Things that make you go "hmmmmmm"

I've been thinking. (yes, I have a headache now, thankyouverymuch)
I've been thinking about some current events and an obscure topic, so here goes:

* What drives highly paid and famous athletes, actors, and musicians to do stupid, illegal shit, like dog fighting, drunk driving, murder, drug abuse, and rape? Are their lives so void of excitement or satisfaction that they are driven to break the law just to spice things up? Or are they so damn immature and stupid that they feel they're above the law due to their celebrity status?

* Why are famous people given preferential legal treatment? If I was involved in dog fighting, you can bet your sweet bippy I'd be in jail for a long time. Remember the road rage incident a couple of years ago that ended with a man tossing a little dog into traffic, killing it? He got THREE YEARS. For killing ONE dog. Not that I think it's ok for him to kill a dog, mind you, but the charges against Michael Vick could get him 18 months max- for killing MANY dogs! How many of us would get a month in jail for drunk driving, spend 3 days there, and then released to serve the rest of the sentence under house arrest? At least Paris was eventually sent back, but still- I can't believe the judge let her go home!

* Why are famous people given professional preferential treatment? If I had a felony conviction of any sort in my record, I would lose my job. Yet actors, athletes, and musicians convicted of crimes- even multiple times- seem to keep their jobs?

* Where did we get the name Idaho from? I mean... I've never heard of Idaho Indians. I've never heard of a great explorer named Idaho. I've never heard of an Indian word from any tribe with the word "Idaho" in it. So... I had to look it up. I mean, I know that Ohio was named after the Iroquois word for "great river"; I know Vermont was named after a french phrase that means something like "green hills"; I know Indiana means "land of indians".... but what in the HELL is an Idaho? Who is an Idaho? What does Idaho translate to?

Apparently... NOTHING! The name "Idaho" was MADE UP! WHO KNEW???
How much you wanna bet that good ol' Louis and Clark were travelling the Western lands when Clark turned to Louis and announced "Damn. I really need to get laid." So they went into town, found a young lady wandering the streets who was proudly announcing to the world "I DA HO AROUND HERE! I DA HO, DAMMIT!"... at which point, Clark said "Looks like we're home, Louis!"

sheesh. Like I said... Things that make you go "hmmmmmmmm"......

I don't understand

HOW DOES SHIT LIKE THIS HAPPEN????

Yet it happens every year. Jan Null, adjunct professor at San Francisco State University researches these so-called "hot vehicle deaths". She says that 2/5ths of these deaths occur when a caregiver leaves a child locked in a car by accident; 25% involve children playing in cars... and 20% are children INTENTIONALLY left in cars.

I just don't get it. KIDS AND CARS is an organization dedicated to making sure that no child is ever injured or killed by a car again. In conjunction with the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Consumer's Union and members of Congress, they have introduced legislation that would enhance basic safety regulations and hopefully prevent many of these deaths. The proposed legislation addresses things like obstacle beepers (to prevent you from backing up over your child), and transmission upgrades to prevent cars from rolling (did you see this??? Good LORD. The rescuer ran down from his 15th FLOOR APARTMENT, grabbed a weed-wacker, broke the back window, and rescued the child! Unreal.), but as far as I can tell, does not address hot car deaths. However, if you read through the stories they have listed, MANY are about hot car deaths.

Legislation cannot prevent hot car deaths... only the caregivers have control. If you've clicked on any of the hot car death links, you'll notice that several were children of professionals, like doctors, educators, and private business owners. "HOW" talks about the child of two doctors who was left to die in their car outside the Washington University School of Medicine. The one listed under "DOES" happened just a few miles from my house. The asst. principal left her 2-year-old inside her Mercedes SUV. The one listed under "HAPPEN" involved a private business owner who left his child strapped inside his BMW 5-Series. They *all* involve forgetting about their child as they worked.

These are *NOT* ignorant people. They are, however, stupid and as careless as a drunk driver who kills. Thing is, these tragedies are often treated as "careless accidents" and are not prosecuted. THESE PEOPLE KILLED THEIR OWN CHILD!!!! True, it wasn't necessarily murder, but it should be considered negligent and/or vehicular homicide. How can we, as a society, NOT prosecute them? I don't care how remorseful they are, or what "loving, caring" parents they were BEFORE they "forgot" their child! I really don't care. What I can't get over is the thought of these babies, stroking out from heat, because they were simply "forgotten". I show these parents NO mercy- just as they showed their children how unimportant they were, compared to how important their work was the day they killed their children.

For a country who vows to "never forget"... we sure do a lot of forgetting about the most important and helpless people in our lives.

My new favorite Mommy-blog

Abso-frikkin' hilarious. Make sure you check out her eBay listing for Pokeman cards!

Ohhhh my GOD. SK, you rule for sending me the eBay link, which lead me to the blog!!

I.Don't.Believe.It.....

A WHITE MAN won a RACIAL DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT!

ho.lee.shit.

Mark Pasternak, who is white, said he was dismissed from his state job helping troubled youths because he could not tolerate being called names like "cracker," "polack" and "stupid white boy." A seven-member all-white jury found that Tommy Baines, who is black, discriminated against Pasternak and created a hostile work environment.

Gee. Where are the NAACP and ACLU on this one? Quiet, I see.

Can you imagine how quickly Pasternak would have been fired for calling a subordinate a "nigger", "cotton-picker", or "stupid black boy"?? He would have been hanged by his fingernails the day he started spewing those phrases. Turn it around, and Baines calls his white employee names, and he's merely fined but kept his job? That shit pisses me off.

As Pasternak says, "I was always taught to stay away from racial slurs ... and epitaphs". Too bad Baines wasn't taught the same manners and social graces. I don't discriminate against people of any color... and I have a serious problem with those who do. Too bad "asshole" isn't an official selection for "race".

Survivor (family) Guilt

Is it wrong to issue an audible "PHEW" when you find out that a downed helicopter was not from your cousin's unit? Or that it's not the kind of helicopter your husband flies?

I don't think so... but I can't help feeling guilty for the "thank GOD it wasn't Tori or HF6's DH... Thank GOD".

Thoughts, prayers, and sympathy go out to the Ft. Lewis crew of the downed Blackhawk and the 10 passengers from Schofield. Damn. Just... damn.

Butterflies

News like this makes my heart flutter and stomach flip... but I know that if it's Tori's Blackhawk, I'll know eventually.
Still, knowing that it *could* be her gives me butterflies- the bad kind.

I got a really sweet email from her mom the other day, thanking all of Tori's Prayer Warriors for keeping her safe and for the letters and care packages. I responded back to her saying "It's our pleasure. Those of us who either cannot or do not serve, serve those of us who do". It's true. I can't serve, and neither can my Church Lady friends, but we do all we can to support the troops and show our love and appreciation for them every day. That love and support does NOT include a call to "support the troops... end the war NOW".

Ending the war now doesn't do a damn thing to support the troops. Ending the war now would bring them home, but it doesn't show our support. When you're faced with a difficult task, and you're making progress, but someone else steps in and tells you you're not doing it fast enough and cancels the project, you feel like a failure. That's exactly what we'll do to our troops if we bring them home now.

Our soldiers are getting the job done, and making tons of progress toward helping Iraq and Afghanistan stand on their own two feet against the Taliban and AQ, but the negative spin on the war by MSM hide their progress. The anti-war crowd is spurred on by stories about US soldiers raping and murdering families in Iraq, by stories about civilian casualties, and by false stories made up by disgruntled men. These stories, which are few and far between, make better "news" than good stories about new schools, power plants, water treatment facilities, alliances between local tribes and our soldiers, and children receiving top-notch medical care for both war related, and non-war related illnesses and injuries. Good news just isn't worth reporting to them.

All wars have civilian casualties. All wars have military casualties. All wars are harsh, and cruel, and difficult, and most wars are long. It sickens me to realize that so much of the US has become so pussified they can't remember what a REAL war is like and cave so easily to MSM spins.

Soldier-Daddy

How many of us could see a Soldier holding their children, in a good-bye or a welcome-home hug, and not get emotional? No one I know could do that.

But... how would you respond to this?

I know I'd be in tears. Just like I am now, telling you all to go read 1SG Keith's post.

And I have to echo his thoughts: finish the war, THEN bring them home. We honor those who have given their lives in war by FINISHING the war- not by giving up and going home.

Hoosiers

Ohio shares it's western border with the state of Indiana, whose residents are affectionately known as "Hoosiers". I spent the day in Indiana today, seeing clients. During my 8 or 9 hours in the car, I had a LOT of time to listen to the radio, and heard a LOT of commercials. Only one made me laugh.

It was an ad for an optometrist's office, called "Hoosier Eye Doctor".

Say it out loud with me now.... "Who's Your Eye Doctor"......
I can hear you laughing!!

But it made me think.

Wonder if there's a DNA lab in Indiana somewhere called "Hoosier Daddy"? Or maybe a birthing center called "Hoosier Mama"?

BUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA.... oh, the possibilities!

The Ultimate Redneck Robber

.... has been found in Ashland, Kentucky!
Kasey Kazee, 24, decided to disguise himself before robbing Shamrock Liquors. He wrapped his head in duct tape and walked into the store. The AP reporter covering the story best described what happened next:
"Store manager Bill Steele had some duct tape of his own, but his was wrapped around a wooden club that sent the robber fleeing"

BUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... what a dumbass.
You've GOT to go look at the link- there's a picture of the would-be robber, still wrapped in duct tape, and bloody as hell from the clubbing. I wonder how much of his skin and hair came off with the tape down at the station. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...

Badass Marine

I don't know if he's a real Marine or not, and quite frankly... I really don't care. It's the message that matters, and DAMN... what a message.


And for those like me, who prefer to read and ponder the words..... here are the lyrics (thanks Cheryl!!). (Emphasis mine, at points that made me tear up and swell with pride. It happened a lot, as you will see)

Free
and She called.
Blacks, Whites.wait
African Americans and Caucasians, Asians, excuse me.
Vietnamese, Philippines, Koreans and Jamaicans or
Haitians, waitin' Hispanics y'all.
Please be patient
Mexican, Puerto Ricans, Venezuelan, Cuban, v Dominican, Panamanian Democrats
I beg your pardon, you partied with the late, great Reagan?
Republican, Independent, Christian, Catholic,
Methodist, Baptist, 7th Day Adventist, 5 Percenters,
Hindu, Sunni Muslim, Brothers and Sisters who never seen the New York city
skyline when the twin towers still existed.
But still She called.
From the bowels of Ground Zero she sent this 911 distress signal.
Because She was in desperate need of a hero,
and didn't have time to decipher what to call 'em,
so she called 'em all Her children.
The children of the stars and bars who needed to know nothing more than the
fact that she called.
The fact that someone attempted to harm us
this daughter who covered us all with her loving arms.
And now these arms are sprawled across New York City streets.
A smoke filled lung, a silt covered faced,
and a solitary tear poured out of her cheek.
Her singed garments carpets Pennsylvania Avenue and the Pentagon was under
her feet.
As she began to talk, she began to cough up small particles of debris
and said, "I am America, and I'm calling on the land of the free."
So they answered.
All personal differences set to the side
because right now there was no time to decide which state building the
Confederate flag should fly over,
and which trimester the embryo is considered alive,
or on our monetary units, and which God we should confide.
You see, someone attempted to choke the voice
of the one who gave us the right for choice,
and now she was callin.
And somebody had to answer.
Who was going to answer?
So they did.
Stern faces and chiseled chins.
Devoted women and disciplined men,
who rose from the ashes like a phoenix
and said "don't worry, we'll stand in your defense."
They tightened up their bootlaces
and said goodbye to loved ones, family and friends.
They tried to bombard them with the "hold on", "wait-a-minute's", and
"what-if's".
And "Daddy, where you goin?".
And, "Mommy, why you leavin?".
And they merely kissed them on their foreheads and said "Don't worry, I have
my reasons.
You see, to this country I pledged my allegiance
to defend it against all enemies foreign and domestic.
So as long as I'm breathin, I'll run though hell-fire,
meet the enemy on the front lines,
look him directly in his face,
stare directly in his eyes and scream,
"I AM AMERICA! WE WILL NOT BE TERRORIZED!
WE WILL NOT BE TERRORIZED!
I REFUSE TO BE AFRAID!
I'LL FIGHT YOU ANY COUNTRY, ANY CONTINENT, ANY TERRAIN.
I'LL FIGHT TO MY LAST BREATH!"
And if by chance death is my fate,
pin my medals upon my chest,
and throw Old Glory on my grave.
But, don't y'all cry for me.
You see, my Father's prepared a place.
I'll be a part of his Holy army standing a watch at the Pearly Gates.
Because freedom was never free.
POW's, and fallen soldiers
all paid the ultimate sacrifice
along side veterans who put themselves in harms way.
Risking their lives and limbs just to hold up democracy's weight,
but still standing on them broken appendages anytime the National Anthem was
played.
You see, these were the brave warriors that gave me the right
to say that I'm Black. Or white.
Or
African American or Caucasian,
I'm Asian, excuse me.
I'm Vietnamese, Philippine, Korean, or Jamaican.
I'm Haitian, Hispanic
Y'all, Please be patient.
I'm Mexican, Puerto Rican, Venezuelan, Cuban,
Dominican, Panamanian, Democrat
I beg your pardon, you see I partied with the late, great Reagan.
I'm Republican, Independent, Christian, Catholic,
Methodist, Baptist, 7th Day Adventist, 5 Percenters,
Hindu, Sunni Muslim,
Brothers and Sisters We're just Americans.
So with that I say
"Thank You" to the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines,
for preserving my rights
to live and die for this life
and paying the ultimate price for me to be.FREE!

HOO-FRIKKIN-AH, BABY.
We are FREE, because of the the BRAVE. Never forget it. Never.

Oops, I'm sorry... did I drop something back there?

A Japanese biker failed to notice his leg had been severed below the knee when he hit a safety barrier, and rode on for 2 km (1.2 miles), leaving a friend to pick up the missing limb.

Yeah... and I bet he never notices when his wife gets a new hairdo either.

Where's my damn drum?!?!!!!

I don' wanna work.... I just wanna bang on my drum all day!!

Well, I *do* want to work, I just can't figure out where to start! *sigh* I have so much shit I need to get done I can't even think straight. Things around the house and for my job. The piles just keep getting bigger and bigger.

I know, I know.. prioritize and take it one step at a time. Do like the SEAL instructors tell the candidates just before Hell Week- focus on accomplishing the task at hand; don't think about what could be coming next- just take it one task at a time. If you start guessing about what's next, you'll get frustrated and discouraged.

Good advice, if I can take it.

Watch for #13!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, here's the deal.
One of my Mom's best friends has a son who's HEADED TO THE LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES!
HOLY SHIT!

I heard about the team's chance at going last week, but I just found out today that Mom's friend's son is on the team. Last night's game was on ESPN, and my parents watched #13 play 1st base ON ESPN!!! Oh.My.GOD.... Brigetta's son, on ESPN!

This is so damn cool.

So... unless you have another pony in this race, you are all hearby requested to root for the Hamilton West-Side All-Stars in the Little League World Series!!!!!!!

Kevin. Again.

So... Kevin decided to play football this year. He was born built to play football, so I think he'll like it, but so far he hasn't been able to do much. Three practices a week, plus a game on Saturdays = not much time for home-cooked meals.

A week ago, on our way to football, Kevin asked if we could get dinner at his new favorite restaurant. Not really caring, I said "OK- what's the restaurant?"
He said, "I don't know the name of it. Daddy took me there for dinner last week, and it was awesome! They had a lot of really cool stuff. It's near my football practice."

So I probed farther, "What else can you tell me about it?"

He said, "Well, it's on the corner, has a big red "K" with a circle around it."

A GAS STATION.
Kevin's new favorite restaurant is a CIRCLE K STORE!

I'm not sure whether to cry or laugh.

Today I'm feeling.....

Click here to create your own painting.

nervous, frantic, and black.
Apparently, I'm feeling Oriental based upon that picture.

Thanks to JackStar, who seems to be feeling like a toddler.

fuck fuck fuckity fuck

some days just aren't worth it.
the past two weeks have been FILLED with those days.

i say to you again... fuck fuck fuckity fuck