An Ol’ Broad’s Ramblings
Archive for November 2007
Notice the Similarity?
What are the odds the results are going to similar as well?
Pics swiped from Blue Star Chronicles.
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SSDP
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Maybe He Needs the Money?
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Morning Coffee 11/28/07
Court clears way for Winkler to visit kids
Dan and Diane Winkler have asked a court to end Mary Winkler’s parental rights so they can adopt the girls.
They also have filed a $2 million wrongful death lawsuit against her for the death of their son.
A Carroll County judge ruled in September that Mary Winkler could begin visits with her three young daughters, but the paternal grandparents appealed that order.
I find it hard to believe any court would allow that woman any access to those kids. Haven’t they been scarred enough already?
Rats Wipe Out Seabirds on Alaska Island
More than 200 years ago, rats jumped ship for Rat Island. The muscular Norway rat climbed ashore on the rugged, uninhabited island in far southwestern Alaska in 1780 after a rodent-infested Japanese ship ran aground. It was the first time rats had made it to Alaska.
Since then, Rat Island, as the piece of rock was dubbed by a sea captain in the 1800s, has gone eerily silent. The sounds of birds are missing.
I know rats serve a purpose, but that’s just down right eerie. And man wasn’t even involved. Hmmmm…. Nature does the job all by itself. Curious.
Hamas, Fatah clash during funeral
Palestinian police loyal to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday fired shots in the air and beat protesters with sticks during the funeral of a man killed during a protest against this week’s US-hosted Mideast peace summit. At least 26 people were wounded, one critically, medics said.
They can’t even get along with each other, and the politicians expect to get along with people they want to destroy? Oh yeah….big picture. Sheesh!
As Violence Eases, Sarkozy Calls Riots Unacceptable
After two nights of rioting Sunday and Monday night, largely in the north Paris suburb of Villiers-le-Bel, the situation eased Tuesday night following the massive deployment of 1,000 anti-riot police there.
Mr. Sarkozy described the event that sparked the violence — the death of two teenage boys whose motorbike collided with a police car in Villiers-le-Bel — as “distressing.†But he criticized those who seized on the incident to seek vengeance through violence.
“Shooting at police has no link to this incident,†Mr. Sarkozy said.
Excellent! Someone who recognizes it for what it is….an excuse to destroy.
Bush tells Syria to steer clear of Lebanese election
“The Lebanese people are in the process of electing a president. That decision is for the Lebanese people to make, and they must be able to do so free from outside interference and intimidation,” he said.
Lebanese presidents are elected by Parliament, not in direct elections.
“As they embark on this process,” Bush added, “the people of Lebanon can know that the American people stand with them and we look forward to the day when the people of Lebanon can enjoy the blessings of liberty without fear of violence or coercion.”
Delivering Lebanon’s address, acting Foreign Minister Tarek Mitri said Lebanon “rejected permanent resettlement of Palestinian refugees on its territory.”
Dang, even the Lebanese don’t want them. Should tell the pro Palestinians something. Evidently, there is a reason they’ve been rejected by other countries.
Giuliani’s abortion stance unacceptable, says Perkins
Perkins, president of Family Research Council (FRC), is expressing alarm at what he calls “a chorus of voices” who are trying to portray Rudy Giuliani as acceptable to the pro-life community by claiming he would appoint “strict constructionist” judges to the federal bench. But the former New York City mayor, says Perkins, has been “consistent and honest” in saying that such judges would not necessarily overturn Roe v. Wade.
I’m surprised this isn’t out there more often…especially from Fox News. But then, they are obviously Guiliani supporters, so I guess it’s understandable. grrrrr
Bill Clinton Tells Iowans: I ‘Opposed Iraq’ From Start
Showing inconsistency on an issue that has dogged his wife, former President Bill Clinton told Iowa Democrats on Tuesday that he “opposed (war in) Iraq from the beginning.”
Clinton was in Iowa on the campaign trail for his wife, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.
On Iraq, he told the crowd that wealthy people like he and his wife should pay more taxes in times of war. “Even though I approved of Afghanistan and opposed Iraq from the beginning, I still resent that I was not asked or given the opportunity to support those soldiers,” Clinton said, according to The Washington Post.
I don’t think I could handle another 4 or 8 years of him/them being in the limelight and in charge. I don’t know why he thinks he should have been asked anything, when no other ordinary Joe, or Joe-ette, was asked either. No one asks me if I want my tax dollars to be spent on failed social programs. HMPH!
Huckabee Tries to Gloss Over Ark. Record
Mike Huckabee’s presidential rivals are pointing to chinks in his record as Arkansas’ governor - from ethics complaints to tax increases to illegal immigration and his support for releasing a rapist who was later convicted of killing a Missouri woman.
The Republican presidential candidate has plenty to champion from his 10 1/2 years as governor - including school improvements and health insurance for the children of the working poor. But his record has rough edges, and Huckabee has a habit of playing fast and loose with it.
“Gloss”? I’d have more respect for a candidate who admitted mistakes made while in office, or elsewhere, than one who tries to ‘gloss’ over the public record.
Black voters leaning toward Clinton
Black voters may be leaning toward supporting Sen. Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination even though they prefer Sen. Barack Obama, because they’re dubious that America is ready to elect a black president, a new survey suggests.
The national poll released Tuesday by AARP and the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a liberal policy organization in Washington, confirms that African-American likely voters favor the two leading Democrats, and it underscores the stakes for both in Iowa’s caucuses Jan. 3, where the voting begins. Obama and Clinton are running neck and neck in Iowa, polls show, though many voters are undecided.
For the love of all that’s sane……WHY? The party of death and REAL racism attracts the people it hurts the most. I just don’t get it!
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Church/State
Probably one of the best clarifications of the issue of church and state I’ve read in quite a while.
What Does Separation of Church and State Really Mean?
by John Bambenek
The much-bandied about phrase “separation of church and state” means different things to different people. To those from the secular humanist persuasion, it means that the state can make no public acknowledgment of religion, have no religious displays, recognize no tax exemptions for churches, and goes so far as to regulate even religious expressions of private individuals in the public arena out of line. One also hears that any attempt by others to “moralize” or use any religious values to argue for a policy should be silenced.
On the other hand, there are those who believe the matter is simply that the government should not establish an official state church, or that a church should not be anointing officials in the government. Other than that, people should believe and practice how they see fit. Both sides couch their arguments on constitutional theories, some involving Thomas Jefferson’s “Wall of Separation” letter.
To consider this issue, it is important to look at the historical situation of the framers and what they intended. To recap, they were declaring independence from the king of England. There is one important title for the monarch of England that is relevant to this issue—Supreme Governor of the Church of England.” Not only was the Church of England the official state religion (and still is), but the king himself was the head of that church. This ensured that his political reach not only extended in the public realm, but from the pulpit. The hierarchy of the church was subservient to the king. This led to abuses in both directions—those by the church and those by the government.
The founders did not declare independence from England because they wanted to set up a secular state. They declared independence because of a long train of abuses and usurpations of government power against its people. They were concerned about matters of tyranny, not theology. The Boston Tea Party was about taxes (and thus enshrined in American tradition the fine art of complaining about taxes), not about Baptists throwing Presbyterians’ Bibles into the Atlantic. The Declaration itself made liberal use of religion in general, as did the founders in their public statements. Even in Jefferson’s “Wall” letter, he expresses religious sentiment and asks for prayers. It’s obviously clear; it isn’t religious expression they are worried about.
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Dead On
A snippet:
The Offender: The “Thank You†Wave Forgetter
Setting the Scene: You are leaving a packed parking lot after a sporting event and cars are funneling down into the one main lane out. Being the polite person that you are, you allow someone to jump in line in front of you. The problem is he doesn’t acknowledge your good deed with a wave, smile or even a head nod. This is incredibly poor form.
Appropriate Punishment: Since the ingrate is now right in front of you, turn your brights on and keep them on until you are out of the parking lot.The Offender: The “Lane Closed Ahead†Sign Ignorer
Setting the Scene: Since his time is much more important than everyone else’s, this guy thinks it’s OK for him to skip ahead of 40 other cars who actually obeyed the sign and moved over. Sadly, someone ALWAYS lets this boor in.
Appropriate Punishment: Under no circumstances should this motorist be allowed to cut in. You must ram this offender into the rail when he tries making his move into the line. If I ran the world, the cost to repair any damage your car incurred while nudging Lane-Closed-Ahead-Sign-Ignorers off the road would be paid out of their insurance. Plus you would be given a $500 reward for your service to humanity.
Heh. Go read the rest…..you’ll recognize the ‘offenders’, unless you ARE one, in which case, you’ll be oblivious, just like you are on the road.
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Aaay
Milwaukee closer to getting bronze Fonz
Visit Milwaukee says it has raised about two-thirds of the funds needed to finance its bronze sculpture of “Happy Days” icon Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli.
The non-profit group that promotes the city as a tourism and convention destination expects to be able to unveil the statue of the famous fictional Milwaukee resident next October, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Tuesday.
Visit Milwaukee said it has raised $57,000 of the $85,000 needed to commission the sculpture of the character played by Henry Winkler on the long-running sit-com.
The group plans to sell “Bronze the Fonz” T-shirts to raise more money for the project.
Artist Gerald Sawyer has been hired to craft the statue, said David Fantle, the organization’s vice president of public relations.
“It’ll be one of his classic poses,” Sawyer told the Sentinel, hinting he might depict the eternally cool character posing with a jukebox.
Visit Milwaukee hopes the statue will become a place where tourists will flock to take pictures.
Well, I guess that would all depend on what part of Milwaukee they put the statue, as to whether or not there will be flocks of tourists.
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Absurd - Part 2
Bid to stop whipping over toy bear
UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Tuesday that officials were working to secure the early release of a British teacher who faces being whipped in Sudan after she allowed her class to name a teddy bear “Mohammed.”
Gillian Gibbons, 54, was arrested Sunday after she asked her class of seven-year-olds to come up with a name for the toy as part of a school project, her head teacher told CNN.
Robert Boulos, the head of Unity High School in the capital Khartoum, said naming the teddy bear was “a totally innocent mistake” and that Gibbons had never intended to cause offense.
He said Gibbons had asked the children to pick their favorite name for the new class mascot, which she was using to aid lessons about animals and their habitats.
Classmates took turns taking the teddy bear home with them, accompanied by a diary with the bear’s name written in the front of it, Boulos said.
I suggest every parent in the Muslim world be whipped at least 40 times for naming their kid Mohammed, or even considering it. If you can’t put the name to an image, then they are screwed.
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The Hot Air of Congress!
Heh.
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A Good Read
The World Doesn’t Hate America, the Left Does
Dennis Prager
One of the most widely held beliefs in the contemporary world — so widely held it is not disputed — is that, with few exceptions, the world hates America. One of the Democrats’ major accusations against the Bush administration is that it has increased hatred of America to unprecedented levels. And in many polls, the United States is held to be among the greatest obstacles to world peace and harmony.
But it is not true that the world hates America. It is the world’s left that hates America. However, because the left dominates the world’s news media and because most people, understandably, believe what the news media report, many people, including Americans, believe that the world hates America.
That it is the left — and those influenced by the left-leaning news and entertainment media — that hates America can be easily shown.
Take Western Europe, which is widely regarded as holding America in contempt, but upon examination only validates our thesis. The French, for example, are regarded as particularly America-hating, but if this were so, how does one explain the election of Nicolas Sarkozy as president of France? Sarkozy loves America and was known to love America when he ran for president. Evidently, it is the left in France — a left that, like the left in America, dominates the media, arts, universities and unions — that hates the U.S., not the French.
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