Heebiefrigginjeebies

I hate spiders.

I was reading an article about spiders today, and saw many disturbing images (some of which I've included here for your enjoyment).


Not only do I hate spiders in person, but just looking at spiders on the internet creeps me out. I get physically uncomfortable when I see them, especially if they're moving. I don't know what it is, but they freak me the hell out. The way they move. The way they look, with their creepy little eyes. Their skinny, jointed legs with no feet. Their fangs. Their bulbous abdomens. Their webs. Etc., etc., etc. I know they can't really hurt me (most of them), but that's of little consolation to me. The heebiejeebies overcome my brain's logic.

Other insects don't bother me. It's just the arachnids. I'm cool with everything else too. Snakes, alligators, lizards, lions, bears, pterodactyls, dragons...they don't bother me in the least. It's just these little f-ing eight legged bastards that bother me. Damn you, spiders. Damn you all, for making me recoil and cringe like a homeless person being offered a job application.

Realtors - kooky, or vain?

I saw a business card for a realtor yesterday, and I just got to thinking. Why do realtors always have pictures on their business cards (and signs and everything else)?

Are realtors taught to do this in realtor school? Do they think their goofy headshot will help them get an edge over the less attractive realtors in the area? Is this neccesary? Why don't other professionals put their pictures on their business cards?

I'd love to see a plumber or a computer repair guy with his picture on his business card. (not really) Actually, I think the only time a picture on a business card would come in handy is if you're a stripper or something, where your appearance matters. That way you don't have to guess, "was Savannah the blonde or the brunette?". You could just look at her business card and know right away.

All I'm saying is that the stupid headshot is not necessary to have on your business card. I don't see what purpose it serves. Here are some examples of what I'm talking about.


Ed, you look like a tool. Bruce, I don't think you need 4 seperate telephone numbers to reach you. You're not as important as you think. A land line and a cell phone would suffice. You're not a heart surgeon. I'm sure if someone can't reach you by calling two numbers (tops), the world will not end. That crucial showing will have to wait until you decide to answer your phone, buddy. And I don't even know what's up with the back-to-back tag team at the top of this post.

Anyway...I think I'm done ranting. For now.

Confucius Say

Confucius say:

Man who walk through airport turnstile sideways going to Bangkok

Unfreakingbelievable

Much to my dismay, the State of California halted the execution of Michael Morales today.

SAN QUENTIN — Capping a dramatic legal battle that raised questions of medical ethics and the future of lethal injection, California prison officials late Tuesday called off Michael Morales' execution, saying they were unable to comply with a judge's conditions for putting the convicted rapist-murderer to death.

The state's decision means that the execution will be delayed at the very least until early May — and more likely for many months — while the federal court in San Jose conducts a formal evidentiary hearing on the constitutionality of the state's execution procedures.

The Morales furor began a week ago when U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel declared that California's three-stage drug cocktail of a sedative, paralytic drug and heart-stopping chemical — the same protocol used in 37 of the 38 states with lethal injection — could mask, rather than eliminate, an inmate's pain during execution.

Fogel said the state would have to modify its execution procedure or he would hold a full hearing on the process in May.

To address his concern, prison officials elected to go forward just after midnight Monday with two doctors on hand to ensure that the sedative would be sufficient to deaden the pain of the heart-stopping drug. Just before the execution, however, the two anesthesiologists balked, saying the procedures forced them into the role of executioner, in violation of their medical ethics.

Fogel then said officials could go forward later in the day with a lethal dose of the sedative alone — administered by a licensed medical professional stationed within the execution chamber rather than by the usual "unseen hand" delivering the fatal drugs from another room.

But just two hours before the new, 7:30 p.m. time for the execution, a deputy attorney general told court officials that it had been called off.

San Quentin spokesman Crittendon said the state "was not able to find any medical professionals willing to inject medication intravenously, ending the life of a human being."

So I ask you, why make this stand NOW? Why on the day of the execution? I understand their wanting to possibly consider other methods, but why put the victim's family through this? Why back out on this man's punishment? Why should he get a free pass when he is responsible for the suffering of an innocent human being? Our penal system is a joke as it is. This just makes a bigger mockery of it. Loopholes and legal trickery galore. It's all a big game and the criminals/prisoners know it.

There is no way to ensure that a prisoner won't feel some pain when he is executed. Period. Frankly, I'd rather they go back to public hangings or firing squads. Perhaps we could throw them into a pit of hungry tigers. I WANT them to feel pain. I'm sure the ACLU would have a problem with that though. I don't know how much more we can do for these criminals. I really don't. Other countries probably laugh at us for the way we baby them. They probably marvel at the "rights" that our convicted rapists, serial killers, child molesters, etc. have.

Screw their "rights" not to feel pain for a brief minute during their euthanization. What about the rights of an innocent 17 year old girl? What about HER right not to be violently bludgeoned to death with a hammer? What about HER rights not to be raped while she is unconscious and near death? What about HER rights not to be stabbed 4 times in the chest? Those are the rights that I'm a little more concerned with.

I'm very sorry for the family of Terri Winchell. They've been through a lot, and it looks as though it's going to be dragged out for a little while longer until they get the (relative) justice that they are looking for.

Aww, we wouldn't want him to suffer or anything...

Here we go again. I feel like this is a recurring theme on my site. You may have briefly heard about this in the papers, but I'm going to shed a little more light on it for you all.

The State of California was scheduled to execute another savage murderer today, but there has been a delay. Michael Angelo Morales was supposed to have his death sentence (lethal injection) carried out at 12:01am today, but the anesthesiologists pulled out at the last minute. They had concerns that the convicted rapist and murderer MIGHT feel pain when the lethal injection was administered. My thought is, WHO CARES if HE feels pain? He SHOULD feel pain. He brutally beat an innocent 17 year old girl (Terri Winchell) and had sex with her nearly dead body, before finally killing her. I couldn't care less if he felt pain. As far as I'm concerned, he's had 25 YEARS of pain-free living on the taxpayer's dime as it is. He killed her in 1981 and has been on death row ever since. I think these cases need to be expedited, but I'm not going to get into that right now.

Now, if they don't carry out this execution today, the death warrant will expire. What that means is that he will essentially get a reprieve. The case would have to go before a judge to determine if he can get back on death row. It sounds like the state is going to follow through though (thank goodness). They are going to forego the anesthesiologists and just o.d. him with a lethal dose of barbituates. I'm not sure if the anesthesiologists are just trying to be activists or possibly thwart the execution altogether, but I think they're going to fail. The guy admitted to the killing, for cripe's sake! Why do people continue to sympathize with these despicable murderers? As I've said before, I think shitstains like this forfeit their right to life and sympathy when they mutilate and kill an innocent human being. (if you feel like reading my rant on that again, see this link)

Anyway...I don't have time to get into that again right now. What I want to do is present you all with the facts of the case that the media might not give you. They usually paint it in a way that leaves room for sympathy with the convict. I think that if you read the case facts, you'll have a different perspective on it. All possibility of feeling anything but disgust for this animal will be removed after reading it, I promise you. Below are the facts of the case from the California Dept. Of Corrections website:

Offense Date: 01/08/1981
Court Action: Affirmed
Court Date: 04/06/1989
Case #: CR17960

Victim: Terri Lynn Winchell, 17 (female)
Co-Defendant: Ricky Ortega

Summary: During early 1980, Ricky Ortega, 19, and Randy Blythe, 17, were homosexual lovers. Blythe met Terri Lynn Winchell, 17, in 1980 and became her heterosexual lover. Winchell did not know about the homosexual relationship between Blythe and Ortega, but Ortega knew about the relationship between Blythe and Winchell. Ortega became upset about the relationship.

Ortega and Blythe had a stormy relationship characterized by Ortega’s threatening reactions to Blythe’s attempts to end it. He was also openly hostile to Winchell. He was overheard threatening to kill himself or Blythe.

In late 1980, Ortega told Glenda Chavez that he was angry at Winchell for accusing him of being a homosexual and for her calling him “gay.” Ortega and his cousin, Michael Angelo Morales, 21, plotted to murder her as “pay back” for her remarks.

In the weeks before the murder, Ortega set up a ruse to trick Winchell into believing that he wanted to make amends and become her friend. In the meantime, Morales “practiced” how he was going to strangle Winchell and on the day of the murder told his girlfriend, Racquel Cardenas, how he was going to do Ortega a favor and strangle and “hurt” someone.

On January 8, 1981, Ortega called Morales and told him he was driving Winchell to Morales’ apartment. Ortega lured Winchell into accompanying him and Morales in Ortega’s car to a remote area near Lodi, California. There, Morales attacked Winchell from behind and tried to strangle her with his belt. Winchell struggled and the belt broke in two. Morales then took out a hammer and repeatedly hit her in the head with it. She screamed for Ortega to help and tried to fight off the attack, ripping her own hair out of her scalp in the struggle. Morales beat Winchell into unconsciousness, crushing her skull in several places and leaving 23 identifiable wounds in her skull.

Morales took Winchell from the car and told Ortega to leave and return later. Ortega left. Morales dragged Winchell face-down across the road and into a vineyard. Morales completed an act of sexual intercourse with her unconscious body. He started to leave, but went back and stabbed her four times in the chest to assure her death. Winchell died from both the head and chest wounds. Her body was left in the vineyard naked from the waist down with her sweater and bra pulled up over her breasts.

Within two days, Morales was arrested at his residence. The police found Morales’ broken belt with Winchell’s blood on it hidden under a bedroom mattress. The police found three knives and the hammer hidden in the refrigerator vegetable crisper. The hammer had traces of Winchell’s blood on it. The police also found blood-stained floor mats from Ortega’s car in the trash. Winchell’s purse and credit card were also in the house. Ortega’s blood-spattered car was impounded. Morales had used $11 from Winchell’s purse to buy beer, wine, and cigarettes on the night of the murder.

Now, please tell me why anyone should feel sympathy for this Morales guy. He is a piece of shit and I sincerely hope that he suffers for what he's done.

That poor girl didn't deserve to die that way. She was just starting her life and was full of hope. She was a straight-A student who had sung in a church choir, played classical piano and was working part-time at a local restaurant to raise money for college. What a very unfortunate turn of events for her, at the hands of these degenerates. (If you want to read more about her life, this article talks a little bit about it.)

Poor Spike

SPIKE LEE ATTACKS ALL-WHITE HOLLYWOOD

Outspoken movie-maker Spike Lee has attacked the Hollywood studios for not including African-Americans as executives.

The Malcolm X director is appalled the major studios only recruit white men and women for executive positions.

He tells US style magazine Complex, "You go to any studio, the (only) black guy you are going to see is the guy at the gate. In Hollywood, there is not one African-American who is an executive that has gatekeeper position that could greenlight a picture.

"They'll make a movie with Denzel (Washington) and Jamie (Foxx)and Eddie (Murphy), but only because they can make money off them.

"They (studios) might think there's diversity because four white women run studios."

20/02/2006 03:21

That is from an article I read today on www.contactmusic.com.

My question is...What in the world is stopping black people (or any other race) from starting their own successful movie studios? Why is Spike Lee blaming others for black people not being adequately represented in the high positions in Hollywood? Who are these spectacular people that he thinks are being turned away for these executive jobs? Throw some names out there, Spike. Let's hear who is being discriminated against, based on the color of their skin.

I personally wouldn't give HIM a job as a movie exec, simply because he can't see past the color of a person's skin long enough to be good for the job. He would greenlight movies just BECAUSE the person that pitched the script was black (rather than consider the movie based on it's content). And because there's only so big a market for angry black movies.

I've said it before and I'll say it again...I'M SICK AND TIRED OF HEARING PEOPLE USE RACE AS AN EXCUSE FOR THEIR SHORTCOMINGS. Come up with some talent. Come up with some good candidates for the jobs in question. Nobody's stopping you but you.

Spike's comments are no different than asking "why aren't there any Native American studio execs?" or "why so few Bangladeshi studio execs?" (or Asian, or Spanish, or Mexican, or short people, or tall people, etc). Sometimes, that's just the way it works Mr. Lee. Maybe we shouldn't group everyone into a category. Maybe we should look past skin color, ethnic background, etc. once in a while. You might be surprised at how many doors open for you when you get rid of the chip on your shoulder.

Why can't I have the day off?

It's President's Day. The government has the day off. Why can't I?? Here are some pictures of some random Presidents. No particular reason. I just thought I should have some pictures here. Bonus points if you can actually name them.

People didn't look particularly happy back then. And they dressed funny. That second one looks like an unhappy Bill Murray.

Interesting opinion

I think this is a very interesting opinion piece by University of North Carolina professor, Mike S. Adams. I'm not going to post the text, but if you're interested in an intellectually stimulating perspective on two controversial topics, click here. I thoroughly enjoy his writing style and appreciate his viewpoint. Keep in mind, it's an opinion piece. And by the way, I am neither endorsing nor condemning his position. I'm merely stating that it's interesting and sharing it here for you to make up your own mind.

Rain check - out of stock

(Click for larger view)

Attention: Moderate Muslims

What the hell is going on with your religion?? Why don't you speak out against the senseless violence that is perpetrated by your people, in the name of Allah?

For weeks now, the Muslim world has been rioting, burning embassies, restaurants, etc. in addition to their usual burning of effigies, flags, and the like. What caused this, you ask? A FRIGGIN CARTOON. Yes. A cartoon.

A week or two ago, a newspaper in Denmark printed editorial cartoons, depicting the prophet Mohammed with a bomb on his head. After that, all hell broke loose. The Danish and Norwegian embassies in Syria were immediately set on fire by Muslim extremists, the General Consulate in Beirut was torched, there were riots in Afghanistan and many other Middle East countries this past week. Many people have been killed during these riots. There is no regard for human life or for the governments of these cities. The streets have been filled with the usual fanatics, waving their fists, shooting their guns in the air and general chanting and yelling. I have heard some chanting "death to America" in there as well. What America has to do with this silly cartoon issue is beyond me, but hey...what can ya do? I've seen children filling the streets with their own protests as well. Most of which aren't even old enough to know what's going on.

Pakistan had a riot with 70,000 protestors that burned theaters, a KFC and a bus station, among other things. They ransacked offices, and a stray bullet from a demonstrator killed an 8 year old boy.

What ever happened to common sense?? I understand that they're offended. I know their religion means a lot to them. However, I disagree with their violent reaction to a CARTOON. In addition, how is the government of Denmark responsible for the actions of a cartoonist? Why are they killing people in the streets because of the actions of a cartoonist? Sounds like misdirected anger to me.

In America, most of our media outlets are tip-toeing around the issue and condemning the cartoons as being "blasphemous". Many are even pacifying Muslims that are condoning this violence. HOWEVER, when Christian groups in America PEACEFULLY protest something blasphemous, like a South Park episode where the Virgin Mary bleeds out of her butt or a Rolling Stones magazine cover with Kanye West pretending to be Jesus (complete with crown of thorns), the media attacks the Christians. They tell them that people have the right to express their opinions (which they do) in such a blasphemous way. So why the double standard? Why do left-wingers support the Muslims in their (violent) cause, yet criticize law abiding Christians in America? Doesn't make much sense to me.

People should have the right to say or draw whatever they'd like. If that happens to be a picture of something that offends you, so be it. If you don't like a cartoon, a magazine, or a tv show that offends your beliefs, then you have a right NOT to read it or watch it. You don't have the right to burn buildings and kill people though.

Furthermore, why is the Muslim population organizing to destroy and kill over a cartoon, but when they see their own brothers CUTTING THE HEADS off of innocent journalists and contractors, the say NOTHING. They don't even blink an eye. They're outraged over a cartoon, but don't seem to care much when their people mutilate and kill other human beings in the name of their religion. They don't think twice when their people strap bombs to their backs and walk into a storefront or a wedding party to kill innocent people. That doesn't offend them, evidently. Those things apparently don't do as much damage as a cartoon made of ink and newsprint (that they can choose NOT to read).


I know ALL Muslims aren't part of this evil. But why don't sensible Muslims speak out against this abhorrent behavior? Why don't they condemn the actions of these radicals? Why don't they join with other reasonable people in destroying this evil? And that's what it is. Pure evil. By being passive, they become part of the problem.

Come on, sensible Muslims...step up! Your religion is being perverted into an instrument of violence and lunacy. Do something about it, please.

Happy Valentine's Day

Is that a jukebox in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

I think my mp3 player is responsible for me keeping my sanity at work.

Without my tunes, I think I would go nuts at the office. People here are constantly moving, constantly talking, and constantly annoying. I find that I can effectively drown them out by turning my headphones up and ignoring them. If I allowed myself to listen to all of the half-wit conversations that people here engage in, I think I would turn out to be just as nutty as the rest of the people I work with.

Don't get me wrong, people here are nice. It's just that they all talk about nonsense all day. Smalltalk is not my forte. If you want to talk about something meaningful, by all means, let's talk. But if you want to make idle chit-chat, please take it elsewhere. I don't want to be asked about my "Monday", the weather, or any of the other trivial office conversations that are parodied on Office Space. I could swear I work for Initech sometimes.

Luckily, I've got thousands of songs on my mp3 player that keep me mellow and allow me to concentrate on my work (or posting here) without distractions. 20GB holds a lot of music. It's a virtual jukebox that travels with me wherever I go. If you don't have one, I'd highly recommend the Creative brand over any iPod. The battery life is far superior to Apple's and the file exchanges are much easier and more standardized than Apple's iTunes crap.

Thank you Creative Labs, for assisting me in my attempt to be anti-social at work.

Shut up and eat your meat loaf

I just wanted to take a second to put up a quick post. I get a lot of flack when I go an entire day without posting SOMETHING. Since I haven't posted anything today, here ya go. Happy Friday.

Child: "Mommy, Mommy! What happened to all that dog food Fido wouldn't eat?"

Mother: "Shut up and eat your meat loaf."

I don't know why, but that cracks me up. I do find that meat, served in loaf form, is pretty darn tasty though.

That's what you get...MORON!

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Firefighters in Orlando had to save a burglary suspect who was trying to climb down the chimney of a convenience store on West Washington Street and got stuck.

This is a picture of a piece of crap that was trying to burglarize a convenience store and got stuck in the vent. I would vote for leaving him there. Screw him. Why go through the trouble of pulling him out? Leave him there so he can think about his life and the choices he's made. Go get a job, idiot.

The Grammys were when?

I don't give a rat's ass about the Grammys. I actually had no idea that they were even on until I heard the radio jocks talking about it this morning on the way to work. Should I care? I don't even think there are any standout entertainers these days that I would care to see. Maybe when we stop promoting crappy "musicians" and propelling them to stardom, I'll start paying attention to musical award shows.

Here's some of the "great artists" that were apparently nominated or honored at the Grammys yesterday (according to the website):
Ciara
Fall Out Boy
Keane
John Legend
SugarLand
Kelly Clarkson
The White Stripes

Not a significant band in the bunch. I've never even heard of most of them. I've heard of Ciara and the American Idol chick, and that's about it. Wait, I take that back. I had the misfortune of hearing the train wreck that is the "White Stripes" one time on The Daily Show. Absolutely horrible. Where has all the good music gone?? What happened to talented musicians, like the ones that were common in the 60's? I miss good music. This new generation of music is pretty lame and disappointing. A lot of it is just contrived, studio-tricked, pop crap that is easily marketable (and therefore, the labels sign them so they can profit).

Let me just mention some real musicians that should serve as examples for musicians today:

Stevie Ray Vaughn
Eric Clapton
The Beatles
Jimi Hendrix
The Rolling Stones
The Doobie Brothers
Pink Floyd
Led Zeppelin
Santana
The Eagles
Al Green
Earth Wind and Fire
Stevie Wonder
Frank Sinatra
Lou Rawls

I could go on, but I think you get the idea. These people actually FELT their music and it's what drove them. These days, it's the money and the fame that drives musicians. The music is just a vehicle to get them the money and fame they want, and consequently, the output is diluted.

I don't know if anybody here has ever seen Stevie Ray Vaughn play live at Austin City Limits, but that was one of the most amazing performances I've ever seen. I saw a video of it, and I was moved. The show wasn't flashy. He didn't have big pyrotechnics and a huge stage with props. It was Stevie Ray Vaughn and his beat up guitar. That's pretty much it (besides his band). He had his eyes closed, and the music was just pouring out of him as if he was just a vessel for it to travel through. He wasn't there for the fame. He was there to play music. It was his passion. If you ever get a chance to see it, I highly recommend it.

By the way, I thank my dad for introducing me to a lot of the great music played by those I listed above. Not only is my dad a great musician himself, but he also has great taste in music. I didn't grow up in the 60's, but I bet it was a really cool time to be around. I grew up in the 80's and what did we get? Cindy Lauper? Culture Club? The Bengals? No thanks. Give me the music I grew up listening to with my dad. Thanks, Pop.

Whiskey...Tango...Foxtrot?

WTF?!?! That's what immediately came to mind when I read an article about a woman still breastfeeding her EIGHT and NINE year old kids in the UK (full article). At first, I thought it was just some weird English family being kooky. Then, I did a little research and found that they're not the only ones.

• It is from Urbana, Illinois. U.S. prosecutors are trying to stop a woman from breastfeeding her eight year old son. The mother is 34 years old and apparently allows him to suckle every ten days or so. She refers to this as natural, child led weaning. She has appeared on a morning talk show (no surprise there) to discuss her situation. The program included video footage of the boy sucking away. She is quoted, "I think people need to see me and my child and realise that this is a perfectly normal practice. We are your standard middle class American family, and we're not doing anything wrong."
  

• Kathleen Huggins and Linda Ziedrich, in The Nursing Mother's Guide to Weaning, give an interesting glimpse into weaning practices of other cultures. In one account a Sioux mother "came to school at recess to nurse her eight-year-old boy because he had a cold." And they comment "this wasn't a very remarkable occurrence in her culture; the average nursing period among the Sioux, traditionally, was three to five years."

There are a lot of stories on this subject. You can do the research yourself, if you're that interested. Apparently, there are a lot of studies done to see what the benefits of continuing the breastfeeding past infancy might be. The obvious ones are increased immune functionality and resistance to allergies. I'm all for breastfeeding. That's the natural way and it's the breast's intended purpose.

However, I've got to admit that it seems a bit weird for an 8 year old to be breastfeeding. I would think there might be some social implications for a situation like that as well. The term "momma's boy" comes to mind. And if the kid is old enough to ask for it, isn't that a bit creepy? I just have the image in my head of a third grader coming home from school and asking mom for some milk to go with his afternoon snack or something. Cookie in one hand and asking mom to lean down so he can reach the teat. Just a bit strange to me, that's all.

In my opinion, if they've got teeth and can eat on their own...they should probably be learning how to be independent rather than breastfeeding. In addition, what woman really wants cookie crumbs all over them from their third grade kid (or orangutan nipples from their teeth gnawing at them all day)? I'm just sayin.

Look, an elephant on a skateboard!!

I just wanted to start a NEW topic, since people seem to think I want to talk about "other issues" all week long. This week's comments sections have been enough to make the Baby Jeebus cry. How about something fun, like elephants on skateboards? Or perhaps deer asses that double as a doorbell? Those are fun topics. Please discuss. :)

Opinions are great

Given the amount of feedback I've gotten recently about my views and opinions, I thought I'd stoke the fire a little bit more (not really). I just thought this Andy Rooney rant was very appropriate for this week, and I happen to agree with most of what he's saying here:

I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America; and see what happens...Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door.

Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.

I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, that is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! ARE YOU LISTENING MARTHA BURKE?

I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion.

I have the right "NOT" to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off.

When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling, it is the Law of Probability.

I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper or a hotel room, you must do it in English! As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American citizen, you should have to speak English!

My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours.

I think the police should have every right to shoot your sorry ass if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word "freeze" or "stop" in English, see the above lines.

I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are qualified for any special loan programs, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business.

We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constitution is a living document; and open to their interpretations.

I don't hate the rich. I don't pity the poor.

I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.

I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better, and put your name on the building.

It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid; and smack their little behinds when necessary, and say "NO!"

I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And, please, stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries!

And if you don't like my point of view, tough...

Opinions are great. Free thought is what makes this a great Country. We're all free to voice our opinions how we see fit. Some do it through protesting. Others do it through voting. Some start organizations that further their causes. Some people are just blowhards that tell everyone within earshot how they feel about things. I probably do a combination of these things, as well as post my opinions on my blog. I'm not an activist. I really don't care if people agree with me or not. If I can make someone think, cool. If not, that's cool too. I mostly post for my own entertainment and the entertainment of my friends that visit this site. I don't apologize for my views, because that is what I believe in. If you happen to disagree, that is fine with me. Nobody is making you read my blog. I'm not the most politically correct person, nor do I claim to be. Actually, I can't stand political correctness. If you feel a certain way - say what you think.

I hope everybody has a great Friday, and if that offends anyone...too bad. :) (you never know these days. There might be some anti-happy Friday group somewhere that takes offense)

Cindy, you annoying troll...

First of all, I just want to say the following about Cindy Sheehan. She's lost a son who served bravely in Iraq, and I sympathize with her grief for her son. He volunteered for the armed services and served honorably. Unfortunately, he lost his life fighting for his country and for the freedom of another. This is a risk all soldiers are aware of when they sign up. It's an incredible sacrifice for a person to make and we should all be proud and grateful for soldiers like him.

With that being said, I think SHE is a jackass. She is doing nothing to honor her son's name with her outrageous behavior. She has created this false sense of celebrity for herself, and dwells on the attention for her self worth. She is an attention whore who plays to the cameras whenever they're on. I've seen her at the White House, refusing to leave with a goofy smirk on her face, only to throw on the tears when the camera is on for her photo op. Her crusade has become very self serving, in my opinion and it's almost as if the anti-war cause is a second thought for her.

I'm wondering how a person could have so much time on their hands that Bush bashing would become a full time endeavor for them. Surely, she has bills to pay, right? It's pretty evident that she's being supported by the likes of Michael Moore and moveon.org and all of the usual lefty sources, not to mention making money selling books. They are using her for their (perceived) benefit, without a doubt. Michael Moore has her plastered all over his site on a daily basis.

Nothing Cindy Sheehan does is going to change the U.S. policy on Iraq. Period. She knows that. And the left knows that. At least everybody with a brain knows it. However, they continue to help get her in the spotlight to further their agendas. They use her to draw attention without having to get their own hands dirty. They use her to "smear" the Bush administration and she is a good pawn for that. What's funny is that she does more harm than good for their cause. The more she's on TV, the sillier she looks. The more radical she gets, the more she looks like a basketcase nutjob. Politicians will find that associating themselves with a person like Sheehan will not be a good move for them. She does nothing to bring legitimacy to this anti-war cause. She does not come off as being very well educated or particularly articulate. Her sensationalist approach certainly doesn't demand respect. I'm quite certain that she is not an expert in foreign relations or international diplomacy either. So for her to try and tell the U.S. government how to conduct their business is quite laughable.

It's certainly her right to protest. I am not disagreeing with her right to speak her mind by any means. But there's a right way and a wrong way to do it. You can speak your mind and still treat others with respect, even if you oppose their views.

RIGHT WAY: Get involved with government. Become an active member of your local or federal legislative body. That is the way to be taken seriously and to actually affect change. Being a bomb-thrower in the media does nothing to change the issues you disagree with. That actually makes you look like a fool, more than anything.

WRONG WAY: Wearing inflammatory t-shirts to the State Of The Union speech in hopes of a photo op and to disrupt the occasion.

That is precisely what she did (or tried to do) last night at the president's State Of the Union address. She came in with a jacket on over her shirt that said "2245 dead - how many more?". This was neither the time nor the place for her to try and steal the spotlight. The world does not revolve around her. There are many complex issues that the President of the United States must deal with, not just Sheehan. She needs to get a clue.

What's even worse is that after her arrest last night, she tried to act like she had no intention of disrupting the speech. Give me a friggin break! On Michael Moore's website, she's painting herself as some sort of innocent spectator at the speech who was wrongly persecuted.

"I had just sat down and I was warm from climbing 3 flights of stairs back up from the bathroom so I unzipped my jacket. I turned to the right to take my left arm out, when the same officer saw my shirt and yelled, "Protester." He then ran over to me, hauled me out of my seat and roughly (with my hands behind my back) shoved me up the stairs. I said something like, "I'm going, do you have to be so rough?" By the way, his name is Mike Weight."

Aww...poor Cindy. Feel free to go read her account in its entirety. I'm not going to post it all here. She claims that she was arrested "because she was protesting". Mind you, she claimed before that she had merely removed her jacket because she was "warm" - not because she wanted to protest. It was simply a coincidence that she had an inflammatory message on her shirt at a televised political speech. Riiiiiight. Make up your mind, Cindy.

She even claims that she's wrongfully vilified for "disagreeing with the government". That is simply not true. She makes a target of herself by the WAY she conducts herself. Not only that, but she is not even the only one that was removed from that speech last night. A REPUBLICAN representative's wife was removed as well. She was removed for wearing "support the troops" shirt for the same reason that Sheehan was removed for wearing her anti-war shirt. Both are disruptive and inappropriate for that forum.

Additionally, in 1999, a man was removed from the Senate gallery for wearing a shirt protesting Clinton. It said, "Clinton doesn't inhale, he sucks". As funny as that is, it's totally inappropriate and makes that guy look like an idiot. So, it's not an issue of Bush "quieting dissenters". It's a personal conduct thing. Don't act like a jackass and you won't be removed. It's really pretty simple.

That's all the ranting I can do right now. I'm sure you're all asleep by now anyway. I would apologize for the rambling, but I'm not really sorry. :)