An Ol’ Broad’s Ramblings
Archive for August 2007
Chibbers
WILLS POINT, Texas — Entomologists are debating the origin and rarity of a sprawling spider web that blankets several trees, shrubs and the ground along a 200-yard stretch of trail in a North Texas park.
Officials at Lake Tawakoni State Park say the massive mosquito trap is a big attraction for some visitors, while others won’t go anywhere near it.
Count me among those who ‘won’t go anywhere near it’!
“There are a lot of folks that don’t realize spiders do that,” said Jackman, author of “A Field Guide to the Spiders and Scorpions of Texas.”
“Until we get some samples sent to us, we really won’t know what species of spider we’re talking about,” Jackman said.
It’s a spider. It’s got eight legs. Probably hairy. Who cares what KIND it is!
Yes, I’m a girl! 
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Thinking Causes Headaches
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Not just the 1st Amendment, but pretty much all of the Bills of Rights. Since there has been so much flack about the interpretation of the First Amendment in recent years, I thought I’d add my two cents.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
This seems pretty straight forward to me. I guess I must be seriously confused though, since organizations like the ACLU and the like say so.
Establishing a religion, rather like the Church of England which the some of the original immigrants way back when were trying to escape, is not a good thing. Being forced to be a member a particular religion or faith, kind of like the Muslims would like to do to the entire world, is one of the reasons there were so many who braved the elements to establish a new homeland. In the next part of the clause, it flat out states that the government, or any other organization, can NOT prevent folks from praying in any manner they choose. Now, I’m sure there’s a tiny mind turning somewhere that’s screaming “but you are forcing me to exposure to YOUR religion!†Well, no, I’m not. If you choose not to participate, you are quite free not to.
Prayers before football games, during graduation, etc., we do acknowledge there is a much Higher Power at work in our lives. If you don’t believe this is true, then don’t bow your head. Honestly, civilized citizens really don’t care. We’ll pray for you, but don’t insist you pray with us.
On the other hand, do NOT try to stop us from thanking the Lord for the bountiful gifts He has bestowed on us, personally, and generally.
That little thing that a whole lot of folks that keep spouting, claiming it is ‘the separation of church and state’ clause? Does not exist ANYWHERE IN THE CONSTITUTION!
or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;
Sadly, I see one side of the ‘aisle’ doing it’s very best to try to silence the other side. Shoot, even on both sides when it comes right down to it. Take, for example the “Amnesty Billâ€. Talk radio, bloggers, and many people in general inundated the phone lines in D.C. Why? Because there are people out there willing to actually INFORM the general population about what is going on with our so called ‘elected body’. I say so called because we don’t really get a choice anymore. If you aren’t obscenely wealthy, or backed by folks who are, you don’t stand a snowball’s chance, even if you would be the better choice.
If you say something I don’t like, should I be able to shut you up? Not just no, but HELL no! And visa versa. There is that shouting “fire in the crowded theater†scenario, but that’s not what I’m trying to understand here, so let’s just say that’s a given. If there is no fire, shut up!
or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Here we come an item related to ‘free speech’. Assembling peacefully shouldn’t require permits, unless of course, you plan on blocking traffic, or causing a general nuisance, although I do understand the desire of officials to have said permits, I find it rather annoying to hear of times where a permit is denied which means the citizens are being denied the right to “petition the government for a redress of grievancesâ€.
Over all, the changing of definitions certain words to create a different meaning is seriously starting to chap my hide.
So, where am I wrong?
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Morning Coffee 8/30/07
US priests getting ordained in Kenya say American church has lost its way
Two American priests were consecrated Thursday as Anglican bishops in Kenya, the latest in a string of conservative priests who are defecting to African churches in a dispute over homosexuality.
Bill Atwood of Texas and William Murdoch of Massachusetts left the Episcopal Church — the U.S. branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion — because it allows the ordination of gay priests.
Can’t say as I blame them for their defection. When a church goes over to ‘the dark side’, you have to question their values.
Another flaw found in new CHP pistols
Smith & Wesson is recalling and replacing thousands of ammunition magazines it delivered with the California Highway Patrol’s new semi-automatic pistols after officers reported bullets were not properly loading into the weapons’ firing chambers.
That would definitely mess up a cop’s day!
State report: Va. Tech erred, but Cho had ‘commitment to action that day’
The statewide panel charged with investigating the mass shooting at Virginia Tech sharply criticized the university for not quickly and clearly notifying students and staff after police responded to a double homicide in a campus dorm and for failing to respond when shooter Seung Hui Cho showed signs of mental illness his junior year.
Because a person shows signs of mental illness, does that mean he/she is going to go on a shooting spree? Why didn’t this kid’s parents notice a problem? Isn’t 20/20 hindsight just grand!
Cops: Austrian Teen Killed, Ate Roommate in Homeless Shelter
An Austrian teenager has confessed to murdering a man he met in a homeless shelter and eating parts of his brain and internal organs, authorities said.
The 19-year-old, named only as Robert A, is alleged to have killed his 49-year-old roommate by crushing his skull with a 20lb iron bar, before using a butcher’s knife to remove the man’s intestines.
Ewwwwww!
Defense official: Russia cause of tensions between Israel and Syria
“At a certain time, the Russians caused the Syrians to believe that Israel was preparing for war,” Gilad said. “I think that they have stopped this. Syria is not planning on attacking Israel, and Israel is definitely not planning on attacking Syria.”
I curious what the Russians have to gain by stirring up more trouble than there already is in that region.
California teacher offended by NEA’s ‘manipulative, dishonest’ tactics
Confidential strategy directives from the National Education Association urge the union’s field representatives involved in the collective bargaining process to “attack the chief school administrator” and “mislead” their own members.
And someone just now noticed? They’ve been doing this for years and destroying what use to be an excellent educational system! Those who honestly want to teach should make every effort to put an end to NEA and any other teacher’s union who has been running the system into the ground.
Teamsters aim to block plan giving Mexican trucks more U.S. access
The Teamsters Union said Wednesday it will ask a federal appeals court to block the Bush administration’s plan to allow Mexican trucks to carry cargo anywhere in the United States.
The union said it has been told by officials in the Transportation Department’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that the first Mexican trucks will be coming across the border Saturday.
Here’s a first! I’m in COMPLETE AGREEMENT WITH THE UNION! The safety standards of Mexico are not exactly up to par, and whoever thought this was a good idea needs a serious ‘talking to’.
NYC baby born with 12 fingers, 12 toes
Jeshuah Fuller’s parents expected him to be born with extra fingers. The extra toes, though, were a surprise.
Jeshuah, healthy and weighing 7 pounds, was born in Brooklyn on Tuesday with 12 fingers and 12 toes. His rare condition, called polydactylism, is usually genetic.
I’ve always thought women should have an extra set of arms, but would extra fingers and toes be useful? At least he’s healthy! That’s what is really important.
Legal immigrants feel suspicion’s sting, too
The last time Freddy Valcarcel crossed the border, the guard on the U.S. side of the line squinted suspiciously at his passport.
“You don’t look American,” he told him.
As it happened, the border in question was with Canada, and the Valcarcel family was heading back to Middle Tennessee from vacation.
Unfortunately, allowing so many illegals to run rampant is taking it’s toll on those who are very legal! I guess the advocates for the illegals never thought about the problems they are causing for those who have done everything by ‘the book’, or were actually born here, with all the rights and privileges of a citizen.
Study: 1 in 8 Ground Zero workers had post-traumatic stress
One in eight recovery and rescue workers who helped with the months-long cleanup at the World Trade Center showed signs of post-traumatic stress disorder three years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a study has found.
This should come as no surprise to anyone. Well, except maybe John Edwards. The horror those workers went through, the emotional strain, would leave a scar on anyone’s soul.
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Radical Hormonal Libs
Liberal Women Struggle to Find Broad Appeal
It was no surprise last week when GreenStone Media announced the end of its all women, all whining, all the time radio network. In the year since its inception, GreenStone only had 11 stations that carried its programming. The mainstream media was positively orgasmic when GreenStone launched in late 2006. The network was backed by investors like Gloria Steinem, Rosie O’Donnell, Billie Jean King and Jane Fonda who all ponied up $3.1 million. Carrie Lukas of Independent Women’s Forum wrote, “To thunderous acclaim from the liberal intelligentsia, a team of feminist icons — including Gloria Steinem and Jane Fonda — last year launched a women-run radio network. The mainstream media dutifully parroted press releases describing the launch as a ‘breakthrough’ for women in the male-dominated world of talk radio.â€
It must have come as quite a shock to these female types to learn that not all women agree with them. I don’t suppose it has ever occurred to the feminazis that NOT ALL WOMEN ARE FEMINISTS! We don’t want to be men. We don’t want to be treated like men either. We are perfectly happy being who we are, and no amount of pounding the desk in fained outrage is going to change that little fact.
Meanwhile, achievements by conservative women in talk radio were completely ignored in the hype over GreenStone. It’s disingenuous to say that women haven’t succeeded in this “men’s market.†In addition to their radio programs, hosts including Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Monica Crowley, Laura Ingraham, Melanie Morgan, Martha Zoller and Tammy Bruce have also found success as authors and TV pundits. Yet, GreenStone CEO and former Federal Communications Commissioner Susan Hess insisted that there was “a huge hole in the market.†After GreenStone sunk, the question isn’t why do women fail in talk radio, but why do liberals continue to fail in talk radio?
I guess the problem is that these are not card carrying members of the female testosterone club. AND they have actually achieved some degree of equality amongst their male peers. IMHO, women are making great strides, if they choose to venture into the work place, grow a set and be the boss. On the other hand, many women also CHOOSE to be mothers, homemakers and wives. The radical feminist doesn’t seem to understand that there are many, MANY women who do not see the world through the haze of burned bras. Perhaps if GreenStone had addressed the issues that the majority of women face ever day, then they might have had a chance.
In a recent poll commissioned by the Susan B. Anthony List and the polling company â„¢ only 40% of women said they could conceivably vote for Hillary Clinton. Lest the media characterize the remainder as victims of the patriarchy, an additional 46% said they would vote for a woman (just not that woman) in 2008 or in a future presidential election. Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of the Susan B. Anthony List, said, “Considering how miserably Clinton does among male voters, she should be concerned that the ‘sisterhood’ is not rallying to her side either.â€
The constant underestimating of women’s intelligence by the left, and the main stream media (yes, I know, it’s the same thing) is one of the major reasons that such ventures fail. Hillary Clinton may be female, genetically, but she is no lady, with too much baggage from a long life in the public eye. Contrary to what many believe, we do remember. Honestly, at this point in time, I can’t think of any woman I’d like to see in the White House, although, that’s not to say that one won’t come along in the future who shares my values of life, low taxes, families, and personal responsibility, just to name a few.
Absent of substance and an agenda that appeals to all kinds of Americans, the Left consistently appeals to one’s race or gender for cheap and easy votes and listeners. It didn’t work for GreenStone Media and it’s not working for Hillary Clinton. As Myrna Blyth wrote in Spin Sisters, “Remember, more women listen to [Dr. Laura] each night than have seen all of the performances of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues everywhere in the world.†Now that’s broad appeal.
And until they get the message, those broads have NO appeal for this ol’ broad!
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Pieces
As Rioting Erupts in Indian City of Agra, Foreign Tourists Advised to Avoid Taj Mahal
Indian authorities have imposed a curfew in the northern city of Agra after one person was killed and several others injured in violent clashes triggered by a road accident. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, police have closed the famous Taj Mahal monument to tourists.
The violence in Agra - home to the world famous Taj Mahal - erupted after four Muslim men were hit by a truck and killed before dawn Wednesday.
The victims were returning home from a religious festival in which Muslims visit graveyards and pray for the dead.
This is how Muslims react after an accident? Peaceful folks. (sarcasm)Â I see them the same way I saw the rioters after the Rodney King verdict…..any excuse to destroy!
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Ann on Gonzales
This week, congressional Democrats vowed to investigate Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ firing of himself. Gonzales has said he was not involved in the discussions about his firing and that it was “performance-based,” but he couldn’t recall the specifics.Right-wingers like me never trusted Gonzales. But watching Hillary Rodham Clinton literally applaud the announcement of Gonzales’ resignation on Monday was more than any human being should have to bear. Liberals’ hysteria about Gonzales was surpassed only by their hysteria about his predecessor, John Ashcroft. (Also their hysteria about Bush, Rove, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Libby, Rice, Barney and so on. They’re very excitable, these Democrats.)
Liberals want to return the office to the glory years of Attorney General Janet Reno!
There is reason to believe Reno is precisely the sort of attorney general that Hillary would nominate, since Reno was widely assumed to be Hillary’s pick at the time. As ABC News’ Chris Bury reported the day Reno was confirmed: “The search for an attorney general exemplifies Hillary Clinton’s circle of influence and its clout. … The attorney general-designate, Janet Reno, came to the president’s attention through Hillary Clinton’s brother, Hugh Rodham.”
Let’s compare attorneys general:
– Civilians killed by Ashcroft: 0
– Civilians killed by Gonzales: 0
– Civilians killed by Reno: 80
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Evening Snack (8/29)
Clinton to Give Away Fundraiser’s Cash
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton will give to charity the $23,000 in donations she has received from a fundraiser who is wanted in California for failing to appear for sentencing on a 1991 grand theft charge.
I’m curious. How can people give the Dhimmis so much money, yet it’s the Republicans who are supposedly rich? AND how do the Clintons keep getting away with this stuff? Also, has anyone noticed the Clintons are acquainted with some rather interesting characters?
Iranian envoy warns new UN sanctions would end nuclear cooperation
A senior Iranian envoy warned the United States and its allies on Wednesday against pushing for new UN Security Council sanctions against his country, suggesting Teheran could retaliate by ending cooperation with UN experts probing its nuclear program.
US and European diplomats in turn criticized Tehran for not doing enough to ease international concerns and said its recent willingness to allow a partial probe of its past nuclear activities was not enough to banish fears it wanted to make an atomic bomb.
Did I miss something? I wasn’t aware that Iran was cooperating with anyone!
Jewell, falsely tied to ‘96 blast, dies
Richard Jewell, the former security guard who was wrongly linked to the 1996 Olympic bombing and then waged a decade-long battle with news organizations to defend his reputation, died Wednesday. He was 44.
R.I.P. It’s a shame he had to go through so much hell.
UN official raps Sudan for expelling CARE envoy
U.N. Undersecretary-General John Holmes, the humanitarian coordinator, said that the expulsion “clearly undermined both the letter and the spirit” of a joint communique he signed earlier this year with the Khartoum government on facilitating humanitarian activities in Darfur.
I get the impression that the head honchos in Sudan really don’t want their people helped.
Bhutto Expects Musharraf to Quit as Military Chief
Pakistani Gen. Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto were on the verge Wednesday night of forming an improbable alliance that would involve him stepping down from the army but continuing as president and her returning to Pakistan after eight years of exile to try to win back her old job, officials on both sides said.
I always thought it was a tad odd that the head of the army was also president. I guess they do things a bit differently in that part of the world?
Stocks Bounce Back After Yesterday’s Drop
Stocks rebounded sharply today as investors, growing more optimistic about chances for an interest rate cut, sought bargains after the previous session’s huge tumble. The Dow Jones industrials gained almost 250 points.
Which stocks? Can I go shopping?
Rabies Survivor Viewed as ‘Medical Marvel’
FOND DU LAC, Wis. — Jeanna Giese, like many other teenagers entering college, admits to being nervous about classes and meeting new friends.
But Giese isn’t your average freshman. She is a medical marvel who has been studied and chronicled for nearly three years as a one-of-a-kind case: She survived rabies without vaccination.
Most excellent news! I wish her the best of luck in her endeavors!
FDA regulation of cigarettes urged
NASHVILLE — Religious leaders have a “moral imperative” to urge Congress to allow the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to regulate cigarettes, said Richard Land, head of public policy for the Southern Baptist Convention.
Land was among leaders from several religious denominations who gathered at a Nashville church Tuesday to urge members of the Tennessee congressional delegation to support legislation.
NO! And not just NO, but HELL NO!
School Bans Tag After Parents Complain
A Colorado Springs elementary school is banning the game of tag on its playground — after some children complained that they’d been chased or harassed against their will.
You have got to be….kidding me! To put it point blank, we are raising a generation of a bunch of pussies!!!! My apologies for the crudeness, but it’s true!
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Instead of spending time dealing with the REAL problems facing the country, the Dhimmis waste time, and taxpayer money. Gee, I’m real impressed, aren’t you?
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Morning Coffee 8/29/07
Up to 10% in Virginia jails illegals
The 13,735 illegal aliens in jail committed 27,148 offenses in fiscal 2007, according to the report. The majority of offenses for which illegal aliens are held in the state’s jails involved alcohol or the possession of fake identification documents.
(…)
The average annual cost to house an inmate in a state prison during fiscal 2006 was $23,123, said Larry Traylor, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Corrections.
If my calculator is correct, that’s roughly 31 MILLION DOLLARS annually to house, feed and clothe people who should never have been here in the first place!
Help drying up for Katrina evacuees in Dallas
Many remain in N. Texas but struggle to find jobs
Hurricane Katrina relief, once an outpouring of support for evacuees displaced in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, has slowed to a trickle on the second anniversary of the storm.
While no official figures are available, an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 evacuee households still call North Texas home, according to advocacy groups. And countless evacuees still need help paying for basic necessities such as rent and utilities.
The sad thing is, many of those still struggling are those who expect the government to ‘take care’ of them. The cradle to grave mindset created by the poverty pimps in Louisiana did a great deal of harm for these people.
Poverty worsens in city; 26% live below the line
Milwaukee has 8th-highest rate of large U.S. cities
Johnniemae Ashford is a 41-year-old African-American woman caught in a poverty trap.
She is raising five grandchildren and takes home$187 every two weeks as a patient-care worker. She needs pots, pans, beds, groceries and cash for a first rent check so she can move her family out of her sister’s house and into a new home.
While I have great sympathy for this lady, my first question is, where is these children’s mother? Second, FIVE grandchildren at the age of 41?
Persistent Fear Drives Stocks Down
The stock market plunged late in the afternoon yesterday, registering its biggest drop in three weeks as investors were hit by fresh worries over declining consumer confidence, falling house prices, shrinking profits on Wall Street and uncertainty about the Federal Reserve.
I’m no economic genius, but it seems to me that panic selling is only feeding the beast, and creating a worse outlook. Maybe folks should stop and think in the long term before yanking their funds? I don’t know, just a thought.
Taliban free 12 S. Korean hostages in Afghanistan
Taliban militants on Wednesday released 12 of 19 South Korean captives they promised to free under a deal struck with the South Korean government to resolve a hostage crisis that began almost six weeks ago.
I thought the deal was to release all 19, so where are the other 7?
As Ford goes to prison, ethics laws on trial
Even as the book is being closed on former state Sen. John Ford, who is headed to prison for taking bribes, there may be a move to undo some of the state’s new ethics laws that his arrest prompted.
Some state lawmakers are complaining about unintended consequences of the ethics reforms they’ve passed — and proposed changes, possibly loosening some of the newly tightened laws, could come out of a legislative study committee this fall.
Which leads me to ask, what are they afraid of? Is it possible they think they, themselves, might be brought up on charges?
Beethoven’s Doctor Accidentally Poisoned Him, Pathologist Claims
Did someone kill Beethoven? A Viennese pathologist claims the composer’s physician did — inadvertently overdosing him with lead in a case of a cure that went wrong.
What on earth do you try to cure with lead?
Republicans distance selves from Idaho senator
Senate GOP leaders called Tuesday for an Ethics Committee investigation of the Idaho Republican’s June arrest at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Minnesota.
“He’s disappointed the American people,” former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, for whose presidential campaign Craig was a Senate liaison, told CNBC on Tuesday night. Craig has stepped down from his role in the campaign.
If he’s going to have the morals of an ally cat, he should be a Democrat. They don’t seem to mind such behavior.
Big Source of Clinton’s Cash Is an Unlikely Address
It isn’t obvious how the Paw family is able to afford such political largess. Records show they own a gift shop and live in a 1,280-square-foot house that they recently refinanced for $270,000. William Paw, the 64-year-old head of the household, is a mail carrier with the U.S. Postal Service who earns about $49,000 a year, according to a union representative. Alice Paw, also 64, is a homemaker. The couple’s grown children have jobs ranging from account manager at a software company to “attendance liaison” at a local public high school. One is listed on campaign records as an executive at a mutual fund.
I’d be real interested to find out how they manage to donate so much money without obvious means. Guess it’s another Clintonesque miracle, eh?
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Never Ending Battle
When the guys put that ugly plastic pink flamingo out, I thought, what the heck. So, I moved it around to the side by the steps up to the deck. For several days, no evil fowl sightings. Then, this morning, the first thing I see is this
Now it may not seem like much, a broken pot, but that broken pot use to have Asian lilies in it, until the peacocks killed them. Now it’s another mess I have to clean up, along with the constant piles of poop, and replace, just like many other plants they have destroyed.
I guess it’s time to put in another call into the lawyer, since he obviously didn’t bother to do anything the last time I called.
One bright spot, those damn birds got one look at me, and turned tail. No water cannon needed.
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