certainly respect Anne Morse; her story celebrates the victory of those who survive. I, however, remain depressed by the plight of those who do not.

Right Wing Nut Job

Bucks For Dead Babies

2005-05-26T10:39:00.000-04:00

In a stomach-twisting exposé, Joseph Farah has again shined the light of fundamental morality on the Culture of Death. A brilliantly written commentary in WorldNetDaily explains how women in former Soviet Republics are being paid about $200 to have an abortion and turn over their baby. These babies are then resold for about $9,000 each for use in the manufacture of "youth injection" beauty treatments.

This is the kissin' cousin to the practice of encouraging quick (and often unnecessary) death to the injured so that their organs may be harvested by hospitals for profit here in the good old United States of America.

Please read all of Mr. Farah's excellent editorial.

Right Wing Nut Job

Planned Parenthood Teaches 8th Graders the Art of Saran Wrap Sex?

2005-05-26T10:25:00.000-04:00

OH, FOR PETE'S SAKE!

Saran Wrap for ‘Safe’ Teen Sex?

Janice Shaw Crouse

May 24, 2005

Years ago, the whole country got a laugh out of The Total Woman’s recommendation that wives occasionally spice things up by greeting their husbands wrapped only in Saran Wrap –– the clear, flexible plastic film meant to cover food in the refrigerator.

Today, right-thinking adults should be outraged by the recommendation in the latest “comprehensive” sex-education materials from Planned Parenthood that, for “safe” sex, 8th graders should use Saran Wrap as “protection” when engaging in oral and anal sex.

Excuse me! How did we get to the point where it must be assumed that 8th graders are going to be “performing” oral and anal sex and we have to equip them to do it “safely”? This wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that the sex education lobby — in its supposed superior wisdom — has been pushing to strip kids as young as kindergarten age of their innocence by insisting that they be taught about every kind of deviant sexual practice long before they are emotionally ready for such information.

Why in heaven’s name should teachers be providing curious 8th graders with ever more detailed information that is bound to encourage the more adventurous or emotionally needy ones to experiment sexually? Why talk about oral and anal sex to children, period? The unspoken purpose is clear and has the fingerprints of the gay lobby and NAMBLA all over it. The FBI publishes A Parent’s Guide to the Internet. Note well how it describes the modus operandi of pedophiles: “These individuals attempt to gradually lower children's inhibitions by slowly introducing sexual context and content into their conversations.” And millions of parents are letting so-called sex-education experts do exactly this to their children in the classroom without raising any objection. Unbelievable!

Read it ALL!

And then there is a similar article by Michelle Malkin, describing the book Rainbow Party, by juvenile fiction author Paul Ruditis. The publisher is Simon Pulse, a kiddie lit division of the esteemed Simon & Schuster. The cover of the book features the title spelled out in fun, Crayola-bright font. Beneath the title is an illustrated array of lipsticks in bold colors.

A "rainbow party," you see, is a gathering of boys and girls for the purpose of engaging in group oral sex. Each girl wears a different colored lipstick and leaves a mark on each boy. At night's end, the boys proudly sport their own cosmetically sealed rainbow you-know-where – bringing a whole new meaning to the concept of "party favors."

Filibuster Chat

2005-05-26T09:07:00.000-04:00

First off, sorry I have been "away" for a while. Thanks for all of your emails and concern. I am truly BLESSED!

The "Filibuster" issue has been enough to make ALL OF US want to puke- no matter which side you come down on.

What happen to the PEOPLE having the power in this country? "Minority rights" has NOTHING to do with MAJORITY RULES in legislation. The LOSERS of elections are just that- the LOSERS! This is why voting and elections are SO important. At this point- it leaves the most dedicated mumbling and asking themselves- WHY BOTHER? Our Constitution has been TRAMPLED by judges for YEARS! NO- DECADES! Now it is being trampled by our ELECTED OFFICIALS. I am SICK of it.

Our judges tell our juries that they MUST find a person guilty if they believe the defendant broke the law, even if they disagree with the law. NOT TRUE! Our judges no longer look to the Constitution to determine findings, but rather look for ANY AVAILABLE MENTAL HOOP to JUSTIFY THEIR OWN AGENDA. NOW- the SENATE has started the same practice. The Constitution and Will of the People have become OBSTACLES in a movement to CHANGE the United States, not preserve it.

I decided to email Senator Frist and urge him to force the team of dwarfs that decided to try and disenfranchise the American Voters to take a stand and vote. Their "deal" does NOT represent the WILL OF THE PEOPLE. It is time to stand up before we lose our voice in Congress.

A related pièce de résistance by Ben Shapiro outlines the winners and losers in this pie-throwing fiasco. A worthwhile editorial, indeed (¶ RWNJ).

Did John Kerry Sign Form 180?

2005-05-25T11:35:00.000-04:00

As explained by an article in WorldNetDaily, John Kerry claims to have signed the Standard Form 180 and that it will be sent to the Navy within a few days. Of course, in his normal upfront and straightforward manner, Senator Kerry added that his staff is ''still going through it" and ''very, very shortly, you will have a chance to see it." This is according to Boston Globe columnist Joan Vennochi.

See what? His military record or the Form 180?

The pondering should prove exciting. Oh, what will we use to replace the banner at the top of this blogsite? Maybe we should just wait to see whether Mr. Kerry really does send the form to the Navy, as he promised again. I think he will not. After all, he is a politician, so he is already predisposed to deceive us. But, I have been wrong before . . . there was this time back in 1956 . . . well, never mind.

Right Wing Nut Job

Mae Magouirk Guestbook

2005-05-25T10:39:00.000-04:00

For those who wish to do so, you may sign or view an online guestbook for Ora Mae Magouirk. This link was provided by her nephew, Ken Mullinax.

Right Wing Nut Job

Ugh! Technology!

2005-05-24T16:13:00.000-04:00

Heal by technology, get sick by technology.

Sherri is still alive, well, and kicking; but her computer is not. On or about last Thursday, the machine became infected with something that has made it non-usable. Hopefully, all will be fixed soon.

The above image was lifted from FunMansion.com (visit them).

This update provided for all of Sherri's groupies, minions, and trolls.

Right Wing Nut Job

Swamp Muck Is Thicker Than Blood

2005-05-20T14:44:00.000-04:00

The Empire Journal reports continuing evidence of the good old boy relationships among the various, should I say nefarious, judicial participants in the murder of Terri Schiavo. It seems that now the Honorable U.S. District Court Judge James Whittemore is not so honorable after all.

Whittemore was hip deep in the swamp relationships with George Felos and his ex-wife, the former Constance McCaughey, who had earlier represented Michael Schiavo. McCaughey had not only known Whittemore, but was a member of the judicial nominating commission that recommended him for his judicial position on the 13th Judicial Circuit Court of Hillsborough County where he served until he was nominated by President Clinton for the Middle District of Florida in 1999 and confirmed.

For more details, read the whole story!

It seems that the Florida Gulf Coast swamp extends all the way north to Atlanta, Georgia.

Right Wing Nut Job

Elderly are helped to die to clear beds, claims doctor

2005-05-19T10:17:00.000-04:00

Hat tip: Ron Panzer, President/Founder of Hospice Patience Alliance

Elderly are helped to die to clear beds, claims doctor

The callous treatment of the elderly in NHS hospitals has been exposed by a doctor who claims patients are denied life-saving treatment, are grossly neglected and are given drugs which hasten death.

Rita Pal, 28, a junior doctor, was so disturbed by her experiences that she is leaving the profession. This week she will submit a dossier to the General Medical Council (GMC) detailing the cases of abuse that she saw.

"I have witnessed doctors who want to keep beds clear by withdrawing treatment or actively assisting in death to the point where it becomes involuntary euthanasia," she said. She wants the government to set up an independent inquiry. Among the cases which Pal witnessed were:

# A doctor who ordered the withdrawal of life-saving medication of a dying patient after stating that the hospital needed beds.

# A diabetic patient in her nineties who was deprived of basic medical attention after a nurse commented, "She will die anyway."

# Critically ill patients whose lives were cut short after being given "unnecessary" doses of diamorphine, which is commonly known as heroin.

# A doctor who, when told about a patient dying from a liver complaint, said, "Well, he is over 60", and made no effort to administer medical attention.

Pal, from Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, trained at University College London. She joined North Staffordshire hospital in 1998 and worked on two general medical wards - each with about 40 patients. In her first month, a senior doctor ordered the medication to be withdrawn from an 89-year-old stroke victim who was critically ill and could not speak because he had a plastic tube down his throat.

"This man was actually conscious and could hear us," said Pal. "The doctor said, 'We need the bed - stop all his medication'. He obviously didn't think he was going to live. I thought: we are killing someone because we want the beds......

Read it ALL!

Choose Life- Debate in Ohio!

2005-05-19T10:04:00.000-04:00

Debate Continues Over 'Choose Life' License Plates

Plates Are Now For Sale

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Starting Wednesday, Ohioans could begin buying a license plate that promotes adoption, NBC 4's Erin Tate reported.

The "Choose Life" message on the Ohio license plate has angered pro-choice advocates who are suing the state for not giving them a voice.

Some are worried that the new specialty plates will become as political as bumper stickers.

"The cause of adoption, with the inherent life message, takes it to a different area than we've ever been before," said Fred Stratmann, of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Anti-abortion activist Ed Nicholson, of Future For Life, said the new plates "encourage others to not take the life of unborn children."

The ACLU and a reproductive rights group are suing the state for "viewpoint discrimination." They say lawmakers rejected an amendment to create a pro-choice plate.....

READ IT ALL!

THE GRADUATE!

2005-05-18T13:32:00.000-04:00

Yes! I am taking a "personal" moment. My baby graduated from Pre-K last night. I am just a proud mama that wanted to share!

THE GRADUATE~!

THE MARCH~!

Okay, She's Like Her MOM! She HAS to March to the Beat of a Different Drum and Wear Her Hat Differently. Can You Believe it is Not Falling Off? It is Actually STAYING on Her Head Like This!

OH! You mean Like THIS, MOM?

ALL SMILES!

The PROUD Family!

YES! We are PROUD!

What an angel~!

CONGRATULATIONS SWEETIE! I LOVE YOU~!

God Calls Mae To His Kingdom

2005-05-16T23:38:00.000-04:00

Ken Mullinax has made the following request,
"Please post anywhere so all our friends who love life may know of Mae Magouirk's passing on to salvaltion and reward by God's hand and not by the hand of man!"

Mae Magouirk died this morning at the Bryan Nursing Home in LaGrange Ga. of a stroke. Her vital signs had been causing concern since last Wednesday and by Sunday, an apparent stroke hit her, causing her difficulty to speak, her BP was only 60/30 and by this morning she died surrounded by family.

She was 81 years old.

Since the friends of Terri and the readers of World Net Daily and Glenn Beck had helped save her from starvation, she had responded to treatment by the University of Alabama Medical Center doctors , had then been transferred for convalescent treatment at the Bryan Nursing Home in LaGrange, Ga where her church family had surrounded her after learning of her ordeal in the media and from her Alabama family.

Although she was cognizant, speaking, sitting up, eating-drinking and communicating until her last day alive, her family had decided not to tell her of the terrible ordeal she had endured at Hospice LaGrange until she had been discharged from the nursing home. She was spared this final pain by GOD.

We, her closest living next of kin, her Alabama family feel Mae was blessed to have died without being thirsty and having food in her stomach..we thank God for moving all the people of the United States for their phone calls, prayers and active participation in saving her
life!

We encourage any of the friends of Terri, radio listeners or readers to show our Aunt Mae and Ga. relations how much you cherish life by sending cards and flowers to the funeral home or church.

Her arrangements are:
Visitation:
On Tuesday between 6:00 -8:00PM EST
Hunter, Allen, MayHand Funeral Home
506 Hill Street
LaGrange, Ga. 30241 (706) 884-5626

Funeral:
Wednesday at 11:00AM EST
Oakside Baptist Church
1921 Hamilton Street
LaGrange, Ga.

Thanks Sarah Foster for caring and WorldNetDaily for helping save Mae for God's divine fate and not man's hand!

posted by Right Wing Nut Job

Mae Magouirk Dies

2005-05-16T18:17:00.000-04:00

We wanted to pass on the sad news that Mae Magouirk has died. Due to time constraints, neither Sherri nor I can cover the story at this moment. Details later tonight.

Please pray for the Mae, her family, and friends.

Right Wing Nut Job

Elderly Mistreated as MILLIONS of $$$$$ are Stocked Away?

2005-05-15T17:50:00.000-04:00

Neglect found at Ruby homes

By HEIDI EVANS
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

A State Health Department inspection of Ruby Weston's Marcus Garvey Nursing Home has found serious flaws at the Crown Heights, Brooklyn, facility, including a chronic failure to tend to many patients' basic needs.

One man was found sitting in urine-soaked clothes for nearly an hour. He wasn't changed until a health inspector intervened.

The state's 50-page report, obtained by the Daily News, paints a picture of an administration with little regard for the care and dignity of many of the home's 255 residents, most of whom are poor and frail.

In addition to citing the home for unpalatable food and poor communication among the staff, the report says a licensed practical nurse was seen cleaning an elderly woman's wounds despite her crying out in pain, and three instances of verbal abuse by staffers were observed.

The 16 areas of deficiencies reported at the Brooklyn home are almost double the number state inspectors found during their annual survey of Marcus Garvey in March 2004 - and four times the average found at homes statewide.

"There are a lot of problems in nursing homes in New York, but the widespread neglect and abuse cited in this inspection report is outrageous," said Richard Mollet, associate director for the Long Term Care Community Coalition, a watchdog group. "You wouldn't want your relatives treated this way."

A public relations firm hired by Weston called the deficiencies "isolated" and said a new administrator has been hired.

"The Board of Directors at Marcus Garvey Nursing Home is confident that it has systems and programs in place to address the issues identified by the state and to ensure that all residents receive quality and compassionate care," said spokeswoman Colleen Roche.

The 295-bed facility is headed by Ruby Weston, a 78-year-old grandmother who has enriched herself and her family with millions of Medicaid dollars that flow through the home. She has also socked away $21 million in Medicaid payments into a Marcus Garvey savings account, money that critics say should be spent on patient care and additional staff.

The Health Department's report comes at a sensitive time for Weston. She is under investigation by state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer for alleged financial wrongdoing and violations of not-for-profit laws at both Marcus Garvey and Ruby Weston Manor, a 280-bed facility she runs in East New York, Brooklyn.

Investigators are looking into Daily News revelations of Weston's eye-popping $600,000 salary and perks, and rampant hiring of relatives and friends. She also put her longtime lover in as board chairman, which gave her free reign over millions of taxpayer dollars earmarked for the nearly 600 elderly in her care.

Weston, well-known in Brooklyn's Caribbean community, and the homes' boards of directors face possible removal depending on Spitzer's findings, expected next month......

Read it ALL!

I GET IT! WE ARE JUST A BUNCH OF DUMMIES!

2005-05-13T13:29:00.000-04:00

Hat tip: Keeka from Modeling 101

FLORIDA STATE LEGISLATORS STEP UP TO THE PLATE

By Beverly Eakman
May 12, 2005
NewsWithViews.com

Two weeks ago today, I was asked to testify, as a former teacher, at a legislative hearing in Tallahassee, Florida, concerning two pivotal pieces of legislation, one in the House (primary co-sponsor: State Rep. Gus Barreiro) and one in the Senate (sponsored by Victor D. Crist). Both related to mandatory psychiatric referrals and psychotropic drugging of children as a condition of attending school. The bills were remarkably well-written, concise and to the point. They hinged on full disclosure notices to parents concerning the subjective nature of psychiatric labels listed in the ever-expanding bible of the profession (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM), and on the right of parents to refuse both psychiatric referral and/or psychotropic drugging of their children.

On the face of it, there didn’t seem to be anything to debate. Parents were being given credit for average intelligence -- enough to make a determination as to whether a mental health referral or psychotropic drug is appropriate, and full disclosure attesting to the lack of medical validity behind psychiatric labels (i.e., virtually none can be validated via a blood test, x-ray, chemical analysis, or other visible diagnostic measure), including a warning that DSM labels may result in adverse repercussions when a child applies to a college or for a job.

Many of those fighting these bills were, of course, themselves parents, yet the mental health and psychopharmaceutical lobbies were apoplectic, school officials were furious, and spokespersons for various school-related professional organizations seethed. Debate on the bills produced standing-room-only crowds.

And for good reason. After some 40 years of lousy teacher training, lax discipline, deteriorating academic focus, ineffective fads, and federal legislation aimed at mainstreaming belligerent juveniles in educational facilities, schools have become unmanageable. From a public school official’s, or even a teacher’s, perspective, about the only recourse left for getting miscreants and children who aren’t learning out of the room is to refer them to a mental health worker or drug them into submission.

{snip}

But back then, we weren’t so “enlightened.” My mother never had to wonder what was going on, because she always got an unsolicited report at 4:30 p.m. Had I thrown my sandwich in the trash can again? Had I excused myself from study hall to giggle in the bathroom with my best friend? Worn lipstick to class? Well … it would all come out at 4:30 when she came to pick me up. That was the kind of “behavior modification” teachers and parents employed to keep us youngsters in line -- frequent interface between our parents and teachers -- not mind-altering drugs and encounter sessions.

We got in trouble for the small things, before they could escalate -- like for telling a classmate to “shut up.” Well, if we were going to get read the riot act for saying “shut up,” we sure weren’t going to be using the other four-letter “s”-word anytime soon! One 6th-grade teacher confiscated all the girls’ purses because we were spending class time “showing off with them.” By the time I was teaching, however, that teacher could be fired for “disrespecting a pupil’s legitimate property without cause.” ....

PLEASE READ IT ALL!!!

VERY VERY WELL DONE!

Tracy Gaskill, Severely Brain-damaged - Speaks After 2-1/2 Years

2005-05-13T04:03:00.000-04:00

Another miraculous recovery! Tracy Gaskill, a young lady from Winfield, Kansas was severely injured when her pickup truck overturned on September 3, 2002. WorldNetDaily reports this story of a victim who was expected by doctors to die by noon the next day, according to her grandfather, Don Gaskill (as told to the Arkansas City Traveler).

According to the report, the Gaskill family and many others in the Cowley County community prayed for Tracy regularly since the accident, and she had daily visits.

Not only did Tracy live beyond the day after the accident, she gradually began to improve.

Then, about three weeks ago, she spoke for the first time since the accident, about the same time she began to swallow on her own.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Dr. David Schmeidler told the local paper. "I have never seen this happen in my career. I've read about it happening, the severely brain damaged recovering suddenly, but never seen it – until now."

Continued Schmeidler: "She is actually able to speak and to speak coherently. In light of all this stuff on Terri Schiavo ... it makes you pause and think. For three years or so, (Tracy) was fed through a tube, then she swallowed a little bit and now she speaks."

Lynda Marshall is a registered nurse who has worked with Tracy.

"It's really quite amazing (that Tracy can speak)," she told the Traveler. "After they've been without speech and the ability to eat that long, it's very rare they're able to come back."

Marshall said Tracy will get speech therapy, continue working on improving cognitive functions and eat on her own.

Tracy received what Schiavo did not – at least in the last several years – therapy.

Read the whole story!

Right Wing Nut Job

Maria Korp - Decision Possible Friday

2005-05-12T11:50:00.000-04:00

In an ABC NewsOnline Story, the scant details are updated.

A decision could be made as early as tomorrow about whether to turn off life support for a Melbourne woman who was found in the boot of her car. (That's the trunk to us Yankees.)

Maria Korp, the 50 year old Australian woman who spent 5 days locked in her vehicle after having been choked, allegedly by the mistress of her husband. Joe Korp, 47, and his former lover, Tania Herman, 38, were arrested and charged with attempted murdered.

It seems that Maria's 3 Month trial period after having been "diagnosed" to be in a persistent vegetative state expires on Friday the 13th.

The Office of the Public Advocate, which has been appointed Mrs. Korp's guardian, will meet with doctors at the Alfred Hospital. Mr. Korp's lawyer Peter Ward says if the guardian decides to turn off the life support, his client could fight the decision in the Supreme Court.

Joe Korp's trial will not begin until the first part of August. By then exhibit A may have been destroyed. Isn't this evidence tampering by the State?

You may read my previous editorial on this story here.

Right Wing Nut Job

PRINCIPAL BANS BIBLE DURING RECESS????

2005-05-12T08:25:00.000-04:00

Bibles Banned on Playgrounds
Legal group challenges restriction on student activity during recess

An elementary school principal who barred students from reading the Bible during recess after a complaint from parents is violating the Constitution, according to a public-interest law firm challenging his actions.

In a letter to the Knox County School District in Tennesee, the Alliance Defense Fund declared the principal of Karns Elementary School is on "shaky constitutional ground."

"The Constitution does not prohibit Bibles during recess; it prohibits the wholesale banning of Bibles during recess," said Charles Pope, the ADF-allied attorney who wrote the letter to the district.

"A school official cannot tell a student that he can't bring his Bible to school or study it with friends during non-classroom time," Pope stated.

According to ADF, 10-year-old student Luke Whitson used his regularly scheduled recess time to read the Bible with a few friends on his school's playground. After receiving a complaint from a parent, the principal reportedly ordered the students to stop their activity, put their Bibles away and cease from bringing them to school.

"There are no 'age discrimination' allowances in the First Amendment of the Constitution," said ADF Senior Counsel Joseph Infranco. "The law protects these students the same as it protects all students."

Infranco said children "have rights of speech and association during their non-instructional time, and the school may not curtail those rights because of their age."

Whitson's parents sought legal assistance from Pope, who contends "the law as it pertains to this situation is well settled."

"Students may have religious discussions and Bible study during non-instructional time," he explained in his letter. "The school district should immediately issue a statement addressing the unconstitutional actions and policy and alerting all personnel to permit Luke and other similarly situated students to exercise their constitutional rights."

This is SAD! Let's think this through, just for a minute. What happened here? Parents COMPLAINED to the PRINCIPAL of an elementary school about a child reading the Bible on the palyground during recess. What the heck? Are you kidding me? THIS is the type of thing that bothers people enough to take time out of your day? If you spend ANY part of your day (as an adult), to go complain to another adult, about a child READING during RECESS- YOU NEED HELP! YOU NEED SOMETHING TO DO IN YOUR LIFE! YOU NEED TO GET INVOLVED WITH COMMUNITY SERVICE or SOMETHING!

It gets PATHETICALLY worse when a principal doesn't look at these complaining parents and say (while pulling out a map to remind them where they live), "Did you not see the AMERICAN FLAG flying outside?" It is obvious that the PRINCIPAL doesn't know or understand the CONSTITUTION! I mean there are only two options here. Either the Principal has NO CLUE what the Constitution says, and its PURPOSE (to protect the PEOPLE form TYRANNY); or the Principal feels compelled to IGNORE the Constitution in order to acheive his/her own political agenda. Could you imagine the uproar if Luke were banned from reading the Koran?

INSANITY! ABSOLUTE INSANITY!

Abortion Providers Enact Changes

2005-05-11T22:56:00.000-04:00

I was at the State Capitol in Atlanta Georgia on the day that Georgia Right to Life was there lobbying for "The Women's Right to Know Act." Representative Ed Setzler, MY Representative for the Georgia House, is a STRONG Pro-Lifer and took time out of his schedule to thank them for their work.

Abortion Providers Enact Changes
Reported By: Denis O'Hayer
Web Editor: Manav Tanneeru

Georgia abortion providers made some big changes Wednesday, a day after new abortion restrictions went into effect.

The "Women's Right to Know" requires abortion patients to wait 24 hours from the time they first contact a doctor.

Providers must also read women a list of abortion risks and alternatives, and patients under 18 must notify parents or guardians in advance.

Phone counselors at the Feminist Women's Health Center started reading what they call "the script" days before Governor Sonny Perdue made it law.

“Women have broken down in tears listening to this,” said Robin Gelberg, a clinic director.

Gelberg argued it's unfair to read the same warning to every woman because some have special circumstances. “It could be a fetal anomaly diagnosis later than they expect, and they're horrified, and it's a terrible family crisis. It could be a rape survivor or an incest survivor,” she said.

Anti-abortion advocates and abortion rights advocates agree on one thing: they want fewer abortions performed.

They disagree, however, on whether the new law will accomplish that.

Anti-abortion leaders predict the warning, which directs women to a state information Web site, will reduce abortions.

“Women have the opportunity to look at that and see that this is a baby -- it's not a piece of tissue, it's a real live human being, [and] that it is going to make a difference,” said Sadie Fields of the Christian Coalition of Georgia.

“It will make women make a more informed decision, which I believe is their medical right,” Perdue said.

Gelberg says her clinic always counseled women about risks and alternatives in person. “Even with that information, there is unwanted pregnancy. “So I'm not sure how it will affect the numbers of abortion requested or sought,” she said.

Clinic officials told 11Alive News the state has not yet prepared the information booklets the law requires they give to patients.

Planned Parenthood Claims Pictures are "Deceitful?"

2005-05-11T22:22:00.000-04:00

Graphic Anti-Abortion Billboard Disturbs Orlando Residents

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Residents of an Orlando neighborhood say a new billboard goes way too far with its anti-abortion message. The big sign shows graphic images of an aborted fetus. Parents say it should not be displayed along a residential street. The pictures are so graphic, WFTV.com has chosen not to show them.

This week, the ride to school for Jennifer Lusk's children changed. Lusk says a new billboard that went up over the weekend is far too disturbing.

"I went to the grocery store and came back and it was sitting there. It took my breath away. I was like, ugh. I walked in the house and started ranting," said Lusk.

The billboard shows large pictures of a fetus, torn into pieces and covered in blood. The targets of the message are women headed to the EPOC abortion clinic just blocks away on Virginia Drive.

The billboard sits across from Donovan Davis' mortgage office. It stands behind a fence at a vacant warehouse. The billboard headline reads, "Killing a baby is a bad choice."

"No matter what side of the abortion issue you come down on, it's just so inappropriate for my staff, my clients, kids going to and from school," said Davis.

The sign was created by the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform, an organization that stands by the message saying, "the billboard is disturbing, because abortion is disturbing," according to Gregg Cunningham, the executive director of the organization.

And soon, more Central Floridians will be affected by the images. The organization that created the billboard has an even bigger version that will be pulled behind a banner plane regularly flown over Orlando.

A spokesperson for the abortion clinic was not available to comment Wednesday. A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of Florida contacted Channel 9 on Wednesday afternoon, calling the billboard a "misleading, deceitful, and cruel scare tactic directed at woman and children."

I am sick of people HIDING from truth on the premise of "politcal correctness." Since when is HIDING FROM TRUTH- CORRECT? There is NOTHING CORRECT about HIDING from TRUTH! Sure- I don't want my young girls seeing these pictures, but unfortunately- this is the world we live in. Nickelodeon is allowing the pro-choicers to target our children! The best defense is a good offense. If Planned Parenthood wants to target my children- then THEY are the ones forcing the issue. I am not about to stick my head in the sand as they spew their cleansed information about abortion. They have forced my hand! If they want to target children- fine- but I am not about to let them go at it unchallenged.

Stay tuned- I have a plan, and God is BLESSING IT!

"Ignorance sustained by denial is crippling this nation's response to abortion. When something is so horrifying that we can't stand to look at it, perhaps we shouldn't be tolerating it!"

Gregg Cunningham, Center for Bio-ethical Reform

The History of Filibusters that the Dems DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW!

2005-05-11T18:27:00.000-04:00

Reed’s Rules
The nuclear option, 19th-century style.

By John A. Barnes

Flip your television clicker over to C-SPAN's coverage of the House of Representatives and watch the speeches on the floor. View these for any length of time and you will notice a pattern. The chair will announce "The gentleman from so-and-so is recognized for five minutes." If he finishes before the time limit is up, the member will say, "I yield back the balance of my time." If he is not finished, the sharp rap of the speaker's gavel will be heard — even as the member continues speaking — and the voice from the dais will intone, "The time of the gentleman has expired." If the member holding forth doesn't sit down right quick — unless he asks for (and receives) unanimous consent to continue — he can be escorted from the floor.

Clearly, it is much easier to shut down a windbag in the House than it is in the Senate, where the filibuster still protects the right to effectively unlimited debate. But as the Senate moves closer to some sort of confrontation over filibusters of President Bush's judicial nominees, there's a question hanging in the air worth asking: Why is the filibuster allowed in the Senate but not in the House of Representatives?

The answer is that the filibuster did indeed once have a home in the House. That it doesn't anymore is a tribute to a 19th-century Republican hero: Speaker Thomas Brackett Reed of Maine. If he is recalled at all today, it is because of the memorable nickname his enemies fastened to him in the wake of Reed's successful abolition of the filibuster in the House: "Czar."

Even historically minded Americans have very little time for congressional leaders, who tend to be quickly forgotten regardless of their merits. Thomas B. Reed deserves better, for his name lives on in Reed's Rules, the guide to parliamentary procedure that governs the operations of the House of Representatives (and many state legislatures) to this day.

Like most prominent late-19th-century American politicians, Reed was a Civil War veteran, though he freely admitted that his one year spent aboard a U.S. Navy gunboat plying the Mississippi had never brought him under enemy fire. Qualified as a lawyer after the war, he served as a member of the Maine state legislature and state attorney general before being elected to Congress in 1876.

For 12 years, Reed bided his time. Blessed with an almost photographic memory, he learned the legislative process inside and out. He quickly concluded that the House suffered from a "tyranny of the minority," by which the will of the voters, as expressed through their ballots, could be frustrated.

The primary weapon of the minority was the so-called "silent quorum" or "silent filibuster." Under the House rules of the time, a quorum of 165 members, a majority, had to be present in order for business to be conducted. But in order for a member to be counted as "present," he had to affirmatively answer when his name was called by the clerk. If the member refused to answer, even if physically present in the chamber, he was marked absent. Since, invariably, some members actually were absent — either ill, traveling, or otherwise unavailable — it usually wasn't difficult for a minority, by remaining silent during the roll call, to prevent the majority party from reaching the necessary 165 members "present." Thus, the will of the majority was thwarted without an actual vote having to be taken. (Sound familiar?)

This tactic enraged Reed. When he was elected speaker at the beginning of the 51st Congress in 1889, conditions were ripe for change. For the first time since 1874, one party controlled the White House and both houses of Congress. (Again, sound familiar?) Determined to be an active legislator, not merely a figurehead, he knew that if he was to succeed he had to break the silent filibuster.

But the GOP majority in the House — 168 Republicans to 160 Democrats — was wafer-thin and some of its members were considered unreliable. (Think RINOs — Republicans in Name Only — were invented in 2001?) Even Joseph Cannon, Reed's close friend and confidant (and a future speaker himself), advised Reed not to make any attempt to move against the silent filibuster. More ominously, Democratic leader John Carlisle made it clear that he would consider any legislation passed in defiance of the silent filibuster to be unconstitutional, and would take the matter to the courts.

Reed was having none of it. A top-notch lawyer himself, he was satisfied that Carlisle would have no case if it ever came to a courtroom showdown. As for his own party, Reed was confident that the Democrats would react so wildly to any effort to abolish the silent filibuster that it would rally any wavering GOPers behind his effort.

The stakes, though, could scarcely have been higher. "He knew that the fight would focus upon him the nation's attention," writes Barbara Tuchman in her excellent account of Reed's breaking of the silent filibuster in her book The Proud Tower (from which this account is largely drawn). Reed also knew that if he failed, "his Congressional career would be over."

The new speaker's chance came on January 29, 1889, on a motion over a disputed election. Only 163 members affirmatively answered the quorum call, two short of the necessary 165. Instead of simply leaving it at that, however, Reed turned to the clerk of the House and directed him to "record the names of the following members present and refusing to vote." Reed then began reeling off the list of names of Democrats present in the chamber who had refused to answer when their names were called.

As Tuchman records the scene, "pandemonium broke loose" in the House chamber. It was the beginning of five days of parliamentary tumult. A few Democrats attempted to maintain decorum, demanding formally, "I appeal the decision of the Chair!" Most others, however, were less gracious. They shouted, swore, threatened, and pounded their fists on tables and desks. Nevertheless, Reed went on reading the list of names in a calm, assured voice. When he reached the name of Rep. James McCreary of Kentucky, the latter exclaimed "I deny your right, Mr. Speaker, to count me as present!"

Reed abruptly ceased reading and, for a moment, a hush fell on the raucous chamber. In a measured voice, Reed calmly observed, "The Chair is making a statement of fact that the gentleman is present. Does he deny it?" Reed then resumed reading his list of names.

Upon reaching the end, Reed declared that a quorum was present in the chamber. When a Democratic member appealed the ruling, Reed firmly denied the appeal. Every Democrat was on his feet yelling, except for a Texas representative, who was conspicuously sharpening a Bowie knife against the sole of his boot while sitting quietly in his seat.

A Republican member — probably one of those 19th-century RINOs — then moved for a debate on the rule change. Reed decided to allow it. For four days the debate raged. There were points of order, appeals, and endless quorum calls. Reed would repeat the same procedure as on the first day, reading the names of the silent Democrats into the journal as "present." Tempers reached such a fevered pitch that, at one point, a knot of Democratic members advanced menacingly down the center aisle toward the speaker's chair, giving the impression that Reed would be physically assaulted. Even the galleries joined in, with spectators and reporters shouting and screaming abuse at the speaker.

All manner of invective was tossed about, with various nicknames being chosen for the presiding officer. "Tyrant," "dictator," and "monster" were among the printable ones. But somewhere along the line, someone shouted "Czar," and that was the one that seemed to stick. From that day forward, he was "Czar" Reed.

Throughout this ordeal, Reed maintained an outward calm, though those who saw him in the privacy of his office could see his hands tremble with suppressed rage. What no one knew at the time was that Reed had already resolved to resign from the House if his effort to change the rules failed. "I had made up my mind that if political life consisted of sitting helplessly in the Speaker's chair and seeing the majority helpless to pass legislation, I had had enough of it and was ready to step down and out," he said later.

That turned out not to be necessary. After four days, the Democrats tried to absent themselves in actuality, refusing to come to the floor when the quorum was called. Two Republicans who were ill were brought into the chamber on cots. Still one vote short. Finally, Rep. John Sweney of Iowa, who was en route from his district during most of the battle, suddenly appeared at the door of the chamber with the words "One more, Mr. Speaker!" The fight was over. The Democrats sullenly returned to the chamber.

A new set of rules, drafted by Reed, was thus instituted. A quorum consists of 100 members, all members must vote, all present shall be counted, etc. Collectively, they were dubbed "Reed's Rules."

Theodore Roosevelt, who would later break with Reed over the annexation of the Philippines, was in awe. He called the breaking of the silent filibuster a reform "of far greater importance" than any piece of legislation. That became evident a few years later when the Democrats retook control of Congress. They immediately threw out "Reed's Rules," reinstituting the silent filibuster. Reed promptly turned it against them with relish. He succeeded in so thoroughly tying up the House that in frustration the Democrats were compelled to bring back Reed's Rules. Declining to gloat, Reed merely observed, "The scene here is a more effective address than any I could make."

Since that time, the House of Representatives has become the legislative body that is most responsive to its leadership. Few bills that are strongly supported by the speaker's party fail to reach a vote and pass. The minority party has a right to be heard, to vote, and, as Reed once put it, "draw its pay," but little more. This is not a matter of simple power politics, as Reed knew, but of representative government itself. The party winning the most votes in an election has the right to see its program voted on and moved, not merely debated. Otherwise, the public becomes cynical about the entire democratic process — and rightfully so.

Majority rule no doubt has its problems, but they pale in comparison with those presented by minority rule. The term was unknown in 1889, but "going nuclear" can be unavoidable when a majority party finds itself caught between keeping faith with its electors and an obstinate minority that simply refuses to yield. "Czar" Reed knew that. Does Sen. Bill Frist?

Jail? Sounds Good to Me!

2005-05-11T17:11:00.000-04:00

Stressed mum chooses jail for a break

A mother-of-three is to spend three months in jail instead of paying a parking fine to get a rest from her 'demanding' children and 'lazy' husband.

Maria Brunner waved to neighbours as police drove her away for not paying a £50 fine that had risen to £2,500 because it had been left unpaid.

"She opened the door and seemed really happy, if not relieved, to see us before asking us to take her away and lock her up," said one of the arresting officers from Poing in Germany.

The 38-year-old said she had had enough of scraping a living for her family as a cleaner every day while "my lazy husband sits on his backside doing nothing".

She added: "As long as I get food and a hot shower everyday, I don't mind being sent to jail. It means I can finally get some rest and relaxation without having to cook, wash and clean for everyone."

Brunner said she only found out she owed so much money when she got a letter from public prosecutors saying she would be jailed if she did not repay it immediately.

She says her unemployed husband, 35, hid the original fine from her that had been sent after he parked badly while driving her car.

"At first I was really worried about it, because I knew we did not have so much money, but then I looked at it as a chance to get away for a while," she said.

A police officer added: "She repeatedly thanked us for arresting her and smiled and waved as she was driven off to jail."

But her stay in prison may be cut short as her husband is desperately trying to raise the money to pay off her fine.

A while back, Bill O'Reilly did a segment on a study that stating how elderly men died much sooner once their wife died as opposed to how women lived much longer once their husbands died. He had "specialists" on the show giving different reasons for this. I remember laughing and telling the television, "Bill, no need for "specialists! This study just shows you the lengths that men will go to, in order to get out of doing housework."

Yup, Terri's Dead! - So Who Is Jon Thogmartin?

2005-05-11T09:54:00.000-04:00

In a little personal interest article being run by the St. Petersburg Times, the life and times of Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner Dr. Jon Thogmartin is reviewed. This an interesting caricature of an aggressive but shy man who wants it all his way. Yes, that's what I expect for a public official in Pinellas County, Florida. If Judge George Greer can quash all information regarding the life of Terri Schiavo, it's a sure bet that Dr. Thogmartin can do equally as well.

For the past month, he has been working on her autopsy. She has taken over his office and consumed his working hours.

{snip}

"That's her and that's her," he says, pointing to piles of documents and boxes of slides stacked all over his office.

{snip}

Thogmartin, 41, knows Schiavo's autopsy will probably be the most publicized of his career. He won't talk about it until he is done and estimates it will be two or three more weeks.

About the inclusion of the Schindler's pathologist participating in the autopsy, Thogmartin said, "It is routine in cases of criminal importance to not allow any biased pathology advocates in the morgue, I'm the independent pathologist."

Biased? Independent? Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!
The good news is that now we not only know what the outcome will be, we know when to expect the foregone conclusions.

Right Wing Nut Job

School Takes Kids to Fair, and Kids Come Home with CONDOMS!

2005-05-11T00:35:00.000-04:00

I AM SICK OF "GROUPS" INTERFERING IN MY PARENTING! Once the "cat" is out of the bag- you can't put it back in, and what on earth gives these groups the right to impose THEIR agenda onto my children? Have a seminar, if I want to send my kids, I can CHOOSE to do so! Why is it we don't want the government in our bedrooms, but it is okay for schools and "special interest groups" to enter my CHILD'S BEDROOM?

Fair organizers get surprise: group gives students condoms

WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) School officials and organizers of a health fair for middle-school students got a surprise when they learned an AIDS education group was handing out condoms.

Scott Eggebrecht's 14-year-old son, an eighth-grader at John Muir Middle School, was one of the students who brought home a condom from the event.

"He said, 'Look what they gave us,'" Eggebrecht, said. "He was real honest. ... I was just shocked that he came home with it."

About 1,150 students attended the fair Thursday at North Central Health Care, which was designed to teach about dangerous effects of using alcohol and drugs.

More than 33 displays created by community organizations were featured, said Sue Nowak of North Central Health Care, who organized the event.

Roger Rindo, director of secondary education for the Wausau School District, said Monday that administrators did not know workers with the Schofield office of the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin would be giving out the condoms.

Organizers and teachers stopped the distribution once they found out it was happening, and the district sent a letter to parents Friday with an explanation.

The center also apologized.

"It was done in error," Nowak said. "They were very apologetic. ... The group was just too young to be handing out condoms."

Read it all!

I remember moving into a new house when my son was in 3rd grade. A little boy that lived next door came over and started to help. I was so impressed! He was the same age as my son. Once we got all unpacked, I went to meet our new neighbors. My son and I walked over to meet this boys parents and introduce ourselves. The father answered the door with a half empty bottle of vodka in his hand and reeking of pot. He began to tell me how he stayed at home with the 5 kids while mom worked. I was in a hurry to leave so I didn't even step into the house. I quickly announced that we needed to get dinner started and before I could turn to go, he started telling me (with my son standing right next to me, and all 5 of his kids surrounding him) how he smoked pot, but only the oldest girl (14) knew about it. My jaw just hit the ground. I quickly said, "Not anymore pal. You just announced it. Not only did I not want to hear it, I sure didn't want you talking about it in front of my son. Your kids are welcome to come play at our house, but my son will not be aloud in your home." As I headed down the porch steps, he proceded to tell me how I insulted him. AMAZING! Now I had to have a discussion with my EIGHT YEAR OLD ABOUT POT! BUT HE WAS OFFENDED????!!

1,300 FAKE BADGES!

2005-05-11T00:20:00.001-04:00

Feds seize fake badges
1,300 counterfeit emblems found representing 35 different agencies

Federal officials arrested a New York man yesterday and charged him with possessing and selling more than 1,300 counterfeit badges representing 35 law enforcement agencies.

The counterfeits are "very, very good," Special Agent in Charge Martin Ficke of the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency told CNN, adding that nine out of 10 of the badges would "pass scrutiny."

The fake badges looked like the real thing from agencies such as the FBI, U.S. Marshals, Customs, Drug Enforcement Agency, Treasury and the New York Police Department.

"For someone to have that in their possession and utilize it to identify themselves as law enforcement could be devastating to security, particularly homeland security," Ficke is quoted as saying.

READ IT ALL!

One Disability Does Not Destroy Her Life

2005-05-10T12:44:00.000-04:00

I wish to share with you a note that my daughter received. My daughter is a Special Education Teacher; she is also the Drama Director at a local Public Middle School (grades 6 - 8). The subject of the handwritten note is a young lady (who I will call Abby - not her real name), one of my daughter's students. The author of the note is the student's mother.

"Dear Miss ...,
Thank you for inviting Abby to be part of the play. She loves being with the students. It is great for her as well as others. If I would of known someone with Down Syndrome growing up I would not of been so scared when she was born. Hopefully, the awareness of disabilities will help others understand they are like everyone else. You have helped by expanding Abby's experiences, this we appreciate. The play was creative and very entertaining.

Thank you,
(Father & Mother's names)"

I was very moved by this note. My daughter gave me permission to use it, but only if I protected all referenced names. Every life is precious. We all have disabilities; some are just more physical and more noticeable than others. But that does not diminish our value in the eyes of God.

Right Wing Nut Job

And They Claim PRO-LIFERS are Zealots?

2005-05-10T09:16:00.000-04:00

Animal Rights Activists Step Up Attacks in N.Y.
Families of Drug Executives Are Harassed

LAUREL HOLLOW, N.Y. -- Early one recent morning, the wife of a pharmaceutical executive was followed to her workplace, her car was broken into and her credit cards were stolen; later $20,000 in unauthorized charitable donations were billed on the cards.

It was the latest in a series of attacks by the Animal Liberation Front on the Long Island family. The activists, who have asserted responsibility, once scrawled "Puppy Killer" in red paint on the executive's house and have posted the couple's phone, license plate and bank account numbers on the Internet, along with this threat: "If we find a dime of that money granted to those charities was taken back, we will strip you bare."

You HAVE to Read all of this story. Why does Law Enforcement NOT HAVE A MICROSCOPE UP THE (NOSES) OF THESE PEOPLE?

Slice and Dice on Pro-Life

2005-05-10T09:10:00.000-04:00

Panel scales back abortion bill

Legislators drop language Springfield providers say was aimed at closing clinics.

By James Goodwin

Jefferson City — It's a rare day, an abortion-rights supporter noted, when she sides with a Missouri Right to Life lobbyist.

Yet there they were Monday, testifying before a House committee against a bill to restrict abortions.

"This may be the only time I get to go on record on the same side ...," said Alison Gee of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region.

Of course, Susan Klein of Missouri Right to Life thought Senate Bill 2, which was soon to be scaled back, would lose some of its greatest worth.

Among the provisions dropped was a requirement that doctors who provide abortions have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles. Springfield Healthcare Center officials said previously they viewed the provision as an attempt to shut down clinics that provide abortions.

{snip}

Republican leaders are concerned that certain language would ban therapeutic cloning, which scientists hope someday will lead to a cure for various diseases and injuries. Other worries are that the legislation would outlaw a popular fertility treatment and that particular language wouldn't withstand judicial review.

Also removed from the bill were provisions that would have:

• Prohibited abortion providers from providing sex education information at public schools.

• Authorized tax credits for donations to "pregnancy resource centers" that counsel against abortion.

• Allowed the state to sell "Respect Life" license plates.

READ IT ALL!

One Reason I LOVE Men and HATE Feminisists!

2005-05-09T22:29:00.000-04:00

I found this editorial and just had to share it! It is a PERFECT example of why I LOVE men and HATE Feminists. I know, I know, I am Christian and I am not allowed to HATE. Well, I don't HATE the actual women......just the issues they cling to, the way they do it, their utter hatred of men, and their classless behavior.

The article starts out a little slow, but it stay with it, it's worth it. You can just click the link and read it at TownHall.com, but I added some links for your reading pleasure!

My application for WRC Director

Mike S. Adams

Dear Dr. Berkeley:

I am writing to apply for the position of Director of the WRC (Women's Resource Center) at UNC Wilmington. I noticed the position advertisement states that minimum requirements include "tenure in an academic department at UNCW at the associate professor rank, experience in leadership development, and a demonstrated commitment to diversity and equity." I believe that I am fully qualified for this position.

In addition to advising Kappa Sigma, Theta Chi, the Civil Disobedience Dissemination Organization, the UNCW Pro-Life Club, the Criminal Justice Club, and the College Republicans, I have received a number of awards, each indicating the strength of my commitment to leadership development at this university. This year, I received the Golden Seahawk Award from the Pandion Society. This award was given to only one person on campus at the annual leadership banquet. It hangs on my wall next to two awards for Faculty Member of the Year (1998 and 2000).

My commitment to diversity has been demonstrated in hundreds of television and radio appearances discussing campus diversity over the course of the last three years. I have given speeches on the topic of diversity at campuses all around the nation. Some of those speeches, including my address to the Yale Law School, have been broadcast on national television.

The best way to assess the strength of my commitment to diversity is to perform a "Google" search using the terms "Mike Adams" and "diversity." If you perform a similar search for all candidates applying for this position a clear winner will emerge. That winner will be me.

While I do not have "teaching experience in Women's Studies courses" I believe that I have "a proven track record in collaborating with community agencies that work on behalf of women...". For example, I organized the "Run Against Rape" in April of 1995. This event raised money for the Rape Crisis Center with a five kilometer run. A U.S. Congressman fired the starting gun for the event, which was covered by the local media. This fundraiser did not require teenage girls to march across a stage chanting "vagina." Nor were vagina lollipops sold to spectators or participants. In short, I raised money to promote the dignity of women without asking them to act like women of ill-repute.

Your position advertisement states that "...Additionally, the position requires organizational, administrative, networking, and positive interpersonal relation skills and an ability to communicate effectively in oral and written formats. Responsibilities include overseeing the daily operation and budget of the WRC; supervising staff (both a half-time administrative assistant and half-time graduate student); coordinating the Women's Studies minor program, collaborating with existing women's programs...developing educational and outreach programs for women; facilitating research and assessment issues of concern to student, staff and faculty women; and working with the WRC's advisory board."

In order to address these more specific requirements, I intend to list some specific things I will do if I become WRC Director. That short list
follows:

1. I will immediately ask you, Dr. Berkeley, to sever your ties with the Women's Resource Center. This decision is based upon your consistent pattern of viewpoint discrimination as a leader of the WRC-most recently as the interim director.

For example, since December, the UNCW Pro Life group has been trying to get a link to their website through the WRC website. After weeks of ignoring them, you promised them a hearing in March. You then moved the hearing to April. You then cancelled the hearing. Thinking of silly excuses to ensure that only your views are represented on the WRC website is something you have done with impunity for years. My description of your history of similar discrimination is chronicled in a chapter in my book, "Welcome to the Ivory Tower of Babel." If you would like, I can provide you with a copy for inspection.

As it stands, the pro-life movement is only mentioned once on your website in a caption below a picture of a man holding a sign saying "Bow to the God of the Bible." Your caption reads: "This pretty much sums up the motivations of the anti-choice movement." In other words, the WRC is saying that pro-lifers are all simple-minded religious bigots. That is as unacceptable as saying "all Jews are penny pinchers" or "all Negroes are spear chuckers." Your stereotypical thinking and willingness to discriminate based on those stereotypes will have no place at a Mike Adams-led WRC.

2. I will immediately ask Elizabeth Ervin, former head of the WRC, to sever all ties with the Center. When Ervin was director, she told the local Crisis Pregnancy Center (Life Line) that they could not be linked to the WRC webpage. Shortly thereafter, she went onto a feminist list serve based at Dartmouth and admitted that she denied the group access to the WRC site because they were "explicitly Christian." The emails sent back and forth between the feminists had a privacy statement attached to them, saying that those of us who received the emails in error must delete them without reading their contents.

I read the emails anyway. But it is now a moot point since one of the feminists accidentally posted the emails on the internet for all to see.
Again, Dr. Berkeley, you can use "Google" to access the whole exchange.
After you do, I'm sure you will agree that anti-Christian bigotry has no place at the WRC.

3. I am going to actually hold a debate between pro-lifers and pro-choicers at UNCW. This idea of having a debate is decidedly against the university diversity policy. I am going to do it anyway.

4. I am going to allow the two pro-life students who recently asked to serve on the WRC Advisory Board to do so. You did not allow them to serve because you are, in my opinion, opposed to diversity. I am committed to reversing your decision immediately upon taking office. Pro-choicers and pro-lifers will work together on the WRC Board from now on.

5. I am not going to post the f-word or the p-word all over campus on Vagina Day. In fact, I am going to cancel the Vagina Monologues next year and replace it with the second installment of the Run Against Rape.

Since the run will also help fight heart disease, I plan to call it Angina Day, or A-Day.

6. I also plan to offer firearms training at the WRC. I will supply the guns and ammo, thereby saving the taxpayers of North Carolina thousands of dollars.

7. Since my term is for four-years, I will cut the budget of the WRC by 25% per year. This will help students fight the rising cost of tuition by eliminating the WRC at the end of my term.

When you consider that a) women are 70% of the student population at this university, and b) they make better grades than men, we don't really need a "comfort zone" to help them escape from masculine oppression. And, come to think of it, I won't really need this job in four years. By then, I plan to replace radio talk show host Neal Boortz (www.Boortz.com) or maybe even start a Men's Resource Center.

Whatever happens, I know that my possibilities are endless. As the feminists say, it's still a man's world. Regardless, I look forward to meeting you in an interview soon.

Mike S. Adams (www.DrAdams.org) sent the above application to Dr. Berkeley on May 7th, two days before the application deadline. He hopes to get an answer before he speaks at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, MI, on May 25th. If he is rejected, he plans to throw pies at any liberals attending the speech.

I still haven't found the little email exchange between Miss Elizabeth and her diversity loving friends, but I smile inside knowing many others have!

Even Dogs are Pro-Life!

2005-05-09T21:56:00.000-04:00

Stray Dog in Kenya Saves Abandoned Baby

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - A stray dog saved the life of a newborn baby after finding the abandoned infant in a forest and apparently carrying it across a busy road and through some barbed wire to her litter of puppies, witnesses said.

The stray dog found the infant, clad in tattered clothing, in a poor neighborhood near the Ngong Forests in the capital of Nairobi, Stephen Thoya told the independent Daily Nation newspaper.

The dog apparently found the baby Friday in the plastic bag in which the infant had been abandoned, said Aggrey Mwalimu, owner of the shed where the animal was guarding its puppies. The seven-pound, four-ounce infant was taken to the hospital for treatment on Saturday.

"She is doing well, responding to treatment, she is stable. ...

HOPE for Baby Charlotte: YOU CAN HELP!

2005-05-07T17:25:00.000-04:00

Juleni has been a GOD GIVEN AMBASSADOR for Baby Charlotte. She asked me to pass this on to ALL I CAN!

Sherri...on a somber note, and off topic, here is my latest update on little baby Charlotte Wyatt. Would you please alert your readers to pray for her and to write those British media outlets that RottyPup put up for us over at Blogsforterri? I will try to repost them all here, too...Thank you!:

Over the past week and a half, the editor of the Olive Branch Press (www.theolivebranchpress.org) and I have contacted several doctors in an attempt to get help for Charlotte. There have been ups and downs, that I want to share with you later, but have no time right now: suffice it to say, the editor of Olive Branch Press (OBP) has made contact with a prolife British doctor willing to help Charlotte! This is good news!!

THIS IS WHERE WE NEED YOUR HELP, WITH PRAYER!

The doctor has told us that the hospital that Charlotte is in must first give PERMISSION for a second opinion to be allowed...can you imagine that? As a result the OBP editor has a call in, overseas, to a British legal expert who works alongside the prolife doctors. We are waiting for this legal expert's response (a woman). PLEASE, PLEASE PRAY that she responds as soon as possible, and that God will guide her as she reviews all the legal considerations in our getting a good, life asserting doctor to give an evaluation or second opinion on Charlotte!

Here is why this is so crucial:

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FIRST PARAGRAPH FROM THE STATEMENTS IN THE COURT DOCUMENTS FROM THIS PAST OCTOBER:

"On the basis of the unanimous medical evidence in this case, the issue in all probability is not whether this baby should live or die but how and when she should die. Charlotte has chronic respiratory and kidney problems coupled with the most profound brain damage that has left her blind, deaf and incapable of voluntary movement or response. It is very highly probable that she will during this winter succumb to a respiratory infection that will prove fatal. That said the unanimous medical evidence also recognises that in this area there is no such thing as certainty of prognosis of survival. "

That first sentence....."not whether this baby should live or die but how and when she should die". DOES THAT NOT SOUND JUST LIKE JUDGE GREER's pronouncement on Terri, "the (judgement) is that she will die" - or words like that?

Also the whole October pronouncement about Charlotte seems so silly now, from this perspective of months later, because she has obviously not gone the way they 'predicted' at all, and is obviously not what they said back then. She sees, hears, responds, smiles, is growing constantly, plays, and is just getting better and better - just like most newbies.

It would seem just something that they said back then, that could be ignored now, except that.....it almost sounds to me like a death sentence. I could just say, oh, well, that was back then, in October, and they just didn't know and look how far she has come now, so they must see that and believe differently now, if it weren't for one thing....

They are not acting like all of her growth, response, thriving, matters at all....

Case in point, today's news, from Joshua of the Friends for Charlotte (by email). (The SaveCharlotte.com website.)....this, DESPITE THE FACT that Charlotte twice the other day was successfully and happily out of her oxygen box for a while, on just a nasal cannula for oxygen and is now only needing 45% oxygen on a continual basis, freeing her up almost to the point that she could go home (she can go home when she is on a nasal cannula, and low % of oxygen need.....and she has already come down from 100% oxygen to only 45% oxygen in just these few months...):

"We found out today that the hospital has decided (no explanation) to
stop giving Charlotte time on the nasal prongs (cannula). She seemed to be doing
so well on them, and be getting ready for coming home, so this was a
great discouragement to us.

Please pray that Charlotte would soon get so well and strong it would
be evident even to those who most don't want to see it. And pray for
us, that we would know how to deal with the hospital. Pray especially
for Darren & Debbie, that they would be encouraged and have strength
to go on.:

___________________________
>From the www.savecharlotte.com website:

"Two steps forward, one step back

Charlotte is continuing to get stronger, but today there was another
set-back from the hospital. Though she spends most of the time in her
oxygen box, she had been slowly introduced to nasel cannula for the
past few weeks; going up to two hours a day, split up into two
sessions.

Darren and Debbie loved this new advancement-- she was more alert when
she was on them, and certainly easier to hold and stimulate. But today
they found out the nasal prong machine had been removed, and on
inquiring, that the hospital had decided to stop giving her time on it.
No reason was given, simply "it hadn't been a success".

But why not a success? She did so well on them!

They may mean well, but right now it is difficult to be anything like
certain.
If the hospital believes your baby does not deserve to live, will that
affect their decision making?

When will there be any accountablity?"
________________________________
And from Hannah, of the www.savecharlotte.com website:

"On the positive side, she is doing really well-- in spite of them! and getting stronger. She had her measurements taken yesturday, and she has been gaining a little weight and growing longer.

Pray especially for Darren and Debbie today, because it meant alot to them to have her allowed out of her box and with the nasal cannula..."

So, there are a few prayer requests, here.

1. for Debbie and Darren, Charlotte's parents, to be encouraged and to have strength for the continued fight for their daughter.

2.that Charlotte would soon get so well and strong it would
be evident even to those who most don't want to see it.

3.for Joshua, Hannah, Debbie Darren, the editor of OBP, the legal expert in Britain, the doctor in Britain who is willing to help, that they all may know and have discernment from God as to how to deal with the hospital, in regards to getting that second opinion evaluation done, and as to the hospital withholding the medical records from Charlotte's parents, as they are doing (possibly illegally?....see the savecharlotte.com website's comments for a comment from a British subject regarding this..)

4. for this stronghold of the enemy to be torn down by God, in satan's wanting to take little Charlotte's life.

Finally, if you would be willing, could some people please start writing to the British press contacts which RottyPup gave us last week?? A little spotlighting might be of help to let the hospital be aware that their actions are being watched in regards to Charlotte.

PLEASE PRAY!!!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH....

The MOST OUTRAGEOUS THING I HAVE EVER SEEN! NICKELODEON ADVERTISING FOR ABORTION!

2005-05-07T13:43:00.000-04:00

From JivinJ at JivinJehoshaphat:

Pro-Choice Ads on Nickelodeon

In the culturally-conservative town of Grand Rapids pro-choice groups don't make the largest impression. West Michiganders aren't prone to buy the "no one knows when life begins" line or fall in love with the vague assertion "women have the right to choose." We're more likely to point to the scientific evidence regarding the beginning of human life and ask what exactly do woman have a right to "choose."

Much to my chagrin, I have been informed that Grand Rapids' patchwork pro-choice group has been reaching out to a new group of possible pro-choice advocates. They've been airing ads in the Grand Rapids television market for a couple of years - mostly on pro-choice friendly cable stations like Oxygen, E!, MTV, and VH1 - but now they've moved into marketing their message towards different viewers. Kids!! Friends of mine have seen their ads on Nickelodeon and the Cartoon Network. I guess if you can't convince adults, start the mythmaking with the young.

Their ads feature a wall being broken down and a coathanger behind the wall. They also advertise their currently nonfunctioning web site, www.prochoiceadvocates.org.

But thanks to the magic of the Way Back Machine we can view portions of their web site here.

Please visit the link and read it all!

Here are a few suggestions on what to do about this:

Go HERE and leave a message for good ole Nick with your thoughts.
Alert the MEDIA! Just cut and paste the following in your "TO:" box of your email and fill them in on this!

Rush@EIBNet.com, kherman@statesman.com, 19Latest@daily.misleader.org, greenpartyusa@igc.org, pjnyden@wvgazette.com, ellengoodman@globe.com, shadowland@newsweek.com, news@reedbusiness.com, MyWord@FoxNews.com, REvans@mercurynews.com, JHubner@Mercurynews.com, prez@usa-exile.org, Malibunews@malibutimes.com, Margolis@foreigncorrespondent.com, FNS@FoxNews.com, Beltway@FoxNews.com, Hannity@FoxNews.com, Colmes@FoxNews.com, alan@alan.com, jim.mills@foxnews.com, Newswatch@FoxNews.com, Oreilly@FoxNews.com, Special@Foxnews.com, latenight@nbc.com, tdp@nt.net, Newswatch@foxnews.com, letters@nypost.com, Moneyline@CNN.com, cushman@nytimes.com, abramsreport@msnbc.com, Hardball@MSNBC.com, evening@cbsnews.com, weekends@cbsnews.com, Questions@MSNBC.com, Joe@msnbc.com, Imus@MSNBC.com, Question@msnbc.com, Nightly@NBC.com, MTP@NBC.com, Crossfire@cnn.com, Wolf@CNN.com, CapReport@cnbc.com, Reliable@cnn.com, newsroom@bergen.com, Jeff.newsstand@cnn.com, Rwallace@herald.com, Arobinson@herald.com, babingtonc@washpost.com, newhnews@ncia.net, Letters@prospect.org, letters@cmonitor.com, inquirer.letters@phillynews.com, letters@detnews.com, DYJackson@tribune.com, ddefenoyl@globeandmail.ca, valley@latimes.com, business@latimes.com, ventura@latimes.com, metrodesk@latimes.com, news-tips@nytimes.com, the-arts@nytimes.com, bizday@nytimes.com, metro@nytimes.com, national@nytimes.com, washington@nytimes.com, online.editor@thetimes.co.uk, rcribb@thestar.ca, foreign.news@thetimes.co.uk, dbrazao@thestar.ca, ldiebel@thestar.ca, 2020@abc.com, thisweek@abc.com, nightline@abcnews.com , mike@mikemalloy.com, rrhodes@airamericaradio.com, info@alternativeradio.org , info@alternet.org, talk2us@americasblackforum.com, feedback@ap.org, msilverman@ap.org, rfournier@ap.org, hunt@ap.org, bsenftleber@ajc.com, bsteiden@ajc.com, hklibanoff@ajc.com, rnarayanan@ajc.com, atrios@comcast.net, newsonline@bbc.co.uk, anita@mindgallery.com, jfetzer@d.umn.edu, hprzybyla@bloomberg.net, hrosenkrantz@bloomberg.net, ombud@globe.com, kcooper@globe.com, oliphant@globe.com, brelis@globe.com, lettersbwol@businessweek.com, richard_dunham@businessweek.com, buzzflash@buzzflash.com, query@cambridgeforum.org, 48hours@cbsnews.com, 60m@cbsnews.com, bpc@cbsnews.com, ftn@cbsnews.com, sundays@cbsnews.com, grain@cbsnews.com, aweathersbee@suntimes.com, cledbetter@suntimes.com, showcase@suntimes.com, jcruickshank@suntimes.com, sneed@suntimes.com, ddouglas@suntimes.com, rkemper@tribune.com, cgarrett@tribune.com, GWashburn@tribune.com, jzeleny@tribune.com, MPossley@tribune.com, jcrewdson@tribune.com, bmccauley@enquirer.com, dhorn@enquirer.com, jborgman@enquirer.com, jloven@ap.org, kcarroll@ap.org, npickler@ap.org, sjohnson@ap.org, cwarmbold@ajc.com, wilsonc@timesrecordnews.com, drudge@drudgereport.com, news@worldnetdaily.com, letters@worldnetdaily.com, Hannity@foxnews.com, Colmes@foxnews.com, me@glennbeck.com

Also: Contact Focus on the Family

God Forgive Me

2005-05-07T10:34:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is Mother's Day

Years ago I was watching an Oprah show, and I heard her share something about mothers. I can't remember the details, but I think it was a letter she had received from a viewer, and she shared it with the audience. In fact, I wasn't really "watching" the show, I was listening to the show as I was busy doing laundry and preparing dinner for my family. What she shared was the BEST description of motherhood I had ever heard, and I have yet to ever hear it since. I have searched the web, and cannot seem to find it anywhere. Maybe you all may have heard it before- or can find it. I will share what I remember of it.

The message was clear. Mothers are the everything at all times.

We are doctors. We tend to injuries and boo-boos, evaluating the seriousness, and the cure or treatment.

We are the best actors in the world. We put on that strong and happy face as we watch them climb onto the bus for their first time, when inside we are more scared than they are. We tell them all is okay when they cry over the cruelty of the other kids, inside we are broken hearted.

We are chefs- on call, our 4-star kitchen open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

We are CEO's. We plan each appointment, meeting, meal, and trip. We balance the budget, handling purchases, accounts payable, bills, operating costs, jobs and duties of all others in the home. We handle grievances, disciplinary actions, and rewards.

We are psychiatrists, knowing the right things to do and say at the right times.

We are teachers. We teach shoe tying 101, teeth brushing 101, manners, bed making, honesty, security, trust, self-worth, self-respect, how to catch fire flies, and setting caterpillars free so they can become butterflies. We teach swimming, dish-washing, laundry-folding, jump-rope, hop-scotch, and which snakes to catch (NONE!)

We have victories and losses. Our moments of self-satisfaction over triumphs are short-lived, but our moments of failure haunt us- unrelenting.

Some of us have full-fledged careers. Some make a career of our families and homes. We are the glue. We are the managers. We are the servants. Our tiaras are crooked and our halos often fall to our ankles.

There is one day set aside for us. More phone calls are made on this day than any other day of the year. Flowers are sent and breakfasts are served in bed. The coffee may be cold, the pancakes lumpy, and the toast burnt; but we are thankful. We put hours into planning dinners, birthday parties, clean clothes in the drawers, and creating a home for the ones we love. Many of those we take care of all year scramble to find a last minute gift for us on this one day to show us appreciation.

Many mothers are forgotten. Single moms for one. It is just another day. No one is there to oversee breakfast in bed. No one takes the kids shopping for that special gift. No one else is in the house to make the meals, clean up the mess, or teach the kids how to treat mom on this day. Yes, for some mothers, this is actually the hardest day of the year.

I have a message for these mothers, and the countless others that will be disappointed tomorrow. Don't be! Praise God. Praise Him for the miracle of being blessed enough to BE A MOM! Many women can never know what this is like. Many mothers would love the to have these "disappointments" and struggles. Many women would give anything to have the hardest job in the world, with the worst hours, the worst pay, but the BEST benefits. Many would give all they have to hear a child call them mommy, to get those snotty faced kisses, and to clean chocolate pudding from the ceiling. Cherish those little arms wrapped around your neck. Treasure the tear-stained faces that run to you for comfort. Praise God for the spilled milk and the privilege to mop it up.

I remember a critical moment in my life. I was living in a trailer full of holes. We had to check for snakes that may have slithered in. The oven would never get to the right temperature. We had no car, no phone, no bed. I was pregnant. The washer "spin cycle" didn't work, and there were no steps at the back door. We had no dryer, so I had to take these heavy, soaking wet clothes and put them into a basket. I then would have to literally bend over and push the basket to the front of the trailer. Once there, I had to slide the basket down the stairs and onto the ground. Now I would have to bend over and drag the basket to the back yard and start hanging them on the line. This had to be done first thing in the morning, because the clothes were SO WET they needed ALL day to dry. I had tears running down my face this one day as I hung my family's clothes. Of all things, couldn't I have a dryer, or at least a washer that worked? Then God convicted my heart. The tears became sobs as I fell to my knees and asked for forgiveness.

"Thank you, oh Lord, for a family that I can care for."

Schindlers, Hanitty, and Fuhrman's Book

2005-05-07T09:56:00.000-04:00

From NewsMax:

Mark Fuhrman Probing Schiavo Case

Famed detective Mark Fuhrman, whose independent investigation into the Martha Moxley murder led to the conviction of Kennedy-cousin Michael Skakel, is probing the Terri Schiavo forced starvation case.

"He spent a month on the ground in Tampa," revealed Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity Friday night. "He's talked to many of the principals involved investigating the case and he's coming out with a book."

Hannity said he personally contacted Fuhrman in March to suggest he probe a myriad of unresolved questions about Ms. Schiavo's condition, including a 1991 bone scan report showing that Schiavo suffered fractures sometime prior to being found unconscious in her home in Feb. 1990.

{snip}

"All I can say," the talk host told his "Hannity & Colmes" audience, "is that this is not over. Stay tuned."

TOM PURCELL: Hardest Job in the World

2005-05-06T11:31:00.000-04:00

Hardest Job in the World

“I’ve come to apply for the job.”

“This is the hardest job in the world, I hope you know. You think you got the stuff for it?”

“Absolutely!”

“Let’s start from the top then. Do you have any operational experience? Have you ever run a small manufacturing operation? Have you ever overseen purchasing, inventory, budgeting, production, accounting and so on?”

“No, but I once sold hangars as part of a Junior Achievement project.”

“I see. Then how are your people skills? Are you able to quickly assess people and determine their strengths and weaknesses? Are you able to quickly delineate between people who are good and have our interests at heart and those who intend to harm our operation?”

“I took a psychology course in college once.”

“OK, then, how are you at managing disputes? There are a lot of disputes that arise in an operation like ours and resolving them requires excellent listening skills, comprehensive reasoning skills and the ability to enforce sound judgment.”

“Managing disputes? Well, I almost talked my way out of a parking ticket one time, but that judge had it out for me.”

“Perhaps you have other skills that are mandatory for the hardest job in the world. How are your comedy skills? That is, how are you with encouraging laughter, one of the most important elements of this job?”

“Laughter? You mean like telling jokes? I know a good Irish joke about these two guys --”

“That won’t be necessary. What about ethics and morals? Do you have a strong sense of right and wrong? Are you able to quickly determine the honest path in any situation? And do you have the ability to promote this knowledge to the others in our operation?”

“Ethics and morals? Well, I got a C-plus once on a paper I wrote on Aristotle. Or was it Plato? I always confuse those two. Of course, it might have been that Ben Franklin paper and --”

“Let’s just keep moving along. Our operation is facing unprecedented threats from outsiders these days. As a result of the Internet and mass media, there are many charlatans out there trying to infiltrate our operation and promote ideas that are inconsistent with our operational and ethical goals. Do you have the fortitude to fend off such threats?”

“Sure, if someone can help me determine what they are? I’m good with tasks once somebody helps me define them.”

“Oh, brother. There has to be some area where you excel. In this job you will have every one of your buttons pushed, but you must never lose your cool. Do you have extraordinary patience?"

“I waited nearly five minutes for a burger at a fast-food joint once and didn’t yell at anyone.”

“Extraordinary. Let’s talk then about your career aspirations. Where do you see yourself in five years?”

“Well, I figure this job will make a nice stepping stone. Once I get in and prove myself, then I can keep advancing.”

“But you cannot advance in this job. There is only one job level. You will never be promoted.”

“Never promoted? What kind of shift would I have to work?”

“Good question. The job requires a 24-hour-a-day shift seven days a week. There are no breaks.”

“No breaks! This job requires a comprehensive range of skills in every area of expertise. Please tell me I’d get assistants!”

“No assistants.”

“Then surely a hard job like this pays a lot of money?”

“Not a penny. People who hold this job work free.”

“Free! What the heck kind of job is this anyway?”

“It’s the job of Mother, the hardest job in the world.”

(Tom Purcell’s e-mail address is TomPurcell@aol.com; his Web address is www.TomPurcell.com)

Tom Purcell

Writer

TomPurcell@aol.com

www.TomPurcell.com

(pssssst, Tom-My divorce papers have been filed!)

Schindlers Interview on Hannity and Colmes

2005-05-05T22:00:00.000-04:00

The Schindler family is slated to appear on Hannity and Colmes on FOX News Channel On Friday, May 6th at 9:00 pm Eastern Time. This will be their first exclusive television interview since the horrible death of Terri.

National Day of Prayer! Make it SPECIAL!

2005-05-05T08:11:00.000-04:00

In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress, signed by President Truman, declared an annual, national day of prayer. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan, permanently setting the day as the first Thursday of every May. (Use link to read more on the History of this national holiday)

In our home, this has become a SPECIAL DAY. Our family tradition is to spend the day together as a family. In our town, we gather at city hall for prayer and music. We enjoy coming together to hold up our country and its leaders. We have wonderfully talented singers and musicians, and are very blessed with Godly leaders leading us in prayer.

Last year after the event we walked around the corner to a sandwich shop and all shared a banana split. I have a feeling they will expect the same thing this year! My daughters got a kick out of what happened the following day. I got a phone call VERY early in the morning from my Mayor. He asked me if I had seen the paper yet today, and if not- I had better get one. I gathered the kids up for school and on the way we stopped to pick up a paper. We found this on the front page:

National Day of Prayer 2004

Time for Reflection

Friday, May 7, 2004 4:00 AM EDT

Above: Sherri Reese of Acworth, center, bows her head in prayer with her daughters, Jessica, 3, left, and Alex, 5, during the city of Acworth's observance of the National Day of Prayer at City Hall on Thursday afternoon.

Needless to say, we bought a FEW papers (about 10!) and my daughters each took one to school to show their friends. I encourage all of you to not only take out some time today for prayer for our country, but find an event and take your family. Or just gather the family and MAKE your own event! But make this day SPECIAL! Make this day a family tradition that your children will remember fondly. Work and school will be there tomorrow!

An Iraqi Terrorist Cell was Involved in the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing?

2005-05-04T21:00:00.000-04:00

Some of this may be old news to Glenn Beck fans, or those who have just kept themselves informed, but to some of you it may be new information.

Two important names to remember:

David Shippers

Jayna Davis

David Shippers shared today on Glenn Beck that not only does he have no doubt that Iraq was involved with the Oklahoma City Bombing, but he knows of at least two terrorist cells in the US right now, and feels that Chicago is the next terror target.

Here is some GREAT sources for information on the Oklahoma Bombing:

Jayna Davis interviews with Glenn Beck

David Shippers interview with Alex Jones

NO ONE MENTIONED TERRI???

2005-05-04T20:53:00.000-04:00

Did I just witness a Miracle?
The Connection between Donald Herbert and Terri Schiavo

Yesterday I woke up to news of a miracle: Donald Herbert, a firefighter that lapsed into a coma following a December 29, 1995 house fire accident, spoke for the first time in almost 10 years. His first words? "I want to talk to my wife."

How many of you, after hearing this same story immediately thought of Terri Schiavo? I know I did. In both stories we have an individual dealing with the after effects of brain-damage and who are reportedly unresponsive to their surroundings. Another similarity is the purported videotape alleged to show Donald Herbert unable to communicate and with little awareness as to what is going on around him. Doesn’t that sound a lot like the Terri Schiavo story? I really wanted to see how the major news media outlets were going to cover the story of Donald Herbert and how they were going to address the similarities between the two stories. With all of those high paid news analysts and commentators I was convinced it would not be too long before someone tied the two events together.

Despite having spent most of the day scanning through several television stations and mainstream media outlets hoping to see a mention of the similarities between the two stories or a comment made regarding a possible nexus, I could not find any mention of Terri Schiavo when the Donald Herbert story was discussed. Am I the only one that finds this odd? .....

READ IT ALL!!!!

Mark Fuhrman Investigating the Night Terri Collapsed

2005-05-04T20:33:00.000-04:00

Today Bobby Schindler announced on Glenn Beck's show that Mark Fuhrman is investigating the night that Terri Schindler (Schiavo) collapsed.

I am looking forward to hearing what Mark Fuhrman comes up with. I also hope much, much, more is investigated!

UPDATE on Baby Alexander

2005-05-04T16:03:00.000-04:00

Hat tip: levi from queens

Baby Alexander's father, Chip, has an update on his son's condition posted at his blog:

Politics and Religion

Please keep this family in your prayers. Hold them up for a GREAT MIRACLE and HEALING! Lord we call on you for strength, comfort, and grace for this child and his entire family. Bring them a miracle. We give you the glory, and in all things Lord, we praise you. Yes Lord, we thank you for the fleas!

The Hiding Place