The Cotillion - a Post-Party Wrap-Up!

Okay - so periodically I turn the television to E! Entertainment Television.  I know, I know - I should check myself into some twelve step program.  But you know how they have those post awards show wrap ups?  I just thought it would be fun to do the same on the great success of today's debut of the Cotillion.  I am fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity to participate in my small way in this rather grand event.

We were well-received in the blogosphere with an early morning link by Michelle Malkin.  How fun to be called a "hot conservative gal of the blogosphere!"  Later on in the day K.J. Lopez at The Corner on National Review Online pondered what Susan Estrich might think.  I do declare, I don't believe we care what she may think.  Lastly, the Cotillion had a nice mention on CNN's "Inside Politics" - exerpt of the transcript here (please pardon the errors and typos, ladies and gentlemen, however the emphasis is mine):   

So, bloggers, expanding, the most successful of them setting up companion sites to go with their regular blogs.

SCHECHNER: Now, another site of collaboration that wanted to show you today. Remember when you were a kid and you had to go to Cotillion (ph), the fancy dance where the boys had to learn to take the girls out. Well, today they formed the Cotillion it's a CotillianBall.blogspot.com, and it's a coalition of conservative female bloggers. We start over at CommonSenseRunsWild.typepad.com.  It's Beth of My Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy, Jody of Steal the Band Wagon, and then, Jeanette of Common Sense Runs Wild," the three of them, so the were annoyed at people saying, where are all the female bloggers? Where are their voices? Why aren't they being heard?

So, what they did is they put together this collaboration of women. And it's not based on linkage or traffic or anything like that. It's basically just based on a group of women whose voices they liked and postings they liked. So, if you go to the companions that are the actual site itself, cotillion ball.globspot.com. Its got an introduction. Then it has a collection of women who are talking about various things. Just to bring some more female voices out there.

So ladies - we've been a part of history today!  Congratulations on a job well done to all, and in particular to our Web Mistresses Beth, Janette and Jody.  The ladies of the Cotillion Ball:

Scenes from a Rainy, Dreary Day at Home

Ahhhhh.....this was the life - a rainy, dreary day and snuggly children and animals...makes me dread going back to work tomorrow!

Emily-isms

Out of the mouths of babes....and an adorable 4-year-old babe she is!

Last evening my daughter, Emily, had just got out of a rather lengthy, splash-filled bath and as I was combing her hair she looked down at her rather pruny hands and said "Mommy my hands are 'Grammy'ed!"  I thought this was absolutely hilarious, considering her Grandmother's nick name is "Grammy."  One bright - and funny - cookie she is!  We laughed a good couple of solid minutes on that one!

Welcome to the Cotillion

"We ladies have gathered together for the presentation of these dazzling darlings of the blogosphere, and yes, proper etiquette dictates that you shall kindly direct your devoted attention to each of these fine young women! Please, gentlemen callers, remove your hats indoors in their presence! I do declare!"

I feel very privileged to be in the company of some of the best bloggers out there.  Surely you wouldn't disagree.  Please take your turn at the Cotillion - you won't be disappointed!

Ladies of the Cotillion:

Update: Beth, Janette and Jody have represented us well, ladies - Michelle Malkin has taken notice of these "Hot Conservative Gals of the Blogosphere."  Hopefully our dance cards will be full!

Thank You, Servicemen of Longwell Flooring and Sanding!

I admire these men for their sacrifices both in Iraq and at home.  One tends to forget that when our service men and women are called to duty it impacts even more than family, friends, and the soldiers (emphasis mine):

An Omaha company is back in business after being shut down by war. All the employees had been called up to serve.

Jim Longwell and Chuck Ebel are now rebuilding Longwell Flooring and Sanding.

Jim says, "It concerned me, an 83-year-old business closed down for a year-and-a-half."

It was the first shutdown since Longwell's father started the company in 1922 but there was no option.

In December of 2003, Longwell, Ebel and a third member of the flooring company, Dennis Baxter, were all called to duty. The three Army Reserve members were sent to Iraq with the 172nd transportation company.

Longwell says, "It's kind of tough just closing the business down. There's nobody else to run it so you've just got to grin and bear it."

The typical stress of wartime for their families came equipped with a financial burden and an uncertain future. By putting the business on hold there was no guarantee that customers would stay with them.

After a much appreciated welcome home in late March, it was time to get back to work.

Longwell says, "We're all back now, hacking away and seeing if we can get going again."

Ebel's second son was born while he was away and was eight months old when Check got home.

"It was tough," he says. "A lot of e-mails, photos coming through the mail, watching the young guy grow up."

Despite the downside, they have no regrets after seeing the result of their efforts in Iraq.

Ebel tell us, "You've got children who get to go to school for the first time in generations and you see the looks on these people's face and you know that's the majority of people over there."

"I wouldn't trade it for anything," Longwell said. "It was worth going."

God bless these men and their families, and may their business flourish.  If I need some new flooring in the future, I think I know the place to go.

Watch for it May 31st

That Chicken is INNOCENT, I Say!

As a follow-up to my previous post regarding the chicken who got a ticket for crossing the road:

RIDGECREST, Calif.  — A chicken that got a ticket for crossing the road has clawed his way out of it.

The $54 citation for impeding traffic was dismissed Friday after Linc and Helena Moore's attorney argued that the fowl was domesticated and could not be charged as livestock.

State law restricts livestock on highways, but not domestic animals.

The chicken was ticketed March 26 for impeding traffic after it wandered onto a road in Johannesburg, a rural mining community southeast of Ridgecrest.

The Moores said they got the ticket because they were among several people who complained that deputies have done little to curb noisy off-road vehicle riders.

"For the last two and a half years, no one has been able to stop the kids riding their bikes in the middle of the road or the neighbors' dogs running around our neighborhood," Linc Moore said. "But when our chicken escaped and crossed the road once it became a huge issue."

Sheriff's officials said the ticket had nothing to do with the Moores' complaints.

There were no updates regarding the indecency charges.  Heh.

Honor Them Always, Not Just on Memorial Day

There is nothing I could possibly add to what my dear husband eloquently said on his post.

Thank you for protecting us, for your part in preserving my family's freedom.  I will be forever greatful.  There must be a special corner of Heaven for you!

Justice Was Served?

In a day when dangerous sexual predators, attempted murderers, pedophiles and other criminals are given a slap on the wrist, this story seems so incredible to me:

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (AP) - After 35 years in prison for stealing a black-and-white television set, Junior Allen is a free man.

Allen, 65, walked out of prison Friday, ending a case that attracted widespread attention because he remained in jail while other inmates convicted of murder, rape or child molestation were released.

"I'm glad to be out," Allen told supporters outside Orange Correctional Center. "I've done too much time for what I did. I won't be truly happy until I see a sign that says I'm outside of North Carolina."

Allen was a 30-year-old migrant farm worker from Georgia with a criminal history that included burglaries and a violent assault when he sneaked into an unlocked house and stole a 19-inch black-and-white television worth $140.

Some state records say Allen roughed up the 87-year-old woman who lived there, but he was not convicted of assault.

Instead, he was sentenced in 1970 to life in prison for second-degree burglary. The penalty for the offense has since been changed to a maximum of three years in prison.

He got life in prison for second-degree burglary which is now a maximum of three years?  What an illustration for how the system has changed!   

The state Parole Commission decided last year to release Allen if he behaved and completed a transitional work-release program. He worked at a restaurant washing dishes and floors and had no prison infractions during the past three years.

He did so well he was released several months early - on his 26th try at parole.

I wonder how much 26 parole hearings cost?  I imagine more than the TV did!

His parole could last up to five years, meaning he could gain complete freedom by age 70.

Rich Rosen, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill law professor who took up Allen's case three years ago, said it was a shame that Allen had not been released decades ago. "At least he's got some years left," Rosen said.

Allen did not meet with the parole commission until January 2004. Prior to that time, his record was reviewed regularly by the commission and denied.

Rosen said the parole commission "hasn't been able to articulate a reason that Allen wasn't released."

"He wasn't the best prisoner, (but) he wasn't the worst," Rosen said.

Once outside the prison, Allen got into a car with two friends who were driving him to Athens, Ga., where he planned to meet relatives and return home to Georgetown, Ga.

Enoch Hasberry, the programs director at Carteret Correctional Center in Newport where Allen went through work-release, said he worries Allen might not adjust well to life on the outside.

"For a black-and-white TV, how much do you have to pay?" Hasberry said. "We've got an in-house joke here: How much time would he have gotten if he had stolen a color TV?"

Now think about this case and think about the case of John Couey, the sick, pig of a human being that murdered Jessica Lunsford.  An exerpt from Fox News on his criminal record:

Couey has an extensive criminal record that includes arrests for burglary, carrying a concealed weapon and indecent exposure. In 1991, he was arrested in Kissimmee on a charge of fondling a child under age 16. Records don't show how the case was resolved.

During a house burglary in 1978, Couey was accused of grabbing a girl in her bedroom, placing his hand over her mouth and kissing her, Dawsy said. Couey was sentenced to 10 years in prison but was paroled in 1980.

Now, don't get me wrong.  I understand that times have changed, but there's something seriously wrong when you look at these two situations side-by-side.  TV stealing conviction gets 35 years and 26 parole hearings.  Man convicted for fondling underaged girls, one in the act of burglary, gets a 10 year sentence, but paroled 2 years later.  These crimes were committed a mere 8 years apart. 

If Couey had remained in prison for the crimes he committed (what I have above is but a snippet), we may have a beautiful young girl still with us.  I can't firmly say what would have happened in the great black-and-white TV stealer's life, after all there is suspicion that he may have assulted the woman in the home he took the TV from (but was not charged for it).  I don't believe, though, it would have been too bad if he had gotten out and stolen another black-and-white television, do you?

I also can't help but ask one big, lingering question.  Where is the ACLU?

Koran Library Woes

Um....can't a guy get a copy of the Koran at the library without having to bend over backwards?

Sneak a peak under the fold....

Carnival of the Recipes #41

Angela over at Fresh as a Daisy has the 41st Carnival of the Recipes posted - she did an awesome job of compiling a rather large list of mouth-watering recipes from breakfast to cocktail hour!  I read through it this morning and had a hard time figuring out what I was going to cook next, also realizing it was a bit too early for cocktails, darn it!

I submitted my recipe for Fresh Strawberry Pie and for those of you looking for a sweet pie pastry to go with it, I have that recipe for you right here.

Enjoy! 

I'm Happy My Children Have the Gifts of the USA

I, innocently enough, looked around the Internet tonight trying to get inspired to put a post up, but was not having a lot of success until I found this piece here, put out by Combined Forces Command Afghanistan:

Afghan children and local police led Coalition forces to three rockets and a missile May 24 near the town of Bamian.

The children reported the location of a cache consisting of a rocket-propelled grenade, three mortars and approximately 40 small-arms rounds to New Zealand soldiers working at a Provisional Reconstruction Team site near Bamian.

"These children were doing the right thing by reporting these munitions to Coalition forces," U.S. Army Maj. Michael Hicks,

As the children took Coalition forces to the cache, local police also led the soldiers to another area where three serviceable rockets and a surface-to-surface Russian-built missile were discovered.

"These children were doing the right thing by reporting these munitions to Coalition forces," said U.S. Army Maj. Michael Hicks, commander of Combined Joint Task Force-76's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team.

"We cannot do enough to remind parents and children that unexploded ordnance is dangerous and deadly. These items explode every day, killing and maiming Afghans."

"The most important thing children should remember if they discover unexploded ordnance is to not touch it and tell a grown-up," Hicks said. "Adults should immediately notify local police or Afghan and Coalition forces."

The cache, missile and rockets were transported to a nearby base where they will be destroyed.

Meanwhile, at a border-control point along the Pakistan border, an artillery round was discovered hidden inside a tree trunk after an Afghan child reported its location to forces there. Afghan forces safely destroyed the round.

Shouldn't we count our blessings every day that we live in a country that affords our children the very precious rights of freedom?  I remember 9/11 like it was yesterday, but when I look around me, people seem to be more concerned about Paris Hilton, American Idol, gas prices, and how much it will cost to put the kids in daycare for the summer.  We tend to forget that we have men and women of the armed forces overseas fighting for the same freedoms and liberties that so often are taken for granted here.  We should be reminded of their bravery every day, but instead we are subjected to lines of crap put out by journalists who want "the story" or think it's okay to get "creative" with their reporting (and causing riots and mayhem).

When I read the aforementioned story, my day-to-day concerns paled in comparison.  So what if I'm tired, at least I have a bed.  Who cares if I had a rough day at work, at least I have enough money to truly "live."  So, it's my son's last day of school tomorrow - at least he *can* go to school and doesn't have to be on the watch-out for weapons buried in the sand. 

These Afghan children, while in a much safer and more livable environment than they had been during Taliban rule, face each day with concerns that many of us Americans would never even be able to comprehend.  Did you ever walk to school and uncover a weapons cache? 

I so admire the bravery and the tenacity of children in countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq.  I imagine that the challenges they face now will help to build them into the leaders those regions need to bring peace and freedom to countries that had been truly demoralized and held in fear by vicious leaders who had no qualms about slaying people for their own perverted pleasures.  Things that we have taken for granted brings the greatest joy to these children - oh, for my children to be in awe of something as simple as paper and pencils!

As a nation, we should be proud that we are contributing to something as great as helping other nations procure freedom.  It is not shameful, it is not a waste of time and it is not an atrocity.  It should not be a political bargaining chip and it should not be taken lightly.  I am personally grateful for the freedoms we have - so we *can* worry about Paris Hilton, American Idol, the price of gas, and the end of the school year...and thanks to the bravery of our men and women in uniform, I am comfortable in my belief that I will wake up tomorrow with those freedoms intact.

Update:  Chris of Two Babes and a Brain, pointed me to a story of an Iraqi girl, named Maria, who was seriously burned while lighting a stove.  American troops took care of the girl and helped her get on a road to recovery.  Please take a look at her story, one of strength, persistence and a true demonstration of the compassion our troops have for the Iraqi people.  Thanks, Chris!

Merri's Pan Shrimp Scampi

I'm a mom who also has a full time, crazy job outside of the home. As was the case tonight, I got home at 6:30pm (work, pick up my daughter, stop at the store). I brought home some steak and shrimp, with the idea of finding a really good, quick shrimp scampi recipe out in the world. I didn't find anything simple enough, so I came up with my own version. I thought it turned out pretty good, and wanted to share it with you. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), 2 turns around the pan
3-4 tbsp butter, cut into chunks
3 cloves garlic, crushed from skin, but not chopped
1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled with tails on (pick any size you like - I used large)
1/2 tsp (or to taste) grill seasoning (or kosher salt and ground pepper to taste)
2-3 gentle shakes of ground cayenne pepper
2-3 gentle shakes of Old Bay Seasoning
Juice of 1 lemon
A handful of seasoned breadcrumbs
A handful of grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Heat up large skillet and add the EVOO, butter and garlic. Let the garlic sweat a little, over medium high heat until it starts to soften, but does not brown. Add the shrimp, grill seasoning, cayenne pepper and Old Bay and cook shrimp until pink/white, tossing occasionally. Toward the end of cooking time, add the lemon juice and toss the shrimp again. You will see the sauce start to thicken nicely right away. Add the breadcrumbs (I added enough to lightly coat the shrimp once tossed) and the grated cheese. Toss the shrimp together and serve immediately. I served mine with a nice, pan seared bacon-wrapped filet. YUM!

Stop the ACLU! Blogburst

It's that time of week again - time to ponder what the ACLU has its hand in today and what it plans to have its hand in tomorrow. 

Normally, I spend quite a bit of time writing a nice article, or I borrow Jay's weekly blogburst information and post it here.  However, there are two articles on Stop the ACLU! that I encourage you to read, so I'm choosing to refer you there. 

One discussion involves the ACLU's involvement in abortion "rights."  As a society, we are so worried about the rights of the person in the "right now" - so much that a law was passed to legalize abortion, to me known as the murdering of innocent babies.  The ACLU is involved in this due to the lucritive financial opportunities presented.  Sure, they go off on their tangents and support organizations such as NAMBLA, or prisoners who are being "mistreated" (shoot, they get better treatment than innocent babies), but the financial opportunities aren't as prevalent there.  This article on Jay's site has some great debate going on so I urge you to take a peek!

Also, please don't forget to check out the Blogburst post - this ties nicely into the aforementioned post - selective civil rights.  While it's stated that "everyone" has a right to speak their mind, have peaceful protest, etc., when it comes to pro-life, the ACLU is reluctant to support those pro-life protesters. 

"To the ACLU, anti-abortion protesters are not seen in the same light as civil rights demonstrators in the 60's, but as lunatic fascists out to destroy freedom.

I'm so tired of the double-standard and tired of being put down for my beliefs - if a person speaks of pro-choice, it is a "right."  If a person speaks of pro-life, they are imposing their religious beliefs.  I could care less if anyone has the same religious beliefs as me, as a matter of fact, my religious beliefs are irrelevant when it comes to how I feel about abortion. 

As a woman, I know what I need to do to prevent pregnancy.  That's my responsibility and my obligation if I do not want a child.  Abortion shouldn't be used as birth control and if I become pregnant after being careless, I shouldn't kill my baby because of my own stupidity.  If I don't want my child, there are others out in this world who are incapable of bearing a child, but have a heartful of love to give.  My father was adopted and I know quite a number of others who are adopted as well, and greatful that they didn't end up as "medical waste" following an arranged murder by their own mother. 

I would add that it is completely unfair that a man does not have the right to be involved with what happens to HIS child.  The baby didn't arrive in the woman's womb due to some fluke - he is as responsible as she is and should have the right to say that he wants her to carry the child to term so he can raise the child.  He should also have the right to say that he doesn't want his baby killed and would like him or her adopted by a caring family.  Does the ACLU step up for these dads?  Absolutely not. 

Burn in Hell, Ivan Henk

My hubby, Eric, over at Vince Aut Morire has an update regarding the Brendan Gonzales case.  For those of you not familiar with the case, Brendan's "Dad" - Ivan Henk - killed the four year old boy, stating his son was the Anti-Christ.  He dumped his body in a dumpster at least 10 miles from the boy's hometown and Brendan's body ended up in a landfill.  After six weeks of volunteers and rescue crews searching endlessly in the heat of summer, Brendan's body was never found.

One of our local television channels in Omaha, NE did a story on the video of Henk's interrogation - released recently - during which he used Brandon's body as a bargaining chip, or at least as a means of having some level of perceived control.  I won't steal Eric's thunder, because he has been a champion of Brendan's cause over at his site, but one snippet of this interview, a statement from this vile, disgusting pig stood out for me - in fact I almost lost it when I saw it on TV:

"Stupid body. Who cares? I don't give a s--- about it. You do, other people do, maybe, OK. Not me.   

Text on a post cannot possibly do this justice.  To hear the venom and the hatred in this man's voice is indescribable.  This is the body of your own child, your flesh and blood four year old beautiful boy, you SICK, PERVERTED, DISGUSTING, VILE MURDERER.  How could a parent do this to their own child and then just throw him away like the weekly trash?!?!? 

The guy plead guilty and got life in prison, the bastard.  He's attempted to take his own life - if it were me watching him in prison that day, I'd have turned the other way and hoped that he was successful.  Pretty awful thoughts to have, but this man is not human and will NEVER be released, NEVER be rehabilitated.  Why does society have to continue dealing with this monster?

Brendan was such an adorable, sweet 4-year-old child and his memory and life will be honored forever, whether his body is found or not.  Please checkout the website dedicated to him (link is over at Eric's site).  Be prepared, and have extra tissue on hand because you'll need it.

Dumb & Dumber Criminals

So things have been pretty heavy on my site the last couple of days so I thought I'd lighten up a little bit and blog on some stupid, dumb ass criminals - I hope you get a laugh out of them like I did!

Cops Break Up Drug Deal Next to Squad Car

I can't help but post this whole article.  What a couple of idiots!

ELKHART, Ind. (AP) - Police Cpl. Mike Swygart said he did not believe it at first when someone told him two men were making a drug deal next to his patrol car. Swygart said he was on a break having a cup of coffee Friday night when a person told him what was going on outside.

"I laughed because I thought no one would be so foolish as to handle illegal drugs next to a police car," Swygart wrote in his report. "He looked at me and told me that he was not joking."

Swygart walked outside and spotted two men in a car parked next to the squad car, holding what appeared to be bags of marijuana.

Gawd - that's priceless!

"I opened the passenger side door and shouted, 'Police, don't move!' Both suspects dropped the baggies and let them fall on the front seat," he said.

Officers detained the two men and reported seizing two small bags of marijuana as well as some drug paraphernalia and pills.

That'll be a fun one for him to report back at the station!

Gramma, 911 Isn't the Number for Dominoes!

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - An 86-year-old woman has been sent to jail after police said she called 911 dispatchers 20 times in a little more than a half-hour to complain about a pizza parlor. Dorothy Densmore remained in jail Tuesday charged with misusing the 911 system, a jail spokeswoman said.

Gramma was just a BIT upset about her pizza, apparently!

It's unusual for someone to face charges for nonemergency calls, Giannini said. But on Sunday, Densmore kept calling 911, even after she was told to stop, Giannini said.

When an officer arrived at her apartment, the 5-foot-tall, 98-pound woman attacked him, Giannini said. Densmore scratched him, kicked and bit his hand, she said.

Hmmmm...don't you think the officer's report conveniently left out "got my ass kicked by a 5-foot-tall, 98 pound, 86 year old gramma?"

Densmore is also charged with resisting a public officer and two counts of misusing the 911 system, jail records show.

Granny likes calling 911 and got into trouble previously for calling 911 10 times before stopping.  Apparently the Chinese food must have been too cold!

Drittsekk ("Dirtbag" in Norwegian)

OSLO, Norway (AP) - An enterprising if unscrupulous Norwegian found a way to turn a tidy profit on Oslo real estate by renting out a nice apartment in a popular part of town.

What the renters didn't know was that he had broken in to someone else's apartment and then rented it out to 11 different people, the national news media reported Tuesday.

Police said the 29-year-old, whose name was withheld, admitted breaking in to the apartment, and posting photographs of it on an Internet real estate site, asking for a bargain $780 a month in rent.

Ummm, Dude.  Internet = Public = YOU'LL GET CAUGHT!

Since such an apartment normally costs 35 percent more in Oslo, about 60 hopefuls flocked to the con man's showing.

Ummm, Dumb Ass.  Too Good to Be True = YOU'LL GET CAUGHT!

Eleven were so eager that they each paid a $2,340 deposit for a total of $25,780 transferred to the swindler's bank account.

Ummm, Dork. Yeah, YOU! Put Money In Own Bank Account that is Fraudulent = YOU'LL GET CAUGHT!

Ingrid Christensen, of the Oslo police, told Norway's largest newspaper, Verdens Gang, the money was found in the suspect's bank account and he would face fraud charges.

The real renter was traveling at the time of the showings, and has now changed all the locks.

There you have it.  Some real masterminds and some real whack jobs out there.  But we love to make fun of them, don't we?

Cross Posted at And Rightly So!

A Miracle Out of a Tragedy

In a world seemingly full of evil for our children, finding this 8-year-old girl alive is a blessing and a miracle:

LAKE WORTH, Fla. (AP) - An 8-year-old girl who was raped and buried alive under rocks and concrete blocks inside a trash bin told a friend that the last thing that she remembered before passing out was her attacker towering over her. But she said she awoke when she heard rescuers' voices, and wiggled her fingers to let them know she was there.

The girl was found seven hours after she was reported missing early Sunday.  She is now in good condition and reunited with family and friends.  Who did this to her?  A seventeen-year-old boy, now charged with attempted murder.

Police Sgt. Mike Hall found the girl after climbing into a 25-foot-long trash bin and opening the lid to a 30-gallon recycling container. Inside, he saw the girl's hand and foot peeking out amid heavy concrete slabs.

Rescuers feared the worst, but the mood turned jubilant when they saw the girl's fingers move and realized she was alive.

"There's no doubt in my mind that this child would have been dead if he didn't find her. She was dehydrated and in rough shape with pieces of cement blocks on top of her and she was face down," Sgt. Dan Boland said. "There was no way for her to get out on her own."

This little girl survived and had the courage to also describe her attacker, a teenage boy who had been staying at her home.

Authorities said Milagro Cunningham, 17, confessed and was charged with attempted murder, sexual battery on a child under 12, and false imprisonment of a victim under age 13, police said.

It sure is amazing what people will say about a person who just tried to leave an 8-year-old to die:

"He was a good person. He would clean and do chores, laugh and play jokes and stuff. We never thought he would do something like that," Holloman said. "The only reason I can think he went crazy like this is his father died and his mother didn't want him. Nobody wanted him."

Awww, poor child raper and attempted murderer - nobody wanted him so he buries an 8-year-old girl, after raping her, in the hopes she dies in a landfill.  Somehow, I don't feel sorry for him.

Authorities said the girl was found far enough from any homes that no one would probably have heard if she had cried out. The trash bin was in a fenced-off former landfill behind a park where she often played with friends.

Thank God she was found before she died.  I only pray that she can be strong and get over what has happened to her.  I know I say it time and time again, but there's something evil brewing in our society and something needs to be done.  We're always reading about something happening "somewhere else" and breathing the proverbial "sigh of relief."  But it happens in someone's back yard and next time it could be mine...or yours.

Update:  Carol at An American Housewife also has a post on this - please stop by her place!

Cross Posted at And Rightly So!

Would You Sell your 18-month old?

She's swearing it was mistaken identity (emphasis mine, below):

An Omaha woman is in custody, accused of Felony Child Abuse, after allegedly trying to sell her 18-month-old child into prostitution.

WTF???

Thirty-four-year-old Elizabeth Harlan was arrested shortly before 11:30 Sunday night.

Police were responding to a call near 32nd and "V" Street to check the well being of a child. Neighbors made the prostitution allegation.

Officers were directed to 3913 ½ South 24th Street.

Police entered the apartment and say they found Ms. Harlan passed out on the sofa while the one-year-old sat on the floor eating cigarettes.

Okay - so even if you weren't selling your child, Ms. Harlan, what the hell kind of parent are you anyway?

The child was transported to Creighton University Medical Center for treatment and Harlan was taken to Central Police Headquarters where she was interviewed and then booked into detention for Felony Child Abuse.

In court Monday, Ms. Harlan's attorney told the judge that the child was in someone else's care Sunday night and it must have been that person who tried to sell the boy into prostitution.

Sure, um, yeah...isn't that a little hard to believe?  And why would officers arrest and charge *you* Ms. Harlan? 

Harlan's aunt and cousin are now trying to get the foster care system to release the boy to them.

Harlan is being held on $800,000 bond.

These non-parents are everywhere - even here in Omaha.  Just hope that whatever happens, the boy gets the best care and lots of love.

Cross Posted at And Rightly So!

Nooseweek: Un-American. AGAIN!

Riding Sun has an enlightening post on yet further disgraceful "works" of Newsweek.  I encourage you to go read his article, but here is just a taste:

Newsweek's false, retracted story about American guards flushing the Koran down a toilet at Guantanamo doesn't necessarily mean the magazine's staff hates America or Bush, or wants us to lose in Iraq. To be charitable, let's just chalk that one up to sloppy journalism.

But I'm at a loss to explain this, from the February 2 issue of Newsweek's Japanese edition:

As you can see, the cover story shows an American flag, dirtied and tossed in a trash can, its staff snapped in two. The large white text reads, "Amerika ga shinda hi", which translates to "The day America died."

I encourage you to read the whole article - this isn't the only disgraceful Anti-American rhetoric Newsweek has to offer.  But I'm sure you're not surprised.

My Blubber-Fest

The season finale of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is on and they are building a home for the family of PFC Lori Piestewa, who was killed in Iraq back in 2003. 

Lori's mom and dad are raising Lori's two little kids, ages 5 and 6 and the Extreme Makeover team is building a home for them.  Jessica Lynch is the one who nominated them for the show, following through on a commitment Lori and Jessica made to each other to take care of each other's family in the event something happened.  Not only are they building Lori's family a new home, they are also building a Veteran's Center as well.

Okay, I usually blubber when I watch this show, but not until the end.  I started at, oh, 5 minutes into the show.  We tend to forget the sacrifices that are made during war.  Seeing the look on those little kids' faces when they talk about their mom is beyond words.  But they are so proud of Lori - giving her life serving her country.

Off to cry a bit more (and off to hug the kids twice as hard).

Man Charged with Kidnap and Rape of Two Girls

Tammy at A Mom And Her Blog has posted a story about a man who is charged with the kidnap and rape of two young girls, ages seven and 13. 

Erick Thomas Knapp Jr., 31, confessed to investigators that he bound, gagged and raped the girls, ages 13 and 7, sheriff's Capt. Michael Savage told the Charlotte Sun Herald for Sunday's editions. He said there may be more victims.

The very frightening part of this is that this sick, evil monster snatched these kids from their HOME - a place that families consider the safest place to be. 

Tammy has it right - at least these girls are alive and had the bravery to come forward, even though this monster threatened to kill their families if they told anyone. 

One more evil soul off the streets.  Thank God.  Now hopefully the judicial system will work and KEEP him off the street.   

Sweet Pie Pastry Recipe

This pie crust is AWESOME for fresh strawberry pie, or for a multitude of other pie recipes that contain sweet filling (apple, pumpkin, etc.). This recipe will make a top and bottom crust.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 c + 2 tbsp butter, chop into very small pieces
1/4 c + 3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 large egg

Instructions

Cut butter into flour with fork or pastry cutter. Lightly mix in sugar and egg to get smooth dough. Put ball of dough into plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.

You will want to follow the pie recipe's instructions for baking time/temp. If you are blind baking (baking the pie with no filling) you will want to preheat your oven to 425 degrees (put a cookie sheet in while preheating). Place the rolled out dough into the pie pan. You will want to add a piece of parchment paper and pie weights (I use a bag of kidney beans and fill it approximately 1/3 of the way up). Bake for 20 minutes. When done, remove crust from the oven, pull weights and parchment paper out of the pie shell. Prick the pie all over the bottom and the sides with a fork. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Cool before filling.

It's Berry Pie Time!

I love this time of year! One of my absolute favorite fruits is the strawberry, and they are now in season - and awesome!

Ingredients

1 baked pie shell (I recommend a sweet pie pastry - I will post this recipe as well!)
1/2 quart fresh slice strawberries (I used two plastic containers full)
1 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water
3 1/2 tbsp corn starch
4 tbsp strawberry Jello

Instructions

Place strawberries in the pie shell. Mix sugar, water, corn starch and jello over low heat until it boils. Remove mixture from heat and cool 15 - 20 minutes. Pour mixture over berries and chill 4 - 6 hours.

I serve it with a spoon (or two!) of Cool Whip. YUMMMMMMMY!

Carnival of the Recipes #40

Please be sure to visit this week's host of Carnival of the Recipes, Jordana at Curmudgeonry. 

My recipe for Stuffed Steak is out in the carnival.

This shameless plug brought to you by Merri @ Merri Musings.  Have a great day! 

Honey, We're Going to Six Flags!

If we hadn't already made vacation plans, I'd beg my dear hubby to take me and the kids to Six Flags.  Their position is that they have the right to bar sex offenders from their parks.

CHICAGO — Bob Levan bought season passes to Six Flags Great America for his daughters and their best friend, but he is worried he won't be able to ride the roller coasters with them because he is a convicted sex offender.

Awww, poor Sex Offender Bob.  Can't ride the roller coasters with the little girls and boys?  How sad for you.

Six Flags added wording on the back of season passes to all 30 of its U.S. amusement parks this year stating that it reserves the right to refuse entry to anyone convicted of a sex crime.

The amusement park said it does not actually plan to run background checks on everyone entering the park, but visitors seen acting inappropriately could be subjected to a check and thrown out.

Still, the warning was enough to concern Levan.

Hmmm...I thought he was "rehabilitated?"  Why would he worry?  Does he have "sex offender" tattooed on his forehead?  Is he worried that his actions will get him tossed out of the park?!?!?

"My 13-year-old girl read this on the back of the pass and said, `Now Daddy, does this mean you can never take me to Great America?'" he said. "I am 350 percent for protecting children, and that just bugs me."

Okay, let me get this straight.  Daddy is a convicted sex offender, and he and his 13 year old daughter talk about it as if it were a disability?  Discrimination?  Hmmmmm....I hear the ACLU marching in from somewhere here...

Levan was convicted of molesting an 8-year-old relative when he was 16. He served a brief jail sentence and underwent treatment in a mental health facility. Now 35, the divorced information technology worker is raising a family in suburban Chicago.

Andrea D. Lyon, president of the Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, complained that the language sends the message that sex offenders are social outcasts despite whatever steps they may have taken to rehabilitate themselves.

Damn right, Ms. Lyon.  They are social outcasts.  I applaud the actions of Six Flags.  They do have every right to set rules that they feel will make the experience the safest for their patrons.  Just taking the stand alone is brave, given this ACLU-lawsuit riddled society.

Keep Praying for Shasta and Dylan

COEUR d'ALENE, Idaho — Investigators cleared a man they called a "person of interest" in the bloody murders of three people and the disappearance of two children after the man passed a lie detector test.

As Minivan Mom shares, an Amber Alert is still out for the missing children of one of the victims.  Those missing are 8-year-old Shasta Kay Groene and 9-year-old Dylan James Groene.  Please pray for their safety and pray that they be found alive and well very soon.

Stop the ACLU! Blogburst

The ACLU's Policy 211 is straightforward. "The ACLU supports the decriminalization of prostitution and opposes state regulation of prostitution". They base their argument on several points, including that existing laws are discrimination against women, and the right of individual privacy. They argue that what two consenting adults in private do is their own business.

Prostitution is private? But isn't the prostitute engaging in business, isn't she providing a service? Would we not regulate and license a business? You wouldn't want a general contractor to work on your house without a license would you? That would be unsafe as is an unregulated prostitute.

However, the ACLU doesn't believe in that philosophy. The question of privacy comes in if the government is allowed to regulate the oldest profession.

As for it being a privacy issue, it seems a contradiction to me when they also state that the "public" solicitation of prostitution is "entitled to the protection of the First Amendment". "It's not just the bedroom that the ACLU wishes to make off-limits to public censure, but also the local street corner, presumably even if that corner is regularly used by school children crossing the street." Source

Privacy applies to two consenting adults when no contract is involved; a date with no expectation of performance is a far cry from paying for a service.

And what good would it do for women's rights to decriminalize this? One could argue that women should not be punished for their own exploitation. But how does decriminalizing pimps, buyers, procurers, brothels or other sex establishments offer any solution to this? Decriminalization would do nothing but expand the sex industry and send a message to society that it is acceptable. And a system unregulated would do nothing for women's health, and would only promote the spread of disease.

The more I learn about the ACLU, the more I am convinced that they want to establish a new society based on everything immoral. They are blinded by their elitist ideology to the point they can't even conceive of the possible consequences that will result if they are enacted. The scary thing is that they hold so much power, and lack so much responsibility. They must be stopped.

This was a production of Stop The ACLU Blogburst! If you would like to join, it is very simple.

Sites Already on Board:

Stop The ACLU Freedom Of Thought Mad Tech Respublica The Wide Awakes Angry Republican Mom Kender's Musings American Patriots What Attitude Problem? Life Trek Gribbit's Word Def Conservative An American Housewife A Tic In The Mind's Eye Cao's Blog Regular Ron Freedom Of Is This Life? Patriots For Bush California Conservative 4 Truth NIF Obiter Dictum PBS Watch Xtreme Right Wing Daily Inklings Miss Patriot Jack Lewis.net Conservative Dialysis Conservative Angst Kill Righty American Warmonger Birth Of A Neo-Con The Nose On Your Face The View From Firehouse Ogre's View Fundamentally right Conservative Rant My Political Soap Box Common Sense Runs Wild Redstate Rant Time Hath Found Us American Dinosaur Merri Musings And Rightly So Sweet Spirits of Ammonia Smithereen's Files Pulpit Pounder Ravings of J.C.B. Is It Just Me? Blogtalker Parrot Check Stuff You Should Know Rancher Blog Christmas Ghost Vista On Current Events

Cross Posted at Stop the ACLU!

WTW - Pets Gone Wild!

Hi ya'll!

Well, I reckun you all know that we White Trash grrls get all rambuncshius, especially afore we pop out little white trash sucklins.  Welp, I never knew, until my cuzin Otis tole me about our pets, that even our pets have their own kinda fun.  Lookin' 'round the trailer park, I found out that I've been livin' in Mad Dog land a little too much.  Ain't it something how that Navy man's coffee and a camera will getcha up and alert?

Anyway, I thought I'd dun share how crazy our pets get, too.  Hell, who says white trash folk are just human?  Take a swig of that whisky and set 'er down on your TV tray - you ain't gonna baleeve this!

This is Butch, our male pet squirrel.  He has a thang for beer, but mostly Bud.  He really enjoys it, but will only drink beer out of a can with a straw.  Damn finniky squirrel.  Oh, and here is his girlfriend Twila...she's really into the leather thing.  We tell him she ain't no good, but  he won't listen.  He loves that Twila, but I think she's in it just for the sex. 

Well, them squirrels sure keep things hopping, but our cousin, Mike (we call him MJ) has this thare monkey that has taken up smoking.  We have a shot of him smoking his Marlboros, but we know that ain't all he's smoking, crazy crack monkey.

hogs that thare remote.  My cousin Beulah Mae, she's got this big ole pussy cat that sits on her couch watching Whiskas ads and drinking beer.  That damn cat owns her.  She'd dun tell you she trained the cat that way, but I know better. 

him an alcoholic rat.  He and Beulah Mae's cat get together and sing show tunes after they've had a six pack.  It's pretty  terrible to listen to I gotta say. 

Lastly, our damn dog Rover.  I can't keep a smoke one or a pack of beer in the fridge a-cuz of that damn dog.  He's sure smart when he's sober, opening the damn ice box and all, but gets dummer as the drinks go down.

Welp.  That's the end of my little story.  Ya'll just gotta stop by our trailer park and visit my cousins and their pets.  You just won't baleeve your eyes:

Stuffed Steak Recipe

This one will win your carnivore's heart forever! This is one of my hubby's favorite meals, hands down.  I decided to re-post this recipe - it was one of the first recipes I posted on my former blog and a popular one!

Ingredients:

• One 2-lb boneless round steak, tenderized (either by the butcher or by beating the hell out of it...can you guess which I prefer?)
• approximately 4 cups of cubed, herbed stuffing cubes (either homemade - butter bread and sprinkle with your favorite herbs, baking in the oven until toasty, cutting into cubes - or if you don't have the time, the shortcut I use is one bag of Pepperidge Farm cubed, herbed stuffing mix)
• 1 envelope Lipton's Onion Soup Mix
• 1 can beef broth, 14 oz (you may not use all of it)
• 1-2 eggs (I use large sized eggs)
• Your favorite Cajun dry spice (my favorite is a combination of salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, celery salt, mustard, bay leaves, a small amount of ginger for a kick). You can usually pick up a nice concoction at your grocery store, or you can experiment with your own spices! What I shoot for in this recipe is something that has a bold flavor, plus a little bit of a kick.
• a pinch of crushed red pepper (or more, to taste)
• salt (Kosher) and pepper (freshly ground)
• EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom of cookie sheet with "Release" foil paper and coat the foil with EVOO.

Place the croutons and onion soup mix in a large bowl. Crack 2 eggs into the bowl, and sprinkle Cajun spices, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper to your taste. Pour about a third of the can of beef broth into the bowl and start hand-mixing, adding beef broth until you have reached a very nice, moist consistency (the stuffing sticks together and is moist to the touch...no renegade hard, crunchy croutons should be left).

Lay the round steak flat on a cutting board or on a large piece of wax paper. Sprinkle more Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper on the steak, rubbing it into the surface (this will be what touches the stuffing on the inside of the "roll.") Roll out the stuffing onto the seasoned side of the steak, forming it into a "log" the length of the steak. Wrap the steak around the stuffing. If the steak is large enough, you should be able to overlap each end of the steak, otherwise you can secure with toothpicks. Place the stuffed steak seam down onto the cookie sheet.

Rub the outside of the steak lightly with EVOO and then sprinkle with additional Cajun seasonings, salt and pepper.

Bake your masterpiece in the preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. You want to be sure that you have cooked the steak and the stuffing completely through.

Once cooking is complete, let the steak and stuffing rest for 5 or so minutes. When ready to serve, slice the "roll" which will form wheels of stuffing, surrounded by steak.

What I serve this with: This is essentially your meat and one side rolled into one, so I usually will serve it with a veggie side dish. A nice salad works. One item we love to eat as a side dish is green beans with bacon and onion. I dice 2-3 slices of bacon and cook until crispy, adding one small, finely diced onion (or 1-2 small shallots, diced). I cook until the onion is tender, then I add the green beans (if you cook with fresh green beans you will need to cook them before you add the bacon/onions and will need to leave the liquid in...for frozen, be sure to include the amount of water needed to normally cook them with). We have the luxury to have home canned green beans, which can't be beat with this recipe!

Nooseweek

Out of Fox News:

One day after retracting a story that said U.S. interrogators desecrated the Koran , a top Newsweek editor acknowledged the magazine made "serious mistakes" but suggested to FOX News that no one would be fired over the incident.

Dan Klaidman, Nooseweek's Washington bureau chief is truly a piece of work.  Mr. Obvious states "Clearly there were mistakes made here."  REALLY?  That guy must have been born that smart!  But then further bullshit ensues when he says "It was in good faith, they were honest mistakes, and we are trying to be transparent about it."

You know, by Dumbass Dan's definition, murdering someone in cold blood is a "mistake" as well.  Whether it was "true" or not (and, gosh, we know it wasn't true...as that reporter probably did when they wrote it), reporting this story is negligent.  Their blatant negligence caused harm and death to many, not to mention an erosion of the progress we have made.  Oh, and good old Dan also said that people at the magazine "acted professionally." 

Lastly, I have to say that I am SO SICK AND TIRED of hearing the liberals compare the actions of Newsweek to the President's decision to invade Iraq.  These asshat talking heads sat in their chairs on the news shows babbling that in both cases "faulty intelligence" was used and that Bush's "mistake" cost much more than Newsweek's.  How can there even be a comparison, especially when everyone knows it is impossible to use "Newsweek" and "intelligence" in the same sentence?  Seriously, though, George Bush's "mistake" has brought education to children who may have never seen the inside of a classroom otherwise.  George Bush's "mistake" has brought vaccinations to well over 3 million Iraqi children under the age of 5.  Oh, and George Bush's "mistake" has brought freedom to some 24 million people who would have otherwise had a life of fear and oppression.   

This is what Newsweek's mistake has brought to Afghanistan: 

Responsible reporting, isn't it?

Pray They are Safe

We can only pray that two missing children, eight-year-old Shasta Groene and her brother Dylan Groene, 9, are okay.  Unfortunately, other members of their family, including their mother and 13-year-old brother were found slain in their home.  An Amber Alert has been issued for little Shasta and Dylan.

COEUR d’ALENE, Idaho - Authorities said on Tuesday afternoon that they have no leads in the murders of three people found slain in an Idaho home. Earlier they issued an Amber Alert in the search for two children who lived at the house but were no longer there when the bodies were discovered.

"We have no leads, no persons of interest," said Kootenai County Sheriff Rocky Watson. "We’re just doing everything we can early because time is of the essence."

They were last seen getting off a school bus at their house Monday afternoon, the Web site for the Spokesman-Review newspaper reported Tuesday.

Watson said that finding the children was law enforcement's main concern at this point. He said the county sheriff's office was working with the FBI and other agencies and had dogs searching in the area near the home, which is about eight miles from town.

Authorities have said that while the cause of death remained undetermined, there were "suspicious circumstances" reported by a neighbor and the deaths were obvious homicides. 

At least in this case, as it stands, the father of the children has been ruled out as a suspect.  There have been entirely too many situations of late where children are being killed by their own father or mother.  That being said, it doesn't bring any comfort to those impacted by these senseless murders.  I pray that Shasta and Dylan are found and that they have family and friends that can support them during this painful time.

Around the Blogosphere in 8 Minutes

I do have to say that it's been a pretty busy day for me today.  I'm just now sitting down at my computer (other than the "blog fly-by" - you all know what I'm talking about!).  Work was crazy, our daughter had a fever, I went and got dinner, got the kids to bed and went to the grocery store.  Why the hell does that real life stuff always want to get in the way of blogging?  Heheheh...glad I bought some cheeze to go with my whine...

Anyway, since I don't have a chance to spend enough time writing some posts tonight, I thought I'd lean on my blogging friends (plus we all love linky love, don't we?)

Sex Offenders, Child Murderers and Assholes, Oh My!

My dear hubby, Eric, brings you yet another reason to hug your children extra tight (but yet another reason for me to RANT about getting child murderers out of prison and placed 6 feet under)...MiniVan Mom lets us know to be on the lookout for a pedophile/sex offender who is on the loose...and, well, this guy is just an asshole, but Buckley F. Williams gives us the down low on his upcoming "tell all" book!

Ahhh...Nooseweek. 

Those irresponsible MSM whizzes at Newsweek who apologize (in their shallow, "have to" kind of way), but won't hold themselves responsible.  I would have loved to write about this, but why, when we have such amazing stories already out there here, here, here and here.

Fun Stuff!

Wuzzadem and the Clippy chronicles.  You've GOT to go look.  OMG!  Lastly, stop over at Beth's new place and Sadie's new digs.  They've changed the wallpaper and the paint and they are ready for some visitors.  Check them out!

I hope I'll be back in action tomorrow - this work thingy has just *got* to slow down!  Indeed.

...Death Penalty, Expedited!

Here is yet another reason to expedite the death penalty for these sons-of-bitches:

TAMPA, Fla. — The convicted sex offender accused of killing a 13-year-old girl, then dumping her body in a pond was caught trying to dig out of his jail cell, officials said.

David Onstott, 36, was found scratching on the concrete wall near the floor of his cell early Saturday with a metal towel holder he had apparently pried off a desk, said Hillsborough County sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter.

He had only scraped about a quarter of an inch into the concrete, she said. He was later moved to another cell in the jail.

I wonder what this scum was thinking when he did this?  Did he want to harm another child?  Or was he worried that Bubba was coming to see him later?  Or just worried that he'd be dying in a matter of time for the horrific crime he committed?

Police said Onstott confessed to choking Sarah Lunde after getting into an argument with the girl at her Ruskin home in April. Her partially clothed body was found a week after she disappeared in an abandoned fish pond about a half-mile from her home.

Onstott is charged with first-degree murder and attempted sexual battery. He has pleaded not guilty. He served 5 1/2 years in prison for a 1995 rape and was arrested in March on a charge of failing to register as a sex offender.

Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty.

Here's another loser, a child predator, a sex offender who ADMITTED that he killed a child (and trying to escape prison!!).  But he's allowed to enter a plea of not guilty?  I think when they admit they did it, someone should take them around back and shoot them in the head - no prison escapes, no threat to society after that.  And no more tax dollars spent on low life scum loser assholes who do not deserve to live after snuffing out the life of a child.

<soapbox> Based on the outcomes of cases and cases of repeat offenders, they cannot be rehabilitated.  Why do we continue to allow these damaged goods to get out of jail the first time?  ...the second time?  Does it truly take the death of a child for our society to learn of the dangers these monsters possess and to take them off the street? </soapbox>

Every Day with Rachael Ray & Other RR Musings

Launching August 30, 2005, Rachael Ray's new magazine will be distributed on newsstands!  "Every Day with Rachael Ray" will be published by the Reader's Digest Association in partnership with Rachael Ray.  When in full publication in 2006, the magazine will be published 10 times per year.

What, might you ask will be in her magazine?  Okay, most of us would presume recipes and food, right?  Right.  But the publication will incorporate recipes, entertaining and food destinations. The cover price will be $3.99.

Kitty Morgan, former senior editor at American Express Publishing's Departures will serve as editor, while designer Lucy Sisman, who worked on Condé Nast's Allure and Fairchild Publications' Details, will be design director. Overseeing the business side will be Reader's Digest vp, publishing director Laura McEwen.

"Rachael's high-energy style, down-to-earth approach and passion for food attract millions of fans to her TV shows and cookbooks," said Eric Schrier, president of Reader's Digest North America and Global editor in chief. "Couple that with our publishing know-how and expertise in food, home and family, and we have the recipe for an exciting breakthrough food magazine. "

Ray is best known as the host of the Food Network program, 30 Minute Meals, and is the author of several cookbooks, including Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Get Real Meals and Rachael Ray Best Eats in Town on $40 a Day.

I, for one, am looking forward to her magazine - I'm a magazine junkie by nature, and this will be no exception to that.  I'm always looking for new, simple recipes and she seems to have this mastered.  I also like the way her cookbooks are written, and I'm pretty certain she will have a lot of creative input in order to leave her mark.  It'll be something to settle into Fall with.

Two other tidbits I've read about with regard to Rachael Ray:  I heard her dog, Boo, died while at the vet's office.  She was very attached to her dog, so I'm sure it hit her pretty hard.  Lastly, I heard that her wedding to John Cusimano of the band "The Cringe" will more than likely take place in the Fall, in Tuscany.  I just had to get those last couple of items in here for you die hard RR fans! 

How Liberal / Conservative Are You?

Okay - I took the test...I think I'm definitely conservative....don't ya think?

Beth's Blogiversary

Beth of My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy is celebrating a full year of blogging today!  Beth's blog was one of the first ones I ever read, other than, of course, the one owned by my most significant other.  Beth has become a close friend of ours and we appreciate all that she does to make the blogworld a better place!  Oh, and we really like that she swears...all the fuckin' time!

Of course, Beth has no opinions, and she never will tell you what to do.  Most importantly she enjoys all asshats, moonbats and liberals...

...only so she can kick their asses to the curb!

Please stop over at Beth's house and wish her the best Blogiversary ever! 

You Know You Are a Blogger When...

Mr. Cranky puts you in his Quick Guide to Good Blogs. 

Thanks for the priviledge, Mr. Neocon.  I feel as though I've grown up now!

Carnival of the Recipes #39

Be sure to check out this week's Carnival of the Recipes, hosted over at Boudicca's Voice.  I was really impressed by the number of desserts this week - including a couple with strawberries - strawberry tarts and strawberry baked Alaska....yum, and strawberries are in season and taste sooo good right now!

Here it is first thing in the morning and I'm drooling!

Oh - did I mention that my recipe for Sausage & Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce Pasta is in the Carnival this week? 

Enjoy!

Preston, We are Here for You!

I was really going to take a night off from blogging tonight, really.  But then I saw this tragic news that made me immediately feel as though I needed to ensure that your blogging friend and mine, Preston at Six Meat Buffet is okay now that the news is out.  I think I now understand why Preston was off yesterday...

ROCK HILL, S.C. (AP) - Rock Hill police are looking for a hot hot dog. Someone appears to have stolen a sign featuring a giant wiener in a bun from the Ebenezer Grill after it closed Tuesday afternoon.

Investigators think the suspects should be easy to spot.

"It's tough to hide a 10-foot weenie," Rock Hill police Lt. Jerry Waldrop said.

Um....no.  I just can't bring myself to comment on that last quote.

The smiling hot dog has welcomed customers to the restaurant for the past 18 months, after owner Loyd Ardrey bought it to replace the aging dog that sat atop the roof for years.

When Ardrey arrived around 6 a.m. Wednesday, the 30-pound aluminum sign was gone.

"I figured, well, maybe it blew off because we had some storms last night. We looked around, and it wasn't in any yards next door or across the street or anything," Ardrey said.

Ardrey suspects some college or high school students took the sign as a prank or fraternity initiation.

The thieves had to work for their prize, Waldrop said.

"That thing had a lot of screws in it, and it was evident that the screws had been taken out," Waldrop said.

If he has to, Ardrey said he will buy another sign. The stolen sign cost about $600 dollars. He is thinking about offering a reward, but isn't sure if he should give out money or hot dogs.

...and something that I'm certain has, at least once, resonated throughout the House of Meats:

"I just want my weenie back," Ardrey said.

Preston, just know that we are all here for you should you need an ear or a shoulder, but alas, not if you need a weiner.

Stop the ACLU! Blogburst

There have been a number of issues in recent days that have come up that the ACLU has had their grubby little hands in.

Poor Little Sex Offenders

Hawaii's sex offender listing has been very busy as of late, due to the enactment of a new law, Act 45, that "...gives the public immediate Internet access to information on registered sex offenders who are repeat offenders, whose crimes are punishable by at least five years in prison or who have committed certain other aggravated offenses.  The new guidelines resulted in the immediate posting of 1,416 convicted sex offenders, up from 74."

Unfortunately, Hawaii now has one of the most restrictive laws in the country, and there's no evidence to suggest that it will increase public safety," said ACLU attorney Lois Perrin.

Hmmmmm...and just how does the ACLU proclaim to know this?  I would bet that if Lois Perrin knew about the sex offender next door, the kids would be under lock and key versus visiting said sex offender's house, away from those prying parent eyes.

Defense attorney Bill Harrison said:

...one of his clients was convicted of date rape in 1986, went to prison and successfully completed sex offender treatment.  The man is now married and a law-abiding citizen who is a heavy equipment operator.  "Today, he saw his picture on the Internet, and it was shocking for him," the attorney said.

Awwww...poor Mr. Sex Offender.  And does anyone wonder how "shocking" it was for the girl when he raped her?  And how *does* Bill Harrison know that this man is rehabilitated...did he merely ask him?  I'm sooo certain his client would tell an attorney that he was out on a raping and pillaging rampage last week.  C'mon now.

ACLU Finds Rise in Wyoming Prison Violence

Innocent title by itself, isn't it (emphasis is mine)? 

CASPER - Violence is rising at the Wyoming State Penitentiary, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which is closely monitoring the investigation into a disturbance last month that may have been motivated by racism.

"There's been an escalation of violence recently that is very concerning," said Steven Pevar, an ACLU attorney from Hartford, Conn., who represented an inmate attacked at the Rawlins prison six years ago.

In a letter to the Casper Star-Tribune, Christopher Pullie and Darrell Booker identified themselves as two of the five black victims of the April 20 attack, which they contend was racially motivated.

Pullie and Booker said 15 to 20 officers and administrative officials did nothing to stop the "mob beating" by 30 to 40 prisoners.

The two main groups of attackers, they wrote, were Hispanic and American Indian inmates who were joined by white prisoners.

My concerns are simple.  Why are we jumping to conclusions that this "attack" was racially motivated?  Who were the attackers? This article mentions that the two main groups of attackers were Hispanic and American Indian with some white prisoners.  So were there any black attackers in the group? 

Incarceration rates in Wyoming clearly show that per 100,000 population, the highest rate of incarcerations (and thereby the highest percentage of the prison population) occur with black, non-Hispanic people.  It is entirely possible that this was not an attack based on race, but merely due to the fact that the majority of prisoners are, indeed, black.  This is one of many issues I have with the ACLU.  There tends to be an immediate jump to judgment that situations occur due to racial motivations.  This can be dangerous. As a society, we regularly seek to ensure that there is not discrimination, but isn't jumping to these conclusions discrimination in and of itself?  I think knee-jerk reactions such as this tend to set us back versus moving us forward.  I support efforts to discourage discrimination, but we should be prudent and cautious in our approach.  Prudent and cautious are words absent from the ACLU's glossary of terms.

The ACLU Seeks to Protect ILLEGAL Activities

The U.S. Senate voted 100-0 to pass the "Real ID Act" and President Bush is expected to sign this new act this month (again, emphasis mine). 

The law's backers, including the Bush administration, have said it will make the country's borders safer by stopping illegal immigrants from obtaining driver's licenses. The hijackers who attacked U.S. targets on Sep. 11, 2001, carried valid driver's licenses, they added.

I haven't forgotten the 9/11 attacks, have you? 

''Giving state driver's licenses to anyone, regardless of whether they are here legally or illegally, is an open invitation for terrorists and criminals to exploit,'' Sensenbrenner said.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), and other groups countered that the bill represents a crackdown on immigration and rolls back asylum laws.

''The Real ID Act won't make America any safer,'' said Wade Henderson, the LCCR executive director. It ''will open the door to widespread discrimination, create bureaucratic nightmares, and undermine public safety by increasing the number of unlicensed drivers on our roads.''

I find it irresponsible to continue to attempt to extend protection to people who, increasingly, are in our country ILLEGALLY.  They are breaking laws and should not be given access to the same services that those immigrants who follow all of the rules and enter this country legally as well as those who are currently US citizens.

The act would give states until May 2008 to make changes requiring applicants for a driver's license to prove they are in the country legally. Those able to do so would be issued with licenses accepted as a form of federal identification for purposes including traveling by rail or air and opening a bank account.

Why is this a bad thing?  If they aren't in this country legally, why should they be able to take advantage of what our great country has to offer?  I don't think this is rocket science, those of you who are card-carrying ACLU members - again, THEY ARE HERE ILLEGALLY, BREAKING THE LAW!

Groups that sought to mobilize members and the public against the measure ran the gamut from LCCR and the ACLU to the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Amnesty International and the Hispanic National Council of La Raza, to online activists concerned about privacy and technology.

What infuriates me is that eleven states allow immigrants to obtain licenses regardless of their legal residency status (aiding and abetting a known criminal?).  The argument is "for public safety."  This supposedly ensures a higher level of safety in that drivers have passed tests and are insured.  Would we have had more population in NY and in DC if the terrorists had been snagged when applying for a driver's license? 

This, of course, just screams "ACLU"

Some state officials and civil libertarians are weighing challenging the new law in court.

No, really? 

Please be sure to visit http://stoptheaclu.blogspot.com to learn more about the ACLU's attempts at putting more and more Americans into harm's way.

Sausage & Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce Pasta

This recipe is simple and a real treat.  Left overs are divine!

1 pound ziti pasta
4-6 Italian sausages (sweet or spicy), cut into 1/4 in. slices
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped
red pepper flakes to taste
course salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth or stock
1 cup half and half
2 1/2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend (or mozzarella)
1 to 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (I use Hunt's Light)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Get a large pot of water to a boil, generously salting, and cook ziti to al dente, about 8-9 minutes.

In a nonstick skillet, place sausage in single layer, cooking until there is a nice brown layer on each side. Remove and drain on paper towels.  Return pan (with all the tasty bits on the bottom!) to heat and add extra-virgin olive oil, butter, garlic and mushrooms (optional). Season to taste with red pepper flake, salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are lightly golden (if you don't use mushrooms, cook until the garlic is soft, but not browned).

Preheat broiler to high.

To garlic/mushroom combo, add flour and stir, cooking until you smell a nice nutty aroma. Whisk in chicken broth and then whisk in the half and half. Bring mixture to a gentle bubble.  Stir in 2 cups cheese and a small handful of the Parmesan. When the cheese melts, it will look like a very smooth sauce.  Let it come to a bubble, then add the marinara sauce, mixing well.  Bring the sauce up to a bubble, taste and adjust seasonings as needed, and remove from heat. 

Return the sausage slices to the sauce, mixing them in.  Add the cooked ziti pasta and mix until well coated.  Transfer to an oven safe baking dish (I use a glass one).  Sprinkle remaining cheese, and Parmesan on top of the mixture.  At this point, I add a bit of fresh ground pepper as well.  Place in broiler until cheese is golden brown.

This recipe is AWESOME and not difficult to cook for as tasty as it is.  Enjoy!

WTW - This Criminal is a Chicken

Just when you thought crime wasn't high enough, even animals have to get in the act:

RIDGECREST, Calif. (AP) - Linc and Helena Moore may have finally learned the answer to that age-old question: Why did the chicken cross the road? Because the chicken doesn't know jaywalking is illegal.

Kern County Sheriff's Deputy J. Nicholson does know, however. The deputy issued a ticket March 26 because one of the couple's chickens allegedly impeded traffic in Johannesburg, a rural mining community near Ridgecrest, some 220 miles northeast of Los Angeles.

The Moores were in Superior Court on Friday to plead not guilty. A trial was scheduled for May 16.

Nicholson has declined to discuss the matter, but sheriff's Sgt. Francis Moore said chickens on the roadway have been a problem in the community of 50 residents. Officials didn't believe it could be resolved by simply issuing the couple a warning.

"Sometimes you have to let people talk to the judge," Moore said.

The chicken's owners say they believe they were cited because they were among several people who complained that sheriff's deputies haven't done enough to control off-road vehicle riders who create dust and noise in their neighborhood.

Sheriff's officials say that isn't so, adding they are doing what they can to keep off-roaders away from homes.

"The chicken thing has nothing to do with the motorcycle thing," Moore said.

I, however, discovered the truth regarding why the chicken really did cross the road...

Face of a Child Murderer?

Is this the face of a child murderer?

God, I hope not.  Yes, that place in my heart that holds out that people are generally good wants to believe this man did not kill his own daughter and her best friend.  But police have arrested him and filed murder charges according to Fox News.

The ex-con father of a little girl who was beaten and stabbed to death with her best friend on Mother's Day is under arrest and will be charged with first-degree murder.

Jerry Hobbs, who has an extensive criminal history and was released from a Texas jail just last month, stabbed his daughter, 8-year-old Laura Hobbs, and her 9-year-old schoolmate, Krystal Tobias, repeatedly in the neck, Illinois state attorney Mike Waller said Tuesday.

Jerry Hobbs has a lengthy record and a rocky relationship with his daughter Laura's mom. 

Hobbs has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1990 in Texas, including prior arrests on assault and resisting arrest charges, according to records kept by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Records also show Hobbs had a rocky relationship with Laura's mother, Sheila Hollabaugh. Hobbs had been arrested in 2001 after arguing with her, grabbing a chainsaw and chasing other residents around the Texas trailer park where they lived, according to Wichita County Assistant District Attorney Rick Mahler. Someone eventually subdued Hobbs by hitting him in the back with a shovel, Mahler said.

Hobbs was convicted of aggravated assault and sentenced to 10 years probation, but he failed to appear for his required meetings, so his probation was revoked in 2003 and he was imprisoned until his release on April 12, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

It distresses me that a man like this, striking the fact that he probably murdered his own daughter, could be the father of a child.  Hell, he is no father - more like a sperm donor.  Keanu Reeves' character in the film “Parenthoodâ€� says it best. 

"You need a license to drive a car, even to fish, but any asshole can be a parent."

A place in my heart wants to hold out hope that this father did not ruthlessly slay his own daughter and her best friend.  Kids should be able to play together on a warm day, having fun, no worries in the world.  The LAST thing they should worry about is their own parent wishing to inflict harm on them.  What has this world come to?

Two Little Girls Lost

Anyone who reads my blog knows how I feel about crimes against children, in particular murder.  As Beth and Jody say, why?  Beth also talks about how difficult, border-lining impossible it is to blog about such a tragedy.  I personally feel compelled to blog about these innocent lives lost.  Even though I have but a little spec on the web, I feel like I need to play my part to keep this story in the public eye as much as I can so the evil soul(s) who did this will be caught and so their story isn't buried under the Michael Jackson trial or baseball season. 

These are INNOCENT HUMAN LIVES lost at the hand of a sadistic, psychotic, evil, disgusting pig of a human being.  Did this vile creature actually rationalize making the decision to slaughter these mere babies?

ZION, Ill.  — Police on Monday said they had few leads in the murders of two northern Illinois second-graders found dead from multiple stab wounds.

The bodies of Laura Hobbs, 8, and Krystal Tobias, 9, were discovered Monday morning by an area resident on a stroll in a heavily wooded area at 6:03 a.m. CDT. The girls, who attended the same elementary school and were described as best friends, had not been heard from since going out to ride their bicycles together Sunday afternoon.

"This is a heinous crime. It was a crime not only against those kids but against all of us," Police Chief Doug Malcolm said.

Look at these beautiful, innocent faces.  These girls each had a full life ahead of them...lives filled with boys, prom, borrowing the car, marriage, children.  How could anyone, no matter how down and out, no matter how bad their day was...how could they make a conscious decision to end their lives???

The parents of one of the girls had reported her missing about 8:50 p.m. Sunday, about two hours after she was expected home, Malcolm said. The parents of the other girl called shortly afterward, and authorities with rescue dogs began searching.

Malcolm said no weapons were found and there was no evidence of sexual assault. A girl's bicycle was found nearby. He said police had not identified any suspects and that there were "no solid leads that we're focusing on."

The killings stunned this town about 45 miles north of Chicago, prompting police and school officials to escort children directly onto buses at the end of the school day. Dozens of anxious parents waited until their children emerged from the front doors of the school, then put their arms around their kids or clutched their hands as they walked to their cars.

Fifteen-year-old Albert Tobias said he didn't know why someone would want to attack his sister. "But I would like to know what happened," he said in a brief telephone interview.

Constance Collins, superintendent of the Zion Elementary School District 6, said the girls were in the same second-grade class at Beulah Park Elementary School.

"They were best friends," said Laura Unrein, who lives near the park. "When one left, the other left. They were always together."

They are still together - in Heaven.  And they feel no more fear or pain.  I pray for the families and the friends of Laura and Krystal - I hope they find the strength to make it through this tragic and heart-wrenching time.  I also pray that they find the evil, sadistic, vile, disgusting pigs that did this to Laura and Krystal.  I want them to be found, tried, convicted and fried.  In one quick and evil moment, they decided to take the lives of these innocent girls and they do not deserve to breathe another breath of life themselves.

V-E Day

(Cross posted at Vince Aut Morire)

"Those who can win a war well can rarely make a good peace and those who could make a good peace would never have won the war."

- Winston Churchill

God bless all those who made the sacrifice, from all the nations who rose up to confront the Nazi horde.  God bless those who waited for them.  God bless all those that saw the horror of war and returned to give me what I have today. 

Stopping the ACLU's Appetite for Destroying Religious Freedom

Jay over at Stop the ACLU! has an article outlining the action Rep. John Hostettler, R-Ind., is taking to "curb the ACLU's appetite for filing suits targeting religion in the public square by introducing a bill that denies plaintiff attorneys the right to collect attorneys fees in such cases."

Rep. John Hostettler, R-Ind., is expected to file his measure next week to amend the Civil Rights Attorney's Fees Act of 1976, 42 U.S.C. Section 1988, to prohibit prevailing parties from being awarded attorneys fee in religious establishment cases, but not in other civil rights filings.

Please check out Jay's post over here.

Kill the Wabbit....

Er, better yet, kill the PETA members HERE!

H/T to Beth and go see hubby's Deer!

And for your viewing pleasure....

Carnival of the Recipes #38

Techno Gypsy is hosting the 38th edition of Carnival of the Recipes.  Please go check out her site for recipes for any occasion and any level of cook from the best cooks in the blogosphere!

Oh - did I mention my Lasagna Rolls are part of the carnival?  Yum!

A Little Angel Has Her Wings

Erica Michelle Marie Green, or for four years known as Precious Doe, can now rest in peace knowing that the mystery surrounding her violent murder has been solved.  It's too bad that Mommy and Step-dad were the ones who killed her and left her headless body alongside a road.

Being the mother of a 4 year old girl, I cannot fathom what goes on in the mind of a person who decides to kill their child.  So Michelle M. Johnson ("Mom" for lack of a better word for this evil woman) and stepfather Harrell Johnson will probably do their damnest to say that the drugs made them do it.

Police said Harrell Johnson admitted that under the influence of alcohol and the hallucinogenic drug PCP, he became angry with Erica when she refused to go to bed, grabbed her, kicked her and threw her to the ground, leaving her unconscious. After she died, he said he used hedge clippers to sever her head.

WTF?  If the poor girl had already died, what would posess anyone, drugs or not, to sever the head of a beautiful 4-year old girl with hedge clippers???  Drugs or not, these people need to be punished - perhaps with dull hedge clippers around *their* necks while they are still awake and alert.  Here is the rest of the article from the AP.  People need to understand how vile of an act this really was (the emphasis is mine below): 

The girl's body was found near an intersection on April 28, 2001. Days later, her head was found nearby, wrapped in a trash bag.

In the months after she became known as Precious Doe, hundreds attended candlelight vigils, volunteered to answer witness hot lines and passed out fliers with an artist's rendering of the girl. The FBI took blood samples from family members of missing black girls, and the case was featured on television's "America's Most Wanted."

A makeshift memorial of poems, teddy bears and flowers was eventually replaced by a permanent memorial in a park near where her body was found. On Thursday morning, among flowers and balloons, a handwritten sign announced the news: "My Name Is Erica Michelle Maria Green."

Authorities said the little girl was killed in Kansas City, where the family had been staying with a friend. According to court papers, Harrell Johnson beat the girl one night in April 2001 and the couple left her unconscious on the floor for two days. They did not seek medical help, the mother said, because both had warrants out for their arrest.

Selfish assholes.

The child died, and the couple carried the body to a church parking lot, then through the woods, where the stepfather cut the girl's head with hedge clippers, police said.

The break in the case apparently came after community activist Alonzo Washington, who has long championed efforts to find out who the little girl was, placed another advertisement seeking leads in a local paper.

"There's something about it that just bothers me that a child could be thrown away and people forget about it," said Washington, who has worked to raise awareness of missing black children.

Me, too!!  Especially the mother's *own* child!

Washington said a grandfather of one of the individuals involved in the case came forward, talking with him and detectives last weekend. He said the source, who had spoken to police before on the case, sent photographs of the child as well as hair samples from the child and the mother.

Police and prosecutors refused to confirm specifics or identify the source. Washington declined to be more specific.

A photo displayed by police during a news conference, showing the girl with a slight smile and adornments in her braided hair, may have been a picture of the wrong child. Oklahoma police saw the picture and said it appeared to be one of the girl's cousins.

Michelle Johnson was being held on $500,000 bail in her hometown of Muskogee, Okla., prosecutor Michael Sanders said. The prosecutor asked that her husband be held without bail and that the couple be extradited to Kansas City as soon as possible.

Oklahoma records show Michelle Johnson has convictions for theft and forgery. The stepfather, being held in jail on unrelated charges, has convictions for several offenses, including assault with a dangerous weapon and possessing a sawed-off shotgun.

In Kansas City, police closed off the street in front of the run-down home where authorities said Johnson and her husband had been staying at the time of the killing.

People who long had been transfixed by the case welcomed news of the arrests.

Billy Stegall, a retired post office worker and Army sergeant, discovered Erica's head in 2001 and has gone back to the site regularly to pray.

"This is a day I have been looking for," he said. "I just asked the Lord to say who she is so she could be at peace, because she wasn't at peace and I wasn't at peace."

God Bless you, wee one.  You now have your wings and you'll never see those hateful people again.  You'll be in heaven and they won't.

"...one nation, under the ACLU..."

I'm a parent of a child in grade school.  My child gets inundated with liberal messages all the time.  His school has "guidance meetings" and has a program geared at helping kids "cope" in society.  His school has a liberal nut case teacher who has bumper stickers that no grade-school child needs to see every day on the way into the building. 

Right now, as it stands, my son's class says the Pledge of Allegiance each and every day.  And each day I wonder, when is the ACLU going to get its wish and alter the Pledge forever?  Two little words that make anyone who favors the ACLU seethe with anger.  UNDER GOD.

The ACLU argues that having those words in the Pledge is a violation of the First Amendment of which a portion reads:  "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;..." 

I find it amazing that anyone would believe that two words in a pledge would be forcing an establishment of religion.  I find it equally unreal that our society has "evolved" to the state that it is in today. 

When I was growing up and in school (and no, it wasn't that long ago!) we had kids in our class who were not part of a religion that believed in God and also had kids whose families were athiest.  I clearly remember these kids standing with their class and saying the Pledge of Allegiance with the exception of those two words "UNDER GOD."  Did they get in trouble?  NO.  Did lightening come down from the sky and strike them down?  NO.  Did anyone question their patriotism and love of country?  NO!  And life went on every day.  I don't remember these kids complaining that because they stated the pledge they were now forced into religion.  THEY HAD A CHOICE.

For me, the first amendment was written to protect people on both ends of the spectrum - those who do not have religious beliefs and those who wish to practice their religious beliefs.  The ACLU's actions do not support those of us who are religious and wish to express our beliefs.  Instead, their actions will only prove to require us to someday practice our beliefs in whispers behind closed doors unless their runaway train is stopped.  Yet this gang of thugs is willing to sing praises for the murdering of babies, the right to kill people who are not in a position to articulate their wishes, and the right to treat criminals better than the victims.   

I was doing a little research on the internet and came across a contest that the Northern California ACLU puts on for junior high and senior high students.  I find the winning entries (mind you judged by "qualified educators" and approvals to ask teachers for advice, etc.) to be very ACLU-ease, and admittedly a bit frightening.  It is readily apparent that their teachers and/or parents carry the ACLU torch.  I also find it interesting that this not-for-profit (i.e. very budget conscious??  HA!) organization was able to award $1200 in prize money for their 2004 artist and essay contest.  It seems as those they are starting to develop their minions at a young age.  I encourage you to take a look at the essays and art and spend some time with your kids and educate them on what this country is REALLY founded on.  I sure am!

Lasagna Rolls Recipe

Giada De Laurentiis of "Every Day Italian" had an episode air recently for Lasagna Rolls.  They looked AWESOME, but as always I have to alter recipes to make them taste the way I want them to taste.  This particular recipe was great, so I only had to change a few things.  Here is my recipe for Lasagna Rolls: 

Bechamel Sauce:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
coarse salt & ground black pepper to taste
Freshly ground nutmeg to taste

Lasagna:
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 pound ground Italian sausage, browned and drained
1 cup plus extra couple of handfuls of grated Parmesan
1 large egg, beaten to blend
small handful of chopped Italian Parsley
freshly ground black pepper & coarse salt to taste
A couple of glugs of olive oil
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for a few minutes until you can smell a nice nutty aroma. Whisk in the milk all at once. Increase the heat and simmer until it is thick and smooth (this doesn't take long).  Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and butter a 13x9x2 baking pan/dish.

Start water boiling in a large, wide pan.  Once boiling add salt and a couple of glugs of olive oil.  Boil the noodles until they are al dente (I do four at a time, which works out nicely).   

Mix ricotta, Italian sausage, 1 cup Parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper together.

Pour the bechamel sauce into the baking dish.  Put enough of the fillng mixture on each noodle to cover it, and roll up the noodle, placing the seam side down in the pan.  Once all rolled, pour the marinara sauce over the rolls and then cover with the shredded mozzarella cheese and a couple of handfuls of grated Parmesan cheese.      

Cover tightly with foil and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes (the sauce will bubble when it is ready). Uncover and bake another 15 minutes (the cheese will get nice and brown). 

Enjoy with a nice crusty garlic bread!

WTW - White Trash Manuel on Dumpster Diving

Now ya'll, I've done brought you some of the most speshul infonews on how to add to your bottom line - and I ain't meaning your "bottom" line, but yer collecshun of stuff.  Iffin' yer like the rest of us Trailer Livin' Queenies, we prides ourselves on what we find in the trash of others.  Some may call it dumpster diving, I call it "treashure huntin!"

Treashure huntin is a simple event.  You should bring your pickup with you, though, because I have found me some very speshul items, sometimes requirin' a bit of room.  PLUS, you need to be careful of some things as they may be covered by the goo of the trash that is mixed in with them treasures.  Iffin' you put them in the back of your pickup, it won't get them there vinyl seats messy, you know what I'm sayin'?

Treashure huntin is something you can teach yer family pets or work  animals to do on yer behalf.  It makes it so much easier to say "officer, I dun dinunt do anything wrong.  Old Bess don't know what's right and whats wrong thar."  And it's nice to teach yer pets starting small.  My ole man, Cletus, thinks that soon our bird Alfonzo will move up in the world.  He started out in a little ole oleo dish and has now gradumiated to a most fine kitchen sized bin.  I reckon he'll be able to fly in and swoop up most anything once he's done with his learnin'.

Ya'll know that there are treasures out there.  Hell, most of our trailer parts comes from our adventures.  There have been a few major finds for us, but mostly junk.  One day, we were diggin' through the dumpsters outside the Piggly Wiggly.  Thar was this crazy picture of a woman - she looked all pissed.  I suspect she ain't had her Mad Dog in a few days.  My ole man said he thought it looked like a picture he seen on the tellie that was called "the Moaning Lisa."  I ain't reckon this woman would be moaning about anything but maybe her corns.  Welp, long story short, some museum wanted it and mumbled about a theft and thanks for finding our stuff and all that.  It was a damn ugly picture anyways - for shore it weren't art.

Then there was the day we found some jewelry.  It looked something like that rock ole whats-her-name tossed over the boat on that thar Titanic movie.  You know, the old lady who wanted to be with that Leo guy (the one who drown - the best part of that movie, for most certain).  Anyway, I digresses.  Some guy with a bald head and a bow tie came runnin' up to the treasure spot and says to us, rather loudly I may add here, "That's the Hope Diamond!"  I clutched on to it tightly and yelled back at him "I HOPE it's cubic zurconia!"  He said it wasn't so I tossed it to him and set him straight.  Ain't nothing like CZ in its finest form.  He told me he'd get that thar jewelry back to the Smithsewnington or some gawdawful name.  What the hell name is that anyway?

We also found Phyllis Diller in a dumpster.  I think that's enough saidalready.  Let's just say she fit in with her invirinmunt.

Like I said, we have found many a treasure as have many of our relations and freinds.  I think back to our friend who found a piece of grilled cheese with the Virgin Mary on it.  Hell, after she sold that damn piece of grilled cheese we looked for weeks and never quite got as succesful as her. 

Oh well, our biggest and proudest moment was when we found our new shit pot.  My ole man says it is the most comfertable throne he has ever had the priveluge to partake in.  We did have to clean it up a little bit, but it fit right in the double-wide.

You may wonder how my ole man and I learned our treashure huntin' prowess.  Well, we done got a couple of books from the place that let's you borrow such thangs and we wanted to let you know what they were:

You can't go wrong with these books - iffin you can't read, stay at the book place.  They have story time and I reckon if you beg them they may read one to ya.  Or at least show you the pictures.

Don't fergit all my dumpster divin' divas and dirks in the trailerpark:

Speedos are Back!

The AP reports that Speedos are now legal again for men in Cape May, NJ.  For more than 30 years, this resort area in New Jersey said a resounding NO! to men wearing the skimpy little suits.

Not that everyone's cheering. It's often the older guys - the ones with beer guts, or wrinkly skin, or unsightly tufts of hair - who wear the tiny swimsuits.

Oh, you mean like this guy?

"The people you want to see in the Speedos, you don't," said Maggie Creighton, 19, who works in a downtown lingerie store.

I think young Maggie was hoping to see this guy there:

Sorry, Maggie.  Ain't gonna happen!  That's the stuff of Speedo catalogs, I'm afraid!

"A lot of people do come in and say 'Do you carry Speedos?' said Becky Fitzgerald, sales clerk at Della's General Store. "It's the 40- to 50-year-old group who ask. And it's funny, their bodies aren't the shape for Speedos."

Whodathunkit?

Crossposted at The Wideawakes

The Greatest Daughter in the World is Now Four

On May 1, 2001, a beautiful little girl came into this world.  She weighed a mere 8 pounds, 8 ounces but brought us tons and tons of love.

Her smile brings so much joy to others - to us, particularly - but to complete strangers routinely.  We have to be on our guard because she wants to hug and talk to every single person that she sees. 

Her biggest wish today, her fourth birthday, was to have a "Giant Care Bear" and it was supposed to be "THIIIIIIISSSS BIGGGGG" so Mommy got lucky and found the perfect one for her. 

You can tell that she really, really liked her presents.  Her Barbie has been dressed, undressed, put to bed, woke up, workout clothes put on and then back to bed oh, about 372 times during the past hour.  She has called her friend Kayla about 85 times on her "Barbie Princess cell phone" and she has done a few cheers as well, with her new cheerleading stuff.

Happy, Happy Birthday, Bug - I love you!  I can't believe it was already 4 years ago that you came into our lives.  We couldn't imagine life without you!

Happy Birthday to me!  Happy Birthday to me!  I'm Four Years today, and now I'm not three!