This blog is under construction. Thanks for your patience, Merri Musings readers!

As I’m sure everyone has heard, Andrea Yates, who decided to meticulously drown all of her children is now pleading "innocent" by reason of insanity.

During her original trial, jurors rejected Yates’ insanity defense and found her guilty for the 2001 deaths of three of the children drowned in the family bathtub: 7-year-old Noah, 5-year-old John and the youngest, 6-month-old Mary.

Evidence was presented about the drownings of the other two children — Paul, 3, and Luke, 2 — but Yates was not charged in their deaths.

Yates was convicted of two capital murder charges and sentenced to life in prison.

As I’m sure you heard that her original conviction was overturned and we now will start the circus all over again.  I’m sure I sound like a broken record, but AGAIN there’s more worry about this less than human being than the 5 children - her OWN children - that she stalked, and methodically drown one-by-one.  Noah, John, Mary, Paul and Luke certainly have no say, do they?

I’m all for assuring this pig of a human being never sees the light of day, but it’s a tragedy that this has to play out again and will be "media’d" into the ground.  We will hear it over and over…but will it be about the kids she slaughtered?  NO…it will be about poor Andrea Yates. 

Just when I think I can’t be disgusted any more, my hubby throws this link over my way:

Omaha police said a 4-week-old girl was treated Friday at Creighton University Medical Center for multiple fractures to both of her legs.

The media, in all of their brilliance, report that it appears to be abuse.  No, really?  I thought maybe she played a spirited game of rugby and suffered a bit of a fall.  Of COURSE it should be treated as potential abuse…this little one is only 4-weeks old.  What insane piece of human waste could do this to a child?  I can only wait patiently to see how this will turn out.  But I predict, somehow, that the law will be more in the interest of the criminal versus the well being of the child.  Let’s hope I’m wrong.

Update:  The infant in the last story is actually 4-months old, but it doesn’t change the fact that she was abused.  Guess who is charged?  The baby’s "mom" whose name is Anna Mis-Guiterrez.  A mother, breaking her four-month-old little girl’s legs.  What did this innocent little girl do to deseve it?  Nothing.  Will this woman, should she be convicted, get a just sentence?  Sure hope so.

CARACAS, Venezuela — The American singer and activist Harry Belafonte called President Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world" on Sunday and said millions of Americans support the socialist revolution of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez. 

First of all, speak for yourself, idiot.  You cannot possibly prove or believe that millions of free Americans - people who have the very right and freedom to speak out against their own president that you mock - would support such crap at the level you "report."  Regular polling systems aren’t even wholly accurate, so what did you do to get this data….ask 50 people on a street corner and call that statistically significant for all Americans? 

Belafonte accused U.S. news media of falsely painting Chavez as a "dictator," when in fact, he said, there is democracy and citizens are "optimistic about their future."

I’m leaning the media’s way this time, Harry.  Of course, if it wasn’t for the media, we wouldn’t be hearing your ridiculous line of bullshit, but again, we live in a FREE country, dumbass.

Belafonte, take your little "America hating" friend Danny Glover with you and get the hell out of this country if you think it is so bad.  See what it would "really" be like to live in a country ruled by a terrorist and see how long you would last spewing the stuff you do.  In the U.S., you have the freedom to say what you do, even though you look like a clown.  In some other country, you sure could say it, but you’d then get a feel for what real terrorism is when you woke up with a sword slicing your head from your body.

I’m sorry to need to update you on the story I brought you here and here.  Where we left off was that this in-home childcare provider, April Rogers, had murdered a 6-month-old little boy left in her care.  She had tried to pin his injuries and subsequent death on a toddler in the daycare, but eventually got caught.  Following her arrest, it was revealed that she was also pregnant and used that as an excuse to attempt to reduce her bond, which was denied by the judge.  Her original plea was "not guilty" even though she admitted she had slammed this innocent 6-month-old’s head repeatedly into the floor.  Her new plea?  Not responsible by reason of insanity. 

The former home day care operator charged in the death of a six-month old boy has changed her plea.

April Rogers initially pleaded not guilty to the charge of felony child abuse resulting in death.

She changed her plea to not responsible by reason of insanity.

She will be evaluated to determine whether depression was a factor. Investigators say Rogers admitted to shaking Alex Tay and slamming the baby’s head against the floor.

The "not responsible by reason of insanity" plea is such a bullshit plea and in my mind shouldn’t even exist.  Um, don’t you think anyone who kills anyone is theoretically insane?  Do you think it is sane to kill your own parents (Menendez brothers)?  Do you think it’s sane to stalk and murder dozens of women (Ted Bundy, I-5 killer, BTK killer)?  Do you think it’s sane to murder men and eat them for dinner (Dahmer)?  Do you think it’s sane to beat an innocent six-month-old child’s head repeatedly into the floor until he is dead (Rogers)?  NO!  But if a person commits, and ADMITS, to any of these crimes, they are responsible and should be charged and sentenced accordingly.  If there is something wrong with a person’s mental condition - Rogers’ case suggests post-pardem, depression, and hormonal changes with her 4th pregnancy - I think it’s much more prudent to protect others from the potential harm that person could induce versus slapping them in a hospital a few months and declaring them "cured" or "rehabilitated."

Just thinking about this case, and how it could potentially progress infuriates me because of the protection and leniency that tends to be shown to these "victim" criminals.  There’s also this huge focus on "rehabilitation" for the criminal so he or she can go back into society.  Did you happen to read the story of the man who repeatedly raped a child for years and only got a sixty day sentence?

A sexual deviant who repeatedly abused a child over a four-year period got a slap on the wrist in a Vermont courtroom this week and will be free to walk the streets in as few as 60 days. That is an appalling and unacceptable outcome.

Mark Hulett of Williston admitted to assaulting the girl for years, beginning when she was only 6. Prosecutors wanted Hulett jailed for eight years, although he could have received life in prison. But when the Corrections Department refused to offer treatment to Hulett in jail, Judge Edward Cashman set the jail term at a minimum of 60 days — with a clear emphasis on the shorter sentence and conditions that included treatment for his deviancy.

This judge placed the interests of the criminal ahead of the child.  This beast ruined this child’s life by repeatedly raping her from the age of six to the age of ten and now this heathen could be walking the streets with the same child in as few as 2 months.  What does the judge have to say about his decision?

Cashman said he’s more concerned now about rehabilitation.

"The one message I want to get through is that anger doesn’t solve anything. It just corrodes your soul," Cashman told a packed Burlington courtroom made up mostly of people related to the victim.

How could you NOT be angry and want justice for a monster who willingly rapes a six year old and continues to do it for years?  But because there’s some inkling of insanity or because he may be able to be rehabilitated we should be okay letting him hang out in jail for 60 days?  This girl was terrorized for FOUR YEARS already.  This judge has effectively sentenced her to a life of worrying that she’ll see this man standing on the street before her each time she turns a corner.  And in the case of April Rogers, should she get some kind of reduced sentence, or time spent in a mental hospital, it could put her back into society sooner where she will have access to someone else’s child, or even her own.

My thought?  If someone commits a crime such as these, they should be able to plea and be tried with pleas of guilty or not guilty.  If they are found guilty time should be served appropriate to the crime.  If part of that sentence is treatment for mental disorders, so be it.  But it shouldn’t allow them to not take responsibility for the crime they committed and admitted to.  They should be held responsible and serve the time appropriate to the act.  After all, no one can bring little six-month-old Alex Tay back and no one can erase the harm caused to a young girl who was raped for four years.  BUT, justice should be delivered and criminals should be held responsible for the acts they commit.  No matter what.

I’ve got to say, when I first saw that Beth had tagged me for a meme, I was a bit concerned, especially when the topic was to speak about five weird things about yourself.  Then I read Beth’s post and knew I couldn’t possibly be as weird as her.  Heh.  HAHAHAH!

Anyway, so I’m supposed to come up with five weird things.  I asked my hubby one weird thing I do, and he just couldn’t come up with anything.  Yeah, right.  He just REFUSED to go there.  Eh, I guess I can’t blame him.  We do live in the same house and all, huh?!?!

So I’m left to my own devices….here goes!

1)  I don’t really like ketchup as a rule, but will eat it on certain things.  I do not like ketchup on french fries at all.  I *do* like it on hot dogs and hamburgers, but it grosses me out if there’s too much of it - like when it squishes out between the buns and oozes everywhere…how disgusting!  I can only handle a thin (very thin) line across a hot dog and if it is on a burger, it can only be as much as what would moisten the bun enough to stick to the burger.  The worst thing?  A hamburger patty sliding around inside an overly "condimented" burger….ACK!  I guess I’m just not a condiment over-doer.

2)  I can’t eat nuts in things.  Cookies, cakes, ice cream, fudge….don’t ruin it by putting nuts in it!  Those things have just the right consistency without nuts.  Do I like nuts?  Absolutely….but by themselves, or in peanut M ‘n’ Ms.  As an example, ice cream is supposed to melt in your mouth with nothing left.  If you have nuts in the ice cream, well, you have to chew it.  Or all you have left is a mouth full of nuts and no ice cream. 

3)  I can’t seem to finish a bottle of pop.  Just today, I thew away 3 partially full bottles at work.  You see, pop has to be cold.  Ice cold.  If it doesn’t stay ice cold, I can’t drink it.  and I can’t pour warm pop over a cup full of ice.  The ice melts too fast and waters down the pop and makes it less fizzy.  I like ice cold pop - so cold that ice particles are starting to form in the bottle or can.  Now THAT’s what I’m talking about.  This applies to beer as well, which is why I don’t drink beer often.  I’ve been known to put ice in my beer to keep it cold, which I’m told is an absolute NO NO (whoops - starting to sound like Beth with all the "food issues" going on…better change the subject!)!

4)  Why am I full of useless information?  I can recite full portions of movies, I can sing you most 80s songs, even down to the grunts and moans in a few Prince songs.  But I can’t remember the conversation we had an hour ago without taking notes.  …and the 80s were like, 20 years ago.  Why is this?

5)  I have a tendency to drive people nuts at work due to my almost anal retentive organization skills.  I have certain ways I name files so they can be easier to find alphabetically.  I have a label maker to note exactly what is contained in each section of my employees’ personnel folders.  But if you walked into my house, you would never know about my "secret" life as an organizational freak at work.  I’m lucky to find the most important papers I need at home (i.e. social security cards, birth certificates, etc.)  And let’s not even talk about finding tape - unless it is all over my daughter’s room or some other strange place.  And it’s amazing how many pens I find on top of the fridge - but I guess that comes from having a 4-year-old artist in the house.

What I find frightening about this meme is that I could go on and on.  But thank God I am able to stop at 5!

I originally decided that I wasn’t going to tag anyone, but thought it would be fun to tag my hubby just to see what he would say (if, indeed, he does it).  So tag, Honey, you’re it!

Here is what I posted last night, right before bed:

Absolutely a miracle!  While one miner was found dead, the remaining twelve were found ALIVE!

All I have to say to that is AMEN! 

I pray for the family whose miner didn’t survive…may their hearts heal and may they find peace.

As we now know today, that report was false.  It’s heartbreaking to know that the opposite was true, and the vast majority of these miners lost their lives.  I truly pray for all of their families at this time.  I hope answers can be revealed about why this happened.  To bring joy to the families for a number of hours and then take it away is tragic in and of itself.  This is one post I wish I never had to update. 

This is my first post of the new year, and none better than to link over to the Cotillion Ball this week!  I finally had some time to submit a post, and the Cotillion’s own Wonder Woman at A North American Patriot highlights our posts with outstanding finesse!  Beautiful job!!!  Oh, and I also discovered her mutual love for SpongeBob.  I, too, am a fan! 

I also encourage you to take a look around at those amazing sites referenced in my sidebars.  I am experiencing huge volumes of work due to year-end and all of that, so my posts will be sparse this week (at least until I meet a Thursday deadline…ack!). 

You may also want to take a look around these four walls as some changes are a’comin!  No secrets revealed just yet, but let’s just say the new year represents a time of change!

Happy New Year, friends!

I tip my glass to you, because if I tipped it toward me, I’d get it all over my shirt!

See you after a good sleep and some Advil!

So my hubby pointed me over to a post Howie has up at The Jawa Report.  You can see that post here, but I have a few thoughts as well.  Be prepared to be upset, as I was.

MULTAN, Pakistan - Nazir Ahmed appears calm and unrepentant as he recounts how he slit the throats of his three young daughters and their 25-year old stepsister to salvage his family’s "honor" — a crime that shocked Pakistan.

Honor, blemished by the idea that his step-daughter committed adultery.  And because of that, the other three girls had to be eliminated because they would likely do the same thing.

Bibi recounted how she was woken by a shriek as Ahmed put his hand to the mouth of his stepdaughter Muqadas and cut her throat with a machete. Bibi looked helplessly on from the corner of the room as he then killed the three girls — Bano, 8, Sumaira, 7, and Humaira, 4 — pausing between the slayings to brandish the bloodstained knife at his wife, warning her not to intervene or raise alarm.

"I was shivering with fear. I did not know how to save my daughters," Bibi, sobbing, told AP by phone from the village. "I begged my husband to spare my daughters but he said, ‘If you make a noise, I will kill you.’"

"The whole night the bodies of my daughters lay in front of me," she said.

The next morning, Ahmed was arrested.

Speaking to AP in the back of police pickup truck late Tuesday as he was shifted to a prison in the city of Multan, Ahmed showed no contrition. Appearing disheveled but composed, he said he killed Muqadas because she had committed adultery, and his daughters because he didn’t want them to do the same when they grew up.

He said he bought a butcher’s knife and a machete after midday prayers on Friday and hid them in the house where he carried out the killings.

"I thought the younger girls would do what their eldest sister had done, so they should be eliminated," he said, his hands cuffed, his face unshaven. "We are poor people and we have nothing else to protect but our honor."

And he has no remorse other than the fact that he didn’t kill his step-daughter’s alleged lover, too.  I found it interesting that he made the choice to buy the butcher’s knife and machete after his midday prayers.  You cannot tell me that what is taught in his religion had no influence whatsoever on his choice to slay his female children.  Ah, but Islam is a religion of peace, right? 

All of this angers me to the point of wanting to catch a plane and making sure this man never sees sunlight again.  But as a mother, what took me down the path further is the fact that this mother sat and watched her girls get slaughtered without putting up a fight for them.  First of all, I’d give my life for my kids…that’s just the way it is.  Aside from raising them, feeding them and clothing them, I need to protect them from harm.  And how could I live with myself knowing that I stood there and watched him do it?  I wouldn’t *want* to live with myself knowing that.  I would have no choice but to stand in the way of this man and let him kill me if it meant that I could save even one of them from death.  Sure she was scared - I would be, too.  But to stand by and do nothing?  That’s just wrong.

Honor killings?  Bah.  This man has no honor.  He is a vile, disgusting pig of a living organism.  I can’t even call him human.  Howie said it best "If Pakistan does not give this man the firing squad, then they are a nation of cowards as well."   

Nebraska 32 - Michigan 28

OH YEAH!

P.S. Sorry, Dad, you Michigan fan, you!

So, I woke up sick again.  Decided to go to work anyway.  Stuck it out most of the day, albeit miserable.  Came home, took a couple of hours nap thinking it would make me feel better.  And I did feel better…for a bit.  I hate being sick.  I just want to get two productive days at work this week so I don’t feel so behind after all the sickness last week.  And I want to have fun with the kids and their new toys.  And I want to find something to post about…nothing I read tonight sticks out for me.

New Year’s Resolution?  Trade this sick body in for one that works.  Dammit.

Just a fly-by post to say I’m still alive!

We had a wonderful Christmas - the kids got so many toys I don’t think the garbage collectors are going to like us much (boxes, boxes, boxes!).  On the other hand, the battery people love us.  We should own stock.  Hell, we probably do and just don’t know it!

I’m writing to you on my nice new shiny beautiful, fast and most amazing laptop my dear hubby got me for Christmas.  Now I just need to get a new desk to go with it!  Yes, I accessorize *around* my favorite things!

We had family over and I cooked a 10-pound Christmas prime rib, potatoes gratin, green beans, rolls, pumpkin pie and pecan pie cake.  It was a nice spread and we have some rather tasty left overs.  I’ll be glad when the pie is gone though…unfortunately it’s all going to my waistline (GAWD…I LOVE pumpkin pie!)!  It was good to be with family - the kids enjoyed seeing all the grandparents…shoot, so did I!  To be honest, though, the best part of the day was collapsing on the couch.  I’m looking forward to just a bit of relaxation, even though I have to go back to work tomorrow (whahhhhhh!).  Now comes the fun part - putting away the tree.  I’m usually ready for it the day after Christmas.  This year’s no different, so we’ll see how long it lasts!  I give it 3-4 days tops.

Blogging will commence again, now that I have some free time.  Frequency depends upon what I walk into at work.  It is year-end review time, end of quarter time, first quarter preparation, I have a new boss, and there seems to be no end of the fun!  I was planning to take this week off, but that darned flu got in the way.  The good thing is, this is the slowest work week of the year otherwise, so I might just get some stuff done!!

Anyway, before I put you to sleep, just wanted to toss a few thoughts into the air to see where the landed.  Now it’s off to real life once again!  Take care!

Oh holy night!

The stars are brightly shining

It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

Till he appear’d and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

Fall on your knees

Oh hear the angel voices

Oh night divine

Oh night when Christ was born

Oh night divine

Oh night divine

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand

So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming

Here come the wise men from Orient land

The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger

In all our trials born to be our friend.

Truly He taught us to love one another

His law is love and His gospel is peace

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother

And in His name all oppression shall cease

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

Let all within us praise His holy name.

May God bless each and every one of you and may the true spirit of Christmas be in your hearts.  May God’s hand reach down and rest upon those who are away from family this Christmas, whether it be in service or in hardship.  May all of you find peace in God’s gift to us - Christ!

(more…)

Happy Blogiversary to me!
Happy Blogiversary to me!
Happy Blogiversary to Merri Musings…
Happy Blogiversary to me!

I can hardly believe it was a year ago today that I picked up the proverbial "blogging pen" and started this thing!  I started over at blogsnot (the old Rachael Ray Redux site!), with the whole idea of blogging recipes and Rachael Ray stuff while trying to figure out what this "beast" was that consumed the majority of my hubby’s time. 

Recipes and Rachael Ray weren’t enough for me, so I decided to go ahead and move over to Typepad (aka "the big time" HAHAHAHAHAHAH) and blog about whatever was on my mind, in ADDITION to the recipe and Rachael Ray thing.  It was a good outlet, especially when I would get so pissed off about child molesters, abusers, the ACLU and other such things. 

At the same time, as I look back, it was an outlet to release pain (the passing of my mom in January), joy (anything relating to my kids), and any other emotion I can possibly think of.  And to join groups, and leave groups, and be selected for really cool groups, and to talk about Trash on Wednesdays, and all kinds of other fun things.

Will I do this thing forever?  I suspect this will eventually come to an end as it has with so many others.  While it is a good thing, Real Life to me is much more important.  Should thing blog thing ever get in the way of that, what a stupid human being I’ve become.  Talking on a blog will never take the place of real life memories that one can hold in their hearts forever.    …and when this blog thing becomes a chore versus a pleasure, I’ll be done.  BUT, I’ll be around for a little while, I’m sure. 

I’ve met many amazing people along the way - holding company with people who have served our country, kicked around some bad ass governments from their livingrooms, saw a hostage situation end without bloodshed, and pushed "famous" asshats away from the microphone in order to get the truth out has been by far the most incredible experiences I’ve had online.  And I love the Rachael Ray fans that frequently visit as well.  Especially those fans who think I *am* Rachael Ray.

Over the upcoming days and weeks, I’ll definitely be paying tribute to those of you who have walked this walk with me.  In the meantime, I’m planning to enjoy this Christmas weekend with my family.  I can’t hardly wait to see the kids unwrapping the presents, peeking their heads out of their rooms to see if Santa has paid a visit, cooking a great holiday spread and spending valuable time with our extended family. 

Thanks for coming by my little corner on the web.  I hope to see more of you in the upcoming months - I wouldn’t even write if it wasn’t for you!

Merri has been frightfully sick over the last 24 hours.

Not only is she behind on her Christmas plans, she’s going to be buried when she goes back to work tomorrow.

I’ll help in the real world, she could use some help in the virtual.

Raven, and her other guest posters, feel free to post.

If anyone else would like to fill in, email me at vinceautmorire@gmail.com and I’ll check out your blog and set you up.

Asshats, bleatasticfucktards, and child molestors need not apply.

Adoration of Rachael Ray, while not required, is a plus on your resume.

Hehehe.