Beyond Being Stuck on Stupid... JOHN KERRY!

My God... I think that "man" has finally gone batshit crazy. (I'm having problems calling him a "man" right now- his actions have him pegged more like a punk-ass kid)
I wasn't going to post on this because it's being done so well elsewhere, but I just couldn't keep my mouth shut on this one.

While addressing a group at Pasadena City College, John Kerry said “You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”

Four letter alert here, folks... WHAT A FUCKING MORON.

Did he REALLY just say that??!?!?! Yes, he did. Listen to the audio at HotAir. He really, truly said that if you don't make an effort to be smart you end up in the military. He also said that he just got back from a trip to Texas, "the former home state of our President, who currently lives in a state of DENIAL."

OH.MY.GOD.

And now.. as if it couldn't get any worse, he issues this (as reported by John Donovan) so-called apology, which ends with this: "No Democrat will be bullied by an administration that has a cut and run policy in Afghanistan and a stand still and lose strategy in Iraq."

SAY WHAT??????
Cut and run in AFG?!?!?! Is he aware of ANYTHING "real" going on in this world, or is he just so damn "stuck on stupid" he can't see the words in front of his face? I am beyond words at this point. I have no words to describe the insane remarks being spewed by one of our elected officials.

I am equally as outraged by a current DNC ad running here in Cincinnati against Jean Schmidt. It starts out with her "cut and run" statement to Mr. Murtha- and then goes on to say that she dishonors the service of our military men and women! ARGGHHH! What a load of shit. She's DEFENDING our military. How in the HELL that got turned into disrespect for our servicemen and women is BEYOND me.

Furious.
I am simply furious.

Jump Me... PLEASE

heh.
So.
There I was. It was 7:20am- I was on time. Heck, I'd even had time to do some laundry and clean the litter box before leaving! Yes. All was right in the world.
Until.... I tried to start the car.
click click click click click
DAMN
Surely it was an abberition, so I tried again.
click click click click click
DAMN
Battery. Dead as the decapitated hamster in the Godiva box.
Damn.
Roadside Assistance guy asked me if I was at home- I said yes- and then said that someone would be there in "45 minutes or less. Would you like their phone number- just in case?"
"Sure. Thanks."

I waited.
And waited.
And waited.
After an hour, I finally called. "Oh, he got hung up in traffic, but he's on his way- almost there."
I waited some more.
Then.. the phone rang. A frantic man on the other end of the phone tried to explain exactly where he was in relationship to my house. Unfortunately, I had NO IDEA what the dude was saying, much less where in the HELL he was (other than LOST IN OHIO, that is).
I finally got him turned around right, and on his way to my house. "Turn right on DG.. ok, I see it. I'm turning right".
"GOOD! At the end, turn right on S."
"OK... LEFT on S?"
"NO!! RIGHT on S. RIGHT... not LEFT"
"OK.. turning right on S. Now what?"
"Take the next right onto WV. There's a circle at the end- drive straight up the middle of the circle onto my driveway"

Knowing he'd be there in seconds, I went outside... just in time to see him turn into a driveway 3 HOUSES DOWN FROM MINE. Huh. I had *no* idea that house was AT THE END OF THE CULDESAC. As if I couldn't tell already, it was obvious by now I was dealing with a rocket scientist. NOT.

After waving him down, he pulls up, all the way behind my car. His front bumper is inches from my rear bumper. He gets out. Shakes his head.. "how we gonna get to yo cah?"
Like a frikkin' GENIUS, I tell him, "We'll have to push it out a little"
He lights up. Must be Christmas in his world. He gets back in his car, and backs down the driveway... ONTO MY LANDSCAPING, AND OVER A BUSH. When he hit it, he had this Eddie Murphy, "OH!!" look on his face. I'm pretty sure I heard his brain say "Oh man... My bad", but his mouth just said "DAMN!"

I shook my head, turned and got into my car, ready to stear as he pushed. We finally got the cars aligned, and he can't get the jumper cables to stay clipped on my battery. Sparks. I saw sparks. I swore... under my breath... but, I did get the car started. Mission accomplished!

Then came the depature.
He looks at me, and in all seriousness says "um. It may take me a while to git down yo drive- I ain't good at backing up." WELL, YOU DON'T SAY.....
I told him to move up under the carport, I would drive out, then he could back up into the spot I was in currently, and drive straight down the driveway. It took a few seconds of processing to let those incredibly detailed instructions sink in. As I drove past his car, now sitting in the carport, I notice it. Half of my bush is now HANGING FROM HIS BUMPER.

Oh.
My Bad.

*sigh*

I called work to let them know I was FINALLY on my way (45 minutes, my ASS... it took him over 1 1/2 HOURS to get to me). Gina, laughing, said "So, I guess he got ahold of you for directions?"
HUH? "How did you know he got lost, Gina?"

"BECAUSE HE CALLED HERE, LOOKING FOR YOU, WANTING TO KNOW HOW TO GET TO YOUR HOUSE SO THAT HE COULD JUMP YOUR BATTERY"

OMG.
Just when I thought the morning couldn't possibly get more bizarre.. it DID.

Pony up, folks!

It's Day One of this year's Valour-IT Blogburst fundraiser, and the Marines already have $50,000! Is that even possible?? I love the Marine Corps... I really do. But DAMN! We cannot let this happen! The Navy is doing great too- over $24,000. The Air Force and Army haven't reached $100 yet. DANGIT!

Zoomies and Soldiers... you can't let that happen! To be whupped by a bunch of Grunts and Sailors? I don't think so....

SO COME ON PEOPLE!!! Break the penny jar, add it up, and DONATE NOW!

A BUMBLE BEE!?!?!??!?!?!

Oh come on... can't I be something kewl, like a Tiger, or a Sexy Pirate, or maybe something creative like a Stud Finder (scroll down about half way)? No. I can't be something cool like that. Instead... according to this stupid quiz, I'm supposed to be a BUMBLE BEE. shit. I'll never be one of the cool kids.

Your Halloween Costume Should Be

A Bumble Bee

What Should You Be For Halloween?

But is *does* remind me of a funny story...
When my cousin Maggie was about 3, she was still taking baths with her 5 yr. old brother, Elijah. This one night, as they were taking a bath, Maggie started taking stock of differences between her and Elijah. She'd look at herself, and then at him; then back to herself and then to him.
Then she asked her mom a question: "Mama... how come Elijah has a stinger and I don't?" (keep in mind that they live in LA- Lower Alabama- so the question sounded more like "Mamuh, how come Elijah hayus a stayngur an' I don?")
Kay, unable to provide a suitable answer without laughing, simply said "Hold on", and walked out of the bathroom.
Finding their dad, she said "Um... Richie.. Maggie has a question for you" and then slinked away, leaving him to answer Maggie's question about the birds and the bees...
LMAO

Cuppla

Cuppla things I thought you'd all enjoy:

First off...
A very, very kewl war vet charity I just found out about. Homes For Our Troops is an organization which builds homes for our injured troops, catered to their specific injury. HFOT builds the houses FOR FREE. There are SO many wonderful links about their work on their home page, I can't fit them all in... so just go visit, click on links, and help any way you can. This is a registered non-profit organization which provides homes to our wounded at absolutley NO COST to the soldier or his/her family. It's almost Veteran's Day folks... what better great way to celebrate than to make a donation to this charity!?!!
Amazing.

Next:
Co-worker Gina sent me a link to an audio file from the Bob and Tom show that had me ROLLING and in tears. OMG... I wish I was that witty.

OK. One more.
DON'T VOTE, AMERICA!
That is... don't vote until you've truly researched the candidates and you make an informed choice. The AARP has a FANTASTIC site that facilitates your research. I'm not a party-line voter- never have been. I vote for the person most aligned with my beliefs- I really don't care if you're a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, or whatever... if your political beliefs closely match mine- you have my vote! dontvote.com Check it out!

Jesus, I suck.....

Well, we ALL do, compared to Dick Hoyt.
You just have to go read Matt's story about him- and make sure you watch the video. If you don't cry after reading that, well... heck, I don't know. Just "well....".

I am in awe of you, Mr. Hoyt, and Rick also.

Modern Day Cain & Abel

Then the Lord asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"

Cain answered, "I don't know: Am I my brother's keeper?"

God said, "What have you done? I hear the voice of your brother's blood crying to me from the ground. Now you will be cursed on the earth soaked with your brother's blood which was drawn by your own hand."

I knew it was going to happen some day. After all, hamsters don't live forever. I just didn't expect it to happen quite like this.

I got 2 hamster brothers for Thomas for his birthday back in August. Hamsters, as you know, do not have long lifespans. They are also vegetarian, and have wicked sharp teeth they use to eat things like dried corn and seeds. They also use those teeth for defense. Anyone who has been bit by a hamster will tell you- they are sharp, and quick, and it hurts!
So.
There we were last night.
It was time to clean the hamster cage. Thomas reached in and pulled one out. I reached in to get the other one.
I found him pretty quickly, but something was wrong.
HE HAD NO HEAD.

EWWWWWWWWWW

I tried to hide it from Thomas, and told him that the hamster was dead. He asked me how I knew, "Trust me, son", I said. "He's dead". After all, the skin and fur on his head was completely removed from his skull, his jaw (with 1/2 inch long incisors- no wonder that bite is wicked!) was crushed, and his brain was just laying there. Until I saw his tail, I couldn't even tell that bit of blood and guts used to be his head and not some other part of his tiny body.

Thomas was in tears. He's yelling at the surviving hamster (whom I have now nicknamed Cain instead of his given name, Hissy): HOW COULD YOU DO THAT? HE WAS YOUR BROTHER! NOW HE'S.. HE'S... DEAD! I SHOULD KILL YOU! And then there was this question, "Mommy, since he killed his brother, will he go to heaven or or or the other place (cus he knows he's not supposed to say 'hell', lol) when he dies?"
I told him that it depended on why he killed his brother.

I believe this happened because they were out of food. Thomas is still getting used to taking care of the hamsters (especially since he only has then every other week, when he's at my house and not his Dad's house), and I think they simply ran out of food. They got into a fight, and one drew blood... and kept going.

Of course he wanted to have a funeral, but it was dark, cold, and rainy. I told him I would look for a box to put him in and I'd bury him later this weekend. The only small box I could find was my empty GODIVA box from my recent trip to New York. OMG.. I cannot believe I'm going to bury a decapitated hamster in a gold Godiva box. There's just something not right about that.

During all of this, Kevin was in the bathtub, asking to be washed so he can get out of the tub. "I can't Kevin.. Having a bit of a PROBLEM here... You'll have to wait". Good Lord.

Thomas is crying about the dead hamster, and about the fact that he was murdered by his brother, and Kevin is begging to get out of the tub, and I'm trying to keep the peace, hide a bloody mess, and clean the cage. Jesus H. Christ in a Chicken Basket.

So.
Now I have a headless hamster taped up in a Godiva box sitting on my kitchen counter, awaiting proper Christian burial; a traumitized son, wondering what would drive someone/something to do that to their brother, and also wondering how God will treat the murderer; and a remorseful, murdering furball who currently resides in a Hamster Taj Mahal...alone.

*sigh*

Poster Girl... on the wrong side of the world

Hooaah, Beccy. Too bad more US entertainment-types aren't more like this Aussie singer.

h/t to John, Matt and Seawitch (which basically means that I'm pretty damn sure you've all seen this already, but I couldn't resist posting it here also)

The right to bear arms

Here in Ohio, we have the right to bear arms. We have the right to use deadly force to protect our own life, or the lives of others. BUT... we apparently don't have the right to use deadly force to protect our property. Yesterday a 61-year-old man, Bennie Hall, started his car to warm it up, and then went back inside. When he went back outside, he saw 14 year-old Quavale Finnell driving away with his car. Hall got his gun and fired at the fleeing boy, hitting him in the chest. The boy later died from his wounds... and now Hall could be facing murder charges. This hoodlum has a rap sheet already, with 13 cases ranging from jaywalking to robbery- yet the man whose car he stole could be facing a jail sentence.

I have a HUGE problem with this. We can defend ourselves, protect our property and loved ones, but we cannot use deadly force when anything other than a human life is being threatened? So does this mean that if someone breaks into my house, but isn't armed, I can't fire off a shot at the asswipe? (haha... remember folks, I've only fired a gun once in my life, do not own one, and do not know how to properly handle any sort of weapon, so the chances of ME actually doing this is pretty much zero)

What sort of precedence will this case set? I am NOT comfortable with this- even though I have no idea how Hall could have gotten to a loaded gun quickly enough to fire off a round or two into his car. Gun ownership comes with great responsibility (kinda like Spiderman, eh?)... but does it, or does it not, mean that you can use the weapon to defend human life AND your property... or just human life alone?

Grim nails it

Go read Grim's assessment of North Korea and Bush's response. It's outstanding, and I whole-heartedly agree.

We've got our own battles to fight right now- I'm sure China and Japan can handle a little weasel like Il. But if he steps out of line too far.... we will attack with "grave consequence".

Military Abuses

I was appalled by this story, which alleges that Russian soldiers are being sold into slave labor BY THEIR COMMANDING OFFICERS! After being forced to live in a car, the soldier featured in this story was injured so severly that he lost a leg and an eye and was in a coma for two weeks following the accident. The story also mentions a hazing incident which resulted in the amputation of a new recruit's genitals and both legs. A HAZING INCIDENT????? Jesus Christ. The main abuser in this case was recently sentenced to 1-48 MONTHS in prison. I cannot believe that someone who could cause such grave injuries could be released from prison in as little as ONE MONTH. What in the HELL is going on in the Russian military???!!!

Of course, here in America, we have the Pendleton 8. These 8 men (one of whom has now turned witness for the prosecution) were interrogated, tortured, held in solitary confinement, and shackled for MONTHS... Without charges even being brought against them! As one mother of the 8 put it, "They have been held basically against the very Bible for the Marines, The Uniform Code of Military Justice…"

I don't know if any of these men are guilty of any of the crimes they are accused of, but I do know this: They are being treated less humanely than the prisoners at Gitmo are, yet the majority of Americans don't seem to care. They weren't even given blankets until a week ago! One needs an MRI to evaluate a wartime injury, but he's being denied treatment because IF he's given the death penalty, it would be a waste of time and money. Death row civilian inmates are treated better- and those people have been tried AND convicted of their crimes! These men will be tried, but their lawyers are not going to be allowed to visit the scene of the supposed crime, nor interview any of residents in the area. How can that be an example of American Justice????

I don't get it.

You can help the families of the Pendeleton 8 meet every day expenses and possibly arrange trips to see their sons in jail by donating to Pendleton 9 Family Fund. The money is not being used for their defense lawyers- it's going to their families so that they can afford things like school supplies, electric bills, car payments, and their mortgages because other family income is being spent on lawyer fees.

A time for every purpose under heaven

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

Every day, I am humbled when I read stories about those who have faced and overcome terrible injuries and life-threatening illnesses. Some I've witnessed personally... others, I've only read about. My ex has an aunt who has been battling cancer for years. Her grace and courage are incredible. Her reason for living? Her son, who will turn 17 this coming February. For years now we've been told to prepare for her passing, yet she has somehow managed to pull through. The only thing I've ever heard her complain about? Being tired. Amazing.

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together

Major Pain (aka Capt. B) wrote a story about a young girl facing an incredible challenge- she was born short one chromosome, a condition which rarely results in a live birth much less living beyond birth. Last year she adopted a Marine from anysoldier. Much to her surprise, this young man named her an Honorary Marine. She BEAMED at the thought. Ever since, when she has faced medical procedures, she just bucks up, and forges ahead, with an "Ooh Rah!" because "Marines don't back down." This child is only 12, but has the courage of a true warrior.

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time of war, a time of peace
A time of love, a time of hate
A time you may embrace
A time to refrain from embracing

1SG Keith has been in the hospital for a couple of days now, recovering from knee surgery. I know he's in pain, yet he's soldiering on. Some Soldier's Mom shared her son Noah's injury and recovery with us through her blog, capturing the attention of a national audience. Capt. Z and Sgt. Lizzie both got their happy asses blown up in Iraq, yet survived and carry on, with family by their sides. My Mom has scleroderma, yet she continues to do absolutely everything she possibly can- even when it hurts. I once had to hold her over a toilet because she couldn't sit down, she was in so much pain, yet she didn't hardly complain. As ALa put it, after watching AB give birth to a 9 pound "behemoth", "It's hard to watch someone you love in so much pain and not be able to do anything to ease it."

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time to love, a time to hate
A time of peace, I swear it's not too late!

Today, John linked a story about a Canadian Soldier who was injured in Afghanistan a couple of months ago. He had only been in country for 3 weeks, yet saw 2 of his friends die, and several more severely injured- himself included. Despite it all, he wants to go back. I remember when American Soldier was injured, and was shipped home. He was devastated. Sniper was injured several times in Afghanistan, yet he couldn't wait to get back with his guys and go out again and again.

They were all injured, or fell ill, due to different reasons, yet all of the above have either recovered, or are still recovering. None died. In reading their stories, I've noticed a few common threads:
1. The injured/sick all have incredible spirits and positive attitudes.
2. They all have a strong support network of family and friends.
3. None feel sorry for themselves, and are anxious to get back in the fight.

Perhaps there is a reason, or a season, for everything... but we, as the support network, can have no "seasons". Our "reason" is to help our loved one through a difficult and painful time, and we must remain strong and do everything we can to support them, love them, and help them recover. I've come to believe that recovery is a 50/50 thing- half up to the patient, and the other half up to those who love the patient.

Why did God make Mothers?

Answers given by elementary school age children to the following questions:


Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world, and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other Mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your Mom?
1. My Mom has always been my Mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did Mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your Mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than Dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Moms work at work & work at home, & dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic; they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your Mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your Mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on her back.

An ode to my boy, Vin.....

Every man has an "it girl"... just as every woman has a "it boy".
Vin Diesel is *MY BOY*. Great balls of fire, that man just does it for me. Those arms... !!!!!!! Those abs... !!!!!!!! That devilish grin... !!!!!! Jebus... he's purty.
Today FbL sent me a link to a list of "Top 100 Facts for Vin Diesel".
Ladies... things you may not have known about my "It Boy"... presented here for your pleasure (and mine). DAMN.


*Crop circles are Vin's way of telling the world that sometimes corn needs to lie the fuck down.

*Vin Diesel invented black. In fact, he invented the entire spectrum of visible light. Except pink. Tom Cruise invented pink.

*When Vin Diesel gets a grass stain in his pants he simply whispers his name close to the stain and it jumps off his pants and runs away.

*Vin Diesel coined the phrase "Pardon my French" after picking up a French man and using him like a bat to club people.

*Vin Diesel doesn't have a computer. Just a basement full of Asian kids that memorize numbers.

*Vin Diesel once tied a rope to the moon so he could climb up there and prove to everyone in his gym class that they were a bunch of pussies.

*Every time Vin Diesel masturbates, god creates a kitten. (I've got it on very good authority that Were-Kitten thoroughly endorses and supports this theory)

You can go read the rest by clicking the link at the top of this post. As for me... I have some purring to go do.
Damn.

Easy-schmeasy, non-intelligent posting today

You Are a Jam Cookie

On the outside, you project a straight-laced, innocent vibe. But on the inside, you're complex, exotic, and full of flavor.

What Kind of Cookie Are You?

(I happen to LOVE these types of cookies.... SO GOOD)

You can also find out, like I did, what your dosha is. According to Ayurveda, each of us has a unique mix of three mind/body principles which creates our specific mental and physical characteristics, or dosha's. Most of us have one or two dominent dosha's.

I was a Kapha overall, with Kapha being my dominent body principle and Pitta being my dominent mind principle. With that combination, I will most likely have a heavier physique, but Pitta's influence makes me more muscular than pure Kapha types.
With Pitta is more dominant in the mind section, I'm supposed to have more drive and ambition than a pure Kapha, but that may also mean more of a tendency toward anger and criticism. Great. This is basically telling me that I'm destined to be an over-weight, strong, ambitious hot-head. That is *so* not cool.

Ya know, there are just some quizes I just shouldn't take...

Happy Belated Birthday, US Navy!

I wish I had this post ready yesterday to coincide with the Navy's birthday, but the pictures I wanted to use were on my home computer. So.... I'm a day late, but I think you'll enjoy it anyway!

SHIP PRON!

I present to you... the LST-325, visited by yours truly during Tall Stacks in Cincinnati last weekend.

The LST-325 was launched October 27, 1942 and was immediately put to use in Oran, Algeria in preparation for Operation HUSKY, the invasion of Sicily. The LST-325 also saw action on Omaha Beach, June 7, 1944 as a part of Force B. The Captain, Clifford E. Mosier, was awarded the Bronze Star for the heroic actions of his crew during the rescue of 700 men from the troop transport Empire Javelin which had been torpedoed off the coast of France.

In 1964, she was transferred to the Greek Navy, where she served under the name Syros (L-144) until 1999. The Greek government graciously donated the ship back to the US LST Association, a group of about 10,000 LST veterans who were looking for an LST to make into a memorial museum. The ship, now nearly 60 years old, needed a LOT of work to make her seaworthy again. Yes... seaworthy. A group of about 30 men under the direction of Captain Bob Jornlin sailed her from Greece to Mobile, Alabama. They had left Greece on November 14, 2000 after nearly 4 months of restoration, and arrived in Mobile on January 10, 2001. The home port of the LST-325 is now Evansville, IN. She is a fully fuctionally and seaworthy ship, as evident by her many trips through US rivers to functions such as Tall Stacks and the 61st anniversary celebrations of the D-Day invasion in Alexandria, VA and Boston, MA.

OK... enough text. Let's get back to the Ship Pron! Ladies and Gentlemen... the LST-325.

The Word Of The Day Is.....

Reneckerize!
Pronounced "ree-neck-er-ize".
Defined as "somefing you renember from before" by my 6-year-old son today.

heh.

I love "baby words". They crack me up. Thomas used to say "marsh-o-doh's" and "ha-gerber" instead of "marshmallows" and "hamburgers". And yes, we used to go to "Ha-gerber King"; not "Burger King". He also used to say "dah-doo" instead of "oops, I dropped it"; "li-lul" for "little", and "yes-pect" instead of "except". SO cute. Thomas had such an incredible vocabulary he didn't have many baby words. When he started talking he said "ki-hee" (kitty), "cu" (cup), "bah" (ball) and then came out with "hydrau-kiss" (hydraulics). And yes- he knew what the hydraulics on trucks were and what they did on that particular construction truck. But, the baby words are all gone now, with "yes-pect" being the last one to disappear when he was about 7.

Kevin is 6, and is losing his baby words almost daily it seems, but "renember", "reneckerize" and "bluther" still exist. "Bluther", btw, is "brother". I don't wear much makeup, but about two weeks ago, I put on eye shadow. Kevin asked me why I was wearing "eye polish" that day. He also calls pitching a fast ball a "speeder", and insists on calling cheeseburgers "hamburger wif cheese on it". If I order a "cheeseburger", he gets all frantic, thinking I've ordered the wrong thing.

One of my favorites is "Wha-You", which is what he used to call Thomas when Kevin was just learning to talk. We were at Thomas's soccer game, yelling "GO THOMAS!", when 1-year-old Kevin blurted out "GO-GO WHA-YOU!" Apparently I used to say "THOMAS! Where Are You?!?!" a little to often. Heh.

Baby words... don't you just love them?

Stuff you should know

Why?
BECAUSE I SAID SO, THAT'S WHY!
heh.

OK... it's just stuff I've been reading about this week, and would love to write about myself but it's been done better elsewhere already. So... I'm link-whoring.

First of all, big props to IowaHawk on the successful launching of their "above-ground nuclear missile test explosions under secure and many malt liquor conditions on early hours of October 10, 2006." Way to go, Mullet Boy!

I wrote about this story a while back- a boy was sexually assaulted by classmates on a school bus just north of Cincinnati. The sentencing is today. I hope the judge deals with them harshly.

I think Bill might be right. Damn, that's a LOT of snow for this early in the season. El Nino... indeed.

Rest in peace, Cory Lidle, former Cincinnati Reds player and current Yankee's pitcher. So sad. It will be interesting to see what they find out about the cause of the crash, who was in control of the plane, and if any further flight restrictions are placed on NYC airspace.

Can someone please explain to me what internet gambling and port security have in common? I have *NO* idea.. but they were included in the US Port Security Act which President Bush signed today.

Spinach e-coli outbreak is being traced to a cattle ranch a mile from a spinach farm in California. Damn. Talk about getting the runs... a mile away?

Heh. Just... Heh. Oh, the possibilities.... LMAO!

OK, that's enough for now. I have some paying work to get done. I'll give you more as time allows today, or add your own in comments. Happy Friday the 13th, ya'll!

Discarding our children

What would lead a couple to adopt a child who had been under their care as a foster child, only to want to discard him a few years later? In February, 2000, a troubled 9-year-old boy came to live with Helen and James Briggs of Alexandria, VA. Helen fell in love with the child, and convinced James to adopt the boy. They had been foster parents to many children over the years, but had never adopted any of them. But this boy... he was special.

Well, he was special until 2003 when, at the age of 12, he sexually molested a 6-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl. Now his adoptive parents want to "un-adopt" him, saying that the full extent of his mental disabilities and a history of abuse was not disclosed to them prior to adoption. Helen Briggs says she was not informed that the child has been in five different foster homes since the age of 16 months, and that his drug and alcohol addicted parents abused him. The Briggs' were unaware of his violent tendencies or his bi-polar diagnosis. They were simply told he was ADHD. Now, they want to un-adopt him, releasing them of any liability for his medical care or legal bills.

I'm throwing the "bullshit card".

How could you have a child under your care for a year without seeing any of these violent tendencies? Why would any parent (foster, adoptive, or natural) withhold medicines from a child simply because they didn't feel it was necessary any longer? The boy, now 16, has testified that he wants Briggs to be his mother "forever", and asked to be put on a suicide watch when a Virgina judge granted the petition to relinquish parental rights. Since being removed from the their home in 2003, Helen has only gone to visit him four times. The last time Helen saw the boy, she asked him if he missed her... he said yes, then she walked away.

This child has been through HELL... and until Helen took him off of his meds, she felt he was a loving, sweet, adorable child. Now he's a bitter, depressed, angry teenager who doesn't feel loved or accepted anywhere due to the fact that so many families have given up on him- including two sets of "real" parents.

My God.... my heart just pours out for this child. I say "SCREW YOU, HELEN AND JAMES BRIGGS". YOU had a hand in this situation, and instead of dealing with it, you "un-adopted" your child. SCREW THAT. She's taken on foster children over the years for the income- because she's on disability and this was "the only way" she could suppliment the family income. She even got extra money for taking in this child because of his medical disorders. Don't sit there and tell me you were *that* unaware... BULLSHIT. They don't deserve to be foster parents anymore- even though they have received new wards since 2003 and have been named the legal guardian of a 5-year-old girl. I wonder how long it will be before they decide she's just "too much trouble" and discard her too.

Just 'a Swingin......

In a couple of days, I'll be an official "single" again. We had our final court date yesterday. Everything was signed and approved by the judge, but it will still take a couple of days for the paperwork to make its way through the court system.

It was... bittersweet.

Yes, I wanted the divorce. Yes, I'm glad it's finally over. But am I "happy" about the end of my marriage? No. I never married him with the idea of divorcing him 11 years later- it just worked out that way. I certainly didn't intend on ending my marriage the way it did either. That just sorta happened too. I'm not sorry I got married- I have two beautiful boys as a result of that marriage. But I am sorry for things falling apart the way they did. It's caused a lot of heartache and pain for a LOT of people. I hope that over time that pain eases, and we can all get along again.

I used to love my husband. It's heartbreaking when you come to the realization that you don't anymore. You stop and wonder why, and where did you go wrong. Was there one incident that just pushed you over the top, or was it a cumulation of years of little things that finally overflowed your cup? Or maybe a little of both? I've been relatively silent on my divorce on the blog, because, well... it's NUNYA, and I highly doubt you all want the gory details anyway. But I will say this: it was a combination of many things over several years, plus a few more recent events that finally pushed me over the top. I will also say this: divorces are not the result of affairs; affairs are the result of a bad marriage gone on too long.

Anyway... it's bittersweet. I'm glad we're no longer married, but damn... I'm still sad about the failure of our marriage. Now we just have to go ahead with the "business of raising children", as the mediator put it.

Oh yeah- one final thought: I hope I *never* have to go through a divorce again.

Drum Corps Zen

...courtesy of John, who got it from Rich.

(If RBP and BRI show up... they'll LOVE this!!!)

As a drumline member myself... I can tell you, this is out-frikkin-standing, and incredibly difficult. I am truly amazed and impressed. SO damn cool.

A dog, a cat... and me

Once upon a time, there was a girl. She loved animals- especially cats. But, sadly, her cats did not like dogs. Understandable, considering that one of the cats was nearly killed by a dog when she was just barely a year old.

This girl (we shall call her AFSister), has had cats for almost all of her adult life- including one who is now 15 years old. This oldest cat, MamaCat, is a crusty old cat. If she was human, she'd be one of those blue-haired ladies who wack you with a cane for misbehaving, but shower you with butterscotch candies when you're good. MamaCat tolerates dogs. She growls if they come too near, but has rarely attacked.

Enter... The Dog.
The girl's parents have a lovely chocolate Lab. We'll call her Maggie, since, well... that's her name. The girl's parents had to leave town on an emergency, so the girl took Maggie home with her. Upon first meeting, one cat literally climbed the wall and hung onto the window pane for dear life, and the other growled and hissed, but kept her distance. It was then that the girl decided it would be best to keep the cats in her bedroom for the duration of the dog's stay.

Enter.. the problem.
MamaCat escaped to a different bedroom in the house. During the attempted extraction, she was startled by the dog... and proceeded to not only chew the ever-livin' daylights out of the girl's finger, but also lost all bladder function. Nice. It quickly became obvious that the girl needed medical attention, due to the considerable swelling and redness. One GI-NORMOUS shot in the arse, and one prescription for some equally GI-NORMOUS antibiotic horsepills, and the girl was on her way home.



*sigh*

I'm not a slug

I'm just very busy, and have a lot on my plate right now. Lots going on... but nothing I feel comfortable writing about here. Those who know... know.

I'm kinda feeling like this.
But then.... I tell myself this, and I go on:
"Don't worry about a thing,
'Cause every little thing is gonna be alright."