Bill of What? Rights? No, sorry, never heard of it...

From SoCal, the Land of Nuts and Fruits, comes another assault on free assembly AND freedom of religion...
Couple: County Trying To Stop Home Bible Studies

"If the county thinks they can shut down groups of 10 or 15 Christians meeting in a home, what about people who meet regularly at home for poker night? What about people who meet for Tupperware parties? What about people who are meeting to watch baseball games on a regular basis and support the Chargers?" said Broyles.

How's YOUR Bill of Rights looking today?

ACLU rides again...

Let me first state that I have no religious affiliation. I am not Christian, nor do I identify with any of the non-Christian ideologies that are found around the world. My mother took Catholic training in order to marry my father in the Church (I'm betting it was an inheritance idea), and I WAS baptized there, as was my older brother. (My best friend says since I was baptised AND I'm pro-Life, I'm actually MORE Catholic than many supposedly "practicing" Catholics) My parents sent us to (usually Methodist) Sunday school when we were kids, till we moved to Canada and were 20 miles of dirt road from the closest church. After Big Brother and I moved out and began our own adult lives, my parents converted to Judaism, and my sister was taken to Temple and sent to Sunday school at the local synagogue where they lived. I tend to lean that direction, when pushed for "religious identity." I married a non-religious Methodist, and our daughter often went to church or Sunday school with her friends. I do, however, have a firm belief in a Power Greater Than Myself. I have no dispute with religion or religious symbols being displayed in our country.

However, I DO have a peeve about American citizens who seem to be demanding NO symbolism of Christianity (in particular) on ANY public property within ANY public view. These fanatics are becoming on a par with the Taliban, in my mind, who destroyed statues of Buddha that were centuries old...because their puritanical mix of "religion" gave them that privilege, they ran the country, and Might Makes Right in their world.

Destruction in the name of God - or not-God - is as old as mankind. It makes no more sense to say our Constitution forbids ALL display of religion on 'public' property - and must be removed if it has already been created - than it does to dynamite the centuries-old Buddhas because of a recent Koranic interpretation.

Bob Tyrrell at Jewish World Review inspired my little rant here. Thanks, Bob!

I think he said it quite well enough...

AFGANISTANSHRUGGED has a new post with a rave review of the women who keep the candle in the window, to light the way Home. Got a spiffy t-shirt, too, with $5 from each sale going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Take a look.

One of these days I'll repeat here what my "Navy Wife, Retired" certificate has to say about my role in my husband's Navy career. Hubby wrote just about everything the Skipper said that day, and I was properly impressed at what they said about me...though their viewpoints are obviously skewed some.

Leader of Team Vampire says it pretty well himself.

Ocean, Sky and Khaki

Memorial Day just passed. Now that you've honoured the dead who made the supreme sacrifice, how 'bout a little love for the ones STILL making it possible for you to live in Freedom.

I consider Kae at the Bloodnut Blog (REDHEADS RULE!) to be a friend, and Nilk and Boy on a Bike are the authors of a couple of my favorite blogs. They are thoughtful and smart (and a bit smart-ass, which I admire). They love their diggers shamelessly and eternally.

Wondering what they could do to help - REALLY HELP - support their troops stationed around the world, they've come up with Ocean, Sky and Khaki, a blog dedicated to information on what to send, how to send, and how much it might cost to send little necessaries to someone so far away from the comforts of Home.

Their efforts will be appreciated, so go see if they need any of YOUR help. And don't forget, American troops need love, too, so go see what Operation Gratitude needs from you, too.

Thank you, Kae, BOAB and Nilk. You're the best.

UPDATE, posted by BOAB: We, who are living in the land of hot water and clean sheets and peace and security, should stop every now and then and give thanks and support to those that voluntarily serve in places where these things are absent.... for they serve to bring those things that we take for granted to those that do not have them. They serve to bring peace and security to where there is strife, to bring justice to where there is injustice, to provide light and clean water to where there is darkess and disease, and to bring hope to where there is despair.

It all starts with a box..........

(THOSE ARE THE LITTLE POSTAL FORMS YOU HAVE TO FILL OUT IN AUSTRALIA...PRETTY SURE THEY'RE ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THOSE I FILLED OUT WHEN SENDING PACKAGES TO MY CHIEF)
(UPDATE! CUSTOMS FORMS, THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE! HAD TO RE-READ KAE'S
POSTS, BUT I FOUND IT. I HAD A DOZEN AT A TIME.)

"...words do not change realities."

Thomas Sowell. Need I say more?

"Barack Obama's repeated claim that a Supreme Court justice should have "empathy" with various groups has raised red flags that we ignore at our peril— and at the peril of our children and grandchildren.

"Empathy" for particular groups can be reconciled with "equal justice under law"— the motto over the entrance to the Supreme Court— only with smooth words. But not in reality. President Obama used those smooth words in introducing Judge Sotomayor but words do not change realities."

Again, BarryO uses the words people think they want to hear, but with no sign the appropriate action will follow the words. The words are soothing, therefore whatever he does is ok.

I think I'm gonna be sick.

"For those who believe in the rule of law, Barack Obama used the words "rule of law" in introducing his nominee. For those who take his words as gospel, even when his own actions are directly the opposite of his words, that may be enough to let him put this dangerous woman on the Supreme Court."

Rich Lowry has more on the subject.

"No president had ever nominated a Hispanic woman. Nor had a recent president — or his nominee — expressed less genuine interest in the traditional craft of judging."

Great. Regular American ME always thought INTERPRETATION OF THE CONSTITUTION, manifested in previous rulings in lower courts, with few of them overturned by said Supreme Court, was the best qualification for a seat on The Highest Court in the Land. Little did I realize that empathy for certain ethnic and racial and other special interest groups was the best qualifier.

Sheesh. What a maroon.

A VERY DANGEROUS maroon, but a maroon all the same.

Happy 2nd Anniversary!

Lovely Daughter and Handsome Son-In-Law, parents of My Beautiful Pixie, celebrate two years of marriage today. Anyone who's been married - and stayed that way for more than a few weeks - knows it's an every day, all day commitment to something that's not easy even in the best of times...but has rewards beyond measure that only come when we make it through the rough times...together.

I am proud of my kids - they bring joy to my life in ways they have only begun to imagine.

Congratulations, Kait & Chris Brown. Thank you for being my Family!

UPDATE: The Browns got off work early and came to pick up their beautiful child together. I gave them the little gift I purchased, and I think it was a hit. Every time they come to help with dinner or prep something here for cooking, they rave about my Cutco Petite Chef knife. The balance and size are PERFECT for people our size, so I got them one. They left shortly afterward, talking about being excited about cooking. Must've been a decent gift, eh?

Play Ball!

My Padres came from being down 7-1 at Arizona yesterday to beat the Diamondbacks! Amazing! That's ten wins in a row for the Padres, with a beautiful 9-0 homestand. No, they're not going to catch the Dodgers without some help (like the Dodgers falling apart), but they're still the most fun team for me to watch.

Another game that looked like a sure thing was the Rays being over the Indians. But NOTHING is sure in baseball till the last out of the last inning, as the Tribe rallied for a seven-run ninth inning.

Someone else had a big come-back win yesterday, but I'll be darned if I can find the story. I had fasting blood work done this morning and it's way past time to EAT and HAVE COFFEE, so if I find it after that, I'll add it here.

No rain this morning, a lovely damp day outside, expecting the Pixie soon. Go, MAKE it a good day, and thanks for stopping by!

To those who made the ultimate sacrifice for us...

“Let us make a vow to our dead. Let us show them by our actions
that we understand what they died for.
Let our actions say to them...‘I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’
Strengthened by their courage, heartened by their valor,
and borne by their memory,
let us continue to stand for the ideals for which they lived and died.”
—Ronald Reagan

(Thanks for the picture, Paco)

BlogBirth Days!

Margo's Maid's Shadowlands' BlogBirthDay was earlier this week. Kae's Bloodnut Blog has been giving us the benefit of her red-headed wit and wisdom since a year ago today (or tomorrow, depending on which time zone you're in). Paco Enterprises is hosting a bash Memorial Day for Paco's anniversary day.

I am honored to be among them.

Dick Cheney is the MAN!

Did you hear his speech? I didn't - but I've read the transcript at The Weekly Standard. This man has my unending gratitude and support for just about any damn thing he decides to do. Including running for Sexiest Man Alive.

From the transcript:

For me, one of the defining experiences was the morning of 9/11 itself. As you might recall, I was in my office in that first hour, when radar caught sight of an airliner heading toward the White House at 500 miles an hour. That was Flight 77, the one that ended up hitting the Pentagon. With the plane still inbound, Secret Service agents came into my office and said we had to leave, now. A few moments later I found myself in a fortified White House command post somewhere down below.

There in the bunker came the reports and images that so many Americans remember from that day – word of the crash in Pennsylvania, the final phone calls from hijacked planes, the final horror for those who jumped to their death to escape burning alive. In the years since, I’ve heard occasional speculation that I’m a different man after 9/11. I wouldn’t say that. But I’ll freely admit that watching a coordinated, devastating attack on our country from an underground bunker at the White House can affect how you view your responsibilities.

To make certain our nation country never again faced such a day of horror, we developed a comprehensive strategy, beginning with far greater homeland security to make the United States a harder target. But since wars cannot be won on the defensive, we moved decisively against the terrorists in their hideouts and sanctuaries, and committed to using every asset to take down their networks. We decided, as well, to confront the regimes that sponsored terrorists, and to go after those who provide sanctuary, funding, and weapons to enemies of the United States. We turned special attention to regimes that had the capacity to build weapons of mass destruction, and might transfer such weapons to terrorists.

This is a MAN. I bet BarryO and his band of merry boys and girls leave puddles on the floor at the thought of Dick Cheney. No wishy-washy meandering, no dithering, no umm-err-ing, no doublespeak. A Real, Self-confident, Good-in-his-own-skin MAN. *sigh*

Mary Katherine Ham seems to agree:

"In rereading his speech, it's in this sentence:

Today, I’m an even freer man. Your kind invitation brings me here as a private citizen – a career in politics behind me, no elections to win or lose, and no favor to seek.

Hmmm, the very thing that brings our hero (Obama) to his knees is what makes Cheney ever more powerful by the day. Mwahahahahaha. It's almost as if he were taking this super-villain thing seriously. Be afraid, Barack. Be very afraid."

Gotta love it!

Also, a selection of Cheneykus from Jim Treacher, whom I first encountered at Tim Blair's place a few years back.

Remember, lefties
I'm not running for office
Your polls make me laugh

***

Hello, Jon Stewart
You cried on September 12
But haven't since: Why?

***

I'm bald and morose
I don't look good in swim trunks
Eight years, no attacks

***

Every time I sneer
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed faints
Try that one, Barack

***

The talent level in these blogs makes me happy to have made this my hobby! I LOVE that last one listed here, just LOVE it!

Don't Mess With Texas - even on campus, I hope

Got My Chief (ret.) home sick today, so don't know how much time I'll spend at the computer. He's sleeping MOST of the time, but the fever broke around 3:30, so we'll see if he gets hungry later. I'm taking the Pixie to the commissary to get a few things, too. And it's raining - yeah, that's a newsflash, eh?

I did find this article, though, you might want to check out. Texas seems to be fast-tracking a concealed-carry ON CAMPUS law. Way to go, TEXAS!

I just signed up for a free membership to the NRA, via a link from Merlin, my friend in Colorado. He's sent me another link I'll try to remember to post tomorrow which is fitting for Memorial Day weekend, I think. Oh, nevermind, here it is now - Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Organization. Thank you for both of those, Merlin.

Ok, off to the rest of the day, thanks for stopping by!

Marco Rubio!

More links at Paco Enterprises & The Other McCain -- He doesn't have the name recognition of our 'esteemed' Governor, but I sure like what I hear here:

Scobey, Montana

One of the places I lived when I was young was Scobey, Montana. It's in the FAR northeastern corner of Montana, near the Saskatchewan and North Dakota borders. I spent all of 6th grade there. My dad worked for the phone company, my mum taught 4th grade at the school. I was in Girl Scouts, for the only time in my life (spent a year in Brownies in Malta, Montana).

A couple summers ago, I flew to Denver, rented a car, and spent a couple weeks wandering in places I had never driven - because I was too young to drive when we lived there. I found my way to Scobey, which is still a very small town on a very big prairie where the wind blows...all the time. I stopped in to talk with the woman at Bev's Sewing Center. Beverly Lund is a friendly, talented woman. She helped refresh some of the memories I had and we have continued an online friendship, too. I recently ordered some fabric from her to do a project I've had on my list for quite some time (arrival of the Pixie set things back a bit, but we're getting there).

Anyway, the point of this post is to alert you to the new links in my blogroll. One is for flannels4baby.com, where you can buy baby-print flannels and quilting cotton and other supplies at VERY reasonable prices. Read the testimonials if you don't believe me! The other link is for Donovan Slippers, a footwear item made in Scobey, Montana that is going to be my favorite piece of footwear once I get around to ordering some. Bev has a blog, too, where she takes readers through the steps of making a quilt - is that cool, or what!

Thanks for your time and hard work, Bev, and the news you send from a place I will never forget.

UPDATE...but more of a revision, I suppose...
The year we lived in Scobey, it snowed a couple of feet - on the first of May!

I'm it - with thanks to Paco, of course!

Paco has seen fit to tag me for "eight random things about myself." I try NOT to spend a lot of time thinking about myself, so this has taken a little while, Paco - I hope you enjoy it!

1. I was born in Montana on the anniversary of the day Montana became a state. I think it's the most beautiful state in the Union, and not because of the mountains. I'm a prairie cat, y'see, and wide open spaces covered in sky are my idea of heaven.

2. I attended first grade at Bowdoin School outside Malta, Montana. It was a one-room school, with one teacher, Mrs. Beyer. She and I lived in town & she drove me to school every day. I adored her. She'd had my grandfather as a teacher when SHE was in school. She started with 8 of us at the beginning of the year, till another family moved to a farm down the road, which gave us 10 students at the end of the year. The Stiles kids sometimes rode their horse to school & would take me for rides at recess & lunch. I went to see the place a couple years ago & it made my heart ache at the horrid condition it was in. It was the best year of all my school years.

3. I spent over a week in hospital in Calgary, Alberta, Canada when I was 13, while they ran every test they could think of (EXCEPT a pregnancy test, I think). I was about 3 1/2 feet tall and I weighed in at 55 lbs. And had been that same size since I was 8 or 9, but now my skin looked almost mummified, the hair on my back was 2" long, and the hair on my head was the texture of straw AND it was falling out. I was also cold & tired all the time. Diagnosis was hypothyroidism and I've been taking medication for it ever since. I grew 6 inches in the first 8 months after I was released. But I still never made it to being 5 feet tall.

4. I can make gravy. GOOD gravy. The secrets, I have learned over the years, are that if you use flour you must 'cook' it so the flour taste goes away AND it takes TIME to make decent gravy.

5. I thread needles and deal cards left-handed.

6. I don't like music or movies much. Some of them speak to me at certain times, but mostly I'm kinda *meh* about the whole "art" scene. I couldn't act my way out of a wet paper bag and I have little or no musical ability. I listen to talk and sports-talk when I listen to the radio, and I watch almost no television unless it's cooking, gardening, D-I-Y or sports.

7. I tried to go to school to learn interior design, but couldn't seem to make it a priority (divorce and fear were further up on the list), so ended up dropping out. Now I do my own interior design with far fewer 'rules' than the classes would've had me learn.

8. To keep with Paco's theme, I do enjoy detective fiction a LOT, and wanted to be a private eye a long time ago. But not so much Miss Marple, more like Hercule Poirot (without the mustache) when I was feeling mellow or Mike Hammer when I wanted to fight. Lovely Daughter used to accuse me of spying or being psychic because of things I'd know about what goes on in my house when I'm not here...because I seem to pick up on little clues and notice things are added, rearranged or missing. Being Detective Mom was much tougher on my heart than being Grandma Daycare.

There you are, Paco. And of course, once I start thinking of things about me, NOW I can come up with probably another 8 or 10...but I won' t bore any of my several readers with more just yet! I will, however, tag SwampWoman, Kae, and Rodrigo!

Cool and rainy here in NEFL, think I'll make barley vegetable soup for My Chief (ret.). Thanks for stopping by!

Shadowlands is ONE!

Go visit Margo's Maid in the Shadowlands - you won't regret it. Being one of the mainstays of Blair Nation, the commentary is witty and original...even if it IS borderline slanderous! Love it, Margos, thanks for an interesting year!

And, like the slowpoke I've always been, I'm finally getting around to linking her here. Sheesh.

And in the news from Montana...

...we find this little thing from Helena...I'd be on the lookout for a silver-haired gent wearing a white linen suit...

In the biggest news from Montana since the Unabomber and Ted Turner, it seems I may already be part of War Between The States: Part II - States' Rights. It's an AP article in the SanFran Chronicle...which puzzles me in the first place, but what-the-heck. You can read the text of the bill here, after scrolling through the preachifying.

Bit of a soggy morning here in NEFL, and with hubby home for the day, I may not get back on here much, so y'all go make it a good day, and thanks for stopping by!

Operation Gratitude

Operation Gratitude can use your vote here. I put a link on my Facebook page, no idea how it'll work here, but with Richard at Three Beers Later AND the CEO of Paco Enterprises aboard, you'll be in good company. It's the LEAST you can do, isn't it?

UPDATE: I don't want Andrea to talk snark about me, so I'm voting for Operation Gratitude again first thing in the morning!

Typical "Do as I say, not as I do"

BarryO is a hypocrite. Biden makes things up (or borrows things someone else already said, or plants his foot FIRMLY in his mouth). Pelosi is a liar, too. Are ya proud of Your Elected Officials, America? These upstanding citizens seem to be running your country like they run their own lives, but they SAY the right things (usually, at least in public - most of the time, anyway, right, Joe?), so it's ok with you, right?

A New York Daily News op-ed has this:

A close examination of their finances shows that the Obamas were living off lines of credit along with other income for several years until 2005, when Obama's book royalties came through and Michelle received her 260% pay raise at the University of Chicago. This was also the year Obama started serving in the U.S. Senate. . . .

In April 1999, they purchased a Chicago condo and obtained a mortgage for $159,250. In May 1999, they took out a line of credit for $20,750. Then, in 2002, they refinanced the condo with a $210,000 mortgage, which means they took out about $50,000 in equity. Finally, in 2004, they took out another line of credit for $100,000 on top of the mortgage.

Tax returns for 2004 reveal $14,395 in mortgage deductions. If we assume an effective interest rate of 6%, then they owed about $240,000 on a home they purchased for about $159,250.

This means they spent perhaps $80,000 beyond their income from 1999 to 2004.

James Taranto at Best of the Web Today:

Everyone knows by now what happened: Pelosi was encouraging the Angry Left as it demanded retribution against Bush administration officials for their efforts to protect America from terrorist attacks in the wake of 9/11. Now that she has been exposed as complicit in those efforts, she is reaping the whirlwind of hatred that she helped stir up. And she is going to war with the CIA--a war in which even someone with much more intelligence than Nancy Pelosi would be vastly outmatched.

Hey, Blair Nation - I'll make more popcorn, eh?

I *heart* Dick Cheney

Haven't had much time to post or even read things I'd want to post this week. My Chief (ret.) has made it to Damascus, Virginia for Trail Days . He should be home early Sunday morning. Our friend Billy got off the trail Monday (Tuesday?) with a bit of a tummy problem, so Duffy's last couple days were hiked alone...or at least as alone as you can get during the high point of the season on the Appalachian Trail! If you'd like to read more about it, here's the link to Duffy's online journal. You can start with the prep hikes or look in the drop-down menu for the first journal entry on the trail on the 5th of May.

Now, back to Dick Cheney. I love the man. He's from Wyoming, home of My Favorite Cousin and Her Excellent Husband. His voice does something to my knees that...well, nevermind... I like his politics, I like his sense of humour, and I like his attitude.

Rich Lowry at JewishWorldReview:

Hmm — an executive order protecting secrecy in a sensitive matter involving national security. Who does that remind you of? If it's not enough to make Cheney smile, it should get a well-earned smirk out of him.

On the same topic, from Jonah Goldberg:

In short, these people can't be won over, at least not without apologizing for a lot more than George W. Bush. Admitting a few mistakes or releasing a few photos won't convince them we've turned over a new leaf, because their hatred of America stems from a hatred of modernity itself.

Meanwhile, giving the Jihadists propaganda tools to help them say "see, we were right" won't curtail recruitment, it will fuel it. At least that's what Obama's most senior military advisors reportedly told him.

It's good news that President Obama is open to such arguments. It remains to be seen whether he's actually persuaded by them.

Wesley Pruden has this to say about Fancy Nancy:

The speaker has told so many versions of what she knew about what was going on at Guantanamo, and when she knew it, that all we know now is that she can't keep her stories straight.

I don't hold my breath that this administration will do ANYTHING for the good of the Country. It'd be nice if they really DID the "public servant" thing in their work, but - based on past experience - I'd say the chances are (to quote my ol' dad) Fair to Horsesh#t.

Lemme know if that chance goes up, eh?

Don't politicians ever learn? Why should they?

"After virtually every disaster created by Beltway politicians you can hear the sound of feet scurrying for cover in Washington, see fingers pointing in every direction away from Washington, and watch all sorts of scapegoats hauled up before Congressional committees to be denounced on television for the disasters created by members of the committee who are lecturing them."

Thomas Sowell has a new book, called "The Housing Boom and Bust." His column is at JewishWorldReview.

Jokes that won't get told...

...in 'polite company' for the next few years, anyway. Thanks to Paco, whose link sent me to Doug Powers at WorldNetDaily.

My personal favorite: "If you're wondering why the president is in a good mood, it's because he's glad to be finished with his annual physical

. During his colonoscopy doctors removed two benign polyps and the White House Press Corps."

How's yer mum?

I'm a mother and I didn't see Lovely Daughter at all yesterday - but remember, we had lunch Friday, so I don't feel left out or ignored. I kinda wished I could see my mum, but hoped she got the multi-colored roses I ordered. I went to a meeting, then tried to finish up painting & tidy up for the Pixie's return this morning - there's been a LOT of stuff on the floor that could be trouble in those cute little hands.

The little family went for a visit at his mother's house...or at least that was the plan when we spoke. The Pixie had a bit of...umm..."tummy trouble that requires many diaper changes" so they may have stayed home. I'll find out later.

Handsome Hubby called around 3:30 or so - the hikers were at a hostel, Billy feeling Montezuma's revenge, hoping against hope to get back on the trail today, will see how he feels. Billy wouldn't let Duffy carry his pack, luckily it was a much easier day to hike, but Billy was crashed in a bunk when Duffy called me. I hope they get back out today, I hope Billy feels better soon. Sick on the Appalachian Trail? Not an experience I want.

Around 6 I had cleaned up enough to see about taking a break, got a coke & looked up my mum's number. No answer. Left a message. Lame.

Went back to whatever I was doing, and around 9 the phone rang as I was finishing up for the day. It was my mum. She'd been over to my cousin's house for dinner and an afternoon with that crew. I'm so glad she moved back to Montana, she sounds great. Her own little apartment (little - it's about the same sq.ft. as my little house), to come and go as she pleases. She's involved at the senior center, something she refused to do in Colorado. She got cataract surgery & can drive without glasses. She drives herself to visit other people in the state. ALL over the state. And she goes shopping in the bigger towns by herself, for herself. I think maybe she's finally happy. I miss her. I miss Montana.

*sigh* Oh yeah, she got the flowers, too, and says they're very pretty. *sigh again*

Well, Pixie's here, gotta run! Thanks for stopping by!

UPDATE: No visit to the other M-I-L, Pixie was going through diapers too fast.

An Irishman walks into a bar...

...in Dublin, orders three pints of Guinness and sits in the back of the room, drinking a sip out of each one in turn. When he finished all three, he comes back to the bar and orders three more.

The bartender says to him, 'You know, a pint goes flat after I draw it; it would taste better if you bought one at a time.'

The Irishman replies, 'Well, you see, I have two brothers. One is in America, the other in Australia, and I'm here in Dublin. When we all left home, we promised that we'd drink this way to remember the days we all drank together.' The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it there.

The Irishman becomes a regular in the bar and always drinks the same way: he orders three pints and drinks the three pints by taking drinks from each of them in turn.

One day, he comes in and orders two pints. All the other regulars in the bar notice and fall silent. When he comes back to the bar for the second round, the bartender says, 'I don't want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my condolences on your great loss.' The Irishman looks confused for a moment, then a light dawns in his eye and he laughs. 'Oh, no, ' he says, 'Everyone is fine. I've just quit drinking.'

Heard it before, but swiped it this time from missred, with thanks.

What I've learned that Shamu's trainer also knows

I've mentioned here the retreats we lead a couple times a year, using what we call The Process. I took a break from painting (yes, again, and will get back to it soon as I post this), read the Lori Borgman column at JewishWorldReview.com, and realize the column topic is something we cover on those retreats. I hope it makes you smile!

Such beauty! Such fun!

I took a couple pictures of My Pixie, shortly before Grandpa left for the AT. You may not think she's as adorable as I do, but hey, it's my blog, if you don't want to see her pictures, go get yer own blog. I now return you to your day, while I go paint s'more!

I find something wonderful every day

It figures...I read an Australian blog, and what do I find but reference to an American blog I MUST now subscribe to. Thanks, Boy on a Bike. I don't get out much...

Go check out AfghanistanShrugged. It's well worth your time. Be sure you say Thank You to your Creator for having these guys on OUR side.

Retreat Weekend

This used to be the Girl Scout camp in Clay County. My very favorite place to "cabin" (I don't 'camp' anymore), and it's where we hold our retreats. The weather was perfect! THIS weekend's gonna be miserable hot, so we got it done just in the nick of time. The first pic was taken last Friday, the second was on Saturday and we were so glad for the bit of cloud cover. The last is Handsome Hubby getting breakfast from our good friends Angie and Scott, who fixed french toast and bacon both mornings. Yummo!



















Now that I've had a little break - again - I better get back to it. If you'd like to see more pictures, they're at the MySpace link in my sidebar. Thanks for stopping by!

Household fun again!

Paco's back, go look at his pictures, they're gorgeous.

Got some errands to run, more painting to do, and a few chores I'm not going to detail here (cat box, anyone?), but hope to post a picture or two from our Retreat later today. Have a great day, thanks for stopping by!

UPDATE: If you need something to read that won't rot your brain, Thomas Sowell is always a good choice, especially his columns this week on the upcoming Supreme Court vacancy.

"Empathy" vs Law is here. Then Part II, and Part III. I love Thomas Sowell, have I said that before? Recently? MORE UPDATE! Here's Part IV.

UPDATE: Running always a bit late, Lovely Daughter brought the Pixie to visit for awhile! What a beautiful pair of girls they are!

Household fun

No time to look through headlines or check other blogs today. I have to get the primer coat on my kitchen so I can paint tomorrow. I obviously work slow...because I don't want to fall, and because everything aches today (I don't know what the barometer is doing, but at this time of year that's usually the culprit for my pains). So go check out the folks I link to in my blogroll - they are almost always amusing and interesting and even educational!

I'll check back later, here and at Paco's, to see how things are doing. I leave you with a picture of My Queen, who was feeling too fat to even stand up to eat, one day a couple weeks back. She is SO spoiled. Y'all go MAKE IT a good day, thanks for stopping by!

Party at Paco's!

Paco, of Paco Enterprises, has taken the week off to visit with his mum and his children's mum at a place OTHER than The Paco Plantation. As was the habit of of Blair Nation, it seems Paco's People have decided to...umm...guard his place from harm or invasion, in his absence. Could be a LOT of fun to read comments, as this means "open thread" among the RWDB's who hang out there.

Now, back to making potato salad for the festivities!

Some interesting reading

I'm being kinda lazy this morning, doesn't look like I'll make it to the morning meeting...oh well. Got a good cup of coffee, listening to Mike and Mike on ESPN2 (though I don't like it as much without Golic), lovely morning to take it easy.

Some things to read while I work in my kitchen again...

John Stossel - it's from last week, but it's worth the time to read it...as usual. As I refuse to have a credit card (!), I also don't think banks are "evil" for wanting to increase profits. BarryO seems to talk out his other orifice in demonizing the very thing that he's doing to our Nation - sending it so deep into debt that payback is nearly hopeless. What a maroon.

The "bill of rights" seems designed to prevent people from getting themselves in over their heads. That motive is honorable, but government has never been very good at such protection. The law of unintended consequences cannot be repealed, and what government gives with one hand, it inadvertently takes away with the other. Increasing the banks' costs will make it harder for poorer people to get credit cards, and that will only push them into costlier forms of debt, like payday lenders.

I've never understood how the poor are helped by limiting their choices.

Tom Purcell - I used to read his column in whatever Washington paper it runs in, and loved it. Still do, and thanks to JewishWorldReview for carrying it! Being a 'follower' of John Rosemond's common sense parenting, the column today really speaks to me.

Unlike modern parents, she didn't obsess over our self-esteem. She didn't tell us repeatedly we were handsome or pretty or smart or talented. She didn't boast about us in public. If she had any obsession, it was that we better not embarrass her in public.

Lori Borgman has a good column, too, also from last week. As a 'follower' of Dave Ramsey and being an American with no credit card (!) by CHOICE, I like the way she thinks.
When you spend cash, the best part of the month isn't when you load your wallet — it's when you open the credit card bill.

Thomas Sowell - when reading his column, I don't feel the least bit stupid, ignorant or uneducated. This man is a National Treasure, in my opinion.

Those people who just accept soothing words from politicians they like are gambling with the future of a nation. If you were German, would you be in favor of a law "to relieve the distress of the German people and nation"? That was the law that gave Hitler dictatorial power.

He was just another German chancellor at the time. He was not elected on a platform of war, dictatorship or genocide. He got the power to do those things because of a law "to relieve the distress of the German people."

When you buy words, you had better know what you are buying.

Gathering...

my thoughts and unpacking from the weekend. Hope to have something to put up later. I'm studiously avoiding reading politics for a couple more hours, so thanks for stopping by, please come again soon.

UPDATE! Too tired and busy with other things today to download then post pictures. Hubby is in Damascus, waiting on his friend from Indiana, they will shuttle to the trail head tomorrow around the crack of dawn. See y'all tomorrow, with SOMETHING, I hope.

Merlin sends a lawyer joke...

...and I repeat it because even if I HAVE heard it before, we need all the smirks and grins we can muster these days. In my (seldom) humble opinion, that is.

1. Lincoln placed his hand on the Bible for his inauguration. Obama used the same Bible.

2. Lincoln came from Illinois. Obama comes from Illinois.

3. Lincoln served in the Illinois Legislature. Obama served in the Illinois Legislature.

4. Lincoln had very little experience before becoming President. Obama had little experience before becoming President.

5. Lincoln rode the train from Philadelphia to Washington for his inauguration. Obama rode the train from Philadelphia to Washington for his inauguration.

6. Lincoln was a skinny lawyer. Obama is a skinny lawyer.

7. Lincoln was a Republican. Obama is a skinny lawyer.

8. Lincoln was highly respected. Obama is a skinny lawyer.

9. Lincoln was born in the United States. Obama is a skinny lawyer.

10. Lincoln was honest, so honest he was called Honest Abe. Obama is a skinny lawyer.

"HopeyChange" in 2000 years

Over two thousand years ago, Moses said to the Children of Israel, "Pick up your shovels, mount your asses and camels, and I will lead you to the promised land."

Nearly 75 years ago, Roosevelt said, "Lay down your shovels, sit on your asses, and light up a Camel, this is the promised land."

...

Now The Obamanable Congress is going to steal your shovel, kick your asses, raise the price of Camels (and camels), and mortgage the promised land.

Welcome to the NEXT hundred days...

Thanks to Roxanne for sending this to my email!

Sorry, I don't do headlines well

Suffice to say I am not nearly as clever at writing a witty, amusing, daring headline as those in my blogroll, so go see what they have to say. My mind is on things much closer to home - we have a retreat coming this weekend, today is my last "prep" day, when I shop for perishables and things I tend to forget every time, even though we have lists for everything. This will be a nice one, the weather will cooperate, the menu is set, and the retreat site is beautiful this time of year. BEFORE it gets too hot, dontchaknow.

For instance - Lovely Daughter, can I borrow your crock pot, too, please? Bigger group this time, I need more than one! Thank you!

Better get showered before the Pixie arrives, you all go have a BEEootiful day, and thank you SO much for stopping by!

Oh, ok, I cannot resist THIS, the editorial from the Washington Times: The sub-head reads "Obama is less popular than Nixon and Carter."

President Obama's media cheerleaders are hailing how loved he is. But at the 100-day mark of his presidency, Mr. Obama is the second-least-popular president in 40 years.

I know a paper and an editorial staff about to get audited...

Please read Bert Prelutsky's columns

Bert has 2 excellent columns in a row, and though he's in my blogroll, you might miss these if you don't make a point of reading his stuff on a regular basis. The first is "I attended a Tea Party" and the kick-ass part for me was this, which points out the things OTHER than taxes and budget that are really scary coming from BarryO and His Band of Renown:

Something that has bothered me over the years is the way the lamebrains in the left-stream media invariably turn into unlicensed shrinks whenever a Republican is in the White House, but toss a dust cover over the couch as soon as he’s replaced by a Democrat.

For instance, how many times did we hear liberals babbling about the psychological demons George W. Bush had to contend with because of his allegedly troubled relationship with Dad. But the fact that Bill Clinton’s father was a drunken bully apparently left no emotional scars on Bill’s impenetrable psyche. Furthermore, I have yet to hear such eminent Freudians as Bill Maher, Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow, Frank Rich or Keith Olbermann, even suggest that being deserted by both his father and his step-father, spending his formative years in the alien culture of Indonesia, only to be dumped, at the age of 10, on his white relatives in Hawaii, may have turned Obama into a smooth-talking, narcissistic psychopath incapable of telling the truth even if it’s about something as relatively inconsequential as sending his kids to a public school and getting them a mutt from a shelter.

The other column is "Responding to my critics" about a bunch of hate-mail Bert's gotten recently over his personal opinions regarding First Families and Other Untouchables (because Democrats in the White House are PERFECT, dontchaknow?), that started with some guy at a very liberal place that I refuse to name and has been remarked upon by slightly under-educated and talentless followers of said ... blog (I think it's a blog, I've never read anything but excerpts Tim Blair and Paco added to their blogs now and again IF they have done that). Evidently this writer has little chance of being the next Hemingway or Shakespeare.

Now, far be it from me to criticize a fellow writer, but being one of eight or ten guys sitting in a room with Bill Maher coming up with lame jokes about Rush Limbaugh isn’t the sort of thing that John Steinbeck or I considered real writing.

HA!!!

One Hundred Down...the Idiocy Continues

I am so astonished at this latest idiocy by BarryO and His Band of Merry Men, I am practically speechless. I'm not surprised -- the beginning of this administration's reign has been pretty idiotic in more areas than one, but this one almost ranks as just plain mean. There will be a resurgence of nightmares, with no better 'reason' than BarryO wants that look, that style...

Aside from taking no action after the attack on September 11, 2001, how better to minimize the terror (yep, there's that word) most Americans felt - PARTICULARLY those in the greater New York City area - than to pull a stunt like this. The Other McCain always says it well.

My dad's CO had a little sign on his desk. I post it here not knowing authorship, or even if I got it right - it was 45 years ago, after all:

We the unwilling, led by the unknowing,
Are doing the impossible for the ungrateful.

We have done so much for so long for so little,
We are now qualified to do anything with nothing.

So - liberal, fed-up-with-old-white-guy America...how's this 'hip' new Prez workin' for ya so far?

No apology

Since I only have 2 'followers' - one of whom is my Lovely Daughter - and readership in the (thanks, Richard) "low severals" most days, I will assume my absence from this page hasn't been a great strain on anyone's psyche. If I remember correctly, there was a statement in my very first post that blogging here would be "intermittent" at best. Three days absent may be a lot, but hey, there's this thing I have called Life, and - as with television - blogging comes with spare time, not at the expense of something truly valuable to me. Much as I enjoy blogging, much as I look forward to writing and reading the words of other bloggers, the flesh and blood part of my life comes first.

We've gotten most of the shopping done for our Retreat next weekend (see, I'll be among the missing again for 3 more days then). I've gotten some much-needed un-busy time, time with my hubby prepping for this retreat, watching baseball & NASCAR, going to a meeting...it's been a wonderful weekend.

The picture above is my Pixie, learning to eat freeze pops. Maybe it'll make up for my lack of posting, but if not...meh, big deal. Too relaxed and cozy to give a rat's behind, actually. Blogging for the next week will probably REALLY be intermittent, with last minute organizational stuff for Retreat, then being gone Friday thru Sunday, and Handsome Hubby leaves for his section hike on the AT on Monday the 4th. At which time I start painting kitchen cabinets, since Lovely Daughter is taking vacation then & time with Pixie will be minimal. I have SO many things to get done that week!

Thanks for stopping by, please come again soon!

What AlGore doesn't say...but should

The man(bearpig) is a Professional Politician. This makes him a trained, dyed-in-the-wool Bullshirt Artist. Except for a couple Elected Officials with medical degrees, none of them have any real knowledge of anything outside their protected little circle (Average rent for a family of 4 in their home town? Price of a new set of tires? How to run a family of 4 on $40k?) , and AlGore is possibly the worst of the lot, having been raised in D.C. by a tobacco farmer turned Professional Politician who was also a Communist Sympathizer and worked very hard to promote Socialism in the United States. These people couldn't pour piss out of a boot with directions on the heel, that's how (ohhowIdislikethisphrase) OUT OF TOUCH with American Life they are. And tell the Truth? OhfertheluvvaGod, everything that comes out of their mouths is a Lie or a self-serving piece of refuse!

How soon we forget...the REAL Al Gore and his daddy.

Now comes this article - for some REAL information about this new religion AlGore has manufactured...what AlGore would say if he told the Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Truth...from Thomas Peep's Daily News.

The Other McCain: Videos: Sens. Cardin, Kyl condemn DHS report on 'Rightwing Extremist' threat

The Other McCain: Videos: Sens. Cardin, Kyl condemn DHS report on 'Rightwing Extremist' threat

RSMcCain has this video.

OhfertheluvvaGod, this bunch is beyond the pale.

Sadness

Received word a couple hours ago that a friend who moved to Virginia last year has taken his own life. What a rotten thing to do to his beautiful girls and his stepson.

Just rotten.

Something missing?

Robert D at Bob's Bites has the links.

Good question, Bob. At least locally, no stories of drugged-out losers, panhandlers, or thousands of cubic yards of garbage left behind...hmmm...which ones would you guess are better stewards of our resources?

Zero Tolerance for Zero Tolerance

I've always had a problem with 'zero tolerance' as a school policy. Even murder charges may have a different level - a nuance, if you will - applied, depending on circumstance, evidence, and intent.

Throwing a student out of school for pointing his 'gun-finger' at someone is silly and immature, not to mention useless. Gun-control and gun-bans work for law- and rule-abiding people. Those who are otherwise don't give a rip about the laws or the rules.

SOME semblance of sanity may be returning around the country, I hope.

It soon became clear that "weapon" could be defined as anything from a pencil to a machete. The result was a rash of horror stories about students suspended or expelled for bringing plastic knives to school in their lunches, keeping nail-clippers in their lockers, even pointing finger-"guns" at other students.

I've even heard of students being punished for pictures of weapons. Drawn by LITTLE KIDS. Exactly who's the grown-up in this situation? Don't most "educators" and "education administrators" have advanced degrees, and shouldn't they have learned that little boys - particularly in military families and/or in the great expanse of agricultural areas of Flyover Country - LIKE to draw guns, bows and arrows, knives, and such? My favorite toy was a rifle of my brother's - I wanted to be The Rifleman or Paladin, and I was a girl!

In Texas, a state Senate committee is scheduled to consider Tuesday a bill that would allow school officials to take into account "mitigating factors" before punishing students for violating zero-tolerance policies. A House committee approved the companion bill earlier in a 6-0 vote.

The Texas legislation comes partly in response to a 2008 article in the Texas Tech Law Review, "Zeroing Out Zero Tolerance: Eliminating Zero Tolerance Policies in Texas Schools," which concluded that such laws have failed to reduce school violence while moving more students into the juvenile-justice system.

"I believe that we should strive to keep our schools as safe as possible," said state Sen. Mario Gallegos, the Democrat who sponsored the bill. "However, I also know that in the real world, nothing is black and white. In a world filled with gray areas, we must give our school districts the discretion to choose the appropriate punishment for those students who break the rules due to mitigating circumstances."

I was un-cool before being un-cool was cool

Being a Patriot, and believing the U.S.A. is the best nation on earth in spite of the weasels we've put in public office, I knew I was going to be even more vilified by this administration and the drama-queens in the mainstream media than usual (cuz, y'know, I was a Navy Wife for a long time, from a long proud line of TRUE Public Servants and Defenders of the Constitution).

Evidently Axelrod (no, I'm not going to use an honorific for these dolts anymore, they've proven they HAVE no honor) is of a mind that we're more loved now than we were before the last election?

Top White House adviser David Axelrod on Monday said that President Obama's trips to Europe, Turkey and Latin America in the last three weeks have made anti-American sentiment uncool and "created a new receptivity" to U.S. interests.

All BarryO has done is say he's sorry we've been such a bad, bad little boy/nation, and HE'S not going to allow that anymore. Oh. Dear.

Listen, Barry - this country, young as it may be, has saved the ass of more nations, more often than all the rest of the world in the rest of history combined. Overstep our bounds in some areas sometimes? Absolutely. This was because of greed on the part of the Elected Officials and their puppeteers, NOT because it is a hallmark of our PEOPLE! Our PEOPLE save lives of friends and strangers every day, no thanks to you and your pontifications about us.

BarryO the First, the Second Coming of Jimmeh, first turns his back on our ALLIES, then kisses the ass of a country with a lot of oil (a country run by men who believe women and other outsiders are lower forms of life), then - what's this? - kisses the ass of ANOTHER country with a lot of oil (with a Dictator for Life who is taking individual property for himself and his cronies in the interest of...fairness?). Hmmm. They don't love us more now, Barry - you've projected weakness, and IF you studied military history - or CHESS - at all, you'd know that's a dangerous move.

Think I'll stick with being the uncool and unsophisticated Patriotic flag-wavin' little bumpkin I've always been, and continue to voice my disgust for the scum we have in office.

Please, BarryO - tell Axelrod and the others to Just. Shut. Up. And take that advice for yourself, too. This is embarrassing all of us.

Feel a bit better today, tiny bit dizzy with a bad headache still, but at least not sick at my tummy. Y'all have a wonderful day, thanks for stopping by!

Not feeling it

I have had a headache for 3 or 4 days now. And it's worse right now than it has been, so I think I'll continue to not post anything, because looking for anything amusing is just too painful...and I don't mean just because our Elected Officials are painfully ignorant, supercilious, and criminal. I mean it hurts me to look at the monitor. Go see all the fine places in my sidebar, you KNOW they have good stuff to tell you...ok, maybe not so "good" but at least it's usually well-written, spelled correctly, and it's mostly amusing, too, which is Numero Uno in my world!

By the way, took the Pixie and her mum grocery shopping today, it was SO much fun I almost forgot about the headache. Thanks for stopping by, maybe I'll see you Monday!

Quickie UPDATE! Added Carol's Closet to the blogroll in the sidebar, she was over at Paco's, so she must be cool. Hi, Carol!

MONDAY UPDATE: Dizziness, nausea, headache, even my hair feels funny...being this woozy ain't a lot of fun. Pixie won't be here today, so I'm back to the couch. Have a great Monday!

WEDNESDAY UPDATE: Seems this dizziness thing is a viral screw-up of the inner ear. Well, I've had vertigo off & on for over a decade, so I get that. Friend of Lovely Daughter had it, so did TWO friends of mine, only theirs was worse. Glad I wasn't laid low(er), evidently it can get REAL bad. Whew!

Sue the Bastards!

I'm probably the least easy person to insult that I know. When I said that at a gathering of friends and acquaintances once, a man I'll call Bob (cuz that's what he calls himself) told me that's because he hasn't figured out which button to push yet. I replied that, especially in his case, I have no buttons. This is NOT to say that I don't get red-faced furious over the antics of some people, sometimes. But really, it's so seldom I take offense that I might be a pushover, if I didn't have standards.

I also don't believe we've done the right thing by becoming such a sue-the-bastards society.

There are exceptions.

The following is one of those, sent to me by an Air Force Veteran in Colorado. Thanks, Merlin!

Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Janet Napolitano Over Homeland Security’s Rightwing Extremism Policy Thursday, April 16, 2009 ANN ARBOR, MI – The Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, announced today that it has filed a federal lawsuit against Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. The lawsuit claims that her Department’s “Rightwing Extremism Policy, ” as reflected in the recently publicized Intelligence Assessment, “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment, ” violates the civil liberties of combat veterans as well as American citizens by targeting them for disfavored treatment on account of the political beliefs.

Read the whole thing at the Thomas More Law Center website.

From GlennBeck.com - "I don't care if it rains or freezes, I am safe with my plastic"...nope, not "Jesus!"

GlennBeck.com - check out his store for this great item! Loved his show from the Alamo on Wednesday. Ted Nugent and Janine Turner were on, it was inspirational. NOT like this, though!

Dashboard Obama You can now make Obama your co-pilot with this miniature bobblehead version of our great leader! Put dashboard Obama in front of a teleprompter and it will make just as many inexplicable decisions as the real thing. The Estimated Delivery date is July 1, 2009. ONLY $12.95 Size: Overall Height (including the spring): 5 inches

Napolitano defends report that calls me a terrorist

From The Washington Times:

No surprise here -
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Wednesday that she was briefed before the release of a controversial intelligence assessment and that she stands by the report, which lists returning veterans among terrorist risks to the U.S.

Is he the only one who's "dumbfounded?"
"This report appears to raise significant issues involving the privacy and civil liberties of many Americans - including war veterans," said Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, in his letter sent Tuesday night.
...
Ms. Napolitano insisted that the department was not planning on engaging in any form of ideological profiling.

"Let me be very clear: We monitor the risks of violent extremism taking root here in the United States. We don't have the luxury of focusing our efforts on one group; we must protect the country from terrorism whether foreign or homegrown, and regardless of the ideology that motivates its violence," Ms. Napolitano said.

"We are on the lookout for criminal and terrorist activity but we do not - nor will we ever - monitor ideology or political beliefs. We take seriously our responsibility to protect the civil rights and liberties of the American people, including subjecting our activities to rigorous oversight from numerous internal and external sources."

Never thought of myself as a Rightwing Extremist, being more libertarian-leaning than that...but it looks like I may get away with being a Domestic Goddess Terrorist...

"Watch out, France and co., there is a new surrender monkey on the block."

Jack Kelly column at JewishWorldReview.com - which was updated before the start of the last set of Passover holy days.

President Pantywaist? HA! That's what columnist Gerald Warner of the London Telegraph called the Commander-in-Chief after his little jaunt on the Continent...sheesh...

THEN, almost miraculously, a bunch of scum kidnap an American ship's Captain after failing to seize the vessel itself.
As the crisis dragged on, and the lifeboat containing the pirates and their hostage drew ever closer to the Somali shore, many — myself among them — feared the president's reluctance to use force would result in another humiliation for the United States, akin to that we suffered when Iranian Islamists seized our embassy in Tehran during the Carter administration. But the president had authorized the use of deadly force if the on scene commander should determine that Captain Phillips' life was in " imminent" danger.

You could get dizzy from the spin!
After the fact, some Obama aides and his sycophants in the news media are pretending the president was more actively involved in the rescue than in fact he was.

OhfertheluvvaGod, you'd think he chose the men personally AND cleaned their weapons for them, giving instruction all the while...
All Mr. Obama did was to assent to standard operating procedure, procedure that every American president save Jimmy Carter and perhaps Bill Clinton would have followed.

Credit where due...
Mr. Obama did not stand in the way of the use of deadly force, as Jimmy Carter might have.

Thankfully, President BarryO also kept his umming mouth shut while negotiations were ongoing. Yay. Will he remember for more than one news cycle?
Cmdr Castellano and the SEAL snipers have presented Mr. Obama with an invaluable gift. God willing, he will use it wisely.

I won't hold my breath.

Report from SwampWoman

SwampWoman, who blogs at A1A South, posts this report on the Tea Party at Jacksonville Landing. -envious sigh-

Some excerpts:
...
There were Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and Independents. There were current military and retired veterans, lots of small business people, cubicle dwellers, and parents worried about the debt load on their small children. The speakers were of all ages (high school students, college students, 20-somethings, Navy wives, a “professional” blogger, and retirees). There were a lot of Fair Tax supporters in evidence.
...
The difference between a “right wing potential domestic terrorist” protest and a left wing protest of any kind: No references to genitalia, sexuality, no nekkid sagging boobs or scrotums, and the signs were spelled correctly.
...
Whenever I lowered my arms, I elbowed the people around me. Good thing that they were all nice people. Of course, I’m sorry that ACORN organizers didn’t show up (where I could see them, anyway) so that I could take pictures from beside THEM. I hate accidentally bruising nice people.
...
“We Are All Domestic Terrorists Now”

Right beside ya.

Thanks for all you do, Swampie.

By the way - I'm a Domestic Goddess Terrorist, as I'm sure Swampie is.

UPDATE: Paco has some wonderful pictures and witty commentary from the Tea Party in HIS neck of the woods - aka Washington, D.C. (in case you didn't know).

Mental Floss

Are We Lumberjacks? had a link to this quiz.

Ben & Jerry's Flavor or Pottery Barn Paint Color?

I got 50%!

Enjoy!

Tax Day Tea Party!

USA! USA! USA!

I won't be able to attend the local tea party today, and I am pretty bummed about it. Will follow online to the best of my ability, AND I sent Dopey, Dopey, Dopey and Dopey virtual tea bags, with an online post card and tea bag I found at El Campeador's blog.

YOU can send one, too!

I love this, particularly because after September 11, 2001 and the anthrax scare(s), it may take months for a real teabag to be received by my Elected Officials in Washington. And I'm not so sure ANY envelopes, containing ANY substance, are passed through to the CongressWeasels in D.C.

On a personal note, eleven years ago today I began my own personal Boston Tea Party - I began the fight to stop smoking. So far...so good. Marlboro Lights box were $4.25 at Albertson's in Poway, California at that time. I decided not to pay that tax anymore, and have been not paying it ever since.

Words mean things

Words mean things. But the thing does not change, just because we use a prettier word, a word to make a thing more acceptable.

Thomas Sowell says, "Some of our biggest political fallacies come from accepting words as evidence of realities."

"Investment." "Rich." "Stimulus." "Rent control." "Gun control." "Nuclear free world."

Remember the lipstick on a pig comment on the campaign trail? Same difference. "That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." On the other hand, you can call it a landfill if you want - it's a garbage dump all the same.

I have a friend that gets kinda peeved at me on a regular basis because I ask her to explain the meaning of the words she uses. She might think I'm being overbearing and know-it-all, but what I'm REALLY trying to do is understand the language she speaks. Y'see, 'progressive' and 'communist' and 'socialist' mean pretty much the same thing in my mind, when used in the context of what we want (or don't want) from our government. She wants 'progressive,' 'fair' government by intelligent, educated people. I want Constitutional government, of the People, by the People and FOR the People...not just certain people.

See what I mean? Words MEAN things!



(thanks, Swampie and Robert D)

Kinder, Gentler Pirates

John in Carolina (thanks, Paco!) remarks on Secretary of Defense Gates' blather about the Somali "teenagers" who were responsible for the kidnapping of Captain Richard Phillips and attempt to seize the Maersk Alabama.

SecDef Gates is another in a long line of embarrassments here. These pirates are, like their forebears, thugs who terrorize and murder and steal anything civilization holds valuable. They should be treated as such - sink their vessels, confiscate their "treasure" and send 'em to Davy Jones Locker. Yes, I've said that before. I think I'll continue to say it - so many pirates, so few yardarms.