Life has given me the royal finger today, I think.  Do you ever have one of those days that bad thing after bad thing happens and you just want to crawl under your rock until tomorrow?  Hello!  Today was my day!  My son has pneumonia (luckily caught early enough he didn’t get full blown illness and it is treatable with antibiotics!), a co-worker’s twin brother passed away (and way too young, I might add), I had to go to the doctor because of some pain I’m having and now have to have some more tests tomorrow, and so on, and so forth.  </whining>

I know there’s lots out in the news, so please visit my blogroll and read some newsworthy stuff.  I ain’t so newsworthy today.  BUT…as I tend to have an opinion on everything, I will point out a few things. 

I have to say that Cindy Sheehan is an idiot.  She doesn’t KNOW the meaning of the words "roughed up."  I had one tiny pin-head of sympathy for her - I mean, after all she did lose a child.  But she’s gone too far and I’m sick of hearing about her being a "Peace Activist."  She needs to shut the hell up and go home and get on with her life.  She’s even an embarassment to her peace-nik peers.  Sheesh.

Stoopid Hurricane Rita should get the hell away from the gulf!

…and my hubby should quit blogging about hairy, pasty men mowing lawns without shirts and with their man boobs hanging out (okay, logic tells me he should pay me back since I made him watch the men on Biggest Loser II taking off their shirts during weigh in - oh, and during dinner…sorry Honey!)! 

Anyway, like I said - there’s much talent and entertainment on my blogrolls - please stop over at their sites and tell them I said "Hi!"

It’s that day of the week again!  Please stop by the Cotillion and check out what the best female bloggers in the ’sphere have to say (certainly more than me lately!!!).  Thanks bunches to our hostesses this week:  Crystal Clear, Fistful of Fortnights, Soldiers’ Angel - Holly Aho and Knowledge Is Power - SondraK.com.

Update:  It appears that my post was missed in all the melee - all is good though.  You can read it here! 

Okay….so I know the title is a little too promising, but they did at least sprout one brain cell:

OMAHA, Neb. — The Nebraska chapter of the Americans for Civil Liberties Union told KETV NewsWatch 7 that it will not appeal a ruling to keep the Ten Commandments monument in a Plattsmouth city park.

Okay, so maybe I’m giving them too much credit.  Perhaps it’s not because they are wiser, or have employed a level of common sense.  More than likely they’ve realized the fame and fortune they sought to achieve here dried up.  But I’ll take it.  Any time the ACLU recognizes that they have LOST and CANNOT WIN is a good moment in time.

Update:  Welcome Jawa Report readers!  Thanks for stopping by!

Nebraska 7 / Pitt 6

Two field goal attempts by Pitt in the last 7 seconds.  One bad, one blocked.  There is a God, and he must be wearin’ red!

It is stuff like this that infuriates me.

OMAHA, Neb. — Two wanted men are in custody after they were caught posing as Hurricane Katrina victims in Nebraska this week.

Nebraska State Patrol spokeswoman Deb Collins said the men were arrested after they claimed to be evacuees and tried to get aid at a state Health and Human Services office in Omaha earlier this week.

These idiots weren’t even from New Orleans - they are residents of Omaha. 

The patrol discovered that one man faced an arrest warrant for failure to appear in a felony forgery case. The other man faced a felony warrant for the unauthorized use of a financial transaction device.

Guess you can add "dumbass, stupid opportunist" to the list of charges as well.  Disgusting.

I dunno, perhaps I have a bit of OCD, but I can’t help but get thoroughly ticked off when I read stuff about Matthew Koso.  I posted on his, er, situation a number of times.

Good Morning America had Matthew and his 14 YEAR OLD "WIFE" on the morning of 9/13/05, along with their baby Samara (isn’t that the name of the freaky scary girl from the well in The Ring?).  You’ll have to read the summary, but I found some of the quotes and information just, well, awful.

Matthew first met Crystal through her half-brother when she was 8, and they began dating in the fall of 2003 when he was 20 and she was 12.

Oh my God…think about this for a moment.  The difference between 12 and 20 sounds bad enough, but 16 and 8?  He would have been thrown in some juvenile detention had they suspected he did anything to her then. 

Crystal’s mother, Cecilia Guyer, filed a restraining order against Matthew Koso on Sept. 17, 2004.

"He needs to hang around girls and boys his own age group," Guyer wrote in the complaint. "He needs to seek counseling. He has a history of the same, similar with other young girls, and he needs to be stopped here and now."

They knew the pregnancy was wrong, because they hid it.  Then Crystal’s mother found out when she saw the girl’s stretchmarks.  Remember, he impregnated her when she was 13 years old and he was 21.  That’s statutory rape in Nebraska, my friends.

"At that time, our options were limited," Matthew’s mother, Peggy Koso, said today on "Good Morning America." "It was either abortion, which was well past due; adoption, which was out of the question; and then it was to marry her, which we thought was the right thing to do."

WTF?!?!?!  Let me say that again…WTF????  "adoption, which was out of the question."  HUH?  Let the child be raised by ADULTS, who have the financial means, the security, and above all the maturity to be responsible parents.  Adoption is NEVER out of the question, especially in a case such as this.  A 13-year-old is selfish, that’s what 13-year-olds do.  Heck, 21-22 year-olds can tend to be selfish.  My gut feeling is perhaps the grandmother didn’t want to give up her grandchild, so to speak.  So for HER, perhaps adoption was out of the question.  If so, how selfish is that?  What a troubling situation her son, his child wife and the grandchild are in now.

What people don’t realize, too, is that Matt is not emotionally 22. He’s not mature like other young men his age are, so he is really at the same level of maturity as Crystal even though there are those years between them." 

Point one, his age is such that he is an adult, and he committed a crime (little Samara being evidence of that).  Point two, who cares…and do you really think, as "mature" as she thinks her daughter is, that her daughter would want to stay with a man who is "not mature" when she grows up?  This ain’t Barbie and Ken here.  the drama doesn’t go away when Barbie is thrown in her box and shoved under the bed…this is REAL LIFE and two children are in the middle of it.

Here is an amazingly mature comment from 14-year-old-Crystal:

"Here in Falls City you have two choices: go get drunk or high and die in a car accident or of an overdose, or go get pregnant," she said. "So which is the wrong choice?"

Ding, ding, ding.  All of them are wrong, Crystal.  I grew up in a small town here in Nebraska, not too far from Falls City.  There’s plenty to do, if you aren’t seeking trouble.

…and the most brilliant comment of all:

She added that if Samara starts dating a 20-year-old when she is 12, she will "send her to her room."

I can’t help ranting about it.  As a parent, I would not allow this to happen with my daughter.  What lessons do we teach kids when we file a restraining order because we know that an adult and a child should not be having sex and then turn around and "bless" a marriage because the sex resulted in a pregnancy?  Isn’t our obligation as parents to teach our children right from wrong?  As much as I would want to be with my grandchild, it’s plain common sense to know that adoption would have solved so much of this. 

…and this cycle will continue.  A child should not be raising a child.  And a man should not be allowed to commit these crimes, whether there is a pregnancy or not.   

Tracked over at Beth’s Open Trackback Party.

Level 3 sex offenders are deemed as sex offenders whose risk of reoffense is high and the degree of danger posed to the public is of concern enough that a substantial public safety interest is served by active dissemination.  These criminals are usually put on public databases and they are required to report their address and other such information should they move.  They are generally limited to where they can live (i.e. they cannot live within a certain distance of schools, parks, etc.).  As a parent, I appreciate that, if the judicial system can’t keep this scum in a prison (my first residence of choice for these criminals), there are at least limitations to where they can live.  Well, the ACLU doesn’t necessarily agree - heck, they want the criminals to live wherever they want:

The ACLU filed a lawsuit last month on behalf of Kyle Lewis, a Level 3 sex offender, and his mother, who owns the property where her son lives. The Issaquah ordinance passed last month also makes it illegal to rent homes to sex offenders in prohibited areas.

But not everyone agrees with the ACLU’s high level of criminal support:

Last week, a court commissioner denied an ACLU request for a temporary restraining order to block the ordinance until the preliminary-injunction hearing date of Sept. 23. The city then began issuing fines of $250 a day to Lewis and his mother.

Lewis didn’t want his mother to be penalized and has agreed to move out of Issaquah, said ACLU spokesman Doug Honig.

"The lawsuit is proceeding, just on a slower schedule," Honig said. A trial date is set for Feb. 27, 2007, but a summary judgment could be issued earlier, he said.

The ACLU withdrew their motion seeking to bar the city of Issaquah from enforcing an ordinance restricting where sex offenders can live.  In other words, when things weren’t going their way, they pulled back.

I find this interesting.  If you dig for a bit on the Internet, you will find these little stories hidden in the corners - hidden in quite a number of corners.  When the ACLU wins a case, or depending on what the subject matter is, the MSM generally picks up on the story and makes it a national news event.  When the ACLU withdraws, or loses, it’s buried on page seven - not nearly as newsworthy.  I also find that stories relating to sexual predators, or other such criminals tend to get less media attention (and the ACLU tends to brag less about these cases).  What they are doing is so political in nature and is more about the money they want to win, the notoriety they hope to achieve and the leaders’ own personal agendas.  I find it disgusting, and absolutely criminal.  As is the situation in the aforementioned case, the criminal is represented, the victim(s) and potential victims are not.  It’s good that the judicial system put the hammer down on this one - that’s one for the victim(s), zero for the ACLU. 

One of my readers (thanks, Jackie!), let me know that Rachael has a new signature knife out at Sur la Table.  This knife is called "Rachael Ray Gusto Grip Santuko by Füriâ„¢" and here’s the details:

Use the knife that Rachael uses on her latest TV shows. Patented "grippy" orange silicone polypropylene handle in an inventive wedge shape helps keep hand from slipping toward the blade when wet - the direction that counts. Enjoy the rocking/sawing motion of a chef’s knife and the chopper work of a Santoku. Hollow-edged blade reduces friction for easier slicing. Blade bolster and tang are forged from a single piece of fine German stainless steel. Hand wash.

I was really tempted to throw this one, or her original Füri signature knife on the ole Christmas list.  But I do like my Wustof knives.  But one can never have too many knives, right?  Well, when I looked further, I found that Sur la Table also has the new oval saute pan.  Now THAT’s something for my list.  When I first saw her using it on her show, I absolutely wanted it - there are some things that just don’t fit in even my largest circular pan.  Here’s the details:

Unique oval shape allows two 5-qt. sautés to fit side by side on a standard range. Even-heating anodized aluminum exterior with nonstick interior; glass lid. Handles are oven safe to 400˚F.

If the description doesn’t job your memory, here’s the picture:

Pretty ain’t it?!?

I’m anxious to hear about Rachael’s wedding.  Word has it, her mom and John (Cusimano - her MAN) planned the entire event since she has been so busy with cook books, magazines, new shows, etc.  She said she just has to "show up."  She should be getting married sometime in the next couple of weeks in Tuscany.  I’m sure there will be more to come!

She has a new cookbook coming out November 1st - "365-No Repeats."  I can’t wait!  I also can’t wait to read her new magazine! 

Thanks to all of you who stop by and read about Rachael Ray…let me know if there’s anything I can add to the site that you’re interested in.

The House did something decent today. Not that they never do any good of course, but with all the recent stuff about relief/pork funds for victims of the hurricane, it was nice to read that other things are still important.

Child sex offenders would be subject to stringent monitoring requirements and face new mandatory penalties under a House-passed bill that was expanded to include protections for gays and lesbians under federal hate crime law.

The House voted 371-52 Wednesday in favor of the Children’s Safety Act (search), which, among its many provisions, creates a national Web site for child sex offenders and stipulates that sex felons face up to 20 years in prison for failing to comply with registration requirements.
–SNIP–
The sex offender bill, which also requires felony offenders to register for life and authorizes the death penalty for sex crimes resulting in the killing of a child, responds to what House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., said was a “national crisis” in child sex offenses. He said that of some 550,000 convicted sex offenders in the nation, the whereabouts of 100,000 are unknown.

Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., said, “We track library books better than we do sexual predators.”

Sensenbrenner said the legislation would get favorable treatment in the Senate and he expected it to be signed into law by the end of the year.

The White House, in a statement, expressed support, saying that even though sex crimes against children have declined significantly in recent years, more needs to be done. It noted that the legislation codified the online National Sex Offender Public Registry that the Justice Department launched earlier this year.

The legislation brings together parts of numerous proposals to protect children from sex offenders. Sections of the bill are named after victims in cases that gained national prominence, including North Dakota college student Dru Sjodin and 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford of Florida.

The cases we hear about in the news are bad-but they represent what happens all the time. Even though the rate of crimes has declined, the actual depth of each crime has gotten worse, and often includes mudering the child.
Something has to be done. I don’t give two cents concern for those guilty of these crimes either, even those who have served “their time”. I support the death penalty in all cases involving children. Plain and simple.

It’s that day of the week again!  Please stop by the Cotillion and see a round up of the best female bloggers in the ’sphere.  And a special thank you to our hostesses this week:  TFS Magnum, e-Claire, Portia Rediscovered and Mary Katharine Ham / Townhall C-Log.  Thanks for a great roundup, ladies!

I was saddened to learn that the baby born to Susan Torres, a severely brain-damaged woman who was on life support for 3 months while her baby grew and developed, passed away.

The infant’s condition had deteriorated rapidly during the weekend, according to the family. The baby’s prematurity led to an intestinal disorder and an infection that overwhelmed her body, and she died just after midnight, the hospital said.

My prayers are with the family.  I imagine little Susan’s daddy must be grieving more than I will ever know or comprehend.  I pray that he will find some level of peace after losing his wife and his daughter.

(more…)

As anyone would probably tell you, September 11, 2001 started out as any other day for me.  It was a Tuesday and just two days after my son’s fourth birthday.  My daughter, born on May 1, 2001, was only slightly over 4 months old, and fussing for her morning bottle.  Working nights, I was always tired, but woke up like any other day to get the day rolling.  My routine in those days was to get my daughter’s bottle ready first, then go to her room and change her diaper, then settle down to feed her while I watched the morning news on Fox.  At the push of a button, that day was no longer "routine" or "ordinary."

Timing seemed to be everything.  At the point I had turned on the news, they weren’t showing images of the planes, but just the explosions.  I immediately got a feeling of extreme doom in my heart.  My first thought?  We were being attacked by missiles or something similar.  My second was of complete distress…what kind of world will my kids grow up in if we are, indeed, being invaded?  About that time, my husband burst through the front door and all I could muster was "What the HELL is happening?!?!?!?"…a moment etched in both of our minds forever. 

As the day unfolded, there were many tears shed and as many moments of sheer anger.  And grief.  I had to go find the pictures of the World Trade Center - I felt so fortunate that I had a chance to see those amazing buildings during a trip to New York.  I felt that I had to look at them just to let the whole idea that they were gone sink into my heart and my head. 

Before I knew it, the time had come for me to go to work.  It was so hard to peel away from my family, and from the news, but I thought that work could bring just a bit of "normalcy" to my day.  Of course, I was wrong.

Getting to work was a challenge.  We shared an office building with a local radio station and the parking lot, as well as the roads in, were clogged with cars.  People were donating money to aid the victims and their survivors.  I had *no* issue with being late that day because of this.  Once I got into the office, you could feel the distinct change in atmosphere.  A place normally abuzz as hundreds of employees talk with customers on the phone, an eerie quiet was in the air.  We barely were getting phone calls, which makes complete sense.  Those that did call in felt guilty, and said as much.  Then there were those who called in because they just needed to talk with someone.  Those were the hard calls, because America’s people were grieving whether the knew anyone affected by the events at the WTC, the Pentagon, or in Shanksville.  A wonderful lady who reported to me was at work, even though a very close cousin of hers was missing, working in the Pentagon.  She asked me if it would be okay if she kept her cell phone on, which is usually not something we allowed on the production floor.  Of course I told her okay, but also encouraged her to be home with her family.  She came to work, she said, because she had worried all day and wanted something to take her mind off of it.  I cried for her.  I didn’t know what else to do but offer her support and prayers.  Finally a moment of sheer joy hit our production floor when she got that cell phone call.  Her cousin, while seriously injured, was found and okay.  It didn’t matter if a customer was on the phone, the whole room burst out in cheers, clapping and tears.

We were all still focused on the news.  Everyone had the Internet up, checking on the news.  We made sure the break room had a television on.  I had been very used to eating at my desk over lunch and taking breaks at my desk, but decided in those days to eat and break in the break room.  I remember the speeches by GWB and how everyone, no matter their political affiliation or background, was inspired and touched by Bush’s words, and more importantly, his actions.

In the days that followed, when there was no air traffic, I tended to get spooked out.  Late at night, for about an hour, I was the only person in the building I worked in.  It was so quiet, you could hear every noise, every rattle, every creak.  And a few nights, you could hear the jets taking off from Offutt AFB (we were in the midst of their flight path).  Imagine yourself, already spooked, sitting alone in a huge building late at night, knowing planes aren’t supposed to be flying.  At that most panicky moment, that’s when the large jet managed to zoom past the building.  The first night that happened, I swear I was under my cubicle, thinking I was about to die.  Then when I ran and looked out the window, I did the whole "DUH" thing (slap on forehead included), but proceeded to pack up my stuff and got the hell out of there.  My heart was still racing - even when I pulled into my driveway.  That’s when I realized, that for such a "distant" attack, it had even changed *my* life forever.

I remember the day that Bush declared we were at work with Afghanistan.  I remember thinking "Hell, yeah….those bastards deserve everything we’ve got!"  …and got it, they did.  I remember watching the footage each night and day, an eerie green-hued Steve Harrigan etched into my mind.  I would stay up until 3-4am, just to watch the footage, only to start it up the next day.  I remember my 4-year-old son asking if Osama bin Laden was going to kill us.  My son, I will say, is brilliant.  At the age of four, he was asking me about the news, and the mastermind behind a major terrorist plot - but at the same time, my very sensitive son had fear on his face - he was genuinely concerned.  I explained to him that the army guys were "beating him up" and he’d never be able to hurt us.  From that day on, "Army guys" were my son’s heroes. 

Each year, there have been vigils and memorial services to remember those lost in the 9/11 attacks.  They have served, for me, as a reminder of what we have lost. 

They have also served to keep my beliefs and ideals firmly in place, especially when I watch my young children participate in these services.  This is a world they are inheriting - not by anything they have done, but at the hands of extremists who hate our country.

There was a unity for some time in this country.  Flags flying, people crossing the aisle to say "let’s work together and support this cause."  We don’t see that anymore - at least on the outside (i.e. the media).  We have the Michael Moores and Cindy Sheehans of the world who will tell you that GWB and anyone who believes in his leadership is putting soldiers in harms way for no reason.  However, most "every day Americans" have faith that the Bush Administration is leading us in the right direction in the War on Terror.  President Bush has never said that road would be easy, and he never said the war would be swift, no matter where the war took us.  He did let us know these efforts will preserve our freedoms and that soldiers would die for this cause.  That’s what war is - freedom has a price.  3000+ Americans paid a heavy price on 9/11 and I believe in assuring their deaths were not in vain.

Update:  There are a number of sites commemorating the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.  I suggest to get started you stop over at my hubby’s site, Rusty’s site, Beth’s site, and SC&A’s site.  But don’t stop there.  Pretty much move down my blogroll and you will find a number of excellent posts out there about 9/11. 

I think we will see more and more of these types of sites…set up to show people where sex offenders live and meander and plot and plan. It’s a good thing and the more resources people have, the better they will be able to protect their children. I have to wonder how long it will take groups like the ACLU to start complaining about this. This site is managed by a citizen who is concerned for children, it’s not a government supported or sponsored thing.

A new Web site allows people to search for sex offenders in their area simply by typing in an address.

The site www.familywatchdog.us shows maps of where registered sex offenders live in relation to other homes, businesses and schools. By the end of September, the site will offer searches in 42 states.

Founder Steve Roddel of Westfield began developing the site in April. The idea began after he learned two sex offenders lived near his home and three children. He had not found the information on the Indiana Sex and Violent Offender registry because a street name was misspelled in the directory.

Too many of the online sex offender “registries” are just plain difficult to use. One has to click through five or six pages before they get to the actual page where you type in a zip code, in my state’s site for example. Make it simple and user friendly.

“We wanted to build a system that did not rely on street addresses and spellings,” said Roddel, who has worked in information technology for 25 years.

The Vigo County Task Force on Sexual Predators is delighted with the Web site, which is easy to use.

The task force was formed in June by various law enforcement agencies to search for sex offenders who have not registered after being released from a correctional facility, or have moved without registering.

The Web site serves as “another tool to allow us to continue to monitor sex offenders to make sure they are in compliance,” said Sarah K. Mullican, first deputy prosecuting attorney with the Vigo County prosecutor’s office.

“The site is so much easier to surf through than the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute or the [Indiana] Sheriff’s Association,” said Vigo County Sheriff Jon Marvel. “I will do all I can in order to support them.”

Indiana law requires the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute to keep a list of all offenders convicted of a sex or violent crime.

The Family Watchdog Web site uses sex-offender information from sheriff’s associations, the FBI and public data sources, Roddel said.

The Web site will not have information from eight states that do not supply addresses of sex offenders or do not have complete information, Roddel said. The states nearest Indiana who will not be represented are Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, he said.

The Web site, which is updated daily, does not charge a fee to perform searches or look at street and aerial maps. Users can pay a fee to receive automatic notification for up to three addresses.

The service only tracks registered sex offenders, which means if a sex offender has not notified their local sheriff’s department that they have moved, the correct address will not be listed.

“We encourage everyone to use it,” Roddel said. “We want to protect everyone’s kids.”

It’s really a good site that is easy to use…These folks should put more efffort into promoting it.

A Letter To ACLU Members: One of the most common comments and hate mails I get besides the "you are a nazi that hates freedom" ones, is the infamous "You just inspired me to give $100 to the ACLU", or the "I just re-upped my ACLU membership" ones. This post was inspired by you people.

Dear Mr. or Ms. ACLU Member,

Please work with the ACLU to reform some of their policies. Please get them to disclose their Policy guide so everyone can see what they truly stand for. If they are truly about freedom, they should have nothing to hide.

Please work with them to reform their position on the second amendment. If they are truly to be the defenders of the Constitution, it should be the entire Constitution and not just what is in line with their agenda. Tell them that the First Amendment applies to everyone, not just those that agree with their interpretation. Let them know that Pro-life demonstrators should have their free speech defended as well, and not ignored. Civil liberties should not be a selective process if you are to claim protecting it for all. If the ACLU cared as much for pro-life free speech as it does for NAMBLA their integrity on their claim to be might not be so questionable.

Ask them to work with the government instead of against it in homeland security issues. I’m sure they will come to some dead ends and disagreements, but a positive outreach to show they actually care about American security more than the imaginary rights of some terrorist could do wonders for their tarnished image. Refusing money from loyal contributors because they don’t want their money to go towards the advancement of terrorism makes many Americans leery on giving their money too. It also might help if they didn’t work with organizations known to have terrorist ties.

Please talk to them about completely dropping their position on child porn distribution legalization. It’s just plain sick. Let them know that comparing Christians to terrorists is not a good way to get new membership. And tell them I said to have a Merry Christmas this year, and to take it easy on the baby Jesus stuff. Nobody is trying to create a theocracy. Tell them to relax, and enjoy the "winter break." And give everyone else a break about too.

Best of luck with that membership,

Stop the ACLU Blogburst team.

This was a production of Stop The ACLU blogburst. Over 100 blogs are on board. If you would like to join go to our portal and register. We will add you to our mailing list and send you the simple instructions to be a part of our movement.

Note from Merri:  A comment was left on this post that made perfect sense to me.  In my opinion, in a time that people are suffering and homeless, it is much more important that my site encourages donations that go to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, more so than efforts of other organizations such as Stop the ACLU.  That being the case, I have removed the donations button from this post and encourage you, if you are wishing to make donations, to consider some of the great organizations that are collecting money for victims of Hurricane Katrina (I have a few links in my left sidebar).  I want to make it clear that this is my opinion, and since I own this site, it’s important to me that it reflects my ideas, opinions and beliefs.  Thanks!