Cindy “Shee-Hag” Sheehan was here in Omaha today. Boy, it’s good I wasn’t paying attention, or I’d have been there, protesting her very presence in my state. BUT…on the contrary, I’m glad I wasn’t there as I may 1) be in jail right now or 2) may be adding fuel to the fire as she doesn’t care what type of attention she gets…just as long as it’s attention, right?

For two years she’s been the most public face of protest to the war in Iraq.

Well, her and about a bazillion Hollywood types.

Among Sheehan’s messages, “one person can make a difference.”

Yes, Shee-Hag, that’s true. Your son made a significant difference in the war on terror by going to fight for our freedom. He lost his life, but you’ve stolen his dignity.

Protestors to Sheehan’s message were visible Sunday. It’s something Sheehan has faced all along, but in the last year she says it’s decreased dramatically.

Let me guess. She’s going to blame Bush’s lower approval ratings for the decrease in protests at her little self-fests.

“And if I would have been here a year ago after my first Camp Casey there would have been a lot more protest and opposition. And it is dwindling as support for George Bush and the war dwindles opposition to our message also dwindles,” says Cindy Sheehan.

Yep, she went there (duh!). Of course she fails to realize that less and less just don’t give a shit what she has to say as it matters so little.

And for those who did protest, they were there for the right reasons…

Other people say they wanted to show the troops they have support on the homefront.

Ian Daharsh of the UNO College Republicans says “Our point is to have a positive rally to try and support our troops to try and counter some of Sheehan’s anti-war, anti-troop message. We just wanted to do something positive today.”

Shee-Hag…don’t let the large foot of this very Red State kick you in the ass on your way out. Wait…go ahead. Let it…and you don’t need to come back!

A tornado in Enterprise, Alabama, devastated their school and eight classmates were lost in the storm. Enter Rachael Ray, who wanted to be sure the students got a senior prom.

The celebrity chef planned the menu and helped prepare dinner at Enterprise High School’s prom, according to a statement Thursday from publicist Georgianna Dente. The star of the syndicated “Rachael Ray” coordinated donations for the dance, which was shot for an episode to air April 30.

“The students of Enterprise High are so courageous, given all that they’ve gone through,” Ray, 38, said in the statement. “When I heard about what happened to their school and classmates, we wanted to help.”

“The prom was all about celebrating their accomplishments and honoring the classmates who tragically lost their lives,” she said.

Those students lost their lives in a recent spring storm spawning tornadoes on March 1. The High School and Elementary School were damaged in the storm. Students went back to school on March 14 at a Community College. There are plans in the works to rebuild both schools.

I’m so happy to see that people understand the importance of giving these kids memories of their senior year outside the tragedy.

Earlier in the day, Ray appeared with Gov. Bob Riley and Enterprise Mayor Kenneth Boswell to greet students at an assembly.

The prom, held at Fort Rucker, was themed “Caught in a Moment.” Photographs of seniors Jamie Vidensek and Michael Tompkins two of the students killed lined the dance floor, the Eagle reported.

Senior Mitchell Baker, 17, said the prom was bittersweet after the death of his friends.

“It makes it a little harder for me,” Baker, 17, told The Dothan Eagle newspaper. “I’m used to all of them being around.”

I watch Rachael Ray’s show every day and definitely won’t miss this episode on April 30.

Hat tip goes out to Sadie.

Oh.my.Gawd. What will I do? How can I go to sleep at night knowing that Sanjaya did NOT absolutely suck on American Idol tonight? Honestly. I bitch about him when he sucks on the show. Which has been every week, pretty much. I rant that he shouldn’t be on the show. And tonight, while he was far from what I would call superior, he actually did a very decent job…and I’m kinda pissed about it! Note: Even more decent than others on the show [can you say Haley or that guy that thinks he is Justin Timberlake?]. Gah! Is the world coming to an end? Will the message of the Emergency Broadcast System be blaring from my cable box when I go into the livingroom? OH…THE HUMANITY!

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
-John 11:25

This is the greatest! The little girl is sooooo serious and the ending is perfect.

Guilty Plea in Wife’s Suicide Plunge
Wednesday, March 28, 2007

By JIM FITZGERALD, Associated Press Writer

NEW CITY, N.Y. — A man accused of helping his wife commit suicide by allowing her to drive the family minivan off a 300-foot cliff with their children inside pleaded guilty Wednesday to child endangerment in a deal that will likely spare him any prison time.

Victor Han, 35, admitted in Rockland County Court that he knew his wife was putting herself and their children in danger when he stepped out of the vehicle last June at a scenic overlook at Bear Mountain.

His 35-year-old wife, Hejin Han, drove the minivan off the cliff, killing herself. The children, 5-year-old Ariana and 3-year-old Itana, were belted into car seats and survived without major injury.

State Supreme Court Justice William Kelly said the prosecution was recommending three years probation. The maximum sentence for an endangerment charge is 28 months to seven years in prison. Sentencing was set for June 6.

Three years probation? WTF??? What’s wrong with doing that time in prison or better yet, the maximum of 7 years?

Han, who remains free on $40,000 bail, walked out of court without commenting.

“He did this to get the case over, and not to force the family to go through the trauma (of a trial),” defense attorney Lawrence Goldman said of his client’s guilty plea.

Han, an architect living in New York City, is seeking full custody of the children and is currently seeing them at supervised visits, prosecutor Louis Valvo said.

In a statement to police, Han acknowledged that he had worried his wife was suicidal but said he got out of the minivan only to take pictures.

One might surmise that he had no idea that this would happen, he was just taking pictures. BUT, in his own statements, he claimed that he KNEW his wife was suicidal. Why risk leaving two young children with her?

He said that when the vehicle went over the edge, passing between two boulders placed to keep cars from skidding off the road, he called 911, ran down the cliff and rescued his daughters but could not revive his wife.

In exchange for Han’s guilty plea, additional charges of promoting a suicide and endangering children were dropped.

Again with the G.D. plea bargaining. The son of a bitch endangered his children! He said so himself! Now they drop the charge? And he’s seeking custody of the children? The judge had better think long and hard about that!

Death is the right thing for this disgusting, walking, talking piece of human waste, legally at least.

But NO PUNISHMENT, no matter how harsh will ever replace the beautiful, sweet girl he buried alive after raping her, throwing her in a closet and covering her with bags and burying her.

Will the judge listen to a jury who - 10 to 2 - recommended execution? I certainly hope so. But no matter what, he gets an appeal. And her family gets to suffer through more publicity while defense attorneys bring up the need to be merciful. I don’t care if the guy has an IQ of 20, he violently raped and murdered a 9 year old girl and, because of that, should never be allowed to see sunlight again Or to breathe. Or to experience life, even if behind bars. The best justice would be burying the bastard in a bag alive and see how he likes it.

No matter what, the ultimate judge and jury will decide his fate. And there will likely be no appeals.

Yep…I’m alive. And I’m sorry I’ve been absent!

Yanno, sometimes life has a way of steering us in one direction only to take sharp twists and turns before we get there. Do I enjoy blogging? Sometimes, yes. But if it’s only to regurgitate what everyone else is writing about, well, that’s where I’ve lost interest. My observations the last few weeks?

We had a helluva snowstorm. Kids out of school, me working from home one day (and shoveling 2′ snowdrifts with a shovel until the freaking snow blower started…and had to lift the snowblower on TOP of the drifts or it would stop running!). Real Life-1, Blogging-0.

Work - busiest quarter since I’ve been there. A good problem to have, other than that whole life outside of work thingy. Real Life-1, Blogging-0.

Kids - they are far more entertaining than anything I would spend my time online doing. Real Life - 889.9 bazillion, Blogging-big fat zero.

Okay….I could whine forever, but I’ll leave it at this. I hate this time of year. I’m not a winter person by nature anyway, so sitting on the end of winter, when we are teased by spring only to get tons of snow dropped on us really drives me insane. I hate coats, I hate blue windshield stuff, I hate tax season, I hate annual review time, I hate annual planning, I can’t stand static and cold drafts by the doors really tick me off. And I hate sweaters, and salt on the roads/sidewalks that ruins my shoes. I want to open my window, get some fresh air and feel a warm breeze. THAT is mostly why I haven’t been blogging. I’d rather lay on the couch watching American Idol, or some other show that grabs my attention for an hour or so that allows me to escape, to be easily amused. Shoot, I don’t even turn on my computer until the kids go to bed at night. A few times I didn’t turn it on at all.

Things I thought about blogging about included: Anna Nicole Smith, Rachael Ray getting bit by a dog, Couey’s Guilty conviction, all the murdering spouses, parents, pedophiles, and freaks. And the snowstorm. And how much I hate winter. And the guy that got killed by a cow in Nebraska. And American Idol, and 24. And idiotic Chuck Hagel and his ridiculous desire to become the next president (I swear it’s the only thing that would be close enough to turn me into a Democrat!!!). And the Oscar crap, and all the other awards crap. I could go on, but if what I was going to write about was interesting to anyone outside of myself, it was depressing and infuriating enough that I had a hard time putting words on the screen.

I’ve heard many talk about how burned out they are with blogging (my friend Beth and my Hubby to name a couple), but they seem to be getting at least a little bit out of the slump. I don’t know if I will. The only thing people come here to see seems to be pictures of Rachael Ray in FHM. Even when I *was* writing more stuff that and “John Cusimano” pictures were the two items most compelling to people to come to this site.

Eh…maybe I’ll snap out of it. Maybe I won’t. But I know I haven’t snapped out of it yet. Perhaps you couldn’t tell?!?

http://www.michaelhodges.com/hillary.html

Plea deal in killing of foster child

CINCINNATI Defense lawyers and prosecutors say an Ohio man will plead guilty to murdering a foster son who was left tied up in a closet.

Under a plea deal, David Carroll Junior would get 15 years to life, plus another year for gross abuse of a corpse. The judge will have to approve the agreement tomorrow.

Carroll’s wife was convicted last week of murder and other charges and got 54 years to life. Authorities say the pair left the developmentally disabled three-year-old bound cocoon-like in a closet for three days while they went to a family reunion. The boy was dead when they returned, and Carroll burned the body, dumping the remains in a river.

But the couple told police he either wandered off or was kidnapped — prompting thousands of volunteers to go on a pointless search.

Now wait just a damned minute here! Key words; “the PAIR”. The PAIR left the child bound in a closet for three days. The bastards acted TOGETHER, yet he’s only getting 16 years? They both should receive the same sentence, which should have been life (unless death were an option.)

The more I hear this shit, the less I understand.

write about this:

Daughters Struggling After Mom Locked Them Away for 7 Years

or perhaps this:

Cops: Dad Beat Toddler Left in Pennsylvania Cold, Will Be Arraigned

But it’s just too much for me right now. I’m really missing my son right now and to think what these “parents” have done to their children just tears my heart. (Did you note the middle name of the precious 3 year old….Miangel…)

So on a much brighter note:

NYC Student’s Heart Starts Beating Days After Stopping

Yes, Virginia, there IS God!

The lastest on trying to make parents accountable can be found here:

A Republican state lawmaker from Baytown has filed a bill that would charge parents of public school students with a misdemeanor and fine them for playing hooky from a scheduled parent-teacher conference.

Rep. Wayne Smith said Wednesday he wants to get parents involved in their child’s education.

“I think it helps the kids for the parents and teachers to communicate. That’s all the intent was,” Smith said.

Let me make it clear. I’m against the idea of fining parents for not making a scheduled parent-teacher conference. It wouldn’t do any good in the long run and, quite honestly, only supports my concerns about prescribing the “right path” for society. It’s wrong not to come to parent-teacher conferences, so let’s fine the parents. People can’t figure out that trans-fat is unhealthy, so let’s ban it. Those poor workers at the diner. They can’t handle the smoke so let’s ban smoking so everyone is healthier (um, weren’t people smoking when you applied there?). And so on, and so on.

I think these problems go back a number of years, when people decided that it takes “a village” to raise kids. Once that was happening, why would the parents feel like they need to be involved, really? Won’t someone else take care of that? Why a conference with a teacher…how inconvenient when Mommy [Daddy] has a deadline for tomorrow?

My hubby and I are virtually drooled on by the teachers when both of us come to parent teacher conferences with our children so we can all talk together about their progress, focus in the classroom and what we can do to help them learn even more. It truly is sad that some parents aren’t involved. As parental responsibility has been delegated out amongst “the village” those parents with no backbones seem to have accepted their fate and given up having any influence, involvement or control over their child’s education, healthcare, social life, circle of friends, television habits, game playing, etc. Shoot, who needs Mom or Dad when all of that is prescribed, has a rating or a label saying it is okay for Mom or Dad to let their kids listen or watch it. Do I think it’s bullshit? Absolutely. But it’s a way of thinking I’ve seen many around me adopt. And it’s sad for the kids. And for their kids. And sad for us when we need to rely on them to manage our country, our money and our care.

Well, I kinda return.

Things have been crazy in the House of Musings, so I apologize for my time away. Unfortunately, I do have a “day job” so it has taken much of my time.

I promise I’ll be around more. I did get to watch ‘24′ tonight, plus the Super Bowl (way to go COLTS!) and American Idol is on tomorrow night. Whee…..I have plenty to write about, huh? Don’t even get me started on kidnapping child abusers or murderers or the ACLU.

In the meantime, please stop by Beth’s and read this post. While her angst is much more pronounced than mine, I do share in her sentiment about blogging. Not that I’m saying that this is good-bye. Just that I’m a bit bored with it currently and the media and the politics are pissing me off as of late, so I’m at a loss of what to really say (I should post a picture of me throwing my hands up in disgust, but eh…I’m too lazy to drag out the damn camera to do it at this point!). But there will always be something that pulls me back. …and that’s not a threat! Heh.

Given I’m supposed to finish up a project before my day job tomorrow, I won’t have much time to share my thoughts on tonight’s American Idol auditions in the good ole city of NY, NY. But I know AI starved fans are anxious to get their hands on *any* AI-related stuff, so why would I keep you in suspense? Here’s, well, something closer to word association versus free association. Heh.

Ian Benardo: He says “Ben-ardo” and I say “Ret-ardo.” Let’s call the whole thing off.

Sarah from Ohio: You’re 19. You don’t need Daddy’s permission to do ANYthing any more.

Fania: From Greece to Africa, and she took a left turn at apalling.

Ashanti: They said “As the American Idol Turns” and I say “As My Stomach Turns.” Get a clue - there were three Americans in the room and they said NO. America has *heard* you, so move on.

Amanda and Anotella: They both made it, but Anotella sings far better. Will their friendship survive Hollywood? Um, isn’t this about singing? To quote the MUSIC EXECUTIVE: “When someone’s down on the floor, kick them.” Could be interesting!

Clifton: Who told you ZZ Top screams when they sing? Damn!

Phillip: Does he have a flip top head?

William: AKA “It’s Pat!”

Kia: She did Aretha and got in. She was excited as hell. Simon says she has one problem, though. “No emotion.” HA! Such a funny guy that Simon!

Jenry: While he reminded me of Skelator, he had a great voice for a 16 year old.

Nakia: Should have stuck with the first song as you blew it with your second. You’ll be dancin’ in the streets at home, “Little Shirley.”

Sarah Goldberg: Hubby and I agreed that she was channeling “Fucking leftard.” Sarah, you’re right…you can’t sing. You don’t need to be taught how to sing, either. You need a valium and a dose of conservative. Jeez.

Antonio: He sang New Yor, New York. Can we get a “K” Vanna?

Jory: A Canadian who made a stop in Santa Monica on her way to American Idol. Isn’t this show “AMERICAN Idol?” Eh?

Porcelana: The “Rocky” of American Idol. She sang Mary J. Blige, and quite nicely. She scares me, though.

Christopher Henry: They thought he looked a bit like Simon, but when he sang, a woman’s voice clearly came out. I could close my eyes and see a woman in my mind. I would have never told him that. But Simon made it clear that he should have sang “in a dress and stilettos.” Harsh - at least it got a cussing rant out of Paula.

Rachel: Rachel was there, along with her other two personas. Oh, and all of them are going to Hollywood.

Chris from Virginia: Hubby: Yet another Mariah wannabe with balls. Me: Since he has balls, they’ll say he’s like Justin Timberlake. AI: You’re kind of like Justin Timberlake. Score: One for me, zero for da hubby. Should I be proud, or humiliated?

Nick: Bailed on Hollywood last year and came back to redeem himself. He would have truly redeemed himself if he had sang “Buttercup.” Really.

Isadora: To quote Simon “rational advice isn’t necessary.” And she seemed to be orgasming right in the middle of the song - was I dreaming? Oh, yes, we were laughing too hard to really notice. But riddle me this…she said she was a clairvoyant. Wouldn’t a clairvoyant *know* if they are going to win or not?

Next week? Alabama. I bet Beth is lined up for her audition as we speak!