Saddam Hussein Hanged

Woke up this morn to some good news. Saddam Hussein was hanged before dawn yesterday for crimes against humanity.

The headline, "Switzerland frowns at Saddam's execution" did not surprise me.

Swiss foreign ministry stated, "For Switzerland the death penalty cannot be justified, even for the most serious of crimes. This fundamental position also applies for the case of Saddam Hussein,"


How sweet. Just like their chocolate...

Some other quotes I've found follow. (Italics mine)

"We took him to the gallows and he was saying some few slogans. He was very, very, very, broken," said Iraqi National Security Adviser Muwaffak al-Rubaie, one of the few witnesses.

Clutching a copy of the Koran, Saddam was led into the building. "You could see the fear in his face," al-Rubaie said.

What? He did not want to see Allah face to face and get his bevy of virgins?
~~~~~

From his Texas ranch, US President George Bush issued a prompt statement praising Saddam's trial. "Today, Saddam Hussein was executed after receiving a fair trial - the kind of justice he denied the victims of his brutal regime," Bush said.

No sense getting too verbose. This does say it all.
~~~~~

The Vatican described the execution as tragic, saying it could feed a spirit of vengeance.

The Vatican has lost it's sense of right and wrong. They, of all organizations, should know the Ten Commandments say, "Thou shalt not murder", not "Thou Shalt not kill." - This event could also feed a spirit of freedom!
~~~~~

British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said Saddam had been held to account.

"I welcome the fact that Saddam Hussein has been tried by an Iraqi court for at least some of the appalling crimes he committed against the Iraqi people."

Why bother with the rest of his crimes being tried. Some shyster lawyers would just be making a living off of him.
~~~~~

Among the Palestinians, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum condemned the execution, calling it a "political assassination" of a "prisoner of war" whose hanging was "in violation of international law."

What does Hamas know about International Law?
~~~~~

The Fatah movement also condemned the execution, according to the Palestine News Network. It also said that the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails had announced several days of mourning.

Let 'em go on a hunger strike too. Cost less to keep 'em.
~~~~~

The tribe of Saddam and the municipal council of his home town Tikrit demanded that the body would be taken to Tikrit in a US plane and under US protection so that he could be buried there.

Demanded??? What? So they can attack the plane and US personnel. Forget it.

Sheikh Ali al-Nada of the Tikrit-based al-Bayjat tribe and the town council said Saddam Hussein should be buried close to his two dead sons, Uday and Qusay.

How about we throw his remains in a wood chipper (feet first) and scatter the remains over Iran? Might get some Iranian bigwigs to thinking...

Playfuls.com - Violence, Condemnation, Jubilation As Saddam Is Hanged -
Cross posted at BloggerNews.Net

Technorati Tags -
Saddam -
Justice -
Hanging -

Heroes of the Left!

This is really old news but it has a bit of an update.

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. upheld the vast majority of a lower court award to Judicial Watch of nearly $900,000 in attorney's fees and costs in a lawsuit related to the Clinton fundraising scandals (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Commerce, Appeal No. 05-5366) The fees were awarded on December 1, 2006, after a nearly decade-long court battle between Judicial Watch and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The scandal involved a scheme by Clinton administration officials to sell seats on taxpayer-funded trade missions in exchange for campaign contributions to the 1996 Clinton-Gore campaign. When Judicial Watch began investigating the scandal, Clinton administration officials deliberately concealed and destroyed records regarding the trade missions to avoid releasing them to Judicial Watch. In fact, Ms. Nolanda Hill, a business partner and confidante of then Clinton Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, testified at a dramatic court hearing during the litigation that the Clinton White House "instructed" Brown "to delay the [Judicial Watch] case by withholding the production of documents prior to the 1996 elections, and to devise a way not to comply with the court’s orders."

Ms. Hill also testified that Brown, who was killed in a plane crash during a trade mission to Bosnia, admitted to her that Hillary Clinton conceived of the scheme to sell trade mission seats. Specifically, the court heard testimony on how Brown allegedly complained about being "Hillary’s [expletive] tour guide."

Full Story by Tom Fitton at:
The Conservative Voice.com

prying1 sez: Even facts like these will not deter the "Liberal, Progressive Left" from voting for Hillary Clinton nor will they back off on what a wonderful guy Impeached president Bill Clinton is. The left needs to wake up but as long as they "feel good" they will accept the old adage concerning polititians that, "They are all crooks", and continue voting for crooks.

~~~~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Politics -
Hillary -
Fraud -

Baby Bell Update

Rick Bell of The Bamboo Bell blog is an American Teacher in China. he and his wife are home on leave. His wife is due to have a baby in April. Unfortunately there are complications in the pregnancy which will delay their return to China. Please note the lines in the right hand box "Prayer Request for a Little Bell" and use that for a reminder to lift Baby Bell up in prayer to the Living God.

Rick emailed an update on his wife's and their unborn baby's condition.

A quick rundown.

The good news is there are no chromosome problems.

The baby's blood is rh positive and Jennifer has developed antibodies against that.

This could go by without any problem, or it could mean the need for blood transfusions in the womb.

Jennifer will need to see a specialist on a weekly basis.

The hole in the baby's heart is still there.

It is a large hole, one the doctor says cannot heal on its own except by miracle.
It can be fixed- which means surgery at some point from birth to perhaps a year old - To be determined later.

And Housing/Work needs.

Logistically, we need to be in Cincinnati (Children's Hospital and family and church). We plan to be there in about two weeks. We need a home to rent and I will need to find work.

Rick has not asked but I'm sure they could use some donations. You can email him through his blogsite. - The Bamboo Bell -

Technorati Tags -
Prayer -
Religion -
Christianity -

The Freedom Project

I for one like it when a man steps up and out. Especially after being down for a while.

Minuteman 76 at Freedom or Death has a project going where he plans to travel the country visiting disabled vets and blogging about it.

Minuteman 76 sez:

Put simply, the Freedom Project is my dream, goal in life, and primary focus. It’s not just about helping myself lead a better life, it’s also about helping other Disabled Veterans who slid into the same deep pit of hopelessness that I did. Due to PTSD, alcoholism, and debilitating full-body arthritis I became useless to others and myself. I couldn’t perform the only job I had skills for, suffered from extreme depression, and ruined relationships with friends, family, and significant others. I was content to drink myself to death and leave a path of physical and emotional destruction in my wake.

Then I woke up.

I sought help through the VA, quit drinking, am soon to quit smoking, and put my disability percentage under review. But all of that is nothing without a defined goal, a purpose, something to set my sights on.

Hence, the Freedom Project. I propose to travel the United States, living full-time in a 28’ RV trailer, meeting other Disabled Vets, getting their stories out, and showing the ones who feel hopeless that no matter what, you can turn your life around if you work hard enough and get support from those around you.

Read about his plans and see it if is something you might want to support. If not monetarily then through links and blogposts.

~~~~~~
Hat tip - To Cary Cartter - (Yes! That's two T's) of I'm Thinking of the O Word. -
Technorati Tags -
Freedom Project -
Military -
Veterans -

Wednesday Hero Blogroll - 27 Dec 06 -

The following post is written by Wednesday Hero Blogroll - Please note that the use of first person (I & I'll) does not mean me - Paul/prying1 - Thanks.

Every once and awhile I'll do a Wednesday Hero that doesn't profile a single soldier. Sometimes it's been two or three from the same unit, sometimes it's been an entire group of soldiers like the Navajo Code Talkers. I even did an organization once, Operation Iraqi Children. This weeks Wednesday Hero is one of those sometimes. This weeks Wednesday Heroes are the parents of soldiers.

These people sacrifice just as much, if not more, than the soldiers themselves. They, in many cases, are having their babies leave home for the first time in their lives. While most parents only have to adjust to them moving a few miles away or going off to college, these Blue Star Parents have to watch their children go off to a very dangerous situation and can only hope and pray that everything will turn out okay. I don't have children of my own, so I can't even imagine what that is like. We have a few Blue Star Parents in the blogroll, so to them, and every parent of a Hero, I tell you we all stand with and support you and your family.There's a site that everyone should check out if they haven't already. Blue Star Mothers Of America.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams.

Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by clicking here.

Technorati Tags -
Wednesday Hero -
War On Terrorism -
Military -

Merry Christmas To Both Sides of the Aisle.

I has to drag this out of hybernation from last year just in case some of you missed it.

For My Democratic Friends:

"Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2006, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. And without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee. By accepting these greetings you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for herself or himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher."

For My Republican Friends:

Here's wishing all of You a

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

~~~~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Christmas Greetings -
Politics -
Humor -

UN Sanctions Against Iran

Iranian president Ahmadinejad is not going to have a Merry Christmas.

The U.N. unanimously voted Saturday to impose sanctions on Iran in an effort to get Iran to stop it's program of making nuclear weapons.

Iran's U.N. ambassador, Jawed Zarif said, "It is indisputable that nuclear weapons in the hands of the Israeli regime, with an unparalleled record of noncompliance with Security Council resolutions poses a uniquely grave threat to regional and international peace and security."

Nice try buddy! Point your finger the other direction and distract the attention away from yourself. Oldest trick in the book.

Along with freezing Iranian assets, the latest resolution orders all countries to stop supplying Iran with materials and technology that could contribute to its nuclear and missile programs.

Like that is going to happen. Too much cash is slipping through greasy fingers and the prices will most likely rise with the passage of this resolution.

The resolution emphasized the importance of diplomacy in seeking guarantees "that Iran's nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes."

Diplomacy with a man that wants to destroy his neighbors? Yeah! Right!

prying1 sez:
The only way the Iran problem will be solved is if enough unrest is fomented within the country's population to get them to overthrow Iranian president Ahmadinejad. They will need help in doing so but at this point in time who can they trust to help them?

With the cut and run U.S. Congress about to step in I don't think the people of Iran can trust the U.S. to help.
~~~~~~

Hat tip and credits to Stome Martindale's "Ahmadinejad gets lump of coal from U.N."

Forbes.com has the AP story

Technorati Tags -
Iran -
UN -
World Events -

Shuttle Landing Today!

You may get to watch it on the Internet if the stream is good.

- NASA Live TV -

At this time (close to 5 AM Pacific time) they are saying it might land in one of three spots today. Florida, California, or New Mexico. - Questions about weather in both FL (rain 30 miles away from the landing spot) and CA (strong crosswinds). "No constraints" about NM weather.

prying1 sez: Let's all sing, "I'll be home for Christmas"

~~~~~~~~~~~

CBSNEWS.Com has a piece on the logistics of landing in New Mexico.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Update - The shuttle may land today or tommorrow as of 6:00AM PST - No set time at this point.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Update - I missed it! - Sorry folks - This landing is over.

I will suggest that you keep the above link handy in a SPECIAL "Bookmarks/Favorites" folder. Well worth watching when there is a launch and check out the link RIGHT NOW to see what (if anything) is on!

~~~~~~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
NASA] -
Shuttle -
Space -

Younger Generation Indifferent to Sacrifices of War

Just came from Burkean Reflections. Really good post on the title subject and I'd like to direct your attention to it.

Here goes:

Visit Burkean Reflections and read his posting,
"Younger Generation Indifferent to Sacrifices of War"

~~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Generations -
War -
Life -

Real Old Joke

A while back I read a line that I took to heart. "Every good joke should make the rounds every twenty years or so." This is because there is a new crop of people to tell 'em to.

Here is one I got from a joke book that is from 1921. - 'Bout time it came out again.

In a very rural courtroom a chicken stealing case was before the bench. The culprit pleaded guilty and was duly sentenced but the circumstances of the case had provoked the curiosity of the judge.

"Sam", the judge asked. "However did you manage to take those chickens and carry them off right past the owner's bedroom window with that big savage dog loose in the yard?"

Sam said, "Hit wouldn't be of no use, jedge, to try to 'splain dis ting to you-all. Ef you was to try it you more'n likely would get your hide full o' shot, get bit up an' git no chickens nuther. Ef you want to engage in any rascality jedge you better stick to de bench, whar you am familiar."

Speaking of rascality from the bench - Pribek - over at Trouble Ain't Over - Posted on a court case where the organist that played on a well known tune sued for a share in the copyright 38 years after the song hit the charts. The Jedge awarded a 40% share in the copyright of A Whiter Shade of Pale. -

FTGF has a YouTube Christmas message from Chaplain Jim White in Bagdhad. Click on over and view it. Quite good and the man, even though he is a Government employee, BOLDLY associates Christmas with Jesus. Wait till the ACLU sees this one!

~~~~~~
Next time someone objects to your saying "Merry Christmas" hit 'em with this. Our English word 'holiday' is derived from the word 'holyday'. "Happy Holydays!"
~~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Joke -
Funny -
Judges -
Christmas -
Holidays -

Sgt. Roy A. WoodWednesday Hero Blogroll20 Dec 06

Sgt. Roy A. Wood
47 years old from Alva, Florida
ODA 2092, Company C, 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
January 26, 2005



Sgt. Roy A. Wood, a Special Forces medical sergeant, was fatally injured when the vehicle he was riding in was involved in a traffic accident near Kabul, Afghanistan, during a return convoy from Qalat to Bagram Air Base.

His 24-year military career with the Army Reserve and Army National Guard was distinguished and unique. After receiving a commission as a second lieutenant in 1979, he was first assigned to the Army Reserve’s 421st Quartermaster Company (Light Airdrop Supply).

While assigned to the 421st, he received training as a quartermaster officer, a parachute rigger, and participated in both basic airborne and jumpmaster courses.

In January 1982, he left the 421st to begin an association with U.S. Army Special Forces that would last until, and beyond, his death.

His first SF assignment was to the Army Reserve's 11th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Meade, Md., where he served in the 3rd Battalion’s Company A as the detachment executive officer for Operational Detachment-A 1175.

In May 1983, he became Detachment Commander for ODA 1175 after returning from the Special Forces Detachment Officer Qualification Course.

In October 1984, he left ODA 1175 to become the Company Logistics Officer.

He served in a variety of positions at the 11th SFG over the next 11 years, including operations officer and support company commander.

After four years at USSOCOM, he served a year with the Army Reserve’s 73rd Field Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla., before switching from the Reserve to the Army National Guard and renewing his association with Special Forces.

He was assigned to 3rd Bn., 20th SFG in December 2001, where he served for a year as the Battalion Surgeon, supervising medical coverage of three Special Forces companies and one support company.

In December 2002, he resigned his commission to become a Special Forces medical sergeant on Operational Detachment-A 2092, Co. C, 3rd Bn., 20th SFG.

He, with ODA 2092, was mobilized in July 2003 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

At the time of his death, he was pending appointment as a Special Forces warrant officer, a position in which he would have served his team as an assistant detachment commander.

During his service, he received the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Reserve Achievement Medal with Silver Hourglass device, the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Basic Parachutist badge, the Parachute Rigger badge, the Ranger tab and the Special Forces tab.

Sgt. Roy Wood leaves behind a wife and two children.

These brave men and women have given their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams.
Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by clicking here.

Blogs Partcipating In Wednesday Hero

Right-Wing & Right Minded
Hooah Wife & Friends
Yankee Mom
Bear Creek Ledger
Mail Call! Supporting The Troops
Yeah, Right, Whatever
CrosSwords
Gazing At The Flag
Gawfer
Ohio Military Reserve
DeMediacratic Nation
My Point
A Day In The Life Of.....
Blue Star Chronicles
Prying1
Pet's Garden Blog
Pictures From My World
Freedom, GUNZ, Glory and EBYJO
Gunz Up
Say No To Politically Correct B.S.
Did You Ever Get The Feeling
A Rose By Any Other Name
My Weekly Thoughts
Rightwing Guy
Trying My Best To Support The Troops
American And Proud
Maryannaville
Not Ready For My Burqua
Perry Nelson's Website
A Fresh Start
Right On!
Echo9er
Befuddled
Potpourri
Conservative Cowboy
Petrus
Pettifog
Tanker Brothers
Chicagoray
Gop3
ArmyNGntcfamily
Soldiers' Angels New York
My Republican Blog

Technorati Tags -
Wednesday Hero -
War -
Terrorism -

Florida Death Penalty - - They Need to Study Veterinarians

Last Saturday I had to take my dog to the vet and have her put down. Old age and she could hardly take the single step up into the house.

I held her to keep her from being scared and not once did she even shiver or tremor. Completely painless except for one needle puncture. Less than 5 minutes from the time I picked her up onto the table to the time she started getting cold. Not a bit of pain or discomfort on her part. I'm positive I felt more hurt than she did. I cried. She didn't.

I asked the doctor why it was so easy for my dog to be put to sleep and yet with criminals it is such a long drawn out process?

MIAMI, Dec. 14 — A convicted murderer was put to death by lethal injection on Wednesday, but he took more than a half-hour to die and required a second dose of the chemicals, prompting Gov. Jeb Bush to call for a review of the execution.

The convict, Angel N. Diaz, 55, was pronounced dead at 6:36 p.m., 34 minutes after receiving the first lethal injection at the Florida State Prison in Starke, 23 miles northeast of Gainesville. Normally, death occurs within 15 minutes.

Witnesses said Mr. Diaz appeared to be moving after the first injection was administered, seemingly squinting and grimacing, at times appearing to mouth words.

NYT - 15 Dec 06
~~~~~
Fox News has an article stating that the needles were inserted through the vein and into soft tissue.

The doctor's reply, simply stated was that the authorities have a series of procedures that is needless. They make it chock full of unnecessary rules that prolong the process.

I was not going to mention on my blog about putting my dog down but then I came across a post over on Bill's Comments with the title, Hi-tech death. His bottom line and a statement I agree with is, "...this attempt to be humane when executing convicted killers and those convicted of treason, is an oxy-moron. Humane is getting it over with, not trying to make it painless."

~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Death Penalty -
Justice -
News and Politics -

Laughing at the Bible

How often when you see someone reading the Bible do you see them break out in laughter. I mean, the Bible isn't funny is it? Big serious book right?

Well, the other night my wife had her Bible in hand and was reading the following passage:

When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"

Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. (Matt 11:2-5 NIV)

This little passage caused her to break out in a loud and long laughing spell. Not chuckling or tittering. The deep kind of laughter.

When she finally gained control I asked what was so funny so she read the passage to me and said how it reminded her of me. Then she starts laughing again.

HUH???

She said, "When I ask you a question you give me a long drawn out answer and all I want is a yes or a no. Jesus did the same thing you do and I could see John shaking his head and saying, "All I wanted was a yes or no answer"."
~~~~~
It must be a guy thing. At least she compared me to Jesus. That's a good thing right?
~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Religion -
Christianity -
Bible -
Humor -
Funny -

Being5 IS THE BEST CARTOON FOR YOUR WEBLOG VOTE!

This post is stickied to the top (until the voting is over). More recent posts can be found by scrolling down. That is, AFTER you vote for Georgie.

---

Real simple - Takes only a few seconds - a minute at the most. (Unless you get caught up looking at Georgie's past cartoons. You can save to favorites for that.)

Click on the cartoon below to see the best example of cartooning in the world. - Then click on this Weblog Awards link and vote for BEING5! - Some heavy competition. - Let's vote daily to put Good Clean Family and Kid Friendly Humor over the top.

(The link to vote is also available at Georgie's blogsite)

~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Being5 -
Weblog Awards -
Cartoons -

Is it Friday Yet?

Normally I post on this blog in the A.M. - The Feed Blitz Emailer I signed up for takes my stuff at midnight and sends it out at willy nilly times it seems. - I'm going to be switching up on that and looking for a better (free) notifier real soon. (My Christmas present to myself. - Suggestions welcome - -(8-P)~~~~)

Anyway - This morning - (14Dec06) I got caught up with some Blog Surfing through my Sitemeter.com hits.
- One came through Christian-bloggers.com of which I am a member. - I clicked to see what was up on their 'headlines' and saw a line that said, "I Love Ellen Degeneres: Part 2" and below that was "I Love Ellen Degeneres: Part 1" - I chose link number one because I love things to be done decently and in order. It's scriptural that way.

Well, to make a long story longer, I found myself in the midst of the normal daily Christian dilemma. Meeting 'Christians' that make statements like, "I hate Ellen Degeneres."

The Rev.J. Theodore Helms of Our Sovereign Joy dealt with the problem in three parts. - Each a long read in blogging standards but each well worth the time. Leave a comment with each one as I did and tell him where he is wrong. (HINT: He's not! But you might want to suggest to him that he link to the next one in his previous postings.)

i-love-ellen-degeneres-part-1"
i-love-ellen-degeneres-part-2
i-love-ellen-degeneres-part-3

BUT WAIT!!! THERE'S MORE!

I then got to his Home Page and discover that on 13Dec06 Scott Welch posted on the Sovereign Joy blog with his posting about harboring hatred in ones heart. This made four posts and comments and then I had to get to work. No time to post this AM! Oh well. It was well worth the time.

So what happens when I get home tonight. I go to Sitemeter.com again and find I've got hits from My Weekly Thoughts who thought the Being Five link was worthy of a mention. Another half hour of my life gone but I must say, "It was not Wasted." - Both going into my blogroll soon. -

P.S. This posting was modified 'after' 9PM (12Pm Eastern) because I had to hit 'Publish' in time for the email notifier to send it out by Friday AM. HELP!!!

~~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Religion -
Homosexuality -
Blogs -

Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Travis L. Youngblood Wednesday Hero - 13 Dec 06

Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Travis L. Youngblood
26 years old from Surrency, Georgia
Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward)
July 21, 2005


Elmer "Mo" Youngblood wasn't sure why his sailor son wanted to leave relatively safe duty aboard a ship to be a combat medic in Iraq.

"For some reason or another, he wanted to be a corpsman," Youngblood said of his son, Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis Levy Youngblood.

He was a medic with a Marine unit in the Iraqi town of Hit when he was hit by an IED.

"I was tickled to death with him being in the Navy," Elmer Youngblood, a former Navy man, said from his home in Surrency, in southeast Georgia. "I wasn’t too happy when he basically volunteered to go over there, but it was his choice."

Travis Youngblood grew up mostly in Virginia. He attended Appling County High School after his father moved there in the 1990s. Surrency is listed as his hometown on his Navy enlistment papers and he and his father enjoyed fishing and hunting together there.

His wife, Laura, also served in the Navy. She left the service and lives in Long Beach, N.Y.

The couple has a four-year-old, now five, son, Hunter Youngblood, and Laura Youngblood was pregnant with the couple's second child at the time of his death.

These brave men and women have given their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams.
Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by clicking here.

Blogs Partcipating In Wednesday Hero

Yankee Mom
Bear Creek Ledger
Mail Call! Supporting The Troops
Yeah, Right, Whatever
CrosSwords
Gazing At The Flag
Gawfer
Ohio Military Reserve
DeMediacratic Nation
My Point
A Day In The Life Of.....
Blue Star Chronicles
Prying1
Pet's Garden Blog
Pictures From My World
Freedom, GUNZ, Glory and EBYJO
Gunz Up
Screw Liberals
Did You Ever Get The Feeling
A Rose By Any Other Name
My Weekly Thoughts
Rightwing Guy
Trying My Best To Support The Troops
American And Proud
Maryannaville
Not Ready For My Burqua
Perry Nelson's Website
A Fresh Start
Right On!
Echo9er
Befuddled
Potpourri
Conservative Cowboy
Hooah Wife & Friends
Right-Wing & Right Minded

Technorati Tags -
Wednesday Hero -
War on Terror -
Military -

Will They Love Their Children Now?

It was a Jewish lady who, in 1957, said to the National Press Club in Washington D.C., "Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us."

This sentiment has been utilized and slightly changed in many ways through the years. 'Arabs' becomes 'Muslims' or 'Palestinians'' and the 'us' often becomes 'Jews'. One site I visited tonight while looking for the exact quote said the line was oversimplification. Is it oversimplification when considering the enormous problems in the Middle East?

If 'HOPE' is not thrown into the mix it very well could be.

Watching YouTube videos of Muslim mothers sending their children off to be suicide bombers or boasting about how many of their children strapped on bombs to murder innocent people Golda Meir's statement comes to my mind again and again.

~~~~~

Two Palestinian political and religious factions, Hamas and Fatah, are once again at one another's throats.

- Quote - Hamas gunmen opened fire on a group of demonstrators who blamed the militant Islamic group for the slayings. The escalating violence dimmed hopes for a unity government and peace talks with Israel - raising the specter of civil war instead.
...
At another protest in northern Gaza, Hamas gunmen fired in the air above hundreds of demonstrators, including children, at a Fatah rally. No one was hurt.

On Tuesday evening, hundreds of Fatah supporters fired in the air and marched through Gaza's main street, calling out the names of Fatah members who died in factional fighting. Then they closed off the street with burning tires.

About a dozen Fatah gunmen surrounded the car of Hamas parliamentarian Mohammed Shihab, he said, banging on his vehicle with their guns, hands and shoes. Shihab escaped unharmed, but said he feared for his life.

There were also demonstrations in West Bank cities, including Hebron, where about 1,000 people marched through the city, with gunmen firing in the air. Participants called for the resignation of the Hamas-led government.
- End Quote -

Monday three children were murdered on their way to school. Fatah devotees claim the shooters were of the Hamas faction...

Now mind you the car windows were darkened and the shooters could not see in it. They may have thought Baha Balousheh, the dead boys' father, an intelligence officer and Fatah loyalist, was in the car. The fact it was on a street lined with nine schools, should have given the murderers pause.

It didn't. - Four more people were wounded in the attack on Palestine Street, which is lined with nine schools. The attack sent children running for cover. Some dropped to the ground, others fled in panic.

Balousheh, who was not in the car had escaped two previous Hamas assassination attempts. His children were not so lucky.

~~~~~

News on the street quite a few years back claimed a bunch of Irish mothers had said, "Enough!" and the violence stopped. Could Muslum mothers do the same in Gaza and perhaps in all the countries in the Middle East where violence is rampant? Only thing about that idea is that perhaps the Irish men loved their mothers more than they loved the violence. Is the same true in the Middle East? I hope so.
- prying1 -

~~~~~
Ynet news has the story - Religious leader in Gaza: Child killers must die -

~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Middle East -
Violence -
Gaza -

Will Dems Ever Lighten Up?

Went through The Conservative Voice this morn and noticed an article by John Lillpop

Terrorist Should Have Waited a Month

Derrick Shareef, a Muslim, has got to be one of the most unfortunate terrorists running around.

Twenty-two year old Shareef, from Rockford, IL, was taken into custody after a plot to blow up a Chicago shopping mall was thwarted by the FBI’s Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force.
~~~~~
Shareef appears to lack the high-technology sophistication and abundant funding that many Islamofascists are noted for. He also seems to lack room-temperature intelligence because he was arrested when he met with an undercover agent to trade a set of stereo speakers for four hand grenades and a handgun.

As if that is not bad enough, Shareef seems to have a lousy sense of timing to boot. Had he laid low until January, terrorist wimps like Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid would be in charge, and Shareef would be a protected minority.

I found this article to be humorous. Reading the comments I saw that those on the Politically Correct side of the aisle did not find any humor in it. They were too busy railing against profiling and ranting about John Lillpop ranting.

Back to the question that is the heading of this post.

prying1 sez: "I doubt it."

~~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Politics -
Humor -
John Lillpop -

Snopes on ATM Theft.

Snopes.com has a sequence of photographs that show some bad guys scamming a good citizen out of his ATM card and his pin number. Then a sequence of photos that show how it was done. Check it out

One way to stay on top of scams and learn how the bad guys are evolving their methods is to frequently visit Ed Dickson's website. - Fraud, Phishing and Financial Misdeeds -

A must visit for those who like to keep their wallet intact.

It seems that the scams the crooks use are usually based on previous scams that worked. Most are not original. Learning about ways others have been taken by con men can set up an alarm in your mind that will hopefully go off before your money disappears. Stay aware.


~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Fraud -
Scams -
Snopes -

Office Party Don'ts - A Quick Run Through

eWeek.com has a handy dandy page that tells 10 Office Holiday Party Landmines to Avoid. The last thing anyone needs is to have a celebration turn into a personal disaster. All of the things on the list are really common sense but it is a good thing to nudge memories on occasion. Especially when it might affect one's job or pocketbook.

The slide show that eWeek presents on the link above goes rather quickly so you might want to pause the pages with the button below the cartoons. Unless you are a speed reader.

The suggestions start off with: Don't blow it off. - Either show up or have a good excuse about why you are otherwise engaged. You may risk offending the exact people you want to impress and subtly convince to advance your income bracket. - Quite often I find myself dreading going to holiday parties and then enjoying myself after I get there.

Don't 'not know' who you are talking to. - You don't want to ask the fat lady when the baby is due and then discover a: She is not pregnant and b: She is the bosses wife.

Don't get plastered and tell the boss how you really, really feel. - If you know you can't have more than two drinks without singing show tunes or slandering your workplace, for the love of God, please don't have three. - Exercise a bit of self control. This should apply to the food too. AND FOR GOODNESS SAKES DON'T BREAK YOUR AA RECORD OF 3 MONTHS CLEAN AND SOBER FOR ANY REASON YOUR BRAIN MIGHT TELL YOU!!!

~~~~~

Other suggestions include, Don't just talk shop. Loosen up. Dress properly (there might be pictures taken ) . Don't bring guests unless told it's ok. Mingle with people you don't hang around with at lunch. If you screw up apologise (without excuses or blame) right away. And last but not least, Remember your manners.

It sounds like stuff out of, ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN but as stated at the start of this posting, it is a good thing to remind ourselves of things like this lest we forget and suffer the consequences.


~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Christmas -
Society and Culture -
Holiday Parties -
Manners -

Carbon Dioxide Scam Revisited

Today while checking my site stats I noticed someone had hit my prying1 blog post concerning the Carbon Dioxide Lawsuit against the EPA by various states and environmental groups. Someone from Australia had searched for "carbon dioxide scam". (WITH "quotes") - At the time of this posting my blogpost was the ONLY real hit Google had for that search with quotes. Two were Technorati and Kinja Weblog Guide which both pointed to my blogposting. The third was a WJZ News story that I had linked in my posting. The WJZ story did not have the word scam in it.

Taking out the quotes I found several stories that support my point of view which is that the Global Warming issue is a scam. My main question is, "If we give every dollar on the planet to Al Gore will he be able to control the weather?" - I think not. -

~~~~~~

The Kansas City Star on 1 Dec 06 had two unaccredited letters to the editor on their opinion page.

One letter was PRO the Lawsuit and stated: ... "Two previous EPA findings during the Clinton administration concluded that the agency has the authority to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The Bush administration has subverted the EPA’s purpose by taking the wrong side in this case." ...

President Bush has said, "the globe is warming. The fundamental debate: Is it manmade or natural?"

The other letter was CON the Lawsuit and stated: ..."Saying that there’s man-made global warming is not enough, legally: The plaintiffs have to show they have standing by proving actual injury and that relief would fix that injury. And given the scientific facts in total, not just the side of the man-made global warmists, nothing is incontrovertible."

~~~~~

Then there is this:

''We urge the United States government to reject the global warming agreement that was written in Kyoto. ... The proposed limits on greenhouse gases would harm the environment, hinder the advance of science and technology, and damage the health and welfare of mankind.

''There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gases is causing (or will in the foreseeable future cause) catastrophic heating of the earth's atmosphere and disruption of the earth's climate. Moreover, there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects upon the natural plant and animal environments of the earth.''

The carping of an oil-industry flack? The ignorant mutterings of fringe antienvironmentalists?

No. It is a petition signed by nearly 17,000 US scientists, half of whom are trained in the fields of physics, geophysics, climate science, meteorology, oceanography, chemistry, biology, or biochemistry. The statement was circulated by the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine along with an eight-page abstract of the latest research on climate change. The abstract - written for scientists but comprehensible by laymen - concludes that there is no basis for believing (1) that atmospheric CO2 is causing a dangerous climb in global temperatures, (2) that greater concentrations of CO2 would be harmful, or (3) that human activity leads to global warming in the first place.

From Jeff Jacoby - Boston Globe Columnist on 11/05/98 - thanks to Man Made Global Warming Debunking News and Views for posting the above

~~~~~

prying1 sez: Before we start handing out money willy nilly to The Chicken Littles of this world we should first of all decide a: Are their claims true? and b: Can they do anything about it if they are given hard earned tax dollars. 17,000 Scientists have signed a paper saying that the claims by the "THE SKY IS FALLING" crowd are false.

I say we should demand the MSM report both sides of the issue. My little blogpost should not be the only place on the internet that gets hits when"carbon dioxide scam" is typed into Google.

Perhaps the EPA should file a counter-lawsuit...
~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Global Warming -
Enviromentalism -
Fraud -

SFC. Paul Ray SmithWednesday Hero 6Dec06

SFC. Paul Ray Smith
33 years old from Tampa, Florida
Bravo Company, 11th Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

April 4, 2003

When you think of the word Hero, SFC. Paul Smith is the person you think about.

On April 4, 2003, Smith was setting up a temporary enemy prisoner of war holding area during the seizure of Saddam International Airport when his unit came under attack.

Smith kept his soldiers focused during the fight while engaging the Iraqi force of around 100 men with his M16, a hand grenade and an AT4 anti-armor weapon.

Smith tossed a grenade over a wall then he climbed atop the armored vehicle. Disregarding personal danger, he sprayed the attacking troops with .50-caliber machine gun fire. According to the Army, he told a soldier who accompanied him to "feed me ammunition whenever you hear the gun get quiet." He fired more than 300 rounds at the enemy before being mortally wounded himself.

For his action on that day, SFC. Smith was posthumously awarded the Medal Of Honor by President Bush,

becoming only the 3,459 serviceman to be awarded the honor since the Civil War.

His "conspicuous gallantry, above and beyond the call of duty," according to his citation, protected the soldiers in his platoon as well as other troops at an aid station nearby.

These brave men and women have given their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams.
Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by clicking here.

Blogs Partcipating In Wednesday Hero

Yankee Mom
Bear Creek Ledger
Mail Call! Supporting The Troops
Yeah, Right, Whatever
CrosSwords
Gazing At The Flag
Gawfer
Ohio Military Reserve
DeMediacratic Nation
My Point
A Day In The Life Of.....
Blue Star Chronicles
Prying1
Pet's Garden Blog
Pictures From My World
Freedom, GUNZ, Glory and EBYJO
Gunz Up
Screw Liberals
Did You Ever Get The Feeling
A Rose By Any Other Name
My Weekly Thoughts
Rightwing Guy
Trying My Best To Support The Troops
American And Proud
Maryannaville
Hooah Wife & Friends
Right-Wing & Right Minded

Technorati Tags -
Wednesday Hero -
War on Terror -
Heroes -

Dennis Prager Lives in America

Last I heard this country has Freedom of Speech. Dennis Prager has exercised it by writing an article at Townhall.com in which he deplores the idea of recently elected Congressman Keith Ellison, D-Minn swearing in on a copy of the Koran instead of a Bible. Dennis expressed his feelings and since writing the article has taken many hits from people on both sides of the aisle.

I feel that Mr. Prager made some good points in his article. The folowing for example:

Devotees of multiculturalism and political correctness who do not see how damaging to the fabric of American civilization it is to allow Ellison to choose his own book need only imagine a racist elected to Congress. Would they allow him to choose Hitler's "Mein Kampf," the Nazis' bible, for his oath? And if not, why not? On what grounds will those defending Ellison's right to choose his favorite book deny that same right to a racist who is elected to public office?

There must be lines drawn or society will fall apart. Is this one of those places where the line should be drawn? I think so. Not because I am a hate filled Christian do I believe this but because common sense tells us that there will be those in the future that will demand more and more untill there is no line at all.

Dennis Prager has, since his initial posting on Townhall authored a rebuttal to his critics. In it he says:

My belief that the Bible should be present at any oath (or affirmation) of office has nothing whatsoever to do with the religion of the office holder. And it never has until Keith Ellison's decision to substitute a different text for the Bible. Many office holders who do not believe in the Bible at all or who reject some part have nevertheless used the Bible at their swearing-in (I noted this in my column). Even the vast majority of Jews elected to office have used a Bible containing both the Old and New Testaments, even though Jews do not regard the New Testament as part of their Bible. A tiny number of Jews have used only the Old Testament. As a religious Jew, I of course understand their decision, but I disagree with it.

The following is from - Mark Memmott's posting at USA Today

Today, the Council on American-Islamic Relations said Prager should lose his presidential appointment to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council because of "his intolerant views toward Islam in American Society."



- prying1 sez: How intolerant can you get. Wake up CAIR. You are in America . We have Free Speech. -

~~~~~
Update: A certain Mr. Douglas V. Gibbs of Political Pistachio fame placed a link in the comments that I feel is worth bringing up into the post. If this debate interests you please click here. Feel free to leave a comment there as well as here. Debate is good for America.

P.S. I love the closing lines on the video.
~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Dennis Prager -
Koran -
Bible -

Jokes Are Not Funny Anymore!

I recieved this joke via email. From someone who will remain unnamed at this point in time because I do not wish his email box to be overflowing with hatemail. To those who wish all jokes to be against rocks, flowers and anything except dearly beloved vegetables or people please quit reading now.

You have been warned.

Joke follows:

Welfare in Mexico :

Question - When you apply for Welfare in Mexico what does the Government give you?

Ok. This is a riddle and not a joke. I know there is a difference. It is funny only if you have a twisted mind. You will laugh only if you think that humans are less than human. You won't laugh if are of the mindset that jokes that utilize people in any way, shape, manner or form are uncaring and cruel.

Like those firemen that that gave their co-worker dogfood. You know. The guy that accused his co-workers of being racists. If you are on his side and think he deserved 2.7 million dollars because his nickname was 'Big Dog' click the X in the upper right corner NOW.

~~~~~

Still here? Good. I hope to "Keep out the riffraff" as Roger Dahlhjelm said. (Running a search won't work. You have to buy the book or email me. I read the book.)

It is questions like this that make you realize that although you are not racist at heart you do enjoy jokes that hit people where they live. Be it in the country either you or they live in. Doesn't matter which. You don't consider being from a particular country as belonging to a particular race.

Ok. Enough space on this post has occurred so that those who love riddles and don't want the punch line revealed right away (so they can think about and guess the answer to prove to themselves (***No one else wants to be around them so they only have themselves to prove it to***) that they are really smart even though nobody else wants to be around them etc....


This is for you....

~~~~~
Oh Darn! Where did that email/punchline go?

Scheesh! I opened and closed to many windows.

Oh, Here it is!
~~~~~

Answer - A map of the United States !!!

prying1 sez:
Hope you remembered the original question.

If not perhaps you should have clicked the X when I said to.

Technorati Tags -
Humor -
Jokes -
Racism -

Leaked Rumsfeld Memo Causes a Stir

Quite a few stories and articles on the latest classified "Rumsfeld Memo" that was leaked to the world recently. People on both sides are taking snippets and reading into it what they want. So, as a matter of course I felt it neccesary to put in my 10 cents worth (darn inflation affects everything.)

But first, before my opinion, let's hear from a few other voices out there.
~~~~~
KAIT ch8 out of Jonesboro, Arkansas reports:
On a Sunday political talk show, national security adviser Stephen Hadley played down the memo, simply describing it as a laundry list of ideas.
and
Murtha says the conflict in Iraq has descended into civil war, with U.S. troops "caught in between." Once Democrats take over Congress in January, he says, he'll put pressure on the administration to redeploy U.S. troops.
and
Brookings Institution senior fellow Michael O'Hanlon told CBS that the Rumsfeld memo is "pretty close to an admission that we are failing."
~~~~~
Capitol Hill Blue published the entire memo with the headline, "Rumsfeld's final memo admitted failure in Iraq". They inserted the following bit in their article:

Bush had already decided to fire his defense secretary and offered the job to former CIA head Preston Gates the day before Rumseld issued his fateful memo. White House souces say Bush read the memo Monday night, flew into a rage and decided to kick Rumsfeld as soon as the election was over -- a move that would be a public humliation for the Defense Secretary.

Bush told Vice President Dick Cheney on Election Day that Rumsfeld was out, no matter what happened in the vote. Cheney tried to talk the President out of the decision but failed. Bush's firing of Rumsfeld, sources say, has led to a permanent rift between the Preisdent and his Vice President.

~~~~~
HotAir's Allahpundit posted:

I don’t have much to say about it but it’s everywhere so I’m obliged to blog. Re: the substance, he tosses everything out there except the one thing that would have the most appreciable impact: more troops, more troops, more troops.

Allahpundit also ruminates over who leaked the memo. His opinion is that it was either Bush or Rumsfeld or both.
~~~~~
prying1 sez: Allahpundit sort of wins the contest I had mentally set up. (Sorry Allahpundit - no prize.) His posting was the first I saw that asked the question of who leaked the memo. I saw a passing reference to the NYT being the first to get it but did not substantiate that tidbit.

I read the memo and thought 'laundry list of ideas' best described it. Why it should be classified I don't know. BUT if it truly were classified I would like to know who leaked it! I would also like the bum thrown out of his job, given a shopping cart (with a wobbly wheel) and told to fullfil his real calling in life.

In the past 6 years has even one person been caught and prosecuted for leaking classified info from our government's offices? I missed it in the news if it has happened. I'm doubting it will happen within the next two years...

When security is disregarded by both sides for political points we cannot expect our country's flag to wave for much longer.
~~~~~

Entire Rumsfeld Memo Here - thanks to the New York Times
And Also Here - Thanks to Capitol Hill Blue.

~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Rumsfeld Memo -
Politics -
Security -

Messiah Concert in Temecula CA

For your consideration

In Temecula California - Sunday - December Third - 2006, at 3:00PM -

The
RANCHO MUSIC ASSOCIATION
presents

Handel's Messiah

with 60-70 Voice Chorus
Symphonic Orchestra and Inspiring Vocal Soloists!

Hosted by

Grace Presbyterian Church
31143 Nicolas Road - Map -/- Directions
Temecula, CA 92591

Phone: (951) 695-1913

A freewill offering will be taken.

~~~~~~~~~~~

My wife and I will be in the chorus. She sings soprano and I sing bass so we stand on opposite ends of the platform.

Get there EARLY if you can make it. Otherwise you might be shunted to a room with a big screen TV and speakers. Not quite the same as being in the church proper.

This is an annual program so consider it for next year if you cannot make it this time.

~~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Messiah -
Music -
Events -

Are These Guys Nuts?

"Crazy Saudi road skaters" is the name of the post Anita has up on the Say No To Crack blogsite. She links to a YouTube Video that has to be one of the nuttiests stunts I've ever seen pulled.

You tell me. Is this a fake video using the wonders of computers or are these guys really hanging out of a speeding car and skating on sandals? - You can leave your comments on Anita's site. I'll be back there to join in the conversation throughout the weekend.

Crazy Saudi road skaters

While you are there be sure to check out and enter the latest contest. It's EASY!!!

~~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Videos -
Humor -
Death Wish -

Mexico's Congress Brawls

- Shows U.S. Congress How It Should Be Done -

From ABC News

M

exican Lawmakers Brawl in Congressional Chamber Before Inauguration; Part of Cabinet Sworn In

Leftist lawmakers threw punches and chairs at their conservative colleagues and some tried to block the doors of the congressional chamber Friday just an hour before incoming President Felipe Calderon was to take the oath of office there.

Ruling party lawmakers, chanting "Mexico wants peace," seized the speaker's platform where Calderon was supposed to appear, while leftist opponents blocked most of the chamber's doors.

The brawl was shown on live television across Mexico.

This prying1 wonders if our Congress should follow suit and use pay-for-view to garner much needed funds to pay for social welfare programs?

~~~~~

Felipe Calderon was sworn into office in a midnight ceremony with outgoing President Vicente Fox, and at the same time swore in part of his Cabinet. A private ceremony was broadcast live showing Fox turning over the presidential sash to a military cadet when his term ended at midnight.

Calderon was quoted as saying, "I am not unaware of the complexity of the political times we are living through, nor of our differences, but I am convinced that we today we should put an end to our disagreements and from there, start a new stage whose only aim would be to place the interests of the nation above our differences."

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who lost the presidential election to Calderon by a narrow margin, gathered thousands of supporters in the capital's main plaza, and thousands of riot police surrounded Congress to block them from moving in.

Lopez Obrador has set up a parallel government and declared himself "legitimate president" of Mexico. The Leftist Loser might some day wake up to reality and see that he is doing his country much harm through his actions. Then again perhaps he already knows this and that is why he is acting the fool.

Reuters Story here

~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Politics -
Socialists -
Mexico -
Felipe Calderon -
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador -

Eating Dog Food Does Not Pay

Used to be, back in the good old days, if you heard about 'Dog Food' in the news it was because the Republicans were forcefeeding it to old folks. Type it into Google News today and the page that comes up does not at all mention 'old folks' or Republicans.

What does come up is the story of Tennie Pierce, a 19 year veteran of the L.A. Fire Department. Oh! Tennie happens to be a black man. I only mention that because it is germane to the story. Otherwise I could care less about the color of his skin.

~~~~~

Tennie, like others in the fire station he worked out of, enjoyed pulling and watching practical jokes. Until one was turned against him. Some of his co-workers fed him some spaghetti with dog food mixed into it. AND they laughed while he ate it.
Some stories concerning this say his nickname was 'Dog'.

Well Tennie claimed they did it because he was a black man. In effect he claimed his co-workers were/are racists and Tennie Pierce sued the city because of them.

The City Council approved a $2.7 million settlement. The Mayor, after learning more facts concerning the affair and seeing pictures of Tennie Pierce pulling pranks on others, vetoed the settlement. Yesterday the city council could not get the votes needed to override the veto.

~~~~~

Now I like a good practical joke just like the next man and prefer they be against the next man as opposed to being pulled on me but I wouldn't go running to sue over it. Especially if no real harm was done. Probably if I got a broken leg or arm I would change my mind about suing but otherwise I know I would laugh about it after a few years had passed... So the question becomes was Tennie harmed as a result of eating the dog food.

Buddy of mine, when he first heard the story, said he would often times lick the spoon after emptying a can of dog food into a bowl. Said some tastes better than others but most was pretty good. I replied, "If the stuff was going to kill people it would be killing the dogs." - - - - So we can say Tennie Pierce was not physically harmed by the dog food laden spaghetti.

Lets see what an expert in race relations says about it.

- From the Daily Breeze -

Geraldine Washington, president of the Los Angeles Chapter of the NAACP, said that the nature of the incident echoed a long history of tactics used to humiliate and subjugate black people.

"For a group of whites to intentionally place dog food in the food of an African-American and later taunt him about it reinforces the negative condescending attitudes of some, that African-Americans are less than human," she said.

What a crock of ....!

Was Geraldine Washington, president of the Los Angeles Chapter of the NAACP, expecting the NAACP to get a nice donation from Tennie if he had recieved the 2.7 million? That is the only reason I can think of for her making a ridiculous statement like that concerning this "PRACTICAL JOKE". - It was a joke Lady!!! - AND SHE SHOULD KNOW IT! It has been in the news. So why the psychobabble if not because of the money?

~~~~~

There is one good thing that has come out of all this so far. (It might not be over. Pierce's lawyer may still try to press it in court but they know they have lost in the court of public opinion) When people hear the word "RACIST" bandied about they will not automatically condemn those who are having fingers pointed at them.

A good look needs to be taken of those shouting the word. Often times they are using it for self centered reasons and not because there is any truth in the accusation.

We need to have banners made up with pictures of pet food cans and the words, "NO MORE FRIVOLOUS LAWSUITS" on them. I bet we could get the dog food industry to pay for them. Place them on the roofs of court houses all around the country. Wave them in the faces of lawyers as they enter the courthouse.

Let it become an ensign held up by people that are tired of frivolous, fraudulent lawsuits and tired of hearing the word "RACIST" being used as a means to steal money from deep pockets.


~~~~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Tennie Pierce -
Racism -
Dog Food -
Law -
Fraud -

Cpl. Jason E. Meier Wednesday Hero 29Nov06

Cpl. Jason E. Meier
From Arlington, Wisconsin
1st Team, 3rd Squad, 3rd Platoon, Bravo Battery, 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, Marine Wing Support Group 37 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Air Wing (Forward)


Cpl. Jason E. Meier plays soccer with an Iraqi boy during humanitarian efforts while on a Mounted Combat Patrol in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq, November 8, 2006. Meier is the vehicle commander for 1st Team, 3rd Squad, 3rd Platoon, Bravo Battery, 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, Marine Wing Support Group 37 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Air Wing (Forward). He is an Arlington, Wis., native.

These brave men and women risk their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams.
Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by clicking here.

Blogs Participating In Wednesday Hero

Yankee Mom
Bear Creek Ledger
Mail Call! Supporting The Troops
Yeah, Right, Whatever
CrosSwords
Gazing At The Flag
Gawfer
Ohio Military Reserve
DeMediacratic Nation
My Point
A Day In The Life Of.....
Blue Star Chronicles
prying1
Pet's Garden Blog
Pictures From My World
Freedom, GUNZ, Glory and EBYJO
Gunz Up
Screw Liberals
Did You Ever Get The Feeling
A Rose By Name
Hooah Wife & Friends
Right-Wing & Right Minded

Technorati Tags -
Wednesday Hero -
War on Terror -
Heroes -

Boston Joins Carbon Dioxide Scam

Boston says they will be flooded by 2100 if the Feds don't cough up big bucks to fix global warming. They have no proof but they say the water on planet Earth

COULD

rise as much as 27 inches by the year 2100. (I always love qualifying words so I made sure you noticed it as I did.) - I checked and Boston's mean elevation is 19 feet. You do the math.

Are the docks in Boston only 27 inches above the high tide line? Evidently the Sierra Club wants us to think so.

I thought a lot of docks are built so that they raise and lower with the tide.

Oh well!

So here is what we must do:

Hold your breath folks! Quit breathing! When you exhale you are ruining the environment.

That air you exhale may soon be taxable. Several states are suing the Federal Government over Carbon Dioxide emissions and it is

going before the Supreme Court of The Good Old U.S.A..

You know about Carbon Dioxide. Oh! Perhaps some readers don't know?

For those who have only recently graduated from public school it is the stuff we exhale. People inhale oxygen and exhale Carbon Dioxide. Plants take the Carbon Dioxide and change it back to oxygen. Pretty good system and it has been working for years. It seems the treehuggers should want to be nice to plants and give them more of the nutritious (to plants anyway) stuff.

Doesn't it figure?

More Carbon Dioxide and the easier time plants will have growing, breeding and enjoying playing whatever games plants play.

BUT NOOOOOOoooo! Environmentalists want money from the Federal Government so they can save the world from the GREENHOUSE EFFECT!

(Note to self. Write posting on how Christians should sue the Feds to speed up the Second Coming...)

Scammers say the Carbon Dioxide/oxygen system is breaking down and people with money are to blame. Just give the money to environmentalists and they will change weather patterns for all eternity. They will also stop volcanoes while they are at it. .

Of course after they fix the weather problems their offspring will then need to sue the government to keep Old Sol from going supernova and all non-environmentalist's children will then be footing the bill.

Lets all just put shackles around our necks and legs and become slaves to the environmentalists. AND their children after them. If not that, lets at least from now on sign over every one of our paychecks to them.

Either that or tell them to get lost!

~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Fraud -
Scams -
Environment -
Global Warming -
Politics -
Money -

Critical Ear Regarding Advertisements.

Why is it every time I hear a voice on a radio or television telling me I'm going to save money I wonder how much it will cost me.

~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Advertising -
humor -

Identifying Child Molesters and Pedophiles

Warriors For Innocence has the skinny on what to look for!

A MUST READ for parents, pastors, congregations, employers, employees, Christians, Hindoos, Muslums, Budhists, B'hais, Zoroastrians, athiests and anyone who knows anyone that has kids or doesn't have kids plus their friends, neighbors, co-workers etc...

What are the characteristics you need to know about child molestors and pedophiles? Sues has a great post on the subject.

I will say that you should not start looking at all people with a suspicious eye after reading this. Just those who fit the profile. You don't want to destroy any friendships or relationships where it would be unwarranted.

Pastors should look at the behaviour of those over kids ministries. Do they fit the profile? If so move them to another ministry. If they leave the church as a result warn the next pastor!!!

Be aware and help others to be aware. Send the link on Sues page to your email list. It may save someones son, daughter, neice or nephew from the pain and suffering caused by molestors.

Click here now and read the article!

~~~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Child Molesters -
Pedophiles -
Child Safety -

NY Times Whines to Ruth Bader Ginsburg!

And then they have the audacity to report it in their paper as if they did the right thing.

Here is the deal.

Judith Miller and Philip Shenon are being investigated into who in the government illegally leaked information which both 'newspeople' used to inform two Islamic charities (read: terrorist money launderers) that their lovely offices were about to be raided.

Some lovely quotes from the lovely news gathering service The New York Times article concerning their lovely employees (Lovely Judith Miller of "Into the Cooler" fame is currently no longer working there):

The United States attorney in Chicago, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, sought the reporters' records directly from their phone companies, and The Times filed suit to stop him.

In August, a divided three-judge panel of the federal appeals court in Manhattan ruled in favor of Mr. Fitzgerald, saying the reporters were not entitled to shield their sources. The needs of law enforcement, the majority said, outweighed any protections the reporters might have in the First Amendment or other areas of law.

The paper's filing yesterday was a limited one, seeking an order from Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg staying the appeals court decision until the Supreme Court has an opportunity to decide whether to hear the case. The deadline for seeking review of the appeals court's decision is in January, but The Times said it would move faster.

...

The press has been on a losing streak of late in the federal courts, with several decisions refusing to recognize protection for confidential sources. The Supreme Court has not weighed in on the question since 1972.

Floyd Abrams, a lawyer for The Times, said the case now before the court could give it an opportunity to clarify the law.

"If the government is permitted to proceed to scrutinize the telephone records of The New York Times and its journalists," Mr. Abrams said, "it will be in a position to identify literally scores of confidential sources, thus imperiling both the ability of the press to gather the news and of the public to learn it."

prying1 sez:
Let's PRAY that the loosing streak continues!

Personally I'd rather the government had the ability to capture terrorists than to allow the press to have the ability to imperil the lives of federal law-enforcement personnel and citizens that just happen to be passing by, if and when a terrorist funding organization decides they don't want their offices searched.

Would Judith Miller and Philip Shenon be guilty of murder had the people in charge of searching these terrorist funding offices been killed?

Once again the NY Times is on the side of evil people. This time the evil people were working for them...

Just lovely!

~~~~~
Hat tip to AubreyJ - and a thanks to AubreyJ too for his link to Michelle Malkin concerning this matter.
~~~~~
Update: It might be suggested that Judith Miller and Philip Shenon are not evil but just stupid. Either way they should out the person in our government that illegally gave them the information.
~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
NYT -
MSM -
Terrorism -
Treason -

Regarding Minimum Wage

Political Pistachio has a post entitled - The dangers of raising the minimum wage - Good read. Douglas V. Gibbs sums up his posting in this line: "Just more proof of the idiocy of the left, if you ask me."

Well Douglas. Those with clear thinking on the matter agree with you 100%. Raising the minimum wage should not be the first order of business and is more proof that the Democrats are not serious about real problems facing this country.

I had to comment on his post then thought I'd bring my comment here and share my feelings on the subject.

~~~~~~~

Raise minimum wages and it gives the unions the right to demand more. I understand that many unions have their wage structures tied in with the minimum wage. Hmmm. And the Dems love the unions...

Every time there is a raise in the minimum wages many people getting paid more than minimum wage find they're closer to the bottom and do not get increases themselves...


For those that do get increases commensurate with the increase:
Lets see. McD's pays more to it's workers. Raises the cost of their burgers.
Hardware store pays more to it's workers. Raises the cost of their hardware.
Grocery Store pays more to it's workers. Raises the cost of their groceries.
Beauty salon pays more to it's workers. Raises the cost of their beauticians.
Bar & Grill pays more to it's workers. Raises the cost of their food and drink.
Gas station pays more to it's workers. Raises the cost of their gas and goods.

Worker who get his wages raised pays more for the burger, etc. so his raise counts for nothing.

BUT To show Republicans REALLY DO CARE we should demand they offer more than the Democrats offer. What ever Polosi suggests why stop there? Lets have Republicans in Congress demand every employer pays every employee a million dollars a week so everyone can be rich. Just like Pelosi and her friends...

~~~~~~

Technorati Tags -
Politics -
Republicans -
Democrats -