Maybe They Should Let Him Stay in Mexico?

I always breathe a sigh of relief when I read a story that a child abducted is found:

RENO, Nev. (AP) - An 8-year-old girl was abducted by a convicted sex offender who took her to Mexico, where the two were found staying in a shelter, authorities said.

Officials in Mexico and the United States said the girl was sexually assaulted by Fernando Aguerro, who is accused of kidnapping her from her home near Reno on July 22.

The girl's mother, who was reunited with her daughter Saturday, said she had a romantic relationship with Aguerro.

Authorities found the sex offender and the young girl in a low-income Ensenada shelter, and the mother was flown to San Diego to be reunited with her daughter.   

It was not immediately known when Aguerro may be extradited to the United States. He remains in the custody of Mexican authorities, who want to charge him with rape and kidnapping, NBC TV affiliates in Reno and San Diego reported.

If convicted in Mexico, Aguerro could serve up to 38 years in prison.

Aguerro - who was convicted in Los Angeles in the 1980s of lewdness with a child and served a year in prison - could receive life in prison without parole if convicted of kidnapping in the United States.

I have to say, perhaps we should leave the sicko in Mexico.  He was already a convicted sex offender walking the streets in the U.S.  Perhaps Mexico would actually *keep* him in prison.  Oh, and Mexican jails aren't known for their amenities either.  However, he could receive life in prison without parole if convicted of kidnapping here in the states.  I'm not convinced that's realistic, given the rash of sex offender cases that have popped up where a child (or children!) ends up dying because a sex offender, even with multiple instances of molestation, is still walking the streets.  It seems as though some in the judicial system are somewhat sympathetic to these criminals.  I'd almost rather bet my money on a 38 year sentence in Mexico.  By then, the guy would be elderly and hopefully out of commission if he didn't die in prison first.

The girl's mother said she did not know that Aguerro was a convicted sex offender until he and her daughter disappeared. "I'm glad everybody prayed" for the girl's safe return, she said.

So I went to the state of Nevada's Sex Offender Registry page, and of course this guy isn't listed.  But further looking at the definitions at the site, if they deem a convicted sex offender low risk, they won't even list them in the database.  I don't know if this particular criminal registered or not, but this certainly brings to light for me, yet again, the problems with the state-by-state registry system.  As long as we put the responsibility into the hands of the criminal we cannot rely on this system.  Additionally, protecting the criminal by choosing not to list them on the registry is dangerous.  If Aguerro actually is registered and considered "low risk" - which is entirely possible given his conviction was in the 80s - it proves to me this system is flawed.

Friday Night Linky Love Fest

I've done a bit of reading tonight, but I've not come up with anything to write about!  A bit of linky love is way overdue, so what better time to do it when I have writer's block, huh!

Jane Asks For Our Assistance...

Jane at Armies of Liberation tells us about a 14-year-old boy held in a prison in Yemen.  This young man, Ibrahim al Saiani, has an urgent need for medical attention.  Please see Jane's post here and take the time to sign the petition here.  The petition asks for the boy to get medical attention and, if innocent, his release from prison. 

Beth Has the 411 on PETA Hippie Freaks...

That Beth at MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy is at it again, keeping us informed.  She shares a warm tale of PETA yarn spinners and their comparisons of the plights of animals to slavery.  What a bunchacrap.  They'll never get that lunacy doesn't win over people.  Well, except the looney Hollyweird crowd.  Excuse me while I go flip my medium rare, cooked to perfection porterhouse steak, please.  Did I tell you I hate PETA even more than the ACLU?

Visit Basil, You Must!

With all the linky love Basil has sent to me, I can never seem to send enough his way.  So please, I beg you, go visit his site.  He has awesome articles, including this one, and this one.  Oh, and Blogroll him, because you will want to go back.

Plan to be Outraged...

Stop over at Hyscience and read "The MSM War On Christians 'And America' - They've Gone 'Off The Charts' In Bias." Oh, and plan to be outraged.  Here's a sneak peak:

My Husband Vinnie....

Oh, look!  My hubby has BlogAds on his site.  Take a look, and be sure to sign up - he has a great deal going on right now! [this plug brought to you by da wifey poo]

Hanoi Jihad Jane...

Michael, I couldn't have said it better.  She's gotta go. 

No, We Don't Want Her in Office...

Raven reminds us that we've got some work to do...unless we want Hillary in office.  Oh my.  I think I need a Tums.

...and As Always....

Please come back here for more.  Hehehehehe

Stop the ACLU! Blogburst - Say Cheese!

Rich Lowry has a great post up at National Review regarding Cameras and Terrorism.

The four would-be suicide bombers of the botched July 21 attacks in London have a big problem. They were caught on videotape. Their images have been broadcast in Britain and around the world, making their apprehension astronomically more likely than if they had escaped undetected.

And, as Rich says, "we have security cameras to thank."

London has half a million of them. According to one estimate, a person wandering around London will be filmed 300 times in a day. The city is a pioneer of a trend toward video surveillance that is also sweeping the United States and provoking howls from civil libertarians whose internal clocks are set to make a reference to 1984 every 15 minutes or so. Given the choice, apparently, they would prefer not to have the video of the July 21 bombers, which is an indication of the suicidal otherworldliness of ACLU-style civil libertarianism.

The biggest complaint from those who do not want security cameras is the argument that it would be an invasion of privacy, that it would be intrusive.  Rich hits it smack dab on the head... How is it an invasion of privacy when you are in a public place, where a dozen or more witnesses can see your every activity, every move?  There are security cameras at ATMs, in banks, in many businesses (including the building I work in).  If we had them in more public areas, not only would it deter crime, but those criminals dumb enough - or on a suicide mission (i.e. TERRORISTS) - could at least be caught on tape, which would make it easier to spot them, arrest them and convict them.

If they can’t brandish the Fourth Amendment, civil libertarians get down to practical policing and claim that cameras don’t really do anything to prevent crime; they only occasionally help solve crime after the fact. Even if this were true, solving one terror attack alone — and therefore perhaps unraveling networks that would attack in the future — makes the cameras worth it.

Cameras won’t deter suicide bombers — what will? — but they can tamp down other criminal activity. Cameras in Britain are credited with discouraging the IRA bombing campaign in the 1990s. On a less serious front, San Francisco — one of many jurisdictions, including New York, Houston and New Jersey, that have cameras in their train systems — saw vandalism drastically decline on subway cars after the installation of surveillance cameras.

Reducing crime takes the parks and the cities away from the criminals and gives it back to the citizens.  I think of our own "Central Park Mall" here in Omaha.  It is overrun by vagrants, criminals, sex offenders and the like.  More security cameras in strategic places would deter these criminals from setting up virtual residence in the park and more residents could actually enjoy the amenities the park promises.  I certainly don't go down there after dark and I especially wouldn't be there alone after dark or take my children there.  Sad, isn't it? 

Then there is the last resort of civil libertarians. When no real harm can be demonstrated, they always discern a subtle “chilling effect.� “When citizens are being watched by the authorities,� says Barry Steinhardt of the American Civil Liberties Union, “they are more self-conscious and less freewheeling.� But urban areas, where the cameras are proliferating, are not notably bastions of inhibited behavior. City Journal’s Heather Mac Donald, who is nation’s foremost critic of the excesses of the ACLU, writes, “The only people whom public cameras inhibit are criminals; they liberate the law-abiding public.� When they move a camera out of a troubled neighborhood, Chicago police now get complaints from neighbors, who want pimps and drug dealers to be decidedly inhibited.

You are spot on Ms. MacDonald.

It's very easy to see (as emphasized in the quote above and in looking at the ACLU's website) what their opinion is on surveillance cameras.  In a hearing to discuss enhancing D.C.'s security camera network, mere months after 9/11, Johnny Barnes, the Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of the National Capital Area, testified.  He cited the following reasons why a stronger surveillance camera network should not be deployed in D.C.:

1. Surveillance cameras are not effective at fighting crime.

Hmmmmm....there seem to be many instances that this is proven false (Rich names at least one instance in San Francisco as well as complaints when cameras were moved in Chicago, apparently causing the return of criminal activity once the camera was removed).

2. Surveillance cameras reduce resources for placing police officers into neighborhoods where they are needed. 

They state that putting more cameras in would cause a need to pull officers off the street; therefore, decreasing police presence which would increase potential for crime.  Huh?

3. Surveillance cameras undermine individual privacy and are inimical to the American way of life.

Typical ACLU.  So, they bring up cameras at stop lights.  They say that while that has its own problems, at least the cameras are used to focus on one type of offense.  A network of cameras would be too intrusive as it would "track daily routines" versus specific criminal activity.  They say it would also undermine individual privacy and could deter, as an example, a citizen's desire to demonstrate on the mall.  So if they aren't breaking any laws, why worry?  It's a public place that a person's activities can be observed by numbers of people!  Besides, isn't the point of demonstration for a cause to stand up and BE NOTICED?

4. Surveillance cameras should not be contemplated without obtaining the explicit permission of those they impact. Permission was not granted in the District of Columbia. 

I can't help but quote directly from their testimony:  "Americans value the right to be anonymous in a big city. We value the right to go about our business without the sense that the government is watching us as if we were going to break the law."  Um, excuse me please.  I value feeling safe in my own country.  I'll bet criminals value the "right" to be anonymous in a big city.  Why do you think we have so many "Wanted" posters, or Crimestopper segments on TV?

5. Surveillance cameras are subject to great abuse.

That's why you put policies and procedures in place - DUH.

So what came of the DC security camera situation 3 years ago?  Security cameras had been installed, but guidelines and procedures were established that limited the use of the cameras. 

Those guidelines, which the council approved, call for the cameras to be used only to monitor traffic, large demonstrations and city emergencies. The regulations also say that the cameras can be installed only in public spaces where people would have a reasonable expectation of being videotaped, and they bar police from using the devices to watch for street crime. that did not allow the police to operate them 24/7.

When the London bombings occurred, the question came up "What are we doing to prevent terrorist activity in DC?"  Again the recommendation has come up to increase the use of security cameras in order to deter varying levels of criminal activity, and again, the "issue" of privacy has resurfaced.  Let the games begin again.

*****

Please stop by "Stop the ACLU!" for their weekly Blogburst!

Missing Person - Cheryl Ann Magner

Cheryl is a 17-year-old girl missing since the beginning of June 2005.  She was last seen in Marin County, CA.

Anyone who has seen this 17 year old girl please call 415-472-2994.  This is her mother’s phone number…please do not call unless you have information that would be helpful.

Or call the San Rafael police dept. @ 415-485-3000 or www.srpd.org
Any information or help would be greatly appreciated by her family.

WTW - He Done Gone and Married a 13-Year-Old

Disclaimer:  Since there were no photographs associated with this news article, one cannot be completely sure the individuals in this story truly qualify as "White Trash" Wednesday candidates.  Please humor me, however. 

Okay, I apologize in advance to anyone who thinks it is acceptable for a 22-year-old pedophile to "marry" their 13-year-old victim.  NOT!  No apologies here and the only thing I'd do differently is go after the girl's PARENTS for allowing the "marriage" to start with:

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A 22-year-old man faces criminal charges in Nebraska for having sex with an underage 13-year-old girl, although he legally married her in Kansas after she became pregnant.

The man's lawyer said the couple, with their families' support, "made a responsible decision to try to cope with the problem."

Ahem...allowing a 13-year-old child to attempt to raise a baby is a "responsible decision?" 

Matthew Koso, 22, was charged Monday with first-degree sexual assault, punishable by up to 50 years in prison. He was released on $7,500 bail pending an Aug. 17 preliminary hearing.

After the girl became pregnant, her mother gave permission in May for Koso to take the young woman to Kansas, which allows minors to get married with parental consent. The girl is now 14 and seven months pregnant.

"The idea ... is repugnant to me," said Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning. "These people made the decision to send their ... 14-year-old daughter to Kansas to marry a pedophile."

EXACTLY!  He's a pedophile - not a responsible father-to-be.  What a sick-o. 

He said the marriage is valid, thanks to the "ridiculous" Kansas law, "but it doesn't matter. I'm not going to stand by while a grown man ... has a relationship with a 13-year-old - now 14-year-old - girl."

Bruning, who has said he will seek a second term in 2006, has aggressively prosecuted sex crimes against children since he was elected in 2002

The couple were married in May by a judge in Hiawatha, Kan., just across the state line from Falls City.

Nebraska requires people to be at least 17 before they can marry.

Kansas law, however, sets no minimum marriage age, although case law sets the minimum age at 14 for boys and 12 for girls. The marriage must be approved by both parents or guardian, or by a district court judge, said Whitney Watson, spokesman for Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline. A judge also must approve if only one parent approves.

Sounds to me like a law in Kansas should be reviewed and amended, perhaps? 

Koso's lawyer, Willis Yoesel, said the girl's mother and Koso's parents approved of the marriage. He said the girl's father has not lived with the family for some time.

"It seems to me like they, as much as they could, made a responsible decision to try to cope with the problem," Yoesel said.

"The families are all united in this effort," Yoesel said. "I don't know who is complaining. ... What benefit is there to anybody in the prosecution of this young man?"

There was no comment from Koso, who does not have a listed telephone number.

My question is this.  Kansas has convicted pedophiles in prison.  Why, then, do their judges allow and endorse the marriage of victims of pedophilia to their assailants?

Please visit our fine WTW participants around ye ole trailer park (and a special callout to Mr. Neocon, who certainly can see into the future!):

Cross-Dressing Robbers Identified

Did they think they wouldn't be recognized?  And who did their hair and makeup?  Wow....these guys sure needed a lesson or two before they decided to shop lift disguised (?) as cross-dressers.  Perhaps they needed some new makeup, or new tweezers?  Or a new wardrobe?

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! 

The Cotillion - Our New Digs & a Housewarming

This week, the Cotillion officially moves to its new home!  New design, new home - what more could you ask for?  How about a housewarming party?!?

Well, even if you didn't ask, I'm telling you that this week's party is being hosted by four amazing conservative women:  Fistful of Fortnights, Who Tends the Fires, e-Claire and My VRWC.  Please be sure to stop by and thank them for such a great time!

Say A Prayer For Ron

My Perfect Conservative Moment

True story....

I needed some stamps, so I went to the post office this morning. 

As, we were waiting in line, my daughter points to the collections they have on display.    Her first exclaimation was "Mommy, look at Mickey Mouse - there's candles here!" (there was a display that had Mickey Mouse candles and some stamps with it). 

At the next display...  "Mommy, look at that guy on the stamps!"  I told her "that guy" was Ronald Reagan.  Right behind me was a couple, and the guy said to the girl something along the lines of "I don't know why anyone would even waste the paper to put Ronald Reagan's picture on it.  He was one of the worst presidents we've ever had."

Me, being the ever-polite person - and for fear of police action - chose not to turn around and deck him.  Instead, when it was my turn to buy stamps - and in a very loud voice - I asked the clerk "Do you have any of those Ronald Reagan stamps in stock?  I'd like to buy some!" 

I could feel the redness in his face across the room!

Cross-posted at MVRWC

I Have to be P.C., but I don't Have to Like It

Over the course of my work life, I have been in positions that I am responsible for people.  Their successes, their failures.  Whether I hire them or not.  Whether I keep them at the company or not.  I'm in - oh no - MANAGEMENT.  I've been told I'm a pretty nice person - heck, I even got 100% on my performance ratings from the people who report to me this year.  But underneath my work disguise, I am NOT politically correct.

In my work experience, I have had to "separate" a person, or "end their employment arrangement."  Nope, I can't fire them.  An employee can't suck at what they do, they are "underperforming."  I see it in the school system, too.  Remember the days of grades A, B, C, D and F?  The only "F" I see anymore is on "The Fairly Odd Parents" (dear ole Mr. Crocker).  My son brings home O, S, N and the like, and soon to come more "normal" grades such as 1-5 (finally, as he hits 3rd grade).  Teachers in the UK don't want to use the term "fail" and think they should use the term "deferred success" in order to reduce the risk of demoralizing the student.  Teachers here don't want to grade with red ink, as it hurts the student's self-worth or self-esteem - instead they want to grade in purple ink.  Next, they won't grade at all!  Perhaps the student should decide what grade they get - then they'll be "bought in."  You know the banter - I'm sure most of you have experienced it either in your own job, in your children's education or even reading the mainstream news. 

Everywhere, words have evolved into some homogenized version of what they used to be.  These changes have a direct and distinct impact on our society and how we perceive what is going on around us.  Here's just a few, across the spectrum, with some help from Wikipedia:

• Time Magazine’s “Man of the Yearâ€� became “Person of the Yearâ€�

• Chairman was replaced by chair (policeman or policewoman was replaced by police officer, so on and so forth)

• "Merry Christmas" is often replaced with "Happy Holidays".

• Blacks became Negroes, then became blacks again, then became Afro-Americans, then became African Americans

• The elderly became senior citizens.

• Foreign students became international students.

• “English as a Foreign Languageâ€� became “English as a Second Language," then "English for Speakers of Other Languages."

• The ghetto became the inner city.

• "Alms" evolved into "poor relief" and became "welfare," which in turn morphed into "public assistance."

• Genocide became ethnic cleansing.

• Terrorist has been replaced – via the MSM - with insurgent or bomber or protester or poor guy who is just misunderstood (okay, this one I embellished on a bit).

• Problem or conflict became issue

• "Hospital" became "Health care center."

• Doctor or nurse became health care provider.

• Backward became mentally retarded, which in turn became slow, then mentally handicapped, then mentally challenged.

• "Heart attack" became a "cardiovascular event."

• "juvenile delinquents" became "children at risk"

• The Department of Prisons became the Department of Corrections.

• The "War Department," together with the "Navy Department" became the "Defense Department."

• Illegal alien became Illegal immigrant (though many if not most illegals are not by definition "immigrants," or people who intend to relocate to the United States permanently), which has recently been replaced with the term undocumented worker.

It's hard to keep up with some of these changes.  Not that I necessarily disagree with some changes to the words we use to describe situations or people.  As a manager of people, telling someone that our employment arrangement needs to end versus "you are fired" makes it a bit easier on me.  But is it really appropriate to call a terrorist something by any other name? 

I truly believe this "dumbing down" of society as a whole will not serve us well in the future.  For example, isn't competition part of success?  If every little Janey or every little Johnny gets the same grade, or they are all told they are doing well, where is the competition?  If everything is sugar-coated, how do people know the truth?  I've seen the impact in the working world - there's a strong sense of entitlement from a higher percentage of people new to the workforce now than early in my career.  And I can't speak about it with them in a way that is straightforward without risk of someone filing some kind of claim (either via a law suit or a myriad of other avenues).  These are people that come in, do the bare minimum or less, but get pissed when their performance review is just average or below average when compared with their peers.  Growing up, they were TAUGHT that they were good, even if they are not.  They are not expecting this kind of news - I've even been told in the most egregious example of "underperformance" by an employee "well, there's *some* work in there."  What a rude awakening, this whole working world thing.   Oh, and I don't write my performance reviews in purple ink, either. 

Update:  tee bee over at Guide to Midwestern Culture has a response, a Merri response.   

Food Snobs - Quit Picking on Rachael Ray!

I do think they are jealous.  Rachael is quickly becoming "everyone's Emeril" with her quick cooking meals and easy ingredients.  I think it's pretty hard to "hate" her, so envy must be it.  Slate's managing editor has a great article, and talks about Rachael Ray's successes as well as the challenge to actually cook meals in 30 minutes. 

To her credit, Ray has always cast herself as a sort of anti-Martha, offering options for those who want to save money, eat healthfully, and cook at home but don't have the time or budget to entertain the Turkey Hill way.

That's the main reason I like her.  Okay, I admit it.  I can't STAND Martha Stewart!

Regular cooking shows are rife with annoying you'll-never-be-able-to-replicate-this moments. When the chef begins, meticulously prepared ingredients lie at the ready; he breezes through instruction and then—poof!—pulls out the perfect frittata that's been waiting in the oven.

Can you say Emeril?

The show is also fantastically entertaining. It's suspenseful: As the minutes tick by, Ray becomes frenetic—will she finish? (She always does.) And it's educational: As Ray trims her asparagus and frantically wraps prosciutto around the green stems, she offers tips. Use a "garbage bowl" to collect debris as you're cooking.

I've got one!

Chop chicken into small pieces so it cooks faster.

I do it!

Roll citrus before you cut it, and you'll extract more juice.

Do that, too!

Forget about measuring—"Eyeball it!"

A regular occurrence in my kitchen! 

Then came the true test, the editor tried to actually cook one of Rachael's meals in 30 minutes (actually she tried 21 recipes!):

My most successful effort was Ray's "Back in the Day" menu:  Super Sloppy Joes, Deviled Potato Salad, and Root Beer Floats. I prepped with the same care as Ray—produce pre-rinsed, garbage bowl at the ready, pantry items near at hand—but it took me 49 minutes and 51 seconds (and I skipped the Root Beer Floats).

Rachael can do it though - proven time and time again before live audiences - she's the real deal.  Cool thing is, I may not have done the Deviled Potato Salad, but I've done her sloppy joes well within 30 minutes - and throw in a side dish or two, I am usually very close to 30 minutes.  HOWEVER, I'm not explaining what I do to a camera, I'm not following tele-prompters, and worrying about staging and other such stuff. 

It truly doesn't matter if these gourmet-style chefs welcome her in their circles or not.  What it boils down to is the fact that she caters to "us" - the parents, the career people, the people who can't afford expensive ingredients, the people who don't have time to prepare a meal over the course of 4 hours.  Oh, and she has a special place in the hearts of men who can't seem to get enough of her shows or her spread in FHM.  Rachael Ray vs. Martha Stewart?  I'd bet on Rachael Ray any day!   

Woman Beats Her Children to Death

Yet another monster who thinks they should play God...

DYER, Ind. -- A northwest Indiana mother has been charged with two counts of murder.

Police said she beat her two sons to death with a 10-pound dumbbell because she thought they'd be better off in heaven.

Magdalena Lopez was arrested after police officers answered a 911 call and found her 9-year-old son Antonio and 2-year-old son Erik dead in separate rooms of the family home in Dyer, Ind.

A police report said as officers approached the house, the mother walked out, her clothes and feet spattered with blood. She told officers she had to kill the children because she couldn't take care of them anymore, saying, "They're in a much better place now."

Relatives said Lopez was being treated for bipolar disorder but had been coping better recently. The boys' father was at work when he was told of the deaths.

I don't particularly care that Lopez was "being treated" for anything - I'm certain that little "issue" with bipolar disorder will set up Lopez for a nice little "innocent by reason of insanity" plea.  She does not deserve to breathe fresh air outside prison walls ever again.  These were innocent children - HER children.  Unbelievable. 

Merri Must Rant

Okay, anyone reading my blog will know that I'm not a fan of the ACLU.  There just flat out is no need for an ACLU any more, particularly due to their extreme positions on the most basic things in life.  As a parent, and as a human being, I've just had it today.  My hubby pointed me to Little Green Footballs and three articles laden with ACLU bullshit.  You can read them here, here, and here.  I'm done, and the gloves are OFF.

I awoke today to yet another report of terrorist bombings in London.  I think everyone knows that it is very possible that similar acts of cowardice could take place here in the U.S. - it's only a matter of when.  So in an effort, undoubtedly, to deter such acts it is reasonable that security measures get stepped up.  The NYPD announced that they would do random searches of bags for those commuters on buses, railways and subways.  The ACLU is saying that this goes against the very basic principles of the constitution.  I have to wonder, what do the card-carrying members of the ACLU have to hide?  Are they worried that the NYPD might find their drug stash? (They've got to be high the way they act...that's the only thing that could explain it, right?)  I think that security measures will help lessen the threat of terrorist acts, even if it is only a little bit.  And just which side is the ACLU on anyway - the terrorists?

As the parent of a Cub Scout, I'm furious about the ACLU's fervored war against the Boy Scouts.  If the ACLU had their way, the Boy Scouts would 1) allow girls to join 2) would be ran, all the way down to the den leader level, by pedophiles 3) would not be able to teach the scouts morals, and would instead show child porn videos.  Yes, part of what a scout learns is related to "love of God," but look deeper into the lessons taught to these boys.  The difference between right and wrong, treating people with respect, doing your part in society - when did these lessons become dangerous?  Even a family who doesn't practice religion can find value here and these young boys grow into young men who can and do hold leadership roles in their communities.  Scouting has been well-established for years and years and no one has been harmed by allowing long standing relationships between the Scouts and military organizations (or other similar types of organizations).  The Jamboree has been held at Fort A.P. Hill for 25 years.  What the hell has happened in recent time that all of a sudden makes this relationship wrong, requiring the ACLU to sue to get it stopped?  Just because this event is sponsored there doesn't mean that the main reason they sponsor the event is because the Scouts have "God" in their oath.   

The ACLU's positions are extreme, they advocate the criminal far more than they advocate the victim.  They don't think an opinion or idea is "right" unless it is one they belive in.  They have managed to manipulate so many in order to realize their goals and objectives (if you even could call them that).  And when they start screwing with my son's organization, they've crossed the last proverbial line.  I realize we are in a country that affords us freedoms and these very freedoms allow this group to be in existance and have the agenda they do.  But when do *I* - normal, every day Amercian citizen Merri - get my voice heard?  I don't WANT child porn legalized, I don't WANT the ACLU to tell me what I can't do, or what my son can't do.  I don't want the ACLU telling others what is right for me and "representing" me.  They don't have a clue what is right for me - they haven't even bothered to ask me - and I'm not sure who they are representing, but it sure as hell *isn't* me.

I just had to get that off my chest.  And that is all.            

Heh

He said "poop."

Stop the ACLU! Blogburst - That Dastardly Roberts!

Seems as though I'm a bit tardy in posting about this, but I just can't help it.  In just one article, the ACLU confirmed my thoughts - that Judge John Roberts is an OUTSTANDING nomination for the Supreme Court.  Read on...

WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed deep concern about some of the civil liberties positions advocated by Judge John Roberts, President Bush's choice to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court.  While serving as principal deputy solicitor general from 1989-1993, he authored briefs calling for Roe v. Wade to be overruled, supporting graduation prayer, and seeking to criminalize flag burning as a form of political protest.

"All these positions were rejected by the Supreme Court," said Steven Shapiro, the ACLU's National Legal Director. "But the Supreme Court remains closely divided on many of these questions."

So, if I'm reading this right, what the ACLU means is that the Supreme Court can have opinions and outcomes, only if those opinions and outcomes are sanctioned by the ACLU.

As a senior Justice Department official, Roberts was in a position to help shape the government's legal positions as well as represent them.

At a minimum, the Senate should determine the extent to which the positions taken in these briefs also reflect Roberts's personal views.

C'mon.  Roberts could support abortion, legalize child porn and create a National Hug Your Tree holiday and these liberals would STILL find something wrong with him.  This statement could be made about ANYONE on the Supreme Court past or present.  That's the beauty of justices being selected over the course of time and by different leadership in Washington - it brings a varied background, which helps to balance the court.

Judge John Roberts was appointed to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in May 2003. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard University and clerked for Justice Rehnquist. He served in a number of positions in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, including as principal deputy solicitor general from 1989 to 1993.

"The Supreme Court has played a pivotal role in advancing freedom," said Anthony D. Romero, ACLU Executive Director. "Without the Supreme Court, the South would still be segregated, illegal abortions would be claiming thousands of lives, the indigent would have no right to a lawyer, and lesbian and gay Americans could be imprisoned for their private sexual conduct."

"The stakes could not be higher," Romero added.

How right you are, Mr. Romero.

The ACLU will only oppose a Supreme Court nominee on a majority vote of its 83 person national board.

Why should we care what the ACLU's national board thinks?  First of all, it's 83 people - big whoop!  And NONE of those 83 people represent my thinking or my opinion (Ahem.  Can you say NAMbLA support or legalization of child porn?).  And there is nothing they can do about it should the nomination move ahead.  I thought the ACLU was supposed to support those people whose "rights" are being violated?  What rights has Roberts violated here?

***

Be sure to visit Stop the ACLU! and all of the participants in their weekly Blogburst!

Huge Protests in Yemen

Please go here and here to read about the protests in Yemen - an issue the MSM doesn't deem as important as Britney Spears belly and other such nonsense.  Please support Jane in her fight to bring this news to the forefront.  Please keep the people of Yemen in your thoughts and prayers.

Our Weekly Party AT the Cotillion!

The weekly party has begun!  Please stop over at The Cotillion to fill your head with some great posts by some great women!

This week's hostesses have done a GREAT JOB and here they are:

Dr. Sanity
My VRWC
annika's journal
Girl on the Right 

Mother Tries to Poison Her Child

Anyone who reads my blog knows that one area of focus for me is the welfare of children, and protection against pedophiles, abusive parents, and any other sick monsters who try to harm children.  This story is no exception and it infuriates me that this woman is actually trying to get custody of her child!

BEAR, Del. -- A former pediatric nurse has been charged with trying to poison her toddler son by injecting human feces into his bloodstream.

Stephanie McMullen, 29, was charged Thursday with assault and reckless endangerment counts and released on bail.

Doctors at the hospital where McMullen worked alerted police that her 22-month-old son had been hospitalized six times since he was four months old for "serious, potentially life-threatening illnesses," acting police chief Lt. Col. Scott McLaren said.

During one examination, doctors found E. coli, a bacteria found in feces, in the boy's bloodstream, and said the only way it could have entered the bloodstream was "through injection, not consumption."

"This could have eventually led to the death of the child," McLaren said.

A search of McMullen's hospital locker turned up needles, a syringe holder and an intravenous line tap, and an examination of her home computer indicated she had been researching child poisoning, according to court records.

...and we let people like this out on bail.  Lovely...just lovely.

McLaren said the woman could have Munchausen syndrome by proxy, in which caregivers cause illnesses in children or exaggerate their symptoms in an effort to draw attention to themselves.

I don't care what syndrome she has, or whether she was in the right mental status when she did it.  That doesn't matter.  What matters is protecting the child, and any other children such a monster would come across.

McMullen's attorney, Elwood Eveland Jr., said the child has an eating disorder, and that he has consulted with a medical expert who believes that what the child is suffering is part of a medical condition.

He said police have "absolutely no evidence of an objective nature" against her.

Um, Mr. Eveland...did you bother to check her locker?  I think a few of those items (needles, syringe holder and intravenous line tap) might give her motives away.

The boy was placed in foster care, and McMullen is scheduled to appear in Family Court next week to try to regain custody.

If the courts allow her to regain custody, I can almost fully predict that we will have another major story in the MSM talking about a parent who killed their child.  She shouldn't have custody, and in my humble opinion, she shouldn't be walking free, either.

The French Can Have Him!

LONDON (Reuters) - Film director Roman Polanski is due to appear in a London libel case via video link from Paris next week, setting a legal precedent and avoiding the risk of extradition to the United States for a child sex offence.

Polanski is being allowed to sue the British publishers of Vanity Fair magazine from a hotel room in Paris after England's highest court in February overturned an earlier ruling that would have forced him to come to London to fight his case.

I find it shameful that England's highest court reached a decision to protect Polanski from the justice that awaits him so he can seek resolution in the libel case he filed.  The scum is an admitted pedophile, pleading guilty to a charge of having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977.  Following that pleading, he skipped bail and fled to France before sentencing. 

Polanski, who won a best director Oscar for "The Pianist" in 2003, has never been back to the United States or Britain, and if he came to London he would face possible extradition to America. He cannot be extradited from his native France.

Polanski's lawyers say it will be the first time a libel claimant has given evidence at trial via video link.

"The idea, more than 25 years after Polanski left the United States, that he is still unable to return or even enter this country is extraordinary," said Joshua Rozenberg, legal editor at the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

No, Mr. Rozenberg, it's called the law and it is not extraordinary in the least.  Polanski acknowledged his guilt, and fled to avoid his punishment.  I think it is extraordinary that you think time - plus an Oscar and a few million dollars of wealth - erases his accountability. 

The case has generated debate in Britain about whether Polanski should be allowed to use the country's legal system while avoiding the consequences of its laws.

Of course it has.  I'm sure the majority of Brits know that Polanski is nothing special and shouldn't be afforded the privileges of utilizing their legal system.  It probably also pisses off quite a few that their courts would stoop to the same level as the French and allow special accommodations for Polanski, while allowing him to avoid taking responsibility for his own criminal acts.

The arrogance of Polanski is unbearable - he blends right into that rotting cesspool called France.  Here is a man whose attorneys fought for him to get access to the judicial system from afar so *his* justice could be pursued all the while avoiding the consequences stemming from his own crimes.  Sickening, isn't it?

Stop the ACLU! Blogburst

Please visit Stop the ACLU! for their weekly blogburst.  Learn about the many ways the ACLU is attempting to destroy America.

***

So the ACLU is "Dismayed at Lack of Reprimand For Top General" with regard to a government inquiry into interrogations conducted at Guantanamo Bay.

WASHINGTON - In anticipation of the release of a long-awaited government inquiry into the interrogation practices used by American personnel at Guantánamo Bay, the American Civil Liberties Union today said that the government broke the law and failed to hold the higher levels of the military accountable. The failure to reprimand the commanding general at Guantánamo was another demonstration of the military's inability to hold itself accountable.

The investigation was headed by Lt. Gen. Randall M. Schmidt of the Air Force, and is expected to be delivered to the Senate Armed Services Committee at an open hearing today.

The following can be attributed to Anthony D. Romero, ACLU Executive Director:

"It is irrefutable that the government violated the Geneva Conventions and the Army Field Manual.

I'm sorry, but it most certainly is *not* irrefutable.  According to the Geneva Conventions, "Convention I offers protections to wounded combatants, who are defined as members of the armed forces of a party to an international conflict, members of militias or volunteer corps including members of organized resistance movements as long as they have a well-defined chain of command, are clearly distinguishable from the civilian population, carry their arms openly, and obey the laws of war."  When was the last time you saw a terrorist follow a chain of command, let alone one that was "well defined?" How many terrorists distinguish themselves from the civilian population?  They don't carry their arms openly and they sure as hell don't obey the laws of war.  Let's get back to ACLU henchman Anthony Romero (emphasis mine):

"...The report backs up claims by FBI agents that the government was breaking the rules at Guantánamo Bay. As before, low-ranking men and women will take the full blame while the higher ups get off scot-free. Despite General Schmidt's recommendation to reprimand the commander of Guantánamo Bay, General Geoffrey Miller, a higher-ranking general refused to punish General Miller. Once again, we have abuse without high-level accountability. That will only encourage impunity and allow the abuse to continue."

Not surprising, the ACLU fails to mention that the reason Gen. Bantz Craddock overruled the recommendation to reprimand Army Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller was because there was no finding that U.S. law or policy was violated.  Because of that, there is nothing for which to hold him accountable.

I think the ACLU has forgotten this (graphic images, but a good reminder of why we are in this war on terror).  Let's not forget that the terrorist is a terrorist, not a victim. 

Put on Your Dancin' Shoes - the Cotillion is Back!

The ladies of the Cotillion are back, with a big party on Tuesday!  A big thank you to our lovely hostesses for the week, Feisty Repartee, Sisu and Villianous Company.

We were also InstaLanched this week...great job, ladies!

Face of Evil

Maybe now this evil monster - Joseph Edward Duncan III - will *stay* off the street now that he is being charged with the murders of Shasta Groene's family...unless he were to get *this* judge again...The Fury of The Therapist's post so accurately puts into words what has been rolling around in my head since this story first came out.

What, She Worry?

So Hillary Clinton has decided to relegate President Bush to a comic-book character, huh?

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Republicans took aim at Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday for a speech comparing President Bush to Mad magazine's freckle-faced, "What, me worry?" kid, Alfred E. Neuman.

I'm not surprised.  It isn't the first time she's tossed out crass or rude comments about Republicans.  Seems as Hillary's only way to deal with those who are far superior to her is to pull open her "Mad Magazine" collection and come up with those one-liners.  The NY GOP was quoted saying:

"At a time when President Bush and most elected officials are focused on the security of our nation, Mrs. Clinton seems focused on taking partisan jabs and promoting her presidential campaign," added New York's GOP chairman, Stephen Minarik. "Her priorities are clearly out of whack."

I'm disappointed, however, that the AP didn't include this very telling photo of one of our younger Republicans taking issue with Ms. Clinton's statement:

Cross Posted at MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

John Cusimano & Rachael Ray

For those of you who are fans of Rachael Ray and John Cusimano (I know you're out there, I've seen you on my stats!), I came across an article that actually has a picture of both of them together (gasp!). 

The article talks of her new magazine "Every Day with Rachael Ray" and also talks about an episode of $40 a Day that she filmed at Gloria Estefan's Miami restaurant "Lario's."  You can read more here!

Anyway for those of you crazed fans, here is the picture....enjoy!

An Angel Can Now Be Laid to Rest

Little 9-year-old Dylan Groene's remains were positively identified after being found in Montana last week.

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho  — The human remains found in Montana last week belong to kidnapped Idaho boy Dylan Groene, DNA testing has shown, according to Capt. Ben Wolfinger of the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office.

Wolfinger said in an e-mail that the FBI lab in Quantico, Va., had positively identified the remains.

"Out of respect for the Groene family and to maintain the integrity of the investigation and prosecution of this matter, there will be no further comment regarding these results," Wolfinger wrote in the e-mail, adding that investigators continue to follow-up on other leads.

Justice will come for Joseph Edward Duncan III whether here or when he meets his maker.  I pray that justice will be swift and fitting of the crimes commited here.  As far as a walk in the mind of this monster, visit Rusty's site here.  This bastard blogged his twisted thoughts - be warned, however, it is not easy reading knowing what this man has done. 

Dylan was such an adorable young man, so full of life, and did not deserved to be plucked off this earth.  God bless and watch over Dylan's family so they can work through this tragedy the best they can. 

The ACLU Makes Me Crazy

One of their latest stunts?  Read on:

(07/06/05 -- KNIGHTDALE) — The ACLU says it's ready to go after Knightdale's crackdown on gang violence.

The civil rights group says the town's new teen curfew is violating teen's rights. They're hoping parents and teenagers who are tired of the new rules will go to a forum July 28 at 7 p.m. at the East Wake Regional Library.

"Something we'd like to look into is the timing restrictions, the lack of a First Amendment exception and the gathering of four or more minors together," said ACLU lawyer Shelagh Kenney.  

Knightdale police and community leaders say the month-old curfew is working. Officers say they've handed out only six warnings and no citations.

"We were having all kinds of calls," said Knightdale Town Councilman Mike Chalk. "We were having 15 or 20 calls a week, and we've only had six since the ordinance has been put in place."

Bwhahahahahahah - this is so ridiculous - right up the ACLU's alley.  I know the answer, but I have to ask the question:  When is the ACLU going to realize that it's frivilous crap such as this that just adds to their crackpot reputation?  I know, they never will - they don't get it.  I could talk forever and not run out of things to say about the ACLU's ineffectiveness and stupidity.  Which is okay - it keeps my little blog going. 

The Mad Dog Vinnie Description of Terrorists

When Mad Dog Vinnie rants, I listen.  You should, too.  Oh, and so should the terrorists.

The Devil Made Him Do It - and Other Such B.S.

Three reasons why Dennis Rader, the self-proclaimed BTK Killer will never take full responsiblity for his own actions, even though he "apologized":

He Says The Devil Made Him Do It

I just know it's a dark side of me. It kind of controls me. I personally think it's a — and I know it is not very Christian — but I actually think it's a demon that's within me. ... At some point and time it entered me when I was very young," said Rader, who was once president of his Lutheran church.

*THEY* Should Have Figured Out I Was a Sick Bastard Long Ago

"Somewhere along the line, someone had to pick something up from me somewhere that there was a problem," he said. "They should have identified it."

Don't Make My Family My Final Victims

"I am going to pay for it with a life sentence. The final victims are my ... family," he said.

So this monster, a person who terrorized a community over the course of considerable years and taunted the media with vague clues about the cases (i.e. the last item a cereal box carefully staged to be found when *he* wanted it found), can't find it in himself to just say "I'm guilty...I did it." 

Yet again, society has another criminal who has to find blame with someone or something else.  Additionally, he brings in his family to this - they will be his last victims.  Mr. Rader, they were victims all along - you strung them along as you completed your morbid, disgusting crimes right under their noses.  You played everyone around you - meticulously taunting officials and covering up your sick games, putting on the face of a Christian, the face of a responsible adult, the face of a Boy Scout leader.  This is NO ONE's fault but your own and justice should be swift so the families of your victims can close this very painful chapter of their lives and move ahead.   

God Bless London and the Brits

May God bless you and all of the families and victims affected by this tragedy today.  You will recover and be even stronger - much like your American brothers and sisters have.

More info and updates over at Beth's place.

Stop the ACLU! - Just Which Side Are They On, Anyway?

Five Muslim-Americans Detained In Iraq (emphasis mine)

WASHINGTON, July 6 (Reuters) - The American military is holding five U.S. citizens, apparently including a Los Angeles filmmaker, among more than 10,000 detainees in Iraq on suspicion of possible terrorist or other criminal activity, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.

All of the five are being held without charges or access to lawyers. Three have dual Iraqi citizenship, one dual Iranian citizenship and a fifth man, arrested late last year in Iraq, dual Jordanian citizenship. Of the four arrested this year, one was taken into custody in April, two in May and another in June.

Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman declined to identify the five. But the New York Times (of course!) on Wednesday identified one as Cyrus Kar, 44, an aspiring filmmaker from Los Angeles who was arrested in Iraq in May.

The newspaper said Kar, a naturalized American born in Iran who had enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1983, traveled to Iraq in mid-May to work on a documentary. He was arrested when he was stopped in a taxi in Baghdad by Iraqi security forces, who found what they suspected what might be bomb parts in the car. Whitman said they included “several dozen� washing machine timers.

Kar’s relatives told the New York Times that on June 14 an FBI agent, John D. Wilson, returned items seized on May 23 from Kar’s Los Angeles area apartment and assured them the FBI had found no reason to suspect Kar. “He’s cleared,� one of Kar’s aunts, Parvin Modarress, quoted Wilson as saying, the newspaper reported.

The Pentagon, however, remained tightlipped. “I’m not going to get into any detail,� Whitman said.“ What I will say is that one of these individuals was believed to have knowledge of planning associated with attacks on coalition forces. Another individual had in his possession possible IED (improvised explosive devices) components. One individual was possibly involved in kidnapping and another was engaged in what was described as ‘suspicious activities.’�

Ahem.  I would think that the reasons noted above would be more than adequate to detain these individuals.  Apparently the ACLU doesn't think so, at least for the, um, "aspiring filmmaker" Cyrus Kar:

Saying Kar is being held unjustly, the American Civil Liberties Union sued the government on Wednesday in an effort to secure his release.

It never fails to amaze me that this pedophile-worshipping, teen-abortion-exhaulting, "poor criminal" advocating group tends to align with the individual(s) who set out to cause harm.  Screw the victim's rights, screw the safety of our troops, screw the facts.  Sure, ACLU, let's release this guy.  While you're at it, why don't you ship him back to Iraq so he can continue on his "filmmaking trip?"  Oh, and why don't you just give him some timers to put in the trunk of his car?  Um, didn't anyone tell you that we are at war with terrorists?  If it looks like a duck, if it talks like a duck, if it is carrying bomb parts in the trunk...

Punta del capello to Little Green Footballs (and to my hubby for pointing this out to me!)

Stop the ACLU! Blogburst - Grand Opening!

From Jay at Stop The ACLU!

I would like to welcome you all to the grand opening of our brand new site Stop The ACLU.com! Make sure to change your links. We are devoted to exposing the radical agenda of the most dangerous organization in America, the ACLU. We are the official blog of Stop The ACLU.Org and we will do our best to keep you informed of the anti-American activities of the ACLU and their socialist agenda for America.

In order to further expose the ACLU we want YOU to get involved with us. We do a weekly blogburst every Thursday. Go here to join us. We have over 80 sites that blog with us every Thursday on the evils of the ACLU. We will also be featuring a blogburst of the week from which a blogburst of the month will be chosen. The blogburst of the month will win free stuff from our Bulldoze The ACLU Store. Speaking of free stuff....

In celebration of the grand opening of our new site we are holding a contest today! Our friend Cao has been generous enough to sponsor today's Caption Contest. The winner will recieve one item of their choice from our Bulldoze The ACLU Store. Go to Stop The ACLU to join the contest.

This was a production of Stop The ACLU Blogburst. To join us go to our Protest The ACLU Portal and register. If you have any problems email me at Jay@Stoptheaclu.com. You will be added to our mailing list, and recieve further instruction from there. It is quite simple.

WTW - The Shady Bunch

Here's the story of nine cousins
Who all had a record 13 pages long.
They were nine cousins, in a trailer,
The youngest one with a bong.

Here's the story, of their bathtub moonshine,
that was left to rot when they all went to jail,
They were nine cousins, living all together,
But none could post bail.

Till the one day when they all met with Guido
Who posted bail for them for a small "cut",
Then this group got out and ran to Tennessee
Joined Preston just to form the Shady Bunch. 
The Shady Bunch, the Shady Bunch
That's the way they all became the Shady Bunch.

Go see the rest of the cousins in the trailer park - you won't regret it none!

The Cotillion - Dancing the Day Away!

I had the privilege to be highlighted over at the Cotillion by our very own debutante Jody at Steal the Bandwagon - she did an outstanding job pointing out my most excellent vacation, and in particular my strong liking of strong beverages!

Jody had great company, with Little Miss Atilla, The Anchoress and Reasoned Audacity as her most amazing co-hostesses.  Please check out their posts and all of the wonderful ladies of the Cotillion - you'll be glad you did!

Welcome Riehl World View Readers!

Dan - thanks so much for the welcome back and a big welcome to those of you who are regulars to Dan's blog.  My hubby and I just came back from an awesome vacation and I am now ready to get back into the groove again (maybe with blogging - work, that's another story!).

Just a quick tour of my four walls will let you know that I detest sex offenders and murderers (especially those that harm children). I also am strongly against most of the the priciples the ACLU represents - in particular those things that tend to go against my moral fibers (i.e. abortion for teens without parental consent, representing criminals better than victims, supporting NAMbLA and their twisted ideas, just to name a few).  I have strong beliefs in family, patriotism, the efforts of our troops in Afganistan & Iraq, and the hard work that President Bush has put in during his presidency.  Lastly, and probably least importantly to some (other than me...hehehe), I'm a big fan of Rachael Ray - I got the knife, I use EVOO and I also use a garbage bowl.  Lastly, I'm a member of the Cotillion, which is a great group of female bloggers who have joined efforts - you will find amazing reads over there.  Our most recent event was a July 4th gala, honoring a number of Milbloggers and our troops.  We have our weekly Cotillion Ball tomorrow - I encourage you to take a peek!

In a nut shell, I'm a mom and a wife that can't stop talking and so versus bending my hubby's ear all day and night, I chat here.

I can't leave without thanking Dan for the amazing work he has done and continues to do covering Natalee's disappearance - I'm sure you all feel the same way! 

Thanks for stopping by - feel free to look around and leave a comment or two!

Independence Day - a Tribute

In honor of Independence Day, ladies of The Cotillion are getting together to honor and recognize our Milbloggers.  A heart-felt thanks goes out to every soldier - active, retired, or in a better place.  Thank you for freeing our country - thank you for fighting in wars to preserve our freedom and to ensure freedom and protection from tyranny exists for those in dire need.  Thank you for the sacrifices you have made to make this country a place I can raise my children.  I'd like to highlight a handful of Milibloggers - please go to their sites and offer your support and encouragement.  They have done so much for our country!

American Soldier is on a journey home and made a stop along the way to visit Arlington and to pay respects to some of the soldiers - friends - who are buried there. 

I finally found one site. I sat down next to it as if he was there, sitting beside me. The stone was to the right of me and I was looking out at the sky. Like two buddies’ who were taking a break from a mission. I stayed there for a bit. I then got up and said goodbye and that I wished things could have been different. I touched the stone and said I’d see him on the other side. I visited a few other friends and said my peace with each of them.

May God bless you on your road to recovery. 

Ma Deuce Gunner gives us the perspective we need state-side as he serves in Iraq.

A lesson in patience is in order. Again, my wife would not say I am the one to give it. Ibrahim Al-Jaafari, the current Prime Minister of Iraq, said "You cannot fix in six months what took 35 years to break." Think about that.

There are hundreds of things that are better in this country, just ask Arthur Chrenkoff, who compiles a bi-monthly list of good things happening here. There are hundreds of things that need work. These things take TIME. These things take EFFORT. To this effort we must continue to add RESOLVE and PATIENCE. In the grand scheme of things, the two years that have passed since the end of 'major' hostilities, in all reality, is a very short time to reestablish a nation.

You are right on, MDG.  It is obvious that the work you do in Iraq is impacting the Iraqi people positively every day.  Thank you so much for *your* resolve.

Drill Sergeant Bob at An American Soldier points out the interesting flopping of liberal judges with regard to the Supreme Court Ruling on Kelo v. New London (seizure of private property for development by other private citizens or corporations):

I thought it was particularly interesting that the more liberal justices voted against the little guy and in favor of big business, (It’s not just developers. Pfizer benefits greatly from this deal now.) and the Conservative justices all dissented in favor of the private citizen. Not quite the picture the Liberals like to paint in their PR blitzes huh?

Eagle1 at Eaglespeak publishes a reminder from America's past which is at the core of our Independence Day celebrations:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

As an American, I recognize that there are so many things to be thankful for.  In particular, I am thankful for the freedom we enjoy.  Freedom, they say, isn't free.  That is a statement laden with truth.  There are thousands of families in the U.S. sacrificing as their loved ones fight to preserve our freedom today.  There are even more families who suffered loss of a loved one who gave their life in the line of duty.  May God bless each and every man and woman who has made the sacrifice to serve their country.  So many would be lost without you.

Thanks to Teach over at Pirate's Cove for the great pics!

What I Did on Summer Vacation

We are back from vacation - and what a GREAT vacation it was!  It was great spending a week with family and kids, a boat, a jet ski, a huge body of water and a cooler full of summer, um, refreshments!

We left last Saturday and, of course, had car trouble.  We made it to our destination and the Dodge dealer - in the middle of nowhere I might add - replaced our radiator and thermostat.  Oh, did I mention we had the thermostat, etc., checked out the day before we left and were told "there's no problem - it's just hot in Nebraska today."  I think I owe that garage a call.  Hmmmmm...oh hell, that's another story entirely.  Back to vacation...ahhhhhh!

We brought our boat and our jet ski with us and had the opportunity to keep them in the water all week, which made for fun.  We took both day and night cruises in the boat and couldn't help but seek out the largest wake with the jet ski.  Some of the boats were 40-50 feet and flew across the lake.  See, in Nebraska, our boat is "normal" to other boats out on the lakes here.  At this lake, we looked like we were in a toy boat compared to some of the monsters out there.  That's okay.  We also found a great, calm cove and had a chance to tube as well.  I really loved being able to boat up to a restaurant or bar  to get a drink or dinner.  We really liked the boat that could go 160 mph and had two 150 gallon gas tanks.  Eric told the owner he'd love to tube behind *that* to which the owner replied "sure, go get a tube - I'd tow you."  Eric eloquently turned down the offer.

Eric and I also got a chance to para-sail.  It was fun, but given all the apprehension people had when I told them we were going para-sailing, I was expecting "roller coaster" thrills but got more of a "Ferris wheel" thrill.  It was amazing seeing the lake from so high in the air and it was very calming.  They even dipped our feet in the water coming back in.  I suppose if something had gone wrong, I may have been telling a different story, but it was worth the experience.  Says Eric to neighbor:  "Yeah, they give you a life jacket to wear - I mean, if you fall and hit the water from that high up you'd probably be dead.  I guess the life jacket is on so they can recover your body easier?"  I never even thought about falling.  Heheheh.

We stayed at a little resort that had cabins right on the lake.  We had a bar right across the cove that we floated our boat over to a couple of times.  They had these amazing drinks called Rum Runners.  Let's just say I am a cheap date while drinking those things.  At least 5 different types of alcohol.  We got "to go" cups one night and brought them back across the lake.  Yum!

The kids had a really good time.  We had ducks that frequented our cabin because our daughter, Emily, was always feeding them.  If anyone else walked toward them they would scatter.  When Emily walked toward them they would come running.  Our son, Bradley, got a chance to fish and caught some.  We saw some pretty monster sized fish, too.  I saw a couple  jump in the air right in front of me when I was jet skiing.  We never did snag a large one - I think they got large for a reason - they avoid the hooks.

I don't think we came anywhere near seeing all that we could see.  I would say if I could find a job and/or could afford some of the lake front property they had out there, we'd move there in a heart beat.  We're already talking about going back next year.

***

A huge thank you to those of you who guest blogged for me while I was out:

Beth from MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

Carol from An American Housewife

Janette from Common Sense Runs Wild

Jody from Steal the Bandwagon

Jane from Armies of Liberation

I had no worries while I was gone as I knew my blog was in capable hands!  And a special thanks to Beth, who even kept up on some, ahem, Rachael Ray blogging as well.  I owe you all big and couldn't have asked for anything more! 

Real Life Smacks The Face

We had fun on vacation.  I'll post on that later.

Help Carol, An American Housewife out.

Children in Yemeni Prison

al shoura issue 510 jun 22 2005 page 11 (translation from Arabic)

arrested and hostages in the regime prisons

abdul karim alwazeer has been in Taiz central prison for two years
without being charged or sentenced. abdulkarim is mentally ill

torturing houssain almoayad in sadda prison

children in sadda prison

1-aref mosa alqusi 9 years wounded

2- yahya abdulla alqalibi 11 years wounded in his head severly
some parts of his brain went out by heavy machine gun

3- mohammed ahmed almokhtar 10 years wounded

4- ahmed abdul rahman al asri 11 years wounded by many bullets

5- bader aldeen abdula moslih 12 years very ill, nervous system and
skin damage as a result of using chlorine gas by the army in the first war last year

6- adel mohammed al saifi 12 years

7- izzalddin alhouthi 12 years

8- hussain mohammed al houthi torture and beating in his feet
until losing consciousness for long time . this happend a day ago

9-abdul rahman alqasimi 25 years very severe and dagerious wounds

10- abed alfaidi 20 years his leg was cut

more at Armies of Liberation