Headlines from 2007

The Year 2007 was a busy year for news. Here are some of the news stories that caught my eye.

NASA Astronaut Lisa Nowak’s Rampage Of Love Lisa Nowak, trying to quell her love’s interest in another woman, drove all night from Texas to Florida to presumably to kidnap her rival. Now truthfully, how many of us secretly admired this chick’s balls. I don’t think I would have gone THAT far and damm girl, at least check your look in the mirror before your mugshot!

Texas Governor Issues Mandate that all girls entering 6th grade are to be immunized with Gardisil protecting them from HPV The furor that swept the more conservative, stuck in a cave parental units was astounding! These I am “great parent in my own mind” whack jobs complained that immunizing their 6th grade daughters was promoting rampant sexual experiences. Ummm… News Flash, your daughter will eventually have sex, how about preventing a nasty disease that can lead to her early death! For more on HPV and its prevention go to Gardasil’s website http://www.gardasil.com/

Washington Post Uncovers Scandals At Walter Reed Hospital The Washington Post reports of substandard care at Walter Reed Hospital leak. Walter Reed’s commander is fired. Soldiers returning from war with severe injuries, are housed off hospital grounds in a converted hotel called Building 18. Building 18 is a crumbling moldy, rat and cockroach infested building. And we believed Bush when he said “Our country owes the best to its soldiers” This is our best ? WTF???? Read more at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/walter-reed/

Anna Nicole Smith Dies I felt sorry for her. She burst onto the radar in 1992 as a model for Guess Jeans and became her own tabloid nightmare. I see that she was manipulated most of her career by unscrupulous svengalis. I used to shake my head at her antics but at least she was entertaining at the very least.

Virginia Tech Shootings Student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people and wounded many more before committing suicide, making this the deadliest school shooting in the US history. Did you ever notice that the craziest whack jobs always have three names?

Contaminated Dog Food Kills Pets The Food and Drug Administration reported that at least 76 dogs nationwide are believed to have died as a result of eating contaminated pet food. This scared me. The most helpless feeling is to watch your pet die and know that is was the food you fed it that killed it. 48 brands of dog and cat food were affected.

TB Patient Escapes Borders And Enters The US Andrew Speaker, a 31-year-old lawyer from Atlanta, learned he had TB in January. In May, doctors realized his strain, known as XDR-TB, was extensively drug-resistant. He then boarded a commercial flight to Paris May 12, and returned from Europe 12 days later on a flight from Prague, Czech Republic, to Canada then snuck back in undetected to the US. How selfish can one guy be? Oh wait he’s a bottom feeder.

Jerry Falwell Dies Televangelist and Religious Right founder spoke out of turn any chance he could get. Along with Pat Robertson, Rev. Jerry Falwell blamed pagans, abortionists, feminists & gays and lesbians for bringing on the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. But he forgot the Tooth Fairy, Spinsters, Dr. Spock, Ice Cream, Catholics and Long Shoremen. If I have forgotten any of you out of this list, I apologize. Although, you can still complain to Pat Robertson.

Toy Recalls Mattel Recalls Millions of Toys Mattel announced recalls for 9 million more Chinese-made toys, including popular Barbie, Polly Pocket and “Cars” movie items, and warned that more could be ordered off store shelves because of lead paint and tiny magnets that could be swallowed. Oh for God’s Sake get your kid a book!

Minneapolis Minnesota Bridge Collapse The entire span of an interstate bridge broke into sections and collapsed into the Mississippi River during evening bumper-to-bumper traffic Wednesday, sending vehicles, concrete and twisted metal crashing into the water. This was an incredible tragedy. I hope that other states adjust their budgets to accurately prevent this from happening again by hosting yearly inspections and to make repairs the priority.

Larry Craig Arrest Becomes Public Craig denied "any inappropriate conduct" in a men's room at the Minneapolis airport (even after he pleaded guilty). And today, he declared "I am not gay and never have been." So explain to me again why he pleaded guilty? David Lettermen muses that "Senator Craig from Idaho is blaming the media for his guilty plea, especially that cute guy from the Associated Press."

Michael Vick Pleads Guilty NFL star Michael Vick was indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday on charges of sponsoring a dog fighting operation so grisly the losers either died in the pit or sometimes were electrocuted, drowned, hanged or shot. One word describes him - asshole!

Leona Helmsley Dies Leona Helmsley left her dog Trouble $12 million. The real estate mogul's will, which became public on Tuesday, stipulates that Helmsley's brother Alvin Rosenthal is to care for the white Maltese--until it dies and is buried alongside Helmsley in a Bronx mausoleum.This woman scared me when she was dubbed Queen of Mean. She has truly lived up to her name. How would you like to be her brother and have to take care of the little darling? I can see his grocery list now! dog food-$5,000, new pet tag-$10,000 etc etc etc….

Adoption: Its a Bumpy Ride

In yesterday's news it was all abuzzin' about Englishwoman Julie Jarman giving back her adopted daughter Zahina. Ms. Jarman, a single mom, evidently wanted to adopt another child so that her daughter would have a sister and she felt that it was the right thing to do. She chose an older child feeling that the transistion would be good for all. The whole story is here at this link
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1922840/posts so I won't delve in to the whole interview. But read it because it is quite revealing of the psychological wounds that a child who is abandoned goes through. I saw myself in little Zahina throughout the interview.

The issue with the sad story of giving this little Zahina back was that she didn't quite fit the fairy tale that Ms. Jarman had spun in her head. I beleive that Jarmen wanted not only a playmate for her other natural born child but to also be able to say "Look at me! Aren't I just selfless to adopt a poor neglected child?" But was she prepared for the psychological issues that this child brought to the table? Absolutely not. We adopted children are a jumble of psychological issues and if they are not addressed and compassionately understood at a young age, the myriad of self-worth and sense of not belonging stay rooted in our lives for many years. And if not addressed properly, can linger with us forever.

Too many times we hear stories of young girls getting pregnant,single Moms adopting children, unfertile couples longing for a child and picking one out and the common thread in many of these tales is that they want someone to love them, fit into societal expectations of a family, maybe cement their longing for self worth and what is more perfect than a child's unfettered love. And in many cases, when a natural child is born to them, the adoptive child unconciously gets pushed out.

I still to this day do not quite understand the motives behind my own adoption. I came to the stark realization at a very early age (5 years) that a) I was different and singled out due to my adoptive status, b) I never felt a sense of belonging in my family c) for years I thought I myself could be given back if I just did not work out. My sense of living on borrowed family time was securely validated when I just recently read my adoptive Mother's Who's Who in America where she was described as being the mother of her "adopted" son James, her "adopted" daughter Judy and her son Joseph. There in black and white, in a very respected "Aren't I the greatest" publication was the final blow in my already fragile psyche.

Believe me I understand little Zahina longing to find her birth mother. Her writings of living with the "evil" adopted family was a cry for help. But did Ms Jarman react correctly - absolutely not! Instead of sitting down with this little girl and saying I understand your feelings of abandonment, your confusion at being different, your lashing out with your childlike behaviour , your dreams of your real mommy coming to find you, this Adoptive Mother couldn't understand why this child was not grateful to her. I myself had the "sainted" nuns at St. Michael's tell me I should be grateful for my adoption. That was great fodder for gossip with my peers for years to come. Believe me the nun-zoids did me no favor.

The pit that adoptive families fall into at an alarming rate is that they assume that this child that they graciously saved from imaginative and real evils should be forever grateful that they chose to adopt them. Throw a couple of direct bloodline siblings into the mix and things can get quite painful for the adopted child. Never expect gratitude from a child. We can't give it. Our minds are full of the why was I not wanted nightmares.

Now before you get all huffy and say that you know a family that adopted a child and things are great, stop kidding yourself. For every one "success" story, there are ten more families that just don't get the fact that even though they may love this adopted child, the child has very painful and almost always hidden feelings of abandonment, isolation and daily worries that they too can be given back.

And there is the "You Are Different" syndrome. In biographies of the stars or people in the public eye who have expanded their families by adoption, the word "adopted" is always before the word daughter or son. Most people know someone who adopted a child and nine times out of ten, the heading "adopted" is addresssed to that child. I begrudgingly joke that I have a big letter"A" on my forehead and when I hear some say my adopted so and so, I want to smack them. In my family, we lived with labels of hierarchy, my adopted brother, my foster sisters and of course the "real" child. I grew up feeling radically different and never being able to claim a bloodline or familial history. My sister Grace and I joke that we have real, bought and borrowed kids in our family. Sad statement but these are our true feelings. The label adopted or in her case foster will always be with us.

A friend of mine was proudly telling me that her daughter adopted a little girl. Congratulating the new grandma with the expected oohs and aahs, I got serious with her. Being the party crasher, I asked her to never label her granddaughter as adopted. To caution her daughter, that when the inevitable questions of where did I come from arise to always tell the truth and to let the child know that if she wanted to find her birth mother some day that she would help her. To never spin a fairy tale that God chose their family to be her family and all the other fairy tale nonsense that people spin into their adopted children's heads. And for God's Sake do not treat this child differently than natural born siblings.

Believe me by the time the child is asking questions, she wants real answers. One strong warning is to NEVER in public decribe the child as adopted. And to be prepared that one day out of the blue that child may feel grief that at one time someone gave them away. When this happens, the adoptive parent needs to know that even though they shower this child with love adoptees have issues with abandonment. To be able to correctly deal with this is to cement that Yes they are loved and here is the story kiddoo.

I wish I could find little Zahina and tell her I know what she is feeling. But that will never happen. This poor kid, not only is grieving that her real mommy is not up to snuff but now her adoptive mommy doesn't want her. Yikes, what psychological torture that kid is going through.

I think that my point in this rambling diatribe is that if parents want to adopt, they need to be prepared that things might not work out they way they fantasied in their heads, that there may need to be extra effort put in so the child can truly feel secure and if it looks like it is not working out, instead of giving them back, work harder.

There is an incredible article that deals with the issues that adoptees face. Dr. Marshall Schechter describes in this article many issues that surround adoptees. You can entire article at Not Alone - Adoption : Feelings of Abandonment, Interest in Genetic Information. This should be required reading for all prospective adopting parents. If Ms. Jarman had read it, maybe Zahina would not be going through the pain she is now.

Religious Bigotry

When I was a child, growing up Catholic in the pre and slightly post Vatican II world, I was strongly encouraged by the priests, nuns and lay teachers not to associate with non-Catholics. It is well known fact during this time that many Catholics viewed other faiths as wrong and would lead to the corruption of their young. The common term we used to identify non-Catholics was “publics” or the all encompassing term “Protestants”.

Unknown to me at this time, other faiths were busy protecting their flock from the evil influence of Catholicism. I remember being 8 years old and getting my first taste of religious bigotry I was innocently practicing. I was walking to my Grandfather’s house in my green plaid uniform, when I passed a group of Wheaton College kids. “Here comes a little Papist” the smirking students loudly said. Having no clue what why they called me that, I asked my Grandfather what the word meant. On that day, I learned about the word bigot. And the most important lesson my Grandfather taught me was that religious bigotry was practiced in every faith and every doctrine. That it was wrong and hateful. He taught me that no church is better then the other. But it was how you conducted your life in a manner that was good, honest and caring and that was the true doctrine.

Religious bigotry is prejudice or discrimination against one or all members of a particular religious group based on negative perceptions of their religious beliefs and practices or on negative group stereotypes. I want to focus on Christianity as a whole not split off into sects, churches or organizations. Not because I am picking on Christians but because this faith is what I know.

We as Christians are busy group. Catholics are still pissed at the Protestants because of that nasty Martin Luther issue, Protestants are still pissed at the Catholics because they did not follow their idea of the “true” faith, Muslims are all terrorists and everybody hates the Jews. Lordy Miss Gordy! Can’t we just get along?

Discussing religious bigotry is slippery slope indeed. I have in my life experienced and practiced religious bigotry myself. First as a Catholic schoolgirl, confused by the papist stereotype and then again as a born-again Christian. Religious bigotry is completely invisible to the person practicing it. In fact, I thought it was my mission to save the world and make everyone think like me. This type of bigotry always disguises itself as piety and righteousness. This holier than thou belief that only Christians can go to Heaven or that they are more superior because of their self-perceived connection straight to the big guy, is not only insidious but evil as well.

I remember telling my Grandfather, the same one that warned me about religious bigotry, that he was going to hell because he did not renounce his Catholic faith and become born-again. I was an avid reader of Chick Publications Tracts. You know the one where Catholics are portrayed as worshipping the God Baal? Boy did I feel superior! I was convinced that it was my job to bring him over from the dark side of Catholicism. Thank God he was patient with me. He smiled, patted my hand and told me that he had a relationship with Jesus a bit longer than I did. At that moment I knew what a bigot was – it was me.

How many times do we hear the rumors that Atheists are going take over the world or that all people who believe in the Islamic faiths are terrorists? That Wiccans are busy casting spells that would make the old woman from Hansel and Gretel look pious? Or that the Jews are to be blamed forever for Christ’s death? Our soldiers are dying because God punnishing us for having gays on TV? We are so busy trading statistical percentages of who killed more people - Christians or Atheists that we forget that we are spewing prejudism. With the Internet, religious yellow journalism and propaganda are rampant. A few well placed posts can ignite the ignorance and hate in Christians everywhere and within a few moments cause such an email fury that spreads religious bigotry with every key stroke.

Now with the presidential race upon us, what religion the candidate is practicing is more important than if a candidate is even competent to be our President. Remember Jimmy Carter’s campaign? It was highly spoken of that he was a “good” Christian. His largest voting base came from the religious right that through pulpit campaigning elected him on his choice of the Christian God, not the fact that he was good leader. So we got a President that tearfully apologized for having lust in his heart and at the same time couldn’t put a policy together to save his life.

Ministers/Priests/Theologians condemn all other kinds of bigotry. But they close their eyes to their own congregations bigotry. Most use religion to justify themselves. Christians say Jews killed Christ so they are dammed and deserve the discrimination they experience, Men are superior to Women because Eve gave Adam the apple of sin, Homophobics justify their hatred of gays by finding condemnation for homosexuals in the Bible. So bigotry and religious justification walk side by side. We are blind to our own bigoted ways. Who cares if someone is a caring, good, kind, loving person, if he ain’t with G.O.D he can’t be with me. Hogwash!

Look I don't care where people go to church, what Gods they pray to, or what scriptures they draw inspiration from. But I do care when people use their religious beliefs to balls out condemn those that believe differently than they do.

Here is a few pointers on how not to be a religious bigot. Get religion out of politics, stop forwarding the emails that spew hatred towards another religious belief, and realize that this Country has many different religious or spiritual beliefs so get over yourselves. Stop tying to get me to join your club, got my own thank you and open your mind to something that may well educate you and stop justifying hateful bigotry by hiding behind your God.

Christmas Videos

Off the political rant... Just a bit of silliness

Ozzy and Jessica




LOVE HER!!! Bette Midler Cool Yul



My all time favorite - David Bowie and Bing Crosby

Religion and Politics

I do not understand why the Republican candidates have to prove which of them loves Jesus more. I thought there was a separation of church and state but as usual I must live in a dream world.

Hey don't get me wrong I think it is great if you have faith in your religion - more power to you but WOW it shouldn't dominate the issues!

Now I know that the picture above is a tad bit on the irreverent side but then I am a little scamp in that department.

Christmas Tears - A Story of Hope/Love/Life

I was sitting in my room late at night, endlessly surfing the channels of my stunning big screen TV, cuddling with my affectionate pups when I got to thinking. As I looked around my sweet home that is nestled in a lovely quiet neighborhood, I had to reflect on how far I have come in this oft chaotic, crazy, fabulous life. You know I can go to the store and if I see something I can buy it. I can serve my husband gourmet meals crafted by my own two hands. I can soak in a hot tub that was lovingly installed by the Plumber who also is my love. I can open my closets and choose at a whim many lovely things to wear. How far I have come. I truly want for nothing....

December 1985, I was living in Cedar Rapids Iowa with my three sons in a 2 story walkup that was a converted attic apartment. I was struggling as a single Mom focused on trying my hardest to make a better life for me and my sons. I was attending Kirkwood Community College pursuing a paralegal certification. I had goals, I had hopes, I had dreams but I had no money.

Raising three sons sans support was grueling. At this time I was a full-time student and I was a recipient of public aid that totaled $375 a month in monetary aid and $150 in food stamps. As long as I remained in school, I knew that one day I could march my way out of poverty and become a confident and successful single Mom.

It was cold that December. The ice storms and frequent heavy snow storms were sweeping through Iowa. My flat had a faulty heating system. Very little heat rose to my space. But as my landlord told me many times, I only paid $275-utilities included so I could live with it. Many nights I would bundle the boys in their snowsuits and put them to bed so at least I knew that they would be warm. It was cold, so very cold that year. It was also the December that the State of Iowa had a glitch in the public aid checks. Normally they arrived like clockwork on the first of every month. With that check I would pay my rent, save money for gas, and buy that months food. Sounds terrible but I was okay. I took advantage of food pantries, I walked everywhere to save on gas. I had a plan for my future and I wanted to get there.

Waiting for the check to come through, I started out being patient but soon that patience started to turn into panic. Every week I would call the Public Aid office and was told the checks would be in soon. By December 21st I had stretched my food as best as I could and I had a brownie mix, a gallon of milk, dozen eggs, a pound of rice and oatmeal in my cupboards. I was scared. I had to do something. The local food pantry in that area was only open twice a month so if you needed help, it could be difficult some times.

December 21st, on that cold snowy morning, I went to the State of Iowa’s public aid office to find out what had happened and to plead for emergency help. I was given the standard, sorry check back in the next few days. I did not qualify for emergency aid because I was already a recipient. I think on that day the struggle to live closed in on me. After hearing "just wait"I sat back down in the rickety plastic chair in this office and cried. Not the sobbing type of tears but the slow steady fall of hot salty tears of frustration, fear and yes; pity. I realized I could not take care of my children, that I could not even feed them, that I was failing.

A secretary clicking busily on her typewriter saw me, stopped and came aroud the counter. She got down on her knees in front of me and told me that some day I would look back on this struggle not with tears but with pride that even through the worst of times I succeeded. She then patted my hand and walked away. The next two days were a blur. We fought to stay warm, we fought off hunger but we held each other close and waited for the food pantries to open which would the day after Christmas. Because then at least I could get some food. For me that was hope.

Christmas Eve of 1985 was one of the most depressing days of my life. I sat the boys down and told them that Santa may have to come to our house a little late that year but I promised them that things would get better – we would be alright. Christmas Eve I made oatmeal pancakes with pieces of brownies swirled in the mix. I melted some of the brownie mix with milk and made an actually pretty tasty melt to pour over the oatmeal pancakes and they were good. The boys played, I told them outrageous stories, built a snowman, we laughed and we loved.

That Eve, after pappoosing the boys into their snowsuits and settling them down for the night I reflected that one day I would never want for anything again. That one day I would look back and think it was all a bad dream. Then the doorbell rang.

In this part of Cedar Rapids, a doorbell in the middle of the night meant many things and none of them were good. I walked down the long set of stairs, hugging myself with anticipation, trying to see through the tiny front door window if someone was out there . I saw no one. When I opened the door – no one was there. I looked down and there in the snow on my steps was a very large box with a bow on it.

Gingerly I untied the bow and caught my breath. Suddenly, I did not feel the cold. I did not feel any fear, I felt awed because there in front of me were brightly covered packages, a ham, hotdogs, hamburger, milk, pampers, candy, boxes upon boxes of mac and cheese, rice, cans of soup, and the presents! Oh the presents! Big ones! Little Ones! PRESENTS! Toys for the boys, perfume for me, new coats and mittens, boots, games, a small tree already decorated. I could write on for paragraphs telling of the bounty that laid before me in the snow. It was if someone went through their own house and collected anything and everything they thought I would need!

My irrepressible son Timothy spoke and broke my stunned silence. “Mom! What is this?” “Who did this?” "Did Santa Come!" And then I saw the note along with $200 in cash. The note said “Never look back with tears” I think that my own special Santa knew how to type.

I knelt in the snow that Christmas Eve and thanked God for bringing a stranger into my life that cared and at that moment I swore that if ever I could repay the favor I would. I would not turn my back on someone but I would try to help them any way I could.

Now as I approach a new Christmas Eve, I am warm, I am loved and I am blessed. I have a special life with a man who loves me, children, who although are going through their own struggles, are succeeding, a great job with an amazing caring boss, my friends, my lovely home and I am convinced that although I went through a struggle in the past, I am proud of where I am today. I never saw that secretary again. I looked for her at the Public Aid office but never could thank her.

Christmas Eve this year we will have ham, tasty veggies, a lovely cake and maybe, just maybe a small bowl of oatmeal and I will think of my past not with tears but with pride.

Maher/Carlin's New Rules

I was told that Bill Maher said these rules..... Who Knew! They are still classic!

Bill Maher or George Carlin - They Always Makes Me Laugh

New Rule: No more gift registries. You know, it used to be just for weddings. Now it's for babies and new homes and graduations from rehab. Picking out the stuff you want and having other people buy it for you isn't gift giving, it's the white people version of looting.


New Rule: Stop giving me that pop-up ad for classmates.com ! There's a reason you don't talk to people for 25 years. Because you don't particularly like them! Besides, I already know what the captain of the football team is doing these days --- mowing my lawn.


New Rule: Don't eat anything that's served to you out a window unless you're a seagull. People are acting all shocked that a human finger was found in a bowl of Wendy's chili. Hey, it cost less than a dolla r. What did you expect it to contain? Lobster?

New Rule: If you need to shave and you still collect baseball cards, you're a dope. If you're a kid, the cards are keep sakes of your idols. If you're a grown man, they're pictures of men.

New Rule: Ladies, leave your eyebrows alone. Here's how much men care about your eyebrows: Do you have two of them? Good, we're done.

New Rule: There's no such thing as flavored water. There's a whole aisle of this crap at the supermarket, water, but, without that watery taste. Sorry, but flavored water is called a soft drink. You want flavored water? Pour some scotch over ice and let it melt. That's your flavored water.

New Rule: Stop screwing with old people. Target is introducing a redesigned pill bottle that's square, with a bigger label. And the top is now the bottom. And by the time grandpa figures out how to open it, his ass will be in the morgue. Congratulations, Target, you just solved the Social Security crisis.

New Rule: The more complicated the Starbucks order, the bigger the asshole. If you walk into a Starbucks and order a 'decaf grandee, half-soy, half-low fat, iced vanilla, double-shot, gingerbread cappuccino, extra dry, light ice, with one Sweet-n'-Low, and One NutraSweet,' ooooh, you're a huge asshole.

New Rule: I'm not the cashier! By the time I look up from sliding my card, entering My PIN number, pressing 'Enter,' verifying the amount, deciding, no, I don't want Cash back, and pressing 'Enter' again, the kid who is supposed to be ringin g me up is standing there eating my Almond Joy.

New Rule: Just because your tattoo has Chinese characters in it doesn't make you Spiritual. It's right above the crack of your ass . And it translates to 'beef with broccoli.' The last time you did anything spiritual, you were praying to God you weren't pregnant. You're not spiritual. You're just high.

New Rule: Competitive eating isn't a sport. It's one of the seven deadly sins. ESPN Recently televised the U.S. Open of Competitive Eating, because watching those athletes at the poker table was just too damned exciting. What's next, competitive farting? Oh wait, they're already doing that. It's called 'The Howard Stern Show.'

New Rule: If you're going to insist on making movies based on crappy old television shows, then you have to give everyone in the Cineplex a remote &g t; so we can see what's playing on the other screens. Let's remember the reason something was a television show in the first place is that the idea wasn't good enough to be a movie.

New Rule: And this one is long overdue: No more bathroom attendants. After I zip up, some guy is offering me a towel and a mint like I just had sex with George Michael. I can't even tell If he's supposed to be there, or just some freak with a fetish. I don't want to be on your webcam, Dude. I just want to wash my hands

New Rule: When I ask how old your toddler is, I don't need to hear '27 months.' 'He's two' will do just fine. He's not a cheese. And I didn't really care in the first place.

New Rule: If you ever hope to be a credible adult and want a job that pays better than Minimum wage, then for God's sake don't pierce or tattoo every a viable piece of flesh. If so, then plan your future around saying, 'Do you want fries with that?'

"I Do" Drew At It Again!

Now I have seen and heard everything! Drew Peterson, the attention craving, obnoxious husband of missing Stacy Peterson has a website to help with legal costs for his "defense". For his defense??? Now why do you think he needs to have a fund established to defend him. From what? Could this be his twisted way of saying yep! I'm Guilty! From what I understand, he is not charged with a murder - yet..... So why the plea for defense fund money???

"I DO" Drew in his undercover super agent outfit!

For those that have the curiousity of a killed cat, which I admit I do, try visiting his pathetic excuse for a website. If it isn't disabled periodically, it is the most ridiculous site I have seen in years http://www.defenddrew.com/ Then again don't waste your time.


For someone who is getting 6k per month from his pension, don't you think he can afford legal representation? And what is this about hiring a private investigator to search for Stacy? Last I saw was that the FBI were tracking the leads along with several hundred volunteers.

Unpaid Volunteers Looking for Clues. Don't see Drew helping out here.

Oh and by the way Drewster, aren't you a little big for that toy bike you are riding? And your helmet??? Go for a less traditional lid dude. You look like the spaceman from the Flinstones and not too cool. What a jerk!

Yea, You Bad! You Big Bad Biker! NOT!

If anyone is interested in REALLY helping to find Stacy, visit a legitimate website that is dedicated to helping her family find her and bring her home.

Visit this website to volunteer or

leave an encouraging message.

http://www.findstacypeterson.com/

Mexico's Sin

MEXICO CITY -- President Felipe Calderon blasted U.S. immigration policies on Sunday and promised to fight harder to protect the rights of Mexicans in the U.S., saying Mexico does not end at its borders."

The criticism earned Calderon a standing ovation during his first state-of-the nation address.
"We strongly protest the unilateral measures taken by the U.S. Congress and government that have only persecuted and exacerbated the mistreatment of Mexican undocumented workers," he said. "The insensitivity toward those who support the U.S. economy and society has only served as an impetus to reinforce the battle ... for their rights."

He also reached out to the millions of Mexicans living in the United States, many illegally, saying: "Where there is a Mexican, there is Mexico." He also said Sunday that Mexico has created 618,000 new jobs since January.
_______________

Well goody for you Felipe! But here is a little newsflash for you El Presidente. In the past two years Calderon, your country has just not had an exodus of its citizens, but your manufacturing businesses are flying the "Pollo" Coop to China. Seems your own country's manufacturers won't pay the $2.50 an hour you criminally allow to be paid to your own people as their only living wage!

And he brags about new jobs? What new jobs? KFC, Burger King and McDonald's? These types of businesses know a good thing when they see it - cheap labor and a government that prefers that their people stay in the US illegally so that they don't have to worry about spending their ill-gained profits on ensuring a better life for their countrymen and Calderon can share his spoils with his little cronies like Fox.

Calderon and his politico cronies are criminal in how they allow their people wallow in poverty while they pat each other on the back. They are the ones that are committing the greatest sins - ignoring their poor, casting blame on other countries, and greedily gobbling up any profits that are bled out of their people.

I don't think Calderon should be so hasty in his bravado! He may just fall on his grasiento culo!

One More Day

The holiday season is in full swing and so are the heart-tugging Hallmark movies and Folgers coffee commercials that have me with my legs pulled up to my chest with arms wrapped around my knees and the tears streaming down my face.

Mitch Albom http://www.albom.com/ has a new novel out called One More Day and is the author of Tuesdays with Morrie and my favorite 5 People You Meet in Heaven. His novels can make you cry with every page you turn. So when you open one his books, make sure you have a supply of Kleenex at your side.

Which brings me to the thought of One More Day. What if we had one more day with someone who is now gone. Just one 24 hour period where we could say the things that we always wanted to say but never had the chance because this person we loved was taken suddenly or we felt that we had more time.

I have a few that I would like to share. And I hope that this post will inspire you to write about your own “One More Day”.

Bonnie my lovely best friend. If I had one more day with you I would apologize for being angry at you for continuing to want to ruin your life with cocaine. Even though I understand that you were dying of a blood disorder and felt a sense of "what the hell", I just wish I had answered your call. I would want to tell you that I loved you from the day I met you. You brought fun and joy into my life and I learned the true meaning of the word loyalty. I miss you every day and sometimes when something happens in my life that seems a bit on the stupid side, I swear I hear your laugh. I know you are watching me from wherever you are and the memory of you will always be with me.

Daniel, my vibrant, talented musicman. If I had one more day with you, I would have told you that if I had known that you were slipping out of our lives, I would have broken your door down that Tuesday and forced you to come with me to Dr. Ganger. Instead of thinking you were avoiding me, I would have banished that thought and I would have brought you to my home and taken care of you. I would have told you that even through all the pain and anger that I did love you and always wanted the best. And I would have fought harder for you. I would have ignored your anger at me and broken through your defenses and stood by you. I would apologize for not being tougher. But I would also say that your music always brought me joy. That I remember you anytime I hear the blues and I can close my eyes and see you today. That I believe you are in heaven playing your music and enjoying peace. If I had one more day with you, I would record one last song with you and harmonized our lives one last time. You were the most complicated man I ever knew and I will always have love in my heart for you.

Tell those in your life that you love them. Apologize for any wrong you have done. If you can't talk to them reflect that they once had a impact in your life, forgive and accept them for who they are because tomorrow you may find yourself asking for one more day.

Losing Your Luggage

Did you know that O'Hare airport has 7 miles of conveyor belts that handle luggage! And American Airlines and their sister airline American Eagle reported that a total of 639,146 bags mishandled or misdirected. WOW!

One of the main causes, according the article link above, is the printer ink on the baggage tickets that get dirty so the barcode is misread and bingo! your bag just went to Toledo.

I have never had a mishap with a missing bag. Missing articles inside my bag is another story but out and out losing one? Not Me.

Have any of my readers ever have a lost luggage? For lighter blogging fare, tell your story here.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE Travelers' Odds Decline on Airline Baggage

Clinton Hostage Crisis

Eisenberg, who is mentally unstable, initially walked into the building and ordered all of the hostages onto the floor, said one official. Here, a SWAT team member escorts a hostage from the office.

Oh my God! How much would that suck to know that your volunteers were taken hostage! I am not Monster Huge fan of Hilary but I can feel for her and her concern for her campaign volunteers. It is hard enough to get people fired up for your cause then to have to warn them of possible crackpots taking them hostage. Yikes! This world is going nutso!