Will It Ever Stop? ***EDITED***

Let me answer my own question - NO!

Yesterday a group of anti-American terrorists breached the walls of the American consulate in Benghazi in Libya. The American ambassador and three others were killed.

There was also violence in Egypt at the U.S. Embassy where the U.S. flag was removed and the flag of Islam was put in its place, although I cannot find any mention of murder being committed there.

Why? Why now? Didn't we just help the Libyans to freedom? Didn't we stand beside them (or, fly our planes over their heads) so that they may be free? Why the sudden onslaught of violence?

"The mobs were set off by Egyptian media reports about a 14-minute trailer for the video, called “Innocence of Muslims,” that was released on the Web. The trailer opens with scenes of Egyptian security forces standing idle as Muslims pillage and burn the homes of Egyptian Christians. Then it cuts to cartoonish scenes depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a child of uncertain parentage, a buffoon, a womanizer, a homosexual, a child molester and a greedy, bloodthirsty thug.

The trailer was uploaded to YouTube by Sam Bacile, whom The Wall Street Journal Web site identified as a 52-year old Israeli-American real estate developer in California. He told the Web site he had raised $5 million from 100 Jewish donors to make the film. “Islam is a cancer,” Mr. Bacile was quoted as saying."

The Wall Street Journal identified this man as an Israeli-American, but according to NPR, Bacile identifies himself as "an Israeli Jew." And he is in hiding in case someone wants to come after him!! The worst kind of coward who can hide behind a camera and his alleged God and get people killed. Now he runs away with his tail between his legs.

I am sick over this. Wanton death and destruction. And of course there are those who blame the President.

Before the violence (according to MSNBC, although I cannot find corroboration) the U.S. State Department issued a press release stating:

"The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims – as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions. Today, the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Americans are honoring our patriots and those who serve our nation as the fitting response to the enemies of democracy. Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others."

So now the President is on another "apology tour" (Romney's words, not mine)

Let me tell you what I think of all of this.
#1. If Bacile (no, Mr. sorry that is a term of respect) wants to identify himself as an Israeli Jew, then he needs to move to Israel. Do not live in my country, cause the death of others using the Bill of Rights that many have died for and not identify yourself as an American.

#2. I cannot find proof that Terrie Jones (alleged preacher) of Gainesville, FL had a hand in promoting this film, but if he did, he needs to be jailed. His complete disregard for the lives of others (and this goes for Bacile also) should not be covered by the First Amendment's Freedom of Speech. That was never the point.

#3. I believe in our Constitution and I appreciate the Bill of Rights that allows me to have this 'blog and to make my thoughts and feelings known to the few of you who actually read it. It also allows me to look back over the last 6 years of my life, kind of like a journal, but I do not believe in absolute free speech.

In Schenck v United States, the Supreme Court held that:
"Words which, ordinarily and in many places, would be within the freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment may become subject to prohibition when of such a nature and used in such circumstances a to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils which Congress has a right to prevent. The character of every act depends upon the circumstances in which it is done."

Which means you can't yell "Fire" in a crowded theater and you cannot (without penalty) create movies depicting the Prophet Muhammed as a whore.

This country loses its mind when Americans desecrete our own flag (if you remind me, I will try to share what I learned earlier this year in my art class re: the US flag). Who remembers the outrage over "The Last Temptation of Christ"? And the comdemnation over "The DaVinci Code"? Because both portrayed Jesus as non-celibate. How many people would lose their minds if Jesus were portrayed a whoring drunk of uncertain parentage?

No, we would not fire bomb someone's embassy.. well, most of us wouldn't. But a lot of that has to do with the fact that we are lazy. And D.C. is far away.

I do believe that those who created this nightmare should be charged with whatever we can throw at them. And Bacile does not want to endure an American prison, he can go to Israel and spend his old age there.

****EDITED*****

OK, I've calmed down and understand that we all have access to the First Amendment and this should probably be covered under it, even when it makes me mad. But I don't think that YouTube has to actually carry the movie and there is no reason for any company to distribute it!

The Death of a Child....

Is there anything more horrific than the thought of burying your child? I cannot even breathe at the thought as I sit here putting off icing the cupcakes I have lovingly prepared for BabyBoy's 23rd birthday tomorrow. (How did that happen so FAST?)

DSD and I went to visit his parents last weekend - about an hour from Sanford, FL. We arrived on Thursday afternoon and there was a large rally being held requesting justice for Trayvon Martin. Thousands were shown on the news. Thousands of mostly black people. (Y'all know I really wanted to be there, right?) I was dumbfounded by the comments of my completely non-racist in-laws. Things like "There's going to be trouble there." "That is so not a good idea." "They are just asking for trouble." WHAT?!?!? A child is dead. Justice should be sought!

Then there is the girl who I befriended when we were in class together about a year and a half ago, who seems to think it is her duty to remind us all that jumping to conclusions is not a good idea. She has gone from someone I thought was a card carrying Democrat to some crazy gun-toting, planning to vote for any Republican who runs because she hates Mexicans. (I have Republican friends, I just like to know what I am getting myself into.) The thing that makes me the MOST nuts (and she is a blog post all by herself) is that she keeps telling ME that she understands these things because she is majoring in Political Science. HELLOOOO! She is also more than a year away from graduation. I am (in case I forgot to mention it today) 6 weeks and 6 days away!

Trayvon Martin was a typical 17 year old - obsessed with girls and getting by. But also by the overwhelming thought of college, the future, and life. And all of that is now gone. Justice has NOT been done in this case. A child is dead and someone should be charged in that death. Preferably the man who followed him and then pulled the trigger.

I have more... but I have cupcakes to ice. I am very thankful that I can celebrate my child's birthday tomorrow. RIP Trayvon.

Am I the Voice of Doom?

As I sit here in my lovely ranch style home, Lola eating dinner behind me, tomatoes roasting in the oven in preparation for homemade marina, I feel an overwhelming sense of panic. Of dread. Of fear. Serious sick to my stomach terror.

What the hell is happening in this country? What the hell has happened to those whom we have elected to lead us? In less than two weeks this country is going to run out of money, default on our credit and cause who knows what kind of mayhem, but no one seems to be taking this seriously. Certainly not crazy Michelle Bachman. Certainly not most of the Congressional Republicans. Is our President? Will he swoop in at the last minute, invoking the 14th amendment and saving the day? Will that save the day?  Everything I have read says that without spending cuts and increased revenue the S&P (I think) may still take our credit down from AAA to AA. And the plan by the "Gang of 6" has only promised increased revenue in the future. Why not now?

My tax burden is not large.  A lot of that has to do with tuition, of course, because that is all tax deductible, but I would be willing to pay more, why aren't others?

Let's look at how a default will affect ME, personally, as the Average Jane on the street.
#1. DSD is retired Navy with a military retirement that kept us afloat while he was unemployed. What happens without that?
#2. I am a contract employee with the Federal government. Now my contract has just been extended (again) for another 4 months, which means the contract is paid until Thanksgiving, but if there are no active duty or civilians, will I still be able to go in and get paid?
#3. My parents are retired and living off social security. They paid cash for their house and have savings, 401Ks, etc, but they depend on those monthly checks. What will happen to them?

What will happen to us all?

I firmly believe that if the elderly, military, military retirees, etc do not get paid, we may be in for a revolution. I have a really bad feeling about this... luckily my bad feelings are normally just indigestion, but I've never had indigestion that lasts this long.

Why are those in Washington screwing around with our future?

The End of an Era

I've never been all that fascinated with the idea of space travel. It just grabs the imagination of some and not others and I am one of the others.  I was only about 15 months old when Armstrong took that small step for man, so it was already history by the time I was aware of my surroundings.  I do remember being called to watch a slashdown.. Apollo 13 maybe? I remember my dad was super excited about and I was mildly annoyed with him.

I also remember being summoned from my room to watch the first shuttle land in California. I was 14 by then and was daily mildly annoyed with my father, so this probably produced a serious huff. (And probably some eye-rolling because he pulled me away from the phone or a book.)

The Challenger was my first experience with adult disaster and the thoughts of it can still bring a sick feeling to my stomach and a lump in my throat.

But space never grabbed my imagination.

Today though with the last shuttle launch complete, I'm sad. Not because I never made it to the moon or the space station or orbited Earth (I'd rather go to to Ireland), but because it feels like one more area in which the U.S. is no longer a leader. Space was ours. The moon was ours. And now it's not. Now we are dependent on other nations to get supplies to the space station.  Those four who blasted off a couple of hours ago will be dependent on Russia if the shuttle becomes inoperable.

And that makes me sad.

In Pain? Turn to Blogger!

My 26th high school reunion is next weekend. 26 you may ask? What?

Last year there was a reunion for all of my classmates who are on Facebook who graduated 1983-1988. It went well. LOTS of people showed up. There was mucho drinking and lots of good times. My time was so-so, but that is another post. (Which I may or may not ever do!)

So next week.. 45 minutes from here. A friend is arriving Wednesday or Thursday to stay at my house until Friday morning then we shall venture to the lovely Destin, FL for 2 nights in a free if we clean it on Sunday 2 BR apt. DSD was hoping to spend Saturday & Saturday night there (I was looking forward to showing him off!) but he has to work. :-(

However, a friend (how long have we been friends? I have memories of her from when I was 4! And my 44th birthday was in April!) just sent me a private message telling me that her mom has lung cancer. And it's not good.

Ok, she's smoked for 55 years.. but it isn't supposed to happen to those that I love.

Why does it happen at all?

First a first grade teacher then an ESP teacher, mother to 3 (my friend is the baby!) step-mother to 4 (?) more, such a wonderful person.

My friend says her mom is in great spirits. I hope she stays that way. Me? I'm not doing so well.

Love your people! Hold them close.

Help Stop Glen Beck

I don't watch FoxNews.  The gym I was a member of always had it on, but there was also ESPN, and other channels on also, so I wasn't stuck watching it. Watching Beck.  The couple of times I ended up on a bike right in front of him, the lies that rolled off of his tongue made me sick, but not as sick as those who seemed glued to the screen.

I don't watch, so I don't have a lot of power with the advertisers on Fox or Beck's show. But I signed the Petition that you can find over at The Swash Zone.  Excellent post, very well written. Beck needs to go. Will you help?

The Blame Game

    DSD very stubbornly pays almost 0 attention to politics. I think he probably paid more attention before I was always up in his grill about them, but who knows? We started dating about 10 days after the 2000 election and moved in together less than 6 months before the towers fell, so I have been in his grill about politics since the beginning of our relationship.
    He was napping when Rep Giffords was shot. I ranted and raved on Facebook to my family and friends there. In the last half hour I showed him the map of the SarahPac.com bull that was posted some months ago. I have seen it in several places today, but most recently on the site "The Swash Zone." I did not show him who had posted it or that it was originally a Sarah Palin post, but I asked him if the person who posted this BS with a bullseye should be counted as responsible. He looked at me like I was nuts. And I remembered looking at my dad with the same expression prior to 1985 (the year I graduated) when he asked me (after watching an episode on "Quincy" in which a teen ager killed him or herself) about my music.  And I remembered that at that time, I thought it was not the responsibility of Kiss, or Ozzy, or Twisted Sister if people listened to their music and thought the music was telling them to kill themselves or others.
I remember watching movies/videos/games and thinking that people who listened to them were just a little off from normal.
I think Sarah Palin is poison. I think she is only in ANYTHING for herself and what she can get. I have friends who live in Wasilla who attended church with her who think she is sweet and kind and blah blah blah. But I can't blame the... female dog.. for someone who may have misinterpreted her BS and acted upon it. Maybe this is what she intended. Maybe it isn't. She didn't point the gun or pull the trigger. And she should SHUT UP. But she should not be prosecuted.
YET!

Only Questions

How?
What?
Why?
Who?

At this point all we know is that as many as 18 were shot in a parking lot of a Safeway in Arizona. At least 5 are dead, including a 9 year old child and a federal judge. Representative Gabriel Giffords has survived a gunshot to her head and surgery, but she is still in critical condition.

I pray (and I don't use that word lightly) that this was not politically motivated, but if it was, I hope each and every one of the victims or their families sues the shit out of the person who placed a BULLSEYE on Congresswoman Giffords. I hope Sarah Palin loses everything.

A Theory of Stupid

A couple of people requested that I email them my friend's theory about why the world is getting more and more stupid, but there is no reason not to post it. I am pretty sure he is not going to do studies on this issue. According to my son there is a movie out called "Idiocracy" but I have only seen the first few minutes of it.

My friend theorized that the average IQ (at least in this country) was dropping by leaps and bounds. He said it was because educated people finished high school and went on to actually become educated. Bachelor's Degrees, Master's Degrees, and Doctorates all take time and money and effort to attain and most people who do attain them do not do so with a wife and 10 children following them around (or a husband and 9 children, ha ha!!). Sorry that was sexist.

But, my friend said, some people married fresh out of high school, before they have enough sense to know that the world is not always fair and they start having children immediately. And (on average) uneducated people raise uneducated people. And those who start when they are 18 continue until their child bearing years are over. (And some men continue to have 2nd, 3rd and 4th families!!)

Of course people with advanced degrees normally wait until they are older to marry and to start having children, and then it is possible that there are health concerns that may or may not allow them to have children or which may limit their number.

Now this is obviously a very flimsy theory with absolutely no scientific principles behind it. It was just my friend thinking out loud. There are many, many people who do not fall into this category and I am one of them. I was married at 19 and pregnant at 21 with 1 semester of college behind me. There were no more pregnancies after that. Another of my friends is an M.D., the son of 2 PhDs and he is the oldest of 8 children.

But look around at the poorer neighborhoods, at the children with more than 1 sibling in your child's class. It is definitely possible.

And my ex is currently expecting his 3rd child. He turned 46 today. He has only a high school diploma, although his current wife (who is not yet 30) does have a Bachelor's Degree. But she still married him and she can't figure out how to prevent unwanted children. How high is her IQ?

A Sad Day for Us All

We all knew this day was coming, most people do not live for over a year with brain cancer and he had made it for several months past that. But I was not ready to hear about it this morning on the radio. I would never have been ready to hear about it and I can only imagine how heart breaking it is for his family, friends and co-workers.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the liberal lion of the Senate and haunted bearer of the Camelot torch after two of his brothers fell to assassins' bullets, has died at his home in Hyannis Port after battling a brain tumor. He was 77.

He owed this country nothing. He had money, he didn't need to work, but he spent almost 50 years toiling for a better, brighter America.

He wasn't perfect and there will be many stories about his failings over the next days, weeks and months, but it is my belief that we, as a nation, should appreciate the things he worked so hard to provide. Today is a sad day as we remember him and there will come a time when the health care bill is signed into law and the day will be bittersweet because he is not with us to celebrate.

My thoughts are with his family.

RIP, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, D - Mass. Thank you for your service.

A Brain, and an Athlete, and a Basket Case...

A princess and a criminal.


So ends my absolutely favorite John Hughes movie.

I came of age in a John Hughes era of teen coming of age movies. They, and the Brat Pack, defined who I was, what I wore and what I wanted to be when I grew up. And my speech is still peppered with John Hughes movie references to this day.

John passed away today of a heart attack at age 59. His movies were amazing and I will never forget him or the charactars he brought to my life. I have even introduced many of his movies to my 20 year old son and we watch them together.

Thank you, John, for the fun, for the charactars, for the quotes ("Smoke up Johnny") for the laughter and even for the tears.

RIP John Hughes, director extraordinaire.

Maybe This Will Spur the Right Wing

This is a tragedy. A family torn apart by disease. I watched the video twice, but still couldn't hear the name of the disease causing this poor child's suffering, and that of her family and friends. She is obviously very ill, unable to walk. It appears that she can not speak or sit without help. It does not appear that she is being kept alive by artificial means, just public assistance.

I have no problem with public assistance helping out this child, this family. Situations like this are exactly why we have medicaid and welfare in this country. Situations like this and so, so many others. But I am hoping, since this child is barely more than a vegetable, barely more than a mass of cells with a beating heart, the right wingers will be able to realize that healthcare reform will help her. It will help those like her, like Terri Schiavo, who are in permanently debilitated states.

Since, obviously, the Rushpublican party can only help those who have no brain power or thought processes of their own.

Send your love, your thoughts, your prayers, whatever you have or believe to this family. They need all the warm thoughts they can get.

But write your Congressman. We can't let the crazies control this country any longer.

And For a World That is Mourning

The best, brightest and most caring of a generation of immense musical talent.

Thank You for the Music

I refuse to remember the laughingstock he became.

I refuse to remember the blanket covered baby, nicknamed Blanket, dangling over a balcony.

I refuse to remember the pedophile's oddly misshapen nose in court.

I refuse to remember the bankrupt whiner swearing he would never return to this country which had treated him so badly.

I am going to remember the music.

The #1 selling album of all time.

The most amazing, show stopping video of all time.

The voice.

The baby faced singer leading his 4 older brothers on stage.

The moonwalk.



This is the Michael Jackson I want to, and will, remember. The boy. The voice. The music.

Thank you for the music, Michael. May your rest be ever so much more peaceful than your life ever was. My thoughts are with your children in this awful time in their lives. RIP

Who Didn't Love Her?

Who didn't want to be her?

I watched the premier of Charlie's Angels as only a rapt 10 year old girl with her entire life before her possibly could. Those women were cool! They were hot! And they could run in heels! (Not sure why they didn't kick them off, but still.)

I loved her as Jill Monroe and always looked forward to her brief returns to the show.

I was sad when she and Lee divorced and she became, once again, Farrah Fawcett, instead of Farrah Fawcett-Majors.

I thought she showed the critics who called her only another pretty face in, first, "The Burning Bed," and then, amazingly, in "Extremities." (That movie still creeps me out)

There was always a girl next door quality to her. There was always a feeling that you could run into her at the mall and she would be happy to sit down and talk about shoe shopping with you.

And, if you saw the recently aired "Farrah's Story" on TV, you know that she has given everything she has to others so they will know the horrors of this cancer and what it can do. Maybe Congress should watch it and understand that, if she had not had money, she would have been gone two and a half years ago.

Farrah Fawcett has passed away after a 3 year long battle with anal cancer. My heart breaks for her family; long time partner, Ryan O'Neal; her poor father, who has now lost 2 daughters to cancer; and her only child who must now find his way without her.

RIP Farrah. You will be missed.

Missing You!

How can you miss someone you have never met? Never spoken to? Never known their real name?

I am here to tell you that you can.

I was just checking some of my blog links and I came across Mustang Bobby's latest post letting Blogland know that Andante, author of Collective Sigh, passed away on Tuesday June 16, 2009 after a battle with cancer.

I never met her, but I admired everything about her. She was always so upbeat in her postings, even in the ones that blasted people. We all knew she was fighting a long, difficult battle, but her hope convinced me personally that she would make it. Each time her postings lagged, I was concerned, but I knew in my heart that she would beat this horrible disease.

Sadly, she did not and she is gone. My heart is breaking for her husband and beloved daughter. May they get through this with loving memories of her.

RIP Andante, you will be missed more than you ever could have known.

Shame on Them

Banning gay marriage is just wrong. It is illegal and immoral and, while voters have the excuse of stupidity, the California Supreme Court should not. The Constitution gives equal protection to all.

Let's start accepting each other as we are or we are never going to move past this nightmare we are in.

Heartbreaking

I can not imagine how a person survives the death of a child. I hope I never find out.

My sympathy goes out to the Tyson family in the loss of their 7 year old daughter.

Gone too soon. Rest in Peace, little miss.

Believing in the CIA

The CIA has been in the news a lot latey, claiming that the entire Congress (but especially Nancy Pelosi) knew exactly when the torture started and how it was being done and that they (she) had approved it and it just wasn't their fault. Following orders, you know.*

Ms. Pelosi is not very popular across America, although she does not seem to have a lot of trouble getting re-elected to her seat. I don't pay a lot of attention to the hoopla surrounding her. She is from a different state and I can not vote for her or for her opponent and I have a difficult enough time following the bozos.. I mean, politicians, in my own state.

But this is the same CIA who fed us information on WMDs. Non-existent WMDs. WMDs which led to a war that has cost this country far more than any dollar amount could explain.

Plus, there is old Newt screaming about her. Screaming that there should be an investigation into what she did or didn't know. Can that be proven at all, either way? Why isn't Newt screaming about those who have ADMITTEDLY authorized the torture?

And why isn't anyone other than NPR carrying this story about former FL Senator Bob Graham?

former Sen. Bob Graham of Florida, is also disputing the CIA's version of the briefings that he received at the time.
...
Graham is known as a meticulous note-taker and has maintained a daily log that fills hundreds of spiral notebooks
...
I called the CIA and asked for the dates in which I had been briefed," Graham tells Robert Siegel. "They gave me four: two in April of '02, two in September."
Graham says he consulted his logs "and determined that on three of the four dates there was no briefing held."
He adds: "On one date, Sept. 27, '02, there was a briefing held and, according to my notes, it was on the topic of detainee interrogation."

Because corroboration of her story makes her seem slight less insane? Sen Graham does go on to say that waterboarding and other torture techniques were not mentioned. At.All.

And he makes the same connection I did above about the CIA and the WMDs, but does a better job of it.

Maybe the CIA needs to rethink its approach to this issue and go back to pointing the finger at those who authorized this stain (one in a long line) on America.

* The military are required to follow orders, but only those considered "lawful" and active duty military personnel can be prosecuted for following "unlawful" orders, as can be seen by the Abu Ghraib scandal. If 18 or 19 kids are supposed to be able to tell the difference, why aren't the grown up in the CIA being held accountable?

Guilty!

As DSD and I watched the local news Tuesday night, my heart almost stopped as I realized the story they were broadcasting was one of a MURDER trial that had started that morning. In circuit court. With the Judge I had seen on Monday. The trial was the one I would have served on IF I had been picked for jury duty.

From what I remember of the news story, there was no doubt the accused was the shooter; he had apparently confessed, but was pleading self-defense. I can not find this portion of the story on the Internet, though, so maybe I made it up.

A teenager is guilty of First Degree Murder for the death of a man in Panama City.
It took a jury just over 2 hours to return the conviction for Jose Gonzalez, 17. Gonzalez is guilty in the death of Timothy Roy Humphries. Humphries was found dead off Lisenby Ave. back in August 2008.
Police say a tip during the investigation led them to the Orlando Airport, where Gonzalez was arrested trying to flee to Puerto Rico.
Gonzalez will be sentenced in May.

This was not a capital case due to the shooter's age. I don't know that I really wanted all that responsibility, but I do wonder if the jury got it right. What if it was self-defense? What if I could have made a difference?

Maybe next time.