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!!

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 ...................

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 .................................. ;-)

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 ...........................

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 …………………………

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.

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 ............................

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 ..........................

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 ........................ ;-)

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 …………………………

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 ..................... ;-)

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!" ............................ ;-)

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 ....................... ;-)

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 ......................

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

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

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 .......................