Tamara, at View From the Porch, takes on the state of Illinois, and their "advice" for women's defense ......................... first question - Are the Illinois State Police smoking the stuff they're getting off the streets?
Illinois' Ideas for Women's Safety
When we returned from living in Mexico, my spousal unit almost immediately left for the assignment in the Czech Republic - I hied my {then} skinny butt to Academy, and found a moderately-priced pump-action Mossberg. I filled out the paperwork, and within 30 minutes, the background check was done, and I was on my way home with 'Ms.' Mossberg ....................... located a nearby range, and took the progeny out for a familiarization with it - she didn't care for the rather loud "boom", and asserted that, should the need arise, she preferred to use it as a club ..................... local news reports {home invasions are a common crime here} altered her resolve ........................
At one time, I was admittedly one of "those" people who didn't think I had need of a firearm ........................ then the progeny was born - and I began thinking in terms of protecting not only myself, but HER ......................... several law enforcement officers, in Pennsylvania and Virginia both, advised me against getting a weapon .................... I took their advice at the time .................... but now, I have Ms. Mossberg for home defense, and am looking to purchase a handgun and get my concealed-carry permit ..................... a friend up in Dallas has a NICE 9m semi-auto that fit my hand nicely - ideally, I would be able to try out several different pistols, and make my final choice on that basis .......................
A gentleman I am honored to call friend is a retired Lt. Colonel of Marines - one of his favorite sayings is : An unarmed populace are subjects; an armed populace are citizens ........................
Friday, April 13, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
'Specially for America ......................... ;-)
It's About Time!
L.A. Police Sued Over Immigrant Policy
By PETER PRENGAMAN, Associated Press Writer
12:28 AM PDT, April 12, 2007
LOS ANGELES -- Illegal immigration opponents have sued the Los Angeles Police Department, taking aim at its long-standing policy of ignoring most suspects' immigration status.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday in Superior Court seeks to force officers to inform federal immigration officials when illegal immigrants are arrested on drug charges.
The department prohibits officers from inquiring about the immigration status of suspects, a policy strongly supported by Police Chief William Bratton and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
The lawsuit was brought on behalf of unidentified police officers who are afraid to speak out but argue the policy creates a situation where the same illegal immigrants are repeatedly arrested when they could have been deported, lawyer David Klehm said.
"Everyone I spoke to told me their hands were tied with this policy," Klehm said.
The lawsuit relies on a section of the state's Health and Safety Code that states that in drug cases involving a non-citizen, "the arresting agency shall notify the appropriate agency of the United States having charge of deportation."
Los Angeles police officers do not ask about immigration status while interviewing victims, witnesses and suspects, and do not arrest people based on immigration status.
Officers do involve immigration officials if a suspect is a gang member who has been previously deported or if a suspect is arrested for a felony or multiple misdemeanors.
Bratton has argued that the police department does not have the resources to work as immigration agents.
Klehm, an anti-illegal immigration activist based in Orange County, filed a similar lawsuit against the San Jose Police Department a few weeks ago.
L.A. Police Sued Over Immigrant Policy
By PETER PRENGAMAN, Associated Press Writer
12:28 AM PDT, April 12, 2007
LOS ANGELES -- Illegal immigration opponents have sued the Los Angeles Police Department, taking aim at its long-standing policy of ignoring most suspects' immigration status.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday in Superior Court seeks to force officers to inform federal immigration officials when illegal immigrants are arrested on drug charges.
The department prohibits officers from inquiring about the immigration status of suspects, a policy strongly supported by Police Chief William Bratton and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
The lawsuit was brought on behalf of unidentified police officers who are afraid to speak out but argue the policy creates a situation where the same illegal immigrants are repeatedly arrested when they could have been deported, lawyer David Klehm said.
"Everyone I spoke to told me their hands were tied with this policy," Klehm said.
The lawsuit relies on a section of the state's Health and Safety Code that states that in drug cases involving a non-citizen, "the arresting agency shall notify the appropriate agency of the United States having charge of deportation."
Los Angeles police officers do not ask about immigration status while interviewing victims, witnesses and suspects, and do not arrest people based on immigration status.
Officers do involve immigration officials if a suspect is a gang member who has been previously deported or if a suspect is arrested for a felony or multiple misdemeanors.
Bratton has argued that the police department does not have the resources to work as immigration agents.
Klehm, an anti-illegal immigration activist based in Orange County, filed a similar lawsuit against the San Jose Police Department a few weeks ago.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Watching "Desperation" ..............................
I have to say, I much prefer Ron Perlman's law enforcement character in Happy, Texas to his character in Desperation ...................... don't hate me, LawDog & Matt G.!! ;-)
Gonna be baking the spousal unit's birthday cake today - he's a carrot cake aficionado, so that's what I'm doing - would you believe, he had the temerity to ask if I was making it from scratch! Like there's any other way to do it ...................... his birthday is actually Sunday, but he'll be able to take it in & share it with his co-workers ....................... way back when, right before & after we were married {Fall-Winter 1999}, I'd make 'stuff' for him to take in to work - he'd have to hide it if he wanted HIS folks to get any goodies, as he would go in early, and the metallurgical engineers would 'follow their noses' and raid the cinnamon rolls or homemade kolaches, or whatever else I'd made ..................... ;-)
Gonna be baking the spousal unit's birthday cake today - he's a carrot cake aficionado, so that's what I'm doing - would you believe, he had the temerity to ask if I was making it from scratch! Like there's any other way to do it ...................... his birthday is actually Sunday, but he'll be able to take it in & share it with his co-workers ....................... way back when, right before & after we were married {Fall-Winter 1999}, I'd make 'stuff' for him to take in to work - he'd have to hide it if he wanted HIS folks to get any goodies, as he would go in early, and the metallurgical engineers would 'follow their noses' and raid the cinnamon rolls or homemade kolaches, or whatever else I'd made ..................... ;-)
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Chumley-Bumley is back!!!
He'd disappeared for 10-14 days. My sweet cross-eyed Tom has lost about 25% of his weight ................... gave him fresh dry food, water, & about 1/4 can of wet food - he wanted more wet food, but I didn't want to overload his stomach ....................... his toe looks OK, and the scratch/bite behind his ear is starting to grow fur again - but more than any food, I think he was looking for some petting & some kind words, to know that someone values him {yes, I've a habit of anthropomorphizing my 'critters'} ........................ ;-)
I truly hope ................................
that this year's protests exceed last year's ........................ the President and the congressional members of the Treason Lobby could then kiss any amnesty goodbye ......................
Immigration Activists Call for Boycott
Precisely WHAT part of the term "illegal alien" do these people not comprehend? I don't care if you were born in a boil on the buttocks of the world, you do NOT have an "inalienable right" to come to the USA ......................
I think my plan for getting American citizens involved in a class-action RICO lawsuit against the federal government might have been a little too ambitious - maybe what's needed are true grass-roots efforts, beginning at the level of village/township/borough levels, progressing to city levels, to county, to state, and THEN to the federal government - hear me out, here - RICO covers conspiracies - the feds have used RICO to go after Mafia, gangs, etc - "regular citizens" CAN utilize RICO statutes ...................... we could also use them against the businesses that HIRE illegals ........................
Immigration Activists Call for Boycott
Precisely WHAT part of the term "illegal alien" do these people not comprehend? I don't care if you were born in a boil on the buttocks of the world, you do NOT have an "inalienable right" to come to the USA ......................
I think my plan for getting American citizens involved in a class-action RICO lawsuit against the federal government might have been a little too ambitious - maybe what's needed are true grass-roots efforts, beginning at the level of village/township/borough levels, progressing to city levels, to county, to state, and THEN to the federal government - hear me out, here - RICO covers conspiracies - the feds have used RICO to go after Mafia, gangs, etc - "regular citizens" CAN utilize RICO statutes ...................... we could also use them against the businesses that HIRE illegals ........................
Wonders never cease ................................
I'm able to access TWO days in a row ......................... !!!!
Welcome to Shooter - I take it from your comments that you're 'kind of' a neighbor ........................ of course, for those of you unfamiliar with Houston, you may live 20-30 miles' distance & still consider yourselves neighbors ...................... ;-) Houston is nothing if not urban sprawl ......................
Welcome to Shooter - I take it from your comments that you're 'kind of' a neighbor ........................ of course, for those of you unfamiliar with Houston, you may live 20-30 miles' distance & still consider yourselves neighbors ...................... ;-) Houston is nothing if not urban sprawl ......................
Monday, April 9, 2007
Oh, yeah, and I'm feeling .........................
kinda good about myself - our neighbor with the health issues is going through his second bout with leukemia {CLL} ........................ he has an oncologist affiliated with M. D. Anderson - but there's an internist he was seeing while he was in remission - D. had been feeling rather 'bleah', so he called the internist to get an appointment - s/he told D. to come in for a testosterone shot - D.'s telling me this the evening before he's to get the shot - I told him that wasn't a good idea - from what I recall, NO additional, "therapeutic" hormones are 'safe'/good for you when battling cancer of any kind - did some research on the Web, took it over to him - the next day, as the spousal unit is preparing to leave, D. comes over & thanks me for being such a 'noodge' - he'd called his oncologist, who absolutely backed me up as to the dangers of hormone therapy ....................... I used to do medical literature searches for an anesthesiology department, so it's just a matter of knowing where to look ......................... but at least I kept D. from making a mistake that could've hindered his recovery/remission ........................
HUMPH!!
It MUST be a matter of holding one's mouth just right - or the intercession via eMail from Ambulance Driver - b'cause I DO NOT understand how my access to/through Blogger is so hit-&-miss .......................
Here in the wilds NNE of Houston, folks are up in arms about Mayor Witless {my UNaffectionate term for Bill White}:
Home for mentally retarded stands to lose prime location
By MELANIE MARKLEY
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
For more than 40 years, it has occupied a prime chunk of public real estate near River Oaks caring for, employing and housing the mentally retarded.
But now the city of Houston is planning to sell the land to the highest bidder, meaning the nonprofit Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation has to find a new home.
The center's directors do not intend to go quietly. They have a 99-year lease signed with the city in the 1960s that required them to construct buildings and provide services for one of the city's neediest populations.
"I'm trying not to be real combative about it, but, doggone it, at the end of the day, if it comes to it, we'll fight," said Jack Manning, a member of the center's board. "We are not going to knuckle down and just move out."
But the city says the center may have no option.
The 99-year lease, signed in 1963 by then-Mayor Lewis Cutrer, is not valid, city lawyers argue, because the city charter limits such agreements to no more than 30 years.
And though the center has been paying the city $1 a year to lease the land, real estate investors say that particular tract, which sits on six acres between West Dallas and Allen Parkway near Shepherd, has become extremely valuable.
By real estate broker Stan Creech's estimate, it's worth about $26 million.
"That's Class A. It doesn't get any better," said Creech, who thinks the land would be choice for high-rise condominiums, in large part because of the unobstructed view of downtown to the east and River Oaks to the west.
Duty to taxpayers?
Citing their fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers, city officials say that selling the property would benefit more people in the long run.
And City Attorney Arturo Michel said it's not fair to give such a sweetheart deal to one nonprofit. In fact, the city has begun reviewing similar deals with other nonprofits housed on public property. The Lighthouse for the Blind nearby leases part of its property from the city, but officials say that lease, for 30 years, is valid. It's set to expire in 2030.
Mayor Bill White said he offered the center for those with mental retardation an opportunity to lease the property at a rate closer to market value, but he got no response.
"We are trying to make sure that we use the resources that we have to help the most number of people that are most in need," White said, adding that the city has offered to help the center find another location.
Manning said the market value of the property is too steep for his nonprofit, a United Way agency that has a budget of about $11 million a year. And, if center officials have to buy new land and spend tens of millions of dollars to replace the buildings left behind, the cost could get prohibitive.
Center officials also worry that the move seriously will jeopardize the centrally located services they provide for roughly 600 Houstonians.
Most at risk, they say, are the nearly 200 adults living in a dormitory on the property. The center faces the task of building new living quarters or finding other facilities and homes that can take them.
The center built the six-story Cullen Residence Hall after signing a 30-year lease with the city in 1972 to acquire an additional acre to go with the original five included in the 99-year lease.
Former Mayor Lee Brown's administration started to renew the lease when it expired in 2002, but, after White took office, it was never finalized. The center has been on a year-to-year lease ever since.
Executive Director Eva Aguirre said the center has more than held up its end of the lease, which required at least $17,200 in annual social services in trade for using the property. Aguirre said the center has provided more than $1 million in yearly services to people who can't afford to pay.
Array of services
Aside from a residence hall, the center runs a sheltered work site, vocational training, an adult day care for adults with severe mental and physical disabilities, and support services for clients living in apartments in the neighborhood.
The center also offers a life plan for mentally disabled people who are expected to outlive their parents and have no one else to take care of them.
Officials say they still hope to work something out with the city. But in a March 22 letter to the center's board, Real Estate Director Bob Christy made the city's plans clear.
The bid process, he said, likely would take place in the next six to nine months, and the center would have about three years to relocate. Any sale must be approved by the City Council.
Aguirre said the past few months have been very unsettling.
"It's difficult to plan for the future without knowing what the future is," Aguirre said.
Center officials have not yet told the people living in the Cullen Residence Hall that they may have to move. For many who live there, Aguirre said, "we are their support network, we are their family."
Residents are charged a flat rate to live there, and for those with no means, the center relies on donations and federal dollars to cover their care.
Many of the residents are middle-age or older. In fact, when the facility opened in the mid-1970s, Aguirre said, the average age of the residents was 23. Now it's closer to 53.
'I'm really, really worried'
Gwen Seammen said her 64-year-old son, Max, has lived in the residence hall since the day it opened.
"I'm really, really worried," said Seammen, 84. "They have a lot of freedom there, and yet they have a lot of supervision. ... It's his home, and I don't know what's going to happen if they close it."
Board President Wayne Johnson said there are no easy answers.
"The mayor has not put us in a good position," said Johnson, who has a 47-year-old daughter living in the residence hall. "And I'm not a happy camper."
Councilwoman Ada Edwards, whose district includes the center, said the city is in a difficult spot.
On the one hand, it's taxpayer money, and the city has a financial responsibility.
On the other hand, the city also has a moral and social responsibility, and there is no question the center provides valuable services to a vulnerable community.
"I think there is a larger issue that needs to be raised, and I hope the community will help us look at this issue," she said. "Because, if we do remove them, where will they go? And who will be responsible for their care?"
melanie.markley@chron.com
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/4678194.html
This is SO wrong, on SO many levels - I've yet to see anyone mention "eminent domain", but that's what this amounts to.
Mark my words, if the developers win, within 6 months at least 30% of the residents of the Home will be on the streets ........................
Witless is a liar & hypocrite - his own daughter was stopped for drunk driving, but was adjudicated 'not guilty' - wouldn't you have loved to be a fly on the wall when THAT deal went down?
He claims that Houston isn't a 'sanctuary city', but the policies of the police & others give lie to THAT assertion - and people wonder why I don't want to live within Houston city limits ......................
Here in the wilds NNE of Houston, folks are up in arms about Mayor Witless {my UNaffectionate term for Bill White}:
Home for mentally retarded stands to lose prime location
By MELANIE MARKLEY
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
For more than 40 years, it has occupied a prime chunk of public real estate near River Oaks caring for, employing and housing the mentally retarded.
But now the city of Houston is planning to sell the land to the highest bidder, meaning the nonprofit Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation has to find a new home.
The center's directors do not intend to go quietly. They have a 99-year lease signed with the city in the 1960s that required them to construct buildings and provide services for one of the city's neediest populations.
"I'm trying not to be real combative about it, but, doggone it, at the end of the day, if it comes to it, we'll fight," said Jack Manning, a member of the center's board. "We are not going to knuckle down and just move out."
But the city says the center may have no option.
The 99-year lease, signed in 1963 by then-Mayor Lewis Cutrer, is not valid, city lawyers argue, because the city charter limits such agreements to no more than 30 years.
And though the center has been paying the city $1 a year to lease the land, real estate investors say that particular tract, which sits on six acres between West Dallas and Allen Parkway near Shepherd, has become extremely valuable.
By real estate broker Stan Creech's estimate, it's worth about $26 million.
"That's Class A. It doesn't get any better," said Creech, who thinks the land would be choice for high-rise condominiums, in large part because of the unobstructed view of downtown to the east and River Oaks to the west.
Duty to taxpayers?
Citing their fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers, city officials say that selling the property would benefit more people in the long run.
And City Attorney Arturo Michel said it's not fair to give such a sweetheart deal to one nonprofit. In fact, the city has begun reviewing similar deals with other nonprofits housed on public property. The Lighthouse for the Blind nearby leases part of its property from the city, but officials say that lease, for 30 years, is valid. It's set to expire in 2030.
Mayor Bill White said he offered the center for those with mental retardation an opportunity to lease the property at a rate closer to market value, but he got no response.
"We are trying to make sure that we use the resources that we have to help the most number of people that are most in need," White said, adding that the city has offered to help the center find another location.
Manning said the market value of the property is too steep for his nonprofit, a United Way agency that has a budget of about $11 million a year. And, if center officials have to buy new land and spend tens of millions of dollars to replace the buildings left behind, the cost could get prohibitive.
Center officials also worry that the move seriously will jeopardize the centrally located services they provide for roughly 600 Houstonians.
Most at risk, they say, are the nearly 200 adults living in a dormitory on the property. The center faces the task of building new living quarters or finding other facilities and homes that can take them.
The center built the six-story Cullen Residence Hall after signing a 30-year lease with the city in 1972 to acquire an additional acre to go with the original five included in the 99-year lease.
Former Mayor Lee Brown's administration started to renew the lease when it expired in 2002, but, after White took office, it was never finalized. The center has been on a year-to-year lease ever since.
Executive Director Eva Aguirre said the center has more than held up its end of the lease, which required at least $17,200 in annual social services in trade for using the property. Aguirre said the center has provided more than $1 million in yearly services to people who can't afford to pay.
Array of services
Aside from a residence hall, the center runs a sheltered work site, vocational training, an adult day care for adults with severe mental and physical disabilities, and support services for clients living in apartments in the neighborhood.
The center also offers a life plan for mentally disabled people who are expected to outlive their parents and have no one else to take care of them.
Officials say they still hope to work something out with the city. But in a March 22 letter to the center's board, Real Estate Director Bob Christy made the city's plans clear.
The bid process, he said, likely would take place in the next six to nine months, and the center would have about three years to relocate. Any sale must be approved by the City Council.
Aguirre said the past few months have been very unsettling.
"It's difficult to plan for the future without knowing what the future is," Aguirre said.
Center officials have not yet told the people living in the Cullen Residence Hall that they may have to move. For many who live there, Aguirre said, "we are their support network, we are their family."
Residents are charged a flat rate to live there, and for those with no means, the center relies on donations and federal dollars to cover their care.
Many of the residents are middle-age or older. In fact, when the facility opened in the mid-1970s, Aguirre said, the average age of the residents was 23. Now it's closer to 53.
'I'm really, really worried'
Gwen Seammen said her 64-year-old son, Max, has lived in the residence hall since the day it opened.
"I'm really, really worried," said Seammen, 84. "They have a lot of freedom there, and yet they have a lot of supervision. ... It's his home, and I don't know what's going to happen if they close it."
Board President Wayne Johnson said there are no easy answers.
"The mayor has not put us in a good position," said Johnson, who has a 47-year-old daughter living in the residence hall. "And I'm not a happy camper."
Councilwoman Ada Edwards, whose district includes the center, said the city is in a difficult spot.
On the one hand, it's taxpayer money, and the city has a financial responsibility.
On the other hand, the city also has a moral and social responsibility, and there is no question the center provides valuable services to a vulnerable community.
"I think there is a larger issue that needs to be raised, and I hope the community will help us look at this issue," she said. "Because, if we do remove them, where will they go? And who will be responsible for their care?"
melanie.markley@chron.com
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/4678194.html
This is SO wrong, on SO many levels - I've yet to see anyone mention "eminent domain", but that's what this amounts to.
Mark my words, if the developers win, within 6 months at least 30% of the residents of the Home will be on the streets ........................
Witless is a liar & hypocrite - his own daughter was stopped for drunk driving, but was adjudicated 'not guilty' - wouldn't you have loved to be a fly on the wall when THAT deal went down?
He claims that Houston isn't a 'sanctuary city', but the policies of the police & others give lie to THAT assertion - and people wonder why I don't want to live within Houston city limits ......................
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
OK, long-time Bloggers .............................
HOW/WHO do you go to when you have "issues"? PLEASE don't recommend the 'help groups' - for whatever reason, my "nickname" isn't acceptable .....................
Frustration, thy name is BLOGGER!!
Frustration, thy name is BLOGGER!!
TWO BLOODY WEEKS LATER .........................
I am able to access 'the Dashboard' - via the "sign in" link at DW's blog - LawDog's, Holly's, Flying Flo's, AD's - NONE of them permitted the full loading of the sign in page .............................
While I have it open this time, I'm by-God getting a contact eMail for Blogger, to be able to raise hell tomorrow, when I'm once again unable to access MY blog!
Went to see the Lipizzaner stallions perform @ the Toyota Center here in Houston Sunday - what magnificent creatures they are!! On the way home, we saw the aftermath {severely crunched vehicles} of a horrendous accident, on US 59 Southbound, for those of you familiar with the Houston area - a mother and her pregnant 18 year old daughter were killed - the jerk responsible for their deaths jumped out of his pickup, started running, was hit buy another car, got up & kept running .......................... here's the kicker: the SOB is an illegal - he'd been arrested & jailed THREE TIMES PREVIOUSLY for drunk driving here ....................... luckily, the cops were able to catch him, and he'll be facing charges of intoxication manslaughter {if the world were FAIR, he'd be facing premeditated capital murder charges} - no bail, so he will presumably be held until his trial, at which time he will be going to prison ...................
While I have it open this time, I'm by-God getting a contact eMail for Blogger, to be able to raise hell tomorrow, when I'm once again unable to access MY blog!
Went to see the Lipizzaner stallions perform @ the Toyota Center here in Houston Sunday - what magnificent creatures they are!! On the way home, we saw the aftermath {severely crunched vehicles} of a horrendous accident, on US 59 Southbound, for those of you familiar with the Houston area - a mother and her pregnant 18 year old daughter were killed - the jerk responsible for their deaths jumped out of his pickup, started running, was hit buy another car, got up & kept running .......................... here's the kicker: the SOB is an illegal - he'd been arrested & jailed THREE TIMES PREVIOUSLY for drunk driving here ....................... luckily, the cops were able to catch him, and he'll be facing charges of intoxication manslaughter {if the world were FAIR, he'd be facing premeditated capital murder charges} - no bail, so he will presumably be held until his trial, at which time he will be going to prison ...................
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
The saying, 'No good deed goes unpunished'?
Ye-eah, that would be me .............................. {Holly & Flo already know this, via eMail ;-) }
The floor in our laundry area has been buckling since July - the top layer actually split open about 3 weeks ago - the Spousal Unit decided to take Monday & Tuesday off, to fix it - turns out, last time it was repaired, some idjit decided to go really cheap & used particle board, stapled to the 2" x 6"s - then used "sheetrock mud" to fill the gap/level it to the plywood it was adjacent to - the particle board was black with mold - he got a SawZall & cut between the 2 x 6s - then I got to pry it off where it was stapled - my right elbow has been giving me fits for a couple of weeks - swinging the hammer didn't help - and the Spousal Unit put 1" plywood down, with 2 x 4s between the 2 x 6s for bracing - using wood screws & nails - but, there are several HOLES under the 2 x 6s - ShortSh#t {aka Pedro, aka ThunderPaws} decided to go adventuring - and the Spousal Unit "boarded" him under the trailer - I'd gone outside for something, and the neighbor's cat {the one I just took for his shots} was raising he## at the skirting - I came in and made a feline 'head-count' - SS was the only one unaccounted for - the Spousal Unit pulled the skirting out - sure enough, there he was, cobwebs on his whiskers - the neighbor's cat, BJ, was still letting his displeasure be known - I got some wet food and tried to entice SS to me - he FINALLY came over & I was able to scruff him - of course, HE tried to get his teeth around to my hand - I held onto him, while waiting for the Spousal Unit to come over & help - all of a sudden, there was some rather severe pain in my upper right arm - BJ decided that, since Stubby was no longer here, if I'm outside, I'm to give him {BJ} my undivided attention - BJ finally removed his claws - the Spousal Unit got hold of SS, and we got him out from under - got SS in the house - all while I'm bleeding rather profusely - later, I was returning borrowed tools, and BJ FOLLOWED me - when I left one neighbor's house, and was out of his line of sight, I could hear him calling to me - and again, this morning, I'm feeling like the Pied Piper of cats ......................... and I'm STILL bleeding, and it hurts from elbow to shoulder - I figure it's due to the aspirin I've been taking per doc's suggestion ................................... but all OUR cats are present & accounted for, and BJ has decided our porch is HIS sole turf ............................ while soaking last night, I heard another stray outside {I call him Chumley-Bumley, Flo - ;-) }, but BJ wouldn't permit him to come up for groceries .................................. ;-)
The floor in our laundry area has been buckling since July - the top layer actually split open about 3 weeks ago - the Spousal Unit decided to take Monday & Tuesday off, to fix it - turns out, last time it was repaired, some idjit decided to go really cheap & used particle board, stapled to the 2" x 6"s - then used "sheetrock mud" to fill the gap/level it to the plywood it was adjacent to - the particle board was black with mold - he got a SawZall & cut between the 2 x 6s - then I got to pry it off where it was stapled - my right elbow has been giving me fits for a couple of weeks - swinging the hammer didn't help - and the Spousal Unit put 1" plywood down, with 2 x 4s between the 2 x 6s for bracing - using wood screws & nails - but, there are several HOLES under the 2 x 6s - ShortSh#t {aka Pedro, aka ThunderPaws} decided to go adventuring - and the Spousal Unit "boarded" him under the trailer - I'd gone outside for something, and the neighbor's cat {the one I just took for his shots} was raising he## at the skirting - I came in and made a feline 'head-count' - SS was the only one unaccounted for - the Spousal Unit pulled the skirting out - sure enough, there he was, cobwebs on his whiskers - the neighbor's cat, BJ, was still letting his displeasure be known - I got some wet food and tried to entice SS to me - he FINALLY came over & I was able to scruff him - of course, HE tried to get his teeth around to my hand - I held onto him, while waiting for the Spousal Unit to come over & help - all of a sudden, there was some rather severe pain in my upper right arm - BJ decided that, since Stubby was no longer here, if I'm outside, I'm to give him {BJ} my undivided attention - BJ finally removed his claws - the Spousal Unit got hold of SS, and we got him out from under - got SS in the house - all while I'm bleeding rather profusely - later, I was returning borrowed tools, and BJ FOLLOWED me - when I left one neighbor's house, and was out of his line of sight, I could hear him calling to me - and again, this morning, I'm feeling like the Pied Piper of cats ......................... and I'm STILL bleeding, and it hurts from elbow to shoulder - I figure it's due to the aspirin I've been taking per doc's suggestion ................................... but all OUR cats are present & accounted for, and BJ has decided our porch is HIS sole turf ............................ while soaking last night, I heard another stray outside {I call him Chumley-Bumley, Flo - ;-) }, but BJ wouldn't permit him to come up for groceries .................................. ;-)
Sunday, March 11, 2007
DON'T put me in the middle, if I don't have a
dog in your fight!
A neighbor is going through some health issues, that preclude his doing a lot work-wise ....................... the owner of a property adjacent to his asked if he would build a deck/porch - neighbor said sure - then the owner gets someone else to build the deck/porch - neighbor went OFF - the owner of the other property comes over to ME, asking MY intercession - he's "afraid" of the neighbor - now, as I said, neighbor has health issues - plus, he's about 5'7", MAYBE 160# soaking wet, and 55+ years old - the owner of the other property is 6'2"-6'4", 200# easily, and about 35 years old, works in oil fields outside the U.S. - but he's "scared" the neighbor will come after him with a gun ...................... nevermind that the neighbors don't HAVE any guns ....................... and this young, obviously NEUTERED male wants ME to intercede for him - why not go to the neighbor's wife?
Have I mentioned that I don't care for males who have no sense of their own testosterone? Hell's belles, our neutered male cats have more ba##s than this .......................... person ...........................
I guess I just got spoiled, in the Marine Corps - I don't recall a single instance of doubting a Marine's testosterone levels ...........................
A neighbor is going through some health issues, that preclude his doing a lot work-wise ....................... the owner of a property adjacent to his asked if he would build a deck/porch - neighbor said sure - then the owner gets someone else to build the deck/porch - neighbor went OFF - the owner of the other property comes over to ME, asking MY intercession - he's "afraid" of the neighbor - now, as I said, neighbor has health issues - plus, he's about 5'7", MAYBE 160# soaking wet, and 55+ years old - the owner of the other property is 6'2"-6'4", 200# easily, and about 35 years old, works in oil fields outside the U.S. - but he's "scared" the neighbor will come after him with a gun ...................... nevermind that the neighbors don't HAVE any guns ....................... and this young, obviously NEUTERED male wants ME to intercede for him - why not go to the neighbor's wife?
Have I mentioned that I don't care for males who have no sense of their own testosterone? Hell's belles, our neutered male cats have more ba##s than this .......................... person ...........................
I guess I just got spoiled, in the Marine Corps - I don't recall a single instance of doubting a Marine's testosterone levels ...........................
Friday, March 9, 2007
Oy vey iz mir!!!
So, it turns out, much of my problems with my computer/accessing the blog, is/are the youngest of "da Boyz" {Tigger & FizzleDizzle} - they decided that the PS/2-USB adapter for my mouse needed to be jumped on/batted at/generally there for their amusement - they bent the outer cylinder of the PS/2 portion .................... it's now in a USB port ........................ ;-)
Took the neighbors' male dog and their cat for 'cheap shots' today, to the "Mobile Vet" - now that they're taken care of re: rabies, they can be neutered - also got Stubby 'K' & FizzleDizzle their shots - after bringing them home, another neighbor was asking if I knew of an outside cat that needed a home - Stubby MAY be going to his daughter's - they have a couple of ponds on their property, with snakes - he reassured me that Stubby would be fed, loved, have shelter, AND that his daughter will keep Benadryl on hand in case he's bitten by a snake ...................... but as an un-neutered Tom, Stubby will probably just have to spray, marking his turf, & the snakes will decamp for other areas ............................ the gentleman who's our neighbor also reassured me that, if Stubby isn't being cared for as necessary, he'll bring him back to me ..........................
I wrote this a couple days ago, to post here, before I realized my problems accessing .........................
Don’t know how the REST of the country is dealing ……………………..
With the news media doing their collective best impression of Chicken Little re: the “early” application of daylight savings time …………………………. Here in the wilds of Houston, one would think we’re re-experiencing ‘the Millennium’ – and the denizens of this part of Texas are too collectively stupid to figure out how to change all the clock-dependent gadgets’ times …………………… {have I mentioned how I loathe being addressed as though I’m an idiot/3 year old child? ;-) }
AND, another thing – SUVs have been getting bad press for years now, because they protect the people riding in them, to the detriment of people in other types of vehicles. Now, I’ve always heard that Volvos are extremely good vehicles, as far as protection of the passengers – again, it would seem that would occur to the cost of people in other vehicles, but you never hear of put downs of Volvos …………………………
Took the neighbors' male dog and their cat for 'cheap shots' today, to the "Mobile Vet" - now that they're taken care of re: rabies, they can be neutered - also got Stubby 'K' & FizzleDizzle their shots - after bringing them home, another neighbor was asking if I knew of an outside cat that needed a home - Stubby MAY be going to his daughter's - they have a couple of ponds on their property, with snakes - he reassured me that Stubby would be fed, loved, have shelter, AND that his daughter will keep Benadryl on hand in case he's bitten by a snake ...................... but as an un-neutered Tom, Stubby will probably just have to spray, marking his turf, & the snakes will decamp for other areas ............................ the gentleman who's our neighbor also reassured me that, if Stubby isn't being cared for as necessary, he'll bring him back to me ..........................
I wrote this a couple days ago, to post here, before I realized my problems accessing .........................
Don’t know how the REST of the country is dealing ……………………..
With the news media doing their collective best impression of Chicken Little re: the “early” application of daylight savings time …………………………. Here in the wilds of Houston, one would think we’re re-experiencing ‘the Millennium’ – and the denizens of this part of Texas are too collectively stupid to figure out how to change all the clock-dependent gadgets’ times …………………… {have I mentioned how I loathe being addressed as though I’m an idiot/3 year old child? ;-) }
AND, another thing – SUVs have been getting bad press for years now, because they protect the people riding in them, to the detriment of people in other types of vehicles. Now, I’ve always heard that Volvos are extremely good vehicles, as far as protection of the passengers – again, it would seem that would occur to the cost of people in other vehicles, but you never hear of put downs of Volvos …………………………
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Blogger has been EXTREMELY difficult for me to
access the past couple of days ....................
As a public service announcement:
I got this from my neighbor today, & I just verified this with my progeny - she just had a case last week of raisin toxicity - grapes are not near as bad, as the chemicals aren't as concentrated as in raisins - you CAN give your dog(s) vegetables - sweet potatoes are especially good for dogs - but NO raisins!
ALERT FOR ALL DOG OWNERS
Please Pass This On To Anyone Who Has A Dog
This week I had the first case in history of raisin toxicity ever seen at MedVet.
My patient was a 56-pound, 5 yr old male neutered lab mix who ate half a canister of raisins sometime between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM on Tuesday. He started with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking about 1AM on Wednesday but the owner didn't call my emergency service until 7AM. I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute Renal failure but hadn't seen any formal paper on the subject. We had her bring the dog in immediately. In the meantime, I called the ER service at MedVet,and the doctor there was like me - had heard something about it, but....
Anyway, we contacted the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center and they said to give I V fluids at 1 = times maintenance and watch the kidney values for the next 48-72 hours.
The dog's BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was already at 32 (normal less than 27) and creatinine over 5 (1.9 is the high end of normal). Both are monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream. We placed an IV catheter and started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values at 5 PM and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine over 7 with no urine production after a liter of fluids.
At the point I felt the dog was in acute renal failure and sent him on to MedVet for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output overnight as well as overnight care.
He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet and his renal values have continued to increase daily. He produced urine when given lasix as a diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting medications and they still couldn't control his vomiting. Today his urine output decreased again, his BUN was over 120, his creatinine was at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated
and his blood pressure, which had been staying around 150, skyrocketed to 220. He continued to vomit and the owners elected to euthanize.
This is a very sad case - great dog, great owners who had no idea raisins could be a toxin.
Please alert everyone you know who has a dog of this very serious risk. Poison control said as few as 7 raisins or grapes could be toxic. Many people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats including our ex-handler's. Any exposure should give rise to immediate concern.
As a public service announcement:
I got this from my neighbor today, & I just verified this with my progeny - she just had a case last week of raisin toxicity - grapes are not near as bad, as the chemicals aren't as concentrated as in raisins - you CAN give your dog(s) vegetables - sweet potatoes are especially good for dogs - but NO raisins!
ALERT FOR ALL DOG OWNERS
Please Pass This On To Anyone Who Has A Dog
This week I had the first case in history of raisin toxicity ever seen at MedVet.
My patient was a 56-pound, 5 yr old male neutered lab mix who ate half a canister of raisins sometime between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM on Tuesday. He started with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking about 1AM on Wednesday but the owner didn't call my emergency service until 7AM. I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute Renal failure but hadn't seen any formal paper on the subject. We had her bring the dog in immediately. In the meantime, I called the ER service at MedVet,and the doctor there was like me - had heard something about it, but....
Anyway, we contacted the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center and they said to give I V fluids at 1 = times maintenance and watch the kidney values for the next 48-72 hours.
The dog's BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was already at 32 (normal less than 27) and creatinine over 5 (1.9 is the high end of normal). Both are monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream. We placed an IV catheter and started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values at 5 PM and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine over 7 with no urine production after a liter of fluids.
At the point I felt the dog was in acute renal failure and sent him on to MedVet for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output overnight as well as overnight care.
He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet and his renal values have continued to increase daily. He produced urine when given lasix as a diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting medications and they still couldn't control his vomiting. Today his urine output decreased again, his BUN was over 120, his creatinine was at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated
and his blood pressure, which had been staying around 150, skyrocketed to 220. He continued to vomit and the owners elected to euthanize.
This is a very sad case - great dog, great owners who had no idea raisins could be a toxin.
Please alert everyone you know who has a dog of this very serious risk. Poison control said as few as 7 raisins or grapes could be toxic. Many people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats including our ex-handler's. Any exposure should give rise to immediate concern.
Friday, March 2, 2007
DragonWatch has a WONDERFUL post on illegal immigration ........................
be sure to check him out!
Tolewyn, LawDog's relation, has a brownies recipe on his recent post .................. sooooooo, in the spirit of friendly competition, I submit allrecipes.com 's Baked Fudge:
Baked Fudge
Submitted by: Suzanne LeVieux-Hall
Rated: 4 out of 5 by 13 members Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour Ready In: 1 Hour 10 Minutes
Yields: 12 servings
"A sweet gooey mixture of sugar, flour, cocoa, eggs, butter, vanilla and pecans becomes an irresistible panful of baked rich sweetness."
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
powder 4 eggs, beaten
1 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. In large bowl, sift together sugar, flour and cocoa. Add eggs. Add melted butter, vanilla and pecans. Pour mixture into 8x12-inch baking pan.
3. Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place baking dish on towel, inside roasting pan, and place roasting pan on oven rack. Fill roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until firm.
NOW, I don't make "male fudge" {think about that term before you ask what I mean ..................... ;-) } and, being from Hershey, I add 25-50% more cocoa - leave the other ingredients the same ...................... ;-)
I'd make this for my students down in Mexico - I'd have to hide it from our fellow teachers, as they would devour it before my students got any! Also, as you can see from the ingredients, it is in NO way 'low calorie' - but, it's SO rich, a little goes a long way ............................
Tolewyn, LawDog's relation, has a brownies recipe on his recent post .................. sooooooo, in the spirit of friendly competition, I submit allrecipes.com 's Baked Fudge:
Baked Fudge
Submitted by: Suzanne LeVieux-Hall
Rated: 4 out of 5 by 13 members Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour Ready In: 1 Hour 10 Minutes
Yields: 12 servings
"A sweet gooey mixture of sugar, flour, cocoa, eggs, butter, vanilla and pecans becomes an irresistible panful of baked rich sweetness."
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
powder 4 eggs, beaten
1 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. In large bowl, sift together sugar, flour and cocoa. Add eggs. Add melted butter, vanilla and pecans. Pour mixture into 8x12-inch baking pan.
3. Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place baking dish on towel, inside roasting pan, and place roasting pan on oven rack. Fill roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until firm.
NOW, I don't make "male fudge" {think about that term before you ask what I mean ..................... ;-) } and, being from Hershey, I add 25-50% more cocoa - leave the other ingredients the same ...................... ;-)
I'd make this for my students down in Mexico - I'd have to hide it from our fellow teachers, as they would devour it before my students got any! Also, as you can see from the ingredients, it is in NO way 'low calorie' - but, it's SO rich, a little goes a long way ............................
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Hat tip, Jerry H. - my question below ...........................
WONDER LAND
The Real American Idol
Why the New York Times buried Maj. Bruce Crandall's Medal of Honor on page 15.
BY DANIEL HENNINGER
Thursday, March 1, 2007 12:01 a.m.
Amid the mad jumble that makes the news in our time, the White House on Monday held a ceremony for a Medal of Honor recipient. His name is Bruce Crandall. Mr. Crandall is 74 now, and earned his medal as a major, flying a Huey helicopter in 1965 in the Vietnam War.
The Medal of Honor is conferred only for bravery in combat. It is a military medal, and it is still generally regarded as the highest public tribute this nation can bestow. It is also very rare.
Still, the Medal of Honor does not occupy the place in the nation's cultural life that it once did. This has much to do with the ambivalent place of the military in our angry politics.
In the House debate just ended on a "non-binding" resolution to thwart the sending of more troops to Iraq, its most noted element was the Democratic formulation to "support the troops" but oppose the war. We will hear more of this when the members of the Senate debate their own symbolic resolution.
In last November's congressional election, the Democrats picked several military veterans as candidates to mitigate the notion, a burden since Vietnam, that an endemic hostility toward things military runs through the party's veins.
Those Democratic veterans won. Notwithstanding the bitter divide over Iraq, the presence of these veterans in Congress should be a good thing, if one thinks that the oft-publicized "divide" between the professional military and American civilians is not in this country's interest. It surely cannot be in the country's interest if over time more Americans come to regard the life of U.S. soldiers at war and in combat as an abstraction--as say, mainly Oscar nominees or as newspaper photographs of scenes of utter loss at arms.
Two men have received the Medal of Honor for service in Iraq: Army Sgt. First Class Paul R. Smith, who died defending some 100 fellow soldiers, allowing their withdrawal; and Marine Cpl. Jason L. Dunham, who died after he dove atop a live grenade to protect his squad. (Cpl. Dunham's act was the subject of a 2004 Wall Street Journal story by reporter Michael M. Phillips and later a book, "The Gift of Valor.")
Bruce Crandall's Medal of Honor, at an emotional remove of 42 years, offers a chance to ponder just where the military stands now in the nation's life. The particulars of Lt. Col. Crandall's act of heroism, and what others said of it at the awarding of the medal on Monday, offers we civilians a chance to understand not merely the risks of combat but what animates those who embrace those risks.
Mr. Crandall, then a major, commanded a company with the 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, carrying soldiers to a landing zone, called X-ray, in the la Drang Valley. An assault from the North Vietnamese army erupted, as described at the White House ceremony Monday. Three soldiers on Maj. Crandall's helicopter were killed. He kept it on the ground while four wounded were taken aboard. Back at base, he asked for a volunteer to return with him to X-ray. Capt. Ed Freeman came forward. Through smoke and bullets, they flew in and out 14 times, spent 14 hours in the air and used three helicopters. They evacuated 70 wounded. The battalion survived.
A Medal of Honor requires eyewitness accounts, and an officer there attested, "Maj. Crandall's actions were without question the most valorous I've observed of any helicopter pilot in Vietnam."
Gen. Peter Schoomaker, the Army chief of staff, spoke at the ceremony of what he called "the warrior ethos." Look at his words and consider whether they still stand today, or whether as a matter of the nation's broader ethos of commonly accepted beliefs, they are under challenge. Gen. Schoomaker said: "The words of the warrior ethos that we have today--I will always place the mission first; I will never accept defeat; I will never quit; and I will never leave a fallen comrade--were made real that day in the la Drang Valley."
At issue today is the question: Is that ethos worth it, worth the inevitable sacrifice? And not only in Iraq but in whatever may lie beyond Iraq?
The secretary of the Army, Francis Harvey, went on in this vein: "The courage and fortitude of America's soldiers in combat exemplified by these individuals is, without question, the highest level of human behavior. It demonstrates the basic goodness of mankind as well as the inherent kindness and patriotism of American soldiers."
An American soldier in combat demonstrates "the basic goodness of mankind"? And the highest level of human behavior? This was not thought to be true at the moment Maj. Crandall was flying those choppers in Vietnam. Nor is it now.
To embrace the thoughts of Gen. Schoomaker and of Secretary Harvey is to risk being accused of defending notions of American triumphalism and an overly strong martial spirit thought inappropriate to the realities of a multilateral world. This is a debate worth having. But we are not having it. We are hiding from it.
In a less doubtful culture, Maj. Crandall's magnificent medal would have been on every front page, if only a photograph. It was on no one's front page Tuesday. The New York Times, the culture's lodestar, had a photograph on its front page of President Bush addressing governors about an insurance plan. Maj. Crandall's Medal of Honor was on page 15, in a round-up, three lines from the bottom. Other big-city dailies also ran it in their news summaries; some--the Washington Post, USA Today--ran full accounts inside.
Most schoolchildren once knew the names of the nation's heroes in war--Ethan Allen, John Paul Jones, Stephen Decatur, the Swamp Fox Francis Marion, Ulysses S. Grant, Clara Barton, Billy Mitchell, Alvin York, Lee Ann Hester. Lee Ann who? She's the first woman to win a Silver Star for direct combat with the enemy. Did it in a trench in Iraq. Her story should be in schools, but it won't be.
All nations celebrate personal icons, and ours now tend to be doers of good. That's fine. But if we suppress the martial feats of a Bruce Crandall, we distance ourselves further from our military. And in time, we will change. At some risk.
Is it just possible, that we've seemingly lost our collective respect for people such as LtCol Crandall, due to the 'feminization' of our culture? LGBT has NOTHING to do with my premise - it's the arc of the pendulum that has elevated "feminine qualities" over, and to the detriment of, any presumptive masculine qualities ....................... at 40+ years from my youth, I can cheerfully acknowledge that I was a 'tomboy' - climbing trees, building forts, playing shoot'em up - today, such behavior is not only verboten for girls, it's forbidden to boys - sometimes, hearing men whine, I truly want to smack them, grab them by their stacking swivels and yell "Grow a pair!!" No, I don't want a return to Ozzie & Harriet - but dammit, Guys, stand up for yourselves ..........................
The Real American Idol
Why the New York Times buried Maj. Bruce Crandall's Medal of Honor on page 15.
BY DANIEL HENNINGER
Thursday, March 1, 2007 12:01 a.m.
Amid the mad jumble that makes the news in our time, the White House on Monday held a ceremony for a Medal of Honor recipient. His name is Bruce Crandall. Mr. Crandall is 74 now, and earned his medal as a major, flying a Huey helicopter in 1965 in the Vietnam War.
The Medal of Honor is conferred only for bravery in combat. It is a military medal, and it is still generally regarded as the highest public tribute this nation can bestow. It is also very rare.
Still, the Medal of Honor does not occupy the place in the nation's cultural life that it once did. This has much to do with the ambivalent place of the military in our angry politics.
In the House debate just ended on a "non-binding" resolution to thwart the sending of more troops to Iraq, its most noted element was the Democratic formulation to "support the troops" but oppose the war. We will hear more of this when the members of the Senate debate their own symbolic resolution.
In last November's congressional election, the Democrats picked several military veterans as candidates to mitigate the notion, a burden since Vietnam, that an endemic hostility toward things military runs through the party's veins.
Those Democratic veterans won. Notwithstanding the bitter divide over Iraq, the presence of these veterans in Congress should be a good thing, if one thinks that the oft-publicized "divide" between the professional military and American civilians is not in this country's interest. It surely cannot be in the country's interest if over time more Americans come to regard the life of U.S. soldiers at war and in combat as an abstraction--as say, mainly Oscar nominees or as newspaper photographs of scenes of utter loss at arms.
Two men have received the Medal of Honor for service in Iraq: Army Sgt. First Class Paul R. Smith, who died defending some 100 fellow soldiers, allowing their withdrawal; and Marine Cpl. Jason L. Dunham, who died after he dove atop a live grenade to protect his squad. (Cpl. Dunham's act was the subject of a 2004 Wall Street Journal story by reporter Michael M. Phillips and later a book, "The Gift of Valor.")
Bruce Crandall's Medal of Honor, at an emotional remove of 42 years, offers a chance to ponder just where the military stands now in the nation's life. The particulars of Lt. Col. Crandall's act of heroism, and what others said of it at the awarding of the medal on Monday, offers we civilians a chance to understand not merely the risks of combat but what animates those who embrace those risks.
Mr. Crandall, then a major, commanded a company with the 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, carrying soldiers to a landing zone, called X-ray, in the la Drang Valley. An assault from the North Vietnamese army erupted, as described at the White House ceremony Monday. Three soldiers on Maj. Crandall's helicopter were killed. He kept it on the ground while four wounded were taken aboard. Back at base, he asked for a volunteer to return with him to X-ray. Capt. Ed Freeman came forward. Through smoke and bullets, they flew in and out 14 times, spent 14 hours in the air and used three helicopters. They evacuated 70 wounded. The battalion survived.
A Medal of Honor requires eyewitness accounts, and an officer there attested, "Maj. Crandall's actions were without question the most valorous I've observed of any helicopter pilot in Vietnam."
Gen. Peter Schoomaker, the Army chief of staff, spoke at the ceremony of what he called "the warrior ethos." Look at his words and consider whether they still stand today, or whether as a matter of the nation's broader ethos of commonly accepted beliefs, they are under challenge. Gen. Schoomaker said: "The words of the warrior ethos that we have today--I will always place the mission first; I will never accept defeat; I will never quit; and I will never leave a fallen comrade--were made real that day in the la Drang Valley."
At issue today is the question: Is that ethos worth it, worth the inevitable sacrifice? And not only in Iraq but in whatever may lie beyond Iraq?
The secretary of the Army, Francis Harvey, went on in this vein: "The courage and fortitude of America's soldiers in combat exemplified by these individuals is, without question, the highest level of human behavior. It demonstrates the basic goodness of mankind as well as the inherent kindness and patriotism of American soldiers."
An American soldier in combat demonstrates "the basic goodness of mankind"? And the highest level of human behavior? This was not thought to be true at the moment Maj. Crandall was flying those choppers in Vietnam. Nor is it now.
To embrace the thoughts of Gen. Schoomaker and of Secretary Harvey is to risk being accused of defending notions of American triumphalism and an overly strong martial spirit thought inappropriate to the realities of a multilateral world. This is a debate worth having. But we are not having it. We are hiding from it.
In a less doubtful culture, Maj. Crandall's magnificent medal would have been on every front page, if only a photograph. It was on no one's front page Tuesday. The New York Times, the culture's lodestar, had a photograph on its front page of President Bush addressing governors about an insurance plan. Maj. Crandall's Medal of Honor was on page 15, in a round-up, three lines from the bottom. Other big-city dailies also ran it in their news summaries; some--the Washington Post, USA Today--ran full accounts inside.
Most schoolchildren once knew the names of the nation's heroes in war--Ethan Allen, John Paul Jones, Stephen Decatur, the Swamp Fox Francis Marion, Ulysses S. Grant, Clara Barton, Billy Mitchell, Alvin York, Lee Ann Hester. Lee Ann who? She's the first woman to win a Silver Star for direct combat with the enemy. Did it in a trench in Iraq. Her story should be in schools, but it won't be.
All nations celebrate personal icons, and ours now tend to be doers of good. That's fine. But if we suppress the martial feats of a Bruce Crandall, we distance ourselves further from our military. And in time, we will change. At some risk.
Is it just possible, that we've seemingly lost our collective respect for people such as LtCol Crandall, due to the 'feminization' of our culture? LGBT has NOTHING to do with my premise - it's the arc of the pendulum that has elevated "feminine qualities" over, and to the detriment of, any presumptive masculine qualities ....................... at 40+ years from my youth, I can cheerfully acknowledge that I was a 'tomboy' - climbing trees, building forts, playing shoot'em up - today, such behavior is not only verboten for girls, it's forbidden to boys - sometimes, hearing men whine, I truly want to smack them, grab them by their stacking swivels and yell "Grow a pair!!" No, I don't want a return to Ozzie & Harriet - but dammit, Guys, stand up for yourselves ..........................
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Seems my last struck a chord ................................ ;-)
years ago, I dated a fellow who had been in advertising - per him, the criteria for ads was "white man as a$$hole" .................... just so y'all know ......................... ;-)
Another burr that takes up residence under my saddle is the use {misuse} of the word "real" ......................
from Dictionary.com:
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source
re·al1 /ˈriəl, ril/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ree-uhl, reel] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective 1. true; not merely ostensible, nominal, or apparent: the real reason for an act.
2. existing or occurring as fact; actual rather than imaginary, ideal, or fictitious: a story taken from real life.
3. being an actual thing; having objective existence; not imaginary: The events you will see in the film are real and not just made up.
4. being actually such; not merely so-called: a real victory.
5. genuine; not counterfeit, artificial, or imitation; authentic: a real antique; a real diamond; real silk.
6. unfeigned or sincere: real sympathy; a real friend.
7. Informal. absolute; complete; utter: She's a real brain.
8. Philosophy. a. existent or pertaining to the existent as opposed to the nonexistent.
b. actual as opposed to possible or potential.
c. independent of experience as opposed to phenomenal or apparent.
9. (of money, income, or the like) measured in purchasing power rather than in nominal value: Inflation has driven income down in real terms, though nominal income appears to be higher.
10. Optics. (of an image) formed by the actual convergence of rays, as the image produced in a camera (opposed to virtual).
11. Mathematics. a. of, pertaining to, or having the value of a real number.
b. using real numbers: real analysis; real vector space.
–adverb 12. Informal. very or extremely: You did a real nice job painting the house.
–noun 13. real number.
14. the real, a. something that actually exists, as a particular quantity.
b. reality in general.
—Idiom15. for real, Informal. a. in reality; actually: You mean she dyed her hair green for real?
b. real; actual: The company's plans to relocate are for real.
c. genuine; sincere: I don't believe his friendly attitude is for real.
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
I'm truly tired of ads that speak of "real people" - as opposed to "fake people"?
Also, what's the deal with "meteorologists" telling us that rain/sleet/snow are coming down? Do they believe that the laws of gravity don't affect various forms of water as they affect everything else on this planet? The same man I mentioned in the beginning of this post referred to me as "interactive Mary", because of my ..................... arguing with garbage I heard on TV/radio - I've lost count of the times I've yelled at TV weathermen, telling them I wanted to see rain/sleet/snow going UP ........................ ;-)
Another burr that takes up residence under my saddle is the use {misuse} of the word "real" ......................
from Dictionary.com:
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source
re·al1 /ˈriəl, ril/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ree-uhl, reel] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective 1. true; not merely ostensible, nominal, or apparent: the real reason for an act.
2. existing or occurring as fact; actual rather than imaginary, ideal, or fictitious: a story taken from real life.
3. being an actual thing; having objective existence; not imaginary: The events you will see in the film are real and not just made up.
4. being actually such; not merely so-called: a real victory.
5. genuine; not counterfeit, artificial, or imitation; authentic: a real antique; a real diamond; real silk.
6. unfeigned or sincere: real sympathy; a real friend.
7. Informal. absolute; complete; utter: She's a real brain.
8. Philosophy. a. existent or pertaining to the existent as opposed to the nonexistent.
b. actual as opposed to possible or potential.
c. independent of experience as opposed to phenomenal or apparent.
9. (of money, income, or the like) measured in purchasing power rather than in nominal value: Inflation has driven income down in real terms, though nominal income appears to be higher.
10. Optics. (of an image) formed by the actual convergence of rays, as the image produced in a camera (opposed to virtual).
11. Mathematics. a. of, pertaining to, or having the value of a real number.
b. using real numbers: real analysis; real vector space.
–adverb 12. Informal. very or extremely: You did a real nice job painting the house.
–noun 13. real number.
14. the real, a. something that actually exists, as a particular quantity.
b. reality in general.
—Idiom15. for real, Informal. a. in reality; actually: You mean she dyed her hair green for real?
b. real; actual: The company's plans to relocate are for real.
c. genuine; sincere: I don't believe his friendly attitude is for real.
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
I'm truly tired of ads that speak of "real people" - as opposed to "fake people"?
Also, what's the deal with "meteorologists" telling us that rain/sleet/snow are coming down? Do they believe that the laws of gravity don't affect various forms of water as they affect everything else on this planet? The same man I mentioned in the beginning of this post referred to me as "interactive Mary", because of my ..................... arguing with garbage I heard on TV/radio - I've lost count of the times I've yelled at TV weathermen, telling them I wanted to see rain/sleet/snow going UP ........................ ;-)
Sunday, February 25, 2007
OK, time for a rant ………………………..
Exactly WHEN did “gaining self-respect” devolve into putting down others?
In case you hadn’t noticed, in the gospel according to advertising/entertainment, men are: stupid, or insensitive, or arrogant with no reason ……………………… and if, in the equation of their skits, there are racial minorities represented, the white man is the one having the aforementioned “qualities” …………………… the CitiBank woodland cycling ad comes immediately to mind – a group of friends are cycling along, but one of them doesn’t have a bike – HE jumps off a rise, bellyflops in the leaves and claims “I’m good!” The Dr. Scholl’s ads for “gellin’” have a similar put down ……………………. on ANY sitcom, the male leads are idiots, with their wives/children/friends showcasing their ……………………. “limits” ………………………….
Mebbe I’m too much a product of the nuns – I was taught that achieving self-respect consisted of raising one’s self to the goal, whatever it may be – but today, with everything being of the lowest common denominator, it seems the only requirement is to denigrate others, preferably white men …………………. I’m NOT of the school that produced John Edwards’ recent blogmistresses – “the patriarchy” doesn’t send me into frenzies of fear or loathing {which is kind of ironic, given the one blogmistress’ assertion that she would continue to have sex, using contraception, without fear of bearing children – there’s a disconnect there, in that she will use men for sexual pleasure} – the ONLY “special treatment” I’ve demanded was the opportunity to TRY something – if I failed, so be it – but THAT is how I became the first woman in my field in the Marine Corps …………………………
In case you hadn’t noticed, in the gospel according to advertising/entertainment, men are: stupid, or insensitive, or arrogant with no reason ……………………… and if, in the equation of their skits, there are racial minorities represented, the white man is the one having the aforementioned “qualities” …………………… the CitiBank woodland cycling ad comes immediately to mind – a group of friends are cycling along, but one of them doesn’t have a bike – HE jumps off a rise, bellyflops in the leaves and claims “I’m good!” The Dr. Scholl’s ads for “gellin’” have a similar put down ……………………. on ANY sitcom, the male leads are idiots, with their wives/children/friends showcasing their ……………………. “limits” ………………………….
Mebbe I’m too much a product of the nuns – I was taught that achieving self-respect consisted of raising one’s self to the goal, whatever it may be – but today, with everything being of the lowest common denominator, it seems the only requirement is to denigrate others, preferably white men …………………. I’m NOT of the school that produced John Edwards’ recent blogmistresses – “the patriarchy” doesn’t send me into frenzies of fear or loathing {which is kind of ironic, given the one blogmistress’ assertion that she would continue to have sex, using contraception, without fear of bearing children – there’s a disconnect there, in that she will use men for sexual pleasure} – the ONLY “special treatment” I’ve demanded was the opportunity to TRY something – if I failed, so be it – but THAT is how I became the first woman in my field in the Marine Corps …………………………
Friday, February 23, 2007
Still feeling like 10 lbs of fecal matter in a 5 lbs
bag ........................ Holly, since you only had a cold, you're off the hook for infecting me - but Rocky Mountain Medic is another story ....................... ;-)
Spousal unit decided last night that he'd take today off ..................... but he didn't tell me 'til today when it was time for him to be leaving for work ..................... I don't mind his taking a day off {God knows he deserves it!} HOWEVER comma pause - he COULD have called last night & informed me, so I could plan MY day ........................ if he can call to ask me to run out & pick up beer, because he's working overtime and beer sales won't "be" when he gets off work, he can call & let me know that he WON'T be going into work the next day ..................... ;-)
Spousal unit decided last night that he'd take today off ..................... but he didn't tell me 'til today when it was time for him to be leaving for work ..................... I don't mind his taking a day off {God knows he deserves it!} HOWEVER comma pause - he COULD have called last night & informed me, so I could plan MY day ........................ if he can call to ask me to run out & pick up beer, because he's working overtime and beer sales won't "be" when he gets off work, he can call & let me know that he WON'T be going into work the next day ..................... ;-)
Thursday, February 22, 2007
OH!!
And I certainly HOPE Holly the Goddess and Rocky Mountain Medic are pleased with yourselves - however it comes to pass, the two of you got me with your old flu's .............................. ;-)
From the "can't win for losing" files .......................................
I generally fix my spousal unit a dinner to take with him to work - repeatedly he has raised he## with me for giving him "too much" ..................... yesterday, I'd fixed him some of the stew beef with cabbage, onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, sliced potatoes ....................... he adds about half again what I'd put in his dish ......................... 'cause "it smells so good, I want more!" ............................ ;-)
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Picked up the pan set ........................
and tried making a "checkerboard cake" .......................... only problem, Wilton's recipe was only sufficient for *2* of the *3* 9" X 1.5" cake pans ............................. any bakers out there, HOW much batter should one make to fill 3 9" pans? I'm thinking of trying a gateau batter next time ......................... ;-)
I AM feeling somewhat "better" .......................
{thank you, DW! ;-) } ..........................
Made some pork roast in the crockpot couple days ago; now have stew beef in it .......................... and there's still homemade/made from scratch Salisbury steak in the freezer ............................
Public Health called today - they're busier than one-armed paper-hangers, due to an employee of a local restaurant popping with hepatitis A ....................... luckily, the spousal unit & I haven't been to this restaurant in about 4 years {so, I guess there is an "upside" to not going out .................. ;-) }
I'm kinda bummed - got an "issue" with a family member, that I'm struggling with, that won't be "resolvable" 'til May or so, so ....................... be patient, please ....................... ;-)
Made some pork roast in the crockpot couple days ago; now have stew beef in it .......................... and there's still homemade/made from scratch Salisbury steak in the freezer ............................
Public Health called today - they're busier than one-armed paper-hangers, due to an employee of a local restaurant popping with hepatitis A ....................... luckily, the spousal unit & I haven't been to this restaurant in about 4 years {so, I guess there is an "upside" to not going out .................. ;-) }
I'm kinda bummed - got an "issue" with a family member, that I'm struggling with, that won't be "resolvable" 'til May or so, so ....................... be patient, please ....................... ;-)
Friday, February 16, 2007
Back from 2nd doctor visit in a week .......................
a followup to the food poisoning from TacoBell/KFC - I signed a HIPAA form for release of my records to Harris County Public Health - thinking I was being helpful/accomodating - come to find out, my permission isn't needed in potential public health issues .........................
One little "oops" today - my blood pressure was 140/90 all three times the doc checked it - normal for me is 110 or below over 70 or below - so the doc wants me to check it ~ 3 times/week 'til my next visit in a month ...................... she was quite concerned, since every other visit I've been much closer to my "norms" ......................... now I have a "hegg-ache" as our progeny used to call'em - whether due to raised BP or just because, I dunno ........................
New author/series to recommend - Keri Arthur, and the books are Full Moon Rising, Kissing Sin, Tempting Evil, & Dangerous Games {the last two will come out in April & May} - think J.D. Robb meets Anne Rice - the protagonist is Riley Jenson, a heterosexual female dhampire {combination vampire/werewolf}, fraternal twin to Rhoan {a homosexual male, same combo} - the author lives in Australia, which is where the first two books take place. VERY well-written .................... I received James Patterson's latest, Step on a Crack for Valentine's - read it last night - Patterson is a good, quick read for those unfamiliar, and his new character, Mike Bennett, is very likable ......................
One little "oops" today - my blood pressure was 140/90 all three times the doc checked it - normal for me is 110 or below over 70 or below - so the doc wants me to check it ~ 3 times/week 'til my next visit in a month ...................... she was quite concerned, since every other visit I've been much closer to my "norms" ......................... now I have a "hegg-ache" as our progeny used to call'em - whether due to raised BP or just because, I dunno ........................
New author/series to recommend - Keri Arthur, and the books are Full Moon Rising, Kissing Sin, Tempting Evil, & Dangerous Games {the last two will come out in April & May} - think J.D. Robb meets Anne Rice - the protagonist is Riley Jenson, a heterosexual female dhampire {combination vampire/werewolf}, fraternal twin to Rhoan {a homosexual male, same combo} - the author lives in Australia, which is where the first two books take place. VERY well-written .................... I received James Patterson's latest, Step on a Crack for Valentine's - read it last night - Patterson is a good, quick read for those unfamiliar, and his new character, Mike Bennett, is very likable ......................
Thursday, February 15, 2007
I admittedly have "issues" with double standards ..............................
I believe that what adults do in private, to/for each other, is their business ....................... promotion of support groups for adult members are adults' choices {organizations such as NAMBLA do NOT come under this umbrella} ...................... so why is an organization that promotes 'traditional' values such a threat to others? It seems to me that allowing civil discourse just may be more effective than shouting down any 'diversity of opinion' ......................
Use of the Words 'Natural Family' Ruled Hate Speech, Appeal Hearing Underway
Decision against employees could silence debate about homosexuality and related issues in entire Western United States
OAKLAND, California, February 14, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - On Thursday morning, in a special session being held at the Stanford University Law School campus a critical First Amendment case is being argued before the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The case deals squarely with the issue of whether Christians have a right to use neutral language in the workplace to talk about same-sex marriage and other issues at the forefront of national debate.
Attorneys Scott Lively and Richard D. Ackerman will be arguing the case before the Ninth Circuit on behalf of an African- American Christian woman who was threatened with termination at her job with the City of Oakland. The City of Oakland claims that references to the "natural family, marriage and family values" constitute hate speech which is scary to city workers. The Ninth Circuit panel of judges includes two women and one man.
Back in February of 2005, United States District Judge Vaughn Walker ruled the city of Oakland had a right to bar two employees from posting a Good News Employee Association flier promoting traditional family values on an office bulletin board. According to the lawsuit, gay and lesbian city workers had already been using the city's e-mail, bulletin board, and written communications systems for promoting their views to other workers, including the plaintiffs.
Source
Use of the Words 'Natural Family' Ruled Hate Speech, Appeal Hearing Underway
Decision against employees could silence debate about homosexuality and related issues in entire Western United States
OAKLAND, California, February 14, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - On Thursday morning, in a special session being held at the Stanford University Law School campus a critical First Amendment case is being argued before the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The case deals squarely with the issue of whether Christians have a right to use neutral language in the workplace to talk about same-sex marriage and other issues at the forefront of national debate.
Attorneys Scott Lively and Richard D. Ackerman will be arguing the case before the Ninth Circuit on behalf of an African- American Christian woman who was threatened with termination at her job with the City of Oakland. The City of Oakland claims that references to the "natural family, marriage and family values" constitute hate speech which is scary to city workers. The Ninth Circuit panel of judges includes two women and one man.
Back in February of 2005, United States District Judge Vaughn Walker ruled the city of Oakland had a right to bar two employees from posting a Good News Employee Association flier promoting traditional family values on an office bulletin board. According to the lawsuit, gay and lesbian city workers had already been using the city's e-mail, bulletin board, and written communications systems for promoting their views to other workers, including the plaintiffs.
Source
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
OK, who's ready to join a class-action discrimination lawsuit?
As LEGAL AMERICAN CITIZENS, I daresay we would all have to provide SSNs ................... and BoA's actions are not discriminatory - how? They can also be charged with racketeering .........................
Bank of Illegal Aliens in America
By Michelle Malkin · February 13, 2007 09:21 AM
Higher standards...except for illegal aliens
Bank of America has introduced a new credit especially and exclusively for law-breaking immigrants. Really. The story is on the front page of the Wall Street Journal today. It's subscription-only. Here are the details:
In the latest sign of the U.S. banking industry's aggressive pursuit of the Hispanic market, Bank of America Corp. has quietly begun offering credit cards to customers without Social Security numbers -- typically illegal immigrants.
Michelle Malkin's Blog
Bank of Illegal Aliens in America
By Michelle Malkin · February 13, 2007 09:21 AM
Higher standards...except for illegal aliens
Bank of America has introduced a new credit especially and exclusively for law-breaking immigrants. Really. The story is on the front page of the Wall Street Journal today. It's subscription-only. Here are the details:
In the latest sign of the U.S. banking industry's aggressive pursuit of the Hispanic market, Bank of America Corp. has quietly begun offering credit cards to customers without Social Security numbers -- typically illegal immigrants.
Michelle Malkin's Blog
Monday, February 12, 2007
Seems the mayor of Nashville has the
same degree of intestinal fortitude of most politicians ........................
Nashville mayor vetoes measure making English official language
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Mayor Bill Purcell vetoed a measure making English the official language of Nashville, saying it was unconstitutional and unnecessary.
"This ordinance does not reflect who we are in Nashville," Purcell said at a news conference Monday shortly after issuing his veto.
The measure passed 23-14 last week by the Metro Council required all government communications to be in English, except when multilingual communications are required by federal rules or are needed "to protect or promote public health, safety or welfare."
Yet Another Gutless Wonder
Here's an idea: Send politicos such as Purcell to Aztlan ..................... see how "flexible" his "hosts" will be .......................
Nashville mayor vetoes measure making English official language
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Mayor Bill Purcell vetoed a measure making English the official language of Nashville, saying it was unconstitutional and unnecessary.
"This ordinance does not reflect who we are in Nashville," Purcell said at a news conference Monday shortly after issuing his veto.
The measure passed 23-14 last week by the Metro Council required all government communications to be in English, except when multilingual communications are required by federal rules or are needed "to protect or promote public health, safety or welfare."
Yet Another Gutless Wonder
Here's an idea: Send politicos such as Purcell to Aztlan ..................... see how "flexible" his "hosts" will be .......................
Saturday, February 10, 2007
OK, kiddle-diddles ...................................
thanks to LawDog on an idea for my spousal unit's birthday present ....................... ;-)
NOW, to the current "news" - Anna Nicole Smith died - I don't pretend to have ................... 'appreciated' her life choices, but they were her choices - I think she may have been very lonely, and couldn't figure out how to 'fix' that - she wanted out of a less-than-affluent existence, and she worked to accomplish that - it may not have been a career that you or I would have chosen {in my case, if I ever tried to support myself working in a "gentlemen's club", I woulda starved} - and I feel nothing but disgust for the 3 males {they aren't "men", much less "gentlemen"} now claiming to have known her in the Biblical sense and all claiming paternity of her baby. Additionally, her mother {from whom she was estranged} is now making the rounds of the 'chat shows' - "I loved her but didn't approve of her lifestyle" - and looking to gain some degree of claim on her granddaughter - her cousin is responding to reporters telling sordid, trashy stories of their youth - the only person to be mentioned so far, who has comported himself with any degree of dignity is her father - he refuses to deal with reporters, who are agog at the simplicity of his life {"His house is on stilts; there isn't even mail delivery here!"} - granted, there are claims {by others} that he was estranged from his daughter, because he didn't approve of her lifestyle, BUT - he, personally is not grabbing for the attention.
JMO, but the 3 males and her mother are all looking to get custody of the baby, in hopes that Anna Nicole left a will - there is a consensus that her lawsuit against her late husband's estate will move forward, and eventually, the baby will be worth about $400,000,000.00 - read my lips that is ALL the 3 plus her mother are concerned with - gaining control of that unimaginable sum of money - my spousal unit & I believe that DaniLynn {sp?} should be given to her grandfather, with about $1,000.00 as the standard monthly stipend for her care - the rest of the money held in trust, until she reaches her majority - if the court offered such a deal to the 3 plus mama .............................. watch them scatter ............................
NOW, to the current "news" - Anna Nicole Smith died - I don't pretend to have ................... 'appreciated' her life choices, but they were her choices - I think she may have been very lonely, and couldn't figure out how to 'fix' that - she wanted out of a less-than-affluent existence, and she worked to accomplish that - it may not have been a career that you or I would have chosen {in my case, if I ever tried to support myself working in a "gentlemen's club", I woulda starved} - and I feel nothing but disgust for the 3 males {they aren't "men", much less "gentlemen"} now claiming to have known her in the Biblical sense and all claiming paternity of her baby. Additionally, her mother {from whom she was estranged} is now making the rounds of the 'chat shows' - "I loved her but didn't approve of her lifestyle" - and looking to gain some degree of claim on her granddaughter - her cousin is responding to reporters telling sordid, trashy stories of their youth - the only person to be mentioned so far, who has comported himself with any degree of dignity is her father - he refuses to deal with reporters, who are agog at the simplicity of his life {"His house is on stilts; there isn't even mail delivery here!"} - granted, there are claims {by others} that he was estranged from his daughter, because he didn't approve of her lifestyle, BUT - he, personally is not grabbing for the attention.
JMO, but the 3 males and her mother are all looking to get custody of the baby, in hopes that Anna Nicole left a will - there is a consensus that her lawsuit against her late husband's estate will move forward, and eventually, the baby will be worth about $400,000,000.00 - read my lips that is ALL the 3 plus her mother are concerned with - gaining control of that unimaginable sum of money - my spousal unit & I believe that DaniLynn {sp?} should be given to her grandfather, with about $1,000.00 as the standard monthly stipend for her care - the rest of the money held in trust, until she reaches her majority - if the court offered such a deal to the 3 plus mama .............................. watch them scatter ............................
Thursday, February 8, 2007
'Specially for DW ............................ ;-)
re: revenge/justice ...........................
Back immediately after 9/11, I tried to go back in the Marines - as I explained to the recruiters, I had a great plan for bringing ObL to justice ........................ assemble a platoon of women Marines going through menopause - "insert" us into Afghanistan - when we find ObL, he's immediately heavily sedated - he's removed a la the NVA officer in The Green Berets - he's brought to the U.S., to a 'hidden location' - keep him valium'd up for about 6 weeks - in addition to the valium, LOAD him up with estrogen - which would basically atrophy his 'pride & joy', enlarge his breasts, widen his hips, severely affect the growth of his facial hair - do a 'hooker chic' tattoo'd makeup on him - at the end of 6 weeks, put him in a halter, microminiskirt, come-get-me heels, throw a burqa over him - let the valium wear off - parachute him back into Taliban Central - and make sure you have 'observation drones' covering the entire ....................... return ........................ ;-)
Back immediately after 9/11, I tried to go back in the Marines - as I explained to the recruiters, I had a great plan for bringing ObL to justice ........................ assemble a platoon of women Marines going through menopause - "insert" us into Afghanistan - when we find ObL, he's immediately heavily sedated - he's removed a la the NVA officer in The Green Berets - he's brought to the U.S., to a 'hidden location' - keep him valium'd up for about 6 weeks - in addition to the valium, LOAD him up with estrogen - which would basically atrophy his 'pride & joy', enlarge his breasts, widen his hips, severely affect the growth of his facial hair - do a 'hooker chic' tattoo'd makeup on him - at the end of 6 weeks, put him in a halter, microminiskirt, come-get-me heels, throw a burqa over him - let the valium wear off - parachute him back into Taliban Central - and make sure you have 'observation drones' covering the entire ....................... return ........................ ;-)
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Our beloved LawDog is taking on Amazon.com .........................
FWIW, count this non-LEO on HIS side ........................... anybody who advocates what "Tom" does should be hanged, drawn & quartered .................... for those unaware, Braveheart showed it pretty close to historically accurately - one is "half hanged" - then let down - the trunk is split - then each arm & leg are tied to a horse - and the horses are whipped in 4 different directions ...........................
I'm about ready to boycott Taco Bell/KFC combos ............................
yesterday, trust me when I say, I woulda had to die to feel better - in the process of reporting the restaurant to health department ........................
Couldn't even get up to say goodbye to Frankie Blue Eyes, when Animal Control picked him up - I just found out, if I decide to "claim" him as his owner, it'll be about $300.00 - just under $100.00 for the quarantine {due upon picking him up from AC}, then $200.00 in fines/citations {due in about 30 days} ........................ if God smiles, I'll be able to take care of him ..........................
Our daughter believes in karma - if it is a valid belief system, I have to think that sometimes, payback occurs after death ....................
Couldn't even get up to say goodbye to Frankie Blue Eyes, when Animal Control picked him up - I just found out, if I decide to "claim" him as his owner, it'll be about $300.00 - just under $100.00 for the quarantine {due upon picking him up from AC}, then $200.00 in fines/citations {due in about 30 days} ........................ if God smiles, I'll be able to take care of him ..........................
Our daughter believes in karma - if it is a valid belief system, I have to think that sometimes, payback occurs after death ....................
Monday, February 5, 2007
Hadda go pick up a humane trap Friday ..........................
I would truly like to have about 10 minutes alone with people who dump cats - I've managed to catch one in particular - I just put the trap out today, since I didn't want to have a cat in there over the weekend - this old fellow I've got in there right now is skittish - runs away if he can - but he's allowed me to pet him through the cage - I have the top covered wtih plastic, one of the sides is covered by a piece of cardboard - when I put a towel in it, for him to cuddle on, he drew it to him ........................... I KNOW I may be sentencing him to be euthanized, but that's far kinder than abandoning him when we move again - but I would STILL like to have a "private meeting" with the gutless, conscienceless "human" who dumped him - far as I can see, the old cat's only sin was in his original choice of human companion .............................
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Flying Flo has a GREAT commentary on
"HillaryCare" - take a gander ......................... ;-)
Couple of evenings ago, our nextdoor neighbors brought me another cat - FizzleDizzle is GORGEOUS - he's sweet-natured - he looks like he could be the son of our poor Fuzzy, who disappeared in Mexico - Fuzzy was 'special' - he would have been a good candidate for tinfoil hats - he always seemed to hear voices no one else could ......................... FizzleDizzle doesn't seem to be psychotic - he IS playful as all get out, and a definite lap-kitty ........................
The same neighbors' cat had disappeared for several days - I saw him when he returned Friday morning - called his "mom" at work - he'd been in a tussle with something considerably bigger than him - he has a gaping wound behind his right ear, and a deep puncture wound on his left shoulder - he let me pour some hydrogen peroxide on him yesterday, and administer banana-flavored oral antibiotic {who thinks banana-flavored anything is appealing to cats??} - the son let me know he was walking around today - I brought him in, washed the fur over the wounds to soften it up & the spousal unit removed the matted fur from his big wounds with a razor blade, so they can be more accessible for treatment {antibiotic ointment} - this wonderful cat tolerated all our ministrations with NO complaints - no biting, scratching, nothing - there was a brown, herbal powder we were able to get in Mexico, that performed WONDERS on that type of wound - yes, I'm KICKING myself for not having stocked up on the stuff before we moved back .................... :-( }
Couple of evenings ago, our nextdoor neighbors brought me another cat - FizzleDizzle is GORGEOUS - he's sweet-natured - he looks like he could be the son of our poor Fuzzy, who disappeared in Mexico - Fuzzy was 'special' - he would have been a good candidate for tinfoil hats - he always seemed to hear voices no one else could ......................... FizzleDizzle doesn't seem to be psychotic - he IS playful as all get out, and a definite lap-kitty ........................
The same neighbors' cat had disappeared for several days - I saw him when he returned Friday morning - called his "mom" at work - he'd been in a tussle with something considerably bigger than him - he has a gaping wound behind his right ear, and a deep puncture wound on his left shoulder - he let me pour some hydrogen peroxide on him yesterday, and administer banana-flavored oral antibiotic {who thinks banana-flavored anything is appealing to cats??} - the son let me know he was walking around today - I brought him in, washed the fur over the wounds to soften it up & the spousal unit removed the matted fur from his big wounds with a razor blade, so they can be more accessible for treatment {antibiotic ointment} - this wonderful cat tolerated all our ministrations with NO complaints - no biting, scratching, nothing - there was a brown, herbal powder we were able to get in Mexico, that performed WONDERS on that type of wound - yes, I'm KICKING myself for not having stocked up on the stuff before we moved back .................... :-( }
Saturday, February 3, 2007
FINALLY able to get back here ......................
and I see an announcement that they'll be out of service @ 1100 PST ....................... sigh .........................
Something I've wanted to put here for 2+ days - William Arkin, military commentator of the Washington Post - THIS troglodyte has me ready to smoke a pickle - how dare he question the troops' right to ask for support! When I was in, I would have been what is referred to as a REMF - rear-echelon - that's the way it was back then - but I'll put MY intestinal fortitude up against "Mr." Arkin's anyday - he MAY have worn the uniform, but he was NEVER a part of OUR military ...........................
First link is to the HotAir copy of Matt of BlackFive's comments:
HotAir Report
Here's a link to BlackFive itself {YAY, MATT!! KICK his butt!}
BlackFive
Johnny Dollar has a radio link of Arkin getting hysterical:
Johnny Dollar's comments
Here's the original article:
Column that started it all
Something I've wanted to put here for 2+ days - William Arkin, military commentator of the Washington Post - THIS troglodyte has me ready to smoke a pickle - how dare he question the troops' right to ask for support! When I was in, I would have been what is referred to as a REMF - rear-echelon - that's the way it was back then - but I'll put MY intestinal fortitude up against "Mr." Arkin's anyday - he MAY have worn the uniform, but he was NEVER a part of OUR military ...........................
First link is to the HotAir copy of Matt of BlackFive's comments:
HotAir Report
Here's a link to BlackFive itself {YAY, MATT!! KICK his butt!}
BlackFive
Johnny Dollar has a radio link of Arkin getting hysterical:
Johnny Dollar's comments
Here's the original article:
Column that started it all
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Just made a comment over on DragonWatch
that may need some explicatin' {under his post singing paeans to Kerry
;-)} ..........................
My spousal unit & I first met back in 1977, in Memphis - he was just coming off the San Diego drill field as a DI, I was a newly-minted Pvt. from Parris Island .................. he fulfilled my need for a friend who I could ask "guy questions" of - {"why do guys .................?"} - he became known as my big brother - we had a semi-platonic relationship {we kissed & cuddled, but no sex} - when I was done with school there in Memphis, I was transferred to Cherry Point - he was heading back to New River, so he gave me a ride - we get to Cherry Point, and it's overwhelming - it's a HUGE base - he recommends I put in for New River {I think he was concerned about the trouble I could get myself in, on my own at the Pit} - I go one down there - get assigned to my squadron {HMH-362, the Ugly Angels, for those who are interested} - one fine day, I'm hanging out in my shop {Avionics} and HE walks in to check on me - he stands there, typical DI position, hands on hips - I immediately notice - HE HAS ROCKERS! He had just made Staff Sergeant {this is a BIG deal, for those unfamiliar} - I jump up & throw my arms around his neck, congratulating him ........................... we chitchatted for a bit, then he went back to his squadron .......................... my co-workers {I was the ONLY woman in the squadron at the time} were quizzing me as to who he was ....................... nonchalantly told them, he's my big brother ..................... could never figure out why I wasn't asked out on dates after that .......................... ;-) Ya gotta understand - he's 6'2" - at the time, he was about 215# - ALL muscle - had the broadest shoulders, tiniest waist & hips I'd EVER seen ..........................
ANYhoo, we lost touch for about 21 years ...................... on 1 July 1999, I sent out 19 postcards, to every Mike L******** who's snailmail I could find on the 'Net - reason I sent postcards, if he was married/involved, I didn't want to cause problems for him - on 6 July {coincidentally, my parents' 45th wedding anniversary}, got a call - soon as I heard his voice, I KNEW it was him - came down to Houston for a 4 day visit at the end of July - the night I returned to PA, he told me he loved me - 10 days later, he proposed {he still gets a chuckle from my speechlessness then} - I moved down in September, we were married the end of November {the Friday after Thanksgiving - to him, THAT's our anniversary! ;-)} moved to Mexico the following May ............................. that's where "Before we got back in touch" comes in ....................... ;-)
;-)} ..........................
My spousal unit & I first met back in 1977, in Memphis - he was just coming off the San Diego drill field as a DI, I was a newly-minted Pvt. from Parris Island .................. he fulfilled my need for a friend who I could ask "guy questions" of - {"why do guys .................?"} - he became known as my big brother - we had a semi-platonic relationship {we kissed & cuddled, but no sex} - when I was done with school there in Memphis, I was transferred to Cherry Point - he was heading back to New River, so he gave me a ride - we get to Cherry Point, and it's overwhelming - it's a HUGE base - he recommends I put in for New River {I think he was concerned about the trouble I could get myself in, on my own at the Pit} - I go one down there - get assigned to my squadron {HMH-362, the Ugly Angels, for those who are interested} - one fine day, I'm hanging out in my shop {Avionics} and HE walks in to check on me - he stands there, typical DI position, hands on hips - I immediately notice - HE HAS ROCKERS! He had just made Staff Sergeant {this is a BIG deal, for those unfamiliar} - I jump up & throw my arms around his neck, congratulating him ........................... we chitchatted for a bit, then he went back to his squadron .......................... my co-workers {I was the ONLY woman in the squadron at the time} were quizzing me as to who he was ....................... nonchalantly told them, he's my big brother ..................... could never figure out why I wasn't asked out on dates after that .......................... ;-) Ya gotta understand - he's 6'2" - at the time, he was about 215# - ALL muscle - had the broadest shoulders, tiniest waist & hips I'd EVER seen ..........................
ANYhoo, we lost touch for about 21 years ...................... on 1 July 1999, I sent out 19 postcards, to every Mike L******** who's snailmail I could find on the 'Net - reason I sent postcards, if he was married/involved, I didn't want to cause problems for him - on 6 July {coincidentally, my parents' 45th wedding anniversary}, got a call - soon as I heard his voice, I KNEW it was him - came down to Houston for a 4 day visit at the end of July - the night I returned to PA, he told me he loved me - 10 days later, he proposed {he still gets a chuckle from my speechlessness then} - I moved down in September, we were married the end of November {the Friday after Thanksgiving - to him, THAT's our anniversary! ;-)} moved to Mexico the following May ............................. that's where "Before we got back in touch" comes in ....................... ;-)
I LIKE folks who "call out" keyboard cowards .........................
"The netnuts are fond of calling those of us who support the mission in Iraq chickenhawks. What do you call someone who sits on their ass in front of a keyboard, railing against the President, claiming that the United States is falling into a dictatorship, and writing about how awful this war is and yet refuses to practice the kinds of civil disobedience that their fathers and mothers used to actually bring the Viet Nam war to an end?
"I call them what they are; rank cowards. There should be a million people on the mall today. Instead, there might be 50,000. Today’s antiwar left talks big but cowers in the corner. I have often written about how unserious the left is about what they believe. The reason is on the mall today. If they really thought that the United States was on the verge of becoming a dictatorship are you seriously trying to tell me that any patriotic American wouldn’t do everything in their power to prevent it rather than mouth idiotic platitudes and self serving bromides?
"I know what I would do if I actually believed the United States was in danger of slipping into some kind of authoritarian, anti-Constitutional nightmare. And it wouldn’t be sitting at this keyboard trying to come up with cleverest way to skewer my political opponent. And I know I wouldn’t be alone either. The fact is, the left is not blessed with any special insights into what evil George is trying to do to the Constitution. They are a small, pitiful minority of paranoid, self aggrandizing mountebanks who are courageous when it comes to calling people names but abject cowards when it comes to actually standing up for their beliefs and putting iron behind their words of change."
ANTI-WAR PROTEST: WHERE IS EVERYONE?
"I call them what they are; rank cowards. There should be a million people on the mall today. Instead, there might be 50,000. Today’s antiwar left talks big but cowers in the corner. I have often written about how unserious the left is about what they believe. The reason is on the mall today. If they really thought that the United States was on the verge of becoming a dictatorship are you seriously trying to tell me that any patriotic American wouldn’t do everything in their power to prevent it rather than mouth idiotic platitudes and self serving bromides?
"I know what I would do if I actually believed the United States was in danger of slipping into some kind of authoritarian, anti-Constitutional nightmare. And it wouldn’t be sitting at this keyboard trying to come up with cleverest way to skewer my political opponent. And I know I wouldn’t be alone either. The fact is, the left is not blessed with any special insights into what evil George is trying to do to the Constitution. They are a small, pitiful minority of paranoid, self aggrandizing mountebanks who are courageous when it comes to calling people names but abject cowards when it comes to actually standing up for their beliefs and putting iron behind their words of change."
ANTI-WAR PROTEST: WHERE IS EVERYONE?
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Hey, Harrisburg, Hilversum, Kingwood, Manchester, San Jose -
don't just sit there, silently - join in the commentary!!
GC, thank you for your comments on my previous post ............... ;-)
GC, thank you for your comments on my previous post ............... ;-)
Monday, January 29, 2007
Moscow Mayor Calls Gay Pride Parade Satanic
Created: 29.01.2007 14:57 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 17:50 MSK, 12 hours 39 minutes ago
MosNews
Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov said Monday he would never allow a gay parade to take place in Moscow despite pressure from the West, Russia’s RIA-Novosti news agency reports.
“Last year, Moscow came under unprecedented pressure to sanction the gay parade, which can be described in no other way than as Satanic,” Luzhkov said at the 15th Christmas educational readings in the Kremlin Palace.
Satan is Gay
OK, disclaimer time here - I was molested by a lesbian from the ages of 9-13 - it took me many years to come to terms with that, and to learn to not blame all lesbians and, by extension, the gay community as a whole, as pedophiles .......................... after our experiences living in Mexico, I have to say, I believe most gays/lesbians are born "that way" - with the numbers of gay men we met in Mexico, I'm convinced that no one would consciously 'choose' the lifestyle, knowing what they would have to deal with in a machismo society such as Mexico's ...........................
I don't pretend to understand the issues of being gay in the 21st century; it isn't right for me, but I don't believe I have the "moral authority" {to quote the Bansheehan} to tell someone else they are going to hell, because of 'who' they love ........................... as long as they {whoever "they" are, whether hetero- or homo- } DO NOT use children to satisfy their sexuality ........................ I don't care what their rationale may be, children are off limits .........................
That said, I think Mayor Luzhkov may find more than a few of his EU neighbors letting him know that his attitude is completely unacceptable ........................... the Russian gay community should all head to Munich for a parade ........................... ;-)
MosNews
Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov said Monday he would never allow a gay parade to take place in Moscow despite pressure from the West, Russia’s RIA-Novosti news agency reports.
“Last year, Moscow came under unprecedented pressure to sanction the gay parade, which can be described in no other way than as Satanic,” Luzhkov said at the 15th Christmas educational readings in the Kremlin Palace.
Satan is Gay
OK, disclaimer time here - I was molested by a lesbian from the ages of 9-13 - it took me many years to come to terms with that, and to learn to not blame all lesbians and, by extension, the gay community as a whole, as pedophiles .......................... after our experiences living in Mexico, I have to say, I believe most gays/lesbians are born "that way" - with the numbers of gay men we met in Mexico, I'm convinced that no one would consciously 'choose' the lifestyle, knowing what they would have to deal with in a machismo society such as Mexico's ...........................
I don't pretend to understand the issues of being gay in the 21st century; it isn't right for me, but I don't believe I have the "moral authority" {to quote the Bansheehan} to tell someone else they are going to hell, because of 'who' they love ........................... as long as they {whoever "they" are, whether hetero- or homo- } DO NOT use children to satisfy their sexuality ........................ I don't care what their rationale may be, children are off limits .........................
That said, I think Mayor Luzhkov may find more than a few of his EU neighbors letting him know that his attitude is completely unacceptable ........................... the Russian gay community should all head to Munich for a parade ........................... ;-)
"Political Correctness is a doctrine
fostered by a delusional, illogical liberal minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous liberal press, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."
;-)
(This definition has been attributed to students at Texas A&M University. Just so you will know that Aggies know how to do more than build bonfires.)
;-)
(This definition has been attributed to students at Texas A&M University. Just so you will know that Aggies know how to do more than build bonfires.)
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Here is the substitute for the flu shot. ;-)
Miss Beatrice, the church organist, was in her eighties and had never been married. She was admired for her sweetness and kindness to all.
One afternoon the pastor came to call on her and she showed him into her quaint sitting room. She invited him to have a seat while she prepared tea.
As he sat facing her old Hammond organ, the young minister noticed a cut-glass bowl sitting on top of it. The bowl was filled with water, and in the water floated, of all things, a condom! When she returned with tea and scones, they began to chat.
The pastor tried to stifle his curiosity about the bowl of water and its strange floater, but soon it got the better of him and he could no longer resist.
"Miss Beatrice", he said, "I wonder if you would tell me about this?" pointing to the bowl.
"Oh, yes," she replied, "Isn't it wonderful? I was walking through the park a few months ago and I found this little package on the ground. The directions said to place it on the organ, keep it wet and that it would prevent the spread of disease. Do you know I haven't had the flu all winter."
One afternoon the pastor came to call on her and she showed him into her quaint sitting room. She invited him to have a seat while she prepared tea.
As he sat facing her old Hammond organ, the young minister noticed a cut-glass bowl sitting on top of it. The bowl was filled with water, and in the water floated, of all things, a condom! When she returned with tea and scones, they began to chat.
The pastor tried to stifle his curiosity about the bowl of water and its strange floater, but soon it got the better of him and he could no longer resist.
"Miss Beatrice", he said, "I wonder if you would tell me about this?" pointing to the bowl.
"Oh, yes," she replied, "Isn't it wonderful? I was walking through the park a few months ago and I found this little package on the ground. The directions said to place it on the organ, keep it wet and that it would prevent the spread of disease. Do you know I haven't had the flu all winter."
Saturday, January 27, 2007
I know, I've been remiss ..............................
{Note to self: Do NOT indulge in wasabi-teriyaki macadamia nuts if you haven't eaten anything else all day ........................ :-( }
New term to add to y'all's vocabulary - "astro-turfing" - false grass roots organizations ............................
Astro-Turf
My biggest question about "SN" Hutto - if he's so smart, has a degree from Howard University - WHY did he not join the U.S. Navy as a commissioned officer?
I'm thinking he went in as a ringer - it's a variation of the "Wannabe Syndrome", with it's own set of pernicious behavior ....................... just about anyone who's spent time on active duty, in any branch of the service, has met someone who claimed a SEAL/Force Recon/SpecOps background, who turn out to be pathetic Walter Mittys ....................... seems to me, Mr. Hutto {he doesn't deserve acknowledgment of his rate} went into the Navy with the absolute purpose of denigrating our military - and what better way than to work toward a Mass Communications specialist rating?
New term to add to y'all's vocabulary - "astro-turfing" - false grass roots organizations ............................
Astro-Turf
My biggest question about "SN" Hutto - if he's so smart, has a degree from Howard University - WHY did he not join the U.S. Navy as a commissioned officer?
I'm thinking he went in as a ringer - it's a variation of the "Wannabe Syndrome", with it's own set of pernicious behavior ....................... just about anyone who's spent time on active duty, in any branch of the service, has met someone who claimed a SEAL/Force Recon/SpecOps background, who turn out to be pathetic Walter Mittys ....................... seems to me, Mr. Hutto {he doesn't deserve acknowledgment of his rate} went into the Navy with the absolute purpose of denigrating our military - and what better way than to work toward a Mass Communications specialist rating?
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
I have a new CD/DVD combo ........................
my spousal unit is by-God determined that I be able to watch movies he downloads on my computer ...................... I was just trying to copy some text files to a CD ....................... I didn't think it was supposed to be making those weird noises ....................... "Burn process failed" .......................... :-(
Gotta hair question - my hair is kinda long - having problems, in that the ends get SO tangled, SO easily ....................... past couple of shampoos, after I've rinsed the conditioner out, I've applied VO5 from the tube {it doesn't smell as nice as I recall from my youth!}, to about 4" from the ends on down, let it 'set' under a shower cap for the length of time a 120 mm cigarette takes to smoke, then rinsing the excess out ...................... I already use Proclaim glossing 'stuff' - but STILL the ends tangle - I don't generally blow dry {let the air do it}, or straighten or curl it ...........................
Last week, it got so cold here {yes, we're in Texas, but you get a little chill in the air in the Houston area, and the humidity makes it feel a LOT colder}, I brought Stubby 'K' in the house {he doesn't even have a tail to wrap round himself, and he's a shorthair} - initially, he was in a cat carrier most of the day - he's now ensconced in the second bathroom, with litter pan, food & water - we thought we were going to lose him over the weekend - he wasn't eating anything, or drinking any water - I forced some water on him - then he started showing interest in life again - he's been eating well for about 36 hours, but I haven't given him too much, so he doesn't overload his stomach - I'm figuring we dodged a bullet - feline leukemia is endemic here, and we figure that's why he was dumped - his "people" found out he had leukemia, and 1) didn't have the funds to treat it {it can be hideously expensive} and 2) didn't have the guts to have him euthanised .......................... so, he's with us, for as long as he has, as long as he has quality of life, and isn't in pain ........................
Gotta hair question - my hair is kinda long - having problems, in that the ends get SO tangled, SO easily ....................... past couple of shampoos, after I've rinsed the conditioner out, I've applied VO5 from the tube {it doesn't smell as nice as I recall from my youth!}, to about 4" from the ends on down, let it 'set' under a shower cap for the length of time a 120 mm cigarette takes to smoke, then rinsing the excess out ...................... I already use Proclaim glossing 'stuff' - but STILL the ends tangle - I don't generally blow dry {let the air do it}, or straighten or curl it ...........................
Last week, it got so cold here {yes, we're in Texas, but you get a little chill in the air in the Houston area, and the humidity makes it feel a LOT colder}, I brought Stubby 'K' in the house {he doesn't even have a tail to wrap round himself, and he's a shorthair} - initially, he was in a cat carrier most of the day - he's now ensconced in the second bathroom, with litter pan, food & water - we thought we were going to lose him over the weekend - he wasn't eating anything, or drinking any water - I forced some water on him - then he started showing interest in life again - he's been eating well for about 36 hours, but I haven't given him too much, so he doesn't overload his stomach - I'm figuring we dodged a bullet - feline leukemia is endemic here, and we figure that's why he was dumped - his "people" found out he had leukemia, and 1) didn't have the funds to treat it {it can be hideously expensive} and 2) didn't have the guts to have him euthanised .......................... so, he's with us, for as long as he has, as long as he has quality of life, and isn't in pain ........................
Monday, January 22, 2007
Dictionary of Marine Corps Terms and Words
LANGUAGE ALERT!
Used in Vietnam, Section 2
---------------------------------------
CARRY ON!: resume what you were doing; as you were.
CASUAL COMPANY: unit of Marines awaiting reassignment.
CC: Corrective Custody; jail, the brig.
CHARLIE: Viet Cong soldier, the enemy.
CHOPS: the jaw or mouth, smaked in the teeth, see Jib
CHUCK: black Marine's term for white Marine.
CG: Commanding General.
CHIEU HOI (Viet.): freedom; safe conduct pass; program whereby
VC who surrendered were assured safe conduct.
CHINESE FIRE DRILL: an out of hand, screwed up situation
CHIMPO: see choda.
CHIT: written authorization or receipt.
CHODA: same as chimpo.
CHOW: food.
CHOW HALL: mess hall.
CIRCLE JERK: A fucked up operation or maneuver, poor
planning, a chinese fire drill.
CLICK: one notch of sight adjustment on a rifle.
CLUSTER FUCK: an event that gets out of control.
CINDERELLA LIBERTY: time off which ends at midnight.
CO (Viet.): girl, woman.
COLD COCKED: to have been knocked out by a punch.
COLORS: n. the flag; v. ceremony of raising or lowering the flag.
CON BIET? (Viet) do you understand?
C-RATS: C rations, canned field rations.
COM RATS: commuted rations; in lieu pay for meals eaten off base.
CORPSMAN: Navy medic serving with Marines.
COVER: hat.
COVER ASS: take precautions to avoid blame.
THE CROTCH: derogatory term for Marine Corps.
CRUISE: period of enlistment; tour of duty.
DECK: floor.
DECKED: too be knocked to the deck (floor) by a punch.
DEUCE-AND-A-HALF: 2 1/2 ton truck.
DI-DI (Viet.): leave, go, move out.
DI-DI MAU (Viet.): emphatic of Di-di.
Used in Vietnam, Section 2
---------------------------------------
CARRY ON!: resume what you were doing; as you were.
CASUAL COMPANY: unit of Marines awaiting reassignment.
CC: Corrective Custody; jail, the brig.
CHARLIE: Viet Cong soldier, the enemy.
CHOPS: the jaw or mouth, smaked in the teeth, see Jib
CHUCK: black Marine's term for white Marine.
CG: Commanding General.
CHIEU HOI (Viet.): freedom; safe conduct pass; program whereby
VC who surrendered were assured safe conduct.
CHINESE FIRE DRILL: an out of hand, screwed up situation
CHIMPO: see choda.
CHIT: written authorization or receipt.
CHODA: same as chimpo.
CHOW: food.
CHOW HALL: mess hall.
CIRCLE JERK: A fucked up operation or maneuver, poor
planning, a chinese fire drill.
CLICK: one notch of sight adjustment on a rifle.
CLUSTER FUCK: an event that gets out of control.
CINDERELLA LIBERTY: time off which ends at midnight.
CO (Viet.): girl, woman.
COLD COCKED: to have been knocked out by a punch.
COLORS: n. the flag; v. ceremony of raising or lowering the flag.
CON BIET? (Viet) do you understand?
C-RATS: C rations, canned field rations.
COM RATS: commuted rations; in lieu pay for meals eaten off base.
CORPSMAN: Navy medic serving with Marines.
COVER: hat.
COVER ASS: take precautions to avoid blame.
THE CROTCH: derogatory term for Marine Corps.
CRUISE: period of enlistment; tour of duty.
DECK: floor.
DECKED: too be knocked to the deck (floor) by a punch.
DEUCE-AND-A-HALF: 2 1/2 ton truck.
DI-DI (Viet.): leave, go, move out.
DI-DI MAU (Viet.): emphatic of Di-di.
Sometimes, folks say the Marine Corps
has a language all it's own ............................ herewith are some Marine Corps terms from the VietNam era ......................... NOT for those for whom strong language is a turnoff ....................... you HAVE been warned ............................ ;-)
Dictionary of Marine Corps Terms and Words
Used in Vietnam, Section 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABOARD: on base; with us.
ACTUAL: radio talk for unit commander.
ALL HANDS: everyone.
AMTRACK: amphibious tractor; landing craft.
AO DAI (Viet.): formal attire worn by Vietnamese women.
ARVN: A South Vietnamese soldier or Army of Vietnam
AS YOU WERE!: resume what you were doing; correction.
ASSHOLES AND ELBOWS: in a hurry; quickly.
BA MUI BA ("33"): Vietnamese beer.
BAC SI (Viet.): Doctor, used for Corpsman.
BAM: Broad Ass Marine; derogatory name for Woman Marine. NOTE: While @ Parris Island, we were informed that BAM stood for "Beautiful American Marine" - of course, as the progeny of a Marine Mustang, I knew better! ;-)
BARRACKS COVER: garrison (frame) cap.
BATTLE PIN: necktie clip.
BCD: Bad Conduct Discharge.
BELAY: stop; quit.
BILLET: assignment or job; place of residence.
BIMBO: a Blond woman, stupid person, dumb.
BIRD: aircraft.
BLOUSE: n. jacket; v. tuck in, secure.
BLOUSING BANDS: elastic bands used to secure utility trouser cuffs.
BLUES: Dress Blue Uniform.
BLT: Battalion Landing Team.
BOONDOCKS (BOONIES): rugged isolated back country.
BOONDOCKERS: low-topped work boots issued to Air Wing Marines and reservists.
BOOT: recruit.
BOO-COO: (Fr. beaucoup) much, many.
BRAIN HOUSING GROUP: your gourd, mind, brain, or head.
BRASS: officers.
BRIG: jail.
BRIG RAT: jail inmate.
BRIG CHASER: MP assigned to escort prisoners.
BROTHER: black Marine (also Splib).
BROWN SIDE-OUT: desert camouflage pattern.
BULKHEAD: wall.
BY-THE-NUMBERS: in sequence.
CANNON COCKERS: artillerymen.
Dictionary of Marine Corps Terms and Words
Used in Vietnam, Section 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABOARD: on base; with us.
ACTUAL: radio talk for unit commander.
ALL HANDS: everyone.
AMTRACK: amphibious tractor; landing craft.
AO DAI (Viet.): formal attire worn by Vietnamese women.
ARVN: A South Vietnamese soldier or Army of Vietnam
AS YOU WERE!: resume what you were doing; correction.
ASSHOLES AND ELBOWS: in a hurry; quickly.
BA MUI BA ("33"): Vietnamese beer.
BAC SI (Viet.): Doctor, used for Corpsman.
BAM: Broad Ass Marine; derogatory name for Woman Marine. NOTE: While @ Parris Island, we were informed that BAM stood for "Beautiful American Marine" - of course, as the progeny of a Marine Mustang, I knew better! ;-)
BARRACKS COVER: garrison (frame) cap.
BATTLE PIN: necktie clip.
BCD: Bad Conduct Discharge.
BELAY: stop; quit.
BILLET: assignment or job; place of residence.
BIMBO: a Blond woman, stupid person, dumb.
BIRD: aircraft.
BLOUSE: n. jacket; v. tuck in, secure.
BLOUSING BANDS: elastic bands used to secure utility trouser cuffs.
BLUES: Dress Blue Uniform.
BLT: Battalion Landing Team.
BOONDOCKS (BOONIES): rugged isolated back country.
BOONDOCKERS: low-topped work boots issued to Air Wing Marines and reservists.
BOOT: recruit.
BOO-COO: (Fr. beaucoup) much, many.
BRAIN HOUSING GROUP: your gourd, mind, brain, or head.
BRASS: officers.
BRIG: jail.
BRIG RAT: jail inmate.
BRIG CHASER: MP assigned to escort prisoners.
BROTHER: black Marine (also Splib).
BROWN SIDE-OUT: desert camouflage pattern.
BULKHEAD: wall.
BY-THE-NUMBERS: in sequence.
CANNON COCKERS: artillerymen.
OK, here goes the "meme" ......................
since the Goddess 'tagged' me .................. ;-)
1. LawDog started this Meyers-Briggs stuff, so I’m an INTP on M-Bs’ hoop-ti-do – which explains a lot …………………….. though people who see me day-to-day would question the “introvert” part ………………………. ;-)
2. There are probably a few Marines around who were “along for the ride” back in ‘78 or '79 – I was duty driver in Yuma, AZ, for the day – just so happened, that was the day a lot of folks were re-qualifying with firearms. OK, so I’ve got a full-size pickup truck, with a 4-door cab, & go to retrieve the Marines from the range; there are 6-7 Marines in the cab with me, and 8-12 in the bed of the truck. We have to return the weapons & ammo to the armory, which at that time is/are a series of 12-20 Quonset huts, half-submerged in the sand, in an ‘open box’ arrangement, with the guardshack along one of the ‘long sides’ – we follow the armory personnel to a hut on the far side of the ‘the box’, going in a left turn, right turn, right turn manner in front of other huts. Everything is offloaded and accounted for, and the armory guys, in their Jeep, CHALLENGED me to a race back to the guardshack. OK, fine - never let it be said that M-Squared/M&M {my nicknames} let down my Marine Corps in a challenge ……………………………. We go hell-for-leather at about a 50-60 degree angle across the ‘open area’ of ‘the box’ ……………………………. The guard on duty at the shack came out, with a face as white as a sheet …………………………….. “WTH were you doing? That field is MINED!!” ……………………………. Ooops …………………………….. BTW, yes, we did win the race ……………………………. ;-)
3. I like going for walks while snow is falling; once that stops, however, and it’s just cold, let me stay in where it’s warm & dry, with plenty of coffee & tea, cigarettes, books, my cats and my Magic Elf Box.
4. I like to do a lot of different craft things – right now, I’m very frustrated that I can’t find a store that carries reed for making baskets {I KNOW I can get it on the ‘Net – it just isn’t the same} – I’m very tactile, in that I like to feel stuff before I decide to incorporate it into whatever I’m doing. BTW, please don’t refer to me as “creative” – the nuns did a good job on me – there is only ONE “Creative force” in existence – most refer to Him/Her as “God” ………………………. Call me “artistic”…………………… ;-) You do know that “When God made man, She was only joking”, right? Hehehehehehehehehehehehehe
5. Had someone notice once that, in a restaurant where you have pictures of dishes, and written descriptions, I’ll rely more on the written descriptions than the pictures …………………….. I don’t know how that is utilized in ‘personality descriptions’, but there you are ………………………… ;-)
OK, now
Gay Cynic, Old CatMan, the folks at Crusader Rabbit, The Bitch Girls, and Suicide of the West -- TAG! You're IT!!
1. LawDog started this Meyers-Briggs stuff, so I’m an INTP on M-Bs’ hoop-ti-do – which explains a lot …………………….. though people who see me day-to-day would question the “introvert” part ………………………. ;-)
2. There are probably a few Marines around who were “along for the ride” back in ‘78 or '79 – I was duty driver in Yuma, AZ, for the day – just so happened, that was the day a lot of folks were re-qualifying with firearms. OK, so I’ve got a full-size pickup truck, with a 4-door cab, & go to retrieve the Marines from the range; there are 6-7 Marines in the cab with me, and 8-12 in the bed of the truck. We have to return the weapons & ammo to the armory, which at that time is/are a series of 12-20 Quonset huts, half-submerged in the sand, in an ‘open box’ arrangement, with the guardshack along one of the ‘long sides’ – we follow the armory personnel to a hut on the far side of the ‘the box’, going in a left turn, right turn, right turn manner in front of other huts. Everything is offloaded and accounted for, and the armory guys, in their Jeep, CHALLENGED me to a race back to the guardshack. OK, fine - never let it be said that M-Squared/M&M {my nicknames} let down my Marine Corps in a challenge ……………………………. We go hell-for-leather at about a 50-60 degree angle across the ‘open area’ of ‘the box’ ……………………………. The guard on duty at the shack came out, with a face as white as a sheet …………………………….. “WTH were you doing? That field is MINED!!” ……………………………. Ooops …………………………….. BTW, yes, we did win the race ……………………………. ;-)
3. I like going for walks while snow is falling; once that stops, however, and it’s just cold, let me stay in where it’s warm & dry, with plenty of coffee & tea, cigarettes, books, my cats and my Magic Elf Box.
4. I like to do a lot of different craft things – right now, I’m very frustrated that I can’t find a store that carries reed for making baskets {I KNOW I can get it on the ‘Net – it just isn’t the same} – I’m very tactile, in that I like to feel stuff before I decide to incorporate it into whatever I’m doing. BTW, please don’t refer to me as “creative” – the nuns did a good job on me – there is only ONE “Creative force” in existence – most refer to Him/Her as “God” ………………………. Call me “artistic”…………………… ;-) You do know that “When God made man, She was only joking”, right? Hehehehehehehehehehehehehe
5. Had someone notice once that, in a restaurant where you have pictures of dishes, and written descriptions, I’ll rely more on the written descriptions than the pictures …………………….. I don’t know how that is utilized in ‘personality descriptions’, but there you are ………………………… ;-)
OK, now
Gay Cynic, Old CatMan, the folks at Crusader Rabbit, The Bitch Girls, and Suicide of the West -- TAG! You're IT!!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
UGH!
Richardson announces for Presidency
OK, here we go ....................... "professional Hispanic" Richardson is throwing his hat in the ring ......................... isn't it funny, how it's only in the past few years that we've heard of his "Hispanic heritage"? Seems when he was in Slick Willie's cabinet, that was never mentioned ...................... whassamatter? Wouldn't the white bread group then in charge accept a half-Hispanic in the circles of power?
God forbid, but should he be elected, expect immediately after he's sworn into office to have at least the southern border thrown wide open ........................ he's a Hispandering politician, and nothing, short of a written/typed/SIGNED document by him, to the effect that he will enforce our laws that restrict/end illegal immigration would change my mind ........................
TANCREDO FOR PRESIDENT!
OK, here we go ....................... "professional Hispanic" Richardson is throwing his hat in the ring ......................... isn't it funny, how it's only in the past few years that we've heard of his "Hispanic heritage"? Seems when he was in Slick Willie's cabinet, that was never mentioned ...................... whassamatter? Wouldn't the white bread group then in charge accept a half-Hispanic in the circles of power?
God forbid, but should he be elected, expect immediately after he's sworn into office to have at least the southern border thrown wide open ........................ he's a Hispandering politician, and nothing, short of a written/typed/SIGNED document by him, to the effect that he will enforce our laws that restrict/end illegal immigration would change my mind ........................
TANCREDO FOR PRESIDENT!
Friday, January 19, 2007
Seems the U.S. Constitution has been
suspended in New Hampshire ...................... you know the parts, that silly right to petition the government, and that little irritant known as freedom of speech?
Now, I'm the first to tell ya, in my {much} younger days, I did smoke a little illegal stuff .......................... and, if it were currently legal, I would probably smoke about as often I have a drink {@ one every 6-9 months, my doctor classifies me as a non-drinker .................. ;-) }
Personally, I think marijuana should come under the same rules/regulations/guidelines as alcohol ....................... I also believe that it should be an option for people battling cancer, glaucoma, other diseases - I'm a firm believer in the alleviation of pain and discomfort - but there should be the same restrictions {ie, driving, operating heavy machinery} that are noted with a lot of the currently recognized pharmaceuticals .......................
Here's hoping Rep. Burridge becomes a one-term wonder .................... does he even remember New Hampshire's motto - Live Free or Die?
Now, I'm the first to tell ya, in my {much} younger days, I did smoke a little illegal stuff .......................... and, if it were currently legal, I would probably smoke about as often I have a drink {@ one every 6-9 months, my doctor classifies me as a non-drinker .................. ;-) }
Personally, I think marijuana should come under the same rules/regulations/guidelines as alcohol ....................... I also believe that it should be an option for people battling cancer, glaucoma, other diseases - I'm a firm believer in the alleviation of pain and discomfort - but there should be the same restrictions {ie, driving, operating heavy machinery} that are noted with a lot of the currently recognized pharmaceuticals .......................
Here's hoping Rep. Burridge becomes a one-term wonder .................... does he even remember New Hampshire's motto - Live Free or Die?
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Rest in Peace, Art Buchwald .......................
Art Buchwald dies at 81 ....................... I read you in high school - you made DC, if not comprehensible, funny!
You will be missed, U.S. Marine Sergeant .........................
You will be missed, U.S. Marine Sergeant .........................
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Gay Cynic, over at .............................
Free Thinker blogspot, has a post devoted to Senate Bill 1, which, for those of us in the blogworld, would effectively silence our individual and collective commentary .................... because, Folks, no matter WHAT a person says or writes, there will be someone who gets their widdle feelings hurt, and claim offense ......................... I've known people who were offended if you wished them 'Good morning', so don't get the attitude of too many people I've known, who are bullies on keyboards, but if they're met face-to-face are Gutless Wonders, and think you can maintain your anonymity here on the 'Net ...................... if Uncle wants to find you, he WILL {unless you're an illegal alien - THEN Uncle can't find his butt with both hands ............................... }
Hey, you folks in Kinder, LA ........................
& Hilversum, Noord Holland, are welcome to comment ...................... y'all stop by, but don't say anything! ;-)
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
If I can figure out ...........................
how to make this "take" on the right side, it'll be permanent, unless/until the Border Patrol agents are vindicated ........................ think I'll start a running deal on law enforcement officers being penalized for doing their jobs ................ anybody have an Officer Danny Faulkner link?
Monday, January 15, 2007
New site I discovered, while noodling via
The Devil's Kitchen {WARNING: Language Alert!} is European Commission ..................... for those interested in the "goings-on" across the Pond ....................... ;-)
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Taking a {partial page} from
Ambulance Driver {with a couple of additions} to see what the websearch ghoulies & ghosties do for my stats ........................... ;)
Harry Potter
Iraq war
naked webcam
Hurricane Katrina
Brittney Spears
Paris Hilton
Rosie O'Donnell
Donald Trump
Harry Potter
Iraq war
naked webcam
Hurricane Katrina
Brittney Spears
Paris Hilton
Rosie O'Donnell
Donald Trump
I really enjoy the WorldWideWeb .....................
not only does it enable "keeping in touch" with friends here in the U.S. - but you can "meet" folks from all over the world - looking @ my sitemeter stats, folks from Israel, Japan & Australia have visited recently ................... as well as a couple of Canadian folks last night ..................... this is SO cool!
If anybody is headed to Plzen, CZR, in the near future, let me know - I know of a GREAT cyber-cafe there, and Renate will take good care of you! ;) If you're headed to Monterrey, Mexico, I know one there, too - as well as a hotel-based 'Net access near Graz, Austria ...................... ;)
If anybody is headed to Plzen, CZR, in the near future, let me know - I know of a GREAT cyber-cafe there, and Renate will take good care of you! ;) If you're headed to Monterrey, Mexico, I know one there, too - as well as a hotel-based 'Net access near Graz, Austria ...................... ;)
If I may recommend .......................
the post titled Qods Piece on Michelle Malkin's blog ................... it's by the folks at Big Lizards blog, who are assisting in filling in for Ms. Malkin, who is over in Iraq, at the invitation of Eason Jordan, to see for herself what's going on .............................
Major M.E. "Gene" Pullin, USMC{Ret} .................
born 14 January 1929, died 9 December 1999 ........................ you are missed every day, Viejo .......................
Saturday, January 13, 2007
In case y'all hadn't guessed .........................
I like cats ...................... ;)
My dream is to take a page from the book of the folks at Cheetah's Rock, and get about 100 acres up in the Casper, WY, area, and ONE (1) female cheetah - did you know, cheetahs are so genetically non-diverse that there are studies that say they all have no more diversity than identical twins? For the biologically interested, that isn't a good thing ...................... and with an infant/cub mortality rate of 75%, conservation efforts are owed to this magnificent animal ..........................
Reason I want ~ 100 acres is, I want a female clouded leopard, too .......................... breed each every other estrus cycle, so they can recover, and give their attention to the cubs they have .............. the cubs would then {IF I could stand to part with them! :-(} go to reputable zoos or other conservation organizations ....................... the links below are so my readers/viewers can see what I'm talking about, re: the beauty and magnificence of these most noble of God's creatures ......................
Cheetah's Rock
Clouded Leopard
More Cheetahs
My dream is to take a page from the book of the folks at Cheetah's Rock, and get about 100 acres up in the Casper, WY, area, and ONE (1) female cheetah - did you know, cheetahs are so genetically non-diverse that there are studies that say they all have no more diversity than identical twins? For the biologically interested, that isn't a good thing ...................... and with an infant/cub mortality rate of 75%, conservation efforts are owed to this magnificent animal ..........................
Reason I want ~ 100 acres is, I want a female clouded leopard, too .......................... breed each every other estrus cycle, so they can recover, and give their attention to the cubs they have .............. the cubs would then {IF I could stand to part with them! :-(} go to reputable zoos or other conservation organizations ....................... the links below are so my readers/viewers can see what I'm talking about, re: the beauty and magnificence of these most noble of God's creatures ......................
Cheetah's Rock
Clouded Leopard
More Cheetahs
Friday, January 12, 2007
Got the various "parts" in the bread-maker .............
set to "Dough" cycle - the "innards" are ready in the fridge - so my spousal unit will have homemade kolaches for breakfast ..................... ;)
Picked up some Dryer Balls per the Goddess' suggestion - no, they're not ........................ 'marital aids' ...................... for your large appliances :-) - they 'tumble' your laundry more effectively, to alleviate the need for dryer sheets, and to cut down on drying time ....................
We've a new cat, showed up a couple days ago; I thought he was a "regular" I'd been feeding for a while, but Stubby 'K' is a Manx - VERY affectionate, but nothing but skin & bones ....................... I just hope there's a special level of hell for those who neglect/abandon/abuse animals ....................... HOW can someone take a pet they obviously at one time loved {or at least, they were able to get the animal to love THEM}, and abandon them to 'life on the streets'? I'm sorry, but I'm a firm believer in euthanasia, if YOU can't find a new home for your pet ..................... and at least have the sense of responsibility to have them neutered! The ONLY reason I haven't brought Stubby into the house is that he's intact .................... and my poor sinuses just couldn't handle his spraying right now .........................
Picked up some Dryer Balls per the Goddess' suggestion - no, they're not ........................ 'marital aids' ...................... for your large appliances :-) - they 'tumble' your laundry more effectively, to alleviate the need for dryer sheets, and to cut down on drying time ....................
We've a new cat, showed up a couple days ago; I thought he was a "regular" I'd been feeding for a while, but Stubby 'K' is a Manx - VERY affectionate, but nothing but skin & bones ....................... I just hope there's a special level of hell for those who neglect/abandon/abuse animals ....................... HOW can someone take a pet they obviously at one time loved {or at least, they were able to get the animal to love THEM}, and abandon them to 'life on the streets'? I'm sorry, but I'm a firm believer in euthanasia, if YOU can't find a new home for your pet ..................... and at least have the sense of responsibility to have them neutered! The ONLY reason I haven't brought Stubby into the house is that he's intact .................... and my poor sinuses just couldn't handle his spraying right now .........................
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
This is just SO WRONG on SO MANY levels ............................
you're {happily?} sending your kids off to public school each day - they catch the bus to & from .......................... suddenly, one morning, the bus driver informs your two 10 year olds & one 8 year old that they can't ride the bus anymore .......................... because they are native English speakers! ........................... did the compulsively stupid "adults" stop to consider that hearing English from peer-level native speakers just might benefit the Hmong kids?
Native English speakers kicked off school bus
Native English speakers kicked off school bus
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Since Holly the Goddess was pleased ....................
by my posting of Desiderata, I thought this would be an apropo followup ..................... I first heard this one when I was a young mother ..................... OK, so we were rather femino-centric back then .....................;)
For Strong Women
A strong woman is a woman who is straining
A strong woman is a woman standing
on tiptoe and lifting a barbell
while trying to sing "Boris Godunov."
A strong woman is a woman at work
cleaning out the cesspool of the ages,
and while she shovels, she talks about
how she doesn't mind crying, it opens
the ducts of the eyes, and throwing up
develops the stomach muscles, and
she goes on shoveling with tears in her nose.
A strong woman is a woman in whose head
a voice is repeating, I told you so,
ugly, bad girl, bitch, nag, shrill, witch,
ballbuster, nobody will ever love you back,
why aren't you feminine, why aren't
you soft, why aren't you quiet, why aren't you dead?
A strong woman is a woman determined
to do somehing others are determined
not be done. She is pushing up on the bottom
of a lead coffin lid. She is trying to raise
a manhole cover with her head, she is trying
to butt her way through a steel wall.
Her head hurts. People waiting for the hole
to be made say, hurry, you're so strong.
A strong woman is a woman bleeding
inside. A strong woman is a woman making
herself strong every morning while her teeth
loosen and her back throbs. Every baby,
a tooth, midwives used to say, and now
every battle a scar. A strong woman
is a mass of scar tissue that aches
when it rains and wounds that bleed
when you bump them and memories that get up
in the night and pace in boots to and fro.
A strong woman is a woman who craves love
like oxygen or she turns blue choking.
A strong woman is a woman who loves
strongly and weeps strongly and is strongly
terrified and has strong needs. A strong woman is strong
in words, in action, in connection, in feeling;
she is not strong as a stone but as a wolf
suckling her young. Strength is not in her, but she
enacts it as the wind fills a sail.
What comforts her is others loving
her equally for the strength and for the weakness
from which it issues, lightning from a cloud.
Lightning stuns. In rain, the clouds disperse.
Only water of connection remains,
flowing through us. Strong is what we make
each other. Until we are all strong together,
a strong woman is a woman strongly afraid.
Marge Piercy
For Strong Women
A strong woman is a woman who is straining
A strong woman is a woman standing
on tiptoe and lifting a barbell
while trying to sing "Boris Godunov."
A strong woman is a woman at work
cleaning out the cesspool of the ages,
and while she shovels, she talks about
how she doesn't mind crying, it opens
the ducts of the eyes, and throwing up
develops the stomach muscles, and
she goes on shoveling with tears in her nose.
A strong woman is a woman in whose head
a voice is repeating, I told you so,
ugly, bad girl, bitch, nag, shrill, witch,
ballbuster, nobody will ever love you back,
why aren't you feminine, why aren't
you soft, why aren't you quiet, why aren't you dead?
A strong woman is a woman determined
to do somehing others are determined
not be done. She is pushing up on the bottom
of a lead coffin lid. She is trying to raise
a manhole cover with her head, she is trying
to butt her way through a steel wall.
Her head hurts. People waiting for the hole
to be made say, hurry, you're so strong.
A strong woman is a woman bleeding
inside. A strong woman is a woman making
herself strong every morning while her teeth
loosen and her back throbs. Every baby,
a tooth, midwives used to say, and now
every battle a scar. A strong woman
is a mass of scar tissue that aches
when it rains and wounds that bleed
when you bump them and memories that get up
in the night and pace in boots to and fro.
A strong woman is a woman who craves love
like oxygen or she turns blue choking.
A strong woman is a woman who loves
strongly and weeps strongly and is strongly
terrified and has strong needs. A strong woman is strong
in words, in action, in connection, in feeling;
she is not strong as a stone but as a wolf
suckling her young. Strength is not in her, but she
enacts it as the wind fills a sail.
What comforts her is others loving
her equally for the strength and for the weakness
from which it issues, lightning from a cloud.
Lightning stuns. In rain, the clouds disperse.
Only water of connection remains,
flowing through us. Strong is what we make
each other. Until we are all strong together,
a strong woman is a woman strongly afraid.
Marge Piercy
Monday, January 8, 2007
As a young'in ...............................
in high school, Desiderata was a poem of hope, & everybody getting along {this was near the end of the VietNam war} ..................... today, I just have ................... "issues" with the line: You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here in light of the current debate on illegal immigration - if you're here in this country illegally, you most assuredly DO NOT have a 'right' to be 'here' - you have a right to live, you have a right to pursue happiness - but if ya didn't have the integrity and moral clarity to cross our borders legally, then I suggest you go back to wherever "home" is and fix your own country ..............................
Desiderata - by Max Ehrmann
Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.
Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be careful. Strive to be happy.
Max Ehrmann c.1920
Desiderata - by Max Ehrmann
Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.
Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be careful. Strive to be happy.
Max Ehrmann c.1920
Friday, January 5, 2007
One of my absolutely-have-to-read-daily
sites is VDare.com ........................ SPLC et al notwithstanding, VDare is the premier voice on the 'Net re: illegal immigration. That said, 'way back in October, {13 October, to be precise} a La Raza/Reconquista type sent a letter regarding Allan Wall, an American living in Mexico, who is in the Texas Army National Guard and had recently returned from duty in Iraq .................... "Mr." Perez' letter is below:
October 13, 2006
Today’s Letter: A Reconquista Reader Wants Allan Wall Back in Iraq…And Dead
From: Anacelto Perez:
Tell Allan Wall to go back to Iraq and get killed.
No one care about his actions, his life is worthless. Wall should give it up and go back to the Northern European cave he came from.
We don’t care what he thinks. Our movement will destroy all of you soon.
Later, capitalist sluts.
Allan Wall replies: “Nice.”
As you might imagine, I was a bit discomfited by "Mr." Perez' commentary/attitude ..................... so I sent him the following, on 13 October:
Mary wrote:
Mr. Perez, I read with bemusement your tirade/tantrum/desire
for the death of, Allan Wall. Let me guess: you're either an illegal, or the "anchor child" of illegals. You were raised to believe that military service is degrading; one defends one's family/tribe, but one's nation isn't worth any sacrifice. You believe in the innate 'superiority' of one race over all others. To you, degree of skin pigmentation is all.
Allow me to explain a little bit about the United States of America, that is no longer acknowledged ............................... we became a nation because of an oppressive 'absentee landlord' ............................... we went through the division of our nation known as "The Civil War" or "The War of Northern Aggression", depending upon where one's antecedents' loyalties lay ....... we recovered/ are still recovering from that ................................... our military helped save Europe in WWI ........................... few years later, our military helped save the world in WWII ................................ we went through the national trauma of the Korean and VietNam wars ............................... our military 'encouraged' Saddam Hussein to leave Kuwait .................................... and, should Hugo Chavez or Fidel or Raul Castro decide that Mexico looked desirable, our military would be there to protect Mexico ............... since Mexico's "military forces" are collectively about as capable of self-defense as the French ..................................
when Mexico City experiences earthquakes, or the Indian Ocean experiences a tsunami, or Iran has an earthquake, among the first and most generous to help are the military and the citizens of the United States of America .........................................
Mr. Wall has honorably served his country .................................. sad to say, but I would venture a guess that you have very limited experience of the concepts of honor, duty, country .............................. as a former Marine, I strongly urge you to return to "the halls of Montezuma", and demand, of your government, that they abolish the corruptocracy that has been status quo for almost 500 years ................................ and allow/encourage Mexico to become the nation it has the potential to become ...................................
Sincerely and
Semper Fidelis
Mary Leverett
Just as a FWIW: I lived in Nuevo Leon, Mexico from April 2000-Sept 2002, so I'm not your typical "gringa" who doesn't really have a clue about life in Mexico .................................
Last evening, eighty-one days after I sent my eMail, I received a response from "Mr." Perez:
Talk about a tirade. I just want you to understand that building your walls is not good for anyone. I understand your plight, for the USA is in decline. There are real problems in the US, and you must work to resolve them, Sorry bye, Joe
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.
As I told Allan Wall this morning, I really don't like having a battle of wits with someone who isn't armed ...........................
October 13, 2006
Today’s Letter: A Reconquista Reader Wants Allan Wall Back in Iraq…And Dead
From: Anacelto Perez:
Tell Allan Wall to go back to Iraq and get killed.
No one care about his actions, his life is worthless. Wall should give it up and go back to the Northern European cave he came from.
We don’t care what he thinks. Our movement will destroy all of you soon.
Later, capitalist sluts.
Allan Wall replies: “Nice.”
As you might imagine, I was a bit discomfited by "Mr." Perez' commentary/attitude ..................... so I sent him the following, on 13 October:
Mary wrote:
Mr. Perez, I read with bemusement your tirade/tantrum/desire
for the death of, Allan Wall. Let me guess: you're either an illegal, or the "anchor child" of illegals. You were raised to believe that military service is degrading; one defends one's family/tribe, but one's nation isn't worth any sacrifice. You believe in the innate 'superiority' of one race over all others. To you, degree of skin pigmentation is all.
Allow me to explain a little bit about the United States of America, that is no longer acknowledged ............................... we became a nation because of an oppressive 'absentee landlord' ............................... we went through the division of our nation known as "The Civil War" or "The War of Northern Aggression", depending upon where one's antecedents' loyalties lay ....... we recovered/ are still recovering from that ................................... our military helped save Europe in WWI ........................... few years later, our military helped save the world in WWII ................................ we went through the national trauma of the Korean and VietNam wars ............................... our military 'encouraged' Saddam Hussein to leave Kuwait .................................... and, should Hugo Chavez or Fidel or Raul Castro decide that Mexico looked desirable, our military would be there to protect Mexico ............... since Mexico's "military forces" are collectively about as capable of self-defense as the French ..................................
when Mexico City experiences earthquakes, or the Indian Ocean experiences a tsunami, or Iran has an earthquake, among the first and most generous to help are the military and the citizens of the United States of America .........................................
Mr. Wall has honorably served his country .................................. sad to say, but I would venture a guess that you have very limited experience of the concepts of honor, duty, country .............................. as a former Marine, I strongly urge you to return to "the halls of Montezuma", and demand, of your government, that they abolish the corruptocracy that has been status quo for almost 500 years ................................ and allow/encourage Mexico to become the nation it has the potential to become ...................................
Sincerely and
Semper Fidelis
Mary Leverett
Just as a FWIW: I lived in Nuevo Leon, Mexico from April 2000-Sept 2002, so I'm not your typical "gringa" who doesn't really have a clue about life in Mexico .................................
Last evening, eighty-one days after I sent my eMail, I received a response from "Mr." Perez:
Talk about a tirade. I just want you to understand that building your walls is not good for anyone. I understand your plight, for the USA is in decline. There are real problems in the US, and you must work to resolve them, Sorry bye, Joe
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.
As I told Allan Wall this morning, I really don't like having a battle of wits with someone who isn't armed ...........................
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Flo asked about a previous post ................
how "elected representatives" can trample the Constitution ...................... Pelosi & Co. will get away with it for what a friend refers to as 'creeping incrementalism' - they're looking to establish a nanny-state on steroids, to try to make us all dependent on welfare to one degree or another ....................... if that cabal has their way, we'll all have to register, then ultimately surrender any firearms .................... as another friend says, 'an armed populace are citizens, an un-armed populace are subjects' .............................. :(
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Just talked over the computer .....................
with Flying Flo ....................... I DO mean "talked" - we got the Yahoo! 'talk over the computer' dealie going, and chatted for over an hour ................... Laugh? Us? NEVER!! {And that's about as full of pi****sh*t as I can get! ;) }
Couldn't get my WebCam to work properly - will have to ask my spousal unit to figure it out & give me the CliffNotes version ......................... ;)
Flo is GREAT fun - her blog is linked to the right - go check her out!
Couldn't get my WebCam to work properly - will have to ask my spousal unit to figure it out & give me the CliffNotes version ......................... ;)
Flo is GREAT fun - her blog is linked to the right - go check her out!
ATTENTION!!
The link below is absolutely critical to maintaining "our" Constitutional Rights ..........................
http://www.grassrootsfreedom.com/
http://www.grassrootsfreedom.com/
Also, still having "issues" ........................
with our 'Net provider ...................... last night, the modem flaked out @ 1800 - this morning {like yesterday morning}, it didn't "come back" until 0953 ......................... no, I'm not real pleased that I'm limited to 8 hours' 'Net accessibility .......................
Work with me here, Folks ............................
Those who represent the UN in their interventions are, to certain degree, "volunteers", yes? Then how, in the name of all that is holy, can they DO such things?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/03/wsudan03.xml
I know, we've been hearing for years of raping/sexually assaulting UN personnel, 'bartering' sexual favors for food .................. does the word
conscience have any meaning anymore?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/03/wsudan03.xml
I know, we've been hearing for years of raping/sexually assaulting UN personnel, 'bartering' sexual favors for food .................. does the word
conscience have any meaning anymore?
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Just sent a complaint to Yahoo! .......................
Seems someone decided I needed an eMail directing me to F***Friends in your area QI62 ......................... their "message" is below ..................... I don't know about the rest of the world, but I am more than tired of 'dating sites', etc., ad nauseum .........................
Hey.
Want to find someone to sleep with who lives close by?
75% of our members already found a partner with this system...
And... it is completely free!
Granted, that eMail is more "honest" than most .................... but the glaring crudeness of their "appeal" leaves me cold ..................... I'm a former Marine - I can be crude as the next person - but I am selective about who I allow to witness it .................... I don't enjoy Stephen King's writing as much as I used to, because of the gratuitous use of profanity ........................ Dean Koontz was losing me for a while, because he was hitting the 'slippery slope' of profanity - but he seems to be recovering - Tom Clancy has fallen into the laziness trap, too; J.D. Robb's Eve Dallas has always been rather flamboyant in her language, but she's 50 years in the future ..................... ;)
I always liked the story of Sir Winston Churchill at some function, where he had .................... over-indulged in some spirits - some lady {Lady?} was haranguing him - and he turned to her & told her she was ugly - after some high dudgeon, she informed him he was drunk .................... and he responded, "Ah, yes - but I shall be sober in the morning."
Hey.
Want to find someone to sleep with who lives close by?
75% of our members already found a partner with this system...
And... it is completely free!
Granted, that eMail is more "honest" than most .................... but the glaring crudeness of their "appeal" leaves me cold ..................... I'm a former Marine - I can be crude as the next person - but I am selective about who I allow to witness it .................... I don't enjoy Stephen King's writing as much as I used to, because of the gratuitous use of profanity ........................ Dean Koontz was losing me for a while, because he was hitting the 'slippery slope' of profanity - but he seems to be recovering - Tom Clancy has fallen into the laziness trap, too; J.D. Robb's Eve Dallas has always been rather flamboyant in her language, but she's 50 years in the future ..................... ;)
I always liked the story of Sir Winston Churchill at some function, where he had .................... over-indulged in some spirits - some lady {Lady?} was haranguing him - and he turned to her & told her she was ugly - after some high dudgeon, she informed him he was drunk .................... and he responded, "Ah, yes - but I shall be sober in the morning."
Monday, January 1, 2007
Been having "issues" .......................
with our 'Net provider all weekend ........................... it decided it didn't like the router, then for 3 evenings, the modem has been flaking out ...................... so, please be patient if I'm not as prolific as may have been presumed from my previous scribblings ....................... ;)
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