Halloween Could Bring Out Real Ghouls - Watch Your Kids!

I remember when I was a kid, we had to start looking at the candy we got after Trick-or-Treating, just to ensure there were no razor blades in apples or pins in candy bars after some idiots decided it would be entertaining to do such stupid things to kids. 

Now that I have my own children, worrying about pedophiles and child molesters is on the list of "safety tips" for Halloween.  I truly believe that as a parent, I am the number one protector of my children - no one can do it better.  Either my husband or I will go out with the kids as they trick-or-treat, ensuring they are safe from traffic, other kids out to cause trouble, or adults who would enjoy inviting kids in for an inappropriate visit.

There are many communities who are focused on how to protect kids from sexual predators who may be "tempted" by children parading up to their homes - and I applaud their efforts!  There are various approaches to this, ranging from increased in-home visitations to the homes of sex offenders on Halloween night to proposed laws banning sex offenders from participating in Halloween altogether.  Here's a glimpse:

About 45 registered Level 2 and 3 sex offenders who live in Westchester County, just north of New York City, will receive special invitations to attend an educational program between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Oct. 31, under an initiative spearheaded by Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano. Those who don't attend will receive a personal visit from probation officers and police. Level 1 sex offenders and those on probation who have committed crimes of a sexual nature will also receive a home visit, according to a statement released by Spano's office.

"We've done home visits on Halloween nights in the past, but this is the first year that we've asked sex offenders on probation to come in to our offices," said Victoria Hochman, assistant communications director for the county executive.

Hochman said kids present the same temptation to sex offenders that alcohol presents to alcoholics. Rather than have sex offenders at home and in the position to be tempted by parades of children coming to their doors, Hochman said, the county will offer probationers something constructive and hopefully put parents at ease.

The Halloween initiative does not come in response to a spike in molestations or abductions on the holiday, however. "We have never had an incident on Halloween night," Hochman said. But highly publicized cases of brutal child abductions in recent years have heightened citizen activism and put pressure on local authorities to monitor sex offenders more closely. Westchester County was also the first in the state to use active Global Positioning System bracelets on sex offenders under the supervision of its probation department.

"Given the high recidivism rates with this type of crime, people are very concerned. This could provide some relief for people," Hochman said.

I like this idea, and in my mind it seems as though this would be the best approach.  Removing any high risk offender from the situation all together seems to make the most sense with follow-up for those who don't attend the activity.

Here are what a few more communities are doing:

• New Jersey's state parole board is putting a curfew on some 2,200 sex offenders it supervises.  Sex offenders need to be indoors by 7pm on Halloween and can't answer their doors.  They can't attend parties where children are present as well and can't take children - including their own - out to trick-or-treat.

• In Parker County, TX (west of Forth Worth), 42 registered sex offenders on probation will have to spend the evening at county offices.  They state, again, that this is proactive, in order to prevent any issues as well as "protect" the sex offenders from any false accusations.  Eh, the latter isn't as important to me, but it may temper the heat the ACLU may attempt to throw their way. 

• Lastly, a Michigan state lawmaker wants to ban sex offenders from Halloween. State representative Fran Amos of Waterford introduced a bill that would prohibit convicted sex offenders from handing out candy and could be passed in time for Halloween.  This most recent action has ruffled the feathers of the ever criminal protective ACLU, who states this is unconstitutional.  I say let's invite said sex offenders over to the house of the ACLU's Shelli Weisberg on Halloween - she can entertain them.  Oh, and let's hope she doesn't have young children.

Again, the best thing we can do is be good parents - get out with your kids to ensure their safety.  And if you're like us, maybe you can "trick-or-beer" at the same time!

========

Punta del Cappello to Jay and Ace of Spades 

Stop the ACLU! - Don't Pick on those Poor Illegal Immigrants!

The ACLU in Ohio is at it again:

LIMA — After the head of the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio accused Sheriff Dan Beck of racial profiling Tuesday, he fired back saying she had no evidence of such actions.

"It’s interesting that a group of attorneys that are supposed to represent civil liberties make serious accusations without the first thread of truth. There’s no complaints. They’re on a witch hunt,� he said.

Yanno, even if there *were* complaints, it isn't proof of racial profiling.  Aren't complaints supposed to be investigated before they are turned into "truths?"  The ACLU wants everyone to be treated as innocent before proven guilty, right?  Ahem.  Read on...emphasis mine:

Chris Link, the executive director for the ACLU of Ohio, sent out a written statement Tues-day titled “ACLU calls for Beck to end race-based profiling.� When asked if she had proof of race-based profiling, Link said she did not but said she worries there is something to all the concerns about which she has heard and read.

So she has no proof of race-based profiling, but standing behind the 4-letter-agency she turns her worries into reality?  She's worried about "ALL" the concerns she heard and read, but has no proof?  Isn't the ACLU supposed to be for civil liberties, or am I sorely mistaken?

Beck said she has nothing and cannot find anything to show his deputies have profiled anyone based on race. Beck said the bigger issue is that Link and her agency are trying to put pressure on police agencies that address the illegal immigration issue.

“She is trying to justify her existence and the existence of the American Civil liberties Union,� he said.

Link, who has not spoken to Beck, also said the sheriff and his agency have no business getting involved in immigration law. She said there are plenty of federal agencies to do that work.

“The federal government has failed to put another man on the moon but I don’t consider it my responsibility to do that,� she said.

But Beck said federal agencies are not doing their job and are allowing the problem to grow. As sheriff he has a job to uphold the law, which also includes upholding laws pertaining to illegal immigrants, he said.

Sheriff Beck made about the only common sense statement in that entire snippet.  Upholding the law is his job, which includes upholding laws pertaining to illegal immigrants.  Oh, and that the ACLU is just trying to justify their existence through inappropriate means.

Link, the 4-letter-agency representative, says that Sheriff Beck's focus on illegal immigrants takes his focus off the "real criminals."  Um...I thought ILLEGAL immigration was, well ILLEGAL.  ILLEGAL = CRIME.  Duh.  And this last comment was, well, just ridiculous (and of course Link's).

Do we have to be reminded that we are all immigrants,� she said.

No, we don't.  I was born in Nebraska, and you forgot the word "illegal."

==============================

Stop over at Stop the ACLU!  There are 100+ blogs on board, letting the public know what the ACLU is all about.  Jay also has an interview up with Alan Sears, President of the Alliance Defense Fund.  Check it out!

Merri Musings Review: Premiere "Every Day with Rachael Ray"

So, I have to say, I'm a Rachael Ray geek.  Now that I have that out of the way, you'll understand why I wanted to subscribe to her new magazine "Every Day with Rachael Ray."  Now you'll also understand why I read it cover-to-cover as well.

Overall, I really enjoyed the magazine.  I'm not into fashion magazines, and I'm not into "Gourmet" magazine.  I also don't read travel magazines (there's something about reading about a person's stay in a $3000/night suite that pisses me off in a way).  But there are snippets of each of these magazines I truly enjoy (well, with fashion magazines, it's minimal as I can never seem to find the articles between the ads).  What I found is that Rachael Ray's new magazine blends the nice things together.

What did I enjoy the most?

1. The recipes.  Rachael can't go wrong publishing more recipes.  If you like her cookbooks or her show "30 Minute Meals" you'll really enjoy the magazine for this reason alone.  There's even a "7 Days 7 Recipes" insert you can pull out with shopping lists, etc.  Totally cool.
2. There was a great article about cooking family recipes - and how it relates to the holidays.  In many ways, cooking is sentimental to me.  When I make particular recipes, it reminds me of great moments in my childhood, my mother, my father, a particular Christmas party, or other related get together.  I loved the article as it not only brought in the sentiment of cooking, but the great recipes.  My best recipes (all in my head) are hand-me-downs from my family.
3. Focus on kids.  There are a couple of recipes that bring kids into the kitchen, including the youngest "Real Cook" tapped for regular writing submissions for the magazine.  I love that.  Rachael Ray, while I'm sure she is interested in marketing a great magazine, didn't forget about one of her major loves in life - kids in the kitchen.

Some things I didn't like so much...

1. I was hoping for more focus on the "Real Cook" segment.  There was a section about what "Real Cooks" want.  I wasn't all that impressed.  It seemed to be a way to advertise products more than a way to introduce the "Real Cooks" who are contributors who aren't professional chefs, but everyday people who love to cook.  I also thought some of the products would NEVER fit into my everyday kitchen.  I know I'm in the wrong league when a "Real Cook" buys a dozen brownies for $37, not including shipping.  :)
2. Whoopi's fridge.  I really do like the idea of looking inside a celebrity's fridge to see what's in there - it's up my alley (I do read "People" magazine...I can't believe I admitted it!).  But Whoopi is so *not* up my alley.  And her fridge contents are boring.  I would have found a celebrity with a much more interesting fridge.  What does Anthony Hopkins have in *his* fridge?  Some fava beans and a nice Chianti, perhaps?  Heh.

Overall, for $18/year, it is not a bad purchase...I looked for it on a shelf, and never did find it in a store!  It's a beautiful magazine, and very Rachael Ray.  I thought it would be a monthly magazine, but found out it is bi-monthly at first [insert sigh of disappointment here].  I can't wait until the next installment!  Do you think she'll take my suggestion to look into Anthony Hopkins' fridge? 

Cotillion & King O' Cotillion

I'm a day late...argh!  Let's just thank some pesky database updates and a lack of patience to wait for those updates, dammit!

Please take a peek over at Beth's place to see who was crowned King of the Cotillion.  Could it be.....B.C.?  Of course, inquiring minds want to know!

Also take a look at the spooky Cotillion Ball this week.  I didn't get my links in, which allowed Girl on the Right to get Instalanched...a deserved 'lanche, too!  Had I submitted my link, well, let's just say Murphy's Law ain't got nothin' on me!

There you have it...while I'm a day late, the reading is worth the wait, don't you think?

The Mail Gods Were Good to Me!

The Mail Gods were good to me...and no, this has nothing to do with my letter carryin' hubby, either!  Heh!

I got my first ever, brand-spankin' new, premiere edition of "Every Day with Rachael Ray."  For those of you who don't know what this is, it is Rachael Ray's new magazine!

Who has time to post when this is sitting on the coffee table.

More to come - including a review.  From the outside in, it looks good.  The magazine is an unusual size, so it stands out from other magazines.  The photo on the cover is nice - not too Martha Stewart-y or too Oprah-y, if you know what I mean - down-to-earth.  And for those of you who miss Boo, Rachael's 13 year old pup/taste tester, the first article I read was about Boo's passing and a recipe in Boo's honor!  There are also a ton of recipes, including a picture for every one. 

More to come...in the mean time, I must read.  :-)

Thank You for a Great Birthday!

So, I had a great birthday weekend!

Even though my crazy hubby left a crazy post on my crazy site, I simply cannot trade him in.  He treated me to a couple of nights of dinner on the town, a nice round of linky-dinky-love, and my favorite Rachael Ray saute pan and one of her signature knives from Sur La Table.  I'm pumped and ready to cook and cut things (muhahahah!)!

Thanks to my friends in the 'sphere who left me great birthday wishes....and for those of you who linked my site on yours!  Beth - you're right, it was a rather interesting birthday post, wasn't it?  Heh!  Dan, thank you for thinking of me, but why did you link him (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)?  Heheheheh  Speaking of him - thank you for the Jawalanche, Honey!! 

Do You Want a Sex Offender's Opinion?

He apparently thinks you do:

ELKHART, Iowa -- A convicted sex offender who served time behind bars says he wants to be heard -- and he wants Iowa lawmakers to listen.

Dave Spencer, 52, of Elkhart, plans to be at the Statehouse this week to tell lawmakers about the effects of laws passed to punish sex offenders and restrict where they can live.

Let's see:  The effects of laws passed to punish sex offenders and restrict where they can live protects people, in particular children, from proven sex offenders.  Said laws allow kids to be kids (as much as they can be these days), by making parks, schools, and libraries much safer places.  Oh, wait....Mr. Sex Offender wasn't talking about the POSITIVE effects, was he?

Spencer said he isn't asking that sex offenders go unpunished, only that the penalty be just.

He said he'll ask lawmakers to revisit this year's laws that place harsher penalties on sex offenders and a 2002 law that bans child molesters from living within 2,000 feet of schools and day-care centers.

Oh, yes.  Let's revisit those laws.  Mr. Spencer, can you provide an iron-clad guarantee to me that any sex offender, particularly those of the pedophile type, will never again, absolutely NEVER commit another sex crime once s/he is released from prison?  No?  Didn't think so.  Until then, I would recommend that the State of Iowa revisits those laws as you are asking....but makes them harsher.

Happy Birthday, My Darling My Hamburger!

Happy Birthday To You
Your Breast Sure Are Huge
Happy Birthday My Honey
Can I Have 10 Bucks For Some Beer?

I love you!

...and People Wonder Why I am for the Death Penalty

Well, it's simple.  *This* is why I am for the death penalty:

SAN FRANCISCO -- A search of San Francisco Bay continues for the bodies of two young children believed to have been tossed into the water by their mother.

Authorities have recovered what's believed to be the body of a third child. The San Francisco Examiner reported that the body of the woman's 3-year-old son was recovered about four hours after a witness reported seeing a woman drop the children off a local pier.

The search began late Wednesday afternoon when an unidentified man called 911 to report seeing the woman drop the children into the chilly water near a popular waterfront stretch.

Lashaun Harris, the 23-year-old "mother" in this case, is booked for three counts of murder.  Her excuse?  The "VOICES" told her to dump her kids off the pier.  Well, my "voices" tell me that she should receive the death penalty.  But it's possible that she will have some "mental disorder" that would prohibit that from happening.  I personally don't care.  There isn't a person out there, mental disorder or not, who can justifiably kill their own kids and get away with it in my book.

Update:  No surprise, Lashaun Harris pled "not guilty."  Of course she has a mental disorder....and of course she's going to get some testing.

The charges could bring the death penalty, but District Attorney Kamala Harris said she hasn't decided yet whether to seek such a sentence.

Hmmmm....easy decision for me, quite honestly.  And this:

She said there will be a critical look at the way social services handled the woman's case.

Of course there should be a critical look - they made the decision to return the children to this woman.  But more importantly, what consequences will there be for the family members who didn't take her seriously when she stated she was thinking of feeding the kids to the sharks?  I'm so damn tired of people taking "critical" looks and feeling some level of pity for the family who "didn't take it seriously."  DO SOMETHING.  In both instances (social services and the family members), they had information and history which led them to understand that this woman was not in her right mind (um, anyone who kills someone like this isn't in their right mind, by the way).  The family should have kept the kids safe when social services decided that Mom and kids needed to be reunited.  Call me mean or hateful if you feel you must, but they are virtually as guilty as she is by not taking her threats seriously. 

I look into the face of any child (mine, but other kids as well), and I cannot fathom what these innocent, beautiful children could ever do to inspire such hateful acts, even in their worst moment.  To protect a person after they kill a kid, in particular their own, is just not something I can comprehend.  The criminal is not the victim here, whether they are mentally "ill" or not.

I Got Nothin'!

Work was crazy today, I didn't get much sleep last night and my eyelids are closing without my permission!

All of that being said - I've got NOTHIN' to post.  My attention span is about 1 minute (barely enough to post this note).  I hope to have more inspiration (and more sleep under my belt) by tomorrow.

Hubby - there ya go....I posted something.  :-)

An ACLU Meme

So, Teach over at Pirate's Cove tagged me for a meme that's right up my alley: my, um, love for the ACLU.  Here's the sordid details:

“If you could hang a sign on the ACLU building to …draw attention to it, what would you put on your sign?�

So...to answer this question:

Okay - so not the best photoshop - but I'm no expert.  You get the point, though.  Heh.

I have to think of who I'd like to tag with this one.  But even if I don't tag you, feel free to have a little fun!

Oh - and Teach, thanks for talking up my site - flattery will get you everywhere!  Hehehehehehe!

Oh, and while we are talking about the ACLU - stop over at Jay's - he's having a trackback party!

King of Cotillion - Finalists!

We have the top four candidates in the final round, ready for objectification! Some of the photos will have changed at their request, as you will see, but you can still ogle check out the pictures from last week HERE. Let the objectification begin!


First, we have MacStansbury, Beth's co-writer here at MVRWC and proprietor of the excellent MacStansbury.org blog. MacS hates this picture because he was exhausted and "covered with sand," but I like that he was showing his USM pride in the middle of a live combat area:

Next up, and also dashing in his desert camo, is Thunder6 from 365 and a Wakeup, beamed in from the front lines in Iraq where he is now.


B.C. didn't dig up his photos with him in his flight suit from his days in uniform, but he provided a more current photo, this one showing him enjoying the good life--beer-drinking on a boat--and looking not so torturous away from the Imperial Dungeonâ„¢ at the Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler:


Also in a sunny paradise is Bullwinkle from Random Numbers. Bullwinkle may be a big ol' moose, but he likes little furry animals other than just squirrels. Here he's feeding a baby coati mundi that he rescued, now just a couple weeks old.

There you go, y'all! The Final Four! Now go on over to their sites, poke around, and most importantly, VOTE (in the sidebar)! You can only vote for ONE this time, but you can still vote every day. Voting will close on SUNDAY NIGHT again, around midnight (Central time), and the winner will be announced and crowned King of Cotillion / Cotillion Beefcake? on TUESDAY. Thank you from all of us in Cotillion to all the guys who participated last week--we consider all of you our Princes for participating and for supporting us!

I *Am* Alive.....

Hi everyone!

I am alive, just being pulled away by the "real world" for a couple of days.  Hubby and I were in the purging mood (no, this is *not* about an eating disorder).  We rented one of those handy dumpsters and got rid of those rather large items that we no longer use and needed to get rid of (plus lots of little stuff...it is amazing how many times I said "oh, yeah....I can pitch that" as I walked through my house).

There's something very "freeing" about throwing away stuff that I'm bogged down with (Note:  the word "liberating" came to mind, but it was a bit too close to "liberal" hehehehehe).  When I was younger, it was soooo important to have "stuff" and as I get older I want nice things, but can do without a bunch of "stuff" cluttering up our home and life (and besides, the kids have enough legos, hot wheels and various "dolly" things to clutter us up for life!).

So....with exceptionally sore arms, a sore back, and a lump on the back of head (don't ask, but it hurt!), I can proudly walk around seeing a bit more garage, a bit more floor and know that we spent our time and money wisely.

I'm sure I'll be back to blogging more tomorrow, unless I'm covered with ice packs.  Heh! 

To the Idiots Who Support Sex Offenders and Other Such Idiots

To those of you - and you know who you are - who are submitting comments that are loaded with crap (defending pedophiles, sex offenders, ridiculous name calling, spewing out of the bible when you don't know what you are talking about), I am deleting them.  This is *my* blog and I won't publish your crap as it eats my bandwidth.

If you want to spew your nonsense, keep it on your own blog.  I won't entertain it.

Oh, and to the idiot who is trying to prove some nonsensical point, I don't care if someone draws a picture of children having sex together (even stick figures) - there is no such thing as "fake" kiddie porn.  Drawing it is as bad as photographing it you sick bastard.  I hope to God you don't have children because if you did, I'd have a notion to report your IP address information to the authorities.

Thatisall.

Rachael Ray & John Cusimano Wedding Photo

I found a much better picture of Rachael Ray and John Cusimano on their wedding day over at http://www.rachael-ray.org/ (in the photo gallery section):

For those of you who are fans - enjoy!  For those of you who are not, please indulge me!  :-)

Oh, Yeah....Uh Huh!

Me and the hubby had the day off today and we went shopping.  As much as I loved my truck, it didn't love us back.  Between thermostats and radiators, it was getting a bit expensive and unreliable.  SOOOOOOO......I can hardly believe it's ours, but we got this beautiful ride:

It's a day-um nice ride and loaded with all kinds of stuff I'll take a year figuring out.  But leather seats (mmmmm....leather!), seats 8, and has a hitch for the water rides and lots of room for "stuff."  Also has heated and cooled seats...oh, and did I say leather?  Heh!

Oh, and the dealership threw in a tank of gas.  Hey, greenies....this bad boy will get us about 14 to the gallon.  w00t! 

When we were waiting for all the paperwork to be done, I asked the salesman about those hybrid vehicles as I saw one on the showroom floor.

Me:  So, are those things selling for you?

Salesperson:  Um, no.  Because they run on electricity up to 40 MPH and then gas after that, about the only thing an owner of a hybrid will get in this part of the country is less gas mileage because they have to haul that great big battery around in the back.

Me:  Hmmmm.  So they don't save them much on gas then, huh?

Salesperson:  Um, no.  They might be big in a place like California, but here, no way - a waste of money in a state like ours.

Lesson Learned:  SOOOOOOOO....I'll stick with this b-eeeeee-U-tiful ride. 

Vote for "King of Cotillion"

The ladies are at it again! 

Stop over and see the Cotillion's mini-carnival today, hosted by A North American Patriot.  Welcomes go out to Romeocat from CathouseChat, too.

Now for something completely different (heh!) thanks to Beth at MVRWC:

Time for the Inaugural Edition of our own Blogger Babes competition for

So without further ado, let's ogle the nominees! See the bottom of the post for further details.

(most photos can be clicked for full-size)

B.C., Imperial Torturer
(The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler)


Hardcore Conservative


MacStansbury


Retired Geezer (Blog Idaho) with his wife
(and someone you might know in the middle)


Bullwinkle (Random Numbers)


Mark (Mark My Words)


Hubris (cheater!!)


Timmer (The Daily Brief)


Gregg (Impacted Wisdom Truth)


Casey (The Gantry Launchpad)


Patriot Xeno (Right Hand of God)


Citizen Grim (Right Hand of God)


Alan Woody (Woody's News & Views)


Xavier (Xavier Thoughts)


Jay (Stop the ACLU) - with family


Masked Menace (Villainous Company, sorta)


Thunder6 (365 and a Wakeup)

Rick (Brutally Honest)

---

Please vote over in the sidebar. You may PICK MORE THAN ONE, but don't be ridiculous and click every single one, OK? ;-) Next Tuesday, we will have FINALISTS, at which point you can vote again. This vote, again, is for the FINALISTS. Get it? Next Tuesday, you'll be doing the final vote for King of Cotillion!

Blogger Babes, please tell your readers to come over and vote! The polls will be up at multiple Cotillion blogs, so if it's not at your favorite one (and of course it is!), you can go over to Beth's site to vote. 

The prize: Bragging rights, massive and multiple linky love, and what the hell, Beth will toss in a free Blogad for two weeks if you want it. Voting this week ENDS SUNDAY NIGHT around midnight (CST) or something.  Beth says she keeps stupid hours, so it could be 4am, for all she knows.

A million zillion thanks to the guys for participating--this has already been a lot of fun! Y'all are extremely Kool for playing!

Rachael Ray Wedding Picture & Other Rachael Ray News

I have looked and looked and looked for a wedding photo of Rachael Ray and John Cusimano (they were married 9/24/05 and their ceremony was in Italy).  It took me awhile, and it isn't the best picture, but here it is:

I hope you enjoy this tiny glimpse into their happiness!

Other Rachael Ray news...

Rachael Ray is going to have a talk show!  What does she have to say?

"People know me for my love of food, but I have so much more I want to
share," said Rachael Ray.  "Our show's going to be all about taking a bigger
bite out of life.  I want people to see themselves in this show, because life
is full of messes and successes, and getting there is half the fun."

...and what does Oprah have to say?

"From the moment I had Rachael on my show earlier this year, I knew she
had 'it,'" said Oprah Winfrey.  "She has that connection with her audience
that most people only achieve one-on-one."

Pretty exciting for a person who just did her thing and never expected to be "famous," huh?!?

In even *more* Rachael Ray news, her new magazine, "Every Day with Rachael Ray" launches October 15, 2005.  She has her website up, too.  You should go check it out here.  There's supposed to be even more recipes and stories at this site.  You can also subscribe to her magazine there (yes, I know this because I subscribed...sheesh!).

That's it for now, although you can hardly call it just "it."  Rachael Ray has hit it lucky again - a new marriage, a trip to Italy (green with envy, I am!), a new show with "Tasty Travels," yet *another* new show in her talk show scheduled for Fall 2006 AND her new magazine.  Whew!  I hope John can keep up!

ACLU: Forced Tolerance Training for Kids?

I'm genuinely amazed each time I hear what the ACLU is "fighting" for.  Just when I think I've seen it all, or thought they've gone as far as they can go, they take that extra step into Stupidville.

In a nutshell, the ACLU is threatening a court date if Kentucky's Boyd County School doesn't force all of its students to participate in "tolerance training."  No, this isn't the "normal" tolerance training - it's homosexuality tolerance training.  I read a great article over at TheRealityCheck.org written by Richard Mullenax.  His thoughts on this issue summarize my thoughts rather succinctly.

After all, the ACLU wants kids to receive oral sex training and have all the condoms and morning-after pills at every school's disposal.  Plus, you can't talk about religion in school (unless it's about Islam) or else the ACLU believes it's a violation of "Separation of Church and State." When the ACLU wanted tolerance, it meant tolerance towards homosexuality.

It appears that many parents were unsupportive of the efforts to have this type of training presented to their children. 

District figures illustrates 105 of 730 middle school students opted out of the training video and 145 of 971 high school students did, too. On the day scheduled for training, 324 students didn't show up.

There is a reason that some of the Kentucky students did not show up for the training course. The ACLU doesn't have the power to have students tolerate homosexuality if the students don't approve of it.  Plus, the ACLU shouldn't force this subject on students unless the school has parental consent to do so.

But the ACLU does not see it that way. The intolerant organization along with the Gay-Straight Alliance believes it has a right to force-feed homosexuality down the throats of the American people.  Perhaps there should be a separation of "Homosexuality and State" if the ACLU and gay radical groups continue to impose their ideology.

James Esseks, litigation director for the ACLU's Lesbian and Gay Rights Project says: "The schools have great latitude in what they want to teach, including what's in training programs, and the training is now part of the school curriculum." Esseks goes on to say, "Parents don't get to say 'I don't want you to teach evolution or this, that, or whatever else.' 'If parents don't like it they can homeschool, they can go to a private school, they can go to a religious school.' "

I'm sorry, James you incompetent boob, but *I'M* the one in charge of my child.  I have EVERY right to shelter him or her from teachings that go against our morals and beliefs.  This is a topic that *I* as a parent should address - my kids don't need to learn about homosexual behavior from a video and a quiz.  And guess what?  I PAY TAXES AND HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO HAVE A SAY IN WHAT MY CHILD LEARNS AS I AM PAYING FOR THEIR EDUCATION IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL.  IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT I WOULD PULL MY KID OUT OF THIS KIND OF TRAINING IN LESS THAN A HEARTBEAT, WHY DON'T YOU HOMESCHOOL YOUR OWN KID?  Now, go in the corner and curl up into the fetal position and whine that I'm not tolerant of you.  Go ahead, I dare you.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mullenax is on a roll:

The ACLU shows its true colors everyday by its never-ending liberal bias. What right does it have to take Christmas out of schools when former president Ulysses S. Grant made Christmas into a National Holiday in 1865? What right does the ACLU have to attempt taking "Under God" out of our pledge when the Deceleration of Independence says that our Creator endows us? And most importantly, what right does the ACLU have to take away our moral conscious when over half of the country voted based on moral decisions? The answer is simple: The ACLU has no right, but its leaders think they have the right to tell us what we should tolerate and not tolerate.

UPDATE:  Thanks to the Gray-Tie for blogging on yet more fun ACLU stuff.

Scum-Sucking Pedophile

Take a close look at Richard Merritt, Jr., scum-sucking asswad:

This man was arrested in Lincoln, Nebraska after a period of weeks in which he repeatedly attempted to entice young children into his car by using cash.  There were at least 10 different reports on his efforts.  Thank God he was arrested, because when police caught up with him, he had a 10-year-old boy in his car.  Imagine the relief the parents must feel.

While police followed leads, the big break came when Lincoln police Chief Tom Casady overheard a captain talking about the case.

"I recognized that was the same M.O. Richard Merritt had been doing previously," Casady said.

The disgusting part of this is that Merritt served a sentence in 2003 for a series of exposure incidents - egregious enough that the police chief remembered the case.  You know how much time this miscreant served?  A whopping 90 days.  And here we are, just 2 years later, arresting the bastard for trying to get kids in his car to fulfill his sick fantasies. 

Parents were worried this guy would get off with yet another slap on the wrist as enticement is a misdemeanor in Nebraska (WTF???).  Luckily, they were able to charge him with attempted sexual assault of a child, which is a felony (his bond was set at $500,000).  Would you want this sick bastard parked out front of your child's school?

In court on Wednesday, prosecutors said Merritt told investigators he fantasized about getting a child in his car and acting out his sexual fantasies, which included hearing the victim scream.

Given the number of ridiculously light sentences and the minimal amount of time served in some of these types of cases, I admit I'm a bit cynical about how this will turn out.

Kim Jungek said her son was walking with two other kids after school on Sept. 1 down an alley when a man approached and offered cash to get them in his car. She said she's upset now that she didn't call police.

"A number of other parents didn't call police, and maybe if we would've put those pieces together, maybe he wouldn't have had so many opportunities," Jungek said.

She said she's glad Merritt faces a felony charge.

"I don't want him out in my neighborhood or any other neighborhood. Misdemeanors would not keep him behind bars," she said.

Let's just cross our fingers and hope that a felony conviction WILL, Ms. Jungek. 

A Memo To Tara Reid

To:  Tara Reid, White Trash Actress Extraordinaire

From:  The WTW Staff

Tara,  per your most recent interview with that media giant "Steppin' Out", you wanted to set the record straight.  We at WTW are ready to alert the public about your heavy-hitting statements.

Tara Reid wants to know: "Why is partying and having a good time bad?"

and

...these questions are for American journalists, like "there must be a journalist school where students are taught how to kill Tara Reid."

She wants to know "how come when someone else gets messed up or is a junkie or gets DUI'd and goes to rehab and is considered a hero again?"

Um, can you say Courtney Love?  We know, we know, Tara.  She is your idol...your hero.

She said she's hoping for a great movie role to impress people with her acting so they'll leave her alone.

For our sake, Tara, we will hope for a great movie role to show your amazing acting talent as well.  Like the Emmy-Award-Winning performance you had in "American Pie."  Stunning!

Reid also said she can't believe people made such a big deal out of her breast falling out of her dress on a red carpet last year. She told FHM "you would think my boob had popped out and shot Gandhi!"

Tara, we here at WTW actually believe that would have made a much more sensational news story.  Could you get that to happen for us?

She said "people act like it was the worst crime in the world." She's learned her lesson, though. She said she uses "double double tape" now, so her "hooters are under control."

...and for that we thank you.

Tara, we at WTW will always consider you the WTW cream of the crop.  Thank you for being you.

By the way, Howdy Doody called and he would like his boots back!

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Please stop by and visit all of my other White Trash friends in ye-ole Trailer Park:

The MAN Project

The Cotillion happens to have their usual goings-on over at the main site and at The Gray Tie, but there's a new gig in town.  Check out our latest project over at Beth's site.  C'mon, we just need a few good men!

In the meantime, here's obligatory eye candy for you, Ladies!

Evacuees With Recent Felonies Don't Qualify for Public Housing

No one can convince me that the media is innocent in letting their bias seep through their reporting.  Here is how a recent article about Hurricane Katrina evacuees started out:

OMAHA, Neb. -- The CEO of Omaha's Open Door Mission is frustrated that the mission is helping evacuees who have been turned away by the Omaha Housing Authority.

Reading that first paragraph made me wonder why evacuees were being turned away - it actually angered me (my first thought was - how dare red tape get in the way of getting these people homes!).  Here's more concern, a la Open Door Mission's CEO:

Many who have been turned away by OHA have headed to the Open Door Mission, which is already crowded.

"We've had about 50 over the last two to three weeks," said the Open Door Mission's Candace Gregory. "It's frustrating that we have all of this housing available, that's public housing. I wish it was available to everyone."

Of course it is frustrating.  How DARE the OHA turn people away?!?!?  Oh, but then the truth comes out:

OHA Executive Director Brad Ashford said those failures relate primarily to criminal history.

"There are 23 people who have failed the background check, so we can't place them in public housing," Ashford said. "Certainly, any type of drug offense or a violent felony, or any felony really, if it's committed within three years."

Ashford said OHA cannot make exceptions for evacuees for the safety of the residents who are already there.

So, because of their criminal behaviors in the past, it has become a challenge to find housing for the evacuees.  It is NOT because the OHA is being negligent or unfair and it certainly isn't because they are evacuees.  It is because they committed criminal offenses.  Even if New Orleans had never been damaged by Hurricane Katrina, these evacuees would have been limited in their abilities to obtain certain jobs, get qualified for certain public assistance.  All because they CHOSE to commit a felony - a number quite violent or dangerous in nature (drug charges, violent felonies - would you want these folks living in your apartment complex or your back yard?). 

And the kicker - all but one of these 50 people have been found housing through other means.  Which leads me to wonder why this woman is complaining to start with. 

Call me cold-hearted, call me ruthless.  Or don't.  Bottom line, we should do everything we can to help the victims of this disaster - WITHIN THE GUIDELINES OF COMMON SENSE.  If the OHA had placed these felons into public housing, the media would have reported on the horrific choices of the OHA to put others in harm's way and the law suits would have been flying regarding preferential treatment so this is by far a better solution. 

The media is so focused on finding "the story" that they seem to make a big deal out of events that aren't such a big deal.  Why can't the media report on the valiant volunteer efforts, the happy endings, the efforts to rebuild and reclaim life as it was? 

Weekend Excitement

A Husker fan cannot help but mention the nail-biter game from this weekend.  After DOUBLE-OVERTIME, and lengthy amounts of time standing on the couch yelling at the big screen, we saw ANOTHER Husker victory - bringing our record to 4-0. 

GO BIG RED!