I know that everyone is praying for the victims of Katrina, could you say an extra one for Gordon's family? I love Dogsnot and Gordon is a great buddy. He's got 3 relatives missing on the Mississippi side of Lake Pontchartrain

Now, that's a good cracker!

I will be posting here and at Dean's World for the day.

And I'm PMS'ing! Should be fun... for me anyway.

To my friend and the surrogate Auntie of my children. This is so weird but Juliette was born the exact same day and year as my late sister, Eva. If my sister lived, she'd be 44 today.

How totally twilight zoney!

Love ya girlfriend! Hope your day is wonderful, you deserve it.

I always appreciate it when someone recommends a good product. I don't know how much money I have pissed away in search of a great scented candle but it's not pretty. The candles you get at those parties are good but too damn expensive. I prefer a great product and a fair price. You give me that and you have a lifelong customer.

I have found such a product in the scented candle area. The White Barn Candle Company makes the best scented candles I have ever found. The prices are fair and they always have a sale. The store is found locally in most malls. The salesgirl was really pitching me about how great these candles are, I was skeptical, but interested. I bought a couple of small ones that were on sale and hoped for the best. The small ones stated that they had a 40 hour burn time and I thought if that was true then the $5 sale price was really good.

It was true and the scents were incredible. The main area of my house smelled wonderful. I keep one in the bathroom for obvious reasons and it really does the job. I can't sing the praises of these candles enough. I went back and bought 3 more big ones (100 hours each), those were on sale for $10 each. They are normally $17.50 each and I can honestly say I would've paid $17.50. Totally worth every penny.

If you like a scented candle, you will LOVE these. I'm currently burning one that is cinnamon vanilla and I'm in love with the smell.

Splurge a little and buy some yummy candles, you'll be glad that you did.

Man she's a nasty one ain't she?

Personally, my favorite has always been Chimpy McSmirk. There is just nothing funnier than an angry lefty.

I just watched Inside 9/11 on the National Geographic channel. It was an unbelieveable documentary on Bin Laden, the origins of Al Qaeda and the planning, attack and aftermath of 9/11. It was the most unbiased thing I have seen on T.V. in a long time. It just laid everything out to help provide an understanding of the events that took place and some reasons why.

It didn't blame Reagan/Bush, Clinton, Bush or even the FBI or CIA. It was a true documentary and it was incredible. I watched it and even though we are on the verge of the 4th anniversary, it stirred up emotions that I thought had subsided. I'm still not over it and I'm just your average American from the midwest. I didn't lose anyone that I knew personally but damn I feel like I knew them all.

I will NEVER FORGET

What do those three things have in common? Depending on which way you lean politically you may think that only two of these things belong together.

Here's the thing, Cindy Sheehan lost a child in war and because of that she has chosen to use her right to free speech in protest. I don't agree with anything I've heard her say or that has been attributed to her. But I respect her right to say them and her right to protest.

I don't think that because her son died, she has become a moral authority on the war. Nope, no more than any other parent that lost a child is an authority. The problem that I have is the way this situation has been framed.

I keep hearing those on the left saying that she deserves answers to her questions because gave her son to war and he was taken from her.

That is wrong.

Wrong.

She didn't give her son and he wasn't taken from her. He was her child but he wasn't a child. She didn't give him and he wasn't taken against his will.

That brave man CHOSE to re-enlist after the war began. Cindy's adult son made a choice, a heroic choice and he perished doing something that he believed in.

He had a right to choose and he did. He wasn't a 12 year old trying to enlist without parental consent. Of course, many would have you believe that 12 is plenty old enough to make life and death choices without parental consent. Or does that only apply to girls?

Cindy is in pain and I ache for her and all the other parents. To a parent, losing a child is the ultimate pain and it doesn't matter how old that child is. No parent wants to outlive their child(ren).

I honor her son and I am humbled by his sacrifice. I feel so sorry for Cindy's pain and I honor her right as an American to exercise her right to free speech. I also honor the right of free speech by those that oppose her. They didn't lose their rights just because Cindy is in mourning. Her rights don't supercede anyone else's.

Many people are angry that Cindy is being labeled a facist or an anti-semite for her interesting and colorful views, as well as her supporters (Michael Moore, David Duke, etc). They are calling it Sheenanizing. I call it free speech. If Cindy Sheehan can call the POTUS a murderer, a terrorist and a liar, then she and her supporters should expect that disagreement and counter-namecalling will result.

Every person inhabiting our fair land has a right to free speech and assembly.

Everybody.

You don't get a pass from dissenting views because your son or daughter died serving the nation. If you did, it wouldn't be free speech. You don't just get to spew venom, people are allowed to answer in kind. Speech isn't only free for anti-war supporters, it isn't only free for grieving families, it is free for all.

A good friend of mine thinks that he is in trouble. He runs a website for a local theater group. He posted a picture of one of the actors, a 12 year old girl, without parental consent and the mother went apeshit. He didn't realize it was a problem because she, the girl, is a member of the troup.

Problem number 2: She has occasionally IM'd him questions and he responded and he is worried that he is in trouble because the mother is making threats.

I know for a fact that this guy is no pervert. He's just a good guy that could have his life completely ruined by some angry, overreacting stagemom.

Read the complete story here.

Any advice?

Today is Jacob's last day of summer vacation. :-(

I have been spending it with him so blogging will be light. I'm so sad, I'm gonna miss my baby. Okay, he's almost 8 but he is still my baby and he is the most awesome baby helper. I don't know what I'll do without him.

Kos wants to make the DLC irrelevant. Radioactive is the word he used but I'm sure that is the same thing. They believe that the DLC is the minority of the Democrat Party and that they, kossites, are the majority.

Is dismantling the party and removing the moderate wing a good idea for the Democrats?

From a Republican standpoint, the idea makes me giggle. But speaking as an American, not a party loyalist, the idea of destroying the Democratic Party by eliminating the moderates really bugs me. I certainly wouldn't want the Republicans to be represented only by the Far-Right, every party needs balance.

Do we really want to see the inmates running the asylum, on either side?


VIA: Lori Byrd

My friend, Mark, left this ditty earlier:

Just a thought, one small item among oh, so many:

The fact is that under Saddam, in their everyday lives, one half of the population had more real, tangible freedom than they have now and that they will have under some form of Shar'ia. The sheer numbers of people whose freedom are affected make it the most glaring and tragic symbol of our failed "noble cause."

That gem came from Digby. To which I was gonna reply, ARE F**KING KIDDING ME?

But then I replied that plenty of people were free under Stalin, Pol Pot and Hitler so I guess that's okay. Proof that we should have left that murdering tyrant alone. Hell, in this country everyone except the slaves were free, so why oh why did we even bother? You'd think that a LIBERAL would find that quote offensive, not quote it as proof that Bush is bad and we are failing. Some liberal, eh? Why is it that Liberals seem so taken with tyrants, is it the social programs?

Well, I guess that we should take "Digby's" word for it and ignore the actual people that are like living there now. Did you know that Dean's Dad is in Baghdad working for the government? We get lots of updates and pictures. It's funny that the guys that are there, on the ground, think things are going much better than the people here do. Why is that I wonder?

Yeah, we are failing. We have to be, the MSM and the Liberals keep saying so. I mean just look at Fallujah. Proof positive that our noble cause is crashing and burning.

Hey, LIBERALS, why not pull your collective heads out of your asses and read commentary from people that are on the ground. Not the "reporters" holed up in a hotel counting bodies and bombs. Read some of the actual PEOPLE and the real reporters.



Read some good news, there is lots of it.

Lair Simon has done something that nobody else could, he convinced me that Cindy Sheehan deserves her meeting.

Let her have her meeting, the sooner the better.

HT: Michael

Waking up to a storm. It's all dark and it really kills the urge to do stuff. I need to go to the grocery store but I can't take my babies out in that. Oh, well I guess I shall just clean something.

What are you up to today?

"My son died in Iraq--and it was not in vain." BY RONALD R. GRIFFIN

I grieve with Mrs. Sheehan, for all too well I know the full measure of the agony she is forever going to endure. I honor her son for his service and sacrifice. However, I abhor all that she represents and those who would cast her as the symbol for parents of our fallen soldiers.

The fallen heroes, until now, have enjoyed virtually no individuality. They have been treated as a monolith, a mere number. Now Mrs. Sheehan, with adept public relations tactics, has succeeded in elevating herself above the rest of us. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida declared that Mrs. Sheehan is now the symbol for all parents who have lost children in Iraq. Sorry, senator. Not for me...

Go read the rest.

Via: Dean

re: Cindy Sheehan and George W. Bush --

Can anyone come up with any significant historical examples of an average citizen demanding to meet with a President of the United States by stalking him and calling him a criminal?

Any of those people ever succeed?

HT: Ara

Remember Jean Charles de Menezes? He was the Brazillian mistakenly shot dead by police in London. We heard reports citing that he ran, he was wearing a heavy coat, etc. I thought that it was tragic but that the man brought it on himself by running and acting guilty. In the days following the London bombing, acting suspicious was dangerous. We heard that police shouted for him to stop, he ran and jumped a turnstyle to get on a subway, forcing police to stop him with extreme force. We heard a lot about that episode and most of us sided with the cops.

We were wrong. The cops lied. Menezes wasn't wearing a heavy coat, jumping turnstiles and running from police. He was wearing a light jean jacket and following police instructions. His English was good and he was obeying instructions, such as they were. An officer had him pinned to his seat while another boarded the subway and put a bullet in his head. 5 bullets. The man was restrained so the bullet was unnecessary. Worse than unnecessary, as the man was innocent, it was murder.

I always give the police, any police, the benefit of the doubt. I know that some cops are bad but I believe that is truly a minority. Police risk life and limb everyday and I admire and respect that. Mistakes happen and, while they can be tragic, most are forgiveable. This wasn't one of them.

The police lied and an innocent man is dead. Unforgiveble.

HT: Scott Kirwin

Michelle Malkin and Brian Maloney have posted the first in a series of reports on the Air America scandal.

Lots of good stuff there. I'm sure my Liberal pals will just yawn and why not? They are certainly used to liberals screwing over the poor but, for the rest of you, it is good reading.

I've not been feeling too well. Some sort of stomach bug and both boys seem affected as well.

I'll get back to it soon.

Would you meet with Cindy Sheehan again? Why or why not?

Big Dan Champion died last night. I'm terribly sad and I can't put any coherent thoughts together. Thankfully, Ara did.

Cancer sucks!

Dan Champion, 1967-2005

A man was discharged from the Army under the DADT policy.

He didn't tell anyone he was gay. The Army investigated him for a possible security infraction and stumbled upon a profile of him indicating that he was gay. The profile was written before he enlisted. Before that, there was no indication that he was gay. They didn't ask and he didn't tell.

I call bull***t on this. They obviously didn't have a clue about his sexuality. The policy bans gays being openly gay, not just being gay.

HT: Michael

Reviews are coming in from all over. The Great Raid looks to be a big hit.

Set in the Philippines in 1945, THE GREAT RAID tells the true story of the 6th Ranger Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Henry Mucci (Benjamin Bratt) who undertake a daring rescue mission against all odds. Traveling thirty miles behind enemy lines, the 6th Ranger Battalion aims to liberate over 500 American prisoners-of-war from the notorious Cabanatuan Japanese POW camp in the most audacious rescue ever.

I heard Ollie North say that it was very realistic and that is pretty high praise. I'm a big fan of big epic style movies with lots of fighting. It was looking pretty promising from the trailers. Also, any movie with 20 men for every woman is my kind of film. Yummy!

Naral has a new ad attacking SCOTUS nominee John Roberts. There appears to be only one true fact in the ad. The fact: John Roberts is a SCOTUS nominee. Just about everything else in the ad was created out of thin air or purposely twisted by NARAL.

FactCheck.org debunks NARAL's latest smear on SCOTUS nominee Roberts.

To my liberal pals, you can yawn all you want but this kind of behavior from your fringers stains you as well. By ignoring it, you are condoning it. You should be distancing yourselves from this kind of crap, unless you agree with it.

I'm so behind Roberts now. The far right doesn't like him because helped gay activists and the left doesn't like him because...because Bush picked him. The far right may be a bunch of bigoted jerks but at least they dislike Roberts for a "real" reason, the left has to lie and create reasons that don't exist to hate him.

Via: Malkin

Dean Esmay: "Chicks dig the Meatwad"

Funny, I've never heard it put quite that way before but okay. If you say so, Dean.

Can you pick the situation that inspired the quote?

A.) Dean was giving Jake "the sex talk."

B.) Dean was initiating foreplay.

C.) Dean was commenting on Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

There was an explosion at a chemical plant at Wayne/Van Born. We live on Van Born about a mile east of the explosion. We can hear it and the sky is glowing. All reports indicate that everyone got out before it blew. Thank God!

I just heard that Dana Reeves, Chistopher's widow, has lung cancer too.

Hasn't that woman suffered enough?

Peter Jennings has lost his battle with lung cancer. He was 67.

Harry Potter Personality Quiz by Pirate Monkeys Inc.

Via: Deb

C'mon, parents of little cuties, give us your tales of woe or joy. My sister wants your advice, see post below, on getting baby to sleep.

What worked for you? What didn't? Her little muffin is running the show and she needs to show him who's boss. Okay, at 6 months old, we know he's running things but we don't want him to know it!

I, unlike the books written by "experts", have told her that she isn't doing anything wrong. She isn't a failure because her baby doesn't sleep through the night. Every baby is different and no single method of putting baby to sleep is perfect, if it were there wouldn't be so many books written with different ideas. One of her books actually said, 'if baby isn't sleeping through the night by 6 months, you are doing something wrong'. Yeah, like a first time Mom needs a flippin' book to make her feel inadequate.

I had a hard time with my first one. Jacob may be one of the lights of my life and very easy to raise but he didn't start out easy. He was so difficult that when Draco was born, I thought there was something wrong with Draco because he was sooo easy. Al asked me how I got Draco to sleep and I said that I just put in his crib and he went to sleep. That isn't talent, it's LUCK!

So, I'm hoping that you share your experiences with us. Maybe you don't have advice, that's cool, but maybe you can offer your story as moral support. I know that she isn't a bad Mom and I hope that deep down she knows it too. I do know that she'd feel better if she knew that she wasn't alone.

Thoughts?

As a first time Mom, I am in dire need of tips. My 6 1/2 month old does not want to sleep through the night and I am sure I am to blame. He wakes up 2 times. First after being asleep for about 2 hours and then again around 3 or 4 a.m. The first time he wakes up my husband rocks him to sleep. That only takes a few minutes. The second time, rocking won't due and I nurse him back to sleep. Sometimes, I even fall asleep with him in the bed.

I have read about all the different approaches out there from Dr. Sears (which is pretty much what I am doing) to Ferberizing (gradual crying it out)to the Extinction method of Dr. Weissbluth (letting him cry it out cold turkey) and the gentler approach of Dr. Kim West. All of these experts also say my son should be getting 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night and 2 naps during the day. And, that anything less is harming my son's cognitive development.

I pretty much feel like the world's worst parent. I know I have taught my son to depend on me and my husband to be there when he wakes at 11 p.m. and 3:30 a.m. I have tried to put him down drowsy but awake and he simply won't go to sleep. I have also tried to let him cry for many (5-15) minutes before going to him. The only thing I have managed to do is get him to cry hysterically.

So, Moms and Dads...I would love some advice. I am planning on dedicating the next 10 days, starting tomorrow to getting him on a new sleep schedule. I welcome any thoughts on what has worked for you. If you would like to see some pictures of my son, please visit www.babymoorehead.com Thanks.

When your caricature (a picture that is deliberately exaggerated to produce a comic or grotesque effect) happens to be 1000 times better looking than you really are, insulting someone else's appearance is ironic at best and pathetic at worst.

Here is an easy rule:

If you are old, fat, balding and the bit of hair you actually have left is greasy and looks like it smells bad; DON'T INSULT THE APPEARANCE OF OTHERS.

Also, and this still pertains to the snotty Wolcott, if your sexuality is questionable but people feel the need to hide both their pets and their children when you visit; DON'T INSULT THE APPEARANCE OF OTHERS.

One more thing, don't insult veterans, you arrogant poof.

HT: Michelle Malkin

Lots of links on the Air America scandal.

Kate had a horrible accident on Monday and lost some teeth - her front ones. To fix them she needs to find/raise a little over $8000.

If you can spare a buck or two, please help her out!

A blonde's car breaks down on the Interstate one day. So she eases it over
onto the shoulder of the road. She carefully steps out of the car and opens the trunk.

Out jump two men in trench coats who walk to the rear of the vehicle where they stand facing oncoming traffic and begin opening their coats and exposing their nude bodies to approaching drivers...

Not surprisingly, one of the worst pileups in history of this highway occurs. It's not very long before a police car shows up.

The cop, clearly enraged, runs toward the blonde of the disabled vehicle yelling, "What the hell is going on here?"

"My car broke down," says the lady, calmly.

"Well, what are these perverts doing here by the road?!" asks the cop...

"Those are my emergency flashers!" she replied.

I was watching the news earlier and I heard that Bush was 26 lbs. overweight. I was shocked. He doesn't look overweight, they must be going by raw numbers and not taking muscle weight into account. He is 5' 11" and weighs 191. All that running and bike riding must put some lean muscle on him, don't you think?

I'm outside doing the yardwork. I'll blog something really outrageous in a bit. Bear with me, my lawn is in desperate need of a trim!

I'm not sure why I thought Scalia voted for Kelo but I have be damning him for weeks. I mixed him up with Anthony Kennedy. Anthony sounds like Antonin but sheesh, that is like mixing up John Kennedy with John Kerry.

My apologies to Scalia. I take back all the nasty things I said about you. You are so not a douche.

Howard Dean, by contrast, blamed George W. Bush and the Right-Wing Court for the Kelo decision. Dean said:

“The president and his right-wing Supreme Court think it is ‘okay’ to have the government take your house if they feel like putting a hotel where your house is.” ...“We think that eminent domain does not belong in the private sector. It is for public use only,” Dean said.

Okay, a quick recap. The Right-Wingers that voted for Kelo: Justices John Paul Stevens, David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer combined with Justice Anthony Kennedy to form the majority opinion, allowing the city of New London, Conn., to use eminent domain to seize private properties for commercial development.

The Non-Right-Wingers that dissented: Justices: Hardcore conservatives Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Associate Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas and moderate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

I'm still waiting for Howie to explain how this is Bush's fault. Which Justice was appointed by Bush? Oh, that's right NONE.

Come on pals of mine, gather up your liberal coalition and explain DNC head Howard Dean.


Via: The Other Dean