Excellent news over at Rusty’s site…Roy Hallums was rescued today! 

I cannot possibly articulate the relief and joy the Hallums are feeling, but Rusty sums it up nicely:

UPDATE from Rusty:Today is one of the happiest days of my life.  I’m literally crying.

And a brief statement from Roy:

I want to thank all of those who were involved in my rescue — to those who continuously tracked my captors and location, and to those who physically brought me freedom today.

To all of you, I will be forever grateful. Both of us are in good health and look forward to returning to our respective families. Thank you to all who kept me and my family in their thoughts and prayers.

Roy, you and your family are still in my thoughts and prayers.  Thank God you are coming home!

As everyone would agree, this week has been a trying one, especially for our fellow citizens down in the gulf region.  The ladies of the Cotillion have truly highlighted much about Hurricane Katrina, from the moment she made landfall through thousands and thousands of rescues, volunteer workers and charitable dollars raised.  What is evident throughout this tragedy is the strength of the heroes both great and small - the rescuers, the volunteers, the survivors.  Those who have given everything they can to help.  Those who have opened up their hearts and their wallets to support the rescue and recovery efforts.  Join me, and my fellow hostesses annika’s journal, Girl on the Right and Not a Desperate Housewife as we highlight a rather challenging week for America.

Jody at Steal the Bandwagon shares an outstanding roundup of charities the Cotillion ladies recommend, along with some thoughts about the disaster and the rescue efforts.  Jody also reminds everyone that Katrina couldn’t possibly be a member of the Cotillion - she was simply too mean.

Over at Who Tends the Fires, Denita has a great list of charities that are collecting for the rescue and recovery efforts from Hurricane Katrina.  Denita also reminds us to "do what we can!"

Mary Katharine Ham at Townhall.com C-Log reminds readers of the role private charity has in large-scale disasters such as the one in the Gulf:

Private charity allows the generosity and ingenuity of Americans to meet the unpredictability of life head-on in a way a staid government program never could.

Charity can work quickly. It can be tailored to the needs of specific victims. It can move in unorthodox ways to fix unprecedented problems. And the results can be astounding.

Zendo Deb at TFS Magnum speaks of consequences and responsibility when it comes to hurricane preparedness:

If people are going to rely on the state for rescue, they then need to obey the orders of that state when told what to do. You can’t both have responsibility (not following the orders on your own judgment) and not have responsibility (for facing the consequences of your actions and decisions).   

I have sat watching the news this week and often wondered how different the rescue efforts may have looked had citizens who stayed - even with the ability to evacuate - decided to evacuate.

On the other hand, The Anchoress brings to light others who will likely face the consequences of their inaction.  She speaks about a photo filled with submerged buses that could have been used, in advance of the storm, to evacuate those citizens without the financial means to leave on their own:

Why were school bus drivers, city bus drivers, local truckers, not enlisted to drive these buses around the city, picking people up and taking them out of harm’s way? It’s staggering - just staggering - to contemplate this. This is a profound negligence or incompetence (or both). In a world where people love to look for “root causes� of problems, I think this photo is evidence of one of the “root causes� for the unimaginable experience too many people have just lived through - are still living through.

E.M. at The American Princess pours her frustration into thoughts that have undoubtedly moved through the minds of many:

What do you do to help people, even militarily, when they shoot at Army personnel, threaten them, and refuse to obey their orders. What do you do when people who are in a horrible situation refuse to act like human beings? Is it so much to ask to treat your fellow man with human dignity? The people who are attempting to help are often in the same boat as those who loot and pillage–many of the New Orleans police officers have lost their homes, their families, everything that they have lived for, and yet they are still remaining in the city, trying, often in futility. to control those who cannot control themselves.

Any time America sees a great tragedy, the "blame game" must commence.  Fausta, at The Bad Hair Blog enlightens us with some possible "reasons" this tragedy unfolded.  Germany’s environment minister hinted that Americans may be to blame for the hurricane due to "the U.S. refusal to cut greenhouse gases, which many experts say cause global warming."  However, Robert Kennedy, Jr., has another angle - he blames the GOP.

Beth of Yeah, Right, Whatever provides a number of observations following the destruction in the Gulf.  Beth wonders whether everyone has had the opportunity to blame Bush for the events in New Orleans.  She also highlights a question posed in a number of interviews seen on the news networks:

Everyone is turning this into a race thing.  I’ve heard things like "if it was a predominately white community, everyone would have been taken care of." Yes, there is still racism in this country (there’s racism of one kind or another all over the world- unfortunately, that’s one of the uglier sides of humanity). But I am offended that people presume that this country doesn’t care about the people just because they are black.

Some of the speculation and rumor is simply irresponsible, as Cassandra at Villainous Company shares.  Amidst the thousands of rescue missions, criminals shooting at rescuers, the massive relief efforts, Randall Robinson reports that "black hurricane victims in New Orleans have begun eating corpses to survive. Four days after the storm, thousands of blacks in New Orleans are dying like dogs. No-one has come to help them."  Thanks, Cassandra, for setting the record straight.

Just as the volunteer workers are trying to establish some normalcy for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, Holly of Soldiers’ Angel reminds us that life goes on.

…if you need a good laugh or some entertainment this podcast is for you! Program notes…find out what a soldier recently back from Iraq, a soldier injured in Iraq, a radio talk show host, a stay at home mom, flooding and ghostbusters have in common. It’s bizarre but true! 

America is filled with every day heroes who never think twice about helping those in need.  Shelter volunteers, employees at companies pooling donations, companies donating goods needed for victims, airlines, cruiselines, hospitals, churches and individual citizens donating to charitable organizations - we will bring comfort and support to the families in the Gulf who need us.  They will give back by rebuilding both their homes and their lives.  Undoubtedly, America will see another tragedy in her future.  But even the youngest have learned what it is like to take care of one another.

Hi all!

Merri Musings is getting a bit of a facelift, so you may see some changes here and there.  Just be careful and don’t trip on that paint can! 

Last night, I was frantically looking through a number of my CDs for pictures from my trip to New Orleans last summer.  I was so happy to find them and only wish I had taken more - most of mine were from the convention I was participating in. 

I’ll admit, I’m a pretty sentimental person.  Watching the news last night, a sense of profound sadness really washed over me as the images of the convention center area moved across the television screen.  You see, I was in New Orleans on business last year, participating in a very large convention.  I stayed at the Mariott at the Convention Center and walked the few blocks between the hotel and the convention center every day.  Seeing the images of death and despair touched me even more strongly than I imagined.  This is more like the Convention Center I remember:

This is the "lobby" of the Center - which many of the survivors were in to get out of the scorching sun.  The Convention Center is a grand place - many rooms and a huge convention floor.  There wasn’t a single time I was greeted by the convention center staff with any less than friendliness and hospitality.

Having a chance to work at the Convention Center was nice, and I had the luxury of spending quite a few hours at the New Orleans information booth.  This was a booth right at the entrance of the Convention Center that was staffed by New Orleans convention center employees and event staff together.  In these hours, I worked with a couple of incredible women who told me all the places and things I should see in New Orleans, if I could get a chance.  They were the ones that helped me make the decision to go to Jacque Imo’s - which ended up being my favorite restaurant during my trip.  They were the ones that made the day a little easier.  Not only were they extremely hospitable, but extremely funny and always true "ladies."  I loved hearing about their families.  I especially loved watching them work their customers.  The most angry or upset customer would be turned around, merely by their charm.  They also knew their stuff.  They could get a person to the right place in a heartbeat.  If a person came up and asked what a good restaurant would be, they’d know what questions to ask and could give great advice.  People would come up to them the next day and thank them for their advice, and ask for more advice for dinner that night. 

But now, when I think of the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, I think of these wonderful ladies and wonder if they were able to get out of there safely and if their family was able to get out.  I wonder if they will return to their city once they can, or if they will choose to live elsewhere.  I imagine their hearts break 100 times more than mine when they see the footage on television. 

Ladies - I pray you are safe and that you have the strength to move on with your lives.  I hope your grand babies and your family members are all safe, too.  You will be in my thoughts and prayers!

I also think of the restaurants we went to (of course Jacque Imo’s as well as the Acme Oyster Bar in the French Quarter stand out in my mind) and wonder if they are still standing and if they will return.  I think about the river walk, which was a mall area that connected the convention center and the hotel.  I think about all of the businesses there that I bought my souveniers from and how they all faired in the hurricane.  I think about that poor sales guy at Clark’s.  After the first day standing on my feet on concrete flooring (I want to say it was a 13-14 hour day as I recall), I recognized that my shoes were not acceptable - I think it was the blisters that gave it away!  On a recommendation, I stopped by Clark’s and this sales guy brought out no less than 10 pair of shoes for me to try on, so I could get the best for my feet.  Those shoes are one of the best purchases I ever made.  It certainly made the rest of the cenvention more bearable, and I still wear them frequently.  They are one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I have ever owned. 

Then there was the fudge place in the mall.  I had never seen a fudge company that actually sang while they prepared fudge.  They had a whole routine.  One night my boss and I stood there and watched them for about an hour (and of course had to buy fudge!).  The workers were young men and women with voices of angels.  You could tell they had fun at their jobs!  I hope they are all okay, too!

I know my memories of New Orleans are but a tiny spot in life, and I’m certainly not saying that this tragedy impacted me directly.  But it has truly given me some perspective on how enormous this tragedy is.  I was there for merely days.  A lifelong citizen - in any of the communities hit by Katrina - has lost something so significant I’m not sure how they could possibly shoulder the sadness.  But they will.  For those that don’t wish to return or rebuild, they will be welcomed in the many communities taking them in and they will start their lives over.  For those who want to stay, they will rebuild - better and stronger just to prove they can’t get beaten back by this tragedy - and they will welcome the rest of us when it is time to take advantage of their hospitality. 

Get in on Phin’s auctioning off of a custom blog design.  Scratch that, get in on Phin’s auction of TWO blog designs.

As an added bonus, Pixy Misa is throwing in your very own colony in MuNuvia. 

All proceeds will go to the American Red Cross, or a charity of the winning bidders’ choice.

What the hell are you staring at this for, git goin’!!!!!!!

I look all over the web and there are amazing resources for how you can donate money to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.  I wanted to be sure I pointed my readers to these resources.

Please stop by Beth’s site - she has some great places to go donate, and has links to the American Red Cross.  She has a good roundup of other sites aggregating donation information.  I’m also very happy that Beth, a resident of Mobile was able to get out before the storm and sustained minimal damage to her home.  She got back safe today and shares some of her thoughts about the disaster.

PayPal has a link up on their site where they have a path for customers to donate to United Way’s Hurricane Response Fund.  You can find the information here.  PayPal is also waiving all fees related to these donations.

PayPal’s parent company, eBay, is offering a solution if you would like to sell items on eBay and donate proceeds to charitable organizations such as those established for victims of the hurricane.  My hubby over at Vince Aut Morire has a good summary of how it works.  It’s much easier to sell at eBay than many realize and even easier to buy an item someone is selling for disaster relief. 

Catholic Charities USA is also offering a means to donate to the disaster relief following Hurricane Katrina.  You can find out more here.

We are all in a much better spot than the citizens impacted by this disaster.  I hear so much concern buzzing around about gas prices and airfare and other things that have either already been impacted or could be.  The fact that we have our vehicle or the opportunity to look forward to a trip is a gift many do not have right now.  Versus complaining about our "inconveniences" we should find it in our hearts to donate in some way to those who have had their lives altered forever.

About three weeks ago, I wrote a post regarding a couple who were pulled over for traffic violations and had a bumper sticker "It’s a Druid Thing" on their vehicle.  The couple claimed they were only pulled over because of this bumper sticker, seeming to leave out the part about all of their violations.  The ACLU took up their cause and demanded an apology. 

Recently, a police officer involved in the traffic stop left the following comment on my blog:

"I am the Police officer that was involved in the traffic stop. For almost three months I have been silent. I have noticed that the internet has mostly slammed me.

Most of the sites and chat rooms are not interested in the total story, just the lies told so far.

I am ashamed that so many people will listen to the loudest voice regardless of what is being said.

Most recently the ACLU called me a stalker and asked the Greer Police department to issue a restraining order against me.

To view more of these details, visit my churces website and look at the MLB in the news link.

There have been a lot of Christian support and I am very thankful for websites like yours. You are however in the minority as most sites side with the ACLU.

Ex-Officer - Tony Stewart

Tony Stewart was a reserve officer for the Greer, S.C. police department for 14 years when this event unfolded.  When the couple’s allegations came forward, officer Stewart was placed on administrative leave while an internal investigation took place, and was cleared, with the issues that this couple brought forward unsubstantiated - well, by the internal investigation team anyway.  Enter the ACLU, coming to the defense of these troubled and picked on people.

Now, Officer Stewart, as a reserve officer, did not issue tickets (he never drove a cruiser or wrote tickets during his time of service).  The actual traffic stop and citation(s) were not initiated by Officer Stewart.  However, he has faced a mountain of accusations - one of them being stalking - from any number of websites, news bureaus and, of course, the ACLU.  Around the time this issue was escalating, the four reserve officer positions, including Stewarts, were cut and he was without a job.  The timing seems very interesting to me, but here is what Tony says about it:

The motives for the Gaineys to make charges against me were two fold. One of those was to make enough noise so as to force the police department to drop their charges. The dismissal of all four of the reserve officers due to budgetary reasons came at an unfortunate time, which may have looked suspicious to some. I can only say that I hope a creative approach to solving their budget problems will one day allow them to reinitiate this program, as it was a resource that helped the other officers do their jobs more safely. I doubt that I would ever be asked to return, but I have no hard feelings. I enjoyed serving the people of Greer.

With all he’s been through, he is most gracious, isn’t he?

I encourage you to go see Tony’s comments on his church’s website.  There is a lot he can’t disclose or discuss due to the pending legal matters surrounding the case, but on the flip side, he does give you some perspective of what happened and what he is going through.

One particular item in Tony’s comments caught my attention:

As a Christian and a volunteer police officer, I constantly desired to help people. That night I heard a cry for mercy from a lady who told of hard times and living on food stamps. I heard that the trip to Walmart to get needed groceries was unfairly interrupted by the arrest of her husband. And the towing of a car that could not be legally driven without insurance or tags would add further burdens to a family she described as without hope. I heard that some of the groceries would spoil and that they had no money to replace them.

This was the chance that I prayed for.  I responded by asking her if I could mail her a letter about a bible study and Mt. Lebanon Baptist church where I told her the search for answers to the questions she asked could begin.  I wanted her to meet my Pastor Mark Smith who god used every day to show people the way to better days.  I wanted her to know what the support of a church family like mine would do for her.  Before we parted I resented her with $40 dollars to help with the spoiled groceries.

Why did that catch my eye?  Well, my initial throught was that an officer should not be witnessing to a person while on the job.  Not so much the church versus state idea, but more along the lines of keeping it "about the job."  I truly believe his intentions were good.  Do I think he should defer from witnessing about his faith while on the job?  Perhaps.  Do I think that his witnessing in the case of this couple had a direct impact on the officer’s descretion in handling the situation from a law enforcement perspective?  Absolutely not.  The driver was driving with a suspended license, had no insurance and other such significant violations warranting the traffic stop.  The sole reason for the traffic stop was related to their violations, NOT whether they were druid, blue with stripes, orange with dots, Catholic, etc.  Hence, the danger of the ACLU. They don’t use common sense and rational thought, while looking at the big picture. If there had been any evidence tying the traffic stop merely to the bumper sticker, I wouldn’t be writing about this.

…and what of Ex-Officer Tony Stewart? He has many opportunities coming his way such as public speaking opportunities and because of his faith, Mr. Stewart sees the blessings in this course of his life.

Mr. Stewart, best of luck to you in your endeavors. Hold onto your positive outlook and you will get through this trying time and it will have made you stronger. The ACLU doesn’t win them all - I don’t think this will be in the “winner’s” bracket for them, either.

I haven’t posted much for White Trash Wednesdays the last few weeks, but I’m certain I found the epitome of a White Trash Beeeotch that everyone can relate to:

(more…)

Due to a company picnic, fighting a cold, cooking, cleaning and generally being lazy, I haven’t blogged anything since Thursday!  That’s a long time for me!  I guess I just haven’t felt creative and/or had the time to write the one post that I have dancing around in my head.  Soooooo…I think I’ll send you off to read some posts much more interesting than anything I can come up with at the moment!

Please keep those in the South (i.e. Louisiana, Alabama) in your thoughts and prayers.  The bitch of a hurricane Katrina looms off the coast, and it doesn’t look good.  Beth has got the right idea and is driving away from the coast.  Be safe, Beth!  You are in our prayers!

Well, due to the weather and other circumstances, the Cotillion isn’t having their weekly gala.  However, to see what one crazy day in the life of the Cotillion is like (behind the scenes), look no further than Cassandra’s round up.  Yeah, we’re all slightly crazy!

Speaking of the Cotillion…it appears there is a new little bundle of joy in the Cotillion "family."  Go over to Right Thinking Girl and congratulate the family on their new arrival, baby girl Parker Grace!

Darleen over at Darleen’s Place has a great post up about Cindy Sheehan, that b….oh, Darleen says it best and she has a great photo of the new Cindy Sheehan doll as well.  This is a a MUST view photo!

Lastly, it’s been awhile since I talked about my favorite Food Network guru, Rachael Ray.  She launched yet another new show, "Tasty Travels."  The first episode was Friday night, and was shot in New York City.  Her sweetie John Cusimano was also in the show, for those of you who find their way here.  I like the concept of this show more than "$40 A Day."  It’s not just about restaurants.  In this particular show, Rachael took you to the store she buys her funky dishes from, and also takes you to the market she buys her groceries from.  Next stop….Los Angeles!  Hmmmm….wonder if she’ll ever be in Omaha?  Heh!

Well, that’s it for now…off to finish some laundry and other such boring types of stuff.  Work again tomorrow, darn it!  But we’re coming up on a 3-day weekend…that will help me get through the week!

Back in July, I did a post regarding the ACLU and their position against putting additional security cameras in cities with a higher propensity for terrorism and other criminal activity.  The ACLU cited concerns with the intrusion on privacy for every day citizens (even though they were in public places!).  Well, when the ACLU wishes to follow Americans who want to protect our borders, they have no issue tailing them and capturing their actions on camera - a practice not too far removed, it seems, from every day paparazzi:

SANTA FE - Used to be, Gary Buie and his family could go down to a local buffet in Birmingham, Ala., and fill up on comfort food and familiar eats.

Slowly, the all-you-can-eat buffet began to change. Six months ago, he and his family made the trip and were the only ones speaking English, he said in a telephone interview from Birmingham.

Alabama’s immigrant population is growing, and residents like Buie are noticing.

To help the U.S. Border Patrol, the 53-year-old civil engineer and others from that state plan to drive to New Mexico in October to watch for and report undocumented border crossers.

Members of the group, the Alabama Minutemen Support Team, aren’t anti-immigrant, Buie said, but "rules apply to everyone."

"I can see that through uncontrolled border access, people are coming through, and we don’t know who they are."

Organizers say they hope 125 people will make the trip. About 30 have signed up so far.

These travelers will not be alone.  In addition to being joined by the New Mexico Minutemen, members of the ACLU won’t be too far away.

While the Minutemen get ready for their duty, ACLU members today will start training legal observers, who will follow, photograph and videotape the Minutemen.

Ray Ybarra, an Ira Glasser Racial Justice Fellow with the national ACLU, will conduct the training.

"I hope the people of New Mexico aren’t going to sit and let these vigilantes come to their communities and wreak havoc," he said.

Oh, c’mon, Ray.  VIGILANTES?  These are American citizens with one idea in mind - to peacefully protect our nations borders from being crossed by individuals who are entering our country illegally.  The hope is that they can prevent potential terrorists, criminals, illegals and other known law breakers from entering our country.  Oh, yeah.  I forgot.  The ACLU is on the side of the terrorists.

This isn’t the first time the ACLU has "observed" minutemen.

Ybarra said about 150 observers were on the scene in Arizona in April, when a similar Minutemen operation was conducted. He also plans to hold trainings in Las Cruces and El Paso.

The ACLU conveniently forgets that the governor in New Mexico called for a state of emergency due to the issues they have faced with the surge of illegal immigrants crossing their border.  While New Mexico is doing everything they can to increase police and border patrol in the area, 125 willing volunteers certainly can’t cause any harm in the interim. 

I just have to ponder…who would come to these volunteers’ rescue if they raise concern that their "right to privacy" is being infringed upon by the very group who screams for that right on behalf of so many others?

***

This post is part of the Stop The ACLU Blog burst. If you would like to participate please Register At Our Portal.

Please join the gathering place of cool, conservative women at the Cotillion tomorrow for the weekly blog tour hosted by Villainous Company, The American Princess, Soldiers’ Angel - Holly Aho and The Bad Hair Blog.  You’ll have plenty to read and plenty to think about!

Chuck Hagel is at it again.  It is embarrassing that he is 1) from Nebraska and 2) representing the Republican party.  Well, he really isn’t representing the Republican party, is he?  Read below (emphasis mine):

WASHINGTON (AP) - A leading Republican senator and prospective presidential candidate said Sunday that the war in Iraq has destabilized the Middle East and is looking more like the Vietnam conflict from a generation ago.

Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, who received two Purple Hearts and other military honors for his service in Vietnam, reiterated his position that the United States needs to develop a strategy to leave Iraq. Hagel scoffed at the idea that U.S. troops could be in Iraq four years from now at levels above 100,000, a contingency for which the Pentagon is preparing.

"We should start figuring out how we get out of there," Hagel said on "This Week" on ABC. "But with this understanding, we cannot leave a vacuum that further destabilizes the Middle East. I think our involvement there has destabilized the Middle East. And the longer we stay there, I think the further destabilization will occur."

Hagel said "stay the course" is not a policy. "By any standard, when you analyze 2 1/2 years in Iraq … we’re not winning," he said.

No, Senator Hagel.  The war in Iraq isn’t looking like the Vietnam conflict, you WANT it to look like the Vietnam conflict.  You need to hop the tour bus with your gal pal Jane Fonda and take your message to the smelly, sandal-donning, hemp-weaving hippies who might actually listen to your line of bullshit.  I’m embarrassed that you are representing my state and my party.  Perhaps YOU should be the one getting out.

Anyone that hangs around here for more than a few seconds knows my position on child molesters and pedophiles - they should be removed from society because they are repeat offenders.  I came across a great opinion piece over at Fox News written by Carole Moore, a former police officer who is a crime reporter.  She sums up my own opinions eloquently in one article.  I encourage you to read the entire article over at Fox News, but I wanted to point out an excerpt that I really liked:

But in most cases, it doesn’t last. Until they finally kill a child — and amazingly, sometimes not even then — most child rapists will one day be back out, free to steal a child’s innocence or even his or her life. It’s time to tip the scales in favor of the kids.

Does this look ominous to you?  Frightening?  Does it cause you pain and discomfort? 

This monument, donated by the Fraternal Order of Eagles in 1966, is on property adjacent to a public park.  I can remember walking by this monument on my way to the park on many occasions as a kid.  I thought it was beautiful and it never crossed my mind that anyone would think it was offensive and needed to be removed.  Then "John Doe" comes along in 1991 to complain that he is an atheist and he has to see this monument on his drive each day and doesn’t think it should be there.  The ACLU jumped up quickly to support "Mr. Doe" in his efforts.  The citizens of Plattsmouth were not amused, and even discussed selling the property the monument was on for $1 (to a private citizen) so they could preserve it.  Oh, and the Omaha World Herald outed "John Doe" (his real name is Ron Larsen), and of course he felt that his life was in danger after that - poor victim that he is. 

Following much legal wrangling, appeals and other legal stuff, it appears as though there might be a win for the citizens of Plattsmouth! 

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed a ruling last year from one of the court’s three-judge panels that said the monument must be removed from the park.

The appeals court cited a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that said it was constitutionally permissible to display the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the Texas Capitol. In that case, the high court said the monument was a legitimate tribute to the nation’s legal and religious history.

Lawyers for Plattsmouth had argued that the monument is simply a gift from a prominent civic group and not an endorsement of religion.

It’s nice to see that common sense *can* prevail in society - and it just happened to be in my old stomping grounds.

Update:  Be sure to stop by my hubby’s Cafe Press store to buy some fun stuff - he even has a design inspired by this story!

Whatever you do, don’t trim her trees!!

FREMONT, Calif. (AP) - A woman incensed at utility tree trimmers was arrested after allegedly chasing workers with a chain saw and twisting the fingers of an arresting officer, police said.

Diane Kaiser, 57, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, theft and resisting arrest. She posted bail and was released.

She had been notified that workers would be coming to trim trees away from her powerlines.  When the workers knocked on her door and she didn’t answer, they proceeded to start the work.  She apparently didn’t like that too much.

When workers walked to the back of the house, Kaiser allegedly ran from the home cursing and screaming.

She then picked up rocks and began throwing them at the workers, according to police reports.

Kaiser then allegedly picked up a tree trimmer’s chain saw and pointed it at the workers, causing three to flee and call police. A fourth worker climbed a tree to escape.

Tree huggers everywhere are probably applauding this woman, honoring her as the Cindy Sheehan of vegetation! 

Oh…tree workers?  If you are ever in Nebraska, we have a tree that we want REMOVED.  Come on by, we’ll even serve you beer and food.